Gas Leak at Norton Creek Farms Sends Many to Hospital Updated with more audio

**update** I have added 56 more minutes of public safety radio traffic.



Two men were overcome by a Freon gas leak at Norton Creek Farms tonight in a refridgeration room south of Franklin, NC. Deputies from the Macon County Sheriff Department were first on scene and CPR was initiated on one of the victims.

The gas was initially identified as CO (Carbon Monoxide) and later as Freon.

Clarks Chapel was joined by elements of the following Fire Departments: Franklin, Otto and West Macon. Multiple ambulances (including one from west Macon Fire Department were used to transport as many as 14 people to the emergency room for evaluation. One person has died and another was airlifted to Greenville, SC for specialized treatment.

I have the first twenty minutes of the radio traffic recorded below.



**update** Here is an additional 56 minutes of radio traffic from this incident. since it is unedited, there may be times when there will be no radio traffic for a few minutes.

Part 2 covering the 20 to 46 minute mark



Part 3 covering the 46 to 76 minute mark



Here are some photos taken by Bob Scott:

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Agenda and Supporting Documents for the August 2013 Franklin Town Board of Aldermen Meeting

**update** My coverage of this meeting is posted at this link.


Here is the public agenda and the supporting documents provided to members of the media for the August 2013 meeting of the Franklin Town Board of Aldermen that is currently scheduled to take place at 7pm on Monday night, August 5th.

There will be three public hearings at the beginning of the meeting that deal with various zoning issues. Be sure to read the press kit to see if you will be affected by them. The town will also discuss a street maintenance ranking system and the results of a parallel parking study for Main Street.

I plan on being there and will be doing a play by play of the meeting on Google Plus.

Town of Franklin Board of Aldermen 

Meeting Agenda

Monday August 5, 2013 - 7:00 p.m. 

1. Call to order -Mayor Collins
2. Approval of the July 1 and July 30, 2013 Town Board minutes
3. Public hearing 7:05 p.m. for re-zoning petition by the Town of Franklin for East Main Street, Gaston Street, Green Street and West Palmer Street
4. Public hearing 7:10 p.m. for re-zoning petition by residents of Pauline Avenue
5. Public hearing 7:15 p.m. for the application to amend text only of the Unified Development Ordinance for regulating the location of electronic machines and sweepstakes
6. Public session
7. New business
   • Town Board decision on re-zoning petition by the Town of Franklin for East Main Street, Gaston Street, Green Street and West Palmer Street
   • Town Board decision on re-zoning petition by the residents of Pauline Avenue
   • Town Board decision on application to amend text only of the Unified Development Ordinance for regulating the location of electronic machines and sweepstakes
   • Street Maintenance Ranking System- Town Manager Warren Cabe and Land Use Administrator Derek Roland
   • Growth Zone Analysis Water Model- Land Use Administrator Derek Roland
   • Town of Franklin Main Street Parallel Parking Study- Land Use Administrator Derek Roland
   • Update on Gazebo- Town Manager Warren Cabe
8. Legal - Resolution for Town of Franklin Tax Collector- Town Attorney John Henning Jr
9. Announcements
   • All non-profit funding pool applications are due Monday August 26, 2013
   • Town Hall will be closed Monday September 2, 2013 in observance of Labor Day
   • The next regularly scheduled Town of Franklin Board of Aldermen meeting will be Tuesday September 3, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.
10. Adjourn

PRESS KIT (exclusively provided by Macon Media)

Press Packet for August 2013 Franklin Aldermen Meeting

MAPS FOR THE PUBLIC HEARINGS

Map for the re-zoning petition by the Town of Franklin for East Main Street, Gaston Street, Green Street and West Palmer Street.

Map 1 Franklin Aldermen Aug 2013 Public Hearing

Map for the re-zoning petition by the residents of Pauline Avenue.

Map 2 Franklin Aldermen Aug 2013 Public Hearing

Map for the Town of Franklin Main Street Parallel Parking Study.

Map 3 Franklin Aldermen Aug 2013 Public Hearing

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Franklin and Highlands Town Boards Meet with County Commissioners 07-30-2013

Video of the joint meeting between the Towns of Franklin and Highlands and the Macon County Commissioners. It was hosted by the Franklin Town Board of Aldermen at Sakura Japanese Grill & Sushi Bar on the Highlands Road in Franklin, NC.


This is a meeting that takes place every four months, each board taking turns playing host, that was designed to foster communication between the boards and the encourage cooperation on projects.

Video of the previous joint meeting is below:

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Bob Scott for Mayor Campaign Event on the Greenway

Pictured (L-R) are 7 of the 10 candidates for the Town Board of Aldermen: Angela Hubbs Moore, Mack Brogden, Barbara McRae, Emmanuel Carrion, W.H. Derrick, Adam Kimsey, Patti Halyburton Abel, and candidate for Mayor Bob Scott.

The Bob Scott for Mayor campaign hosted a Meet the Candidate Social on the Greenway at the Big Bear Shelter on NE Main Street on Friday evening. The event featured the musical talents of the Southern Appalachian Boys, light refreshments and an opportunity to meet Bob Scott, who is running for Mayor of Franklin, NC.

