Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-03-15 Regular MeetingNEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MEETING, MARCH 15, 2021 ASSEMBLY BOOK 35 PAGE 28 The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners met in Regular Session on Monday, March 15, 2021, at 9:00 a.m. in the Assembly Room of the New Hanover County Courthouse, 24 North Third Street, Wilmington, North Carolina. Members present: Chair Julia Olson-Boseman; Vice -Chair Deb Hays; Commissioner Jonathan Barfield, Jr.; Commissioner Bill Rivenbark; and Commissioner Rob Zapple. Staff present: County Manager Chris Coudriet; County Attorney Wanda M. Copley; and Clerk to the Board Kymberleigh G. Crowell. INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Pastor Ron McGee, Rock Church, provided the invocation and Vice -Chair Hays led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA Chair Olson-Boseman requested a motion to approve the Consent Agenda as presented. Motion: Commissioner Barfield MOVED, SECONDED by Commissioner Zapple, to approve the items on the Consent Agenda as presented. Upon vote, the MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. CONSENT AGENDA Approval of Minutes — Governing Body The Commissioners approved the minutes of the Special Joint Meeting held on February 17, 2021, Agenda Review held on February 25, 2021, and Regular Meeting held on March 1, 2021. Approval of the First Reading of a Solid Waste Franchise for Edwards Rentals dba Rent -A -John — County Attorney The Commissioners approved the first reading of a solid waste franchise to be granted to Edwards Rentals dba Rent -A -John. Pursuant to Section 44.55, the applicant has provided information about his business organization, equipment, personnel, and fiscal responsibility. The Environmental Management Director has no objections to the franchise request. The renewal franchise period would run for seven years. A second reading is required. A copy of the franchise agreement is available for review in the legal department. Approval of the First Reading of a Solid Waste Franchise for Green Coast Containers LLC — County Attorney The Commissioners approved the first reading of a solid waste franchise to be granted to Green Coast Containers LLC. Pursuant to Section 44.55, the applicant has provided information about his business organization, equipment, personnel, and fiscal responsibility. The Environmental Management Director has no objections to the franchise request. The renewal franchise period would run for seven years. A second reading is required. A copy of the franchise agreement is available for review in the legal department. Adoption of a Budget Amendment for Stormwater Services - Engineering The Commissioners adopted the ordinance for budget amendment 21-056 to buy vehicles and equipment to operate stormwater services. A copy of the budget ordinance is hereby incorporated as part of the minutes and is contained in Exhibit Book XLII I, Page 1.1. Award of Fiscal Year 2020-2021 Audit Contract - Finance The Commissioners approved the award of the one-year contract extension for audit services to Cherry Bekaert LLP for fiscal year 2020-2021 to complete the audit in an amount of $83,000. An additional $3,750 will be charged per program if more than seven audit programs must be audited. A copy of the audit contract is available for review in the legal department. REGULAR ITEMS OF BUSINESS PUBLIC HEARING AND APPROVAL WITH RESPECT TO RETIREMENT FACILITIES REVENUE BONDS TO BE ISSUED BY THE PUBLIC FINANCE AUTHORITY IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $65,000,000 FOR THE DAVIS COMMUNITY Chair Olson-Boseman stated that Cornelia Nixon Davis, Inc. ("CN Davis"), who operates a retirement facility known as the Davis Community that is in New Hanover County, has requested that the Public Finance Authority, a Wisconsin public authority, issue its retirement facilities revenue bonds in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $65,000,000. The proceeds of the bonds will be used to finance the costs of constructing and equipping a new independent living facility, a new Central Services Building, a new multi -story apartment building, a new wellness center facility, a new Community Center, various related improvements at the Davis Community, and to finance costs of issuance of the Bonds. Because the projects are in New Hanover County, Section 147(f) of the Internal Revenue Code requires that the Board must hold a public hearing and approve the issuance of the bonds by the Public Finance Authority prior to the issuance of such bonds. The notice of a public hearing was published on NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 35 REGULAR MEETING, MARCH 15, 2021 PAGE 29 March 5, 2021 in the Star -News stating that the Board would hold a public hearing thereon on March 15, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. The Board's approval of the issuance of the bonds will in no way cause the County to become responsible for or liable with respect to the bonds. Hosting the public hearing and approving the issuance of the bonds are merely ministerial acts that will enable CN Davis to comply with the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. Chair Olson-Boseman opened the public hearing and stated the Board will hear from anyone who wishes to be heard on the questions of the proposed issuance of the bonds by the Public Finance Authority and the financing of the various projects owned and operated by CN Davis. Chief Financial Officer Lisa Wurtzbacher stated that CN Davis is looking to issue $65,000,000 for a variety of projects as stated by Chair Olson-Boseman. The request in no way, shape, or form obligates the County for the debt. However, it is required by the IRS for CN Davis to be able to issue the tax-exempt debt. Receiving no public comments, Chair Olson-Boseman closed the public hearing and asked for direction from the Board on this matter. Motion: Commissioner Barfield MOVED, SECONDED by Vice -Chair Hays, to adopt the resolution approving the Public Finance Authority's issuance of the Bonds in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $65,000,000 and the financing of the CN Davis projects located in the County. Upon vote, the MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. A copy of the resolution is hereby incorporated as part of the minutes and is contained in Exhibit Book XLIII, Page 1.2. PUBLIC HEARING AND APPROVAL OF A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING FOR PROJECT GRACE Chair Olson-Boseman stated that before the Board for approval is a proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Zimmer Development Company Inc., for construction of a civic and arts facility inclusive of a library component and a museum component of approximately 73,000 square feet, together with proposed conveyance of County property located on Grace Street for the public and private residential/commercial development. Zimmer Development Company Inc. (Zimmer) will manage the construction of both the public and private facilities. The private development may include residential and mixed use, will enhance tax value, and is estimated at $23,140,697 in construction costs. Construction of the library and museum components are estimated at $56,700,467 to include upfit, furniture, and fixtures. The proposed 20 -year lease is not to exceed $4,508,000 per year. At the end of the 20 -year term, New Hanover County shall own the library and museum components. The project is expressly contingent upon Local Government Commission (LGC) approval. The Board will now hear public comments on the proposed Memorandum of Understanding. Written comments that were received by 6:00 p.m. on March 14, 2021, which have also been provided to the Board prior to this meeting, will be incorporated into the minutes by the Clerk to the Board. Each speaker will have three (3) minutes to make remarks. Chair Olson-Boseman then requested speakers to step forward to make remarks. Chief Strategy Officer Jennifer Rigby stated the public private partnership known as Project Grace has been a long and deliberate process that began in 2016 and has included a significant amount of public input throughout the process. It is important to know that it has been long and deliberate because it serves to create a partnership between the public and private sectors that leverages the public infrastructure of the library and museum with new private investment that includes office, residential and retail development which creates economic development in our community. All of this goes back to the concept that planners and architects champion, which is good urban design and renewal that creates confidence in an area that attracts people and new investment and at the end of the day grows the tax base while also creating well designed and inclusive public spaces for citizens. The idea is that by investing in the library and museum (and it is known there will be a need for some investment