Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-15-2016 MinutesIREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS PRE -AGENDA MINUTES November 15, 2016 The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met in pre -agenda session on Tuesday, November 15, 2016 at 5:30 PM, in the Iredell County Government Center (South Wing Conference Room), 200 South Center Street, Statesville, NC. Board Members Present Chairman James B. Mallory III Vice Chairman Marvin Norman Tommy Bowles Steve Johnson Ken Robertson Staff present: County Manager Ron Smith, County Attorney Bill Pope, Assistant to the Manager Ben Stikeleather, Finance Director Susan G. Robertson, Attorney Lisa Valdez, and Clerk to the Board Retha Gaither. CALL TO ORDER: Chairman James Mallory called the meeting to order. ADJUSTMENTS TO THE AGENDA: County Manager Ron Smith said there were no adjustments but one correction as follows: Correction: Announcements of Vacancies on Boards and Commissions Board of Health (7 Announcements) PRESENTATION OF SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS & AWARDS Chairman Mallory said there were two resolutions that relate to the departure of Commissioner Steve Johnson and Ken Robertson. Without circulating the resolutions, the Board was asked to adopt the resolutions as a package. MOTION by Commissioner Bowles to adopt the resolutions. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0 PUBLIC HEARINGS Public Hearing to consider proposed text amendments to the Land Development Code from Planning Staff: Planning Director Matthew Todd said three chapters are being amended. The chapter concerning signs will change to be content neutral to comply with a ruling from the Supreme Court. The sign height was increased from six to eight feet. The chapter on Administration and Enforcement was changed to establish a statute of limitations of ten years on zoning set -back issues. If a house built 20 years ago is discovered to be 14 feet from the side set- back it is in violation and the only way to resolve it would be to appear before the Board of Adjustment and pay a fee of $500. The changes in the ordinance will prevent this from happening. It is also proposed to have a one foot allowance for discrepancies regarding set -backs and enforcement. If a house built last year is discovered to be less than a foot difference then there will be no enforcement measures. The chapter on non -conformities was changed to add flexibility and consistency. Currently the ordinance treats mobile homes, accessory buildings, stick built homes, November 15, 2016 etc. with many different scenarios which was changed to be more consistent. The changes in flexibility were considered for cases where commercial property wanting to expand in a RA zoning required the expansion to be attached. The proposal is to change the connection rule and allow the expansions without being attached. The change in kind of business for commercial property currently has to go before the Board of Adjustment for approval. It is proposed to be approved at a staff level. With a set of criteria and staff can determine if property does or does not meet standards. If staff determined the applicant doesn't meet the standards the applicant could appeal to the Board of Adjustment. Since the last meeting there have been no phone calls from the public. The Planning Board voted 8-0 to recommend approval of these changes. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS Request from Fire Services and Emergency Management for approval to release $21,115.50 of capital equipment funds to Iredell County Rescue Squad for purchase of rescue equipment: Fire Services and Emergency Management Director Kent Greene said this request is for the North Carolina Department of Insurance Matching Grant for Rescue and EMS Agencies. It is similar to a grant applied for over the last several years. It was awarded last year and the matching funds were taken from the General Fund. Plans are to purchase protective gear, pagers, and radios. The radios are part of the process to convert to the VIPER system. Chairman Mallory asked about the turn -out gear being custom fit and whether or not it could be used by others. Greene said there is only a certain level of customization so it can be reissued to similar sized people. However, the gear does have a life cycle, which is about ten years before needing replacements. Some gear, if found to be unusable for personnel, can be used for training. Commissioner Bowles clarified that if the grant is not awarded the money will not be withdrawn. Greene said that is correct. This item was placed on the consent agenda BA#9A To appropriate from Fund Balance revenue to fund capital equipment for 11/15/2016 the Iredell County Rescue Squad. Account # Current Chane Amended 104880 499500 Appropriated Fund Balance (22,000) (21,116) (43,116) 105555 564094 Iredell County Rescue Squad 312,505 21,116 333,621 Request from the Finance Department for approval of BA #8 to record the 2016 Limited Obligation Refunding Bond: Finance Director Susan Robertson said this budget amendment is to record the Limited Obligation Refunding Bond. The closing is scheduled for December 1. General Statutes require that it be recognized as a revenue and an expenditure within the general fund budget. This item was placed on the consent budget. November 15, 2016 2 BA#g To record proceeds of 2016 Limited Obligation Refunding Bonds and 11/15/2016 Payment of 2008 Certificates of Participation Account# Current Chane Amended 104880 490200 Proceeds of Refunding Debt (67,382,575) (67,382,575) 105710 575100 Bonds Refunded 66,857,444 66,857,444 105710 575102 Refunding Closing Costs 525,131 525,131 Request from the Finance Department to consider for adoption a Resolution in Support of Project Sparrow to locate a manufacturing facility in Iredell County: Finance Director Susan Robertson said this resolution is in support of Project Sparrow who is already working with NCDOT in consideration of a grant for a rail spur improvement at an existing site. DOT is willing to provide up to $131,250 for that project if it does go through. The Board of Commissioners are required to adopt a resolution in support of this company expanding its facilities within Iredell County. Chairman Mallory asked for clarification of matching funds from the incentives. Director Robertson said the Board approved an economic incentive for Project Sparrow based on the assessed value. Incentives that the County pays to Project Sparrow can be deemed a match to the state money. It can be used as leverage for other funding sources. This item was placed on the consent agenda. RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF Project Sparrow TO LOCATE A MANUFACTURING FACILITY IN IREDELL COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA WHEREAS, Project Sparrow is considering locating a manufacturing facility at 200 Deer Ridge Drive, Statesville, NC; and WHEREAS, Project Sparrow proposes to invest Sixty -Four Million Dollars ($64,000,000) and to employee at least 27 persons when the company is fully operational; and WHEREAS, Project Sparrow's plans are consistent with local land use and State and location transportation plans; and WHEREAS, Project Sparrow's plans conform with all applicable State and local ordinances and policies; and WHEREAS, Iredell County is committed to work with the NCDOT in a leadership role to make transportation improvements that address the safety needs of the public, and contractors and employees of Project Sparrow; NOW, THEEFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Iredell County Board of Commissioners: Section 1: Iredell County supports the location of Project Sparrow in Iredell County, and confirms that its plans are consistent with and conform with State and local laws, plans and policies. Section 2: Iredell County endorses the application of Project Sparrow to request financial support from the North Carolina Department of Transportation to assist in the funding of a rail industrial access track to serve Project Sparrow. Section 3: Iredell County commits to work with the NCDOT to make needed transportation improvements necessary to protect the safety of the public, and contractors and employees of Project Sparrow. Adopted November 15, 2016 November 15, 2016 Request from the Health Department for approval of a BA #9 to use Fund Balance Reserved for Medicaid Max funds to purchase Electronic Health Record software (HER) and signature on a five year contract with CureMD: Joey Holshouser (IT -Health) said the Health Department is proposing to purchase a new electronic medical records system. It was federally mandated in February 2009 in conjunction with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which says medical providers are required to have an electronic medical records system. Insight was purchased in late 2010 but unfortunately that company is dissolving. After research CureMD seems to be the best program available. Commissioner Robertson asked if the new system will access all old files. Holshouser said yes. All records are stored with Laserfiche and the new program will interface with Laserfiche. Vice Chairman Norman asked about the stability of the new company. Holshouser said they are stable and growing rapidly. Their product is cutting-edge and is web based. Chairman Mallory asked if there is a requirement to interface with other local medical providers, such as hospitals, etc. Holshouser said the Health Department is maintaining their own and it is not mandated. However, the program has the ability to send information to other providers if needed. Health Finance Officer Bill Griffith said they will be mandated in 2018 to join the NC High Tech System which will connect all medical providers in the State. The new software will have the capability to allow the connection if the Health Department decides to open its records, but it is not mandatory. The other part of this proposal is for the Chairman of the Board to sign the five- year contract. Commissioner Johnson asked about accessing records from a remote site. Holshouser said it is a web based product but the server will be at the Health Department. This item was placed on the consent agenda. To allocate Fund Balance -Reserved for Medicaid Max revenues and Cty BA# 9 expenditures to purchase EMR with integrated practice management system EXISTING AMENDED REVENUE LINE(S) DESCRIPTION BUDGET CHANGE BUDGET 10490110 444001 4111 Generic Services Medicaid Max $202,220.00 -$24,340.00$226,560.00 10901120 537514 4111 Contracted Services -Software $112,920.00 $24,340.00 $137,260.00 Request from Tax Administration for approval of the October Refunds and Releases: County Manager Ron Smith these were in order. This item was placed on the consent agenda. Request from the Clerk to the Board for approval of minutes from the meeting on November 1, 2016: There were no changes. November 15, 2016 4 This item was placed on the consent agenda. County Attorney Bill Pope asked for a brief Closed Session for Attorney Client G.S. 143- 318.11 (a) (3) MOTION by Commissioner Johnson to enter into Closed Session at 5:55 PM VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0 IREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MINUTES November 15, 2016 The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, November 15, 2016 at 7:00 PM, in the Iredell County Government Center (Commissioners' Meeting Room), 200 South Center Street, Statesville, NC. Board Members Present Chairman James B. Mallory III Vice Chairman Marvin Norman Tommy Bowles Steve Johnson Ken Robertson Staff present: County Manager Ron Smith, County Attorney Bill Pope, Assistant to the Manager Ben Stikeleather, Finance Director Susan G. Robertson, Attorney Lisa Valdez, and Clerk to the Board Retha Gaither. CALL TO ORDER by Chairman Mallory. INVOCATION: Chairman James Mallory asked everyone to bow their heads for a moment of silence. Chairman Mallory recognized Boy Scout Troop 157. Commissioner Robertson said it was an honor and privilege to introduce Troop 157 of Mooresville, NC. The Scouts in attendance were David Bellingham, Caleb Tyler, Troy Isaksen, Xander Cordon, Sterling Williams, Stokes Haire, Caleb Harmon, Zane Cordon, Ryan Smith, Dylan Kittrell, Kade Baltich, Landon Williams, Austin Henson, Caleb White, Jacob Burnette, Jaden Haney, and Zane Haney. Accompanying them were Scout Leaders, Jesse Walker, Fred Smith, Fred Harmon, and Dylan Haney. pledge. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Troop 157 came forward, presented arms and led the ADJUSTMENTS TO THE AGENDA County Manager Ron Smith said there were no adjustments but one correction: Correction: Announcements of Vacancies on Boards and Commissions November 15, 2016 Board of Health (7 Announcements) MOTION by Commissioner Johnson to approve the agenda as corrected. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0 Chairman Mallory took a moment to recognize that several staff from volunteer fire departments have been deployed to the Lake Lure area to assist in fighting the forest fires. He ask everyone to continue to pray for their safe return. On November 10, one engine and four personnel from Shepherd's and South Iredell deployed and returned on November 11. On November 11, one engine and four personnel from Mooresville deployed and are scheduled to return on November 19. On November 12, one engine and four personnel from Troutman -Statesville deployed. On November 13, one engine with four personnel from Harmony deployed and returned on November 15. On November 14, a brush truck with four personnel from Harmony -Trinity was deployed. All of these professional fire fighters are volunteering their time to assist their neighbors in the western part of our state. PRESENTATION OF SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS & AWARDS Chairman Mallory said three commissioners were up for election during the recent Commissioner Race. Every two years three of five commissioners run. The top two candidates receive four year terms and the third candidate receives a two year term. This allows a majority of commissioners before the people in any given election cycle. Sitting Commissioner Tommy Bowles was re-elected for a four year term. In the audience Commissioner -Elect Jeff McNeely was elected for a four year term and Commissioner -Elect Gene Houpe was elected to a two year term. On December 5, 2016, at 10:00 AM the current board will meet to complete any outstanding business. The swearing in of the new board will follow at 10:30 AM and then the organizational meeting of the new board will be at 11:00 AM. Therefore, because those meetings are administerial and brief, tonight's meeting will be an opportunity to bid farewell to two seating commissioners that have a combined tenure of 34 years and a huge amount of institutional knowledge. They will truly be missed. Two resolutions have been adopted in appreciation for Commissioner Johnson and Robertson. Resolution of Appreciation To Kenneth M. Robertson, Jr. WHEREAS, Kenneth M. Robertson, Jr., better known as Ken, is completing an extraordinary and honorable twelve year tenure from 2004 through 2016 as a member of the Iredell County Board of Commissioners; and WHEREAS, Ken Robertson moved to Iredell County in 1982 after graduating from Clemson University with a degree in Chemical Engineering. Ken's demanding career in business has taken him throughout North, Central and South America while simultaneously serving in the United States Army Reserve for over 22 years, ultimately commanding a Battalion and retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel; and WHEREAS, Ken Robertson has served on many community and civic clubs and organizations such as Centralina Council of Governments Board of Delegates, Centralina Workforce Development Board, Cooperative Extension Service Advisory Council, the Courts/Jail Facilities Task Force, Mooresville -South Iredell Economic Development Corporation, Iredell County Board of Health, Criminal Justice Partnership Program, North Carolina Human Relations Commission, Farmland Preservation Board, and Assistant Scoutmaster of Troop 171; and November 15, 2016 WHEREAS, Ken Robertson may best be known for his passion for Iredell County's agricultural heritage, the sustainability of profitable farms, encouraging the younger generation to remain engaged in family farming operations and developing agribusiness. He participated in the Duke Energy relicensing project and recognized the critical protection of the Catawba River Basin as the demands for water increased. Ken is passionate about educating the public on the many facets of county services and encouraged employees to "tell their story;" and WHEREAS, Ken Robertson has encouraged and supported the recruitment of industry to improve job opportunities throughout Iredell County and worked with the Boards of Education and Mitchell Community College to ensure workforce development in support of local businesses. Ken's dedication to providing effective services for the benefit of Iredell County citizens has been demonstrated, along with other members of the Board, through the joint accomplishments of the building of the Iredell County Public Library, the new building for the Department of Social Services, expansion of Government Center South, the purchase of land for future solid waste needs, the new Animal Shelter, and additional EMS Bases and fire departments, all the while closely monitoring finances to maintain a healthy fund balance which in turn has given Iredell County excellent financial ratings, and for the insight to "squirrel money away" for the jail expansion and a new Public Safety complex without incurring debt; and WHEREAS, Ken Robertson has always been willing to examine an idea from all perspectives, and to ensure that a decision is made taking all of the potential outcomes into consideration. Ken's desire to see youth engaged in civic duties and responsibilities has been manifest in many forms and is especially evident by the warm greeting he gives Boy Scouts who are present to lead the Pledge of Allegiance; and WHEREAS, as a dedicated husband and father to two sons, Ken Robertson has sacrificed his family and farming time to serve the citizens of Iredell County for three four-year terms on the Board of Commissioners, where he has helped to shape many of the current and future leaders of Iredell County. His guidance and keen wit on the board will be missed, but we hope and trust that Iredell County will continue to benefit from his insights and knowledge for years to come; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Iredell County Board of Commissioners and staff hereby express to Kenneth M. Robertson, Jr, their sincere appreciation and deep gratitude for his devotion and dedicated service to the Citizens of Iredell County. ADOPTED, this 15'" day of November, 2016. The Board and audience gave Commissioner Robertson a standing ovation. Chairman Mallory presented Commissioner Robertson with the signed resolution and an appreciation plaque. Commissioner Robertson was given a moment to make some final comments. "Mr. Chairman thank you for giving me the opportunity to make some parting remarks. 1 would like to begin by first thanking the voters of Iredell County for giving me the honor and the privilege to serve as one of your Commissioners for the past 12 years. Our county is large and its population diverse across many different demographic categories. Meeting you and working with you has been an honor. I want to thank you for your votes and for the confidence you placed in me." "I need to formally thank a lot of individuals and groups of individuals. Mixed in that bag are a few regrets and a couple of apologies." "First I would like to thank my family. My sons Ken and Allen will both have to watch this on the website. My oldest son, Ken is serving our nation as a field Artillery Officer in Korea as we speak. Allen is a senior at Clemson and he will enter the Army this coming May as a Second Lieutenant. Both of my boys grew up being the sons of a Republican Party Chairman, or a County Commissioner, and most of those years I was a single dad. They had to adjust to a father who spent time as an elected official, and that meant there was less time for them. They attended official dinners and most political functions with me, and that often meant they were the last ones to leave. On election days when their peers had the day off, they spent the day campaigning outside of polling places from the opening until closing. Recently my wife Susan has gotten to experience life with a political figure in the house, and unlike the boys, she hates politics. It is not easy. In November 15, 2016 politics, elected officials and candidates expect to be judged, and sometimes judged harshly. That comes with the turf. My sons and my wife always understood when someone disagreed with policy, even got angry about policy, and that was to be expected. But when the criticism was nasty and intentionally personal, in an effort to simply change policy that was when my family members paid the emotional price. I have seen how devastating it was, to my sons in particular, who had to listen to their dad have his character assaulted either in the press or on the radio or on TV ......... and then be told to just let it go. The first casualty with anonymity is civility. Susan, Ken, and AIlen.....thanks for sticking with me in the good times and the bad and you know I love you too much." "I must acknowledge that this was an exceptionally well run county long before I came on this board. Joel Mashburn was a great County Manager who understood his role, and helped me to understand mine. The previous boards of Commissioners had a long history of being frugal. When I first ran for this office, I remember running and saying I would cut government waste, and in hindsight, that must have seemed offensive to all the Commissioners and County Department Heads who had watched the budget so closely for so many years. lredell County was not run like the state government in Raleigh, and it was not run like the federal government In Washington DC. Shortly after I took office, I fully realized that all those good local Republicans that I had helped elect for the previous two decades, had actually done a superb job. This county was well served under the leadership of previous Chairmen and Vice -Chairmen like Sara Tice, Steve Johnson, Marvin Norman, Larry Hedrick, RB Sloane, and one of my personal heroes Chandler Bryan. Sara Tice was the Chairwoman when I first came on board. She had the unfortunate responsibility to deal with a new Commissioner who was still learning what we had the authority to do, and NOT to do, and learning how to get things done in a way that is easy as opposed to a way that is hard and does not work. I made every