Morning Minute: Monday, January 31, 2022

News About Town: Tonight, January 31, the board will participate in the fifth (and final) Board Orientation meeting. Staff will present the following information:

• Budget forecasting Budget Forecasting Model Departmental Needs

• Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) CIP

• American Rescue Plan Act-Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (ARPA-CLFRF)

• Bond referendums Bond Primer Bond Options

The meeting will be held remotely. Watch via Zoom (meeting ID 883 8312 4172) or watch on YouTube. Call-in instructions are posted online with the agenda.  

Thanks to Unsplashed user @kellysikkema for the cheerful message!

News Around Town:  At-home rapid COVID tests are now available for free. Limited to one set of four per household, sign up online here. If you’re looking for a free drive-thru test, COVID there are a couple options:

• On Call Mobile Medical and Wellness at Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, 381 Crestdale Rd, 10am - 2pm on Tuesday, Feb 1 and Monday, Feb 7.

• Starmed at the old Cinemark 10 theater, 9508 Northeast Ct, Monday through Friday, 9am to 3pm.

United Providers of Health also has a walk-up tent in the parking lot of Matthews United Methodist Church, 801 South Trade St, on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from noon to 5pm.
In an age where information seems readily available, the Public Health Hotline: 980-314-9400 is a reliable resource. Choose option 3 (English) or opción 8 (Español). The hotline operates Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm and is for general questions regarding COVID-19 and vaccines. As always, if you have a medical emergency, call 911.

One Fun Thing:  Brakeman’s (225 N Trade St.) is once again hosting their popular Daddy/Daughter Valentine's Date Night. This year the café is adding a Mother/Son event, too. Enjoy a fun activity with your little one while you snack on cookies and cocoa. Tickets are available at the shop, but space is limited so get yours ASAP.

Morning Minute: Monday, January 10, 2022

News About Town: The January 10 Board of Commissioners meeting agenda is available online. To watch live, the meeting is available via Zoom (link here, the early meeting begins at 5:30 and the regular meeting starts at 7 pm). A livestream of the meeting will also be available via the Town of Matthews YouTube Channel. To listen live, call toll free 888-788-0099 and enter meeting ID 865 4038 3569. For more information, including the process for public comment, visit the town website.

The early meeting is the second informative session for the new Board of Commissioners. Jay Camp, Town of Matthews Planning Director, will provide an overview of the Planning Department and the processes involved in development in Matthews.

Interesting items during the regular meeting include:

• Changes to the Unified Development Ordinance related to NC Senate Bill 300, a bill that prohibits municipalities from using criminal penalties of land use regulations.

• Discussion of the Micromobility Ordinance, which regulates the use of shared mobility (think electric scooters) within the Town.

• An early and significant discussion of the Fire Station 3 design process.

Thanks to Unsplashed user @kellysikkema for the cheerful message!

News Around Town: The NC Wildlife Resources Commission has sent out an alert to all Mecklenburg County residents to be on the lookout for 9-banded armadillos.

Armadillos have long been native to Central and South America, but as temperatures continue to warm, the armored mammals have wandered this way.

Report observations to armadillo@ncwildlife.org and include: 

• a photo of the armadillo;

• the date, and time it was observed;

• and the location where it was observed (GPS coordinates are best, but a detailed location description is acceptable).

One Good Thing: On January 16, the local faith community will lead the 6th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. The celebration will begin at 2:30pm at Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, 381 Crestdale Rd., for an educational presentation on civil rights and a peaceful march to Matthews Town Hall on the Crestdale Heritage Trail.

Morning Minute: Tuesday, January 4, 2022

News About Town: Time to check back in with Matthews Police for “Operation Santa Knows” week 4. In partnership with local stores, the Police are working closely with retail loss prevention to increase reporting, investigating, and solving retail theft cases. Perpetrators will be identified, charged, and prosecuted as a result. For this week, the operation netted four arrests, four misdemeanors, and three trespasses. Also, 14 retail products were reclaimed. In total, the operation netted 23 arrests, 17 felonies, 38 misdemeanors, 24 trespasses, seven outstanding warrants served, 186 retail products were reclaimed, and $4,120.52 in product loss was prevented since the beginning of the operation.

Thanks to Unsplashed user @kellysikkema for the cheerful message!

News Around Town: The Catawba-Wateree Water Management Group is planning its fourth Citizens’ Water Academy starting this week. The virtual event is a hefty 16 sessions of 90 minutes each; classes include a history of the Catawba, lecturers from Duke Energy and local utilities, impacts of land use on water quality, and plants, animals, and their interactions with the Catawba River. Eager to learn? Register online. 

One Fun Thing: Speaking of animals along the Catawba, there are more than 45 whitetail deer per mile in Mecklenburg County. With so many, it's important to let the deer forage for their food. Feeding deer corn can do more harm than good. According to the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, "For better or for worse, products like 'deer corn' are much like junk food for deer, and can cause painful ailments such as acidosis, enterotoxaemia, aflatoxin poisoning, and deformities like foundering hooves, which makes it difficult for deer to walk normally." Having a junk food buffet can also attract larger groups of deer to one area, making it easier to spread disease.