MINUTES
WATAUGA COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2004
The Watauga County Board of Commissioners held a regular meeting on Tuesday, June 22, 2004, 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
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 7:01 P.M. welcoming those in attendance.
Chairman Coffey announced that Commissioner Honeycutt was out of town and therefore would not be in attendance.
A moment of silence was observed.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Chairman Coffey called for additions and/or corrections to the June 7, 2004, regular meeting and closed session minutes.
Commissioner Blust, seconded by Vice-Chairman Hodges, moved to approve the June 7, 2004, regular meeting and closed session minutes as presented.
VOTE: Aye-4(Coffey, Hodges, Blust, Trivette)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Honeycutt)
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Chairman Coffey called for additions and/or corrections to the June 22, 2004, agenda.
County Manager Nelson requested to add, under Miscellaneous Administrative Matters, a report on Worker’s Comp to be presented by Assistant County Manager Geouque.
Commissioner Trivette, seconded by Commissioner Blust, moved to approve the June 22, 2004, agenda as amended.
VOTE: Aye-4(Coffey, Hodges, Blust, Trivette)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Honeycutt)
PUBLIC HEARING – CABLE RATE INCREASES
Chairman Coffey declared a public hearing open at 7:03 P.M. to allow citizen input regarding the recent cable rate increases by Charter Communications.
Mr. Tony Barlage, Director of Charter Communications, was present to hear public comments regarding the recent rate increases. Mr. Barlage answered several questions from the Board regarding the increases.
Ms. Vicky Hurley shared concerns regarding Charter Communications.
There being no further public comment, Chairman Coffey declared the public hearing closed at 7:22 P.M.
Board action was not required and therefore, none was taken.
WATAUGACOUNTY COURTHOUSE ADDITION UPDATE
Mr. Jack Hemphill discussed the planned addition to the Watauga County Courthouse. At a previous meeting, Mr. Hemphill was directed to plan for an approximate 8,000 square foot addition coupled with the possibility of using a portion of the large courtroom on the second floor for additional office space. Mr. Hemphill reviewed two floor plans. The first incorporated an 8,000 square foot addition along with a renovation of the large courtroom preserving a seating capacity of 240. The second was an 8,000 square foot addition only with no renovation to the existing courtroom. Mr. Hemphill also reviewed associated cost estimates.
Commissioner Trivette, seconded by Commissioner Blust, moved to approve the floor plan that incorporated the 8,000 square foot addition and included the renovation of the large courtroom preserving a seating capacity of 240.
VOTE: Aye-4(Coffey, Hodges, Blust, Trivette)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Honeycutt)
PROPOSED CONTRACT FOR ADMINISTRATION BUILDING CONSTRUCTION
Mr. Randy Jones reviewed a proposed contract with Vannoy & Sons Construction, Inc., for construction/renovation of the Administration Building (Heilig Meyers building). Vannoy & Sons Construction, Inc., was the low bidder as reviewed at the last Board meeting.
Commissioner Blust, seconded by Vice-Chairman Hodges, moved to accept the bid from Vannoy & Sons Construction, Inc. and approve the contract with Vannoy & Sons Construction, Inc. contingent upon the County Attorney’s review.
VOTE: Aye-4(Coffey, Hodges, Blust, Trivette)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Honeycutt)
BUDGET AMENDMENTS
Ms. Isaacs presented the following budget amendments for Board approval:
Account # Description Debit Credit
283101-312301 Taxes Ad Valorem-03-04 $1,000
284340-469901 Admn. Cost Reimb.-Foscoe $1,000
283101-312306 Taxes Ad Valorem-03-04 $1,200
284340-469906 Admn. Cost Reimb.-Zionville $1,200
283101-312305 Taxes Ad Valorem-03-04 $700
284340-469905 Admn. Cost Reimb.-St. Simmons $700
283101-312307 Taxes Ad Valorem-03-04 $1,200
284340-469907 Admn. Cost Reimb.-Cove Creek $1,200
283101-312308 Taxes Ad Valorem-03-04 $500
284340-469908 Admn. Cost Reimb.-Shawneehaw $500
283101-312309 Taxes Ad Valorem-03-04 $1,500
284340-469909 Admn. Cost Reimb.-M. Camp $1,500
283101-312310 Taxes Ad Valorem-03-04 $2,000
284340-469910 Admn. Cost Reimb.-Deep Gap $2,000
243120-312003 Taxes Ad Valorem-03-04 $3,000
244340-469905 Admn. Cost Reimb.-Boone $3,000
The amendment recognized fire tax district revenue and payment to volunteer fire departments.
