Wayne Opportunity Center request on agenda
By Steve Herring
Published in News on April 15, 2013 1:46 PM
Wayne County commissioners will once again take up a request by Wayne Opportunity center officials for the county to forgive a $30,000 debt.
Center Executive Director John Chance is on the commissioners' agenda Tuesday to make a presentation on the agency's financial information. Commissioners are concerned that they had not yet seen financial information and a business plan they requested more than a month ago from the financially troubled center. They have said they must have the information before they can act on the request.
In addition to the debt forgiveness, center officials also had originally asked that the county no longer demand the proceeds from the sale of the recyclables it funnels through Wayne Opportunity Center.
However, in a March 19 email to County Manager Lee Smith, Chance said center officials now think they will be able to continue to give the county 30 percent of the proceeds the center makes on the sale of mixed paper and plastics.
At a Feb. 27 meeting, Chuck Clodfelter of Carolina Fibre Corp. told commissioners the recycling company has an investment of more than $100,000 in equipment at the center. Clodfelter said his company would pay what the center owes the county.
He said Carolina Fibre does make some profit by working with Wayne Opportunity Center, but that he was willing to pay what is due because of his concern for the disabled people the organization helps.
The commissioners' meeting will start with an agenda briefing at 8 a.m. followed by the regular session at 9 a.m. in their meeting room on the fourth floor of the county courthouse annex.
In other business Tuesday, Brenda Robinson, chairman of the Relay for Life Executive Committee Board, and Ashley Couch, American Cancer Society South Atlantic Division community manager, will update commissioners on the upcoming events for Relay for Life in Wayne County.
The Relay will be held May 10-11 at the Wayne County Fairgrounds.
The board will be asked to proclaim May 3 as A Day of Prayer in Wayne County and April 14-20 as National Library Week.
Selena Bennett, executive director of Communities in Schools, will talk to commissioners about the end-of-year results for 2011-12. She also will talk about the need to continue the success coach program.
Commissioners are expected to change the time for the public comments section for their first meeting in June and July.
The board will try evening meetings on a trial basis for those three sessions. The meetings will start at 3 p.m. with an agenda briefing. Commissioners earlier set the public comment section for the May 7 meeting at 6 p.m. They are expected to do the same for June and July.
Also on the agenda, the board will consider five final subdivision plats:
* Tuscany, 31 lots on the east side of Antioch Road in Saulston Township
* Jockey's Ridge, three lots on the east side of Arrington Bridge Road in Indian Springs Township
* William Jackson, one lot on the west side of Cricket Ridge Road in Brogden Township
* Clarence Wynn Jr. heirs, two lots on the west side of Kelly Springs Road in Brogden Township
* Kyle B. and Lauren J. Lancaster, one lot on both sides of Sheep Hill Road in Buck Swamp Township.