260209 Regular Meeting
February 9, 2026
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.
Chairman Darrell Frye, Vice-Chairman Kenny Kidd, Commissioner David Allen, Commissioner
Hope Haywood, and Commissioner Lester Rivenbark were present. Also present were County
Manager Zeb Holden, Assistant County Manager/Finance Officer Will Massie, Assistant County
Manager William Johnson, County Attorney Ben Morgan, Deputy Clerk Amber Cole, 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.
Public Comment Period
Pursuant to N.C.G.S. §153A-52.1, Chairman Frye 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.
Susan Scott, 516 W. Kivett St., Asheboro, brought a petition to reinstate the Library Board of
Trustees. She does not agree with the decision of the Board. The members did nothing wrong.
Fritz Wang, 1482 Fuller Mill Rd., Thomasville, spoke about the TASC gun range. Five
permanent shelters have been built by the range owners. He has asked repeatedly to close the gun
range. The members and owner do not show any empathy for the homeowners nearby. He is
asking for the hours to be limited to 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, closed on Sundays
and holidays.
Amy Wang, 1482 Fuller Mill Rd., Thomasville, said her right to peace has been denied by the
TASC gun range. Many of the members are not from Randolph County. The current Unified
Development Ordinance (UDO) has already affected new construction. The UDO is a living
document and should be ever changing.
Dr. Rebekah Megerian, 649 Redding Rd., Asheboro, has been a resident of Randolph County
for the last 45 years. She was distressed by the removal of the Library Board of Trustees.
Carl Hicks, 744 Ivy Creek Dr., Randleman, said strong issues have been occurring in Randolph
County. He asked for civility. Accusations and intimidation create disrespect and intolerance.
Christy Overcash, 121 Ashland St., Archdale, offers her support for the Public Library. She
became a Librarian because of her passion for the Library. She would like to have the Library
Board of Trustees reinstated. The Public Library is the one true democracy.
Charlie White, 482 Fairfax Ct., Asheboro, said the Board not only made the wrong choice by
dismissing the Library Board of Trustees but also adopted a Resolution that was not correct. He
cited a North Carolina General Statute that he felt should have been used by the Commissioners.
Virginia Wall, 348 Lindley Ave., Asheboro, asked for the Library Board of Trustees to be
reinstated last month. She believes that a Forsyth County pastor has created this problem. There
are many people who care about the library.
2/9/26
Jennifer Eagle, 7696 Union Grove Rd., Seagrove, said the Library is where people should be
treated equally. Children also should be allowed to choose what they want to read with the
guidance of an adult. The Library Board of Trustees governed the Library properly.
Approve Agenda
On motion of Allen, seconded by Kidd, the Board voted 5-0 to approve the Agenda, as
presented.
Consent Agenda
On motion of Kidd, seconded by Rivenbark, the Board voted 5-0 to approve the Consent
Agenda, as presented, as follows:
approve Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting Minutes of January 5, 2026,
Closed Session Minutes of January 5, 2026, and Special Meeting Minutes of
January 12, 2026;
reappoint Scott Cole to the Seagrove-Ulah Metropolitan Water District;
reappoint David Staley to the Town of Liberty Planning Board;
appoint Clint Beck to the Voluntary Agricultural District (VAD) Advisory
Board;
approve Budget Amendment - Library State Aid ($3,402), as follows:
2025-2026 Budget Ordinance
General Fund – Budget Amendment #38
Revenues Increase Decrease
Restricted Intergovernmental $3,402
Appropriations Increase Decrease
Public Library $3,402
approve Budget Amendment - Library Trust Fund ($25,000), as follows:
2025-2026 Budget Ordinance
Library Trust Fund – Budget Amendment #39
Revenues Increase Decrease
Miscellaneous $25,000
Appropriations Increase Decrease
Library Support $25,000
approve Budget Amendment - Public Health ($7,747), as follows:
2025-2026 Budget Ordinance
General Fund – Budget Amendment #40
Revenues Increase Decrease
Restricted Intergovernmental $7,747
Appropriations Increase Decrease
Public Health $7,747
2/9/26
Child Fatality Local Team Annual Report
Tara Aker, Public Health Director, said Danielle Fisher could not attend this meeting. Ms. Aker
stated in accordance with N.C.G.S. 7B-1407.10(d), she is giving the annual report to the County
Commissioners.
