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022323 Planning Retreat February 23, 2023 – Annual Planning Retreat The Randolph County Board of Commissioners met in a special session at 1:00 p.m. in the Randolph County Office Building, Meeting Room A, 725 McDowell Rd., Asheboro, NC. Chairman Darrell Frye, Vice-Chairman David Allen, Commissioner Maxton McDowell, Commissioner Kenny Kidd and Commissioner Hope Haywood were present. Also present were County Manager Hal Johnson, Assistant County Manager/Finance Officer Will Massie, Assistant County Manager William Johnson, County Attorney Ben Morgan, Associate County Attorney Aimee Scotton, Public Information Officer Chelsey Butler, Deputy Clerk to the Board Jenny Parks, and Clerk to the Board Dana Crisco. Chairman Frye called the meeting to order and gave a brief summary of the agenda. County Manager Hal Johnson said this is a historic time for the County in reference to issues faced. This is an informal meeting with no action taken, but it is an opportunity to give direction and discuss strategic issues impacting the County. Mr. Johnson gave an overview of the items on the agenda and the speakers who will be present. Toyota / Megasite Construction Update David Bryant, Randolph County Inspections Director, gave an update on the Toyota Megasite construction progress. The administration building of the site is currently being constructed. He shared a video that demonstrated the construction process. Four out of the five primary buildings will hopefully be permitted by Fall 2023. He shared that their office complex building will be seven times the size of the Randolph County Office Building. Construction at the Megasite will continue over the next five years. The Toyota complex will include doctors’ offices, a fire department, and a daycare for the children of employees. Mr. Bryant shared that it would take one of his new inspectors five years to obtain all of the credentials needed to inspect buildings that are being constructed on the Megasite property. Inspectors will be challenged to have the credentials needed to inspect all aspects of the site. Regional Coordinated Area Transportation System (RCATS) Public Transportation Mark Hensley, Randolph Senior Adults Center (RSAA) Director, gave a presentation on RCATS. He stated that the biggest misconception that people have is this service is only available to senior citizens, when in fact it is available to anyone and everyone in Randolph County who is in need of scheduled transportation. Mr. Hensley reported that RCATS is working on three initiatives as follows: 1 – Zoo City Loop, which will be for the City of Asheboro and it will have 20 stops. 2 – Downtown North Carolina Zoo Shuttle, which will have transportation to and from downtown Asheboro and area hotels to and from the NC Zoo during peak times of operation. 2/23/23 3 – Toyota Shuttle, which would make a potential partnership between Toyota and RCATS to accommodate employees of Toyota with reliable transportation commuting back and forth to work at the site. The Toyota plant plans to have three 8-hour shifts and two 12-hour shifts at this time with production Monday through Friday. Maintenance will be performed over the weekends. The RCATS director has been in communication with Tim Stanton, Toyota’s Human Resources Director, regarding this possible partnership. Mr. Hensley introduced Tawanna Williams, RCATS Director, to give a PowerPoint presentation on the Toyota Shuttle initiative. The concept is for RCATS to provide feeder service from the north, east, west, and south parts of the county with the Piedmont Triad Area Regional Transportation (PART) using a vanpool model to assist with transportation to the site. Ms. Williams explained that the vanpool will be formed depending on the area(s) of the community the employee(s) live in. Once that is established, a meeting point will be chosen. The RCATS service may pick up employees from their homes if the employee cannot get to the hub. Then, everyone will be transported to the Toyota Plant as a group. There will most likely be a location for an offsite park and ride hub close to the to the campus. Toyota will be looking for ways to cut down the traffic entering and exiting the site. Ms. Williams shared the operational costs involved in this process, as follows: Additional Vehicle Purchase (One Time Cost: • HUB Vehicles – Two 22-foot LTV (Light Transit Vehicle) with lift – 13 Ambulatory (2 wheelchair) that would come to a total of $270,000 • Feeder Vehicles – potentially funded with grants. Annual Operating Costs: • Vehicle Maintenance $ 25,000 • Fuel $ 25,000 • Driver Salaries (8) part time at $12.00 per hour $125,000 • Management/Administrative Support $ 25,000 TOTAL ANNUAL COST: $200,000 Ms. Williams and Mr. Hensley touched briefly on the possibility of a rider fare that may be required to use this service. There will be several options included in future conversations as the Toyota Shuttle initiative gets closer to completion. Commissioner McDowell asked if he could not get to the hub, would the RCATS van come and get him at his house. Ms. Williams said yes, they would. Commissioner Allen inquired if the $200,000 annual operating costs include a hub lot. Ms. Williams stated that it does include