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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-16-2024 1 April 16, 2024 IREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS PRE-AGENDA SESSION April 16, 2024 The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met in pre-agenda session on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, 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: County Manager Beth Mull went over the following adjustments: ADD: Property Acquisition under Closed Session ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS Request from Iredell County Rescue Squad for approval to borrow $72,000 from the Fire/Rescue Small Loan Program with a payment period of 24 months to pay for emergency septic repairs at their facility. Kent Greene explained that Iredell Rescue is requesting $72,000 from the Fire/Rescue Small Loan Program with a payment period of 24 months for sewer repairs. The septic system was completely replaced. Commissioner Houpe said the request is reasonable due to the circumstances. Chair Neader asked if the project was complete. Greene said yes. Commissioner Brown said the Board approved a previous loan for 24 months. Mull said yes, for Wilkes-Iredell. She asked the Board to keep in mind that the funds need to be repaid by December 31, 2026. Greene provided a tracking sheet for current loans. 2 April 16, 2024 This item was placed on consent. Request from Animal Services for approval of Budget Amendment #37 to accept a grant from Petco Love in the amount of $30,000 to help support lifesaving programs. Animal Services Director Kristian Hernandez requested approval of Budget Amendment #37 to accept a grant from Petco Love in the amount of $30,000; $10,000 would go to supporting the the last phase of the Trap Neuter Return (TNP) program, $10,000 would go to animal rescue groups to establish their own TNR programs, $5,000 would go to provide microchip stations around the county, and $5,000 would go towards targeted spay-neuter of bully breed dogs in the County. Chair Neader asked about bully breeds. Hernandez said the department has seen a large increase in bully breeds; which is any dog that resembles a pit bull. Commissioner Brown asked if the grant rquires a match. Hernandez said no. Chair Neader expressed appreciation to Hernandez for locating grants. This item was placed on consent. Request from Parks & Recreation for approval to apply for a grant from the Statesville Rotary. Parks & Recreation Director Tate Osborne requested approval to apply for a grant in the amount of $5,000 from the Statesville Rotary. The funds will be used to repaint games and activities (tic-tac-toe, hopscotch, etc.) on the sidewalk at Scott Rosenwald. Osborne noted the grant is non-matching. Chair Neader asked Osborne if he had presented the idea to Stateville Rotary. Osborne said not yet. Chair Neader complimented Osborne for such a creative idea. This item was placed on consent. Request from the Health Department for approval to sign Pitney Bowes postage rental lease agreement. Jessica Ridgway requested approval of a Pitney Bowes postage rental five-year lease agreement. She said the current postage meter at the Mooresville office is going out of compliance with Federal Regulations. County Attorney Lisa Valdez said the lease agreement is in the cooperative. This item was placed on consent. 3 April 16, 2024 Request from Mooresville Graded School District for approval to amend the Selma Burke Middle School capital project ordinance by transferring funds within the project. Finance Director Deb Cheek requested approval to amend the Selma Burke Middle School capital project ordinance by transferring funds within the project. Mooresville Graded Schools is finishing up the Selma Burke Middle School project and approval of the request will take the residual funds that are different lines in the project ordinance and move them to one line to help the school system complete the project. Commissioner Brown asked if the County holds money back for subcontractors. Cheek said yes. There is retainage on the contract. Mull noted the County does not decide whether or not the subcontractors are paid. The money is held until the school system requests the funds. This item was placed on consent. Request from the Finance Department for approval to amend the American Rescue Plan Act Grant Ordinance to purchase iPads as part of the telemedicine project. Finance Director Deb Cheek requested approval to amend the American Rescue Plan Act Grant Ordinance to purchase iPads for the telemedicine project. Cheek explained that the request is an accounting cleanup as when the iPads were purchased for the project they were less than $1,000 which puts the purchase into a different category. This item was placed on consent. Request from the Finance Department for approval of Budget Amendment #38 to transfer unused Juvenile Crime Prevention Council administration funds to Children's Hope Alliance to purchase therapeutic supplies. Finance Director Deb Cheek requested approval of Budget Amendment #38 to transfer unused Juvenile Crime Prevention Council (JCPC) administration funds to Children's Hope Alliance to purchase therapeutic supplies. At their last meeting, JCPC opened up excess administrative funds in the amount of $2,000 to programs and Children’s Hope Alliance can use the funds to purchase therapeutic supplies. This item was placed on consent. Regional Events Center Master Plan Phase 1 recommendation. County Manager Beth Mull said the consultant is still working to finalize the draft of the Fairgrounds Master Plan which will be a Regional Events Center once it is completed. A conceptual thought of Phase 1 was available on the dais. Mull said since the property is still used for various events there was a very methodical approach how to continue to use the property and also start the various phases of building on the site. Mull went through the conceptual drawing. Mull noted the County has drawn down the $10 million from the State and has $6 million earmarked for the fairgrounds. She said the initial thought for Phase 1 was the arena and exhibit hall/offices. However the total of those plus the cost of the site work will go over the $16 million 4 April 