MITCHELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

REGULAR SESSION

MINUTES

JANUARY 3, 2005

NORTH CAROLINA

MITCHELL COUNTY

The Mitchell County Board of Commissioners met in Regular Session on January 3, 2005 at 6:00 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Conference Room, Administration Building, Bakersville, NC.  Those present for the meeting were Keith Masters, Chairman; Ken Hollifield, Vice-Chairman; Phil Byrd, Member; Mike Hensley, Member; Jim Saylor, Member; Ryan Whitson, County Manager and Kathy Young, CMC to the Board.   Also present were Mavis Parsley, Finance Officer; Nathan Hall, Reporter with the Mitchell-News Journal; Steve Murphy, Reporter with WKYK & WTOE; Van Phillips, Mitchell County EDC Director; Shirley Hise, Mitchell County Chamber of Commerce Director; Patti Jenson, Director of Travel and Tourism; Lloyd Hise, County Attorney; Randy Carpenter, Tony Porter, and Bruce Thompson from Communities of Penland; Mayor Wes Foy, Ed & Jana Reid, Hazel Yelton, Elena Street, Joe Martin, Carl Braswell, David Carpenter, Louise Hembree, Jean Saylor, Roger Wilson, Ruby Greene, Jean Burleson, Harper Wilson, Barbara Buchanan, Terry Jones, Brian Garland and Jackie Street.

1.   CALL TO ORDER – Chairman Masters called the meeting to order at 6:00

     p.m.

2.   INVOCATION – Commissioner Hollifield gave the invocation.

3.   ADDITIONS/CHANGES TO THE AGENDA – Commissioner Byrd moved to

add Communities of Penland as Item 5. H., Patti Jenson as Item 8. C.; Governmental/Municipal/Resolution as Item 7. A. and Maintenance of Effort as Item 5. I.  Commissioner Hensley seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.

4.   APPROVAL OF MINUTES – Commissioner Hollifield moved to approve the

minutes for October 18, 2004, November 11, 2004, December 06, 2004, and December 13, 2004.  Commissioner Byrd seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.

5.   ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION/DECISION

  1. Natural Resources Conservation Service Project Agreement – Commissioner Byrd moved to approve the Natural Resources Conservation Service Project Agreement (a  copy is hereby attached and becomes a part of the minutes).  Commissioner Saylor seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.

  1. Ortman, Love & Huckabay Letter – County Attorney Hise reviewed the letter from Ortman, Love & Huckabay letter with the Board.  He advised the Board to name the Magistrate’s Courtroom after Jeter Burleson.  

     Commissioner Hollifield moved to name the Magistrate’s Courtroom as the

Jeter Burleson Courtroom.  Commissioner Hensley seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.  Chairman Masters asked Clerk to the Board Young to order the plaque and to notify the Burleson family when the plaque arrives.

  

  1. Mental Health Facility in Spruce Pine – County Manager Whitson informed the Board that New Vistas was interested in purchasing the mental health facility located in Spruce Pine.

County Attorney Hise suggested that the Board restrict the use of the facility before selling it.  By consensus the Board agreed for County Attorney Hise to prepare the restrictions and present them at the next Commissioner’s meeting.

 

Commissioner Saylor moved to sell the mental health facility located in Spruce Pine.  Commissioner Hensley seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.

  1. Blue Ridge RC&D Contract – County Attorney Hise reviewed the Blue Ridge RC&D Contract that he had prepared with the Board.

Commissioner Hensley moved to approve the contract with Blue Ridge RC&D (a copy is hereby attached and becomes a part of the minutes).  Commissioner Hollifield seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.

  1. Young, Miller & Gillespie, P.A. Contract – Commissioner Byrd moved to approve the contract with Young, Miller & Gillespie, P.A. (a copy is hereby attached and becomes a part of the minutes).  Commissioner Hollifield seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.

Chairman Masters asked that Young, Miller & Gillespie present the formal audit at the next Commissioner’s meeting.

  1. Board of Equalization and Review – Chairman Masters reviewed the make of the Board of Equalization and Review.  By consensus the Board agreed to continue serving on the Board of Equalization and Review.  

 

     Chairman Masters asked Clerk to the Board Young to arrange the training

     for the Board of Equalization and Review.

  1. Convenience Centers – County Manager Whitson informed the Board that David Forbes, Sanitation Director was still compiling the data for the cost of the convenience centers and would present the information to the Board at a later date.

  1. Communities of Penland – County Attorney Hise reviewed his letter to the Board concerning Communities of Penland requesting that the Commission of Health Service create a sanitary district in Mitchell County encompassing their development in the Penland area of Mitchell County (a copy of the letter is hereby attached and becomes a part of the minutes).  Discussion was held on the process to create a sanitary district.

Commissioner Hensley moved to allow Chairman Masters to set the date for the public heating and for County Attorney to send the letter to Human Services concerning the filing of the petition.  Commissioner Hollifield seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.

 

  1. Maintenance of Effort – County Manager Whitson recommended to the Board that they earmark 50% of the Maintenance of Effort to the Mountain Opportunity Center in Bakersville for maintenance and repair of the facility.

Commissioner Hollifield moved to earmark 50% of the Maintenance of Effort to the Mountain Opportunity Center.  Commissioner Hensley seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.

