By BROOKLYN BROWN BIGMEAT
One Feather Reporter
CHEROKEE, N.C. – The Roads Commission of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians held their monthly meeting on the morning of Monday, June 22.
Uriah Maney, engineering technician for the Cherokee Department of Transportation (CDOT), provided a report for CDOT. CDOT has hired Jeremy Gabe Wolfe as the radiation safety officer. Tsali Enola Bridge is complete. CDOT has been grading various backroads, road patching, and working with contractors on T.E.R.O. to assess and correct damage to guardrails in Wayohi (Wolftown) and Kolanvyi (Big Cove) communities. Shoulder and ditching maintenance in Kolanvyi has started, as well as building back road shoulders on Wrights Creek. They are working on forming a stronger relationship with North Carolina DOT (NCDOT) on road maintenance, and a preliminary meeting was held with NCDOT to discuss cutting the bank back at the exit of Tsali Care Center.
Chris Ledford, Cherokee Water & Sewer manager, provided program updates. The River Road project is complete. Sewer is almost complete on Johnson Arch, and water is 25 percent complete. The Acquoni Road project will begin July 13.
Cherokee Police Commissioner and Kolanvyi community member Joseph “Buddy” Johnson returned for updates on his inquiries from the last meeting about Stoney Curve, Piney Grove Beach, and Wize Guyz parking lot. Johnson thanked Maney for attending the Kolanvyi community club meeting and answering questions from the community. Maney will talk to NCDOT about the Wize Guyz parking lot since it is technically a state road. CDOT is also working on signage at Piney Grove Beach.
