HomeMy WebLinkAboutDecember 1 2008 Incumbent Board Meeting MinutesIREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
MINUTES FOR THE INCUMBENT BOARD MEETING
DECEMBER 1, 2008
The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met at 9:00 A.M. on Monday,
December 1, 2008 in the Iredell County Government Center (Commissioners' Meeting Room),
200 South Center Street, Statesville, NC.
Board Members Present
Chairman Marvin Norman
Vice Chairman Sara Haire Tice
Steve Johnson
Ken Robertson
Godfrey Williams
Staff present: County Manager Joel Mashburn, County Attorney Bill Pope, Deputy
County Manager Susan Blumenstein, Assistant County Manager Tracy Jackson, and Clerk to the
Board Jean Moore. (Most of the county department heads were also in attendance.)
CALL TO ORDER by Chairman Norman
INVOCATION by Commissioner Johnson
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
REQUEST FOR APPROVAL OF THE NOVEMBER 18, 2008 MINUTES:
MOTION by Commissioner Johnson to approve the captioned minutes as presented.
VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0.
PRESENTATION OF A RESOLUTION OF APPRECIATION, A DOZEN ROSES,
AND A PLAQUE TO COMMISSIONER SARA HAIRE TICE: Commissioner Johnson
read and presented the following resolution to Commissioner Tice.
Resolution of Appreciation
to
Sara Knox Haire Tice
WHEREAS, Sara Knox Haire Tice has completed an impressive and honorable 18 -year
tenure as a member of the Iredell County Board of Commissioners having chosen not to seek re-
election in the 2008 election; and
WHEREAS, Sara Knox Haire Tice was born on July 28, 1934 and grew up in Mt.
Mourne, North Carolina, on her family's cotton and corn farm that eventually became the man-
made body of water known as Lake Norman; and
WHEREAS, Sara Knox Haire Tice started a successful career in the insurance field
becoming a licensed agent and company partner while at the same time being a wife, mother, and
a devoted and active member of Fair View United Methodist Church; and
WHEREAS, Sara Knox Haire Tice has invested much of her adult life as a dedicated
public servant and has been an asset to the board of commissioners as evidenced by fellow board
members electing her as the first female Chairman from 1992 through 2002, and 2004 through
2006, along with being elected as Vice -Chairman in 1991 and in 2006 through 2008; and
WHEREAS, Sara Knox Haire Tice is a community and civic -minded individual who has
been a key member on numerous clubs or organizations such as the Carolinas Association of
Professional Insurance Agents, Mooresville Downtown Commission, Mooresville South Iredell
Chamber of Commerce (first female President and other office positions) Mooresville -South
Iredell United Way, Mooresville Kiwanis Club, Mooresville Business and Professional Women's
Club, South Iredell Republican Women, Mooresville Crime Stoppers, and
WHEREAS, Sara Knox Haire Tice has served on countless boards and committees,
representing both Iredell County and her insurance profession, such as the Board of Health,
Carolinas Partnership, Centralina Council of Governments, Centralina Economic Development
Commission, Centralina Certified Development Corporation, Greater -Statesville Development
Corporation, Economic Development Task Force, First Charter Bank Advisory Board, Hanover
Insurance Company Advisory Board, Home and Community Block Grant Committee, Iredell
County Community Foundation Board of Trustees, Local Emergency Planning Committee, Lake
Norman Rural Planning Organization, Lincoln Bank Corporate Board, Nations Bank Advisory
Board, Mooresville -South Iredell Economic Development Board, Partnership for Young
Children, Piedmont Bank Advisory Board, Rural Transportation Advisory Committee, South-
Iredell Community Development Corporation, Tri -County Mental Health Board, Visions
Strategic Planning Committee, and
WHEREAS, Sara Knox Haire Tice has amassed many coveted honors, distinctions, and
awards such as The Order of the Long Leaf Pine, Outstanding 1988 Citizen of the Year by the
Mooresville -South Iredell Chamber of Commerce, a Local Government Leadership Award from
the North Carolina Manufactured Housing Institute, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the
Iredell County Republican Party, along with recognitions from the American Cancer Society,
Mooresville -South Iredell Chamber of Commerce, the Iredell County Association for the
Mentally 111, and the Tri -County Mental Health Board of Directors; and
WHEREAS, Sara Knox Haire Tice has been an ambassador for Iredell County and has
devoted innumerable hours in recruiting industry and commerce in an effort to provide jobs and
a better quality of life for the county's citizens, and
WHEREAS, Sara Knox Haire Tice is known for her positive outlook on life, her genuine
desire to help others, and her keen sense of humor, as is noted by her nickname, "The
Godmother."
