Published: August 15, 2008 10:36 am            

County names interim attorney

ASHEBORO — Darren Allen sat in on his first meeting Monday as interim attorney for the Randolph County Board of Commissioners.

A member of the law firm of Gavin, Cox, Pugh & Wilhoit, LLP, of Asheboro, Allen continues a tradition that goes back about 50 years. He’s the latest in a line of attorneys from the firm that have served the county, beginning with Roby Garner.

“I’m proud to continue in that role,” he said prior to the meeting.

Allen succeeds his colleague and mentor, Alan Pugh, who resigned recently as county attorney after 15 years. The commissioners honored Pugh for his years of service. Pugh’s advice to Allen – which he admitted he often didn’t heed himself – was to speak only when spoken to.

Allen said his family has roots in Randolph County extending back to the Revolutionary War. He said his late grandfather, Herb Harton, ran the Allstate Insurance office on Fayetteville Street and also owned Zooland Campground.

“I went to the first and second grades at Guy B. Teachey School,” he said, before his family moved out of the area. Allen graduated from Apex High School near Raleigh in 1998.

After earning a bachelor of science degree with honors in business administration with a minor in political science from Western Carolina University in 2002, Allen was accepted into the Campbell University Law School. He graduated fifth out of a class of 116 in 2005.

He was a staff member of the Campbell Law Review in 2003-2004 and was executive editor in 2004-2005. His article, “The Constitutional Floor and the Right to a Speedy Trial in North Carolina,” was published in the Review.

Since graduation, Allen has volunteered as a preceptor at Elon Law School in Greensboro, mentoring first-year law students, observing them in a classroom setting and allowing them to observe him in practice. He’s also coach of the Asheboro High School Mock Trial Team, which under his tutelage has finished first and second in regional competition and ninth in the state.

In the courtroom, Allen assisted Pugh in arguing the case, “McDowell v. Randolph County,” concerning zoning and land use law.

In other business, the board:

n Tabled until Aug. 12 a proposal to apply for a grant from the N.C. Rural Economic Development Center to run water lines along U.S. 64 to the vicinity of the Blue Mist Restaurant, where several wells have been found to contain contaminated water.

Under the proposal, the Rural Center would provide $500,000 and the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) would ante up another $500,000, leaving the county the balance of approximately $1 million.

Commissioner Phil Kemp said he was concerned that the DENR was offering just $500,000 when, he said, they have millions for such projects in a superfund.

He pointed out the difficult budgetary times this year and a possible worse time next year.

“They’re shirking their duties, in my opinion,” Kemp said. “It’s going to cost us $1 million. I don’t know if we have that.”

County Manager Richard Wells asked David Townsend, director of Public Works, if he could go back to DENR and ask for more money.

“We can ask,” Townsend said.

Wells suggested that Townsend get more details about what DENR is willing to do and the commissioners could take it up again at the special called meeting on Aug. 12. The board agreed.

n Approved nearly $165,000 for three new ambulance cabs and chassis and to have them remounted. The low bids for both the cabs and for remounting were entered by Southeastern Specialty Vehicles of West Jefferson. The low bid for cabs and chassis was $87,000, and the low bid for remounting was $77,997.

n OK’d an interlocal agreement participation form by the Randolph County Historic Landmark Preservation Commission.

The agreement will be extended to municipalities in the county in which the commission would serve as an advisory body to the governing body of the participating municipality in matters of historic preservation.

        

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