HomeMy WebLinkAboutMarch_2_2004_Briefing_SessionIREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
BRIEFING MINUTES
MARCH 2, 2004
The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met in Briefing Session on
Tuesday, March 2, 2004, 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, Inspections/Planning Director Lynn Nibloek, Planning Supervisor Ron
Smith, Health Director Ray Rabe, Environmental Health Supervisor Kelly Sheeks,
Allied Health Director Norma Rife, and Clerk to the Board Jean Moore.
CALL TO ORDER by Chairman Johnson.
The department heads described their agenda requests, and a summary of their
comments may be found in the regular minutes. Following the department heads,
Mooresville Mayor Al Jones and Mooresville Town Manager Rick McLean were
allowed to discuss an item not listed on the agenda (sidewalk construction proposal).
MOORESVILLE TOWN OFFICIALS DISCUSS A SIDEWALK
CONSTRUCTION PROPOSAL OFFERED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION FOR THE BRAWLEY SCHOOL ROAD: Al Jones, the
Mayor of Mooresville, and Rick McLean, the Mooresville Town Manager, briefed the
board members on a 70/30 proposal from the North Carolina Department of
Transportation (DOT) pertaining to the construction of sidewalks on both sides of
Brawley School Road from U.S. 21 to Chuckwood Road. Jones said the DOT was
proposing to pay 70% of the total costs of $887,500.00, and this would leave a balance
of $266,250.00. He said the Town was proposing to continue the 70/30 arrangement
on the balance, with the county absorbing the larger portion due to most of the area
being outside the corporate limits. (A cost breakdown is as follows.)
Total project: $887,500
- $621,250
$266,250
$186,375
+ $ 79,875
$266,250
DOT's 70%
Balance to be split in a 70/30 arrangement
between Iredell County & Mooresville
Iredell County's 70%
Mooresville's 30%
Jones said there would be 16 miles of sidewalk.
Commissioner Williams asked if the county had ever funded sidewalks.
Mashburn said not in his 16 years with the county. He asked the town officials
about their annexation plans for the area.
McLean said Mooresville currently had no involuntary annexation plans;
however, it was unknown how many voluntary requests might occur.
Commissioner Madison asked if the county had authority to assess the property
owners for sidewalks.
County Manager Mashburn said he didn't know for sure if the statutes granted
this authority.
Jones said the State was basically asking for a letter of commitment. He said
that six months prior to the actual construction start-up in July of 2007, an agreement
would have to be signed.
Several commissioners voiced concerns about setting a precedent if the board
agreed to the proposal. Most of them indicated they would view the project more
favorably if the costs could be recouped through property owner assessments.
Commissioner Tice asked about Mooresville's policy regarding sidewalk
construction.
McLean said the Town was presently studying a sidewalk assessment project in
Mooresville for McNeely Avenue. He said that if the Brawley School Road proposal
were accepted, and the county and town participated, this would basically be a
precedent for Mooresville. McLean said that if residents came before the town board in
the future requesting sidewalks for their neighborhoods, they would be told that the
DOT assisted with this project, and there were property owner assessments. Mr.
McLean said he knew the town's citizens would not want their tax money being used to
fund projects outside the corporate limits.
Commissioner Tice said she felt a cost recoupment mechanism was needed if
the county agreed to the proposal. She said that by using the assessment method, the
project wouldn't create a burden on other parts of the county.
It was the consensus of the commissioners to instruct the county manager to
research the possibility of sidewalk assessments prior to the March 16 meeting.
Adjournment: Chairman Johnson adjourned the briefing at 6:15 p.m.
Approved:
2
Clerk to the Board