Ramseur debates water changes
By Chip Womick
Staff Writer, The Courier-Tribune
RAMSEUR - Ramseur commissioners briefly discussed two topics Monday night
that could affect taxpayers come budget time this year: balancing the water
department budget and establishing a parks and recreation department.
"Everybody on the board knows that last budget we took $81,000 out
of the general fund to carry the water bill and we can't do that or we'll
wind up like the Social Security system," said Mayor Hampton Spivey.
Spivey said that he had contemplated proposing changes in the rate structure
to take effect within 30 days that would have raised rates for commercial
and industrial water customers. But, after a conversation over the Christmas
holidays with Bonnie Renfro, executive vice president of the Randolph County
Economic Development Corp. (EDC), Spivey changed his mind and thinks any
water rate increase should be across-the-board.
"It's a known fact that we have to raise water rates ... we've got
to have more revenue," he said. "... We want to stay business-friendly,
as we have been."
Spivey urged residents to attend budget hearings, when they are scheduled,
so they can hear why town officials think water rates need to go up - and
so they can offer input into the decision.
On the recreation front, currently, the town owns and maintains a couple
of ballfields at Allen Leonard Park, but it does not operate any programs.
Historically, youth teams under the umbrella of the Ramseur Athletic Association,
an independent organization, have used the facilities.
Town officials reported last month, and again Monday night, that employees
continue to field complaints over athletic association operations.
Commissioner Randy Brooks said he thinks the town needs to study getting
into the recreation business.
Mayor Spivey agreed, adding that the town also needs an athletic facility.
"We need to control it and the person that runs it needs to answer
to the commissioners," he said.
Spivey also noted that establishing a recreation department could also
be considered an investment in economic development "if it's done and
done properly."
In other business, commissioners:
* Heard from Randolph County EDC representatives. Renfro said 2004 was
"a very good year for economic development" in Randolph County,
with 16 companies, both new and existing, announcing $71.2 million in investment
that will lead to the creation of 582 new jobs.
In Ramseur, she said, the Tower Components project was completed.
"The company has not only met, but exceeded their job creation goals,"
she said. "They are just thriving."
She noted that EDC officials have marketed a couple of large industrial
facilities in town in the past year, one on Crestwick Drive and one on N.C.
22.
Melissa Foust, the EDC's existing business and industry coordinator,
noted that Crawford Knitting had added on to its Ramseur facility in 2004
after moving some of its Greensboro operations to town.
Richard Heckman, chairman of the EDC board of directors, invited all
Ramseur officials to attend a meeting that will be held in March to discuss
planning for the county's economic future over the next 20 years.
In response to a question from Bill Johnson, a Ramseur-area resident
in attendance at the meeting, Renfro said that efforts to revitalize the
downtown area - which include renovations that will transform a portion
of the former community building into a museum - could be a boon to economic
development.
"If you drive into a charming downtown ... you can see that it's
a town that really cares about it future and it's a very powerful message,"
she said.
Copyright 2002, Stephens Media Group
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