JEFFERSON — The Ashe County Commissioners held their second regular session meeting of the month on Monday, July 15, on the third floor of the Ashe County Courthouse.
After the commissioners followed opening procedures, Chairman Todd McNeill flowed into the adoption of the agenda, explaining that there were a couple of changes that needed to be made.
With approval from the commissioners, a proposed text amendment to the Ashe County Code of Ordinances regarding building regulations was removed from the agenda to allow the Building Inspections department more time to work on the amendment.
With approval, some time was allotted towards the end in order to choose a voting delegate for the 2024 North Carolina Association of County Commissioners Annual Conference. At the end it was determined that commissioner Chuck Olive would be the voting delegate. Chairman McNeill is the alternate.
The meeting continued forward into the public comment session, but no one stepped forward to speak.
Keeping with the agenda, the commissioners held a public hearing for the proposed text amendment to Chapter 162 regarding the Ashe County Airport (KGEV), formerly Airport Height. No one from the public commented on the proposed changes. The commissioners approved the text amendment.
Presentations
Tracie McMillan, director of the Department of Social Services for Ashe County, called attention to the cost of long-term care in North Carolina. According to North Carolina’s Division of Aging, in 2023 the median cost for a home health aide was $5,339 per month. The median cost for an assisted living facility was $5,769. The median cost for a private room at a Nursing Home Facility was $9,125 per month.
“So, it’s really expensive per month for our elderly folks, you know, to have care and assistance,” McMillan said. “So, I bring this to light just in the thinking of affordable housing in Ashe County and you know this is another point of encouragement in furtherance of that.”
McMillan expressed a hope that “modest homes” could be built that are affordable to various people, including the elderly.
McMillan also presented Ashe County’s Energy Program Outreach Plan, a plan that details how they will bring awareness to the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program. The plan required a vote. The commissioners approved the plan.
Zach Shepherd, the Vaya Health Community Relations Regional Director, presented on “Tailored Plans,” a new health plan being offered under Medicaid. For Ashe and 31 other counties, the “tailored plans” will be managed by Vaya Health as “Vaya Total Care.”
For those that qualify, the plan is supposed to meet one’s needs all in one place Shepherd explained. The plan launched July 1. In mid-April, letters were sent out to inform those who qualified that they are in the Vaya Total Care plan.
“There has to be a severe need,” Shepherd said in regards to eligibility. “It has to be a severe behavioral, health, or substance use or intellectual developmental disability, or traumatic brain injury.”
A Vaya Total Care plan would be a “robust” plan that offers things such as intensive in-home services, psychosocial rehabilitation, child and adolescent day treatment services among other services.
More information about Tailored Plans is at medicaid.nc.gov/tailored-plans.
Ashe County Parks and Recreation Director Kevin Anderson, along with Aaron Hollis, an Appalachian State University graduate student working with Anderson as part of an internship, presented an update on the Ashe Park Expansion Project.
Anderson reminded those in attendance that in the fall of 2022, the Ashe Park received a North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund grant in the amount of $500,000 and the county matched the grant. This allowed the park to expand and allowed for work to begin on building amenities for the community. These amenities include a 40-feet by 40-feet picnic shelter, an adventure playground, a bike skills course, and multi-use trails, Anderson said.
Unlike the other three existing shelters, the newly-built picnic shelter will be left open to the public on a first come, first serve basis. Anderson requested a plaque recognizing Margaret Neal, the previous landowner who sold the property to the county, be placed on the shelter. The commissioners granted the request.
The playground is fashioned with a slide, swing set, a rope climber, and an octagon treehouse with an upper and lower deck.
By design, the bike skills course will accommodate different skill levels. For the “younger youth,” there will be a pump track that can be utilized. For those who are more experienced, the course will include jumps and boardwalks.
For the multi-use trails, each trail will be marked with signage to indicate the level of difficulty.
“We will be taking and color coordinating the trails to a certain difficulty,” Hollis said. Hollis created a kiosk for the trail systems in Ashe Park.
Anderson explained that there are a few things that still need to be completed before the public can begin enjoying the new additions. What is lacking is signage, trail markers, and a few concrete pads, according to Anderson. Once those are completed, the new amenities can be used as early as this fall, but could be as late as next spring.
County Manager Adam Stumb provided an update on the New River Park Highway 163 canoe access. Stumb said that they are towards the end of the grant money that is available and are looking for last-minute ideas of things that can be brought to the site. Stumb explained to the commissioners that they are thinking over ideas like the potential for adding Wi-Fi to the site.
“Less so for the internet, but more so for emergency calls,” Stumb said. “That low area has poor access to cell towers, communications and that may be something that might help boost signals for people that might have an emergency down there.”
Stumb brought attention to a piece of artwork that was added to the New River Park 163 access. The artwork was designed and built by the Ashe County High School welding class.
The next meeting of the Ashe County Commissioners will be Monday, Aug 5 at 9 a.m.
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