POLK COUNTY



POLK COUNTY

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS’ PUBLIC HEARINGS & REGULAR MEETING

January 23, 2017 - 7:00 P.M.

R. Jay Foster Hall of Justice, Womack Building

Columbus, NC

MINUTES

PRESENT: Chairman Melton, Vice-Chairman Johnson, Commissioner Bradley, Commissioner Gasperson and Commissioner Yoder. Also in attendance were County Manager Pittman, County Attorney Berg, and Clerk to the Board High, staff, media and citizens.

1. Call to Order of the Public Hearing Regarding the Proposed Amendment to the Polk County Wireless Telecommunications Ordinance – Chairman Melton called the public hearing to order. Cathy Ruth, Planner, was present to answer questions regarding the proposed amendment to the Ordinance.

2. Citizen Comments – There were none.

3. Commissioner Comments – Commissioner Gasperson stated he would like all applicants that request ordinance changes to have no Polk County taxes in arrears. He has discussed this with Attorney Berg, and although it cannot be a requirement, he would like support from the other Commissioners to make inquiries. He stated in this case, it was confirmed that the applicant Harry Denton has no Polk County taxes in arrears.

4. Motion to Adjourn the Public Hearing – Commissioner Gasperson moved to adjourn the public hearing, seconded by Commissioner Bradley and the motion carried unanimously.

5. Call to Order of the Public Hearing Regarding Polk County Transportation Authority’s (PCTA) Proposed Fare Increases – Chairman Melton called the public hearing to order. Dianne Timberlake, Transportation Director, was present to answer questions regarding the proposed fare increase.

6. Citizen Comments – There were none.

7. Commissioner Comments – There were none.

8. Motion to Adjourn the Public Hearing – Commissioner Gasperson moved to adjourn the public hearing, seconded by Commissioner Bradley and the motion carried unanimously.

9. Call to Order of the Regular Meeting – Chairman Melton called the meeting to order.

10. Invocation – Commissioner Bradley gave the invocation.

11. Pledge of Allegiance – Commissioner Gasperson led the pledge.

12. Approval of Agenda – Commissioner Bradley moved to approve the agenda as written, seconded by Commissioner Yoder and the motion carried unanimously.

13. Consent Agenda

A) Approval of the December 5, 2016 public hearing and regular meeting minutes.

B) Approval of the December 5, 2016 organizational and regular meeting minutes.

C) Approval of the December 19, 2016 regular meeting minutes.

D) Memorandum of Understanding By & Between Polk County E-911 Communications & Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office E-911 Communications.

E) Tax Department Refund Request: Vehicle surrenders and property tax corrections - $1,970.78

Commissioner Bradley moved to approve the consent agenda, seconded by Commissioner Gasperson and the motion carried unanimously.

14. Citizen Comments on Agenda Items – Babs Strickland and Lisa Krolak spoke in favor of supporting Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy and the Foster Creek Preserve project.

15. An Ordinance Concerning the Polk County Wireless Telecommunication Ordinance Amending Fall Zones for Administrative Review and Approval Process – Commissioner Gasperson moved that the written recommendation of the Planning Board regarding Plan Consistency be made a part of the record of this proceeding and that the Board of Commissioners find that the proposed amendment to the Polk County Wireless Communication Ordinance is consistent with the Polk County 20/20 Vision Plan for the reasons set forth in the Planning Boards’ recommendation. Furthermore, he moves that the Board adopt the proposed Amendment to the Wireless Telecommunications Ordinance as recommended by the Planning Board, seconded by Commissioner Yoder and he motion carried unanimously.

16. Polk County Transportation Authority’s (PCTA) Fare & Payment Policy – Commissioner Bradley moved to approve the fare increase to the payment policy, seconded by Vice-Chairman Johnson and the motion carried unanimously.

17. Animal Cruelty Board Presentation – Margo Savage, long standing Animal Cruelty Investigator, gave a power point presentation on how and why the board was created and the roles and responsibilities of the investigators, a copy of which is hereby incorporated by reference into these minutes.

18. Foster Creek Preserve Synopsis – Kieran Roe, Executive Director of the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy (CMLC) gave a power point presentation about land they acquired proposed for the Foster Creek development which borders the Polk County Recreation Complex and the North Carolina game lands, a copy of which is hereby incorporated by reference into these minutes. He stated they are working closely with Pacolet Area Conservancy (PAC) and other agencies and the plan includes acreage to be added to the current Recreation Complex and an area designated for workforce housing. It was the consensus of the Board to instruct County Manager Pittman to contact the manager of the Town of Columbus regarding their intent on de-annexing the property.

