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The December meeting of the Wallace Town Council was the last for longtime Councilman Jeff Carter, who had served for more than 25 years.
Mayor Jason Wells pointed out that in addition to 25 years on the council, Carter also served about 25 years with the town’s rescue squad, when it was managed by volunteers. “So, 50 years of service to his town,” the mayor said. ”In an age where volunteers are often hard to come by, 50 years of service is just unheard of.”
Wells also recalled that when he first joined the council eight years ago, it was Carter who gave him the most resounding advice. “I think the first thing he said to me was ‘Just sit back and listen for the first six months and don’t say anything,’” Wells recalled. “Probably the greatest piece of advice anybody ever gave me, because it helped me understand the inner workings of the town.”
Another longtime Wallace leader, former Mayor Charley Farrior, also spoke of Carter’s service to the town. He talked about the “visionary council” that Carter and he were both a part of, which dealt with the closing of the town’s biggest water customer, Steveco Knit, and the addition of the now-largest water customer, Pender County.
“Jeff is one of the strongest advocates for citizen’s rights that this town has,” Farrior added. “If Wallace could help, Jeff bulldogged it until we got it through.”
When it was his turn to speak, Carter stated, “Y’all make the town what it is. It’s not the board; it’s the citizens of Wallace that make this city as great as it is.”
After Carter was presented with a painting of Wallace’s famed depot and a resolution in his honor, new Councilwoman Penny Thorne was sworn in, along with re-elected council members Frank Brinkley, Tasha Herring, and Francisco Rivas-Diaz, who also retained his position as mayor pro-tem.
Once the council got to the business of the meeting, a public hearing on an annexation request from Pender County was postponed. Later in the meeting, the council discussed a proposed memorandum of understanding with Pender County.
Town Manager Rob Taylor explained that the mayor and the county had recently had discussions with Pender County representatives and that the county’s attorney had drafted a MOU. “The only issue I really see is that they would like to work toward canceling the water agreement they have with the town,” he said. “They buy a minimum of just under $25,000 a month from us. They believe they can supply most of their water on their own.”
Former Mayor Charley Farrior stated that it was a 40-year contract that Pender is hoping to cancel. “It’s going to take a lot of houses … to replace that money,” he said.
After some discussion, Taylor said he and town attorney Anna Herring would work on “strengthening some of the wording” and bring the MOU back to the council at its January meeting.
In other business, the council unanimously approved:
- A unified development ordinance (UDO) amendment limiting where vape stores can be located within the town limits.
- The condemnation of an easement on a piece of property in town. “We would still pay the owner the same agreed upon amount of $15,000, but the court would decide how the funds would be disbursed, not the owner,” explained Town Manager Rob Taylor. “Condemnation protects the town’s interest and avoids future possible litigation.”
- Rebidding a renovation project for the Clement Park Community Center. Two bids were received, but one did not include the 5% bid bond and another exceeded the $825,000 grant amount, meaning the town would have to make up the difference. After some discussion, the council decided to have the project rebid.
- The appointment of Taylor Johnson as fire chief.
- The appointment of Council Member Jason Davis as a signatory.
- The 2024 meeting schedule.
- An amendment to the rules of procedure suggested by Town Clerk Jackie Nicholson.
- The reappointments of Mayor Jason Wells and Mayor Pro-Tem Francisco Rivas-Diaz to the Cape Fear Council of Governments, and Rod Fritz to the Eastern Carolina Council.
- A motion to direct the town clerk to review a Voluntary Contiguous Annexation petition from Strong Rock Engineering Group to annex a piece of property at 4027 S. NC 11 Hwy. A public hearing should be scheduled for the council’s February meeting.
