The absence of two members — Jimmy Melton and Larry Caddell -- from the Moore County Board of Commissioners' Tuesday, November 2 meeting resulted in the tabling of many, if not most, items on the meeting agenda.
But the Board scheduled a public hearing on a plan that aims to protect the County's working farms and forests and approved a contract that begins a significant upgrade of the County's emergency communications system.
Working Lands Protection Plan
At the request of County Planner Debra Ensminger, the Commissioners called a public hearing for November 15 on the Working Lands Protection Plan.
The plan was developed to assess the state of and contribute to the health of the county's farm and forest industries. The agricultural sector accounts for fifteen percent of the County’s economic activity, producing and estimated $373 million in 2008. Thirteen percent of the jobs in the county are agricultural jobs.
The Working Lands Protection Plan aims to protect agricultural lands without limiting or restricting landowner’s rights or uses.
From 1990 to 2010 the County has seen a fifty percent increase in its population. According to the Planning Department, this growth creates pressure to convert farms and forests to non-agricultural uses.
In September a Consensus Working Group endorsed the final draft of Moore County’s Working Lands Protection Plan. That group is comprised of four members from the Moore County Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Directors, three members from the Moore County Agricultural Advisory Board, and three members from the Moore County Planning Board.
The group met five times from March through September of 2011 to review and comment on the plan. A public comment period was held from August 8 to September 16 to obtain feedback from County residents.
If approved by the Board of Commissioners after the November 15 public hearing, the Working Lands Protection Plan will then be submitted for review and approval to the Board of Directors of the NC Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund and the NC Commissioner of Agriculture.
County Communications Systems
Also during Tuesday's meeting, the Board of Commissioners approved a sole source agreement with Radio Communications Company of Cary for the installation of communications equipment on a new emergency communications tower being constructed in Southern Pines by the NC State Highway Patrol. The company has handled maintenance of the County's emergency communications infrastructure and the 911 Communications Center for the past decade.
Earlier this year the Board reluctantly agreed to upgrade its emergency communications to the Highway Patrol's VIPER system under a mandate by the Federal Communications Commission [FCC]. Installing VIPER equipment on the Southern Pines tower is Phase 1 of a three phase process aimed at meeting that mandate and is scheduled for completion by no later than January of 2012.
The second phase is to upgrade the Carthage tower no later than April 2012, and the third phase is an upgrade to the Robbins tower no later than May of 2012.
Installing the county equipment on the new tower now will save the County $10,000, Public Safety Director Bryan Phillips told the Commissioners, because coaxial cable and antennas will be installed during construction at no cost to the County.
The new tower being constructed by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol is scheduled for completion by December 15, 2011.
Tabled Items
The Board tabled a number of items during Tuesday's meeting that are expected to reappear on the agenda for the Board's next regular meeting on Tuesday, November 15. They included:
• A request by the Moore County Planning Department to initiate the application, solicitation, and selection process for the Land Use Plan Steering Committee.
• A proposed official policy regarding the Board of Commissioners’ Travel Expense or Reimbursement Policy Procedure previously requested by Chairman Nick Picerno.
• A policy on residency requirements for Moore County Employees previously requested by Commissioner Craig Kennedy.
• The refunding of the County's 2003 General Obligation Bonds in order to obtain a lower interest rate.
Other Items
Other business conducted during the Board of Commissioners’ Tuesday, November 1 meeting included:
• Moore County Human Resources Director Denise Brook recognized Moore County Employees with Service Awards.
• The Board approved a request by Social Services Director John Benton to recognize November as Adoption Awareness Month.
• The Board reappointed Dennis Campbell as the ETJ member of the Whispering Pines Planning and Zoning Board for a term expiring in 2014.
