FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The following is a summary of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners meeting, held March 20, 2023, at 6:45 p.m. in Room 118 of the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse.
Trinity Saunders, a student at New Century Middle School, led the Pledge of Allegiance and gave the Invocation for the meeting.
Fayetteville-Cumberland Youth Council (FCYC) Members Dayana Allison with Cumberland International Early College High School and Hunter Streightiff with Fayetteville Academy gave an update on the organization’s activities over the past several months including that FCYC was named the 2022 Most Outstanding Youth Council by the North Carolina Youth Councils.
Chairwoman Dr. Toni Stewart presented a certificate of appreciation recognizing Vivian Tookes of the Department of Social Services as the County’s longest-serving female employee. Tookes was hired on Oct. 1, 1982, as an eligibility specialist with DSS and has worked for Cumberland County for more than 40 years. Tookes is currently the Division Director of Economic Services at DSS.
“I have been truly blessed to have the opportunity to be working at the Department of Social Services for the past 40 years,” said Tookes. “I enjoy my staff, the community, and the one thing I love more than anything is my ability to make a difference in the lives of people.”
Chairwoman Stewart also recognized the County’s social workers who were in attendance and read a proclamation proclaiming March 2023 as Social Worker Month.
The Board received the Fiscal Year 2022 Compliance Audit Presentation from April Adams, CPA, partner with Cherry Bekaert LLP. The compliance audit was finalized on March 9. The financial audit results were presented previously during the Jan. 17, 2023, Board of Commissioners meeting. During that meeting, the Board also approved an audit contract extension through March 31, 2023, to allow additional time for the compliance audit to be completed. After the presentation, the Board voted unanimously to approve a response letter to the Local Government Commission, which is required because the audit was not submitted within five months of the end of the fiscal year on June 30, 2022. The letter includes an explanation of what caused the delay and what the County and its auditor will do to avoid the issue in the future.
The Board unanimously approved the following items as part of the CONSENT AGENDA, unless otherwise noted.
- Consideration of Approval of Property Tax Collection Agreements with the Towns of Linden, Falcon, and Hope Mills
- Consideration of Approval of an Interlocal Agreement for Sales Tax Distribution – Commissioners pulled this item from the consent agenda to vote on it separately. County Commissioners worked with the county’s municipal leaders to come up with a compromise agreement that extends through June 30, 2025, at which time the Board intends to transition to the ad valorem distribution method. During the agreement period, the County will receive 100 percent of revenue from new growth in the County. The compromise agreement will provide the municipalities with additional time to plan for the transition. Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the agreement.
- Approval of Proclamation Proclaiming March 2023 as Social Worker Month
- Acceptance of Offer to Purchase Surplus Property Located at 724 North Street, Fayetteville
- Approval of Cumberland County Board of Commissioners Agenda Session Items
- Fiscal Year 2024 Health Insurance Benefit Plan Changes
- Historic Orange Street School Restoration Project Funding Request – The Board approved this item in a 4-to-1 vote.
PUBLIC HEARINGS:
- Rezoning Case ZON-22-0080. Rezoning from A1 Agricultural District to R40A Residential District or to a more restrictive zoning district for three parcels comprising 3.10 +/- acres; located at 1811 and 1815 Sweetie Road; submitted by Jerald Kennon (applicant) on behalf of Herbert Dukes (owner). – The Board voted unanimously to approve this request.
- Rezoning Case ZON-23-0002. Rezoning from CD/CUD Conservancy Conditional Use District to R15/CUD Residential Conditional Use District or to a more restrictive zoning district for portions of two lots compromising 0.57 +/- acres; located at 2241 and 2245 Mannington Drive; submitted by James Kizer, Jr. (applicant) on behalf of Jagjit Mehmi (owner). – The Board voted unanimously to approve this request.
ITEMS OF BUSINESS:
- Consideration of April 13, 2023 Agenda Session Schedule Change. The Board voted 5-to-1 to change the date of the April 13, 2023 Agenda Session to Tuesday, April 11, 2023, due to a conflict with the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) 2023 District Meeting, which will be held on April 13 in Cumberland County.
- Consideration of Proposed Schedule for Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Work Sessions and Budget Public Hearing. Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the following FY 2024 Budget Schedule.
- Budget Presentation – Thursday, May 25, 2023 at 7 p.m. in Room 118
- Budget Work Session – Wednesday, May 31, 2023 at 5:30 p.m. in Room 564
- Budget Public Hearing/Work Session – Wednesday, June 7, 2023 at 7 p.m. in Room 118
- Budget Work Session – Wednesday, June 14, 2023 at 5:30 p.m. in Room 564
- Budget Work Session (If Needed) – Thursday, June 15, 2023 at 5:30 p.m. in Room 564
Cumberland County Board of Commissioners meetings are streamed live on CCNCTV (Spectrum Channel 5), the County’s website cumberlandcountync.gov and the County’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/CumberlandCountyNC.