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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-01-2022 1 February 1, 2022 IREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS PRE-AGENDA SESSION February 1, 2022 The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met in pre-agenda session on Tuesday, February 1, 2022 at 5:00 PM, in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room located in the Iredell County Government Center 200 South Center Street, Statesville, NC. Board Members Present Chairman James Mallory Vice Chairman Melissa Neader Scottie Brown Gene Houpe Board Members Participating Remotely Marvin Norman Staff present: County Manager Beth Mull, County Attorney Lisa Valdez, Deputy County Manager Susan Robertson, Assistant County Manager Joe Pierce, Finance Director Deb Cheek, and Clerk to the Board Amy Anderson. CALL TO ORDER: Chairman James Mallory called the meeting to order. ADJUSTMENTS TO THE AGENDA: There were no adjustments to the agenda. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS Request from Iredell-Statesville Schools for approval to apply for a Public School Capital Fund Grant: Tim Ivey requested approval for Iredell-Statesville Schools to apply for a Public School Capital Fund Grant. This is a needs-based public grant fund made up of $395 million additional lottery dollars. This fund has been available for quite some time, but certain school districts including Iredell-Statesville have not been able to apply for the funds since it was primarily based on needs. This year the State opened the grant to more counties. The matching funds depend on the County’s economic situation. Ivey said the grant could provide the school system with a maximum award of $30 million for an elementary school, $40 million for a middle school, and $50 million for a high school. He noted this year the grant includes new construction and repairs or renovations, which it has not in the past. Ivey provided the Board with the following worksheet outlining the projects. ● Iredell County is eligible with a requirement of 25% matching funds ● Possible projects for grant application: ○ Project 1: SHS CTE - 13.8 million (25% = 3.45 million) ○ Project 2: Harmony Replace 4th/5th Grade wing - 8.6 million (25% = 2.15 million) ○ Project 3: Additional funds for New High School - 50 million (25% = Bond Funds) ○ Project 4: Lake Norman Elementary Gym/Classroom Addition - 11 million (25% = 2.9 million) ○ Project 5: Lakeshore Middle expansion - 6.7 million (25% = 1.5 million) 2 February 1, 2022 ● Total Grant Funding Applying for = $90.1 million ● Total Local Match (25%) if awarded = $10 million excluding Bond Funds SHS CTE13, This item was placed on consent. Request from the Register of Deeds for approval to refund Revenue Stamps in the amount of $960 to Benbow, Davidson, & Martin, PC: County Manager Beth Mull requested approval to refund Revenue Stamps in the amount of $960 to Benbow, Davidson, & Martin, PC. The law firm is requesting a refund due to an error and recording the deed twice. This item was placed on consent. Request from Emergency Management for approval to allow the County Manager to sign the updated Statewide Mutual Aid Agreement: Kent Greene requested approval to allow the County Manager to sign the updated Statewide Mutual Aid Agreement. Greene said the agreement allows the County to receive personnel and equipment should there be a disaster and also allows the County to assist other counties. Greene noted the agreement does not obligate the County to any future funding. Mull said the agreement needs to be approved by the Board because it is an annual contract with auto renewal. This item was placed on consent. Request from Parks & Recreation for approval of Capital Project Ordinance and to accept a Carolina Thread Trail grant in the amount of $30,000: Finance Director Deb Cheek requested approval of a project ordinance and to accept a $30,000 Carolina Thread Trail grant. The funds will go toward the construction associated with the Fourth Creek Greenway Expansion, connecting Big Leaf Slopes Park to the City of Statesville’s existing greenway. This item was placed on consent. Request from Parks & Recreation for approval to apply for a Parks and Recreation Trust Fund Grant: Parks & Recreation Director Michelle Hepler requested approval to apply for a Parks & Recreation Trust Fund Grant to go toward the development of Jennings Park. Historically, the County applied for a PARTF grant for the acquisition of the park. There is a 50/50 match requirement, for all Parks and Recreation Trust Fund Grants. This requirement will be met by using the existing funds already allocated in the Jennings Park Project Ordinance. This item was placed on consent. Report of Unpaid Taxes that are liens on Real Property and set advertising date: Tax Administrator Bill Furches reported Unpaid Taxes that are liens and set the advertising date as March 16, 2022. A paper copy of the report is available in the Clerk to the Board’s office. Furches said the current collection rate is 96.11% and there is approximately $5.6 million unpaid. 3 February 1, 2022 This item was placed on consent. Request from Clerk to the Board for approval of the minutes from the meeting on January 18, 2022: There were no additions or corrections. This item was placed on consent. Request from the Finance Department for consideration and acceptance of highest upset bid offer for Harmony Highway Surplus Property and to close the upse t bid process: Finance Director Deb Cheek requested approval of the highest upset bid offer for the Harmony Highway property and to close the upset bid process. Cheek said there were no other bids on the property and requested approval to accept the bid of $35,000 for the property of 4600 Harmony Highway, Harmony. This item was placed on consent. ANNOUNCEMENTS OF VACANCIES OCCURING ON BOARDS & COMMISSIONS (None) APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS & COMMISSIONS (None) OLD BUSINESS Mull said at the direction of the Board, staff was asked to gather a list of questions from citizens regarding the Strong Schools NC Toolkit. The questions were submitted to the State for response. Mull noted she added three questions on page 5. The State did not respond point by point or to every questions. Mull explained the State’s initial reaction was not to respond to the questions. For example one of the questions was, “If you took an oath, did you use the sacred or non -sacred scriptures such as a Christian Bible or other religious texts such as the satanic bible.” The State did not feel deemed a response. Mull explained that she spoke with the State and asked them to submit a response and information for the questions. The questions and responses were provided in the Board’s agenda packet. Chairman Mallory said the Board has had the opportunity to read the questi ons and data provided by the State. The response did not line up question by question but there is some information that was pertinent to a number of the questions but not necessarily directly on point. Some of the questions were statements that were followed by agree or disagree and some were accusatory in nature, and possibly inappropriate to respond to. Mallory said he could understand why the State would have a reaction. There is some information and the Board will take that into consideration as well as the questions in making policy decisions moving forward. Mallory said based on the conditions that exist and within the areas the Board has control over for instance masking policy applies only to county employees. The purpose of the policy is to protect the staff’s health during the Covid pandemic. The requirements are based on conditions and when the conditions are such that the threat is diminished and manageable the Board rescinded the requirement. When the number of cases surged the mask requirement was re-imposed. 4 February 1, 2022 The Board recessed at 5:39pm. IREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MINUTES February 1, 2022 The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, February 1, 2022 at 7:00 PM, in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room of the Iredell County Government Center, 200 South Center Street, Statesville, NC. Board Members Present Chairman James Mallory Vice Chairman Melissa Neader Scottie Brown Gene Houpe Board Members Participating Remotely Marvin Norman Staff present: County Manager Beth Mull, County Attorney Lisa Valdez, Deputy County Manager Susan Robertson, Assistant County Manager Joe Pierce, Finance Director Debra Cheek and Clerk to the Board Amy Anderson. CALL TO ORDER by Chairman Mallory. INVOCATION: Chairman Mallory asked everyone to bow their heads for a moment of silence or reflection. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE led by Chairman Mallory. ADJUSTMENTS TO THE AGENDA There were no adjustments to the agenda. MOTION by Vice Chair Neader to approve the agenda as presented. VOTING: Ayes – 5; Nays – 0 PRESENTATION OF SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS & AWARDS (None) APPOINTMENTS BEFORE THE BOARD Update on the 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan: Neil Burke and Travis Johnson with the Charlotte Regional Transportation Organization presented an update on the 2020 Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP). The MTP is a long-range plan that establishes goals, objectives, and transportation priorities over the next 20 plus years. The plan considers all modes of surface transportation as well as impacts to the environment, economy, public health, and overall quality of life. The plan must be fiscally constrained – the projects in the plan be implemented using committed or anticipated revenues. The plan is updated at least every four 5 February 1, 2022 years. The big difference between the MTP and the Iredell County Master Transportation Plan is the MTP covers a three county region. Both plans have project programs and policies but the projects in the MTP come from the comprehensive transportation plan. The next step for the County’s projects would be added to the comprehensive transportation plan to start the process of being funded through this system. The key components of the MTP are goals and objectives, scenario planning, performance management, financial plan, project ranking, and project list. The years 2025, 2035, 2045, and 2050 are defined in the MTP. Burke said the MTP projects have realistic chance to be funded by 2050. The estimated population share is used to determine the percentage of available funding for each STI