251006 Regular Meeting
October 6, 2025
The Randolph County Board of Commissioners met in regular session at 6:00 p.m. in the 1909
Randolph County Historic Courthouse Meeting Room, 145 Worth Street, Asheboro, NC. Vice-
Chairman Kenny Kidd, Commissioner David Allen, Commissioner Hope Haywood, and
Commissioner Lester Rivenbark were present. Chairman Darrell Frye was absent. Also present
were County Manager Zeb Holden, Assistant County Manager/Finance Officer Will Massie,
Assistant County Manager William Johnson, County Attorney Ben Morgan, and Clerk to the
Board Dana Crisco. Chaplain Kevin Walton from the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office gave the
invocation and everyone recited the Pledge of Allegiance. The meeting was livestreamed on
YouTube.
Special Recognition
Ms. Betty LaGrange was honored as a Centenarian. The Vice-Chairman presented her with a
certificate of congratulations.
Public Comment Period
Pursuant to N.C.G.S. §153A-52.1, Vice-Chairman Kidd opened the floor for public comment
and closed it after everyone wishing to speak had done so. County Attorney Ben Morgan read
aloud the Public Comment Rules of Procedure.
Jonathan Burris, 4362 Black Mountain Rd., Asheboro, spoke in opposition to a particular
book located in the children’s section of the library.
Stephen Abarno, 4280 Zoo Parkway, Asheboro, has a neighbor that is shooting guns
approximately 200 yards from his home and is concerned about safety.
Lori Hunt, 2813 Fairview Farm Rd., Asheboro, lost her son to suicide because he was bullied
at school. She wants schools to be more aware of mental health issues in children.
Rita Honeycutt, 5889 Mendenhall Rd. Ext, Archdale, is advocating for upcoming Mental
Health First Aid classes. She mentioned that the class is open to any citizen.
Isaac Hoffman, 6482 Old Post Office Rd., Thomasville, stated that there is a statute protecting
gun ranges from noise ordinances. The gun range has grown and the neighbors want the Board to
change the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO).
Amy Wang, 1482 Fuller Mill Rd., Thomasville, said that changes to the UDO are necessary to
change how the existing gun ranges are governed.
Fritz Wang, 1482 Fuller Mill Rd., Thomasville, read parts of the UDO that mention gun
ranges. He offered some proposed changes to the Board for the UDO.
David Hursey, 176 N. Fayetteville St., Asheboro, spoke of Industry Appreciation Month. He
thanked the Board for their support.
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Approve Agenda
On motion of Rivenbark, seconded by Allen, the Board voted 4-0 to approve the Agenda, as
presented.
Consent Agenda
On motion of Haywood, seconded by Allen, the Board voted 4-0 to approve the Consent
Agenda, as presented, as follows:
approve Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting Minutes of September 8, 2025
and Special Meeting Minutes of September 22, 2025;
adopt Proclamation for Industry Appreciation Month, as follows:
Randolph County Economic Development Corporation
Industry Appreciation Month
October 2025
WHEREAS, the County of Randolph is pleased to have a thriving community
of industries to support the local economy; and
WHEREAS, these industrial companies provide essential employment
opportunities for the citizens of the County of Randolph; and
WHEREAS, these industrial companies provide local revenues from which
the entire citizenry benefit; and
WHEREAS, industrial businesses make considerable contributions to our
families and communities, often improving the overall quality of life; and
WHEREAS, we recognize and appreciate these industrial businesses.
NOW, THEREFORE, we, the Board of Commissioners of Randolph County,
do hereby recognize our existing industrial businesses and by virtue of this
proclamation give notice to our citizens that the month of October 2025 is Industry
Appreciation Month in the County of Randolph.
reappoint Justin Brubaker, Will Massie, and Dana Crisco to the Randolph County
Public Facilities Corporation;
appoint Matthew Camp to the Animal Services Advisory Board;
reappoint Renette Cranford to the Randolph County Nursing Home Community
Advisory Committee;
appoint Jaden Scott to the Randolph County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council;
approve Budget Amendment - Veterans Services ($10,000), as follows:
2025-2026 Budget Ordinance
General Fund – Budget Amendment #26
Revenues Increase Decrease
Miscellaneous Revenue $10,000
Appropriations Increase Decrease
Veterans $10,000
ratify the vote to approve Project Amendment - RCSF #4, as follows:
Randolph County School Facilities Capital Project Ordinance
Amendment #4
Revenues Increase Decrease
Appropriations Increase Decrease
Property Acquisition $234,110
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Professional Services $234,110
approve Budget Amendment - Public Health ($88,000), as follows:
2025-2026 Budget Ordinance
Budget Amendment #27
Opioid Abatement Fund
Revenues Increase Decrease
Investment Earnings $88,000
Appropriations Increase Decrease
Collaborative Strategic Planning $88,000
Updates to the Unified Development Ordinance
Kim Heinzer, Planning Director, said due to difficulties experienced over the past several
months with proposed signs throughout the County, the Planning staff has reviewed the existing
sign regulations and worked on an update at the request of the Planning Board. Staff reached out
to planning professionals around the State to gather information about best practices on sign
regulations and reviewed various sign regulations from locations such as Guilford County, the
Cities of High Point and Burlington, and then proposed the attached regulations. The Planning
Board reviewed the proposals at its August 5, 2025 meeting and requested a few changes to the
heights of signs and regulations around political signs. At their September 9, 2025 meeting, the
Planning Board made a minor change related to outdoor advertising signs and then voted
unanimously to recommend adoption of the updates by the Board of County Commissioners.
