[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6677935,"mediaKeyId","2171713-e57aaffff51508b92014c25b0795f4f5","parentId",2171713,"title","Votes at a glance: Swain County commissioners approve local agreement, permit fee and reuse grant; several operational items advanced","audioSeconds",3094,"startMs",2156000,"endMs",5250000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2171713-e57aaffff51508b92014c25b0795f4f5&start=2156&end=5250","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2171713-e57aaffff51508b92014c25b0795f4f5/thumbnail_2156000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6677935/Swain-County/North-Carolina/Votes-at-a-glance-Swain-County-commissioners-approve-local-agreement-permit-fee-and-reuse-grant-several-operational-items-advanced","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6677935-09716de9e40d465d4abefde55127c035/orig.mp4?Expires=1771176329&Signature=KAfQnFlvDnOPMpoecTtRZ2AYPx-MmXS~tKeeEJ3FVB8v8ql7GY0Ge80tVO3puoJdSME7-mJXukYRUkTeEZEInmYUIFPGR6dpMFV1AnsxtK~seZz0HSkvJgJGrYHQ8jadmfuE6WgJBqy2HFuKR~O7L-I~qH3XYwHcUmL5NQw4csnxRlAoBhrWLQ77GNgt-RQLQG-qO7q8rLMhsXDfP3EiCCxhFSb2jVVGPVE62S5miHRYxal6iqO5WtSlHudQOS0kpaBbUG6qcPVeeWZ6dG35Ev7jzK8zP~~0rj6vOdTWGz9pttVdQ99lcikEpcoJwEM93LHaVhAgsEIPdZgrsSQQZQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Swain County","date","2025-01-01T05:11:57.997Z","article","The Swain County Board of Commissioners took a series of votes on multiple agenda items, approving a local agreement to advance a proposed middle school project, setting a one-time permit fee for state-issued ABC permits, authorizing a building reuse grant match, and taking other routine actions.

Key votes and outcomes

- Local agreement for proposed middle school: Passed. The board voted to accept a local agreement to proceed with selection of a construction manager-at-risk, topographical and geotechnical surveys, and related preconstruction work. Exact roll-call counts were not specified in the transcript; the chair announced the motion as passing.

- Arthur encroachment agreement (private property encroachment): Passed. The board considered options for a 0.7-acre parcel with a porch encroaching on county-owned land and moved to leave the situation as-is, allowing the current use to continue; the motion to leave the property unchanged passed.

- Library bid for the Mariana Black (library) project: Passed (motion to negotiate). The board authorized staff and the library board to negotiate with the low bidder to try to reduce the bid to a feasible contract amount rather than rebidding immediately.

- ABC permit fee (one-time fee to sign local paperwork for state-issued permits): Passed unanimously. The board set a one-time local fee of $150 to cover inspection/processing when local sign-off is required for the state permit.

- Building reuse grant resolution (Native American Grooming business): Passed. The county agreed to provide a 5% local match (about $2,500) to a $50,000 Department of Commerce building reuse grant for a business renovating a former pizza location; the match will be paid from economic development funds.

- Minutes (Nov. 19 regular session): Passed. The board approved the minutes as presented.

- Representation agreement with county attorney (post-closed session): Passed, 4–1. Commissioners approved a representation agreement with the county attorney after the meeting’s closed session; the transcript records the vote as passing 4 to 1.

- County manager contract negotiations: No decision. The board discussed the county manager contract in closed session and reported that negotiations were ongoing with no action taken.

Other items: The board discussed a sheriff’s vehicle with a blown motor and directed staff to place a budget-amendment item on the next meeting agenda for consideration of repair versus replacement.

Provenance: Each vote is recorded in the meeting transcript at the times indicated in the provenance list below.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Swain County Commissioners - December 17, 2024","oneSentenceSummary","Swain County commissioners approved several motions including a local agreement to advance a proposed middle school project, a $150 one-time local permit fee and a $2,500 match for a $50,000 Department of Commerce building reuse grant.","taxTitle","Swain County, North Carolina","taxId",73855,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6677939,"State of Franklin Health Council outlines senior services growth, transit demand and job-placement program",533,1343000,1876000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2171713-e57aaffff51508b92014c25b0795f4f5&start=1343&end=1876","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2171713-e57aaffff51508b92014c25b0795f4f5/thumbnail_1343000.jpg","/articles/6677939/Swain-County/North-Carolina/State-of-Franklin-Health-Council-outlines-senior-services-growth-transit-demand-and-job-placement-program","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6677939-0b8ff0afc90c33ea3265c7ee27b9de17/orig.mp4?Expires=1771176329&Signature=Tt1XW08ra9ENNKs7lHdbm6UVrk7xx~rH5mvA4gOWvnsADORK6AZFH-aQegI5slu1No-~k7oAIT4E3R1Xs6rtrz8ZbDPrzi0aypqT3xDVfaMieeTK5hT~wuW5Wn2IaVZewaxLawwg-G7tpoh67bTQ4aRZv-ElEaGF5Mt~brSYvISTAuUrSKZEp0M5pZLyXoNd7nBPs-2byYGqfTDFhftZiPKM6kDV96rARD07FaP5YPD3fssKfq4reTkNfeOJ2A~v~kMVHqYioAPlfTD0TyQ4FohAPZmGbSevdhmq~VK4Gui2csmz4eum1Bty8f4kDFceaTqWjijpPKBp~haDRO3hjg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lisa Loftus, director of the State of Franklin Health Council, presented an overview of the nonprofit’s three programs in Swain County — the senior center, transit and the Senior Community Service Employment Program (CSEP) — and asked for continued county partnership as demand rises.