19. Polk County Property Revaluation Update – Robert Haskins revaluation coordinator with Wampler Eanes Appraisal Group gave the update. He stated notices will be ready to send out by the end of the month and there is an appeal process for Polk County property owners.

20. Resolution of the Polk County Board of Elections Concerning Election Office Staffing – J. David Moore, Chairman of the Polk County Board of Elections presented the resolution requesting a change in the Board of Elections staff position of full time Election Specialist be replaced by two part-time regular positions, Deputy Director of Voting Systems, and Deputy Director of Voter Registration for the purposes of increasing office flexibility and efficiency.

Commissioner Gasperson moved to approve the resolution replacing one full-time position with two regular part-time positions, seconded by Commissioner Bradley and the motion carried unanimously.

21. Fire and Rescue Advisory Committee (FRAC) – Rocky Hyder from Henderson County Emergency Management presented information on the creation of this committee to replace the Fire Tax Commission in Henderson County in the year 2000. He explained they have seven members, three appointed by the Board of Commissioners, three appointed by the Fire Chief’s Association, and one member nominated by the six other members. The purpose of the committee is to act as a liaison between the individual fire departments and the governing body.

County Manager Pittman, County Attorney Berg, Fire Marshal Arledge, and Commissioner Bradley are to meet with the fire chief’s for their input and answer any questions they may have regarding creating a FRAC.

22. Manager’s Report – County Manager Pittman told the Board he sent a letter to Sharon Decker with Tryon Equestrian Properties in response to their 2 acre offer. He said David Odom, engineer and staff are working on a projected budget and to ensure the parcel is feasible for the necessary facility. He also reported the County has received all but two fire department audits, Tryon and Mill Spring. The commissioners concurred that the fire department financial statements should be submitted in a timely manner as requested since they are used in the budget process; it’s difficult to set the fire tax rate without supportive documentation.

23. Volunteer Boards For Review – One Library Board of Trustees application for one vacancy was reviewed.

24. Volunteer Boards For Vote – Ambrose Mills was appointed to the Economic and Tourism Development Commission by unanimous vote.

16a.Citizen Comments Non-Agenda Items – Sky Conard requested the dismissal of

the tax increase to Lake Adger property owners proposed by Keith Holbert. She

would also like to sit down and discuss ideas and solutions.

25. Commissioner Comments – The Commissioners thanked everyone for coming out, and Commissioner Yoder stated he attended the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) Legislative Goals Conference in Raleigh as Polk County’s voting delegate.

26. Closed Session – Commissioner Bradley moved to go into closed session for the purpose of attorney client privilege and personnel, G.S. 143-318.11(a) (3) (5), seconded by Commissioner Gasperson and the motion carried unanimously.

27. Return to Open Session – Commissioner Bradley made a motion to return to open session, seconded by Commissioner Yoder and the motion carried unanimously.

28. Public Hearing for the Second Amendment to the White Oak Development Agreement – Cathy Ruth, Planner, presented the public hearing request on the proposed amendment. Commissioner Yoder moved to schedule a public hearing on February 20, 2017, at 6:30 P.M. in the R. Jay Foster Hall of Justice, Womack Building, to take public comment on a proposed amendment to the Polk County Development Agreement, seconded by Commissioner Bradley and the motion carried unanimously.

29. Public Hearing for the Amendment to the Polk County Zoning Ordinance Establishing a New Zoning District and Amendment to the Polk County Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map to Rezoning of Certain Areas as the Equestrian Commercial District – Cathy Ruth, Planner, presented the public hearing request on the proposed amendment. Commissioner Bradley moved to schedule a public hearing on February 20, 2017, at 6:30 P.M. in the R. Jay Foster Hall of Justice, Womack Building, to take public comment on a proposed amendment to the Polk County Zoning Ordinance establishing a new zoning district and amendment to the Polk County Zoning Ordinance and zoning map to rezoning of certain areas as the Equestrian Commercial District, seconded by Commissioner Yoder and the motion carried unanimously.

30. Adjournment – Commissioner Gasperson moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Vice-Chairman Johnson and the motion carried unanimously.

ATTEST: POLK COUNTY BOARD

OF COMMISSIONERS

__________________________ __________________________

Ange’ High Tommy W. Melton

Clerk to the Board Chairman[pic]

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