SPECIAL BOARD MEETING of March 14, 2007, with Mayor Don Mullen and Commissioners Alan Marsh, Amy Patterson, Hank Ross, H. N. James, and Dennis DeWolf present.

Also present were Richard Betz, Sonjia Stewart, Kim Lewicki, Jim Lewicki, Linsey Wisdom, Eric NeSmith, Griffin Bell, Ginger Slaughter, Pat Taylor, Clem Patton, Doug Campbell, Mitch Gurganus, Mike Bryson, Larry Rogers, Bruce Koehler, Bill Coffeen, Bill Rethorst, Bill Nellis, and Katy Calloway.


I.    Call to Order.

The Mayor called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.  


II.    Approval of Agenda.

Copies of the agenda had been distributed by mail.  The Mayor asked that a Closed Session be added to the meeting as well as an informal presentation by the architectural firm of Dungan Nequette.  The Clerk said that Bill Nellis had asked to be added to the agenda.  These additions were approved by consensus.


III. New Business.

1.    The purpose of the Special Meeting was a joint meeting with Planning Board members to discuss prioritizing Land Use Plan and other items.  Griffin Bell said that many items from the Plan had been put off since October of 2005 due to the ETJ recommendations and in addition the Greenways Committee had proposed Historic District, Parks, and Buffer Ordinances.  The two Boards then discussed these matters in a wide ranging discussing.

The consensus of the Town Board was that the Planning Board should continue working on zoning recommendations for Horse Cove and Clear Creek, the two remaining areas in the ETJ still undesignated.  At the same time, the Board felt that the home occupations amendment under discussion should be finalized.  Many felt that some of the more complex items should await the employment of a Planning Director.  Several other items were identified, including the following:

● Impact fees and slope.
● Subdivision road widths for smaller subdivisions.
● Identification of more perennial streams on the Zoning Map.
● Over-building on conforming residential lots.
● Extension of "big box" prohibition in B-5 to other districts.
● Restaurant parking.
● Extension of zoning protection into the entire watershed.
● Water dependent structures.

2.    Bill Nellis was present to request removal of several pine trees on the right-of-way of Fifth Street between the southern-most extent of his property and the new driveway he had installed in his development; two of them had fallen during a recent wind storm, and he had realized they were unstable and dangerous.  He wished to replace them with 11 or 12 three-inch caliper maple trees approximately 18 to 23 feet tall.

MOVED BY COMM. JAMES, SECONDED BY COMM. MARSH, AND CARRIED TO GRANT THE REQUEST.  Comms. James, Marsh, and Patterson voted "aye;" Comms. DeWolf and Ross voted "nay."

3.    Sam Edgens, Richard Long, and Louis Nequette were present from the architectural firm of Dungan Nequette to present an informal proposal for the Town Hall architectural study.  The firm was located in Birmingham, Alabama, but had an office in Highlands managed by Mr. Edgens.  Mr. Nequette reviewed several projects the firm had designed, and Mr. Edgens discussed the LEED energy-efficiency program in which he was certified.  Mr. Nequette then outlined the design process that they would proposed for the Town Hall site.  The Mayor thanked them for presenting the proposal.

4.    MOVED BY COMM. MARSH, SECONDED BY COMM. ROSS, AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO G. S. §143-318.11(A)(6) TO CONSIDER AN APPLICATION FOR EMPLOYMENT.  All present left the meeting room except the Town Administrator.

    The Board reviewed an application for employment for the Planning and Development Code Official.

MOVED BY COMM. MARSH, SECONDED BY COMM. ROSS, AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED TO GO INTO OPEN SESSION.  The meeting room was opened to the public.

5.    Comm. DeWolf briefed the Board on extensive damage to the roof at the Civic Center which was continuing to be revealed as a result of the Pierre Construction roofing work.  He distributed copies of a proposal, as discussed at earlier meetings, for replacement of the porte cochere; the cost would be $34,614.  The Treasurer said that the $100,000 Recreation Department Certificate of Deposit was available for emergency situations like this.

MOVED BY COMM. PATTERSON, SECONDED BY COMM. DEWOLF, AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED TO FIND THE FUNDS TO COMPLETE THE WORK.


VIII. MOVED BY COMM. MARSH, SECONDED BY COMM. ROSS, 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 9:20 p.m.



                         ________________________________
                        Richard Betz, Town Clerk