She said effective July 1, 2025, new legislation via the 2023 Appropriations Act brought
changes to local child fatality teams with the goal of strengthening the state’s child fatality
prevention system. The main changes included: 1) New name – “Local Team”, 2) Combining
Community Child Protection Team (CCPT) and Child Fatality Prevention Team (CFPT), 3)
National Fatality Review – Case Reporting System (NFR-CRS), 4) Escalated reviews for child
deaths involving child maltreatment (N.C.G.S. 7B-1407.5) \[previously State Intensive Reviews\],
and 5) Mandatory vs. Non-Mandatory deaths.
As a result, the Community Child Protection Team and the Child Fatality Prevention Team
became one team, the Local Team. The local team is a multi-disciplinary team that reviews deaths
of Randolph County children from birth up to 17 years of age. The review is to determine if system
problems exist that contributed in any way to the delay of or lack of services that might have
prevented the death. If gaps exist, the team works to improve/add services that will prevent
problems for families in the future.
Local Team child fatality review in calendar year 2025:
20 child deaths received for calendar year 2024.
24 child deaths reviewed in calendar year 2025 (this includes five pending cases from the
prior year).
Two child deaths remain in “pending status” and will be reviewed by local team once the
reports are finalized by the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME).
A pending case is one that the OCME has not yet finalized the report of the investigation,
autopsy, and/or toxicology. All applicable documents must be received, completed and
approved before a case can be released.
The local team met in person four times during calendar year 2025.
Causes of death were:
Accidents (1 pending) 4
Birth defects 2
Illnesses 5
Perinatal Conditions 5
Suicide 1
Homicide (1 pending) 2
Other 1
SIDS 0
Total 20
Local team recommendations from reviews:
2/9/26
1. Increase safe sleep education to families of new babies.
2. Build stronger community partnerships.
3. Enhance driving safety with teens.
4. Strengthen legislation regarding children with disabilities, receiving Supplemental
Security Income (SSI), with Child Protective Services (CPS) reports of maltreatment.
5. Increase awareness on suicide and mental health support.
Additional notes of importance:
Local team participation strengthened significantly with most required roles being
filled and there was a considerable increase in meeting attendance.
A core group was developed including partners from DSS, the Sheriff’s Office, the
District Attorney’s Office, and Public Health to initiate legislation to help prevent
future child deaths surrounding severe neglect. These efforts continue.
Ongoing safe sleep efforts continue and include providing pack n play portable cribs to
eligible families, providing safe sleep education through the Books for Babies Program
in partnership with the Randolph Partnership for Children and Randolph Health.
A suicide prevention campaign (four billboards) was created and implemented during
the month of April. The marketing campaign highlighted the 988 Suicide and Crisis
Lifeline “You are not alone. Call, text, or chat 988”.
Two local team members participated in a one-day training to learn how to enter case
reviews into the National Fatality Review-Case Reporting System.
Personnel Policy Updates
Jill Williams, Human Resources Director, stated the Randolph County Employee Policies and
Procedures Manual was most recently updated effective December 1, 2016. In order to bring the
manual up to date, she requested the Board’s approval of proposed changes. The law firm of
Teague Campbell was hired to review the current policy for legal compliance and to recommend
revisions.
Two federal policies, The Pregnant Workers’ Fairness Act (PWFA) and Providing Urgent
Maternal Protections (PUMP) Act, that have been enacted since December 1, 2016, are being
added to the manual. Teague Campbell provided supervisory training on both the PWFA and
PUMP Act in December 2024 and January 2025.
Ms. Williams noted the following changes:
Added a policy, Employees Occupying Grant Funded Positions, to clarify the County’s
responsibility to employees in grant funded positions versus County funded positions.
Defining the Proficiency Pay Program, which began 7/1/2023.
The Probationary Period of Employment is being updated to reflect that vacation leave may
be used, as it is earned, while an employee is in probationary status.
Remote Work, including hybrid work, is defined as a work option. Considerations for
remote work include: the duties of the position, ability of the job to be performed remotely,
department needs, employee status and performance, and department head approval.
Post-accident (vehicle) drug and alcohol testing is being expanded beyond reasonable
suspicion only. Testing may be required under specific circumstances of a fatality, bodily
injury requiring immediate medical attention, or disabling damage to a motor vehicle.
2/9/26
The Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy, section on the consequences of a positive drug test,
is being updated to include a “last chance” option. This last chance option will consider
the totality of the circumstances, including but not limited to: the nature of the position to
which the employee is assigned, employee work history, nature of the substance/drug, any
State law requirements, etc.