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Iredell County Commissioners and
the Iredell County Staff, hereby express their sincere appreciation and deep gratitude for the
dedicated and distinguished service of Sara Knox Haire Tice.
Adopted, this the Is' day of December 2008.
*****
Commissioner Williams presented a dozen roses to Commissioner Tice for her 18 years
of dedicated service.
Commissioner Robertson presented Commissioner Tice with a plaque that listed her
officer positions on the board of commissioners and her years of service.
*****
LETTER OF THANKS FROM ATTORNEY BILL POPE: Mr. Pope composed a
letter of thanks to Commissioner Tice, and he read it as follows:
Sara,
One of the pleasures of my professional career has been working with you, both as a
commissioner of'Iredell County and as Chair of the Board of Commissioners. I think it's 18 years that
we've been attending meetings together. I estimate that during that time we have attended over 425
meetings together. I therefore have had the opportunity, to see you under virtually every kind of situation
which one can be confronted in public Lite. You have always remained calm and in control. Even when 1
personally knew you were upset or angry, you conducted yourself with diplomacy and statesmanship.
You treated every constituent with courtesy, and respect to which they were entitled. You were able to see
and hear each side of the issues and many times were able to bring the parties together with an
amicable solution. When you could not do that, the parties always left knowing they had been
heard, and even though they didn't prevail, they did get a fair hearing.
In summary, you exercised the power the people conferred on you with the responsibility
for the position and respect for the citizens. You exhibited wiseness and the characteristics that
are seemingly rare these days of good judgment and common sense. I would sum up your
service as one of great statesmanship and a period in which Iredell County experienced perhaps
the greatest growth in its entire history. 1 have always felt that the greatest compliment one
2
could extend to another is to be able to say truthfully that people respect you and hold you in
high regard for your integrity, decency, and good judgment. Without any reservation, I can
extend that compliment to you.
Thank you for the thousands of hours you gave us, the people of Iredell. Thank you for
your judgment, your integrity, and your decency. Thank you for a job exceptionally well done.
With the utmost respect, I remain, Very truly yours,
William P. Pope
NOTES AND LETTERS OF THANKS TO COMMISSIONER TICE FROM THE
COUNTY STAFF: County Manager Mashburn read excerpts from the following notes/letters
from the county employees:
To the honorable Sara Tice,
The citizens oflredell County will miss you as one of the best commissioners in the State of North
Carolina. You have proven to have the best interest of all of the citizens of Iredell County with your
actions and dedication to public service. I will miss your smile and kind words each time 1 have had the
opportunity to see or speak with you I have enjoyed working with you and will truly miss you.
Congratulations and best wishes.
Mrs. Tice,
Respectfully yours,
Bill Doolittle
Tax Administrator
1 hope you know that you have made a real difference in the lives of thousands of Iredell County
citizens of all ages. You can take tremendous pride in the kind of representation you have provided them
for the last 18 years, and 1 am confident you will continue to serve them in some way in the. future as well.
