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Council Meets Thursday: New Member, Parking Time Limits, Charging Station, Budget

By Jesse Wood

The Boone Town Council will hold its monthly meeting on Thursday, and a variety of topics are on the agenda, from the budget and parking meters to the selection of a new council member, a potential solar shelter and electric car charger at the Depot Street parking lot and more.

Council Member Vacancy

In June, Boone Town Councilwoman Jennifer Pena announced that she was resigning in June because of plans to move to Greensboro to be close to family.

Three people – former Mayor Loretta Clawson, real estate agent David Welsh and real estate appraiser Jeannine Collins – applied for the vacancy by the June 5 deadline.

On Thursday, the Boone Town Council will select Pena’s successor.

Two-Hour Limit on Parking Meters?

On Thursday, the Boone Town Council will hear a recommendation from the Downtown Boone Development Association to change the time limits on the on-street parking meters in downtown Boone from one hour to two hours.

This recommendation came after numerous complaints from downtown merchants and a survey with 96 percent of the more than 1,000 respondents preferring an increase to the time limits.

Proposal for Electric Car Charger, Solar Shelter at Depot Lot

The town’s Sustainability Task Force will recommend to the Boone Town Council that it authorize the use of up to $27,000 in funds previously designated as sustainability funds for the construction of a minimum 5kW solar shelter and electric vehicle charger at the Depot Street parking lot.

Sustainability Task Force also has two other recommendations for a community bike program and support for a winter farmers’ market.

Adoption of the Budget

The Boone Town Council will vote on the proposed budget for fiscal year 2015-16.

While the Boone Town Council raised property taxes five cents last year, the recommended budget for the upcoming year features no property tax increase. Currently, the property tax rate stands at $0.41 cents per $100 valuation.

The $26-million budget features a 4.35 percent decrease in the general fund compared to the current budget of 2014-15. The budget funds the following:

  • General Fund: $15,044,836
  • E-911: $293,904
  • Narcotics: $26,500
  • Water/Sewer: $7,707,299
  • Insurance Fund: $1,766,500
  • Municipal Service District: $164,999
  • Rural Fire Service District: $1,082,085

Read more about the budget here.

See the entire agenda and packet information here.