SUMMERFIELD town council
Jan. 12 / MEETING HIGHLIGHTS as reported by CHRIS BURRITT Mayor BJ Barnes called the monthly meeting to order, with Mayor Pro Tem Tim Sessoms and council members John O’Day, Lynne Williams DeVaney, Teresa Pegram and Reece Walker present. The council limited attendance to the meeting in Summerfield Community Center due to public gathering restrictions related to COVID-19. The deliberations were livestreamed on the town’s Facebook page, where a recording is available for viewing.
ANNOUNCEMENTS Limited Town Hall access. Town Manager Scott Whitaker urged residents to conduct business with town staff by email and phone to reduce contact during the coronavirus outbreak. Staff placed a box at the front door of Town Hall for people to drop off and pick up documents. Board of Adjustment volunteers. The Board of Adjustment is seeking volunteers to serve as members, Whitaker said. Urban archery season. Deer hunting on private land inside of town limits runs Jan. 9 through Feb. 14 under the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission’s urban archery season, Pegram said. Hunters aren’t allowed on town property and they must follow all state regulations, including obtaining a license and getting permission from landowners to hunt on their property.
PUBLIC SAFETY, COMMITTEE REPORTS Summerfield Fire District. The Fire District reported it responded to 103 calls in December, including 53 EMS-related calls and 24 related to fires. Firefighters installed 23 child safety seats while the district provided fire prevention and public education to 70 adults and 100 children.
6
JAN. 21 - FEB. 3, 2021
Sheriff’s Office. First Lt. Jeremy Fuller reported the sheriff’s District 1 office handled 94 calls in Summerfield in December. Deputies responded to 24 burglar alarms, two larcenies, one burglary of a business and one burglary of a residence.
PUBLIC COMMENTS Don Wendelken, administrator of the Summerfield Scoop Facebook page, asked whether the estimated $3.5 million cost for the new town hall will be the actual cost. Whitaker said expenses for technology and furnishings for the building may push costs higher. Such costs may materialize as the design and construction determine functional details of the project, he said. “I’m not going to sit here and promise you that every part of this building, this project will be done within a $3.5 million budget, even though that’s our projected budget,” Whitaker said. Pegram joined Wendelken in asserting that coronavirus-related restrictions on public gatherings have reduced transparency by town staff in planning for the new town hall. They voiced the same criticism during the council’s meeting in December.
WHAT they voted on, and HOW they voted: Mayor Pro Tem Tim Sessoms and council members John O’Day, Lynne Williams DeVaney, Teresa Pegram and Reece Walker voted on the following items during the Jan. 12 town council meeting. Mayor BJ Barnes was present, but in Summerfield the mayor votes only to break a tie.
5 0: Appoint former mayor Mark Brown to the Historical Committee while naming former committee member Sam Schlosser as an ex-officio member
4 1: Participate (Pegram opposed) in the Piedmont Discovery mobile app that provides local information about parks, trails and recreational areas
5 0: Instruct Town Manager Scott Whitaker to get additional estimates for replacing the roof on Summerfield Community Center 5 0: Resume discussions about the possible creation of the Summerfield Tomorrow Committee during the council’s Feb. 9 meeting 4 1: Instruct (Pegram opposed) town staff to contact Guilford County officials about Summerfield’s interest in creating an extraterritorial jurisdiction on its border with the county
5 0: Recommend 10 legislative goals for the North Carolina League of Municipalities
“We have town business that needs to be conducted,” he said. “The public that I’ve been talking to expects us to do our job. Why not continue to do the town’s business?”
“We’re doing way too much business that is not essential,” said Pegram, urging the council to delay construction of the new town hall until the virus has passed. “To me, we’re not being transparent enough.” Barnes disagreed, telling Pegram the end of the outbreak is uncertain.
Whitaker and Barnes reiterated that town leaders have informed the public about planning for the new town hall. The council discussed and then appropriated $500,000 for architectural and construction services in the fiscal year that started July 1. It then sought applicants and hired an architect and construction manager for the building.
touchless wash • soft bristled brushes new automated system all new vacuums | updated wash bays under NEW management • open 24 hours daily for convenient use oak ridge • www.prestigecarwash.biz • 336.643.3661
The Northwest Observer • Totally local since 1996
