MINUTES
WATAUGA COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2005
The Watauga County Board of Commissioners held a regular meeting on Tuesday, May 3, 2005, at 3:00 P.M. in the Board Room of the Watauga County Courthouse.
PRESENT: Jim Deal, Chairman
William R. Winkler, III, Vice-Chairman
David Blust, Commissioner
Keith Honeycutt, Commissioner
Tony di Santi, County Attorney
Robert E. Nelson, Jr., County Manager
Deron Geouque, Assistant County Manager
Anita J. Fogle, Clerk to the Board
Chairman Deal called the meeting to order at 3:08 P.M. welcoming those in attendance.
Clerk’s Note: Commissioner Kinsey was hospitalized in Charlotte, N.C., and therefore was unable to attend the meeting.
Commissioner Blust opened the meeting with a prayer.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Chairman Deal called for additions or corrections to the April 18, 2005, regular meeting minutes.
Commissioner Honeycutt requested that the Watauga Opportunities motion clarify that the each year’s $10,000 payment would be forgiven if 10 new jobs were created within the first year and maintained each year thereafter.
Commissioner Honeycutt, seconded by Commissioner Blust, moved to approve the April 18, 2005, regular meeting minutes as amended.
VOTE: Aye-4(Deal, Winkler, Blust, Honeycutt)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Kinsey)
Chairman Deal called for additions or corrections to the April 18, 2005 closed session minutes.
A word was deleted as suggested by the County Attorney and presented to the Board confidentially.
Vice-Chairman Winkler, seconded by Commissioner Honeycutt, moved to approve the April 18, 2005, closed session minutes as amended.
VOTE: Aye-4(Deal, Winkler, Blust, Honeycutt)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Kinsey)
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Chairman Deal called for additions and/or corrections to the May 3, 2005, agenda.
County Manager Nelson requested that a Cooperative Extension position request be added to be presented by Mr. Frank Bolick and that an additional item be included under Land Acquisition under Closed Session.
Commissioner Blust, seconded by Commissioner Honeycutt, moved to approve the May 3, 2005, agenda as amended.
VOTE: Aye-4(Deal, Winkler, Blust, Honeycutt)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Kinsey)
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION POSITION REQUEST
Mr. Frank Bolick, Cooperative Extension, requested permission to hire an emergency part-time temporary position to assist in processing applications submitted to Operation Brighter Day by hurricane disaster victims. Mr. Bolick stated that the County was to pay the salary for this position but then invoice North Carolina State University for reimbursement. Applications are accepted through May 27, 2005, at which time the position would no longer be needed.
Commissioner Honeycutt, seconded by Vice-Chairman Winkler, moved to authorize hiring an emergency part time temporary employee through May 27, 2005, to assist with accepting Operation Brighter Day applications with the time period to be extended in the event that the program is extended.
VOTE: Aye-4(Deal, Winkler, Blust, Honeycutt)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Kinsey)
NC COOPERATIVE EXTENSION REPORT – “SUSTAINING A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT”
Ms. Wendy Patoprsty, the Extension Agent for Natural Resources with the Cooperative Extension Service, presented a report entitled “Sustaining A Healthy Environment”. The report detailed her work on behalf of the Extension in Watauga County and included presentations from Dick and Joan Hearn who work to educate the children in our community to keep our streams clean.
The report was for information only and therefore no Board action was required.
HOME AND COMMUNITY CARE BLOCK GRANT FUNDING REQUEST
Ms. Angie Boitnotte, Director of the Project on Aging, reviewed the application for Home and Community Care Block Grant (H&CCBG) funds for the FY 2006 budget. Ms. Boitnotte stated that Watauga County was eligible to receive $219,737 which required $23,898 in local match that was present in the agency’s recommended budget.
Commissioner Honeycutt, seconded by Vice-Chairman Winkler, moved to approve the application and obligate the required local match.
