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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-07-13 Regular Meeting NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 35 REGULAR MEETING, JULY 13, 2021 PAGE 149 ASSEMBLY The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners met in Regular Session on July 13, 2021, at 9:00 a.m. in the Assembly Room of the New Hanover County Courthouse, 24 North Third Street, Wilmington, North Carolina. Chair Olson-Boseman stated that the meeting is being conducted as a permissible remote meeting pursuant to North Carolina General Statute (NCGS) 166A-19.24. Members present: Chair Julia Olson-Boseman; Vice-Chair Deb Hays; Commissioner Jonathan Barfield, Jr.; Commissioner Bill Rivenbark; and Commissioner Rob Zapple (remote). Staff present: County Manager Chris Coudriet; County Attorney Wanda M. Copley; and Clerk to the Board Kymberleigh G. Crowell. INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Reverend Jerry Pearson, St. John’s AME Church, provided the invocation and Commissioner Barfield 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. Commissioner Zapple requested that Consent Agenda Item #4 Approval of Board of Education Budget Amendment from Bond Contingency to Complete School Projects be removed from the Consent Agenda for further discussion and consideration. Hearing no further discussion, Chair Olson-Boseman asked for a motion to approve the remaining items on the Consent Agenda as presented. Motion: Commissioner Zapple MOVED, SECONDED by Vice-Chair Hays to approve the remaining items on the Consent Agenda as presented. Upon roll call vote, the MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. CONSENT AGENDA Approval of Minutes – Governing Body The Commissioners approved the minutes of the Special Meeting held on June 8, 2021, Agenda Review meeting held on June 17, 2021, and the Regular Meeting held on June 22, 2021. Second Reading: Approval of Solid Waste Franchise for Priority Waste Inc. – County Attorney The Commissioners approved and authorized a solid waste franchise award to Priority Waste, Inc. The first reading was unanimously approved on June 22, 2021. The company will provide Certificates of Insurance, agree to not bring outside waste into the County and to haul all waste to a County designated facility, if required by law. A copy of the franchise agreement is available for review in the legal department. Approval of May 2021 Tax Collection Reports – Tax Department The Commissioners accepted the tax collection reports of New Hanover County, New Hanover County Fire District, and New Hanover County Debt Service as of May 2021. Copies of the tax collection reports are hereby incorporated as part of the minutes and are contained in Exhibit Book XLIII, Page 8.1. Discussion and Approval of Board of Education Budget Amendment from Bond Contingency to Complete School Projects – Budget In response to Board questions about Brogden Hall being shut down for a year and the project to replace its floor, New Hanover County Schools Facility Planning and Construction Director Leanne Lawrence stated there are significant structural issues associated with the gymnasium floor. It was discovered through structural engineer evaluations and testing engineers that there is significant soil settlement underneath the floor area. The floor is a raised concrete slab with a crawlspace beneath supported with piers which are settling due to the soils. Also, as the building was constructed many years ago, the concrete slab has been discovered to be structurally inefficient for the loads that are applied to it. Augmented structural support will have to be provided for the foundation and the concrete slab replaced or reinforced. Work is being done with structural engineers to identify the best solution and it will be a significant construction process. The space will not be usable for most of the 2021-2022 school year. The Princess Place gymnasium will be utilized in the interim. She does not know the full history concerning the repeated floor replacement prior to her arrival five years ago. However, she had her team do an evaluation and the engineers were able to identify the issue. It is not an easy thing to see and there was a great deal of time and effort invested to study the foundational root issues to learn the cause. The floor sloping at the Market Street end was a sign that there was an issue with either the slab or the foundation or both. There is currently a request for qualifications (RFQ) being advertised for a construction management at risk team. In response to additional Board questions, Ms. Lawrence stated the goal is to start the project in late September or early October. The month of August will be used to identify the process, the options related to that NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 35 REGULAR MEETING, JULY 13, 2021 PAGE 150 concrete slab, etc. She can report back to the Board on the decisions and updated construction timeline in early September. Hearing no further discussion, Chair Olson-Boseman asked for Board direction on the matter. Motion: Commissioner Barfield MOVED, SECONDED by Vice-Chair Hays to approve Consent Agenda Item #4 Approval of Board of Education Budget Amendment from Bond Contingency to Complete School Projects as presented. Upon roll call vote, the MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. The Commissioners approved the Board of Education budget amendment request to move $820,000.00 from Bond Contingency to complete projects at various schools throughout the County as follows:  Myrtle Grove Middle School ($100,000) to repair floor issues due to a moisture issue in six locations throughout the building. A vapor barrier will be applied to the slab and floor tile will be replaced. This needs to be done before the start of the school year.  