Debbie Beasley
Robbinsville – The Town of Robbinsville Board of Aldermen held special meetings on Oct. 4 and Oct. 10, with one goal in mind: moving ahead on lingering water-system improvements.
The board opened three bids on repairs for Junaluska water tank, with the lowest bid at $88,250 on Oct. 4. Scott Icenhower’s bid was approved during the Oct. 10 meeting, to repair the rusted and paint flaking interior of the water tank.
The exterior of the water tank will need to be power washed and would cost $4,000 – $5,000. The funds will not come from the town.
On Tuesday, the board approved a water tank bid and extended the deadline to purchase property for construction of deep water wells.
The board agreed that they need to extend the deadline on the Danny Macintosh property and town contract to purchase it for water well construction on Tuesday.
At a special meeting Sept. 29, the board discussed the grant received from the Appalachian Regional Commission for $2,199,540, which will fund two new deep water supply wells and new automatic-meter readers.
Joel Storrow – principal of McGill and Associates, the company hired by the town to do the construction and engineering on the new supply wells and meters – mentioned that of the properties where construction will occur, the board was in the process of purchasing Macintosh’s property on Long Creek Road. Storrow noted it is one of the biggest components of the project.
In the Oct. 10 meeting, Beasley said that the contract with Macintosh calls for the town to pay $10,000 before the end of October, and another $10,000 by January.
Mayor Shaun Adams thinks there will be another special-called meeting later this month, to have further discussions about the contract.
Other news & notes
* The Oct. 4 agenda was amended for resident David Hall to approach the board about an alleyway behind his house at the intersection of Atoah Street and Snider Circle, which he wants closed. He compared his case to another owner who was granted the closure of an alleyway on Morphew Street;
* The board approved an attorney contract with Leo Phillips after Oct. 4’s closed session. The previous attorney, Andrews-based M. Ellen Davis, retired in July.