The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners will hold a regular meeting on Oct. 5 at 9 a.m. in Room 118 of the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse, 117 Dick St.
During the meeting, the board will consider a memorandum of agreement between Cumberland County and the Cumberland County Board of Education for support of remote learning facilities at Cumberland County Public Library locations for the school-age children of county employees.
In August, County Manager Amy Cannon presented to commissioners the idea of establishing virtual learning centers at public libraries to address the impact of employees unable to report to work because they are at home with their school age children.
Of the 126 employees who applied for the program, 80% work at either the Department of Social Services, the Public Health Department, Sheriff’s Office, Child Support, Animal Control or Emergency Services.
“The County continues to deal with the unprecedented challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic presents for the fulfillment of our mission to provide quality services to our citizens while being fiscally responsible,” Cannon said in her agenda memo to the board. “New federal legislation enacts emergency leave provisions that provide for employment security for employees but place the County as an employer at a tremendous deficit. This struggle has begun to impact our ability to provide basic, core and mandated services.”
The County received applications for approximately 160 children and hopes to open the centers the week of Oct. 12. Six of the eight public libraries will be used: Headquarters, Cliffdale, Bordeaux, East Regional, North Regional and Hope Mills.
Under the agreement, Cumberland County Schools will provide lunches and snacks for the children and assign staff members to assist with the operations of the sites.
Community-Based Virtual Learning Academy Partnerships
The board will also consider a budget amendment to allocate $250,000 of Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) funds to establish community-based virtual learning centers for school-age children. The County expects to issue a Request for Proposal soon for community organizations to apply for the funding. The item is on the consent agenda and the action was approved at the board’s Sept. 10 agenda session.
Grant Presentations
Other agenda items include the presentation of checks to several businesses as part of the Small Business Resiliency Grant program to help businesses that have suffered economic hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The meeting agenda is posted on the County homepage at co.cumberland.nc.us. You can watch the meeting live on Fayetteville Cumberland Educational TV (Spectrum Channel 5) or follow the livestream broadcast on the County’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/user/CumberlandCountyNC. A link will be posted on the County homepage at co.cumberland.nc.us.