About four years ago the Town of Maxton, Fayetteville State University and the software company partnered to pursue a grant contract from the N.C. Department of Defense to fund the installation of an advanced surveillance system in Maxton. By using an array of cameras and sensors, the technology could track stolen cars across the town or identify missing people through the use of facial recognition.
According to a report from the Humanoid Playground, the building of smart community infrastructure for the town will be instrumental in raising the standard of living by making it easier for law enforcement to combat crime and by giving first responders and city workers vital real-time information as to when, where and how emergency events occur.
Ultimately, Maxton was not able to secure the grant from the Department of Defense, according to Michael Smith, founder and senior software developer for Humanoid Playground, but more funding is available.
"There's a lot of money out there and I think we should seize the opportunity," Smith said. "There are many opportunities that are still out there for federal funding."
This time around Smith asked for a reboot of the partnership that would include the town funding grant writing expenses.
"A lot of the funding available out there requires public and private partners, and those are the programs we are looking to target," Smith said.
Commissioner Victor Womack asked Smith to first sit down with the town's attorney and manager to discuss an agreement that could be brought back to fellow commissioners.
"It's kind of like uncharted territory," Womack said.
During the commissioners' comments portion of the meeting, Commissioner Toni Bethea asked that the mayor pursue a meeting between the Public Schools of Robeson County Superintendent Freddie Williamson to discuss the Board of Education for PSCR's decision to transfer nearly 300 6-8 students from Townsend Elementary School to South Robeson Intermediate School. The board made the decision during its April 12 meeting.
In other business, commissioners:
- Adopted a resolution to work with Withers Revenel in pursuing a grant through the Federal Clean Water Act Amendment of 1987 and N.C. Water Infrastructure Act of 2005.
- Commissioners voted to allow the advertisement of the names of Maxton residents who are delinquent on their taxes.
- Redirected a request to use a town-owned field for the purpose of establishing an amateur football team geared toward at-risk youth. Johnathan Galbreath of SCTC Foundation made the request and was asked to sit down with the town manager and attorney to establish an agreement.
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