Annie Lewis joins board in Fremont
By News-Argus Staff
Published in News on July 20, 2005 1:45 PM
FREMONT — Annie Lewis was sworn in Tuesday night as a replacement for the late Sylvester Artis on the Fremont Town Board of Aldermen.
Mrs. Lewis, a lifelong Fremont resdent, will serve out the remainder of Artis’ term, until 2007.
She has never held public office before.
Lewis
The Town Board voted unanimously to appoint Mrs. Lewis to re-place Artis, who died May 30, after serving 18 years on the board. Artis’s widow attended the swearing-in.
Mrs. Lewis was sworn in as the District 6 alderman by Town Clerk Dianne Spellman while her son, Shawn Lewis Jr., held the Bible and Mayor Devone Jones and the five other board members looked on.
Mrs. Lewis said the major issues facing the town board are unemployment, job security, criminal activity and health issues.
“I feel I am qualified to perform the duties” of alderman, she wrote in her application for the seat. “As a town board member, I would bring a focus on ways to improve our community and implement ways for all our residents to have a better outlook on life.”
The new alderman worked for 41 years as a forklift operator for Brown and Williamson/Export Leaf Tobacco Co. in Wilson. For the past three years she has held the same job with Standard Commercial Tobacco Co. in Wilson.
In other business, the board appointed Sam Pierce, a former alderman who was defeated in a re-election bid in 2003, to a vacancy on the town Planning Board.
Pierce replaced Janet Lesser, who resigned in June. Pierce will serve until March, 2009.
W.A. Ballance was named as an in-town member of the Board of Adjustment to replace Burton Smith, who resigned. Ballance moved in town after serving as an out-of-town member. A new out-of-town member has not been appointed.
Good sewer news
A total of 106 repairs to the town sewer system in mid-June may have eliminated infiltration and inflow problems, Town Administrator Kerry McDuffie said. He noted that the town did not send an above-average amount of water to Goldsboro during heavy rains in late June. He also said that before the repairs were made, an above-average amount of water was sent after early-June storms.
McDuffie told the board that only 12 customers had not paid their half share of the cost of new sewer service lines. The town had agreed to pay the other half, or about $275.
“I haven’t paid the sewer bill, because no one has contacted me before they dug on my property,” said Mrs. Levi Cummings. “I haven’t gotten a bill. … Produce me a bill for what was done and I’ll pay it.”
McDuffie said the town had the legal authority to add the charge to the resident’s property tax bill but said Wayne County does not have the computer capacity to do so.
Other business
In other business, the town board:
•Passed an amendment so that bulk goods, like furniture, left at the curb will be picked up at the convenience of the public works director and the residents will be charged for the service.
•Approved a permit for a Norwayne School Alumni parade at 10 a.m. Sept. 3.
•Urged a resident, Valentina Barnes, to contact the Norwayne alumni after a recent party was stopped by police.
•Discussed but took no action on buying land in the 200 block of North Sycamore Street for a park.