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Asheboro paves way for increased development

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ASHEBORO — The City of Asheboro Council met Thursday, July 13, with several property matters on the agenda.

The council started out by continuing two legislative hearings from the prior month.

The first was for a rezoning request for property located at the intersection of Old Cox Road and Old Humble Mill Road from Randolph County zoning to R15 (CZ) in order to allow a residential and commercial planned unit development.

“The request is for a planned use unit development that consists of single-family detached, single-family attached, and initially there was a commercial element proposed with the initial application, but that particular feature has been withdrawn,” said Community Development Director Trevor Nuttall. “That particular area where that had originally been proposed is still a part of this annexation and would still come into the city limits and be part of the rezoning.”

“There are several changes that we think are meaningful with this proposal,” Nuttall continued. “The first relates to parking for the development. There was significant discussion and questions asked about the adequacy of parking for the project. In response, the application and the site plan has been amended to add 34 new off-street parking spaces to the project, and those will be dispersed throughout the project.

“The second change relates to the number of units being proposed. That has been reduced from 413 to 399. There are 398 new lots proposed, the 399th would contain the existing structure if it can be preserved and repurposed.

“There is also a new condition pertaining to a six-foot fence that is now provided along the perimeter of the property boundary closest to Old Humble Mill Road where the floodplain of Richmond’s Creek does not provide an element of a natural buffering. So, there is now a good deal of fencing being proposed, and lastly, we received some additional details from the applicant related particularly to the townhomes in Phase 1. What that means is that in addition to the extra off-street parking that the plans now show, each unit will also have the commitment of a dedicated driveway and garage just as other homes in the development.”

The second hearing was for an annexation petition requesting the satellite annexation of three parcels related to the previous hearing.

Following the hearings, the council approved both requests.

The council then approved a request by Ross Holt of the Randolph County Historic Preservation Commission to designate real property identified as Acme-McCrary Hosiery Mills, 1909, and located at 159 North Street as a local historic landmark.

“There are three components to the site,” Holt said. “The McCrary Mill Number 2 Parks Hosiery Mill Building, now the Church Street Loft Apartments, the Acme-McCrary Recreation Center, now the Asheboro Recreation Center, and the main Acme-McCrary Hosiery Mill on North Street.”

The council also approved a request for the city to take over the maintenance of the streets in the Sherwood Oaks Townhomes development.

The council then held three new public hearings, all of which dealt with rezoning requests.

The first hearing was to rezone a property located at 207 East Pritchard Street from B2 General Commercial to OA6 Office-Apartment.

“The bottom line is that for this application, in our eyes, it provides what we typically seek to provide between residential and commercial uses, and that’s a transitional zone such as the OA6,” Nuttall said. “For those reasons, we believe this is a reasonable request.”

The second hearing was to rezone the property at 3114 Zoo Parkway from R40 Low-Density Residential to R10 Medium-Density Residential.

“This doesn’t quite fit what the plan envisioned at this time for the property, but it is more consistent with what is happening in the area,” Nuttall said.

The third hearing was to rezone property located at 615 and 617 South Church Street, 2333 West Kivett Street, and 616 and 622 Hammer Avenue with an amended Conditional Zoning Office-Apartment designation for the purpose of developing a multi-family development for the elderly that is a whole block redevelopment project.

“The purpose of this coming back to you is because the applicant has determined that a layout significantly different than what had previously been proposed is warranted due to environmental and site constraints,” Nuttall said.

The prior plan had a four-story building with 60 units; now, it is down to 48 units. Plan deviations include: not having the required additional 10% overflow parking spaces, being slightly taller than the 45-foot cap (47.5-foot), and having an indoor recreational area to meet the required standard.

Following each hearing, the council approved the requests.

The council also approved two ordinances extending the corporate limits of the City of Asheboro. One was a petition by Duke Energy Progress, LLC for property located across from the intersection of New Century Drive and Veterans Loop Road in order for them to relocate their engineering office and storage yard, and the other was a petition for property located near the intersection of NC Highway 42 and Patton Avenue.

The council also established a public hearing in August for another annexation petition for property located at the intersection of Crestview Church Road and Zoo Parkway.

The Asheboro City Council will next meet August 10.

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Commissioners approve opening of bids for renovations to Human Services Building and Wellness Clinic

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ASHEBORO — The Randolph County Board of Commissioners met Monday, June 5, with multiple property matters on the agenda.

The board first approved a waiver of the American Healthcare Systems annual debt with regard to the Rural Healthcare Stabilization loan from UNC Health.

“The terms of the agreement we have with the state are pretty well fixed,” said Assistant County Manager Will Massie. “We owe $1 million a year plus 1% interest. The way the pass-through agreement with the hospital read was that the board would consider the compliance with the terms of the contract.”