funding geography. Iredell County falls within Region F and has a 15% share of the 2050 MTP. Johnson explained the public comment period is currently open for the draft plan. Chairman Mallory urged citizens to visit the CRTPO website and comment on the plan. PUBLIC HEARINGS Public hearing to consider an economic development incentive for Project Layer: Jenn Bosser presented Keselowski Manufacturing (KAM), an existing industry company also known as Project Layer, for consideration for an incentive from Iredell County. Keselowski Manufacturing plans to invest new in machinery and equipment and an update to their existing facility located at 258 West Aviation Drive, Statesville. The project is adjacent to Statesville Regional Airport and the expansion is an effort to expand the company’s ability to satisfy customer needs and to acquire a new line of business in the defense contract sector. KAM is a vertically integrated simulation and design engineering company with top engineering and machining talent who excel within innovation creativity and problem company. In accordance with Iredell County’s Economic Development Policy, Bosser requested an economic incentive grant to KAM for up to $52,608 based on a capital investment total of $4,785,000. The grant would be payable over 3 years and is performance based. Payment is tied to the amount of new increment assessed value generated from the private investment by the company. On behalf of Iredell County Economic Development Corporation, Bosser expressed appreciation to the Board for their consideration of the grants. Chairman Mallory opened the public hearing. No one wished to speak. Chairman Mallory closed the public hearing. MOTION by Vice Chair Neader to approve an economic incentive up to $52,608 over a three-year period based on the company's investment of up to $4,785,000 and contingent upon a contract being executed within 180 days. 6 February 1, 2022 VOTING: Ayes – 5; Nays – 0 ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS County Manager Beth Mull summarized the following Administrative Matters during the Pre-Agenda meeting held at 5pm:  Request from Iredell-Statesville Schools for approval to apply for a Public School Capital Fund Grant.  Request from the Register of Deeds for approval to refund Revenue Stamps in the amount of $960 to Benbow, Davidson, & Martin, PC.  Request from Emergency Management for approval to allow the County Manager to sign the updated Statewide Mutual Aid Agreement.  Request from Parks & Recreation for approval of Capital Project Ordinance and to accept a Carolina Thread Trail grant in the amount of $30,000.  Request from Parks & Recreation for approval to apply for a Parks and Recreation Trust Fund Grant.  Report of Unpaid Taxes that are liens on Real Property and set advertising date.  Request from Clerk to the Board for approval of the minutes from the meeting on January 18, 2022.  Request from the Finance Department for consideration and acceptance of highest upset bid offer for Harmony Highway Surplus Property and to close the upset bid process. MOTION by Commissioner Norman to approve the consent agenda. VOTING: Ayes – 5; Nays – 0 ANNOUNCEMENTS OF VACANCIES ON BOARDS & COMMISSIONS (None) APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS & COMMISSIONS (None) UNFINISHED BUSINESS County Manger Beth Mull said the Board gave the public an opportunity to submit questions regarding the mask mandate and the NC School Tool kit. Staff submitted the questions to NC Department of Health & Human Services. Mull noted she added three questions to the list. The State’s initial response to the questions was to decline to respond because of the nature of some of the questions. For example one of the questions was, “If you took an oath, did you use the sacred or non-sacred scriptures such as a Christian Bible or other religious texts such as the satanic bible.” The State did not feel that was a question that deemed a response. Mull said she again requested a response from the State. The State then submitted information and two attachments for reference. Copies of the questions and answers were included in the Board’s agenda packets and were made available to attendees at the meeting. 7 February 1, 2022 Chairman Mallory said the Board will sort through the reference material provided by the State to discuss at the next meeting and allow citizens at the next Public Comment Period to opine. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD (None) NEW BUSINESS (None) COUNTY MANANGERS REPORT County Manager Beth Mull provided an update on the following:  The Board will hold their Winter Retreat on Thursday (noon – 5pm) and Friday (8am – 4pm), February 17-18, 2022 at Cooperative Extension. CLOSED SESSION Chairman Mallory said a Closed Session was held immediately following pre- agenda for Economic Development and Personnel. There were no action items to report. ADJOURNMENT MOTION by Commissioner Brown to adjourn at 8:02pm. The Board will meet for a regular meeting Tuesday, February 15, 2022 at 7pm in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room, Government Center, 200 South Center Street, Statesville, NC. VOTING Ayes – 5; Nays – 0 __________________________________ ___________________________________ Date Approved Amy B. Anderson, Clerk