Cory Riner

Staff writer

ROWLAND —The Rowland Board of Commissioners moved forward on the application process for a Community Development Block Grant on Wednesday by appointing two members to the committee responsible for seeking the grant.

The board appointed Commissioners Betty Boyd and Paul Hunt to be the citizen members of the Community Development Block Grant Committee. The committee also includes Town Clerk Blake Proctor and grant writer Adrian Lowery. The committee will meet several times during October to finish the application process..

Proctor said the town has received seven applications from residents for the rehabilitation of their homes. Applications will be accepted through Oct. 31, when the grant has to be submitted. To qualify to receive grant money, an applicant must have an income of 80 percent or less of he area’s median income and own their home.

A public hearing on the grant will be held on Oct. 16.

The board also heard from Donald Cole about the creation of an art gallery in town.

Cole said the gallery would be located in a 5,000-square-foot building and would have rental space for other cultural events such as recitals and movie screenings.

Cole said he hopes that the gallery would help create interest in the arts and encourage those passing through to stop in town.

“We want to expose the community of Rowland, visitors, and those travelers who come through and everyone in the county to art,” Cole said. “Students and artists in Robeson County will be able to display their art and they would be able to showcase and sell their art there.”

Cole said the development of the gallery would take about four months.

In other action on Wednesday, the board:

— Approved a resolution accepting the Robeson County three-year solid waste management plan.

— Heard a proposal from the Lumbee Guaranty Bank to handle the town’s banking business

— Announced that all town departments are under budget through the first quarter of the fiscal year.

— Discussed hiring a fire inspector.