The Town Council met Monday night and approved a $200,000 loan to assist in the development of the site for a Chick-fil-A on Siler Road.
The loan is for Hendon Tiller Franklin, a limited liability corporation registered in Georgia, that owns the property. According to the resolution passed Monday night, the developer has a shortfall of $200,000 in available funding.
The money will be allocated from the Water and Sewer Enterprise Fund. Town Attorney John Henning Jr. said the loan would be secured by a contract granting the town a second mortgage security interest in the property. The loan must be fully repaid at a 5% interest rate within two years. The funds will be used to install water and sewer at the property, which is not currently available on the site for the restaurant. Development of the property will “increase taxable property, employment, and business prospects of the town,” stated the resolution.
Town Budget
During Monday’s meeting, the council approved the budget for the 2021-2022 fiscal year. The total budget is $10,531,825 compared to the 2020-2021 budget of $9,211,635.
Next year’s budget includes $4,371,043 allocated for the General Fund, $948,810 for the Fire Department Fund, and $5,211,972 for the Water & Sewer Enterprise Fund. There will be a 3% rate increase for water and sewer customers.
Town employees will receive a 2% cost of living adjustment. The last adjustment for town employees was a 2% increase three years ago.
The tax rate for the coming year will remain at 32 cents per $100 valuation of taxable property.
Skate Park Update
At the May council meeting several members of the community spoke in favor of the town building a skate park. Monday’s meetings included updates on what has been done since then to meet that request. Town Manager Summer Woodard said the Recovery Act money that the town will receive could not be used for recreation, such as the skate park, or beautification of the roundabouts, so the town would need to explore other alternatives for funding for those projects.
Police Chief Bill Harrell said he met with representatives from First United Methodist Church, which is currently providing an area for people to skateboard. He talked with them about a possible partnership with the town, what they would like to do and what the church would expect from the town.
Representatives from JE Dunn, the construction firm that is building the new hospital, told the council they are willing to help build a skate park or work on the beautification project. “Everywhere JE Dunn goes we try to get involved with the community,” said Steve Suttles, superintendent for the hospital project. “We’re here we want to do something to help the community.”
He said they could raise money for the project, get volunteer or reduced-cost labor from the companies they work with, and the JE Dunn corporate office will match what is raised locally.
Project Engineer Anders Ike said they have also reached out to the construction programs at Franklin High School and Western Carolina University about having students come to the hospital site to gain work experience. Ike said he never had that kind of opportunity when he was in school and thinks it would be valuable experience for students.
The council agreed to hold a called meeting if necessary before the July regular meeting to discuss how they could move forward with the offer from JE Dunn.
In other business, the Town Council:
• Held a public hearing on the proposed changes to the sign ordinance and approved the changes.
• Approved a water and sewer allocation for Gemstone Village, a retirement community being built on Prentiss Bridge Road, about one mile from the US Hwy 441 intersection. The deed-restricted community will include about 150 manufactured homes.
• Approved establishing a revenue fund for the estimated $1.2 million in American Rescue Plan money the town will receive.
• Approved the purchase of a new vehicle for Town Hall. The car will be paid for using $30,000 in surplus in the police department budget, and the police department will receive the 2011 Tahoe currently being used as the Town Hall vehicle.
• Approved the closing of Iotla Street at the gazebo for the WFSC Car Show from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Aug. 28.
• Approved closing Stewart Street beginning at 4 p.m. June 19 for the Taste of Scotland Festival.
• Reappointed Connie Gruberman and Candy Presley to the Tourism Development Authority. The appointments are for a three-year term beginning Aug. 6. Gruberman serves as chair of the TDA.
Following a closed session, the council voted to move $60,000 from the water and sewer retained earnings to the water and sewer other professional services.
The next regular town meeting will be Tuesday, July 6 due to the July 4th holiday. The council will meet at 6 p.m. at Town Hall.