December 4, 2017, MB#54
Regular Session,December 4, 2017, 9:30 a.m.
Catawba County Board of Commissioners
Appointments
Jury Commission38512/04/17
Catawba County Board of Adjustment38512/04/17
Catawba Valley Medical Center Board of Trustees38512/04/17
Hickory Regional Planning Commission38512/04/17
City of Claremont Planning Board and Board of Adjustment38512/04/17
Dangerous Dog Appellate Board38512/04/17
Board of Commissioners
Organizational Meeting38412/04/17
Catawba County Schools
Request to transfer funds/repurpose existing project fund/appropriate additional funds38612/04/17
Finance
2016/17 Audit/Financial Report38512/04/17
Tax
Authority to Allow Extensions for listing Personal Property38512/04/17
Schools
Request to transfer funds/repurpose existing project fund/appropriate additional funds38612/04/17
Strategic Planning
Housing38712/04/17
The Catawba County Board of Commissioners met in Regular SessiononMonday,December 4, 2017,at9:30 a.m., in the Robert E. Hibbitts Meeting Room of the 1924 Courthouse, 30 North College Avenue, Newton, North Carolina.
Present were Chair Randy Isenhower,Vice-Chair Barbara G. Beatty and Commissioners Katherine W. Barnes, Sherry E. Butler and Dan A. Hunsucker.
Also present wereCounty Manager Mick Berry, Assistant County Managers Dewey Harris and Mary Furtado,
County Attorney Debra Bechtel, Assistant County Attorney Jodi Stewart and County Clerk Barbara Morris.
- Chair Randy Isenhower called the meeting to order at9:30 a.m.,noting a quorum was present.
- Commissioner Sherry E. Butlerled the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
3.Commissioner Katherine W. Barnes offered the invocation.
4.Vice-Chair Barbara G. Beattymadea motion to approve the minutes of the Board’sRegular Meeting ofNovember 20, 2017. The motion carried unanimously.
5.Organizational Meeting of the Board of Commissioners:
Election of Chair and Vice-Chair – Chair Isenhower turned the meeting over to County Manager Mick Berry to take nominations for Chair. Commissioner Hunsucker nominated Randy Isenhower as Chair.Board members voted on the nomination and the vote was unanimous. Chair Isenhower then opened the floor for nominations for Vice-Chair. Commissioner Sherry E. Butler nominated Barbara Beatty as Vice-Chair. Board members voted on the nomination and the vote was unanimous.
Chair Isenhower made the following recommendations for organizational appointments:
County Attorney – Debra Bechtel
Counsel to the Board – David Hood
Finance and Personnel Subcommittee – Commissioners Beatty and Hunsucker
Policy and Public Works Subcommittee – Commissioners Barnes and Butler
WPCOG Policy Board Delegate – Commissioner Barnes
WPCOG Policy Board Alternate – Commissioner Beatty
Hospital Board of Trustees – Vice-Chair Beatty
Public Health Board – Commissioner Hunsucker
Social Services Board – Commissioner Butler
Partners Behavioral Health Management Board – Chair Isenhower
Commissioner Butler made a motion to approve these appointments; the motion carried unanimously.
6.Recognition of Special Guests: Chair Isenhower welcomed everyone present and specifically recognized Tara Conrad from Partners Behavioral Health Management.
7.Public Comments. None.
8.Appointments.
Upon the recommendation of Chair Isenhower, the Board appointed Don Baldwin for a first term on the Jury Commission, with a term expiration of June 30, 2019. Upon the recommendation of Vice-Chair Beatty, the Board reappointed Adam Stewart for a second term on the Catawba County Board of Adjustment, with a term expiration of November 30, 2020; the reappointment of Michele McCreary for a second term and Dr. Billy Price for a third term on the Catawba Valley Medical Center Board of Trustees, with term expirations of December 31, 2021; and the appointment of Sybil Stewart to fill the Foundation position on the Catawba Valley Medical Center Board of Trustees by virtue of her position as Chair of the Catawba Medical Foundation. Upon the recommendation of Commissioner Barnes, the Board appointed Dr. Bill Pekman to a first term as an ETJ member on the Hickory Regional Planning Commission, with a term expiration of June 30, 2020, and the appointment of Eric Connor for a first term as an ETJ member on the City of Claremont Planning Board and Board of Adjustment, with a term expiration of December 1, 2020. Upon the recommendation of Commissioner Hunsucker, the Board reappointed Richard Shook for a second term on the Dangerous Dog Appellate Board, with a term expiration of July 20, 2020.
9.Departmental Reports.
A.Finance.
Chief Financial Officer Bob Miracle and Paula Hodges, Partner, Martin, Starnes and Associates, presented the 2016/17 Audit/Financial Report. Ms. Hodges, reported the County continues to deliver services in a sound fiscal manner. Ms. Hodges and Mr. Miracle advised the Board of changes in the State auditing requirements for the upcoming year. Both Ms. Hodges and Mr. Miracle praised the work and efforts of Jeanne Jarrett and Kenneth Maynor and all the finance staff as well as Department Heads during the audit process. Vice-Chair Beatty made a motion to accept the 2016/17 Audit Financial Report. The motion carried unanimously.
