Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-05-2023 1 December 5, 2023 IREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS PRE-AGENDA SESSION December 5, 2023 The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met in pre-agenda session on Tuesday, December 5, 2023 at 4:00 PM, in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room located in the Iredell County Government Center 200 South Center Street, Statesville, NC. Board Members Present Chair Melissa Neader Vice Chair Bert Connolly Scottie Brown Gene Houpe Brad Stroud, Sr. Staff present: County Manager Beth Mull, Deputy County Manager Susan Robertson, County Attorney Lisa Valdez, Finance Director Deb Cheek, and Clerk to the Board Amy Anderson. CALL TO ORDER: Chair Neader called the meeting to order. ADJUSTMENTS TO THE AGENDA: There were no adjustments. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS Request from Iredell-Statesville Schools for approval to apply for a Needs Based Public School Capital Fund Grant. Tim Ivey requested approval to apply for a Needs Based Public School Capital Fund Grant. This is the third time ISS has applied. They have not been successful in the past. The Needs Based Public School Capital Fund Grant can award up to $42 million for an elementary school; $52 million for a middle school; $62 million for a high school. Ivey explained the grant requires a 35% match except for the new high school. The match for the high school has already been met as a part of the bond. Therefore, if awarded that grant will not require any additional funding. ISS is also applying for the New Elementary School project. A part of that match would be from the $10 million the Board has already set aside for the elementary school. If awarded, the school system would need to come up with an additional $8 million to make up the 35% match. The third grant ISS is applying for is for the Lakeshore Middle School expansion. If awarded, the funds will be used to complete the site work from a previous expansion. The property would need to be changed over to high density which will include updating the retention ponds. The 35% match is expected to be $2.8 million. This item was placed on consent. Request from ICATS for approval of a multiple year agreement with Alliance Auto Gas for propane for transit vehicles. ICATS Director Bradley Johnson requested approval of a multi- year agreement with Alliance Auto Gas for propane transit. Currently, ICATS has a propane dispensary onsite and 13 vehicles that run on propane, and has 16 more vehicles on order. Since 2 December 5, 2023 the agreement was approved in 2021, the department has seen a savings of $267,000. Johnson explained propane burns at 90% efficiency as gasoline, but it also burns cleaner than gasoline and saves a significant amount in periodic maintenance. This item was placed on consent. Request from the Finance Department for approval of a Special Revenue Grant Project Fund for the Build Ready Site Grant. Finance Director Deb Cheek requested approval of the Special Revenue Grant Project fund for the Build Ready Site Grant to allow the draw down of funds that are due to the developer. This item was placed on consent. County Construction Projects Update. A copy of the update was provide in the agenda packet. This item was placed on consent. Request from Clerk to the Board for approval of minutes from the meeting on November 21, 2023. There were no additions or corrections. This item was placed on consent. Approval of a resolution in support of a referendum to the voters regarding the structure of the Board of Commissioners. County Attorney Lisa Valdez said the current structure was set by the voters in the 1970s where the lowest vote getter receives a two-year term instead of a four- year term. Approval of the resolution would allow the referendum to be added to the March 2024 ballot. If passed, each commissioner elect would receive a four-year term. This item will be considered during the 6pm meeting. COUNTY MANAGER’S REPORT County Manager Beth Mull gave an update on the following:  Candidate filing opened Monday, December 4 and will remain open until December 15 at noon.  Primary Election is March 5, 2024 and General Election is November 5, 2024. At this time the Board entered into Closed Session. IREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MINUTES December 5, 2023 The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, December 5, 2023 at 6:00 PM, in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room of the Iredell County Government Center, 200 South Center Street, Statesville, NC. Board Members Present Chair Melissa Neader Vice Chair Bert Connolly Scottie Brown 3 December 5, 2023 Gene Houpe Brad Stroud, Sr. Staff present: County Manager Beth Mull, Deputy County Manager Susan Robertson, County Attorney Lisa Valdez, and Clerk to the Board Amy Anderson. CALL TO ORDER by Chair Neader. INVOCATION: by Commissioner Stroud. