On Thursday night, Feb. 15, the Highlands Town Board of Commissioners will meet at the Highlands Recreation Center. The proceedings can also be accessed by a YouTube link, which is located on the town website. The monthly town workshop will begin at 6 pm, followed by the official business meeting at 7 pm.
The main item for the workshop will be round table discussion with business leaders concerning how the town can better support the business community. I encourage anyone interested in the topic to come and participate in the discussion. If there is time remaining the board will review several follow-up items concerning noise and equipment operations and eligibility qualifications for folks serving on town committees and boards.
The agenda for the business meeting at 7 pm is full. The board will hear a conditional zoning request from Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church in reference to the new sanctuary being planned. This request has been reviewed by both the zoning and planning boards. The town board will make the final decision on this conditional zoning request.
The board will also hear proposals for two amendments to the unified development ordinance. One amendment is a definition of commercial, public and civic building constructions. The second amendment concerns street paving requirements for subdivision roads.
The board will also hear requests for two grant submittals. One grant is for knotweed eradication, the other is for the construction of a major, new playground at the recreation department. The board must endorse these two grant proposals before they can be submitted.
An update on project bids for utility pole replacements will be marked by the town IT director, Matt Shuler. Town staff has identified about forty-five poles on the town electric grid that need to be replaced with taller poles. In the past, thirty-five-foot poles were the standard. Now in critical areas, the town needs to install 50-foot poles to carry all the equipment and lines that are being connected, especially by private communication companies. This project is just one in a series of projects designed to upgrade our electric grid.
Requests to take over a private sewer line and replace a scissor lift at the recreation department will also be covered.
Hope to see you Thursday evening.
- Town of Highlands Mayor Pat Taylor