February 2008 LAKE LURE NEWS & VIEWSPage 1
TOWN MANAGER’S REPORT
by Steven Wheeler
Well, I am pleased to have made it thru my first 2 weeks as Town Manager of Lake Lure. After 7 years as a Town Manager at HoldenBeach, I have been reenergized by the energy and passion of the residents and property owners here at LakeLure, and I look forward to the challenges ahead. I have spent the past few weeks getting to know the various department heads and personnel, and learn the various roles and functions of each department. Needless to say, there are many projects that are either in the planning process or currently under construction, so I have also tried to get caught up to speed on these as well. The Town Center Walkway Project is nearing completion, and I think it will be a tremendous asset to the community. I have been impressed by the professionalism of the staff, the dedication of the Board of Commissioners, and the enthusiasm of the residents that I have met over my first few days. I look forward to meeting everyone. Please stop in and see me to say hello or to voice your concerns or opinions of our Town!
TOWN COUNCIL ACTIVITIES
by Town Clerk Mary Flack, MMC, CTC
REGULAR MEETING: The regular town council meeting was held on Tuesday, January 8, 2008, 7:00 p.m., in the meeting room of the LakeLureMunicipalCenter.
Under the “consent agenda,” Town Council approved:
* minutes of the December 11, 2007 (regular meeting), and January 3, 2008 (special meeting);
* a budget amendment regarding insurance for new council members as submitted by the finance director; and
* a request from James Dunn on behalf of the Hickory Nut Gorge Foundation to waive the rental fees for use of the conference room in the Lake Lure Municipal Hall on 1/23/08, 2/27/08, 3/26/08, 4/30/08, 5/28/08, 6/25/08, 7/30/08, 8/27/08, 9/24/08, 10/29/08, & 11/06/08 from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m.
Town Council also:
* held a public hearing and adopted Ordinance No. 08-01-08 amending Chapter 92 of the Zoning Regulations of the Town of Lake Lure Code of Ordinances; establishing regulations and providing definitions for resort signage;
* held a public hearing and adopted Ordinance No. 08-01-08A amending Chapter 92 of the Zoning Regulations of the Town of Lake Lure Code of Ordinances; making common amenities intended to serve residential developments conditional uses in various zoning classifications;
* held a public hearing and adopted Ordinance No. 08-01-08B amending Chapter 92 of the Zoning Regulations of the Town of Lake Lure Code of Ordinances; modifying the requirements for amending the Zoning Regulations; modifying the requirements for home occupations; requiring proof of approval for water and septic to accompany applications for zoning compliance permits; requiring construction sites to be kept clean and free of debris; and directed the zoning and planning board to review the number of employees allowed for home occupations and draft an amendment;
* held a public hearing and adopted Ordinance No. 08-01-08C amending the zoning map of the Town of Lake Lure by rezoning a lot from CTC and R-2 to R-2 as requested by Chris Conard, agent for Tom Zink dba Raven Ridge LLC Rezoning Petition RZ-07-04;
* held a hearing to appeal the decision of the Lake Structures Appeals Board (Case No. LSA-07-08; John Bittle, Agent for Thomas and Victoria Rogers); town council granted a variance contingent upon certain stipulations;
* received a power point presentation from Carroll Hughes, AIA, NCARB of SpacePlan providing an update on the Municipal Projects Development Project, including the design of the new youth center, the remodeling of the existing community center, and the design of the new park shelter; town council members agreed by consensus for SpacePlan to proceed with design drawings;
* approved a financial guarantee as submitted by John Cloud regarding the installation of the infrastructure for Phase I of the Ridge at Firefly Cove subdivision with the town for installation improvements in the development;
* approved a financial guarantee as submitted by John Cloud to reduce the bond agreement with the town regarding installation improvements for Firefly Cove subdivision;
* approved a budget amendment for consulting services relating to a subsequent inspection of the town’s dam by Dr. Grenoble and authorized the town manager to sign this agreement between the Town of Lake Lure and Devine Tarbell & Associates, Inc.;
* adopted Resolution No. 08-01-08 re-establishing a policy for mutual assistance with other law enforcement agencies;
* adopted Resolution No. 08-01-08A amending Resolution No. 92-03-24 which created a Lake Advisory Committee to advise council on matters relating to the safe and enjoyable use of Lake Lure; changing the Lake Advisory Committee to a Lake Advisory Board; revising the membership and adding the Lake Operations Administrator as an ex-officio member on this board;
* approved a budget amendment for housing allowance for the new town manager as submitted by the finance director; and
* recessed this meeting to be continued on January 15, 2008, 9:30 a.m., at the Law Office of Attorney J. Christopher Callahan, 252 Charlotte Road, Rutherfordton.
In other activities:
* heard reports from council liaisons on the activities of various boards and committees.
RECESSED REGULAR MEETING: Town council reconvened the recessed meeting from January 8, 2008 to January 15, 2008, 9:30 a.m., at the Law Office of Attorney J. Christopher Callahan, 252 Charlotte Road, Rutherfordton.
