[1. Meeting opened by Mayor Odham. Prayer Coordinated by Alderman Kinsey. Pledge of Allegiance.]
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GOOD EVENING EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO THE DECEMBER 13TH, 2022 NEWBURN BOARD OF ALDERMAN MEETING.THE PRAYER TONIGHT IS GOING TO BE GIVEN BY REVEREND ETHEL SAMPSON.
PRAISE, PRAISE LORD, HEAVEN, FATHER, AS BY BEFORE YOU, IN THE PRECIOUS NAME OF JESUS AND THE FATHER, PLEASE MAKE ME WORTHY TO CALL UPON YOUR HOLY AND RIGHTEOUS NAME.
WE THANK YOU ENOUGH, FATHER, FOR WAKING US UP THIS MORNING IN TIME AND TO ETERNITY.
AND THE FATHER, I THANK YOU FOR THIS GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY.
FATHER, ASK, BLESS BLESSING HEAVEN.
FATHER, FOR ALL THOSE THAT ARE GONNA DEFEND MY VOICE TONIGHT, GIVE HONOR TO GOD, HEAVEN, THEIR FATHER, WITH THE AUTHOR FINISH OF MY FAITH, THE MAY.
ALL THESE OFFICIALS HERE TONIGHT, HEAVEN, THEIR FATHER BE AS A SPECIAL BLESSING UPON THEM.
OH, GOD HAS TOUCHED THEM IN A SPECIAL HEAVEN.
THEIR FATHER AND THE FATHER, THEY PROCEED THIS EVENING.
FATHER, PLEASE LET THEM DO THINGS THAT ARE DECENT IN ORDER.
AND THE FATHER COMING FOR YOU, BEGGING FOR FORGIVENESS.
FATHER, MANY SINS, HEAVEN, FATHER AND THE FATHER HAVE DONE ANYTHING WRONG.
FATHER, YOU FORGIVE US RIGHT NOW.
OH GOD ASKED ESPECIALLY BEST TO PUTTING THE NATION HEAVEN.
THE FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THE COUNTY HEAVEN, FATHER, OH GOD, BE THANK YOU HEAVEN FATHER, FOR LETTING US BE ABLE TO LISTEN TO IT ON THE TUESDAY, FOURTH TUESDAY, AND THE SECOND TUESDAY ON THE FATHER, WE THANK YOU SO MUCH.
HEAVEN, YOUR FATHER, OH GOD, ASK YOU AND THE FATHER, YOU TOUCH THESE PEOPLE'S HEART, HEAVEN, FATHER, AND THEY COME OVER IN THE FATHER.
LET THEM NOT BE ANGRY WITH EACH OTHER.
HEAVEN, FATHER, THAT EVERYBODY IS FINALLY, WHEN YOU GET READY TO GET ON ONE ACCORD, HEAVEN, THE FATHER, OH GOD IS BLESSED US, RIGHT? THE FATHER, WE THANK YOU.
NOW, THE FATHER, THE SON, THE BLESS, HOLY GOES PRAISE LORD.
YOU WOULD PLEASE STAND, LET'S JOIN THE PLEDGE FLAG, OUR COUNTRY PLEDGE FLAG, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY, JUSTICE FOR ALL.
MADAM CLERK, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL ALDERMAN FRIEL.
[3. Approve Agenda.]
ITEM NUMBER THREE, I NEED TO ASK YOU IF YOU WOULD PLEASE ADD, UM, AFTER WE APPROVE THE AGENDA, THE PROCLAMATION THAT WE PRESENTED TO THE NEW HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM, AND IF WE CAN, UH, GET A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA WITH THAT ADDITION, I WILL READ THAT, UH, FOR EVERYONE'S BENEFIT, STAND MOVED.SECOND, HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND ANY DISCUSSION.
SO, UH, I THINK MOST OF WHO OR EVERYONE HERE SHOULD HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU THE PROCLAMATION.
UH, I WANT TO GIVE, UH, STAFF SOME CREDIT.
FOSTER DID A GREAT JOB, UH, WORKING TOGETHER ON VERY SHORT NOTICE ON GETTING THE PARADE PUT TOGETHER THIS AFTERNOON FOR THOSE THAT WERE IN ATTENDANCE, IT WAS VERY WELL PUT TOGETHER.
SO CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND JUST PRIOR TO THAT, UH, SEVERAL OF US JOINED, UH, THE FOOTBALL TEAM AND THE COACHING STAFF AND SOME OF OUR COUNTERPARTS WITH THE COUNTY, UH, BOARD TO RECOGNIZE THE FOOTBALL TEAM AND, UH, FED THEM LUNCH.
AND IT WAS A HUNGRY GROUP OF BOYS, AND THEY PUT A HURTING ON IT.
TRUST ME, BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT A SLICE OF CAKE LEFT WHENEVER WE LEFT THAT PLACE.
UH, IF YOU WOULD, I'D, I'D LIKE TO JUST READ THIS PROCLAMATION.
IT SAYS, WHEREAS ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9TH, 2022, THE NEWBURN HIGH SCHOOL BEARS WON THE TITLE OF FOUR, A STATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS FOLLOWING A WIN AGAINST GREENSBORO'S, GRIMSLEY HIGH SCHOOL WORS.
AND WHEREAS THE GAME PLAYED AT KEENAN STADIUM IN CHAPEL HILL ENDED UNDERSCORE OF 40 TO 28.
AND WHEREAS SINCE 2007, THE NEWBURN BEARS HAVE WON FOUR STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS.
THIS IS THE FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF HEAD COACH TORI NOW.
AND WHEREAS THE TEAM'S OVERALL RECORD FOR 2022 IS 16 AND OH, WHICH IS A GREAT SOURCE OF PRIDE FOR THE PLAYERS, COACHES, ADMINISTRATORS, FANS, FAMILY, STUDENTS, ALUMNI, AND SUPPORTERS OF THE BEARS ATHLETICS.
AND WHEREAS TOTAL TOUCHDOWNS FOR THE SEASON WAS 1 0 4, TOTAL POINT SCORED WAS 7 21.
THE TEAM AVERAGED 12 POINTS PER GAME ABOVE THEIR OPPONENTS.
TOTAL YARDS RUSHED WAS 6,440, AND THE BALL WAS THROWN 515 YARDS FOR COMBINED TOTAL YARDS OF 6,955.
THE BEARS GAVE UP 27 TOUCHDOWNS TO THEIR OPPONENTS.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JEFFREY TIOTTO, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF NEWBURN, ON BEHALF OF THE NEWBURN BOARD OF ALDERMAN, WHO HEREBY HONOR THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE NEWBURN HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM AND PROUDLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE OUTSTANDING CHARACTER DISPLAYED BY THE STUDENT ATHLETES IN WINNING THE 2022 FOR A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
SO CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN TO THE TEAM AND COACHES AND EVERYONE INVOLVED.
