{"id":3739,"date":"2019-04-04T07:16:14","date_gmt":"2019-04-04T11:16:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/citizensforgoodgovernment.org\/online\/?p=3739"},"modified":"2019-04-04T07:16:14","modified_gmt":"2019-04-04T11:16:14","slug":"commissioners-in-transition-need-to-consider-option-no-4-listen-to-the-people-fix-cleveland-county-first-report-and-commentary-by-robert-a-williams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citizensforgoodgovernment.org\/online\/2019\/04\/04\/commissioners-in-transition-need-to-consider-option-no-4-listen-to-the-people-fix-cleveland-county-first-report-and-commentary-by-robert-a-williams\/","title":{"rendered":"Commissioners In Transition!! Need to consider Option No. 4!! Listen to the People–Fix Cleveland County First!! Report and Commentary by Robert A. Williams"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Editor\u2019s Note: The agenda for the April 2, 2019 Commissioner\u2019s Meeting was short, but the meeting ended up lasting two hours. The reason appeared obvious. The Commissioners have stopped taking orders from disgraced and defeated Commissioner Chairman Eddie Holbrook. Stopped having to have to decide everything behind closed doors before Commissioner\u2019s Meetings and then come out and vote on every item unanimously. Now it is discussion, discussion and more discussion in front of the public. And then vote. Often a split vote. This process might not be perfect, but it is a heck of a lot better than it has been. Over-all, I say Hallelujah for Cleveland County. Maybe there is hope after all. With some more tweaking in the 2020 Elections.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This April 2, 2019 meeting had only two major items on the agenda:<\/p>\n

A rezoning request for some additional property owned by Fisher Tree Service on 180 North from Restricted Residential to Light Industrial. The owner, Stephen Fisher, stated his business was expanding and he wanted to rezone the additional property he had purchased to expand his mulching and wood splitting (firewood) business in a responsible manner. Some neighbors were concerned that if the business was sold sometime in the future, the new owner might not be as responsible as Mr. Fisher. The Planning Board had requested a delay in the approval process to allow them to write all the concerns into a Zoning resolution to make sure everybody would be happy-now and in the future. Johnny Hutchins was in favor of approval immediately and the other four Commissioners voted to give the Planning Board the additional time to cross all the \u201cT\u2019s\u201d and dot all the \u201ci\u2019s\u201d and then approve the rezoning. It was a 4-1 vote, but with a reasonable conclusion that appeared to make everybody happy, happy, happy. Plus, a small business expansion that would create a few more jobs. Without the county spending big tax dollars for incentives.<\/p>\n

The second item was regarding the Old Doran Mill Property. For a clear picture here, you have to go through a little history.<\/p>\n

The Doran Mill was built around 1927 and the population in Cleveland County doubled. Textile jobs galore for many years. Then ten years or so ago, textiles in NC as well as in the USA went bust. And the Doran Mill Closed. Taxes on the property (evaluated at about $1.6 million) were not paid and the county foreclosed by paying $300 thousand. A property supposedly worth $1.6 Million now belonged to Cleveland County for only $300 thousand. A good deal for taxpayers by all accounts at the time.<\/p>\n

But Cleveland County government being Cleveland County Government, good deals are reserved for some good-ole-boys to make a killing on. And the County saw to it that they did.<\/p>\n

Some good-ole-boys sold the fools running Cleveland County on an idea to turn the old Doran Mill property into a bunch of Data Centers, a popular idea at the time. All the Commissioners had to do was to GIVE the good-ole-boys the Doran property and the taxes on the Data Centers would make Cleveland County rich.<\/p>\n

Only thing was, the good-ole-boys didn\u2019t build any Data Centers on the property. They didn\u2019t even pay property taxes for several years. What they did do was strip everything out of the old mill, sell it and pocket the money for themselves. Rumors say over $1 million. Maybe $2 million. Even the old mill wooden beams were stripped out of the mill, sawn into fancy flooring and installed into the NewGrass Brewery in Uptown Shelby-that several of the good-ole-boys owned.<\/p>\n

Then the good-ole-boys tried to sell the property at a big price by advertising a new industrial park site, complete with a distillery and a Gardner-Webb University Incubator. With Gardner-Webb\u2019s approval. None of this turned out so the good-ole-boys stopped paying property taxes and the county foreclosed again.<\/p>\n

The bottom-line numbers are:<\/p>\n

The Good-Ole-Boys pocketed over $1 Million and only paid the county a total of about $35,000 in property taxes before they defaulted. <\/p>\n

The mill buildings were all gutted of anything of value and the site was left in a total mess. The County Engineer reported at the April 2, 2019 Commissioner\u2019s Meeting that the property clean-up was complete and grass had been planted on the site at a cost of $800,000.<\/p>\n

County Manager Brian Epley gave the Commissioners three options of what to do with the property, moving forward: (Everything is always termed \u201cMoving Forward\u201d with the bad project history glossed over.)<\/p>\n

1.\t Sell immediately-at a LOSS.
\n2.\tFund a new industrial project on the site.
\n3.\tBuild a housing development on the property.<\/p>\n

County Manager Epley asked the Commissioners for direction.<\/p>\n

After some discussion, Commissioner Ronnie Whetstine stated that the property had lots of history, although the history has now been buried at the landfill, or sold by the good-ole-boys, and made the motion to continue with option 2. Commissioner Johnny Hutchins then made a replacement motion to continue with options 2 AND 3. Doug Bridges seconded Hutchins Motion.<\/p>\n

