Smithfield
Town Council report from Nov. 10 session |
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Council members present: Mayor Andy Moore, David Barbour, Marlon Lee, Steve Rabil, Travis Scott, David Stevens, Roger Wood
Absent: John Dunn
COUNCIL RELEASES ACROSS-THE-BOARD PAY RAISES OF 2%
As part of the Consent Agenda approved without discussion at Tuesday's monthly meeting, the council revised the town's Public Service Pay Scale to provide 2% salary increases, effective immediately, for all town employees except Police Department employees who got 5% raises July 1. A memo from Human Resources Director Tim Kerigan pointed out that a study of Smithfield's salaries done last year by the Piedmont Triad Council of Governments had recommended the 2% increase, effective July 1. However, he noted, "with caution and uncertainty in mind due to COVID-19, Council's direction to the Town Manager was to delay this revision until a time that (the current year's) budget proved it responsible and allowable." Apparently that time was now.
CHURCH-BASED COLUMBARIUM RULES ADOPTED
The council adopted a set of regulations for columbarium burial sites on church grounds as recommended by the town's Planning Board and staff. A columbarium is a place for interment of cremated human remains. Under the new rules, each structure is limited to 200 urns, and churches may have no more than 100 outdoor urn plots. The rules also require half of the price of each space to be deposited into a perpetual-care trust fund, of which no more than 3% may be spent annually on maintenance. Planning Director Stephen Wensman said he knows of three columbarium projects at churches within Smithfield's jurisdiction --- two already in place, at First Presbyterian and St. Paul's Episcopal, and a third in the works at St. Ann Catholic Church.
TAX-EXEMPT BONDS FOR JOHNSON COURT APARTMENTS
The council gave the town's blessing to tax-exempt bond financing for an $8-million renovation project at Johnson Court Apartments off South Bright Leaf Boulevard. Bond counsel Kristen King said the local project is one of eight in North Carolina that a Seattle-based company, Vitus, is planning to undertake as part of a $53.5-million, company-financed bond issue. She assured the council the town would have no fiscal liability related to the local project, yet approval by the local governing body is required for the company to qualify for tax-exempt financing. Town Manager Mike Scott said the apartments, which are leased with rent subsidies to lower-income residents, "are in a state of significant disrepair." Ms. King said none of the current residents will be displaced by the reconstruction, which will be done in phases starting early next year.
ADOPTION OF NEW ZONING ORDINANCE POSTPONED
Following a lengthy discussion, the council decided to table until its next regular meeting December 1 a decision on adopting several major changes in the town's Unified Development Ordinance that sets forth the rules for land-use rezoning. "I haven't had time to go through all this material," declared Councilman David Barbour near the end of Tuesday's discussion. One of the changes recommended by the town's Planning Board would institute a new concept known as "conditional zoning," which Planning Director Stephen Wensman said would provide both citizens and developers a less cumbersome process for handling proposed projects than the current system requiring special-use permits. Another change would require public notice of rezoning requests before they reach the Planning Board, which would be relieved of conducting quasi-judicial hearings on certain matters. Mr. Wensman urged council matters to spend time looking at details of the proposed ordinance revisions prior to the December 1 meeting, with a goal of adopting new rules before the first of January so developers will soon know how to proceed with their projects. The proposed ordinance revisions are included in the agenda packet for Tuesday's meeting posted on the town's website>
SECOND PHASE OF EAST RIVER SUBDIVISION APPROVED
The council approved the final plat for Phase 2 of the massive East River residential subdivision under development along Buffalo Road north of Durwood Stephenson Parkway. Phase 2 calls for 32 single-family houses on 4.71 acres of the Planned Unit Development, which anticipates 281 houses on almost 65 acres once all nine phases of the project are completed. Much is Phase 1's housing is finished and occupied.
RAILROAD MAY ALLOW LARGER DRAINAGE CULVERT
David Johnson, owner of a commercial building in the 1600 block of South Bright Leaf Boulevard flooded by the heavy rainfall event of August 31, reported to the council that he has seen correspondence indicating the CSX railroad is open to allowing an additional culvert beneath its track provided the work is funded without a contribution from the company. (The existing single culvert beneath the railroad has been blamed for several flash flooding episodes causing extensive damage to structures owned by Mr. Johnson and others.) "There is a sense or urgency" to get the problem solved, Mr. Johnson told the council. Mayor Andy Moore responded that the town "at this time" has not agreed to move forward with an engineering study requested by CSX --- an expense estimated at $12,600. Mayor Moore told Mr. Johnson that meetings of town officials with affected property owners will be scheduled "to start discussions" about what should be done.
POLICE DEPARTMENT GETS 3 NEW DODGE CHARGERS
The council approved the purchase of three Dodge Charger pursuit vehicles from low-bidder Deacon Jones of Smithfield at a cost of $76,602 --- less than the $91,000 budgeted for buying the new squad cars. Police Chief Powell noted that additional funds will be required for striping and equipping the new vehicles.
The council approved a $62,636 contract with low-bidder Owens Roofing, Inc. for replacing the roof over the main portion of 41-year-old Fire Station No. 1 on Fourth Street as well as repairs to newer roof sections. That price falls withing $87,000 budgeted for the project, leaving funds available for painting the underside of the roof in the apparatus bays, noted Fire Chief John Blanton.