SPENCER — Elected officials in Spencer could decide Tuesday whether the town will continue to participate in the state’s Small Town Main Street program.
Spencer is in the midst of the two-year, state-sponsored effort to create a long-term economic revitalization strategy and an organization to promote the town and host events. A handful of towns are chosen by the N.C. Department of Commerce each year to participate in Small Town Main Street.
But in a split vote in January, Spencer aldermen agreed to suspend the town’s STMS committees for six months after a state coordinator for the program said Spencer lacks cohesiveness and recommended collapsing the full program into one smaller committee.
Small Town Main Street committees disbanded, and a new organization committee began to meet with a smaller group of participants. Committee member Jon Palmer will make a presentation at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Town Hall.
In a memo to Town Manager Larry Smith, STMS coordinator Sherry Adams recommended how the program could move forward, if elected officials agree and meet certain requirements.
• Organizational/Steering Committee
Proposed members representing downtown stakeholders would include Kelly Alexander, N.C. Transportation Museum; Jessica Gaskill, RowanWorks Economic Development Commission; Kristen Trexler, Salisbury-Rowan County Convention & Visitors Bureau; Jon Palmer, downtown property and business owner; Marty Lineberger, chairman of the Spencer Historic Preservation Commission.
These members would either facilitate one of the STMS committees or be an active member.
The steering committee would be charged with fostering an atmosphere to “build human and financial resources through public-private partnerships to achieve a common vision.”
• Design committee
This committee would be co-chaired by Palmer and Lineberger and have the dual role of overseeing downtown Spencer design projects, as well as working with any Spencer Historic Preservation Commission projects that occur downtown.
The primary goal would be to improve downtown’s physical environment.
• Economic restructuring
The Organizational Committee would work to coordinate projects that lead to business expansions, business recruitment and all things associated with “strengthening the economic asset and expanding and diversifying the economic base” downtown.
• Promotion
The Spencer Business Association would be the primary group for downtown promotional activity. Alexander, Gaskill and Trexler would serve as liaisons between the association and the town. Both the town and STMS would reserve the right not to endorse activities that they believe are in conflict with the overall vision of the STMS program.
Gaskill would help promote available downtown properties.
The committee would aim to “sell a positive image of downtown based on the authentic, creative assets of the community.”
Each committee would have to identify annual goals, objectives and strategies.
Also on the agenda for Tuesday:
• A public hearing on the town’s proposed budget for the coming fiscal year, which starts July 1.
Smith’s recommended budget would not raise the property tax rate from the current 62.8 cents per $100 of valuation, one of the highest rates in Rowan County.
Smith’s proposed budget also calls for reinstating the town’s full-time code enforcement officer position. In 2011, aldermen cut 3.5 positions to balance the budget, including the full-time code enforcement officer.
The town recently has employed a part-time code enforcement officer, but many residents still complain about code violations. Aldermen have not yet reached consensus on whether the town should have a full-time code enforcement officer. Another possibility is two part-time positions.
Smith proposes a 3 percent cost-of-living raise for staff, as well as longevity bonuses based on how long employees have worked for the town.
• A public hearing an a proposed text amendment that would allow customary home occupations in parts of town that are zoned highway business.
A customary home occupation is a home-based business that takes up no more than 25 percent of a home.
Currently, customary home occupations are allowed by simple permit in areas zoned neighborhood business and central business, but not highway business.
The Spencer Planning Board recommends the change.
• Departmental reports
• Smith’s report
• Reports from the mayor and committee delegates
• Public comment
• Committee appointments for the Planning Board, Historic Preservation Commission and Zoning Board of Adjustment. Removal of Jonette Powell from the Planning Board due to poor attendance.
• Property liens