Town Council Work Session and Action Meeting Summary - Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Thank you to those who joined us for the Town Council Work Session and Action Meeting held on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 8:30 a.m.

• The meeting was held at the temporary Town Hall at the Landings, 920 Buffalo Creek Road, Lake Lure, NC 28746.

• The public was invited to attend. 

• A summary of the meeting is included here for those who could not attend. 

• You may download the meeting packet for additional information.  

I. Call to Order

Mayor Pritchett called the meeting to order and thanked those in attendance for joining the meeting. 

II. Agenda Adoption

The meeting agenda was adopted as posted below.  

III. Discuss Possible Uses for Remaining ARPA Funds

Town Manager Olivia Stewman requested Council authorization to allow LaBella to proceed with use of the remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, which are scheduled to expire at the end of the current calendar year.

• Approximately $2 million in ARPA funding remains available.
• Staff are requesting Council input and direction on the proposed use of the remaining funds.
• The intent is to allocate these funds toward eligible project components that support the BFM Phase 1 infrastructure work and can be completed within the required timeframe.
• Potential scopes of work under this authorization include:
  • Installation of a sewer line assembly to the downward portion of the dam located just below the bridge.
  • Installation of land-based electrical sites in support of pump stations for BFM Phase 1.
  • Pre-fabrication of platforms and valve boxes to be installed at the pump stations.
  • Receipt of approval from DEQ for the purchase of a telehandler to support construction and operational needs associated with the BFM project.
  • There was a discussion about the process and options.
  • Public Services Director Dean Lindsey provided an overview of these recommendations. 
  • Council input will guide final decisions on the allocation of the remaining ARPA funds and allow the Town to proceed efficiently prior to the funding expiration.
  • Town Council approved moving forward. 

IV. Review Aqua Park Proposal by Ridgeline

Ridgeline, the owner of the 1927 Lake Lure Inn and Lake Lure Tours, the concessionaire for the Lake Lure Beach, has expressed interest in pursuing installation of a Wibit Aqua Park at Lake Lure Beach.

• Keaton Nickelsen with Ridgeline advised that the group is considering purchasing the inflatable water park, which has an estimated lifespan of approximately five years. 
• Unfortunately, the existing slide was damaged during Hurricane Helene and will be unable to be utilized this summer. 
• The slide will be replaced, but not this summer.
• The proposed amenity would be installed in the lake during the operating season only and removed during the off-season.
• Ridgeline has indicated that they are able to work with the manufacturer regarding appearance considerations, including colors and overall visual impact, to ensure compatibility with the surrounding environment.
• Town Council asked Mr. Nickelsen to stay within the Tow's color palette as possible with all new and replacement amenities and equipment. 
• Staff are bringing this forward for Council awareness and initial discussion.
• There was a discussing and Town Council and Mr. Nickelsen confirmed that their insurance would cover the 
• There will be a fee to utilize the amenity in addition to the beach access fee..
• Town Council approved the proposed additions.

V. Review Proposed Organizational Changes

Town Manager Stewman recommended the following organizational changes intended below to streamline operations, improve accountability, address long standing operational weaknesses, and reduce costs while preserving essential Town services.

• Emergency Services Department: The first recommendation is the establishment of a unified Emergency Services Department under a single Emergency Services Director with two distinct divisions, Fire/Emergency Management and Police.
  • This structure is intended to provide consistent executive leadership, improve coordination across public safety functions, and support long term planning, policy development, and asset management.
  • Operational responsibilities, professional standards, and certifications within the Fire and Police divisions would remain distinct and unchanged.
  • Shared administrative and logistical resources would be consolidated where practical to improve efficiency and reduce duplication.

• Parks, Recreation, and Lake Department: The second recommendation is the dissolution of the Parks, Recreation, and Lake Department, with its responsibilities reassigned to departments better aligned with the nature of the work.

  • All existing services would continue, including boat permits, parks and trails maintenance, lake enforcement, advisory board support, grant coordination, and dredging management.
  • Boat permitting and related administrative functions would be transferred to the Finance Department to improve internal controls, data accuracy, and workflow efficiency.
  • Parks and Trails planning would transition to Rick Carpentern in Community Development.
  • Parks and Trails maintenance would be reassigned to Public Works.
  • Lake enforcement would be overseen by the Police Division of the Emergency Services Department to ensure clear authority and consistent application of ordinances, while maintaining continuity through existing staff roles and advisory board support.

