After presenting a report to the Moore County Commissioners Tuesday on the progress of dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, Board Vice Chairman Catherine Graham asked Bryan Phillips, Moore County Director of Public Safety, how about preparation for Hurricane Dorian.

“We will be ready,” he replied. He also encouraged residents to stay vigilant and monitor the storm via local media and the Moore County website.

The commissioners also approved a contract to move 911 radio equipment from Robbin’s water tower to a tower site located on N.C. Highway 705. The equipment has been located at the Robbins’ site for more than 20 years, but the existing site does not allow for enhancements to the communications site.

The new location will offer higher elevation and coverage and will enable the installation of new equipment such as microwave links and VIPER equipment. VIPER (Voice Interoperability Emergency Responders) is a digital emergency communications system that replaced older analog systems. Moore County adopted the system in 2014 with an initial investment of $5 million.

The commissioners also approved the purchase of a 2020 Mack Roll-Off Truck chassis for Moore County Solid Waste. They used the trucks to haul waste and recycling between the seven collection sites in Moore County. They purchased an identical vehicle in the last fiscal year and budgeted for the additional one this fiscal year.

Also discussed during the meeting was Sandhills Center who manages public mental health, intellectual/developmental disabilities, and substance use disorder services for the citizens of Anson, Guilford, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Randolph and Richmond counties.

By North Carolina Statue, the center provides a quarterly financial report to county commissioners in areas served by the center. For the last quarter, the center’s total revenue was $312 million with expenditures exceeding $333 million resulting in the center having to utilize $20 million of its fund balance.

The next commissioners’ meeting is scheduled for September 17.

Feature photo: Hurricane Florence damage in Aberdeen on Sept. 14, 2018 ~ Sandhills Sentinel.

Sandhills_Sentinel~Written by Sandhills Sentinel Local News/Government Reporter Chris Prentice.
Contact him at [email protected] or (910) 639-9303.

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