Observations of the June 17th Watauga County Commissioner Meeting
That was all I was able to observe, but I then read in the Watauga Democrat that after the closed session they voted to end the ambulance to start their own emergency management ambulance service. I presume this change was inspired by the fact that the current service had been sold to a firm outside of our region. While this change could be worthwhile, it troubles me that the decision-making process did not occur in the normal public setting, though I appreciate the press release sent to the Democrat.
The Superintendent of Watauga County Schools presented an option to set up an energy-saving contract based on a plan that would pay on credit for energy-saving construction projects with the idea that the money they would save on paying their utility bills would instead pay the cost of construction. They can only pursue this option if the commissioners promise not to cut what they are currently paying for such services so that money would instead be available to pay down these costs. This came with some guarantees from the contractors that they would absorb any inflated prices in the future. The commissioners asked for time to discuss this further in the future. I have no strong feelings about this plan, though it seems to me it makes the most sense if the funds literally aren’t available to improve the systems at the moment. Other than that, my only thought is that it is hard to educate anyone successfully in hot or freezing classrooms. Call me old-fashioned.
There was a report by the State Forest Service on the number of fire calls and acres affected in our area, plus their work servicing sick trees. If my notes are correct, the number of calls has tripled in the past five years. The salient takeaway is that fire is coming, and there are more acres that are vulnerable than the local wildfire service can prepare for. Despite the urgent need for wildfire protection, the legislature does not appear to be willing to pay for a second position for our area, though I got the impression our commission expected this outcome. Commissioner Marsh may be correct with his bitter statement that apparently we need major fires to open our eyes. In this way, as with almost everything on the national level, apparently, everything needs to break before we can understand that maybe you need to invest to prevent or ameliorate disasters.
Next came interesting reports on progress for the Middlefork Greenway, juvenile crime prevention, and plans for a greenhouse through the Watauga Cooperative Extension Office. Veteran Services Officer April Goodman wanted everyone to know they provide support services for veterans, especially because there are some predators that charge vets for some services they shouldn’t have to pay for. The Board formally approved the new voting machines, and the tax administrator gave his report. Finally, it appears to be a big deal to this board to figure out how much the county charges ASU to allow people to park at the senior center during football games.
That was all I was able to observe, but I then read in the Watauga Democrat that after the closed session they voted to end the ambulance to start their own emergency management ambulance service. I presume this change was inspired by the fact that the current service had been sold to a firm outside of our region. While this change could be worthwhile, it troubles me that the decision-making process did not occur in the normal public setting, though I appreciate the press release sent to the Democrat.