Town Council — Boone, NC
Date: 2025-07-09

Town of Boone
 Town Council Regular Meeting
 9:00 AM, July 9, 2025
 Town Council Chambers
 1500 Blowing Rock Road


 I. Call to Order

 II. Moment of Silence

 III. Announcements

 1. Announcement of Board Vacancies
 For Information

 IV. Tentative Agenda Adoption

 V. Approval of Proclamations and Resolutions

 1. Approval of Resolution - G. Hollars
 For Action

 2. Disability Pride Month Proclamation
 For Approval

 VI. Public Comment

 VII. Work Session

 1. Boone Fair Housing Ordinance
 For Action

 VIII. Approval of Items on Consent Agenda

 1. Transportation Projects for the 2028-2037 State Transportation Improvement
 Program
 For Approval

 2. Hickory Ridge Accessible Path - Change Order
 For Action

 3. Approval of Contract - Department of Commerce (Howard Street Revitalization
 Project)
 For Action

 4. Boone BOO! ordinance
 For Action

 5. Approval of Budget Amendment
 For Action

Town of Boone Town Council July 9, 2025
 1
 IX. Council Matters

 1. Boone Fair Housing Ordinance
 For Action

 2. Update on North Street Park
 For Information

 3. Human Relations Commission Request
 For Approval

 4. Appointment to Cultural Resources Advisory Board
 For Action

 5. Appointment to Historic Preservation Commission
 For Action

 6. Appointment to Sustainability Committee
 For Action

 X. Mayor Report

 XI. Town Manager Report

 XII. Town Attorney Report

 XIII. Board Liaison Report

 XIV. Closed Session
 1. N.C. Gen. Stat.§ 143-318.11(a)(1), to review, approve, and seal closed session
 minutes from Council's prior closed session(s).

 2. N.C. Gen. Stat.§ 143-318.11(a)(3), to consult with the Town Attorney in order to
 preserve the attorney-client privilege between the attorney and the Town Council, and
 obtain legal advice, consider, and/or give instructions to the attorney concerning one or
 more potential legal claims.

 XV. Potential Action Following Closed Session

 XVI. Adjournment




Town of Boone Town Council July 9, 2025
 2

MINUTES – REGULAR MEETING
 BOONE TOWN COUNCIL
 JULY 9, 2025

CALL TO ORDER

A regular meeting of the Boone Town Council was called to order at 9:00 a.m. on
Wednes day, July 9, 2025, in the Town Council Chambers located at 1500 Blowing Rock
Road in Boone. Mayor Tim Futrelle pres ided. Town Council members pres ent included
Mayor Pro-Tem Dalton George, Todd Carter, Virginia Ros eman, and Eric Plaag. Staff
pres ent included Town Manager Amy Davis , Town Clerk Nicole Harmon-Church, Planning
Director Jane Shook, Public Works Director Todd Moody, Deputy Public Works Director
Jus tin Stines , Sus tainability and Special Projects Manager George Santucci, Police Chief
Daniel Duckworth, Cultural Res ources Director Mark Freed, Human Res ources Director
Dale Pres nell (remote), and Town Attorney Allis on Meade.

MOMENT OF SILENCE

A moment of s ilence was obs erved.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Mayor Futrelle announced the following board vacancies:

BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT
One regular pos ition, three alternate pos itions

DOWNTOWN BOONE DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION
Four Council-appointed pos itions

HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION
Three regular pos itions

PLANNING COMMISSION
One regular pos ition

SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE
One regular pos ition, three s tudent pos itions

Councilmember Plaag indicated that he had recently run into Donna Breitens tein, who
inquired about the members ’ availability to participate in an event to unveil a quilt honoring
the country’s 250 th annivers ary. He noted that he was unable to attend the event, but
invited others to participate if they were able.
TENTATIVE AGENDA ADOPTION

Upon a motion by Mayor Pro-Tem George, s econded by Councilmember Carter, Council
voted to approve the agenda as pres ented.

