&=
nbsp; The Alleghany County Board of Commissioners met in regul=
ar
session on Monday=
, July 2,
2007, at 6:30pm=
in the Commissioners Meeting Room of the County Administrati=
on
Building, 348 South Main Street, Sparta, North Carolina.
=
&=
nbsp; Present: Chair Ken Richardson, Vice-Chair W=
arren
Taylor, Commissioner Randy Miller, Commissioner Doug Murphy, Commissioner M=
illy
Richardson, County
Manager Don Adams, and Clerk to the Board Karen Evans. County Attorney Donna
Shumate was absent.
Chair
Ken Richardson called the meeting to order.
Commissioner
Doug Murphy led the Pledge of
Allegiance and opened the meeting with a prayer.
Commission=
er
Milly Richardson made a motion to approve the agenda for this July 2, 2007, me=
eting. Commissioner Warren
Taylor seconded the motion. Vote 5:0.
=
;
AGENDA
Monday,
July 2, 2007
=
6:30 PM
6:30 &=
nbsp; Meeting Called To Order, Pledg=
e of
Allegiance and Prayer
&=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; Motion
on Agenda for Jul=
y 2, 2007,
meeting
Motion on Minutes for June 5, 2007; June 6, 2007; June 7,
2007; June 12, 2007; June 18, 2007; June 18, 2007 and June 26, 2007, meetin=
gs
6:35 A. &nbs=
p; Public
Comments—30 minutes
&=
nbsp; B. Public
Hearing
&=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; RE:
E-911 Road
Names
&=
nbsp; C. County Business
1. Joint Meeting Reminder
2. Farmland Preservation Board
Appointments
3. Surplus Sale Update
4. Duncan Recreation Center Update
5. Concrete Plant
6. Other Business
7. Closed Session—NCGS 143-=
318.11
(a) (6)—personnel
=
8.&n=
bsp;
Adjourn
Commissioner
Warren Taylor made a motion to
approve the minutes for the June 5, 2007=
; June 6, 2007; June 7, 2007; June 12, 2007; June 18, 2007; June 18, 2007 and June 26, 2007, meetings. Commissioner Doug
Murphy seconded
the motion. Vote 5:0.
Chair
Ken Richardson opened the public comments’ portion of the meeting and
asked for public comments. No=
ne
were received. He closed
the public comments’ portion of the meeting.
=
Wendy
Williams, E-911 Coordinator/Mapper, c=
ame
before the Board to present one road name; Poplar Valley Drive. She explained
the road’s location.
=
Chair
Ken Richardson opened the public hearing regarding the 911 road names at
6:33pm.
Chair
Ken Richardson asked for public comments.&=
nbsp;
None were received.
Chair
Ken Richardson closed the public hearing at 6:34pm and reconvened the regul=
ar
meeting.
&=
nbsp; Commissioner
Milly Richardson made a motion to approve the road name as presented by the
E-911 Coordinator/Mapper.
Commissioner Randy Miller seconded the motion. Vote 5:0.
&=
nbsp; County Manager
Don Adams reminded the Board a=
bout
the joint meeting with the Sparta Town Council scheduled on July 30 at 7:00=
pm
at Sparta=
Town Hall.
&=
nbsp; County Manager
Don Adams presented a letter f=
rom
Paul Edwards regarding the reappointment of Bobby Joe Gambill, Milly Richar=
dson
and Bobby Evans to the Alleghany Farmland Preservation Program Advisory Boa=
rd.
&=
nbsp; Commissioner
Warren Taylor made a motion to reappoint Bobby Joe Gambill, Milly Richardson
and Bobby Evans to serve on the Alleghany Farmland Preservation Program
Advisory Board. Commissioner =
Doug Murphy seconded the motion. Vote 5:0.
&=
nbsp; County Manager
Don Adams updated the Commissi=
oners regarding
the surplus sale held on June 23.
