By Loretta Cozart

During last month’s city council meeting, Equus Partners received approval from Kings Mountain City council to construct a 300,000 sq. ft. shell building and to provide financial incentives for Project Joe.    The item had been continued from the May City Council meeting.
Planning Director Stuart Gilbert shared some background on the project, reminding City council that in March 2020 Council approved a spec building on the site with financial incentives. In the interim, a new economic development policy was put into place. “The former project was for a manufacturing building, but the new project is for a warehouse/distribution center. City council’s approval allows Equus Partners to receive financial incentives in either case,” Gilbert said.
Tom Johnson, attorney for Equus Partners spoke in favor of the project and thanked City council for considering the request.
Councilman Allen made the motion to approve a developer agreement to construct the 300,000 sq. ft. shell building and provide financial incentives. City council voted unanimously to approve. The closest access point to the property is from Sara Lee Access Road near Hanes Brands.

On Thursday July 29, from 3 – 5 pm, the Cleveland County Health Department, Department of Social Services, and other community partners are hosting the Healthcare Olympics, a drive-thru community resource fair with free giveaways including, but not limited to diapers, wipes, medicine lock boxes, goodie bags, and more!
The event will take place in the front parking lot of the Cleveland County Public Health Center located at 200 S Post Rd, Shelby. Come learn more about the services offered at the Cleveland County Health Department and Department of Social Services, Safe Kids Cleveland County, Child Care Connections, Cleveland County Partnership for Children, Medicaid Transformation, and more! The event is open to everyone.
Safe Kids Cleveland County will be demonstrating the dangers of hot cars. Diapers were donated by March of Dimes and Seventh Generation.
“Due to our involvement in the COVID-19 response, the Cleveland County Health Department has had more interaction with county residents and community partners than ever”, said DeShay Oliver, Deputy Health Director. “However, we want people to know that while disease prevention and mitigation is a major role of public health, we offer a broad array of health services at the health department. This drive-thru is an opportunity for the health department and many of our community partners to educate community members about the services available to them while also providing free resources to help support healthy lifestyles in a COVID-friendly and convenient drive-thru format.”
   For more information, call 980-484-5336 to speak with Nurse-Family Partnership Nursing Supervisor, Dashé Lawton.

The Printin’ Press, Inc. and Robert Bolin are pleased to announce the sale of the company to Westmoreland Printers, Inc, effective July 1, 2021.
Wes Westmoreland said of the acquisition, “I was born in Kings Mountain, my grandfather, Jim Hambright, graduated from Kings Mountain High School. I am most pleased to have a footprint in the city.” He continued, “Kings Mountain is a growing and vital city in the county, and we fully intend to maintain a presence in town to continue to serve individuals and businesses in the area.”
“I never really considered selling the business to anyone other than Westmoreland,” Bolin stated. “They have a well-established reputation for quality and customer service. My primary goal was to ensure that the customers the Printin’ Press has served for over 40 years would be well served in the future.”
Though his father was a local veterinarian, Westmoreland followed the family legacy of printing, the fifth generation of the family to do so since JF Westmoreland opened a printing company in Thomasville, NC in 1887. Westmoreland Printers was founded in 1999, and is headquartered on East Dixon Boulevard in Shelby.
Westmoreland Printers is the most awarded printing company in the region, having received well over 100 gold, silver, and bronze awards from the Printing Industries of the Carolinas and the International Association of Printing House Craftsmen  for quality design and production of both traditional offset as well as digital print. Awarded work includes a wide range of products that varies from business cards to books.
The Kings Mountain office will remain in the same complex that has housed the Printin’ Press at 714 N. Cleveland Ave, and the phone number will remain the same. Hours of operation are from 9 AM until 4 PM, Monday through Thursday, and Friday from 9 AM until 1 PM. More information is available online at WestmorelandPrinters.com.