The candidate for Mayor invited those running for seats on the Town Board of Aldermen to make use of this opportunity to meet the voters. 7 of the 10 people running for the 3 open seats on the town board accepted the invitation. 

There were no formal campaign speeches by the candidates who were at the event, who mingled with the crowd instead of speechifying. 

The Bob Scott for Mayor campaign maintains a Facebook page and a website.

I was there and took a little video and some photos that I combined into a video montage.


Media Note

If other local media outlets post coverage this event, I will post the links in this section.

A couple other members of the media were present and a couple were absent. Past coverage of local political events in the local media has been weird. The local papers seem to mostly have a hands off policy on covering the events hosted by local campaigns or party functions. I have even noted that a paper will sometimes send a photographer or reporter, but no story on the event is ever published. Not me. If I am aware of an event, and it is free and open to the public, I will cover it. 

Media Roll Call

Present 
Macon Media (me)
The Franklin Press (photographer only)
The Highlands Paper (the reporter may not have been on assignment)

Absent
Macon County News
WFSC-AM/WNCC-FM
The Smoky Mountain News

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Discover the Land of Wires

Seen on Palmer Street in Franklin, NC.

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Americans for Prosperity praises Governor McCrory, General Assembly for passing tax reform into law

I've neglected to cover the happenings in the North Carolina General Assembly this year and I hope to correct that in the next session of the state legislature. Below is a press release from Americans for Prosperity regarding their reaction to the signing of House Bill 998 into law. Read the text of the bill.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday July 23, 2013   CONTACT: Dallas Woodhouse at (919) 671-1050 ordwoodhouse@afphq.org

Conservative group believes tax reform is the "jobs bill" of the legislative session

RALEIGH, NC – Americans for Prosperity, the state’s leading voice for economic freedom, praised the North Carolina General Assembly and Governor Pat McCrory for passing and signing major tax reform legislation into law. Governor McCrory is signing House Bill 998 – the Tax Simplification and Reduction Act – at a ceremony today at the State Capitol building.

“The taxpayers of North Carolina should be very proud of what has happened here in Raleigh,” said Dallas Woodhouse State Director Americans for Prosperity-North Carolina. “We have leaders at the General Assembly and in Governor McCrory that did what previous administrations were unable or unwilling to do – provide tax relief to North Carolina and reform an antiquated tax code.” 

The new tax reform law reduces and simplifies the 3-tiered state personal income tax from the current maximum rate of 7.75% and minimum rate of 6% to a flat rate of 5.75% in 2015. It also reduces the corporate income tax from 6.9% - the highest rate in the southeast – to 5.75% in 2015 and potentially 3% by 2017. The new law also repeals North Carolina’s estate tax, also known as the “Death tax.”

Woodhouse continued, “Under the old tax code, our personal and corporate income taxes created real ‘sticker shock’ for entrepreneurs and businesses looking to locate in North Carolina. The new tax code makes our state much more attractive to businesses looking to relocate. I believe that this was the jobs bill of this legislative session.

North Carolina’s unemployment rate is currently fifth highest in the nation at 8.8%. Meanwhile the state’s top-tier personal income and corporate tax rates have been the highest in the southeast.

“I think there is definite correlation between our formerly high tax rates and high unemployment in this state. I want to see North Carolina, not only back in the game for jobs, but winning the game. We will have jobs again because we’ve had leaders who decided to make our tax code more friendly to job creators in the real economy,” said Woodhouse.

For further information or an interview, please contact Dallas Woodhouse at dwoodhouse@afphq.org or (919)671-1050.

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is a nationwide organization of citizen-leaders committed to advancing every individual’s right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing the size and intrusiveness of government is the best way to promote individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans.  For more information, visit www.americansforprosperity.org

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If you wish to send me press releases, please send them to editor@wncreport.com and I will post them here. If you have a photo to accompany the press release, I would appreciate it very much, otherwise I'll choose a photo that I feel fits the organization, press release or event.

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Sights and Sounds of the 2013 Franklin Folk Festival

Here are some videos and photos I shot at the 10th Annual Franklin Folk Festival, a local festival that celebrates our Appalachian Heritage. The annnual event is put on by the many dedicated volunteers of the Folk Heritage Association of Macon County. Visit their website [LINK] to learn more about what they do and how you can contribute to their effort.

FIRE APPARATUS PARADE



Created with flickr slideshow.


THE FOLK FESTIVAL

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Fire Apparatus Parade and Folk Festival Street Closures

Be aware that the Franklin Folk Festival is happening today in downtown Franklin. There is also a parade that starts at 9am.

FIRE APPARATUS PARADE ROUTE

I have included a map of the parade route that will be used by several fire trucks in a parade that is scheduled to begin at 9am this morning to kick off the Franklin Folk Festival.

If you aren't planning on watching the parade and will be driving in town during this time, please plan an alternate route to your destination for the 30 minutes or so it will take these apparatus to complete their route, which starts near the Franklin Fire Department on Maple Street and ends on Main Street near the Macon Bank.

