Macon Media

Franklin TDA 06-10-2013

noreply@blogger.com (Bobby Coggins) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 11:27:00 +0000

The next meeting of the board will be Tuesday, June 18th at 5.30pm.

**note** This conflicts with the previously scheduled meeting of the Macon County Commissioners. I'll try to arrange to have cameras at both events. I may need a volunteer who is willing to sit with the camera I leave at the TDA meeting to ensure that Mike Gruberman does not shut it down prior to the start of the meeting like he did the last time I had two meetings that conflicted.

Here is a copy of the agenda (I've corrected some formatting errors that were present in the official copy), minutes the financial report, which was only included with the printed version of the document. I'll try to transcribe it if I have time...but I am very busy this week and may forget.

Town of Franklin Tourism Development Authority

Agenda

Monday June 10, 2013

5.30pm Town Hall Board Room

1.) Call to order - CHair Candy Pressley

2.) Approval of the May 8 and May 13, 2013 minutes

3.) Financial Report - Summer Woodard

4.) Sub-Committee Reports
a. Finance.Budget Chair report - Mike Gruberman
b. Policy and Rules of Procedure Report - Vickie Springer
c. Application and Review Chair report - Summer Woodard

5.) New Business
a. Presentation by Premier Marketing
b. Discussion on Marketing Plan for FY 2013-2014

6.) Items from the board

7.) Announcements - The next regularly scheduled TDA meeting is Monday, July 8, 2013 at 5.30pm in the Town Hall Boardroom.

8.) Adjourn

Franklin TDA Agenda Kit

Two Minor Quakes Shake Macon and Jackson Counties Updated with Information on the June 7th Tremor

noreply@blogger.com (Bobby Coggins) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 11:11:00 +0000

**update** Another minor quake, this one Magnitude 2.4 has happened this morning. Some people are reporting they felt two separate events. I have added information about the new quake at the end of this article.

**update #2** The USGS has adjusted the magnitudes of the recent quakes as follows:

The strength of the second quake (previously 2.2 Magnitude) has been more than doubled to match the first quake. Both are now rated at 2.5 Magnitude.

Today's quake, previously rated 2.4, has been lowered to 2.3 Magnitude.

**update #3** They've also changed the epicenters to the quakes. They are all reported to have taken place beneath Panther Knob now.

Yesterday, June 6, 2013, two small quakes occurred beneath Panther Knob. The first one (orange circle in the above graphic) happened at 5:58:14 am and was heard or felt by people in Macon and Jackson Counties, waking a few up. It registered Magnitude 2.5 at occurred at a depth of 4.4 miles.

The second one (red star in the above graphic) happened at 2:21:19 pm and was felt or heard by a number of people also. It registered Magnitude 2.2 and occurred at th a depth of 3.17 miles. It released less than half the energy of the first minor quake.

Minor earthquakes above Magnitude 2.0 like these happen about ten times a year within a hundred mile radius of where these occurred, most of them in Tennessee, where there is more geological activity. Lesser tremors below 2.0 occur more frequently.

USGS Event Pages are available for both quakes and I have linked to them below for your convenience.

5.58 am Quake Event Page | USGS Community Intensity Map
2.21 pm Quake Event Page | USGS Community Intensity Map

A map from the North Carolina Geological Survey showing epicenters of earthquakes between 1698 and 1997 is available at http://www.geology.enr.state.nc.us/haz/quake.htm

UPDATES ARE BELOW

June 7th Earthquake Information:

Another minor quake has been reported. It was a Magnitude 2.4 and happened at 6:28:50 at a depth of 3 miles below the Comer Knob area (just a little north of the two previous tremors. Here is a map of where the quakes are in relation to one another:

More information on this morning's tremor is below:

June 7, 2013 6:28:50 am Quake

USGS Event Page | USGS Community Intensity Map

Macon County Fails to Receive PARTF Grant for Parker Meadows Property Will have to pay full price

noreply@blogger.com (Bobby Coggins) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 22:16:00 +0000

RALEIGH — State officials today announced the award of $3.8 million in grants from the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund to 14 local governments for parks and recreation projects.

“Through the local grant program of the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, state and local governments have been partners in providing green space, outdoor recreation opportunities and stimulus into local economies,” said Lewis Ledford, director of the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. “The result has been healthier citizens and improvement in the quality of life in North Carolina.”

The matching grants, awarded by the Parks and Recreation Authority, will help fund land acquisition, development and renovation of public park and recreation areas. The authority considered 73 grant applications requesting more than $20 million. A maximum of $500,000 can be awarded to a single project.

Source: NC Political News
Hat Tip: Anonymous

From what I heard at the Commissioner meetings, this grant was supposed to be a slam dunk. Guess not.

The county will now have to pay $550,000 for the property.

Here is video of the vote by Commissioners that allowed the purchase to go through to completion...

FY 2013-2014 Macon County Budget Discussion Videos

noreply@blogger.com (Bobby Coggins) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 11:39:00 +0000

According to my calculations, the county commissioners have spent around 16 hours publicly discussing elements of the FY 2013-2014 county budget. Close to 6 hours alone have been spent on the budget of the Macon County School System.

They still have a public hearing on the budget (next Tuesday at 6pm) and another possible meeting beyond that.

This article has all the videos of their budget discussions in one place for anyone who cares to sit through something that is an hour and twenty minutes longer (and less entertaining) than The Winds of War Miniseries.

I have written no commentary for this article so that you may make up your own mind regarding the content of the videos and have included copies of the annual budget message by the county manager and the proposed budget so that you may download them and read them for yourself.

Please let your friends know that the entire series of public meetings is available here for them to watch for themselves instead of reading a few paragraphs in the local papers spread out over the course of the last five months.

I will add a video of the public hearing and any other additional public meetings held by the Macon County Commissioners regarding the FY 2013-2014 budget to this article, so bookmark it for future reference.

County Manager's FY 2013-14 Budget Message by Thunder Pig

2014 Admin Recommended Budget by Thunder Pig

Mid-Year Retreat January 19, 2013

Part I (1h 44m)

Part II (1h 28m)

Part III (1h 24m)

Joint Meeting between the Macon County Commissioners and the Board of Education (2h 02m) 02-26-2013

Joint Meeting between the Macon County Commissioners and the Board of Education (1h 55m) 04-18-2013

County Manager's Budget Message May 20, 2013 (48m)

Budget Work Session I May 28, 2013 (1h 39m)

Budget Work Session II: Public Safety May 30, 2013 (2h 40m)

Budget Work Session III: Board of Education June 4, 2013 (2h 13m)

Macon County Commissioners Budget Work Session III: Board of Education 06-04-2013

noreply@blogger.com (Bobby Coggins) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 11:04:00 +0000

Here is low resolution video of the budget work session held last night by the Macon County Commissioners, the bulk of which was devoted to "discussing" the budget of the Macon County School System. I didn't get the feel that the Commissioners were willing to budge on their previous position of not giving the Board of Education any more than they've already committed to in the FY 2013-2014 budget.

To refresh your memory, the proposed budget includes $7,118,330 for current expenditures for the Macon County School System.

S/W FEES	$72,000
MCS CUR EX	$7,118,330
MCS CAP EX	$199,035
MCS-SUPPL	$430,621
TIMBER-MCS	$150,000
SCC	$448,563
TOTAL	$8,418,549

MaconMedia

See for yourself all the videos of the FY 2013-2014 Budget Meetings held by the Macon County Commissioners.

Storm Chasers Get Too Close to Tornadoes in Oklahoma Is it Time to License Chasers?

noreply@blogger.com (Bobby Coggins) — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 15:08:00 +0000

I'll just leave this here and let you compare the hypocrisy of The Weather Channel's Mike Bettes speak for itself. People like him, Brandon Sullivan and Reed Timmer give legitimate severe weather chase teams a bad name with their blood lust for better footage in the name of TV Ratings and profit from the sale of footage of tornadoes.

Mike Bettes in 2011 on storm chasers who get too close to storms, risking getting flipped and injured:

“Chasing can be an educational and exhilarating experience, but it also is inherently dangerous. An increasing trend I see happening is chasers trying to get as close as possible to one-up their competition, and cash in on dramatic video. And the one thing I always hear from professional chasers is how safety is their number one concern, and warning the public is their number one priority. Me? I Call B.S. on that one. When you’re being hit by debris, and you’re flipping your car while pursuing a tornado, you’re not very concerned about your safety, or anyone else’s. You’re setting a bad example for a younger generation of chasers who follow your lead.” - Mike Bettes, 2011

Compare that to the following video from yesterday, where he gets too close, gets flipped and suffers minor injuries:

Video of Brandon Sullivan purposefully driving into the circulation of a tornado and getting pounded by debris:

Commentary

The videos above show examples of the type of "storm chaser" that gives legitimate severe weather research teams a bad name.

