Help develop a plan to address and guide anticipated growth in a way that will preserve community and rural character, foster economic development, and recognize the County’s natural and cultural assets. Attend any of the upcoming meetings beginning next week to provide input for the Alamance County Land Development Plan.
Upcoming Public Meetings:
March 17 – Pleasant Grove Community Center 5-7 pm
March 18 – Altamahaw-Ossipee VFD Community Room 5-7 pm
March 24 – Eli Whitney Fire Dept Community Room 5-7 pm
The health and safety of participants is our priority. The Alamance County Land Development Plan workshops are currently scheduled to occur as planned. For the latest updates, please consult the County’s website www.alamance-nc.com/covid19/ or the project website www.alamancecountyplan.com/. The meeting venues will provide hand sanitizer, antibacterial soap, and paper towels. We will not shake hands to greet you. Please do not attend a meeting if you are sick.
Alamance County Board of Commissioners Chair Amy Scott Galey urges residents to take steps to prevent the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and to make preparations to check on or care for those who are at higher risk for infection. The NC Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) recommends that those over 65 years of age, or those with underlying health conditions, including heart disease, lung disease, or diabetes, or those with weakened immune systems, to avoid crowds and stay home to prevent the risk of infection.
“While there have been no confirmed coronavirus cases in Alamance at this time, County Government, along with the Alamance Health Department and Emergency Management, have been monitoring the situation and taking precautionary measures to ensure the safety of our residents and employees,” says Chair Amy Scott Galey. “Our local health department, as part of their daily responsibilities, plan, prepare, and practice for these types of situations. All of our county employees are working hard to ensure continuity of services for our residents.”
At this time, the county has been communicating with employees to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines in taking precautions to protect themselves and others to limit the spread of infection.
The County will be activating the Emergency Operations Center and will continue to meet and update partner organizations and stakeholders to communicate any changes or recommendations regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19).
The County is currently evaluating all scheduled programs and events.
Please visit www.alamance-nc.com/covid19 for the most updated information regarding any cancellations. A Coronavirus (COVID-19) Call Center will be available Monday through Friday from 8 am to 7 pm beginning on Monday, March 16. Residents and organizations are encouraged to call 336-290-0361 for general Coronavirus (COVID-19) questions or information regarding the County’s response.
The County encourages residents to follow the NCDHHS and CDC guidelines to minimize the spread of infection:
Wash hands frequently with soap and water, and for at least 20 seconds each time.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact with people who are ill.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Do not reuse
tissue after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.
Clean and disinfect surfaces that are frequently touched.
If you develop symptoms or suspect you may have Coronavirus (COVID-19), please contact your health care provider. For the most current state and national information or recommendations regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19), please visit cdc.gov/coronavirus or ncdhhs.gov/coronavirus. Residents are also encouraged to visit www.alamance-nc.com/covid19 for Alamance County information, cancellations, or updates.
GRAHAM, N.C.– The North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund has awarded Alamance County a $470,000 grant for the development of the Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area. The grant will fund the construction of an observation tower, trailhead, natural surface hiking trails, and camping facilities at the park.
The Cane Creek Mountains are located 8 miles south of the City of Graham and comprise the largest State Natural Heritage Area and largest area of undisturbed woodland in Alamance County. The mountain range is also home to the highest peak in North Carolina east of Greensboro at 987 feet. The property contains four miles of streams and supports Piedmont Monadnock Forest, Dry-Mesic Oak-Hickory Forests, as well as low elevation seeps. The area contains plants and animals found nowhere else in Alamance County.
Upon completion, the Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area will total over 1,000 acres. The observation tower will offer unparalleled views of this exceptional mountain range. No other parks in our area approach the size and scope of the Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area.
The Cane Creek Mountain Natural Area is a partnership between The Conservation Fund, Piedmont Land Conservancy, and Alamance Parks. Additional funding support has been received from Clean Water Management Trust Fund, North Carolina Recreational Trails Program and private donors.
The first hiking trails of the park are expected to open in 2020.
Proposed Granite-Cora-Holt Mills Historic District National Register of Historic Places Nomination, Haw River, Alamance County AM2657
• Stone St. (Parcel #s 153242, 153234, and 171204)
• 115 Stone St. (Parcel # 153248)
• 205 Stone St. (Parcel # 153233)
The Alamance County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on this nomination on February 3, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. in the Alamance County Commissioners’ Meeting Room at 124 W. Elm St, Graham. At this meeting the Alamance County Board of Commission will consider public comments and make a decision.
The agenda and nomination packet are available to view on the Alamance
County Board of Commissioners’ website: https://www.alamance-nc.com/commissioners/
.
If you are unable to attend or have further questions about the nomination, please contact the Alamance County Planning Department at 336-570-4053.
BURLINGTON – Alamance County Health Department (ACHD) was one of eight health departments awarded reaccreditation status by the North Carolina Local Health Department Accreditation (NCLHDA) Board on November 22, 2019.
“All of the agencies recently achieving reaccreditation have much to be proud of. They have not only demonstrated their ability to meet a set of important performance standards but excelled in many areas. Through reaccreditation, these agencies demonstrate a strong commitment to continuously work to improve the quality of services provided to their respective communities,” comments Amy Belflower Thomas, NC Local Health Department Accreditation Administrator.
Reaccreditation with Honors designation was awarded to seven agencies. This honorary designation was implemented for the first time in the fall of 2017 to recognize agencies that especially excelled in their accreditation assessment by missing one or less activities within each of five standards set by the NCLHDA program. ACHD received 100% completion on all 147 reaccreditation activities in all five standards. With successful completion, the health department’s reaccreditation period is 2019-2023.
“I could not be more proud of our reaccreditation with honors. It is a true testament to the hard work and integrity our public health professionals demonstrate each day in providing quality services and programming to improve health in Alamance,” stated Health Director Stacie Saunders.
North Carolina is the first state in the country to mandate accreditation for its local health departments. The purpose of the accreditation program is to assure a basic level of capacity and services in each of the local health departments across the state.
Since the pilot program involving six local health departments began in 2004, all eighty-five health departments have all been initially accredited and reaccredited at least once. The process of accreditation includes three major components – a self-assessment completed by the agency, a site visit by a multidisciplinary team of peers to review performance standards, and determination of accreditation status by an independent Accreditation Board comprised of state and local public health officials, Board of Health members, County Commissioners, and public members.
The NC Local Health Department Accreditation program is a collaboration of the North Carolina Institute for Public Health (part of the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) and the North Carolina Association of Local Health Directors.
The Alamance County Board of Commissioners will recognize ACHD for their reaccreditation achievement at the December 16 meeting.
The Alamance County Board of Commissioners awarded the
“Citizen Volunteer of the Year” and honored other finalists for their service
at a luncheon held on Thursday, December 5, 2019. Chair Amy Galey presented the top award to
Lee Isley, Planning Board and Recreation and Parks Commission Member and Edna
Parker, Social Services Board Member.
They were among six finalists for the award which was chosen by the
county commissioners. Isley and Parker
are the fourth recipients of this award and the first co-winners.
Lee Isley was nominated for his professionalism and leadership on the
Planning Board Sub-committee in the rewrite of the Heavy Industrial Development
Ordinance. He is serving his second term
on the Alamance County Planning Board and an active member of the Recreation
and Parks Commission. Mr. Isley
demonstrated through his work on the sub-committee that he was dedicated to the
Planning Board and the development of Alamance County.
Edna Parker was nominated for her efforts in improving the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of this county. She served her first term on the Social Service Board back in 1992, she has been appointed by the NC Social Services Commission, Alamance County Social Service Board, and serving currently as an appointee of the Alamance County Board of Commissioners. Ms. Parker has served as Chair of the NC Social Services Commission as well as Chair of the local Social Services Board. She upholds the mission of Social Services by advocating for the well-being of the citizens of Alamance County. Her leadership with the Social Services Board has assisted citizens along the journey of becoming self-sufficient. Ms. Parker is an active community member serving on other boards such as: Women’s Resource Center, Alamance Arts, and Alamance Chamber Women’s Symposium.
