MINT HILL – The Mint Hill Board of Commissioners adopted a budget for next fiscal year and reviewed a site plan for its future public services facility during a June 8 meeting.
Town Manager Brian Welch’s recommended $47.5 million budget was approved with no discussion among commissioners.
The general fund, which is fueled by property taxes, calls for four new police positions, three new firefighter jobs and 8% market rate adjustment for employees with the second payroll after Jan. 1, 2024.
The budget sets the tax rate at $0.225 per $100 of assessed value, which represents a reduction of $0.03 per $100 in the current rate.
Later on, commissioners held a public hearing for a new public services facility set to go on 18.7 acres at 6793 Lebanon Road.
The facility will consist of a public works building, fire house, fire training facility and a police evidence building, according to engineer Douglas Kendall Draffen. The town plans to pay for the project through installment financing in principal not to exceed $22 million.
The site is owned by the town but the project needs to get conditional zoning approval to allow essential services use in a residential area.
The planning board will vet the site plan June 26. Commissioners may decide on it as early as July 13.
The board also authorized Welch to contract with Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP for special counsel relating to the financing of the public services facility. First Tryon Advisors will guide the town through installment financing.
Residents concerned about potential rezoning
A pair of residents spoke out against a potential rezoning that may be headed toward the front of their street.
Michael Vance, a real estate developer, said when neighbors on McWhirter Road heard about the project, they met with one of the parties involved and gathered 76 signatures against it.
Vance acknowledged at the June 8 commissioners meeting that the town has not received a rezoning application yet for the project, but he said neighbors wanted to set an appointment and talk about the issues they have with a potential rezoning with each commissioner.
Mayor Brad Simmosn was receptive to talking with residents about their reservations about the project.
Resident Lawson McWhirter said the lot targeted for rezoning is in front of McWhirter Grading Company but access to the lot will likely have to be through McWhirter Road, not N.C. 218.
Commissioners approve storage yard
Town commissioners approved a conditional zoning permit June 8 from Griffin-Goforth Properties to develop a storage yard at 3.7 acres at 11134 Business Lane.
The storage yard may hold RVs, boats, trailers and other large vehicles within an industrial cul-de-sac behind two tracts fronting Business Lane that are owned by Griffin-Goforth Properties.
Commissioners adopted the following statement from the Mint Hill Planning Board: “Light industrial areas were intended to support a mix of innovative businesses that could benefit from the collocation of related complementary industries. The mix of uses range from light industrial operations and makerspaces to supporting office, retail, and service uses.”
Commissioners also took the following actions:
• Accepted partial sections of Jolie Cheval Lane, Oxer Road, Bascale Lane and Heath Glen Drive in the Cheval subdivision into the town’s maintenance network.
• Greenlit a contract to allow the N.C. Department of Transportation to do design work on sidewalks along Lawyers Road, Wilgrove-Mint Hill Road and Wilson Grove Road.
• OK’d entering into a $343,997 contract with Piedmont Asphalt Paving Company to resurface asphalt at Veterans Memorial Park and Wilgrove Park. The work includes realigning and resurfacing the paved walking path at Veterans Memorial Park. The town will use ARPA funds.
• Approved a $127,017 contract with Queen City Court Builders to convert two tennis courts at Wilgrove Park into six pickleball courts. The town is using American Rescue Plan Act funding for the contract.
• Held a public hearing for a 60,000-square-foot “state-of-the-art rebar fabrication facility” with outside storage on nearly 15 acres at 13315 Jomac Drive. They will consider that project as early as next month.
• Revised parts of the ordinance to define special and commercial events and set up guidelines for permits.
• Voted to recommend Roger Hendrix to the ETJ seat on the Mint Hill Planning Board. Mecklenburg County has the final say on that particular seat. The term expires June 30, 2025.
• Read a resolution into the record during the June 8 town commissioners meeting proclaiming June 19, 2023, as Juneteenth. The resolution, which mirrors the one passed last year, calls on citizens to “join us in celebration of freedom from physical, mental, emotional, financial, ethical, moralistic slavery and encourage the celebration of this freedom not just on June 19th, but every day.”