Political Signs
The Planning Board requested that staff review the information contained in the proposal
regarding political signs. After reviewing NCGS § 132-36, the North Carolina General Assembly
set clear guidelines for the placement of political signs, when and where political signs can be
placed, when they must be removed, who can remove the signs, and the statute also gives a
maximum size for political signs. Since these guidelines are already codified in existing State law,
a reference in the Randolph County Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) to the specific statute
is sufficient to regulate political signs, and if the statute were to be amended by the General
Assembly, our UDO would automatically update to the newest statute without the need for a text
amendment.
Heights of Signs
When Countywide zoning was adopted on July 6, 1987, the County set height restrictions as
thirty-five feet for all structures, and this restriction has worked for over thirty-eight years, which
is why staff used this height restriction in the draft.
After reviewing the draft, staff decided that a fifteen-foot height restriction on all signs except
the outdoor advertising signs should be sufficient to cover the height of all the other signs that are
allowed in the County. The staff used this figure for the primary reason that having only two
allowable sign heights is easier to enforce, instead of each sign type having a different height
allowance.
Before the NCGS 160-D regulation updates in 2020, staff were constantly having to refer to
Section 631, as each zoning district had different setback requirements, and it was difficult for
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staff to remember all of the various setbacks, so we changed the setback and lot sizes to be the
same, except for the RM - Residential Mixed District for a duplex or multi-family structures.
Conclusion
The Planning Staff has spent many hours reviewing our existing sign regulations and comparing
our regulations to the surrounding jurisdictions. These various regulations provided the staff with
many potential policies, but in the end, the staff settled on what we feel are the best compromises
to address the issues and still put the "Randolph County" feel to the proposals.
Public Hearing
Vice-Chairman Kidd opened the floor for the Public Hearing and closed it after no one wished
to speak.
Vice-Chairman Kidd commented that the Chairman and he had some more questions and would
prefer to table this until next month.
Commissioner Allen asked if there had been public input at the Planning meeting. Mr. Morgan
said no one had spoken.
Commissioner Haywood stated that a sign maker had told her the revisions were very good.
On motion of Rivenbark, seconded by Allen, the Board voted 4-0 to table this item until the
rd
November 3 Commissioners Meeting.
Agricultural Center Commercial Kitchen Fees
Taylor Wright, Agricultural Center Coordinator, and Sophie Farlow, Local Foods Agent, stated
that the Commercial Kitchen at the Randolph County Agricultural Center is designed to serve a
broad range of food entrepreneurs at different stages of business development. To ensure fair and
consistent access, it is necessary to adopt formal rental rates and policies that provide structure for
facility use. The goal of these rates is to maintain an accessible kitchen that is safe and well-
maintained for all users while aligning with County standards.
Commissioner Haywood said that there are specific rules to follow for starting a food business.
The option to use the commercial kitchen is affordable and allows someone to try out their concept
before they completely remodel their kitchen.
Commissioner Rivenbark asked if pots and pans are there or brought in from outside. Ms.
Taylor said the larger appliances were there but not the basic cooking items.
Commissioner Rivenbark asked about sanitation at the commercial kitchen. Ms. Farlow stated
that before using the kitchen, there would be a meeting with the applicant to determine the
requirements for items being prepared.
Commissioner Haywood mentioned the visit to another commercial kitchen and they
recommended not to purchase certain equipment that they learned was a wasted expense for them.
She knows how much research has gone into making the right choices for this commercial kitchen.
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Commissioner Allen commented on the fee for deliveries. He said that was a smart choice as
some orders may be delivered while the user was not there but would require a staff member for
proper placement. Also cold storage is a premium in agriculture and would hopefully be used.
This wouldn’t be a money maker but could supplement the economy.
On motion of Allen, seconded by Haywood, the Board voted 4-0 to adopt the Agricultural
Center Commercial Kitchen Fee Schedule, as presented.
Position Reclassifications
County Manager Zeb Holden said although most reclassifications are made during the budget
process, mid-year reclassifications are occasionally necessary.
