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061493RAND0LPH COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS June 14, 1993 Minutes The Randolph County Board of Commissioners met in special budget session at 2:00 p.m. on June 14, 1993, in the Commissioners Meeting Room, 725 McDowell Road, Asheboro, NC. Commissioners Frye, Kemp, Langley, Petty and Comer were present. Randolph County Schools Worth Hatley, Interim Superintendent, highlighted their budget. He noted that energy costsare up significantly this year because the state has ceased funding this.expenseand continue to rise as they air condition more schools. Six schools are fully air conditioned and three more will be added next year. They are recommending that the Archdale/Trinity School District tax rate be set at 8.5(,,. Dennis Farlow, Chairman of the Board of Education, said they are putting more emphasis on computers and technology because, beginning this year, 8th graders will receive standardized testing in technology. Commissioner Kemp asked where funds will come from to pay expenses related to the suspension of Superintendent Fleetwood and his lawsuit against the Board of Education. Commissioner Frye asked how much money has been paid out to date as a result of paying two superintendents and if a settlement has been offered. Mr. Farlow stated that the new budget does not include any funds for a settlement and that funds for a contract settlement would have to come from their unappropriated fund balance. To date they have spent $21,460 extra in salary by having two superintendents and they have spent $6,600 in attorney fees. Their insurance will pay all regular attorney fees and$1,2.50,000 for litigation. The Open Meetings lawsuit does not carry monetary damages, only legal fees.- Any contract settlement would not be covered by insurance. Mr. Farlow said that a resolution of the problem must be made by July 1, 1993. Mr. Hatley noted that the $25,703 increase in Administration is not related to the settlement. He also explained that the new line item for travel is a result of their doing away with the leased car arrangement. Also, costs related to underground storage tanks have -increased dramatically. Chairman Frye stated that it is important for the Board of Education to keep'the Commissioners advised of new developments or decisions relevant to the superintendent situation, including all information on a settlement and its impact on their budget. He noted that the meeting today is the first opportunity the Commissioners have had to get any information or to ask any questions on this issue. Mr. Frye said the Commissioners have to answer to the public on how money is spent on County Schools. He said there had been some criticism that the Commissioners had misappropriated $1,000,000 of County Schools capital funds and that this is not true. School officials understood that this amount of their capital funding would be applied to debt service for school bonds. Asheboro City Schools Dr. Bob Gordon, Superintendent, said that full local funding for energy costs has significantly increased their expenses. All schools except two will be air conditioned this year. He said that there is not enough in local funds for technology to prepare students for new state competency testing. Dr. Gordon asked that their school tax rate be set at 14.5G rather than the 12.5G requested earlier because of the revised tax base figures provided by the County Tax Department. Commissioner Kemp asked where Asheboro City Schools fall statewide in per pupil expenditures. Dr. Gordon said we are 59th in state funding, 112th in federal funding, and 34 in local funding. Randolph Community College Eddie Allen, Board of Trustees, and Dr. Larry Linker, President, discussed the need for the college to build a capital reserve fund for an allied health and science building. They requested $500,000 in the 93-94 budget for this; the County Manager has recommended $250,000. Dr. Linker said there is strong support in the General Assembly for a state bond referendum for such construction, but no decision has been reached yet. State money would require local matching funds. 911 Neil Allen, Emergency Services Director, stated that the first phase of 911 was completed on time and on budget. He discussed the second phase, which involves computer-aided dispatch (CAD), which should be completed.by June, 1994. The large increase in salaries for this budget reflectsthe absorption of 9 additional employees from the Sheriff's Department and the Asheboro Police Department. Map books with all new county street names are almost ready to be distributed to every emergency vehicle in the county. Emergency Services Mr. Allen noted that plans for refurbishing some ambulances instead of doing remounts will save a significant amount of money. The, Fire Marshal's budget includes a new vehicle, which is needed because of the new mandated inspections countywide. All 3 vehicles in this unit have excessive mileage, but they plan to replace only one each year. Mr.. Allen said that the new Randleman Ambulance Base is on an excellent site'and has been very successful in helping to cut down response time. He explained how, through reorganization, this department has been able to operate an additional base without increasing the number of employees. A second unit in Asheboro.operates only at peak times now instead of 24 hours a day. Fire Districts Mr. Allen stated that it is difficult for him or his staff to analyze fire departments' proposed budgets or to make recommendations on their requested tax rates. He said they are private, non-profit organizations headed by their own boards who are familiar with their particular needs. Most fire departments requested the same rate as last year, even though revaluation will increase their tax base. Guil-Rand asked for a .7G decrease and. Bennett requested a 3G increase. Mr. Allen said that the 92-93 budget funded 76.5% of fire department budgets; the 93-94 requested rate would fund them at 93.5%. Chairman Frye noted that these budgets were presented by boards who are elected by and accountable to their community. Roger Ring, Farmer Fire Department, said they