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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFebruary 22-23 2008 Planning Session MinutesIREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WINTER PLANNING SESSION MINUTES February 22, 2008 from 8:30 A.M. — 5:00 P.M. Saturday, February 23, 2008 from 8:30 A.M. — 12:30 P.M. The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met for a Winter Planning Session on Friday, February 22, 2008, at the Agriculture Resource Center, 444 Bristol Drive, 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, Deputy County Manager Susan Blumenstein, Cooperative Extension Director Ken Vaughn, and Clerk to the Board Jean Moore. Others in attendance: Bethany Fuller with the Statesville Record and Landmark, and Lena Warmack with the Charlotte Observer. CALL TO ORDER by Chairman Norman. Opening Remarks: County Manager Mashburn said the retreat was being held for the benefit of the board members, and agenda revisions could easily be made. Budeet Update/Revenue Proiections Deputy County Manager Susan Blumenstein highlighted items of budgetary significance and provided handouts. Some comments are as follows: • Real property valuations have increased from $6,692,513,846 in 1999 to $15,485,082,352 for 2007. (This includes residential, commercial, and industrial.) • The FY -09 budget is estimated at $166,945,410 compared to the 2008 adjusted budget of $158,336,510. • There are concerns about sales tax revenues, and over all, there's only about a two percent increase over last year. It was mentioned that many people are spending their disposable incomes on food and fuel. Other factors mentioned for the decreased sales were on-line purchasing, along with the purchase of gift cards during the holiday season -- taxation doesn't occur until goods are actually bought. • The state will start its phased -in method for the assumption of Medicaid next year by retaining the one half cent local sales tax. (This will actually assist Iredell County because there's more growth in Medicaid than in this particular sales tax.) Iredell-Statesville Schools Presentation Board of Education Chairman Dr. David Cash, Supt., Dr. Terry Holliday, and Finance Director Kay Fulp presented information about the Iredell-Statesville School System. Dr. Cash mentioned the need to reconvene the School Needs Task Force. He said, however, it would be best to wait until the full impact of the new Pine Lakes Prep School was known. Dr. Holliday said the federal government continued to decrease funding for school safety measures and vocational training. He requested a meeting with the county staff to review the school funding formula. Holliday said there were funding formula ideas, geared primarily towards the allocation manner, especially since more charter schools were being established. Dr. Holliday said the Iredell-Statesville system was near the top ten in the state. Mooresville Graded Schools Presentation Supt. Mark Edwards, Finance Officer Terry Haas, and Director of Operations Steve Mauney presented information about the Mooresville Graded School District. (Board of Education Chairman Karen Mart was unable to attend due to a funeral out of state.) Edwards said a 10 -year capacity and growth analysis was recently completed, and the results indicated the system would not need a new high school. He said a new intermediate school would soon be opening, and students from the existing Mooresville Middle would move into it. Edwards said the high school would then expand by having classes in the former middle school as a ninth grade academy. Dr. Edwards mentioned that in a few years, the Woods School and the high school would need renovations He said two new schools would open in the next 18 months, and the school system's focus was on education, which included Vocational Tech programs. Mitchell Communitv College Presentation Mitchell College Board of Trustees Chairman Dr. Ralph Bentley attended the meeting along with President Dr. Doug Eason, Vice President for Finance/Administration Dick Lefevre and Facility/Auxiliary Services Director Gary Johnson. Eason said the parking lot on West End Avenue was recently completed and the project added 50 new spaces along with 102 trees. Dr. Eason said a shuttle would soon start transferring students between the main campus and the continuing education building to help the parking situation. Eason said there was an eleven percent enrollment increase for the spring semester and some of this could be attributed to the slower economy. He mentioned that area high school students could take college -level classes and not pay tuition. In regards to the future, he said expansion of the nursing school was being explored, plus other programs needed to be added, for example, physical therapy. He said a new Allied Health Building would be needed, and in year 2015, a general classroom. Dr. Eason said the board of trustees was still interested in acquiring property. Facility Services Director Gary Johnson said bids were opened for the new Student Services Building, and the lowest was $3.9 million which included alternates. He said $4.5 million was budgeted, and the remaining funds would be directed to the Mooresville site (Iredell Avenue/Academy Street). Johnson said the ground breaking for the new building would be in May, and unfortunately, 40 parking spaces would be lost for the construction. Strategic Plan Update Assistant County Manager Tracy Jackson reviewed accomplishments of the strategic plan to date. Items mentioned were as follows: IN- Presented strategic plan to local mayors and managers. 