The board had initially expressed concerns with the way AHS’ administration had been operating in conjunction with Randolph Health, but after improvements were made to transparency and regulations, the board was satisfied.

“The spirit and intent, I think, has been met,” said Commissioner David Allen. “We want to see everybody succeed. Based on our last meeting, where it was very much the spirit and intent to have a functioning board, I think the spirit of intent has been met with all these requirements.”

The money obtained from the loan is intended strictly for capital purchase and can not be used for daily operations.

The board also approved the final design of the Human Services Building in Archdale from Smith Sinnett Architecture and opened the project up for bids.

The renovations in the base bid involve improvements to the upper level, including 24 private offices – 19 for DSS and five for DPH – a secure DPH suite, shared reception and waiting area, dedicated public restroom, large DSS work room, and shared break room and conference room.

If the base bids come in and funding for alternates is still available, the plan also includes potential options for renovations of the lower level, including 25 additional DSS offices, a break room, a conference room, and a small work area.

The estimated budget cost for the base bid renovations is $1,508,150, the alternate option for renovation to the lower level is $1,043,150, and an alternate option for parking lot seal coat and striping is $25,000, for a total projected construction cost of $2,576,300.

“We think this is a good building to reuse for the purposes,” said Robert Carmac of Smith Sinnett Architecture. “We’ve tried to maximize every possible way. We have strived to find every way in this building to drive the cost down. To reuse, to maximize this building as an asset.”

The project is projected to begin in August or September with an 8-12 month timeline for construction.

Along with the DHS building renovations, the final design of the Wellness Clinic at Northgate was also approved and opened up for bids.

The renovation plan includes an additional five exam rooms, an overflow room, two offices, secure reception and waiting area, supply storage, pharmacy storage, a dedicated lab, a drug screening toilet in lab and a separate public restroom.

According to the plan by SmithSinnett, construction is projected to start in August with a 5-6 month completion window.

“I think it looks like a good location for this,” said Commissioner Hope Haywood. “I think in the long run it’s going to save us dollars, and I think the payoff will be to the benefit of our employees’ health and wellbeing.”

The board then held a public hearing about a potential economic development partnership for the Seagrove I-74 Truckstop, Pump Station and Force Main.

“Love’s Truck Stop has shown interest in this location, however, due to the sewer capacity at Seagrove, they’ve been unable to commit to the site,” said Paxton Arthurs. “If the proposed pump station can be routed to the Uwharrie Pump Station, which is supposed to be sent to Asheboro, then they’ve agreed to move forward with the project.”

Along with the sewer agreement, the proposal also includes an agreement from the county to fund $300,000 of the $800,000 projected total cost for the project through state-issued ARPA funds.

Following the hearing, the board approved the request.

The second hearing was for the county to act to approve the NC Railroad Grant for Ace Avant.

“In addition to supporting our existing industries throughout Randolph County by showing our appreciation for those industries and their commitment to our community, providing workforce development programs, and attracting and recruiting new industry to create jobs and spread that tax base, the EDC is also tasked with identifying potential development of industrial sites and buildings throughout Randolph County for the purposes of attracting new companies to our community,” said EDC Business Recruitment Director Crystal Gettys “The Highway 311 South site consists of 67.6 acres owned by Ace Avant and is already zoned Industrial Use with a potential of being rail served.

“The North Carolina Railroad Grant is a performance-based grant, and so the property must ultimately be conveyed to an industrial rail user. If the property is sold to a non-rail user, the grant provisions require the repayment of all or a portion of the grant.”

However, Ace Avant has already agreed to be responsible for any paybacks should the sale not go through to a rail user.

With that stipulation, the board agreed to grant the grant following the hearing.

The Randolph County Board of Commissioners will next meet July 10.

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Strong opinions expressed over proposed Randolph County ‘harm reduction’ plan

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ASHEBORO — Strong opinions were expressed during a faith-heavy discussion about a proposed “harm reduction” plan during a May 22 meeting of the Randolph County Opioid-Drug Community Collaborative.

The Collaborative was established through funding by the county board of commissioners in 2016. Per Jennifer Layton, assistant health director for Randolph County’s public health department, the Collaborative convened in 2017 with community partners to launch its coalition, and in the timespan between 2017 and 2019, the Collaborative began implementing its initial action plan.

The afternoon meeting was held at the AVS Catering and Banquet Center in Asheboro. The public information officer for Randolph County said the meeting had been posted on county social media platforms on May 18, and Layton said there was no public notice posted because it was a “coalition meeting.” Despite the short timeframe, an estimated crowd of nearly 150 showed up.

The main presentation on harm reduction was given by Jennifer Layton.

