Town Council Special Meeting Summary - June 06, 2022

The Lake Lure Town Council held a special meeting on Monday, June 6, 2022 at 1 :30 p.m. at the Lake Lure Town Hall located at 2948 Memorial Highway, Lake Lure, North Carolina 28746. The public was invited to attend the meeting. The following is a summary of the meeting for those who could not attend.  The 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 Meeting Agenda was adopted as written. 

III. Guaranteed Minimum Project: New Town Manager Hank Perkins explained that the Town had received the Guaranteed Minimum Project (GMP) for the Gravity Lift System (GLS) last week, a day late. He plans to discuss this with representatives of Ruby Collins, Inc and LaBella Associates and will have an initial response. The goal is to have the official GMP by the end of June 2022 after additional discussions. 

IV. Chimney Rock: Town Manager Hank Perkins explained that Chimney Rock Mayor Peter O’Leary sent a letter to Mayor Pritchett in regard to a new agreement with Chimney Rock Village (CRV) which permits CRV to allow revenue for themselves by taking over their sewer billing. The next step is to arrange a meeting with Mr. Perkins and CRV and proceed from there with agreements from both parties. There was a discussion related to a proposal that the Town of Lake Lure (ToLL) return a portion of revenues in return.  There are some aspects that need further conversation. There was a discussion about maintenance and upkeep.  Mr. Perkins explained that CRV would handle maintenance and install and flow meter.  It was noted that the CRV system and their flow exceeded the agreement signed by ToLL and the County in the 1970s. CRV then overtook from the County contract and now must maintain their system.  It was confirmed that CRV are currently charged the same rate as ToLL residents ($90) per the most recent water agreement. There was discussion that asking for revenue is undermining funding debt service for Town's $12.5 million loan.  CRV can use their funding stream, but cannot tap into ToLL funds. It seems they want to collect a fee as well and become revenue neutral. The overall consensus was that ToLL wants to support CRV, without influencing ToLL funding. Additionally, there was clarification that the main line is owned by the Town and replaced in 1999.  The other lines are private.  

V. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned.