By Kyle Poplin
Town Board member Mary Lucas said today that she has “no intention to resign,” adding, “I serve at the board’s pleasure, and my conscience is clear.” Downtown businessman Chuck Routh asked Lucas to resign in March, adding that if she didn’t step down voluntarily he’d try to have her recalled. Routh said Lucas orchestrated an evaluation of Town Manager David Smith that violated his contract with the town. Routh also said Lucas gave orders to town employees who are subordinates of the town manager, in violation of the town charter.
Mayor Beverly Harris said at Monday’s Town Board meeting that the matter had been discussed by the board and “resolved.” Contacted earlier today, Harris added only that it was addressed in closed session and Lucas would not resign. Routh said today, “I’m disappointed the board did not recognize malfeasance and has apparently decided to take no action. And I’m obviously disappointed that Mary has not publicly responded to justify her actions. But, at this point, I’m electing to take no further action, to give the board a chance to show their support of our town manager’s initiatives.”
• Also at Monday’s meeting, the board heard about the town’s wastewater treatment plant which is being studied, Smith said, “to find out what we have and where we need to be going.” The plant can currently treat up to 850,000 gallons per day, but future obligations show the plant will soon be over capacity. Smith said expanding the plant to 2 million gallons per day – which would enable the town to meet future needs – would cost roughly $18 million, but since the utility is considered “at risk” by the state, there’s a chance the state would fund up to $11.5 million for the upgrades. The board voted to request a state loan and/or grant assistance for the project.
• Smith told the board that the town recently received $17,000 from Montgomery County specifically earmarked for recreation.
• He also told the board he plans to apply for up to $900,000 from the state’s COVID recovery fund, in the form of a rural transformation grant. The deadline to apply is May 2.
• Fire Chief Keith Byrd asked the board to help spread the word about the need for Knox Boxes in Mt. Gilead. The system provides a master key to first responders so they can gain access to buildings during an emergency, while limiting property damage.
• Smith said he’s talking to Montgomery County Schools officials about partnering to refurbish Levin Auditorium and utilizing it as a public performance venue. He said the town has the district’s blessing to explore needs, programming, funding, etc.
• During public comments, Patsi Frazier Laracuente congratulated the board and town manager for getting public emails, but said she’s sent several emails that have gone unanswered. “We should continue to take advantage of the communication tools that we have,” she said.