Stokesdale Town Council meeting

Aug. 12 / MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

as reported by PATTI STOKES

Mayor John Flynt called the monthly meeting to order at 7 p.m. Following an opening prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, the meeting agenda was adopted with two changes.  5  0 (in separate votes) to approve minutes from Feb. 15 and March 4 council meetings.

REPORTS

Fire Safety. Dep. Chief Randy Southard with Stokesdale Fire Department reported the department responded to 87 calls in July; 54 of the calls were medical- and traffic accident-related.

Firefighters received 502.5 hours of training in July, which Southard noted “speaks well to paid and volunteer staff,” and they participated in five public education events.

As a safety tip, Southard advised citizens to prepare for hurricane season, which can bring severe thunderstorms and wind damage to our area.

“Have supplies ready, check your generators and make sure you have the right kind of gas, and stay prepared for general power outages,” he said. Administrative. Interim town clerk Dale Martin said 640 water bills were invoiced in July, four water meters were sold, and 84 8-1-1 calls were processed. The town has received 84 resumes for the fulltime, permanent town clerk position. Events Committee. Council member Derek Foy reminded everyone the Christmas parade is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 11, at 1 p.m. Volunteers to help with the event are appreciated.

FINANCE REPORT

Finance Officer Kim Thacker gave an overview of the town’s finances and presented a Budget vs. Actual report for the general fund and water enterprise accounts. With about 1 ½ months into the fiscal year, the town has $195,450 in its Bank of Oak Ridge and $197,564 in its Fidelity general fund checking accounts and $2.58 million in CDARS. $12,433.93 was transferred from the water enterprise account for shared administrative expenses.

Thacker will be attending an online local government finance class Aug. 30-Sept. 3 through the UNC School of Government.

On behalf of the town, Thacker submitted an application in May for a state grant that will come from federal dollars made available through the American Rescue Plan. Stokesdale’s application was accepted and the town will receive $725,475 in two disbursements, one this fall and the other in 2022. The town will have until Dec. 31, 2024, to use or commit the funds.  5  0 to open a special account for the American Rescue Plan grant money the town will be receiving.

CITIZEN COMMENTS

„ Tina Reynolds of Belews Creek Road spoke of her concerns with a neighbor who has planted 46 tall trees along their property line. Reynolds said she researched a definition of the town’s Ordinance 217, regarding fences and vegetation.

“I have a different definition of vegetation than Oliver Bass (the town planner),” Reynolds said. “Vegetation is with no human activity – she has planted over 100 trees in her yard and that’s not a natural activity. I have no problem with her having hedges, but she is devaluing my property and after many conversations, she has planted more trees. This tree fence is going to block our views of Pilot Mountain, and our sunsets… It’s taking my enjoyment away from my property.”

The “green giants” her neighbor has planted will be 30 to 50 feet tall when mature, Reynolds said, and then asked the town how the situation might be remedied.

“You have height restrictions on fences – why are trees not included in that?” She asked. “There is a wall of green giants… she has isolated me … I’m not going to feel comfortable there when those trees start growing.” „ Bass explained his interpretation of the town’s ordinance regarding trees and vegetation, and said his interpretation could be challenged by going through the town’s Board of Adjustment (B of A). „ Town Attorney Tom Medlin recommended Reynolds consult with a real estate attorney or argue the definition of vegetation before the B of A, while noting any change in the town’s definition of vegetation would only apply to cases going forward.

PUBLIC HEARING

Rezoning, HB (Highway Business) to RS-30 (Single-family residential); the property is at 6905 U.S. 158 and owned by Lucie Wilson Joyner, who has requested .82 acres of about 1.44 acres be rezoned.  5  0 to approve Joyner’s rezoning request. Text Amendment. Council debated whether warehouses and self-storage units should be permitted uses in the town’s GB (General Business) and HB (Highway Business) districts. Bass explained this amendment was initiated by the town council and presented to the Planning Board for review. If approved by the council, warehouses and self-storage will only be approved in LI (Light Industrial) and HI (Heavy Industrial) districts in the future.

The Planning Board voted to recommend approving the text amendment, but to not be effective until Jan. 1, 2022,

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to give reasonable time for landowners who have already received approval for self-storage units but not yet finalized their site plans ample time to do so.

Flynt motioned to adopt a text amendment that would remove warehouses and self-storage as a permitted use in GB and HB zoning districts, saying he has always felt such uses should be limited to the U.S. 158 corridor.

“I don’t like the idea of putting mini storage facilities in HB and GB,” the mayor said. “It takes away from the character of GB and HB. I think the appropriate place is LI and HI districts, which are the areas we designated in the Long Range Plan.”

Councilman Jimmy Landreth argued that not allowing warehouses and selfstorage in the GB and HB zoning districts would essentially create a monopoly for property owners who have already received approval for that use in those districts.

“You can put an LCID landfill in HB,” Landreth said. “What’s next? This just scares me. I’m not looking for storage units, but I think it’s the wrong thing to do.”

“I’m trying to protect the people in Stokesdale,” Flynt said during the debate.

“Are the people hurting?” Foy asked, and to that Flynt gave the example of a woman who didn’t oppose a conditional-use zoning on Haw River Road because she thought a doctor’s office was going to go there. Last year, however, the property owner requested a change in the property’s permitted uses to allow for mini storage units to be built there instead, and the council voted 3-2 to approve the request.  1  4 to approve Flynt’s motion, with Flynt being the only council member voting to approve it.

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OLD BUSINESS

Land Use Plan Committee. After discussion, the council voted 5-0 to postpone forming a committee to update the Land Use Plan until Jan. 1, 2022, after a new council is in place. Civil engineering bids. Council reviewed three bids for engineering and land surveying services for a proposed water main extension along Ellisboro Road, from N.C. 65 (Belews Creek Road) to Boone Landing subdivision. The bids came in at $18,000, $23,000 and $99,000 (the highest bid appeared to be for two projects).

Foy explained the water line extension would add a loop to the town’s water system and improve water quality and water pressure in this area. The cost to lay the pipe will be about $160,000. “This is an investment for the town,” Foy said.  5  0 to approve Foy’s motion to hire Kennerly Engineering & Design to perform the engineering and land surveying work for $18,000, with the money for the project to come from the $1.2 million the town is receiving from the state as its portion of the money left over from the feasibility study of a regional water system for northwest Guilford County. Backflow inspection fee. After getting complaints from homeowners and developers regarding a $300 inspection fee, the town recently discovered it has been charging its new water customers for the inspection although Guilford County has actually been doing the inspections and also charging for them.

“It seems we’re double charging people… I don’t think anyone on council realized we weren’t doing that inspection,” Flynt said.  5  0 to rescind the backflow inspection fee of $300 and instead charge $50 for an application fee, effective Aug. 16. Delinquent water accounts. Martin asked for council’s guidance on how to prevent situations such as one the town recently encountered with a tenant who signed up for a water account and hasn’t paid his bill, which is now up to about $1,200. If the account were in the property owner’s name, a lien could be placed on the property, but options for collecting from tenants are limited.

Council discussed whether to require more documentation from new water customers in the future – i.e., proof of ownership or lease – and/or to increase the $175 deposit for tenants.

“I think we ought to be a lot more aggressive if people are months behind on their water bill,” Flynt said. “To let someone have a several $100 (delinquent) bill isn’t acceptable.” Proposal for mulch. While discussing a proposal from Excellent Lawncare & Landscape to provide and install mulch at Town Hall and mini nuggets at the playground area in the town park, at a cost of $5,800, Foy said, “This quote almost looks too reasonable compared to two years ago when we paid $21,190 for that and it didn’t include the playground.”  5  0 to contract with Excellent Lawncare & Landscape for purchasing and installing mulch and mini nuggets. Offer to Purchase. Rather than the council discussing a potential land purchase in closed session as it had already done months ago and initially planned to do in this meeting, at Foy’s request the council agreed to remain in open session to discuss the potential purchase of 9.8 acres adjoining the town park.

“Adding this property would add frontage (847 linear feet) to the town park, plus 650 linear feet bordering Stokesdale Elementary,” Foy said “I look at this as a one-time opportunity.”

Potential uses for the property are “endless,” Foy continued, and said they could include a basketball court, and/or a picnic shelter adjacent to the school. “It opens an opportunity for our town park to be better used for our citizens,” he said.

Foy suggested offering $222,000 for the property.

“You could end up with 8 acres after right of ways – I think that’s too much,” Flynt responded. “That property has been on the market for two to three years at least … if it’s such a good deal, it would have been sold by now.”

Foy said the property was in a unique location and Landreth agreed, saying, “It’s the only property around us. And once it’s gone, it’s gone.”

When asked about appraisal price, Foy said the property appraised for about $190,000.

Since the town already has park infrastructure set up, i.e., restrooms, parking, etc., the property could be very beneficial to the town with regard to expanding its park, Foy noted.

Flynt said he would like for the town to have the property, but thought Foy’s suggested offer price was too much. “Let’s negotiate and tell them we’ll give them $200,000 flat out (i.e., no conditions on the offer),” he said.

After further discussion, Foy motioned to authorize Thacker, Martin and Medlin to work together on drawing up an offer to purchase 9.8 acres for $200,000.  5  0 to approve Foy’s motion, with Landreth’s added request that it stipulate the first $100,000 of the purchase price would come from money already budgeted this fiscal year for town park capital outlays (the second $100,000 will come from reserves).

COUNCIL COMMENTS

„ Foy reminded everyone the new school year will begin Monday, Aug. 23, and urged everyone to watch out for school buses. „ Rigsbee said the new Bi-Rite will open in early September and it would be good for council members to attend the grand opening and show their support.

With no other business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:59 p.m.