Month: October 2021

• By LAURA DOUGLASS || [email protected]

Citizens upset with ongoing coronavirus safety protocols in the schools and Health Department challenged the Moore County Commissioners during the public comment period of Tuesday’s business meeting.

Much of the focus was on the local health board and Board of Education policies and data, with several recommending commissioners withhold funding to these institutions until student mask mandates are lifted.

“We are not satisfied with the job you are doing…I want to stress that we are neither pro-mask or anti-mask, pro-vaccine or anti-vaccine. What we are in favor of is for you, the commissioners, and the Board of Health to do your jobs. And, in particular, for the Board of Health to completely and properly inform the citizens of Moore County about COVID,” said Mike Fridel.

Other speakers, including Tom LoSopio and Beth Ann Pratte, questioned the veracity of data that health officials provide, and they argued that face masks provide inadequate protection and are not necessary.

Now more than a year into students wearing face masks at school, parent Tanya Arnett argued there has been no regard for the long term effects on students from the school mask policy. She asked county leaders to restore parental rights by making face masks optional, a request that was echoed by several other speakers.

The General Assembly has vested individual school boards with that authority and required those boards to evaluate local conditions and make a decision every month over whether to make face masks mandatory or optional. Moore County Schools officials work in concert with the Health Department regularly to review that data. Another decision on whether to continue mandatory face masks is slated for the school board’s November meeting.

Other speakers Tuesday night criticized the school board’s public comment policies, which they say are part of a broader effort to silence those opposed to mask mandates. Recent school board meetings have had public comment periods lasting up to two hours, with many of the speakers critical of the board’s policies.

Several local residents have criticized the school board for continuing to hold its regular board meetings at its central office board room, which can only accommodate a few dozen people, instead of scheduling meetings in larger school gyms and auditoriums that can seat more people.

The board last month moved meetings back to its Carthage meeting room and instituted several safety measures, including metal detectors, after the district said it had received a threat recorded on a phone line. The Pilot filed a public records request for the threat and related content, but it remains under investigation by Moore County Schools Police.

Speaking to commissioners Tuesday night, Cortney Grozs said the county’s pandemic policies should be dictated as a matter of common sense at this point.

“I think you all are capable of understanding the facts and data and doing your own research,” she said. ““You have seen the effects of COVID, seen the effects of vaccinations, seen the effects of masking, seen the effects of mandates, seen the effects on our economy, seen the effects on our society, seen the effects on all of our psyches and the way we socially interact with each other, and the financial impact on our communities and ourselves.”

“It seems like the school board was blaming the health department for mandates, so I’m wondering who is in charge,” said Margaret Smetana. She also questioned whether Moore County Schools spent less of its budget last year on things like utilities, as a result of virtual learning, “so I’m hoping that means (school) appropriations will be less.”

County Vice Chair Louis Gregory, who also serves on the 11-member Moore County Board of Health, said it is the responsibility of the health director to determine appropriate public health policies under the direction of the county’s health board.

Later in the meeting, Gregory also addressed criticism directed at the Board of Education.

“We should never forget that our school board is an elected position,” Gregory said, “and they themselves are the ones that we should listen to, find fault with if there is any, and none of that reflects on this board. We have tried our very best to stay out of their business; it is their business. They are elected officials with our county. If there is any criticism whatsoever, I want to reiterate that those comments should be directed to school board officials, and not us.”

Redistricting Plan Questioned

Earlier this year, county leaders anticipated a Nov. 17 deadline to approve changes to the commissioners’ district boundaries ahead of primary elections next spring.

However, earlier this month, County Attorney Misty Leland discovered information passed down from the State Board of Elections to local officials indicating the deadline for changing districts was actually Oct. 9.

In response, county leaders quickly approved an updated redistricting plan on Oct. 5. A public hearing is not required to make these changes but there was general consensus among commissioners that the accelerated timeline was less than ideal.

Commissioners’ district lines are used for county elections only and do not impact ongoing state redistricting work underway by the General Assembly. Each commissioner must live in the district they represent but are elected by voters countywide.

According to the 2020 census data, Moore County’s estimated population stands at 99,727. Ideally, each of the five districts would represent approximately 19,950 individuals. The districts should also be drawn to maintain the integrity of communities — and voting precincts — within a single district when possible.

As presented and approved by county leaders:

• District I brings Carthage, Cameron, Whispering Pines and Vass within a single, unified district (pop. 23,371).
• District II represents Pinehurst, Seven Lakes, Taylortown and the majority of the Eastwood precinct (pop. 26,681).
• District III encompasses nearly all of the northern end of Moore County and the redrawn lines expanded the territory from 239 square miles to 341 square miles, however it is still the least populated district (pop. 14,027).
• District IV brings all of Southern Pines into a single, unified district (pop. 18,956).
• District V represents the southernmost end of Moore County and encompasses Aberdeen, Pinebluff and reunites Foxfire into a single residency district (pop. 16,692).

