During its meeting Monday night at the City-County Chambers in Lenoir, the Caldwell County Board of Commissioners approve four economic incentives requests for planned or potential developments. In addition, the board’s representatives on a liaison committee with the Caldwell County Board of Education aired concerns about the absence of a key source of funding that has been touted as a means to pay for a new middle school.

The commissioners unanimously agreed to utilize funding previously authorized by the county’s Sales Tax Re-investment Committee on all of the projects. The largest incentive would go to Builders and Manufacturers Group of Lenoir, which is looking to make energy-efficient structured insulated panels. The company plans to create up to 115 jobs during the next three years, making it eligible for a $230,000 grant from the county. Also, the business has applied for a $382,000 grant through the North Carolina Green Business Fund.

Meanwhile, the board approved a grant of up to $60,000 for Childforms LPI, which is looking to locate a warehouse and distribution center for its playground equipment products. The business plans to create 30 jobs within the next three years.

In an effort to bolster the chances of landing a synthetic cork manufacturing business, the board agreed to provide up to $100,000 to TASZ. Formerly known as Neocork Technologies, the company’s assets recently were purchased by Lenoir-based Polychem Alloy. The cork business had been operating in California and Germany, and Chakra Gupta, president of Polychem Alloy, has been working with existing German principals in determining where to locate. According to Caldwell County Economic Development Commission Executive Director Harry Whalen, the company is being courted by Germany, Austria and Lenoir. Should the business come to the county, plans call for the creation of 21 jobs within three years and up to 50 jobs within five years.

A final incentive for $30,000 was approved for McCreary Modern for a planned expansion at its Gamewell manufacturing facility. After adding 40 jobs two years ago in a previous expansion, the company intends to create up to 15 jobs with its latest growth plan.

Pivoting to the topic of education, Commissioner Don Barrier – who serves with Commissioner Rob Bratcher as a liaison to the school board – called into question funds the school system had been utilizing as it developed a debt payment plan for a proposed replacement to William Lenoir Middle School.

Barrier said $455,000 in annual revenue from the state, based on the school system’s average daily membership (ADM), had been eliminated in current two-year budget plan that was passed by the North Carolina General Assembly in 2009. He noted that school systems have three sources of revenue for capital projects – ADM, sales tax and lottery proceeds. Barrier has supported the construction of a new school, provided the debt service not fall back on county taxpayers. He said the school system’s inclusion of unrealized funds has dimmed the prospects of a new middle school and other projects.

According to state law, the county commission must approve borrowing requests to the North Carolina Local Government Commission. Although the school system has pledged to service the debt, the county ultimately would be the responsible party to repay all loans.

“The fact that ADM funds are not available and have not been available since the 2009-10 budget year is very disturbing,” Barrier said. “The school system had projected $445,000 annually in this revenue stream for school construction.

“Not having these funds available – combined with shortfalls in sales tax revenues and a restructuring by the state in the amount and distribution method of lottery funds in the 2010-11 just passed – calls into question the viability of any major capital project for the Caldwell County Schools in the foreseeable future.”

Added Barrier, “We’ve got to deal with facts. We’ve got to deal with good, solid numbers.”

In other business, the commissioners:

• Approved a $196,621.46 grant from the Governor’s Crime Commission on behalf of the Robin’s Nest Children’s Advocacy Center of Caldwell County. The organization, which has applied for non-profit status, plans to renovate the former Caldwell County Planning Department building at 1051 Harper Ave., Lenoir. The advocacy center will provide assistance to children who are the victims of sexual abuse or other acts of violence.

• Conditionally approved a letter of credit issued on behalf of Capital Land Group and payable to Caldwell County for scheduled infrastructure projects for the first phase of the Forest Creek subdivision near Collettsville.

• Approved an amended county water policy, including reducing the time period to recoup installation costs from 84 years to 10 years.

• Tabled action on a memorandum of understanding involving the county, North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, N.C. State and N.C. A&T. The commissioners wanted additional time to review the impact of the agreement, along with the pending classification change of cooperative extension employees in 2011. Caldwell County, which has vacancies in the director and administrative secretary positions, is the lone entity in the state that has not signed off on the memorandum.

• Recognized Linda Austin, who is retiring from the Caldwell County Health Department after more than 15 years of service. Austin has worked in the maternal outreach program, but her job was eliminated as part of state budget cuts.