Granite Quarry board calls meeting for Monday in relation to personnel matter

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, June 3, 2015

GRANITE QUARRY — It was brief, but the Granite Quarry Board of Aldermen continued a personnel-related closed session Tuesday afternoon.

Mayor Bill Feather said Tuesday’s closed discussion lasted roughly 15 minutes and no action was taken in open session, other than the board agreed to reconvene at 9 a.m. Monday.

The personnel discussions started Monday night at the board’s regular monthly meeting.

Town Manager Justin Price did not sit in on the closed session Monday night, which is unusual, unless his position was the one being evaluated. The board hired Price, former assistant town manager and planning director for Troy, in October 2014.

The board met in closed session for about 45 minutes Monday but emerged only to say that no action was taken. Price participated in the regular meeting.

In other town business Monday, aldermen voted for an agreement between Granite Quarry and T&F Developers, owners of a 92-acre tract off Faith Road.

In the agreement, T&F will convey a tract of land to the town in trade for a waterline to the property. That waterline will be extended from one serving the Gildan property off Heilig Road.

The agreement  depends on the successful completion of an access road, now under construction, and the waterline extension from Heilig Road to Gildan’s expansion. The town also has to obtain an easement across county-owned property to the tract owned by T&F.

The town hopes the agreement and waterline will lead to development of the Faith Road tract.

In another matter, Deputy Clerk Sarah Cross said rubber duck sales for Granite Quarry’s “Duck Derby,” scheduled for June 13 at Granite Lake Park, have not gone as well as expected.

To date, about 45 to 50 ducks have been sold at $10 each for the event, sponsored by the merchants association. The goal for duck sales is about 230, Cross said. As planned, the race would be a Kentucky Derby-type event with a Rowan Rescue Squad airboat providing the wind power to move all the yellow ducks toward the finish line.

Alderwoman Mary Ponds said there was nothing visible in the town promoting the Duck Derby, except a sign at the park. Cross said she was going to attend a meeting today where a decision would be made on whether or not to hold the event.

“Try not to cancel it,” Ponds said.

In other Granite Quarry news:

• The town’s new fire engine has yet to arrive. Deputy Fire Chief Bill Fraley said the truck left the factory in Wisconsin Monday morning and will spend about a week at the N.C. dealership, Atlantic Solutions, where it will be given a thorough inspection because the company carries a one-year warranty on the vehicle.

• Price and Fraley said Granite Quarry firefighters Alan Bennett, Trevor Sculley, Kevin Strobel, Brian Peoples and Jake Chambers deserve recognition for their role in rescuing and giving medical attention to a Rockwell man burned during a May 22 fire. Granite Quarry was responding to the mutual-aid call.

“It was a great job and a great exhibit of what our guys do in the field,” Price said.

• The planning firm of Arnett/Muldrow will begin holding public meetings June 9 and 10 to receive input on a town revitalization plan. Price said times for those meetings have yet to be determined.

• Price reported that railroad crossing arms are being installed on Depot, Kerns and Bank streets.

• Aldermen approved the installation of Carolina Thread Trail identification signs at Granite Lake Park and Civic Park.

• Alderman Arin Wilhelm reported that a spring clean-up day in Granite Quarry, promoted by the Community Appearance Committee, drew 10 participants who collected 18 bags of trash along several different streets.

• Aldermen decided against hiring Centralina Council of Governments to do a $2,500 salary study in favor of doing it in house.

Contact Mark Wineka at 704-797-4263.