Morning Minute: Friday, May 31, 2019

News About Town: Have a burning question for Mayor Bailey? Maybe curious about the details of a development in town? Tomorrow (Saturday, June 1) is your chance to Meet the Mayor at Miki’s Restaurant (1819 Matthews Township Pkwy) from 8 to 9 am.

Bonus Bite: The Council hasn’t solidified the FY 19/20 budget yet. They’ll meet again with the Town Manager and staff this Monday (June 3) for the special budget meeting. Want to sit in? It’s an open meeting and will be at Town Hall from 6:00  to 8:00 pm.

News Around Town: This Saturday at 10:00 am, the Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity will dedicate their latest Sandy Marano Memorial Home build (3519 Dion Dr, Matthews, NC 28105). Friends, families, and volunteers are invited to join the celebration as the family is welcomed to their new home.   

One Fun Thing:  This June the McDowell Arts Center will be transformed into a sensory arts show. Ten regional artists will have work on display and you can expect more than just looking, all of the art was made to be touched. Goodyear artist Andrea Vail will have her collaborative, community-building art piece ready. Stop by, materials will be in the gallery for you to add to the piece. McDowell Arts Center (located by the Community Center) is open Monday through Saturday and the show will run through July 5. A reception will be held June 9, and we’ll have more details closer to that date.

Morning Minute: Wednesday, May 29, 2019

News About Town: On Tuesday evening the town council discussed with Town Attorney Charles Buckley (yep, that street is named after him) prayer in council meetings. The discussion was largely based on the Fourth Circuit court decision that prayer by the Rowan County council violated the Constitution. Similarities between Matthews and Rowan councils include council members leading prayer, prayers that proselytize, and the invitation by council members to attendees to pray. To comply, the attorney recommended the board invite clergy or residents to pray or to do as the Town of Waxhaw does and to offer a moment of silence. The Board of Commissioners will give thought to the topic moving forward. 

If you haven’t made it to a Mobility meeting, there are still a few chances!

News Around Town: Two buildings that have been vacant for a while on Independence have a new lease on life. The former Hooters building (9201 E Independence Blvd) will soon be City Arcade, a sweepstakes center. A space in Windsor Square (right at the corner of Sam Newell and Independence) has a sign in the window that says a homebrew supply store is coming soon. This will be a big relief for those who drive to 201 Central in Wesley Chapel or Alternative Beverage in Belmont to get their brew on. 

One Good Thing: A few mountain towns in NC are celebrating Trail Days tomorrow through Sunday (May 31 through June 2). Why not join from a distance and visit the trails around Matthews? PurSey Park has an excellent loop for hiking and biking, portions of the Carolina Thread Trail run through town and include our last but not least--the beloved 4-mile Creek Greenway. In the words of Dr. Scott, the great PBS paleontologist, "Get outside, get into nature, and make your own discoveries."

Morning Minute: Wednesday, May 29, 2019

News About Town: On Memorial Day the American Legion unveiled a new sculpture purchased by the Town in Stumptown Park. "Remembrance," by Peter Rubino, was initially commissioned to honor Americas Fallen Heroes in association with the Connecticut Fallen Heroes Foundation. Several versions have been created since then, the newest of which now resides near the flag pole at Stumptown. 

News Around Town: This Saturday stop by the Matthews Library, 230 Matthews Station St., for North Carolina Musicians: Photographs and Conversation, a talk by NC-based photographer Daniel Coston. Daniel has built a career by photographing bands and musicians throughout the state, from Doc Watson to the Avett Brothers. Learn about his process and the stories behind his work. See some of the images he's taken around Matthews, too! 

One Good Thing: As the school year winds down, take a quick inventory of your marker stash. If you have any that no longer work, Crayola will recycle them. Many area schools will take your used markers and send them to be recycled, but if you can't get to a drop-off point, let us know. We'll meet you somewhere and take them off your hands then get them to Crayola. Because Crayola is committed to recycling, the markers can be any brand, not just theirs! 

Morning Minute: Tuesday, May 28, 2019

News About Town: We’ve been talking a lot about the town budget lately. Tonight is your chance to give the Board of Commissioners input. No need to sign up to speak, the public hearing is built into the Board of Commissioners meeting.

If you're interested in a comparison of numbers from the 2019/20 budget, view that here.  To hear the budget discussion between the Board and Town Manager, click here.

Changes include:
Governing Board has a recommended additional $25,000 for legal fees. The total suggested increase is $26,605.

Town Manager suggested increase is $37,963.

Human Resources includes overall suggested increase of $128,582.‬

IT and Finance Departments both are recommended to receive lower amounts this budget from the last (-$81,387 and -$14,254 respectively).

Safety/Risk Management has a recommended budget increase of $54,802, mostly due to an increase in Worker’s Comp Premiums and a slight increase for full-time wages.

Police Office of the Chief has a recommended budget increase by $91,504 (increasing full-time and overtime wages as well as retirement contributions). Last year the Police Patrol Division had a budget of $3,301,834 ; this year the recommended budget is $3,350,302. Police Criminal Investigations received $1,075,485  last year. The FY 19/20 recommendation is $1,143,888.

The Fire Department has a recommended increase of $329,171, largely due to an increase in salary and benefit line items as they transition to a full-time department from volunteer.

Cultural Arts, Special Events, Rec Centers, Landscape, and Sanitation have recommended higher budgets. Police Admin and Telecommunications, Streets and Sidewalks, and Planning have a lower recommended budget than FY 18/19.

One Fun Thing: Reader Sandy Wilkinson has the goods on what’s going on at McDowell Arts Center. From Sandy, “Only one more week to enjoy the art show at the McDowell Art Gallery featuring works done by Matthews Artists Guild and Crown Point Elementary school art students. If you've never been to McDowell, stop by the art show upstairs and the working area downstairs to see work in progress. Many youngsters are signing up for art camp this summer. Veterans are welcome to create art weekly. Those who enjoy knitting and crocheting meet every other Tuesday evening, open to everyone. Many other programs and information are available at the Mathews Community Center. Don’t be shy...give it a try!”