County Commissioner meetings are held every first and third Monday of the month at the Pamlico County Courthouse Annex. We provide summaries of what’s covered at every meeting so you can stay informed about the decisions and discussions that affect you.
County Commissioner meetings are held in the courthouse Annex in Bayboro. (Photo by Eleazar Yisrael)
Pamlico County Commissioners met for their second meeting of the month on Monday, August 18. I was unable to attend in person due to illness, but Commissioner Ed Riggs generously shared notes with me about decisions made at the meeting.
The board voted in favor of joining the NC East Alliance after hearing a presentation on the group. NC East Alliance is a regional economic development organization representing 29 counties in eastern North Carolina. The group’s goals include addressing economic disparity, supporting small and rural communities, and enhancing STEM education initiatives.
The board heard a presentation from Creating Outdoor Recreation Economies (CORE). CORE is a program from the NC Department of Commerce’s Main Street & Rural Planning Center that helps communities capitalize on their outdoor recreation opportunities. The board chose to table decisions about adopting CORE in order to discuss the program further first.
The board approved hiring of a full-time Advanced Practice Provider at the Health Department. This will allow the county to replace contracted positions with a full-time staff member.
An individual in the community had requested removal of a late listing penalty for property tax. The removal was denied.
The remaining consent agenda items were approved. These include:
A request for approval of budget amendments
A request for approval of board releases
A request to implement an all-way stop at the intersection of Lee Landing Road and Neuse Road.
A request for approval of a resolution designating an authorized official.
A request for approval of the appointment of Commissioner Ken Health to the Pamlico County Community College Board of Trustees
An all-way stop has been approved for the intersection of Lee Landing Rd and Neuse Rd (Screencap from Google Maps)
Jail health was discussed during the meeting, but no action was taken. The County Manager is looking at ways Pamlico county can save money by having the Health Department deal with some of the inmates’ medical needs. This would replace some services currently contracted out. A detailed plan may be presented at the next County Commissioners meeting on September 1.
Animal Control was discussed again at this meeting, but no action was taken. As readers may recall, Pamlico County has been without animal control services since early July when the county’s sole Animal Control officer was severely injured. The county is still waiting to hear from officials in three towns in the county before proceeding with plans. Options discussed for handling animal control have included reducing services to state-mandated functions and going all-in on advanced services and an expanded staff. The issue will be discussed further at a future meeting.
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