I am a small government type of guy, but I believe the time has come for storm chasers to go through a licensing process by the federal government, probably the National Weather Service and licenses should be permanently revoked for getting this close to a storm unless they're in an approved research vehicle.

The people in the above videos should NEVER be allowed in a storm area unless they live there.

One way to stop this storm chasing for profit would be for the legitimate research teams to start providing footage to the networks and TV Stations for free or next to free. And perhaps they could have Public Information Officers to liaise with the media and the public via social media and live streams.

If you can devalue the sale of video footage and photographs of tornadoes, then that might stop some of the nonsense of people chasing to solely sell video.

People like Reed Timmer and Brandon Sullivan is an example of the type of "storm chaser" that gives legitimate severe weather research teams a bad name.

At this point, as I mentioned above, I would even support a type of federal licensing program, but I think it would be a bear to set up and monitor. Perhaps it could be like what amateur radio operators have to go through that would subject the license holders to severe fines if they violate the terms.

I am sure this will be a topic of discussion on Monday night's episode of "Weather Brains." You can follow along on Google Plus or their website.

PS: Here are some guidelines for chasing severe weather responsibly:

Responsible Chasing

Acting responsibly is a good way to ensure that chasing isn't associated with yahoos, wackos, and thrill-seekers. Apart from ensuring that safety is a constant consideration and courtesy is an automatic action, what do I mean by responsible storm chasing?

1. Keeping our enthusiasm for violent weather in the proper place. If you've had your home and perhaps loved ones taken from you by a tornado, then you are probably not going to react favorably to a bunch of folks whooping it up enthusiastically over a tornado. When I first drove into the damage path of the Union City tornado, shortly after it left town, I realized that the tornadoes that I wanted to happen could wreak havoc on people's lives. After some reflection, I realized that what I wanted didn't really change the weather (good thing, too!), and that by happening in front of trained observers, what we learned could be used to mitigate the impact of such storms in the future. But I still feel uncomfortable dealing with tornado victims. Talking about death and destruction as a good thing in front of the wrong people, even as a joke, can create an awful impression of storm chasers. Virtually all storm chasers would be delighted to have tornadoes happen only in open country where not even crops would be damaged.
2. Chasers can be of tremendous help to science and to the public if they will take a few moments to report what they have seen. Call or visit the appropriate NWS office and give the report of what was seen, including the location of the event(s) and the time(s) of occurrence. I personally do not believe it is necessary to break off a storm chase to call in a report, unless you have some electronic communication aboard your chase vehicle so that you can make a report without terminating the chase. However, as soon as possible afterward, you should report the event(s). If you feel that the storm is about to strike without any warning and you have the opportunity to do something to warn people, then by all means do what you are able to do.
3. Responsible chasers don't endanger themselves or others. Keep in mind that your actions might be used to portray storm chasing as a whole. If you behave recklessly, without regard for your safety and, especially, the safety and well-being of others, then you invite people to make the unfair comparison. I don't want the job of having to answer for your irresponsible actions!
4. Effective chasing is a constant learning process, and responsible chasers need to be aware of what is going on in severe thunderstorm and tornado science. It behooves all of us to be informed about the latest scientific findings, even if the only rationale is to make us better chasers. Participate in the process and don't be selfish with it. If you have seen something noteworthy, you can be responsible for preventing future disasters through sharing what you have seen. Knowing what is noteworthy requires you to be knowledgeable about the science of severe storms, so it is a two-way street that works most effectively when everyone shares what they know for scientific and educational purposes freely.
5. Chasing can become a dangerous obsession. Student chasers who let their studies go to follow the convection run the risk of sacrificing their careers. Chasers who neglect their family responsibilities to chase are not folks I admire, no matter how much they "succeed" in chasing. Letting chasing get in the way of any work responsibilities is also a problem, in my view. Some folks wear their obsession about chasing as some sort of badge of honor, but I say "Get a life!" Everyone has to decide on an individual basis what is their operational definition of "responsible" chasing from this personal point of view. All I know is that building a life totally around storm chasing, in my opinion, is not a very responsible life.
6. Stay out of tornado damage areas if possible. During a chase, this seems fairly obvious. Damage paths are full of hazards that no one would enjoy if it is possible to avoid them; downed power lines, jagged pieces of sheet metal, boken boards, etc. When the chase is over, some chasers may want to do their own damage survey ... in general this is a bad idea! Stay out of such places unless you have been invited to participate as part of an organized storm damage survey or a cleanup crew. You are likely to be in the way of cleanup and folks who have been hit by a tornado tend to be suspicious of strangers in their midst. Gawkers are not appreciated and being taken for a potential looter is not likely to make you welcome!

Macon County Commissioners Budget Work Session II: Public Safety

noreply@blogger.com (Bobby Coggins) — Fri, 31 May 2013 19:37:00 +0000

Here is the video of the second budget work session of the Macon County Commissioners. You can see the first one by clicking here.

This session lasted for two hours and forty minutes.

The next budget work session has been scheduled for Tuesday, June 4th at 5.30pm and will focus on the budget request by the Macon County School Board. You might get a handle on what the Board of Education will be presenting to the County Commissioners by watching the last meeting of the Board of Education.

Macon County Planning Board May 30, 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Bobby Coggins) — Fri, 31 May 2013 11:45:00 +0000

The Macon County Planning Board met yesterday for it's regular monthly meeting. The main topic of discussion was the proposed Flood Plain Ordinance. A dozen people spoke against allowing fill in the flood plain.

Members of the board discussed NC Senate Bill 612, which, if signed into law, would render the current discussion moot because it would not allow the counties to pass regulations that are more stringent than state regulations. Some members of the public wanted the board to prohibit fill in the flood plain regardless of what the state did because they felt that the bill, if signed into law, would be overturned through litigation.

To keep track of the progress of the bill, click here. I have also embedded a copy of the text as it currently stands at the end of this article.

MEDIA ROLL CALL

The Franklin Press and Macon Media (me) were the only news media organizations that were present at the meeting.

COMMENTARY

I expect that this bill will pass the NC House and be signed into law and will successfully stand potential challenges in the state court system.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

NC Senate Bill 612 Vote History
Date	Subject	RCS #	Aye	No	N/V	Exc. Abs.	Exc. Vote	Total	Result
05/01/2013 2:23PM	Amendment 1	[S] - 232	47	1	0	2	0	48	PASS
05/01/2013 2:25PM	Amendment 2	[S] - 233	45	3	0	2	0	48	PASS
05/01/2013 2:39PM	Second Reading	[S] - 234	36	12	0	2	0	48	PASS
05/02/2013 12:51PM	Amendment 3	[S] - 254	47	0	0	3	0	47	PASS
05/02/2013 12:52PM	Amendment 4	[S] - 255	47	0	0	3	0	47	PASS
05/02/2013 12:53PM	Third Reading	[S] - 256	36	11	0	3	0	47	PASS
Viewing All Votes (6)

NC Senate Bill 612v3

Franklin Aldermen June 2013 Meeting Agenda

noreply@blogger.com (Bobby Coggins) — Thu, 30 May 2013 22:19:00 +0000

Here is the public agenda and the press kit for the JUne meeting of the Franklin Town Board of Aldermen. I plan on being there to record this meeting.

Town of Franklin Board of Aldermen

Meeting Agenda

Monday June 3, 2013 - 7:00 p.m.

Call to order -Mayor Collins
Approval of the May 6 and May 14, 2013 board minutes
Public hearing 7:05 p.m. on the proposed budget for fiscal year 2013-2014
- Consideration of the proposed budget for fiscal year 2013-2014
Public session
New business
- Re-zoning petition by the Town of Franklin for East Main Street, Gaston Street, Green Street and West Palmer Street- Land Use Administrator Derek Roland
- Re-zoning petition by residents of Pauline Avenue - Land Use Administrator Derek Roland
- Application to amend text only of the Unified Development Ordinance for regulating the location of electronic machines and sweepstakes- Land Use Administrator Derek Roland
- Town of Franklin Internet Usage Policy- Human Resource Officer Ashley Hyder
- Town of Franklin Banner Policy- Town Manager Warren Cabe
- Sewer flow allocation for Burnette Hill Road- Town Manager Warren Cabe
- Budget amendments- Finance Officer Janet Anderson
- Alcohol Beverage Control Board vacancy- Town Manager Warren Cabe
Legal
- Wilkie Street water tank road easement- Town Attorney John Henning Jr.,
- Resolution to delegate authority to determine tax releases or refunds of tax of less than one hundred dollars to the Town Manager- Town Attorney John Henning Jr.,
Adjourn

Franklin Aldermen Press Kit 06-03-2013

Macon County Board of Education 05-28-2013

noreply@blogger.com (Bobby Coggins) — Thu, 30 May 2013 16:39:00 +0000

Here is video of the May meeting of the Macon County Board of Education that took place on Monday, May 28, 2013. The video could not have been recorded without the help of Travis Tallent, a reporter for the Macon County News.