for the future), it is believed the private sector will respond with investment of its own and the County can guarantee some of that private investment through a public private partnership. Ms. Rigby provided a brief overview of the project's history, noting that in December 2018, the County received a proposal for a public private partnership with Zimmer. The County conducted a significant amount of public input and the following April, the Board asked staff to explore additional alternatives to the project. The first alternative was to explore a partnership with the state to support and operate the Cape Fear Museum, thereby removing it from Project Grace. The second path was to continue conversations with Zimmer to incorporate the public input. As the Board is aware, the NC Historical Commission conducted a feasibility study of the state assuming operations of the Cape Fear Museum and there were many considerations that made this alternative undesirable. A significant consideration included the County being required to invest upwards of $10 million into the facility before the state would take over the operations. While the Museum study was being conducted, staff continued to talk with Zimmer about how to include the public input the County received. Zimmer has prepared the MOU to serve to redefine the project. The MOU includes general parameters around what is included in the project, the project structure, and a general timeline. She then presented the following overview of the request: • Project Grace Public Private Partnership: NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MEETING, MARCH 15, 2021 BOOK 35 PAGE 30 • Public Private Partnerships: a cooperative venture between the public and private sectors, built on the expertise of each partner, that best meets clearly defined public needs through the appropriate allocation of resources, risks, and rewards. • Memorandum of Understanding - Project Program: • 38,000 square feet of library space • 35,000 square feet of museum space • 8,000 square feet of shared museum and library space: • Zimmer is requesting the Board consider including this in the MOU. It was included in Zimmer's calculations, but was accidentally left out of the MOU. • The figures were estimates created by library and museum staff to ensure the project would lean forward to the future and help inform the request for proposal process. The space needs analysis included using the existing Cape Fear Museum as a collections and research facility. • 75,000 square feet of office space • Multifamily units (Zimmer has committed five percent to be workforce housing) • Approximately 10,000 square feet of retail space • Community elements that include a terrace and overlook roof terrace and outdoor community gathering area/park • Project Structure: • The County would own the land where the museum and library are constructed and provide a ground lease to Zimmer • Zimmer will pay for construction of the library and museum • The County would lease the building from Zimmer for 20 -years at a rate not to exceed $4,508,000 annually • In the lease, Zimmer will provide the upfit, furniture, and fixtures, maintenance for the structural and exterior elements such as the roof, exterior walls, and foundations • The County would be responsible for library books, museum displays, taxes, interior maintenance, repair, replacement, and insurance • At the end of 20 years, the County would own the museum and library with no additional costs • Zimmer is required to make private investment for multifamily units, office, and/or retail constituting an amount equal to at least 25% of total project cost • Project Timeline: • 60 -day Discovery Period: • The development team has asked the Board to consider a 60 -day discovery period before the project timeline officially begins for schematic plans. This discovery period would include an opportunity for the development team to have meetings with the core team of staff. Also, during this time, the development team would like to meet with all the museum and library staff and have another meeting with the museum and library boards. • Schematic plans: 45 business days • County review: 20 business days • Design development documents: 60 business days • County review: 20 business days • Final construction documents: 75 business days • County review: 20 business days • Completed construction: Summer 2024 Ms. Rigby concluded her presentation stating that the MOU also includes the statement that once the planning begins, if the project does not move forward to a public hearing for a development agreement within a two-year time frame, the County would reimburse Zimmer for planning costs that they incur up to $800,000. If the project does not receive approval from the LGC, or if the rent for the County's portion of the project is determined to be more than $4,508,000, the County would not have to reimburse the planning cost. She then asked Adam Tucker with Zimmer to share his perspective on the project. Mr. Tucker expressed appreciation for the opportunity to provide the development team's information on the project. He noted that Zimmer has a lot of experience with public-private partnerships (133s) and the company has been in downtown Wilmington for 75 years. The MOU is a roadmap for how the parties get to a point where all can agree on what is the final product. The project is bordered by Third, Second, Grace, and Chestnut Streets. He then reviewed a map showing the north block, the parking lot, and the southern block. The parking deck will not be moved, but there may be some cosmetic upgrades to it. There are also no plans to add a level or to expand to increase the parking deck capacity. He then provided the following overview of the project: • Project Grace: • Current County MOU components: library component, museum component, parking deck component, retail component, private development, community elements, and offsite improvements Mr. Tucker explained that a lot of feedback was received during the prior process on the project, and it changed his company's view on the project. That information was considered during the current process to re - envision the project. He further explained that one component not shown on the slide, but is listed in the MOU, is NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MEETING, MARCH 15, 2021 BOOK 35 PAGE 31 the office component. As the process has progressed, Zimmer was in talks with the City of Wilmington (City) about possibly taking part in the project with them on the office component, but no commitment has been received. While not an issue for Zimmer and as this is a County project, Zimmer is prepared to move forward without the City's commitment. If the City decides to come in later, his company will try to figure out a place to put them. He then continued with the presentation as follows: • Today: • What is Known: • The County population is growing at a tremendous rate • Downtown Wilmington has changed immensely in the last few years: • Performing Arts Center • New housing and retail opportunities • New transportation hub • Concert venue underway • The current library and museum will need significant reinvestment in the coming years • A needs analysis was performed several years ago that outlined basic services and allocated square footage • What is Unknown: • Is the needs analysis still applicable and what will be the square footage of the project • Where will the new museum and library be located within the block • If the library is to remain in its current location, where will the library be temporarily housed during construction • Will private development purchase or lease the area for its portion of the project • What will the final costs be for the project • The final design will be determined upon completion of the analysis review and through the design process • What is the purpose of the MOU: • The MOU provides an outline to answer the unknowns and come to a conclusive design and costs that will be the basis for the development agreement and lease • MOU Structure: • Library and Museum: • The library and museum will enter a 20 -year lease • The developer will finance and construct the facilities and be responsible for meeting budgets • The lease payments will be based on the final costs of the library and museum, currently $4,508,000, based on a total square foot of 81,000 square feet and a budgeted cost of $56,700,467 • At the end of the 20 -year term the County will be given ownership of the facilities at no additional cost • Parking Deck: • The County will remain the owner and manager of the parking deck • All Current and Future Revenue will be retained by the County • Private Development: • The developer will purchase/lease the land and parking needed for private development from the County • Budgeted development costs of $23,140,697 • The developer will construct and lease the retail component • Forward Looking Timeline: • Design - Early 2022 completion (*business days): • Review period: 60 days • Schematic design: 45 days • Design development: 60 days • Construction documents: 75 days • Development Agreement - Spring 2022 completion: • Final structure and lease detailed and documented • Local Government Commission review • Permitting - Summer 2022 completion: • The County and City will review and comment on plan submissions • Construction - Summer 2024 completion: • Commence work late Summer 2022 • Duration of 20 - 24 months Mr. Tucker noted that at the end of the 20 -year lease period, the library/museum components will revert to County ownership at no cost to the County. The parking deck will remain County property to be managed and any revenue that is generated from both the private and the public side will go back to the County coffers. Zimmer will control the private development part. Calls have been received about various possibilities, including event space, in that part of the development. He then stated that Chris Boney with LS3P would present the vision of the project. NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 35 REGULAR MEETING, MARCH 15, 2021 PAGE 32 Mr. Boney stated his company has been practicing in Wilmington for about 100 years and the project is important to him and LS3P Associates. As far as the vision, it is unknown what the project will look like nor what form it will take because there has not been the chance to interact with staff and stakeholders yet, which is an important first step in the process. However, he feels the project must be authentic to New Hanover County and respect the unique nature of Wilmington. He then provided an overview of the palette inspiration for the brick facade, ballast stone landscape accents, terracotta glazed trim, clear and generous entry, and open civic space. He then reviewed what a new beginning could provide going from past to present and how this project could provide a sense of place through shared spaces, gathering areas, and could be a source of civic pride. In response to Board questions, Chief Financial Officer Lisa Wurtzbacher explained that a lease has the benefits of not having to take care of the exterior structure and there are some other things the landlord will take care of. In this instance, while the County would handle any sort of interior repairs and things like that, the exterior of the building would be the responsibility of the landlord. From a financial perspective, it is cheaper for the County to borrow money. For example, the County just borrowed money for 1.5%. However, she cannot say that interest rates will stay that low and she is sure they probably will not, but typically, the County can borrow money for less. That is the offset. In talking about the whole project because this is not just about the lease, the County will have the lease cost, but as part of the overall deal Zimmer is committing to private development which brings in tax revenue. Additionally, the hope and belief are that if this entire block is redeveloped that the values that surround the property will also generate added tax revenue and increase in value. The thought is while the County will be paying a lease cost, there will be added revenues generated that will help cover some of those costs. It is still to be seen what part the actual private development will be and as alluded to by Mr. Tucker, which has not been fully negotiated yet in the MOU. The County would be leasing the land that its building is sitting on to the developer. She is sure the developer would have some sort of debt on the building they are building for the County, but when the property reverts to the County, the land would stay with the County as well. In response to Board questions, Ms. Rigby explained that the space in the MOU is from the space needs analysis conducted in 2017. The 8,000 square feet of shared space was part of the 2017 space needs analysis. The shared space was intended to be meeting rooms, restroom facilities, entrance/lobby as well as some offices. A brief discussion was held about the workforce housing percentage in the MOU. Ms. Rigby confirmed that the five percent could be a part of the discussion moving forward. Mr. Tucker stated that what is in the MOU is what he can commit to, but that may change as things move forward. The five percent is the floor and there are always conversations that can be held moving forward. Ms. Rigby confirmed that what the Board is being asked to approve is a skeleton for the teams to build upon, staff will return in a year for the Board to consider approving the development agreement, and there would be a public hearing on the development agreement. Commissioner Barfield stated workforce housing is first in importance in this project, but also it is important to have a library that is big enough and will last beyond 20 years. The population downtown has changed from the time this conversation was started. It is important to him to have enough space, listen to staff and listen intently to the people doing the work, asking about what is needed, and making sure those needs are being met. In response to Board questions, Ms. Wurtzbacher confirmed that once the development agreement is put together there will be the ability to renegotiate the lease costs. She explained it is like the government center agreement. The final lease costs will be based on whatever the final number is for the museum and library and while an estimate has been put together, it will likely change as the process moves forward. The amount in the MOU is the cap/top level amount. As to if the financial model could be revamped, Mr. Tucker stated the amount in the MOU is the cap and his company would be at risk if it goes over. If the budget goes over, the lease will not go up. Zimmer has committed that this entire project will be an open book to the County, and it can see every dollar that is spent and understand where the costs are coming from. If in fact they do end up with either one less square footage or are able to save money somewhere, the lease costs would go down based on the cost of the project. Fee development is not part of Zimmer Development's business model. The company builds for longevity rather than being merchant builders and it is not something the Zimmer family wanted to ever embark upon. In response to Board questions, Mr. Tucker confirmed that his company is committed to the LGC review and approval process. It is also his company's intent to reach the 25% private investment threshold. He also confirmed that the furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FFE) numbers have also been include in the calculations. As to what the benefit is of giving the building back to the County after 20 years, Mr. Tucker stated that is a mandate by the LGC that is inflexible. The LGC will not approve a transaction that goes beyond a 20 -year lifespan and it will not allow a 20 -year lease with a 20 -year extension. Zimmer did have a different model until it was made aware that was the case with the last project. County staff and his team worked to revamp the structure to give it best chance for approval. Zimmer has not had discussions with the LGC, but his understanding is that County staff has had discussions. Ms. Wurtzbacher explained that County staff discussed with the LGC almost a year ago about what the lease needed to look like, what was being thought about, and what plans were be made. If the request is approved today, those discussions will begin again as things become more concrete. In response to Board questions, Mr. Tucker stated the project has stopped and started a few times and Zimmer is at the point of being ready to start the project or not. The MOU provides assurance that everyone is on board with what is agreed to, provides a timeline, and lays out a process what needs to get done and when. There are still the steps of having to come back to the Board for the development agreement portion and to receive LGC NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MEETING, MARCH 15, 2021 BOOK 35 PAGE 33 approval, which would then release the team to start construction. As to the additional 8,000 square feet, Zimmer's request is to add it to the MOU as it was not included, and it has always been in the plan projections supplied to staff. It was just inadvertently not included in the MOU. Mr. Tucker also confirmed that Zimmer is agreeable to the 60 -day discovery period. Chair Olson-Boseman thanked staff and Mr. Tucker for the overview and invited persons wishing to speak in favor and in opposition to the MOU to step forward to provide their remarks. Speakers in opposition: Travis Gilbert, Historic Wilmington Foundation (HWF) Executive Director, thanked the County for its commitment to enhance the community's library and museum services. As an advocate for the region's irreplaceable historic resources, the HWF prefers the County preserve the Belk -Beery building and Borst building located in the County - owned, downtown block. The Borst building, constructed