&=
nbsp; The
Alleghany County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Monday, September 14, 2009, at 3:30pm in the Board Meetin=
g Room of
the County Administration Buil=
ding,
348 South Main Street,
Sparta, North Caro=
lina.
=
Present: Chair Ken Richardson, Vice-Chair R=
andy
Miller, Commissioner Doug Murphy, Commissioner =
Milly
Richardson, Commissioner Steve Roten, County Manager
Don Adams, and Clerk to the Bo=
ard Karen Evans. County Attorney
Donna Shumate was present but
arrived late.
Chair
Ken Richardson called the meeting to order, led the Pledge of Allegiance and
opened the meeting with a prayer.
Chair
Ken Richardson stated that item D needs to be removed from this agenda.
Commissioner Doug
Murphy made a motion to approve the amended agenda for th=
is September 14,=
2009,
meeting. Commissioner Milly
Richardson seconded the motion. Vote
5:0.
AGENDA
Monday,
September 14, 2009
3:30 PM
&=
nbsp;
3:30 &=
nbsp; Meeting Called To Order, Pledg=
e of
Allegiance and Prayer
&=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; Motion
on Agenda for Se=
ptember 14,
2009, meeting
Motion on Minutes for August 17 and 31, 2009, meetings
3:35 A. &nbs=
p; Public
Comments—30 minutes
B. =
Mary Walker
RE: Tax Appeals
C. =
Chris Barrett
RE: Sub=
division
Road Extension
D. =
Gretchen Carico =
(Deleted)
RE: Junkya=
rd
Concerns
E. =
Building Inspections Annual Report
F. =
Emergency Management Annual Report
G. =
County B=
usiness
1. Solid Waste Release=
2. Solid Waste Plan Update Revisi=
ons
3. E-911 Contract
4. RBEG Grant—BDC Lease and
Budget Amendment
5. Paramedic Job Opening
6. Findings of Fact\Reimbursement
Resolution regarding Glad=
e
Creek Elementary
School
7. Other Business
8. Closed Session—NCGS 143-=
318.11
(a) (3)—legal
9. Adjourn
Commissioner Milly Richardson made a
motion to approve the minutes for the August 17 and 31, 2009, meetings. Commissioner Randy Miller seconded=
the
motion. Vote 5:0. =
Chair
Ken Richardson asked for public comments. None were received. He closed the public comments port=
ion of
the meeting.
=
Mary Walker, Tax
Administrator, presented tax appeal letters. She discussed the letter from Ms. =
Joyce
regarding a mobile home that doesn’t have any water but has electrici=
ty.
=
The Board of
Commissioners and Mrs. Walker discussed this request about the solid waste =
fee
on the mobile home, disconnecting the power and the solid waste fee being an
availability fee rather than a user fee.&n=
bsp;
=
Commissioner Steve
Roten made a motion to deny the request unless she wants to turn the power
off. Chair Ken Richardson sec=
onded
the motion. Vote 5:0.
=
Mary Walker prese=
nted
a letter from Mr. Bedsaul about the solid waste fee at 1113 Tayson Road. She stated that the property recor=
d card
shows the value of the structure is $5,200. She said that Mr. Bedsaul says the
structure is without power and water plus is uninhabitable. She talked about the picture of the
property that she saw.
=
Commissioner Milly Richardson made a motion to approve the
request of releasing the solid waste fee.&=
nbsp;
Commissioner Doug Murphy seconded
the motion. Vote 5:0.
=
Mary Walker prese=
nted
a letter for late application for property tax relief. She explained that all of the pape=
rwork
has been turned in from the elderly exemption audit, and he does qualify.
=
Commissioner Milly
Richardson made a motion to approve the request. Commissioner Doug
Murphy seconded the motion. Vote 5:0.
=
Mary Walker expla=
ined
that all of the paperwork has been turned in from the elderly exemption aud=
it
for Ms. Sheets. She further
explained that Ms. Sheets had been sick and didn’t get her paperwork
turned in on time.
=
Commissioner Milly
Richardson made a motion to approve the request. Commissioner Doug
Murphy seconded the motion. Vote 5:0.
=
Chris Barrett came
before the Board to discuss a request that was approved by the Commissioner=
s in
2005, and the conditions were to widen the road and bring them up to county
standards. He talked about he
posted a bond for the roads. =
He
further talked about he ran out of time to get the roads widen within the s=
tated
time period. He said that the=
two
property owners submitted letters consenting for the road extension. He explained that he is asking for =
a 6-month
extension to get the road improvements completed.
