ROCKINGHAM — Council members on Tuesday unanimously approved demolition ordinances for three dilapidated homes in the city limits.
Assistant City Manager and City Planner John Massey said that all three homes had caught fire in the past.
The first house, at 104 Aslington Street, had initially been damaged when a tree fell onto it, according to Massey.
Owner Tony Freeman had pulled permits to repair the house, Massey said, but it caught fire and burned. Massey added house is beyond salvageable and that the owner has expressed no interest in trying to make any repairs.
The city began the abandoned structure process on the second house, at 412 Bickett Street, in March, according to Massey, who added there has been no contact with the owner, BVGG Properties, LLC, and nothing has been done to “correct the situation.”
Massey said there had been communication with the owner of the third property, at 430 Curtis Drive, “but he has taken no action,” aside from placing a piece of plastic across the top to try to keep the rain out.
Massey said the owner also acknowledged in an email “how dangerous the situation is,” because some of the walls are unsafe.
According to city documents, the house is owned by Samsul A. Khan and Shireen Islam.
Massey told the RO that the cost to the city to demolish a home can range from $4,000-$15,000 depending on if it needs asbestos abatement or if the fire department can use it for training.
According to the ordinances, the cost of demolition constitutes a lien on the property.
BOARD APPOINTMENTS
Following the approval of the demolition ordinances, Massey then presented a list of local board appointments, which the Council approved — but not without some discussion.
With a motion to approve the entire list on the table with a second, Councilwoman Denise Sullivan questioned the residency of Malcolm McLester, who was recommended to be reappointed and designated as chairman of the ABC Board.
Sullivan was under the impression that McLester had moved to Moore County, but serval members of the Council and City Attorney Benny Sharpe assured her that he had not yet relocated.
However, both Councilmen Bennett Deane and Gene Willard concurred that once someone leaves the county, they should resign.
Deane said that, since McLester still lives in the county, his leadership is still needed to maintain stability and oversight.
The following appointments were also approved:
- Brent Neal and Antonio Evans reappointed as in-city members of the Planning and Zoning Board
- Randy Warren and Marty Goodman reappointed to the Historic Preservation Board and Jay Denham appointed to fill the seat vacated by Tommy Wilson. There are still two vacancies on the board.
- Elaine Wilson reappointed to the Richmond County Public Library Board.
- The recommendation to the Richmond County Board of Commissioners to reappoint Caroline Thomas-Goodwin as the ETJ representative and Tim Long as the alternate ETJ representative to the Board of Adjustment.
Mayor Steve Morris added that there has been a resignation in the Rockingham Housing Authority and officials are looking to fill the vacancy with a resident. Morris said he will have more at a later date.
‘BAN THE BOX’
The only person to speak during the public comment section of the meeting was mayoral candidate Michael McRae.
Morris told McRae, who had expressed thanks in the expediency of a public records request, not to use his time at the podium to campaign. McRae is running against Morris and Mayor Pro Tem John Hutchinson in the upcoming municipal election.
McRae used his time to encourage city leaders to look into hiring convicted felons, referencing the “Ban the Box” movement, which is aimed at eliminating the check box for prior convictions on job applications.
McRae, himself, is a felon, after pleading guilty in federal court to conveying false information concerning a biological weapon after sending a threatening letter to the Iowa state representative he was working for in 2012.
He said the issue is “plaguing our community, both from the employer side and on the employee side.”
McRae cited an executive order issued by Gov. Roy Cooper nearly a year ago which prohibits state agencies from asking potential employees about their criminal history during the initial stages of the employment decision process.
Nearly one in three adults in the U.S. have a prior arrest or conviction, including 1.7 million North Carolinans, according to McRae.
“Ban the Box is a necessary and growing trend among states and local governments,” McRae said. “Striking the question until after the initial interview will serve as a necessary counterbalance to a criminal justice system that disproportionately convicts African Americans in general.”
He said several local governments, including those of Cumberland County, Charlotte and Asheville, have enacted similar policies.
“At the end of the day, jobs matter,” McRae said. Quoting Cooper, he added, “People who have made mistakes often deserve a second chance, and having a job helps turn lives around.”
Deane told McRae the city could potentially make that an internal policy, but could not enforce it on private employers.
IN MEMORIAM
Several Council members took time to remember the loss of both Richmond County Sheriff James E. Clemmons Jr. and former state senator J. Richard Conder.
During the opening prayer, Morris thanked God for Clemmons and “the life that he lived and the example he set to so many people, and the impressions he made on young people, as well.”
Hutchinson recalled Morris’ prayer, saying, “Our hearts go out to the sheriff’s department and to the family of Sheriff Clemmons. It’s a big loss to the community. He was a fine leader that I think we all respected and enjoyed working with.”
Willard, who was at the funeral, said Clemmons was “a fine man,” and that he was impressed by the turnout by so many other sheriffs from across the state.
“That spoke very well of James Clemmons,” Willard said. “I thought it was, to me, the most heartfelt feeling that you could get of how good a man he really was, because of those people taking the time and coming to say goodbye to their friend.”
Sullivan said what touched her the most during Monday’s visitation at the old courthouse was seeing the support of the Rockingham Police Department for the sheriff’s office.
“And I think that says a lot about the working together that the sheriff’s department and the police department have — that makes a difference … I think we’re all going to miss him.”
Deane said the loss of Clemmons is “devastating” to the community.
“He was a giant in this community in so many ways,” Deane said. “A true leader.”
Deane also commented on the relationship between the two departments “due to the bridges that Sheriff Clemmons built that I’m sure the leadership he’s established in that department will continue.”
Deane then mentioned the loss of Conder, who served as a county commissioner for 22 years and in the N.C. Senate from 1984-1997.
Morris added a personal note, saying that Conder, who was a banker, loaned him the money to buy Helms Jewelers.
“When I think of Sheriff Clemmons, I think of a very large man — a sturdy, rough and tough-looking guy,” Morris said. “But the thing that I got out of his funeral today was love. Clem loved everybody and everybody loved him … He was a good friend to all of us.”
