S’fi eld Nov. 10 Town Council meeting

from Northwest Observer / Nov. 17-30, 2022

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Nov. 10 / MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

as reported by CHRIS BURRITT

SUMMERFIELD – Mayor Tim Sessoms called the monthly meeting in Summerfield Community Center to order, with Mayor Pro Tem Lynne Williams DeVaney and council members Jeff Davis, Janelle Robinson, Reece Walker and John Doggett present.

DeVaney offered the invocation, which was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.  5 0 to approve the meeting consent agenda, which included approval of the open and closed session minutes of the council’s Oct. 10 meeting.

The council also approved the addition of two streets – 4 Cedars Drive and Rabbit Hollow Road – to the secondary road system maintained by the North Carolina Department of Public Transportation (NCDOT).

In addition, the council approved the purchase of a 2023 Dodge Ram 1500 Big Horn pickup truck for $53,500. The council appropriated $50,000 in the current fiscal year’s budget for buying a truck, which will be used by all town departments.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Christmas tree lighting. The town’s annual Christmas tree lighting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19, at Summerfield Athletic Park. Town Manager Scott Whitaker said those attending are encouraged to bring boxes of cereal to donate to the Guilford Backpack Ministry, with the goal being to collect 200 boxes of cereal.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Summerfield Fire District. The district

WHAT they voted on, and HOW they voted:

Mayor Pro Tem Lynne Williams DeVaney and council members Jeff Davis, Janelle Robinson, Reece Walker and John Doggett voted on the following items during the council’s Nov. 10 meeting. Mayor Tim Sessoms was present, but in Summerfield the mayor votes only to break a tie.  5 0: Approve the consent agenda, which included the town’s purchase of a 2023 Dodge Ram truck for $53,500  5 0: Approve an amendment to the town’s unified development ordinance governing the administration of the Planning Board  5 0: Appoint Mitzi Dawson to the Founders’ Day Committee, Taylor Robertson to the Board of Adjustment and Rodney Carpenter to the Finance Committee while naming Virginia Brown to the Trails and Open Space Committee as an ex-officio member  4 1: Approve (DeVaney dissenting) the schedule for town meetings in 2023

responded to 145 incidents in October, including 36 fire-related calls, 84 EMSrelated calls and 25 other calls. Firefighters installed 10 child safety seats and six smoke detectors. Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s District 1 office reported it responded to 255 calls for service in Summerfield last month, including a residential break-in and a vehicle break-in. Deputies also responded to 51 traffic incidents, 29 alarms being set off and 22 reports of suspicious activity. ... continued on p. 12

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COMMITTEE REPORTS

Historical Committee. Chair Bruce Petersen reported that a contractor has poured a foundation for the railroad shed on Summerfield Road at Rhondan Road. Some rotten wood on the structure has been replaced; the wooden structure is going to be placed on the foundation, he said.

Petersen said committee members had originally thought the building served as a tool shed, but later learned it served as storage for freight after Summerfield’s railroad depot was torn down. A marker recognizing the history of the building will be placed there. Trails and Open Space Committee. Whitaker said the town is gathering quotes for construction of a fence for the dog park which will be built near the amphitheater at Summerfield Community Park.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

 Gail Dunham criticized town staff for putting the town’s plans to buy the Dodge Ram truck on the consent agenda, which wasn’t open for public discussion before the council’s vote.

The move shows “you are going to run this town like a private business,” Dunham said, to which Whitaker responded, “There is nothing secretive about any of that.”

The manager said the meeting packet included information about the vehicle purchase, which was also displayed as part of the town’s presentation during the council’s meeting. Dunham said she didn’t find the information on the town’s website before the meeting.

Later, Walker offered to give Dunham the truck information in his council packet.

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Thanks to Elaine Thomas, owner of Yoga Lane on U.S. 220 in Summerfield, for hosting our Nov. 1 meeting!

There will be no regular business meeting in December. Happy Thanksgiving!

PUBLIC HEARING

Unified development ordinance

 5 0 to approve an amendment to the town’s unified development ordinance (UDO) governing the administration of the Planning Board. The changes clarify the board’s bylaws, rules of procedure and code of ethics and puts them in “one succinct, go-to document that outlines how the Planning Department should operate,” according to a memo Whitaker sent to the council.

Before the changes were enacted, administration of the board was governed by the UDO, which was adopted in 2021, and by bylaws in place since 2011, the manager told the council.

