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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSeptember_16_2003_Regular MinutesIREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MINUTES SEPTEMBER 16 2003 The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met in Regular Session on Tuesday, September 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 Marvin Norman Sara Haire Tice Staff present: County Manager Joel Mashburn, County Attorney Bill Pope, Finance Director Susan Blumenstein, and Clerk to the Board Jean Moore. CALL TO ORDER by Chairman Johnson. INVOCATION by Chairman Johnson. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG ADJUSTMENTS OF THE AGENDA: MOTIO by Chairman Johnson to adjust the agenda by the following revision: Addition: Closed Session for the Purpose of Discussing an Economic Development Matter Pursuant to G.S. 143-318.11 (a) (4). VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. PRESENTATION OF SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS & AWARDS Recognition of Iredell County Retirees Herman "Gabe" Gabriel and William "Bill' Redmond: Chairman Johnson presented a plaque to Bill Redmond in appreciation of his work at the Iredell County Sheriff's Department. Redmond recently retired after nine years of service. Herman "Gabe" Gabriel was unable to attend the meeting; however, he was recognized for his 28 years of service with the Iredell County Emergency Services Department. (A plaque in appreciation of his many years of service will also be awarded to him.) APPOINTMENTS BEFORE THE BOARD David Crosby, a member of the Iredell County Candlelight Vigil Committee, Requests the Adoption of a Resolution Recognizing the Problem of Child Abuse: Candlelight Vigil Committee members David Crosby and Randall Weatherman attended the meeting and requested the adoption of the following resolution. RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE PROBLEM OF CHILD ABUSE WHEREAS, the abuse and neglect of children is a family and societal problem of local, state, and national significance, and WHEREAS, it is important to recognize that children are abused at the hands of their parents and caregivers; and WHEREAS, children are known to have died in North Carolina in the year 2002 due to abuse or neglect that was inflicted upon them by their parents or caregivers; and WHEREAS, it is important to remember the innocent children who died in North Carolina during the year 2002. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Iredell County Board of Commissioners calls upon Iredell County communities to dedicate Thursday, October 2, 2003, as a day of remembrance for the unknown number of children who have suffered as a direct result of abuse and neglect and for the innocent children known to have died due to abuse and neglect in North Carolina during the year of 2002. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Iredell County Board of Commissioners encourages the public to attend a Candlelight Vigil to be held Thursday, October 2, 2003, 6:00 p.m., at the Presbyterian Church of the Springs located at Highway 21/115 and Moose Club Road, in Barium Springs, North Carolina to remember these young victims and to focus on the problem of child abuse. MOTION by Commissioner Norman to adopt the resolution as presented. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. Margaret Lane, with the Humane Society of Iredell County, Addresses the Board and Presents a Six -Point Plan Pertaining to Animal Care and Control: Mrs. Lane, President of the Humane Society, said her group had worked with local officials in an effort to come up with a plan to address animal care and control. She said the plan had been developed to address the overpopulation of unwanted animals in the county, and it dealt with the symptoms of the problems along with their causes. Lane said similar plans were being used across the nation with excellent results. She said the plan would be "a proactive approach, and hopefully, in addition to improving the situation, it would reduce the costs which arise from trying to deal with problems as problems continue to escalate and grow." Mrs. Lane then presented the following plan. PROPOSED ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL PLAN Iredell County is a community, which cares about its citizens and wants to provide a progressive and good place in which to live. Part of this includes concern about the health, well-being and public safety of its residents. In the midst of this, though, animal -related issues and problems have grown, and we now have the need and the opportunity to work proactively to solve the problems, not simply by addressing the results but by dealing with the causes. The programs we are suggesting are those that are being used .successfully in numerous other communities with excellent results. These programs can reduce the number of unwanted animals and attendant animal -related problems, thus curbing rising