Village of Forest Hills Work Session Meeting

Tuesday, January 06, 2025 – 7:00 pm

Forest Hills Assembly Hall, Cullowhee, NC

 

The following members of the Council were present:

Mayor Ron Mau

Councilmember Amy Bollinger

Councilmember Daniel Shields

Councilmember Nilofer Couture

Councilmember Larry Ingersoll

The following non-Council members were Present: 

Stephanie Gibson, Clerk

Jim Hartley, Planning Board member

Rochelle Mau, Resident

Clark Corwin, Resident

Ron Yount, Resident 

Mayor Mau called the work session meeting to order at 7:00 pm

1.    Review RFQ Town Attorney:  Mayor Mau said that the only RFQ received was from Attorney Jay Coward.  Council will discuss his proposal during the regular meeting. 

2.    Animal Issue – example(s) ordinance:  Councilmember Ingersoll will draft an updated Animal Ordinance similar to that of the Town of Webster to be reviewed at the next meeting. 

3.    Revised Rules of Procedure – update:  Mayor Mau asked if the Village Council had an updated Rules of Procedure manual.  He noted that the Council will need to adopt rules or correct and renew the current document.  The Village does not have a current rule of procedure manual, but will purchase a copy to have available. 

4.    Planning Board Names to move forward:  Mayor Mau said that he has spoken with Charlie Bell, and he has agreed to be a planning Board member.  Also, Clark Corwin has agreed to be on the board as an Interim Chair to assist with training and information.  We still need a volunteer to be on the board as a fifth member. 

5.    Board member goals – start the list and begin to narrow down if the budget impact, this will be an ongoing topic.  To be discussed at the next meeting.

6.    Internal Calendar Creation:  When does the Village need to get certain items done?  Examples:  leases, summer social planning, trash pick-up planning, dates, kick-off, and budget process.  Will be discussed further to determine dates and times of items to be done.

7.    Brown Haven Meeting:  Brown Haven will be holding a public informational meeting on Thursday, January 8^th, at 5:30 pm at the WCU Hospitality Room in the Ramsey Center.

8.    Website update:  Mayor Mau noted that Catalis has a website update, and we will look into updating necessary areas and deciding the most efficient way to organize the website.

9.    Adjourn:  Meeting adjourned at 7:30 PM

Village of Forest Hills Council Meeting

Tuesday, January 06, 2025 – 7:00 pm

Forest Hills Assembly Hall, Cullowhee, NC

 

The following members of the Council were present:

Mayor Ron Mau

Councilmember Amy Bollinger

Councilmember Daniel Shields

Councilmember Nilofer Couture

Councilmember Larry Ingersoll

The following non-Council members were Present: 

Stephanie Gibson, Clerk

Jim Hartley, Planning Board member

Rochelle Mau, Resident

Clark Corwin, Resident

Ron Yount, Resident

 

1. Call to order: At 7:30 pm, Mayor Mau called the meeting to order. 

  2.  Announcements:

Reminder – Please silence cell phones for the meeting. 

3. Approval of Agenda: Councilmember Shields made a motion to approve the agenda, Councilmember Ingersoll seconded the motion, and the motion was unanimously approved. 

4. Approval of Meeting Minutes for December 02, 2025, Regular Council Meeting: (All meeting minutes are posted on the Forest Hills website once approved.) Councilmember Bollinger made a motion to approve the meeting minutes for December 02, 2025. Councilmember Couture seconded the motion, which was unanimously approved.

5. Acceptance of Financial Report & Checklist for December 2025: (All financial reports are posted on the Forest Hills website once approved.) Councilmember Shields made a motion to approve the financial reports. Councilmember Couture seconded the motion, which was unanimously approved.
6. Administrative Reports: 

Mayor’s Report & RPO/TAC: Mayor Mau – Mayor Mau provided a mayor’s report for the meeting with the following information:  He has been reviewing the website for updates and items that need to be updated and looking at the best format to use. 

Mayor Mau said that he has spoken to the Sheriff about the Village having speed trailers in the Village.  Council agreed that it would be a good idea to get those when they are available.

