[3:20] Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
Thank you for attending our town council
[3:24] meeting this evening, September 8th,
2026.
[3:29] And if you would please roll call.
Cat
[3:34] » Perry
>> here.
[3:35] » David Harwood
>> here.
[3:36] » Wayne Miller
>> here.
[3:38] » Doug Matson's here.
>> Thank you. All right. Very good. If you
[3:43] would please stand for the pledge of
allegiance.
[3:51] I aliance to the flag of the United
States of America and to the republic
[3:58] for which it stands. [clears throat] One
nation under God, indivisible, with
[4:04] liberty and justice for all.
[4:14] » All righty. Council approval of minutes.
August 11th, 2026, regular session.
[4:21] August 28th, 2026,
special meeting minutes. Do I have a
[4:26] motion?
>> So move.
[4:28] » Do I have a second?
>> Second.
[4:30] » Any any discussion?
No changes. Okay. How do we vote? Cat
[4:38] » I.
>> David.
[4:39] » I.
>> Doug.
[4:41] » Hi.
>> Melissa.
[4:42] » Hi.
>> Okay. All right. Regular agenda
[4:45] adoption. We've got a few little changes
right here. Uh council, I'm requesting
[4:50] when we pull the art in the park. Uh
there was some uh changes that need to
[4:56] be made on this so we follow proper
protocol
[5:01] um as far as dates and so on. So they're
going to resubmit in October.
[5:07] Okay. Uh secondly, make note uh citizens
that uh we will have a closed session
[5:18] this evening. There might be a decision
made after close session but uh I don't
[5:25] have my crystal balls so I can't tell
you and uh so just want to let you know.
[5:32] Okay.
Alrighty.
[5:37] All right. Council, that covered all,
you think?
[5:41] » Thank you. Uh, council, do I have a
motion to approve the regular agenda
[5:46] with the change?
>> So, move.
[5:49] » Have a second.
>> Second.
[5:52] » Any discussion?
>> Okay. Cat
[5:55] » I.
>> David.
[5:56] » I.
>> Wayne.
[5:57] » I.
>> Doug.
[5:58] » Hi.
>> Melissa. Hi.
[5:59] » Okay. [clears throat and cough]
Consent agenda. Monthly department
[6:03] reports 2026
August purchasing policy fireworks
[6:10] approval country club go bond project
list update we removed art the park if
[6:17] it's not on there and TDA board vacancy
advertisement. Do I have a motion to
[6:22] approve?
>> So moved. I
[6:24] » have a second. Second.
>> Okay. Normally no discussion on consent.
[6:28] How do you vote? Cat.
>> Hi,
[6:30] » David.
>> Hi,
[6:31] » Wayne.
>> Hi,
[6:32] » Doug.
>> Hi,
[6:33] » Melissa. All right. Okay. Public
comments.
[6:46] I know most of you did not come tonight
to see your beautiful council and your
[6:50] mayor. So, if you're here to speak on uh
the stop signs, it's not a public
[6:57] hearing, but you can speak during the
three minutes if you wish. So,
[7:04] uh
let's see. Bob Hartull,
[7:10] how you doing, Bob?
[7:15] » If you would just state your name and
address for the record,
[7:19] » just like in front of the grand jury.
Um, [laughter]
[7:22] my name is Robert Hartnett. I live in
180 Twin Springs Road and I have done so
[7:28] for 44 years. I realized the other day
I'm here for the stop sign information.
[7:37] The new h the house that was formerly
owned by the Dun is under construction
[7:44] to build a big um back apartment.
Therefore, all the employees are working
[7:53] parking on the street. Therefore, we are
practically a one- lane road right at
[8:00] the corner. So my suggestion is that
either we create two things that they at
[8:09] least have to park two car lengths back
from the corner cuz as you come uh down
[8:17] from Laurel Park, [cough] you can't see
what's there. In fact, yesterday or a
[8:24] day before yesterday, Gigi and I were in
tandem by happens and a
[8:31] worker who was in a hurry to get home, I
guess, to his family
[8:36] sped by broke out from a parking space
and he could not have been that much.
[8:44] I I did not have time to salute him with
a single finger, but I tried and then he
[8:50] was gone before. But I'm still aware of
where he is. So my suggestion is if you
[8:56] either stop sign or a no parking sign
for that two and that will solve part of
[9:02] the problem. There's some that think
it's more of a problem than I do. That's
[9:06] my only suggestion.
>> Bob, for the record, uh which location
[9:10] are you speaking of for the stop signs?
Oh, Laurel Park and and Twin and um
[9:18] Dogwood. Okay.
>> Oh, I thought I didn't realize there
[9:21] were more.
>> Thank you, sir.
[9:25] » All right. Jim Butler.
>> Hey, Jim.
[9:30] » I'm Jim Butler, 177 Dogwood Lane.
Occasionally, I agree with Bob. Not
[9:37] tonight.
I'm here to oppose the stop sign. uh
[9:42] that's proposed. It's unnecessary. It's
unwarranted and it's inconsistent with
[9:47] North Carolina DOT regulations and
requirements for the installation of an
[9:52] AWS and allway stop. So here we have one
road which goes up to Main Street which
[9:59] is Laurel Park. Dogwood Lane tease into
it. Uh my wife's family has lived in
[10:04] that particular location since 1972. We
purchased the house some 24 years ago.
[10:11] There's never been a single accident at
that intersection. And so what I always
[10:16] defer to is what does the law say? And
North Carolina DOT is the one that sets
[10:22] up requirements. And what they require
is an engineering evaluation of the
[10:27] intersection which is an analysis of
traffic volumes, crash history, site
[10:33] distance, and you performed then a field
investigation and you render your
[10:37] engineering report at the proposed
location and volume is low. There's no
[10:42] history of crashes. There's adequate
site distance. There is the cost to the
[10:47] town of putting up signs and maintaining
them. There's a cost to the traveling
[10:52] public of the burden of the stop sign
that's totally unnecessary and unlawful
[10:58] under how North Carolina applies the the
federal manual. Believe it or not, there
[11:04] is a federal manual of uniform traffic
control devices that determines whether
[11:08] an intersection is appropriate for an
all-way stop. The all-way stop is
[11:14] appropriate if you've had and crashes is
the number one item. if you've had four
[11:19] crashes within 12 months at that
location or five crashes within 36
[11:24] months. The other characteristic that's
used is volume. You look at the volume
[11:29] which includes all cars, all trucks, all
pedestrians, all bicyclists, and it
[11:34] needs to exceed 300 units per hour on an
8 hour average. You couldn't get that
[11:41] many people on Dogwood Lane and Laurel
Park after the parade.
[11:45] So again, it's unnecessary. We're
contravening what the appropriate
[11:49] standards are that are applied in North
Carolina and I request it to be either
[11:54] tabled until you can do an engineering
study or turn down.
[11:58] » Once again, would you please state the
streets you're speaking of for the
[12:02] record?
>> Dogwood Lane and Laurel Park.
[12:04] » Thank you so much. Appreciate it.
>> Miss Jenny Miller.
