LUMBERTON — Plans to provide office space in City Hall to newly elected Republican Congressman Dan Bishop hit a roadblock Wednesday during City Council’s monthly planning meeting.
Tempers flared between Mayor Bruce Davis and Councilmen John Cantey and Chris Howard over the procedure for making the offer that was reported in The Robesonian on Sept. 24. The councilmen also questioned the price, which would be $1 per year.
“We charged Congressman (Mike) McIntyre $800 a month,” Cantey said. “This deal was seemingly done without full council approval.”
A motion by Councilman Owen Thomas to confirm the offer for final approval during the City Council’s regular monthly meeting on Monday died for lack of a second. The matter was tabled after a recommendation from Councilwoman Karen Higley.
The offer to the N.C. District 9 representative would provide space for a staffed office located on the third floor of City Hall. The Robesonian reported the offer as a done deal, and the newspaper ran a photo of the Rep. Bishop, Mayor Davis, Councilman Thomas, state Sen. Danny Britt and several city administrators that was taken during Bishop’s visit to tour the office space in City Hall.
“Why were we not contacted before the newspaper photo?” Cantey said. “It looks like the entire council was not included.”
From there, voices were raised and the mayor’s gavel hammered down. Davis called the fuss “political hoopla,” and noted Republican Congressman Robert Pittenger received the same courtesy as Bishop.
“We did not charge the last congressman, and I had no idea you wanted to charge this one,” Davis said.
Councilman Leroy Rising sought to discuss the merits of having the congressman’s office in Lumberton.
“I am unaffiliated politically, and we should look at what the congressman can do for Lumberton by having an office here,” Rising said.
Howard claimed it is not a partisan issue, saying, “We should get fair value from the office for the sake of the entire city.”
During planning meetings, most matters’ initial approval are placed on the consent agenda for final approval at the council’s regular monthly meeting. The City Council had a full slate of issues facing it Wednesday, including a proposal to expand the Carolina Civic Center and Historic Theatre.
“At our September meeting, the Civic Center board of directors unanimously approved a request to build an annex on the south side of the building,” said Gayle Bigelow, board president. “Over the past two years, we have studied what to do about congestion in the small lobby.”
Architect David Maurer showed the council two plans, a smaller extension of the lobby at an estimated cost of $1.1 million and a larger space that could be used for a variety of events at a cost of $1.5 million. The design is compatible with the existing building, he said.
Civic Center Treasurer Bradley Locklear laid out the request that would include financing from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. By refinancing $1.2 million in existing debt into a 40-year loan, the annual cost to the city, which is paid through the hotel/motel tax, would not increase.
“We are asking the council for three things: use of the city’s (parking lot) for construction; financing up to $1.5 million; and choosing one of the two options,” Locklear said.
In other action, the City Council approved the engineering contract for the floodgate to be built at the Jacob Swamp Dike in West Lumberton. The engineering costs of $1.3 million would paid out of $2.2 million in grants the city has received through the federal Community Development Block Grant flood mitigation program and the Golden LEAF Foundation.
Additional grants will be sought from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to complete the project, estimated to cost $5.7 million, City Attorney Holt Moore said.
Flood mitigation was a priority Wednesday, and the news was not all easy to digest. Work on cleaning out drainage ditches in the Mayfair subdivision will require the use of an easement behind about 20 homes where homeowners have built storage buildings and fences.
The council chose not to identify the affected streets until homeowners are notified. Homeowners will not be pleased, Councilman Thomas said.
“The folks there want their ditches cleaned out, but they do not realize what it entails,” Thomas said. “I want to make sure they are notified.”
Demolition, elevation and renovation of city homes will begin this fall after the council approved contracts on more than 25 homes in South and West Lumberton and the Highland Park area in North Lumberton.
Bids are running higher than expected, Community Development Manager Brian Nolley said. The project, which serves homes in flood-prone areas of the city, is funded by a $775,000 Community Development Block Grant for flood mitigation.
The council also approved an additional $11,920 for construction of a berm protecting the water plant. That brings project costs to $1.92 million, which is being paid for by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to Public Works Director Rob Armstrong.
In a separate matter, the City Council voted to move the location of two food trucks that currently operate on the downtown Plaza. In an effort to increase traffic and pedestrian safety, the trucks will move about five parking spaces to the midpoint of the Plaza between Elm and Chestnut streets bordering Second Street.
Ted Tencardi, owner of Johnnie’s Hot Dogs, which has been located on the Plaza since 1980, said there has never been a safety issue at the current location. He asked not to change locations, but his request was denied.
A plan put forth by the United Methodist Corps, which has been rehabilitating homes in Lumberton and elsewhere since Hurricane Matthew struck in October 2016, to renovate city-owned homes on Coleman Street was approved by the council.
The Methodist group will relocate their headquarters there and return the building it occupies to the city when its mission is completed. The council approved the project and $40,000 for building materials. The Methodists will provide the labor.
As part of Lumberton’s plan to rejoin the Main Street Communities program, the City Council approved a six-member advisory board and Councilman Howard as council liaison. The board will include Dencie Lambdin, Rhonda Williamson, Richard Sieford, Scott Bigelow, Sharon Smith and Janel Carroll.
Also on Wednesday, the council contributed $2,250 to BakPak Pals, which provides a weekly nutrition boost to school children who are food insecure. The donation will feed 18 children for a year. Communities in Schools operates the program.
