HomeMy WebLinkAboutC.054.93011_0800 (2)IREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
BRIEFING MINUTES
JULY 19, 2005
The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met in Briefing Session on Tuesday,
July 19, 2005, at 5:00 p.m., in the Iredell County Government Center (South Wing Conference
Room), 200 South Center Street, Statesville, NC.
Present were:
Sara Haire Tice, Chairman
Vice Chairman Godfrey Williams
Steve D. Johnson
Ken Robertson
Absent: Marvin Norman
Staffpresent: County Manager Joel Mashburn, Deputy County Manager Susan
Blumenstein, Assistant County Manager Tracy Jackson, Communications Director David
Martin, 911 Coordinator Betty Dobson, Tax Administrator Bill Doolittle, Health Director
Donna Campbell, Environmental Health Supervisor Kelly Sheeks, Social Work Program
Administrator Lisa York, and Clerk to the Board Jean Moore.
CALL TO ORDER by Chairman Tice
Request from the Iredell-Statesville School System for Permission to Purchase
Land at a cost of $1,412,000 for Future Needs in the Mt. Mourne Area: Kay Fulp, the
finance officer for the school system along with Rob Jackson, the construction director,
requested permission to purchase approximately 71 acres of property located at 518
Presbyterian Road (between Hwy. 115 and Shearer's Road) in Mooresville, NC, to be used for a
new combination elementary/middle school. Jackson said Phase I & II studies had been
completed, and no areas of concern were found. He said sewer was not an issue either. Mr.
Jackson said excess property would remain after the school(s) were built, and the current plans
were to partner with another agency or governmental unit and use the land for recreational uses.
He said the new school(s) would not replace Mt. Mourne Elementary.
Fulp said the agenda material indicated the acreage was 70.6 acres, but there would be
an additional five hundredth of an acre.
Director of Finance & Administration Susan Blumenstein said that due to the school
system's request, Mt. Mourne was listed in the October bond documents in case there were any
savings realized.
County Manager Mashburn added that the school system would use fund balance to
purchase the land (Mt. Mourne site). He said that if the bonds were successful, and proceeds
remained, the school system desired to reimburse itself (school system) the $1.4 million.
Commissioner Williams said he had concerns that some individuals, who might be
working towards getting the bonds approved, would be upset if their neighborhood school
wasn't improved, especially if the facility was listed on the ballot.
Mrs. Blumenstein said the bond laws were specific on how the money could be used.
She said the money had to be directed towards the listed schools; however, there might not be
enough funds for all of them. Blumenstein said this was done in case the bids came in lower
than anticipated, then the funds could be used on the listed schools having a lower priority or
need.
UPDATE ON SENATE BILL 508 OR HOUSE BILL 648 (SHORT TITLE:
EXEMPT BUILDERS' INVENTORY) FROM THE TAX ADMINISTRATOR: Tax
Administrator Bill Doolittle shared a spreadsheet on the potential loss of tax revenue should
Senate Bill 508, currently pending in the General Assembly, be enacted. Doolittle said the
legislation would reduce the county's tax revenues by exempting assessed tax value on
properties that were partially developed but unsold by builders. He estimated that in the fust
year, if the legislation passed, Iredell County would lose approximately $1,382,822 (includes
the incorporated areas, fire districts, and the Mooresville school district). Doolittle said the
amount only included estimates for single family residentially, improved property. He said it
did not include manufactured homes, commercial/industrial property, or vacant lots in
subdivisions. Doolittle said the proposed exemption included vacant lots in subdivision, and
this exemption could extend up to five years. He said the latest information on the