The Wadesboro Town Council hired an interim town manager on Monday.
Cecil Wood was a former city manager in Lewisville and a former county manager in Yadkin and Wilkes counties. He has 34 years of experience working in local government and started in the planning department of Wilkes County.
“I want to work to keep the employees and the council connected,” he said. He said one of his priorities is keeping projects going and to “build a good community.”
Under the terms of his contract, he will work one day a week at $50 per hour. He will receive compensation for travel and mileage. He may do more work if needed. He also works as a consultant and has other clients but said he would do as much work as he could for the town.
Mayor Bill Thacker said he has known Wood for a long time, going back to when Thacker was a county commissioner here and Wood was a county manager in Yadkin.
The council tasked Public Services Director Hugh James to look into the logistics of a request for a unique potential business in town. Dena Wasner addressed the council on Monday about opening a hot dog cart that would be located primarily in the square in Wadesboro. She plans to man the cart from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. during the week. She said in North Carolina, a vendor’s license is not required but the backing of a local restaurant is and she has procured the backing.
However, the property is privately owned and has several owners. Thacker advised her to discuss this with them. Also, James is to look into how power use would be addressed since she would need electricity for her cart. Outlets are availabe on the square but could not be metered in a way to bill her.
Wadesboro Police Department Major Thedis Spencer informed the council that the department had applied for a grant that would allow them to hire an officer who is a veteran. The grant would cover 75 percent of the officer’s pay for three years and the town would cover the difference. After the grant expired, the town would cover the entirety of the officer’s pay. The council must approve the grant but no action was taken.
A citizen applied for a business license to open a “game room” with pool tables, a bowling alley and other recreational activities. However, the council denied the license out of concerns that the applicant had been convicted on Sept. 19, 2011 of selling alcoholic beverages without a permit. The business would be located on the corner of Mark and Rutherford streets.
Jamie Goodson asked the council to reconsider a fee charged to employees for garnishments on their wages. She said she and her husband, David, a police officer, have their wages garnished due to taxes owed on their home, as well as child support for David. She explained that in 2009, she became ill and was forced to leave her job due to these health problems.
She was not able to obtain disability pay for about 18 months and she and her husband got behind on their taxes. She said they lose almost a full paycheck each month to garnishments and fees. Thacker told her the council would examine the matter.
The council approved fees on garnishments in 2004 but these did not go into effect until January 2005. “The fees are designed to reimburse the town for costs associated with garnishment,” according to a letter from former Town Manager John Witherspoon to the council dated Sept. 14, 2004. The fees are $2 per pay period for child support and $20 per pay period for county, state and federal garnishments.
The Town Council set its next meeting for Sept. 10 instead of Sept. 3, which would normally be its meeting date, due to the Labor Day holiday.
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