• Public Services Department: The final recommendation involves a targeted realignment within the Public Services Department to better balance day-to-day operational oversight with capital project delivery.

  • The current Public Services Director will transition into a dedicated Project Manager role focused on major capital projects, infrastructure planning, disaster recovery, and grant funded work.
  • To ensure continued operational leadership, the Town would promote an existing employee from within the department to serve as Public Services Director, providing direct oversight of daily operations, staffing, scheduling, and service delivery.
  • This approach leverages institutional knowledge, strengthens continuity, and clearly separates operational management from project execution.

Collectively, these recommendations are intended to modernize the Town’s organizational structure, clarify roles, enhance coordination, and support effective service delivery in a sustainable and fiscally responsible manner.

• If acceptable to Council, staff would like to include these proposed changes on the agenda for the March regular meeting for Council approval.
• If approved at that meeting, the organizational changes would take effect on Monday, March 16th.
• It is also important to note that, under the proposed structure, boat permitting services would be located at The Landings.
• The Proposed Organizational Chart is shown below. 
• There was a discussion with Town Council.
• Ms. Stewman noted that the Village of Bald Head Island was used as a benchmark for organizational changes. 
• Dana Bradley will continue to support the Lake Advisory Board.
• Rick Carpenter will begin supporting the Parks and Recreation Board. 
• Town Council asked Ms. Stewman to present an update on the budget. She confirmed that the changes are expected to result in significant savings. 
• Town Council will review the proposed changes and vote on this at the March Town Council Meeting.

VI. Review Proposed Personnel Policy Amendments

Town Manager Steman stated that she is requesting Council consideration of two proposed amendments to the Town’s Personnel Policy designed to promote consistency, equity, and improved working conditions for staff while maintaining high levels of public service:

• Administrative Office Hours: Administrative Office Hours Amending the administrative office hours to 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • This schedule reflects the time period when most residents, contractors, and visitors access Town Hall services and allows staffing levels to be most effective during peak public-facing hours.
  • From a personnel standpoint, the current office-hour structure has created ongoing challenges.
  • Because a defined lunch period is not required, employees often opt to forgo lunch in order to leave early or arrive late.
  • While well intentioned, this practice leads to inconsistent coverage, difficulty with scheduling, and inequities across departments and positions.
  • In practice, full lunch breaks rarely occur due to workload and coverage demands, which can contribute to fatigue and uneven expectations among staff.
  • Establishing a clear and standardized workday provides consistency and fairness for all employees, ensures predictable staffing coverage throughout the day, and supports healthier work habits.
  • This approach treats all administrative staff equitably, reduces confusion for supervisors, and creates a more balanced and manageable schedule.
  • The Personnel Policy will continue to allow up to two 15-minute breaks per day, providing staff flexibility to step away briefly as needed while maintaining appropriate coverage and operational consistency.
  • Additionally, the proposed hours offer a predictable workday that benefits employees who commute while continuing to meet public service needs.

• Travel Reimbursement Policy: Travel Reimbursement Policy Staff is also recommending that the Town update its travel reimbursement policy to follow State of North Carolina reimbursement rates.

  • The Town’s current reimbursement amounts are outdated and no longer adequately reflect the cost of travel.
  • Aligning with state rates ensures fair reimbursement, provides a recognized and periodically updated standard, and eliminates the need for frequent policy adjustments. If acceptable to Council, the Town would like to include a resolution adopting these proposed changes on the agenda for the March regular meeting for Council approval.

Town Council approved the changes in theory and will consider the recommendations for a vote at the March Town Council Meeting.

VII. Resolution No. 26-02-25 Accepting the Water System Asset Inventory and Assessment

Town Manager Stewman advised that the Water System Asset Inventory and Assessment (AIA) project was funded through the American Rescue Plan’s State Fiscal Recovery Fund, with the Town receiving $150,000 from the NC Department of Environmental Quality to complete the work.