By Loretta Cozart

After months of work involving city staff and consultants, Kings Mountain’s new Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) has been approved. The new zoning ordinance replaces former zoning used by the city. All cities within the state had to develop and implement a new UDO that had to be implemented July 1. The motion to adopt was made by Councilman Allen and the vote was unanimous.
Architect Can Fleiger spoke against approval of the UDO saying he was doing so reluctantly. “I favor UDO’s that support neighborhoods and encourage neighborhoods to grow.” His concerns were regarding the term ‘detached residential’ and how that might impact single family housing in Kings Mountain.
Prior to the vote on the UDO, Mayor Neisler said, “I want to thank the folks in our Planning and Development team and consultant Kelly McCormick. You guys have really been working tirelessly, specifically Kimberly, and I think we’ve got a really great plan going forward. Now, is it going to be perfect? If you think this is going to be perfect, you are going to be terribly wrong and terribly disappointed, because it is going to need to be tweaked. The comprehensive plan will follow this, and we’ll be working on that until the end of the year.”
In councilman’s remarks, Councilman Keith Miller made a public apology saying, “Thursday night we had a UDO meeting, and we had some passionate conversations. In the course of that passion, I think I was discourteous to Councilman Allen, Ron Humphries, and our consultant Kelly. I apologize for my intemperance, and I apologize to this body.”
City Manager Marilyn Sellers reported on various projects in town:
• The Meadowbrook waterline project should be complete with paving this week.
• Mauney Memorial Library will start in-person programming after Labor Day, along with in-person story time. Part of the library’s strategic plan was to have an outreach program in the community. They are going to start with Ramseur Park area. That is the park that was built by staff. So, they will be working with the Housing Authority and engaging kids in programs and giving away free books promoting reading and literacy. They will be going there quarterly.
• Mauney Memorial’s 1923 house renovations have been completed and the mayor and city council is invited for a tour on July 12 at 3 pm. The community has shown a lot of support for the library.
• Project CHIPPY (Benestar): Electric infrastructure is 90% complete and the natural gas is about 50% complete. So city staff is meeting the target date and Benestar will be online later this summer.
• The new ball field at the Intermediate School: 90% of the materials have been received. Sellers feels the city is on target to be completed in late August.
• Delivery 5 Distribution and Transmission Project: Moving along as expected, right away acquisitions and site preparations are being solidified. That project is on schedule.
• Streetscape Project: All infrastructure downtown is complete: gas, electric, water, and sewer, with the exception of electrical for new lighting. The streetlight fixtures have been identified, and the cost is being evaluate. came in high, so they identified, and the cost came in high so it is being evaluated.
• The city received DOT hydraulic calculations, so the city is close to meeting all the DOT requirements. The stormwater calculations are actually better with the streetscape. As soon as the city gets DOT approvals the city will go out for bids on the project. The contracts will set the schedule and the city hopes for completion in the fall, depending upon delivery of materials. Wi-Fi is being installed in the downtown area.
During the regular meeting, Councilwoman Annie Thombs made a motion to approve a Developer Agreement to construct a 300,000 square foot shell building and provide financial incentives for PROJECT JOE (Equus Partners). Councilman Butler was absent from the room, but all other council members approved.
Councilman Allen made a motion to adopt an ordinance amending the zoning map of the City of Kings Mountain, NC to rezone property located in the City of Kings Mountain at 1050 York Road, Highway 161. Property being further known as Parcel Numbers 12771 and 63398 and consisting of 0.73 acres and 7.16 acres, totaling 7.89 acres, from Heavy Industrial (HI) to Light Industrial (LI) – Case No. Z-6-5-21. The vote was unanimous.
Councilman Rhodes mad a motion to deny an ordinance to remove property consisting of 7.16 acres, Parcel #63398 located in the City of Kings Mountain along York Road, Highway 161, from the Thoroughfare Protection Overlay District – Case No. Z-5-5-21. That vote was unanimous.
A motion to Adopt an Ordinance approving the Sandee Run Subdivision, Phase I Preliminary Plan – Case No. MJS-17-5-21 was made by Councilman Hawkins. The vote was unanimous.
Council discussed a motion to authorize the Mayor to execute into an agreement for an easement with Albemarle for a 30-ft. wide sewer right of way. Assistant City Manager Nick Hendricks explained, “What we are looking to do is ask the mayor to execute. We are in a time crunch. At the end of Tin Mine Road there was 17-acres of land that the city purchased. Adjoining that acreage, the north side of Rockwood Lithium the was land that we did not purchase. There is a sliver of land that Rutherford Electric has an easement that we are requesting to obtain so we can continue to bring the sewer through that area down through the Hagen property and over to Exit 5 for future development. There would be no cost to the city to do this.” Councilman Rhodes made the motion to authorize the mayor to execute the easement agreement and the vote was unanimous.
