BY DEBBIE PAGE
The Troutman Town Council invites the community to the town’s second annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast on Friday at 8:30 a.m. at the CATS community meeting room. The speaker will be Kenston J. Griffin, a nationally known best-selling author and a top performing trainer and coach.
The free event is part of the town’s “Make it a Day ON, Not a Day OFF” celebration of the civil rights leader. Following the breakfast, participants can head out to work on a community service project together as a response to King’s call to a life of service.
Griffin’s presentations to corporate, education, government, and nonprofit organizations are described as “inspiring as well as transformational.”
The Statesville native believes coaching “is the art and science of leveraging an individual’s strengths and helping them to discover what is holding them back from their true potential.”
He helps companies and organizations gain insight into their team’s potential by discovering what is holding them back and passist them in reaching their goals effectively.
“If better is possible, good is no longer an option,” explains Griffin, who believes “you must surround yourself with success to achieve success.”
Griffin earned his bachelor’s degree from Livingstone College and master’s degree in social work and psychology from the University of South Carolina. He has also received an honorary Doctor of Liberal Arts Degree from Wilberforce University.
Griffin is the founder and CEO of Dream Builders Communication Inc., which provides training and development in leadership, organization effectiveness, academic enhancement/retention, board development, and executive coaching.
For more information, call 704-528-7600.
STRATEGIC PLANNING RETREAT
The town’s annual strategic planning retreat is set for Tuesday, February 28. It will begin at 8 a.m. and running through 5 p.m. at Town Hall. Departments will report on 2022 accomplishments, future plans, and possible needs to prepare for budget retreats in late spring.
Another day may be necessary to cover all topics; a decision will be made at the retreat if further meetings are needed.
The council also discussed the need for specific topic retreats to discuss larger projects, such as planning for a new Town Hall.
OTHER ITEMS
The council also voted for Mayor Teross Young to be the town’s voting representative at a meeting to decide the North Carolina League of Municipalities’ 2023-2024 recommended legislative goals.
The council looked at a draft of a new noise ordinance, based on one recently passed by the Statesville City Council. After some time to review the proposal, the council will discuss it at February’s agenda briefing. The current ordinance lacks decibel readings and other specificity to make the violations objectively enforced.
UPCOMING THURSDAY NIGHT
The regular Thursday night meeting agenda includes:
PRESENTATIONS
♦ Presentation of Town of Troutman 2021-2022 Budget Year Audit
♦ Recognition of the Rotary Club of Troutman for Sponsorship
♦ ABC Store Quarterly Report
OTHER BUSINESS
♦ An annexation and rezoning request for the approximately 425-acre Shinn Farms development on Weathers Creek and Houston Roads, delayed from December, is on the agenda but may again be delayed, according to Town Manager Ron Wyatt.
♦ An annexation and rezoning request from Mountain State Investments for 2.0 acres at 138 Houston Road.
♦ Approval of budget amendments, all from already budgeted funds or new revenues in the general or utility funds, including:
♦ Settlement with Digital Ally $14,500 (Utility)
♦ Increase in revenue from new development $180,000 (Utility)
♦ Increase in auto insurance expenditures $15,000
♦ Lobbying expenditures for FY23 $60,000
♦ Purchase of new public works trucks $68,000 (Utility)
♦ Purchase of new equipment – capital outlay (sprayer/spreader/excavator) $105,265 (Utility)
♦ Purchase of new Town Hall server and equipment $30,272 (cyber security)
♦ Increase in revenue for Parks & Rec. Department-Donations Received $30,000 (baseball field donation)
♦ Parks & Recreation house renovation design plans $18,390 (recently purchased house at ESC Park entrance)
♦ Security and door access at Town Hall $64,910
♦ Approval of Contract/Agreement Between the Town of Troutman and DebtBook (financial software)
♦ Approval of an additional budget amendment for planning house renovations of $100,837 from fund balance.
♦ Approval of the Town of Troutman Parks & Recreation 2023 Event Schedule
♦ ABC Board appointments – Wesley Edmiston and Kim Cavin (Terms Expiring 1-12-23)
♦ Design Review Board appointment – Mark Michel (Term Expired 1-9-23)