1964-08-03 Regular Meeting
Minutes of the Meetinq__Julv 28, 14611
TAX COLLECTOR'S OFFICE -
A discussion arose with reference to the action taken in the ,joint meeting
with the City Councii in which some of the members understood that they had approved the
5% increase in the salaries paid by the County in order to bring them up to the same
salary level as other employees of the County who were given a 10% increase last year
but through a misunderstanding the Tax Collector's Department was only given a 5% in-
crease. In order to Clear the matter, Mr. Metts offered a motion that the action at
the joint meeting approving the 5% increase be rescinded and that no increase'be allowed
for the Consolidated Tax Department employees this year. It was seconded by Mr. Braak
and unanimously approved.
1964-1965 APPROPRIATION RESOLUTION -
After a majority of the Board members had agreed on the Budget items as re-
viewed, the Chairm2n requested a report from the County Auditor who staLed that after all
of the adjustments and revisions were completed, the total amounted to $10,385,436.09
and he recommended, along with the Chairman, that the Tax Rate be based on a valuation
of $168,000,000 and set at the rate of $1.45 for the year 1964-65. W. Metts then
offered the following Resolution:
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that for the fisca2 year beginning July 1, 1964 and
ending June 30, 1965, the follotiring appropriations are made to the various funds which
we deem sufficient for carrying out the necessary operations of the New Hanover County
Government.
General Fund
Agriculture & Economics
Aid to Blind
Aid Dependent Children
Aid Permanently 8 Totally Disabled
Old Age Assistance
County Home
Health
New Hanover Memorial Hospital
Hospitalization - Indigent 8 Pubiic
Hospitalization - Community
Welfare
Revaluation
Workmen's Compensation
Wilmington College
Industrial Education Center
Bonded Debt
gchool Book
School Building
School Bond Building
School Capital Outlay
School Driver Education
School Lunch
School Pension
School Regular
School Supplement
Continne.d____
$ 876,124.66
23,574.20
15,291.16
795,600.00
389,940.00
512 ,1}Oa . 00
207,255.82
1,5e5,aoo.oo
asst. 179,430.00
4117,339.23
2e7,4oo.00
84,427.00
1,000.00
187,435.00
22,590.00
2,555,177.50
25,000.00
7,500.00
575,000.00
68,750.00
40,000.00
75,000.00
74,4a1.32
857,720.20
492, 000. 00
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a tax levy of
taxable property in the County as of January 1,
County government for the fiscal year 1964-65.
$1.45 per hundred be levied against all
196(} to support the activities of the
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED h"tiat the Budget be adopted in detail and spent only in the
amounts appropriated for each item unless changes are approved by the New Hanover County
Board of Commissioners. This Resolution was seconded by Mr. Broadhurst and unanimously
adopted.
ADJOURNMENT -
There being no.further business to come before the Board, it was ad,journed,
upon motion of Mr. Metts, seconded by Mr. Broadhurst, and unanimou approved.
W. . ouck, xec ve Se tary
Wilmington, N. C. August 3, 1964
ASSEMBLY -
The regular semimonthly meeting of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioneis
was held on this date at 9:00 A. M. with the following members in attendance: Chairman '
J. M. Hall, Jr., Commissioners Peter H. Braak, L. E. Broadhurst, Ernest R. Mayhan and
John Van B. Metts, Jr., County Auditor T. D. Love, Jr. and County Attorney L. Bradford ?
Tillery. I
INVOCATIOM
The Chairman called the meeting to order and asked Reverend Paul Stevens,
Pastor of the Middle Sound Advent Christian Church, to give a prayer for guidance. lApPROVAL OF THE MINUTES -
The minutes of the regular meeting held on July 20th and the special meetings
held ott the 21st and 27th, copies of which had been mailed to each of the Commissioners,
were upon motion of Mr. Mayhan, seconded by Mr. Braak, unanimously approved as written.
