I
October 20, 1993
THE NEWS-JOURNAL
Raeford, N.C.
13
town growth and participation. Possible
areas for improvement include removal
of power lines in the downtown area,
additional parking, upgrading of side
walks, assisting property owners in reno
vation of their businesses and adding
street lights city-wide.
Wowra: Much is being done at this
time to revitalize the appearance of
downtown Raeford. Specifically, 1 will:
actively seek funds to place overhead
lines underground; encourage and offi
cially recognize individual merchant’s
revitalization efforts; ensure that the
city maintenance department maintains
and upgrades downtown Raeford on an
ongoing basis; direct that all downtown
parking areas be more clearly marked
and better maintained.
As appearance is a barometer of pride,
theconditionofdowntown Raeford must
be a priority.
Thomas: The businesses downtown
are mostly privately owned and should
be the responsibility of their owners to
fix them up.
McGuire: Raeford’s downtown is
similar to downtown in many other
towns. Downtown America is dying
and moving to the mall on the by-pass.
Raeford could improve it’s downtown
image considerably by getting rid of the
two-hour parking and ticketing scan
currently in effect. The most visually
exciting downtown I’ve ever seen is
Marion, S. C. The Raeford City Council
should pay a visit to Marion to see what
a downtown can be.
Graham: Simply by bringing and
encouraging small business people and
vendors to establish here in Hoke
County. Provide seminars and work
shops. Create a merchant association
and an econom ic strategic planning com
mittee.
McLeod: There are many towns and
cities across our nation that would like
to know the answer to this question.
Most of the recom mendations for down
town revitalization require spending
large amounts of money by local gov
ernments or from merchants and indus
try. In our case, there has not been
enough money to accomplish a great
deal, but the city is committed to help
ing revitalize downtown. The city’s
budget has money allocated each year
for this purpose, and a member of the
City Council serves on the downtown
revitalization committee. This commit
tee has worked hard and has the strong
support of the City Council. Sidewalk
restoration and utility pole removal are
a couple of long range things that could
be done.
Fields: Downtown revitalization is a
subject we’ve heard an awful lot about
but haven’t really seen much of. Con
crete flower pots and banners are nice
and I’m glad we have them but its like
Ross Perot says, “Is this one we just
want to talk about or is this one we’re
ready to do something about?”
If we’re ready to do something about
it, in my opinion these are some things
we need to do.
First, no burned-out dilapidatld
buildings need to be left standing as an
eyesore and potential safety hazard. All
the sidewalks and curb and guttering (in
areas that need it) should be repaired "f
potholes, broken and uneven spots, etc.
and metal plating put in the road along
side the steel tracks at all railroad cross
ings. We should have the utilities (wher
ever possible) pul underground down
town and then plant trees every 50 feet
or so along the streets. Merchants and
owners of buildings should be urged
(by the Chamber of Commerce) if nec
essary to keep their buildings, front and
rear entrances, etc. clean and spruced
up and looking like they’re ready for
business. Once the town looks the part,
like its really a nice place to spend some
time, the Chamber could press for tight
enforcements of ordinances like no bi
cycles on sidewalks, no littering, no
profanity in public places, etc. Even
pass new ordinances if necessary to
keep the town looking the way we
worked so hard to make it look. The
Chamber m ight even put out a “Raeford
Calendar” every year with twelve pic
tures of different businesses.
Next would be to again do every
thing in our power to attract good new
businesses to town. If all this worked
fairly well we could look into starting a
shuttle bus that makes periodic stops at
different points throughout the city.
There’s many other ways also to revi
talize downtown, but we have to have
the will to do it and the goals have to be
within reach.
McNeill: 1 think we should support
the Downtown Revitalization Commit
tee to the fullest. They do a great job.
Q : Raeford has
experienced prob
lems with its water
lately. How would
you address these prob
lems?
