[3:38] 2026 Corwick County Board of Commissioners meeting.

[3:43] I'd like to ask Reverend Rusty Willis give us the invocation.

[3:51] Good evening. Good evening.

[3:53] I believe this is the third time I've been asked to give the invocation.

[3:58] Each time it's not a duty, it's an honor. And I thank you. Thank

[4:01] you.

[4:04] Some three years ago.

[4:06] Thirty-nine people were looking for a home.

[4:09] A place to worship.

[4:11] And the commissioners of that time. Changed the decision for the

[4:15] little white building on the corner. Not to be a warehouse.

[4:19] But to be a church again. There's 39 people

[4:22] who have grown to 130 now.

[4:26] And we said thank you then. But my father taught me

[4:30] you can never say thank you enough.

[4:33] As long as you're saying it from your heart.

[4:36] As the founding pastor of both for policy, I say from my heart.

[4:39] And the 130. Say from their hearts. Thank you.

[4:44] Thank you.

[4:46] Let us pray.

[4:50] Dear Father God, we thank you for the plans. That you

[4:53] have for each of these commissioners.

[4:57] And each of us, our fellow citizens.

[5:00] Good plans. For a future and a hope.

[5:04] Plans to make a difference in other people's lives.

[5:09] And not just our own. We thank you for a founding

[5:12] fathers. That saw a government.

[5:16] That was for the people.

[5:18] And by the people.

[5:20] And we thank you that these commissioners and this government.

[5:24] Is living out that dream. To be here.

[5:28] Not for themselves. But to make a difference for the people.

[5:32] And so now as Solomon asked, not for

[5:35] riches, but for wisdom. We pray for

[5:38] you to give each of these commissioners the wisdom that they need.

[5:43] To make the easy decisions and the hard decisions.

[5:46] But that is best. And we pray this in the name of Jesus.

[5:50] The King of King and Lord of lords. Amen.

[5:54] God bless you all. Thank you, Rusty. Thank you. Commissioner Sheehan, you lead us

[5:57] unpledgeably.

[6:01] Congratulations to the five of the United States of America.

[6:06] And to the Republic for which it stands one nation

[6:10] unto God. Indivisible. With liberty and justice

[6:14] for all.

[6:24] Okay. In accordance with the state government ethics act, it is the

[6:28] duty of every board member to avoid both conflicts of interest and the

[6:31] appearance of conflict. Does any board member have any known conflict of interest

[6:35] where their parents are conflict with respect to any matter coming before the board this

[6:38] evening? If so, please identify the conflict and refrain from

[6:42] any undue participation in a particular matter.

[6:45] I'm going to need to recuse myself from item number 10.

[6:49] When the time comes.

[6:53] All right. We're going to entertain a motion to adopt the agenda and I need to

[6:57] amend the agenda to add item number

[7:01] 8a consideration of the designation of Matt

[7:04] Renow as the interim county manager effective November

[7:07] 2nd 2026.

[7:10] Second.

[7:12] All in favor?

[7:16] I'll make a motion to adopt the amended agenda as presented.

[7:22] All right, all in favor?

[7:25] I'd like to make a motion.

[7:28] To also.

[7:30] Add something to the consent agenda. So it will be amending that

[7:34] also. And I would like to make a motion to a point

[7:37] James H. Ferguson III as the county attorney effective

[7:40] October 1st, 2026.

[7:45] Motion by Vice Chairman Mansfield is a second. By Commissioner

[7:49] Walbert, all in favor?

[7:53] Mr. Chairman, I'll make a motion to adopt the amended consent agenda.

[7:59] By Commissioner Clark. All in favor.

[8:05] Next we will have recognition of the Jamie Hicks long employee

[8:08] of the month. For July, August and September

[8:12] for Nick Wilson.

[8:18] All right. Good evening everyone. Thank you again. Tonight we're here to recognize

[8:21] the recipients Jamie Hicks long employee of the

[8:25] month award for the third quarter of 2026. This award

[8:28] recognizes employees to do their jobs well, support their coworkers

[8:32] and make a difference in serving our community. Tonight we are recognizing

[8:35] three employees who have made an impact in their departments and across

[8:39] Carteret County. Let's begin with our July honoree

[8:43] Kristen Brewer. The library assistant at the Western Carter Library

[8:46] branch. Kristen is being recognized for her work with library

[8:49] programs, her teamwork and her service to her community.

[8:53] One of Kristen's main projects has been redesigning the

[8:57] 1,000 books before kindergarten program. This program occurs

[9:00] as children from birth through kindergarten to read

[9:03] 1,000 books before starting school. Families keep track of these

[9:06] books. They read together and receive recognition along the way.

