The Alexander County Board of Commissioners approved a bid for the ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) water line expansion project, which comes as great news for residents in the 12 areas of the county in which water lines will be installed.
R.J. Mozeley, Senior Project Manager for McGill Associates, said the water project has been in the planning stage for the past couple of years and is finally coming to fruition.
Commissioners approved the low bid from Bell Construction Company in the amount of $4,081,668, plus an additional $205,000 (5 percent) for construction contingency.
The project includes areas where an interest in water service has been expressed, utilizing ARPA funds allocated to Alexander County in 2021. Approximately 42,500 linear feet of water lines will be installed in the 12 project areas, including Stan-De-La Drive, Greene Street, Caldwell Pond Road/John Cline Road, Jenkins Moose Road, McAlpin Lane, Advent Church Road, Shepherd Court, Hefner Lane, Kirby Lackey Road/Glass Road, Shook Lane/Jimmy Shook Lane, and Hickory Hollow.
“We are excited to begin the construction phase of this water expansion project because it will benefit so many families who are in need of a quality, reliable water source,” said Marty Pennell, Chairman. “This project is not just an upgrade to our infrastructure — it’s a commitment to our citizens and our community.”
In other business:
• Josh Mitchell, Director of Public Works & Facilities, presented bid information for the EMS Base #1 project, which includes a five-bay climate-controlled garage, 4,800 square feet for office space and training, storage for medical records and supplies, and more. Commissioners approved the low bid submitted by David E. Looper, Inc. in the amount of $1,445,153, plus an additional $72,257.65 (5 percent) for construction contingency. The project is funded by a state grant and ARPA revenue replacement funds that weren’t used for the water line expansion project.
• Paul Teague, Western Piedmont Council of Governments Community & Economic Development Administrator, reported that four engineering proposals were received for the Sterling Road CDBG project. Commissioners approved West Consultants to serve as the project engineer. Teague said the project was unfortunately delayed as the road was initially measured incorrectly. After securing the proper measurements and additional grant funding, Teague said he is hopeful the project will now move at a much faster pace. He expects to present contract proposals at the board’s April 7th meeting. The project deadline is August 20, 2026.
• Teague also reported on the Paragon Films CDBG-Economic Development rail spur project. He said the spur is installed and is fully operational. There will be annual reporting related to job creation as part of the grant. The contractor will be paid within the next week and grant money will be drawn down for the county.
• Commissioners approved text amendments to the county’s Land Development Code. Senior Planner Patrick Creech reviewed the numerous changes, which include the correction of typographical errors, changes to the Historic Preservation Overlay District, an update to the Recreational Motor Sports Facilities definition, and clarification of the Conservation Subdivision definition. The amendments also change the implementation date for the Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control (stormwater) regulations to March 1, 2026.
• Commissioners Josh Lail, Marty Pennell, and Larry Yoder, along with County Manager Todd Herms, attended the National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., from March 1-4. In addition to the informative sessions and discussions, they met with the staff of US Senators Thom Tillis and Ted Budd to discuss priorities and needs in Alexander County.
• Commissioner Kent Herman said he was informed that the Army Corps of Engineers will be contacting those who own property near bridges in Alexander County to discuss stream debris removal following Hurricane Helene and past storms.
• County Manager Todd Herms presented seven budget amendments and one project budget ordinance for approval. The first amendment resulted in a $45,916 increase in general fund expenditures to account for donations received and revised allocation of State Aid funds for the library and to increase the Senior Center budget for a Senior Medicaid Patrol project grant. The second amendment resulted in an increase of $60,582 in Fire District Funds to budget for true-up adjustments to pay out the June 30, 2024, fund balance amounts of the fire districts. The third amendment resulted in a $1,000 increase in the Alexander Industrial Park Sewer Fund budget for construction observation services. The fourth amendment resulted in a $1,365,678 net decrease in expenditures in the General Fund budget due to a decrease in ARPA revenue replacement funds for the water line project, an increase in ARPA revenue replacement funds for EMS Station #1 project, and the transfer of funds to the Sterling Road CDBG project. The fifth amendment resulted in a $957,000 increase in expenditures in the 2023 State Appropriations Act Grant Fund to budget for an increase for the EMS Station #1 project following bid approval. The sixth amendment resulted in a $2,290,768 decrease in the ARPA Water Line Expansion Project budget based on the bid approval. The seventh amendment resulted in a $708,596 increase in the Sterling Road CDBG Project Fund for the receipt of a second grant. The project budget ordinance accounts for the Alexander Soil & Water Streamflow Rehabilitation Assistance Program (StRAP) grant in the amount of $85,714.