It has been my pleasure to have worked with you. Thanks for the guidance and the friendship, but
most of all, the example you have displayed to all of the staff as to how citizens are to be treated — with
,fairness, compassion and respect. Best Wishes,
Joel Mashburn
Dear Mrs. Tice,
There are not enough accolades to pay tribute adequately to you for your many years of public
service. Suffice it to say that professional inspirational speakers could take lessons from you. Why? Not
only did you valiantly and successfully battle cancer, you also broke barriers for women seeking to become
involved in political and civic affairs. Your active participation, at all levels of decision making, has
certainly paved the way for future female leaders in the community, and your stewardship and leadership
have truly blessed and enriched the lives (?/all Iredell County citizens.
Godspeed and Go Tarheels.
Cordially,
Jean C. Moore
Clerk to the Board
Ms. Tice,
Thank von so much for all of the hard work you have put into serving Iredell Count v. 1 certainly
appreciate your insurance experience and all you have done to assist me over the years with the insurance
programs, including your service with the NC Association of County Commissioners. You have been an
asset to have on the board of commissioners, and I know you will be missed.
Best wishes to you!
Jean M Haun
Insurance Speciali.
Dear Mrs. Tice,
1've enjoyed working with you the last several years and will truly miss your presence and service
with the County. You are an outstanding elected of and have made numerous positive contributions
to the well being of the citizens of Iredell County. Sincerely,
Steve Warren
Sara,
Hope you enjoy your retirement and we appreciate the years of dedicated service for Iredell
County. I hope you keep in contact with us, and let us know how things are going with you and your
family. Thanks,
Jack Harwell
Code Enforec
My sincerest thanks go to Sara for all her dedication and for the hard work she has given us over
the years. Thanks. for always being understanding and taking the time to listen.
Sgt. Tommy Adams
Sheriff"s Office
Sara,
Your years of service on the County Commissioners and Board of Health have had such a
positive impact on the residents of Iredell County. 1 especially appreciate your support of public health
and your always being approachable and willing to listen. We will miss you!
Donna Campbell
Health Director
Mrs. Tice,
Thank you for your support and guidance during my, last eight years with Iredell County. It has
been a pleasure working with you, and 1 look forward to working with you on various boards and/or
committees in the future. Best wishes,
Tracy Jackson
Assistant Co. Mgr.
Dear Mrs. Tice,
I know you have been serving the County for along time and will be missed. Thanks for all you
behalf have done on of the residents and employees of the County. Best of luck in your future endeavors.
Sincerely,
J. David Montgomery
Mrs. Tice,
I would like to thank you for your dedication and time to the citizens of Iredell County and the
employees who serve it. You have always been more than gracious to listen to the issues affecting this
county and governed the business affairs in a manner that suited the needs of its citizens. 1 especially
thank and commend you for your caring and compassion during the dV icult period that our friend, Deputy
Bruce Kennerly, passed through on his journey through our lives. 1 sincerely r
hope that you enjoy you
future time away from government work and I feel that Iredell County was truly enriched by the service
you provided during your many years of service.
Thank you,
Det/Lt. Stanley T Watkins
Thanks for serving on the Lake Norman RPO. We'll try to winsome transportation funds despite
your retirement.
Elinor Hiltz
Planning Department
Dear Mrs. Tice,
Ijust wanted to say what a pleasure it has been to serve you these past 18 years. Your
approachable nature and kind demeanor has served you well in your years of service to this county. In all
my time in local government (Town of Boone, Town ofBeech Mountain, NCDOT & the County), 1 can
truly say, that 1 have never met anyone so dedicated to the service of'others. You always had the best
interest of the community in mind and always took the high road. Your ability to resolve conflicts and
make peace among differing parties is a rare gift that will be greatly missed. Wishing you all the best.
Kindest regards,
William Allison
Mrs. Tice,
Td like to thank you for all the support you've given me and the staff of Solid Waste. Any success
we've enjoyed is a reflection upon the leadership you and your co -board members have shown. Your
courage and willingness to make tough decisions will serve us well into the future.
Thank you.