VOTE: Aye-4(Deal, Winkler, Blust, Honeycutt)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Kinsey)
BUDGET AMENDMENTS
Finance Director Doris Isaacs presented the following budget amendment for Board approval:
Account # Description Debit Credit
103300-352100 CJPP Reallocated Funds $24,734
105210-454000 Capital Outlay-Vehicle $22,734
105210-469820 CJPP Program Expenses $2,000
The amendment recognized the award of reallocated Criminal Justice Partnership Grant funds to be used to purchase a four-wheel drive vehicle, supplies and treatment materials for offenders.
Account # Description Debit Credit
103991-399101 Fund Balance Approp.-New $10,038
104170-449901 Misc. Expenses-HAVA Grant $10,038
The amendment appropriated Fund Balance to recognize grant funds received late in the FY 2003-04. Funds were not spent and a purchase order was not done to carry the funds over into the current fiscal year.
Account # Description Debit Credit
103991-399101 Fund Balance Approp.-New $32,431
104281-458000 Capital Outlay-Bldg. Improvements $32,431
The amendment appropriated Fund Balance for pool project contingency funds that were unspent at June 30, 2004, and a purchase order was not done to carry the funds over into the current fiscal year.
Account # Description Debit Credit
103991-399101 Fund Balance Approp.-New $32,937
104140-449900 Misc.-Other Expenses $32,937
The amendment appropriated Fund Balance for the interest due on the University Courtyard exempt property tax repayment.
Account # Description Debit Credit
145850-440900 Purchased Services-Child Daycare $36,647
145850-440901 Purchased Services-Smartstart $3,300
143585-323000 XX-FSA Daycare $36,647
143585-323002 Smartstart Daycare $3,300
The amendment recognized decrease in funding levels for FSA and Smartstart Daycare programs.
Account # Description Debit Credit
145480-438800 Crisis Intervention Prevention $34,806
145350-440900 State Adult Daycare $8,675
143531-323000 Admn. Cost Reimb.-State/Fed. $43,481
The amendment recognized increase in funding levels for the Crisis Intervention Prevention and State Adult Daycare programs.
Account # Description Debit Credit
153300-343301 NC Disaster Relief Funds-Phase II $9,080
154199-449900 Unmet Needs-Phase II $9,080
The amendment recognized Phase II NC Disaster Relief Funds which was approved at the March 7, 2005, Board meeting.
Account # Description Debit Credit
103300-343306 FEMA-Hurricane Ivan $4,774
104330-449996 FEMA-Industrial Park Fence $3,690
104330-449999 FEMA-Hurricane Exp. $1,084
The amendment recognized FEMA funds for the removal of the Industrial Park Field fencing which was destroyed by flooding from Hurricane Ivan.
Account # Description Debit Credit
133980-398200 Transfer from Capital Reserve $253,342
135912-459011 WHS Renovations-Setaside $253,342
219800-498013 Transfer to School Capital Out. $253,342
219930-459121 Watauga Co. School Facility $253,342
The amendment recognized transfer of funds from the Capital Reserve Fund to the School Capital Outlay fund, approved at the February 22, 2005 Board meeting, to supplement State Public School Building Capital funds for the WHS Renovation project.
Commissioner Blust, seconded by Vice-Chairman Winkler, moved to approve the budget amendments as presented.
VOTE: Aye-4(Deal, Winkler, Blust, Honeycutt)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Kinsey)
JUVENILE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL (JCPC) FUNDING REQUEST
Ms. Doris Isaacs, representing the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council (JCPC), discussed the request for the Fiscal Year 2006 application of JCPC funds. Ms. Isaacs reviewed the funding amounts, by agency.
Commissioner Honeycutt, seconded by Commissioner Blust, moved to approve the JCPC FY 2006 application.
VOTE: Aye-4(Deal, Winkler, Blust, Honeycutt)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Kinsey)
TAX MATTERS
A. Monthly Collections Report – Tax Administrator Kelvin Byrd presented the Tax Collections Report for the month of April 2005.
B. Releases and Refunds – Mr. Byrd presented the following Refunds and Releases for April 2005 for Board approval:
TO BE TYPED IN MINUTE BOOK
Vice-Chairman Winkler, seconded by Commissioner Honeycutt, moved to approve the Refunds and Releases Report for April 2005 as presented.
