The Weddin gton Journal - the Town of Weddington, NC
Transcription
The Weddin gton Journal - the Town of Weddington, NC
The Weddington Journal Official Newsletter of the Town of Weddington May 2009 Weddington Welcome s a New Planner Town of Weddington 1924 Weddington Road Jordan C. Cook is the newest addition to the staff at the Town of Weddington. He is originally from Mooresville, NC, grew up there and graduated from Mooresville Senior High School. Jordan went on to East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. He graduated from ECU in 2005 with a degree in Urban and Regional Planning and a minor in Public History. Prior to coming to the Town of Weddington, Jordan worked as a Planner/GIS Technician and Planner II for the Town of Cornelius. He currently lives in Concord, NC with his wife of 3 ½ years, Rebekah Cook . Weddington, NC 28104 Phone: 704-846-2709 Fax: 704-844-6372 E-mail: info@townofweddington.com Website: www.townofweddington.com Mayor Nancy Anderson Mayor Pro Tem Robert Gilmartin Council Jerry McKee Tommy Price L.A. Smith Inside this issue: Council Meeting Updates Pg. 3 Taxes Pg. 5 Planning and Zoning Pg. 6 Deputy Corner Pg. 7 SHOP WEDDINGTON!! This Weddington Newsletter is dedicated to promoting the businesses located in the Town of Weddington. Due to the economic downturn and the widening of Highway 16 and Highway 84, many of our local business owners have seen a decrease in activity and sales. Please familiarize yourself with the enclosed advertisers and let’s do our part by supporting them. The Town receives local sales tax money from these businesses which in turn helps keep our tax rate down. Weddington is working with individuals from NCDOT and the owners of the shopping center on proposals for easier access into the Shopping Center. Newsletter Printed by The UPS Store Weddington PAGE 2 TH E WE DDI N G TON J OUR N A L Weddington Animal Hospital 704-847-8466 Celebrating 10 years of AAHA Accreditation www.WeddingtonAnimalHospital.com PAGE 3 TH E WE DDI N G TON J OUR N A L HIGHLIGHTS FROM RECENT TOWN COUNCIL MEETINGS March 9, 2009 Special Town Council Meeting This was a Special Meeting with the Union County Board of Commissioners with the following items discussed: Presentation of Weddington Municipal Goals and Short-Term Plans, Discussion on how Union County can better serve the Town of Weddington and Suggestions for County process improvements that will assist the Town of Weddington. March 9, 2009 Regular Town Council Meeting ª Presentation by Greg Saur, MAB – Weddington Corners Shopping Center Driveway Access ª Presentation by Dave Cable, Executive Director of the Catawba Lands Conservancy – Carolina Thread Trail and approval of Resolution of Support for the Carolina Thread Trail ª Presentation by Rebecca Yarbrough with Centralina Council of Governments on CONNECT Regional Vision and Action Agenda ª Appointment of Jordan Cook as Town Planner ª Appointment of Councilmember Jerry McKee to the Union County Commissioner Governance Advisory Committee March 16, 2009 Special Town Council Meeting Public Hearing to Consider a Petition to Permanently Close Part of Lochaven Road in the Lochaven Subdivision (The Town Council continued consideration of this matter until their April Town Council Meeting and asked that the owner of the property and the residents clarify ownership of the dam and to develop their own repair, maintenance and funding mechanism/plan relative to the dam and road). March 27-28, 2009 Special Town Council Planning Retreat Items Discussed Included: Transportation (Providence Road Enhancements and Upgrades), Downtown Area, Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year 2009-2010, Parks and Recreation and Miscellaneous Planning Matters April 9, 2009 Special Town Council Meeting Approval of Interlocal Agreement between Union County and the Town of Weddington dealing with the Optimist Park (WCWAA) April 13, 2009 Regular Town Council Meeting ª Presentation by Weddington High School Principal Brad Breedlove ª Continuation of Public Hearing to Consider Petition to Permanently Close Part of Lochaven Road in the Lochaven Subdivision (This was again continued until June 8, 2009). ª Appointment of Stephanie Belcher to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board ª Appointment of Nancy Anderson to the Union County Transportation Advisory Board PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2010 There will be a public hearing on the proposed budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010 at the next Town Council meeting on June 8th. There is no change to the current tax rate of 3 cents per $100. The following is the proposed budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010: Ad Valorem Taxes State-collected revenues Zoning & subdivision revenues Other revenues $ 561,500 $ 492,500 $ 22,500 $ 31,500 Total