City honors 12 retiring employees

Aug. 4—LUMBERTON — Twelve recent retirees with a combined 275 years of service to the City of Lumberton were honored Wednesday during City Council's monthly meeting.

The employees ranged across several city departments, with all having worked at least 10 years with the city; three worked at least 30 including one, Willie Ray Clark, who worked for the city for just over 50 years, from 1969 to 2020.

"We will miss them. They're all friends of mine, they're such good workers," Mayor Bruce Davis told The Robesonian after the meeting. "I know that we've hired more and trained more, but it's like when your family leaves you, you feel a sentimental drag. They're good people and I wish them well."

Present at the meeting to receive a crystal plaque from the city were Clark, a street superintendent in Public Works; Terry Nunnery, a senior auto equipment mechanic in Public Works with 10 years service; Albert Paul Smith, a material and inventory specialist in Public Works with 30 years service; McGregor Strickland, a fire battalion chief with 30 years service; Russell Hill, a general supervisor in Public Works with 24 years service; Frank Smith, a meter reader supervisor in Electric Utilities with 22 years service; Connie Russ Wallwork, the city's downtown coordinator, with 20 years service; and Patrick Bullard, a fire captain with 16 years service.

Others, who were not present but were still recognized by the mayor, include Danny Chavis, a master firefighter with 13 years service; Pete Locklear, a police lieutenant with 23 years service; Robert J. Morse, a police lieutenant with 17 years service; and Larry Thompson, a crew chief for Parks and Recreation with 20 years service.

"We just can't say enough about them," Davis said. "They are solid, salt of the earth people, and they put their best foot forward every day. When you look at where this city is, compared to other cities our size, this is the reason — they do a really good job."

In other business, Council approved for the Lumberton Police Department to increase its wrecker rotation fees for towing services. The fee has previously been $100 during the daytime and $125 at night; it will increase to $200 during both day and night.

"We are asking to change the wrecker rotation fees set at this time because they are not cost-efficient for those who provide the service — and they provide a good service for us," said Mike McNeill, Lumberton police chief.

Council also approved a $2,745,500 bid for an elevated water tank, to be built at the I-74/I-95 Industrial Park. The water tower will hold approximately 500,000 gallons of water.

Maguire Iron, Inc. was the lowest bidder. The project will be paid for with $1.5 million provided by the General Assembly for this purpose, and an additional $1.25 million of the city's American Rescue Plan Act funds. In previous discussions, $1 million in ARPA funds were to be used for the project, but rising costs caused the project to become more expensive than the original anticipated budget.

In other business, Council:

— Approved a rezoning request for a property on West 27th Street to expand the existing Lumberton Drug West pharmacy; the rezoning allows for residential apartments to be built on the second floor, with the intention that the apartments be used for short-term housing for pharmacy students working at the pharmacy, or potentially for travel nurses or residency students working at nearby UNC Health Southeastern.

— Approved rezoning requests for two parcels, allowing for the existing Gas Mart gas station to be expanded; and for a property on Vann Drive, which will be developed into a family farm.

— Approved an annexation request at a property on Kenny Biggs Road for a proposed redevelopment into a recycling center, which allows the property to connect to city water and sewer.

— Approved for Public Works to purchase the following: a Godwin pump, which is a portable pump used in wastewater operations, from Xylem Dewatering Solutions for $56,067.29; a spare pump for the Pines and Lovette Road Lift Stations, also from Xylem for $62,790.08; and a lift station pump for the Ed's Tire Lift Station, from Clearwater Inc. for $81,748. Each of these items was in the current fiscal year's capital budget, and all three were actually bid at a cost under the budgeted amount.

— Approved for Public Works to contract its vegetative debris grinding at the Saddletree Landfill to Simmons & Simmons Management, Inc. for $25,665; Public Works Director Rob Armstrong anticipates this will be done quarterly moving forward.

— Agreed to refer the following requests to the city's Planning Board and set the date of a public hearing: A rezoning for properties on Ludgate and Farringdom streets, to conform with existing zoning in the area; a rezoning for two parcels on Highway 41 to general commercial/mobile home sales; a rezoning at an undisclosed location in Precinct 7 to heavy manufacturing, for a 1.9-million-square-foot industrial park; and a special use permit to operate an outpatient mental health treatment facility at an office on Lindsay Drive, as an existing business plans to relocate there from a Cedar Street location.

— Approved for staff to begin the process of working with RFQ for engineering services and prepared plans and specifications for a new HVAC system in City Hall; the time involved in securing services, design work, advertising and bidding systems, removing the existing system and installing a new one is estimated at 18 to 24 months.

— Approved a $43,800 bid by Smiths Refrigeration to replace the HVAC system at Central Fire Station, using funding in the capital budget.

— Appointed Elisha Little Jr. to the Recreation Commission, replacing Alfred Douglas.

— Appointed Erich Hackney to the Planning Board, replacing Lisa Douglas.

Council also allocated the following in Community Revitalization Funds:

— $1,125 for Harvest Life Global Ministries' back to school event.

— $1,000 to the Lumberton Softball Association for expenses pertaining to one of its teams' participation in the Dixie Softball World Series in Louisiana.

— $1,000 for McCormick Chapel Church's building fund and $1,000 for the church's back to school event.

— $925 for First Baptist Church's back to school event.

— $775 for the Robeson County Community Art Guild.

— $500 for the Kiwanis Club's All-American Golf Tournament fundraiser.

— After money was previously allocated to Lumberton Jr. High School for cheerleading uniforms, which was not delivered to the school due to an accidental oversight, Council agreed that the funds can remain allocated to the school for girls basketball uniforms.

Chris Stiles can be reached at 910-816-1977 or by email at cstiles@robesonian.com.