The following letter was submitted to us this morning by reader Michael Bobbitt in regards to last nights Vance County Commissioner Meeting:
The following a summary of my personal notes of the Vance County Commissioners August 1, 2011 meeting from my perch in the peanut gallery.
Public Hearings – Rick Seekins read from two prepared statements. The first was the second reading of the Council of Government’s CDBG – Economic Development Grant. The second statement was the first reading of the NC Tomorrow Project. According to Mr. Seekins this is the second of two public hearings. I have looked through the Commissioner’s public meeting minutes from March through June and found no reference to a $750,000 economic development grant. No one spoke pro or con in the public comments so the Commissioners approved this.
Public Hearing – Regarding Council of Governments CDBG – NC Tomorrow Project Mr. Seekins read a prepared statement after telling the Commissioners this was the first of two public hearings on NC Tomorrow Project. Maybe the paper will have 20 or 30 words of details on this before the second public hearing.
Bill Edwards was acclaimed with Community Hero Recognition
Committee Reports and Recommendations:
Planning and Environmental Committee had a prepared presentation by Tim Carpenter regarding the County Water Project. The high points that I caught were these:
- Plans for development are due to USDA on August 4, 2011.
- Opening construction bids on October 3, 2011 and the awarding of the bids on November 7, 2011.
- Construction of the water tank will take 10 months and construction of the water lines will take six months.
Assuming both constructions are completed on time then water will flow at the new higher price sometime after August 2012.
At the July meeting Commissioner Brummitt said water would cost more than originally speculated. There was no refutation of that by the Commissioners and no statement about water conservation.
Land Use Planning, aka Zoning, presentation by Jordan McMillen. Mr. McMillen’s presentation started with basic statements of definitions, such as zoning is a land use plan that is binding on the property owners. Mr. McMillen stated that a land use plan without zoning is not legally binding, not a statute and not regulatory. Although an excellent presentation it was biased towards zoning and not neutral. In fact Mr. McMillen concluded his presentation “ that in his opinion” zoning was superior to just a land use plan.
Commissioners Hester asked twice if the zoning proposal could move forward without current maps. Commissioner Brummitt explained that the land use plan Mr. McMillien referenced was developed in 2006 when the county’s two big industries where cotton mills and tobacco. The County’s website includes links to the 2006 attempt to zone the county. Commissioner Brown moved to hold public hearings on zoning in September BEFORE the commissioners make up their minds. Commissioner Brown said, “we normally hold public hearings after policy is written” and just sit here waiting for the public hearings to end so we can vote on what was already written.
Commissioner Brummitt started his comment regarding the motion to approve Mr. McMillen’s presentation saying “this propaganda piece. ” Before Commissioner Brummitt could conclude his statement Chairman Wright interrupted Commissioner Brummitt with a vehement objection to Commissioner Brummitt’s observation of Mr. McMillen’s presentation. A heated exchange occurred between the two, which was quelled with a call to vote on the motion. Commission Brummitt asked for a roll call vote. The ayes were Wilder, Hester, Brown, and Wright. Naye was Brummitt. Garrison abstained or ‘undeclared’ he was not very vocal. Pegram stated he did not understand the issue so he abstained.
Jonathan Care, County Attorney interjected near the end of the meeting that the Commissioners needed to start the public discussion on redistricting, because the new voting districts must be submitted to the DOJ by December 2011. Mr. Care wants to submit the maps to the Board for their review and discussion. Chairman Wright said he would call a noon-time work session on August 23, 2011, at a place to be determined for the Commissioners to review the maps Mr. Care will submit. (Is this work session open to the public? Not for public comment; for public observation of politicians in action.)
Hats off to Mr. Dan Brummitt for not backing down on zoning.
Those who are against zoning are usually the ones trying to hide something. Wasn’t Dan Brummitt
a contractor at one time?
Mr. Brummitt has been consistent in thinking that the proposed zoning ordinance from 2006 forward was excessively intrusive and designed to promote residential development throughout the county. Additionally, there are no provisions to give incentives for developers to build affordable housing or to preserve drinking water supplies. The 2006 ordinance allowed 1/2 acres lost with septic tanks in the Kerr Lake watershed. The ordinance also failed to recognize the state’s water quality designation of the Tar River basin. There should have been larger lot requirements in the watersheds but developers howled like banshees over such provisions. One local real estate developer who now sits on the Board of Commissioners asked for special treament for the Kerr Lake Area watershed. The 2006 ordinance had enough loopholes to drive fleets of semis through without hitting the edges of the holes. The county’s stated land use goal was to preserve the rural character of Vance Coutny. The 2006 ordinance would do the opposite. Additionally, the “alleged” meetings of the planning board and the citizens advisory panel never happened because the advisory panel was not invited or informed of the opportunity to attend. The process is a farce to force an ill-conceived ordinance on the county when Vance County already has a zoning ordinance that is not being enforced. Ask your planning board and Ms. Dunston to produce the ordinance before you adopt this one.
Just checked the Vance County website. Did not find the minutes of the June 20, 2006 meeting or the revised zoning ordinance produced by the Citiizens Advisory Committee. Does anybody know what happened to the ordinance? Additionally, there is no mention that the CAC voted to recommend that the ordinance not be approved by the commissioners. Having completed the task assigned, the CAC did not meet after the July, 2006 County Commissioners meeting. Just for the record.