B. Tax.
Tax Administrator Mark Logan presented a request for the Board to grant him authority, on an individual basis, to allow extensions for listing personal property. The extensions will not be granted beyond April 16, 2018. Businesses and corporations whose business year ends on December 31 of each year, and some individuals, can have difficulty in completing their listing abstracts by January 31 of each year. This is due to the fact that they are unable to calculate an inventory that is taken on December 31 and submit this figure to the Tax Administrator.
General Statute 105-307 allows the Board of County Commissioners to grant individual extensions of time for the listing of personal property upon written request and for good cause shown. The request must be filed with the Tax Administrator no later than the ending date of the regular listing period. This means a letter must be written and postmarked no later than January 31, 2018 and this letter must provide the reason the extension is being requested. Extensions granted on an individual basis cannot extend beyond April 16, 2018. Commissioner Barnes made a motion to grant this authority; the motion carried unanimously.
C. Catawba County Schools.
Catawba County Schools Superintendent Matt Stover and Catawba County Schools Maintenance Director Rick Sain presented a request from Catawba County Schools for the transfer of $946,021.99 from existing capital and construction projects, the repurposing of $160,000 in existing project funds, and appropriation of $174,328 in additional funds from planned financing capacity.
Every revaluation cycle (4 years) the three school systems plan with the County major construction projects needed. These projects are generally debt funded and specific county revenues are earmarked for debt service payments to support the construction program. In the 2015-2019 cycle, construction projects for Catawba County Schools totaled $28.7M. In Fiscal Year 2016/17 the Board of Commissioners appropriated $1.8M for Claremont Elementary School and in Fiscal Year 2017/18 added $135,000 to the project to cover other minor projects at Claremont. In Fiscal Year 2017/18 the Board of Commissioners also appropriated $2.41M for Clyde Campbell Elementary School kitchen/cafeteria renovations and other minor projects at the school.
In Fiscal Year 2017/18, Catawba County Schools requested changes to its 4-year construction plan, including the repurposing of funds previously planned for a new Banoak Elementary School ($14.5M) and Fred T. Foard High School Auxiliary Gym ($8.7M) towards other district needs, resulting in a net balance of $7.2M available for future projects.
In recent months, construction costs across the country have been increasing. Bids for the kitchen/cafeteria projects at both schools have been received and are cumulatively $1,280,350 higher than originally budgeted (with total costs of $2,521,700 for Claremont and $2,758,650 for Clyde Campbell). In consultation with the County Manager, the School System requested a combination of transferring funds from existing projects ($946,021.99), repurposing $160,000 in funds within the existing projects, and appropriating $174,328 in available funds (from the $7.2M previously planned Catawba County Schools construction projects, as described above). Commissioner Butler made a motion to approve the transfer of $946,021.99 from existing capital and construction projects, the repurposing of $160,000 in existing project funds, and appropriation of $174,328 in additional funds from planned financing capacity. The motion carried unanimously. The following transfers/supplemental appropriations apply:
Transfer:
From:
420-750100-863200-31102-3-05 Balls Creek Renovation (Painting)$120,000.00
420-750100-863200-31150-3-34 CCS Plumbing Replacement $ 6,950.00
420-750100-863200-31109-3-03 Claremont/System-wide Roofing$ 307.02
420-750100-863200-31150-4-08 Gym Bleacher Replacement$ 31,704.94
420-750100-863200-31112-3-04 Jacobs Fork Paving$150,000.00
420-750100-863200-31150-3-32 Roof Gutters – Various$117,275.07
420-750100-863200-31121-3-03 St. Stephens HS Renovations$ 642.35
420-750100-863200-31102-3-05 St. Stephens HS-HVAC Piping$ 19,142.61
420-750100-863200-31150-5-03 Project Planning$200,000.00
423-740100-863200-31150-5-03 Project Planning$300,000.00
To:
420-750050-995423-30050-9-02Project Transfers$646,021.99
423-740100-863200-31109-3-05Claremont Elementary Kitchen/Cafeteria$300,000.00
Supplemental Appropriation:
423-740100-863200-31109-3-05Claremont Elementary Kitchen/Cafeteria$341,700.00
423-740100-863200-31110-3-01Clyde Campbell Elementary Kitchen/Cafeteria$478,649.99
423-750050-695420From Schools’ Capital$646,021.99
423-750050-695420Proceeds from Installment Purchase$174,328.00
10.Other Items of Business:
County Manager Mick Berry, Assistant County Manager Mary Furtado and Planning and Parks Director Jacky Eubanks presented an update on the Strategic Planning process as it pertained to housing. After the presentation and discussions regarding various aspects of housing, a survey was distributed to Board members to assist in clarifying the direction the Board wants to go regarding housing.
11.Manager’s Report:
County Manager Berry updated the Board on a recent regional symposium he attended in Danville, VA where economic development best practices were shared. He noted that Catawba County was referenced numerous times for its efforts and practices.
12.Attorneys’ Report. None.
13.Adjournment. Upon a motion by Vice-Chair Beatty, the Board adjourned at 10:55 a.m.
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Randy Isenhower, Chair
Catawba County Board of Commissioners
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Barbara E. Morris
County Clerk
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