By Karissa Minn
kminn@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY ó The county may clarify its rules for permitting broadcast towers after one planned in Mount Ulla sparked heated controversy and lengthy hearings.
The Rowan County Board of Commissioners will consider its options at 6 p.m. Monday on the second floor of the J. Newton Cohen Sr. Rowan County Administration Building.
Last month, the board granted Davidson County Broadcasting a conditional use permit to build a radio tower in Mount Ulla. At that time, some commissioners suggested that the county enact a moratorium on building broadcast towers while it reviews its zoning ordinance.
In a letter to the board, County Planning Director Ed Muire said state law allows counties to temporarily prevent certain development. But the county must hold a public hearing before doing so if there is no ěimminent and substantial threat to public health or safety.î
The county has not received any inquiries for a broadcast tower since Davidson County Broadcasting began its efforts in 2003, Muire said. The last one was built at the intersection of Brown and Lipe Roads prior to countywide zoning in 1997.
ěAlthough statutory authority exists, staff opinion is that adoption of a moratorium ordinance is not warranted in this case,î Muire wrote.
Some commissioners also expressed concern last month that the countyís conditional use permit criteria were not objective or specific enough. Planning staff is offering suggestions for text amendments to its requirements for broadcast towers.
These include establishing height limitation zones for private airfields, similar to those for public airports, and requiring a determination from the N.C. State Historic Preservation Office that the tower will not adversely affect nearby properties or landscape.
ěAnother consideration and perhaps more costly option would employ a broadcast/telecommunication consultant to determine the likelihood and location(s) for new and used towers in the county,î Muire wrote.
In addition, at its meeting Tuesday, the board plans to discuss a recognition program for county employees.
Commissioner Jon Barber is asking that the board appoint a committee to look at various employee recognition options ó with a cost limit set by commissioners ó and make a recommendation at the boardís first meeting in November.
ěCounty employees have gone three years without any type of pay increases, no cost of living adjustments, no merit increases and no reclassifications,î Barber wrote to commissioners. ěDuring this time employees have been asked to take furlough days, pay higher deductibles and contribute more to health insurance.î
Currently, county employees receive service award gift cards for every five years of service. The county could increasing service award gifts, Barber wrote, or pay service award amounts every year to employees with 10 or more years of service.
Other suggestions include that the county give employees a one-time bonus; add one day of vacation or comp time to employeesí accruals; pay half of their YMCA memberships; provide paid dental insurance for employee-only coverage; and reinstate annual funding reclassifications.

Also at Tuesdayís meeting, commissioners plan to:
Consider extending an existing cell tower lease for Crown and Associates.
Crown currently pays the county $862 per month for rent of the 10,000-square-foot property, which is used for a monopole cell tower, on Providence Church Road. Crown has four five-year extensions left on the original lease, and it has asked for six additional five-year extensions.
Hear a presentation of county health rankings by County Health Director Leonard Wood and Rowan Regional Medical Center President Dari Caldwell.
Add Long Creek Lane to the state secondary road system for maintenance.
Consider several budget amendments.
Contact reporter Karissa Minn at 704-797-4222.
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