VOTE: Aye-4(Deal, Winkler, Blust, Honeycutt)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Kinsey)
C. Surplus Property Sale Request – Mr. Byrd presented the following properties listed below which went through the upset bid process that concluded with a ten day period in which no upset bid was received on the properties.
|
Parcel ID
|
Property Description
|
Acres
|
High Bidder
|
Bid Amt.
|
|
1941-43-1415-000
|
WR
Lot 341 AA
|
.30
|
Dean Eisenberg &
Margaret Brannon
Blowing Rock, NC
|
$3,451.00
|
|
1950-36-0084-000
|
Charter Hills
C256
|
.53
|
Lee Whittington
|
$7,001.00
|
Commissioner Blust, seconded by Vice-Chairman Winkler, moved to accept the high bids and approve the sale of the properties as listed above contingent on the County Attorney’s drafting and executing the appropriate documents.
VOTE: Aye-4(Deal, Winkler, Blust, Honeycutt)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Kinsey)
PROPOSED RESOLUTION REGARDING THE NCDOT 2006-2012 TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PLAN (TIP)
Mr. Joe Furman reviewed a proposed resolution regarding the NC DOT 2006-2012 Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP). The resolution was prepared at the direction of the Board and specifically addressed the widening of King Street from Hardin Street to US 194 and the widening of US 421 from Boone, north to the 321/421 split in Vilas. The Board requested that the projects be spelled out in the resolution along with the project numbers.
Vice-Chairman Winkler, seconded by Commissioner Honeycutt, moved to adopt the resolution as amended and to forward copies to the following: DOT Board Members, Marc Basnight, North Carolina Senate President Pro Tempore; Jim Black, Speaker of the House of Representatives; Gene Wilson, North Carolina Representative; John Garwood, North Carolina Senator; Virginia Foxx, US Congresswomen; Lorin Baumhover, ASU; Greg Young, Town of Boone Manager; and Dan Meyers, Chamber of Commerce.
VOTE: Aye-4(Deal, Winkler, Blust, Honeycutt)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Kinsey)
SUBDIVISION PERFORMANCE GUARANTEE
Mr. Joe Furman, Planning and Inspections Director, presented a subdivision performance guarantee for Echota Estates Townhomes and Echota Woods Condos which was an irrevocable letter of credit from BB&T for road paving pursuant to section 92 of the Subdivision Regulations.
Commissioner Honeycutt, seconded by Commissioner Blust, moved to approve the subdivision performance guarantee as presented by Mr. Furman.
VOTE: Aye-4(Deal, Winkler, Blust, Honeycutt)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Kinsey)
FLOOD RECOVERY/UNMET NEEDS COMMITTEE REQUEST
Mr. Deron Geouque presented a request from the flood recovery/unmet needs committee to participate in flood recovery programs offered by the North Carolina Redevelopment Center. The request was for approval of a letter of intent stating that Watauga County intended to participate in the following programs:
- State Acquisition and Relocation Funds for Homeowners Assistance
- SARF for Renters Assistance
- Low-Income Home Repair & Rehabilitation
- Low-Income Home Replacement
- Grants to Successful SBA Home Loan Applicants
- Aid to Local Government
Vice-Chairman Winkler, seconded by Commissioner Blust, moved to allow Watauga County to forward a notice of participation to the North Carolina Redevelopment Center as presented by Mr. Geouque.
VOTE: Aye-4(Deal, Winkler, Blust, Honeycutt)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Kinsey)
MISCELLANEOUS ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
A. Proposed AppalCART Contracts – County Manager Nelson reviewed proposed AppalCART contracts for FY 2006 for the Project on Aging and Parks and Recreation Departments. The requested contract amounts for the Project on Aging were $11.21 per hour and $.63 per mile (FY 2005 rates were $10.67 per hour and $.58 per mile). Proposed charges for the Parks and Recreation Department were $12.48 per hour and $.68 per mile (FY 2005 rates were $11.88 per hour and $.63 per mile).
