Alamance County commissioners mark Haw River Trail anniversary, approve routine business and hear landfill concerns
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Summary
At the Feb. 2 meeting the board proclaimed the 20th anniversary of the Haw River Trail, approved advertising delinquent 2025 taxes and appointed Jenny Brown as clerk; the largest public comment topic was local opposition to a proposed LCID landfill on Clap Mill Road and requests for county support of Sesquicentennial Park.
Alamance County commissioners opened their Feb. 2 meeting with a remembrance for former Chairman John Paisley and adopted several routine actions while hearing extensive public comment on a proposed LCID landfill.
Commissioners unanimously approved an agenda amendment early in the meeting and later approved the consent agenda. Finance Director Brad Fowler reported $6,219,369.85 in unpaid 2025 taxes as of Jan. 30, 2026, and the board authorized advertising delinquents in the paper on March 26, 2026, excluding taxpayers who pay by March 12 or are under bankruptcy protections. Fowler also said the county’s collection rate has improved to about 95.83% on a $121 million levy.
The board adopted a resolution appointing Jenny Brown as clerk to the board under North Carolina General Statute 153A‑111; the board thanked interim clerk Diane Yatze for her service. Commissioners also approved a board procedure change to split routine business into a daytime business meeting and an evening work session, while allowing public comment at both meetings and adding a three‑minute limit on commissioner responses immediately after public comment and a five‑minute commissioner comment period at the end of evening meetings.
During public comment, several speakers asked the county to intervene or partner with municipal leaders on local issues. Graham City Council member Jim Young asked the county to help fund and maintain the Sesquicentennial Park, proposing direct maintenance funding, a matching grant, or a one‑time capital contribution. Several other speakers, including Jim Albright, cited a city council vote they said approved moving the park toward a parking lot and urged county engagement.
Multiple residents and land‑use advocates urged the board to restrict high‑impact industrial uses on low‑class rural roads after neighbors raised safety and signage concerns about Clap Mill Road in connection with a proposed LCID landfill application. Staff and the county attorney explained that NCDOT approval of a roadway connection is a DOT decision and once granted cannot be reversed, but the board directed staff to draft an ordinance limiting high‑impact uses on certain rural road classifications to prevent similar situations in the future.
The meeting closed with commissioners discussing jail capacity and the launch of a new mobile opioid treatment unit called “On the Road to Recovery,” a partnership with VIA and New Seasons providing counseling and medication for opioid use disorder on weekdays at a county health‑department site.
The board adjourned after routine business. Items requiring further action — including the library grant application and draft ordinance language on land uses and roads — were referred to staff for follow‑up and will return to the board for formal consideration.
