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<br />February 7, 2005 (Work Session) <br /> <br />Page <br /> <br />79 <br /> <br />The Board of Commissioners for the County of Cabarrus met for an Agenda <br />Work Session in the Multipurpose Room at the Cabarrus County Governmental <br />Center in Concord, North Carolina on Monday, February 7, 2005, at 3:30 p.m. <br /> <br />Present - Chairman: Carolyn B. Carpenter <br />Vice Chairman: Robert W. Carruth <br />commissioners: Robert M. Freeman <br />Joni D. Juba <br />Coy C. Privette <br /> <br />Also present were John D. Day, County Manager; Frankie F. Bonds, Clerk <br />to the Board; and Kay Honeycutt, Deputy Clerk to the Board. <br /> <br />Chairman Carpenter called the meeting to order at 3 : 30 p. m. <br />Commissioner Juba was not present for the beginning of the meeting. <br /> <br />Commissioner Privette gave the invocation. <br /> <br />Purpose of Work Session <br /> <br />Mr. Day briefly reviewed the <br />sessions. He said the work sessions <br />Board to discuss items more thoroughly. <br />Day had a list of items to be discussed. <br /> <br />purpose and format of agenda work <br />will provide an opportunity for the <br />There was no prepared agenda, but- Mr. <br /> <br />Commissioner Juba arrived at 3:40 p.m. and was present for the <br />remainder of the meeting. <br /> <br />Agreement with the Economic Development Corporation <br /> <br />John Cox, CEO of the Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce and Cabarrus <br />Economic Development Corporation (EDC), presented a prepared statement <br />concerning economic development in Cabarrus County and the EDC. Highlights <br />of his presentation included the following: (1) Numerous economic strengths <br />of the region; (2) A statistical report on the economic return on the <br />County's financial investment; (3) Recent successes of the EDe; (3) The <br />effect of negative press reports on recruitment efforts and employment <br />process; and (5) An itemized budget for the EDC. <br /> <br />There was discussion by the Board regarding. economic development <br />efforts in Cabarrus County, the restructured EDC and the- membership of the <br />EDC Board of Directors. Board members expressed concern that the Towns of <br />Midland and Mt. Pleasant do not have a member on the EDC Board of Directors. <br />Also, Commissioner Privette requested a breakdown of the salary line item in <br />the EDC budget. <br /> <br />Toby Prewitt, Chairman of the EDe Board of Directors, explained that <br />the Towns of Midland and Mt. Pleasant do not have a seat on the EDC Board of <br />Directors because they do not have a professional manager. He stated the <br />current EDC by-laws say the "managers" shall be members of the EDC Board. Mr. <br />Prewitt stated he was sensitive to the needs of the two towns and agreed that <br />further discussion on this matter was needed. <br /> <br />Mr. Cox reported the base salaries for the EDC employees as requested <br />by Commissioner Privette. <br /> <br />By consensus, the Board agreed to put the Agreement with the Economic <br />Development Corporation on the February 21, 2005 Agenda as an "Old Business" <br />item. <br /> <br />House Arrest Program <br /> <br />The following officials joined the Board for discussion on the use of <br />"house arrest" to reduce the jail population: Senior Resident Superior Court <br />Judge W. Erwin Spainhour; Chief District Court Judge William G. Hamby. Jr.; <br />District Court Judges Michael G. Knox and Martin B. McGee; and District <br />Attorney Roxann L. Vaneekhoven. They objected to the use of pretrial house <br />arrest and highlighted the following issues during discussion with the Board: <br />(1) A Superior Court Judge has no inherent or statutory authority to put a <br />person on pretrial house arrest; (2) probation Officers are not trained to <br />supervise those in pretrial release; (3) Deputies would need to be trained <br />and equipment purchased for the Sheriff's Department to implement a house <br />arrest program; (4) House arrest is unsuitable for those arrested for a <br />violent crime; (5) Legal ramifications of law enforcement officers <br />supervising those persons who have not been convicted of a crime; and (6) <br />Cost of the additional crimes committed by those on house arrest. <br />