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1956-08-27 Regular MeetingF' 92 Wilmington, N. C., August 27, 1956. The regular weekly meeting of the Board was held this day at 10:00 o'clock A.M. Present: Raiford Trask, Chairman and Commissioners J. M. Hall, Jr., Ernest R. Playhan, L. E. Broadhurst, James E. Holton, Jr., John Bright Hill, County Attorney and T. D. Love, County Auditor. The meeting was opened with prayer by the Reverend B. M. Smith, Jr., Pastor of Lalce Forest Baptist Church, The minutes of ineeting of August 20, 1956, having previously been mailed to each member of the Board,.the same were upon motion of Mr. Mayhan, seconded by Mr. Hall, approved. A request of the Wilmington Merchants Association for an appropriation of $1,000.00 out of the County's Advertising Pund toward the expense of the Christmas street lighting and dec- `rwr+-t° orat.ions Program, presented by Messrs. Claud Efird and William Nisbet, as urgent at this time, was upon motion of Mr. Hall, seconded by Mr. liolton, granted for $500.00 and an ad- ditional appropriation to be considered, if available, after distribution'of the Advertis- ing Funds to other organizations have been made. The foregoing action was taken after a motion offered by Mr. Broadhurst to receive the re- quest for consideration along with other appropriations to be made out of the said Funds by October 1, 1956, Pailed of a second. Mr. Homer R. Ellis appeared to announce tha whether County Pianager or all Lime Chairman tions by the Junior Chamber of Commerce, to premature for recommendations at this time, entation. L the question of the type of County Government, of the Board, being considered for recommenda- be put in effect December 1, 1956, is a littTe would require more time of preparation for pres- i, ?, t?; ?- Mr. Pete Peterson appeared in the interest of proper installation of a culvert under the ??-,?kHighway to drain his lands along Wrightsville Avenue in the west Seagate-Bradley Creek area, was referred to Mr. A. K. Piallard, State Highway Afaintenance Engineer. ?y?yt,,,,`,?e. Instructions were given to investigate drainage problems for Mr. George H. Chad?aick, 1,309 P/ South Live Oale Parkway, and Mrs. Florence Grimes, 3511 P1arl:et Street Road. A copy of the Grand Jury report for the August 1956 Term of Court was received and read by the Chairroan. It was noted that certain recoimnendations made by the Grand Jury for the County Auditor have been conformed with. The Grand Jury looked with favor upon a request of the [dilmingtun Contractors Association to the County Commissioners, that ste.ps'"be taken to insure construction in the County meeting certain Codes governing quali.ty construction thru the medium of a County Building Inspector or other method of control. Mrs. Alice Strickland represeiiting the Southeastern North Carolina Beach Association, re- ?o quested an appropriation of $1,500.00 from the Advertising Fund to aid them in an all-out effort to stimulate building construction in our Coastal area, which she termed as promot- ing the biggest single industry we have, aided by the passage of tlie Federal Insurance Act, which will enable the borrocTing of money for building tahich will increase the taxable wealth. 41r. L. C. LeGcain laid stress on the All-Seashore Highway as another major project the Assoc- iation is interested in to promote this area. Upon IDOL1011 of Mr. Holton, seconded by Mr. Broadhurst an appropriation of $750.00,was grant- ed out of the Advertising Fund. The Clerk was instructed to notify the other organizations who expect to participate in the distribution of the Advertising Funds to file their request with the Board for consideration on or before October 1, 1956. A statement of income and expenses and balance sheet of Community Hospital for July was re- ceived showing a net income of $1,037.57. A petition of fifteen (15) property owners for hard-surfacing Wilmington Avenue in Aarnett Township, which runs from Tiarket Street Road to Atlantic Coast Line Railroad tracks with Roger Dioore's Brick Yard at the south end north of Kerr Avenue, a distance of 400 yards on which six (6) houses are located, was upon motion of Mr. I3roadhurst, seconded by Pir. Mayhan, approved and referred to the State Highway and Public Worlcs Conunission.. The Board authorized the cutting and removal of bore-worm infected trees in Hugh MacRae Park ? in accordance with the State Forester's recomnendations as required in the'deed conveying ?Whe Park to the County from the late Hugh MacRae. The said trees are to be cut and remov- ed by Mr. James Hodder for which he will pay the County at the rate of $4.00 per cord for pulp wood. A request of Paul R. Rease, Administrator of Community Hospital, that the County Farm supply the kiospital with such vegetables and other foodstufPs that may be available, was approved ? and authorized by the Board, and instructions were given to notify Mr. Rivenbark, Superintend- C. ent of the County Home to that effect. ? A request of Mrs. S. W. Spooner, 4412 Ldrightsville Avenue to provide "Stop" and !'Go" road sig- nals at road intersections along Wrightsville Avenue between Kerr Avenue and Oak Crest, was referred to the State Highway Commission. , ?request of Mr. J. Boyd Jones, City Dlanager of Carolina Beach, for seasonable ditch clean- C6j„p¢A? ing in the Carolina Beach area, was referred to Mr. Rivenbark for checking. > Mr. James E. Holton, Representative for the County on the New Hanover County Safety Council, initiated discussion of the New Hanover County Safety Council Program, copies of which were G? suUmitted to the Cmnmissioners for study at a previous meeting requesting the City and County to underwrite the program for a two (2) year