City Council

City of High Shoals Regular Council Meeting December 12, 2023 • Call to Order o Mayor PJ Rathbone called to order the December meeting at 6:30 p.m. In attendance are the following: ▪ Dennis Cash, Denese Cook, Bobby Vassey, Kathy Rhyne, and Mayor PJ Rathbone. Bo Rhyne was not present. • Invocation • Pledge of Allegiance • Approval of Agenda o Kathy Rhyne would like to add discussion/action 2024 events, seconded by Denese Cook. All in favor. o Motion made to approve amended agenda made by Kathy Rhyne, seconded by Denese Cook. All in favor. • Approval of Minutes o Motion to approve November 14, 2023, minutes made by Kathy Rhyne, seconded by Denese Cook, all in favor. Citizens’ comments/concerns: The City of High Shoals Council offers citizens the opportunity for Public Expression issues per NCGS 160A-81.1 (limited to 3-5 minutes per speaker). • Micheal Bowman has concerns with a camper set up behind Robby Ray’s. It appears they are cooking some sort of drugs, with odor in the air. There is a 4-wheeler riding around and the couple walking the streets begging for money, smoking, and staying at the Post Office. His little son goes outside when there are people participating in illegal activity. Traffic is constantly moving from the house 2 houses down from my house. These people are getting out of hand, but it is dangerous for his son. Good of the Order: This is a time set aside for members to offer comments or observations (without formal motion) about the organization and its work. The good of the order is also the time to offer resolution to bring disciplinary charges against a member for the offenses committed outside a meeting. • PJ wanted to take the opportunity to say that he decided Monday and failed to inform the department head. Stated that he needed to do better with communication. ➢ Organizational Meeting: • Swear in newly elected officials. o Bo Rhyne will be coming by City Hall to be sworn into his office to City Council. o PJ Rathbone was sworn in o Dennis Cash was sworn in o Tim Eidson was sown in • PJ Rathbone told Bobby Vassey that he truly appreciated all of the work that he put in to the park during his tenure on the council. • Elect Mayor Pro-tempore o Denese Cook made the motion to have Dennis Cash to serve as Mayor Pro-tempore. Seconded by Tim Edison. All in favor. • Restate Code of Ethics & signatures of all sitting council. Attending Council members signed the High Shoals Code of Ethics. ➢ Departmental Reports: ➢ Police Report-Gaston County Page 1 of 3  o Matt Hensley with the Gaston County police. Case highlights were a weapons violation at the apartments. Arrested was a male from Gastonia. Trespassing arrest on 143 Church St. A Lincoln County resident. Overdose on N Lincoln St. 40 total 911 and non-emergency calls. 60 office-initiated calls. 37 special checks and 14 check subjects/vehicles. Emphasis at the apartments, 103 Frye Street, 403 N Lincoln Street, and the Park/Cemetery. Also 12 special checks at the Post Office. There is work being done at the problem locations. Mr. Hensley requested patience. He requested that when you’re smelling it, seeing it, please call so they can too. ➢ Financial-Dennis Cash o Checking1: $411,948.58 o Checking 2: $11,108.10 o Savings: $160,477.55 o Cap Mgmt: $46,512.43 o Total: $630,046.66 ➢ Cemetery-Denese Cook o Christmas Eve and Christmas night, the candles will be lit. o All Veterans will be entered soon into the new online system. ➢ Water/Sewer-Bo Rhyne o The only two leaks are two small drips on the bridge, which isn’t feasible to mess with those at the moment. o We did have an issue at the pump station at Hardin Road. The float that trips the pumps off, malfunctioned, the pumps were constantly on, the well was dry. Our employees realized it and had Carolina Lift Station come out. ➢ Streets/Maintenance/Sanitation-Kathy Rhyne o Currently we are doing an audit of all trash customers/cans. The trash truck is still in service, the new truck was put into service today and only had one trip to the dump. o Speed bumps have been installed on Midway. o Last year we voted to secure a salt spreader from Robby Ray. We will be picking it up tomorrow along with ice-melt. o We found some OSHA classes for the guys. ➢ Parks/Recreation-Bobby Vassey o Yard of the Month: 428 N Lincoln St ▪ Misty Calo o The Parade was moved from December 10 to Sunday, December 17th at 2pm. Santa and Elvis will be present. ➢ Vehicles- The small trash truck is still at Sullen’s Diesel. The system that adapts the regen module completely failed. Looking around $5,000-$7,000. ➢ Administration/Mayor Report-PJ Rathbone o The Mill Property. We had a meeting with the mill owner and NCDEQ. We can’t apply for the grant funds until we own the property. Once the planning piece is completed, we will need to get an appraisal, the landowner has agreed to donate the property to the City. We then would take ownership of the property and will be eligible to apply for upwards of $2 billion. o The Neighborhood Revitalization Grant is rolling. o We are expecting late February into March timeframe for the new neighborhood to break ground. Page 2 of 3  ➢ Old Business: • Discussion/Action: Open Council Seat o We have an open vacant seat from Mr. Laws resigning. o Kathy Rhyne would like to make a motion to nominate Bobby Vassey, seconded by Denese Cook. PJ Rathbone asked Bobby Vassey if accepting the seat would be acceptable. Bobby Vassey agreed. All in favor. • Bobby Vassey was sworn in. • Discussion/Action: Park Banners o Denese Cook made a motion to purchase the banners for the park, seconded by Mr. Vassey. All in favor. • Discussion/Action: Sewer lines at Lincoln Terrace Apartments o The area has been cleared and PJ has validated that the sewer is indeed the citys. That section around Lincoln Terrace is associated with it. We are looking at around $6500. We did get the root ball out and the trees are gone. However, we need to replace the 6” sewer clay pipe. Denese Cook made motion to table the sewer lines, seconded by Kathy Rhyne. All in favor. • Closed Session § 143-318.11. Closed session (6) To consider the qualifications, competence, performance, character, fitness, conditions of appointment, or conditions of initial employment of an individual public officer or employee or prospective public officer or employee; or to hear or investigate a complaint, charge, or grievance by or against an individual public officer or employee. General personnel policy issues may not be considered in a closed session. A public body may not consider the qualifications, competence, performance, character, fitness, appointment, or removal of a member of the public body or another body and may not consider or fill a vacancy among its own membership except in an open meeting. Final action making an appointment or discharge or removal by a public body having final authority for the appointment or discharge, or removal shall be taken in an open meeting. o Denese made motion to go in to closed session, seconded by Tim. All in favor. Back to OPEN MEETING o Discussion/Action: Public Works Employee(s) Nothing needed. ➢ New Business: • Discussion/Action: Thompkins Street Closure o New Year’s Shooters will be here at 6 p.m. on New Year's Day. o Street to be barricaded down to Frye St. • Discussion/Action: **(Tentative of vehicles report~HS1)** o Transmission was replaced as well as the drive shaft. After driving, the garage said the front end needs to be looked at. Extreme vibrations. o Gaston Automotive __ Denese Cook made motion to have HS1 checked out, seconded by Bobby Vassey. All in favor for estimate of repair. • Discussion/Action: 2024 activities o The 50-year celebration committee had a meeting to discuss pros and cons. • Denese made a motion to proceed to work on 2024 events calendar, seconded by Tim Eidson. All in favor. • Motion to Adjourn • Motion to adjourn made by Kathy Rhyne, seconded by Bobby Vassey. All in favor. Page 3 of 3