FOLK FESTIVAL STREET CLOSURES

Parts of Iotla and Phillips Street will be closed during the festival and Main Street will be closed from the foot of Town Hill to Harrison Avenue.

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Ten People in the Race for Three Seats on the Town Board; Sissy Patillo and Bob Scott Run for Mayor

A 10th person has filed to run for Alderman in Franklin.

Angie Phelps Moore has filed today to be the 10th person running for Alderman in the upcoming municipal election in Franklin. The deadline to file for election was at noon today. The top three vote getters will be seated on the Town Board of Aldermen.

She joins (in alphabetical order), Patti Halyburton Abel, Mack Brogden, Emmanuel Carrion, W.H. Derrick, Marshal Henson, Adam Kimsey, Barbara McRae, Billy Mashburn, and Tom Ritter...bringing the total number of candidates to nine...all vying for the the two open seats left by Sissy Patillo and Bob Scott and the seat currently held by Billy Mashburn.

Candidates in the race for Mayor are (in alphabetical order), Sissy Patillo and Bob Scott.

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Macon County Planning Board 07-18-2013

The video of the entire meeting is above and a few brief notes of what took place is below. 

MEDIA ROLL CALL

Macon County News (present for the entire meeting)
The Franklin Press (present for the entire meeting)
Macon Media (me) (present for the entire meeting)
The Smoky Mountain News (their reporter arrived at 5pm, and was present for the last 9 minutes of the meeting)

NEW MEMBERS

Two new members were welcomed aboard, John Schilling and Joe Deal.

PUBLIC COMMENT

Three members of the public spoke:

Ben (I did not catch his last name)
Sharon Taylor, of the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee
Kathy Tinsley, of the Voluntary Agricultural District Board

All spoke against allowing fill to be added to the flood plain.

MEETING NOTES

The board elected a Chair and Vice Chair at the meeting. Derrick Rowland was selected by a unanimous vote as the Chaiman. Chris Hanners and Jimmy Goodman were nominated to serve as Vice Chairman, and Chris Hanners was selected by a vote of 5-4.

The board returned, at the directive of the Board of County Commissioners, to consideration of the Flood Plain Ordinance, with an eye toward changing it to allow fill in the flood plain. (This originated with a request by the Wells Grove Baptist Church to allow them to fill in the flood plain on their property in order to build a parking lot video of the times they've come before the County Commissioners can be seen here and here).

The board had to decide whether or not to change the flood plain ordinance based on the months of previous discussion on the issue. They voted to change the ordinance to allow filling in the flood plain, with the particulars to be decided later.

All this deliberation could be rendered moot in an instant once Senate Bill 612 passes the North Carolina General Assembly. The bill, if signed into law, would allow for regulatory relief for the citizens of North Carolina from environmental concerns by preventing any county in the state from passing regulations that were stricter than the state standards. As the law currently stands, counties can pass stricter local regulations than the state standards.

A lengthy discussion ensued, with members of the board bringing up items and concepts for consideration by the board. 

NEXT MEETING

The next meeting of the Macon County Planning Board will take place in the conference room at the Macon County Health Department at 4pm on August 15, 2013.

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In Memory of Dennis Tippett, 1961-2013

Public safety personnel gathered to show their appreciation and respect for the life and service of Dennis Tippet on Thursday, July 11th, 2013. His body was carried in 'The 37' of the Franklin Fire Department. The body, and his family, were escorted from Macon Funeral Home to Cowee Baptist Church in a line of emergency vehicles that all passed under an American Flag displayed between Ladder 11 and Ladder 12.

The pallbearers ferried the casket between a line of public safety personnel from The 37 to the grave. The Cowee Volunteer Fire Department conducted the graveside rites for Dennis, and for his family.

Here are some photos and video that attempt to convey some measure of the level of love and respect his brothers and sisters have for him, starting with his return home from a medical center in Philadelphia and ending with some photos taken during the ceremony.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Macon Funeral Home to help with funeral expenses, PO Box 1175 Franklin, NC 28744.



See video shot by a person closer to the apparatus.

The Procession Arrives



The Graveside Rites


Flickr Slideshow


Created with flickr slideshow.
View the photos on Flickr 

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Franklin Alderman Bob Scott Files for Mayor

PRESS RELEASE
Bob Scott 
www.bobscottformayor.com


Bob Scott, a 10 year veteran of the Franklin Board of Aldermen filed Friday to run for Mayor. Scott is seeking the seat being vacated by long-time mayor Joe Collins.

Among the ideas Scott has for Franklin is a project to develop the town owned 13 acre Whitmire property into “a place for all residents to enjoy and to leave for our children and grand children and great grandchildren.” Among the ideas for the Whitmire property Scott would like to see, is space for a farmer’s market, hiking and mountain biking trails, and a multi use building similar to the one the Flat Rock Playhouse started in or the rustic style auditorium of the Brevard Music Center. 

“I welcome the ideas of others for the property. I think we have spent enough taxpayer dollars on outside marketing companies when we have an abundance of local talent to come up with a plan. It is the last remaining large green space within the town limits. We need to put it to community use,” Scott said.

