Commission issues letters ordering consistent county address numbering
By SPARKY NEWSOME editor

About 500 Wilkes County residences and businesses have been notified that they must change their addresses before July 1.

Due to a number of factors, over the years, many Wilkes County addresses are now wrong and are causing more and more problems for the county's emergency service departments. As a result, the Wilkes County Board of Commissioners has issued a letter of explanation to the affected citizens advising them of their new correct address and the proper steps they need to take to update all their accounts and records.

"This is not going to be pleasant, but it is inevitable," County Attorney Charles LeGette told the Board of Commissioners in recommending the order. "The address system is in bad need of updating and it is time for us to revamp our numbering system. We don't see any way around it.," he added.

The letter explains that reasons for the existing erroneous addresses include those "previously assigned in an inconsistent fashion, mail boxes physically moved without reassigning a new address, self-assignment of numbers, and other reasons." It is not unusual for emergency services to have difficultylocating an address.

Once the corrections are made, the entire county will properly numbered and addressed and will also be consistent with the GPS (global positioning system) that will be coming online later this summer.

"This involves the fire departments, the sheriff's department, and the EMS, so it's something we need to do," Commission Chairman Sam Moore said.

However, while the county is providing the correct address information to those affected, it is the responsibility of each business or residence to make the change. The letter is the only individual notificationthat will be issued and it states, "It is your responsibility to see that you take care of all of this." The 911 system will begin using the new addresses exclusively on July 1, 2008.

The letter enumerates fivesteps needed to make a change of address.

A. Notify the telephone company first, if you have a land line phone.

B. Contact the post office and provide your new address.

C. Notify all your personal and business contacts and issue proper change of address forms.

D. Notify all of your utility providers.

E. Change your address number sign.

"The end result will be a good thing, especially in the event of an emergency," said Chief Deputy Mike Sisson.

The decision to make the changes and send the letters was made at the regular monthly meeting of the Wilkes County Board of Commissioners on Thursday, May 8, 2008. All of the commissioners, Divenski Lee, Donna Hardy, John Howard, Jerry Stover, and Moore, were present as were County Administrator David Tyler, LeGette, and a number of visitors.

Bids for the management and disposal of the county's solid waste were opened on Wednesday, May 7, and a decision was expected at the regular meeting. However, Moore reported that while the board had seen the bids, it was the consensus that they needed further study.

"It's rather complicated determining which one is actually the bid we want to go with," he explained. "We want to make sure we make the right decision."

Representatives from both bidding companies were in attendance and each expressed appreciation for the opportunity to compete for the contract.

Jason Tanner, owner of Bones Biscuit-Bar and Grill, submitted an application to serve beer and wine at the restaurant and approval was readily granted. However, later in the meeting, it occurred to Hardy and Lee that the restaurant might be too close to Washington-Wilkes Primary School property and therefore prohibited from serving alcohol. The action was therefore rescinded pending investigation.

Tyler pointed out that the county ordinance required that any establishment selling alcohol be at least 600 feet from a school or church. Upon measuring the distance Friday morning, Sisson reported that it was less than 100 feet and therefore noncompliant.

In other business, Tyler reported that Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for the month of February had been received in the amount of $98,994.35, and that $64,088.69 in Local Option Sales Tax had been received for the same month.

Moore reminded those in attendance that a budget review session would be held all day on Wednesday, May 28.

He also reported that work to upgrade facilities at Holliday Park would commence in the next few weeks and the work crews from the Wilkes Pre-Release Center would be providing much of the labor.

The next regular meeting of the Wilkes County Board of Commissioners will be held on Thursday, June 12, at 2 p.m. at the courthouse.

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