September Town Council Meeting 9/11/26 Part 2

Meeting Overview The Town of Montreat Town Council convened for the second part of its September 11, 2026, meeting. The session focused primarily on financial resolutions regarding payments made without the statutory pre-audit, followed by a discussion on administrative compliance and a closed session regarding ongoing litigation. No public comment period was held during this segment of the meeting.

Key Decisions and Votes The Council approved two specific financial resolutions despite the absence of required pre-audits. Resolution 26-09-0001 authorized payment to "David the window man." Resolution 26-09-0002 approved payments to Bank of America, Kimball Communications ($416.33), Reed's Uniforms ($128.39), Amazon ($22.98), and Best Buy ($422.10). The motion for these resolutions was made by Speaker 4 and seconded by Commissioner Blake. The motion passed, with Speaker 2 voting in favor, while Speaker 4 and Speaker 3 voted opposed.

Additionally, the Council voted unanimously to enter an executive session pursuant to General Statute 143.318.11(a)(3). This closed session was convened to consult with an attorney regarding ongoing litigation, specifically Haener et al. versus MRA and the Town of Montreat. The motion to enter this session was made by Speaker 1 and seconded by Speaker 3 (identified as Kitty).

Discussion Highlights A significant portion of the discussion centered on the lack of pre-audits for the approved payments. Speaker 1 noted that no town in North Carolina is fully compliant with pre-audit requirements and stated, "It's not pre-audited. So it's really, really silly. And there is not a single town. This is not a single town in North Carolina that's fully in compliance with the pre-audit requirement." Speaker 2 clarified that the current building’s existence relies on a pre-audit stamp, which was not completed in this instance. Speaker 3 acknowledged the sensitivity of the situation, remarking, "The glorious pre-audit stamp. It's a very nervous thing to say pre-audit not done."

Community Input and Follow-ups There was no public comment period held during this segment of the meeting. Speaker 2 did, however, announce upcoming dates for various boards and commissions, including the Board of Adjustment (Sept 24), Land Care (Oct 2), the next Town Council Meeting (Oct 8), Tree Boards (Oct 13), Planning and Zoning Commission (Oct 15), and another Board of Adjustment meeting (Oct 22).

Regarding follow-up actions, Speaker 1 stated that the town will "do some of those things" to make pre-audit compliance easier. However, no specific action item or deadline was explicitly assigned to a staff member in this transcript.

Impact on Residents These decisions allow the Town to process payments for vendors and services despite administrative gaps in the pre-audit process. The unanimous vote to enter executive session indicates the Council is actively seeking legal counsel regarding the Haener litigation, a matter of direct interest to those involved in the case. The announcement of future board meetings provides residents with a schedule for upcoming civic engagement opportunities.