Waynesville council approves loan amendment, park planning grant, demolition contract, traffic‑calming policy and other measures

The Town of Waynesville Town Council approved several administrative and budget items during its June 10 meeting, moving forward on post‑flood cash flow, parks planning, public‑safety staffing and town maintenance actions.

Cash‑flow loan amendment: Rob (finance staff) told council that the North Carolina state treasurer’s office offered a 0% cash‑flow loan to cover FEMA reimbursement timing. Staff said the treasurer offered $503,482.76 from phase‑1 funds and that the town is eligible for up to $2,657,300 in cash‑flow loans; payback schedule as stated by staff includes staged payments (10% by June 30, 2027; 20% by June 30, 2028; 30% by June 30, 2029; remainder thereafter). Council approved an amendment to the prior $1.5 million application so the town can accept the amount offered.

Parks planning grant: Council approved a budget amendment to accept a $75,000 market‑research grant from the North Carolina Travel and Tourism Development Authority (TDA) to update the town’s parks and recreation 10‑year master plan (Rec and Vance Park). Parks staff said the grant will support topographic surveys, consultant selection through an RFP, and an updated site plan required for future state grant applications.

Demolition at 262 Allens Creek Road: Building‑inspections staff reported a dilapidated manufactured home at 262 Allens Creek Road that failed to meet code, that owners did not make required repairs after a notice to correct, and that multiple titled parties did not undertake demolition. Council approved a resolution authorizing demolition after the required 60‑day compliance period and awarded a contract for demolition to WCD Demo and Construction LLC for $5,550; staff said funds are available in the current cleanup/demolition budget.

Reclassification of internship position: The council approved reclassifying a paid internship position tied to the police/community program into a part‑time social‑worker position, with an hourly rate of $20 (staff said the change is an employment reclassification; the incumbent intern is completing academic requirements and staff said the position supports cases involving addiction, mental health and social services). Council approved the change and the small budget adjustment to cover pay.

Traffic calming policy: After a multi‑year committee review, staff presented a revised traffic‑calming policy that adds clearer eligibility metrics, multi‑stage review points and a 66% petition threshold to demonstrate neighborhood support before installation of traffic‑calming devices. Staff said the updated policy reduces reliance on external consultants for initial study work and establishes a rubric for municipal staff, police and public works to screen requests prior to council consideration. Council voted to adopt the attached traffic‑calming policy.

Boards and commissions: Council approved annual renewals for advisory‑commission members listed in the meeting packet and authorized staff to schedule candidate interviews for one vacancy on the Waynesville Housing Authority.

Grant application to Dogwood Health Trust: Council authorized staff to apply for a Dogwood Health Trust “Collaboration and Innovation” grant (up to $500,000, no match) to install solar panels and battery storage at the Public Works building to create a local command‑and‑control emergency center in coordination with the county.

Other administrative items: Council approved a short list of budget amendments for recreation and other departments and voted to cancel the June 27, 2025 council meeting because of low summer agenda volume.

Votes at a glance (key outcomes) - Approve amended cash‑flow loan application to accept $503,482.76 from the NC State Treasurer: approved (motion made on the floor; roll‑call tally not recorded in transcript). - Accept TDA parks planning grant and approve associated budget amendment, $75,000: approved. - Authorize demolition and approve contract for 262 Allens Creek Road to WCD Demo and Construction LLC, $5,550 (action to proceed after completion of 60‑day compliance period): approved. - Reclassify paid intern to part‑time social‑worker position, hourly rate $20: approved. - Adopt revised traffic‑calming policy with new eligibility metrics and 66% petition threshold: approved. - Reappoint advisory‑commission members as listed in packet: approved. - Authorize application to Dogwood Health Trust for solar + battery at Public Works: approved. - Cancel June 27, 2025 council meeting: approved.

What council emphasized: Staff repeatedly framed several votes as fiscal and operational steps: the cash‑flow loan and grant actions are to manage flood recovery and to position the town for further state and federal grants; the traffic‑calming updates were designed to introduce measurable screening criteria and reduce consultant cost for initial steps; the demolition vote clears a long‑running code enforcement case after owners failed to act.

Council actions recorded on the meeting audio show motions and voice votes; several items passed on voice vote with no roll call recorded in the public transcript.