Commissioners take small step toward hiring county manager

By Lisa Majors-Duff

Two of the five board members made recommendations to the county manager search committee at their regular meeting on Dec. 7. Commissioner Stacy Buchanan appointed Ron Watson of the Department of Transportation, while Commissioner Roberta Crawford appointed Sylva Town Board member Maurice Moody.

Then during a special meeting Tuesday, the remaining commissioners made their appointments. Commissioner Franz Whitmire appointed Don Putman of Cashiers, Commissioner Conrad Burrell appointed Cathy Arrington of Sylva and Chairman Jay Denton appointed Darlene Fox, the county's finance officer.

Burrell also reported that Southwestern Community College President Cecil Groves and Western Carolina University Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Richard Collings had both agreed to serve on the committee.

According to the Nov. 29 resolution that changed the county's form of government, the county manager search committee will be charged with reviewing all applications and screening for qualifications, interviewing applicants, and presenting the board with three choices. It will also be charged with conducting "its affairs without regard to political affiliation and in a manner which promotes the professionalism of the position and in the best interest of the citizens of Jackson County."

Following a 62 percent approval rating on the Nov. 7 referendum question, commissioners voted 3-2 to change an 80-year tradition of electing one person to serve as both chairman of the board and county manager. Jay Denton, who was elected to this position in 1998, will continue to serve as county manager until at least June 30, 2001, according to the resolution. His term as chairman of the board will not expire until December 2002.

Commissioner Franz Whitmire voted with Denton against the resolution, while Commissioners Buchanan, Crawford and Conrad Burrell voted in favor of the change, which will officially take effect Jan. 1.

Denton, who last week said his "role now will be to facilitate this transition," reported to the board Dec. 7 that Kurt Jenne of the N.C. Institute of Government will be available to assist the board and the search committee with the county manager selection.

In the same vein, Vice Chairman Buchanan said he had contacted Vickey Wade of the Mountain Resource Center at Western Carolina University. She, too, would be available to assist in the process, Buchanan said. A special board meeting with both Wade and Jenne will be held Wednesday, Jan. 17, at 6 p.m. at the Justice Center.

Finally, Denton presented the board with an average of the yearly county manager salaries from surrounding counties. Averaging Macon's $78,750, Haywood's $77,750 and Transylvania's $66,081 equals $74,217, he said. Buchanan had suggested this figure as a starting point when it comes time to decide what compensation to offer locally.

In other business to come before the board Dec. 7, Marsha Cameron, co-chair of the Jackson County Teacher Supplement Committee, presented commissioners with a three-year plan to implement a 5 percent salary increase for teachers and teacher assistants. According to her figures, the cost of the proposal would be $606,615.

"We have fulfilled your request from last year, which was to form a committee, agree upon a proposal and present it to you early enough to be included in this year's budget," Cameron said. "We hope the county commissioners will act favorably upon this request. The results of this supplement will be to attract and retain the best teachers for the students in Jackson County." Accepting the information, Denton said the proposal would be considered during the 2001-02 budget process.

In another education-related topic, school construction coordinator Clarence Hubbell reported on three building projects under way and two recently completed. Eighty percent of the Scotts Creek School is finished, with the entire project expected to be finished in April, he said. The school's water pressure may be lower than recommended, an issues being addressed by Stillwell Enterprises, the company working to install water and sewer lines to the Parris Branch site.

Also under way is a three-phase renovation of Smoky Mountain High, with the first phase being the addition of a work force building. That project is expected to be completed in nine months, Hubbell said. Work at Blue Ridge School experienced some concrete problems, which should be resolved this week, he said.

Students at both Fairview and Smokey Mountain elementary are currently using recently completed classroom additions. Teachers and students alike appreciate the extra space, he said.

"When this board got elected, they did what they said they would do with regard to education," Hubbell said. "I wanted to express my appreciation to you for your help on these projects."

In his report to the board, Chairman Denton announced that the county officially took possession of the Western Builders property Dec. 4. The grounds department is planning to use both the storage and chemical buildings. Other plans for renovation of the former Western Builders building are currently under review, he said, while quotes for a new grounds building are coming in.

Jackson County acquired the Western Builders site in Dillsboro in 1999 for $500,000 after owners Don Hensley and Roger Bartlett claimed the site's groundwater and well were contaminated by the county's landfill. Since then a water line has been installed to the property.

Votes of approval were taken on a new Work First Program presented by Social Services Director Bob Cochran; funding resolutions for both Region A/Southwestern Commission and Jackson County Transit; and on Linda Rogers, who was appointed to the Economic Development Commission of Jackson County. Commissioners also agreed to refund an excise tax for a deed that was mistakenly recorded with the Jackson County register of deeds.

Other action taken during the Dec. 12 special meeting included a revision in the retired employees' insurance plan. The policy change was requested by members of the Sheriff's Department to provide health insurance coverage for those officers who retired at age 55 with 20 years of service. The new policy also calls for other county retirees who reach 60 years of age to accumulate 15 years of service before becoming eligible for health insurance coverage. The policy had required 10 years of service before full-time employees to be covered.

"This is something we've talked about for two years," Commissioner Crawford said prior to the 5-0 vote to change the policy. "It's time to put a proposal on the table." "I think the proposal Mr. Buchanan is presenting is a happy medium between what Mr. Denton is proposing and that the state is offering law enforcement," said Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Jim Ashe.

Denton had proposed a change to the policy that would have required all county employees to be age 60 with 15 years of service to be covered by county health insurance until age 65, when they become eligible for Medicare.

The policy change actually received a great amount of discussion prior to the vote. Concerns were raised about how years of service could be accumulated, what happened to health coverage for employees disabled on the job, the relative low pay of local law enforcement officers and the difference in coverage the new policy would afford county employees.

Also Tuesday, commissioners voted 5-0 to support the school board's effort to apply for Qualified Zone Academy Bonds in the amount of $1.170 million. If Jackson County qualifies for the bond, the funds could be borrowed interest-free in 2001 for media center renovations at Smoky Mountain High School.

School board members were scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. today (Thursday) to consider the same proposal.

The county's largest high school is currently undergoing a three-phase renovation, in which a recent needs assessment has initially called for the existing cafeteria to become the media and technology center and serve as a hub for data distribution throughout the school. All high school buildings will be fitted with fiber optic cable originating in the new media center. The total cost for the media center is $795,000, with data distribution estimated at $250,000.

Local school officials are hoping Jackson County can qualify for the fedearl interest-free bonds due to the number of students at Smoky Mountain who are eligible for free or reduced lunches.

In order to have materials on hand for the new law enforcement center planned as a Justice Center addition, commissioners approved spending $18,871 for 55,120 bricks with Cason Co. of Hendersonville, the company that supplied brick for the Justice Center seven years ago. The need to order now came about when architects discovered the specific brick needed for the project is only made once a year.

Though commissioners discussed it briefly, no decision was made to give county employees a Christmas bonus. Commissioner Buchanan suggested a $100 gift certificate to Wal-Mart, but Commissioner Burrell resisted, saying other county businesses might not approve of $27,700 going to the retail discount chain.

The next meeting of the Jackson County Board of Commissioners will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 21, at the Justice Center.

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