in 1926 and formerly the Register of Deeds Office, is a contributing structure in Wilmington's National Register Historic District. Since the Borst building is a contributing structure, loss of it will have damaging repercussions to the entire Wilmington National Register Historic District. Said designation is currently at risk due to years of historic structures being demolished by neglect or storms, and loss of architectural details that strip buildings of their historic integrity. Demolition of contributing structures, like the Borst building, could trigger a decrease in size to Wilmington's National Register Historic District. This would cost downtown properties economic benefits such as eligibility for federal historic preservation tax credits. Thus, the HWF respectfully requests that the County place a historic preservation easement, to be managed by the HWF, on the Borst building deed. It is imperative that a historic preservation easement be placed on the Borst building before a decision is rendered about the north parcel's long-term ownership. The HWF has skillfully managed historic preservation easements throughout the entire community for over 50 years. These easements allow a property owner to retain private ownership of the property while ensuring the community does not lose a property's historic integrity. Preserving the Borst building through an easement strengthens the County's commitment to the economic revitalization of downtown Wilmington. A preserved Borst building will serve as an asset to the north parcel and will anchor the entire block into the historic district. Lastly, the HWF respectfully requests to be consulted as historic preservation experts during the included discovery period. Including the HWF's expertise in the design process will ensure the block's redevelopment contributes positively to Wilmington's National Register Historic District. The HWF looks forward to cooperating with the County to create a block that increases library and museum services while honoring Wilmington's rich history. Diana Hill, resident of Klein Road, asked that the County not do this and commented that few civic leaders want to have a legacy of downsizing and confining a museum and library. She stated that Commissioner Barfield's comment about making sure that the library is going to be big enough for growth is being said at the same time the County is getting ready to downsize it. This is so ill conceived that Senator Mike Lee had to pass a bill, specifically self-serving, conflicts of interest in some cases, to be able to let this happen in downtown Wilmington. Right there, it is known that something is amiss. $4.5 million a year for 20 years would do a lot for the library and the museum right where they are. For example, Charlotte is putting a five -story library building in place and this County could use those plans to put in the current library building. She thinks it is sad the Board is willing to downsize the museum, get rid of the library, the size of both, and that the two old families, the Boneys and the Zimmers, are party to this. It is really a sad day in the County when this happens. Phoebe Bragg, resident of Front Street, stated that she and her husband are historic preservationists. What drew them to Wilmington was the old houses and the charm of the central business district being nearby. Historic tourism is what pays the mortgage on her house. She does not support tearing down the mid-century buildings and putting them in a landfill. She does not support the pressure that the added cars and the parking deck will put on the 18th century street grid. There are not enough parks in Wilmington. While blessed with the beautiful Riverwalk, green spaces are in short supply. The park that was built in front of the library is a beautiful asset to Wilmington. According to the Star News, in Wilmington only 36% of people have a park within walking distance as compared to the national average of 54%. This is a tourist town, and she thinks that more parks are needed and what parks there are should not be paved over. Since the last time she wrote letters and spoke on this matter, a lot has changed due to the devastation caused by the hurricanes and now the pandemic. She is concerned about the money the County is spending as times are uncertain, even with low interest rates. It is unknown what is coming next, and she does not want to see Wilmington's future mortgaged. She is sure the Board knows that the price of construction has tremendously increased. For a project she managed in the western part of the state, lumber that use to cost her $3 now costs $9. She has heard a lot about highest and best use and achievable market potential. It is not the government's role to achieve market potential, but to serve the needs of the community. Azad Karimi, representing the downtown community, stated the library has its origins in 18th century and contains the private collections of citizens such as attorney Edwards, Mosley, and revolutionary statesman William Hopper. Volumes of the collections can still be found in the rare books section of the library in the widely known and highly respected local history collection. By the mid -19th century, NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MEETING, MARCH 15, 2021 BOOK 35 PAGE 34 the area's first library association was created to provide broader access to printed material. In 1906, with the help of North Carolina Sorosis, a free public library was established. That organization provided a public library, centrally located at 201 Chestnut Street in downtown Wilmington. The current location of the main library was established in 1981 by occupying the renovated Belk -Beery department store. He would like to know which entity will actually own the land, library, museum, and parking deck; why does the community have to lease the property at $4.5 million; if the exterior structure is supposed to be a benefit for the County, should it not be built correctly so there would be no worry about it up to 20 years; what kind of potential damage could be caused to the buildings that are surrounded by the library in the block; has there been a cost analysis of the traffic influx and how that will affect the downtown area; and if downtown Wilmington has the infrastructure to handle the amount of new traffic and amount of people coming downtown. Speakers in favor: • Michele Holbrook, Chair of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce Board (Chamber), stated that she personally supports Project Grace. She is honored to be here today to speak for the Chamber's nearly 900 business members and to share why they are also in support of Project Grace. Every one of the Chamber's members without exception share a common goal in wanting to maintain profitable businesses and see their businesses grow. When the business grows by a certain amount it needs employees, but a business does not just want any employee. Businesses want the best employees. Human capital is vital for any successful business. Diverse, intelligent, technically curious, creative employees can and will give a business a competitive advantage. What does Project Grace have to do with local businesses wanting, in fact, needing the best employees possible? Think about a person early in their career who has so much potential that they are already being sought after by nearly every company in their field. The person may have just graduated from college at the top of their class. They have options, they can choose to work anywhere in North Carolina, anywhere on the east coast, anywhere in the United States. What she wants, what the Chamber's employers want, and what every person in this room should want is for that person to choose Wilmington. People are moving to urban cores. They are drawn there by a desire to engage with communities that embrace the future and the coming change. The decisions that this community makes today should be the decisions that will move us to a more vibrant community tomorrow. How often do you get a chance to transform an entire city block to something that does just what those young people are looking for? It respects the past while building for the future. She assured the Board the city block that exists today will not cause that bright, brilliant young mind pictured earlier to choose Wilmington. But three years from now, if this is done right, it will be somewhere that local employers will want to showcase to those prospective employees. She implored the Board to look toward the future, look toward the future of our workforce, and take another step forward in making Wilmington a place that stands out above all others. She asked that the Board please say yes to Project Grace. • Natalie English, Wilmington Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, stated the Chamber advocates for the policies and investments that will allow business to grow. It matters because if business grows, then jobs grow, and the opportunity