The Elon Town Council adopted new funding, the sale of the Elon Fire Department's extra fire truck and discussed future new business Jan. 13. Elon Town Council member Randy Orwig was not in attendance for this meeting. 

Public comments:

Elon resident Michael Parisi shared with the council his concerns that the lack of stop signs on Veterans Drive and South Williamson Avenue are a safety hazard for residents due to cars driving by fast and failing to slow down. Parisi proposed to the council to place a stop sign at the three-way intersection located on Veterans Drive.  

Mayor Emily Sharpe said Parisi wasn't the only one concerned about this issue.

“We did receive an email last week from another resident on your street about the same issue,” Sharpe said.

Resident Shawn Milligan shared his concerns about the increased rates of water, garbage and sewer.

“From June of ’22 to June of ’24, which is just 24 months, I saw the garbage increase from $9 a month to $19 a month, and that's over 100% increase,” Milligan said. “I don't know of any other service that's gone up over 100% in two years.”

Mayor Sharpe said they would follow up with Milligan on his concern.

Ordinances and Resolutions

The Town Council accepted grant funds from the North Carolina League of Municipalities: the Workers’ Compensation and the Property and Casualty grant. Each grant must be used within six months, with the required information submitted to the grant program. 

The Town Council passed an Ordinance regarding golf cart inspections and registration that was proposed during their Dec 9 meeting.

The council approved the sale of a spare fire truck located at Station 18. 

Discussions

The Town of Elon received a 2023 grant from the NC Division of Water Infrastructure to inventory water service lines and comply with the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements. With assistance from Alley, Williams, Carmen, & King, Inc. (AWCK), the Town of Elon submitted its initial inventory in October 2024. No lead service lines were found, though some galvanized and unknown lines remain. The Town must identify unknown lines, replace any lead or galvanized public-side lines and follow new sampling requirements, beginning in 2027. 

In October, the Town entered into a purchase agreement with Labcorp to acquire the 6.2-acre property at 112 Orange Drive. Environmental review found no contamination other than asbestos floor tile, with removal costs pending. 

Architectural assessments identified renovation needs, though costs may be reduced by retaining functional systems and reusing existing furnishings. Current renovation estimates are approximately $3.5 million, subject to refinement during design. 

Other Items 

Members of the council praised the Hanukkah menorah lighting Dec. 14. Council member Quinn Ray praised Elon’s Police Department for keeping the event safe.

“That was just really nice that, that happened in the wake of the massacre that happened in Australia,” Ray said. “It was also really cool to see our police down there just to make sure everybody was safe doing it.

Next Meeting

The next town council meeting will be held Jan. 26.