Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 19740617The Board of Commissioners oY Orange County met on Monday, June 17, 1971., at 8 o'clock P. M, in the Commissioners Room at the Courthouse in ${llsborough in adsourned session. Members Present: Chairman Norman Walker, and Commissioners Hepry S. Walker, Flora Barrett, and Richard E. Whitted. Members Absent: Commiaeianer Melvin Whitfield. ` S. M. Osttis, County Administrator, sad Betty June Hayes, Clerk to the Board, were also present. Chairman Walker reaogniaed the members of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board and Benton Tfland, Supervisor oP the Alcoholic Beverage Control 8yatem. Dr. B, w. Moore was the spokesman for the Board. He explained that J. Temple Gobbel, the Chairman, wsa absent due to the fact that ha wsa out of the aaunty. Dr. Moore presented a budget request for the Alooholic Beverage Control Board and made the following remarks: "L~. Moore presented a Yinancial statement of the Orange County ABC System and the amount of taxes paid to the state and the net profits that Orange County received Pros the sale of alcohol in the county. Tax on liquor sales are Pour: 1. Sales tax 12~ 2. Surtax 5 cents per sash 3 1/3 os. of firactional part thereof. 3. Five cents on each bottle sold which goes to the county and can be used on education and alcoholic rehabilitation. 4. II. S, Government receives $10.50 on.eeah gallon sold. In addition to the tax on alaoholio beverages sold we are required to spend 7~ Por education and rehabilitation in the county. This amounts to around $30,000 a year. Alao we aen spend Prom 5~ to 15~ on lax enforcementa. In the three Quarters of this year we have spent before apeaial allocations 7.5~. When the North Carolina legislature passed the law for the sale of alcohol, the p~roYits were to be equally divided between the state, county and municipalities but due to the surtax the groan margin percentage for the three Quarters of 197l~ is 38.16 for Orange County. This given to Orange County s net profit on salsa around 9.5~ Due to our neighbor county the Town oP 83ttabnro installing sn ASC store our profits declined in store ~5 around 30~ which affeat~9d our overall profits (nst). However in May 1974 we had an inoresse in all stores of $19,268.60 over May, 1973 and for the three a..uarters of 1971+ we have an increase of $90,!}15.75 over 1973. We have on hand in CD $80,000.00, $27.,DOO:~OO..of this amount'ia the 7~ for elaoholia rehabilitation. We do have a brighter future in so far as the amount of money the county w111 receive from the sale of slcoholia beverages in the county. The last general assembly passed a bill which will impose a 3 1/2,~ tax on the retail price of alcoholic beveragges (resulting in a 2.8~ inCrea9e in the actual cost to the~.ooneumer). But ae yet we have nbb been informed about the percentage the Bounty or the mnnicipalitiea will receive. We are hopeful the county will get all of it. IP we do that it will give ua a much bigger net percentage. A statistical report of the Orange County A$C Board was given for the Pive years 1968-1972 showing the amount paid to the state from profits and the amount retained for Orange County. The percentage for the state in 19b8 was 57.3 and in 1972 the percentage was 61+.7;x, The percentage of profits retained for Drapge county in 1968 ~ was 1a.2.7~ and in 1972 the percentage xae 35.3. ~~~~ We aze hopeful that the law enacted by the General Assembly which imposed a 3 1/2% on the retail price of alcoholic beverages will mean a brighter financial future for Orange County. Chairman Walker recognized Eddie Mann, Chairman of the Recreation Study ~ Committee, Mr. Mann filed a copy of a report entitled "A PLAN FOR RECREATION AND PARKS ORANGE COUNTY, N. C, JUNE, 1974" and he presented the following letter: 'BAs requested by the County Commissioners, the appointed Recreation Study Committee has studied the recreational needs of the county. With the considerable assistance of the employed Recreation Con- sultant Team, the committee has studied all of those areas suggested ~ in the Boazd motion which was passed setting up this study committee, and the.following~•report is hereby made: 1. It is recommended that Orange County begin to provide recreational services to its citizens. 2. The Study Committee projects that the cost for the service for the next fiscal yeaz will be $60,000; which amount re- presents an operating budget of 530,000 for the yeaz, equipment purchases of 55,000, and provision of $25,000 in "seed money" for acquisition and/or development of facilities. 3. If the Commissioners should choose to begin a recreation service, it is recommended that a Recreation and Park Commis- sion be appointed to manage and operate the system. 4. The Study Committee requests that it have the opportunity to pafticipate in or review the drafting of the ordinance to create the recreation and parks system. The members of the Study Committee have devoted more than 15 months to this study, and the County has expended some 55,690.52 on a study made by the Recreation Consultant Team. Two basic concerns which need to be communicated to the Commissioners are (1) that provision be made for services to all county citizens from the outset, and (2) that there be opportunity for citizens to learn of such plans through a public heazing or some other similar .