Cherryville, NC August 2026 Work Session Wrap Up

Cherryville, NC (WNN) - The August 25, 2026, Cherryville, NC Work Session focused on two main topics. The first was a request for the county to take over fire inspections for businesses in the Cherryville ETJ (Extraterritorial Jurisdiction). The second was a clarification on the renovations at City Hall.

Cherryville ETJ Fire Inspections

Fire Chief Colby Heffner speaking on releasing the ETJ Fire Inspections to Gaston County - Cherryville, NC August 25, 2026 Work Session

Mason Beam (WNN)

Fire Chief Colby Heffner came forth to speak after a brief opening statement from Mayor Wade Stroupe. He noted that some business owners within the Cherryville ETJ push back on listening, as they do not feel they should be dictated to by a government body they pay no taxes to and have no say in. When speaking with Jesse Watts, the Division Chief of Fire Services at Gaston County Emergency Management & Fire Services, he said that Cherryville is the only one in Gaston County that has yet to release its ETJ to the county.   It is important to note that no matter the decision made, Cherryville will continue to perform its own inspections on the water and sewer treatment plants.

The larger issue here is that Cherryville does not charge for these services. There are 32 businesses within the ETJ, and if they were handed over to the county, they would have to pay for the triennial (once every three years) fire inspection. Currently, the fee schedule for the country inspections is unavailable. However, there is concern over what fees, if any, these businesses should incur. The city council wants to consider all available routes, including keeping the ETJ, and offering a lower fee for this service than the county would. However, until further research is done, they aren’t sure if this is legally viable. 

Cherryville Mayor Wade Stroupe suggesting that they find out if a fee can be charged to only the ETJ for this service - Cherryville, NC August 25, 2026 Work Session

Mason Beam (WNN)

City Manager Brian Dalton suggested they seek voluntary annexation. His concern was that these are not taxpayers, therefore this service is actually being offered to them on the Cherryville taxpayers' dime. 

Councilmember Gary Freeman was concerned about moving forward without the fee schedule. He noted that after voting to release duties to the county before, a once-$50.00 fee in Cherryville became $450.00 under the county. He claims he is not sure he would have voted for this had he known that information. Ultimately, the council decided to move this item to the September meeting once the necessary information has been gathered. 

Cherryville Fire Marshall Trent Rayfield speaking on a potential fee schedule if charging for inspecitons were to be implemented - Cherryville, NC August 25, 2026 Work Session

Mason Beam (WNN)

Cherryville Fire Marshall  Trent Rayfield spoke on the calculations. He believes that the city cannot charge a separate fee for fire inspections and would have to charge all businesses. Currently, the service costs the city about $5000 a year, and at $35 per inspection, they would hit roughly $6000, making $1000 on inspections. However, council members did not believe this was fair, as those inside city limits are already paying for these services via taxes.  Rayfield and Heffner are also concerned that it would cause more pushback if every business suddenly had a new fee. 

Renovations at City Hall

Cherryville City Manager Brian Dalton speaking on renovations at City Hall - Cherryville, NC August 25, 2026 Work Session

Mason Beam (WNN)

After a brief closed session for an attorney-client privileged situation with no vote taken, the council returned for the City Manager's Report. Dalton led the discussion of a rendering of the Cherryville City Hall remodel. There is a $22,421 change proposal from Beam Construction to modify the current design. This is to cover the old brick where it connects to the new brick, making the renovation seamless, and would be an additional cost. To do this they would cover the old brick with metal panels. However, this change does not cause them to go over budget for the project and fits within the built-in costs, so it does not require a budget amendment. The council decided to vote on adopting this change after clarifications regarding the new rendering. 

The parking lot that will need to be redone in between the new police department and City Hall - Cherryville, NC - August 27, 2026

Mason Beam (WNN)

There were also smaller topics discussed during the City Manager’s Report. A quick update was given that the new Police Department should be ready to begin moving in the next two weeks. They then discussed the parking lot that adjoins the two properties. Currently, the bank building parking lot is in better condition and is where the city hall employees park. This lot belongs to Patrick O’Leary, not the city, but is currently under a verbal agreement for usage. Knowing that this space is planned for future use means that the main parking for both the police and the city hall must be moved to the other lot. This lot is severely deteriorated and will require complete renovation. They are also unsure of what to do with the lot islands, either keeping them as is with remulching or making a decision to remove them. 

The sidewalk that may be fixed in front of Vickie's Grill - Cherryville, NC - August 27, 2026

Mason Beam (WNN)

While this must be done at some point, it is not currently being voted on. They also discussed the old fire bays attached to City Hall. They hope to eventually use this space as the city council chamber and an open-air room at events like the Cherry Blossom Festival. However, this is also not part of the current renovation plans and will need to be considered after other projects are completed. Lastly, they also discussed repairing the sidewalks in that area of Mountain Street. While it was not specifically brought up at this meeting, they had previously mentioned repairing the other side of the road’s sidewalk as well, which has Vickie’s Grill and Crawley Auto Parts.