Cleveland, NC Town Board May 2022 - WWTS Pump and Town Hall AC Both Went Belly Up

 Cleveland, NC town board met tonight 5-9-2022 for the May monthly meeting. Mayor Pat Phifer and Commissioner John Bradford were not in attendance. Mayor Pro Tem Travis Summitt presided tonight. 

Police Chief Jon Jessop noted that the police department will have a fundraiser on May 31 from 11-2 at the IGA complex. Money raised will help Officer Critz; his wife has been diagnosed with cancer. 

Summitt said that the town now had two bids for the tractor. The bids were close, within $300 one from another. But, James River included the Quick Attach front end which works with our current add ons. Board members voted unanimously to go with James River.  

Town clerks/officers Kelly Rodgers and Rebekah Brown proposed to discontinue cleaning services at town hall. The price for cleaning was going up to $600 per month, and the town hall employees said that they were willing to do the cleaning when they had extra time. Board members voted to give this a try when the contract is complete at the end of June, and Commissioner Gerald Osborne thanked the employees

Repairs and adding the ADA to sidewalks in town was approved at $11,000. Rodgers said that repairs were across all sidewalks in town. 

Both the purchasing and contracting polices will be formalized by and for the town. Currently, procedures are rather loose and vary from case to case. 

Commissioner Reports

Commissioner Richard Taylor said that the Boy Scout Eagle project was completed at the town park last Saturday. Scouts filled a wash out, trimmed tree limbs along the trail, and marked the trail with orange markers. Although all work for the Eagle project is complete, the Scout will also add a sign at the head and tail of the trail. 

A representative for the local Scouts requested to tent camp at the town park. Taylor said that Phifer said that he did not see anything wrong with that (at some point prior to the meeting). Commissioner Danny Gabriel said that the town had decided not to have overnight visitors in the park. Osborne said that perhaps it could be looked at as a special request on an individual basis.

Board members discussed a fall at the park about six weeks back and noted that trail markers may be needed so that EMS can locate someone on the trail which is in the wooded area. The board also talked about adding a sign on the trail letting park visitors know that they walk at their own risk on the trail which is fairly steep and can get very slick when covered with leaves and during rains. 

Taylor noted that a swing was missing at the park. A child had gotten in the swing and was unable to get out. EMS cut the swing to get the child out. So, the swing was not stolen as first thought. 

Someone had been located to help move the playground equipment from First Baptist Church in Salisbury, but he is not able to do that at this time, because he has Covid. When he is finished with quarantine, he will help with moving the equipment and also with refurbishing all the playground toys. 

Commissioner Gerald Osborne said that the pump system went out at the wastewater treatment plant. The cost to make repairs was $18,000.

The eye wash station and shower is currently being installed at the WWTP.

Bids for the Roseman water tank repairs will open May 26.

Commisioner Danny Gabriel said that people in town should take care around motorcycle riders like himself. He also noted that the fire department which he is associated with will be asking for money for a ladder fire truck at some point in the future.

Jessop gave the following report for the Cleveland Police Department for the month of April 2022:

58 calls for service

118 traffic stops

78 traffic citations

59 traffic warnings

4 warrants

4 traffic accidents

2 check points 

Taylor said that some local residents had asked if something could be done about noisy trucks and motorcycles on Academy St. and Third Creek. Jessop said he would look into that. He noted that Third Creek and Bear Poplar were the roads with the most stops/tickets and that a few residents were even ticketed twice on the same road/street. 

In added business

Commissioners voted to approve $12,500 for the air conditioning to be replaced in town hall. They decided to move tonight on the issue, because if they waited, it would get quite hot in town hall. Board members agreed that the price for the project was very reasonable especially since town employees would be helping. If town crew members did not participate, the cost would be $15,250.

Gabriel said that asphalt at the park had been sitting there way too long. 

Resident Tommy Knox returned tonight. He said that Duke Power had not been able to give him information about the street light that had been removed. He said that the pole at the end of driveway served three families and had been up for fifty years. It was taken down but other similar poles were still standing.