This 17.11 acre tract was once owned by the Hagen family but was sold by the city in an upset bid process last year to E5 Holdings.
In the consent agenda, city council unanimously approved the following items:
Authorize the City Manager to sign any additional Budget Amendments relating to end of the year closeout of the 2020-2021 budget in order to ensure statutory compliance for the FY ending on June 30, 2021 (Copies of the Budget Amendments will be available for your review).
Listed below are three budget amendments which require Council approval:
• Budget amendment in the amount of $250,000 to budget additional funds to be transferred to the Workers Compensation Internal Service Fund due to several significant claims that continue to require funding and to increase/replenish fund balance in this account. The city is partially self-insured for Workers Compensation. Council approval is required due to the fact that we are transferring monies between departments/functions.
• Budget amendment in the amount of $570,000 to budget for stop loss revenues received through 5/31/2021. This represents funds paid to the City by our insurance company for amounts exceeding our per person maximum. Council approval is required due to the fact that we are increasing total budget in the fund.
• Budget amendment in the amount of $500,000 to establish budget for transferring funds to the Capital Reserve Fund. This is needed for future capital and to replenish the fund for dollars transferred related to 2020-2021 capital (Streetscape). Council approval is required due to the fact that we are transferring funds between departments/functions.
Reappropriate remaining budget in the 2021-2022 budget to expedite payment of the various vendors/final delivery for purchases/projects in progress at year end.
Adopt a Grant Ordinance for anticipated American Rescue Plan Act funds which have been allocated to City of Kings Mountain in the event funds were received prior to year-end. This is to ensure that the city has complied with the NC Statutory budgeting requirements.
Adopt a resolution, pursuant to N.C.G.S § 160A-31, directing the City Clerk to investigate the sufficiency of a petition for voluntary contiguous annexation from Kenneth F. Davis and Amy C. Davis for property identified as Cleveland County Tax Map 4-59, Block 1, Lot 11U, or Deed Book 1719 Page 1172 and consisting of 29.88 acres, more or less.
Award a Downtown Façade Grant to Gregg and Cheryl Johnson, for property located at 213 South Battleground Avenue, in the amount of $4,540.00.
Adopt a resolution to add language to all downtown grant applications to include a requirement for proof of commercial property insurance which verifies coverage of the property for full replacement value. This is a recommendation from the Main Street Coordinator. Applications are available for review in the City Clerk’s office.
Adopt a Resolution of Intent to consider closing a portion of James Street, which lies between Grace Street and the Norfolk Southern Railroad right of way.
 Schedule a Public Hearing for Tuesday, August 31, 2021, at 6:00 p.m. to consider closing a portion of James Street.
Schedule a Public Hearing for Tuesday, July 27, 2021, at 6:00 p.m. to consider an application from Stella N. Putnam (Owner Neisler Brothers Inc.) to rezone property fronting South Battleground Avenue and consisting of approximately 8.93 acres being further known as Parcel #12841 from Residential R-10 to Light Industrial (LI).
Adopt a resolution to receive an Offer to Purchase from Earthfall Production, Inc. for property containing approximately 1.33 acres located near Phifer Road and begin the upset bid process.
Adopt a resolution to amend the number of members on the Kings Mountain Tourism Development Authority from seven (7) members to eight (8) members. This addition will not negatively impact the required ratio of members who collect occupancy tax. This is a recommendation from the Nominating Committee.
Approve the following appointments and reappointments to the Boards and Commissions listed below. These are the Mayor’s recommendations and were approved by the Nominating Committee:
Planning & Zoning Board
Kyle Yarbro – initial appointment to fill the unexpired term of Maury Williams - term expiring 12/31/2022
Moss Lake Commission
Trip Boinest – initial appointment for a Moss Lake POA seat - term expiring 6/30/2024
Main Street Advisory Board
Jim Champion – reappointment for a full term – term expiring 6/30/2024
Christina Bell Hill – initial appointment - term expiring 6/30/2024
Brenda Lovelace – initial appointment - term expiring 6/30/2024
Patrick Senior Center Advisory Board
Cathleen “Cass” Roberts – initial appointment - term expiring 6/30/2024
Regena Baynard – initial appointment - term expiring 6/30/2024
Janie McVay – initial appointment - term expiring 6/30/2024
KMTDA Board
Brenda Lovelace – reappointment for a full term – term expiring 6/30/2024
Chuck Kilroy – initial appointment from Delaware North - term expiring 6/30/2024
KM Transportation Committee
Gerald McMahan – reappointment for a full term – term expiring 6/30/2024
   City council closed the regular meeting for a closed session to consult with legal counsel regarding a possible real estate acquisition. No action was taken on this matter when the regular meeting resumed, and the meeting was adjourned.

