The Alleghany County Board of Commissioners and Sparta Town Council held a joint session on Monday, March 29, 2004, at 3:00pm in the Conference Room of the Blue Ridge Business Development Center, 115 Atwood Street, Sparta, NC.

Present: Vice-Chair Warren Taylor, Commissioner Graylen Blevins, Commissioner Sandy Carter, Commissioner Patrick Woodie, Mayor John Miller, Town Council Members Lois Sheets, Mike Parlier, John Brady and Agnes Joines, County Manager Don Adams, Town Manager Bryan Edwards and County Clerk to the Board Karen Evans. Chair Eldon Edwards was present but arrived late.

Commissioner Warren Taylor called the meeting to order for the County at 3:00pm.

Mayor John Miller called the meeting to order for the Town at 3:00pm.

Joint County/Town Meeting

Monday, March 29^th

3:00 pm to 5:30 pm

Blue Ridge Business Development Center

Child Abuse Proclamation Leslie Cornett
Sparta/Independence Joint Water Study Kevin Heath
Economic Development General discussion

Re-constituting the Alleghany County Economic Development Corp.
Full-time economic developer

Other Business
Closed Session—NCGS 143-318.11 (a) (3)—legal

NCGS 143-318.11 (a) (4)—economic development

Leslie Cornett with DANA informed the Boards about the DANA program and child abuse issues. She stated that she is here to ask the Boards to proclaim April as Child Abuse Prevention Month. She explained the activities that the Partnership for Children office will be doing during the month of April.

Commissioner Sandy Carter made a motion to approve the proclamation for Child Abuse Prevention Month. Town Councilman John Brady seconded the motion. Vote 8:0.

County Manager Don Adams stated that the economic development discussions need to be during closed session. He asked Vice-Chair Taylor to continue with the meeting and have this discussion at the end of the meeting.

Commissioner Patrick Woodie stated that the reason he asked for the Boards to meet at the Blue Ridge BDC building is because he wanted to give both boards an update on several programs; Northwest Alliance Program for the Rural Carolinas, Blue Ridge BDC update, Sparta Museum Project. He asked that the Boards meet together at a later date to discuss these programs.

Agnes Joines stated that she is impressed with her first visit to this building.

Kevin Heath with Adams Heath Engineering presented an update to the Boards about the Sparta/Independence Water Study. He explained the study started due to concerns over drought situations affecting each area individually in the past. He further explained the two parts of the study; engineering and financial, organizational. He talked about the existing systems production and capacity levels. He further talked about the major water source between the two areas is the New River and the concept of building a water-treatment plant at that location. He stated that it was their conclusion to locate the treatment plant on the Virginia side of the New River. He talked about the plant would produce 1 million gallons of water, traveling through 12 inch lines for a cost of approximately 8.28 million dollars. He further talked about finding sources for financing of this concept.

Councilman John Brady and Kevin Heath talked about the group having monthly meetings and should be able to complete in the study in the next couple of months.

Mayor John Miller stated that he thinks this would be a benefit to both counties. He talked about the benefits on Highway 21 concerning economic development.

Kevin Heath mentioned that this is a unique opportunity since it is joint effort between two counties in two separate states.

County Manager Don Adams asked for Mr. Heath to present the pros and cons for wells versus a water treatment plant.

Kevin Heath discussed the benefit of the known water quantity in a treatment plant versus the well source. He mentioned each well site has to be maintained (23 buildings in this case) versus one building for the plant. He further mentioned that the water plant must have someone at the building when water is being made. He stated that the long-term benefit of having a plant is it is more reliable and the most easily to expand.

Commissioner Warren Taylor and Kevin Heath discussed the permitting process.

Mayor John Miller and Kevin Heath discussed the location of the plant being close to the bridge.

Commissioner Graylen Blevins and Kevin Heath discussed the water going in each direction and about a water authority being created from people in both areas to ensure everyone is adequately represented.

Commissioner Sandy Carter and Kevin Heath discussed the opportunity for growth in relation to the water plant and the impact of the river water flow.

Councilman Mike Parlier and Kevin Heath discussed the price on how much it would cost to operate the plant after building a plant and providing the water at the current demand level being $1.37 per thousand.