=
County Manager Don Adams explained that the County has an irr=
evocable
letter of credit in the amount of $46,413.75, and the ordinance allows the
Board to grant the 6-month extension.
He further explained that the Board has two options; allow the exten=
sion
or build the road.
=
Commissioner Randy
Miller made a motion to grant the 6-month extension. Commissioner Milly Richardson seco=
nded
the motion. Vote 5:0.
=
Randy
Blankenship, Chief Building Inspector,
presented the annual report for the Building Inspections Department. He discussed the number of inspect=
ions, number
of permits, number of customers and phone calls daily, number of miles per
vehicle annually, worked on complaints on different subjects, working on th=
e EMS building, and people are doing more renovations=
than
new construction.
=
Chair Ken Richard=
son
and Randy Blankenship discusse=
d the
number of inspections this year and last year.
=
Gerald Leftwich,
Emergency Management Coordinator, came before the Board to present his annu=
al
report including the number/types of trainings held, number/types of speech=
es
presented, petroleum release responses, working with citizen complaints
regarding different NCDENR issues and number of fire inspections/explosives
material permits/fire suppression system permits issued. He talked about the number of sear=
ches
held this year. He further ta=
lked
about the EPLAN is online, and the resource manual is completed and updated=
to
NIMS standards. He stated tha=
t all
five fire departments have had their successful 9S insurance rating. He talked about a meeting in Asheville regardi=
ng
people with special needs and working to have the capacity to open shelters=
for
those people. He further talk=
ed
about receiving one of the special needs trailer that can be used for a
shelter. He clarified that th=
is is
for people who need a wheelchair or other standard medical equipment.<=
/o:p>
=
Commissioner Steve
Roten and Gerald Leftwich talk=
ed
about the type of trailer for the special needs people.
=
The Board thanked
Gerald Leftwich. <=
/span>
=
County Manager Don Adams presented information regarding solid
waste fees from the tornado damage; Smith family $8,661.90, Mike and Sherry
Dawson $18.60, Derrick Galyen $342 at this time but he isn’t complete
with his house. He explained =
that
there are a couple more our there that hasn’t done anything with their
property. He talked about rel=
easing
these fees to clear some of these accounts.
=
Chair Ken Richard=
son
and County Manager Don Adams
discussed the insurance aspect of these charges. The County Manager
explained that these are out of pocket expenses for these people.
=
Commissioner Milly
Richardson made a motion to release these fees. Commissioner Doug
Murphy seconded the motion. Vote 5:0.
=
County Manager Don Adams presented information about the prop=
osed
changes to the Solid Waste Plan. He
explained that the State reviewed the Plan and is requesting a public heari=
ng
for these changes. He reviewe=
d the
changes requested by the State regarding the sections about used oil, motor
vehicle oil filters, and recyclable rigid plastic containers.
=
The Board and the=
County Manager
discussed the recyclable rigid plastic container law.
=
The County Manager
continued reviewing the proposed changes; wooden pallets, household hazardo=
us
waste and disaster response. =
He
said that the public hearing is scheduled for the 21st for
consideration by the Board at that time.
=
County Manager Don Adams updated the Board about the E-911
contract. He talked about the
County has received two quotes; Embarq and Wireless Communications. He explained that the County Attorney
has the Embarq contract for review.
He reviewed the costs of the contract of $201,720.44 and $3,844.68 f=
or
the maintenance for year one. He
said that these costs will be covered by the E-911 fund. He talked about the command post w=
ill be
removed from the costs covered by the E-911 fund because he is proposing to=
not
let that hold up the contract, and he is going to ask Gerald
Leftwich and Dispatch to find something agreeable for the
command post to the 911 board. He
explained that the NetClock is not an allowable expense; which is $8,042 for
the equipment and first year maintenance and $585 annually after that.
=
Commissioner Doug Murphy and County Manager Don Adams discussed that the 911 Board conside=
red
the NetClock to be an administrative function.
=
Commissioner Milly Richardson asked for a list of the membe=
rs on
the 911 board.
=
County Manager Don Adams talked about the Southern Software p=
ortion
of the quote which has been approved by the 911 board. He explained that he and Wendy Wil=
liams
discussed contracting directly with Southern Software rather than going thr=
ough
Embarq because of already working with Southern Software. He said he doesn’t know if h=
e will
have the contract by the next meeting but will have it by the October 5th
meeting. He asked if the Boar=
d has
any questions or concerns to let him know.
=
County Manager Don Adams presented the proposed lease agreeme=
nt
with the Blue Ridge BDC regarding a van.&n=
bsp;
He reminded the Board that this is a grant through
USDA
in the amount of $30,000. He presented budget amendment Econ=
omic
Development Fund #1 in the amount of $30,000 for the grant. He discussed the lease agreement d=
etails
for the minivan.
