HomeMy WebLinkAboutJune_20_2006_Briefing_MinutesIREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
BRIEFING MINUTES
JUNE 20, 2006
The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met in Briefing Session on
Tuesday, June 20, 2006, 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 Johnson
Marvin Norman
Ken Robertson
Staff present: Acting County Manager Susan Blumenstein, Code Enforcement
& Planning Director Lynn Niblock, Planning Supervisor Steve Warren, Planner
Rebecca Harper, Tax Administrator Bill Doolittle, Health Director Donna Campbell,
Mike Phillips, with the Sheriff's Dept., Assistant County Manager Tracy Jackson,
Register of Deeds Brenda Bell, and Clerk to the Board Jean Moore.
CALL TO ORDER by Chairman Tice.
REQUEST FOR APPROVAL OF BUDGET AMENDMENT #50 TO
APPROPRIATE SEIZED FUNDS OF $40,000 FOR THE CIVIL AIR PATROL
AIRCRAFT HANGAR & TO APPROPRIATE $10,000 FOR CRIME
PREVENTION ("CONFIDENTIAL OPERATIONS"): Mrs. Blumenstein said the
sheriff was requesting that $40,000 in seized funds be transferred to the $100,000
already appropriated for the Civil Air Patrol hangar. She said the sheriff had also
requested that seized funds of $10,000 be appropriated to the Crime Prevention line
item.
Commissioner Johnson said previously, there was a request to use $3500 for
hangar ramp repairs. He said the Civil Air Patrol had now been offered a larger hangar
not requiring the repairs. Johnson said the agency desired to use the $3500 towards the
equipping of a hangar conference room that would be available for use by the sheriff
and other emergency personnel.
PRESENTATION FROM ASSISTANT COUNTY MANAGER TRACY
JACKSON REGARDING THE COUNTY VISIONS PROJECT (SCOPE OF
WORK, PROCESS, & ESTIMATED COST): Assistant County Manager Tracy
Jackson said a strategic planning project was discussed at the Winter Planning Session,
and a consultant had been contacted. He said Strategy Support Associates had offered a
$50,000 proposal for the development of a "comprehensive strategic plan presenting a
vision of Iredell County in the future and a roadmap for achieving that future." Jackson
said the board would need to appoint 5 to 10 members who would be responsible for
selecting and recruiting a planning group (20-25 individuals). He said the group would
identify four to six key areas for review and then goals would be established. Jackson
said it was estimated the finished document might possibly be available in September.
Commissioner Robertson asked what the county would do with the final
product.
Jackson said it would be up to the board members.
Robertson asked if a commitment was being implied by pursuing the project.
Jackson said there would be recommendations. He said the board would be kept
up-to-date about the project, and a presentation would be given upon completion.
Commissioner Johnson said, "They propose and we dispose."
Commissioner Norman asked if the costs had been included in the budget.
Acting County Manager Blumenstein said yes.
Chairman Tice mentioned that she served on the county's strategic planning
project (VISIONS) in the 1980s. She said the project involved four task groups and
they were: education, quality of life, unity, and economic development.
There was consensus from the commissioners to request that
Gerald Wexelbaum, President of Strategic Support Associates, appear at the next
meeting at 5 o'clock to share additional project information and receive direction from
the board.
New Business
GUARD RAIL BETWEEN TAX ADMINISTRATION BUILDING AND
LIBRARY: Commissioner Johnson mentioned the need to place a guard rail on the
embankment between the tax building and library.
SCHOOL FACILITIES TASK FORCE: Acting County Manager
Blumenstein said during the budget meetings, a suggestion had been made to reconvene
the schools' task force. She said it was also suggested that representatives from the
Mooresville Schools and Mitchell Community College (MCC) be invited to participate.
Blumenstein asked if the board wanted to retain the same county appointees who served
in the past.
Due to the addition of Mooresville and MCC, and the prospect of having a
committee that might be too cumbersome, the board chose to reduce the number of
county appointees from six to five. (This will include Commissioners Norman and
Johnson as well as three public members.) The appointments will be made at the
July 18 board meeting. The school systems will be allowed to have four members (2
school officials and 2 members from the public). Justification for the county to have the
additional member was due to the feeling that the board of commissioners represented
the entire county -- not just one educational unit.
Mrs. Blumenstein said Iredell-Statesville Schools Superintendent
Dr. Terry Holliday had suggested for the next meeting to be on Thursday, July 27.
(This date was agreeable with the two commissioners serving on the task force.)
Blumenstein said she would share the information with the three educational
units.
DISCUSSION REGARDING THE MOORESVILLE MILLS (FORMER
BURLINGTON MILLS SITE) PROJECT (Tax Increment Financing Project):
Acting County Manager Susan Blumenstein said the Mooresville Town Board was
working with a developer/investor in a private -public redevelopment project. A
handout distributed by Blumenstein indicated there would be a total investment of $145
million for the 39 -acre site along with the creation of 404 jobs in a mixed-use project
(retail, office, multi -family attached residential, and detached residential). Blumenstein
said roads would be built as well as a parking deck. She said the project would involve
a Brownfield Economic Development Initiative grant from the US Housing and Urban
Development Office as well as financing through a "private placement" along with tax
increment financing. She said that even though the county would not be issuing any
debt, the county's board of commissioners would have to hold a public hearing to
consider the tax increment or development financing. Blumenstein predicted this
would probably occur in August.
ADJOURNMENT: Chairman Tice adjourned the briefing at 6:15 p.m.
Approved:
2
Clerk to the Board