MINUTES
WATAUGA COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2007
The Watauga County Board of Commissioners held a regular meeting on Monday, November 5, 2007, at 9:00 A.M. in the Board Room of the Watauga County Administration Building.
PRESENT: Jim Deal, Chairman
William R. Winkler, III, Vice-Chairman
Mary Moretz, Commissioner
Anthony di Santi, County Attorney
Robert E. Nelson, Jr., County Manager
Deron Geouque, Assistant County Manager
Anita J. Fogle, Clerk to the Board
The meeting was called to order at 9:00 A.M.
[Clerk’s Note: Commissioner Cooper was out-of-town and Commissioner Kinsey was absent due to illness]
Vice-Chairman Winkler opened the regular meeting with a prayer.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Chairman Deal called for additions or corrections to the October 23, 2007, regular meeting and closed session minutes.
Commissioner Moretz noted that on the first page of the minutes the regular minutes from October 1, 2007, were approved as amended not as presented.
Commissioner Moretz, seconded by Vice-Chairman Winkler, moved to approve the October 23, 2007, regular meeting minutes as amended.
VOTE: Aye-3(Deal, Winkler, Moretz)
Nay-0
Absent-2(Cooper, Kinsey)
Vice-Chairman Winkler, seconded by Commissioner Moretz, moved to approve the October 23, 2007, closed session minutes as presented.
VOTE: Aye-3(Deal, Winkler, Moretz)
Nay-0
Absent-2(Cooper, Kinsey)
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Chairman Deal called for additions and/or corrections to the November 5, 2007, agenda.
County Manager Nelson requested to add under agenda item #7 two change order requests, the first for the Appalachian Enterprise Center renovations and the second for the Brookshire Road Park Project.
Commissioner Moretz, seconded by Vice-Chairman Winkler, moved to approve the November 5, 2007, agenda as amended.
VOTE: Aye-3(Deal, Winkler, Moretz)
Nay-0
Absent-2(Cooper, Kinsey)
“I-HAVE-A-DREAM WEEK” PROCLAMATION REQUEST
Ms. Mary Gray presented a proposed proclamation denoting the week of January 12-20, 2008, as “I-Have-A-Dream Week” to celebrate the diversity of the people of Watauga County, to discourage prejudice and discrimination, and to make a commitment to unity and diversity.
Vice-Chairman Winkler, seconded by Commissioner Moretz, moved to adopt the proclamation as presented.
VOTE: Aye-3(Deal, Winkler, Moretz)
Nay-0
Absent-2(Cooper, Kinsey)
PROJECT ON AGING MATTERS
A. Annual Report – Ms. Angie Boitnotte, Director of the Project on Aging, presented the Agency’s Annual Report as required by the NC Division of Health and Human Services. This report was issued for information only; therefore, no action was required.
Ms. Boitnotte also reviewed the policy changes for the Project on Aging. Ms. Boitnotte stated that the NC Division of Facility Services required governing body approval of all policy changes.
Commissioner Moretz, seconded by Vice-Chairman Winkler, moved to approve the policy changes as presented by Ms. Boitnotte.
VOTE: Aye-3(Deal, Winkler, Moretz)
Nay-0
Absent-2(Cooper, Kinsey)
B. Additional Family Caregiver Support Funding Request – Ms. Boitnotte requested approval to accept an additional $2,000 from NC State Family Caregiver Support funds which did not require local match.
Vice-Chairman Winkler, seconded by Commissioner Moretz, moved to accept the additional $2,000 in funding as presented by Ms. Boitnotte.
VOTE: Aye-3(Deal, Winkler, Moretz)
Nay-0
Absent-2(Cooper, Kinsey)
C. Additional Appropriation of State Funds for Senior Centers Request – Ms. Boitnotte announced that notification had been received that the County’s two senior centers were eligible to receive $21,871 through an appropriation of the NC General Assembly and North Carolina Division of Aging. The funds required a local match totaling $7,290 which was present in the Agency’s existing budget.
Vice-Chairman Winkler, seconded by Commissioner Moretz, moved to accept the additional $21,871 in funding and approve the local match of $7,290 as presented by Ms. Boitnotte.
VOTE: Aye-3(Deal, Winkler, Moretz)
Nay-0
Absent-2(Cooper, Kinsey)
TAX MATTERS
A. Monthly Collections Report – Tax Administrator Kelvin Byrd presented the Tax Collections Report for the month of October 2007.
B. Releases and Refunds – Mr. Byrd presented the following Refunds and Releases for October 2007 for Board approval:
TO BE TYPED IN MINUTE BOOK
Commissioner Moretz, seconded by Vice-Chairman Winkler, moved to approve the Refunds and Releases Report for October 2007 as presented.
VOTE: Aye-3(Deal, Winkler, Moretz)
Nay-0
Absent-2(Cooper, Kinsey)
PLANNING AND INSPECTIONS MATTERS
A. Secondary Roads Request – Mr. Joe Furman stated that a secondary road petition had been received for Tree Top Ridge (a .3 mile length) located off NCSR 1664 in Crestview Estates subdivision. Mr. Furman requested the required Board action to adopt the resolution and forward it to the Department of Transportation for consideration of adding this road to the state-maintained secondary roads system.
Vice-Chairman Winkler, seconded by Commissioner Moretz, moved to adopt the resolution as presented by Mr. Furman.
