The Alamance County Voluntary Agricultural District Board (VAD) will be accepting applications for the Purchase of Development Rights, Alamance County Farmland Preservation Program Sept.1st – Sept. 30, 2021. The applications can be picked up or emailed from the Alamance Soil and Water Office starting September 1st, 2021.
Applications must be returned to the Alamance SWCD Office at 209 N Graham Hopedale Road, Burlington,NC 27217,beginning Sept. 1st with a deadline of Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021 @ 5:00PM.
The NC Dept. of Agriculture and Community Services Farmland Preservation Trust Fund anticipates having funding statewide to fund applications in the 2021-2022 cycle. The Alamance County VAD Board will select the top applicants from the applications received based on the VAD Ranking System. North Carolina leads the Southeast in lost farmland and Family farms. This funding is made available to encourage farmland preservation and protection.
If you have any questions about the program or to request an application, please contact the Alamance County Soil and Water Conservation District Office @ 336-290-0380.
Brad Moore, Alamance Soil and Water Conservation District Administrator
E. coli/fecal coliform found in the water distribution system
The City of Burlington has implemented a boil water notice due to E. Coli/fecal coliform bacteria found at a specific location in the city of Burlington water system.
E. coli/fecal coliform bacteria can cause illness for individuals with weakened immune systems. Symptoms of E. coli infection may vary, but could include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting.
City of Burlington has advised that residents should boil their drinking water until further notice. Additionally, the State of North Carolina advises impacted residents to boil all water used for human consumption (including drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes and food preparation) or use bottled water. Residents should boil their water for at least one minute; this should help kill any disease-causing organisms that are potentially present in the water.
With a positive E.coli, those businesses permitted by the Health Department, restaurants, lodging and tattoo parlors, and are customers of the city of Burlington must suspend operations until the boil water notice is lifted and post event procedures are followed.
For general guidelines on how to lessen the risk of infection contact the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-479. Any questions or concerns regarding food and lodging facilities can be addressed by calling 336-290-0653. Alamance County Environmental Health has a hotline available to assist.
City of Burlington residents can contact the City of Burlington’s Customer Service Line at 336- 222-5100 or monitor the City’s website at www.BurlingtonNC.gov/Water.
The Alamance Soil and Water Conservation District anticipates receiving its cost share allocation from the State to assist with nonpoint source pollution control from agricultural activities. The funds are available to assist farmers to install conservation practices which help decrease the amount of sediment, nitrogen, phosphorus, chemicals and other pollutants in the surface and ground waters of our state.
The District anticipates to receive funding for the program year 2022 in July, 2021. Landowners and operators of existing agricultural operations may apply for cost share assistance to install conservation practices such as grassed waterways, sowing crop fields to grass or trees, livestock exclusion and many more.
Applications for assistance will be accepted starting in July. With limited funding expected, farmers and producers are encouraged to contact the Alamance Soil and Water Conservation District office as soon as possible, the contact information is as follows:
ALAMANCE SOIL & WATER, 209 N. GRAHAM HOPEDALE ROAD, BURLNGTON, NC 27217-0185,
Alamance County is accepting applications for volunteers to serve on the Adult Care Home Community Advisory Committee; Alamance County Senior Services Committee; Board of Health (Optometrist and Dentist); Burlington Board of Adjustment Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) Members; Burlington Planning & Zoning Board Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) Members; and the Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee.
Alamance County’s broadband survey has launched! Help us identify high-speed broadband gaps in our community by taking a 5-minute survey at https://ncbroadband.gov/survey today, and help our community get better connected! #NCBroadband
If you don’t have internet access, you can also do a voice call or text “Internet” to 919-750-0553, and you will be guided through the survey.
Please take notice that the Alamance County Board of County Commissioners will hold a public hearing on Monday, June 21, 2021 at 7:00 PM to consider the following: Unified Development Ordinance
The Alamance County Board of Commissioners will conduct a public hearing to consider comments regarding a compiling of local ordinances developed into the Alamance County Unified Development Ordinance to comply with G.S. Chapter 160D. The public may view the proposed updated ordinance by clicking the following link: https://www.alamance-nc.com/planningdept/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2021/06/DRAFT-Unified-Development-Ordinance-06-2021.pdf . In addition the proposed ordinance can be reviewed at the Alamance County Planning Department located at 201 W Elm St. Graham, NC from 8am-5pm, Monday thru Friday.