Wrightsville Beach Elementary ($220,000) additional funding is needed to address indoor air quality and high humidity in the existing section of the building. A design has been completed to add dehumidification ability to the existing HVAC system. The funds will be used for construction.  New Hanover High School Brogden Hall Gym ($500,000) there are significant structural deficiencies with the existing slab and foundation that caused the deflection of the gym floor. A scope of work to correct these issues has been recommended by the structural engineer based on a third-party engineering evaluation and testing. The additional funding is needed to begin the design process and add air conditioning to the Princess Place gym since the Brogden Hall gym floor will not be available for approximately one year. Construction Management at Risk services will be used to assist in the design and cost estimating. This is due to the complexity of the issues and the volatile construction market today. The priority is to finalize a cost estimate to complete the repairs and recommend a funding solution within the next two months. Preliminary cost estimates indicate the corrections will be approximately $2 million. REGULAR ITEMS OF BUSINESS CONSIDERATION AND ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION HONORING FORMER CAPE FEAR PUBLIC UTILITY AUTHORITY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JAMES R. FLECHTNER AND PRESENTATION OF THE GOVERNOR’S OLD NORTH STATE AWARD Commissioner Zapple read the resolution honoring former Cape Fear Public Utility Authority Executive Director James R. Flechtner into the record. Chair Olson-Boseman asked for direction from the Board. Motion: Commissioner Barfield MOVED, SECONDED by Commissioner Zapple to adopt the resolution as presented. Upon roll call vote, the MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Commissioner Barfield presented the Mr. Flechtner the Governor’s Old North State Award and read the award verbiage into the record. On behalf of the City of Wilmington, Mayor Bill Saffo expressed appreciation to Mr. Flechtner for his many years of public service to the entire Cape Fear region. Mr. Flechtner expressed appreciation for the recognition and for receiving the award. A copy of the resolution is hereby incorporated as part of the minutes and is contained in Exhibit Book XLIII, Page 8.2. RECOGNITION OF 2021 AWARDS FROM THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES Chair Olson-Boseman stated that she is glad the County’s National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Awards are being recognized during today’s meeting. These programs, and the staff who make them possible, are making a difference in the County’s operations and the way the community is served. The Board was able to accept the Best in Category award for the Health and Human Services Mailroom Process Improvement this past Sunday at the NACo conference, and it was a proud moment for her as a commissioner. That award means the County has a program that is the very best in the nation. Of the 844 total awards NACo gave this year, only 18 won Best in Category, ranking the County in the top 2% in the nation for innovation and achievement. She thinks the Board knows that this County is among the very best, but it is nice to be recognized for that work and have others see the innovation and dedication of the team. She was also pleased that the full Board could attend the conference to learn from others around the nation, and to come together as a Board of Commissioners, with all five there to hear best practices, important updates, and share in the successes that this County is having. She thanked each of Commissioners for the work they do to always bring the best to this community and serve the citizens; and the County employees for the work they do every day to meet the needs of the community and develop programs and initiatives to serve the public in new and innovative ways. She then asked County Manager Coudriet to proceed with the overview of each award. NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 35 REGULAR MEETING, JULY 13, 2021 PAGE 151 County Manager Coudriet read descriptions for each award and the Board presented the awards to each respective team:  “Wilmington Massacre and Coup d'état of 1898 Story Map” in the category of Arts, Culture and Historic Preservation  “Fire Vaccination Team Program” in the category of Risk and Emergency Management  “Health and Human Services Supervision Initiative” in the category of Personnel Management, Employment and Training  “New Hanover County Culture of Resiliency” in the category of Training and Professional Development  “Covid-19 Child Care and Housing Assistance Program” in the category of Human Services  “Covid-19 Vaccination Outreach and Plan for