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Meeting Summary <br /> <br />Date: September 2, 2020 <br />Place: Virtual Meeting <br />________________________________________________________________________________________________________ <br />PRESENT: Andrew Landstrom; Bruce Chinery; Mikki Fleming; John Greeson; Cecily Kritz, <br />Haywood Rhodes; Tim Tippin; Xilong Zhao <br />ABSENT: Gina Reyman; Robert Smith, Michael Zelek <br />STAFF: David Stancil, Christian Hirni, Beth Young <br />Guests: Terri Buckner, Fred Dietrich, Bill Boyarsky <br /> _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />I. Call to Order: Roll was called using by Chair Rhodes using the GoTo Meeting screen <br />visuals. <br /> <br />II. Additions or Changes to Agenda, Meeting Summary: No comments on the August 5, <br />2020 notes. Rhodes made a change to the agenda by moving Approval of the Lands <br />Legacy plan from Old Business to follow the Mountains to Sea Trail Update under New <br />Business to allow guest staff to go early in the virtual meeting. <br /> <br />III. Report of the Chair: Election Process. Rhodes explained the election process for Chair <br />and Vice-Chair for PRC. He also explained that PRC Chair/Vice-Chair elections are <br />normally held in March of each year, however the bylaws do not specify when elections <br />are to be held so a September meeting is allowed. Rhodes stated that the March <br />meeting is typically a very busy meeting for PRC and suggested that holding the election <br />at the September meeting may be a better option going forward. The Council agreed. <br /> <br />IV. New Business <br />a. Election of Chair and Vice-Chair. Tim Tippen moved that Haywood Rhodes and John <br />Greeson retain their positions as Chair and Vice-Chair for another one year term. <br />Second by Cecily Kritz. Other nominations were solicited and none being raised, <br />nominations were closed. The vote was unanimous in favor of Rhodes as chair and <br />Greeson as vice-chair. <br /> <br />b. Mountains to Sea Trail (MST) Update – Land Conservation Manager Chris Hirni was <br />welcomed, and gave the MST quarterly update. <br /> <br />Phase 1: Occoneechee Mountain to Seven Mile Creek Natural Area – The State <br />Property Office purchased a trail corridor along the Eno, and will manage the <br />land as part of the the Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area (part of Eno <br />River State Park). This will allow the MST coming from Riverwalk a connection <br />to the west. Provisional grant funding was approved for the acquisition of a large <br />piece of land to be added to the Seven Mile Creek Natural Area. The MST may <br />cross through a section of this property if purchased. Negotiations are underway <br />with landowner for a conservation easement and trail easement to further <br />connection from Seven Mile Creek to Dimmocks Mill Rd. Hirni explained that with <br />the completion of these purchases/easements there would be three to four <br />additional purchases/easements left to complete phase one. Rhodes asked what <br />would be the plan from Dimmocks Mill Road. Hirni explained that would be part <br />of discussions with NCDOT. Stancil stated discussions with DOT may include <br />possible pedestrian signals on the Dimmocks Mill bridge.