Alexander County will soon have a new “road map” for the future upon approval of the new comprehensive plan. Brian Burgess, Director of Planning & Development, presented an update at the March 4th meeting of the Alexander County Board of Commissioners.
Burgess said the new plan was completed in-house with input from the public, a steering committee, and the planning board, which recommends approval by commissioners. A public hearing will be scheduled for the April 8th meeting.
To gather public input, a series of community meetings was held and an online survey was conducted. The online survey tallied 644 complete responses on a variety of topics that are covered in the new plan.
“This feedback was invaluable in developing the new comprehensive plan and we’re so appreciative of everyone’s cooperation and assistance,” Burgess said. “This plan is designed to help guide Alexander County for the next 20 years and we look forward to its implementation.”
Chapters of the comprehensive plan include land use, transportation, economic development, housing, public services, environment & recreation, and historic & cultural resources. Each chapter includes a narrative that explains the logic behind the recommendations, as well as a tiered system of goals, objectives, and strategies. Burgess explained that goals are “big picture,” while objectives are more focused, and strategies are some ways to meet the goals.
County Manager Shane Fox commended Mr. Burgess and the planning staff for developing the comprehensive plan in-house.
“Most times, these types of plans are outsourced with a typical cost of approximately $100,000,” Mr. Fox said. “This plan has been developed at very little cost to the county. I’m very appreciative of their hard work.”
A draft of the comprehensive plan is available on the county’s website at https://alexandercountync.gov/pdf/comprehensive-plan-draft.pdf.
• The Alexander Central High School Cheer Team was honored at the March 4th meeting of the Alexander County Board of Commissioners. The team recently placed seventh in the Super Large D2 Non-Tumble Varsity Gameday Division at the National High School Cheerleading Championship in Orlando, Florida. This was the first time competing in nationals in the history of ACHS cheerleading.
Before traveling to nationals, the team competed in multiple regional and state competitions, including a first-place finish at Davidson College Spirit Invitational; first place at Universal Cheer Association Piedmont Regional, where they earned a bid to nationals; first place in their division, grand game day champions, and overall high score at All Day Cheerleading Piedmont Regional; fourth place at the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Cheerleading Invitational; first place at the North Carolina Cheer Coaches Association State Championship; and more.
“As you go through life, you’ll remember these times at ACHS and these relationships with your teammates,” said Commissioner Larry Yoder. “This accomplishment means a lot to this community. We are very proud of you.”
• Caryn Brzykcy, Attorney for the Alexander County Board of Education, presented information about the Old Wittenburg Elementary School property. She said the school board has approved an offer to purchase the 8.8-acre property for $600,000, but the county has the right of first refusal. Commissioners voted unanimously to decline the purchase.
• County Manager Fox presented an update on the Bowman Court sewer project. Only two bids were received on January 30 and the project was rebid. The two bids received on February 13 were higher than the current project budget. Commissioners approved Mr. Fox’s recommendation to work with the engineering firm to reevaluate the project scope and determine ways to lower the cost.
• Commissioners approved four budget amendments as presented by County Manager Fox. The first budget amendment included grant funds for DSS, senior center, detention center, and sheriff’s office. The second amendment accounts for “true-up adjustments” for each fire district. The third amendment closes out the 2018 water line extension project. The fourth amendment adjusts the multi-year budget for the American Rescue Plan Special Revenue Fund to budget for earned interest.
• In the County Manager’s Report, Mr. Fox said that he and finance office staff recently held 32 meetings with department heads to discuss budget proposals for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. He said there was excellent conversation and looks forward to working together to present a conservative, realistic budget. He also expressed his appreciation to the finance staff for their hard work.
The Bethlehem Park improvement project is now underway. Electrical work was to begin on March 5, with building demolition set for later this week or early next week. The park will remain closed until the project is complete.
The Bethlehem water tank project is moving forward, as commissioners approved the purchase of land for the tank site off Rink Dam Road. The tank will help resolve water pressure issues as well as accommodate future growth.
Welding is complete at the new fire training facility, which is located at the Taylorsville Lions Club Fairgrounds. The next steps are painting and gravel, and then the facility will be ready for use.
The Sterling Road Community Development Block Grant project only received one bid for engineering services; therefore, the project must be rebid.
Architectural plans are complete for the new state-funded building at EMS Station #1 in Taylorsville, and the project will be advertised for bids in the near future. The building will include a 5-bay garage, office area, and training/conference room.
Construction began Monday on the new canopy at the Alexander County Health Department. The project should take about six weeks to complete.
Consolidated Human Services Board meeting
Following the regular meeting, commissioners convened a meeting of the Consolidated Human Services Board.
Billie Walker, Health Director, said there are currently two vacancies on the Public Health Advisory Board for an ophthalmologist and an engineer. The health department has job openings for processing assistant, dental assistant, and environmental health specialist.
Walker gave a brief update on the health department’s accreditation process, noting that they are at the two-year mark toward earning reaccreditation in 2026. Maintaining accreditation is an ongoing cycle with each department completing the reaccreditation process every four years.
Kaitlyn Graves, Health Educator, presented the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) and the Strategic Plan in coordination with the 2023 State of the County Health (SOTCH) report. Submitted on March 1, the SOTCH report is completed in the years between the Community Health Assessment (CHA), which is done every four years. The CHIP and Strategic Plan are developed over the four years between the CHA. The top five health priorities from the CHA include mental health, substance use disorder, healthy living, child care & parenting, and elder care. The department has made progress on all five priorities in 2023. Graves said they will provide a Mental Health First Aid program to youths and adults, and a suicide prevention program, and will expand the Substance Use Disorder Prevention Coalition’s prevention materials in the community.
Walker said she is excited to see work begin on a new canopy at the health department, which will take about four to six weeks to complete.
• Kristy Hunt, Senior Center Director, said that bingo and birthday lunches continue to fill to capacity every month. The center is also hosting a musician’s jam every Monday at 10:00 a.m., which is being livestreamed on YouTube. Upcoming classes include a prediabetes seminar on March 8, “Healthy Living with Chronic Diseases” beginning March 26 in Bethlehem, a gardening class on April 19, a barn quilt painting on May 1, and a tie-dye t-shirt class on May 2-3. The center will host a Shred-a-Thon event on March 22, with the Partnership for Children on-site for Operation Medication Drop. The center will resume day trips in March and Diamond Tours trips in May, August, and December. The annual Senior Celebration will be held on May 10 at 9:00 a.m. with a 1950s theme. Medicare drug savings in 2023 totaled $1,316,652, which is an increase of more than $700,000 from 2022. Senior center participation numbers continue to increase with an average daily attendance of 73.38 in January 2023 vs. 53.86 in January 2022.
• County Manager Fox presented a Social Services update. The county had 11 qualified applicants for the open DSS Director position, with interviews scheduled to begin next week. The department has a 12 percent vacancy rate, but turnover has reduced of late. There are 59 children in foster care. Medicaid applications spiked substantially in December 2023, when NC Medicaid Expansion launched; however, the applications have fallen since the initial enrollment period.
The next meeting of the Alexander County Board of Commissioners is set for Monday, April 8 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.