Macon County Commissioners 05-28-2013

noreply@blogger.com (Bobby Coggins) — Thu, 30 May 2013 16:27:00 +0000

Here is video of the first budget work session by the Macon County Commissioners for the 2013-2014 Fiscal Year.

Memorial Day General Order No 11 and a History of the Observance

noreply@blogger.com (Bobby Coggins) — Mon, 27 May 2013 11:05:00 +0000

General Order No. 11

"Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic." -- General Logan - May 5, 1868

Today is the day set aside for remembering fallen veterans.

The local Memorial Day ceremonies:

FRANKLIN -- Veterans Memorial Park at 1288 Georgia Rd. Ceremony begins at 11:15am. In case of rain, the ceremony will take place at the Fine Arts Building on the campus of Franklin High School at 100 Panther Drive. More information on how you can contribute to the Veterans Memorial Park of Macon County.

SYLVA -- Veterans Memorial Fountain on Main Street. Ceremony begins at noon. In case of rain, the ceremony will take place at the Bridge Park Pavilion.

I have found and posted General Order No. 11, which established Memorial Day as an observance by General Logan and a brief history of Memorial Day from the Veterans Administration.

HEADQUARTERS GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC

General Orders No.11, WASHINGTON, D.C., May 5, 1868

The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet church-yard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.
We are organized, comrades, as our regulations tell us, for the purpose among other things, "of preserving and strengthening those kind and fraternal feelings which have bound together the soldiers, sailors, and marines who united to suppress the late rebellion." What can aid more to assure this result than cherishing tenderly the memory of our heroic dead, who made their breasts a barricade between our country and its foes? Their soldier lives were the reveille of freedom to a race in chains, and their deaths the tattoo of rebellious tyranny in arms. We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance. All that the consecrated wealth and taste of the nation can add to their adornment and security is but a fitting tribute to the memory of her slain defenders. Let no wanton foot tread rudely on such hallowed grounds. Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond mourners. Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.

If other eyes grow dull, other hands slack, and other hearts cold in the solemn trust, ours shall keep it well as long as the light and warmth of life remain to us.

Let us, then, at the time appointed gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with the choicest flowers of spring-time; let us raise above them the dear old flag they saved from dishonor; let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us a sacred charge upon a nation's gratitude, the soldier's and sailor's widow and orphan.

It is the purpose of the Commander-in-Chief to inaugurate this observance with the hope that it will be kept up from year to year, while a survivor of the war remains to honor the memory of his departed comrades. He earnestly desires the public press to lend its friendly aid in bringing to the notice of comrades in all parts of the country in time for simultaneous compliance therewith.
Department commanders will use efforts to make this order effective.
By order of

JOHN A. LOGAN,
Commander-in-Chief

N.P. CHIPMAN,
Adjutant General

Official:
WM. T. COLLINS, A.A.G.

A HISTORY OF MEMORIAL DAY

Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) — established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. It is believed that date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.

The first large observance was held that year at Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.

The ceremonies centered around the mourning-draped veranda of the Arlington mansion, once the home of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Various Washington officials, including Gen. and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant, presided over the ceremonies. After speeches, children from the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Orphan Home and members of the GAR made their way through the cemetery, strewing flowers on both Union and Confederate graves, reciting prayers and singing hymns.

Local Observances Claim To Be First Local springtime tributes to the Civil War dead already had been held in various places. One of the first occurred in Columbus, Miss., April 25, 1866, when a group of women visited a cemetery to decorate the graves of Confederate soldiers who had fallen in battle at Shiloh. Nearby were the graves of Union soldiers, neglected because they were the enemy. Disturbed at the sight of the bare graves, the women placed some of their flowers on those graves, as well.

Today, cities in the North and the South claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day in 1866. Both Macon and Columbus, Ga., claim the title, as well as Richmond, Va. The village of Boalsburg, Pa., claims it began there two years earlier. A stone in a Carbondale, Ill., cemetery carries the statement that the first Decoration Day ceremony took place there on April 29, 1866. Carbondale was the wartime home of Gen. Logan. Approximately 25 places have been named in connection with the origin of Memorial Day, many of them in the South where most of the war dead were buried.

Official Birthplace Declared In 1966, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y., the “birthplace” of Memorial Day. There, a ceremony on May 5, 1866, honored local veterans who had fought in the Civil War. Businesses closed and residents flew flags at half-staff. Supporters of Waterloo’s claim say earlier observances in other places were either informal, not community-wide or one-time events.

By the end of the 19th century, Memorial Day ceremonies were being held on May 30 throughout the nation. State legislatures passed proclamations designating the day, and the Army and Navy adopted regulations for proper observance at their facilities.

It was not until after World War I, however, that the day was expanded to honor those who have died in all American wars. In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress, though it is still often called Decoration Day. It was then also placed on the last Monday in May, as were some other federal holidays.

Some States Have Confederate Observances Many Southern states also have their own days for honoring the Confederate dead. Mississippi celebrates Confederate Memorial Day on the last Monday of April, Alabama on the fourth Monday of April, and Georgia on April 26. North and South Carolina observe it on May 10, Louisiana on June 3 and Tennessee calls that date Confederate Decoration Day. Texas celebrates Confederate Heroes Day January 19 and Virginia calls the last Monday in May Confederate Memorial Day.

Gen. Logan’s order for his posts to decorate graves in 1868 “with the choicest flowers of springtime” urged: “We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance. ... Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond mourners. Let no neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.”

The crowd attending the first Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery was approximately the same size as those that attend today’s observance, about 5,000 people. Then, as now, small American flags were placed on each grave — a tradition followed at many national cemeteries today. In recent years, the custom has grown in many families to decorate the graves of all departed loved ones.

The origins of special services to honor those who die in war can be found in antiquity. The Athenian leader Pericles offered a tribute to the fallen heroes of the Peloponnesian War over 24 centuries ago that could be applied today to the 1.1 million Americans who have died in the nation’s wars: “Not only are they commemorated by columns and inscriptions, but there dwells also an unwritten memorial of them, graven not on stone but in the hearts of men.”

To ensure the sacrifices of America ’s fallen heroes are never forgotten, in December 2000, the U.S. Congress passed and the president signed into law “The National Moment of Remembrance Act,” P.L. 106-579, creating the White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance. The commission’s charter is to “encourage the people of the United States to give something back to their country, which provides them so much freedom and opportunity” by encouraging and coordinating commemorations in the United States of Memorial Day and the National Moment of Remembrance.

The National Moment of Remembrance encourages all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation. As Moment of Remembrance founder Carmella LaSpada states: “It’s a way we can all help put the memorial back in Memorial Day.”

USFS hold Plan Revision Session for the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests in Franklin

noreply@blogger.com (Bobby Coggins) — Fri, 24 May 2013 16:10:00 +0000

Here is video of the USFS Plan Revision Session that took place in Franklin last night.

More information from the US Forest Service.

Macon County Commissioners 05-20-2013

noreply@blogger.com (Bobby Coggins) — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:10:00 +0000

**update 1.51pm** Here is a copy of the proposed budget:

2014 Admin Recommended Budget

Here is the video of Monday night's meeting of the Macon County Commissioners that took place in Highlands, NC. I have also included the public agenda for your convenience and the press kit in the interest of promoting transparency. No other local media organization makes this information available to the citizens of Macon County.

If you are interested in just the budget message that was delivered by county manager Jack Horton, please read this article. To date, I have not been able to obtain a copy of the proposed budget and am continuing to seek one so that I might be able to share it with you.

MACON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

MAY 20, 2013 – 7 P.M.

CONTINUED SESSION

AGENDA

HIGHLANDS CIVIC CENTER

600 NORTH 4TH STREET

HIGHLANDS, NC

1. Reconvene and welcome by Chairman Corbin
2. Announcements
3. Moment of Silence
4. Pledge of Allegiance
5. Public Hearing(s) – none
6. Public Comment Period
7. Adjustments to and approval of the agenda
8. Reports/Presentations
A. Presentation of the proposed Fiscal Year 2013-2014 budget – County Manager
9. Old Business
10.New Business
A. Presentation of proposed revisions to the subdivision ordinance – County Attorney
B. Establishment of a cemetery board for Macon County – County Attorney
C. Consideration of bid for computer hardware for Macon County Schools
D. Funding for No-Rise Study at Macon County Airport – County Manager
E. Southwestern Commission Regional Visioning Effort – Chairman Corbin
F. Consideration of declaring ambulance as surplus and donating the same to the Town of Highlands Police Department – County Manager and County Attorney
11.Consent Agenda
All items below are considered routine and will be enacted by one motion. No separate discussion will be held except on request of a member of the Board of Commissioners.
A. Minutes of the April 9th, April 12th, April 18th, and April 23rd meetings
B. Budget amendments #169, #174 and #175
C. Tax releases (none)
D. Consideration of county management records retention and
disposition schedule
E. Change to Macon County Public Health Fee Schedule
F. Pool hours/prices for Macon County Parks and Recreation
G. Monthly ad valorem tax report (no action necessary)
12.Appointments
A. Board of Health (three seats)
B. Social Services Board (one seat)
C. Planning Board (one seat)
13.Closed session (if necessary)
14.Adjournment/Recess

Macon County Commissioners 05-20-2013 by Thunder Pig

NC Public Utilities Commission to hold Public Hearing in Franklin Tonight

noreply@blogger.com (Bobby Coggins) — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:19:00 +0000

A May 21 hearing will be held in Franklin on Duke Energy Carolinas’ 9.7 percent rate-hike request.

