Burlington Town Council president Stan Moore praised he efforts by some to cleanup their properties, but "we still have problems," he said at the council's Aug. 12 meeting.

Clerk-Treasurer Christy Shepherd explained the process for unkept properties. She said the town mails a letter to the homeowner stating the property needs to be mowed, along with a deadline for getting the work done. If there is no response, the town has the authority to mow the property and then send the homeowner a bill for mowing. If the homeowner fails to pay the bill, the town can place a lien against the property.

The recent town clean-up days have been beneficial, said Moore.

"The town is doing some great things," he said, "but we need to make sure that we take care of the eyesores. We want to continue to enhance what we are doing."

Town attorney Justin Alter was instructed to see if the town has other recourses it can take to force homeowners to take care of their properties.

Chamber of Commerce

Carroll County Chamber of Commerce Director Sana Booker explained the Chamber's new Business Partner Program.

"We're offering businesses extended marketing through this program," she said.

This marketing tool to help businesses grow is offered in three levels according to the need and investment resources of the business. In just two months the program has generated $10,000, said Booker. "The Chamber is not as self-sufficient as we'd like it to be," she said, "but we have 138 members and we continue to grow."

Booker said other counties are starting to take notice that Carroll County does a lot of things right.

"We have a strong sense of community and people here do more volunteering than any place I've ever seen," she commented.

Upcoming Chamber events include a golf outing in September and a men's celebration dinner in November.

Stating "we need everyone in Carroll County pulling together," Moore recommended that the town become a member of the Chamber and council members Teddy Huffer and Joe Armstrong agreed.

Community Club

It was reported that the Community Club's fundraiser for Christmas lights was a success. There are enough funds for lights this year and a good start for lights next year.

The lights will be put up around Nov. 10 and taken down after the first of the year.

The Community Club would like to find five to seven interested individuals to be on a Christmas Decorating Committee to help manage the account and help with fundraising. Anyone interested in being on the committee is asked to contact the town office.

Plans are underway by the Community Club for the annual Fall Festival in September.

The club needs help with the festival, said Moore. "It should be a lot of people doing a little work and not a few people doing a lot of work. He encouraged people to volunteer.

Other business

Hawn Drive from SR 22 to Mill Road will be paved at a cost of $4,480 by Milestone Contractors. ENB Paving, a division of Milestone, will seal the ally beside the fire department at a cost of $418.

The town expects reimbursement by FEMA of a little over $2,100 for expenses related to the log jam cleanup, reported council member Teddy Huffer.

The council signed a resolution to reduce the budget by $15,000 to set aside monies for future purchase of a new police car.

Marshal Jill Hammond reported 2 case reports taken in July, 35 calls for service, 3 accidents investigated, 20 tickets issued, and 8 warnings.

Fire chief Mark Miller reported that the fire department put in a dry hydrant at George Summe's pond.

Moore announced that logs from the log jam area are available for free firewood.

The next meeting will be Sept. 9.