FCA Area Director Ronnie Wise and others listen as Mount Olive Attorney John Ryan addresses the board on behalf of the Mount Olive Hurricanes. (Georgia Dees|mountolivetribune.com)
A vote by The Mount Olive town board Monday night caused a temporary delay of game for the Mount Olive Hurricanes, but it looks like things could be back on track for a win.
The 3-2 vote against approving a proposed lease agreement with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes/Mount Olive Hurricanes left some in the audience wondering about the youth football program’s future.
Friday, however, a group met to revisit the lease agreement and began considering the best use for the property in discussion.
“What happened at the town meeting blindsided us,” said Ronnie Wise, area director for FCA, who has been working with the town for several months to get a new lease in place so the historically successful youth program can continue practicing and playing on the football field behind the old Carver School at 612 S. Breazeale Ave.
“After leaving the meeting today (Friday), I’m excited about the possibilities.”
Attending Friday’s meeting with Wise were Danny King, Josh Phillips, Bill Edwards and Mount Olive Mayor Pro Tem Delreese Simmons, who organized the gathering.
King is executive director of ADLA Inc., a Mount Olive-based nonprofit. Phillips oversees the town’s parks and recreation program, and Edwards spoke during the public forum segment of Monday’s board meeting about investing in the community.
During a telephone interview, Wise said the visions and missions of the groups in Friday’s meeting overlap, and the purpose was to see “how can we work together and accomplish more?”
Although he didn’t share specifics about the group’s discussion, Wise said he is “highly optimistic” about a potential outcome.
“If we’re able to get it worked out … this has the potential to be a great improvement for the community,” he said. “I think we could complement each other very well.”
The next step, he said, is for groups’ attorneys to create a lease that’s acceptable to all involved parties before the February town board meeting.
Wise said Simmons planned today’s meeting and made the introductions but did not participate in the discussions.
“We want the (Hurricanes) program to continue going forward,” Simmons said in a telephone interview Friday. “We also want other things out there on that field. The next contract has got to be good.”
At Monday’s meeting, Commissioner C.J. Weaver made a motion to approve a 10-year lease agreement with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, allowing the Hurricanes to continue using the football facilities as they had been according to the previous lease.
Commissioner Gena Messer-Knode seconded the motion.
After some discussion, Simmons made a motion to table the vote. At that point, Weaver pointed out that there was already a motion on the floor and called for a vote on the original motion.
Weaver and Messer-Knode voted to approve the lease agreement, while Commissioners Harlie Carmichael, Vicky Darden and Simmons voted no.
“I envision that all three entities (the town, FCA/Hurricanes, ADLA) can come together and work together and build something better,” Simmons said today. “Everybody’s gonna walk out happy.”
