The June 27 edition of The Seven Lakes Times is now available for download in pdf format.

Highlights of this 36-page issue include:

- Reverend Don Welch of Seven Lakes North has been appointed to serve out the unexpired term of former SLLA Director Donna Stephan. Welch will take over responsibility for Community Standards, while Director Sally Kindsvatter will handle Architectural Review.

- SLLA Directors expressed skepticism about a Westside proposal that would end entrance gate reciprocity during evening hours.

- Moore County's lack of response to a request from the Westside Board led President Jim Haggard to suggest that residents approach county leaders en masse, either in person or through the US Mail. A presentation from the Westside's dam engineer is on the July General Meeting agenda.

- Director Gary Caulk has suggested that the SLLA Board use conservation easements to protect common areas from development in the future.

- Appointments to the Planning Board are on the Commissioners' agenda, as the terms of four members expire, including that of Southsider Dave Kinney.

- The Westside's Community Emergency Response Team has begun a fund-raising effort that is off to a good start, with donations from the Sports Club, Tracy's Carpets, and Barcalounger. Residents can buy raffle tickets or make contributions to the cause.

- Laura ponders the wildlife of summer, Mason marvels at the resolve of a Hospice volunteer, Ron Erskine announces the formation of "The Advocates," and The Times urges the Moore County Board of Commissioners to give the fast-growing Seven Lakes area two seats at the Planning Board table by reappointing Dave Kinney and appointing Chuck Bolton to the panel.

Download the pdf edition and read it all this morning, pick up a copy at locations all over Seven Lakes this afternoon, or check your mailbox tomorrow.

    The terms of four members of the Moore County Planning Board, as well as one alternate member, expire at the end of June — including that of Southsider Dave Kinney. Though the Board of Commissioners addressed the issue of reappointments or replacements during their June  16 meeting, the majority voted to defer the decision until mid-July.
    Planning Board member Paul Hodges has declined to apply for another three-year term; however, three other current members are eligible and have indicated they are willing to serve: Kinney, Richard Lea, and Aaron McNeill. Others who have submitted their names for consideration include Martha Blake of West End, Bernard Capstick of Pinehurst, former Planning Director for Moore County and for Aberdeen Giles Hopkins, and Seven Lakes builder Chuck Bolton. The three-year terms will expire in 2011.
    Jim Westbrook, a member of the Government Efficiency Committee was placed on the list but withdrew his name, citing other more pressing committee obligations.
    Nancy Roy Fiorillo will continue to chair the Planning Board while also serving as interim planning and development director for Guilford County. Fiorillo, who has served as planning director for both Moore and Cumberland Counties, was asked to fill the three-to-six month temporary position after the death of the previous director.
    Commissioner Tim Lea made a motion to appoint Martha Blake to replace Aaron McNeill, but fellow Commissioner Larry Caddell put the brakes on his suggestion.
    “It won’t hurt to delay,” Caddell said. “We’re always talking about making sure we discuss things. I’m not saying I’m against anybody, I just want more time to discuss it.”
    Chairman Colin McKenzie sided with Caddell and, in a split vote, the board agreed to table all Planning Board appointments until their Monday, July 17 meeting. The commissioners traditionally skip their early July meeting date, which this year falls on July 7, so they will meet next on Thursday, July 17.

    An early morning accident near the gates of Seven Lakes North and South left one vehicle on its lid, but no serious injuries were reported.
    Trooper Robbie Terry of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, who investigated the Friday morning, June 20, accident, told The Times that both the Buick LeSabre and Ford F700 involved in the wreck were traveling northeast on Seven Lakes Drive. When the truck slowed to make the turn into the South Gate, the LeSabre did not slow, struck the truck, and turned upside down.
    Wesley Vanore Brower, 45, of Jackson Springs, the driver of the truck, was not injured and was not cited for any traffic violations, Trooper Terry told The Times.
    Coy Hale Richardson, 62, of West End, the driver of the LeSabre, was transported to FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. He was cited for failure to reduce speed.

    A modest 2.9 cent overall tax increase, expected to generate additional revenue of $3.2 million, was approved in a 3-2 split vote by the Moore County Board of Commissioners on Monday, June 16. However, the county's $80.2 million FY2009 Budget includes debt service on only $40 million of the $69 million in school and college bonds approved by the voters last November. That could mean another tax increase next year, when the remainder of the bonds are sold.

    “The budget is fair and reasonable,” said County Manager Cary McSwain. “Things that are cut are things that could be deferred or done a different way.”
    Those cuts, totaling almost $6 million from the original budget proposal, include a half percent reduction -- from 3.5 percent to 3 percent -- in county employee cost of living adjustments, a recommendation made by the Government Efficiency Committee.
    “We took a laser rather than a hatchet [to the budget],” said Committee Chairman Jim Westbrook.
    The committee also suggested raising the county tax collection rate from 98.5 percent to 98.7 percent to better reflect the actual collection rate of 99 percent.
    Commissioner Tim Lea expressed appreciation for the work of the committee and county staff in reducing the budget but voiced concern that all alternatives and options had not been explored. In particular, Lea argued against maintaining a fund balance -- the county's "savings account"  -- that amounts to 24 percent of operating expenses.

