Town accepts 100K donation to help with equipment purchases
FAISON – The Town of Faison held the board’s monthly meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 3.
Among those in attendance was Andrew Taylor, Faison Improvement Group president who signed up for public comment. Taylor requested the Board’s permission to host the annual Faison Farmers Parade in March.
Taylor shared that they hope to make this year’s parade bigger and better, with more vendors, music, and entertainment and to “have something that’s more akin to the old market days,” said Taylor. Last year the parade was a big hit, with a lineup that went on for 47 minutes.
“We would like to have permission to have the parade from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with the anticipation that it ends at 2 p.m.,” said Taylor. “Because we hung around until 2 p.m. last time, we want to make sure that they are safe when people cross the street… And then for vendors, we would ask for the town to consider south Samson Street behind the fire department, to close that off for the safety of our people when they are going to food trucks and stuff like that.”
The Board approved Taylor’s request. The next step now is to start the approval process with the Department of Transportation to close Main Street from Warren Road up to the railroad tracks and have the parade on March 23.
Other highlights discussed at the meeting:
• Sandra Krantz, who has tough classes at the Faison Congregate Nutrition site, addressed the board during public comment, sharing her concerns about the congregate nutrition site not having enough attendance and hoping to find some ideas on how to get more participation so that the program can continue, low numbers could result in the potential closing of the congregate nutrition site. See story on page three for more on this subject.
• The Town of Faison received a check donation for $100,000 from a generous resident, who wishes the funds are used for anything the town needs including equipment or vehicles.
Mayor Billy Ward shared that they had been looking at some equipment and vehicles the town needs. He presented the board with the information the staff had researched for the purchase of a dump truck, a pickup truck, a mini excavator, and a trailer to haul that excavator with.
“The first two vehicles are things that the town needs,” Mayor Ward said.
Mayor Ward explained that the dump truck has an automatic transmission which is needed so that the staff can drive it. The pickup truck they are looking at buying will be used to transport supplies for the after-school program and the concession stand as well as running errands.
“The trailer and the excavator are something that Billy Mello and his department had asked for and said that it would make things a lot easier on them whenever they’re in smaller, tighter situations compared to using the backhoe and the ones he’s picked have the equipment he needs on it,” said Ward.
Jimmy Tyndall, executive administrator explained that the two pieces of equipment that Public Works cannot be without are a backhoe and a dump truck.
“Our backhoe is close to 25 or so years old right now. A brand-new backhoe costs you $100,000. That is without any bells or whistles, straight up,” said Tyndall, explaining that smaller holes mean less damage, less asphalt to put back. He added that they use the backhoe to pick up yard debris.
“It runs at least two days a week, sometimes three, depending on the season. Also, we take all that stuff back to our yard, and we dump it, and that same backhoe has to go back when it is all said and done, pick it all up, and put it where it belongs,” said Tyndall. “The idea being that once the backhoe comes off the street, the mini excavator can do the other work, and be far less invasive and take some of the heat off an aging backhoe. So, when you see the numbers, when you total all these numbers up tonight, compare that to what a brand-new backhoe costs, it comes down to what is efficient, what makes more sense, and what helps us maintain what we already have.”
The board approved to move forward with the purchases.
• Tyndall also provided an update on the demolition of the old gym, explaining this was a multi-part project.
“First part being to remove some trees that were on the opposite side of the park, which was the first thing we did. The second part is to create the gravel parking on that side of the park also and close in the ditch… We decided to build a storm drain box there and remove the T tile so it would be closed and when we are going to finish tiling it, there won’t be a ditch from that point all the way to the corner,” said Tyndall, adding that they are accepting bids for the gym demolition until Jan. 31.
“In February we will be able to award the bids and then the last piece of the proposal will be the creation of a brick courtyard… The project is really moving along better than anticipated.”
He shared that in 2022 they had an air quality report done for the old gym which has asbestos, and it is full of black mold.
“We have requested controlled access to the job site. The entire park will not be closed… “The only squirrelly part is how close this building is to the dugout, and we’ve got about a four-foot clearance,” explained Tyndall. “We are planning to add some top surface of ground behind that dugout. And we are adding about 15 or 20 feet of actual top-walking surface.”
• Commissioner Lee Kennedy who also serves as the Faison Fire and Rescue fire chief, provided an update for Faison Fire and Rescue, adding that the department closed the year with 529 calls, which is an increase of 47 calls since 2022.
2023 was a busy year for Faison Fire and Rescue, with 228 first responder calls, 72 motor vehicle accidents (10 of them having pinned-in patients), 50 service calls, 3 water rescues, 28 structure fires (six in the district), 24 hazardous conditions, 20 woods fires, and 11 vehicle fires, among others.
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Beulaville Police Chief Jamie Rogers took a rare step into the limelight at the town board meeting on Jan. 8. Rogers is set to retire Feb. 29, or as Town Manager Lori Williams puts it, be “reclassified” and remain with the town of Beulaville, in a more limited capacity.
“Although he is retiring, as I’ve told a lot of folks, he’s just being reclassified,” Williams said during the meeting. “We’re not letting him go anywhere too far. He may have to share an office with me, but he’s going to stay around.”
Williams asked the Board of Commissioners for a recess during the regular monthly meeting last Monday, saying she had to make a presentation. She left the meeting room for a few minutes, returning with Rogers’ family members and all of the Beulaville Police Department employees.
“His employees wanted to take this opportunity in public to just recognize his achievements, what he’s been able to do over the past 31 years,” Williams said.
Rogers was presented with a framed collage of his badges and handcuffs. “He kind of started this little project,” Williams explained. “The guys picked it up and kind of ran with it, collecting his badges, start to finish, from when he was a deputy to a jailer to when he got his badge as chief of police.”
Stunned, Rogers said with a laugh, “Y’all finally got me.”
Of his badges and handcuffs, Rogers said, “Just so y’all know, I started this as my daddy’s badges. These are the same handcuffs that he wore, that I started with also when I was a deputy at the Sheriff’s Office. This has always been my dream to get this done.”
To Rogers and the officers present, Mayor Hutch Jones said, “I can’t say enough about you all. You make all of us in the town look really, really good. I’m proud to know that you all are on the streets day in and day out.”
Earlier in the meeting, Williams gave an update on the search for a new police chief, saying that interviews of the seven applicants started on Tuesday, Jan. 16, and that she hoped there would be a decision by the end of January.
One of the other major items of business at the January meeting of the Beulaville town board was a request from Douglas Clark to purchase a portion of town-owned property on Lyman Road. After his initial request was denied at last month’s meeting, he proposed two other options for the town to consider.
“As I had indicated at the last board meeting, we’re not interested in selling,” Mayor Jones said. “I had asked at that point in time, which I’m going to continue to reiterate tonight, knowing Mr. Clark’s track record, I would like the board to consider declining the current offer and create a timeline on when we’ll hear any other offers from Mr. Clark.”
“It’s going to continue, whether or not we put a timeline on it,” Town Attorney Justin Hunter said. “I personally would not recommend putting a timeline. I would simply say your offers are rejected. At such time we become interested in selling this property, we will contact you and any other interested buyers, period.”
Hunter volunteered to write a letter to Clark to that effect. “This is a waste of this board’s time,” he added. “We’re not interested in selling the property and I’m happy to write the letter.”
Commissioner Gene Wickline made a motion for Hunter to write and send the letter, and after some discussion to clarify the board’s intent, it was unanimously approved.
In other business at the Jan. 8 Board of Commissioners meeting:
The Beulaville Board of Commissioners meets the first Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall.