Fully trained and certified, Ruger, a five-year-old Czech shepherd was sworn in on Tuesday, November 9, as the newest member of the Foxfire Police Department.
Initiated over a year ago, Foxfire’s K9 program started with the donation of a puppy and assistance from Sandhills K9.
Unfortunately, after several months of training, the puppy named Asia was unable to pass the required certifications and simply did not exhibit the drive necessary to serve as a police dog. Chief Mike Campbell said she was placed in a good home, but that left the program was in limbo.
Through a stroke of good luck, K2 Solutions, another local training facility that primarily works with military dogs, heard that an Indiana Sheriff’s office had a certified K9 available and recommended the dog to the Foxfire Police.
Worth an estimated $16,000 to $18,000 in training and equipment, Campbell was able to negotiate for the purchase of Ruger and his equipment for the ridiculously low sum of $500. He explained that the Indiana force had undergone a major personnel change and their K9 program was eliminated with one dog retired and the other being Ruger.
A dual-trained K9 officer, he can perform searches for both people and narcotics, and is also trained to attack on command. Intimidating in size but the perfect gentleman when in good company, Ruger was a big hit at West Pine Elementary during a recent K9 demonstration during Red Ribbon Week.
While on-duty with Sgt. Chad Shue, he has already proved his mettle by alerting Shue twice to the presence of narcotics.
In addition, Foxfire Police also recently welcomed part-time Officer Scott Patterson.
Woodland Circle Extension
Two flat gutter areas on the Woodland Circle Extension project do not meet specifications and will allow water to pond for longer than desired periods but should not affect the long term integrity of the road and were described by both Foxfire consultant Tom Collins and Neil Smith Engineering as minor concerns.
Rather than repair that section, which was already repaved earlier this year, Smith recommended accepting the road as-is. All other items on the punch list have been satisfied once final paperwork is received later this week.
Due to delays by the culvert supplier, Smith said the contractor had been granted a 93-day extension on the project. In addition, inclement weather delayed proof rolling work on the sub-grade last November through January, which has prompted the contractor to ask for another extension grace period, this time for 110 days. Smith reported 56 days of unavoidable weather delays and 39 days when the project was shut-down during Winter and recommended the Foxfire Village Council grant a 95 day extension for weather.
The final payment request of $240,000 was submitted by the contractor several months ago and at $1.6 million, the total project cost is under budget, reported Collins.
A Special Meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, November 16 at 7 pm and, if the requested documents have been received, the Woodland Circle Extension project will be placed on the agenda for final approval.
Finance
Forty-two percent of the current year’s property taxes have been collected, reported Finance Director Leslie Frusco. Reminder notices will be sent and the deadline for payment without penalty is January 5.
The General Fund stands at $608,534 which includes $16,722 in Powell Bill funds, $20,977 in the Stonehill Pines account, and $50,023 held in capital reserves. In addition, $725,844 in General Funds from BB&T loan proceeds remains in the Woodland Circle Extension project.
Frusco reported the Water Fund at $277,471 which does not include an additional $26,561 in loan proceeds held for the Woodland Circle Extension project and $135,405 set aside is a restricted escrow account for a new well.
The first payment on the Woodland Circle loan, anticipated at $269,864 from the General Fund and $19,069 from the Water Fund, will be due in April 2011.
Frusco also reported that she is reviewing four bids for next year’s audit report and will make a recommendation to the Council in December. Last year’s audit report was submitted but has not yet received final approval by the local government commission.
Long Range Planning
Not surprisingly, survey results collected from Village residents run the gamut from some advocating for no future growth while others are looking forward to the possibilities of shopping locally at grocery stores and restaurants, reported Long Range Planning Chair Mick McCue.
He said the committee is reviewing responses to the survey and also putting together a baseline of cost information. Small focus groups will be formed for more comprehensive discussion over the coming months.
“I would anticipate that you’ll get the most qualitative and quantitative data in the focus groups and will allow you to put price tags on desires,” Frusco said, noting that the Council is facing a difficult budget process for next year.
McCue agreed to provide a preliminary report on the survey to the Council by February when budget discussions will commence.
Water
Inclement weather caused some delays in water tower refurbishment project, but work should be complete by Thanksgiving week, reported Councilman Ed Lauer.
To comply with new State regulations, the Village must approve a new Water Shortage Response Plan. Lauer explained that unlike the existing plan which recommends specific actions to reduce water consumption during periods of drought, the new plan outlines the State’s requirement that reductions be measurable through a demonstrated decrease based on the customer’s previous billing period. The new plan includes reduced fines for non-compliance in Foxfire, but a surcharge will be added when voluntary restrictions are in place.
Lauer explained the surcharge makes fiscal sense because it allows the Water Department to offset lesser revenue as a result of decreased water usage.
Action to approve the Water Shortage Response Plan was tabled until December to allow time for public comment and review. A complete copy of the plan is available at the office and on the Foxfire Village website.
Irrigation meter fee
In a related discussion, the Council also approved a new irrigation meter application and fees, as required by the State.
Per new regulations, a separate meter is now required for irrigation systems in addition to the primary water meter. The meter may be hooked into the system as a secondary or independent meter and fees will depend on how the water line is hooked up at the connection and also by the size of the water lines.
Streets
In response to several recent traffic-related fatalities in the Village, Councilman John Eltschlager reported a letter was sent to NC-Department of Transportation requesting an evaluation of the Richmond and Hoffman Roads intersection.
Also, while work continues on the water tower, the mobile yard waste truck will continue to be available on Tuesdays and Fridays, between 4:00 and 5:00 pm.
Other Business
In other business on Tuesday, November 9, the Foxfire Village Council:
• Heard from Erickson that one bid has been received and another is anticipated for tennis court improvements.
• Heard from Erickson that during a recent meeting with NC-DOT and county officials, the Town of Carthage is under pressure to make a decision regarding several proposed bypass routes. “They have gone on record as opposing the north and south routes; at some point, the State argued the impasse will begin to hurt other points in the county and state.”
Tabled a proposed animal ordinance for discussion during the Tuesday, November 16 Special Meeting.
• Heard from Erickson that Foxfire Resort & Golf representatives confirmed their concerns that rezoning the property into the proposed Recreational District could lower its value in the eyes of lenders. “Lenders ask two major questions,” said Erickson, “What is the zoning and do you have water to supply the course?”
Thanked Mr. and Mrs. Mick McCue for organizing the community Trunk or Treat party at the Village Green.
On Thursday, November 11, at 3:00 pm, a Flag Pole Dedication at the new memorial garden is scheduled.
Councilman Vic Koos was unable to attend the meeting.
