by Blake Proctor
With Councilmember and customary invocation-giver Horace Munn excused absence, Mayor Perry Blanks called the February 8th Council meeting to order at 7:02 pm and then provided the invocation.
Approval of January’s meeting minutes and finance statement was quickly provided. Since there were no individuals or groups wishing to come before the Board, the meat of the meeting – Committee Reports – got underway.
For the Finance Committee, Councilmember Lillian Graham announced that she had received confirmation that the $354,000 grant to rehabilitate the “old Gym” had been awarded to the Town. The Lumber River Council of Governments (LRCOG) will be providing the grant management services for the Town.
Ms. Graham also informed the Board that regional CPA firm Thompson, Price, Scott, Adams, and Co. has let her know that the Town’s financial audit for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, will be forwarded on Thursday the 11th to the NC Local Government Commission for their review and approval prior to distribution to the Town.
There were no reports from the Parks & Recreation or Buildings & Grounds Committees. Streets & Roads Committee member Pete Carter updated the Council on the status of road grading, saying that this activity will start back up as soon as the roads are able to dry out.
Town Clerk Josephine Smith announced that she had gotten a letter from the NC Division of Water that the grant to purchase water meters had been approved by the State; however, the original $300,000 request for 225 electronic meters had been downgraded to manual meters, with a corresponding lower grant amount of $115,000.
Under Councilmember Concerns, Ms. Graham told the Board that she would be willing to assist town residents who haven’t had their Covid19 shots with scheduling them. Additionally, she will try to help those water customers who are in arrears and on the cut-off lists to help schedule their payments.
With no “Reports from the Mayor” forthcoming, the meeting adjourned at 7:20 pm.
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