[{"_1":2,"_109":-5,"_110":-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",[32,76,88,99],{"_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":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6012681,"mediaKeyId","5796876-2373d1f4daef5d5fddcc0f1a22722c85","parentId",5796876,"title","Public commenters criticize county handling of school consulting contract and call for transparency","audioSeconds",282,"startMs",1197000,"endMs",1479000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5796876-2373d1f4daef5d5fddcc0f1a22722c85&start=1197&end=1479","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5796876-2373d1f4daef5d5fddcc0f1a22722c85/thumbnail_1197000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6012681/North-Carolina/Public-commenters-criticize-county-handling-of-school-consulting-contract-and-call-for-transparency","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6012681-7d54fd85297e599b9135a469475e712e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770509462&Signature=KXeazemrczWWchkjsR7Nr8ivwxp2VJ8aJ3nkJ8rS~Z3fEQ3c8axLjNFvU8k4QEBjgErEFvpckAUy73LEmsNtyGky5aBMtfGjVCR~D3H-SdyjuJPe4SwbWMQJ1Ltl04I99qpTOS6XKAvknljJE~c-xBqlBL8GFQXWonOD4wxEfMd4mNRTu9GuqdtefjKkXFfKwoxU9O5jHMSkrtp7sd~7oYN676v9SP6mrmXSO40VsyVmXjljkL8buw1wV6ggcVzRXvk6TpuFju4qR-Y3Wr8yzojYRlpA~XpNtcPre1jSQJcMqc8d0tOpGFefuaIP-DrjNIi33r-Cu1tjE~q2cpNCuQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Rockingham County, NC","date","2025-09-03T11:06:31Z","article","Several members of the public used the Sept. 2 public comment period to press Rockingham County commissioners on transparency and a consulting contract the speakers associated with former superintendent Rodney Shotwell.

Doug Eisley, who identified himself as a county resident, said the county had \"refused to even place this issue on the agenda\" in earlier years and accused commissioners of political timing now that construction is under discussion. Eisley criticized what he called duplicate studies, saying the school board paid Cropper GIS $57,500 in 2024 for an enrollment and facilities study and that the county packet included a separate $10,000 contract for work by Shotwell. \"That's $67,500 taxpayer money for duplicate studies,\" he said.

Eisley also alleged conflicts of interest, including a claim that Commissioner Hall owns Cirrus Construction and could profit from projects the commissioner might vote to fund. \"That appears to be textbook conflict of interest,\" he said. The county attorney and commissioners spoke during Eisley's remarks to dispute some of his statements.

Jim Fink and Lynn Knight, other commenters, echoed calls for transparency and questioned the timing and process of the contract. Fink said the contract had been in the packet and was later pulled: \"There's a deal on the table. The next minute, nobody knows where it went,\" he said. Knight noted prior studies, including an NC State study and the $57,500 Cropper report, and said repeating work or commissioning new reports may indicate distrust of previous results.

At the start of the meeting the chair said item 5b had been removed from the consent agenda after discussions with staff. The removal and commenters' objections were framed as concerns over whether the county followed qualifications-based procurement (the Brooks Act was cited by a speaker) and whether the contract's scope aligned with Department of Public Instruction grant requirements; a commenter noted the Shotwell scope was dated July 22 while DPI guidance cited in the packet was dated Aug. 18 and asked how the earlier scope could meet later guidance.

Why it matters: Speakers portrayed the contract and its placement in the consent agenda as an example of insufficient transparency and urged commissioners to openly debate consultant contracts and procurement before the public. No formal board action on the contract occurred during the meeting; the consent agenda was approved after item 5b was removed.

Attribution: Allegations of conflicts and duplication were raised by public commenters and are reported here as their statements. The board did not adopt or confirm the factual claims during the meeting record.