costs, while at the some time creating a .safer and much more desirable community in which to live. Following are key components of an integrated plan which can help to positively change the face of the "Crossroads of the Future. - L Low cost spay/neuter — Around the United States, a number of communities have successfully reduced the number of homeless and unwanted animals as well as the number killed even in the face of a growing population. The key to this is pet .sterilization. Aggressive adoption efforts and public education campaigns contribute to helping with the situation, but they don't solve the problem. We need to develop a program to truly meet the needs of the low-income citizens of Iredell County. The state ofNew Hampshire implemented a state-wide program cutting the cost of spaying or neutering pets to $10 for poor residents. In New Hampshire for every dollar invested in the spay/neuter program, the state realized a $3 savings in animal control costs. In addition, the number of animals which had to be euthanized dropped nearly 75%. Possible approachesinclude: A. The county, in cooperation with the humane society, could develop a spay/neuter clinic and contract out for veterinary services based on bids. B. A spay/neuter mobile van could be purchased and jointly used by Iredell and one or two other nearbv counties. C. The county could implement an in-house spay/neuter area and hire a part-time veterinarian. D. Regional Alliance 2 11. Differential fine — This is a program in which county residents pay, a higher fine for unaltered animals when a violation occurs. When officers check on pet licenses, they could verify compliance with rabies vaccination. Higher fines could help pay for cost of enforcement. 111. Lethal injection — Lethal injection should he used for those animals which can he handled, including puppies and kittens and elderly or infirm pets. For those who cannot be handled due to temperament, the county should continue the use of lethal gas such as carbon monoxide for euthanizing animals. IV. Micro -chipping and scanning — Every, pet that comes through the door is scanned as part of normal protocol. Every pet adopted should be micro -chipped and a fee charged. This would be bene frcial both for identiffing pets who belong to families and also identifying when pets are allowed to randomly run free. V. Vaccinating pets for rabies and other serious diseases and promoting adoptions — The present policy of the animal shelter is to release adoptable pets to the public for adoption. If animals are not adopted by the end of the holding period, some animals are placed with the humane society for possible placement. Animals, whose history is not known, but appears to be adoptable, are euthanized. It is proposed that the policy be changed to permit the animal shelter authority, to vaccinate all animals that are candidates for adoption, and that animals without a known history he confined at the shelter jar 10 days, d space is available, before releasing for adoption. If space is not available, then the humane society will be notified and permitted to hold the animals at foster homes the required 10 days. If no homes are available, and no shelter space is available, the animal control supervisor, at his/her discretion, may, euthanize pets being held. Having differential licensing and conducting rabies vaccination checks, along with vaccinating in the shelter, should help reduce the risk of a pet being exposed to rabies. VL Education and public relations — The animal control director and the humane society need ify to intensefforts promoting humane education and building support for programs and options which are available to the citizens. Preventing problems is more efficient than trving to correct problems once they have developed. This is an expansive plan and one which has been proven to work. The benefits of implementing it include.: • Saving tax -payer dollars • Saving animals' lives • Increasing compliance with rabies vaccinations • Reducing the number of homeless pets • Reducing incidents of cruelty and neglect • Boosting image ofand morale at shelter • Enhancing our county's public image We .rel forth this plan with the hope and anticipation of being able to work together to make this a better community for all its residents. While a transformation won't happen overnight, with cooperation and collaborative effort, we believe public health and safety can be enhanced even without the rabies ban on adoptions, the adoption rate of adoptable pets can be increased exponentially, the problems with which Animal Control has to deal can be reduced, and the image of our community can be enhanced. There is no reason why Iredell County shouldn't become a landmark of progress in this area, just as other communities around our nation have. (END OF PLAN) Pertaining to the fifth point, Lane said disclaimers could be inserted in the adoption contract to help alleviate any perceived liability