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HomeMy WebLinkAbout060412mHARNETT COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Minutes of Regular Meeting June 4, 2012 The Harnett County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Monday, June 4, 2012, in the Commissioners Meeting Room, County Administration Building, 102 East Front Street, Lillington, North Carolina. Members present: Staff present: Timothy B. McNeill, Chairman Dan B. Andrews, Commissioner Gary House, Commissioner Jim Burgin, Commissioner Beatrice B. Hill, Vice Chaiiman Scott Sauer, County Manager Tony Wilder, Deputy County Manager Dwight Snow, Staff Attorney Sylvia Blinson, Finance Officer Margaret Regina Wheeler, Clerk to the Board Chainiian McNeill called the meeting to order at 9:00 am. Commissioner Jim Burgin led the pledge of allegiance and invocation. Chairman McNeill called for additions and deletions to the published agenda. Commissioner Burgin moved to approve the agenda as published. Commissioner House seconded the motion which passed unanimously. Commissioner House moved to approve the items on the consent agenda. Commissioner Burgin seconded the motion and the Board unanimously approved the following items on the consent agenda: 1. Minutes: May 21, 2012, Regular Meeting 2. Budget Amendments: 375 Aging Department Code 110 - 7600 - 441.58 -01 Training & Meetings 110- 0000 - 331.76 -29 Motivational Interviewing 376 Parks and Recreation Department Code 110- 8200 - 450.11 -00 110- 8200 - 450.12 -00 110- 8200 - 450.21 -02 110- 8200 - 450.31 -06 Salaries and Wages Part Time Salaries Group Insurance — HRA Park Development 4,165 increase 4,165 increase 7,282 increase 2,000 decrease 780 increase 305 decrease June 4, 2012 Regular Meeting Minutes Harnett County Board of Commissioners Page 1 of 5 376 Parks and Recreation Den ai (Anent continued Code 110- 8200 - 450.31 -29 Anderson Creek Gym 110- 8200 - 450.32 -78 Special Programs 110- 8200 - 450.33 -45 Contracted Services 110- 8200 - 450.41 -11 Telephone & Postage 110 -2800- 450.43 -15 Maintenance & Repair Building 110- 8200 - 450.43 -16 Maintenance & Repair Equipment 110- 8200 - 450.43 -18 Landscaping 110- 8200 - 450.58 -01 Training & Meetings 110- 8200 - 450.60 -31 Gas, Oil & Auto Supplies 110- 8200 - 450.60 -33 Materials and Supplies 110- 0000 - 322.82 -01 Recreation Fees 110- 0000 - 322.82 -02 Facility Usage Fees 110- 0000 - 399.00 -00 Fund Balance Appropriated 377 Public Utilities Department - PU0704 Ft Brae W &WW Code 568- 9100- 431.46 -06 Sanford Contractors 568- 9100 - 431.45 -80 Contingency 568- 9100 - 431.46 -04 Sullivan Eastern 378 Public Utilities Department - PU0703 East Central Improvements Code 567- 9100 - 431.45 -03 Caldwell Tanks 567 -9100- 431.45 -33 Materials and Supplies 379 Planning Department, CP1202 Airport SWPPP & SPCC 2011 Code 359- 8300 - 465.45 -01 Secondary Containment /Construction 359- 0000 - 334.60 -16 NC DOT /DOA 3623725.12.1 380 Social Services Department Code 110 - 7710- 441.89 -20 Central Electric Donation 110- 7710 - 441.89 -50 Elderly Assistance Donation 110 -7710- 441.89 -60 Foster care Donation 110- 7710 - 441.80 -25 Medical Transportation 110- 7710 - 441.80 -85 Progress Energy Neighbor 110 - 0000 - 353.06 -00 Social Services Donations 110- 0000 - 330.77 -08 Medical Transportation 110- 0000 - 330.77 -01 Social Services Administration 381 Sheriffs Office Code 243 -5100- 420.32 -53 Concealed Carry Fees 243 - 0000 - 322.43 -00 Concealed Gun Permits 3. Tax refunds, rebates and releases (Attachment 1) 1,280 decrease 350 decrease 60 increase 900 decrease 98 decrease 52 decrease 670 decrease 100 decrease 2,500 increase 266 decrease 2,108 decrease 3,155 increase 3,554 increase 181,401 increase 201,202 decrease 19,801 increase 17,191 increase 17,191 decrease 11,603 decrease 11,603 decrease 2,450 increase 1,719 increase 100 increase 80,000 increase 1,538 increase 4,269 increase 80,000 increase 1,538 increase 8,000 increase 8,000 increase June 4, 2012 Regular Meeting Minutes Harnett County Board of Commissioners Page 2 of 5 4. The Harnett County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council requested permission to accept funds as outlined in the 2012 -2013 program agreements from the North Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. JCPC FY 2012 -2013 Funded Programs include: Harnett County Restitution and Community Service, ReEntry Healthy Choices, Psychological Services, Hillcrest Youth Shelter, Dunn Police Athletic League — Helping Educate Youth, and 4 -H Teen Court and At -Risk Youth Development. 