[4. Request and Petition of Citizens.]
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ALL RIGHT, ITEM NUMBER FOUR, REQUEST AND PETITION OF CITIZENS.FIRST ONE TONIGHT IS JAY GREEN OF 200 TINO COURT.
UH, I'M A PROUD, UH, RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF NEWBURG FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS VIA MECKLENBURG COUNTY, CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA.
AND TONIGHT JUST PROVES ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE ABOUT THIS CITY AND THESE PEOPLE.
UM, BUT I'VE RECENTLY FOUND SOMETHING THAT IS A LITTLE DISTURBING TO ME.
THERE'S NOT MUCH I DON'T LIKE ABOUT THE CITY OF NEWBURG, BUT I HAVE RECENTLY LEARNED THAT OUR EMPLOYEES ARE UNDERPAID.
I HAVE A, UH, ISSUE WITH THAT.
I UNDERSTAND THAT WE DID A, A MARKET SURVEY, HIRED A CONSULTING FIRM, AND, UH, FOR SOME REASON, WE HAVE NOT BROUGHT IT UP TO WHAT THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES.
I AM IN A BUSINESS THAT DEALS WITH, I DEAL WITH 15 OTHER MUNICIPALITIES IN THE AREA.
SO I KNOW KIND OF WHAT THEY MAKE.
AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IF ANY OF YOU GUYS, UH, KNOW SOMETHING I'M SAYING THAT'S NOT, NOT TRUE.
BUT THE REASON THAT WE LOVE THIS PLACE IS BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE SITTING BEHIND ME.
THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE SET HARMONY TONIGHT.
SO I WANT TO THANK MOST OF THEM THAT ARE HERE FOR THE SERVICE.
I WANNA THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE SERVICE THAT YOU GUYS GIVE, BUT I TRULY BELIEVE THAT, UH, WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO DO, UM, WHETHER IT'S RAISED TAXES, I KNOW NOBODY LIKES TO TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, COME FROM AREAS WHERE THIS IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE FOR TAXES.
UM, AND WE DON'T MIND PAYING A LITTLE MORE FOR THE SERVICE THAT WE'RE GETTING FROM THESE GUYS BEHIND ME.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY, AS A PROUD CITIZEN OF THIS CITY, THAT I DO BELIEVE THAT OUR EMPLOYEES SHOULD BE BROUGHT UP TO THE MARKET STANDARD FOR PAY.
AND I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO MOVE ON.
I'M REAL SURPRISED THE NUMBER ONE REASON THAT MOST PEOPLE LEAVE IS FOR MORE MONEY.
UM, SO THEY OBVIOUSLY LOVE THIS CITY AS MUCH AS I DO, BUT AS A CITIZEN, I WANT TO JUST MAKE IT CLEAR THAT I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD PAY OUR EMPLOYEES WHAT THEY DESERVE.
UH, NEXT IS JACKIE DE OF THREE 10 MADAM MOORE'S LANE.
GOOD EVENING, GEORGIA ALDERMAN MAYOR.
MY NAME IS JACKIE DE AND I AM THE ACCOUNT SERVICES SUPERVISOR FOR THE CAPS OFFICE.
FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO, TO SAY THANK YOU FOR OUR GOVERNOR WARD FOR THEIR INTEREST AND THE WELFARE OF THE EMPLOYEES.
I AM HERE TONIGHT ON BEHALF MY STAFF AND MYSELF TO KINDLY REQUEST THAT YOU CONSIDER APPROVING THE, UH, CONSULTANT'S FULL RECOMMENDATION CAP'S OFFICE IS THE FACE OF THE CITY.
THIS IS THE FIRST PLACE THAT A CUSTOMER COME IN FOR SERVICES, AND THAT'S WHY WE THRIVE FOR EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE.
SO, AS A SUPERVISOR, I AM HAVING DIFFICULTY INCLUDING QUALIFIED CANDIDATE TO HIRE.
AND ONCE WE HIRE THEM, UH, WE START OUR EXTENSIVE TRAINING PROCESS AND GIVE 'EM CLASSES.
HOWEVER, UM, THIS CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT WE GIVE 'EM, THEY DON'T LAST FOR THE CUST, I'M SORRY.
IT'S BEEN VERY DIFFICULT TO RETAIN OUR NEW STAFF AT TIMES DUE TO THE, UH, UM,
UH, IT'S BEEN DIFFICULT TO HIRE AND RETAIN THEM BECAUSE OF THE COMPETING, UH, WAGES IN DIFFERENT TECH TOWNS AND CITIES.
UH, WE DON'T WANT TO SEE OUR SERVICES REDUCED BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE NECESSARY STAFF AND SKILL SETS TO MAINTAIN THE LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT WE HAVE COME TO EXPECT.
I FEEL LIKE IT IS NECESSARY AND SEEMS UNAVOIDABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THE CURRENT INFLATION, SO WE DON'T FALL TOO FAR BEHIND WITH COMPETITIVE WAGES.
AND, UH, WE CAN TAKE US BACK YEARS TO RECOVER AND REPLACE THE SKILLS AND STAFF.
AND FOR THIS, I THANK YOU FOR LISTENING AND FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.
COULD I, I, I THINK THIS IS A CAMERA UP HERE.
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REACHED OUT TO SWAG.GET READY TO PUT A PLUG ON IT.
WE'RE, WE'RE WAITING ON HIM TO STOP.
UH, NEXT IS RUTH COOPER OF 10 22 CARLTON WAY.
UH, MY HUSBAND DOG AND I MOVED HERE FROM CINCINNATI ONE YEAR AGO.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
UM, DECADES AGO AS A PEDIATRIC NURSE, I LEARNED ABOUT FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME LAST YEAR, SHORTLY AFTER MOVING TO NEW BERN, I SAW TV ADS WARNING ABOUT FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDERS, OR FA SDS, AS THEY ARE NOW CALLED.
ABOUT THE SAME TIME, THERE WAS A MAGAZINE ARTICLE ABOUT HOW YOUNG WOMEN AREN'T CONCERNED ABOUT DRINKING ALCOHOL WHILE THEY'RE PREGNANT.
THEN I READ ABOUT THE PROPOSED SOCIAL DISTRICT IN DOWNTOWN NEW BERN.
WHY WOULD WE WANT TO MAKE IT MORE DESIRABLE FOR PEOPLE, POSSIBLY PREGNANT WOMEN TO DRINK MORE ALCOHOL? A SOCIAL DISTRICT WILL BENEFIT THE POCKETS OF LOCAL BARS AND RESTAURANTS, BUT NO ONE ELSE.
TOURISTS, ESPECIALLY FAMILIES, WILL NOT FLOCK TO NEW BERN BECAUSE WE HAVE A SOCIAL DISTRICT.
