21 July 2025

At the Highlands Town Board meeting last Thursday, a concern was raised that some folks felt they had not been informed about the recent changes to employee parking in the business area. The board voted to implement these changes at the June meeting, following reviews of the proposed changes at several earlier meetings.

I probably came across as being defensive when I stated that this had not been a sudden decision and that nothing had been hidden from the public in the process. Throughout the many years I've served as mayor, the board and I've worked to maintain the highest level of transparency possible.

Several meetings ago, Commissioner Patterson brought up her concern that adjustments were needed in the employee parking zones. The board engaged in a discussion of the matter. At the following board meeting, the employee parking issue was again on the agenda. After further discussion, the board members agreed that the issue was complicated. They sent it to the Highlands Planning Board for their study and recommendations. In their public meeting, the planning board reviewed the employee parking issues and sent recommendations to the town board.

At the June meeting, the town made a few minor adjustments but voted to accept and approve the planning board's recommendations. During this lengthy review period, no one voiced any concerns about the proposed changes at the public comment periods. The town had announced this entire process on several occasions, and the news media covered the issue at every meeting.

I suppose my point is that the communication we all want from local government and the community has to be a two-way street. I humbly suggest that for those wanting to be informed, there are several key options.

First, our local weekly newspapers do an excellent job of covering all items in town government meetings. I suggest that people read the papers to stay informed about their local government. Additionally, the town maintains a sunshine list, where all agendas, reports, presentations, and proposals are shared with everyone on the list. Anyone can call the town hall and request to be placed on the sunshine list. Third, we have a town website where that same information is posted. We are now improving and updating the website. Through that website, citizens can also access all town board meetings. And just recently, the town developed the Town of Highlands App. It is free on any site where apps are obtained. The app sends our current announcements and a schedule of town meetings and events, and much more.

And if that were not enough, I write this column every week for the newspapers, do a weekly radio show on WHLC, and hold a community coffee each month during the season. I also post information on my website, AskMayorPat.com.

Many, many residents access all these sources. Nevertheless, I encourage everyone to learn what is going on and express their views to the town commissioners. They a willing and ready to listen, as am I. Additionally, everyone is invited to speak and make a statement on any town issue during the public comment period at each monthly town board meeting.

Some may say that maybe you're just blowing smoke; the board does what it wants to do. Not so! Let me give you a recent example. The board was about to change one side of 4th Street from diagonal parking to parallel parking to improve safety on the hill past Main Street. Merchants where the parking change would be made attended a board meeting and expressed their concern that their businesses would be harmed. They suggested simply moving the center line to provide more space on that side of the street, thereby improving safety. The board listened, and now that is the plan we have with NCDOT.

Let me review the available communication options: weekly newspapers, the Sunshine List, the town website, The Highlands Town App, the Mayor’s weekly broadcast on WHLC, the Mayor’s monthly Community coffee event, attendance at the Town Board Meetings, and Ask.MayorPat.com, which currently features 192 information videos and over 200 information letters (eBlasts).

Effective communication requires a back-and-forth exchange of ideas and information. Let us discuss the issues together, especially before the town board takes a final vote.

MAYOR PAT

Now that the town has a new budget as of July 1 let me update you on a number of current and planned town projects.  Although funds have been appropriated for a project doesn’t mean work will begin immediately.  Nevertheless, I, along with many of you, am sometimes frustrated by the slow pace of some projects.  On the other hand, haste can sometimes cause waste, which we all want to avoid.

The installation of larger utility poles on US 64, from around Maple Street to Highlands Falls, to support a third electric circuit for the town is progressing faster than scheduled.  Crews have already placed the poles from Highlands Falls to the corner of US 64 and Cullasaja Drive.  They have also started the installations near Highlands Falls. 

Once this circuit is activated in the fall, our public works director, Lamar Nix, wants to keep the momentum going and build a fourth circuit.  This next plan would require installing larger poles on US 64 starting at the Duke transfer station near the Hicks Road intersection and extending the installation into downtown.  This fourth and final circuit would complete the electrician grid upgrade, which has been much needed to handle future electrical demand and manage the grid during outages caused by storms.  These upgrades will have cost the town several million dollars in essential reserve expenditures.

The Dog Mountain Water Project was recently sent out for bid, and one bid came in slightly under budget.  A contingency fund can now be earmarked for any unforeseen problems in construction.  Our staff is now waiting for the state to review the low bid and give its approval before the contractor, Stillwell Enterprises, gets the green light to begin work.  Hopefully, the state will approve the bid any day now.  I get nervous when the state is reviewing construction documents, as delays can occur.

The new budget also funds several paving projects.  The town policy has always been to delay these paving projects until after Labor Day and toward the end of leaf season.  They will get underway around the middle of October and end sometime in early November.

The first phase of the Mirror Lake Dredging Project is ongoing and is expected to conclude in the fall.  It has been a slow and deliberate process, but on the other hand, it has reduced the environmental impact on the lake.  McGill Associates, the engineering company hired by the town, continues to perform design work for the next stages of the project, which will involve the use of state funds.  Their work will continue into the fall.  We project that dredging operations for Phase Two will begin in the first part of 2026 and continue for an extended period.  In many ways, the dredging for the subsequent phases is significantly larger and more complex than Phase One.

CK Dixon Engineering continues to work on the design and bid documents for upgrades to the town water plant.  In addition to replacing the pre-clarifier tank, a third filter train will be added to the plant.  While state funds cover the pre-clarifier tank and part of the filter train installation, we are exploring the possibility of securing additional outside funding to fully fund these upgrades.

Finally, this year, the project to replace critical parts of the force main sewer line on US 64, from the Mirror Lake area to the business district, will get underway.  It is a high-priority project that is being funded by the town, allowing it to be completed without undue delays and approvals.  Engineering reports and studies conducted by CK Dixon identify areas of the pipeline that have to be replaced.  This project will get underway in the winter months when traffic volume will be at the lowest level of the year.

MAYOR PAT

Sallie and I recently took a two-night getaway mini vacation to another location in Western North Carolina.  I may be biased, but it is hard to beat a vacation site in WNC.  No area is more beautiful than here and surrounding venues.

One morning on our trip, we had a picnic lunch on board our Mini Cooper, and we simply drove around to find a good picnic site.  We discovered a dirt forest service road that took us down by a beautiful mountain stream.  We searched for a site with a picnic area for several miles but to no avail. 

We both thought we were so off the beaten path as no pull-off sites existed.  I decided to look for a turnaround area but could not even find that.  But, as I was about to lose hope, there was a turn-off near the creek we had been following.  Even more to our surprise, there was a campsite next to the creek with a picnic table.

I had a fly rod in the car, so I brought it down to the campsite.  As I set up for the picnic, Sallie explored the creek.  She had heard an interesting bird singing and wanted to identify it.  She returned in short order and told me the creek had a wonderful sand bar for fishing.  After lunch, I rigged my fly rod and checked the sandbar out.  She was right; it was a perfect place to fish.  The creek had deep runs and a fast current.  I just knew trout would be lying in wait for that exactly right presented fly. 

I go into my fly box to make the first selection.  I had a plan.  First, I would use a streamer.  If that didn’t work, I would use a nymph and go deep into the holes in the creek.  Finally, if all else failed, I would resort to a top-water dry fly.  I tend to use nymphs on creeks because one doesn’t have to make long casts with a fly in such heavily vegetated areas. 

Well, my first two patterns failed, so I opened my fly box to select a top water dry fly.  And ther

MAYOR PAT