 VOTE: Aye: George, Carter, Ros eman, Plaag
 Nay: None
 Abs ent:Tugman

APPROVAL OF PROCLAMATIONS AND RESOLUTIONS

Mayor Futrelle read the following res olution into the record:

 RESOLUTION HONORING THE RETIREMENT OF GREGORY HOLLARS
WHEREAS, Gregory Hollars began his dedicated service to the Town of Boone on Augus t 15, 1995,
as a Utilities Maintenance Worker in the Public Works Department, bringing with him a strong work
ethic, a commitment to excellence, and a deep care for his community; and

WHEREAS, Gregory’s exceptional performance and leadership skills led to a series of well-earned
promotions , including Equipment Operator in July 1996, Street Department Supervis or in February
1997, Fleet Supervisor in September 1999, again as Street Department Supervisor in November
2000, Interim Street Department Superintendent in Augus t 2014, and finally, Street Department
Superintendent on January 12, 2015; and

WHEREAS, over the cours e of his 30-year career, Gregory Hollars has exemplified profes s ionalism,
integrity, and dedication while s upervis ing a team of 10 employees , overseeing the maintenance
and safety of 42.9 miles of roadway, and ens uring effective management of critical town
infras tructure including s tormwater sys tems , s treet s ignage, street lighting, snow removal, and
department budgeting and procurement; and

WHEREAS, Gregory’s leadership and institutional knowledge have made a las ting impact on the
Town of Boone, s etting a high standard for service and leaving behind a legacy of operational
excellence and community s tewardship; and

WHEREAS, after decades of service to the Town and its res idents , Gregory is retiring to enjoy a
well-deserved next chapter focused on s pending quality time with his beloved grands on, Grey, and
purs uing entrepreneurial endeavors through his bus iness , DirtWorx;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Boone Town Council hereby honors and commends
Gregory Hollars for his outs tanding s ervice, express es its s incere gratitude for his years of
dedication and leaders hip, and extends best wis hes for a happy, healthy, and fulfilling retirement.
Upon a motion by Councilmember Plaag, s econded by Councilmember Ros eman, Council
voted to approve the res olution as pres ented.

 VOTE: Aye: Plaag, Ros eman, Carter, George
 Nay: None
 Abs ent:Tugman

Members expres s ed their thanks to Mr. Hollars for his hard work and dedication during his
30-year career. Mr. Hollars , in turn, thanked Town s taff and Council members for their
s upport over the years .

Mayor Pro-Tem George read the following proclamation into the record:

 TOWN OF BOONE
 DISABILITY PRIDE MONTH PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS, Dis ability Pride Month is celebrated nationally and internationally each July to
commemorate the s igning of the Americans with Dis abilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990, a
landmark civil rights law prohibiting dis crimination agains t people with dis abilities ; and
WHEREAS, Dis ability Pride Month provides an opportunity to recognize and honor the
his tory, culture, and accomplis hments of individuals with dis abilities in various fields,
including education, employment, arts , s ports , s cience, and advocacy while affirming
dis ability as a natural and valuable part of human divers ity, where all individuals are treated
with dignity, res pect, and equality, and where barriers to participation and inclus ion are
eliminated; and
WHEREAS, the Town of Boone acknowledges the barriers and challenges faced by
individuals with dis abilities , including s ocietal attitudes , built and architectural barriers ,
lack of access ibility, discrimination, and unequal opportunities ; and
WHEREAS, approximately 15% of the world’s population are dis abled, repres enting a rich
s pectrum of identities acros s age, race, ethnicity, gender, s exuality, religion, and
s ocioeconomic background; and
WHEREAS, we appreciate the efforts of dis ability rights activis ts , organizations , and
advocates who work tireles s ly to advance the rights , independence, and well-being of
individuals with dis abilities , and to create a more inclus ive and acces sible world for all; and
WHEREAS, the Town of Boone is home to a vibrant and divers e dis abled community whos e
pres ence, leaders hip, creativity, and advocacy deeply enrich our town; and
WHEREAS, this month challenges ableis m, combats s tigma, and promotes full inclus ion
and equity by recognizing that dis ability is not a deficit—but a vital part of who people are
and how they move through the world; and
WHEREAS, the Town of Boone is committed to being a town where all people, including
thos e with dis abilities , can live with dignity, s afety, access , joy, and pride;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that I, Tim Futrelle, Mayor of the Town of Boone, along
with the Boone Town Council do hereby proclaim July 2025 as Dis ability Pride Month in
Boone, North Carolina, and call upon all res idents to join in recognizing and celebrating the
dis abled members of our community with vis ibility, res pect, and s olidarity.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Town of Boone Human Relations Commis s ion will be
hos ting a Dis ability Pride event on Saturday, July 26, from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm at the
Watauga Agricultural Conference Center.