the location for the park and ride. There is also a possibility that Toyota that they may have several electric vehicles that could be used to assist with transportation from the main hub to the site. 2/23/23 Commissioner Allen stated that $200,000 could be a little low based on fuel prices. Mr. Hensley said, with the unknown of how many people will be interested in and use the transportation, it is hard to guage an exact price. He also stated that he and Ms. Williams wanted to speak to the Commissioners in 2023 because of the issues with obtaining vehicles currently. The goal would be to have vehicles available when production is started in 2024. Commissioner McDowell asked if the service will go as far as Denton, NC to pick up people and transport them to Toyota. He knows a few people from out of state that have purchased property in Denton in hopes of obtaining employment with Toyota. Ms. Williams replied that as long as the employee is in Randolph County, they can be picked up using scheduled transportation. Mr. Hensley stated in talking with Mr. Stanton of Toyota, other plants do have transportation options similar to this proposal. This concept is being recreated for RCATS in Randolph County. Commissioner Haywood asked if Ms. Williams would speak briefly about the grant for carbon reduction. Ms. Williams said this grant includes two electric vehicles, one gas fueled vehicle, and two charging stations (one level 2 and one level 3). This will help to reduce carbon emissions in the area. This particular grant is in the pre-application stages now. It is hoped that this grant will assist with the Zoo Shuttle if awarded. Commissioner Kidd asked how many people use RCATS to get to their employer. Ms. Williams stated RCATS transports several employees to and from their home currently to several businesses in the County, as well as to Randolph Community College (RCC) Asheboro and Archdale Campuses. Mr. Hensley stated that the Zoo City Loop would have 16 stops per day at RCC. He also stated that RCATS currently will transport citizens to major hospitals in surrounding counties, as well as the VA Hospital in Salisbury. NE Randolph Growth Management Plan Status Hal Johnson, Randolph County Manager, gave a brief overview of the Growth Management Committee that was formed to review the growth of the northeastern portion of Randolph County. This committee has met twice since its inception in January 2023. The key is to try and manage the growth of the northeast quadrant of Randolph County in a way that is beneficial to the County and the citizens that live in those areas. The Board of Commissioners approved contracting with the Piedmont Triad Regional Council to begin a six-month process looking at the Growth Management Plan for this part of the County. This process will allow them to bring back recommendations to the Commissioners on areas that can be enhanced or updated. The first Growth Management Plan was adopted in 2009. These plans provide the Planning Board, Planning staff, and County Commissioners with policy guidelines when decisions are made regarding rezoning. Mr. Johnson introduced Jesse Day, Regional Planning Director, with the Piedmont Triad Regional Council. Mr. Day gave a PowerPoint presentation regarding the Growth Management Plan Update. He reported that Randolph County has seen a tremendous population growth over 2/23/23 the past 80 years with the population reaching over 144,171 in the year 2020 (US Census 1940- 2020). Mr. Day reported that the “Kick Off” meeting was used to give an orientation to the steering committee, review their schedule of work, and to discuss key issues. The top concerns that came from the initial meeting were agriculture and farmland protection; quality, equitable, controlled growth; emergency response (Law Enforcement, Fire); and quality of life. The second meeting was held to present demographic data and change for updating policies from the 2009 plan, especially industrial and commercial economic development. Mr. Day shared that at future meetings, policy areas reviewed would include residential, heritage management, scenic corridor, and Environmental Quality. Other plans under review in Randolph County include: • Draft Water and Sewer Study (2022) • Deep River Trail Plan (2017) • Randolph County CTP (2016) • Strategic Plan (2016) • Municipal Plans: - Liberty - in progress - Asheboro - in progress - Ramseur – 2022 - Randleman – 2022 • Guilford County Comp Plan (in progress) • CAM Site Small Area Plan (in progress) • US 421 Corridor Study (Greensboro/Guilford County) – in progress Mr. Day shared that by the year 2040 Randolph County Population Projections estimate a population of 157,940 (State Demographic’s Office of North Carolina). He also shared that the municipal projections from historical and industrial growth assumptions included a population increase of 5,250 from the Toyota Site. Mr. Day reported that the Growth Management Plan Committee will continue looking at policy and map reviews. A public meeting will be held in late March in northeast Randolph County to gather public input about updating the 2009 Plan. It is estimated a draft may be completed by June 2023. Commissioner Allen inquired about the second public meeting that will be held and what it