Candor commissioners OK purchase of land for fire department ♥

As published in the Courier-Tribune on August 10, 2012

By Hugh Martin

CANDOR — The Candor town commissioners voted to purchase land with the hopes of building a new fire department during the Aug. 6 regular meeting.

The agenda was short and the number of spectators attending was smaller than in recent months, but that didn’t stop the latest controversy in the town from being discussed at length.

The board decided to pursue permission from the N.C. Local Government Commission (LGC) to borrow no more than $70,000 from low-bidder BB&T for the purpose of purchasing approximately 18 acres of land on the northeast side of Cole Road and Vivian Street, just off North Main Street. The board hopes to build a new fire department complex on the site.

Management Consultant Ron Niland of All America Associates and Town Clerk Tammy Kellis recently met with LGC officials to discuss the town’s financial ability to borrow the funds. The request will be addressed at a LGC meeting on Sept. 4.

Niland urged the commissioners to approve the request despite objections from some town citizens who raised concerns about the town’s ability to spend the money and the opinion that the location is not suitable for a fire department.

Niland told board members that the current owner of the property, Edwards Timber Company of Marshville, had been very patient with the town. He said that Edwards representative, Jason Lefler, had requested that the purchase be closed by Sept. 10.

Niland told the board that it would be “embarrassing” if the town were not to agree to buy the property as requested by Edwards.

Candor resident George Myers asked why the town could not look at other properties before agreeing to purchase the Edwards land. Niland said that if the town didn’t act now he didn’t think that Edwards would ever sell it to them at any price because they had been “strung along” by the town.

Myers stated that his research showed that the majority of fire calls for the Candor department were located on the south side of the town.

“Why would you build a fire station north of town?” he asked.

Myers pointed out that Commissioner Phillip Hearne was part owner of land on the south side of town and asked him point blank if the property could be sold to the town.

Hearne said that he felt that the discussion would be a conflict of interest for him but agreed to discuss the matter with the other owner.

Following the discussion, Commissioners Hearne, Layton Booker, Rob Martin and Tim Smith voted to authorize Kellis and Mayor Richard Britt to sign any documents on behalf of the town that relate to the purchase.

BB&T has offered to make the loan at 2.45 percent, slightly lower than Fidelity Bank, which submitted the only other bid.

In other business, commissioners were reminded that the town will host a “Back to School Bash” at the Peach Exchange Aug. 25 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. At last year’s event, 250 backpacks with school supplies were distributed to schoolchildren.