City Council

Page i of 5 City of High Shoals Regular Council Meeting March 12, 2024 • Call to Order o Mayor PJ Rathbone called the meeting to order at 6:30 pm. In attendance were the following: PJ Rathbone, Tim Eidson, Kathy Rhyne, Bobby Vassey, Bo Rhyne, and Denese Cook. Dennis Cash will be late, he is away on a fire call. • Invocation • Pledge of Allegiance • Approval of Agenda o PJ Rathbone asked to add to new business for retirement. Motion to add made by Denese Cook, seconded by Dennis Cash. All approved. o Motion to approve with changes made by Kathy Rhyne, seconded by Denese Cook. All approved. • Approval of Minutes o Motion to approve made by Dennis Cash, seconded by Denese Cook. All approved. 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). o Michael Bowman- Motorcycle doing burnouts in the evening, 2 a.m. and earlier in the day. A mini dirt bike being ridden down River Street, past N Lincoln and toward the post office. The camper man that lives behind Robby Ray’s in the camper rides around with the excavator and forklift. Normal trafficking of 403 N Lincoln St. Tractors are going down the road after midnight with no lights on. The sidewalk above Bowman’s house, when the entrance is put in the sidewalk will be fixed. An inflatable wire was cut, the boy and girl that walk around were yelling. Charlie Goebel and Shania Marlowe. o Judy Taylor- The ditch at her house is like a creek coming down through her yard. The front culvert, where there used to be a ditch, after reworked, it’s slanted. Judy is to show Tim the pictures of her yard. A lot of silt from where it is filling back in. 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. o Nothing to add per PJ. o The City Clerk reminded council of the State Street house, when they did the power, they messed the pipe up. We would have to redo a new pipe that is not as deep. ➢ Departmental Reports: ➢ Police Report-Gaston County o The camera is up now at the county border. Motor vehicle theft of 200 Block of School St. Gun stolen. Battery Stolen. 1 non-fatal overdose on N. Lincoln. Criminal summons for school violations. Special checks and officers initiated. Traffic stops, DSS, simple disturbance. ➢ Financial-Dennis Cash ▪ Checking 1: $456,329.49 ▪ Savings 1: $ 11,110.91 ▪ Savings 2: $160,598.90 ▪ Capital Management: $ 47,123.58 ▪ TOTAL: $675,162.88 Page 1 of 5 Page ii of 5 ➢ Budget year is coming, if you have any wants, needs, desires, have it ready for budget session. ➢ Cemetery-Denese Cook o Cemetery was cleaned off yesterday (Brian & Denese) o We have serious issues with fire ants ➢ Water/Sewer-Bo Rhyne o No leaks that we are aware of ➢ Streets/Maintenance/Sanitation-Kathy Rhyne ▪ Trash trucks are running ok, we’re rotating the trucks. ▪ Nothing on streets ➢ Parks/Recreation-Bobby Vassey o Yard of the Month: 224 Cherry St- Max Parker o Easter Egg Hunt ~ March 30th ➢ Vehicles- Tim Eidson o Truck motor blew up last week o Radiator busted on dump truck but that is fixed. o Tim believes we may have to buy two vehicles o Dodge is $72,000 o Ford is $58,000 o Chevrolet $62,772.48 o May need a 4-wheel drive o The smaller truck does not have a hitch, the only vehicle that we have now is the dump truck that can haul. All of our trucks are over 20 years. ➢ Administration/Mayor Report-PJ Rathbone o Prior to applying for the grants, we will have to decide to take over the land. There are possibilities and different funding. We will have to make the decision within the next one to two months. We will have to get a commercial appraisal for the commercial property. Then provide the appraisal to the current owner. Steve will be joining the calls on the Brownfield meetings. ➢ Old Business: • Discussion/Action: Calendar o The Easter Celebration is already established on March 30th. o October 31st – Pumpkins on the Bridge o Sunday December 15th - Christmas Parade 2pm • Discussion/Action: Ray’s/Sewer line Replacement o Apartments for a 6 inch line, $2,020 to replace the pipe. o Motion to approve made by Kathy Rhyne, seconded by Dennis Cash. All in favor. • Discussion/Action: Discussion/Action: GS 143-318.11 Closed Session The personnel exception – (a)(6) *Must propose motion to go into closed session by citing (A)(6). o Motion to go into closed session for A6 made by Denese Cook, seconded by Kathy Rhyne. All in favor. First motion coming out of the closed session, to dismiss Robert Dusch effective March 13, 2024 made by Mr. Cash, seconded by Kathy Rhyne. All in favor Page 2 of 5 Page iii of 5 Motion made to offer lead position to Brian Wilson, effective 3/13/2024 with a pay increase to $24, seconded by Bobby Vassey. All in favor. ➢ New Business: • Discussion/Action: Ball Field (5 years) o Currently we have a 9u travel ball team utilizing our baseball field on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Those folks would like to go into an extended timeframe to secure the field for up to 5 years. They are wanting to move forward and possibly bring another team in to practice on the off days. The city has purchased netting for left field and the back stop. We also purchased a mobile pitching mound. Everything is stored between the bathrooms. o Motion to agree to a 2-year contract for three days a week made by Mr. Cash, seconded by Bo Rhyne. All in favor. • Discussion/Action: Vehicle(s) ▪ Awaiting information • Discussion/Action: Retirement o Tim made the motion to accept the resolutions for acceptance into the Retirement system, seconded by Bo Rhyne. All in favor. o Page 3 of 5 Page iv of 5 ➢ Motion to Adjourn o Motion to recess until 3/19/2024 at 6:30 pm made by Kathy Rhyne, seconded by Bobby Vassey. All in favor. CITY OF HIGH SHOALS CONTINUATION OF THE MARCH 12, 2024 REGULAR MEETING ➢ Call to Order: The Mayor reopened the March 12, 2024 City of High Shoals Council meeting on March 19, 2024 at 6:30 pm at the High Shoals City Hall. Present at the meeting were PJ Rathbone, Bobby Vassey, Bo Rhyne, Denese Cook, Tim Eidson, Kathy Rhyne, and Dennis Cash. ➢ The Mayor said he had gotten quotes from People’s Bank, Chevrolet, and GM for the financing of a new city truck. He had not heard back from Ford. Tim Eidson recommended not making a decision until the City heard back from Ford. ➢ There was discussion on the City financing itself for a new truck. Dennis Cash said the City could then repay itself with interest perhaps cheaper that what a dealer or the bank would charge. Tim Eidson said that the County Landfill would pay $65 per load of dirt that the City could get from the water plant property. The Mayor said the state would have to approve a large withdrawal from the general fund and Page 4 of 5 Page v of 5 Kathy Rhyne noted neither money received from the sale of dirt or the purchase of a vehicle was in the current budget. ➢ The Mayor recommended not approving the load rate from People’s Bank (7.75% interest paid quarterly over 60 months plus a loan fee for each truck financed) and to wait and hear back from the Ford dealership with more definite numbers. He also recommended listing the old truck on Gov-Deals for $1,000. ➢ A motion was made by Tim Eidson to list the old truck on Gov-Deals for $1,000. It was seconded by Bo Rhyne. All approved. ➢ Kathy Rhyne made a motion to adjourn which was seconded by Denese Cook. All approved. Page 5 of 5