At the regular monthly meeting of the Planning and Zoning Board on June 8th, the Planning and Zoning Board decided to hold another public meeting on the Proposed Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) to discuss the Planning and Zoning Board members collective thoughts and recommendations to send to City Council on the proposed ordinance and Chapter 160D compliance. The board intends to have a UDO discussion and Draft Zoning Map Review based upon the proposed UDO.
The special public meeting will be held on June 16 at 5:30 pm in City Council Chambers. Members of the Planning and Zoning Board include Chairman Doug Lawing, Ron Humphries, Renee Bost, Ronnie Franks, Maury Williams, Joseph Allen, Bobby Elliot, Donald Adkins, Todd Wilson, Chris Jolly, and Clint Bouldin.  The city’s staff include Community Planning and Economic Development Director  Stuart Gilbert, Kimberly Herndon, Brian Finnegan, and Tinelle Wallace.

By Loretta Cozart

In NC, there are 20,816 registered sex offenders. As of May 2021, it is estimated that approximately 780,000 offenders are registered nationwide. Offenders are required by law to register and are restricted as to certain areas in which they cannot live, like near schools, churches, or parks.
The North Carolina General Assembly created the North Carolina Sex Offender and Public Protection Registry in January 1996. This law outlines registration requirements for persons living in North Carolina, non-resident students, and non-resident workers.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation maintains the North Carolina Sex Offender Registry. At the site, the public may search the registry or get statistics on sex offenses in the state. The United States Department of Justice maintains a site as well, at www.nsopw.gov.
You can sign up to receive an email notification when a sex offender reports moving to a North Carolina address within 1, 3, or 5 miles of your home. In fact, you can register multiple North Carolina addresses which will enable you to be alerted when an offender reports moving to a North Carolina address within 1, 3, or 5 miles of any of the locations you register. This enables citizens to sign up to receive email notification if an offender moves near their homes, children’s daycare centers, grandparents homes, etc.
In addition, the public can sign-up for email alerts. When registered sex offenders move into or out of an area, those who have registered for alerts in that area are notified. Visit: https://signup.ncsbi.gov/ to register. Click “Register” on the main page, and then provide a username, first and last name, password, password confirmation, and email address. An email will be sent to you with a validation link. Once you click the validation link, your account will be enabled, and you can add subscriptions.
Victims may receive telephone notifications for any status change of a registered sex offender through the Notification program.
The North Carolina Department of Public Safety website has information for parents, guardians, educators, and law enforcement, including Internet safety tips, an Internet safety video and resource guide, how to schedule a child safety presentation, and information on school safety.
Visit the site to learn more about protecting our children. www.ncdps.gov When using the site, remember the following:
• Because of certain North Carolina General Statute provisions, juvenile offenders adjudicated delinquent of sexually violent offenses are not included in the public Sex Offender Registry.
• The Registry does not include information on those individuals whose sexually violent behavior has not come to the attention of authorities.
• Not every sex offender is required to register.
• Portions of the registry information, and therefore its reliability, are based on information provided by the offender. For example, the offender reports his address, whether they are a student, etc.
• The SBI and county sheriffs attempt to ensure that Registry information is accurate and current. Although the database is updated regularly, information can change quickly.
• Positive identification of a person you believe to be a sex offender can only be made by a fingerprint comparison between that person and the person in the state registry. Other information such as name, date of birth, and other information are not necessarily unique to one individual.
An offender can be found guilty of a Class F felony if they:
• Fail to register
• Fail to notify the last registering sheriff of a change of address
• Fail to return a verification notice
• Forge or submit under false pretenses the information or verification notices required
Any law enforcement officer who is aware of the violation shall immediately arrest the person or seek an order for the person's arrest.

