Seven Springs mayor offered leave of absence
By News-Argus Staff
Published in News on August 16, 2004 1:59 PM
SEVEN SPRINGS -- The Seven Springs town board held a brief emergency meeting Friday and decided to ask Jewel Kilpatrick to take a two-month leave of absence rather than resigning as mayor.
Mrs. Kilpatrick said Saturday that she might consider it if the leave of absence were for six months. She resigned Wednesday, saying her family and friends have urged her to quit for health reasons.
If Mrs. Kilpatrick doesn't take the leave of absence, the board plans to appoint someone to fill her position as mayor.
New sewer fee
The town board has agreed to charge new sewer customers a $1,000 tap-on fee.
Town Commissioner Rodolph Adams moved to impose the $1,000 fee Wednesday. Peggy Jones provided the second. The vote was 4-1, with Commissioner Danny Carter dissenting.
Danny Carter said a $1,000 tap-on fee is "strong-arming the people."
Library can move
The town board received word from the Wayne County Library that the Seven Springs branch can move down the hill into the old church. But the trustees said they cannot assure the town board that the library will stay there 10 years.
Church rent
Franklin Williams, who has been renting the church for performances, asked the board to continue renting it to him. He had been paying the costs of electricity and water, which came to about $100. The board wanted to set a flat fee, so the building, which the town recently bought, could be rented to other groups at other times, too.
The board voted to rent the building for $50 a day and a $50 deposit.
River House lease
The board renewed a lease with Karen and Bobby Mozingo for the River House for another year. The lease had been established for periodic use.
Mrs. Mozingo said they had originally planned to stay in the River House a day or two a week. But now, she said, they want to make it their permanent home, while maintaining their other house in Lenoir County.
The town board said Bobby Mozingo could paint markings for parking restrictions 25 feet from the intersections on Main Street to all but emergency vehicles. The town has an ordinance that limits parking at the corners so motorists will be better able to see other cars coming. Mozingo volunteered to do the work.
The lot where the Civil War Trail will make a stop in town has been named Whitehall Landing. The Historical Society plans to install a monument to the soldiers of the North and South. The society knows of 11 Confederate soldiers who died in the Battle of Whitehall. They all had hometowns south of Raleigh, said Mozingo.