By Tim Gardner
During their bi-monthly meeting August 21, the Avery Board of Commissioners approved the purchase of a small tract of land that includes an office complex to house the county’s probation and parole headquarters to highlight various agenda topics.
All commissioners–Chairwoman Martha Hicks, Vice-Chairman Tim Phillips, Dennis Aldridge, Wood Hall (Woodie) Young, Jr. and Robert Burleson–were present for the meeting, as were Assistant County Manager and Clerk to the Board Cindy Turbyfill, County Finance Officer Caleb Hogan, and County Attorney Michaelle Poore.
County Manager Phillip Barrier, Jr. was absent due to family illness.
The commissioners voted on several items and every one was approved unanimously (5-0).
The commissioners adopted a resolution to buy a .34 parcel of land (more or less) that includes an office building on site at 298 Estatoa Avenue in downtown Newland for the purpose of providing new housing for the county’s probation and parole headquarters. The building is a metal frame structure with 800 square foot of finished office space and 800 square foot of heated warehouse space. There are also smaller storage buildings on the site.
The building has Town of Newland water/sewer and natural gas. It can also be expanded on its rear or sides.
The county will pay $335,000.00 to current owners Paul and Lisa Polhill for the land and building. The resolution adoption also authorized the county manager to sign the necessary documents to complete the purchase.
“The county is very fortunate to purchase this land and building, which will be perfect to house our probation and parole offices,” Hicks said.
The commissioners held a Public Hearing-Amendment to solicit citizen input on the amendment to the Community Development Block Grant Revitalization Grant-Avery County Reentry Housing Facility. They are expected to vote in the near future about changing the location of the proposed facility from 240 Prison Camp Road (Old Avery Prison Camp site) to county owned property on a 14-acre site in the 1400 block of Elk Park Highway, near the County’s (Three-Lane) Waste Station.
The original proposed site for the reentry house on Prison Camp Road, currently owned by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, turned out not to be available for the County’s reentry housing. Thus, a move to another location was necessitated.
In November 2022, the County was awarded a Community Development-Reentry Housing Block Grant from the North Carolina Department of Commence in the amount of $950,000.00 to construct a 3,000 square-foot facility to provide transitional housing for individuals reentering society after serving prison sentences.
The County also recently received a grant from Dogwood Health Trust in the amount of $350,000.00 for the reentry housing project.
The beneficiaries of the reentry housing project are assumed to be a “special population” and all low-income individuals.
Reentry houses are also called “community corrections centers” (CCCs), but several years ago, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) renamed them “residential reentry centers” (RRCs). This new name indicates that the BOP views a reentry house as a place reserved for people leaving prison, as opposed to a place where a person can serve his entire sentence.
However, not all who are eligible to live in reentry facilities are former prisoners. Others who have suffered through drug addiction and related problems, but who did not serve jail sentences, can also be housed in a reentry home.
Those living in such must participate in programs to heal from their addiction or related issues, and if they are former prisoners, to keep them from committing offenses that could put them back in prison.
A few citizens spoke during the public hearing, some expressing support of, and others opposition to, a reentry house. Those speaking in opposition said that the commissioners should not help those who will live in reentry facilities over county residents who haven’t served prison sentences or had drug or related problems and offenses.
The commissioners declared they are not prioritizing helping those eligible for reentry housing before the county’s other citizens, and that they have, and will continue to help everyone who needs their assistance to the best of their abilities and resources.
“Helping all those who need it is the Christian way to go about it,” Hicks added.
Milana Ward of Freedom Life Ministries in Newland coordinates reentry housing for the organization and said the county’s reentry house will be only for people from Avery County as those from other areas will not be placed in the same reentry house.
Aldridge said that the Community Development Block Grant Revitalization Grant for Avery County Reentry Housing Facility is “specifically for that need and funds to it cannot legally be used for any other purpose.” Additionally, he pointed out that various other grants specifically providing for housing needs for other county citizens have been obtained by the Board.
Elk Park resident Greg Jenkins also addressed the commissioners during the public comment segment of the meeting. As he has previously done, Jenkins criticized the commissioners and Military Veterans Officer Tara Gragg Daniels concerning some veterans’ topics.
The commissioners did not directly reply to Jenkins’ comments. They have referred to their total support of the county’s veterans through funding and other measures and expressed full support of Daniels for her work in her professional post.
In other agenda items, the commissioners:
*Approved $207,997.00 in funding to the Avery County Senior Services from the Home and Community Care Block Grant. The grant amount awarded is $187,198.00, with a local match of $20,799.00.
*Appointed Mark Taylor to the Avery Fire Commission.
North Carolina House (General Assembly) Bill 673 established the Avery County Fire Commission, which consists of a five-member board. Two of the board members shall be consumers appointed by the Avery Board of Commissioners. Two more of the board members shall be firemen approved by the Avery County Fire Association and the Board of Commissioners. The other four sitting members of the Fire Commission shall choose the remaining member.
*Approved Subdivision of Laurel Village at Eagles Nest, Lots LV 1-13.
According to Avery Inspections Director Allison Kidd, the properties approved have passed inspection and meet all guidelines of the County’s subdivision ordinance.
*Approved a Memorandum of Understanding between the County and the High Country Council of Governments for the Avery Emergency Operations Plan Project.
Under its terms, the High Country Council of Governments agrees to use State of North Carolina grant funding to pay for the services of an experienced firm to carry out this project for the benefit of the County, which the County and the Council of Governments jointly choose.
High Country Council of Governments will ensure that the contracted firm completes the agreed upon scope of work in the project contract in a timely manner. The County will be responsible for overseeing the substance of the contractor’s work and guiding the project’s process.
High Country Council of Governments will use grant money to pay the contracted firm’s fee and to attempt to remedy any issues the County has with the contractor’s performance or timeliness during the contract period.
Avery County will ensure adequate meeting space for the project, provide staff to oversee the substance of the consultant’s work, and review that work to ensure accuracy and adequacy.
The County agrees to hold High Country Council of Governments harmless for any issues, inadequacies, or other errors contained within, or arising from, the consultant’s finished work.
Also, adopted budget amendments presented by Hogan to the commissioners that they approved included:
*The Avery County Sheriff’s Office received a reimbursement of $1,500.00 from the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners Worker’s Compensation Poll for the purchase of three bullet-proof vests.
*The County received a grant from Dogwood Health Trust recently in the amount of $300,000.00 to assist in the planning process for the Opioid Settlement Funds. The grant includes two years of funding totaling $600,000.00.
*The Dogwood Health Trust grant in the amount of $350,000.00 for the reentry housing project.
The commissioners will next meet on Tuesday, September 5 in their Board Room on the top floor of the County’s Administration Building, located at 175 Linville Street in Newland. The meeting will commence at 3:30 p.m.
Regular monthly meetings of the Board of Commissioners meetings are normally held on the first Monday, but the next one will be on a Tuesday since the Labor Day holiday is on the first Monday of September.
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