By consensus, the Board tabled this matter until Mr. Chris Turner, Director of AppalCART, was present for questions.
B. Discussion of Scheduling June and July Board Meetings – The County Manager stated that time was reserved for discussion of the schedule of upcoming meetings to ensure a quorum was present. After discussion the following schedule was made by consensus of the Board:
· The May 17, 2005, meeting (along with the public hearing on the recommended budget) was rescheduled for Thursday, May 19, 2005, at 6:00 P.M. in the Commissioners’ meeting room.
· The June 6, 2005, meeting was to be held as scheduled at 9:00 A.M.
· The June 21, 2005, meeting was cancelled.
· A tentative meeting date was scheduled for June 28, 2005, in the event a meeting was needed.
· The July 4, 2005, meeting was cancelled.
· The July 19, 2005, meeting was to be held as scheduled at 6:00 P.M.
C. Presentation of the FY 2006 Manager’s Recommended Budget – The County Manager presented and reviewed the FY 2006 Manager’s Recommended Budget. The County Manager noted that the recommended budget was available for amendment at the Board’s direction any time prior to adoption.
Chairman Deal stated that the proposed .05¢ per $100 of valuation tax rate increase was set aside for school construction and future needs.
D. Announcements – County Manager Nelson announced that Budget Work Sessions were scheduled for May 5, 2005, from 12:00 Noon to 4:00 P.M. and May 10, 2005, from 3:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. and the public hearing on the Manager’s recommended budget was now to be held on Thursday, May 19, 2005, at 6:00 P.M.
County Manager Nelson announced that a joint meeting with the Board of Commissioners, CCC&TI, and the Board of Education was scheduled for Thursday, May 12, 2005, at 6:00 P.M. at the White Oak Campus of CCC&TI.
County Manager Nelson announced that the School Board invited Commissioners to join them to visit selected schools in Harnett and Wake Counties on May 12 and 13, 2005. The purpose of the visits was to view how remodeling, renovation, and construction were incorporated.
County Manager Nelson announced that a joint meeting with the Board of Commissioners, Appalachian State University, and the Town of Boone was scheduled for May 20, 2005, at 12 noon at the Broyhill Conference Center.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Mr. Marty Reece requested that the Board adopt a nuisance dog ordinance. At the Board’s request Mr. Dave Simpkins with Watauga County Animal Control gave a brief overview of the current Animal Control Ordinance.
After discussion, the Board directed Mr. Simpkins and the County Attorney to draft an ordinance and to make recommendations for an amendment to address vicious and nuisance animals. The draft was to be presented to the Board at a future meeting.
Ms. Angie Miller and Mr. Oliver Adams with WAMY, Ms. Jennifer Herman with OASIS, and Ms. Jennifer Wilson-Kearse with The Children’s Council reiterated their request to lease or purchase the Hannah Building.
Ms. Jennifer Herman with Oasis thanked the Board for continued support of Oasis.
CLOSED SESSION
At 5:15 P.M., Vice-Chairman Winkler, seconded by Commissioner Honeycutt, moved to enter Closed Session to discuss Attorney/Client Matters, per G. S. 143-318.11(a)(3), Personnel Matters, per G. S. 143-318.11(a)(6), and Land Acquisition, per G. S. 143-318.11(a).
VOTE: Aye-4(Deal, Winkler, Blust, Honeycutt)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Kinsey)
Commissioner Blust, seconded by Vice-Chairman Winkler, moved to resume the open meeting at 7:20 P.M.
VOTE: Aye-4(Deal, Winkler, Blust, Honeycutt)
Nay-0
Absent-1(Kinsey)
LOCAL OCCUPANCY TAX DISCUSSION
The Board discussed Occupancy Tax matters.
ADJOURN
Chairman Deal adjourned the meeting, by consensus, at 7:27 P.M.
Jim Deal, Chairman
ATTEST:
Anita J. Fogle, Clerk to the Board