EDENTON — The Chowan County Board of Commissioners will open its monthly session Monday, Nov. 17, 2025, with a special meeting focused on legal and contractual matters before convening for its regular 6 p.m. agenda. The specially called meeting begins at 5 p.m. at the Chowan County Public Safety Center on West Freemason Street, where commissioners will enter closed session under statutes allowing attorney–client discussions and contract negotiations.
Confederate Memorial — the closed session will center on litigation involving the plaintiffs who have filed suit against the Town of Edenton and county. On that note, recently I saw a couple county commissioners — Bob Kirby and Larry McLaughlin — along with Town Manager Corey Gooden and County Manager Kevin Howard at the site of where the Confederate Memorial will be placed at Veterans Park — so something must be ahead. I think I heard somewhere that, according to state law, the memorial to the 47 soldiers from Chowan County who were killed during the Civil War has to be erected within 90 days or so after it was taken down during Labor Day weekend.
Following the closed portion of this special meeting, commissioners will return at 6 p.m. to resume their regular public meeting.
A key item awaiting board action Monday is a recommendation for the use of the county’s opioid settlement funds. The county’s Opioid Settlement Funds Committee met in mid-September to evaluate options for deploying the latest round of revenue from statewide settlements with pharmaceutical distributors and manufacturers. After reviewing several proposals, the committee voted unanimously to support creating a Mobile Integrated Health program and a Post Opioid Response Team within Chowan County EMS.
The proposal calls for directing up to $30,000 from the opioid settlement fund to establish the dual program. The Mobile Integrated Health component would place trained EMS personnel in the community to provide follow-up care and support for individuals struggling with substance use disorders, while the Post Opioid Response Team would respond after overdoses to connect residents with recovery resources. Committee members concluded that the combined approach could help reduce repeated overdoses and provide earlier outreach to residents who may be at risk. Commissioners are scheduled to consider a formal resolution authorizing the expenditure.
Maintenance needs within the county’s emergency services system will also come before the board. County staff will present roof repair options for the EMS facility, which sustained damage covered under insurance. After reviewing quotes, staff is recommending the board approve the lowest bid, submitted by Perry Roofing for $19,250. If approved, the project would be funded through insurance proceeds rather than local tax dollars. Staff members have indicated that the repairs are necessary to prevent further deterioration and to maintain the operational readiness of the facility.
Commissioners will also review a group of tax-foreclosed properties that failed to attract qualifying bids during the foreclosure process. Under state law, when a parcel does not sell at foreclosure, the county assumes ownership, clears the outstanding taxes, and pays the related legal and administrative costs. Staff have completed an evaluation of each parcel and determined that none provide potential use for county facilities or long-term public benefit. They are recommending that all be offered for sale through an upset-bid process outlined in state statutes.
The list includes four small vacant parcels along Mic Mac Trail and Sac Trail, all located within the same general area. The parcel at 115 Mic Mac Trail consists of roughly 0.12 acres and was offered at a minimum foreclosure bid of just over $5,478, representing the total owed in taxes and fees. The bid was not met. Nearby parcels on Sac Trail — 1513, 1511, and 1509 — range in size from one-tenth to just over one-eighth of an acre. Their minimum foreclosure bids fell between approximately $3,300 and $3,430, but none received offers.
A fifth property at 301 East Church Street is also being recommended for the upset-bid process. The parcel, which measures about 0.02 acres, carried a minimum foreclosure bid of more than $7,700 that went unmet. Like the others, it is a vacant lot with no foreseeable county use. If commissioners approve the recommendation, the parcels will be marketed for sale, allowing the county to recoup a portion of its foreclosure-related expenses while returning the land to the local tax base.
Lastly, commissioners will receive the annual report from the Recreation Department and the Senior Center.