[9:10] Kristen's work helps encourage families to visit the library and build a love of

[9:14] reading. Kristen also creates programs for

[9:16] children, teens and adults. She plans

[9:19] ahead, keeps projects organized and is always willing to help her coworkers.

[9:24] She recently completed an inventory of the branches program

[9:27] supplies helping avoid duplicate purchases and making better use of

[9:31] library services. Kristen also provides service

[9:35] to library visitors at the front desk by answering questions

[9:39] and through the program she leads. She helps make the Western Planet

[9:42] Library a welcoming place of all ages. For her work with the library

[9:46] support of her coworkers and service to the community, we are proud to recognize

[9:50] Kristen Brewer as the July employee. At this time, congratulations

[9:54] Chris and thank you for all that you do and Carter Ed.

[10:10] All right, next we're going to recognize our August honoree Kim

[10:13] Young. Finance technician with our finance department. Kim

[10:17] has been recognized for our work supporting the finance department, county departments

[10:20] and the public.

[10:22] Much of Kim's work takes place behind the scenes. She helps keep the

[10:26] county's financial records accurate by handling banking transactions,

[10:29] checking deposits. Researching documents and helping resolve

[10:33] problems. Her work helps keep these daily

[10:36] financial tasks moving. Kim also works with Fleet

[10:39] Records, fixed assets and surplus property. She

[10:43] works with the departments and vendors to make sure equipment is tracked

[10:46] correctly. Her work with surplus property also helps

[10:49] county recover value from items it no longer needs. Kim

[10:52] is also someone who works with her coworkers and the public and turn to

[10:56] you when questions come up. She helps with attainments, answers questions

[11:00] and directs people to the right places when needed. Much of

[11:03] Ken's work is not visible, may not be visible to the public. But it is

[11:07] an important part of keeping county government running. For her work in

[11:10] finance and her service to others, we are proud to recognize Kim Young as the

[11:14] August employee of the month. Kim?

[11:26] All right, last, finally we have recognized our September

[11:29] honorary, most recent one Courtney Howell. Detective with the Sheriff's Office.

[11:33] Courtney is being recognized for investigative work and her service to

[11:36] victims, families, and her community. Courtney began her career

[11:39] at the Sheriff's Office in 2017. She has worked in the detention

[11:43] center and the county courthouse as a bailiff served as a deputy

[11:46] sheriff and became a detective in 2020. She has also worked as an

[11:50] evidence custodian and managed the sex offender registry. As

[11:53] a detective, Courtney handles criminal investigations including child abuse and

[11:57] internet crimes against children cases. Very tough work. She also

[12:00] serves as the Sheriff's Office Liaison with County DSS and

[12:04] takes part in the multidisciplinary team and sexual assault

[12:07] response team. Courtney has also helped put in a new system

[12:11] in place using Microsoft Teams and DocuSign to obtain

[12:15] search and arrest warrants. This allows detectives to work with judges

[12:18] remotely including nights, weekends and holidays. It helps save

[12:22] time and allow us investigations to move forward more quickly when

[12:25] a warrant is needed. She also works with the DA's

[12:28] office, other agencies and community organizations as part of our

[12:31] investigations. She works with victims and their families and helps provide

[12:35] answers as cases are moving forward. So for her work as

[12:38] a detective and the services to victims, families in the community, we are proud to

[12:41] recognize Courtney Howe as a September employee of the

[12:44] month. On a 4.

[13:32] Thank you all.

[13:35] Thank you. Next we have.

[13:39] A commercial fishing day proclamation.

[13:48] Proclamation will be declaring October 4th 2026 as

[13:52] commercial fishing day in Corbrick County. Whereas Corbrick County has

[13:55] a long and proud history of commercial fishing and is home to a strong commercial

[13:59] fishing and seafood community. And whereas generations

[14:02] of Corwick County families have made their living through commercial fishing

[14:06] and the business that support the industry. And whereas commercial

[14:09] fishing supports our local economy through commercial fishermen and women

[14:14] seafood dealers, processors, marinas, boat builders and repair

[14:17] businesses, suppliers, restaurants, markets and other local

[14:20] businesses throughout the community. And whereas commercial fishing and

[14:24] women fishermen and women provide fresh

[14:28] locally caught seafood to families, restaurants, markets and consumers

[14:32] throughout North Carolina and beyond. And whereas the Board of

[14:35] Commissioners recognizes the hard work, knowledge, skill and dedication

[14:38] of Corwick County's commercial fishermen and their families. And

[14:42] whereas commercial fishing is an important part of Corwick County's history

[14:45] and coastal heritage with traditions that have been passed from one generation

[14:49] to the next.

