Loading...
2017-02-02 Agenda Review NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 33 AGENDA REVIEW MEETING, FEBRUARY 2, 2017 PAGE 682 ASSEMBLY The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners met for Agenda Review on Thursday, February 2, 2017 at 4:00 p.m. in the Harrell Conference Room at the New Hanover County Government Center, 230 Government Center Drive, Wilmington, North Carolina. Members present: Chairman Woody White; Vice-Chairman Skip Watkins; Commissioner Patricia Kusek; and Commissioner Rob Zapple. Commissioner Jonathan Barfield, Jr. was absent. Staff present: County Manager Chris Coudriet; County Attorney Wanda Copley; and Clerk to the Board Kymberleigh G. Crowell. Chairman White called the Agenda Review meeting to order and announced that the purpose of the meeting was to review and discuss the agenda items for the February 6, 2017 Regular Meeting with discussions as noted: Consent Item 2. Approval to Submit a Grant Application to the Bureau of Justice Assistance for 75 Body Worn Cameras in the Amount of $27,400. In response to Board questions, Chief Deputy Ken Sarvis stated that there is a written policy for handling the data, there is a dedicated employee solely for taking care of the cameras, and the department is already working with IT regarding the data storage. Data will be retained for thirty days and anything tagged for evidentiary value will be retained for a longer period of time. These cameras are dedicated to the detention center. Consent Item 3. Approval of the Award of Bids for the Purchase and Installation of In-Vessel Composting Equipment. In response to Board questions, Environmental Management Director Joe Suleyman stated that there is not a signed agreement with UNCW for a guaranteed product stream. A Memorandum of Understanding can be completed within a few weeks. Consent Item 4. Adoption of Budget Amendment. In response to Board questions, County Manager Chris Coudriet stated that there is currently no fencing. What there was previously was a construction fence. The funds will be used to install a permanent security fence for the judicial officials. Regular Item 6. Public Hearing for Economic Development Appropriation. A brief discussion was held about the Notice of Public Hearing verbiage. Staff was asked going forward to ensure that “New Hanover County” is used instead of “the County” to promote its commitment to the project. Regular Item 7. Public Hearing - Rezoning Request (Z-967, 1/17) – Request by Design Solutions on Behalf of the Property Owner, Ronald & Joyce Hughes, and Gorilla, LLC, to Rezone 3.35 Acres Located at the 5200 Block of Carolina Beach Road from R-15, Residential District, to (CZD) B-2, Conditional Business District, in Order to Develop a 13,500 Square Foot Flex Space Building. In response to Board questions, Current Planner Brad Schuler stated that in the allowable uses for the (CZD) B-2 district there is not a specific definition of a research facility. The designation is to allow general lab work, not the manufacturing of any type of chemicals and the like. It can be a lab that performs work such as water testing that would be allowed under that classification. This zoning does allow for outside storage of materials and equipment for general and special trade contracting. Equipment such as an excavator can be stored onsite. A company vehicle or trailer would need to be parked in a parking space. Items such as raw materials cannot be stored in one of the required parking spaces or aisles. The applicant would be required to install opaque buffers along the property lines of the residential properties. It is required by ordinance. The area is heavily wooded and would likely stay in place to provide the buffer. In regard to the warehousing use, Mr. Schuler stated that it is primarily an office/warehouse type building. It will have a small office and a storage area for equipment. There is currently an HVAC repair company in the building and they are looking to expand. If there is a change of use and if it is not what is currently allowed, there would have to be a zoning review to determine if it is a major or minor change. The stormwater plan will be submitted through the building permit process and it will be determined during that process if additional retention ponds are required. Regular Item 8. Consideration of a Resolution Regarding Travel Policy for Board of County Commissioners. Commissioner Kusek stated that she requested at the last Board meeting for staff to provide a travel policy proposal for the Commissioners and suggested that at a minimum, it mirror the employees travel policy. She would like for the Board to consider at Monday’s meeting setting aside an amount for the Clerk and her staff for conferences and continuing education and then dividing the remaining balance between the Board. The balance divided by the Board would be the cap each member could spend for the fiscal year. Commissioner Zapple commented that the budgeted amount designated for the Governing Body has worked well for a number of years. He expressed concerns about setting a travel cap so low that it would become a hindrance to the Commissioners to do the work of the County. Chairman White stated he would support a budgeted amount that is non-transferable of $2,500 or $3,000 per Commissioner per fiscal year and will make the motion at Monday’s meeting and welcomes discussion about this agenda item at that time. A brief discussion was held about the per Commissioner travel cap, Commissioners’ use of travel funds and the travel policy that is followed by employees. At the Board’s direction, staff will provide in advance of Monday’s meeting travel expenses for each Commissioner, their direct reports and department heads and a revised travel policy resolution that includes verbiage addressing a budgetary cap. NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 33 AGENDA REVIEW MEETING, FEBRUARY 2, 2017 PAGE 683 ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, Chairman White adjourned the meeting at 4:20 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Kymberleigh G. Crowell Clerk to the Board Please note that the above minutes are not a verbatim of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners meeting.