[12:18] Yes. Um, my name is Jenny Miller. I live
at 490 Go Forth Road. Thank you, town
[12:24] manager, mayor, and city council for
listening to me and to the public. I'm
[12:30] here to ask that
a task force
[12:35] um be created maybe through the town
council or appointed by the town
[12:39] manager, [clears throat] however it's
deemed necessary to look at an ordinance
[12:43] that would ban feeding of the deer in
the town limits to Blowing Rock. Um on a
[12:49] recent doctor visit, my I have an
internist, she said, "Jenny, we've had
[12:53] hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of
Lyme tick disease and um blowing and um
[13:00] Rocky Mountain." And the and the third
one that bites you and then you can't
[13:04] eat meat, that one is even being tested
for up here right now because the ticks
[13:09] are coming down from the north and
that's the last one to come down, but
[13:12] it's here. And feeding the deer just
invites more ticks. And the deer have
[13:19] plenty to eat. You know, they can go
into the woods. They can go into the n
[13:23] they can go into mother nature. Oh, I
should be talking to you. They should
[13:27] they can go into um the woods. But a
little town, I think it was Edon, North
[13:33] Carolina, um they they did a ban on deer
and the um bird feeders because of the
[13:39] deer and the bear. They banned the bird
feeders. And I know that would be a huge
[13:44] protest in this town, but they had an
overabundance of bear and now they have
[13:49] not had one bear in five years because
there are just no bird feeders. So the
[13:53] bears don't come in. And then the second
one is the ordinance with the um deer
[13:59] with um feeding the deer. if you know
maybe somebody could um make it a point
[14:03] to look into that or form a committee or
something but it might not be going on a
[14:07] lot but I see enough of it to warrant
you know some questions. So that's it
[14:15] and um thank you for listening.
>> Thank you Miss Miller. Thank you
[14:21] » Will Miller.
[14:25] It must be Miller night. It's Miller
time. [laughter]
[14:31] You okay, Wayne? Uh uh thank you, Mr.
Mayor and Council. Um I'm coming to
[14:37] speak about the other intersection um
with a different um point of view. This
[14:43] is Yeah, this is a
>> where Country Club Lane dead ends and I
[14:47] guess it goes left and right goes down
to the Country Club Lakehouse. Um, I
[14:53] think that's on the agenda. And, um, Jim
just really ruined everything I was
[14:58] going to say over here with his legal,
but sometimes you you can do go with an
[15:03] objective and sometimes subjective. He's
talking subjective. This is objective.
[15:08] Um, because the club has opened up the
lakehouse facility uh, for a lot more
[15:14] use, lunch, dinner, and everything. And
I think if you have further questions
[15:17] about this, I think Paul Beavenzy, the
managers, club manager here, he could
[15:21] speak to it, but it's you that there's a
ton of more traffic in the last year
[15:26] going through that intersection. Right
now, [clears throat] it's it's a T
[15:31] intersection with only one stop sign.
And the the stop sign that's there is
[15:36] hardly visible and it's not if I was
going to put one anywhere, I wouldn't
[15:40] have put it there. But that said,
there's a lot of stuff going traffic
[15:44] coming through there. I don't think
would show up on any vehicle count
[15:47] because so much of it is golf cart
traffic. Um at some point in time, uh if
[15:54] we don't really sign and put signs up,
there should be three stop signs and
[15:58] maybe a stop ahead sign on country club
just to let people know because a lot of
[16:02] people come through there aren't um
don't live here. They're coming here for
[16:06] weddings or or receptions or you name it
and they're [clears throat] just unaware
[16:11] because there's no signage.
um at some point there is going to be an
[16:15] accident where a car and a um golf cart
um get together and that won't be good
[16:22] for the people in the golf cart. So I I
would hope that the that the police and
[16:26] the and the first responders would
really be in favor of this idea u
[16:31] because I don't think any one of us want
to make a decision or or lack making a
[16:37] decision that might save a life. Thank
you. Well, if you would uh I don't think
[16:43] you live with uh Wayne Miller. Could you
state your address?
[16:48] » Yeah, I'm sorry. 370 Wonderland Drive.
>> Um but I'd like to live with Wayne.
[16:53] [laughter]
[16:55] » All right. Um and since we're going
forward, would the general manager of
[17:00] the Bo Country Club, Paul, would you
like to say something for a minute or
[17:05] two?
[17:13] Good evening everyone. Paul Benzi,
>> which address would you like?
[17:18] » 2001. Okay.
>> 200 drive.
[17:22] » Okay.
>> Uh I I do not live there. I work there.
[17:25] » Um the lakehouse opened this past season
uh after a remodel and a refresh and so
[17:31] it has revitalized, rejuvenated what we
are doing down there. Uh it is a
[17:36] seasonal operation open from Memorial
Day to Labor Day. Um with no real
[17:41] operation outside of that uh outside of
that time frame.
[17:46] The lunch service down there is six days
a week with dinner service 4 days a
[17:51] week.
We did have a couple of pre-season or
[17:56] you know pre-opening
uh receptions down there and a couple of
[18:01] postseason receptions that we have
planned for this upcoming year. So I
[18:05] think it's four non-member wedding style
uh rehearsal dinner style events. Uh the
[18:12] majority of the traffic that we do see
through that area is obviously members.
[18:15] Uh so it is repeat traffic. about a
third to maybe a half of that traffic
[18:20] would be golf cart traffic. Uh not u car
traffic.
[18:26] And um I would say on average our lunch
volume down there is [clears throat]
[18:32] predominantly golf cart traffic with 60
to 70 diners per meal period with our
[18:39] dinner averages about 110 to 120 per
evening down there. Um again, um
[18:48] predominantly cart traffic, obviously
weather dependent. If if it's raining,
[18:53] the car traffic gets much higher.
Good.
[18:57] » Thank you, Paul.
>> Thank you.
[19:01] Okay,
I guess we'll move on here. Thank you
[19:06] everyone for your comments.
Uh this is a presentation from Foothills
[19:11] Consery
and Andrew Cota.
[19:19] » Welcome.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor and members of the
[19:23] council. My name is Shane Pris. I live
at 208 Sherwood Place, Morgan, North
[19:28] Carolina. Um I realized I thought I was
in the right town, but um when I saw our
[19:32] former finance director, but I realized
we were just borrowing her from you all.
[19:36] So um glad to see that. Andrew, how's
Andrew doing?
[19:39] » He's doing great. Um
>> Oh, there he is.
[19:41] » Andrew is joining us as well. Um I'll be
giving the presentation today um on
[19:45] behalf of the organization. Um what
we're here to talk to you about tonight
[19:50] is giving you all an update on our uh
study that we've done for a potential
[19:55] public trail on the 330 acre property we
conserved adjacent to the Blowing Rock
[20:01] attraction. U but I'll step back a
little bit. Um we are Foothills
[20:05] Conservancy of North Carolina. We are a
501c3 nonprofit land trust. Our job is
[20:11] to conserve and protect special places
and land and water resources in our
[20:15] 8ount service area that includes Cwell
County and comes right up to the edge of
[20:21] Blowing Rock and into it. Um
specifically, uh if you mind advancing
[20:25] the slide, um we have over the last 30
years uh conserved almost 75,000 acres.
[20:32] And this is my favorite number because
every time I put it on a slide, it's
[20:36] already out of date. Um, that means that
we're working hard for you all to keep
[20:39] this place special. Um, as you know, it
all is. And a lot of people who've been
[20:43] here a long time, it is a special place.
Um, and we live in a special region. But
[20:48] we want to talk specifically about um,
our property here in the Blowing Rock
[20:54] community, our 330 acre John's River
Headarters Preserve. That means that
[20:59] it's something that the conservancy is
going to own. um in perpetuity so that
[21:03] we can manage it and protect it and
ideally eventually have a level of
[21:08] public access to it because we think
that it's really important that people
[21:11] be connected to the almost 75,000 acres
and soon to be almost 78,000 acres of
[21:17] land that we've conserved. So this
property is really special. Um it's got
[21:22] a bunch of source water for um that
flows into the Kataba. Over 3 million
[21:26] people rely on it. Um it is
spectacularly beautiful. Um, as you
[21:31] drive into town, um, you notice you look
off to the left where Wheelies used to
[21:35] be and you see nothing except for you
see everything. And the idea is that
[21:39] that is how it's going to look forever.
