Good morning. Welcome to this special meeting of the Blowing Rock Town Council
on this August 28th, 2026. I'm calling this meeting to order.
Uh we have a few council members out on uh probably vacation.
Um So, roll call. David.
» Here. >> Wait.
» Doug. >> Okay.
So, we have a quorum in attendance. If you would, please stand for the Pledge
of Allegiance.
» I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America,
and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with
liberty and justice for all.
» All righty. E-FLAP grant MOA amendment Middle Fork
Greenway.
Alice. >> Thank you, Mayor. Um I'd like to invite
uh Brian Johnson, our zoning enforcement officer,
up uh to the podium. Uh I have received communication earlier this week
requesting sign-off uh for Town Council to approve um
a memorandum of agreement [clears throat] and authorize me as the
town manager to execute necessary documents to meet a September 2nd
deadline. Um hence the reason we needed to call a special meeting for today, um
which concerns the E-FLAP grant. Um so, I will have um Brian go through and
maybe give some background on that project briefly and then answer any
questions. >> Thank you, Mayor. Council.
Good Friday morning for a meeting, right? Joey said he had to come out in
the suit today. He's like, "What?" >> I'm happy to do it for you guys.
» [laughter]
» Uh update and then
I've got a map here. I I didn't know if some of the other council if everyone
was here that was as familiar as someone or some of you are.
This has been going [clears throat] on since 2016.
Um but we're progressing very slowly. We we
we have nothing on the ground yet, as you can see, and I know
Uh we've got some things phased up, and
we're getting really really close. Um
» [clears throat] >> phase phase 1A and and 1C um
which is Phase 1A is from our original trailhead
at um at [clears throat] the shops
down to the 444 uh construction
site. And phase 1
AC is from um
basically from the Parkway bridge down through Excuse me. I'm so
sorry. From the Foley Center bridge
on down to where our jurisdiction ends. So, if phase 1A
and 1C and B is still in progress now. Um
» [clears throat] >> we originally had broke out 1A
uh and 1C because of the work and design we were having to go
through the Blue Ridge Parkway. It's been a been a tough endeavor there. Um
So, phase 1B is still in progress. 1A and 1C
we're really close to getting to um
authorization for construction. Um
but this time lapse, number one, number two, the
the the design issues and and time with the Blue Ridge Parkway has drove the
cost up significantly. Um
mainly in the design aspect. Um so
end of last year, um the state had reached out to us that
they had a surplus of E-flat monies. Um
just because there weren't a lot of applications to
fill the whole uh $10 million grant that was that was offered.
So they reached out, we've got extra money. We had originally
when they was kind of identifying, "Hey, you know, we're realizing we're going to
be short on some monies here." Um
because this took so long. So we had requested a million bucks out of
that. They awarded us 400,000. And this was back late last year. We
just Well, we've been we've been working with them, "What's the status? What's
the status?" through um through spring and up till till summer.
Then all of a sudden, you know, a few weeks ago, here we are, "You're approved
for it." Uh so that's our request today. Um
is to get the memorandum memorandum of agreement revised and and accept this
400,000, which will help towards phase 1A and 1C.
Um by getting this approved and getting the
funds there, we're anticipating
getting approval from DOT to go to construction and go to bid. Um
hopefully with within this month. Um this has been a long endeavor. It's been
a tough process with some of the property owners of the
Blue Ridge Parkway. It's just it's just their process. It's it's part of the
part of the beast there. Uh phase 1B, we're still
working on that, working in in identifying the route and making sure we
can get to construction there to work. Um I think at some point Wendy is
wanting to come back in and cuz it's been so long again to give y'all an
update at some point uh of where we're at, so. Um
that's [clears throat] the request to to authorize Alice to move forward with
this memo- memorandum acceptance 400 towards the
um phase 1A and 1C.
Questions if you got them. Questions, Council?
» Um [clears throat] I just want to clear one thing and
the brief says that
the town is not putting up any funds for this.
» That's correct. >> But the MOA section [clears throat] F
says that we will cover any shortfalls. So, if there are
future shortfalls or construction overruns, that would have to come back
to us? >> Yes, that would have to come back before
Council. If any funds were to be expended.
» Okay.
» All the match is coming from Blue Ridge Conservancy and their donors
and folks have committed funds there.
» The only thing you hope is you don't run into any more snags because
it was like a million dollars 11 years ago when we were going to be number one.
11 [clears throat] years later, look at what the price tag is and we're still
not started. >> And we are not 9 years later, 10 years
later. >> I do have a quick question. That is Are
they working on that section down there at Mystery Hill up to uh
Eho Road? Is that what they're doing there with all that heavy equipment?
» That is part of the Conservancy. They're I think it's a twofold there. They've
got a stream restoration project going on.
And I think as part of that, they're they're laying out the route as well.
Um I I don't know the whole scope and where it ends and where but that's part
of two two part project there, I think.
» Did they do any when they was doing the restoration there behind the water
plant? >> It's It's complete.
Um if you have I don't know what kind >> Behind the water plant?
» Yeah, it's been It's been two or three months. Just the
restoration. >> Just restoration. They didn't do
anything with >> Right. But they did all the rock and
» Oh, yeah. They did it quickly.
» If you get a chance to go see it, it looks looks really good down there.
» Okay. >> Um bought us some time with the water
tank there. >> We fixed our fence.
» It told us. >> [clears throat]
» I don't know if I noticed the fence or not.
» It's not hanging down. It was cut off clean, but I don't know if it's been
enclosed yet. But we we gained back
the land we lost there.
It's It's awesome job they did out there.
» But Thanks for Mar- Margaret has picked this
project up and
done a lot of work. Um it it's a lot. It It's a lot done with this grant number
one and number two it Blue Springs Parkway has been tough and
it's like I said it's just a process. We're getting there.
Um we're anticipating getting this to bid with within the next few months and
hopefully wrapping up phase 1A and 1C through through next year.
Um hopefully 1B shortly behind. But again, I think Wendy's wanting to
um give y'all update at some point just
because of the time lapse here. So. >> Council, do we have a motion?
» Move. >> I make a motion to approve the Alice Run
being able to execute these agreements?
» Yes. >> Second.
» How do you vote? >> I.
» I. >> I.
» Okay. There you go.
» Thank you. >> Thank you, everybody. We appreciate
» Thank you, Margaret. >> Thank you, Alice.
Brian, Kevin. >> Servatius.
» You think we'll You know, by the time this gets to Foley
Center, they'll wheel us down from Foley Center. They'll look at it.
» [laughter] >> They've been talking about the trail for
you down the road. >> [laughter]
» No brakes. No brakes. >> We anticipate them coming back probably
at the October meeting for an update where we'll have the agreements to
update with both Blue Ridge and NCDOT. So, we we anticipate October time frame.
» Got a motion to adjourn.
» Move. >> Second.
» Second. >> Okay.
All right.