revenues $1,108,000 Appropriation from fund balance $ 100,000 Total revenues and appropriation from fund balance $1,208.000 Administrative expenditures Planning & zoning expenditures General government expenditures Total expenditures $ 322,250 $ 281,575 $ 604,175 $1,208,000 The Town Council invites your comments on the above budget at the public hearing on June 8th. Please feel free to contact the Mayor, Councilmembers or Finance Officer if you have any questions. Copies of a more detailed version of the budget are available at Town Hall. PAGE 4 TH E WE DDI N G TON J OUR N A L Bill Stout Nationwide Insurance 1940 Weddington Rd. Matthews, NC 28104 704-841-3970 Feel your best naturally Weddington Chiropractic Wellness Center · · · · · · · · · Total Health Approach for All Ages Auto, Work & Sport Related Injuries Nutritional Counseling and Analysis Acupuncture Certified Women’s Health Issues Certified Physical Rehabilitation Fitness Instruction Therapeutic Massage 15 minute Consultation Available Lisa A.Merritt, DC, CTN Call 704-847-7200 Chiropractic, Acupuncture & Naturopathic Medical Care Serving Greater Charlotte Since 1982 ● 13655 Providence Rd., Corner of Providence & Hwy. 84 Emergency & New Appointments Welcome ● Most Insurance Accepted www.weddingtonwellness.com PAGE 5 TH E WE DDI N G TON J OUR N A L A Word From Our Tax Collector *New Drop Box for Tax Payments* The Town has ordered a new payment drop box to be installed beside the Town Hall. You will now have the option of making your tax payment after hours at Town Hall. Personal Property Taxes If you are receiving personal property tax notices from the Town for a business and the business is closed or was never in the Town, or if you have sold a boat, etc. and are still receiving notices, please be advised that you must contact the Union County Tax Office to correct their records. Failure to do so will not prevent future year tax notices. Advertisement of Tax Liens on Real Property for failure to pay taxes In accordance with North Carolina General Statute §105-369 any unpaid real property taxes will be published in a local newspaper. If you are unsure if your taxes have been paid, please contact the Tax Collector. For further information regarding taxes contact: Kim Woods, Tax Collector Town of Weddington 704-846-2709 704-844-6372 Fax kim@townofweddington.com Union County Tax Office 704-283-3848 National Day of Prayer PARKS AND RECREATION UPDATE An event was held at the Weddington Town Hall on May 7, 2009 at 12:00 noon in observance of the 58th National Day of Prayer. It was organized by Rev. Bill Fogarty of First Baptist Church of Weddington and Mayor Nancy Anderson. Individuals met to lift up the Town, State and Nation in prayer. Our Town has a newly reconstituted Parks and Recreation Board and we are fresh off our latest research project - cleverly disguised as a Litter Sweep. The Litter Sweep was held recently in conjunction with the NCDOT's Litter Sweep program. You may have noticed some of our residents in those fashionable orange vests with coordinating trash bags out picking up trash along Weddington roads. Families working side by side, high schoolers earning service hours, and caring individuals worked together to pick up trash on May 2. The difference they made was instantly noticeable. Thanks to all who helped on our Litter Sweep. Our board is working on other events for the remainder of the year. You'll hear more about these events in the future. If you'd like to volunteer, we could certainly use the help. Just give us a call at Town Hall . 2009 Schedule of Town Council Meetings 7:00 pm at Weddington Town Hall unless otherwise posted 2009 Schedule of Planning Board Meetings 7:00 pm at Weddington Town Hall unless otherwise posted June 8 July 13 Aug. 10 June 22 July 27 Aug. 24 Sept. 14 Oct. 12 Nov. 9 Sept. 28 Oct. 26 Nov. 23 Dec. 14 Dec. 21 Union County Schools Have Reason To Celebrate! Congratulations to the following teachers for their recent awards: NC Teacher of the Year Jessica Garner of Porter Ridge High School Union County Teacher of the Year David Dahari of Marvin Ridge High School Union County Teacher Assistant of the Year Sally Norris with Marvin Ridge Elementary 2009 Holiday Schedule Closing May 25 Memorial Day July 3 Independence Day September 7 Labor Day November 11 Veterans Day November 26-27 Thanksgiving December 24-25 Christmas PAGE 6 TH E WE DDI N G TON J OUR N A L Update from the Planning/Zoning Office… Providence Road and NC 84 Road Construction Update and LARTP Project Update Work on Providence Road (NC 16) is approximately 45% complete. The estimated completion date is November 15, 2010. Road paving is currently underway along Providence Road. Traffic shifts will begin after the northern lane is completed and the Hemby Road and Harris Teeter intersection tie-ins are completed. NCDOT will be working