Lorraine Bennett • Clay County Progress Hayesville Mayor Joe Slaton opens on the crates containing parts for the new Electric Vehicle station.
By Lorraine Bennett
Staff Writer
The Town of Hayesville has received notice it is the recipient of a $250,000 state grant to be used for capital improvements or equipment.
The Grants Team of the N.C. Office of State Budget and Management notified the town Monday of the grant. N.C. Rep. Karl Gillespie said a presentation to the town is scheduled for 3 p.m. Wednesday.
Gillespie's office said grants presentations to Clay County and the Clay County Maintenance Yard also will take place at the Clay County Courthouse at 12:30 p.m. and at the maintenance yard at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13.
The Office of State Budget and Management is the administering agency for the grant.
The town also has received parts for the Electric Vehicle charging station to be installed behind Town Hall. The various parts arrived several days ago and are in boxes within the building.
"We have to get the base mounted," Mayor Joe Slaton said Monday. Decisions must be made on how to install wiring necessary to complete the hookup. He said a technician is coming this week to assess what needs to be done to have the station operational.
At Monday evening's Town Council meeting the council approved a proposal for establishing a walking trail along Town Creek, pending approval of a landowner who is intending to donate the necessary acreage.
Slaton said, “The town has accepted an offer of the land and details will be announced later.”
Councilwoman Lauren Tiger made the motion to accept and Councilman Austin Hedden offered the second.
In other discussion Monday, Councilwoman Tiger noted better traffic control is needed for next year's Christmas parade. Too many vehicles were parked on the street, she said, and that forced bystanders to stand too close to the floats.
She said she worried about children dashing out into the street and running into the path of the floats.
The council discussed the need to block off all streets around the square during the night of the parade. They agreed to talk to parade planners and explore ways of making the evening safer, but they took no specific action on how that might happen.
The council directed Town Clerk/Finance Officer Suzanne Hedden to apply for a credit card since the town has never had one and occasionally needs it for on-line purchases.
Councilman Harry Baughn made the motion directing the town clerk to apply for the card.
Zoning Administrator Ron Wallace said the Planning and Zoning Board met and unanimously approved a proposal to sell land containing a trailer park on which the buyer was intending to build tiny homes.
Since the meeting that sale has fallen through, Wallace said.