How to spend Covid-19 funds? - Cleveland Town Board 8-10-2020

 

The bulk of the August monthly Cleveland, NC town board meeting was spent discussing how to spend $61, 619 in government funds allocated to the town for coronavirus related expenditures. 

Mayor Pat Phifer said that it was critical to make decisions and get a preliminary spending budget turned in. He noted that the town was not required to decide on specifics at this time and could make spending decisions in the next few weeks. The pressing matter was to get the request turned in.

Gerald Osborne, commissioner, asked questions about assistance for individuals and small businesses in town. He questioned whether it might be possible for some funds to be spent for grants or subsidies. Specifically mentioned were small businesses in town that had not been able to (or were not required to) pay water bills during the economic downturn associated with coronavirus. All are now paid up or have arranged payment plans.

Commissioner Travis Summitt said that the county usually handled grant funds for individuals and small businesses with donations to nonprofit agencies. Those agencies then took care of getting funds to individuals and small businesses. 

Summitt talked about several town needs including at the police department and maintenance (Note: Summitt is the commissioner handling those town departments). He also mentioned laptops for employees like the clerks who might need to work remotely from home if there are more cases of coronavirus. 

The police department is almost certain to get requested extra computers as well as PPE gear like gloves and sanitizer. Their request has already been turned in.

Summitt noted the need to "take care of our employees."

There was general discussion about either a walk up window or a drive in window at town hall. Currently, if the town hall is closed to the public as was the case earlier in the year due to coronavirus, citizens have to put water bill payments in a drive up box outside. That method is not considered very secure especially when some individuals are paying with cash in the box.

There were questions about whether a walk up space to the building would be used. On the flip side, there were concerns about being able to plan, take bids, and contract the work for a drive through option in the time allocated. 

Funds must be spent before December 31, 2020.

The town has ten more days to submit proposed spending in a "use it or lose it" bank of funds. 

Purchase of Land by Town of Cleveland

The state did accept a bid of $7700 for property on Highway 70 next to the Wilmar St. town well. Community members will know it as the space that has a large pile of rocks/gravels beside the old Community Grocery previously owned by Clyde Harkey. 

Churches Can Now Lease Office Space

After a request at the town zoning committee and discussion, the town board approved unanimously the option for churches to lease space in R20 on a conditional use basis. Requests would go before the zoning committee. The group in zoning would look at the amount of space in question and how the space would be used. So, it is possible to rent space in a church in Cleveland now, but the zoning board would have to review each request. 

 Town Infrastructure

Commissioner Gerald Osborne covered some of the issues in water and sewer which is his area of coverage. The system in Cleveland is old, and he has been coordinating a structured update which includes recently shifting from phone to radio signals on wells. 

Most pressing currently would be signing on someone to take care of engineering duties. The man who was doing that will not be doing the job after September. Osborne said it was important to begin searching for someone in the area to handle those duties in an on-call basis. 

Another project that needs to be addressed is the peeling paint on the largest water town out on Highway 70. Osborne said that paint was peeling all the way down to the ground. He suggested that the painting be done along with an inspection which is usually done every three years and is due now. It might also be a good idea to paint now that Cleveland has a town slogan logo which can be included on the side of the tank. It could all be done at one time. 

Speed Bumps Near Town Park

Citizens had requested speed bumps going in and out of the town park. Drivers are going in and out of the park at fast speeds, and there are a lot of children in that area.

Commissioner Richard Taylor has been looking at options, and he had the cost of speed bumps and also for signs as well as examples of a historic style sign and the more traditional yellow sign. He also noted that signs would need to be added to let drivers know that speed bumps were on the road. 

Four speed bumps are needed in the park area, and the cost for one is $1200.

The vote for speed bumps and children playing signs should now be soon. 

Beer and Wine in Cleveland Restaurants

A request for a beer/wine license was on the town meeting agenda for the evening, but Linda Dillard and Benjamin Cureton were not at the meeting to make the request.

Commissioner Bryan Little did note that the zoning board would be looking at beer/wine sales and food trucks at the zoning meeting later in the month.

Also Coming Up

1. The town is considering adding lights. There are some concerns about placement on the lights, because they would need to be further away from the center of the road than the current lights which are on telephone poles per DOT. 

2. Cleveland is looking at cutting the grass in the medium in the area along where Freightliner is located. It is possible that Freighliner may take care of that cuttings. 

3. The town now has an official logo design. The logo will be used to brand the town in the future with the logo being on town signs etc.