[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6675076,"mediaKeyId","2172299-479854dcaa8b57e99709322e9221218d","parentId",2172299,"title","Resident urges attention to clogged culvert; council approves minutes, agenda and consent items, moves to closed session","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",305000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2172299-479854dcaa8b57e99709322e9221218d&start=305&end=305","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2172299-479854dcaa8b57e99709322e9221218d/thumbnail_305000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6675076/Blowing-Rock/Watauga-County/North-Carolina/Resident-urges-attention-to-clogged-culvert-council-approves-minutes-agenda-and-consent-items-moves-to-closed-session","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6675076-5678143bcc9d8926470b958cd92201c1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771175434&Signature=lsr-~qcCdoZpCO9s-JCXnvPmJXY6B-QNjqfiSkG9Lwn2xvjkXBCbZRHmrQJmB7wzz58kZmv4f6RnK0MZQ6dhkFRFuUnUI9qmvZRIuaSX8OcfLGAHGVg8eR3JVfcJpzZnZHzTbjG5QnwI997sjxPRMj5JTdLlWtbuZoe1vIy7OtJ2QkLiVIH-DRtA3sv-DKDbSwk~sxV9Hh0TYW~KMkyicig4jwm1LJ0wo6kbYwyrGVv94XXepVSoUDzflHmFd306NhDKPVt2OJ0L5s15cX9KTFwm1VPAbacSoMjd-O-7F~0~484wSgWgFJOmPbkro7l3pFJpdHRP1Kk81b7uFHH7fA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Blowing Rock","date","2025-01-01T05:30:45.583Z","article","A Blowing Rock resident, Gigi Poole of 147 Dogwood Lane in the Laurel Park area, used the public comment period on Dec. 10 to ask the town to ensure leaf and storm-debris removal at a clogged culvert where Laurel Park turns into Dogwood Lane. Poole said she has raked debris away several times but wanted assurance the town would not “forget” the problem; town staff and council members responded on the record, advising residents to contact Town Manager Shane Fox and indicating council member Doug Matheson would address it promptly.

At the start of the meeting the council approved the minutes of Nov. 12, 2024, adopted the regular agenda as presented, and approved the consent agenda, which staff identified as including an annexation request for lots on Wildwood Place (Tyler Sem annexation, lot 56) and Budget Amendment 2024-54. Those procedural votes were recorded on the Dec. 10 consent calendar.

Toward the end of the meeting, the council voted to go into closed session under North Carolina General Statute 143-318.11(a)(5) to discuss potential property acquisition; the mayor said no decisions would be made in the closed session and that it was expected to take several hours.

No formal action on the culvert was taken during the meeting; staff asked residents to report ongoing problems to the town manager so crews could respond.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Town Council Meeting - Tuesday, December 10th, 2024","oneSentenceSummary","A Blowing Rock resident asked the council to address clogged roadway culverts and leaf debris; the council approved the Nov. 12 minutes, the regular agenda, the consent agenda (including an annexation request and a budget amendment), and voted to enter a closed session to discuss potential property acquisition under N.C. statute.","taxTitle","Blowing Rock, Watauga County, North Carolina","taxId",61360,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6675081,"Blowing Rock council swears in new town attorney, adopts resolution delegating litigation authority",434,472000,906000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2172299-479854dcaa8b57e99709322e9221218d&start=472&end=906","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2172299-479854dcaa8b57e99709322e9221218d/thumbnail_472000.jpg","/articles/6675081/Blowing-Rock/Watauga-County/North-Carolina/Blowing-Rock-council-swears-in-new-town-attorney-adopts-resolution-delegating-litigation-authority","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6675081-de1067ff9c400f216060e9eeef2fcd06/orig.mp4?Expires=1771175434&Signature=D1Hof5Sy9yfQruug23Pt-EgCdTZz11vKyyzePKat3KWkeKM1Hq~rMMuS3madPt4aPNom0GyjQs~MJLIyyoPaHVcpZPABDC5MW4TnzsgRS55uOsbVgN0inb-nJmH~XMkcnGoyOvzOxyyF~hmMqMjfbycrUaLqdJupRc-7qkYd5P5tMbAJ-ryYI7gCiHKY2ODeXRDQQ-5W-SNBgR1PZPg3Z3dXFLhDOOIlGan0KNvm7QLWIY05AoYe62v2R7lbeNzVQVUDW0lRQ3kdZNDyeAz~o8Gq3a2TM3jmu1jZAim1bHlNTJwylW~GWN5X1PLvcugBli7BSU5zuZPRiTal8JOjug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Blowing Rock Town Council on Dec. 10 swore in Joey Petrach as the town’s new attorney and adopted Resolution No. 2024-11, authorizing the town attorney to initiate and pursue legal actions, collect fines and fees, and retain outside counsel as needed without requiring a separate council resolution for each case.

