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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 19730711N'SNUT~S OF THE ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF C01~'1'2ISSIDNERS BOOK S PACE S'7 Ju1q 11, 1973 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in adjourned session on Wednesday, July 11, 1973, for the puraose of continuing budget hearings, Members Present: Chairman C, Norman Walker and Commissioners Flora Garrett, Renry S. ?dalker and Richard E, Iti'!-ii tted. Members Absent; None. The County Administrator, S. M. Gattis, and the Clerk to the Board, Betty June Hayes, were also present. Mrs. Mary Scroggs, Chairman of the Chapel Hill-Carrborc School Board, and Mrs. Betty Denny, Dr. Sam Rolton, Marvin Silver and Eddie Caldwell, members of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro School Board were present &s were Dr. Robert C. Flanea, Superintendent of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro School Unit and Dr. Charles Rivers, Assistant School Superintendent: Chairman Walker recognized Mrs, Mary Scroggs, Chairman of the School Unit. She stated that during the past year the School Board had conducted regular sessions in each of the scheols in their unit. These sessions were planned in order to allow the parents of students to discuss the school curriculum and to participate in the planning of the 1973-1971. school activities and programs. The Chairman stated that the budget requests that would be presented to the Board by Dr. Robert C. Hanes was the results of many hours of dellberatior_ and effort on the part of many interested citizens and the School Board. She did, therefore, request the Board to consider and to adopt the presented budget in its entiretp. Dr. Hanes stated that the Current k~penss budget for the Chapel Hill- Carrboro School reflected four basic areas: Continuation of Current Programs and Services for 1973-1974, Cost Adjustments Resulting from Actions of the General Assembly, Cost Adjustments Reaultin~; from the Reduction of Federal Programs and New or Expanded Programs Needed in the School System. 1, Continuatien of Present Programs and Services: $1,327,272.66. This represents an increase of $27,272.66. The increase is caused by normal "step" increases in the salary schedule for classified employees and in rate ir_creasea for utilities and fuel. V 2. Cost Adjustments Resulting from Actions of the General Assembly; $4f+, 345.60. The General Assembly increased teachers salaries by 5~ and extended the period of employment to ten months. The Chapel Si11-Carrboro City Schools empyoy 45 teachers maid entirely from local funds. To meet the new state salary schedule for these teachers will require $986.00 pez position for a total of $1{1~.,3~1-5,60. 3. Cost Adjustment Resulting from the Reduction of Federal Programs: $90,896.85, The school system has been advised to expect a reduction in ESEA, Title I funds in the amount of approximately $40,000.00. These funds have been used to operate four kindergarten sections. A aecand federal program in which a lose of funds is anticipated is Readstart in the amount of $40,000. These funds have been used to operate two kindergarten sections, Headstart guidelines cannot legally be met by the Board of Education. These four kindergarten sections have bean serving educationally and economically disadvantaged pupils. These children need all the help possible in prepa_„ation for school and the continuation of these kindergarter_ sections is, therefore, considered imperative. Tt will be several more years before state supported kindergarten sections will be available in sufficient numbers to meet this need, The minimum funds necessary to meet this need after all possible costs have been absorbed by the school system is $S6,000.DD. The school system has been operating a high school program in occupational education for handivapped pupils. Because of the reduction - of federal funds £cr occupational education, this program, costing $35,000.00, must either be discontinued or paid for from local funds. Without this program these mentally and physically handicapped young people would neither be able to profit from high school nor have an opportunity to develop salable skills which help them become economically self-sufficient. eo~~ 8 r„eE 58 !}. New and EP[panded Programs: $237,1!}6,23, Tha Board of Education hoe spent the past year in identifying program needs of the school system, Parents, students, teachers, school staff, and the community at largo have participated in this process, The new programs proposed in this budget represent the minimum improvements expected of the school system by the community, Chief among these are the following: Introduction of a career exploration program in the junior high school grades, Provision of some released time for elementary teachers (one hour per week) by the provision of special art and music teachers. A five percent increase in salary and the provision of annual leave for classified employees who are employed during the school year. Continued modest imorovemer_ts in the amount of funds for instructional supplies, field trips, furniture replacement, sports programs, summer school, and maintenance services, The Capital Outlay request reflects three categories of capital needs: 1. Final completion of the new k~hesus Road Elementary School which opened on January 2, 1973: $17,741.50. 2, The construction of an occupational addition at the Chapel Hill Senior High School: $540,000,00. The high school was originally built without vocational facilities. This addition is an attempt to meet an urgent program need at the high school. The community and the commissioners have bean advised for the past several years to anticipate this request for the 1973-74 school year. 3. Regular yearly aap~tal outlay requirement: figure represents the minimum on-going capital9needs~of~tha school system in order to keep the system functioning in a normal business- like manner. Thus, the total capital outlay request is for $853,797.58. In summation Dr, Hanes told the Board that $1,327,273,00 would be required to maintain present school programs and services. He stated that $27,273.00 increase this year represented a five par~cent (s~) increase in the salary of ell classified personnel, The five per cent (5,0) raise granted to teachers by the General Assembly would require $4,34b,00 to meet the state salary schedule for the forth- five (45) teachers who were paid entirel from lecal f $90,897.00 would be required to replace federal funds that~hadabeentwithdrawn from the school pro ram. Dr, Har_ea stated that the school unit expected to .receive approximately 40,000.00 from Title I that would be used to finance the kindergarten program, but that the unit expected to lose about $(}0,000.00 in Headstart funds. Ha stated that between $56,000,00 and $90,000.00 would be needed to continue the kinder~erten program, and that $237,1)x.6.00 would be required to institute new programs, The per pupil request would amount tc $172,$1, For a complete copy of the Chapel Fill-Carrboro City Schools Current Expense Budget Request and Capital Outlay Budget Request for 1973-1974 see pages 61 through 78 in Commissioners Docket Book Plumber 8. Chairman Walker recognized Dr, 0, David Garvin, District health Officer. Dr, Garvin stated that the requirements of the newly enacted Federal Laws would require the Health Department to furnish full medical services to old age recipients, however, there had not bean provided any Federal Funds for the implementation of the program. He, therefore, was not in a position to estimate the coat of the new program. Dr. Garvin brought to the attention of the Board several new State legislative enactments that would require additional county funding, He read House Bill #296 that would require the local Health Department to issue a permit prior to the construction of a home or the moving or placement of a mobile home. This means that an additional Sanitarian will be needed to inspect the premises, It was brought to the attention of the Board that lack of communication between the Sanitarians and the local Health office was causing comments and criticisms. Dr, Garvin suggested that to install a radio communications system that could be utilized by ra.a department would be of tremendous assistance. _ The County Administrator advised Dr, Garvin that the county was currently trying. to secure a radio band that could be used by several of the county's departments, aa~n $ r~cE 59 Questions arose concerning the Dog Pounds. Dr, Garvin stated that the county should be prepared to make certain improvements in the existing pounds or to construct a new pound as the demand for such a facility was already being made by certain citizen a. Dr, Garvin advised the Board that the General Assembly had enacted a bill that would require each county in the state to have a Local Health Department. ' He then cited certain provisions of G.S. 130-1L}. (For a complete copy of the Orange County Budget for the Local Health Department see pages 78 in Commissioners Docket Book Number 8.) There being no further business to come before the Board said meeting was adjourned to meet again on Thursday, July 12, 1973, at 7:30 o'clock p.m, in the District Courtroom. C. Norman Walker, Chairman Betty June Hayes, Clerk MINUTES OF THE ORANGE CDUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS July 12, 1973 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met on Thursday, July 12, 1973, at 7:30 o'clock p,m, in the District Courtroom of the Courthouse in Hillsborough. The purpose of this meeting was to allow W. Russell Wright, owner of a mobile home park on Highway X86 in Chapel Hill, to present his opposition to the county's adopted policy of taxing some mobile homes as real estate, and to continue the 1973-1974 budget hearings. Members Present: Chairman C. Norman Walker and Commissioners Henry S. k Walker, Flora Garrett and Richard E. Whitted, ~F Members Absent: None. The'County Administrator, S, M. Gattis, the County Attorney, L. M, Cheshire, the Tax Superviso^, Bill. Laws, and the Clerk to the Board, Betty June I?ayea, were also present. Chairman tidalker recognized W, Russell Wright. Mr, Wright had requested that the Board grant him time to register his opposition to the assessment placed on his mobile home. 22r. Wright stated that he felt this change in taxing assessment was the latest move taken by the Board to drive mobile home owners from the county. The Board assured Mr, Wright that this was not their intention, however, the county had a rule which sited that a mobile home that is connected to a water line, septic tank, and,electricity is permanently attached to the real estate and, therefore, became real property. It was stated that the county makes an exception for the mobile homes whose occupants rents nark space. This policy was adopted because the contract between the mobile home owner and the park owner clearly assumes that the mobile home unit will be eventually meved from the site, and thus the county considers mobile home unite on a rented lot as personal property not real estate. Mr, Wright argued that the distinction between the two tapes of units should be based on whether o^ not the mobile home is placed on a permanent foundation or whet:~er or not it retains its portability. In support of his argument Mr, Wright stated that mobile homes are personal property and that they must be registered with the Department oi' Motor Vehicles. He stated that the Natipnal 5lectrical Code, the State Regulations for .Mobile Homes, and the BluebooY. of Trailers, Campers and Mobile Eomes, all treat mobile homes as a nonpermanent unit, and that he did, therefore, contend that Orange County had no legal right to tax his property as real estate. The Board roquested the County Attorney to further investigate the General Statutes relative to this matter and to file with them, at a later date, a written report of his findings. Chairman Walker recognized Dr. Silas Coley, Jr., Director of the Orange- Person-Chatham Mental Health Center, and Mrs. Pat Walton, Administrative Airector of said Center. Present also were Dr. Warren Johnson, Director of the Family Counseling Center at Hillsborough, and Mrs. Lynn Foefey, Graduation Saecialiat O-P-C Mental Health Center.