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: led by Chair Neader. ADJUSTMENTS TO THE AGENDA: County Manager Beth Mull went over the following adjustment. ADD: VIII.6 Approval of a resolution in support of a referendum to the voters regarding the structure of the Board of Commissioners. VIII.7 Election of Chair and Vice Chair. MOTION by Commissioner Stroud to approve the agenda as adjusted. VOTING: Ayes – 5; Nays – 0 SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS & RECOGNITIONS (None) APPOINTMENT BEFORE THE BOARD (None) PUBLIC HEARINGS Public hearing to consider a request from applicant Ernest Pruitt, of Pruitt Development Corp., to conditionally rezone approximately 7.08 acres along Linwood Road, limited to mini-warehouse/self-storage use. Planning Director Matthew Todd said the property is currently zoned Residential Agricultural and the applicant is requesting to rezone to Highway Business Conditional District. The conditions would limit the use to mini-storage warehousing only. Staff supports the request with the conditions as they aim to safeguard the surrounding landowners. Mooresville has planning area nearby. Several residents were present at the public input meeting and the Planning Board meeting to share concerns about outdoor storage. The Planning Board asked the applicant to consider the condition of no outdoor storage. The applicant has agreed to the condition. Chair Neader opened the public hearing. Jerry Starr, Chief of South Iredell Volunteer Fire Department, spoke about the rezoning. He said the Fire Department is not opposed to the rezoning and will be a good neighbor. He wanted to make the new owners aware of the sights, sounds, and smells that often come from the Fire Station. 4 December 5, 2023 Applicant Ernest Pruitt, 195 Mayfair Drive, spoke in favor of the rezoning. He explained he understood the job of the fire department and feels the proposed use of the property will be a great buffer for any future residential neighborhoods. Chair Neader closed the public hearing. MOTION by Commissioner Houpe to approve the zoning map and 2030 Horizon Plan amendment, and to make a finding that said approval is inconsistent with the adopted 2030 Horizon Plan, but is reasonable and in the public interest because: the site lies within close proximity to other existing non-residential uses, conditions of the request aim to maintain safeguards for the surrounding landowners, and traffic impacts should be minimal. VOTING: Ayes – 5; Nays – 0 Iredell County PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT PLANNING STAFF REPORT REZONING CASE # 2311-1 STAFF PROJECT CONTACT: Leslie M. Meadows EXPLANATION OF THE REQUEST This is a request to rezone a parcel of land along Linwood Road, approximately 7.08 acres, from Residential Agricultural (RA) to Highway Business Conditional District (HBCD). This is a conditional request that will limit the permitted HB use, as attached to the request. OWNER/APPLICANT OWNER: Betsy F. Pruitt APPLICANT: Ernest Pruitt, Pruitt Development Corp. PROPERTY INFORMATION 5 December 5, 2023 ADDRESS/LOCATION: Linwood Road (Beside South Iredell VFD). More specifically, PIN#: 4676264087.000 SURROUNDING LAND USE: While all surrounding areas are predominately Residential Agricultural in nature, the South Iredell VFD lies directly to the north and a long-standing non-residential use exist directly across the street to the west. SIZE: The total acreage to be rezoned includes approximately 7.08 acres. EXISTING LAND USE: Vacant, farmland/hay field. ZONING HISTORY: The property has been zoned, Residential Agricultural (RA) since county-wide zoning was established in 1990. OTHER JURISDICTIONAL INFORMATION: This site is considered to be entirely within the County’s jurisdiction. The property lies just far enough outside of the town limits of Mooresville that it is not projected to be within their municipal Urban Service Area at this time. Thus, no other municipality was informed of the request. OTHER SITE CHARACTERISTICS: The majority of the property is located within the regulated Coddle Creek Balance of Watershed Area (WS-II-BW). Proposed new development will be limited by the (70%) 10/70 Rule for built-upon area. Only 12% of the property could be built upon once development within the overall Coddle Creek watershed area has reached 10% at 70% impervious. Currently, the Coddle