Robbinsville – The town’s elected leaders are now looking to fill two key positions in Town Hall, with Shari Birchfield – the Town of Robbinsville’s interim finance officer and deputy clerk – set to retire in late January 2023.
The Board of Aldermen will hold a special called meeting at 10 a.m. today to discuss how to proceed.
A town employee for 20 years, Birchfield has been filling in for Sonya Webster, who the Board of Aldermen “released” as finance director in July.
The decision to hold the closed-session meeting followed the board’s Dec. 1 regular meeting, which itself was hamstrung by a shortage of elected leaders.
The board was set to meet with two members present and the third, Debbie Beasley, planning to call in.
Just as the meeting was to start, a medical situation at the Graham County Jail – a short walk across the parking lot from Town Hall – resulted in Alderman Kenneth Hyde, who also serves as the jail administrator, to leave the meeting.
His departure put the board in a bind with just one member present. It takes two to approve a third member to call into the meeting.
Hyde was able to break free from his jail commitment long enough to return to the table and vote for Beasley to call into the meeting.
Other news and notes
* The Town of Robbinsville doesn’t have a huge homeless problem, but it has been noticeable enough to draw complaints from citizens concerned about one or two homeless people camping out on town-owned benches around the town.
In a written report, town attorney Ellen Davis said the town’s existing ordinances that cover public nuisances and loitering don’t cover the issue of homeless people camping out on town property.
She said the town would have to revise an existing ordinance or add an ordinance, but added that crafting one can be tricky. Loitering laws are intended to prevent illegal activity such as drug deals and prostitution, whereas there is nothing illegal about being homeless.
Also, case law from other municipalities determined that the homeless can’t be ticketed for sleeping or camping on town property unless there is a homeless shelter available. Graham County has no homeless shelters.
Beasley suggested that the town ban overnight sleeping on town property or remove the public benches. She said town workers have been exposed to used hypodermic needles and other health hazards, and said the town needs to be safe and clean.
Davis will continue to work with the board to find a solution.
* Water meter readers have been concerned about safety, following attacks by unsecured and aggressive dogs.
“It can be really bad,” said Town Water District Supervisor Chadd Carpenter.
Water customers whose dogs are causing problems for meter readers can expect a notice to be attached to their next water bills and Davis advised the town to seek criminal charges if a town worker is injured.
* With an offer to buy the old Town Hall building on North Main Street, the board has made little progress in taking the steps necessary to sell it.
Kenny Wheeler, owner of Wheeler’s Performance at 2035 Tapoco Road, has made an offer to buy the old building. Wheeler wants to open a bicycle and pinball repair shop. Terms of the offer were not disclosed.
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 and get the building appraised. If the property is declared surplus, the town could advertise for sealed bids, negotiate an offer or hold a public auction.
The tax value of the property is $36,340.
“So we have a little bit of work to go,” said Alderman Brian “Taco” Johnson.
John Colwell of REVVED UP (Robbinsville Envisioning Vital Vibrant Economic Development and Urban Prosperity) has been working with Wheeler to facilitate the purchase and expressed frustration at the slow progress.
Built in 1947, the structure has been vacant for years and proceeds from the sale could benefit the town, he said.
Conversely, “vacant buildings that sit here do nothing but hurt us,” he said. “Anything to get it repaired and occupied is a plus. … I don’t want it to stretch out another six or eight months.”
In a related matter, the Board of Aldermen approved its annual $2,500 allocation to REVVED UP.