Town of Whitakers Board of Commissioners September 9, 2024, at 7:00 P.M. Boardroom Chamber, Town Hall  Conference Call Number: -425-436-6369; Access Number 2295298  Present: Mayor Sammy Hopkins, Pro Tem Commissioner Dr. Doris Lindsey out with prior notification, Commissioner Doris Howington, Commissioner Janice Bellamy, Commissioner Others in attendance: Tamica Gray, Town Clerk, Dennis Patton, UCPCOG Grant Representative,  Nancy Taylor, and Commissioner Rachael Tillery. Tony Gorham, Veolia Representative.  1. Call to Order and Meeting Guidelines Mayor Hopkins 2. Devotion by Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance  3. Roll Call - Ms. Tamica Gray the Consent Agenda as presented) a. Approval of Agenda  4. Consent Agenda (all items included hereunder may be approved by ai motion to approve 5. Approval of August 5, 2024, Regular BOC Minutes- The approval ofthe minutes from Grant and Land Use Plan Updates - Mr. Dennis Patton, Grant Administrator a. Monthly COG Activity Report - Mr. Patton referred the Board to the August activity report in the Agenda Notebook and reported the highlights on the month to be: (I)Requisition #17 for $109,275 was prepared, submitted and received; (2) participated ini the walk through and Mary Bunn receiving the keys to her newl home at b. Status Report - Mr. Patton reported that we. are in the process of getting the homeowners at 203 Spring St. moved into the rental house on S. Porter St. Once that c. Fair Housing Plan Amendment - Mr. Patton stated that the Fair Housing quarterly activities must be extended to match the extension the Town received for. July of next year. He: referred the Board members to the Resolution to Amend the Fair Housing Plan in the agenda notebook. He briefly described the five activities stating that several were those that the Board felt would be productive. He requested action on this item. Mayor Hopkins asked what the wishes of the Board were. Commissioner Howington made a motion to approve the proposed Amendment to the Fair Housing Plan Quarterly Activity Schedule as presented. Commissioner Pro Tem Lindsey seconded the motion.  August 5th that were tabled last month was not finalized. 1). Neighborhood Revitalization ($799,325)  205 S. Porter St.  occurs, then we can proceed with demolition.  The motion was unanimously approved.    2).1 DWSRF/VUR-ARP Galvanized/Cast Iron Water Lines Replacement ($2,839,000) a. Status Report - Mr. Patton reported that the project is approximately 50% completed and that the main part ofthe project is ahead of schedule. He reported that the next Construction Progress Conference is scheduled for September 16th here in the Board Room. He also reported that the McDavid Project Engineer has applied with CSX Railroad to examine and possibly replace the waterline pipe under the tracks at Pippen b. Change Order #1 and Amend Capital Project Budget Ordinance - Mr. Patton reported that the Project Engineer has proposed Change Order #1 as shown in the Board's agenda notebook. The Change Order involves an adjustment of quantities of items listed in the bid and the construction contract. As shown on the quantity sheets the additions resulted in an additional cost of $12,906.40 more than the minuses. Thus, the Capital Project Budget Ordinance must be amended to add this amount to the construction line item. Mr. Patton requested the Board's approval of the Resolution to Approve Change Order #1 and Amend the Capital Project Budget Ordinance. Mayor Hopkins asked what the wishes oft the Board were. Commissioner Howington made the motion to approve the Resolution to Approve Change Order No. 1 and to Amend the Capital Project Budget Ordinance as presented. Commissioner Bellamy  and Main Streets.  seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously.  3) Land Use Plan  a. Status Report - Mr. Patton reported that the Land Use Plan Advisory Committee met again, last week on August 29th and discussed items related to three oft the chapters. The Committee iss scheduled to meet at 2 pm on September 26th to review the final draft b. The Planning Board, which is the core membership ofthe Advisory Committee, will bei meeting this Thursday, September 12th at 2:30 pm to review and approve Rules of Procedure and determine officers. Since we have a vacancy on the Planning Board, the Planning Board would like to recommend to the Board the nomination of Ann Harrison, who has been a active and dedicated member ofthe LUP Advisory  ofthe Land Use Plan.  Committee.  Mayor Hopkins asked what the wishes oft the Board were. Commissioner Taylor made amotion to approve the appointment of Ann Harrison to the Planning Board. Commissioner Bellamy seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved.  7. Department Reports  A. Water/Sewer Veolia Report- Mr. Tony Gorham  Commissioner Pro Tem Lindsey made ai motion to approve the Veolia report. seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously 5 to0. B. Maintenance Department - Mr. Brian Brown, Maintenance Department  Commissioner Bellamy    Mr. Brown provided the Board of Commissioners with an update on various town projects, including the number of work orders completed for the month, yard debris removal, lawn care, meter rereads & water disconnections. Commissioner Howington made a motion to approve the maintenance report. Commissioner Bellamy seconded the motion. The: motion passed unanimously 5  to0.  