Village of Forest Hills Work Session

March 03, 2026

7:00 PM

Budget, Website Redesign, and Records Management

Meeting Notes

Budget and Tax Roll Planning

●       Develop a draft budget; schedule a discussion meeting for the week of March 16 or March 23.

●       County tax rolls have been updated to reflect the valley property purchase, affecting dollar amounts.

Stephanie received updated tax rolls from Tabitha and will forward them. 

●       Target: Present the budget at the May meeting; hold a public hearing, and finalize by the first meeting in June.

Website Redesign Project

●       The new website design prototype has been completed. Feedback is due by March 6 to avoid billable hours.

●       Landing page photo is a permanent admin-locked element.

It was suggested to also use a photo from the village’s Facebook page (likely the village entrance), it was agreed it would be the most recognizable landmark.

●       Additional website decisions:

o   Add a “Things to do” section with links to local attractions and other content.

o   Include alert notifications.

o   Confirm ability to add links to social media and the Jackson County government website.

●       Content migration concern:

o   All content will be moved; the village must clean and keep it updated post-launch.

o   Mayor Mau has begun removing old content and dead links.

Sourcing an Intern for Website Content Management

●       Consider hiring an intern (e.g., from WCU or SCC) to manage and update website content.

●       Summer intern availability may be limited due to remote students; Communication or Marketing majors are suitable.

●       The board agrees an intern should receive a stipend.

●       Explore candidates via faculty contacts.

●       Define scope of work and fair stipend amount.

Records Management and Storage

●       Emphasized proper records management. Attorney Coward emphasized having official zoning maps and Village documents available.

●       Secure, publicly accessible storage needed for key records (ordinance book, map book).

●       Stephanie noted that she will move any official records she has to the Assembly Hall.

●       Identify a fireproof file cabinet as a necessary purchase, though costly, it will need to be a budget item.

●       Current meeting location selected as the most appropriate central storage site (accessible with a lockable room).

Public Records Requests

●       Recurring FOIA requests from “Nantahala News” questioned.

●       Attorney Coward advised that FOIA is federal and does not apply to the town; suggested ignoring these requests as they cite incorrect North Carolina statutes.