BY CHAR MORRISON | CityView Staff
County commissioners approved a part of a watershed debris contract extension, made appointments to boards and heard four zoning cases during the board’s Monday meeting.
Emergency Watershed Contract
- What happened: Commissioners voted unanimously to approve an extension to the Emergency Watershed Program (EWP).
- Why it matters: The EWP program seeks to remove hazards to life and property that stem from natural disasters in watersheds, including addressing waterways clogged by debris, unstable streambanks and severe erosion. The extended contract with Carolina Cleaning and Restoration includes a $35,200 increase from the original $910,741 previously approved and an extension of the performance period through the end of the year. The increase will cover the costs of cleaning debris for Branson Creek from Barcelona Drive to Morganton Road and additional landfill fees. An additional $240,339 contract extension with Carolina Cleaning and Restoration for bank stabilization of the Flea Hill area was not approved, due to the cost and potential for other vendors to propose their own plans.
Cumberland Community Foundation presentation
- What happened: Commissioners heard a presentation about the Cumberland Community Foundation’s GivingTuesday program, which kicked off Monday. The foundation is a nonprofit that manages charitable funds and gives grants to organizations that improve quality of life in Cumberland County. The presentation given by Mary Holmes outlined GivingTuesday, a week-long donation campaign focusing on 79 participating nonprofits; CCF matches donations up to a total of $550,000 given during the week.
Parking deck request for qualifications
- What happened: In a unanimous vote, commissioners approved a request for qualifications for a potential parking garage that would serve both the courthouse and the new Crown Event Center in downtown Fayetteville.
- Why it matters: The proposed deck will replace the surface lot where the new Crown Event Center is set to be built and will serve as parking for both government buildings as well as event parking for the center. The estimated project cost for the parking deck is $33 million.
Nominations for boards
- What happened: Commissioners voted unanimously to not appoint new commissioners to the Civic Center Commission. The commission oversees the Crown Event Center.
- Why it matters: Commissioners denied term extensions for the Civic Center Commission at their last regular session, citing their own rule against term extensions.
- What’s next: The nominations will now be postponed until December, due to the first term expiration not happening until January.
Appointments for boards
- What happened: In a unanimous vote, commissioners appointed the following individuals to the Transportation Advisory Board:
- Tyffany Neal, Urban Transit Provider Representative
- Kristina Clifton, Sheltered Workshop Director or Designee
- Rawls Howard, reappointed as the County Planning Department Director or Designee
- Ashley Patterson, reappointed as the County Dept. of Social Services Director or Designee
- Commissioners also unanimously appointed Robert L. Gowin and Greg Phillips to the Local Emergency Planning Committee, and Heather Skeens to the Alliance Health Board of Directors.
- What's next: Appointees for the Transportation Advisory Board will serve for the next two years, while appointees for the Emergency Planning Committee and the Alliance Health Board will serve for three years.
Consent Agenda
- What happened: Commissioners voted unanimously to approve this session's consent agenda.
- Why it matters: The agenda included $455,000 in funding for Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation’s improvement projects for 2024. Also included in the approval of the consent agenda was a resolution opposing the EPA’s authorization of Chemours' GenX Shipment to the Fayetteville Works plant. The move to bring more of the chemical, a kind of PFAS that has contaminated the Gray’s Creek watershed, to the Fayetteville Works plant has been met by local protests and condemnation by Gov. Roy Cooper.
Other items of business:
Commissioners concurred unanimously with the N.C. Dept. of Transportation to abandon a portion of Clay Fork Hill Road. Commissioners also heard four zoning cases, two of which were approved unanimously. The remaining zoning cases involved:
- A potential subdivision in Gray's Creek was approved 4-3 in a tight vote after almost half an hour of deliberation.
- Voting for approval: Veronica Jones, Marshall Faircloth, Glenn Adams and Jeannette Council.
- Voting against approval: Toni Stewart, Michael Boose and Jimmy Keefe.
- A single-unit housing case in Gray’s Creek was approved 5-1 with Stewart voting against. Commissioner Council was absent for these votes, but in a tie vote, an absent commissioner’s vote is defaulted for approval.
At the end of the meeting, the board went into closed session to discuss an economic development matter
The board will next meet at 9 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 4, in Room 118 of the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse.
Contact Char Morrison at cmorrison@cityviewnc.com.
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