WEDNESDAY
January 27, 2016
Two Sections – 18 Pages vINDEX
Dr. Monica Doerr discusses diabetes management
Calendar Classifieds Features Here & There
A2 B3-9 A3 A5
v HOW TO REACH US
See story, page A3
Vol. 38 No. 6
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Town budget reduced due to shortfall by State By CAROL BROOKS Staff Writer The first Town Council meeting of the year on Jan. 19 was a time for reports, but no legislative decisions for the body. The Council now includes new member Lawrence Straughn, former member and mayor Billy Ragsdale, and returning members Lynn Montgomery and Georgia NixonRoney. The Town Council received some disappointing news when Finance Director Judy Gallman reported that the North Carolina Department of Revenue has changed the distribution of moneys received from the excise tax on piped natural gas as well as adjustments to electronic, telecommunications and video taxes. The N.C. General Assembly repealed this tax effective July 1, 2014. “This is not good news for us,” Gallman said. Jamestown received approximately $334,000 in distributions in 2015 from this utilities tax. To date this year, the town has received nothing. The old system had the town receiving four quarterly payments, equivalent to $167,000 at this point last year. “This throws our budget completely off,” she said, adding that she has
not been able to ascertain exactly why the town has lost that revenue. She said she would continue to contact sources for answers, including local state legislators. “If they’re taking money from us, there has to be some recourse,” said Nixon-Roney. As a result of this shortfall, Gallman requested a budget amendment reducing the town’s budgeted distribution revenues by $171,000. She noted that future amendments might be necessary. The Council approved the amendment. Council hears reports • Lt. David Pruitt of the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office gave an annual report of crime in Jamestown. There were 57 Part One crimes (no arrests made) reported in 2015, including 41 larcenies and 10 burglaries. There were also one motor vehicle theft, three aggravated assaults and two rapes, although one rape report was later confirmed as not happening. The figures indicate a decrease of 11 total crimes, one larceny and six burglaries. He noted that 17 of the 41 larcenies (42 percent) occurred at only three locations: Dollar General, Walgreens and Sheetz. There were also 18 controlled substance charges made in 2015, down from
30 the previous year. Although there were fewer Part One crimes the number of calls for service rose by 57, to 1,061, making it the highest year in the past eight years of Pruitt’s report. The previous high was 1,052 in 2012. • The Ragsdale YMCA received a grant of $30,000 from the town in the current budget and that money has provided funding for capital debt service. “We continue to see an increase in our membership participation year over year,” said Kevin Bottomley, executive director of the Ragsdale Y. “We also had a significant increase last year in program participation over previous years.” Bottomley added that December’s Reindeer Romp Fun Run/Walk and 5K was the largest ever, with over 400 participants. The race netted $9,800, which will go toward the Y’s annual giving campaign. • The Council also heard a grant progress report from Ben Robinson of the Jamestown Youth League. He said the $5,000 received from the town went toward rental fees for the Jamestown Athletic Complex as well as new baseball uniforms. Membership rose approximately 7 percent last year to nearly 700 See BUDGET, page A3
Parks and Rec. to meet By CAROL BROOKS Staff Writer Lynn Tice will lead her first meeting as chair of the Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee
when it convenes Feb. 1. The group will discuss and give input on a proposed Mission Statement and Vision Statement for the town. Mayor Keith Volz proposed these documents at the January Town Council meeting.
Following the discussion, Tice will accept nominations for an alternate to the committee. The P&R committee will meet at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Town Hall. The public is invited to attend.
Hurray for winter
(Photo/Shannon Dennis)
These girls show their exuberance for the wintery weather with a display of cartwheels. See more winter photos on page A8.
Stormwater solution needs funding By CAROL BROOKS Staff Writer The town’s stormwater problem in Forestdale East has just risen in importance in the eyes of Town Manager Chuck Smith. Addressing the Town Council on Jan. 19, Smith proposed that the project be considered for a Capital Improvement Program (CIP) line item in the upcoming budget. “The projected cost estimate for the stormwater project is $130,000,” Smith said, “and I caution this amount may not be all-inclusive of the total project cost and is not a bid amount.” The town has worked with Jamestown Engineering in the past months to identify the scope of the work along with cost estimates, breaking down the project into three areas: O’Neill Drive, Royal Road and Wiltshire Drive. Heavy rains often cause flooding in these areas of the subdivision, often causing these roads to be closed.
