Mayor on Duty
The new year is well underway. Tonight will be the first meeting of the year for the Highlands Town Board. It begins at 7 p.m. at the Highlands Community Center next to the ballfield. You […]
Town Board
ABC Store looking for new digs; has sights on the Fire Dept. building
The Highlands ABC Store has outgrown its space and it’s looking to the town for help. At December’s Town Board meeting earlier this month, ABC Store Manager Kevin Vinson and Chairman of the ABC Board […]
Packed house at STR public hearing segues to worksession
People lined the walls at a Public Hearing on Aug. 25 to voice their opinion on the proposed short-term rental policy amendments. Proposed Town amendments: Option 1: One proposal disallows STRs in R1 and R2 […]
Highlands passes $27.4 million budget for FY ‘22-’23
No tax increase nor increase for town services The FY 2022-’23 budget was finalized and passed 4-1 with very little fanfare at the June Town Board meeting. Commissioner Marc Hehn voted against it because he […]
Proposed UDO says STRs are to be allowed in Highlands
New STRs in R1 are prohibited; those in existence are grandfathered Highlands has been waiting with bated breath for the Town Board to make its decision regarding the continuation of Short-term Rentals in town. There […]
Mayor on Duty
The town board will hold its February meeting tonight at the Highlands Community Center next to the ball field. It will begin at 7 p.m. with public comment being the first agenda item. The agenda […]
Highlands Town Board mandates masks be worn inside town facilities
At a special called Town Board meeting Monday, commissioners voted unanimously to require masks be worn by employees and visitors inside any town facility, effective immediately. Those facilities include: Town Hall, the Community Building, the […]
Mayor on Duty
The agenda for tomorrow’s July meeting of the Highlands Town Board of Commissioners is full. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the Highlands Conference Center next to the ball field. The first item […]
Town Board passes FY ‘21-’22 budget 4-1; waives online utility payment fee
Very little has changed since the FY ’21-’22 budget was finalized in early May and again in late May when commissioners voted to hold the required public hearing prior to passage at the June Town […]
Highlands Police Department has litter in its sights
Though the Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with the town holds litter pick-ups a couple times a year, it’s clear twice a year isn’t enough. Highlands’ byways are consistently littered with garbage. At a recent […]
Highlands maintains mask requirement in commercial district
The Town Board decided wearing a mask in the commercial district of Highlands should remain a requirement despite the relaxed requirements by Gov. Cooper at April’s town board meeting on April 15. The decision comes […]
Mayor on Duty
Ran Shaffner, the archivist emeritus for the Highlands Historical Society, wrote an interesting article in the February/March issue of Plateau Magazine. It is entitled, “Allowing the Soul to Bloom.” My friend Alice Nelson shared the […]
Confidentiality of Town Board Closed Session was compromised
Information allegedly obtained during the Closed Session of the December Town Board meeting, which was later released and misrepresented to an “outside” interested party, was the subject of the January Town Board Closed Session meeting. […]
Last 2020 Town Board meeting covers broad range of topics
For those who love to fish local waters but believe in “catch and release,” the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is asking that you “catch and eat.” At the December Town Board meeting, Mayor Pat Taylor […]
Work begins on Highlands’ state mandated Comprehensive Plan
For years the town has talked about developing a Comprehensive Plan. Now that the state has ordered one on the books by July 1, 2022, the crunch is on. Planning done town and countywide over […]