Loftus said the Swain Senior Center serves approximately 75 older adults daily, including about 50 home-delivered meal clients and about 25 congregate clients who attend the center for meals, exercise programs and social activities. She said the center’s nutrition funding comes from the Home and Community Care Block Grant routed through the state and the area agency on aging, Southwestern Commission, and that the county provides a roughly 10% match for nutrition funding.

On transit, Loftus said the system now serves all county residents in need of transportation and operates Monday through Friday roughly from 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. She said transit employs six full-time drivers and one part-time driver, that operating funding includes state DOT grants with a county match, and that the DOT operating match runs about 50% (administrative match is about 15%). Loftus provided year-over-year usage statistics: medical trips increased by 47%, shopping trips by 53% and employment trips by 138% compared with the prior year.

Loftus also described the CSEP program, a Department of Labor–funded grant administered through the Center for Workforce Inclusion that places unemployed low-income residents age 55 and older in training positions with nonprofit and government partners. She noted CSEP participants may be veterans or people at risk of homelessness and said the program’s wage rules follow the state minimum wage cited in the presentation.

Loftus highlighted demographic context, saying roughly 27% of Swain County residents are age 60 or older, and asked the board for continued partnership as the nonprofit seeks ways to expand services in the face of rising demand, higher vehicle and fuel costs and limited revenue growth.

Provenance: The presentation began when Lisa Loftus introduced the State of Franklin Health Council and concluded after commissioners’ questions about veterans and program details.

","Lisa Loftus, director of the State of Franklin Health Council, briefed the Swain County Board on senior-center meals, transit ridership growth and a Department of Labor–funded senior employment program, highlighting rising demand and funding structures.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6677943,"Swain County commissioners approve local agreement to advance proposed middle school project",562,419000,981000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2171713-e57aaffff51508b92014c25b0795f4f5&start=419&end=981","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2171713-e57aaffff51508b92014c25b0795f4f5/thumbnail_419000.jpg","/articles/6677943/Swain-County/North-Carolina/Swain-County-commissioners-approve-local-agreement-to-advance-proposed-middle-school-project","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6677943-82f20773fe93c1fb325306a737b1537a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771176329&Signature=o00-IGRBAVFf6EmpupOW8yIT8NVtxbo8wQkUQs3Z6uZ3fqs4RMzu7Sqw8O7jdPY6AAx3-gXpkmyN4TynAOxH1XvNgknVEwwZOYmxCsLUC9dIRJ0ptGqsuFSQn1O~Q5Sd5z~65aWlLziesdzfVwChMqY10eXTz0xgr~3JSxE8LGpe6pDBwAu9Kbyri4jGKJXu6oOK8qp7QhduksRLmwQBH5xfAjxREYLf72kpFTVvIpXJlc6ELQ9oZJ6tYd0pspN~c9YTQx3wZwDdOscmfJAynTsSvR3h1ibdV~XOVCcR4K-8UhK6dEDLMLljBA-Yg6pmMWTGAIu3ClZpXz9Dh6ELDA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Swain County commissioners voted to accept a local agreement on a proposed middle school project that moves the county into the next design and preconstruction steps.

The agreement, approved after a motion and second, directs staff to proceed with selection of a construction manager-at-risk (CMAR), commission topographical and geotechnical surveys and to complete outstanding site-clearance obligations spelled out in the property purchase agreement. A county official said hazardous-material abatement on the building has already been carried out.

The vote followed discussion about required studies and near-term tasks needed to keep the project on schedule. A county speaker said, “we need to do some borings. Those things need to happen, really quickly,” and noted a topographical survey is necessary because “a standard survey is not going to work for this” given the site terrain.

Why it matters: approving the local agreement lets Swain County use matching funds and proceed to design and construction-management selection, steps the commissioners said are necessary to preserve a state construction grant opportunity.

Commissioners discussed the project budget and related infrastructure needs. One commissioner described the state grant as “this $52,000,000 that we got” and another county official said a separate figure of $54.6 million is “for construction and the completion of a turnkey project within the boundaries of that property.” Commissioners also discussed a proposed county match and where matching money would come from; one speaker proposed using interest earnings in an account to provide the local match and tying the facility’s identity to the North Shore funding as a legacy project for future generations.

Commissioners raised concerns about sewer and water for the site. A county official cautioned the state grant rules prevent using the grant “for anything outside of the boundaries of the property,” and a superintendent present told the board he had prior engineering estimates for sewer and water in the neighborhood of $6,000,000 (he described those figures as from earlier work and not necessarily current). The superintendent said the school system is pursuing outside funding and has commitments from state legislators to help identify additional money and that the county and town will meet next year to narrow infrastructure plans.

The board also discussed naming the facility. One commissioner proposed naming it to reflect the North Shore funding; another commissioner recommended naming it “Swain County Middle School.” Commissioners agreed the naming decision need not be finalized at the same meeting as accepting the local agreement.

Action and next steps: the board approved the local agreement and instructed staff to continue with surveys, geotechnical borings and work with the CMAR and architect on design. The board directed that sewer and water requirements be coordinated with the town and other funding partners. No final design contract or construction contract was authorized at this meeting.

Provenance: Discussion of the local agreement and site preparations began in the transcript at the start of the provided excerpt and concluded when the board confirmed the vote to accept the local agreement.

","The Swain County Board of Commissioners voted to accept a local agreement that advances site preparation, selection of a construction manager-at-risk and early design work for a proposed middle school; commissioners discussed required surveys, borings, hazardous-material abatement and matching funds.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Swain County commissioners approve local agreement, permit fee and reuse grant; several operational items advanced

State of Franklin Health Council outlines senior services growth, transit demand and job-placement program

Swain County commissioners approve local agreement to advance proposed middle school project