[0:01] [sighs]
[0:22] Okay.
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
[0:25] Welcome to the Gates County Board of
Commissioners regular scheduled meeting.
[0:28] My name is Emily Truman. and I serve as
the 2026 board chair. I'm joined by vice
[0:32] chair Nathan Barryman, commissioners
Jonathan Katr, and Brian Roundtree,
[0:37] assistant county manager Warren Perry,
County Attorney Pic Godwin, and clerk to
[0:41] the board Renee Draper, Commissioner uh
Foresight will be unable to join us this
[0:45] evening. Um I'm going to go ahead and
open with the invocation and pledge.
[0:56] Father God, we thank you for the
opportunity to come together for county
[0:59] business in your name. Lord, we pray
that you um just let us listen with open
[1:04] minds and that you let us work uh
together for the betterment of the
[1:07] county and that you see us all home
safely this evening. In Jesus name we
[1:11] pray. Amen.
>> Amen.
[1:14] » I pledge algiance to the flag of the
United States of America and to the
[1:19] republic for which it stands. One nation
[clears throat] under God, indivisible,
[1:25] with liberty and justice for all.
[1:33] » All right. Um, so to open the meeting,
we have a public hearing. I'm going to
[1:38] need a motion to open the public hearing
to receive public comments regarding a
[1:42] proposed action to change the personnel
ordinance to a personnel policy.
[1:46] » So moved.
>> Second.
[1:48] » All right. All in favor?
That is unanimous. Uh Mr. Perry, if you
[1:53] could provide a brief background to the
board and to the public for this topic.
[2:01] » Um thank you, Madam Chair. Good evening,
commissioners, Attorney Pow, and
[2:06] employees and citizens. The transition
from a personnel ordinance to a
[2:11] personnel policy involves several
reasons, including the need for clarity,
[2:16] the need for consistency, and the need
for structure in the workplace. A
[2:21] personnel policy manual serves as the
basis for all HR related documents,
[2:25] ensuring uniform standards across
different departments and locations. It
[2:31] also protects both the employer and
employees by outlining duties, rights,
[2:36] and minimizing disputes and legal risk.
Additionally, a personal policy aligns
[2:42] with specific laws to ensure compliance
reflecting on our values and culture.
[2:48] With the changes with the HR environment
and current labor laws, regular updates
[2:54] will be needed. It is best said that the
personnel policy is the blueprint by
[3:00] which an organization runs.
As noted in our commissioners meeting on
[3:05] November 10th of last year, the
commissioners in previous years had
[3:10] failed to adopt a new policy. Uh the
latest edition of the new policy is
[3:15] posted on our website as well as copies
here right behind me at the podium.
[3:21] After the proposed adoption of the new
policy, I will hold departmental
[3:25] meetings to discuss the changes and how
it may affect each employee. Some of the
[3:31] noted changes are imple implementation
of Gates County longevity pay, pdeium
[3:37] increases for travel meals, increase
vacation acral rates, and provisions for
[3:42] overtime pay with county manager
approval.
[3:47] At this time, I will yield back to
Madame Chair.
[3:50] » All right. Thank you, sir. Um, Miss
Draper, do we have anyone signed up to
[3:54] speak?
[4:00] No. All right. Um, with no one here to
speak on the changes um, suggested, if
[4:05] we could get a motion to close the
public hearing.
[4:08] » So move.
>> So second.
[4:10] » All right. All in favor.
Okay. So we are
[4:15] unanimous and out. So perver before
proceeding to the next item on the
[4:19] agenda, I need a motion to repeal the
current personnel ordinance as the
[4:23] adoption of the personnel policy is
listed under the consent agenda.
[4:28] » So moved. Second.
>> All right. And all in favor?
[4:33] And that is unanimous. Thank you all.
All right. So moving down, are there any
[4:38] additions or deletions to the agenda as
presented? And if none, I ask for a
[4:42] motion to approve the agenda as pres as
presented. So move,
[4:46] » second.
>> All right. All in favor? Show of hands.
[4:50] And we have unanimous.
>> All right. Are there um
[4:55] any other amendments or clarifications
to the consent agenda?
[4:58] And if not, a motion to approve the
consent agenda would be in order.
[5:02] » So moved.
>> So seconded.
[5:04] » All right. All in favor of the approval
of the consent agenda.
[5:09] Okay. That is unanimous. All right.
Moving into public comment. Um, I do
[5:15] have a note here. Um, audience, the
board recently revised the rules of
[5:20] procedure which took effect last month.
Um, two public comment periods are still
[5:25] available during our meetings, but the
format has changed to be topic specific.