Um, that's what we want. And when you
[21:44] get down in the property, it is even
more spectacular. Um, there are really
[21:48] exciting things in the property. Um, if
you mind going back a slide, I want to
[21:52] point out some
um,
[21:57] it's okay. um want to point out a few
things about the property particularly
[22:01] um where it is situated on the land. Um
so one thing that we do want to um point
[22:07] out specifically on this is that you can
see that it is pretty landlocked um with
[22:13] other properties. Uh we have one public
access point on this whole project and
[22:18] you can see it is up on Pinnacle A. um
it does abut the national forest but
[22:24] does not directly connect with Globe
Road and that is important when we were
[22:28] considering how to get the public in and
out of this property. Access is one of
[22:33] the most important things um that how
are people going to come and go um where
[22:38] we're going to bring them in. We looked
at the forest service but their priority
[22:41] right now is recovering from the
hurricane Helen damage that is they are
[22:46] five years out from having a
conversation about anything new. not
[22:49] doing anything new, having a
conversation about it. They have a lot
[22:52] of work to do. Um, and we are helping
them in some capacities with other
[22:55] nonprofits in the organization, but it
rebuilding our infrastructure will take
[22:59] time. So, we went and did this study. I
took a look at it. I had some concepts,
[23:04] but you said, "Hey, let's get a second
opinion. Let's hire Nature Trails LLC,
[23:08] um, a reputable um, recognized trail
firm that works in North Carolina. It's
[23:12] based out of North Carolina." and they
did the trail study on the next slide as
[23:17] well as flagging on the ground. And
that's an important step to tell us
[23:21] where the flagging um flagging tells you
where the trail is going to be. Thank
[23:25] you. And um as you can see, we thought
that the upper portion of the property
[23:31] is much more suitable for a positive um
environmentally sustainable trail
[23:36] experience. And with that comes the
access question. And the question we're
[23:41] here to present to you tonight um and
looking for help is getting people in
[23:45] and out. As you can see up in the corner
there where it says Cliff Drive right
[23:49] there is um the one point where this
property touches road and has legal road
[23:55] access. So that presents us with kind of
two options. One is go through a
[24:01] reszoning process for a small parking
lot. That is not necessarily ideal
[24:06] situation for us. Um it is in a
neighborhood. It doesn't have a lot of
[24:10] space and like most of the properties
here in Blowing Rock it goes downhill
[24:14] pretty quickly. So at best maybe five
cars more likely three. An alternative
[24:20] that we're looking at is we call it at
grade um access point. So that would be
[24:27] along DOT right ofway. It would be
connecting in with the existing sidewalk
[24:31] system which at this point is on the far
side of 321 which there are some
[24:35] existing crossings already um by the end
in other places could potentially be
[24:40] another one for this but sidewalk coming
up to that point as well is another
[24:46] option. There are possibly other
alternatives that we have not thought of
[24:49] yet. Um so if you don't mind advancing
the next slide. Thank you.
[24:53] um we want to present our information to
you all and really open up for questions
[24:57] and um seek help. We have not moved
forward with fundraising or anything
[25:02] past the point of doing a basic trail
study which was funded by some partners
[25:06] and interested um parties into looking
into this so that we can have these
[25:11] conversations well before we talk about
the next steps. So want to thank you so
[25:15] much for your time. I know you have a
big packed agenda today. So, um, really
[25:18] want to open up to any questions that,
um, we can talk about and, um, present
[25:22] this idea to you and further
conversations in the future. Thank you.
[25:30] » Do you uh do you have a timeline
established?
[25:35] » Uh, at this stage, no. Um, we really do
need to figure out the access question
[25:40] of what's the best way to go forward.
Um, and we haven't delved into that too
[25:45] deeply other than from the trail study
to say that this is likely the best
[25:49] access point that we have um, legal
right to.
[25:54] » Does this encompass uh, Cherry Tree
Holler right there at the base of what
[26:01] was canyons at the end of the parking
lot?
[26:04] » Yes, it does. So, um I believe we owned
that property before um we purchased
[26:08] this second larger property um when it
was available for protection. So, we've
[26:12] added to that and the uh um uh
conservation holdings.
[26:20] » So, essentially your request, what
you're looking at doing, if I may
[26:25] council, um is making a trail head up
above canyons, the old canyons. Is that
[26:32] correct? Um, that is a possibility, Mr.
Mayor. Um, we're looking for solutions
[26:38] of what's the best way um for the
community to get people in and out of
[26:44] this if we are to develop public access
into this property.
[26:50] » Um,
that would have to be reszoned, would it
[26:55] not,
Kevin?
[26:59] for
I don't know.
[27:03] » Okay.
[27:07] » And
>> say the Forest Service is not
[27:09] cooperating much for Globe Road.
>> I I wouldn't say that they're
[27:13] uncooperative. I would say that they
have a massive they're they have a lot
[27:17] of priorities that come far before
talking to us about this one.
[27:22] » Um but yes, Mr. Mayor, that is one of
the possibilities. The other would be
[27:27] some sort of sidewalk or interconnection
with parking um at another location for
[27:32] people who are interested in visiting
the property. Um we don't have um
[27:38] particular plans in one way or another.
That's why we wanted to present it to
[27:40] the community to see what is the best
option for everyone collectively and
[27:45] what do we feel is is the right option
for the community to move forward and
[27:48] look at pursuing um at that point. So
that's why we want to present it to you
[27:52] and the group as a whole.
[27:56] I think we would have to rely on
trail engineering experts obviously. I
[28:05] mean that is a very dangerous property I
would think for the public to access.
[28:14] Um,
>> I mean I I don't know all the entry
[28:17] point or possible entry points, but
>> I can tell you without a trail, yes, I
[28:22] agree fully it would be a dangerous
property access having done it several
[28:26] times myself um and slid down mostly.
Um, we would have um I have been working
[28:32] for 16 years in this field. So, um, feel
comfortable with also the design that we
[28:37] hired from another professional firm to
do that we could build a sustainable
[28:42] safe experience out there. It would
still be rugged. It is quite a rugged
[28:46] property. That's why it goes straight
down the hill, but we would do so in a
[28:49] way that would meet all of the
applicable trail standards and be safe
[28:53] for the public to access when we were
ready to open it.
[28:56] » Okay. So essentially the only access
from the town of Blowing Rock would be
[29:03] that location
uh because otherwise you're bordered by
[29:08] private property.
Correct.
[29:10] » That is correct.
>> Okay. Or Globe Road
[29:15] » which would be through the Forest
Service and also put you at the bottom
[29:18] of the property. And we did feel that
the top was more suitable um just from
[29:23] what you can see there. The way the
rivers lay a lot less rodendrin
[29:29] um and it it it's a bit of a slog to get
from the bottom to the top I'll tell
[29:32] you. So
>> going down is not a problem. I'm just
[29:34] wondering [laughter]
[29:41] » I'm invite Andrew up to help answer some
questions as well.
[29:44] » How much is actually in the city limits
of Born Rock?
[29:51] in the city.
>> Hi, thanks for having us.
[29:53] » Doug had a question for you, Andrew.
>> I um how much of the property is in the
[29:59] city limits? I'm not sure of the exact
acreage, but we know that the the
[30:03] northern sliver of the property is
encompassed by the uh Blowing Rock city
[30:07] limits. Um, and our our our conundrum is
that we
[30:14] have
good legal access to the property along
[30:19] Pinnacle Avenue, but that that site or
that lot is insufficient for a public
[30:27] access trail head parking area. So, how
do we safely get people to that
[30:32] location? And we think it would be
meaningful coming from town to allow
[30:36] people to to explore along the the the
sidewalk system from downtown out
[30:42] towards 321, you know, to in in the uh
uh the direction of Green Park area and
[30:49] cross at the old restaurant and up up
the hill along Pinnacle to get onto the
[30:54] property itself. So it would connect it
would connect that that preserve to the
[30:59] town, provide another option for the
public to um to have outdoor recreation
[31:04] experience close to town. Um uh much
like Glenn Bernie in the other
[31:10] direction. Uh but you know getting from
there's not a crossing there's not a
[31:15] safe crossing across 321 from the
existing sidewalk to Pinnacle and to the
[31:22] lot with the the former restaurant area.
