Montreat Minute for March 22, 2019

Thank You for Your Patience and Flexibility

The Assembly Drive “scenic detour” is a memory now, and we thank you for your understanding for the extra several days of inconvenience. We hope you’re happy with the added feature of the crosswalk on Assembly Drive. It will create a safer crossing and, after the new Town Hall is constructed, it will help complete the sidewalk running all the way from Lake Susan to downtown Black Mountain. We will celebrate when that happens!

Update on Projects in the Town

At last week’s Town Council meeting, Town Administrator Alex Carmichael gave a very informative overview on various Public Works projects. This is not a complete list of projects, but reflects those that are on the schedule. CLICK HERE to look at the list and the status/estimated dates.

Council Retreat

The Town Council agreed to hold its annual retreat on April 11 from noon to 5:00pm to discuss planning for the 2019-2020 fiscal year. Goals and objectives for next year will be discussed along with a review of capital improvement projects. The public is invited to this important meeting at the Way Out Building (not the Walkup).

And the Winner is…

During this season of awards, the Town received an important award recently. The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) of the United States and Canada awarded the Town of Montreat with the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for our Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for FY 2016-2017. The GFOA reports that “the Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.” Take a bow, Alex, Angie and the financial team. Thanks for your great work.

Volunteers Needed

The Landcare Committee is seeking volunteers to work at the Native Plant Sale on Saturday, April 27. The Native Plant Sale is successful due to the work of many volunteers. To learn more about the opportunities, please contact Jane Alexander at [email protected]. Come help and have a great time as well.

More “Did You Know”

Here are some more facts about our Town you might be interested in:

• Last year, the state estimated the Montreat population at 868, including 433 Montreat College students. But we swell to several thousand during the summer months.

• The Town boundaries constitute 2.78 square miles and we have limited jurisdiction over remaining territory within our cove up to the ridgelines.

• A total of 340 people are employed within the Town limits, including College, Conference Center and Town employees. The College is the major employer.

• The total assessed value of taxable property in Montreat is $252,809,756, excluding Conference Center and College property.

Enjoy your weekend.