rookie mistake in the book, and poor ole Sara had to deal with it. So Sara if you are listening tonight, I am sorry, and THANK YOU for your guidance and patience." "I have learned something from every commissioner who served at the same time with me. The reason we have five commissioners instead of one, is so that multiple opinions and viewpoints can be considered before a decision is made. With precious few exceptions, I always understood and appreciated the opposing opinion when one of my colleagues disagreed with me. Even when we disagreed, I knew their side had some very valid points. Some of our best decisions as a board came about when we modified what could have been a 3-2 vote but made it a 5-0 vote." "If you will allow I would like to start to my left and make some comments. During my entire time on this Board, Mr. Pope has been our legal advisor. In the past few years Lisa Valdez has played a larger role as well. During that entire time, Mr. Pope and Ms. Valdez always gave great advice that protected the county, county employees, and our board. Often in closed session, he bore bad news that we did not want to hear because of laws, rulings, regulations, and litigation outside of our control. He had to patiently sit there and listen to commissioners, like me, vent, rant & rave, ramble and complain about how things were unfair, wrong, or just plain stupid. He took it all in stride, but his advice and his opinion never wavered. He dispensed wise counsel formed from his logic, his wisdom, and his incredible experience. Our confidence in him was, and is unanimous. Few legal teams have earned such respect from so many for so long." "Tommy Bowles has been a great commissioner, and he will continue to be a great commissioner. His experience in the fire services and in his personal automotive business give him a level of technical expertise that I always valued. Tommy is a man of faith with a servant's heart. He helped me when I first ran for office and I will never forget that. I am pleased he was re-elected and I am confident our county will benefit from his continued service. Tommy approaches his role November 15, 2016 8 with humor and a smile, and he always made work fun, and that is something we should all try to do. On a personal level, I will miss that the most.' "Steve Johnson has served our county well in leadership positions and as a commissioner for a very long time. He is well known for the amount of time that he spends working for the issues and causes dear to his heart. Before I came on the board, he met with me and gave me some of the best practical and best political advice I ever received. If only I had been wise enough to follow it. It was Steve who told me, `If Susan Blumenstein says you can do something, you can, and if she says you can't do something, you can't.' Boy wasn't that the truth. By virtue of his public accessibility due to his full time job, his parts store became everything from the county complaint desk to the special requests department. The time he spent on county business has been enormous, and few will ever match that level of devotion. His legacy of time and commitment will be surpassed by few. Steve is an avid student of history and Austrian economics. His opinions during our 7:00 meetings were often accompanied by an economics lesson, so I am sure that if he misses being a commissioner, maybe he can fill the void by become an economics teacher in one of the public schools." "General Mallory spent a lifetime leading soldiers for our nation, and in Iredell County we are now blessed that he has devoted himself to serving as a Commissioner. He is a visionary leader who definitely looks `over the horizon.' He takes a different approach than most political leaders in that he makes sure that we use an inclusive process when formulating plans, policies, and positions. It is slower, and at times more difficult than just moving ahead with what we already know, but it is a good deliberate process. During my life he has been a mentor to me, an inspirational leader, and a role model. During his time as our Chairman, I believe many of our citizens have come to appreciate his leadership qualities and devotion to duty. General Mallory, I will miss serving under your leadership as a soldier and as a commissioner." "Marvin Norman. Marvin is probably the least vocal on this board. The truth is that he seldom has a chance to talk because the rest of us are always running our mouths. If you listen long enough, you will realize Marvin is the human soul of this board. So many times when this board got wrapped up in numbers and budgets, it was Marvin that reminded us all of the human component involved, and in that regards, we always had to do what is right for the citizens and for the county employees. When Marvin spoke, we all listened, and we all knew we better pay attention to what was being said. During one debate in particular, we were all going back and forth over whether to cut something out of the budget that would have affected a lot of people and a lot of children. Everybody was saying their peace and Marvin was silent, then he just said `We're not doing that,' and the debate was over. We just got quiet, and then moved to the next topic. That is an example of the respect we have for his character, and the powerful influence he has on this board." "When people ask me what is the best thing I did while serving as a County Commissioner, I tell them two things, and these are two things that we almost never talk about as far as decisions. The most important decision we made, and we did it several times, was to acquire land so that our solid waste facility will have capacity to expand for decades to come, thus relieving future boards and future generations from having to go through the painful and divisive process to establish a new landfill somewhere else in the county. The second best decision I helped to make was to hire Ron Smith as our County Manager. Ron is a strong leader who works well with his own leadership team, with employees, the public, and with our board. He has adopted our priorities as his own. He advises when appropriate, and executes once a decision is made. Ron, too, is a visionary leader. So many communities are in constant turmoil and become dysfunctional because they selected a November 15, 2016 9 poor manager to handle the daily operation of their county. We are indeed fortunate Ron is our County Manager, and our future boards will be wise to make sure that he stays." "Retha Gaither has made it a personal mission to help our board in every way possible. She is friendly and competent. She made work fun, and her desserts are irresistible." "There are a few more people I would like to thank. Anna Bonham served as Secretary of the Republican Party for almost 20 years. She was my campaign manager in every election, and a tireless worker for a multitude of conservative candidates. She now serves as a member of the school board, and is an example of someone who devoted her entire life to helping other people. I was fortunate to be one of those people she helped, and I give her most of the credit, or blame, for getting me into this chair." "On behalf of our county, I would like to thank Statesville City Councilman Michael Johnson for representing all of Iredell County, not just Statesville, while he took on leadership roles at both the CRTPO and in COG. It is a lot of thankless work that is important to us all. He does it without local recognition, but hopefully now, with a little appreciation. Michael, thank you. And on behalf of the county I would like to thank Mayor Miles Atkins for his personal initiative and leadership to connect our public school systems, our community college, and our employers in an effort to make certain we are making every educational opportunity available for students to prepare themselves for good paying jobs that are available today in Iredell County. He has taken on this cause without regards to municipal borders, and sought no personal recognition in the process. We all have benefited and I wanted to publically recognize what a positive difference Miles Atkins is making." "Last but not least, I want to thank ALL the employees of Iredell County. When I first ran for office, I had a mental picture of a County Employee, a stereotypical bureaucrat pushing useless paper from one side of their desk to another and I have never been so wrong in all of my life. Every time we commissioned a study to compare Iredell County employees and departments with county employees of neighboring or like size counties, our employees were more productive by any metric quantified, and they did it for less pay.... every signal time. There was not a signal study that showed any other county had more productive employees than Iredell County. I will say it again because people need to hear that ... during my twelve years we never commissioned a study where they determined that another county had employees that worked in a more efficient manner. That's incredible. Our employees are often blamed for implementing or enforcing standards written by state and federal mandates and legislation which give them no room of latitude. They are just doing their job. And I noticed something else about a vast majority of our county employees, they volunteer outside their jobs as county employees. I see them in Volunteer fire departments, Rescue Squads, charities, little league coaches, school volunteers, and in scouting. They are the ones who set out the chairs at church functions, then get stuck putting away the tables when it's over ...... these are people with a heart for public service. You made me proud. It was my honor to be to be on your team." "Our county department heads almost always underspend their budgets with the monies returned going into our fund balance. These savings led to improved bond ratings and an ability to pay cash for some pretty big projects. So while County Commissioners did play a role in saving for the future, our county department heads and their employees were the ones who actually made it happen. They don't get much credit for that, but the credit belongs to them and it is a confirmation that Iredell County has a superb leadership team." "I would like to comment briefly on our two incoming board members, I am pleased they were both elected. Jeff McNeely brings a wealth of experience from his years on the Planning Board and his involvement with the agriculture community. Gene Houpe brings emergency November 15, 2016 10 services experience plus some experience as a commissioner. Whatever void is left by Steve and myself will be quickly tilled by these two gentlemen, probably faster than Steve and I would like to believe, but that is a good thing." "I have one great disappointment from my time on this board. For years the county Commissioners publically humbled ourselves before our creator and prayed for his guidance and thanked him for our blessings before we opened every meeting. Then due to a lawsuit by an extreme minority, our courts essentially removed that time of prayer from our board. Under advice from legal counsel, we initially modified our prayer, then finally stopped the opening prayer altogether. We could not afford to subject our citizens to the tremendous cost of defending our actions in a prolonged lawsuit that had already been settled. So while that decision was a prudent financial one, I will always have regret that it was on my watch this travesty occurred. I do not know what I will say on judgement day if I am asked why I denied him. I have great resentment for the judges who have denied us the opportunity to be public role models and serve as examples that we should all ask GOD for guidance. I have resentment for the judges who denied the public the right to pray in public for the safety of our student athletes prior to a sporting event. 