LAURINBURG — During Monday’s recessed Board of Commissioners meeting, Scotland County released its legislative goals for the 2023-2024 Biennium.
The most immediate project for the county is the renovation of the former I. E. Johnson Elementary school. The first stage of the project includes renovations to the gymnasium. The gym renovation is under contract to be completed by July 2023. The next phase of construction is renovation of the remainder of the building to house Child and Adult Protective Services. It will also provide a new location to allow for supervised visitation for families separated by court order, where the child is placed in foster care. It would also allow for a safe location for the interview of children involved in investigations for abuse. The facility will also house Cooperative Extension services and the Health Department educational services. The facility will also provide space for community meetings.
The second project is to build a new emergency services facility. Scotland County Emergency Services has applied for the FEMA BRIC Grant. The grant process started in September of 2022. FEMA’s BRIC grant program gives states, local communities, tribes and territories funding to address future risks to natural disasters, including ones involving: wildfires, drought, hurricanes, earthquakes, extreme heat, and flooding. Addressing these risks helps make communities more resilient. The project proposed was to mitigate Scotland County’s Emergency Services Facility. The current emergency services facility is prone to surface flooding and the service has more than outgrown the current facility. The county is currently in the final phase of a three phase application. Scotland County has requested more than $4 million from FEMA. If awarded the grant, Scotland County will be required to match up to 25% of the cost. The entire project is estimated to be $6.5 million.
The third project is renovations to the splash pad at the Morgan Complex. In 2007 Scotland County installed a splash pad as part of a 45 acre Morgan Recreation Park. This splash pad and park is used regularly by children and preschools and elementary schools from Scotland, Robeson and Marlboro counties. As the only public aquatic facility in Scotland County, this is a major draw to the park and provides a significant recreational activity for citizens of Scotland and surrounding counties.
The fourth project is updates to the historic John Blue House. The Historic Properties Commission has received a grant from the State Historic Preservation Office for $125,000. This grant will be used to restore the foundation of the building but more work is needed to restore the house to where people can visit it once again.
The final project is a new industrial site for the Scotland County Economic Development Commission. Available ready to market industrial sites are limited in Scotland County as well as southeastern North Carolina. In a conscious effort to have an inventory of marketable industrial sites going forward, Scotland County is looking to redevelop an existing brownfield location. This facility is currently under remediation plans. We would also enhance an industrial park attached to the location of the recently announced SOPAKCO. The project is estimated to cost $ 2 million.
The county commissioners plan to work with Representatives Garland Pierce and Senator Danny Britt to secure funding for these projects and KTS Strategies, the firm retained to lobby for the county’s benefit.