David Lambert
Solid Waste
Thank you for all of your work especially, with the new Library! Your choice of colors was
exactly what 1 would have picked out! Thanks again for being so supportive!
Libby Stewart, Adm. Asst.
Library
4
Mrs. Tice,
1 have not worked directly with you but 1 have worked for the county the entire time you have
served as county, commissioner. You have served Iredell County with integrity and have helped moved the
County fortivard for the future. You will be missed as a County Commissioner and hope you will continue
to succeed in all your endeavors. Ann Gray Ray
Deputy Tax Collector
Mrs. Tice,
It's been a privilege working with you these past 18 years. You always called and asked
questions about zoning issues and tried to work with both the staff and the public. Thank you also for
supporting the County Employees. Best wishes in your.luture.
Sincerely,
Katrina Hewitt
We will miss you.' Thanks for all of your hard work.
Chris Royal
Animal Services & Control Manager
Presentation of a Music Box: Clerk to the Board Jean C. Moore presented a music box
to Commissioner Tice as a token of appreciation. The music box played the theme song from
"The Godfather," due to Mrs. Tice being nicknamed, "The Godmother." Inside the box, was an
inscription that read: "Sara Haire Tice Knox, The Godmother."
FAREWELL COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD MEMBERS TO
COMMISSIONER TICE
Commissioner Johnson said, "There are many attributes that have to exist in the life of a
faithful public servant if they are to govern well and be effective. Being more than a casual
observer and participant in politics there are politicians who campaign well and there are
politicians who govern well. It's a rare thing to see a politician who does both. Sara does both.
She campaigns effectively and she governs wisely. But it goes deeper than that. There's several
indispensable attributes that must exist in life, and one of them is faith. Having served with Sara a
number of years now, I can tell you there's many times in a quiet moment that we've talked and
she's shared her faith in God with me. I always respect that in a person. Because sometimes even
though this room is full, it's pretty lonely up here, and that's all you got left. You find out what
you believe and whether you really believe it. Having said that, I'll move to next one and that's
dependability. Will they be there when they say they'll be there with you, and will they do what
they say they will do? Without exceptions, Sara has demonstrated that characteristic.
Consistency. Do they have a systematic philosophy that guides them based upon their faith and
their life experience or are they one of those folks who as Maggie Thatcher used to love to say,
`Has their buttocks clinched firmly upon the fence.' Sara had an abiding philosophy and she
seldom deviated from it. Courage. I've seen Sara nervous. Nervousness is nothing to be
ashamed of, but its courage that allows us to overcome that nervousness and do what is in the best
interest of the county. Sometimes folks, doing what is in the best interest of the county is just not
good politics but it has to be done. Sara has demonstrated that courage and an effective public
servant must be reflective. They can't be a visceral person with an emotional reaction to
everything. They have to stop and think, reflect upon the facts, and gather information. They
have to realize that they don't know everything but they have the phone numbers among their
staff of some very intelligent and competent people and must seek their counsel on a regular basis.
Sara has done that all along. They must be determined but not bull-headed. Once they have
decided upon the right course of action, they must be convinced that that is the right thing to do
and call upon all the resources upon their disposal to see that it is accomplished. Sara has done
that over and over again. They must be a self-effacing person. They must be able to see where
their deficiencies are and use other people to help overcome them. Are they able to objectively
look and see where they might be biased in the matter of certain issues and overcome that as well?
They must be generous, and generosity is often spoken of in public terms but if you're to be
effective, you have to be generous on a personal level. You have to be willing to give praise
where praise is due, and you have to allow others to enjoy the spotlight when the time comes.
