Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting

The following is a staff-prepared summary of key discussion points and decisions from this meeting. For the complete official record, please refer to the approved minutes above.

Revised Agenda The Town Manager presented a revised agenda at the start of the meeting with two additions.

• A continuation of the variance hearing for 2403 L Road was added under old business.
• A closed session for attorney-client privilege matters under NC General Statute 143-318.11 was added. The board voted unanimously to approve the revised agenda.

Public Comments — Trash Collection Rates A local church pastor addressed the board regarding a significant increase in trash collection fees for his church.

• The pastor reported that per-can fees had increased from $3 to $18 following the town's adoption of new utility rates that distinguished between residential and non-residential accounts.
• The Town Manager explained that when new utility rates took effect, any property that is not a primary residence — including churches and businesses — was moved to a non-residential rate, which is $24 for the first can and $18 for each additional can.
• Staff offered to split the pastor's account so that the church parsonage, as his primary residence, would be billed at the lower residential rate.
• The board discussed whether a separate rate category for nonprofit and religious organizations could be explored, and agreed to place the matter on a future agenda for consideration.

Variance Hearing Continuation — 2403 L Road The board considered a request to continue the previously opened variance hearing for a property on L Road.

• The Town Manager reported that the property owner's attorneys have requested additional time. The owner still wishes to subdivide the property but is exploring whether a formal variance can be avoided.
• The board voted unanimously to continue the hearing until further notice, preserving the option to revisit the variance without the cost of re-advertising.

Zoning Map Amendment — WBTV Property The board considered an ordinance to formally amend the town's zoning map to reflect the annexation of the WBTV property.

• The 152-acre WBTV property was already within the town's extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) and subject to town zoning. This action formally places it within the town limits with no change to its existing R-12 zoning designation.
• The amendment was requested by and agreed upon with the property owner.
• The board voted unanimously to approve the zoning map amendment.

Holiday Activities and Upcoming Events The Town Manager briefed the board on several upcoming community events and scheduling matters.

• A free community meal giveaway is planned for Saturday, November 20, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Miss D's Auto and Horn Towing. The event is co-sponsored by Miss D's and the town, with 125 plates available on a first-come, first-served basis via drive-through. Delivery will be available upon request.
• The Christmas parade is planned for Saturday, December 4, at 1:00 p.m.
• The regular November meeting was tentatively rescheduled to November 18 due to the regular meeting date falling on Veterans Day (November 11).
• The board voted unanimously to approve year-end holiday bonuses for town employees, consistent with the prior year's amounts, to be distributed the week of Thanksgiving.

December Meeting Date and Reorganizational Meeting The board discussed moving the December regular meeting to accommodate a presentation from UNC Charlotte.

• A UNC Charlotte capstone class studying the town's American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant funds has requested to present its spending recommendations to the board on Tuesday, December 7 — the final day of their semester.
• The board voted unanimously to move the December regular meeting from December 9 to December 7, at 6 p.m. The swearing-in of newly elected officials will also take place at that meeting.

Manager's Report — Financial Overview The Town Manager provided a first-quarter financial update and addressed questions about the town's fund balance.

• Town departments are spending between 20% and 30% of their annual budgets after the first quarter, which is on track. Revenue collections are also running on pace, with some lagging slightly due to timing of sales tax distributions and property tax collections.
• The board requested that the financial overview be posted to the town's website for public transparency.
• In response to online claims that the town's fund balance was at zero and that the state was preparing to take over, the Town Manager clarified that the fund balance is in the mid-to-high 20% range, with approximately $600,000 in unrestricted funds available.
• The Manager acknowledged that the town is on the NC State Treasurer's unit assistance list — the only municipality in Gaston County on that list — due to a significant drop in fund balance in prior years and a roughly $345,000 deficit in the utility fund caused by rising water costs from Gastonia and emergency infrastructure repairs.
• The town has been required to submit its budget to the state for review prior to adoption. The State Treasurer's office has indicated it will require board financial training after the upcoming election and will review the fiscal year 2023 draft budget before it is adopted locally. The Manager reported that recent conversations with state officials have been positive.
• The board confirmed that the fall festival was cancelled due to COVID-19 safety concerns, not budgetary issues.
• Town Hall will be closed November 11 for Veterans Day; residential garbage pickup will not be delayed that week.

Closed Session The board voted to enter closed session to discuss matters protected by attorney-client privilege under NC General Statute 143-318.11.