Roanoke seeks interest in council vacancy

The Roanoke City Council at its last meeting accepted Councilman Joseph Roberson’s resignation and declared the spot vacant.

Roberson and his wife work in Lee County and decided to move to Auburn.

Mayor Mike Fisher said anyone interested in having his or her name brought up at the next meeting for the position should talk to him or any council member.

Fisher said Wayne Taylor agreed to serve on the county equalization board.

Fisher also asked the council if a 48 by 36 foot sign could be erected to mark the unmarked Booker Hill Cemetery, the other city cemetery.

A lot of people do genealogy now and he and Frank Fetner, community services supervisor, agreed the cemetery needed marking. Councilman Mack Arthur Bell said it is an old cemetery with some graves going back to the 1700s.

The mayor said some individuals or the community studies class could write down the names on the graves.

Streets Department Supervisor Donnie Cash said they have been busy. They closed the Louina Street CSX bridge for safety reasons and he is still waiting to hear from CSX.

Subsequently in the meeting Councilwoman Tammi T. Holley asked if the city could not get the city attorney involved and Tinney said he would glad to work on the CSX situation.

Cash said they hauled dirt to Booker Hill Cemetery. A lot of the graves are sunk in so they are bringing in topsoil. They picked up 17 loads of limbs last week and are picking up construction and debris this week. They have painted the crosswalks around the school.

(For more from the Roanoke City Council see the August 10 issue of The Randolph Leader.)