Town of Stallings, Gateway to Union County

Stallings Sentinel

Winter 2014

Issue 7

It is a widely held be-lief that Martin Luther, the 16th-century Prot-estant reformer, first added lighted candles to a tree. Walking to-ward his home one winter evening, com-posing a sermon, he was awed by the bril-liance of stars twin-kling amidst ever-greens. To recapture the scene for his fam-ily, he erected a tree in the main room and wired its branches with lighted candles.

Stallings Christmas Tree Lighting and Parade of Trees

Friday, December 5, 2014

6:30 p.m.

Stallings Park

3501 Stallings Road

Come join the fun! Tree lighting, visit from Santa, hot

cocoa, sweets, treats, and live music!

*If you would like more information, please visit our website:

www.stallingsnc.org or call 704.821.8557

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Dear Stallings Citizens,

As we close 2014 it has been an eventful year for the Town of Stallings. Highlights in-

clude:

The Town has hired a new town manager, Kevin Woods. He is a former US

Army Officer and is doing a great job.

The Town continues to be debt free and has reserves for future infrastructure

projects that are needed in areas of stormwater and roads.

Quality of life is very important in Stallings and Phase III of Stallings Park will be

complete shortly. The Park has won several awards and attracts folks from

around the county.

Council just completed its 2015 Planning Session and conservative folks will be

glad to hear that the needs of the Town were the focus.

Joint projects with NCDOT continue with the Monroe Road widening and im-

provements to the Potter Road/Pleasant Plains intersection.

An area of focus for Stallings is economic development. We have entered into an alli-

ance with Indian Trail, Matthews and Mint Hill to attract regional development that

will benefit all the Towns.

I would like to take this time to thank all the Town of Stallings employees for their

dedication and service to our residents. Residents can view Town information at

www.stallingsnc.org.

As we celebrate the Christmas season, I wish you and your family a blessed 2015.

Mayor of Stallings

A Note from the Mayor...

Wyatt Dunn

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Get Involved!

Are you ready to get involved in your community? Home is a great place

to start! The Town of Stallings has the following openings on its various

boards and committees:

Parks and Recreation Committee: Two (2) alternate positions

Stormwater Committee: Two (2) full positions and one (1) alternate position

Planning Board/Board of Adjustment: Two (2) alternate positions

Public Safety Committee: Three (3) full positions

Youth Members: There are two (2) spots available for youth members on the Public Safety

Committee and the Stormwater Committee. If you are between the ages of 14-18 years old

and are interested in serving on one of these committees, please contact Town Clerk Erinn

Nichols at 704-821-0313 or enichols@admin.stallingsnc.org.

To obtain an application to apply for one of these vacancies, please visit the Town’s website at

www.stallingsnc.org.

Stallings Committee Details:

Parks and Recreation Committee (PRC): The PRC plans events within the Town. Some past events the

Committee organized are Stallings Fest, Easter Egg Hunt, and movie nights. Programming is also an inte-

gral part of the PRC.

Stormwater Advisory Committee (SWAC): The mission of the SWAC is to provide the Town Council with a citizen’s viewpoint on the stormwater management policies, policy changes, long term strategies, and the budgetary impacts. Planning Board: The Planning Board provides advice to the Town Council on zoning issues. The role of the Planning Board is to hear and make recommendations on development proposals involving a change in zoning. The Board also makes policy decisions concerning the direction of planning and development in the Town. Board of Adjustments (BOA): The BOA is responsible for hearing variance requests concerning develop-ment standards established by the Stallings UDO (Unified Development Ordinance). The BOA also hears appeals to the UDO Administrator’s decisions concerning interpretations to the ordinance. Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC): The PSAC assists the Town Council with public safety issues and makes recommendations. They help to enhance community awareness about safety, volunteering, and programs. This may include putting in stop signs or working with the police and fire departments to update policies. Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC): The mission of the TAC is to provide the Town Council with a citizen’s viewpoint on local and regional transportation issues, strategies, funding, priorities and to deter-mine the necessary data / information needed to assist the decision making process of the Town Council. Finance and Administration Committee (FAC): The FAC provides oversight and makes regular reports and recommendations to Council regarding Town matters related to: administration, finance, policies, and procedures.

