By Jim Buice
Enterprise Record

BERMUDA RUN – For one final time in 2012, the town council here received another update on the roundabout on US 158.
The traffic-calming device entering the town after crossing the bridge over the Yadkin River will become a reality one of these days, hopefully in 2013.
Lee Rollins, town manager told council members in the Dec. 11 meeting that he was on a conference call with DOT officials in Winston-Salem and Raleigh regarding the project and what has admittedly been proceeding at a deliberate pace.
“It’s still moving forward,” Rollins said. “Because federal funds are part of the equation, we had to go through a process where we were painstakingly informed of all the dotted ‘i’s’ and crossed ‘t’s’ as it relates to their accounting and audit trail. I wanted to have it before Christmas.”
Rollins said he hoped to be able to get a request for qualifications to engineering firms in the next couple of weeks and make a selection after the first of the year.
“Then we can begin looking at the official design of that project.”
The total estimated cost is $510,000, which will be constructed at the Bermuda Run entrance across from BB&T Soccer Park. For its part, Bermuda Run is providing a 20 percent local match of $102,000.
The council passed a resolution over a year ago supporting the transfer of funds previously allocated for the U.S. 158/N.C. 801 intersection improvement project to the roundabout. The Winston-Salem Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) approved the shift in funds in March.
• In other business, the council approved an ordinance regulating the keeping and maintenance of exotic and non-domesticated animals.
Rollins said that most homeowners associations regulate having these kinds of animals but that the ordinance will provide consistency throughout Bermuda Run.
In addition to non-domesticated animals, such as fowl, horses, goats, hogs and snakes, exotic animals, including alligators, crocodiles, eagles, hawks, large cats, bears and monkeys will be prohibited.
“See you later, alligator,” commented councilman Ed Coley after the ordinance passed.
The council also:
• Approved an amendment to the existing ordinance regulating public nuisances. This updates the original ordinance adopted in 2008 to include overgrown lots and lot maintenance for owners of vacant lots adjacent to improved properties, except in heavily wooded areas.
• Approved an ordinance to regulate maintenance of right-of-ways.
• Approved the 2013 council meeting calendar to continue meeting on the second Tuesday night of the month at 7 p.m.
• Saw the new town branding logo that was unveiled at the start of the meeting.
• Heard from Mayor Ken Rethmeier, who talked about the …