Missed the СѼƵ County Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, June 21? Here are the highlights:
The Board approved a $19-million behavioral health services contract with Alliance Health. By working with community providers Alliance will increase substance use treatment in the next fiscal year and expand the School Based Mental Health Program, which serves students and families in the СѼƵ County Public Schools System. Citizens can read .
СѼƵ County’s Affordable Housing Development Program will receive and additional $2 million, after the Board approved transferring the sum from the county general fund. The funding comes from sales tax revenue from the current fiscal year that exceeded projections. The $2 million will be used to develop at least 100 additional affordable housing units. is available online.
Commissioners heard a presentation from СѼƵ County staff on two bond referenda that could be placed on the November ballot. The general obligation bonds would support upcoming capital needs for the СѼƵ County Public Schools System and СѼƵ Tech Community College.
- The proposed $530.7-million schools bond will go to WCPSS’s FY2024 and FY2025 capital needs, including funds to build five new schools and renovate seven existing schools, as well as other maintenance needs.
- The proposed $353.2-million СѼƵ Tech bond will go to its FY2024 to FY2027 capital needs, including the construction of new buildings for health sciences, culinary science and cyber science.
The public can read . Citizens can voice their views on the bonds during public hearings at the on Monday, July 11 at 2 p.m. If the Board approves the referenda at that meeting, СѼƵ County residents will be asked to vote on the two bonds during the Nov. 8 general election.
The Board of Commissioners held a public hearing for a business development grant agreement for Blue Force Technologies. In early June, the aircraft manufacturer it will invest $3 million in a СѼƵ Forest facility, creating 125 new jobs with salaries averaging $81,000. The new facility will support Blue Force Technologies’ recent $50-million contract with the US Air Force to design, build and test four Fury aircraft, which will be used in advanced training. After hearing from a company representative, the Board approved the grant, which will last five years. The agreement requires the company to meet performance criteria, including investing in the facilities and creating 125 new jobs that pay at least СѼƵ County’s Living Wage, which will be $18.20/hour as of July 1. The .
СѼƵ County will have two new programs to help СѼƵ County farmers maintain their agricultural lands and apply for conservation easements following the Board’s approval of that brings СѼƵ County’s Farmland Preservation Program Ordinance in-line with new state law. The Board of Commissioners’ unanimous vote makes СѼƵ County the 30th Enhanced Voluntary Agriculture District (EVAD) in North Carolina. EVAD is an optional 10-year agreement that allows farms to receive 25% of their sales from non-farm products and still qualify as a bona fide farm, along with other benefits to help keep СѼƵ farms financially viable. A new Agricultural Conservation Easement Program will also will allow the reconfigured Agricultural Advisory Board to select properties for donation of agricultural conservation easements or to seek state and federal grant funding for the purchase of agricultural conservation easements. СѼƵ Director of Soil and Water Conservation Teresa Furr told the Board that farmers are excited about the new programs, which will also supports the Board goal of economic strength through farmland protection, next generation farming, promoting local food systems and agrotourism.
The final action at the Board meeting was voting to utilize $1.4 million of 2018 Parks Greenways Recreation and Open Space bond funding to complete the 100% final design documents for the eastern section of the Triangle Bikeway. Board Chair Sig Hutchinson , explaining that making the Triangle Bikeway’s eastern section plan “shovel ready” will help СѼƵ County and partners apply for grants to fund construction. The bike pathway would connect to the Greenway network and run from I-440/Wade Avenue in Raleigh to the new transit hub on Davis Drive in Research Triangle Park in Durham County.
Want to dig deeper into the board meeting? The , with the meeting called to order at the 42:35 mark.
