Board Of Aldermen

BOARD OF ALDERMEN Thursday, April 18, 2024 at 9:00 AM Landis Board Room MINUTES PLEASE SILENCE ALL CELL PHONES Present: Mayor Meredith Smith, Mayor Pro-Tem Ashley Stewart, Alderman Ryan Nelms, Alderman Tony Corriher, Alderman Darrell Overcash Staff Present: Town Manager Michael Ambrose, H/R Director/Town Clerk Madison Stegall, Finance Director Jeneen McMillen, Deputy Town Clerk Angie Sands, Parks and Recreation Director Jessica St.Martin, Interim Public Works Director Blake Abernathy 1. INTRODUCTION: 1.1 Call Meeting to Order Mayor Smith Called the meeting to order at 9:01 AM 1.2 Welcome Mayor Smith welcomed those in attendance. 1.3 Adoption of Agenda ACTION: A MOTION WAS MADE TO ADOPT THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED. Moved By: Ashley Stewart, seconded by Tony Corriher Motion Passed: 4-0 Voting For: Ashley Stewart, Ryan Nelms, Tony Corriher, Darrell Overcash 2. PRESENTATIONS: 2.1 Kelly Withers - RSS Superintendent - 9:00-9:30 AM RSS Superintendent Kelly Withers gave a brief overview of growth in and around the Landis area. One of the topics she discussed was the demolition of Knox Middle School. The new school will be built on the same property and the cost is approximately $55 million dollars. Mrs. Withers also discussed the kindergarten campaign and how last year only 16% of kindergarten students were kindergarten ready. This year 22% of kindergarten students were ready. Additionally, Mrs. Withers gave a brief overview of the county budget. She spoke about growth being a concern in the area. Rowan-Salisbury Schools have an Organizational Foundations Committee that is completing a new study to find out what Rowan County Board of Aldermen Budget Retreat #2 Meeting Minutes: 04/18/2024 capital needs are. Rowan-Salisbury Schools are also researching the southern end of the county as an area that may need potential new projects. Mayor Smith asked RSS Superintendent Kelly Withers if she had a priority list online. RSS Superintendent Kelly Withers explained that the Organizational Foundations Committee was actively working on this list, and there would be two, a capital needs of buildings list and an athletic facility needs list. Once the lists are ready, they will be published on the RSS website. 2.2 Tonya Thompson - 2023 Annual Audit - 9:30-10:00 AM Senior Audit Manager Tonya Thompson gave a brief overview of the audit results for FY 2023 financials. This year the Town had significant audit adjustments. This is a repeat of the prior couple of years and is likely due to personnel turnover. The LGC has performance indicators that they check, and the following was recommended to work on: Negative Water and Sewer cash flow. Mayor Smith asked Tonya what her recommendation was to resolve this issue. Tonya explained that the LGC does not see this as a finding, but as a trigger to let the Town know it needs to be advised of rates. The LGC wants the Town to make sure units are performing studies to determine if the current rate structure is appropriate or raise rates when appropriate to make sure the water and sewer system is covering the difference. Town Manager Michael Ambrose added that as a Town we will have to conduct a rate study to see what’s best. Tonya Thompson stated the LGC wants to make sure Towns are having these conversations and they’ve made it a statewide thing. Town Manager Michael Ambrose gave a brief overview of the inventory side of things with water and sewer. The sewer AIA Grant received will help give us an inventory asset of what our assets are. The board discussed things to do to help keep us out of the negative. 2.3 Public Works - Interim Public Works Director Blake Abernathy - 10:00 -10:30 AM Town Manager Michael Ambrose gave a brief overview of the accomplishments this year from Public Works. He turned it over to Interim Public Works Director Blake Abernathy who then went over the Electric Department Needs. Interim Public Works Director Abernathy continued with the electrical CIP. One of the things needed is to replace the tree crew chipper, it’s getting a lot of wear and tear and needs to be replaced. This is something used daily. Town Manager Ambrose said it was on schedule for FY28 and Mayor Smith asked why we pushed it to FY28. Manager Ambrose’s response was that we have a lot of deferred maintenance over at Public Works, and the earliest should be FY26, just based on expenditures. We have a backhoe and skid steer on the list as well. Interim Public Works Director Abernathy said he had spoken to Johnny, the Town’s mechanic, and they had been advised to take the backhoe off the list. The Town has done a lot of maintenance on the one we have and when speaking with the people that service it, they suggested we don’t get rid of it because we have a lot of life left in it. Most of the problem was that staff were driving it on the road and the transmission is not designed to do that. Mayor Smith said that the new backhoe was slated for FY26. Interim Public Works Director Abernathy said that he would