“Many of our business owners have property in Franklin, but because they reside outside the town limits they do not have a vote. I plan to form a business council which will meet on a regular basis so that these property owners have a voice. They may not have a vote, but we will make sure the business community has a voice,” Scott added.

“The town has ongoing issues involving water, sewer, storm water runoff and streets which need to be constantly monitored if the town is to remain viable in a rapidly changing economy,” he said. 

Scott has resided in Franklin since 1967. He is a native of South Carolina. He served in the South Carolina National Guard and Army Reserve. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and is a graduate of Western Carolina University. He has had careers in the newspaper and public safety sectors. He is a graduate of leadership and management programs. He is active in volunteer and civic activities. 

Scott is married to Nancy Siler Scott, who served 11 years on the town board before he ran for the board. She worked for beautification and environmental protection projects in the town during her board service. She is a retired teacher and licensed professional counselor. They have two grown children and two grandchildren. 

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Franklin TDA 07-08-2013

Here is the video, agenda and press kit for the July 8th meeting of the Franklin Tourism Development Authority.

TOWN OF FRANKLIN TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

AGENDA

MONDAY JULY 8, 2013

5:30PM TOWN HALL BOARD ROOM

1...Call to order - Chair Candy Presley

2...Approval of the June 10 and June 18, 2013 minutes

3...Financial Report - Summer Woodard

4...Sub-Committee Reports
A...Finance/Budget Chair report - Mike Grubermann
C...Policy and Rules of Procedure Chair report - Vickie Springer
D...Application Review Chair report - Summer Woodard

5...Old (unfinished business)
A...Sponsorship opportunity for Appalachian trail Biennial
B...Funding request for Ruby Bash Rally
C...Funding request for hiker transportation
D...Sponsorship opportunity for the Smoky mountain Theater

6...New business
A...Discussion on facebook and Google adwords
B...Discussion on electronic billboard campaign
C...Discussion on website hosting for TDA websites

7...Items from the board

8...Announcements - The next regularly scheduled TDA meeting is Monday August 12, 2013 at 5:30PM in the Town Hall Board Room.

9...Adjourn



The press kit is provided (as a public document) to the general public in the interest of promoting transparency and acountability.

Press Kit Franklin TDA 07-08-2013 Meeting

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Macon County Manager Jack Horton Announces Retirement Effective Oct 1, 2013

Macon County Manager Jack Horton has made the announcement that he is retiring from his position effective October 1, 2013.

The text of the letter he presented to the board and media is below:


To: Macon County Board of County Commissioners
Chairman: Kevin Corbin
Vice Chair: Ronnie Beale
Commissioner: Ron Haven
Commissioner: Jim Tate
Commissioner: Paul Higdon

Gentlemen,

It was Monday February 9th, 1976 when l walked in to the County Administrative Offices in Swain County and began what turned out to be a career in local government that has spanned more than three and a half decades. In addition to Macon County, I have served as County Manager in three other counties as well as two years as a City Manager. With my service in local government now more than thirty six years, the time has come for me to make the difficult decision as to how much longer l intend to work in this capacity.

During my career, l have served a multitude of Boards and have had the privilege of working with literally hundreds of dedicated Department Heads and County Employees. It has been my pleasure to serve Macon County on two different occasions, first, from October 1985 until March 1991 and currently since January 2008. l am indeed proud of the many accomplishments that have been made since becoming your County Manager. During my first term of service with Macon County, we built the Business Development Center (incubator), the SCC Public Safety Training Center, added on to the Macon County Public Library, made school improvements following a bond referendum, and last but not least, sited and permitted the current Sanitary Landfill. Since returning to Macon County, l have been privileged to be involved in many worthwhile projects that will provide long term benefits to the citizens of Macon County. Together we have constructed three new schools, Mountain View intermediate, the Early College High School, and lotla Valley Elementary. We also expanded East Franklin Elementary School renovated Nantahala School, renovated and made improvements, including a new soccer field, to the Highlands School, and made improvements to Franklin High School. We were able to provide $1,500,000-for county-wide school system information technology upgrades.

In terms of infrastructure, we have completed the long overdue Little Tennessee/ Cartoogechaye Sewer interceptor, the Highway 28, Riverbend, Swiss Colony water projects, an extension to the Macon County Airport runway, and added a new solid waste transfer station in Highlands.

We acquired and renovated a new Sheriff's Office on Palmer Street, renovated the Barrett Building with a state of the art Emergency Communications Center, passed an Animal Control Ordinance, constructed and put into operation a new Animal Shelter, renovated and relocated our Franklin EMS Base to the Holly Springs Shopping Center, renovated the old Library into a new Senior Services
Community Resource Center, renovated the Hudson Library in Highlands, renovated the Business Development Center and created new opportunities for small business entrepreneurs , acquired the historic McCoy Bridge, and the Cowee School for a Macon County Heritage Center, acquired the Parker Meadows property for a new parks and recreation facility, made improvements to the County Recreation Park Pool and Pool House, created the Macon County Medallion of Honor in recognition of those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to improve Macon County, refinanced existing long term debt, thereby saving the county over $2,700,000, put in place a comprehensive long range development plan as well as a comprehensive county employee job description, classification, and compensation plan.

