Board of Commissioners
It looks to be a quiet meeting — or, at least, on paper, there are always last-minute surprises — but we will hear an update on how the county will spend $45 million in Covid-relief funds; the latest change looks to be more administrative support for the housing support programs, definitely something the public has been clamoring for.
Also, while it might not get mentioned this meeting, on Friday, county commissioners made a surprise announcement, allowing the county manager to tap into $350 million in hospital sale funds to address youth gun violence and school safety.
Related: NHC commissioners will tap $350 million in hospital sale funds to address school safety
That move was essentially an 'audible' by Chair Julia Olson-Boseman, and few details were given. Commissioners might offer some more parameters, like whether or not the county manager will be constrained by the usual spending rules. Under the county's current regulations, a county manager can spend only up to $90,000 before a vote from the board is required (for construction, there's a much higher limit of $500,000).Board of Education
The board will revisit policy 5120, which outlines the district's relationship with law enforcement, specifically for School Resource Officers (SROs) in the schools. Advocates, including the North Carolina ACLU, and parents have expressed concerns over the current arrangement, which appears to allow SROs to detain and interrogate students without their parents present — a violation of state law and U.S. Supreme Court precedent.
Related: Deep Dive: Initially eager to pass SRO policy, New Hanover school board now waffles amid criticism
After pushback and an in-depth piece from WHQR, the board put the policy's second reading on hold last month.
In accordance with state requirements, the board will also revisit the mask requirements for the district. Currently, the district requires masks for all students, staff, and visitors. The issue has drawn heated, even hostile commentary from the public in the past — and a recent mandate from the county's health department drew serious opposition (as well as deranged comparisons to the Holocaust).
The board will also review new policies — but as of Sunday afternoon, they were not posted on the district's meeting agenda site. This has been a bone of contention with a variety of groups (including members of the media). Unlike the City of Wilmington and New Hanover County, which post information three or four days ahead of time, the district has not consistently provided advanced material to the public or media.
City of Wilmington
The city will vote on a roughly quarter-million dolalr investment in technology allowing the Wilmington Police Department access to the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network. Chief Donny Williams has been beating the drum for this investment for some time; it would allow the police department to link ballistic evidence — like shell casings and bullets — to firearms used in other crimes around the country. Williams said acquiring the technology would be a "game-changer" for WPD, which is struggling to deal with serious gun violence in the city.
Councilman Kevin Spears has proposed extending the tenure of the 'Black Lives Do Matter' mural by another year. The initial proposal (before the 'do' was added) met with considerable pushback and concerns, most vocally from councilman Charlie Rivenbark, who claimed the installation would be racially divisive and would harm the self-esteem of white children; while many criticized Rivenbark, some going as far as calling him a white supremacist, public records searches at the time showed he received upward of a hundred emails supporting his position.
More info
You find agendas and watch the meetings live using the links below:
- New Hanover County Board of Commissioners agenda — Watch live, Tuesday, September 7, 4 p.m.
- New Hanover County Board of Education agenda — Watch live (via YouTube), Tuesday, September 7, 5:30 p.m.
- City of Wilmington Council agenda — watch