Creek Watershed remains fairly rural, allowing this site to still be developed up to 70%. The property is not located within a flood hazard zone. UTILITIES: Once developed, this site would currently be served by well and septic only. IMPACTS ON LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND/OR FACILITES TRAFFIC: According to the current CRTPO Comprehensive Transportation Plan, this portion of Linwood Road, from Teeter Road to Brumley Road, is considered an existing minor thoroughfare boulevard without need of improvement at this time. The closest and most recent NCDOT annual average daily traffic count along Linwood Road was approximately 4,100 vehicles per day in 2021. The speed limit along this section of Linwood Road is 45 mph. SCHOOLS: This is a commercial rezoning and should have no implications on local schools’ capacity. 6 December 5, 2023 EMERGENCY SERVICES: This proposal has been reviewed by the Iredell County Fire Marshal’s Office and Iredell County EMS. Neither office addressed any concerns regarding the request. REQUIRED REVIEWS BY OTHER AGENCIES LOCAL: An official site plan must be submitted to the Planning & Development Department for review in order to redesign or further develop the property. Zoning requirements such as parking, landscaping, and buffering will be reviewed at such time. Erosion & sedimentation control standards will also be reviewed for compliance. STATE: Other than building code, there should be no formal state agency review at this time. FEDERAL: None at this time. STAFF AND BOARD COMMENTS STAFF COMMENTS: The vision of the applicant, Ernest Pruitt of Pruitt Development Corp., is to design and develop a unique and aesthetically pleasing self-storage facility that will act as a desirable buffer between the fire department/training center and future residential development. The applicant has consented to a conditional rezoning; limiting the future HB use to self-storage only, and applying additional measures to be considerate of the surrounding neighborhoods. At Planning Board’s initial hearing on November 1st, 2023, the adjoining landowner to the south, while not completely in opposition, expressed concerns of aesthetics due to possible outdoor storage of RVs, boats, trailers, and the like. During his rebuttal, Mr. Pruitt indicated he was readily willing to agree to Planning Board’s recommendation of an additional condition to exclude outdoor storage on the site. Thus, the applicant is proceeding with this conditional rezoning request, that now includes an additional specific condition imposed as part of the HBCD application as follows: 1.) Permitted HB uses would be limited to the following use only: Mini-warehouse/self-storage facility. 2.) Provide 15’ Landscape Roadway Yard along Linwood Road frontage. 3.) Provide architectural designed fence along front and southern boundary, next to vacant field. 4.) Utilize building pack lighting rather than stadium lighting. 5.) No outdoor storage. While the 2030 Horizon Plan designates this property to remain Low-Density Residential, it is located next door to a volunteer fire department and is in close proximity to other existing non-residential uses. A rural commercial node may better reflect the actual existing land use in this area. Thus, planning staff can support a 2030 Horizon Plan amendment to the Rural Commercial designation for this parcel. The intent of Rural Commercial areas is that they will remain rural in character for the projected planning 7 December 5, 2023 period, and not be serviced by public utilities. Land uses appropriate within Rural Commercial areas include supporting farm services, small-scale commercial uses such as small markets, convenience stores, small neighborhood service businesses, restaurants, churches, and institutional uses. Other commercial and offices use could be permissible provided the property is rezoned to a conditional district, as in this case. The Planning staff can support the proposed rezoning request, and 2030 Plan amendment, based on the following: the site lies within close proximity to other existing non-residential uses, conditions of the request aim to maintain safeguards for the surrounding landowners, and traffic impacts should be minimal. PUBLIC INPUT MEETING: A public input meeting was held next door to the site, in the South Iredell VFD conference room, located at 651 Brumley Road, on Wednesday, September 20, 2023 starting at 5:00 pm. Approximately 8 property owners from the area were in attendance to hear the proposal and ask questions. Mr. Pruitt described the self-storage facility proposal, addressing concerns pertaining to lighting, fencing, and