• During the monthly public comment period, four people signed up to speak.
Tennille Hileman expressed her concerns about foster home licensing in Alexander County. A former DSS employee, she said there used to be 32 licensed homes in the county, while there are currently 16 homes. She believes the social workers and supervisors are not getting the necessary support. Brenda Price, who has been a foster parent for over 40 years, also expressed her concerns about the county’s foster care program.
George Holleman, Mayor of Taylorsville, asked commissioners to adopt a proclamation for the National Day of Prayer on May 1, 2025, at 12:00 noon. The proclamation is expected to be included on the April 7th agenda.
Bethlehem resident and business owner Tyler Brown expressed his opposition to the proposed incorporation of the Bethlehem community. He said he’s been in contact with legislators, stating that the issue should be decided by a vote of the people. Brown encouraged interested persons to visit www.bethlehemnc.com to learn more about the issues.
Consolidated Human Services Board meeting
Following the regular meeting, commissioners convened a meeting of the Consolidated Human Services Board, which meets quarterly.
Billie Walker, Health Director, was the first to present. The health department is still seeking an engineer and an ophthalmologist for its advisory board. There are currently three staff vacancies, including a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a Public Health Nurse II, and a School-Based Dental Coordinator.
The board approved a fee increase for COVID testing from $25 to $50 to cover costs.
Walker presented the 2024 State of the County Health Report (SOTCH), which is an abbreviated version of the Community Health Assessment. The four health priorities are mental health, substance use disorder, healthy living, and child care & parenting. The health department has offered several trainings free to the public and to employees, distributed medication lock boxes, promoted physical activity and tobacco cessation, and partnered with the local child care collaborative. The Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) shows no significant changes in morbidity and mortality, with heart disease as the leading cause of death in Alexander County and cancer as the second leading cause. In 2022, the suicide rate in the county was higher than the state, with 21.9 suicides per 100,000 population versus 15.9 suicides in the state.
Work is underway on the 2025 Community Health Assessment, with an online and paper survey available to gather data. The online survey is available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9V735CL. As of March 10, a total of 694 valid survey responses had been recorded. Chairman Pennell encourages the public to share the survey on their social media pages to help obtain as many responses as possible.
Keri Jerrell, Social Services Director, presented the DSS report. Several staff members were in attendance to be recognized during Social Worker Appreciation Month. She said there are currently 48 children in foster care, with 10 children in the Links program, and four (4) children in the 18-21 program. Jerrell said that Alexander County’s rate of foster care entry is 1.5 children per 1,000 for fiscal year 2025, which is relatively low. The department will host an information session for an upcoming foster parent training course on March 17 at 5:30 p.m. at the DSS building. Those interested should call 828-352-7619 to register.
She said the key performance metrics for Adult Protective Services are good in each category, all greater than 85 percent. In addition, all Economic Services programs are meeting or exceeding the performance metrics.
DSS has several staff vacancies. For more information or to apply, visit www.governmentjobs.com/careers/alexandercountync.
Vicki Martin, Assistant Senior Center Director, and Brianna Fox, Activities Assistant, presented information about the center’s many activities, programs, and more. The bingo and birthday lunches continue to fill up every month. The center has added computer classes on the fourth Wednesday of each month in Taylorsville and on the first Tuesday of each month in Bethlehem. The cardio drumming class was excited to participate in the Alexander County Christmas Parade. Local seniors are encouraged to sign up for Diamond Tours trips to Pigeon Forge and Vermont. The center received an Identity Theft & Fraud Prevention Grant to host a shred-it event on March 21. The “Senior Celebration” event will be held on May 16 in conjunction with the Unifour Senior Games. The center is also planning a MedAssist event on May 30 at East Taylorsville Baptist Church. Medicare drug savings totaled $1,316,652 for 2023 and increased to $1,537,840 in 2024. Average daily attendance at the center increased 39.5 percent from 2023 to 2024.
The next meeting of the Alexander County Board of Commissioners is set for Monday, April 7 at 6:00 p.m. at the CVCC Alexander Center for Education (room #103). Regular meetings are recorded and can be viewed on the county’s Government Channel on Spectrum channel 192 or the county’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/alexandercountync. Meeting agendas, minutes, videos, and more are available on the county’s website at https://alexandercountync.gov/commissioners.