It took the Rowan County Planning Board about two minutes to deal with allowing ambulance stations in all county zoning districts.
It took the board nearly 15 minutes to decide on whether to have a prayer or a moment of silence at the opening of board’s meeting.
With four county commissioner’s looking on, the board quickly concurred with the county request to allow ambulance and rescue squad stations in all zoning districts.
County officials are negotiating to buy property on N.C. Highway 152 near the intersection with N.C. Highway 153, west of Landis, for a new ambulance station.
They discovered that the current county zoning ordinance allows fire stations but not ambulance stations in all districts.
Steve Blount, chairman of the Rowan County Board of Commissioners, asked the board for expedited action and got it.
Board members unanimously recommended the change.
County commissioners will now hold a public hearing at an upcoming meeting.
Approval by commissioners would clear the way for construction of an ambulance station to serve the southern and southwestern area of the county. It is now scheduled to go in service in July.
Newly elected Planning Board Vice Chairman Andy Hinson faced a brief battle over prayer at the outset of the meeting.
Board member Greg Childs raised a point of order, saying the board had agreed previously to open the meetings with prayer, but it had not been done.
Dr. Ann Furr noted that the previous Planning Board had agreed to that, not the current board.
Two new members, Miles
Smith and Steve Johnson, joined the board last month.
Furr said a moment of silence would be preferable and not make anyone uncomfortable.
Board member Art Steinberg joined Furr in supporting the moment of silence.
Board member Joe Teeter said while he didn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable, the state constitution allows Christian prayers.
Responding to a question, Commissioner Arnold Chamberlain said the county commissioners open meetings with a prayer and are proud to do it.
Board member Edwin Hammill worried aloud about people being uncomfortable voting on the prayer issue.
Hinson briefly appeared ready to stop th e vote. Blount and Chamberlain advised that it had to go forward, since there was a motion on the table.
The motion for a moment of silence, rather than a prayer, died 2 to 8, with support from Furr and Steinberg.
Childs then led the group in prayer.
At the outset of the meeting, the board’s first task was to elect a vice chairman. At the January meeting, the two nominees, Hinson and Childs, each received five votes.
On Monday night, Hinson got six votes to Childs’ four.
Planner Marion Lytle conducted the election of the vice chairman, in lieu of any board officials. Chairman John Linker was out of town on business.
Contact Jessie Burchette at jburchette@salisburypost.com or 704-797-4254.
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