Town of Maggie Valley

Regularly Scheduled Board of Aldermen Meeting

March 7, 2006

Minutes

 

Members Present:       Mayor Jo Pinter         Aldermen:       Roger McElroy

                                                                                                Saralyn Price (3:48 p.m.)

                                                                                                Mark DeMeola

                                                                                                Phil Aldridge

Staff Present:              Manager Tim Barth, Attorney Chuck Dickson, Public Works                                              Director Mike Mehaffey, Chief Scott Sutton, Planning Director                                          Nathan Clark and Town Clerk Vickie Best

Others Present:           Dan Massey and Sonja Michels

 

Meeting Called to Order

Mayor Pinter called the meeting to order at 3:39 p.m. in the Town Hall Boardroom.

 

Consent Agenda

a.  Petition for Annexation:  Nicholas D. Powers, III,

3618 Dellwood Road, Parcel #8606-29-0312

(2.0958 acres): Resolution No. 06-14,

Directing Clerk to investigate an annexation petition.

b.  Petition for Annexation:  Craig & Sandra Capano,

504 Brannon Forest Drive, Parcel #7697-76-1000

(0.378 acres): Resolution No. 06-15,

Directing Clerk to investigate an annexation petition.

c.  Petition for Annexation:  KGC, LLC,

139 Saddle Drive, Parcel #7697-21-2522

(0.402 acres): Resolution No. 06-17,

Directing Clerk to investigate an annexation petition.

d.  Certificate of Sufficiency:  Randy & Lou Aulick,

Resolution No. 06-16 Setting Date for a Public

Hearing:  Annexation for Randy & Lou Aulick,

20 Brandywine Estates, Parcel #7697-50-0447

(0.234 acres): March 21, 2006 at 6:30 p.m.

e.  Call for a public hearing in regard to amending the zoning

ordinance to require bathroom facilities at all

Travel Trailer/RV Parks for all units including

self-contained units.  March 21 at 6:30 p.m.

f.  Correction and Approval of Minutes for February 21, 2006

and February 27, 2006.

 

ALDERMAN MCELROY MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.

MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

 

Appearance of Sonja Michels Regarding Maintenance of the Road at the Festival Grounds

In order to make the entrance nice for guests/customers, Ms. Michels adds gravel and hires a motor-grader to dress the road annually. Ms. Michels asked that the Town help maintain the gravel road/ right-of-way. 

 

The paved portion of the road that leads straight into the festival ground gate is maintained by the Town and is listed on Powell Bill for funding.  The Town does some work in the right-of-way, such as mowing, but does not maintain the gravel road. As requested by Ms. Michels, the fence was moved from the road right-of-way to provide 30 feet.  The gravel road leads to Ms. Michels’ rental cabins and one emergency gate to the rear of the festival ground property.

 

Ms. Michels maintained the road right-of-way prior to the Town purchasing the property.

 

The issue was tabled until the next workshop.

 

Before leaving the boardroom, Ms. Michels updated Council on the 2006 fireworks.  Eagle Nest Entertainment will now charge the Chamber $1,500 to use the grounds, plus the cost of electricity. The cost of the fireworks is between $6500 and $7000. The pyrotechnic advisor felt Eagle Nest Entertainment was the best location in the Valley.  The festival grounds could possibly be used for launching the fireworks, but the fireworks would need to be lower to the ground and no other people, structures or cars could be inside the fenced area.

 

Ms. Michels requested a donation from the Town if the fireworks display happens in 2006.

 

Once again, the issue was tabled until the next workshop.  By this time, there should be more definite answers as to when, where, and the cost.  

 

Consideration of Ordinance No. 443 to Annex Parcel #7697-21-1670 on Loveland Drive

Emergency vehicles can access the area. The area is within the Maggie Valley Fire Department District regardless of being annexed into the Town.  The Town, as with other substandard roads within the corporate limits, will not maintain the streets. The police must pass this parcel to get to other parcels already part of the Town.

 

ALDERMAN MCELROY MADE A MOTION TO ANNEX THE PARCEL THROUGH ORDINANCE NUMBER 443.

MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

 

Consideration of Ordinance No. 446 Amending the Town Charter so the Mayor Votes only in the Event of a Tie Vote.

With proper notification, a public hearing has been conducted. The Board has up to sixty- (60) days to take action after the pubic hearing.

 

Councilman Price felt the Mayor should continue to have her vote because the people of Maggie Valley elected her.  Council members are voted into office because constituents had faith that the person would vote for what is best for Maggie Valley.

 

Alderman McElroy stated that he would not want to be Mayor if he could not vote. Alderman Aldridge concurred.

 

ALDERMAN PRICE MADE A MOTION TO NOT CONSIDER ORDINANCE 446.  THE TOWN CHARTER WILL REMAIN AS WRITTEN.

MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

 

Manager’s Report

Manager Barth distributed copies of the Town investment funds report.  

 

The budget process has begun.  The department heads are putting together their figures relating to the Aldermen workshops held in January.

 

The County Tax Assessor has just recently delivered Maggie Valley’s revaluation data to Finance Director Wheeler.  The Finance Director and Budget Director will begin to assimilate the data. 

 

ALDERMAN ALDRIDGE MADE A MOTION TO EXCUSE ALDERMEN DEMEOLA AT 4:33 P.M.

MOTION CARRIED.

 

Other Business

As discussed at the workshop, the Town staff would once again like to be able to exchange sewer taps for easements, line extensions, etc.  Currently sewer taps can be traded to the Maggie Valley Club for a sewer line extension, since the licensed utility contractors are already in the area.  This would open an entire area to the availability of municipal sewer.

 

Exchanging sewer taps is common among municipalities across the state. This type of situation has in the past, and still could, save the Town thousands of dollars.

 

Alderman Aldridge owned a local retail store during the time the Town traded sewer taps for site work at the maintenance facility.  There were many negative comments about the Town bartering. Alderman McElroy concurred.

 

All documentation pertaining to any exchange will be maintained in the Clerk’s Office.

 

ALDERMAN MCELROY MADE A MOTION TO ALLOW MANAGER BARTH AND PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR MEHAFFEY TO NEGOTIATE SEWER TAPS FOR SERVICE IN CASES THAT ARE URGENT; ALL OTHER MATTERS SHOULD BE BROUGHT BEFORE THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN.

MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

 

Alderman Aldridge felt the Mayor’s salary should be divided among all council members.

 

Mayor Pinter explained that she did not take a salary for over a year in order to have the funds available for use by all the board members for education, travel, and dinner. Due to continued accusation that Mayor Pinter was misusing the funds to further personal agendas, such as the sale of Ghost Town, Mayor Pinter decided to accept the salary. 

 

As the elected Mayor, she is expected to attend many ceremonial activities.

 

Mayor Pinter, Mayor Pro-Tem McElroy and Alderman Price all serve on committees representing Maggie Valley.   

 

This issue will be discussed at the next council members’ workshop.

 

ON MOTION BY ALDERMAN MCELROY, THE MEETING ADJOURNED AT 4:51 P.M.

MOTION CARRIED.

 

 

_________________________________

     Mayor Jo Pinter

 

 

 

 

________________________________

    Vickie Best, CMC, Town Clerk