Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Beaufort County board of Commissioners will be presented Monday with the county’s audit for the fiscal year 2020-2021, which ended June 30.

Thompson, Price, Scott, Adams & Co. PA conducted the audit, which covers the financial statements of the county’s governmental activities, business-type activities, each major fund, and the aggregate remaining fund information.

Monday’s meeting is set to begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Beaufort County Financial Services building, located at 136 W. Second St. in Washington. The beginning of the agenda includes the nomination and election of the board’s chairman as well as vice-chairman. Frankie Waters and Jerry Langley currently hold those two positions, respectively.

Other items on Monday’s packed agenda include:

·      A request from Beaufort County Emergency Services to approve the purchase of a $38,152.07 Stryker power load system. Emergency Services staff said it is “imperative” that the equipment is purchased now because the price will increase by $3,000 as of Jan. 1.

·      A request from Reddick Marcus to approve access to the Beaufort County Industrial Park at Chocowinity for both hunting and access to other hunting sites for him and his friends for the remainder of the 2021 hunting season. The current southeastern deer hunting season lasts until Jan. 1, 2022. The hunters are willing to pay a fee for the privilege to hunt on the property, plus repair with gravel any damage they do to the farm road at the industrial park. The Beaufort County Economic Development staff is “hesitant” to allow the hunter access to the park because they fear the hunters will tear up the internal roads.

·      A recommendation from the Beaufort Soil and Water Conservation District’s Board of Supervisors to approve a purchase order to complete work under the Phase Stream Debris Removal Project, which is part of the 2020 Watershed Restoration Project. The project is completely funded through a state grant.

·      A recommendation to authorize County Manager Brian Alligood to sign a new two-year contract with U.S. Cellular, the county’s cellular service provider. A couple changes will be made from the existing contract. All phones will move to a Government Unlimited Plan, rather than using a shared data plan. The county says that will eliminate date overage charges