I am pleased that we have cultivated good working relationships with the Board of Education, and our municipal governments of Franklin and Highlands, and l sincerely hope the joint meetings we started will continue in the future.

Over the past five and a half years, with responsible financial planning, Macon County has consistently maintained one of the lowest property tax rates in the state, while maintaining a strong fund balance, providing a consistent level of service to our citizens, and increasing our bond rating from an A to an A+.

These things don't just happen by accident, they happen because people of vision work together toward the common good for all citizens.

l have enjoyed my tenure with Macon County as your County Manager. l am thankful for the support, and respect l have received from the Macon County Board of Commissioners, our county employees, and the citizens of Macon County, but the time has come for me to consider retiring from my profession
and to pursue other goals and objectives that l have long ignored or postponed. lt is my intent therefore to retire from my position as your County Manager October 1st, 2013.

l will assist the Board in any way as you prepare for the recruitment and selection of a qualified replacement to serve you as Macon County Manager.


Respectfully Submitted,
C. Jack Horton

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Macon County Commissioners 07-09-2013

The Macon County Commissioners will be meeting tonight at 6pm. I have included the public agenda and have embedded the documents included with the press kit in the interest of transparency.

I will be posting a play by play of the meeting on Google Plus and will post the video at the top of this article tomorrow afternoon.

MACON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
JULY 9, 2013
PUBLIC AGENDA 

1. Call to order and welcome by Chairman Corbin

2. Announcements

3. Moment of Silence

4. Pledge of Allegiance

5. Public Hearing(s) - 6:00 p.m.

• Proposed amendments to the subdivision ordinance
• Application for a proposed telecommunication tower

NOTE: The board will consider the amendments to the subdivision ordinance and the telecommunication tower application immediately following the public hearing(s). 

6. Public Comment Period

7. Adjustments to and approval of the agenda

8. Reports/Presentations

• Highlands Middle School Courtyard - Stephanie Smathers and Rebecca Schilling

9. Old Business

• Request from Macon County Schools regarding current expense

10. New Business

• Consideration of contract with Bunnell-Lammons Engineering for geological and hydrogeological investigative work on future landfill Cell III - Solid Waste Director Chris Stahl
• Richard Melvin's request for client's revenue stamp reimbursement - County Attorney
• Designation of voting delegate to NCACC Annual Conference

11. Consent Agenda - Attachment #11 
All items below are considered routine and will be enacted by one motion. No separate discussion will be held except on request of a member of the Board of Commissioners.

• Minutes of the June 11, June 13 and June 17, 2013 meetings
• Budget Amendments - #1, #2 and #3
• Tax Releases
• Monthly ad valorem tax collection report

12. Appointments

• Planning Board (one seat)
• Cemetery Board (five seats)
• Southwestern Community College Board of Trustees (one seat)

13. Closed session (if necessary)

14. Adjourn/Recess

NOTE: The joint meeting with the Town of Franklin and Town of Highlands has been tentatively scheduled for July 30, 2013 at 6 p.m. Details to follow. 

07.09.13 BOC Agenda Packet for iPad

Budget Amendment #4 FY 13-14

FINAL Contract for DHR Phase 2 Cell 3 Macon County P12-0527

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Macon County Board of Education 07-03-2013

The Macon County Board of Education held a continuation meeting last night. After a 97 minute closed session, board members approved hiring people to fill 33 positions in the school system. 26 positions remain to be filled and it is anticipated that they will fill them at the July 22nd meeting.

The Board welcomed Dr Chris Baldwin as the new Superintendent of the Macon County School System. See video of his swearing in ceremony.

MEDIA ROLL CALL

WFSC-AM
Macon County News
Macon Media (me)

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Franklin Aldermen 07-01-2013

The Franklin Town Board of Aldermen will be meeting tonight in the town hall at 95 E Main Street. i will be there filming the meeting. There will be no play by play tonight. The agenda and press kit for the meeting are below.

I will post the video at the top of this post when it is complete.

Town of Franklin Board of Aldermen 
Meeting Agenda
Monday July 1, 2013 - 7:00 p.m. 

