George Wilcox, President, welcomed a full Blowing Rock Country Club ballroom of BRCA members by stating  the BRCA mission: “TO PROTECT AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN BLOWING ROCK BY TAKING PROACTIVE STANDS ON CIVIC AFFAIRS, INFORMING, EDUCATING AND ENGAGING RESIDENTS ON KEY TOWN ISSUES; WORKING WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT;  AND ENCOURAGING CITIZENS TO BE INVOLVED IN OUR COMMUNITY”  Our mission includes gathering and defining facts on matters impacting our town using extensive assistance of professionals, where necessary, and then communicating these facts to our community.

In attendance and recognized were Mayor Charlie Sellers, Albert Yount, Mayor Pro Tem, and Council Member Sue Sweeing.  BRCA Board members:  Bill Carter, Vice President, Betsy Wilcox, Secretary and Treasurer, Brian Beaty, Richard Gambill, Tim Gupton,  Karyn Herterich, Jean Kitchin, Dan McLamb, Blake Pace, Senator Tony Rand, Jim Scott and Julian West were recognized.

The minutes of the 2018 annual meeting were presented and approved on a motion by Julian West, seconded by Dan McLamb.

Julian West, head of the BRCA Finance Committee, reported on the Year end 2018 financials of BRCA  prepared by Blowing Rock accountant Orian Carter, EA.

Retired Judge Bob Burroughs introduced a resolution to increase the BRCA number of board members to fifteen by adding two new positions. He further nominated  Dr. Barry Buxton and Marshall Sealey to fill the new positions. The resolution (copy attached) further nominated all other board members whose terms were expiring to be elected to new terms.  Judge Burrough resolution also nominated Tim Gupton for election as President and CEO, George Wilcox as Chairman of the Board, and Betsy Wilcox Secretary/Treasurer for the next year.  BRCA member Dr. Charles Davant, III, moved that this resolution be adopted by acclamation. The motion was seconded by BRCA member Carol Dabbs. The motion was adopted unanimously by a show of hands.

Wilcox then recognized new Blowing Rock Town Manager Shane Fox who gave an excellent presentation on a number of important facts and issues impacting town government including:

1.        Blowing Rock has 67 employees and approximately 30 part time employees

2.       Blowing Rock homeowners are vitally important to the town, paying 85% of the town’s property taxes.

3.       There are 1200 to 1300 fulltime town residents with seasonal and day trippers adding up to 10,000 people additional people in town. This makes staffing very challenging to meet widely varying needs.

4.       He will remain vigilant on a move in the state legislature to end the town’s ability to regulate short term rentals in neighborhoods.

5.       He is working with AT&T and Spectrum to accomplish burying of utility lines and removal of utility poles from 321 adjacent to the Country Club and beyond, a project that has far exceeded promised completion date.

6.       He is also working with Watauga Co. to obtain fulltime ambulance emergency personnel  in Blowing Rock. This service has long been promised to the town by the county.

Fox also answered a number of member questions about town matters.

Interim Police Chief Aaron Miller then gave an excellent presentation on town police operations.

Both of these presentations and the entire meeting will be available soon on the BRCA website:

www.brcivic.org

The meeting concluded with a superb presentation by newly elected BRCA President and CEO Tim Gupton who made the following points:

1.     The BRCA represents the entire community but it provides unique representation for the town’s homeowners, fulltime and seasonal, who are not represented by any other community organization in town.

2.     He intends to emphasize an important BRCA goal to serve as …”a unifying voice” in the community that has been split by a recent push to change town codes and the approval of the Rainey Lodge development.

The BRCA will sponsor a community meeting to hear from and ask questions of town candidates for Mayor and two council seats on Thursday evening October 3, 2019 starting at 5:30 P.M. at the American Legion Building on Wallingford St. in downtown.

Dr. Charles Davant, III, made a motion that the meeting be adjourned. Julian West seconded the motion that was approved unanimously.

 

 

RESOLUTION PRESENTED TO THE ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING OF THE BLOWING ROCK CIVIC ASSOCIATION 7/25/2019 BY JUDGE BOB BURROUGHS, CHAIRMAN OF THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE:

 

RESOLVED THAT EFFECTIVE 7/25/2019 THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE BLOWING ROCK CIVIC ASSOCIATION BE COMPOSED OF FIFTEEN MEMBERS, FOUR OF WHOM WILL BE ELECTED FOR THREE YEAR TERMS, FOUR OF WHOM WILL BE ELECTED FOR TWO YEAR TERMS AND SEVEN OF WHOM WILL BE ELECTED FOR ONE YEAR TERMS.

BE IT FUTHER RESOLVED THAT THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS BE ELECTED TO THE BRCA BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

TIM C. GUPTON – 2 YR. TERM

KARYN K. HERTERICH – 2 YR. TERM

JEAN KITCHIN – 2 YR. TERM

BLAKE PACE – 2 YR. TERM

BRIAN BEATY – 1 YR. TERM

DR. BARRY MILLER BUXTON – 1 YR. TERM

DAN J. MCLAMB – 1 YR. TERM

SENATOR TONY RAND – 1 YR. TERM

JAMES M. SCOTT – 1 YR. TERM

MARSHALL  SEALEY – 1 YR. TERM

JULIAN WEST – 1 YR. TERM

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE FOLLOWING BE ELECTED TO SERVE AS OFFICERS FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR:

GEORGE T. WILCOX – CHAIRMAN

TIM C. GUPTON – PRESIDENT AND CEO

WILLIAM H. CARTER – VICE PRESIDENT

BETSY C. WILCOX – SECRETARY/TREASURER