[14:51] And whereas the board recognizes the importance of protecting our working waterfronts

[14:55] and supporting the families, businesses and communities that

[14:59] depend on commercial fishing industry. And whereas commercial fishing

[15:03] industry helps make Carteret County the community it is today

[15:06] and remains an important part of our local economy and way of life.

[15:10] Now four of the Corinth County Board of Commissioners does hereby proclaim

[15:14] Sunday, October 4th 2026 as commercial fishing day

[15:18] in Corwick County and encourages the citizens of Clark County to

[15:21] recognize and celebrate the contributions of commercial fishermen and

[15:24] women, their families and the many businesses that support

[15:28] our commercial fishing industry and working waterfronts. Proclaim

[15:32] the 21st day of September 2026.

[15:36] And we'll need a motion to.

[15:38] Adopt the proclamation.

[15:41] Summit. Motion by Commissioner Waldron. Second. Second of Biomer

[15:44] Quinn. All in favor.

[15:49] Next we have a resolution supporting the North Carolina County's

[15:53] fisheries coalition.

[15:57] And that is about 19 counties.

[16:01] Made up of our coastal counties

[16:04] that lobbied against the shrimping ban. We were in

[16:08] Raleigh probably a year or so ago now.

[16:11] And so we continue to meet on a quarterly basis. And fight for

[16:15] coastal issues. So a resolution of the Corwick County Board of

[16:19] Commissioners in support of the North Carolina Coastal Counties Fisheries

[16:22] Coalition. Whereas in North Carolina coastal counties Fisheries

[16:25] Coalition is made of a coastal counties that work together on issues

[16:29] affecting commercial fishing, fishing communities, seafood businesses and

[16:32] working waterfronts and warehouse Clark County is a member of the North Carolina

[16:36] Coastal Counties Fisheries Coalition has a long history and strong

[16:40] connection to North Carolina's commercial and recreational

[16:43] fishing industries. And whereas the Coral Rock County coastal waters commercial

[16:47] fishing industries, seafood businesses, working waterfronts,

[16:50] fishing heritage

[16:52] are important to the county's economy and communities.

[16:56] And whereas. Recent trial court rulings

[16:59] may negatively impact Corwick County's commercial fish and

[17:02] industry, recreational and charter for hire fishing industries

[17:05] and other businesses and communities that depend on the state's coastal

[17:09] resources. And whereas the Corwick County Board of Commissioners

[17:12] recognize the importance of raising awareness of these issues and their impact

[17:16] on local families and the quality of our food supply and

[17:19] supports the concerns raised by the North Carolina coastal

[17:22] counties, fisheries coalition. Now

[17:26] therefore be it resolved by the Corwick County Board of Commissioners at the board

[17:29] supports continued review of the legal issues

[17:33] that impact our local fishermen and shrimpers, the board recognizes the importance of

[17:36] North Carolina's commercial fish and industry, recreational and charter for

[17:40] hire fishing industries, seafood businesses, working

[17:43] waterfronts, and fishing communities to Corridor County

[17:47] and to the coastal region. The board requests the appropriate state officials

[17:51] consider the concerns raised by the North Carolina coastal counties, fisheries

[17:54] coalition and Corritt County as this case moves through the appellate courts

[17:58] and in any legislative efforts that may harm families who fish and shrimp.

[18:03] A copy of this red solution shall be provided to the governor of North

[18:06] Carolina, the North Carolina Attorney General in the North Carolina Department of

[18:10] Justice, members of the Cory County legislature

[18:13] legislative delegation and the chairman of North Carolina

[18:17] Coastal County Fisheries Coalition.

[18:20] Adopted this 21st day of September 2026.

[18:24] Those are a motion to approve that resolution.

[18:27] Motion by Commissioner Waldrich. Seconded by Commissioner Shin.

[18:31] All in favor.

[18:39] Next we have a proclamation.

[18:42] For senior center month.

[18:50] This proclamation is for. National senior

[18:53] center month. September 2026. Whereas September is

[18:56] recognized nationally as National Senior Center Month

[19:00] providing an opportunity to recognize the important role seniors play

[19:04] in supporting the health independence and wellbeing of older adults.

[19:07] And whereas the Leon Mann Jr. Enrichment center has served

[19:11] Corwick County seniors since 1997. Providing

[19:14] adults aged 50 and older with opportunities for

[19:18] socialization, education, recreation, fitness and personal

[19:21] enrichment. And whereas Corwick County Senior

[19:25] Services provides programs and services that promote

[19:28] independence, encourage personal growth, support healthy aging

[19:31] and help older adults remain active and engage in their communities.

