Town Council

1 1 TOWN OF SAWMILLS 2 REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING 3 MINUTES 4 SEPTEMBER 16, 2025 5 6:00 P.M. 6 7 1. CALL TO ORDER 8 The Regular Meeting of the Town Council was held in the Council Room at 6:00 PM on September 9 16, 2025. Mayor Keith Warren called the meeting to order and welcomed those present. Present 10 were Council Members Melissa Curtis, Bobby Mosteller, Joe Wesson, and Clay Wilson. Also, 11 present were Town Manager Chase Winebarger, Attorney Terry Taylor, Finance Officer Kelly 12 Melton, and Appointed Town Clerk Kathy Johnson. Council Member Rebecca Johnson was 13 absent. 14 15 2. INVOCATION – Levi Addison/Youth Pastor/Sunrise Baptist Church opened 16 with prayer. 17 18 3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – Grogan’s Small World led the Pledge of 19 Allegiance. Mayor and Council thanked them for coming and leading the Pledge of 20 Allegiance. 21 22 A. APPOINT CLERK FOR THE MEETING 23 Mayor Warren asked for a motion to appoint Kathy Johnson Clerk for tonight's meeting. 24 Council Member Bobby Mosteller made a motion to appoint Kathy Johnson Clerk and 25 Council Member Clay Wilson 2nd the motion. Motion passed unanimously. 26 27 4. ADOPT AGENDA 28 Council Member Curtis made a motion to approve the agenda and Council Member Wesson 29 2nd the motion. Motion passed unanimously. 30 31 5. APPROVE MEETING MINUTES 32 A. Approval of Regular Council Meeting Minutes of August 19, 2025 33 Council Member Wilson made a motion to approve the Regular Meeting Minutes and Council 34 Member Mosteller 2nd the motion. Motion passed unanimously. 35 36 B. Approval of Closed Session Meeting Minutes of August 19, 2025 37 Council Member Mosteller made a motion to approve the Closed Session Meeting Minutes and 38 Council Member Wesson 2nd the motion. Motion passed unanimously. 39 40 C. Approval of Special Meeting Minutes of August 26, 2025 41 Council Member Wesson made a motion to approve the Special Meeting Minutes and Council 42 Member Curtis 2nd the motion. Motion passed unanimously. 43 44 D. Approval of Closed Session Meeting Minutes of August 26, 2025 45 Council Member Curtis made a motion to approve the Closed Session Meeting Minutes and 46 Council Member Mosteller 2nd the motion. Motion passed unanimously.  2 47 48 6. PUBLIC COMMENT - NONE 49 50 7. RECOGNITION 51 A. Recycle Rewards 52 Due to workload this item was tabled. 53 54 8. OTHER MATTERS 55 A. VETERAN’S PARK UPDATE 56 Town Manager Chase Winebarger informed those present that a pre-bid meeting was held 57 today for those that wished to bid on this project, with a good turnout. Bidding process closes 58 October 1, 2025. 59 60 Finance Officer Kelly Melton stated that the Town is about four (4) weeks into the FEMA 61 application review. She continued by stating that there is a meeting tomorrow, Wednesday, 62 September 17, 2025. She went on to state that this project has been moved from General FEMA 63 Project Development to Green Removal Task Team. She is hoping to have a better 64 understanding of how this project moves forward after the meeting tomorrow. 65 66 9. PUBLIC COMMENT – NONE 67 68 10. UPDATES 69 A. CODE ENFORCEMENT REPORT 70 Town Manager Winebarger mentioned the following information for Mayor and Council: 71 • Planning Director/Assistant Manager Dustin Millsaps has stated that there is a lot 72 of pressure from the State about adjusting minimum lot sizes. Brief discussion. 73 Town Manager Winebarger will continue to keep Mayor and Council updated. 74 • Parks and Recreation Director, Tanner Greene, is always seeking and aware of 75 grants for improvements to the Parks and Recreation Department. He would like a 76 mini pitch to be considered for Baird Park. This is a self-contained modular sports 77 field that can be used for numerous activities like soccer, pickle ball, street 78 hockey, etc. The only expense that the Town would have would be grading and 79 electrical. The grant would be for $100,000 cash in time and $20,000 cash 80 available. This grant would be considered in next fiscal year’s budget. 81 82 B. TOWN MANAGER UPDATE 83 Town Manager Winebarger stated that Daniel Bowman, an employee in the Parks and 84 Recreation Department, has a daughter that plays softball at Pfeiffer University and that he 85 himself would like to show support on behalf of the Town of Sawmills with a donation of $200. 