[5:30] The first comment period for agenda
related topics only with a 5minut time
[5:34] limit. If you wish to speak on any item
listed on the agenda, this is your
[5:38] opportunity. a second comment period
held at the end of the meeting for all
[5:42] other topics with a threeminut time
limit. There are two separate sign on
[5:46] sheets for this topic specific revision
um that will be at the front of the
[5:49] meeting and we'll repeat this for the
next couple of months as we move into
[5:52] this new process. Um
so with that said, do we have anyone
[5:57] signed up to speak for the first comment
period?
[6:03] No. Okay.
Well, moving straight along, we will
[6:07] have the sheriff's office update next.
And I know Sheriff Campbell
[6:14] has something for us.
[6:22] Good evening, commissioners. Mr. Perry,
uh, Attorney Gwin, uh, come to you
[6:27] tonight with a with a lot of good news.
Uh, I'm I'll try to get through it as
[6:30] quick as I can. You've heard me stand up
here and talk about Prime Health before.
[6:35] Well, I wanted you to be able to hold
that in your hand and look at it and see
[6:39] how much this company saves our county.
This has to do with inmate medical
[6:45] bills. And that is something that's been
a thorn in my side since I became
[6:49] sheriff. When you have a inmate, people
don't realize this. When you have an
[6:52] inmate, uh, he's in your custody and he
goes to jail and he has a medical
[6:58] condition. Well, there's a cost for that
and that cost comes directly back to the
[7:03] county. It's not picked up by the state.
Our county has to pay for that. So
[7:07] through the service association, uh I
was made aware of Prime Health. So they
[7:12] do what's called a scrub on our bill.
When we get inmate medical bills, we
[7:17] send these bills directly to Prime
Health. They do what's called a scrub
[7:22] and and you can see by this is almost
cutting the bills almost in half. Uh you
[7:28] can see here on the the total charges
from July to December our inmate medical
[7:34] was $47,000
do through Prime Health that bill was
[7:40] cut to just a little over $29,000.
So just in this statement alone that
[7:46] saved the county almost $18,000.
So it's a wonderful thing and we have
[7:51] saved a lot of money. And uh because you
you got you got inmates that's just
[7:56] trying to trying to play the system and
we call it incarceritis. You know,
[8:01] they're fine, but once you put cuffs on
there, they immediately get sick. So
[8:05] anyway, uh
[sighs]
[8:10] » uh our body cameras, we got those in.
We're just getting started in the
[8:14] training on those. Hopefully, we'll have
them up and uh everybody will be we've
[8:19] got 10 total uh body cameras and we hope
to have them on and uh the officers uh
[8:26] trained and ready to go with them by
February the 1st. Um we got two more new
[8:32] vehicles in. These are destroyer gray
Durango. They look really, really sharp.
[8:37] We could not get the black, but the
destroy the gray still looks really,
[8:41] really good striped up. So, Michael
Bunch, bless his his sweetheart, he he
[8:45] got the first new one. So, glad to give
that to him. Uh, one other thing, our
[8:49] call volume for the month of December
was 501 calls. So, we we're still busy.
[8:54] Thank you.
>> All right. Thank you.
[8:58] » Okay. Um, we have no old business, so
moving into new business. U Madame
[9:05] Clerk, you have the floor.
[9:12] Thank you, Madam Chair and
commissioners. I have so much I have a
[9:16] slideshow for y'all.
>> Ready?
[9:29] » All right.
[9:33] So, at the very back of your agenda,
you're going to find detailed
[9:38] information from the recent local
emergency planning committee. This
[9:43] material includes updates,
[clears throat] excuse me, on emergency
[9:47] preparedness initiatives, community
safety protocols, and collaborative
[9:52] efforts between local agencies.
Mr. Dr. Tutweiler requested that this
[9:57] information be shared with the board to
ensure transparency and alignment with
[10:01] ongoing safety measures. Sharing this
information not only fulfills compliance
[10:06] requirements but also reinforces
commitment to proactive planning and
[10:11] public safety.
[10:15] Uh, next item is the Alber Commission is
accepting applications for the 2027
[10:22] essential essential single family
rehabilitation program for homeowners in
[10:27] Gates and Terrell counties.
This program helps eligible homeowners
[10:32] make critical repairs. The program
prioritizes elderly, disabled, and
[10:37] veteran households as well as homes with
health and [snorts] safety hazards. This
[10:42] information has been shared on our
Facebook. Uh and more and if anybody
[10:48] needs more information, they can reach
out at the number listed for Evermore
[10:53] Commission.