1 can only hope we will have a Supreme Court that will right this terrible wrong." "The challenges of a commissioner are the same leaving as when I first took the oath. The next board will seek to find the delicate balance between taking money from the taxpayer in order to properly fund the many legitimate roles and responsibilities of county government. None of us deny that we would be safer with more policemen, or our schools could better serve the children if they too had more resources, and future boards will try to do these things while respecting the expectation that the taxpayer wants to keep as much of the fruits of his own labor as possible. Funding education doesn't mean you aren't conservative, and denying an education request doesn't mean you hate kids, it is all a balancing act in a dynamic environment. It is no easy task. 1 do not envy future boards during zoning cases where two different zoning designations border one another. There is always a winner and a loser, and I never went home feeling very good after those votes. I will not miss that part of this job." "The future can be very bright for Iredell County. We still have a great low tax rate, we have superior public and charter schools, and we have a great Community College. We have plenty of water, and a good workforce. Our County staff is well led." "I hope I have left our county a little better than when I found it. It was my honor to be a part of this effort." "In closing, the movie "The Replacements," was about a team in a NFL strike and they hired a bunch of replacements for the regular players. Gene Hackman was the coach and he said, `When the game is on the line, the winner always wants the ball.' And as I contemplated stepping down from being a county commissioner I thought about how similar this decision was when I thinking about retiring from the Army, and I struggled terribly with that decision. So I called my father, who had great wisdom and was credibly a smart man. I told him I knew it was time to retire but I couldn't bring myself to do it. He asked me `how long have you served?' I said 22 years and he said `if that's not long enough, how long is?' I couldn't answer him and he said, `Well I guess that's your answer, 22 years is long enough.' The voters gave me the ball 12 years ago, and for the second time in my life, I'm going to give it back. And that's what we do sometimes. We serve and then we pass it on to let someone else carry the ball." "So, now I get to pursue the most important desire in my life. Tonight I get to go home and enjoy being married to Susan, and that's a good thing. May GOD bless the Board of Commissioners and may GOD bless the citizens of Iredell County. Thank you very much." November 15, 2016 l l Again the audience gave a standing ovation. Chairman Mallory read the following resolution in appreciation to Stephen D. Johnson. Resolution of Appreciation To Stephen D. Johnson WHEREAS, Stephen D. Johnson, better known as Steve, has completed an extraordinary and honorable 22 -year tenure as a member of the Iredell County Board of Commissioners; and WHEREAS, Steve Johnson moved from Anderson, South Carolina to Iredell County in the early 1980s where he began a successful career as owner and operator of Johnsons Parts and Supplies while also being a husband, father and recently as Pappy to granddaughter Grace; and WHEREAS, Steve Johnson has dedicated his political career to the citizens of Iredelt County as a member of the Iredell County Board of Commissioners beginning in 1994 to the present totaling 22 years of service and serving as Vice Chairman for six terms from 1996 to 2001 and April 2010 to December 2010; and six terms as Chairman from 2002-2004 and 2010 to 2014; and WHEREAS, Steve Johnson has served on many community and civic clubs and organizations to include the Board of Health, Statesville Airport Commission, South Iredell Community Development Corporation, School Facilities Task Force, Fire Department Planning Committee, Courts/Jail Facilities Committee, Centralina Council of Governments, Statesville Regional Development, Welfare Reform Committee, Partners Behavioral Health, Juvenile Crime Prevention Council, and Fairgrounds Capital Improvement Committee, just to name a few; and WHEREAS, Steve Johnson has been generous and forthcoming in sharing his passion and wisdom on the economy and political issues, not only for Iredell County but for the state and the nation, frequently citing in support of his positions the Founding Fathers, Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations, Montesquieu's The Spirit ojLaws and De Tocqueville's Democracv in America. However, Steve may best be known for sharing his homespun economic and political insights, better known as "Johnsonisms," most of which can be found recorded for posterity in the minutes of the Board. One quote in particular sums up Steve's philosophy on the power of taxation, that is, "I've always said taxes are like these young men who come courting my daughter, some are less offensive than others, but I'm not especially fond of any of them;" and WHEREAS, Steve Johnson has encouraged and supported the recruitment of industry to improve job opportunities throughout Iredell County and has worked diligently to encourage site ready locations, especially working to leverage the Statesville Airport as a County -wide economic asset. His dedication to Iredell County has been proven, along with other members of the Board, through the joint accomplishments of the new Public Library, the new building for the Department of Social Services, land purchase for future solid waste needs, the new Animal Shelter, closely monitoring finances to maintain a healthy fund balance which in turn has helped Iredell County to achieve excellent financial ratings, and for the insight to "squirrel money away" for the jail expansion and a new public service building without going into debt; and WHEREAS, Steve Johnson is also known for a few miss -steps along the way, such as needing a fellow board member to pull him from a creek after falling in and splitting his pants, and for remaining a loyal fan of the Denver Broncos in the 2016 Superbowl against the Carolina Panthers; and WHEREAS, Steve Johnson has helped to shape many of the current and future leaders of Iredell County through his sound advice, willingness to encourage and mentor employees, and thoughtfulness to all. His guidance on the board will be missed, but we hope and trust that Iredell County will continue to benefit from his insights and knowledge for years to come. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Iredell County Board of Commissioners and staff hereby express to Stephen D. Johnson their sincere appreciation and deep gratitude for his devotion and dedicated service to the citizens of Iredell County. ADOPTED this 15°i day of November, 2016. The Board and the audience gave Commissioner Johnson a standing ovation. Chairman Mallory presented Commissioner Johnson a signed resolution and an appreciation plaque. November 15, 2016 12 Commissioner Johnson thanked the Board and made the following comments, "I guess this last year on the Board, since I announced that I wasn't going to run again, I guess I've said and the word I've used most often is thankful. 1 have so many people to be thankful to. I first have to say, I want to thank the Lord for giving me the strength to do it. I want to thank Him for giving me the wisdom to do it. I want to thank my wife Susan. It was over four decades ago, I looked up from dissecting a frog in Biology class and I thought I saw the prettiest thing that I had ever seen in my life. My good friend from Statesville, Gordon Johnson was a heck of a nice guy but he was an idiot. I said, `Gordo, who is the baby -doll over there at two o'clock?' He looked at his watch and I said, `No you moron, right over there.' He said, `Who?' I said, `The girl. You know she looks pretty good in a sweater, Gordo, who is that girl?' He said, `That's Susan McNeely and you'll never get a date with her.' I said, `You haven't seen my mojo work, big boy.' I went over and she shot me down, but I didn't give up. Ours was an on -again, off -again thing but a few years later I talked her into marrying me. She talked me into coming to Statesville in 1981. It wasn't long after that she gave me one of the greatest blessings in my life, my daughter Caroline. There's never been a day I was not proud of her and I am so thankful for her. I've learned so much from Joel Mashburn. Everybody up here, I am so indebted to. I see the staff out there and I have so many times when they encouraged me when things were hard. I won't get into my often economic pontifications this evening other than to say that good economics is bad politics and good politics is bad economics and I'll leave it at that." "I thought that rather then tell you how thankful I was on the eve of Thanksgiving, Mr. Chairman, I would like to provide what I think is one of the most sincere examples of Thanksgiving if I may. I am a student of history and have been for decades. My mother was an avid reader. We were told we were going to the Library every Tuesday and we were told we were going to check out a book and we were told that book was going to be read by the following Tuesday. She did give me a profound love for reading and it is still my hobby. I wonder if I can share with you just a few notes I read from William Bradford and Pastor John Robinson. On the eve of Thanksgiving, if we truly want to be thankful these are the folks I want to emulate in terms of being thankful. We all owe them a great debt of thanks. You see, folks, the Church of England was presided over by the House of Bishops. They've grown increasingly along with the growth of two groups of fanatics. First and much larger group claimed to be dedicated to purifying the church within. The Bishop sarcastically called them Puritans. The Puritans at least continued to acknowledge canonical authority. The second group was far more dangerous. These radicals believed that the Church of England was already corrupted beyond any possibility of purification. Moreover they believed the church could only be under the headship of Jesus Christ. The Queen was not the head of the church. They were separatists because they chose to separate themselves from the church. Their services were reduced to worship in primitive preaching, teaching, singing, and free praying and departed from 16 centuries of established structural tradition. At this time there was probably fewer than 1,000 of this group however, if this was tolerated other believers who spoke of a personal encounter with Christ might follow their lead. Elizabeth refused to give the Bishops their free hand to stop this contagion before it got out of hand. She thought a few executions for hierarchy were sufficient to keep the movement in check. But soon the vain, petty and manipulative James I came to the throne and the Bishops had their way. Separatists were