Maurice Holland Jr., chairman of the Moore County Democratic Party, said he was disappointed a public hearing had not been scheduled prior to adoption of the redrawn districts. He noted that District II and District IV are oversized, based on the ideal district population count.

In addition, he said, the third and fifth are undersized by comparison.

“In the interest of transparency, a public hearing should be held prior to adoption of any maps. We also request that the Moore County Board of Commissioners adhere to the doctrine of one person, one vote in redistricting for both county commissioner districts and the Moore County Board of Education member districts.”

Holland provided county leaders with two alternative district maps, and said the Moore County Democratic Party supports the belief that citizens would be better-served by elections in which voters in each district exclusively determine their own representative.

In terms of the school board, Holland said the same five residential districts should be followed, with members elected by single member districts and two at-large school board members.

In other action at its Oct. 19 meeting, the Board of Commissioners:

heard a COVID-19 update from the Health Department;

approved the Community Transportation Program grant application;

reappointed Commissioners Chair Frank Quis to the TARPO Rural Transportation Advisory Committee; and

appointed Tim Venjohn as the ETJ member of the Whispering Pines Tree Board.

Citizens upset with ongoing coronavirus safety protocols in the schools and Health Department challenged the Moore County Commissioners during the public comment period of Tuesday’s business meeting.

Much of the focus was on the local health board and Board of Education policies and data, with several recommending commissioners withhold funding to these institutions until student mask mandates are lifted.

“We are not satisfied with the job you are doing…I want to stress that we are neither pro-mask or anti-mask, pro-vaccine or anti-vaccine. What we are in favor of is for you, the commissioners, and the Board of Health to do your jobs. And, in particular, for the Board of Health to completely and properly inform the citizens of Moore County about COVID,” said Mike Fridel.

Other speakers, including Tom LoSopio and Beth Ann Pratte, questioned the veracity of data that health officials provide, and they argued that face masks provide inadequate protection and are not necessary.

Now more than a year into students wearing face masks at school, parent Tanya Arnett argued there has been no regard for the long term effects on students from the school mask policy. She asked county leaders to restore parental rights by making face masks optional, a request that was echoed by several other speakers.

The General Assembly has vested individual school boards with that authority and required those boards to evaluate local conditions and make a decision every month over whether to make face masks mandatory or optional. Moore County Schools officials work in concert with the Health Department regularly to review that data. Another decision on whether to continue mandatory face masks is slated for the school board’s November meeting.

Other speakers Tuesday night criticized the school board’s public comment policies, which they say are part of a broader effort to silence those opposed to mask mandates. Recent school board meetings have had public comment periods lasting up to two hours, with many of the speakers critical of the board’s policies.

Several local residents have criticized the school board for continuing to hold its regular board meetings at its central office board room, which can only accommodate several dozen people, instead of scheduling meetings in larger school gyms and auditoriums.

The board last month moved meetings back to their Carthage office and instituted several safety measures, including metal detectors, after saying they had received a threat

Cortney Grozs said the county’s pandemic policies should be dictated as a matter of common sense at this point.

“I think you all are capable of understanding the facts and data and doing your own research,” she said. ““You have seen the effects of Covid, seen the effects of vaccinations, seen the effects of masking, seen the effects of mandates, seen the effects on our economy, seen the effects on our society, seen the effects on all of our psyches and the way we socially interact with each other, and the financial impact on our communities and ourselves.”

“It seems like the school board was blaming the health department for mandates, so I’m wondering who is in charge,” said Margaret Smetana. She also questioned whether Moore County Schools spent less of its budget last year on things like utilities, as a result of virtual learning, “so I’m hoping that means (school) appropriations will be less.”

County Vice Chair Louis Gregory, who also serves on the 11-member Moore County Board of Health, said it is the responsibility of the health director to determine appropriate public health policies under the direction of the county’s health board.

Later in the meeting, Gregory also addressed criticism directed at the Board of Education.

“We should never forget that our school board is an elected position,” Gregory said, “and they themselves are the ones that we should listen to, find fault with if there is any, and none of that reflects on this board. We have tried our very best to stay out of their business: it is their business. They are elected officials with our county. If there is any criticism whatsoever, I want to retitrate those comments should be directed to school board officials, and not us.”

Redistricting Plan Questioned

Earlier this year, county leaders anticipated a Nov. 17 deadline to approve any changes to the residency district boundaries ahead of primary elections next spring.