So that's that's really what
[31:28] our our question our conundrum is in you
know getting people onto the the
[31:32] tractive land safely. Um and I you know
will mention the support that we
[31:39] received from from the Blowing Rock
community to be able to purchase and
[31:43] permanently protect this this tract of
land a few years ago. It was
[31:47] overwhelming support um from many people
in this room that helped raise millions
[31:53] of dollars essentially to ma help match
some of the the state funded grant
[31:57] sources that we brought to to this
project. And um you know at that time we
[32:02] had we had discussed with those
supporters our our willingness and and
[32:06] ability to to pursue a public trail
project on the property as as you've
[32:10] seen and we've done pretty extensive um
uh surveying of the land with with
[32:16] professionals and Shane is one of those
professionals. Um so we know that this
[32:21] is possible but it's it's the it's the
the point of access that is challenging
[32:26] at this point. So, we're hopeful that
the the town would recognize this,
[32:30] acknowledge this, and maybe support some
type of solution. Uh, work with us on
[32:36] some type of solution. council. My
recommendation I think would be that um
[32:45] that they need to get with our zoning
department, [clears throat]
[32:50] get clearance there and recommendations
from our zoning and planning
[32:55] and come back with a plan
uh on where exactly
[33:03] um and if you decide you're you're going
going to need some kind of access for
[33:09] emergency vehicles at least up top. Am I
>> not? I'd also have them talk with Chief
[33:15] Graham.
>> Have them talk with Chief GR.
[33:18] » I think I you know that's just my take
on it council. I think that guys need to
[33:24] come up with a firm plan and then come
back talk to zoning planning
[33:30] our our chief fire chief. Uh because as
Doug can relate to, Doug when he was
[33:38] chief, he made many trips down Glenn
Bernie Trail of which he didn't really
[33:42] want to do, but he had to to bring
people out.
[33:47] » We went down through Tree Holler, too.
So, it's a it's steep down through
[33:52] there.
>> And no, no matter how
[33:57] what good physical shape people are in,
somebody can always trip.
[34:02] » Yes. And so
>> that's just my thought council. I mean
[34:05] you all feedback from you guys. I
>> Great suggestion.
[34:11] » How long would this trail be?
>> Approximately three miles in length.
[34:17] » Is it an out and back or a
>> It's a It's a loop loop system.
[34:22] » Okay.
>> Yeah. You got to come back up that hill.
[34:26] » Yes.
>> Okay. [laughter]
[34:28] » You're not installing a chair lift, are
you?
[34:30] » No. Again.
[34:33] You had mentioned five parking spaces.
Does is that adequate for your needs or
[34:39] is that just what you think you can
support there?
[34:44] » Councilman, that was just a off the
napkin, back of the napkin kind of
[34:49] estimate. I would say three to five
maybe. um is just it's not a very wide
[34:56] parcel and there's not a lot of room to
go uh deep into it before it kind of
[35:01] tapers off. Um so I more to make a point
of not very many and especially if
[35:06] you're trying to provide um some space
specifically for emergency access as
[35:10] well that would take one or two out um
just from the off the top.
[35:15] » Okay. Thank you. What worries me there
is as it grows more popular is that
[35:20] » that may not be enough,
>> right?
[35:23] » You know,
and and then do you have room there to
[35:29] enlarge without getting on private
properties?
[35:33] » Yeah, that's a good question. We haven't
done an engineering or design study for
[35:37] parking and I think that's one of the
suggestions.
[35:40] um and and having access to the planning
department or at least you know the
[35:45] ability to set up a meeting to start
speaking with emergency management
[35:49] services so we can evaluate
that area. Um but we don't think that it
[35:56] will be sufficient for if it grows in
popularity which it it very well could.
[36:01] Um it it's a spectacular area and and
anything engineered, a trail, an
[36:07] approach that would be engineered to get
down into the the tract of land would be
[36:12] um you know an expensive endeavor but
something that safety would be you know
[36:17] uh at the top of the list to to ensure
for the public. Um but it is a spec it
[36:23] would be a spectacular experience for
the public for years to come and that's
[36:28] really what we're what we're going for
here. So,
[36:33] » looks like you got about a third of an
acre to work with up there.
[36:37] » I I think that's
>> before it really gets steep.
[36:40] » Yeah, that's probably about right.
>> That seem about right.
[36:43] » I think the that entire parcel is about
three acres in size, but like you
[36:48] mentioned, we may have an acre uh at
most that's relatively level before the
[36:54] land drops off.
>> Okay.
[36:58] » Y'all good with that?
>> Yes, sir. So, yeah, get with planning,
[37:02] zoning, Kevin Rothrock, get with our uh
public safety,
[37:06] uh coordinate with Alice,
>> and uh come up with a plan that uh can
[37:12] be brought back to council for further
review.
[37:16] » Okay. Thank you all.
>> Thanks for everything. Appreciate it.
[37:22] » All righty.
Okay. This next session is a public
[37:27] hearing. Ordinance 20265,
revision of land use code parking
[37:33] requirements to parking recommendations.
Kevin Rothrock.
[37:40] [clears throat]
[37:44] » Thank you, Mayor and Council. Um,
bringing before you tonight a u a draft
[37:52] ordinance.
Uh the unique thing about it is that
[37:55] we're a little bit ahead and and not
reacting to to issues. But uh this
[38:02] ordinance is to revise our land use code
parking requirements
[38:09] uh to make those parking
recommendations.
[38:14] Uh in this year, the North Carolina
General Assembly ratified House Bill
[38:20] 162, which made significant changes to
local parking regulations.
[38:25] So on January 1st of this coming year,
local governments can no longer require
[38:29] minimum off street parking standards for
any new development. Instead, property
[38:34] owners and developers will have the
option to choose the number of parking
[38:37] spaces they deem appropriate to satisfy
their proposed development needs. Local
[38:42] ordinances still can still regulate
minimum parking space dimensions,
[38:46] parallel parking space dimensions, and
parking lot aisle and circulation
[38:50] configurations.
In anticipation of this new prohibition,
[38:54] the following draft ordinance is hereby
submitted to correct the land use
[38:59] ordinance consistent with North Carolina
law. The table of parking regulations
[39:03] has been changed to recommendations and
moved to an appendix appendix H if
[39:10] developers choose to use the current
parking ratios as a guide.
[39:14] Um we presented this to planning board
in August and they recommended approval
[39:20] of the draft ordinance with some
clerical clerical modifications
[39:24] and those have been reflected in this in
this draft ordinance before you. In
[39:29] addition, the plan board asked that
staff consult with the town attorney to
[39:32] see whether loading zones could be
eliminated from that ordinance. And uh
[39:37] in talking with Joey
uh last week uh he his understanding was
[39:43] that requiring off- streetet loading
zones would be inconsistent with the new
[39:47] state law. So the draft ordinance
removes that requirement as well for um
[39:52] loading zones, off- streetet loading
zones.
[39:55] Uh, I want to point out too the land use
code or any land use code changes in
[40:00] North Carolina must have a statement of
uh, consistency related to the town's
[40:05] comprehensive plan, land use plan,
whatever it may be called, depending on
[40:09] the jurisdiction.
The ordinance is not required to be
[40:13] consistent with that comp plan, not in
North Carolina, but there has to be a
[40:16] statement that acknowledges the plan. um
this particular ordinance
[40:22] from the staff uh opinion is that it's
inconsistent with our comprehensive plan
[40:30] um but it's consistent with the state
law and so I reflected that in the first
[40:34] in the opening uh preamble of the
ordinance there
[40:39] uh
the sixth one down it says this
[40:43] ordinance and the amendments herein as
as proposed are inconsistent with the
[40:47] 2024 comprehensive a plan update
including the following plan objectives.
[40:52] One or a uh review and amend parking
recommendations requirements, excuse me,
[40:58] established in lane use code, including
parking standards, provisions for
[41:01] satellite parking and similar
requirements to ensure that parking is
[41:05] adequately addressed. And parking is
something we talk about all the time. We
[41:09] don't have enough parking.
Uh,
[41:13] another item of the comprehensive plan,
study park and performance standards for
[41:17] all short-term rental and lodge uses.
And we we had done that when we made
[41:20] some changes a few years ago for
short-term rentals. And then C,
[41:25] implement the recommendations of the
downtown park and management study and
[41:29] update the study regularly to
incorporate changes over time. So
[41:34] these items um show that this ordinance
would be inconsistent with our comp plan
[41:41] from the staff's opinion. Uh it would be
dependent on you if you agree with that.
[41:46] Um but although inconsistent with our
comp plan, it would be consistent with
[41:51] state law. Um
after the planning board um
[41:58] after their decision to move forward
with the draft ordinance, we made a few
[42:03] additional staff changes uh minor. I
wanted to point those out. As as I said,
[42:08] we moved appendix H
uh moved the recommendations into one
[42:15] table. Uh we had two. We had a parking
table for
[42:20] downtown and the and the town center and
then we had a separate parking table for
[42:24] everything else. So, we've combined them
just into one and left it um
[42:30] the one that was for everything else.
And we made a few other changes. One, we
[42:35] removed the uses that are not currently
allowed in our land use code. So, we
[42:39] just struck those out. That was colleges
and drive-ins, racetracks, and
[42:43] scrapyards. We don't allow those in
anywhere in town. there is a place for
[42:47] them. We don't allow them. And so there
was a parking requirement for those
[42:52] uses, but we just struck those out. And
the other thing is that the
[42:56] recommendation was for restaurant
parking from one space for every 100
[43:02] square feet to one per 200. In downtown,
it's one per 250. Out in general
[43:07] business is one per 100. And uh staff
recommendation was just to make that to
[43:12] one to 200. Again, these are all
recommendations. Developer does not have
[43:17] to choose to go by that. They have the
option to choose what how much parking
[43:22] meets the needs that they are proposing.
[43:28] » If that's not too confusing, I'll be
glad to answer any question. [laughter]
[43:32] » Okay, council. We're opening this up for
public hearing.
[43:39] Sure.
[43:44] » Would any of the public like to speak on
this matter?
[43:49] » Um,
[43:52] I guess it's pretty much I mean, we need
to follow state guidelines.
[43:57] » It's all recommendation.
>> If not, we're going to keep Joy busy all
[44:01] the time.
[44:05] » Okay. Do I have a motion to close the
public hearing? move.
[44:09] » I have a second.
>> Second.
[44:11] » Okay. Uh council thoughts, motions
>> is
[44:20] » motion. Yes. Yes, ma'am.
>> We don't really have a choice. Right.
[44:24] » Well, uh I just looked at it and the few
people that signed off on that from the
[44:28] state, I don't think we want to mess
with. Okay.
[44:30] » That's what I thought. [laughter]
>> So,
[44:33] » it was pretty divi, uh not divisive,
decisive. Yeah,
[44:38] » it was
>> the House and Senate level
[44:42] » pretty convincing. I don't think it's
going to change.
[44:45] » Pretty much nonpartisan from what I saw.
>> Yeah. So,
[44:49] » so I mean it doesn't seem like there's
even
[44:52] » All we need is a motion from you,
Melissa.
[44:55] » So, I move that we adopt the new
ordinate parking ordinance as described.
[45:04] Is that
>> have a second?
[45:08] Second.
>> Any other discussion? Okay. Cat
[45:12] » I.
>> David.
[45:13] » I
>> I
[45:16] » Okay.
>> All right.
[45:18] » Thanks, Kevin. Appreciate it.
>> Thank you.
[45:20] » When you figure all this out, will you
call me?
[45:23] » Yeah. [laughter]
[45:29] » Alrighty.
Let's see here. We're now into regular
[45:35] agenda. wrong proclamation. H you know
seems like just yesterday
[45:44] but
[45:47] Rahm is celebrating
15th anniversary
[45:54] that is the Bling Rock Art and History
Museum.
[45:58] So would you like to speak on something
before I read the proclamation?
[46:03] Well, I think it's customary that I
state my name and my address if that's
[46:07] correct, sir. That would be [laughter]
>> Yes. I'm Steven Dragzik and I reside at
[46:13] 150 Celestial Drive here in Blenrock,
North Carolina. And I am the Terresa and
[46:19] Don Kane executive director for the
Blowenrock Art and History Museum, but
[46:22] our friends call us Braum. So, we are
preparing on October the 1st to
[46:27] celebrate our 15th anniversary here in
the community. So, that is why I'm here
[46:30] tonight. Thank you.
Um, I will say that Braum
[46:37] um have done a great job of promoting
Blowing Rock for arts and history and I
[46:44] I think Mr. Hardwood was involved early
on and I think it says a lot for our
[46:50] citizens support the community support.
My hats off to you. So that being said,
[46:59] okay, whereas Braum Blowing Rock Art and
History Museum was created through the
[47:04] vision, determination, generosity of
community members who believe that art,
[47:09] history, and cultural traditions of
Blowing Rock and the surrounding region
[47:14] served a permanent home. And whereas
since opening its doors in 2011, Braum
[47:20] has become an important cultural
institution in the town of Blowing Rock,
[47:24] preserving and sharing the stories of
our community while presenting
[47:29] exhibitions and programs that connect
the high country with artists, ideas,
[47:33] and audiences from across North Carolina
and beyond. And whereas Braum carries
[47:40] forward its mission to curate, preserve,
educate, inspire, celebrating the artist
[47:46] heritages of Appalachia while creating
opportunities for new generations of
[47:51] artists, students, residents, and
visitors. And whereas through
[47:55] exhibitions, educational programs,
lectures, performances, community
[48:00] partnerships, and the preservation of
its growing permanent collection, Braum
[48:05] enriches the cultural life of Blowing
Rock and contributes to the town's
[48:09] identity as a destination for arts. And
whereas Bron welcomes residents and
[48:16] visitors with free admission, ensuring
that art, history, creativity, and
[48:21] learning remain accessible
to the widest possible audience. And
[48:27] whereas the museum's success over the
past 15 years reflects the extraordinary
[48:33] commitment of its founders, trustees,
trustees, staff, volunteers, dosent,
[48:39] artists, members, donors, community
partners, and friends. And whereas as
[48:45] Braum celebrates his 15th anniversary in
2026,
[48:50] the museum honors the people and stories
that shape its first 50 years. while
[48:56] looking forward to its next chapter of
service to Blowing Rock and the broader
[49:00] high country. Now therefore, be it
procla proclaimed that the mayor and
[49:06] town council of town of Blowing Rock
recognize and celebrate the 15th
[49:12] anniversary of Braum.
[49:17] Am I missing the page?
>> Page two.
[49:21] and recommend that the museum for 15
years of enriching our community through
[49:25] art and history, education, creativity,
and service be it further proclaimed
[49:30] that October 1, 2026 be recognized in
the town of Blowing Rock as Prom's 50th
[49:37] anniversary day, 15th anniversary day in
celebration of this milestone in
[49:42] appreciation of Brahm's continued
contribution to the cultural life and
[49:47] future
of our community. Do you write that?
