Richmond County Board of Commissioners Chairman Kenneth Robinette took a moment at the beginning of the monthly commissioners’ meeting Monday to thank Commissioner Peggy Covington for her four years of service to the board.
Covington ran for re-election in the Primary Election earlier this year, but lost in the voting process with only 2,880 votes, or 17.4 percent; other candidates earned spots on the November ballot. She will remain on the board until new commissioners elected in Tuesday’s General Election are sworn in.
Robinette said that during her tenure Covington contributed to job growth in Richmond County, which included attracting industries such as Plastek, Knit-Rite and FerroFab.
Robinette handed Covington a plaque noting her public service, and shook her hand.
“I thank you very much for the plaque and I very much appreciated having served the community as well as I could,” said Covington.
Also on Monday evening, the commissioners heard an update on the Humane Society’s operations of the animal shelter from County Manager Rick Sago.
“We’ve been partnering to get the building and grounds acceptable, and we haven’t spent a lot of money but we have spent staff hours and I think the Humane Society is doing a good job of changing the way they operate and are doing well,” Sago said. “They are going in the right direction.”
The Humane Society began a temporary closure of the shelter on Oct. 31, so repairs and upgrades can be made to the facility.
The county board also held a public hearing by Emergency Services to seek comments from residents regarding the renaming of a section of John O. McDonald Road, off of Graham Bridge Road, as “Cabin Cove Road.” The renaming was approved after two residents of the area commented, saying they had no objections.
Commissioners held a second public hearing to name a new road off of Ellerbe Road as “Rockingham Roofing Road,” which was also approved.
In other matters Monday, the county board:
• Approved a resolution that would deem Nov. 17-20 as Farm-City Week.
• Agreed to a request by the Emergency Services department to approve insurance districts for Northside Fire Department. Emergency Services Director Donna Wright said approving this would reduces home owner’s insurance in the area.
• Heard a presentation by GIS and Planning Director James Armstrong, who discussed demolitions. According to Armstrong, the Bethel Hill A.M.E. Zion Church on Fox Road has been demolished by a contractor hired by the church, and the site will be monitored for ongoing work such as debris clearing.
• Designated Nov. 12 as a legal holiday in honor of Veterans Day.
• Heard that the draft report for Vision 2020, Richmond County’s latest civic index, is being finalized and will go to the public in January.
• Accepted a grant of $18,338 from the Help America Vote Act to be used to make polling places more accessible to the disabled. There is no county match required.
• Approved a request by Public Works Director Bryan Land for authorization to transfer a 2005 Ford Ranger from the Water Administration Department to the Solid Waste Department. The truck will replace a 1988 Chevrolet S10 with more than 200,000 miles on it.
• Approved a bid award for the Contract Number 2 Pump Station Relocation associated with the N.C. Department of Transportation project for U.S. Highway 220 Bypass waterline relocation to the lowest bidder, Devere Construction Company of Alpena, Mich., at a cost of $769,884.
• Approved a request for financing proposals solicited for the purchase of equipment and rolling stock budgeted for the 2012-2013 fiscal year. The amount to be financed is $969,400. The low bid proposal was submitted by Bank of America which included a 1.5413 percent interest rate and a semi-annual payment of $101,023.
• Appointed Bunny Critcher of the Department of Social Services to the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council.
• Appointed Environmental Health Supervisor Holly Haire to the Humane Society Board.
— Staff Writer Dawn M. Kurry can be reached at 910-997-3111, ext. 15, or by email at dkurry@heartlandpublications.com.
Post a Comment
