1952-12-22 Regular Meeting+38!
ti`7ilmingtoi:p 14.C.9 December 22, l952.
• The regular weekly meetir.g of the Board was he+c3 this day at.,0:00 o'clock A. M.
Present: R. T. Horton, ChairrnaY:, and Commissioners Claud 0'Shie•ds, Thurston C. DaV3s,
Ha, J. Love,, Raiford Trask ai,d County Attorney iarsdei. Bellamy.
_ The meeting was opened with prayer by the Ficverend K. Y. Hudd'+e, Pastor of St. Matthews
Evangelical T.utheran Church.
Ntith referet.ce to the matter of revaluation t+ir. Trask of8ered the fol•owii.g motion which
was seconded by L?Zr. Davis ar,d carMed: " Gent•emen I make a motion that we request our State
Representative to ask for a twa year postponement of the revaiuation of New Fiar:over County,,
with the idea or motive of giving this Bosrd time to gait: alittle more experience in which
to try to find a way to corrcct as many inequalities as possib+e in a simpler, cheaper more
equitab•e method for the tax payers of 1•.ew Hanover County as a ruhole without spet.ding
$250,000.00 .which I dor.'t believe the majority are ir, favor of." Mr. 0'Shie'ds sa3d he
was r;ot in favor of rushing ixito reva,uation or spet.ding of a•arge stm of money ,nd would
go a•ong with the reso•ution if provision cou•d be aade.to give the Board power to adjust
inequa+lties of assessments during thc meantfine. The County Attorney was inatructed to
prepare a bi•l in accoidance with the motion.
Horton reported on the Court House e,eaning and advised that the work vras temporarily
e,d up for aupplies, thst the work was progressing satisPactory and would be resumed
?Monday, a±ao that he and the Coui:ty Auditor had inspected the wirir,g at the Coui.ty Home
which has been comp'+eted, one meeter had been insta,•ed to take the piace of the three
former meters which pill ref+ect a saving fn currebt ueed.
Mr. Hargrove Bel+amy Ras preser.t and gave his er:dorsemei;t to the Boards action to postpone
revaluation of property and commended Mr. Trask for hia motion, stating that it was most
time,y. He urged ad3ustment of any flagrant inequa•ities. Mr. C. D. Hogue Sr.t spoke in
favor of reva+uation, stating it was r:eededv but ob3ected to out-Side appraisera doing the
3ob.
A ? pon motioi? of Mr. iove, seconded by &Ir. Davis, paymer,L, of ?t:600.Q0 budget appropriation for
.?``the detection, educational. and follwo-up work for the New Aar,over County Tnbercu'lasiF and
Hea+th AssociAtion was ur?animous+y approved at this time. Payment was requested by
, ??S?Dr. R.B.IWi,,iams. , Mr. Horton reported on the comp,etion of the Drair,3ge work in Federa, Pointt of ffirs.Rouses'
comp•air,t of the drag,iue drainage crossing her property rrhich +iabi•ity, if ary, will be
assumed by the A. H. Ward R?a•ty Compar.y. The dragline had been'moved to the L.eeuwenburg-
Austin- Gordon Road project.
A report of test of the herd of catt7.e at the Coiinty Farm for worms and Pang's disease was
received shoelir,g t,egative.
i?OA nursing repoxt of the Board of Hea•th for i•ovember was received and fi*ed.
Aletter writter, by the Chalrmar, to the Resort Air+inestInc. of ?iiam3 F•a. granting 1t ftie•
stop privi?eges ar.d passenger use of the facilities avai,ab,e at the airportg together with
•schedule of •ar:ding Pees charged tentatively at $5.00 for c'ass C46 airp,anes ar.d $7.00 for
c-lass DC4, was ui=antmously approved.
The Chairman and the County Audi.tor were authorized to go to Durham Tuesday 23rd, to rece3ve
a giPt oP blaDketa, bed linens and smal• uLenails from the Medical Cer.ter, for the use of
Courity Institutions? same to be transported by county truck.
