MINUTES
WATAUGA COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2003
The Watauga County Board of Commissioners held a regular meeting on Tuesday, November 18, 2003, at 7:00 P.M. in the Board Room of the Watauga County Courthouse.
PRESENT: James Coffey, Chairman
Jimmy Hodges, Vice-Chairman
David Blust, Commissioner
Keith Honeycutt, Commissioner
Allen Trivette, Commissioner
Rebecca Eggers-Gryder, County Attorney
Robert E. Nelson, Jr., County Manager
Deron Geouque, Assistant County Manager
Anita Fogle, Clerk to the Board
Chairman Coffey called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. welcoming those in attendance.
A moment of silence was observed.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Chairman Coffey called for additions and/or corrections to the November 3, 2003, regular meeting minutes.
Commissioner Honeycutt, seconded by Vice-Chairman Hodges, moved to approve the November 3, 2003 regular meeting minutes as presented.
VOTE: Aye-5
Nay-0
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Chairman Coffey called for additions and/or corrections to the November 18, 2003, agenda.
County Manager Nelson requested to add two items to the agenda. First, a brush grinding contract bid award recommendation under Miscellaneous Administrative Matters and, second, the first reading of an appointment, to fill an unexpired term, to the Watauga County Board of Adjustment, under Boards and Commissions.
Vice-Chairman Hodges, seconded by Commissioner Blust, moved to approve the November 18, 2003, agenda as amended.
VOTE: Aye-5
Nay-0
“I-HAVE-A-DREAM WEEK” PROCLAMATION REQUEST
Ms. Mary Gray, Co-Chair of the I Have A Dream Task Force, presented a proposed proclamation for January 17-25, 2004, as “I-Have-A-Dream Week” in Watauga County. The purpose of the proclamation was to celebrate the diversity of the people of Watauga County and to discourage prejudice and discrimination. Ms. Gray read the proclamation.
Commissioner Blust, seconded by Commissioner Trivette, moved to proclaim the week of January 17-25, 2004, as “I-Have-A-Dream Week” in Watauga County.
VOTE: Aye-5
Nay-0
SUBDIVISION PERFORMANCE GUARANTEES
Mr. Joe Furman, Planning and Inspections Director, presented a Subdivision Performance Guarantee from High Country Bank for Green Valley Townhomes Phase I and a Subdivision Performance Guarantee from BB&T for Dream Forest Estates. Mr. Furman stated that the guarantees were for paving.
Vice-Chairman Hodges, seconded by Commissioner Blust, moved to approve the subdivision performance guarantees as presented by Mr. Furman.
VOTE: Aye-5
Nay-0
DRAFT ORDINANCE DISCUSSION
County Attorney Eggers-Gryder stated that the Board had made some changes to the most recent drafts of the four ordinances relating to solid waste and junked vehicles at their October 28, 2003, work session. Mr. Joe Furman reviewed those changes.
Discussion ensued regarding the enforcement of and an effective date for the ordinances.
The Board directed staff to draft the ordinances relating to solid waste and junked vehicles to be enforced as in the currently adopted ordinances. The Ordinance to Regulate Junkyards & Junked or Abandoned Motor Vehicles was enforced by Brent Graybeal in the Planning and Inspections Department and The Solid Waste Ordinance was enforced by Animal Control which was supervised by the Sanitation Department.
The Board directed staff to present the above changes to them in January of 2004.
POLITICAL SIGN DISCUSSION
Commissioner Blust requested time to discuss possible regulations regarding time limitations to and the placement of political signs.
After discussion the Board, by consensus, directed the County Attorney, County Manager, and Planning and Inspections Director to work on a draft restricting the placement of political signs in Watauga County to sixty (60) days before the election of which the signs relate.
MISCELLANEOUS ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
A. Brush Grinding Contract Bid Award Request – County Manager Nelson reviewed bids for brush grinding at the Watauga County Landfill. The following three proposals were received:
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Vendor
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Bid Amount
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J.W. Hampton
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$20,000.00
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D.R. Banks Inc.
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$15,000.00
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Target Contracting Inc.
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$13,437.50
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The County Manager stated that Mr. J.V. Potter had recommended awarding the bid to Target Contracting, the low bidder, in the amount of $13,437.50. County Manager Nelson stated that at execution, the actual payment/contract amount would be more due to the amount of brush and wood that was collected prior to the start of grinding, in addition to the amount that was present when the bids were solicited. Additional tonnage was to be prorated at the contracted rate.
Vice-Chairman Hodges, seconded by Commissioner Blust, moved to award the brush grinding contract to Target Contracting as presented by the County Manager and contingent upon the County Attorney’s review.
VOTE: Aye-5
Nay-0
B. SECU ATM Proposal – County Manager Nelson reviewed a draft lease agreement to place a State Employees Credit Union (SECU) ATM on County property at the Human Services complex as was discussed at the October 21, 2003, Board meeting. At that meeting there was some discussion regarding the amount of liability coverage available. According to Mike Salzano, SECU, the Credit Union had an additional blanket liability insurance policy that would cover the ATM leased location. The County Manager stated that the SECU also requested an option to extend the lease for three additional three-year terms with increases per month to $325 in the second renewal period and $350 in the third renewal period.
