DECEMBER 3, 2009 ISSUE
Question-and-Answer with Boone Mayor Clawson
In December, Loretta Clawson will be sworn in to her third term as mayor, which will be the first four-year mayoral term in Boone. Clawson was also recently elected as the second vice president of the North Carolina League of Municipalities.
High Country Press’ Anna Oakes recently sat down with the mayor to discuss her next four years in office.
HCP: Why is a four-year term better than a two-year term for mayor? Do you have any examples of something you think you could have gotten done had your past two terms been a single four-year term?
LC: “Well I think that with two years, you just get elected and it’s almost time to turn around and get busy with another election. An election takes time, and when you’re in an election it takes time away from what you could be doing as mayor. I’m very supportive of the four-year term for our representatives. I think that two years is really not enough for them because it is just kind of a turn-around to get ready to go back into the next election.
“I feel very comfortable now with a four-year [term] in that I do feel like I can accomplish some things like…the master land use plan and urban forestry plan. They’re going to take a while to implement. With four years, I feel like I really can get some of those things that were suggested to us implemented. Of course, these are ongoing plans.
“My two previous mayor terms were two years, and really I just did not feel like that was long enough to really get all done that you could get done.”
HCP: Some people argue that because small town mayors do not vote (except in tie-breakers), they don’t have any real power; they’re just “ribbon-cutters.” What powers do you exercise as mayor of Boone?
LC: “The first thing I think is very important [is] you have the gavel. You have the gavel at the meetings; you preside at the meetings. You can certainly put agenda items onto the agenda, and I certainly do that. I am the one who has the staff meetings. I designate who is going to present items that are on the agenda. I have the opportunity to meet and sit down with and discuss the Town of Boone with our elected representatives. I represent the Town of Boone in Raleigh.
“It really keeps me busy; it really does. I love what I do. I have the ability to start initiatives, and I feel very good about that. I’m proud of what I’ve been able to do in the Town of Boone and things that we have accomplished.
“I can’t meet with council members as a group, but I certainly have the ability to meet with council members one-on-one and express to them what I think is important to the town. And they can also do that, too.”
HCP: I’m looking for specifics here. What would you like to see done by the end of your four-year term?
LC: “I want to make Boone a more walkable community, and I know that that’s very important to other town council members.
“Now that we have adopted the master land use plan and the urban forestry plan, the next task is to implement the plan. What we’re going to have to do is change the regulations so that the plan can become a reality. This is one of those things that can’t happen overnight.
“The urban forestry plan is very important to me, too, because this plan, one of the things it’s doing is looking at more trees, more plantings in commercial developments.
“Another thing I want to do is to continue to expand the cooperation between the town, ASU and the county. As mayor I did establish, along with ASU, the town-gown committee…and I think that has really made a difference. I feel like we’re working very well with ASU right now. Over the years—I’m starting my 13th year soon—I’ve seen it both ways. I’ve seen the contentious attitude between the town and ASU, and I have seen us work through that.
“One of the things that I hope to do the next four years would be to promote small business. I would like to see us make a difference in downtown. [At the town council meeting November 19,] Adrian Tait, the chair of the Community Appearance Commission, is presenting a list of things—the streetscape [plan]—such as public art, site furnishings, benches, trash receptacles and recycling stations. I’m hoping to see in the next four years as much as possible done.
“Another biggie that I’m looking forward to the next four years is trying to do as much as possible to our post office. The renovation of the post office comes with a large price tag. There’s different ideas as to what should be done with the post office. It was purchased with monies that were designated as space needs…for the Town of Boone. What I would love to see incorporated into that would be some offices for the town plus a welcome center. I think this could be a central location where you could just walk in and get information about what to do in the Town of Boone.
“I’m really still very committed to preserving our mountains. One of the things that I’m most proud of is the steep slope regulation that we passed. One of the reasons that’s so important is because of the safety issue…we want everybody to be safe in the Town of Boone and in our [extra-territorial jurisdiction].”
HCP: One of the next decisions the town will have to make regarding the Land Use Master Plan’s recommendations and the rewriting of the Unified Development Ordinance will be whether or not to adopt the Framework Plan (zoning based on density, not use). Do you believe the town should adopt the Framework Plan?
