December 2005

 

 

 

 

To:                   Village Councilmen

 

Date:                December 30, 2005 - REVISED COPY

 

From:               Janie Prentice, Clerk

 

Subject:            The Village of Forest Hills Council Meeting Minutes

                        Monday, December 5, 2005

                        University Inn Motel

 

In attendance: Mayor Davis, councilpersons Sue Burton, Dick Iobst, Jim Wallace, Villagers Irene Hooper, Maryanne and Lee Budahl, Trish Davis, Gene Tweedy, Joe Roman, and attorney David Moore represented attorney Jay Coward.

 

The meeting was called to order by Mayor Davis and he led the group in a short prayer.

 

Jim Wallace and Dick Iobst, council members, were sworn in by Ann Melton, County Clerk, to serve another term on the Council.  Tricia Davis, Janie Prentice and Gene Tweedy were sworn in to serve on the Planning Board.  Eric Young (in absence) will go to the County Clerk’s office in the near future to be sworn in on the Planning Board also.  Janie Prentice was sworn in to be the official Village Clerk.  Mayor Davis was also sworn in to serve as Mayor for another term (2 years).  It was explained that names of people interested in volunteering to work on the planning board are submitted to the Council for approval.   Mary Anne Budahl provided the necessary forms required for each member to sign.

 

A motion was made, seconded, and passed to approve the December minutes when a revised copy was presented at the January meeting.

 

Mayor Davis read the financial report in the absence of Jim Weir.  A motion was made and seconded to accept the report.

 

A motion was made, seconded, and accepted to say that Sue Heckert and Sue Bauer were in attendance at the last meeting (in the attendance paragraph) even though they were listed as visitors wishing to express a concern to the council.  Minutes will be so amended.

 

Jim Wallace moved to have the council provide a sign-up sheet at each meeting so all in attendance could sign their name.  Sue Burton seconded and it was passed.

 

Mayor Davis reported that during a recent rain storm, he walked and surveyed the area at 3:30a.m., to see how the road repair work, recently done, dealt with the storm water problem.  He reported that the problem was corrected to satisfaction and completely diverted the water runoff.

 

Irene Hooper had no new information to report for the EDC, as they had not yet held their monthly meeting.

 

Gene Tweedy commented on what a fine job that Joe Roman has done in heading up the Planning Board and all the laborious time and effort it has taken in presiding over this board.  Joe explained that the Village had a zoning ordinance before it had a land-use plan.  He has worked closely with the State Department of Community Affairs, Jeff Willet and Greg Picarssio to formulate and design a land-use plan that would compliment the zoning ordinances (with possibly some minor changes) that are already established, for the Village.  These will be appropriate for the next five years.

 

Joe had a large map and also handed out smaller maps so people could visually see what he was about to present.  Joe explained that the two main goals of the Planning Board were to first adopt a land-use plan and second to adopt changes to our zoning ordinances, to comply with the land-use plan, as needed.  Joe and members of the planning board used as a guideline, the survey that was taken by the Villagers several years ago. The people-oriented input concerning the wishes and desires of the villagers and culmination with the Act of Incorporation by the Village, to keep environmental sensitivity and conservation within our boundaries.   In the survey, certain themes kept repeating themselves such as greenway, safe neighborhood for children, low density, parks, single family residences, stream protection.   He mentioned that the village has lost its focus in regards to these previous visions.

 

Issues that the council has to concern itself with in regards to land use planning are drainage regulations, deep slopes (anything over 15 % is not good-we have 38-58% slopes in some places), stream clearance of 100ft-300ft, constraints of main road (which is too narrow and was never intended to serve a large number of homes), septic and sewer limitations.  These are just some of the items to be considered and planned for by the committee.

 

A motion was made by Jim Wallace, and seconded by Dick Iobst, to accept the land use plan presented by the board in its formative stage.   It was decided to have the council meet with the planning board to discuss further any plans, before having a public hearing of any sort.  Any suggestions or ideas should be made to the planning board.  It was decided to try to have a public hearing in the spring to present a finished plan to the Village.  The Mayor thanked Joe for the presentation and update on the land-use plan. 

 

Jim Wallace gave a report on the entrance to the Village.  Roger Turk had presented to Jim the ideas for entrance, such as a large street light (which we do not want), rock structure for Village Sign, landscaping. The council decided to not accept 2-B,C,D.  A report from Roger Turk to Councilman Jim Wallace is attached to this memo.

 

Jim Wallace asked Sue Burton if she would provide a list of landlords within the Village and the number of renters that each one has for the board by the January meeting.  She said that she would.

 

 

 

From the time that the residents of North Country Club Drive received letters from the DOT,  concerning the state maintenance of  North Country Club Road, only a few had had a visit  by a representative and which were given a official document to sign to release the right-of-way of their property.

 

Jim Wallace made a motion to send a resolution to NC representatives Phil Haire and John Snow, asking them to obtain permission for the Village of Forest Hills to conduct run-off elections to break ties rather than having a “luck of the draw”,  to determine who will hold the elected office.  It was seconded and approved.

 

Jim Wallace moved that the council should seek legal council for how to handle “non-compliance” for citations received within the village.  Sue Burton seconded, and it was passed.

 

Mayor Davis talked with the lady who owns a house on Virginia Lane and said that she is only renovating the house.  Sue Heckert who had attended last month’s meeting, was concerned that the lady was going to rent part of her house to students.

 

A motion was made and seconded to give a $200 donation to the Cullowhee United Methodist Church, to help defray the remolding costs of the Hurricane Relief House on South Country Club Drive.

 

Jim Wallace moved that the Council go into closed session to discuss a legal matter concerning the Village.  Dick Iobst seconded it and it passed.

 

A motion was made and seconded to adjourn the meeting.

 

Respectfully Submitted,

 

 

 

Janie Prentice

Village Clerk