HomeMy WebLinkAboutC.054.93011_0612 (2)IREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
BRIEFING MINUTES
APRIL 5, 2005
The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met in Briefing Session on
Tuesday, April 5, 2005, at 5:00 p.m., in the Iredell County Government Center (South
Wing Conference Room), 200 South Center Street, Statesville, NC.
Present were:
Chairman Sara Haire Tice
Vice Chairman Godfrey Williams
Steve D. Johnson
Marvin Norman
Ken Robertson
Staff present: County Manager Joel Mashburn, Finance Director Susan
Blumenstein, Planning & Code Enforcement Director Lynn Niblock, Planning
Supervisor Steve Warren, Planner Whitney Hodges, Emergency Services Director
Tracy Jackson, Purchasing Agent Dean Lail, GIS Supervisor Lee Anne Owens,
Transportation Director Ben Garrison, Chief Animal Control Officer Rob Tatham, Tax
Administrator Bill Doolittle, Tax Collector Bill Furches, Cooperative Extension
Director Ken Vaughn, and Clerk to the Board Jean Moore.
CALL TO ORDER by Chairman Tice.
PRESENTATION FROM MEMBERS OF THE FIRE TAX DISTRICT
BOARD (FTDB) REGARDING FIRE TAX REVENUE: Fire Tax District Board
Chairman Carroll Goodman, along with Vice Chairman Frank Phillips, attended the
meeting to update the board on VFD funding for the departments in the county -wide
service district and to request additional funding.
Phillips distributed a handout containing the following information:
Allocation of Funds:
• Iredell County funds 12 in -county and 4 out -of -county VFDs with a $.05 fire tax.
• The $.05 annually equals $3.1 million.
• Almost all fire hydrants installed in the county are purchased out of the $3.1 million.
• The $.05 is supposed to be used as follows:
$.01 truck purchases
$.01 debt reduction
$.03 VFD operating expenses
• Through 2004, almost all of the fire trucks and the VFD debts were paid off;
however, $.03 will not cover operating expenses. To rectify the problem, the FTDB,
during the past two years, has had to transfer unused funds from trucks/debt service
to pay the operating costs. The increased costs have occurred due to population
growth and age of vehicles/buildings. In addition, in an effort to lower the fire
ratings, there have been increased insurance company demands (training and
equipment).
How Funds Are Spent:
• Out of 12 VFDs, 11 have 1 or 2 paid firemen during day -time hours.
• The paid firemen provide an acceptable emergency response time, and the cost is
equal to $.01 of the $.03 for operating cost.
• Repairs and maintenance to vehicles is 1/3 of $.01
• Repairs to buildings is another 1/3 of $.01 — Most facilities were built in the 1960s
and need major repairs and/or additions.
• The balance of the $.01 is used pay for fire hydrants, tum -cut gear, utilities, training,
first -responder costs ($100,000) and other expenses. (It has been requested that the
EMS Department absorb the first -responder costs in the future.)
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