19 August 2025

This week will have been replete with meetings. The pace of community meetings and gatherings will pick up even more as we head toward fall.

On Wednesday, the Mirror Lake Improvement Association had a meeting concerning the Mirror Lake Dredging Project. It was held at the Highlands Community Building. A panel discussion of stakeholders took place, followed by a Q&A session. Representatives for the association, River Sand, the town, and McGill Engineering will be a part of the discussion.

On Thursday night, the Highlands Town Board of Commissioners will meet, starting with a workshop session at 6 pm, followed by the monthly business meeting. Both meetings will be at the Highlands Community Building next to the ball field.

First on the agenda for the workshop will be the Playhouse Building. Folks who have any ideas about saving the building, or how it could be used, or how the property could be repurposed, can share their thoughts with the board members. The format will be a discussion and listening session. No final decision will be made at the workshop session, and the playhouse will not be on the immediate business meeting at 7. 

If there is time remaining, I will present my concerns about communication lines that fall in storms and other events and remain down on public right-of-ways for extended periods after the storms. Some communication lines have remained down in the right-of-way on Hick Road just outside of Highlands for now, eleven months after Hurricane Helene. I believe these lines should have been reattached to the utility poles from whence they fell in a timely manner. I do not want such a situation to happen within the town limits.

At the business meeting, the board will review several items. First, I will lead a discussion and review of how the board should respond to a resignation of a board member. This discussion will have no impact on the current vacancy, where there was a period exceeding ninety days that allowed the remaining term to be decided by voters on the November ballot. But, if there is a vacancy in the future where there is a year or a year and a half before the next municipal election, how does the board fill that empty seat? Several options and items may need to be considered.

The alcohol policy for the 4t of July fireworks event will also be on the agenda. At the last meeting, the board had a spirited discussion on whether to change the policy and allow alcohol in the park on the fourth. After reflection and further discussion with staff and the police, I believe we should allow alcohol on the fourth just like we do during concerts in the park on summer Saturday nights.

In a related matter, Mountain Top Rotary will be asking the board to extend the period during which they can sell wine and beer during the art show that they sponsor in the park. The club wants to add one hour to the period on Saturday afternoon.

The board will also review the audit of the Highlands Chamber of Commerce and Visit Highlands at this meeting. There have been questions among board members and residents about how TDA funds are allocated and spent, especially in recent years. The audit should shed new light and provide additional on this issue.

The board will also receive a request from the chamber concerning a Heritage Day Event in the park. This event is in conjunction with the 150th anniversary of the founding of Highlands.

Finally, I will be holding my monthly Community Coffee with the Mayor on Friday at 11 am at the Hudson Library. I will continue the conversation about the playhouse and address the issues the board discussed at their meeting. Also, this coffee will be a good by event for Carlyn Morenus, the director of the library. Carlyn will be retiring on Friday. I will ask her to reflect on her service for over 7 years as the director. Her leadership will be missed. We all wish her the best in retirement.

MAYOR PAT

The Highlands Plateau is hot. No, not summer hot, we are still cool, but Highlands is a hot as a desirable place to live with incredible beauty coupled with a strong community and civic life.

Everywhere on the plateau, construction is underway. With that rush to build comes challenges. In the town, and in some respects in the county, there are ordinances in place to ensure responsible building practices and environmental protocols to protect the watershed.

Within the county and town, a major building project can not be done without the required permitting. For instance, a new deck for a house needs to be permitted and inspected so it is structurally sound for those special parties with the deck holding a full load of folks. There have been several deck collapses throughout the country in recent years, some of which could have been prevented.

In the downtown B1 zone, there are extensive construction requirements, especially concerning fire code ordinances. The concept behind these strict fire codes in B1 is to protect all the businesses that are connected to one another. In short, code requirements are for the greater public good. 

Erosion control ordinances, such as requiring silt fencing when land disturbance occurs, are not only to protect the public watershed, but also to protect the property of other owners. The issue of runoff and water flow control is particularly challenging in this area of steep terrain and extremely high rainfall.

The town strives to enforce both building code requirements and erosion control. Before building a structure, a town permit is required. It can be obtained at the town hall. That permit is the first step in getting a county construction permit. That permit is obtained at the county government complex at 1834 Lakeside Drive, Franklin. The same permitting process applies to landscape projects where significant areas of land are disturbed or removed.

This past year, the town has hired a code enforcement officer who patrols the town to make sure proper permits are in place. If he sees a construction site where earth is being moved or a structure is being built, he will verify if the proper permits are in place. If not, a stop work order is issued until permits are acquired. A yellow building permit poster is supposed to be displayed in clear view at any construction site. If it is not displayed, residents can report a possible noncompliance, and our enforcement officer will investigate.