on these improvements for the next 1-2 months. Work on the Weddington Road (NC 84) widening has begun. NCDOT has finished clearing vegetation within the right-of-way. They are currently surveying and locating storm drain lines. They are beginning to saw cut the driveway entrance of the convenience store on Weddington Road. Grading for the widening on the westbound lane (Town Hall side) will begin this month. The Western Union County Local Area Regional Transportation Plan (LARTP) is nearing its final stages. The Village of Marvin, Town of Waxhaw, Town of Weddington and Village of Wesley Chapel have been working collectively for over a year to establish a prioritized list of roadway and intersection project improvements. The four towns along with a consultant are currently scheduling a public involvement meeting in late May to present the plan and findings to the public for comments and suggestions. Following the public meeting, the consultant will present the plan to all four Town Councils. More information will be available closer to the meeting date and you may visit the website at www.lartp.org for more information. The Weddington Downtown Development Committee is in full swing and has had three meetings since this February. The Committee is comprised of six Council appointed citizens and two Town Council and two Planning Board members. The Committee’s first priority is to establish boundaries for the downtown area and the needs and functions for that area. After a few meetings the Committee determined that assistance from a consultant was needed to determine the boundaries, establish a downtown master plan and assist in implementing the plan. A Request for Proposals (RFP) was distributed on May 5, 2009 to several area planning consultants. The consultants have until May 29, 2009 to submit proposals for the downtown master plan. The Town and Downtown Development Committee will review the proposals and associated costs and determine what the next step will be. Historic Preservation Commission is Seeking Volunteers Jeff Perryman I hope your spring is off to a great start here in Weddington. I serve on your Historic Preservation Commission. I am asking for volunteers to help on two very important projects for our Town. The first is to help sort and catalog our current inventory of articles, photographs, and other Weddington memorabilia. During our 25th anniversary celebration last year, it was noted that we have accumulated some very interesting and valuable items, but they need to be properly filed and stored. This work is vital so that the history of our Town and region is preserved for future generations. In addition to this project, the Town has been approached concerning the production of a book about Weddington. This book would tell our story primarily through pictures that our residents share showing the story of Weddington through the years up to the present. These books have been produced for other communities with great success, and even used as fund raisers for local projects. The help needed here is to incorporate some of our existing photographs and solicit for, and seek out other photos that our residents are willing to share. Once collected and properly annotated, the publisher is there to help assemble the finished product. All that is required is a willingness to donate a few hours of your time, and hopefully an interest in the story of our Town. I appreciate how busy we are these days, but if you can help out it would be a tremendous service for your community. If you are interested, please contact our Town Hall and leave your name and contact information. Thank you for your time PAGE 7 TH E WE DDI N G TON J OUR N A L Opting Out to reduce junk mail, unsolicited credit card offers and phone solicitations There are many suggestions to prevent IDENTITY THEFT but in my opinion these are a must to protect YOU! 1. Opt out of pre-screened credit offers: Credit issuers regularly purchase names and information which fit their target market from the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, TransUnion and Experian) and then mail credit offers to potential customers. Opting out removes your name and address from the mailing lists these three credit bureaus supply to their clientele. To opt out call 1-888-5OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688) Or visit www.OptOutPreScreen.com Note that this will reduce – but not eliminate – unsolicited credit offers for several reasons: Not all credit issuers use the opt out lists compiled by these three credit bureaus. Your information may be held by other credit bureaus and companies which may sell your information. Your initial request to opt out will only place your name and address on the three major credit bureaus’ opt out list temporarily. Your initial request to opt out will result in a confirmation letter being sent to you by postal mail (you should receive it in approximately 14 days). You must complete and return the letter to permanently opt out. If you do not, your name will not be included on the opt out list. You should see a reduction in the amount of credit offers you receive within 60 to 90 days after you return the confirmation letter. 