[19:35] And whereas beyond Mann, Jr. Enrichment Center

[19:39] was recertified as North Carolina Senior Center of Excellence in

[19:43] June of 2025 recognizing its commitment to providing

[19:47] quality programs and services that meet the needs of Corwick County's

[19:50] older adults. And whereas senior centers provide important

[19:54] opportunities for older adults to build

[19:56] relationships, pursue interests, share their knowledge and experience

[20:00] and continue making meaningful contributions to their families and

[20:03] communities. And whereas Corvick County recognizes and

[20:07] appreciates the many contributions of older adults and the dedicated

[20:10] staff, volunteers, caregivers, and community partners who

[20:14] support their continued health, independence and quality of life.

[20:18] Now therefore be it proclaimed that Carterwick County Board of Commissioners

[20:22] hereby recognizes September 26 as

[20:25] senior center month in Corbritt County and encourages all residents to

[20:29] recognize a contributions of older adults and the important

[20:32] role of the Leon man, Junior Enrichment Center and

[20:36] Corridor County Senior Services in our community. Proclaim this

[20:39] 21st day of September 2026. Mr.

[20:43] Chairman, I'd like to make a motion to support the proclamation of the senior

[20:46] center. Motion by Vice Chairman Mansfield, is our second

[20:50] by Commissioner Quinn. All in favor? All right, we have

[20:54] a frame plaque here. I know we have some senior center.

[20:59] And director. And director.

[21:02] Come on up.

[21:14] I know you know this later.

[22:05] Okay.

[22:07] Now we have item eight.

[22:10] Designation of Matt Renow as Interim County Manager.

[22:15] We all know Matt has done an excellent job for us as Assistant

[22:19] County Manager and Sharon is going to be retiring soon.

[22:23] So we wanted to go ahead.

[22:26] And provide some continuity.

[22:29] And so is there a motion to designate Matt Renow as Interim County

[22:32] Manager effective November 2nd 2026.

[22:38] By Commissioner Clark?

[22:41] Seconded by Commissioner Shin?

[22:45] Any comments?

[22:49] God bless you. Matt. There you go man

[22:52] from the back row to the front row pretty quick.

[22:57] All right, moving right along. Next we have public comment.

[23:02] If you will approach the podium and state your name and address for the record and you

[23:05] have three minutes. Mr. Clay Jackson.

[23:18] Bring. It up to Mansfield Height. My name is Clay

[23:21] Jackson. I'm the executive director of Carteret Community Theater

[23:25] over in Morehead City.

[23:27] They address there is 1311 Arundel out of them Pine Noll Shores.

[23:31] I came to give a wonderful report on where we are

[23:34] as a community theater. As you know seven and a half years ago

[23:38] Hurricane Florence ripped the roof off of our theater. It took us seven

[23:42] and a half years to get back open to raise enough money

[23:45] to work with volunteers and we were able to do it on our own.

[23:49] We were able to get it back up and running on our own. Since

[23:52] then, since reopening in January we have sold

[23:57] 11,716 tickets. To events

[24:01] at our theater. We have had 300 summer camp

[24:04] registrations just this summer alone.

[24:08] 45% of the patrons that come to our shows

[24:13] support local businesses either before or after

[24:16] coming to our one of our events. They're going to restaurants, they're going to

[24:19] bars, they're staying in our hotels as well.

[24:24] For 2027 we already have 10 concerts

[24:27] and events planned through the end of July. And I continue to book

[24:32] Acts Weekly. We've increased our youth theater productions for

[24:35] 2027 to be able to include more young people

[24:39] access to the arts.

[24:42] So we are back open. But we need the

[24:45] county's support. We still have Hurricane debt

[24:49] that we are working off and doing everything we

[24:52] can. But through fundraising, through ticket

[24:56] sales, it can only get us so far. So I would love the opportunity to

[24:59] give each of you a tour of the theater. Commissioner

[25:02] Chablick, I enjoyed showing you around the

[25:04] building. And just to tell you our story and what we're doing

[25:08] and the impact that we're making in our county.

[25:12] 80% of our audience for our community

[25:15] theater productions are from Carteret County. But we're also not

[25:19] just a driver of the arts. I want to be an economic

[25:22] driver for our county as well. Our summer concert series

[25:28] 43% of our audience members came from outside the

[25:32] county to see events. We had a gentleman

[25:35] drive in from Falls Church, Virginia because of a comedian that I booked

[25:40] through relationships with the Comedy Zone. So we have great things going

[25:43] on. And I just love the opportunity to show you

[25:46] around, tell you our story and see if there's ways

[25:49] that you can guide me or educate me on grant

[25:53] opportunities, ways that we can work together as the community

[25:57] to not only continue to grow the arts, but to partner

[26:00] with Carteret County to make sure that we are the number

[26:04] one entertainment venue in eastern North Carolina, which I believe

[26:08] we are. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you

[26:11] Mr. Jackson.