In recent weeks, concerns have surfaced about construction sites that are not in compliance with erosion control requirements. Specifically, complaints were made concerning home construction sites in the River Walk Subdivision. Our enforcement personnel inspected the sites and determined that the silt fencing met town and state ordinance requirements. Some questioned that determination and filed a complain with the state. Their concern was apparently that siltation was or would flow into Mirror Lake. At the time of this writing the state has not responded.

There have been recent violations of the silt fence requirements that impact the Cullasaja River, but not at River Walk. Those violations occurred outside the town limits. Nevertheless, our enforcement officer did report the violations to Macon County, which has jurisdiction over the area where the violations occurred.

There have been other violations throughout the plateau area. When a town official observes such situations, the county is notified. Since the town rescinded ETJ authority over a decade ago, we do not have jurisdictional authority over these violations that are just outside the town limits. Now, some might think the mayor should take the lead and get ETJ reinstated. Sorry, but that boat sailed away a while back. Some experts predict that the state legislature is about to nix all ETJs throughout the state. They are certainly in no mood to allow more ETJ zones now.

My real concern is that a few new residents, investors in the community, are building huge houses and complexes with little mindfulness or regard for the sensitive environment of the Highlands Plateau. I know I sound like a stuck record, but too often people buy large tracts of land only to decimate the forest and landscape to create a spectacular view for a huge house. I was made aware of such a situation only last week with a piece of high mountain property just outside of town. 

What can be done? Maybe it is time for a major educational initiative among stakeholders like the town, county, and non-profits such as the Highlands Cashiers Land Trust and the Highlands Biological Foundation. My position is that while we all own property here in this wonderful mountain paradise, we do not own nature. We are mere stewards of the land. Our actions toward the land, the vegetation, the water, and the animals have a lasting impact. Mindful decisions should be our goal.

MAYOR PAT

At the Highlands Town Board meeting last Thursday, a concern was raised that some folks felt they had not been informed about the recent changes to employee parking in the business area. The board voted to implement these changes at the June meeting, following reviews of the proposed changes at several earlier meetings.

I probably came across as being defensive when I stated that this had not been a sudden decision and that nothing had been hidden from the public in the process. Throughout the many years I've served as mayor, the board and I've worked to maintain the highest level of transparency possible.

Several meetings ago, Commissioner Patterson brought up her concern that adjustments were needed in the employee parking zones. The board engaged in a discussion of the matter. At the following board meeting, the employee parking issue was again on the agenda. After further discussion, the board members agreed that the issue was complicated. They sent it to the Highlands Planning Board for their study and recommendations. In their public meeting, the planning board reviewed the employee parking issues and sent recommendations to the town board.

At the June meeting, the town made a few minor adjustments but voted to accept and approve the planning board's recommendations. During this lengthy review period, no one voiced any concerns about the proposed changes at the public comment periods. The town had announced this entire process on several occasions, and the news media covered the issue at every meeting.

I suppose my point is that the communication we all want from local government and the community has to be a two-way street. I humbly suggest that for those wanting to be informed, there are several key options.

First, our local weekly newspapers do an excellent job of covering all items in town government meetings. I suggest that people read the papers to stay informed about their local government. Additionally, the town maintains a sunshine list, where all agendas, reports, presentations, and proposals are shared with everyone on the list. Anyone can call the town hall and request to be placed on the sunshine list. Third, we have a town website where that same information is posted. We are now improving and updating the website. Through that website, citizens can also access all town board meetings. And just recently, the town developed the Town of Highlands App. It is free on any site where apps are obtained. The app sends our current announcements and a schedule of town meetings and events, and much more.

And if that were not enough, I write this column every week for the newspapers, do a weekly radio show on WHLC, and hold a community coffee each month during the season. I also post information on my website, AskMayorPat.com.

Many, many residents access all these sources. Nevertheless, I encourage everyone to learn what is going on and express their views to the town commissioners. They a willing and ready to listen, as am I. Additionally, everyone is invited to speak and make a statement on any town issue during the public comment period at each monthly town board meeting.

Some may say that maybe you're just blowing smoke; the board does what it wants to do. Not so! Let me give you a recent example. The board was about to change one side of 4th Street from diagonal parking to parallel parking to improve safety on the hill past Main Street. Merchants where the parking change would be made attended a board meeting and expressed their concern that their businesses would be harmed. They suggested simply moving the center line to provide more space on that side of the street, thereby improving safety. The board listened, and now that is the plan we have with NCDOT.

Let me review the available communication options: weekly newspapers, the Sunshine List, the town website, The Highlands Town App, the Mayor’s weekly broadcast on WHLC, the Mayor’s monthly Community coffee event, attendance at the Town Board Meetings, and Ask.MayorPat.com, which currently features 192 information videos and over 200 information letters (eBlasts).

