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By: Erin Smith
The Bladenboro Town Council met on Monday night and held a public hearing to discuss updates to the town’s sewer use ordinance. Bill Lester with LKC Engineering presented the proposed changes to the board.
Town Clerk Melanie Hester said there are certain parameters that the town’s sewer system must meet as far as testing is concerned. The sewer use ordinance is a way to learn about what a company is dumping into the town’s sewer treatment system.
Lester told the board that the ordinance will allow the board to review the company’s proposal and issue a permit.
The board voted unanimously to approve the ordinance/amendment later in the meeting.
During the open forum session, the board received a visit from Miss Bladenboro Outstanding Teen Anna Grace Allen and Miss Bladenboro Junior Miss Kallie Bass. Allen spoke about her platform which is called “Sock It To ‘Em.” She told the board that she collects socks for homeless shelters through her church, her school and in the community. She said that socks are the most needed item in homeless shelters. She added that she not only collects the socks for the homeless, but she also volunteers at the shelter.
Pageant Director Sunday Allen told the board that there will be a womanless beauty pageant to help raise money for Bladenboro Middle School.
Allen will also be competing at the Miss North Carolina Pageant June 23-26 in Raleigh.
In other business:
**The board approved writing and releasing bad debt utility accounts.
** The board voted to approve the renewing the garbage collection contract with Waste Management.
** The board also voted to table the awarding of a contract for roof repairs to the police department and library until Town Administrator John O’Daniel can follow up with the company Treadlite about the cost to do both buildings and reference check.
**The board also discussed the awarding of a paving contract. The board was mulling whether to pave Harmony Homes Drive or Pecan Street. The board was presented some pictures of both streets to review. Commissioner Sarah Jane Benson told the board that she would like to see the contract go to Sykes Paving Company regardless of which street the board votes to pave.
Commissioner Billy Ray Benson told the board that Pecan Street has the most residents and an apartment complex at the end of the street. He also pointed out to the board that the apartment complex also has three entrances — one from Pecan Street and two others.
The board voted to pave Pecan Street.
** The board also discussed the awarding of the concession stand operations. Commissioners Billy Ray Benson and Sarah Jane Benson asked to be excused from the discussion due to the fact it involved a family member’s proposal.
Commissioner Jeff Atkinson asked about having a percentage of funds given to the town from the concession stand.
Hester said that if the town takes on supplying the concession stand, it would require putting in place inventory control policies, having to track sales versus items on hand, and she said the town cannot do a cash transaction. Hester said there must be a paper trail.
After some discussion it was decided to award the contract to Italian Ice and Slush of Elizabethtown. Commissioner Jeff Atkinson voted no.
**The board voted to approve the audit contract.
** The board approved a police department operating procedure for public records requests.
“It is just right now, as it stands, we don’t have a policy for public records with the police department,” said Chief Chris Hunt.
He said with the new policy, if someone wants to obtain copies of some of the records, they will have to complete a request for it.
“There is an organization that for the last tow months has been requesting public records for the entire 2015 year,” said Hunt.
He added that the new policy is one that he feels will be needed going forward with the implementation of body cameras later this year.
The board voted to approve the matter.
**the board also approved the local water supply plan.
**The board also approved the sale of two surplus trucks by the town.
** The board also to allow the veteran’s monuments to be moved to the property nearest the stop light on Main Street and installing flag poles.
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