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Oak Ridge council approves appointments, raises fidelity bond and funds horse show; finance report accepted
Summary
At the Feb. 6 meeting the council approved multiple board appointments, reappointments, accepted the monthly finance report, adopted a resolution increasing the fidelity bond requirement, and approved a $300 donation to the Oak Ridge Horse Show Association after debate.
The Town of Oak Ridge Town Council took several formal actions at its Feb. 6 meeting, approving appointments to boards and committees, accepting the monthly finance report, adopting a resolution increasing the town's fidelity bond, and approving a $300 donation to the Oak Ridge Horse Show Association.
Appointments and reappointments: The council approved the appointment of Patrick Fiorentino as a full member of the Board of Adjustment; Craig Rosenfeld as a full member of the Planning and Zoning Board; Holly Stewart as a full member of the Finance Committee; and Todd Dean as an alternate on the Finance Committee. The slate of reappointments included Stuart Meese (finance committee), Edie Bryant (finance committee), Daniel Walraven (alternate on finance committee), and Debbie Schoenfeld (historic preservation commission). The council voted on the reappointments as a group; the transcript records the result as "3 to 2." Specific roll‑call names for the votes were not read into the record.
Finance report and fidelity bond resolution: The finance officer summarized receipts for January, including an ACH remittance of $83,155 in property taxes and $10,657 in motor vehicle taxes from Guilford County, plus monthly sales tax and other revenue; ABC revenue of $99,328 was reported separately during the meeting. The council accepted the finance officer's report (vote recorded as "Ayes have it").
Council then considered Resolution R‑2025‑01 to update the town's fidelity bond (the meeting transcript used the term "fidelity bond") to include ARPA and other large capital projects in the calculation and to increase the bond coverage from $200,000 to $500,000. The manager said the change adds approximately $750 in annual premium cost; council approved the resolution (vote recorded as "Ayes have it").
Horse show donation: Council debated a requested $300 sponsorship for the Oak Ridge Horse Show Association. Speakers at the meeting questioned whether the event benefits Oak Ridge residents and noted the organization holds its event outside town. After discussion, a motion against the donation failed; a subsequent motion to approve the $300 donation passed 3‑2. The record does not show which council members voted yes or no in the tally given at the meeting.
Other actions: The council scheduled a capital improvement planning workshop as a special called meeting for Feb. (time recorded as 10:00 a.m.) and received a water tower construction update (groundbreaking held; fabrication ongoing; deep foundation work expected in March; projected completion Jan. 31, 2026 per contractor schedule).
Why it matters: The fidelity bond change responds to auditor and state guidance about including large capital projects in the coverage calculation and provides increased financial protection for the town. The donation vote drew public comment and divided council members on whether town funds should support an event run outside Oak Ridge.
Ending: The council accepted staff reports and directed follow up on items raised during public comment; several procedural and scheduling items were acknowledged for future meetings.
