Regular Town Council Meeting Summary - Tuesday, June 13, 2023

The Lake Lure Town Council held a regular meeting on Tuesday, June 13, 2023 at 5:00 PM at the Lake Lure Municipal Center at 2948 Memorial Highway, Lake Lure, NC 28746. The public was invited to attend.   

The following is a summary of the meeting for those who could not attend. You may download the meeting packet for additional information.  Please note that this is a summary and formal minutes from this meeting 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: The Agenda was approved with one addition of a discussion of Town Property.

III. Mayor's Communications: The Mayor thanked everyone for coming.  She invited anyone to speak during the public comment portion of the agenda..

IV. Town Manager's Communications: Town Manager Hank Perkins presented a summary of the Departmental Updates. 

• Public Services: Completed mowing project, repaired a culvert pipe, working to repair a containment boom.
• Community Development: Issued 60 permits, implemented the increased fees for missing permits.  
• Fire Department: Responded to 37 calls and 500+ hours of training.
• Police Department:  95 total lake hours, all FT officers now have the Brazo equipment in their vehicles. 
• Parks, Recreation, and Lake Department: Total of 377.5 volunteer hours, over saw boat permit sales, added a trail connection between Dittmer-Watts and the Green Space.
• Finance - Melissa Hand joined staff as an accountant. 
• Communications: Grant award for Field Investigations, 37 articles with 60 FB post.
• Administration: New Procurement Policy, FY Budget Proposed, and meeting with contractors on Dam Valve Construction. 

V. Council Liaison Reports and Comments

• ABC Board met and had a grand opening 6/1/23. Looks awesome in there. 
• Zoning and Permitting: Board# Reviewed the local regulations on bars and serving alcohol.
• Board of Adjustments: Report included in Town Manager updates. 
• Lake Advisory Board: Two pronged approach to make Lake Lure a safer lake. Ensuring everyone is permitting a boat that meets the requirements and that all motorized boats are driven by licensed boaters.
• The Mayor thanked everyone for their service on Town Boards. 

VI. Public Comment: The public is invited to speak. Please keep comments limited to three minutes or less. Comments may also be submitted in writing to the Town Clerk, ostewman@townoflakelure.com, at least one hour prior to the meeting.

Debbie Warren from 138 Yacht Island, Lake Lure came and advised that she had recently been volunteered for the role of Lake Lure Olympiad Chairperson and this is the 19th year for the event.  They hosted the Lure of the Lake Swim this weekend and wanted to send a special shout-out to all those who volunteered to assist with the event.  There were 103 swimmers and she said they couldn't have done it without the Police and Fire Departments. She invited everyone to the Old Rock Cafe on Saturday for a celebration. 

VII. Consent Agenda: The Consent Agenda including the following items were approved.

A. Approval of the May 9, 2023 Regular Town Council Meeting Minutes, the May 10, 2023 Special Meeting Minutes, the May 17, 2023 Special Meeting Minutes, the May 24, 2023 Regular Town Council Work Session Meeting Minutes, the May 24, 2023 Special Meeting Minutes, and the June 5, 2023 Special Meeting Minutes

B. Resolution No. 23-06-13 Adopting New Procurement Policy: The Town adopted a procurement policy in 2018 which proved to be impractical and, as a result, was not being adhered to. Town staff worked with a former auditor to draft a new procurement policy that is practical, comprehensive to both purchase and contracting, and up to date with all available resource guidance. Resolution No. 23- 06-13 adopts the new procurement policy and voids the 2018 policy.

C. Resolution No. 23-06-13A Adopting Credit Card Policy: Town staff has drafted a credit card policy to establish appropriate guidelines to utilizing Town cards to make purchase. This draft has been reviewed and deemed suitable. Resolution No. 23-06-13A adopts the credit card policy.

D. Approval of Amendments to the Rutherford County Tourism Development Authority (TDA) Lease: Town Council approved the lease between the Town and the Rutherford County Tourism Development Authority (TDA) during the April 11th regular meeting. The TDA required that the lease be approved by their executive board. The TDA’s executive board recently reviewed the lease and proposed minor changes. Town Attorney William Morgan reviewed the amendments to the lease and determined that the amendments are acceptable, and do not require advertisement because the amendments are minor and do not change the substantive terms of the lease. Town Council reviewed the proposed amendments at the May work session and there was consensus for support.

E. Approval of Waivers and Suspensions Requests for the Cycle NC Event Scheduled for August 4, 2023 to August 6, 2023: The Town of Lake Lure applied to become a host for the Cycle North Carolina Mountain Ride. Last summer the Town was notified that Lake Lure was selected as a host. The Town has entered into a formal agreement to host and sponsor the event scheduled for August 4-6, 2023, in coordination with Rutherford County Tourism Development Authority. The event is expected to bring in 300+ cyclers and their family members to Lake Lure and it is expected to have a positive impact on the economy and the community. Cycle NC is requesting a waiver or suspension of the following in support of this event:

• Waiver of fees for use of Municipal Hall, Morse Park, and the Gazebo/Pavilion

• Waiver of the "Noise Regulation", Chapter 20 Article II

• Suspension of Chapter 36 of the Zoning Regulations: "Campgrounds" and "Camping"

• Suspension of Chapter 8 Article II: "Peddlers" of the Code of Ordinances

VIII. Unfinished Business: There was no Unfinished Business.

IX. New Business

A. Budget Update: Finance Director Steve Ford provided a detailed overview of the 2023-2024 Fiscal Year Budget and provided 5 options for consideration by Town Council. There was a discussion and Town Manager Hank Perkins recommended Option #4. The Town will hold the public hearing for the FY 23-24 budget on Wednesday, June 28, at 5:00 p.m. Option #4 is recommended for approval. 

B. Resolution No. 23-06-13B Adopting the 2023-2024 Lake Drawdown Schedule: A recommendation was made to begin to drawdown the Lake on November 1, 2023 through March 31, 2024. The purpose of the Lake drawdown is to allow for the completion of priority infrastructure projects such as the GLS project in the North End of Sunset Cove, dredging, seawall and boathouse construction/maintenance, dam and hydroelectric plant maintenance, and sewer cleaning and maintenance. While the Lake will begin rising on March 31st, the rate of refilling the Lake is based on the weather and rainfall.  Resolution No. 23-06-13B adopts the 2023-2024 Lake drawdown schedule, which provides additional details in regard to the work being done during the drawdown period. The resolution was approved. 

C. Easement and Right-of-Way for Access and Utilities in Relation to Parcel # 0642171441: There has been a request for the Town to enter into an easement and right-of-way for access and utilities in relation to Parcel # 0642171441. The property affected is a town owned, 1.6 acre parcel adjacent to Memorial Highway. The party requesting the easement has owned a driveway that touches the corner of the Town’s parcel for over 20 years. Town Attorney William Morgan has reviewed the proposed easement and expressed no concerns. The easement was approved. 

D. Town Property: Town Manager Hank Perkins provided an overview of the recent assessments that had been made of the Public Works Building. 

X. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned.