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.

Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Discussion The Board reviewed the second draft of the fiscal year 2024 budget, which included several updates since the previous month's presentation.

• The draft budget projects a general fund surplus of approximately $73,194, down from $90,122 in the first draft. Changes were driven by updated insurance estimates and salary line item adjustments.
• No changes to utility rates (water, sewer, or stormwater) are proposed for fiscal year 2024.
• The town implemented a $40,000 minimum base salary in December, which staff reported has helped with recruiting and retaining employees. Public Works is nearly fully staffed, and the Police Department is close to full staff as well.
• Draft budget two reflects a proposed property tax rate of 45 cents per $100 valuation, down from the current 50 cents. Staff noted that a rate of approximately 38 cents would break even with budgeted expenditures, and revenue neutral would be approximately 33.5 cents.
• The Board requested that the next budget draft include a side-by-side comparison of fiscal year 2022 actuals, fiscal year 2023 projections, and fiscal year 2024 proposed amounts for both revenues and expenditures, as well as a breakdown showing how different tax rates would affect the fund balance.
• Staff noted the town holds approximately $8 million across several accounts with the NC Capital Management Trust, including $3.5 million in direct allocation funds earmarked for specific projects.
• The town is pursuing approximately $8.5 million in state funding for sewer line rehabilitation and approximately $1.5 million in federal funding for a second water interconnect with the City of Gastonia.
• A budget work session was discussed for early May (May 4th or 6th) to finalize figures before the budget message is submitted to the Local Government Commission.

Lead Removal in Water Lines — Grant Resolution Staff presented a resolution authorizing the town to pursue a grant for identifying and removing lead from its water lines, as required by a new federal mandate with a compliance deadline of October 2044.

• A motion was made and seconded to approve the resolution of intent to apply for the lead removal grant. The motion passed.

NC League of Municipalities Law Enforcement Accreditation Matthew Selves, Law Enforcement Risk Management Consultant with the NC League of Municipalities, attended the meeting to formally recognize the Ranlo Police Department.

• The Ranlo Police Department successfully completed the NC League of Municipalities Law Enforcement Risk Management Review process, which includes evaluation of high-risk policies, operations, equipment, facilities, officer interviews, and ride-alongs across approximately 39 categories.
• A plaque was presented to the Police Chief and department on behalf of the NC League of Municipalities.
• Staff noted the accreditation is expected to help lower insurance premium rates for the Police Department, as the town's insurance is carried through the League.

Fiscal Year 2023 Audit Contract The Board considered awarding the annual audit contract to the town's longtime auditing firm.

• A motion was made and seconded to award the fiscal year 2023 audit contract to Carrick and Associates, who have audited the town's books since fiscal year 2017. The motion passed.

Water Shortage Response Plan Staff presented a resolution to formally adopt the town's Water Shortage Response Plan, developed with assistance from NC Rural Water, to maintain state compliance.

• A motion was made and seconded to adopt the resolution approving the Water Shortage Response Plan. The motion passed.

Manager's Report — Parks, 60th Anniversary, and Infrastructure Updates The Town Manager provided updates on several ongoing projects and upcoming events.

• The town met with Cunningham Recreation to discuss upgrades to Garden Park and Park Drive Park, including new ADA-accessible playground equipment, shade structures near the splash pad, and concrete walkways to replace gravel. 3D renderings are expected in time for the May 4th meeting.
• The town's 60th Anniversary Celebration is planned for July 28–29, with a possible third carnival day on Sunday. Events include four bands, fireworks, free hot dogs, and a carnival. Meridian and Standard Distributors have agreed to sponsor the event. T-shirts are being produced.
• Paving work on the Balfour Road project is expected to begin with milling around May 10th and paving around May 16th–17th.
• Final engineering studies (life safety and ADA plans) for the Lodge are expected to be completed by the end of the month, which should allow the town to obtain its building permit from the county.
• Congressman Jeff Jackson's office publicly announced support for the town's $1.5 million second water interconnect with the City of Gastonia. State Representative John Torbett and Senator Overcash have also indicated potential allocations for Ranlo in the state budget.
• Preliminary designs for a turn lane on Spencer Mountain Road have been received from NCDOT and are progressing. The project scored above the minimum threshold required for DOT to move forward.
• The Police Department is conducting final background checks on a candidate who would fill the last vacant officer position, bringing the department to full staff.
• The Senior Brunch Bingo event is scheduled for Friday, May 5th at 11:00 a.m. at Melo Methodist Church, which is hosting the event while the Lodge is still under construction.
• A commissioner relayed resident concerns about a desire for increased nighttime patrol in the Heights area and a request for speed bumps on Everest.