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Greg Edds, Chairman Aaron Church, County Manager
Jim Greene, Vice-Chairman Sarah Pack, Clerk to the Board
Mike Caskey John W. Dees, II, County Attorney
Judy Klusman
Craig Pierce
Rowan County Board of Commissioners
130 West Innes Street ∙ Salisbury, NC 28144
Telephone 704-216-8181 ∙ Fax 704-216-8195
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE
ROWAN COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
January 20, 2026 – 6:00 PM
J.NEWTON COHEN, SR. ROOM
J.NEWTON COHEN, SR. ROWAN COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING
PRESENT:
Greg Edds, Chairman
Jim Greene, Vice-Chairman
Craig Pierce, Commissioner
Judy Klusman, Commissioner
Mike Caskey, Commissioner
County Manager Aaron Church, County Attorney Jay Dees, Clerk to the Board Sarah Pack
and Finance Director Anna Bumgarner were also present.
Call to Order
Chairman Edds called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Chaplain Michael Taylor provided a
solemnizing prayer. Chairman Edds lead the Pledge of Allegiance.
Consider Additions to the Agenda
Chairman Edds said that a Scope of Work for Fountainworks would be added as Consent
Item V.
Consider Deletions From the Agenda
Chairman Edds said the School Bond Discussion would be removed from the agenda.
Consider Approval of the Agenda
On motion of Pierce, seconded by Greene, the Board voted 5-0 to approve the agenda as
amended.
Consider Approval of the Consent Agenda
On motion of Pierce, seconded by Klusman, the Board voted 5-0 to approve the Consent
Agenda as amended, as follows:
A. Consider Approval of the Minutes - 1/5/26 Regular Meeting
B. Budget Amendments, as follows:
6100- Library Appropriate additional funds from NC $530
State for books
5100- Health Department Appropriate awarded funding from $4,750
Foundation for the Carolinas for SNAP
double bucks
Equal Opportunity Employer

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4112- General Government Transfer funds to cover attorney fees $143,050
Fund 317- West End Plaza/ Transfer funds to cover hazardous material $8,000
Rowan Community Center survey for phaze 5
4112- General Government Appropriate funds to cover attorney fees $75,000
C. RFQ Authorization — Services for Property Selection & Design of Accessible Recreation
Facility for Adults with Disabilities
D. Consolidation of Cash Handling Procedures for Parks and Recreation
E. Amendment #2 - Interlocal Agreement regarding Inmate Housing - Richmond County
F. Approve-Legal Services—Womble Bond Dickinson
G. Road Name Change – Three Forks Drive – Set Public Hearing
H. Work Order with First Tryon for 2026 GO Bond
I. Agreement with McGuire Woods for 2026 GO Bond
J. State Highway Patrol Lease Proposal Form PO-28
K. Resolution allowing three retiring officers to purchase service sidearms
L. Clerical Correction to 12/1/25 Minutes
M. NC Youth Sports Grant
N. Tax & VTS Refunds
O. Fleet Management - Holman
P. Approval for Parks and Recreation to Apply for the Margaret C. Woodson Foundation
Grant
Q. GRANTS: Approval to Apply for the K-12 STEM Award
R. Request for Public Hearing - EDC 'Project Paddock'
S. IT Department Position Reclassifications
T. GRANTS: Woodson Foundation Grant Application - DSS/ROCOC
U. Public Rating Agreement for 2026 GO Bonds
V. Approve Scope of Work for Fountainworks **Agenda Addition**
Public Comment Period
Chairman Edds opened the floor for Public Comment and closed it after no one wished to
speak.
Public Hearing – ZTA 02-25: NC Salisbury, LLC
Shane Stewart, Assistant Planning and Development Director, presented a text amendment
request from NC Salisbury LLC (Rowan RV/General RV) regarding rooftop solar installations
allowed in the airport zone overlay. Currently, rooftop solar for nonresidential uses is prohibited
in the conical and horizontal surfaces of the airport zone overlay.
Mr. Stewart explained that in February 2024, the Board had previously approved changes to
allow rooftop solar for residential properties under 6,000 square feet with anti-reflective coating.
This new text amendment would allow nonresidential rooftop solar in the airport zone overlay
with several conditions:
1. All systems must have anti-reflective coating with less than 2% reflectivity
2. For systems exceeding 6,000 square feet, additional requirements include:
• A glare analysis certified by a North Carolina registered professional engineer
• Certification of proper installation prior to operation
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• Periodic testing every 5 years to ensure continued compliance with reflectivity
standards
• Compliance testing if complaints are received
• Requirements to repair or replace panels that exceed 2% reflectivity
Mr. Stewart confirmed that the Airport Director had no opposition to the text amendment,
and the Planning Board had unanimously recommended approval.
