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T. Scott Efird Trent Hatley
Chairman Commissioner
Bill Lawhon Brandon King
Vice Chairman Commissioner
Mike Barbee Billy Mills
Commissioner Commissioner
Patty Crump
Commissioner
Stanly County
Board of Commissioners
Regular Meeting Minutes
Monday, January 5, 2026 – 6:00 PM
1. Call to Order & Welcome
The Stanly County Board of Commissioners (the “Board”) met in regular session on Monday,
January 5, 2026 in the Gene McIntyre Meeting Room, Stanly Commons. Chair Efird called the
meeting to order at 06:00 PM with Vice Chair Lawhon giving the invocation and leading the Pledge
of Allegiance.
Present:
Chairman T. Scott Efird
Vice Chairman Bill Lawhon
Commissioner Paul Michael Barbee
County Commissioner Patty Crump
County Commissioner Trent Hatley
Commissioner Brandon King
County Commissioner Billy Mills
2. Approval / Adjustments to the Agenda
Commissioner King moved to approve the agenda as presented, seconded by Commissioner Hatley
and passed by unanimous vote.
3. Public Comment
None.
4. Scheduled Agenda Items
A. East Side VFD Tax Exempt Financing & Public Hearing
Presenter: Fire Chief Alan Beasley & Truck Committee Members
Recusal of Vice Chair Lawhon

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Prior to the presentation, Vice Chair Lawhon requested to be recused from this item due to his
employment with Uwharrie Bank. Commissioner Mills moved to approve the request, seconded by
Commissioner Crump and passed by a 6-0 vote.
The East Side Volunteer Fire Department is seeking to finance up to $493,000 through Uwharrie
Bank for the purchase of a Spartan FB-94 custom pumper fire truck. Pursuant to Section 147(f) of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, the Board must hold a public hearing and approve the debt to
be incurred on a tax-exempt basis.
Fire Chief Alan Beasley and the truck committee members were in attendance to present the
request. Chief Beasley stated that due to age and the high maintenance costs associated with their
oldest vehicle, the department plans to retire the 1988 truck once a replacement is received. Chief
Beasley also noted that a new truck is needed in order to effectively respond to the increased call
volume resulting from continued growth in the district.
Following the presentation, Chief Beasley entertained questions from the Board.
With no further discussion, Chair Efird opened the public hearing. With no public comments offered,
the hearing was closed.
By motion, Commissioner Barbee moved to approve the resolution for tax-exempt financing not to
exceed $493,000 from Uwharrie Bank for the truck purchase. The motion was seconded by
Commissioner King and carried by a 6-0 vote. (Vice Chair Lawhon was recused.)
Exhibit A
Resolution Approving the Financing of a Note by East Side Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.
To Uwharrie Bank and Designating Such Note as a "Qualifed Tax-Exempt Obligation"
B. America 250 Stanly County Committee Presentation
Presenter: Bain Jones, Jr.
Bain Jones, Chair of the America 250 Stanly County Committee, addressed the Board regarding
the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Mr. Jones
provided a review of the local projects currently underway, those planned through July 4, 2026,
and encouraged the community's participation in these events.
He also shared that the State of North Carolina has provided $10,000 in grant funds to each
county to support this celebration. He then requested that the Board consider a $10,000
contribution to further support these local activities as well.
Following the presentation, Mr. Jones answered questions regarding the involvement of local Boy
Scout troops and potential reenactments of historical events, such as the Battle of Colson's Mill.
The presentation was for informational purposes, with no further action being taken at this time.
C. Utilities - Budget Amendments # 2026-45 & # 2026-46
Presenter: Clinton Hinson, Utilities Director