Following a public hearing at its June 1 meeting, Cleveland County Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted the County’s budget for the 2021-2022 fiscal year. The new budget decreases the property tax rate by 3.25 cents while maintaining, and in some cases enhancing, the services and programs available to Cleveland County’s citizens. The tax rate changes includes a 2.25 cent decrease in the County General Tax rate and a 1.00 cent decrease in the County School tax rate.
“Very few local governments are in a position to enact tax rate decreases in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Chairman Doug Bridges said. “The fact that Cleveland County can do so, while continuing to provide a high level of service to our citizens, is a testament to our team’s fiscal prudence and careful planning.”
The budget process is carried out under the general direction of the Board of Commissioners. With the Board’s guidance, County staff plan for the financial management of over twenty-five County departments. This involves analyzing projected revenues from sources including property and sales taxes, state and federal funds, and grants from partner agencies. Staff then determine how the County can budget the available revenues to provide services and meet policy goals set by the Board of Commissioners.
“When the COVID-19 Pandemic first hit, our team immediately took a ‘ReAct/ReBuild/ReThink’ approach to crisis management,” County Manager Brian Epley said. “This involved a total budget reset in March of 2020. After reacting to the immediate crisis and rebuilding over the last year, the 2021-22 budget process has been an opportunity to rethink how our team can do more with less by incorporating the lessons learned during the pandemic to streamline our operations moving forward.”
One example of the County doing more with less has been its focus on lean operations. “We have been intentionally focused on right-sizing county government,” Commissioner Johnny Hutchins said. “This is evidenced by the budget having grown only a little over 6 percent since 2015.”
The 2021-22 budget also continues the trend of providing competitive wages for County employees. “As commissioners we continue to be committed to positioning Cleveland County Government as an employer of choice,” County Commissioner Deb Hardin said. “Competitive wages, minimal turnover, and an improved benefits package ensure the County can recruit and retain the talent necessary to Make Our Community Better.”
Despite a decrease in the County’s property tax rate, the 2021-22 budget includes significant investments in public safety, economic development, and capital planning. The Board of Commissioners’ commitment to public safety is most evident when analyzed over time. Since 2015, the cumulative investment in the Sheriff’s Department, Detention, EMS, Emergency Management, and E-911 Communications has increased by 39 percent to $19,608,050.
Examples of this investment at work in the new budget are the County’s first year of payment for a full fleet replacement of nine ambulances, a system-wide radio replacement for public safety employees, over $700,000 allocated to the replacement of Sheriff’s Department vehicles, and continued support for the County’s newest EMS base in Casar.
 “This Board has prioritized ensuring that our public safety professionals have the best available tools at their disposal to protect and serve our community,” Commissioner Kevin Gordon said. “Before Cleveland County can be somewhere that people can live, work, and play, it first must be a place where people feel safe. We will continue to find cost-effective ways to invest in and support the people who look out for us and our families twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.”
   The new budget also continues the County’s focus on economic development, as the County will again be appropriating funds to the Cleveland County Economic Development Partnership. Working with the Partnership, the County has recently recruited employers including Greenheck Fan Corporation and Benestar Brands. The County, in cooperation with the City of Shelby, is also actively marketing its latest Shell Building Project, which provides an opportunity for yet another major manufacturing employer to set up shop in Cleveland County.
   “Economic development has been one of the Board of Commissioners’ highest priorities over the last ten to fifteen years, and we are now seeing the benefits of that,” Commissioner Johnny Hutchins said. “In addition to projects such as Clearwater and Greenheck, we are also excited at the continued development of the Catawba Indian Nation’s Two Kings Casino Resort. Cleveland County is positioned to be one of the leading counties in North Carolina for economic development in the Twenty-First Century. The benefits of our economic development success include job creation and increased tax revenue, which in turn lessens the tax burden on our county residents.”
   Cleveland County is also staying the course on its five-year Capital Improvement Plan. Using this plan, the County is preparing for future capital needs at the detention center, courthouse, board of elections, and 911 call center. Staff are further beginning the process of co-locating the Health Department and Social Services Department into one location, which will result in further savings for taxpayers.
   “Co-location is very different than operational consolidation,” Epley said. “This is a simple calculation that allows the County to avoid constructing a new building while moving DSS staff out of a facility that is nearing the end of its life. An added benefit to co-location is the ability to capitalize on shared operating costs.”
   The County’s overall financial health has been crucial in allowing the Board of Commissioners to continue to identify and pursue strategic priorities while not burdening taxpayers. As recently as 2017, Cleveland County received a bond rating upgrade from S&P/Moody’s and is now AA+ rated.
“This puts us in the top fifteen percent of counties in the State,” Commissioner Ronnie Whetstine said. “We are in a healthy financial position, with limited debt. As to the debt the County does have, we are positioned to liquidate more than ninety percent over the next ten years.”
The entire 2021-22 Cleveland County Budget, along with budgets for past years, can be viewed online at clevelandcounty.com. Click on County Departments, Finance/Purchasing, Annual Budget.