IF A PREGNANT WOMAN TAKES CERTAIN DRUGS, THEY WILL AFFECT HER FETUS, AND THE BABY MIGHT BE BORN ADDICTED TO THE DRUGS.
FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDERS ARE PERMANENT.
CHILDREN BORN WITH ONE WILL NOT LOOK THICK OR ACT NORMALLY EVER, EVER.
RECENTLY, ONE OF THE MASS SHOOTERS TRIED TO USE HIS ALLEGED F A S D AS A DEFENSE JUST A TINY BIT MORE.
UH, PLEASE THINK ABOUT THE POSSIBLE DAMAGE A SOCIAL DISTRICT MIGHT DO TO FUTURE CHILDREN AND THOSE IN THEIR LIVES.
UH, PLEASE DO NOT APPROVE A SOCIAL DISTRICT FOR NEW BURN AT THIS TIME.
UH, AND THIS IS NOT ABOUT THE SOCIAL DISTRICT, THOUGH.
UH, I LOVE THE TRAFFIC IN NEW BURN.
IT'S SO MUCH BETTER THAN CINCINNATI OR EVEN WILMINGTON, WHERE WE CONSIDERED MOVING.
THE ONLY THING THAT BOTHERS ME IS ALONG TRENT ROAD.
I WAS DRIVING TODAY COMING FROM THE LIBRARY WITH A SUN IN MY FACE, AND SOMEONE ON A BIKE WAS RIDING RIGHT IN MY TRAFFIC LANE TOWARD ME.
I WISH THERE WAS SOME WAY TO PUT SOME KIND OF BIKE LANES OR BETTER SHOULDER OR SOMETHING ALL ALONG TRENT ROAD, CUZ IT'S EVEN GOING TO THE Y SOME MORNINGS I SEE, I SEE PEOPLE WALKING OR BIKING IN DARK CLOTHING, RIGHT? AS I'M DRIVING IN THAT LANE OF TRAFFIC.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S EVER ANYTHING YOU CAN DO, BUT I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN IN THE DAYS I'M GONNA READ THAT SOME PEDESTRIAN WAS KILLED ON TRENT ROAD BECAUSE PEOPLE JUST COULDN'T HELP, COULDN'T SEE THEM RIGHT IN THE, IN THE TRAFFIC LANE.
I HAVE A DOG ON ANTIBIOTICS AND PAIN MEDS, SO I'M LEAVING NOW.
WAS THAT ALL THE PETITIONER CITIZENS? THANK YOU.
[Consent Agenda]
OKAY, MOVING ON TO THE SYNOGEN AND WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD? MAY I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS HE IS? SECOND.I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND IN YOUR DISCUSSION.
NOT, LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN PRI.
[9. Presentation by Governing Board.]
UH, MADAM CLERK, DO YOU HAVE, UH, THE PRESENTATION YET? I DO.UM, IF THE BOARD WOULD ALLOW ME, I'M GOING TO, UH, WALK DOWN TO THE FRONT AND, UM, I KNOW EVERYBODY'S HERE FOR THIS SPECIAL PRESENTATION TONIGHT.
UH, MAYOR OUTLAW, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE JOIN ME AT PODIUM.
UH, THE MAYOR, UH, PUT ME ON THE SPOT SEVERAL TIMES IN EIGHT YEARS.
SO I RETURNED TO, I ASKED HIM IF HE WOULD COME TO THE MEETING, AND HE DIDN'T ASK ME WHY HE DIDN'T, DIDN'T ASK ANY QUESTIONS.
SO, UM, I THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT THIS ELECTION CYCLE WE WENT THROUGH WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
UH, THE TIMING WAS DIFFERENT, UH, WHEN WE WERE SWORN IN WAS DIFFERENT, AND IT DIDN'T ALLOW US TO REALLY HAVE THE PROPER HANDOFF.
AND, UM, MAYOR, UH, THIS IS A, A NEW TRADITION THAT THE BOARD HAS AGREED WE'RE GONNA START.
AND THAT IS PASSING THE OFFICIALLY ON TO THE OUTGOING MAYOR.
PRESENTED THE NAME, ALCOHOL AND RECOGNITION OF YOUR DEDICATION AND SERVICE TO THE CITY OF NEWBURN, HAVING SERVICE AS MAYOR FROM 1210 2013 THROUGH EIGHT 15 2022.
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UM, YOU HAVE, UH, CERTAINLY LED THE CITY THROUGH SOME DIFFICULT TIMES.UM, WE HAVE SHARED IT SOME OF THOSE TIMES TOGETHER.
AND, UM, WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE HERE TONIGHT.
UM, I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE, AND I KNOW YOU'RE GLAD YOU'RE HERE.
SO, UM, I, I KNOW YOU'RE A MAN OF FEW WORDS, BUT EVERYTHING YOU WANNA SHARE WITH THE, UH, TONIGHT, WELL, I JUST, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
SOMEBODY TOOK, THAT'S THE SECOND TIME YOU'VE EVER USED THAT GAVE IN HIS ROOM.
I MEAN, CAUSE I, YOU KNOW, SLIP THAT THING RIGHT OUT.
I DO THANK YOU FOR THIS AND, UH, IT WAS REALLY A PLEASURE AND HONOR TO SERVE THE CITY OF NEWBURN STAFF AND PARTICULARLY ALL THE EMPLOYEES.
IT'S GREAT TO SEE ALL GUYS AND I CAUSE YOU WERE SO HELPFUL IN 16 YEARS.
AND A LOT OF TIMES, I'LL HAVE TO SAY, AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, YOU KNOW, UM, WE DEPEND ON YOU A LOT AND YOU DELIVER SO MUCH.
AND I THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.
AND IF SOMEBODY'S NOT HERE TONIGHT, PLEASE BACK AND TELL HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE FROM THE BOTTOM DO FOR CITY NEW.
AND JEFFREY, YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB AND I'M JUST SO HONORED AND THRILLED OF HOW GREAT JOB YOU GUYS ARE DOING AND HOW WELL, I'M SEEING YOU GUYS ARE ALL WORKING TOGETHER.
THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
BOARD, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND ALLOWING US TO DO THAT.
I THINK IT WAS VERY APPROPRIATE.
[10. Presentation of City Employees of the Year.]
NUMBER 10, PRESENTATION OF CITY EMPLOYEES OF THE YEAR.SO, SO MAYOR OF LAST WEEK, UH, WE HAD OUR, UH, OUR FIRST ANNUAL CITY EMPLOYEE HOLIDAY LUNCHEON FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.
WE HAD A GREAT ATTENDANCE AT THE WEST NEWBURN RECREATION CENTER, AND WE IMPLEMENTED OUR CITY EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR PROGRAM.