will entail. Mr. Day said the Committee would present potential policy, growth projections, and allocation of the land development based on the growth projection. At this time, they will seek recommendations on the draft plan. Proposed NC Zoo Annexation 2/23/23 County Manger Johnson, introduced the City of Asheboro Mayor David Smith, along with Asheboro City Manager John Ogburn. They stated that the North Carolina Zoo had requested to be annexed into the City limits of Asheboro. Asheboro City Manager, John Ogburn introduced Michael Roney, Professional Engineer and Water Resources Director with the City of Asheboro. Mr. Roney shared an update on Wolf Speed at the Chatham Advanced Manufacturing (CAM) site. The City understands that the Department of Environmental Quality and Siler City are working out an agreement and feel the associated memorandums will be signed soon. Chairman Frye asked if the City needs to provide water to the site by 2025. Mr. Roney said that was correct. Mr. Roney reported that the City of Asheboro is working with Uwharrie Charter Academy (UCA) on taking their sewer. He and Paxton Arthurs, County Engineer, met with Klaussner and they have agreed, after meeting with their owners, to grant the easement to allow the sewer from the Charter School to go into the City of Asheboro’s pump stations on their site. This project is ready to be put into motion. The City of Asheboro has agreed to build a pump station for the Farm, Food, and Family Agriculture Center, and the City will maintain it. They have also agreed to build a pump station on Presnell Street for James River Equipment. There is a possibility that the sewer will have one pump station at James River and gravity feed down Hwy. 64 to the Farm, Food, and Family site. The number of pump stations depends on timing and funding. Chairman Frye inquired if the Pinewood pump station would take the subdivision’s sewer as well at UCA. Mr. Roney agreed. Chairman Frye asked what the timeline for this would be. Mr. Arthurs stated it would possibly be the end of the year, and once the County gets their permits, it will free up UCA and Pinewood to get their permits. Mr. Roney gave a brief update on the status of the water and sewer at the Detention Center. The County’s plan calls for a “grind and pump” which takes care of items that do not need to be in the sewer system. The cost was higher than was expected, so a compromise was made where the County would pay for the equipment and the City would install the device for the County. The City of Asheboro will operate and maintain the pump station as well. Water and Sewer Infrastructure John Grey with the Wooten Company, along with Paxton Arthurs, Randolph County Engineer, gave the following updates regarding the Water and Sewer Master Plan. 2/23/23 Mr. Grey reported on the Randolph County Water and Sewer Master Plan. In this report a summary of possible population growth and resulting flow needs for water and sewer is provided, along with water and sewer needs throughout the County. Cost opinions for the project requests were provided from local utility owners and those developed from meetings that have been held. A matrix was provided to score the projects to help the County decision process on which ones to fund along with a map that showed the project request locations. All of this was presented in a PowerPoint presentation. Mr. Grey stated that the projects requested came from the communities through a submission process as well as meetings that were held with the communities in Randolph County. There is a matrix in the presentation that will help the County make decisions on which projects would be good to move forward with. Mr. Grey shared a map that showed the project request locations. Mr. Grey reported that his company has evaluated the sewer needs for the CAM site and the Eastern Randolph County project. He discussed possible sources of funding. Since the State is not supporting that type of funding, the USDA is likely the best source to help fund most of these projects. The next step would be for the County to meet with a USDA representative and discuss the projects. Direct appropriations or economic development are other possibilities. Mr. Grey updated the Commissioners on the I-74 Project. The Wooten Company is designing the sewer for this project. Their goal is to be finished with the design and to send it out for permits in April 2023. Vice-Chairman Allen stated there has been a lot of discussion about the CAM site but not about the Toyota site. Greensboro is providing water to Toyota, but not any surrounding sites was his understanding. There are three planned interchanges where there will be no water provided. The Town of Liberty may have some plans to go out to Hwy 421, but those would go to existing interchanges and nothing toward the Toyota site. Mr. Grey said that after talking with the Town of Liberty, those three interchanges were included in the Master Plan. Mr. Arthurs gave an update on Seagrove/Ulah Sewer Project. Because of the problems found in the Seagrove/Ulah waste water system, the City of Asheboro agreed to sell sewer to Seagrove so they would not lose any of their customers. The County negotiated with the City of Asheboro to redirect northern flows to the Asheboro