Lake Lure Regular Town Council Meeting Summary - Tuesday, February 11, 2025

The Town of Lake Lure held the Regular Town Council Meeting on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. 

• The meeting was held at Legends at Rumbling Bald, 153 Mountains Blvd. Lake Lure, NC 28746. 

• The Public was invited to attend.

• These are highlights of the meeting for those who could not attend. 

• Note that these are not formal minutes.  These will be included in the following month's meeting packet.

I. Call to Order

Mayor Carol Pritchett called the meeting to order. 

II. Agenda Adoption

A. Amended November 4, 2024 Town Council Emergency Meeting Minutes - Approved

III. Mayor’s Communication

• Mayor Pritchett advised that Town Manager Olivia Stewman and Finance Director Steve Ford have been working hard to process FEMA paperwork   
• The Town is working on the budget and realistically, revenues will be about 30% lower than normal.
• The Town is working hard to move subsurface debris and silt/sedimentation removal forward but we don’t have a timeline. 
• We are awaiting a timeline from FEMA on their funding and the Town is doing all we can do to move things forward. 

IV. Town Manager's Communication 

Town Manager Olivia Stewman provided the following updates: 

• Town Hall is officially located at the Arcade Building and open for business.
• Town staff are currently preparing for the upcoming budget.  Department heads are working to minimize spending and we are cutting costs wherever we can. 
• We will have an initial presentation planned for the budget in March.
• The Reservoir drain project will be complete in March. 

V. Council Liaison Reports

• ABC Board: Commissioner Scott Doster is the liaison for the ABC Board and advised that the ABC store is staying busy. The abundance of contractors has helped businesses.
  • The store changed the hours to 12:00pm - 7:00pm Monday through Saturday.  
• Zoning and Planning Board: This month's meeting was canceled.  
• Lake Advisory Board: Commissioner Dave DiOrio, liaison for the Lake Advisory Board advised that the health of the Lake has been a concern. 80% of the surface debris has been removed and the quality of the water is better than expected.
  • Sedimentation needs to be removed as there could be potentially harmful items that could leak into the lake or cause safety issues as it is removed.
  • The Town is concerned with potential injuries or damage that could be caused and this is why the Lake is closed.
  • On the positive, things are getting better every week.
• Parks and Recreation Board: Commissioner Jim Proctor is the liaison for this board which has not met.
  • He did report that there were about 64 volunteer hours recorded and possibly 100 plus hours unrecorded.
  • He reiterated that the subsurface of the lake is dangerous and safety is a concern.

VI. Consent Agenda

A. Approval of Amended November 4, 2024 Town Council Emergency Meeting Minutes - Approved

VII. Unfinished Business

There was no Unfinished Business.

VIII. New Business

A. Storm Recovery Updates 

• ICF (Consulting firm assisting with FEMA and insurance claims) is working with FEMA to expedite projects. The Town hopes to have 50% of the funds expedited and the other half to come in the later months.
• The National Guard is being deployed to help with trails and down river clean up beyond the dam. They will also help fill the gaps that FEMA has not covered.
• The Town is beginning the work to beautify Morse Park.
• Kaboom has made an offer to donate new playground equipment.
• Community Development continues to assess the damaged Lake structures.
• The Lift Station will be tested on March 3^rd and we hope to be able to come off the temporary pump.
• The Town continues to work to keep the public updated as new information becomes available.
• The Town continues to focus on the positive.

B. Cell Tower Update and Presentation: 

• Community Development Director Mike Williams presented information on the new cell tower.
• A new survey has been completed.
• We had to move the site back 100ft to accommodate the change in the topography due to the storm.  See photo below.
• The new cell tower will still be 125 feet from property lines and will be fenced in.
• The tower will be 195 feet tall and will be a sleek design.  Photos are included in the meeting packet.
• The engineering statement is included with fall safety.
• The tower is currently in the permit process and it has to go through several processes, but it should go through fairly quickly.
• He estimated a 3-month timeframe for construction to begin.

