The City of Centre has revoked the license of a business after two individuals including the business owner were arrested on drug charges and drugs and other paraphernalia were found on the property.
The business owner, Eric Ray Young was arrested back on September 11th after Centre and Leesburg Police executed search warrants at a residence on 1st Avenue West in Centre and Young’s business on East Main Street across the street from Centre Elementary School.
Young was also served with felony warrants. During the course of the search of both locations officers seized a sizeable amount of methamphetamine, additional controlled substances and drug paraphernalia, he was subsequently charged with five counts of the Unlawful Distribution of a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Controlled Substance with the intent to Distribute.
Centre Mayor Tony Wilkie expressed that this type of activity will not be tolerated especially since Young’s business sits less than 50 feet across the street from Centre Elementary School.
Immediately following the meeting Centre Police Chief Kirk Blankenship went to the location where the business license was surrendered.
In other business the council approved a list of items to be sold as surplus property and voted to allow Chief Blankenship to purchase two additional vehicles for the department with the monies from the sale.
Rita Stover who is a member of the Hatcher Community Center Committee also addressed the council; the committee is asking that the council allocate $10,000 for the upcoming fiscal year for renovations and repairs to the facility off of Bay Springs Road. Those plans will include renovations to the mens and ladies restrooms, renovations to the kitchen area, adding a pavilion outside the building and improving the acoustics inside the auditorium.
There is also some work that has to be done in terms of establishing the property lines and locating the proper deeds to the property, Mayor Wilkie said that the issue of adding the request to the budget would be considered and discussed.
The council also graciously accepted a donation from the Cherokee County Civitan Club to be used to install handicap accessible swings in the city park. Several reappointments to committees were also approved which included; Tommy Loder – Alcohol Review Committee, Billy Mack Garrett – Centre Planning Commission and Harold Day – Centre Planning Commission.
The Council also adopted the budget for Fiscal Year 2016-2017.