HomeMy WebLinkAboutC.054.93010_0601 (2)Smith then shared a draft MOU. Mr. Smith said he had concerns about some portions of
the MOU. These concerns were:
1. That one member of the Centralina Council of Governments' Executive Board
serve on the RPO Technical Advisory Committee. (Smith said that if this
occurred, the person should be an ex -officio member.)
2. That municipalities pay $500 and counties pay $1,000 for membership towards
the local match, with the remaining allocation to be based upon the percentage of
the total RPO population. (Smith did not feel this was fair.) Also, the MOU
stipulated that only one annual block of membership hours (free) could be used.
(Smith felt the governing bodies should be allowed to use more membership
blocks.)
3. That the voting structure allowed one vote per jurisdiction. (Smith said the
counties with the most municipalities would have more votes, e.g., Cleveland
would automatically have 16 votes compared to Iredell's 6 votes.)
Commissioner Williams said that in the past, Rowan County had been considered
as a possible partnering county. He asked what happened to these discussions.
Smith said this possibility had not been eliminated. He said, "We are still looking
at them (Rowan County)."
Williams asked if Rowan could be included at a later date.
Smith said yes.
County Manager Mashburn said NCDOT Board Member Johnson had met with
the Rowan County officials about the RPOs.
Commissioner Bowles asked if Iredell County could be removed from the RPO, if
it desired to do so in the future.
Smith said yes.
The commissioners agreed to approve a resolution in support of participating in
the Lake Norman Rural Transportation Planning Organization, but declined to approve
the MOU at this time. It was requested that the staff meet with the relevant person(s) at
Centralina and DOT Board Member Frank Johnson about the various MOU concerns.
PRESENTATION FROM ARCHITECTURAL FIRMS REGARDING THE
IREDELL COUNTY GOVERNMENT BUILDING — SOUTH (Formerly, the
Lowrance Hospital/Lake Norman Regional Medical Center Building): Mashburn
said the General Statutes allowed local governments to negotiate with architectural firms
on the design of governmental facilities.
Support Services Director Jim Vernon said letters asking for qualifications were
sent to six architectural firms. Out of the six, two firms were requested to attend the
briefing. Vernon said the firm's representatives would discuss their ideas concerning the
renovation of the former hospital; especially in regards to configuring the site into court
space, probation/parole offices, law enforcement offices and health department offices.
He then introduced Robert Johnson and Larry Schaeffer, with the Martin Boal Anthony
& Johnson (MBAJ) Architectural firm.
MBAJ Presentation: R. Johnson said MBAJ had extensive experience it
various types of public and private facilities, including courts and law enforcemem
offices. He said the firm had extensive experience in the rejuvenation of abandoned
buildings. Mr. Johnson said MBAJ was a full-service firm that would first survey the
hospital building and plan the first floor with the understanding that the entire building
would be used in the future. Architect Johnson said it was important to remember the