Upon a motion by Councilmember Ros eman, seconded by Councilmember Carter,
Council voted to approve the proclamation as pres ented.

 VOTE: Aye: Ros eman, Carter, George, Plaag
 Nay: None
 Abs ent:Tugman

PUBLIC COMMENT

There were no s peakers s igned up for public comment.

WORK SESSION

Councilmember Plaag initiated the dis cus s ion by s tating that, given recent developments ,
it was time to revis it the Town’s Nondis crimination Ordinance (NDO). He recommended
exploring options to either modify the ordinance or adopt additional meas ures that clearly
communicate the Town’s commitment to defending res idents ’ rights .

Attorney Meade recalled that during the initial adoption of the NDO, the Town pas s ed the
s tronges t vers ion pos s ible without requiring the creation of a new employee pos ition. She
explained that, in North Carolina, hous ing dis crimination claims could be purs ued under
the s tate’s Fair Hous ing Act, which was enforceable by the government. Ms . Meade noted
that the Town’s ordinance defined racial and s ex-bas ed dis crimination as broadly as
permitted under current legal cons traints , and any further expans ion would likely require
employee certification and the addition of inves tigative and legal s taff.
Councilmember Carter thanked Councilmember Plaag for bringing the matter forward and
reminded the group that the Town had previous ly cons ulted with Gene Troy, with the North
Carolina Human Relations Commis s ion (Civil Rights Divis ion), who advis ed that Boone’s
ordinance was among the s tronges t in the s tate, apart from the s tate-level Fair Hous ing
Ordinance. Councilmember Carter expres s ed interes t in determining whether the Town
could feas ibly take further action. He clarified that cas es of hous ing dis crimination are
currently referred to the s tate.

Mayor Pro-Tem George noted that the exis ting NDO already covers many is s ues addres sed
by fair hous ing law and s ugges ted that aligning the Town’s efforts with s tate s tatutes might
be s ufficient. Attorney Meade rais ed the ques tion of whether the concern pertained to
local ins tances of dis crimination or to the performance of the North Carolina Human
Relations Commis s ion (NCHRC). She as s umed the is s ue was more likely a lack of public
awarenes s rather than government inaction, and s ugges ted that the Town focus on
education while relying on the s tate’s es tablis hed legal framework.

Councilmember Plaag voiced concern over ongoing rhetoric at both the s tate and federal
levels regarding efforts to s trip rights from LGBTQ+ individuals . He felt that Boone’s
ordinance was not as explicitly clear as others and propos ed including language that
referenced the protections available under s tate law. Councilmember Plaag emphas ized
the need for better public education and s ugges ted the creation of a “Tenants ’ Bill of
Rights .” He als o mentioned that funding might be available to reimburs e municipalities for
related cos ts .

Attorney Meade dis agreed with the idea that s ecuring outs ide funding alone would make
local enforcement equivalent to s tate-level expertis e. She s tated that s he had never
received a hous ing dis crimination complaint during her tenure and ques tioned whether
there was a need to duplicate the s tate's enforcement role. However, s he s upported
adding language to clarify that hous ing complaints were handled by the s tate and including
educational res ources to help res idents unders tand their rights .

