West Rowan News, Events, and Fun

Tonight 10-11-2021 was the monthly town board meeting in Cleveland, NC. A number of topics were covered, but most were ongoing business or items requiring follow up.  Two items on the agenda will require public hearings, and those will be combined with the next town board meeting in Nov which will be at 6 pm. Town board members voted to move meetings from November 2021 through March 2022 from 7:30 back to 6:00, because it is getting dark sooner now and Standard Time will go back into effect next month.  Items to go up for a public hearing: 1. Zoning text amendment so Leo White (our local barber) can use the second floor of the barber shop as a single family dwelling/apartment.  2.  Amendment to current zoning pertaining to electronic message boards so that the town's new message boards will meet zoning.  A discussion of an electronic message board for the town of Cleveland centered on an estimate in hand that was over the limit for brightness. More estimates wil...

The big item of business of the night at the monthly Cleveland, NC town board meeting 9-13-2021 was money for road work The board approved $238,602 with $93K from general funds to Angel Paving. Roads included for work are in the Hill and Dale subdivision and also Smith Rd. These roads have not been overhauled for 25 plus years according to estimates by town board members. Barn Quilt Cubes - Add Cost of Installation  Mayor Pat Phifer told town board members that the barn quilt cubes which were approved last meeting will cost $3400 more than voted on. The extra money is for the installation at $340 per cube pole. The $8282 was for the actual cubes. The total of the project is now $11,682. "I made that mistake, " said Phifer. The board voted to pay the extra. Decorative Street Lamps in Town - Legal Contract Concerns  The bulk of the meeting was devoted to the contract for the decorative lights. Duke Energy had sent a contract for the town to sign. Commissioner Gerald Osborne had...

The Cleveland, NC zoning board approved a 70 x 90 metal building for Tar Heel Materials & Building. The company is located at 725 Kesler Road which runs from Old 70 Main St over to Statesville Blvd.  The new building will have a solid back and eight garage doors to a loading dock. The height is 18 foot and 22 foot with the roof. The building will be 49 feet off the back property line and will not be visible from the road. A burm is already in place as well as mature trees in the 30 to 40 foot range.  Commissioner Chip Adkins noted that the current burm is looking "a little rough." A company representative said that it is hard to landscape with the current fence which was put in by the state but is not maintained by the state.  On a side note, it was confirmed that the burner/incinerator (previously approved by zoning) will be another fifteen weeks; The delay is related to the general delay of construction and other goods currently. Commissioner Bryan Little made a mot...

  Town board of Cleveland, NC had a special called meeting today 8-27-2021 to vote on a barn quilt trail and for cube barn quilts to mark stops on the trail.  Mayor Pat Phifer said that the meeting was at 3:30 on a Friday, because Commissioner John Bradfrad was only available at that time. This did exclude Commissioner Bryan Little who was at work during the time of the meeting.  Phifer brought a map of the proposed walking trail which included mostly churches and old schools. Here are the locations on the map from 1 to 10 (which are not marked on the map). 1. Cleveland Town Hall 2. Old West Rowan Middle School/Old West Rowan YMCA 3. Old Rosenwald School 4. Third Creek AME Zion Church 5. Allen Temple Presbyterian Church 6. Cleveland Barn Quilt at Cleveland Post Office Bld 7.. Cleveland Presbyterian Church 8. Cleveland First Baptist Church 9. Park on School Street or West Branch Rowan Public Library (Old Cleveland Elementary School) 10. Library/Cleveland Community Fire Dep...

    Town board members unanimously approved getting started on sewer and water projects that have been on the table for months at the monthly board meeting for August 2021.    Board member Gerald Osborne has been the lead in looking at current needs and building a multiyear plan for the future.  Doug Chapman of McGill Associates was at the meeting to discuss the overall project which includes repairs/improvements as well as major upgrades. The major rehab, he said, would be cost effective (versus starting from scratch in a new location) and based on the old Brevard St. Station which was built 39 years ago. There would be a riser and new pumps added where the current pumps are located and a second chlorine contact basin. A new splitter box would allow the town to close off a basin and work on the extra one as needed.  Chapman said that the town needs to look at and consider capacities at this point. For example, Daimler (used to be Freightliner) has a capaci...

  A special called meeting took place at town hall in Cleveland, NC at 4 p.m. today Wednesday June, 30, 2021. The first order of business at the special meeting was to approve contracts for two bands for summer concerts - Dancing on Depot. The contracts just specified the summer dates and pay at $2500 per band.  The two bands contracted were: The Chocolate Chip and Company Dirty Grass Souls The vote was unanimous to approve the band contracts. After a closed session to discuss hiring, the board named Frank Nolen to work for Cleveland maintenance. This is pending the standard health and drug checks. This closes out hiring for maintenance for the town.

Town Board in Cleveland, NC June 14, 2021 involved confirming no tax increase this year as well as some increases in town fees. Other items of business mostly involved changes coming during or expected for the upcoming fiscal year which starts next month.  Water and sewer rates go up by 5% each as outlined in the earlier special town board budget meeting. Also, cemetery prices will go up. The town is now hiring mowing at the cemetery, so the costs are higher to keep the cemetery up. Also, Mayor Pat Phifer said, "We're still half price of anybody else." He joked that someone could "buy four plots and put up a house." All voted to increase fees.  Increased fees for the park include for non-residents: half day shelter rental goes from $30 to $50 for nonresidents full day shelter rental goes from $50 to $75 nonresidents And park related fees: security deposit from $30 to $40 line the ball field from $30 to $40 Cleveland to Welcome Two New Police Officers After a clo...