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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDecember 16 2003 Regular MinutesIREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MINUTES DECEMBER 16 2003 The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met in Regular Session on Tuesday, December 16, 2003, at 7:00 p.m., in the Iredell County Government Center (Commissioners' Meeting Room), 200 South Center Street, Statesville, NC. Present were: Chairman Steve D. Johnson Vice Chairman Godfrey Williams Doug Madison Sara Haire Tice Absent: Commissioner Marvin Norman was absent due to illness. Staff present: County Manager Joel Mashburn, Finance Director Susan Blumenstein, and Clerk to the Board Jean Moore. Absent: County Attorney Bill Pope was absent due to another commitment. CALL TO ORDER by Chairman Johnson. INVOCATION by Commissioner Madison. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG ADJUSTMENTS OF THE AGENDA: MOTION by Chairman Johnson to revise the agenda by the following adjustment. Addition: Request for Approval of a Letter of Endorsement for Third Creek Elementary School's US EPA Environmental Educational Grant VOTING: Ayes — 4; Nays — 0. PRESENTATION OF SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS & AWARDS Presentation of a Plaque to Health Department Retiree Faye Brincefield: Mrs. Brincefield retired on December 1, 2003, after 20 years of county service. Health Director Ray Rabe praised Mrs. Brincefield's work performance. He said Brincefield was one of the most professional and caring employees that he had ever observed in his 30 years of employment in the health-care field. Chairman Johnson presented Brincefield with an appreciation plaque and expressed thanks for her years of service. Presentation of a Plaque to EMS Department Retiree Donnie Perry: Mr. Perry retired on November 28, 2003, after 30 years of service. EMS Director Lee Darnell said Mr. Perry was a "pioneer" in the EMS profession, as well as a leader in the community, and his services would be greatly missed. Chairman Johnson presented Perry with an appreciation plaque and expressed thanks for his years of service. R.B. Bryan, the Clinical Manager for Counseling Insights, Inc., Speaks in Reference to the Distribution of Alcoholism Funds (ABC Bottle Tax) and the Need in Iredell County for the Establishment of a Spanish Speaking Counselor Position for the Purpose of Providing Treatment, Counseling, and Education in the Latino Community Concerning North Carolina Alcohol and Traffic Laws: Mr. Bryan said G.S. 18B -804(b)(6) stipulated that a charge of one cent on each bottle containing 50 milliliters or less, and five cents on each container with more than 50 milliliters would be collected on all alcoholic beverages. He said G.S. 1813-805(b)(4) stated that each month the local ABC Board would pay to the commissioners the bottle proceeds, and they were to be used for the treatment of alcoholism and substance abuse, or for research and education. Bryan said he understood that in the past, the proceeds had been distributed to Crossroads Behavioral Healthcare. He said that under the new mental health laws, Crossroads would not be providing services. Mr. Bryan said he was employed with Counseling Insights, Inc., a nonprofit 501(c)(3) entity, and that Crossroads contracted with the agency for alcohol and substance abuse services. Bryan said the Latino population continued to grow in Iredell County, and there was a need for a Spanish-speaking counselor who could offer alcoholism and substance abuse services. He requested that the board utilize all, or a part of, the ABC revenues for the establishment of this type of position. Commissioner Williams asked if the request had been proposed to Crossroads. Bryan said no, due to the new mental health laws and Crossroads becoming a management entity instead of a service provider. Mr. Bryan said counties were not limited to distributing their ABC funds to mental health agencies. He said a halfway house in Caldwell County was funded by ABC taxes. Chairman Johnson asked how much money was generated in Iredell County from the bottle tax on an annual basis. Finance Director Blumenstein said $25,000 a year had been budgeted for the past several years. Chairman Johnson mentioned the difficulties that might start occurring if the county entered into contracts with Crossroads' contractors. He said it would be difficult for the county staff to administer and monitor the contracts. Mr. Johnson asked Commissioner Williams if the mental health board had discussed the bottle tax distributions in conjunction with the new mental health law. Commissioner Williams said the board had not, and Crossroads should probably share some information on how the bottle tax was being disbursed. Mr. Williams agreed that any contractors needed to be monitored by someone, and it would be difficult for the county staff to assume the responsibility. Chairman Johnson said $25,000 would not cover the full salary costs of a qualified substance abuse person. He also said he didn't think it was equitable to spend all of the money on one targeted population. Mr. Johnson said he thought adequate accommodations had already been made since the drivers' manuals were written in Spanish and so were the tests. He said anyone with a valid North Carolina license should have a fundamental understanding that it was against the law to drink and drive. --------------------------------------------CONSENT AGENDA ---------------------------------- OTION by Chairman Johnson to approve the following eleven (11) consent agenda items. VOTING: Ayes — 4; Nays — 0. 