By Mindy Ragan Wood
News Editor
Piedmont’s mayor is undeterred in his quest for a road bond regardless of the outcome of a Piedmont Board of Education meeting Wednesday.
For weeks, a city council approved task force has worked to develop a plan to fix the town’s most battered and dangerous roads with a bond up to $10 million. At the same time the school district plans to seek a $35 million bond as it pays off an existing $71 bond by 2029.
The districts bond limit has increased due to rising home valuations and growth.
Bond professionals discourage cities from seeking a bond as voters are asked to approve a school bond. Mayor Kurt Mayabb was more optimistic and has asked to meet with school officials to discuss the matter.
“I reached out to the school (administration) but haven’t heard back yet to confirm a meeting,” Mayabb said. “The road bond committee and myself would like to sit down and have a discussion with the school superintendent and the school board. We would like to see the city and the schools start to work together. As far as putting a road bond to a ballot, I am going to see the road bond committee’s purpose through to the end, and I am going to keep pushing the council to do their job of giving the citizens what they’re asking for: better roads.”
Piedmont Board of Education member Greg Duffy said they took no action during the special Wednesday meeting, but he expects to see a vote on next month’s agenda. For a February election, bond resolutions must be submitted to the Canadian County Election Board by December 12, for a March election by Dec. 18 and for an April election by Feb. 6.
The board listened to a presentation from architects with the Stacy Group who provided cost estimates to improve the middle school and a new gym for the high school.
“They had some quick renderings and cost estimates on what we would be looking at as far as building needs,” Duffy said. “Staff put together a lot of good information on projected growth. It was a very productive meeting.”
MEETING OF THE MINDS
While Duffy said he would be willing to meet with the mayor and council members, that position has not been a historic one.
City Councilman John Brown said for the last 20 years and as recently as two years ago, the council has not been successful in meeting with the board of education or district administration.
“I’d be more than willing to try,” Brown said.
“We haven’t got very far in the past. When they built the primary school 20 years ago, we had to hold up their water and sewer taps until they agreed to meet with us.”
Less than two years ago the city council commissioned a traffic study that cost taxpayers $30,000. The study examined how the city and schools could collaborate to absorb school traffic on its property.
“We gave the study to them and they basically said, ‘No it’s the city’s problem and you guys take care of it,’” Brown said.
Brown said one way in which cities can improve school traffic is the intersection of Edmond and Piedmont Road.
He said he met with City Manager Jason Orr to consider adding a turn lane on Edmond Road and stoplight to next year’s budget for better traffic flow.
Conversely, when it comes to congestion on Piedmont Road in front of Piedmont
Elementary, Brown said his hands are tied to make any improvements.
“It’s illegal to park on a state highway,” he said. “Everyone who is doing it could be ticketed technically, but that’s a state highway. We can’t touch it. The state won’t do it…everyone’s mad at the city because we won’t care of it but it’s not our road. Whatever (traffic improvement) is done on Piedmont Road has to be done on school property.”
Brown believes the standoff may continue until the public demands collaboration. In the meantime, he alluded to other options.
Last year the council drafted an ordinance that would have forced the district to corral more school traffic on its properties, but the council backed down.
“We still have that ordinance out there that we shelved,” Brown said.
“There is enough support to pass this.”
School board president Jerod Moser responded to a text message from the Piedmont-Surrey Gazette Wednesday that he and Superintendent James White would be willing to meet with Mayabb “regarding upcoming bond opportunities.”