Several roads in the Downtown area to be impacted on June 5 due to Concert Series and Cruise-In

The City of Kings Mountain Special Events Department will host a Concert Series and Cruise-In, Saturday, June 5, 2021. Several roads in the Downtown area will be impacted during the events. Railroad Avenue, West Gold Street surrounding Patriots Park and a portion of West Mountain and South Cansler Streets will be closed beginning 2:00 pm, Saturday June 5th, 2021 and remain closed or barricaded until 11:00 pm. Further information regarding road closures is listed below.
• Partial barricade placement will begin at 8:00 am – some roads will still be accessible during this time but vehicles must be moved by 2:00 pm
• Additional barricade placement will begin at 2:00 pm
• Roads closed at 2:00 pm and remain closed until 11:00 pm (ALL unauthorized vehicles will be towed after 2:00 pm)
• Arrival time for Cruise-In participants will begin at 4:00 pm with the Cruise-In beginning at 5:00 pm-Concert will begin at 6:00 pm
• Participants in the Cruise-In and concert goers,  must use travel from King
Street to Cansler Street for access to Railroad Avenue, Mountain and Gold Streets
Motorists are urged to use extreme caution when traveling through Downtown Kings Mountain due to the increase in motor vehicles and pedestrians. Please plan to travel different roads if you are impacted by this change.
For more information on the Cruise-In or Concert Series, contact the City of Kings Mountain’s Special Events Department at 704-730-2101, or visit their website at www.KingsMountainEvents.Com. You may also visit their Facebook page at @cityofkmspecialevents.