Gentry:First of all, the problem is
not water quality, but quantity and pres
sure. With deep wells providing our
water, quality has always been and con
tinues to be excellent. The pressure prob
lem is most prevalent in the western part
of our City and much of it is outside city
limits. We recently asked our engineers
to address this problem and to provide a
solution to remedy this situation. Their
findings were to place smaller water
lines with largerones(insome instances
as much as 12 inch lines are needed and
we have none over 6 inches now) and
secondly, to build another water tank in
this area. This would be very costly, but
if we phase it out over a period of three
to five years, we can pay for it as we go
which has been our practice lately as
opposed to going into debt. The prob
lem is partially a result of our efforts to
n'rovide services to those high growth
areas.
Phillips: Raeford has not positioned
itself for the growth that it is experienc
ing. A study addressing future water
needs was conducted by engineers ap
proximately lOyearsago. Iftherecom-
mendationsofthis.study has been imple
mented at that time, we would be poised
for the growth that we are presently
experiencing. At the present time the
Council has adopted a phasing in of a
plan that is addressing and will solve
these water problems. I support a pro
gressive posture for providing water
and sewer for future growth.
Wowra: Currently, the City is doing
what is expedient: having outside feasi
bility studies performed, evaluating
these studies, making prudent expendi
tures as dictated by the studies.
Thomas: We should improve our
water system .so that we accommodate
any future growth and need of the city.
McLeod: The city has a problem
with quantity of water and water pres
sure as the distance increases away from
the water tanks. We do not have a
problem with water quality. The City
Council has just approved a project to
put in larger water lines and to extend
those lines to those locations that are
experiencing low water pressure. This
first phase will address those locations
within the city limits. Another phase
will have to be studied and approved to
provide water for those areas outside
the city that are requesting it. This phase
would include the possible construction
of a new water tank.
Graham: Getouton November 2nd,
and vote for bond referendum #4: State
of North Carolina clean water bonds.
Water is an essential commodity We
need all available resources to secure
this service and rehabilitation and im
proved existing water systems. To do
this, we first need money. Secondly, we
need to vote on the bond issue to secure
the money. Finally, we must identify
our problem with all the technical ex
pertise available and register this report
to the state asking for clean water grants.
1 would keep the citizens informed of all
matters concerning clean water method
and means on state and federal levels.
As a elected official 1 intend to keep the
people informed of problems and de
velopments.
McGuire: The most effective way
to address a water problem is to check
with other cities to see how they ad
dressed similar problems, choose the
solution best suited to Raeford and act
on it.
Fields: I don’t have the advantage of
access to ail the information but I’ll
answer the answer this question ba.sed
on what I think the problem is. The
water pipes are toosmalI to carry enough
water pressure to some areas of town
that need more to accommodate devel
opment. For instance, the western part
of town seems to be where the most
problem is right now.
1 would address the problem by first
identifying exactly what our goals are.
In other words how much additional
water pressure is needed to carry us well
into the future.
Then I would remain the most eco
nomical ways to achieve our goals
whether a new pumping station, more
water pipes, another water tank or what
ever is needed.
The.se are things we’re bound to go
into in detail in the very near future. One
thing I might add is that #4 on the bond
referendums. We will be voting for or
against on November 2nd is the issu
ance of $145,()()0,()()0 of N. C. Clean
Water Bonds with a portion of that
going to local governments in the form
of grants to pay for all or a portion of the
costs of clean water projects, without
raising taxes. I would urge every voter
to get a sample ballot and read these
referendums carefully, some of which
could benefit us here in Raeford and
Hoke County. Too often we go to the
polls and see these referendums for the
first time and vote no because we sim
ply don’t understand them. You can
vote for the ones you like and against
the ones you don’t. As of this writing I
like all 4 referendums because 1 see
future benefits in them for us. 1 am
against #1, the constitutional amend
ment, because the General Assembly
does not need to make this decision, the
people do.
McNeill: I believe that water se^^’ice
should be supplied adequately to the
citizens of Raeford before expanding
services outside the city. We are cur
rently conducting a study of this matter.
Q : City-county
relations reached
a zenith this year
with its solid
waste deal, then plum
meted with the Planning
Commission issue. What
do you think needs to be
done to improve relations?