Next steps: With item 5b removed from the consent agenda and public commenters requesting more information, the issue could return to a future agenda for formal discussion; the meeting record does not show a scheduled follow-up date.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Rockingham County Board of Commissioners Meeting | *Tuesday, September 2, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Public commenters used the Sept. 2 Rockingham County meeting to criticize a consulting contract connected to former superintendent Rodney Shotwell, call the contract placement on the consent agenda \"hidden,\" and question whether procurement and conflict-of-interest rules were followed.","taxTitle","Rockingham County Board of Commissioners Meetings, Rockingham County, North Carolina","taxId",73553,"location","North Carolina","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6012686,"Commissioners approve $2 million toward Mayodan wastewater plant expansion",136,784000,920000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5796876-2373d1f4daef5d5fddcc0f1a22722c85&start=784&end=920","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5796876-2373d1f4daef5d5fddcc0f1a22722c85/thumbnail_784000.jpg","/articles/6012686/North-Carolina/Commissioners-approve-2-million-toward-Mayodan-wastewater-plant-expansion","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6012686-4505b665aaa03306b1b1bdb07497f97e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770509462&Signature=iVr~S05Mq0h5agJo7iMx2RAsUIwkS28~Qg7mkAv0nrE4aFd2-PN9C4RcdoPyHKplZjH3Oq5~SKeTu4KJJnCoGRRqCqS~dYAhROGSGS~zJ8m42K-CnfwWvwNapsQIoCOcwWC1oAEI6WnzOjnLoaMGs3LWW0wSTTpETuqCzwsfmLli8ydOfQ-jEgB~6VgrTayrGqSP3GlLCSRSGjzkZJCYTeJyFvb5EKyQuDDDoujL5FyFBeO9vKsuOt5lir3TPltLYmXwJJFrmqtMQ4SCuMPOuW8JKNugG~z7zdjc0ibd75zXsDBmoOfn8WRTosCZGnWADNyIOLR~GBLaqqdrudiIqA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rockingham County commissioners on Sept. 2 approved a request from the Town of Mayodan for a $2 million contribution to an expansion of the Mayodan Wastewater Treatment Plant, adding 200,000 gallons per day (gpd) to the county's sewer capacity allocation. The motion was made by Commissioner Richardson, seconded by Commissioner Barrow, and approved by voice vote.

The Town of Mayodan's town manager, Melody Schueller, told the board the project would raise the plant's capacity from 3.0 million gallons per day (MGD) to 4.5 MGD and that the lowest bidder withdrew after the 60-day period. \"They've confirmed that they will hold their bid until September 30,\" Schueller said, referring to the second-lowest bidder, State Utility Contractors. Schueller said the new low bid of about $16.1 million left the project roughly $2 million over the town's budget.

Schueller said Mayodan offered to allocate 200,000 gpd of additional sewer capacity to Rockingham County in exchange for the county's contribution, and that the county's charge for capacity would be in line with the existing contract: about $10 per gallon per day, as presented to the board. County Manager Lance Metzler clarified that the proposed county contribution would come from Office of State Budget and Management funds, not local tax revenue: \"That was the, office of state budget management funds,\" he said.

Commissioner Hall asked for confirmation that the price per gallon for the additional capacity matched the county's current rate; Schueller confirmed it was \"in line with your contract as it stands currently.\" Schueller also said the county had previously paid $7.5 million toward capacity and that the new contribution would add the 200,000 gpd to that prior contribution.

The board's approval was a recommendation from the Town of Mayodan that the county accept the town's suggestion and provide the additional funds so the project could proceed without rebidding. Schueller warned that if the county did not make the contribution the town would have to re-bid the project and that the next proposal could come back higher.

Why it matters: Schueller said the expansion will support residential, commercial and industrial development in Mayodan and western Rockingham County by increasing sewer infrastructure capacity. The county's added capacity would be formally allocated to the county under the terms described at the meeting.

Next steps: The board approved the contribution by voice vote; no separate roll-call tally was recorded in the public proceedings. The town and county will proceed under the bid-hold timeline the town described.

","Rockingham County commissioners voted to provide $2 million toward the Town of Mayodan's wastewater treatment plant expansion, adding 200,000 gallons per day of sewer capacity to the county's allocation and using Office of State Budget and Management funds, commissioners and staff said.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_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":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6012671,"Board moves to closed session to consult attorney on pending litigation",0,2438000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5796876-2373d1f4daef5d5fddcc0f1a22722c85&start=2438&end=2438","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5796876-2373d1f4daef5d5fddcc0f1a22722c85/thumbnail_2438000.jpg","/articles/6012671/North-Carolina/Board-moves-to-closed-session-to-consult-attorney-on-pending-litigation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6012671-d5a9db7da046235e19f66b3143fecc24/orig.mp4?Expires=1770509462&Signature=Z7AOdKDK9SR7AhOCnyffNWe77SCcsca7Ayw8pUr9IuDqtHIfBd3BGwRD0G-pl7rVfi8WeiuxAkFzUiIYnh1tv00i08np9aX4qA0xLFDcOh3xL7MMVAJ5oYplu4SQOWYVO5FMgkh3acLk-H6PQd12ZDUJAPsQdxjJ2Ov639yS4NdCzgZBV4~UWSA3wT7eZpOL5plO6fghoI1T2HLoVWqvWYTi~ZTk1QXH-6HQskilSgDVRiIYmIhKmMiQ42fVqyXWadwPZ0z-Evworz0l0vG2oe1FoxveCZmeuQTkFFlLTVhAWuzxleEd2O7N-Xh9hCyPaHhoviG5mmQIZSEIg0m4YQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rockingham County commissioners voted to enter closed session on Sept. 2 to approve closed-session minutes and consult with counsel about a pending lawsuit. The motion cited North Carolina statutes N.C. Gen. Stat. \u0000a7 143-318.11(a)(1) (personnel) and \u0000a7 143-318.11(a)(3) (consultation with the attorney).