16, 2024 budget. Mull said another important piece is the Agricultural Center. She said the County can continue to use the existing arena and look to build the Agricultural Center. The center will be used as an indoor multi-purpose agricultural facility with roll up doors. The center could hold indoor farmers market, indoor exhibits, trade shows, etc. Mull said the Board could move forward with the Agricultural Center instead of the arena and exhibit hall/offices along with the site work. The agricultural center would be within the budget. Commissioner Houpe asked for a breakdown of cost for each project. Mull said the breakdown of cost will be available in the final draft of the plan. She noted the u-shape piece of property on the map that is labled ‘agricultural center’ does not require a large amount of site work. Mull said the Board would like to move forward with the funding available and not disrupt the rest of the site that is a piece of property that is currently vacant. She said the Board could opt to move forward with the agricultural center in order to start using the facility and start general activity and revenue. Commissioner Houpe said there was a recent article regarding a potential hotel on the fairgrounds property. Mull said these are ideas from the consultant; it is the Board’s decision on how to move forward. The consultant said the County could lease the front corner of the property to a hotel company and allow them to build and operate a hotel. The County would not build a hotel. It would be a revenue generator. If the Board would like to move forward with a Regional Events Center the hotel would serve the center however, it does not need to be the first thing constructed. Commissioner Houpe clarified that the County is not building a hotel. Mull said the hotel was one of the options and ideas for revenue generation. Commissioner Houpe would like to know how much site work is required for each project. Mull suggested the site work also be phased in because there are events already scheduled at the fairgrounds. Also, the County does not have the funding to do the project at one time, similar to Jennings Park. She added buildings and structures can be dropped in fairly quickly without a lot of site work. Commissioner Brown asked if the agricultural center can pay for phase 2. Mull said it could. The space can be used for indoor volleyball tournaments and etc. Chair Neader said the current arena will still be available. Commissioner Brown said the arena is too small to use for rodeos and horse pulls. Commissioner Stroud asked if there is a list of the potential revenue from the different phases. 5 April 16, 2024 Mull said it depends on the type of events held and how the County will move forward. She added those numbers will be available in the final master plan. Vice Chair Connolly shared he has an idea and is running some numbers. He will present the idea to the Board at the 6pm meeting. The County prides itself on agricultural and the project should be steered that way. The Board agreed to continue the discussion during the 6pm Regular Meeting. Request from Tax Administration for approval of the March 2024 Releases. This item was placed on consent. Request from Clerk to the Board for approval of the minutes from the meetings on March 18 & 19, and April 2. There were no additions or corrections. This item was placed on consent. COUNTY MANAGER’S REPORT County Manager Beth Mull gave an update on the following: • Second Republican Primary Election is May 14th for the Lt. Governor and Auditor races. Early voting begins April 25 – May 11. The only site for early voting is Board of Elections on Stockton Street. At this time, Chair Neader moved to Closed Session including matters related to litigation against Iredell County by Plaintiffs GRANT LAWRENCE, CONSTANCE HOLDINGS, LLC; STARSAIL ADVENTURES, LLC, CAROLINA DESTINATIONS, LLC, AND AVANTSTAY SOUTHEAST. IREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MINUTES April 16, 2024 The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, 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 Gene Houpe Brad Stroud, Sr. 6 April 16, 2024 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 Vice Chair Connolly. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: led by Chair Neader. ADJUSTMENTS TO THE AGENDA: County Manager Beth Mull went over the following adjustment: ADD: Property Acquisition under Closed Session MOTION by Commissioner Brown to approve the consent agenda. VOTING: Ayes – 5; Nays – 0 SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS & RECOGNITIONS (None) APPOINTMENT BEFORE THE BOARD (None) PUBLIC HEARINGS (None) ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS • Request from Iredell County Rescue Squad for approval to borrow $72,000 from the Fire/Rescue Small Loan Program with a payment period of 24 months to pay for emergency septic repairs at their facility. • Request from Animal Services for approval of Budget Amendment #37 to accept a grant from Petco Love in the amount of $30,000 to help support lifesaving programs. • Request from Parks & Recreation for approval to apply for a grant from the Statesville Rotary in the amount of $5,000. There is no match for the grant. • Request from the Health Department for approval to sign Pitney Bowes postage rental lease agreement. This is a five-year lease agreement. • Request from Mooresville Graded School District for approval to amend the Selma Burke Middle School capital project ordinance by transferring funds within the project. • Request from the Finance Department for approval to amend the American Rescue Plan Act Grant Ordinance to purchase iPads as part of the telemedicine project. • Request from the Finance Department for approval of Budget Amendment #38 to transfer unused Juvenile Crime Prevention Council administration funds to Children's Hope Alliance to purchase therapeutic supplies. • Request from Tax Administration for approval of the March 2024 Releases. 