10- Executive Director David Hollers, with the Centralina Workforce Development Board, was contacted about the need to develop a more trained/available workforce. IN- Chamber of Commerce CEOs, along with Economic Development Officers, were contacted about a luncheon/forum in May 2008 to discuss economic opportunities and the coordination of efforts. IN- The health director will convey the strategic plan goals to the Board of Health. ► Efforts are being made with the local Chambers of Commerce to develop a "universal community calendar" that will be created/maintained by the Iredell County Parks & Recreation Dept. IN- The Local Emergency Planning Committee will be informed about the plan, and this group will be asked to assist in the "coordination of effort." ► A committee has been designated/appointed to work with the Director of Planning/Development on land use and environmental planning matters There was consensus from the board to request the strategic plan steering committee, along with the subcommittee chairs, to meet again. 2 Employee Benefits Proposal to Allow Employees to Donate Annual Leave to Other Employees Needing Sick Leave Time County Manager Mashburn said a county department had submitted a request to allow employees to share leave time with others. He said the leave time would be transferred to employees who had exhausted their own sick leave. Mashburn said this would be on a voluntary basis, and the staff could create a policy if the board members were agreeable with the concept. Mr. Mashburn said, however, the donated time needed to be vacation hours because this was earned by the employees. He said sick leave was allotted to employees when they were ill, and they were not entitled to it otherwise. Another recommendation given by Mashburn was for the donated time to be placed into a pool or sick leave bank. He said this would alleviate popularity problems, and it would assist smaller county departments. A brief discussion took place about the concept, and Commissioner Tice mentioned that the leave time belonged to the employees. She said the employees should be allowed to donate the time if they so desired. Action: The county manager was directed to ask other governmental units using the pool or bank method about the pros/cons of allowing employees to donate annual leave for the benefit of others needing sick leave. Water Resources Overview Drought Status/Outlook Vince DiCarlo with the National Weather Seryice/Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C., said the weather pattern, La Nina, was the culprit for the reduced rainfall in this region. He said the Pacific Ocean was colder than usual. DiCarlo said the same weather pattern would continue in 2008 with the Ohio Valley receiving increased precipitation while other areas would experience decreases. He said the same drought type occurred in 2002. Ken Vauehn, Cooperative Extension Director, said agriculture was important to the county's economy, and the drought was affecting the water tables. He said water was crucial for nursery stock. Keith Snoddy, General Manager of Iredell Water, said lawn irrigation might be a "no no" in the future. He said the Iredell system was not tied to a specific water source, rather new well sites, both large and small, were added as needed. Snoddy said wells were expensive, and a recent one that was 905 feet deep and produced 20 gallons of water a minute cost $16,100. Joe Hudson, City of Statesville Water Resources Director, mentioned that 30 to 40% of water usage in the summer was for lawn irrigation. He said that in 2002, the Yadkin River wasn't receiving as much rainfall as the Catawba, but now, the pattern had switched. Rod Watts, General Manager for EnergyUnited Water, said the recent drought was not as bad as 2002. He said Governor Easley's water guideline requests had been followed; however, a reduction in water consumption couldn't be shown. Watts said this was because more lines were constructed and customers were added. Snoddy said the state's plan placed all water providers into the same group or batch, and this wasn't an accurate method due to the differences in the systems. Hudson said water providers used different revenue methods, and they couldn't be placed in the same "mold." He added, too, that one provider didn't want to be more restrictive than others. Allison Craft, Engineer for the Town of Mooresville's Water Department, said Lake Norman provided Mooresville's water. She said education was important, and information was provided to town residents about water tolerant plants and irrigation systems. She said many of the newer homes were being built with irrigation systems. In regards to state restrictions, she mentioned that Governor Easley had asked for restrictions only after the watering season had ended. Commissioner Johnson asked, "If 2008 is like 2007, are all providers okay?" 3 All of the water providers said they were. Rob Hites, City of Statesville Manager, said sewer would be more restrictive than water in the future. He said this would be due to the inability to obtain permits from the state. County Manager Mashburn asked the attendees if Iredell County, which is not a water provider, could assist the providers. Hites said education would help. He said landscapers needed to know there might be usage restrictions during the summer. DiCarlo said conservation needed to be a standard. Chairman Norman said that in some parts of Arizona, there were incentives for homeowners to not grow grass. Craft added that in some subdivisions, the homeowners association fined the property owners if their lawns were not up to standard. Jerry Campbell, Regional Director for the Real Estate & Building Industry Coalition, mentioned