MINUTES
Town of Blowing Rock
Board of Commissioners
The Town of Blowing Rock Board of
Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, February 13, 2007 in the Town
Hall Council Chambers. Present were
Mayor Pro-tem Terry Lentz, Commissioners Bobby Ball, Keith Tester, Rita Wiseman
and Tommy Klutz. Mayor Lawrence was out
of town and unable to attend. Others in attendance were Town Manager Scott
Hildebran, Town Attorney Allen Moseley, Town Engineer Doug Chapman, Town
Planning Director Kevin Rothrock, Public Works Director Johnny Lentz, Police
Chief Eric Brown, Building Inspector
Call
to Order
Mayor Pro-tem called the meeting to
order at 7:00 p.m. and welcomed those attending.
Approval
of Minutes
A motion was given by Commissioner
Wiseman to approve the minutes for meetings held on January 9, 2007 and January
15-16, 2007 with the following corrections; Ms. Wiseman asked that further
clarification be given in paragraph 3, page 6 of the January 9th
minutes. She felt the sentence should
read “Commissioner Tester asked if the total anticipated cost would get
everything for the pool area included in the 2005 Parks & Recreation
Master Plan”. She also asked that a
correction to the January 15-16, 2007 minutes be made on page 4 under Public
Works the third line should read “Consider Equipment Replacement in FY 2007-08 budget process”. The motion received a second from
Commissioner Tester. Unanimously
approved.
Presentation
Mayor Pro-tem Lentz asked that Parks
& Recreation Representative Tom Shelley step forward to receive an award
from the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce recognizing the Town for their
beautiful Christmas decorations this past season. Mayor Pro-tem Lentz and members of Council felt
it was most appropriate for the award to be presented to Mr. Shelley commending
him and other employees of the town for their hard work in putting up the
decorations.
Mayor Pro-tem Lentz, on behalf of Mayor
Lawrence and Town Council presented a Proclamation
Honoring The Appalachian State University Football Team 2006 NCAA Football
Championship Series National Champion
to Chancellor Ken Peacock, Athletic Director Charlie Cobb, and ASU Board of
Trustees member Jeannine Underdown Collins.
TDA Director Tracy Brown read the Proclamation. Chancellor Peacock
thanked the citizens of Blowing Rock and the Town for their support shown
during this exciting time. He spoke of
the true Appalachian spirit and great support system found in the Blowing Rock
community by coming to the games, supporting other ASU events, donating to the
scholarship fund, etc. and how the football team feels that support. Chancellor Peacock felt that citizens of
Blowing Rock should share in the pride that ASU has for achieving this great
victory. He commended the ASU players
stating what a phenomenal team they were and stated the ASU basketball team was
following suit. Chancellor Peacock
stated that he wanted to come back for a third time next year, stating others
had won back-to-back but never a third time, stating that ASU set their goals
high and with continued support it could happen. He thanked the Town for recognizing ASU once
again with this special proclamation.
Athletic Director Charlie Cobb also
thanked everyone for their support and for coming out to the games. He stated there was a lot of hard work for
the football team in order to win 27 home games in a row. He also stated there were eleven different
colleges coming to ASU for a visit over the next several weeks wanting to know
how ASU had achieved such phenomenal success.
Mr. Cobb also commended Coach Jerry
Moore for winning the National Coach of the Year award for the second year in a
row. Mr. Cobb expressed his gratitude
for Coach Moore and what he has meant to ASU and to the students in his 45 year
coaching career.