However in early October, County Attorney Misty Leland discovered information passed down from the State Board of Elections to local officials was incomplete. The actual deadline for approving any changes to redistricting lines was actually Oct. 9.

In response, county leaders quickly approved an updated redistricting plan on Oct. 5. A public hearing is not required to make these changes but there was general consensus that the accelerated timeline was a less-than-ideal situation.

The five residency districts are used for county elections only, and do not have any impact on the ongoing state redistricting work underway by the General Assembly. Each county commissioner must live in the election district they represent but all qualified voters in the county may vote for all five county commissioner members.

According to the 2020 census data, Moore County’s estimated population stands at 99,727. Ideally, each of the five districts would represent approximately 19,950 individuals. The districts should also be drawn to maintain the integrity of communities — and voting precincts — within a single district when possible.

As presented and approved by county leaders:

• District I brings Carthage, Cameron, Whispering Pines and Vass within a single, unified district (pop. 23,371).
• District II represents Pinehurst, Seven Lakes, Taylortown and the majority of the Eastwood precinct (pop. 26,681).
• District III encompasses nearly all of the northern end of Moore County and the redrawn lines expanded the territory from 239 square miles to 341 square miles, however it is still the least populated district (pop. 14,027).
• District IV brings all of Southern Pines into a single, unified district (pop. 18,956).
• District V represents the southernmost end of Moore County and encompasses Aberdeen, Pinebluff and reunites Foxfire into a single residency district (pop. 16,692).

Maurice Holland Jr., chairman of the Moore County Democratic Party, said he was disappointed a public hearing had not been scheduled prior to adoption of the redrawn districts. He noted that District II and District IV are oversized, based on the ideal district population count. In addition, District III and District V are undersized by comparison.

“In the interest of transparency a public hearing should be held prior to adoption of any maps. We also request that the Moore County Board of Commissioners adhere to the doctrine of one person one vote in redistricting for both county commissioner districts and the Moore County Board of Education member districts.”

Holland provided county leaders with two alternative district maps, for their consideration, and said the Moore County Democratic Party supports the belief that citizens would be better-served by county board elections where voters in each district exclusively determine their own representative. In terms of the school board, Holland said the same five residential districts should be followed, with members elected by single member districts and two at-large school board members.

In other action on Oct. 19, the Moore County Board of Commissioners:

Heard a COVID-19 update from the Health Department

Approved the Community Transportation Program grant application

Reappointed County Chair Frank Quis to the TARPO Rural Transportation Advisory Committee

Appointed Tim Venjohn as the ETJ member of the Whispering Pines Tree Board

• By LAURA DOUGLASS || [email protected]

Southern Pines has been ground zero for much of the transformative growth in Moore County in recent years. How to manage this ongoing development pressure — while keeping taxes low and infrastructure needs in check — are some of the top issues facing four candidates vying for two open seats on the Town Council.

Current council member Mike Saulnier is running for a full four-year term after first being appointed two years ago to fill a vacancy. He is joined on the ballot by three other first time candidates: Taylor Clement, Brandon Goodman and Ann Petersen.

Following is a brief look at the candidates, in alphabetical order, and what they hope to accomplish if elected.

Taylor Clement

Describing Southern Pines as the “quintessential melting pot,” Taylor Clement said her hope is that the culture-rich community will continue to appeal to newcomers, thus generating more growth. As a young mother, wife, and co-owner of Casino Guitar, a downtown Southern Pines business, she believes the town will benefit from a diversity of voices in leadership roles.

“I feel there is a responsibility for our community to step up and help,” she said. “We have something worth working for. I see this as a service to the community. I hope I can use my background, my experience and my skills to the greater good…I want to make sure the town remains a place we love so that people can continue to benefit from it the same way we have, the same access to meet their dreams.”

Clement also serves as treasurer and acting secretary of the Moore Montessori Community School board. In this role, she was closely involved in the public charter school’s efforts to acquire and repurpose the former Southern Pines Elementary School campus on May Street last year. That work inspired her to run for town council.

“We must proactively set goals for how we grow. We know the developers are coming,” she said, singling out USGA’s Golf House Pinehurst and the proposed Target-anchored retail center as major new influences on the area. “We can’t just shut the door. I want to make sure we have control over how (growth) happens.”

Change, she added, is not necessarily a bad thing. It is when the pace of growth exceeds proper planning. “I don’t like the catch-up game. You can’t build for current needs, you have to build for the future,” offering up the example of the new Southern Pines Elementary School campus, which includes adequate land and an architectural design that will accommodate expansion when needed.

