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HomeMy WebLinkAboutJanuary_18_2011_Regular_MinutesIREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MINUTES JANUARY 18, 2011 The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met in Regular Session on Tuesday, January 18, 2011, at 7:00 P.M., in the Iredell County Government Center (Commissioners' Meeting Room), 200 South Center Street, Statesville, NC. Board Members Present Chairman Steve Johnson Vice Chairman Marvin Norman Renee Griffith Frank Mitchell Ken Robertson Staff present: County Manager Joel Mashburn, Deputy County Manager Tracy Jackson, Assistant County Manager Ron Smith, Code Enforcement/Special Projects Director Lynn Niblock, and Clerk to the Board Jean Moore. CALL TO ORDER by Chairman Johnson INVOCATION by Chairman Johnson PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ADJUSTMENTS OF THE AGENDA: MOTION by Commissioner Mitchell to approve the following agenda adjustments: Addition: Request from the Sheriff's Office for Authorization to Apply for a $5,000 Governor's Crime Commission Grant Deletion: Request for Approval of (1) Janitorial Bid Awards to Access Services, The Budd Group, Jani-King and Rainbow Janitorial (2) Permission to Reject the Bids Received for the Health Services Building and (3) Allow the Staff to Informally Bid the Janitorial Services for the Health Services Building & Award the Contract VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. PUBLIC HEARING Request from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) for the Abandonment of a Section of SR -2145 — Garden Valley Road: Chairman Johnson said this public hearing had been continued from the December 21, 2010 meeting. Assistant County Manager Ron Smith said the State Department of Transportation desired to abandon the maintenance and right of way for a quarter of a mile (bridge area) on Garden Valley Road. NCDOT District Engineer Patrick Norman, based in Statesville, NC, said SR 2145 was a low water bridge that demanded a significant maintenance effort due to blockages from driftwood and other debris after heavy storms. NCDOT Bridge Maintenance Engineer Rodney Gantt, based in the Shelby, NC, said (1) a drift problem frequently occurred both in the interior bent as well as in the beams (photos were distributed) (2) blockages occurred about four times a year with removal costs at $3,000 to $5,000 per event for a total of $12,000 to $20,000 annually (3) the bridge has been posted to contain 39 tons (4) each road closure following a flood costs about $1,000 (5) in March of 2010, the bulk heads were washed out and repairs cost $13,777 and (6) in October of 1982, the interior bent was damaged and the spans settled costing $38,000 for repairs. Gantt said annually, routine maintenance cost $18,000 to $25,000 dependent upon the weather. Chairman Johnson said the bridge's structural integrity would be compromised by allowing the driftwood to remain. Gantt said this was correct. Commissioner Griffith asked how many families lived along the road. Gantt said he did not know. Commissioner Robertson asked the estimated lifetime for the bridge, assuming the maintenance was continued. Gantt said the bridge's status was "functionally obsolete." He said this did not mean the bridge was unsafe, rather it meant it was an older one and did not conform to today's style of traffic. He said the bridge, built in 1940, was in a one -lane pattern. Gantt said the federal government's sufficiency rating, which extended from 1 to 100, was 57 for the bridge. He said that in order to obtain federal dollars for a bridge, it had to have a rating of 50 or below for replacement. Griffith asked if the emergency response times would increase for the residents in the area with the closing. Gantt said he did not know. Smith said there were about 50 property parcels along the road, and there were 200 vehicle trips per day. Commissioner Mitchell asked the weight limit for the bridge. Gantt said it was 39 tons and it was due to the "drift" that added to the dead load of the bridge. He said that once the debris was cleaned out, the "posting" would be removed. NCDOT Highway Maintenance Engineer Mark Taylor, based in Statesville, NC, said a conversation had occurred with the Chief of the Cool Springs VFD. He said the chief had stated the response time would be less than five minutes to go around the bridge. Taylor said the fire tankers would already have to go around the bridge because their weight loads exceeded the 39 ton capacity. Griffith asked whether or not the DOT would still close the bridge if the board of mers denied the request. Taylor said the state would probably "yield" to the board's decision. Mitchell asked if the bridge was on the state's replacement list, and if so, when was the year. Gantt said the bridge replacement program extended to 2015, and Garden Valley was not included. Mitchell asked how many feet the bridge would have to be elevated to correct the problem. Gantt said this had been researched and no answer was found. Griffith asked, assuming the commissioners approved the request, when the bridge would be closed. Gantt said it would have to be planned, but it could possibly be this summer. He said the state would work with the community. Mitchell asked if bridges were being reviewed throughout the state, or was this occurring only in the western region. 