1. Request from the Iredell-Statesville School System for Approval of a Capital Outlay Amendment for Celeste Elementary and East Elementary Fire Systems: At the briefing session, Finance Director Blumenstein said a capital outlay budget revision was needed by the Iredell-Statesville System for the purchase of fire systems that were to be installed at Celeste and East Elementary Schools. She said the school system had originally budgeted the costs ($54,000) in renovations, but they should have been reflected in the equipment line item. 2 2. Request for Approval of the November 2003 Refunds and Releases: County Assessor Bill Doolittle, during the briefing session, requested approval of the following releases and refunds. NOVEMBER 2003 TAX RELEASES & REFUNDS Releases Refunds County 38,784.01 1,207.04 Solid Waste Fees 572.00 52.22 East Alexander Co. Fire #1 7.57 0 Shepherd's Fire # 2 290.62 1,320.32 Mount Mourne Fire # 3 31.80 20.89 All County Fire # 4 1,576.90 2,033.24 Statesville City 7,337.85 587.66 Statesville Downtown 47.27 0 Mooresville Town 13,160.28 200.26 Mooresville Downtown 84.95 0 Mooresville School 1,711.65 278.95 Love Valle 0 0 7.40 0 -Harmony Troutman 321.95 0 Total $ 63,934.25 $5,700.58 A complete tax refund and release listing is hereby incorporated into the minutes by reference. 3. Request for Permission to Apply for a 2004 Community Waste Reduction & Recycling Grant for $25,000: Recycling Coordinator Carla Parks requested permission to apply for a grant that would assist in placing recycling bins, storage carts, educational materials, and incentive contest flyers in the Iredell-Statesville Schools located within the Statesville city limits, in local offices, two private schools, and at Mitchell Community College. She said the funds would also purchase brochures encouraging participation in the Statesville curbside program, and buy additional trailers for an aluminum can waste reduction and recycling effort. Mrs. Parks said this particular grant would be viewed more favorably if it included participation from other government entities or groups, and for this reason, the 10% match for the $25,000 grant would be obtained from the college, the Iredell-Statesville Schools, and the City of Statesville at $500 each. Parks said the county would provide the remaining $1,000. 4. Request for Approval to Apply for a $10,000 Computer/Electronics Recycling Grant from Dell Computers: Mrs. Parks requested permission to apply for a $10,000 grant that would enable the county to recycle computer monitors, copiers, and televisions at the Annual Electronics Recycling Day at no cost to the public. She said previously, a $5 charge was applied to some items to be recycled, and $50 on others, due to the CRT hazardous materials they contained. Parks said the charges discouraged people from recycling, and the grant funds would be used to pay the recycling fees along with the costs for advertising and handouts. She said a local match was not needed for the grant. 5. Request from the Sheriffs Department for Permission to Join Other Law Enforcement Agencies in Submitting a Collaborative Grant Request to the Governor's Crime Commission for the Purpose of Seeking Funds to Obtain "Data Sharing Technology" (Matching funds to be Obtained from Seized Funds with $6,622.50 being needed for Year 1 and $1,997.50 for Year 2): Captain Mike Phillips with the Sheriff's Department requested permission, at the briefing session, to apply for a P2P (Police to Police Data Sharing Technology) grant from the Governor's Crime Commission (GCC). He said over 50 North Carolina law enforcement offices were utilizing the technology to help solve crimes and obtain information. Phillips said the GCC would provide 75% of the cost for two years, and the other public safety agencies would be required to pay the remaining 25%. 