Town Council actions:
* held a closed session to discuss attorney client privilege and legal matters regarding a lawsuit between Marilyn Moore vs. the Town of Lake Lure;
* approved a budget amendment as submitted by the finance director regarding the removal and replacement of trees at the wastewater treatment plant;
* adopted Resolution No. 08-01-15 approving a state grant application requesting funding for a long-range wastewater collection and treatment plant study; and
* adjourned this meeting.
COMMUNITY POLICING NEWS
by Chief Eric Hester
POLICE REPORT FOR JANUARY, 2008
ALARM CALLS RECEIVED------5
ACCIDENTS------5
ARRESTS------11
BANK ALARMS------1
BREAKING AND ENTERINGS------0
BUSINESS CHECKS------6,142
CITATIONS ISSUED------28
COMMUNITY CONTACTS------559
EXTRA PATROLS------49
LAKE – CITATIONS------0
LAKE – COVE CHECKS------165
LAKE – PATROL------10
LARCENY REPORTS------2
REQUESTED RESIDENTIAL CHECKS- 84
ROAD CHECKS------1,174
VANDALISM REPORTS------0
WARNINGS ISSUED------42
CUSTOMER SERVICES
by Linda Ward
The 2008 boat permits are ready and available at the town hall for purchase. Please remember to bring a copy of your watercraft liability insurance, that shows the required $300,000.00 minimum and your current state registration if you are buying a permit for a motorized boat. If you a getting a permit for a non-motorized boat, please know the type, brand, length and color of the boat.
We are nearly complete in our transition to radio read water meters. Although we are experiencing a few glitches integrating the new meters with our software,which is normal with any new product, reading and billing should be easier when all of the bugs are worked out. ☺
With this new system, if your bill shows high usage due to a leak or lots of company, the water department will be able to collect information that will show on what day(s) the usage occurred.All of the water accounts should be connected to the radio read meters by spring.
If you have any questions about water bills or boat permits, please call me at 828-625-9983, ext. 129.
SEDIMENT AND EROSION CONTROL NEWS
by Clint Calhoun, Erosion Control Officer
Occasionally, when I talk to people about permitting and things, I get asked the question, “Who can I hire that will do good work for me?” I try to avoid answering this question when possible because as an enforcement official, it is not my job to recommend contractors, but rather to inspect their work and hold them all accountable to the same standards. My general answer is that I don’t make referrals, however I can give them a list of names of folks that specialize in different areas and let them decide who they want to hire.
Hiring the right contractor is an important part of doing a job right particularly as it relates to sediment and erosion control. If you were going to build a house, you would want to hire some one who is going to do the best high quality job for the lowest amount of money, and with as little waste as possible. It is the same way with sediment and erosion control. You want to make sure that whoever you hire is going to do the work correctly and with quality workmanship, is going to do it as quickly and efficiently as possible, and is going to do it as inexpensively as possible.
Here are some quick tips on hiring good grading contractors:
- Shop around. Don’t hire the first one you see in the Yellow Pages.
- Once you find one you think you like, go out and look at some of their projects. What’s the quality like? Do they appear to know what they are doing? Are their erosion control measures installed properly? Are the clearing limits defined and does the grader stay within them? These are important things to note.
- Talk to landowners who have hired the contractor in the past. No one can tell a story better than someone who has firsthand experience with a contractor or grader.
- Make sure they can do the work when you want it done. Winter months are not the ideal time to be doing grading work because this is not the optimal time for establishing ground cover, which is an essential part of proper sediment and erosion control. Think about the sequence in which your project will be completed so you can schedule your contractor for the ideal season (spring and fall are best seasons for growing ground cover).
- If your project is drawn by an engineer or architect, make sure that the contractor understands the plan and knows how to implement it on the ground.
If a contractor has any objections about giving references or telling you what projects they have worked on, you should be suspicious. If a contractor you are thinking of hiring says any of the following, you should probably choose another contractor:
- “I’m too busy to do the work in the months you want it done, but I can do it after Christmas!”
- “I know a lot of shortcuts to save you money!”
- “The standards you want just aren’t needed for this project.”
- “I don’t need or want anyone’s help. I already know all there is to know about doing this type of work…”
- “I don’t like to be supervised.”
- “I’m not supposed to give you the names of people we have worked with in the past.”
Hiring the right person for the job is essential to completing any project. Sediment and erosion control is just one important aspect of carrying out a project in LakeLure. The wrong grading contractor could cost you thousands of dollars if they fail to do the job right, not only from a construction standpoint, but from a legal standpoint as well. Every landowner is responsible for their project, therefore they are also responsible for the people that they hire. Demand quality and accept nothing less and your project will turn out exactly how you envisioned it. If you would like more information about choosing the right contractor for your sediment and erosion control needs, please contact me at (828)625-9983 ext. 123 or . If you have an erosion problem or know someone else who does, please let me know so we can look at the problem and come up with a viable solution.
GOLF COURSE NEWS
by Matt Griffin
We would like to take this chance to welcome 20 NEW memberships to our Golf Course Family. Don’t forget spring and summer will be here before you can turn around, so get or re-new your golf membership now and be ready! With Valentine’s Day coming up soon why not consider a family membership for the 2 of you? Something you can enjoy TOGETHER for an entire year? At least bring your sweetheart to play golf on Thursday, February 14, 2008!
