Friend-to-Friend, Habitat for Humanity, the Moore County Arts Council, and other non-profit organizations that are included in Moore County's budget made brief presentations on their programs during the Tuesday, April 3 Board of Commissioners regular meeting.
Literacy Council. Steve Hurst of the Moore County Literacy Council told the Commissioners that twenty-two percent of the County's citizens cannot read at the ninth-grade level -- and thus are functionally illiterate. The council provides one-on-one tutoring to these individuals, serving 150 students in the past year. Hurst said the Council's 114 volunteers supplied $113,000 in labor, complementing the Council's $110,000 annual budget.
Coalition for Human Care. Vera Walker of the Sandhills/Moore Coalition for Human Care told the Board that her organization provided nearly $490,000 in food, clothing, and financial resources to meet the emergency needs of Moore Countians last year. That included food for 7,427 people, clothing for 5,428 people, electrical service for 1,357 households, shelter for 171 families, and emergency medications for 140 people.
Malcolm Blue Farm. Speaking on behalf of the Malcolm Blue Historical Foundation, Bob Martin reminded the Commissioners that the 7.5 acre property, with its circa-1825 farmhouse, is the only major historical museum in Moore County, providing both adults and school children a window onto 19th Century life in the pine barrens. To its annual budget of roughly $50,000, the Foundation adds more than 6,500 hours of volunteer labor each year.
Citizen's Pet Responsibility. Angela Zumwalt of the Citizen's Pet Responsibility Committee said the group has conducted eighteen educational programs in sixteen Moore County schools this year, reaching more than 1,000 fourth grade students and contributing over 1000 volunteer teaching hours. The Committee's drive to encourage the spaying and neutering of pets has saved the county more than $275,000 per year in the cost of dealing with unwanted pets, Zumwalt said. The Committee was founded in 2006 with a grant from the County and has subsisted on that initial funding for six years, but will ask the Commissioners to commit $8,000 per fiscal year to the effort, beginning in Fiscal Year 2012-2013.
Arts Council. Speaking for the Arts Council of Moore County, Chris Dunham stressed that his was the only Arts Organization that serves the entire County, boasting a $500,000 budget and providing arts programming in every Moore County school. The Council supports a wide range of arts activities and organizations, from the recently-concluded Palustris Festival and the Holly Arts and Crafts Festival to the Moore County Choral Society and the Pinecrest Players.
Habitat. Executive Director Elizabeth Cox explained that Habitat for Humanity of the NC Sandhills has placed 202 families in "safe, decent homes'" and "houses many Moore County workers who struggle to live in Moore County’s expensive housing market." Habitat invests $2 million annual in local building projects, and employs eleven people in its two "ReStore" locations. Volunteers contribute in excess of $400,000 in labor annually, and owners of Habitat homes paid $110,000 in property taxes in 2011.
Friend to Friend. Anne Friesen, Executive Director of Friend to Friend told the Board that her organization offers a variety of services to help victims of domestic violence and sexual assault rebuild their lives, including a 24-Hour Crisis Line, referral services, emergency shelter, court advocacy, and community outreach. Last year, Friend to Friend handled more than 1,900 crisis calls and client support sessions, as well as making community education presentations to over 7,000 Moore County residents and students. Friesen estimated that providing the services currently provided by Friend to Friend would cost Moore County more than $500,000 per year.
County Manager Cary McSwain thanked the organizations for their reports and for the services they provide to Moore Countians.
"There is no way we could provide the services we do without the hours that you put in," Commissioner Tim Lea said. "Thank you."
"You are living examples that, if you have a good cause, people will show up to help you," Chairman Larry Caddell added.
Other Business
In other business during their Tuesday, April 1 meeting the Moore County Board of Commissioners:
• Passed a resolution encouraging Moore Countians to Vote on Constitutional Amendment One during the May 8 Primary Election. [See story here.]
• Discussed the County's approach to forming a partnership with the Town of Robbins to use Robbins' water resources to meet the long-term needs of Robbins' water customers. [See story here.]
• Passed a resolution honoring World War II pilot and Carthage native Hoyle Upchurch.
• Declared April Child Abuse Prevention Month in Moore County.
• Called a public hearing for Tuesday, April 17 on the closeout of the County's 2009 Scattered Site Housing Communty Development Block Grant, a program that combined $400,000 in Housing and Urban Development funding with $83,000 from the US Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Program to bring sixteen substandard homes up to livable standards.
• Called a public hearing for Tuesday, April 17 on a $1 million low interest loan from the State Revolving Loan Fund that will be used to pay for Moore County Public Utilities' Lift Station 3-4 Replacement project
• Approved a reorganization of the customer service staff at Moore County Public Utilities.
• Approved a $39,000 change order for the $21.5 million upgrade and expansion of the Addor Wastewater Treatment Plant. The Board also agreed that the County Manager is authorized to sign off on future change orders of not more than $50,000, with the proviso that the Board be informed of any such requests.
• Approved using rebates from County Purchasing Cards to pay for additional travel and training expenditures in the Finance Department, as well as lockbox expenses with BB&T.
• Heard from Janet Parris that the General Assembly has mandated changes to the operation of the Day Reporting Center, which provides and alternative to incarceration for some offenders, offering substance abuse counseling, drug testing, and a variety of training services. Rather than providing the county with a block grant to cover these programs, the state has mandated a centrally-controlled system that establishes new requirements and competitive bids from those interested in providing the services. Lacking the required certifications in-house, Parris said the center is attempting to secure commitments from outside contractors, but faces an April 17 deadline to submit its own bid package.
Appointments
The Board tabled an appointment to the Moore County ABC Board, but made several other appointments, including:
• Marilyn Flock to the RSVP Advisory Council.
• Jane Robinson to the Nursing and Adult Care Home Community Advisory Committee.
• Francine Crumbaugh and Violet Bahr to the Moore County Library Board of Trustees.
• Carol Henry to the Pinehurst Planning and Zoning Board.
• Betty Sapp to the Pinehurst Board of Adjustment.
