Minutes

Village of Forest Hills Council Meeting

Monday, February 07, 2000

7:00 PM

Cullowhee Valley School cafeteria

Present:  Mayor Irene Hooper; Councilpersons Jean Adams, Sharon Jacques, Harold Williford, Larry Kolenbrander; Village clerk, Mary Ann Budahl; Village residents, Ron and Bonnie Stephens; and Sylva Herald reporter, Rose Hooper.

The meeting was called to order at 7:25 PM.  Mayor Hooper welcomed everyone in attendance.

Motion to accept the minutes of January 3, 2000, which had been circulated via email.  (Sharon Jacques, Larry Kolenbrander), passed.

Financial report is attached.  Motion to accept (Jacques, Kolenbrander), passed.

Old business:

1. Agreement with Jay Coward, Attorney.  Copies of the agreement signed by Mr. Coward to serve as Village attorney.  Mr. Coward who could not attend tonight's meeting intends to be present at future meetings of the Council.  Motion to accept the agreement to retain the services of J. K. Coward, as attorney as of March 2000 (Jacques, Kolenbrander), passed.

2. Mayor Hooper reported that she had called the DOT to report the missing stop sign at Pincushion Lane.  It was replaced in a timely manner.  Stop signs were ordered for both ends of Cox Farm Road.  The cost of these signs will be borne by the DOT since they involve state maintained portions of the road.  In the future, the 911 office will handle all street name signs, and DOT takes care of the other instructional signs.

3. Mayor Hooper has written a letter to Mr. Bruce Green calling his attention to the recent arson involving an abandoned car on his property.  She has not received a response from him yet.

4. Mayor Hooper read a letter from Carolina Water Systems acknowledging her recent correspondence commending their employee, Alan Watkins.  Ron Stephens reported that the Water Company unloaded two loads of gravel in the area near the pump house on North Country Club Drive today, and Ron has graciously offered to spread it.

5. Mayor Hooper attended a Greenway Planning meeting initiated by Mayor Brenda Oliver and the Sylva Town Council, and arranged by the Southwestern Commission.  Officials from each Municipality attended along with others interested in the project.  A Task Force was formed, made up of two elected officials from each Municipality, as well as other interested parties.  Representatives for the Village will be Mayor Hooper and Larry Kolenbrander.  A meeting is scheduled for February 29th.

Mayor Hooper is writing a history of the Village of Forest Hills to be included in the book, The Jackson County Heritage - North Carolina Vol. 2 being compiled by the Genealogy Society.

New business:

1. 2000 Census:  Mayor Hooper has received two letters from US Census 2000 requesting the wholehearted cooperation of communities such as ours to participate in obtaining an accurate census.  The residents of Forest Hills will be encouraged to return their census forms promptly, and to cooperate with the census employees who make home calls.

2. The Economic Development Commission requested the Village give their approval to the renewal of the Joint Resolution, along with the other Municipalities.   Motion to sign the resolution made by Sharon Jacques and seconded by Larry Kolenbrander.  Passed unanimously.

3. Ron Stephens, the Village representative to the EDC reported on his recent meeting with the chairman, Tom McClure.  Ron was informed of some recent accomplishments, some ongoing needs of the region, and some of their future plans

4. Mayor Hooper recently wrote a letter of support for a grant proposed by the Jackson County Recreation Department for a building to be erected at the soccer field near Cullowhee Valley School.

5. See attached letter involving the Powell Bill Program pertaining to any proposed changes in our street system.  Motion to take no action at this time (Williford, Kolenbrander) taken at this time.  Passed.

6. Mayor Hooper read a letter from Amy M. Whisnant, CSP, Risk Management Field Consultant from the NC League of Municipalities offering her assistance with matters involving employee safety, OSHA compliance, liability concerns, employee training, etc. 

7. Councilperson Kolenbrander asked the Council to name a non-voting representative to the Tuckasegee Water and Sewer Authority to replace Jim Pearce.  Ian Pritchard and Jim Wallace were suggested as candidates, and Mayor Hooper will make the appointment.

8. Copies of the letter regarding state road maintenance, which will be mailed to land owners on the non-state-maintained portions of North and South Country Club Drive, were circulated.  Members of the Planning Board were commended for their efforts in writing this letter.  Motion to approve letter with minor editorial changes (Jacques, Williford), passed.  The letter will include a copy of the Petition to request that the State of North Carolina maintain our roads.  It will be mailed on Friday, February 11, 2000.  During late February or early March, a visit will be made to these residents for their signature on the petition.

9. Discussion involving changing location of the Council meetings from Cullowhee Valley School to the University Inn due to difficulty gaining access to the School.  It was felt that the lobby at the Inn would be sufficient unless a large crowd of people was expected to attend.  Motion (Adams, Jacques) passed.  Notice of the change in location will be posted at the Village informational box located near the University Inn, and an announcement will be published in the Sylva Herald two weeks prior to the next meeting. 

10. Motion to adjourn (Jacques, Kolenbrander) passed.  Meeting adjourned at 8:35 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Mary Ann Budahl, Village clerk