AND SO WE HAVE THREE EMPLOYEES THAT WE RECOGNIZE, AND THEY ARE PUBLIC SAFETY, WHICH COMPRISES THE FIRE RESCUE OF POLICE DEPARTMENTS, PUBLIC SERVICE, WHICH INCLUDES ADMINISTRATION, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, FINANCE, HUMAN RESOURCES, IT AND PARKS AND RECREATION AND PUBLIC UTILITIES, PUBLIC WORKS.
AND THAT INCLUDES THE ELECTRIC UTILITY, UH, WATER RESOURCES IN PUBLIC WORKS.
SO DEPARTMENT HEADS AND SUPERVISORS MADE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, ON, ON FOLKS IN THEIR DEPARTMENTS ON WHO THEY THOUGHT WOULD BE A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR EMPLOYEES OF THE YEAR.
UH, I CREATED A, A TEAM CONSISTING OF DEPARTMENT HEADS, MYSELF, THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER OF FI, THE HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR.
AND WE WORKED TO DETERMINE WHO THOSE EMPLOYEES WOULD BE.
SO WE, WE INFORMED THOSE FOLKS LAST WEEK, UH, WHO THEY WOULD BE.
AND, AND HOPEFULLY ALL OF THEM ARE HERE TONIGHT.
AND SO I'M GONNA MOVE OVER HERE TO THIS OTHER SIDE.
I'M GONNA READ SOME THINGS ABOUT THEM AND THEN, AND THEN, LET'S SEE HERE.
HE'S TELLING ME TO CUT THIS MIC.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO PRESENT THEM WITH A PLAQUE AND A $300 CHECK FOR THEIR SERVICE.
FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, THIS EMPLOYEE IS A HIGHLY RESPECTED MEMBER OF THE DEPARTMENT AND COMMUNITY.
AS PART OF THEIR JOB, THEY INTERACT WITH THE MAJORITY OF CITY DEPARTMENTS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
THIS EMPLOYEE OFTEN EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS BY COMPLETING ASSIGNMENTS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE.
THIS EMPLOYEE FREQUENTLY STEPS UP TO VOLUNTEER FOR ADDITIONAL DUTIES.
NORMALLY, WHEN THEY'RE A CITYWIDE SPECIAL EVENT, THEY'RE WORKING, THIS EMPLOYEE IS DEDICATED, DEPENDABLE, AND DURING THE COURSE OF THEIR EMPLOYMENT WITH THE CITY, HAS REMAINED UPBEAT, MOTIVATED, AND SMILEY DURING THEIR 23 YEAR CAREER.
I'M PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE 2022 EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR FOR PUBLIC SAFETY POLICE SERGEANT MONICA HARGAN.
HERE'S, WHICH I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA LIE, AND THEN HERE'S YOUR, LET'S GET A PICTURE WITH CHIEF.
THANK YOU SO MUCH AND CONGRATULATIONS.
OUR NEXT CATEGORY IS FOR PUBLIC SERVICE.
THIS EMPLOYEE IS EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE IN THEIR ROLE, WHICH REQUIRES
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INTERPERSONAL SKILLS, EMPATHY, AND UNDERSTANDING.THEY DISPLAY INITIATIVE AND TREMENDOUS MULTITASKING ABILITIES AND ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS.
THE EMPLOYEE GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND THE NORMAL JOB DUTIES ON A DAILY BASIS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR EMPLOYEES.
THIS EMPLOYEE DISPLAYS AN OUTSTANDING PUBLIC IMAGE OR REPRESENTS THE CITY IN A POSITIVE MANNER IN THEIR INTERACTIONS WITH EMPLOYEES AND THE PUBLIC.
THE EMPLOYEE DISPLAYS PROFESSIONALISM, PATIENCE, AND SINCERE COMPASSION WHEN DEALING WITH OTHERS.
EVERY EMPLOYEE IN THE CITY DEALS WITH THIS PERSON AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER.
THIS EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN WITH THE CITY SINCE 2018.
I'M PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE 2022 EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR FOR PUBLIC SERVICE HUMAN RESOURCES TECHNICIAN.
AND FOR OUR PUBLIC UTILITIES PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR.
AS THE CITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE CONTINUES TO GROW, THIS EMPLOYEE HAS TAKEN AN, AN ACTIVE LEADERSHIP ROLE IN THEIR DEPARTMENT BY HELPING TO KEEP PACE WITH THE NORTH CAROLINA Z O T HIGHWAY 70 PROJECT AND METRONET PROJECT AND OTHER ONGOING DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
THIS EMPLOYEE'S IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES HAS ALLOWED THE WORK TO THE WORK VOLUME TO INCREASE BY OVER 300%.
THIS EMPLOYEE HAS WORKED TO ESTABLISH EFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE LOCAL CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AND DEALS WITH CITIZENS ON A DAILY BASIS WHO INQUIRE ABOUT THE WHAT AND THE WHY THEY DO THIS EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN WITH THE CITY SINCE 2016 AND REPRESENTS THE CITY IN AN EXTREMELY POSITIVE MANNER.
I'M PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE 2022 EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR FOR PUBLIC UTILITIES.
PUBLIC WORKS UTILITY LOCATE COORDINATOR, RYAN YOUNG.
I REALLY WANTED TO, UM, HAVE THE THREE EMPLOYEES COME TO THE FRONT SO THAT WE AS A BOARD CAN SHAKE THEIR HANDS AND TAKE THE PICTURE WITH THEM.
THE BOARD, IF THE BOARD WANTS TO DO THAT, I THINK THAT WILL BE MOST APPROPRIATE IF THEY'RE STILL HERE.
WE CAN GET 'EM, WE CAN GET 'EM BACK IN.
[00:25:02]
OKAY.[11. Recognition of 2022 Citizens Police Academy.]
ITEM NUMBER 11, MR. HUGHES, RECOGNITION OF THE 2022 CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY.I'D LIKE TO ASK CHIEF GALLAGHER TO COME UP AND MAKE THIS PRESENTATION.
SO THE NEW BERN POLICE DEPARTMENT IS THRILLED TO, UM, HONOR AND RECOGNIZE THOSE THAT HAVE COMPLETED OUR CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY.
THIS WAS ORGANIZED, MANAGED, AND IN LARGE PART, UM, UH, IS THE, UM, AS A RESULT OF THE EFFORTS OF THE MAN STANDING TO THE RIGHT OF ME, SERGEANT, UH, BRYCE.
SO I WOULD, UH, LET SERGEANT BRYCE, UH, CONCLUDE THE, UH, OUR PRESENTATION TO OUR NEW GRADUATE SERGEANT PRICE.
UH, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HERE.
STANDING BEHIND ME ARE SEVERAL VERY ENTHUSIASTIC AND SUPPORTIVE INDIVIDUALS.
NOT ONLY ARE THEY SUPPORTIVE OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT THEY'RE SUPPORTERS OF THE CITY OF NEWBURG.