Remarks were also given by a panel consisting of Elizabeth Brewington, Manager of Health Programs for the N.C. Association of County Commissioners; Pastor Allen Murray of the Asheboro-area “Faith in Motion Ministries;” and Robi Cagle, the program coordinator for the Uwharrie Harm Reduction Initiative.

A tense and, at times, emotional question and answer session followed the presentations and remarks by the panel.

Several faith leaders from Randolph County and the Asheboro area expressed strong opposition to part of the harm reduction plan that involved a program that would supply clean needles to addicts, referred to as a syringe services program or SSP.

The General Assembly authorized SSP’s in 2016 to create needle and hypodermic syringe exchange programs. The intent of the law was an effort to promote “scientifically proven ways of mitigating health risks associated with drug use and other high-risk behaviors.”

Dr. Jonathan Burris, a pastor for the New Center Christian Church, located in Seagrove, cited the low rates of needles returned or collected associated with SSP’s. Burris said he was also a data scientist with his own consulting firm that works in the area of statistics, data analysis, artificial intelligence, and heuristics.

Randolph County Commissioner Darryl Frye opens the meeting up during the H.A.R.M reduction meeting.

“I like numbers. Numbers do not lie,” said Burris. He went on to cite the North Carolina Safer Syringe annual report from 2021 and 2022, which he said shows that “there are more needles and more naloxone being served to the same people year over year.”

Naloxone is a medication similar to Narcan, which rapidly reverses an opioid overdose.

“How is this not facilitating more drug addiction when only 5% are actually referred to treatment?” Burris asked. “In addition to that, we see that 19.4 million needles have been distributed. Only 6.9 million have been recovered. That means that 65% of that 19.4 million – over 12 million needles – are unaccounted for.”

Burris pressed the point, saying that he had heard Harm Reduction was collecting the needles, but wondered who had collected the needles from a “bucket” in front of a “local Asheboro business down the street” in the last year.

“It was not the folks doing the Harm Reduction,” said Burris. “It was the business owner.”

“I appreciate the sentiments here, but this is not the solution,” said Todd Nance, a pastor from Ramseur. “These people need help, but I don’t think clean needles is the solution.”

Other attendees, including the pastors present, spoke of finding used needles on the playground areas of their churches as well as drug deals going down at night in their church parking lots.

Layton referred to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services’ “Opioid and Substance Use Action Plan” as a basis for the work of the Collaborative. The state’s plan includes three components: prevention, reducing harm, and connecting with care.

One slide described the “core values” of Harm Reduction as overlapping the concepts of “love, compassion, and kindness,” while another billed Harm Reduction as “a social justice movement” to “respect the rights of people who use drugs,” and a “practical set of strategies” to reduce negative impacts of drug abuse.

Another slide cited 2021 statistics that 11 North Carolinians die each day of a drug overdose, and eight of those deaths were opioid-related. An additional statistic on the same slide cited 32,000 North Carolinians had died of a drug overdose between 2000 and 2021.

According to the Randolph County Opioid Resources data dashboard, there have been 257 drug overdoses resulting in 28 fatalities so far in 2023. The heat map associated with the 2023 data shows a concentration in Asheboro and in the High Point/Archdale area.

This chart displays details regarding the harm reduction plan.

The data for past years show a steady increase in both overdoses in the county, with 786 overdoses and 84 fatalities in 2022, 610 overdoses and 82 fatalities in 2021, 576 overdoses and 53 fatalities in 2020, and 664 overdoses resulting in 36 deaths in 2019.

The data dashboard does not indicate if the data is all opioid-related overdoses or if it includes other drugs.

Layton warned about making “dangerous assumptions” about the plan and directed those in attendance to “come ask questions from those doing the work.”

Part of Layton’s presentation included a short video of Reverend Michelle Mathis, the executive director of “Olive Branch Ministries,” a “faith-based harm reduction” organization that serves Allegheny, Ashe, Burke, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Lincoln, McDowell, and Watauga Counties. In the video, Mathis compares the story of Lazarus in the Bible to that of helping addicts recover, stating near the closing that “this work is messy but also miraculous.”

Rep. Neal Jackson (R-Randolph) was on hand to give an invocation at the start of the meeting, as were several of the county’s commissioners, including Chairman Darrell Frye and Kenny Kidd.

Frye opened the meeting with some brief comments which referenced the county commissioner’s intent to deal with the opioid crisis per its 2016 Strategic Plan and the $9,825,790 million in settlement money apportioned to Randolph County for funding the county’s opioid response.

In June 2022, N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein announced local governments would begin receiving the first payments from a $26 billion national opioid agreement with the nation’s three major drug distributors (Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen) and Johnson & Johnson. The release stated that the fund distribution could be accessed through the Community Opioid Resources Engine for North Carolina (CORE-NC).

