Catawba County Board of Commissioners next meeting is set for 9:30 am on Monday, April 2, 2007 at 1924 Courthouse, 30 North College Avenue in Newton, NC.

The Catawba County Board of Commissioners will consider a request to create a new staff position for code compliance, using available funds which would be transferred from the Planning Department, with code compliance becoming entirely a function of the County Department of Utilities and Engineering, and a tool to be used by the Department of Utilities and Engineering to assess and prioritize future utility line expansion projects; and will consider directing staff to negotiate an interlocal agreement between Burke County and Catawba County for the provision of mental health administrative services for the fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2007 following the Burke County Board of Commissioners’ decision to merge mental health services with Catawba County, when the Board meets at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, April 2, 2007, in the Robert E. Hibbitts Meeting Room of the 1924 Courthouse in Newton.

The Board will also receive a report on a study on impact fees; consider a request to allow for the temporary removal of original death certificates from the Register of Deeds Office to allow for work to preserve those documents; hear a report on changes in State regulations on storm water management that will not change the way in which the County regulates these matters; a request from the City of Conover to designate a new Map Review Officer for the city, and a tax refund request. The Board will also issue proclamations for National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week; Administrative Professionals Week; Child Abuse Prevention Month, Public Health Month and for the Spring Litter Sweep.  Full agenda

A public hearing on development agreement related to proposed development in the Sherrills Ford area is scheduled for Catawba County Board of Commissioners meeting at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 16, 2007.

Representatives of Catawba County, Crescent and Key Harbor Holdings have reached agreement on a development agreement for the Key Harbor, Village Center, Terrapin Creek and Mountain Creek properties. Public comment on the development agreement, amendments to the Sherrills Ford Small Area Plan and rezoning requests will be heard at a public hearing to be held by the Catawba County Board of Commissioners at its meeting on Monday, April 16, 2007, beginning at 7 pm, also at the 1924 Courthouse in Newton.  Details

Now that the Catawba County Unified Development Ordinance has passed, what does it mean to you?

The Catawba County Board of Commissioners adopted a Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) on February 5, 2007, after seven years of work to create Small Area Plans and develop the UDO, and six months of study and public hearings by the Board.  In this issue of Catawba County E-News, we conclude a series providing detailed information on how the final UDO may effect you, as well as a link to a wealth of information about the UDO itself.

        Open Storage/Shipping Container Requirements

        Residential Accessory Structure requirements

        Fact Sheet on signage

        More on the UDO

Catawba County's annual series of rabies vaccination clinics to begin on Tuesday, April 3, 2007

The Catawba County Animal Care and Control Division has announced dates for its annual series of rabies vaccination clinics beginning on Tuesday, April 3, 2007.  Clinics will be held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from April 3rd through April 26th at 5:30 p.m., with two special Saturday clinics on April 14 and April 28, from 10 a.m. until Noon at the Hickory American Legion Fairgrounds.  The division investigated twelve cases of confirmed rabies in wild animals between November 2, 2006 and March 14, 2007, making rabies vaccination more important than ever for the protection of pets.  Full story

Learn how to attract wildlife to your backyard through proper planting and landscaping!

Join the North Carolina Cooperative Extension and the Catawba Valley Master Gardener's Association at an educational presentation during which you will learn the basics of managing both the enjoyable and pesky wildlife that can be attracted to your backyard.  You'll learn why gardening with native plants is one way you can help both your garden and the earth!  Learn more