Town Council Regular Meeting

Page 1 of 3 TOWN OF ST. JAMES REGULAR MEETING MINUTES August 6, 2025 The St. James Town Council met in Regular Session at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 6, 2025 in the Earl Dye Council Chamber. Council Members Present: Mayor Jean Toner, Mayor Pro Tem David DeLong, Councilors Jim Board, Dennis Barclay, and Lynn Dutney Staff Present: Town Manager Jeff Repp and Town Clerk Jamie Burns Others Present: State Port Pilot Reporter Eliot Duke, Emergency Management Deputy Director Diana Kelly, and 14 residents. Absent: Finance Director Pauline Haran CALL TO ORDER Mayor Toner opened the meeting at 4:00 p.m. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE All in attendance joined Mayor Toner in honoring our flag. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Mayor Toner asked if there were any changes to the agenda as submitted. There were none. Mayor Toner asked for a motion to approve the agenda as presented. Councilor Board moved to approve the agenda. The motion passed unanimously (Vote: 5/0) APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA Mayor Toner asked if there were any changes or corrections to the minutes included in the consent agenda. There were none. Mayor Pro Tem DeLong made a motion to approve the Consent Agenda, which consists of the minutes from the July 2, 2025 Regular Meeting and the July 17, 2025 Work Session. The motion passed unanimously (Vote: 5/0) MAYOR/COUNCIL/STAFF REPORTS – None OLD BUSINESS – None NEW BUSINESS 25-18 Motion to Appoint Carrie Krieger, Craig MacPherson, Tom DiBuono, Bill Miller, and Tom Melillo to the St. James Emergency Management Group with a term expiring on August 6, 2028. Town Manager Mr. Repp introduced the first item on the agenda regarding appointments to the St. James Emergency Management Group and suggested Diana Kelly, Deputy Director of Emergency Management introduce the new members. Mayor Toner expressed appreciation to the volunteers, noting the importance of their role, especially during the current time of year when their services would be relied on. Mayor Toner requested a motion from council to appoint new members. Councilor Dutney made the motion to appoint Carrie Krieger, Craig MacPherson, Tom DiBuono, Bill Miller, and Tom Melillo to the St. James Emergency  Page 2 of 3 TOWN OF ST. JAMES REGULAR MEETING MINUTES August 6, 2025 Management Group with a term expiring on August 6, 2028. The motion passed unanimously (Vote: 5/0) Following the appointment, new members were invited forward to be sworn in as a group. Town Clerk Jamie Burns swore in Carrie Krieger, Bill Miller, Tom DiBuono, and Tom Melillo as members of the Emergency Management Work Group. Craig MacPherson was not present and will be sworn in at a later date. Mayor Toner congratulated the new members of the Emergency Management Group and reiterated the town’s appreciation for all volunteers. 25-19 Motion to Accept the Proposal from Stay Alert Safety Services, LLC of Rocky Point, NC in the amount of $41,725.00 for Three (3) Solar Tech Message Boards. Mr. Repp presented the proposal from Stay Alert Safety Services of Rocky Point, North Carolina to provide three solar tech message boards. He explained that these are the orange boards used around the town during emergencies to advise of closed roads and other important information. Mr. Repp indicated that the town currently has four such boards, with two being quite dated and two newer ones. The town plans to retain the two newer ones and add these three new ones, providing the town with a total of five functional message boards. The older ones will be declared surplus and disposed of in the future. He mentioned that these message boards are actively used by both St. James POA security and the fire department during emergencies. Mr. Repp also mentioned that the new boards had already been delivered and were available for viewing in the parking lot. Mayor Toner noted that it was fortunate that the boards had arrived before the first storm of the season. As this was a financial item, Mayor Toner opened the floor for public comment regarding the expenditure of taxpayer funds for these items. There was no public comment. Mayor Toner asked for a motion to approve. Mayor Pro Tem DeLong made the motion to accept the proposal from Stay Alert Safety Services, LLC of Rocky Mount, NC in the amount of $41,725.00 for Three (3) Solar Tech Message Boards. The motion passed unanimously (Vote: 5/0) 25-20 Motion to Adopt Resolution 2025-07 Declaring Surplus Various Tables and Chairs Mr. Repp explained that this resolution is required by state law to declare surplus items at the event center that have been or will be replaced in the near future. He mentioned that a series of tables are being declared surplus and will be advertised on  Page 3 of 3 TOWN OF ST. JAMES REGULAR MEETING MINUTES August 6, 2025 GovDeals for disposal. Additionally, approximately 500 chairs will be declared surplus, but won’t be sold until new ones are brought in. Mr. Repp stated that they decided to declare these items surplus now and will advertise them for bids for disposal in the future. Mayor Toner provided additional context, noting that the event center is 15 years old and the chairs being declared surplus are original to the center. She mentioned that a number of them are in disrepair, necessitating their replacement along with other items. Mayor Toner read resolution 2025-07 in its entirety, which detailed the legal basis for disposing of personal property belonging to the town by electronic auction and the specific items to be surplused, including various tables and chairs from the event center. Mayor Toner asked for a motion. Mayor Pro Tem DeLong indicated that he had already made the motion. There was no discussion. The motion passed unanimously (Vote: 5/0) PUBLIC COMMENT Mayor Toner opened the floor for public comment. No members of the public came forward to comment. Mayor Toner took this opportunity to inform those in attendance about the two types of meetings held by municipalities in North Carolina: regular council meetings and work sessions. She explained that work sessions are held on the third Thursday of each month at 10 am and are typically lengthy meetings where the Town Council addresses items of business in detail. These sessions include discussions on projects such as the water pressure improvement project, updates on DOT construction, budget items, and other town matters. She explained that regular council meetings, like the one held today, are more formal and focused on approving items that have been thoroughly discussed in the work sessions. Mayor Toner encouraged residents to attend the Town Council work sessions to stay informed about ongoing town matters, mentioning recent presentations on the water pressure improvement project and the possible event center expansion. ADJOURNMENT At 4:12 pm Councilor Board made a motion to adjourn the meeting. All were in favor. (Vote: 5/0) Mayor Toner adjourned the meeting. Respectfully Submitted, Approved, _________________________ ______________________ Jamie Burns, Town Clerk Jean R. Toner, Mayor