April 12, 2016

Font Size: + -

Feedback Print

Town of Blowing Rock Town Council Regular Meeting
1036 Main Street, Blowing Rock, NC
April 12, 2016
6:00 p.m.

Call To Order

Mayor J.B. Lawrence

Approval of Minutes

March 8, 2016 Regular Council Meeting
March 15 and 16, 2016 Annual Departmental Meetings

Special Recognition and Reports

Highway 321 Valley Boulevard Construction Update
Speaker: Kipp Turner, Maymead Construction

Holiday Inn Express CUP Related Ransom Street Repair Update
Speaker: Scott Fogleman, Town Manager

Consent Agenda

Speaker: Scott Fogleman, Town Manager

Budget Ordinance Amendment to Account For Various Items
Speaker: Scott Fogleman, Town Manager

A budget ordinance amendment has been prepared for Council to consider adjusting general obligation bond issuance cost and debt service budgets to account for the final closing costs associated with the bond sale in March and allocating anticipated design funding within existing general obligation bond funding projects to capture related costs (no change to total project funding).
Surplus Equipment Resolution
Speaker: Scott Fogleman, Town Manager

From time to time various pieces of equipment or office furniture are no longer needed. Council is authorized to sell personal property by electronic auction upon adoption of a resolution. At this time, items identified including a 2004 Ford F-150 truck, a 1985 Gardner Denver Air Compressor, and a M9000 Kubota tractor. All items are in poor condition.
Pool Bathroom Maintenance
Speaker: Jennifer Brown, Parks and Recreation Director

The pre-season pool inspection revealed some maintenance items that are best addressed prior to the opening of the pool including painting the restrooms and adjusting an exterior door. It is recommended that recognition of $1,500 in higher than expected utility franchise tax revenue be utilized to support these needs in Fiscal Year 2016.
Grant Agreement with NCDOT for Sidewalk to Bass Lake
Speaker: Scott Fogleman, Town Manager

At their meeting on March 3, 2016, the North Carolina Board of Transportation approved the Memorandum of Agreement between the Federal Highway Administration Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division, the North Carolina Department of Transportation, and the Town of Blowing Rock. Per the agreement, the total estimated project cost of $1,220,000 would be funded by $987,956 of grant funding and $232,044 of funding from the Town of Blowing Rock. The current project schedule reflects the required environmental analysis and design being completed in 2016, bidding in December 2016, bid award in February of 2017, and construction completion in the fall of 2017. A subsequent agreement with NCDOT to administer the project includes a set aside of 5% or $58,000 of the non-Federal Lands Access Program management costs. The final impact of this previously unknown allocation on the project funding will not be known until the project is designed and bid out for construction in early 2017. Transportation bond funding will be set aside in the interim to ensure it can be funded if necessary.

Any items removed from the consent agenda will be discussed during this portion of the agenda.

Public Hearings

Removal of Protest Petition
Speaker: Kevin Rothrock, Planning Director

The Blowing Rock Town Council will consider an amendment to the Land Use Ordinance that would remove protest petitions from the rezoning process. Last year, the NC General Assembly amended the NC General Statutes to remove protest petitions. To be consistent with the recently approved Session Law 2015-160 and the NC General Statutes, staff recommends that the Land Use Ordinance be amended to remove protest petitions. At the March 17th meeting, the Planning Board made a recommendation to approve the draft ordinance as written. Any person wishing to comment on the above items may do so during the public hearing or by sending written comments to Sharon H. Greene, Town Clerk, PO Box 47, Blowing Rock, NC, 28605 prior to the Council meeting.

Discussion Agenda

Middle Fork Greenway Tiger Grant Application and Supporting Resolution
Speaker: Kevin Rothrock, Planning Director

The Middle Fork Greenway Association has asked for the Town of Blowing Rock’s assistance by serving as the sponsoring agency for a Federal Tiger Grant application to support the section 1 of the greenway located predominantly in Blowing Rock. Anne Browning will provide a brief presentation outlining the current status of the overall project and summarize the planned grant application.
Overnight Parking on Town Property
Speaker: Tony Jones, Police Chief

To address potential concerns in the future with overnight parking on Town property, staff recommends an ordinance amendment indicating that overnight parking is prohibited on Town owned property. Should any concerns of overnight parking become an ongoing issue in the future, the Police Department will make every effort to deal with the vehicle owner(s) to make them aware of this ordinance prior to taking enforcement action.
Bid Award for Broyhill Park Drainage Improvements
Speaker: Doug Chapman, Town Engineer

On April 5, 2016, two informal proposals were received for replacement of the existing 36-inch drainage pipe across the parking lot Broyhill Park near the pool. The work includes approximately 440 linear feet of HDPE drainage piping and related catch basins and asphalt repairs. Staff recommends bid award in the amount of $83,750.00 to M&M Construction with the allocation of a 10% contingency of $8,375.00 and an allocation of $5,000 for construction material testing during construction. Including the $15,000 design and construction administration fees, this project is expected to cost a total of $112,125. This total is lower than the current park and recreation general obligation bond referendum budget of $125,665. Any remaining funds following completion of the project will be allocated to other park and recreation related projects.

Speakers from the Floor

Prior to the meeting, anyone wishing to speak shall complete an index card supplied by the Town Clerk, on which they will provide their name, address, telephone number and the topic they wish to address. In deference to all who wish to speak, each speaker will be asked to limit his or her comments to no more than three (3) minutes.

Executive Session

An executive session is not currently planned.

Adjournment

Free viewers are required for some of the attached documents.
They can be downloaded by clicking on the icons below.

Word Viewer