on either the Humane Society's part or the county. She said a possible wording might be, "Although we take every precaution to assure the health of our animals, no guarantee of any kind can be given regarding the animal you have adopted. The majority of the animals come to us with unknown medical histories and 1, the undersigned, do hereby declare that I am aware that Iredell County makes no claim or representation as to the health, temperament, mental disposition, or personality of any animal available for adoption. I hereby release the county of any liabilities relating to the adoption of the pet." Lane said the Humane Society contributed the ideas for the plan, but a committee consisting of County Manager Joel Mashburn, Emergency Services Director Tracy Jackson, Health Director Ray Rabe, Animal Control Supervisor Sidney Weisner, and Environmental Health Supervisor Kelly Sheeks, assisted in its development. Rachel Compton and Melissa Corrigul Present a Petition in Reference to Animal Care and Control: Rachel Compton said over 3,000 signatures had been obtained on a petition that addressed animal care and control. She mentioned a recent incident in which a puppy, born in Iredell County, was later diagnosed by a veterinarian in another county as having rabies. Compton said she thought this was an isolated incident. She said that she felt there were other ways to control rabies instead of killing the animals. Compton then presented the petition that was captioned: "We the undersigned residents of Iredell County, are outraged at the number of animals that are killed in Iredell County and the way strays are treated. We respectfully request that the County Commissioners: 1. Revise the use of our tax dollars since we are one of the highest taxed in NC for animal control and have one of the highest kill rates of 89%. Allocate funding to promote adoption of stray animals and promote spaying and neutering. 2. Revoke the ordinance that stray animals without proof of rabies vaccinations are automatically killed and cannot be adopted. 3. Discontinue the use of carbon monoxide gas and adopt a more humane method of euthanasia such as lethal injections. " Melissa Corrigul said "animals were innocent victims of circumstance, and ordinances should be set up to hold people accountable for not vaccinating and spaying/neutering the way responsible people should." She said people should be punished -- not the animals. County Manager Mashburn said during the recent meetings with the Humane Society there seemed to be a consensus among the attendees that there was an overpopulation of unwanted animals in Iredell County, specifically dogs and cats. He said a major way to address this would be to provide a low-cost spay -neuter program. Mashburn said the fine structure could also be altered. He said the employees at the animal control department were trained in the usage of lethal injection, and they had been using this euthanization method in some situations. Mashburn said that in some cases; however, the present usage of carbon monoxide gas was the most humane way to euthanize animals. He said that if the board chose to discontinue the carbon monoxide gas and strictly use lethal injections, more personnel would be needed because this method took more time. Mr. Mashburn said micro -chipping was being done at the shelter in some situations, but all animals were scanned in an effort to locate their owners. Mashburn said the petition that had been presented could easily lead the public to believe that the animals brought to the shelter were being mistreated. He said this was not true, and that the animal control employees were caring and highly -trained people. Mashburn said in reference to the petition's comment about the high budget for animal control, that over two-thirds of the funds went to personnel. He said this indicated Iredell had more employees on the streets, and at the shelter, than some of the other departments in the state. He said the per capita spending in Iredell County for animal control was about $5.70. Mashburn said information obtained from Humane Society of the United States indicated this amount was "a little above average." Mashburn continued by saying the International City/County Manager's Association published a report on local animal control management, and it had included a position from the Humane Society of United States that stipulated the following items were needed to have an effective animal control program. These were: 1. Local government support 2. Comprehensive animal control ordinance 3. Programs to ensure that pet owners have sterilization options 4. Adequate facilities and equipment 4 5. A staff that was adequately trained 6. Methods to humanely euthanize animals 7. A good working relationship with local veterinarians 8. An effective education program Mr. Mashburn said it was evident the animal control department had support and commitment, and the county had an ordinance that