Feb 9 2021
Mayor Josh Shamblin
County Clay has just one
municipality in the entire 342 square miles. The Town is
governed by a five member Council. Since the Corony bug
pandemic, Council members Joyce Gibson and Jerry Stover have
been absent from duty.
For the Feb 9 2021 meeting, Jerry Stover made his return to governing. Joyce Gibson did not. Happily we report, everybody present wore face coverings.
In the way of $$$, the Mayor reported that the wawa operation cleared some money last month to the tune of $7000. Here's something you don't hear often, even the Log Factory division came out with a plus balance of $1200.
In attendance, Daniel Coleman, made a presentation to the elected body on a newly formed Garden Club that he's chairing. From Mr Coleman: several have volunteered to dress up the county; their first project will be flower boxes in downtown Clay; others projects on the books will scatter flower boxes of gardens throughout the County; and, a few donations have comin in to help start the beautification effort.
He was there making sure the flower boxes on sidewalks was OK with Council.
Mayor Shamblin firmed up that the boxes will not block sidewalks nor affect ADA compliance. On both, Coleman gave assurances, ain't no problem there.
Council person Stover was concerned, once the flowers get planted, who's going to maintain em. Coleman's plan includes using senior citizens to do the watering.
Clay High School students are building the planters.
If you are interested in helping the effort, see Daniel Coleman over at CSCS on Main Street, The club will meet Feb 16, 5:30pm, in the County Commission room. Everyone is invited.
On the down side, hanging flower baskets won't come until later. Also, Two Run is not included in current plans.
20 some years ago, Council approved building an over priced and over sized Log Factory down in Pisgah ... on land they didn't even own. When completed, Council realized, the plant was design with twice the capacity they didn't need. That higher capacity (600 capacity) has been costly to maintain. Since opening, the Log Factory has operated in the red and required other town funds just to keep the logs flowing.
Now, they plan to update the unpaid for facility and cut it in half. Funds are in place for the downsizing project.
During this meeting, Council was suppose to approve the third and final reading of a new ordinance to make everything kosher. That didn't happen because the meeting and hearing on the ordinance was not properly adverised. Expect a vote during the regular session in March.
History. Over the years on two occasions, leadership has tried to expand the service area of the Log chopper into the distant Maysel neighborhood. On both occasions, it didn't go well for Council. With mass turnouts, the citizenry loudly protested and said H no to sewer service and additional monthly pay outs. At one of those prior extension notions, the meeting nearly turned into a riot. Realizing they were about to get beheaded, Council quietly backed away from the initiative.
We noticed on this Feb 9th meeting agenda, mention came of the reading of the ordinance and "extension of the sewer lines". Extension? Maybe a third attempt to get into Maysel?
The question came up during the meeting: Does this ordinance include expanding sewer lines? Mayor Shamblin agreed that's what it said on the agenda but he didn't know anything about such an expansion. Council was likewise.
This may be a clandestine affert by engineers and designers to sneak in new monthly bills for a service most don't want. Be warned.
Town is looking to purchase a newer dump truck to replace the worn out with engine knocking unit currently in service.
Mitch DeBoard and Mike Shamblin from the Elk River Trails Foundation were in attendance seeking a donation from Council. For those that can remember, the first log factory was located beside the Pisgah bridge. On that small riverside lot, the old building remains which serves as storage space for the municipality.
DeBoard asked Council to donate the holdings to the Foundation with intentions to turn it into a river access point, rest center for ERTS hikers and bikers and maintenance area.
Wait wait. Did you think that trail hub was going to be at Dundon around the Newt Bragg house? Yelp, we did too but.... turns out there is no sewer service to that Foundation owned property. Getting sewer service across that part of the Elk River would be costly. Setting up a package plant to handle the logs, that too costs real $$$$ Without some kind of sewer service, public restrooms could be next to impossible.
So, no decision was made to the request but expect an answer to come during the next public meeting.
Dog problems came next. Turns out there are some unleashed canines in the Two Run neighborhood along Center Street. Concerns were raised over passerby's, including kids, could get chomped. Mayor Shamblin said he was getting complaints from residents. One guy in the peanut gallery said shoot em! We don't know if he was talking about the dogs or kids. Shamblin plans to contact the new Top Badge for assistance.
And finally, another clinker for the Town's future.
For over a decade, Town elders have talked about a $250,000.00 "Streetscape" sidewalk improvement project. Over the years, that project has been redesigned and downsized. The most recent configuration called for about one block of downtown Clay to get the new pavement.
On the 9th, after all those years of wait, the Mayor told the assembled, funds for the project have been yanked, gone, no longer available. The funds he was talking about was the 20% match $$$ which would have come from the State Road. Guess those roads to prosperity don't include safe sidewalks for Clayberry.
