City Council Meeting Agendas and Minutes

REGULAR SESSION OF FEBRUARY 28, 2012 The City of Kings Mountain, North Carolina met in Regular Session at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 28, 2012 in the Council Chambers of City Hall with Mayor Rick Murphrey presiding. ATTENDANCE The following Councilmembers were present: Howard Shipp, Rodney Gordon, Keith Miller, Dean Spears, Mike Butler, Tommy Hawkins and Rick Moore. Also present: Mickey Corry, City Attorney, Marilyn Sellers, City Manager and Ann Sessom, City Clerk. INVOCATION The invocation was given by Reverend Scott Whitney, East Gold Wesleyan Church, Kings Mountain, NC. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mayor Rick Murphrey. AGENDA ADOPTION Mayor Rick Murphrey asked City Council if they would like to make any changes to the proposed agenda. City Manager, Marilyn Sellers requested that Item 9-E be removed from the consent agenda. Upon motion by Councilmember Keith Miller and seconded by Councilmember Rick Moore, it was unanimously voted to adopt the agenda as presented with the change noted. SPECIAL PRESENTATION AND RECOGNITIONS City Councilmembers Comments and Remarks: No comments were made. Mayor’s Comments and Remarks: Mayor Murphrey recognized the following employees for their years of service with a framed certificate and service pin: • Melvin Proctor 25 Years Police Chief • Betty Mitchell 15 Years Accountant I • Teresa Patterson 15 Years Benefit/Payroll Specialist • Chris Parker 15 Years Equipment Operator Minutes – February 28, 2012 Page 2 Mayor Murphrey presented Resolution 12-07 to Oliver Landon Brown in recognition of achieving the rank of Eagle Scout and congratulated him on his outstanding work of building and installing new shelves at the Crisis Ministry and also having a food collection drive to fill the shelves. Mayor Murphrey presented Resolution 12-08 designating “March 2012 Girls Scouts Month” to celebrate 100 years of Girl Scouts’ leadership and expertise as the voice for and of girls. Members from Troop 40 and Troop 157 were on hand to accept the Resolution. Mayor Murphrey presented each girl a city pin. Mayor Murphrey presented Boyce Tesenair with a Proclamation proclaiming Sunday, March 25, 2012 “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day” and encouraged all citizens to join the City Council in showing our gratitude by the appropriate displays and ceremonies of tribute on their behalf. Mayor Murphrey and Sargent Lisa Proctor announced the following dates for “Operation Medicine Drop” organized by the City of Kings Mountain Police Department: • Tuesday, March 20th – 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. • Thursday, March 22nd – 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. • Saturday, March 24th – 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. The events will all take place at Lawrence Patrick Senior Center. Anyone wishing to turn in unwanted, old or unknown medicines may do so at this time. SPECIAL EVENTS UPDATE Ellis Noell, Special Events Director, updated the City Council on the following event that took place in February: • Boy Scout Day was held on February 10, 2012 CITIZEN RECOGNITION Terry Jones, 518 Rhodes Avenue, requested that Kings Mountain prepare for disasters by gathering supplies so we could survive anything that comes to Kings Mountain. CONSENT AGENDA Upon motion by Councilmember Rick Moore and seconded by Councilmember Tommy Hawkins, it was unanimously voted to adopt the following consent agenda: A. Minutes: Approve Minutes of the Regular Meeting January 31, 2012 and the Special Meeting February 21, 2012. Minutes – February 28, 2012 Page 3 B. Adopt Resolution 12-09 authorizing Mayor Rick Murphrey to sign the Regional Law Enforcement Mutual Aid Agreement effective June 1, 2012. C. Authorize use of the Kings Mountain Police Department Training Center and Firing Range for concealed weapons class for the public on Thursday, March 15, 2012 and Saturday, March 24, 2012. D. Adopt Resolution 12-10 authorizing the Mayor to submit a Building Reuse and Restoration Grant application – STEAG Expansion (PIN 8466 Tax Map KM 19, Block 3, Lot 5) – for approximately $288,000. E. Set the date of Tuesday, March 27, 2012 at 6:00 p.m. for a Public Hearing to consider a Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment to Article VIII-SR33 – Urban Chickens (Case No. Z-1-1-12). (Removed from agenda) F. Set the date of Tuesday, March 27, 2012 at 6:00 p.m. for a Public Hearing to consider an Industrial Incentive Grant for STEAG expansion, Project New Year. G. Set the date of Tuesday, March 27, 2012 at 6:00 p.m. for the second required Public Hearing for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) future application. H. Approve A-1 Welding request to hold charity fishing tournament at Moss Lake on Saturday, March 24, 2012 from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. I. Approve Arnold Ledford’s request to hold a non-charity Saturday Bass Tournament at Moss Lake on Saturday, May 5, 2012 from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. J. Approve Arnold Ledford’s request to hold non-charity “Thursday Night Bass Tournament” at Moss Lake from March 1, 2012 ending on Saturday, October 20, 2012. K. Award contract for engineering services for the City of Kings Mountain Water System Improvements to Joel Wood and Associates. L. Award contract in the amount of $134,199.00 to Charter Machine Company for the Belt Press Equipment and award contract in the amount of $126,753.40 to Combs Technologies, Inc. for the Bar Screen Equipment (Budgeted item). M. Adopt Resolution 12-11 approving BB&T financing terms for the Belt Press Equipment & Bar Screen Equipment in the amount of $253,778. N. Appoint Bill McMurrey to fill the unexpired term of Ed Richards on the Planning and Zoning Board with term expiring December 