Residents urge preservation of Garner Consolidated water tower and raise drone harassment concerns

Several residents used the petitions-and-comments period at Garner’s April 7 council meeting to urge action on community issues, including preservation of a Garner Consolidated water tower and allegations of repeated drone harassment near homes and a school.

Adarsh Adlapali, speaking for community group Shiny Stars, praised parks-and-rec efforts to introduce badminton at the Garner Recreation Center, offered the group’s volunteer support for tutoring and mentoring, and asked the town for public updates on county-level education work affecting South Garner. "As Garner grows, especially South Garner, there's increasing need to evaluate the middle school," Adlapali said, and offered to gather community feedback.

Representatives of the Garner Consolidated Alumni Association urged the council to preserve and incorporate the school's water tower into the new school and athletic-complex plans. Jesse Henson said the alumni association would provide design suggestions and photos and asked the council to keep preservation options in mind as the new school is built. Cynthia Nesbitt said the proposed combined design would honor both Garner Consolidated and Garner High School legacies; she noted she had discussed logo and town policy with assistant town manager John Hodges.

Resident Eric Austin described repeated incidents over the past six months in which groups of 7–14 drones flew over his property and, he said, over areas near Vandora Springs Elementary. He said some drones broadcast recorded audio containing racial and anti-LGBTQ epithets and stated the response from law enforcement and federal agencies was unclear. "What I'm asking for is a clear local guidance on how citizens should report drone harassment, coordination with state and federal agencies to ensure complaints are investigated, consideration of local ordinances that protect privacy and prevent misuse of drone technology," Austin said.

Longtime resident Ricky Pierce used his time to criticize recent political campaign conduct, urged a refresher on the town’s code of conduct and called for sensitivity training for elected officials.

Council responses were procedural: the mayor and council thanked speakers and asked staff to note concerns and follow up where appropriate. No ordinance or formal policy change was adopted at the meeting; council directed staff to log the concerns and to proceed through established channels for future agenda items if more formal action is required.

Next steps: Officials said staff will record concerns raised during public comment; topics such as drone reporting guidance, water-tower preservation options, and school-related outreach could be referred for future study or included on future agendas if requested by council or staff.