City Council

MINUTES WENTWORTH TOWN COUNCIL January 3, 2023 7:00 pm Wentworth Town Hall 124 Peach Tree Road, Wentworth NC The Wentworth Town Council held their regularly scheduled monthly meeting at the Wentworth Town Hall, on Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at 7:00pm. Council Members Present: Mayor Dennis Paschal Jr., Mayor Pro Tem Evelyn Conner, Cheryl Moore, Dennis Paschal III, Daryl Crowder Council Members Absent: A quorum was met. Staff Present: Yvonne Russell, Town Clerk/ Finance Officer Hunter Wilson, Accounting Clerk/ Deputy Clerk Others Present: Ellis Martin, Attorney, Fox Rothschild LLP – Town of Wentworth Rockingham Update - Media Article I. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Dennis Paschal Jr. called the meeting to order. Article II. INVOCATION Councilmember Dennis Paschal, III gave the invocation. Article III. APPROVAL OF TOWN COUNCIL AGENDA A. Requests and Petitions of Citizens B. Approve/ Amend Agenda Mayor Paschal made a MOTION, “To add item E. under Article Vl. New Business, for Consideration of SCIF Grant Project Ordinance for the Construction, and Installation of the SCIF Grant Project.” Mayor Pro Tem Evelyn Conner seconded the motion. All voted in favor and the motion carried. Article IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. Town Council Meeting – December 6, 2022 Mayor Paschal made a MOTION, “The minutes be approved as written”. Councilmember Paschal III seconded the motion. All voted in favor and the motion carried. Article V. OLD BUSINESS There was no old business. Wentworth Council Meeting Minutes January 3, 2023 – pg. 1 Article VI. NEW BUSINESS A. Consideration of Memorandum of Agreement with Alley, Williams, Carmen & King (AWCK) for the Old Wentworth Consolidated School Gym Mayor Paschal informed Council that he met with Jeff Johnson from AWCK to tour the gym at the Wentworth Consolidated School site, and Jeff determined it would be better to quote their work towards repairs of the gym on an hourly rate instead of a percentage of total cost as they do on new construction. Mayor Paschal made a MOTION, “We approve the Memorandum of Agreement with Alley, Williams, Carmen & King.” Councilmember Paschal III asked, “Is the scope of work just for the gym or for anywhere in the building that we decide?” Mayor Paschal explained that the scope of work is for the gym, and that repairs to other areas would be something Council would look at after repairing the gym. He mentioned that Jeff thought there could be a handicap accessible ramp placed between the gym and the first floor hallway of the attached school building. Councilmember Cheryl Moore asked, “What exactly are they doing to the gym?” Mayor Paschal replied, “We’ve already got a quote on the windows. Jeff said we should probably go ahead and put the windows and doors in.” He continued, “That’s what they’re going to do. They’re going to tell us what needs to be done. We know it needs to be painted and cleaned up. We need a heat source in there. I talked to a guy early on and he said you could put a heat pump out on the back side and come up through one of the windows and then put a couple of big fans overhead.” Mayor Paschal mentioned other repairs that may need to be made, but reiterated that AWCK will be working to determine what repairs need to be made. Councilmember Paschal III mentioned that 2023 is the 100th Anniversary of the Wentworth Consolidated School. Mayor Paschal asked for a second to his MOTION. Mayor Pro Tem Conner seconded the motion to approve the Memorandum of Agreement with AWCK. All voted in favor and the motion carried. (Note: Memorandum of Agreement with Alley, Williams, Carmen & King (AWCK) is herein incorporated and made a part of these minutes.) Wentworth Council Meeting Minutes January 3, 2023 – pg. 2 Wentworth Council Meeting Minutes January 3, 2023 – pg. 3 Wentworth Council Meeting Minutes January 3, 2023 – pg. 4 Article VI. B. Appointments to Boards/Committees 1. Wentworth Historic Preservation Committee: Kay Hammock, Nancy Link, and Buck Harmon (All Reappointments) Mayor Paschal made a MOTION, “We reappoint all three committee members to the Historic Preservation Committee.” Councilmember