Robbinsville – The push for alcohol sales in Graham County lost significant momentum Tuesday night.
Early in the county’s Board of Commissioners meeting – the first in-person since February, with social distancing being practiced and a limit of 10 people in the room at the Community Building – attorney Brady Cody gave one last pitch to the board on behalf of the Prosperity Committee, asking that alcohol sales in Graham County be put on a ballot for public vote during a future election.
“I acknowledge that there are differences, but everyone can agree that the board should vote ‘yes’ and give all the citizens in Graham County a chance to voice their opinion in this matter,” Cody said. “It’s a great representation of democracy. When two sides disagree on something, only one thing is true: the people decide.”
Commission member Keith Eller then made a motion to not allow the topic to reach a ballot. The board made no comment concerning its decision, but unanimously agreed in a 5-0 vote to strike down the idea.
Financials
County manager Becky Garland then presented the finance and manager’s reports, which included:
* The Graham County Sheriff’s Office is applying for a $12,318.37 grant, to cover the cost of personal protective equipment and other coronavirus-related expenses. The grant will not cover the cost of staffing and overtime.
* Another HVAC unit has failed at the Health and Human Services building. Garland noted the cost of replacement would be $8,000 and the board unanimously approved the expense.
* The first draw-down request for the school building grant was received Tuesday afternoon, to cover the architecture fees for the new sixth-grade wing. The total request is $19,125, with $4,781.25 matched by Graham County. Approval to send the request to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction was unanimous.
* Bidding has begun on front-load garbage trucks, which will be funded through a USDA grant.
* After a 5-0 vote from the board, Graham County will join a consortium to utilize $600,000 in HUD funding through the Southwestern Commission, for low-cost housing. The money will be spread across western North Carolina.
* The county had $9,169,989.60 in unrestricted cash at the end of April and of note, has collected $627,243.65 in back taxes since July 1, 2013. A total of $336,683.98 in back taxes is still due.
* Commission Chairman Dale Wiggins opened two sealed bids on new ultrasound machines for Smoky Mountain Urgent Care, but a decision on awarding the equipment contract will be made after further analysis.
Capital projects
County project manager Jason Marino also provided the board with updates on several ongoing plans.
The COVID-19 crisis set back the idea of moving the Board of Elections into one of the Community Building’s wings, but Marino said the remodel and relocation has moved “to the top of the list.”
Designs have also been rendered for both the Cemetery Grounds Maintenance and Recreation Department buildings. Marino noted that he was thrilled that this stage of planning could still occur in spite of the pandemic.