Murphy – State Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Franklin) appeared in town on April 11 along with fellow Sans. Steve Jarvis and Tim Moffitt.
Jarvis and Moffitt co-chair the new Regulator Reform Committee in the N.C. Senate. The three senators were looking to hear from local business and civic leaders about which state regulations need to be changed, reduced or improved.
Business owners, contractors, real estate professionals, builders and anyone interested in how state rules affect local communities was encouraged to attend.
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The senators traveled from a similar meeting in Macon County and were a few minutes late in Murphy. The meeting was expected to last 45 minutes but went almost an hour and a half.
Part of their time was spent explaining that why don’t have jurisdiction over the Nantahala National Forest – that’s part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture – or state highways – that’s the N.C. Department of Transportation, which is part of the executive branch of state government.
“We fund them, but they don’t answer to us,” said Corbin, referring the DOT.
Another person wants to see seats be created on municipal boards that would allow people who are not residents but are property owners in town to have a seat at the table. That’s a constitutional issue, Moffitt advised.
Where the senators do have authority, they listened intently.
Attendees at the event spoke freely under the expectation that their names not be revealed. Complaints included the lengthy process needed to become a surveyor in North Carolina.
One person complained about Hurricane Helene relief money going to repair an estimated 5,000 private bridges and 7,000 private roads damaged by the storm. Another person asked about state grant money to pay for handicap-accessible playground equipment.
Andrews Alderman James Mclean was at the meeting and, being an elected official, the
Cherokee Scout is identifying him as someone who was at that meeting. Mclean complained about the U.S. Forest Service’s management of forest land and how it has limited access to off-road vehicles in Cherokee County.
Forest Service trails are open in other nearby states, he said, adding that those trail closures and closing the Hanging Dog Campground have hurt Cherokee County’s tourism industry.