C. Advisory Board Appointments

• ABC Board: Esther Lusk was reappointed.
• Zoning and Planning Board: One new opening.
  • Thanked Dave Keenan for his time on the board.
  • Approved one new appointment for Debbie Warren.
  • Approved one reappointment for Charlie Ellis.  
• Board of Adjustments: Three openings.
  • Mark Windfield approved as new board member
  • Kathie Hatfield and Tony Steffel were approved as alternates. 
  • Greg Garner was thanked for service on the board.
• Lake Advisory Board: One new opening.
  • Charlie Nance was approved as a new member.
  • Jim Lamone was re-appointed.  
• Parks and Recreation Board: 
  • Daniel Bragdon was reappointed.
• Vacation Rental Advisory Board: 
  • Appointed five members that have already been notified.
  • This board is intended to improve the process and other aspects of the vacation rentals in Lake Lure.
  • Will update once an alternate date to meet has been established.

D. Consider Approval of LaBella Task Order 24 for Wastewater Treatment Plant Design: 

• At the Town’s request, LaBella is proposing to complete the schematic through final design and permitting of the proposed 0.995 MGD WWTP on the ‘Hunt Property’ (Site 1 as indicated in the Plan).
• Project limits begin immediately east of the Dam and include the influent sewer (gravity) eastward to the plant site, and north/east from the plant site to the effluent discharge to the Broad River.
• LaBella’s proposed work includes all civil/site, structural, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and architectural design, as well as site-related and NCDEQ permitting for Authorization to Construct (ATC).
• Based on prior discussions with NCDEQ, we do not anticipate any substantial effort related to the modification to the existing effluent discharge (NPDES) permit.
• The lump sum amount associated with proposed Task Order 24 is $2,680,000.
• There was a discussion regarding the design of the wastewater treatment plant. The Town is currently working with FEMA to address this project.
• A motion was made to defer this to a later date until we have followed up with FEMA.  

E. Consider Approval of LaBella Task 6 Amendment 3 

• Task 6 was previously revised (Rev. 1) in November 2021 to focus on Phase 1 Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Modifications, which at that time were expected to include a permanently-installed centrifuge per the Town’s request.
• Revision 2 was approved in May 2023 to provide the Town support in the specification and purchase of a trailer mounted Belt Press instead of a centrifuge, using the then-remaining portion of the Task 6 budget for that work.
• Consequently, a Belt Press (by Or-Tec) is now on order, and LaBella has recently been billing against a ‘Phase 6C’ for Bidding/Purchase/Permitting Support related to the Belt Press.
• However, additional unscoped assistance is now requested related to ancillary equipment & structures, which this Amendment addresses.
• Specifically, the Town is requesting and LaBella proposes to provide assistance in design, specification, selection and procurement of:
  • 1) Three (3) pumps to be used for the Belt Press – sludge feed, waste water feed, and high-volume washdown a. Two of these will require electrical design. The third will be a gas-driven portable pump requiring only selection and specification.
  • 2) A spill containment pad w/ a drain for the press to operate over.
  • 3) An open ‘pole barn’ to provide weather cover for the portable generator which will be used with the press, as well as to shield staff working on the press from wet weather.
• The total increased cost associated with proposed Task 6 Amendment 3 is $25,000.
• Dean Lindsey advised that this is to support press for the wastewater plant.
• A shed to go over belt press will be placed on a concrete pad.
  • Task 6 Amendment 3 - Approved