period at 65,000.00 on a basis of 70o by the City and 30°fa by the County, which Mr. HoTton felt is a step in the right direction after study and going-ovei?pthe program with Mr. Charles T. Burke, Temporary Chairman, and the same could be advantageously tied in with the Office of llirector of Civil Defense from a stand- point of economy and efficienty with a full time secretary serving both Departments instead of a part time secretary previously provided for the Director of Civil llefense. State Safe- ty Engineers thought the program was good and cae could put it over on a two (2) year basis. Thereupon, Air. Holton moved and it was seconded by Mr. Hall, and carried, that the County underwrite the New fIanover County Safety Council's Program at $750.00 per year for two (2) years, provided the City of Wilmington will do likecaise by undercariting its 70% share of the amount requested, and provided further that the program will materialize and function as planned. L Meeting of August 27, 1956 - Continued , e. Recorder H. Winfield Smith and Foster Edwards, Clerk of Superior Court appeared to recommend salary increases for Dir. Y. H. Sponcler, Deputy Clerk of Recorder's Court, by $25.00 per month, on account of extra work performed on Saturdays and Sundays getting warrants and sub- penas in order for the Court, and $5.00 per month for Miss Lois Ward, Deputy Clerk of Super- ior Court for long time efficient and increased work. No action was taken. An offer to purchase two (2) tax foreclosure Lots in Block 349 at a price of $300.00 covering the SE part of Lot 3 and NE part of Lot 4 and the east quarter of Lot 4, assessed at $300.00 against which $307.64 taxes have accrued, was upon motion of Mr. Hall, accepted from Mr. H.H. Mathews, subject to approval by the City, and the Chairman and Clerk of the Board were author- ized and directed to sign a deed conveying the said property to the purchaser upon payment of _ the purchase.price. • -- ' The following recommendations concerning our Equalization Program of tax values was read a d presented to the Board by the Tax Supervisor, Mr. T. D. Love: " Wilmington, N. C., August 24, 1956. "To 'Phe Honorable l3oard of County Conunissiouers: In compliance with your request relative to an Equalization Program of tax values in this County, I wish to make the following recommendations: 1. That tax maps of all the County be made with the exception of the incor- porated to?ans and cities in the County. Spelling that out, this means that the entire area of the County be mapped with the exception of the City of Wilmington, the Town of Wrights- ville Beach, the Town of Carolina Beach and the Town of Kure Beach. 2. That all real property in the County be appraised by competent appraisal firms. My investigation leads me to recommend that a firm from without this County be se- cured to do this work. 'Phe work can be done on a local basis if you are satisfied that there: is a,sufficient amount of trained personnel locally to do the work. y? . 3. I recommend that the present day market values be used in this appraisal and that sanie be made on a conservative basis. You of course understand that you will use a percentage of these values for tax purposes. 4. That the work be started as early as possible and completed not later than llecember 15, 1957. This is important and if we do not have time to finish in time for our 1958 tax books, then the finishing date for i;he work can be delayed so that we can make our new assessment on the 1959 tax books. Proposals and specifications are being handed you under separate cover. ` I urge you to stress that this worlc is not being done to raise additional revenue and that it will not raise additional revenue. It is only being done to create an equalized tax structure so that we all are paying our proper proportion of the tax load. No one can say how it will affect different individuals as the tax load will shift. ?. ? c, #1. Mapping, Appraising & ) Revaluing Entire County ) Respectfully submitted Isl T. D. Love - Tax Supervisor TENTATIVE PItOPOSALS F011 REVALUATION (A) (B) (C) DS -$ 89,000.00 M- $ 72,000.00 A1 -? 125,000.00 A- 125,000.00 A- 920500.00 74,500.00 #2.- • Appraising all Real Estate ) using existing Maps for ) $ 148,600.00 Af - ?$ 15,000.00 Wil.; id.Bch.; Car.Bch., and) A- 929500.00 Kure Bch,-Aerial Photos of ) Rural Property #36 Supervision) . $ 30,000.00 #•} , Appraising only) ? 92,500.00 $? 74,800.00 #5. . . . Appraising all Real with ) County.b'urnishing Available) . $ 34,000.00 Records on Yro perty ) C I ?'r? The County Attorney then presented a draft of specifications on which bids on the proposed re---vy valuation of property are to be based, which was read and discussed in detail at great Tength, during which certain changes were.recommended to be made, and in view of such changes and rec- ommendations submitted by the Tax Supervisor and comments thru out the discussion, Mr. Holton moved and it was seconded by P1r. Broadhurst and carried, that the County Attorney and the Tax Supervisor get together and coordinate the recommendaLions and changes a nd compile the same for redrafting into one instrument and submit the same to the Board for its approval, and for sub- mission to the three (3) previous bidders for new bids. ? Upon motion of Mr. Mayhan, seconded by DIr. Broadhurst, County bills No.3734 to 3771 were ap- • proved for payment. SepLember 3, 1956 being a legal holiday (Labor Day) and falling on the date of the next regular weekly meeting of the Board, Lhe said meeting was therefore, upon motion, postponed until 10:00 o'clock A.A1., September 10, 1956. Upon motion, this meeting was recessed subject to the call of the Chairman. .?? s-?., ?t. ?: - - • -? Clerk. ?