Lesley Robinson Barnes

This document outlines Wilson County's Work First and Child Safety Plan, a results-based framework for fiscal years 2026-2028. Its primary objective is to engage with families to support child safety, employability, and education, thereby helping families achieve economic stability and reduce dependency on government benefits. Key strategic pillars include promoting employment and job retention, meeting federal work participation rates, and ensuring the safety, permanency, and well-being of children by preventing maltreatment and foster care re-entry through comprehensive services and collaborative strategies.

The Wilson County Family First Plan outlines a strategic shift from traditional welfare models to a family-centric approach, emphasizing child safety, employability, and education. It aims to strengthen families as the foundational support for long-term employment and economic stability, focusing on overcoming major employability barriers rather than short-term job placements. Key goals include enhancing employment services, meeting federal participation rates, ensuring job retention, and providing benefit diversion. The plan incorporates strategies for child safety, permanency, and well-being, along with comprehensive family and employment supports such as case management, childcare, transportation, and financial literacy. Innovative county strategies include a two-phase Family First redesign, expungement services, clinical support teams, and robust community partnerships to foster self-sufficiency and reduce poverty.

Key discussions included the presentation of the 2024 4-H Recognition of Achievements, featuring awards given to 27 Wilson County youth who excelled in state-level events. The Board approved a Call for Public Hearing for March 3, 2025, concerning the renewal of the Franchise Agreement with the Wilson County Rescue Squad. The NC Forestry Service provided an update on their services to the county, including plans for a future open house for Commissioners. The Director of Nursing presented the 2023 Child Fatality Prevention Team report for information. Finally, the Board approved a request for $220,000 for renovations to the Blalock Building to accommodate GIS Mapping/Technology Services staff, with work anticipated to be completed by June 2025.

The Wilson County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan aims to reduce the community's vulnerability to natural hazards through proactive, pre-disaster planning. Key pillars involve structural mitigation, non-structural mitigation, and public educational programs. The plan's goals include protecting public health and safety by increasing awareness, improving technical capabilities for hazard response, strengthening policies and ordinances to reduce damaging effects, and safeguarding vulnerable populations and critical facilities, thereby ensuring compliance with FEMA requirements and fostering community sustainability.

This document outlines the planned update to Wilson County's Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). The update aims to create a user-friendly, graphically enhanced, and internally consistent regulatory framework, aligning with the 2024 Comprehensive Plan to manage future population growth and ensure high-quality design standards. Key priorities include updating landscaping and subdivision standards, modernizing zoning and permitted uses, managing traffic, and minimizing the impacts of specific land uses. The update process is scheduled for adoption by early 2026.