hounded, bullied, and forced to pay assessment to the Church of England. They were imprisoned and force to go underground. They met in private homes, arrived in staggered intervals by different routes. Persecution reached the point that they sought religious asylum in Holland. Many of them were taught in schools that with the pilgrims came the first religious freedom, which is not true. They had it in Holland. And later November 15, 2016 13 they were penniless immigrants qualified for only the most menial of tasks. They worked 12-15 hours a day simply to subsist. Their life was so hard no one was coming to join them. Their life was aging them prematurely and if they had to move again they would be unable to do so. Their children were being drawn away by the lures of the world around them. Where would they go? They looked west. They looked to America. Fighting the horrors of starving time in Virginia and the tales of savagery and the death rate at James Town was over 50%. After much prayer and decision they resolved to go. They resolved to go to America. They set sail on August 5, 1620. Three days out their ship Speedwell was in trouble. A week later they tried again with the same result. They sold the Speedwell and obtained the Mayflower. Imagine this, folks, 102 pilgrims huddled together below deck in an area the size of a volleyball court for seven weeks in an ill - lighted rolling pitching stinking inferno, all the while being harassed by unrepentant sailors. On November 9, the cry came out, `Land ho!' but they had arrived at the beginning of a New England winter. Then came the time of general sickness. Their bodies were weakened by their voyage and lack of nutrition. They began to succumb to the illness. In December six died, in January eight died, in February, on some days, two died. On February 21, four died. On that day, according to Bradford, only five men were strong enough to care for the sick. In March thirteen died. They buried their dead at night so the Indians would not know how significant their loses were. Thirteen of eighteen wives died. Only three families remained unbroken. Forty seven of one hundred two had passed away. The children fared better. Of seven daughters, none had died and of thirteen sons, only three. Bradford said the highest point of their week was Sunday worship in which they gave thanks to a providential Lord. Before leaving the Mayflower they wrote the Mayflower Compact which marked the first time in recorded history that a free and equal people had voluntarily coveted themselves together to create their own civil government. If I can read a portion of it, it reads as this, `In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are underwritten the loyal subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James by the grace of God of Great Britain, France, Ireland King, defender of the faith. Having undertaken for the glory of God in the advancement of the Christian faith.' That is why they came to America. The said it in the Mayflower Compact. `A voyage to plant the First Colony in the northern parts of Virginia, by these presents do solemnly and mutually in the presence of God and one another, Covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic for a better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute and frame such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions and office from time to time as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the colony unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.' It would be century and a half before we would hear the resounding words, `We hold these truths to be self- evident that all men are created equal endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights.' They began this journey of freedom. They began to establish a colony on the New England coast. They began their journey by kneeling on the deck at Delfshaven to ask God's blessing. They ended it by kneeling on the sands of Cape Cod to thank him for his blessing. These noble people are part of our heritage. This Thanksgiving, Mr. Chairman and fellow citizens, let us give thanks and reflect upon what we will leave to those who come after us. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to be your County Commissioner. I am thankful that the Lord is my Savior. I am thankful for this County. I am thankful for our staff. I am thankful for my family and I am thankful that I have had the opportunity to serve, and serve with, the finest people I have ever known. I can only hope that as we think about this Thanksgiving that we will have the humble spirit of those folks and we will thank the Lord for all his blessings. And despite our disagreements, despite the many times that Ken Robertson was absolutely wrong and refused to admit it. Despite the disagreements that we have we still live in the greatest country in the world. We have so much to be thankful for and I November 15, 2016 14 just thank you all for this opportunity. As I said the other night at Farm Bureau, the last words I will say in my final meeting are not my own, they are borrowed from Nathan the Profit, `I will not sin by failing to pray for you.' Thank you." Again the audience gave a standing ovation. Chairman Mallory said, "There could be a resolution by acclamation that we have been blessed by the service of Godly men and women who have done their upmost to discharge their duties honorably and with the best interest of the citizens of Iredell County at the upper most of their thoughts and actions. We are indeed blessed to have had the caliber of leadership that they have brought to this dais. Thank you both, Ken and Steve." County Attorney Bill Pope said, "I have served as County Attorney for 32 years. During that time I have had the privilege of serving with 25 or 30 of the most outstanding people I've ever known. All of them were, in one way or another, giants. But these two men here are giants among giants. Thank you for your service, men." Chairman Mallory thanked Mr. Pope for his many years of service, for his leadership and mentorship. Resolution recognizing and honoring the Stony Point Volunteer Fire Department for achieving an improved insurance rating of Class 6: This resolution is sponsored by Commissioner Tommy Bowles. Smith said this is something that every homeowner in the county would have an interest. As fire departments, such as Stony Point, make gains in their ISO rating, going from a seven to a six, it has a direct result on residents through their home owners insurance by saving them money. A lot of work goes into this and every department strives to improve. This is based on an overall review of their department. In the case of Stony Point, there are not a lot of hydrants which makes this even more difficult. Chairman Mallory read the following resolution. A RESOLUTION OF THE IREDEL L COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS RECOGNIZING AND HONORING THE STONY POINT VOLUNTEER FIRE, DEPARTMENT FOR ACHIEVING AN IMPROVED INSURANCE RATING OF CLASS 6. WHEREAS, the North Carolina Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) collects and evaluates information from communities in North Carolina on their structure fire suppression capabilities by evaluating local fire departments; and WHEREAS, OSFM ratings are based on a variety of measures having to do with almost every aspect of a fire department; operations, training, apparatus, water supply; and communications capabilities, and WHEREAS, the availability of water alone accounts for 40 percent of the rating, making it very difficult FOR areas without widespread fire hydrant systems to attain good ratings; and WHEREAS, many residential and commercial insurance companies rely upon OSFM ratings; and WHEREAS, OSFM uses a Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS) and a Public Protection Classification (PPC) to analyze data collected from the system; and WHEREAS, in the PPC system, lower is better; and WHEREAS, lower ratings mean savings to residential and commercial property owners; and WHEREAS, as of the last rating the Stony Point Volunteer Fire Department area was a Class 7, and effective January 1, 2017 the PPC rating is lowered to Class 6; NOW, THEREFORE, the Iredell County Board of Commissioners resolves: To recognize the hard work and dedication of the men and women of the Stony Point Volunteer Fire Department and the consistently strong November 15, 2016 15 support of the community in achieving this improved rating to assist in lowering insurance costs to property owners throughout the service area. PASSED AND APPROVED by the Iredell County Board of Commissioners this 15"' day of November, 2016. MOTION by Commissioner Bowles to approve this resolution. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0 Chairman Mallory presented the signed resolution to Chief Abernathy. Commissioner Johnson said this department missed the "5" rating by just a fraction of a point. They did a phenomenal job because of the vast territory and the distance between water points. APPOINTMENTS BEFORE THE BOARD (None) PUBLIC HEARINGS Public Hearing to consider proposed text amendments to the Land Development Code from Planning Staff: Planning Director Matthew Todd said there are three different chapters of the land development code that have proposed text amendments. The Planning Board voted 8-0 to recommend approval for all amendments. The first was the sign chapter. There was a directive from the Supreme Court that sign regulations need to be content neutral. The changes have been made in the ordinance to achieve the new ruling. The maximum sign height was increased from six to eight feet. The Administration and Enforcement chapter has been changed to establish a Statute of Limitations on zoning set -backs for structures. The county -wide zoning was implemented in 1990 and it is not uncommon for the Board of Adjustment to be faced with granting a variance on a house that is 20 years old. This provision will help speed that process. If a discovery is made and the house is over ten years old, the owner will not have to pay the $500 fee and appear before the Board of Adjustment. Also, there will be a one -foot allowance for discrepancies regarding set -back measurements for houses. The Planning Division will not pursue enforcement if it is less that one foot. The non -conforming chapter was challenged to develop some flexibility and some consistency. Currently mobile homes, accessory buildings, stick built homes are all treated differently but should be given the same opportunity. There were some regulations that just did not make sense. An example would be a non -conforming commercial building that wants to expand. Currently the owner could only expand if it was attached but that is a proposed change. The owner would still have to seek approval from the Board but would not have to make sure it is attached. Currently non -conforming properties would have to appear before the Board if they desire to change the kind of use which is a $500 fee and one to two months processing. The proposed change is to handle this at the staff level with a set of criteria. Chairman Mallory opened the public hearing. No one from the public wished to speak. Chairman Mallory closed the public hearing. Commissioner Bowles commended the staff and Planning Board for making it easier for citizens to live and businesses to operate in Iredell County. November 15, 2016 16 OTION by Commissioner Bowles to approve the zoning text amendment and to make a finding that the approval is consistent with the adopted 2030 Horizon Plan and that said approval is reasonable and in the public interest and furthers the goals of the 2030 Horizon Plan because it aims to create compliance with federal ruling, creates flexibility, and streamlines development procedures. Chairman Mallory commended the staff and the Planning Board for trying to make things easier for residents and helping to avoid regulations and fees that are really not beneficial. Going forward the Board of Commissioners will benefit from the expertise of former Planning Board Chairman Jeff McNeely. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0 ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS County Manager Ron Smith summarized the consent agenda: • Request from Fire Services and Emergency Management for approval to release $21,115.50 in matching funds to Iredell County Rescue Squad for purchase of rescue equipment. These funds will be matched dollar for dollar with an NC Department of Insurance grant. • Request from the Finance Department for approval of BA #8 to record the 2016 Limited Obligation Refunding Bond which will result in over $10 million in cash flow savings over the course of that debt. • Request from the Finance Department for adoption of a resolution in support of Project Sparrow to locate a manufacturing facility in Iredell County. • Request from the Health Department for approval of BA 49 to use Fund Balance Reserved for Medicaid Max funds to purchase Electronic Health Record software (HER) and sign a 5 -year contract with CureMD. • Request from Tax Administration for approval of October refunds and releases. • Request for approval of the minutes from November 1, 2016. MOTION by Vice Chairman Norman to approve the consent agenda. VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0 ANNOUNCEMENT OF VACANCIES OCCURING ON BOARDS & COMMISSIONS Animal Grievance Committee (1 Announcement) Advisory Committee for Home & Community Care Block Grant (5 Announcements) Recreation Advisory Board (4 Announcements) Zoning Board of Adjustment (3 Announcements) Board of Health (7 Announcements) Planning Board (1 Announcement) APPOINTMENTS TO BOARD AND COMMISSIONS Personnel Advisory Committee (1 Appointment) MOTION by Commissioner Steve Johnson to place in nomination Mr. Eugene Cheek for reappointment and to close the nominations and appoint Mr. Cheek by acclamation. November 15, 2016 17 VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0 UNFINISHED BUSINESS (None) Chairman Mallory recessed the Board for five minutes at 8:25 PM. Chairman Mallory called the meeting back to order. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD T. J. Johnson, 413 Walnut Tree Road, Statesville, addressed the Board. He said, "Gentlemen, I come tonight to give thanks to Mr. Ken Robertson and Mr. Steve Johnson. The dedication and service these gentlemen provided for Iredell County, the citizens, is admirable to say the least. Ken, also thank you for your service to our country. As I was on my way here, I was speaking with Congressman Mark Meadows and I told him what I was coming to do to night. I ask him what could you say to two men that have sacrificed that much for government as well as military, including you, Ken. He said there's not really any amount of words you can tell these gentlemen that go past thank you and that you're blessed to have them. For the services you guys have provided, the sacrifices and time away from your family. I don't think the citizens of Iredell County can thank you enough for what you've done, being good stewards of our tax dollars. Ken you have served admirably for 12 years. Thank you. Steve Johnson, 22 years is a long time to be on the Board of Commissioners. You have invested a wealth of time, knowledge and a lot of add- libs that people enjoyed hearing through the years. When I first noticed I had political aspirations I was standing in the back of this room and Steve came through the door and stuck out his hand and said, `I'm Steve Johnson and I'd like to talk to you.' From then on out I've been elected to a position of a central committee in Raleigh and I have the pleasure of serving 27 counties in North Carolina. I can say that out of the 27 counties I represent in Raleigh, that Steve, you have provided Iredell County some of the finest leadership that I've seen from anyone out of those 27 counties. The knowledge you have of government and economics is beyond measure. I just wanted to come tonight to thank you on behalf of myself and on behalf of the position I serve as Vice President of North Carolina Federation of Republican Men. We recognize you as one of the great leaders in the State of North Carolina and we would like to thank you. You are revered by people that you don't even know you are revered by and we would like to humbly thank you for what you have done for Iredell County for so many years. Thank you." Brian Shoemaker said, "I had a few prepared remarks but most everything I was going to say, you guys have already covered so I will keep it brief. Mr. Robertson, I appreciate your service to our country and this Board. The first time I met you, and you probably don't remember, but you were the Chairman of the Iredell County Republican Party. It was the first Lincoln/Regan Day dinner that I attended. I was probably in the late teens or early twenties, somewhere in that range. I was interested in getting involved in the Republican party and at that age, still in high school, it's hard to be a conservative and you made it a little easier because at that dinner you stuck out your hand and said, `I'm Ken Robertson, please to meet you. Thank you for being here. We want you to be a part of this.' I always appreciated that and I really appreciate your service to the Iredell County Republican Party. That position is probably more difficult than being on this board. So thank you. You and I have had several conversations through the years mainly related to my time on the Board of Education. I appreciate your willingness to listen to my concerns and always appreciated your counsel and feed -back on dealing with financial matters with the County. Mr. Johnson, again, thank you for your service to the County. It's unfortunate that some folks won't November 15, 2016 18 appreciate or don't recognize what you've done for the County. The Triple A bond rating was mentioned tonight and you and the Board had a lot to do with that. You've always been somebody that I've admired and appreciated. When I was on the school board, you also provided a great amount of counsel. You always took the time to listen to me. You helped deal with some difficult situations throughout the four years I was on the school board. You have always answered the phone, not just for me but all the people in this county. You've always taken the time to speak to everyone and let them know you cared. So I will close with that. There's just one other thing that I would like to mention. Mr. Robertson, you in particular, there's nobody else, you and Mr. Johnson, that takes this job as seriously as you have. I know that you study your board packet. I know you take that information home. You go over it and over it and over it. It's easy to get elected to a position but it's hard to actually take it seriously and do the job and you gentlemen have and I thank you." Jim Kinley, 157 Old Arbor Way Road, Mooresville addressed the Board and said, "I thank the whole Board here for all you do and the service you do. 1 thank the past Boards. I first walked in here about 36 years ago for my first zoning meeting. I'm in the real estate business and that pre- dates Mr. Pope. I've seen a number of boards over the years and gone in front of them. Most of the times we prevailed in our zoning meeting. The Board had seen the wisdom of the projects we worked on and the growth of Iredell County. I want to thank Mr. Robertson for his service leaving tonight and haven't always agreed with all the people here. But I don't think that is always going to happen. When you serve on a Board, what you do is do your best. Do what you think is right. If you get re-elected great, if you don't hold your head up and walk out and admit what you've done. You stick with what you've done. But Steve and I go back when he was first running. I met him at a barbecue over near Exit 42. It was his first run and we sat and ate a barbecue sandwich together and he said he was going to run. I've known Steve since then and I consider Steve a friend. I've noticed that Steve is a friend of the citizens of Iredell County and he is a voice for the voiceless. The little old lady that is on a fixed income that can't afford it when taxes get raised. It hurts those people more than anybody. But Steve has also been a visionary. Steve realized that business is the engine that runs everything. If the businesses are going and moving and people aren't making money, creating jobs, no one benefits. But Steve also learned early on about balanced growth. His vision of ear -marking properties out there in the county to make sure that they can used for their highest and best use. Once they are gone, they are gone. Once neighborhoods move in and you put in your own opposition it's very hard to get things rezoned. It's hard to sit up here when you have 300 people who are irate about a zoning issue that you know with dollars and cents it makes sense to do it. Steve has also been very innovative. He always works for you. If you come to him with something, he may not have an answer then but he thinks about it. He tries to figure a way to get things done. He just doesn't say no and he might say yes, but he thinks about it and studies it and comes up with a way that will work. A lot of times it's the funding that is the hard part. It is not a plan until you have the funding. So I really appreciate Steve and I call him a friend and I wish him well. We'll still be looking for his advice and wisdom. Thank you." Mark Cash, 232 Loray Lane, Statesville, addressed the Board and said, "Chairman and members of the Board, thank you for the opportunity to come before you tonight. I have a few comments I'd like to make. To Mr. Robertson, thank you for your time on this board. Thank you for your service to this country. Both of those are admirable things and I'm sure you could have found a whole lot more exciting things to do at times, but thank you for serving the county. I hope you find a lot of good things to do with your new found spare time. Also I want to congratulate the winners of last Tuesday's election. I want to congratulate Tommy Bowles. You were the November 15, 2016 19 highest vote getter. That shows the county has a lot of belief that you're doing a good job and we glad you're back. I also want to congratulate Jeff McNeely and Gene Houpe. They persevered and made it through. We've got an all Republican board again and that's a good thing. Also, I'm excited about the outcome of the Presidential election. I see a lot a great things are going to happen. We're going to have to have a little patience. I don't see anything happen really fast but I think things will turn around. The good thing about our county with the low tax rates and a good business climate and business advice, I really believe industry will run to us because of the way this county has been kept, run so fiscally