[49:52] That's pretty good. [laughter]
[applause]
[50:05] » [applause]
[50:12] » I love
>> mayor. If I could have a point of
[50:16] privilege
always.
[50:21] » I want to recognize someone who's in our
audience. Okay.
[50:25] » And she is not going to be happy about
it, but on the back row is our the first
[50:30] executive director of Braum, JOANNE
MITCHELL.
[50:34] » [applause]
[50:43] » AND JOANNE singlehandedly
wrestled this museum into being into
[50:50] existence.
sometimes strong arm,
[50:54] but
uh the money that was raised to build
[50:58] that building, to foster that dream, and
to encourage people to believe in that
[51:06] dream,
uh rest squarely at Joanne Mitchell's
[51:10] feet and um I want to just recognize her
for that and thank her for that.
[51:25] » [applause]
[51:33] » I know
[laughter]
[51:37] because I came many times, Kevin,
to this council, this room with other
[51:45] members to uh plead our case for
different
[51:49] And I think it's about time for the town
and the council to recognize the good
[51:55] work that Stephen and many others have
done since David and I started this
[52:01] whole thing.
>> Yes.
[52:02] » So, thank you, David, that you are.
[laughter]
[52:07] » Nothing's changed.
>> Thank you, Miss Mitchell.
[52:11] All right. Thank you, Braing
Rock Art History Museum. What was your
[52:17] address again? Oh, good. That's good.
Okay. Stop signs request. Laurel Lane,
[52:24] Dogwood, and Country Club.
Uh, Chief Nathan Kurt. Chief,
[52:31] come on down.
>> Good evening, Chief.
[52:36] » Good evening,
[52:42] » Mayor Council.
I believe the agenda said Laurel Park
[52:49] Road first. So, I'll start off with that
staff recommendation.
[52:52] Uh, the Blowing Rock Police Department
recommends that the town council
[52:55] authorize the installation of a
three-way stop at the intersection of
[52:58] Laurel Park Road and Dogwood Lane.
Specifically, the Blown Rock Police
[53:02] Department recommends that stop signs be
installed on the approaches to the
[53:04] intersection as necessary to require
vehicles traveling on Laurel Park Road
[53:08] and Dogwood Lane to stop before entering
the intersection, creating an all-way
[53:13] three-way stop configuration appropriate
to the roadway layout. The intersection
[53:17] of Laurel Park Road and Dogwood Lane is
located within a residential area of
[53:21] Blowing Rock and serves as an access
point for residents, visitors, and other
[53:24] motorists traveling between Laurel Lane
or excuse me, Laurel Park Road and
[53:28] Dogwood Lane. The town's previous
traffic regulations identify Laurel Park
[53:33] Road northbound at Dogwood Lane as a
yield intersection. A change was made
[53:38] about 10 11 months ago to this
intersection. Remove the yield sign and
[53:42] replace it with a stop sign at Dogwood
Lane.
[53:45] The police department has reviewed the
current traffic control configuration
[53:49] and believes that additional positive
traffic control at this intersection
[53:53] would improve driver awareness, provide
a clear rightway determination, and
[53:57] enhance overall safety for motorists,
pedestrians, and nearby residents.
[54:02] Excuse me.
And [clears throat] uh there's also a
[54:06] signed petition out there from the
residents wanting that. So, and I've
[54:10] also seen videos from where they've
taken it from motors coming on Laurel
[54:16] Park and traveling [cough] around that
[clears throat] retaining wall that's
[54:18] right there and going into the opposite
lane of travel. That also influenced our
[54:22] uh recommendation on this one.
The next recommendation
[54:29] is for a three-way stop at Country Club
Drive and Country Club Lane by the
[54:32] Lakehouse driveway.
The Blowing Rock Police Department
[54:37] recommends against the installation of a
three-way stop at this location where
[54:40] Country Club Drive and Country Club Lane
meet near the driveway providing access
[54:44] to the Blowing Rock Country Club
Lakehouse. Currently, the lakehouse
[54:47] driveway has a stop sign for traffic
turning onto Country Club Drive or
[54:51] Country Club Lane. After consideration
of the roadway configuration, traffic
[54:55] movements, and the purpose of stop
control devices, the police department
[54:59] does not believe that the installation
of an additional stop sign at this
[55:02] location is warranted at this time. The
department recommends maintaining the
[55:06] existing traffic control configuration
and continuing to monitor the
[55:10] intersection for traffic conflicts,
crashes, and other documented safety
[55:13] concerns. The police department does
also recommend that the dividing lines
[55:17] be repainted to assist motorists with
the proper deliation of the roadway.
[55:21] They are quite faded down there on
Country Club and Country Club Lane. I
[55:26] also pulled the trash or crash data for
both roads
[55:31] for the past six years. So on Country
Club Drive, we have had one uh traffic
[55:38] incident that was on March 2023. That
was a FedEx truck. No other vehicles
[55:43] were involved and it was weather related
on a snow-covered road that day in
[55:47] March. And then we had two other
incidents uh on Country Club, but that
[55:51] happened in the PVA, the country club,
backed into another vehicle in 22. And
[55:56] then 21, the delivery truck actually hit
the awning of the country club.
[56:01] And then Laurel Park and Dogwood, we had
one recorded traffic incident within
[56:06] this six uh six-year time frame.
September of 2020, a truck and trailer
[56:10] was backing out and hit a retaining wall
down there.
[56:16] » Council, keep in mind each one of these
you'll need to vote on separately. Okay?
[56:21] So, keep that in mind. So, you address
it how you wish. [snorts]
[56:26] » Chief, I have a question.
>> Yes, ma'am. based on the crash data,
[56:30] » why did you recommend
one be approved and one not be approved?
[56:35] » So, the reason I recommended the one on
Laurel Park Road in Dogwood Lane, um, is
[56:40] because there's more information with
that one. So, we've done traffic studies
[56:43] down there. We've had officers down
there dedicated. We've done checkpoints
[56:47] to measure that. And seeing the videos
where these cars are coming off, I don't
[56:52] think there's a safe way that you can do
this where they're not crossing into the
[56:56] other lane of travel. So, they're going
over the the dividing yellow line to
[56:59] make that turn that's coming from Main
Street and off of Laurel Park Road. Um,
[57:05] and the signed petition that was
provided from the community down there
[57:09] in favor for the three-way stop. The one
on Country Club, I'll be honest with
[57:14] you, I don't have a lot of data down
there. Uh, this was the first that I've
[57:17] heard about this being an issue. Um, I
wasn't aware that the lakehouse actually
[57:22] opened up for all this new additional
traffic and things like that for dinner
[57:26] and lunch and things like that. So, I
think that we should go forward and try
[57:31] to collect some more data and things
like that. But, when I went down there
[57:34] and looked at the site, I mean, it's
very hard to even see where the the
[57:38] yellow dividing line is. So, I think
that needs to be updated.
[57:42] » But did you just say that Laurel
>> that was on Country Club? I'm sorry. I
[57:47] mean, Country Club has had more accident
more crashes in the last few years than
[57:52] Laura.
>> They both had one. Yeah. One pertaining
[57:55] to the roadway.
>> Okay.
[57:58] » Thank you. And currently at there is
[snorts] a stop sign at Dogwood and
[58:04] Laurel or not?
>> So, yes, there is a stop sign at Dogwood
[58:08] where it goes back into Laurel Park. It
used to be a yield sign about 11 months
[58:12] ago. I brought it before council then
and we changed the yield sign to a stop
[58:17] sign. So after that, we observed and the
videos came in and things like that and
[58:22] I talked to community members and they
said that it's not working. So to safely
[58:25] travel through that intersection, they
would like a three-way stop.
[58:30] » Thank you.
>> You said this was signed by the
[58:33] residents
>> of Laurel Park and Dogwood.
