“Half of Martin Luther King Street is blocked,” Shelby Alderman Dan Harris told the supervisors Monday. “We’re having problems.”
According to Mayor Kermit Stanton, the blockage runs for one city block.
“The 1200 block of Martin Luther King is a safety hazard,” Stanton said. “Half of the street is blocked, right by the high school.”
The blockage on Martin Luther King comes from a problem with the culverts on the street.
As with Shelby Nursing and Rehab’s access road project, the Shelby representatives were not asking for the county’s assistance financially.
“We need to see if we can all get together,” said Stanton. “We’re not really asking the county for money.
“If the county refuses to help we may have some money in a contingency fund that is part of our sewer project,” he continued.
What Shelby needs to fix the culvert is the county’s assistance through equipment.
“We are making an effort as a small town,” said Stanton. “We don’t have the equipment but we do have the manpower.”
The supervisors present in Monday’s meeting were impressed with the plan for the culvert project and the nursing home access road project.
“Any time a municipality in the county steps up, it’s commendable,” said Supervisor Donny Whitten.
“I think it’s a good project,” said Supervisor Richard Coleman. “I think they’re both good projects.
“How Shelby has gone this long with that culvert situation is (beyond me),” Coleman continued.
Coleman motioned that the county offer its equipment and assistance to Shelby in this project.
The board voted to approve the motion.
First, however, Whitten checked with Road Manager David James to see what sort of task fixing the culvert would be.
“It’s not going to be a big task,” said James.
“We do appreciate assistance from the county,” said Stanton.