County weighs Special Olympics support
By Steve Herring
Published in News on January 19, 2015 1:46 PM
County Manager George Wood is recommending that Wayne County commissioners deny a request by the city of Goldsboro to jointly fund a full-time events coordinator position for the city.
The coordinator would work with the Special Olympics and the Senior Games.
The request is on the board's Tuesday agenda.
In a letter to commissioners, Wood said officials with the Special Olympics requested that the city fund the position since their organization is no longer able to do so.
During their recent planning session, some commissioners said nonprofits would face a tougher time receiving county funding this year.
Commissioners also said that such requests should only be considered during their regular annual budget deliberations and not throughout the year. Another consideration would be that the nonprofit's mission be something that has a direct connection with county services.
Board members said the issue is not the nonprofits' value to the community, but rather if they should be subsidized by tax dollars.
Also during the retreat, Commissioner Joe Daughtery said that using tax dollars means the taxpayer does not have a say in which nonprofit benefits.
If those standards are applied, then the city's request should be denied, Wood said in his letter to the board.
He also reminded the board that the county faces additional debt because of new middle schools, a new jail and costs to operate Wayne Community College's Advanced Manufacturing Center.
Commissioners will begin the day at 8 a.m. when they will hold an agenda briefing before their formal meeting starts at 9.
Both will be held in the commissioners' meeting room on the fourth floor of the courthouse annex.
The board's Facilities Committee will meet at the conclusion of the board session.
Also, a ceremony unveiling a portrait of the late Sheriff Carey Winders will be held Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. Superior Courtroom No. 1 in the Wayne County Courthouse.
The ceremony is being hosted by the board of commissioners.
Winders, 57, who was in his fifth term as sheriff, died of a heart attack a year ago.
Wayne County artist Rochelle Halaka painted the portrait to honor Winders' service to the community. It will hang in the Sheriff's Office. The public is invited to the ceremony.
Also during the board's morning meeting, officials with Mission Critical will present their report on a study of the operation, staffing and facilities at the county's E911 Center.
The current center has six telecommunications stations and a supervisor. However, there is no room for expansion even though the call volume is increasing.
During the board's recent planning session the county manager suggested that shifting the center to another location in the building could provide more room.
Other items on the agenda are:
* A motion to support/approve the Goldsboro Metropolitan Planning Organization's Bicycle, Pedestrian and Greenway Plan.
* Presentation of the county's 2013-2014 audit and a motion to approve it.
* A motion to approve the purchase of two pumps for the county's Genoa wastewater treatment plant.
* A recommendation on an employee benefits consultant contract.
* Budget amendments.
A public hearing will be held at 9:15 a.m. on proposed amendments to the county's 2011 20 state Community Development Block Grant Program-Catalyst funding for the Love Drive community at Dudley.
Items on the consent agenda are: establishing a public hearing on Feb. 3, at 9:15 a.m. for public comments on levying an assessment for street lights in Street Light District No. 4 Fallingbrook; approving a fire service funding agreement with LaGrange; and authorizing Chairman Wayne Aycock to sign an application for $239,399.92 in public school building capital funds through the North Carolina Education Lottery for the Spring Creek and Grantham middle schools.
Public comments will be taken at 10 a.m. when people will have four minutes to speak on their topic of choice.