SPECIAL BOARD MEETING of April 1, 2008, with Mayor Don Mullen and
Comms. Amy Patterson, Hank Ross, Larry Rogers, John Dotson, and Dennis
DeWolf present.
Also present was Rebecca Veazey, President of the MAPS group.
The Mayor called the meeting to order at 12:00 noon and stated that the
purpose of this special meeting was to continue to discuss personnel
matters in closed session.
THE BOARD AGREED BY CONSENSUS TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO
G.S. §143-318.11(A)(6) TO DISCUSS PERSONNEL MATTERS.
The Board discussed personnel matters.
THE BOARD AGREED BY CONSENSUS TO GO INTO OPEN SESSION.
The Board agreed by consensus that the meeting be continued to
reconvene at 7:30 a.m. on April 9, 2008.
________________________________
Richard Betz, Town Clerk
REGULAR BOARD MEETING of April 2, 2008, with Mayor Don Mullen and
Comms. Amy Patterson, Hank Ross, Dennis DeWolf, Larry Rogers, and John
Dotson present.
Also present were Richard Betz, Lamar Nix, Joe Cooley, Bill Harrell,
Kim Lewicki, Melody Spurney, Eric NeSmith, Linsey Wisdom, Bill Cheney,
Bill Rethorst, Bronce Pesterfield, Jim Tate, Eric Pierson, and others.
I. Call to Order.
The Mayor called the Regular Board Meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
II. Approval of Agenda.
Copies of the agenda had been distributed by mail. The Town
Administrator requested addition of two items of new buinesses:
approval of the Fire Department budget, and discussion of acquisition
of property in the closed session already scheduled.
MOVED BY COMM. DEWOLF, SECONDED BY COMM. PATTERSON, AND UNANIMOUSLY
CARRIED TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS AMENDED.
III. Approval of Minutes.
Copies of the minutes of the March 19 Special Board Meeting, March 19
Regular Board Meeting, and March 24 Special Board Meeting had been
distributed by mail.
MOVED BY COMM. PATTERSON, SECONDED BY COMM. DEWOLF, AND UNANIMOUSLY
CARRIED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS DISTRIBUTED.
IV. Public Comment Period.
The Mayor stated that this was the public comment period required by
law, and invited comments. There were no comments.
V. Reports.
1. The Mayor said that he had asked both the
Affordable Housing Task Force and the Recycling Task Force to make
reports at the May 7 Board meeting. He also recommended
appointing a member from the Planning Board to the Land Use Committee,
and suggested Griffin Bell. The Board discussed this suggestion
and, on recommendation of Comm. Rogers, agreed to defer a decision
until the next meeting. The Mayor also recommended a Pine Street
Park Committee to discuss design and development of the Park; he
recommended appointing Hank Ross as Chair from the Board, Mercedes
Heller from the Land Trust, King Young from the original Pine Street
Park Committee, and Recreation Director Selwyn Chalker.
MOVED BY COMM. DEWOLF, SECONDED BY COMM. PATTERSON, AND UNANIMOUSLY
CARRIED TO APPOINT THE PINE STREET COMMITTEE AS RECOMMENDED BY THE
MAYOR.
2. Each Board member had received copies of the Town
Engineer/
Public Service Administrator's report for the month. Lamar Nix
was present and outlined his plans for clearing land at the cemetery;
funds had already been budgeted for the project.
3. Each Board member had received a copy of the
Police Chief's report for the month; Chief Bill Harrell was present to
review the report.
4. Each Board member had received a copy of the
Recreation Director's written report for the month; Selwyn Chalker was
present to review the report. He reported that the carpet and
exercise equipment were in the process of being installed in the Civic
Center. He also reported that, thanks to Comm. Rogers, gravel had
been placed on the property behind Zachary Field and spread by Town
forces; approximately 50 to 60 parking spaces had been created.
5. Each Board member had received a copy of the Town
Planner/ Zoning Administrator's written report for the month; Joe
Cooley was present. Mr. Cooley said that the Town Attorney had
reviewed the proposed Parking Ordinance. In order for increase in
seating to be an administrative procedure rather than a Special Use
Permit, the proposed paragraph 305.3(G) could be deleted at the
April 16 Board meeting, but an amendment of Section 507.3, which
required a Special Use Permit for any increase in seating, would have
to be adopted as well, and a public hearing set.
MOVED BY COMM. PATTERSON, SECONDED BY COMM. ROGERS, AND UNANIMOUSLY
CARRIED TO SET A PUBLIC HEARING FOR MAY 7 FOR AMENDMENT OF SECTION
507.3 OF THE ORDINANCE.
Mr. Cooley also reminded the Board that a joint meeting with the
Planning Board needed to be re-scheduled since the Land Use Plan
priorities had not been addressed at the March 24 meeting. The
Board agreed by consensus to schedule such a meeting at 7:00 p.m. on
April 28.
6. Each Board member had received a copy of the
Treasurer's Report for the month.
