Residents raise safety, housing and disaster-recovery complaints during public comment

Three members of the public used the meeting's petition period on Jan. 5 to press the Board of Commissioners on separate matters ranging from persistent nuisance conditions at a local trailer park to allegations about disaster-recovery program exclusion.

James O'Dell Purevoy of 252 Keener Avenue told commissioners he was speaking about conditions at Sandy Ridge Trailer Park (250 Keener Avenue), saying: "We've got a bad issue going on out there with squatters, trash." He complained of people tapping county water lines, stripping wiring, repeated trash accumulation after county cleanup and frequent overdose responses by law enforcement and rescue. Purevoy said the park's owners were delinquent on taxes and that the property may be for sale. Chair Bucher acknowledged the county has removed more than 20 vacant trailers over the years but cautioned that further removals often require court orders and time.

Ray Griffin of Streetsbury Road used his three minutes to urge a moral response to community problems, repeatedly invoking religious language and urging officials and citizens to "mention the name of Jesus." Time constraints ended his remarks before any board action.

David French of 104 Johnson Street alleged he was removed from the Encore Rebuild NC HUD program and accused program administrators and elected officials of discrimination, retaliation and mismanagement of disaster-recovery funds. "I was and am singled out for retribution, retaliation," French said, and asked commissioners to help arrange meetings with federal representatives to resolve his status and broader program concerns affecting other displaced residents. Commissioners listened and indicated they would follow up but did not take binding action during the meeting.

The public-comment period highlighted recurring neighborhood public-safety complaints and long-standing disaster-recovery frustrations; commissioners noted legal limits and existing processes for addressing foreclosures, nuisance removals and program disputes.