FAIRMONT 一 The Fairmont town board conducted its monthly meeting on Tuesday.

Email List

The meeting had a sign-up sheet for Mayor Charles Kemp’s weekly email list. Sign-up sheets will be available at all meetings going forward, and Kemp said he encourages those who want to receive weekly updates to attend and sign up.

Employee Appreciation Week

Mayor Kemp issued a proclamation declaring Sept. 1-8 Town Employee Appreciation Week. He said the employees have worked hard and deserve recognition for their service.

Public Comments

Ann Hughes – Children playing sign

Hughes requested a Children at Play sign to be placed on Gertrude St. She stated that four children live on the road, and adding a sign would help them stay safe while playing outdoors.

Tia Moore – Thrivent Financial

Moore represented Thrivent Financial, informing the public of the organization’s workshops they plan to hold locally to help members of Fairmont’s community with planning and managing their finances. More information can be found online.

Victoria Moore – Adopt-a-Block

Moore requested that the town of Fairmont adopt an “Adopt-A-Block” program, a community project similar to the nationwide Adopt-A-Highway program.

Adopt-A-Highway is a free-to-join community effort where groups of people can volunteer to commit to cleaning a two-mile stretch of highway four times annually for at least four years. Signs are placed at either end of the stretch of road to indicate the designated area, and they often include remembrances of passed loved ones or community figures.

Moore’s son passed away earlier this year. She said he was very involved in the community and loved to help others, and she wanted to do something like this in his memory.

She also stated that she would be willing to donate the initial materials needed to begin the program, such as vests, trash bags, gloves and any other necessities, to ensure the town has no up-front cost.

Nate Thompson – Flooding

Thompson requested that the board be more transparent about what’s being done with the grant money allocated to the sewers and drainage system. He expressed concerns about the flooding in town and said he wants to see some visible progress in the near future.

Kim Mitchell – Church Street Drainage issues

Mitchell expressed concern about the standing water on Church Street and its reoccurring flooding issues. She is a longtime resident of Fairmont and has lived on Church Street, next to the Pittman Mill Branch Canal, since 1998.

She said that since 1999, her home has flooded every time Fairmont has received 2.5 inches of rain or more. Mitchell attributes this to a lack of ditch and drainage maintenance that began that year and a poorly constructed drainage system.

Mitchell stated that drainage constructed in other parts of town was being connected to the canal and that the overall input was too much for the canal to handle, and requested that the town work to amend the overflow issue and focus on maintaining the ditches and drainage systems in the future.

During public comments, the board is not allowed to respond to the civilians speaking. All participants were told they would be contacted the next day to discuss their concerns and interests or to schedule a time to speak.

Solid Waste Contract

Town Manager Jerome Chestnut said the decision to negotiate the solid waste removal contract with the current contractor has resulted in a higher cost than the board had initially budgeted. The reason given for the change in pricing is an increase in the cost of labor and materials, so the base cost of the service has risen as a result.

Chestnut emphasized that the price increase will not affect the rate that Fairmont citizens pay for waste removal services. The increased cost will come from the town’s funds.

The board of commissioners voted to approve the amended contract.

LFNC Fellow

In April 2024, the board voted to apply for the Lead For North Carolina (LFNC) program to host an intern for 11 months. According to the LFNC website, the organization recruits recent graduates and connects them to internships in local governments.

Fairmont’s application was approved, so the board introduced Madison Johns, a recent Duke University graduate who arrived in Fairmont in July. She is involved in several town projects, including evaluating town properties for environmental concerns and will continue to participate in the community for the next 11 months.

Regional Waste Water Agreement Amendment

Chestnut told the board that the current wastewater agreement is not working and the towns involved need to reevaluate its terms. The board was invited to a regional wastewater meeting on Sept. 11 to meet with representatives from the surrounding area.

He also stated that because the agreement was not well suited to the region’s needs, Proctorville is in debt to Fairmont after some work was done incorrectly, though he said neither town was to blame for the mistake.

Chestnut said Proctorville offered Fairmont $80,000 to pay part of the sewer debt while working to amend the current agreement.

The board voted to accept the payment and made plans to begin looking at all of the towns connected to the regional system and improve it.

CDBG-NR Grant and Legal Services

The Community Development Block Grant Neighborhood Revitalization (CDBG-NR) is a grant that funds projects that benefit small towns, such as building houses, wetlands management, historic preservation projects and other endeavors.

Chestnut said that Fairmont was approved for the grant in 2022, and the funds were used to replace several homes in the town.

The town is required to have a legal council this year for the grant. A bid was put out, and Chestnut recommended the board go with Graham Law Firm.

The board accepted the recommendation and passed a motion to work with Graham Law Firm in regard to CDBG-NR funds.

Real Estate Property Acceptance Requests

According to Chestnut, the Pittman family contacted the town and offered to donate their property on South Walnut St. to the town. They said that there were no plans to use or sell it, so donating it was the best course of action.

According to Chestnut, the Stevens family also contacted the town. They owned a property on Central St. and wanted to donate it to the town. He said the lot is in a prime spot and would be helpful to the town once cleared.

However, the Central Street property has outstanding taxes and a code enforcement case. The donation was partly made because the current owner could not finance bringing it up to code, and the town would be responsible for that and the taxes due on the property.

Chestnut recommended that the board accept both donations. Although the Central Street property has flaws, he said, the overall value the town could get from it is more than the cost of paying off the debt and clearing the land.

The board agreed to accept both donations, and Chestnut made plans to meet with the town attorney to discuss further action.

Recreational Rental Agreement

Chestnut informed the board that he had been made aware that the current rental agreement contract does not detail the limits for which both the renter and rentee are liable. He stated that he plans to meet with the town attorney and submit an updated contract by Sept. 1.

Board Comments

Mayor Kemp said people are rightfully curious about the process and speed of town projects. He said he would make an effort to be more transparent about what’s happening behind the scenes.

Chestnut said the recent storm taught him how water travels through the town. He said the town needs more funds to fix every property and the draining issues currently, but Fairmont will receive $150,000 for sediment removal in the canal.

The town was previously granted $250,000 to remove debris, which Chestnut said sped up the water and removed it from town much faster than before the cleanup. The additional funds that were granted this year are expected to have a similar effect.

The next board meeting will be held on Sept. 17 in the Fairmont Heritage Center. All board meetings are open to the public, and citizens are encouraged to attend.