ALBEMARLE — Commissioners appointed members to a newly formed committee and voted on improvements to utilities, zoning, a loan rate reduction, and the addition of a mural to the Commissioners room at their regular meeting Monday night.
The commissioners made appointments to positions on the consolidated Human Services Board. The new members have varied expertise as the commission seeks diverse perspectives on the new board. Members of the board will receive a stipend of $30 per meeting, while the chair will receive a $40 stipend. The first meeting of the Stanly County Human Services Board is set for Nov. 16.
The different expertise areas, followed by the appointees are:
Consumers of Human Services: Nancy Smoak, Boyd Honeycutt, Paige Emerson, and Calvin Lloyd. Each will all serve initial one-year terms and will be allowed reappointment after this term to a four-year term.
Veterinarian: Dr. Amy Jordan; Pharmacist: Ric Cain; Registered Nurse: Dianne Daniels; Dentist: Dr. Tom Norwood; Optometrist: Dr. James Marshall. These four positions will serve an initial four year-term.
Commissioner appointee: Jann Lowder and Gene McIntyre were appointed to one-year terms with McIntyre serving as a representative of the general public.
General Public: Shirley Lowder, Larry Gibson, Caroline Sawyer, Georgette Edgerton and Joan Eudy. Each will serve an initial two-year term.
The seats for physician, engineer, psychologist and psychiatrist are all vacant and once appointed will serve initial three-year terms. The commission staggered the terms of the initial appointments to create continuity as normal attrition occurs on the board.
Rodney Keck requested rezoning of property in New London so that he can sell the lot to East Albemarle Towing Company. The company plans to use this to area to store vehicles. The commissioners passed the request 7-0.
A request to rezone the end of Broadway Road in the Badin area passed 7-0. The land can now be used for solar panels. By law the company has to keep a 10-foot buffer of vegetation between the property lines, but Commissioner Joseph Burleson asked that they do their best to make it aesthetically pleasing.
“Make sure to be good neighbors and keep it as covered from neighbors as possible,” he said. “If the 10 feet is not enough extend that area.”
Local cattle farmer Elaine Moore was present to support this project and rezoning of the area.
Casey Ammons requested that one acre on Webb Road and Highway 200 be rezoned so that he may use it to operate his vehicle shop. This rezoning will allow vehicle storage outside. The land is considered a growth area in the Stanly County Use Plan. The area is currently open field and the request was approved 7-0.
The county took out loans with BB&T to cover the costs of improvements on some local schools, and the county can now get a lower interest rate on its loan. Finance director Toby Hinson presented how the county could lower the loan from 3.67 percent to 2.69 percent. The resolution to proceed with a rate reduction modification agreement for the county’s loans passed 7-0.
The Convention and Visitors Bureau proposed commissioning a mural for the commissioners meeting room and offered to pay half the cost. The county would pay the other half. Under this arrangement, the county’s cost would be $915. However, three commissioners proposed the commission members pay for the mural themselves rather than using taxpayer dollars. Commissioners Burleson, Scott Efird and Ashley Morgan asked the other members if they would have a problem with each of them personally paying $131 so the taxpayers did not have to pay for the mural. Commissioner Jann Lowder spoke against this idea. The proposal was approved 6-1, with Efird voting no. Commissioner Bill Lawhon reminded the board that if anyone would like to donate to the project that is allowed. Burleson said he still plans to donate his portion.
Donna Davis requested funding to install a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition replacement system. The current system is out of date and continues to have issues. The commissioners approved the contract with Lord & Company to replace the system. Davis requested approval of an engineering services contract costing $275,894 with W.K. Dixon to help with wastewater treatment plants. This request was passed 7-0.
Lawhon presented that building permits are up substantially since last year to close the public portion of meeting. The commission adjourned to a closed session to discuss real estate and economic development issues. It later reconvened the public session to declare a second closed session for attorney-client-privileged discussions related to pending litigation over the Norwood-Union County interbasin transfer.
All seven commissioners were in attendance along with County Manager Andy Lucas.
The next meeting is scheduled for Nov. 20 at 7 p.m.
