Asheville – On January 3, North Carolina’s new governor, Josh Stein, signed five executive orders to assist Western North Carolinians in recovering from the damages caused by Hurricane Helene. At the time of the signing, WNC required housing for over 12,000 individuals and repairs or replacements for 8,000 roads.
Executive Order 1 waives state regulations that hinder the provision of manufactured housing. The waived regulations pertain to procurement procedures by government agencies and specifically allow the Department of Public Safety to purchase 1,000 units of temporary manufactured housing.
The order authorizes the Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Administration to temporarily waive requirements for “engaging in formal or informal bidding procedures,” “using certain solicitation documents,” and “making certain advertisements.” Other stipulations in the state’s purchasing code that “unreasonably delay DPS’s efforts to immediately procure up to 1,000 units” may also be temporarily waived.
The original purpose of instituting most of these rules was to create standards for a competitive bidding process that prevents politicians from awarding contracts to friends and donors. While critics argue that such regulations preserve the status quo, the state’s purchasing policies are not significantly different from those of large corporations.
Purchasing procedures that the executive order explicitly forbids waiving include one that advises against purchases from government agents and another that prohibits anticompetitive or fraudulent deals. The executive order does not cap the purchase of temporary housing at 1,000 units; it only guarantees the waiver for that many. State-provided housing units will be available only to hurricane victims who cannot secure housing arrangements from the federal government.
Executive Order 2 pertains to the repair of private roads, bridges, and other structures facilitating transportation. It delegates gubernatorial authority to “establish emergency assistance funds” to the Director of the Division of Emergency Management, who is instructed to complete the work as expeditiously as possible using vendors with whom the state has existing contracts. Since these repairs involve private property and Hurricane Helene destroyed various legal documents, this order also mandates the creation of emergency standards for establishing ownership.
If current state contractors are unable to complete the work promptly, the Division of Emergency Management is authorized to enter into agreements with new vendors using the same waivers outlined in the first executive order. These waivers will be effective for only two months. Additionally, the Department of Environmental Quality is authorized to waive any permitting and inspection rules that it deems impose unreasonable delays in alleviating human suffering. This waiver will remain in effect until it is deemed unnecessary.
Executive Order 3 is less engaging for newspaper content. It establishes two administrative bodies. The first, the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina, is abbreviated as GROW NC. It is tasked with undefined executive powers that may not resonate with most readers. Responsibilities include “creating the executive branch’s cross-agency vision for Helene recovery efforts and developing related strategies and plans,” as well as “overseeing, coordinating, and accelerating the WNC revitalization efforts of the executive branch and its agencies,” among others.
The second body is the Division of Community Revitalization within the North Carolina Department of Commerce. Although this body only “coordinates to oversee,” it mentions one tangible goal in its mission: rebuilding homes destroyed or damaged by Helene. Both bodies will have directors, and administrative positions will be created as necessary.
Executive Order 4 establishes a Governor’s Advisory Committee on Western North Carolina Recovery, which will consist of up to 35 gubernatorial appointees. Its responsibilities include providing recommendations to the governor for allocating state funds and restoring housing, economic activity, infrastructure, and addressing unforeseen losses that may interest the governor. It also outlines a loose framework for committee bylaws.
Executive Order 5 grants members of cabinet agencies and participating agencies, commissions, and boards of the Council of State an additional 16 hours of paid Community Service Leave. Typically, they receive 24 hours. These hours are to be spent on Helene relief activities overseen by local governments or nonprofit organizations, with leave hours and activities requiring supervisor approval. Any unused hours will expire at the end of the calendar year, and if anyone is mistakenly denied their leave hours, provisions are included to rectify that situation.