From left, assistant county manager Susan Holder, commissioners Billy Lockamy, Jefferson Strickland and chairman Jarvis McLamb talk prior to Monday’s special meeting in which county manager Rick Moorefield recommended the county revisit allowing the Sheriff’s Department to take over Animal Control.
County manager Rick Moorefield is asking the board to revisit the issue, last brought up in the fall when Sheriff Jimmy Thornton offered to take control of the department. The commissioners tabled their decision.
Monday night, Moorefield brought the issue up again, saying Thornton is still willing to place Animal Control under his department’s umbrella.
If approved, however, Moorefield said the animal shelter would still remain under the leadership of acting director and assistant county manager Susan Holder.
“These guys already have to work closely with the Sheriff’s Department,” said Moorefield of the Animal Control officers, pointing out they already help with investigations where animals are involved.
“This is something that I recommend that you try,” Moorefield suggested.
After the county manager finished his proposal, commissioner Malachi Faison asked if the officers will be utilized by Sheriff’s Department in other functions.
Moorefield answered, “They will be deputies,” noting that they could be called out for duties outside the realm of animal control.
Commissioner Jefferson Strickland asked if this will impact the county’s finances.
“Mrs. Holder has already built this move into the budget,” Moorefield responded.
Chairman Jarvis McLamb, who had vocalized his disapproval of the move in a previous meeting, asked if the shift would require an increase in pay.
County finance officer David Clack explained that the change in pay would be about $14,000 total, but he reiterated, the monies had already been included in the county’s current fiscal plan, which commissioners have already adopted.
Listening to the current dialogue, McLamb added, “I’m thinking that I won’t object to it, but I don’t want the Sheriff’s Department to increase Joe Blow’s salary.”
To boost the motivation towards the change, Moorefield added that this will help Holder as she continues to work with the animal shelter and its three employees.
After listening to the discussion, McLamb looked around at his fellow board members and asked if a change in Animal Control leadership was something that they wanted to consider at next month’s meeting. All of the members nodded in agreement that they did.
The board meets again on Monday, Sept. 7, at 7 p.m.
Katie Holland can be reached at 910-592-8137, ext. 136, or by e-mail at silife@myclintonnc.com.
21 May 2008 – By Angela Faison, Staff Writer
It came as a bit of a surprise earlier this month when a Sampson-Duplin county line marker was discovered to have been moved deeper into Sampson County. The sign had been mysteriously moved from its position along NC 403 Hwy., near Brewer Road and across from Cottle Strawberry Farms, in Faison, closer to the I-40 interchange by approximately a third of a mile.
Although this may not seem terribly important to most, to a township (Faison) and an county (Sampson) that have gone to battle over who has the right to control the zoning up to the I-40 interchange, and particularly while in a dispute over a poultry litter incinerating power plant proposed to be built at the location, a few blocks can be as much as a mile.
Faison’s Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) could be greatly affected by a re-evaluation of the county line on this upper end of Duplin County. After some inquiries by town officials, it was learned that some surveying in the area had revealed that the sign was in the wrong place. Hence, it was moved back into what had been thought to be in Sampson County, theoretically placing more property in Duplin.
But the worst news for Sampson County officials was a ruling that came out of the General Assembly on Wednesday, May 12, when a group of 14 Faison officials, local business persons and an environmentalist or two travelled to Raleigh to fight Sampson County’s attempt to take back a portion of Faison’s ETJ. The attempt, according to Faison Mayor Elmer Flake, seemed like a close call after a voice vote was taken.
Because of the uncertainty of the vote, a hand count was then requested on the floor, and Faison won, keeping its ETJ as adapted in 1991, with a vote of 7-3. Although it is not assured that there won’t be another try to pass this bill or a similar one at a later date, it was certainly encouraging for Calypso and Faison citizens who are against allowing the power plant, which would be known as Fibrowatt (Fibrocoast), to enter the area.
An anti-Fibrowatt rally was held in February by SCEPTER, an economic development and protection group out of Sampson County, Citizens for a Safe Environment of Calypso and Faison and the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, BREDL, which is an environmental advocate group from Surry County.
Surry County and Montgomery County have been eyeballed for new Fibrowatt plants. Citizens groups in Surry County, Greene County and Duplin County have over the past 10 years taken on large industries with a reputation for allegedly polluting, such as Waste Industries, with some success.
Because of the large number of lower income and elderly African-American citizens near the I-40 interchange, the local, state and national NAACP has also found a bone to pick with Sampson County and Fibrowatt. But for now, local citizens are relieved that ETJ extension granted to Faison in 1991 was not revoked. Faison will not lose jurisdiction over the area, where they have invested heavily in public works.
The Sampson County residents in the area have come to Faison’s defense, stating that Sampson didn’t want to provide them service, nor did they care about them because they were far away from the county seat in Clinton, and on the outskirts of the county. Many of them have vocally supported the town of Faison for providing services to them. On the other hand, some residents of the region, who could potentially profit from the sale of their turkey and chicken waste or by providing contract trucking services to haul the poultry waste, have been very much in favor of Fibrowatt coming to the area, and supported Sampson’s bid to regain its ETJ in the area.
Mayor Flake, who appeared tired from the trip to Raleigh, but otherwise in good spirits, thanked the 14 people who attended in support of Faison keeping its extended ETJ and zoning rights in the disputed area. Those people included Mayor Flake himself, Commissioners Bill Igoe and Jane Hollingsworth, former Duplin County Economic Development Director Woody Brinson (who was involved in Duplin County government when the original 1991 ETJ extension bill was ratified), Southern Produce Distributor owner Stewart Precythe, Duplin County Commissioner and CSE leader Frances Parks, David Mickey from Surry County representing BREDL, active local retired teacher, and member of the cemetery and recreation committees Anne Taylor, Calypso resident Pat Denise, and Jane Thornton, Doug Lewis, Ann Lewis, Bill Lewis and Becky Jackson, all of Faison.
Flake said Sampson County Attorney Ricky Moorefield and one other person came to Raleigh representing their interests.
of that county.
It seems a few have a very high opinion of themselves, for what reason I don't know. It is very easy to sit on the sidelines and talk trash about those in the arena, but it takes courage to get in and fight. And that is what the sheriff and deputies do. They fight against those that would rob, rape, beat and murder those who can not or will not fight for themselves. The fact of the matter is this sheriff has done more to better this county than any recent sheriff before him. If you think you could do better then suit up and try to do the job. While no person or agency is perfect the sheriff and his deputies are doing the best they can with what they are given. They are grossly understaffed and underpaid for what they have to deal with. I think the biggest issue some people have is the idea of getting a ticket from a deputy. There is however a very easy remedy for this fear, don't break the law.
As for those that see themselves as "shepards" I get the feeling if that were the case, your sheep would be standing back-to-back for their own safety.
Oh yeah, as for Mr Mclamb, you may want to check his track record on voting for law enforcement. He's normally the 1 ney vote on the board.
VOTE JARVIS OUT so we can get a replacement and put someone who is for all of the people not just the ones that suck up to him or make him look good.
Tell,me, great one, do you think these deputies signed on with the expectation to catch dogs?
GET REAL PEOPLE