86 Consensus of Council supported Town Manager Winebarger’s request for a donation in the 87 amount of $200. 88 89 Town Manager Winebarger noted that a large dead tree had been removed at the Farmer’s 90 Market location/US 321-A, Alt. He continued to state that a large pre-lit Christmas tree has been 91 purchased and put into a trailer that was purchased for storing the new Christmas Tree. After  3 92 some discussion, it was determined Town Manager Winebarger will bring back to Mayor and 93 Council tree top options. 94 95 C. COUNCIL COMMENT 96 Mayor and Council thanked Appointed Town Clerk Kathy Johnson for assisting tonight. 97 Mayor and Council thanked those present for their attendance and voiced their appreciation. 98 Council Member Curtis thanked Deputy Anders for the new traffic pattern at Sawmills 99 Elementary School and continued by stating that the flow of traffic seems smoother. 100 101 11. CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO N.C.G.S. §143-318.11(a)(3) 102 Council Member Wilson made a motion to enter Closed Session and Council Member 103 Wesson 2nd the motion. Motion passed unambiguously. (6:20PM) 104 105 Council Member Wilson made a motion to adjourn the Closed Session and Council Member 106 Curtis 2nd the motion. Motion passed unanimously. (6:40PM) 107 108 Town Manager Winebarger mentioned/updated Mayor and Council on the following 109 planning/nuisance/concerning items that Town Planning Director/Assistant Manager Dustin 110 Millsaps is continuing to work on. These issues have not been moved forward on due to staff 111 workload. 112 113 • Jody McRary/1956 Jody Dr. still has done nothing to his property. His fines are running 114 daily. Attorney Taylor recommended that this process start with a title search. After 115 discussion, Attorney was directed to start a title search on this property. 116 • Gas Station, located at 4108 US Hwy 321A, next to Bolick’s Tire has an apartment in the 117 bottom of the building that needs addressed. After discussion, Town staff were directed 118 to move forward with addressing this code violation. 119 • Owner of Hosstyle Dieselz on Spartan Drive/Eli Lane has placed a metal building that 120 could be on or near his neighbor’s property line. The property line is not clear on GIS. 121 Discussion followed. Town staff were directed to move forward on this concern. 122 123 Town Manager Winebarger confirmed that all these issues are warranted by complaints from 124 citizens. 125 126 (Town Planning Director/Assistant Manager, Dustin Millsaps arrived at meeting at 127 approximately 6:50PM due to attending open house at his child’s school) 128 129 Planning Director/Assistant Manager Dustin Millsaps informed those present that to his 130 knowledge a permit had not been issued by Caldwell County for the metal building that was 131 placed on Hosstyle Dieselz owner’s property. Planning Director/Assistant Manager Dustin 132 Millsaps noted a map of property, and the new metal building seems right on the property line. 133 Discussion followed. Surveying the property would answer the question of known property lines. 134 135 Town Manager Winebarger informed Mayor and Council that he was to have a meeting with 136 Sawmills Fire Department following the Council meeting, however, Greg Wilson/Chair of Fire 137 Department Board phoned earlier and stated that he/they would not be available to meet tonight.  4 138 Town Manager Winebarger continued by expressing that all the questions ask of the Town had 139 been addressed, and that the Town was now looking for an answer from the Fire Department. 140 141 Town Manager Winebarger stated that although slow, progress was being made on the new 142 Town Hall. 143 144 Town Manager Winebarger continued by informing Mayor and Council that because of some 145 turnovers policy changes were being made, while learning at the same time. 146 147 12. ADJOURN 148 Council Member Wilson made a motion to adjourn the meeting and Council Member Curtis 149 2nd the motion. Motion passed unanimously at approximately 7:05PM. 150 151 152 153 154 _____________________________________ 155 Keith Warren, Mayor 156 157 158 ________________________________________ 159 Kathy W. Johnson, Appointed Town Clerk 160 161 162 163 164 165 166