ROAD PETITIONS -
A petition was received from the property owners living on Kennedy Drive, a
neighborhood road which runs off from the Rock Hill Road in the Cape Fear Township, for -
adding it to the State maintained Secondary Road System and a request for improvement by
paving Randal.l Drive were both considered hy the Board and upon motion of Mr. Broadhurst,
seconded by Mr. Metts, unanimously approved and the Executive Secretary directed to send
.^ :
\
363
_ -Minu.te_s_oS the-Meet3n.sa---Au4ust-3_,-1964= Gon-t_znued
? ROAD PETITIONS - (continued)
to send them to the State Highway Commission for their consideration.
? STREET NAME CHANGES -
r«<.
? Mr. Metts observed that at the last meeting of the Fire Inspection Committee
for the Rural Volunteer Fire Departments, a request was made for notification when a
? street or road name change was approved by the Board. By common consent, the Executive
Secretary was instructed to comply with their wishes.
JOINTLY OWNED TAX FORECLOSED PROPERTY -
? Pursuant to negotiations by County Attorney L. Bradford Tillery, a parcel of
? jointly owned tax foreclosed land located at 606 S. 16th St., and on which the Public Wel-
fare Department had a lien of $5,488.76 because of grants made to Lina Roberson Clemmons,
attorneys G. D. Humphrey and Elbert A. Brown, representing clients who had offered $850.00
for the property and accept a quit claim deed, requested the Commissioners to resolve their
claims. After a discussion, which developed the fact that under North Carolina law where
; persons died without heirs, the property is automatically conveyed to the University of
" North Carolina. Attorney Humphrey had made the first bid on the property for his client
' and felt he should receive priority with other offers being equal. He is willing to run
the risk of the State making a claim for the value of the property or attempt to have their
claim released by a deed of conveyance.. Attorney Brown suggested that each be permitted
to make a written bid in the presence of the Board and the high bidder be allowed to claim
Lhe property. After consultation, each of the claimants agreed to this inethod of settle-
ment and when the slips of paper on which the bids were submitted were opened and read,
it was found that Attorney Humphrey had bid $1,001.00 and Attorney Brown had bid $1,506.00.
As per agreement, the Board agreed to sell the propertiy to Mr. Brown by a motion made by
Mr. Broadhurst and seconded by Mr. Braak and unanimously adopted.
TRAFFIC DANGER - I
! Mr. Metts observed that in February in 1962, he had reported a dangerous traffic
situation at the entrance and exit of the Azalea Plaza and Hanover Shopping Centers. With
the new Sears & Roebuck Store being opened shortly at the Hanover Shopping Center, consid-
erably more traffic will result. He suggested that a letter be written to the State High- I
way Commission calling this to their attention. Mr. Broadhurst then offered a motion I
that since the vehicular traffic in the neighborhood in these two shopping centers would
double, the Executive Secretary be authorized to write a letter Lo the State Highway Com-
mission and urge them to put proper controls at the necessary points to provided safe con-
ditions. It was seconded by Mr. Braak and unanimously carried.
WELFARE BOARD OF DIRECTORS -
I The Chairman read a letter from the Business and Professional Men's Club re-
questing that a negro citizen be appointed to serve on the Public Welfare Board of Dir-
fl ectors. They pointed out that since there is a high percentage of negroes on the rolls
of the Welfare Department, they were entitled to representation on the Board. They express-
? ed the feeling that they should be allowed to submit a list of possible appointees for considerat.on.
=authorized the Executive Secretary to acknowledge the letter and advise them that at the ?
present time there are no appointments to be made but that there is a possibility in the
near future that the Board will be increased to a five man Board but they are not sure who
wovld make the appointments. By common consent, the County Attorney was requested to look i
up the.law with reference to this matter and report back to the Board at a later date.