The hearing will be one of six the N.C. Utilities Commission scheduled, that will end in a July 8 public hearing in Raleigh where Duke Energy and expert witnesses will offer testimony.

See video of the previous public hearing at http://thunderpigblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/nc-public-utilities-hearing-in-franklin.html

======

Duke Carolinas’ rate request is its third since 2009. Customers will be asked to pay for the $3.8 billion the company has spent since 2011 on new power plants and upgrades to nuclear plants and transmission systems.

While Duke is seeking a 9.7 percent overall increase, most residential customers would pay about 14 percent more. The Utilities Commission has to approve any increase.

In its most recent previous rate case, settled in January 2012, Duke agreed to an increase of less than half the size of its original request.

Duke Carolinas serves 1.9 million customers, mostly in North Carolina’s western half.

Tonight's hearing will start at 7pm on the fourth floor of the Macon County Courthouse.

You can download PDFs of all pertinent testimony at http://is.gd/13DECDOCS

Be aware that there will be plenty of people present at the Duke Energy Rate Increase public hearing, and, as always, the majority of them will have been fully coached on what to say and how to say it via workshops and Webinars.

For example:

Wednesday, May 15, 6:30 pm: How to Tell a Compelling Story. This training by NC WARN organizers will focus on how to tell a compelling story when testifying at upcoming NC Utility Commission public hearings on the Duke Energy rate hike. Use what you learn to speak out for the real public good!

Link #1: http://www.ncwarn.org/2012/12/irp-and-rate-hike-hearings/

Link #2: http://www.consumersagainstratehikes.org/take-action/duke-energy-rate-hike/

Politics is involved with the opposition to the rate hike. Read more about that on a progressive blog at https://www.bluenc.com/public-hearings-duke-energy-rate-hike

Macon County Manager's Budget Message Delivered to County Commissioners

noreply@blogger.com (Bobby Coggins) — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:47:00 +0000

**update** 05-22-2013 Here is a copy of the proposed budget:

2014 Admin Recommended Budget

Update #1: I have added a copy of last year's budget message for comparison's sake at the end of this article.

Update #2: Here is a searchable text of the current budget message...

Macon County Manager's Office • Budget Message

May 20, 2013

Macon County Board of Commissioners
Chairman: Kevin Corbin
Vice-Chair: : Ronnie Beale
Commissioner: Ron Haven
Commissioner: Paul Higdon
Commissioner: Jimmy Tate

Gentlemen,

In accordance with the North Carolina Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act, I am pleased to present to you the proposed budget for Macon County for Fiscal Year 2013-2014.

Macon County continues to maintain a solid financial position compared with many counties in North Carolina. The county currently has the lowest ad-valorem property tax rate among all 100 counties in North Carolina (@ 27.9 cents per $100) , and our fund balance remains healthy. This continues to provide a high degree of financial security in terms of being prepared for unexpected emergencies or shortfalls in revenue. The healthy fund balance, a conservative approach to budgeting, along with a consistent tax collection rate contributes to Macon County’s A+ Bond Rating.

The past year has been remarkable for Macon County in terms of positive accomplishments, especially in an era of economic distress throughout our state and nation. We are very pleased that the record will show the county has been vigilant in its approach to responsible financial planning while making needed improvements and investments in the future of all our citizens. I sincerely believe this is what is expected in order to be good stewards of the public trust. I will take time in this budget message to emphasize both highlights of the current year, and the challenges facing the county next year.

Current Year Highlights

This past year we have seen the completion of the new K-4 Iotla Valley Elementary School. The school opened on time and under budget at a cost of ($11,300,000) or $118.00 per square foot, and was financed with Qualified School Construction Bonds (QSCB) at a net interest rate of .48% for a term of 17 years
Replacement windows were installed in the newly renovated Nantahala School with savings from the $1,800,000 renovation that was completed last year.
Construction renovation ($1,5000,000) has begun on the Highlands K-12 School with completion hopefully by August 26th.This project is being funded by the county using (QZAB) Qualified Zone Academy Bonds at a net interest of 0%.
The county has coordinated the funding and administration of the Swiss Colony water project for the Town of Franklin. Total cost is $750,000 .The project will be completed this month. This was a part of the original Highway 28 North, Riverbend water project of $1,800,000. The entire system will be transferred to the Town Of Franklin for maintenance and operation.
Macon County funded a 10% match ($200,000) for the $ 2,000,000 Macon County Airport Apron renewal project which is now complete. The Airport is in line now for additional FAA funding for the next fiscal year for a project to widen the runway.
We have completed the renovation of the new Sheriff’s Office on Palmer Street along with a new DMV Drivers License Office at the same location.
The Barrett building renovation is complete including a state of the art Emergency Communications Center and elevator service to all three floors.
With the priority of keeping our public safety equipment up to date, this year we purchased 6 new patrol vehicles for the Sheriff’s Department, 2 new Ambulances and 12 new defibrillator/monitor machines for each of our ambulances in the Emergency Medical Services Department. We also added an Autopluse machine for each base in EMS.
Thanks to the efforts of our Finance Director and BB&T, we were able to refinance long term existing debt for the county saving over $2,700,000 in interest charges.
We were able to provide $1,500,000 to the Macon County Public School System that enabled them to upgrade all their current Information Technology equipment.
We renovated the Pool House and the Swimming Pool at the Macon County Recreation Parkmaking it a safe, modern, and family friendly facility. It opens this month.
The county was able to purchase a 48 acre tract of land known as Parker Meadows, which in time will be developed into a state of the art ball park and recreation facility containing 8 softball/ baseball fields along with other amenities
Our Economic Development efforts are paying off with increased activity in the Business Development Center with new prospects for job creation. We were extremely fortunate to be able help Tri Corn International acquire and establish a new business here (Franklin Tubular Products) to replace Whitley Products. Our EDC Director, the Economic Development Commission, and both the Town of Franklin and Macon County contributed to making this a success.
Our new Macon County Health Department Dental Clinic is now up and running and we are completing the long awaited renovation of the Holly Springs Community Development Building this month.

Highlights of the Proposed Budget

On the revenue side of the budget, growth in the tax base is minimal (less than 1%) but sales taxes have begun to increase modestly (2%). We have managed to deal effectively with the fiscal challenges, and continue to hope for an improved economy next year.

We started the budget process this year with a mid-year retreat/work session with the Board of Commissioners. It was the consensus of the Board at that time that we would construct a budget without an adjustment to the property tax rate. This proposed budget meets that objective.

After discussing possible goals and objectives for the coming year a budget schedule was presented, and we have tried to stay with that timetable as closely as possible. It is as follows:

MACON COUNTY
FY 2013/2014 BUDGET CALENDAR

January 19, 2013. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BOCC receives FY 2013/2014 budget calendar

Feb. 15, 2013 at 8:30 a.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Preliminary Budget Meeting with Department Heads

March 15, 2013. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Departments complete line item budget input and return hard                                                         copy requests and narratives.

March 25, 2013. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Print line item budget report for County Manager review.

April 1 - April 12, 2013. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . County Manager meetings with department heads

April 15, 2013. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Macon County Schools and outside agencies submit budget                                                     requests.

May 14, 2013. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Manager’s recommended budget presented to BOCC with                                                                  message; distributed to department heads, posted on County                                                     webpage.

May 15, 2013 until. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Work Sessions with Board

June 11, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Public hearing on the budget

June 18, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Board adopts budget

Revenue Projections

The following charts and graphs may prove helpful as we view the Revenues and Expenditures in the proposed budget. (Graphs and charts to follow) We have also listed below definitions of revenue and expenditure categories.