signage. A copy of the applicant’s summary of said public input meeting has been included at the end of this report. SITE REVIEW COMMITTEE: Staff performed a site visit on October 13, 2023, to post property and take photo documentation. Staff was accompanied by Planning Board member(s): Andy Webster and Rhonda Hoke. PLANNING BOARD ACTION: On November 1, 2023, the Planning Board held a public meeting to consider the rezoning request, which involved an additional agreed upon condition per planning board’s recommendation. An adjoining landowner was in attendance, who spoke regarding his concerns. The applicant was present for rebuttal, and agreed to the additional condition as recommended. Subsequently, the board voted unanimously, 7-0, to recommend approval of the amended rezoning application. ⁘ ⁘ ⁘ ⁘ ⁘ Public hearing to consider adoption of the 2045 Horizon Plan. County Manager Beth Mull said the proposed plan is an update to the 2030 Horizon Plan. Staff has been working with the consultant for quite some time. Various stakeholder and public engagement meetings were held throughout the process. A conscientious effort was made to take the municipalities and their adopted plans into consideration. Mooresville and Statesville recently updated plans and the consultant took those into account. Troutman and Harmony do not have adopted plans therefore staff reached out to them regarding how their Towns are growing. A copy of the draft plan has been available on the County website since July 2023. Planning Director Matthew Todd said the Board of Commissioners created a steering committee in late 2022. Todd recognized the committee members who were present and thanked them for their tremendous amount of work. Clarion & Associates Representative Leigh Anne King gave a presentation on the 2045 Horizon Plan. The plan is an update to the 2030 Horizon Plan and a long range policy guide for 8 December 5, 2023 land use planning in the community. The plan looks at future growth, development, and conservation. It also looks at the vision for the future and what the actions are to achieve that. The plan is a policy document and supports the Land Development Code. King said once the plan is adopted there is still a lot of work to be done to get it implemented through the various actions that are incorporated in the plan. The process start ed in Fall 2022 with various engagements with stakeholders. Public engagements were held in January and in August. The feedback is reflected in the proposed plan. Clarion & Associates Representative David Henning presented some of the highlights of the proposed plan. He explained the importance of rural and farmland preservation was consistently mentioned throughout the process. The plan includes an array of ideas and a conservation toolkit. There are regulatory updates recommended including the cluster subdivision ordinance to reflect best practices for farmland preservation. Henning said the County has multiple municipalities within its borders and the plan provides an educational tool, Municipal Tiered Growth Map, for anyone trying to understand the different bodies that are envisioning the future of the County. The plan also includes Employment Maps as subject for coordination. It is important to protect areas with key access to regional and national transportation for economic development. Tourism is a new focus that was not necessarily in the 2030 Plan, but is where the new constituent elements that the County is already starting to push for including greenways, parks, nature, and sports facilities. Henning went through actions to support coordination which includes further planning particularly with Harmony to develop a Utility Growth Plan and Small Area Plan. Programs and initiatives include continuing countywide economic development and recruitment, and new efforts to coordinate with various travel and tourism organizations. Henning said future land use is intensely connected to growth management and transportation. There is a future land use map that modifies the one in the 2030 plan. A part of that modification is grouping some of the existing and modified land use classifications so that there is a better understanding of everything going into the map. The plan also includes improved Future Land Use Classifications by making them more user friendly. Henning said adjustments were made to the 2030 Horizon Plan and the Future Land Use sections based on the County’s priorities including protecting natural lands and farming and considering where municipalities had changed their plans. Adjustments also included preserving space for economic development near major transportation assets. Henning said a group of citizens shared specific concerns of the I-77 and US 21 interchange. The consultants took a closer look at the area and reviewed documented comments in the discussion on the area. The comments that spoke on employment near the interchange in itself and south of Appaloosa Lane. There was some discussion on the area of Jennings Road remaining non-residential. The idea that it may remain transitional commercial which is a category buffering neighborhoods from non-residential uses is consistent with the comments that were heard. Henning also went over implementation and the accountability of the plan. Chair Neader opened the public hearing. 