BY STACIE LETT CAIN
The Statesville City Council cemented its resolve to the upkeep and restoration of the Green Street Cemetery during Monday’s council meeting amid accolades for its dedication to the project.
“I want to thank you for everything that you are doing,” Vivian Williams said during the public comment portion of the meeting. “The grants that you are finding, the work that is being done — I just want to say how much what you are doing is appreciated.”
Mayor Costi Kutteh said the city is committed to maintaining the burial ground.
“In 1961 the City Council passed a resolution agreeing to accept the maintenance of the Green Street Cemetery,” Kutteh explained. “That resolution never got recorded so what we discussed is that although there is no way to find a resolution from 62 years ago, we intend to create at the next meeting a draft of a resolution that would seal the bond that the city has toward maintaining the cemetery. While we have been doing it for 62 years, we will continue to do so.”
Part of that commitment to the cemetery has been to support research for the site and find out who is buried there and identify unmarked graves. That effort is appreciated.
“I have been doing genealogy for over 15 year,” Betty Soto told the council. “Not everyone does that and finding out what graves are there and identifying them can bring families information about their ancestors that they don’t have. Please continue this work. It is so important.”
Life-Saving Award
Statesville Police Chief David Onley presented a Life Saving Award to North Carolina State Trooper Seth Stevenson.
Stevenson, who was off-duty at the time, came upon a head-on collision at the intersection of Garner Bagnal Boulevard and Wooten Avenue on January 13.
“Trooper Stevenson discovered the driver trapped in the burning vehicle, assessed the situation and, putting his own safety at risk, broke the window out of the vehicle, cut the seat belt and extracted the driver just before the vehicle was consumed in flames,” Onley explained. “Absent his heroic action, the driver would have died at the scene. Trooper Stevenson escaped with only minor cuts and scrapes.”
Economic Incentive Approved
The City Council also voted to award economic incentive funds to EPOC Enviro in the amount of $106,795 payable over five years. The Australian company manufactures sustainable “forever chemicals” that resist heat, oil, stains and water but whose production leaves no waste.
They company has chosen the Statesville Commerce Center located at U.S. Highway 70 and Barkley Road for their first U.S. manufacturing plant. EPOC Enviro also was awarded $1.265 million job development grant by the State of North Carolina. The incentives given are based on a $5.7 million dollar capital investment and are contingent upon the creation of 126 to 226 new jobs.
CRTPO Membership
The City Council will also decided continue the city’s its membership in the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization.