About a dozen people attended a public hearing held prior to the Oct. 14 Hayesville Town Council meeting. The hearing was for public comment about spot rezoning a portion of the 13-acre Johnson property at 518 Highway 64 East and the southwest corner of Myers Chapel Road. Everyone who spoke was in favor of the change.
Bobby Burch plans to relocate the businesses, Bridges to the Other Side and J & M Welding, to the rezoned site. The homeowner who owns the main tract and the home on the remaining land is for the change.
Jason Rickett, of J & M Welding Services, said the business is much more than a welding shop.
“What I want people to understand, J & M Welding Services is not fixing tractors or fixing bush hogs,” he explained. “We do that for people. We have done handrails and things like that, but J & M Welding Services is a staffing agency for Duke Energy. When I worked for Duke Energy we stored nuclear fuel for them and when I left, they could not find anyone to replace that job so our company does all nuclear fuel storage for Duke Energy. J & M still exists for that reason. Do we still offer a public service? Yes, but our shop is not open on a day-to-day basis as a welding shop.”
The company does not store nuclear fuel locally. Rickett developed equipment and a program for containers to store nuclear fuel at Duke Energy sites.
“We also fabricate bridges and take them to assemble on site,” Rickett added. “We want to create jobs for people. All of our employees live local, but they usually go out of town for the work. We will help local residents with small welding, when we can.”
Commissioner Scotty Penland and Commissioner Dwight Penland attended the meeting and both said they support the business and the rezoning to help it grow. Several other people said they support the change to help the business. Eric Meadows said he owns a small LLC which makes web sites and offers IT services. He does J & M’s web site and encouraged the rezoning.
Zoning Administrator George Schaaf said all legal notices and signs had been posted for the appropriate amount of time. Only one person expressed concern because she lives on Nicely Road and has an electromagnetic sensitivity. Her concerns were addressed and the distance between her house and the business was verified, but she had no more questions.
The zoning application number Z060732 was unanimously approved by the town council. It was approved by Planning and Zoning Sept. 3. A 3.07 acre tract 1 will be spot rezoned from R-2 to C-2 to C-2. Also, a 1.77 acre Tract 2 will be rezoned from R-2 to C-3.
In other matters, clerk Susan Morgan explained the town’s finances. The town has begun receiving some property tax payments and has collected about $16,000 so far. Plus, the Department of Transportation refunded $3,000 to the town from a 2016 sidewalk project which cost less than originally proposed.
New business discussed obtaining content insurance for the Beal Center using the town’s insurance discount. The town would be reimbursed by The Beal Center. Morgan had checked the legality and obtained the cost, which will save about $500 a year. The council agreed to approve the concept with some caveats to be verified.
During his report, Mayor Harry Baughn said he attended a tourism economic conference Oct. 10-11 with Valerie Flanagan, Clay County’s former director of Economic Development. “The outdoor recreation business is $900 billion a year nationwide, which is higher than oil and gas,” he said. “The comprehensive transportation plan we have with DOT is a bike path. Our town wants to focus on bike paths and greenways, both for tourists as well as for our residents.”
Baughn also shared a copy of Smoky Mountain Host, which contains an article about Clay and Cherokee County craft trails.
Additional agenda items included:
• Councilman Joe Slaton shared proposed changes to the Town of Hayesville signs to include Clay County Master Gardeners on all three signs. More will be reported at the November meeting.
• October’s Board of Adjustment meeting will be Thursday, Oct. 17. A variance request has been made to build a new home on Mill Street where existing lot size is smaller than required.
• Baughn and Schaaf went to court Sept. 6 against Hayesville resident George S. Bowden in violation of Section 613 #4. Bowden requested a public defender, then waived his right during court in October. The new court date is Nov. 6.
• Baughn is seeking grants to refurbish the vacant two story building across from Nocturnal Brewing.
• Trick or Treat on the Square will be from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31. It is sponsored by the town.
• Planning and Zoning will meet Tuesday, Nov. 5. At present, there are no applications; however, the group will resume revisions to the existing ordinance.
Sandy Zimmerman said she and Reba Beck attended the Citizens Institute on Rural Design in West Virginia. “It is one of the best things we’ve ever been to,” she said. They interacted with USDA, Arts Council and Woodlands Development Group community lenders.
Steins & Wine would be donating at least $6,000 to the Old Jail Museum project. Also, Friends of HHI, Inc. will be supplying candy for the Halloween costume contest in the gazebo. The next big event is Small Business Saturday on Nov. 30.
Hayesville Town Council meets at Hayesville Town Hall at 5:30 p.m. the second Monday of each month.