The Board directed the Manager to negotiate revisions to the draft contract as follows:
· The contract be for three years with the first year’s monthly rate payable to Watauga County at $300, the second year at $325 per month, and the third year at $350 per month.
· The contract include an option for renewal at the end of the three year contract with rates to be negotiable at that time.
· The contract include an option for Watauga County to end the contract.
· The contract state that the SECU be responsible for returning the parking lot to its original state upon removal of the ATM kiosk.
C. Department of Transportation Sewer Request – County Manager Nelson stated that the Department of Transportation had requested approval from the County to obtain a sewer tap that was to utilize the pump station as located on the DOT owned prison camp property currently leased by the County. The purpose was to furnish a bathroom in the DOT building on their site adjacent to the property leased by the County. The DOT was to bear the expense and obtain necessary approval from the Town of Boone.
Commissioner Trivette, seconded by Commissioner Honeycutt, moved to allow DOT to obtain a tap utilizing the County’s leased pump station as presented by the County Manager.
VOTE: Aye-5
Nay-0
D. Discussion of Annual Pre-Budget Retreat – County Manager Nelson stated that it was time for the fiscal year 2005 Pre-Budget Retreat planning. As the retreat has been traditionally scheduled on a Friday night from 6:00 P.M. till 10:00 P.M. and the following Saturday morning from 8:00 A.M. till 12:00 noon, the County Manager requested that the Retreat be scheduled for either February 20 & 21 or February 27&28, 2004. The Manager also requested that topics for Retreat discussion be forwarded to him. No Board action was required at this time.
E. December Meeting Schedule – County Manager Nelson announced that traditionally the Board had cancelled the second regularly scheduled meeting in December due to the holiday season and the anticipated lighter workload, however; a bid recommendation was to be prepared for Board action by December 8, 2003.
By consensus, the Board agreed to reschedule the first meeting in December (regularly scheduled for December 1, 2003) to the following Monday, December 8, 2003, at 9:00 A.M. and to cancel the second meeting originally scheduled for December 16, 2003.
F. Boards and Commissions – County Manager Nelson stated that the Watauga Medical Center Board of Trustees had submitted eight names (Sam Adams, Lynn Castle, Graydon Eggers, Mary Hall, Joe Miller, Bill Moretz, Larry Nance, and Jan Winkler) to fill four vacancies on their Board. As this was the second reading, the following votes were taken:
Chairman Coffey – Lynn Castle, Graydon Eggers, Bill Moretz, and Jan Winkler
Vice-Chairman Hodges – Lynn Castle, Graydon Eggers, Bill Moretz, and Jan Winkler
Commissioner Blust – Lynn Castle, Graydon Eggers, Bill Moretz, and Jan Winkler
Commissioner Honeycutt – Lynn Castle, Graydon Eggers, Bill Moretz, and Jan Winkler
Commissioner Trivette – Sam Adams, Lynn Castle, Graydon Eggers, and Joe Miller
Based upon the results of the vote, the Clerk to the Board announced that Lynn Castle, Graydon Eggers, Bill Moretz, and Jan Winkler were appointed as members of the Watauga Medical Center Board of Trustees.
The County Manager gave a first reading of a recommendation for the Council on the Status of Women.
The County Manager gave a first reading of an un-expired vacancy on the Watauga County Board of Adjustment. This appointment was to expire November 2005.
G. Announcements – County Manager Nelson announced upcoming events.
RECESS
Chairman Coffey called for a brief recess with the meeting reconvening at 8:17 P.M.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Mr. Howard Auton spoke during public comment.
JOINT WORK SESSION WITH THE WATAUGACOUNTY PLANNING BOARD
The following Planning Board members were present for the joint work session: Ric Mattar, Weldon Critcher, Tommy Harmon, Tom Foxx, John Thomas, and Jack Simpson. Jimmy Warren, Property Development Coordinator II, with the Watauga County Planning and Inspections Department was also present.
Mr. Joe Furman reviewed the draft Ordinance to Govern Subdivisions and Multi-Unit Structures in detail by explaining the reasoning for each proposed amendment.
After Mr. Furman’s presentation, and discussion of additional changes to the draft ordinance, the Board agreed, by consensus, to schedule a public hearing to allow for public input on the Draft Amended Ordinance to Govern Subdivisions and Multi-Unit Structures at the Tuesday, January 20, 2004, Board meeting at 7:00 P.M.
ADJOURN
Commissioner Honeycutt, seconded by Commissioner Blust, moved to adjourn the meeting at 9:21 P.M.
VOTE: Aye-5
Nay-0
James Coffey, Chairman
ATTEST:
Anita J. Fogle, Clerk to the Board