By Nicole Bowman-Layton

The Chowan County Board of Commissioners will take a closer look at closing the county’s detection center after receiving recommendations and information from the county manager during the Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, meeting.

About 100 people packed the audience area at the Public Safety Center on West Freemason Street, Edenton. The jail discussion followed a lengthy public comment period and discussion of the Chowan County Martin Luther King Jr. Day Birth Celebration.

More information can be found in this story about the proposal to have county leadership help expand the MLK Day Birthday Celebration.

Jail Replacement

County Manager Kevin Howard presented the board with a comparison of four options for replacing the aging Chowan County Detention Center, a topic the board has revisited for more than a decade. Staff cited the current jail budget at $1,165,820 annually.

The option drawing the most interest was joining the Albemarle District Jail (ADJ), a four-county facility in Pasquotank County. Howard said that if Chowan had been a member this fiscal year, the total cost would have been $1,485,178 — including operational costs, debt service, and a 15-year buy-in payment.

“That comes out to $279,000 a year… over a 15-year period,” he said, describing the buy-in as reimbursement to existing member counties for Chowan’s share of past capital costs.

A regional jail built jointly with Gates and Washington counties was described as unlikely after both counties declined to move forward. Joining the Bertie-Martin Regional Jail was presented as uncertain, dependent on state capital funding for expansion. Building a new Chowan-only jail was estimated at roughly $2.84 million per year — nearly three times the current cost — and was described as not economically viable.

Howard said no vote was expected during the meeting, but he asked the board to begin moving toward formal discussions and a potential contract with ADJ. When asked which option he preferred, Howard said, “If I’m standing right here today… the only good option is our district jail,” noting the advantage of being in the same judicial district as the other participating counties.

Sheriff Edward “Scooter” Basnight said joining ADJ would allow deputies to remain on patrol rather than staffing the jail, with transport handled by detention officers.

“This would also free up our deputies to keep them on the road,” he said, adding that local holding cells would remain available for short-term use.

“We’re not keeping them overnight,” the representative said. “It would only stay here an hour, a couple hours before we had transporting ready to take them over to ADJ.”

Commissioners also discussed governance and representation on the ADJ board, with Howard noting that the current structure includes two members from Pasquotank County and one from each of the other counties, and that governance would be part of negotiations.

Confederate monument

During public comment, Alice Hines and Valerie Batts urged commissioners not to move forward with plans to re-erect Edenton’s Confederate monument on public grounds near Veterans Memorial Park and behind the Chowan County Courthouse.

Hines said she spoke on behalf of U.S. veterans and their families, and asked leaders to pursue an alternative that would not “promote divisiveness.”

“We… advise and implore the Chowan County Commissioners and the Edenton Town Council to withdraw the plan to re-erect Edenton’s Confederate monument on public grounds next to the Veterans Memorial Park and/or behind the Chowan County Courthouse,” Hines said.

Hines drew a distinction between memorials honoring U.S. military service and Confederate monuments, saying, “U.S. veterans’ monuments like ours honor those who served and protected the nation and its ideals. Confederate monuments celebrate rebellion founded on maintaining slaveholder rights.”

She also argued that many Confederate monuments were erected well after the Civil War, “between 1890 and 1920,” and were connected to the rise of Jim Crow.

“Confederate monuments were initially placed near such buildings… to send a message to Black and brown people to stay in their place,” Hines said.

She also referenced Edenton’s 1960s-era relocation of the monument as an attempt to push back against civil rights gains.

Batts tied the monument debate to the legacy of Dr. King and the county’s MLK Day Birthday Celebration, telling the board, “The fact that we’re debating this monument right now still in 2026 speaks to the unfinished legacy that Martin Luther King promoted.”

She quoted King’s 1968 remarks about the period from 1955 to 1965 and said the country had underestimated “the amount of rage and anger that we Negroes had … and the amount of bigotry that the white majority was disguising.”

Batts, the daughter of a World War II veteran who served in segregated forces, said the proposal made her think about how her father would react.

“When I think about the thought of our putting the monument back there, it made me think, ‘What would my father say if he was still alive?’” she said. “He would say, ‘You need to speak up.’”

Batts said she and others had gathered about 43 signatures in opposition and submitted the petition to the board.

Howard said the move would require special legislation in the General Assembly and formal interlocal agreements with the other member counties.

Bleacher Repair

The board approved moving forward with Option 1 from a quote provided by Learning Environments of Liberty, N.C., to repair bleachers in the D.F. Walker High School gymnasium using salvaged parts from bleachers being removed from the old John A. Holmes High School, which is being demolished.

