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August
16, 2011
Council Meeting Minutes
A regular meeting of the Council for the
Town of Lake Santeetlah was held at Town Hall at 10:00 a.m. on
Tuesday, August 16, 2011.
The following members of the council were present: Mayor Guy
Owen, Bob Crabtree, Arthur Griffith, Harding Hohenschutz and
Jack Rinehart.
The Mayor called the meeting to
order at 10:00 a.m. welcomed Councilmember Harding Hohenschutz
back after his knee surgery. Councilmember Hohenschutz thanked
the mayor and the town for the large plant sent to him on his
return from the hospital. The minutes of the council meeting
held on July 19, 2011 were read. Councilmember Arthur
Griffith made a motion to approve the minutes as presented.
Councilmember Harding Hohenschutz seconded. All members present
voted in the affirmative. The motion carried.
Finance Officer Bob Crabtree
asked Peggy Carver to give the cash report. Mrs. Carver stated
the interest rate for all town investments was still less than
1%. The interest rate for the checking accounts is still at
0.30%, the interest rate for the First Citizens Money Market
accounts is 0.35% and the CMT rate is 0.01%. Councilmember
Harding Hohenschutz stated from what the government is saying
there will not be a rise in rates for several years. Mayor Owen
asked if anyone knew what the current rates are for a personal 2
year CD. Councilmember Arthur Griffith said he thought it was
around 0.75% right now. Mayor Owen asked Finance Officer
Crabtree to look into investing in a 10 year treasury bond since
the current rates are about 2.6%. Finance Officer Crabtree
stated the treasury bonds could be cashed in whenever you need
to.
The Mayor opened the first Old
Business item adoption of Graham County’s Animal Ordinance.
Councilmember Bob Crabtree stated modification of this ordinance
should be made to incorporate the town’s current animal control
ordinance before adoption. After further discussion by the
Council, Councilmember Harding Hohenschutz made a motion to
table this item until the next regular council meeting in order
for town attorney Mack Tallant to prepare a modified version for
the council to consider. Councilmember Bob Crabtree seconded.
All members present voted in the affirmative. The motion
carried.
The Mayor opened
the next Old Business item of the
adoption of a “No Spray” Ordinance prohibiting spraying of
utility lines right-of-way within town limits. After further
discussion by the Council, Councilmember Harding Hohenschutz
made a motion to table this item until the next regular council
meeting in order for town attorney Mack Tallant to prepare a
draft version for the council to consider. Mr. Tallant was on
vacation and unable to provide a draft at the time of this
meeting. Councilmember Bob Crabtree seconded. All members
present voted in the affirmative. The motion carried.
The Mayor opened the next Old
Business item of a quote for repairs caused by a water line
break at Francis Whitehead’s. One quote was received from HMC
Paving for $3,060 for repairing the parking area and a quote of
$975 to repair the retaining wall was received from Charles
Toomey Construction. After further discussion by the Council,
Councilmember Harding Hohenschutz made a motion to approve the
retaining wall repair and to table the paving item until the
next regular council meeting in order for additional quotes to
be obtained. Councilmember Bob Crabtree seconded. All members
present voted in the affirmative. The motion carried.
The Mayor opened the next Old
Business item of a quote for concrete repair for driveway at
Phillip & Jane Rhodes. One quote was received from Buckhead
Contracting for $2,200 to pour concrete at the end of the
driveway that joins Cherokee Trail. This quote includes a four
inch curb. A second quote was received from Buckhead Contracting
for $1,685 without the four inch curb. Councilmember Bob
Crabtree stated he was concerned about the construction traffic
going on there, along with the current state of the driveway,
the pipe may get broken again. Councilmember Crabtree has
discussed delaying the repair with Phillip Rhodes until the
construction is completed at the Blalock’s resident and said Mr.
Rhodes is in agreement. After further discussion by the Council,
Councilmember Bob Crabtree made a motion to table this item
until the next regular council meeting in order for additional
quotes to be obtained and for the construction at the
neighboring property to be completed to prevent cracking of the
new concrete repair and pipe. Councilmember Harding Hohenschutz
seconded. All members present voted in the affirmative. The
motion carried.
The Mayor opened the next Old
Business item of installation of an additional mailbox stand on
Nantahala Trail. Mayor Owen commented he liked the idea of
putting up a stand on Nantahala and Thunderbird Trail with a
minimum of four green mailboxes per stand to get a uniform look
within. Councilmember Harding Hohenschutz asked if any
volunteers are willing to help with the installation. After
further discussion by the Council, Councilmember Bob Crabtree
made a motion to approve installation of additional mailbox
stands and for David Dickert to set a date for installation as
soon as the mailboxes are received, and to also talk with Jerry
Collins, Jack Gross and Bill Smith for volunteer help.