31, 2012. Minutes – February 28, 2012 Page 4 PUBLIC HEARING Upon motion by Councilmember Dean Spears and seconded by Councilmember Mike Butler it was unanimously voted to recess the Regular Meeting at 6:27 p.m. and enter into a Public Hearing to discuss the following: To consider Industrial Incentive Grant to Project Merlot (dba – STI, Inc.) – Steve Killian, Planning Director. Steve Killian, Planning Director, stated: “This is the required public hearing for the industrial incentive grant for STI which has been called Merlot in the past. It is an expression of our interest to cooperate and make sure that such things as Community College Training, 3J Tax Credits, One North Carolina Fund, and the County Industrial Incentive Grants all fall into place at the right time. Our part will be $15,000 over a four year period and as always the grant will not exceed the taxes the city realizes by the possible expansion. That expansion could be about $4,900,000 and a significant number of jobs (62) could come about. All that will be included in a binding agreement developed by legal counsel at the appropriate time. It is easy to recommend adopting the resolution that formally awards an industrial incentive grant along those lines.” No one else requested to speak for or against this matter. Required Public Hearing to receive public comments concerning new Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) applications for FY 2011-2012 CDBG monies – Steve Killian, Planning Director. Steve Killian, Planning Director, stated: “I would like to recognize Steve Austin and turn it over to him for the purpose of making sure we get the right things in to the public record. New requirements have been published for Community Development Block Grants and the ballgame is changing again and it gets a little more complicated and little more daring but we are going to do what we can for our citizens.” Steve Austin stated: “Mr. Mayor and members of the Council on December 15th the North Carolina Department of Commerce opened their round of funding for the 2011 round of funding for the Community Development Block Grant. The State gets between forty and forty five million dollars each year to make available to local governments in a variety of categories. As Steve Killian mentioned this year they have changed their category titles that are available to local governments a little bit. The purpose of this Public Hearing is to announce these categories and the funds that are available. In order to apply for these funds the Council will be required to hold a second Public Hearing, which I think you called for under your consent agenda, at a later time that is specific to whatever application you would put together. The categories that the State does have available across the State are Infrastructure Category which you do have an open Minutes – February 28, 2012 Page 5 infrastructure grant right now. That also includes their water and sewer hook-up grant which is a much smaller grant for communities that are normally newer municipalities that are just installing water and sewer lines. The Small Business Entrepreneur Assistance Grant is the first year that grant is no longer a demonstration program. The new category is the NC Catalyst Program which is new larger category that they have lumped most of their former eligible activities in to including housing development which is the Kings Falls elderly apartments that the City did a few years ago. Scattered site housing where you could do single family rehabilitation throughout the City. Public facilities which is Senior Center Community Recreation facilities, homeless shelters, convalescent homes, hospitals, nursing homes, battered spouse shelters, halfway houses, halfway houses for runaway children, drug offenders, parolees, group homes the mentally retarded and temporary housing for disaster victims. The purpose for this Public Hearing is to make the announcement that funds are available and applications are due April 30th in these categories for the 2011 round of funding. They did announce at the workshop in December that the 2012 round of funding will be trotted out within a few months after this. Because these are HUD funds the funds must benefit low and moderate income persons or households. Two of the categories we are currently not eligible to apply for and that is infrastructure and small business entrepreneur grant because you have grants open in those categories. That is one of the regular criteria is as long as you have grants open in one category you have to wait until it is completed. Primarily the one category you would be looking at as far as eligibility would be the North Carolina Catalyst. Economic development grants are always available through the State and the City has applied for those on large industrial projects throughout the year and those funds are and if a projector industry is interested in locating in your community.” No one else requested to speak for or against this matter. Upon motion by Councilmember Rick Moore and seconded by Councilmember Mike Butler, it was unanimously voted to close the Public Hearing at 6:38 pm and re-enter the Regular meeting. REGULAR MEETING Action on Item 10-A Upon motion by Councilmember Rodney Gordon and seconded by Councilmember Rick Moore it was unanimously voted to adopt Resolution 12-12 awarding an Industrial Incentive Program Grant in the amount of $15,000 which will be spread over a four (4) year period to Project Merlot (dba – STI, Inc.). Action on Item 10-B No action required. Minutes – February 28, 2012 Page 6 ADJOURNMENT Upon motion by Councilmember Tommy Hawkins and seconded by Councilmember Rick Moore, it was unanimously voted to adjourn at 6:39 p.m. BY:____________________________________ Edgar O. Murphrey, Jr., Mayor ATTEST: ____________________________________ Ann L. Sessom, MMC City Clerk