This public hearing will be held in the Commissioner’s Meeting Room located on the 2nd floor of the Alamance County Office Building, 124 West Elm Street, Graham, NC 27253. All interested citizens are invited to attend. If any disabled person has a special request for a hearing interpreter or other assistance, please contact the ADA Coordinator at (336) 228-1312 TDD 570-6326.
The Alamance County Manager has submitted his proposed budget for fiscal year 2021-2022 to the Alamance County Board of Commissioners. A public hearing on the proposed budget ordinance will be held on Monday, June 7, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room, 2nd Floor of the County Office Building located at: 124 West Elm, Graham, NC 27253.
All interested citizens, groups, senior citizens and organizations representing the interest of county citizens are encouraged to attend the public hearing to submit their comments. Persons wishing to participate in the public hearing by telephone should call 336-290-8677 at 7:00 p.m. on the evening of the public hearing. Please be patient and stay on the line as your call will be answered in the order it was received. The proposed budget ordinance is available online on the Alamance County website: www.alamance-nc.com where it shall remain available until the budget ordinance is adopted. Copies are available in the offices of the Finance Officer and the Clerk to the Board for public inspection from 8:00am to 5:00pm, Monday-Friday. The following is a summary of the proposed General Fund Budget:
GENERAL FUND
EXPENDITURESSOURCES OF FUNDS
General Government $ 12,830,909 Property Taxes $ 103,593,054
Education & Education Debt 71,332,306 Federal & State Funds 27,255,763
Human Services 37,115,777 Sales Tax 35,930,400
Public Safety 43,055,142 Fees & Charges 11,090,440
Support Services 7,269,210 Interest Earnings 125,000
Community Services 9,699,769 Other Revenues 3,260,670
Non-Education Debt Service 1,312,266 Designated Fund Balance 1,776,479
Transfers to Other Funds 2,416,427 Appropriated Fund Balance 2,000,000
Total $ 185,031,806 Total $185,031,806
The recommended General Fund Tax Rate is $0.67 per $100 of assessed valuation. Recommended tax rates for fire districts are:
Fire District
Current Tax Rate
Proposed Tax Rate
54 East
0.0900
0.0900
Altamahaw-Ossipee
0.1400
0.1400
E. M. Holt
0.1175
0.1175
East Alamance
0.1050
0.1050
Eli Whitney/87South
0.0800
0.1100
Elon
0.1100
0.1200
Faucette
0.1100
0.1200
Haw River
0.1350
0.1350
North Central Alamance
0.1150
0.1150
North Eastern Alamance
0.1000
0.1000
Snow Camp
0.0950
0.1250
Swepsonville
0.0900
0.0900
An overview of the 2021-2022 proposed general fund budget includes:
Fiscal year 2021-2022 budget recommendation totals $ 222,967,944 for all 23 budgetary funds.
The property tax rate is recommended to remain at $0.67 per $100 property valuation for the third consecutive year.
Property tax revenue is projected to increase due to overall tax base growth by 3.51% or $3,488,388.
Sales tax revenue is projected to decrease by 2.02% ($740,000) from expected fiscal year 2020-2021 year-end collections.
Use of $2,000,000 in appropriated fund balance for operations, $1,500,000 less than the previous year.
Use of $1,776,479 in designated funds from sources for the following purposes: Airport sewer project, SARA Management equipment and MC1 replacement, revaluation, small area land development plan, inspections operations, and continuing Covid-19-related expenditures.
Reduces proposed General Fund spending by $3,050,441 from budget retreat requests, also representing a $17,071,436 increase from the previous fiscal year’s original general fund allocation.
Restores County Pay-Go Capital Improvement Projects in the amount of $250,000 and adds an additional $50,000 for Alamance Parks facility maintenance, totaling $300,000 for fiscal year 2021-2022.
Ensures full funding according to the Capital Plan for ABSS’ and ACC’s bond debt services costs and Pay-Go projects.
Maintains the 2% Merit Program for full-time-permanent County employees and removes the 2% Merit pay from all budget units organized under the Alamance County Sheriff in favor of a higher Cost-of-Living adjustment.
Implements a new 2% Cost-of-Living-Adjustment (COLA) for all existing full-time County employees and a 5% COLA for all budget units organized under the Alamance County Sheriff.