towards prosperity for more of citizens is increased. On behalf of the Chamber Board of Directors, she is present to share with their support of Project Grace as she did at the last public hearing held by the County Commissioners. Project Grace is an example of the kind of public-private partnership that tells business leaders in the community and those outside of this community watching us, that this community welcomes them and see that we will work towards solutions, towards a yes, rather than just saying no. Public-private partnerships leverage public and private dollars to result in an even better product, even better outcome. As this County is projected to add on 100,000 citizens by 2040, creative mixed use and higher density developments in the appropriate places to accommodate that growth must be embraced. There also needs to be investment in this community's cultural amenities as they add to the fabric of the community. Bringing the Cape Fear Museum's exhibits to a new showplace in the center city, which is the center of our region will enlighten so many more people than they can where those exhibits currently sit. Creating a new library downtown, will better serve the residents in this part of town by adding and adjusting to serve as libraries today need to serve. It is exciting to her that we can move forward without added delay to redevelop that block into a civic and cultural show place, along with housing and retail components. It takes that kind of partnership and investment from a public-private sector collaboration like Project Grace to ensure this community remains attractive to businesses and the workforce they need. On behalf of the Chamber Board of Directors, she urged the Board to support the MOU for Project Grace and move forward to the next steps. • Holly Childs, Wilmington Downtown, Inc. (WDI) President and CEO, stated she wanted to reiterate the position of WDI. WDI clearly and emphatically supports Project Grace moving forward. WDI's mission as an organization is to promote the economic growth and development of downtown Wilmington. She can think of no other development project currently in downtown and likely within our lifetime that has the potential for true downtown transformation like Project Grace. Downtown Wilmington is the economic engine of this County and the entire region. It is the center for business and employment and both companies and residents alike continue to choose our downtown. Now more than ever, Wilmington is competing with other cities to attract and retain a diverse, dynamic, and well-educated workforce. Choosing to invest in our downtown arts, culture, and places of learning has never been NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MEETING, MARCH 15, 2021 BOOK 35 PAGE 35 more important. As the economic engine, our downtown residents deserve access to the best facilities that the County can offer them such as bright, engaging civics and arts facilities, an entire block where families can gather and spend time in a state-of-the-art public library and Cape Fear Museum. As momentum and overwhelming support has continued to grow for Project Grace, WDI has also recently started working with the Children's Museum of Wilmington to see how they might fit into the block as a natural partner alongside the downtown library and Cape Fear Museum, creating a cultural center for families and a block designed for a lifetime of learning. Last month, WDI hosted a virtual public forum, and more than 140 members of this community actively took part and were overwhelmingly in favor of the project. Since that time, people have been anxious to participate in the project for downtown and to be a part of reimagining an entire city block at the heart of downtown Wilmington. As this community's elected representatives, can the Board imagine being responsible for creating an entire block downtown built around world class civics and arts facilities for both young and old and our community? Can you imagine taking a bold step forward and saying that now we are not just talking about a place for equity and social justice in downtown Wilmington, but we are building it. WDI recognizes that all buildings have a history, but it also realizes this is not about the history of a particular building as a former department store or a car dealership. It is about the future of downtown. It is about equity for the people who do live downtown, people who raise their families, and start businesses here. It is about ensuring that children growing up downtown have just as nice a place to read, play, learn, and dream as the children of Pine Valley. It is also a way to remember the past but not be afraid to move boldly forward for a better downtown. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said. "The time is always right to do the right thing." As a downtown resident and WDI President, but most importantly, as someone committed to creatingjobs and opportunities for all people in our downtown, she implored the Board to do the right thing today and vote to move forward with Project Grace. • Jan Brewington, New Hanover County Library Advisory Board Chair, stated the members of the Library Advisory Board are appointed by the County Commissioners and are charged with making recommendations to the Board and County Manager concerning the operating and capital needs of the library. As such the Library Advisory Board requests: • The library building will have ample square footage as identified by a new space needs assessment. This space should include public meeting space on-site (can be shared with the museum) and administration space either on-site or in an appropriate off-site location. The museum shares the same concern with the space. • The library will continue to operate downtown during the construction process. • A representative from the Library Advisory Board will participate in builder/development team meetings, beginning right away. • Some version of Story Park, as public green space, will be a part of the redevelopment design. • Dave Spetrino, representing the New Hanover County — City of Wilmington Workforce Housing Advisory Committee, stated the committee has 13 members and he is surrounded by some of the most resourceful, intelligent, diverse, hardworking rock stars that could have been assembled for the committee. One of its main roles is to develop a workforce study, raise public awareness, and work to support access toward housing affordability. Soon the Board will receive information on the housing study, which he is very much anticipating, which will allow all to know where we are, what we need, where we are going, and how both the private as well as the public sectors can work toward solving some of these problems. Ultimately, the advisory committee will recommend and support strategies toward housing affordability for residents with low or modest incomes. All recognize this community benefits when everyone enjoys stable and secure housing. As to Project Grace, the committee is not able to provide a recommendation or specific guidance. However, he would like for the Board to view the committee's presence as a reminder that it presumes its sponsor, the County, also looks for opportunities like Project Grace to establish a path and more importantly, leadership on this issue. Personally, it is easy for him to support projects that utilize walkability, infill development, height, and density to create spaces and places for people to live. Also, on a comment that was made by an earlier speaker and he understands their position, but he believes a community benefits when local businesses or local families with deeper connections, make bold capital investments. He is not above pointing the finger toward pride and ego to make sure they are doing right by their community. He certainly wants to believe that a person is much better served with him overseeing something in his own town, because he must drive by it every day and he has a lot of friends who he does not want to hear anything from if he does not do his job correctly. There are many factors that affect affordability, and he could talk all day about them, but it certainly does start with leadership. He thanked the Board for its support. The Board's committee is killing it right now and there are exciting things to come that as a private developer, but also as a citizen, he is excited about what is in the future for our community. Hearing no further discussion, Chair Olson-Boseman closed the public hearing and asked for direction from the Board. Motion: Vice -Chair Hays MOVED to approve the Memorandum of Understanding with the inclusion of the additions, as discussed, of the 8,000 square feet of shared space and 60 -day discovery period. NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 35 REGULAR MEETING, MARCH 15, 2021 PAGE 36 Commissioner Zapple asked Vice -Chair Hays if she would consider amending her motion to include the removal of the City's component from the MOU to add more