Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMay_17_2005_Regular_MinutesIREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MINUTES MAY 17, 2005 The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met in Regular Session on Tuesday, May 17, 2005, at 7:00 p.m., in the Iredell County Government Center (Commissioners' Meeting 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, County Attorney Bill Pope, and Clerk to the Board Jean Moore. CALL TO ORDER by Chairman Tice. INVOCATION by Commissioner Williams. (A special blessing was said for Iredell County Finance Director Susan Blumenstein, as she copes with the severe illness of her mother.) PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ADJUSTMENTS OF THE AGENDA: MOTION by Chairman Tice to approve the following agenda adjustments: Additions: • Request from the Marine Corp League, Detachment 1097, for Permission to Use the County Seal in Promotional Materials for the July 2, 2005 Independence Day Parade in Troutman, NC • Authorization for Chairman Tice to be the County's Voting Delegate at the County Assembly Day (Legislative Briefing) in Raleigh, NC on May 25, 2005 Deletions: • Appointment Before the Board (Donna Gilbert, a Mooresville resident, previously asked for time to speak in regards to possible revisions to the Iredell County Noise Ordinance; however, she cancelled the request due to illness.) VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. PRESENTATION OF SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS & AWARDS Recognition of Kaye Stokes & Steve Wooten: EMS Director Darnell praised Retirees Kaye Stokes and Steve Wooten. Darnell said job positions could be filled, but it would be difficult to find the caliber of employees that Stokes and Wooten had been in their careers. Chairman Tice thanked Stokes and Wooten for their invaluable services and presented them with appreciation plaques. (Stokes retired after 5 years of service. Wooten retired with 29 years of service.) Anna Rice, with the Council on Aging, Presents the Home & Community Care Block Grant Committee's Recommendation for the FY 2006 Aging Funding Plan: Mrs. Rice said the county's 60+ population continued to grow and accounted for almost 20% of the county's total population. She said that in calendar year 2006, the first wave of "baby boomers" would turn 60, and they would become eligible for services funded under the Older Americans Act/Home and Community Care Block Grant (HCCBG). Rice said that in 2008, the individuals would be eligible for Social Security followed by Medicare eligibility in 2011. Mrs. Rice said the information was given to illustrate the county's significant shifting towards an older population. Rice said the state had released HCCBG target allocations in April, and Iredell's committee then met and approved a funding plan for 2006. She said the funding was primarily federal money with some support from the state. She said a ten percent local match was required, and Iredell County had supplied the percentage in the past. Rice said a funding decrease would occur during 2006, and the committee had chosen to cut all agencies "across the board." (All services are to be reduced by 4.11%.) She said the total current funding was $663,000.00, but there would be a decrease of $27,233 for FY 2005-06. Attorney Pope asked about the county's older population accounting for 20% of the total. He asked if this was an aberration, or if it seemed to be a trend across the state. Rice said Iredell County's aging population was growing faster than the state average. Commissioner Robertson asked if the percentage might be due to current residents aging into that age category, or if it might be due to older citizens moving into Iredell County to reside. Rice said it was a combination. She said that in the southern end, there seemed to be a trend for younger individuals to move into the county, and then their older relatives would follow. Mrs. Rice said the county was attractive to older adults for several reasons. OTION by Commissioner Johnson to approve the HCCBG County Funding Plan for 2006. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. A copy of the services to be provided, and the funding amounts are as follows: HCCBG County F lading Plan Services Other Block Grant Funding Required Net Local Service Match Cost USDA Subsidy Total Funding Projected HCCBG Units Projected Reim. Rate Projected Projected HCCBG Total Clients Units Access In- Home Other Total Transportation 118774 13197 131971 0 131971 16985 7.7699 300 17500 In -Homes 104171 11575 115746 0 115746 5144 224993 100 5500 In-Home11 110702 12300 123002 0 123002 4920 25.0004 50 5400 Adult Day Care 57395 6377 63772 0 63772 1889 33.7597 15 1933 Congregate Meals 116357 12929 129286 13145 142431 20217 63949 125 21999 Home Delivered Meals 113956 12662 126618 14041 140659 19319 6.5540 200 23499 Senior Center O erations 14632 0 1626 16258 16258 0 09000 0 0 Total 1 118774 272268 244945 1 635987 1 70666 706653 1 27186 1 733839 1 68474 1 790 75831 ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS ----------------------------------------CONSENT AGENDA ------- OTION by Commissioner Williams to approve the following 13 consent agenda items. