Richmond County is looking at tightening the rules on hunting deer with dogs.

In 1986, the General Assembly approved an amendment that prohibited the taking of deer with dogs in certain parts of Richmond County. In 1995 that rule was expanded to include other areas of the county.

Monday night Tom Carr, a resident of Richmond County, spoke to the board about the problem.

Carr’s situation is that the law can’t protect enough landowners. He has been effected by trespassing of individuals who need to get their animals and deer have been shot on his property.

“It’s not just me, other individuals have had similar situations,” Carr said.

Bill Webb has had to take time to help hunters get their dogs of whom he didn’t authorize to be there in the first place.

“I’ve had my quail hunting interrupted by deer hunters,” Webb said. “Wouldn’t it be neat if we take a negative thing like this and turn it into a positive.”

Webb is looking at being able to set the regulations, and let the deer hunters pay for hunting. That will bring money to Richmond County, in the form of hunting preserves.

“I’d like for a group of hunters to implement a county wide regulation for the taking of buck deer,” Webb said.

Richmond County Sheriff Dale Furr agrees there is a problem.

“These people don’t mean to trespass but they have no choice. A lot of the hunters don’t live in Richmond County and they don’t care about destroying property.”

The board was in favor of talking about extending the area where deer hunting with dogs is prohibited. The next meeting is June 7 at 6:30 p.m. in the Richmond County Administrative Office Building.

In other action:

n The Board of Commissioners have been asked to consider an agreement with Plastek to match a One North Carolina Grant. The match would be through Richmond County’s Property Tax Grant Program. This would provide a 60 percent annual grant for five years. Depending on the investment the grant could be as high as $462,000. This incentive will allow the creation of 250 jobs with the company, and all were in favor of the idea.

“Without the support of the governor and the board of commissioners, it would not have been possible,” said County Manager Rick Sago.

Plastek has also asked the board of commissioners to hold a public hearing to let the citizens of Richmond County know about their intention to apply for up to $750,000 or half of a $1.5 million grant to rehab the building they purchased. The grant must be applied for by the local government then reimbursed to the company. Richmond County will not have any money in the program and the grant must be made by the company in a 50 percent split. No one opposed the request and the issue will be addressed at the next meeting.

A public hearing was held on a petition to make Northside Fire Department in charge of fire protection services for a portion of Fox Road. The residents in the area are under the Hamlet jurisdiction but is more than seven miles away. The closer station is Northside at about three miles.

Russ Wilson, a resident of Fox Road, would like this change to take effect. The 66 percent of people that needed to sign the petition did and they have agreed to pay the taxes required.

“A few years ago, I had some neighbors in the Hamlet district that had a fire. They called the Hamlet Fire Department and had to wait 30 minutes for them to arrive, and Northside Fire Department and Hoffman Fire Department couldn’t do anything until the HFD arrived.”

This item was not opposed.

In other action:

Planning Director Jamie Armstrong gave updates on the planning board and geographic information systems.

A contractor started on April 30 on the removal of the old Safie Mill. The large tower, a smoke stack pillar and the wall dividing the two tracts are remaining, Armstrong said.

“Residents are complaining about not being able to breath, smoke in their home and having severe problems,” Commissioner Pam Dillman said.

The demolition must be done by July 30.

Sago, reported on the most recent projects and provide an update on the economic development activities.

Progress Energy has invited the commissioners to a tour of its new powerplant on May 25. The Fox Road water line meeting will be Friday.

Newly appointed Chief Executive Office Victoria Whitt for Sandhills for Mental Health discussed the quarterly report and the fiscal year 2010-2011 request.

“We are not asking for an increase it funds,” Whitt said.

The Sandhills Center has not requested an increase in county general funding in the past six years. No one opposed this request. She took over in November, and was offered the full time position in February.

A resident has requested the renaming of a section of road their home faces, the road off Trevor Andrews. The petitioner had obtained 100 percent of the required signatures. They now want the road to be called Butch Sinclair Drive. All were in favor of this request but will be ruled in the next meeting.

The Richmond County Humane Society made a request to increase their vaccination fee for rabies from $6 to $8. This request was approved by the Richmond County board of health at their April 8 meeting. No one opposed this request.

A request was made for board approval of the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council City Plan. It is requesting $167,331 of program funding. The local county matching funds are budgeted through non departmental contributions. This will be discussed in the next meeting.

A request for the board to authorize advertisement for public hearing on proposed budget for fiscal year 2010-2011. The board may wish to set the public hearing date on the next schedule meeting.

The board approved a proclamation to designate Saturday at Peace Officers Memorial Day, and this whole week as National Police Week. The board also approved the proclamation designating May as Older Americans Month.

Hollie Nivens can be reached at (910) 997-3111 ext. 19 or by e-mailing at hnivens@yourdailyjournal.com.