By Jessie Burchette
Salisbury Post
After pleading for people wanting to serve on county boards, commissioners now have a lot of choices for the Planning Board.
County commissioners are scheduled to fill two seats on the Planning Board at their meeting Monday evening. With rapid growth, the Planning Board is expected to play an ever-increasing role.
The board has 22 applications for the two three-year terms that began Feb. 1 and expire Jan. 31, 2011.
Commissioners can choose from among real estate agents, an air quality specialist, a former border patrol agent and a mix of longtime residents or newcomers to the county.
Among the applicants is a former Planning Board member, John Linker of Granite Quarry. He served two terms previously, including a stint as chairman.
Linker, a former mayor of Granite Quarry, also headed up the land use planning effort nearly two years ago.
Steve Russell of East Ridge Road, an electrician and current member is seeking reappointment.
Five of the applicants are involved in real estate as Realtors, brokers or developers. These include: Michael L. Turman of Gregory Road, owner of Turman Real Estate; Lanny Lancaster, Emerald Bay Drive, owner of Lancaster Company, a real estate appraiser, broker, auctioneer and builder; Edward William “Bill” Wagoner, Confederate Avenue, commercial and industrial real estate development; John Helms, Confederate Avenue, real estate broker with Allen Tate Co.; Jayne Land, Stokes Ferry Road, sales with Century 21.
Also in the mix of applicants is Mike Caskey of Kannapolis, who ran for the Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education in 2004.
Other applicants include Butch Bivens, a China Grove alderman and maintenance director for the Rowan-Salisbury Schools; Harry Warren of Mitchell Avenue, a human resources specialist with Wendy’s.
Several retirees are offering their services including: Jack Fisher, Long Ferry Road, a frequent observer and speaker at county meetings; Richard D. Sorensen, Emerald Bay Drive, retired from the Certificate of Need division of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services; Jack M. Bilson Jr., Hazeltine Court, retired human resources; Kenneth Karriker, Moose Road, Kannapolis, lifelong resident; John C. Spidell, Palomino Drive, retired federal ATF and border patrol agent; Glenn Shimmel, Timberlake Court, retired executive, recently relocated to Rowan.
Other applicants include: James W. Westmoreland Jr., Mulberry Lane, an environmental engineer with the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources/ Division of Air Quality; Mike Browning of Ellis Loop Road, an employee of Piedmont Carpet; John Cowan, Pinetree Drive, East Spencer, former law enforcement officer; Jeffrey Lee Kiker, president of P&G Security, a sister company of Kiker Investigations, the firm hired by the county to investigate anonymous letters credited to “Common Sense.”
In other matters, the board will hear information or act on the following:
– Consider an offer to purchase a county-owned house at 1127 South Main St., previously used as a group home.
Carlos Parra, who operates Greenleaf Homes at 1131 S. Main St., is offering $59,000 for the property which is in the tax books for $92,000.
Parra owns the houses on either side of the county-owned house and uses them for residential care for veterans.
– Consider approval of budget amendments that include additional state and federal funding for crisis intervention and home programs.
– Consider appointments or reappointments to various boards including: Juvenile Crime Prevention Council; Senior Services Advisory Council; Adult Care Home Community Advisory Committee; Nursing Home Advisory Committee; Historic Landmarks Commission; and the Cabarrus -Rowan Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.
The Rowan County Board of Commissioners meets at Monday at 4 p.m. in the J. Newton Cohen Sr. Meeting Room, County Administrative Offices, 130 W. Innes St.