EXPLANATION OF REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE CATEGORIES

REVENUES BY SOURCE

Property tax- collections of current year and prior year unit-wide tax levies; interest on delinquent taxes; late listing penalties; and other costs of collecting delinquent taxes.
Other Tax- collections of taxes from special tax districts; animal taxes; deed stamp excise taxes; real property transfer taxes; scrap tire disposal taxes; local occupancy taxes; prepared food taxes; 911 charges; white goods disposal tax; and privilege and other license taxes.
Sales Tax- collections of the one percent local option Sales Tax (Article 39) and the one-half of one percent local option Sales Taxes (Articles 40, 42,).
Sales and Services- parking revenues; rents and royalties; airport revenues; fire protection charges; solid waste charges; ambulance and rescue squad charges; cemetery revenues; recreational service revenues; library service revenues; other cultural and recreational service revenues; client and third party payments for health, mental health, social services, and nursing home services; mass transit revenues; and water/sewer charges.
Intergovernmental- federal, state, and local financial assistance including payments in lieu of taxes; equitable sharing of federally forfeited property; categorical grants; controlled substance taxes; distributions of beer and wine taxes; payments of court costs. Public School Building Capital Fund revenues; Public School Building Bond Fund revenues; and lottery receipts for school construction
Miscellaneous- building permits; Register of Deeds’ fees; building inspection fees; other permits; investment earnings; special assessments; private contributions and donations; sales of materials, fixed assets, and real property; ABC Board bottle taxes; ABC Board profit distributions; proceeds of the sale of bonds and notes; proceeds of lease purchase agreements; and other Miscellaneous Revenues

EXPENDITURES BY FUNCTION

Education - appropriations to school administrative units and to community college systems for current operations and capital outlays
Debt Service - principal, interest, and fees paid or accrued on debt.
Human Services - expenditures for the public health, mental health, and social services programs; veterans’ service officers; legal aid; appropriations to hospital; county’s share of Medicaid payments, Work First expenses, and Special Assistance to Adults; county’s share paid to multi-county health district and an area mental health authority; and payments of the 5-cent ABC Board bottle tax.
General Government - expenditures for the governing body, administration, elections, finance, revaluations, legal services, Register of Deeds, construction and maintenance of public buildings not related to other functions, court facilities, and net central services.
Public Safety - expenditures for the sheriff’s department, jails, emergency communications, emergency management activities, fire protection, building inspections, rescue and ambulance services, animal control, and medical examiners or coroners.
Other - expenditures for transportation, solid waste, drainage and watershed, cemeteries, planning and zoning, economic and community development, agriculture extension programs, special employment programs, culture and recreation, water and sewer, unallocated fringe benefits, and miscellaneous expenditures.

Fund Balance Available and Appropriated

We strive to maintain a stable fund balance that meets or exceeds the goal of keeping a fund balance by year’s end equal to at least 25% of total expenditures. This is vitally important in order to keep Macon County financially prepared and fiscally sound. Our policy is to only appropriate fund balance to cover capital and/or one time discretionary expenses.

Fund balance "available" is the statutory concept that describes the amount of funds local governments legally have available to be appropriated in the coming fiscal year. It is essential that ad valorem tax-levying units, such as municipalities and counties, maintain an adequate amount of fund balance available to meet their cash flow needs during the months in their revenue cycles when outflows exceed inflows. This ensures that the unit can meet current obligations and to prevent the unit from experiencing cash flow difficulties.

The Local Government Commission policy requires that, on June 30, units maintain a minimum balance of 8 percent of the prior year’s expenditures, or approximately one month of expenditures.

North Carolina counties have historically maintained fund balance available levels well above the 8 percent minimum as a cushion against unexpected expenditures, emergencies or declines in revenues. Bond rating agencies reinforce the notion that fund balance should be above 8 percent and that higher levels are required for sound financial management. The higher balance is often necessary because the available fund balance many times includes restricted amounts, such as sales tax that is restricted for school capital outlay and funds set aside for debt service.

Using the 8 percent fund balance metric as a target, rather than an absolute minimum, may have devastating effects on the fiscal health of North Carolina counties. Across the state, the average fund balance amounts maintained by counties have been fairly consistent throughout the recent economic downturn. Counties have responded to the current economic downturn by reducing their budgets to avoid depleting fund balance available. Many counties have reduced expenditures through layoffs, furloughs, and service reductions. In addition, some counties have had to raise taxes and fees to maintain their financial stability. Their boards have made the difficult choices to maintain the good fiscal health that North Carolina local governments seek to achieve. Maintaining a strong fund balance is the prudent course for counties especially during these uncertain economic times. Depleting the fund balance could result in the county being forced to raise property taxes in order to meet essential and vital needs of our citizens.

Highlights

Tax Assessment: Work is underway now in the property revaluation process. It must be completed and on the books by January 2015. Much of this work will be accomplished during the next fiscal year 2013/2014.
Beginning July 1st this year there will be a new process in place by the NC Department of Motor Vehicles. Vehicles subject to property tax (city and county) will be paid at the time of License Plate renewal. This will obviously take some time to adjust to. The net effect will be that eventually local governments will collect 100% of property taxes due on motor vehicles. Our collection rate now is below 90%.
In regard to Information Technology, the proposed budget reflects our need to expand capabilities to retrieve and retain additional data associated with all county departments. This means we must continue to invest in new hardware and software accordingly.
Public Safety continues to be a top priority in the county budget with the acquisition next year of two new ambulances for our EMS Service, and five new patrol vehicles for the Sheriff’s Department.
There are no new county positions included in the proposed budget. We have allowed for funds in the Schools Capital Outlay budget for improvements related to school safety. We had 16 new positions requested in the budget process by multiple departments, but none have been included in the proposed budget due to limited resources.
We have been notified that the Macon County Airport Authority has been approved for additional FAA and state funding of approximately $2,900,000 and will require a 10% local match. When that is made official it will be brought to the Board of Commissioners for consideration. It is not reflected in the proposed budget.
The Cowee School Project has been separated from the Economic Development budget to better identify the expenditures related to that project. The budget does include a new heating and cooling system for the building. The new system will reduce energy cost and pay back can be realized in two to three years depending on the rising cost of fuel oil.
Our Transit budget for Elderly and Handicapped Transportation has been included in the Transit Department’s operations budget for the coming year.
Soil Conservation Service includes a grant from Duke Energy, $37,050
The Health Department budget includes the Regional Transformational Grant of $570,000. This is pass though money and will not have a permanent effect on the regular Health Department budget.
There is a small contribution to the Community Care Clinic. The original request was for $50,000 but due to limited resources it has been recommended to begin at $10,000.
The Department of Social Services budget contains $1,460,276 in pass through funds from the state for Day Care payments to providers in Macon County. This is neither revenue nor expenditure in terms of county funding. It inflates the DSS budget arbitrarily, as this was originally paid directly by the state.
It should be pointed out that the grants for Health and Social Services account for over 2 million ($2,000,000) in the budget. Without the Transformation Grant and the pass through of Day Care payments from the state, our overall budget would be considerably smaller.
The Fontana Regional Library system that operates the Macon County and Hudson Libraries is budgeted for an increase of a 3.15% for the coming year.
In addition to the regular annual appropriation for recreation for the Town of Highlands($495,000), the budget reflects an additional $250,000 which represents a joint effort between the town and the county for the Swimming Pool replacement project scheduled for later this year.

Education remains a priority for Macon County

In the past five years Macon County has made an enormous commitment to our local educational system in terms of capital needs as the following demonstrates.

Macon County Public School Capital Funding

Capital improvements to East Franklin Elementary School (QZAB)..........$2,000,000
New Intermediate School and expansion to East Franklin..................... $20,000,000
Purchase (Owens) property for Mountain View Intermediate..................$2,600,000
Nantahala Renovation (QZAB)....................................................................$1,800,000
Iotla Valley Elementary School Construction...........................................$13,869,000
Franklin High School Improvements...........................................................$1,321,000
Highlands School Improvements and sports fields........................................$938,000
Information Technology for the entire School System...............................$1,500,000
Highlands School Renovation.......................................................................$1,500,000
____________________________________________________________________

Total County Funded School Capital Projects since 2008.......................$45,528,000

Macon County Schools County Funding
For Current Expense and Debt Service

Our local school system is facing a crisis in terms of current operational expense. The primary responsibility counties have is to provide adequate school facilities and the primary responsibility for the state is to fund operational expenses. Over the past couple of years the school system has tried to maintain an operational level created by stimulus funding and erratic state funding. This year’s county funding recommendation is as follows: A 3% increase in Current Expense with a Capital Outlay appropriation of $199,035.

FY 13-14 Current Exp - CO-Solid Waste - Supplement...............$7,819,986

Public School Debt Service - ..................................................... $5,660,676

FY 2014 Total Macon County General Fund Budget................ $46,643,716

School Funding as Percent of General Fund.............................. 28.90%

County Property Taxes ..........................................................$25,394,671

Appropriation as a Percent of Property Taxes........................... 53.08%

Without a reduction in expenses, a revenue shortfall of $1,355,539 will occur next year. A property tax increase of 1.5 cents per hundred dollars valuation would be required to generate this amount of revenue.