the need for Iredell County to have a representative on the Bi -State Commission for the Catawba/Wateree River Basin. He suggested someone from the Lake Norman Marine Commission. Highwav 3 Corridor Study Planning/Development Director Ron Smith attended this segment of the meeting. Action: Directive for the staff, with input from Mooresville, to create a roadway plan. Upon completion, the plan will be presented to the full corridor study group (Mooresville, Iredell County, Kannapolis, Cabarrus County). Cornelius Road Planning/Development Director Ron Smith said Mooresville was willing to fund a Mazeppa/Comelius interchange study and a request for proposals had been created. Action: Staff should keep county commissioners informed about this area, and request that Mooresville share a copy of the study. Perth Road Study Planning/Development Director Ron Smith said this study would be presented to the board on March 4, 2008. 2008-2009 Wellness Strategy Human Resources Director Carolyn Harris and Mark Browder, the owner of Mark III Employee Benefits, Inc., discussed a proposal created in an effort to reduce the county's health costs. Browder said Phase I for the proposal would occur during FY 08-09, and a Health Risk Assessment would be offered to all employees. He said the county would charge the employees $30 for their health insurance unless they took the assessment. Browder said Iredell Memorial would provide the assessments and employees having risk factors would have to show improvements during Phase 11 (FY 2009-10) to receive the $30 waiver. He said employees would have to receive an assessment score of 80 or above, or they would have to improve their score by five points during the next year. Browder said the employee would also have the option of submitting a signed waiver from a physician. Commissioner Robertson asked when the county might see results from the proposal. Browder said typically two or three years, but some positive results might be shown in a year. 4 Harris said another component of the program was having a full time wellness coordinator. She said this new position would be based in the Human Resources Department for the purpose of developing and monitoring the wellness initiatives. (The Iredell County Health Department will continue to provide the educational classes.) MOTION by Commissioner Johnson, with a second from Commissioner Robertson, to (1) contract with Iredell Memorial Hospital for the Health Risk Assessment Program with the funding to be derived from the Health Care Benefits Fund and (2) create a Wellness Coordinator Position in the Human Resources Department and for this position to be funded out of the Health Care Benefits Fund as well. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. Closed Session MOTION by Chairman Norman at 4:35 P.M., to enter into closed session pursuant to G.S. 143-318.11 (a) (5) Property Acquisition. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. (RETURN TO OPEN SESSION AT 4:50 P.M.) Adjournment: MOTION by Commissioner Tice to adjourn the meeting until 8:30 A.M., on Saturday, February 23, 2008. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. IREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WINTER PLANNING SESSION MINUTES Saturday, February 23, 2008 8:30 A.M. — 12:30 P.M. The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met for a Winter Planning Session on Saturday, February 23, 2008, at the Agriculture Resource Center, 444 Bristol Drive, 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, Deputy County Manager Susan Blumenstein, Cooperative Extension Director Ken Vaughn, Assistant County Manager Tracy Jackson, Code Enforcement/Special Projects Coordinator Lynn Niblock, Animal Services Manager Chris Royal, and Clerk to the Board Jean Moore. Others in attendance: Bethany Fuller with the Statesville Record and Landmark. Courts Space Needs: Assistant County Manager Tracy Jackson presented a sketch (Scheme C) from the MBAJ architectural firm as a concept for adding space in the downtown area for the courts and jail. He said a problem had already been noted on the sketch, and this was that the Hall of Justice's main door was facing Tradd Street. Jackson said the doorway needed to be situated towards Stockton Street to steer people away from using the library parking lot. r County Manager Mashburn reminded everyone that the county still had over ten acres available near the new Social Services Building. He said officials with the Iredell-Statesville Schools had once mentioned the possibility of placing an administrative office building there. Jackson said another proposal was to place the Emergency Communications Department on the site (near Social Services). Chairman Norman asked about space needs at the Mooresville government center. Mashburn said there were not any immediate plans to expand. He said parking was the primary problem for the site. used. Commissioner Williams asked how many days a week the Mooresville courtroom was Mashburn said just about everyday. Commissioner Johnson asked the most pressing need -- the jail or court space. Mashburn said he didn't know if the two could be separated. Commissioner Johnson suggested that the first phase, for the jail expansion/construction, to be towards Harrill Street, and that the removal of the parking spaces be done incrementally. Commissioner Robertson said food services would have to be included in Phase I. Mashburn suggested that the MBAJ architects create a phased -type plan for the jail expansion. Commissioner Robertson asked about ajail expansion timetable. Mashburn said the capital projects plan had the jail listed in 2011, but nothing