MINUTES OF TOWN COUNCIL MEETING OF THE TOWN OF STALLINGS, NORTH CAROLINA The Town Council of the Town of Stallings met for its regular meeting on January 14, 2013, at 7:00 p.m. at the Stallings Town Hall, 315 Stallings Road, Stallings, North Carolina. Those present were: Mayor Lynda M. Paxton; Mayor Pro Tempore Reed Esarove; Council Members Wyatt Dunn, Paul Frost, Shawna Steele, Harry Stokes, and Fred Weber. Staff present were: Brian W. Matthews, Town Manager; Melanie Cox, Town Attorney; Minor Plyler, Police Chief; Richard Tanner, Town Services; Dena Sabinske, Director of Parks and Recreation; Kirk Medlin, Finance Officer; and Erinn E. Nichols, Town Clerk. Invocation, Pledge of Allegiance and meeting called to order Mayor Paxton welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked them for their interest in local government. Council Member Dunn delivered the invocation. Mayor Paxton led the Pledge of Allegiance and then called the meeting to order. Public Comments No one was present to give public comments. Special Presentation 2011-12 FY Audit Presentation Clare Meyer, Tinsley & Terry Kirk Medlin, Finance Officer Clare Meyer, CPA with Tinsley &Terry, thanked the Council for allowing Tinsley & Terry to perform the Town s financial statements for the year end June 30, 2012. Tinsley & Terry had issued an unqualified opinion to the Town, the highest level of assurance which could be issued. 9760 January 14, 2013
Tinsley & Terry also issued a report on the internal controls of the Town s financial reporting and compliance with no findings which was the best report that could be given. The Town of Stallings Audit Statements ending June 30, 2012 is on file in the Clerk s Office and available for public inspection. Finance Officer Kirk Medlin presented the Council a summary of the Town s 2012 financial statements. Mr. Medlin noted that in 1977 the Town reported revenue of $40,000 on its financial statements. The Town of Stallings 2012 Financial Statements ending June 30, 2012 are on file in the Clerk s Office and available for public inspection. 1. Approval of Consent Agenda Items A. Minutes of the following meetings: (1) 10-30-12 special meeting (2) 11-26-12 (3) 12-10-12 B. Tax Releases totaling $96.75 Council Member Stokes made a motion to approve the Consent Agenda as submitted. The motion was passed unanimously after a second from Council Member Steele. Clerk s Note: Due to guests being present for Agenda Item #4, Resolution in Honor of Porter Ridge Football Team (Steele), the Council proceeded to Agenda #3, Agenda Approval, and returned to give Council reports after Agenda Item #4. 2. Reports A. Report from the Mayor Mayor Paxton passed out her report to the Council and highlighted the following items. The Mayor s report is attached to these minutes and therefore incorporated herein. The Mayor thanked the Council and staff for the planning conference the previous week. South Piedmont Community College was having Free College Day on February 23 from 9 a.m. 3 p.m. where anyone could take a class for free. Free childcare was also being provided. 9761 January 14, 2013
An Affordable Care Act Seminar was being held on January 29 at CPCC. The biomedical waste incinerator on the Town s border was closing and being torn down. B. Reports from Council Members No Council Members had any reports. C. Report from Town Manager The Town Manager did not have a report. D. Report from Police Chief Police Chief Minor Plyler passed out the Police Department s monthly statistical reports to the Council. He highlighted that the department had made a conscious effort to be at the schools a lot recently. There was a strong arm robbery in Town at the Walgreens the previous week. The robber had been arrested. Misdemeanor arrests were also up during January. E. Report from Town Departments Town Departments had no reports. F. Report from Town Committees There were no reports from Town Committees. 3. Agenda Approval Council Member Stokes made a motion to approve the Agenda as presented. Council Member Weber seconded the motion which was passed unanimously by the Council. 9762 January 14, 2013
4. Resolution in Honor of Porter Ridge High School Football Team (Steele) Council Member Steele read the Resolution in Honor of Porter Ridge High School Football Team aloud into the record. The Council then recognized and honored the members of the PRHS Football team and Coaches who were present. A framed copy of the resolution was presented to the coaches and team. Council Member Weber made the motion to adopt the Resolution in Honor of Porter Ridge High School Football Team. The motion was seconded by Council Member Steele and passed unanimously. The Resolution in Honor of Porter Ridge High School Football Team is attached to these minutes and therefore incorporated herein. 5. Planning Board Application Consideration There were two applications for one alternate position on the Planning Board. Town Manager Matthews explained there were also vacancies on the Board of Adjustments, Parks and Recreation Committee, and Finance Committee if one of the applicants were interested in another committee. Both applicants were in attendance and introduced themselves briefly to the Council. Council Member Frost made the motion to appoint Charles Sigmon as the alternate Planning Board member with the term ending 03/31/2016. The motion was seconded by Council Member Dunn. The motion failed by a 2 to 4 vote with Council Members Stokes, Weber, Steele, and Esarove opposing. Council Member Stokes made the motion to appoint Heather Whillier to the alternate position to the Planning Board with the term ending 03/31/2016. Council Member Weber seconded the motion. The motion passed by a 4 to 2 vote with Council Members Frost and Dunn opposing. 9763 January 14, 2013