SINCE BEGINNING THE CLASS IN SEPTEMBER, I HAVE SEEN THEM AT SEVERAL COMMUNITY EVENTS TO INCLUDE MOM FEST AND OTHERS.
UM, IT'S, IT'S QUITE A, QUITE AN HONOR TO WALK DOWN THE STREETS AND IN UNIFORM OR OUTTA UNIFORM.
AND THEY'LL, THEY'LL CALL ME DOWN ACROSS THE STREET, HEY, HOW, HOW YOU DOING? WHAT'S GOING ON? SO THEY'RE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN THE CITY OF NEWBURN.
UH, CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY IS A 10 WEEK POLICE ACADEMY WHERE WE BECOME VERY TRANSPARENT AS MUCH AS WE CAN, AS TO WHAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DOES.
THEY WERE INTRODUCED TO OUR SERVICES DIVISION, OUR INVESTIGATIONS DIVISION, OUR OPERATIONS DIVISION.
WE TOOK A FIELD TRIP OUT TO CRAVEN COUNTY COURTHOUSE.
UH, WE SPOKE WITH, UM, DISTRICT ATTORNEY SCOTT THOMAS.
SO WE'VE DONE A LOT OF FUN THINGS, A LOT OF HANDS ON THINGS.
AND THIS IS A GREAT CROWD OF PEOPLE BEHIND ME, AND I'M REALLY EXCITED TO HIM, TO YOU.
BUT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE OUR CLASS PRESIDENT LINDA ZAKA.
SHE HAS A FEW WORDS SHE'D LIKE TO SAY, AND THEN I'LL PRESENT SOME CERTIFICATES.
LINDA, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR ODEN AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN.
MY NAME IS LINDA ZAKA, AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TO YOU THIS EVENING.
I RECENTLY COMPLETED THE 25TH SESSION OF THE NEW BERN CITIZEN POLICE ACADEMY ON NOVEMBER 30TH, ALONG WITH 14 OF MY FELLOW IANS.
MANY OF US HAVE BEEN RESIDENTS OF NEW BERN FOR LESS THAN FIVE YEARS AFTER LIVING MOST OF OUR LIVES SOMEWHERE ELSE.
THIS CLASS WAS AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE AN IN-DEPTH VIEW OF THE NEW BERN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
CHIEF PATRICK GALLAGHER, WHO'S ALSO A NEWCOMER IN NEW BERNE, OPENED THE FIRST OF OUR 10 SESSIONS WITH AN OVERVIEW OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, ITS MISSION STATEMENT, AND THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO THE VALUES AND IDEALS OF COMMUNITY POLICING.
WITH OVER 31 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, CHIEF GALLAGHER IS KEENLY AWARE THAT CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT WITH THE POLICE IS A CRITICAL ELEMENT OF CRIME PREVENTION AND PUBLIC SAFETY.
HE PROVIDED VALUABLE INFORMATION ON THE DEPARTMENT'S CURRENT PROGRAMS AND FUTURE GOALS TO STRENGTHEN THIS CONCEPT.
SUBSEQUENT CLASS SESSIONS INTRODUCED US TO THE FUNCTION AND OPERATION OF THE VARIOUS SPECIALIZED ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CRAVEN COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND LOCAL COURTS.
IN THE INTEREST OF TIME ON, UNABLE TO GO OVER, GO OVER EACH OF THEM TONIGHT, BUT I DID PROVIDE A MORE EXTENSIVE OVERVIEW OF OUR 10 WEEK EXPERIENCE FOR YOU TO, TO READ.
I PULLED MY CLASSMATES FOR THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE CITIZEN POLICE ACADEMY AS A WHOLE.
HERE ARE A FEW OF THEIR RESPONSES.
THE CLASS WAS EXTREMELY VALUABLE AND HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
THIS COURSE WAS FAR MORE THAN I WAS EXPECTING.
WHAT SURPRISED ME WAS HOW MUCH FORMAL EDUCATION MANY OFFICERS HAVE, INCLUDING ADVANCED COLLEGE DEGREES.
EACH OF THE PRESENTERS TAUGHT ME SOMETHING OR MADE ME THINK ABOUT ASPECTS OF POLICE WORK THAT I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT.
AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF PLANNING WENT INTO THIS 10 WEEK COURSE WHO WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL WITHOUT THE ORGANIZED PRESENCE OF SERGEANT KEVIN BRYCE.
SERGEANT BRYCE WAS ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND COMMUNICATED WEEKLY WITH US.
HE KEPT THE EVENINGS EVENTS MOVING ALONG AND ON TIME.
HE CHAP AROUND OUR OFF-CAMPUS TRIPS LIKE A PRO.
AND WITH HIS COW CROWD CONTROL EXPERIENCE, HE MADE SURE NONE OF US WANDERED OFF UNSUPERVISED AT THE COURTHOUSE OR THE COUNTY JAIL.
HE WAS QUICK TO PROVIDE CLARIFICATION AND ANCILLARY INFORMATION WHEN NEEDED.
AND HE ALWAYS HAD AN INTERESTING STORY OR ANECDOTE TO SHARE.
WE FORMALLY RECOGNIZED HIS EFFORTS AT OUR LAST CLASS TOGETHER, BUT WE ALSO WANTED TO PUBLICLY HONOR HIM HERE TONIGHT AND EXPRESSED ONCE AGAIN OUR HEARTFELT
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APPRECIATION.WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK CHIEF GALLAGHER AND ALL THE UNIFORMED AND CIVILIAN MEN AND WOMEN OF THE NEW BERN POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE CRAVE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, AND THE MANY, MANY OTHERS.
I AM FORGETTING FOR GIVING US THEIR PERSONAL TIME TO TELL US WHAT THEY DO, ANSWER OUR MANY QUESTIONS, AND CONNECT IT WITH THE GOALS OF COMMUNITY POLICING.
THEIR KNOWLEDGE, DEDICATION, PROFESSIONALISM, AND ENTHUSIASM FOR THEIR WORK WAS ON CONSTANT DISPLAY.
DURING OUR TIME TOGETHER, WE HAVE A NEWFOUND RESPECT AND UNDERSTANDING OF ALL THE CHALLENGES THEY FACE IN KEEPING THE CITIZENS OF NEW BIRDS SAFE.
AND WE HOPE TO SUPPORT AND ASSIST THEM IN THE FUTURE IN ANY WAY THAT WE CAN.
IN CLOSING, WE ASK OUR CITY LEADERS FOR THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE ACADEMY, ENTER THE UNIFORM POLICE OFFICERS AND CIVILIANS WHO MANEUVER IN THE WONDERFUL CITY WE'VE ALL COME TO APPRECIATE.
AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO PRESENT CERTIFICATES AND ALSO HAVE A CLASS PICTURE FOR EACH ONE OF THEM.
UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HANDING THAT OUT.
MS. LINDA GRACA, JAVIER CRUZ, SLAVE PAY, AND BOWMAN, WILL BOWMAN.
BRENDA CHASE, GRAHAM JAMES SUE PHILLIP AT THE AMERICAN MURDER.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, JACK HOPPER.
AGAIN, THIS IS A GREAT GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS BEHIND ME, UH, VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE CITY.
I'VE SAID THAT NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT I, I CAN'T STRESS IT ENOUGH.
THIS IS OUR 25TH SESSION OF, UH, CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY.
UM, LAST THING I WILL SAY THAT SINCE COVID, THIS IS THE FIRST CLASS WE'VE HAD.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO STARTING ONE AGAIN IN THE WINTER SPRING SESSION 2023.
UH, SO YOU'LL SEE INFORMATION COMING UP FOR THAT.
I'VE ENJOYED MEETING, GETTING TO KNOW ALL OF YOU.
LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU OUT AND AROUND IN THE CITY.
AND THANK YOU SERGEANT BRYCE AND CHIEF GALLAGHER.
[12. Presentation by Craven County Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.]
RIGHT, ITEM NUMBER 12, WE'VE GOT A PRESENTATION BY THE CRAVEN COUNTY ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL BOARD.HEY, AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO ASK CHIP CHAMAN TO COME UP AND MAKE THIS PRESENTATION.
WELL, MR. MAYOR BOARD, IT'S CERTAINLY INTERESTING TO SEE ALL THESE FINE CITIZENS ERS.
YOU CAN SEE WHY NEWBURN IS THE CENTER OF EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA.
I AM YOUR KRAMON COUNTY ABC BOARD CHAIRMAN.
UH, ALONG WITH ME THIS EVENING, I HAVE, UH, MORRIS, ANY, I'M ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS AND OUR GENERAL MANAGER, PAUL BROWN.
UM, ON THE BOARD IS OUR MISSION STATEMENT.
UH, IT'S EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IN THE KRAMON COUNTY ABC BOARD HAS
[00:35:01]
TO BE WRAPPED AROUND THE STATEMENT THAT YOU SEE, UH, THE, THE INVESTMENTS THAT WE PUT FORTH AND THE EFFORT THAT WE PUT FORTH HERE, UH, PLACED INTO THAT MI MISSION STATEMENT.SOME OF THE BOARD MEMBERS, UH, YOU MAY, UH, MAY SEE SOME FAMILIAR FACES UP THERE.
UH, KENNY BOOKER IS, UH, WHO'S ALSO ON THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, IS ALSO ON OUR BOARD.
IT'S VERY INTERESTING, UH, TO HAVE A BOARD OF COMMISSIONER ON YOUR, ON YOUR BOARD.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, UH, CAROL CREIGHTON AND, UH, KATHLEEN COOK KENNY AS, UH, ALSO HERE AND MYSELF, OF COURSE.
UH, THERE IS ONE CHANGE UP HERE.
WE JUST SIGNED IN THE LAST FEW DAYS AN AGREEMENT WITH, UH, CHIP HUGHES AND THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT OF CRA COUNTY TO TAKE OVER OUR TOTAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.
THEY, THEY HAVE THE, UH, SECURITY DETAIL.
UM, NOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE DOING, UH, PAST, PAST DUTIES OF, UH, A L E.
UH, SO YOU'LL BE SEEING THEM WALKING AROUND IN THE, UH, UH, LIQUOR BY THE DRINKER FACILITIES AS WE, UH, GO FORWARD.
ANOTHER PERSON WHO WAS UP THERE IS MELANIE RAY.
MOST PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM IS SUE THIS BOARD.
UM, AND SHE HAS MOVED FROM BOARD OF, UH, UH, ELECTIONS TO, UH, OUR OFFICE AS THE, UH, CHIEF FI FINANCIAL OFFICE.
SO THAT'S WHAT SHE DID IN CLEVELAND COUNTY BY, BY THE WAY, BEFORE SHE CAME TO CRAVEN.
UH, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID, WE HAD THREE THINGS THIS YEAR THAT WE WANTED TO, WE HAD THREE THINGS THAT, MAJOR FACTORS THAT WE WANTED TO DO THIS YEAR.
ONE WAS HAVE THE, UH, UH, GROUNDBREAKING OF OUR NEW BUILDING, 5.3 MILLION OVER IN, UH, BRIDGETON.
UH, I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT AS WE HAVE MOVED ON FROM OUR GROUNDBREAKING, WE'RE AT ABOUT 28 TO 30% COMPLETION ON THAT JOB.
AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO A ONE AUGUST, UH, GRAND OPENING.
UH, IT'S A COMPLEX, AND ONE SIDE WILL BE THE STORE, AND ON THE OTHER SIDE WILL BE A NEW WAREHOUSE.
UH, AND THAT WHEN WE VACATE OUR WAREHOUSE, UH, THAT WILL GO TO THE COUNTY OF CRAVEN TO REPLACE A WAREHOUSE THEY HAVE IN VANCE BURRO THAT'S IN VERY PORSCHE.
AND WE WILL BE CONVEYING THAT TO THEM.
UH, THE SECOND THING THAT WE HAVE DONE, WHICH IS INTERESTING, UH, OF, OF INTEREST TO THIS BOARD, OF COURSE, IS THAT WE COMPLETED OUR DOWNTOWN PROJECT THAT WAS ABOUT $350,000 THAT WE INVESTED IN THAT HISTORIC BUILDING.
UM, WE WANTED TO MAKE IT ROLL IT BACK AS MUCH AS WE PUT TO 1935.
I THINK WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB ON THAT.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, IT, IT HAD A FRONT, UH, STRUCTURAL PROBLEM, UM, AND NEARLY CAME DOWN ON FRONT STREET.
UM, WE MANAGED TO HAVE THAT, UH, REPAIRED WITH NEW GIRDERS, UH, AND, UM, FIXED UP THE INSIDE.
AND IT'S, WE HAD OUR GRAND OPENING.
AND THEN THE THIRD THING THAT WE HAVE DONE IS WE OPENED UP A, AN ADDITIONAL STORE THAT IT TAKES CARE OF LIQUOR BY THE DRINK, WHICH IS, UH, THE, UH, WHICH WE TURN FOR THE, THE FOLKS WHO HAVE, UH, BARS, GRILLS, RESTAURANTS THAT SERVE, UH, SPIRITS.
SO WE, THEY, WE HAVE A STORE FOR THEM NOW IN OUR WAREHOUSE.
UH, AND WE NOW, UH, RENT AND HAVE THEM COME TO OTHER STORES AND PICK UP STUFF, STUFF WE DELIVERED TO THEM.
SO WE'VE MOVED ON WITH, WITH THAT.
