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355 <br /> <br />Property leased from the Fair and undeveloped County property would be used for <br />the parking lot and the By-Pass access would be located on Fair property. He <br />estimated the total cost at $75,000.00 for both the parking lot and driveway. <br />Mr. Witherspoon also reviewed the renewal of the annual lease with the Fair with <br />amendments to include an automatic renewal provision and a 12-month cancellation <br />notice. <br /> <br /> Commissioner Fennel proposed that the Board consider a parking charge for <br />evening and weekend parking at the County Complex during the Fair week. The <br />Board declined to take action on the proposal at this time. <br /> <br /> Commissioner Barnhart proposed that the County look at expanded operating <br />hours at the Department of Social Services as a means to spread out client flow <br />and alleviate demands on the building and parking lot. The Board asked that Mr. <br />James F. Cook, Jr., Social Services Director, present an analysis on the <br />feasibility of expanded hours by the department at the August 2nd meeting. <br /> <br /> UPON MOTION of Commissioner Payne, seconded by Commissioner Fennel and <br />unanimously carried, the Board authorized the County Manager to proceed with the <br />construction of the driveway at the County Office Complex to U.S. Highway 601 By- <br />Pass at a cost not to exceed $25,000.00 with an appropriate budget amendment to <br />be brought to the Board at the next meeting. The Board also directed the County <br />Attorney to draw up a new Lease Agreement with the Fair Association for <br />consideration at the next meeting. <br /> <br />Meeting of the Water and Sewer District <br /> <br /> Chairman Carpenter recessed the meeting until the conclusion of the meeting <br />of the Water and Sewer District of Cabarrus County. <br /> <br />Chairman Carpenter reconvened the meeting of the Board of Commissioners. <br /> <br />UNFINISHED BUSINESS <br /> <br />Request by the Cabarrus County Board of Education and Kannapolts City Board of <br />Education to Call for a School Bond Referendum <br /> <br />Commissioner Barnhart presented the following prepared statement. <br /> <br />Statement on the Proposed School Bond Referendum <br /> <br />One of the clearest and most important responsibilities County <br />Commissioners have is the funding of public school facilities. The <br />chief method of accomplishing this task is through school bonds <br />which require a public vote. Unfortunately, the public is often <br />mislead into thinking that a "no" result on school bonds ends the <br />matter, but such is not the case. The only alternative to bonds is <br />pay-as-you-go financing which means a significantly higher tax <br />burden is placed on today's tax payer than would occur if bonds were <br />used. In other words, we as Commissioners, cannot duck the issue. <br />We have to fund public school construction. The only question is <br />how. <br /> <br />Compared to what Commissioners usually see in requests for school <br />construction, the request presently before us is unique in the <br />public input that went into it before we received it. In this <br />respect the School Boards deserve high marks and we would like to <br />encourage them to continue the process in the future. <br /> <br />Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons including the difficult and <br />time consuming exercise this Board just concluded in the budget <br />deliberations, we could not devote sufficient time to the specifics <br />of the requests and the strategies on how to proceed. The School <br />Boards have fulfilled their responsibilities in telling us what <br />their school construction needs are. Our job is to decide how to <br />raise the funds to meet those needs and develop a funding plan that <br />the public can understand. To hold a referendum in November <br />requires that decision to be made now in order to meet the legal <br /> <br /> <br />