Archive for October, 2022

Commissioners Jay and Cozart Take Leadership Roles at NCACC

Posted October 28, 2022

The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) kicked off a new term with the swearing in of new District Directors as well as the 106^th president of the NCACC, Washington County Commissioner Tracey Johnson. Granville County Commissioners Zelodis Jay and Tony Cozart were in attendance to begin their new leadership roles as District 8 Director and Chair of the Public Education Steering Committee. Commissioner Jay will serve as District 8 Director, representing Granville, Person, Vance, Warren, and Franklin counties for a two-year term.

“I am honored to have been selected to serve as District 8 representative on the NCACC Board of Directors,” said Commissioner Jay. “This role will give me the opportunity to serve the residents and advance the interests of Granville County as well as our fellow citizens of Person, Vance, Warren, and Franklin counties on a statewide level.”

Commissioner Tony Cozart was also formally appointed by NCACC President Tracey Johnson to chair the Public Education Steering Committee. Cozart brings decades of education experience to this role assisting the NCACC with setting legislative and policy goals for counties to pursue across North Carolina.

Parks, Greenways, and Recreation Public Input Session

Posted October 27, 2022

Dedication of Future North Granville Senior Center

Posted October 27, 2022

Members of the Granville County Board of Commissioners were joined by county staff and members of the Town of Stovall Board of Commissioners to dedicate the future home of the North Granville Senior Center on October 26. The new center will be located at 301 Oxford Street in downtown Stovall adjacent to the Stovall Branch Library. Once constructed, the new North Granville Senior Center will replace the existing location on US Highway 15 with a greatly expanded center of 8,000 square feet to serve the citizens of northern Granville County.

Commissioners David Smith, Zelodis Jay, Sue Hinman, and Tony Cozart spoke about how critical this project was to serve the citizens of northern Granville County. “The existing site has served its purpose,” said Chairman Tony Cozart. “But the time has come for Granville County to expand services in Stovall to match what can be found at the Granville County Senior Center in Oxford and South Granville Senior Center in Creedmoor. We made it a critical part of our county’s strategic plan to improve and bring more services to all parts of Granville County. Building this new center will help us get one step closer to that goal.”

“We know this center will help so many people in northern Granville County,” added Commissioner David Smith. “This new site will be so much safer without our seniors having to make that dangerous turn off Highway 15 into a very tight parking lot. Being in the middle of downtown next to other public services like the Stovall Branch Library, Town Hall, the US Post Office, and the Stovall Medical Center will help make downtown Stovall a service hub for our northern Granville residents.”

“Commissioner Smith and I have worked on this for years,” said Commissioner Zelodis Jay. “Before the district lines changed, we both represented Stovall. Even though Stovall is no longer my district, I still consider it to part of District 1 at heart. I’m so excited to see this project begin construction the coming months.”

“Building a new Senior Center in northern Granville County has been a top priority of mine since I was first elected,” added Commissioner Sue Hinman. “Even though my district doesn’t include Stovall, I have always made a point of advocating that our Senior Services Department equally serve all parts of Granville County.”

The future North Granville Senior Center is scheduled to begin construction in 2023. The current location at 318 US Highway 15 South, Stovall will remain open until the new facility is ready for use. Phyllis Blackwell, the center’s manager, can be reached at 919-693-3383 or phyllis.blackwell@granvillecounty.org.

Raccoon Tests Positive for Rabies in Oxford

Posted October 26, 2022

Animal Control picked up a deceased raccoon on October 20, which has since been confirmed as positive rabies case. The raccoon was found on Hancock Street near the intersection of Franklin Street in Oxford.

NCGS 130A-185 requires all pets to receive a rabies vaccination. State law requires it to be kept up to date. Rabies vaccinations are offered at the Granville County Animal Shelter (515 New Commerce Drive, Oxford) Tuesday through Friday from 12:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. at a cost of $6 per vaccine. Please call 919-693-6749 to make an appointment.

Fire Commission Meeting Notice

The Granville County Fire Commission will meet at Granville County Emergency Management, 5662 Cornwall Rd, Oxford, NC on Monday, November 14, 2022 at 6:00 p.m.

Any questions should be directed to Jason Reavis, Emergency Management Director, at 919-603-1310 or emailed to  jason.reavis@granvillecounty.org. 

Jimmy Taylor Receives Lifesaver Award from Cornwall VFD

Posted October 25, 2022

At the Board of Commissioners regular meeting held on Monday, October 17, Commissioners honored the heroism of Jimmy Taylor with his service to the Cornwall Volunteer Fire Department.