6.   PUBLIC HEARINGS/MEETINGS - None

7.   RESOLUTIONS/PROCLAMATIONS/ORDINANCES

  1. Governmental/Municipal/Resolution – Commissioner Byrd moved to

approve the Governmental/Municipal/Resolution (a copy is hereby attached and becomes a part of the minutes).  Commissioner Saylor seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.

8.   REPORTS/PRESENTATIONS

  1. EDC Planning for Long and Short Term Goals for the Board of

Commissioners – Van Phillips, EDC Director gave the following items as long and short term goals for the County.

  1. Roads

  1. Infrastructure

  1. Industrial Recruitment

  1. Travel and Tourism

  1. Health Care

Chairman Masters gave the following as items for Economic Development Planning for Mitchell County.

1.   Maintain and expand current employers, industries, businesses, including

     mining, quarry and timber industries.

  1. Develop a database of who is left in the county that provides jobs

  1. Contact each data point to see if there are things the county can do to keep them here.

  1. Implement the doable things identified at 1. (b)

  1. Department of Commerce

2.   Promote the positive aspects of our workforce to all prospective employers.

  1. Available

  1. Loyal

  1. Dependable

  1. Adaptable

3.   Partner with Mayland Community College and Mitchell High School to in-

      crease the number of vocational opportunities available to students.

  1. Train a workforce that is geared toward potential employment opportunities (companies that might/would locate to the area.

  1. Obtain the Three-Mile facility to facilitate ???

4.   Partner more closely with Future Forward to utilize and enhance the industrial

      procurement measures that are currently in place through that organization.

  1. Matching industries that are looking to relocate (using Standard Industrial Code SIC to facilities and/or structures that are currently available in Mitchell County.

  1. The rest of Future Forward Strategies.

5.   Make an effort to improve infrastructure.

  1. Roads  -  Get 19E on track, 226 across Mitchell County.

  1. Contact Dole, Burr, McHenry, Frye and Presnell

  1. Water & Sewer – continue with studies and implementation to expand

Bakersville & Spruce Pine systems

  1. Blue Ridge Parkway

6.   Promote tourism and second home development.

  1. Refer to item 5, 5.a. and 5.b.

  1. Advertisement

  1. Continue the things we are currently doing.

  1. Maintain and preserve our Appalachian Heritage, character, culture, morals and lifestyles.

  1. Maintain a clear natural environment

7.   Health Care

  1. Hospital

  1. EMS

      c)  Brian Center

By consensus the Board agreed to have Taylor Dellinger from Western Piedmont Council of Governments, representatives from Senator Dole, Senator Burr, and  Congressman Patrick McHenry’s Office and Senator Presnell and Representative Frye to attend the next Board of Commissioner’s meeting.

  1. Three-Mile Facility – County Manager Whitson informed the Board that he did not have an update for the Board as this time, but he would provide them one as soon as possible.  He state he had made several phone calls and was waiting for them to be returned.

  1. Update from Travel and Tourism Director Patti Jenson – Patti Jenson provided the Board with an update on the emergency advertising they made to the Economic Development Commission.  A copy of the data she provided to the Board is hereby attached and becomes a part of the minutes.  

9.   APPOINTMENTS

  1. Region D Day Care Board of Directors – Commissioner Hollifield moved to appoint Commissioner Hensley to the Region D Day Care Board of Directors.  Commissioner Saylor seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.

  1. Technology Research Committee – Commissioner Saylor moved to appoint Dewayne McKinney to the Technology Research Committee.  Commissioner Hensley seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.

  1. Mitchell County Community Advisory Committee for Long Term Care

Commissioner Saylor moved to appoint Kenneth Carroll to the Mitchell County Community Advisory Committee for Long Term Care.  Commissioner Hollifield seconded unanimously.

  1. Mayland Community College Board of Trustees – The Board was presented a letter of resignation from the Mayland Community College Board of Trustees (a copy is hereby attached and becomes a part of the minutes).  

Commissioner Byrd moved to appoint Philip Castro to the Mayland Community College Board of Trustees.  Commissioner Hensley seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.

10.   RELEASES/REFUNDS

  1. Releases/Refunds for Board Approval – Commissioner Hollifield moved to approve the Releases/Refunds for Board Approval (a copy is hereby attached and becomes a part of the minutes).  Commissioner Saylor seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.

  1. Releases/Refunds for County Manager Approval – A copy of the Release/Refunds for County Manager Approval is hereby attached and becomes a part of the minutes.

11.   COUNTY MANAGER’S REPORT

  1. Military Leave Update – County Manager Whitson presented the Board with a formal notice concerning his active duty as of January 8, 2005 (a copy is hereby attached and becomes a part of the minutes).  

He informed the Board there had been a significant improvement in the collection of back taxes and as of this date the amount due was $268,000.

12.   BOARD COMMENTS

13.   CLOSED SESSION

14.   CITIZEN & AUDIENCE COMMENTS

  1. Matters on the Printed Agenda

  1. Matters not on the Printed Agenda

15.   ADJOURNMENT - Commissioner Hollifield moved to adjourn the meeting.  

       Commissioner Hensley seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.

       The meeting adjourned at 8:35 p.m.

MITCHELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

__________________________________

Keith Masters, Chairman

__________________________________

Ken Hollifield, Vice-Chairman

__________________________________

Phil Byrd, Member

__________________________________

Mike Hensley, Member

__________________________________

Jim Saylor, Member

ATTEST:

________________________________

Kathy Young, Clerk to the Board