2 Gantt said anytime a bridge was removed from the system, more money was available for higher "ADT" (average daily traffic) roads or bridges. He said any savings in maintenance could then be spent on interstate bridges or the ones with the most traffic. east. Mitchell said the money would remain in the western region rather than flowing to the Gantt said it would remain in the western area, or within the six counties. Mitchell said he was concerned with the state's equity funding, especially when it chose to build a bypass in Fayetteville with 6,500 cars a day over a "leg" around Charlotte with 75,000 vehicles a day. Commissioner Robertson asked how much it would cost to remove the bridge. Gantt said the bridge would have to increase from the present 80 ft. structure to 150 ft., at a minimum, and this would cost $1.2 to $1.5 million. Mitchell asked what it would take to get a lower federal rating. Gantt said the bridge would have to be at a 50 ranking or below. He said there were already many bridges with lower ratings, but no funding was available. Gantt said US 29-74 in Gaston County had 14,000 to 18,000 cars a day with a rating of 49, and only a feasibility study had been prepared. He said a similar study for US 29-74 occurred I 1 years ago. Steven Lea said the Garden Valley Road was gravel at one time and later paved. He asked why the bridge wasn't considered then. Taylor said it was determined at that time to retain the bridge along with retaining the road's alignment for the paving. Lea asked, assuming the bridge would be removed, why the state couldn't discontinue the entire road from the intersection of Loggerhead and Garden Valley with no access to the river, with the exception of the property owners. He said this would solve some of the concerns about the area becoming a garbage dump. Taylor said the state could "entertain" this type of concept. He said the area could be barricaded at Loggerhead Road with the property owners signing an abandonment petition. Tony Upright asked why the state didn't construct a new bridge. He said the road in 1940 was dirt, and since that time it had been widened and paved. He said that in 22 years, he had seen the bridge's hand rails covered in water one time. Robert Brown expressed concerns about the proposed cul de sacs. He said a trash pit on the north side of the highway would occur if these were built. Brown asked if the bridge maintenance was contracted out of Shelby, NC, or was it locally provided. Gantt said the equipment was contracted out, but state employees removed the debris. Taylor said the Statesville office had bridge maintenance personnel. Brown asked if lower property values would occur if the bridge were closed. He mentioned the longer emergency response times, and he said that much could occur within a five- minute period. Matt Baldwin, a resident of Loggerhead Road, said the bridge was used constantly for his farming operation. He mentioned that he was also a captain for the County Line VFD. Baldwin said the district line for the VFD was the South Yadkin River on Garden Valley and Hwy. 64. Baldwin said that if the bridge was closed, and a fire occurred, he would have to drive an extra three miles. 3 Commissioner Robertson said it was understood the money being provided to this region's DOT offices was decreasing. He asked the annual cost savings the DOT would have with the bridge's closure, and if it outweighed the loss of service to the residents. Gantt said on an average basis an amount could be given, but it centered around the driftwood issue. He gave an estimate of $25,000 to $35,000. Robertson asked the cost to remove the bridge and pavement, build the cul de sacs, install the guardrails, have the earth moving occur, and to incorporate the items necessary to mitigate the traffic at the dead end roads. Gantt said $7,000 to $9,000 for the bridge removal, but he couldn't provide an amount for the cul de sacs. Taylor said depending upon input from the community and where the road would actually be closed (Loggerhead or closer to the structure) a rough estimate would be $30,000 to $50,000. Robertson said the amount would then be around $44,000. He asked if the state had a funding formula for maintenance based upon the number of miles of roadway. Gantt said bridge money came from square footage inventory. Robertson said that if the structure were taken out of the inventory, then Iredell County would not receive the maintenance funds for the square footage. Gantt said that as the Division Bridge Engineer, he did not allocate the money per county (Alexander, Iredell Catawba, Lincoln, Gaston, and Cleveland). Robertson said the maintenance savings would then go to the state. Gantt said yes -- less money based on square footage. Griffith asked how many farms existed along the roadway. Upright said there were farms, but he didn't know how many. MOTTO by Commissioner Mitchell to (1) oppose the closing of the bridge and the construction of the cul de sacs and (2) to send notification of the decision to the DOT. Chairman Johnson asked Patrick Norman if the bridge would remain open, for at least some period of time. DOT Representative Norman said that in talking with his managers, it was understood the bridge would remain in place, and at whatever time it came back up for replacement, depending on the costs at that point of time, the state officials would probably be re -approaching the board of commissioners for permanent closure. He said until then, it would remain open. Johnson said this would be until 2014. DOT Representative Norman said the program was set up through 2015; however, it was still based on funding so it could be many years past that. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. Commissioner Robertson said that if there was a funding priority list to rebuild the bridge for the amounts mentioned by the DOT representatives, it would be pretty low. He said the bridge would probably be way down on any priority list for replacement. 4 ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS Request from the Code Enforcement and Special Projects Department for Approval of Additional Facilities to the Existing Lighting Upfit Grant Project Ordinance: Code Enforcement & Special Projects Director Lynn Niblock said money remained ($36,106) from the original stimulus grant ($240,000) for lighting upfits. He requested permission to add more buildings to the project and to amend the project ordinance. MOTION by Commissioner Griffith to approve the request. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. Request for Approval of an Audit Contract with Martin Starnes & Associates, CPAs, PA: Finance Director Susan Blumenstein said the General Statutes required an annual audit and Martin Starnes & Associates had been chosen in 2005 as the county's auditor. She said the CPA firm had proposed a $40,000 fee which was 24% lower than the average audit fee paid by like -size counties. MOTION by Commissioner Norman to approve the contract with Martin Starnes & Associates. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. Request for Approval of the December 2010 Refunds and Releases: County Manager Joel Mashburn said the tax department had submitted a request for the approval of releases totaling $41,682.84 and refunds amounting to 67,363.77 for the month of December. He said none of the releases/refunds involved any of the board members' properties. MOTION by Commissioner Norman to approve the December refunds and releases. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. Releases for the month of December 2010 Monthly $41,682.84 Total Breakdown of Releases: County $17,747.23 Solid Waste Fees $121.50 E. Alex. Co. Fire #1 $17.70 Shepherd's Fire #2 $108.81 Mt. Mourne Fire #3 $431.40 All County Fire #4 $735.76 B&F Fire #5 $86.98 Statesville City $4,479.91 Statesville Downtown $0.00 Mooresville Town $16,382.83 Mooresville Downtown $0.00 Mooresville School $1,362.74 Love Valley $0.00 Harmony $68.07 Troutman S128.10 Davidson $11.81 Refunds for the month of December 2010 Monthly $67,363.77 Total Breakdown of Refunds: County $9.826A0 Solid Waste Fees $0.00 E. Alex. Co. Fire #1 $O_o0 Shepherd's Fire #2 $0.00 Mt- Mourne Fire #3 $1,754.65 All County Fire #4 $88.76 B&F Fire #5 $11.17 Statesville City $7,709.01 Statesville Downtown $1,029.52 Mooresville Town $46,943.59 Mooresville Downtown $0.00 Mooresville School $0.97 Love Valley $0.00 Harmony $0.00 Troutman $0.00 Davidson $0.00 Request for Approval of the January 4, 2011 Minutes: MOTION by Commissioner Griffith to approve the minutes as presented. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. Request from the Sheriff's Office for Authorization to Apply for a $5,000 Governor's Crime Commission Grant: Captain Mike Phillips with the Sheriffs Department requested permission to apply for a grant with the funds to be used to purchase promotional items for the Crime Stopper's program. He said the $5,000 grant would require a 25% match ($1,500) that could be derived from seized funds. OTION by Commissioner Norman to authorize the sheriffs office to apply for the Governor's Crime Commission Grant. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. ANNOUNCEMENT OF VACANCIES OCCURRING ON BOARDS & COMMISSIONS Adult Care Home Advisory Committee (3 announcements) Nursing Home Advisory Committee (2 announcements) APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS & COMMISSIONS by Commissioner Mitchell to postpone this appointment until the February I meeting. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. Board of Equalization & Review (6 appointments): Commissioner Mitchell nominated Danny Allen and Hal Jolly. Chairman Johnson nominated Bill Thunberg and Mike Brotherton. Commissioner Mitchell nominated Ken Pritchard and Don Daniels as the alternate. MOTION by Chairman Johnson to close the nominations and appoint Allen, Jolly, Thunberg, Brotherton, Prichard, and Daniels (alternate). VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. MOTION1 by Commissioner Mitchell to postpone the selection of the chairman and vice chairman for the E & R Board until the February 1 meeting. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays - 0. Reminder List: Historic Properties Commission: Commissioner Robertson nominated Michael Trivette. OTIO by Chairman Johnson to close the nominations and to appoint Trivette. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD: An opportunity to speak before the board was provided; however, no one accepted. COUNTY MANAGER'S REPORT: County Manager Mashburn said the offices were closed on Monday, January 10 due to inclement weather plus there was a two-hour delay on Tuesday, January 11. 6 Legislative Goals Conference: Commissioner Griffith will be attending the Legislative Goals Conference. She requested for the other board members to share any comments about the proposed goals prior to the meeting on January 19. Mashburn said, statewide, over 200 goals had been submitted. He said these were reduced to 53, and then 5 were categorized as priorities. CLOSED SESSION: MOTIO by Chairman Johnson at 8:00 P.M., to enter into closed session pursuant to G.S. 143-318.11 (a) 6 — Personnel. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. (RETURN TO OPEN SESSION AT 8:46 P.M.) JOB PROMOTIONS FOR BILL FURCHES & STEVE ERVIN: MOTION by Commissioner Griffith to promote Bill Furches to the Tax Administrator's position at a Grade 80, Step 58 and to appoint Steve Ervin to the County Assessor's position (unexpired term of Bill Doolittle which extends through June 30, 2011) at a Grade 78, Step 63. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. ADJOURNMENT: MOTION by Chairman Johnson to adjourn the meeting. (Next meeting: Tuesday, February 1, 2011 at 7:00 P.M., in the Iredell County Government Center. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0. Approval: 7 Clerk to the Board