AW
For the Feb 9 2021 meeting, Jerry Stover made his return to governing. Joyce Gibson did not. Happily we report, everybody present wore face coverings.
In the way of $$$, the Mayor reported that the wawa operation cleared some money last month to the tune of $7000. Here's something you don't hear often, even the Log Factory division came out with a plus balance of $1200.
In attendance, Daniel Coleman, made a presentation to the elected body on a newly formed Garden Club that he's chairing. From Mr Coleman: several have volunteered to dress up the county; their first project will be flower boxes in downtown Clay; others projects on the books will scatter flower boxes of gardens throughout the County; and, a few donations have comin in to help start the beautification effort.
He was there making sure the flower boxes on sidewalks was OK with Council.
Mayor Shamblin firmed up that the boxes will not block sidewalks nor affect ADA compliance. On both, Coleman gave assurances, ain't no problem there.
Council person Stover was concerned, once the flowers get planted, who's going to maintain em. Coleman's plan includes using senior citizens to do the watering.
Clay High School students are building the planters.
If you are interested in helping the effort, see Daniel Coleman over at CSCS on Main Street, The club will meet Feb 16, 5:30pm, in the County Commission room. Everyone is invited.
On the down side, hanging flower baskets won't come until later. Also, Two Run is not included in current plans.
20 some years ago, Council approved building an over priced and over sized Log Factory down in Pisgah ... on land they didn't even own. When completed, Council realized, the plant was design with twice the capacity they didn't need. That higher capacity (600 capacity) has been costly to maintain. Since opening, the Log Factory has operated in the red and required other town funds just to keep the logs flowing.
Now, they plan to update the unpaid for facility and cut it in half. Funds are in place for the downsizing project.
During this meeting, Council was suppose to approve the third and final reading of a new ordinance to make everything kosher. That didn't happen because the meeting and hearing on the ordinance was not properly adverised. Expect a vote during the regular session in March.
History. Over the years on two occasions, leadership has tried to expand the service area of the Log chopper into the distant Maysel neighborhood. On both occasions, it didn't go well for Council. With mass turnouts, the citizenry loudly protested and said H no to sewer service and additional monthly pay outs. At one of those prior extension notions, the meeting nearly turned into a riot. Realizing they were about to get beheaded, Council quietly backed away from the initiative.
We noticed on this Feb 9th meeting agenda, mention came of the reading of the ordinance and "extension of the sewer lines". Extension? Maybe a third attempt to get into Maysel?
The question came up during the meeting: Does this ordinance include expanding sewer lines? Mayor Shamblin agreed that's what it said on the agenda but he didn't know anything about such an expansion. Council was likewise.
This may be a clandestine affert by engineers and designers to sneak in new monthly bills for a service most don't want. Be warned.
Town is looking to purchase a newer dump truck to replace the worn out with engine knocking unit currently in service.
Mitch DeBoard and Mike Shamblin from the Elk River Trails Foundation were in attendance seeking a donation from Council. For those that can remember, the first log factory was located beside the Pisgah bridge. On that small riverside lot, the old building remains which serves as storage space for the municipality.
DeBoard asked Council to donate the holdings to the Foundation with intentions to turn it into a river access point, rest center for ERTS hikers and bikers and maintenance area.
Wait wait. Did you think that trail hub was going to be at Dundon around the Newt Bragg house? Yelp, we did too but.... turns out there is no sewer service to that Foundation owned property. Getting sewer service across that part of the Elk River would be costly. Setting up a package plant to handle the logs, that too costs real $$$$ Without some kind of sewer service, public restrooms could be next to impossible.
So, no decision was made to the request but expect an answer to come during the next public meeting.
Dog problems came next. Turns out there are some unleashed canines in the Two Run neighborhood along Center Street. Concerns were raised over passerby's, including kids, could get chomped. Mayor Shamblin said he was getting complaints from residents. One guy in the peanut gallery said shoot em! We don't know if he was talking about the dogs or kids. Shamblin plans to contact the new Top Badge for assistance.
And finally, another clinker for the Town's future.
For over a decade, Town elders have talked about a $250,000.00 "Streetscape" sidewalk improvement project. Over the years, that project has been redesigned and downsized. The most recent configuration called for about one block of downtown Clay to get the new pavement.
On the 9th, after all those years of wait, the Mayor told the assembled, funds for the project have been yanked, gone, no longer available. The funds he was talking about was the 20% match $$$ which would have come from the State Road. Guess those roads to prosperity don't include safe sidewalks for Clayberry.
AW