Meeting discussion to include selection of property location for new Town Hall

Feb. 2—FAIRMONT — The Fairmont Board of Commissioners has called a special meeting Tuesday in the Fairmont-South Robeson Heritage Center on Main Street.

The meeting is set for 2 p.m.

According to a news release, "The purpose of the meeting is to approve the property purchase for a sewer pump station on N.C. 130 and to select the property location for the new Town Hall.

The current edifice that houses the town government and police station is more than 90 years old.

"It has served our community well," Mayor Charles Kemp said back in October. "One time it was the hotel. ... On Sundays, it was the place to go for a meal after church. For me and others, it was the place to go for entertainment.

"But it's served its purpose," the mayor concluded. "It's seen better days."

At the board's regular monthly meeting on October 17, Kemp opened the proceedings by calling it "one of the most important meetings this board has ever had."

The mayor then called up N.C. Rep. Jarrod Lowery (R-Robeson County) and Mark Locklear, who is a member of the staff of Sen. Danny Britt (R-Robeson County), from the audience. Locklear was attending on Britt's behalf.

The two men, Kemp said, were about to "make a very important announcement."

With Lowery's involvement in the background and Britt's help on the federal level, the town was able to secure all $3.25 million for the town to build a new municipal building in Fairmont.

The announcement had its roots in a phone call between Lowery and Town Manager Jerome Chestnut at the turn of 2023. Chestnut told the state representative at that time that he wanted to discuss "the needs and the priorities of Fairmont."

One of the town necessities that Chestnut discussed was actually the biggest item — a need for a new town hall, Lowery said.

The current town hall — a historic Fairmont building — "was great for a time," Kemp said during the meeting. "It will still be great. I hope it will stand forever. ... We have the opportunity to build a new building. A new home for our town government and for our police station."

Community Development Block Grant

In August, the Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted a Community Development Block Grant Program-1 project amendment and the funding of an additional $500,000 for a Brown Street pump station during its regular monthly meeting.

Town Manager Chestnut presented the update on the pump station, which included background on the agenda item.

The town received CDBG funds during two different Fiscal Years (2017 and 2020) in the overall amount of $1.9 million "to provide for the rehabilitation and replacement of the existing Brown Street pump station and repaired replacement of the associated mechanical bar screen and grip removal system which transport 100% of Fairmont's wastewater to the town's regional wastewater treatment plant."

This is through approximately 51,000 linear feet of discharge force main along N.C. 130 by replacing and adding along this line and providing for a replacement of approximately 800 linear feet of 18-inch failing gravity sewer outfall.