the Minority Community” in the category of Civic Education and Public Information  “Small Business Grant Program” in the category of Community and Economic Development  “Comprehensive Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic” in the category of Health  “Stormwater Management Models for the Arboretum” in the category of County Resiliency: Infrastructure, Energy, and Sustainability  “Process Improvement for the Health and Human Services Mailroom” Best in Category for County Administration and Management Chair Olson-Boseman reiterated her congratulations to County staff. CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF THE TRANSFER AND DONATION OF COUNTY-OWNED PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1410 SOUTH 15TH STREET TO NOVANT HEALTH, A NON-PROFIT, FOR A NOVANT HEALTH MICHAEL JORDAN FAMILY MEDICAL CLINIC Deputy County Manager Tim Burgess stated if approved by the Board, the transfer through donation of a County owned property located 1410 South 15th Street to Novant Health will be used for a one of the two Novant Health Michael Jordan family medical clinics. He provided an overview of the preliminary site plan as provided by Novant Health. The site is bordered by Martin Street, 15th Street and Greenfield Street and occupies approximately two-thirds of the block. The County acquired the property in 2018 from Duke Energy. Originally, staff was in the beginning stages, prior to construction of the HHS building, of working on plans for a potential overflow parking lot. Since that time, it has been determined the property is no longer needed for that purpose. It is the recommendation of staff for the Board to resolve, order, and approve the transfer through donation the property to Novant Health. He then reviewed the three conditions that need to be met for the transfer and donation to proceed: 1. That the property will revert back to New Hanover County or its assignee, at no cost to the County, if construction of the Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic has not commenced within five years or the property ceases to be used for a public purpose, and 2. That Novant Health will work to determine if a day center shelter for the homeless can be co-located on the property, and 3. County Manager and County Attorney have authority to prepare and execute documents necessary to complete transfer and donation. If the request is approved by the Board, the next step in the process is to run a 10-day notice as required by state statute prior to recording the documents with the Register of Deeds office. In response to Board questions, Mr. Burgess stated that as it relates to the clinic being in proximity of Good Shepherd and an overlap of services, he would suggest that it be part of what Novant Health is charged with determining during their due diligence process. During that process, Novant Health will determine amongst other things if the location is feasible based on the size of the lot and could also make sure that they do not hinder the work of other existing shelters in proximity to it. In response to additional Board questions, Dr. Phillip Brown, Chief Community Impact Officer for Novant Health, stated that from the standpoint of where the facilities will be located is based on data, which shows that the locations are the areas of greatest need for all the services. Cape Fear Collective created a need index which is based on five key factors around the percentage of Medicaid and self-pay, emergency department cases for low acuity, households with no vehicles, food insecurity, as well as looking at the percentage in those communities that are below 300% federal poverty level. For the subject parcel being discussed, it is the exact site being discussed and, on the index, had the high score in New Hanover County of 1.0. There is an unmet need in the area and the same has been determined for the other site. Novant Health is committed to being a great partner to the County, City of Wilmington, and all the organizations that are striving to deliver services to folks who have been historically marginalized. That was always the promise of the Novant Health partnership. With New Hanover Regional, and the County, Novant Health will stand by that. It will be a good partner, will be data driven in its site selections, and it will be very thoughtful in how other organizations are impacted. They have every intention of potentially aiding the work each organization does in making a difference for all the historically marginalized communities. Chair Olson-Boseman expressed appreciation to Dr. Brown for the investment Novant Health is already making in the community. She further expressed appreciation for all parties working together to address homelessness together through this transfer and donation of land to the Novant Health Michael Jordan family medical clinics. NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 35 REGULAR MEETING, JULY 13, 2021 PAGE 152 Motion: Chair Olson-Boseman MOVED, SECONDED by Vice-Chair Hays to resolve, order, and approve of the transfer and donation of County-owned property located at 1410 South 15th Street to Novant Health, a non-profit, for use as a Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Health Clinic with the following conditions: 1. That the property will revert back to New Hanover