FAITH — Officials with the town of Faith are considering adding a crosswalk on Main Street after hearing concerns about the street’s safety.
Mayor Todd Peeler said Tuesday that some local residents have approached him asking for a crosswalk on Main Street downtown.
Peeler told the Faith Town Board of Aldermen on Aug. 13 that he had spoken with Police Chief Mark Cook and the public works department about the best location, which seems to be near 107 N. Main St.
At Tuesday’s meeting of the board, Peeler said he, Cook and Faith Fire Chief Scott recently met with an official from the North Carolina Department of Transportation in Winston-Salem. They learned about a few options they could take to put in a crosswalk, but nothing is moving forward just yet.
“It’s a possibility, but they have some conditions that we might not be able to meet,” Peeler said.
Those include lines of visibility for oncoming traffic and the state’s preference for locating a crosswalk at an intersection, he said.
“Right now, we’re just responding to concerns,” Peeler said.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the Faith Town Board of Alderman:
• Approved the purchase of a Kubota tractor with backhoe, front loader and bush hog cutters for roughly $29,000. Peeler said he received an estimate of $30,000 from Mid South Tractor Company, but Faith can get a discounted price through the state. He said he would be calling for a bottom-line cost on Wednesday.
The tractor will be owned by the Faith water department and used mainly in the installation, repair and maintenance of water pipes. The town will buy the tractor with funds it has been saving for this purchase, Peeler said. He said the equipment will eventually pay for itself by saving money the town normally spends on a contractor.
Faith officials said the tractor also can be used to mow the town’s well sites and the right-of-way along roads. In the future, additional parts could be purchased through other town departments to do work like mowing ditches (which would be paid for with money in the road fund).
• Approved a resolution proclaiming the town of Faith as a “Purple Heart Town in the State of North Carolina.”
The proclamation was made in honor of the Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter 634, which represents veterans who have been awarded the Purple Heart medal in Rowan, Cabarrus, Mecklenburg, Union, Gaston, Cleveland and Lincoln counties.
• Approved a request for the town hall to be closed Sept. 18 for the in-house portion of the 2012-13 audit.
• Met in closed session for legal counsel.
Contact reporter Karissa Minn at 704-797-4222.

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