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June 20, 2011 (Regular Meeting) Page 469 trucks moving. Also, there are two paid part -time persons to cover daytime hours during the week. When I purchased my home, the decision was based on location in a rural area and low tax rates. I knew the area was served by a volunteer fire department. The cost of my homeowners insurance was not a factor. That was my decision and remains my decision. This commission does not need to try to manage the cost of my homeowners insurance. Financially, this would add an enormous fixed cost to operate the fire department. Currently, there is a $160,000 annual cost for principal and interest on a $2,000,000 loan for the new station and property. If you add paid staffing, costing $300,000 a year, that amounts to nearly $500,000 annual fixed cost. From a business standpoint, this will be a major problem. Taking this step will triple the fixed cost of operation. Adding a 2 cent tax increase will not cover the operating cost increase. I believe that future tax increases will be required to continue operation as pay raises are sought, new equipment and vehicles needed, and we discover all the hidden costs of this proposal. The argument that insurance rates will decrease because we have a full time department is sheer speculation. All departments must meet strict equipment, training and response time numbers for a minimum of three years of performance to make any insurance adjustment. In my opinion, this is about a jobs program for off -duty fire- fighters and an effort to deter the city of Kannapolis from building a station in the area. That would result in the loss of contract money from them to the department. In the case of the jobs program, it would be fully funded by the tax payers of the Odell district while the bulk of the money would go to persons living outside of the district. The county has no business creating a jobs program for off -duty fire - fighters, nor trying to determine what the city of Kannapolis wants to do with their money. Clearly, your vote for this tax increase will demonstrate your lack of confidence in our volunteer fire department. I believe we will spend more and more to provide the same services that we get now with our great volunteer staff. I recommend that you give careful consideration to this expensive, risky program. Thank you. Lonnie Seaford, resident of 5685 Alexander Road in Concord and a Board of Directors member at the Odell Fire Department, spoke in favor of the proposed tax rate increase for the Odell rural fire district. He advised. the proposed tax increase will provide staffing at the station 24 hours a day, 7 days a week thereby allowing the Department to respond to emergency calls immediately. With there being no one else to address the Board, Chairman White closed that portion of the meeting. (E) OLD BUSINESS None. (F) CONSENT AGENDA (F -1) Commerce - Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing In order to be eligible to receive CDBG funds from the NC Division of Community Investment and Assistance, Cabarrus County must produce an Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing study every five years and it must be adopted by the governing board. Data was collected from a number of service agencies throughout Cabarrus County and compiled in this document in order to determine what barriers exist to fair housing in Cabarrus County. These items must be addressed in the plan and the county is required to carry out the plan to address any barriers identified. Fair housing activities have been carried out for many years by Cabarrus County staff.