9 December 5, 2023 Former County Commissioner Ken Robertson spoke about the 2045 Plan. He expressed appreciation to the staff and consultant. He further recognized the Board for being ahead and moving forward with an updated plan. Robertson said attendance was low for the public engagement meetings and the less densely populated area of the County, the northern end, had the highest participation rate. Robertson urged the Board to remain true to the plan. By adopting the plan, the Board states what its intentions are and they should stick by those. Robertson said the plan has influence in areas the County controls and does not control. The municipalities have water and sewer which drives high density residential development and in turn requiring more schools. Robertson said the public should understand the plan does not cover the high density developments. Robertson attended several public engagement meetings and the number one concern he heard was the County would outgrow its current life culture mix that blends industry, residential, and agricultural. Robertson said citizens enjoy driving by corn, cotton, and canola fields. That is a part of what makes the County so unique. He said it is impossible for the Board to stop growth but they can influence the growth. The biggest inhibitor to positive and intentional growth is the County has no ability to pass any more bonds for new schools. In the last several years, Mooresville Graded School area has voted overwhelmingly for the bonds. The Iredell-Statesville Schools area did not. The only way to build schools then would be to raise taxes. Robertson urged the Board to get out in front about how they are going to influence the growth of the high density residential units in city and town limits. Robertson ended with a quote from H.L. Mencken, “For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.” Robertson said the Board is facing some real complex problems and there are no simple solutions. Cindy Sutton, 610 Nelly Green Circle, spoke on the tourism section of the 2045 Horizon Plan. Sutton serves as the Executive Director of Tourism in the Greater Statesville Area which falls under the Statesville Convention and Visitors Bureau. She has been focused on reestablishing a platform for tourism in the greater Statesville area that was dormant for 10 years prior to that because of the lack of budget. The Statesville Convention and Visitors Bureau and other tourism authorities are funded through an occupancy tax that is collected from visitor room stays. Sutton said over the last year the occupancy tax collections increased from $900,000 to $1.3 million, and are on track to collect $1.9 million this year. Sutton said Iredell County is one of eight counties that has not come together for countywide tourism. Sutton said tourism is fertilizer to economic development. She asked the Board table the item to allow time to put together a more substantial plan to drive tourism. Pritesh Nagarji, 1017 Gateway Crossing, manages ABC Investments, reiterated Sutton’s comments. He said the occupancy tax funds the marketing the plan speaks of. Occupancy tax i s generated from room nights in hotels. Nagarji asked the Board to table the matter for stakeholders to come together to see the potential of tourism and occupancy tax. Grant Hutcheson, 116 Milbros Lane, chairman of the Mooresville Convention and Visitors Bureau, asked the Board to table the matter to allow the Visitor Bureaus to align and work together as a cohesive team. 10 December 5, 2023 Jack Benyon, 263 Beaten Path, thanked everyone for their hard work on the plan. He shared concern over the lack of greenways in southern Iredell County. Chair Neader closed the public hearing. Commissioner Houpe expressed appreciation to everyone who worked on the plan and also ones who shared comments regarding the plan. The plan is a long-range plan and policy document. The Board still has the flexibility of adjusting things as requests are