The resolution as read during the meeting cites North Carolina General Statutes 160A-173 and 160A-12 and references the North Carolina Supreme Court decision Town of Midland v. Harold to justify delegating prosecutorial and litigation initiation authority to the town attorney. The adopted language grants the town attorney authority “to initiate and pursue legal action on behalf of the town for the enforcement of ordinances, the collection of fines, fees, taxes, and other sums due and owing to the town without need of further resolution or ordinance to be adopted by the town council,” and to “initiate and pursue legal action for the town on any matter including but not limited to eminent domain, contractual breaches, declaratory action,” and to retain outside counsel at the attorney’s discretion.

Council members voted to approve the resolution on the record. After the vote, the new town attorney addressed the council, calling it “an honor to be selected as the town’s attorney,” and expressed readiness to begin work.

The council retained the right, as the resolution states, to redirect the town attorney on matters it deems appropriate. The resolution was adopted at the Dec. 10 regular meeting and took effect immediately upon passage.","The council sworn in Joey Petrach as town attorney and adopted Resolution 2024-11 authorizing the town attorney to initiate and pursue legal actions and retain outside counsel without further council action, citing North Carolina statutes and a state court decision.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6675085,"Blowing Rock approves $242,700 contract to repair Wonderland Trail slope damaged in storm",714,831000,1545000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2172299-479854dcaa8b57e99709322e9221218d&start=831&end=1545","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2172299-479854dcaa8b57e99709322e9221218d/thumbnail_831000.jpg","/articles/6675085/Blowing-Rock/Watauga-County/North-Carolina/Blowing-Rock-approves-242700-contract-to-repair-Wonderland-Trail-slope-damaged-in-storm","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6675085-8978f4f0019d05782e2ad2087ba36b96/orig.mp4?Expires=1771175434&Signature=Hr0TJuLQnmVyk0C66jQIZHGp6IaeSlQlFEHLhm5LV0aeHdZjEF5-gadmN2mLEK2v7y3Y0vfmaED92q1vmE7MDNIT142ZymChTfDH5zosibK6KnD0bu9Opyl2zradm25D1uDARoAdcndJgW0cNzlm7l2HJIPcaWAPFijxUG7vOorbUpokv78agxIrkFwgtxzgSOUFi2v0FTv5EjnvQRlrO0WihQQI5rn5F7YYhcFGuV2JC8IRk5M4~1qEjt3tFAzdYaWOigsi3yAYg27VswPHgbQu98V8jKc7fk3-PRB9LEE1y89V0mHQoQKBT7hpQuc0qtP01MQyyB0xw-vV~WGqYw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Blowing Rock Town Council on Dec. 10 approved a $242,700 contract with Mountain Crest LLC to repair a slope failure and shoulder damage on Wonderland Trail in the Mayview neighborhood caused by recent storm runoff.

The work, which town staff and an engineering consultant described to the council, calls for staggered gabion baskets (wire mesh baskets filled with rock) to rebuild and stabilize the slope, reconstruction of the road shoulder and limited excavation and concrete base work where necessary. Doug Chapman, an engineer who assisted in developing the scope, said the gabion solution provides a stable, cost-effective repair that matches the site grade without widening the roadway unduly.

Town Manager Shane Fox told the council the project is classified by FEMA as a Category C (large project) repair but falls below FEMA’s $250,000 formal bidding threshold for this site. Fox said FEMA staff have reviewed the scope and site visits have occurred; he said the town expects the work to be fully reimbursable under FEMA rules. Fox also said McGill helped solicit bids and Mountain Crest was the only formal bid received due to high regional demand for grading contractors after the storm.

On timing, Fox said the contractor aims to mobilize “within the next week or two,” with an expected construction duration of about two to three weeks once work begins. Council members asked whether the contractor’s “emergency” label on the bid implied a temporary repair; Chapman and Fox said the repair is permanent in design, and the label likely reflected work performed immediately after the storm and FEMA classification practices.

The motion to award the contract passed by council vote. The town manager and staff said they would continue to follow FEMA procurement and documentation requirements to secure reimbursement.

Votes at the meeting recorded the contract award as approved by the council.","The Blowing Rock Town Council awarded a $242,700 contract to Mountain Crest LLC to repair a storm-related slope failure on Wonderland Trail. Town staff said FEMA Category C reimbursement is expected and the work is slated to begin within days.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Resident urges attention to clogged culvert; council approves minutes, agenda and consent items, moves to closed session

Blowing Rock council swears in new town attorney, adopts resolution delegating litigation authority

Blowing Rock approves $242,700 contract to repair Wonderland Trail slope damaged in storm