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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-08-18 Agenda Review NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 35 AGENDA REVIEW, AUGUST 18, 2022 PAGE 511 ASSEMBLY The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners met for Agenda Review on August 18, 2022, at 4:00 p.m. in the Harrell Conference Room at the New Hanover County Government Center, 230 Government Center Drive, 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. Chair Olson-Boseman called the Agenda Review meeting to order and announced that the purpose of the meeting is to review and discuss the agenda items for the August 22, 2022 Regular Meeting with discussions as noted: Consent Agenda Item #7: Appointment of Nine Members to the Child Fatality Prevention Team: In response to Board questions, Jennifer Grundy, Care Management Social Worker, and Chair of the Child Fatality Prevention Team, stated that several spots have opened due to some turnover and the request is for several positions to be filled. The law enforcement positions will be shared due to the nature of their jobs. Ms. Grundy also provided an overview of the duties of the Child Fatality Prevention Team. Regular Item #12: Consideration of an Offer to Purchase 12 Acres in the Blue Clay Road Business Park and Associated Upset Bid Process. County Manager Coudriet stated that this item has been removed from the agenda at the request of the purchaser. Regular Item #16: Consideration of New Hanover County Board of Education Applications for Public School Building Capital Fund and Public School Building Repair and Renovation Funds: In response to Board questions, Leanne Lawrence, Director of Facility Planning and Construction for New Hanover County Schools, stated that the unallocated funds are from the North Carolina Education Lottery Public School Building Capital Fund. The state created a new fund for this school year, Public School Building Repair and Renovation Fund, by taking a certain amount of money and dividing it equally among all the school districts. New Hanover County received $300,000 from the new fund which will be requested for use for upcoming capital projects. The projects listed in the agenda packet are prioritized capital requests and none are new projects. In response to Board further questions, Ms. Lawrence reported that the Brogden Hall project was on schedule until June when the company supplying the wood floor announced that they would be closing and would not be deliver the material. A new supplier was identified, and staff ensured that the wood would be the appropriate grade. There were lesser grades of wood available sooner, but those were not acceptable for the project. The appropriate wood is scheduled to be delivered in early September. It will take about a month for the floor to be installed and finishes applied. If all proceeds as scheduled, completion is anticipated in early October. Regarding the miscellaneous roof repairs, those can be anything as simple as cutting back a tree branch over a roof and are a compilation of the recommended minor repairs that have been identified over the past few years. It is a proactive way to protect the integrity and warranties of the roof systems and the repairs span across many campuses. Regular Item #17: Ratification of a Federal Grant Application: Community-Driven Approaches to Address Factors Contributing to Structural Racism in Public Health, funded through the Office of Minority Health within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health: Health and Human Services Director Donna Fayko introduced Fawn Rhodes, New Hanover County Public Health Equity Coordinator, who worked on the grant application. Ms. Rhodes provided a brief overview of the grant. She explained the grant application request is for $500,000 with no County match required. The grant will be for three years and provide up to a total of $1,500,000. When the grant expires, staff will evaluate the effectiveness of the positions, assess funding available from state sources, and determine if there is a desire to request inclusion in the County budget. The grant also covers discretionary expenses such as supplies, IT equipment, furniture, etc. If awarded, the grant will allow teams to go into the community targeting specific zip codes provided by Cape Fear HealthNet and canvas the neighborhoods approved by the Wilmington Housing Authority. In response to Board questions, Ms. Rhodes stated that the team would only enter homes if allowed by residents. The Community Health Equity Workers (CHEWs) will be able to assess the needs of the household, make recommendations and/or referrals to services that are provided at HHS and/or community partners. The Public Health Nurse will perform basic medical vital assessments, educate on healthy nutritional choices, and best practices regarding health care. If there is an acute medical need, the Public Health Nurse will contact 911 and collaborate with identified medical partners. There will also be a clinic set up, potentially in community centers, where a citizen can visit for services if they do not want staff to enter their home. The grants will be awarded in early September, and if awarded, the hiring process will take place in October 2022 with implementation in January 2023. Regular Item #18: Consideration of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Compost and Food Waste Reduction Grant Application: Matt Collogan, Horticulture Agent with New Hanover County Cooperative Extension, provided a brief overview of the program and the grant application request. NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 35 AGENDA REVIEW, AUGUST 18, 2022 PAGE 512 STAFF UPDATES Update on Educational Efforts Around the ¼-Cent Transportation Sales Tax Referendum by Jessica Loeper and Team. Chief Communications Officer Jessica Loeper provided the following update:  Move Forward Go Further: Quarter-cent transportation sales tax to expand trails and modernize traffic:  A quarter-cent public transportation sales tax could improve the quality of life in New Hanover County by:  Enhancing trail connectivity  Improving pedestrian safety  Connecting people to jobs and education  Contributing to better community health  Reducing environmental impact  Ensuring greater access and mobility for all residents  Quarter-cent transportation sales tax:  Referendum for a quarter cent sales tax to be used for public transportation systems will th appear as a Yes/No vote on the November 8 ballot  Sales tax would be 25 cents for every $100 spent on eligible goods by visitors, commuters, and residents  Does not apply to items like groceries, fuel, and prescriptions  Could bring in around $14 million a year and provide a sustainable source of revenue for public transportation opportunities, greater connectivity with trails and sidewalks, and increased safety for bikes and pedestrians.  