The topics that generated the most discussion during the Board of Commissioners September 19 Critical Issues Summit were creating a capital fund for school construction and crafting a policy for economic development incentives.

But the agenda included a number of items that were dealt with more briefly.

Land Use Plan

Planning Board Chairman Robert Hayter and Planning Director Debra Ensminger Presented the approved draft of the new Moore County Land Use Plan to the Commissioners, who must approve it before it takes effect.

Hayter said the goal of the plan was optimization of land-use within the County.

"Optimum doesn't mean maximum or minimum," Hayter said. "It doesn't mean extreme . . . It refers to that unique middle place that is balanced, without being extreme. "

Optimizing land use, he said, will increase the tax base, increase the efficiency of delivering many public services, provide the best return on the County's investment in utilities, and protect the private property rights of citizens.

Hayter said the County needs to reevaluate its perspective on development, because "the wave of capital moving toward development that we had in the 1990s is not going to work in the next twenty-five years. 'Just build it and they will come' is not sound in the current environment."

He noted that a small percentage of the County's land contains more than sixty percent of its tax base, with most of that property lying within the municipalities. "If you just expand that by five percent," Hayter said, "it captures seventy percent of the tax base. We need to focus on the infill opportunities around our municipalities, and not be putting new towns out in the rural area."

Cuts in the state education budget will cost Moore County Schools [MCS] $600,000 this school year, Chief Financial Officer Mike Griffin told the Moore County Board of Education during their Monday, September 9 regular meeting.

That's a bit less than one percent of the $64.2 million MCS expects to receive from the state.

The largest cut is to the budget for teacher assistants, Griffin told the Board. Last year, the state provided $4.4 million for assistants; this year, the number is $3.7 million, a $700,000 reduction. That's equivalent to twenty-eight teacher assistant positions, Griffin said. Twenty unfilled positions have been eliminated; eight others will be paid for via federal Title I funds, in order to avoid layoffs. Title I funds are directed to schools with a large number of students from low-income families.

The state doesn't simply send MCS $64 million a year to do with what they will. Instead, state funding comes in more than 30 different streams aimed at specific needs, from Central Office Administration to At-Risk Student Services. Some of these, like funds directed to educating exceptional children, will increase this year; most are seeing cuts.

Loss of flexibility costs MCS $1.4 million

The state will also stick with a rule change that cost Moore County $1.4 million in state funding last year. Unlike most of the revenue streams MCS receives from the state, the largest, which provides nearly $32 million for classroom teachers, comes denominated not in dollars, but in teachers.

Based on the number of students enrolled in Moore County Schools, the state allocates a certain number of teachers to the County. Last year it was 535. The NC Department of Public Instruction multiplies that number by the average cost of a teacher in the state, roughly $57,000 per year. That number includes salary, payroll taxes, and benefits.

But Moore County teachers are, on average, younger than the state average, and thus don't cost as much to employ. From FY2010 to FY2012, MCS was able to use that difference, which amounted to $1.4 million systemwide, for other programs and to increase its fund balance.

Beginning last year, that flexibility was taken away, and the $1.4 million went back to the state. The same thing will happen this year, Griffin said.

Exactly how many MCS classroom teachers the state will pay for this year is not yet certain, since that depends on enrollment measured on the twentieth day of the school year.

[Clarification - Westside Treasurer Dale Erickson informs The Times that we made an error in our reporting on the Tuesday, August 27 meeting of the Seven Lakes West Landowners Association.

We reported that the Association would be discontinuing the monthly payment option for dues. Erickson tells us this is wrong on two counts: first, because no decision has been made, and, second, because he is recommending not the discontinuation of the monthly payment option, but only the discontinuation of the coupon books currently used to make monthly payments. Monthly payments would still be accepted -- if the Board adopts Erickson's recommendations -- but they would be handled through a direct debit of the landowner's bank account. Any decision on changing the payment structure would not be effective until the next fiscal year, which begins on May 1, 2014.

The Times regrets the error.

Here's a clarification that Erickson posted on the Westside website:

During the August 27, General Session, Treasurer Erickson presented the Seven Lakes West July Financials in a PowerPoint format. A portion of Erickson's presentation was a review of delinquent fees, and he stated "Delinquent property owners create additional administrative costs and hinder our cash-low process. Next fiscal year a revised and simplified system is being considered and which may consist of a) Pay lump sum, or be) Monthly bank direct debit."

