Powder Keg Issues: Report on the August meetings of the Watauga County Commission

August 5th meeting highlights

Several people spoke during public comment on behalf of the Powder Horn community, all very disturbed that the county is building an 180-foot-tall tower right in the middle of their subdivision. Protecting the natural setting is written into the rules of their subdivision. The landowners felt there was a difference between the impression they got when the county spoke to them about the use of this land versus what actually happened. The county has begun clearing the lot, even though the community rules require accounting for every tree. Apparently, sometime in the past they had offered this bit of land in trust for emergency services to the Stuart Simmons fire department, and they had expected something much smaller and less destructive. 

Based on my observations, it appears the county doesn’t believe it has to abide by any subdivision rules. I also got the impression that perhaps there had been too many intermediaries between the county and the residents who are affected. More speakers from Powder Horn attended the next meeting, so I will return to this topic in that report.

In other August 5th news, Lucky Dog got approval to hold its markets for certain dates in the grassy area in front of the Human Service buildings. There was a Blue Ridge Rising resolution to create a consortium of the 29 counties along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Chip Patterson, the president of SDR, attended to explain that despite promises in the previous meeting, reimbursement costs were higher than predicted, so they needed another boost in funding. Commissioner Marsh continues to be irate that the contractors estimate one amount and then aren’t able to stick with it. Patterson explained that there’s a data log for every truck to document every pickup to prove that the work is being done. In the end, Patterson said, it’s just not possible to estimate exactly for disaster debris. “And if anyone tells you they can give you an exact estimate, they are lying to you,” he added. The discussion then revealed that a few sites were still open, so the vote was tabled. 

There was a long discussion of the need for a cooperative extension vehicle that could be funded this year by using the funding for a 4-H position that cannot currently be filled because of a statewide hiring freeze. Several options were proposed and tentatively approved.

Will Holt reported on granting an award for tower construction and maintenance for radio systems, as well as the Powder Horn walkthrough. After his report, the commissioners asked if all information had been provided, including a paper trail of these communications, to which Holt said yes. Some of these projects had been on hold due to the hurricane. Holt confirmed they would landscape and screen the tower.

Next, they approved an official list of people to evaluate the fire appendices: 

Two Commissioners Braxton Eggers and Ronnie Marsh

Two Fire Chiefs Chief Matt Aldridge, Foscoe Fire Dept. and Chief Steve Marks, Cove Creek Fire Dept.

County Manager Deron Geouque

Fire Marshal Shane Garland

Planning Director Jason Walker

One Surveyor Donald McNeil

One Engineer Mike Trew

One Developer Bill Aceto

Two At-Large Members Jeff Fisher and George Bartholomew

Towards the end of the meeting, I noted with interest a discussion of a cash flow loan that would allow the county to earn interest on FEMA money they didn’t have to pay back yet. I’m so interested in the way the county earns interest from federal money because this loan is just one of many such examples. That is, the funds that Watauga County can choose to spend on special causes, such as the Hospitality House, include funds that have come to us from outside of our county and state. I wish that insight would allow them to be more generous to people in need who weren’t necessarily born and raised here, since some of the funds we use weren’t, either.

They approved the ASU parking that included the parking deck, so they could charge more money: $10,000 plus 50% splitting revenue for charging for the parking places.

August 19 highlights

A larger audience was in attendance this time, around 30 including many children, and it was soon clear they were here for the public comment. For the second time in a row, many people from the Powderhorn Community spoke up to protest the building of the 180-ft tower right in the middle of many homes. One firefighter spoke briefly to say that the tower was needed. Many of those who spoke did not question the need for some kind of communication tower system but had been under the understanding that a much smaller tower would be built on the land and that the building would comply with their community rules, neither of which appears to be the case. One speaker pointed out that the tower would be as close to some homes as the distance of the county commission meeting room. Speakers argued that other locations would be less destructive to the community, and they felt that their concerns had not been addressed and that their rights as a community had been violated. Given the tower’s proximity to people’s homes, some speakers worried about hazards caused by the tower such as ice collecting then falling on the people below. There was also concern that the property owners are responsible for taking care of their roads yet the construction itself could cause very expensive damage. Some of their descriptions of the narrow roads reminded me of an earlier public hearing about the fire appendices, in which I realized how narrow county roads and gated communities create risks in terms of fire safety. 

There was some debate over how much latitude the county has to ignore local zoning restrictions. Too often situations like this occur in which protections have not been codified until too late. We saw this in recent years with the historic Junaluska community when they discovered there were no rules to stop a contractor from building an oversized dwelling. Such zoning debates are not easy to reconcile, but it is all made much worse when you consider that our Republican-dominated legislature believes it has the right to intervene at any time to override local rules. Still, one of the biggest challenges is that these problems do not catch anyone’s attention until too late.

You won’t be surprised that it occurred to me to look up to see into which of the gerrymandered districts of the county Powder Horn Community belonged. Based on this map, I believe that would be Commissioner Castle, who was quoted in a election debate as saying he felt the gerrymandered districts would help those who felt they did not have a voice in the county (a process that prevented over 20,000 of us from getting to vote for a commissioner last election, in case I haven't mentioned that lately). One wonders if the residents of Power Horn believe that Castle has provided that voice?

Following public comment, Wendy Patoprsty reported on the Middle Fork Greenway, praising the partnerships that have made it possible. The Boone Gorge Park is close to completion, and there are now three pocket parks along this greenway with thousands walking per their counter. The Tweetsie underpass was destroyed by Huuricane Helene just a week or so after completion, but now it has been restored which they will celebrate with a ribbon cutting. She thanked the hundreds of volunteers who helped with cleaning and picking up debris. She asked the Commission to approve a contract for some FEMA repairs.

Chip Patterson, president of SDR, returned to report that the cleanup had been completed, and he guaranteed that this budget correction would be the final ask. This vote was approved by all except Commissioner Marsh, who continues to doubt the need to revise estimated costs.

Angie Boitnotte with the Project on Aging asked for a block grant reallocation. When asked, she said it is hard to find in-home aides and CNAs, but our county is lucky to have many volunteers for the home delivery. The demand for meal delivery ebbs and flows, though there are typically more referrals at the holidays when visiting family members witness reasons for concern.

The Sheriff’s department quickly got approval to replace six vehicles, an item that was already in the budget. Will Holt gave another lengthy report on emergency services, including that the PPDR has started. Apparently this process will take years, especially for bridge repairs. There was some concern about changes in FEMA funding that could make this even more challenging, especially because an emergency fund request was not supported by our NC legislature.

The school board superintendent returned to secure the approval of the board for an energy contract that would be paid for by tapping into future savings through lowered utility costs. The arrangement requires a commitment by the board not to change its annual funding for utility bills. This time, the plan passed quickly, so any concerns the commissioners may have had must have been allayed.

The meeting soon wrapped up after another round of appointments to boards and commissions.

*The Agenda Packets online offer more detailed reports of past meetings.