Challenges for the Coming Year

In order to fund essential county services, meet the county’s debt service obligation on capital projects, and maintain critical needs in education and public safety, we have made decisions and recommendations that prioritize ,and in many cases reduce departmental and agency budget requests this year. There are many worthwhile and commendable projects, programs, and services that have merit and still need to be funded and or implemented, but have not been included in this proposal due to lack of additional revenue.

The original approved general fund budget for this year (2012/2013) was $44,391,193. Due to continuing contracts, grants, and additional revenue the current revised budget for this year is$48,007,997. The proposed general fund budget for fiscal year (2013/2014) is $46,643,716.

The county General Fund operating budget is balanced within existing revenues. The goal set by the Board in January was to create a balanced budget without a tax increase. No property tax increase is requested or reflected in this proposed budget. We have reduced requests for capital outlay and trimmed other expenses where feasible. Our goal over the past five years has been to maintain the current level of service without additional staff. We have been able to do that by leaving non critical positions unfilled throughout county departments. We continue to fill only essential positions when they become vacant. Our county employees have worked hard to do their job as they continue to help us hold the line on spending while delivering essential county services. Macon County is indeed fortunate to have such dedicated and devoted employees. The Board earlier this year implemented the new classification and pay plan. Your county employees are very grateful for the Board’s action in bringing our entry level salaries up to minimum recruitment levels and adjusting fair compensation based on the market rate.

Our self funded health insurance program continues to remain strong. We have not increased our rates for employee/dependant coverage in several years due to the fact our claims experience has been favorable. We are not proposing an increase in employee contributions at this time. To do this would sacrifice Macon County’s grandfather status and result in total higher cost for coverage because of tenants of the Affordable Care Act. This will be needing review by January 2014 and adjustments can be considered at that time as a result of full implementation of the Federal Governments Affordable Care Act.

Every year, Macon County strives to improve facilities, provide and maintain services, while we recruit and retain qualified employees. Our goal continues to be improving quality service for citizens and visitors alike. We are committed to maintaining the county’s leadership position in Western North Carolina. Macon County has a reputation of being a forward thinking progressive county that seeks to improve the quality of life while carefully balancing the needs of our citizens and the tax burden they are asked to bear. I believe this proposed county budget reflects that commitment.

A full and complete line item detail has been prepared that gives a thorough breakdown of each expenditure, appropriation and revenue source.

The state is still facing another budget crisis. With the General Assembly still in session we remain concerned that the state could shift additional responsibilities and/or reduce county funding to correct its budget situation. We hope that will not be the case. We have been reassured by our legislators that the state will not balance their budget on the backs of the counties this year. They seem to be trying to hold to that pledge. I remain somewhat optimistic.

Funding for outside agencies in the Special Appropriations budget remains at current year levels.

The proposed budget for Macon County for Fiscal Year 2013 / 2014 as required by state statute is balanced with revenues and expenditures of $46,643,716 and is hereby submitted for your review and consideration.

Respectfully,

C. Jack Horton

County Manager/ Budget Officer

Here is video of the budget message as delivered by county manager Jack Horton at last night's meeting of the Macon County Commissioners in Highlands, NC. A written copy is below the video for your convenience.

I will embed a copy of the budget here when it becomes available.

I will have the full video of that meeting uploaded by sometime this afternoon.

County Manager's FY 2013-14 Budget Message by Thunder Pig

Macon County Manager's Office • Budget Message

May 8, 2012

Macon County Board of Commissioners
Chairman: Kevin Corbin
Vice-Chair: Bobby Kuppers
Commissioner: Ronnie Beale
Commissioner: Ron Haven
Commissioner: Jimmy Tate

Gentlemen,

In accordance with the North Carolina Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act, I am pleased to present to you the proposed budget for Macon County for fiscal year 2012/2013.

Macon County continues to maintain an enviable position in comparison to many counties in North Carolina. The county remains in sound financial condition, and currently has the lowest ad-valorem property tax rate among all counties in North Carolina (@ 27.9 cents per $100). Our county credit rating this year was raised by Standard and Poor’s from an A to an A+. Our fund balance is stable and allows the county to have reserves in an amount equal to at least three months of operating expenditures. This provides a strong degree of financial security in terms of being prepared for unexpected emergencies or shortfalls in revenue. The healthy fund balance, a conservative approach to budgeting, along with a consistent tax collection rate contributes to Macon County’s favorable Bond Rating.

There are many positive accomplishments the county can be proud of, while at the same time being vigilant in our approach to responsible financial planning. I sincerely believe this is what is meant by being a good steward of public funds. I will take time in this budget message to emphasize both highlights of the current year, and the challenges facing the county next year.

On the revenue side of the budget, growth in the tax base is minimal and although sales taxes have somewhat stabilized they continue to fall short of past years growth experience. We, like everyone continue to hope for a better economy next year.

Construction continues on the new K-4 Iotla Valley Elementary School, (Construction Cost) $11,300,000, $118.00 per square foot, financed at a net interest rate to the county of 0.48 %. The debt will retire in 17 years, and the school is on schedule to be completed and occupied by this August.
Little Tennessee/Cartoogechaye Creek Sewer Interceptor Line: The main line is now operational. When we complete the reuse system at the landfill, the project we will be finished. We expect to finalize by June 30th.
The Riverbend Road/ Highway 28 North, water project is now complete along with a new 500,000 gallon finished water storage tank (Wilkie Street Tank). Funds to extend new water service to the Swiss Colony subdivision area are available, and we are waiting for the Town of Franklin to acquire the necessary easements and rights of way in order to let the contract on this additional phase of the project.
The Macon County Airport runway extension project has been completed after nearly 10 years of delays and setbacks. The county in this year’s budget appropriated enough funds ($232,634) to match a new Federal Aviation Administration grant of ($2,093,706) for the rehabilitation and repaving of the airport apron. This project will begin this fiscal year but likely will not be completed until early next fiscal year.
Renovation is well underway on the new Sherriff’s Office on Palmer Street. We expect to have the work completed by June 30, and hopefully fully occupied by then.
The Barrett Building renovation is proceeding well and with any luck we should have that project completed this summer. In addition to renovating the top floor, and installing a state of the art communications system for the county’s Emergency 911 Center, a new interior accessible elevator will be installed to make the entire building more ADA compliant and handicap accessible.
The Business Development Center (Incubator) has suddenly taken off with renewed interest. We have several new businesses that have located there this year and have recently had request for more space. We hope to be able to relocate the DMV Drivers License Office and utilize that space for business development purposes soon.

Challenges for the Coming Year

In order to fund essential county services, meet the county’s debt service obligation on capital projects, and maintain critical needs in education and public safety, we have made decisions and recommendations that prioritize ,and in many cases reduce departmental and agency budget requests this year. There are many worthwhile and commendable projects, programs, and services that have merit and still need to be funded and or implemented, but have not been included in this proposal due to lack of additional revenue.

The original approved general fund budget for this year (2011/2012) was $42,775,263. Due to continuing contracts and additional revenue the current revised budget for this year is $45,788,503. The proposed general fund budget for fiscal year (2012/2013) is $44,275,869.

The proposed budget for (2012/13) is 3.5% more than the (2011/2012) original approved general fund budget, and is 3.3% less than the revised current year general fund budget. The increase is due in large part because of additional appropriations from fund balance not from a growth in general fund revenues. This is basically a no growth budget except for one time expenditures from fund balance reserve.

The county General Fund operating budget is balanced within existing revenues. No property tax increase is requested or recommended. We have reduced requests for capital outlay from our departments and trimmed other expenses where feasible. Our goal over the past four years has been to maintain the current level of service without additional staff. We have been able to do that by leaving non critical positions unfilled throughout county departments. We have asked county staff to take on additional work load with no salary adjustment. We continue to fill only essential positions when they become vacant.

Our county employees have worked hard to do their job without complaint as they continue to help us hold the line on spending while delivering essential county services. Macon County is indeed fortunate to have such dedicated and devoted employees. The Board earlier this year authorized a new classification and pay plan study that is almost ready for presentation. We do not have the financial impact of that study at this time, and therefore have not budgeted anything at this point for implementation of the approved plan. We will continue to work with Springsted (our consultant) on an implementation plan when we receive the final report. At this point the proposed budget contains no salary adjustments.

Our self-funded health insurance program continues to remain strong. We have not had to increase our rates for employees/dependant coverage in four years due to the fact our loss in claims has been favorable. We are not proposing an increase in employee contributions at this time. This will be the fifth consecutive year without an increase. I anticipate that next year (2013/2014) that will definitely change.

Every year, Macon County strives to improve services, recruit and retain quality employees and work to maintain and improve the quality of life for residents and visitors alike. We are committed to maintaining our leadership position in Western North Carolina. Macon County enjoys a reputation of being a forward thinking progressive county that seeks to preserve the quality of life while carefully balancing the needs of our citizens and the tax burden they are asked to bear. I believe this proposed county budget reflects that commitment.