In addition to the new school off Morganton Road, other development interests include a burgeoning biosciences campus, the proposed Target shopping center, new apartments and more proposals in the pipeline, a potential YMCA facility, and redevelopment of a key town-owned property. All of these projects will bring opportunity and challenges.

Reflecting on West Southern Pines and concerns by residents of the historically Black neighborhood that this growth will drive up property values, resulting in high taxes, Clement views that outcome as an asset, not a hindrance.

“Protecting a community doesn’t mean boxing it up and saying we won’t change. Those families deserve to participate in this growth and they need to understand how this can benefit them…There is something between a ‘want’ and a ‘do.’ What is good for West Southern Pines is good for us all.”

Clement recommends that a closer look at existing zoning in areas anticipated for future growth, such as South Carlisle Street, should be done now. That would ensure the community has more say in how it is developed in the future.

She also sees room for improvement in the town’s planning and inspections procedures to make sure residents and small business owners are treated with the same attention given to big projects.

“Fast growth is all about how fast, how cheap, and how much money a developer can get out of a project. There is no heart to it. At this point, and we are at a pivotal point, we need to take time to plan so we maintain that heart, that character.”

Brandon Goodman

A custom home builder and business owner, Brandon Goodman said the one common concern he hears about is growth. Like Clement, he did not have strong political aspirations but decided his professional experience and knowledge of land use and zoning was a useful skill set he could bring to the table.

“Our county didn’t have a transportation plan until the last year or so. That was a huge failure,” he said, noting that Southern Pines’ daily population swells to 50,000. “The reality is we didn’t build (adequate) roads and now we don’t have the transportation infrastructure in place when we need it.”

In a similar vein, he believes the town has missed opportunities to develop small area plans and so-called “overlays” that could have encouraged better designs in some of the more recent projects.

“The town’s zoning code is outdated. I think we need to take a hard look and, as part of that, place a higher emphasis on physical form like walkability and sustainability, and less emphasis on use.”

He cautioned that Morganton Road development, unchecked, will bring the same traffic congestion that people see — and attempt to avoid — on U.S. 15-501 and U.S. 1. The town should be engaging N.C. Department of Transportation and state leaders to see what improvements can be done now. “It is shortsighted to not look at the long-term impacts that this growth will have on Morganton Road.”

He also said the town shouldn’t “default to hiring more personnel and raising taxes,” in response to growth demand without looking at ways to reposition existing resources to achieve goals.

“It is hard to defend growth when the property owners are doing a bigger job of funding local government than they were just a few years ago,” noting property taxes provide around 60 percent of the town’s incoming revenue. “This is a trend that needs to reverse, especially with all this commercial growth.”

When it comes to West Southern Pines revitalization efforts, Goodman said he fundamentally disagrees with the idea that increasing property tax values is a bad thing for the community.

“The majority of most Americans’ biggest asset is their home. My argument is we need to manage our (town) budget better so we can keep property taxes low, not try to keep property values low,” adding that higher land values also make it harder for a developer to come in and buy land the community hopes to protect. “Increased property values is a way to fight gentrification as long as you have a commitment from the town to keep property taxes low.”

Goodman said that another idea to increase the viability of West Southern Pines is to use a portion of the former Southern Pines Primary School campus as a future town administrative building. The Board of Education recently approved the sale of the 16-acre property to the Southern Pines Land and Housing Trust. Town leaders are expected to conduct a public hearing in November to consider a $160,000 contribution with the expectation of repurposing the school’s Blanchie Carter Discovery Park into a public recreation facility.

“A town hall in West Southern Pines would get rid of the clear divide between east and west. It would put staffing there and that hopefully would drive more investments, such as restaurants and shopping that we would all support as much as Broad Street.”

“I believe all of us — that is, the candidates and all of the citizens — can adequately identify the problems. That is the easy part. The hard part is to identify the solutions.”

Ann Petersen

A retired educator and former lawyer, Ann Petersen garnered the most votes in the Southern Pines primary election held earlier this month that narrowed the field of candidates from five to four. And while this is her first time on a ballot, she said she’s looked forward to this opportunity for over 10 years. It was simply a matter of waiting until she had the time to focus on the job.

“As a concerned citizen, I’ve seen that when a development proposal comes in, it is an unequal playing field,” she said, noting the town’s quasi-judicial public hearing process follows state law. “The developer brings in their lawyer and the town council acts as judge, but there is no cross-examination process.”

A wealthy group of neighbors opposed to a specific project may have the means to hire a lawyer to represent their interests; however, not every community can do that.

“There is no voice for the constituents and that concerns me. That concerns me a lot,” Petersen said, suggesting fixing the problem would likely require a town partnership to hire a pro bono or reduced-rate attorney. “I recognize our hands are tied by the state legislature, but there is potential for improvements to the process that can be made.”

