Bermuda Run took another step toward establishing its identity in last week’s town council meeting by narrowly approving a “Bermuda Run 27006” campaign in an agreement with Sum5 Communications.

The town has contested the U.S. Postal Service recognizing Advance, NC 27006 as the unique Zip Code for the area, despite Advance being an unincorporated community.

The deal with Sum5 to promote the initiative through social media and other means will have a one-time cost of $1,150 and an annual cost for recurring items of $3,600.

It meets one of the objectives of the town’s comprehensive plan, but some council members weren’t buying it.

In fact, the vote among five council members was split with two in favor (Andy Hewitt and Jerry West), two opposed (Ed Coley and John Guglielmi) and one abstention (Shirley Cagle).

Town attorney Brian Williams had to call a recess during the meeting to check the statutes and determine policy in such a matter. He found that a board member could only be excused from voting for circumstances involving his or her financial or conduct issues, which weren’t the case with Cagle.

Williams then asked Cagle if she wanted to continue to abstain.

“She said she does, and that’s the effect that if she continues to abstain, then the rules that her abstention be counted as an “I” vote,” Williams said.

Therefore, the vote passed 3-2.

Cagle said that she expressed in the agenda meeting that the campaign needs to be a larger program with more coverage and wanted to see it altered.

Coley, one of the vocal opponents, stated that “it was all fluff.”

Town manager Lee Rollins said this was clearly part of the comprehensive plan. “I certainly value divergent viewpoints,” Rollins said. “For this amount of money, if we don’t put forward a proactive measure, then I’m assuming council will allow for it to just happen.”

Coley said that the comprehensive plan to guide the town moving forward is a “wonderful document” but had some concerns about how it is implemented.

“We should not have to go down checkpoint by checkpoint spending money

for whatever is on that list,” Coley said. “It needs to be a living plan that is flexible so that we use taxpayer dollars wisely, not frivolously.”