PUBLIC NOTICE - CANAL DOCK # After discussing this request, the Board, by common consent,
Notices were received from the U. S. Corps of Engineers announcing the applica-
tion of J. Ladd Coble and J. L. Maultsby for permits to construct channels and docks from
the channel of Bradley Creek. The Board, by common consent, agreed that tM re was no
objection so far as they are concerned and to so inform the District Engineers,
SCHOOL WATER BILLS
During the Budget Discussion in setting the School Budget, the questi'on of
' charges by the City of Wilmington for the Schools was considered at length and the ques-
? tion raised about the cost of water to the schools. A letter was received from the City
Manager reviewing the records indicating that water bills were considerably less during
? the summer months than during the months when the schools were in session. He also advised
?i that the bills were determined by totaling the cubic feet of water used by all schools and
the rates applying to that particular volume of water was used. He suggested that if they .,
to avoid sewer service charge which is based on one-half the amount of the water bill, the
City would be glad to install an extra water meter for sprinkiing purposes and no sewer
which would be applied to any water going through such a meter. Upon motion of Mr. Metts,
seconded by Mr. Braak, the Executive Secretary was instructed to send this letter to the
Board of Education for their handling. *wished
STRAYIBERRY AVENUE -
Attorney L. Gleason Allen presented a
they owned land adjoining parts of Strawberry Av
public street for the past tweniy-five years and
to serve the residents of that are,a and that the
petition asked to be closed is not necessary for
permission to close the following section:
petition for some clients alle;g;in7g- that
znue and that it has not been used as a
that Oleander Drive is completely adequate
portion of Strawberry Avenue for which the
the use of citi2ens, therefore, they asked
"Beginning at the Northeastern corner of Farm 32 of Winter Park Gardens as shown on
I a map of same recorded in Map Book 3 at Page 38 of the New Hanover County Registry;
said Northeastern corner being in the Southern line of Str.awberry Avenue where the
same is intersected by the dividing line between Lots 31 and 32 of said Winter Park
• Gardens, and running thence from said beginning point North 79 21 minutes West 100
feet to an iron pipe; thence North 10 39 minutes East 33 feet to an iron pipe in
the Northern line of said Strawbery Avenue; thence along the Nothern line of Straw-
berry Avenue South 79 21 minutes East 100 feet to an old iron pipe; thence South 10
39 minutes West 33 feet to the point of beginning." After hearing those who opposed this
property owners who had no objection
be better that no positive action be
be resolved. Nfr. Braak then offered
kiies time and that no action be take
animously approved.
action, as well as the petitioners arid some adjacent
to the closing, the Chairman suggested that it might
taken at this time until some of the differences aould
a motion that the petition be tabled until some fvture
1 at this time. It was seconded by Mr. Mayhan and un-
J ?I
I
364
Minutes of the Meeting August 3, 1964 Continued
ELECTION COSTS - ?
Mr. O. K. Pridgen II, Chairman of the Board of Elections, appeared before the
Board and stated that the Board of Elections had individually given consideration to the
limited funds budgeted to pay the cost of the November election and have come to the con-
clusion that they can not.conduct an election as large as the general election in November
will be as it includes everything from Constable to President and, in addition, a State
bond issue. He pointed out that each member is required to attend the meetings for the
absentee ballots, two meetings each week, beginning forty-five days before the e12cf.ion
In addition, they must attend institutional meetings, along with three weeks of registra-
tion and on challenge day. The Chairman suggested that the Board go along with thefr pro-
posed estimate of the cost this year as he did not deem it advisable to change officers
in the middle of an election but if in the future they decided to make a complete change
then he would feel better about it. ' After a brief discussion, Mr. Braak moved that $16,00?
be appropriated for the fa,ll electicn, with the understanding that it must suffice for the
totai expenses in view of the fact that there is oniy three months before the election,
which is insufficient time to train new personnel and that if expenses occur which are not
included in the Budget Estimate that they must be absorbed within the $16,000. Mr. Metts ,
seconded the motion for the purpose of discussion. Before the ballot was cast, Mr. Broad-
hurst offered a substitute motion that $15,250.40 be appropriated which is the same amount
received by the previous Chairman,Henry C. Bost, for conducting the last general election.