County Attorney Tim Moore was asked by Chairman Susan Allen to provide some advice on parliamentary procedure. In the end, Attorney Moore advised that Hutchins Motion was a replacement motion, with a second, and would have to be voted on first. Hutchins also added that he believed the studies that provided the options was one-sided. In the vote, Commissioners Deb Hardin and Doug Bridges joined Hutchins to approve Hutchins Motion and Whetstine and Allen voted no. The motion carried 3-2 to continue the \u201cstudy\u201d of options 2 and 3.<\/p>\n

Nowhere in this discussion of the Doran Property was there a provision for any input from the public. So, at this point, I will add my recommendation for what to do with the Doran Property.<\/p>\n

I recommend an Option 4. DO NOTHING!!! for the following reasons:
\n1.\t The property is ideally located near the 74-Bypass construction and will only increase in value as the bypass construction nears completion. Perhaps the property could then be sold at a profit, even when $1 Million plus in assets were just given away. Since the property is now remediated and planted in grass, graze cattle on the property. Waiting for better times would prevent commissioners from giving the property away again to another set of good-ole-boys so THEY can make a profit.
\n2.\tPushing another industrial project at this time is dangerous financially. The Clearwater Paper Expansion project has been reported to be $80 Million over budget and the county has invested about $30 Million in incentives there that might be in jeopardy of never being recovered or recoverable.
\n3.\tCleveland County is officially designated a \u201cdying county\u201d which is not conducive to bringing in other economic development projects without major give-away incentives. Same with tourism. What tourist plans on visiting anywhere that is \u201cdying?\u201d
\n4.\tCleveland County Workforce Development has been cited as failing on many fronts. Providing local employees trained with the proper skills is impossible today and not likely to improve until CCS and CCC can be coordinated properly to educate and train workers for new jobs.
\n5.\tThe $5 million in tax-dollars secretly funneled into the American Legion World Series over the years, as well as money loser projects such as the Earl Scruggs Center and the LeGrand Center; plus, the $6 million budgeted for economic Development and tourism this very year, that will benefit only a few, if any, citizens represents money NOT well spent. All this needs to see the light of day before any other county funds are spent in these areas or anywhere else.
\n6.\tThe failed and leaderless Cleveland County Department of Social Services needs special attention in hiring a new Director. I have recommended the Rev. Dante Murphy for this position as he has the qualifications and experience as well as the knowledge of where the cancer of corruption is at CCDSS and understand correctly that when cancer is treated, all of it must be removed. The fact that some insiders are running down Rev. Murphy with the classic Cleveland County \u201cWhispering Campaign\u201d only proves me right and reinforces my recommendation.
\n7.\tToo many county personnel were recruited and willfully participated in failed policies and projects that are now being exposed to the light of day. Just like the CCDSS, these folks need to be retrained or removed and replaced if they resist seeing the light and doing better for all Cleveland County citizens. And not just for themselves and their buddies.
\n8.\tThe Commissioners themselves need another \u201cattitude adjustment\u201d that can only be accomplished by the resignation of a few or replacement by the voters in the 2020 Election process. Just like the vote on the Doran Property. Commissioners Doug Bridges and Deb Hardin represent a better future for Cleveland County. Long time Commissioner Johnny Hutchins appears to be learning his lesson. While Commissioners Susan Allen and Ronnie Whetstine appear to be the most \u201cstuck\u201d in the past. Stuck to the \u201cTar-baby\u201d that they can\u2019t or won\u2019t get loose from.
\n9.\tSince Cleveland County Schools has no strategic plans for building new schools to replace all the 50+ year old plus schools, like all the High Schools in Cleveland County, this property on this location might be better suited for a new High School.<\/p>\n

I also suggest Option 4, Doing Nothing with the Doran Property as a good \u201cwait and see\u201d plan when Cleveland County\u2019s \u201cpresent\u201d is cloudy and dying and the direction of Cleveland County\u2019s \u201cfuture\u201d is even more questionable. Figuring out what to do with the Doran Property can wait until we in Cleveland County figure out how to handle the MORE pressing problems and issues listed in the nine items noted above. Our graduating students can\u2019t wait to leave Cleveland County because of all of this. Option 4 is just a way to prioritize our problems and fix the most pressing first. What to do with the Doran Property-long term-should be at the bottom of our priority list.<\/p>\n

Stay Tuned!!! Making Cleveland County Great Again is a project just starting. Finding and fixing problems is what we have to do. Don\u2019t be misdirected by the fluff.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Editor\u2019s Note: The agenda for the April 2, 2019 Commissioner\u2019s Meeting was short, but the meeting ended up lasting two hours. The reason appeared obvious. The Commissioners have stopped taking orders from disgraced and defeated Commissioner Chairman Eddie Holbrook. Stopped having to have to decide everything behind closed doors before Commissioner\u2019s Meetings and then come […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3739","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cgg-investigations"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citizensforgoodgovernment.org\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3739","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citizensforgoodgovernment.org\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citizensforgoodgovernment.org\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citizensforgoodgovernment.org\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citizensforgoodgovernment.org\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3739"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/citizensforgoodgovernment.org\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3739\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citizensforgoodgovernment.org\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3739"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citizensforgoodgovernment.org\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3739"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citizensforgoodgovernment.org\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3739"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}