Burke County Board of Elections

Minutes

Regular Board Meeting

December 13, 2016

The regular monthly meeting of the Burke County Board of Elections (hereafter

referred to as the “Board”) was held at the Board of Elections Office (2128 South

Sterling Street, Morganton, North Carolina) on Tuesday,December 13, 2016.

In attendance: Gary Kling (Chairman), Donna Roth (Secretary), Trossie Wall (Member) and Debbie Mace (Director).

The meeting was called to order by Chairman Kling at 11:00a.m.

Pledge of Allegiance was led by Trossie Wall followed by a moment of silence.

Time for public comments was opened with no one present requesting time before the Board.

Chairman Kling asked that the Agenda be reviewed for approval or amendment. A motion was made by Gary Kling to approve the Agenda as presented. The motion was unanimously approved.

The minutes of the November 16, 2016 Provisional and Supplemental Absentee Meeting and the November 21, 2016 Canvass Meeting were presented to the Board for review and approval. A motion was made by Trossie Wall to approve the minutes of the November 16 and November 21, 2016 meetings as presented. The motion was unanimously approved.

  1. OLD BUSINESS
  1. Discussion was held regarding meeting with the Burke County School Board regarding the closure of schools on primary election days. Director Maceasked by the Board to contact the Superintendent of Schools to determine when the Board could meet with the School Board.
  1. Having received a letter from the Pastor of Walker’s Chapel Church advising the Board that the Church will no longer be available as an election site, discussion was held to explore alternate election sites in that precinct. A motion was made by Trossie Wall to combine voting sites Lower Fork A and Lower Fork B into one election site – to be known as Lower Fork. The motion was unanimously approved. Director Mace was requested to begin the process with the State Board of Elections (SBE) to combine these 2 election sites into one. The Board requested that Secretary Donna Roth draft a letter to Walker’s Chapel Church thanking them for allowing the site to be used as an election site in the past.

Minutes – Burke County Board of Elections Page 2

  1. A review of Election sites used for early voting and election day sites and the separation of those locations was tabled until the January Board Meeting. In preparation for this discussion, the Board requested that (1) Secretary Donna Roth contact First Presbyterian Church of Morganton to see if that location could be used as a voting site on Election Day and (2) Chairman Kling obtain a map of all Federal, State and Church locations in Precinct 4.
  1. The Board was to review precinct classifications utilized by Mecklenburg County to determine if those classifications could be utilized in Burke County. Director Mace advised the Board that the precinct classifications in Mecklenburg County are no longer used. The Board decided not to pursue a precinct classification.
  1. Chairman Kling will contact the Deacons at Burkemont Baptist Church regarding the use of the Church as an Election Day voting site. This item will be tabled until the February Board Meeting.
  1. Trossie Wall is working with First Citizens Bank in Morganton to determine if the Board can obtain a credit card for the use of making travel arrangements. This item will be tabled until the January Board Meeting.
  1. NEW BUSINESS
  1. Director Mace presented to the Board the applicants she has interviewed for the vacant Elections Specialist I position. Discussion was held regarding the applicants and Director Mace’s recommendation. A motion was made by Trossie Wall to offer the position of Election Specialist I to the applicant recommended by Director Mace. The motion was unanimously approved.
  1. A draft letter to the Burke County Manager expressing the Board’s appreciation to the Burke County IT and Maintenance Departments for their assistance in the 2016 Elections was presented to the Board for review. The Board asked Director Mace to forward the letter as written.
  1. A discussion regarding the pay received by the staff at the BOE office was tabled until the January Board Meeting. In preparation for this discussion Director Mace was requested to obtain actual salaries paid to BOE staff in comparable NC counties. Because annual budgets are due to Burke County shortly after the first of the year, the Board set a tentative meeting date of December 19 to discuss this issue.

Motion to adjourn was made by Trossie Wall and unanimously approved. The Meeting was adjourned at 1:08 p.m.

Minutes submitted by:

Donna Roth, Secretary

Burke County Board of Elections

Meeting Attachments:

Minutes of Provisional and Supplemental Absentee Meeting held on November 16, 2016

Minutes of Canvass Meeting held on November 21, 2016

List of votes cast, by precinct, during the 2008 General Election

Current salary listing for positions in Burke County

2016 Salaries for Boards of Elections members and staff for all NC Counties

NC Voter Statistics for the 2016 General Election

Draft appreciation letter to Burke County Manager

Copies of emails between Director Mace and Burke County regarding 2016 Election costs

NEXT BOARD MEETING:

December 19, 2016 – Tentative Date for Special Meeting to discuss BOE salaries

CONTINUING BUSINESS

JANUARY:

  1. Discuss the hours that poll workers can work and whether or not those hours can be split – work ½ day and then be relieved, etc.
  2. The Board will discuss the purchase of election recognition pins.
  3. Use of the Vault Chain of Custody Log Sheet at BOE Office.
  4. Develop a process to track BOE staff comp time.
  5. Director Mace contact the Superintendent of Schools to determine when the Board could meet with the School Board to discuss the closure of schools on primary election days.
  6. Donna Roth to draft a letter to Walker’s Chapel Baptist Church thanking them for the use of the Church as a voting site in past elections.
  7. A review of Election sites used for early voting and election day sites and the separation of those locations was tabled until the January Board Meeting.
  8. Secretary Donna Roth to contact First Presbyterian Church of Morganton to see if that location could be used as a voting site on Election Day.
  9. Chairman Kling will obtain a map of all Federal, State and Church locations in Precinct 4 in preparation for a discussion on separating early voting and Election day sites.
  10. Trossie Wall is working with First Citizens Bank in Morganton to determine if the Board can obtain a credit card for the use of making travel arrangements.

FEBRUARY:

  1. Chairman Kling will contact the Deacons at Burkemont Baptist Church regarding the use of the Church as an Election Day voting site.