Per the NC-CORE dashboard, so far, Randolph County has received $1,209,154 in two payments during 2022; $377,436 in the spring and $831,718 in the summer.

According to Frye, the over $9.8 million breaks down to $1 million in funding a year that will stretch for the next 18 years as a result of two settlements, one with Purdue Pharma and another dealing settlement money obtained from a lawsuit against distributors of opioids like CVS and Walgreens pharmacies.

“I don’t think the needle distribution program is a good idea, and I agree that if there’s a 150 people here, 100 of them came to say this needle thing is a crazy idea.”

Commissioner Kenny Kidd

Frye mentioned the settlement funds the county has received come with “directed issues and procedures to be followed.” According to the opioid settlement website, a Memorandum of Agreement offers local governments two options for spending the money. Option A is a list of 12 approved strategies to choose from. Option B is a “collaborative strategic planning process” that includes an expanded approved list of strategies.

“We can’t save a soul or rehabilitate a person who is dead,” Frye told the audience. He went on to say that “County Commissioners have not [yet] made decisions or directed any money. This is part of the conversation today.”

In an interview with North State Journal, Kidd said that while the Collaborative was convened to offer solutions, the commissioners would be the deciding factor in what strategies would ultimately be employed.

“The commissioners will decide what to do and what not to do,” said Kidd. “Ultimately, we will make the decision – the five of us.” He indicated the topic might be brought up at the next meeting of the board of commissioners in June.

“A month ago, they [the Collaborative] came to us with proposals for the $1.2 million dollars, and there are about eight different strategies they are going to address with the rollout of those $1.2 million dollars,” said Kidd. “The commissioners tabled it because we knew this meeting was coming up, and it would be a good time for public discussion.”

When asked about the majority of the meeting’s attendees opposing a needle program, Kidd said he “agreed with that assessment.”

Kidd also provided North State Journal with images of syringes found around the Asheboro area.

“It’s Randolph County… it’s a pretty conservative community,” said Kidd, noting the area is a strong, faith-based community. “I don’t think the needle distribution program is a good idea, and I agree that if there’s 150 people here, 100 of them came to say this needle thing is a crazy idea.”

“It is not condoning. It is not enabling,” Murray said during his panel remarks about providing support services, such as clean needles to addicts. “It’s giving them one more chance.”  He later added, “They’re [addicts] going to use anyway.”

Jennifer Layton, Assistant Health Director of Randolph County, talks during the H.A.R.M reduction meeting.

Murray’s Faith In Motion Ministries is relatively new and was formed as a non-profit in August 2021. Murray told North State Journal his organization is non-denominational.

During his comments, Murray also alluded to the fact he is a recovering addict and told the audience not to let politics become more important than people.

The panel did not include a representative of the “Community Hope Alliance,” which handouts for the meeting indicate is leading the harm reduction workgroup. The contact for Community Hope Alliance is Kelly Link, who may have been in attendance but was not on the panel.

Among the other materials given out was a “Stop the Stigma” flier offering alternative language to terms such as drug abuse, addicts, and junkies, as well as terms like clean and dirty needles. Instead, the flier suggested terms like “substance abuse disorder,” “person with substance abuse disorder,” and “sterile/used syringes.”

The next meeting of the Randolph County Opioid-Drug Community Collaborative is scheduled for July 24.

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Company departs Asheboro for Greensboro site

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ASHEBORO — Phase Change Solutions, which bills itself as a global leader in temperature control and energy efficient solutions and has been based in Asheboro, is establishing a U.S. headquarters in Greensboro, the company announced last week.

Incentives played a role in luring the company to Greensboro for its expansion, according to several reports.

Phase Change Solutions has been listed as an Asheboro company with a Pritchard Street address. Company officials didn’t return messages to provide clarity on any future role in Asheboro.

Triad Business Journal reported that the company will relocate from Asheboro.

Phase Change Solutions hasn’t been a member of the Asheboro/Randolph Chamber of Commerce.

The announcement from Phase Change Solutions said that a $4 million investment is being made for the new facility at 813 Winston St. in Greensboro. The company says that 51 new jobs will be created.

The move into Greensboro comes with incentives provided by Guilford County. A public hearing on this topic was held earlier this month.

The company also requested state and local incentives, and several Greensboro entities were on board.

“This expansion into Greensboro marks a significant milestone in our journey towards sustainable innovation,” Phase Change Solutions CEO Govi Rao said in a statement when the announcement was made. “The vibrant community and thriving business ecosystem in Greensboro provide the perfect foundation for us to further revolutionize energy efficiency and shape the future of advanced materials for thermal management solutions. Together, we will empower industries, homes, and the planet with our cutting-edge BioPCM technology that will make a lasting impact on both our local community and the world – moving us towards a circular economy.”

