The Alleghany
County Board of Commissioners reconvened the recessed budget meeting from Wednesday, June 2, 2004, on Thursday, June 3, 2004, at 2:00pm in the
Conference Room of the County Office Building, 90 South
Main Street, Sparta, NC.
Present: Vice-Chair Warren Taylor, Commissioner Sandy Carter, Commissioner
Patrick Woodie, County Manager Don Adams and Clerk to
the Board Karen Evans.
Vice-Chair Warren Taylor called the
meeting to order at 2:00pm.
Linda Hash, Soil &
Water Office, talked to the Board about adding a new person in the Soil &
Water office to assist with the educational programs and other office and
technical functions. She explained that
when she first starting working with the County 15 years ago; the positions
were a full-time administrator and full-time technician. She stated that Alleghany County is the only
county where one person does both sides (administrative & technical). She outlined the programs that the Soil &
Water office works with including the Enviroton programs that has grown so much
in recent years. She explained more
reasons for the need of additional assistance.
The Board of Commissioners and Linda Hash discussed
funding options through the State and Federal governments that isn’t available
to the County at this time. Mrs. Hash
explained that this new position would be 75% administrative and 25%
technical. She further explained that
the State would reimburse the County for ½ of the 25% of the technical position
that she is requesting be added to her budget.
County Manager Don Adams stated that the
position would cost approximately $29,869 with the State reimbursing the County
approximately $3,700. He further stated
that these costs include salary and all of the fringe benefits.
Linda Hash reviewed more
programs that her office is associated with in assisting the farmers in the
County. She further reviewed the
interest in the Farmland Preservation Program and the lack of time she has to
monitor this program and sign everyone up that is interested in participating
in the program. She discussed the
changes that the State has made that affect the Soil & Water office.
Commissioner Sandy Carter Herndon and Linda Hash discussed the
qualifications that this position would be required to have.
Commissioner Sandy Carter Herndon asked
if our Federal position person retires would our County employee move into that
position and what the County employee’s future looks like.
Linda Hash stated that
the person in the Federal position in Avery County was hired
from Avery County Soil & Water office.
She discussed the differences between the qualifications in the three
positions. She talked about the office
being vacant while they are out in the field working on the projects.
The Commissioners thanked Mrs. Hash
for coming to the budget meeting and stated that they will look at her
request.
Joy Hines, Finance
Officer, explained that she is asking for a new software package for her
office. She further explained the
purpose of looking at a new software package. She stated that she is looking at CSI for the
new package and have Arena Youtz from CSI here to demonstrate the new system.
County Manager Don Adams explained the
encumbrance process now and the amount of time that is spent on this process.
Commissioner Warren Taylor asked how
the new package would work with the Tax Office.
Joy Hines explained
that the Tax Office would be able to download their information into the
appropriate line items for the Finance Office to review before it is posted in
the General Ledger. She explained how
the departments could look at their budget on-line rather than going through
the Finance Office.
County Manager Don Adams explained the
items that he thinks would help from the management side of the budget system.
Joy Hines explained
other benefits of the system including voiding checks that doesn’t
follow-through in the current system, more networking capabilities, greater
options on dealing with time-sheets and payroll issues.
County Manager Don Adams mentioned that
this software package is in his recommendations.
Arena Youtz explained CSI’s company
background, Windows-based system, enter data one time and goes all of the way
through the system, all public sector customers and offer turnkey solutions.
Commissioner Warren Taylor and Arena
Youtz discussed the back-up system that has been quoted for this system.
Commissioner Sandy Carter Herndon and
Arena Youtz discussed the internet and intranet sides of the budget.
County Manager Don Adams and Arena Youtz
discussed the firewall protection and the use of the back-up system.
Commissioner Patrick
Woodie and Arena Youtz discussed the hardware section that is
factored into the quote.
Arena Youtz illustrated the
encumbrance process that the Department Head will have the ability to
complete. She gave further illustrations
of the software.
Vice-Chair Warren Taylor declared at
5-minute recess at 3:15pm.
Lizabeth Roupe, Register of Deeds,
came before the Board to discuss her request of switching vendors for the
management of the records at the Register of Deeds. She explained the reasons why she would like
to change; such as support issues, putting information on the web, lack of
security issues, high turnover rate and a one-man business. She further explained that the new vendor is
a family-owned business being a father & two sons, excellent track record and
has highly skilled technical staff. She
explained that the current vendor charges $26,000 and the new vendor, Logan
Systems, will cost $32,760; which includes microfilming that the current vendor
charges at an additional amount. She
further explained that this new vendor supplies all of the hardware for the
operation of the new system.
County Manager Don Adams stated that
he thinks the County will save money by switching vendors.
The Board of Commissioners and Lizabeth
Roupe discussed the additional amount of money needed for the new
vendor.
Vice-Chair Warren Taylor stated that
the County Manager has this
budgeted in his recommendations.
The Board of Commissioners and Lizabeth
Roupe discussed the conversion time being one weekend.