clarity and make it specifically an MOU between the County and the developers. Vice -Chair Hays responded she absolutely would like to add that to her motion and remove any reference to the City in the MOU. Amended Motion: Vice -Chair Hays MOVED to approve the Memorandum of Understanding with the inclusion of the additions, as discussed, of the 8,000 square feet of shared space, 60 -day discovery period, and to remove any references to the City. Commissioner Barfield stated he would second the amended motion. Amended Motion: Vice -Chair Hays MOVED, SECONDED by Commissioner Barfield to approve the Memorandum of Understanding with the inclusion of the additions, as discussed, of the 8,000 square feet of shared space, 60 -day discovery period, and to remove any references to the City. Hearing no further discussion, Chair Olson-Boseman asked for a vote on the motion on the floor. Upon vote, the MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. Commissioner Zapple stated the Boneys and the Zimmers are two families who have played an important part in the history of Wilmington and New Hanover County. Through their good work and staying with the County and City for generations, over 100 years for the Boneys and 75 years for the Zimmers, they are in large part responsible for the many things that we have here in New Hanover County, which certainly includes the way of building and development and are in many ways responsible for the quality of life that we enjoy. He is delighted that both families are involved with this. He also agrees with Mr. Spetrino that having people here locally and looking out for local interests have always benefited New Hanover County and Wilmington. He looks forward to their continued participation. A copy of the memorandum of understanding is available for review in the legal department. A copy of the written comments is hereby incorporated as part of the minutes and is contained in Exhibit Book XLIII, Page 1.3. BREAK: Chair Olson-Boseman called for a break from 10:19 a.m. to 10:32 a.m. WILMINGTON QUICK RESPONSE TEAM UPDATE REPORT Tony McEwen, Assistant to the City Manager for Legislative Affairs, thanked the Commissioners for the opportunity to provide an update of the Wilmington Quick Response Team (QRT). The County has had an opioid issue for several years and in 2017, it received a concerning distinction that it had one of the worst, if not the worst issues with opioid overdoses and abuse in the entire nation. There were several tragic situations, but one where an incredibly young member of this community lost her life, which has devastated that family, and everyone connected to it. During that time, County and City leaders, medical professionals, public safety professionals all came together to figure what could be done that is outside the box and a bit more innovative in addition to what all are doing in their regular duties to combat the opioid epidemic. Olivia Herndon with the South East Area Health Education Center (SEAHEC) brought to the group's attention an innovative idea for an opioid overdose quick response team model. The community rallied together to work with state legislators and ultimately received $500,000 in funding. The funding allowed a two-year program to begin in 2019 to serve the entire County, not just the City, which became the Wilmington QRT. The funding ran out in October of 2020, but the program was inserted within the state budget for an additional $500,000 to continue the program for two more years. Unfortunately, that state budget in this matter was vetoed, and the funding was not received. The County, City, and United Way of the Cape Fear area were able to pull together a funding collaboration, equal investment by each entity to keep the program running. There is currently enough funding to keep the program operating until August of this year. Again, local legislators have introduced House Bill 17, which provides $750,000 to keep the program going and to keep it state funded until the end of fiscal year 2023. Mr. McEwen does not know if it will pass, but regardless the good works of the Wilmington QRT is still out there in the community, still saving families and still saving lives thanks in part to the County's investment. Mr. McEwen then introduced Buffy Taylor, Lead Supervisor and Outpatient Therapist with the Wilmington QRT for Coastal Horizons, stating she would be providing the update to the Board. A brief conversation was held about how the Wilmington QRT decides on who to reach out to and which services are offered. Commissioner Barfield noted that he had a family member who had overdosed and did not recall anyone contacting him nor any specific services being offered. Mr. McEwen explained that the program is meant to find people where they are, in a professional and polite manner, but also continue to work with them and not force them into something, as it he has learned that does not work. This work is continued on a repeated basis and efforts are also made to matchup people with opportunities for treatment that works for them, works on their ability to pay, what type of insurance they may or may not have, and what their situation in life is. Ms. Taylor stated the service is tailored to what a person is willing to do and what is best for them. The team will repeatedly call and visit the person, which has been adjusted due to the pandemic. That does not mean that the team is not going out into the community and talking with a person or meeting them wherever they can to try to navigate what is going to be the best form of treatment for that person. It does not stop just because someone says they are not ready. It is an ongoing effort for potentially months and on average it is about two to three times someone might say they are not ready for treatment. However, she feels more often the team is connecting with people for months at a time, NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MEETING, MARCH 15, 2021 BOOK 35 PAGE 37 but there are also people who tell them to stop contacting them, they are just not ready, or they received treatment somewhere else. The team has been able to people to all forms of treatment and there is a reliance on community partners to help a person determine if they need long-term, inpatient treatment or what agency to work with. Commissioner Barfield expressed appreciation for the information. In response to Board questions, Ms. Taylor stated the contact number for the Wilmington QRT is 910-833- 2052. She noted they are not first responders. They rely heavily on first responders, but they will respond quickly to get a person fast -tracked to try to eliminate the barriers people find when trying to navigate the treatment resources that they need. There is no cost, which is another barrier they try to take away along with the myth that treatment may not be an option for the person. The paramedics do work closely with Wilmington QRT to obtain consent forms from people to have the contact information to start the process of helping people get assistance. Ms. Taylor then provided the following update of the Wilmington QRT: • The Quick Response Team (QRT) of Coastal Horizons 2018-2020 Overview: • What is the QRT: • The QRT began in July 2018, as a pilot program for New Hanover County, and was awarded a grant for $500,000 • The QRT of Coastal Horizons operates in the Wilmington area to engage overdose survivors, those who are at high risk of overdose and those close to them — helping them to be safer, supported and ultimately connected to treatment and recovery resources • The QRT of Coastal Horizons is comprised of peer support specialists, who have lived or have experience with substance use and/or mental health issues, and licensed therapists trained in evidence -based interventions to build rapport, encourage safer practices, and then facilitate access to treatment and recovery resources • The QRT worked to connect 330 overdose survivors to treatment from July 2018 -September 2020: • Since inception, QRT connected 330 overdose survivors to treatment • On average, QRT has connected 12.2 people to treatment each month • Cost of engaging an overdose survivor and connecting to treatment = $1,515 • It costs tens of thousands of dollars in medical, legal, and other social costs when overdose survivors are not engaged into treatment — with the return on investment for treatment being estimated from national studies to be at least seven to one • QRT partnered with local and statewide agencies to connect people to treatment: • Walter B. Jones; RHA; NHC Department of Social Services; Wilmington Housing Authority; PORT Human Services; Stepping Stone Manor; Launchpad Recovery; 1st Fruit Ministries; Wilmington Treatment Center; The Harbor; NHRMC; NHC Community Paramedics; City of Wilmington Fire Department; City of Wilmington Police Department; New Hanover County Sherriff's Department; North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition; Good Shepherd Center; and Salvation Army • Overdose Survivors Connected to Treatment: For FY 2018-19, QRT was able to meet with 159 individuals and connect 128 of them to treatment, giving QRT an 80% treatment engagement rate for the year For FY 2019-20, QRT was able to meet with 197 individuals and connected 179 of them to treatment, giving QRT an 90% engagement rate for the year From July 2020 -September 2020, QRT met with 42 individuals and connected 37 to treatment, giving an 88% engagement rate thus far for FY 2020-21 Overdose Survivors Connected to Treatment • Overdose Deaths: • There has been a total of 10 Subsequent Overdoses after someone has been connected to treatment. • There has been a total of four fatal overdoses from July 2018 -September 2020 with QRT involvement. Outreach Efforts— New Hanover County: • Established more of a presence on the Northside of downtown Wilmington: • Wilmington Housing Authority; Forever Caring; Voyage; Blue Ribbon Commission; LINC; NAACP; Seeds of Healing; Support the Port; Healing Your Almond; Outreach at MLK Center; Outreach at Hemenway Community Center; and Radio Spots — Coast 97.3 QRT has increased outreach efforts to close disparity gaps and reach all sections of New Hanover County: NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 35 REGULAR MEETING, MARCH 15, 2021 PAGE 38 African American Community Engagement in Treatment Through QRT Program ■ FY 2020/21 ■ FY 2019/20 ■ FY 2018/19 %of African Americans Engaged= 17.54` hof African Americans Engaged=15c5� %of African Americans Engaged= 10.15% MEMb • Covid-19: • Call to Action: • QRT has been working to raise awareness about recent increases in K2/PCP overdoses in New Hanover County • QRT has seen an increase in overdoses containing methamphetamine, cocaine, K2, PCP, which are being laced with fentanyl • Where do we go from here: • QRT continues to seek guidance from an ongoing advisory board • QRT will maintain accountability to the community and our community partners • QRT will maintain ongoing data collection and reporting process will be maintained • QRT will maintain focus on the opioid epidemic while continuing to look at trends and addressing all overdoses in the community In response to Board questions, Ms. Taylor stated that an appointee from the Sherriff's Office is on the Wilmington QRT advisory board. Hearing no further discussion, Chair Olson-Boseman thanked the Wilmington QRT team for the update. CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND ADOPTION OF BUDGET AMENDMENT 21-041 Social Services Director Tonya Jackson provided an overview of the New Hanover County Emergency Rental Assistance Program as follows: • New Hanover County Emergency Rental Assistance Program: • Project Support: program is being supported, in whole or in part, by Federal Award number, Section 501 of Division N of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, Pub. L. No. 116-260 (Dec. 27, 2020) (the "Act") awarded to New Hanover County Health and Human Services by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, with additional supportive services provided for New Hanover County government • Who will we be able to assist? Those who: • Qualify for unemployment or has experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced a financial hardship due to Covid-19 • Demonstrates a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability; and • Has a household income at or below 80% of the Wilmington metropolitan area median income as determined by HUD • What will this assistance look like: • Eligible households may receive up to 12 months of assistance, plus an additional 3 months in some cases • Areas of Assistance: • Rent arears • Prospective rent • Utilities and home energy costs • Other expenses related to housing incurred, directly or indirectly, to Covid-19 pandemic • Program Access: • Applications will be accepted online and by telephone • Additional information including a website and step by step instruction for the application will be shared in the coming weeks In response to Board questions, Ms. Jackson confirmed that this program does not apply to mortgages, only rent. The funding is set by federal and state partners and those partners decided there will be no support for mortgages with this program. The grant is currently worth $7,072,025. There have been some recent conversations about there being an additional allotment of funding coming forward, but for now this is the County's guaranteed amount. The moratorium on evictions lifts on March 31, 2021. Staff is working to ensure they are going to have some contacts or support that will be in the courthouse during evictions court to try to mitigate some of that. Community partners who may be able to help with this are being contacted for support. Outreach is also being done with NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 35 REGULAR MEETING, MARCH 15, 2021 PAGE 39 landlords, because it is important to get the landlords to be willing to participate in the program. A public service announcement has been put together as well as a communications campaign that will begin today. The campaign will continue throughout the duration of the program and will talk about accessing benefits, how to contact the department, and how staff will meet people where they are. In response to further Board questions, Ms. Jackson explained that there will be multiple levels of verifications and checks and balances in place as outlined by the federal and state partners to ensure the money goes to where it needs to be. Payments will be direct paid to the landlord and in some instances the County will be able to pay directly to the renters. Staff believes there are about 30,000 households in the County that could possibly be income eligible and that is not considering whether they were affected by Covid-19. There will be a direct check to the landlord, and there are still options in certain circumstances if the County is unable to get a landlord to cooperate with the program to make the direct payment to the renter. In those cases, the renter passes it to the landlord with the requirement that they respond by providing the County an application/receipt of the payment having been made to the landlord. This program does not have any bearing on any other economic based assistance such as someone receiving Medicaid or food stamps as those programs do not support housing. This is specifically for housing. In terms of housing, if a person is on 100% public assistance and are receiving a housing choice voucher through, for example Wilmington Public Housing, and are not responsible for any of their rent, they would not be eligible for the program. Hearing no further discussion, Chair Olson-Boseman asked for direction from the Board. Motion: Chair Olson-Boseman MOVED, SECONDED by Commissioner Barfield, to approve the emergency rental assistance program and adopt budget amendment 21-041 to support the program. Upon vote, the MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. A copy of budget amendment 21-041 is hereby incorporated as part of the minutes and is contained in Exhibit Book XLIII, Page 1.4. CONSIDERATION AND ADOPTION OF THE 2021 SOUTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA REGIONAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN Emergency Management Assistant Director Anna McRay reported that County staff has coordinated with other county agencies and municipalities in Brunswick, Pender, New Hanover, and Onslow counties to develop a Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan (RHMP). Adoption of the plan is a requirement of the Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 and the update has been done in partnership through the guidance of ESP Associates, Inc. She then stated that Nathan Slaughter of ESP Associates, Inc. would provide the overview of the RHMP. Nathan Slaughter of ESP Associates, Inc. presented an overview of the Southeastern NC Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan highlighting the following: • Southeastern NC Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan • Disaster Mitigation Act (DMA) of 2000: • Revitalized Federal Planning Requirements: State and Local Hazard Mitigation Plans • Federal Grant Funding Eligibility: • Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) • Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Program: Replaced Pre -Disaster Mitigation (PDM) • Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) • DMA 2000 is intended to facilitate cooperation between state and local authorities on risk reduction measures and expedite funding allocation • Participating Jurisdictions: Bald Head Island Holden Beach Sandy Creek Belville Leland Shallotte Boiling Spring Lakes Navassa Southport Bolivia Northwest St. James Calabash Oak Island Sunset Beach Carolina Shores Ocean Isle Beach Varnamlown Caswell Beach Ne� Han- County Carolina Beach Wilmington Wrightsville Beach Kure Beach Onslow County Jacksonville North Topsail Beach Swansboro Holly Ridge Richlands