Upon mot3on of Mr. Trask, seconded by Mr. 0'Shie•de, the matter of correcting erxors, dup•icate
? charges and other erroneous diserepai.cies in tax listings ir, the future, was referred to the
Tax Supervisor ar.d County Auditor with power to act.
N?r. Hortor, to+d the Board•the janitors tbad repaired the Court House f+oors where dropped down
_(4,.?2--by fil,ing in with cement. Upon motion of bir. 0'Shields, seconded by LFr. Davis, Mr.Horton
?--? avas authorized to have snme oiie go over these thirigs as far as possib+e gnd make such repalra
r?ecessary.
A request of Mr. tY. N[. Morgan, after invest3gation by the Chairma[:g was granted an abatement
02' taxes on a valuation of 4v,50.00 househo'd ar.d kitcher: furniture charged in error againat
vacant lot bo. 20, in b,ocY_ '12, Fort Fisher, for the year 1952•
iNith referei.ce to sel•ing the sma^l strip of "a;t.d< on SmiY.h Creek, located betweei: Waneta
Packir.g P•ant and creek, from the railroad track_??_Corbett's line, was upon motion of
Nr. Davis, seconded by Mr. 7ove, referred to the County Attorr,ey to check to ascertain
what he tuave there atid to empioy a surveyor if r.ecessary, and report back to the Board.
The mp-tter of deeded repairs to the tei:ar.t houses on county ?an9 was discussedt and inasmuch
ias it appeara the cost for repairs would be too great expense, ai?d it was s;,id some oP the
? i.eiaa:ts were not paying rent to any-or,e, which Statement Mr. Trask thought was an error, the
Board wer,t on record favoring selling the sa3d bu; dirigs to be removed from the courity lar.d.
Upon motion of Nr. Daviss seconded by Mr. Trask, Mr. John P+estbrook was appointed uanager
of the Airport it: addition to his duties as Superintendent of )r,aintenance, both duties to be
. performed at the preser.t selary of $285.00 per mor,th, pius use of dwe••ing formerly occupied
?alp?A? by Mr. H. E. Boyd,Jr.9 former marager on the affirmative vote of-Commissioners Davia; Trask
ar;d the Chairmar.. Commissioners 0'Shle,ds and Love voted not feeling every one ahou?d be
given an opportunity and „ppointment made on the merit and qua'ifScations of the man. No
objections, however, to Mr. 9Jestbrook. The appoiiitmezit of Mr. Westbrook aa Airport Nanager
was endorsed by the 252nd CAC, Civi" Aeror,autica Administration Represer.tative and Piedmont
Airlines.
r3s s
Meeting of December 22, 1952, continued.
Mr. Horton stated that ir, seconding Mr. 0'Shields motion 'last week it was not the lntent
to dlsaalve aAi Committees, but to set up one nan in each pro,ect to work with the Board
as a whole, Aith the Chairman as Chairman of the respective one man committeea; to submit
matters and recommendations to the Board at the first meeting in each month, to keep the
Board famiiiarized with the progress az:d working of each of the projects set up, and in view of t
the•Pact that the waq the Chairman was nominated we followed the line of past chairmanaYsip
funetions, and am submitting alist of one mar, cocunittees for your approval', to go aolong
with the Chairman, and in turi:wl•v report progress on matters and proposa"s month"yt
tooking to the Board for its ,pprova•.
Thereupon Mr. Trask moved and it vias seconded by Iu r.
vote of Commissior.ers Trasltg Davis and the Chairman,
Mr. Love to the efFettg that in view of the factthat
C<!- Adminlstration the committees are not needed and the
seconded by Mr. 0'Shields but failed on the tiegative
the Chsirman.
Davis and carried or. the affirmative
after a substitute motion offered by
Nr. Horton is in charge of County
refore should not be appointed, waa
vote of Commissioners Davis,Trask and
The •ist of Committeea as approved•follovrs:
-C ow.m?2S .
. B"uethentha+ ASrport ..................... Raiford Trask.
Community Hospital ....................... Ha'! J. Love. ,
County Home and Farm ..................... Thurston C. Davis.