Other Citizen Volunteer of the Year Finalists:
Courtney Doi
Paul Walker
Kelly May
Lawrence Abbott, Jr
Members of the following boards/committees were in attendance:
Alamance Beautiful Commission; Adult Care Home Community Advisory Council;
Nursing Home Community Advisory Council; Planning Committee for Services to the
Elderly; Board of Equalization and Review; Recreation and Parks Commission;
Alamance County Planning Board; Historic Properties Commission; Justice
Advisory Council; Library Committee; Juvenile Crime Prevention Council Local
Emergency Planning Committee; Social Services Board; Tourism Development
Authority; Workforce Development and Voluntary Agriculture District Board.
The Citizen Volunteer of the Year Award was started in
2016 as a way to recognize volunteers for their commitment and passion for helping
others; and honoring exemplary volunteers who have shown outstanding service to
the county. The finalist have to serve
on a board or committee that is appointed by the County Commissioners. The County Commissioners review each
nomination and make a selection based on the volunteer’s leadership, service and
efforts in improving the quality of community life.
Please note the various application deadlines for each citizen advisory board/committee; however, applications will be accepted anytime. All applicants must be residents of Alamance County unless serving in a special representation role to fill a state requirement. For more information on these and other citizen advisory boards/ committees and for an online application, visit the Alamance County website at www.alamance-nc.com and click on the Boards tab. Contact Clerk to the Board, Tory Frink, at tory.frink@alamance-nc.com or (336)228-1312 with any questions.
Alamance County Board of Commissioners Proclaimed October 23rd-31st, 2019 as “Red Ribbon Week” in Alamance County. Broadview Middle School Students, Chase Davis and Loriselle Acevedo pictured with the Board of Commissioners read the proclamation during their October 21st regular meeting.
With the upcoming spring launch of the 2020 Census, Chair Amy Scott Galey of the Alamance County Board of Commissioners has convened a 2020 Census Executive Committee. This committee made up of community leaders will help lead the charge in ensuring that all Alamance County residents are counted in order to maximize both federal representation and federal dollars. The first meeting will take place at Impact Alamance (133 E. Davis St., Burlington) on Thursday, October 10, 2019, at 9am. Special guest Cara Townsend, regional coordinator for the North Carolina 2020 Census, will present how census information is used and its benefits to the local community.
“Billions of dollars in federal funding as well as congressional seats are tied to census numbers, and it is vital that North Carolina is accurately represented.” said Chair Galey. “Community participation is crucial in the effort to count each resident living in the county. Our goal is to proactively develop solutions to increase our 2010 census participation rate of 78% as each person counted brings in $1,623 dollars of federal funding per year for ten years.”
Members of the County’s 2020 Census Executive Committee are:
Ian Baltutis, Mayor for City of Burlington
Dr. Bruce Benson, Superintendent of Alamance-Burlington School System
Buddy Boggs, Mayor for Town of Haw River
Dr. Connie Book, President of Elon University
Phil Bowers, Executive Director of Sustainable Alamance
Tony Foriest, Former State Senator and Community Leader
Amy Scott Galey, Chair of the Alamance County Board of Commissioners
Allen Gant, Jr., Chair of Glen Raven Inc.
Dr. Algie Gatewood, President of Alamance Community College
Tracey Grayzer, President of Impact Alamance
Ed Hooks, Mayor Pro-Tem for City of Mebane
F.D. Hornaday, President of Knit-Wear Fabrics, Inc.
Jane Iseley, Iseley Farms
Martha Krall, Alamance Alliance for Families and Children in North Carolina
Heidi Norwick, President of United Way
Carrie Theall, Executive Director of Alamance Partnership for Children
Michael Trollinger, Council Member for the Town of Green Level
Will White, will serve as Alamance County’s 4-H Youth Voice Delegate at the 2019 NC Association of County Commissioner’s Annual Conference. Youth Voice brings together teens from 4-H and the Boys and Girls Clubs of North Carolina. The annual event offers sessions on Friday and Saturday of the conference to help youth gain a better understanding of what their county governments do and the role of their County Commissioners as the governing body for their counties. The youths have the opportunity to connect with their county officials during the Youth Voice Breakfast on Saturday morning.
In order to qualify to attend the conference, the Youth Delegates must speak at a Board of County Commissioners meeting and submit a photo of themselves with their Board of Commissioners. Mr. White met his requirement when he spoke at the August 19thregular meeting and posed alongside County Commissioners.