=
Commissioner Rand=
y Miller
made a motion to approve budget amendment Economic Development Fund #1 in t=
he
amount of $30,000. Commission=
er Doug Murphy seconded the motion. Vote 5:0.
=
Commissioner Randy
Miller made a motion to approve the lease agreement between Alleghany County
and Blue Ridge BDC. Commissio=
ner Doug Murphy seconded the motion. Vote 5:0.
=
County Manager Don Adams talked about there is a full time job
opening for a paramedic. He
explained that this is at a grade 64, starting salary of $27,694.27. He reminded the Board of the curre=
nt
policy when there are job openings.
=
Chair Ken Richard=
son
and County Manager Don Adams
discussed how this position is being currently covered.
=
Commissioner Steve
Roten made a motion to allow the County
Manager to advertis=
e and fill
the position. Commissioner Doug Murphy seconded the motion. Vote 5:0.
=
County Manager Don Adams presented a resolution supporting an
application to the Local Government Commission for its approval of school
financing arrangements for the County. He explained that he has been worki=
ng
with Bob Jessup who is working with BB&T about QSCB funds. He talked about the timeline of th=
e 0%
interest loans, and the requirement of having them issued by December 31,=
2009. He explained that the Board of Edu=
cation
is waiting on final word from DPI about the monies. He continued talking about the tim=
eline
and the steps that will be required including a public hearing at a later d=
ate.
He reiterated that this is th=
e first
step to move forward.
=
Commissioner Milly Richardson made a motion to approve the
resolution. Commissioner Randy
Miller seconded the motion. V=
ote
5:0.
=
County Manager Don Adams talked about a form that is required=
by
USDA for the training facility. He
explained that this document needs to be signed before proceeding to discuss
the conditions at the next meeting.
He further explained that the letter of conditions is the last step.=
=
County Manager Don Adams updated the Board about the EMS building including he held a pre-construction m=
eeting
with the metal bids’ portion due on September 25 and the interior bid=
s’
portion due October 2. He pre=
sented
a timeline to the Board about how the low bidders will meet with the insura=
nce
company prior to the bid being awarded.&nb=
sp;
He talked about awarding the metal bids on October 5 and awarding the
interior bid on October 19. He
informed the Board that asbestos has been found in the tile, and he held
another meeting regarding that. He
talked about by mid October to be moving forward on the building. He further talked about having the
contractors put in an alternate in the metal bid because of the size of the
vehicles and the size of the doors.
He explained that the doors need to be larger doors and redoing some=
of
the structural beams to allow for more room for the vehicles.
=
The Board of
Commissioners and County Manager Don Adams
discussed the height and width of the doors versus the size of the
vehicles. <=
/p>
=
County Manager Don Adams discussed a request about the Marine=
Band
coming. He reminded everyone =
that they
will be performing in a parade on September 26 and having a concert later t=
hat
evening. He explained that a =
request
has been made by the sesquicentennial committee to have fireworks after the
concert. He further explained=
that $500
as been committed from Skyline Telephone, Blue Ridge Electric and the Town,=
and
they are requesting $500 from the County.
=
The Board stated =
that
they didn’t have a problem with that.
=
Commissioner Milly Richardson
talked about her birthday is tomorrow along with Bud Marion and Tom Smith.<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> She further talked about proclaimi=
ng tomorrow
to be Bud/Tom/Milly day.
=
Commissioner Milly
Richardson made a motion to enter into closed session at 4:38pm under NCGS 143-318.11 (a) (3)&#=
8212;legal. Commissioner Randy Miller seconded=
the
motion. Vote 5:0. =
=
Chair Ken Richard=
son
left the meeting at 4:58pm<=
/st1:time>.
=
County Attorney Donna Shumate arrived at 5:10pm.
=
Commissioner Milly Richardson made a motion to adjourn clos=
ed
session at 5:26pm and
reconvene the regular meeting. Commissioner
Doug Murphy seconded the
motion. Vote 4:0. =
=
Vice-Chair Randy
Miller stated that no decisions were made during closed session.=
=
Being
no further business, Commissioner Milly
Richardson made a motion to adjourn at 5:28pm.
Commissioner Doug Murphy seconded
the motion. Vote 4:0.
Respectfully
submitted, &nb=
sp;
=
=
Karen Evans &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p;
Clerk to the Boar=
d &=
nbsp;
=
Attest:
=
=
Ken Richardson
Chairman