2/2/2010
By Scott Baughman
The Daily Courier
Rutherfordton - County Commiss-ioners voted 3-2 Monday night to approve a contract with PANGAEA Internet to maintain and operate the $1.4-million fiber optic cable network in the county.
Commissioners also endorsed a methane gas project at the county landfill and held a public hearing on an incentives agreement for an Italian textile company that is considering locating here and bringing 32 new jobs.
After months of discussion, Commissioner Paul McIntosh moved to approve the current agreement with PANGAEA with the understanding that the deal will be renegotiated when the contract expires in November.
Omer Causey, a former broadband Internet engineer from Florida, addressed the commissioners to try and voice some concerns with the contract and asked what would happen if Polk-County-based PANGAEA went bankrupt while being in charge of the county's fiber.
He explained he felt a federal judge would say the county had lost its rights to its own network.
"But at this point I think this horse has already left the barn on this deal and you should approve the contract," Causey said.
He also asked about a PANGAEA arrangement where the company got to "piggyback" eight miles of fiber on the county's network for about $1,000 a mile - or $8,000 total. The normal cost is $25,000 a miles. Commission Chairman Brent Washburn explained that the county had an expansion contract in place with PANGAEA that gave the county the same consideration should PANGAEA expand fiber.
"We can piggyback with them, too," Washburn said.
Commissioner Margaret Helton read an e-mail from David Reno where he asked if it was true that someone at PANGAEA had already set up a pole attachment agreement with Duke Energy as though PANGAEA was already in charge of the county fiber network.
"He said these questions have not been adequately addressed and that it appears someone at PANGAEA overstepped their bounds," Helton said. "Has this been addressed?"
"I don't really discuss those kinds of contract details with average citizens," County Manager John Condrey countered, "I would be happy to discuss those kinds of questions with you as the county board in closed session with our attorney preent."
Before the final vote, Commissioner Susan Crowe made an amendment to the motion that Washburn should sign the contract for the county and not Condrey. The amendment was passed unanimously, but the motion vote was three to two with Commissioners Eddie Holland, McIntosh and Washburn voting for it and Commissioners Helton and Crowe against. |
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Commissioners gave Foothills Connect Executive Director Tim Will permission to proceed with writing a grant for a plan to capture methane gas from the county's landfill on Laurel Drive. The project would use some methane for heating a 100,000 sq. ft greenhouse to help grow specialized crops for the Farm Fresh project to seel produce to restaurants in Charlotte. And it would also sell carbon credits and use some of the gas for electricity co-generation with Duke Energy. Will estimated the project would cost $1.1 million but would not require county funding.
During public comments, Zoran Naskov supported the methane gas project, but advocated the county sell - not lease - land at the landfill to Foothills Connect. Commissioners will wait and see if Will can get the grant from the N.C. Rural Cente.
Commissiners hosted a public hearing on an industrial incentive package for Italian company Saati, Inc. If the compensation is approved, the county will set up a five-year property tax forgiveness program and in exchange the synthetic fabrics company agrees to invest at least $4 million in the county and create 32 jobs over the course of five years.
The company's highly specialized textiles are used to make lightweight weaves for aircraft construction and body armor products like bulletproof vests. Commissioners will review the agreement at their March meeting.
In other business, the board also appointed several board members to the fireman's relief fund boards at the various fire departments in the county. But first, Commissioner Crowe moved to sepearte the appointments for the S-D-O department because the nomination came from the fire chief and not from the S-D-O board.
At first, it looked as though Holland voted in favor of Crowe's motion. But when Washburn called for a revote due to confusion Holland voted against Crowe's motion. The motion failed, and then commissioners voted to make all of the appointments - including S-D-O - by the margin of three to two with Crowe and Helton voting against. The men appointed from the various departments were: Reggie Vess, Bill's Creek; Darrell Toney, Cherry Mountain; Richard Price, Cherry Mountain; Peter O'Leary, Chimney Rock; Brian Gill, Chimney Rock; Monroe Ensley, Cliffside; Tommy Phillips, Cliffside; Charles Vassey, Ellenboro; Keith Lowery, Ellenboro; Gary Wilson, Fairfield Mountain; Tom Pawelko, Fairfield Mountain; Tom Pawelko, Fairfield Mountain; Eddie Parker, Green Hill; W. Coy Morgan, Green Hill; Frank Hodge, Hudlow; Fred Burgin, Jr., Rutherfordton; Calvin McGinnis, Rutherfordton; Paul Chapman, S-D-O; Scott Morrow S-D-O; Bryan Melton, Sandy Mush; Brandon Greene, Sandy Mush; Alan Duncan, Shingle Hollow; Wanda Connor, Union Mills; Alvin Nanney, Union Mills.
County Tax Administrator Kep Kepley was given directive to publish the names of delinquent taxpayers in The Courier.
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