The Highlands Town Board of Commissioners met Thursday, Jan. 15, for a workshop on the Highlands Food & Wine Festival and its regular monthly meeting. The board discussed the process for selecting a new commissioner, the Duke Energy contract, and the nonprofit emergency support plan.
Commissioners considered how to fill the seat vacated by the retirement of John Dotson. Attorney Nick Tosco presented two options: a board member could make a motion, with a majority vote deciding the appointment, or a nomination ballot, which would entail a nomination process and an open or secret ballot.
Tosco reminded the board of rules specific to this process. “We cannot go into closed sessions to discuss this; everything is public record,” he said.
While no decision has been finalized, board members leaned toward a nomination ballot, which could include an application and résumé submission. Candidates must be eligible voters within the town limits.
Mayor Patrick Taylor proposed that local newspapers be involved in interviewing candidates and providing updates to the public.
There is currently no deadline for the appointment, as only county commissioner boards are required to select a new commissioner within 60 days. Municipalities are not held to this requirement.
Workshop
Highlands Police Chief Andrea Holland presented her findings from the 2025 Food and Wine Festival during the workshop. She said the event brings significant tourism but also creates public safety and local infrastructure challenges.
Holland said she and other officers dealt with highly intoxicated, uncooperative individuals, noise complaints and delayed incident response times due to congestion throughout the weekend.
“I believe we owe it to our community to keep events at a size our department can handle: a manageable event in safer streets, officers who can do their jobs effectively, and a community we can feel good about,” said Holland.
She suggested relocating the event away from Main Street as a possible way to reduce safety risks.
Jack Austin, Chair of Highlands Festivals, Inc., highlighted the festival’s positive economic impact during the public comment period.
“About three years ago, we contracted an economics professor from Western Carolina to do an extensive economic impact study,” said Austin. “He determined over months of research that just during the four days of the festival, two and a half million dollars are injected locally in Highlands.”
Austin said the festival should remain on Main Street to continue bringing customers to the doorsteps of restaurants and businesses. He added that issues stemmed from the hourlong delay, drinking outside festival confines, and attendees being forced to leave earlier than expected.
Jeff Weller emphasized the need to meet with festival stakeholders to determine improvements.
Board Meeting
Louis Davis, a professional engineer at Utility Technology Engineers-Consultants, PLLC, and Richard Knight, Highlands’ Duke Energy liaison, outlined the contractual details of the merger between Duke Energy Progress and Duke Energy Carolina, and the town’s role in the process.
Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress have operated as separate utilities since the 2012 merger of Duke Energy and Progress Energy. Although legally considered a merger, the proposed combination is more in line with reorganizing two corporate divisions into one.
“Your contract is part of how we’re going to merge because we have committed changes to you,” said Davis. The town board will need to review the application to merge and the amendment outlining how the merger will move forward, as well as approve changes at the next meeting.
Leslie Manning also presented the non-profit emergency support plan, asking that the Highlands Community Building be permanently designated as a disaster response hub.
“This could become a place where volunteers could go if they want to help, where we could have supplies…anything that is just sort of outside of the basic needs that the town’s going to be helping to meet,” said Manning. “With a new generator and Wi-Fi, we felt like this was a good building that we could use.”
The board unanimously approved the motion.
In other news, Weller was appointed to the Economic Development Commission and Jim Tate to the Tourism Development Council.
The board will next meet on Feb. 19 for a workshop and monthly meeting.
- Mitch Stone
reporter@highlandsnews.com