LC: “I think that density—to not have sprawl—I think density is the way we have to go. The Planning Commission right now, that’s what they’re working on. I’m in support of buildings having some extra height and the footprint being smaller, but extra height. I want to work toward less urban sprawl because I do believe that’s the way towns are going now.
“Really I don’t think we have anything in place now that really addresses that. I’m definitely more supportive of that type of plan.”
HCP: What is the status of the new intake planned for the New River?
LC: “We are, as we speak, preparing to get the environmental study. We’ll be taking comments on that. At this time, it is proceeding on schedule. We really are good stewards of the water that we have. We have a very impressive water conservation program in place. The reason that we need to go for a new water source is I feel like we do have to grow. As ASU grows, more of our properties go off the tax rolls, and the same for any nonprofit in our town. I do think we do have good areas to grow.
“People will say to me, ‘Well you still have water,’ but the reason we have water is because we’ve been so diligent in protecting what we do have. We ration the water. If we had given all the water out that had been requested, we wouldn’t have any water. We have been very protective, because with the process we’re in now with the new intake, we’re still about five years out from getting that even if it moves on schedule. The process that you have to go through is just really, really extensive. We understand that there are certain hurdles that we have to go through. I feel like we’re handling this water project very professionally.”
HCP: There are still concerns coming out of the Todd community [about Boone’s planned water intake in that area]—is the town doing anything to address these concerns?
LC: “We try to continue to educate everyone, not only that community, but everyone as to what the concerns are and how we address them. One of the issues has been the drugs in the water, but all water has that in it; it’s not unique to the Town of Boone. I was very pleased with the town and the county and the [recent pharmaceutical take-back program]. That was really something that we feel like is a step forward—every bit that we can take up and dispose of, other than going into the water. That’s a problem that’s national, and that has not really been addressed yet.
“The Town of Boone has a state-of-the-art water treatment plant. We take water from the New River now, and Winkler’s Creek, and the water that we put back into the river is cleaner and has a higher oxygen level than when we first brought it in, so I’m very proud of that. We put over 90 percent of the water that we use back into the river after it goes through extensive cleaning.”
HCP: Will you be taking any steps to further the progress of the Howard Street Improvement Project? What, specifically?
LC: “Where we’re at now with the Howard Street Project is about half of the owners have signed the easements. We—the DBDA, town council members—have worked now for a long time to try to get those easements signed. They are prepared; our attorney has prepared those for people to sign.
“I will say that several of the property owners were most gracious in signing on immediately. But to those who haven’t, we want to continue to work with them and would welcome sitting down with them, discussing why they feel like maybe that they can’t sign the easements. I will be perfectly willing to do that…there’s a couple of council members who are working on that. At that time, if we can get it ready, if the easements [are] signed, I’ll certainly be more than willing to go forward with the funding of that. There probably would be different ideas as to how we would fund that. I could not see—and this is my opinion, solely—raising taxes for the project unless that were brought to a referendum. I would be more than willing to look at a referendum to let the people vote if they would be willing to raise taxes to do that project. I don’t think that we should do it, though, without the vote of the people.
“I’m certainly willing on Howard Street to sit down with anyone who has ideas on how we might accomplish this project. We have a wonderful plan designed. I would absolutely love to see the Howard Street Project go forward.”
HCP: There’s already been some money spent on the project for design, etc. If a few property owners continue to refuse to give the voluntary easements, would you support or advocate that the town exercise its powers of eminent domain to get this project done?
LC: “This is very expensive. I would hope that we could work through the voluntary system rather than having to go to that system. I would exercise every avenue before that. It would be a very expensive way to go, and at this time, the town really, with the limited monies that we have, would not have the money to do that.
“The monies are just not there to do the eminent domain.”
HCP: Has any progress been made on hiring a new Development Services Director?
LC: “We are still in the process of hiring that person. Interviews took place last week. I am sure that we will have someone in place in the near future. One of the issues that came up while we were doing interviews—this is our second time to do that—was…housing was one of the reasons a couple of people backed off from accepting the position and went somewhere else. Because our housing costs are very expensive.
“Development Services is a very important job. It is a complicated department, and when we get that person hired, we certainly want to make sure that that is the right person.”
Community Interest
News & Notes
Events
Arts & Entertainment