VOTE: Aye-3(Deal, Winkler, Moretz)
Nay-0
Absent-2(Cooper, Kinsey)
B. Change Order Request for Appalachian Enterprise Center – Mr. Furman requested pre-approval for HVAC/sprinkler work at the Appalachian Enterprise Center and wiring needed for additional outlets. The additional work was estimated to be approximately $12,000 and Mr. Furman requested authorization to approve the work with a formal change order to be presented at a future meeting.
Commissioner Moretz, seconded by Vice-Chairman Winkler, moved to authorize staff to approve approximately $12,000 in additions to the Appalachian Enterprise Center renovation project as presented by Mr. Furman and not to exceed funds budgeted for the project.
VOTE: Aye-3(Deal, Winkler, Moretz)
Nay-0
Absent-2(Cooper, Kinsey)
C. Change Order Request for Brookshire Road Project – Mr. Furman requested pre-approval for phone lines and poles to be moved at the Brookshire Road Project. AT&T required pre-payment for work which was estimated to be approximately $15,000. Mr. Furman stated that the work was required since there was currently a telephone pole in the middle of what was to be soccer field #2. Mr. Furman requested that staff be authorized to approve the work with a formal change order to be presented at a future meeting.
Vice-Chairman Winkler, seconded by Commissioner Moretz, moved to authorize staff to approve approximately $15,000 in work from AT&T for the Brookshire Road Project with funds to be allocated from the Capital Reserve set aside for either recreation or economic development.
VOTE: Aye-3(Deal, Winkler, Moretz)
Nay-0
Absent-2(Cooper, Kinsey)
NEW HIGH SCHOOL MATTERS
A. Change Order Request – County Manager Nelson presented a deductive change order in the amount of $232,200 from the high school early site package contract. The reduction was realized due to re-engineering of the detention system piping using a larger size that required fewer fittings and less excavation.
Commissioner Moretz, seconded by Vice-Chairman Winkler, moved to approve the deductive change order in the amount of $232,200 for the new high school project as presented by the County Manager.
VOTE: Aye-3(Deal, Winkler, Moretz)
Nay-0
Absent-2(Cooper, Kinsey)
B. LEED Certification Discussion/Request – County Manager Nelson presented information on the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification process and stated that LEED Certification for the new high school would incur costs approximately in the $50,000 to $65,000 range plus engineering fees that may be required by the LEED organization. It is anticipated that most, if not all, of the engineering required could be provided by Appalachian State University staff thereby saving these costs. County Manager Nelson stated that the recommendation from the high school project sub-committee was to proceed with LEED Certification and the Board of Education was to take action on the request at their next scheduled Board meeting.
Commissioner Moretz, seconded by Vice-Chairman Winkler, moved to approve the funding and filing of an application for LEED Certification and direct the project architects, SfL+a to do the appropriate record keeping.
VOTE: Aye-3(Deal, Winkler, Moretz)
Nay-0
Absent-2(Cooper, Kinsey)
MISCELLANEOUS ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
A. Public Hearing Request – Brookshire Park PART-F Application – County Manager Nelson stated that Mr. Stephen Poulos, Parks and Recreation Director, requested a public hearing be held at the November 20th meeting to allow public comment on the PART-F grant application for improvements and construction at Brookshire Park adjacent to the soccer complex.
Vice-Chairman Winkler, seconded by Commissioner Moretz, moved to set a public hearing for 6:00 P.M. at the November 20, 2007, Board meeting
VOTE: Aye-3(Deal, Winkler, Moretz)
Nay-0
Absent-2(Cooper, Kinsey)
B. Boards and Commissions – County Manager Nelson stated that two terms, currently held by Jane Nicholson and Janet Beck, were expiring on the Watauga County Board of Adjustment and both were available to serve again if so appointed.
County Manager Nelson stated that two terms, currently held by Tom Eshelman and Maria Hyde, were expiring on the Valle Crucis Historic Preservation Commission and both were available to serve again if so appointed.
County Manager Nelson stated that the four-year at-large term, currently held by Tommy Harmon, on the Watauga County Planning Board was to expire in December 2007.
The above appointments were first readings; therefore, no action was required at this time.
Vice-Chairman Winkler stated that Mr. Mark Hurst had been recommended for appointment to fill a vacancy on the New River Service Authority Board; however, Mr. Hurst wished to attend an Authority Board meeting prior to making himself available for appointment and was not able to do so until the December meeting.
The Board, by consensus, tabled further discussion until a future meeting.
C. Announcements – County Manager Nelson announced that the second regular meeting in December had been rescheduled to December 20, 2007, at 4:00 P.M. and was to include a joint meeting with the Watauga County Board of Education regarding the new high school project.
PUBLIC COMMENT
There was no public comment.
CLOSED SESSION
At 9:43 A.M., Commissioner Moretz, seconded by Vice-Chairman Winkler, moved to enter Closed Session to discuss Attorney/Client Matters, per G. S. 143-318.11(a)(3) and Land Acquisition, per G. S. 143-318.11(a)(5)(i).
VOTE: Aye-3(Deal, Winkler, Moretz)
Nay-0
Absent-2(Cooper, Kinsey)
Vice-Chairman Winkler, seconded by Commissioner Moretz, moved to resume the open meeting at 10:16 A.M.
VOTE: Aye-3(Deal, Winkler, Moretz)
Nay-0
Absent-2(Cooper, Kinsey)
ADJOURN
Chairman Deal adjourned the meeting at 10:16 A.M.
Jim Deal, Chairman
ATTEST:
Anita J. Fogle, Clerk to the Board