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Good afternoon everyone and welcome to
our next installment of the Ask the

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Commissioner segment that we are
producing here during County Government

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Month, giving you all um um some eyes on
our commissioners who help craft the

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decisions and the future of our county.
So, um uh this provides this portion of

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our program provides an opportunity for
you all to hear directly from our

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leadership and gain insight into the
work being done on behalf of you, our

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citizens. We are honored to be joined
today by Commissioner Ralph Webb, who

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proudly represents District 5 on the
Edgecombe County Board of Commissioners.

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He is a dedicated servant whose
leadership supports growth, stability,

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and opportunity across our county. Mr.
Webb, thank you for being here with us

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today.
>> Thank you. My pleasure.

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» Tell us a little bit first about the
district that you represent. What areas

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do you cover?
>> Um Ms. Bess, my district covers from

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Conetoe,
uh all the way around Pinetops,

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Macclesfield, Saint Lewis, on back
toward Temperance Hall.

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» Got you. Okay.
All right. So, when you think about your

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district, what are the biggest
opportunities you see now for growth and

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improvement?
>> Ms. Bess, we live in a wonderful area,

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uh
filled with wonderful people, wonderful

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citizens, citizens that uh their roots
go deeply

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into Edgecombe County's history. Uh many
are farmers, uh many in health care, uh

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many in service fields.
Uh I think our opportunities are great.

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I think uh
our towns need all the strengthening and

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help and working together with our
county and with our state and with our

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federal government to again bring some
of them back to where they have been in

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the past and help us to be the towns and
the communities that that we truly can

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be.
>> Yes. That's That's good because it it is

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and the citizens that live in these
communities, they actually look to the

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leadership to kind of guide some of
these decisions. So, that's a a great

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way to kind of um
lead into my next question. Residents

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often want to know how decisions are
made. Um can you kind of talk us through

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what goes into making a major county
decision?

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» I certainly think that I can.
Uh

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Ms. Speight says, you know, and I think
that most of our citizens certainly all

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aware
uh we have seven districts, we have

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seven commissioners.
And my take is I believe like my fellow

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commissioners
uh again, my responsibility is certainly

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to my citizens within District 5.
But

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uh my responsibility
uh is certainly not only to District 5,

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but to every citizen within those six
other districts.

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And I'm happy to say that uh with our
board

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uh we have a great working relationship
with each other.

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Uh
when something comes up in whatever or

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whoever's district it is uh it it's not
only

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uh our thinking about ourselves, but
collectively for that particular

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community. And for all of our citizens
in Edgecombe County uh what what is the

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best thing that can happen for Edgecombe
County as a whole?

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And I and I truly do believe that each
and every one of our commissioners that

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sit right here uh always take that into
account.

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Again, in regards to a decision being
made it's seven of us, so when anything

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it comes up and is voted of course, you
got to have four votes.

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» Right.
>> And uh

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most of the things that have come before
our board of commissioners since I have

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been serving since 2019,
the majority of those votes, if

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if my recollection is correct, the
majority of those votes are are pretty

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unanimous.
We we may have something come up every

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once in a while that it's a little
fragmented vote, but most of all, it

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it's a pretty unanimous decision. And
again, I think the unanimous decision is

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based again on what is good for
Edgecombe County and its citizens.

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» It is important for our citizens to know
that our commissioners are thinking

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through these decisions and it's not
just, you know, they get, you know,

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someone that comes in and says, "Hey, I
want to do this." But that we come back,

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we vote the next time or or
making sure that, you know, all avenues

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are considered, all, you know, points of
view are considered before making a

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decision.
>> Yes, ma'am. And And if I may add that

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most of the things that we a lot of
things that we take a vote on, uh for

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instance, things that have to come
before the public.

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» Mhm.
>> Uh the public has uh

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the ability and the right to come and
voice their opinions.

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And that is where I gain a lot of my
knowledge from is what do the citizens,

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what is their thought process, what do
they think? And I think that's what we

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as a commissioner is charged to do is to
represent our citizens.

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» Yeah.
Good. What about the progress through

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that the county is making? So, we all
are aware of our Get Off the List

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initiative, where we had the former
county manager,

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Mr. Carmen, who used to say he was tired
of Edgecombe County being at the top and

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bottom of every good and bad list. And
so, now, as you know, the county manager

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the current county manager, Mr. Evans,
has kind of gotten these

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task force and these groups that are
getting together to address these

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issues. How do you think um
getting off the list from your

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perspective is getting off the list
making an impact on our county?

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» I do believe getting off the list is
making a tremendous impact. Uh again, uh

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as you just said, uh
many forums have been opened, many

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committees have been formed. Uh
any individual that is absolutely

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interested in whatever aspect of getting
off the list, the opportunity is there

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for them to serve on that particular
committee.

