City Hall named in honor of Dude Northcutt

By TONY STINNETT, Courier Sports Editor

The Town of Woodbury City Hall building now has an official name.

The facility will be known as the Nolan “Dude” Northcutt building following the unanimous vote of the Town of Woodbury Board of Mayor and Aldermen during their regular monthly meeting (Aug. 5).

Those words will be displayed on the outside of the City Hall building and a plaque will also be displayed inside City Hall. The designation is in honor of Northcutt, previous mayor and county executive of Woodbury and Cannon County, respectively, who passed away at 100 years old earlier this year.

“The Nolan ‘Dude’ Northcutt Building is appropriate to be on City Hall,” said Mayor Harold Patrick, who pitched the idea to a committee during the July meeting. “I would rather see it on City Hall than any other building. We want to honor a man that has done such a fantastic job for Woodbury. He was the first fire chief of Woodbury, and also served on the School Board, as alderman, mayor and county executive. He contributed a lot to Woodbury and Cannon County.”

Alderperson Faye Knox, Northcutt’s daughter, was filled with emotion and caught off guard by the initial recommendation.
“I was definitely caught off guard,” Knox said. “(This is) quite gratifying. I am prejudice but my dad deserves this. He loved Woodbury and Cannon
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unty and his whole life was about community service. I think naming the building after him is a great tribute to the contributions he made to Woodbury and this community. My family is totally overwhelmed.”

In other business, Joe Loftus was named fire chief for the Town of Woodbury Fire Department. Loftus had been named interim fire chief following Bill Johnston’s retirement in June. Mayor Patrick recommended the interim tag be removed during Tuesday’s meeting. The recommendation received a motion and passed unanimously.

“I know it is a short time since Joe was named interim fire chief, but I have seen very good results in the short time he has been there,” Patrick said. “Signs are up. The place is cleaned up and response to fires has been right on time. Joe has his plans and people in order. I feel very comfortable making him permanent fire chief.”

Knox addressed the Board requesting an annual donation of $5,000 to the Cannon County Chamber of Commerce for the sole purpose of marketing. She recommended the funds be taken from the annual liquor tax receipts.

“I thought this would be a good way to give back to the community because the liquor tax is a gift to us,” Knox said. “We didn’t have it up until last year so I think it would be a good way to give back.”

Knox said Cannon County would partner with the Industrial Development Board and the Chamber of Commerce to market the community.

“Quite frankly, Woodbury would benefit more from this marketing effort because this is where your retrial and restaurants are, for the most part, located,” Knox said. “I would want this earmarked for marketing and not to be used for administration of any other area.”

City Attorney Dale Peterson said the Town of Woodbury could not put the designation on the $5,000 donation; however, the committee to determine how the money is used could.

Patrick said his only problem with the recommendation, at this time, was the budget had already been set for this year.

“That is the one area that concerns me,” Patrick said. “The budget has already been set and the liquor tax and beer tax all goes into the general fund.”

Knox suggested revisiting the request during the next budget hearing next spring, which was agreed upon by the Board.

The Board also unanimously passed the adoption of Ordinances 464 and 465 on first reading. A second reading is required for passage. Ordinance 464 is to amend the zoning ordinance of the Town of Woodbury to delete the swimming pool regulations within the Woodbury Zoning Ordinance.

Ordinance 465 is an ordinance to amend the municipal code of the Town of Woodbury to adopt swimming pool regulations.

“This takes it out of one area of zoning into another and gives the citizens one year to comply,” Patrick said.