Stokesdale Town Council meeting

STOKESDALE town council WHAT they voted on, March 11 / MEETING HIGHLIGHTS and HOW they voted:

as reported by PATTI STOKES

After meeting virtually only for the last several months due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions, Stokesdale Town Council met in person March 11. Citizens were allowed to attend the meeting in Town Hall, or could watch via Zoom or the town’s YouTube channel; new audio/visual equipment, purchased with funds made available via the federal CARES Act, was used for the first time since being recently installed.

Mayor John Flynt called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. with Mayor Pro Tem Thearon Hooks, council members Derek Foy, Jimmy Landreth, Jim Rigsbee, Town Clerk Alisa Houk, Deputy Clerk Priscilla Hunsucker, Finance Officer Kim Thacker present, along with about 20 citizens. Town Planner Oliver Bass and Attorney Tom Medlin participated remotely. After adding one agenda item and replacing another, the meeting agenda was adopted.

Brian Cox, sales engineer with Audio & Light based in Greensboro, was on hand to test the new sound system at Town Hall, and noted the microphones would be much more sensitive to sound than the older ones were. Meeting minutes. Councilman Foy noted the Feb. 11, 2021 meeting minutes reflect the council voted to go into closed session but it had not voted to do so, and a correction was needed.  5  0 to rescind the above-referenced vote in the Feb. 11, 2021 meeting minutes.

Councilman Rigsbee said the December 2020 and January 2021

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Subject to credit approval, see store for details Mayor John Flynt, Mayor Pro Tem Thearon Hooks and council members Derek Foy, Jimmy Landreth, Jim Rigsbee voted on the following issues during the March 11, 2021 council meeting…  5  0: Rescind a vote to go into closed session that was reflected in the Feb. 11 meeting minutes  5  0: Rescind the council’s vote on Feb. 11 and revert an approved rezoning back to AG, credit the petitioners for rezoning fees and apply them to the cost of the Planning Board’s site plan review  5  0: Have Gauldin Plumbing replace a toilet sensor in the park’s restrooms, at a cost of $459  3  2: Appoint (Hooks, Flynt opposed) Randy Braswell to the Planning Board  2  3: Revise (Foy and Flynt in favor) the policy on adding an agenda item during a meeting to read that no vote would be taken on the item unless the issue is “time-sensitive”  3  2: Revise (Rigsbee and Flynt opposed) the above policy to read “there will be no vote taken on this agenda item” (deleting “unless the item is time-sensitive”)  5  0: Request the town attorney draft a letter to county commissioners saying Stokesdale wants to be part of the conversation about any annexation in close proximity to the town limits before commissioners vote on it

meeting minutes had still not been submitted for council approval, and asked when they would be completed.

“I’m working on them,” Town Clerk Alisa Houk responded. “I can’t give you a definite date … It’s been a very busy couple of weeks. I hope to have them done by April.

“I think it’s important that they are done by April,” Foy said. ADMINISTRATIVE

Houk said 607 water customers were billed in February and 268,310 gallons of water were used from Jan. 20 to Feb. 11.

Estimates are being obtained for the cost of switching out about 107 manual meters located along the most dangerous roadside stops with newer electronic ones so the meter reader doesn’t have to get out of the car to read them.

The town’s water operator, Gary Matchunis, submitted weekly/monthly results from bacteria testing and none was detected in the water lines. Also, the nineyear asbestos testing results were negative.

Boone Meadows has just been approved by the state to start construction and North Ridge will soon begin Phase 5.

Houk and Mayor Flynt attended a fact-finding Zoom meeting in February with Hazen & Sawyer and Courtney Driver, director of Winston-Salem/ Forsyth County Utilities, in which they discussed the town’s future water needs as it continues to grow.

The SunTrust account has been closed and moved to Fidelity Bank.

The town received nine bids for routine landscaping and lawn maintenance of town property.

