LUMBERTON — County commissioners approved on Monday asking the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality to reschedule its public hearing for a proposed wood pellet manufacturing facility in the county.
The public hearing on Active Energy Renewable Power’s proposed facility was scheduled to take place on March 16 at the Bill Sapp Recreation Center, but was canceled because of COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings, according to NCDEQ. Active Energy Renewable Power has applied for a permit to build a wood pellet manufacturing plant at the site of the former Alamac American Knits facility, located at 1885 Alamac Road in Lumberton.
During the public comments session of the Board of Commissioners meeting held via teleconference, the Rev. Mac Legerton said people in the community should be “fully informed” and have the opportunity to ask questions about the project. Legerton asked for a seven-day extension of the project’s public comment period.
Commissioner Jerry Stephens made a motion to ask the NCDEQ to reschedule the public hearing after coronavirus restrictions are lifted by Gov. Roy Cooper.
“It would only be appropriate because they had a meeting set and they canceled it,” Stephens said.
The public comment period extension was not included in Stephens’ motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Roger Oxendine.
“We at least need to give them the opportunity to voice their opinion in what’s going on,” Oxendine said.
County Attorney Rob Davis said his office would send a formal request to the state agency asking that the public hearing be rescheduled.
“I’ve had a lot of citizens who are very concerned about that,” Commissioner Pauline Campbell said of the wood pellet project.
Commissioners also heard a coronavirus update from Bill Smith, Robeson County Department of Public Health director, and Tracy Jones, Communicable Disease supervisor.
Smith said most cases are now being contracted from worksites.
“Most of what we’re getting now is in coworkers,” Smith said of virus transmission.
Campbell asked Smith if all county departments should have temperature checks and hand sanitizer stations.
“Actually, you’re running into a lot of asymptomatic people … There’s nothing wrong in doing it, but I’m not sure you want to require it for everyone,” Smith said.
Oxendine and Campbell said they have received complaints from county employees who do not feel like their safety is a priority during the pandemic.
“They are concerned that we are just not showing enough care in their opinion,” Campbell said.
County Manager Kellie Blue said masks, hand sanitizer and extra cleaning measures have been provided to each department. Sanitation workers also are cleaning areas more often to help ensure safety of county workers.
“We are doing those things, and each department has been covered,” Blue said.
The county manager also said an employee at the county’s Tax Office tested negative for the virus and should return to work soon.
The Health Department also reported that contact tracing is becoming harder because some county residents work in several counties, while others are not forthcoming about their travel history, Jones said.
“It’s kind of difficult to do contact tracing, but we are doing the best we can,” Jones said.
Robeson County had 34 reported cases of COVD-19, with two deaths, as of 5 p.m., Jones said.
In other business, commissioners approved the Robeson County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council’s county funding plan. The Council’s total fiscal year 2020-21 budget is $799,065, with $515,158 coming from the state, $226,298 in local matching money and $57,609 from other state or federal sources.
Commissioners also granted a 20-foot easement agreement for access to a property that will contain no more than five residences and be used for planting or harvesting road crops or trees on Rim Drive. The agreement was between the county, Christopher and Angela Scott, Marylyn Linkhaw Britt and Steven Kent Bodiford Sr.