03/28/2024
Spread the love

By Sonny Jones

To mow or not to mow? That was the question before the Bladenboro Board of Commissioners on Monday night during its regularly scheduled monthly meeting at Town Hall.

And if grass to be mowed isn’t town property, then who was responsible for doing it or paying for it to be done.

The areas discussed were not on residential property, but vacant property, some of which is owned by CSX Rail and some by private owners, that the town has been mowing as part of its routine maintenance.

“Is anybody reimbursing the town for cutting that grass?,” asked Commissioner Jeff Atkinson. “If we’re going to cut it for (private property owners), then I’ll have them cut my yard. I’m a tax payer. Our employees need to cut the grass that belongs to the town. The people that own the property need to cut theirs.”

Commissioner Sarah Benson countered that the mowing being done by town employees on private property is limited and helps with the town’s beautification efforts.

“We’ve got signs on the entrance to town on this new plaza that we’re going to get that grass is grown up,” Benson said. “What does that represent with people coming into town. It looks bad.

“Boost the Boro is paying a lawn service to mow grass that belongs to the town and they’re doing that to try to help improve the looks of the town,” Benson said. “If we were mowing acre upon acre that was taking several hours to mow, it would be different.

“A first impression is a lasting impression,” Benson said.

Benson mentioned Commissioner Greg Sykes has helped with mowing unkempt areas. Other community members also mow areas around town to help keep up the town’s appearance, Benson added.

“These areas have been mowed by the town as long as I can remember,” Benson said. “I want people to ride through and say this is a beautiful little town.”

Commissioner Stephanie Thurman asked if there was a map showing what the town was expected to maintain and the property that wasn’t to be maintained. Town Administrator Oryan Lowry said that he was not aware of a map showing that information.

“If it belongs to the town, the town needs to cut it and it needs to look like it’s been cut, not combed,” Thurman said. “It needs to be weedeated and if it needs to blown off the sidewalk, then it needs to be done. I don’t think we have a clear plan.”

Mayor Rufus Duckworth told the board that the town code states that property owners can be notified their grass must be cut if it’s over 24 inches high. He added that in some of the areas being discussed that the grass wasn’t over 24 inches high. Therefore, the town couldn’t start proceedings. The code was written in 1982 and had not been amended, according to Town Clerk Melanie Hester.

Thurman and Atkinson asked if the ordinance needed to be updated. Thurman added that the current code needed to be enforced.

Commissioner Lisa Levy added if the board was “opening up a can of worms if we keep cutting other people’s grass. We should have town pride and it does look bad. It’s something to work on.”

The board approved a motion to “do whatever it takes to get the town looking good” and to consider inmate labor to assist.

On another topic, the board voted against offering one-stop voting for the November municipal election if a voting site wasn’t in Bladenboro.

“Every year (one-stop voting) is in Elizabethtown,” Atkinson said. “It needs to be in Bladenboro for a year. It’s not right for all of us to go to Elizabethtown to early vote. We’re paying one-third of the cost and every year early voting has to be in Elizabethtown.”

The Bladen County Board of Elections is scheduled to meet Tuesday, August 10 to decide on one-stop sites for November.

In Bladenboro, Sue Elkins Hester, Joey Todd and David Hales are running for mayor to replace Duckworth, who chose not to run. Levy, Sykes and Atkinson are joined by former Town Administrator Blake Proctor for three seats on the board.

In other business:

• Under a motion from Levy, tabled a decision on discussion about completion of a stage the Boost the Boro organization has undertaken for the town until quotes are available for the project. The community group had budgeted $20,000 for the project, according to treasurer Don White. It had spent $22,500, White reported during the June commissioners meeting, and was seeking an additional $15,000 in the fiscal year 2022 budget.

• Approved a zoning ordinance update agreement with Lumber River Council of Governments.

• Continued consideration of a yard waste disposal contractor cost and budget amendment until Monday, Aug. 16 when the full board could be in attendance. Commissioner John Bowen was not able to attend the Monday, Aug. 9 meeting.

• Approved hiring Wesley Strickland to assist with street maintenance. Strickland will work 40 hours per week and paid $8 per hour.

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