[11:00] All right. Um, right here on February
12th at 6 PM, the Gates County America
[11:06] 250NC committee will host Lisa Payton
Jones of Washington Waterfront
[11:12] Underground Rail Mu Railroad Museum. Uh,
she will be presenting an interactive
[11:18] living history program that prom that
promises to be both educational and
[11:23] engaging with some singing and dancing.
Um, we're really looking forward to this
[11:28] and additional details about this event
can be found um on our Facebook page on
[11:34] the A250 Gates County Facebook page and
here is a QR code for that and it will
[11:40] take you directly to that page.
Next, we have
[11:46] the quarter cent sales tax referendum
information. Um, I have emailed the
[11:52] board the final draft of this brochure
that you see listed here and a hard copy
[12:00] is at everybody's desk or seat. Um,
administration is ready to move forward
[12:04] with bulk printing and then we'll
distribute to ensure widespread
[12:09] community awareness. Educational
materials will soon be available on the
[12:14] county's website and this QR code here
that you see will take you directly to
[12:18] that site that houses all the
information. Additionally, a town hall
[12:24] meeting will be scheduled
um on February 24th at 7:00 p.m. And
[12:30] right now the location is to be
determined. We are having coordination
[12:36] efforts of trying to find a centralized
location in the county. So, um, this
[12:42] town hall is going to serve as an open
forum for residents to ask any
[12:45] questions, express any concerns, and
gain clarity on referendum details.
[12:52] [snorts]
[12:56] Um, the 2026 property listing period is
currently active and will run into the
[13:02] end of this month. All personal property
must be listed by January 31st to avoid
[13:06] a 10% penalty. Licensed vehicles are
excluded, but untagged vehicles and
[13:13] items like boats, ATVs, and farm
equipment must be listed. The elderly
[13:18] and disabled residents may qualify for
exemptions. So, we just ask that you
[13:23] please contact the tax department at the
number listed here if you have any
[13:27] additional questions.
[13:32] community advisory boards. Um during the
October meeting, consideration of
[13:37] adopting resolutions and rules of
procedures for several newly established
[13:42] boards was tabled here. Um as you all
are aware, these advisory boards are
[13:47] design are designed to enhance citizen
engagement and provide specialized input
[13:53] on local issues. It was discussed that
evening that the board should collective
[13:58] collectively review each of these boards
and I'm prepared to present the
[14:03] information that I do have at any
upcoming work session.
[14:11] Um, this information actually has not
been shared online yet. From February
[14:16] 16th through February 27th, the
Emergency Operations Center here uh in
[14:21] Gates County will host a highway
construction trade academy. Um this is
[14:26] going to offer both classroom
instruction and hands-on training. The
[14:31] program is funded by the NC DOT Office
of Civil Rights through its on the job
[14:37] training initiative. topics um as you
see here are going to include safety
[14:42] protocols, equipment operation and
project management fundamentals. Uh
[14:48] registration is required to ensure
proper planning and resource allocation
[14:52] and I will have this information posted
within the next few days.
[14:57] [clears throat]
Excuse me.
[14:59] [sighs]
Next, um the regular schedule meeting
[15:05] schedule is February 18th. I will not be
in attendance due to my participation at
[15:10] the IIMC conference. The board meeting
will proceed as scheduled and any
[15:15] necessary arrangements for agenda
management and documentation will be
[15:19] made in advance to ensure a smooth
process.
[15:25] Uh convenience centers, the 2026
calendar is on our website now. And a
[15:30] note just to reference for the audience
and folks online, there are other
[15:36] counties listed. So, um, just make sure
that you pay pay close attention to
[15:41] Gates. That is that last column before
the next section.
[15:49] This flyer was shared with me recently,
so I throw it in here for this evening.
[15:53] Uh, the COA business small business
center, excuse me, will hold a marketing
[15:57] and a rural community training on March
3rd from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the
[16:02] Merchants Mil Pond State Park.
[16:07] County offices will be closed January
19th in observance of Dr. Martin Luther
[16:12] King Jr's birthday.
[16:18] Uh, also on January 19th, the Merchants
Meal Pond State Park will host the Day
[16:22] of Service volunteer event from 10:00
a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Volunteers are
[16:26] encouraged to bring appropriate outdoor
gear, including gloves and closed toe
[16:31] shoes.
[16:35] All right. And um I've got this
proclamation was in your agenda packet
[16:41] and I will now read it which I will ask
for the board's uh consideration and
[16:46] approval.