• LaBella Associates, the Town’s on-call engineers, carried out the project and have submitted the final AIA report. \
• The accompanying resolution verifies that the Town has reviewed and accepted the completed AIA and confirms to NCDEQ that all grant requirements have been fulfilled.
• There was a discussion regarding the modeling system. 
• The resolution was approved.

VIII. Consider Labella Task 21 Amendment 1

LaBella Associates has submitted Amendment 1 to Task 21 under the Town’s existing on call professional services agreement to complete dredging permitting for Lake Lure under post Hurricane Helene conditions.

• Task 21 was originally authorized in July 2024 to provide initial dredging permitting assistance and began prior to Hurricane Helene.
• Work was approximately eighty percent complete when the storm occurred, and remaining funds were later used to restart limited permitting efforts.
• Since that time, site conditions, regulatory considerations, and available data have changed, requiring additional scope to complete the permitting process.
• The proposed amendment includes work for updating engineering drawings and permit materials using post storm bathymetric data, expanding permitting limits lake wide, completing required environmental and historic resource coordination, and preparing associated stormwater and floodplain documentation.
• An optional phase includes stream and wetland delineation at the proposed off site sediment processing location.
• The intent of this permitting effort is to allow the Town to identify priority dredging areas annually, support continued use of state dredging grant funds, and obtain a permit with the longest feasible duration and extension potential.
• The total amended lump sum fee is $69,500, which includes the original Task 21 authorization and $37,500 in additional services.
• This includes a report and would allow us to dredge anywhere needed. 

Town Council approved the LaBella Associates Task 21 Amendment 1.  

IX. Consider Labella Task 27 Amendment 1

The Town is pursuing design of a deep water access boat ramp capable of supporting equipment access to the Lake at water surface elevations as low as 970.

• Under this task, the Town previously authorized LaBella to design a ramp at Rumbling Bald; however, following field survey work, that location was determined to be unsuitable.
• As a result, the Town identified Mallard Cove, accessed via property owned by Camp Lurecrest Ministries, Inc., as an alternative location.
• With LaBella’s assistance, the site was visually evaluated and confirmed to be suitable for the intended use.
• Design efforts under this amendment address the ramp at the newly selected Mallard Cove location.
• The Town is currently negotiating with the property owner to secure an easement.
• LaBella will prepare a complete design for the boat ramp and associated access road, including survey processing, geotechnical investigation, roadway alignment and drainage, and structural design of the concrete ramp.
• The ramp will be designed to extend to approximately the 970 contour, subject to confirmation through survey and coordination with the Town.
• LaBella will also identify and prepare required federal and state permit applications, including anticipated U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Section 404 and North Carolina Section 401 approvals, and will respond to agency comments as needed.
• Limited construction support will be provided as requested by the Town.
• The total lump sum fee for design related services is $76,300, which includes work previously completed at the Rumbling Bald location as well as new survey, geotechnical, and design work for Mallard Cove.
• Additional services including permitting, agency coordination, and construction support are proposed on a time and materials basis with a combined budget of $15,000.

Town Council recommended Community Development assess this further before approving the LaBella Associates Task 27 Amendment 1.  The item will be presented again at the March Town Council Meeting.

X. Hager Strategic Solutions Updates

The Town works with Bre Wilhelm of Hager Strategic Solutions for lobbyist services. Ms. Wilhelm provided the following legislative update.

• The state currently has not passed a budget, with session resuming April 21st; Unfortunately, no mini-budget is expected before this date. 
• Key legislative issues include the "Saving American Dream Act" (House Bill 765), property tax reform (read more here), and "down-zoning" restrictions (Senate Bill 382).
• There was a discussion regarding SB382.  The Town and the North Carolina League of Municipalities actively oppose restrictive bills that impede local zoning authority, especially those impacting small municipalities retroactively to June 14, 2024.
• Efforts focus on supporting Senate Bill 587 for clarifying nonconforming uses and House Bill 24 to restore down zoning authority for towns under 100,000 population.
• Impact of Zoning Restrictions: Current zoning changes or enforcement are effectively frozen retroactively, halting many local land use and development controls.
• This freeze affects long-term planning and comprehensive plan updates, requiring close attention to legislative progress.
• Council emphasized prioritizing this issue as the top policy matter for the session.
• Discussions are underway on limiting annual property tax increases, potentially forcing incremental increases up to caps regularly.
• Council was asked to identify three funding priorities at varying levels (e.g., $5 million, $1 million, under $1 million) for state support.
• Water and sewer infrastructure remains a top funding priority, aligned with the Department of Environmental Quality’s Blueprint Project expansion efforts, which could unlock significant mitigation funding.

XI. Storm Recovery Updates

Town Manager Stewman provided the following updates: 

• SMART Program: The SMART Program Contractors are mobilizing this week and will be o the lake next week.  First they will focus on floating debris and then will make rounds to pick up debris within about 5 feet of the shoreline.  They will make additional rounds as the lake levels increase so they can get further up the shoreline. 

  The green space behind the Fire Department is approved as the staging area for debris processing, with ingress/egress planned via the Morse Park with no staging in that area.

  The contractor must restore all areas post-work, including reestablishing orange fencing to maintain public access and safety.

• FEMA: FEMA has temporarily halted the work on spreading the dirt in Morse Park and removing any excess dirt, due to the government shutdown. 

• Dredging: Dredging is going well.  Crews have removed 8,200 Cubic Yards (CY) from the lakebed thus far.  The contract is for removing 30,000 CYs. Remaining sediment piles are located on Happy Hollow and Morse Park, with plans to remove all visible pipe and equipment as water rises.

• Bank Stabilization: Bank stabilization is ongoing in Morse Park. The project is over halfway complete, but will pause where SMART ingress/egress is planned.

• Charlotte Drive: Need to notify property owners on Charlotte Drive that paving will have to be delayed due to the need to use the roadway to access the debris staging area for the SMART Program.  

• NCEM Grant Awarded:  The Town received a $194,200 grant for Dam Failure impact assessment to support future dam replacement.  

• SRF Loan: A $31 million SRF loan has been awarded with $6 in principal forgiveness was awarded for sewer replacement projects, pending official documentation and Local Government Commission approval.

XII. Town Manager/Project Updates

Town Manager Stewman provided the following updates:

•  Lake Levels: The lake level is currently at 979.3 feet and rising, with rain expected to increase slowly.

• Collegiate Rowing: Collegiate rowing beginning 2/28/26 and through the end of March. Rumbling Bald is hosting the teams with special permission to use the lake.

• Lake Status: The lake remains closed to public. Only authorized boats are allowed on the lake. 

• Washburn Marina: The boat ramp and marina access remain under construction and restricted until lake levels and construction completion allow safe public use.

• Boys Camp Road: The final draft for Boys Camp Road Bridge design is complete and will be advertise for bid. The plans is to review bids and make a recommendations for the award by March 18, 2026.

VII. Public Comments

Mayor Pritchett invited anyone wishing to make a public comment to come forward. 

1) Michelle Gref: 143 Frady Inlet Rd.

Ms. Gref thanked Council for all their efforts to restore the lake.  She advised that she wanted clarification on lake use. She mentioned that rowers will be here and she felt that residents and homeowners should be allowed on lake as well. She stated that she wanted to follow the rules but also wanted to be back on the lake.

Council advised that the access is limited to the rowers and their practices will be heavily monitored.

There was discussion regarding a future plan to allow property owners to bring their boats back into the lake.  This plan is being developed.  They advised that boats will be able to be brought in by approved contractors and continued guidance will be provided as the lake continues to rise.       

2) Randy Nelson: 129 Fisher Ct.

Mr. Nelson provide a brief report from Lake Lure Classical Academy Board Meting.  He advised that the budget was approved with a 12% significant reduction in revenue.  He informed Town Council that they would have to begin cutting positions. He stated that the school was struggling but continue to manage okay and will recover.

There were no other public comments

Mayor Pritchett advised that the Comprehensive Planning Public Input Session would begin next door at 10:00am.  Town Council went into a closed session. 

VIII. Closed Session

There was a Closed Session in accordance with G.S. 143-318-11 (a) (3)_ for the purpose of Attorney Client Privilege and G.S. 143-318.11 for the Purpose of Discussing Personnel Matters.

IX. Adjournment