By Carol Vaughn —
The Onley Town Council voted Monday to adopt a new town logo created by local graphic designer Seth Matthews.
“I’m proud of it,” said Matthews.
A large group of attendees at the November council meeting saw different potential versions of the logo.
The logo approved Monday features the town’s name in script, along with the motto, “Crossroads of the Eastern Shore,” and a depiction of three buildings with a train passing in front of them. The logo as depicted was red, white, blue, and gray, but according to Matthews’ presentation to the council, it can be used in various formats, including a monochrome version among other possible variations.
The council also continued discussing revisions to the town charter. Another meeting will be held Dec. 13 at 6 p.m. to finalize the version to be presented for public hearing, likely later this month.
The council approved spending up to $6,304 for lights and other equipment needed to be installed in a newly purchased police vehicle, which replaces one destroyed in a crash.
Deborah Bliss of the planning commission reported the commission is working on short-term rental regulations and expects to bring a recommendation to the council in February.
The council also voted to distribute 50 Food Lion gift cards, in the amount of $75 each, to five local charitable organizations to be used for COVID relief.
The cards were purchased using funds that came as result of the federal CARES Act and are left after cards were distributed to town residents, according to the discussion.
The council voted to give 10 cards each to the Food Bank of the Eastern Shore, Lighthouse Ministries, the Eastern Shore Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the SPCA, and the Onley Baptist Church food pantry.
The intent is for the organizations to use the gift cards themselve to help meet their supply needs.
The council also voted 5-1 to rescind the vehicle decal ordinance, with Councilwoman Billye D. Custis voting against the measure.
Decal sales were suspended during the pandemic and staff reported only around half of residents purchased a decal in recent years before that.
The council also voted to purchase a used Ferris lawn mower with around 200 hours on it for $7,500.
Application has been made to the Virginia Department of Transportation to take the required steps to allow golf carts in town, according to Councilwoman Rose Pierson, who serves on the golf cart committee.
The council previously agreed to pursue the idea but has not voted yet on whether to allow the slow-moving vehicles, which would be allowed only on roads with 25 miles per hour speed limit.
The council voted to rescind its previous acceptance of contractor Jim Wert’s bid to build a new town office, after efforts were made to contact him by telephone and after the town received no response to a certified letter sent to the contractor.
The council voted in March to accept the $579,867 bid to build a 2,500 square foot town office on property next to the current office.
The council agreed with Councilman Brian Corbin’s proposal to speak with Ted Bliss of Tasley Volunteer Fire Company about possibly modeling a town office on Tasley’s new fire station, a pole building which Bliss, who was in attendance, said cost around $850,000 and is rated to withstand 145 mile per hour winds.
Bliss invited council members to visit the building, which he said is larger than what the town needs for a town office.
The town is continuing to explore constructing more sidewalks, including a focus on the area around the intersection of Coastal Boulevard and Main Street, according to Councilman Brian Corbin.
Corbin said he spoke with VDOT’s Chris Isdell for a perspective on the need for more sidewalks in town.
“We decided to focus on Coastal from the intersection of East/West Main to Route 13 on the southbound lane,” he said.
Bliss, who serves on the sidewalk project committee, suggested the council consider adding a push-button crosswalk at the intersection to stop traffic coming from all four directions when a pedestrian is crossing in order to improve pedestrian safety.
Bliss said since he has been a Tasley Volunteer Fire Company member, “I don’t think we’ve gone six or eight months we haven’t had some sort of accident right there at the intersection.”