Lizabeth
Roupe talked about plats being scanned and putting the plats
online. She talked about the plat system
that Logan Systems will be taking over from her prior vendor.
The Board of Commissioners and Lizabeth
Roupe discussed putting records online daily, weekly or monthly
rather than sending them to someone else to post on the web. The Board of
Commissioners and Lizabeth Roupe discussed how
this year has been completed without a contract.
The Board of Commissioners thanked Lizabeth
Roupe for attending this meeting.
Commissioner Patrick
Woodie talked about a couple of issues that he would like to
discuss about the budget that doesn’t affect the tax rate. He stated that one issue is Alleghany County needs to have
a full-time economic developer to further promote the County. He reminded everyone that this is the number
one recommendation of the CEDS study. He
further stated that the County Manager and Town Manager
are really good at the economic development side of things along with himself,
but the three of them have full-time jobs that don’t include time for full-time
economic development. He explained he
thinks that this position should not be a county or town position, but funded partially
by the county and town through another organization; such as, Alleghany County
Economic Development Corporation (ACEDC) or Blue Ridge Business Development Center. He talked about the need to restructure the
ACEDC.
Commissioner Sandy Carter Herndon
talked about how the County Manager has done a
great job of reacting on economic development issues rather than a proactive
role that needs to be in place.
Commissioner Warren Taylor asked how
many revenue sources that could be tapped into for this venture.
Commissioner Patrick
Woodie discussed the use of the economic development fund as well
as the Town providing some funding.
County Manager Don Adams discussed the
need for a contract with the agency that will house this person to detail what
is expected from this person as far as the County is concerned. He stated that this person needs to stay with
the team concept that is already in place to be used when companies are looking
at coming to Alleghany County.
Commissioner Warren Taylor discussed
the level of experience and education needed
for this position.
Commissioner Sandy Carter Herndon
talked about this person looking at other economic growth ventures rather than
just industrial companies.
Commissioner Patrick
Woodie discussed a road map that needs to be created to look at a
broad picture of economic development.
He further discussed that Martin Marietta, Wilkes Community
College and Blue Ridge Electric has made great
progress in less than 5 months in getting nation attention on the cluster
development idea and has the lead role on cluster development in the
nation.
Commissioner Warren Taylor asked if
Patrick Woodie, Don Adams, and Bryan
Edwards could work together about this concept and report back to the
Board. He stated that he thinks the
cluster development idea might have some have private funding available.
Commissioner Patrick
Woodie stated that he would like to follow through with this idea
and how it would not impact this year’s budget.
Commissioner Patrick
Woodie mentioned the property at the end of Atwood
Street.
He described the rundown house across the street from the Blue Ridge Business Development Center.
The Board of Commissioners discussed
the property along Atwood Street with 3 ½ acres where the house sites,
negotiations to rent the property if it was cleaned up, house is inhabitable,
renting the property to keep it cleaned up, liability to the County’s investment
and additional parking space at the Blue Ridge Business Development Center property.
County Manager Don Adams gave the
Board a handout regarding the breakdown of the school’s budget requests. He explained that is the regarding the
difference between current funding, requested amount, additional amount
requested, his recommendation and how much the tax rate would have to increase
to fund the current expense. He further
explained the capital request in the same format. He stated that if the Board gives the School
system full funding, property taxes would have to be raised 2.4 cents or would
have to cut other programs. He reminded
the Board that this 2.4 cents increase is over the amount of his
recommendation.
Commissioner Patrick
Woodie and County Manager Don Adams stated that
these numbers do not include any space needs issues or the school bus
garage.
County Manager Don Adams talked about
the General Fund fund balance number is estimated at $2.4 million but is really
$2.9 million with $250,000 for school bus garage and $250,000 for the tax
package already reserved. He reminded
everyone that the school bus garage loan would be paid back by ADM money.
The Board of Commissioners and County
Manager Don Adams discussed the short-term and
long-term capital needs, temporary plan that doesn’t utilize the entire space
at the Springford building and the large amount of money needed to remodel
another section of the building over several years, set costs of a contract for
one year rather than over several years.
They also discussed if it is economically feasible to do by a bond and
what amount of money should the Board look at bond financing, bond financing
being the most expensive, installment purchase to finance projects, reasons for
a bond (bond rating effecting the interest rate and extend the time of the loan
and guaranteeing the taxing power of the County versus a lien), amount needed
to meet all of the capital needs, debt relief for the next five years, raising
taxes to pay for loans for capital needs, space needs request from the Schools
at tomorrow’s meeting, purchasing the Springford building, school system
looking at multiple needs and one cent is needed for the purchase of the
building and to renovate some of the building.
Commissioner Patrick
Woodie stated that he can’t support buying a building and not knowing
what the building will be used for.
Vice-Chair Warren Taylor recessed
the meeting at 4:20pm until June 4, 2004, at 2:00pm.
Respectfully
submitted,
Karen Evans
Clerk
to the Board
Attest:
Eldon
Edwards
Chairman