The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners will meet at 9 a.m. Monday at the Cumberland County courthouse to consider votes on topics like state grants, an increased budget for a new event center and local board appointments.
Here’s everything you need to know about Monday’s meeting:
Water study grant
According to a Jan. 30 memorandum from Amanda Bader, the county’s general manager for natural resources, the county will receive a $400,000 award from the N.C. Dept. of Environmental Quality for a water supply study to address GenX contamination.
The board previously voted on Jan. 16 to contract with HDR Engineering Inc. of the Carolinas for the study, which will evaluate water demands in the county through 2075, identify alternative water supply sources and assess requirements for the transmission, storage and treatment of water.
The grant comes from American Rescue Plan Act money given to the state for fiscal recovery, according to the proposed resolution that would approve accepting the grant. The American Rescue Plan Act is a $1.9 trillion federal stimulus package signed by President Joe Biden in 2021 to help states and municipalities recover in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The county was notified of the award in an Oct. 3 letter from Shadi Eskaf, the director of the department’s Division of Water Infrastructure.
Commissioners will vote on the grant as part of the board’s consent agenda.
Board appointments
Commissioners will consider new appointments and reappointments to three county boards, according to memorandums from Iva Clark, the board of commissioners’ deputy clerk.
The Farm Advisory Board has one vacancy, Clark wrote, with member Wayne Collier completing his first term in December. The eight-member board recommended Collier be reappointed.
The Equalization and Review Board has five vacancies, according to a Jan. 19 memorandum from Clark. Three members are eligible for reappointment. The board recommended Jasper “Jackie” Lewis, Mark Knight and Deana Tew to join as new members and asked that current members Jassan Maranhas and George Turner be reappointed, Clark wrote.
The Cumberland County Local Emergency Planning Committee has two vacancies for commissioners to consider. Though both seats were filled by members eligible for reappointment, the committee recommended two new board members to serve, requesting that Johnny Lanthorn with the Fayetteville Public Works Commission and Gary Clarke with the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office fill the spots, according to a Jan. 26 memorandum.
Crown Event Center
In the latest update on the saga of the new event center slated for downtown Fayetteville, commissioners will be asked to approve increasing the budget for the project to $144.4 million from $131.7 million, according to a Jan. 31 memorandum from Budget and Performance Director Deborah Shaw.
The item will be considered as part of the board’s consent agenda.
Reporter Lexi Solomon can be reached at lsolomon@cityviewnc.com or 910-423-6500.
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