To the editor:
This is to express thanks first of all for our Polk County Planning Board for considering the proposed changes to the slope ordinance and their choosing the 25 percent slope threshold instead of the potentially more harmful 30 percent that a few citizens lobbied for so the proposal now awaits being approved, rejected, or amended by our county commissioners.
Since the old ordinance in place now is possibly a 15 to 20 percent threshold, I also give thanks for our county engineer, Dave Odom, for giving his opinion to the planning board, that he believed 20 percent to be the threshold he would pick for investigation of soil and other conditions for building and that 25 percent is a very steep slope. Further thanks to planning board member, David Smith, who researched and shared with the board, that a 25 percent threshold is common in mountain areas and that in many of them, 25 percent marks the slope at which development is stopped, in fact. So, it does appear that the 25 percent slope threshold chosen by the planning board will not potentially harm any resources in our county.  It is simply a threshold for soil investigation to take place for safety reasons. Those in favor of the increased 30 percent perhaps view this 25 percent as a cutoff for development which is not the truth. There are long term county concerns regarding issues such as fires spreading faster in higher elevations and added expenses for fire department and EMS regarding these as well as long-term effects to county streams and ground water, to mention a few.  The planning board and David Smith have my appreciation for this important work on our behalf.
With a presidential election coming up, we certainly are bombarded with partisan issues that complicate our decision process. On the more local level, we have topics like the slopes which could potentially also be made into partisan issues with our local elections which I personally consider not to be in the best interest of all residents in the county, nor do I think that a matter like this should be unduly influenced by any other form of gain by those who might stand to profit from a slope ordinance such as developers or real estate agents.
What I consider to be the highest advice that any of us could have with any government concern is found in the Bible, (1 Timothy 2:1-2), “ I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;  For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” (KJV)
In taking this advice myself, I give thanks and prayer for all our neighbors and residents of our county and each of those who serve us in any capacity whether store clerks, postal workers, doctors, attorneys, firemen, EMS, volunteers with all the needed boards, to those who must now make critical decisions such as the county commissioners now about to vote on this slope ordinance.  Many thanks to the Tryon Daily Bulletin for providing this voice for issues which impact us all.
– Julie Perkins, Tryon