SPECIAL BOARD MEETING of May 28, 2008, with Mayor Don Mullen and Commissioners Amy Patterson, Hank Ross, Dennis DeWolf, Larry Rogers, and John Dotson present.

Also present were Richard Betz, Hilda Brown, Kim Lewicki, Jim Lewicki, Melody Spurney, and Alan Marsh

I.    Call to Order.

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


II.    Reports.

1.    The Town Administrator reported that he had spoken to D.O.T. District Engineer Wesley Grindstaff about the sidewalk projects along State roads requested recently by the Fine Arts Center and Sallie Taylor; he suggested that the Town write a letter asking if any funds would be available.  The Board authorized the Town Administrator to draft such a letter.

2.    Comm. Ross reported that he had spoken with Bill Wilder, a consultant recommended by Becky Veazey, concerning the search for a Town Manager.  He said that Mr. Wilder could come to the June 18 Board meeting to make a proposal but he would be out of Town for that meeting.  The Mayor said that he would be out of Town also, and the Board therefore agreed by consensus to re-schedule the June 18 meeting to June 25, and to ask Comm. Ross to see if Mr. Wilder could attend that meeting.

3.    Most of the Board members had attended a joint meeting of the Pine Street Park Committee and the Recreation Committee earlier in the evening at which several proposed Master Plans for the Park had been presented for review; Comm. Ross distributed copies of the plans, and asked that this item be placed on the agenda of the June 25 meeting.  It was also reported that the Recreation Committee had scheduled a meeting for 5:00 p.m. June 4 at the Civic Center to review the plans.


III.    Business.

1.    The Town Administrator presented the FY 08-09 line item budget and budget message in some detail.  The items highlighted included a summary of general fund revenues; a proposed ad valorem tax increase from 0.135 to 0.155 to compensate for a $350,000 deficit in General Fund revenues; an 0.008% Fire Tax approved by the County; no change in utility rates, except for a proposed solid waste fee increase of $2.00 per month on residential rates to compensate for a $50,000 deficit in the Sanitation Department; summary of the $2,378,000 Harris Lake Sewer Project; and review of major expenditures.  He also said that he had recommended a cost-of-living-allowance of 4% and had used 5% in the budget to accommodate merit and longevity increases; the salary recommendations would be presented in closed session on June 4.  Comm. Rogers noted that the high cost of fuel was impacting many employees, and he asked the Town Administrator to calculate what the overall cost would be for a 5% and a 6% COLA before the next meeting.

2.    The Board agreed by consensus to set the Budget Hearing for 7:00 p.m. on June 25.

IV.    MOVED BY COMM. ROGERS, 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 8:00 p.m.


                        ________________________________
                        Richard Betz, Town Clerk