Sara was very generous at that. Sara believed that it was amazing how much could be
5
accomplished when everybody didn't care who received the credit and she was willing to let
others enjoy and receive that credit. They must be gracious and they must be forgiving. Often
times when you sit here and you're at odds with a fellow commissioner you cannot let anger
control you because five minutes from now you might need them on another issue that is of
greater importance. Sara possessed the wisdom to understand that. She was always willing and
always fair -- always willing to listen to the other side as Mr. Pope said. She was always fair. I
recall a meeting when an issue was before the board where Ms. Tice and I disagreed. 1 addressed
the board and she let me begin my remarks. The audience that night, I'll be charitable and say,
they were not very kind. It was difficult for me to say anything but even though she disagreed
with me, Sara silenced the crowd and allowed me to express my point of view, and that's Sara
Haire Tice. If I'm to be a good friend though and you're to edify a good friend, you have to
remind them that there're some things that they're not particularly good at, and I'd like to share a
couple of those. There are some things that Sara thinks she's good at but she's not. Hiding her
displeasure and frustration. Sara thinks she's good at it, but she's not. She will tell you when
she's not happy with you. This one will hurt a little. Sara thinks she's a good dancer but she's
not. Sara is not really good at reading notes that you pass to her in the middle of a meeting. I
recall one night, I was very careful to write a note very plainly, and I slid it over to her, and right
in front of her microphone said, `What does that sayT She's not really good at that. This is one
that I almost didn't mention but it is a good observation. Sara's not real good at cussing. I had a
preacher one time that admonished me, after I said something that was in the paper, and I
reminded him that maybe he didn't have as much of a particular substance to put up with as I did,
and I thought he needed to be a little more charitable. I think the principle reason why she's not
good at it is because she doesn't do much of it. Sometimes this job becomes so exasperating that
you let something slip, but when Sara's angry and she does elect to do that, most of the time she
puts the cuss word in the wrong place in the sentence. She gets through talking and you say,
`What in the world did that woman say?' Sara, we've disagreed over the years, but I want to tell
you I respect you as much as anybody I know. It goes past your personality -- it goes to your
motive. The heart of what public service is all about. I respect and admire you. I've grown to
love you and cherish you as one of my friends. Thank you."
Commissioner Williams said, "Sara if nothing else, I'm glad you're leaving as a winner,
but I could truthfully say that if you elected to stay around another 20 years, you'd still be a
winner. I've had the opportunity to run against Sara twice in the primaries and that is a difficult
task -- to run against Sara Tice. She is an excellent campaigner -- it's almost a foregone
conclusion when you're running against Sara that that's one seat you won't be able to take. I take
issue with Steve when he says she's not a good dancer. I can remember a certain trip when we
went to the legislative session in Washington, D.C., with Tommy Bowles, me and Sara and a
couple others. Joel was there. The name, "Disco Inferno" was put on Sara and probably that
should come before "The Godmother." She can dance because I saw her. It has been a joy
serving with you -- the friendships we've developed. We are the only two true Tarheels up here
with the exception of Bill. I can not wish anything but the best for you, and I know you'll have a
good future. I know you will not be far from us, and I know we'll be seeing you a lot. I can only
assume that Sara will continue to be a leader as she has been, just in a different setting. She'll
continue to be the leader that she always has been and be fun person. Thank you for your
friendship Sara."
Commissioner Robertson said, "I cut up with Sara a good bit. 1 feel like I should say,
`Sara, this is your life.' We would have done that and brought out some of your childhood friends
but we couldn't get them out of the nursing homes. First of all, I'm kind of glad you're retiring
because finally I'm not going to be the newest member of the board. I'm really looking forward
to not being the new guy after four years. We've joked about doing the parades, but honest to
goodness, no matter what parade, does not matter where it is, if I end up driving or being in there
with Sara, 1 go through the whole route, the whole way, with people yelling `Hey Sara! Hey Sara!