MOVED BY COMM. DEWOLF, SECONDED BY COMM. ROSS, AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED
TO ACCEPT THE TREASURER'S REPORT.
7. Each Board member had received a copy of the Town
Administrator's written report for the month. He updated the
Board on the Harris Lake Sewer Project, the County Transfer Station,
the Lake Sequoyah Dam Emergency Action Plan Update estimated at $8,800
by McGill & Associates, and Accounting Software. He also
asked the Finance Committee to meet to discuss preliminary budgetary
information such as applications from non-profit organizations; the
Committee agreed by consensus to meet at 12:30 p.m on April 9. He
also distributed copies of a letter from McGavran Engineering and a
memo he had written concerning an invoice from them for non-audit work;
he reported that the audit was about one-half complete, but the $25,000
maximum amount, less retainage, had been met. He also reported
that the Audubon Society had requested closing Sunset Rock Road for
half a day on May 10 as part of a ceremony taking place there; there
were no objections.
VI. Old Business.
1. None.
VII. New Business.
1. The Town Administrator had distributed copies of a
deed and conveyance for the S. B. Association wastewater collection
system; the system had met the approval of both DENR and the Town
Engineer, as reported at the previous meeting, and the deed had been
reviewed by the Town Attorney. Bill Cheney was present and he
thanked him for moving forward with the project.
MOVED BY COMM. PATTERSON, SECONDED BY COMM. DEWOLF, AND UNANIMOUSLY
CARRIED TO ACCEPT THE SYSTEM.
2. Copies of the final subdivision plat for Satulah
Village South, a cluster subdivision, were distributed by the Planning
Director, who reported that the infrastructure had been reviewed by the
Town Engineer and recommended approved by the Planning Board at their
March 24 meeting. Comm. Ross asked about the intersection which
OEI had proposed at NC-28 and South Fourth Street. Bronce
Pesterfield was present and offered to give the Town a copy of the plan
and pursue it with the D.O.T.
MOVED BY COMM. PATTERSON, SECONDED BY COMM. DEWOLF, AND UNANIMOUSLY
CARRIED TO APPROVE THE FINAL PLAT.
3. Copies of the preliminary and final subdivision
plat for Cottages at Hardscrabble, a cluster subdivision, were
distributed by the Planning Director, who reported that the
infrastructure had been reviewed by the Town Engineer and recommended
approved by the Planning Board at their March 24 meeting. 81% of
the property would be preserved as green in a conservation easement.
MOVED BY COMM. DEWOLF, SECONDED BY COMM. DOTSON, AND UNANIMOUSLY
CARRIED TO APPROVE THE PRELIMINARY AND FINAL PLATS.
4. Copies of the Fire Department's annual budget had
been distributed; the major capital expenditure consisted of
replacement of the 1998 Ford pumper fire truck, and the recommended
fire tax was 0.008, down from 0.009 last year.
MOVED BY COMM. PATTERSON, SECONDED BY COMM. ROSS, AND UNANIMOUSLY
CARRIED TO APPROVE THE BUDGET.
5. MOVED BY COMM. DEWOLF, SECONDED BY COMM. ROSS, AND
UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION TO DISCUSS PERSONNEL
MATTERS AND ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY.
A. The Town Administrator
requested authorization to increase the salary of Erika Olvera from
10-5 to 12-5 ($29,634), on recommendation of the Police Chief, now that
she had completed her BLET and was a sworn Police Officer.
B. The Public Services
Administrator recommended transferring Robert Holden from the Trimming
Crew to the Street Department at the same salary (10-4), and to employ
Melvin Spradlin, who had been working part-time, to fill the Trimming
Crew position at the beginning salary of 10-1 ($24,323).
C. The Board discussed possible
acquisition of property.
D. The Board discussed personnel
matters in the Recreation Department.
MOVED BY COMM. PATTERSON, SECONDED BY COMM. DEWOLF, AND UNANIMOUSLY
CARRIED TO GO INTO OPEN SESSION.
6. MOVED BY COMM. PATTERSON, SECONDED BY COMM.
DOTSON, AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED TO INCREASE ERIKA OLVERA'S SALARY TO
12-5 ($29,634) AS RECOMMENDED.
MOVED BY COMM. PATTERSON, SECONDED BY COMM. ROGERS, AND UNANIMOUSLY
CARRIED TO TRANSFER ROBERT HOLDEN TO THE STREET DEPARTMENT AT THE SAME
SALARY (10-4).
MOVED BY COMM. PATTERSON, SECONDED BY COMM. ROGERS, AND UNANIMOUSLY
CARRIED TO EMPLOY MELVIN SPRADLIN FULL-TIME IN THE TRIMMING CREW AT A
SALARY OF 10-1 ($24,323).
VIII. MOVED BY COMM. PATTERSON, SECONDED BY COMM. ROGERS, AND
UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED TO ADJOURN.
There being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting
was declared by the Mayor to be adjourned at 8:50 p.m.
________________________________
Richard Betz, Town Clerk