The Hazard Mitigation Plan for Guilford County is being updated for the ...continued on p. 8

Ordinary peOPLE, Extraordinary impact

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a di erence, and you have to decide what kind of di erence you want to make.” – Jane Goodall

Seeking ways to serve while

encouraging others to join the efforts

by ANNETTE JOYCE ANNETTE JOYCE of N.C. 150 and four times a year the group picks OAK RIDGE – “A small club making a big up trash along this section. They’ve collected donadifference.” That’s the motto of the Northwest tions for both the Summerfield Christmas Store, Guilford Woman’s Club (NGWC). As president of the sponsored by Summerfield Peace United Methodist organization, Terri Johnson inspires the group to Church, and Stokesdale’s Good Samaritan Miniscontinually search for unique ways to make the tries’ food pantry. community a better place. The group also volunteers to serve food for

A chapter of an international organization, Greensboro Urban Ministry and has furnished a chili NGWC was established in February 2017. Johnson, meal for the homeless. They’ve sought to brighten who was a founding member, is serving her third the day for senior citizens and veterans by sending term as president. Valentine and birthday cards. They’ve also volun- She’s also at the forefront when it comes to

She became interested in the group because of teered to help with veterans’ memorial services. bringing projects to fruition. its focus on helping other people and giving back to While the group hasn’t yet put together any large “I just enjoy being able to help other people. It the community. fundraisers, they did hold a Bunco Night in which all comes from my heart,” Johnson said. “But it’s not

“NGWC’s mission is to find needs within our the proceeds went to Camp Carefree in Stokesdale. just me. There are 20 other members who are helpnorthwest Guilford community and help to fulfill This also gave the women an opportunity to come ing to make this club successful and (allow us) to do those needs through volunteering our time, together socially, have some fun and invite other the projects that we do.” donating and fundraising,” Johnson said. women who might be interested in the group. Residents of Oak Ridge, Johnson and her hus-

As a former assistant teacher at Oak Ridge Although modest about her own contributions, band, Phil, have been married 29 years. They have Elementary School and now a Realtor with Johnson’s sweet smile and encouraging personality two sons, Matt, 28, and Drew, 26. When she’s not Maureena Shepherd and Associates Allen Tate are well suited to her leadership role with the club. working or seeking to help other people, Johnson team, Johnson is accustomed to helping other peo- She sees herself as the person who can take other enjoys hiking with Millie, her overly energetic ple reach their goals. NGWC gives her the opportu- people’s ideas and put the wheels in motion. German shorthaired pointer puppy. nity to do the same, but in a different capacity. “A lot of ladies will mention ideas, and I get Johnson invites anyone who is interested in

Johnson enjoys sharing the many things the club the ball rolling and figure out how we can make it learning more about NGWC to contact her at has accomplished in its short history and that the happen,” Johnson said. “I’m good at organization (336) 671-8613 or terri.johnson@allentate.com. group has persevered through COVID. and consistent in keeping in touch with everybody to The group meets at varied locations within Oak

For instance, the ladies have adopted a portion keep the club cohesive.” Ridge the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m.

of N.C. 150 and four times a year the group picks

Photo by Annette Joyce/NWO

She’s also at the forefront when it comes to

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first time since 2015.

Republic Services notified the town it would begin replacing customers’ smaller recycle carts with 96-gallon carts in mid-March, in preparation for transitioning to an every-other-week recycle schedule in May.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Events. Councilman Derek Foy said a Christmas tree lighting is planned for Saturday, Dec. 4, and the annual Christmas Parade will return to its traditional format Saturday, Dec. 11.

The committee is also planning a Spring Cleaning Community Day on Saturday, May 1, and will invite residents to help clean up trash along the town’s roadsides. More details will be announced at the April council meeting. Property. Councilman Jim Rigsbee noted bids for landscaping and lawn maintenance of town property would be reviewed later in the meeting. Stokesdale Parks & Rec Association’s soccer teams will soon start playing on fields in the town park.

Councilman Jimmy Landreth said one toilet in the concession stand building is not flushing automatically.