Effective communication requires a back-and-forth exchange of ideas and information. Let us discuss the issues together, especially before the town board takes a final vote.

MAYOR PAT

Now that the town has a new budget as of July 1 let me update you on a number of current and planned town projects.  Although funds have been appropriated for a project doesn’t mean work will begin immediately.  Nevertheless, I, along with many of you, am sometimes frustrated by the slow pace of some projects.  On the other hand, haste can sometimes cause waste, which we all want to avoid.

The installation of larger utility poles on US 64, from around Maple Street to Highlands Falls, to support a third electric circuit for the town is progressing faster than scheduled.  Crews have already placed the poles from Highlands Falls to the corner of US 64 and Cullasaja Drive.  They have also started the installations near Highlands Falls. 

Once this circuit is activated in the fall, our public works director, Lamar Nix, wants to keep the momentum going and build a fourth circuit.  This next plan would require installing larger poles on US 64 starting at the Duke transfer station near the Hicks Road intersection and extending the installation into downtown.  This fourth and final circuit would complete the electrician grid upgrade, which has been much needed to handle future electrical demand and manage the grid during outages caused by storms.  These upgrades will have cost the town several million dollars in essential reserve expenditures.

The Dog Mountain Water Project was recently sent out for bid, and one bid came in slightly under budget.  A contingency fund can now be earmarked for any unforeseen problems in construction.  Our staff is now waiting for the state to review the low bid and give its approval before the contractor, Stillwell Enterprises, gets the green light to begin work.  Hopefully, the state will approve the bid any day now.  I get nervous when the state is reviewing construction documents, as delays can occur.

The new budget also funds several paving projects.  The town policy has always been to delay these paving projects until after Labor Day and toward the end of leaf season.  They will get underway around the middle of October and end sometime in early November.

The first phase of the Mirror Lake Dredging Project is ongoing and is expected to conclude in the fall.  It has been a slow and deliberate process, but on the other hand, it has reduced the environmental impact on the lake.  McGill Associates, the engineering company hired by the town, continues to perform design work for the next stages of the project, which will involve the use of state funds.  Their work will continue into the fall.  We project that dredging operations for Phase Two will begin in the first part of 2026 and continue for an extended period.  In many ways, the dredging for the subsequent phases is significantly larger and more complex than Phase One.

CK Dixon Engineering continues to work on the design and bid documents for upgrades to the town water plant.  In addition to replacing the pre-clarifier tank, a third filter train will be added to the plant.  While state funds cover the pre-clarifier tank and part of the filter train installation, we are exploring the possibility of securing additional outside funding to fully fund these upgrades.

Finally, this year, the project to replace critical parts of the force main sewer line on US 64, from the Mirror Lake area to the business district, will get underway.  It is a high-priority project that is being funded by the town, allowing it to be completed without undue delays and approvals.  Engineering reports and studies conducted by CK Dixon identify areas of the pipeline that have to be replaced.  This project will get underway in the winter months when traffic volume will be at the lowest level of the year.

MAYOR PAT

Sallie and I recently took a two-night getaway mini vacation to another location in Western North Carolina.  I may be biased, but it is hard to beat a vacation site in WNC.  No area is more beautiful than here and surrounding venues.

One morning on our trip, we had a picnic lunch on board our Mini Cooper, and we simply drove around to find a good picnic site.  We discovered a dirt forest service road that took us down by a beautiful mountain stream.  We searched for a site with a picnic area for several miles but to no avail. 

We both thought we were so off the beaten path as no pull-off sites existed.  I decided to look for a turnaround area but could not even find that.  But, as I was about to lose hope, there was a turn-off near the creek we had been following.  Even more to our surprise, there was a campsite next to the creek with a picnic table.

I had a fly rod in the car, so I brought it down to the campsite.  As I set up for the picnic, Sallie explored the creek.  She had heard an interesting bird singing and wanted to identify it.  She returned in short order and told me the creek had a wonderful sand bar for fishing.  After lunch, I rigged my fly rod and checked the sandbar out.  She was right; it was a perfect place to fish.  The creek had deep runs and a fast current.  I just knew trout would be lying in wait for that exactly right presented fly. 

I go into my fly box to make the first selection.  I had a plan.  First, I would use a streamer.  If that didn’t work, I would use a nymph and go deep into the holes in the creek.  Finally, if all else failed, I would resort to a top-water dry fly.  I tend to use nymphs on creeks because one doesn’t have to make long casts with a fly in such heavily vegetated areas. 

Well, my first two patterns failed, so I opened my fly box to select a top water dry fly.  And ther

MAYOR PAT