Personal Day is being changed to Personal Leave Hours. Personal leave will accrue based
on the employees’ regular work schedule.
Well-Being Leave is being defined in the manual.
Updated Reinstatement section to apply to “regular full-time employees who are separated
because of a reduction-in-force and employees who are re-employed consistent with rights
under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).”
Added a new level of appeal for Grievance for Adverse Action. In departments with a
small number of employees, the department head may be the one who gives the disciplinary
action to an employee, and they may also be the one to whom an employee would appeal
such disciplinary action. In these instances, an employee has the option to file an appeal
with the Assistant County Manager, rather than with the department head, if they prefer to
do so.
Chairman Frye asked if the new longevity policy would be included. Ms. Williams said she
would include it.
On motion of Allen, seconded by Haywood, the Board voted to adopt the Resolution
Concerning Employee Policies and Procedures.
Unified Development Ordinance Updates
Kim Heinzer, Planning Director, stated that due to unprecedented development in Randolph
County resulting in requests for signage not covered by the current Randolph County Unified
Development Ordinance (UDO), the Planning staff has reviewed the existing sign regulations and
worked on an update at the request of Administration. Staff reached out to planning professionals
around the State to gather information about best practices on sign regulations and amended the
current ordinance to best reflect the needs of Randolph County.
Board members discussed parts of the Ordinance that needed to be reviewed. The
recommendation was made to table the final vote so changes can be made.
On motion of Rivenbark, seconded by Kidd, the Board voted 5-0 to table the final vote until
March 2, 2026 to allow for revisions to the UDO.
Food Hub Contract
County Manager Zeb Holden said on January 5, 2026, the Board voted to accept a Request For
Proposal from NC Rooted Community Agriculture, Inc. for the operation of the Randolph County
Food Hub. The organization did provide a budget request in their RFP of $74,099.50. The bulk of
this request is to fund 1 full-time and 1 part-time position for the first year.
On motion of Allen, seconded by Haywood, the Board voted 4-1 with Kidd opposing to approve
a Strategic Planning Grant in the amount of $74,100 to NC Rooted Agriculture, Inc. and to
approve the associated Budget Amendment to operate the Randolph County Food Hub, as follows:
2/9/26
2025-2026 Budget Ordinance
General Fund – Budget Amendment #41
Revenues Increase Decrease
Transfer from Health and Well-$74,100
Being Reserve
Appropriations Increase Decrease
Other Economic and Physical $74,100
Development Appropriations
Budget Adoption Schedule
On motion of Kidd, seconded by Haywood, the Board voted 5-0 to adopt the Budget Adoption
Schedule, as follows:
Thursday, May 28 Proposed Budget Presentations
6:00 - 6:40 p.m. Proposed County Budget
6:40 - 7:00 p.m. Asheboro City Schools
7:00 - 7:20 p.m. Randolph County Schools
7:20 - 7:40 p.m. Randolph Community College
Monday June 1 Regular June Commissioners Meeting
6:00 p.m. Trillium Health Resources - Mental Health LME/MCO
Thursday, June 4 County Department Presentations
3:00 - 5:00 p.m. All County Departments
Monday, June 8 Public Input
5:00 – 6:00 p.m. Community Agencies Requesting Financial Assistance
6:00 – 6:30 p.m. Fire Department Presentations
6:30 p.m. Public Hearings
1) Appropriation to Randolph Economic Development Corp.
2) Proposed County Budget
Monday, June 15 Budget Adoption
6:00 p.m. Approve Close-out Budget Amendments for FY 2025-26
Capital Improvement Plan
Review Capital Project Schedule for 2026-27
2026-27 Budget Adoption
Adopt Fire Districts Property Tax Rates
Adopt School Districts Property Tax Rates
Adopt County Fee Schedules
Discussion of Manager's Proposed 2026-27 Budget
Adoption of Final County Budget and County Property Tax Rate
County Manager’s Update
County Manager Zeb Holden had no updates.
Commissioners Updates
2/9/26
Chairman Frye stated that the NCACC is working with the Legislature to help them understand
the importance of property taxes to local government.
Adjournment
At 7:39 p.m., on motion of Allen, seconded by Kidd, the Board voted 5-0 to adjourn.
________________________________ ________________________________
Darrell Frye, Chairman Kenny Kidd
________________________________ _________________________________
David Allen Hope Haywood
________________________________ _________________________________
Lester Rivenbark Dana Crisco, Clerk to the Board
2/9/26