Montreat Minute February 15, 2019
Montreat Minute for February 15, 2019
Mayor’s Summary of the February 14, 2019 Town Council Meeting
Greetings Fellow Montreaters,
There was a lively and involved group attending the February Town Council meeting. Those who attended were treated to Valentine’s goodies supplied by the Town Council to thank everyone for their support and to say “We all love Montreat”. Great cookies and candy! Here are the highlights from the meeting:
- Public
Forum questions/comments included:
- The issue of moving to even year elections was discussed. I
explained that last summer, NC General
Assembly representatives gave us an overview of the upsides and downsides
of moving to even year elections from our current odd year elections. Asheville
switched to even years, and the other Buncombe County municipalities were asked
to consider following suit. We studied and considered it for six months, then
took action in December to move to even
year elections, following similar decisions by Asheville, Biltmore Forest
and Black Mountain. In so doing, we also followed precedent by the others of extending the Commissioner’s terms by
one year to synch with the even year election cycle.
- The issue of moving to even year elections was discussed. I
explained that last summer, NC General
Assembly representatives gave us an overview of the upsides and downsides
of moving to even year elections from our current odd year elections. Asheville
switched to even years, and the other Buncombe County municipalities were asked
to consider following suit. We studied and considered it for six months, then
took action in December to move to even
year elections, following similar decisions by Asheville, Biltmore Forest
and Black Mountain. In so doing, we also followed precedent by the others of extending the Commissioner’s terms by
one year to synch with the even year election cycle.
CLICK HERE to read more…
Winter Winds Creating Havoc?
The last week has been pretty crazy with wind coming off the mountains into our cove. Leaves that you thought were long gone are showing up in corners and in gardens. As we mentioned last month, if you need some help to rake leaves, do other yard work or shovel snow, the Montreat College tennis team students are available to help. Call Coach Jim Lavender at (954) 504-3168 to make arrangements. The generosity of our community paying at least $15/hour/student will help members of the tennis team cover expenses for travel in the spring. Please provide paper leaf collection bags if they are doing raking for you.
Help the tennis team while protecting your own home. Clearing leaves away from homes is a part of our Firewise Program. Call Coach Lavender today.
Help “Montreatize” the New Town Hall
The new Town Hall is going to look great! As requested by Montreaters, it will be welcoming and clad with stone and wood on the exterior. It will express the character of Montreat.
However, design features that were originally recommended by the architect to further enhance the “Montreat” look weren’t affordable or justified using tax payer money. An effort has been launched to raise funds to add back in some stone features that would add to the look and character of the building. Specifically, the fund raising would add stone floors in the entrance corridors and lobby (like in Gaither), stone on the porch floors and an accent wall of stone on one of the lobby walls (like in Assembly Inn and Gaither). In total, fund raising goal is $50,000. With your help, they can be added back into the plans.
By making a tax-deductible gift, you will ensure the Town Hall will be “Montreatized”, capturing the spirit of this special place. CLICK HERE for a brochure about the project. Contact Tom Frist at 828.779.6949 or Bill Scheu at 828.669.2891 for further information or to make your gift.