Councilmember Ros eman s ugges ted including hyperlinks on the Town’s webs ite to
redirect res idents to relevant information. Councilmember Carter noted that the Human
Relations Commis s ion (HRC) was developing a new webpage and planned to hold a Fair
Hous ing Conference in April.

Mayor Pro-Tem George inquired about the pos s ibility of partnering with Appalachian State
Univers ity (ASU), but Attorney Meade expres s ed caution, emphas izing that is s ues of
dis crimination s hould not be taken lightly. Mayor Pro-Tem George pointed out that
res olutions often drew public attention, and Attorney Meade agreed that a res olution
would be appropriate without the need to create an entirely new ordinance.

Mayor Pro-Tem George offered to help draft an educational res olution and bring it back for
review. There was general s upport for Attorney Meade to work on language to enhance the
current NDO and for s taff to add educational links to the Town’s webs ite. Councilmember
Carter s upported this approach and recommended cons ulting Equality NC to determine
whether s imilar language had already been us ed in other s mall municipalities . Attorney
Meade s hared that when s he originally drafted Boone’s NDO, s he had us ed Equality NC’s
model ordinance and res earched examples from other municipalities to produce the
s tronges t pos s ible vers ion. She recommended that s taff reach out to Gene Troy for further
guidance.

After a brief dis cus s ion, there was cons ens us for Attorney Meade and Councilmember
Carter to explore adding clarifying language about fair hous ing to the NDO without creating
a new ordinance, while Mayor Pro-Tem and Councilmember Plaag would work on a
res olution and informational piece to help the public unders tand their rights .

ADOPTION OF ITEMS ON CONSENT AGENDA

Upon a motion by Councilmember Ros eman, seconded by Councilmember Plaag, Council
voted to approve the following items on the cons ent agenda:

 1. Trans portation Projects for the 2008-2037 State Trans portation Improvement
 Program
 2. Hickory Ridge Acces s ible Path – Change Order
 3. Contract – Department of Commerce (Howard Street Revitalization Project)
 4. Boone BOO! Ordinance
 5. Budget Amendment
 a. Police Department

To: Crime Prevention 010-500-300-51310 $3,500.00
 Appropriated Fund
From: 010-000-000-499900 ($3,500.00)
 Balance

 Explanation: Walmart Sparkgood grant funding for Shop with a Cop and
 National Night Out.

COUNCIL MATTERS

BOONE FAIR HOUSING ORDINANCE

Upon a motion by Councilmember Plaag, s econded by Mayor Pro-Tem George, Council
voted to table this agenda item.

 VOTE: Aye: Plaag, George, Carter, Ros eman
 Nay: None
 Abs ent: Tugman

UPDATE ON NORTH STREET PARK

Cultural Res ources Director Mark Freed reported that in 2019, he joined a regional art
project initiative and s elected a project focus ed on Pegge Laine and the Junalus ka
community, which included the Claris s a Hill Cemetery, an ABC book, and the
development of a community garden in North Street Park. As part of this project, the
exis ting fence was removed, and rais ed bed gardens were cons tructed. He informed the
Council that the project was s till ongoing at a modes t pace.

Director Freed noted that the community had been s urveyed and expres s ed interes t in
improving the parking area, enhancing the entryway, adding a pavilion, and incorporating
s torytelling elements to s hare the his tory of the Junalus ka community. Ms . Laine s hared
that work was underway to s ecure his torical markers for the Claris s a Hill Cemetery and
expres s ed the need to es tablis h North Street Park as a pocket park. She then provided a
brief his tory of the s ite.

Councilmember Plaag s ugges ted incorporating the Northern Peaks Trail into the project
and recommended cons idering a renaming opportunity for the park. Names s uch as
Horton, Hagler, and Jacks on Park were mentioned, with the intention of honoring
s ignificant Black leaders from the community. Councilmember Plaag expres s ed s trong
s upport for reimagining the s pace in a way that reflects the community’s legacy.