So proclamation honoring Dr. Martin
[16:50] Luther King Jr. Day whereas Reverend Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. was born on
[16:56] January 15th, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia
and devoted his life to justice,
[17:03] equality, and the peaceful pursuit of
civil rights for all Americans. And
[17:08] whereas through his leadership in the
civil rights movement, Dr. King helped
[17:13] secure landmark social and legislative
proc progress, including greater access
[17:18] to voting, fair housing, and equal
treatment under the law. And whereas his
[17:24] commitment to nonviolent action, moral
courage and dignity of every person
[17:30] advanced the cause of human rights and
brought about lasting change in
[17:34] communities across our nation. And
whereas Martin Luther King Jr. Day is
[17:40] recognized as a federal holiday to honor
Dr. King's life and legacy and to
[17:46] celebrate his enduring contributions to
freedom, equality, and service. And
[17:52] whereas this holiday encourages
reflection on Dr. King's vision, and
[17:58] challenges each of us to uphold the
principles of justice, compassion, and
[18:03] civic responsibility in our daily lives.
Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the
[18:08] Gates County Board of Commissioners that
Monday, January 19th, 2026 is designated
[18:15] as Dr. Martin Luther King Junior's
Junior Day in Gates County. and we
[18:20] encourage all residents to honor his
legacy through reflection, community
[18:25] engagement, and actions that foster
greater understanding and equity for
[18:31] all.
And then last but not least, just in lie
[18:35] of Mr. Sour, um here's some picturesque
scenes here right here from Gates
[18:41] County. And that's all I have.
>> Thank you. Um I think the only point of
[18:47] action for that is um if we can get a
motion to adopt the proclamation as read
[18:51] honoring D Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Day.
[18:54] » So move.
>> So second
[18:56] » and all in favor
unanimous. All right. Thank you.
[19:01] [clears throat]
Assistant manager Perry. Um turn to you
[19:04] for county manager updates.
>> Okay. Thank [clears throat] you. Uh
[19:11] the auditing firm of Malding and Jenkins
uh is in the final review of the
[19:16] county's financial statements for the
fiscal year end June 30th, 2025. And it
[19:22] is anticipated the report to the
commissioners will occur at the February
[19:27] board meeting, which we now know will be
on the 18th.
[19:31] As previously reported to the board, the
fund balance for the general fund
[19:34] increased by $554,798
[19:39] and the unassigned fund balance is now
6,271,75
[19:46] as of June 30th of 2025
and is using the LGC's formula. The
[19:53] county's general fund balance available
for appropriate appropriation exceeds
[19:58] now 39%.
Sales tax receipts exceeded the original
[20:03] budget ordinance by $273,318
[20:09] or 7.3%.
The county's tax collection rate
[20:14] improved from 96.5%
to 97.10%.
[20:19] So, we appreciate the citizens and the
tax office for this improvement. Also,
[20:25] major kudos to the public utilities
department and the finance department
[20:31] for coordination and transition to the
monthly billing cycle for all water
[20:36] customers. Next month in February,
uh the county will be seeking requests
[20:42] for a statement of qualifications for
the architectural services to assist in
[20:47] the building of a new community center.
We will continue to update the county on
[20:53] uh this progress. And lastly, on the HR
front, uh the county will be
[20:58] implementing management training for
supervisors later this quarter. And that
[21:03] is all I have.
>> All right. Thank you, sir.
[21:07] move into commissioner updates. Um,
Commissioner Roundtree.
[21:11] » Yes. Hope hope everyone had a great
holiday. Happy new year to everyone. Um
[21:18] my first update is Trillium update and
uh on January the 29th which is a
[21:26] Thursday
check in began at 8:30 and this is from
[21:31] 900 a.m. to 12 p.m. This is the uh
re-entry program uh that we had once
[21:39] here in Gates County. This one will be
located at Elizabeth City State
[21:43] University. Um the address is K White
Ballroom
[21:49] 1704 Weeksville Road, Elizabeth City,
North Carolina 279
[21:55] 09.
And this is a similation of how um
[22:00] people who transition from being
incarcerated to the real world shows the
[22:06] challenges and the adjustments that they
make in order to make that transition as
[22:12] smooth as possible. It gives us a a
greater awareness what they go through
[22:17] throughout this transition. It's very
interactive. It have scenarios in which
[22:23] the incar former incarcerated citizens
face the challenges they face. So this
[22:28] is going to be great. I attended one
before along with madame chair was very
[22:32] insightful and uh also gave me uh a
better understanding of what these
[22:39] citizens that's transition from
incarceration to regular society how
[22:45] difficult it can be and how much they
need support during this transition. So
[22:49] that's going to be on Thursday, January
29th at Elizabeth City State University
[22:54] at K White Ballroom and you check in at
8:30 and then the actual assimilation
[23:01] the program is going to be from 9 to 12.