presented. The Board cannot control what municipalities approve within their limits and ETJ. Commissioner Houpe suggested the Board table the matter until December 19 to allow staff, legislators, and municipal leaders a chance to look at the plan again. Commissioner Brown said the plan has been available online since July and suggested moving forward with the vote tonight. Commissioner Stroud thanked Former Commissioner Robertson for his comments. Education is a huge economic driver. The State of NC has made it illegal to charge impact fees. The County is in a place where a bond was passed four years ago and the school is not out for bid. The Board has been solid in making the best economic decisions. The current board has taken a hard stance on ETJ requests but cannot control annexations. Commissioner Stroud added that it would be nice to do a better job at tourism. The Board strives to do the best they can and make the dollar go further. He expressed appreciation for everyone on the Steering Committee. Vice Chair Connolly said the County can only manage growth. Two weeks may make a difference as the speakers brought up some good points regarding tourism. Connolly supported tabling the matter until December 19 but no later. Commissioner Stroud agreed. Tabling the matter also gives a chance for newly elected officials to review the plan. Vice Chair Connolly hopes that the municipalities will include the County in controlling the growth. MOTION by Commissioner Houpe to table the matter until December 19 to allow staff time to receive additional feedback. VOTING: Ayes – 5; Nays – 0 ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS  Request from Iredell-Statesville Schools for approval to apply for a Needs Based Public School Capital Fund Grant.  Request from ICATS for approval of a multiple year agreement with Alliance Auto Gas for propane for transit vehicles. 11 December 5, 2023  Request from the Finance Department for approval of a Special Revenue Grant Project Fund for the Build Ready Site Grant.  County Construction Projects Update.  Request from Clerk to the Board for approval of minutes from the meeting on November 21, 2023. MOTION by Commissioner Stroud to approve the consent agenda. VOTING: Ayes – 5; Nays – 0 Approval of a resolution in support of a referendum to the voters regarding the structure of the Board of Commissioners. County Attorney Lisa Valdez said approving the resolution will allow the question on the ballot regarding the structure of the Board from how it was established in 1974 and directing the Clerk to the Board to forward the resolution to the Board of Elections to be placed on the primary election ballot. The structure will include to change a ll terms to four years. Terms will remain staggered. Three four-year terms in one year and two four- year terms in the following two-year cycle. If passed by the voters the process will begin in the 2026 election. Vice Chair Connolly added Iredell is one of three counties that included a two-year term. Commissioner Stroud said the Board could have requested the change be done through special legislation in Raleigh. Because the original process was put in place by the voters the Board felt the decision should be left to the voters. MOTION by Commissioner Brown to approve the resolution as presented. VOTING: Ayes – 5; Nays – 0 RESOLUTION OF THE IREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS IN SUPPORT OF A REFERENDUM TO THE VOTERS REGARDING THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOARD WHEREAS, the terms of the members of the Iredell County Board of Commissioners are currently set forth as provided in G.S. § 153A-58(2)(d) in that the Board consists “of an odd number of members, who are elected for a combination of four-and two-year terms of office, so that a majority of members is elected each two years”; and WHEREAS, this current structure, which has the two candidates with the highest vote total elected for four-year terms and the candidate with the third highest votes elected for a two-year term, was proposed and put forth to the voters by referendum in the November 5, 1974 election; and WHEREAS, the referendum of the November 5, 1974 election resulted in 10,098 Iredell County votes in favor of changing to this current structure beginning in the 1976 election; and WHEREAS, a majority of the current members of the Board of Commissioners believe it is in the best interest of the citizens of Iredell County to change the structure of the Board so that all terms are four years and overlapping for continuity as set forth in G.S. § 153A-58(2)(c), provided the question is put forth to the voters, having made the change to the current structure in 1976. 