St. James Town Council Work Session

TOWN OF ST. JAMES WORK SESSION MINUTES November 21, 2024 The St. James Town Council held a Work Session on Thursday, November 21, 2024, in the Earl Dye Council Chamber. Mayor Toner opened the Work Session at 10:00am. Council Members Present: Mayor Jean Toner, Mayor Pro Tem David DeLong, Councilors Lynn Dutney, Dennis Barclay, and Jim Board Staff Present: Finance Director Pauline Haran, Community Center Manager Steve Brennan, and Town Clerk Laura Williams Others Present: State Port Pilot Reporter Eliot Duke and 4 residents Absent: Town Manager Jeff Repp Administration Update a. October 2024 Zoning Report Mayor Toner reviewed the October 2024 Zoning Report. It was discussed there were 19 total zoning permits issued, including 7 new construction and 12 other permits. The 12- month total was 69 new construction, and 75 other permits issued. b. October 2024 Community Center Reports and Surveys Community Center Manager Steve Brennan reviewed the Community Center reports and surveys for October. He stated there were 260 reservations for the month with most of the reservations being Tier 1 groups. Year-to-date events and revenue have increased compared to last year. Since January, there have been 2,316 events and $76,930 in billed revenue. The Community Center continues to see an increase in use and revenues. c. Community Center Interior Lighting Proposed Improvements Community Center Manager Steve Brennan reviewed the interior LED lighting proposal from Melton Electric. Mr. Brennan stated the project is broken down into three phases or sections: lobby recessed lights, hanging fixtures in multipurpose room, and recessed lights in multipurpose room. The cost for all three phases totals $23,700. Town Staff and Council discussed the three phases and reviewed Mr. Brennan’s PowerPoint. Mayor Toner inquired about the lead time and Mr. Brennan stated he was not sure but would find out. The project itself would take no more than a week to complete. Council confirmed they would like to have the lighting proposal on the December agenda. Page 1 of 3  TOWN OF ST. JAMES WORK SESSION MINUTES November 21, 2024 d. Yard Waste Debris Removal 1-Year Extension Mayor Toner discussed the 1-year extension for the yard waste debris removal. The contract has been reviewed by the Town Attorney and the necessary language has been added. Town Staff discussed the new point of contact for the yard debris issues was very responsive and Staff was pleased. Mayor Toner discussed the need to send out an email to remind residents of the yard debris guidelines. It was stated that the new guidelines do require residents to bundle and tie loose branches or sticks. Another new aspect the contractor is implementing is if debris is outside of guidelines, they will leave an orange flag with stated reason for not collecting the debris. This is intended to decrease the phone calls and emails Town Staff receive regarding yard debris issues. The extension will also be placed on the December agenda. e. Community Center Signage Community Center Manager Steve Brennan discussed the new venue name and signage for the Community Center. It was stated that Mr. Wright’s family had requested that the sign does not need to include Jr. but they would like the E. included to read: Homer E. Wright. After an at length discussion, Council decided to rename the Community Center to The Town of St. James Homer E. Wright Event Center. Council and Staff discussed the connotation between Conference, Event, Community, and Activity Center titles. It was stated that the title Event Center was the most appropriate title due to the direction the Center is going, which is hosting more seminars, fundraising events, and nonprofit events. Town Staff was directed to reach out to the company that created the signage on the building and request a mockup of the new name. It was also discussed that once the building is renamed, there will be an unveiling, and then Town Staff can handle changing the name of the Center on all advertising platforms. Finance Update Finance Director Pauline Haran stated that the sales taxes collected for sales in September totaled $298,032.86. The property taxes collected totaled $94,755.79 and the solid waste taxes quarter ending September 30th totaled $1,588.35. Mrs. Haran discussed the Woodworker’s Club finished the two bar counters for the Community Center and they would be delivered later in the day. The Veteran’s Day breakfast that was held prior to the Ceremony, was a huge success and the total cost was approximately $3,400. Mr. Greg Adams with the auditing firm will present the audit to Council at the December meeting. Town Staff and Council will have their holiday lunch on December 2nd at Player’s Club. The electronic signs were scheduled to be repaired on November 21st and a member of the SJFD was on site to learn and document procedures for use. The cell tower access road project began on November 18th. The expected completion date is February 2025. Page 2 of 3  TOWN OF ST. JAMES WORK SESSION MINUTES November 21, 2024 Adjournment Mayor Toner adjourned the Work Session at 11:13am. Respectfully Submitted, Approved, Laura Williams, Town Clerk Jean R. Toner, Mayor Page 3 of 3