Board hears downtown safety concerns

Drew Bridges, who owns the Storyteller’s Book Store on South White Street told the Wake Forest commissioners at the start of their regular meeting Tuesday night he has serious safety and environment concerns about his downtown store. Someone has either succeeded or tried to kick in his back door twice and during an altercation on the sidewalk a man was thrown through his display window, all within eight months.

“I have an opinion about some of the causes, and it has to do with the general environment out there,” Bridges said. His store is next door to the Wake Forest Coffee Company and the patio area next to the large square traffic bump in South White.

“During decent weather days, there is a gathering of young adults out there,” he said. They are smoking, handling skateboards, but do not have a coffee cup in their hands. They are “cussing and fussing,” Bridges said.

“Is there something that can be done that [so that] I don’t have to be the supervisor? What about the smoking?” Can the town designate that area as no-smoking, he asked.

Several merchants (including Bridges) have prominently posted signs saying no smoking is allowed within 20 feet of their front doors, but the signs have had limited impact and leaves the business owners to police people’s activities.

Mayor Vivian Jones said she and Commissioner Greg Harrington, the former police chief, are the members of the board’s government affairs committee. “I suggest we meet with the police chief (Chief Jeff Leonard) and get back to you.”

Later in the meeting the commissioners agreed to stick with the long-standing fee schedule for town board candidates — $50 for the mayor and $15 for commissioners – for the November election when three commissioners will be chosen.

The board also chose not to hold early voting for the local election, partly because of the cost – at least $6,000 for three days – and because the town has not had early voting for the local election in the past.

Commissioners Greg Harrington, Anne Reeve and Zachary Donahue now hold the seats. Reeve was first elected to the board in 2007 and is completing her second term; Harrington and Donahue were elected in 2011 and are finishing their first terms.

Harrington Tuesday night moved to elect Reeve, who is the second longest serving person on the board as the mayor pro tem for this year. Donahue held that position last year. Commissioner Margaret Stinnett has served the longest, originally elected in 2005.

The board ended the meeting by discussing with Human Resources Director Virginia Jones the ad for the position of Wake Forest town manager that will be placed in several publications. They settled on saying that a master’s degree is “preferred” and that stating that the new town hall has platinum LEED certification is an indication of the town’s preference for environmentally sustainable building.

After the mayor and commissioners agreed the salary range would be listed as from $140,000 to $190,000, retiring Town Manager Mark Williams said, “I think I’m going to reapply for the job.” His current salary is $145,579.

Early in the meeting the board voted for a resolution of appreciation for Mary McCarey, who is retiring after serving 10 years as a senior inspections technician. McCarey said this is her second retirement and she hopes this one sticks.

Later the board voted for resolutions of appreciation for advisory board members who have resigned or whose terms ended in December. They are: James Esquivel, Design Review; Tim Nau, Greenways; Greg Hoit, Greenways; Alexis Cooke, Historic Preservation; Claudia Bradley, Human Relations; Al Merritt, Planning; Sarah Hutchins, Urban Forestry; Brian Smith, Urban Forestry; and Deborah Bordeaux, Senior Center.