NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
1971 SESSION
RESOLUTION 120
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 826
A JOINT RESOLUTION CREATING THE EXECUTIVE RESIDENCE BUILDING COMMISSION.
Whereas, Article III, Section 5 of the Constitution of the State of North Carolina requires that "the Governor shall reside at the seat of government of this State..."; and
Whereas, the present Executive Mansion at 200 North Blount Street in Raleigh, completed in 1889, has been the official residence of all Governors since that time and thus has great historical value to the State; and
Whereas, most of the furnishings of the present Executive Mansion have been given by generous donors, including the heirs of former first families, and thus gives the Executive Mansion artistic and sentimental value; and
Whereas, it is highly desirable to protect and preserve this fine example of Victorian architecture with its approximately 40 rooms; and
Whereas, the present Executive Mansion is no longer surrounded by beautiful homes on a quiet street as it was at the turn of the century, but instead is now, or soon will be, surrounded by office buildings and located on busy and noisy thoroughfares; and
Whereas, the present Executive Mansion was designed for gracious living in another period of history, but is not adapted for modern day living in the latter part of the twentieth century; and
Whereas, it is impossible to regulate properly the temperature in the present Executive Mansion with only one thermostat to regulate the heat in the approximately 40‑room structure and inadequate window air conditioning units to cool the main rooms, which, in addition to the discomfort of the residents and guests, causes the wallpaper to peel excessively and the valuable paintings to be damaged because of fluctuations of humidity and temperature; and
Whereas, many of the utilities of the present Executive Mansion are not of modern design or function; and
Whereas, on excessively windy days in cold weather, the entire mansion is quite drafty, with noticeable air currents sweeping across the floor; and
Whereas, the present living quarters for the first family in the Executive Mansion are a dangerous fire hazard since there is only one exit from the third floor and two exits (all stairways) from the second floor sleeping quarters, and those existing are so located in relation to the bedrooms as to constitute a hazard to the safety of the first family, quests and servants on the second and third floors; and
Whereas, the cost of maintenance and staffing of the present Executive Mansion is excessive because of its outmoded utilities, structure and design; and
Whereas, the present Executive Mansion does not provide for adequate security for the Governor and his family as needed in these times; and
Whereas, because of the present system of staffing the Executive Mansion with male and female correctional system inmates, there are constant problems of adequate supervision of the inmates, with much inefficency because duties and responsibilities of the servants must be strictly and constantly supervised; and
Whereas, modern day responsibilities of the First Lady require her to have a Social Secretary and Assistant, and there is inadequate, and in some cases, no office space for the First Lady, the Social Secretary and Assistant, the housekeeper and security personnel; and
Whereas, the first floor rooms are, by tradition, considered "public" rooms and over 23,000 people visited these rooms in 1970, and the second floor rooms are considered the family quarters, with all but one being bedrooms, with the result that the Governor and/or his family in many instances is restricted to the second floor rooms while some town or public function is being held on the first floor, and with the Governor and his family having an apartment on the second floor of a building open to the public; and
Whereas, the design and location of the present Executive Mansion does not allow adequate or desired privacy for the Governor and his family; and
Whereas, it is not reasonable for the State to require the Governor and his family to live in the present Executive Mansion simply because it has always done so since 1889, and that because of tradition, it should never be otherwise, even at the inconvenience and discomfort of the Governor, his family and guests; and
Whereas, North Carolina should provide for the Governor of the State and his family a modern residence in a residential area with modern conveniences, adequate privacy and security; and
Whereas, the present Executive Mansion should be protected, preserved and utilized in a suitable manner for some other compatible purpose;
Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:
Section 1. The General Assembly hereby establishes The Executive Residence Building Commission to be composed of seven members, two members to be appointed by the Lieutenant Governor from the membership of the Senate, two members to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives from the membership of the House and three members to be appointed by the Governor. The Governor shall appoint one of the seven members as Chairman of the Commission and the Commission shall elect a vice-chairman and secretary.
Sec. 2. This resolution shall authorize the appointment by the Governor of an Advisory Committee to the Executive Residence Building Commission, such committee to be advisory only and shall have no vote on the Commission or authority to act in behalf or in place of the Commission. The membership of the Advisory Committee shall include, but not be limited to, the following persons:
All wives of former Governors who desire to serve on the Committee and the wife of the incumbent Governor;
The Director of the Department of Archives and History or his representative;
The Director of the Department of Administration or his representative;
The Director of the State Bureau of Investigation or his representative;
The Mayor of the City of Raleigh or his representative;
One registered interior designer;
One registered architect;
One registered landscape designer;
One licensed and practicing building contractor;
One registered engineer experienced in home building.
Sec. 3. The Executive Residence Building Commission shall have the following responsibilities:
(1) Develop and submit to the 1973 General Assembly, not later than April 1, 1973, plans for a new, adequate and modern residence, including adequate and spacious grounds for such residence, for the Governor of North Carolina.
(2) Recommend to the General Assembly procedures and a timetable for constructing or acquiring the residence and grounds.
(3) Cause to be prepared and submitted to the General Assembly all plans, designs, cost estimates and other information needed by the General Assembly to reach a decision on the proposal;
(4) Present to the Governor and Advisory Budget Commission not later than November 1, 1972, a cost estimate of the proposed residence, grounds, furnishings, landscaping and all other matters appertaining thereto for consideration to be included in the 1973 budget recommendations;
(5) Consult regularly with the Advisory Committee and with such other individuals, groups or organizations from time to time as may be desired or needed;
(6) Visit the official residences of the Governors of such other states within the Continental United States as may be helpful;
(7) Request any agencies of State government to supply information or data as may be needed or desired in its deliberations;
(8) Recommend the best possible and most desirable future use of the present Executive Mansion after a new residence is provided for the Governor and his family.
Sec. 4. The Department of Administration shall provide such staff assistance to the Commission as may be necessary.
Sec. 5. Members of the Commission, but not the Advisory Committee, shall be paid a per diem of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per day for days actually on official and authorized business of the Commission and travel expenses at a rate the same as allowed similar Boards and Commissions generally.
Sec. 6. All necessary expenses of the Commission shall be paid from the Contingency and Emergency Fund, upon recommendation of the Governor and Council of State; provided, however, that such expenses shall not exceed for the biennium 1971-73 a total of $25,000.
Sec. 7. The Commission, together with the Advisory Committee, shall cease to exist after its report has been acted on by the 1973 General Assembly; provided, however, the 1973 General Assembly may authorize, by appropriate i-esolution, the continuance of the Commission and Advisory Committee for another two-year period to supervise the construction or acquisition of the grounds and residence and otherwise satisfactorily complete its work.
Sec. 8. The Committee shall hold its initial meeting not later than September 1, 1971, and shall be required to meet at least once in each month until its report is presented to the General Assembly.
Sec. 9. Copies of this resolution shall be made available to the Governor, all wives of former Governors, the Mayor of the City of Raleigh, the Director of the Department of Administration, the Director of the Department of Archives and History, and the Director of the State Bureau of Investigation.
Sec. 10. This resolution shall become effective upon ratification.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 21st day of July, 1971.