The company’s website says it uses “phase change materials that stabilize temperatures across a wide range of applications.”

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Asheboro Council approves issuance of Multifamily Housing Revenue bonds

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ASHEBORO — The Asheboro City Council met Thursday, May 4, with various property matters on the agenda.

The council first held a public hearing for a zoning request to rezone 1.4 acres located between 2307 and 2333 US Highway 64 East from R-40 Low-Density Residential to B2 General Commercial that was tabled at last month’s meeting.

“As we look at the city’s long-range plans and land development plans for guidance, this area is designated and has been designated for a good while as an employment center,” said Community Development Director Trevor Nuttall. “It’s intended to integrate a mixture of commercial, office and institutional industrial and open space uses with sidewalks, street trees, on-street parking, open space and that’s really intended as these utilities come online for the area. That is what the plan envisions for this area.”

Following the hearing, the council approved the rezoning request.

“I’ve advocated for years between the county and the city that some depth of all of [Highway] 64 is commercial,” said Mayor Pro Tem Walker Moffitt. “It should be zoned that way, and the housing become existing non-conforming as opposed to doing this one parcel at a time.”

The council then approved a resolution approving the issuance of Multifamily Housing Revenue bonds in an amount not to exceed $10.79 million by the Asheboro Housing Authority to finance improvements to the Asheboro Summit Apartments.

“As most of the council knows, this particular property has been a sore subject here in town,” said Mayor David Smith. “Our fire department has some real issues, the council hears about these issues, but unfortunately, we can’t do anything other than minimum code requirements because it’s a private property. So we welcome the opportunity to get that building rehabbed.”

The council also approved a resolution amending the Recreation Services Policy Manual Article XIV – Sunset Theatre to allow the Social District regulations to apply to events at the theatre as determined by the Recreation Services Director or their designee.

“This all stems from a previous conversation we had to have staff start looking into the possibility of alcohol at the theatre,” said Recreation Services Director Jonathan Sermon. “This can be based upon the event and if the organization that is renting the facility wants to take part in it or not.

“We already have two provisions that allow alcohol. One is for nonprofit fundraising events, and the other is for nonprofits to actually obtain an ABC permit and sell their own. So this is just an addition that allows for the extension of the ability to have alcohol at the theatre.”

The change applies to the Recreation Services Policy Manual, and it gives patrons the option to carry alcohol into the theatre from providers within the Social District at the discretion of whoever is renting the theatre.

The council then approved resolutions setting a date for public hearings for four annexation requests for properties located at 521 Kelly Circle, Zoo Parkway, across from the intersection of New Century Drive and Veterans Loop Road, and at the intersection of Old Cox Road and Old Humble Mill Road.

The council also approved a contract to purchase a parcel of land on North McCrary Street in order to erect McCrary Park Interstate signage.

“The city is looking to purchase property adjacent to McCrary Park and US Business 220 for interstate signage for the ballpark,” said Assistant City Engineer Spencer Patton, EIh. “The property is 0.249 undeveloped acres, and it was previously NCDOT excess right-of-way.”

“With setbacks, it’s not buildable, probably,” Smith said. “It’d be a challenge to build anything on it besides a sign.”

Along with the approved contract, the council approved a budget amendment of $16,000 from the General Fund to the McCrary Ballpark Fund for the property purchase.

The Asheboro City Council will next meet June 8.

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Commissioners approve construction of onsite medical clinic for employees

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ASHEBORO — The Randolph County Board of Commissioners met Monday, May 1, with multiple budgetary requests on the agenda.

The board first approved a $10,000 grant for the George Washington Carver College, Inc. after-school program.

“What we did was team up with Communities in Schools, Asheboro City Schools and the City of Asheboro,” said George Washington Carver Community Enrichment Center Chairman Clyde Faust. “We got Communities in Schools to go and help us find retired teachers that would help create a foundation for developing those study habits. Some professional teachers who are going to come in and who are going to help these middle school kids get those study habits that are so important.”

“The second part of the day is bringing in professional artists. In theater, we work with RhinoLeap Productions, and they bring in professionals in the theater department. We work with artists from UNC Greensboro who brought in professionals that teach dance. We brought in professional painters who are painting a mural for Russell Murphy, who was a community leader back in the 1970s and 1980s, and people in our after-school program are actually helping to create that mural. And why the arts? The arts teach you how to think outside the box. The arts teach you how to be original, how to speak up for yourself, how to have self-confidence.”

According to Faust, the program costs parents just $25 every three months and includes professional training from teachers and artists, a hot meal and a snack, and the Carver Center is a designated bus stop for both South Asheboro and North Asheboro Middle School.