7 April 16, 2024 • Request from Clerk to the Board for approval of the minutes from the meetings on March 18 & 19, and April 2. MOTION by Commissioner Stroud to approve the consent agenda. VOTING: Ayes – 5; Nays – 0 Regional Events Center Master Plan Phase 1 recommendation. County Manager Beth Mull said a consultant is working on a Master Plan Design. Currently, the County has $10 million allocated from the State and another $6 million the County set aside for a total of $16 million. The consultant has been asked about a phasing approach to the project using the $16 million to get started. The Board discussed this matter during the pre-agenda meeting which Mull asked the Board to consider the agricultural center which is a large open facility with roll up doors. The center could hold indoor farmers market, indoor exhibits, trade shows, fair vendors, etc. She noted Parks & Recreation could also rent out the facility. Vice Chair Connolly said agricultural is the backdrop of the County. He feels the agricultural center would fit the County’s needs. Commissioner Houpe said when the final numbers are available the Board will have a better idea of options moving forward. Past and present boards have intentionally promoted agricultural. The agricultural center will provide the ability to grow the Regional Events Center project as revenues grow. The State provided $10 million for the project and the County set aside $6 million. The Board has slowed down projects in order to look at mandated services but it is necessary to move forward so the money is not d rawn back. It’s also difficult for legislators to advocate for additional funds if the County has not moved forward with the current funding. Commissioner Stroud is good with Vice Chair Connolly’s idea. Commissioner Brown said Iredell County is the number one dairy county in the State. The fairground property is going to become so much more than ‘just a fairground.’ Commissioner Brown wished to move forward with Phase 1 but the Board agreed to disagree. Commissioner Stroud added that some of the buildings may be fixed up before the agricultural fair in September. MOTION by Vice Chair Connolly to approve the County Manager to proceed with an Agricultural Center, improvements upon existing parking lots, improvements upon existing buildings, and an outside farmers market with a drive-up vendor-type setup on the Iredell County Fairground property, not to exceed $16 million ($10 million of state funds and $6 million of county funds.) VOTING: Ayes – 5; Nays – 0 Vice Chair Connolly would be in favor of the project moving even further if the State allocates more funding. ANNOUNCEMENT OF VACANCIES OCCURRING ON BOARDS & COMMISSIONS 8 April 16, 2024 (None) APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS & COMMISSIONS (None) UNFINISHED BUSINESS (None) PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD Matt Isaack, 697 Normandy Road, apoke about short-term rentals and the effects they had on his neighborhood. Qualities of a good neighbor include friendly, respectful, quiet, clean, helpful, mature, trustworthy, discreet, aim to socialize with neighbors, often extend help to neighbors, build a sense of security with neighbors, keep house looking nice, make yourself more available, offer to be a listening ear, and be familiar with one another that's what makes a neighborhood a better neighborhood and good neighbors better neighbors. Issac submitted a petition with 150 signatures. He read the following from the petition, “We believe a neighborhood has its best chance to be the best it can be when a vast majority of the houses are lived in by full- time year-round residents. The best situation for neighborhood is that all the houses are lived in by the owner or a year-round renter. Short-term rental houses take away from a neighborhood's ability to be the best neighborhood possible. Problems such as loud noise, rude people, ignoring wake zones on the lake, and speeding in neighborhoods are all very important and detrimental to an effort to be a good neighborhood. These are truly symptoms of the real problem. We believe the short-term rental industry in Iredell County needs to be regulated by smart common sense regulations that favor full-time residents in which do not allow short-term rental houses in areas which are zoned for single family residences. Isaack asked for assistance to correct what is destroying truly their neighborhood. Tom Snyder, 237 Sundance Circle, complimented the Board for the good discussion on the fairground property. There are a lot of structures that can be resused. He said the Board seems to be looking at the big picture and saving the tax payers money. Snyder shared that at the last commissioners’ meeting there was a staff member who was unable to answer a couple of questions. He suggested that staff have all the information available so the Board can make informed decisions. Jack Benyon, 263 Beaten Path Road, offered to speak with anyone who would like to more information regarding the issues with the short-term rentals. Commissioner Houpe thanked the speakers for their comments. Commissioner Houpe understands the neighbors’ frustrations. He said the short-term rental owners would be better neighbors by enforcing rules and regulations. Commissioner Brown mentioned the importance of protecting Lake Norman. Commissioner Stroud expressed appreciation for the group’s attendance. 9 April 16, 2024 Chair Neader said being a good neighbor should be continuous. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS & UPDATES Chair Neader and Commissioner Stroud recently attended a tour at Southern Distilling. They complimented the collaboration between the business and local farmers. Chair Neader said Child Abuse Prevention Month continues through the month of April. Commissioner Houpe said that Iredell County is second in the most loss of farmland and NC is second in the United States. NEW BUSINESS (None) COUNTY MANAGER’S REPORT County Manager Beth Mull gave an update on the following: • Second Republican Primary Election is May 14th for the Lt. Governor and Auditor races. Early voting begins April 25 – May 11. The only site for early voting is Board of Elections on Stockton Street. CLOSED SESSION The Board held a Closed Session before the 6pm meeting and there were no action items to report. ADJOURNMENT MOTION by Commissioner Brown to adjourn at 6:41pm. The next regular meeting is Tuesday, May 7, 2024, 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