Bryan Stewart

Richmond County Daily Journal

Richmond County may begin pushing itself as a front-runner for a proposed inland port if the DOT and railroads of North Carolina decide to follow through with their plans.

An inland port is essentially a distribution center for products and supplies transported from a port city to an inland location. In Richmond County’s case, Wilmington is that major port.

According to Rick Sago, Richmond County manager, Hamlet alone is a major intersection for railroads in the state. Tracks running north, south, and especially, east and west intersect within the City of Hamlet.

US Highway 74 and Highway 73 also factor into why the commissioners feel that Richmond County could be a dominant candidate for the proposed inland port.

Once the products reach the distribution point, they would be distributed via highway or railway. Both are easily accessed in the area with a close proximity to Wilmington, Sago said.

For the county it would mean more than a thousand new jobs, Commissioner Pam Dillman said. Within other cities that have become a part of an inland port, they have experienced exponential growth.

“It changed the whole atmosphere of the city,” Dillman said.

Although Richmond County may seem like a logical choice, Cumberland County, according to Sago, may be one of the biggest rivals Richmond County has.

Due to Fort Bragg’s presence in Fayetteville, Interstate 95 and Interstate 40, Cumberland County is an appealing site.

The issue will be discussed in greater detail at a later time and planning may begin on how to put the county in the running.

In other action:

n The request to approve a $72,383 stimulus grant from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant was accepted by the Board of Commissioners . The money is going to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.

The grant money has been appropriated and budgeted into three areas.

-The Sheriff’s Department received quotes for the replacement and repair of its repeater communication system. The expenditures total $36,415.94.

-2010 Dodge Charger, which will be purchased in October with all standard amenities and police equipment. The total is $27,067.06.

-An executive member of the agency will attend the University of Louisville Southern Police Institute Program in February. The remaining $8,900 will be allocated to his tuition, housing, textbooks, application fees, travel, food and gas.

The Commissioners likewise approved an amendment to the East Rockingham Initiative project’s budget after the Cole Foundation’s cut $100,000 from the original $300,000 grant.

“We still have the ability to go back for the other $100,000 later,” Sago said.

n Gerard Morrision, activist for the Million Father March, requested that the Board adopt a resolution in support of the Million Father March in Richmond County for the 2009 school year. The Board passed the resolution. This will be Richmond County’ second year participating in the march.