WBA Meeting Minutes – May 2019

This month’s Waxhaw Business Association meeting took place on May 15 during National Police Week, so it was fitting our presenters were from the Waxhaw Volunteer Fire Department and the Waxhaw Police Department.

Waxhaw VFD Fire Chief Gregory Sharpe shared tips on keeping businesses fire safe and emphasized that, “You can replace property, but not lives.”  He also touted Waxhaw’s improvement in March 2018 from a Class 9 to a Class 4 insurance rating, which he said, “helps homeowners some and helps businesses a lot.”

Sharpe discussed plans to add a couple of 2-bay stations – one south of the railroad tracks and one in the Kensington Rd area of Waxhaw – to enhance coverage and response time.  Waxhaw VFD is also looking to add equipment, including a ladder truck, and is seeking affordable ways to do so, including pursuing used equipment and petitioning the Town of Waxhaw to enact a one-time sales tax increase to fund the improvements required as Waxhaw continues to grow.

Waxhaw PD Assistant Chief Bobby Haulk and Community Officers Keven Gasser and Victor Montalvo were also in attendance.  Haulk informed the WBA that the Waxhaw PD is at full staff with 27 officers, though he’d like to get to a staff of 35 for a town our size.  He also touted Waxhaw PD’s emphasis on leadership training and developing officers in leadership at all levels, including sending officers to leadership and management training, and higher ranking staff to training with the FBI.  

Montalvo and Gasser are Community Officers, teaching D.A.R.E. and forming bonds with local students. They are also at the forefront of the opioid crisis and warned that parents should know what their kids are doing online, especially who they are following and posts they like on social media. Montalvo warned that drug deals go down locally on apps like Snapchat and in video game chat rooms, and that parents should also be aware of a vaping apparatus called Juul that looks like a flash drive but delivers nicotine to users.

Thanks to our presenters, as well as our table sponsors, Kristin Mitchell from Art Box Ceramics, Dani Noto with Uptown Tea, and Chris Brantigan with Legal Shield & ID Shield. Breakfast and coffee were provided by Chris Wriggle at Broome St Burgers and Mike Holliday with Crossroads Coffee House.

Upcoming Town of Waxhaw & WBA Events

May 18 – Waxhaw Kaleidoscope Fest. K-Fest is a one-day music, food, and arts festival that’s always held on the 3rd Saturday of May.  

May 23 – Self Defense Class for Realtors and other professionals presented by Tony Garshnick, Atlantic Bay Mortgage and UpLevel Martial Arts.  Register at www.atlanticbay.events/SelfDefense

May 27 – Memorial Day Ceremony. Waxhaw remembers and honors those who have served our nation in the military and public services at the Waxhaw Military Wall.

June 7 – Jammin’ By The Tracks Concert Series.  Aerial View performs. Bring a chair and your dancing shoes and enjoy the tunes in downtown Waxhaw under the Water Tower from 7 til 9PM.

June 12 – Waxhaw Fun Days in the Park. Waxhaw “ROCKS” Day.  Each participant will  design and paint at least 2 rocks.  One to take home and one to hide  downtown.  In July we will do a scavenger hunt for our rocks as an activity.Wear your messy clothes for this Fun Day! Location: David G. Barnes Park, downtown Waxhaw

June 19 – Waxhaw Business Association Breakfast at Waxhaw Woman’s Club – Business Attorney J. Erik Groves will provide insight into some of the common legal mistakes he sees business owners make, as well as how to avoid and correct them.

Moving Forward & Joining the WBA

The June meeting will be our last one at Waxhaw Woman’s Club as we will move across the railroad tracks to our new host location at The Dreamchaser’s Brewery.  For better or worse, coffee will be the strongest beverage served!

If you’d like to join us as a first-time guest, reach out to a current member and ask to be invited to our monthly breakfast meeting.  Membership is affordable at only $150 for the year for businesses and $75 for non-profits. WBA membership is tax deductible.

Waxhaw Business Association meetings held monthly on 3rd Wednesday of the month from 7:30 AM til 9:00 AM.