The board also approved a contract renewal with Mediko, Inc for inmate medical services.

“As a part of the contract renewal, we are requesting an additional licensed nurse practitioner,” said Chief Deputy Aundrea Azelton. “This additional position would be responsible for completing medication distribution and medical screenings during intake. There is currently only one LPN who does those duties in addition to doing the daily inmate medical sick calls and attending to emergent medical needs of inmates. The new position would provide additional coverage Monday through Friday.”

The contract’s total cost is $1,420,762 for the year, which is a $26,000 increase from the base contract price last year.

The board also approved a new Human Services Planner/Evaluator II position.

“As the opioid settlement funding work has progressed, it has become very clear that Randolph County could benefit from having a human services planner or evaluator that would provide support for the settlement funds project, including implementation of strategies and compliance with the North Carolina Memorandum of Agreement and any activities approved by this board,’ said Public Health Director Tara Aker. “The HR planner or evaluator will work closely with the organizations that apply for and receive funding.”

The board then approved the abolishment and subsequent reformation of the Farmer Fire Tax District in order to remove the $0.15 cent tax cap that had previously been put on the districts.

Farmer is the final district to be approved for the change, which will not affect the area of service, nor is it an actual tax increase.

The board also approved the funding and construction of an on-site medical clinic at Northgate Wellness Center for employees and their dependents that Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist will staff.

“There are many advantages to having an on-site medical clinic,” said Wellness Administrator Sam Varner. “Number one, probably the most important, is reduced healthcare costs which will save the county money. It will also improve employee productivity. Having an on-site medical clinic will definitely improve the retention of our current employees. It will improve access to quality medical care, especially for our at-risk employees. It will also reduce the annual biometrics screening cost.”

The approved cost from the county is $405,000, with a $50,000 startup cost. The design for the clinic will be done by Smith-Sinnett Architecture.

“All in all, the research from four independent studies states that for every dollar we invest in an on-site medical clinic, we will save $3 on healthcare savings,” Varner said.

Finally, the board approved a renewal of its Microsoft 365 contract totaling $888,600.

“With all the hacking that’s going on today, it’s a protection for our employees and the citizens of this county too,” said Chairman Darell Frye. “There’s a lot of records that are kept in this county. A lot of personal records are in our system here.”

The Randolph County Board of Commissioners will next meet June 5.

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Rep. Richard Hudson announces 2023 Congressional Art Competition

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U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (R-NC) announced on Monday that his Southern Pines and Fayetteville office will be accepting submissions from North Carolina’s 9th District for the 2023 Congressional Art Competition.

“The Congressional Art Competition is a great way to showcase the talent of our District’s high school students, and I look forward to seeing this year’s submissions,” said Hudson.

Each spring, a nation-wide high school arts competition is sponsored by the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Artistic Discovery Contest is an opportunity to recognize and encourage the artistic talent in the nation, as well as in our congressional district. Since it began in 1982, over 650,000 high school students have participated in the competition.

The 2023 Congressional Art Competition is open to all high school students from North Carolina’s 9th District. The overall winner of the district’s competition will have their artwork displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol. In addition, the second and third-place winners will have their artwork displayed in Hudson’s offices.

Art entered in the contest may be up to 26 inches by 26 inches when framed, and may be up to 4 inches in depth. Types of artwork accepted include: 

Paintings – including oil, acrylics, and watercolor

Drawings – including pastels, pencil, colored pencil, charcoal, ink, and markers

Prints – including lithographs, silkscreen, and block prints

Mixed Media

Collages 

Computer-Generated Art

Photography

All entries must be original in concept, design and execution and may not violate U.S. copyright laws. Work cannot be copied from an existing photo or image that was created by someone other than the student. Work must be in its original medium and cannot be a scanned reproduction of a painting or drawing. Art does not need to be framed upon submission, and our office will frame the winning piece before it is sent to Washington, D.C. Artwork that is potentially inappropriate for display in the Capitol will not be considered. This determination will be made by a panel.

Artwork must be submitted to the Southern Pines or Fayetteville District Offices by 5 pm on Friday, April 28, with a completed 2023 Student Release Form, which can be found online at https://hudson.house.gov/services/art-competition.

Randolph County Commissioners

Board of Commissioners approves Medical Assisted Therapy for addiction issues in Randolph County Detention Center

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ASHEBORO — The Randolph County Board of Commissioners met Monday, March 6, with various funding requests on the agenda for potential action.

The board first approved a contract amendment with Mediko for Medical Assisted Therapy in the Randolph County Detention Center.

