[2:07] Good morning. Welcome to this special
[2:09] meeting of the Blowing Rock Town Council
[2:11] on this August 28th, 2026.
[2:15] I'm calling this meeting to order.
[2:17] Uh we have a few council members out on
[2:20] uh probably vacation.
[2:22] Um
[2:24] So, roll call. David.
[2:27] » Here.
[2:27] » Wait.
[2:28] » Doug.
[2:29] » Okay.
[2:30] So, we have a quorum in attendance. If
[2:33] you would, please stand for the Pledge
[2:34] of Allegiance.
[2:38] » I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
[2:41] United States of America,
[2:44] and to the republic for which it stands,
[2:47] one nation under God, indivisible, with
[2:51] liberty and justice for all.
[2:56] » All righty.
[2:58] E-FLAP grant MOA amendment Middle Fork
[3:02] Greenway.
[3:07] Alice.
[3:08] » Thank you, Mayor. Um I'd like to invite
[3:11] uh Brian Johnson, our zoning enforcement
[3:14] officer,
[3:15] up uh to the podium. Uh I have received
[3:18] communication earlier this week
[3:20] requesting sign-off uh for Town Council
[3:24] to approve um
[3:27] a memorandum of agreement
[3:28] [clears throat] and authorize me as the
[3:30] town manager to execute necessary
[3:32] documents to meet a September 2nd
[3:35] deadline. Um hence the reason we needed
[3:38] to call a special meeting for today, um
[3:41] which concerns the E-FLAP grant. Um so,
[3:45] I will have um Brian go through and
[3:48] maybe give some background on that
[3:49] project briefly and then answer any
[3:51] questions.
[3:54] » Thank you, Mayor. Council.
[3:57] Good Friday morning for a meeting,
[3:58] right? Joey said he had to come out in
[4:00] the suit today. He's like, "What?"
[4:02] » I'm happy to do it for you guys.
[4:04] » [laughter]
[4:06] » Uh
[4:07] update and then
[4:09] I've got a map here. I I didn't know if
[4:11] some of the other council if everyone
[4:13] was here that was as familiar as someone
[4:16] or some of you are.
[4:18] This has been going [clears throat] on
[4:19] since 2016.
[4:22] Um
[4:23] but we're progressing very slowly. We we
[4:26] we have nothing on the ground yet, as
[4:28] you can see, and I know
[4:30] Uh
[4:31] we've got some things phased up, and
[4:33] we're getting really really close.
[4:35] Um
[4:36] » [clears throat]
[4:37] » Phase phase 1A and and 1C um
[4:41] which is
[4:44] Phase 1A is from our original trailhead
[4:46] at um
[4:48] at [clears throat] the shops
[4:50] down to the 444 uh construction
[4:55] site.
[4:57] And phase 1
[4:59] AC is from
[5:01] um
[5:03] basically from the Parkway
[5:05] bridge down through Excuse me. I'm so
[5:08] sorry.
[5:09] From the Foley Center bridge
[5:12] on down to where our jurisdiction ends.
[5:14] So, if phase 1A
[5:17] and 1C and B is still in progress now.
[5:20] Um
[5:21] » [clears throat]
[5:22] » We originally had broke out 1A
[5:24] uh and 1C because of
[5:27] the work and design we were having to go
[5:29] through the Blue Ridge Parkway. It's
[5:30] been a been a tough endeavor there. Um
[5:33] So,
[5:34] phase 1B is still in progress. 1A and 1C
[5:38] we're really close to getting
[5:40] to um
[5:42] authorization for construction.
[5:45] Um
[5:47] but this
[5:48] time lapse, number one, number two, the
[5:52] the the design issues and and time with
[5:55] the Blue Ridge Parkway has drove the
[5:57] cost up significantly.
[5:59] Um
[6:01] mainly in the design aspect. Um so
[6:07] end of last year,
[6:09] um the state had reached out to us that
[6:11] they had a surplus of
[6:13] E-flat monies. Um
[6:15] just because
[6:17] there weren't a lot of applications to
[6:18] fill the whole uh $10 million grant that
[6:21] was that was offered.
[6:23] So they reached out, we've got extra
[6:25] money. We had originally
[6:27] when they was kind of identifying, "Hey,
[6:29] you know, we're realizing we're going to
[6:31] be short on some monies here."
[6:33] Um
[6:34] because this took so long. So
[6:36] we had requested a million bucks out of
[6:38] that. They awarded us 400,000.
[6:41] And this was back late last year. We
[6:44] just Well, we've been we've been working
[6:47] with them, "What's the status? What's
[6:48] the status?" through um
[6:50] through spring and up till till summer.
[6:52] Then all of a sudden, you know, a few
[6:53] weeks ago, here we are, "You're approved
[6:56] for it."
[6:57] Uh so that's our request today. Um
[6:59] is to get the memorandum memorandum of
[7:02] agreement revised and and accept this
[7:04] 400,000, which will help towards phase
[7:07] 1A and 1C.
[7:09] Um
[7:11] by getting this approved and getting the
[7:12] funds there,
[7:14] we're anticipating
[7:16] getting approval from DOT
[7:18] to go to construction and go to bid. Um
[7:20] hopefully with within this month. Um
[7:24] this has been a long endeavor. It's been
[7:26] a tough process
[7:28] with some of the property owners of the
[7:30] Blue Ridge Parkway. It's just it's just
[7:31] their process. It's it's part of the
[7:34] part of the beast there.
