HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES-1997-026 Resolution Regarding Various Bills in North carolina General Assembly 97
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NORTH CAROLINA
RESOLUTION REGARDING
ORANGE COUNTY LEGISLATIVE MATTERS
BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Commissioners of Orange
County that the Board hereby requests the Senators and
Representatives representing Orange County to support the North
Carolina Association of County Commissioners in its opposition to
the following legislative matters :
1 . House Bill 499 . This bill would make Orange County ' s
land records data base available for reuse and for profit, at
practically no cost, to real estate trade associations and their
members . Orange County, Chapel Hill, Carrboro and the Orange
Water and Sewer Authority have spent a considerable amount of
public money developing a land records system for public
purposes . The public should be paid for the sale of this
information to persons or organizations who or which would use it
for private purposes and resell it for profit .
2 . Senate Bill 799 . This bill would make public "serious
disciplinary actions" now maintained confidentially in the
personnel files of local government employees . It also would
make public the entirety of a local government employee ' s
personnel file "once two serious disciplinary actions have been
imposed. " This bill provides no opportunity for the balancing of
the public interest with the employee privacy interest before the
release of the personnel file information. This balancing
process is required under present law.
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3 . Senate Bill 844 . This bill will require narrative
written accounts or audio or video taped accounts of closed
sessions . The "account" would be a public record although it
could be withheld from public inspection if making it public
would frustrate the purpose of the closed session. This bill
intends to overrule a recent Supreme Court decision allowing a
generalized account of closed sessions as part of the n;inutes of
a Board meeting. If enacted into law, this requirement of an
"account" of the closed session likely will have a chilling
effect on Board members ' willingness to openly discuss matters
which are sensitive and therefore are afforded, by the Open
Meetings Law, closed session status .
4 . House Bill 949 . This bill effects the medical,
hospital and any other records, including DSS investigatory
records, of a child who is killed as the result of suspected
abuse or neglect . These records in the custody of government
agencies will be public records if House Bill 949 is enacted into
law. Under present law a court can open these confidential
records to inspection under certain circumstances . House Bill
949 would place the burden on the public agency to seek a court
order to protegt the confidentiality of the child records . In
addition to the privacy concerns, this bill likely will cost
counties . It will force the local department of social services
and the local health department to choose between protecting the
privacy of the deceased children in question knowing that the
privacy option will cost money, and, knowing that a decision not
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to seek court order protection of the records will be "second
guessed. "
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Commissioners of
Orange County supports the North Carolina Association of County
Commissioners in its support of the following legislative matter:
1 . Senate Bill 518 . This bill would provide for a
temporary 1 cent local sales tax for a period of 1 year if
approved by a local referendum. The proceeds of this bill would
be divided among the County and its municipalities on either a
per capita basis or on the basis of ad valorem taxes levied, at
the option of the County Commissioners .
Upon motion of Commissioner Margaret Brown seconded by
Commissioner Stephen Halkiotis the foregoing resolution was
adopted this the 21st day of May, 1997 .
I, Beverly A. Blythe, Clerk to the Board of Commissioners
for the County of Orange, North Carolina, DO HEREBY CERTIFY that
the foregoing is a true copy of so much of the proceedings of
said Board at a meeting held on May 21, 1997 as relates in any
way to the adoption of the foregoing and that said proceedings
are recorded in Minute Book No . 29 of the minutes of said
Board. .t
WITNESS my hand and the seal of said County, this 22nd day
of May 1997 .
Clerk to e Board of-Co issioners
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NORTH CAROLINA
RESOLUTION REGARDING
ORANGE COUNTY LEGISLATIVE MATTERS
WHEREAS, Senate Bill 469, introduced by Senator Hartsell,
would provide Cabarrus County with revenue options to meet public
school construction needs ; and
WHEREAS, Senate Bill 469 requires a referendum on a sales
and use tax option and on a real estate transfer tax option; and
WHEREAS, the proceeds of either tax, if approved by
referendum and enacted by resolution of the Board of
Commissioners, would be available for public school building
capital outlay projects including the planning, construction,
reconstruction, enlargement, improvement, repair, or renovation
of public school buildings and for the purchase of land for
public school buildings but would not be available to pay debt
service or to fund a public school building capital outlay
project that is or will be financed in part by debt ; and
WHEREAS, the authorization for these new taxes is temporary
in nature with a 10 year life and the possibility of a 10 year
renewal; and
WHEREAS, Senate Bill 469 contains non supplant restrictions .
NOW, THER$FORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange County Board
of Commissioners requests its legislative delegation to seek
amendment of Senate Bill 469 to include Orange County among the
counties enabled by it and to support the bill as amended.
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Upon motion of Commissioner Margaret Brown seconded by
Commissioner Stephen Halkiotis , the foregoing resolution was
adopted this the 21st day of May, 1997 .
I, Beverly A. Blythe, Clerk to the Board of Commissioners
for the County of Orange, North Carolina, DO HEREBY CERTIFY that
the foregoing is a true copy of so much of the proceedings of
said Board at a meeting held on May 21 , 1997 as relates in any
way to the adoption of the foregoing and that said proceedings
are recorded in Minute Book No . 29 of the minutes of said
Board.
WITNESS my hand and the seal of said County, this 22nd day
of May 1997 .
Clerk to t oard of Coudfissioners
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