pump station. Permitting for this project should take place in the next few weeks. Mr. Arthurs shared the following costs with the Commissioners regarding this project: Revenue NCDEQ Gants $2,500,000 Expenses Construction Costs $1,614,250 Construction Contingency (10%) $ 161,000 Existing WWTP Maintenance $ 35,454 Preliminary WWTP Design $ 59,900 2/23/23 Design, Permitting, Bidding, CA $ 283,600 SUBTOTAL $2,154,203 Leaving a balance of $ 345,796 Mr. Arthurs stated since there are funds remaining from the grant, one idea is to use those funds towards water and sewer for the commercial project on New Hope Church Road and I-74. Mr. Jack Lail, the owner of that property, is having his engineer look into alternate solutions for water and sewer for this property. Chairman Frye asked what would be left at the Seagrove/Ulah Metropolitan Water District. Mr. Arthurs stated the current customers of the Water District would remain. He said that the projects funded by the County are currently being worked on to update the Seagrove system. Chairman Frye asked if there was anything that could be done to assist the old system. Mr. Arthurs stated that the new project would assist with diverting the flows and it would have more capacity for the Town of Seagrove. Commissioner McDowell stated that the Mayor of Seagrove was concerned about the availability of the sewer system for the town. How much capacity will be for the Town of Seagrove? Mr. Arthurs said that if the flow meter issue is fixed, the Town should have 10,000 gallons per day available. Chairman Frye called for a break at 3:34 p.m. The meeting resumed at 3:46 p.m. American Rescue Plan (ARPA) Updates Will Massie, Assistant County Manager/Finance Director, gave an update on the ARPA Funding. Randolph County’s ARPA Allocation was $27,905,631. The current status of the funds is as follows: • Revenue Loss $10,000,000 • Treasury Restricted • Public Health Response $ 2,900,000 • Negative Impacts $ 884,050 • I-74 Sewer Extension $ 3,062,800 • Broadband $ 50,000 • Contingency $ 11,008,781 He urged the Board to decide how the remainder of these funds need to be used so they do not have to be returned. Update on Opioid Settlement Funding Distribution Process Jennifer Layton, Assistant Health Director, along with Leia Gearhart, North Carolina Association for County Commissioners (NCACC) Representative, gave an update on the Opioid 2/23/23 Settlement Funding Distribution Process. This process began in July 2022 with three goals in mind: - To enhance community efforts to develop and/or expand evidence-based programs and resources to address opioid use disorder - To build capacity and infrastructure to measure the impact of programs and prevent fatal overdoes in Randolph County - To strengthen community partnerships to improve access to care related to opioid use disorder. Ms. Gearhart reported that all of the applications were received by February 17, 2023 and between February 20-24, 2023, a team was reviewing for all required documentation, a Memo of Agreement (MOA) for compliance, and budget alignment. The Executive Committee will review and score assigned applications between March 3-13, 2023. Scores and feedback will then be consolidated to assist the Executive Committee in preparing funding recommendations to the Board on March 27, 2023. She noted that the NCACC would like to use Randolph County’s application and process as an example for other counties. Commissioner Haywood said that if a small community organization is doing good work, then learning how to strengthen partnerships with other entities as opposed to working alone is helpful in their growth as an organization. She stated that this seems like a great opportunity to assist non- profits with growth and outreach. Ms. Layton reported they released the RFP on January 6, 2023 and they did hold a mandatory interested party conference (IPC) on January 20, 2023. On January 30, 2023, a basic training for these smaller organizations was held to help them develop their performance and incorporate them into the evaluation of their projects. Grant writing tips were given. Technical assistance was provided as requested. On February 7, 2023, Addendum A was released and issued to IPC attendees. On February 10, 2023, Addendum B was released. All organizations were able to ask questions as needed. The applications were due on Friday, February 17, 2023. Ms. Layton reported that the Executive Committee received training on the process to make everyone consistent in reviewing and scoring the applications. She said there was $1.9 million total in requests of all the applications that were received. Of the thirteen applications received, only eight are in compliance and under review. Chairman Frye asked if the eight applications would be the ones in question during the March th 27 meeting. Ms. Gearhart said they would be. Commissioner Kidd asked if this would be an up-front payment to the organizations or a reimbursement process. Ms. Gearhart stated it would be a reimbursement process. July 1, 2023 would be the first date that the County would be able to cut any checks for this settlement. 