Grifton Board Meets

GRIFTON — The Grifton Board of Commissioners will move soon to fill the board seat vacated by the resignation of Ralph Thaxton.

Mayor Tim Bright told the Grifton Board of Commissioners that Thaxton has resigned his seat and his resignation was effective Tuesday, April 6. The responsibility to replace Thaxton’s now vacant position would go to the board, Bright stated.

The board did not discuss the resignation in detail but would begin the process of filling the vacant seat immediately.

Mayor Bright told the board that Thaxton had served 21 years of elective service for the Town of Grifton and hopes that Thaxton is not only remembered for his recent actions, but for those years of dedicated service.

“I feel for him and I hope that’s not what he’s remembered for,” Bright said. “He’s given too much.”

Thaxton, 75, was accused of grabbing the arm of a poll worker during the November 5, 2003 municipal elections. He was charged with assault on an election officer on January 16, following an SBI investigation. An April 2 court date was set but postponed.

In other business, Bob Clark, of Clark Planing and Associates, presented a handout to the board concerning the annexation study.

Clark told the board the annexation study would be a three-step process. Clark went over with the board the purpose and scope of the study and went over highlights of areas of growth that the study would contain.

Clark told the board that he would bring back more information from the study each month and hoped that a preliminary draft would be ready in the upcoming weeks.

Also discussed at the April 7 workshop meeting was a public meeting and public hearing concerning the HOME program. The public meeting was held on Tuesday, April 13 at 7:00 p.m. with the public hearing set for 7:30.  The Wooten Company is also scheduled to make presentation at Tuesday night’s meeting concerning the CMSD and a Standard Order by Consent.

The Library will soon see repairs to their roof after the board votes to accept the lowest bid in the amount of $8,750 on Tuesday night. The roof will be completely redone, according to Town Administrator Michael Peoples. Peoples said he wanted to get a consensus from the Library Board before the Board of Commissioners voted on the item.

“It’s a problem that has to be addressed,” Peoples said.

Peoples also brought to the board the CDBG grant for $750,000 for sewer rehab on the mobile home community on Highway 11. The next step, according to Peoples, would be to get engineering proposals. Peoples hoped to award an engineering contract at the April 13 meeting. Peoples said the town may go out for bids again for administration because only two bids were received.

Roads in the Country Club area were discussed with plans to move forward sometime this week. Peoples told the board that there were three spots that needed to be undercut completely.  Peoples hoped to move forward with a motion at Tuesday’s meeting.

Commissioner Bill Smith also mentioned Wall Street as another road that needed to be looked at. Peoples said the road was state owned but that they were aware of the problem and were prepared to do some shoulder work. Peoples said the road needed to be resurfaced.

A resolution accepting a grant for the Police Department in the amount of $6,015 with no matching funds required. The grant will fund a checkpoint trailer, signs, cones, flashlights and traffic vests. Peoples said the grant was non-matching and just required signing the resolution.

Foreclosed property on Main Street was discussed with the board deciding to allow Peoples more time to find out the condition of the house. The house was foreclosed for taxes.

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