County Commissioner meetings are held every first and third Monday of the month at the Pamlico County Courthouse. We provide summaries of what’s covered at every meeting so you can stay informed about the decisions and discussions that affect you.

Pamlico County Commissioners met Monday, August 4, for the first of their two monthly meetings. 

One pressing item under discussion was the future of Animal Control in Pamlico County. Until recently, Pamlico was served by a single Animal Control officer. This officer has been unable to work in the wake of a serious car accident. This has left Pamlico County, for now, without Animal Control services.

The commissioners discussed two potential plans for restoring services throughout the county. Plan A would involve hiring two full-time and one part-time Animal Control officers. Between 15 and 18 applications have been received. Pamlico County would continue to provide animal control services throughout all towns and unincorporated areas in the county. Commissioners noted that the cost of hiring additional Animal Control officers would exceed the current budget and might lead to tax increases. They also said that a standardization of animal control laws throughout the county would be necessary for effective enforcement. The construction of a facility to hold animals, or an arrangement with nonprofit groups, would also be necessary. 

An alternate plan would be for incorporated towns within Pamlico County to handle animal control issues independently. It was noted that 60 to 80% of animal control calls come from within incorporated towns. Letters seeking input have been sent to town governments throughout the county. Since not all town commissions had met at the time of the County Commissioners meeting, it was decided to wait until input from all towns was available before making a decision.

The final item on the agenda was discussion of appropriation of a portion of a $1 million fund to combat opioid abuse within Pamlico County. The Pamlico County Finance Office requested approval of a $150,000 contract with the CarolinaEast Foundation. They plan to establish a Post Overdose Response Team (PORT).

The commissioners recommended a trifecta of plans to allocate the funds:

The funding is for two years of service.

A public meeting about Opioid Settlement Funding will be held on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.

A request for approval for HVAC units from Eneco East for the Water Department treatment facilities in Mill Pond, Vandemere, and Grantsboro was approved. Commissioners explained that water temperatures in the facilities are typically much colder than the air. This leads to condensation, which in turn can accelerate the development of rust. The HVAC units will extend the life of treatment equipment by keeping the temperature of the facilities closer to that of the water being treated.

Item 10 on the agenda was a request from the Sheriff’s office to accept a proposal from the Summerill Group to assist in the preparation and submission of an application to the US Marshal Service, followed by negotiation on a new per diem agreement under Intergovernmental Service Agreement #56-92-0022. Pamlico County is currently eligible for a fee increase. The county has used Summerill’s services before, and the firm is used by many law enforcement departments throughout the state. The measure was approved.

About 10 members of the public were present to watch the proceedings. All County Commissioner meetings are open to the public and feature a public comment period. 

A few items were added to the preliminary agenda. These include:

Consent Agenda items typically require little discussion. Most items were summarily passed.

Item 2, a request for approval of board releases, was removed from the agenda. 

Item 4, a request for approval of an Untimely Application for Greene Health County Health Care, Inc, was pulled from the agenda so it could be discussed further before making a decision. Multiple commissioners agreed on a recommendation not to approve. They expressed concern it would create a precedent that would lead to other businesses asking for approvals of untimely applications. 

Commissioner Doug Brinson expressed concerns about the increase in Eastern Carolina Council dues. Due to a billing error, dues for this period will be roughly double what is normal. 

The dues paid cover benefits for local residents such as transportation. The due structure is based on population, which means Pamlico County carries a lower burden than other counties in the area. The measure to approve the annual dues fee increase was approved. 

The remaining items were also approved:

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