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. 1. Request for Approval of the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council's Recommendation Regarding FY 2005-06 Funding from the Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention: The approved funding plan is as follows: 2 Program Provider DJJDP Funding LOCAL FUNDING OTHER Total Local Cash Match Local In- Kind State/ Federal Teen Health $10,000 65.00 East Alexander Co. Fire 41 3.47 $10,000 Mills Home $20,075 7.32 Mount Mourne Fire # 3 44.71 $20,075 Crossroads $15,000 196.24 Statesville City 1,761.83 $15,000 Project Challenge $56,387 0 Mooresville Town 3,485.25 $56,387 Psychological Services $6,820 0 Mooresville School 727.12 $6,820 Barium Springs $90,801 0 15.04 $90,801 Counseling Center 512,000 0 Total $22,695.64 $12,000 SCAN/ARK $50,000 $50,000 Piedmont Mediation $16,038 $16,038 DonLin Counseling $9,453 $9,453 JCPC (administrative) $10,500 $10,500 TOTALS: $297,074 $0 $0 $0 $297,074 2. Request for Approval of the April 2005 Releases and Refunds: Tax Administrator Bill Doolittle, during the briefing session, requested approval of the following releases and refunds. APRIL 2005 TAX RELEASES & REFUNDS Releases Refunds County $15,409.01 1,810.70 Solid Waste Fees 160.00 65.00 East Alexander Co. Fire 41 3.47 0. Shepherd's Fire # 2 70.32 7.32 Mount Mourne Fire # 3 44.71 9.42 All County Fire # 4 965.47 196.24 Statesville City 1,761.83 79.01 Statesville Downtown 13.73 0 Mooresville Town 3,485.25 406.07 Mooresville Downtown 0 0 Mooresville School 727.12 111.31 Love Valle 0 0 15.04 0 -Harmony Troutman 39.69 0 Total $22,695.64 $2,685.07 A complete list, of the individual tax releases and refunds, minutes by reference. is hereby incorporated into the 3. Request for Approval of Budget Amendment #49 to Recognize $3,682 Received from the Help America Vote Act (NAVA) Specifically Designated for Postage Costs Incurred with the 2005 List Maintenance Verification Mailing: During the briefing session, County Manager Mashburn said the State Board of Elections had awarded $3,682 in HAVA funds to be used for the postage costs incurred with the 2005 List Maintenance Verification Mailing. 4. Request for Approval of the Annual School Bus Lease for Camp Iredell: At the agenda briefing, Recreation Director Robert Woody asked approval of a bus lease extending from June 1, 2005 to August 12, 2005. Woody said Camp Iredell was the largest revenue producer for the county, and the buses were needed to transport the children to the activity sites. He said the department had thought about running two Camp Iredell programs simultaneously, but there were not enough children at the present time. He said a new program, however, had been developed for youth older than Camp Iredell's targeted age group. 3 5. Request for Approval of the North Iredell Park Planning Committee's Recommendation for the Design Phase of the North Iredell Park: During the briefing session, Recreation Director Woody said that on April 14 the North Iredell Park Committee recommended for the county to hire an architect to design the new park. He said $45,000 was included in the project ordinance for the architectural or design phase costs. Woody said the committee also recommended the inclusion of the following components in the park's design. 1. Three soccer fields 2. Baseball wagon wheel design with four baseball fields, a central kiosk with restroom facilities, concession and observation area 3. Satellite restroom facilities 4. Hiking/biking trails (nature and exercise) 5. Playground areas and an open green space 6. Reserved area for wetland, environmental education, and an environmental education center 7. Appropriate parking with gated access 8. Large group pavilion for families or events 9. Tennis/volleyball courts 10. Disc golf course 6. Request from the Department of Social Services for Approval of Budget Amendment #50 to Recognize Increased Funding for Child Day Care Allocations (expenditures/revenues) and for Crisis Intervention Allocation (expenditures/revenues): At the five o'clock meeting, Social Services Director Don Wall requested approval of a budget amendment to reflect the following: 10-0630-5546-01 Child Day Care Expenditures & 10-4630-4500-16 Child Day Care Revenues: $859,571 should be added to both line items to show a total of $5,034,731 10-0630-5542-01 Crisis Intervention Expenditures & 10-4630-4500-22 Crisis Intervention Revenues: $131,097 should be added to both line items to show a total of $281,495 7. Request for