He noted that Brown Haven will hold a public hearing on Thursday, January 8^th, at the Hospitality Room in the Ramsey Center on the WCU campus.  He asked if the Council felt that the Attorney should attend, and they agreed that he should.

Roads:  Councilman Ingersoll shared that he had spoken to Jamie Ashe with the Sheriff’s Department about the abandoned truck at the Sky at Cullowhee.  Jamie said that he would try to get that moved.  Sarah, the manager at the Sky, said that her former tenant, D. Kelly Hastings, is the owner, and she has tried contacting him by phone but has not been able to reach him.  She does not have a forwarding address.  Jamie was going to try to obtain his address via the VIN number. 

Sarah at the Sky said she has given notice to parties that have vehicles under repair for extended periods of time, that they have until January 15^th to complete repairs.

Sarah said that she is also requesting that the blue dumpster be moved to an area out of the public view due to numerous complaints since tenants are placing garbage next to the dumpster.

Councilmember Ingersoll said that he received a call from Carolyn Meigs, and she is very happy about the road improvements to Meigs Way Road.

Councilmember Ingersoll said that there are a number of trees throughout the Village that are leaning towards our private roads.  He asked what the plan is should they fall onto the roadway; some are too large for Robby Hess to remove.  Is there a designated tree company to call?  Councilmember Shields replied that Jeff Polson’s tree company had been called in the past, since he has a crane.  He said that he could ask the Arborist to take a look at the trees along the road again.  Consensus was to have the trees assessed again on the roadway.

Ordinance update:  Councilmember Ingersoll said that since the holidays are over, he thinks he can be more vigilant about having residents keep up their property.  He noted that he had complaints previously about the house on SCC Dr., and he spoke to him about potentially moving the boat from in front of the house and cleaning up the front area. 

Councilmember Ingersoll said that he called the listing agents for properties at 719 and 1168 NCC Dr. to advise them that the Village does not allow short-term rentals in the areas zoned R-1.

He will be working on the updated dog ordinance; he has reviewed Jackson County’s and the Town of Webster’s dog ordinances.

Village Safety: Councilmember Couture said that Officer Shuler patrolled the Village for 4 hours in December. She said that there were 20 911 calls; she noted that 10 of the calls were from Prospect and there were 10 calls from Pin Cushion, The Sky, and SCC Dr. combined.

TWSA: None

·         Planning Board: Jim Hartley said that they did not have a meeting in December, but are planning to have a meeting on the last Tuesday in January.

 

7.     Public Comment:  Rochelle Mau thanked the Council for the speed limit signs that have been put up in the Village.

 

8.     Unfinished Business:    

 

1.    Select new attorney: Mayor Mau shared the RFQ presented by Attorney Jay Coward with the Council, and they reviewed the submission.

Councilmember Ingersoll moved to select Jay Coward to serve as the Village of Forest Hills Attorney, based on the qualifications submitted in response to the Municipality's Request for Qualifications (RFQ) issued on December 5th, 2025. He further moved to authorize the mayor to execute an engagement letter for legal services with said firm, subject to the terms and fee schedule discussed in the referenced RFQ. Councilmember Bollinger seconded the motion, which was unanimously approved.

 

2.    Appoint Planning Board member(s):  Mayor Mau shared that Charlie Bell had agreed to serve on the Planning Board and that Clark Corwin agreed to serve on the board as Interim Chair.  Councilmember Couture made a motion to appoint Charlie Bell to the Planning Board and to appoint Clark Corwin to the Planning Board as Interim Chair. Councilmember Shields seconded the motion, which was unanimously approved.  Mayor Mau said that they could be sworn in at the January Planning Board meeting or at the Clerk of Court’s office.

 

3.    Donations update:  Council had previously discussed a donation to the Sheriff’s Department.  Mayor Mau said that he spoke with the Sheriff and the Jackson County Finance Officer, and they were not sure how that would work.  Council agreed to consult with the Attorney for further direction on the matter.

