On Monday, the Richmond County Board of Commissioners will shift its attention to the Fox Road Water Extension Phase II project.
Richmond County has received a $600,000 grant from the Department of Commerce Community Investment and Assistance Division for the project. As part of the grant, the N.C. Department of Commerce requires that Richmond County has budget ordinances in place. County commissioners will be receiving funds from The Rural Center, The Bernard Allen Fund and there will be a county match. These amounts will be determined once the total project cost has been tallied. The estimated project cost is $828,740.
Other items on the county board’s agenda for its November meeting include:
— Richmond County is applying for a $250,000 grant from the Industrial Development Fund through the N.C. Department of Commerce to assist with the Ellerbe Sewer Line to Rockingham project. The resolution authorizes Chairman Kenneth Robinette to sign and submit the application on behalf of the county.
— Commissioners will discuss several demolition projects along Highway U.S. 1.
— The board is expected to pass a resolution designating Nov. 11, 2011, as a holiday in honor of Veterans Day in Richmond County.
— The commissioners will examine a proclamation for Farm-City Week as Nov. 19-22.
— Commissioners will be asked to approve a 2011-2012 Home and Community Care Block Grant for Richmond County Aging Services. Forms have been updated due to an increase in funding ($17,500) from the federal and state government.
— The board will be asked to consider appointment of a commissioner to fill a vacant seat on the Richmond County Water Committee. There has not been a purpose for the Water Committee to meet in quite some time, so the seat previously held by Commissioner Paul Wilson has not yet been filled. The membership of the Water Committee consists of three commissioners, the county manager and the public works director. Commissioners John Garner and Peggy Covington are serving in two of the seats on the Water Committee, along with County Manager Rick Sago and Public Works Director Bryan Land.
— Health Director Tommy Jarrell will present to the board additional aid-to-county funding, in the amount of $10,862 to be used locally for any identified need or purpose to support the delivery of public health. This is a one-time fund. Jarrell will further update the board on the newest ongoings of the Health Department.
— Funds have been received for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program or LIEAP. This is a federal energy assistance program and administering this program is new to social services this year. Sago will request this budget amendment be made to make these funds available to assist county residents. This program is designed to help qualified households with the expected high cost of heating this winter and will be available to the specified target population as of Dec. 1, through Jan. 31. After that applications will be open to the general public for as long as the money lasts. The specified target population is households that are elderly or disabled and meet the other eligibility requirements.
— Social Services received its Phase II allocation for the Job Boost program and Phase I’s allocation was larger than the budget estimated. Social Services received an additional allocation from the Division of Child Development and Early Education.
— At the April commissioner’s meeting the previous director of emergency services requested the board’s approval to apply for a $50,000 grant, which would be used to hire a consultant to write a regional hazard mitigation plan involving Anson, Montgomery, Richmond and Scotland counties. The Richmond County Emergency Services was awarded the grant and is requesting a budget amendment so the project can begin.
— The board will discuss accepting a donation of $400 to Leath Memorial Public Library from Rockingham Civitan Club, for children’s programs, as well as a $25 donation from J. W. Milstead Jr.