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And uh
I I just see great things happening. A

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great example is
uh I serve on uh STEP, which is

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Strategic Twin Counties Educational
Partnership. And I'm not again, as the

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example, I'm not really sure
everyone within the county realizes the

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efforts that STEP attempts
uh

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to to forward in regards to education
for children basically from from cradle

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to career.
And so one of the things that uh getting

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off the list has kind of brought forward
is like not only STEP, but we we have so

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many things to offer within our county,
but citizens don't really realize where

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to go for help. And so now
getting off the list is is is helping us

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be aware of that, first of all, and then
helping us to connect the dots where we

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can greater and better inform our
citizens as to what is out there to make

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life better for for them,
uh for their children, and for all of

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us.
>> Great. And that kind of leads to the

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question I had about um residents who
feel disconnected. They may feel

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disconnected from local government. They
feel like

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uh the the national government or state
government, but they don't have a

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connection to what we do on the local
level either at the county commissioner

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level or with our towns. Um what's the
best way for those residents to make

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their voices heard or to get involved?
>> Miss Space, I I I honestly believe uh

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first of all,
uh

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if it Look, all seven of us
have a phone.

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» Mhm.
>> Uh we have email.

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Uh
my door is always open to and I think I

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speak for every other commissioner here,
all six.

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Uh
you can give us a call.

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I I'll be glad to talk with you
at your convenience. Uh we we'll get a

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convenient time for both of us.
Uh

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I will sit down and and and and speak
with you

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until my wind is gone.
Uh I I will meet with you personally

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wherever. Uh
I and I believe I say and speak for the

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same for each and every one of our
commissioners. Uh but I will certainly

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invite uh any and all of our citizens
that has never

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been to uh a commissioner's meeting. Uh
6:00 the first Monday of every month. Uh

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you are more than welcome and we would
treasure to see to see more people here

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at our meeting. Uh and I understand
because

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I I maybe I shouldn't say this, but I
need to say it. I've been serving since

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2019 and and this is still a learning
process for me. It really is. And I've

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I've gained a lot of insight
and uh I've got a lot more to learn, but

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I enjoy serving for my citizens.
>> And and

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per- You're just answering these
questions perfectly to the next segue

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because my next question was what
inspired you to serve and what continues

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to motivate you in your role as county
commissioner.

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» I follow a gentleman who served and
represented District 5 in a wonderful

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way
as this commissioner's room is named

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uh in honor and in memory of Mr.
Jonathan K. Felton. Mr. John

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uh was a personal friend. Uh his family
was was was a was friends with with with

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Mr. Mr. Felton's family was friends with
everyone.

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And Mr. Felton represented our district
in a wonderful way.

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I If I can be
just a fragment

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of the individual and the representative
that he was for our county

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then when I decide to step down
uh which will not be 28 years. I I can't

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break his record cuz I'd be old as
Methuselah if I did. But really and

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truly Mr. Felton did a great job and and
his leadership and his style and who he

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was absolutely inspired me and and
continues to inspire me today.

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» Awesome.
Awesome. So do you do you have anything

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else you want us to know about your
district? Um what are some I We I think

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we talked a little bit about your
district, but what are some areas for

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growth in your specific district that
you

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have seen?
>> Well, it's best One of the wonderful

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things that
I see in regards to our district is

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first of all our people
is places of worship, our churches, uh

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our our community involvement.
>> Got Abrams?

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» Uh absolutely. Abrams.
Uh I may stay in Pine Tops which uh

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we do commercial there for them. They
they're wonderful family, wonderful

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restaurant, wonderful food. And that's a
that's a mighty big gathering place for

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an awful lot of people all during the
week and especially on Sunday after

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church.
>> Yeah. Big gathering spot. So,

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uh
that, its citizens,

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uh
the fact that

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I believe I'm a a perfect example in in
in looking at uh

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my my wife's careers after we were
married in 1978 residing right there in

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the south end of the county uh pretty
much between Fountain and Macclesfield.

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Uh
Wilson

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as a respiratory therapist uh
work in different health care agencies

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to finish my career at Edgecombe
Community College, 31 years there.

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But, my first job was at Wilson Memorial
Hospital. Would you believe that from my

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back door to Wilson Memorial
was uh 18.3 mi. From my back door to

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Pitt County Memorial Hospital or now
East Carolina University Medical Center

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is 18.3 mi.
Over to Rocky Mount is about 19.5 mi and

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here to Tarboro is is is less than 15
mi. So, if you kind of connect the dots

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there, if you reside in our area, it is
within a very

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short driving distance to wherever you
may seek employment opportunities.

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» Awesome. So, kind of a crossroads. I
know there's a area there somewhere that

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they call going to crossroads and that's
kind of what it is. Yeah.

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» Yes, ma'am.
>> Well, I have a you know, enjoyed our

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discussion here today, Commissioner
Boswell. Is there anything I'm sorry,

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Commissioner Webb. Is there anything
else you would like to know or any

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message you'd like to leave with the
residents of Edgecombe County?

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» I would just like for all of our
residents to know that I appreciate the

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opportunity to serve on the Board of
Commissioners here for you. And if you

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ever have any words that of input in
regards to any decisions that you know

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that the Board of Commissioners will be
making,

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uh I am absolutely open to a
conversation with you in whatever way is

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best for you to get up with me. I stand
ready to to to listen with open ears.

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» Thank you. Thank you.