Town Council

MINUTES – REGULAR MEETING BOONE TOWN COUNCIL JULY 9, 2025 CALL TO ORDER A regular meeting of the Boone Town Council was called to order at 9:00 a.m. on Wednes day, July 9, 2025, in the Town Council Chambers located at 1500 Blowing Rock Road in Boone. Mayor Tim Futrelle pres ided. Town Council members pres ent included Mayor Pro-Tem Dalton George, Todd Carter, Virginia Ros eman, and Eric Plaag. Staff pres ent included Town Manager Amy Davis , Town Clerk Nicole Harmon-Church, Planning Director Jane Shook, Public Works Director Todd Moody, Deputy Public Works Director Jus tin Stines , Sus tainability and Special Projects Manager George Santucci, Police Chief Daniel Duckworth, Cultural Res ources Director Mark Freed, Human Res ources Director Dale Pres nell (remote), and Town Attorney Allis on Meade. MOMENT OF SILENCE A moment of s ilence was obs erved. ANNOUNCEMENTS Mayor Futrelle announced the following board vacancies: BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT One regular pos ition, three alternate pos itions DOWNTOWN BOONE DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION Four Council-appointed pos itions HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION Three regular pos itions PLANNING COMMISSION One regular pos ition SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE One regular pos ition, three s tudent pos itions Councilmember Plaag indicated that he had recently run into Donna Breitens tein, who inquired about the members ’ availability to participate in an event to unveil a quilt honoring the country’s 250 th annivers ary. He noted that he was unable to attend the event, but invited others to participate if they were able. TENTATIVE AGENDA ADOPTION Upon a motion by Mayor Pro-Tem George, s econded by Councilmember Carter, Council voted to approve the agenda as pres ented. VOTE: Aye: George, Carter, Ros eman, Plaag Nay: None Abs ent:Tugman APPROVAL OF PROCLAMATIONS AND RESOLUTIONS Mayor Futrelle read the following res olution into the record: RESOLUTION HONORING THE RETIREMENT OF GREGORY HOLLARS WHEREAS, Gregory Hollars began his dedicated service to the Town of Boone on Augus t 15, 1995, as a Utilities Maintenance Worker in the Public Works Department, bringing with him a strong work ethic, a commitment to excellence, and a deep care for his community; and WHEREAS, Gregory’s exceptional performance and leadership skills led to a series of well-earned promotions , including Equipment Operator in July 1996, Street Department Supervis or in February 1997, Fleet Supervisor in September 1999, again as Street Department Supervisor in November 2000, Interim Street Department Superintendent in Augus t 2014, and finally, Street Department Superintendent on January 12, 2015; and WHEREAS, over the cours e of his 30-year career, Gregory Hollars has exemplified profes s ionalism, integrity, and dedication while s upervis ing a team of 10 employees , overseeing the maintenance and safety of 42.9 miles of roadway, and ens uring effective management of critical town infras tructure including s tormwater sys tems , s treet s ignage, street lighting, snow removal, and department budgeting and procurement; and WHEREAS, Gregory’s leadership and institutional knowledge have made a las ting impact on the Town of Boone, s etting a high standard for service and leaving behind a legacy of operational excellence and community s tewardship; and WHEREAS, after decades of service to the Town and its res idents , Gregory is retiring to enjoy a well-deserved next chapter focused on s pending quality time with his beloved grands on, Grey, and purs uing entrepreneurial endeavors through his bus iness , DirtWorx; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Boone Town Council hereby honors and commends Gregory Hollars for his outs tanding s ervice, express es its s incere gratitude for his years of dedication and leaders hip, and extends best wis hes for a happy, healthy, and fulfilling retirement. Upon a motion by Councilmember Plaag, s econded by Councilmember Ros eman, Council voted to approve the res olution as pres ented. VOTE: Aye: Plaag, Ros eman, Carter, George Nay: None Abs ent:Tugman Members expres s ed their thanks to Mr. Hollars for his hard work and dedication during his 30-year career. Mr. Hollars , in turn, thanked Town s taff and Council members for their s upport over the years . Mayor Pro-Tem George read the following proclamation into the record: TOWN OF BOONE DISABILITY PRIDE MONTH PROCLAMATION WHEREAS, Dis ability Pride Month is celebrated nationally and internationally each July to commemorate