conservative. The county owes a debt of gratitude to this board and well as its predecessors. There are way too many to mention but there's a couple that I would like to mention. Those are Godfrey Williams and David Boone. They were fine members of this board. I'd like to thank them for their service and think they look down on us and keep a watchful eye on us. Also, I'd like to thank Larry Hedrick who is a personal friend of mine. He was a leader of this board and served this county well for a number of years. Commissioner Steve Johnson has served the board for 22 years. Through those years there's been some good times and some bad times. He's always worked to keep Iredell County on a firm foundation financially while providing all the necessary services for the citizens of this county. I've known Steve personally for 30 years. He is a great man and great friend. Steve has a servant's heart. He has always been there for his customers at the Part's Store and has always been available to the people in search of advice. County business, no matter what, he is always there for you. When thinking of Steve I think of I Corinthians 10:24, `Let no man seek his own but every man another's wealth.' That to me, reminds me of Steve, he is always looking out for others. He will look out for others way before his own interests sometimes. Steve's going to be missed and I hope someone will be that person that everyone in the county can go to because, Lord knows, I have been in the Part's store and seen them running at him. He had nowhere to hide ... he should have put in an extra back door. Iredell Taxes Payers Advocacy PAC has a little award we would like to present to Steve. It is the Tax Payers Friend award. I would like to ask Brian Shoemaker and John Kinley to help present this award, Mr. Chairman." At this time, Mark Cash, Brian Shoemaker and John Kinley presented the award to Steve Johnson. Cash read the award which said, "Taxpayers Friend presented to Commissioner Stephen D. Johnson, November 15, 2016, for his years of public service and personal sacrifice while always working for the citizen's interests and prosperity of Iredell County. We proudly present this for his stewardship of our tax dollars and his leadership through the tough times. Iredell Taxpayers Advocacy PAC" Commissioner Johnson responded, "I wasn't expecting that and I appreciate it. Alexis de Tocqueville said, `America shall remain great until the people learn that they can vote for themselves and the pubic treasurer largess.' We came pretty close to discovering that in the last presidential election. Let me say that in my 22 years of public office I have been unashamedly a conservative. Let me tell you why I am a conservative. I am a conservative because I believe in economic growth is the best way to pay the governments bills. I do not believe that higher taxes is the best way to pay the government bills. If you do not believe me then all you need to do is look at revenue trends of Iredell County in periods of economic growth as compared to economic stagnation. In the period of economic stagnation add a 10% tax increase to those revenues and compounded over time as to compared to the revenue of growth in times of an expanding economy and what you will find that the revenue of an expanding economy will throw off to the county will November 15, 2016 20 dwarf any tax increase over time. In fact, at the end about half way through the next cycle, its historical averages as compared to a 10% tax increase you would have to raise taxes again to catch back up. Folks, we have gone through a long period now where Americans have been lead to believe that an economy is a zero sum gain. That for one group of people to benefit it has to come at the expense of another group of people. That is the biggest economic lie that has ever been propagated in human thought. It is simply not true. The answer is economic freedom. If you allow people to do with their money what they will do as compared to taking it from them and spending on their behalf, they will create unimaginable wealth and prosperity. Show me one time in the course of human history where a group of people have ever borrowed and taxed themselves into prosperity. It does not exists. It has never existed and it cannot exist. If you believe that government can create wealth than you believe that something can be created from nothing because the government does not create wealth. I am not against the government. God ordained government before he ordained a lot of institutions. He did it because he knew man's heart in government must exists to restrain evil. When that government begins to do for things that people alt to do for themselves, then people begin to lose their freedom. And the further that decision making process becomes further and further away from the people the less effective that government program becomes and the less free people become. We see that all across the political spectrum. What you are going to witness over the next couple of years, you're going to witness marginal and corporate income tax cuts. A lot of people are going to say, in six months and twelve months from now it's not working, it's not working, it's not working. It takes about 18 months to 2 years from the time you see a change in fiscal policy you begin to see the results of that fiscal policy. We have followed economic philosophy where we were in pursuit of economic equality and we are about to begin to pursue economic freedom and economic growth. In 2 years you will see this economy begin to grow again. I want to encourage this board to get two more tough years but then, Granny grab your girdle, this thing is going to take off like a rocket. So be ready. I would caution Mr. Trump if I was his economic advisor tonight, not to get to crazy on that infrastructure thing. You get this economy growing it will throw off enough money that infrastructure problem will take care of itself. I'll say this and I don't mean to be critical when I say this, but Winston Churchill said, `If a man is not a liberal when he is 20 he lacks a heart. If he's not conservative by the time he's 30 he lacks a brain.' I want you to think that every time somebody begins to tug on your heart strings and say that as a conservative you're uncompassionate or uncaring. Compassionate folks are spending your own money to help someone. Taking someone else's money and spending it to help someone else is not compassionate it is demagogic. It's insincere. Take your own money, use your own talents to help people. Thereby you will best help to preserve your freedom than the freedom of your fellow man. Our whole economy is based on freedom and what we have, and for you young guys sitting there tonight, believe in freedom because it works. Believe in free market economics because it has done more to lift the general welfare of everyone. Under free market capitalism you have seen the most efficient and fairest distribution of wealth that has ever existed in the history of the world. Those people on the left will tell you that it is not so but it is. They speak of a world that does not exist. They speak of a utopia. You live in a fallen world. It's imperfect. America is not perfect but we've done it better than anybody else has ever done it. And we are the freest people today because we have perceived economic freedom over economic equality. If we continue to go in that path you will continue to be prosperous. I want to encourage all of you (speaking directly to the group of Boy Scouts in attendance). I don't know what you are going to study in school. Economics is called the mundane science. I want to tell you to consider a career in studying that very thing. There are a lot of economist today but in your generation there are not many good ones. At state universities all across this land they are taught the Keynesian in models of economics. Keynesian November 15, 2016 21 is a lie, it has never worked. Believe in freedom, believe in free markets. You will lose your economic freedom, young men, before you will ever lose your political freedom. Don't let them take it from you. Be kind to everyone but stand on the side of freedom, every time. Thank you, sir." Commissioner Johnson added, "Rothchild said, `Give me the power to print money. I don't care who makes the laws.' We've been printing money like fools. Thank you." James Hogan, 303 Heritage Circle, Statesville addressed the Board and said, "I have a slightly different idea about the greatest lie in human thought. That was when the serpent said to the woman in the Garden of Eden, `You shall not surely die for God doth know that in the day that ye eat thereof than your eyes shall be opened and you shall be as God, knowing good from evil.' The power of the gods and the power of the opportunity to lead people is surely a tempting thing. In the spirit of humility and the spirit of public service and on behalf of our humble group known as `Our Schools First' we did want to take a moment to honor a real friend and champion for Iredell County children, Commissioner Ken Robertson. When Ken Robertson was first sworn in as an Iredell County Commissioner in 2004, things around here looked a lot different. Interstate 77 had fewer exists. Iredell County had nearly 40,000 fewer residents. School choice didn't exists and nobody carried iPhones because they hadn't been invented. Now while none of these things in particular is under the jurisdiction of an Iredell County commissioner, Ken Robertson has helped guarantee that our county was positioned for success as Iredell and North Carolina and our world grew larger and larger. As an officer of the United States Army, Ken Robertson developed a disciplined mind that depended on facts. Quote, `Not making a decision is seen as making a very bad decision by default,' Robertson said in a 2013 interview, `I prefer to be part of a decision making process because 1 know my decisions will be based upon facts and experience and not wishful thinking.' Now Iredell County constituents of all stripes have always been assured fair representation by Commissioner Robertson. He's never shied away from discussing tough issues with people who have disagreed with him. But as Robertson said, `What I dislike is trying to have such a discussion with someone who has failed to educate themselves with facts or failed to consider indirect ramifications.' Robertson's fiscal conservativism has served Iredell taxpayers well over his 12 years in office. In deed Iredell has maintained the lowest property tax rate in our region and Commissioner Robertson's wise stewardship has enabled our county to sufficiently weather the 2009 global recession. Robertson's concern for the bottom line kept Iredell free of unmanageable debt. But that doesn't mean that Commissioner Robertson hasn't pushed for county investments when they make good conservative sense. During Robertson's tenure Iredell voters have approved two education bond referendums including the 2014 bond decision that delivered $131 million to Iredell-Statesville and Mooresville Graded Schools and Mitchell. Community College. Robertson was an early champion of the effort and introduced the motion for the bond to be placed on the ballot and later urged voters to ensure its passage. Not every county commissioner could attend the Cool Spring Elementary ground breaking ceremony in the winter of 2015, but Ken Robertson was there. Shovel in hand, ready