EOC/PSB Site Selection Committee Special Meeting

Town of Swansboro EOC/PSB Site Selection Committee August 7, 2024, Special Meeting Minutes In attendance: Board members - Keith Walsh, Roy Herrick, and Melissa Anderson. Commissioner Doug Eckendorf was absent. Junior Freeman was on a leave of absence. Staff in attendance were: Fire Chief Jacob Randal, Interim Town Manager Jon Barlow and Town Clerk Alissa Fender. ********************************** Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 6:00 pm. The purpose of the meeting was to continue discussion of property acquisition. Property Acquisition Discussion Chair Walsh reviewed that direction provided by the Board of Commissioners during their joint meeting held on July 30, 2024, was for the committee to continue analyzation of the Rotary property, research other properties that could be available, or repurpose existing property already owned by the town. Related to the Rotary property, there were two problems identified - Ingress/egress using the Ireland Avenue to Main Street Extension, as well as future development around Ireland Avenue. Ms. Anderson shared that she would work on checking into the options and issues. By consensus the board agreed, and she would report back with details at the next meeting. Chair Walsh shared that he had been in contact with the priest of St. Mildreds Catholic Church and there was discussion regarding possible availability of some of their property. Contact had to be made with the diocese in Raleigh before anything further could be determined. If this property becomes a possibility, he requested the Fire Chief to run details on response times from that area. Based on the report, the Town’s response times would not be affected, however there would be some impact to repose times to county areas and a substation may need to be considered to prevent negative affecting the statis ISO rating. Regarding the repurposing of existing town assets, Chair Walsh shared that the Municipal Park was the only property with enough land to spare. However using part of that property would require the purchase of more land to replace what is used, and that process would be extensive with time delays, therefore this option was eliminated. Board/Staff Comments Keith Walsh shared that he wanted the committee to create a portfolio to capture the direction and accomplishments of the EOC/PSB committee. Items to include would be discussed and/or gathered for further discussion at the next meeting. Additionally, he also wanted the committee to explore a Build by design options for the future building. Fire Chief Randall shared that Bobbitt Construction offered their services to help with a Build by Design. Public Comment Mayor Pro Tem Justice addressed the committee with a few inquiries. Fire Chief Randall clarified the following. - The location of the St. Mildreds property meets the response times for the Town of 4-5 minutes, however it would not meet the county response times. The Rotary property would meet response times for both city and county. Page 1 of 2  - The yearly cost for operations was estimated around 300,000 for salaries and the county could possibly provide funding for salaries. Additionally, Mr. Justice shared as the representative appointed to JUMPO, that Main Street Extension was not an area currently identified for future repairs/work. John Hislop, president of the Rotary Club, shared that when their best and final offer was submitted, he also provided their recent booklet that showcased all that the Rotary does and represents. Additionally, he shared that the remainder of the property around Ireland Avenue would be developed for the benefit of the Town. Adjournment On a motion by Ms. Anderson, seconded by Mr. Herrick, the meeting adjourned at 7:03 pm with unanimous approval. Page 2 of 2