HomeMy WebLinkAboutC.054.93008_2194 (2)IREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
MINUTES - Briefing Session
NOVEMBER 17, 1992 - 4:00 p.m.
The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met in Regular Session on Tuesday, November 17, 1992,
4:00 p.m., South Wing Conference Room, Iredell County Government Center, 200 South Center Street,
Statesville, NC 28677. Those present for the meeting were:
R. B. Sloan Jr., Chairman
Sara K. Haire, Vice Chairman
Doug Madison
Frank Mitchell
Alice M. Stewart
Others present: Joel Mashburn, County Manager
William P. Pope, County Attorney
Alice Fortner, Clerk to the Board
Susan Goodman, Director of Finance and
Administrative Services
Jerry Lundy, Director of Planning and
Development
Carson Fisher, Engineer
Carolyn Harris, Personnel Director
..r CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Sloan
LOWRANCE HOSPITAL ESCROW FUNDS: Mr. Jimmie Houston, Chairman of the Lowrance Hospital Funds
Committee; Mayor Joe Knox, Mooresville; Rick Mclean, Mooresville Town Manager; and Mr. Robert N.
Randall, Town Council member; were present to discuss the plans for the expenditure of the Lowrance
Hospital Funds. Others present for the discussion were Dr. John Connaughton, UNC -Charlotte profes-
sor of Economics, and Bryan Bruce, architect from Little Associates of Charlotte.
Mr. Houston began the discussion by giving the history of the funds, which originated from the
sale of the Lowrance Hospital to Hospital Corporation of America. The sale price was $3,600,000,
which, under House Bill 203 (1989), permitted the County to erect an emergency medical services
facility in Mooresville and loan $2.8 million to the South Iredell Development Corporation for the
development of the Mazeppa Road industrial park. These funds were to be repaid in a period of not
more than five years.
Dr. Connaughton gave an overview of the feasibility study he did of the Mooresville area and
said the proposal of the Multipurpose Building is a very positive factor in the redevelopment of
downtown Mooresville because of the type of traffic it would create both during daytime and evening
hours.
Mr. Bruce, Little Associates Architects, presented his plans for the building, which would take
care of the needs of senior citizens and have a 250 -seat theater for the entire community. The
proposed site is where the old Belks building was located. This property now belongs to Duke Power
Company. It is hoped they will be able to purchase this property.
The Town of Mooresville's proposal for the remaining funds in the Lowrance Hospital Escrow
Funds Account ($706,791.04 as of October 31, 1992) and the $2.8 million which is to be repaid to the
County as required under the H.B. 203 (1989) was to use these funds to build a Mooresville Multipur-
pose Building. The following is the projected cost:
Building $1.7 million
Land .3 million
Financing .3 million
Furniture .2 million
Pool* .7 million
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Total $3.2 million
*The pool is a separate project that will not be built on this site. It is the lowest on the
list of priorities.
Mayor Knox said the Town of Mooresville would borrow the money to complete the project, then as
the funds are returned to the County, the Town of Mooresville could be reimbursed for the borrowed
funds and they could pay off their indebtedness. Three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) is
listed in the total amount of funds as interest paid on the money the Town will borrow.
Commissioner Doug Madison reviewed the MCNeary Study and the liability exposure the County has
because of the former patients of the Lowrance Hospital. Former action taken by the board of county
commissioners on March 19, 1991 called for the $2.8 million to be used as coverage for any liability
the County might encounter because of former patients at the old Lowrance Hospital. The county
commissioners inquired if the Town of Mooresville would be willing to assume this hospital liability
if a contract were to be drawn stating Mooresville would receive the $2.8 million as it comes back
from the industrial park. Mayor Knox and Bob Randall thought this would be approved by the Moores-
ville Town Board. They did not foresee a great liability.