Councilmember Arthur Griffith seconded. The vote was three for,
and one opposed, with Councilmember Harding Hohenschutz voting
against the installation. The motion carried.
The Mayor opened the next Old
Business item of installation of speed bumps on Thunderbird
Trail. David Dickert presented the cost of additional speed
bumps at approximately $350 to $400 per bump. Mr. Dickert
suggested putting in a speed bump at 300 Thunderbird Trail and
another at 304 Thunderbird Trail. Town resident Gary Lane made
an objection to installation of more speed bumps and suggested
the council consider alternatives such as a concrete diversion
column like the ones in his neighborhood in Atlanta.
Councilmember Harding Hohenschutz asked what were the columns
are made of and what they look like. Mr. Lane explained these
diversions are about 4 inches or so high, and this type of
traffic control device is installed near his home in Atlanta and
is very effective in controlling speed as the devices narrow the
road and forces traffic to slow down. Mayor Owen stated he was
concerned about the emergency vehicles getting around the
diversions. After further discussion by the Council,
Councilmember Harding Hohenschutz made a
motion to table this item until the next regular meeting in
order to obtain pictures of the traffic diversions from Gary
Lane. Councilmember Arthur Griffith seconded. The motion
carried.
The Mayor opened the first New
Business item of installation of an extension of the drainage
pipe at 392 Thunderbird Trail. Robert and Julie Mandler
requested the extension be added to eliminate water run-off into
their landscaping. After further discussion by the Council,
Councilmember Bob Crabtree made a motion to table this item
until the fall, after the foliage has died back in order to
evaluate what modifications need to be done. Councilmember
Arthur Griffith seconded. All members present voted in the
affirmative. The motion carried.
The Mayor opened the next New
Business item of a request from Public Works Technician, David
Dickert for reimbursement of half of the cost to obtain water
system C-Distribution license. Mayor Owen stated if this license
is necessary then he has no objection to it, however, Lamar
Williams thinks the license is not necessary for the work that
David does. Mr. Dickert stated he would correspond with Lamar.
Councilmember Bob Crabtree stated he would like more details
about where the class is held and the cost. Town Administrator
stated “we do have that now” and asked David if he was looking
at the “Distribution Only” license for $310. Mr. Dickert stated
yes, and that he had mentioned the long-term at the planning
meeting as being acquisition of the water plant operator’s
license. Mayor Owen asked why that would be useful. Mr. Dickert
stated “that if something happened to Lamar not being able to
come out and operate the water plant, then there you would be”.
Councilmember Harding Hohenschutz stated “Lamar has all the
licenses necessary to operate and his wife is an operator too
and she could come out if we needed her to, and that he doesn’t
see why we need to pay for somebody else to be a water operator
when we already have two people we know of; and that Lamar has
been working for the town for ten years or longer and has done a
very good job”. Councilmember Arthur Griffith stated “my concern
is that Lamar has been a very faithful employee to the town and
he doesn’t want to give him the impression that we are trying to
possibly replace him and, unless he comes in here and tells us
that he is thinking about stepping aside, then at that time will
we need somebody to be licensed”. Mr. Dickert said he “would
make this simple and withdraw my request:” Councilmember
Hohenschutz stated “the town needs a handy-man here that can do
a lot of things rather than a water operator”. Councilmember
Crabtree stated “As I understand it, David can perform the
duties that he does today under Lamar’s license and that the
town should get together with Lamar to discuss this”.
Councilmember Bob Crabtree made a motion that at this time, to
not pay for all or part of the training for water C-Distribution
license for Mr. Dickert in order to gather more data.
Councilmember Arthur Griffith seconded. All members present
voted in the affirmative. The motion carried. Mr. Dickert
stated, “I will get the license myself”.
The Mayor opened the next New
Business item of a request from Bill Smith for the installation
of a bench on Nantahala Trail. After further discussion by the
Council, Councilmember Bob Crabtree made a motion to forward
this request to TPOA for review as the homeowners association
provided the other benches in town. Councilmember Arthur
Griffith seconded. All members present voted in the affirmative.
The motion carried.
The Mayor opened the next New
Business item of a request from Town Administrator Peggy Carver
for vacation days of September 12-16. After further discussion
by the Council, Councilmember Bob Crabtree made a motion to
approve the days requested. Councilmember Harding Hohenschutz
seconded. All members present voted in the affirmative. The
motion carried. Mrs. Carver stated Keisha Greene would be
filling in while she is gone.
During the Discussion Period:
·
A request from
TPOA members to split the annual water surcharge into payments
was discussed. This item will be added to the agenda for the
September council meeting.
·
The annual Town/TPOA
street party was announced. The date is Saturday, September 3rd
at 5:30 p.m. at Chalet Village. The Britthaven Boys will be
performing. Food will be ordered closer to the event.
There being no further business,
the meeting adjourned at 11:00 a.m.
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