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.

Gaston County 175th Anniversary Poetry Recognition The meeting opened with a special recognition of Ranlo resident Charity Clark, who won the adult category of Gaston County's countywide poetry contest held in honor of the county's 175th anniversary on December 21, 2021.

• Ms. Clark read her winning poem aloud, which reflected on personal memories tied to Gaston County and the Town of Ranlo.
• Mayor Katie Cordell read a proclamation recognizing Ms. Clark's achievement and thanked her on behalf of the town.

Town-Owned Building at 2300 Lowell Road The board discussed the future of a town-owned building acquired as part of a two-parcel purchase years ago. The property has presented ongoing challenges including proximity to utility lines and busy highways, making demolition difficult to arrange.

• Staff reported that multiple contractors had been contacted about demolition, but none had provided a firm proposal.
• An asbestos abatement report found asbestos present in the building, with removal costs estimated at approximately $24,000.
• Staff noted that NCDOT's plans, if any, to extend Spencer Mountain Road would likely run on the opposite side of the road from this property — meaning the building may not be needed for that purpose.
• The board discussed options including selling the property. The board voted to advertise for sealed bids on the property and bring those bids back for review at a future meeting. The motion was approved unanimously.
• Alliance Code Enforcement's Brandon Emery offered to assist staff in identifying contacts for asbestos removal that may be more cost-effective than the current estimate.

Revised Livestock Ordinance Following a December meeting in which a resident raised concerns about neighbor complaints related to her backyard chickens, staff presented research on how other North Carolina municipalities handle livestock ordinances.

• Staff reported that approximately 26–27 municipalities in North Carolina allow backyard livestock, and shared information provided by the City of Burlington as a reference.
• The board voted to refer the matter to the Planning Board for further review and community input, including a possible community survey to be included with February utility bills, with the goal of holding a public hearing at the February 2022 regular meeting. The motion was approved unanimously.
• Brandon Emery of Alliance Code Enforcement offered input based on his experience, noting that towns allowing backyard birds consistently receive complaints, particularly related to containment. He recommended that any ordinance, if adopted, include strict regulations such as limits on the number of birds, minimum pen size, minimum setbacks from property lines, and a prohibition on roosters.

Introduction and Report from Alliance Code Enforcement The board welcomed Brandon Emery of Alliance Code Enforcement LLC, whose contract for code enforcement services was approved at the December meeting. Mr. Emery provided an update on activity since services began December 16, 2021.

• In approximately five working days, Alliance Code Enforcement opened 27 cases — averaging about 5.4 cases per week — covering issues such as minimum housing violations, open storage, junk vehicles, and unregistered vehicles.
• Mr. Emery described his approach as education-focused and relationship-based, including inspecting entire streets rather than only the property that generated a complaint, in order to apply standards consistently to all property owners.
• Early results included visible cleanup on several properties, with some neighbors helping each other address violations after conversations with code enforcement staff.
• Mr. Emery noted he is available to assist the town with ordinance drafting and planning questions in addition to code enforcement services.

Presentation from the MontCross Area Chamber of Commerce Chamber President Mark Jordan and team member Scott Darnell presented information about the Chamber's "MontCross Emerge" initiative, a collaborative economic and community development program serving towns and cities in the MontCross area.

• The MontCross area includes seven towns and cities: Belmont, Cramerton, Lowell, Stanley, Mount Holly, McAdenville, and Ranlo. Five of those communities had already voted to participate in the Emerge initiative at the time of the presentation.
• The program's services include business outreach and surveying, community profile updates and marketing support (including aerial photography and social media), and a focus on attracting remote workers to the area.
• The initiative also includes a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) component, with a program session scheduled for January 25 at Gaston College campus.
• Services are provided at no cost to individual small businesses. Participating municipalities contribute financially; contribution amounts from other participating communities ranged from $5,000 to $20,000 annually.
• The board received the presentation and expressed interest in learning more. No vote was taken at this meeting.

Request for Qualifications — Engineering Services Staff presented a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) packet for water, wastewater, roadway, and capital improvements engineering and technical services, a necessary step toward deploying funds the town has received through the NC State Legislature and the American Rescue Plan Act.

• Staff proposed advertising the RFQ for 21 days, beginning the following day, with proposals to be reviewed and brought back to the board for an award at the February 2022 meeting.
• The selected engineering firm would be responsible for preparing bid documents, advertising for project bids, and supervising and managing projects through completion in accordance with applicable engineering and technical specifications.