the s igning of the Americans with Dis abilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990, a landmark civil rights law prohibiting dis crimination agains t people with dis abilities ; and WHEREAS, Dis ability Pride Month provides an opportunity to recognize and honor the his tory, culture, and accomplis hments of individuals with dis abilities in various fields, including education, employment, arts , s ports , s cience, and advocacy while affirming dis ability as a natural and valuable part of human divers ity, where all individuals are treated with dignity, res pect, and equality, and where barriers to participation and inclus ion are eliminated; and WHEREAS, the Town of Boone acknowledges the barriers and challenges faced by individuals with dis abilities , including s ocietal attitudes , built and architectural barriers , lack of access ibility, discrimination, and unequal opportunities ; and WHEREAS, approximately 15% of the world’s population are dis abled, repres enting a rich s pectrum of identities acros s age, race, ethnicity, gender, s exuality, religion, and s ocioeconomic background; and WHEREAS, we appreciate the efforts of dis ability rights activis ts , organizations , and advocates who work tireles s ly to advance the rights , independence, and well-being of individuals with dis abilities , and to create a more inclus ive and acces sible world for all; and WHEREAS, the Town of Boone is home to a vibrant and divers e dis abled community whos e pres ence, leaders hip, creativity, and advocacy deeply enrich our town; and WHEREAS, this month challenges ableis m, combats s tigma, and promotes full inclus ion and equity by recognizing that dis ability is not a deficit—but a vital part of who people are and how they move through the world; and WHEREAS, the Town of Boone is committed to being a town where all people, including thos e with dis abilities , can live with dignity, s afety, access , joy, and pride; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that I, Tim Futrelle, Mayor of the Town of Boone, along with the Boone Town Council do hereby proclaim July 2025 as Dis ability Pride Month in Boone, North Carolina, and call upon all res idents to join in recognizing and celebrating the dis abled members of our community with vis ibility, res pect, and s olidarity. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Town of Boone Human Relations Commis s ion will be hos ting a Dis ability Pride event on Saturday, July 26, from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm at the Watauga Agricultural Conference Center. Upon a motion by Councilmember Ros eman, seconded by Councilmember Carter, Council voted to approve the proclamation as pres ented. VOTE: Aye: Ros eman, Carter, George, Plaag Nay: None Abs ent:Tugman PUBLIC COMMENT There were no s peakers s igned up for public comment. WORK SESSION Councilmember Plaag initiated the dis cus s ion by s tating that, given recent developments , it was time to revis it the Town’s Nondis crimination Ordinance (NDO). He recommended exploring options to either modify the ordinance or adopt additional meas ures that clearly communicate the Town’s commitment to defending res idents ’ rights . Attorney Meade recalled that during the initial adoption of the NDO, the Town pas s ed the s tronges t vers ion pos s ible without requiring the creation of a new employee pos ition. She explained that, in North Carolina, hous ing dis crimination claims could be purs ued under the s tate’s Fair Hous ing Act, which was enforceable by the government. Ms . Meade noted that the Town’s ordinance defined racial and s ex-bas ed dis crimination as broadly as permitted under current legal cons traints , and any further expans ion would likely require employee certification and the addition of inves tigative and legal s taff. Councilmember Carter thanked Councilmember Plaag for bringing the matter forward and reminded the group that the Town had previous ly cons ulted with Gene Troy, with the North Carolina Human Relations Commis s ion (Civil Rights Divis ion), who advis ed that Boone’s ordinance was among the s tronges t in the s tate, apart from the s tate-level Fair Hous ing Ordinance. Councilmember Carter expres s ed interes t in determining whether the Town could feas ibly take further action. He clarified that cas es of hous ing dis crimination are currently referred to the s tate. Mayor Pro-Tem George noted that the exis ting NDO already covers many is s ues addres sed by fair hous ing law and s ugges ted that aligning the Town’s efforts with s tate s tatutes might be s ufficient. Attorney