[7:35] Uh phase 1B, we're still
[7:38] working on that, working in in
[7:40] identifying the route and making sure we
[7:42] can get to construction there to work.
[7:45] Um I think at some point Wendy is
[7:47] wanting to come back in and cuz it's
[7:49] been so long again to give y'all an
[7:50] update at some point uh of where we're
[7:53] at, so. Um
[7:55] that's [clears throat] the request to to
[7:57] authorize Alice to move forward with
[7:58] this memo- memorandum acceptance 400
[8:01] towards the
[8:02] um
[8:03] phase 1A and 1C.
[8:05] Questions if you got them. Questions,
[8:07] Council?
[8:09] » Um [clears throat] I just want to clear
[8:11] one thing and
[8:14] the
[8:16] brief says that
[8:18] the town is not putting up any funds for
[8:20] this.
[8:21] » That's correct.
[8:22] » But the MOA section [clears throat] F
[8:24] says that we will cover any shortfalls.
[8:28] So, if there are
[8:30] future shortfalls or construction
[8:33] overruns, that would have to come back
[8:35] to us?
[8:36] » Yes, that would have to come back before
[8:38] Council.
[8:39] If any funds were to be expended.
[8:41] » Okay.
[8:44] » All the match is coming from
[8:47] Blue Ridge Conservancy and their donors
[8:50] and folks have committed funds there.
[8:57] » The only thing you hope is you don't run
[8:59] into any more snags because
[9:01] it was like a million dollars 11 years
[9:04] ago when we were going to be number one.
[9:06] 11 [clears throat] years later, look at
[9:08] what the price tag is and we're still
[9:10] not started.
[9:11] » And we are not 9 years later, 10 years
[9:13] later.
[9:15] » I do have a quick question. That is Are
[9:17] they working on that section down there
[9:19] at Mystery Hill up to uh
[9:22] Eho Road? Is that what they're doing
[9:24] there with all that heavy equipment?
[9:26] » That is part of the Conservancy. They're
[9:29] I think it's a twofold there. They've
[9:31] got a stream restoration project going
[9:33] on.
[9:34] And I think as part of that, they're
[9:36] they're laying out the route as well.
[9:39] Um I I don't know the whole scope and
[9:40] where it ends and where but that's part
[9:43] of
[9:44] two two part project there, I think.
[9:47] » Did they do any when they was doing the
[9:49] restoration there behind the water
[9:51] plant?
[9:52] » It's It's complete.
[9:54] Um if you have I don't know what kind
[9:56] » Behind the water plant?
[9:57] » Yeah, it's been
[9:58] It's been two or three months. Just the
[10:01] restoration.
[10:01] » Just restoration. They didn't do
[10:02] anything with
[10:04] » Right. But they did all the rock and
[10:07] » Oh, yeah.
[10:08] They did it quickly.
[10:09] » If you get a chance to go see it, it
[10:10] looks looks really good down there.
[10:12] » Okay.
[10:13] » Um bought us some time with the water
[10:15] tank there.
[10:17] » We fixed our fence.
[10:19] » It told us.
[10:20] » [clears throat]
[10:21] » I don't know if I noticed the fence or
[10:22] not.
[10:24] » It's not hanging down. It was cut off
[10:26] clean, but I don't know if it's been
[10:28] enclosed yet.
[10:30] But we we gained back
[10:32] the land we lost there.
[10:36] It's It's awesome job they did out
[10:38] there.
[10:40] » But
[10:41] Thanks for Mar- Margaret has picked this
[10:43] project up
[10:45] and
[10:47] done a lot of work. Um it it's a lot. It
[10:50] It's a lot done with this grant number
[10:52] one and number two it
[10:54] Blue Springs Parkway has been tough and
[10:56] it's like I said it's just a process.
[10:57] We're getting there.
[10:59] Um we're anticipating getting this to
[11:01] bid with within the next few months and
[11:03] hopefully wrapping up phase 1A and 1C
[11:06] through through next year.
[11:08] Um hopefully 1B shortly behind.
[11:11] But again, I think Wendy's wanting to
[11:14] um
[11:15] give y'all update at some point just
[11:17] because of the time lapse here. So.
[11:20] » Council, do we have a motion?
[11:22] » Move.
[11:24] » I make a motion to approve the Alice Run
[11:28] being able to
[11:30] execute these agreements?
[11:32] » Yes.
[11:34] » Second.
[11:37] » How do you vote?
[11:38] » I.
[11:39] » I.
[11:40] » I.
[11:40] » Okay.
[11:42] There you go.
[11:43] » Thank you.
[11:44] » Thank you, everybody. We appreciate
[11:45] » Thank you, Margaret.
[11:46] » Thank you, Alice.
[11:48] Brian, Kevin.
[11:50] » Servatius.
[11:51] » You think we'll
[11:52] You know, by the time this gets to Foley
[11:55] Center, they'll wheel us down from Foley
[11:57] Center. They'll look at it.
[11:59] » [laughter]
[12:00] » They've been talking about the trail for
[12:02] you down the road.
[12:03] » [laughter]
[12:05] » No brakes. No brakes.
[12:07] » We anticipate them coming back probably
[12:10] at the October meeting for an update
[12:12] where we'll have the agreements to
[12:13] update with both Blue Ridge and NCDOT.
[12:16] So, we we anticipate October time frame.
[12:23] » Got a motion to adjourn.
[12:26] » Move.
[12:27] » Second.
[12:27] » Second.
[12:28] » Okay.
[12:29] All right.