2/23/23 Commissioner Kidd asked where he could see the detailed information on the strategies being proposed. Ms. Gearhart stated she could provide all of the information to him and it will be in Randolph County’s RFP as well as the North Carolina Memorandum of Agreement. Mr. Johnson reiterated that the plan that Ms. Gearhart and Ms. Layton has developed will be used by the NCACC statewide. He also stated that this program is not just about handing out money to organizations, it’s holding organizations accountable for the money they will receive, while strengthening their organizations. Vice-Chairman Allen stated his appreciation to the NCACC for Ms. Gearhart’s assistance to Randolph County with the Opioid Settlement Funds Update on Community Navigators Program Ross Holt, Randolph County Public Library Director, gave an update on the Community Navigators Program. He recognized two of his Community Navigators employees that were in the audience, Angi Polito and Dana Nance. They have been instrumental with instituting this program. The Community Navigators Program was developed to give hope to those less fortunate that may need assistance in the community. The program is housed in the Asheboro Library. Ms. Polito and Ms. Nance are both social workers who have been in the role of Community Navigators since April 2022. Originally, funding was only for one year, however, they are seeking to continue the program. Mr. Holt reported that there have been 520 clients served in one year of the program, which is an average of 1.4 per day. Sixty-one percent of the clients were linked to services and 6% are in process. He listed the different types of referrals that have been made. He also shared success stories of the program. Mr. Holt reported that the Community Navigators have participated in collaborative community groups addressing human services needs and issues. They regularly attend meetings, community events, Christmas parades, and job fairs regarding these needs. Mr. Holt stated that the Library would like to extend the Navigators Program for three years and fund it from the Strategic Planning Reserve. The amount requested would be $163,553 per year (salary/benefits for two Navigators, travel, training, and IT programming). These positions would be through the Library which saves $10,000/year for the Partnership for Children in administrative fees. Mr. Johnson stated that this has been a very successful program. He asked where the idea of this program came from. Mr. Holt said that is has been in some libraries for about ten years on the West Coast to assist with massive increases in homelessness. Libraries began to adopt the concept of Navigatorss across the nation and it grew from there. Mr. Holt said he had looked at this program before the pandemic. When the ARPA funding was issued, he was approached about programs for the Library. 2/23/23 Commissioner Haywood stated she had seen a lot of valuable collaboration in the communities with this program. She spoke of the Keaton’s Place van funded by the Commissioners being used to take someone in need of assistance to and from the hospital. It saves the County staff and resources by having collaborations in place. Chairman Frye stated that people may ask why is the library the place of choice for this program. It’s because most people find the libraries open, warm, welcome, and safe. Vice-Chairman Allen asked if this was a countywide library service. Mr. Holt said it was available in all of the Randolph County Libraries. Vice-Chairman Allen said it was good that this program is in all of the libraries. That helps get the word out that there is assistance for those that need it and it is not just centered around one place. Commissioner Kidd inquired about the status of the Library being open on Sundays. Mr. Holt stated it would require additional staff in order to do this. He said that his focus is on higher priorities for the libraries in Randolph County. Update on County Museum Ross Holt, Library Director, gave an update on the County Museum. Over the past 50 years, Randolph County citizens have tried twice to establish a county history museum. After several investigations regarding location and funding, a museum consultant declared the Historic Courthouse a feasible location, but the budget concerns following an architectural study halted the project in 2005. In 2020, the County again began considering the first floor of the Historic Courthouse as the site of the museum. A study showed that a museum is feasible in this location, but further renovations of the courthouse would be necessary. Mr. Holt reported that two elements remain to make the museum a success: exhibit design and construction and the creation of a Museum Manager position. The Board will be asked to award the exhibit contract and to fund this new position. The estimated cost of research and development and exhibit design, fabrication, and installation would be $257,000 - $319,000. The Museum Manager position would be requested at Grade 199 with a salary of $80,504 per year (which includes salary and benefits). These items will be requested by the Library during their budget presentation in June. Mr. Holt asked the question, “why a museum?” Randolph County has a wealth of artifacts that tell our story, from Native American culture and early settlement to the formation of county government. World War I and II militaria speaks to