Commissioner Warren Taylor and Kevin Heath discussed backup power sources for the plant.

Tom Douglas mentioned the costs for testing and treating each well now being equivalent to the earlier mentioned costs of operating the plant.

Chair Eldon Edwards arrived at 3:33pm.

Commissioner Graylen Blevins and Kevin Heath discussed the length of time the plant would be operating daily. Mr. Heath explained that by providing 1 million gallons the plant would run 24 hours daily and at the current capacity the plant would run 12-16 hours daily.

Mike Parlier stated it sounds good if we could get the funding.

Commissioner Graylen Blevins asked about how many pumping stations would be on the Carolina side.

Kevin Heath stated that two pumping stations would be on the Carolina side with one pumping station on the Virginia side.

Kevin Heath talked about the ratio of production between to two systems.

Commissioner Warren Taylor stated his appreciation for Kevin Heath coming to the meeting and would like to see this project go forward.

Commissioner Warren Taylor mentioned the cleanup efforts by the Department of Corrections that are appreciated. He asked if each Board would write a letter stating everyone’s appreciation for the clean-up efforts on the roadsides.

Mayor John Miller stated that the Town would write a letter to the Department of Corrections on this matter.

Commissioner Warren Taylor asked County Manager Don Adams to write the letter for the County about the clean-up efforts.

County Manager Don Adams stated that he would write the letter as soon as he can.

Commissioner Sandy Carter made a motion to enter into closed session under NCGS 143.318.11 (a) (3)—legal and (a) (4)—economic development at 3:45pm. Commissioner Patrick Woodie seconded the motion. Vote 5:0.

Councilman John Brady made a motion to enter into closed session under NCGS 143.318.11 (a) (3)—legal and (a) (4)—economic development. Councilman Mike Parlier seconded the motion. Vote 4:0.

Tom Douglas joined the closed session meeting.

Ernie Pearson with Sanford Holshouser Law Firm joined the closed session meeting by telephone.

Commissioner Patrick Woodie made a motion to adjourn the closed session and reconvened the regular meeting at 5:25pm. Commissioner Sandy Carter seconded the motion. Vote 5:0.

Councilman Mike Parlier made a motion to adjourn the closed session and reconvened the regular meeting at 5:25pm. Councilman John Brady seconded the motion. Vote 4:0.

Chair Eldon Edwards stated no action was taken in closed session.

Mayor John Miller stated no action was taken in closed session.

Commissioner Patrick Woodie made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 5:26pm. Commissioner Graylen Blevins seconded the motion. Vote 5:0.

Councilwoman Agnes Joines made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 5:26pm. Councilman John Brady seconded the motion. Vote 4:0.

Respectfully submitted,

Karen Evans

Clerk to the Board

ATTEST:

Eldon Edwards

Chairman

DANA Domestic Abuse is Not Acceptable

Post Office Box 1643 Sparta, NC 28675

Phone: (336) 372-3262 Fax: (336) 372-7705

PROCLAMATION

CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH

WHEREAS, our children deserve the best we have within us and look to us to be their protectors, role models, heroes and heroines; and

WHEREAS, children who are loved and nurtured grow up to love and nurture others. They give back to their own families, their neighborhoods, and the entire State the good that bestowed on them. The cycle continues; and

WHEREAS, in North Carolina, 107,218 children were reported as abused and neglected for the fiscal year 2001-2002, in which 32,883 of these children were confirmed as victims and 26 children died from child abuse homicide during the 2002 calendar year. The rest live on, but they often carry the burden of their abuse into adulthood; and

WHEREAS, child abuse and neglect know no social or economic boundaries. We dedicate our energies to preventing child physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and their terrible legacy; and

WHEREAS, preventing child abuse and neglect is the responsibility of every citizen, and community action and involvement are essential to breaking the cycle of abuse; and

WHEREAS, it is vital that we join together to reach out to parents and children to prevent the senseless abuse and neglect of all children.

NOW, THEREFORE, the Alleghany County Board of Commissioners does hereby proclaim April 2004 as Child Abuse Prevention Month in Alleghany County and urge all citizens to support this observance.