County or its assignee, at no cost to the County, if construction of the Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic has not commenced within five years or the property ceases to be used for a public purpose, and 2. That Novant Health will work to determine if a day center shelter for the homeless can be co-located on the property, and 3. County Manager and County Attorney have authority to prepare and execute documents necessary to complete transfer and donation. In response to Board questions on whether there have been any discussions with Good Shepherd or MedNorth, Dr. Brown stated there have been multiple community forums and he has spoken directly with MedNorth. He will be meeting with them later today to review the detailed data information and discuss why it makes sense to put the clinics so close together. He urged everyone to understand that there is close and then there is too close. Novant Health is not threatening too close based on need and the need is overwhelming. If there was time to go over the maps, the need, and the methodology of how it is, the arguments being heard today basically are asking Novant Health to not go to the areas where the greatest need is in the interest of something that he is not sure what it is. Again, the promise of Novant Health was to come and serve in the areas of greatest need first and it takes great pride in doing that across its service areas. It has also have run the data to make sure that it is not bumping up against someone else's operation in such a way. It is trying to enhance all the operations that exist to do this work and he promises that even with the creation of two Michael Jordan family medical clinics, it will not be enough. He further stated with that comes a promise to continue to figure out where Novant Health needs to be, how it needs to get there and how it can best serve the overall health, wellbeing, and needs of the citizens of New Hanover County and southeastern North Carolina. He had a lot of conversations with Good Shepherd, not pertinent to the clinic specifically, but they are good partners and doing good work. He will make sure to have a conversation with Good Shepherd about the clinic. Hearing no further discussion, Chair Olson-Boseman asked for a roll call vote on the motion on the floor. Upon roll call vote, the MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. CAPE FEAR TOLL CROSSING PRESENTATION Chad Kimes, PE – Division Engineer, Division 3 of the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) provided the following overview of the proposed toll crossing for the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge:  Cape Fear Memorial Bridge:  Constructed in 1969 (51-year-old structure)  Existing structure requires costly routine maintenance:  Fixed Span – major rehabilitation required every 20 years  Moveable Span – major rehabilitation required every 10 years  The recent major rehabilitation in 2019 cost approximately $15 million  Yearly maintenance costs $550,000/year  Growing volumes of traffic: projected 81,900 vehicles per day (2045)  Feasibility Study:  Four options for replacement considered:  65-foot fixed span  135-foot fixed span  65-foot moveable span  65-foot moveable span with rail component  Typical Sections:  Six-lane median-divided facility  15-foot-wide separated multi-use-path (north side)  12-foot outside shoulders  12-foot-wide travel lanes  22-foot wide median/inside shoulder  Total width: 135 feet - 157 feet (with rail); current bridge is 54-feet wide  Estimated Costs by Option*: *These are approximate costs from the Feasibility Study (May 2020). Currently working on updated estimates that would increase these costs.  Potential Funding: NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 35 REGULAR MEETING, JULY 13, 2021 PAGE 153  Traditional method of funding would be through the state’s prioritization process for potential inclusion in the State Transportation Improvement Program.  Initial indication is that the ability to program a large-scale non-tolled project in the next 10- year STIP cycle, such as the replacement of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, is unlikely.  Unsolicited Proposal for a Public-Private Partnership:  What is an Unsolicited Proposal? Any concept or submittal of a potential public-private partnership received by the Department that is not a result of a direct, specific advertisement.  What is the purpose of a public-private partnership? The primary purpose of public-private partnerships is to leverage public funds or other resources with private investment to accelerate, enhance, or otherwise improve the delivery, operation, or maintenance of public transportation infrastructure.  