Commissioners approve second agreement with NC Railroad Company for $50,000 grant

At the September 14 meeting, the Alexander County Board of Commissioners approved an agreement with the North Carolina Railroad Company to receive an additional $50,000 grant to evaluate a second site in the Alexander Industrial Park. The first $50,000 grant agreement was approved in August.

County Attorney Ben Faulkenberry presented the agreement at the meeting. He said studies funded through the initial grant are underway, with results expected by the end of October.

In April, the board approved an option-to-purchase agreement with Alexander Railroad Company for two parcels totaling approximately 115 acres adjacent to the industrial park.

The agreement with NC Railroad gives the county two years to determine whether the property is suitable for industrial development. The studies will include a Phase I environmental site assessment and a site survey, as well as, if necessary, a boundary and topographic survey, streams and wetlands survey, threatened and endangered species survey, and geotechnical studies with borings.

The studies funded by the grant are part of the county’s due diligence process and do not commit the county to purchasing the property.

According to the grant agreement, NC Railroad created the program to provide funding to communities to help eliminate site development barriers and create a pipeline of investment in new industrial sites in North Carolina.

“We are grateful to the North Carolina Railroad Company for providing additional grant funding to help us evaluate another potential site in the Alexander Industrial Park,” said Larry Yoder, Chairman of the Alexander County Board of Commissioners. “We are hopeful the surveys and assessments will produce positive results and allow us to move forward with expanding the inventory of available industrial sites in Alexander County.”

In other business:
• Commissioners tabled the public hearing on an economic incentive grant for “Project Automate.” The board will consider the matter at the October 5 meeting.

• The board formally adopted the 2027 Schedule of Values for the upcoming revaluation, as presented by Tax Administrator Doug Fox and Jimmy Tanner with Tanner Valuation Group. The schedule was presented at the July 13 meeting, and a public hearing was held on August 3.

• Commissioners approved a rezoning request for 1.5 acres owned by Emily Prince on Vic Court in Taylorsville, as presented by County Planner Amy Bucknum. The property will be rezoned from R1 (Residential District One) to R2R (Residential District Two Rural) to allow for the placement of a single-wide manufactured home. The planning board recommended approval.

• The board approved a Federal Section 5310 Program grant application and resolution for fiscal year 2028, as presented by Consolidated Human Services Director David Moose. The program provides transportation services to Alexander County residents age 65 and older, as well as people with disabilities, for medical appointments and other life-sustaining activities. The project budget totals $194,592, with a required 10 percent local match of $19,460.

• Zack Shepherd, Community Relations Regional Director for Vaya Health, presented an update to the board. He said the organization will have a new name, Vaya Partners Health, as Vaya merges with Partners Health Management effective October 1. Shepherd said the consolidation will create a more robust organization. Vaya Partners will serve 47 of North Carolina’s 100 counties, making it the largest public managed care organization in the state. Learn more at vayapartners.org.

• Commissioners approved 21 new road names, as presented by County Manager Justin Mundy. Fifteen road names are for the Esplanade development off Rink Dam Road, including Birchwood Avenue, Esplanade Boulevard, Grandview Ridge, Hickory Bluff Lane, Lake Hickory Lane, Lodge Way, Magnolia Terrace, Misty Mountain Lane, Poplar Point, Reflection Terrace, Stonecrest Way, Summit View Drive, Trillium Way, Watercrest Lane, and Windward Way. Other new road names include Icenhour Farm Lane (off Taylorsville Manufacturing Road), Longleaf Pine Drive (off Stikeleather Road), Praying Springs Farm Drive (off Russell Gap Road), Rooster Hollow (off Ridgeway Drive), Seven Feathers Path (off All Healing Springs Road), and Triple R Indian Lane (off Hwy. 64-90 West).

• Commissioners approved two budget amendments and one project budget ordinance, as presented by County Manager Justin Mundy.

The first amendment decreases the Health Department budget to reflect a revised allocation of federal grant funds from the Public Health Infrastructure Local Workforce Development program, increases the budget for additional state grant funds for the Family Planning program, and increases the budget for Medicaid revenues for the Care Management for High-Risk Pregnancy program.

The second amendment increases the Economic Development budget to account for the $50,000 grant from the North Carolina Railroad Company for site development studies in the Alexander Industrial Park.

The project budget ordinance establishes a $516,000 budget for Alexander Soil & Water Streamflow Rehabilitation Assistance Program (StRAP) grant funds from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services.

• The board approved the consent agenda, which includes tax abatements and adjustments totaling $12,293.99 and tax refunds totaling $2,487.47; minutes from the August 3 meeting; the August line-item transfer report; a proclamation declaring September as National Preparedness Month; a request from Sheriff Chad Pennell to surplus retiree Mark St. Clair’s service weapon; a request from Public Works to surplus 11 vehicles; and personnel policy revisions related to travel expenses and weather leave.

Consolidated Human Services Board meeting

Following the regular meeting, commissioners convened the quarterly meeting of the Consolidated Human Services Board.