Account # Description Debit Credit
103839-349600 Bill Edmisten Memorial Fund $255
104960-449902 Misc.-Bill Edmisten Fund $255
The amendment recognized funds from additional donations received.
Account # Description Debit Credit
103910-391000 Proceeds of Debt Insurance $5,000,000
103980-398121 Transfer from Capital Reserve $382,766
104277-458000 Cap. Outlay-Bldg. Const. $5,322,766
104277-469199 Prof. Services-Other $60,000
The amendment recognized the installment purchase contract proceeds and the transfer of funds from the Capital Reserve Fund to fund the construction project and the asbestos removal.
Account # Description Debit Credit
103315-332300 Court Facilities Fees $38,000
103839-389003 Misc.-Inmate Phone Commission $5,500
103835-343201 NC Reimb. For Prisoners $67,000
103341-343103 Serving Civil Summons $5,000
103341-343200 Jail & Officer Fees $10,000
103432-343203 Medical Fees $1,300
104320-469501 Cont. Services-Inmate Housing $126,800
The amendment recognized additional revenue and expenditures due to an increase in the inmate population.
Account # Description Debit Credit
104285-457001 Cap. Out.-Land Improvements $449,000
104285-469901 Prof. Services-Other $8,667
104285-437000 Advertising $834
104285-499100 Project Contingency $35,747
103612-384000 Town of Boone $67,500
103980-398144 Transfer From Cap. Projects $251,099
103980-398121 Transfer From Cap. Reserve $175,649
443991-399101 Fund Balance Approp. $251,099
449800-498010 Transfer to Gen. Fund $251,099
213991-399101 Fund Balance Approp. $231,149
219800-498010 Transfer to Gen. Fund $231,149
The amendment transferred Brookshire Road project funds to the General Fund rather than Capital Projects per auditor request.
Account # Description Debit Credit
103300-341700 HAVA Grant $11,082
104170-449901 Misc.-HAVA Grant $11,082
The amendment recognized the award of Help America Vote Act grant. These funds were to be used to make all polling places more accessible to voters with the full range of disabilities.
Account # Description Debit Credit
303910-391000 Proceeds of Bond Refunding $15,835
309100-449900 Misc. Expense $15,835
The amendment recognized distribution from the school bond refunding to be used to pay bond refunding expenses.
Account # Description Debit Credit
219800-498010 Transfer to the General Fund $25,000
213991-399101 Fund Balance Approp.-New $25,000
103980-398121 Transfer to the General Fund $25,000
105890-463128 So. App. Hist. Assoc.-repairs $25,000
The amendment appropriated funds from the Capital Reserve Economic Development funds to assist the Southern Appalachian Historical Association with repairs needed at the Horn In The West amphitheater.
Account # Description Debit Credit
103980-398121 Trans. From Capital Reserve $530,579
103980-398166 Trans. From Solidwaste $321,841
104263-458000 Capital Outlay-Bldg. & Improve. $852,420
219800-468010 Transfer to the General Fund $530,579
219930-442610 Courthouse $200,000
213991-399101 Fund Balance Approp.-New $330,579
669800-498010 Transfer to the General Fund $321,841
663991-399101 Fund Balance Appropriated $321,841
The amendment transferred funds from the Capital Reserve Fund and the Solidwaste Fund to the General Fund to fund the Heilig Meyers construction project.
Commissioner Blust, seconded by Commissioner Trivette, moved to approve the budget amendments as presented.
VOTE: Aye-4(Coffey, Hodges, Blust, Trivette)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Honeycutt)
TAX MATTERS
A. Foreclosed Property Sale Request – Mr. Kelvin Byrd reviewed a summary of County Property that had been obtained through foreclosures due to tax delinquency. Mr. Byrd requested that the properties be declared surplus and advertised to start the upset bid process. To begin the process, Mr. Byrd stated that he adjacent property owners and place ads in the local papers soliciting a beginning bid. Beginning bids were to be presented to the Board after receipt for acceptance. Once the process had started, properties were to be advertised for an additional ten day period in which an upset bid was to be received. At the end of the upset bid process (at which time no further bids were received during the ten day period), the final offers were to be presented to the Board of Commissioners for approval and sale, if so desired. The Board had the right to reject any and all offers that were received.
