Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Dare County’s Board of Commissioners met for a brief session April 20.

The session lasted 26.43 minutes. Four commissioners were present in the meeting room and three joined from remote locations.

Robert L. Woodard, chairman of the board, reminded Dare residents about connections to resources available at DareNC.com and about social distancing.

The board received 12 letters for public comment. All supported re-entry of non-resident property owners.

A public hearing was held on the Series 2020A Refunding Limited Obligation Bonds. No emails for public comment were received.

The commissioners adopted the 10 item consent agenda unanimously.

The first action on that consent agenda was a resolution of the County of Dare, North Carolina Approving an Amendment to an Installment Financing Contract to Provide for the Refinancing of Existing County Obligations and Related Matters.

The limited obligation bond rolls outstanding debt for a variety of projects into one instrument. JP Morgan Chase won the bid at 1.27%. The bonds total $23.46 million. The gross debt service savings is $1,897,588. A budget amendment was also adopted in the action

Three budget amendments came from the Department of Health and Human Services:

– Funding for the Strategic Prevention Framework for Prescription Drugs (SPF-Rx).

This additional funding will be used to implement educational awareness opportunities to community organizations and businesses regarding Adverse Childhood Experiences.

This work will be done through a collaborative community model involving Health & Human Services, the Saving Lives Task Force, The Break Through Task Force and the Be Resilient OBX Initiative and other community members and professionals. The model will be in the form of an ongoing educational series based on topics most needed by the organization.

The additional funding comes from a Trillium Health Resources grant, running from Feb. 4 to June 30, 2020. Funds, $15,600, will be used for billboard advertising, mental health books and pill disposal bags and lock boxes.

– COVID-19 Crisis Response Funding. Dare County Public Health Division has received funding from the NC Division of Public Health for COVID-19 Crisis Response. Funding will be used to cover salary/benefits of direct clinic staff and to purchase equipment and medical supplies, such as laptops, cell phones and COVID-10 related supplies (masks, gloves, gowns, thermometers, alcohol, sanitizer, tissues) for clinic staff. Unspent funds carryover and can be spent through March 2021. Commissioner Rob Ross highlighted this crisis funding.

– Transportation budget amendment. A federal reimbursement of $10,000 pays for Medicaid transportation, administered by the Division of Social Services.

The next item designates Dare’s agent for public assistance for FEMA and North Carolina Emergency Management. The resolution names David Clawson as primary agent and Sandy West as secondary agent and authorizes the agent to sign the Applicant Disaster Assistance Agreement.

A request was received to extend the deadline for filing personal property tax listings without a late listing penalty. A local accounting firm was having difficulty getting needed information due to various COVID-19 restrictions. Dare County can’t extend the deadline but did waive the late listing fee for individual and business personal property tax listings filed by June 30, 2020.

The board of commissioners readopted the Dare County Conflict of Interest Policy. A grant agency asked for a more current policy action.

A budget amendment for Emergency Management Performance Grant totaling $38,904.03 was passed to bring revenue and expenditure lines to actual grant funding levels.

The commissioners approved minutes from the board meeting April 6, 2020 and received the Tax Collector’s report.

During the comment period, commissioner Steve House said an application for commercial watermen to apply for unemployment insurance should be ready by April 25. He also saluted retired Dare Emergency Medical Services Captains Billy Deans and Denny Shoup, both of whom recently died.

Commissioner Rob Ross reported that the Albemarle Commission, a council of government for 10 counties, continues to meet via telephone. The commission allocated $2,000 for personal care hygiene supplies to address specific needs. The commission has also suspended the search for a new director.

Commissioner Wally Overman thanked those following mitigation actions.

Commissioner Ervin Bateman said “keep safe.”

Commissioner Jim Tobin reported that the U.S. Corps of Engineers dredge The Currituck was here for 24 days, working 24 hours a day on Oregon Inlet. He also said the second round of bids for the dredge to be constructed were received. Next week, he will travel to Florida to inspect a shipyard.

Commissioner Danny Couch had warm praise for Dare County’s personnel in this extraordinary time.

County manager/attorney Robert L. Outten brought no items to the commissioner. Deputy county manager David Clawson also had no items for the attention of the board.

The meeting was streamed successfully over YouTube.

The next Dare County Board of Commissioners meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 5 at 9 a.m.

READ ABOUT MORE NEWS HERE.