1. Call to order -Mayor Collins
2. Approval of the June 3, 2013 board minutes
3. Public session
4. New business
   1. Recognition of Russell Bowling for years of service with the Town of Franklin-Mayor Joe Collins
   2. Presentation of the Town of Franklin Comprehensive Water Model and Master Plan- Brian Tripp and Land Use Administrator Derek Roland
   3. Set public hearing for re-zoning petition by the Town of Franklin for East Main Street, Gaston Street, Green Street and West Palmer Street- Land Use Administrator Derek Roland
   4. Set public hearing for re-zoning petition by residents of Pauline Avenue - Land Use Administrator Derek Roland
   5. Set public hearing for application to amend text only of the Unified Development Ordinance for regulating the location of electronic machines and sweepstakes- Land Use Administrator Derek Roland
   6. Alcohol Beverage Control Board appointment- Town Manager Warren Cabe
   7. Economic Development Commission appointment- Town Manager Warren Cabe
   8. Old Town Hall property disposal- Town Manager Warren Cabe
5. Legal
   1. Ordinance to repeal chapter 112 Amusement Ordinance- Town Attorney John Henning
   2. Closed session-N.C.G.S. 143-318.11(a)(6) - To consider the qualifications, competence, performance, character, fitness, conditions of appointment, or conditions of initial employment of an individual public officer or employee or prospective public officer or employee- Town Attorney John Henning Jr.,
6. Announcements
   1. Applications for fiscal year 2013-2014 non-profit funding pool are available at Town Hall and online at www.franklinnc.com.
   2. Town of Franklin Employee luncheon July 3, 2013 at 12:00 p.m. Fat Buddies
   3. Town of Franklin joint meeting with Macon County and Town of Highlands will be July 30, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. at the Boiler Room Steak House.
7. Adjourn

[Note] I have had trouble getting the press kit to upload to Scribd, so click here to download it in PDF format.

Franklin Aldermen Press Kit 07-01-2013

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New School Superintendent Sworn in Today

Several employees gathered today in the meeting room of the Macon County Board of Education to observe the swearing in ceremony of Dr Chris Baldwin, who replaces the interim Superintendent, Dr Jim Duncan. Clerk of Court Vic Perry administered the oath of office at 10am.

I was unable to attend the going away party for Dr Jim Duncan, WFSC-AM was there.

Media Roll Call

WFSC-AM
Macon Media

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Macon County Planning Board 06-20-2013

The Macon County Planning Board met yesterday afternoon and discussed the county sign ordinance, including whether or not the county needed one and the issue of non-enforcement of the current county sign ordinance, which has been in place since the middle 1990s. It was also brought up that the NC DOT sporadically enforces their own sign ordinance, typically during mowing operations.

The county planner reminded board members that the there would be a public hearing on the county subdivision ordinance at the July 9, 2013 meeting of the county commissioners. The next meeting of the planning board will be July 18, 2013 at 4pm.

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Franklin TDA 06-10-2013

The next meeting of the board will be Tuesday, June 18th at 5.30pm.

**note** This conflicts with the previously scheduled meeting of the Macon County Commissioners. I'll try to arrange to have cameras at both events. I may need a volunteer who is willing to sit with the camera I leave at the TDA meeting to ensure that Mike Gruberman does not shut it down prior to the start of the meeting like he did the last time I had two meetings that conflicted.



Here is a copy of the agenda (I've corrected some formatting errors that were present in the official copy), minutes the financial report, which was only included with the printed version of the document. I'll try to transcribe it if I have time...but I am very busy this week and may forget.

Town of Franklin Tourism Development Authority

Agenda

Monday June 10, 2013

5.30pm Town Hall Board Room

1.) Call to order - CHair Candy Pressley

2.) Approval of the May 8 and May 13, 2013 minutes

3.) Financial Report - Summer Woodard

4.) Sub-Committee Reports
a. Finance.Budget Chair report - Mike Gruberman
b. Policy and Rules of Procedure Report - Vickie Springer
c. Application and Review Chair report - Summer Woodard


5.) New Business
a. Presentation by Premier Marketing
b. Discussion on Marketing Plan for FY 2013-2014

6.) Items from the board

7.) Announcements - The next regularly scheduled TDA meeting is Monday, July 8, 2013 at 5.30pm in the Town Hall Boardroom.

8.) Adjourn

Franklin TDA Agenda Kit

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Two Minor Quakes Shake Macon and Jackson Counties Updated with Information on the June 7th Tremor

**update** Another minor quake, this one Magnitude 2.4 has happened this morning. Some people are reporting they felt two separate events. I have added information about the new quake at the end of this article.

**update #2** The USGS has adjusted the magnitudes of the recent quakes as follows:

The strength of the second quake (previously 2.2 Magnitude) has been more than doubled to match the first quake. Both are now rated at 2.5 Magnitude.

Today's quake, previously rated 2.4, has been lowered to 2.3 Magnitude. 


**update #3** They've also changed the epicenters to the quakes. They are all reported to have taken place beneath Panther Knob now.



Yesterday, June 6, 2013, two small quakes occurred beneath Panther Knob. The first one (orange circle in the above graphic) happened at 5:58:14 am and was heard or felt by people in Macon and Jackson Counties, waking a few up. It registered Magnitude 2.5 at occurred at a depth of 4.4 miles.

The second one (red star in the above graphic) happened at 2:21:19 pm and was felt or heard by a number of people also. It registered Magnitude 2.2 and occurred at th a depth of 3.17 miles. It released less than half the energy of the first minor quake.

Minor earthquakes above Magnitude 2.0 like these happen about ten times a year within a hundred mile radius of where these occurred, most of them in Tennessee, where there is more geological activity. Lesser tremors below 2.0 occur more frequently.

USGS Event Pages are available for both quakes and I have linked to them below for your convenience.


