April 2026

Village of Forest Hills Council Meeting

Tuesday, April 07, 2026 – 7:30 pm

Forest Hills Assembly Hall, Cullowhee, NC

 

The following members of the Council were present:

Mayor Ron Mau

Councilmember Daniel Shields

Councilmember Nilofer Couture

Councilmember Larry Ingersoll

Councilmember Amy Bollinger

The following non-Council members were Present:

Stephanie Gibson, Clerk

Clark Corwin, Planning Board Chair

Charlie Bell, Planning Board Member

April Bell, Resident

Kloo Hansen, 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 Ingersoll made a motion to approve the agenda, Councilmember Shields seconded the motion, unanimously approved.  

4.    Approval of Meeting Minutes for March 03, 2026, Regular Council Meeting: (All meeting minutes are posted on the Forest Hills website once approved.) Councilmember Shields made a motion to approve the meeting minutes for March 03, 2026. Councilmember Couture seconded the motion, unanimously approved.

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

ยท        March Financials:

o   North Carolina class account: $214,140.44

o   United check account: $89,912.68

o   Total assets: $304,053.12

o   March revenues: $6,721.55 (from ad valorem, franchise & utility tax, sales tax, and interest)

o   March expenditures: $1,849.10 (utilities, salaries, patrol, road maintenance fees, and postal service box fee).

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

    • Concern over delayed invoicing from vendor Robbie (last invoice in July) distorting budget tracking; rates are favorable, and work quality is good, but compliance with billing terms is needed.
    • Conclusion: Finances generally on track; council will continue outreach to secure timely invoices and review contract enforcement.
  • Administrative Reports
    • Attendance at Southwestern RPO/TAC; planning process, prioritizing projects.
    • Continue contacting DOT staff (Brady and Jared) for small improvements and intersection issues.
  • Roads and Ordinance Enforcement
    • Vehicles parked on lawns on South Country Club near a house with a boat; plan to send reminder letters.
    • Three new property listings noted; reminders planned regarding short-term rental ordinances.
  • Safety and Patrol Coverage
    • Last month: 19 calls (Summit 3, Prospects 5, South Country Club 2, North Country Club 8, Pincushion 1). Clarify whether Pincushion is within the Village/ETJ, consistently included in reports.
    • Concerns about patrol effectiveness when parked at the entrance; suggestion to position where speeding occurs and use driveways for setup.
    • Mobile speed device in place; residents feel it has shown some impact.
    • Difficulty contacting Jamie Ashe during a “Pincushion” incident; request to share a direct cell number.
    • Patrol hours: 12 hours last month; $300 referenced; request for detailed activity reports (citations, warnings).
    • Discussion of creating an MOU with the Sheriff’s Office to define hours, focus areas, reporting, and seasonal adjustments (historically ~20 hours/month, less in summer).
    • Conclusion: Need for an MOU to formalize patrol expectations and reporting; share contact info to improve responsiveness.
  • Community Planning Process and Consultant Selection
    • Planning board issued an RFQ for engineering/architectural planning services, excluding pricing per state requirements.
    • Two firms responded; one declined; Bolton & Mack submitted with relevant small-town and regional experience; the executive summary and submission were included in the packet.
    • Proposal to negotiate scope with Bolton & Mack, identifying tasks the village can perform to reduce costs (e.g., background data, maps, public meetings).
    • Consultants to advise on scenarios: by-right one-acre lots without utilities, half-acre lots with water/sewer, and conservation development options.
    • Structure work in phases to manage costs: guidebook/assisted approach estimated at 10–25,000; full consultant-led plan at 50–100,000 likely too high.
    • Motion proposed and passed unanimously to authorize the mayor and the planning board chair to negotiate terms with a planning firm for a general plan, defining scope and schedule without committing to full plan spending.
    • Conclusion: Proceed with phased, cost-effective negotiations with Bolton & Mack; gather references.
  • Planning Board Report Compliance with State Planning Requirements (160D) and Updating the Community Plan
    • State statutes (160D, 2019) require an updated community plan outlining a 5–20-year vision; the prior future land use plan is over 10 years old and not implemented.
    • Seven-step process outlined: assess existing conditions, engage the community (charrettes/workshops), set goals/policies, draft future map, define strategies (e.g., conservation easements), finalize the plan, implement it.
    • Community engagement to include questionnaires and direct outreach; board members will contribute due to limited staff.
    • Conclusion: Updating the plan will strengthen negotiation positions with developers and align zoning with land use.
    • Anticipated negotiation and trade-offs; strict adherence to R-1 alone could invite litigation and costs.
    • Conservation development discussed to increase density while preserving green space via land trusts with potential tax benefits.
    • Conclusion: Develop clear, realistic scenarios to support negotiation and reduce legal risk.
  • Budget Constraints and Phased Work Allocation
    • Limited funds; aim to minimize consultant hours by performing tasks internally using the NC planning guidebook/templates.
    • Community-run public meetings and data collection feasible in-house; consultants to handle specialized analysis and scenario planning.
    • Define timelines and triggers for shifting work from volunteers to paid consultants to maintain the schedule.
    • Conclusion: Phased approach with defined scopes and timelines to control costs and ensure progress.
  • Document Storage and Legal Compliance
    • New attorney advised maintaining an up-to-date ordinance binder in the office and improving storage practices; most documents have been moved to the office at the Village Assembly Hall.
    • Best practice: fireproof file cabinets for paper records; some entities still require certified paper copies; legal risk noted from lack of required binder in past case.
    • New office setup underway; need secure storage; cabinet options: new $2,500–$3,000 each; used $900 each with 10-year warranty.
    • Quote received: $2,509.20 for two used cabinets delivered; motion passed to authorize up to $2,600 from contingency funds.
    • Donations received: television, stand, bookcases, and desk.
    • Existing computer (2021) has power cord issues; plan to defer replacement to next fiscal year budget.
    • Councilmember Shields made a motion to purchase two used fireproof cabinets to improve records management; Councilmember Bollinger seconded, unanimously approved.
  • Public Comment: Western Power Rate Increase
    • Resident raised concern about a letter indicating a potential 44.5% rate increase for users averaging 1,000 kWh/month or more; concern over transparency and lack of public hearing.
    • Discussion: Western purchases power (primarily from Duke) and passes through costs; past 26% rate decrease when wholesale costs fell; historically ~5% lower than Duke due to wholesale purchasing.
    • Timing concerns: letter dated Feb 23; some received paper letters despite e-billing; perceived short window for input.
    • Suggested inviting Western representatives (e.g., Mike Byers or designee) to the next meeting to explain rates, adjustment frequency, and transparency.
    • Recognition of Western’s good service and fast outage response; desire for clearer website communication and rate details.
    • Conclusion: Council is open to hosting Western to inform and answer community questions.
  • Adjournment
    • Motion to adjourn by Councilmember Shields at 8:30 pm.