The Walnut Cove Board of Commissioners met on Tuesday, October 6, at 7 p.m. for their regular monthly meeting and conducted a variety of business.

Town manager Homer Dearmin reported that the new recycling program has had a positive response from the residents of Walnut Cove, with about 41 percent of residents having purchased a recycling bin. Items do not need to be sorted prior to being placed in the bin. Commissioner Kim Lewis noted, “I placed my recylcables out at the curb and they were gone! It was great!”

Mayor John Hodgkin said that the town needed to continue to make sure residents are informed about the program. Dearmin replied that the town website (www.townofwalnutcove.com) had been updated and that letters had also been sent to residents. Dearmin stated that bins are available for purchase for $3.50 at Town Hall for the first bin, and each additional bin is $7.

Pickup is every other Monday, and bins should be placed at the curb by 7 a.m. Items that may be recycled include newspapers, metal cans, phonebooks, chipboard boxes (such as cereal boxes), cardboard boxes, slick-finished paper such as catalogs and magazines, and plastic bottles. As of October 1, it is now illegal in North Carolina to dispose of plastic bottles in the trash, although residents of Stokes County may take such bottles to the green box locations throughout the county.

Plastic bags are not accepted in curbside pickup (although most local grocery stores will recycle these bags), nor are motor oil containers or yard debris.

The commissioners voted unanimously to continue to contract with All-American Associates, who assist the town with grant proposals and consulting activities, for $18,000 per year. Many grants require matching funds from the municipality requesting the funds, and the monies spent with All-American Associates counts as matching funds.

In addition, the firm has helped the town with six grants to date, and the commissioners agreed that this was a cost-effective use of town funds. Commissioners Cowan and Lewis noted that grants are time-consuming and exacting projects, which are not always compatible with the requirements of managing the day-to-day business of a municipality.

As several commissioners had questions about home-based businesses, they agreed unanimously to send back to the planning board an amendment about zoning for mobile homes and offices. An additional concern was the presence of these structures in older and established neighborhoods.

Dearmin also presented a first draft of a standard operating procedures manual for the town. He noted that many of the town policies relied on “institutional memory” and that it was helpful to have policies and procedures clearly identified in writing. He emphasized that this was a first draft and that changes and revisions would need to be made, and that this should be a working document that is revised as needed to ensure it is current and reflects how things should be done.

The commissioners agreed unanimously to continue to have the NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) continue to inspect bridges in the town and make recommendations for improvements.

The commissioners also voted unanimously to approve a resolution against Duke Energy’s request for a rate increase, noting that Duke Energy was currently selling excess capacity to the State of South Carolina, which is being subsidized by the people of North Carolina. Duke Energy’s request for an increase would mean that residential customers may face a 13.5 percent increase, small businesses an 11.2 percent increase, and outdoor lighting customers a 16.7 percent increase.

Dr. Cowan asked that the commissioners consider how best to recognize veterans who reside in Walnut Cove. The commissioners noted that King has a celebration on Veteran’s Day to honor veterans of the armed services and agreed to look at various options.

Mayor John Hodgkin expressed his appreciation for the Fowler Park Committee’s work on the park. The committee and town would appreciate more citizen involvement in the park, which is in the center of downtown Walnut Cove, in front of the Walnut Cove Public Library. Anyone interested may contact the town office at 591-4809.

In a follow-up on previous actions, Dr. Cowan noted that the animal control committee had met twice and were meeting again soon, and that they were working hard. She expects to make a presentation at the next commissioner’s meeting on the committee’s recommendations.

In other items included in the town manager’s report, the water quality report was mailed to residents last week, and Dearmin encouraged people to call him with questions or concerns. He also noted that curbside leaf pickup would begin the last week of October and would continue through the second or third week of January. Several improvements have been made at the Walnut Cove Town Hall, with some of the junk which had accumulated behind the building being hauled away and the flagpole being freshly painted.

The next meeting of the board will be held on Wednesday, November 4, rather than on Tuesday, due to the municipal elections which will be held on Tuesday, November 3.