HomeMy WebLinkAboutMarch_1_2005_Briefing_MinutesIREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
BRIEFING MINUTES
MARCH 1, 2005
The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met in Briefing Session on
Tuesday, March 1, 2005, at 5:00 p.m., in the Iredell County Government Center (South
Wing Conference Room), 200 South Center Street, Statesville, NC.
Present were:
Chairman Sara Haire Tice
Vice Chairman Godfrey Williams
Steve D. Johnson
Marvin Norman
Ken Robertson
Staff present: County Manager Joel Mashburn, Finance Director Susan
Blumenstein, Planning & Code Enforcement Director Lynn Niblock, Planning
Supervisor Steve Warren, Planner Emily Jackson, Health Director Donna Campbell,
Chief Deputy Rick Dowdle, Recreation Director Robert Woody, Athletic Director
June Tutterrow, Tax Administrator Bill Doolittle, and Clerk to the Board Jean Moore.
Call to Order by Chairman Tice.
Planner Emily Jackson Announces Her Resignation: Emily Jackson, an
employee in the planning department, advised that she would be resigning effective
Friday, March 11. Jackson, in her third year of employment with the county, said she
was leaving to work for former Iredell County Planning Supervisor Ron Smith at CMR
Consulting in Kannapolis, NC.
The board members thanked Jackson for her county service and wished her the
best in her future career endeavors.
Request from the Centralina Workforce Development Board for Adoption
of a Resolution to Approve the Articles of Association & Agreement for the
Centralina (COG) Workforce Development Consortium: David Hollars, the
Executive Director for the COG Workforce Development Board, requested a two-year
renewal of the consortium agreement. Hollars said the purpose of the consortium was
to receive and utilize federal and state workforce development and training funds. He
said the consortium consisted of seven counties, and it served as the funding applicant.
Request for Approval of an External Auditing Services Contract: Finance
Director Susan Blumenstein introduced Brian Starnes with the Martin Starnes &
Associates Company. She recommended that the external auditor services contract for
years FY 04-05, 05-06, and 06-07 be awarded to Martin Starnes. Blumenstein said only
two firms, out of eight that received a request for proposals, had submitted a fee
proposal.
Starnes said additional continuing education requirements were necessary for
CPAs to provide governmental services. He said the added cost of acquiring the
educational credits was steering some firms away from governmental auditing.
Request for Approval of a Resolution Seeking Support from the North
Carolina General Assembly for Establishing Adequate and Reliable Funding of
Public Schools in Iredell County And Throughout the State: Iredell-Statesville
Board of Education Chairman Dr. David Cash along with Superintendent
Dr. Terry Holliday requested approval of a resolution regarding school funding. Dr.
Holliday said the resolution would be adopted by other school systems and counties
across the state and then sent to the various North Carolina General Assembly members.
He said the resolution requested that the state "reverse the ongoing trend of insufficient
operational and capital funding for schools and to provide adequate and reliable funding
that matches needs, resources and mandates."
Request from the Iredell-Statesville Schools for Permission to Apply for
Qualified Zone Academy Bonds (QZAB) with the Proceeds, if Received, to be
Applied towards Statesville High School (Potential of $2 million with no Interest):
Dr. Holliday said Iredell-Statesville had never applied for QZAB funding in the past.
He said that if successful, the $2 million in bonds would be interest free with the debt
retirement spread over 14 years ($142,857 a year). Holliday said a 10% in-kind
monetary match was needed; however, local businesses had verbally given
commitments. Dr. Holliday said the money for the debt retirement in future years could
be derived from Iredell County's annual capital outlay funds. Holliday said the bonds
had to be used for renovation projects, and he was recommending that they be used to
create a career and performing arts academy for Statesville High. He said the QZAB
process was similar to the Certificates of Participation (COPS) process, and if approved
by the federal government, the QZAB could be aligned with the 2005 COPS issuance.
Holliday said the federal money would be used to renovate the auditorium, replace the
English wing built in the 1960s, and to make improvements in the automotive center.
Blumenstein said reimbursement resolutions would be on an upcoming agenda
for approval. She said the resolutions would allow for any administrative (5%) costs,
that were paid by the county, to be reimbursed back to the county.
Request for a Letter to be Sent to North Carolina House Representative
Karen Ray Regarding the Impact of Governor Easley's Proposed Budget: Iredell-
Statesville Board of Education Chairman Dr. David Cash said he was requesting that
Chairman Tice join him in sending a letter to Representative Ray to request that the
state 1) eliminate discretionary reductions, 2) fully fund Public School Capital Funding,
and 3) not add additional expansion programs until the first two items were funded and
ADM expansion had been funded.
County Manager Mashburn said that in page two of the letter, the funding
amounts (federal, state and local) dealing with LEA, should be shown in separate
amounts. He also asked the relevance of the paragraph referring to the Leandro lawsuit
or low wealth counties (page two).
Dr. Holliday said the funding amounts (federal, state and local) could easily be
separated. He said that in regards to the Leandro reference, that the low -wealth
(Leandro counties) units would receive the $72 million reversion of funds. Holliday
said the state had 75 LEAs, and 69 of them were considered low wealth.
It was the consensus of the board of commissioners to approve the letter and
allow Chairman Tice to sign it with the one change regarding the separation of funding
amounts.
(Note: A copy of the letter will be sent to all General Assembly members
representing Iredell County.)
Adjournment: Chairman Tice adjourned the briefing session at 6:20 p.m.
Approved:
2
Clerk to the Board