[26:13] Next we have Ms. Shelby Sallie.

[26:27] Hi my name is Shelby Salley. I live here in Beaufort.

[26:31] Chairman Chadwick Commissioner staff. Law enforcement

[26:35] and citizens.

[26:37] I have found the most valuable thing in my wallet is my

[26:41] library card declared former first Lady and former

[26:44] librarian Laura Bush. The value of that card however

[26:47] is realized when people actually use it. For materials

[26:51] programs classes technology and community connection.

[26:55] Public libraries are vital community spaces that provide access

[26:59] to knowledge

[27:01] opportunity and services for people of all ages and circumstances.

[27:05] The Beaufort branch has been fortunate to have a librarian who understood

[27:08] that mission.

[27:10] Shy Odom began her career at the Beaufort Library in 2011 as

[27:14] a library program in circulation assistant. Over the years

[27:18] she advanced to computer maintenance technician

[27:21] circulation supervisor for the entire Carteret County Library

[27:25] System and ultimately Beaufort branch manager.

[27:28] During those years Ms. Odom supported library technology

[27:32] trained staff developed and updated circulation

[27:35] policies, organized programs worked with community

[27:39] organizations and helped make the Beaufort branch a vibrant community

[27:42] hub. Under her leadership the branch offered programs

[27:46] for infants, children's teens, adults seniors

[27:50] and even our boating community when docked at the

[27:53] Beaufort Town docks when folks would come in. There were

[27:57] activities for them.

[27:59] She also welcomed organizations such as the Tiller School

[28:02] and Bridge Kids Preschool and provided opportunities for local

[28:06] artists and community partners. The

[28:09] Bover branch serves approximately 160 patrons a day which is about

[28:14] 4,000 a month. Those are not simply numbers. They are members of

[28:17] a community who depend on the library for education

[28:21] technology programs information and connection. That is why many

[28:24] people are asking why was Shia Odom dismissed.

[28:30] Did you have a minute left keep going thank you

[28:32] as a tax paying citizen

[28:36] I am asking transparency for the budget.

[28:39] Spending on part of the library being a public

[28:43] institution. I requested a copy of Ms. Odom's

[28:46] dismissal letter pursuant to the North Carolina General Statute

[28:50] 153A98B as well as appeals and rebuttals

[28:54] so that all sides of the matter can be understood. The public

[28:57] deserves full transparency. Also respectfully request that the

[29:01] county consider conducting a feasibility study regarding

[29:05] whether library branches could return to the governance by their

[29:09] respective municipalities. If local citizens and

[29:12] municipal officials have concerns about the local branch they should

[29:16] have a meaningful avenue to address those concerns without

[29:19] waiting three weeks which is the case now because the

[29:23] Beaufort mayor and Boford Town Commissioners realize the governance

[29:27] of the library comes under the county. Thank you

[29:30] Ms. Allen.

[29:35] Sheriff Nyberg I was just thinking.

[29:38] How good Derek looks in his uniform. Do we have one that would fit Chief

[29:42] Deputy Clifton there?

[29:46] We'll get a new one there we'll sharpen him up a little bit.

[29:50] Okay item number 10. I need to refuse myself.

[29:56] To entertain a motion to accept Chairman Chadwick's voluntary refusal for

[30:00] item number 10.

[30:05] Motion by Commissioner Shin second by Commissioner Quinn.

[30:09] Day Ron pun intended

[30:11] we'll move on to the consideration of the dredging for the Cape Lookout

[30:14] cabin in Camps Ferry Channel. Mr. Davenport

[30:18] if you'll come up and give us a small brief presentation.

[30:22] Ryan Davenport with Shore Protection Office. I'm just here to answer any questions

[30:26] you may have on this project.

[30:30] It's a thousand cubic yards for the Cape Lookout

[30:33] cabin and camps ferry channel. It's non local

[30:36] money all federal money going to pay for it to provide access

[30:40] to Cape Lookout. The price of that

[30:43] project was going to be $89,000 and the

[30:48] Cape Lookout National Seashore. Federal Park actually gave

[30:51] us money left over from the Dresden when we dredged over to the

[30:55] main part and that's where those funds will be coming from.

[31:00] So it's not county taxpayer money or anything as far as that goes

[31:04] any other commissioners have any questions?