Among the amendments, the board shall make recommendations and decisions within 45 days of hearing from applicants for rezoning and other matters.

Board members may attend informational meetings to gain background about proposals under consideration. On the chance that enough board members attend the meetings to create a quorum, members “shall abstain from discussing case material with other members present and be aware of public The Northwest Observer • Totally local since 1996 perception in this regard.”

DeVaney went a step beyond the proposed amendments, urging board members not to sit together during informational meetings.

During a public hearing before the council’s vote, Dunham reiterated her previous complaints that town leaders discourage the public’s participation in town affairs.

Jane Doggett said Planning Board members spent many hours preparing the UDO and urged the council to take those efforts into consideration before approving changes to the document. Doggett’s husband, Clark, serves on the board.

MANAGER’S REPORT

Committee appointments

 5 0 to appoint Mitzi Dawson to the Founders’ Day Committee, Taylor Robertson to the Board of Adjustment and Rodney Carpenter to the Finance Committee.

Virginia Brown applied to serve on the Trails and Open Space Committee. Walker pointed out that Brown, a Hudson James Road resident, actually lives just outside town limits. As a result, the council voted unanimously to appoint her as a non-voting ex-officio member to the committee. Summerfield Road trailhead. Whitaker said he’s talking to NCDOT officials about ways to improve safety for people parking in the trailhead parking lot on the southern end of Summerfield Road.

Walkers and cyclists cross Summerfield Road to reach the U.S. 220 sidewalk leading to the Atlantic & Yadkin Greenway. Crossing the road poses a safety risk, prompting Whitaker to request a second meeting with NCDOT to discuss possible safety steps.

The agency won’t place a crosswalk at the southernmost corner of the trailhead parking lot because of its close proximity to U.S. 220, Whitaker said. Putting a crosswalk farther north on Summerfield Road, as suggested by NCDOT, wouldn’t work well because the shoulder is narrow and the terrain is steep, he added.

Laughlin school property. The town has offered $2.2 million for the historic Laughlin school property where Guilford County Schools plans to cease operation of its professional development center, according to Whitaker. Town leaders have discussed possibly using the property on Summerfield Road as a new town hall. (See related article on FC.) Possible water tower. The council instructed Whitaker to ask officials in Greensboro, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities, Stokesdale, Rockingham County, Reidsville and Madison whether they’d be willing to supply water to Summerfield.

The water would possibly fill a water tank that Summerfield might build with a $1.1 million state appropriation and another $5.5 million in pandemic relief funds.

As Summerfield explores building a municipal water system for firefighting and residential consumption, DeVaney and council member John Doggett urged the council to expedite planning. That’s because the town is required to sign contracts for spending the $1.1 million state appropriation by June 30, 2023, according to Dee Hall, the town’s finance officer.

DeVaney suggested the town install water tanks in Henson Forest and Henson Farms to supply firefighters with water in the event of fires in the subdivisions.

Doggett and Walker said they’d prefer to spend on engineering of a municipal water system and erection of a water tower while in the meantime working to secure a commitment from a nearby municipality to supply water to Summerfield.

“It doesn’t make sense to build a tank without doing research to nd out where the water is coming from,” Doggett said.

“I think we should focus on what our best bang for the buck is,” added Walker, a Summerfield firefighter. He explained that tanks installed in subdivisions would likely become obsolete if a community-wide water system were developed.

While it may take numerous years to afford the cost of installing water lines, in the meantime an elevated tank could be filled from wells, according to Walker.

A possible site for the tower is the town-owned property at U.S. 220 and N.C. 150. Earlier this year, the council halted its plans to build a new town hall on the tract.

As he plans to talk to water officials in nearby municipalities, Whitaker said nailing down details, such as how much Summerfield would pay for water, may require numerous meetings. He added that he will provide an update of his discussions as early as the council’s next meeting on Dec. 13. Next year’s meeting schedule

 4 1 to approve the schedule for council meetings in 2023. DeVaney voted against the schedule after the council turned down her request to change the date of the June meeting, when she plans to be out of town. Dollar General. Robinson complimented Dollar General employees for improving the appearance of the store in the Summerfield Square shopping center. Voluntary annexation. DeVaney urged homeowners who live on the outskirts of Summerfield to contact her if they’d like to learn about seeking voluntary annexation into town.

With no further council comments, the meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m.

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