Shaun Adams
Robbinsville – Citing a need for immediate access to the office's printer, Mayor Shaun Adams has now openly questioned why he does not have a key to the main lobby of Robbinsville Town Hall.
The April 2 board of aldermen meeting included Adams broaching the topic, stating that he has often needed to get into the office where he could print and sign time-sensitive documents. Front-office personnel had the locks changed at town hall early last year, as the municipality continued to shake the lingering stigma of a former administration in which records had inexplicably gone missing.
Adams has a key to his office, which sits adjacent to the main lobby. Town finance officer Linda Parton and town clerk Amanda Gyongyos contended that they acted off the advice of the state auditor's office, as well as Becky Garland – who formerly served with the Local Government Commission – in limiting access to the office, where sensitive documents and items are kept.
"The point I wanted to make is that there are some essential time-sensitive duties that I need to do and may hindered from getting done because I am locked out of the office, including signing and returning documents from the Department of Environmental Quality related to our grants and water system and returning the documents promptly," Adams told The Star in a follow-up email Friday.
"The claim was made that the 'state' told them to secure the office; however, no state official was cited that told them that, and the Local Government Commission division of the North Carolina State Treasurer Office, which oversees local government finances, had no problem with me stepping up and doing the town's payroll as well as cutting checks for vendors during the months in 2022 and 2023 when the town didn't have a finance officer due to the alderman's reluctance to hire a finance officer."
Adams pointed out during April 2's meeting – as well as Friday's email to The Star – that a cleaning contractor used by the town does have after-hours access to the office. He also alluded to other individuals having access, but did not state who they were.
"We're not securing anything but locking me out of the office," Adams said April 2.
Alderwoman Debbie Beasley suggested Adams purchase a desktop printer for his office to rectify the problem, as Adams said the one currently on his desk is "not reliable."
A line item for the mayor does exist in the budget, according to town hall staff. Adams said during the meeting that he had not spent any money from the allotment.
Water, sewer updates
Joel Storrow with Asheville-based engineering firm McGill Associates provided details on water and sewer projects around Robbinsville. Of note:
* A summer replacement of 1,000 water meters around the town will begin Monday, May 5 and conclude by Saturday, Aug. 30, with Kamstrup smart meters allowing remote access for reading – as well as a much-needed software upgrade for billing purposes;
* Funding for the sewer upgrades on Laura Street is being withheld until the audits for 2022-23 and 2023-24 are completed; the town has submitted a letter to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, assuring both will be finished by Monday, Sept. 1.
* After a recommendation from McGill Associates, the board approved Charlotte-based McCall Brothers, Inc., to drill a pair of eight-inch supply wells for testing. The contract is for $75,675.
* An additional $600,000 is left over from the current improvement project on Old Sweetwater Road, with Storrow suggesting the town use the funding for improvements on Atoah Street. Adams said his vision is to get both the water lines and the sidewalk replaced along the road.
Other news & notes
* Present for the meeting, Garland said the 2022-23 town audit is on track for submission to the Local Government Commission by April 30.
* The board unanimously approved the removal of Bill Young from the Robbinsville Tourism Authority Board, while simultaneously appointing Mandy Chambliss and Amy Dockery to serve on the panel.