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Stallings Police Department

The

from

With the holidays approaching, the Stallings Police Department would like to offer residents

the following tips:

While holiday shopping, please remember to keep purchased items out of sight when left in vehicles. Use

the trunk or cargo area cover whenever possible.

When using debit /credit cards, either in stores or online, always be on guard for identity theft. Check

online statements often to watch for unauthorized transactions and notify your bank / card company imme-

diately should you notice a problem.

When planning your holiday travel, make arrangements for a friend to check your resident or even house-

sit. Also, do not forget the “resident check” service offered by the Police Department. The request form is

available online through the Town’s website. Navigate to the Police Department page and look for the Ex-

tra Patrol Online Submission tab in the right-hand column.

When attending holiday parties, do not let drinking and driving turn your holiday into a tragedy. Make a

plan, have a designated driver, or call a cab.

With the winter comes the possibility of winter storms. Take the time now to review any preparations you

have made for power outages due to snow/ice. Now is the time to check emergency generators, candles,

flashlights, firewood supplies, kerosene heaters or any other items to ensure their safe and efficient opera-

tion.

Any of our special needs residents that may be of specific concern during severe winter weather, can be

registered with Union County Emergency Management by visiting their website http://www.co.union.nc.us/

Divisions/EmergencyManagement.aspx.

Stallings residents are encouraged to visit the website listed below to register

with the Union County CODE RED System. This system can notify affected areas

of emergency conditions or situations. Visit https://cne.coderedweb.com and

register to receive important notifications from Union County Emergency Com-

munications. It is especially important to register if you do not have a home phone. Please link your home address

to your Cell Phone so that you will receive notifications that apply to the community where you live.

The Stallings Police Department is working with Union County Loaves and Fishes by holding a

Food /Toy Drive over this holiday season. Stallings residents can bring non-perishable food

items and/or unwrapped toys to the Stallings Police Department anytime during business

hours. The donations will be delivered to Loaves and Fishes on December 15th to help those in

need over this holiday season.

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Wastewater Worries

What is Illicit Discharge?

An illicit discharge is defined as “any discharge into a municipal storm

sewer system that is not composed entirely of storm water.” Some of the

pollutants that fall into this broad category are:

Bridge Repairs on Stevens Mill Road

NCDOT estimates the bridge repairs on Stevens Mill Road near Blair

Mill Park to be complete the end of February 2015. If you have any

questions, please contact the Town Hall at 704-821-8557.

Sometimes these pollutants are carried through the storm drainage system by rain, wind, or improper

disposal into waterways. This can result in serious health and water quality problems. In addition, wildlife

and the overall appearance of the waterways are adversely affected by illicit discharges.

Paints

Pesticides

Solvents

Vehicle spills

Five Easy Ways that YOU can keep Illicit Discharges out of waterways:

1. Used oil, antifreeze and batteries can be recycled at an auto parts store. Clean up any spills immediately. Kitty litter or sawdust will absorb the spill. Be sure to sweep these up as well.

2. Wash your car on the grass so that the water, detergent, and dirt will be filtered by the soil. You can also take your car to a commercial car wash, where the dirty water is sent to a wastewater treatment plant.

3. Empty bottles of household cleansers, pesticides and weed killer should be disposed of according to label directions.

4. Cooking grease or oil should be put into a disposable container, sealed and then placed in the trash.

5. Household products, including paints, paint thinner and solvents can be taken to the County landfill. Paint brushes used with water-based paint can be rinsed in the sink. If you have a small amount of left-over paint in a can, stuff it loosely with newspaper, let the paint dry out completely, and put it in the trash

