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Robersonville council approves exhibit hall use, snagging contract, police pay increase and multiple grants and budget amendments
Summary
The Robersonville Town Council on Nov. 12 approved use of a town building for a Historic Exhibit Hall, authorized a State-funded stream-clearing (StRAPS) contract, raised police pay to $48,000 to aid recruitment, and passed a set of grant approvals and budget amendments. All motions passed unanimously.
Robersonville Town Council approved a bundle of administrative actions and project agreements at its Nov. 12 meeting, voting unanimously on each item.
The council authorized use of the town-owned building at 112 S. Main Street for a Robersonville Historic Exhibit Hall after a presentation from Peggy Cochran and Betsy Kennedy. It also approved execution of a State StRAPS (snagging/stream-clearing) grant agreement and associated contract documents as requested by State staff. Town Manager Chris Roberson presented the StRAPS materials; Councilman David Jenkins moved to authorize execution and Mayor Pro Tem Claudie Wilkins seconded.
On personnel and public-safety matters the council approved a pay increase for police positions to a $48,000 salary, a change the council said is intended to improve recruitment and reduce reliance on Martin County for weekend coverage. Police Chief Chris Garrett described scheduling options and recruitment steps; the council voted to adopt the pay raise.
The council adopted updated Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance (FDPO) language required to align the town’s ordinance with new state floodplain maps and State 160D requirements. Manager Chris Roberson explained the amendment is necessary to avoid invalidating the town’s floodplain protections.
Other approvals included delegating Level 2 clearances needed for an upcoming USDA Automatic Meter Infrastructure (AMI) grant, a joint-use pole agreement with Brightspeed to support high-speed internet deployment, and authorization to apply for an NC Building Reuse grant (not to exceed $70,000) for the Purvis Building with a required match not to exceed $3,500. The council also approved Budget Amendments #6–#10, which realigned project budgets, covered a service agreement with Clearwater Solutions (CWS), moved insurance line items, and appropriated additional revenue related to the Martin County Rescue Squad.
In a personnel-related action taken after closed-session consideration, the council voted to count accumulated sick leave toward a retiree’s required service time so the retiree could receive up to $550 per month toward his health insurance. The council cited an inconsistency in the town personnel policy and the retiree’s reliance on advice from a former finance officer.
Most motions were introduced by Councilman David Jenkins or Mayor Pro Tem Claudie Wilkins and were seconded by Councilwoman Debra Armstrong or other members; the minutes record each motion as having carried unanimously. The council recessed the meeting to Nov. 13, 2024 at 5:30 p.m. for a work session on utility regionalization and related proposals.
