HomeMy WebLinkAboutC.054.93011_0614Tice asked if paid firemen was a requirement.
Phillips said the response time was a factor. He said an additional one -cent was
needed to maintain a high level of service.
Johnson said the VFDs and their services were appreciated, but it would be
difficult for him to approve the increase unless there was a goal. He mentioned the
possibility of the goal being a good fire rating, and if so, then a plan needed to be
developed to achieve the goal.
Goodman and Phihips said every department was trying to get a good rating.
Phillips said Lake Norman had gone from 9 to a 6 rating.
Williams suggested that a list be developed indicating the various ratings. He
said the list could show the VFDs trying to improve and when improvements might be
achieved, along with what action was needed, e.g. hydrant installation.
Goodman said around three departments a year were rated -- it was dependent
upon the state's inspection.
Commissioner Robertson asked if the building improvements would help in the
ratings.
Both Goodman and Phillips said structural improvements would help.
Andy Webster, a member of the Cool Springs VFD, said his department had a
519. He said in 1981 it was a 7. Webster said that after hydrants were installed, a better
rating was received.
Bill Jurney, a former member of the FTDB, and a resident of the Troutman VFD
community, said it was time for the county to "take a step forward." He said a $200
savings in homeowners' insurance costs could occur if a fire rating increased from a 9
to a 6. He said members of the public would be more inclined to help the departments
if they only knew how much could be saved each year on insurance.
Chairman Tice thanked everyone for attending the meeting. She said the
comments and handout from the Fire Tax District Board would be received for
information.
Request for Permission to Apply for the North Carolina Department of
Correction's Criminal Justice Partnership Program Grant for the Iredell County
Resource Center Administered by Appropriate Punishment Options: Appropriate
Punishment Options Director Pam Navey requested permission to apply for $121,929 to
continue the Iredell Resource Center. She said the center worked with offenders who
were on probation, and the Criminal Justice Partnership Program Committee met on
March 14 and approved the application. Navey said the program was in its ninth year
of operation. She said it was recently learned that an additional $11,354 would be
available for program expansion, and the funds had to be used before June 30, 2005.
Purchase of Development Rights (PDRs) Program: Planning Supervisor
Steve Warren and Planner Hodges briefly discussed the PDR program. Warren said the
program was elective, and it was one way to help protect the future of farming.
Commissioner Johnson said he understood that a transfer of development rights
was different, and this type of program still needed the adoption of legislation.
Ken Vaughn, the Director of the Cooperative Extension Service, said the PDR
program wouldn't do much; however, it would help protect farmland. He said it was a
mechanism for the farmers to use, if needed. Vaughn said at one time the state had
appropriated funding for the program, but disaster relief for Hurricane Floyd damage
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