Bill Leonard, president of Carolinas Medical Center-University, addressed the board and provided a brief introduction of the emergency center at CMC-Huntersville's NorthCross facility set to open this spring, and a reminder of the company's plans to open a new psychiatric facility at Huntersville Oaks by 2014.

Leonard said the emergency center will "open in April and never close." The facility will be staffed by board-certified emergency medicine doctors and emergency specialized registered nurses and have complete hospital-level diagnostic capabilities. Leonard said the additions and renovations at CMC-Huntersville's facility represent a $14 million investment and will create 52 new jobs.

Leonard also said plans are progressing for the development of the behavioral health hospital at the former Huntersville Oaks location at the intersection of N.C. 115 and Verhoeff Drive. The psychiatric facility, scheduled for completion in 2014, will be a 71,700-square-foot, 66-bed hospital representing a $33 million investment by CMC. The facility will create 155 new jobs.

The board also adopted, by unanimous proclamation, a resolution stating opposition to any efforts to consolidate the government and political bodies of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County in the wake of Charlotte's endorsement of a study to consider that process.

The Huntersville board also delayed the appointment of two new representatives to Visit Lake Norman. Jeff Fissell, executive director of Rural Hill; Dee Jetton, executive director of Huntersville Family Fitness and Aquatics; and Jesse Jones, a local attorney; were nominated to fill the town's two additional seats on the expanded VLN board, but new commissioners Danny Phillips and Melinda Bales said they were not ready to choose.

Bales and Phillips said they would like the opportunity to meet with the candidates before making a decision.