Board to discuss tobacco store zoning, jail health care contract at Thursday's agenda session

The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners will meet at 1 p.m. Thursday to discuss potential agenda items at its monthly agenda session. Items approved during the meeting will be moved to the consent agenda for the board’s Nov. 20 meeting.

Tobacco store zoning ordinance 

At the request of Vice Chairman Glenn Adams, the county attorney’s office will present options and ideas about imposing restrictions on the locations of tobacco and vape shops.

The proposed restrictions follow a recent ban in Wake County on vape shops opening near public schools there. The potential ordinance for Cumberland County would prohibit stores that primarily sell smoking or electronic tobacco and hemp products from operating within 1,000 feet of another vape shop, a school, park, greenway or residence. The ordinance would not apply to grocery stores or gas stations. 

Jail health care contract 

Commissioners will consider a $4.5 million contract with Wellpath to provide health care to detainees at the Cumberland County Detention Center. The jail, located along Gillespie Street, has worked with Wellpath since July to provide health care services until a longer-term contract is decided upon. The eight-month contract would begin in December. The contract approval is contingent upon the commissioners’ approval of an additional $1.7 million in funds to supplement the remaining jail health budget of $3.5 million.

Enforcement of abandoned, nuisance and junked motor vehicles ordinance

Commissioners will vote to add a proposal to its consent agenda for its next meeting to expand the enforcement of the county's ordinance on abandoned or junked vehicles into the municipalities of Cumberland County. This expansion would allow municipalities to adopt the ordinance and partner with the county to enforce the removal of junked or abandoned motor vehicles. 

RSV vaccine fee waiver 

Commissioners will also consider a proposal from the Cumberland County Dept. of Public Health to waive fees for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccines for uninsured and underinsured adults over the age of 65. If approved, Cumberland County residents eligible for the vaccine will be able to receive it at no cost at the county’s health department. 

RSV is a common respiratory virus that typically causes mild flu-like symptoms, but can be severe in infants and older adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Other business 

• Commissioners will hear a presentation about the International Farmers Market from Commissioner Jimmy Keefe. No action will be taken on the matter.
• Representatives from the N.C. Dept. of Information Technology will present commissioners with information about broadband expansion programs, and potential options for expansion in Cumberland County.
• The Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation Dept. will request commissioner approval for $300,000 to install lighting at the J.D. Pone Recreation Center Athletic Field, and $155,000 for a new drainfield system at Arnette Park.
• Commissioners will also hear a monthly report on ongoing county projects and a quarterly report on American Rescue Plan Act funds. 

Commissioners will meet in Room 564 of the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse. 

To read the full agenda, visit www.cumberland.novusagenda.com/agendapublic/DisplayAgendaPDF.ashx?MeetingID=691 

Contact Char Morrison at cmorrison@cityviewnc.com.

The CityView News Fund is a nonprofit organization that supports CityView’s newsgathering operation. Will you help us with a tax-deductible donation?