Robbinsville – The towns of Robbinsville and Lake Santeetlah have reached an agreement in which the lakeside town will pay a $1,000 fee – plus personnel costs – for use of Robbinsville’s water detection device.
The agreement, spearheaded by Lake Santeetlah Mayor Connie Gross, will precisely map out the town’s water lines while saving taxpayers the cost of buying the device outright ($15,000-$30,000 depending on configuration and options) and training staff to run it.
In turn, Robbinsville will get $1,000 added to its bottom line. Lake Santeetlah will also pay Robbinsville $35 per hour for any necessary staff time.
The Robbinsville Board of Aldermen approved the agreement at its Nov. 2 meeting.
Other news and notes
* East Main Street (also known as State Route 1106) will have a split identity.
Graham County commissioners and Robbinsville aldermen have agreed to give East Main Street a second name – Veterans Memorial Hill.
The idea had been pitched by Alderman Debbie Beasley and gained traction from there. When the resolution – required by the N.C. Department of Transportation – came before the county board of commissioners, Commissioner Connie Orr made it a point to make the motion; as chairman of the board, she normally entertains motions, but doesn’t make them.
The town resolution mirrors the county’s.
“Graham County is proud of our heritage and honors the sacrifices that have been made by our veterans and strongly approves the request made to co-name SR 1106 East Main Street to East Main Street – Veterans Memorial Hill,” the resolutions state.
The county passed its resolution in October. The Board of Aldermen passed its version on Nov. 3.
Signs have been ordered and work is expected to be completed sometime this month.
* Scott Icenhower had approached the town about the price it was paying to paint and maintain its water tanks, saying that he could do it effectively for far less than the town was paying American Tank Company to do the work.
The Board of Aldermen struck a bargain — it kept American Tank Company under contract, as long as Icenhower does the painting.
* Mayor Shaun Adams reported that work to repair rock retaining walls on Main Street will take place sometime in 2023.
* A resident asked to approach the Board of Aldermen to talk about homeless people using town benches to sleep. The resident did not show up at the meeting, but the board did discuss that the town does not have a law making such behavior illegal.
* The board has been discussing what to do with the old Town Hall off Main Street, now that the town has received a purchase offer. Town Attorney Ellen Davis advised the board that there will be steps necessary before it could consider any offers. First, the town must determine whether it has any further use for the property. If the property is declared surplus, the town would be required to seek bids.
Kenny Wheeler, owner of Wheeler’s Performance at 2035 Tapoco Road, has made an offer to buy the old Town Hall building on North Main Street. Terms of the offer were not disclosed.
Wheeler wants to open a bicycle and pinball repair shop in the old Town Hall building.
The tax value of the property is $36,340.