BC 2007 03 26 Regular - Laserfiche WebLink

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March 26, 2007 (Regular Meetin q) Page 29.8 Martha Sommer of Concord expressed concern over the misuse of taxpayers' dollars related to overcrowded schools and the jail project. She said the County has refused to pass the full cost of new schools onto developers and the jail is a poorly designed project on a poorly chosen site. She also commented on the delay caused by the lawsuit and the County's unwillingness to compromise during mediation. In summary, she said the housing unit can be built on a cheaper site with room to grow. With there being no one else to address the Board, Vice Chairman Juba closed that portion of the meeting at 6:19 p.m. (E) OLD BUSINESS (E-1) Construction Update - Sheriff's Office S Detention Center Scott Milligan with Turner Construction provided a brief update on the progress of the Sheriff's Office and Detention Center construction project and responded to several questions from the Board. (E-2) Public Comments on Tax Increment Financing - TIE Vice Chairman Juba opened the meeting at 6:20 p.m. for Public Comments on Tax Increment Financing (TIE) for the N. C. Research Campus. She said twenty minutes has been allotted for this portion of the meeting and each speaker will have two minutes to express their views. Mark Shelley, 1197 Asheford Green Avenue, Concord, asked the Board not to support the TIF. He said the taxpayers will not have a chance to vote on a very large debt for the County. He encouraged the Board to let free enterprise work on its own. He also expressed concern about what this project will actually cost and asked if anyone knew for sure what Mr. Murdock was putting into it. Dr. Ed Tyson, 1152 Windsor Drive, Kannapolis, stated he is elated that the N.C. Research Campus will be located in Cabarrus County. He said having outstanding research universities and bio-tech companies located on one campus is unprecedented and the Campus has the potential to be a powerful academic and economic engine that will generate life-changing health research and provide jobs for the county in all employment fields. He asked for the Board's support of the TIF as a strong affirmation of support for Cabarrus County now and in the future. Tommy Porter of 9955 Mt. Pleasant Road, South, Mt. Pleasant, said he represents the Cabarrus County Farm Bureau Federation, Cabarrus County Cattleman's Association and a large part of the agricultural community. He said these groups are for the Research Campus but are unanimously against providing any county funding for the Campus since it's a private project within the city limits of Kannapolis. He said the County is already overburdened with school debt. Grant Rader, 120 West "B" Street, Suite 159, Cannon Village, Kannapolis, commented that he has the privilege of watching the Research Campus come to life. He said the Campus is a great project and hopes citizens will get the correct literature about the project and read how resourceful it will be, keep an open mind and make decisions based on facts and not fiction. Anthony Sparrow, 6722 Fox Ridge Circle, Davidson, encouraged the Board to support the TIF for the N.C. Research Campus because it allows the County to put the infrastructure in place to manage growth in a healthy way. He encouraged the Board to prepare properly and to allow this financing to move forward so that the proper infrastructure will be in place. Harold Smith, 108 Edinburg Drive, Kannapolis, stated he is opposed to the TIF financing but supports the Research Campus. He said there are over 100 reasons why he is opposed to the TIF listed on his website. He stated Tax Increment Financing is nothing more than junk bonds and the County should not support it. Charles C. Phillips of 89 LeCline Circle, Concord and Chairman of the Board of the Cabarrus Health Alliance said he strongly supports the N.C. Research Campus and use of self-financing bonds to fund the infrastructure needed to make the Campus reach its potential as quickly as possible. He also attributed the success of the Research Triangle Park to the generosity of spirit of the people of North Carolina and willingness to work together. He said the funding does not have to be at the expense of the school systems