Flat Rock council hears candidate Q&A, NCDOT water shutdown and park safety reports

Council members at the Village of Flat Rock’s April 1 agenda workshop discussed candidate outreach, recent park incidents and infrastructure disruptions affecting park operations.

Mrs. Sheila Franklin, a candidate for Henderson County Commissioner and a four-term member of the Fletcher Town Council, held a question-and-answer session with members of the Village Council on several county issues, the council recorded.

Vice Mayor Coletta told the council that N.C. Department of Transportation contractors had turned off water to the village park without providing timely notice, which interrupted communication with park staff and the Highland Golf Villas homeowners association president. Coletta said she has asked NCDOT to give advance notice if future shutoffs are planned.

Council Member Carpenter said Park Director Dages arranged temporary porta-johns during the outage and provided recent park visitation figures of roughly 506 cars per day and 14,700 visits in February 2024. Park Director Dages reported a March 10 car break-in; deputies apprehended a suspect. Dages also told council that three stray dogs entered the park and left before Henderson County Sheriff’s deputies arrived, and that two cars had been towed from Highland Golf Drive.

Park maintenance updates included completion of the honeycomb sign for the Pollinator Garden, pending installation, and ongoing progress on the Dye Creek Restoration project. Village Administrator Christie reported that contractor Baker Grading & Landscaping expects to complete the Dye Creek work in a few weeks. The Park Foundation is working to recruit a summer intern.

The council recorded the operational updates and scheduled a Budget Workshop to follow the agenda meeting. Jay Egolf, another Henderson County Commissioner candidate, was announced as expected to attend an April 29 meeting. The meeting adjourned at 10:43 a.m.

Next steps: council will monitor communications with NCDOT, proceed with Park Foundation staffing efforts, and follow up on Dye Creek contractor completion timelines.