By Blake Proctor
The Bladenboro Commission met at 6pm Monday the 14th when Mayor Rufus Duckworth gaveled the meeting to order. Commissioner Greg Sykes gave the invocation and the Mayor led the Pledge of Allegiance.
With no citizens to speak during the open forum portion of the meeting, the consent agenda was approved in short order, and the Board dug in to some old business.
At the previous meeting, Town Administrator Oryan Lowry recommended Invoice Cloud as the software to provide online bill-paying abilities, but the Board had asked for alternatives, alternatives that turned out to be much more expensive propositions.
On a unanimous vote, the Board chose Invoice Cloud to be the online billing software provider.
The Commission again considered alternatives to make right the problems on the wall of the Medicine Shoppe resulting from the Town’s demolition of the Hester building next door.
After some discussion,, it was decided to meet at the demo site at 2pm on Tuesday the 22 nd to view the dilemma first hand; the Board will then meet in a called meeting at 2:30pm to attempt to find a solution.
In new business, Town resident John Deavers has offered to lease the recently-vacated Depot building on West Elm Street; his proposal is for him to make substantial repairs to the building in lieu of twelve months’ rent.
The Board is eager to have this property occupied, but said he will need to sign a hold-harmless agreement in the event he injures himself while making repairs. Town Attorney Alan Maynard will prepare the required documents.
In more economic development news, the Town accepted from Bladen’s Bloomin’, seven tracts of real property along and behind the west side of South Main Street from Railroad Street to the old Housing Authority office.
Those properties consist of the Edwards Pharmacy building and the Hickman Insurance building, plus five interior properties now used for parking; they augment the donations which have occurred in the last two months of the park property on Ash Street by Boost the Boro and the old Housing Authority building.
These buildings will be scheduled for demolition shortly with funds Representative William Brisson provided from the state budget two years ago. $180,050 of the original $200,000 is still available after the removal of the Hester building across the street; and his office has announced yet another $300,000 to provide impetus to the entire “New Town Square” development partnership between the Town and Bladen’s Bloomin’.
Time Warner, the Town’s internet, phone, and cable TV provider, has in the past provided full complementary service for the Town Hall, Police Department, Fire Department, and Public Works building. Spectrum Cable TV, having bought Time Warner, has cancelled that no-charge service.
Requiring at least two of these three services, the Town is considering Spectrum’s basic plan to save money; however, this agenda item was tabled so that Mr. Lowry can attempt to negotiate prices with Spectrum. He will report back at the next meeting.
The only office up for appointment after this election is that of Mayor pro-tempore; by unanimous vote of the Board, the new Mayor pro tem is Commissioner Stephanie Thurman.
Speaking with this reporter, Ms. Thurman stated, “I consider it an honor that my fellow commissioners have enough confidence in my abilities that they voted unanimously to select me for this position. I gladly accept the duties and responsibilities of Mayor pro tem, and will execute them to the best of my abilities.”
The highlight of the meeting was, of course, the selection of a replacement for Rodney Hester, who had resigned effective last November’s meeting, as he had won the County District 2 Commission seat. Six contenders vying for the vacancy have come to Town Hall to sign that they each sought the position.
Included in this sextet of candidates were former Commissioners Claudette Lewis Guy and Gene Norton, as well as citizens Mark Allen, Lisa Levy, Jeremy Richardson, and Joey Todd.
One by one, each hopeful came to the podium to tell the Commissioners why they thought they would be the best choice to complete Mr. Hester’s term, which will expire next year.
After hearing all six candidates’ statements, each Commissioner entered their first and second choice, with the first choice getting two points and the second choice, one. After all the ballots were completed, Mr. Lowry and Town Clerk Melanie Hester tallied all the votes.
The highest vote-getter and newest Bladenboro Town Commissioner – until at least next year’s election – is Ms. Lisa Levy who, if records are correct, is not only the third Black to sit on the Board, but also the first lady of Color. She will be sworn in at the January 11, 2021 meeting,
In a statement to this reporter after the meeting, Commissioner-select Levy stated, “I look forward to working with the Town Board. I believe public relations can be improved, and I would like to make a difference in the visibility and communications between the Commission and our residents.”
For his Administrator’s Report, Mr. Lowry stated that Sykes Paving has begun this year’s Powell Bill paving. He also met with the representative on the PARTF grant, and they viewed the progress at McLean Park’s softball field phase of the project.
For the needed deep-cleaning service to ensure Covid19-free facilities at the Town Hall, Police Department, Public Works’ maintenance shop, and the Community Building, the Town has contracted with Laritza’s Heavenly Scent out of Fayetteville. The cost for this service is part of the Covid19 grant passed through to the Town by the County.
He reported that Shop-with-a-Cop was held on Tuesday, the 8th , and was a resounding success: There were twelve youngsters this year, and following the shopping spree, they all had a lunch of Happy Meals from McDonald’s.
In closing, he read a report from Police Chief Will Howell, summarizing the outcome of a Thanksgiving Day Holiday Safety Check: Charges filed included one DWI, one possession of marijuana, one possession of drug paraphernalia, one no operator’s license, one expired registration, and five driving on revoked licenses.
With no further business coming before the Board, the meeting adjourned at 7:03pm.
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