Repeat offenders could lose animals temporarily in ordinance change

ASHEBORO — Randolph County is giving more teeth to animal enforcement, allowing the temporary removal of animals for repeated offenses. 

At the Nov. 3 Board of Commissioners meeting, they amended that ordinance but chose to push back changing the Unified Development Ordinance.

Updating ordinances

■ Animal Services Director Jonathan Moody laid out an ordinance amendment that he said would help reduce nuisance calls.

This amendment will let animal control take an animal for a short period of time while the owner tries to put in a long-term solution. For example, if their animal keeps escaping, he said they will be incentivized to add or repair a fence. If the owner does not address the issue, they may forfeit their right to the animal. This will apply to pets and livestock.

Moody said sometimes animal owners pay the fine without fixing the problem. He said his staff spends a lot of time trying to get animals home after they escape or behave aggressively around children, only to get a call later that it is loose again.

Commissioners approved the change. 

Commissioner Lester Rivenbark asked Moody to clarify two nuisance regulations. 

The first was against letting female cats and dogs come in contact with other animals while in heat except for intentional breeding. Moody said that regulation follows the general statute.

Rivenbark next asked about how they apply the policy against excessive noise. Moody said it excludes working animals, such as farm dogs that howl at coyotes.

■ Commissioners were scheduled to adopt changes to the Unified Development Ordinance, but County Manager Zeb Holden asked them to table it until next year. Many of these updates are for rules on displaying signs. Holden said because there are so many edits, the planning board would like more time to address questions. Commissioners plan to take it back up in January.

Construction’s next steps

■ Dr. Stephen Gainey, Randolph County Schools superintendent, asked commissioners to approve $750,000 for the new Trinity High School. It will pay for land clearing and the inert debris fill area. The money was already in school funds, but the board of education needed commissioners to sign off on moving it to capital overlay.

■ Commissioners accepted a bid for more work on the VIPER tower project. Jared Byrd, deputy chief of Emergency Services, said Built Consulting put in the lowest bid at $281,255 to re-enforce the Staley Tower so it can hold more equipment and link to the newly completed Randleman VIPER tower. This project is to fill gaps in emergency communications coverage.

Jobs, pay, retirements

■ Finance Officer Will Massie presented Register of Deeds Krista Lowe’s request to reclassify eight positions. He said she hopes this will support continuity and institutional knowledge among her staff. Commissioners agreed to reclassify the positions, which will keep their titles but move up a grade.

■ Chief Deputy Steven Nunn asked to restructure holiday pay for the sheriff’s office. He said deputy sheriffs accrue eight hours of pay when they don’t work on a holiday and 12 hours when they do work, whereas other emergency responders accrue 12 hours whether they work that day or not. Commissioners agreed to make the change, which Nunn said would let shift employees receive an addition 24 hours of holiday accrual per year.

■ Sheriff Greg Seabolt recognized two of his officers retiring after a combined 46 years of experience. 

Major Jeff Cook joined the department as a jailer in 1997 and became a K-9 officer in 2001. He was promoted to major of operations this year. Commissioner Chair Darrell Frye pointed out that Cook served under four sheriffs. Seabolt said Cook was a mentor to him when he was first elected sheriff.

Sgt. Tammy Hughes spent 18 years in the department, eventually presiding over the records division. Her service for Randolph County began before that, having been a volunteer firefighter for more than 20 years.