Mint Hill Residents,
I had the opportunity to speak at the Mint Hill Chamber of Commerce Luncheon, and I wanted to share some of my remarks.
My platform, as Mayor has always been open communication and transparency. Over the past year, I have provided weekly updates on our website and social media. My door is always open, I host regular office hours, and am available via phone or email.
We have introduced a website that is more user-friendly. We continue to leverage social media and our Board meetings have been virtual since March 2020.
There is a lot of development activity going on in town. Work continues to progress on the Chick-Fil-A which is scheduled to open later this fall. The land on the corner of Fairview and Bain School Road is being cleared for an O’Reilly Auto Parts store. A small business park is being built on Blair Road. Talks continue with a developer for a possible distribution facility at the Clear Creek railroad site as well as a food distribution warehouse in the Clear Creek Business Park.
There are several new sidewalks in the works; some which are Town funded (Central Drive and Lebanon Road) and others that will be built using grant money (Lawyers Road and Wilgrove Mint Hill Road).
The Town purchased 20 acres on Lebanon Road in November 2020. There is a current concept plan for a Fire Station, a Public Works facility, Police property and evidence storage, and a police impound lot. As I mentioned to the Chamber members if you want to stay informed on development activity, I advise you to visit our website to learn about upcoming projects, attend a board meeting, read the meeting minutes, call Town Hall or talk to your elected officials.
A few highlights from the different departments:
The police department has shifted to a stratified policing model. The Town is broken into four zones. Officers are assigned permanent zones where residents get to know the officers. Officers are on permanent shifts, no longer shifting from day shift to night shift.
Our fire department’s ISO rating went from a 5 to 2 which is a much higher score than the previous inspection. There are 1520 fire departments in North Carolina and only 38 are Class 2 rating.
The public works department is preparing for annual resurfacing projects and the anticipated start is summer/fall 2021. They are also continuing mowing and trimming of trees and vegetation for approximately 30 miles of right-of-way for vehicle safety.
In-person events will be returning starting with our first Family Fun Night scheduled for June 12, a concert featuring the music of Thirsty Horses. For a full list of events, visit our website.
Stay well, continue to be vigilant about wearing your mask, get vaccinated, shop local, and enjoy this beautiful North Carolina sunshine!
Brad Simmons
Mint Hill Mayor