The work includes replacing plywood, seats, motors, handrails, and other components, at a total cost of $48,037.50 — to be paid using remaining ARPA funds. The alternative of purchasing all-new bleachers would have cost $127,180.

Commissioners asked staff whether the contractor had reviewed compatibility between parts being reused and the existing bleacher system. Staff said the plan is a rebuild rather than a full removal.

“They’re not going to rip it out,” County Manager Kevin Howard said, adding that the project would rely on salvaged components and repairs to existing sections.

Commissioners also questioned whether the county would inspect the bleachers before final payment. Staff said the work would be checked prior to signoff.

“The work will be completed and we’ll have checked it,” Howard said.

Bennett’s Millpond RFP

The board approved a revised Request for Proposals for Phase 1 improvements at Bennett’s Millpond Park, located at 2100 Rocky Hock Road. The project, funded through an Accessible Parks Grant, calls for replacing the boardwalk, piers, and platform; adding two handicap-accessible parking spaces and a connecting concrete walkway; repairing the picnic pavilion roof; and clearing trees and stumps near the pavilion.

A mandatory pre-bid site meeting is set for March 13, with sealed bids due March 20 and an anticipated award date of April 1.

Howard said the original RFP did not generate bids that were usable for the county.

“The RFP we had wasn’t quite detailed enough,” he said, adding that staff met with contractors and gathered input to produce a clearer scope. “So we got a new RFP that I think is going to be more specific.”

Commissioners also raised questions about the RFP’s specifications, including fasteners and materials, and discussed ensuring components are compatible with treated lumber used for the project.

Soil and Water Annual Report

Jacob Peele, district technician for the Chowan Soil and Water Conservation District, and administrator Celeste Wescott-Moss presented the department’s annual report. The district is part of the Albemarle Soil and Water Conservation District (Chowan, Perquimans, Pasquotank, Camden and Currituck Counties). The Albemarle SWCD is the only multi-county soil and water district in the state.

Peele highlighted the district’s agriculture cost-share program — which received a $59,583 state allocation for fiscal year 2026 and funded 16 contracts, primarily for cover crops and residue management — as well as the AgWater program for wells and irrigation, and the stream-debris removal program, which has cleared more than 14 miles of waterways in the county and drainage district combined. He also noted ongoing beaver management efforts.

Wescott-Moss reported on educational outreach programs in local schools and the community, upcoming recycled-plastic benches soon to be installed with a ribbon-cutting planned for April, and a district supper scheduled for April 9.

Sheriff’s Truck Purchase Approved

The board approved the purchase of a 2023 Chevrolet truck — one of three vehicles at the end of their Enterprise lease terms with the Sheriff’s Office — for use by the Perquimans County Soil and Water Department. The truck has 64,000 miles and is priced at $23,000. Under a cost-sharing agreement with Perquimans County for Soil and Water operations, Chowan’s share is $11,500, also to be paid from remaining ARPA funds. The motion was amended to make the purchase contingent on Perquimans County’s approval of the same arrangement.

Trillium Board Appointment

The board unanimously approved the appointment of Claire W. Mills of Edenton to fill a vacant seat on the Trillium Health Resources Regional Advisory Board. Mills, a licensed registered nurse and Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, holds a master’s degree in public health from UNC-Chapel Hill and currently serves as director of the Elizabeth City office of the Eastern Area Health Education Center. She previously served in hospital administration, including at Chowan Hospital.

Financial Items

Finance Officer Cathy Smith presented four budget amendments. BA2026-038 shifts $1,500 from regular salaries to part-time salaries in Building Inspections to cover vacation for a full-time employee. BA2026-039 adds $10,062 in revenue and expense for legal fees in the Tax Administration department, reflecting foreclosure-related attorney costs that have exceeded the current budget. BA2026-040, a management amendment, incorporates $19,141 in discretionary income received across multiple departments in January 2026, bringing total discretionary income received for fiscal year 2026 to $288,153. BA2026-041 shifts $250 in the Animal Shelter budget from regular salaries to a cell phone stipend for a new employee.

Smith also presented financial reports through Dec. 31, 2025, showing the General Fund at 61 percent of budgeted revenues and 43 percent of budgeted expenditures collected and spent year-to-date.

Commissioner Tony Shaffer reported that the DSS Board has been informed the state is reducing its reimbursement rate from a 50/50 split to 25/75, a change expected to have limited impact on the current budget but with potential consequences in future years.

Commissioner Larry McLaughlin noted a mold issue in the Senior Center had been quickly addressed by county maintenance staff.