Mayor Pro-Tem George voiced s upport for moving forward with the project. In res pons e to
Councilmember Carter’s ques tion about whether the project involved expans ion, Director
Freed clarified that the work would be limited to improving the Queen Street lot entryway
and parking area, with no expans ion of the park’s footprint.

Ms . Laine confirmed that s he would continue efforts to collect and pres erve community
s tories . There was consens us among the group to proceed with reques ting funding for the
project. Councilmember Plaag recommended involving Laney Wis e in the proces s to
obtain grant funding, if pos s ible.

HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION REQUEST

Councilmember Carter made a motion to approve the reques t for funding in the amount of
$940 as s ubmitted. Mayor Pro-Tem George s econded the motion.

 VOTE: Aye: Carter, George, Ros eman, Plaag
 Nay: None
 Abs ent:Tugman
APPOINTMENT TO CULTURAL RESOURCES ADVISORY BOARD

Councilmember Plaag expres s ed discomfort with appointing a member to a Town board
who does not res ide in the county. Cultural Res ources Director Freed noted that the
applicant is actively inves ted in the mus ic s chool at Appalachian State Univers ity and the
local mus ic s cene, and maintains a pres ence in the area. Attorney Meade noted that
Blowing Rock is partially located in Caldwell County.

Councilmember Carter as ked if there were any objections to the nomination. Director
Freed s tated that he had none and remarked that the applicant would bring a different
pers pective, noting that no other applications had been s ubmitted.

Councilmember Carter nominated Jus tin Butler to s erve on the Cultural Res ources
Advis ory Board. Hearing no further nominations , Mayor Futrelle called for a vote.

 VOTE: Aye: Carter, Ros eman, George, Plaag
 Nay: None
 Abs ent:Tugman

Jus tin’s term will expire on July 30, 2028.

APPOINTMENT TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION

Councilmember Ros eman appointed Krys tal Carter to the open term expiring June 30,
2027, and noted that Ms . Carter’s work s chedule had been altered to allow her to attend
meetings , citing this as the reas on s he res igned her previous pos ition. Councilmember
Ros eman als o nominated Melody Oxendine for the open s tudent s eat. Councilmember
Plaag noted that he knew applicants As cher and Benny s ocially and had s ome dis comfort
becaus e he knew that As cher would not be available for the whole duration of the
meetings . He s tated that Benny was an enthus ias tic his torian and s upported their
pres ence as a s tudent repres entative. Councilmember Plaag as ked if Councilmember
Ros eman would be willing to nominate Melody to a regular s eat and Benny to the s tudent
s eat. Councilmember Ros eman accepted this s ugges tion. Hearing no further nominations ,
Mayor Futrelle called for a vote.

 VOTE: Aye: Ros eman, Carter, George, Plaag
 Nay: None
 Abs ent:Tugman

Melody and Krys tal’s terms will expire on June 30, 2027. Benny’s term will expire on June
30, 2026.
APPOINTMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE

Mayor Pro-Tem George nominated Mike Kapp to s erve on the Sus tainability Committee.
Hearing no further nominations , Mayor Futrelle called for a vote.

 VOTE: Aye: George, Carter, Ros eman, Plaag
 Nay: None
 Abs ent: Tugman

Mike’s term will expire on June 30, 2028.

TOWN MANAGER REPORT

Town Manager Davis updated members on the following matters :

 1. Parking – s taff has s old 16 employee pas s es and has not heard any complaints
 regarding rate increas es . Manager Davis reques ted that an agenda item regarding
 limiting pay s tation parking to 2 hours on game days be added for the next meeting.

 2. Jaycee Park parking agreement – Manager Davis reported that s taff had been in
 touch with Marrena Greer at SAHA, who was unable to find any s uch agreement in
 their files . Ms . Greer invited Councilmember Ros eman to come look for agreement
 if s he wis hed. In reference to documents previous ly s ent out by Councilmember
 Plaag, he indicated that it was clear that the property was purchas ed by the Town,
 not a gift. Councilmember Ros eman indicated that s he would work with Billy Ralph
 Winkler to continue the s earch for the document. Councilmember Plaag s ugges ted
 s taff reach out to Barney Hampton as well.