Hey Sara!' I guess no one knew me. In one parade at the very end one person yelled out my
name and I actually stopped the car and got out and went and hugged them. I've played fifth
fiddle to Sara a long time. I think it's worth taking a moment and being serious. You wonder,
`What's the big dealT We've all been to retirement ceremonies before, we've seen someone
leave an organization after serving for many years, but there's a huge difference between 18 years
of service and 18 years of experience. In that huge difference, I think it can be demonstrated why
folks are making a big deal of it. You didn't just come here and put in your time. You did
something that made a difference. You know most folks that run for county commissioner have
some core philosophy as to how the county should or shouldn't run. You come into the
6
commissioners' job and you're looking to apply that philosophy, and it's never as easy as it
seems. Because in order to apply that philosophy, you first must really know how county
government should operate, and that's a huge task. Much larger than I had ever thought that it
would be. You can't just say I know how county government works, and I can do this job. You
got to know how state government works in order to do this job. Then you have to figure out how
in the world to kind of navigate through the political waters. That's just to get anything done. As
a conservative, when you come into this board, you kind of come with the philosophy and the
rhetoric that goes with the loaded federal government. You find out that Iredell County is
relatively speaking pretty lean and mean. If you look at our tax rate it's pretty difficult to argue
the fact that we run one of the leanest county governments in the state much less the region.
Another obstacle that county commissioners face is the struggle between what's effective and
doing what's fair. The two don't always go hand-in-hand. I will tell you that the challenges and
difficulty of navigating those waters was much more difficult and is much more difficult than I
ever dreamed it would be. In the Army, we refer to the ability to deal with that system, and to
deal with all the different groups, and know how to get stuff done as institutional knowledge. To
know the players, to know the systems, to know the organizations, so that when it's time to effect
change, you know how to do it quickly and efficiently and in a way that at the end of the day, you
achieve your objective. Sara, you were always able to do that. You were a good role model on
how to do it, and I think that institutional knowledge, the experience, and the initiative that you've
brought to this board, and you've kept on this board, will not be easily replaced. It certainly will
not be quickly replaced. Thanks.
Chair Norman personally thanked Mrs. Moore, Mrs. Blumenstein, and Mr. Mashburn for
their assistance during the last two years while he served as Chairman of the Board. He also said,
"I asked Sara what the officer's position would be like, and she never did give me a full answer.
She kind of smiled, and I've had to learn to smile a lot of times when I really didn't need to.
Anyway, I want to thank Sara for serving as the Vice Chair for the past two years, as well as Mr.
Johnson, who was a former Chair. I was lucky to have had the staff here to help me the whole
way through and to have had assistance from Mrs. Tice and Mr. Johnson. One thing I learned
very early about Mrs. Tice occurred at a meeting with the Friends of Animals organization. I had
a young man about half my age who started telling me how things would be running in the county
in the future, and that we didn't have any feelings about animals. He didn't realize that Mrs. Tice
and I both had animals. I didn't say a word, but when Mrs. Tice finished talking to him, he had
been put in his place real quick. I enjoyed the fact that I had her to call anytime I needed
information or know about a procedure. I've been very blessed to serve with Mrs. Tice and to
have her as the Vice Chair. Mr. Johnson, I appreciate all that you did when I first came on the
board to explain the budget. Mrs. Blumenstein, I still call you about budget questions. She's
gone over it with me several times. Mrs. Tice, I hope you have a wonderful retirement. We will
miss you. We've worked well together for the past six years, and it's a good working board. We
will all try to carry on in a manner that will make you proud. I just hope the next chair will
receive the same support that has been given to me."
Mrs. Tice thanked all of the speakers and letter writers for their kind comments. She
mentioned that while she had been the first female Chairman of the Board, that Commissioner
Norman had been the first African-American Chairman. She said that during the past 18 years,
many friends had been made and she would miss them. Mrs. Tice said the next few years would
be filled with challenges for the board, but the commissioners would do a great job. In conclusion
Mrs. Tice said, "God Bless Everyone."
ADJOURNMENT OF THE FINAL MEETING OF THE 2006 — 2008 IREDELL
COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS: MOTION by Commissioner Johnson to adjourn
the final 2006-2008 commissioners' meeting. (SINE DIE)
VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0.
Approval:
7
Clerk to the Board