The elected officials from Franklin, Highlands and Macon County, along with staff members held a joint dinner meeting on Thursday, Sept. 22. No action was taken at the meeting as it was intended as an opportunity to learn about current happenings and ways the governing bodies might work together.
The Franklin Town Council, Highlands Board of Commissioners and Macon County Board of Commissioners met together on a regular basis prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but this was the first meeting in two years.
The meeting was held at Franklin’s Town Hall. Franklin Mayor Jack Horton opened the meeting by saying that although they serve three different jurisdictions, “we all serve the same people.”
The mayor also commended the town and county leaders, pointing out that Franklin, Highlands and Macon County have an “outstanding reputation” throughout Western North Carolina and the state. “We’re head and shoulders above a lot.”
As the meeting progressed, Horton, Highlands Mayor Patrick Taylor and County Commissioner Chair Jim Tate each gave an update from their jurisdictions, followed by comments from the council members and commissioners.
Tate said this would probably be his last meeting with the three governing boards as he did not run for re-election this year after 11 years on the Macon County Board of Commissioners.
“We really appreciate your service,” Mayor Taylor said to the outgoing county commissioner.
Housing and recreation were two commonalities all discussed and are working to improve.
“Housing is a critical need throughout the county,” Taylor said. Coupled with that is the need for childcare providers in Highlands.
“We can’t recruit people to our county if we don’t have housing and childcare,” said Franklin Town Council member Rita Salain.
Council member Stacy Guffey said, in borrowing a sentiment often shared by Council member David Culpepper, “We do a pretty good job of bringing people (tourists) in, but sometimes we don’t do the best job of taking care of the people who live here.”
The Town of Franklin has received a grant to conduct a feasibility study on the old hospital to look at the possibility of converting it into senior living apartments. Seniors often have a hard time finding a place to live that can accommodate mobility issues, such as single-story buildings so they don’t have to use stairs. Finding affordable housing to buy or rent is a challenge for many families. “Housing is an issue for all age groups,” Horton said.
Recreation
Skateparks, pickleball courts and better sidewalks were a few of the topics addressed that will benefit people who live here as well as attract tourists.
Highlands Commissioner Jon “Buz” Dotson said he was 110% against a skatepark when their town began talking about building one. He thought there would be very few kids using it. “I was wrong,” he said. “They’re all over it.” The park is now one of the most popular recreation areas in the town.
The Town of Franklin has committed to building a skatepark at Sunnyside Park (the Whitmire property) and the county has pledged $35,000 to the project. The Sk828 group is collecting private donations to support construction of the park. Franklin Town Manager Amie Owens said construction could begin in late spring/early summer of 2023.
The Town of Franklin is also starting the process to develop a comprehensive plan for the Whitmire property that could include a mixed-use development of recreation and housing.
Culpepper said he hopes the skatepark is just the beginning of alternative sporting opportunities for kids.
County Commissioner Paul Higdon mentioned other areas he had visited where BMX courses were popular. “That could be a major attraction,” he said.
Taylor said the Town of Highlands converted some of its tennis courts into pickleball courts, and they are very popular. Macon County allocated $150,000 in this year’s budget to build pickleball courts.
The Town of Franklin is purchasing a 13.9-acre tract of land that will provide the long-awaited link to connect the Little Tennessee River Greenway and the Macon County Recreational Park. The town will partner with the county, which will manage and maintain the recreation area when completed, as it does the remainder of the Greenway.
The county received $250,000 from the N.C. legislature in fiscal year 2023 for streambank restoration at Rotary Park and repaving of various sections along the Greenway.
Both Franklin and Highlands are working to improve their sidewalks and accessibility for pedestrians. “We are concerned with walkability,” the Highlands mayor said.
Council member Culpepper asked about the possibility of changing the legislation on how the lodging tax collections are spent. He said using some of that money for infrastructure, such as sidewalks, would benefit residents and tourists alike.
“If you make your community a great place to live, people will want to come here,” he said, adding that personal recommendations do more than advertisements. “It’s word of mouth, it’s the beauty of the mountains, it’s the people here,” he said.
According to the act governing Franklin’s Tourism Development Authority, two-thirds of the lodging tax collections must be spent to promote travel and tourism and the remaining one-third may be spent on tourism-related expenditures.
County Commissioner Ronnie Beale said any change would need to be approved by the legislature but that it would be worth checking into and it would be a “no-brainer” to include infrastructure needs.
County Commissioner Josh Young said he was interested to hear the town’s ideas for downtown development and asked about the possibility of the courthouse and attorney offices moving from Main Street to the old hospital property.
He said he and his wife often eat out at towns in surrounding counties. “A lot of these small towns are beating us on Main Street.”
The Town of Franklin continues to look for ideas for downtown development and is working with a private property owner to study the possibility of restoring the Scott Griffin Hotel on Main Street as a boutique hotel with rooftop garden/restaurant.
“What we need to do is make sure our community is vibrant, and that we can recruit and provide opportunities for people to stay here, live here and work here,” Horton said.
In addition to the topics mentioned above, reports from each of the governing bodies included:
Town of Franklin
• The town has hired its first code enforcement officer. “Our goal is not to see how many tickets we can write, but to see how many people we can get to comply with the codes,” said Mayor Horton.
• The town’s police department has been short-staffed for several months. Horton reported the town has three candidates in Law Enforcement Training and swore in a new officer, Cody Tiger, last week.
• The town continues to update and repair its water and sewer lines and is planning an upgrade to the water treatment plant.
• The town will conduct a salary study of positions in all departments.
Town of Highlands
• Mayor Taylor reported on the Sept. 18 opening of the new $13 million Performing Arts Center.
• A new fire department is under construction. “The old department was inadequate in so many ways,” Taylor said. The new facility will have beds so the station can be staffed 24/7. The project is coming in on time and on budget. “That’s a huge win for Highlands,” the mayor said.
• A new fiber optic network is being installed to serve the town.
• One of the most recent challenges for the town concerns short term rentals and how they will impact future development of neighborhoods and the town in general.
• The mayor is working with Department of Transportation to prioritize road needs.
• The town received a $3.3 million grant to address critical water and sewer needs. The mayor said the demand on the water and sewer system, solid waste and recycling, and housing will need to be addressed as the population grows.
Macon County
“Macon County will continue investing in our future, improving our community and building upon our partnerships,” said Chairman Tate, who highlighted some of the county’s accomplishments.
• The $10.5 million Macon Middle School renovation project has been completed. The county has set aside $2.6 million for a gym/locker room facility at the school. Bids will be opened on Sept. 28.
• A selection committee is evaluating architect proposals to the addition of Pre-K classrooms at Highlands School. This will help address the lack of childcare in that area.
• The county has contracted with LS3P to develop schematic designs for a new Franklin High School. An update on that project will be given during a meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18 at the FHS Fine Arts Center.
• The Board of Commissioners voted to place the 1/4 cent local option sales tax on the Nov. 8 ballot.
• The county is providing $50,000 in matching funds for the GREAT grant received by Frontier for broadband expansion. The county also recently made its second and final payment of $290,000 to complete the South Macon broadband project in partnership with BalsamWest and Little T Broadband Services. The county and the broadband committee continue to pursue other funding opportunities for broadband expansion.
• The county has set aside $500,000 in fiscal year 2023 for renovations of the building purchased last year for a new Nantahala Library and Community Center. In addition to the local funding, the county received $200,000 from the state to go toward the project.