Minutes - November 17, 2011
RLUAC MINUTES
McKeller's Lodge
november 17, 2011
Voting Members Present: Rora Kellis, Vass; Doris Luther, Hope Mills; Robert Massey, Fayetteville; Robert McLaughlin, Wagram (Vice Chair); and Jean Powell, Hoke County (Chairperson)
Voting Members Absent: James Armstrong, Richmond County; Bob Bell, Laurinburg; John Blanton, Sampson County; Sharyl Carter, Whispering Pines (Secretary); Bob Davis, Scotland County; Michelle Frizzell, Robeson County; John Jackson, Spring Lake; Joseph Jeffries, Harnett County; Billy King, Cumberland County; Bart Nuchols, Southern Pines; Nick Picerno, Moore County; Theresa Thompson, Lillington; Mike Wood, Raeford; Andrew Wilkison, Pinehurst;
and Bill Zell, Aberdeen.
Non-Voting Members Present: Randy Beeman, Hope Mills; Tommy Burns, Spring Lake; Ethel Clark, Spring Lake; Jim Dougherty, Executive Director RLUAC; Conrad Garrison, Hoke County; Tom Lloyd, Cumberland County; Mike Lynch, Fort Bragg; Monita McLaurin, NC Division of Community Planning; David Nash, Fayetteville; Glen Prillaman, Fort Bragg; Matt Rooney, Cumberland County.
Guests Present: Ryan Elting, TNC; Jason Epley, Benchmark; John Harbison, Ft. Bragg Regional Alliance; Barry Hull, SALT; Brenda Johnson, Sustainable Sandhills; Julia Love, Fort Bragg;; Charles Young, Susi Trans; and Candice Williams, SALT
I. CALL TO ORDER - Jean Powell, Chairperson, called the meeting to order at 12:05 PM. Following the invocation by Randy Beeman, the voting members, non-voting members, and guests were asked to introduce themselves.
II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - Quarterly meeting held on August 18, 2011 – Robert McLaughlin made a motion to approve the minutes and Rora Kellis seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
ACTION: Approved
III. PRESENTATION - "Fort Bragg's Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security" - Mike Lynch, Director - Mike explained that he works for Col. Steven Sicinski, Fort Bragg's Garrison Commander. He is responsible for all troop training at the fort (approximately 16,000 troops per day) and handles all their needs. His office makes the arrangements for the mobilization and deployment of troops. He is Chief of Operations Activities. He also works with Sustainable
Sandhills and other environmental groups concerning endangered species and preservation of the long-leaf pine forests on Fort Bragg (approximately 160,000 acres). During the past several years, Mike's office has been successful in purchasing approximately 25,000 acres of land that had been identified as either "Critically Important" or "Important" to preserve in the recent JLUS studies. All told, Mike has a staff of approximately 500 people.
ACTION: Information
IV. PRESENTATION - "Revisions to RLUAC Website " - Jason Epley, Benchmark - Jason gave a live demonstration of the new website that he had just completed under contract for RLUAC. Everyone seemed very satisfied with the effort.
ACTION: Information
V. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REPORT
- Status of Sandhills GIS - Jim reported that following his presentation to Governor Purdue on September 9th she promised to provide the funding and resources necessary to keep the GIS website up and running. In mid October, Jim received a call from a NC Department of Commerce Assistant Secretary confirming that the database will be maintained by the Department of Commerce. On October 26th, Jim, Fort Bragg's Kirk Rutkofske, Department of Commerce's Alan Sandaval, and the Center for Geographic Information and Analysis' Jeff Brown met together in Raleigh to discuss issues of maintenance of the site. Jeff and Alan agreed to not only maintain the site, but to provide the periodic updates necessary to keep it up-to-date. Jim reported that he thinks the GIS website issue has been resolved.
ACTION: Information
- Zoning and Subdivision Review Cases - Jim reported that during the quarter just completed (July 9 - October 10), RLUAC's Board of Directors reviewed 59 zoning and subdivision cases -- the most in any quarter to date. The reviews included 6 cases for Cumberland County; 4 cases for Harnett County; 42 cases for Fayetteville; and 7 cases for Southern Pines. That brings the total number of cases reviewed by RLUAC to 396 since the beginning of 2008.
ACTION: Information
- Speaking Engagement - Jim reported that he was invited to speak to the Southern Pines group "Save our Sandhills on October 27th. He was asked to present the results of the RLUAC produced "Light Pollution Study".
ACTION: Information
VI. BUSINESS ITEMS
- Financial Report - Jim reported that RLUAC's receipts for October were $1,100.00 and expenses totaled $3,168.14. That left a cash on hand balance of $25,524.15 as of October 31st. Doris Luther moved and Robert Massey seconded a motion to approve the financial report. The motion passed unanimously.
ACTION: Approved
- Purchase of MS Office Home & Business 2010 - Recommended by Board of Directors - Jim reported that RLUAC relies on a very outdated version of MS Office. He reported that the Board of Directors recommended the purchase of MS Office Home and Business 2010 for approximately $200.00. Robert Massey moved and Doris Luther seconded a motion to purchase of MS Home and Office 2010. The motion passed unanimously.
ACTION: Approved
- Action to approve cost of updating / revising RLUAC website - Recommended by Board of Directors - Jim reported that the Board of Directors recommended contracting with Benchmark, Inc. to update RLUAC's very outdated website. The negotiated cost of the contract was not to exceed $1,000.00. Robert Massey moved and Doris Luther seconded a motion to approve the cost of updating the RLUAC website. The motion passed unanimously.
ACTION: Approved
VII. ADJOURN - There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 12:42 PM.
