It’s a new year, a new decade and a new beginning for the Town of Highland and its Board of Commissioners. A new board of commissioners was sworn in on Dec. 12 and with the coming of 2020, commissioners are eager to get to finish some longstanding projects that have been on their collective plate.
Mayor Patrick Taylor recently that he was looking forward to working with the new board in 2020 on items such as the town’s comprehensive plan, taking part in the upcoming census and making Highlands more user friendly.
He reiterated those comments as the New Year approached.
“A new comprehensive plan is at the top of my list,” Taylor said. “I believe we should hire a professional consulting firm that specializes in this kind of process to guide our Planning Board and other stakeholders through the process.”
Taylor called the process of the town doing its comprehensive plan itself unfeasible.
“It is standard practice among municipalities to bring in outside, neutral professionals to advise the community through this arduous process,” he said.
Other goals include an “old school” suggestion box placed in Town Hall for just that, suggestions, and broadcasting the monthly town board meetings on open access television.
Commissioners were also polled as to their top goals for 2020.
Commissioner Brian Stiehler said his top goal for 2020 is seeing the fiber optic project through to completion. Stiehler said the new fire station was also at the top of his list along with the renovation of the town’s pool.
“There are a few things to work on in terms of fundraising and the Scholarship Golf Tournament that Rebecca Shuler and I needed to address,” he said. “The budget itself is a pretty big project each year that consumes a lot of time and careful thought.
Commissioner Marc Hehn said his immediate goal for 2020 is to be of service to the people of the Town of Highlands and the Town employees.
And, of course, healthcare.
“My short range goal is for the Town to develop and prioritize a list of funding requests from the Dogwood Health Trust for 2020 – $65 million is available annually to the thirteen counties of Western North Carolina,” he said “My priority is physician and healthcare worker recruitment and housing.”
Hehn also agreed with the mayor about the need to update the Town’s comprehensive plan. My long range goal is for
“The plan should address annexation, housing, service delivery and projects in the Capital Improvement Plan with agreement of priorities and policies,” he said.
Commissioner John “Buz” Dotson said his primary goal is to keep Highlands on an even keel and moving forward.
“We want to keep thing moving along like they are or better,” he said.
Dotson is also looking forward to putting the finishing touches on the new fiber optic network in 2020.
“I’m really looking forward to this new fiber optic service coming online,” he said. “I was real encouraged that they’re getting out there and being proactive about this network being Highlands’ next big opportunity.”
Efforts to reach Commissioners Donnie Calloway and Amy Patterson were not successful by press time.