Approval of a Funding & Operational Guideline Resolution for the Mooresville Library: Library Director Steve Messick said at the agenda briefing that the Town of Mooresville had submitted a draft funding/operational resolution for the Mooresville library. When asked about future maintenance or operating costs, County Manager Mashburn said there would be a "locked in figure" because the agreement was based upon a formula using the Statesville library's operating expenses and its square footage. The resolution/agreement in its entirety is as follows: Resolution Setting Out the Terms and Conditions for the Operation and Funding of the Mooresville Public Library by the Town of Mooresville and the County of Iredell WHEREAS, North Carolina General Statute §153A-263 authorizes a city to establish, operate, and support public library systems; and WHEREAS, the Town of Mooresville has established, operated, and supported a public library in the Town of Mooresville and desires to provide the highest level of public library service available; and WHEREAS the County of lredell recognizes that the delivery of library services by the Town of Mooresville is a much needed service to the citizens of southern Iredell County; and WHEREAS, North Carolina General Statute §I53A-270 authorizes counties and cities to establish a joint library, system or contractfor library services. THEREFORE IT IS MUTUALL YA GREED THAT. 4 The Town of Mooresville will operate the Mooresville Public Library and provide library services to the residents of the Town of Mooresville and Iredell County. Residents of Iredell County who are not residents of the Town of Mooresville will be provided the same level oflibrary service as residents ofthe Town of Mooresville. The Mooresville Public Library, will submit any and all requested budgetary information to the County of Iredell according to the budget schedule adopted by the Iredell County Board of Commissioners, and the County of Iredell will submit any and all requested budgetary information to the Town of Mooresville according to the budget schedule adopted by the Town of Mooresville. The County of Iredell will appropriate funds for the operational expenses of the Mooresville Public Library. For purposes of this Resolution, "operational expenses" shall mean expenses, other than "capital needs, " that are necessary, for the day-to-day operation and upkeep of the Mooresville Public Library. Operational expenses include: A. Staff, including salaries, fringe benefits, and other personnel costs. B. Materials, including books, audiovisual materials, computer software, and any other material for use by the public. C. Utility services including telecommunications, electricity, gas, water, sewer, garbage disposal and any other utility service necessary for operation. A Office supplies and consumables such as paper, ink, toner, and other office supplies. E. Stafftravel and training. F. Any other costs associated with the day-to-day operations of the library. Iredell County agrees thatfor the purpose ofappropriating funds for the Mooresville Public Library, it will treat the Mooresville Public Library as it would any, other department of county government. Funding for the Mooresville Public Library will be based on the following formula: county funding for operational expenses (as defined above) of the Main Library in Statesville divided by the total square footage of the Main Library building (54, 000 square feet) multiplied by the total square footage ofthe Mooresville Public Library building (34, 000 square feet). The Town of Mooresville will be responsible for all capital needs and debt service of the Mooresville Public Library. This includes, but is not limited to, building and construction, furnishings, computer equipment, repair and maintenance of the facility or facilities, and any and all insurance, bonds, etc., deemed necessary for the operation of the Mooresville Public- Library. ublicLibrary. The Town of Mooresville will maintain the building and grounds of the library as part of the town -owned property. Library personnel will be employed by the Town of Mooresville who will be responsible for all workers compensation withholding and other- Ienefrts. The Town of Mooresville indemnifies Iredell County and holds it harmless for any liability loss claim, injury or damage to person or property arisingfrom the operation ofthe library. The Director of the Mooresville Public Library will be certified by the North Carolina Public Librarian Certification Commission. The Mooresville Public Library will adopt policies which are commensurate with the policies of the Iredell County Library and will develop plans for improved public library, services to the citizens of southern Iredell County. In the event that policies adopted by the Mooresville Public Library, are in conflict with the policies ofthe Iredell