Jessica Webb
editor@thesmokymountaintimes.com
Following about a 30-minute closed session meeting Tuesday night Jan. 21, Swain County Board of Commissioners in a 4-1 vote adopted a contract agreement officially hiring Lottie Barker as county manager. Commissioner David Loftis opposed.
The action comes after the board approved, also 4-1, back in December during an initial organization meeting of the newly seated board to install Barker from her interim position as the manager.
The contract began Barker’s term immediately on Jan. 21, with an initial agreement to go through July 1 and then with future four-year terms. The term is to automatically renew unless otherwise noticed. Barker’s base annual salary is set at $115,000 plus longevity pay and county benefits to include a county vehicle, cell phone and laptop for work purposes.
On Tuesday night, Loftis criticized the decision highlighting how free he feels the board is to spend taxpayer’s money.
“She’s gonna get a big raise here,” Loftis said. “We have nine people who put in for it that we didn’t even interview, and here we’re going to give her the job with a big raise with the same package Kevin King got.”
King was the manager for more than 30 years before he left to work in Jackson County in April.
“What good will it do for us to go through each department if we’re not willing to do no cutting?” Loftis further asked. “It’s ridiculous. Sometimes, I’m ashamed to sit here on this board.”
Chairman Kevin Seagle then asked for the vote with no further discussion.
Health,
schools funding
In other decisions, the board approved budget revision 3 for the Swain County Health Department, with the department having received $250,650 in Hurricane Helene relief from North Carolina. Again, Loftis voted against saying it was “a waste of money.”
“It is for future disasters,” said Alison Cochran, health services director.
In a unanimous decision, the board gave Swain County Schools Superintendent Mark Sale the go ahead to drawdown $311,094 from the Repair and Renovation Lottery Fund held by the state. Sale explained this is the remaining amount needed to pay for the HVAC repairs at Swain County Middle School that were primarily paid for by Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) and totaled $2.1 million. The drawdown is about 20 percent of what is in the account.
“In other words, this has already been set aside for this,” said Commissioner Bobby Jenkins, on how the fund exists for repairs and renovations.
Loftis asked if the fund could go toward new construction, to which Sale said no.
‘What do we want to do with the difference?” asked Loftis.
“I don’t have an answer for that,” Sale responded. “I know once we get this everything on the HVAC is paid for.”
Seagle asked when the project at the middle school will be done. Soon, Sale hoped, adding that he has been disappointed with both the equipment and the delay of the contractors. The school board is in communication with its lawyer on what recourses they have, he added.
Special Olympics
In other actions, the board approved $10,000 to go toward the regional Special Olympic games to take place here in Swain County this spring.
The board also adopted a resolution in support of the Smoky Mountain Community Theatre to renovate the old theatre on Main Street that the nonprofit will use in grant applications.
The board also unanimously accepted the monthly tax and finance reports.
North Shore, middle school
During public comment, Henry Chambers with the North Shore Cemetery Association, responded to the county’s plans to honor North Shore families by naming a newly planned middle school. The association is in favor of honoring those 700 families who gave up their land in 1943, he said, but suggested there are also those who deserve to be honored who lost land in 1928.
“Name it remembrance, legacy, heritage, parkview or parkside, and then name the classrooms for the communities that were lost: Luftee, Ravensford, Bear Springs, Hubbard, Medlin, Proctor, Wayside, Fairview,” he said. “if want to honor individuals, name the auditorium for David Monteith.”
Secondly, he suggested the commissioners can do the most good by helping fund cemetery maintenance.
“One of the ways you could help people who lost their land is to fund a stable source of money for community cemeteries DeHart is in horrible shape and Lauada is running out of donations,” he said.
Lastly, he requested use of the Morgan Pavilion on the third Sunday in September for the annual NSCA Reunion and use of the business center March 2 to meet with National Park Service officials off the Great Smoky Mountains National Park property.
Helipad, railroad
During discussion, Jenkins asked about whose job it is to maintain and clear the MAMMA helipad when it snows.
Commissioner Phillip Carson said he was relatively certain it is the county’s responsibility as the county holds the lean on the property, added changes in leadership and a lack of winter weather over the past several years is probably what led to a lack of clarity.
“If it is our responsibility, we need to make sure we clean it,” Jenkins said.
He also brought back up a concern about getting storm debris cleaned from the mouth of Fontana Lake.
Manager Barker said she is still trying to connect with the right person at Tennessee Valley Authority.
“They may give us their blessing to go ahead and do that,” Carson said, with the board agreeing they don’t foresee TVA helping fund the effort.
Commissioner Tanner Lawson shared a document with the board he got from an employee of Great Smoky Mountain Railroad on the donations and local contributions the railroad has made over the past year. Among those is a new decal at the Swain County High School gym and as a floor sponsor. The list of 2024’s donations totals $41,141.
“I didn’t know they donated anything,” Jenkins said.