There was no second to this substitute motion and the Chairman declared it dead. When the
ballot was taken on the original motion, Mr. Broadhurst voted against it while all the othe
members of the Board voted for it. The Chairman declared the motion prevailefl by a ma,joritd
vote.
BOARD OF HEALTH - CORRECTION
A discussion arose again with reference to the request under the regular Budget
of the Consolidated Board of Health for four Sanitarians. There was a misunderstanding
among the members of the Board as to the final decision. By unanimous common consent, the
Board agreed that the Heaith Department should operate the current fiscal year with three
Sanitarians instead of four as requested. The Executive Secretary was instructed to notify
the Board of Health immedietely as it was understood that their Budget Estimates had alread,
been sent to the State Department of Health and that they shouid likewise be notified. The
County Auditor was instructed to remove $4,632.00 which was the salary requested for that
position from the Board of Health appropriation and placed it back into the General Fund
in completing the Budget for the year.
JAIL FEES -
A question arose around the charges for keeping prisoners in the County Jail.
At present, the fee of $1.25 per day is hardiy sufficient to cover the cost, however, the
County Attorney advised that New Hanover County was excluded from making any change as
provided in G. S. 153-9 (12 A) in which the General Assembly has granted authority to a
Board of Commissioners for fixing fees charged by County officers. After a discussion of
this subject, Mr. Metts offered a motion that the matter be taken up with our Representa-
tives to the General Assembly and that New Hanover County be placed among those with such
authority. It was seconded by Mr. Braak and unanimously approved. The Facecutive Secretary
was authori2ed to^the Representative and ask him to handle this matter during the next
session.
DELAYED HOSPITAL BILLS -
County Auditor T. D. Love, Jr, presented a number of hospitai bills amounting
to approAimately $35,000.00 which had just reached his office, some of which go back as
far as 1963. Most of the $35,000.00 is paid from other than County funds as the County
is responsible for only approximately $6,000.00 of it. He stated that there has always
been a lag between the dates the bills are incurred and the time they are received in his o_'fice.
In attempting to solve the delay it was pointed out that some of it is caused by the failur?
of physicians to fill in the forms necessary for presenting the bills. Some delay is cause
by a time element in the hospital administrative office, after which they must be presentedjto
the Department of Public Welfare for certification and forwarded to the State for approval.l
Miss Lela Moore Hall, Director of the Local Public Welfare Department, reported that she had
recently initiated the system of starting the forms from the hospital medical records and
hoped to speed up this service considerably. She pointed out that the bills for hospitalizi-
tion were retroactive for only 90 days but if they were receiving Public Assistance grants,l
it can go back as far as one year.
COMFmJNITY HOSPITAL
Mr. W. D. Campbeli of the Board of Directors of Community Hospital came before
the Board to make a plea for additional salary increases for their personnel. He stated
Lhat the Budget Estimate was based on a minimum and was cut to the bone, therefore, it
would be impossible to make adjustments without causing a difficulty in another department.
He pointed og that the $4,000.00 allocated for salary adjustment was very small when divide,
among 100 people. Mr. Braak pointed out that the $4,000.00 was a2located for the purpose
of making adjustments to Lhose employees who earned less than $1800.00 for fulltime work
and that so far as he could determine there were only 31 of them. The Chairman pointed
out that after the Budget ECesolnYion-hasLb:e,encpassed, there is no legal way to change the
Budget. He expressed an empathetic concern for the situation and regretted that they were
not pleased with the action taken.
PETIT JURY -
The following good and lawful citi2ens were drawn to serve as Jurors in Superior
Court for the weeks beginning September 14th - Civil term and September 21, 1964 - Civil
term.
Jurors for the week beginninp September 111, 1961t - Civil term
Baldwin, Emma S.
Barber, Mary
Barnhill, 2uma C.
Barr, George W.
Barroli, Mary B.