County Public Library, Iredell County and the Town of Mooresville agree to submit the differences to mediation. The Town of Mooresville will be responsible for major repairs or emergencies not included in the operational budget. This agreement is in effect for a period of ten years.from its adoption by the Iredell County Board of Commissioners and the Town of Mooresville Board of Commissioners and shall be automatically renewed at the expiration of each term unless both the Iredell County Board of 5 Commissioners and the Town of Mooresville Board of Commissioners agree to a modification in such term. 8. Request from the Exchange Club of Mooresville/Lake Norman for the County to Accept a Donated "Freedom Shrine" Consisting of Historical Documents to be Placed in the Iredell County Government Center -South: County Manager Joel Mashburn said at the briefing session that a civic organization in Mooresville had requested for the county to accept and house historical documents (Freedom Shrine) in the government center -south. He said the Mooresville building had sufficient space where the documents could be placed. 9. Request from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Scattered Site Housing Committee for Permission to Process the Remaining Housing Rehabilitation Applications that have been Submitted from Incorporated or Municipal Areas of the County: County Manager Joel Mashburn said at the briefing session that the site housing grant administrator (Statesville Housing Authority) was requesting permission to process rehabilitation project applications for houses located inside municipalities. Mashburn said there were six applications remaining from the unincorporated areas, and the administrator desired permission to now review requests from the incorporated areas (Statesville/23 applicants; Harmony/2 applicants; Troutman/6 applicants; Mooresville/0 applicants). 10. Call for a Public Hearing on Tuesday, June 7, 2005 at 7:00 P.M., regarding the Proposed FY 2005-06 Iredell County Budget 11. Announcement of the County Assembly Day (Legislative Briefing) in Raleigh, NC on May 25, 2005: During the briefing session, Chairman Tice agreed to attend the County Assembly Day event in Raleigh and serve as the voting delegate for the board, if needed. 12. Request for Approval of the May 3, 2005 Minutes 13. Request from the Marine Corp League, Detachment 1097, for Permission to Use the County Seal in Promotional Materials for the July 2, 2005 Independence Day Parade in Troutman, NC (See briefing minutes for brief explanation.) OF CONSENT AGENDA --------------------------------- Request from a Local Citizen for Iredell County to Pay the Interest Costs $250 to $500) that have Occurred while Awaiting Final Approval of a Septic System Permit: County Manager Mashburn said this request was due to a delay at the health department for septic tank inspections. Mashburn said a septic system backlog had occurred due to the growth in the county and employee turnover in the environmental division. He said an individual had purchased a new doublewide mobile home and was having to pay interest charges while awaiting approval of the septic system. Commissioner Johnson said there needed to be a relationship between a request for a septic tank application and a building permit. He said many requests to the health department seemed to be on a speculative basis. Johnson said this was evident from a handout that showed 920 new system permits had been issued during the past six months; however, only 527 systems had been approved. Johnson said the backlog might decrease if preference were given to the people needing a place to live. He asked that the health staff explore the possibility of this suggestion. Johnson said a ratio system might be used such as 2:1 or3:1. MOTION by Commissioner Johnson to deny the request of Mrs. Geneva Renegar for the county to pay the interest costs. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. 6 ANNOUNCEMENT OF VACANCIES OCCURRING ON BOARDS & COMMISSIONS Adult Care Home Community Advisory Committee (1 announcement) Carolinas Partnership (1 announcement) Jury Commission (1 announcement) Juvenile Crime Prevention Council (14 announcements) Mitchell Community College Board of Trustees (1 announcement) Mooresville Planning Board (1 announcement) Nursing Home Advisory Board (1 announcement) Social Services Board (I announcement) Farmland Preservation Advisory Board (2 announcements) Fire Tax District Board (3 announcements) Planning Board (4 announcements) Region F Aging Advisory Committee (3 announcements) APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS & COMMISSIONS nominations were submitted, and Chairman Tice made a motion to postpone the appointments until the June 7 meeting. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. Nursing Home Advisory Committee (1 appointment): No nominations were submitted, and Chairman Tice made a otion to postpone the appointment until the June 7 meeting. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. Fire Tax District Board (1 appointment): Commissioner Johnson nominated Rex Bell for the position that is open for the southeast district (unexpired term of Earl Elmore). MOTION by Chairman Tice to close the nominations and appoint Bell by acclamation. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. submitted, and Chairman Tice made a June 7 meeting. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. appointments): No nominations were to postpone the appointments until the NEW BUSINESS Concern Expressed Regarding House Bill 1638 — An Act to Further the Goals of Homeland Security by Transferring the Collection of 911 Service Taxes to Local Governments and by Eliminating Existing Charges on Telephone Subscribers: Commissioner Johnson said he thought that proposed House Bill 1638 had great inequity, and he didn't think the General Assembly's method for collection of the 911 tax would be as fair as what was already occurring. OTIO by Commissioner Johnson for the County Manager to write a letter expressing the board's concern about HB 1638 and for the letter to be signed by Chairman Tice and sent to the entire legislative delegation for Iredell County. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. 7 Concern Expressed Regarding Legislative Efforts to Divert Sales Tax Revenues from Counties Such as Iredell to Low -Wealth Counties to Offset Medicaid Costs: Commissioner Johnson said the one -cent tax was distributed on a point of origin method and the three half -cent taxes were distributed using a population method. Johnson said Iredell County generated almost 70% more, per capita, in sales tax then any other county comparable to its size. He said a review of the tax revenues showed that Iredell lost out when the proceeds were paid out using any method other than point of origin. Johnson said there was proposed legislation in the General Assembly, now, that would take even more of Iredell County's sales tax revenue to pay the Medicaid costs for other counties. MOTION by Commissioner Johnson for the County Manager to (1) write a letter expressing the board's concern about legislation that would redistribute sales taxes in an effort to offset Medicaid costs (2) for the letter to be signed by Chairman Tice and (3) for the letter to be sent to the entire legislative delegation for Iredell County. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. COUNTY MANAGER'S REPORT: A written activity report was distributed by the county manager. He noted that in the past few weeks several people had made complaints about the county's noise ordinance. Mashburn said the ordinance may have been sufficient fifteen years ago, but as the county's population grew, regulations for a more urban -type setting might be needed. Mr. Mashburn then submitted the 2005-06 Iredell County Budget. He said this was the 17`h budget he had prepared for Iredell County, and it was the 31" in his entire career. Mashburn then provided an overview of the proposed budget, and a copy of his budget message is as follows: IREDELL COUNTY PROPOSED FY 2005-2006 BUDGET MESSAGE The FY 2005-2006 proposed budget is submitted in accordance with the NC state statutes and county, policy. Revenue: For the second year in a row, we are seeing slow growth in our major source of revenue — the property tax (ad valorem). This slower rate of growth, estimated to be about 5% shows a slight increase from the 2.5% expected last year, but is still much less than the 10%+ in previous growth. One area that has seen some real growth this year has been the one -cent local sales tax. However, when you look at the increase in the three V2 -cent taxes, which are distributed back to the county using a population factor in the formula, we don't fair as well. What this shows is that we are experiencing a double digit sales increase in the county, but when we have to share the taxes on a state-wide basis using population estimates, much of the sales tax we earned went to other counties experiencing slower economic growth. 