Implements a 5-and-6-year service bonus program, expanding upon the existing 7+ year program.
Adds 10 new positions, including 4 new School Resource Officers.
Freezes 14 positions in the Detention Department.
Accommodates required increases of $623,404 for employee retirement and $2,217 for retiree insurance.
Approves a fire district tax increase of 3 cents for Snow Camp VFD.
Important News: Congress recently created the Affordable Connectivity Program, a new, long-term $14 billion program that will replace the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program. Households enrolled in the EBB Program as of December 31, 2021, continued to receive their current monthly benefit during a 60-day transition period. The transition period ended on February 28.
The Broadband Infrastructure Office at the North Carolina Department of Information Technology has launched a new Economic Broadband Benefit Program webpage with program guidance information and an informational flyer that can be printed and posted at your establishment. Now we are asking for your help.
The Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program provides households with a discount of up to $50 a month off of a household’s internet bill. That increases to $75 a month for those living on tribal lands. Eligible households can also get a one-time discount of $100 toward the purchase of a laptop, tablet or desktop computer through participating providers.
The program’s enrollment begins on May 12 for qualifying households. A household qualifies if the household’s income is at or less than 135 percent of federal poverty guidelines. A household can also qualify if at least one member:
Participates in a federal benefits program, such as Medicaid, SNAP, or Lifeline
Receives benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program,
Lost a job or a significant amount of income in the past year,
Received a Federal Pell Grant, or
Is part of an internet service provider’s low-income or COVID-19 program.
North Carolina Counties are valuable partners to the Broadband Infrastructure Office and provide a great opportunity to reach out to the important stakeholders who need this information the most. So, we are asking you to help spread the word to your community and encourage their participation.
If your organization is interested in helping spread the word about the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program and educating citizens about the program and how to participate, the Broadband Infrastructure Office has developed a new Economic Broadband Benefit Program webpage with guidance information and an informational flyer that can be printed and posted at your establishment. We also encourage you to visit the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program’s Consumer Outreach Toolkit where the FCC and USAC have created a Toolkit overview and Guide with supporting educational materials to make it easier for organizations use for educating their stakeholders.
If you have other specific materials that you need to support your outreach and education efforts, please let the Broadband Infrastructure Office know by emailing us at broadband@nc.gov.
The Home and Community Block Grant (HCCBG) was designed to establish an efficient and effective service delivery system for meeting the needs of a rapidly growing older adult population. HCCBG was designed to address the complexities of fragmented service delivery systems by consolidating, under a single set of policies, procedures and service requirements, several existing funding sources targeted to serve and support older adults. A link to the HCCBG Procedures Manual can be found at. https://www.ncdhhs.gov/document/home-and-community-care-block-grant-procedures-manual-community-service-providers.
Any public, private-nonprofit, or for-profit corporation is invited to submit a proposal for funding by Tuesday, May 11. Questions and submittals can be directed to Crystal Norman, Aging Program Planner with the Piedmont Triad Regional Council Area Agency on Aging 336.904.0300 cnorman@ptrc.org
Community needs and demands regarding COVID-19 vaccinations are changing; however, there is still a large segment of the county population that has yet to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. In order to address this, Alamance County Health Department is planning to host mobile vaccination events in the community and is looking for the assistance of community partners to help vaccinate more people. Area businesses, churches, civic, and nonprofit organizations that are interested in partnering with the Health Department should email their contact information to VaccinateAlamance@alamance-nc.com.
On May 22, the Eric Lane site will close after the last scheduled COVID-19 vaccination appointment is completed, and COVID-19 vaccinations will no longer be offered at this site. Beginning May 26, COVID-19 vaccinations will be offered Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.at the Alamance County Health Department, which is located at 319 North Graham-Hopedale Road. Vaccinations are available to anyone age 16 or older, and identification and insurance are not required. While walk-ins are welcome, appointments are preferred for faster service and can be made by visiting VaccinateAlamance.com or by calling 336-290-0650 Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. for personal scheduling assistance.
Persons needing transportation assistance to and from the Health Department for a COVID-19 vaccination appointment can call Alamance County Transportation Authority (ACTA) at 336-222-0565 or Link Transit at (336) 222-LINK (5465) for information on schedules and routes.
The public will be informed of any changes and updates through the Health Department website, social media, and the local news media.