Unsolicited Proposal – the Initial Idea from the Proposing Developer:  Based off the NCDOT Feasibility Study – Option 2: 135-foot-high rise with multi-use path  Would include improvements to the west side interchange (US 17/US 421/US 74) and the downtown interchange at S. Front Street  Unsolicited Proposal – Overview:  Bonus Allocation - North Carolina General Statute 136-189.11(f)(3):  Funding that the Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization (WMPO) could potentially receive by implementing a toll project  Must be used on projects located in the same county(ies) as the original project (Brunswick/New Hanover)  For a project funded with toll revenue bonds (or toll supported debt):  50% of the amount of toll revenue bonds (or toll supported debt) issued to construct the project  For a project funded without toll revenue bonds (or toll supported debt):  50% of the amount of revenue expected from the project over the first 10 years of the project, less operations costs, as set forth in an Investment Grade Traffic and Revenue Study  Maximum $100 million  MPO or RPO must have funds authorized for projects within five years of financial close  Frequently Asked Questions:  When did NCDOT receive the proposal:  The department received the unsolicited proposal in late 2020 and as by law, any toll projects in North Carolina must be approved by the local planning organization. The department reviewed it internally before sharing the company’s concept to the WMPO. NCDOT was asked to present the company’s concept to the WMPO in May and June.  The unsolicited proposal is considered confidential under state law. Should the MPO want to move forward, this would go through an open, transparent, and competitive bidding process. NCDOT is not advocating for any particular path forward.  So, the unsolicited proposal is just an idea:  Yes, if the WMPO moves forward with the idea to replace the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge via private funding, the contract terms would be written by NCDOT, and then opened to qualified bidders through a competitive process.  The submitters of the unsolicited proposal would be automatically shortlisted for further review; however, they would not necessarily be the chosen developer.  How would this idea move forward:  NCDOT would only move forward if WMPO approves this approach.  If that happens, NCDOT and WMPO would partner in all future steps.  If the WMPO chooses not to pursue this approach, NCDOT will deny the unsolicited proposal and no further action will take place.  What are the potential benefits of a public-private partnership:  Project could be fully funded from inception  Replacement schedule would be advanced  Maintenance responsibility falls to the developer  Things to consider with this public-private partnership:  Public acceptance of tolling NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 35 REGULAR MEETING, JULY 13, 2021 PAGE 154  Unknown toll rates during planning  Frequent collaboration between communities, state, and private partner  How much would the toll rates be:  The proposing developer submitted tolling rates with their concept, however due to the competitive nature of the potential future bidding process, those rates are currently confidential.  If the idea were to move forward, NCDOT would initiate a Traffic and Revenue study to develop an estimated range.  Final toll rates would not be known until bids are received.  What is the possible timeline:  What are the next steps if WMPO desires to move forward:  Resolution of support to move forward by the WMPO  Traffic and Revenue study  Public input  Decision whether to move to step 2 (Planning + Preliminary Design) In response to Board questions, Mr. Kimes confirmed that if the WMPO decided to take the next step gathering more information it could stop at any point without financial commitment or moving forward. There are many steps in the process and the steps can be limited or stopped completely. Regarding the new federal infrastructure bill, NCDOT is closely monitoring its movement. How it would pertain to providing funding for the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge is unclear. If other potential funds become available, then it could be investigated as well as continuing to put it into the prioritization. A brief discussion was held about tolling and the use of dynamic tolling. Mr. Kimes stated that would be part of the discussion for the next steps. The discussions would include how tolling generally works, as well as the available types of tolling. Discussion was held about how much time and money NCDOT expends to go through a project study process. Discussion was also held about the amount of funds spent to study the proposed Cape Fear Crossing project which was a project that did not move forward. Concerns were expressed about how NCDOT did not appear to consider the negative impacts the project would have on the New Hanover County side of the bridge but stopped the project when officials in Brunswick County objected due to the impacts it would have on new communities coming online there. In response to Board questions, Mr. Kimes stated that if the decision was made to wait for traditional funding and based on how everything sits today, traditional funding is very unlikely to happen in the next 10 years. It is very difficult to get a $500 million project funded and divisions compete against other projects throughout the state. As to why NCDOT wants input from the WMPO, Mr. Kimes explained that based on policy this project will be initiated by the WMPO and is different in how NCDOT was working with the Cape Fear Crossing project. For this project, the policy requires support from the WMPO. As to how the Bonner Bridge was paid for without a toll and why the same process cannot be used for the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, Mr. Kimes stated he could not speak for how the funding