Commissioners expressed concerns about enforcement and the potential for defunct systems.
Mr. Stewart clarified that while the ordinance focuses on safety issues like glare rather than
operation, the testing requirements provide a mechanism for ongoing monitoring.
Alex Khokhlov from PPM Solar, a licensed North Carolina electrical contractor with 17
years of experience, addressed the Board. He explained that this was the most comprehensive
policy for solar installations he had seen, including multiple layers of protection beyond standard
glare analysis. He noted that modern solar panels are designed to absorb rather than reflect light,
with manufacturers providing warranties that cover anti-reflective coating defects. He explained
that systems would be installed solely for offsetting existing consumption at commercial
properties, not for selling electricity back to the grid.
In response to Commissioner questions about solar panel recycling, Mr. Khokhlov stated
there are about 12 certified recycling facilities in the United States, including several in the
Southeast, and that his company does not put solar panels in landfills.
At 6:28 p.m. Chairman Edds opened the Public Hearing and closed it after no one wished to
speak.
On motion of Edds, seconded by Pierce, the Board voted 5-0 that ZTA 02-25 is reasonable,
appropriate, necessary to meet the development needs of Rowan County not previously
envisioned. The text surrounding ground mounted and roof mounted solar panels within the
conical surface of the Mid Carolina Regional Airport based on the new text surrounding glare
maintenance, compliance, testing, and decommissioning.
On motion of Klusman, seconded by Pierce, the Board voted 5-0 to approve ZTA 02-25.
Public Hearing – Hazardous Materials Ordinance Update
TJ Brown, Emergency Services Interim Chief, presented updates to the Hazardous Materials
Ordinance, which was initially adopted in 2025 to establish authority and procedures to recover
hazardous materials response and cleanup costs. After review with county finance and the county
attorney's office, it was determined that some language needed to be removed for consistency.
The changes involved removing duplicative or inconsistent verbiage from four sections of the
ordinance.
At 6:35 p.m. Chairman Edds opened the Public Hearing and closed it after no one wished to
speak.
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On motion of Pierce, seconded by Greene, the Board voted 5-0 to approve the updates to the
Hazardous Materials Ordinance as presented.
Public Hearing – Fire Code Ordinance Text Amendments
TJ Brown, Emergency Services Interim Chief, presented a simple change to the Fire Code
Ordinance to remove the specific reference to "2006" and replace it with "current" so that the
county can use the current edition of the fire code adopted by the State of North Carolina. The
change also creates consistency between the fire code and current building codes. Brown
explained that the fire code is updated approximately every four years by the state, and this
amendment would allow the county to automatically adopt the current version.
At 6:37 p.m. Chairman Edds opened the Public Hearing and closed it after no one wished to
speak.
On motion of Pierce, seconded by Greene, the Board voted 5-0 to approve Fire Code
Ordinance text amendments.
Financial Report
Anna Bumgarner, Finance Director, presented the financial report through December 2025:
• Cumulative expenditures through December were up $7,000,000 (7.32%) compared
to the same time last year
• Cumulative revenues through December were up $4,900,000 (4.3%)
• Current year property tax through November was up $5,600,000 (7.18%)
Ms. Bumgarner explained that increases in property tax revenue came from:
1. Natural growth (typically 2-3% year over year)
2. Personal property tax increases from businesses (citing an example of one company
whose personal property value increased from under $1 million to almost $3 million)
She noted that as of December 21, 2025, the county had collected 77.38% of the tax levy,
compared to 77.47% at the same time in the previous year. She also mentioned that timing
differences in when companies pay their taxes can shift the month-to-month comparative figures.
For sales tax, the county was up $641,000 (6%) cumulatively through September. For the month
of September alone, the county was up $630,000 (18.7%) compared to September of the
previous year, which had been unusually low.
Closed Session
On motion of Edds, seconded by Pierce, the Board voted 5-0 to enter into closed session
pursuant to NCGS 143-318.11(a)(1) to consider approval of the minutes of the Closed Session
held on January 5, 2026, as described by NCGS 143- 318.10(e), and pursuant to NCGS 143-
318.11(a)(3), to consult with an attorney.
Resume Open Session
At 7:04 p.m. Open Session resumed.
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On motion of Edds, seconded by Pierce, the Board voted 5-0 to approve an engagement
letter with Johnston Allison Hord Law Firm regarding the John Rink Trust and to approve a
budget amendment to appropriate available fund balance for attorney fees up to no more than
$75,000.
Adjournment
At 7:05 p.m., on motion of Pierce, seconded by Greene, the Board voted 5-0 to adjourn.
______________________________________
Sarah Pack, CMC, NCCCC
Clerk to the Board
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