• Billie Walker, Health Director, presented the health department report. There are three vacancies on the advisory board for a dentist, an ophthalmologist, and a registered nurse. There is one internal staff vacancy for a Dental Assistant II. The department recently hired an Administrative Assistant II, Processing Assistant III, and Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

The health department is working through the North Carolina Local Health Department Accreditation process, which is utilizing a new system this year with 45 activities and 147 benchmarks. A site visit is scheduled for October 29.

Dori Maltba, Nurse Director, presented the 2025 communicable disease update. She said prevention and control of communicable diseases is one of the most important functions of public health. The most common sexually transmitted and bloodborne diseases in Alexander County in 2025 were chlamydia (46 cases), chronic hepatitis C (24 cases), and gonorrhea (20 cases). The most commonly reported food-borne illnesses were Campylobacter (5 cases) and Salmonella (3 cases).

The health department’s role regarding communicable diseases is to conduct investigations and provide healthcare providers with guidance on appropriate treatment, monitor patients’ course of illness, investigate circumstances surrounding the occurrence of the disease, determine and provide control measures, identify outbreaks/clusters, and report events and outbreaks to the state.

Maltba said there have been no cases of Monkeypox or Measles in Alexander County.

Walker said the health department will participate in Healthy Living Education at Alexander Central High School on September 16, Senior Health Fair on September 18, National Night Out on October 6, and Taylorsville Apple Festival on October 18.

• Consolidated Human Services Director David Moose and DSS Director Keri Jerrell presented the social services report. DSS now provides a monthly report to the board that tracks performance data and other information from the preceding month. The report includes director and legislative updates, accomplishments, upcoming events, and other departmental information. The first report was issued August 17.

The department is also compiling a performance scorecard that measures program performance against standards established in the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services memorandum of understanding with Alexander County. All program areas are currently performing at or above the established standards for the month ending July 2026.

Moose also provided an update on HR 1, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill. He said the legislation will increase the administrative workload for counties, including requiring Medicaid redeterminations twice a year instead of once a year. The legislation also reduces federal reimbursement for Food and Nutrition Services administrative costs. The state is providing supplemental funding to help offset some of the additional administrative burden on counties.

DSS currently has a 6.0 percent staff vacancy rate, with active recruitment continuing in the child welfare and economic services divisions. The average vacancy rate for departments of social services statewide is approximately 10 percent.

Jerrell reported that 47 children are currently in foster care, with seven enrolled in the Links program and five participating in the 18-21 program extension. Adult Protective Services currently has 17 wards. One home is in the foster parent licensing process. Six adoptions have been completed, and two foster care cases were closed following family reunification.

The Child Support Division was recognized at the North Carolina Child Support Annual Conference for outstanding achievement. The division was named most improved overall, with an 87.41 percent increase in self-assessment measures. The division was also recognized for exceeding all collection incentive and self-assessment performance measures. The division includes Supervisor Andra Robinson and Child Support Agents Rose Gresham, Judy Pennell, Sherry Reese, Jean Wilson, and Isaiah Daniels.

DSS staff have also been active in the community, recently distributing training toilets to area childcare centers, parents, and caregivers, as well as free school supplies at a community event. Staff also participated in a recent Food Truck Fridays event to recruit foster parents.

Upcoming events include the Senior Health Fair on September 18, National Night Out on October 6, the Alexander County Job Fair on October 29, and a Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting (MAPP) class beginning November 5.

• Assistant Director Brianna Fox presented the Senior Center report. Kelly Peterson, the new activity assistant, began her duties on June 22. New flooring was recently installed throughout the main senior center, made possible by a Home and Community Care Block Grant. Musician’s Jam events are popular, with two evening jams held on June 30 and July 28. Ice Cream Social events were held on August 6 in Bethlehem and August 7 in Taylorsville, with a total of 172 participants.

Upcoming events include a Senior Health Fair on September 18 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at East Taylorsville Baptist Church, Medicare Open Enrollment from October 15 through December 7, and an open enrollment kickoff “Spooktacular” on October 9 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, featuring games, food, fraud prevention information, and Medicare/SHIIP information.

The center is planning two overnight trips in 2027, with destinations including the Grand Canyon, departing April 11, and Switzerland, Austria, and Germany, departing September 16. Seniors will also depart next week for a trip to Ireland.

From January through July 2026, the Senior Center helped local seniors save $379,521 in Medicare prescription drug costs.

Participation increased 76.26 percent from January through July 2026, with 74,965 visits compared to 42,530 during the same period in 2025. The Bethlehem and Stony Point satellite sites continue to grow in popularity.

The next regular meeting of the Alexander County Board of Commissioners is scheduled for Monday, October 5, at 6:00 p.m. at the CVCC Alexander Center for Education (Room 103). Regular meetings are recorded and may be viewed on the county’s Government Channel (Spectrum Channel 192) or the county’s YouTube channel. Meeting agendas, minutes, videos, and additional information are available at alexandercountync.gov/commissioners.

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