LUMBERTON — By all appearances, the members of the Robeson County Board of Commissioners have a short and easy evening ahead of them when they meet on Monday.
But, there could be a wild card in play when they meet at 6 p.m. in the county administration building on Elm Street in Lumberton. If Commissioner David Edge does what he has publicly stated he will do, the board may be confronted with a proposal to offer U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop free office space.
Edge said Tuesday he intends to make a motion to offer the recently elected representative of North Carolina’s 9th District in the U.S. House free office space in the old BB&T building on North Chestnut Street that is being renovated to serve as a county administrative building and is expected to be ready to occupy in January.
The commissioner stated his intent a day after Lumberton City Council voted 6-2 to charge Bishop $457 a month for space to use as a district office on the third floor of City Hall. The approved offer was chosen over two other options presented to the council: offer the space free of charge or charge $250 a month.
On the agenda for the commissioner’s Monday meeting is a public hearing on a conditional-use permit request by Z.V. Pate, Inc., of Smiths Township, to allow for the mining excavation of sand on about 35.20 acres, more or less, of a 269.57- acre tract, more or less, in a Residential Agricultural District.
The commissioners next are to hear presentations by Tim Little, of the Robeson County Partnership for Children, about the Kiwanis Pancake Festival; William L. Locklear, Robeson Community College, about the Made in Robeson Event; a representative of Lilies Hope, Inc., a nonprofit that helps elders and their families; Lee Oxendine, who will present drainage district machine information; and Rikki Bullard, of the Public Schools of Robeson County.
The commissioners also are to convene as the Housing Authority Board to consider reports about housing, maintenance and finance.
The Robesonian will live stream the meeting on Facebook.
