BERMUDA RUN – The so-called “brunch bill” is now in effect in Bermuda Run after the town council unanimously approved an ordinance to allow the sale of alcoholic beverages before noon on Sundays at licensed premises in its Aug. 8 meeting.

Legislators passed a bill in late June that allows cities and counties to pass local ordinances to allow alcohol sales starting at 10 a.m. on Sunday instead of noon, and since that time, local government boards have lined up to join the party.

Lee Rollins, town manager, said that Zach George of Tanglewood Pizza Company had asked if the town was going to take a position on the bill, and he presented it the council.

“Certainly, it’s their desire to utilize what the General Assembly has offered,” Rollins said in last Tuesday night’s meeting, clarifying this not only included restaurants but grocery stores and all licensed premises.

• In the other action item on the agenda, the council voted to approve a resolution directing the town clerk to investigate a petition submitted by developer Trent Adams requesting contiguous annexation for the new Kinderton Village subdivision.

“Prior to him officially platting the lots and selling them off, we told him that we thought it was in the best interests of all involved, not the least of which is the current residents of Kinderton Village who are town residents, to extend town resident status to this new subdivision,” Rollins said.

This section is on the southeast side of the subdivision and has about 72 single-famly units with prices ranging from $189,000 to $220,000 – much like the phase that was just completed.

Rollins said that after this is submitted to Raleigh and all the conditions are verified, it will come back to Bermuda Run with the next step being to hold a public hearing.

• In another matter, Rollins said that a contractor who works the town’s paving projects is putting cost estimates and priorities together for late August or September. He added that about $300,000 has been allocated out of the budget for paving.

“What I’ve also asked is that I provide you with a map that shows all the paving that has taken place since 2000 so that you can have a good visual snapshot of where paving has taken place within the town limits,” Rollins said.

• At the end of the meeting, Rollins shared information on a presentation at the Davie County Commissioners meeting the previous night by Ted Abernathy of Economic Leadership. He was hired by the Davie County Economic Development Commission to put together a new strategic plan for the EDC.

Rollins said that he thought the slides presented for housing units built by year in the county were “quite telling,” with only 42 units built in 2014 or later. Only 148 units were built from 2010 to 2013.

By contrast, 4,027 units were built from 2000 to 2009, and 4,469 units were built from 1990 to 1999. In the 80s, 2,221 units were built, and the number was 2,840 in the 70s.

Rollins said that 92 percent of the Davie’s housing is single-family or mobile homes and that the county’s tax base has declined over the last five years, adding that 90 percent of the valuation of the county tax base in residential.

“If we don’t find a way to bring in another level of inventory with more diversity, the assessed values are going to continue to go down,” Rollins said. “When you look at the 1980s and on back, most of those units are going to depreciate in value, not appreciate. It doesn’t always appreciate forever.

“With an aging population, and more and more residents choosing to rent, it’s an obvious concern,” Rollins said.

“This sort of reinforces the chicken and egg syndrone on economic development,” Mayor Ken Rethmeier said. “Terry Bralley (head of the Davie EDC) can do whatever he wants to try to bring in business, but there isn’t infrastructure in place and housing, in particular.”