With a unanimous nod of approval, the Foxfire Village Council accepted a charitable donation of 156 acres of undeveloped land along the recently completely Woodland Circle Extension during their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, March 8.
Calling it a momentous decision, Mayor George Erickson thanked his fellow councilmen for their careful consideration of the gift, which was offered by the McKean Brothers Trust earlier this year in lieu of the $1.4 assessment due on the property.
Initiated five years ago by a petition of property owners, the $1.9 million 1.5 mile Woodland Circel Extension project was assessed to fourteen landowners, using an equal rate per acre methodology — a formula that placed the majority burden, at approximately 75% of the total, on McKean’s land.
In the last few weeks, the Council debated the legal consequences of accepting the gift versus obtaining the property through a foreclosure process, concerned in particular about the impact if environmental contamination were found at a later date by a developer.
With no clear answers, a large price tag on the research it would take to get answers, and the first loan payment on the project due in less than a month, a decision was taken.
“We’re going to get the land one way or another. We may as well not do it the hard way,” said Councilman Ed Lauer. “If they don’t pay and we go to court, we’ll still get the land as is.”
The fair market value of the property exceeds the assessment lien, thus the resolution declared the debt of the assessment paid in full.
Woodland Circle loan
The first loan payment on the Woodland Circle Extension is due on April 3. In a Special Meeting in February, the Council approved a financing revision with BB&T Bank requesting a two-year grace period of interest-only payments. If the loan revision request is approved by the NC Local Government Commission, Finance Director Leslie Frusco estimated the first payment will be $29,000 — a low figure that reflects unexpended funds returned to BB&T when the project came in under budget.
“We are committed to make an interest-only payment, and whatever is collected this year in addition will be sent as principal payment,” Frusco said. “If we collect $100,000, then we will send that entire amount.”
Finance
Frusco reported that the General Fund stood at $787,106 including $16,526 in Powell Bill funds, $20,981 in the Stonehill Pines fund, and $50,033 in capital restricted reserves, as of February 28. The Water Fund stands at $268,980, with an additional $135,461 held in restricted escrow for a new well.
In March, Mayor George Erickson, Frusco and Councilman Vic Koos will attend an online webinar sponsored by the NC School of Government, entitled “Citizen Participation in Local Government Budgeting.”
“We seek as much guidance as we possibly can as we embark on the budget process,” said Frusco. “Not only seeking public input, but we want to make sure our residents understand the budget process and what we need to do and why we need to do it — especially when you have tenuous economic times.”
A budget work session has been scheduled for Wednesday, March 30 at 6:00 pm.
Surplus water meters
Frusco recommended two options to liquidate approximately 400 old water meters held in storage —and also add a bit of revenue to the Village coffers.
Option one is to sell the meters on a government surplus website, option two is to sell the meters as scrap metal. With metal prices running high, she estimated each meter could sell for $12 to $15 on the scrap market.
After discussion, she agreed to continue to research alternatives.
Water
With Moore County under severe drought conditions, Councilman Lauer reported that wells are running normally, but reminded residents that Foxfire Village remains under voluntary water restrictions.
In addition, a test for leaks in the system was conducted and a second test will be run again in two weeks. “You always lose water in a system, but we’re hoping to zero in on any unknown leaks,” explained Lauer.
Public Safety
No one was injured, but a minor accident at the Foxfire Village fire station did cause some property damage.
“One of the firemen was driving the truck into the garage and his foot slipped. It was an accident,” said Koos.
He said the incident was reported for insurance purposes, and he was given the impression the damages will be covered.
Streets
A NC Department of Transportation traffic study and evaluation of the intersection of Hoffman and Richmond Road has not yet occurred, reported Councilman John Eltschlager.
In a related report, a copy of the recently approved resolution stating Foxfire’s opposition to the potential transfer of state roads to municipal maintenance was faxed to the Triangle J Council of Governments and also emailed to the NC League of Municipalities.
Recreation
Fencing at the Village Center swimming pool is not in compliance with new regulations, reported Mayor Erickson.
The Council approved the installationof a six foot wood picket fence at a cost of $4,990.
2010 Census data
According to recently released 2010 Census data, Foxfire experienced a surge in population over the last ten years — from 474 to 902 residents — a 90% increase, the largest percentage in Moore County.
“We tweaked the ordinances in the early 2000’s to encourage building in Foxfire,” said Erickson, noting changes in the square footage requirement for garages and also development of the Village Green Park. “We did some planning, and a lot of people worked real hard — and the result was people came and our population nearly doubled.”
Long Range Planning
A half-dozen focus group meetings were held by the Long Range Planning Committee, convening small groups with specific interests including families, retirees, and business owners.
Long Range Planning Chair Mick McCue said the data collected from these meetings will be used to create a more detailed survey that will be mailed out to all Foxfire residents.
