Montreat Minute 9/13/24

September 13, 2024

Mayor Pro Tem’s Summary of the September 12, 2024 Town Council Meeting

Hello Montreaters,

Unfortunately, Mayor Helms is working through COVID. Thus, as Mayor Pro Tem, I presided over the meeting. The Council, staff, and approximately 18 guests convened for the Public Forum and Council meeting. My summary follows below. The complete official meeting minutes will be in next month’s agenda packet. You can view the meeting recording by CLICKING HERE.

Public Forum

Mary Standaert inquired about the status of the cell tower aesthetic repairs. Town Manager Savannah Parrish stated Commissioner Dasher was to meet with the Town attorney to discuss what could be done. Commissioner Dasher was not available at the time to comment. We will check into it and report back at the next meeting.

To read more of the meeting summary, CLICK HERE.

Bear Survey Results Available

We thank the 450 people who completed the recent bear survey. The results were presented by Commissioner Widmer at last night’s Town Council meeting. You can view the presentation by CLICKING HERE. The full report with all comments has been posted to the Town website as have the slides from last night’s meeting. To view either or both, CLICK HERE.

The next step will be to set up a meeting with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to discuss our situation and possible solutions. We will keep you informed about the upcoming meeting.

Speaking of Bears, Here is an Idea…

The recent bear survey revealed that the most common bear damage sustained by Montreaters was crawl space vents and access doors torn out or severely damaged. Residents Scott and Judy Gregory, who did have damage to their vents, had window wells installed in front of several of their crawl space vents. Note the large lag screws used to secure the window well to the foundation. The wells are too small for the bear to get in and don’t allow bears to reach the vent with any real force.

Window wells are available at most home supply stores.

Copperheads Follow Up

In last week’s Montreat Minute, we offered a story about copperheads and what do if you encounter one. (CLICK HERE to read the story)

Montreater Ed Beasley was grateful for the story but asked what to do if bitten by a copperhead. A bit of research and discussions with Buncombe County EMS offered the following:

  • If bitten, immediately call 911 and report the incident and your location
  • Copperhead bites are very rarely life threatening but do require attention. Oftentimes, adult copperheads will give a first bite with no venom as a warning. Baby copperheads don’t know better and will unload their entire venom gland.
  • Sit down and stay calm
  • Do not apply a tourniquet or attempt to extract the venom
  • Remove any jewelry or tight clothing near the bite site
  • Keep the bitten area still, if possible, and raise it to heart level
  • DO NOT ice the area.  Icing causes additional tissue damage.
  • Do Not attempt to catch or kill the snake. Try to identify it to confirm it is a copperhead, but don’t get too close.

Please be careful, especially at this time of year. Due to their excellent camouflage, many copperhead bites result from carelessly placing a hand or foot too close to one that is resting. This is also the season for baby copperheads. They are often more dangerous, and harder to spot, than adults.

Updates and Other Reminders

  • Do you receive your own copy of the Montreat Minute or know someone who doesn’t? Sign up for the Sunshine List to receive the Montreat Minute and stay “in the know” about the Town’s happenings. CLICK HERE to sign up for the list!

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!