Board of Aldermen postpones special call meeting to Feb. 25

BLACK MOUNTAIN - A Board of Aldermen special call meeting originally scheduled for Feb. 18 has been rescheduled for Feb. 25 at 8:30 a.m., the town announced. It will be broadcast online and be made for future viewing.

The posted agenda for the meeting lists a proposed rewrite of Article 2, Section 4 of the town charter, other changes to the charter and any additional discussion.

A previous agenda for the meeting listed a vote on the Board of Aldermen being renamed as town council. During the board's Feb. 8 meeting, Mayor Larry Harris opened by addressing the governing body as town council.

Article 4, Section 2 of the governing document states guidelines for the election of board members, the process for appointing officials to vacated board seats and compensation for both board members and the mayor.

The section additionally refers to members of the governing body as "council members."

Discussion is expected to be held on how the board makes appointments to vacated seats. 

Additional changes to the charter are expected, town attorney Ron Sneed said, who says he is looking to "clean up" examples of "archaic stuff in the charter that needs to be fixed."

A previous special call meeting was held Jan. 14 to discuss term limits for appointed officials. The board unanimously decided that appointments made to the board more than 135 days out from the next general election will serve until the next election.

Changes approved during that meeting are now seen in Article 2, Section 4.

Making appointments

Alderman Doug Hay suggested an application process held two weeks out from appointee selection as a possible change. A subcommittee comprised of board members was suggested to complement the application process by both Hay and alderman Ryan Stone to interview candidates.

Hay said he hoped this method would increase public input with the board's decision.

Alderman Archie Pertiller Jr., who referred to the application process as "tedious," suggested that the board accept applications from those who ran in the previous election. Those who applied have shown "a desire to work on the board."

Harris, supportive of both Pertiller's and Hay's suggestions, added that the board may not be supplied with a large group of candidates each election cycle.