BAKERSVILLE — During its regular meeting on Monday, Aug. 3, the Mitchell County Board of Commissioners discussed recreational sports and new EMS vehicles.
Recreation Director Brock Duncan spoke to the board about his hopes for recreational youth sports for the fall amid the ongoing pandemic.
“We can’t step foot out of the house without somebody hammering us about when we’re going to do something,” Duncan said. “I guess they are tired of having their kids at home or whatever, but they are ready to get things going.”
Duncan said he had recently met with Toe River Health District Director Diane Creek to discuss which sports would be best to play under state and CDC guidelines regarding COVID-19. He said the sports Diane approved were soccer and baseball, but not indoor sports like volleyball.
Duncan said Creek advised him to follow state guidelines regarding football. If football can move forward, it will replace baseball.
Duncan said they would provide masks to kids along with their uniforms and enforce social distancing. State guidelines allow 25 competitors and 25 spectators on the field.
County Attorney Lloyd Hise said Duncan would need to compose a release form for parents to sign that specifically mentions COVID-19 as a risk.
“I’m just concerned that if anyone on the ball field gets it, they’ll probably blame you and then the county,” Hise said. “I would recommend you get full disclosure that you can’t guarantee there’s no risk and explain what you’ll do to try and lower the risk with the masks and the distance and whatnot. Let them sign that they are aware of the risk and are willing to take it.”
The commissioners unanimously approved a decision to allow Duncan to move forward with the sports if he drafted a release form alongside Hise.
The board also received an update from Global Medical Response Regional Director Dempsey Whitt regarding the county’s EMS contract with LifeGuard Ambulance Service. The company took over EMS at the beginning of July and Whitt said it had been a smooth transition thus far.
Whitt reiterated what was said in the July 16 meeting by County Manager Tim Greene, which regarded the Ford Motor Company halting production on vehicles to focus on manufacturing ventilators. Because of this, LifeGuard could not acquire new four-wheel drive trucks.
“We typically always start a new operation with brand new trucks and we said we would start with brand new trucks here,” Whitt said. “Well, as soon as we started working toward getting things in line here in Mitchell, quickly after that the COVID stuff broke out, we could not find brand new four-wheel drive trucks.”
Whitt said they acquired four used four-wheel drive trucks from Mission, which they updated to accommodate their stretchers and re-painted.
Although the wording in the contract did not specifically mention new trucks, Whitt said they would honor what they said in the meeting with the commissioners in February and buy new trucks as the used ones come up for renewal.
Commissioner Matthew “Vern” Grindstaff thanked Whitt for coming to the meeting to speak with them face-to-face and honoring his word.
“I absolutely don’t want anyone in this room to think, personally, that I’m a bait and switch,” Whitt said. “That’s not who I am. That’s not what our organization is about. I believe in honor and my word and we will abide by what we said.”
The commissioners will meet in a special session at the Poplar Community Building Tuesday, Aug. 25 at 6 p.m. to discuss a possible “Wild and Scenic” designation for a stretch of the Nolichucky River.
The next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 6:30 p.m. in the County Administration Building at 26 Crimson Laurel Circle in Bakersville.