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IREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES
AUGUST 26.1999
The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met for a Special Meeting on Thursday,
August 26, 1999, 7:00 p.m., at Ebenezer Elementary School (gymnasium), 134 Ebenezer Lane,
Statesville, NC.
Present: Chairman Sara K. Haire
Vice Chairman Steve D. Johnson
Tommy E. Bowles
Alice T. Fortner
Alice M. Stewart
Staff Present: County Manager Joel Mashburn, County Attorney Bill Pope, Sheriff Phil
Redmond, and Clerk to the Board Jean Moore.
Others Attending: 42n1 House Representative Frank Mitchell, City Council Member Diane
Prendergast, Record & Landmark Reporter Ginger Guy and Iredell Neighbors Reporter Jim Wrinn.
CALL TO ORDER by Chairman Haire
PURPOSE OF THE SPECIAL MEETING: Haire said the meeting was scheduled to
seek public comment regarding a proposed new prison that the N.C. Department of Correction
desired to locate in the western area of the state. Alexander County has been selected as the prison
location; however, if its site proves to be unsuitable, Iredell County will be considered. The new
prison will be a close -custody facility and large enough to house nearly 1,000 inmates. The facility
is expected to cost $60-80 million and require nearly 400 employees for operation. Should Iredell
County be selected for the prison, the state would like a $400,000 contribution for a sanitary sewer
line. Two property owners in the area have expressed a willingness to donate $200,000 to the sewer
project. In addition, the City of Statesville has been approached about contributing another
$100,000. This would leave Iredell County's share to be $100,000.
Chairman Haire said she recently talked to three commissioners from Alexander County.
The Alexander officials are confident that their site will be suitable, and the prison will be
constructed there.
prison.
Members of the audience were then given a chance to share opinions about the proposed
Eric Sturdevant asked information about the type of inmate that would be housed.
Representative Mitchell said there were basically three types of prisons: minimum, medium
and maximum. He said the present prison located on Hwy. 21, and expected to close on October
1, 1999, was a medium -custody unit. The new prison would be a close -custody or a maximum -
offense type of unit. He said the inmate population would be "an array of all types."
George McAuley said he owned a farm and had lived near the current prison all his life.
lie said he had never experienced problems. McAuley said it appeared "stupid" to him for the
Department of Correction to locate the prison in another county when state land was available in
Iredell County. He also mentioned that many jobs would come with the new facility.
Steven Padgett said he recently purchased a house in the Bethany Trace Subdivision. He
said he was glad when he learned the present prison was scheduled to close. He expressed concerns
about his property being devalued if a new prison were built.