1 think we are finally starting to see a little breathing room that we haven't seen in the last couple of years, but we are not far enough along to feel overly optimistic. And even as good as the year is shaping up to be, it is still projected that we will have to use $2,800,000 of our fund balance to totally fund the recommended budget. Expenditures: The proposed budget shows a 6.7% increase over the revised (board approved) budget of 04-05. However, when you take a close look at the proposed budget, you can see that much of the growth is attributed to areas the county has little, if any, control over. Let's begin with Medicaid. When we started the current fiscal year, the board budgeted $4,932,666 as the county's share for Medicaid. Before this year is finished, we are likely to spend about $5.5 million, and the requestfor next year is $6,176,565. This is a 25% increase over the 04-05 budget. It will take almost one cent of the tax rate just to fund the increase in Medicaid alone. The worse part is that if this ends up being not enough, then we will have to 9 come up with the additional either by reducing the fund balance or cutting expenditures elsewhere. School funding is also showing a significant increase in funding. When you look at total school funding, you will find a $3.3 million increase. Put another way, this increase is equivalent to almost two cents of our tax rate. A further breakdown of the school budget will be discussed later in the message. When you add to the above an increase of over $230,000 to operate the jail annex, over $250,000 to reimburse the city of Statesville for debt on the airport, almost $900,000 for the desperately needed EMS expansion, almost a $1,500,000 increase in the cost of providing library services, and putting $1,500,000 back into our capital reserve fund, then you don't have to look hard to see that decisions have already been made that added millions of dollars to the proposed budget. When you look closely at out normal operating expense, you will see little increase, and sometimes, even significant decreases. School Appropriation: The proposed current expense budget calls for a 673% increase in per pupil expenditures, plus growth. For the lredell-Statesville Schools, that is an overall 8.32% increase; and for the Mooresville Graded Schools, that is an 11.36% increase in total current expense funding. When you add in expenses for capital construction and Mitchell College appropriations, the overall increase is $3,313,511 or 7.27% over the 04-05 budget. Not included in this budget proposal is the $3.8 million increase recommended by Commissioner Robertson to set aside in a capital reserve fund for future school construction. This kind of increase can only be accomplished if the tax rate is increased by about 2.5 cents. This may very well be what is needed to show an adequate funding stream for future growth; however, based on the approved capital projects plan, the fund may not grow -,fast enough to meet the needs as identified. Personnel: Schedule B of the proposed budget shows that 54%2 positions were requested for next year. The budget, however, only recommends an increase of 38%2 positions. This is less than a 5% increase in new positions, and the majority of that increase is in Health and Human Services and Emergency Services. Over %6 of the increase is just to staffone additional ambulance and two additional QRVs. This is necessary to meet the increased demand for services and to cut down on response times to remote and congested parts of the county. In addition, I have recommended 4% in salary plan adjustments and merit pay. A more definitive proposal will be presented during the budget workshop. Economic Development: The proposed budget reflects a 10% increase in the appropriations of our economic development areas. However, the larger portions of this budget are for economic incentives ($836,800) and appropriations to the Statesville Airport ($540,898). Even with that said, the economic development budget for 05-06 is almost $300,000 less than 04-05. It should be noted that the Greater Statesville Development Corporation has requested $25,000 of a two year commitment to develop a program to support growth of existing industry. This request is not included in the recommendation; however, in light of'the fact that the county appropriated $50,000 of additional dollars to the Mooresville Chamber of Commerce, it is the expectation that the same would occur for the GSDC. Closing: The budget, as presented, reflects the current economic conditions, and subscribes to the conservative nature of the board of commissioners and the citizens of lredell County. We have seen some improvement in the economy of the county, yet we have further to go before we can feel safe that even once approved, we will be able to hold the course for the entire Year. Mr. Mashburn said he was proposing to balance the budget by using 2.8 million of the fund balance. He said the unreserved fund balance of July 1, 2004 was $14,942,000 and the balance at June 30, 2005 was estimated to be $17 million. He said this would give the county an 11.17% unreserved fund balance, and this would probably be adequate. Appreciation was expressed to Finance Director Susan Blumenstein for her assistance in the budget preparation. 9 ADJOURNMENT: MOTIO by Chairman Tice at approximately 8:45 p.m., to adjourn the meeting to Tuesday, May 24, 2005 at 5:30 p.m., for the first budget review session. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. Approved: 10 Clerk to the Board