Gentry: 1 do not feel that all is lost
because we still are together on garbage
disposal, communications center and
tax listing.
I have recently come to the conclu
sion that we now need to combine
County and City Government. This
would entail one Board which should be
expanded to include 13 members. There
would be one member elected from each
voting precinct in the City and the
County. The Mayor could be the Mod
erator, or Chairman, without a vote (ex
cept to break a tie vote). This would
give every area representation on the
Board. There would be one manager
with an assistant manager and both
should be very knowledgeable and com-
mittedlo planning, economic develop
ment, and downtown revitalization. 1
would propose that we hire an experi
enced, professional public safety of
ficer who would supervise the activities
ofajointSheriffand Police department,
all fire departments, emergency medi
cal personnel, rescue squad, and school
safety program. Combine the City and
County tax listing and collection de
partments, garbage collection depart
ments, vehicle repair and maintenance,
combine City and County water sys
tems and begin plans to start sewer
treatment facilities for our County. It
appears as small as our County is, with
only one municipality, it can work.
Consolidation of City and County gov
ernments would have to be brought be
fore the people via a referendum or
through action of the state legislature.
Phillips: The City and County gov
ernments need to take advantage of ev
ery opportunity to establish common
ground and work together to save our
citizens tax money from duplicated ser
vices whenever possible. Realizing that
no two governing bodies are going to
think alike, all elected officials should
make decisions based upon what is good
for the majority of the citizens and not
for special interest groups nor
“backroom politicians.” I welcome the
opportunity cooperatively work with
our County leaders.
Wowra: Relations break down when
communications break down. To better
keepcity and county officials“in touch”
with ongoing mutual issues, joint quar
terly informative meetings should be
held.
The city and county should have
similar longterm objectives: sound gov
ernment, sound growth, performance
from tax paid employees.
Thomas: We should act professional,
leave our personal feelings out of an
issue and do what’s best for Raeford as
a whole.
McLeod: The City and County Gov
ernments have a very good relationship.
One issue, such as the County Com m is-
sioners voting to dissolve the five-year-
old Planning Commission, should not
keep the two boards from working to
gether. The County Manager, Mike
Wood, has shown that he wants the City
and County to work very closely to
gether. We are currently working to
gether in communications, mutual aid
with the fire departments, solid waste
disposal, the airport, tax listings and
billings, the animal shelter, the water
system and many other areas that are
important to our community. I think we
will be able to find other ways to work
together that will be beneficial to both
the City and County. ”
McGuire: Replace the County Com- ''
missioners.
Fields: Idon’tunderstandtheCounty ’
Commissioners who voted to dissolve ’
the Planning Commission at all. If
there’s some hidden wisdom in what
they’re doing, the time has long since
passed that they should have shared it
with the rest of us. 1 honestly don’t
know what, if anything can be done to
improve relations with them, but I think '
the public needs to be made completely
aware ot everything that’s happening
and kept informed at election time. I
McNeill: I think both bodies need to *
be open-minded and to try to address
issues jointly when possible.
Graham: I think the current City-
County relationship in the area of plan
ning should continue. Raeford is going
through a transitional period. New and
energetic leadership must manifest to
produce proper planning and adminis
tration. Prioritizing issues is a key fac
tor, Again, 1 believe it is very important
to be in touch with the citizens of this
county. We must work together and ^
take time to receive input from various
sources. One city and one county, this is
a unique situation. We don’t have to
deal with thecomplexitiesof neighbor
ing counties who have more than one *
city to manage.
Q : Do you have any ,
ideas for City
planning since the
County moved to
dissolve the joint Planning
Commission?
Gentry: Hopefully County officials
will have second thoughts about disso- ,
lution,but if not, the City would have no
alternative but to go back to having its
own planning board. 1 do not feel we
can justify hiring a full time planning
di rector; therefore, the duties would have
to be assumed by the city manager and
superintendent. There could be a possi
bility of combining City Planning and
Adjustment Boards. However, if County
and City governments could he com
bined as noted in question #9, all boards
would be automatically combined.
Phillips; Planning and zoning are
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