Daryl Crowder seconded the motion. All voted in favor and the motion carried. Article VI. B. Appointments to Boards/Committees 2. Wentworth Planning Board & Board of Adjustment:  Kimberly Hill Marley – 560 NC 65  Debbie Paschal – 9684 NC 87 Mayor Paschal noted that he and Councilmember Paschal III will abstain from voting on the Planning Board members because they are related to one of the applicants. Yvonne Russell, Town Clerk said there is one vacancy on the Planning Board and currently no alternate members for the Planning Board. Mayor Pro Tem Conner made a MOTION, “To appoint Debbie Paschal to a four year term on the Planning Board and Board of Adjustment, and Kim Marley as an alternate because Debbie has served on the Rockingham County School Board and she was there during the construction of the Rockingham County Middle School and Elementary School.” Councilmember Moore seconded the motion. Mayor Pro Tem Conner, Councilmember Moore, and Councilmember Crowder voted in favor and the motion carried. Article VI. C. Discussion of Shade Systems for Park Playground After the last Council meeting, Councilmember Moore asked Ms. Russell to put playground shade systems on the next Council agenda. Ms. Russell reviewed the information she was able to obtain online about playground shade systems. She said she has requested quotes from two suppliers but has not received a quote yet. Ms. Russell will follow up with Council after receiving the quotes. Wentworth Council Meeting Minutes January 3, 2023 – pg. 5 Article VI. D. Consideration of Contract with Rockingham County Board of Elections Mayor Paschal made a MOTION, “We approve the contract with Rockingham County Board of Elections.” Mayor Pro Tem Conner seconded the motion. All voted in favor and the motion carried. (Note: The contract with Rockingham County Board of Elections is herein incorporated and made a part of these minutes.) Wentworth Council Meeting Minutes January 3, 2023 – pg. 6 Wentworth Council Meeting Minutes January 3, 2023 – pg. 7 Wentworth Council Meeting Minutes January 3, 2023 – pg. 8 Wentworth Council Meeting Minutes January 3, 2023 – pg. 9 Wentworth Council Meeting Minutes January 3, 2023 – pg. 10 Article VI. E. Consideration of Grant Project Ordinance for the Construction, and Installation of the SCIF Grant Project Ms. Russell noted the SCIF Grant is a grant the Town received from North Carolina’s State Capital Infrastructure Fund. She explained that at this time the Grant Project Ordinance outlines a general idea of what the expenditures will be for the Wentworth Consolidated School repairs project. As this project progresses, amendments will need to be made to show more detail in the Grant Project Ordinance. Mayor Paschal made a MOTION, “We approve the Grant Project Ordinance for the construction and installation of the SCIF Grant Project.” Mayor Pro Tem Conner seconded the motion. All voted in favor and the motion carried. Councilmember Paschal, III asked how much the Town receive with the SCIF Grant. Ms. Russell said the Town has received two SCIF Grants, each in the amount of $250,000. (Note: The Grant Project Ordinance is herein incorporated and made a part of these minutes.) Wentworth Council Meeting Minutes January 3, 2023 – pg. 11 Wentworth Council Meeting Minutes January 3, 2023 – pg. 12 Article VII. PUBLIC COMMENTS No one signed the speaker register for public comments. Article VIII. ANNOUNCEMENTS Mayor Paschal made the following announcements:  The next regular meeting of the Wentworth Planning Board is scheduled for Tuesday, January 17, 2023 at 7:00 pm at the Wentworth Town Hall.  The next regular meeting of the Wentworth Town Council is scheduled for Tuesday, February 7, 2023, at 7:00 pm at the Wentworth Town Hall.  The Town Hall will be closed Monday, January 16, 2023 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Article IX. ADJOURN Mayor Paschal made a MOTION, “We adjourn”. Mayor Pro Tem Conner seconded the motion, and the meeting adjourned. Respectfully Submitted By: __________________________ Yvonne Russell, NCCMC Town Clerk Approved By: _______________________ Dennis Paschal, Jr. Mayor Wentworth Council Meeting Minutes January 3, 2023 – pg. 13