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May 20, 2006
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May 20, 2006
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Robbins isn't used to hearing good news, but things are changing.
"People got in the habit of saying, 'Oh no -- what's next?' all the time," Town Clerk Debra Cockman said. "They are going to start saying, 'Oh boy! What's next?' if this keeps up." Within two days, just as Cockman, along with Mayor Mickey Brown, town commissioners and others were ceremonially breaking ground at Robbins Crossing for coming Subway and Domino's Pizza franchises, word came that one state grant will help bring American Growler to town -- with 40 new jobs -- and that another will help the Fire Department buy needed equipment. "That grant is from the Office of the State Fire Marshal," said Fire Chief Jarius Garner. "It is a matching grant of $19,951.14 for turn-out gear." Effectively, it doubles the department's money. It is one of the highest awards of this kind possible. "With our combined amount, we will purchase $39,902.28 of new gear for our members," he said. "The highest amount any department could receive was $20,000." They never got anything like it before. "This is the first grant that I can remember our department receiving in the past 24 years that I have been a member," Garner said. "If we did receive any other grants, I do not remember them." Brown and the Town Board were already energized by Robbins' getting into the NC STEP program of the N.C. Rural Center. Work will start soon on a design for a town seal and for a banner Robbins will use through three years the Center will be helping the town regain lost economic prosperity. It moves Robbins, with other towns in the program, to the head of the line on state grants. The town is already studying the prospect of a charter change to move to a council-manager form of government. Cockman and Police Chief Danny Brown share duties formerly handled by an administrator.
Innovative Proposals In the meantime, commissioners asked the manager of nearby Biscoe, Josh Ray, to consider a contract under which he will help Robbins until it hires its own manager -- or administrator, if they decide not to change the charter. "Doug Gill (the town attorney) is looking over a very simple contract," Cockman said. "Basically, he is willing to help us out until the board makes their decision on form of government and is able to find someone, whether administrator or manager." Ray isn't wasting any time. He met with the town board, and commissioners came away shaking their heads at his energy and innovative proposals. Ray wrote Candor's successful NC STEP bid. He has the idea that Robbins, Candor, Biscoe and Star could work together in a regional partnership. The Rural Center has funds available to help distressed downtowns revive. Working as one, the four foothills towns could do things such as build a business incubator -- a building where startup businesses with little capital could, over a year or 18-month support period, find their footing. Then they could get grants or loans to move into empty places in declined downtowns. As he explained one idea after another around the Town Board table, jaws dropped and eyes widened. "He is overwhelmed with energy," Cockman said. "He has some good ideas, things we possibly can do. He is helping us work on our budget. We are working to contract with him to assist us with budget this year -- find grant opportunities -- during this interval when we don't have an administrator or a manager." Ray will be a resource. A recent graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he came to Biscoe as town manager and immediately set to work saving money, winning grants. "I don't believe in loans," he told the Robbins board. "I believe in grants."
Easing Debt Burden Robbins is burdened with a huge debt the town incurred trying to hold industries and the jobs they provided. When John Edwards, at the time U.S. Senator, got an EPA matching appropriation of $433,700 for water and sewer improvements, Robbins didn't have the money for its 45 percent share. The town will have to find a partner project before that money goes away. "One idea we were kicking around was the water feasibility study the county is doing," Cockman said. "We can use those funds for that project or improving our water and sewer lines. We have some old lines. We have some private lines. These are issues we talked about with Josh. He is trying to find grants to go along with these projects, develop different projects." Robbins needs to find more water customers so new, high rates can go down. "We were trying to use those funds in some way to increase our customer base," she said. "That would help us pay our debts and, we hope, reduce our rates." The town borrowed money to keep industries that then closed, leaving townspeople holding the bag in the form of big water bills. "Our rates had to go up to cover costs for operating the plant as well as pay the debt we incurred when we upgraded our wastewater plant to meet (the industries') needs," she said. "That was for Perdue, Candor and Ithaca. Then they all closed on us, leaving Robbins over a million dollars in debt with a whole lot less money coming in to pay it." Ray told how Biscoe saved money by putting in new, more accurate water meters that can be read on the fly. Robbins, he suggested, could justify using some of the EPA money to do the same. "Right now, our guys go out and write down readings," Cockman said. "They have new meters now that they can just drive by, and pick up readings electronically. It saves time, and as meters get older they slow down. They don't read accurately. We change our meters quite often, but we haven't switched over to these new ones." The change would save water and labor costs, and the town already has 55 percent of the money, Ray said. Cockman expects to be ringing his phone regularly. "He is someone Danny and I can go to about anything, pretty much," she said. "Just like with the Moore County summit, we have talked about regionalizing with other Foothill towns -- we have characteristics in common with Biscoe, and Star and with Candor We all lost industry. He wrote the NC STEP application Candor won with. He helps Star as well. We are looking to some regional cooperation like we have had with Carthage. The same kind of bond. Carol (Cleetwood, the Carthage town manager) has been really good, always helps us when we need something." Ray's proposed regional bond could well put Robbins and the other towns in good position to get Rural Center help from another program the center has. "He thinks this would help set all of us up for grants available from the Center for downtown revival," she said. "Bringing ghost buildings back to life."
John Chappell can be reached at 783-5841 or by e-mail at jchappell@thepilot. |
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