Car wash wastewater

Gas and motor oil

Kitchen grease/oil

Household cleaners

Stallings Town Council Member Notes

Council Member Debbie Romanow: "Where has the year gone? I love going to each meeting because the Council works so well together to better our town. In my neck of the woods, we have experi-enced an explosion of building of the Potters Point development and Mario's Pizza on Matthews-Weddington Road. Thank you to all who have contacted me to help handle any issues that have arisen. Feel free to call me with ANY questions or comments - 704-941-1818. Have a blessed Christmas season and I look forward to hearing from you!" Council Member Regis Griffin: 2014 has been a very busy year for the Town of Stallings. One of the first challenges that Council undertook was the search for a new Town Manager. I was honored to have been selected to be part of the search committee. We went through a very structured and lengthy process. And, I believe that we are all very pleased with the candidate that Council hired, Mr. Kevin Woods, as the manager. The primary focus that I have had this year has been the work of the respective committees for which I am the Council Liaison. The Finance and Administration Committee has taken on the huge task of reviewing all of the existing Town policies and related procedures. The point of this effort is to make recommendations to Council on ways to improve our processes and procedures to ensure that strong financial controls are in place, identify efficiencies that we can take advantage of and generally to see that all of the policies are brought up to date. The committee members have worked diligently and have done a great job. So, to each of them I want to say “thank you.” The Public Safety Committee has undergone a number of restructuring and leadership changes this year. But, things have settled down and the committee is now focusing on their goals. One of the first opportunities that this com-mittee is working on is to revisit a draft of the Emergency Preparedness Plan. We will need to work closely with a number of external emergency response agencies as well as with our own local public safety teams and experts. This will be a lot of work and will be a lengthy effort. But, the committee is dedicated and I am confident that we will deliver a great final product. One other thing that has been on my plate is that we are working on an IT Systems Assessment to make sure that the Town's IT and networking infrastructure is implemented in a way that meets or exceeds known best practices so that we are confident that our systems operate as efficiently and cost effectively as possible and to ensure that our data is as safe and secure as it can be in today's world. We have a great team of elected and staff members serving the Town and I think that is evidenced by all that we have been able to accomplish in 2014. I am very pleased and proud that I have had the op-portunity to be part of all of the good things that are happening in Stallings! I hope everyone has wonderful holidays and please remember that we are all here to help so feel free to reach out.

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Stallings says “Good-Bye” to Council Member Fred Weber

Council Member Fred Weber has resigned his position as the Council Member for

District 5. Fred and his wife Adrienne are moving to New York to be close to their children

and grandchildren. The Webers will be missed!

Stallings Town Council Member Notes

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Mayor Pro Tempore Kline: The year has been packed with a lot of actions. First was the search commit-tee for the Town Manager which resulted in finding our New Town Manager Kevin Woods. Kevin has hit the ground running having several challenges which he has taken in-stride while learning his new position. We made it through the budget cycle placing a priority on Street resurfacing. The Transportation Com-mittee working with Staff established a prioritization list for this Budget year. We have begun the resur-facing with various streets in the Shannamara Sub-division. Staff will be working to get projects ready for execution in the Spring/Summer next year. The objective in the end is to have a comprehensive Street resurfacing plan prioritized and cost forecasted going into the next Budget cycle. Council Member Shawna Steele: During November, the town manager, police department, park and rec-reation director, and Councilwoman Steele met with a group of Porter Ridge High School students who participate in the Occupational Course of Study (OCS). These students earned community service hours which is a required component of the curriculum pathway to a NC High School diploma. These students learned about town government, administration, law enforcement, parks and recreation, storm water, transportation, and code enforcement.

Upcoming Council and Committee Meetings Monday, December 8: Town Council @ 7:00 pm Tuesday, December 16: Planning Board @ 7:00 pm Thursday, December 18: Parks and Recreation @ 7:00 pm Friday, December 19: Finance @ 7:30 am

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Stallings Parks and Recreation

Parks Hours

Stallings Municipal Park September-April: 8 a.m. to Dusk May-August: 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

*CLOSED on Thursdays from 7-10 a.m. for maintenance. * Interactive Fountain Closed for season Re-Opening May 2015 Blair Mill Park September-April: 8 a.m. to Dusk May-August: 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

*CLOSED on Wednes-days from 7-10 a.m. for maintenance. *

The Stallings Parks & Recreation Committee is

seeking citizens to join the Park Ambassador Vol-

unteer Programs. This is for Town citizens inter-

ested in supporting the two beautiful parks and

park events for the Town of Stallings. If you are

interested, please contact Dena Sabinske at 704-

821– 8557 x227 or

DSabinske@admin.stallingsnc.org.

Stallings Easter Egg Hunt Saturday, April 4, 2015 10:00 a.m.—12:30 p.m.

