HomeMy WebLinkAboutNovember_9_2004_Briefing_MinutesIREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
BRIEFING MINUTES
NOVEMBER 9 2004
The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met in Briefing Session on Tuesday,
November 9, 2004, 5:00 p.m., in the Iredell County Government Center (South Wing
Conference Room), 200 South Center Street, Statesville, NC.
Present. Chairman Steve 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, Iredell County Planner Whitney Hodges, Director of Planning
& Inspections Lynn Niblock, EMS Director Lee Darnell, Chief Deputy Rick Dowdle, Health
Director Donna Campbell, Support Services Director Jim Vernon, and Acting Clerk to the Board
Stephanie Whitlock.
CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Johnson
APPOINTMENT BEFORE THE BOARD
Chairman Johnson asked Planning Supervisor Ron Smith to describe the situation that the
7 p.m. speaker (James Rick Bringle) desired to discuss.
Smith said that Mr. James Rick Bringle's property was sloped downward and drainage
problems had occurred due to some new houses being constructed uphill. He said a berm once
protected the Bringle property, but it had been graded down when the new homes were built.
Smith said currently there were no regulations, either through county zoning or the North
Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), to protect a homeowner
from this type of stormwater run-off.
REVIEW OF PUBLIC HEARINGS
Rezoning Request for the Linda Sue Stroud, Roger Dale Stroud & Charles Herman
Stroud Jr., Property, Case No. 0410-1: G & M Milling Company Requests to Rezone
Property from Residential Agricultural to General Business District (Location: 4024
Taylorsville Highway, Statesville, NC): Planning Supervisor Ron Smith said the applicant in
Case 0410-1 desired to rezone 3.5 acres from Residential Agricultural to General Business. He
said some adjoining property owners were in opposition to commercial growth; however, the
Land Use Plan stipulated this would actually be the best usage for the site. Mr. Smith said the
staff recommended approval, and the Planning Board unanimously voted in favor of the request
on October 6, 2004.
Rezoning Request for the Lake Norman Airport Inc., Property, Case No. 0410-2:
Tom Wilson Requests to Rezone a Portion of Property from Residential
Agricultural/Single Family Residential (RA/R-20) to Heavy Manufacturing Conditional
Use District (M-2 CUD) & to Change the Conditions Rendered on a Portion of Property
Already Identified as Heavy Manufacturing Conditional Use District (M-2 CUD)
(Location: Yeager Road in Mooresville, NC): Planning Supervisor Smith said this was a two-
part request. He said the first part was to rezone a portion of the property from RA/R-20 to M-2
CUD, and the second part to change the conditions of the CUD. He said Tom Wilson, the
owner of the Lake Norman Airpark, wanted to upfit some offices located in the large hanger to
provide avionic services. Smith said Dr. Wilson had a tie -down area currently in use for only
his planes, but he desired to open the area for public use. Smith said the request was presented to
the planning board in August of this year, but the applicant withdrew it due to opposition. He
said the request had now been downsized, and the planning board on October 6, 2004, approved
it in a 5-3 vote.
Commissioner Norman asked what were some of the arguments against the request.
Mr. Smith said the main issue was the flight pattern over the school.
ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
Request from the Emergency Services Department for Approval of a Mutual Aid
Contract with Catawba County: EMS Director Lee Darnell said Catawba County had drafted
a mutual aid contract for review and approval. He said Attorney Pope had reviewed the contract
and made one revision.
Request from the EMS Department for Approval of Fee Changes: EMS Director Lee
Darnell said a study revealed that Iredell County's fee rates were substantially lower than
surrounding counties. He said the current revenues only accounted for 30% of the operating
budget.
Commissioner Norman asked if raising the fees would make the department break even.
Darnell said they would still be losing, but the higher fees would help.
Mr. Norman asked how much the department would still be losing.
Darnell said about one third of the costs.
Chairman Johnson asked if the "Regional EMS Average," as indicated in the agenda
packet, was the average of the surrounding counties.
Darnell said yes. He said some counties were really high and others were low, and this
skewed the scale a little.
Chairman Johnson asked where on the scale Iredell County would be placed if the rates
were approved.
Darnell said less than the highest ones -- probably average.
Chairman Johnson asked if the one-third cost loss would still be occurring.
Darnell said yes.
Request from the Health Department for a Potential Flu Vaccine Fee Revision:
Health Director Donna Campbell said that since this item was placed on the agenda, she had
been informed the County would be receiving additional vaccines. She said, however, it wasn't
known if the vaccines would be state supplied (as usual), or come from independent suppliers.
She said a vial currently cost $68.00, but if an independent supplier were used, the cost would
increase to $85.00.
Request for Approval of an Electrical Power Supplier for the new Social Services
Building to be located on Eastside Drive, Statesville, NC: Commissioner Norman, employed
with the EnergyUnited Electric Membership Corporation, announced that he would need to
abstain from voting on this matter. County Manager Mashburn said the request would not be
placed on the consent agenda.
Support Services Director Jim Vernon said electrical and site lighting rates for the new
DSS building had been received from EnergyUnited and the City of Statesville, and
Michael Harper, the electrical designer/engineer for the project had evaluated the proposals.
Vernon said EnergyUnited was less expensive on both the electrical rates and the site lighting.
He noted there was an error in his agenda memo, and that Statesville's cost for site lighting was
actually $573.71, and EnergyUnited's was $566.14 a month. (The amounts were reversed in the
agenda materials.)
Request for Approval of a Lease Agreement with Crossroads Behavioral Healthcare
for the 610 East Center Avenue, Mooresville, NC Property (former Health Building):
Support Services Director Jim Vernon said the former health building in Mooresville had been
renovated, and it was now being occupied by Crossroads Behavioral Healthcare. He said the
Crossroads officials had requested a building lease.
Commissioner Madison said the lease presented by the staff specified that no rent would
be charged. He asked if it would not be better to charge the fair market value, and then,
reimburse the money back to the mental health (Crossroads) budget the following year.
Commissioner Williams asked if surrounding counties provided facilities.
County Manager Mashburn said he thought they did.
Chairman Johnson asked Mr. Mashburn to inquire with other counties to find out their
arrangements, especially in regards to paying rent for the facilities.
Commissioner Williams said the lease also allowed sub -leasing. He asked if the county
planned to offer a no rental arrangement to mental health providers who might sub -lease the
space.
The board members agreed to delete the item from the agenda and to discuss the lease
again at the November 23, 2004 meeting. In the next two weeks, the county manager will obtain
information regarding the policies of surrounding counties and their mental health agencies.
ADJOURNMENT: Chairman Johnson adjourned the briefing session at 5:45 p.m.
Approved:
Acting Clerk to the Board
Clerk to the Board