worked for the Bonner Bridge as that is out of his region. He noted that Roger Rochelle, Chief Engineer with the North Carolina Turnpike Authority (NCTA) was present and could provide information on it. Mr. Rochelle stated that Bonner Bridge was funded with traditional state and federal money, about 80% of it was federal money. It was done before the enactment of the strategic transportation investment law which sets a new way of funding projects. Had the bridge come forward now, it would be competing with other bridges for funding. Back in 2013, the NCTA set a new way of having a data driven prioritization process for all of projects. Regarding if the WMPO was to agree to take the next step and if the funds outlaid during that process from would be NCDOT or if it was all in developer or private partnership side, Mr. Kimes responded that NCDOT would want to find some funding to start the next steps. It has to be able to pay to do the study if there is a desire to move forward and some of the funding will be from NCDOT. Chair Olson-Boseman stated that with this area growing, the citizens need and deserve a safe bridge that will connect the region. Gas tax revenues do not provide enough funding to cover transportation infrastructure needs and NCDOT is far from certain about when or if it could fund a replacement bridge. All funding possibilities have to be looked at as well as other major infrastructure projects in the region. The Cape Fear Memorial Bridge’s lifespan is within ten years and there is a need to figure out the path for its replacement as soon as possible. She NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 35 REGULAR MEETING, JULY 13, 2021 PAGE 155 encouraged her fellow elected officials and the citizens they represent across the region to maintain an open mind on how to proceed. She believes NCDOT should be supported in taking the next steps regarding the unsolicited proposal to construct a replacement bridge to learn more and understand the possibilities it may offer. What also should be considered is what other funding might arise as the NC General Assembly and U.S. Congress consider infrastructure funding proposals. She wants to make sure a path can be found that does not just rely solely on local taxpayers to pay for this infrastructure through increased taxes. She looks forward to learning more about this proposal and any other options available and how they could help accomplish the priority of ensuring a safe, new bridge that will continue connecting the region and workforce for many years to come. Hearing no further comments, Chair Olson-Boseman thanked Mr. Kimes for the presentation. COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS Appointments to the New Hanover County Health and Human Services Board Chair Olson-Boseman reported that six vacancies exist on the New Hanover County Health and Human Services Board in the categories of At-Large/Human Services Consumer, Optometrist, Physician, Psychologist, and Veterinarian with four applications eligible for reappointment and six additional applications available for consideration. Commissioner Zapple nominated Dr. Jody Long, Dr. LaShonda Wallace, and Dr. David W. Zub for reappointment and Patrick Brien, Dr. Matthew Cox, and Dr. Kara Duffy for appointment. Chair Olson-Boseman seconded the nominations. Hearing no further nominations, Chair Olson-Boseman asked for a vote on the nominations on the floor. Vote Results: By roll call vote, the Board voted UNANIMOUSLY to reappoint Dr. Jody Long in the Psychologist category, Dr. LaShonda Wallace in the At-Large/Human Services Consumer category, Dr. David W. Zub in the Physician category and appoint Patrick Brien in the At-Large/Human Services Consumer category, and Dr. Kara Duffy in the Veterinarian category to serve three-year terms with the terms to expire on July 31, 2025 and to appoint Dr. Matthew Cox in the Optometrist category to serve an unexpired term with the term to expire July 31, 2023 to the New Hanover County Health and Human Services Board. Appointments to the New Hanover County Inspections Department Advisory Council Chair Olson-Boseman reported that four vacancies exist on the New Hanover County Inspections Department Advisory Council with three applications available for consideration in the Commercial Builder and Mechanical Contractor categories. Commissioner Zapple nominated Walter Pete Avery and Shawn Sweeley. Vice-Chair Hays seconded the nominations. Hearing no further nominations, Chair Olson-Boseman asked for a vote on the nominations on the floor. Vote Results: By roll call vote, the Board voted UNANIMOUSLY to appoint Walter Pete Avery in the Commercial Builder category and Shawn Sweeley in the Mechanical Contractor category to the New Hanover County Inspections Department Advisory Council to serve three-year terms with the terms to expire July 31, 2024. Appointment to the New Hanover County Planning Board Chair Olson-Boseman reported that three vacancies exist on the New Hanover County Planning Board with one application eligible for reappointment and ten additional applications available for consideration. Vice-Chair Hays nominated Jeffrey B. Petroff for reappointment and Hansen Matthews and Jeff Stokely, Jr. for appointment. Commissioner Barfield seconded the nomination. Hearing no further nominations, Chair