by Blake Proctor
Anticipating a lengthy meeting, Mayor Rufus Duckworth called the June 14th meeting of the Bladenboro Board of Commissioners to order at 6 pm sharp. Commissioner Greg Sykes provided the invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all.
The first order of business was a pair of public hearings.
The first was to close out two Community Development Block Grants totaling $279,246 used to install five emergency generators at the maintenance shop, both wells, and the two sewer lift stations. The Mayor opened the public hearing and called for comments; there were none and the first public hearing was closed.
The second public hearing was opened to hear comments on the proposed Fiscal Year 2021-2022 budget; and, again, there were none; the Mayor quickly closed that hearing as well.
There followed the monthly Open Forum to allow citizens to render comments, make observations, or file complaints on any legitimate matter. Once again, there were none.
The four-item Consent Agenda was approved unanimously without Commissioner comments. The meat of the agenda comprised Unfinished Business and New Business, each with five items.
First to the dais was Ms. Alicia Melton of the North Carolina Rural Water Association. She provided five-year Expense-to-Revenue comparisons for both water and waste treatment services.
For the water system, the just-ending fiscal year shows a $16,400 operating profit; however, over the next five years, losses will occur, rising from $48,300 in 2021-2022 to $68,700 annually by 2025-2026.
Her analysis indicates that a $1.00 increase in the base water rate for each of the next five years would generate enough revenue to reduce the deficit annually over the first four years. That analysis suggests the water system would finally make a profit of $4,400 in 2025-2026.
The financial condition of the wastewater system is much more dire: The current fiscal year will close with the system experiencing a $114,700 loss; without taking corrective measures, annual losses will increase over each of the next five years until they reach $173,200 by 2025-2026.
With the immediate implementation of an annual $3.40 base rate increase, the loss will decrease each year until, in 2025-2026, a basically break-even profit of $1,900 will occur.
Having already approved a one-dollar hike in both water and sewer rates, included in the proposed budget, the Board thanked Ms. Melton for her analyses, saying they would take her recommendations under advisement.
Don White, a director and the Treasurer of Boost-the-Boro, was present to seek the Commission’s assistance in completing the new Community Stage project in downtown. B-t-B had budgeted $20,000 for the project, but is still in need of additional funding and assistance.
Mr. White distributed a brochure detailing the many projects B-t-B had undertaken in behalf and betterment of the Town over the last several years. First and foremost, of course, is the annual Beast Fest, Spring Fling, and the ongoing Farmer’s Market.
There are, however, many additional projects, both ongoing and one-time, to point out, including the Christmas Tree lighting, the Veterans’ Memorial, and Hurricanes Matthew and Florence relief.
As of June 1st, B-t-B had invested $22,500 into the project, and their budget is now exhausted; however, some $15,000 is needed to finish the project. Boost-the-Boro is requesting that the Town budget the $15,000 in its FY 2022 budget to ensure completion of the project.
A scheduled presentation by Dr. Shaun Hines and Dale Blue-Singletary of the Spaulding-Monroe Alumni Association was postponed to a future meeting due to unforeseen circumstances.
Mssrs. John Taylor and David Simons of CLC Financial appeared before the Board to discuss providing employee health insurance and other personnel benefits. After hearing and considering the presentation, however, the Board took no action on the matter.
The Commission next took up the possibility of participating in 1-Stop voting for the upcoming November municipal elections. Following some discussion, no decision was made and the matter was tabled.
Under New Business, the Commission took up consideration of dismantling and disposing of the dangerously-dilapidated old water tower behind the Police Department. The bid of $39,995 plus salvage material by R.E. McLean Tank Company of Gastonia, NC was unanimously approved.
Continuing in a contracting mood, the Board next considered a bid of $58,112.57 from Barrs Recreation of Pittsboro, NC for playground equipment at Clarence McLean Park. As the bid is lower than the budgeted estimate, it was accepted by the Commission. Phase II of McLean Park is nearing its completion.
As a finale for contract approvals, the Commission continued its long-term association with accounting firm Thompson, Price, Scott, Adams & Company of Elizabethtown to perform the Fiscal Year 2020-2021 financial audit at a price of $13,000.
Commissioner John Bowen designated the balance of his Commissioner’s Discretionary Funds – $300 – to the Spaulding-Monroe Alumni Association.
Closing out the Board’s open meeting activities, on a motion by Commissioner Jeff Atkinson and a second by Commissioner Sara Benson, the Fiscal Year 2022 budget was adopted by unanimous vote.
There was no ad valorem tax increase from the current 64¢ per $100 valuation, and no rate or charge increases except for the $1.00 rate hikes in both water and sewer.
Town Administrator Oryan Lowry provided the Commission with several project updates:
Demolition activities on the Town Square Project were completed on June 9th.
All aspects of the emergency generator CDBG-I are completed, including the natural gas line at the Maintenance Shop; the grant itself was closed out this evening.
Code enforcement activities for removal of abandoned, nuisance, & junk vehicles at 1605 W. Seaboard St. have been undertaken.
The PARTF grant has finished sodding/seeding the ballfield; fencing was completed on June 11th.
It being after 9 pm, individual Commissioners brought up no matters of interest. The Board then, however, went into closed session for the purpose of discussing personnel.
The Commissioners came back into open session at 9:45 pm. A motion was made, seconded and approved to make an offer of employment to Ryan Todd to be the Town’s Sewer Plant ORC (Operator in Responsible Charge) at a starting salary of $31,095.
With no further business to come before the Commission, the meeting adjourned at 9:50 pm. A marathon indeed!
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