6. Revised Stallings Park Renovation Master Plan Parks and Recreation Director Dena Sabinske explained that in order to fully comply with the PARTF (Parks And Recreation Trust Fund) Grant application for the nature trail (Phase III) in Stallings Park, the Town needed to adopt the updated version of the Stallings Park Renovations Master Plan which now included Phase III plans, the renovations made in Phase I and II, and budgets for each phase. Council Member Steele made a motion to approve the Revised Stallings Park Renovation Master Plan which was seconded by Council Member Weber. The motion passed by a 5 to 1 vote with Council Member Dunn opposing. The Revised Stallings Park Master Plan is attached to these minutes and therefore incorporated herein. 7. Stormwater Inventory The Mayor explained the Council had requested staff advertise for stormwater consultant services. Requests for Qualifications (RFQs) had been received and staff was requesting authorization to negotiate with Midland GIS Solutions for stormwater consultant services. If negotiations were unable to be reached with Midland GIS Solutions, staff was requesting authorization to negotiate with SNME for stormwater consultant services. Staff anticipated the project would begin in late February and be complete in six to nine months. Council Member Steele made a motion to authorize staff to select the preferred firm, Midland GIS Solutions (1 st choice) or SNME (2 nd choice), and negotiate a price for the stormwater inventory project. The motion was seconded by Council Member Weber and passed unanimously. 8. Downtown Masterplan Town Manager Matthews presented a power point presentation to the Council reviewing the downtown master plan. This presentation is attached to these minutes and therefore 9764 January 14, 2013
incorporated herein. Phase I of the downtown project was infrastructure related with road and intersection improvements to Potters Road and Pleasant Plains. Phase II of the downtown project dealt with expansion of the intersection improvements at Potters Road and Pleasant Plains and some retail expansion. The downtown project Phase III was primarily concerning infill residential development and retail expansion. Population would drive commercial and retail use in the downtown area. Union County had reviewed the Town s downtown master plan from a water/sewer perspective. Water lines were adequate to cover the future build out however sewer development was not adequate for future development. Some of the sewer improvements (approximately $300,000) would be covered by the County if the Town paid for the road improvements in the Potters Road/Pleasant Plains intersection area. The cost for all sewer improvements for the entire downtown master plan project was projected at $900,000. Council then scheduled a special meeting on Monday, February 11, 2013 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. to discuss the Downtown Master Plan in more detail. 9. Ordinance to Repeal and Enact Speed Limits on US Hwy. 74 as requested by NCDOT Mayor Paxton explained this item was to repeal and enact an ordinance regarding speed limits on Highway 75 at the request of NC Department of Transportation. The ordinance changes would not change the speed limit on 74 but rather it would simply make NCDOT s records consistent. Council Member Dunn made a motion to adopt the Ordinance to Repeal and Enact Speed Limits on US Hwy. 74 as requested by NCDOT. The motion was seconded by Council Member Stokes and passed unanimously. The Ordinance to Repeal and Enact Speed Limits on US Hwy. 74 as requested by NCDOT is attached to these minutes and therefore incorporated herein. 9765 January 14, 2013
Town Manager Matthews reported that Lawyers Road improvements were split into two sections: I-485 to Stevens Mill Road (ranked #62 in Mecklenburg-Union County long range transportation plan); and Stevens Mills Road to Mill Grove Road (ranked #118 in Mecklenburg- Union County long range transportation plan). Monroe Road improvements in Stallings were ranked #11 in the transportation plan. The Town could not control the ranks of the road. 10. AV Capture/FTR Mayor Paxton reminded the Council it approved converting from Granicus to AV Capture for audio meeting recordings. However, AV Capture was not a compatible as first thought. Mr. Matthews furthered explained that the Town used two recording software: FTR (for minutes creation) and Granicus (for web posting). Granicus cost approximately $8200/year and FTR cost approximately $5000/year. The Town s IT provider had developed a process to convert the FTR files to a public windows media format that could be posted on the web. The conversion process would have no cost. The recordings would not be posted the next day after the meeting but rather two days after the meeting. There would also be no time stamping function. Mr. Matthews showed the Council how the converted audio would look and sound. Council Member Dunn made the motion to transition from Granicus to FTR only with the audio files of the last four years of Council meetings on the website until after the election. The motion was seconded by Council Member Frost and passed unanimously. 11. Ordinance Removing Mayor from Appointing an Animal Control Officer Mayor Paxton explained that this ordinance relieved the Mayor from appointing an Animal Control Officer since Stallings did not have an Animal Control Officer. Council Member Dunn made a motion to adopt the Ordinance Removing Mayor from Appointing an Animal Control Officer which was seconded by Council Member Stokes. The motion 9766 January 14, 2013
passed unanimously. The Ordinance Removing Mayor from Appointing an Animal Control Officer is attached to these minutes and therefore incorporated herein. Mr. Matthews noted that the entire Animal Control code needed revising to be more consistent with Union County and would be brought back to Council in the future. 12. Adjournment Council Member Stokes moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Council Member Frost, and the motion received unanimous support. The meeting was adjourned at 9:01 p.m. Approved on February 11, 2013. s/ Lynda M. Paxton s/ Erinn E. Nichols Lynda M. Paxton, Mayor Erinn E. Nichols, Town Clerk Approved as to form: s/ Perry, Bundy, Plyler, Long, & Cox, LLP Perry, Bundy, Plyler, Long, & Cox, LLP 9767 January 14, 2013