At this time, Mayor Pro-tem Lentz
called for a short break so that group photographs could be taken. Appalachian
State University 2006 NCAA Football National Champions Proclamation attached as
Exhibit A
Appointments
Town Manager Scott Hildebran presented
Council with appointments to various town boards based on discussions during
the 2007 Council Retreat. The following
appointments were proposed:
·
Planning Board
(Appointments Effective March 2007 meeting)
-
Jim Steele, reappoint to a three-year term ending 2010
-
Doug Drury, appoint to a three-year term ending in 2010
-
·
Board of
Adjustments (Appointments Effective March 2007 meeting)
-
Mark Klein, reappoint to a three-year term ending 2010
-
Annie Whatley, reappoint to a three-year term ending 2010
-
David Harwood, appoint to a three-year term ending 2010
(Alternate)
-
Tim Ford, appoint to unexpired term ending 2009 (Alternate)
-
Robert Miller, reappoint to a three-year term ending in 2010
(Chairperson)
-
Kent Tarbutton, reappoint to a three-year term ending 2010
(Lodging)
-
Bernie Keele, reappoint to a three-year term ending 2010
(Business/Tourism Related) and reappoint as Chairperson for a one-year term
Commissioner Tester made a motion to
accept the proposed appointments, seconded by Commissioner Ball. Unanimously approved.
OLD
BUSINESS
Town Manager Hildebran stated that
pursuant to Council’s request, the Blowing Rock Historical Society was in
attendance to provide a report on the Edgewood Cottage Restoration
Project. He stated that Council had
informational letters on the status of the project for their review and that
Mrs. Ginny Stevens, representing the Blowing Rock Historical Society, and Mr.
Ron Funk, Project Manager were present to answer any questions Council might
have with regard to the project.
Mrs. Stevens informed Council that the
cottage was back in its original location and a dismantling permit had been
acquired. The reasoning for the dismantling permit was due to the building
being a boxboard building which was appropriate for the year 1890, the year in
which it was built. She stated the cottage would be taken down floor by floor,
saving all usable materials, so a further assessment could be done. She also stated that a new architect had been
hired to work with the Historical Society and with Boone Construction Company
on the project. Mrs. Stevens also
advised the Town Building Inspector Jesse Horner and Planning Director Kevin
Rothrock were closely involved with their plans for the building. Mrs. Stevens spoke of several things that
needed to be done to enhance the cottage for safety purposes and that the
Historical Society would continue working towards replicating Edgewood Cottage
as close to its original state as it could be.
Commissioner Tester asked if the
Historical Society had any type of time schedule regarding their plans for the
cottage. Mrs. Stevens asked Mr. Funk to
answer that question. Mr. Funk informed
Council they were close to having a definite time, but there were some other
issues to work through. He felt that
they had made sound decisions with regard to cost and time, as well as safety
issues. He felt possibly in the next two
weeks completed drawings for the cottage could be available. Mr. Funk also thanked the Town for their
patience during this project.
Commissioner Tester also inquired about
funding for the project. Mrs. Stevens
stated that some over-embellishments that were originally planned for the
building had been changed. She stated
the Historical Society was time and money driven and they had raised almost ¾
of the total cost or approximately $300,000.00 of the $400,000 total.
The Town is governed by North Carolina
General Statute 160A-45 to 160A-54 when considering and acting on
annexations. Before annexing an area the
Town must do either of the following:
During the 2005 Planning Retreat,
Council directed the planning staff to provide a preliminary report on the
feasibility of incorporating the
Planning Director Rothrock stated the
Resolution of Intent was the next step in order to initiate an annexation
process for two areas in
With no further discussion, a motion
was given by Commissioner Tester to approve Resolution of Intent #2007-03,
seconded by Commissioner Ball.
Commissioner Wiseman asked if the attached annexation report needed to
be adopted also. Mr. Hildebran stated
that it would need to be approved.
Commissioner Tester amended his original motion to include approval of
the Annexation Report, seconded by Commissioner Ball. Unanimously approved. Resolution
of Intent #2007-03 and Annexation Report attached as Exhibit B
3. Personnel Policy Amendment-Longevity/Service
Awards/Retirement
An amendment to the Town Personnel
Policy was presented to Council for their consideration. Town Manager Hildebran stated the proposed
change to the policy would provide further clarification in the award of
longevity pay, years of service bonus and the retirement bonus, also stating
the policy would not be retroactive and would be effective immediately following
adoption. The following amendments were
presented for Council’s consideration:
“Town of Blowing Rock
The Town of
Less than 1 Year $100.00
1 Year, Less than 2 Years $200.00
2 Years, Less than 3 Years $400.00
3 Years, Less than 4 Years $600.00
4 Years, Less than 5 Years $800.00
5 Years or Greater $1,000.00
*Longevity Bonus not to exceed $1,000.00 annually
for regular full-time employees.