 3. Grants – Staff reported receiving $35,000 from the Arbor Day Foundation for tree
 cleanup at the Rivers Hous e property. Manager Davis indicated that s taff had
 initially applied for $25,000, but was awarded more s ince the Town was s uch a good
 member. Councilmember Plaag noted that a dozen large trees were down on the
 property and as ked how far into the cleanup proces s the funds would get s taff.
 Public Works Director Todd Moody res ponded that he believed mos t of the fallen
 trees could be removed with that amount of money.

 4. Sus tainability – Manager Davis indicated that interns were working at the Elizabeth
 Young Community Gardens on s ignage to identify plots , pollinator and perennial
 plots , and battery-powered pump s tations to fill tanks .
 5. Sus tainability – Staff is exploring trolleys for the area and employee parking
 incentives .

 6. Cultural Res ources – the High Country Water Media Society is exhibiting at the
 Jones Hous e in July. Manager Davis announced that Old Time Jam Ses s ions ,
 Summer Slow Jams , and Summer Concerts were ongoing and announced the
 upcoming Doc Wats on Day and Bus ker Fes t. She noted that the July 4th fireworks
 went well.

 7. Police Department – Manager Davis announced that the department would s oon be
 expanding its s ocial work program to add a peer s upport s pecialis t through the
 Protect and Connect grant program, and would be hiring one full-time police officer
 to partner with the peer s upport s pecialis ts as part of a co-res pons e team. She
 noted that, together, they would integrate law enforcement techniques with peer
 s upport s ervices and help connect individuals to appropriate res ources . The goal is
 to meet the individual needs of thos e where they are, and when officers are not on
 active calls , they will follow up with members of the homeles s community and
 make wellnes s calls to victims of car cras hes or other incidents in an effort to
 enhance community outreach and improve the overall level of cus tomer s ervice
 provided by the department.

 8. Planning and Ins pections – the Boone Next document has been added to the
 webs ite, a pres s release went out today, and the webs ite is up.

 9. Work has s tarted on the Pos t Office roof.

 10. Public Works – Milling and Res urfacing will begin this week on the following s treets :
 Arbor Lane, Edgewood Drive, Council Street, and Hillcres t Circle. Cons truction of
 the Daniel Boone Gardens pavilion was completed in June, and events are taking
 place.

 11. Renovations to the Council Chambers will begin in the coming weeks , and s taff are
 working to s ecure an alternate meeting location.

TOWN ATTORNEY UPDATE

Attorney Meade provided a reminder regarding the Town’s ethics and gift policy, noting that
an offer involving Symphony by Chetola Lake tickets had recently been brought to her
attention. Council members were reminded that they are not permitted to accept gifts of
value in their capacity as public officials .
Councilmember Carter noted that he and a co-worker had accepted invitations in
connection with their employment at the Hos pitality Hous e. Attorney Meade emphas ized
the importance of ens uring that all invitations and offers are clearly in compliance with the
Town’s ethics policy. Council was advis ed to reach out with any ques tions or concerns
regarding the acceptance of gifts or event invitations .

Next, Council dis cus s ed a reques t from an overdos e awarenes s organization to ins tall a
temporary exhibit at Claws on-Burnley Park, which would include pos ters placed in the
ground for s ome days or weeks . The group als o propos ed a “purple pantry” which would
contain overdos e s upplies and a gathering/rally to occur one day in Augus t. Attorney
Meade expres s ed discomfort with the reques t for the temporary exhibit ins tallation from a
Firs t Amendment s tandpoint, noting that all regulations for Town parks mus t be content-
neutral. Allowing this ins tallation would require allowing s imilar requests from any group.
Given this concern, s he recommended not allowing the exhibit at this time. However, s he
drew a dis tinction between the propos ed temporary exhibit, on the one hand, and the
propos ed “purple pantry” and the s pecial event gathering, on the other.