Planning Department: The position title of GIS Planner is no longer applicable to the
tasks being completed in this role. To modernize the title and prepare for a future
recruitment, it is requested to reclassify this position to the title of Senior Planner.
Administration: The Deputy Finance Officer position has a very important role in the
Finance Office. After operating for years with one Deputy Finance Officer, it is
requested that a second position is created and then filled with current Reporting
Specialist, Michael McKenzie. This will ensure all necessary finance functions are
completed in a timely manner and departments are adequately supported. Additionally,
this reclassification will allow for succession planning as advanced finance, budget, and
audit tasks are introduced to both Deputy Finance Officers. Of note, the Deputy Finance
Officer role requires Board appointment and a $500,000 fidelity bond.
9-1-1 Communications: This Division of Emergency Services has dealt with
significant staffing concerns for multiple years. Staff are working required overtime
to ensure adequate coverage due to vacancies and lengthy training periods for new hires.
Randolph County is not alone, as the telecommunicator position is proving difficult to
fill state- and nation-wide. This fall, carryover funds were utilized to contract with an
agency to provide temporary assistance in the form of 2 full-time telecommunicators.
While this has been helpful, hiring conditions have not improved significantly.
Continued contracts with this agency will place a tremendous strain on finances. To
remain competitive with local government agencies in the retention and recruitment
of 9-1-1 communications staff, it is recommended to reclassify all positions in this
Division by one grade, effective 11/1/25.
Reclassification Requests
Dept. # of Current Current Requested New
Position's Classification/Title Grade Classification/Title Grade
Planning 1 GIS Planner 118 Senior Planner 119
Admin. 1 Reporting Specialist 119 Deputy Finance 124
Officer
Em. Services 27 Telecommunicator E212 Telecommunicator E213
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Em. Services 4 911 Assistant Shift E213 911 Assistant Shift E214
Supervisor Supervisor
Em. Services 4 911 Shift Supervisor E214 911 Shift Supervisor E215
Em. Services 1 Em. Services 911 E216 Em. Services 911 E217
Training Officer Training Officer
Em. Services 1 911 Assistant E217 911 Assistant E218
Communications Communications
Supervisor Supervisor
Em. Services 1 911 Communications E220 911 Communications E221
Supervisor Supervisor
On motion of Allen, seconded by Haywood, the Board voted 4-0 to approve the proposed position
reclassifications, appoint Michael McKenzie as Deputy Finance Officer, as presented (effective
October 16, 2025), and adopt the associated budget amendment, as follows:
2025-2026 Budget Ordinance
General Fund – Budget Amendment #28
Revenues Increase Decrease
Appropriated Fund Balance $97,430
Appropriations Increase Decrease
Emergency Services $97,430
Renewable Natural Gas
Paxton Arthurs, County Engineer, stated when Waste Management of Carolinas, Inc. was
contracted to operate the Great Oak Landfill in 2017, Randolph County retained the rights to gases
generated by the facility’s decomposing waste. Methane-rich landfill gas (LFG) can be monetized
when converted into renewable energy sources. In recent years, the trend has been for gas collected
to be cleaned and upgraded into renewable natural gas (RNG). The gas itself can then be sold as
fuel, while federal tax credits can also be obtained for containing these greenhouse gases.
Presently, LFG is being burned off (“flared”) to meet EPA standards. However, as the volume
of waste in the landfill has increased, so has the amount of LFG being created. The quantity of gas
being produced is now sufficient to support an RNG program.
To begin this process, the County entered a contract with engineering firm LaBella Associates,
P.C. to help develop a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking project partners. This RFP stated the
County’s expectations for interested parties and established estimated annual gas production
levels. The RFP was issued in early May and proposals from eight companies were received. A
Proposal Review Committee of staff members independently reviewed the proposals based on
evaluation criteria established within the RFP. Once tabulated, interviews were scheduled with the
four highest scoring firms. Firms interviewed, in alphabetical order were:
• Evensol, LLC
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• Sparq Renewables, LLC
• Waga Energy, Inc.
• WM Renewable Energy, LLC
County participants in the interview process included representatives from Administration,
Legal, and Engineering, as well as two members of the Board of Commissioners. Interviews were
held from August 27-28. Because LaBella was listed as a possible engineering partner within two
of the original proposals, the County contracted with a second independent consulting firm to avoid
conflict of interest concerns. Engineers from Smith Gardner, Inc. reviewed the proposals, assisted
in developing interview questions, and then participated in the interview sessions.
When the interviews were complete, Smith Gardner engineers conducted an analysis of the four
proposal documents and interview responses to identify key aspects and differences between the
companies being considered. Additionally, financial modeling was completed so fair comparison
could be made regarding potential future revenues.