There are several key issues we have addressed as we prepared this spending plan for next year. Here are a few highlights of that plan. A full and complete line item detail has been prepared that gives a thorough breakdown of each expenditure, appropriation and revenue source.

The state is still facing yet another budget crisis next year. With the General Assembly in session we remain concerned that the state could shift additional responsibilities and/or reduce county funding to correct its budget crisis. We hope that will not be the case. We have been reassured by our legislators that the state will not balance their budget on the backs of the counties this year. So far they seem to be holding to that pledge. I remain guardedly optimistic

Education remains a priority for Macon County

In the past four years Macon County has made an enormous commitment to our local educational system in terms of capital improvement needs as the following demonstrates.

Macon County Public School Capital Funding

Capital improvements to East Franklin Elementary School (QZAB)..........$2,000,000
New Intermediate School and expansion to East Franklin..........$20,000,000
Purchase (Owens) property for Mountain View Intermediate..........$2,600,000
Nantahala Renovation (QZAB)..........$1,800,000
Iotla Valley Elementary School Construction..........$13,869,000
Franklin High School Improvements..........$1,321,000
Highlands School Improvements and sports fields..........$938,000
Macon Middle School Air Conditioning..........$80,000
South Macon Access Road..........$88,657
Union Academy roof replacement..........$62,765
____________________________________________________________________

Total County Funded School Capital Projects since 2008..........$42,759,422

We plan to complete the window replacement on the Nantahala School in the coming year. Leftover QZAB funds and a small local appropriation will finish this item that was omitted in the original project due to shortage of funding at that time.

The critical need at this time in our school system is Technology.

The county is well aware that the current situation regarding computer upgrades is far behind where it needs to be. With the elimination of ADM funding for technology by the state, our replacement schedule has grown from a five year replacement schedule to a nine year replacement schedule. In addition to that, in less than two years (2014) the state will require all local School Systems to be able to do assessments, and send end of grade reports electronically to Raleigh. In order to meet this critical need now it will require an estimated $1,500,000 in funding specifically for Information Technology. This budget includes a proposal to seek a low interest (around 1.75%) short term (54 month) loan in order to immediately address this issue. The debt will be paid back in yearly fund balance appropriations. This would not only solve the immediate problem but preserve the county fund balance in case of emergency. The estimated loan payment of $311,829 is included in this proposed budget. If the economy improves the county would reserve the right to retire the debt before the end of the term.

Macon County Schools County Funding
For Current Expense and Debt Service

FY 12-13 Current Exp- CO-Solid Waste- Supplement- Debt Service..........$12,384,421

FY 12-13 Total Macon County General Fund Budget..........$44,275,869

Percent of Total General Fund Budget..........28%

Appropriation as a Percent of Property Taxes..........48.89%

The proposed FY 2012/2013 budget recommends the county appropriation to the School Current Expense budget increase to the FY 2009/2010 level of $6,911,000 and the Capital Outlay Budget be funded at $256,000. With current capital outlay at this level of funding the School System could be able to meet at least some of their current critical capital needs. As noted earlier, county funding addresses the $1,500,000 technology need in the school system. The proposed budget continues to include full funding for the teacher supplement.

Public Safety

Another ongoing concern and high priority is public safety. With this in mind the recommendation in this proposed budget is to replace two four wheel drive ambulances in the EMS Department, and six patrol vehicles in the Sheriff’s Department. This will help Macon County preserve our rotation system and preserve our readiness to be fully prepared and able to respond effectively and efficiently when the need arises.

Funding for outside agencies in the Special Appropriations budget remains at current year levels.

The proposed budget for Macon County for Fiscal Year 2012/2013 as required by state statute is balanced with revenues and expenditures of $44,275,869 and is hereby submitted for your review and consideration.

Respectfully,

C. Jack Horton
County Manager/ Budget Officer

Governor’s Highway Safety Program Celebrates 20th Anniversary of "Click It or Ticket"

noreply@blogger.com (Bobby Coggins) — Sat, 18 May 2013 13:09:00 +0000

PRESS RELEASE
NC Governor's Highway Safety Program

RALEIGH – The state of North Carolina was not just First in Flight. It was also the first state in the nation to launch an innovative seat belt safety awareness campaign called “Click It or Ticket.” Starting Monday, May 20, the Governor’s Highway Safety Program will celebrate the campaign’s 20th anniversary.

“We’re proud of the hard work we’ve put into making this campaign a model adopted today by every state in the country,” said N.C. Department of Transportation Secretary Tony Tata. “We know the impact of “Click It or Ticket” is far reaching – saving countless lives not just in North Carolina but nationwide.”

Since the Governor’s Highway Safety Program launched “Click It or Ticket” in 1993, the number of reported crashes, fatalities and injuries involving unbelted passengers has dropped dramatically in North Carolina. Law enforcement officers responded to 38,289 crashes involving unbelted passengers in 1992, the year before the campaign started. By 2012, the totals dropped to 8,187.

“We credit the effectiveness of our “Click It or Ticket” campaign for dramatically reducing the number of crashes involving people who didn’t buckle up,” said Don Nail, interim director of the Governor’s Highway Safety Program. “But, there are still North Carolinians who don’t wear their seat belt when they get behind the wheel. Until every person in our state abides by the law, we’ll continue to lead the way in seat belt safety awareness.”

The “Click It or Ticket” campaign runs through the Memorial Day holiday weekend and ends on June 2. During that time, law enforcement officers will step up patrols statewide and cite those who do not buckle up.

NCDOT produced a public service announcement to remind drivers and passengers that wearing a seat belt during a crash not only reduces your chances of suffering critical injuries or even death by 50 percent, but will also save you $161 in fines if you are caught without your seat belt fastened.

In addition to enforcement efforts, the Governor’s Highway Safety Program will hold regional anniversary events in Elizabeth City, Clyde and High Point next week to retrace the historic first steps of the “Click It or Ticket” campaign.

Macon County Commissioners 05-20-2013 Meeting Agenda

noreply@blogger.com (Bobby Coggins) — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:35:00 +0000

The Macon County Commissioners will be meeting Monday night at 7pm. I have embedded both the public agenda for your convenience and the press kit as well in the interest of promoting transparency. I will be posting a nearly live play by play on Google Plus the night of the meeting. Please circle Macon Media on G+ and follow us on Facebook to keep informed on the meetings and events that we cover.

MACON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

MAY 20, 2013 – 7 P.M.

CONTINUED SESSION

AGENDA

HIGHLANDS CIVIC CENTER

600 NORTH 4TH STREET

HIGHLANDS, NC

Macon County Commissioners 05-20-2013

Franklin Aldermen Budget Work Session 05-14-2013

noreply@blogger.com (Bobby Coggins) — Wed, 15 May 2013 05:58:00 +0000

The Franklin Town Board of Aldermen met last night for a budget work session with the town manager. I have transcribed the budget message and placed it below, and then a copy of the budget has been embedded below that, and it is downloadable so that you can download it and keep it for your records. Any mistakes in the transcription posted below are mine. I made a few cosmetic changes for an improved presentation on this blog.

I was not present during this meeting, and set up a video camera to record the meeting while I was manning another camera across town at a meeting of the Macon County Board of Commissioners. I would like to thank Travis Tallent of the Macon County News for keeping an eye on the camera for me.

TOWN MANAGER'S BUDGET MESSAGE

FISCAL YEAR 2013-2014

The Town of Franklin remains in a solid financial condition with a stable fund balance and a current ad-valorem tax rate of $0.25 per $100. The overall slow recovery of the economy has essentially resulted in very slow growth in our revenue sources, especially sales tax and interest on investments. Although there are many issues for consideration by the North Carolina legislature that may have profound effects on municipalities and possibly our funding sources, this budget was developed based on current conditions. Any significant changes that develop at a later date concerning municipalities will require further consideration and subsequent action.

Debt Service

All debt payments are fully budgeted as required by law. The Town is completing the sewer plant renovation which will be complete by mid-summer and the additional debt service for this project is included within this budget.

Personnel

This budget calls for a 2% cost of living adjustment for all positions. One salaried management position in the fire department budget will be divided into two entry level staff positions. In lieu of replacing a full-time employee in the Streets Department, funds are allocated to hire a part-time employee to assist with mowing and general maintenance during the Spring and Summer months. Employee benefits will remain unchanged.

Operating Capital Outlay

The police department will be replacing two patrol vehicles with over 100,000 miles. Public works will replace one 1/2 ton pickup that was delayed from being purchased in 2013/2013, and a new leaf collection vacuum will be purchased to coincide with a leaf collection box purchased for an existing truck.

Special Projects

Funds are budgeted for upgrades to the gazebo area at Town Square and to initiate planning for possible uses of the Whitmire property.

