Regarding the Vance County Board of Commissioners meeting on February 6th, 2012.
Brian Short and Jordan McMillen presented the Emergency Operations Hazard Mitigation Plan (Plan) for approval by the Commissioners.
This is apparently the second public hearing of this Plan. This first was held in July 2010 according to Mr. McMillen. Mr. Short started the presentation by referring the Commissioners to an executive summary, a summary not in the initial packet of public documents. Commissioner Brummitt started the Commissioners’ comments of this Plan asking why 2008 census data was used instead of 2010 data. What followed was a detailed critique of the Plan by Commissioner Brummitt culminating with Chairman Garrison’s comment that this Plan is not ready. Commissioner Brown asked why the County needed the Plan. Mr. Short answered to obtain grant money in the event of a disaster. Mr. Short who normally presents a detailed complete plan said they will review the Plan and return at a future date. Chairman Garrison then opened the meeting to public comments on this Plan. The public was mute. A side note, this Plan is some 80 pages of the 220 page commissioner’s packet. A Plan not posted on the County’s web-site, a Plan that was not ready for approval, a Plan the public appears to cares nothing about until the crisis happens then their full fury would be voiced.
Diane Marks spoke on the Girl Scouts 100th year.
With Ms. Marks were a grand total of nine girl scouts. I have seen more Girl Scouts selling cookies in front of Food Lion. Hat’s off to those nine who did take the time to attend the presentation of the County’s proclamation of the County of Girl Scouts 100th year. I hope this is not a sign of the future publics’ participation in government events.
Brian Short, Emergency Operations Update on Back-up 911 Center
Mr. Short started his presentation summarizing the new potential State requirements for county Back-up 911 Centers (hot-site). Another set of documents not included in the Commissioner’s packet. Mr. Short reported that meetings with Warren and Franklin County representatives to join together for a combined hot-site resulted in interest without commitment. Mr. Short reported that he had scouted out sites in Vance County that could be used for a stand-alone hot-site. Following an informed discussion of Mr. Short’s presentation Commissioner Brown made a motion to build a stand-alone hot-site. Commissioner Hester supported this idea adding we need to base our decision on reality and not the theory of what is going to happen in the future. Commission Wilder asked if the building design for a stand-alone hot-site could be converted to other governmental uses if not needed at a later date. Mr. Short stated he did not think so. The Commissioners voted (6 to 1) for building a stand-alone hot-site somewhere in the County before July 2012. Only Commissioner Brummitt opposed this rush to commit to building the stand-alone hot-site. A hot-site is essential to assure supporting 911 Operations following a major event. If corporations can share hot-sites for disaster recovery why shouldn’t county governments’ share hot-sites.
Presentation of the 2010 – 2011 Audit Report
Mike Bradford presented the Board a copy of the 2010 – 2011 Audit Report. As I listened to his presentation and the questions asked I wondered if the audit report was a financial review of county’s finances or an audit of the financial and IT operations of the county. I digress, not having a copy of the audit report this is what I think I heard Mr. Bradford say. The fund balance has decreased due to decline in ad valorem tax receipts. Total revenue and expenses were both under budget. Property tax collection rate is 98.3%. I translate this to mean that only 1.7% of property taxes are not paid. Commissioner Hester said, we need a 5% decrease in budget based on the numbers. The audit report includes one finding from the previous year that had not been resolved when the audit started and was resolved by the end of the audit.
County Manager’s Report
Jail Inspection Report – Commissioner Brown asked Sheriff White what changes had been made in jail administration since this inspection report is worse than recent past reports. Sheriff White said he had made changes in the jail administration then added that retaining staff is difficult because they leave for better opportunities in other counties. Chairman Garrison while critiquing the jail report said the public needs to know what items were written up. The public does know if they will open the jail inspection report that is posted on HiH and not the County’s own web-site.
Economic Development Grant – using grants and government money the investors avoid paying to install a water line for their proposed new business. Wondering why someone would locate this specific business at this location? The answer is a couple miles south, a frozen food distribution warehouse. Will this eventually be home of a truck stop?