[31:08] Do we have any idea how long it's been since it's been dredged and what

[31:12] is the current condition has it impacted so the owner

[31:15] the ferry owner of Cape Lookout Cabins camps has called me repeatedly

[31:19] over the summer. I think the ferry spent five hours stuck on the

[31:22] sandbar there during a low tide this summer.

[31:26] And I'm not aware of it being raised in any recent history.

[31:29] Thank you. And this project is no different than others we've done throughout the

[31:33] county but we do that with county money and then a state match

[31:38] this will be all with federal dollars correct.

[31:42] Anybody have any other questions? I'll entertain a motion.

[31:46] To consider the Dresden project? Mr. Vice Chairman I'd like to make a

[31:49] motion for the consideration of dredging for the Cape Lookout cabin

[31:53] and Camps Ferry Channel. Second. So I have

[31:56] a motion by Commissioner Quinn and a second by Commissioner

[32:00] Clark.

[32:03] All those in favor.

[32:05] Motion passage unanimously I'll entertain a motion to bring

[32:08] Chairman Chadwick back to our meeting.

[32:13] Second motion by Commissioner Shin

[32:16] second by Commissioner Clark Mr. Chairman you have the gavelback.

[32:22] And next we'll have the manager's report.

[32:25] Thank you good evening everybody I have a couple of announcements to

[32:29] make for the good of all.

[32:32] If you have not registered to vote yet your voter registration

[32:36] deadline for the 2026 general election

[32:39] is 5 p.m. on Friday October

[32:43] 9th so make sure you register by that

[32:46] date

[32:48] early voting will begin Thursday October

[32:51] 15th and we'll run through Saturday October

[32:54] 31st of course regular election day is Tuesday

[32:58] November 3rd this year. Also another event going on

[33:02] that is always popular with our citizens

[33:06] our fall 2026 household hazardous waste

[33:10] collection event will be held Saturday

[33:13] October 10th from 8 a.m to 1 p.m. at the

[33:17] health department and you can bring batteries

[33:22] latex and oil based paint automotive fluids

[33:25] gasoline used motor oil pesticides and other things

[33:28] that you need to get rid of that you don't want to damage

[33:32] your yard and all the water around your house and everything else

[33:36] so make sure to bring all of those things to household

[33:39] hazardous waste collection day.

[33:43] Also a free shredathon will be held Saturday

[33:46] October 10th from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m at the

[33:50] Leon Man senior enrichment center for Carteret County

[33:53] residents 50 and older residents can bring their bank

[33:57] statements old bills and other papers with personal information

[34:01] that they need to shred.

[34:03] We would also like to recognize Commissioner Marianne Waldrop

[34:07] and one of our employees Brook Lane our port team manager with the health

[34:11] department who were selected as 2026 women

[34:14] in Excellence by the League of Women Voters of Carteret

[34:18] County and they were recently honored for that. We can

[34:21] congratulate them for their work. Also

[34:25] Carteret County Department of Social Services was named a 2026

[34:29] Innovation Award winner by the North Carolina Association

[34:32] of County Departments of Social Services for its first

[34:36] 30 program. And this was really exciting

[34:40] since that program began reunification between

[34:43] children and families has increased from

[34:47] 34% to 55% in 2025

[34:51] and a 64% so far in

[34:53] 2026. Also foster care case entries

[34:57] have decreased by 50% so we're very, very excited about

[35:00] that. Congratulations to DSS and that's all I have

[35:03] unless you have questions.

[35:05] Thank you.

[35:08] Next we have board appointments.

[35:12] First one is the adult home community advisory board.

[35:18] It's Linda. Duchamp and Linda

[35:21] Staub. All in favor. Those folks.

[35:26] Next is the Corwitt County Area Transportation Committee.

[35:30] Tara Shank.

[35:32] On paper Miss Shank?

[35:35] Next is the nursing home advisory board

[35:39] Ms. Linda Duchamp and Linda Staub.

[35:43] All in favor.

[35:45] Next with zoning board of adjustments Anthony Futral

[35:49] all in favor of Mr. Futral.

[36:02] Okay that's not on my list

[36:05] is adult home got kicked to the bottom. Hole sorry I apologize.

[36:12] All right next we have Commissioner comment Commissioner Waldron would you like to start.

[36:17] Good evening everyone for and thank you for coming

[36:21] to tonight's meeting

[36:23] it's very.

[36:26] It's very fortunate that we have so many good employees here

[36:30] in our county.

