GRANITE QUARRY — Wait a second. The question of how Granite Quarry residents elect a mayor may not be decided after all.
Newly elected Alderman Mike Brinkley asked the rest of the town board Monday night to revisit the issue at the board’s retreat in February.
Going into Monday’s meeting, the board planned to act on a resolution of intent to amend the town charter so Granite Quarry voters would have a separate mayoral election every two years, beginning in 2015.
The Granite Quarry Board of Aldermen voted last year to make the change, which means the town charter has to be amended. But that action came before Brinkley and Arin Wilhelm joined the board as new members after November’s election.
Because they did not have input when the decision was made, Brinkley said, might the board table the resolution of intent until it could be discussed at the retreat?
The rest of the board agreed to Brinkley’s request Monday night, except for Alderwoman Mary S. Ponds.
At present, aldermen choose a mayor and mayor pro tem among themselves at the first meeting after every two-year municipal election. (Bill Feather was chosen as the new mayor in December.)
The former board included Eloise Peeler and Brad Kluttz, who were unseated in November. During the election, Brinkley said he would rather the mayoral election process remain as it is.
The board’s annual budget retreat will be held the evening of Feb. 21, a Friday, and most of the day Feb. 22, a Saturday.
In another Granite Quarry matter, town employee Sarah Cross and Maintenance Director Kim Cress said the town picked up Monday the recycling containers that used to belong to SHARK.
The company gave up its customers in Granite Quarry but had never returned to pick up its recycling bins.
The town picked them up instead and have put the containers under lock and key on town property, Cress said. He added all the former S.H.A.R.K. containers were picked up except one, and that container will be retrieved soon.
Meanwhile, All-American Disposal has taken over recycling pickup for all the former S.H.A.R.K. customers.
In other Granite Quarry business:
• Ponds praised the Christmas trees decorated for the holidays at Granite Lake Park. Various businesses sponsored their own decorated trees.
“I thought it was very attractive and very pretty,” Ponds said.
• Cress said the town will continue picking up Christmas trees placed at curbside. The discarded trees are taken to Tiger World, where the tigers and lions enjoy playing with them.
• Aldermen learned a proposed golf cart ordinance for the town would make the Fire Department’s gas-powered golf cart illegal. Police Chief Mark Cook said golf carts that would be covered by an ordinance have to be electric and built not to exceed 20 mph.
“That’s our problem,” Brinkley said. “It has to be electric.” Brinkley said he would like the opportunity to speak with the Fire Department before the board proceeds with any ordinance.
• An open house providing information and seeking input on the Carolina Thread Trail will be held from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Jan. 14 at the Saleeby-Fisher YMCA (East Rowan Y), 790 Crescent Road, Rockwell. The Carolina Thread Trail is a 15-county regional network of trails and greenways, aimed an offering a legacy of conservation.
• Greg Philpot, a Granite Quarry resident and member of the Salisbury Human Relations Council, invited board members and residents to participate in any of the four-day slate of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday activities scheduled from Jan. 17-Jan. 20 in Salisbury.
On Jan. 17, there will be a 1 p.m. MLK program at the Hefner VA Medical Center, Building 6; Jan. 18, the MLK Parade at 11 a.m., going from downtown Salisbury to the Livingstone College campus; Jan. 19, the annual Humanitarian Awards, 3 p.m., at Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church; and Jan. 20, the annual MLK Breakfast, 7:30 a.m., J.F. Hurley YMCA.
• Aldermen reappointed John Linker to the Zoning Board of Adjustment for a three-year-term.
• The town will have a question-and-answer session on creating a municipal service district Jan. 13 at the town hall. The session will begin after the Planning Board’s brief meeting at 5:30 p.m., and a representative of the N.C. Downtown Development Association will be on hand.
• Police Chief Cook thanked everyone who helped his department adopt a family and provide Christmas for six children.
• The Fire Department will open bids at 3 p.m. Friday on a new fire truck.
• The board agreed to the appointments of Feather to the Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Centralina Council of Governments. Susan Closner and Ponds were appointed as town representatives to the Carolina Thread Trail.
Contact Mark Wineka at 704-797-4263.