Town council reports 25% revenue shortfall; solar, highway paving and cemetery hearings among capital priorities

Amanda Podmore, chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission, asked Lou Anne Hook, a member of Bluff Town Council, to brief commissioners on council activity.

Lou Anne Hook said the council projects a roughly 25% drop in revenues tied to transient room, resort and sales taxes and that the town’s FY2026 budget will reflect that decline. Hook said the council discussed a variety of capital projects and possible budget cuts as staff prepare final budget materials for May.

The council identified several capital priorities Hook listed to the commission: installing solar panels currently in storage, pursuing options to buy and install batteries, purchasing a generator, and planning improvements on Old Highway (a proposed pavement project). Hook said Jones and DeMille provided an early estimate for repaving Old Highway of about $1,200,000, with roughly $95,000 estimated to mobilize equipment to the town.

Hook said Bluff Water Works is continuing testing related to lead in meters; staff were seen washing meters as crews check suspicious units. The council is also pursuing grants: staff submitted a state grant application that could provide about $1 million to replace an EPA federal grant that was pulled, and a federal DOT trail grant for the Old Highway trail remains tentatively active, Hook said.

Hook reported council action to hire two local seasonal interns, Jesse Lott and Sam Bouchard, to work up to 30 hours per week in two eight-week stretches on backlog projects. She also updated the commission on outreach and partnerships tied to the Bluff River Trail celebration, bringing federal and non‑profit partners together for the event of the trail’s completion.

Why it matters: The predicted revenue shortfall will shape FY2026 priorities. Capital decisions—whether to install previously purchased solar equipment, proceed with the Old Highway repaving without a trail, or pursue alternate grant funding—will affect public works, planning and permitting work for the town and the commission.

What’s next: Hook said bylaws amendments and a public hearing on Bluff Cemetery are scheduled for the council’s May 6 meeting; she also said the town resubmitted a dark‑skies designation application with small sign‑ordinance changes and expects a response in May.

Commission discussion: Commissioners asked for clarifications about the location and scope of the Old Highway project and whether the trail portion had been removed from the current bid package; Hook said the road‑department chair requested the trail be removed from the bid so the immediate repaving would proceed without the trail work. Hook and commissioners discussed the need for an engineering analysis before installing the stored solar panels; Hook said town staff expect an electrical engineer to evaluate rooftop versus shade‑structure reuse (old school, community center).

Hook said the grant staff submitted to the state is “pretty close” to $1 million, and that the town has not yet received a definitive answer on whether the federal trail grant will stay funded.

Ending: The council update concluded with commissioners asking Hook to flag any follow‑up information—bid documents, grant notifications, and engineering responses—so planning staff can anticipate zoning and permitting implications.