[58:36] » Mhm.
[58:42] Uh, Chief, do you know how many
residences
[58:47] in Laurel Park Dogwood area are
full-time, permanent, full-time?
[58:55] » I do not have that information.
It's
[59:00] » I don't even want to take a guess at
you. I could probably get that
[59:02] information for you, though.
>> I I have it.
[59:05] » Perfect. [laughter]
[clears throat] It's 11
[59:10] out of 53 53 houses in that um I don't
know which one area and um but out of 53
[59:21] 11 are full-time.
So
[59:29] it's not that many. It's not Yeah.
[59:37] Okay, council,
would you like to weigh in on a decision
[59:44] on the intersection of Laurel Park Road
and Dogwood Lane first?
[59:50] Would you like to make a motion
to approve?
[59:57] We'll make a motion with
>> I'll make a motion to approve. I mean if
[1:00:00] the residents want it
at least
[1:00:03] » okay
>> vote on can I ask a question
[1:00:07] » what
[1:00:11] » there's a misperception that the res
>> you you can't when we're in session I'm
[1:00:16] sorry that's that's why I gave you all
the three minutes earlier
[1:00:19] » I have a question the chief how many
residents signed the petition in favor
[1:00:25] of this
>> one Thank you.
[1:00:51] » It's all for the same.
>> Yeah.
[1:01:03] So that's 27.
[1:01:26] Except
different.
[1:01:56] I can't find
[1:02:20] » We've got 79 signatures on this,
Melissa.
[1:02:23] » 79.
>> 79. And that includes Twin Springs, I
[1:02:26] believe, as well.
>> Dogwood Lane, Laurel Park, Quail Hollow
[1:02:31] Drive,
and Twin Springs.
[1:02:34] » Okay, thank you.
>> Okay, we have a motion on the table. Do
[1:02:39] [clears throat] we have a second?
>> Wait a minute. What's the motion?
[1:02:42] » To approve.
>> Okay,
[1:02:46] » we have a second.
[1:02:51] » Doug seconded. Any further discussion on
this one? Okay. Cat.
[1:02:56] » No.
>> David.
[1:02:57] » I
>> I
[1:02:59] » I
>> I
[1:03:01] » Okay,
the next one is Country Club.
[1:03:08] So, do we have additional questions for
the chief on Country Club Drive?
[1:03:16] This is the line that I'm talking about
here. This is your dividing line of the
[1:03:21] road. presly
that
[1:03:26] » we ever get our new pan.
>> Good. Okay.
[1:03:29] » I also make a I'll make a motion on
that.
[1:03:32] » I'm sorry, Doug. Go ahead and hear you.
>> I'll make a motion in favor of that.
[1:03:36] » You make a motion in favor of the
three-way stop at Country Club. Okay. Do
[1:03:42] we have a second?
>> A second.
[1:03:44] » We have a second. Any further
discussion, council?
[1:03:47] » Yes, ma'am.
Does that need to be a three-way stop or
[1:03:50] just a one stop as you approach the
>> at the end of Country Club?
[1:03:57] » So, so the way it is right now, give me
some more reaching room here. There's
[1:04:02] your stop sign. This is the the driveway
>> that goes down to the lakehouse, right?
[1:04:07] » So, you have a stop sign here. And the
way this road is, it just continues
[1:04:11] around,
>> comes up. So, this is the dividing line,
[1:04:14] Country Club Drive. And then when you
get down here, Country Club.
[1:04:18] » Okay.
>> So, you're wanting to add a stop or
[1:04:23] Well, the proposal is to add another
stop sign
[1:04:28] » both directions on Country Club,
>> correct? Or Country Club Drive,
[1:04:33] » right?
>> That's what we're Yes. So, we want to
[1:04:35] turn this into a three-way stop. My
recommendation is not to turn it into a
[1:04:39] three-way stop at this time. Okay.
>> Thank you.
[1:04:45] Maybe I missed it, Chief, but could you
elaborate on that decision?
[1:04:50] » Yeah, David. So, the reason I made this
decision is because the only data that I
[1:04:55] really have to go off of here is the
very limited crash data I have for the
[1:04:59] past six years. There was one traffic
incident, and what that traffic incident
[1:05:03] occurred was a FedEx truck came down and
came to rest on that uh young lady's
[1:05:09] timber right there in her little cart
near.
[1:05:12] He came down snow covered road and he
just kept going.
[1:05:16] » So what what's precipitated this coming
before us then? What's changed? Why is
[1:05:23] this here?
>> It came up in a staff meeting. So I
[1:05:26] started looking into it. Someone reached
out to me and said that they have asked
[1:05:30] for this um that it was a safety issue
that they asked before. Um including the
[1:05:36] council members um but it uh just never
got formally I guess recommendation was
[1:05:42] never formally made and council never
formally considered it. So it was part
[1:05:47] of a list of a list of things that were
outstanding.
[1:05:52] » I see.
[1:05:55] Personally, I almost feel like I would
like to see
[1:06:00] this with uh the line painted, you know,
and let's see how that works.
[1:06:06] » Mhm.
>> And and
[1:06:08] » the entire roadway is faded.
>> Yeah. And now we do have a new paint
[1:06:13] machine. I'm happy to announce.
[laughter]
[1:06:16] » I agree with you, David. When you look
at that,
[1:06:20] if you don't know which way.
[clears throat]
[1:06:23] Well, we have a first. We have a second
in favor of it. Uh, how do we vote? Cat,
[1:06:31] » I.
>> David,
[1:06:33] » no.
>> I
[1:06:35] » I
>> I
[1:06:37] » Okay.
And,
[1:06:40] uh, please make note on that, Hillary,
in the minutes that the po the road
[1:06:45] definitely needs realigning if you
would.
[1:06:48] » Thank you, Chief. Thank you.
Okay.
[1:06:53] All righty.
Okay, ladies and gentlemen,
[1:07:03] » it's onet.
[1:07:19] All right, ladies and gentlemen, I would
like to say our hearts and prayers
[1:07:24] should go out to the 911 victims 25
years ago.
[1:07:30] Very unfortunate,
very sad. It happened in many locations
[1:07:35] as we all are aware. So keep your hearts
and prayers mine for all those that were
[1:07:42] lost and the families that are having to
struggle. So, uh, that's it for me. C,
[1:07:49] » we got a we got a
little position reclassification. I got
[1:07:54] flustered with everybody leaving. Okay.
[laughter]
[1:07:59] » Okay. Sorry about that. Margaret, please
come on up. Thank you guys. [laughter]
[1:08:03] I mean, I was already
[1:08:07] » You're all done. I got it.
>> Go ahead. It's all you.
[1:08:11] » Council, thank you for uh speaking with
me this evening. I want to start off
[1:08:15] this position reclassification quest by
uh thanking Holly Autry for her service.
[1:08:19] She's been with the town for a number of
years and we certainly appreciate
[1:08:22] everything she's done. She started out
part-time utilities and moved on
[1:08:27] full-time and left for a bit and then
came back to help us with the
[1:08:30] receivables and the front desk. She's
found another opportunity that she's
[1:08:35] really excited about and we're very
happy for her. But we do want to thank
[1:08:38] her for that and recognize what she's
meant to this town and the service she's
[1:08:42] provided. Um, but with her leaving, it
provided an opportunity for us to look
[1:08:47] at our structure and maybe determine
what might be the best way to refill
[1:08:51] this position. And I would like to
request we consider uh renaming it and
[1:08:57] reclassifying it to a full-time deputy
finance officer. Doing this is going to
[1:09:03] provide some significant change and
strengthen the town's town's financial
[1:09:08] operations, maintain compliance with
North Carolina local government finance
[1:09:12] and payroll requirements. It's going to
improve our internal controls and really
[1:09:17] ensure some more accurate and timely
financial transactions going on with the
[1:09:22] town. I think this is a great
opportunity to bring some real uh depth
[1:09:27] and knowledge into the finance and
administration area that I feel is
[1:09:32] needed. Um I put you several more
comments in the memo and happy to read
[1:09:38] them to you, but I'm I'm also happy just
to take any questions.
