ST. PAULS — Commissioners here set a public hearing on possibly allowing food trucks to operate in town.

There is a big interest in food trucks, Mayor Elbert Gibson said Thursday during the Board of Commissioners’ regular business meeting. The town’s ordinances do not mention the use of food trucks. Apart from the town’s Downtown Night Out and Cruise-In events, food truck vendors aren’t allowed to operate in town.

“A lot people in the downtown areas now are wanting food trucks,” Gibson said.

St. Pauls resident Steve Glover spoke against the idea. He and his wife own Broad Street Cafe.

“But I’m not here to represent Broad Street, I wanted to represent all of the food service business in town. You keep bringing food service in this town, and then bring food trucks. How do you expect the small mom-and-pop businesses to stay afloat?” he asked.

Gibson said half of the time he visits downtown, the restaurants are closed.

Its hard to find a restaurant to eat at after 6 p.m., Mayor Pro Tem Evans Jackson said

“They don’t want to eat at McDonald’s every night,” Jackson said of residents.

The commissioners tabled the matter until the June 1 public hearing.

Commissioner John Gudauskas asked Glover to stop by his tax firm office and discuss a restaurant revitalization grant for his business.

Glover also asked for updates on the project to improve drainage on Elizabeth and Johnson streets. October will mark five years the town has worked on the drainage project without breaking ground.

Public Works Director Danny Holloman said the town is still waiting on the state to release promised funding for the project.

“Can we look at another way with what funds we’ve already got?” Holloman asked.

The town has about $350,000 in Golden LEAF funds to help pay for the drainage project.

The Community Development Block Grant continues to be held up, Jackson said. He said Golden LEAF likely wouldn’t pledge more money to the project until state funding is released and used.

“You’ve been in here and we’ve been telling you the same stuff, the money’s a-comin’, the money’s a-comin’. It ain’t showed up yet,” Gibson said to Glover.

Interim Town Administrator Debra McNeill said paperwork continues to be requested, and an environmental study has been mentioned.

“This is all it’s doing, a circle,” McNeill said, making a circular motion with her pen.

Holloman said the cost of materials has gone up in five years, constantly increasing the project’s cost, which initially was to cost about $800,000. Another challenge that could further delay the project is getting easements on residents’ properties, according to Holloman.

“I know it doesn’t tell you a lot,” Commissioner Donna Patterson told Glover. “We’re sitting and waiting.”

The commissioners took no action Thursday on a resolution from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality in support of a $50,000 Merger/Regionalization Feasibility Study Grant from the Water Infrastructure Fund.

The study would evaluate the feasibility of a regional wastewater solution for Parkton, St. Pauls and Robeson County Landfill, according to a document by McGill Associates. The study is related to the town’s plans to relocate its wastewater treatment plant.

The town would have to pay $750 for the study, McNeill said.

Commissioners also heard from St. Pauls resident Tina Herring, who said she was the precinct committee chair for the Republican Party Union for St. Pauls. Herring offered to do her part to help move the town forward.

“We need precinct managers all over,” she said.

Commissioners also took no action after a closed session at the start of the meeting that lasted about 50 minutes. The session included discussions about personnel and lawsuits.

Also on Thursday, St. Pauls Chief of Police Steve Dollinger said he plans to have a meeting in June to determine interest in starting a police cadet program, which would involve local youth and expose them to the law enforcement field.

“Then we’ll start slow, bringing the kids in and giving them a feel for what it’s like. You know, training them in some different things, police procedure, that kind of thing and getting them involved,” Dollinger said.

Gibson described it as a “great program.”

“I think it’ll be good for the community,” Dollinger said. “It won’t cost anything.”