[36:32] And I want to congratulate them. I am a consumer of the

[36:36] Western Carteret Library. I'm a slow

[36:39] reader but my sister is prolific so I'm usually delivering

[36:43] and picking up books for my sister and Pelliter

[36:47] so she knows them all by name so I appreciate my Western

[36:50] Carteret library. Kim Young from finance

[36:54] we see her often when we go into our admin building so we appreciate

[36:58] Kim and all she does in the finance world

[37:02] and we are certainly lucky to have such a hard charger

[37:06] and I say that from the Marine perspective

[37:09] Courtney Howell for being our detective here in our sheriff's

[37:13] office. So thank everybody for your

[37:16] hard work and continued dedication to the county.

[37:21] I'm so happy for Shelly Ashley and her team

[37:25] to be able to honor the senior center of the senior

[37:29] center month in September.

[37:34] And for Mr. Clay Jackson.

[37:37] I am very happy to report that I was one of your customers yesterday

[37:42] and you are indeed true and factual about

[37:45] people who go to your events

[37:49] and yesterday was the last day of come from away

[37:52] commemorating Gander, Newfoundland

[37:56] and it was something I didn't know about until

[37:58] 2026 so shame on

[38:01] me. But my sister and I also

[38:05] utilized the businesses in Moorhead and we went to Cox's restaurant

[38:11] an event that she and I have never done and we did it together yesterday

[38:14] so thank you for coming in speaking and it

[38:18] is a beautiful facility and I would love to get a tour from you and I'm

[38:21] sorry that I had to cancel the last time. So with

[38:25] all that said thank you have a good month

[38:28] and I look forward to seeing you all next month. Thank you thanks Chairman.

[38:32] Thank you Commissioner Commissioner Moore hasn't excused absent

[38:36] he had a family medical emergency so he was unable to be with

[38:39] us for a second meeting today

[38:43] Commissioner Quinn. Thank you Mr. Chairman

[38:46] following up on that just like offer our prayers and thoughts for

[38:50] Commissioner Morris family.

[38:53] Again congratulations to our employees of the months

[38:57] Kristen Brewer Kim Young Courtney Howell and like Nick said.

[39:02] Their work may not be visible. But they're really the most important

[39:05] part of county government. We're we're not much more than wind

[39:09] addressing up here it's those folks that really made the county

[39:12] work on a day to day basis.

[39:15] Mr. Jackson thank you for your presentation I'd like to get the contact information with you

[39:19] as far as a tour is concerned.

[39:23] The Greeks have two words nostos which means

[39:27] a pain a homecoming or going home

[39:31] and Ilagos which is a pain or an ache and from that

[39:35] we get an English word nostalgia

[39:38] and it's a bittersweet emotional state combined

[39:42] being pleasure and pain when remembering the past. A big part of

[39:45] why I got on this board was to continue and preserve the

[39:49] traditions of Carteret County and the proclamation of

[39:52] establishing October 4th is commercial fishing day

[39:56] is a big part of recognizing that.

[39:59] Having been a lifelong citizen and family that dates back on both sides

[40:04] over 300 years in this county

[40:06] I have a lot of pleasure in remembering the past

[40:10] but somewhat of an eighth when I see that parts of that

[40:14] have slipped away so preserving that through the commercial fishing day

[40:18] and other things like that something really proud to be a part of.

[40:22] Thank you.

[40:24] Thank you Commissioner Quinn Commissioner Clark.

[40:27] Thank you chairman I'll pass.

[40:31] Happy 25th wedding anniversary to my wife Greta thanks.

[40:43] There to probably have been more pain than pleasure without.

[40:47] Commissioner Shannon how to follow up

[40:52] I'll be brief as well.

[40:55] I'd like to reiterate what the manager said a while ago

[40:59] so the election is coming up early voting starts pretty quick so please make sure

[41:03] you're registered to vote and moreover than that if you are registered just make sure you get out

[41:07] and vote there's a lot of people that especially on these

[41:10] midterm elections they you know just stay on the sidelines we can't

[41:14] we can't afford to do that this year everybody needs to get out

[41:18] and exercise your right to devote so I encourage everybody to do that.

[41:24] Express my appreciation and congratulations to our

[41:28] monthly employee. S or employees of

[41:32] the month for the last quarter

[41:35] and above that all of our staff members for the county do a great job

[41:39] Dedication is unsurpassed so we as

[41:42] a board up here really appreciate what you do it makes our job a lot easier.

[41:48] To Matt. Careful what you asked for

[41:53] where you've been here and our new attorney welcome aboard sir

[41:57] look forward to working with you. Thank you Mr. Chairman thank you Commissioner

[42:00] Shannon Vice Chairman Mansfield I would also like to thank the employees of the month

[42:04] I think it's a special honor to honor those folks for the

[42:08] job that they do and I think it's a great remembrance of Jamie

[42:12] who was an awesome employee still sad about her loss.