Good to see downandoutinkittrell back, enjoy your well researched comments. On anothe note, I thought an elected official was required to vote ( if elected by the public, he/she is there to voice a vote for that public) on any isue for which they had no conflict ( financial, etc). I noticed Tim Pegram abstained from voting last night. That vote, if not excused for reason, by the other members of the Commission, goes down as a ‘yes’ vote.
You just can’t avoid voting because you don’t want to, in fact, that’s exactly why you are there, to make the tough, but hopefully informed, decisions.
Brummit was one out of five Commissioners against zoning, which is about the percentage of voters that don’t want zoning. Majority rules? Brummit was full speed ahead for water but stands in the way of zoning with no clear explanation.
Mingo, (post 5)
Politian’s can vote aye, naye, or as is done in congress absent, abstain, present not voting. Commissioner Pegram strode into the meeting carrying not one single sheet of paper. He sat in his designated seat and read the agenda before the meeting started. Only when cornered by the roll call vote did Commissioner Pegram reveal his lack of preparation for the Commissioner’s monthly meetings. I watched as Commission Garrison dance between the ayes and pending naye vote. I heard him say ‘undeclared’.
The most important point from last night’s land use planning issue was Commissioner Brown’s acknowledgement that public hearings on pending issues are a farce (my word not her’s). Commissioner Brown said she wanted to hold (a) public hearing on zoning before the Commissioners’ make up their minds. She said that normally the policy is written (the issue is closed) before the public hearings are held. If you have ever taken the time to watch the monthly commissioners meetings you know Commissioner Brown revealed a truth about how our County’s elected official’s function on important topics.
Dangy (post 6)
Commissioner Brummitt was absolutely correct is saying “piece of propaganda”. I spoke to Mr. McMillen after the public session of the meeting ended and told him he used all his presentation skills, except that adding his opinion changed the presentation. Changed the presentation from a neutral, facts only, presentation to County management’s endorsement of zoning. Additionally, as Commissioner Brummitt expressed in his verbal confrontation with Chairman Wright, Mr. McMillen presentation was biased towards zoning.
Commissioner Brummitt and I are on opposite sides of the water issue because as the ‘facts’ were written before the analysis was concluded. On the issue of zoning there needs to be more than one public hearing on the topic before pen is put to paper and a land use plan or zoning plan is developed.
I’d also like to add that the Henderson Dispatch also published a letter sent in to them regarding this issue. You can read it at http://hendersondispatch.com/view/full_story_free/14887969/article-Letters-to-the-editor?instance=main_article_opinion
Why is this a surprise to anyone? We the taxpayers are gonna get what the commissioners and council members and school board members say we’re gonna get–.!
Heaven help us.
Is this ‘chairman’ eddie wright who whined like a lil’ school girl when danny was given the chairman’s position after announcing his term would be the last one for him. At the time eddie wright was the asst. chairman and whined like a spoiled brat when it was given to danny. Here’s a question for all of Vance County residents, what has eddie wright done for you? Other then, hmm,haaa, during a discussion. He doesn’t come across as being prepared for any meetings and kudos to dan brummitt for standing his ground. Time to vote out the idiots who represent the city/county. Good luck b/c I hear they are already fueling up the Church buses & vans!!!!!
Until we do get zoning and water and sewer to the industrial park no industry is going to be interested in coming here. County commissioners are more interested in forcing down people’s throat that don’t need it than putting where they do need it . Without zoning there is no protection for the people. You saw that with the shooting range, which is going to cost the county a lot money to settle that suit before its over with. The county deserves to loose they didn’t have the protection in place. The people spent money and time to build there they deserve to be reimbursed.
Catfish what lawsuit?
I’m not sure specifically why Brummitt doesn’t want zoning, what is the good reason beside “propoganda”? New Commissioners were voted in BY VOTING CITIZENS, and maybe those VOTING CITIZENS WANT ZONING so we can get some industry here and produce some tax revenue. Then if you have a nice home, you won’t have to worry about a pig farm or gun range moving next door. Zoning protects the citizens far more than it limits them on what they can do with their property. Everyone will get to read the proposed zoning laws. Let’s bring Vance County into the 21st century.
Before any of you decide on the wisdom of adopting a zoning ordinance; why don’t you read the ordinance. You might be surprised how much it restricts what one can do on their own property. You might also be surprised that the ordinance favors certain groups of people. You might even ask the planning board/zoning commission to produce the existing Vance County zoning ordinance. Vance County already has a legally enacted zoning ordinance that has never been enforced. Ms. Dunston knows it exists as do the commissioners, including Mr. Brummitt. The existing ordinance just isn’t the one that certain commissioners are seeking for their own reasons. Why not ask the commissioners some of these questions at the “public hearing” just before they vote to adopt the ordinance no matter what the public says.
Mingo, (post 5)
Isn’t McMilliam married to Tim Pegram’s granddaughter? Maybe that is why he didn’t vote?
That’s not a reason to not vote. It might be a good reason not to hire someone though.
And to downandoutinkittrell, imo, the vote is decided already.