5.58 am Quake Event Page | USGS Community Intensity Map
2.21 pm Quake Event Page | USGS Community Intensity Map




A map from the North Carolina Geological Survey showing epicenters of earthquakes between 1698 and 1997 is available at http://www.geology.enr.state.nc.us/haz/quake.htm

UPDATES ARE BELOW

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June 7th Earthquake Information:

Another minor quake has been reported. It was a Magnitude 2.4 and happened at 6:28:50 at a depth of 3 miles below the Comer Knob area (just a little north of the two previous tremors. Here is a map of where the quakes are in relation to one another:

More information on this morning's tremor is below:

June 7, 2013 6:28:50 am Quake

USGS Event Page | USGS Community Intensity Map 

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Macon County Fails to Receive PARTF Grant for Parker Meadows Property Will have to pay full price

RALEIGH — State officials today announced the award of $3.8 million in grants from the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund to 14 local governments for parks and recreation projects.

“Through the local grant program of the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, state and local governments have been partners in providing green space, outdoor recreation opportunities and stimulus into local economies,” said Lewis Ledford, director of the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. “The result has been healthier citizens and improvement in the quality of life in North Carolina.”

The matching grants, awarded by the Parks and Recreation Authority, will help fund land acquisition, development and renovation of public park and recreation areas. The authority considered 73 grant applications requesting more than $20 million. A maximum of $500,000 can be awarded to a single project.

Source: NC Political News
Hat Tip: Anonymous

From what I heard at the Commissioner meetings, this grant was supposed to be a slam dunk. Guess not.

The county will now have to pay $550,000 for the property.

Here is video of the vote by Commissioners that allowed the purchase to go through to completion...

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FY 2013-2014 Macon County Budget Discussion Videos

According to my calculations, the county commissioners have spent around 16 hours publicly discussing elements of the FY 2013-2014 county budget. Close to 6 hours alone have been spent on the budget of the Macon County School System.

They still have a public hearing on the budget (next Tuesday at 6pm) and another possible meeting beyond that.

This article has all the videos of their budget discussions in one place for anyone who cares to sit through something that is an hour and twenty minutes longer (and less entertaining) than The Winds of War Miniseries.

I have written no commentary for this article so that you may make up your own mind regarding the content of the videos and have included copies of the annual budget message by the county manager and the proposed budget so that you may download them and read them for yourself. 

Please let your friends know that the entire series of public meetings is available here for them to watch for themselves instead of reading a few paragraphs in the local papers spread out over the course of the last five months.

I will add a video of the public hearing and any other additional public meetings held by the Macon County Commissioners regarding the FY 2013-2014 budget to this article, so bookmark it for future reference.

County Manager's FY 2013-14 Budget Message by Thunder Pig

2014 Admin Recommended Budget by Thunder Pig

Mid-Year Retreat January 19, 2013

Part I (1h 44m)



Part II (1h 28m)


Part III (1h 24m)


Joint Meeting between the Macon County Commissioners and the Board of Education (2h 02m) 02-26-2013


Joint Meeting between the Macon County Commissioners and the Board of Education (1h 55m) 04-18-2013


County Manager's Budget Message May 20, 2013 (48m)



Budget Work Session I May 28, 2013 (1h 39m)


Budget Work Session II: Public Safety May 30, 2013 (2h 40m)


Budget Work Session III: Board of Education June 4, 2013 (2h 13m)

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Macon County Commissioners Budget Work Session III: Board of Education 06-04-2013

Here is low resolution video of the budget work session held last night by the Macon County Commissioners, the bulk of which was devoted to "discussing" the budget of the Macon County School System. I didn't get the feel that the Commissioners were willing to budge on their previous position of not giving the Board of Education any more than they've already committed to in the FY 2013-2014 budget.



To refresh your memory, the proposed budget includes $7,118,330 for current expenditures for the Macon County School System.

S/W FEES	$72,000
MCS CUR EX	$7,118,330
MCS CAP EX	$199,035
MCS-SUPPL	$430,621
TIMBER-MCS	$150,000
SCC	$448,563
TOTAL	$8,418,549

MaconMedia

See for yourself all the videos of the FY 2013-2014 Budget Meetings held by the Macon County Commissioners.

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Storm Chasers Get Too Close to Tornadoes in Oklahoma Is it Time to License Chasers?

I'll just leave this here and let you compare the hypocrisy of The Weather Channel's Mike Bettes speak for itself. People like him, Brandon Sullivan and Reed Timmer give legitimate severe weather chase teams a bad name with their blood lust for better footage in the name of TV Ratings and profit from the sale of footage of tornadoes.


Mike Bettes in 2011 on storm chasers who get too close to storms, risking getting flipped and injured:


“Chasing can be an educational and exhilarating experience, but it also is inherently dangerous. An increasing trend I see happening is chasers trying to get as close as possible to one-up their competition, and cash in on dramatic video. And the one thing I always hear from professional chasers is how safety is their number one concern, and warning the public is their number one priority. Me? I Call B.S. on that one. When you’re being hit by debris, and you’re flipping your car while pursuing a tornado, you’re not very concerned about your safety, or anyone else’s. You’re setting a bad example for a younger generation of chasers who follow your lead.” - Mike Bettes, 2011 

Compare that to the following video from yesterday, where he gets too close, gets flipped and suffers minor injuries:


Video of Brandon Sullivan purposefully driving into the circulation of a tornado and getting pounded by debris:

Commentary

The videos above show examples of the type of "storm chaser" that gives legitimate severe weather research teams a bad name.