had been updated several items. He said there were sterilization programs, but unfortunately, citizens with low -incomes still had problems paying to have their pets spayed or neutered. Mashburn said the shelter had educational programs, but for the last few years these had mostly centered on rabies control. In conclusion, Mashburn said his recommendation would be for the board of commissioners to authorize the staff to work with the Humane Society on the development of a proposal to create an effective low-cost spay and neuter program. Mashburn said he further suggested that the staff and Humane Society seek additional private funding to make the service available to all citizens, regardless of income. Commissioner Norman asked about the projected costs. Mashburn said the county could start with just the funds available. Dr. Diana Bowman, a local veterinarian, said the sterilization of a dog would cost around 5100. Lane said $50 or more would be needed to sterilize a cat. Mashburn again said the spay -neuter program would depend upon the funds available. He said he was not recommending that the board allocate additional funds for this purpose. He mentioned the possibility of initiating the program using grants. Chairman Johnson said the fact that so many animals were being killed was not due to any irresponsibility on the part of the board of commissioners, Joel Mashburn, Sidney Weisner, or any of the animal control employees. He said the reason so many animals were being killed was due to so many people being irresponsible with their pets. Johnson said that due to recent newspaper articles about animals and the different methods of euthanization, that he recently visited the local shelter and witnessed a carbon monoxide euthanization. He said that what he saw was unpleasant, but he wouldn't consider it as being inhumane. Johnson said the media had published articles saying the animals fought for their lives, and it took minutes for them to die. Chairman Johnson said that from the time the gas was turned on, it took 20 seconds for the animals to collapse, and within 45 seconds, they were unconscious. He said that during the euthanization, he didn't see any animals fighting. Chairman Johnson said it was only fair to state that he would not be able to support any proposals or recommendations that would (1) endanger the employees at the animal control shelter (2) compromise the public's health and increase their exposure to rabies and (3) dramatically increase the costs at the animal control shelter. OTION by Commissioner Madison to authorize the county manager and staff, to work with the Humane Society in pursuing grants for the recommendations as were submitted by the county manager. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. PUBLIC HEARING Chairman Johnson declared the meeting to be in a public hearing. Consideration of an Economic Development Incentive for the Ingersoll Rand Corporation: Mr. Ron Leech, the manager of the Charlotte office for the North Carolina Department of Commerce, along with Jerry Moran, corporate counsel 5 for the Ingersoll Rand Company attended the meeting and requested approval of an economic development incentive. Attorney Moran said Ingersoll Rand was a manufacturing company with a diversity of products that employed over 45,000 people worldwide. He said the company's annual sales were $9 billion with brand names of Bobcat, Schlage, Club Car, ThermoKing, Hussman, and others. Moran said in 1975, the company constructed a manufacturing facility in Davidson, North Carolina, and this was the worldwide site for the company's air compressor division that annually generated $700 million in sales. He said through the years, the Davidson site had grown necessitating the usage of leased space. Mr. Moran said the company now desired to construct a 100,000 to 120,000 square foot facility to eliminate the leased space. He said the construction costs would be somewhere between $8 million to $10 million for the new facility that would house the company's financial, human resources, and information technology departments. No one else spoke, and Chairman Johnson adjourned the hearing. MOTTO by Commissioner Tice to approve an economic development incentive for the Ingersoll Rand Corporation in an amount between $150,400.00 to $188,000.00, over a five-year period, based upon the company's investment of between $8 million to $10 million in Iredell County. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. Chairman Johnson declared the meeting to be in a public hearing. Consideration of a $47,000,000.00 Certificates of Participation Financing for the Following Projects & Refinancing: ■ Construction of an Addition to Scotts Elementary School and Related Renovation of Existing Facilities ■ Construction of an Addition to Harmony Elementary School and Related Renovation of Existing Facilities ■ Construction of a new Southern Zone Elementary School (Woodland Heights) ■ Construction of the new Mooresville Intermediate School ■ Construction of an Addition to Mitchell Community College to facilitate a Workforce Development Project ■ Refinancing of the County's Payment Obligations under an Existing Financing Contract Dated October 10, 2002 Chairman Johnson announced that this was the hour and day fixed by the Board of Commissioners for the public hearing upon the proposed financing, pursuant to an installment financing agreement, to be dated as of December 1, 2003 (the "Installment Financing Agreement") between the County of Iredell, North Carolina (the "County") and Iredell County Public Facilities Corporation, a North Carolina non-profit corporation (the "Corporation"), of (i) the construction of an addition to Scotts Elementary School and related renovation of the existing facilities, (ii) the construction of an addition to Harmony Elementary School and related renovation of the existing facilities, (iii) the construction of the new Southern Zone Elementary School, (iv) the construction of the new Mooresville Intermediate School and (v) the construction of an addition to Mitchell Community College to facilitate a work force development facility (collectively, the "Project") and proposed refinancing of the County's payment obligations under an existing installment financing contract, dated October 10, 2002, between the County and Bank of America, N.A. (the "Prior Financing Agreement") in order to achieve debt service savings, and that the Board of Commissioners would hear anyone who may wish to be heard with respect to the Installment Financing Agreement. As a matter of information, the Director of Finance and Administration of the County described the nature of the Project and the proposed refinancing and the installment payments to be made by the County under the Installment Financing Agreement for such purposes. 6 No one appeared, either in person or by attorney, to be heard with respect to the Installment Financing Agreement and the Clerk to the Board of Commissioners announced that no written statement relating to said matter had been received. Thereupon the Chairman introduced the following resolution, a copy of which had been provided to each Commissioner, which was read by title and summarized by the Director of Finance and Administration: RESOLUTION MAKING CERTAIN FINDINGS RELATING TO THE FINANCING OF CERTAIN SCHOOL FACILITIES AND FACILITIES FOR MITCHELL COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND THE REFINANCING OF THE COUNTY OF IREDELL'S PAYMENT OBLIGATIONS UNDER A PRIOR FINANCING AGREEMENT PURSUANT TO AN INSTALLMENT FINANCING AGREEMENT, AND AUTHORIZING THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION TO FILE APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL THEREOF BY THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Commissioners for the County of Iredell, North Carolina: Section 1. The Board of Commissioners does hereby find, determine and declare as follows: (a) The County proposes to finance (i) the construction of an addition to Scotts Elementary School and related renovation of the existing facilities, (ii) the construction of an addition to Harmony Elementary School and related renovation of the existing facilities, (iii) the construction of the new Southern Zone Elementary School, (iv) the construction of the new Mooresville Intermediate School and (v) the construction of an addition to Mitchell Community College to facilitate a work force development facility (collectively, the "Project") and refinance its payment obligations under an existing installment financing contract, dated October 10, 2002, between the County and Bank of America, N.A. (the "Prior Financing Agreement"), pursuant to an installment financing agreement, to be dated as of December 1, 2003 (the "Installment Financing Agreement"), and the County will make Installment Payments (as defined in the Installment Financing Agreement) in amounts sufficient to pay the principal and interest with respect to the Certificates of Participation (Iredell County Public Facilities Projects), Series 2003 (the "2003 Certificates") to be executed and delivered by the Corporation to finance the Project and refinance such outstanding payment obligations, it being the express intention of the Board of Commissioners that only the principal amount of 2003 Certificates necessary to accomplish the purposes stated in the Installment Financing Agreement will be executed and delivered (estimated not to exceed $47,000,000). (b) The Project is necessary in order to provide public school facilities and facilities for Mitchell Community College essential to the administration of the government of the County and the public health, safety and welfare of its citizens. (c) Based on advice from the County's investment banker as to current tax- exempt interest rates, the sums to fall due under the Installment Financing Agreement are not excessive for its stated purposes; moreover, the