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Votes at a glance: Feb. 20 Highlands Town Board actions include rezoning approval, town attorney appointment, utility bid and budget amendment
Summary
The Highlands Board of Commissioners approved multiple motions on Feb. 20 including a conditional rezoning at 299 Oak Street, appointment of a town attorney, a $682,343 contract award for a distribution-line upgrade and a budget amendment to buy a patrol vehicle.
The Highlands Town Board of Commissioners recorded the following formal actions during its Feb. 20 meeting. All outcomes below were announced on the record during the meeting.
1) Appointment of town attorney - Action: Appoint Nick Tosco as Town Attorney and retain Pointer & Spruill (firm to remain retained). - Outcome: Approved (unanimous). - Notes: The appointment followed a closed-session interview and is a formal confirmation on the public record.
2) Parkside Partners conditional rezoning (299 Oak Street) - Action: Approve conditional rezoning from B-3 to B-1 to allow eight detached single-family dwellings, subject to recorded sidewalk and sewer easements and a recorded reduction of deed-reserved parking from 12 to 10 spaces. - Outcome: Approved (unanimous). - Notes: Planning and zoning boards had recommended approval; statement of consistency and ordinance amendment also approved.
3) Award of bid for Highway 64 electric distribution-line upgrade - Action: Authorize contract award to Southeastern Transmission and Distribution LLC for construction of the distribution line in the amount of $682,343.07 (bid tabulation included in packet). - Outcome: Approved (unanimous). - Notes: Work is part of an existing capital plan; staff noted schedule and minor change-order items to connect adjacent circuits may follow.
4) Christmas lantern replacements and extended winter tree lights - Action: Approve purchase of replacement street lantern decorations (white lanterns preferred) and replace like-for-like; also extend non-holiday white tree lights on Main Street into March. - Outcome: Approved (unanimous). - Notes: Estimated cost noted in discussion; town crews to install and store the decorations as before.
5) Chamber of Commerce lease direction and funding commitment - Action: Direct town attorney to prepare lease language for a five-year Chamber lease and document a $40,000-per-year Chamber contribution toward town landscape maintenance (to be formalized in the lease and subject to fiscal vetting). - Outcome: Approved (unanimous).
6) Peace Pole concept - Action: Approve concept in principle; Rotary clubs to return with site proposals, final design, insurance and maintenance details for final approval. - Outcome: Approved in principle (unanimous).
7) Budget amendment: police vehicle replacement - Action: Acknowledge receipt of miscellaneous funds and approve purchase of a near-new patrol vehicle (approximately $41,000) to accelerate replacement ahead of the regular July purchase cycle. - Outcome: Approved (unanimous). - Notes: The vehicle was described as lightly used, fully equipped for policing (lights, console, cage) and expected to save the town roughly $13,000–$15,000 compared with new build-out costs; final purchase contingent on inspection and satisfactory repairs of hail damage.
Speakers on motions were not always named on the record for each motion; where a nominee or mover/second was not explicitly identified in the publicly available transcript the board recorded voice votes and announced outcomes.