? Industrial Growth and-Community Progress.. CTaud 0'Shields.
Court House, Jail, WP•,fa.re and Health .... Chairman R.T.Horton.
James VGalker Hospita+ .................... " "
Legion Stadium and Oak Grove Cemetery .... Board at Large.
T. B. Hospltal ........................... n n n
Parks and Play Grounds ................... "
PROCRESS REPORTS WI*L SE MADE UN F.ACH
PROJECT FIRST MEETII.G OF THE MOL1^,Fi.
OF THE BOA RD .
A motion then offered by Mr. Love, and seconded by Mr. Trask, that in addition to Mr. Hortons
/? duties as Chairman, he accept administration of Coutity affairs and duties as set up by
b'?^?" Section 153-20 Genera" Statutes of North Caro+inal on a fuTi time basis, was unar,imous+y
ca rried .
?p? Upon motion of Mr. T.,oveg seconded by Mr. Trask, County bil-is r.os. l5l6 to '1933 Were approved
for payment.
The meet ng then ad3ourned.
Cle rk.
?
The regu'lar week+y meeting of the
Preser:t: R.T.Hortont Chairman and
Hal J. Love, Raiford Trask and Co
WS•caington,N.C.? Decembez?29, '1952•
Board was held this day at l0:00 o'ciock A.bi.
Cou,missioners Claud 0'Shie•ds, Thurston C. Davist
unty Attorney Marsden Be7+amy. ,
The Chairman discussed the present three heating plants now in use at the Couiity Home with
? the vievu of coriso•idating a,+ heating into orie plant if and when trouble arises in the future
C with one of the heating plants. The Chairman also reported that a schoo• for County
Commissioners would be he•d on Jaz:uary 13 and '74 at Chape' H1l•, IN. C., under the auspicies
of the Institute of Gonernmet'it, and was granted authority to reserve tpo rooma at the Carolina
Inn for the Commissioners eho could attend. ,?O+vh;r. Trask discussed the preparatior. of a bi,, to revise the fee achedule charged by the
,fa?_ Reglster oP Deeds Por recording of papers in his office. It was decided to meet with
Mr. Black and Mr. Fiewlett to work out the schedu•e in detai, and resubmit the matter to the
Board at its next meeting.
The Chairman discussed holding the +isting.of taxes period to the month of January, and that
sil listings submitted after that date be penalized 10% for ?ate -listing. ,o action avas taken.
The Chairman suggested looking into::the possibility of payirig the tax assessors on a piece
basis rather thai. the present per diem. It was decided to discuss this with the assessors-ar,d
report back to the Board. _
Mr. J. J. Burney,Jr.q appeared ii. behalf o£ the Corbett Package Company to offer to purchase
a strip of land belonging to Nevc Har.over County and adjoining the Corbett Plant. Mr. Bel•amy
- pili investigate the matter and report back to the Board at its riext meeting.
Upon the motion of idr. Iovet secoi>ded by I+.r. Trask, the Chairman was authorized to send a
1.etter to Mr. Whitfield in cor:i,ection with the +ighting of the : orth Fast and Cape Fear
River bridgesg and to offer any assistance ir: bring,ing this matteT to a successfu, conclusion.
BGr. Addison Hewlett?Jr., appeared'before the Board to offervhis cooperatlon in the passage of
_6Q'V1 0, bil'+s which in his opinion were for the better operation of the County8s busir=ess, wh1'le in the
? State LegislAture.
Adr. Hew,ett stated that in-his opit:iori an assistant i:o the District Attorr,ey was r.eeded
at a salary of approxirnatery r3,600.00 per year. On motion of Mr. Trask, seconded by
- Mr. Davis, the Loard went on record as approvir-g ir. Hewlett',s positior.. Additior_a+ court
costs for salary. .,
,
The November report of the Electrical lnspector was received and filed.
On motior. of Mr. I,ove, seconded by NIr. Trask, abatement on City tax was granted Mr.J.B.Ri2ey.
.r