Clay County awards OSB grants, authorizes $5 million EPA recovery application and approves other routine business

Clay County officials announced several grant awards and approved multiple grant applications and routine administrative items during the Jan. 8, 2026 meeting of the Clay County Board of Commissioners.

County Manager Debbie Mauney told the board the county was awarded four grants from the Office of State Budget (OSB): $8,534.13 to replace the Viper Tower repeater damaged by Hurricane Helene; $329,929.21 for an ambulance for EMS; $1,850,067.08 toward a Clay County Emergency Management Complex; and $2,188,530.42 for a Town of Hayesville Emergency Management Complex. Mauney said the Emergency Management Complex will be a roughly 20,000-square-foot facility across the road from the government complex, with administrative offices, residential quarters for first responders, a training room, a clinical room for a community paramedic and bays for vehicles and equipment. Mauney thanked the board, Hayesville Mayor Benita England, EMS Director Jeff Ledford and grant writer Claudie Burchfield for their roles in securing the awards.

"The county had received approximately $90 million dollars during the past five years," Chairman Dr. Rob Peck said, thanking county staff for their diligence.

The board also approved a resolution authorizing submission of a North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF) Helene Recovery Grant application for $750,000 to fund a splash pad and playground project; the resolution ratified prior and future actions by the county manager as necessary to complete the application. The minutes list the motion as made by Commissioner Dwight Penland and seconded by Commissioner Scott Penland; the motion passed 5 for and 0 against.

Separately, the board approved a resolution authorizing the county manager to submit an EPA Helene Recovery & Resiliency Grant application in the amount of $5,000,000 to transform the county solid-waste system and support construction of a Clay County Transfer Station and Recycling Center. The board also authorized the county manager to pursue additional grant opportunities and funding sources to accomplish the project; that motion passed unanimously.

In other business, Marie Gunther, director of Clay County Transportation, presented the county's Title VI Plan; Commissioners approved the plan by unanimous vote. The board set the advertising week for 2025 delinquent taxes as the week of March 9, 2026 to permit time for second notices in February, consistent with the statutory advertising window of March 1 through June 30. Chairman Dr. Rob Peck presented a resolution to honorary-name a 3.1-mile section of Fires Creek Road for Edward L. Roach; the resolution was approved.

The board reappointed members to the Special Board of Equalization and Review (Ed Reams, Chris Cotton, Gary Reffit, Shelagh S. Whitney and Michael C. Anderson) and approved a 1.5% increase to the 2026 EMS fee schedule based on a Center for Medicare & Medicaid recommendation. The consent agenda was approved unanimously.

At 8:15 p.m. the board entered executive session for personnel and attorney/client matters and reconvened at 9:45 p.m. After returning to open session, the board authorized the Clay County Board of Education to use county-allocated funds originally intended for a trainer to fill a vacant assistant principal position but noted the county could not guarantee funding for both positions and will revisit the request in the next fiscal year. The meeting adjourned at 9:50 p.m.

The minutes attach a Planning Board–produced map of recommended alternative routes for the TVA's proposed transmission line through Clay County and note the Planning Board requested TVA and BRMEMC meet with county officials and consider extending the TVA comment period; the minutes do not record further action on that item.