On September 22, a Work Session was held with the Board where questions and concerns were
addressed. A Smith Gardner engineer participated in this portion of the meeting, helping to answer
technical questions about the RNG industry and the proposals being considered. The feeling at
conclusion of this meeting was the Board had sufficient information to make an informed decision.
The importance of this impending partnership cannot be understated. Therefore, staff have
attempted to handle this project with the utmost professionalism. The Board’s decision to retain
LFG rights in 2017 and the recent work of these dedicated professionals will pay dividends for the
citizens of Randolph County. Four highly qualified firms interested in this opportunity have been
identified. Staff stands at the ready to move forward at the pleasure of the Board. The next steps
in this process include:
• Board takes action to select a preferred proposal
• Selected firm has 60-day due diligence period
• Contract negotiation
• Board approval of contract
County Manager Holden spoke of the process and the thorough job done by staff and the
consultants
Commissioner Allen applauded the staff. He personally took a look at fifteen factors when
making his determination. He felt that with tax credits expiring and the gases already being burned
off, a decision to move forward was needed this evening.
Commissioner Haywood stated for clarity that methane is a greenhouse gas that can be broken
down into a safe natural resource. The money is currently burning away without the process in
place.
Vice-Chairman Kidd said he still has questions as does the Chairman. The Chairman deserves
the chance to help choose a partner.
Commissioner Allen noted that there were questions that could not be answered until a partner
was chosen.
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Vice-Chairman Kidd asked if there is a guarantee.
Commissioner Allen said there is a base payment.
Mr. Arthurs said a meeting had been held with Piedmont Natural Gas but they still did not
answer all of the questions. There is a limitation in the pipeline capacity. Other vendors did not
plan to use the pipeline but truck the gas to process elsewhere.
County Manager Holden pointed out that the growth beyond the pipe’s capacity would be
monetized because there it so much potential.
Commissioner Allen stated that there was no cost to the County to have the plant built.
Commissioner Haywood said the staff has worked on this diligently. There is no more
information that will come to the forefront next month. If the Board waits, the taxpayers will be
affected. The request is to select a preferred partner. This is not final step.
Commissioner Rivenbark is concerned that the Chairman is not here to ask questions.
Commissioner Allen reminded the Board that there was a consensus at the work session.
Commissioner Haywood did her research. One of the companies would use trucks and create
more traffic. The residents there already experience more traffic than they want. Waga’s plant
has a smaller footprint and they use a patented method to extract the gases. Their technology is
more quiet. The neighbors would appreciate that. They have the best financial offer and they have
all the services in house.
On motion of Allen, seconded by Haywood, the Board voted 3-1, with Kidd opposing, to select
Waga as the preferred renewable natural gas partner and begin the process to proceed, as
presented.
Annual Joint Meeting with the Randolph County School Board of Education
On motion of Allen, seconded by Rivenbark, the Board voted 4-0 to set the annual meeting with
the Randolph County Schools Board of Education for January 12, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. at the Board
of Education Meeting Room.
Adopt 2026 Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting Schedule
On motion of Haywood, seconded by Rivenbark, the Board voted 4-0 to adopt the 2026 Board
of Commissioners Regular Meeting Schedule, as follows:
Resolution Adopting 2026 Meeting Schedule of the
Randolph County Board of Commissioners
WHEREAS, pursuant to N.C.G.S. 153A-40(a), the board of commissioners shall
hold a regular meeting at least once a month; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to N.C.G.S. 153A-40(a) the board of commissioners may, by
resolution, fix the time and place of its regular meetings; and
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Randolph County Board of
Commissioners hereby adopts the following meeting schedule for all its 2025 regular
meetings:
Monday, January 5 Monday, July 6
Monday, February 2 Monday, August 3
Monday, March 2 Tuesday, September 1
Monday, April 6 Monday, October 5
Monday, May 4 Monday, November 2
Monday, June 1 Monday, December 7
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all regular meetings shall be held in the 1909
Historic Courthouse, 145-C Worth St., Asheboro, NC 27203 and shall begin at 6:00 p.m.;
and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the Clerk shall cause a copy of this resolution to
be posted and published pursuant to NCGS 153A-40.
County Manager’s Update
County Manager Holden commended the staff who stayed through the meeting.
Commissioner’s Updates
Commissioner Haywood spoke of new management for the men’s shelter. It is now called
Place of Grace. She continues to monitor them to be sure they run the shelter properly. She also
mentioned that it would be appreciated by the new management for any organization to partner
with them. Commissioner Haywood read a statement of thanks and gratitude to inform the public
that she would not be seeking re-election in 2026.
Adjournment
At 7:28 p.m., on motion of Allen, seconded by Rivenbark, the Board voted 4-0 to adjourn.
________________________________ ________________________________
Kenny Kidd, Vice-Chairman David Allen
________________________________ _________________________________
Hope Haywood Lester Rivenbark
_______________________________
Dana Crisco, Clerk to the Board
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