December 4, 2000

            Memorandum to:         Forest Hills Residents

            From:   Harold Williford

                        Forest Hills Village Council

                        Substitute for Mary Ann Budahl

            RE:       Minutes of Village Council meeting on 12/04/00

Members Present:  Mayor Irene Hooper, Sharon Jacques, Larry Kolenbrander, and Harold Williford.

Others attending:  Jay Coward, Ben Ellis, Rose Hooper, Carol Pearce, Joe Rossano, Jim Weir, and Mark Jamison.

1. Mayor Hooper called the Forest Hills Village Council meeting to order at 7:01 PM.  A meeting agenda was distributed and approved.  The minutes of the November 6, 2000 meeting were approved as distributed. 

2.         Carol Pearce presented a Treasurer's report.  Jacques (Kolenbrander) moved that this financial report be accepted.  The motion carried unanimously.   Jacques (Kolenbrander) also recommended approval to reimburse a resident for Village copy expenses.  This motion also carried unanimously.    

3.         Mayor Hooper reported that the Board of Commissioners had approved our request to have the private sections of North Country Club Drive become part of the state road maintenance system.  The Chairman of Commissioners will forward the approval to Mr. Styles, who heads the NCDOT for this region.  This begins the first step toward the eventual full approval of our request.

4.         Mayor Hooper gave a report concerning the Village Christmas Party.  The party is scheduled for Sunday, December 17, 2000 from 6:00-8:30PM at the University Inn.  Jean Adams is organizing this event and residents are encouraged to contact Jean about providing holiday food for the occasion.  The Third Annual Forest Hills Christmas Decorations Competition is also scheduled for the 17th.  Judging will begin at 5:00 PM and will be based on decorations that can be seen from outside a residence.  Hooper encouraged everyone in the Village to participate in this celebration time together. 

5.               Kolenbrander gave a report of the County Greenway Committee.  He stated that this Committee had hired one person using Americorps funding to pursue Committee business.  This person is assigned to work under the direction of Tamara Crisp from the County Planning Board.  Kolenbrander mentioned that the Village would be asked to sign an agreement supporting the work of this Committee.  Mayor Hooper agreed to duplicate the proposed agreement and send copies to the Council Members for study.  This item will be on the agenda for the January meeting.

6.               Hooper reported that Chancellor Bardo had responded to a Village request for assistance in addressing common noise problems.  She commented that his letter was very nice.  He sympathized with our problems and encouraged us to continue working through county law enforcement officials to address noise problems.  Hooper shared that Bardo had sent a second letter to us thanking us for our support of the University Bond issue which passed during the November elections. 

7.         Hooper gave a report from the Southwestern Commission asking for our support of a State Funds Resolution.  Kolenbrander moved (Jacques) that the Council approve this resolution which would have the net effect of forwarding our assigned portion of these funds ($100.71) to the Southwest Regional Council.  Discussion noted that no Village monies were involved in this resolution.  The motion passed without dissent. 

8.         Hooper reported on a meeting at the Department of Transportation on the afternoon of November 15.  She mentioned several points discussed at this meeting concerning highway and pedestrian issues.  She stated that she made it a point to speak about the Village's long-standing request for a light at the intersection of Highway 107 and North Country Club Drive. 

9.         No formal report was heard from the Ad Hoc Road Maintenance Committee.  Some discussion took place concerning road conditions during the recent snowstorm.  Kolenbrander (Jacques) moved that Hooper contact both Carol Pearce (South Country Club Drive) and Angela Davis (North Country Club Drive), to see if they would be willing to assume responsibilities to initiate requests for emergency snow removal on the private sections of both North and South Country Club Drives.

10.       Hooper reported that the Village had established an account with Jackson Office Supply for making copies related to Village business. 

11.       Jay Coward asked his colleague Ben Ellis to give a report related to legal questions concerning appropriate procedures for a municipality to solicit competitive bids for goods and services.  Ellis gave a detailed report that addressed bid procedures for three types of expenditures.  Hooper received the report on behalf of the Village and she thanked Mr. Ellis for his expertise. 

            The discussion of Village "bid" procedures lead to conversation about a previous recommendation from the Village Planning Board that we initiate a Preliminary Engineering Study of a community sewage system.  Williford (Jacques) moved that we ask Carol Pearce to identify the appropriate budget lines that we might use to pay for this study.  Coward mentioned that if necessary, we could most likely amend our budget to transfer monies between budget lines.  The motion carried unanimously.  A formal request to initiate the Preliminary Engineering Study will come later.

12.                      The present Budget Committee members are Harold Williford, Chairman; Dick Iobst and Carol Pearce.  Harold indicated he was willing to continue but would like a couple more people to be added to the Committee.  Jim Weir, Assistant Treasurer, volunteered to serve and Mayor Hooper will ask Ruth Shular to join the Committee.

13.         Jacques moved (Kolenbrander) that the January meeting of the Village Council be moved from January 1, 2001 until January 8, 2001.  The motion passed unanimously.  Jacques (Kolenbrander) moved that the meeting be adjourned.   The motion carried and the meeting was adjourned.