Health facility is Burke’s top priority

County commissioners’ goal-setting retreat yields list of 22 projects they’d like to see completed in next fiscal year

Thursday, Jan. 25, 2007

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer

MORGANTON – An allied health facility in Burke County topped the list of priorities set this week when commissioners met to discuss goals for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1.

Burke County commissioners met for their annual retreat Monday evening, and compiled a list of 22 projects they'd like to see completed in the coming year.

Commissioners, in large part, agreed that completing renovations to the allied health facility, a self-contained health-education school that would offer a four-year nursing degree program and other health-care training, was the top priority.

"It's a way to keep the best and the brightest in the county," said Chairman Wayne Abele.

The facility will be located in the Doblin building, a former textile plant off Interstate 40.

Other top priorities included building an emergency services training complex; reforming the current emergency medical services system; assessing security, space and personnel issues in the jail and courthouse; updating the county's personnel ordinance; creating a park in Glen Alpine; selling water bonds to help provide residents better access to water; and setting a property-tax rate based on the revaluation and budget.

"(We need) to set a tax rate that is believable, fair and acceptable to the taxpayer," said commissioner Maynard Taylor.

Other issues that made the list included brokering an agreement with Morganton about the ownership of the history museum, looking at county sewer services, the development of an industrial park, completing the Lake James project, improving technology services, developing a vehicle replacement schedule and increasing communication among county department heads.

Some of the priorities listed by commissioners Monday night, Abele said, are projects already under way and likely to be completed within the year. Others, he said, are still in the inception phases and could take longer.

"I'm pleased with what we've done tonight," said County Manager Ron Lewis. "This is a new beginning." For the first time, the retreat was guided by a facilitator - Morganton attorney, Tammy Wilcox of Alternate Solutions LLC.

Wilcox joined the session, she said, to moderate the conversation and give each commissioner "an equal voice" in setting goals.

"It's more empowering than overpowering," Wilcox told commissioners Monday. "It's not the time to persuade."

While commissioners discussed each proposal, Wilcox encouraged the board to avoid debating the merits of each issue and, instead, to focus on the county's top priorities.

"These are broad strokes," she said, "but they are excellent."


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