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At a glance: Council approves wide consent agenda, adopts floodplain change and emergency lodging policy
Summary
At its Aug. 11 meeting, Black Mountain council approved a large consent agenda that included multiple hazard‑mitigation grant applications, extended an ordinance agreement with Enbridge for 35 days, adopted a prohibition on new townhomes in the 100‑year regulatory floodplain, and added an emergency lodging and meal support policy to the personnel manual.
The council approved a lengthy consent agenda that bundled meeting minutes, tax reports, donations, and multiple grant application authorizations. Consent‑agenda items of note included staff authorization to apply for North Carolina Department of Commerce small‑business infrastructure funding (a $1,000,000 ask for downtown stormwater inlet work), resolutions supporting Hazard Mitigation Grant Program applications for a diesel pump and generators, SCADA panel upgrades, and waterline hardening, and two separate State Revolving Fund applications for drilling and connecting municipal wells and for relocating water lines in high‑risk areas.
Council unanimously moved to accept the consent agenda by voice vote. Later, in unfinished business, council voted to extend the existing gas‑utility license/agreement with Enbridge (the former Dominion Energy) for an additional 35 days to allow staff and the company to reconcile a red‑lined ordinance and coordination requirements.
On new business the council adopted an amendment to the town’s land‑use code prohibiting construction of new townhome buildings in the 100‑year regulatory floodplain, with exceptions only after a professional flood‑risk assessment and council review for cases with no feasible alternative. Councilors approved the ordinance by voice vote.
The council also voted to add an emergency lodging and meal support policy to the personnel manual so the town can document and seek reimbursement for feeding and housing mutual‑aid workers, contractors and volunteers during major incidents. Assistant Town Manager Jessica Trotter said the town may face potential reimbursements of up to $200,000 tied to earlier incident expenses but that DEQ may cover portions depending on program rules; council approved adding the policy to the manual by voice vote.
Staff presented a list of recommended engineering firms for discrete FEMA projects (McAdams, Anchor, Jennings Environmental, SM&E, McGill) and council authorized staff to begin contract negotiations for those projects.
Council also filled multiple advisory‑board vacancies and reappointments in a series of motions and voice votes.
