OAK RIDGE town council June 1 / MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

as reported by CHRIS BURRITT

OAK RIDGE – Mayor Ann Schneider called the monthly meeting to order, with Mayor Pro Tem Jim Kinneman and council members George McClellan and Martha Pittman present. Councilman Spencer Sullivan was absent.

Paul Kress, a member of the town’s Finance Committee, offered the invocation, which was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

Agenda

 4  0 to remove from the agenda the council’s consideration of the master landscaping plan for the entrance to Town Park at Linville Road and Lisa Drive.

The council scheduled a special called meeting Thursday, June 8, to discuss the project. (See follow-up on the June 8 meeting in News Briefs.)

PROCLAMATION & PRESENTATION

Rev. James A. Webster. A proclamation read by Schneider expressed the town’s condolences to the family of Rev. James A. Webster and to Oak Ridge First Baptist Church following the pastor’s death on May 23.

Webster, 76, served as pastor of the church for 39 years and also taught classes there. A native of Rockingham County, Webster served in the U.S. Air Force for four years and he earned several degrees, including a master’s in divinity and a doctorate in theology.

“During his long and productive life, he demonstrated in countless ways his dedication and deep love for his family, the churches he served, and everyone around him, leaving a deep void with his passing,” Schneider said.

Several members of the First Baptist congregation attended the presentation. The mayor presented a copy of the proclamation to Webster’s widow, Brenda, and their son, Derrick.

Canine Capers awards. Chelsea Young and Lori Lucion, members of the Canine Capers Planning Committee, presented checks to three groups that participated in the annual fundraiser on April 29.

The donations, totaling nearly $4,000, went to two animal rescue groups, Stokesdale-based Red Dog Farm Animal Rescue Network and Ruff Love Rescue in Thomasville, and to North Star Bloodhounds, a search and rescue organization based in Wentworth whose dogs and handlers assist law enforcement and emergency responders.

Public Safety

Sheriff’s Office. Sgt. S. Joseph reported the sheriff’s District 1 office responded to 203 calls in Oak Ridge in May, resulting in 23 formal cases.

Joseph applauded neighbors who provided security camera footage

Mayor Ann Schneider, Mayor Pro Tem Jim Kinneman and council members George McClellan and Martha Pittman voted on the following items during the June 1 meeting. Councilman Spencer Sullivan was absent.

 3  1: Adopt (Kinneman opposed) Oak Ridge’s budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year

 4  0: Amend the town’s code of ordinances to reduce the number of extraterritorial jurisdiction members on the Planning and Zoning Board

 4  0: Reappoint Caroline Ruch to the Historic Preservation Commission

 4  0: Approve the hiring of FORVIS, an accounting firm, to provide audit services to Oak Ridge in the fiscal year that ends June 30 to investigators that led to the identification of two men who stole an unsecured lawn mower from a residence. The suspects were arrested and charged with felony habitual larceny, Joseph said.

Oak Ridge Fire Department. Engineer Justin Owens reported the department responded to 81 calls in May; firefighters and staff obtained 672 hours of training.

On a safety note, Owens urged people to drink plenty of water when out in the heat.

PUBLIC HEARINGS Budget, FY2023-24

 3  1 to adopt the town’s budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. It appropriates $5.36 million for development of Heritage Farm Park and another $2.92 million for erecting an elevated water storage tank behind Town Hall, along with engineering of the tank and installing a 3.5-mile waterline from Forsyth County to Oak Ridge.

The property tax rate remains unchanged at 8 cents per $100 of property valuation. Expenses will be covered by state and federal grants, a $3 million bank loan for the park, and the town’s available funds.

After spending on capital projects, the town’s reserves are projected to exceed $2 million at the end of the 2023-24 fiscal year, according to Town Manager Bill Bruce.

Staff members are eligible for merit pay increases of as much as 5%.

Kinneman cast what he called “a protest vote” against adopting the budget because he disapproved of $100-per-month stipend raises for council members. He urged the council to remove the increases, which total $6,000 over 12 months.

“The budget is a responsible budget,” Finance Committee Chair John Jenkins said. “There is no fluff in it.”

During a public hearing, members of several town committees voiced support for the budget.

Higher spending reflects “worthwhile projects for our growing town,” Special Events Committee Chair Patti Dmuchowski said.

The spending plan “will preserve and enhance the attributes of town that make it such a desirable place,” Finance Committee member Stuart Mease wrote in a statement read by fellow committee member Paul Kress.

No one spoke against the spending plan. However, Michael Smith urged the council to amend the town’s process for evaluating and approving capital projects; he recommended the council pause for 45 days its consideration of projects in which the lowest contractor bid exceeds the projected cost of the project by 30% or more.

In a follow-up interview, Smith cited the council’s March 30 approval of the renovation of the historic Redmon house as the cause of his concern.

By a 3-2 vote, the council approved refurbishing and expanding the house into the Farmhouse Community Center after the lowest bid of $630,000 was $175,000, or 38.5% higher, than the $455,000 the council had appropriated for the project.

During the meeting in March, residents weren’t allowed to speak about the project before the council voted to approve it.

We forgot to run this photo of the

Medical Group team with their new advertiser intro in our June 1 issue. The new practice in Kernersville was scheduled to open June 5 and provides medical care for people of all ages, from newborn to geriatric patients. To schedule an appointment with either Chase Michaels or Ashley Michaels, call (336) 443-9316.

In honor of National Flag Day on June 15, members of the local Guilford Battle Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) presented Camping World/RV in Colfax with a certificate of recognition, Friday, June 9, for the massive flag that waves all year round, night and day, over the business located just off I-40, near the Sandy Ridge Road exit. It’s difficult to appreciate the flag’s massive size from a distance, until you learn that an average threebedroom home could fit within its woven borders! The flag is 3,200 square feet and made here in the USA.

Shown in photo, L to R: Lee Skopelitits (Camping World/RV), NSDAR members Karen Powell and Laura Mortensen, Franz Selemschek (Camping World/RV), NSDAR members Nancy Olson and Kathy Fair, and Landon Hunter (Camping World/RV).