A fix has been made to Wiltshire Drive, but Rich Glover of Jamestown Engineering believes it is only temporary. He believes O’Neill Drive is the worst area. By listing the project on the CIP, the town may have opportunities for outside funding. “Many questions have been raised,” Smith said, “but none as important as to the funding mechanism for such a project. “Jamestown does not have a stormwater utility and does not charge a fee to fund stormwater projects. Thus, funding for such projects will most likely be through the Street Maintenance Department budget and some funds may be allocated from the Powell Bill.” Using Powell Bill funds may not be easy, however, as most of that funding is designated for sidewalk and road resurfacing projects. According to the NC DOT website, State StreetAid (Powell Bill) allocations are made annually to eligible incorporated
municipalities. Powell Bill funds are used primarily for resurfacing streets within the corporate limits of the municipality but may be also used for maintaining, repairing, constructing, reconstructing or widening of any street or public thoroughfare within the municipal limits or for planning, construction, and maintenance of bikeways, greenways or sidewalks. Smith did not rule out asking residents in the affected area to contribute. “Private funding responsibility from property owners remains undetermined.” Smith noted that the town’s staff currently has many other projects in the works and might not be available to work on the stormwater project when needed. After hearing from Smith, the Town Council voted to table further discussion on the stormwater problem until the February meeting. Carol Brooks can be reached at 336-841-4933 or jamestownnews@north state.net.
Good news and bad news for golf course greens project By CAROL BROOKS Staff Writer The cost to renovate the greens at Jamestown Park Golf Course has risen from earlier estimates – and it may go higher. When the Town Council began to get serious in late 2013 about renovating the nearly 42-year-old course, the total construction cost estimate was $210,000. That was just to re-shape
and establish Bermuda grass on 18 greens. In November 2015, that project cost had risen to approximately $300,000. Last summer, the town hired George Golf Design, Inc., to look at the greens complexes and determine a budget. The company has been in business for 25 years and has built over 1,000 greens. Lester George’s estimate at the time was $328,000 for 18 greens, tees and 15 bunkers. Since then, he has done slope and soil analysis to come up with a new figure. George addressed the Town Council on Jan. 19 and his new figures show an increase of $21,500, to $349,500 – just for the greens. No tees or bunkers are included in this figure. Other costs, including George’s fee, engineering and permits would add
about $68,000 to the cost. Over recent months, George’s company studied the slopes of the greens and took plugs to text the mix of several greens. He believes the worse green is No. 3, then No. 8 and No. 11, but all the greens need work. George noted that he expects the greens will require more greensmix – at a cost of up to $60,000 – to even the contours. This mix would cause his preliminary budget to increase. He asked the Council for a contingency for the mix. If the greens are built to the right depth, George believes they will last around 15 years, but added they could last 25 years. He added that as much as possible of the existing greens surface would be used in the recontouring project. George’s top list of concerns are: too much slope;
40-year-old Bentgrass; contamination issues with Bermuda and Poa annua grasses, and other noxious weeds; and very limited pin position availability. Golf Course Superintendent John Crowe has indicated there are a limited number of places he can put pins due to the severe slope of the greens, making it unfair to recreational golfers who do not care for such challenges. This also causes more wear on the parts of the greens where the pins are. Recontouring will help make the greens fairer. “The idea is to make it a more playable golf course,” said Town Manager Chuck Smith last year. “(The greens) are quite worn out,” he said. “If a golf course is a portrait, the greens are the face, the face of your product.” If the Town Council ap-
proves George’s final plan, contractors would begin killing the grass on the greens in April, but Jamestown Park Golf Course would stay open until May 9 when it would close for construction. Total estimated time, including grow-in for the new sprigs, would mean the course would reopen Sept. 3, Labor Day weekend. Some of the golf course improvements stem from the $4 million plan set forth in February 2010 by Richard Mandell. After much public debate and dissatisfaction, that overall plan was rejected by the Town Council in August of that year. During the discussion of the Mandell proposal, however, the Town Council decided to create a General Capital Reserve Fund in the 2010-11 budget, targeted to the entire Jamestown Park
complex, including baseball and soccer fields, golf course and picnic/playground areas. That way, funds could be amassed yearly rather than having to borrow and pay interest rates for projects. Last year, the Town applied for, but did not receive, a Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF) grant to reshape the greens and sprig Bermuda grass. Now the Town has the General Capital Reserve Fund to fall back on for costs incurred for the greens renovation. But that figure in the current budget is only $274,281 – $75,219 below George’s adjusted construction budget. Smith plans to apply for another PARTF grant in two years. Carol Brooks can be reached at 336-841-4933 or jamestownnews@north state.net.