Town leaders drop ‘aldermen’ title in favor of ‘town council’
Public hearing on revised town charter set for April
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
March 9, 2021
The governing body of the Town of Black Mountain will now be recognized as the Town Council, following a unanimous vote in the March 8 regular meeting.
The title replaces the previous designation, “board of alderman,” which is derived from an Old English word meaning “elder man.”
Pam King, who was elected to the board in November, proposed the change to a gender-inclusive title in January, when elected officials began considering revisions to the town charter, the founding document of the municipality.
Ordinance No. O-21-02 amends Articles I and II of the town’s code of ordinances, replacing the term “board of aldermen” with “town council.”
“Any reference to the ‘board of aldermen’ or the ‘aldermen’ in the Town of Black Mountain Code of Ordinances shall mean the Town Council and council member or council members,” the amended Article I, Section 1-5 states.
The ordinance was presented by town attorney Ron Sneed, who added “it will take a small lifetime to make all the changes to our code of ordinances.”
A motion by King to change the name of the town’s governing body was supported by each of the other four members of the board.
Public discussion about changing the title of local elected officials began as leaders reviewed the town charter, which has not undergone substantial revision since the 1950s. A series of workshops, addressing archaic language in the document and the length of time council members appointed to fill vacancies are to serve, resulted in a revised charter that will be presented in a public hearing set for Monday, April 12.
Other new business addressed by the council in the March meeting related to refinancing the building that houses the town’s public works and recreation departments at 304 Black Mountain Avenue. Town Manager Josh Harrold presented two options intended to reduce the amount of debt owed on the property, which was purchased in 2018.
The town council unanimously approved a motion by Ryan Stone to refinance the remaining balance of roughly $700,000 for 11 years at an interest rate of 2.03%, down from the current rate of 3.49%.
Approximately $500,000 from the sale of the former public works building will be applied to the new loan, according to Harrold.
“We will end up refinancing around $700,000 instead of the current $1.3 million,” he said.
Council members approved a grant agreement with the N.C. Department of Water Quality to assist in the funding of a project that will restore the bank along approximately 1,500 linear feet of the Swannanoa River through Veterans Park. The town was notified in September of 2020 that it would receive $74,000 through the N.C. DWQ to support the project, which will also be funded through grants from the Duke Energy Fund and the Pigeon River Fund.
“We’ll be able to do this project, which is around $200,000, for essentially no cost to the town,” Harrold said. “We will do some in-kind work, and we will help with a few things, but as far as us sending a check to someone, we won’t have to do that.”
Erosion of the banks along that stretch of the river, which is listed on the Department of Environmental Quality’s 303(d) impaired waters list, is compromising the existing trails and northern section of the disc golf course in the park, according to the town manager. Restoration efforts will focus on stabilizing the banks using native trees and shrubs.
Harrold also provided town council and the public with an update on the status of Phase II of the Riverwalk Greenway. Town leaders learned in October of last year that the planned route for the central portion of the local greenway was not feasible due floodway regulations near the Swannanoa River. The development jeopardized the off-road concept for the $6 million project, which is supported by federal, state and local funding.
Designers were considering alternate routes, including a possible on-road option that would utilize existing infrastructure supplemented with improved crosswalks and bike lanes. A potential off-road option emerged after the February town council meeting, according to Harrold.
“We are now looking at that route,” he said. “We’ve talked to DOT about what that looks like, logistically, if we start changing the route. I don’t think that’s a big issue for them, but I think the biggest hurdle will be getting (Norfolk Southern’s) blessing on an unprotected crossing on Hemphill Road.”