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By Carey King
Last Thursday's (Dec. 4) meeting of the Sylva town board was a
night packed with transitions and appointments.
After the board honored outgoing member Audrey Tritt with a reception
and plaque, Ray Lewis was sworn in to take her place by Assistant
Clerk of Court Ann Melton.
Eighteen-year
Sylva town board veteran Audrey Tritt, left, accepts a plaque
from Mayor Brenda Oliver Dec. 4 during Tritt's last official meeting.
After moving to Yellow Mountain, Tritt no longer lives in Sylva's
town limits and did not seek re-election in November. See related
story page 3A. - Herald photo by Carey King
Returning board members Danny Allen, Anne Cabe
and Maurice Moody also took the oath of office.
Moody then was unanimously elected to fill Tritt's former role
as Vice Mayor.
Assistant
Clerk of Court Ann Melton administers the oath of office to Anne
Cabe, Danny Allen, Ray Lewis and Maurice Moody, Sylva board members
elected in November. The town's Dec. 4 meeting marked Lewis' first
night as an elected official, while the other three returned to
the board after previous service. - Herald photo by Carey King
Mayor Brenda Oliver and Max Browning were reappointed
to the Jackson County Greenways Commission.
Oliver was also chosen to serve another term on the county's Economic
Development Commission.
Bob Beck was reappointed to the Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority
by a split vote. Board member Eldridge Painter opposed Beck's
appointment after a motion he made to nominate Milt Wofford to
the post was defeated 3 to 2. Moody joined Painter in voting for
Wofford, but later voted for Beck.
Wofford and Charles Allen were named to the Planning and Zoning
Board of Adjustments.
Oliver announced a shift in the structure of town board committees,
reducing committee membership from three board members to two.
That change means that decisions made in committee may face more
debate when presented to the full five-member board. When three-member
committees' recommendations came before the board, they already
had the weight of the majority behind them.
Painter and Cabe will make up both the finance and land use and
the planning committees. Allen and Lewis will serve on personnel,
Moody and Painter on public safety, Cabe and Allen on sanitation,
and Lewis and Moody on streets.
In other business Dec. 4:
- Town leaders adopted a speed limit of 20 mph for portions of
Council Circle, Hall Heights, and Woody Hampton and Painter roads.
- Construction on the Scotts Creek sewer project was halted until
after the holidays since T & K Utilities, contractor for the
Moody Bottom sewer project, failed to respond to the town's approval
of their bid for the Scotts Creek work.
Jason Robinson of Cavanaugh and Associates, engineers for the
project, said he had not heard from the contractor for three to
four weeks.
Stillwell Enterprises of Sylva has expressed interest in the work
and is expected to submit a bid.
- Board members rezoned Skyland Drive property owned by Kevin
and Laura Pennington, Jack Hennessee, and the heirs of Lois Morris
as part of the town's professional business district.
The district, created in August, is considered a buffer zone between
residential and commercial areas, as businesses such as doctors'
offices and bed and breakfasts can be located there.
The Penningtons opposed commercial rezoning of the residential
area in 2001, but Laura Pennington last week said she now considers
the professional business district "much more appropriate."
Board member Moody opposed rezoning Hennesee's property, saying
the change would create "crooked zoning lines."
That concern was trumped by the opinion of other board members,
who said the omission of the Hennessee property would create a
gap in the district.
- In his monthly report, Public Works Director Daryl Cheatham
expressed thanks to Wolf Creek Tree Farm in Tuckasegee for donating
the town Christmas tree. He also thanked Sylva Partners in Renewal
for their help in decorating Main Street.
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