Did you miss the Wake County Board of Commissioners’ meeting on Monday, Aug. 15? Here are the highlights:

• After calling the meeting to order, Board Chair Sig Hutchinson began by honoring fallen Deputy Ned Byrd of the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, who was killed in the line of duty on Aug. 11. On behalf of the board, Chair Hutchinson expressed deepest sympathies for Deputy Byrd’s family, friends and the law enforcement community, saying that Deputy Byrd “died while protecting the community he served and will always be remembered for his selfless sacrifice.”
  
  The Chair invited Sheriff Gerald M. Baker to speak. He shared how Byrd began his career with Wake County as a detention officer in 2009 before becoming a sworn deputy and then joining the K-9 unit in 2020, where he was “totally committed to service for this county.” Baker detailed the continuous work his office has done to find the still-at-large shooter, saying “we will continue to work around the clock until who’s responsible is brought to justice. We will use every resource. We have help from around the state.” He said he has met the Byrd family and offered to help in any way. He concluded by thanking the board for its support and vowing to continue on: “I don’t have very long, but I’ll spend every single second left bringing this person to justice. That I promise.” Baker and other Sheriff’s Office deputies joined the board and community members in a moment of silence.
   
• The Board of Commissioners approved several items on the consent agenda, including allocating more than $855,000 of state funding for the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) to help citizens pay water bills, bringing the total given to Wake for the program to $2.2 million. More than 2,664 Wake County residents have already used the program, and there is $1.1 million left to award. State changes to the program have made more people eligible now, and funds are disbursed on a first-come, first-served basis. Residents can see if they qualify and apply at epass.nc.gov. Details about other utility assistance programs for Wake County residents are available online.
   
• On the consent agenda, the board voted to enter into agreement as a partner for Fuquay-Varina Fire Station 4, which will feature a bay for Wake EMS. Wake will contribute $1.7 million for the EMS facilities, in addition to about a quarter of the fire portion of the build, about $2.6 million, through the Fire Tax Capital Improvement plan. Fuquay-Varina is expected to start construction at the Wade Nash Road site in September and is aiming to finish the build next summer.
   
• The board also approved two housing actions aimed at creating more affordable housing units across the community. The first authorizes a $1 million loan for a Raleigh-led project that will create 27 affordable units across seven sites in southeast Raleigh. The proposed developments include a mix of single-family homes, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), duplexes and townhomes that will be available for a variety of income levels.
  
  The board also agreed to work with developers and community partners to create a plan for 6 acres of land on Chapanoke Road in south Raleigh that Wake Tech Community College donated to Wake County for affordable housing last year. The goal is to create 235 affordable units for households earning less than 80% of area median income. The complex will feature green space, retail space and easy access to bus lines. You can read more about both affordable housing projects on Wake County’s website.
   
• During the County Manager’s report, Wake County Strategy, Performance and Innovation Director Jason Horton presented to the board on an upcoming community survey set to launch in September. Through a request for proposal process, the county hired a market research and polling firm to conduct a scientific survey of residents to learn their priorities and views on Wake County's work, which is in line with the current board goal of increasing community engagement.
  
  Starting in September, a few thousand Wake residents will be invited to complete the survey, by Probolsky Research, via mail, cell phone and landline calls, texting, email and social media. Not all citizens will be contacted, as the firm will work to create a sample reflective of the county’s makeup that has demographic representation across various genders, ages, races, ethnicities, income levels and geography. Residents can complete the survey in English, Spanish, Hindi or simplified Mandarin.
  
  The board will hear the findings of the survey in January 2023 to help set Wake County’s goals and guide strategy. You can see the presentation on the Wake County community survey online.
   
• The board received an update on Wake County efforts to protect citizens from monkeypox. Preventative Health Director Rebecca Kaufman provided background on the viral infection and reported that Wake County currently has 20 confirmed cases. Wake County Public Health has received 1,400 doses of the Jynneos monkeypox vaccine and is expecting another shipment this week. Kaufman said staff would have administered about 930 doses of the vaccine by the end of Aug. 15, and the department will be ramping up staffing so Wake can give out about 100 doses a day, pending availability.
  
  She explained that there are several ways citizens can qualify for a shot, as set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. People who qualify:
  • Have been in close physical contact with someone diagnosed with monkeypox in the last 14 days (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis or PEP)
  • Are men who have sex with men, or transgender people, who report any of the following in the last 90 days: having multiple or anonymous sex partners, being diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection, and/or receiving HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
  • Are certain healthcare workers and public health response team members designated by public health authorities.
     
• Residents can see if they qualify for a monkeypox vaccine by visiting wakegov.com/monkeypox and completing a self-attestation form. If you’re eligible, staff will call to schedule an appointment as quickly as possible. Residents can also call the Wake Health and Human Services call center at 919-212-9398.
  
  Testing for monkeypox is also available at certain Wake County Public Health clinics where additional staff are being brought aboard to increase testing capacity. Testing is now by appointment only, and residents can call 919-212-9398 to schedule an appointment. All monkeypox information is available at wakegov.com/monkeypox.

Want to dig deeper into the board meeting? The full recording of the meeting is available to watch online, with the meeting called to order at the 1:00:07 mark.

The Wake County Board of Commissioners’ next regular meeting will be Tuesday, Sept. 6, at 5 p.m. in Room 2700 of the Wake County Justice Center. That is a day after the normal Monday scheduling because Wake County offices will be closed for Labor Day on Sept. 5.