Beach, A. J.
2203 Brandon Rd.
1106 McRae St.
2514 Washington St.
106 Queen St.
% Moore-Fonvielle
P. o. box 526
Carolina Beach N.C.
Graham, D. E.
Hales, J. S.
Hall, H. H.
Hardison, Charlie A
Herring, Lila E.
Hobbs, Ottis McKoy
31 S 2nd 5t.
245 oak Crest
RFD 1, Box 161
118 Mercer Ave.
1002 Chestnut St.
2725 Harrison St.
\
?
365
Minutes of the Meeting August 3, 1964 Continued
? PETIT JURY - continued
Jurors For Sept. 14th -
Boswell, Robert
Brew, L. F.
Brock, J. O.
Bryant, Charles L. Sr
p Combs, Velma Wilson
Covington, Leonard
Cr•ockett, Ida M.
Crawford, Wardell
IlCrump, A. E. Jr.
' Davis, Jack
Davis, O. W.
Dix, James Edward
Dowe, Sidney M.
Edwards, E. Warren
Farmer, Eliiabeth L
Franks, Mrs. Etta
I Fires, James R.
II Glover, S. T. Sr.
Gower, James Butler
2720 Harrison St.
2226 Ca eilia Dr.
$0$.S. ?}th St.
922 S. 7th St.
2031 Burnett Boulev.
2526 Jefferson St.
17 W. Greensboro St.
Wrightsville Beach,N.C.
RFD 1, Box 228 A.
Castle Hayne, N. C.
RFD 1, Box 272 A.
Castle Hayne, N. C.
P. 0. B 392,Carol?each
RFD 2,
6006 Park Ave.
808 Campbell St. ,
178 Colonial Cir.
617 Market St.
RFD 1, Box 308
2929 Market St.
3112 Wrightsv. Ave.
304 Lullwater Dr.
Jones, James E. RFD 2, Box 382
Johnston, Robert P. 0. Box ?11
Wrightsvil e Beach,N.C
Ke 11'¢'y , C. M. RFD 1, Box 306 J
Kell"ey, C. M. Jr. RFD 1, Box 306 K.
Kilbride, Austin 110 Henry St.
Lamb, Mary Elizabeth RFD 2, Box 357
Lewis, Albert Clifton 313 Adelaide Dr.
Lewis, David B. 124 Morgan St.
Lewis, Ella ' 1008 Green.5t.
Litaker, Walter James Jr. 115 Pine Cone Rd.
Madeley, Arthur L. 338 Long St. Dr.
Malpass, Alexander Jr. RFD 1, Box 4
Malpass, George C. is W. Lake Village
Matthews, Janie Hunt 5025 Oleander Dr.
McCall, Robert D. 2302 Belvedere Dr.
McLean, Dennis W. RFD 2' , Box 81 E
McLemore, John G. 103 Francis Marion Dr.
McLemore, L. G. 406 Pine Valley Dr.
McLeod, M. J. 1238 Fairway Dr. Jurors for the week beqinninq September 21. 1964 - Civil term
McLeod, Robert J. 5 Merrimac Dr. Pridgen, C. N. 308 Wright St.
McNei3d, Kathleen C. 4001 Westover Rd. Pringle, Clifton G. 920 Walnut St.
, McNorton, Mrs. Pearl 3626 C. B. Road Reeves, Ethel Brown !} B. Lake Village
McRea, George R. 114 Pine Valley Dr. Rhodes, Lesley Hoyt 19 Elisha Ave.
Milliken, G. L. Jr. 305 Central Boulev. Risley, Eugene F. Jr. Box 630,Carolina Beach
Mills, Betty 5ue .505 S. 17th St. Risley, Robert H. 1204 Country Club Rd.
Mitchell , H. G. 804 S. 16th St. Robinson, J. J. Gen. Del. Carolina Beach
Monds, John 2013 Barnett Ave. Ross, George W. 2318 Metts Ave.
