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Summerfi eld Jan. 10 Town Council meeting
Jan. 10 / MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
as reported by CHRIS BURRITT
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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.
CONSENT AGENDA
5 0 to approve the consent agenda, which includes the council’s meeting agenda and the open and closed session minutes of the Dec. 13 meeting.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
February meeting. The council’s next regular meeting will be held Tuesday, Feb. 21, a week later than normal due to Valentine’s Day falling on Tuesday, Feb. 14. Strategic planning retreat. The council’s annual strategic planning retreat is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11, in the community center.
Farmers market. DeVaney reported that organizers of farmers markets in Summerfield and Oak Ridge last year are combining them into a single market serving northwestern Guilford County. Starting May 3, the market will be held Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings on the campus of Greensboro Performing Arts at 7200 Summerfield Road in Summerfield (same location as last year’s market in Summerfield). Summerfield Fire District reported it responded to 34 fire-related calls, 83 EMS-related calls and 42 other calls in December; also, staff installed 21 car seats.
For all of 2022, firefighters handled 1,622 calls – 232 more than in 2021.
District 1 Sheriff’s Office reported it responded to 329 calls in Summerfield last month, resulting in 24 formal case reports.
Detectives are investigating the Dec. 10 breaking and entering of a house in the 7100 block of Summerfield Road and, a day later, an unrelated break-in of the Cash Points ATM at Summerfield Square shopping center.
Numerous traffic stops by patrol deputies last month resulted in two DWI arrests and multiple arrests related to possession of crystal meth, cocaine and marijuana.
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 Jan. 10 meeting. Mayor Tim Sessoms was present, but in Summerfield the mayor votes only to break a tie. 5 0: Appoint Linda Wendelken to the Board of Adjustment, as well as Tara Peterson, Ron Collier and Dawayne Crite as alternates to the Planning Board 5 0: Approve the calendar for town staff, the council and the Finance Committee to prepare the town’s budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 5 0: Adopt a resolution recognizing the state legislature’s declaration of 2023 as the “Year of the Trail” in North Carolina
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Alleged conflicts of interest. Four ...continued on p. 10
Summerfield residents alleged the process for reviewing and deciding upon landowner David Couch’s request for a text amendment is tainted by conflicts of interest by Planning Board members Kathy Rooney and Clark Doggett and by his son, council member John Doggett.
“There are loads of conflicts of interest and I don’t think that is a good way to be,” said Chip Person, who was joined by Justin Wraight, Darryl Hodge and Gail Dunham in making the assertion.
Later in the meeting, Town Attorney Bob Hornik said he doesn’t think any Planning Board members have “a direct conflict of interest in reviewing and making recommendations” to the council.
Board members “have a duty to vote on matters, as you do,” Hornik told the council. “You have a legal obligation to vote on matters.” (For more details, see News Briefs.)
MANAGER’S REPORT
Board appointments
5 0 to appoint Linda Wendelken to the Board of Adjustment, as well as Tara Peterson, Ron Collier and Dawayne Crite as alternates to the Planning Board. They will serve three-year terms. Land use plan update. The council
decided to proceed with devloping the town’s land use plan without the assistance of Piedmont Triad Regional Council (PTRC).
A steering committee working on the project plans to meet for the purpose of creating what Davis said would be “a modified, simplified” version of the draft plan prepared by PTRC last year. Later, the town may engage PTRC to help finalize the plan. Budget calendar
5 0 to approve the calendar for town staff, the council and the Finance Committee to prepare the town’s budget for the fiscal year starting July 1. The council’s adoption of the budget is slated for June 13. Auditor search. Summerfield is seeking a new auditor to replace Wade Greene, a Whiteville, North Carolina, accountant who has performed the town’s audit for the past three years; the town routinely replaces its auditor after three years. In an interview, finance officer Dee Hall noted that Greene’s firm had been slow to perform its services. New truck. The town expects to get its new pickup truck – a 2023 Dodge Ram costing $53,500 – in the next few weeks, Whitaker reported. Job opening. The town is seeking to hire a planning tech/enforcement officer for the planning staff. Planning Board meeting. The board
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has changed the location and the date of its January meeting to accommodate what it expects to be a large crowd for the hearing of landowner David Couch’s request for a text amendment to the town’s zoning rules. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, in Summerfield First Baptist Church’s community life center at 2300 Scalesville Road. Contract terminated. Whitaker said the town terminated its contract with Stewart, the design and engineering firm hired by Summerfield in 2015 to plan the southern route of the Atlantic and Yadkin Greenway. Earlier, the manager expressed his dissatisfaction with Stewart – partly due to the firm’s lack of staffing – in performing the duties outlined in the $389,953 contract.
Summerfield will advertise a request for qualifications to start the process of finding a new design firm, Whitaker said.
COUNCIL BUSINESS
Laughlin school. Summerfield is asking Guilford County Schools for information about roof leaks, poorly functioning heating and cooling and other problems in the historic school, according to Whitaker. Assessing the extent of problems is part of the town’s efforts to negotiate the purchase of the property from the county’s Board of Education; the town proposes using the property for a new town hall and other community purposes. Municipal water system. The town of Madison in Rockingham County wouldn’t be able to provide water to Summerfield if town leaders decide to build an elevated storage tank, according to Whitaker.
Late last year, the council instructed Whitaker to talk to water officials in Greensboro, Rockingham County and Reidsville as possible sources of water for Summerfield’s proposed municipal water system. The manager reported that his discussions with the three jurisdictions were less than promising.
DeVaney asked whether Summerfield Fire District would be willing to pay for a hydrant or hydrants to help establish the system. Walker, who works as a Summerfield firefighter, said he doesn’t think “it would be appropriate” for the district to spend on the system considering the town has gotten $5.5 million in federal pandemic relief funds and an approximately $1.1 million state appropriation for water projects.
Separately, Whitaker said it’s possible the state legislature will delay by a year the June 30, 2023, deadline for Summerfield, Oak Ridge and Stokesdale to put their $1.1 million state appropriations under contract for water projects.
The three towns divided equally the legislature’s roughly $3.3 million appropriation for water infrastructure. Walker Farms contributions. DeVaney thanked residents of the Walker Farms subdivision for gathering and donating deodorant and other personal care items for students in northwestern Guilford County schools.
CLOSED SESSION
The council entered a closed session to discuss legal matters, including negotiations to buy real estate. After returning to open session, the council took no action.
OTHER BUSINESS
Trail recognition
Trails in Summerfield range from “small park trails to the larger A&Y Greenway” and the passing of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail through town, according to the resolution. It added that trails “offer quality-of-life benefits to all.”
With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:32 p.m.
