03/28/2024
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by Blake Proctor

With a smack of his hand on the table, Mayor Darryl Dowless called the February 4 th Commission meeting to order at 6pm; he provided the invocation to start the meeting, and the minutes were then approved post haste. With no guests or citizen input, the Board turned to the single issue of old business.

Town Clerk Ashley Matthews informed the Commission that the Town could still not accept online credit card payments for utility and tax bills because Southern Software, the providers of the new accounting program, have not been able yet to interface their software with First Bank’s system. Once that problem is solved, the town can begin accepting plastic payments electronically.

Under new business, Mayor Dowless counseled the Board that if the Town wishes to opt out of one-stop voting again this year, the Mayor needs to send a letter to that effect to the Bladen County Board of Elections. He had been advise told that such a letter needs to be sent each time the Town wishes to opt out of one-stop voting.

And raising its ugly head once again like a sticky booger you can’t shake off your finger, was the matter, issue, problem, headache, quandary, bugaboo, dilemma – you name it – that has been hounding Dublin for many months: Yes – those Albert Street/NC Hwy87 sinkholes.

Public Works Director Jonathan Ward advised the Commission that many residents in town have been worried and complaining about the condition of NC87, and are upset that the Town has not fixed the problem.

Explaining that this is not the Town’s responsibility but is an NC Department of Transportation issue has not soothed their concerns. As well it shouldn’t, but without casting blame on the Town.

Mr. Ward provided color photos of the sinkhole in the 6700-block of Albert Street, which is now reaching under the road pavement; he said that as heavy vehicles roll over that spot, one can hear a “hollow” sound. There is a related State storm drain issue at that same spot, which may be making the problem worse.

This is the same sinkhole that rock had been placed in some months ago, but had then been washed out over some months by encroaching rainwater. To Mr. Ward’s knowledge, no professional engineer has been to view the problem.

In the end, the Mayor determined that the only course of action was to again inform the DOT of the problem; this correspondence will be by letter addressed to F.D. West, Jr., the DOT’s Division Traffic Engineer, putting DOT on notice that the Town will be held harmless in the event of a road failure, especially one that leads to injury or death.

With Town Attorney Whitley Ward absent due to a recent injury – not involving NC87, thankfully – there was no Attorney’s Report.

In Department Reports, Mr. Ward reported that a year-old sewer flow meter to Elizabethtown’s wastewater treatment plant had been reading low, but that the problem had been fixed. He assured the Board he would continue to monitor the meter to ensure accuracy.

Fire Chief Pete Batten said he had several items to bring up, the first of which was the 1989 GMC fire engine that the Town surplused last year, with the stipulation that it be donated to a close-in department.

While no other local department has a need for the truck, the Lisbon Fire Department has shown an interest; it was the Commission’s consensus the being in the County met the spirit of the Board’s restrictions and approved the $1.00 sale of the truck to Lisbon VFD.

In a matter relating to the failure of the County Commission to unanimously approve the naming of a bridge on NC87 in honor of the late Tar Heel Fire Lieutenant Ron Allen who was killed in the line of duty, Chief Batten asked that the Town adopt a resolution in support of the Board of Commissioners naming the bridge for Lt. Allen.

During the discussion on this matter, it was proposed that each town in the county be approached to adopt its own resolution to be forwarded to the County; the assumption was that separately-written and -adopted resolutions would have a greater effect than a single standard document. Ms. Matthews will prepare a resolution for the Board’s approval.

Chief Batten then advised the Board that initial discussions on the fiscal year 2021-2022 budget will commence on Thursday, February 18th ; Mayor Dowless reminded him that the Town’s portion of the proposed budget must be delivered to Town Hall by May 1st.

In closing, the Chief asked about the status of the closing of 2nd Street. There was some general discussion on the matter, with no conclusions until Ms. Ward heals and is able to continue her legal research.

At 6:51pm, Mayor Dowless called for and received a motion to adjourn; all were in favor.

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