12 December 5, 2023 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Commissioners request or otherwise direct the initiation of a change in the structure of the Board of Commissioners as follows: 1. The Board calls for a special election to be conducted by the Iredell County Board of Elections in accordance with G.S. § 163-287. The special election shall be held on March 5, 2024 with the ballot questions as follows: PROPOSED BALLOT QUESTION AS TO THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS COUNTY OF IREDELL, NORTH CAROLINA MARCH 5, 2024 REFERENDUM Shall the structure of the Board of Commissioners be altered so that members of the Board of Commissioners are elected for overlapping four-year terms in accordance with G.S. § 153A-58(2)(c). [ ] YES [ ] NO 2. If so passed by the voters of Iredell County, it shall be effective with the general election occurring in November of 2026 and the Board of Commissioner seats to be filled during said election. As explanation, three seats will be up for election in November of 2026 and the three candidates with the highest votes will each have a four-year term; further, two seats will be up for election in November of 2028 and the two candidates with the highest votes will each have a four-year term. When three seats are again up for election in November of 2030, the candidates with the three highest votes will each have a four-year term. 3. Upon adoption, the Clerk to the Board is directed to publish this resolution in full and promptly deliver this resolution to the Iredell County Board of Elections. Election of Chair and Vice Chair. Mull said the Board’s Rules of Procedures call for annual consideration of Chair and Vice Chair. Chair Neader relinquished position to Manager Mull to conduct the election. Mull asked for a nomination for Chair. MOTION by Commissioner Houpe to nominate and leave in place current Chair Melissa Neader and Vice Chair Bert Connolly and it be approved by acclamation. VOTING Ayes – 5; Nays – 0 ANNOUNCEMENT OF VACANCIES OCCURRING ON BOARDS & COMMISSIONS Planning Board – 1 appointment This vacancy is created by Chris Carney’s resignation. Carney was recently elected as Mooresville Mayor. Anyone wishing to apply can obtain an application online or through the Clerk to the Board. 13 December 5, 2023 APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS & COMMISSIONS Board of Health - 1 appointment Kathleen Wolfe and Cheryl Pletcher have volunteered to serve for the first time. Commissioner Houpe asked Clerk to the Board to work with Pletcher regarding other boards and committees on which she may be interested in serving. MOTION by Commissioner Houpe to appoint Kathleen Wolfe to serve on the Board of Health. VOTING Ayes – 5; Nays – 0 Home & Community Care Block Grant - 1 appointment Karen Wilson has volunteered to serve for the first time. MOTION by Commissioner Stroud to appoint Karen Wilson to serve on the Home & Community Care Block Grant. VOTING Ayes – 5; Nays – 0 Zoning Board of Adjustment - 2 appointments David Aman and Bob Dellinger have volunteered to serve again. MOTION by Commissioner Houpe to reappoint David Aman and Bob Dellinger to serve on the Board of Adjustment. VOTING Ayes – 5; Nays – 0 UNFINISHED BUSINESS (None) PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD (None) COMMISSIONER COMMENTS & UPDATES Commissioner Brown recognized the newly elected Mayor of Harmony and two council members in attendance. Commissioner Houpe attended the Town of Mooresville Organizational Meeting on Monday, December 4, 2023. 14 December 5, 2023 Chair Neader recently attended the Iredell Search and Rescue’s Awards Banquet. NEW BUSINESS (None) COUNTY MANAGER’S REPORT County Manager Beth Mull gave an update on the following:  Candidate filing is open until December 15 at noon.  Primary Election is March 5, 2024 and General Election is November 5, 2024. CLOSED SESSION The Board held a Closed Session prior to the regular meeting and there is one item to report. MOTION by Commissioner Houpe to call for a public hearing on December 19, 2023 at 6pm regarding an economic development incentive of $33,273 over a five-year period, for Project Royal based on a $3,250,000 investment. VOTING Ayes – 5; Nays – 0 ADJOURNMENT MOTION by Commissioner Brown to adjourn at 7:31pm. The next regular meeting is Tuesday, December 19, 2023 at 6pm in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room, Government Center, 200 South Center Street, Statesville, NC. VOTING Ayes – 5; Nays – 0 __________________________________ ___________________________________ Date Approved Amy B. Anderson, Clerk