the sacrifice of local service members. Collections like Clarence Lewallen’s carved birds reflect the county’s artisans. But now these artifacts are locked in storage away from the citizen’s eyes. These items need a home to be displayed. He shared several artifacts with the Board during his presentation and gave a description of each one. 2/23/23 Commissioner McDowell stated that one cannot say enough about the Randolph Room. It is a very important part of the history of Randolph County. He also stated that the arrowhead collection was very impressive and he actually has a collection himself. Capital Projects Update Paxton Arthurs, Randolph County Engineer, reported on the status of the Detention Center renovations. This project is in its eighth year. We are currently in Phase 3, which is the booking, magistrate, and laundry areas currently under construction. Phase 4 is the maintenance building and going back in E-pod and reversing the temporary measures. He reported that Phase 4 was supposed to come at the very end of the project, however, due to supply chain issues, the project was delayed two months. Instead of a time request to the Board for this project, the construction company requested to move the maintenance building up in the project timeline so it did not extend the project time. Commissioner McDowell asked when the project would be completed. Mr. Arthurs stated this year. The contractors are shooting to be complete in September. Mr. Arthurs gave an update on the Northgate Plaza Renovations. There are no other vacant areas in the Northgate site. The majority of the site is occupied by County Departments, with a few occupied by the State and one private tenant. The DSS offices are currently under construction and should be complete by May 24, 2023. This space will consist of 39 offices with a lobby area. Once the DSS offices are complete and DSS moves out of one of the spaces, the Sheriff’s Office will be able to use that space for their house arrest. Chairman Frye asked if Medicaid Expansion passes, where would additional staff be housed? Mr. Arthurs stated that they could look again at the Business Continuity space. He said that the Balfour Building in Archdale could help with additional spaces too. Commissioner McDowell asked for clarification about the Business Continuity space. Mr. Arthurs stated there is a large area of open space beside the Elections office. The County uses this area for temporary offices as needed. Commissioner McDowell stated the County should have a plan when Medicaid Expansion occurs. Commissioner McDowell said 30 more employees may be needed at Social Services. Mr. Arthurs gave an update on the Historic Courthouse elevator and museum renovations. He reported that five contractors have been selected for bidding through the pre-qualifications process. The bid includes ten alternates. The deadline for bids is March 2, 2023, with a presentation to the Board during the March 6, 2023 Commissioner Meeting. Chairman Frye asked if these alternates were in the initial plan. Mr. Arthurs stated they were not. The Board would need to decide if they wish to include these alternates with the current plan. 2/23/23 Quotes are currently being sought for these projects. Mr. Arthurs stated that the mechanical issues and the safety issues would be first priority of all of the alternates he presented. Mr. Arthurs reported on the Health Department renovation. Bids should be going out within the next week or two for this project, with County Commissioner bid presentations being held during the Commissioners Meeting on April 3, 2023. This project was presented with alternates to give the County more flexibility in choosing which area to renovate when and because the grant money the Health Department has been awarded can only be spent on certain items and areas. Tying the grant funds to specific items in the renovation process will be easier with the alternates. Mr. Arthurs gave an update on the new Balfour Building project in Archdale. Smith Sinnet is working on the preliminary design of this project. Clark Sign is working on new signage for the building. He shared a few preliminary drawings. DSS and the Health Department will have offices in this building. Mr. Arthurs gave an update on the Farm, Food, and Family Education Center (F3EC). He shared that the architects have reached out to the County regarding supply chain issues and purchasing equipment ahead of time instead of through the contract. Mainly electrical equipment some of the electrical equipment has a long lead time and the architects felt that could delay the project. Vice-Chairman Allen said the new Sandhills Building has been delayed at least five months waiting on main electrical panels. That is the only thing they lack. They learned this in January, but it will be May or June before they receive them. There could still be issues with the supply chain in this project too. Kenny Sherin, Cooperative Extension Director, updated the Board on the F3EC. He shared the mission of the F3EC as follows: It is a dynamic, innovative, and collaborative place for people and organizations to build farm, food, and family systems that strengthen economies, enhance resiliency, and build community. He reminded the Board that Randolph County