By: Thomas Sherrill, The News Reporter
The Columbus County Board of Commissioners made several appointments and reappointments to boards and commissions during its meeting Jan 4:
Jeff Fowler was approved to take the District 5 seat on the Emergency Communications Oversight Committee.
The Juvenile Crime Prevention Council had Commissioner Jerome McMillian offer his seat as a board member to Lavern Coleman, who accepted it. On the rest of the board, District 1 representative Harriette Epps was reappointed, District 2 representative Heather Dowless was reappointed, the District 3 seat remains vacant, District 4 representative Nancy Sigmon was reappointed, District 5 has a new representative in Chip Gore and District 7 was left open for now.
McMillian said in December that his district’s representative said she did not get notices from the county regarding meetings, but he said Monday those issues have been resolved.
The president of Southeastern Community College and the chair of the Columbus Jobs Foundation were added as voting members to the Economic Development Commission (EDC) as well as a second commissioner. Coleman volunteered and was approved as the second commissioner.
EDC Director Gary Lanier requested the additional voting members, explaining that their presence would be important at EDC meetings.
Appointments were tabled to the Cape Fear Council of Governments, Cape Fear Rural Transportation Planning Organization and Trillium Southern Regional Board, as no commissioners volunteered. The appointment to the Board of Health seat previously held by Darryl Diefes, who resigned Dec. 31 due to moving out of the county, was put on hold for a future meeting.