Also our trillium update uh we have
[23:09] eating disorders awareness symposium.
This is going to include mental health
[23:14] impacts and also mental health concerns.
This is going to take place February
[23:20] 27th from 8 to 11:30 a.m. It's going to
be at Berea Baptist Church, 2033 North
[23:29] Road Street, also in Elizabeth City,
North Carolina. Um,
[23:34] this is going to be very good for um
making the community aware of different
[23:40] eating disorders, bring them awareness,
how to counter that, things to do to
[23:45] implement.
And last, I want to give uh
[23:50] congratulations to Mrs. Shondaanda
Harrison. She's the business business
[23:55] owner for Totally Learning, Totally Kids
Learning Center. Uh she just recently
[24:01] opened up and this was a great um
daycare u opportunity for our community
[24:07] because it relieved the public schools
of their daycare challenges. Also, it
[24:14] pro it provides daycare for our citizens
and it's a great business opportunity
[24:20] for Miss Harrison. I had a chance to be
at the grand opening or excuse me at
[24:25] open house and it was beautiful.
Classrooms were structured well. They
[24:30] had some students there. Um the teachers
were on point. Uh the environment was a
[24:36] loving, nurturing environment. a win-win
situation because, you know, daycare is
[24:42] very essential for the working class. We
need a place that we can be comfortable
[24:47] and know that they are being taught,
knowing they have safety um throughout
[24:52] the facility and knowing that love and
nurturing is taking place. And I'm so
[24:57] grateful that she was able to partner
with Gates County Public Schools. and um
[25:02] also she's providing great uh daycare
services for our citizens, for our
[25:09] parents, and I applaud her on that. Uh
that uh is my final uh update for
[25:15] tonight.
>> All right. Thank you, Commissioner
[25:17] Citnel
[clears throat]
[25:21] Policy.
Um
[25:25] how long's this been going on, Pit?
>> A long time. I know at least three kind
[25:29] at least three county managers and it
started out uh the rough draft of it was
[25:36] it was rough for our employees.
[laughter]
[25:38] » Uh and [clears throat] then
I want to throw a number out there. It's
[25:43] probably been going on for 10 years.
>> And and we we got it today. So that's a
[25:51] big kudos to uh Mr. Perry and Mr. sour
for getting that accomplished. It's been
[25:59] going on for a long time and it's
something else we've we've put to rest.
[26:03] Um water billing going back to monthly.
I know I would enjoy it. I I look at my
[26:09] wife all the time like we we paid the
water bill. [laughter]
[26:13] Uh getting back on that monthly cycle is
is just it's going to be better for
[26:17] everybody. Um I've had a number of
citizens reach out to me over the last
[26:23] couple weeks. I've talked to
Commissioner Truman or Madam Chair uh
[26:27] about it some and got some information
from her. I know she did a lot of
[26:31] research ran the board of education and
uh filling the UR seat uh they announced
[26:37] they were not going to fill the UR seat
at this time until the election.
[26:43] » Um and my constituents and you don't
feel like they have a voice at the
[26:47] table. So hopefully they will not be
making any major decisions
[26:52] without um
without great thought and hopefully they
[26:57] can wait till they have that seat f
filled after the election. Um so I just
[27:03] wanted to relay the messages that I've
been getting from my constituents and
[27:09] your so that's all I have.
>> All right. Thank you, sir.
[27:14] » Vice chair.
>> Thank you, Madam Chair. Um
[27:16] [clears throat]
looking forward to this new year as we
[27:20] begin to work on the many things that uh
our county has going on. Um you wi with
[27:25] the completion of some of the designs
that we've been working through over
[27:29] this past year uh and putting those to
bid so that way we can uh select a
[27:34] contractor and get moving with those
improvements with the border systems of
[27:38] the county. It's been a long time since
they be able to do those type of
[27:41] improvements. So we are looking forward
to that. We're looking forward to our
[27:44] work sections uh that we have with our
uh county employees and and as we
[27:51] continue to move into the new uh
budgeting season and and understanding
[27:56] the needs and requirements for our
county and as we work through that. So,
[28:00] um, we encourage anyone to reach out,
uh, to discuss anything that, uh, you
[28:06] would like to see within the county's
budget this year. And, and because this
[28:09] is our our budget season, we're going to
be having those type of, uh, discussions
[28:13] over the next few months as we lead into
that. Um the the chair and I this past
[28:18] I'll let her speak a little bit more
about this but uh we this past week we
[28:22] uh continued our training as far as on
the leadership side with the NCAACC
[28:29] and uh it's always a good time when you
can get together with a group of other
[28:34] commissioners from our other 100
counties um within North Carolina and
[28:39] and see how they do things. you know,
what what do we do that's working better
[28:43] than what they do and what they do that
maybe working a little bit better than
[28:47] than we have and and uh that free flow
of ideas is always good to be able to uh
[28:53] have that engagement with them. So, um
yeah, I I enjoyed that. I enjoyed the uh
[28:58] the the teaching sessions that we had uh
as we try to uh uh further develop
[29:05] ourselves as county commissioners. Um
just uh yesterday I had uh my uh
[29:12] quarterly meeting with the Gits and I I
tell you
[29:17] just to see what Mr. Patrice does and
everything that she uh works through and
[29:22] accomplishes is is just outstanding with
uh you the the little bit that she has
[29:27] and she can go so far with what little
bit that she has. And so, um, I enjoy
[29:32] sitting on that board and working with
them and and listening to what needs
[29:36] that they uh have for coming and uh and
representing them to the board as well.
