Taylor Pardue

Town council members speak to Mayor Lindbergh Swaim before the monthly town hall meeting.

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Town council members selected Pat Benton to fill an empty seat on the Jonesville Tourism Development Authority board Monday.

Council members had been tasked with filling the seat left vacant by Dale Swofford’s departure at the end of May.

Swofford was set to serve until his term ended at the end of June, 2015, but he announced his resignation and told the tourism board he would leave at the end of May this year.

Benton is a owner of the Star’s Peak Valley Ranch on Vestal Road in Jonesville in addition to Trent Benton.

The town council received two other board nominations. However, the tourism board provided a suggestion of its own.

Town Manager Scott Buffkin said the board had met earlier and offered Benton as the replacement. Benton came with several recommendations according to Commissioner Danny Lewis, who said the former car dealer employee in Statesville would make a good choice.

The tourism board also passed along an extra decision in need of a vote. Commissioner Gene Pardue and Hampton Inn’s Deborah Clark both have terms set to expire in June, 2013.

The board requested the council reappoint Pardue and Clark for another term instead of naming replacements.

The town council voted to approve both requests.

In addition to tourism business, the town council finished the changes in its ordinance policies to allow the newly added archery hunting inside town limits.

The council voted to change the weapons ordinance, §130.03, to allow archery equipment to be used. The ordinance now allows hunters to practice with their equipment as long as it is done on private property with the express written consent of the landowner.

Archery hunting became legal in April at the monthly council meeting. Deer hunters can now hunt within Jonesville town limits as long as they are on private property with written permission from the landowner.

Council members had expected to award a bid to a company to repaint the tennis courts at Lila Swaim Monday but the decision was postponed until the June meeting. The town solicited offers to several businesses but only received two. The council voted to table the item until the next month so more offers can be requested.

Scott Buffkin said the two bids received were from Triangle Fence Company, Inc. of Ronda for $14,675 and Court One of Youngsville for $18,675.

The council closed the board meeting with a closed session to discuss personnel matters.

To contact Taylor Pardue call 336-835-1513 ext. 15, or email him at tpardue@civitasmedia.com.