By Department

Water/Sewer: Funds are budgeted for four small water and sewer replacement projects. Funds are budgeted for refurbishment of the belt press at the sewer plant. Funds are also budgeted for a flow study ofn the Cartoogechaye Creek in anticipation of planning for the water plant upgrade/expansion in the next five years.

Police Department: Bulletproof vests that are nearing expiration will be replaced. Funds were increased for fuel costs and increased vehicle maintenance.

Fire Department: replacement of uniforms and protective gear per the 10 year strategic plan continues.

Water/Sewer Rates

The Board of Aldermen initiated a water and sewer rate increase last fiscal year to be completed over a two year period. This budget anticipates completing that rate increase process this year resulting in an increase for residential water services inside the city limits from $1.90 to $2.50 per 1,000 gallons of usage and an increase for residential sewer services inside the city limits from $0.27 per 100 gallons usage to $0.35 per 100 gallons usage. The increases are necessary to fund debt service on the new sewer plant renovation and provide funding for future water treatment facility renovations. The disposal fee for septic waste accepted at the sewer treatment plant should also be changed from $50 per load to $0.05 per gallon to fairly distribute expenses based on truck capacities.

Conclusion

This budget for FY 2013/2014 is balanced in accordance with the North carolina Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act and continues to provide existing services while meeting the governing board's priorities and policies. No property tax increase is requested or recommended and the ad valorem tax rate should remain at twenty-fice cents ($0.25) per one hundred dollars ($100) of valuation.

Sincerely;
Warren J. Cabe
Town Manager

Town of Franklin 2013-2014 Proposed Budget

Macon County Commissioners 05-14-2013

noreply@blogger.com (Bobby Coggins) — Wed, 15 May 2013 01:22:00 +0000

The Macon County Commissioners met on May 14, 2013. Here is the video, public agenda and the press kit packet for the meeting. I was unable to post a play by play of the meeting.

Macon County Board of Commissioners

May 14, 2013

AGENDA

1. Call to order and welcome by Vice-Chairman Beale

2. Announcements

3. Designation of authorized signers for the Macon County Inmate Account -- Finance Director

4. Consideration of Budget Admendment #168 -- Finance Director

5. Reports/Presentations (moved from May 20th meeting to the 14th)
A. Little Tennessee River Greenway restoration project – Sunny Himes

6. Closed Session Per G.S. 143-318.11(a)(3) - To consult with the attorney

7. Recess until Monday, May 20, 2013 at 7pm at the Highlands Civic Center, located at 600 North 4th Street, Highlands, NC 28741

Macon County Commissioners 05-14-2013

Franklin Tourism Development Authority 05-13-2013

noreply@blogger.com (Bobby Coggins) — Tue, 14 May 2013 09:27:00 +0000

The Franklin Tourism Development Authority met last night and the video above is of that meeting. The agenda has been posted below for your convenience.

REGARDING THE NEW TDA INTRO/OUTRO MATERIAL

I left a camera running in the town hall so I could could catch this meeting while I was across town recording the Board of Education meeting [see video of that here]. You'll notice the beginning of the video why I feel it was necessary to leave a babysitter for the camera. I've had unattended cameras mysteriously shut down in the town hall before while I was attempting to cover other meetings at the same time and even when I take a simple trip to the restroom during a meeting.

I am grateful that Brittney Burn of the Macon County News agreed to watch the camera for me while I was filming the Board of Education meeting. She was able to make sure that the camera recorded the meeting without molestation by elected or appointed government officials.

I almost always run the camera (as well as audio recorders, which are always on when I am in a meeting room) for several minutes prior to all meetings and have never before before encountered a situation from this guy wanting me to shut down my camera and had always suspected that someone else of shutting down my cameras in the town hall. Now, I'm not so sure.

At any rate, the little piece of video will make a nice addition to a montage of public officials telling me to shut the camera off or making unkind gestures or comments about it's presence during meetings. LOL

Franklin TDA 05-13-2013

Macon County Board of Education 05-13-2013

noreply@blogger.com (Bobby Coggins) — Tue, 14 May 2013 04:18:00 +0000

The Macon County Board of Education held a continuation meeting [see previous meeting here].

The Board of Education went into closed session for about an hour and when they came out, Dr Jim Duncan, the county school superintendent, announced that he would be sending letters to first year probationary teachers informing them that their contracts would not be renewed. He said that a final determination would be made by the board at the next meeting based on what happened at the next meeting of the county commissioners (May 20th at 6pm).

The Board then voted to postpone their next meeting (which had previously been scheduled to take place at the same time as the county commissioner meeting, to 6pm on May 28th at Nantahala School. The meeting was then adjourned.

Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #81 Remembers Fallen North Carolina Law Enforcement Officers in Franklin

noreply@blogger.com (Bobby Coggins) — Sat, 11 May 2013 10:40:00 +0000

The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #81 of Macon and Jackson Countuies held a Law Enforcement Memorial Service to honor the police officers in North Carolina who died in the performance of their duties in 2012.

I have a video (above) of the event, as well as a photo essay (below) of the memorial service:

Franklin Aldermen 05-06-2013

noreply@blogger.com (Bobby Coggins) — Mon, 06 May 2013 14:31:00 +0000

**UPDATE** Here is the video from the meeting:

The Franklin Town Board of Aldermen will be meeting tonight at 7pm for their regular monthly meeting. I plan on being there to record the meeting. The nearly live play by play will be posted on G+ at http://is.gd/MaconMedia

Video of the April 1, 2013 meeting is available as well as video of the Annual Retreat is available for review before you attend tonight's meeting.

I have posted the public agenda and press kit below for your convenience.

Town of Franklin Board of Aldermen
Meeting Agenda
Monday May 6, 2013 - 7:00 p.m.

1...Call to order -Mayor Collins

2...Approval of the April 1, April 13 and April 23, 2013 board minutes

3...Public session
4...New business
•Presentation of the proposed fiscal year 2013-2014 budget- Town Manager Warren Cabe
•Set budget work session for Tuesday May 14, 2013 at 5:30 p.m.
•Set public hearing for the fiscal year 2013-2014 budget for Monday June 3, 2013 at 7:05 p.m.
•Budget amendment- Finance Officer Janet Anderson and Police Chief David Adams
•Street closing request for Taste of Scotland- Main Street Executive Director Linda Schlott
•Appointment of Leland Riske to fill vacancy on Tourism Development Authority- Assistant to the Town Manager Summer Woodard
•Appointment of Josh Drake to fill vacancy on Tourism Development Authority- Assistant to the Town Manager Summer Woodard
•Discussion on electronic public notice bill- Aldermen Bob Scott
•Discussion on blanket liability insurance policy for festivals and events- Town Manager Warren Cabe
•Discussion on banners

5...Legal
•Discharge of firearms ordinance-Town attorney John Henning Jr
•Solicitor’s ordinance- John Henning Jr
•Western North Carolina Hospice House- John Henning Jr
•Proposed Unified Development Ordinance concerning internet gaming devices- John Henning Jr
•Update on Angel Medical Center lease- John Henning Jr

6...Adjourn

Franklin Aldermen Press Packet for 05-06-2013

BizWeek 2013 Banquet Honors Local Businesses, Keynote address given by Tony Almeida, senior advisor to Governor Pat McCrory on jobs and the economy

noreply@blogger.com (Bobby Coggins) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 19:25:00 +0000

BizWeek 2013 wrapped up last night in the fellowship hall of Holly Springs Baptist Church, with several local businesses being recognized for their contributions to Macon County.

Among those honored were, Angel Medical Center, JC and Frankie Jacobs, Old Edwards Inn and Span and Raymond Page.

The keynote address was given by Tony Almeida, senior advisor to North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory on jobs and the economy.

This was the third BizWeek hosted by the Macon County Economic Development Commission and the second one to honor the contributions of local businesses to the local economy.

For more information on the Macon County EDC please visit their website at http://maconedc.com/

This is the playlist that includes all the speakers and honorees that participated in BizWeek 2013.

Below are the individual videos in chronological order:

Opening Ceremonies

Presenting was Franklin Mayor Joe Collins and accepting was James Bross, CEO of Angel Medical Center.

Presenters were Rob Gasbarro and Cory McCall, co-owners of Outdoor 76 and accepting was JC Jacobs of People's Department Store.

Presenting was Macon County Commissioner Jimmy Tate.

Accepting for Old Edwards Inn and Spa was President Richard Delaney.

Presenting was Johnny Mira-Knippel of TekTone Sound & Signal and accepting was Raymond Page.

Keynote Address by Tony Almeida, Senior Advisor to North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory at the BizWeek 2013 Banquet in Franklin, NC.

Video of the closing remarks of Macon EDC Director Tommy Jenkins at the Biz Week 2013 Banquet.