HIGHLIGHTS

presented a certificate of appreciation to Finance Committee chair John Jenkins. In 2002, Jenkins recommended the town create a committee of residents to review its annual budget and went on to serve as the committee’s chair for 21 years until his retirement last month.

Council members gave Jenkins a standing ovation as Schneider thanked him for his “long and dedicated service” to Oak Ridge.

Public Safety

Oak Ridge Fire Department. Assistant fire chief Sam Anders encouraged residents to pay attention to daily reports of air quality. When conditions register “code orange,” people with respiratory conditions should avoid going outside, he said. Outdoor burning is also banned under these conditions. of the meeting (the council held its July meeting a week earlier than usual to avoid conflicts with the week of the Fourth of July).

In the event that storms knock down utility lines, Anders urged people to avoid touching the lines and the risk of being electrocuted. Motorists and others should not move orange cones and yellow tape placed by emergency crews warning of blocked roads or other unsafe conditions, he emphasized.

Due to rising costs, the department plans to rebid for contractors to build the proposed fire training tower, Anders noted. A second maker of training towers is now doing business in North Carolina, raising the prospect for more competitive bidding, he said.

Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s District 1 office didn’t provide a June incident report for Oak Ridge.

MANAGER’S REPORT Budget amendment

 5  0 to amend the town’s budget for the new fiscal year to incorporate a $140,000 appropriation from Guilford County which the town learned about recently.

The council allocated $70,000 for additional spending on the disabledaccessible playground planned for Heritage Farm Park and another $70,000 for security cameras for town parking lots, including Town Park.

Schneider and McClellan thanked the county Board of Commissioners, which appropriated the money to Oak Ridge in its budget for the fiscal year that started July 1.

The department didn’t present an activity report for June because the month had not yet ended at the time

Closed session minutes

 5  0 to approve the unsealing of closed session minutes from council

WHAT they voted on, and HOW they voted:

Mayor Ann Schneider, Mayor Pro Tem Jim Kinneman and council members George McClellan, Martha Pittman and Spencer Sullivan voted on the following items during the June 29 town council meeting.

 5  0: Approve the meeting agenda and minutes of the June 1 meeting, the June 8 and June 15 special called meetings and the June 15 closed session

 5  0: Amend Oak Ridge’s budget for the new fiscal year to incorporate a $140,000 appropriation from Guilford County

 5  0: Approve the unsealing of closed session minutes from council meetings on July 7 and Aug. 4, 2022, and this past Feb. 22

 5  0: Authorize the town’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board to sell beer and wine at all Music in the Park concerts starting next year

 5  0: Increase the annual salary of Town Manager Bill Bruce by 5.8% to $112,000 meetings on July 7 and Aug. 4, 2022, and this past Feb. 22.

Heritage Farm Park update. Barr Construction Co. has begun clearing vegetation in preparation for grading for Heritage Farm Park, starting with two multipurpose fields, Town Manager Bill Bruce reported.

He reminded walkers and others that the project is “an active construction site” and urged people to obey signs to keep off the property.

N.C. 68/150 road work. The North Carolina Department of Transportation has informed town staff that it got three competitive bids from contractors to perform road improvements on N.C. 68 and 150.

The project is scheduled to start in March 2024 and take two years to complete, according to Bruce.

New Business

During this year’s concert series, the sale of alcoholic beverages is being allowed at four concerts with more widely known bands, along with financial sponsors and additional food trucks. The two Music in the Park events featuring local bands do not permit alcohol sales.

Starting this year, the dual format drew two distinct audiences – crowds totaling 1,000 and more for the two sponsored events in May and June, according to John Garrett, co-chair of the P&R board. April’s event with local bands drew 75 to 100 people.

This season, all six events are being held in the Town Park amphitheater. Starting next year, the concerts with local bands will move to the Farmhouse Community Center, at the entrance to Town Park at Linville Road and Lisa Drive.

