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Benson commissioners unanimously approve grants, appointments and annual DOT road-closure ordinance
Summary
At its Jan. 23 meeting, the Board of Commissioners of the Town of Benson approved consent-agenda items including two grant acceptances, unanimously appointed four advisory-board members, adopted an annual DOT road-closure ordinance and presented a proclamation honoring former Mayor Jerry M. Medlin.
The Board of Commissioners of the Town of Benson met Jan. 23, 2025, at the Benson Fire Department and unanimously approved a slate of routine business and grant acceptances.
At the 7 p.m. meeting, Mayor Dr. R. Max Raynor called the session to order and the board voted 4-0 to approve the agenda and later approved the consent agenda, which included past meeting minutes, an amendment to the zoning map (Ordinance #09-2024), a Seamount (Blake Denning) special-use permit second order, contracts for renovations and HVAC work on the L-shaped municipal building, a lease agreement with the Benson Foundation of the Arts, amendments to Chapter 112 of the town code governing alcoholic beverages, and two resolutions accepting directed-projects grants under the 2023 Appropriations Act for a lead service line inventory and for a new 24-inch sewer line at I-40. The motions on the agenda and consent items were made by Commissioner Maxine Holley and carried by a 4-0 vote; the record shows three commissioners were absent.
The board also confirmed four advisory-board appointments: Bridget Whittington to the Art Board, Keith Rivenbark (at-large) to the Police Advisory Commission, Joshua Ennis to the Planning Board as a resident member, and Jeff Stephenson to Parks & Recreation. Commissioner Will Chandler moved to approve those appointments; the motion passed 4-0.
Town Manager Kimberly Pickett read Proclamation 187-2025 honoring and remembering Mayor Jerry M. Medlin and presented it to his daughter, Jeanelle McCain. McCain thanked the board, saying, "Dad would be truly humbled by this honor, and our family has been truly grateful to all of you for all your kindness, your love, your response, just all the support that you’ve given us."
During her report, Pickett announced the town's Black History Celebration, scheduled for Feb. 23, and said she would coordinate details with Cultural Arts Director Derrick Barefoot before making broader announcements. She also noted the board retreat had been set for March 1 but that Mayor Raynor would be out of town that weekend; she said she would consult with him on alternative dates.
On procedural items, Town Clerk Angie Thornton explained Ordinance 01-2025, the annual request to the state Department of Transportation to close state-maintained roads for special events; Commissioner Maxine Holley moved to adopt the ordinance and the motion passed 4-0. In response to a question from Mayor Pro Tem Casandra Stack about county support for the local library, Derrick Barefoot explained the library is an affiliate of the county that receives materials and training but not county funding or ownership.
The meeting concluded with a motion by Commissioner Will Chandler to adjourn at 7:23 p.m.; the board voted 4-0 to adjourn. Several items adopted at the meeting—particularly the two grant acceptances and the contracts listed on the consent agenda—will require staff follow-up for implementation and reporting to the board.