On the topic of growth, specifically the transformational growth along Morganton Road, Petersen said “that train has left the station.”

“That land along the road was bought over 30 years ago for development. We don’t want to be stagnant and not grow…but I’m concerned about how our downtown shopping will be impacted.”

She also questioned the traffic analyses that are provided by developers, as part of the approval process, that often lean favorably toward their project. Petersen said she’d like to see the state legislature allow towns to require an environmental impact report as part of any major proposal as well.

On West Southern Pines revitalization efforts, Petersen believes town leadership are acutely aware of the different issues and concerns. “But there is a Catch-22. The ordinance says the only reason you can block development is if the property values diminish. But if people (affected by nearby development) in the town see their property taxes triple, as a result increased property values, then they can’t afford to fix up their houses.”

Petersen said the late Fred Walden, a longtime town councilman and founder of the Southern Pines Land and Housing Trust, had the answer. “He understood the need to protect the West Southern Pines culture and history, and understood the need for affordable housing, and that this could not be done by the council alone. It had to be done through partnerships with nonprofit organizations.”

Petersen and her late husband, Bruce Cunningham, were deeply invested in the development of the Blanchie Carter Discovery Park at the former West Southern Pines Primary School campus. She said that legacy has sometimes made it harder to keep her emotions in check, but her hope is the community will revitalize to a point of self-sufficiency.

“I am so invested that I feel sometimes like I have to check my heart at the door…My heart is there and I want to take my good judgement with me there as well,” Petersen said. “I would love to see their livelihoods, those businesses, that freedom and support to reestablish that.

“Southern Pines is heterogeneous…and we have so many smart people here. You have all this talent. We have this incredibly interesting and diverse downtown. There is nothing boring about our town.”

Mike Saulnier

A retired 30-year career military officer and garrison commander, Mike Saulnier served three years on the town’s planning board, then was appointed to the Town Council two years ago. He is running for election for the first time.

“We have a challenge to manage growth, not to revive a town like so many other cities you see around. So how do we manage the number one micropolitan in North Carolina? People want to come here, they like it here,” Saulnier said, noting his last few years on active duty were spent, in essence, in city planning and management. “The way I look at everything we do on the council and when I was on the planning board is through the lens of ‘community first.’”

That involves looking at how a project will impact the people, whom he describes as the town’s greatest asset. “If it’s not a positive impact, then we need to talk about why this project is needed.”

Saulnier said the town is landlocked with a small general business district. That means land and how it is used are a more precious commodity. “Just because we have an open space doesn’t mean that we should let “whatever” come in,” he said.

New proposals are reviewed based on the town’s land use plan, a stringent code of ordinances, and comprehensive long range plan. The town’s infrastructure is also watched closely by the town council and administration. Saulnier noted that planning ahead for growth also means making sure new development doesn’t outpace town services. Some departments such as police, require a longer lead time to recruit and train staff.

“Southern Pines gets a lot of traffic from shoppers and tourism. We swell to around 50,000 people in town on any given day. We have to cover all of that. If you get in a car accident, it doesn’t matter whether you are from town or wherever: our police have to respond.”

On the Morganton Road corridor, Saulnier said there are some exciting plans being set, such as a potential new YMCA and the Target shopping center and new parkway road that will improve connectivity and walkability in the community.

Reflecting on the impacts that growth will have on West Southern Pines, Saulnier said “we are one town, not two towns. I know the history…gentrification has no place in our town. We have to build trust first and we do that through action, not talking about it.”

One of the biggest challenges in protecting and preserving the historically Black community is resolving heir properties, where you have a single lot with ties to multiple descendents. Saulnier said there is a process where divided ownership properties can be assisted, but that requires legal assistance with documentation.

“If we don’t build the foundation by resolving these kinds of root problems, it will all fall down,” he said. “My concern is you have homeowners and renters, and out-of-town property owners. There are the people that give West Southern Pines its character and traditions. We need to figure out a way that they don’t get pushed out. We have to get all of these people all-in on this.”

Looking at budgeting and big picture ideas, Saulnier said town leaders have to stay focused on needs versus wants. “I have no problem with needs. I’m not afraid of raising taxes for needs, if we need to. But I am vehemently opposed to raising taxes for wants.

“I never had the luxury of a hometown. My dad was in the military and then I was in the military. When I retired, my wife and I went looking for a hometown and we found it. When people ask me where I’m from, I tell them Southern Pines.”

• By MARY KATE MURPHY || [email protected]

Pinehurst Village Council members Lydia Boesch and Kevin Drum are facing potential censure by the rest of the council for separate, unrelated violations of the board’s internal ethics guidelines.

