By Lorraine Bennett
Staff Writer
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Hayesville Mayor Joe Slaton addresses the board for the first time since being sworn in.
Clay County commissioners passed two resolutions Thursday, one aimed at getting students back in the classroom and another an attempt to keep crypto mining out of the county.
The first, a joint resolution with the Clay County Board of Education, supports ending contact tracing and quarantine requirements for students in public schools. It heads next to the education board for approval.
That resolution calls on the state of North Carolina and the state Department of Health and Human Services “to take whatever actions are necessary to end the practice of contact tracing and quarantining of students on or before Feb. 1.”
The resolution proposes that Clay County and Clay County Public Schools work together to seek to end quarantining of healthy, asymptomatic students and staff to minimize the number of missed instructional days.
“It’s important to keep our kids in school,” said Commission Chairman Rob Peck. Commissioner Randy Nichols made the motion to adopt the resolution. Commissioner Clay Logan offered the second.
In discussion, Commissioner Scotty Penland said, “We’re not taking the Board of Education’s authority away. We’re just asking the state not to enforce contact tracing. This doesn’t change anything already in place.”
Logan gave an anecdotal report of a student who had maintained a 93 average until he was forced to quarantine. The student returned to school and was tested.
“He made a 30 on his test. This is an example of what can happen to kids when they’re sent home,” Logan said.
The resolution passed unanimously.
Clay County Attorney Merinda Woody read a resolution supporting the issuing of moratoria regarding crypto mining in Clay County.
Crypto mining is a process by which crypto currency such as bitcoin are validated. A network of computers, called crypto miners, are used in this process. Such operations are costly and the machines involved require quite a lot of energy to operate to prevent overheating.
Crypto mining has been a heated topic in Cherokee County since such a facility began operating on Harshaw Road near Murphy. Local residents have complained about the noise the facility generates and the county has scheduled a public hearing on a proposed noise ordinance on Jan. 18.
In an attempt to head off such a dilemma in Clay County, Woody drafted a resolution seeking a temporary halt on the establishment and operation of crypto mining farms.
The commissioners voted to hold a legislative hearing to explore whether a moratorium of more than 61 days can be adopted against crypto mining. The purpose is to give the Clay County Planning Board time to formulate a comprehensive development plan addressing whether Clay County land is suitable to sustain crypto mining farms.
The planning board would address issues such as whether crypto mining farms would change the character of the county, whether present public infrastructure and services could sustain such an industry, what environmental impacts might result and the impact of excessive noise on Clay County citizens.
The commission scheduled the hearing at 6:45 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 3.
In other action at Thursday’s meeting, which lasted less than an hour, Clay County Tax Collector Rehnaye Talley asked the board to approve a newspaper advertising date for 2021 delinquent taxes. The date of Monday, March 14 was approved.
The board also gave its approval for the tax office to sell surplus mapping equipment and to renew the tax collections contract with the Town of Hayesville since a new mayor has been installed.
Hayesville Mayor Joe Slaton addressed the board as new mayor for the first time and asked the board to return Bess Moffat to another four-year term on the Hayesville Planning and Zoning Board and to replace a retiring board member with Charles Penland.
Slaton said a pedestrian bike trail plan is moving forward and a six-person board is in place with Jerry Payne, head of the Parks and Recreation Department, leading the board. Slaton said Payne was recommended by Clay County Manager Debbie Mauney.
Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Laura Kleiss Hoeft introduced herself to the board and recapped some of her background and hopes for the future. She talked of plans to separate the Chamber of Commerce and Welcome Center functions and said she hopes to work to make sure the Welcome Center reflects local Appalachian culture.
The commissioners approved two appointments to the Town of Hayesville Zoning Board, Andy Carter and Silas Brown.