MURFREESBORO – The staggered terms for the Murfreesboro Planning/Adjustment Board have been set and the board members have been chosen.

At Tuesday’s meeting of the Murfreesboro Town Council, board members chose five in-town members.

The board individually approved the appointments of Gene Flowers, Clyde Saunders, Hal Thomas, Jimmy Eason and Lillie Owens-White (in a 3-1 vote; Councilman Bill Theodorakis voted against the last motion) to the planning/adjustment board.

Councilman Lloyd Hill was absent from the meeting.

It’s an issue the council has been wrestling with for the past few meetings.

In the last meeting, Mayor Lynn Johnson said the terms for the planning board had been exceeded.

The only way for the board to come into compliance would be for council to abolish the existing board and nominate new or existing members that would like to stay on the board.

At the same meeting, Interim Town Administrator David Overton suggested that the council set staggered terms for the board members.

The council set Flowers’ term for four years, Saunders and Thomas’ terms at three, Owens-White at two years and Eason’s term for one year.

The recommendation of Albert Boone to replace former ETJ member Clarence Wynn, who resigned due to illness, was accepted by the Hertford County Commissioners last week.

Willie Boone and Steve Sumner currently serve as ETJ members.

In other business, the Public Works Department is offering a drop off site for citizens to leave their unwanted household items from April 14-28 during the hours of 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Public Works Superintendent Gene Byrd said any household item will be accepted, from furniture to appliances.

“We’ll take anything except garbage,” he said.

Byrd said the service is free and assistance will be provided for those who cannot lift heavy objects.

“If there is no one there to help just leave it beside the dumpster and we’ll take care of it,” he said.

The department is also looking for a few good volunteers to help with a little bit of spring cleaning around the city.

The volunteers will help pick up litter on the side of the state maintained roads leading in and out of Murfreesboro up to the city limit, including NC 11, US 158 and US 258.

Byrd said anyone age 12 and over can participate in the clean up and children under 18 will need to be accompanied by an adult.

He added anyone interested in participating can contact him at 398-4888, ext. 1.

The board approved an agreement between the town and the Murfreesboro Historical Association, Inc. to the free exchange of buildings between the entities.

When the board inquired for the Town Attorney Bob Lee’s opinion he said the board could probably approve it as long as the times that each entity utilize the buildings and the same amount of times.

“I think you can do it as long as you have an offset,” Lee said. “I’m just worried about it being equal.”

The agreement allows the town to use the buildings belonging to the Murfreesboro Historical Association, Inc. without a fee for fundraisers and other events.

“The point that we’re working together in conjunction is what pleases me,” said Johnson.

Individual public hearings for the dedication ceremony for the war veterans’ memorial and an outdoor movie to be held at Chowan University were set for April 10 at 1 p.m.