Montreat Minute 05/15/2020

May 15, 2020

Mayor’s Meeting Summary of Last Night’s Town Council Meeting

Visit the PHC May 23rd!

Hello Montreaters,

We continue in this strange way of pandemic life. We’ve adjusted schedules, social calendars, our ways of communicating and so much more. It’s my hope that you are faring well through it and adapting to this new normal.

As we did in April, we conducted our May Town Council meeting virtually. The meeting was closed to the public, but people logged on to the meeting via Zoom and Facebook. Community members sent in their comments/questions for the Public Comments section in advance, and those comments were read by Town Clerk Angie Murphy during the meeting. Here’s a summary of the meeting:

  • I called the meeting to order with Commissioners Alexander, Fouche, Otto and Widmer and myself physically present. Commissioner Lentz joined the meeting via Zoom from her home. We approved the minutes of the February meeting and after a slight alteration, approved the amended April meeting minutes.

Read more by CLICKING HERE

COVID-19 Update

Once again, here are several COVID-19 updates pertinent to the Montreat community:

  • The county still remains slightly more restrictive than the state’s Coronavirus executive order, primarily in the area of tourism. Tourism is still not allowed for anyone except those in the 828 area code. The ruling applies to hotel and B&B stays, house rentals and other short-term stays. For an excellent overview of the Phase 1 provisions, please CLICK HERE. Note: the tourism ban does not apply to Montreat homeowners using their homes (see below).
  • Montreat property owners are welcome to come to your homes to stay for any length of time. If coming from out of state, you are encouraged to quarantine for the traditional 14 day period.
  • MRA has reopened the trails, tennis courts, Dowd Green and Welch Field given proper social distancing rules. However, Robert Lake Park, like other playgrounds in the area, remains closed.
  • Town Public Works staff returned to full time work. Administrative staff are tentatively planning to return to the office on Tuesday, May 26, when the Town Services offices will be open to the public. Building permits and inspections have not been affected and continue with safe distancing precautions. For details, call 828-669-8002 or email info@townofmontreat.org.
  • Brush and Stick pick has resumed on its normal every-other-Wednesday schedule.

Presbyterian Heritage Center Re-Opens for One Day

The Presbyterian Heritage Center (PHC) will re-open its doors on Saturday afternoon, May 23, from 1:00 to 4:00pm. This will be the only open day in May. Later, the PHC will announce limited openings for June.

Face masks will be required for the May 23rd opening. The PHC will provide masks free of charge if you do not have one. Strict social distancing precautions will be taken to protect staff and guests. For more information about current exhibits and other PHC details, go to their website by CLICKING HERE.

2020 Census

As mentioned in the Montreat Minute a few weeks ago, the 2020 Census officially kicked off on April 1. But because no Montreaters received information cards with unique ID numbers, our self response rate is quite low. The Buncombe County response rate is 54%, but our Montreat response rate is just 9.6%. This week, Census workers went door to door to those who have not yet completed their census. They left a package at doors providing information and forms to complete your census. You may do it by mail, online or by phone.

It is extremely important that you participate in the census. Not only does it provide an accurate accounting of our population, but it also provides Federal funding locally. The Census Bureau estimates that each person counted represents $1,623 in funding for local municipalities. So, please take the time to complete your census.

If you have any questions, please contact Commissioner Kitty Fouche at 828/357-8488 or Commissioner Tom Widmer at 828/357-5247. Please encourage others to participate. It’s important for our community and our country.

Burning Questions?

Do you have Town-related questions you would like answered? If so, please send them to Angela Murphy at [email protected] and we will get back to you as soon as possible.