[29:41] And and so uh I appreciate that time
yesterday as we went through uh their
[29:46] upcoming plans for this year and how
they can continue expand their services.
[29:50] And so I ask everyone that that service
is available. So if you need a ride
[29:55] anywhere, uh they will be glad to give
it to you. And so um u
[30:02] that's uh that concludes my meetings for
tonight.
[30:05] » Thank you sir. Um and I just have a few
things. Yeah. I'll mention uh the
[30:09] NCAACCC. It's uh leading your governing
body. It's uh informally called chair
[30:14] vice chair training. Um just to kind of
give you go over statutes, legal issues,
[30:19] just kind of make sure you're on the up
and up on what the different laws are as
[30:21] you move forward with governing. Um, and
it's always, like you said, pretty
[30:26] exciting to to get together with other
commissioners from across the state and
[30:29] kind of hear the things that they are
going through, the different things that
[30:32] they've overcome. Um,
we
[30:36] always end up talking about, you know,
public comment periods and and they
[30:41] that's a thing across the state. Most
people, you know, one comment period a
[30:44] month, three minutes. I I like that
we're a little more gracious with the
[30:48] five minutes at the beginning and the
three minutes at the end and different
[30:51] things like that. just giving the
community the opportunity to speak um is
[30:55] a pretty big deal, I think. And and so
that's something that we we appreciate
[31:00] having the opportunity to do. Um I will
reiterate what our lovely clerk was
[31:06] saying um about trying to get a location
secured for the town hall for this
[31:10] article 46. Uh that I did want to talk
about for just a minute. Um Verizon
[31:14] killed my opportunity today to try and
reach out to most people that I planned
[31:18] on calling this afternoon. um Verizon
decided I did not need to call anyone.
[31:23] So um or nor did tens of thousands of
others across the country. So um those
[31:29] calls will happen as soon as we have
that location secured. We'll have that
[31:32] information out on Facebook and on the
website. Um and then
[31:37] uh again mentioned at the next meeting.
We'll make sure we announce that there
[31:40] because we do have another commissioner
meeting before that night. Um, but I
[31:44] know there are a lot of questions about
what is this quarter cent tales sales
[31:48] tax referendum and it will be on the
ballot on March 3rd um in the primary.
[31:54] Uh during the October 15th meeting
around the 30 minute mark uh we had
[31:59] discussion under old business that
focused on what this was for and it
[32:02] would be countywide food insecurity. Um
this past year in our budget process, we
[32:08] voted to um fund the food nutrition
program, child nutrition program at the
[32:14] schools. So right now in Gates County,
all of the children in the public
[32:17] schools have free breakfast and lunch to
them. Um there have been numerous um
[32:25] positive statements come from staff at
the schools stating how hungry kids um
[32:30] made made learning more difficult and
how it's been better this year. um the
[32:34] kids are not as anxious, um not as
irritable, um and they're just they're
[32:39] fed, which is a big deal. Uh we'd love
the opportunity to continue doing that.
[32:43] And that's where this article 46 comes
in. Essentially, if you spend $10,000 on
[32:47] sales um in the county in a year, you're
going to have $25 go towards food
[32:52] insecurity. For every$10,000 you spend,
not including prescription, groceries,
[32:58] medications,
um any kind of medications, and gas,
[33:01] those don't go up because you can't for
law. So, $10,000,
[33:06] it's $25 basically. Um, that's going to
go to food insecurity and food
[33:10] insecurity is included. Um, we didn't
want any extra funds going to just
[33:15] miscellaneous things. So, we have
encompassed this is saying food
[33:18] insecurity across the whole and that
includes the food nutrition program.
