The council members of Morganton made announcements that were of an interest to the citizens of the city during their January meeting. Mayor Mike England requested the January 2013 meeting come to order, the motion was moved and the meeting began. England announced the presence of new employee, Frank Burk. Burk has been working with the current water superintendent, Larry Williams, for he past couple months. Burk holds a Class 3 Water Operating License and will be taking over for Williams after his retirement at the end of the month. Burk is a Fannin County graduate, class of 2001.

“When talking with Larry, he has had nothing negative to say about Frank. He feels as if he is a good replacement and that he will do the job well. We are very happy to have you on board with the city, Frank”

said England.

Council members also had to approve and sign the Fannin County Hazard Mitigation Plan. This extensive document includes how to handle specific hazardous situations and disasters that could possibly happen. Council members agreed to sign the plan with a unanimous vote. The plan is good until 2016.

To close the meeting, discussions about the possible location of a Dollar General store in the city filled the air. Property has been surveyed, soil taps have been done for testing and the contract is in the process of being approved by the corporate office, according to City Clerk, Joyce Waters. The location under consideration is a patch of land near the Tri-State Christian Center.

After there were no further items to discuss, Anthony Vecchio made a motion to adjourn and this motion was moved. FYN will continue to keep you informed on the status of the upcoming Dollar General store and other matters regarding the city of Morganton.