The council’s vote doesn’t require that alcohol be sold at sponsored events, Kinneman pointed out, noting that decision will rest with the town’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.

So far, the events selling alcohol have been well managed and gone well, Pittman said.

FINANCIAL UPDATE.

“Everything financially is going well,” finance officer Sam Anders said. He didn’t provide the town’s financial report for June since the month hadn’t ended at the time of the meeting.

Anders also presented to the town a denim jacket emblazoned with the Oak Ridge Horse Show logo.

“This is a piece of Oak Ridge history,” said Anders, explaining the jacket was a gift from longtime Oak Ridge resident Ted Wright, who gave it to Anders before he moved to a retirement community in Greensboro.

The jacket is in nearly new condition because Wright only wore it once a year for the horse show, Anders said.

Community Update

Historic Preservation Commission. Denise Sacks, an alternate on the Historic Preservation Commission, reported the committee responsible for a book about historic properties in Oak Ridge is reviewing profiles of individual properties.

Planning and Zoning Board. Sean Taylor, the town’s planning director, reported the board recently approved a site plan for the Confident Kids Pediatric Dentistry practice. The 4,317-square-foot building will be located on an approximately oneacre tract at N.C. 68 and Quiet Place, behind Starbucks.

5

0 to authorize the town’s Parks and Recreation (P&R) Advisory Board to sell beer and wine at all Music in the Park concerts, starting next year.

Later in the meeting, Phyllis Anders, a member of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, said shifting the venue for smaller events will help introduce people to the renovation and expansion of the historic Redmon house into the community center.

Special Events Committee. Committee member Courtenay Harton reported the committee hopes to reach its $250,000 fundraising goal for the Veterans Honor Green by the end of July. As of the end of June, giving had reached $200,000.

Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. Co-Chair John Garrett reported the board has gotten “really good feedback” from the Music in the Park sponsors, which are:

Maureena Shepherd & Associates (Allen Tate), Oak Ridge Commons, Domino’s Oak Ridge, Tire Max and Phoenix Edge.

Water Advisory Committee. Chair Jim Harton reported the committee reviewed the first draft of an agreement between the town and WinstonSalem/Forsyth County Utilities for supplying water from Kernersville to Oak Ridge. Not yet funded, a line will eventually carry water along N.C. 150 between the two towns.

Public Comments

„ Jim Harton announced he plans to run for Town Council in the Nov. 7 election. Aside from chairing the Water Advisory Committee, he serves on the Finance Committee and the boards of Oak Ridge Fire Department and Preservation Oak Ridge.

Council Comments

„ Sullivan said he doesn’t plan to run for a council seat in the November election. After serving as a council member and later, as the town’s mayor, he began serving on the council again in April 2022 when the council elected him to complete the term of Doug Nodine, who had resigned due to poor health.

„ Pittman said she plans to seek re-election in the November election.

„ McClellan said he also plans to seek re-election in the fall.

(Three seats are up for grabs in the November election – the ones currently held by Sullivan, Pittman and McClellan.)

“It takes courage and commitment to run for council,” the mayor said, adding her congratulations to Pittman and McClellan for seeking re-election.

Next Meeting

Thursday, Aug. 3 • 7pm Oak Ridge Town Hall

Contact Your Town

(336) 644-7009 ssmith@oakridgenc.com www.oakridgenc.com

„ Kinneman and Schneider thanked Sullivan for his service to Oak Ridge. Kinneman added he hopes Sullivan will remain active on the Water Advisory Committee.

„ Sullivan and Schneider congratulated Harton for running for a council seat.

Closed Session

 5  0 to increase the annual salary of Town Manager Bill Bruce by 5.8% to $112,000.

The council’s vote followed a closed session of about 15 minutes for consideration of the pay raise.

“Thank you for your continued commitment to our town,” Schneider told Bruce. “You are an outstanding manager for us.”

With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:04 p.m.