5. Sheriff's Office requested permission to trade in non - functional radar unit parts in exchange for repairs to a Golden Eagle Radar unit. The non - functional units were purchased with NC Governor's Highway Safety Program (GHSP) funds. GHSP does not require disposal of equipment valued under $5,000. Vice Chaimuan Hill joined the meeting in progress. Chairman McNeill opened the floor for informal comments by the public, allowing up to 3 minutes for each presentation up to 30 minutes. Daniel Glover, 2338 Old Stage Road in Coats, told commissioners he believed the general consensus among the public is there isn't any unity within the county. He said "he wanted to reminded them that the citizens are the county; not the commissioners." Mr. Glover also urged commissioners to not cover any legal fees not within the scope of work; commented catastrophic insurance is no insurance at all and asked commissioners to try to work together for the people and not for personal agendas. - Sharlene Jones of Angier said she understood that BC /BS representatives were telling county employees that the county would be putting more money into their HSA accounts and she believes they should communicate with employees regarding this. - Cathey Clifton, Harnett County Librarian, shared the 2012 Harnett County Library System Summer Reading Program Schedule. In accordance with the North Carolina Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act, Mr. Sauer submitted for review and consideration the Proposed FY 2012/2013 Budget Plan along with the following comments: "At the governing body's direction, this budget plan is consistent with its recently adopted fiscal policies for the County's General Fund, and in particular: • The proposed tax rate remains at 72.5 cents per $100 valuation. • There is no appropriation of fund balance reserves to balance the budget. • There are no new positions for the General Fund, however, several positions have been restored by actions of the governing body in recent months. • The estimate for General Fund reserves at June 30 is consistent with the Board's stated goals. The FY 2012 -2013 proposed budget plan is best described as an austere allocation of resources, where departments will continue to do more with less, and prioritize services based on the resources available. Department heads have been very judicious in June 4, 2012 Regular Meeting Minutes Harnett County Board of Commissioners Page 3 of 5 monitoring operating expenses and trimming costs during the past three fiscal years. Their efforts are commendable in light of the difficult economic climate they have, faced. Funding for the General Fund is based on a tax valuation of $7,358,426,365 and reflects growth in the tax base of $153,717,938 or two percent above the current year. The proposed General Fund budget plan totals $102,236,311 or 3.3 percent above the current year. Forecast estimates for sales tax receipts are much more aggressive for FY 2012- 2013, and reflect a growth factor of twelve percent or $1, 639,225 above the current year budget. Harnett County was recently identified by the US Census Bureau as the number one micro area in the country, having gained more new residents in the past 15 months ending July 2011 than any other micro area in the nation. The County added an estimated 4,578 bringing its population to 119,256. Our elected leaders have worked for decades to position Harnett County as a rural service provider of water and sewer infrastructure, serving our citizens, surrounding counties and municipalities, including Ft. Bragg. These efforts continue to position Harnett County as one of the top 3 growth counties in North Carolina. Harnett County is poised for great success in terns of job creation and service expansion in the next twelve to eighteen months, which is evidenced by the highway 421 medical corridor and its pending and ongoing construction: • First Choice Community Health Care System and its new facilities slated to open in July 2012. • Good Hope Hospital's restoration of inpatient psychiatric services in Erwin, scheduled to be operational in October 2012. • East Carolina University's Dental School learning service center will break ground in August 2012. • Central Carolina Community College's Health Science training facility which should be complete within the next 12 —14 months. • Harnett Health System and its new hospital in Lillington which will be open by January 2013. • Campbell University with its new medical school facility accepting students for the fall of2013. The Board of Commissioners is to be commended for its role in supporting and advancing each one of these initiatives with efforts to provide resources, property and access to grants and other