[42:18] Commissioner Quinn and Shin both kind of mentioned it and talked about it but the greatest assets

[42:21] we have in this county are not the buildings or the

[42:24] machines it's the people that work

[42:28] and Commissioner Quinn also mentioned we are a minute

[42:32] part of this system and you guys are the ones that make

[42:36] everything happen on a day-to-day basis that make us look way better than

[42:39] we probably deserve and for that I thank every one of you for the job that you

[42:43] do it's just awesome. Senior

[42:46] center for being recognized also the

[42:50] social services I mean all of our departments I think

[42:54] strive for excellence and have been given awards on different occasions

[42:58] from finance to I mean I don't I don't want to leave anybody out so I don't want to keep

[43:01] naming anymore. But the employees here are great and we really

[43:05] do appreciate you commercial fishing is a.

[43:09] Huge part of our heritage in this county

[43:13] and one of the things that we like to separate we like to celebrate

[43:17] for a commercial setting and to raise money for fundraisers for

[43:20] organizations but the seafood festival was designed with

[43:24] the remembrance of how much importance seafood is to our

[43:26] county. I hope everybody will come out and enjoy

[43:30] the people that come there's a lot of people that come brings tourism

[43:33] into the county it's a great driver for the economics

[43:37] but it's also a good place to get out with your family meet friends see old friends

[43:41] and hope you'll see I'll see you down at the Morehead City waterfront.

[43:48] The one thing I want to talk about

[43:51] and you know maybe ask for a little bit of help about five years ago we started

[43:55] a scholarship in the name of Buddy McKeel

[44:00] for in remembrance of him and we decided we wanted to raise money and make

[44:03] a difference in his name in the lives of other young people

[44:07] and it was to raise money for the children or first responders.

[44:12] And over the last five years we've given 43 scholarships and we've

[44:16] given out 193,500

[44:20] and this October we'll be having a dinner at the

[44:25] Civic Center here in Moorhead.

[44:28] And would invite all of y'all to come you can buy a ticket that money goes to help

[44:32] send maybe one of these deputies children to college

[44:36] maybe somebody from the fire department 911

[44:40] in any of the emergency first responders

[44:43] Rescue squad workers everybody but it's

[44:47] you know when we first started a lot of people give out a thousand and two thousand

[44:51] dollars but we've given out as much as eight

[44:54] thousand dollars to certain students and it's based on

[44:59] a lot of criteria it's not just grades you don't have to be

[45:03] valedictorian of your class or even in the top we have paid for numerous kids

[45:07] to attend Carnet Community College plus other community colleges and I think

[45:10] it's just a great way to give back to the people who serve on us on a daily

[45:14] basis that protect you and save your life and this is

[45:18] now opportunity to help. Make a difference in their life

[45:22] and you can do that

[45:24] if you want to be a sponsor or you want to donate an item for the selling auction

[45:28] or you just want to come buy a ticket and have dinner and fellowship

[45:32] there's a band playing fine young man from Swansboro who played last year

[45:36] but we'd love to have you in attendance and if you want to buy any tickets you

[45:40] can reach out to East Coast Communications or it's on the Facebook

[45:44] for the Buddy McKeel scholarship thank you what's the date on that?

[45:48] Oh the date on that is I knew you can get me on October.

[45:52] The 17th from five o'clock to eight o'clock.

[45:56] Thank you Vice Chairman Mansfield. I don't know what them Greeks

[46:00] were talking about

[46:01] with those words.

[46:04] Or great county managers going to be leaving us at the end of the year

[46:08] and we're definitely sad to see her go but.

[46:11] We're happy that.

[46:13] She's going to be retiring for her not for us we're happy for you

[46:17] I know you got a lot of grandchildren

[46:20] too play with some parents to take care of

[46:23] but Sharon has done a great job for us

[46:27] and I think with Matt stepping into that role

[46:31] and our new attorney Trey who's been working for the county for many months

[46:35] we're going to bring great continuity to our county employees

[46:40] and I think everything's going to keep running on time.

[46:44] And be very smooth and of course Sharon's going to be here till the end of the year

[46:48] so I think 90 days

[46:51] up in Matt out is going to be great for everyone.

[46:56] That's all I have is anything further come before the board?

[47:00] Entertain a motion to adjourn. Motion by Vice Chairman

[47:03] Mansfield seconded by Commissioner Walter all in favor thank you all

[47:06] for coming thank you.

Board of Commissioners Meeting - September 21st

Transcript