Commissioners approve zoning, dental projects

Lexington – The focal point of Davidson County’s Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday was the adoption of the 2011-2012 budget. Beyond this item, however, a number of notable changes were also installed.

Amendments to the zoning ordinance, the East Carolina-Davidson County Community College dental learning project and a Parks and Recreation Pay Study were approved, while a proposal for Joint Resolution of the Board of Commissioners from Davidson and seven other surrounding counties was denied.

The changes to the zoning ordinance – which included the signs section in Article 7 – were enacted by a 5-2 vote after the same proposition was tabled last month when it failed to gain unanimous support from the Board. Commissioner Todd Yates and Vice Chairman Larry Potts voted against the amendments.

“It’s not what I expected,” Commissioner Billy Joe Kepley said of the zoning ordinance. He abstained from voting, which was tallied a vote in favor per procedural rules. “It’s not what I wanted, but I am willing to support it.”

Dr. Mary Rittling, president of Davidson County Community College, provided the commissioners with a brief synopsis of the proposed building project between DCCC and ECU. Dr. Greg Chadwick, Associate Dean of ECU’s Dental School, spoke extensively on the topic, presenting the plan for Davidson County medicaid patients to receive coverage. According to Chadwick, the proposal is for one of 10 service learning centers in North Carolina to be constructed in 2014 beside the Felix O. Gee Building on the Lexington campus. Commissioners voted unanimously in favor of the project.

Davidson County Manager Robert Hyde spoke on behalf of the Parks and Recreation Pay Study presented at the meeting by Human Resources Director Jim Tysinger. Hyde concluded that the pay study would help to narrow what was referred to as a wage earnings gap. The stated goal is to push toward an equity of pay scale in the county.

“We try to determine what can be most competitive,” Hyde said of trying to keep up with changes in surrounding counties. “One of the reasons we’re trying to do this is because things change. Jobs change with technology.”

The Joint Resolution of Commissioners was set to be a merger between Alamance, Cabarrus, Caswell, Davidson, Rowan, Stanly and Union Counties, but was denied by a 6-1 vote. Commissioner Fred McClure, who verbally supported the resolution during a meeting earlier this month, was the lone member of the Board to vote in favor.