At the center of the accusations:

• Boesch’s clandestine meeting with Pinehurst’s police chief last month, where she pressed him for his opinion of Village Manager Jeff Sanborn.

• A string of emails between Drum and the president of Pinehurst Business Partners that began as a difference of opinion over the organization’s scope of activities but devolved into a personal attack.

Village Council members discussed both incidents in open session last week. State law allows an elected board to discuss personnel issues involving employees privately, but elected officials are not subject to that provision. Indeed, the law declares a board “may not consider the qualifications, competence, performance, character, fitness, appointment or removal” of a board member privately. As such, the ethics discussion in Pinehurst was public.

Village attorney Mike Newman referred to statements submitted by Pinehurst Business Partners President Katrin Franklin and member Jim Nash, as well as copies of emails between them and Drum. Police Chief Glen Webb and Pinehurst human resources director Angie Kantor submitted statements recounting their interactions with Boesch.

The Pilot has obtained those statements, and the email chain between Drum and Pinehurst Business Partners, through a public records request to the village.

Mayor John Strickland said that the Village Council’s code of ethics forbids individual council members from acting in an official capacity without authorization of the full council, and from investigating Pinehurst employees outside of established policies. Those rules also specify that council members should behave as though they’re “on duty” in any situation, regardless of whether or not they’re formally representing the village.

“During the last several days, I’ve become increasingly aware that village staff and members of the public are confused and concerned about two issues which involve members of the Village Council, and therefore the integrity of the Village Council itself,” Strickland said.

“We have some information that’s floating around and it needs to be dealt with in a public way because there’s considerable issues here.”

The Village Council did not act to reprimand either Boesch or Drum last week, but the issue is not done. Discussion of both matters is expected during the council’s Oct. 26 meeting. But that didn’t stop Councilmember Jane Hogeman from reading a motion reprimanding Boesch. It failed to receive a “second” amidst protests from Boesch and Drum. Both stated repeatedly throughout the meeting that they were unprepared to be accused of ethics violations in open session. Both believed the matter was going to be discussed in a closed session out of the public view.

“I think it’s blindsiding,” Drum said.

Complaint Against Boesch

Webb said in his statement that he met with Boesch — at her request — on Sept. 9 near the lake in the Pinewild Country Club community, where Boesch lives. Boesch opened the discussion with questions about the Village Council’s ongoing revisions to Pinehurst’s tree buffering ordinance.

Boesch has been the council’s most outspoken critic against the proposed changes. The state prevents municipalities from enacting tree preservation ordinances without a local bill, but Pinehurst’s staff is striving to work within the village’s purview to set landscape buffering standards.

“It was also mentioned by the council member that there may have been some friction between the manager and our local delegation to the General Assembly,” Webb wrote.

Per Webb’s version of events, Boesch then asked him about the working environment at Village Hall and the reasons behind the departure of the prior police chief and another administrative staff member.

After the meeting, Webb wrote that he was “uneasy being asked what were essentially performance related questions about my supervisor and that, all of it being non-criminal, was outside my purview as a police officer.”

He reported the meeting to Angie Kantor, the village’s human resources director, a few days later on Sept. 13. In her statement, Kantor recalls that she advised Webb to notify Sanborn. Kantor then called Boesch to relay that information to her on Sept. 16.

Though Boesch strenuously objected to Newman’s presentation of Webb’s and Kantor’s statements, she did not directly challenge the events they described beyond calling them “inaccurate” and “one-sided.”

“I am not saying Angie’s wrong, I am not saying Glen is wrong, I’m just saying that is one side of the story,” she said.

Boesch requested time to craft her own statement and ask Webb and Kantor to review it before the council moves to vote on any reprimand. Strickland said that there were no apparent inconsistencies between those statements and Boesch’s own, but suggested that Boesch had the floor to share her perspective then and there.

“The ripple effect since this whole issue began to be known — the ripple effect out in the public, whom I’ve heard from, and from the staff — is not good. It has created an image of the village manager which is not correct, which has not been substantiated by any of the information that you’ve supplied or that others have given to us,” Strickland said to Boesch during last week’s meeting.

“So, difficult as it may be, those are the facts we’re dealing with and I think you have in your mind all the recollection that you would want to put in a statement to us, and I would be very happy to hear all those right now.”

“I cannot believe you’re asking me to sit here and give my side of the conversation with Angie and the conversation with Glen and give a full and accurate report on that,” Boesch replied.

In her nearest attempt to explain the meeting on her own terms, she characterized it as an attempt to clarify rumors.

“Everyday, people in this village come talk to me, but I’m also learning that people say things to you that represent multiple levels of hearsay,” said Boesch. “So when I hear something, I can’t always accept it as true.”