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FINANCE REPORT

Finance Officer Kim Thacker noted interest rates have dropped significantly, which affects the town’s investments revenue stream. A Budget vs. Actual report was presented and included all council-approved budget amendments for the fiscal year to date.

Thacker noted three deposits for utility franchise fees, the town’s largest revenue source, have not yet been received for this fiscal year – one was due to arrive March 15, with the other two on June 15 and September 15. $50,000 has been transferred into a new account for capital reserves.

Accounts receivables from water customers total $36,702.17, including inactive accounts.

CITIZEN COMMENTS

 Planning Board member Mark Nadel referenced an agenda item indicating the council would be voting on a new Planning Board member later in the meeting and said he wanted to verify the process for board appointees to move from an alternate to a full voting member.

“As I understand, when someone is appointed, it is as an alternate and from there, they can move up,” Nadel said, noting a major consideration for transitioning to a full voting member is attendance and participation in meetings.

Flynt said another consideration is completion of the required training classes. Foy said he wasn’t aware of any process for an alternate moving up, but from his perspective it should depend on who is most qualified. Houk noted there is a Planning Board policy and procedure manual in Town Hall that covers this issue.  Former council member William Jones said although he lives in Kernersville, he still owns property in Stokesdale and considers himself qualified to speak. He then expressed concern about the water system and what he said was Mayor Flynt “overstepping his boundaries again” when he agreed for Stokesdale to supply water to a subdivision in Forsyth County without first consulting other council members.

“That reminds me of ‘the tree business.’” Jones said. “The mayor signed an agreement (with Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities) and at least three other council members didn’t know… It’s very dangerous to allow the mayor to do whatever he wants without consideration of the council. A public hearing would have been better … you need to let the public let you know what they think about you selling water outside of the county.”

In response to Jones’ comments, Flynt said, “I would address that but we’ve talked about it before.”  Kathryn Bunthoff referenced an incident in March 2016, when then mayor Randy Braswell contacted the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation and requested Stokesdale be removed from the Mountains-to-Sea Trail map.

“I was stunned that a councilman or mayor could unilaterally remove such a community-focused project from public consideration without a vote by council,” Bunthoff said. “He acted swiftly on a narrow vision of what he and a small but vocal group of Stokesdale residents believed this town is and should be.

“Mr. Braswell’s decision decidedly shaped land use and community development in our town,” Buntho continued. “He didn’t feel like people were for it, and he certainly wasn’t for it. It didn’t t his vision of Stokesdale, and that was more or less the end of it…

“In 2019 Mr. Braswell ran for town council with a slogan, “Make Stokesdale great again” – a slogan lacking in both originality and clarity,” Bunthoff said. “But Mr. Braswell had already chosen not to make Stokesdale great again by refusing to take advantage or our town’s railway history to encourage economic development and improve quality of life.”

Bunthoff said she could not take it lightly that Braswell now wants to serve on the town’s Planning Board.

“As a resident who sees the importance of wise decisions, with an eye to the future instead of impulsive decisions with an eye fixed on the past, I am here speaking for the future of our town and ask that its decisions be taken into more careful consideration than was the case with Mr. Braswell’s refusal of the trail on behalf of our entire town,” she said. REZONING CASE 20-12. After voting to reconsider a rezoning approved at the Feb. 11 council meeting, the council discussed whether to waive the rezoning fees and allow applicants Jackson and Gina Gonzalez to revert back to their original AG zoning for a 3.78-acre tract and submit a site plan to the Planning Board. It was explained the original decision was based on miscommunication between the couple and the town planner.  5  0 to rescind the council’s vote on Feb. 11, revert the zoning back to AG, credit the Gonzalezes for rezoning fees and apply them to the cost of Planning Board’s site plan review. The change allows the couple to have their primary residence and a single-wide mobile home on a 2-acre lot, and a separate 1.8-acre tract with a house. Sealed bids. The town received nine bids from vendors for providing routine lawn maintenance of town properties. As each sealed bid was opened, Houk announced the vendor’s name and their bid amount. Council then agreed to have the Property Committee review the three lowest bids, ranging from $25,200 to $27,480 (annual cost), then make a recommendation on

which company to contract with.

