David Edge

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Robeson County Commissioners Raymond Cummings, left, Jerry Stephens, Tom Taylor and Noah Woods, listen to reports from county department heads and others during Thursday's county retreat held at the county's Emergency Operations Center. | Bob Shiles | Robesonian

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LUMBERTON — Robeson County Commissioner David Edge on Thursday said state Department of Agriculture regulations dealing with the transportation of dogs and cats put an unnecessary burden on taxpayers.

“It’s insane that we have to put animals in an air-cooled box to carry them off to be euthanized or adopted,” Edge said. “When people ask about taxes, this is what they need to know about.”

Edge spoke on the second day of the annual county commissioners retreat during a budget discussion with Bill Smith, director of the county’s Health Department. Smith, in defending a budget request to purchase temperature control fittings for vehicles used by Animal Control officers, cited state regulations that require transportation of dogs and cats to a shelter must be done in enclosures where temperature is maintained between 50 and 85 degrees.

“This is required by the Department of Agriculture,” said Smith, whose department is responsible for the operation of the county’s animal shelter in St. Pauls. “If we aren’t in compliance, they could close us down again.”

Smith requested $167,768 from the commissioners for Animal Control. The money would provide for the replacement or upgrading of worn out Animal Control trucks; add an office assistant and upgrade the shelter’s adoption manager’s position to full-time; replace a generator that cannot supply sufficient energy to operate the shelter and its office; provide medical supplies; and provide for an electrical panel upgrade and purchase of a washer/dryer.

On Thursday, Maj. George Kenworthy, who oversees operations at the county jail, told the commissioners that a project to replace locks at the jail is complete. The project, initiated in 2009, called for the replacement of all of the jail’s 158 original electric locks.

“All of the locks in the jail function as they are supposed to,” he said.

Kenworthy said that a state inspection of the jail in December revealed only a few “traditional housekeeping” problems that are being corrected. He also said that the state is still requiring that the jail house no more than 420 inmates a day.

“Population management is a problem every day,” Kenworthy said. “Without the help of the DA’s Office, judges and the Pre-trial Release Program, we would always be over the cap.”

The jail administrator told the commissioners that in November, more than $76,000 was spent for the transportation of jail inmates. This included the need to house some inmates at other jails and transportation to and from court.

Kenworthy said that an average of 40 inmates a day, at a cost of $40 per day for each inmate, are being sent out to be housed at other jails.

Edge suggested that a study be done to determine how much could be saved if a courtroom is constructed at the jail when a new facility is eventually built. Edge is currently chairing a jail committee that includes members from all areas of the legal system as well as public officials.

During Thursday’s session, the commissioners were also updated on the state Justice Reinvestment Act of 2011 and the statewide Misdemeanant Confinement Program being administered by the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association. Making the presentation for the Sheriffs’ Association was Edmond W. Caldwell Jr., executive vice president and general counsel, and Keenon M. James, director of special projects.

Under the new law, a county can accept qualifying misdemeanor offenders and receive revenue for their jails by filling empty beds. People convicted of misdemeanors and required to serve sentences of three to six months will now serve them in county jails, rather than in state prisons. Offenders sentenced to 90 days or less for misdemeanor offenses will still serve them in county jails at the county’s expense, Caldwell said.

According to James, the program is voluntary, and allows county jails that house outside inmates to collect $40 per inmate per day. The association attempts to assign all inmates to a jail close to the county in which they are sentenced. Court fees are used pay the participating jails and sheriff’s offices that administer them, James said.

Until a new larger jail is built, or an addition built on to the present facility, Robeson County doesn’t have the space to accept out-of-county inmates.

On Thursday, the commissioners also:

— Learned from Leroy Scott, who is in charge of maintenance of the county’s public buildings, that the jail roof must be replaced immediately. Estimated cost for the jail roof is $912,000.

“You’ve got to do something, and the sooner the better,” Scott said.

Scott said $272,000 of roof work is needed at the county courthouse and $172,000 at the county administration building..

— Received a brief report from Sheriff Ken Sealey.

— Heard reports from Charlie McNair, who oversees operations at the county garage; Jeff Britt, director of the county’s Department of Building Safety and Code Enforcement; Millicent Collins, the county’s grant writer; and Shelton Hill, who chairs the county’s Safety Committee.

The retreat, which began at 8:45 this morning, ends today.

Reach staff writer Bob Shiles at 910-272-6117 or bshiles@heartlandpublications.com.