“This is the use of medications in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, which is effective in the treatment of opioid use disorders and can help some people to sustain recovery,” said Chief Deputy Aundrea Azelton. “Funding would provide the service of two MAT nurses to assist in the administration of the program.”

The medications included being Suboxone, which is a tablet that works by blocking the receptors in the brain that crave opioids without activating them; Sublocade, a monthly injection and a derivative of Suboxone; and Vivitrol, which is also a monthly injection and binds to opioid receptors in the brain and helps prevent relapses.

The contract is for $95,736 and will run from April to June, but will then be packaged in the contract renewal with Mediko in July.

The board was also presented with a funding request from Friends of the Historic Patterson Cottage Museum for $15,725 in strategic planning funds to help purchase materials needed to display artifacts in the Liberty Heritage Museum.

“The Friends is in the process of creating the Liberty Heritage Museum by remodeling the old Liberty Hardware building,” said Ad Hoc Board Member Warren Dixon. “While remodeling, we were hit by two unexpected expenses.”

“The first was a new HVAC system. The hardware store had a heating unit that hung down from the ceiling. It turned out to be totally inadequate to heat the museum, plus it created a sight barrier and was a safety hazard. So we installed a new HVAC system at the cost of $16,125. Secondly, we didn’t plan on doing any immediate remodeling to the upstairs, which has a completely separate entrance from the street, but some of the windows were faulty and were allowing birds and other critters and rain to enter the building. We were forced to replace the 21 windows at a cost of $12,000. These added unexpected expenses, over $28,000, have forced us to seek additional funds.”

Following the presentation, the board approved the funding request.

The board then approved the addition of two Cooperative Extension positions, Local and Community Food Systems Agent and Digital Literacy and Skills Agent, to the county budget. The positions had previously been funded through ARPA dollars, but the need arose to move them into the county budget.

“Currently, there are 12% of residents in Randolph County that suffer from food access issues, and 21% of children live in poverty,” said Cooperative Extension Director Kenny Sherin. “Our Local Food Systems agent has done an amazing job helping farmers connect with markets and helping people connect with local healthy, fresh food.”

“There’s also recently been a study released by the National Skills Coalition called Closing the Digital Skill Divide. That study states that 92% of all jobs require some type of digital skills, meaning the ability to use computers. About 75% of people have those skills, but there’s still a lot of room to make up in getting people the skills that are needed. So the Digital Literacy and Skills agent will help our Randolph County residents of all ages gain those digital skills to be able to earn, learn or be well in Randolph County.”

The final action that the board took was to postpone the public hearing for the Farmer Fire Tax District restructuring till the May meeting so that residents could be properly notified after an error occurred with the mailing lists.

The Randolph County Board of Commissioners will next meet April 6.

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State Health Plan releases all documents related to third-party contract change

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RALEIGH — All documents related to the change from Blue Cross Blue Shield NC to Aetna as the State Health Plan’s third-party administrative services contract (TPA) are now publicly available. 

Last week, the State Health Plan (SHP) published all of the materials, including requests for proposals (RFP) and the responses, on a specially created transparency page on its website.

“We are the most transparent and open agency in state government,” Treasurer Dale Folwell said in a statement. “I cannot be prouder of the work done by the staff of the State Health Plan and the bipartisan State Health Plan Board of Trustees. This contract doesn’t change the body or engine of the State Health Plan; it is just a modernization of the transmission. We look forward to Blue Cross finishing their current contract strong and facilitating a seamless transition to Aetna.”

The documents on the transparency page include details on the procurement process that led to the change in the contract as well as a timeline of events surrounding the move to Aetna.

The repository of documents has already revealed differences in how Aetna and Blue Cross responded to the RFP, which has ramifications for patient billing and transparency.

One of the RFP requirements related to the assignment of benefits payments states, “Upon request, Vendor will pay all claims, including non-network claims, based on the assignment of benefits.” On that item, Blue Cross checked “no,” while Aetna checked “yes.”

In other words, Blue Cross pays the patient directly instead of sending payment to an out-of-network provider. 

That practice has been criticized as a means of funneling subscribers to Blue Cross’ preferred providers, but also for creating a potentially bad situation where patients are sent a check but end up spending that cash on things other than treatments or surgeries.

During a Feb. 7 call with media, Folwell noted that his office had received a number of records requests for the documents. He said the production of records and posting of the materials online had been held up by the entities protesting the contract change; Blue Cross and UMR, Inc. The treasurer said his office had been in a holding pattern while waiting for those groups to make redactions.  

“ I don’t think there’s been any other state agency who was responded this completely in this quickly to these inquiries as we’re about to today,” Folwell told North State Journal during the media call. “And I think it’ll present a lot of sunshine to folks like you who will really have a full understanding of how this process has gone down over the last year or so.”

