Bruce Mayor Rudy Pope outlined to the Bruce Chamber of Commerce Monday at lunch a number of projects recently completed, others ongoing and even more he hopes to accomplish in the near future.
Pope said the town secured a $120,000 grant to help fix the major issue on Jimmy Beckley road where it intersects with McSweyne. Josh Bennett is scheduled to do that project.
He said the recent extension of the sewer line to Bruce Community Living Center (BCLC) is complete with some minor cleanup lacking.
Bruce Mayor Rudy Pope
Pope said the town has received an offer from BCLC owner Doug Wright to buy the building from the town and that he is interested in purchasing some additional acreage as well to build a new assisted living facility.
“I don’t want to sell, personally,” Pope said. “I think it’s in the town’s interest to maintain ownership of the building, and he said he’s still interested in pursuing the other project even if we don’t sell building.”
Security cameras were recently installed inside and outside of Bruce City Hall, Pope said. It was paid for with drug money seized by the police department.
Mayor Pope said the town plans to wait until next year for its next round of paving so they can build up the fund and do more. He thanked PEPA for helping install new lights at the tennis courts in Bruce Park and behind the community center building.
Pope said the town has accepted the donation of the Adult Education Center from the school district. The GED program will continue to meet in the facility while the town works to improve the building and make use of it for other purposes also.
The mayor cautioned that the town will have to buy two new fire trucks in the next few years due to certification laws from the state. Each fire truck will cost around $250,000. The town currently has $110,000 in its fire truck fund.
The town has submitted all the paperwork for a grant to build a bike path around Bruce Park.
“We don’t know how much we might get, but we’re hopeful,” Pope said. The local National Guard unit is going to spend two weekends doing all the prep work for the path with their equipment at no cost to the town.
Mayor Pope expressed frustration over the costs, now over $10,000, to get the necessary permits to utilize the 37 acres the town purchased on Hwy. 9 expanding its landfill.
He explained the town is making progress along with the county on the ditch rip-rap project behind Jackson Chapel Church and said he didn’t know a timetable for completion of the work by the gas company installing new lines around town.
Mayor said May will be official cleanup month for the town where citizens can bring anything but hazardous materials and tires to dumpsters at the town shed off Hwy. 9 and the town will dispose of them.
“I encourage everyone to make use of this opportunity to clean up your property,” Pope said.
He said the town is preparing for the July 4th fire works show again this year, and he is finalizing a deal to bring a traveling sawmill to set up on the lot across from The Journal office to perform demonstrations during the annual Sawmill Festival July 14-15.
In other news from the meeting, Chamber President Jay Vanlandingham said they welcomed three new members over the past month – Bruce Sweet Potato, Calhoun Oil and Kids’ Rainbow Daycare.
Vanlandingham also encouraged all to attend the April 27 meeting at the museum featuring Joy Foy on how to revitalize Bruce.
Chamber Secretary Terry Davis said it’s been an exceptionally busy time for the museum with three separate rentals over the Easter weekend. She said the museum is booked seven more times this month and already has eight reservations for May, and five each for June and July.
“People seem to really appreciate having a facility like this on the Square to hold their events,” Vanlandingham said. “It’s something we’re proud of.”