HomeMy WebLinkAboutJune 4 2002 Briefing MinutesIREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
BRIEFING MINUTES
JUNE 4, 2002
The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met in Briefing Session on Tuesday,
June 4, 2002, at 5:00 p.m., in the Iredell County Government Center, 200 South Center
Street, Statesville, NC.
Present: Chairman Sara Haire Tice
Vice Chairman Karen B. Ray
Tommy E. Bowles
Steve D. Johnson
R. Godfrey Williams
Staff Present: County Manager Joel Mashburn, County Attorney Bill Pope,
Finance Director Susan Blumenstein, Planning Supervisor Ron Smith, EMS Director
Tracy Jackson, Library Director Steve Messick, Assistant Jail Supervisor Terry Beck,
Support Services Director Jim Vernon, and Clerk to the Board Jean Moore.
CALL TO ORDER by Chairman Tice.
Case No. 0205-1: Request from Mary W. & C. Charles Dalton for an
Amendment to the Iredell County Land Development Plan and to Rezone Property
from Residential Agricultural & General Business Conditional Use District to
General Business Conditional Use District (Location: 2110 Statesville Hwy.,
Mooresville, NC) Planning Supervisor Smith said the planning board on May 1, 2002
voted to deny Mr. & Mrs. Dalton's request for the General Business (CUD) zoning. He
said the conditions shared with the planning board were: no internally lighted signs
allowed on the property and a 36 square foot maximum sign copy area. Smith said the
traffic capacity for the area was 12,000 vehicles per day and it had already reached this
number. In addition, Smith said the tracts were not located in an existing commercial
node, but they were on a major thoroughfare. Mr. Smith said the planning staff did not
feel the GB(CUD) zoning was appropriate for the property. He said the staff preferred
Neighborhood Business for the site, but the applicants were not in agreement. Smith
said the property was near a residential section, and the staff had received telephone
inquiries/concerns from the residents.
Mr. Smith said that if the rezoning request were denied by the board of county
commissioners, the applicant would not be able to reapply (same request) for two years.
He said that if the applicants withdrew their request before the commissioners heard the
case, they could apply for a different type of rezoning in six months.
In reference to Case No. 0205-2: Request from David G. & Rosetta J.
Martin, Smith said the request was in compliance with the standards of the Exit 42
study, and the staff and planning board recommended approval.
Carl Duncan, Chief Juvenile Court Counselor, speaks in reference to
VisionsWork, Inc.: Duncan said the juvenile court counselors typically had 100 active
cases at any given period of time. He said 19 juveniles were currently enrolled in the
VisionsWork program. Duncan said the legislature had "sanctioned" or approved day
reporting centers as being acceptable dispositional alternatives for juvenile judges. He
said that prior to the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 1999, many juveniles were being
sent to training schools, but the admission rate had now decreased. Mr. Duncan said that
all of the programs being funded with juvenile justice funds in Iredell County were
beneficial, and he would regret to lose any of them.
Commissioner Ray asked what the level of sentencing was for day reporting
centers.
Duncan gave the following information:
Level I - purely community-based agencies or resources
Level II - court sanctioned programs (juvenile day reporting centers, electronic
monitoring and intensive probation)
Level III - training schools
center.
Commissioner Bowles asked if another agency could provide the day reporting
Duncan said he was not aware of another local agency that could.
Commissioner Ray asked how many employees worked at VisionsWork in Iredell
County.
Duncan said a half a dozen.
Commissioner Johnson said the board members understood the need for the
reporting center, but there were concerns about its management. He said that as elected
officials the board members were stewards of the taxpayers' money. Johnson said the
individuals serving on the VisionsWork Board of Directors were not elected officials.
Commissioner Ray asked if the youth could be placed on electronic monitoring if
the VisionsWork program was eliminated.
Duncan said there was a possibly the state might discontinue the monitoring due
to the shortage of funds. He said intensive probation could be used.
Commissioner Ray asked Mr. Duncan if he had any concerns about the
management, or about the way the program had been operated.
Mr. Duncan said he was only aware of the sabbatical issue and the cell phone
matter.
Commissioner Williams asked why the juveniles were not sent to one of the
alternative schools operated by the school systems.
Commissioner Ray said the judges sentenced the youth to the day reporting
centers. She said the school systems selected the youth for the alternative schools. Mrs.
Ray asked about attendance percentages at VisionsWork. She requested this information
based on the number of clients who were supposed to be at the center and their
attendance.
No action occurred on VisionsWork's request for approval of the second year
funding from the Governor's Crime Commission (total budget $193,682) and the $25,000
in juvenile justice funding. The county manager said he would check to see if the county
had options regarding the Governor's Crime Commission funding.
Request for Approval of Budget Amendment #51 for an Agreement with
Southern Energy Corporation for an Energy Cost Reduction Program: Support
Services Director Jim Vernon requested approval of a program designed to lower energy
costs for the administrative annex, the library, health department building, and the social
services building. Vernon said "peak demand and usage controllers" would be installed
to aid in reducing heating and cooling costs. He said the devices would be installed free
of charge and the system would pay for itself. Vernon said the company estimated a year
end total savings of $34,122.
Finance Director Blumenstein said she would encumber $13,000. (This will pay
the initial start up cost of $6,500 and the $6,500 due September 1. The company
guarantees the county's investment will be recouped in one year, or less, or it will refund
the difference.)
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Request from the Iredell-Statesville School System Regarding First Refusal
Rights on the Following Properties: (1) Lakeshore School Road Property (19.5
acres-PIN#4638-82-0584) (2) Salisbury Road/Wayside School Property
Approximately 9 acres-PIN#4763-04-7575) (3) Cochran Street Property (10 acres-
PIN#4734-51-9285): County Manager Mashburn said the school system desired to
dispose of the properties and the commissioners had the right of first refusal at the
appraised values. The county manager said he could not think of any short term or long
term uses for the properties.
ADJOURNMENT: Chairman Tice adjourned the briefing at 6:35 p.m.
Approval:
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Clerk to the Board