He stated that the sale generated $37,806; $500 for Transfer Facility
Fund, $11,400 for Transportation Fund, $13,163.50 for Drug Fund, $10,992.50=
for
General Fund and then Board of Education will receive $1,820 because of
court-ordered items sold.
&=
nbsp; County Manager
Don Adams updated the Board
regarding the Duncan
Recreation Center’s
renovations with demotion beginning.
He talked about the Wellness
Center met and deci=
ded to
extend their services until school opens in August. He explained that the company is o=
nsite now,
and at this point, he does not see the Duncan Recreation
Center being able t=
o open
this season.
&=
nbsp; The
Board of Commissioners and County Manager Don A=
dams
talked about making sure it is ready for next season.
&=
nbsp; County Manager
Don Adams stated that the next
discussion about the concrete plant is a follow-up from the last meeting. He explained he was requested to p=
ut the
issue back on the agenda because the Board did not want to have public
discussions after the last meeting’s closed session because no one was
present.
&=
nbsp; Chair
Ken Richardson stated that the County
Manager has spoken =
to Mr.
Evans, who chose not to be here.
&=
nbsp; County Manager
Don Adams explained that he ha=
s spoken
to Mr. Evans and, his attorney, Hugh Campbell, and they elected not to atte=
nd
this meeting.
&=
nbsp; Commissioner
Doug Murphy asked about the conditional-use permit from the Property Rights
Protection Ordinance was issued with the condition of meeting the High Impact Land Uses / Pollut=
ing
Industries Ordinance standar=
ds.
&=
nbsp; County Manager
Don Adams explained that appro=
val
was given with the condition that the project meets the standards of the High Impact Land Uses / Pollut=
ing
Industries Ordinance.
&=
nbsp; Commissioner
Milly Richardson and County Manager Don Adams
talked about a traffic impact study in the High Impact Land Uses / Polluting
Industries Ordinance.
&=
nbsp;
&=
nbsp; Chair
Ken Richardson reminded the Commissioners that the last vote was to table t=
he
issue until further action, and that vote will remain until further informa=
tion
is received or someone makes another motion on the matter.
&=
nbsp; County Manager
Don Adams updated the Commissi=
oners about
the recent actions of the Planning Board including looking at the three main
ordinances; Property Rights Protection Ordinance, High Impact Land Uses /
Polluting Industries Ordinance and the Subdivision Ordinance, getting outsi=
de
resources to help educate them as a board.=
He reviewed general discussions of the board. He explained that the Planning Boar=
d is looking
to update the Land Development Plans.
He reviewed other upcoming activities of the Planning Board and their
July meeting schedule. He sai=
d that
the Planning Board is getting to the point where they can start making
recommendations on the ordinances. <=
/span>
&=
nbsp; Commissioner
Milly Richardson and County Manager Don Adams
talked about the Land Development Plans were adopted in 2001. He explained that they were create=
d by
the Division of Community Assistance with input from Alleghany
County and the Town of Sparta. He further explained the data that=
needs
to be updated.
&=
nbsp; Commissioner
Doug Murphy stated that it appears to him in order to have good planning, t=
he
Board needs to be looking at traditional zoning in some places to have small
business / light industry.
&=
nbsp; Chair
Ken Richardson talked about moving forward with the concrete plant. He reviewed the action could be to=
make a
motion to accept the recommendation of the Planning Board and also the prop=
osed
plant does not meet the requirements of the Polluting Industries Ordinance =
and
the Property Rights Ordinance.
&=
nbsp; Commissioner
Warren Taylor made a motion to
accept the Planning Board’s recommendation. Chair Ken Richardson seconded the
motion.
&=
nbsp; Commissioner
Milly Richardson stated that she thinks the Planning Board made the only
recommendation they could with the ordinance that is in place. She further stated that the ordina=
nce
has some gray areas and some weak areas.&n=
bsp;
She said she has some reservations about this ordinance. She further stated that she can=
217;t
vote for the motion.
