BOC Minutes September 21 2015
September 21, 2015
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PERSON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS SEPTEMBER 21, 2015
MEMBERS PRESENT OTHERS PRESENT
Kyle W. Puryear Heidi York, County Manager
David Newell, Sr.
B. Ray Jeffers Brenda B. Reaves, Clerk to the Board
Jimmy B. Clayton
Tracey L. Kendrick
The Board of Commissioners for the County of Person, North Carolina, met in
regular session on Monday, September 21, 2015 at 9:00am in the Commissioners’ meeting
room in the Person County Office Building.
Chairman Puryear called the meeting to order. Commissioner Kendrick gave an
invocation and Vice Chairman Newell led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance.
DISCUSSION/ADJUSTMENT/APPROVAL OF AGENDA:
Commissioner Kendrick requested consideration to add an item to the agenda to
discuss Person County’s Ordinance requiring Connection to Water Lines.
A motion was made by Vice Chairman Newell and carried 5-0 to add an item to
the agenda to discuss Person County’s Ordinance requiring Connection to Water Lines and
to approve the agenda as adjusted.
RECOGNITION
PERSON COUNTY PREPAREDNESS MONTH 2015 PROCLAMATION:
It was the consensus of the Board for Chairman Puryear to read and present the
Preparedness Month 2015 Proclamation to Public Health Emergency Preparedness
Coordinator, Michelle White and Public Health Director, Janet Clayton.
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INFORMAL COMMENTS:
The following individuals appeared before the Board to make informal comments:
Mr. Leigh Woodall of 200 Reade Drive, Roxboro stated to partner with Granville
County or any other county for solid waste disposal will be an expensive option. Mr.
Woodall stated Smith-Gardner was tasked to study and recommend the least costly option
to which he believed would be to renegotiate the current contract with Upper Piedmont.
Mr. Woodall told the group that the Local Government Commission houses data related to
solid waste expenses.
Ms. Betty A. Blalock of 144 Tirzah Ridge, Rougemont stated how the City of
Roxboro did not want to recycle but wanted the County to take their trash.
DISCUSSION/ADJUSTMENT/APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA:
A motion was made by Commissioner Kendrick and carried 5-0 to approve the
Consent Agenda with the following items:
A. Approval of Minutes of September 8, 2015,
B. Budget Amendment #4,
C. Budget Amendment #5,
D. Home and Community Care Block Grant for Older Adults Agreement for the
Provision of County-Based Aging Services by and between the County of Person
and Kerr Tar Agency on Aging,
E. Tax Adjustments for September 2015
a. Tax Releases
b. NC Vehicle Tax System pending refunds
c. Written request for refund by Ms. Ann Hobbs
NEW BUSINESS:
UPDATE ON THE PROPOSED EARLY COLLEGE INITIATIVE:
Commissioner Clayton requested for the Board to receive an update on the status
of the proposed early college initiative. After the Helena Steering Committee brought their
recommendations to the Board for the former Helena School site to become an early
college, an educational task force was formed and chaired by Piedmont Community
College (PCC) President, Dr. Walter Bartlett and Person County Schools (PCS)
Superintendent Dan Holloman. Commissioner Clayton noted the County owns and
maintains the former Helena School site and has located satellite offices for the Sheriff and
Emergency Services and the community desires the vacated school buildings to be in use.
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Mr. Holloman updated the Board on the recent progress on the early college
initiative. Person Early College for Innovation and Leadership (PECIL) is an early college
high school established by PCS and PCC and is scheduled to open in the fall 2016. Its
purpose is to expand students’ opportunities for success by providing pathways toward
academic engagement, post-secondary education, and vital Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers. PECIL targets students who are at risk of
dropping out, whose parents did not continue education beyond high school, and who
would benefit from accelerated academic instruction. PECIL will be located on PCC’s
campus and will serve 50 freshmen in the first cohort, adding 50 more students each
subsequent year. A variety of unique educational opportunities will be incorporated into
the high school and college-level courses, such as mentorships with community business
partners, field trips to businesses and colleges, and service leadership initiatives. The
curriculum pathways have been designed in such a way that all students can graduate from
PECIL with a high school diploma and an associate degree in five years. Mr. Holloman
noted the student pathway options included: a) Health Science: Healthcare Management
Technology; b) Advanced Manufacturing: Electrical Power Production Technology;
Mechatronics; c) Technology: Computer Technology Integration; Digital Effects and
Animation Technology; and d) Transfer: Associate in Science.
Mr. Holloman credited the following industry partners for the PECIL: CertainTeed,
Duke Energy Progress, P&A Industrial Fabrications, and Person Memorial Hospital.
