Cable customers get new provider

reporter@thefranklinpress.com

The Town of Franklin and other parts of Western North Carolina will soon have a new franchise for their cable systems.

Under the agreement, Morris Communications will own Mediacom's cable systems including those in Franklin, Sylva, Hendersonville and two smaller ones in Ashe and McDowell counties.

According to Maggie Blythe, Mediacom's senior manager of government relations, Morris Communications is one of the majority stockholders in Mediacom and will own the systems debt free and will get substantial cash in the deal.

The Town of Franklin Board of Aldermen unanimously passed a resolution to transfer the cable franchise at their meeting Monday night.

Craig Mitchell, senior vice president-finance of Morris Communications, said that the company plans to hire about 20 customer service representatives based in Hendersonville to serve customers in Western North Carolina.

"The deal is not closed yet," he added. "It will likely close around the end of the year."

Morris Communications is a family-owned company based in Augusta, Ga. that owns newspapers, radio stations, magazines and outdoor advertising.

Also at the meeting, aldermen unanimously passed a resolution of intent to annex commercial properties surrounding the Town of Franklin and a few residential properties that have been zoned commercial or are tied in with the commercial district.

This includes 59 total parcels, according to land use administrator Michael Grubermann.

Town manager Sam Greenwood said that in the past the town has relied on voluntary annexing and that there has been state discussion about town annexation policies and longer-range plans.

"A lot of commercial properties are being treated as if they are in town limits," he said. "It is a long overdue correction to being these commercial properties into town limits."

A public informational meeting on the question of annexing will be held at 6 p.m. Jan. 26 at Town Hall. A public hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Feb. 23, also at Town Hall.

Renovations to Memorial Park (Jaycee Building)

Board members unanimously passed a motion to approve the renovations, which include complete bathrooms, storage, a new porch at the entrance to bathrooms that is handicapped assessable and up to code, reshingling the existing building and painting the existing block wall facing the park.

The cost for the renovations is $102, 850. The price includes all labor and material, building permits and insurance such as workmen's compensation and general liability. Holland Construction will be completing the renovations.

Adoption of capital project ordinances

Board members unanimously passed motions to approve the following:

Adoption of an ordinance and approval of architectural proposals for the new police department. Professional services including engineering, architectural and surveying are estimated to cost $50,000 and construction $950,000.

Adoption of an ordinance and approval of architectural proposals for the construction of a public works building. The costs are the same as the police department and both will by financed by loan proceeds.

An ordinance adopting a capital project fund for the construction of a water tank on Wilkie Street to be financed by loan proceeds. The purchase of land cost is $300,000 and construction is $700,000.

Public session

Jason Futch said that he and his wife Heather created Green T Recycling of Macon County in October of this year after researching the recycling industry in the county under supervision of Chris Stahl, solid waste department manager, and Joel Ostroff, recycling coordinator of the Macon County Solid Waste Department.

Green T is a residential recycling curbside pick up service that charges $15 a month for weekly pickup, Futch said. Those who signed up for the service would be supplied with a recycling bin. Items collected would then be taken to the landfill and placed in appropriate containers.

"It would benefit the County of Macon and the Town of Franklin," Futch said.

Mayor Joe Collins asked if research has been done to see how many households would be interested in the service and also how much Green T would have to make to break even. Futch said that they are still in process of researching those areas.

The board took no action. More presentations are expected in the future.

Settlement reached for Whitmire property

Town attorney John Henning Jr. said that a settlement has been reached and that David Whitmire has paid the town $5,000 for materials he took from the Whitmire property in 2006. Whitmire did not have to return the materials as part of the settlement, Henning said.

Appalachian Trial Gateway Community/Trail Town Program

The board unanimously voted to apply for the program, which benefits communities and towns through national recognition in A.T. Journeys magazine, press releases, plaques in town halls, etc. Participation in the program also increases public awareness about the trail and teacher eligibility for a place based education and service learning program, among other benefits.

Bill Van Horn, president of the local Appalachian Trail maintaining club, said that he also gave presentations to the TDC, TDA, Chamber of Commerce board and the Daybreak Rotary and that he received positive feedback.

As part of the application process the town must select two of four options including forming an advisory committee; having an annual project or celebration; an Appalachian Trail education or service learning project or support language for protection for the trail in land use plans, planning tools, ordinances or guidelines.

Fiscal year 2007-08 audit-Dixon Hughes PLLC

Nancy Wike with Dixon and Hughes handed out financial statements and gave a presentation for the board for the fiscal year that ended June 30. Wike reported that there were no questionable costs or penalties in the audit.

"Overall, everything was in place, as expected," she said.

Financial highlights

The assets of the Town of Franklin exceeded its liabilities at the close of the fiscal year by $23,837,743

The government's total net assets increased by $896,336, primarily due to increases in the business-type activities' net assets.

As of the close of the current fiscal year, the town's governmental fund reported an ending fund balance of $2,759,753, a decrease of $104,396 in comparison with the prior year. About 67 percent of this total amount, or $1,849,883, is available for spending at the government's discretion.

At the end of the current fiscal year, unreserved fund balance for the general fund was $1,849,883, or 51 percent of total general fund expenditures for the fiscal year

The town's total debt decreased by $296,593 or 30 percent during the current fiscal year.