sSrSSr""*
"06 W WATER ST
EDENTON NC 27932
/
482-4418
Wednesday, February 1 7, 2016
50«
Council rejects proposed solar farm
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
The developer who pro
posed a solar farm north
of Edenton’s town limits
on North Broad Street has
expressed disappointment
about the town council’s re
jection of a conditional use
permit that would have al
lowed a 5 megawatt, 45-acre
solar farm to be placed at
115 Butternut Lane, f
The developer, ?
Heath McLaughlin
of Blue-Green En
ergy, was joined in
that opinion by the
family of Rebecca
Warren, who for
generations have
owned the Shan
nonhouse Farm property
located in the town’s ex-'
tra-territorial jurisdiction.
Among them was
Caroline Warren
Banka of Durham,
who spoke during
a public hearing
held prior to votes
on four findings of
fact that took place
at the council's
monthly meeting on
Feb. 9.
In turning down issuance
of the permit the town coiuv
oil did not support a positive
finding on the questions of
whether the proposed proj
ect would adversely affect
adjoining property values
or be in harmony with the
area in which it would be
located.
“I was disappointed with
their refusal to grant the
CUP,” Banka said. “I kinda
felt that some of the coun
cil members maybe had
come into the meeting hav
ing already made up their
minds.”
Banka said she felt the
council’s decision not to
support a project providing
clean energy through the
presence of the solar farm
was “short-sighted”.
She said that McLaugh
lin and the family did ev
erything possible to reas
sure those living near the
proposed solar farm that
it would be a good fit with
the residential/agricultural
zoning in the neighborhood.
Addressing those concerns,
such as agreeing to have a
setback that was 1,250 feet
from Butternut Lane and
750 feet from North Broad
Street, would have made the
project “more complicated,
VAUGHAN
See SOLAR FARM, 4A
r)r ecLenvtpnt^r
STAFF PHOTO BY REBECCA BUNCH
Members of the Albemarle Sounds pay an Impromptu visit to the offices of the Chowan Herald on Friday to deliver a Singing Valentine to the newspaper’s female
employees. The quartet spent the afternoon making several stops in Chowan, Pasquotank and Perquimans counties, singing “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” and other
favorites to lucky Valentine recipients. The Singing Valentines was a benefit for the voice music programs in the three counties’ school districts.
Burroughs pushes
Watersport Center
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
During the Feb. 9 month
ly town council meeting
Gil Burroughs unveiled a
proposal by the Edenton
Yacht Club for a Town
Park Watersports Center.
“This gives you an over
view of what we'd like for
you to consider,” he said.
The center would be
established in Colonial
Park in the vicinity of
the 1886 Roanoke River
Lighthouse and the for
mer Northeast Commis
sion building. The plans
call for establishment of a
50’ x 20’ sailboat storage
and multi-purpose room
contained in a single
building, 30’ x 15’ kayak
; •. .storage, and an area to
be used for a fixed canoe
kayak-sailboat launch as
| well as seasonal sailboat
I and kayak storage racks.
I The plan also calls for
IIIB*" 11 ■•■■‘■IF*'IIII
6 ™8 907 6"4 4 813*® 0
©2009 The Chowan Herald
,* All Rights Reserved
“This gives you an
overview of what we’d
like for you to consider."
Gil Burroughs
Member, Edenton
Yacht Club
the creation of an area
that would hold 30 park
ing spaces as well as a
covered picnic area that
could accommodate 50-60
people.
Burroughs said that in
addition to serving the
needs of water sports en
thusiasts the plan would
give the yacht club a “vis
ible presence” on the
downtown waterfront.
To help move the effort
forward, Burroughs said,
the club would be willing
to make a $40,000 dona
tion in support of the idea.
Councilman Steve Biggs
thanked Burroughs and
other members of the yacht
club for their years of vol
unteering to teach kids to
sail safely and for continu
ing to promote sailing and
other water-related sports
on the waterfront. >
County cash reserves continue to grow
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
Chowan County grew
its reserves in the General
Fund during the 2014-2015
fiscal year.
The available fund bal
anoe in the General Fund
— the figure watched
closely by the N.C. Local
Government Commission,
the monitoring agency that
tracks local government fi
nances in the state — was
$6.94 million or 40.9 percent
as of June 30, 2015.
Tliat represents a growth
from $5.67 million at June
30, 2013, and $6.39 million
at June 30, 2014.
The available fund bal
ance as of June 30, 2014,
was 34.7 percent.
The county received
an “unmodified opinion,”
which is the desired result,
in the audit report present
ed by Martin & Starnes at
the county commissioners’
Feb. 1 meeting.
Although the Local
Government Commission
monitors the available fund
balance, the comity com
missioners pay particular
attention to the undesignat
ed fund balance, which rep
resents the reserves avail
able in the General Fund
after commitments such as
debt service and College of
The Albemarle capital fund
ing are accounted for.
Chairman Jeff Smith
noted at tire meeting that
the available fund balance
as defined by the Local
Government Commission
includes some things the
county views as designat
ed.
The comity’s undesignat
ed fund balance at June 30,
2015, was about $4.4 million
or 26.5 percent. The comity
commissioners
have established a
policy not to let the
undesignated fund
balance in the Gen
eral Fund dip below
25 percent.
The undesignat
ed fund balance at
the end of the 2013
2014 fiscal year was slightly
above 25 percent, so the
county grew its undesignat
ed reserves from June 30,
2014 to June 30,2015.
Citing the growth of the
county’s undesignated fund
balance, Conuuissioner
Emmett Winbome led the
board and audience in a
round of applause. Win
bome said he believed the
audit report was a great re
port and showed that Coun
ty Manager Kevin Howard
and former Finance Direc
tor Willie Mack Carawan
bid done a great job man
aging the county
budget.
Noting that just
a few years ago the
county was in the
midst of a fmancia]
crisis, Winbome
said the steps nec
essary to rebuild
the comity’s fiscal
health had not been easy
for the county commission
ers or the county staff.
But while it hasn’t been
an easy road, the county
finally seems to be getting
to where it needs to be, he
said.
The audit report also
looked at figures such as
revenues and expendi
tures.
Total General Fund rev
enues in 2014-2015 were
$16.1 million. Total General
Fund spending during that
See RESERVES, 4A
WINBORNE
lev roads shut schools, delay other activities
From staff reports
The snowfall predicted for Fri
' day did not pose the threat that had
been expected, but icy conditions
on Monday morning did. pose some
hazards for motorists.
•Due to slick road conditions,
Chowan County Government Of
fices delayed opening on Monday
until 10:30 a.m.
Citing icy road conditions in the
area,the Edenton-Chowan Schools
were closed Monday for all students
and 10-month employees. Twelve
month employees were asked to
use caution and report on a three
hour delay if it was safe- to do so.
The school released early on Fri
day. The county closed its offices
at noon on Friday. The Shepard
Pruden Memorial Library also
closed at noon Friday and was
closed Saturday. 4