Mr. Holloman noted Person County was one of 20 counties that does not have an
early college high school program. Mr. Holloman stated PCC and PCS staff have applied
for start-up grant funding up to $400,000 noting there is a stipulation for the funding for
the early college high school be located on a college campus. Mr. Holloman noted that
lottery funding could not be used for this project due to the location was not on school
property. Mr. Holloman further noted the stringent timeline for staff to prepare the
application for the early college high school grant funding. Mr. Holloman told the group
that PCC and PCS are interested in pursuing use of the former Helena School building for
a middle school STEM magnet program in the future.
Commissioner Clayton stated the community around the former Helena School site
wants to see use of the old campus noting there has been inquiries to transform the site into
a new charter school.
Commissioner Jeffers asked Mr. Holloman if capital funding from the county
would be needed since lottery funds could not be used for the early college high school.
Mr. Holloman stated a doublewide mobile classroom is anticipated to be needed on the
PCC campus.
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PRESENTATION OF FIRE AND RESCUE AUDIT RESULTS:
Finance Director, Amy Wehrenberg introduced Mr. James P. Winston II, CPA and
Mr. Alex Elliott with Winston, Williams, Creech, Evans & Company, LLP to present to
the Board the final audit results for all fire and rescue departments for Fiscal Year 2014.
Mr. Winston summarized the audit results with the following handouts.
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Lack of Segregation of duties: No oversight by the fire and rescue board of directors.
Formal Approval: Moriah and Woodsdale have gone to a PO system subsequent to year end.
NC Sales and use tax refund: Recommend to file for refund for three years back to recoup tax.
Form 990 Filed: Allensville filed late, Timberlake filed late/in process and Ceffo is on extension.
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*of Departments with debt.
Timberlake excluded from this chart. Timberlake not auditable at this point; $9,000 cash
in bank with debt owed, approximately $85,000 in alleged fraudulent transactions.
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Mr. Elliott told the group that Winston, William, Creech and Evans, LLP will write
a management letter to each individual fire and rescue department listing specific
recommendations for their entity.
County Manager, Heidi York asked the auditors if Person County should be doing
anything differently related to disbursing funds to fire and rescue departments. Mr.
Winston suggested monitoring for greater board oversight and consider the affordability
for fire and rescue departments incurring new debt. Mr. Elliott stated the fire and rescue
departments should operate and sustain its debt without the county annual appropriation.
Commissioner Kendrick asked the County Manager if Person County could take
the auditor’s recommendation and make them a performance review for future funding.
Ms. York stated the County could revamp the fire funding contracts to base on performance
whereby certain criteria would be met prior to receiving the next fiscal year funding
allocation. Ms. York stated her and staff could work on amending the fire and rescue
service contracts should the Board desire to further discuss and approve such contract
changes.
ORDINANCE REQUIRING CONNECTION TO WATER LINES:
Commissioner Kendrick stated he added this item to the agenda for Board
discussion as a follow-up to a citizen’s complaint that he could not pull a well permit due
to the current ordinance in place. Commissioner Kendrick advocated for citizens to have
the option to dig their own well if so desired and recommended that the Board of
Commissioners consider repealing the Ordinance requiring Connection to Water Lines.
Commissioner Clayton stated understanding to the citizen’s complaint noting when
the ordinance was originally considered, the requirement for connection to water lines may
have been related to state and federal grant funding requirements as well as compliance
with plumbing code.
County Manager, Heidi York stated the Inspections Director was unable to find the
300 ft. requirement referenced in the current code.
A motion was made by Vice Chairman Newell and carried 5-0 to direct the County
Attorney to research the requirements as set out in the Ordinance requiring Connection to
Water Lines as well as the impacts for a repeal of said ordinance.
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT:
Chairman Puryear had no report.
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MANAGER’S REPORT:
County Manager, Heidi York reminded the Board of the scheduled Solid Waste
Community Listening Session in the auditorium from 7:00pm-8:00pm this date. Ms. York
noted citizens could sign up to provide input to the consultants that are preparing the Solid
Waste Study. Based on the number of individuals that sign up, a time limit may be
imposed. Ms. York stated she would facilitate communicating the purpose of the meeting
as well as the process.
COMMISSIONER REPORT/COMMENTS:
There were no reports/comments given by Commissioners Jeffers, Clayton and
Kendrick or Vice Chairman Newell.
CLOSED SESSION #1
A motion was made by Commissioner Kendrick and carried 5-0 to enter Closed
Session per General Statute 143-318.11(a)(6) at 9:50am for the purpose to discuss
personnel with the following individuals permitted to attend: County Manager, Heidi York
and Clerk to the Board, Brenda Reaves.
A motion was made by Commissioner Kendrick and carried 5-0 to return to open
session at 10:15am.
A motion was made by Commissioner Jeffers and carried 5-0 to increase the
County Manager’s salary by 3% merit based on her annual performance evaluation.
ADJOURNMENT:
A motion was made by Commissioner Kendrick and carried 5-0 to adjourn the
meeting at 10:16am.
_____________________________ ______________________________
Brenda B. Reaves Kyle W. Puryear
Clerk to the Board Chairman