    “Even if we went two years without a tax increase, we would only reduce it to sixteen percent,” said Lea. “There are other alternatives rather than increasing the tax rate, and I don’t feel I can support this while we have other alternatives.”
    Commissioner Larry Caddell agreed that “when it comes to raising taxes, nobody wants to do it.” He continued, “But I am very impressed that we went from 6.9 to 2.9 – four cents is a very long way.”
    Lea said the seven to eight cents originally discussed was based on the full $69 million school bond debt service. “We’ve only floated $40 million; to pay for the rest are we looking at a four cent tax increase [next year]?”
    McSwain said the county could always do better and he felt with short and long term planning, and money in capital reserves, he did not expect a huge increase would be necessary to satisfy the debt.
    Commissioner Cindy Morgan offered no comment but joined Lea in opposing the budget.

    Seven Lakes West will soon have roving security, as compliance officer Lynn Edwards’ job description is expanded to included nighttime patrols aimed at reversing a recent increase in vandalism and petty theft in the community.
    The Seven Lakes West Landowners Association [SLWLA] Board of Directors voted to make the change in Edwards’ job description during its Tuesday, June 10 work session.
    The Board also voted to acquire new cellphones and a new cellphone service that includes walkie-talkie capability, so that the security officer on patrol can easily contact the front gate if assistance is needed.
    Directors deferred action on other equipment options pending further investigation. Still on the table are night vision binoculars — to allow the officer to observe offenders from a safe distance — and a security patrol vehicle. The question is whether to upgrade or replace the aging SLWLA pickup truck, which has more than 150,000 miles on its odometer. In either case, the security vehicle will be outfitted with distinctive markings and a light bar with green flashing lights, as well as a high-intesity, hand-held spotlight.

    
Office staffing
    In other staff related business, the Board voted to continue employing a part-time temporary receptionist/data-entry clerk in the Landowners Office through mid-July, when the last of the annual registration-related workload should be done. The SLWLA Communication’s Committee had asked the Board to make sure the reception desk is staffed until Autumn, when a decision is expected on whether to hire and community management company and more permanent staffing arrangements are nailed down.
    Community Manager Tony Robertson told the Board that the lack of a receptionist for the office was “unprofessional,” and made it difficult for both he and Denise Duncan to carry on their work without constant interruptions from fielding telephone calls and greeting visitors to the office. Director Ray MacKay also advocated strongly for a three-person office, noting that the Seven Lakes Landowners Association office staff includes four people.
    But other Board members seemed to feel that a two-person office was sufficient except during the busy registration period.
    Mary Anne Fewkes made the compromise motion to continue employing a part-time temp, suggesting the Board revisit the issue during its July work session.

    The tax rate for the Village of Foxfire will remain at .32 cents announced Councilman Wally Peckitt during the Village Council Meeting held on Tuesday, June 10. Presenting the Proposed Budget during the Public Hearing, Peckitt said total expenditures of $668,196 include $206,707 in general government; $266,139 in public safety; $100,135 in transportation/street repairs; $56,615 towards Village Green Park and pool; and $38,600 in debt service.
    “A budget is a plan for spending,” said Mayor George Erickson. “You do the best guess and best plan and hope you are as close to it as you can knowing you will not be perfect, it just won’t happen.”
    Erickson said a priority for the council was maintaining the current tax rate.
    The budget was approved and adopted with a dissenting vote by Councilwoman Page Coker. She made a motion to table the budget until a Work Session could be scheduled to go over the budget in a thorough item by item manner.
    “We have not had a group budget Work Session wºith all council members present…I do not think this is a good way to do business,” said Coker.
    During discussion, other council members present, excluding Vic Koos who is traveling, declined to second her motion arguing that the Budget Meeting held on June 2 had been the appropriate time to raise any questions or objections.  
    During the Finance Report, Peckitt said a loan application was submitted to BB&T to finance well and water projects, not to exceed $461,000 in borrowed funding. The council approved the fifteen-year loan, which carries an interest rate of 3.89 percent.

    “Package plants have a horrible reputation,” said Dennis Brobst, Moore County Director of Public Works, during a training session with the Planning Board on Thursday, June 5. “When they first hit the seen they were cheap — engineered and designed right to the minimum. Have they come a long way? Yes. Are they what the county wants? No.”
    After presenting a summary of the McGill Water Study Report, Brobst was grilled during a brief question and comment period by Planning Board members intent on extracting his opinion of on-site tertiary sewage treatment plants. Also known as a “package plant,” this type of facility was included in recent proposals by developer Bill Beardslee for two new subdivisions; one of which is located on Holly Grove School Road, bordering a section of Seven Lakes North.
    “What concerns me is who is going to take care of it,” said Brobst. “You can hire a company to run the plant but one of my concerns is he [Beardslee] wanted the county to enter into an agreement or have it turned over to a homeowners organization.”
    “That scares me to death! If people move away – you may get a sparkplug who will take care of it, but he may move and no one may be there to take over. Who is going to tell their neighbor to shut their sewer off because they didn’t pay?” questioned Brobst.