Brunswick County Commissioners approve $27m spending plan, hear presentations on COVID-19, transportation

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — On Tuesday the Brunswick County Board of Commissioners approved a guideline to spend $27 million from the American Rescue Plan.

Some of the money will go to utility projects, like water system upgrades for the town of St. James.

It will also cover employee bonuses for time worked during the pandemic, and several other areas.

Commission chair Randy Thompson says this is a general guideline and more specific details will follow.

“Funds will also go toward a lot of community projects associated with COVID, also a lot of business and industry,” Thompson said. “We’re working with our community college to develop a distribution plan for that.”

Commissioners also heard a presentation on Cape Fear Change in Motion 2020, from the Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization. The plan outlines strategies to reduce vehicle congestion over the next five years

“The main takeaway from that is we had a lot of discussion between rural and urban,” Thompson said. “Some of the plans that were in the way in which it was presented and some of the items in there were designed for a more urban-type setting, with a lot of bike traffic and commuting.”

The board also heard a presentation from the Mt. Calvary Center for Leadership Development, discussing efforts to help the community during the pandemic.

“This pandemic is having a great effect on all of our areas throughout the nation, and we’re charged with the responsibility of working with these communities here throughout southeastern North Carolina,” said Mt. Calvary President Jimmy Tate. “So we want to be out in the community every day sharing the importance of people getting vaccines and being able to get the support services they need in order to return to work.”

Tate says teams are going door to door in several counties hoping to get people vaccinated.

Click here for more information from the meeting.