Cloverdale Council discusses software agreement, town court

CLOVERDALE -- The Cloverdale Town Council recently conducted a special meeting to discuss several issues, including software about to expire soon for the town as well as a town court.

Clerk-Treasurer Cheryl Galloway presented the board with multiple bids from various companies.

The council had previously asked Galloway to collect prices from several companies in hopes of finding something that would save the town money.

However, after much debate between all the companies the council is likely to stay with Keystone. It was not only the cheapest, but it was the only company who advised the town that the state will be mandating new software in two years.

"The state is mandating that," Town Council President Don Sublett said. "We will get a new system that has the new state requirements."

In total, the cost for Keystone is $5,420 per year for the maintenance fee plus the $6,750 for the new software.

Galloway explained that Keystone would be going to new software called Key Fund. The new program allows a clerk to access all of the totals of the town's accounts at the touch of a button.

"It's just like having your checkbook in front of you," Galloway said. "If you would come up to me and ask me how much money MVH has, I don't have to reconcile, it will tell me at that very moment how much money is in each line item."

The current contract with Keystone runs out Sept. 1.

The council made the motion to stay with Keystone, but with the condition of getting hard numbers in writing for the Key Fund software in hopes of getting a deduction in price until the Key Fund software is installed.

Sublett once again brought up the issue of starting a town court. However, after further review of the town's finances the council has decided to put the item on hold.

An ordinance was previously passed in 2009, but the town did not do anything with it.

"Upon investigation of the revised state laws, the judge of the town court has to reside in the town of Cloverdale and he has to be an attorney," Sublett explained. "Well, unfortunately, the town of Cloverdale does not have an attorney living in the town of Cloverdale."

Sublett also explained that the town does not have the funds to pay the judge the amount that would be expected.

The council all agreed to drop the issue of the town court.

Building Inspector Mark Cassida also came before the council to inform members of two issues going on throughout the town.

First, Cassida explained that a complaint was filed about the satellite dishes installed in Stardust Hills.

"There are four within three feet of the edge of the blacktop," said Cassida. "They're in the right-of-way."

Cassida spoke to Town Attorney Alan Yackey before the meeting to see what, if anything, could be done by the council.

"The town cannot be held liable because they're in the utility right-of-way," said Cassida. "Some of them are 18 inches to two feet away from the road."

The council advised Yackey to draft a letter to the owners to inform them that if anything were to happen to the satellite dishes through such maintenance issues as snow plowing, the town would not be at fault.

"You can remove them if you want to," Yackey said. "A lot of people don't understand that the right-of-way extends past the road."

Cassida also came before the council to inform members that the service technician that had serviced Cloverdale and worked for Duke Energy has retired. Although, Cassida has yet to meet with the new technician, things are not going smoothly.

"It seems that meters are being put in without any inspections being done," Cassida said. "They're supposed to be inspected before the meter's installed."

Cassida also explained that there was a recent fire, which was ruled an electrical fire. It is believed that the breaker panel had been replaced without an inspection.

"There were several of the breakers, one or more, that had double wires contacting them," Cassida explained. "The breaker overheated and started the fire. There's a definite reason that they (meters) need to be inspected."

Yackey will write a letter to Duke to inform them that several meters have been reinstalled without being inspected and there has been at least one fire as a consequence of not being inspected.