estimated cost of the Project is not excessive. (d) Counsel to the County has rendered an opinion that the proposed undertakings are authorized by law and are purposes for which public funds may be expended pursuant to the Constitution and laws of the State of North Carolina. (e) The Installment Financing Agreement, under the circumstances presently obtaining, is preferable to a general obligation bond issue for this purpose. The County's current fund balance is, in light of other requirements and prudent fiscal management, insufficient to fund the entire cost of the Project and refinance its payment obligations under the Prior Financing Agreement, the County does not have the ability to issue sufficient non -voted bonds under the provisions of Article V, Sec. 4 of the North Carolina Constitution for the purposes of completing the Project and refinancing such outstanding payment obligations, and voting general obligation bonds for these purposes will result in unacceptable delay and additional cost to the County. (f) The estimated cost of financing the Project and refinancing the County's outstanding payment obligations pursuant to the Installment Financing Agreement 7 compares reasonably and favorably with an estimate of similar cost for general obligation bond financing therefor. The primary difference in cost results from higher issuance costs, but this amount is insignificant when compared to the total cost of financing the Project and refinancing such payment obligations. (g) The debt management policies of the County have been carried out in strict compliance with law, including the filing of all required audits and reports with the Local Government Commission (the "LGC"), and the County is within its statutory debt limit and is not in default with respect to any of its outstanding indebtedness. (h) The County estimates that no increase in the property tax rate will be required to raise sums to pay the estimated debt service to fall due under the Installment Financing Agreement for all of its stated purposes. (i) The County has made timely payment of all sums owed by it with respect to the payment of principal of and interest on all of its outstanding debt obligations and has received no notice from the LGC or any holder concerning the County's failure to make any required payment of debt service. Section 2. The LGC is hereby requested to approve the proposed Installment Financing Agreement pursuant to the provisions of Article 8 of Chapter 159 of the General Statutes of North Carolina, and the Director of Finance and Administration is directed to complete all applications and execute all documents required in connection with obtaining such approval. Section 3. The LGC is hereby requested to approve the selection of the following professionals who comprise the financing team, and such other professionals as may be required or useful and acceptable to the LGC, to assist the County in connection with such financing: Special Counsel Sidley Austin Brown & Wood LLP Underwriters Legg Mason Wood Walker, Incorporated Citigroup Global Markets Inc. Underwriters' Counsel Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC Trustee First -Citizens Bank & Trust Company Corporation Counsel Wyriek Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP Section 4. All actions heretofore taken by the Director of Finance and Administration in connection with the Installment Financing Agreement and the 2003 Certificates, including filing the application with the LGC, retaining Special Counsel and selecting investment bankers and a trustee, are hereby ratified and confirmed. Section 5. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon its passage. Attorney Pope said the financing was similar to others in the past. He said the transaction would involve the school systems transferring property titles to the county due to the educational facilities being pledged as collateral. He said the county would commit to making installment payments to the public facility's corporation and secure its promise by pledging a lien on the school properties. Pope said the school properties were the only recourse for the bond holders, and the faith and credit of the county was not being pledged. He also said the county's taxing authority would not be pledged. Mr. Pope said there was a requirement for the county budget to include an amount to amortize the debt (variable bonds) for the coming year plus two percent. Pope said this type of indebtedness did not count against the county's obligation limit required by the legislature. Mr. Pope said he would send a copy of the Preliminary Official Statement (POS) to each commissioner. Chairman Johnson said he understood the only way the $47 million might be reduced was if the refinancing did not occur at this time Mrs. Blumenstein said this was correct. She said that if an acceptable interest rate could not be achieved for the refinancing, this part of the transaction would be eliminated. No one else desired to speak, and Chairman Johnson adjourned the public hearing. 