Nelson, Ralph 609 S. 8th St. Saunders, Leonard 619 Orange St.
Newell, L. L. Jr. P. O. Box 24
Wri
htsv
fieach
N
C Settlemeyer, W.A. P. O. Box 186
h
W
i
ht
N
C
h
,
,
g
. eac
,
r
g
sv.
.
.
Newkirk, Haywood H. P. O. Box 428 Small, W. D. RFD 3, Box 372
Newton, Mary P. 9 Octavia Lane Smith, A. L. P. 0. Box 1501
Padgett, Dallas L. 301 S. 2nd St. Smith, Billy 2850 A. Jefferson St.
Parker, J. T. 20 Cape Fear Blvd. Smith, Donald Edward 140 Lake Forest Pkwy.
Parker, Julien 3515 Chapel Ave. Stephens, Jerry C. 202 Parkway Blvd.
Pearce, Edna 602 Wright St. Strickland, James RFD 1, Box 203 A.
jPittman, Mildred H. 330 Pine Valley Dr. Tancreile, Louis F.G. RFD 1 Box 104
t
l
iPotter,
! Arnold Ray 2716 Harrison St.
Todd
Lewis S. ast
e Hayne,N.C.
614 Rosemont Ave.
Powell, Francis Broi. me 17.03 Princess St. ,
Tuttle
Anne C. P. 0
Box 565
Powell, Herchell R. 202 Newkirk , .
Carolina Beach,N.C
Powell, Katie B. 3902 Carolina Beach Rd. White, C. W. 2401 S. Front St.
Powell, Mary S. 125 Holbrooke Ave. Wilson, Catherine RFD 3, Box 367
Powell, Milton A. 222Parkway Blvd. Winecoff, Charles E. R. O. Box 1572
;Prevatt, Claude L. 3923 Carolina Beach Rd. Wood,Leroy N. RFD i. Box
88
n ,
Castle Hayne,N.C.
Yopp.',. Gertrude Shepard q Sorosis Apts.
IADJOURMMENT - ' There being no further business to come before the Board, Mr. Metts moved that
the meeting be adjourned. The motion saas seconded by Mr. Braak and unanimously adopted.
?
?
. ? , Executive Secretary
Commissioners Office Caucus Meetinq Wilmington, N. C. August 17, 1964 8:30 A.M.
ASSEMBLY -
The Chairman asked the Board members if they would assemble thirty minutes
ahead of the regular semimonthly meet,ing and meet with the District Solicitor of the Super-
ior Court, the Honorable J. C. Bowman, for the purpose of securing information relative to
'icurrent rumors that the Board would be asked to appropriate funds for the purpose of audit-
iing the records of the,Recorder's Court. Present: Chairman J. M. Hall, Jr., Commissioners
IPeter H. Braak, L. E. Broadhurst., Ernest R. Myhan and John Van B. Metts, Jr, and the
Honorable J. C. Bowman.
IPURPOSE -
The Chairman observed that he had received a copy of a letter written by Mr.
Bowman to H. Foster Edwards, Cler}i of Superior Court, in which he recommended the suspension
',of the Deputy Clerk assigned to Recorderts Court and an independent audit of his records.
He thanked Mr. Bowman for being willing to come to the meeting. He explained that the Board
Ifelt that more information should be in hand in order to justify an expenditure necessary
for an independent audit. Solicitor Bowman explained that the S. 'B. I. investigation of the
'alleged irregularities in the office of the Deputy Clerk of Recorder's Court was incomplete
,but that sufficient data had been turned in to warrant the suspension of the Deputy Clerk
lin the Recorder's Court office. Mr. Bowman stated that he did not wish to go into the find-
ings of the investiga.tors but that spot checks revealed that Mr. Humphrey had put in over
$4,000.00 of his personal funds. He gave the following reasons which, in his opinion, would
fl-justify an outside audit:
1- The S.B.I. investigators did not make a complete audit but only spot checked the
records. •
continued.
.
I