Stallings Elementary School

2014 Christmas Home Decorating Contest

Town officials will recognize the top five decorated

homes within the town in the 1st Annual Stallings

Christmas Home Decorating Contest. The judges will

award in the following categories: Best of the Best;

Nostalgic; Griswold’s; and Best Entry Way. The judging

period is from Dec 1st—Dec 5th. Winners will be announced at the Town

Council Meeting on Dec 8th.

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Stallings Parks and Recreation

Yoga Classes Saturdays (starting May 2015) Stallings Municipal Park Lawn Facilitated by Vital Yoga Center of Stallings

Lead by Vital Yoga Center of Stallings, come and start your day off right with some yoga. The cost is $6 per person. No pre-registration required.

Look for new

and exciting

classes in the

new outdoor

classroom at

Stallings Park

coming in May

2015.

Earth & Arbor Day Saturday, April 25th, 2014

10:00 a.m. —1:00 p.m.

Stallings Municipal Park

Sponsored by The Town of Stallings & The Town of Indian Trail

Celebrate Earth & Arbor Day with our community partner Indian Trail and learn fun and different ways to become better citizens of the Earth.

Thank you for a great Stallings Fest 2014!

Warm Up with this Winter Recipe…MONKEYBREAD

INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease one 9 or 10 inch tube/Bundt pan.

2. Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a plastic bag. Cut biscuits into quarters. Shake 6 to 8 pieces in the sugar/

cinnamon mix. Arrange pieces in the bottom of the prepared pan. Continue until all biscuits are coated and

placed in pan. If using nuts and raisins, arrange them in and among the biscuit pieces as you go along.

3. In a small saucepan, melt the margarine with the brown sugar over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over

biscuits.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn over onto plate. Do not cut.

The bread will pull apart.

Here is a list of some upcoming Stallings HOA meetings:

Kerry Greens meets the second Monday of each month at the Stallings Civic Center. They will not meet in December.

Chestnut Oaks meets the fourth Thursday of each month at the clubhouse 5041 Craftsman Ridge Dr.,

except for November and December.

The Parkside Association Board meets on the third Wednesday of each month — usually at the home

of a board member. If anyone would like to come to the meeting, they should send a message

through the Parkside HOA at Stallings Homeowner’s Association Facebook page for specific details

and to confirm the time and location.

*If you would like your HOA meeting information added in upcoming newsletters, please email that infor-

mation to : emcclain@admin.stallingsnc.org

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3 (12 ounce) packages refrigerated

biscuit dough

1/2 cup margarine

1 cup white sugar 1 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

(optional)

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Do you know you can get paid to recycle? Yes, that’s right...PAID!

Because you are a Stallings resident, you are eligible to become a

member of Recyclebank, an online loyalty program which rewards

you for recycling.

How does it work?

Go online to www.recyclebank.com or call 1-888-727-2978 to begin

your registration process. Recyclebank will then issue you a PIN

which will allow you to finish your registration process. Once you

are registered, you can begin earning points and redeeming your

points for coupons and merchandise.

How do I earn points?

RECYCLE! The Town’s combined recycling pounds are recorded and

points are distributed equally among the users. For every pound of

recycling collected, 2.5 points are credited. Once your points are

credited to your account, you can begin redeeming your points.

Currently, Recyclebank has more than 400 local and national reward

partners. Stallings residents favorite coupon to-date is a $10 Harris

Teeter coupon (when you spend $50).

Tell your Stallings friends and neighbors!

The more we all recycle, the more points we earn. Together we can

make a difference for the planet and earn rewards at the

same time! So what are you waiting for?! Register today to start

earning points for cash discounts or merchandise!

The leaf disposal pickup is increased from 11/1/14 to 1/31/15. Residents are

allowed a total of 40 bags of leaves and other yard debris (shrub trimmings, grass clippings, etc.).

Christmas Tree

Collection

Christmas trees will be collected only on the weeks of January 5 and January 12 on your regu-lar yard waste collection date for your zone. Please visit www.stallingstrash.com for your pickup schedule and other helpful in-formation about their services.

Residents are reminded to have their items curbside no later than 7 a.m. to be collected and place the carts with the opening toward the street and 2-3 feet away from any other structures (i.e. mailboxes, trees, other carts, etc.).

Trash Updates:

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