HomeMy WebLinkAboutC.054.93008_2054 (2)IREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
MINUTES
MARCH 17, 1992 - REGULAR MEETING
The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met in Regular Session on Tuesday evening, March 17,
1992, 7:30 p.m., County Commissioners' Meeting Room, Iredell County Government Center, 200 South
Center Street, Statesville, NC. Those present for the meeting were:
Sara K. Haire, Vice Chairman
Doug Madison
Frank Mitchell
Alice Stewart
Staff present: Joel Mashburn, County Manager
William P. Pope, County Attorney
Alice Fortner, Clerk to the Board
Susan Goodman, Finance Officer
Jerry Lundy, Director of Services and Development
Carson Fisher, Staff Engineer
CALL TO ORDER: By Vice Chairman Haire
INVOCATION; By Commissioner Doug Madison
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
BOY SCOUT TROOP #363, NEN SALEM UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: Vice Chairman Haire recognized
members of Boy Scout Troop #363 from New Salem Methodist Church and their assistant scout leader,
Mr. Bob Mooney. Scouts present for the meeting were Greg Matthews, John Madison, and John Mooney.
SPECIAL RESOLUTION
Vice Chairman Haire asked County Attorney Pope to read a resolution received from Rockingham
County, which is as follows:
ACTION URGED BY THE NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON BEHALF OF LOCAL
GOVERNMENT
WHEREAS local government throughout the State of North Carolina and the nation is under ever-
increasing financial pressures resulting from unfavorable economic factors and limited sources of
revenue at a time when former federal and state responsibilities are being defunded, underfunded, or
passed down to the local level through mandates;
AND WHEREAS in response to such financial pressures it is necessary for local governments to
safeguard its sources of revenue and to reduce the cost of its operations wherever possible;
AND WHEREAS there are numerous areas where the North Carolina General Assembly can assist
Counties in meeting their service responsibilities to their citizens and in more rationally coping
with diminishing revenues and expanding costs;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF IREDELL COUNTY that legislation be
introduced in the North Carolina General Assembly to modify current law so as to address the
following issues:
� 1. The cost of providing medical services to jail inmates. --State law should make it clear
that private insurance coverage includes the cost of furnishing necessary medical treatment to jail
inmates and that the county is only secondarily liable for this expense. In addition, a system
needs to be established to more effectively shift the full cost of incarceration including ordinary
expenses for prescription drugs to the jail inmates themselves by constructive employment during
their jail term and by subsequent collection methods. This cost should not be borne by law-abiding
citizens through expensive jail complexes, state law should foster housing jail inmates in less
expensive settings which facilitate good honest hard work which will teach the inmates a work ethic,
promote job skills and benefit society.
2. The reduction of design cost for schools and other public buildings. --Because of a myriad
of state and federal regulations and requirements, the cost of architectural services for public
buildings represents a tremendous burden on the taxpayers. Many organizations such as church denomi-
nations produce standard designs for their constituents. It is very likely that millions of dollars
could be saved each year if the State of North Carolina provided such standard designs.
3. The thresholds for requiringarchitectural services for the construction and repair of
public buildings should be increased. --Currently, North Carolina General Statutes 133-1.1 and 143-
135 require design by architect for relatively small projects which a large contract can competently
construct. The taxpayer should not bear the unnecessary cost of employing an architect and the
increased contractor cost which usually results.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF IREDELL COUNTY that traditional
sources of local government revenue should not be disturbed. Counties and cities perform essential
services. The cost of these services, many of which are mandated, is constantly increasing as are
' the number of services mandated. To reduce state reimbursements or other county sources of revenue