The PowerPoint presentation authored by Treasurer Erickson is available for review on our web site.

The Seven Lakes Times apparently misquoted the Erickson presentation, as he spoke from the PowerPoint slide (which is documented on the web site), and he did not say that a decision had been made in any fashion.

However, the motivation for the "Delinquent Fee" portion of the presentation is the fact that our annual costs of coupon books is approximately $3,500.00, and that, on a monthly basis, almost 200 landowners are over 30 days delinquent, and follow-up administrative costs are incurred. This is what Treasurer Erickson feels is unacceptable, and some changes are in order.]

Nancy Workman will serve out the unexpired term of Seven Lakes West Landowners Association [SLWLA] Director Rosemary Weber. Weber’s resignation was announced, and Workman’s appointment unanimously approved, by the Westside Board during its Tuesday, August 27 regular meeting.

Weber’s husband, Ron Weber, died on July 28.

SLWLA President Jack Stevens praised Weber’s work as Director in charge of recreation. Weber and her committee have been responsible for planning and hosting a wide variety of family-friendly events for the Westside community.

Weber’s term was slated to end in March 2014, so her resignation created a short term opening on the Board of Directors.

“The nominating committee has met and discussed several excellent candidates at this time,” Director Ed Cockman reported, recommending resident Workman. “Nancy has had a long standing history in our community. She has many years of experience running her own business.”

The board vote unanimously in favor of Workman, who took her new director’s seat for the remainder of the meeting.

The Board voted early in the year to reduce the number of Directors from nine to seven. Duties of both the Recreation Director and the Safety and Security Director will be turned over to CAS staff. Workman will oversee the reorganization of events planning and work with CAS Manager Jeannette Mendence in defining responsibilities for community events and amenities.

Board of Commissioners Chairman Nick Picerno "was really sort of dismayed" at the Moore County Board of Education's vote to cancel a joint meeting of the two Boards that had been scheduled for Thursday, September 5.

"And I was particularly concerned about the comment of one School Board member that the Board of Education and the Board of Commissioners seem to have different goals in mind," he added. "I believe the goals of both boards is giving the children of Moore County the best education that we can afford."

Picerno addressed the meeting cancellation during the Tuesday, September 3 Commissioners meeting. [See our story here for more on the School Board's decision.]

The purpose of the joint meeting was to discuss financial planning for Moore County Schools [MCS] facilities and the digital learning initiative, as well as the goals of the two boards.

In addition to those new school-related expenditures, the Commissioners face the prospect of building a new courthouse in the next decade, as well as upgrading other facilities. So they have a keen interest in developing a comprehensive picture of long-term capital financing needs.

"I am concerned that we can't have just board members sit down in a work session, without staff," he added. School Board members wanted to have Superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence and other MCS staff participate in the meeting; the Commissioners wanted only elected officials at the table.

"It is in everyone's best interest . . . to have a good working relationship," Commissioner Randy Saunders said, noting that, as the Commissioner designated to interface with MCS, he had regular conversations with Kathy Farren, the School Board member designated as liaison to the County.

"We are going to work to have a meeting where we can talk through those things," Saunders said. "We have to keep an open line of communication. The only way for us to have success in the schools is to work together."

"If they don't want to sit down and talk with us, how do they ever expect to resolve anything?" Commissioner Otis Ritter asked.

Moore County's need for facilities and the Board of Commissioners' determination to avoid a tax increase are on a collision course. The magnitude of the challenge was outlined in a Friday, August 23 meeting of the County's Courthouse Advisory Committee.

Moore County needs a new courthouse, something the experts believe will cost $20-$25 million, or more. A new jail and public safety complex were just completed, at a cost of $25.8 million, which must now be repaid.

The County's student population is growing; some schools need to be expanded, and others need to be replaced. Exactly what will be built and what that will cost will determined in a public planning process this Fall. But, in November 2014, voters will likely find a bond referendum for $60 million, $80 million, or even more on the ballot.

Moore County Schools has initiated an ambitious plan to provide digital technology -- laptops and tablet computers -- to every student in every classroom. That could add an extra $2 million each year, every year going forward, to the $26.5 million county taxpayers currently provide to the schools.

There's a lot to be accomplished, a lot of money to be spent, and the Board of Commissioners are determined to avoid any increase in property taxes.

That was the message that County Commissioner Larry Caddell and Commissioners Chairman Nick Picerno carried to the August 23 meeting of the County's Courthouse Advisory Committee.