3 6. Request from Bonanza Development for the Release of Zoning/Subdivision Jurisdiction (ETJ) to the Town of Mooresville on 1.1 Acres of Property: During the agenda briefing, Planning Supervisor Smith said Bonanza Development had requested the release of zoning and subdivision jurisdiction to Mooresville for property located at 918 Brawley School Road, in Mooresville, NC. He said the tract was adjacent to the Mooresville town limits, it was within the urban services boundary, and it had been approved for a utility extension and annexation by the Town for 2004. Smith continued by saying the property was currently zoned Residential Agricultural, and it was designated for transitional usage in the Brawley School Peninsula Small Area Plan. He said the staff recommended approval. 7. Request for Approval to Enter into a 60 -Month Contract with BellSouth (Voice/Data Lines): At the 5 p.m. meeting, Purchasing Agent Caldwell asked for permission to renew the county's voice and data phone line contract with BellSouth. Caldwell said she had worked with BellSouth's representative to combine as many services as possible to achieve volume discounts and to reduce the overall costs. She said a $24,325 annual savings had been achieved, and the contract was now below the NC State Contract. Caldwell said the county's affiliation with BellSouth dated back to 1986, and the county had never been without service, even during and after Hurricane Hugo. She said the new contract extended for 60 months, but if the county became dissatisfied with any components, adjustments could be made. 8. Request for Approval of a School Capital Project Ordinance in Conjunction with the Series 2003 Certificates of Participation (COPS): Finance Director Blumenstein, at the briefing, said a project ordinance had been drafted to account for the proceeds originating out of the Series 2003 Certificates of Participation. She said that after the bond closing, the funds would be available for the school systems. The ordinance is as follows: Iredell County, North Carolina Project Ordinance Certificates of Participation, Series 2003, School Projects December 16, 2003 Be it Ordained by the Board of County Commissioners of Iredell County, North Carolina: Section 1. Funding for the projects shall be provided by the following sources: Par Amount of the Series 2003 Bonds $37,055,000 Add: Accrued Interest 11,905 Bond Premium 970,443 Deduct: Original Issue Discount (173,008) Total Sources of Funds S37,864,340 Section 2. Capital Outlay will be financed for the Iredell-Statesville Schools, Mitchell Community College, and the Mooresville Graded School District as follows: Projects Iredell-Statesville Schools — Harmony Elementary School 7,051,200 Scotts Elementary 6,528,000 Woodland Heights 10,420,800 Mitchell Community College -Workforce Dev. Bldg. 1,000,000 Mooresville Graded Schools -Mooresville Intermediate School 12,222,610 $37,222,610 Issuance Costs for the Series 2003 Certificates of Participation Underwriter's Discount 175,750 Bond Insurance Premium 284,285 Legal, ratings agencies, printing, other 11,905 Deposit to Interest Payment Account 3,790 641,730 Total Uses of Funds37.R�fi4340 Section 3. This Capital Project Fund shall continue until the projects are complete. Section 4. Payments from this Capital Project Fund shall be authorized by a representative of each school administrative unit and copied to the Iredell Co. Director of Finance & Adm. Section 5. Upon completion of the construction project, all funds remaining in this Capital Project Fund will be disbursed in accordance with the Trust Agreement by and between Iredell County Public Facilities Corporation and First Citizens Bank Corporate Trust. 4 9. Request for Approval of an Amendment to the West Farm Water/Sewer Community Development Block Grant Capital Project Ordinance: Finance Director Blumenstein said a project ordinance was adopted at a previous meeting, but since that time, it had been learned that the Committee of 100 had contracted grant administration fees directly with Paula Bass, a consultant, in the amount of $24,000. Blumenstein said the $24,000 was considered a part of the $100,000 loan from the Committee of 100 to the West family, and the ordinance needed to be amended to reflect the difference. A copy of the ordinance is as follows: Iredell County, North Carolina Amended Capital Project Ordinance CDBG Water/Sewer Project Fund Be it Ordained by the Board of County Commissioners of Iredell County, North Carolina: Section 1. Funds for the Sewer Project of this Capital Project Fund will be provided from the following sources: Millard Refrigeration Greater Statesville Dev. Corp. Iredell County General Fund $ 160,465 50,000 66,575 $ 277,040 Section 2. Funds for the Water Tank Project of this Capital Project Fund will be provided from the following sources: CDBG-ED Grant $ Rural Center Grant Golden Leaf Pass-thru Grant from the Committee of 100 USDA Rural Economic Development Loan - to be repaid by Energy United Electric West Family Commitment Contingency Commitment from Project Participants 240,000 150,000 150,000 240,000 276,000 (reducedby$24,000) 10 $1,098,310 Section 3. The following costs to design, engineer and construct the sewer line