Town of Holly Springs

Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting

The Holly Springs Town Board of Commissioners met in a continued meeting session on Monday, Dec. 20, 1999 in the Town Board meeting chambers, located in Town Hall, 128 S. Main St. This was a continuation of the Board’s regular meeting convened on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 1999. Mayor Gerald W. Holleman presided, calling the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. A quorum was established as the mayor and all five board members were present as the meeting opened.

Board Members Present: Commissioners Tim Sack, John Schifano, Parrish Womble, Peter Atwell and Hank Dickson.

Board Member Absent: None.

Staff Members Present: Richard B. Self, town manager; Ernest C. Pearson, town attorney; Joni Powell, town clerk (recording the minutes); Stephanie Sudano, director of engineering; Len Bradley, parks and recreation director; Jennifer Carr, director of planning and community development; John Ellis, director of finance; Cecil Parker, chief of public safety; Luncie McNeil, director of public works; Thomas Tillage, director of public utilities; and Derek Baker, engineering technician.

Others Present: Paul Tischler of Tischler and Associates.

16. Tischler Report -- Mr. Paul Tischler addressed the Board, providing the results of his company’s comprehensive study of the fiscal impact of new residential development on the Town of Holly Springs, particularly the General Fund.

Mr. Tischler explained that his company looked for deficits and remedies for development in nine different housing categories. He pointed out repeatedly that the study was looking only at residential development and did not take into account the Town’s Utility Fund (which is fee-supported, rather than tax-supported).

In short, Mr. Tischler said, his firm’s study found that residential development in only one housing category (estate-size homes and lots) will "pay for itself" in tax revenues. All other housing price ranges represent a drain on Town services that demand more cost than they provide in revenues.

Some of those housing categories, Mr. Tischler said, represented "substantial deficits."

"New residential development is not paying for itself unless it is of an estate or upscale nature," Mr. Tischler summarized.

In a case such as this, the remedies include raising impact fees, raising property values and/or raising taxes. Mr. Tischler pointed out that the Town of Holly Springs relies heavily on residential tax revenues, and that the best remedy for Holly Springs would be to increase the commercial and industrial tax bases.

Mr. Tischler strongly recommended that the Town undergo Phase 2 of the study, which would take into account all types of development and costs and more accurately provide a picture of the impact of development.

Along with the Tischler report comes a software package that will enable town staff to enter information provided by developers of proposed plans before plans enter the review process. Results of the computer model will give the Town an opportunity to encourage developers to make changes to plans to increase their viability.

Mr. Self asked the Board to accept the Tischler report, authorize training on the software; and then authorize the implementation of Phase 2.

Action: Commissioner Sack moved to accept the Tischler prototype for implementation and to authorize the Town Manager to negotiate a contract with Tischler and Associates for Phase 2 of the study. Commissioner Womble seconded the motion, which carried unanimously. A copy of the Tischler study is on file in the Town Engineer’s office and is incorporated, by reference, into these minutes.

At this time, Commissioner Womble requested a closed session; however, the Town Attorney advised that Commissioner Womble’s proposed subject matter did not qualify for exception to open meetings laws.

Commissioner Womble said he would make his comments, then, in open session. Referring to action taken by the Board on Dec. 7 to remove him as mayor pro tem, Commissioner Womble said he was upset by the action. He said he was not upset that the Board wished to elect a new mayor pro tem, but he was upset by the way it was done. He said he felt that it was embarrassing to him, personally, and that it could have waited until it was a regularly-scheduled agenda item so that he could have been prepared and so that he would not have had to "hand over the gavel" in the middle of a meeting.

He said he also felt that the Board should not have reorganized without the chairman of that Board’s being present.

He said he hated to be treated in a way that was uncalled for, and he stressed that he would not have been so offended, had the action been done in a more fair and respectful way. He said he hoped that the Board members will learn to respect each other better and work together effectively for the betterment of the Town.

17. Adjournment – There being no further business for the evening, the Dec. 20, 1999 session of the Holly Springs Board of Commissioners was adjourned at 7:42 p.m. following a motion by Commissioner Sack, a second by Commissioner Womble and a unanimous vote.

Respectfully Submitted on Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2000,

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Joni Powell, CMC

Town Clerk