F. Consider Approval of Foothills Regional Commission Scope of Work for the Lake Lure Comprehensive Plan - Page 81

• The Town will be working with Foothills Regional Commission (FRC) to complete a new Comprehensive Plan, as the current plan expires in 2027.
• FRC has submitted a scope of work which includes the following which will deliver a Comprehensive Plan in accordance with NC 160D:
  • Survey creation and survey data review.
  • Public input with key community focus groups.
  • Review of Current and Future statistics and demographics.
  • Review of current existing conditions and development patterns.
  • Hold bi-monthly steering committee meetings, anticipating 6 meetings in total over the span of 12 months.
  • Provide 2 traditional public input sessions.
  • Provide short-term and long-term development goals.
  • Provide a webpage for the Plan hosted on the Foothills Regional Commission Website.
  • Provide 2-4 Community Town Halls for public input.
  • All mapping will be provided based upon existing data. No new data will be collected.
  • Mapping will be hosted via the FRC server, and an online interactive map will be available to post on the Town of Lake Lure website after completion.
  • Provide goals and objectives to guide future development.
  • Provide 3-5 Catalyst Projects.
  • Provide timelines and funding sources for Catalyst Projects.
  • Mapping assessments and valuation assessments.
• The cost for completion is estimated at $50,000. FRC intends to begin work around in early summer in conjunction with the new fiscal year.
• Benjamin Bordo with Foothills Regional Commission advised that their organization assists local governments and here to update the scope of work for the comprehensive plan. He confirmed that they plan to have public engagement and focus groups as well as a data review. The plan is to have this plan updated by July 2026.
• The Foothills Reginal Commission scope of work for the Lake Lure comprehensive plan was approved. 

IX. Public Comment

The public was invited to speak. Mayor Pritchett asked those speaking to keep their comments limited to three minutes or less.  

1. Mark Hanlon (625 US 64 Hwy): 

• Mr. Hanlon advised that he had a home down-river and he wanted to express a concern regarding river clean-up.
• He advised that he spent around $15,000 of his own money and would like to know if the river it on the list for FEMA to help with clean-up?

      Answer: The National Guard is coming in to help with clean up where FEMA falls short. This area is outside Town limits so the county should be contacted to address clean up.

• He also asked if Workforce Housing was still planned.

     Answer: Yes, but with a new location and design.

    2. Stephen Milito (1412 Proctor Rd):

• Mr. Milito advised that his neighborhood had concerns with the discussion of the Lago Vista Drive and Chimney Rock State Park.
• There was a lot of damage from the storm including mudslides and damage to the road. There has been temporary fix but the road is narrow. He advised that the Park wants to open and use the road. He added that this would be 440,000 visitors a year and the concern is that with the already damaged road and issues with the land around it, how will this affect the area and the neighborhood be impacted by this change.  

      Answer: The Town continues to work on getting assistance from FEMA for the majority of the road repairs.

• The Town is also working with NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and State Park officials to gather all the information before making any decisions. This includes a design and traffic studies.

    3.  Shelly Gref (113 Frady Inlet Rd.):

• Ms. Gref advised that that there were grants available for small business owners and even homeowners for slope stabilization.
• Mountain Biz is who you would go through for businesses and NC mitigation for homeowners to stabilize land.

   4. Laura Doster (274 Thomas A Edison):

• Mrs. Doster advised that the Chamber is still open and operating remotely.
• She stated that they are working with local businesses and homeowners to know what the needs are for the community.
• She said that they hope to be able to help all those in Western North Carolina and have begun Foundation for Lake Lure/ Chimney Rock businesses to help now and in the future.
• She reported that they have several investors and continue to look ahead.

   5. Unknown Attendee: State that the Town advises that DOT has stated that it would like to open at the end of March.

        Answer: A NCDOT Public meeting is scheduled for February 26, 2025 @ 5:00pm at Lake Lure Classical Academy.

   6. Tony Steffel (320 Holmstead Dr.):

• Asked about Lake Levels and where they be?

     Answer: Dean Lindsey Director of Public Works advised that the Lake Level will be kept at about 988.3 during the dive operations.

• Once these are completed, the Lake may be drawn down to 986.5 to preform sewer repairs, but will be brought back up after the repairs are complete. 
• He asked if there would be a tax adjustment?  Answer: Commissioner Dave DiOrio recommended he contact the county for that information.

  7. Daniel Bragdon, Camp Lurecrest (207 Charlotte Dr.):

• Asked when the Parks and Recreation Board would start resuming meetings. 
• He shared that they have been sharing a lot of property with contactors.  
• He also advised that they were looking to have 1,500 campers coming this summer and appreciated the support from the Town.

Mayor Carol C. Pritchett thanked everyone for sharing their concerns and comments!

X. Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned.