Brunswick Co. commissioners approve extension on grant agreement, funding for traffic unit

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - The Brunswick County Board of Commissioners agenda for October 17 included an extension on a grant agreement with a Navassa manufacturer and a $331,367 grant for a traffic unit at the sheriff’s office. Both items were placed on the consent agenda and passed unanimously at the October 17 meeting.

An extension to Brunswick County’s agreement with Pacon Manufacturing

Pacon Manufacturing moved its headquarters to Navassa in 2019 in part because of a $700,000 building reuse grant. In return, Pacon was required to renovate an old boat-building facility and create 238 jobs by April 18, 2021.

The county filed for an extension to April 2022 last year, and now the commissioners have approved another extension to 2023. Already signed by the N.C. Department of Commerce, it was placed on the consent agenda.

With 219 full-time employees and around 100 more temporary workers who may be converted to full-time, Bill Early of Brunswick Business and Industry Development is optimistic that the company will reach its target by the end of the year.

A new sheriff’s office traffic unit, funded by the Governor’s Highway Safety Program

Brunswick County was one of several county governments that was awarded a grant from the Governor’s Highway Safety Program earlier this month.

With $331,367 in federal grant funding and a $58,477 local match, the funding will create a traffic unit at the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office. This will include three deputy positions, vehicles and other relevant equipment. Along with the grant funding, the county will provide another $28,750 for other equipment costs.

The county expects grant funding to gradually decrease to about 50 percent by the third year of the unit’s operation. The commissioners agreed to move the item to the consent agenda and passed it.

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