Councilmember Plaag s ugges ted that a pantry could be ins talled and us ed s imilar to the
Little Free Libraries in town, but ins tead to offer medical s upplies . He s tated the argument
could be made that this was a health and welfare need and did not s ee a reas on the Town
could not partner with this organization and des ignate the park as a s upply location. Mayor
Pro-Tem George agreed and expres s ed s upport for this concept.

Regarding public gatherings s imilar to the one reques ted, Attorney Meade clarified that the
Town has not his torically required permits , and that gatherings in town parks are generally
protected under the Firs t Amendment as core expres s ive conduct. If a permit is ever
required for public s afety reas ons , s he noted that the s ame rules mus t apply to all groups .
Mayor Pro-Tem George as ked if s taff could direct Cultural Res ources Director Freed to
ins tall the pos ter exhibit at the park. Attorney Meade res ponded that Town-funded and
s upported initiatives might be pos s ible. She added that gatherings can occur freely, and
that unles s there is a demons trated problem, no additional regulation is needed at this
time. It was agreed by cons ens us that Ms . Meade would inves tigate legal parameters for
both a purple pantry and for the pos s ibility of the town engaging in expres s ive activity in the
park while excluding the s ame activity by private s peakers .

BOARD LIAISON REPORT

Mayor Futrelle announced that the firs t and only double-decker bus in the s tate was
recently unveiled in Boone.
Councilmember Ros eman s tated that the His toric Pres ervation Commis s ion had not met
s ince her las t report and that meetings would res ume in Augus t.

Mayor Pro-Tem George announced that cons truction on the ABC Store expans ion began
recently.


Councilmember Plaag reported that Dr. Scott Elliott attended the recent Economic
Development Commis s ion meeting and reported on hurricane recovery in the area. He
s tated that he appreciated Dr. Elliott looking out for Wes tern North Carolina and Boone.

Councilmember Plaag reported that the DBDA expres s ed a s trong des ire for the removal of
the arcade s tructure located in front of Fire Station 1, citing its deteriorated condition. The
board noted that removal has been complicated by the adjacent property, but emphas ized
the need to proceed, even if the Town mus t cover the cos t of removal on the neighboring
property. It was mentioned that the His toric Pres ervation Commis s ion (HPC) has had the
arcade's removal on its wis h lis t for over ten years . Additionally, the board reques ted the
removal of the s tructures on the former Boone Drug building and Off the Rack, as well as
the pillars located in front of Town Hall. Town Manager Davis noted that the current budget
does not include a cons truction line item to s upport thes e removals .

Next, Councilmember Plaag relayed concerns that the Appalachian Theatre had not s een
or been cons ulted on the final plans for curb cuts , gutters , and driveways on Howard
Street. He emphas ized the importance of ens uring that bus es can acces s the theatre and
reques ted that the final pavement and hards cape plans be s hared with DBDA members .
Manager Davis acknowledged the reques t for renderings but noted that it would be too late
in the proces s and cos t-prohibitive to produce detailed drawings at this s tage.
Councilmember Plaag agreed, but felt that plans were s till neces s ary to ens ure
functionality. Public Works Director Moody as s ured members that pavement and
hards cape plans would be dis tributed to DBDA members . He added that it would not be
feas ible to change plans at this point in the project to provide bus acces s to the rear of the
theatre. Councilmember Plaag s tres s ed the importance of not limiting the theatre’s ability
to produce and hos t performances due to acces s is sues. Mayor Pro-Tem George
s ugges ted the Town could allow the theatre to us e the Town's parking lot if needed,
pos s ibly through a leas e agreement or other arrangement.

Upon a motion by Mayor Pro-Tem George, s econded by Councilmember Ros eman,
Council voted to adjourn the meeting at 11:18 a.m.

 VOTE: Aye: George, Ros eman, Carter, Plaag
 Nay: None
 Abs ent:Tugman




______________________________________ _______________________________________
Nicole Harmon-Church, Clerk Tim Futrelle, Mayor