Foy pointed out the bids came in at 15 to 40% below what the town currently pays for landscaping and lawn maintenance. Major subdivision. Landreth said he had been struggling with the town’s definition of a “major subdivision.” The issue came to the forefront when the Stokesdale-based homebuilding company, Johnson and Lee, submitted an application for a waiver last fall, which Flynt insisted automatically changed their development from a minor to a major subdivision.

“Any variance is giving a property owner special treatment. And sometimes when you get that special treatment you give up something,” Flynt said. “You need to make a conscious decision before you ask for a waiver, knowing you may lose some things and gain some things.”

Foy argued a waiver isn’t necessarily special treatment, and could only be granted under special circumstances.

Foy and Flynt then debated the merits of the Planning Board’s waiver, which Foy said had been granted for safety reasons.

Landreth then asked what specifically made a minor subdivision change to a major subdivision. Town Planner Oliver Bass said at the county level, a minor subdivision can be approved by staff; if a waiver is requested, the county’s Technical Review Committee (TRC) reviews it. Granting a waiver such as the one for the duplexes on Notees Lane in Stokesdale would technically change it to a major subdivision, Bass said (because the number of homes increased from four to seven).

In Stokesdale, a waiver for a minor subdivision goes before the Planning Board, which is equivalent to the county’s TRC.

Council members discussed at length the logic – or illogic – of what forces a change in the subdivision’s category, and whether granting a waiver is equal to granting a special privilege (Flynt maintained that it is and Foy argued it is not).

“We’ve approved several minor subdivisions with waivers and you didn’t have this nonsense,” Foy said. “Why does a waiver (such as the one granted for duplexes on Notees Lane) make a minor subdivision a major subdivision?

“I don’t think it’s a special privilege,” Foy continued. “It’s a benefit for the community of Stokesdale. Why would you want to have those three driveways coming out onto Haw River Road?”

Flynt responded he thought it was unsafe to have seven duplexes on a minor road where two fire trucks couldn’t pass.

“ ey’ve been putting res out on every pig path in Stokesdale for years,” Landreth said.

to know when a property was rezoned.”

When Landreth said he had voted for the change, but hadn’t intended to enforce property owners to connect to the town’s water system, Flynt responded, “We don’t have mandatory connection. Jimmy, I hope if we do that we’ll be tarred and feathered and run out of town.”

Greco maintained that everyone makes mistakes, and this was an example of that.

“The language needs clarifying to accurately reflect the intention of the council,” he said, noting he had submitted a suggested text amendment to the town’s development ordinance which would correct this issue.

“When we talk about lawsuits, about setting the town up for a problem, you’ve got one right here,” Greco added.

At this, Flynt said the town needs to rewrite its development ordinance.

“It was simple, cheap and quick to adopt the ordinance of Guilford County (when the town incorporated), but we have things that don’t apply,” he said, then added, “But it won’t be a cheap fix. I think we need a full-time planner…” Planning Board application. Council considered whether to appoint former ...continued on p. 12

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Arguing that the town’s ordinance was based on Guilford County’s, Flynt said “I hate to see us go rogue and our ordinances be different from anyone else’s.”

After further discussion and input from citizens in attendance, Bill Greco of Land Solutions, who worked with Johnson and Lee on its site plan for the duplexes on Notees Lane, said “Ordinances evolve over time. Housekeeping is necessary sometimes and this is one of those times. My clients are landowners and Stokesdale citizens and the ordinance is there to provide a framework for the safe development of the town.” RS-30 policy. Rigsbee noted that last September the council amended its policy to require all RS-30 development moving forward hook onto the town’s Going above and beyond all CDC recommendations to ensure your safety water system – but, they didn’t discuss how to handle subdivisions already Call today to make your appointment! approved but not built out. Quality dental care for the entire family

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