Westminster mayor welcomes replacement bank

Budget uncertainties make this not the right time for Westminster to be spending, but the mayor last night signaled that improvements are ahead for the downtown.  At last night’s meeting, Mayor Brian Ramey recognized Janet Hartman of Destination Oconee seated in the audience and said that Christine Tedesco, the architect who chairs with the Oconee Economic Alliance, is prepared to help Westminster with a design plan.  But now’s not the time, the mayor said, to part with the $4 thousand cost.  According to the mayor, Destination Oconee manager Hartman has prepared a grant program to improvement commercial buildings.  The mayor last night welcomed Blue Ridge Bank, which plans to locate in the city once First Citizens officially closes it branch this afternoon.