would have asked for a significant rate increase this year if not for revaluation. Darrell Voncannon, Seagrove Fire Department, said they presented and adopted their new budget at their annual meeting on April 5. He expressed concern over the many new physical and budgetary demands and requirements for volunteer fire fighters, including the extensive training, hepatitis shots, OSHA regulations, and infection control and blood-borne pathogen policies. Mamie Maness, Westside Fire Department, stated that they need to keep their rate the same because they are planning to purchase a new fire truck, which will be in excess of $250,000, and because they are adding a full-time firefighter position. This new employee will be involved in activities to lower the fire rating in additional portions of the district. Chairman Frye questioned why insurance is so high and why debt service and capital outlay are up for Bennett. No one from Bennett Fire Department was present to answer any questions. Chairman Frye also noted that Sophia has a.low tax base and has no area to expand into. Budget Discussion Frank Willis, County Manager, explained that the revised estimates for tax base have created a shortfall in his proposed budget. He has balanced it in two ways: use a tax rate of 46.5G and increase revenue projections or increase the tax rate to 46.6. He said the only way to fund some of the schools' energy costs would be to increase the tax rate to 47�. The Board discussed the County Schools' current lawsuit and how it could take money away from other needed areas such as energy costs. Neil Allen gave Commissioners information he had just received concerning their earlier questions on the Bennett Fire Department. Last year Bennett did not report any of the revenue it received from Chatham County, where the majority of the district is. This skewed some of their figures. The Board recessed at 6:00 p.m. Public Hearing on Budget and Home & Community Care Block Grant The meeting reconvened at 7:30 p.m. for a duly advertised public hearing on the 93-94 budget and on the Home & Community Care Block Grant. Candie Rudzinski introduced herself as the Executive Director for the Randolph County Senior Adults Association and Chairperson of the Randolph County Aging Services Planning Committee. Ms. Rudzinski stated that she was presenting the Home & Community Care Block Grant funding recommendation totaling $331,320 and handed out copies of DOA -731 County Funding Plan -County Services Summary. The money would go to the following agencies for the services specified: Randolph County Senior Adults Association ($223,479) to provide adult day care, care management, information and referral/case assistance, general transportation, medical transportation, congregate nutrition and home delivered meals; Regional Consolidated Services ($69,806) to provide in-home aide services (level 1,2,3)) and minor home improvement and repair; and Randolph County Department of Social Services ($38,033) to provide in-home aide services (level 1,2). Programs experiencing increases include adult day care, which includes daily transportation costs and overhead costs; medical transportation, which includes salary adjustments and additional service provision; and all Randolph County Senior Adults Association programs, which reflect salary and fringe benefits as approved by the Board of Directors. Chairman Frye invited comments from the audience and no one spoke. He temporarily closed the public hearing so the Board could take action on this funding plan. On motion of Petty, seconded by Kemp, the Board voted to approve the Home & Community Care Block Grant funding recommendation of $331,320 as presented. Chairman Frye reopened the public hearing and highlighted the recommended 93-94 budget. He then invited comments and questions on the budget. Edith Coltrane asked how much money this budget is allocating for the Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority. Chairman Frye explained that $500,000 is allocated but that only a portion of that will actually be issued to the Authority during.the year. The remaining funds will be held in a capital reserve fund which is being built up to pay.for Randolph County's allotment of. 6 -million gpd when the Randleman Dam project is completed. Alan Horton of Burlington urged the Board to withdraw from the Authority and to oppose the Randleman Dam project. Mr. Horton read portions of a position paper he said Darrell Frye wrote 11 years ago opposing this project. He said that there is new evidence of contamination of the Deep River from High Point sewage and from their landfill. He said that Seaboard Chemical Company was allowed to place hazardous chemical ponds 1000' from this project's water source. He also stated that Black & Veatch's water quality model used in testing Deep River's water was flawed. He said that Burlington has a 48 million gpd water source, Lake McIntosh, and is using only 10 million; Greensboro could purchase water from Burlington. Chairman Frye stated that most of the issues addressed in the paper quoted by Mr. Horton no longer exist. Also, it was a Corps of Engineers project at that time. It has been scaled back from 12,000 acres to 6,000 and displacement of families has gone from 600 to 200. Seaboard is going to be cleaned up. Lake McIntosh does not have enough water for Greensboro and does not address the water needs of the 5 other governments in the Authority. He assured Mr. Horton that all information given tonight will be shared with the Authority. Vance Allred, 204 Isabell St., Greensboro, Sierra Club Conservation Chairman, said he disapproves of this project and recommends that Randolph County withhold its funding for the Authority this fiscal year subject to the disposition of a court case and evaluation by EPA. He said the Sierra Club has a lengthy document opposing this project that they are submitting to EPA. Chairman Frye said that all concerns regarding this project will be taken seriously but that by being a part of the Authority, the Commissioners have more input and receive more information regarding the project. The meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m.