The fifteen properties presented were as follows:
|
Current Owner
|
Parcel ID
|
Property Description
|
Acre
|
|
Watauga County
|
2859-80-0858-000
|
Lot 108 Horseshoe Ridge
|
0.4700
|
|
Watauga County
|
1878-88-0455-000
|
Lot 63 Devils Den
|
0.2600
|
|
Watauga County
|
2904-40-9792-000
|
|
1.0000
|
|
Watauga County
|
2859-61-7740-000
|
Lot 53 Bright Penny Forest
|
0.7800
|
|
Watauga County
|
2859-61-1463-000
|
Lot 62 Bright Penny Forest
|
0.7300
|
|
Watauga County
|
2859-31-4341-000
|
Lot 53 Laurel Ridge
|
0.5200
|
|
Watauga County
|
2859-81-3243-000
|
Lot 87 Horseshoe Ridge
|
Lot
|
|
Watauga County
|
2859-50-8483-000
|
Lot 35 Bright Penny Forest
|
0.7300
|
|
Watauga County
|
2859-60-7240-000
|
Lot 21 Trout Lake Ridge
|
0.5500
|
|
Watauga County
|
1941-33-5912-000
|
Westridge Sec AA Lot 356
402 Poplar Drive
|
0.3000
|
|
Watauga County
|
1941-43-1415-000
|
WR 341 AA
193 Rhododendron Drive
|
0.3000
|
|
Watauga County
|
1941-41-9642-000
|
Westridge 515 AA
249 Poplar Drive
|
0.5000
|
|
Watauga County
|
1950-36-0084-000
|
Charter Hills C 256
207 Greenbriar Road
|
0.5300
|
|
Watauga County
|
1888-16-1007-000
|
|
0.0800
|
|
Watauga County
|
1888-05-4651-000
|
|
0.0900
|
Vice-Chairman Hodges, seconded by Commissioner Blust, moved to declare the 15 properties presented as surplus and to begin the upset bid process to sell the properties.
VOTE: Aye-4(Coffey, Hodges, Blust, Trivette)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Honeycutt)
B. Records and Retention Schedule – Mr. Byrd stated that periodically the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources published a new Records Retention and Disposition Schedule for County Tax Administration. The most recent schedule was dated April 1, 2004. By adopting the State recommended schedule, the County was not required to develop its own schedule to meet the same standards as those adopted by the State.
Vice-Chairman Hodges, seconded by Commissioner Trivette, moved to adopt the Records and Retention Schedule for County Tax Administration as presented.
VOTE: Aye-4(Coffey, Hodges, Blust, Trivette)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Honeycutt)
C. Software Support Contract Request – Mr. Byrd requested to enter into an agreement with a new vendor for software support for the software package currently used by the County’s Tax Administration offices. The new vendor was Good Pickin’, Inc., which was a North Carolina corporation and was very familiar and capable of meeting the County’s support needs. The contract was in the amount of $19,000 for one year of support service to begin July 1, 2004, and run through June 30, 2005. The contract was drafted by the County Attorney.
Commissioner Blust, seconded by Vice-Chairman Hodges, moved to approve the contract with Good Pickin’, Inc., in the amount of $19,000 for one year of support service as presented.
VOTE: Aye-4(Coffey, Hodges, Blust, Trivette)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Honeycutt)
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MATTERS
A. Entrepreneur Development Partnership Contract – Mr. Joe Furman reviewed a proposed contract (in the form of a letter agreement) between Appalachian Regional Development Institution (ARDI) and Watauga County for carrying out activities of the pending grant, if awarded, for entrepreneurship development from the Rural Center’s Institute for Rural Entrepreneurship. This was a cooperative effort between Watauga County and ARDI.
Commissioner Blust, seconded by Commissioner Trivette, moved to accept the letter of agreement contingent upon receipt of the grant and the County Attorney’s review.
Commissioner Blust, seconded by Commissioner Trivette, moved to accept the letter of agreement contingent upon receipt of the grant and the County Attorney’s review.
VOTE: Aye-4(Coffey, Hodges, Blust, Trivette)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Honeycutt)
B. Proposed Resolution in Support of Self-Financing Bonds – Mr. Furman reviewed a proposed resolution in support of a North Carolina Constitutional Amendment to establish availability of self-financing bonds. If the amendment was enacted, a local government was to have the ability to use these bonds as an economic development tool to create jobs and economic opportunities throughout North Carolina.
