First Posted: 8/12/2013

LUMBERTON — The City Council on Monday denied a request for a conditional-use permit that is needed to operate a youth center.

Councilman John Cantey made the motion to deny the request by Nathaniel Stubbs, who wants to open a youth center at 3150 Martin Luther King Drive.

Jeremiah Stubbs, Stubbs’ brother, told the council in May that the center would be used to provide youths with computers and music lessons. Cantey said Nathaniel Stubbs’ failure to appear at the May meeting and his refusal to deny felons access to the center were among the reasons for the denial.

Terry Evans, a member of the Robeson County Planning Board, spoke against the opening of the youth center during the public comments session. Evans said the center has plans of recruiting youths from the community to run a business, which would violate Stubbs’ application of operating the center as a nonprofit.

“They are recruiting kids to sell this juice,” Evans said. “We will not allow it … .”

Councilman Robert Jones had made a motion to approve the permit in June during the city’s regular meeting, but it had died for a lack of a second.

In other action, the council approved incentives for Project Carpet Ride, an effort to recruit a company that has plans of locating at the Fox Building on West Fifth Street.

City Manager Wayne Horne said the company would bring a $1.9 million investment to the city and create 50 jobs within five years, including 26 jobs during the first year.

“We appreciate doing work on that (project) with the county,” Horne said. “Greg Cummings, the county’s economic development director, has put a lot of time and effort for the project.”

The project will qualify for $14,125 worth of incentives, which will be granted as a utility tax credit over a three-year period.

In other action, the council:

— Recognized Daniel Harper, valedictorian, and Will Norton, salutatorian, from Lumberton High School. Harper graduated with a GPA of 4.98 and Norton graduated with a GPA of 4.78.

— Recognized Howard Reaves, Johnny Harrelson and Gordon Wright who are retiring from working for the city. Reaves has been a police officer in Lumberton for 29 years while Harrelson has worked for 14 years and Wright for 10 years in the city’s Electric Utilities Department.

— Gave John Singletary, the owner of the home at 210 E. 10th St., 90 days to make repairs to bring it the structure up to code.

— Granted a five-year franchise agreement to Waste Management of Carolinas, Waste Industries and Pembroke Waste Collection for commercial solid waste.

— Authorized a preliminary application process to repair aging sewer line that will be paid for with a Community Block Development Grant.

— Approved a revised agreement with Lumberton Housing Authority for beat officers.

— Approved a change order for the Tanglewood Sanitary Sewer Project that decreases the overall project cost by $1,820.99.

—Authorized the Lumberton Police Department to apply for $303,632 in grant money from the COPS Hiring Recovery Program, which provides funding to law enforcement agencies.

— Allocated $17,000 from the capital reserve fund to finish repair work on a well.

— Designated Dec. 27 as a paid day-off for city employees.