like to replace the backhoe on the CIP with a skid steer. The one the Town currently has uses tires and staff would like to replace it with a tracking machine. This machine could be used to take into right of ways, and it would have a forestry head. The plan is to spread it across (3) budgets. Staff would also like to get a pole claw attachment for it. Public Works also needs a VM-810 Line Locator, the Town currently has (1) that is older and is utilized between crews. Mayor Smith asked to move the VM-810 Line Locator from FY26 to FY25. Board of Aldermen Budget Retreat #2 Meeting Minutes: 04/18/2024 Town Manager Michael Ambrose then gave a brief overview of the Water and Sewer Department needs. Alderman Darrell Overcash asked about the assistant Public Works Director position. Town Manager Ambrose stated that he would like to reclassify that position. The Town currently has an Electric Foreman, Street Foreman, and Assistant Public Works Director who is over Water Resources. Town Manager Ambrose requested for a motion to reclassify that position and retitle it to a Working Water/Sewer Resources Foreman. ACTION: A MOTION WAS MADE TO RECLASSIFY THE ASSISTANT PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR POSITION TO WORKING WATER/SEWER RESOURCES FOREMAN. Moved By: Tony Corriher, seconded by Darrell Overcash Motion Passed: 4-0 Voting For: Tony Corriher, Darrell Overcash, Ryan Nelms, Ashley Stewart 2.4 Parks & Recreation - Parks & Rec Director Jessica St. Martin - 10:30 -11:00 AM Parks and Recreation Director Jessica St. Martin gave a brief overview of the accomplishments from Parks and Rec. One of the things replaced is the (2) lifeguard stands at the pool. Mayor Smith asked how many more stands are needed. Parks and Rec Director Jessica answered we have discussed adding (1) more on the back side. Alderman Nelms commented that he thinks a third lifeguard stand is important to be able to see the shallow end. Parks and Rec Director St.Martin answered the guards have been walking that area or wading in that area when more than 3 lifeguards are on staff. Town Manager Michael Ambrose gave a brief overview of the Part F Grant for Passive Park. It is a 50% matching grant, so staff have to come up with 50% of whatever price is set. If the Board wants to move forward with applying this year, a motion for this will be needed during this meeting. The grant deadline is May 1, 2024. The Board discussed ways to raise money and how much money they would like to set for the Grant. Manager Ambrose suggested that staff gear up for applying next year. Then there will be a 2-year lapse. Staff would apply in May 2025. Parks and Rec Director St. Martin gave a brief overview of the condition of the bridge going towards the fishing gazebo at Lake Corriher Park and the renovations needed. Conversation was then had amongst Staff and Board members regarding expanding the playground and adding ADA swings. Parks and Rec Director Jessica St. Martin gave a brief overview of pool hours and rate changes. She added that she would like to do something for the members like reserve a chair, or early hours on certain days. Mayor Smith asked how many memberships the pool had last year. Parks and Rec Director St. Martin answered 52 memberships with 45 Landis Residents, and 7 Nonresidents. The Board discussed different ways to be able to reserve a chair or have other membership benefits. Mayor Smith suggested having member hours on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 6:00 PM until 7:30 PM., and Friday morning 9:30 AM until 10:00 AM. Town Manager Ambrose suggested that we keep the hours the same, and members can get in at 10:00 AM and 10:30 AM for nonmembers, on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 6:00 PM until 7:30 PM member hours. Alderman Nelms suggested wearing wrist bands for members only. Mayor Smith then suggested banding everyone and having a swim test for the deep end. Board of Aldermen Budget Retreat #2 Meeting Minutes: 04/18/2024 3. CLOSING: 3.1 Motion to Adjourn ACTION: A MOTION WAS MADE TO ADJOURN Moved By: Ashely Stewart, seconded by Darrell Overcash Motion Passed: 4-0 Voting For: Ashely Stewart, Darrell Overcash, Tony Corriher, Ryan Nelms ACTION: A MOTION WAS MADE TO RETURN BACK INTO SESSION Moved by: Ashley Stewart, seconded by Darrell Overcash Motion Passed: 4-0 Voting For: Ashley Stewart, Darrell Overcash, Ryan Nelms Tony Corriher ACTION: A MOTION WAS MADE TO APPROVE POOL MEMBERSHIP FEE CHANGES $250 RESIDENT, $450 NON-RESIDENT, AND HOURS OPEN AT 10:00 AM FOR MEMBERS 10:30 AM NON-MEMBER WITH EXTENDED HOURS FROM 6:00 PM UNTIL 7:30 PM FOR MEMBERS ONLY. Moved By: Ashley Stewart, seconded by Darrell Overcash Motion Passed: 4-0 Voting For: Ashley Stewart, Darrell Overcash, Ryan Nelms, Tony Corriher ACTION: A MOTION WAS MADE TO ADJOURN AT 11:03 AM Moved By: Ashley Stewart, seconded by Darrell Overcash Motion Passed: 4-0 Voting For: Ashley Stewart, Darrell Overcash, Tony Corriher, Ryan Nelms Board of Aldermen Budget Retreat #2 Meeting Minutes: 04/18/2024