&=
nbsp; The
Board voted on the motion on the floor.&nb=
sp;
Vote 4:1 (Milly Richard=
son).
&=
nbsp; Chair
Ken Richardson stated that the motion allows us to move forward.=
&=
nbsp; Commissioner
Randy Miller stated that he understands what Milly Richardson is saying. He further stated that the way the
ordinances are right now that this is the only way the County can go until =
the
ordinances are changed. He
explained that if the Planning Board later recommends changes, the Board of
Commissioners can consider them and Mr. Evans could come back before the Bo=
ard.
&=
nbsp; Commissioner
Warren Taylor asked about variance procedures.
County Manage=
r Don Adams
explained that a variance cannot be given on the distance aspect. He talked about granting a varianc=
e for
site specific issues. He gave=
an
example of fencing up a mountainside.
He talked about applicants must show their site is different than ot=
her
sites.
Commissioner Doug Murphy stated that this pinpoints the =
need
to designate areas for small businesses in the county. He talked about the need to be
proactive, not reactive when looking at places for small businesses.
Commissioner Milly Richardson asked about setting aside =
an
enterprise zone instead of zoning the entire county.
County Manager Don Adams
talked about two possibilities; an industrial park that the county brought =
and offers
reasonable prices or creating a zone.
He talked about the high growth potential areas. He further talked about the balance
between the infrastructure and keeping the look of the county.
Commissioner Doug Murphy said that if the County is sayi=
ng
we are for small businesses, then we need to have areas where small busines=
ses
and industries can locate.
County Manager Don Adams
talked about the Planning Board has the tools. He reviewed Highway 21 and having =
the
tools to zone an area for some type of commercial use. He explained that the Planning Boa=
rd is getting
there but it is just going to take some time.
Commissioner Randy Miller agreed with the County Manager’s
comments. He stated that they=
are
going to work with us and us with them.&nb=
sp;
He further stated that they have done a good job.<=
/p>
Commissioner Milly Richardson agreed that they have done=
a
good job.
Chair Ken Richardson talked about taking the oath of off=
ice
to uphold the law. He further
talked about an ordinance is law and having no choice but to follow the
law. He said the Board’s
action doesn’t deny a concrete plant just that it must abide by the
ordinance. He said he is not =
discouraging
small businesses from coming or beginning in the county. He talked about the concrete plant
couldn’t follow either ordinance.
County Manage=
r Don Adams =
stated
that he received a phone call from the Catholic Church, and there has been =
some
misunderstanding about the alcohol issue at the fairgrounds. He clarified that the Catholic Chu=
rch
did not have anything to do with the issue, Myra Castillo misrepresented th=
e Catholic
Church and Myra Castillo is of no relation to Ralph Castillo, the CEO at Alleghany Memorial Hospital.
Commissioner
Milly Richardson made a motion to enter into closed session under NCGS
143-318.11 (a) (6)—personnel at 7:06pm. Commissioner Randy Mil=
ler seconded
the motion. Vote 5:0.
Commissioner
Warren Taylor made a motion to
adjourn the closed session and reconvene the regular meeting at 7:28pm. Commissioner Doug
Murphy seconded the motion. Vote 5:0.
Chair
Ken Richardson stated that no decisions were made during closed session.
Commissioner
Milly Richardson made a motion to separate Planning and Recreation departme=
nt
to a Planner position and a Recreation Director position. Commissioner Randy Miller seconded=
the
motion. Vote 5:0. =
&nb=
sp;
&=
nbsp; Being
no further business, Commissioner Warren Taylor=
made
a motion to adjourn at 7:29=
pm. Commissioner Doug
Murphy seconded the motion. Vote 5:0.
Respectfully
submitted, &nb=
sp;
=
=
Karen Evans &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p;
Clerk to the Boar=
d &=
nbsp;
=
Attest:
=
=
Ken Richardson
Chairman