[33:22] That'll be programs like gyms, the
backpack ministry. Um recently in the
[33:26] past uh few months we've had some local
initiated citizen um local church groups
[33:32] initiated those type things uh food
pantries that are there for the public
[33:36] that will give us the opportunity to be
able to contribute to those as well. Um
[33:40] the entirety of these funds would go to
food and security whatever that looks
[33:44] like. Um taking care of our children
first um and then moving into gyms and
[33:48] other opportunities. So we'll have more
coming forward on that. We have some
[33:51] videos. We'll have some Q&As's. Um, we
have the town hall. We're going to put
[33:56] more information on Facebook um, as we
have it and as we can, but it is
[34:00] something that needs to be talked about
because March 3rd is right around the
[34:03] corner. Uh, and I think lastly, I just
want to say the re-entry. I did not know
[34:07] about that. Um, if you have the
opportunity to go, I will never not push
[34:10] for people to go to the re-entry
training. It is phenomenal. It will give
[34:13] you a perspective that people need. Um,
so it is a free program. He mentioned
[34:19] January 29th at ECSU. So, if you can do
that, um I'll ask if we can have that
[34:25] put on our Facebook page as well, the
link, so that we can have um have that
[34:29] accessible. That is all I have. Um we're
going to move into the 3minut um public
[34:37] comment period um if we have anyone
signed up for that. One of the things
[34:41] that we had taken away from our time um
in the leadership training last week
[34:47] were counties stating that they have
timers or mic cuts that kind of being at
[34:51] the end of the time so that the chair,
vice chair, whoever is up here doesn't
[34:55] have to interrupt to cut um cut the
speaker. Um so those things will be
[35:00] implemented at different times um
to kind of help see how we facilitate
[35:06] and if it goes a little smoother. Um,
but right now I'm gonna defer to the
[35:10] clerk, see who we have.
>> Kelly.
[35:13] » All right.
So, if you could come up and just state
[35:17] your name and voting district for the
record.
[35:21] » First.
>> Yeah, that's fine. Thank you.
[35:24] » Thank you.
>> I have enoughbody.
[35:27] » You're [laughter]
share if you need to. Yep.
[35:31] » I've actually
[35:35] Yeah. Okay.
[35:39] My name is Kelly Turner and I am in
Gates.
[35:43] Um, I'm here tonight to follow up on an
email that I sent to the board and
[35:47] county manager regarding an incident at
our property involving deer hunting with
[35:51] dogs. While the incident itself was
unsettling, I want to be very clear that
[35:56] my goal tonight is not to ban dog
hunting in Gates County. Hunting is an
[36:01] important part of our culture and
heritage. What I am asking for is a
[36:06] thoughtful, modern restriction that
reflects how our county has changed.
[36:11] Gates County is not the same as it was
decades ago. Large tracks of lands have
[36:16] been divided into small smaller parcels.
Families live closer together. Many
[36:21] residents raise livestock, keep pets,
and are tending to the land more like a
[36:25] homestead. With these changes, the way
that we manage deer hunting, especially
[36:30] by running dogs, needs to be
re-evaluated.
[36:33] Recently, seven to eight deer dog
hunting trucks were parked along Highway
[36:37] 37 beside our property while hunters
waited for their dogs to push deer out
[36:42] of the swamp behind our home. We do not
allow dog hunting on our land and have
[36:47] been clear and respectful about that for
the past 3 years. Despite this, a pack
[36:53] of dogs came out of the swamp and
approached our goat and chicken pens and
[36:56] created an unsafe situation. The law was
called and after a good while, the
[37:02] hunters were finally able to contain
their dogs after catching them by hand
[37:07] and pulling them by their collars into
their dog boxes. Thankfully, no one was
[37:12] hurt, but this situation highlights a
larger issue of safety and
[37:15] accountability.
I would like to ask the board to
[37:18] consider reasonable restrictions on dog
hunting with deer hunting with dogs such
[37:24] as requiring minimum acreage such as 500
acres of more to run deer dogs. Whether
[37:29] that's combining AC acres or individual
parcels,
[37:33] prohibiting hunting activities from
public roadways, including parking and
[37:38] waiting along highways and narrow back
roads, and requiring hunters to actively
[37:42] follow their dogs or only retrieve them
at designated points within property
[37:46] they have permission to hunt. Also
strengthening expectations that dogs
[37:50] remain within land where explicit
permission has been granted. These type
[37:54] of restrictions are not anti-hunting.
They're pro-s safety, pro property
[37:58] rights, and pro community.