Commissioner Blust, seconded by Vice-Chairman Hodges, moved to adopt the Resolution In Support Of Amendment One: Self-Financing Bonds: A Local Economic Development Tool To Create Quality Jobs, Revitalize Communities And Attract New Economic Opportunities In North Carolina as presented by Mr. Furman.
VOTE: Aye-4(Coffey, Hodges, Blust, Trivette)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Honeycutt)
MISCELLANEOUS ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
A. Workers Compensation – Assistant County Manager Geouque stated that per the Board’s direction staff had researched the possibilities of using a self-funded workers comp plan as opposed to the fully-insured plan the County currently has with the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners.
Mr. Geouque stated that staff recommended to accept the fully insured plan with the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners in the amount of $202,634. Staff further recommended the establishment of a Workers Compensation reserve fund over the next several fiscal years. A self-funded plan had the potential to possibly save the County money in the future. At this time staff considered the exposure too high for a self-insured plan without adequate reserves established.
This report was for information only and therefore no action was required.
B. CCP&D Renovation Request – County Manager Nelson stated that the County’s lease with Cove Creek Preservation and Development (CCP&D) for the old Cove Creek School required that the CCP&D receive approval from the County prior to executing major renovations. The County Manager stated that CCP&D had requested to remove a sheltered pathway (hallway) that linked the elementary school to the old cafeteria which was currently leased to a manufacturing company. County Manager Nelson stated that Maintenance Director Robert Marsh recommended that the work be done by a licensed and bonded contractor and building permits needed to be issued before work began. The expense of the project and all necessary permits and inspections were to be borne and provided by CCP&D.
Vice-Chairman Hodges, seconded by Commissioner Trivette, moved to approve the removal of said pathway (hallway) contingent upon the work being done by a licensed and bonded contractor and the building permits being issued before work was to begin.
VOTE: Aye-4(Coffey, Hodges, Blust, Trivette)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Honeycutt)
C. Boards and Commissions – County Manager Nelson gave a second reading of a vacancy on the Valle Crucis Historic Preservation Commission. Mr. Tom Eshelman had volunteered to serve and was recommended by the Valle Crucis Community Council for appointment.
Commissioner Blust, seconded by Commissioner Trivette, moved to appoint Mr. Tom Eshelman to the Valle Crucis Historic Preservation Commission.
VOTE: Aye-4(Coffey, Hodges, Blust, Trivette)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Honeycutt)
County Manager Nelson gave a second reading of a vacancy on the Watauga County Planning Board for District III. The appointment was to be made by Commissioner Hodges.
Vice-Chairman Hodges, seconded by Commissioner Trivette, moved to appoint Mr. Jim Fox to the Watauga County Planning Board.
VOTE: Aye-4(Coffey, Hodges, Blust, Trivette)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Honeycutt)
D. Announcements – County Manager Nelson announced that the NCACC Annual Conference was scheduled for August 19-22, 2004, in Asheville, NC.
BREAK
Chairman Coffey called for a short break. The meeting reconvened at 8:19 P.M.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Ms. Mary Sizemore, Director of Appalachian Regional Library, thanked the Board for the amount allocated to Watauga County Library for Fiscal Year 2005.
CLOSED SESSION
At 8:20 P.M., Commissioner Blust, seconded by Commissioner Trivette, moved to enter Closed Session to discuss Land Acquisition, per G. S. 143-318.11(a)(5)(i) and Personnel Matters, per G. S. 143-318.11(a)(6).
VOTE: Aye-4(Coffey, Hodges, Blust, Trivette)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Honeycutt)
Commissioner Blust, seconded by Commissioner Trivette, moved to resume the open meeting at 9:11 P.M.
VOTE: Aye-4(Coffey, Hodges, Blust, Trivette)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Honeycutt)
COUNTYMANAGER EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT REVISIONS
Commissioner Blust, seconded by Commissioner Trivette, moved to approve employment contract revisions between the County and County Manager, Robert E. Nelson, Jr., contingent upon the County Attorney’s review.
VOTE: Aye-4(Coffey, Hodges, Blust, Trivette)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Honeycutt)
ADJOURN
Commissioner Blust, seconded by Commissioner Trivette, moved to adjourn the meeting at 9:13 P.M.
VOTE: Aye-4(Coffey, Hodges, Blust, Trivette)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Honeycutt)
James Coffey, Chairman
ATTEST:
Anita J. Fogle, Clerk to the Board