Last December, the State Health Plan Board of Trustees voted unanimously to award the TPA contract to Aetna. The contract is for a three-year service period beginning Jan. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2027. The contract has an option for two, one-year renewal terms. Until Aetna takes over, Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina will continue to be the Plan’s claims processor.

The move to Aetna was announced in early January, with Folwell’s office estimating $140 million in administrative savings with the move and that a partnership with Aetna will lower costs and provide better transparency.

Blue Cross Blue Shield NC and UMR, Inc. both filed protests over the change, which were rejected by the SHP. Future legal action is likely based on statements made by both of the protesting parties. 

The State Health Plan covers some 740,000 state employees, teachers and retirees and is a division of the Department of State Treasurer.

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Asheboro Council approves rezoning request for development on Golda Avenue

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ASHEBORO — The Asheboro City Council met Thursday, February 9, with one public hearing and a few funding items on the agenda.

The council opened the meeting with a public hearing that was continued at last month’s meeting for a rezoning application for a property on Golda Avenue in order to construct a multi-family development.

“This is an application filed by Darren Lucas, who is the owner of the property,” said Community Development Director Trevor Nuttall. “It is a request to take the property from a medium-density residential district (R10) to a high-density (RA6) conditional zoning district for a multi-family development. It’s about 8.5 acres in size, and the property is currently undeveloped.”

Since the January meeting, the applicant made some changes to the plan in order to placate the concerns brought up at that meeting.

Some of those changes included the reduction of total units from 46 to 44, the addition of at least 10 more feet of landscaping buffer on the western property line, and the full continuation of a sidewalk around the property.

However, one of the biggest concerns over the project was the projected traffic impact on a road that already needed improvements.

“Since last month’s meeting, city staff has met to make a recommendation in terms of roadway improvements that would make sense for Golda Avenue in light of its current conditions and in light of this proposal,” Nuttall said. “The staff’s recommendation is for a roadway with new asphalt to be applied to Golda Avenue at either the conclusion of the construction of this project, so as to not damage new surfacing that we may put down, or if the project doesn’t move forward, for the city to do that project as we had originally identified.”

So according to Nuttall, the city will be responsible for repaving and widening Golda Avenue, but will wait for the completion of the project so that the heavy trucks and machinery do not destroy the repaving.

Following the hearing, the council voted to approve the rezoning request.

“I think the concerns of those who were primarily in opposition were relative to the access as it related to Golda Avenue and secondary to Lamar Avenue and then also the closeness and proximity to the back of those properties on Lamar Avenue,” said Councilmember Clark Bell I think the developer has tried to address those and the city has addressed the width of Golda on a consistent basis.” 

The council then approved a memorandum of understanding with the North Carolina Department of Commerce to allocate $55 million in funding to construct a water transmission line to the Chatham Advanced Manufacturing Site once a deal between Wolfspeed and the Chamber of Commerce is finalized.

“We have been heavily involved in the economic development for the Chatham Advanced Manufacturing Site,” said Water Resources Director Michael Rhoney. “Particularly the Wolfspeed project. The state has allocated $55 million to the city of Asheboro to construct a water transmission line to the site. In the August meeting, I came to you to share that we were going to contract with Piedmont Triad Regional Council to let them help us provide professional services and do strategic management so that we can get all the players in Randolph County, the municipalities, the county and ourselves, together to figure out a plan and to get the water line from here to there. The department of commerce needs the city to sign a memorandum of understanding so that we have the agreement with them in place.”

The council then approved two change orders relating to the Zoo City Sportsplex Project.

The first was Change Order Number 6 from Terry’s Plumbing and Utilities, which adds $698,496.73 for additional rock removal, an additional retaining wall, additional grading, concrete work, conduit for electrical lines, final grading around fields 5-8 from turf installation, additional change order work for fields 3-4, and fencing.

The second was Change Order Number 7 from Terry’s Plumbing and Utilities, which is $402,260 for seven picnic shelters.

“Those are seven picnic shelters, and a couple of them are really large, like 50 or 60 feet long and 30 or 40 feet wide,” said Mayor David Smith. “They’re various sizes, and they’ll be all over the place.”

The final action was to approve the allocation of $75,000 from the fund balance in order to finance a tribute band concert series.

“We’re requesting funding for a partnership with Downtown Asheboro, Inc for the second year of a four-band, Friday night tribute concert series,” said Finance Director Deborah Reaves. “It was very successful in 2022, and so the city and DAI are partnering again to do that in 2023. Our bands are 1964, which is a Beatles tribute band in May; the Petty Breakers, which is a Tom Petty tribute band in July; On the Border, which is an Eagles tribute band in August; and a Stevie Wonder tribute band.”

The City of Asheboro Council will next meet March 9.

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