May 9, 2020
Dear Blowing Rock Homeowners,
Please read the letter below requesting that the Town Council schedule a meeting to vote on lifting the Quarantine Order concurrent with the Governor’s plan and timeline to lift the Stay at Home Order at the beginning of Phase 2 which may be May 22nd.
We requested the Town Clerk read the second letter at the beginning of the May 12th meeting.
We believe that County and Town should follow the Governor’s data-driven plan and timeline to re-open the state. The Town has independent authority to lift the Quarantine Order on homeowners and should do so for the reasons stated in the letters below.
The Council chose not to address the topic at the upcoming meeting on May 12th, so we sent the second letter to request that the Council schedule a special meeting to debate and vote on lifting the order before May 22nd.
You can watch the upcoming remote meeting on May 12th at 6 pm by accessing the meeting via this link: http://www.townofblowingrocknc.gov/meetings
If you wish to share your views with the Mayor and Town Council, you can email them and the Town Manager at the following addresses:
Mayor Charlie Sellers – csellers@tobr.us
Mayor Pro-Tem Sue Sweeting – ssweeting@tobr.us
Councilman Albert Yount – ayount@tobr.us
Councilman Doug Matheson – dmatheson@tobr.us
Councilman David Harwood – dharwood@tobr.us
Councilwoman Virginia Powell – vpowell@tobr.us
Town Manager Shane Fox – sfox@tobr.us
Please ask the Town Clerk to Read this Letter dated May 9th at the May 12th Meeting
May 9, 2020
Dear Mayor Sellers, Mayor Pro-Tem Sweeting, Council Members Hardwood, Matheson, Powell & Yount and Town Manager Fox,
On May 8th, we requested the Town Council include an agenda item for your meeting on May 12th to address additional County Quarantine and Short-Term Rental Orders that impact the local citizens and lodging owners, but the topic was not included in the agenda. A copy of that request is below.
We are focusing this follow-up request and communication on the Quarantine Order that affects our homeowners. Others can address the short-term rental restrictions affecting lodging owners.
In their May 5th meeting, the County cited support by the Town of Blowing Rock to extend the Quarantine Order an additional 2 weeks after the Governor lifts the Stay at Home Order. The citizens of Blowing Rock have not had the benefit of hearing your views in a public forum or communication.
We believe that the Town should follow the Governor’s data-driven plan and timeline and not add additional restrictions that are at a minimum very confusing to the public and citizens.
Homeowners returning their homes in Blowing Rock are a lower risk group who are traveling from one Stay at Home location to another. We should use this window to allow for an orderly return before the short-term rental tourists return and respectfully welcome our homeowners as citizens, not as higher risk tourists.
The Town should focus on managing the risks of the higher risk group of day tourists who have already returned, not the homeowners. Surrounding counties and towns are following the Governor’s plan and timeline, so we can expect additional day tourists from surrounding areas. The Town obviously need to provide bathrooms and supervise appropriate social distancing.
You have the authority to set restrictions for Blowing Rock that do not follow the County.
Therefore, we request that you schedule a meeting as soon as possible to vote on lifting the Quarantine Order when the Governor lifts state-wide Stay at Home Order. If you choose to wait on the County to re-evaluate the Quarantine Order at their May 19th meeting, then we suggest that you schedule a meeting now to be sure there is an appropriate window of time to vote if the Governor decides to commence Phase 2 on May 22nd.
Respectfully,
Tim C. Gupton
Tim C. Gupton
President
Blowing Rock Civic Association
235 Meadow Lane
Blowing Rock, NC 28605
919-418-8555