HomeMy WebLinkAboutAugust 19 2003 Briefing MinutesIREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
BRIEFING MINUTES
AUGUST 19, 2003
The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met in Briefing Session on
Tuesday, August 19, 2003, at 5:00 p.m., in the Iredell County Government Center
(South Wing Conference Room), 200 South Center Street, Statesville, NC.
Present were:
Chairman Steve D. Johnson
Vice Chairman Godfrey Williams
Doug Madison
Marvin Norman
Sara Haire Tice
Staff present: County Manager Joel Mashburn, Finance Director Susan
Blumenstein, Planning Supervisor Ron Smith, Tax Administrator Bill Doolittle, Chief
Deputy Rick Dowdle, Fire Marshal Chuck Gallyon, Emergency Services Director Tracy
Jackson, and Clerk to the Board Jean Moore.
CALL TO ORDER by Chairman Johnson.
Request from the Sheriff's Department for Jail Expansion Funding:
Chief Deputy Dowdle said the jail recently had 275 inmates, and this count was the
highest since 1997. He said due to the overcrowding in the facility designed for 201
inmates that 20 were transferred to Davie County where they were being incarcerated at
a cost of $40 per day, per individual. Dowdle said his population count was now at
232, but he expected over 20 "weekenders" to be added this Friday evening. He said
one reason why the overcrowding had occurred was a two-week backlog of Superior
Court cases, and another was the delay by the N.C. Department of Corrections in
transferring out some of the inmates. Chief Dowdle requested permission to proceed
with renovations at the former prison camp to alleviate the over -population problem.
He requested funding to upgrade the dorm for the housing of approximately 40 inmates.
(The septic system permit is for a capacity of 42.) Dowdle said repairs on the single -
cell areas would not occur at the present.
County Manager Mashburn said the county originally wanted a sewer line to
hook up to, and this would probably occur in the future. He said for now, however, it
appeared the county was having to spend as much in housing the inmates in another
county as it was to renovate the former prison site and use a septic system.
Support Services Director Vernon said the septic system would limit the number
that could be housed at the facility, but it was being viewed as a "stop -gap" measure for
the present.
Mashburn emphasized that long-term, the county still had plans to hook up to a
sewer line.
Blumenstein said that if the board approved the $188,755 request, the Five -Year
Capitol Projects Plan would need to be amended.
Request for a Discussion with the Volunteer Fire Departments (VFDs) not
Included in the County -Wide Tax Service District Regarding Possible Contract
Amendments: Joining the commissioners for this segment of the briefing session
were Stony Point VFD Chief Steve Lackey, Shepherds VFD Chief Kelly Robinson, and
Mount Mourne Chief Steve Knox.
Chairman Johnson said the main focus of the discussion was to talk about the
composition of the board of directors for the departments. He said to maintain public
confidence in the actions of the VFD's governing body, it was being requested that a
majority of the members on the board of directors be non -firemen.
Chief Lackey said his board had ten members and six of them were from the
community, or non -firemen. He said his department always tried to retain an equal
balance between Iredell and Alexander County representatives. Lackey said there was a
nominating committee for the board's members, who were elected at an annual meeting,
but the bylaws allowed anyone to run for the positions.
Chief Knox said his board was comprised of four community representatives,
two firemen, and himself, for a total of seven members. Knox said the board of
directors voted on new members.
Chief Robinson said his board had eleven members with ten being firemen and
the remaining representative being from the community. Robinson said the community
representative had asked to be on the board.
Commissioner Williams said recently, the fire tax district board voted to re -write
the contracts for the VFDs in the county -wide district.
Robinson asked about how many members should be on a board of directors,
and Commissioner Madison suggested that a maximum be at ten with perhaps a non-
voting member to break tie votes.
It was the consensus of the commissioners to utilize the fire tax district board
along with the three chiefs (Shepherds, Mount Mourne, and Stony Point), or their
designees, to develop the contract amendments.
Presentation from the Planning Supervisor Regarding Open Space
Requirements: Planning Supervisor Smith said a planning board subcommittee had
reviewed the open -space requirements for subdivisions containing more than ten
developable lots and had requested that he seek additional guidance pertaining to
possible amendments. Smith said, specifically, the committee was trying to determine
its major goal and to determine who should benefit from the open -space requirements.
Mr. Smith asked if citizens would benefit from isolated private open space areas within
individual subdivisions, or would they benefit from open space or recreation areas
designated by the county. He said the committee felt that if the county designated areas
for parks, greenways, and conservation areas, it would be easier and more beneficial to
assess a fee -in -lieu of open space. Smith mentioned the possibility of a recreation/open
space plan instead of the existing four -quadrant -park -system plan.
Commissioner Williams said the four -park concept occurred before the county's
rapid growth spurt. Williams said he didn't feel the open -space requirements could be
tied to the four -park plan. Mr. Williams mentioned the fees associated with the
requirements. He asked if these were in reality impact fees.
Smith said the charges might be viewed as impact fees; however, they were
legal. He said it appeared that the threshold (subdivisions with more than ten lots)
needed to be "moved up."
Chairman Johnson asked the threshold on a 100 -acre lot.
Smith said he researched the subdivisions built in the past three years, and they
were mostly in the 30 -lot range. He said the primary focus was on the ones with 50 lots
or more.
Commissioner Williams asked about a subdivision with 49 lots.
Smith said the developer would not have to comply.
Williams asked what happened if the developer built two more times for a total
of three subdivisions.
Smith said his office would review all of the phases.
2
Commissioner Madison said the four -quadrant -park plan involved community
participation along with any grants that might be available. He said the open -space
requirement was basically a tax. Mr. Madison said that greenspace for parks was
market driven and if left alone, the market would take care of itself by putting in tennis
courts and so forth. He said these amenities would be maintained without the county's
assistance. Madison cautioned against having little pieces of land that were not
generating money, and he cautioned against requiring anything the county might later
have to maintain.
Chairman Johnson questioned who would assist people on modest incomes --
building a baseball park for instance.
Commissioner Williams mentioned that the land used for the Stumpy Creek
Park had been leased from Duke Power. He said now, however, the North Carolina
Parks and Recreation Trust Fund required that land be deeded. Mr. Williams said most
of the land in the northern end was for farming, and people just didn't give it away. He
mentioned there was a civic group interested in donating money for a northern -end
park; however, this couldn't be done until there was a specific project or plan.
County Manager Mashburn said he was looking at the issue as being two
different things -- one as parks and the other as greenspace.
Smith said the committee would focus on the original issue (increase the number
of lots) and, potentially, return to the board of commissioners with a proposed
amendment.
Note: On October 1, 2002, the board of commissioners approved amendments to the
subdivision ordinance pertaining to open space set-aside requirements. On May 20, 2003, the planning
supervisor was requested to re -review the requirements with the planning board.
Adjournment: Chairman Johnson adjourned the briefing at approximately 6:30
p.m.
Approved:
3
Clerk to the Board