Meade rais ed the ques tion of whether the concern pertained to local ins tances of dis crimination or to the performance of the North Carolina Human Relations Commis s ion (NCHRC). She as s umed the is s ue was more likely a lack of public awarenes s rather than government inaction, and s ugges ted that the Town focus on education while relying on the s tate’s es tablis hed legal framework. Councilmember Plaag voiced concern over ongoing rhetoric at both the s tate and federal levels regarding efforts to s trip rights from LGBTQ+ individuals . He felt that Boone’s ordinance was not as explicitly clear as others and propos ed including language that referenced the protections available under s tate law. Councilmember Plaag emphas ized the need for better public education and s ugges ted the creation of a “Tenants ’ Bill of Rights .” He als o mentioned that funding might be available to reimburs e municipalities for related cos ts . Attorney Meade dis agreed with the idea that s ecuring outs ide funding alone would make local enforcement equivalent to s tate-level expertis e. She s tated that s he had never received a hous ing dis crimination complaint during her tenure and ques tioned whether there was a need to duplicate the s tate's enforcement role. However, s he s upported adding language to clarify that hous ing complaints were handled by the s tate and including educational res ources to help res idents unders tand their rights . Councilmember Ros eman s ugges ted including hyperlinks on the Town’s webs ite to redirect res idents to relevant information. Councilmember Carter noted that the Human Relations Commis s ion (HRC) was developing a new webpage and planned to hold a Fair Hous ing Conference in April. Mayor Pro-Tem George inquired about the pos s ibility of partnering with Appalachian State Univers ity (ASU), but Attorney Meade expres s ed caution, emphas izing that is s ues of dis crimination s hould not be taken lightly. Mayor Pro-Tem George pointed out that res olutions often drew public attention, and Attorney Meade agreed that a res olution would be appropriate without the need to create an entirely new ordinance. Mayor Pro-Tem George offered to help draft an educational res olution and bring it back for review. There was general s upport for Attorney Meade to work on language to enhance the current NDO and for s taff to add educational links to the Town’s webs ite. Councilmember Carter s upported this approach and recommended cons ulting Equality NC to determine whether s imilar language had already been us ed in other s mall municipalities . Attorney Meade s hared that when s he originally drafted Boone’s NDO, s he had us ed Equality NC’s model ordinance and res earched examples from other municipalities to produce the s tronges t pos s ible vers ion. She recommended that s taff reach out to Gene Troy for further guidance. After a brief dis cus s ion, there was cons ens us for Attorney Meade and Councilmember Carter to explore adding clarifying language about fair hous ing to the NDO without creating a new ordinance, while Mayor Pro-Tem and Councilmember Plaag would work on a res olution and informational piece to help the public unders tand their rights . ADOPTION OF ITEMS ON CONSENT AGENDA Upon a motion by Councilmember Ros eman, seconded by Councilmember Plaag, Council voted to approve the following items on the cons ent agenda: 1. Trans portation Projects for the 2008-2037 State Trans portation Improvement Program 2. Hickory Ridge Acces s ible Path – Change Order 3. Contract – Department of Commerce (Howard Street Revitalization Project) 4. Boone BOO! Ordinance 5. Budget Amendment a. Police Department To: Crime Prevention 010-500-300-51310 $3,500.00 Appropriated Fund From: 010-000-000-499900 ($3,500.00) Balance Explanation: Walmart Sparkgood grant funding for Shop with a Cop and National Night Out. COUNCIL MATTERS BOONE FAIR HOUSING ORDINANCE Upon a motion by Councilmember Plaag, s econded by Mayor Pro-Tem George, Council voted to table this agenda item. VOTE: Aye: Plaag, George, Carter, Ros eman Nay: None  Abs ent: Tugman UPDATE ON NORTH STREET PARK Cultural Res ources Director Mark Freed reported that in 2019, he joined a regional art project initiative and s elected a project focus ed on Pegge Laine and the Junalus ka community, which included the Claris s a Hill Cemetery, an ABC book, and the development of a community garden in North Street Park. As part of this project, the exis ting fence was removed, and rais ed bed gardens were cons tructed. He informed the Council that the project was s till ongoing at a modes t pace. Director Freed noted that the community had been s urveyed and expres s ed interes t in improving the parking area, enhancing the entryway, adding a pavilion, and incorporating s torytelling elements to s hare the his tory of the Junalus ka community. Ms . Laine s hared that work was underway to s ecure his torical markers for the Claris s a Hill Cemetery and expres s ed the need to es tablis h North Street Park as a pocket park. She then provided a brief his tory of the s ite. Councilmember Plaag s ugges ted incorporating the Northern Peaks Trail into the project and recommended cons idering a renaming opportunity for the park. Names s uch as Horton, Hagler, and Jacks on Park were mentioned, with the intention of honoring s ignificant Black leaders from the community. Councilmember Plaag expres s ed s trong s upport for reimagining the s pace in a way that reflects the community’s legacy. Mayor Pro-Tem George voiced s upport for moving forward with the project. In res pons e to Councilmember Carter’s ques tion about whether the project involved expans ion, Director Freed clarified that the work would be limited to improving the Queen Street lot entryway and parking area, with no expans ion of the park’s footprint. Ms . Laine confirmed that s he would continue efforts to collect and pres erve community s tories . There was consens us among the group to proceed with reques ting funding for the project. Councilmember Plaag recommended involving Laney Wis e in the proces s to obtain grant funding, if pos s ible. HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION REQUEST Councilmember Carter made a motion to approve the reques t for funding in the amount of $940 as s ubmitted. Mayor Pro-Tem George s econded the motion. VOTE: Aye: Carter, George, Ros eman, Plaag Nay: None Abs ent:Tugman APPOINTMENT TO CULTURAL RESOURCES ADVISORY BOARD Councilmember Plaag expres s ed discomfort with appointing a member to a Town board who does not res ide in the county. Cultural Res ources Director Freed noted that the applicant is actively inves ted in the mus ic s chool at Appalachian State Univers ity and the local mus ic s cene, and maintains a pres ence in the area. Attorney Meade noted that Blowing Rock is partially located in Caldwell County. Councilmember Carter as ked if there were any objections to the nomination. Director Freed s tated that he had none and remarked that the applicant would bring a different pers pective, noting that no other applications had been s ubmitted. Councilmember Carter nominated Jus tin Butler to s erve on the Cultural Res ources Advis ory Board. Hearing no further nominations , Mayor Futrelle called for a vote. VOTE: Aye: Carter, Ros eman, George, Plaag Nay: None Abs ent:Tugman Jus tin’s term will expire on July 30, 2028. APPOINTMENT TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION Councilmember Ros eman appointed Krys tal Carter to the open term expiring June 30, 2027, and noted that Ms . Carter’s work s chedule had been altered to allow her to attend meetings , citing this as the reas on s he res igned her previous pos ition. Councilmember Ros eman als o nominated Melody Oxendine for the open s tudent s eat. Councilmember Plaag noted that he knew applicants As cher and Benny s ocially and had s ome dis comfort becaus e he knew that As cher would not be available for the whole duration of the meetings . He s tated that Benny was an enthus ias tic his torian and s upported their pres ence as a s tudent repres entative. Councilmember Plaag as ked if Councilmember Ros eman would be willing to nominate Melody to a regular s eat and Benny to the s tudent s eat. Councilmember Ros eman accepted this s ugges tion. Hearing no further nominations , Mayor Futrelle called for a vote. VOTE: Aye: Ros eman, Carter, George, Plaag Nay: None Abs ent:Tugman Melody and Krys tal’s terms will expire on June 30, 2027. Benny’s term will expire on June 30, 2026. APPOINTMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE Mayor Pro-Tem George nominated Mike Kapp to s erve on the Sus tainability Committee. Hearing no further nominations , Mayor Futrelle called for a vote. VOTE: Aye: George, Carter, Ros eman, Plaag Nay: None Abs ent: Tugman Mike’s term will expire on June 30, 2028. TOWN MANAGER REPORT Town Manager Davis updated members on the following matters : 1. Parking – s taff has s old 16 employee pas s es and has not heard any complaints regarding rate increas es . Manager Davis reques ted that an agenda item regarding limiting pay s tation parking to 2 hours on game days be added for the next meeting. 