I am a small government type of guy, but I believe the time has come for storm chasers to go through a licensing process by the federal government, probably the National Weather Service and licenses should be permanently revoked for getting this close to a storm unless they're in an approved research vehicle.

The people in the above videos should NEVER be allowed in a storm area unless they live there.

One way to stop this storm chasing for profit would be for the legitimate research teams to start providing footage to the networks and TV Stations for free or next to free. And perhaps they could have Public Information Officers to liaise with the media and the public via social media and live streams.

If you can devalue the sale of video footage and photographs of tornadoes, then that might stop some of the nonsense of people chasing to solely sell video.

People like Reed Timmer and Brandon Sullivan is an example of the type of "storm chaser" that gives legitimate severe weather research teams a bad name. 

At this point, as I mentioned above, I would even support a type of federal licensing program, but I think it would be a bear to set up and monitor. Perhaps it could be like what amateur radio operators have to go through that would subject the license holders to severe fines if they violate the terms. 

I am sure this will be a topic of discussion on Monday night's episode of "Weather Brains." You can follow along  on Google Plus or their website.


PS: Here are some guidelines for chasing severe weather responsibly:

Responsible Chasing

Acting responsibly is a good way to ensure that chasing isn't associated with yahoos, wackos, and thrill-seekers. Apart from ensuring that safety is a constant consideration and courtesy is an automatic action, what do I mean by responsible storm chasing?

1. Keeping our enthusiasm for violent weather in the proper place. If you've had your home and perhaps loved ones taken from you by a tornado, then you are probably not going to react favorably to a bunch of folks whooping it up enthusiastically over a tornado. When I first drove into the damage path of the Union City tornado, shortly after it left town, I realized that the tornadoes that I wanted to happen could wreak havoc on people's lives. After some reflection, I realized that what I wanted didn't really change the weather (good thing, too!), and that by happening in front of trained observers, what we learned could be used to mitigate the impact of such storms in the future. But I still feel uncomfortable dealing with tornado victims. Talking about death and destruction as a good thing in front of the wrong people, even as a joke, can create an awful impression of storm chasers. Virtually all storm chasers would be delighted to have tornadoes happen only in open country where not even crops would be damaged.
2. Chasers can be of tremendous help to science and to the public if they will take a few moments to report what they have seen. Call or visit the appropriate NWS office and give the report of what was seen, including the location of the event(s) and the time(s) of occurrence. I personally do not believe it is necessary to break off a storm chase to call in a report, unless you have some electronic communication aboard your chase vehicle so that you can make a report without terminating the chase. However, as soon as possible afterward, you should report the event(s). If you feel that the storm is about to strike without any warning and you have the opportunity to do something to warn people, then by all means do what you are able to do.
3. Responsible chasers don't endanger themselves or others. Keep in mind that your actions might be used to portray storm chasing as a whole. If you behave recklessly, without regard for your safety and, especially, the safety and well-being of others, then you invite people to make the unfair comparison. I don't want the job of having to answer for your irresponsible actions!
4. Effective chasing is a constant learning process, and responsible chasers need to be aware of what is going on in severe thunderstorm and tornado science. It behooves all of us to be informed about the latest scientific findings, even if the only rationale is to make us better chasers. Participate in the process and don't be selfish with it. If you have seen something noteworthy, you can be responsible for preventing future disasters through sharing what you have seen. Knowing what is noteworthy requires you to be knowledgeable about the science of severe storms, so it is a two-way street that works most effectively when everyone shares what they know for scientific and educational purposes freely.
5. Chasing can become a dangerous obsession. Student chasers who let their studies go to follow the convection run the risk of sacrificing their careers. Chasers who neglect their family responsibilities to chase are not folks I admire, no matter how much they "succeed" in chasing. Letting chasing get in the way of any work responsibilities is also a problem, in my view. Some folks wear their obsession about chasing as some sort of badge of honor, but I say "Get a life!" Everyone has to decide on an individual basis what is their operational definition of "responsible" chasing from this personal point of view. All I know is that building a life totally around storm chasing, in my opinion, is not a very responsible life.
6. Stay out of tornado damage areas if possible. During a chase, this seems fairly obvious. Damage paths are full of hazards that no one would enjoy if it is possible to avoid them; downed power lines, jagged pieces of sheet metal, boken boards, etc. When the chase is over, some chasers may want to do their own damage survey ... in general this is a bad idea! Stay out of such places unless you have been invited to participate as part of an organized storm damage survey or a cleanup crew. You are likely to be in the way of cleanup and folks who have been hit by a tornado tend to be suspicious of strangers in their midst. Gawkers are not appreciated and being taken for a potential looter is not likely to make you welcome!

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