Miscellaneous
Appointments – this was fun to watch. First there was a motion to approve all the appointments. Commissioner Brummitt asked that motion be withdrawn because he would have to abstain from the vote because of his wife’s re-appointed to the Planning Board. The girl scouts should have stayed to watch the American political process in action. In the end Commission Brummitt abstained for only the one vote and all the appointees were approved.
Got to comment on the 911 site…
-Maybe Vance county cannot get others to commit to the site is because maybe other counties do not feel the need for it.
-Ask your self where is the present 911 center located? In the basement of a federally built building(old post office) that used to serve as a fallout shelter that is built out of concrete and steel. If something such as a disaster happens that renders it in-operable; then we got bigger problems to worry about.
-And they want to build another building(quoted from the paper) out of’ a cement pad with steel framing; kinda sounds like a storage building.
I am willing to bet that this building will never be used, in 5 years time they will want to update it with newer equipement because the other equipment(that has never been used) is obselete. This has got to be the biggest waste of taxpayer money.
not sure if its taxpayers’ money, but usage surcharges that can only be used for equipment.
One Voice,
Thank you for reading the Notes from the Peanut Gallery and posting your comments.
Before I attempt to answer your first question I want to address your second question. The current 911 Operations Center is located on the west side ground level of the County Court Building or specifically 156 Church Street Suite 002. http://www.vancecounty.com/emergencyoperations.htm
At the November 2011, Board meeting Mr. Short introduced the Board to the ‘potential’ need for all counties in NC to establish back-up public safety answering points (PSAPs). I say potential because the specific legislation requiring the back up or hotsites has not been approved by the legislature and the governor. A point Mr. Short has made clear in his presentations. To Mr. Short’s credit he is doing the job of a manager, anticipating direction and needs of his organization and making plans to meet those anticipated directions and needs. Mr. Short’s entire presentation was posted on HiH, for all to read. (Back Up PSAP Proposal is the official title. Maybe Phil can help find it, I couldn’t.)
As for the reminder of your comments at this point you might want to pass them to Mr. Short or the Commissioners. Based on my work experience with corporate business continuity planning, discovering that the hotsite (backup site) is within 25 miles of the primary site it is an Information Technology auditor’s dream. Whole master dissertations are written addressing this single issue in the world of business continuity planning.
Again thank you for reading the Notes and posting your comments.
Mingo,
Thank you for reading the Notes and posting your comment.
I think it is safe to say the money to finance the building of the hotsite is taxpayers’ money. It comes from the surcharge in the taxpayers phone bill. In Mr. Short’s November presentation the surcharge funds can be spent on a building. By all appearances Mr. Short has been fragile spending those funds because there is sufficient reserve to build a hotsite within the 120 days we have to do such.
One Voice and Michael Bobbitt, the presentation by Mr. Short is included in the full agenda packet here. It starts on page 3 I believe. http://homeinhenderson.com/2012/02/03/vance-county-board-of-commissioners-meeting-monday-february-6th-2012/
One Voice use of ‘taxpayer’ connotes the general public, hence property taxpayer, and that is not the case. This money comes from user fees, albeit a tax surcharge, but only of users of phone service, where you CAN elect not to use, agree that most people have some form of phone service, but by choice, not by elected government mandate.
Just a quick thought unrelated to the issue, but i find it odd that the 911 funds come from taxing phone lines and not all the residents in some way. I wonder how many people use the 911 service that do not contribute to the funds? It’s sorta like the people who drive electric cars aren’t paying the same share of road taxes even though they use them every day.
Operational costs, such as staffing,is paid by taxpayers. The surcharge for phone use is for equipment, so most people who use 911 contribute through property or sales tax.
What I find interesting, as a city resident with a phone, is that I pay for 911 through city taxes ( its a 50/50 city/county funded program), through my county taxes, and my phone surcharges.
Sorry, One Voice and Michael Bobbitt, I think the presentation you are looking for can be found here. This was presented to the board November 7, 2011.
http://homeinhenderson.com/2012/02/08/vance-county-911-back-up-psap-proposal/