“Captain’s Choice” tournaments are still held on Sunday afternoons at 2:00pm (during the winter and weather permitting). Everyone is invited to attend and participate! “The Men’s Club” would also like to invite you to come out and play every Saturday and Sunday morning at 9:00am (may be delayed due to frost). You may contact the pro shop for more information. (828) 625-4472.
The first Golf Course Advisory Committee meeting for 2008 was held Thursday, January 27th. The next meeting will be Thursday, March 27th, at the golf course clubhouse and is open to the public.
For those of you who have not stopped in lately, please do so and see the continuing changes at the pro-shop and golf course.
“There is actually a sweet spot on every club.”
UPPER BROAD RIVER WATERSHED
PROTECTION PROGRAM
by Jennifer Beck
Have you ever cursed your lawn in the summer and wondered how to avoid spending countless hours watering your plants? Have you walked aimlessly through the aisles of a local plant nursery trying to pick a native plant that is a good alternative to popular exotic species? Are you still confused as to whether the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid is a plant or animal? Have you tried in vain to deter stormwater runoff from creating little gulleys in your lawn?
Fortunately for you the Upper Broad River Watershed Protection Program is offering a series of free, informational workshops on Saturday, March 15th at the LakeLureMunicipalCenter to provide answers to all these dilemmas.
These workshops are designed to provide information to landowners on ways they can protect the natural resources of their property as well as enjoy all natural wonders of the watershed. Workshop topics include but are not limited to: Xeriscaping (landscaping in ways that do not require supplemental irrigation), an update on Hemlock Woolly Adelgid infestation in western NC, stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) for landscaping in the mountains, landscaping with native species, and more! Local experts from the Cooperative Extension, NC Forest Service, and the Master Gardeners Association will provide valuable information in the form of 30-45 minute presentations. There will be an opportunity to ask questions after each presentation and the topics are scheduled so that you can drop in for one or stay for all! We are still finalizing our agenda and encourage you to check our website ( for an updated schedule or give us a call at 625.9983 ext 123.
The Upper Broad River Watershed Protection Program Workshop will be held on March 15th, 2007 at the LakeLureMunicipalCenter.
NEWS AROUND LAKELURE
Raffle Tickets for an original watercolor artwork "The Lure of the Lake" by Mary Karr on sale for $5.00/ticket. Proceeds will go to Shepherd's Care for outreach and food pantry programs. Tickets can be purchased from Wendy Field at 625-9439 at LakesEdge Realty or from Shepherd's Care at 625-4683. If paying by check, please make payable to Shepherd's Care and mark "raffle." Drawing will be held at "Encore" Fashion Show on March 20, 2008 and you need not be present to win.
Dragon Boat Race & Festival (May 10, 2008): Four dragon boats have been ordered from China and team registration is now open. Local residents and businesses are urged to form teams (11 people), get corporate and organization sponsors and individual pledges(the festival organizers will help you). All donations are tax deductible. Only 28 teams can participate and the registration fee goes up after March 28th.
This new annual charity sports event, organized by Lake Lure Dragon Boat Racing, is a fund-raiser for five local and regional non-profit programs that improve the quality of life for our children: Camp Lurecrest, Kidsenses Interactive Museum, Lake Lure Youth Center, Shepherd’s Care and The Strength Of HIS Hands Ministry.
Interested in volunteering, sponsoring or forming a team? Please visit or call the event line at 828-980-8838. RIDE THE DRAGON WAVE! Presenting Sponsors: Camp Lurecrest and Pinnacle Sotheby’s Realty, Int’l.
Lake Lure Newcomers invite those who are new residents in LakeLure (24 months or less) to join them in various activities which include: potluck, gourmet, out’n about, theater, bridge/poker, book club, and hiking. Anyone interested in becoming a member should visit the website or call Joan or Russ Meade at 828-625-4744.
For the convenience of the public, the VFW Post 10473 has placed a receptacle for old and worn out American flags in the covered walkway at the town hall near the entrance to the police department’s door. If you would like a replacement flag, for a small fee, or are eligible and wish to join the VFW contact VFW Vice Commander Charles Hicks at 828-625-9278.
Free online newspaper for LakeLure, Chimney Rock and RutherfordCounty. Local history, comprehensive calendar, groups, preserving the Gorge, fun things to do in the Gorge and local authors.
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary...The newly formed Lake Lure Detachment consist of local area volunteers. Our main missions are to conduct vessel safety checks, educate the public in recreational boating safety, assist the Coast Guard, state and local authorities in operations such as search and rescue missions. We do not perform ANY direct law enforcement functions and many of our safety courses and vessel checks are free to the public. We are currently accepting applications for volunteers in the Lake Lure Detachment.
If you are interested in joining our team contact either Jim Boxerman at 828-779-2670 or Clyde Ingersoll at 828-606-8510. Regular meetings are held the second Tuesday of every month at 4:00 pm at 718 Buffalo Creek Road.
We will be doing our FREE spring Vessel Safety Checks (VSC) on April 14th at both the town and Rumbling Bald Resort boat ramps from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.