 

9.     Adjournment: 

 

1.    Adjournment:  Councilmember Shields made a motion to adjourn at 8:00 PM.

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                            

Village of Forest Hills Work Session

February 03, 2026

7:00 PM

Meeting Notes

Proposed Ordinance on Nuisance and Vicious Animals

• A proposal was introduced to amend the Forest Hills code of ordinances regarding animals, incorporating language from the Town of Webster’s animal control ordinance.
• It adds two chapters:

o   Chapter 4.6: Nuisance Animal/Public Assistance Animal.

o   Chapter 4.7: Vicious or Dangerous Animal.

Conclusion: The proposal was well received. It will be compiled and then sent to the attorney for legal review.

• The amendment applies to dogs/animals when off their own property; it would not apply if someone is bitten after entering the animal’s property.
• Nuisance animal behaviors include chasing vehicles, excessive barking, harassing pedestrians, and causing unsanitary conditions.

Revised Rules of Procedure

·         The council discussed obtaining copies of the “Rules of Procedure” for municipal boards.

·         Booklets were unavailable at the “Essentials” training due to no bookstore.

·         A digital version is now available, which may allow easier editing.

·         Conclusion: Ms. Gibson will order three copies of the Rules of Procedure booklets.

Planning Board Appointments and Communication

·         A new member’s name will be presented at the next regular session to make the appointment official.

·         The new member will be sworn in at the planning board meeting on February 17th.

·         Mr. Corwin will continue the communication process between planning board and town board.

Takeaways from Essentials Training

• Council member Bolinger and Mayor Mau attended the “Essentials” training; a key theme was internal controls, aligning with recent auditor recommendations.
• Recommendations:

o   Require two signatures on all checks.

o   The auditor prefers direct purchases with a debit card over reimbursements.

o   Use a stamp on every check when paid.

• A formal purchasing policy was raised, a need based on information from essentials training.
• Conclusion: Mayor Mau will work with the auditor to develop internal control processes and will go to the bank to update signature authority.

Policy on Donations

·         Training clarified municipalities can only make donations that directly affect their constituents.

·         Volunteer fire departments are an exception; the council can continue its donation.

·         The animal shelter was also noted as a permissible nonprofit for donations.

·         Conclusion: Donations must be clearly tied to benefiting local citizens, with specific exceptions noted.

Impact of County-Wide Fire Tax

·         Jackson County is forming a county-wide fire tax district.

·         Seven cents of the property tax rate would be allocated to emergency services.

·         This will increase Forest Hills residents’ total contribution to emergency services.

·         This raises whether the village’s annual donation to the volunteer fire department (currently $10,000) should be adjusted.

·         Conclusion: The council will consider the new tax’s budget impact and the fire department donation over the next few months.

Website Redevelopment

·         Mayor Mau met with the website host; the process involves selecting from 3–4 municipal templates.

·         After a design presentation, there will be a five-day window for changes before further edits become billable.

·         Current host: Catalyst (Alpharetta, GA), payment address in Tampa, FL.

·         An invoice for domain name services was received and is being questioned as potential double billing.

·         Conclusion: Mayor Mau will share templates with the council for review. Ms. Gibson will investigate the questionable invoice.

Budget Calendar and Process

·         The budget process will begin; a committee will be formed at the March meeting, aiming for a draft by April.

·         A mid-May special meeting may be needed for public hearings and review periods.

·         Any budget-impacting goals (e.g., storage shelves, fireproof filing cabinet) should be sent to Stephanie.

Transition to Paperless Meetings

·         Providing tablets to board members was discussed but may be too costly.

·         The council agreed to transition toward paperless meetings.

·         Conclusion: Agendas and meeting packets will be emailed; members can print as needed. Public agendas will include QR codes to access the full packet.

Village of Forest Hills Council Meeting

Tuesday, February 03, 2025 – 7:00 pm

Forest Hills Assembly Hall, Cullowhee, NC

 

The following members of the Council were present:

Mayor Ron Mau

Councilmember Amy Bollinger

Councilmember Daniel Shields

Councilmember Nilofer Couture

Councilmember Larry Ingersoll 

The following non-Council members were Present: 

Stephanie Gibson, Clerk

Jim Hartley, Planning Board member

Rochelle Mau, Resident

Clark Corwin, Planning Board Chair 

1.   Call to order: At 7:30 pm, Mayor Mau called the meeting to order. 

2.  Announcements:  Reminder – Please silence cell phones for the meeting. 

3.   Approval of Agenda: Councilmember Shields made a motion to approve the agenda, Councilmember Couture seconded the motion, and the motion was unanimously approved.  