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Director Hinson requested approval of budget amendments 2026-45 and 2026-46 to allocate SDF
Funds from the Utility Operating Fund. These funds will be used to contract with Chambers
Engineering for a study analyzing options to increase water capacity in the western Stanly County
service area.
Mr. Hinson explained that due to the growth in the area, the current system is struggling to meet
demand. A second feed is necessary, and this study will help determine the best option for a
formal project. The requested amount for the study is $39,660.
During the discussion, Director Hinson addressed questions regarding the project timeline for the
study's completion and the potential use of the underutilized Millingport tower as a water source.
Following discussion, Vice Chair Lawhon moved to approve the budget amendments as presented.
The motion was seconded by Commissioner Crump and passed by unanimous vote.
D. Transportation Advisory Board Appointment
Presenter: Steve Dutton, Transportation Services Director
Due to Chris Whitley’s resignation from the Albemarle City Council, he is no longer serving as the
City's appointment to the Transportation Advisory Board.
The City Council recommended that Dexter Townsend be appointed to serve the remainder of Mr.
Whitley’s term, which expires on March 3, 2026.
Commissioner Mills moved to approve the appointment as requested, seconded by Commissioner
Barbee and carried by a 7-0 vote.
E. 911/EOC Facility - Radio System Connectivity
Presenter: Kyle Griffin, E911 Communications Director
Director Griffin began by explaining that construction of the new 911/Emergency Services Center
requires reliable, redundant radio connectivity to the County’s public safety radio system, provided
via microwave radio hops.
Initial engineering indicated a single microwave path from either the Courthouse or Stanly
Community College tower to the Airport tower would be sufficient. Staff planned to fund this single
hop through North Carolina General Assembly (NCGA) allocations. However, as the project moved
forward, a more detailed line-of-sight analysis revealed that terrain and future vegetation growth
could compromise reliability standards and prevent either direct path from meeting the required
performance standards.
Following analysis with Motorola, it was determined that the only sustainable solution is to connect
back to the Tuckertown Tower by adding an intermediate hop using the Albemarle Water Tower on
Bethany Road. As a result, this necessary change resulted in a significant increase in project cost.
To mitigate this cost increase as much as possible, staff bundled this microwave project with the
approved FY26 Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) project to create infrastructure efficiencies.

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The total cost for the bundled project is $1,293,833.16. Funding includes $444,000 from budgeted
FY26 MPLS funds and $350,000 from NCGA microwave funding, leaving a balance of $499,833.16.
To address the balance, Motorola has proposed a two-year lease financing option with annual
payments of $269,692.59 starting in FY27. This eliminates immediate fiscal impact and carries no
prepayment penalty. Director Griffin confirmed that all alternatives, including fiber, were evaluated
and this remains the only viable option to meet 911 and EOC reliability standards.
Following the presentation and lengthy discussion regarding project alternatives, budgeting, and the
lease terms, the Board considered a request to authorize the financing.
Commissioner Mills moved to table the decision until the January 20th meeting to allow a Motorola
representative to be present for further questions. The motion was seconded by Commissioner
Barbee and passed unanimously.
5. Consent Agenda
Commissioner King moved to approve the consent agenda as presented, seconded by
Commissioner Mills and passed by unanimous vote.
A. Minutes
B. December 2025 DMV Refunds
C. November 2025 Monthly Finance Report
D. Repair and Main-Vehicles
E. Ammo & Targets
F. Jail Expansion Project Funds Transfer for Repairs
6. Board Comments, Announcements & Committee Reports
Commissioner Barbee expressed his hope of saving taxpayer dollars on the 911/EOC Project
through discussions with Motorola at the upcoming meeting. Commissioner Mills shared his
agreement with these comments.
Vice Chair Lawhon reported that there were 508 residential building permits issued by the county in
2025, representing a decrease of 39 permits (7%) compared to the previous year.
Chair Efird announced that the Board’s upcoming strategic planning retreat is scheduled for
February 6, 2026. Additionally, the Board's next regular meeting will be held on Tuesday, January
20th, instead of Monday in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

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7. Adjourn
With no further discussion, Commissioner Crump moved to adjourn, seconded by Commissioner
King and passed by a 7-0 vote at 7:02 p.m.
______________________________ ______________________________
T. Scott Efird, Chair Tyler Brummitt, Clerk