has $28.3 million in secured funding with an additional $600,000 needed. He went over the schedule for the center with the Board. The architects have completed the design. Staff has provided feedback on those designs and has selected some of the finishes of the building. The IT and Maintenance Departments have been involved to make sure the building is compatible with the other buildings in the County. Mr. Sherin stated that the Resource Center will house Cooperative Extension and Soil and Water Offices. There will be commercial shared-use kitchen, a demonstration/teaching kitchen, a digital skills lab, and a food hub/cold storage. He shared a few photos of what the center will look like once completed. A donor recognition space could be placed in the lobby. Mr. Sherin shared that the Training and Event Center is anticipated to include an open-air, clear span building sized at approximately 24,000 square feet and an enclosed building sized at 2/23/23 approximately 12,500 square feet. The buildings will be equipped with fire protection systems, toilet facilities, kitchen facilities, and multiple HVAC systems. Mr. Sherin stated that the Training and Incubator Farm Greenhouse will be available as training space for the horticulture and Master Gardener program as well as farm incubator clients. The 24’ x 40’ structure will be on a concrete pad with automated ventilation and climate controls. Mr. Sherin said he will submit an application to the NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission to seek a grant that would assist with the additional $600,000 needed to complete this project and finish out the fundraising for the F3EC. This proposal will be submitted tomorrow. Chairman Frye asked when ground breaking will occur. Mr. Sherin said they would break ground in October 2023. Vice-Chairman Allen inquired if additional fundraising was being done for the F3EC project. Mr. Sherin said there were other fundraisers in the works such as a grant from the Timken Foundation as well as a community grant from Toyota. He is waiting on information about the Golden Leaf Foundation County Manager’s recommended projects. Mr. Sherin stated there would be some private fundraising. One option is for citizens to be able to purchase stamped bricks for the Center. Commissioner Kidd asked if any of the agricultural businesses had foundations for grants. Mr. Sherin said there may be. Vice-Chairman Allen suggested that James River may have funding opportunities. Mr. Sherin said that once the grant is submitted to the NC Tobacco Trust Fund, the next step would be to put together an operational plan. Commissioner Kidd asked if there was an amount on annual operating expenses for the F3EC. Mr. Sherin stated that the operational plan would give them the operating expenses of the Center. Mr. Sherin gave an update on the food hub. Sophie Farlow has been working with several non- profits regarding managing the food hub. She has two leads on this. There will need to be conversations made with Aimee Scotten about how all of this will work. Will Massie, Assistant County Manager/Finance Director, stated he will cover his items at a later time. This will put the agenda back on schedule. Randolph Health American Healthcare Systems (AHS) Update Chairman Frye reported that Randolph Health rescinded their agreement of cancellation of coverage with Cigna. He reported that Randolph Health has paid their property taxes, they did appeal the interest. Around $1.2 million has been paid. 2/23/23 2023 Property Reappraisal Debra Hill, Randolph County Tax Administrator, shared that the reappraisal has been a task. She has never seen values and increases like this before. Ms. Hill turned the presentation over to Mark Frick, Appraisal Supervisor. State Law requires one appraisal at least every eight years and Randolph County’s last reappraisal was effective January 1, 2019. A reappraisal assures all properties reflect true market value. It creates equity between the four types of assessed property: real estate, personal property (individual and business), registered motor vehicles, and public service companies. North Carolina General Stature 105-283 states “all property, real and personal, shall as far as practicable be appraised or valued at its true value in money.” True value shall be interpreted as meaning market value. True value/market value is the price estimated in terms of money at which the property would change hands between a willing and finically able buyer and willing seller, neither being under any compulsion to buy or sell and both having reasonable knowledge of all the uses to which the property is adapted and for what it is capable of being used. The market value is determined by collecting and analyzing sales data from real estate transactions in the county. Appraisers must recognize values set by buyers and sellers within market areas. The Tax Department determines certain basic characteristics of every property such as building dimensions, type and quality of construction, type of heating and cooling, amount of plumbing, age, condition, desirability, and usefulness. Appraisers consider how much income the property could produce and capitalize the income into an estimate of true market value. Sales prices have jumped