Councilmember Judy Davis said that Boesch’s actions circumvented the village’s personnel policies and gave the appearance of an official action without knowledge of the other council members.

“You really acted completely as a maverick just going out there on your own and talking to the police chief, who normally deals with criminal activities,” said Davis. “It definitely is not something we want to commend.”

Hogeman agreed that Boesch’s decision to meet with Webb and inquire about Sanborn’s leadership could damage the Village Council’s credibility, namely with the village’s own staff.

“I can’t imagine a reasonable person thinking that if you had heard something serious about the village manager that what you ought to do is meet the police chief outside the office somewhere and have a private conversation with him about it,” she said.

Strickland also reiterated the need for the council to publicly repudiate Boesch’s approach and recommit itself to a more orthodox management style.

“We need to establish the fact that the village manager reports to the Village Council, the Village Council provides the village manager with his annual review, and the village manager in turn runs reviews throughout the organization,” he said. “All through that process, integrity and policy and code of ethics is extraordinarily important to follow.”

Complaint Against Drum

Kevin Drum’s dispute with Katrin Franklin of Pinehurst Business Partners is tied to the upcoming Village Council elections, in which he is running for a second term.

On Sept. 16, Franklin shared with the organization’s email network a newsletter from village business owner Jim Nash promoting a meet-and-greet with Patrick Pizzella, one of the three other candidates for office, at Duneberry Resort Wear, a business Nash owns in the village.

Drum, who owns the Drum and Quill tavern in the village, responded soon after. Apparently surprised to see the organization promoting a political event, he expressed the expectation that all candidates would receive the same courtesy.

Franklin responded that she would inform the group of anything Drum had planned at his downtown pub or in his own campaign.

A week later, on Sept, 22, Drum sent Nash an error-riddled email message “trying to get an answer.”

“I am so confused on what this is? I want to attend all Pinehurst Busiess Partners meetings but not interested in attended a trade organization fundraiser for a candidate.”

Franklin replied, reiterating that it’s her policy to share all newsletters from member businesses and extending another invitation for Drum to take advantage of that.

On the same day, Franklin shared an email newsletter featuring an upcoming performance by Pinehurst Business Partners treasurer Rae Anne Kinney’s band. Within minutes, Drum was calling for Franklin to step down from her office, according to emails shared as part of the complaint.

“Now your promoting bands? Are you lost? Your the president of a member marketing association?” he wrote.

In a second email a minute later: “Your are promoting bands of laying in southern pines? This is nits! You need to resign!”

Drum also declined Franklin’s invitation to share his own political events, saying he doesn’t think that the organization should be involved in promoting candidates at all. In the process, he called her “clueless” in two separate emails and said he no longer wished to renew his membership in the organization “with such a hateful person running” it.

“When Kevin Drum did not receive a response from me that was to his liking, despite my time and effort to be kind and informative, he emailed or phoned other members of the board or neighboring member businesses, often late at night, to question and harass them, seemingly in hopes of escalating the issue to reflect his mission to ‘take over’ the board,” Franklin wrote in her statement.

A few weeks later, on Oct. 3, Franklin attempted to smooth things over after being informed by another Business Partners member that Drum had a change of heart and decided to rejoin after all. In his response, Drum reiterated his hope that she would resign. He also accused her of conducting a “massive whine fest” over limited parking in the village center and of intentionally suggesting ineffective solutions.

Franklin then approached Strickland and village staff, according to her statement.

Nash, who hosted the meet-and-greet that was originally promoted, also offered his interpretation of the email exchanges in a statement to the village.

“Because I was copied on correspondence which my name or business name was used, I am privy to most of the abuse heaped in (sic) Katrin by Kevin Drum,” he said.

“I am personally appalled at the repeated bullying, threats, abuse and name calling as-well-as calling for her resignation as President of PBP – this is unconscionable behavior for any Village merchant to another merchant, let alone coming from a VOP Council member.”

After Newman summarized those statements last week, Drum said that he didn’t consider the Village Council’s code of ethics when he spoke from the perspective of a business owner. He then apologized and said that he “might have overstepped.”

“I did not think me being a bulldog businessman broke the village code of ethics, but after reading it, I agree,” he said. “I think I need to be more professional and the way I’m successful in business is to charge through the rice paddies and get the work done.”

Davis took issue with what she described as the angry, disrespectful tone of Drum’s emails, but said that she appreciated his reaction to criticism.

“I appreciate you taking responsibility … although in today’s modern society it’s really hard to think that you could compartmentalize yourself like that,” she said.

