AG 1997 05 19 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Aycock site $275,000 ($11,000/acre for 25 acres) to help pay for the expanded gymnasium at tile Aycock school. FY 97-98 OPTIONAL INITIATIVES FOR FURTItER CONSIDERATION Most of thes. e items are not specifically addressed within the proposed FY 97-98 budget. However if acted upon favorably by the Board of Commissioners would require subseq.uent action to amend the budget as present.ed: 1. Education Funding of school system's facility needs may be addressed if the North Carolina Legislature allows Cabarrus Citizens the opportunity to decide on a local option sales tax and-a local option property transfer tax as recommended by the A!tematives' Revenue Task Force. An EffOrt to achieve more effective and efficient facility maintenance practices of county educational buildings and grounds needs to be 'pursued. Consolidation of systems now in place or development of new processes could enhance the level of facility maintenance for education and county structures. Discussions related to this issue are underway. Adjustments to the manner in Which the Coianty handles the fmancial aspects of this process will requir, e attention to cost allocation. In real dollars, the oPerational expenditures for education are increasing. Growth alone accounts for an ever rising allocation of 'current expense' funding for education. Disproportionate growth ·rates tend to reduce or limit state and local dollars going t6 the Kannapolis School System. It appears that 'capital outlay' allocations to the Kannapolis School System have exceeded the ADM ratio in recent years. No significant factor has been identified as to why the two ~ystems should remain apart. No formal effort has been initiated to develop a plan to unify the county's education systems. The importance of this issue is too dynamic to ignore. It is proposed that an independeht study be sough't that will lay the ground work for an orderly consolidation of the two school systems. This study should not attempt to. identify or justify positive or negative reasons why the twO systems should or should not be merged. The purpose of the study should be to identify opportunities a consolidated system would be able to pursue and alternative approaches to bring' about an orderly merger of. the County's two school systems, . . 2. Consolidation and Further Coordination QfCitv and County Services · During FY 96-97, tile City of Concord and Cabarrus County successfully combined animal control operations under the Sherift's Depamnent. The County began construction of a new animal control facility on land provided by. the City· Tiffs.system seems to be working. The County transferred operational responsibilities for control of the Coddle Creek Reservoir to the Water·and Sewer Authority of Cabarrus County. The County also sold 'its facilities on t-lighwgy 73 to WSACC and used those funds to help pay for the new General S~rvices facility being constructed adjacent to the new animal control facility. An opportunity to devel~>p a consolidated set of land use and growth management regulations for the county and each of its four ntunic, ipalities is agoal that should be pursued. The costs associated.with this effort should be divided ~imong the participants. · The City Of Concord and Cabarrus County currently operate an 'ahnost' consolidafed library system· Economie~ of scale are achieved except that · operational differences' between the City and County for personnel, purchasing and other minor issues result in some inefficiencies. Generally, the public is unaware of the differences which is probably reason enough to pursue a total consolidation. The increased cost to the county and likewise reduction in cost to the city would be approximately $400,000 annually~ An effort to develop a phased transition into full consolidation could begin if both entities agreed. ' ... 3. County Service and Organizational Restructurin~ · The creation of the Public Health Authority provided for a shift of animai control functions from the Health Department to the Sheriffs Department. Likewise, the movement of the Health Department to the Public Health Authority provides the opportunity, to move the County's landfill operations. The Deputy County Manager - Operations. will overs6e orga~,izational and staffing modifications necessary to accomplish this change. The.relocation of Public Health and Social Services creates an opportunity to review the appropriateness of the current Emergency ManagemenffFire Marshal Department status. It is proposed that durifig FY 97-98, an'effort to develop a better arrangement for staffing and operational considerations will be addressed. As part of a localized erosion control management program, staffing .assignments will need to be addressed. First, it is intended that a civil engineer (required by the State) will be employed to oversee erosion control permitting and plan review. Actual inspection of erosion control measures will be assumed 'by Development Services with staffing to coincide with ' permit demand an~] revenues. This program will be fee based.