9 Upon motion of Commissioner C. Douglas Madison, Jr., seconded by Commissioner Sara Haire Tice, the foregoing resolution entitled: "RESOLUTION MAKING CERTAIN FINDINGS RELATING TO THE FINANCING OF CERTAIN SCHOOL FACILITIES AND FACILITIES FOR MITCHELL COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND THE REFINANCING OF THE COUNTY OF IREDELL'S PAYMENT OBLIGATIONS UNDER A PRIOR FINANCING AGREEMENT PURSUANT TO AN INSTALLMENT FINANCING AGREEMENT, AND AUTHORIZING THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION TO FILE APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL THEREOF BY THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION" was passed by the following vote: Ayes: 5 Noes: 0 ------------------------------------------CONSENT AGENDA ------------------------------------ MOTTO by Chairman Johnson to approve the following three consent agenda items. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. 1. Request for Approval of the August 2003 Refunds and Releases: The following releases and refunds were approved. 2003 TAX RELEASES & REFUNDS Releases Refunds 35,182.45 1,302.24 -County Solid Waste Fees 3,237.00 116.00 East Alexander Co. Fire #1 32.66 0 Shepherd's Fire # 2 154.21 729.07 Mount Mourne Fire # 3 120.86 0 All County Fire # 4 1,241.62 422.81 Statesville City 3,335.83 517.71 Statesville Downtown 18.40 0 Mooresville Town 16,813.42 15,406.68 Mooresville Downtown 0 0 Mooresville School 978.25 4,425.38 Love Valley 0 0 Harmony 6.62 0 Troutman 194.24 25.16 Total $ 61,315.56 $22,945.05 2. Request for Approval of a Position Reclassification in the Transportation Department & Approval of Budget Amendment #10: This $37,815 budget amendment will involve transferring funds from the 911 Emergency Telephone System Fund to the Transportation Department. A half-time position in the Transportation Department will be converted to a full-time position with responsibilities to include driving a van (50%) and installing county road signs (50%). (Note: Mr. Garrison, during the briefing session, requested that this action be retroactive to Friday, September 12, 2003. Also, in an e-mail message, Garrison requested that the position be designated at a Grade 52 with a starting salary of $9.75 an hour.) 3. Request for Approval of the September 2, 2003 Minutes END OF CONSENT AGENDA --------------------------- 9 Request for Approval of a Lease with the State Employees Credit Union for an ATM Kiosk at the Hall of Justice: County Manager Mashburn said a four-year lease, with the possibility of two additional renewals at three -years each, had been drafted for the board's approval. He said the lease would provide a plot of land, rent- free, at the Hall of Justice on Water Street for the installation of an ATM kiosk. Mashburn said the credit union also desired to place a kiosk at the Mooresville government center in the future. OTIO by Commissioner Williams to approve the lease with the State Employees Credit Union. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. ANNOUNCEMENT OF VACANCIES OCCURRING ON BOARDS & COMMISSIONS Recreation Advisory Board (1 announcement) Personnel Advisory Board (1 announcement) APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS & COMMISSIONS Adult Care Home Community Advisory Committee (5 appointments): Commissioner Madison nominated Johnny Elliott. No other nominations were submitted. Chairman Johnson 71motione I to appoint Elliott by acclamation and to postpone the remaining four appointments until the October 7 meeting. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. COUNTY MANAGER'S REPORT: County Manager Mashburn said notice had been received that grants were now available from the North Carolina Parks & Recreation Trust fund. He mentioned this agency was one of the funding ($250,000) sources for the Stumpy Creek Park. Mashburn said the obligations had been fulfilled pertaining to Stumpy Creek's grant, and the county was once again eligible to apply for funds. Commissioner Williams said he recently learned the Parks & Recreation Trust fund did allow governing bodies to lease (up to 25 years) land for parks, and that the funding could also be used to purchase property. CLOSED SESSION: Pursuant to G.S. 143-318.11 (a) (5) - Property Acquisition and G.S. 143-318.11 (a) (4) - Economic Development, Chairman Johnson at approximately 8:30 p.m., motione to enter into closed session. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. (RETURN TO OPEN SESSION AT 9:10 P.M.) ADJOURNMENT: MOTION by Chairman Johnson to adjourn the meeting at 9:10 p.m. (NEXT MEETING: Joint meeting with the Statesville City Council on Thursday, September 18, 2003, 6:30 p.m., in the Statesville Office Building, located at 301 South Center Street, Statesville, NC, in regards to an Urban Services Area.) VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. Approved: 10 Clerk to the Board