In order to receive the bonus, an employee must
first have the total years of credit required and must have served continuously
in a pay status during the year for which the bonus is paid. Employee must be on current payroll to
receive a longevity bonus.
Longevity Pay for regular part-time employees
(excludes seasonal and temporary employment) is based on the following hours
worked during the year for the Town:
Number of Hours Worked Longevity
Bonus*
Less than 1,040 per Year $50.00
1,040 or Greater per Year $100.00
*Longevity Bonus not to exceed $100.00 annually for
regular part-time employees.
The Town of
Years of
Service Award
Bonus
15 years $250.00
20 years $500.00
25 years $1000.00
30 years $1500.00
In order to qualify for the bonus, an employee must
have served in a full-time capacity with the Town or through full-time
contracted service to the Town for the total years required for which the award
bonus is paid. The time does not have to be continuous service (i.e., works 3
years with the Town and leaves employment but returns to work an additional 22
years with the Town = 25 years of service). Time bought back from the
retirement system will be considered when computing the service bonus. The
payment will be made on the anniversary date of employment.
Section
9.09 Retirement – Award Bonus
The Town of
Retirement Status Retirement
Bonus
Service Retirement (Unreduced Benefits) $1,000.00
Early Retirement (Reduced Benefits) $500.00
Retirement
status (service or early) will be determined by the North Carolina Retirement
System guidelines.”
A
motion was made by Commissioner Wiseman to approve the proposed amendments,
seconded by Commissioner Klutz.
Unanimously approved.
Town
Manager Hildebran presented Council with a proposed increase in the In-Lieu Parking
Fee. On August 9, 2005, Council (based
on N.C. General Assembly legislature) adopted an ordinance establishing an
off-street parking fund via payment in lieu of providing required parking
spaces. The ordinance allowed the town
to establish a parking fund to be used to organize, develop, enlarge, and
maintain municipal off-street parking facilities in the CB and O-I zoning
districts. The ordinance permitted the
Town to set forth a fee that would allow developers to forego the construction
of parking spaces otherwise required on the developer’s property and contribute
towards a fund based on the number of required spaces that cannot be provided
on his/her property. Due to the limited
amount of land available in the downtown area, a developer may choose at their
option to pay the “in lieu parking fee” in order to provide enough parking to
satisfy town code requirements.
During their regular meeting on
November 18, 2005, Council approved the initial parking space fee of $10,000
per space. Town Manager Hildebran stated that
according to rough engineering estimates (material cost –
concrete/asphalt, storm water detention, etc.) a surface lot would now cost
approximately $6,200 per paved parking space with a deck costing around $25,000
per paved parking space, both excluding the cost of property. Pursuant to discussion at the 2007 Council
Retreat, Council recommended the parking fee be increased to $15,000 per space
to recover some of the initial cost.
Commissioner Wiseman made a motion to
accept the recommended increase to $15,000 per parking space with the
understanding that Conditional Use Permits previously executed would remain at
the previous $10,000 per space.
Commissioner Ball seconded the motion.
Unanimously approved.
NEW
BUSINESS
Charles Hardin, Executive Director of
the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce, submitted a request for approval to hold
“Mitford Days in Blowing Rock” an event centered round the fictitious book
series written by former Blowing Rock resident Jan Karon. The proposed dates
would be Wednesday, September 12 through Sunday, September 16, 2007. The Chamber requested the following:
Due to the potential magnitude of the
event, town staff encouraged the Chamber to send advance public notice of the
scheduled activities to all Blowing Rock property owners and also requested
that the Chamber of Commerce coordinate the event with the following town
departments:
Mr. Hardin stated that originally the
TDA had inquired if the Chamber had any new events planned for the future. With this in mind, the Chamber decided to
hold “Mitford Days in Blowing Rock”. Mr.