was included for the courts. Commissioner Tice said a law enforcement employee had advised that there were safety concerns about transferring inmates from the Hwy. 21 site to the courts and main jail. New Animal Shelter Code Enforcement and Special Projects Coordinator Lynn Niblock, along with Animal Services Manager Chris Royal, discussed a 16,754 sq. ft. shelter (5,000 sq. ft of administrative area/public space and 11,754 sq. ft. of kennel/operational area). Attending the meeting also was David Montgomery, an employee of the plans review staff, as well as a registered architect, who had drawn sketches of the proposed shelter. Niblock said a Panama City, Florida animal shelter was visited as well as another in Union County, NC (shelter built two years ago at $140 sq. ft.) and one in Wayne County, NC (constructing a new shelter now at a cost of $177 a sq. ft.). He said Iredell County's current shelter had 12,000 sq. ft. Deputy County Manager Susan Blumenstein said a "pay-as-you-go" method could be used on the project with funds out of capital reserve this year and next year. Niblock said the shelter could be completed during FY 2009-10. Commissioner Johnson requested the staff to review other options for the building's exterior. (A covering that was different from the one on the Florida animal shelter.) Action: Consensus on the presented concept with funding out of capital reserve -- pay- as-you-go method with options to be reviewed on the building's exterior covering. 6 Update on Frank Warren Demographics Studv Planning/Development Director Ron Smith said a demographics study was being completed to assist with the updated Land Use Plan. He then introduced Frank Warren and Kevin Hall, both representatives of Warren & Associates, the firm preparing the study. Mr. Hall said the topic areas reviewed for the study were: I. Subdivisions 2. Development outside of subdivisions 3. Potential for future subdivisions (land, public utility services, planned roads and schools, major employers, watershed regulation and supportable densities) 4. Current service constraints 5. Current housing market Hall said that from 2000-2007, there was a 22.2% population growth rate with 1,600 households or the addition of 3,900 people each year. Hall said population tracts were redesigned after each census, and the county's southern end would probably change the most. Other information presented is as follows: -Over 9,700 people were added within the Lake Norman High School attendance zone. -Over 4,800 people were added to the Mooresville Graded School District area. • From 2007-2015, it is predicted that 1,800 households and 4,600 people a year will be added to the county's population. -From 2007-2015, the attendance zone for South Iredell High School will increase by 8,000 people. -The NC Office of State Demographics estimates the county's population in 2015 to be 180,694 while the Warren Report reveals an estimate of 189,818. Smith said the completed Warren Report would be available in a few days. Recreation Capital Funding Recreation Advisory Board Members Roger McLelland (Chairman), Bob Howell, and David Steen, along with Recreation Director Robert Woody reviewed the mission statement of the parks and recreation department. They also cited the many benefits of having recreational programs and opportunities for the county's citizens. McLelland mentioned that in the county's adopted 2025 Strategic Plan, a major goal was "to excel in providing diverse educational, cultural, and recreational opportunities that enhance the quality of life for all Iredell County residents." He shared data that indicated recreation was beneficial to a person's physical and mental health, and that parks and outdoor facilities enhanced educational programs and contributed to a better quality of life for all age groups. The recreation board then requested $250,000 per year, instead of $90,000 for capital improvements. They said the increase would enable the department to apply for matching grants. Commissioner Robertson asked if the grants could purchase property. Woody said yes, but the property had to be identified in the application. Commissioner Johnson mentioned the slowdown in the economy and the low revenue estimates that were previously mentioned. He said that if the county's budget expenditures increased by five percent next year, as the staff had estimated, the budget was already in a $4 million deficit. Woody said the advisory board members and staff wanted to show how passionate they were about recreation. Chairman Norman asked about the parks/recreation master plan. 7 Woody said a meeting would occur with the Mooresville officials, and that if the two groups could work together, the county's cost might decrease by $3,000. He said the plan should be finished in June of this year. County Manager Mashburn said that if the commissioners were inclined to increase the capital improvements funding, the staff could try to identify funds. Commissioner Robertson requested for the recreation department to seek other revenue avenues, such as donations. Chairman Norman suggested for the recreation board members and staff to have open communication lines with the public. Action: Consensus from the commissioners that additional funding was not available this year; however, they concurred with the goals of the Recreation Advisory Board and the request would be reviewed again. ADJOURNMENT: Chairman Norman adjourned the meeting at 12:30 P.M. (NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, March 4, 2008 at 5:00 P.M., in the Iredell County Government Center, 200 South Center Street, Statesville, NC.) Approval: Clerk to the Board