County commissioners hear of state funding to benefit inmate reentry program

Mar. 8—LUMBERTON — Robeson County commissioners received updates Monday concerning the county's reentry program including state funding that will help it continue its mission to serve recently incarcerated people.

David Powell, director of the Robeson County Offender Resource Center, told commissioners the reentry program received $250,000 from the state budget that will be distributed in increments of about $62,000 per quarter. He is unsure of the timeframe of dispersal but thanked legislators such as state Sen. Danny Britt and Rep. Charles Graham for helping the program secure the funding.

The reentry program at the ORC helps recently incarcerated individuals get back to work and access housing as they reenter society after lockup.

"We're striving to make a difference here in Robeson County," Powell said.

The program currently has 496 people enrolled, according to Angelina Phillips, Reentry coordinator.

In 2021, the program helped 486 individuals.

Multiple commissioners thanked Powell and Phillips for their efforts in the program.

"I just believe in second chances and obedience to the program," Phillips said.

The Offender Resource Center is located at 120 W. Sixth St. in Lumberton and can be reached at 910-737-5022.

Robeson County Personnel Committee matters

Also on Monday, commissioners approved recommendations by the county's Personnel Committee.

Among the recommendations was the approval of Juneteenth as a paid holiday for county employees. Because the holiday falls on a Sunday, it will be observed on Monday, June 20.

Also approved was a recommendation to pay non-exempt employees suche as nurses, EMS workers and Jail Health personnel time and a half on Christmas and New Year's Day holidays. The recommendation will help incentivize workers to work in those hard-to-staff areas during holidays, according to Kellie Blue, Robeson County manager.

Shelton Hill, an assistant county manager, told The Robesonian that exemptions include workers in management areas that are already on salaries.

Blue told commissioners that Commissioner Tom Taylor was re-elected to serve as chairman of the county's Personnel Committee.

Pollution

Anita Cunningham, a county resident and member of the Robeson County Cooperative for Sustainable Development, told commissioners during the public comments session of the meeting that she is concerned about pollution, contaminated water and public safety hazards from operations that burn wood pellets in the county. Cunningham mentioned N.C. Renewable Power.

"There's cleaner technology that they can use," she said.

Robeson County Economic Development Director Channing Jones said Georgia Renewable Power operated behind the Alamac facility, where it has burned wood pellets for years to produce energy for Duke Power.

"That particular business has not been operational for 15 months," he said.

Jones said the closure did not occur because of safety hazards, but because of an agreement within the company and the way they sold their power.

"They're restructuring those agreements we don't know what's gonna happen there as of yet," he said. "...We want clean water. We want clean air."

The county partners with N.C. Department Environmental Quality to help regulate companies and hold them to state and federal laws that keep residents safe, he said.

He said he has not been aware of any detrimental impacts from businesses on water.

Channing said he and the county attorney would like to review any information that shows such detrimental impacts.

"If there's ways in which we can continue to cooperate with you and your organization, we would love to do that ... there is not a commissioner up there that wants nonclean water or nonclean air for our communities and at the same time, there's not a commissioner up there that — that doesn't want to encourage good, productive business growth within our community," he said.

Confederate Statue

Also on Monday, commissioners heard from Red Springs resident Teresa Locklear, who spoke during the public comments session of the meeting against the removal of the Confederate Statue at the front of the Robeson County Courthouse.

Locklear spoke in opposition concerning a request for removal of the statue by the local NAACP leader and two others during a Feb. 21 Robeson County Board of Commissioners' meeting.

"I am totally against it ... There are blood from every race shed here," Locklear said.

"We've come a very long way and I think we should be able to be proud of where we come. We're not there yet. We've still got a ways to go ... Frankly, I'm very proud to walk past that monument because you know, again Native Americans were slaves too," Locklear said.

Locklear also said people should vote for representatives to uphold their concerns and hold politicians accountable when they do not act accordingly.

Other matters

Also, during the Monday meeting, commissioners approved advertising a $2,150 bid plus the cost of advertising to purchase a surplus property on Mt Moriah Road in Rowland; a $2,150 bid for surplus property for another parcel on Mt Moriah Road; a bid of $4,000 for two parcels located on N.C. 301 and Green Street.

Commissioners also approved a resolution of support for the North Carolina Department of Transportation's project concerning the widening of Old Red Springs Road in Maxton. The project cost is $905,000 and will be paid for by the NCDOT.

Another resolution of support was adopted in favor of an NCDOT project that will make improvements to an access route for the industrial park in Lumberton at no cost to the county. The project is estimated to cost $140,000.

Commissioners participated in a brief closed door session to hear updates on legal matters, but no action was taken at the meeting.

Reach Jessica Horne at 910-416-5165 or via email at jhorne@robesonian.com.