and lift station are as follows: Design, Engineering, & Other Costs S 7,800 Contingency 8,775 General Construction 260,465 $ 277,040 Section 4. The following costs to design, engineer and construct the water tank are as follows: Professional Fees -Engineering, Surveying, Inspections S 87,310 Grant Administration Construction of Water Storage Tank Construction Contingency - (reduced by $24, 000) 961,000 50,000 $1,098,310 Section 5. This Capital Project Fund shall continue until the project is complete. Section 6. Payments from this Capital Project Fund shall be authorized by the County Manager or his designee. Section 7. Millard Refrigeration will be billed for its proportionate share of the sewer project construction contract as each invoice is received from the contractor. Section 8. Two-thirds of the finds committed by the West family shall be due prior to the Countys first payment on the water storage tank construction contract. The balance of the commitment shall be due alter all other project funds have been drawn down and expended. Section 9. County funds remaining in this Capital Project Fund after completion of the construction project will be transferred to the Capital Reserve Fund. 5 10. Request for Approval of a Letter of Endorsement Pertaining to Third Creek Elementary School's US EPA Environmental Education Grant: Commissioner Williams advised during the briefing session that Third Creek Elementary School had asked for a letter of endorsement pertaining to its water quality educational program grant request. He said no commitment from the county was needed, other than assistance from the planning and inspections staff in sharing information about the local building and development guidelines relating to water quality standards. 11. Request for Approval of the December 2, 2003 Minutes -------------------------------------END OF CONSENT AGENDA ----------------------------- APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS & COMMISSIONS Personnel Advisory Board 1 appointment): No nominations were submitted, and Commissioner Madison motione to postpone the appointment until the January 6 meeting. VOTING: Ayes — 4; Nays — 0. Adult Care Home Community Advisory Committee (2 appointments): No nominations were submitted, and Commissioner Madison imotione to postpone the appointments until the January 6 meeting. VOTING: Ayes — 4; Nays — 0. Board of Equalization & Review for 2004 (6 appointments): Commissioner Williams nominated Dan Schmidt, John Douglas, Anita Johnson, L.W. Lambert, and Wayne Robertson. MOTTO by Commissioner Madison to close the nominations and to appoint Schmidt, Douglas, Johnson, Lambert, and Robertson by acclamation. VOTING: Ayes — 4; Nays — 0. Appointment of the Board of Equalization & Review Chairman: Commissioner Williams nominated Dan Schmidt for the position of Chairman for the Board of Equalization and Review. MOTION by Commissioner Madison to close the nominations and to appoint Dan Schmidt as the Chairman for the Board of Equalization and Review. VOTING: Ayes — 4; Nays — 0. Appointment of the Board of Equalization and Review Vice Chairman: Commissioner Williams nominated John Douglas for the position of Vice Chairman for the Board of Equalization and Review. MOTION by Commissioner Madison to close the nominations and to appoint John Douglas as the Vice Chairman for the Board of Equalization and Review. VOTING: Ayes — 4; Nays — 0. Note: The appointment of an E & R Board alternate member will be postponed until the January 6, 2004 meeting. 6 NEW BUSINESS: Commissioner Tice said a member of the planning board had asked if the commissioners would consider a joint meeting in the future. She said the purpose of the meeting would be to insure that everyone had a clear understanding of the county's goals and objectives pertaining to planning and growth. Mrs. Tice said an opportune time to meet with the planning board would be at the winter retreat. Chairman Johnson asked the clerk to contact the planning board chairman and arrange a time for the two groups to meet at the February winter planning session. COUNTY MANAGER'S REPORT: The county manager reminded the board members about the Annual Christmas Luncheon to be held on Friday, December 19, 2003 from 11:30 a.m. — 1:30 p.m., at the Statesville Civic Center. CLOSED SESSION: MOTION by Chairman Johnson at 7:30 p.m., to enter into closed session for the purpose of discussing an economic development matter pursuant to G.S. 143-318.11 (a) (4). VOTING: Ayes — 4; Nays — 0. (RETURN TO OPEN SESSION AT 8:39 P.M.) ADJOURNMENT: MOTION by Chairman Johnson at 8:40 p.m., to adjourn the meeting. (NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, January 6, 2004, at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., in the Iredell County Government Center, 200 South Center Street, Statesville, NC.) VOTING: Ayes — 4; Nays — 0. Approved: 7 Clerk to the Board