Tuesday night’s meeting of the Wake Forest Town Board was largely taken up by honoring four long-time town employees who are retiring – Thomas LaBarge, the IT director, 15-plus years; Jimmy Thrift, a parks, recreation and cultural resources department employee, 16 years; Wake Forest Police Department Captain Darren Abbacchi, 27 years; and Richard Brown, Wake Forest Police Department Sergeant Richard Brown, 20-plus years.
The two police officers had their badges and service weapons declared surplus and presented to them.
The mayor and commissioners also honored the Wake Forest High School soccer team, coaches and support staff on winning the state championship this fall, 23 years to the day after the Wake Forest-Rolesville High School was crowned state champion. The 2019 team ended the season 21-1-2.
There were two business items on the agenda, the first being the appointment of the five commissioners as ex officio members of the various town advisory boards. The commissioners approved the list that had been prepared in advance.
The only wrinkle in the smooth meeting came when the commissioners had to choose one of them as mayor pro tem, who serves when the mayor cannot. Commissioner Chad Sary nominated Commissioner Liz Simpers and, after a pause, Commissioner Adam Wright nominated Commissioner Bridget Wall-Lennon.
Wall-Lennon said she remembered Mayor Vivian Jones telling her that the highest vote-getter was usually or always nominated as the mayor pro tem. Newly seated commissioners are not usually named to that post, and Wall-Lennon led the five-person field in 2017 election which put her and Simpers on the board. Jones first said she had not said that – “We haven’t done that for eighteen years” – but when Wall-Lennon persisted said, “I ‘don’t remember. Maybe I did.”
Since having competing candidates for that office is unusual in town history, Jones asked for legal advice on how to proceed. Attorney Eric Vernon said they should take up the first nomination first. They did, and the vote was three to two, electing Simpers.
There were no speakers for the public hearings on closing a portion of Wrigley Drive, annexing the future Ledgerock subdivision, or the update on the five-year Capital Improvements Plan.
The most consequential action was taken during the consent agenda when the commissioners awarded a bid for the town’s fiber network of $2,496,247.73 to Utility Service Contractors. The town has estimated the total cost, including engineering and other work, at $3,320,000.
The project has had trouble finding bidders. There were only two attending the pre-bid meeting in December so the project was rebid and Utility Service was the only bidder. The project will connect all Town of Wake Forest buildings in a fiber network with headquarters at town hall.
LaBarge had seen the project through to the bidding process. Adam Oates, the new IT head, will see it completed.
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