- manner. The Committee members remain at your disposal for whatever further you or the Commissioners would request or require of them." Mr, Mann stated the Report which had been filed should be considered as source material for the ten year plan. He stated that the Recreation Study Committee was not recommending all the things that had been recom- mended by the Consultants. He stated that the Consultants had not recom- mended that the Recreation Study Commission recommend that a recreation pro- gram involve the entire County from the off-set, however, the Recreation Study Commission felt that all county citizens skiould be included even though the Town of Chapel Hill had a Recreation Depaztment and Carrboro did provide recreation on a limited scale. He stated the Commission felt that a recreation program could be instituted by setting up a Line Department, however, the Commission recommends that a Recreation Committee be appointed and that a Director be employed. The Director should be charged with the responsibility of instituting a recreation program, Mr. Mann stated it was the desire of the Recreation Study Committee to have some input into the proposed recreation program and that the Committee did specifically request that they be allowed to review the Recreation Ordinance prior to its adoption. The Chairman stated the proposed recreation program would cost approximately $6D,000 with 530,000'being allocated for Administration and Operational purposes and $25,000 as such money for the acquisition of further recreational sites, This report is to be considered as a Majority Report from the Recreation Committee. Mr. Mann stated that the committee did not concern itself with the Recreation Study Committee for the First yeaz due to the fact that the type of program was dependent upon how soon the County could emplcy someone to begin the program and that the Recreation Study Committee does not zecommend a specific type of program. Discussion ensued. - Chairman Walker stated that he was hoping that the Committee would come to the Boazd with a specific plan for the operation, Frank Miller stated that it was the opinion of the committee that the '~ Director would recommend 'the types of programs that should be instituted, Sob Strayhorn stated that the Committee agreed bn the fact that a Recreation program was needed, however, the vast majority of the County does not have the leadership that would be needed for the institution of the program and '~~7 that it was his personal opinion a R®creetion Director .was needed to oordinate a program that x9uld involve ana c sate the a ded cpmo~unit leadership. He stated further that most of t~e money t~ia~ was being r~quested would be for personnel and that he felt this personnel could apply for Federal Grants that would assist in expending the program. Mrs. Aileen Ray stated that she felt the first years budget was realistic and a practical approach to the instituting of a recreation program and that she considered that towards the end of the report that had been presented, by the Consultants, that the Consultants took a starry-eyed approach to the entire matter. Eddie Mann stated that he wished to re-emphasize that the Recreation Study Committee does not recommend the program as presented by the Consultants and that the projects contained in the report were arrived at after much study and I that the Committee did not get into the ten (10) year program and that it was not to be adopted on a Car ti Hlanch basis that the report from the Consultants was to be used £or savrce material only. Ann Barnes stated that she felt the spirit of Mr. Miller's concern was good and that the Committee felt that the decision to move in,either direction was to be left up to the Board of Directors. N.x. Mann stated he wished to commend the Board on the choice of representa- tives on the Recreation Study Committee as they were from all sections of the County and that each had been a good spokesman and had contributed their time, interest, and effort on the matter of recreation. Discussion ensued. Commissioner Richard Whitted stated the report was good as far as it went, but he questioned."but where do we go from tonight?" Commissioner Flora Garrett stated that she could not decide whether the County was ready for a Commission or a Advisory Committee and she expressed concern over the fact that the Consultants report excluded the Town of Carrboro and the Town of Chapel Hill. Mr. Mann replied that the Recreation Study Committee did not recommend the exclusion of the Towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill and did not accept the recommendations that was stated in the Consultants Report. Chairman Norman Walker stated that the Hoard did not want the Recreation Study Committee to be resolved at -this point and time and that he felt they should come back to the Board with a proposed Recreation Ordinance. Commissioner Richard Whitted stated that he felt it would be advantageous to investigate some other counties who have more than one recreation commission in order to determine how the seperate commissions are funded and that he would like for the Recreation Study Committee to explore the possibilities of sub- sidizing the existing recreation programs. Sob Strayhorn asked "in whose hands should the Recreation Program be in?" Chairman Walker replied a Commission, commissioner Richard Whitted stated that he felt this was true if the direction o£ the Commission could be clearly defined. Commissioner Flora Garrett agreed that she felt a clear definition of the authority of a Commission and/or an Advisory Committee should be definitely defined. Ann Barnes stated that she would like for the Commissioners to have more input into the Recreation Study Committee in order that the Committee might be able to judge how they felt about certain matters. Further discussion ensued. The Recreation Study Committee was instructed to draft a proposed Recreation Ordinance and to present the Ordinance at such time as they felt they wished to confer with the Board. •~- -~~ There being no further business tv come before the Board the meeting was adjourned to meet again on Thursday, June 20, 197, at $ p.m. in the Commissioners Room at the Courthouse in Hillsborough. C. N man Walker, Chairman Betty June Hayes, Clerk