tremendously from 2012 to 2022 for qualified transactions. The assessments are measured by sales ratio which compares tax value to sale price. The North Carolina Department of Revenue Sales Assessment Ratio Study for Randolph County was shared for years 2010 through 2022. In 2022 Randolph County was at 77% of market value. Mr. Frick shared the different valuation methods with the Board as follows: - Market Approach – compare property to recent sales of similar properties - Cost Approach – determine current cost of replacing the property less depreciation - Income Approach – consider how much income the property could produce and capitalize the income into value Mr. Frick reported that properties will not change uniformly throughout the county. Depending on the market conditions and recent sales in a market area, the assessed value may increase, decrease, or remain relatively the same. Mr. Frick reported that if the taxpayer believes the value placed on their real property is not the true market value, there is an appeal process available. Informal appeal forms will be mailed with each Reappraisal Value Notice. The taxpayer can appear before the Randolph County Board of Equalization and Review Board to appeal their value. The next step for the appeal process would 2/23/23 be the North Carolina Property Tax Commission, and the fourth and final step would be the North Carolina Appellate Court. Valid reasons to appeal are assessment substantially exceeds the true market value of the property or the assessment is inconsistent with the market value of similar properties within your market area. Invalid reasons to appeal include the assessed value increased/decreased too much compared to the 2019 assessed value, the assessed value is just too high, the owner’s financial ability to pay taxes, or taxes are too high. In 2019 there were approximately 2,000 appeals that went before the Board of Equalization and Review. Mr. Frick stated that he was expecting a larger number of appeals with this reappraisal. The reappraisal will affect the tax bill in two ways. The reappraisal determines only one of the two components of the tax bill, the assessed value. The other component, the tax rate, will not be set until mid-June 2023 by the Board of Commissioners. Vice-Chairman Allen asked what was driving the spike increase in values. Mr. Frick said it could be construction costs, teleworking from homes, vacation rentals (air bnb’s) where people are purchasing properties to rent, and subdivisions that are owned by entities and not individual persons. Vice-Chairman Allen asked when the assessments would be mailed. Mr. Frick stated their target date was February 28, 2023. Budget Priorities for FY 2023-24 Will Massie, Assistant County Manager/Finance Officer, discussed the budget priorities for FY 2023-24. The current revenues collected are about the same as they were last year, but just a little behind. Vehicle taxes are up 7.9% through January, which is a good sign. Randolph County is 12% ahead of last year in sales tax distribution. Mr. Massie reported that the reappraisal created an estimated budget valuation of $16,215,000,000. He stated there is a concern about educating the taxpayers on the reappraisal process. NCGS 159-11 talks about the revenue neutral tax rate. It must be presented in the budget for comparison purposes but the Board is not required to adopt it. With the $16 million valuation estimate, there could be as much as a ten cent drop to the tax rate to be at revenue neutral. Mr. Massie reported that the Employee Health Plan estimate is $100,000 for each 1%. The NC Local Government Retirement System Proposed rate increase is approximately $300,000. The cost of living adjustment is approximately $600,000 before any new positions are added. For Asheboro City and Randolph County Schools and RCC, there is a one percent increase of approximately $317,000. Hal Johnson, County Manager, reported that the main priority for FY23-24 will be to look at the existing personnel in Randolph County and make sure Randolph County is still competitive 2/23/23 with other entities. The assumed priorities include anticipated increases in retirement and health care costs, cost of living adjustment for employees, possible market adjustments, and new positions that improve effectiveness of County operations based on expanding service needs. Mr. Massie stated that the USDA is requiring Randolph County to pay back the REMC loan for the F3EC in the amount of $400,000 on a monthly basis. Commissioner Haywood asked what was done during the last revaluation process regarding fire tax. Mr. Massie said it depended on each fire department. Open Discussion Kenny Sherin, Cooperative Extension Director, reported that he will be coming before the Board in March to ask about moving their two ARPA funded positions to the regular budget. Adjournment Hearing no further business, Chairman Frye adjourned the meeting at 6:30 p.m. ________________________________ ________________________________ Darrell Frye, Chairman David Allen-Vice-Chairman ________________________________ _________________________________ Kenny Kidd Maxton McDowell ________________________________ _________________________________ Hope Haywood Jenny Parks, Deputy Clerk to the Board 2/23/23