On October 1, Jimmy Taylor was visiting his friend Owen Hamlett who suffered a medical episode and became unresponsive. Taylor jumped into action by calling 911 to get Granville EMS and other first responders en route. Taylor used his ten years of experience as a firefighter with Cornwall Volunteer Fire Department to assess Hamlett’s needs and perform CPR until EMS arrived. Taylor’s quick action along with the efforts of 911 telecommunicators, Granville EMS, and the Cornwall Volunteer Fire Department helped to save the life of a valued member of the Cornwall community.

Commissioners Zelodis Jay and Sue Hinman presented Jimmy Taylor with a proclamation on behalf of the Granville County Board of Commissioners in recognition of Taylor’s service to the Cornwall Volunteer Fire Department and the Granville County community. Cornwall Volunteer Fire Department Chief Mark Harrison presented a Lifesaver award to Taylor on behalf of his fellow firefighters.

Taylor was joined on stage by Owen Hamlett as well as Hamlett’s family.

Animal Shelter to Expand Saturday Hours

Posted October 24, 2022

The Granville County Animal Shelter will transition to a new schedule beginning Tuesday, November 1 to better serve the public during the highly in-demand weekend hours and allow additional time for animal care, cleaning, and training during the week.

The new public operating hours will be Tuesday through Saturday from 12:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The shelter will be closed to the public Sunday and Monday. The shelter’s operating hours are when the public may come to meet adoptable animals, have vaccines administered, or surrender animals. As is the case now, Animal Control Officers answer calls for service even when the shelter is not open. The new hours will have no effect on this service.

“This new schedule will allow additional hours on Saturday for our critical public-facing services like allowing folks to come in to meet our adoptable animals,” said Animal Management Director Matt Katz. “We have consistently heard from the public that Saturdays are the easiest time to get the entire family to the shelter so that they can make these adoption decisions together. Animal Management staff will still man the phones at the shelter on Mondays during business hours and our Animal Control Officers are ready and able to answer calls for service to protect the animals and citizens of Granville County at all times.”

For more information about the Granville County Animal Shelter and services offered by Animal Management, please visit the county website.

Commissioners Honor the Service of Michael Allen

Posted October 20, 2022

At the Board of Commissioners regular meeting held on Monday, October 17, Commissioners recognized the service of Michael “Mike” Allen to Granville County as a member of the Veterans Affairs Committee and to his country as a veteran of the United States Navy.

Allen served in the Navy from 1980 to 1989 and has served on the Veterans Affairs Committee since 2016. He was chair of the 2018 Veterans Appreciation Event, served as the committee’s Vice-Chair from 2019 – 2022, and was elected to the position of committee chair in March 2022.

Board of Commissioners Vice-Chair Russ May and Commissioner Zelodis Jay presented the proclamation to Allen and noted the quiet, dignified, and selfless character that led Allen to a life of service to his country and now his local community.

North Granville Senior Center Site Dedication

Posted October 19, 2022

Drew Cummings Sworn in as County Manager

Posted October 19, 2022

At the Board of Commissioners Regular meeting held on Monday, October 17, Drew Cummings officially began his tenure as Granville County Manager by swearing the Oath of Office and receiving a formal vote of appointment by the Board.

Chairman Tony Cozart administered the Oath of Office, and Cummings was joined by his wife Amy as well as his children Webb, Isa, and Doran to formally begin his tenure with Granville County. Cummings officially began work on October 17 and took over all duties and powers of the County Manager from Interim Manager Doug Logan, who had served in the role since July 29 following the resignation of Michael Felts.

Cummings comes to Granville after fourteen years of service in the Durham County Manager’s Office as Assistant County Manager and Chief of Staff. Preceding his tenure with Durham County, Cummings previously held several positions in municipal government and worked for seven years as a middle school teacher before entering the local government profession.

During his tenure in Durham County, Cummings focused on a wide range of issues including economic development, education, transportation, affordable housing, and homelessness. He has been a member of the International City-County Management Association (ICMA) as well as the North Carolina City and County Managers Association since 2004. Cummings achieved his ICMA Credentialed Manager status in 2021 and is also a graduate of the UNC School of Government’s Public Executive Leadership Academy, participating in the 2015 cohort. He is a graduate of Harvard University, holding a BA in Government and received his Master’s in Public Policy from the Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy. Cummings is a native of Kalamazoo Michigan and graduated from Kalamazoo Central High School. He and his wife, Amy, have three school-aged children (Webb, Isa, and Doran) and in his spare time Cummings enjoys exercise, woodwork, and singing in his church choir.