HomeMy WebLinkAboutC.054.93010_0580Mr. Childers said the Iredell County Government Center, where the public hearing was being
held, was 100 years old.
Buddy Hemric (opponent) said a recent newspaper article had quoted Chairman Tice as
saying the purchase and renovation of the former Lowrance Building would be $4.1 million. He
said that in the next couple of years, the Iredell-Statesville School System would need at least
two more school buildings. Hemric said that at some point, a bond would be needed, along with
probably a tax increase. Mr. Hemric said he had counted 190 parking spaces at the hospital site.
He said the Mooresville ordinance read that it would take one parking space per employee during
the shift of greatest employment plus one space for each 300 sq. ft. of gross floor space. Hemric
said 300 to 400 spaces would be needed to be in compliance with the ordinance. He said,
additionally, the county would probably have to hire an employee to monitor the rental space in
the building, if it was not turned over to a rental management company.
Chairman Tice said the $4.1 million, referred to by Mr. Hemric, included interest.
Alice Stewart (opponent), past county commissioner, said she had been opposed to the
purchase of the property ever since Sara Haire Tice had mentioned the possible availability at a
retreat held in November 17, 1995, in Mooresville. Stewart said the board members were told
the facility might be donated. Mrs. Stewart said she remembered that her comments were: "I am
only one member of this board, but for my part, the answer is no. If this is such a great deal, why
hasn't Mooresville taken it? If this deal is so great, the offer would never have reached the
county; especially with Mooresville needing a new town hall and police station." Mrs. Stewart
said the current board had not been following the established capital project needs list. She said
the hospital purchase was not on the needs list. Stewart said the current board had approved the
purchase with no regard for the library and DSS needs. Mrs. Stewart said the purchase would be
just for Mooresville downtown revitalization. Stewart said the usage of taxpayer money for the
hospital property would be the worst expenditure she had seen in her 16 years of service on the
board of commissioners, with the exception of the $900,000 paid to the superintendents when the
Statesville and Iredell County School Systems merged.
David Boone (opponent) said that if the board agreed to purchase the property, it would
be borrowing approximately $3.5 million to buy an old building that was several times bigger
than what was needed. Boone said the county could build a new building for approximately the
same amount, or less, than the purchase and renovation of the hospital property. He said there
had been an argument that the hospital purchase would help in the Mooresville revitalization.
Mr. Boone reminded the board members that they were elected county -wide, and it was not
appropriate to ask the taxpayers of the whole county to revitalize one area of the county. Boone
said it was very rare that former commissioner Bob Dellinger, former commissioner Alice
Stewart, and former commissioner David Boone would agree on something. He said the board
and audience might conclude by this fact that there was a widespread consensus of opinion
against the purchase. Boone suggested that rather than using the installment financing, a General
Obligation Bond (GO) be reviewed. He said the GO Bond would have to be submitted to the
citizens of the county and voted upon.
Chairman Tice then adjourned the public hearing and introduced the following resolution.
RESOLUTION DIRECTING FILING OF AN APPLICATION
FOR APPROVAL BY THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT
COMMISSION OF INSTALLMENT FINANCING AGREEMENT
TO FINANCE THE PURCHASE OF A FORMER HOSPITAL FACILITY
BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Commissioners (the "Board of
Commissioners") for the County of Iredell. North Carolina:
Section 1. The Board of Commissioners does hereby find, determine, and
declare as follows:
(a) The County of Iredell, North Carolina (the "County") proposes to finance
the purchase of a former hospital facility located in the Town of Mooresville
pursuant to an installment financing agreement (the "Installment Financing
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