[1:09:43] » Questions, council.
Do we have a motion to approve this
[1:09:47] position?
>> So moved.
[1:09:49] » Do we have a second?
>> Second. Any further discussion?
[1:09:56] » Cat.
>> I
[1:10:02] » Thank you, Margaret. Sorry about the
delay. I got a little flustered.
[1:10:05] [laughter]
>> You know, it uh I mean, these two these
[1:10:09] two were supposed to kick me when I miss
a section. Okay. Nobody kicked me.
[1:10:15] » All right. All right. Once again, thank
you. Uh thank you, Margaret. And please,
[1:10:20] let's keep those 9/11
victims and families in your prayers.
[1:10:27] » Yes.
>> Dad, got anything?
[1:10:29] » I have no comments.
>> David,
[1:10:30] » none for me.
>> Wayne,
[1:10:32] » Doug, uh,
>> thank you, Doug. [laughter]
[1:10:36] » As usual for me, two or three things.
Uh, one, I would like to thank the two
[1:10:43] ladies on council for
uh, a bring the house down act that they
[1:10:50] both had at groovy nights and it was
for, you know, uh, for the charity that
[1:10:57] is for for the scholarships, the the
children is great and and uh, y'all
[1:11:03] brought the house down and it was good
and thank y'all.
[1:11:05] » Thank you. Uh other one um you know the
uh on the way out I think I left this
[1:11:13] one out last month uh where they had
passed you know legislation about the
[1:11:19] occupy tax can only be
uh cannot be used for public safety you
[1:11:25] know uh keruck is going to be allowed
only through the court system is is how
[1:11:32] they're going uh I along with Charlie.
Uh
[1:11:38] would like to say uh do remember
September 11th. Take time to honor those
[1:11:44] that lost their lives. Some gave all,
all gave some. Some remember the first
[1:11:50] responders and volunteers
as we say goodbye to many of our brave
[1:11:56] and generous people who gave themselves
to help the families and the communities
[1:12:01] affected. uh like you please.
>> Thank you.
[1:12:06] » Always remember.
>> Listen.
[1:12:10] » Well, I I certainly agree with that
sentiment and I would like to say Doug,
[1:12:14] you did quite a remarkable performance
yourself, but I thought you were going
[1:12:18] to wear your wig tonight. So, we were
all doing a double take because he
[1:12:22] looked
>> very young.
[1:12:26] » Joey
Alice, yours.
[1:12:30] » Thank you, Mayor Councel. Um, I'll try
to make it brief. Uh, software update
[1:12:35] August 3rd. I reported at the last
month's meeting the town issued an RFP
[1:12:40] for enterprise resource planning
software and implementation services.
[1:12:44] Um, the RFP was meant to seek a modern
cloud-based platform integrating our
[1:12:50] core administrative and financial
functions that include payroll, um, HR,
[1:12:55] finance, uh, utility billing, and we
received five proposals and those
[1:13:01] proposals were received on August 31st.
Uh, team of staff has been reviewing and
[1:13:08] scoring these and now scheduling vendor
demonstrations. We anticipate awarding a
[1:13:13] contract in October with a projected go
live date of May 1st, 2027.
[1:13:21] An update on the fire station roof. Um
RFP was issued on June 10th with bids
[1:13:27] due on July 8th. Two uh two bids were
submitted and lowest responsive bid was
[1:13:33] $99,646.
The contract and notice to proceed was
[1:13:38] uh provided. Work began August 31st and
was 98% complete as of this past Friday.
[1:13:46] Uh the contractor expects to be finished
this week. He has one more day of
[1:13:51] scheduled work and that is just to
replace a damaged roofto-all vent. So
[1:13:56] that project will be closed out and
complete this week.
[1:14:00] Crosswalks and this is another project
that I'm happy to say is closed out and
[1:14:05] complete. Uh lot of talk about
crosswalks since coming on board and in
[1:14:10] your budget time. Um previously reported
requested a revised proposal because the
[1:14:15] original did not address the side street
areas on the crosswalks. Uh August 18th
[1:14:22] a we received that revised quote for
$92,47460.
[1:14:29] Um, this again was for completing 14
crosswalks [clears throat]
[1:14:33] along Main Street and the side streets.
August 19th, uh, staff along with McGill
[1:14:40] reviewed the proposal and selected the
color and the patterns. October or
[1:14:44] August 28th, DOT, um, approved the
encroachment permit. And August 30th, we
[1:14:52] started um, and finished on September
2nd. Everything wrapped up. Um, traffic
[1:14:59] control was completed with public works,
so I thank them for their help in
[1:15:02] keeping the uh costs down as well and
keeping everybody safe. Um, and we also
[1:15:10] amended the scope slightly to include
restriping of the white crosswalk lines
[1:15:16] on Main Street for an additional $7,500.
Um once uh once the crosswalks were done
[1:15:22] and I went and looked at them, it was
obvious that those um needed refreshed
[1:15:28] as well. There was a lot of areas with
chipped and missing paint. So we were
[1:15:32] able to knock those out while we were
while we were there.
[1:15:36] Um, also during the project I inquired
to DOT about the crosswalk location down
[1:15:43] near Chatola to see if we can
incorporate in that into the crosswalk
[1:15:47] striping as well. Um, I was informed
that this area did not qualify because
[1:15:55] of the 25 mile per hour speed limit and
relatively low pedestrian volume. So,
[1:16:02] the signs are still located um in that
location, but [clears throat] we did not
[1:16:08] stripe that. So, I'm sure that'll be a
question as to to why we didn't restripe
[1:16:13] that area, but I did inquire the DOT and
uh they did not um give the approval to
[1:16:19] do that.
Main Street, uh thank you to the
[1:16:23] landscaping department for a lot of the
fall flowers that they put up this
[1:16:27] month. Um those are new this year. the
hanging baskets and uh several leaning
[1:16:34] light poles on Main Street were reported
to um Blue Ridge Energy. Uh replacement
[1:16:40] street lights are scheduled on
Wallingford that were out for the past
[1:16:45] several months. That's scheduled this
week for replacement. And the trash can
[1:16:49] replacements are scheduled for this week
as well.
[1:16:54] So, a good a good bit happening on Main
Street.
[1:16:59] uh policies. Work continues on town
policies and procedures. Uh tonight's
[1:17:04] consent agenda included the purchasing
payables policy and procedures manual.
[1:17:08] Thank you, Margaret. And to all staff
for their assistance and we are in the
[1:17:13] process of updating the personnel
policy. Um I expect to have this before
[1:17:18] council for cons consideration in
October or November at the latest. That
[1:17:24] completes my report.
>> Thank you, Alice. Thank you.
[1:17:29] And we are going to take a recess, but
we will fall under
[1:17:35] » close session. North Carolina General
Statute 143-318
[1:17:42] 111A3
to consult with an attorney employed by
[1:17:46] the town in order to preserve the
attorney client privilege and North
[1:17:52] Carolina General Statute 143-31811A6
[1:17:58] to consider the qualifications
competence or conditions of a
[1:18:03] prospective public officer or employee
employee and to hear or investigate a
[1:18:09] complaint or grievance by or against an
individual public officer or employee
[1:18:18] » the count uh citizens there there might
be a decision made when we come out of
[1:18:22] close session but I'm not sure can you
find an attorney so that being said
[1:18:28] we're going to take a fivem minute
recess oh thank you so much for
[1:18:31] attending this evening