Pender County Atkinson Saint Helena Topsail Beach Burgaw Surf City Watha • Project Tasks: Planning Process; Risk Assessment; Capability Assessment; Mitigation Strategy; Plan Maintenance; and Documentation NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 35 REGULAR MEETING, MARCH 15, 2021 PAGE 40 Kickoff Implensami n Meeting Risk Assessment AdoPtIW � Capability APProVal \ , Asussment HAZARD ��111I��11��..,,,, 1a ion Menace" Final Plan MITIGATION Presentatlon PLANNING Strattgy Workshop PROCESS Documentation Mki{e"an Strata" Plan Maintenance Draft Local Site Procedures plan Visits 0.eWew� ` • Presidential Disaster Declarations since the last plan (2015): • 2016: DR -4285 — Hurricane Matthew • 2018: DR -4393 — Hurricane Florence • 2019: DR-4412—Tropical Storm Michael • 2019: DR -4465 — Hurricane Dorian • 2020: DR -4487 — COVI D-19 Pandemic • 2020: DR 4568 — Hurricane Isaias • Conclusions on Hazards Risk: r'VFlood Hunicanea/Coastal Hazards HIGH RISK Cyber Tomadoes/Thunderstoml i Drought Severe Winter Weather Radiological Emergency Infectious Disease MODERATE RISK HAZMAT I Tenodson Wildfire Geological Hazards (Sinkholes, Erosion) Rip currents Tsunamis Excessive Heat LOW RISK Earthquake Dam Failure Electromagnetic Pulse • Think of Mitigation in this way: • We want to mitigate hazard impacts on the existing development in our communities: • Houses, businesses, infrastructure, critical facilities, etc. • We want to ensure that future development is conducted in a way that does not increase our vulnerability: • Best done by having good plans, policies, and procedures in place • Mitigation Techniques: Prevention Property Natural Resource Structural Projects Emergency Public Education/ Protection Protection Services Awareness Planning and zoning Acquisition Floodplain Reservoirs Warning systems Outreach projects Building codes Relocation protection Dams, levees, dikes Emergency Speaker series/ Open space Building elevation Watershed Floodwalls response equipment demonstration preservation management Shelter Operations events Critical facilities Riparian buffers Stormwater Hazard map Floodplain protection diversions Evacuation planning information regulations Forest management and management Retrofitting Detention/ retention Real estate Stormwater Erosion and basins Emergency Safe rooms, disclosure management sediment control response training regulations shutters, shatter- Channel and exercises Library materials resistant glass Wetland modification Drainage system Insurance Storm sewers preservation and Sandbagging for School children maintenance restoration flood protection educational Capital Habitat preservation Temporary shutters programs improvements Hazard expositions programming Setbacks • Next Steps: • Plans will be presented to local governing bodies between now and plan expiration • Current plan expires April 25, 2021 • Questions, Issues, or Concerns: • Nathan Slaughter: (919) 415-2726 and/or nslaughter@espassociates.com In response to Board questions, Mr. Slaughter stated a radiological emergency is one that is a nuclear type of hazard, fixed and mobile. Examples of this are the Brunswick Nuclear Plant and the transmission of radiological material along the road and rail through the area. Hearing no further discussion, Chair Olson-Boseman requested direction from the Board. Motion: Commissioner Zapple MOVED, SECONDED by Vice -Chair Hays, to adopt the 2021 Southeastern North Carolina Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan. Upon vote, the MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MEETING, MARCH 15, 2021 COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS BOOK 35 PAGE 41 Appointment to the New Hanover County Adult Care Community Advisory Committee Chairman Olson-Boseman reported that up to three vacancies exist on the New Hanover County Adult Care Community Advisory Committee with one applicant eligible for reappointment. Commissioner Zapple nominated Islah Speller for reappointment. Chair Olson-Boseman seconded the nomination. Hearing no further nominations, Chair Olson-Boseman called for a vote on the nomination on the floor. Vote Results: The Board voted UNANIMOUSLY to reappoint Islah Speller to the New Hanover County Adult Care Community Advisory Committee to serve a three-year term with the term to expire March 31, 2024. Appointments to the New Hanover County Cooperative Extension Advisory Council Chair Olson-Boseman reported that two vacancies exist on the New Hanover Cooperative Extension Advisory Council with four applications available for consideration. Commissioner Zapple nominated Paul R. Jefferson and Jennifer Keeling for appointment. Chair Olson- Boseman seconded the nominations. Hearing no further nominations, Chair Olson-Boseman called for a vote for the nominations on the floor. Vote Results: The Board voted UNANIMOUSLY to appoint Paul R. Jefferson and Jennifer Keeling to the New Hanover Cooperative Extension Advisory Council to serve unexpired terms with the terms to expire December 1, 2021. Appointments to the New Hanover County Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee Chair Olson-Boseman reported that one vacancy exists on the New Hanover County Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee with one application available for consideration. Commissioner Zapple nominated Phyllis Meole for appointment. Vice -Chair Deb Hays seconded the nomination. Hearing no further nominations, Chair Olson-Boseman called for a vote for the nomination on the floor. Vote Results: The Board voted UNANIMOUSLY to appoint Phyllis Meole to the New Hanover County Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee to serve a three-year term with the term to expire March 31, 2024. Appointments to the New Hanover County Special Board of Equalization and Review Chair Olson-Boseman reported that seven vacancies exist on the New Hanover County Special Board of Equalization and Review with four applications eligible for reappointment and four applications available for consideration. A brief discussion was held about expanding the membership to increase the alternate members from two to three to support a total of eight members due to the substantial number of appeals that will be heard this year. Chair Olson-Boseman asked for the Board's direction on expanding the membership. Motion: Commissioner Zapple MOVED, SECONDED by Vice -Chair Hays to expand the New Hanover County Special Board of Equalization and Review membership from seven to eight members by increasing the alternate members from two to three. Upon vote, the MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Chair Olson-Boseman asked for nominations for the New Hanover County Special Board of Equalization and Review. Vice -Chair Hays nominated Lisa Campbell, Gloria M. Green, Mike Musselwhite, Christopher G. Stewart for reappointment and Hector Ingram for appointment as regular members and Fred Gainey, Clayton Hamerski, and Brad White for appointment as alternate members. Chair Olson-Boseman seconded the nominations. Hearing no further nominations, Chair Olson-Boseman called for a vote on the nominations on the floor. Vote Results: The Board voted UNANIMOUSLY to reappoint Lisa Campbell, Gloria M. Green, Mike Musselwhite, Christopher G. Stewart, and appoint Hector Ingram as regular members and appoint Fred Gainey, Clayton Hamerski, and Brad White as alternate members on the 2021 Special Board of Equalization and Review to serve one-year terms with terms expiring March 31, 2022. Chair Olson-Boseman asked for nominations to appoint a Chairman of the Special Board of Equalization and Review for the ensuing year. Chair Olson-Boseman nominated Christopher G. Stewart as Chairman of the Special Board of Equalization and Review for the ensuing year. Vice -Chair Hays seconded the nomination. NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 35 REGULAR MEETING, MARCH 15, 2021 PAGE 42 Hearing no further nominations, Chair Olson-Boseman called for a vote on the nomination on the floor. Vote Results: The Board voted UNANIMOUSLY to appoint Christopher G. Stewart as Chairman of the Special Board of Equalization and Review for the ensuing year. PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON -AGENDA ITEMS Chair Olson-Boseman stated that no one signed up to speak on non -agenda items. ADDITIONAL AGENDA ITEMS OF BUSINESS Chair Olson-Boseman reported that during a recent meeting with Congressman Rouzer much of the discussion was about sand. Congressman Rouzer assured her that the federal government would be back in play with the sand and the County's sand need will be taken care of. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, Chair Olson-Boseman adjourned the meeting at 11:20 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Kymberleigh G. Crowell Clerk to the Board Please note that the above minutes are not a verbatim record of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners meeting. The entire proceedings are available online at www.nhcgov.com.