Hardin stated that September was usually a time that was less busy and would be
a good time for this exciting event.
After Mr. Hardin and other Chamber members discussed this with Ms. Karon,
the Chamber of Commerce decided to hold the event, with the understanding that
“Mitford Days in Blowing Rock” not become an annual event. Mr. Hardin gave a brief description of the
various activities that were scheduled.
Commissioner Wiseman thanked Mr. Hardin and other committee members for
their hard work preparing for “Mitford Days in Blowing Rock”. Commissioner Klutz commended Mr. Hardin and
the “Mitford Day in Blowing Rock” committee stating this was a well-planned
event.
Commissioner Wiseman made a motion to
approve the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce’s request for “Mitford Days in
Blowing Rock” to be held September 12 through September 15, 2007 and for the
use of town facilities as requested.
Commissioner Ball seconded the motion.
Unanimously approved.
Pursuant to North Carolina General
Statutes 105-373, the Tax Collector is required to list parcels of property on
which tax liens attached January 1, 2006 and remain unpaid. A Delinquent Report and a request for
authorization to advertise tax liens were presented to Council for their
approval.
With no further discussion,
Commissioner Tester recommended the acceptance of the Tax Collector’s
Delinquent Report as well as authorizing the advertisement of tax liens as of
March 15, 2007, seconded by Commissioner Ball.
Unanimously approved. Tax Collector’s Delinquent Report
attached as Exhibit C
Town Manager Hildebran presented
Council with Ordinance #2007-01 Budget Amendments prepared by Finance Director
Margaret Pierce for the fiscal year 2006-2007.
Section one discussed allocating funds
received for the new position in the Emergency Services Department from the
Volunteer Fire Department, appropriate additional revenue from donations to the
Police Department and the Emergency Services Department, and amend the Powell
Bill line item to accurately reflect this year’s allocation from the
State.
Also, addressed in Section two was the
General Capital Projects Fund recognizing additional revenues received that
need allocating. The miscellaneous
revenues are $67,815 from the State due to the electric bill audit and the
additional contributions from the Blowing Rock ABC Store of $75,000. The parking in lieu funds are $180,000
received from the Hanna project and $30,000 due from the Kiker project.
Section three was on the Water/Sewer
Capital Project Fund to close out the completed sewer line project on Green
Hill and to move capital assets from construction in progress to be completed
as shown in the recent audit totals.
A motion was given by Commissioner
Wiseman, seconded by Commissioner Ball approving Budget Amendments Ordinance
#2007-01 as presented. Unanimously
approved. Ordinance #2007-01 attached as Exhibit D
Other
Town Manager Hildebran advised he had
one other item to discuss. He advised
the Town had been approached by Telecommunications Consulting Associates, an
auditing firm who wanted to conduct an audit of the Town’s Charter TV Franchise
Fees. Mr. Hildebran advised the State
had taken over the Charter TV Franchise Fees as of January 1, 2007. He also stated the company had conducted
audits for surrounding areas, such as
With no further discussion,
Commissioner Tester moved to accept Telecommunications Consulting Associates
Service Agreement as presented, seconded by Commissioner Wiseman. The
Howell Group, LLC Service Agreement attached as Exhibit E
Speakers
From the Floor
Ms. Regina Pelsmaeker a resident of
Departmental
Reports
Town Manager Hildebran announced the
arrival of Parks & Recreation Director Jennifer Brown’s son, Johnny Mack
Brown, III.
Adjournment
With no further business to discuss,
the meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m.
Mayor
Pro-tem ________________________
Terry
D. Lentz
Attest: _________________________
Sharon Greene, Town Clerk
Attachments:
1.
Appalachian
State University 2006 NCAA Football National Champions Proclamation
2. Resolution of Intent #2007-03
3. Tax Collector’s Delinquent Report
4. Budget Amendments Ordinance #2007-01
5. Telecommunications Consulting Associates Service Agreement