I'm going to skip this part because I'm
[38:01] almost out of time. I knew this is an
issue that the board has addressed
[38:04] before. Because of that, I reached out
to members of our community to hear
[38:07] their thoughts and I was surprised by
how many people, long-term residents and
[38:12] newer families alike, shared these same
concerns. The people want change and I
[38:16] am here to help them achieve it. I am
not here to speak during public comment
[38:20] and never hear about this issue again. I
would genuinely welcome the opportunity
[38:24] to sit down with members of the board or
participate in a working group or public
[38:29] discussion to explore what next steps
would look like to update our county
[38:32] ordinances. This is not about personal
opinions for or against dog hunting. The
[38:37] board has a duty to serve the people of
Gates County and the people want to be
[38:40] heard. Thank you for your time.
>> Thank you.
[38:45] » Do we have any others?
All right, Miss Saunders, if you could
[38:49] just state your name and um voting
district.
[38:54] » Good evening, commissioners. Mr. Perry,
attorney gowin. I am Crystal Saunders,
[38:59] resident of Gatesville, um probably
about a mile and a half from here. Um
[39:03] Mr. Barman, you actually touched on
something I was going to talk about. I
[39:07] was in church two Sundays ago and uh
elder older lady got sick. ambulance was
[39:15] called and I know we don't have 911 and
you know all that foolishness from
[39:20] before and all of that. However, I'm
sitting there thinking we need to get
[39:25] some other people trained in our county
because the ambulance people that were
[39:30] on duty. They were down in Edon
suffoc had to be called. Thank kudos to
[39:36] Pquimmens or whoever runs that center
now. Kudos to them. and they came
[39:42] directly. They were there. By the time
Gates County got there, she was loaded
[39:47] up getting ready to go out the parking
lot. So, there's something that has to
[39:51] be done as a community whether we do
something as a community where we have
[39:56] more volunteers, more equipment at
different places that can be utilized
[40:02] because she passed out. Oxygen is a big
thing. You know, we have this new thing
[40:07] now where you can buy the spray cans of
oxygen. I'm like, I'm investing that for
[40:11] my family. You see what I'm saying? And
so, but you think about your churches
[40:16] and stuff and to the thought of she's
passed out. Every I'm a science teacher.
[40:21] I teach biology. Seconds matter when
you're talking about somebody's don't
[40:25] have a pulse, not breathing.
>> And so that that is a real concern.
[40:31] » So, if we could start conversations
around something like that.
[40:36] » All right. Thank you.
>> Thank you.
[40:40] Do we have any even further?
>> Miss Ann
[40:46] [clears throat]
[40:51] Howell Hall Township. I just have a
quick question. You mentioned that uh
[40:56] the water bill will be going back
monthly. Is that correct? Was there
[41:00] anything said about the billing going
back to Gates County instead of going to
[41:06] wherever?
Honestly,
[41:10] we can look into that, but as of right
now, no. I think we were told at the
[41:14] time that they hoped it would be coming
back to Gates County. And I know a lot
[41:19] of people I'm for one, I drive to
Gatesville and to pay it here because
[41:24] I'm stubborn. I'm just not going to mail
it,
[41:28] » especially with mail going up like it is
right now.
[41:31] » My wife does the same thing. [laughter]
>> A lot of people do. Yes, ma'am. Thank
[41:35] you. All right. Thank you.
And I'm just going to say I'm glad
[41:38] you're here because you can I don't know
it's still okay.
[41:44] All right. Is there any That's all.
Okay. All right. Um with all the
[41:49] business addressed, we will entertain a
motion to adjurnn. Madam Chair, if I
[41:54] might before we absolutely,
>> I would just like as county attorney uh
[41:59] to reiterate what uh commissioner said
in regards to thanking Warren Perry and
[42:07] uh Scott Sour for their hard work in
getting the uh personnel policy
[42:13] together. We spent many hours on it and
we spent many years on it uh before.
[42:19] It's a very important thing and uh they
need to be recognized for their work.
[42:26] » That's all.
>> Yeah, I agree.
[42:28] » Yeah. Thank you. Uh Mr. Godwin, I would
want to recognize the uh the team we had
[42:34] that assisted with that was uh Patrice
Lasser, uh Willie Smith, Lisa Cherry,
[42:40] and um Christy Baron. So kudos to them
also. Thank you.
[42:47] » All right. Thank you. Yes, sir. All
right. We will now um look for a motion
[42:52] to adjurnn.
>> So move.
[42:55] » So second it.
>> All right. All in favor?
[43:00] We are ajourned.
[43:11] Yeah. It's one of the days.