The Wadesboro Town Council met Monday to discuss current and upcoming projects. The agenda was modified to move the topic of the interim police chief’s salary adjustment to a closed session.

Mayor Bill Thacker expressed his thanks to Uptown Wadesboro, Inc., for commemorating the 9/11 anniversary with flags in the courthouse yard.

The council then discussed street closings for upcoming holidays. Councilman John Ballard expressed concern over the street closings, saying that when his son was sick last year and Ballard had to go to the pharmacy he couldn’t get back to his house. The council will keep similar concerns in mind and will close the streets for the Homecoming Parade Oct. 12 from 4-6 p.m.; People Fest on Oct. 13 from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.; the Veterans Day Parade on Nov. 12 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; and the Christmas Parade on Dec. 6 from 3:30-6:30 p.m.

Public services director Hugh James prioritized street problems for the council. He listed the top problems as a 48-inch culvert problem at the Olde Towne Estates that could cause the street to collapse as it did at McDonald’s; a 24-inch culvert problem on Lennox Drive that could also result in the street collapsing; and a house on Montgomery Street without a driveway pipe, which he will install to solve a community concern. James said that a sinkhole on McLaurin Street has been repaired and that the problem with the head wall was very minor. He said that while there is no potential of street damage on Ingram Street, there is still a problem with drainage and that, in light of other imminent problems with paving needs and necessary repairs on four town bridges, the problem isn’t a priority.

James also reported to the council that Anson County received a preliminary award on a N.C. Catalyst Grant for $448,134 (See related story, page 1A). According to a summary from Mary Beck, director of the Anson County office of economic development, to Town Clerk Nancy Huntley, the grant will be used for “work on the Crisis Ministry wall; materials and supplies for three newly proposed Habitat homes; new handicap bathroom, new room, parking lot upgrades for Grace Senior Center; replacement of one home in Wadesboro with no indoor plumbing; replacement of another home near Ansonville with no indoor plumbing; emergency repairs for elderly, income-eligible homeowners up to $5,000 per home; and demolition and clearance of a total of 18 dilapidated vacant dwellings in Wadesboro and Morven.”

In the summary, Beck reiterated that this is just the “preliminary award,” and that they will have to wait to see the Grant Agreement and Funding Approval to see what conditions are placed on the project, and receive the release of conditions on any part of the grant, before moving forward.

The town has at least 40 vacant dilapidated homes within its limits that can be demolished and cleared. The council discussed the demolition; with the governor’s approval and a $750,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for Infrastructure funds, 15 of the dilapidated homes have been targeted for paid demolition.

The town also approved the fire association’s request for a surplus vehicle for training purposes before going into closed session to discuss the interim police chief’s salary adjustment.