financing. These initiatives will fuel the economic recovery for Harnett County for decades to come, generating sales tax receipts, job growth and economic expansion opportunities for various commercial sectors. Because of this success, Harnett County finds itself continuing to balance the population growth and the corresponding demand for public services, especially the growth in the school age children impacting our school system. The Board has worked diligently with its financial advisor group to plan for school construction needs and calculating the fiscal resources necessary to enact these plans. The Board of Education has identified its school construction priorities and has presented a proposed program of work, which will require consideration of revenue options in the near future. June 4, 2012 Regular Meeting Minutes Harnett County Board of Commissioners Page 4 of 5 The recommended FY 2012 -2013 funding appropriation for School Current Expense remains level at $20,288, 004 and includes the additional $1.2 million approved by the governing body in August 2011. There is no additional funding to offset decreased State allocations and no capital outlay finding in the proposed budget. Both of these items will require the Board of Education's reliance on its fund balance reserves. Funding for General Fund Debt Service totals $11,222,888 and is consistent with the fiscal projections prepared by the County's financial advisor, and reflects one time savings fr-om the Board's initiative to refinance existing debt in the current year. Capital Outlay for operating departments is quite limited again for FY 2012 -2013 and is focused primarily on public safety, with the replacement of twenty-five (25) patrol vehicles for the Sheriff's Department and four(4) replacement ambulances for EMS. All of these vehicles are recommended for lease purchase financing over multiple years. Other significant capital items not recommended for funding in FY 2012 -2013 include: • $420, 000 in local matching fiends for the Airport runway rehabilitation project • $220, 000 estimated for demolition of the old Boone Trail School (2 story section) • $115,000 for Shawtown campus facility renovations • $66,000 for Neil 's Creek Park Tennis Court rehabilitation Likewise, there are numerous staffing positions which remain vacant and unfunded, plus requests for additional staff that are not recommended at this time. County departments continue to stretch resources and staff to cover the most immediate operating concerns, with the anticipation that fixture budgets can accommodate the growth in service demands. There is also no cost of living adjustment recommended in the proposed budget. The presentation of the proposed budget plan for next year starts the conversation for our elected officials, including public input for these deliberations. There are no tax increases for the Fire Tax districts, and user fees have been recommended to support enterprise operations for both Public Utilities and Solid Waste programs. For example, the Department of Public Utilities proposed budget reflects a $1.00 per month increase in water rates for the first 2,000 gallons for both residential and commercial accounts. Under this proposed rate structure, the monthly minimum water bill would increase from $17.50 to $18.50 per month. Likewise, incremental sewer rates for residential, commercial and institutional will increase 30 cents per 1,000 gallons from $4.45 to 4.75 per 1,000 as proposed for FY 2012 -2013. The sewer bulk rate was approved last fiscal year as a two stage adjustment, and for FY 2012 -2013 the rate will increase from $1.57 to $1.75 per 1,000 gallons based on discussions with the Town of Angier. In the Solid Waste Fund, the current household availability fee is $50 ($45 for solid waste and $5 for recycling). The proposed budget for FY 2012 -2013 includes a $20 increase for each household per year, resulting in a combined fee of $70. June 4, 2012 Regular Meeting Minutes Harnett County Board of Commissioners Page 5 of 5 By comparison, Chatham County charges a $91 availability fee and a $34 disposal fee per household for a total of $125. Lee County charges an $85 annual household fee, and Johnston County issues disposal decals with a $65 fee. Based on our staff calculations, the proposed $70 household fee should be adequate for the next two fiscal years." Mr. Sauer announced the public hearing for the proposed budget was scheduled for June 11, 2012 at 7:00 pm. Mr. Sauer also suggested that the governing body schedule sessions to discuss the proposed budget as follows: o Thursday, June 7, 2012, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm o Monday, June 11' 2012, from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm o Tuesday, June 12, 2012, starting at 9:00 am if needed Commissioner Burgin requested a comparison of the proposed budget to the actual budget for the last twelve months. Commissioner Burgin also asked for the total payroll and number of employees noting his intent to propose a 3.5% increase for employees during the upcoming budget discussions. Commissioner Burgin said he believes Mr Sauer and staff did a wonderful job on the proposed budget. Mr. Sauer responded to Commissioner House that the county's insurance plan was meant to cover preventive care and episodic issues as they come up. Commissioner Burgin said he thinks this is a good plan and probably better than 90% of other company plans out there right now; noting most municipalities are caring higher deductibles. Commissioner Burgin also clarified his earlier statement that he would like to put an additional $500 in employee HSA accounts in January if possible but questioned employees present if the BC /BS representatives had mislead them regarding this statement which they had not. Commissioner House moved that the Board go in to closed session for the following purposes: 1) To instruct the County staff concerning the position to be taken by the County in negotiating the teims of a proposed contract for the acquisition of real property; and 2) To discuss certain personnel matters; and 3) To consider and give instructions to the County legal staff concerning the handling of certain claims and legal actions including the following pending cases: a. Kent Jeffries/NHPRA Inc. vs Drake Landing and Harnett County, 11 CVS 01187 b. Felmet vs Harnett County, 11 CVS 1646 and 11 CVS 1647 c. Stewart vs Harnett County, 10 CVS 1874 d. Sandhills Environmental vs Harnett County, 11 CVS 2105; and 4) To discuss matters relating to the location or expansion of industries or other businesses in Harnett County. This motion is made pursuant to N.C. General Statute Section 143- 318.11(a)(5),(6),(3) & (4) The motion was seconded by Burgin and passed unanimously. Vice Chairman Hill thanked staff and commissioners for their support and help during her brother's long illness and recent passing. June 4, 2012 Regular Meeting Minutes Harnett County Board of Commissioners Page 6 of 5 Commissioner Andrews moved that the Board come out of close session. Commissioner House seconded the motion which passed unanimously. Commissioner Burgin offered to discuss specifics with Commissioner Andrews if needed. Chaiinian McNeill called for any new business. Commissioner Burgin noted that Brian Avery had contacted him and others regarding planting long -leaf pine trees as a possible fundraiser for the Shaw House and other projects. Commissioner Burgin said he understood the West Park in the Anderson Creek area would be a good location for this and moved to designate a minimum of ten acres at the West Park for the planting of long -leaf pines. Commissioner House seconded the motion which passed unanimously. Mr. Sauer confirmed that Berkley would not renew the county's Property and Liability Insurance coverage for FY 2012/2013. Commissioner Andrews moved to adjourn the meeting at 11:35 am. Vice Chairman Hill seconded the motion which passed unanirrophlyya Timoth /ea- McNeill, Chairman ta eeler, Clerk June 4, 2012 Regular Meeting Minutes Harnett County Board of Commissioners Page 7 of 5 ATTACHMENT 1 ;Approved by the Harnett ?wounty Board of Commissioners Board Report Date : 06/04/2012 Approved By : sigoc TO : HARNETT COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS RE: CONSIDERATION OF REFUND FOR TAXES, INTEREST AND PENALTIES FOR ALL MUNICIPALITIES ∎,,5'H�uWy''; 1 FRILCH, EMERSON E 440 NEEDMORE ROAD CAMERON NC, 28326 2 FRITCH, EMERSON EUGENE 440 NEEDMORE RD CAMERON, NC, 28326-8950 3 PATTERSON, CLYDE 4271 LEAFLET CHURCH ROAD BROADWAY NC, 27505 - 0000 4 SALINAS, DONNA DIANNE 391 EILEEN DR SPRING LAKE, NC 283908968 SPRING LAKE, NC, 28390 - 8968 5 SHAVER, ZALIMA 23 CHASE ST CAMERON, NC 283266360 CAMERON, NC, 28326 - 6360 WM. A. TONY WILDER Revenue Administrator CC: WM. A. TONY WILDER 0001574756- 2011- 2011- 000000 0001789974- 2010- 2010- 000000 0000051837- 2011- 2011- 000000 0001878402- 2011- 2011- 000000 0001874621- 2010- 2010- 000000 City 0.00 County 8.50 City 0.00 County 100.90 City 0.00 County 167.54 City 0.00 County 21.71 City 0.00 County 132.66 City Total County Total Total to be Refunded Value 8.50 Refund Decrease Value 100.90 Refund Decrease Value 167.54 Refund Decrease Military 43.32 Refund Exemption Military 132.66 Refund Exemption 0.00 431.31 431.31