Montreat Minute 06/9/23

June 9, 2023

Mayor’s Summary of the June 8, 2023 Town Council Meeting

Greetings all,

We’re grateful the summer season has begun, and it is easy to feel the energy that comes with it to Montreat.

Our meetings were attended by approximately 12 guests, and we appreciated their being with us tonight. My summary follows below. Please remember you can view tonight’s meeting recording by CLICKING HERE.

Public Forum

  • We expressed our condolences to Tom Frist in the passing of his sister and long time Montreater, Jane Frist.

CLICK HERE to continue reading the meeting summary

Town Council Adopts FY 23-24 Budget 

At last night’s Town Council meeting, the Council approved the FY 2023-2024 Town budget that begins on July 1. Highlights of the budget include:

  • A total combined general and water fund budget of $2,430,436, a very slight decrease over the current year.
  • Capital expenditures of $252,544, which include:
    • Texas Road Bridge project
    • New replacement police car
    • Tractor and wood chipper
    • A-V improvements in Town Hall Community Room
    • Water system meter upgrade
  • Staff salary increases of 5%
  • No tax increase
  • No use of funds from the Town’s fund balance (our savings account)

The budget includes an increase in water consumption rates, going to $6.26 per thousand gallons used. This will result in a monthly average residential increase in the water bill of $3.13. There has not been an increase in water since 2012 for institutional and 2016 for residential rates.

Summer Programming Has Begun in Montreat 

“Unofficial summer” has come to Montreat. The first summer conference began this week, while Clubs, pottery & crafts, public hikes and so much more leaped into business too. CLICK HERE to sign up for weekly issues of This Week in Montreat.

But with summer activities abounding, several precautions are important to remember:

  • Watch your Speed: There are significantly more people on sidewalks and walking in roads. Please remember that the town wide speed limit is 20 mph, except for the first portion of Assembly Drive. Many of our roads hardly support a 20 mph speed limit due to their narrowness, curves and road conditions. So please slow down this summer.
  • Beware of Bears: In a recent Montreat Minute, there was a special feature on bears and how to deal with bear encounters and waste disposal. CLICK HERE to read the special issue. It seems that most Montreaters know what to do when encountering a bear. But guests and visitors may not. Please instruct your guests and visitors about not approaching bears and what to do if one approaches them and please explain trash disposal rules. There appears to be a larger bear population wandering around Montreat this year, and we do not want to have any bear related injuries.

Montreat College Library Prepares for Annual Book Sale

The Montreat College Library will be holding their annual July 4th book sale on the library porch, and you can help make it a success. They are accepting book donations between now and June 30th. They are in particular need of recent fiction. And please, no magazines, DVDs, VHS, CDs, or books in poor condition.

Clean Water!

The Town recently published the annual Drinking Water Quality Report for 2022. And, once again, we have good, clean drinking water. Read the report by Clicking Here. Find out the sources of our water, what the EPA wants us to know about drinking water, characteristics of our water and much more.

Many thanks to our staff responsible for water and water quality, especially Jarod McIntosh and Barry Creasman.

Updates and Reminders

  • The Planning & Zoning Hillside Development Subcommittee will meet on Wednesday, June 14th, at 4:00pm, in the Town Hall Community Room. The meeting will be live streamed, CLICK HERE for streaming instructions. All are invited to attend.
  • The Planning & Zoning Commission will hold a Special Meeting on Thursday, June 15th, at 10:30am, in the Town Hall Community Room to receive the recently completed Town of Montreat Comprehensive Plan Montreat Tomorrow from the Planning Committee. The meeting will be live streamed, CLICK HERE for streaming instructions. All are invited to attend. Upon approval from the Planning & Zoning Commission, the Commission will submit it to the Town Council for final approval and adoption.
  • The Board of Adjustment will meet on Thursday, June 22nd, at 5:00pm, in the Town Hall Community Room to consider a variance request. The meeting will be live streamed. CLICK HERE for streaming instructions and other information. All are invited to attend.

Questions or Comments?

Do you have Town-related questions or comments to offer? If so, please send them to Angie Murphy at [email protected] and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Have a great weekend!