1. Town Equipment Repairs  The discussion revolved around the maintenance and repair oft two trucks: a garbage truck and a dump truck, both taken to Lilley International for quotes on repairs. The total estimated cost for fixing the dump truck is approximately $3,612.65 (including tax), and around $1,400 for the garbage truck. The speaker highlights the difficulty in keeping up with workloads without these trucks, emphasizing the need for them to perform essential Ity was noted that the vehicle repair budget is tight $3,000 in the street department and $2,000 in sanitation, totaling $5,000. This budget could potentially cover the repair costs ift the decision is made to use funds from both departments. There's a sense of urgency as the repair needs are pressing, and the functionality oft the trucks is critical for daily operations and also mentions potential delays in getting repairs done, which could hinder efficiency. Overall, a decision needs to be made on whether to repair oneor both trucks and how to manage the funds allocated for their repairs. Ms. Gray advised that she had given the approval to get both trucks repaired and Lilley's had already begun to work on the vehicles. It was decided by the BOC that ift the money was there then it should be no issue.  transportation tasks.  - Financial Reports: Ms. Tamica Gray, Town Clerk a. Approval of Bills for August 2024  Ms. Gray, the Town Clerk, presented the bills for the period of August 1, 2024, to August 31, 2024, which added up to twenty-one checks amounting to $804,098.46. Commissioner Bellamy made ai motion to approve the bills for. June 2024, with Commissioner Pro Tem Lindsey seconding the motion. The motion was unanimously approved by a5to0 Commissioner Howington made ai motion to accept and approve the liability release for park rental. Commissioner Bellamy seconded the  vote.  b. Liability release for park rental (action requested) motion. The motion passed unanimously 5 to 0.    8. Citizens Comments and or Concerns  Tina Craft, ai resident of Whitakers, Tina Craft addressed concerns regarding the condition of the cemetery after her visit on a Sunday afternoon. She expressed disappointment over the state ofboth the front porch and, especially, the back porch oft the cemetery, describing it as an embarrassment. She urged the commissioners to visit and see the issues firsthand.  She noted problems such as overgrown areas, dead flowers, and litter around trash cans, which included discarded flowers and debris. Craft pointed out that a specific gravestone, belonging to Gilbert Sutton, appears tol have been damaged and has shifted on its base. Furthermore, she criticized the accumulation of personal items left on graves, such as flowers, solar lights, and other decorations, suggesting that their presence complicates maintenance for the  groundskeepers.  Craft emphasized the need for enforcement of existing rules regarding what can be placed at gravesites, arguing that family members should help maintain the area and clear out items that are causing issues. She also mentioned that some ordinance signs in the cemetery are damaged and inadequately sized, recommending that they be made larger for better visibility at the cemetery's entrances. Overall, her statement highlighted the urgent need for improvements and  better maintenance in the cemetery.  Commissioner Pro Tem Doris Lindsey met with Mr. Craft earlier that day and toured the cemetery with him, discussing all her concerns. She expressed her dissatisfaction with the current condition of the cemetery and has started to propose solutions for improved maintenance, such as enforcing existing ordinances and replacing the small, poorly positioned signs that  inform residents about what is allowed.  9. Commissioners Reports, Comments and or Concerns  Commissioner Bellamy:  Commissioner Bellamy recently emphasized that we are doing everything possible tol help. She also announced the launch ofaj project called Help My Seniors, through which she distributes fruits, vegetables, and other essential items to ensure our senior citizens receive the  care they need.  Commissioner Howington:  Jerusalem will host its annual Family and Friends Day Homecoming on September 22nd at 11:00 AM, featuring guest speaker Reverend Shelton Daniels from Greater Joy in Rocky  Mount, NC. Join us for a day filled with fun, food, and fellowship!    Commissioner Pro Tem Lindsey:  Commissioner Pro Tem Lindsey stated that most ofl her concerns had been addressed just wanted to see ifthey can really push getting things done at the cemetery by enforcing the rules  that have already been set in place  Mayor Hopkins:  Mayor Hopkins asked Commissioner Taylor could the cemetery signs be paid for by Powell  bill money and she stated no only street signs.  Commissioner Taylor:  Commissioner Taylor announced that the Whitakers Lions Club will be hosting their annual Pancake Supper on October 1, 2024, at the Whitakers United Methodist Church Educational Building. Tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for children under 12, with an all-you-can-eat menu. Additionally, Whitakers Revitalized will hold their second BBQ Chicken Sale ofthe year on October 12, 2024, from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Presale tickets are encouraged, priced at $10  each.  Commissioner Tillery: No Comment  10. Closed Session   Recorded and submitted by/Tamica  Town Clerk  Tdks  Gray,