The Spring Lake Board of Aldermen on Monday applauded interim Town Manager Jason Williams — who also serves as the town's fire chief — by celebrating almost a year in the town’s top administrative position.
Alderman Marvin Lackman commended Williams for his leadership skills and forethought after Williams received the Bass Air Local Hero award at September’s Greater Fayetteville Chamber Valor Awards.
“The mayor and I had the privilege of attending the awards ceremony to see our fire chief and manager recognized,” Lackman said. “(Williams) has balanced both positions seamlessly and has received praise from the North Carolina Local Government Commission.”
Under Williams' leadership, Lackman said, the town built a second fire station and acquired two firetrucks, bringing average response time from nine minutes to under three minutes.
“That’s life-saving right there, when you look at the minutes,” Lackman said.
Mayor Kia Anthony said that while she knew Williams does not like recognition, she would praise him publicly anyway.
“This award that Mr. Williams received was a countywide award,” Anthony said, “This came from people across Cumberland County seeing the value that he has added to our town, not only with safety but with management as well. The county chose you, and we want to thank you. You have been an amazing asset to this community. We wouldn’t be where we are without you.”
Williams was sworn into the interim position last November after State Treasurer Dale Folwell said he would not approve funding to hire Justine Jones as town manager. Folwell also serves as chairman of the N.C. Local Government Commission, which took over Spring Lake’s finances in October 2021 amid concerns of potential budget deficits, longstanding fiscal disarray and an investigation of missing money.
Jones had been fired from her position as town manager in Kenly in August 2022. She served only three months in the role, after the town’s entire Police Department, including the police chief, and two other town employees quit, citing a hostile work environment.
“Two weeks, I was supposed to help for two weeks,” Williams said, “but that was a year ago.”
Alderman Raul Palacios also commented on the ways in which the relationship between the state treasurer and the town has grown over the past year.
“There has been a significant change with how the state treasurer deals with Spring Lake,” Palacios said. “And when he makes personal calls to our chief and makes special visits to our town just to praise the amount of effort and progress that has been made, it is a lot. It would not have happened a year ago. Spring Lake has turned into a success story for the Local Government Commission.”
Michael Porter, the town attorney, registered a smile as a photograph of Williams and Treasurer Folwell during one of those recent visits was shown.
“Seeing that picture of Treasurer Folwell and the chief is pretty amazing,” he said. “There was a time about a year ago when I was having not-so-pleasant conversations with the treasurer and his attorney. This relationship is great to see, and I’m sure it will continue.”
Williams gave credit for the positive changes to his staff and the board.
“I’m really enjoying working with this crew,” he said. “The team we have has done a lot for the town.”
With the Christmas season around the corner, Williams also announced that the Spring Lake Christmas tree lighting will be held on Dec. 1. In the past two years, Williams has transformed the tree-lighting ceremony into a mini-festival with town employees helping children with crafts and games after Santa arrives on a firetruck.
Improvements made to Spring Lake park facilities
The board also received an update regarding its recreation department’s merger with Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks & Recreation.
“There has been $67,174.75 spent on repairs to our parks and recreation facilities,” Lackman told the board. “This includes work on nine out of our 11 HVAC systems, repairs to the roof, plumbing, fixing the ice machine, which has been broken for two years, and electrical work. Also, security has been enhanced through an $11,000 investment in cameras and wall painting. It is important that when we see something, we say something so Fayetteville continues to improve things.”
Anthony said the benefits go beyond just the repairs.
“It’s not just the repairs that were made,” she said. “It’s that now our kids can participate in all Cumberland County sports and compete in the championships that they were unable to do before because we were not in the tax district.”
The town board also voted unanimously to appoint Spring Lake Recreation Director Zefrim Lewis to the Spring Lake Special Events Advisory Committee as a staff liaison.
“There has been a breakdown in communication between the town and the recreation department,” Anthony said. “This will help us bridge that gap.”
The town’s recreation department joined Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks & Recreation last October.
Other business items
The board will next meet at 6 p.m. Oct. 24 in the Grady Howard Conference Room at Spring Lake Town Hall, 300 Ruth St.