“We have a number of people in the NFL that tried to compartmentalize themselves that are out of jobs and looking pretty shaky in their jobs, so I think it’s all around us and it’s not unreasonable for us to expect that you would understand that you’re always on duty and always being perceived that way.”

• By LAURA DOUGLASS || [email protected]

County Commissioner Catherine Graham will not seek re-election in 2022. She plans to serve out her current term representing District I before stepping down next November.

A former clerk of court and Carthage town commissioner, Graham was first elected to the board in 2014 and ran unopposed in 2018. She is only the fourth woman in Moore County to serve on the county board and made history, in 2016, as the first woman elected county chairman.

She has also chaired the Courthouse Facilities Advisory Committee, and serves on the Social Services Board, Facilities Task Force, Budget Task Force, Juvenile Crime Prevention Council, and Sandhills Center Board of Directors. She also previously served on the Board of Trustees for Sandhills Community College and served on the Moore County Schools Facilities Task Force.

“At the end of my term, I will have served Moore County citizens for 26 years,” she said. “The bottom line is, I’m most thankful for the citizens of Moore County and for our staff here in Moore County. Without question, they excel at their duties to all of Moore County.”

During her years of service, Graham said there were a “few things” she tried to stick by including seeking wisdom and offering thanks to God for allowing her to serve, to not seek personal honor, and remember that she was a servant of God and of the people. She also spoke of always trying to apply good and sufficient knowledge to any decision she had to make.

“And my most frequent advice, “the least said the best,” she said, with a chuckle.

Vice Chair Louis Gregory said he would miss her counsel and advice, and thanked Graham for always serving with dignity.

“Catherine has always exhibited the very best in what needs to be said with professionalism, integrity and character. Those things we all aspire to, including myself,” Gregory said. “It has been a pleasure and privilege to serve with someone with your experience. This board and staff looked to you for that wisdom and experience you brought, but also the integrity you have. It is part of you. Integrity is such a quality.”

The District III and District V seats currently held by Commissioners Otis Ritter and Jerry Daeke, respectively, are also up for election in 2022. Neither Ritter or Daeke have officially announced whether they intend to run.

• By LAURA DOUGLASS || [email protected]

Susan Hicks will not seek reelection to a fourth-term as Moore County Clerk of Court, she announced Tuesday. Her pending retirement after 12 years in office will be effective Dec. 5, 2022.

“I’ve been truly blessed. I am one of the lucky ones who never had to work a day in my life because I loved my job. This is the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make. But the time always comes, and I feel that,” Hicks said.

A Republican from Cameron, Hicks began her 38-year career in Randolph County before joining the Moore County Clerk of Court office in 2006. Hicks holds associate degrees in both Office Systems Technology and Business Administration. In 2009, she was appointed clerk, succeeding Catherine Graham who retired mid-term after serving in the role for 15 years. Graham went on to later run for the Board of Commissioners, on which she is still a member.

Hicks won her first election to a four-year term as Clerk of Superior Court of Moore County in 2010, then again in 2014 when she defeated challenger Doyle Markham. More recently she ran unopposed for a third-term in 2018.

“I plan to finish out this term, I have no desire to leave any sooner,” Hicks said. “My main goal is, and will be until the day I walk out of the office, to give people their day in court, to make sure they feel like they were heard. I have to apply the law, that is my job, and this has worked very well for me.”

Looking ahead to the open filing period in December, Hicks said she did not want to wait until the last minute to announce her decision to retire.

The Moore County Clerk’s Office has maintained the long-standing reputation as one of the top clerk’s offices in the state. Having progressed from typewriter and carbon paper days to the computer and printer age, including now e-filing, and going “paperless,” Hicks said it was her desire to leave in place “a system and a core team of people who can easily adapt to the rigors of a growing county, challenging times, and continued progress we are sure to face in the future.”

In her resignation notice, Hicks said her decision to not seek reelection comes with “some sadness as I will no doubt miss all the wonderful people and relations with which I have been deeply blessed. I also must confess that I have a real sense of joy in that I know that the time has come, as it always does, to pass the torch to the next generation, and I am looking forward to starting my next chapter.”

Hicks is one of several local, high profile and long-serving county officials to announce their retirement this year.

Robert Wittmann, the longest-serving health director in Moore County history, announced his retirement during Monday’s meeting of the Moore County Board of Health. His last day will be Dec. 31.

In addition, Elections Director Glenda Clendenin retired Sept. 24, after 35 years of exemplary service to the community.

Pat Corso, Moore County’s lead economic development officer and executive director of Partners in Progress (PIP) since 2011, retired at the end of May. Corso had previously spent 17 years as president and CEO of Pinehurst Resort, and was a founding member of PIP.