Olson-Boseman asked for a vote on the nominations. Vote Results: By roll call vote, the Board voted UNANIMOUSLY to reappoint Jeffrey B. Petroff and appoint Hansen Matthews and Jeff Stokely, Jr. to the New Hanover County Planning Board to serve three-year terms with the terms to expire on July 31, 2024. Appointment to the Parks Conservancy of New Hanover County, Inc. Board of Directors Chair Olson-Boseman reported that one vacancy exists on the Parks Conservancy of New Hanover County, Inc. Board of Directors with one application available for consideration. Commissioner Zapple nominated Gabriella de Souza for appointment. Vice-Chair Hays seconded the nomination. Hearing no further nominations, Chair Olson-Boseman asked for a vote on the nomination on the floor. Vote Results: By roll call vote, the Board voted UNANIMOUSLY to appoint Gabriella de Souza to the Parks Conservancy of New Hanover County, Inc. Board of Directors to serve a three-year term with the term to expire June 30, 2024. NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 35 REGULAR MEETING, JULY 13, 2021 PAGE 156 PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS Chair Olson-Boseman stated that one person signed up to speak on non-agenda items and invited the person to provide comments. Roger Shew, resident of Park Avenue, stated that he taught geology and environmental science at UNCW and is sharing the concerns of a community group about the closure of Snow’s Cut Park. He was asked by the community group to summarize the history and issues surrounding Snow’s Cut Park of which there are many. The issue the community group struggled with the most was the lack of notice and opportunity to provide comment on the closure of the park. It was felt the County should have allowed public comment on the closure prior to the final decision of May 5, 2021, to terminate the park agreement with the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). As to the issues of insurance and liability, he explained to the community group that those would be high hurdles to overcome. However, looking at the site with the average erosion rate of 1.7 feet per year, he felt there were several things that could have been considered to address those liability issues. First, the County could have removed the restroom facilities and infrastructure and provided porta potties, which is done at several sites within the County. Second, the issue of safety related to the erosive scarf could have been addressed by maintaining the fence but allow a set of inexpensive steps recessed into the scarf down to the beach that are fronted with a small, modified living shoreline. There are parks elsewhere that provide step access and much steeper areas in those at the scarf at Snow’s Cut. This is very different than the previous steps that were located at the park. Those steps went over the scarf not through it and that particular one was washed away as was reported. The suggested style would not be undercut in that same manner. As a point of clarification, no one ever suggested swimming was an activity to be allowed, it is way too dangerous with the current in that inlet and the signage should highlight that. There also needs to be no wake signage in the area as well. It could help reduce the erosion on both sides of the inlet as Carolina Beach State Park has even more erosion than Snow’s Cut Park does. He believes the community should be heard and the ideas considered by the County. ADDITIONAL AGENDA ITEMS OF BUSINESS Commissioner Barfield expressed appreciation that all the Commissioners were able to attend the NACo Annual Conference. He feels it is beneficial for the entire Board to attend and to work with and learn from other elected officials across the country. Regarding Mr. Shew’s comments, he supported the closure of Snow’s Cut Park based on the environmental issues and not being able to ensure people’s safety. He does not know how enough resources would be implemented to ensure the safety of individuals for the long term. He does not want the County to have that responsibility and in this case, the safest path is to close the park. Vice-Chair Hays expressed appreciation to County Manager Coudriet and staff for their hard work, dedication, and commitment to public service to make New Hanover County one of the best in the nation. It was an honor for her to accept the Best in Category award on the County’s behalf. Commissioner Zapple expressed his appreciation for being able to attend the NACo conference and provided a brief overview of the topics that were discussed during the conference sessions. As to Mr. Shew’s comments, he encouraged Mr. Shew to provide the same presentation to the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) as the land is owned by them, not the County. He noted that a lot of what is occurring at Snow’s Cut is out of the County’s control and he wished the Corps would make some of the stabilization improvements Mr. Shew suggested. Chair Olson-Boseman directed Clerk Crowell to place on the August 2, 2021 agenda the appointment of Commissioner Zapple to The Healing Place Board of New Hanover County, Inc. for the one-year term vacancy. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, Chair Olson-Boseman adjourned the meeting at 10:43 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.