County supervisors have reviewed a draft of the bylaws that willgovern the new Lincoln County Multi-Purpose Complex Commission(LCMCC) and gave tacit approval of the organizational planMonday.

The board said it is confident the commission’s authority isbalanced enough to govern sufficiently while remaining withincounty control.

“These bylaws seem to be the same as the ones we sent them,”said District Four Supervisor Doug Moak during a meeting of theboard Monday. “I don’t see any changes.”

Any changes made to the bylaws by the board’s appointedcommissioners was subtle, said County Attorney Bob Allen, and wouldnot affect the supervisors’ vision of the commission.

The commission held its first meeting June 9, one day after thecounty passed its resolution to create the board, and passed theproposed bylaws.

“The remainder of the first meeting was utilized ‘fishbowling’ideas on various subjects along with the review of policies,pricing and practices of other similar facilities,” LCMCC ChairmanPat McCullough said in a letter to the board Monday.

No action was taken on the Lincoln County facility’s policiesduring the meeting, said McCullough, who is out of town this weekand was unavailable for comment.

Under the bylaws, the autonomous LCMCC will be governed by fivecommissioners, one commissioner appointed by each supervisor.Founding commissioners who are determining its bylaws and willreview initial policies and procedures are McCullough, Dr. WilliamKimble, McNair Smith, Britt Smith and Wayne Smith.

Their terms of service will run concurrently with the board thatappointed them.

County Administrator David Fields has been appointed as theLCMCC’s recording secretary, comptroller and contract bookingagent.

Commissioners are charged with the staffing, operation andmaintainence of the facility as well as program management andpolicies.

The bylaws give the LCMCC exclusive authority over moneyallocated by the county and revenues from the operation of thefacility, employment and salaries, and will issue contracts,conduct business and make purchases necessary for the successfuloperation of the facility.

McCullough said “there was great concern among all commissionersthat the resolution of the board does not speak to thecommissioners being protected from personal lawsuit liability, thesame as accorded elected/public officials.”

The commission asked the board to amend its resolution to addwording to shield commissioners from lawsuits.

Supervisors said they thought the shielding was already in theplan. Allen said the shielding was in place, but he would reviewthe bylaws to see if it needed to be stated more clearly.

The bylaws also create an LCMCC office within the multi-usebuilding for the commission to operate from.