Commissioners set vaccine fees

Janet Imrick

Randolph Hub

ASHBEORO – Randolph County's Board of Commissioners met for their regular meeting Oct. 2 and voted on issues concerning vaccines and waste management.

• The county is implementing a $150 fee for COVID-19 vaccines. Public Health Director Tara Aker this fee would cover the cost per dose and shipping for all doses since the U.S. government no longer provides them at no cost. The fee is the same for those for children. The county plans to set up Moderna as a vendor. Aker said Medicare and Medicaid will be billed for the vaccines, and privately insured are encouraged to go to their primary care provider.

• Environmental Health Director Wayne Jones laid out new fees for Authorized Onsite Wastewater Evaluator (AOWE) permits. State law now lets citizens hire a private soil scientist to issue a permit. If they choose a fully private evaluation with no action by the county, the fee will be up to $35. If they choose a hybrid option, which combines a private evaluation with an inspection by county staff, it will be capped at 40 percent of customary fees.

• Commissioners agreed to modifications to the Waste Management Franchise Ordinance. It now reflects that property covered by the franchise includes the entire 190-acre landfill, including the east and west sides of the power lines. Chairman Darrell Frye said this does not add new land to the landfill. It will help them move power lines so they can use more of the existing land.

• Bob Peeler, Waste Management's senior management for community relations and governmental affairs, presented the company's annual report.

• The county will hire an infrastructure coordinator. County Manager Hal Johnson says major water and sewer projects related to the Toyota Megasite and Wolfspeed in Chatham County require another staff member to oversee upgrades and construction.

• The Board of Commissioners' meeting schedule for 2024 and a meeting with the Randolph County Board of Education on Jan. 8 were approved.