2. Opt out of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) marketing lists: The DMA is a trade association representing a membership consisting of both for-profit and nonprofit companies. Many of these companies collect and sell customer information. The sale of this information creates an additional source of income for the companies. The more data a company collects about its customers, the more valuable the data is to marketers buying the data. Marketers attempt to target new customers by use of a wide-range of demographic information such as age, sex, geographic region, household income, and purchasing habits. You’ve probably had a retail clerk ask for your phone number, email address and zip code when making a purchase. They do not need this information to complete a sale or verify your credit card. The retailer simply wants to collect as much data about you as possible and has instructed the clerks to ask pre-determined questions. You have the right to tell the sales clerk that you do not want to provide any personal information. The lists of personal information collected by companies you do business with is sold to other companies and results in junk mail, email spam and telephone solicitations. By opting out you can reduce all of these forms of unsolicited offers and also reduce your risk of identity theft. You can place your name on the following opt out lists maintained by the DMA: “Do Not Mail” list (also know as the Mail Preference Service or MPS) “Do Not Call” list www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx “Do Not Email” list (also know as the E-Mail Preference Service or E-MPS) The “Do Not Mail” and “Do Not Call” lists keep your name on the “opt-out” list for five years, after which you’ll need to resubmit your name. The “Do Not E-Mail” list keeps your name on the list for two years, after which you’ll need to resubmit your name. The “Do Not Mail” list is updated once per month. Allow up to 31 days for your name to appear on the list. The list is distributed to member companies four times per year. Therefore, it could take up to three months for the list with your name on it to be distributed to DMA member companies. Once member companies receive the “Do Not Mail” list they are required to remove “Do Not Mail” names from their internal mailing lists. The “Do Not Mail” list does not apply to mail sent to business addresses or mail addressed to generic recipients such as “Current Resident” or Occupant.” To opt out visit the DMA website online at http://www.dmachoice.org/consumerassistance.php. 3. Opt out of telemarketing phone calls: If you would like to opt-out of receiving calls from telemarketers you can put your telephone number(s) on the National Do Not Call Registry list. This list covers both domestic and foreign telemarketers to your US based telephone number. Some types of calls are exempted from the National Do Not Call Registry. These include calls from companies you have a relationship with, political solicitations, charities, and surveys. As long as calls do not solicit sales of goods or services they are not considered telemarketing. To opt out visit the National Do Not Call Registry online at: www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx OR Call 1-888-383-1222. For TTY call 1-866-2904236 4. Verified by Visa Get an extra layer of security when you shop online Verified by Visa, a free, simple-to-use service that confirms your identity with an extra password when you make an online transaction. https://usa.visa.com/personal/security/vbv/index.html Deputy Sheriff Gene Baucom genebaucom@co.union.nc.us Deputy Sheriff Jason Griffin jasongriffin@co.union.nc.us Deputy Sheriff Ronnie Honeycutt ronhoneycutt@co.union.nc.us TH E WE DDI N G TON J OUR N A L TOWN OF WEDDINGTON 1924 Weddington Road Weddington, NC 28104 Phone: 704-846-2709 Fax: 704-844-6372 Email: info@townofweddington.com Website: www.townofweddington.com Town Hall Hours: Monday, Wednesday & Friday 9AM to 1PM or by appointment Have a story idea for us? A question you want answered? Something you’d like to see in the newsletter? Give us a call. Drop us a note. Send us an e-mail. We’ll do our best to respond. PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Matthews, NC Permit Members of the Weddington Town Council are available to speak to any club, group or neighborhood meeting. If your group would like a council member present to talk about issues facing Weddington, call Town Hall at 704-846-2709 to schedule a speaker.