4.   Approval of Meeting Minutes for January 06, 2026, Regular Council Meeting: (All meeting minutes are posted on the Forest Hills website once approved.) Councilmember Couture made a motion to approve the meeting minutes for January 06, 2026. Councilmember Shields seconded the motion, which was unanimously approved.

5.   Acceptance of Financial Report & Checklist for January 2026: (All financial reports are posted on the Forest Hills website once approved.)

·        January Financials:

o   North Carolina class account: $212,865.20

o   United check account: $89,231.15

o   Total assets: $302,096.35

o   January revenues: $21,605.87 (from ad valorem sales tax and interest)

o   January expenditures: $2,998.57 (utilities, salaries, patrol, etc.)

·        A new printer and paper were purchased for $114.

·        An issue with a web hosting bill from Catalyst was noted; a bill for $2,000 is inaccurate and requires follow-up.

·        The budget is over on street maintenance due to maintenance contractor’s billing practices, which were addressed with him.

·        The Planning Board has funds in the budget for training videos and continuing education materials.

Councilmember Shields made a motion to approve the financial reports. Councilmember Couture seconded the motion, unanimously approved. 

6.    Fund Balance Policy Discussion

·        A new fund balance policy sent via email was discussed.

·        The document shows that comparable municipalities have much higher fund balances, with some at 220% of their operating budget.

·        The village’s operating budget is around $150,000, and the current reserves are under 100% of that.

·        Mayor Mau urged the board to review the provided data to assess if the village’s reserves are adequate. 

7.    Administrative Reports

·        Sheriff’s Office Update:

o   The village is on the list to receive traveling speed limit signs, but no date has been set.

o   Speeding concerns on North and South Country Club Drive were discussed with the sheriff, who will scout locations for the signs.

·        Meeting with Governor’s Office:

o   Mayor Mau met with Holly Jones from the governor’s office to discuss village matters.

·        Meeting with Brown Haven Representative (Derek):

o   The representative suggested ideas like age-restricted housing to improve the development plan.

o   Mayor Mau requested a visual plan comparing the proposed development to a standard half-acre lot plan.

o   A discrepancy was noted between the developer’s statement on handling traffic and their traffic engineer’s report.

·        The developer continued to indicate needs 160-180 units for the project to be financially viable. Based on 72 acres (minus wetlands and roads), a maximum of 124 half-acre lots would be possible but this is likely high due to other layout issue.

         Roads Report

·        Snow Removal:

o   The snow removal contractor, BH Granning Landscapes, Inc., was responsive during recent weather events.

o   Some homes on Virginia Lane experienced a 3-hour delay in plowing after the rest of the village was cleared.

o   Residents were reminded to contract directly with Granning for driveway plowing and that there is a “post-storm” list for non-contracted jobs.

·        Other Issues:

o   A blue dumpster was successfully moved from near the road to the back of the lot.

o   A registered sex offender notice was received for an individual residing at 487 North Country Club Road.

Planning Board Report

·        The board is seeking a new chair. A potential new board member has been identified.

·        A 12-month, five-phase plan has been outlined to update the Land Use Plan, zoning map, and ordinances to be consistent with each other and state law (160D).

·        The Planning Board chair purchased a high-capacity printer to have available at the Assembly Hall.

·        The goal is to host a facilitated workshop (charrette) within 4-6 months to gather input from the community on the village’s future.

·        The board will now meet on the third Tuesday of each month. 

Safety Report:

Councilmember Couture shared that she has not received the patrol or 911 reports. 

8.    Public Comment:  None 

9.   Unfinished Business

·        Councilmember Bollinger made a motion to appoint Robbie Hess to the Planning Board, Councilmember Ingersoll seconded, motion passed unanimously.

·        The budget amendment item was removed from the agenda and will be addressed at the March meeting. 

Adjournment:  Councilmember Shields made a motion to adjourn at 8:15 pm.