Vance County Board of Commissioners Meeting Monday January 5th, 2015
Download the full agenda here: 20150105_vcboc_agenda_packet
Invocation County Manager Jerry L. Ayscue
1. Appointment 6:00 p.m. Terri Hedrick, Appearance Commission
Recognition of Adopt-A-Highway Groups
2. Appointment 6:15 p.m. Antonia Pedroza, Social Services
Special Recognition – Brewer Cycles
3. Public Comments (for those registered to speak by 5:45 p.m. – each speaker is limited to five minutes)
4. Water District Board
a. Water Planning Committee Report
5. Committee Reports and Recommendations
a. Human Resources Committee
b. Joint Education Committee
c. Public Safety Committee
6. Finance Director’s Report
a. Surplus Property
7. County Attorney’s Report
a. REO Properties
8. County Manager’s Report
a. Vendor Selection for Heating System – Farmers Market
b. Confirmation of Grant Application for Paving – Farmers Market
c. Electronics Storage Building and Pad
d. Renewal of Real Estate Contract
e. Annual Planning Retreat
f. Public Schools Request for Lottery Funds
9. Consent Agenda Items
a. Budget Amendments
b. Tax Refunds and Releases
c. Ambulance Charge-Offs
d. Untimely Tax Exemption Applications
e. Monthly Reports
f. Minutes
10. Miscellaneous
a. Appointments
11. Closed Session
a. Personnel Matter
I see one commissioner is intent on spending more taxpayers’ money on the farmers market. According to the county manager 10,000 people passed through the doors of the farmers market during the six months or 288 hours it was open for business. Ten thousand people is nearly one quarter of the county’s total population. I wonder if WalMart sees a quarter of the county’s population over a similar 288 hours of operation. If you did not step foot inside the farmers market did one of your five friends or family members do so? Ten thousand people going into and out of the parking lot should have created a significant traffic issue on Beckford Drive during the 6 hours the market is open. Where you impacted by traffic congestion during the hours of operation? The thousands potential customers attracted only ten vendors per sales days. If you did step foot inside did you buy anything?
It would be appropriate for the commissioners to publically review income statements, balance sheets, marketing trends, and vendor retention strategies all before more taxpayers’ money is spent to support this business.
Painful day for the checkbook–waited for the last day to pay taxes. Now we have to wait and see what the commissioners have in store for the next year. Keep eyes and ears open–it is bound to be interesting if nothing else.
News Flash
Monday night’s commissioners’ meeting concluded with two encores or closed door sessions if you prefer. The first was for a personal matter as announced in Friday’s agenda. The second was for a legal matter announced in Monday’s version of the agenda.
The Chair informed the Peanut Gallery there would be an announcement following the first closed door session. When the doors reopened the Vice-Chair announced that Robert Murphy had been appointed interim manager effective January 26, 2015. Who is Robert Murphy? The Board informed the Peanut Gallery Mr. Murphy’s bio would be available when Human Resources department opens for business in the morning.
The Board appeared anxious to move on to the second next closed door session, for a legal matter. The Chair stated there would be no announcement following the second closed door session. So for the conspiracy theorist and speculators I offer this tidbit on the legal matter. Mike Waters, the new district attorney, and one of his assistants attended the second closed door session. Any ideas why the Board the district attorney would need to meet behind closed doors?
I sincerely hope it doesn’t involve dismissal of charges or deals.
I doubt that was the reason for the closed door session. Ignore the Oxford Troll and his often repeated conspiracy based vision of the local justice system. There are other more mundane reasons for the district attorney’s attendance. Such as the filing of addition charges, charging a co-dependent(s), acceptance of a change of venue. All three are logical mundane reasons for the closed door session. My notes of the August 5th commissioners’ meeting indicate the sheriff was attending the day’s closed door session for a legal matter. In hindsight the reason for his attendance seems clear.