Funds could also be leveraged to receive additional state and federal dollars and amplified for a significantly larger investment in public infrastructure  Funding framework:  Sales tax proceeds would be divided between three public transportation components over the first 10 years:  45% (approximately $65 million) to Wave Transit:  Public transportation offers an affordable way for residents of all physical abilities and economic statuses to get where they need to go  Our community needs more robust and connected public transportation infrastructure to make it easier to get from one place to another, improve transit times, and create a more reliable network that leads to more usability to serve more people  Proposed improvements over the first five years:  Expand hours by 16 hours weekly  Increase frequency so over half of routes come every 30-45 minutes  Add 17 new benches and 10 new shelters at stops  Enhanced technology signs to show real-time bus arrival times  Expand micro transit service areas  Free youth passes  39% (approximately $56 million) to bicycle and pedestrian pathway improvements in the city, county, and beach towns:  Having a walkable and bikeable community is important for our quality of life so residents and visitors have opportunities for recreational use, physical activity, and alternative transportation.  Designing, securing right-of-way access, and constructing trails takes significant funding and the quarter-cent transportation sales tax could provide a dedicated source of revenue to create new and safer crosswalks, add new bike lanes, and develop interconnected multi-use trails and sidewalks throughout the county, city, and beach communities.  Potential Bike/Ped investments over first five years in the city and unincorporated county:  Multi-Use Trails:  North College Road Trail, North College Road Extension Trail, South College Road Trail, Masonboro Loop Road Trail, and Downtown Trail Multi-Use Path  Sidewalks:  Oriole Drive, Wilshire Boulevard, College Acres Drive, Medical Center Drive, and Cardinal Drive  Crosswalks and safer intersections: thth  Market Street and 29 Street, Princess Place Drive and 26 Street, College ththth Road and Pine Valley Drive, 17 Street and Wellington Avenue, 16/17 rdth Street and Hospital Plaza Drive, 3 Street and Dawson Street, 17 Street and Glen Meade Road, Military Cutoff Road and Wrightsville Avenue, and Military Cutoff Road and Destiny Way/Fresco Drive  16% (approximately $23 million) for the Rail Realignment Project:  There is a need to replace and improve the existing freight rail route between Navassa and the Port of Wilmington by creating a new, shorter route that no longer NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 35 AGENDA REVIEW, AUGUST 18, 2022 PAGE 513 runs through some of the busiest streets and most densely populated areas in our region  The sales tax could be leveraged for additional state and federal funds to help fund specific parts of the Rail Realignment Project that would help to create better connections through the relocation of rails and implementation of sidewalks and multi-use paths to transit stops and opportunities  The most near-term Rail Realignment project is the NCDOT street widening and multi-use path project on South Front Street, where sales tax funds could be used to relocate part of the freight tracks to the west side of the road, making it safer for Wave Transit operations and users and other forms of mobility in the area  Historically, across the state, this type of sales tax has been used to enable funding for large scale, transformative transportation projects that do not qualify as highway projects In response to Board questions regarding community focus, Ms. Loeper stated that from a support perspective, the community understands the value of public transportation and bicycle and pedestrian transportation. The underlying sentiment from a negative perspective is that no one wants to pay a new tax, especially those struggling with inflation. As for the business community, businesses that deal with bikes and walkability are supportive. The Chamber of Commerce is supportive of sharing the information, just not pushing forward from an advocacy perspective. Chair Olson-Boseman thanked Ms. Loeper for the update. Update on Monkeypox in New Hanover County. Public Health Director David Howard reported that as of August 18, 2022 there are no reported cases of Monkeypox in New Hanover County. Fortunately, Monkeypox is hard to transmit. The County has conducted a few tests and are awaiting those results. The Health Department is focusing on broad based messaging and education about monkeypox as well as reaching into specific communities, where it is thought it might show up next. Cases are not generally severe and resolve on their own but there is an antiviral treatment that is reserved for severe cases. The Health Department will do a webinar with an expert panel and WECT rd on Tuesday, August 23. The Health Department is the regional hub for the vaccination and has been dispensing the medicine to other counties and the Infectious Disease Center at the hospital. Chair Olson-Boseman thanked Mr. Howard for the update. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, Chair Olson-Boseman adjourned the meeting at 4:45 p.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.