2. Jaycee Park parking agreement – Manager Davis reported that s taff had been in touch with Marrena Greer at SAHA, who was unable to find any s uch agreement in their files . Ms . Greer invited Councilmember Ros eman to come look for agreement if s he wis hed. In reference to documents previous ly s ent out by Councilmember Plaag, he indicated that it was clear that the property was purchas ed by the Town, not a gift. Councilmember Ros eman indicated that s he would work with Billy Ralph Winkler to continue the s earch for the document. Councilmember Plaag s ugges ted s taff reach out to Barney Hampton as well. 3. Grants – Staff reported receiving $35,000 from the Arbor Day Foundation for tree cleanup at the Rivers Hous e property. Manager Davis indicated that s taff had initially applied for $25,000, but was awarded more s ince the Town was s uch a good member. Councilmember Plaag noted that a dozen large trees were down on the property and as ked how far into the cleanup proces s the funds would get s taff. Public Works Director Todd Moody res ponded that he believed mos t of the fallen trees could be removed with that amount of money. 4. Sus tainability – Manager Davis indicated that interns were working at the Elizabeth Young Community Gardens on s ignage to identify plots , pollinator and perennial plots , and battery-powered pump s tations to fill tanks .  5. Sus tainability – Staff is exploring trolleys for the area and employee parking incentives . 6. Cultural Res ources – the High Country Water Media Society is exhibiting at the Jones Hous e in July. Manager Davis announced that Old Time Jam Ses s ions , Summer Slow Jams , and Summer Concerts were ongoing and announced the upcoming Doc Wats on Day and Bus ker Fes t. She noted that the July 4th fireworks went well. 7. Police Department – Manager Davis announced that the department would s oon be expanding its s ocial work program to add a peer s upport s pecialis t through the Protect and Connect grant program, and would be hiring one full-time police officer to partner with the peer s upport s pecialis ts as part of a co-res pons e team. She noted that, together, they would integrate law enforcement techniques with peer s upport s ervices and help connect individuals to appropriate res ources . The goal is to meet the individual needs of thos e where they are, and when officers are not on active calls , they will follow up with members of the homeles s community and make wellnes s calls to victims of car cras hes or other incidents in an effort to enhance community outreach and improve the overall level of cus tomer s ervice provided by the department. 8. Planning and Ins pections – the Boone Next document has been added to the webs ite, a pres s release went out today, and the webs ite is up. 9. Work has s tarted on the Pos t Office roof. 10. Public Works – Milling and Res urfacing will begin this week on the following s treets : Arbor Lane, Edgewood Drive, Council Street, and Hillcres t Circle. Cons truction of the Daniel Boone Gardens pavilion was completed in June, and events are taking place. 11. Renovations to the Council Chambers will begin in the coming weeks , and s taff are working to s ecure an alternate meeting location. TOWN ATTORNEY UPDATE Attorney Meade provided a reminder regarding the Town’s ethics and gift policy, noting that an offer involving Symphony by Chetola Lake tickets had recently been brought to her attention. Council members were reminded that they are not permitted to accept gifts of value in their capacity as public officials . Councilmember Carter noted that he and a co-worker had accepted invitations in connection with their employment at the Hos pitality Hous e. Attorney Meade emphas ized the importance of ens uring that all invitations and offers are clearly in compliance with the Town’s ethics policy. Council was advis ed to reach out with any ques tions or concerns regarding the acceptance of gifts or event invitations . Next, Council dis cus s ed a reques t from an overdos e awarenes s organization to ins tall a temporary exhibit at Claws on-Burnley Park, which would include pos ters placed in the ground for s ome days or weeks . The group als o propos ed a “purple pantry” which would contain overdos e s upplies and a gathering/rally to occur one day in Augus t. Attorney Meade expres s ed discomfort with the reques t for the temporary exhibit ins tallation from a Firs t Amendment s tandpoint, noting that all regulations for Town parks mus t be content- neutral. Allowing this ins tallation would require allowing s imilar requests from any group. Given this