UH, AND THAT'S INCREASED SOME OF THE SALES.
UM, WE DID HAVE OUR CHALLENGES, UH, LIKE YOU, YOU DID WITH THE COVERT.
UH, AT ONE TIME, ON A NORMAL GIVEN DAY, UH, THE KRAMER COUNTY ABC BOARD WILL HAVE FOR SALE SOMEWHERE AROUND A HUNDRED, UH, 110,000 BOTTLES BETWEEN, UH, ALL OF OUR STORES.
UM, AND, UM, DUE TO COVERT, WE WERE DOWN TO ABOUT 30%, 34%, UH, OF THAT AT ONE TIME.
SO WE HAD, UH, YARDS OF, UH, SPACE AND, AND OUR STORES.
WELL, THAT'S TURNED AROUND AND WE ARE NOW AT SOMEWHERE AROUND 99%, PHIL.
UH, WE HAVE A FEW SHORTAGES IN, IN THE SCOTCH AND SOME OF THE BOURBONS STILL, BUT, UH, VERY LARGE.
UM, SO WE'VE, UH, WE'VE MOVED ON FROM THAT.
UM, SO ONE OF OUR, WHAT ARE OUR GOALS, UH, UH, THIS YEAR, UH, WE'RE EXPECTING TO INCREASE OUR SALES, UH, BY 3%.
WE'RE ACTUALLY, UH, DOING BETTER THAN THAT.
I, I, WE, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, WE WENT TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, LOOKED AT THEIR ECONOMIC, UH, VIEW OF TOURISM.
AND, UH, WE JUDGE IT A LOT, A LOT ON THAT.
AND, UH, RIGHT ABOUT NOW, WE HAVE SOMEWHERE AROUND NINE TO 10%
[00:40:01]
OVER LAST YEAR, WHICH WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL YEAR.UM, AND SO WE'RE LOOKING, UH, YOU CAN SEE THE FIGURE THAT WE, THAT WE HAVE THERE.
UM, THE OTHER, THE OTHER OUTFITS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT IS, UH, UH, THE, UH, SECURITY.
WE ARE UPGRADING OUR SECURITY NEW CAMERAS AND NEW NEW SYSTEM CALLED FLOCK, WHICH, UH, WE WE'RE PUTTING IT ON PROPERTY THAT WE OWN.
UM, AND IT WILL, UH, TAKE A LOOK AT, UH, UH, FOLKS COMING INTO THE PROPERTY WITH THEIR DRIVER'S LICENSES, INFORMATION, IF THEY HAVE A WARRANT FOR THEIR ARREST.
AND UNDERNEATH THAT, THAT DRIVER'S LICENSE.
SO WE WILL FLASH ON THE BOARD OF, UM, UH, CHIP HUGHES, STATE POLICE, AND AL E UH, WE'VE HAD, UH, A COUPLE OF ARRESTS, UH, FOLKS, UH, THAT HAVE, HAVE COME TO ABC STORES.
AND, UH, THEIR WARRANTS FLASHED UP THERE, SOME OF 'EM, SERIOUS SET OF PEOPLE.
SO WE HAVE THIS YEAR A NEW PROGRAM OF, UH, AN INTERNSHIP FOR OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM.
AND WE HAD OUR FIRST, UH, GRADUATES FROM THAT.
UM, WE'VE INCREASED THE PAY, UH, OF OUR FOLKS.
THE AVERAGE RATE HAD NOW FOR THE AVERAGE EMPLOYEE IS ABOUT, UH, 16 TO $17 AN HOUR.
UM, AND, UH, BUT WE STILL OFFER BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD TO OUR FULL-TIME PEOPLE AT NO COST.
SO THAT'S WORTH, UH, SEVERAL DOLLARS AN HOUR AS WELL.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING THIS YEAR IS WE'RE, UM, THE STATE.
THE STATE HAS PASSED THE LAW THAT REQUIRES US TO GIVE 7% OF THE MONEY THAT WE TAKE IN SPECIFICALLY EARMARKED FOR, UH, PREVENTION OF UNDERAGE DRINKING OR DRUGS.
UH, WE HAVE TAKEN THAT MONEY AND, AND, UH, WE HAVE ALSO APPLIED IN THIS OTHER PARTS OF THE STATUTE THAT ALLOW US TO PAY FOR, UH, UH, CERTAIN COUNTY, UM, ANTI ALCOHOL PROGRAMS SUCH AS THE, THE CLINIC THAT IS DONE IN OSLO COUNTY.
WE, WE PUT ABOUT $140,000, UH, TO ASSIST THE COUNTY ON THAT.
UM, IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, WE SUPPLY, UH, THE DEER PROGRAM.
WE, WE FUND THAT, UH, FOR ALL OF THE SCHOOLS.
AND, UM, THAT'S BEEN VERY HELPFUL.
WE ALSO HELP OUT THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, UH, ALSO WITH A GRANT FOR UNDERAGE, UH, PREVENTION OF UNDERAGE DRINKING.
SO, HOW ARE WE DOING, UM, HERE IN BUSINESS? YOU'D LIKE TO SEE A CHART LIKE THIS.
UH, WE'VE, UH, ABOUT EIGHT YEARS AGO WE WERE DOING 6.2, UH, 6.3 MILLION.
NOW WE'RE UP TO, YOU KNOW, JUST A TOUCH ON 16 MILLION FOLKS ASKED ME IF WE SELL INRE COUNTY AND ABUNDANCE OF, OF ALCOHOL.
WELL, THE, THE ANSWER IS, UH, PEOPLE IN GREEN COUNTY, UH, HAVE A GOOD TASTE FOR MIDDLE AND UPPER SHELF ALCOHOL.
UH, OUR FRIENDS OVER TO GREENVILLE GOES TO THE COLLEGE.
UH, THEY TEND TO HAVE DRINK A LOT OF ARISTOCRAT
AND I NOTICED THAT YOU SMILED ON THAT, MR. MAY.
I'M SURE YOU DID NOT DO THAT WHEN YOU WERE GOING TO SCHOOL, BUT, UH, OTHERS DID.
I, I PUT A FOOT ALLS ABOUT VERSUS THE, THE STUFF THAT WE SELL AT PRETTY HIGH.
I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT, UM, ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE BOTTLES IN THE WORLD, UH, IS A COGNAC.
UM, LOUIS THE 13TH, UH, THE BOTTLE ITSELF THAT IT COMES IN IS, UH, ABOUT $600.
THE COGNAC, UH, RETAILS FOR $4,000 FOR ONE BOTTLE.
AND YES, WE'VE SOLD THAT IN CRAVEN COUNTY.
UH, WE ROUTINELY SELL BOTTLES OF, UH, ALCOHOL THAT, THAT 1800 TO $2,200, UM, IN, IN CRAVEN COUNTY NOW.