The item described litigation in the matter captioned in the meeting record as Melissa Eford, personal representative of the estate of Kyle Barrett Kepley, plaintiff v. Rockingham County Sheriff Samuel Scott Page (in his official capacity) and several named individuals and entities. The motion to go into closed session was made by Commissioner Kjellum and seconded by Commissioner Barrow; the board approved by voice vote. A county attorney present said the board did not anticipate taking any action after the closed session.

Why it matters: The board used statutory authority to consult privately with legal counsel about litigation. The meeting record shows the board approved entering closed session under the cited statutory provisions and recorded the parties named in the complaint.

Next steps: The board entered closed session; the public record contained no additional action on the matter at the open meeting.

","The Rockingham County Board of Commissioners voted to enter closed session under N.C. Gen. Stat. \u0000a7 143-318.11(a)(1) and (a)(3) to approve closed session minutes and consult the attorney about a pending case naming the county and several individuals; the board anticipated no action on return, the attorney said.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":91,"_43":102,"_45":102,"_47":103,"_49":104,"_51":105,"_53":106,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":107,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":108,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6012676,"Commissioner urges residents to help with foster family shortage, cites 172 children in care",2205000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5796876-2373d1f4daef5d5fddcc0f1a22722c85&start=2205&end=2205","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5796876-2373d1f4daef5d5fddcc0f1a22722c85/thumbnail_2205000.jpg","/articles/6012676/North-Carolina/Commissioner-urges-residents-to-help-with-foster-family-shortage-cites-172-children-in-care","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6012676-9e3e0ca42069511375111bf923ee3b05/orig.mp4?Expires=1770509462&Signature=l8lUy~8URpOcOIZCvJ0d7xlQkS1ipej17hABw-9uxT3maeHvohY97kXpfdOmPKWpP6LLKKyWesABxT-VIWMQFBEd8DzRkSecCoIq9AtHYf2EEFuCn3Kg5g1sSI5x8w0Ydo9wRDg1hP1TfX6y4tjcgi-erJwTtZlyx1HAi7AIGHwFtDoASZim-7Y4z~cHa2Yp1SrZzjUZ8N~XPQMEImZT7LkMLd7Y7tVrQRV~rfsrbAGZbsgGxLJReVcX~1H8~awPxg8If8~9Exj2KzAAQGR7qBE1SaafD2lVnECgVyi2~N4Q6aPBWUvV9kFy0-9g3s0wlLowkmAqGWsOC1w058kE-g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rockingham County Commissioner Barrow on Sept. 2 urged residents to consider becoming foster parents, saying the county currently has 172 children in foster care and 10 licensed foster families.

\"We are at the point where we're having to find foster families outside of the county,\" Barrow said, adding that children placed outside the county may be removed from their social lives and schools. He asked residents who might be willing to open their homes to contact the Department of Social Services and said the department will host a trunk-or-treat information event about foster care on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at Wentworth Park.

Why it matters: The commissioner framed the shortage as a countywide child-welfare issue that affects school stability and social supports for children removed from their homes.

Next steps: Residents interested in fostering were directed to contact the county DSS for licensing information and to attend the Oct. 29 outreach event.","A commissioner said Rockingham County currently has 172 children in foster care and only 10 licensed foster families, and urged residents to contact DSS and attend an information event on Oct. 29 at Wentworth Park.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Public commenters criticize county handling of school consulting contract and call for transparency

Commissioners approve $2 million toward Mayodan wastewater plant expansion

Board moves to closed session to consult attorney on pending litigation

Commissioner urges residents to help with foster family shortage, cites 172 children in care