concern, s he recommended not allowing the exhibit at this time. However, s he drew a dis tinction between the propos ed temporary exhibit, on the one hand, and the propos ed “purple pantry” and the s pecial event gathering, on the other. Councilmember Plaag s ugges ted that a pantry could be ins talled and us ed s imilar to the Little Free Libraries in town, but ins tead to offer medical s upplies . He s tated the argument could be made that this was a health and welfare need and did not s ee a reas on the Town could not partner with this organization and des ignate the park as a s upply location. Mayor Pro-Tem George agreed and expres s ed s upport for this concept. Regarding public gatherings s imilar to the one reques ted, Attorney Meade clarified that the Town has not his torically required permits , and that gatherings in town parks are generally protected under the Firs t Amendment as core expres s ive conduct. If a permit is ever required for public s afety reas ons , s he noted that the s ame rules mus t apply to all groups . Mayor Pro-Tem George as ked if s taff could direct Cultural Res ources Director Freed to ins tall the pos ter exhibit at the park. Attorney Meade res ponded that Town-funded and s upported initiatives might be pos s ible. She added that gatherings can occur freely, and that unles s there is a demons trated problem, no additional regulation is needed at this time. It was agreed by cons ens us that Ms . Meade would inves tigate legal parameters for both a purple pantry and for the pos s ibility of the town engaging in expres s ive activity in the park while excluding the s ame activity by private s peakers . BOARD LIAISON REPORT Mayor Futrelle announced that the firs t and only double-decker bus in the s tate was recently unveiled in Boone. Councilmember Ros eman s tated that the His toric Pres ervation Commis s ion had not met s ince her las t report and that meetings would res ume in Augus t. Mayor Pro-Tem George announced that cons truction on the ABC Store expans ion began recently. Councilmember Plaag reported that Dr. Scott Elliott attended the recent Economic Development Commis s ion meeting and reported on hurricane recovery in the area. He s tated that he appreciated Dr. Elliott looking out for Wes tern North Carolina and Boone. Councilmember Plaag reported that the DBDA expres s ed a s trong des ire for the removal of the arcade s tructure located in front of Fire Station 1, citing its deteriorated condition. The board noted that removal has been complicated by the adjacent property, but emphas ized the need to proceed, even if the Town mus t cover the cos t of removal on the neighboring property. It was mentioned that the His toric Pres ervation Commis s ion (HPC) has had the arcade's removal on its wis h lis t for over ten years . Additionally, the board reques ted the removal of the s tructures on the former Boone Drug building and Off the Rack, as well as the pillars located in front of Town Hall. Town Manager Davis noted that the current budget does not include a cons truction line item to s upport thes e removals . Next, Councilmember Plaag relayed concerns that the Appalachian Theatre had not s een or been cons ulted on the final plans for curb cuts , gutters , and driveways on Howard Street. He emphas ized the importance of ens uring that bus es can acces s the theatre and reques ted that the final pavement and hards cape plans be s hared with DBDA members . Manager Davis acknowledged the reques t for renderings but noted that it would be too late in the proces s and cos t-prohibitive to produce detailed drawings at this s tage. Councilmember Plaag agreed, but felt that plans were s till neces s ary to ens ure functionality. Public Works Director Moody as s ured members that pavement and hards cape plans would be dis tributed to DBDA members . He added that it would not be feas ible to change plans at this point in the project to provide bus acces s to the rear of the theatre. Councilmember Plaag s tres s ed the importance of not limiting the theatre’s ability to produce and hos t performances due to acces s is sues. Mayor Pro-Tem George s ugges ted the Town could allow the theatre to us e the Town's parking lot if needed, pos s ibly through a leas e agreement or other arrangement. Upon a motion by Mayor Pro-Tem George, s econded by Councilmember Ros eman, Council voted to adjourn the meeting at 11:18 a.m. VOTE: Aye: George, Ros eman, Carter, Plaag Nay: None  Abs ent:Tugman ______________________________________ _______________________________________ Nicole Harmon-Church, Clerk Tim Futrelle, Mayor