to begin construction on a desperately needed upgrade for students who had suffered the previous winter in a building without heat. This past fall when the new building was completed on-time and under -budget, our county's wise investment was tangibly realized and the Cool Spring community moved into a school house they can be proud of for years to come. And, I might add, we've still got the lowest tax rate in our region. Robertson has worked with our State Legislative delegation to ask for more per pupil funding pushing Raleigh to level the playing field for state appropriations and listening to educators and common sense wisdom, Ken Robertson voted against a county policy that would November 15, 2016 22 have armed public school teachers. In his dozen years as a county commissioner Ken Robertson has always understood that most issues, especially those concerning public education funding, are complex matters requiring a discerning approach to governments. Says Robertson, `A favorite quote of mine is for every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.' Our school's first is grateful that Commissioner Robertson has spent his time on the Board endeavoring to find the right answers and not just the easy ones, working to promote our community's prosperity, even when it meant taken on management debt. Our county school children, the young men and women who will become our next generation of leaders are in a better position to realize their potential, thanks to Ken Robertson's remarkable tenure. We all wish him the very best as he returns to a full life away from public service and we certainly express our upmost appreciation for your work and sacrifice to Iredell County. Thank you very much, sir." Gene Houpe, 615 Glendale Drive, Statesville addressed the Board and said, "Heretofold, our Register of Deeds and GOP Chairman Ron "Duck" Wyatt could not be here tonight and wanted to apologize but on his behalf and our GOP and all of our citizens of Iredell County, he wanted to congratulate both of you gentlemen for your service to our county and our taxpayers. We wish you well, wish your families well and hope you enjoy whatever endeavors you pursue. As Gene Houpe, I'm here, I've had the honor and privilege of serving with both you gentlemen sitting in the seats you are sitting in. Until you've sat in those seats you don't understand sometimes the complexities and challenges that we face sitting in those seats and understanding all the facts that go with that job. I want to call both of you a friend, a colleague, and Christian brothers and I want to wish you well in whatever endeavor you do. May God bless you and your families. It was an honor to serve with you. I think I can speak for Mr. McNeely who is also a Commissioner -elect, we will work as passionately as you guys did to fill your shoes on behalf of the citizens of Iredell County working with the other three gentlemen here and look forward to that. Again thank you for your service and your service to the country. Thanks." Commissioner Ken Robertson commented, "Several people talked about education and 1 don't think what I am going to say is controversial at all. It is amazing when we go to a store and we are going to spend a certain amount of money, let's say we are going to buy cookies. We always want to get the most cookies that we can for our money. If we go to buy a car we want to get the best car, or the most car for our money. One of things, and I'll say this to the parents and to the students out in Iredell County, this Board, and I appreciate you using my name and thank you very much, but this board and previous boards, we have spent a tremendous amount of money building facilities to make educational opportunities available to our students. Our schools, are school systems, have created numerous programs where students can take a wide variety of classes that can help them prepare for either college or the job market. All of these things are available. They are available because of a lot of work we did and that the Boards of Education have done. If I can, my last thing will be a plea ... students take advantage of these opportunities that we have funded for you because if you don't take advantage of them, at some point, people will say it is not worth the money. Parents make your kids. If you children are not motivated or mature enough to understand that they need to take advantage of those educational opportunities then interject yourself and make them sign up for it. They need to study. Let's get the most use out of our educational dollars so that when our economic recruitment team goes to recruit businesses we can say look at the pipeline of students that we have coming that can fill your work force. So my plea is that I would say that we, collectively, we as a board spend over half our budget on education, take advantage of it. You can enroll high school and get college credit, take advantage of it at Mitchell College. You can enroll in courses that aren't some of the boring ones that we took that November 15, 2016 23 have an awful lot to do with trades and ways that when you graduate that you can make a living, take advantage of it. Don't be the consumer that goes to the store and tries to buy the bag with the least amount of chips for the same amount of money. Go and take advantage of these opportunities that we funded for you. If you do that, you will make me a very happy man. Thank you for your kind words to both of us. I really appreciate it. Everybody up here has worked hard. It has been an honor being with you, thanks so much." Chairman Mallory commented, "Some of the discussions you've heard have dealt with the commitment on behalf of this conservative Republican Board to maintain the lowest tax rate of any county that we are contiguous to and also to provide the services that the citizens of this county expect. And, as you have heard also this evening, that the staff of the county departments, over 900 employees, work extremely hard to deliver those services effectively, efficiently, and with an eye toward customer service. You saw an example of that earlier today in terms of the changes in some of the sign ordinances and set -backs, etc. That is a work force that has internalized Iredell County values because they are citizens and they live here too. And they have to pay taxes. I agree wholeheartedly that the more dollars that we can keep in our own pockets that we are better judges of how to spend those funds, that are hard earned, than is government. I'll also say that maintaining that tax rate is simple Algebra. The tax rate in the county times the assessed tax value of properties equals your revenue stream. It is that balanced economic growth that Commissioner Johnson referenced that helps us to achieve a healthy bottom line in terms of revenues while being able to maintain a low tax rate. If you grow the tax base then you can continue to deliver services efficiently and effectively and not break the bank and not necessarily borrow money which many local governments have gotten themselves into a lot a trouble doing. But in today's environment in terms of developing that economic base basically our employer base, whether it is industry or whether it is commercial that is the primary driver of whether someone chooses to open a business and move to Iredell County today is the consideration of available human capital. That is a work force that is educated and able to use technology to be able to work as a member of a team to be able to be adaptive and creative problem solver and to have the right values and work ethics than simply showing up on time to work, putting in an honest eight hours or whatever the expectation is. Developing that work force is critical to economic development and that workforce development is squarely in providence of our educators, whether they are K-12 or they are Mitchell Community College which is our secret weapon in this county in terms of developing skills sets and certifications to take kids from high school where many have not had an opportunity to ever have a job to be able to equip them to be able have the kind of income that enables them to be able to do what every parent wants for their children which is to have a better life than the preceding generation. A better life style and the key to that is education, but it means we have to align those educational outputs with the desired outcomes in the business community. So we are not there completely yet, but we are making great strides as Commissioner Robertson referred to. The multiple opportunities that kids, children in our school system, young adults have to be able to choose course work that inspires something inside of them that they can be passionate about. That is the key to getting kids to say, `Well, I see the relevance of all this.' That involves getting the educators out into business to see what's going on and involves getting business into the schools to be able to say, `This is what we need in the pipeline,' so that these young adults can get out and if they're not going to college which our schools systems have always prepared young men and women to go to college, but there is a group that if they weren't going to college just fell off the grid. They were just lost in the shuffle. We have to focus on those to be able to create the levels of income necessary to achieve their financial goals and objectives as well as achieve our community November 15, 2016 24 goals of having better places to eat and to shop because retail follows disposable income. If you don't have sufficient disposal income in terms of earning capacity and it's been said before that, Commissioner Johnson mentioned this, that perspective restaurants, perspective retail establishments have a formula that determines whether they open up in any given community. It is based on how many people are there and how much disposal income they have. If we are going to create the disposal income we need to have $20 an hour jobs. You don't get $20 hour jobs just walking out of high school with just skating through or not getting out of high school at all. We've got to align those two systems. They are joined at the hip. As we increase that economic activity we can maintain that low tax rate and keep more of that economic benefit in our own pockets. Finally, I'll just say that Commissioner Johnson quoted one of my favorite comments from Winston Churchill and I'll pass on another and we've seen in this last election cycle, `In stark relief a vision of a socialist America versus a vision of a capitalist America.' You know human beings haven't changed a lot and we keep relearning lessons from the past. If you don't learn from the history of the past you are condemned to repeat it. One thing that Winston Churchill said and I'll paraphrase, relative to capitalism/socialism and the relative benefits, he said the `inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal distribution of blessings. The inherent virtue of socialism is the equal distribution of misery.' NEW BUSINESS (None) COUNTY MANAGER'S REPORT (None) ADJOURNMENT OTION by Commissioner Johnson to adjourn at 9:10 PM. (The next meeting will be Monday, December 5, 2016, 10:00 AM, in the Commissioners' Meeting Room, Government Center, 200 South Center Street, Statesville, NC) VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0 Date Approved Retha C. Gaither, Clerk November 15, 2016 25