UM, BUT WE DO NOT SELL AS, AS COMPARED TO A LOT OF THE OTHER COUNTIES.
UH, A LOT OF THE UNITS OF ALCOHOL AS COMPARED.
SO THAT THIS, THERE'S SOME NEWS THERE FOR YOU.
NOW, WHAT DOES THAT DO? UM, WE CALL THE TAIL OF THE BOTTLE.
UH, I CAN, I'VE KIND OF GIVEN AWAY, CUZ I KNOW RIGHT AWAY THAT SOME OF YOUR EYES HAVE DROPPED DOWN TO WHAT THE CITY OF, UH, NEWBURN, UH, IS, IS ABOUT TO GET, UH, AS PART OF THIS, THE, THE, UH, THE DIVIDEND AND, AND EACH CITIZEN GETS PART OF THIS DIVIDEND.
CRAVEN COUNTY ABC BOARD OPERATES ON NO TAX BASE.
WE HAVE NOT DONE EXCEPTED ONE PENNY OF TAXES SINCE 1935.
WE'VE NOT, THIS DOES NOT COST ANY CITIZENS IN CRAVEN, UH, TO OPERATE THESE STORES OF PAY PEOPLE ONE PENNY.
IT'S ALL SELF DONE BY THE, UH, SELF, SELF-FUNDED
[00:45:01]
BY THE, UH, THE PEOPLE WHO BUY THE ALCOHOL.SO THE NUMBERS THAT YOU SEE AT THE BIGGEST WINNER, OF COURSE, IS THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA THAT WE WROTE CHECKS OUT FOR $3.3 MILLION FOR EXCISE TAX.
AND THEN THE NEXT ONE IS THE COUNTY.
AND YOU CAN SEE THERE'S THREE, THREE CHECKS THAT THE COUNTY GETS IN IF YOU ADD THOSE UP QUICKLY TO COME UP TO ABOUT $1.4 MILLION.
THAT'S HOW MUCH WE GAVE GREGORY COUNTY THIS YEAR.
AND, AND, UH, AND, UH, PAVLOCK THAT SOME, AND, UH, YOU NEED A LITTLE VA FOR, GOT SOME.
AND YEAH, CITY OF, UH, NEWBURN IS GOING TO GET A, A CHECK HERE.
UM, SO, BUT I'LL FURTHER ADO YOU, SIR.
IF I MAY PASS THIS ON TO YOUR FINANCE, UH, MINISTER OVER, GIVE IT TO HER.
AND WE ALSO PASSED ON THE, THE AUDIT, UH, HOW WE ARRIVED AT THAT, UH, THAT MONEY.
AND ONCE AGAIN, CRAVEN COUNTY, UH, DID VERY, VERY WELL IN THE AUTO.
WE GOT IN THE TOP 4% OF, OF NORTH CAROLINA.
AND AS IN ON THE NOTE FROM THE NORTH CAROLINA, UH, ABC COMMISSIONER HIMSELF, UM, HANK F WHO SAID THAT, UM, WITHOUT A DOUBT, HIS MIND OF THE HUNDRED 67 BOARDS IN NORTH CAROLINA, THE CRAVEN COUNTY, UH, HAS THE BEST LOOKING AND BEST RUN.
HE'S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH ME, UH, ABC, UH, SYSTEM THAT, THAT, THAT HE LEADS.
SO THAT'S PRETTY GOOD COMPANY BECAUSE WE HAVE LINBERG THAT HAS 26 STORES AND RALEIGH HAVE 28 AND US, OUR LITTLE SIX STORES TO BE UP THERE, UH, A RATIFIED AIR.
SO WE'RE PLEASED AND WE'RE HAPPY TO WORK ON THAT FOR ALL OF YOUR CITIZENS.
BOARD, ANYBODY HAVE QUESTIONS FOR MR. SHAGUN WHILE HE'S HERE? THANKS, JIM.
NOW WHAT WE, UH, WHAT EVERYBODY HAS BEEN WAITING FOR, OUR
[13. Presentation of the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and Audit for Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2022.]
ANNUAL AUDIT PRESENTATION NUMBER 13, UH, THIS IS THE PRESENTATION OF THE ANNUAL CAFFER AND PHYSICAL YEAR, UH, FOR JUNE 30TH, 2022.I WOULD LIKE TO ASK ALAN THOMPSON WITH THOMPSON PRICE.
SCOTT ADAMS A COMPANY TO MAKE THAT PRESENTATION.
UM, AND I KNOW EVERYONE IS HERE, UH, FOR THIS.
UM, IT IS ALWAYS DIFFICULT TO FOLLOW GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF STAFF AND, AND SPORTS TEAMS, ET CETERA.
UM, BUT WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL THAT YOU ALLOW US TO PERFORM THE AUDIT FOR THE CITY.
COUPLE THINGS I NEED TO TELL YOU TO START WITH, YOU DO HIRE US.
THE MAIN THING IS TO ISSUE AN OPINION ON THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS A WHOLE.
WE ISSUED UNMODIFIED REPORT, WHICH IS A QUOTE, CLEAN REPORT.
THERE WERE A COUPLE FINDINGS, BUT OVERALL VERY CLEAN REPORT AND A VERY GOOD FINANCIAL REPORT.
IF YOU WERE KIND ENOUGH TO FLIP OVER ON THE PRESENTATION SUMMARY ON PAGE ONE, I'M GONNA GO THROUGH A COUPLE THINGS AND THEN WE'LL GET YOU THE NUMBERS.
UH, NO SIGNIFICANT AUDIT FINDINGS ON PAGE ONE.
ON PAGE TWO, NO DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED IN PERFORMING THE AUDIT.
NO UNCORRECTED MISSTATEMENTS, NO DISAGREEMENTS WITH MANAGEMENT.
MANAGEMENT DID PROVIDE US WITH A REPRESENTATION LETTER DATED NOVEMBER 7TH, UH, ONE, AWARE THAT MANAGEMENT CONSULTED THE OUTSIDE ACCOUNTANT SOLIDS, ET CETERA.
UH, THE TWO SMALL FINDINGS I'LL DEAL WITH AT THE VERY END OF THIS ON PRESENTATION.
UH, AND THEN IF YOU'D BE KIND ENOUGH TO TIP OVER PAGE FOUR, AND LET'S LOOK AT THE NUMBERS IF WE MAY.
UH, WHAT WE ATTEMPT TO DO HERE IS TO PULL OUT SOME OF THE KEY NUMBERS IN THE AUDIT REPORT, NOT SAYING THESE ARE ALL THE KEY NUMBERS, AND PUT 'EM IN THE FIRST COLUMN HERE.
AND THEN JUST TO THE RIGHT, YOU'LL SEE THE FOUR PRIOR YEARS AUDIT, UH, NUMBER SO THAT YOU GET A FEEL FOR TREND INFORMATION AND NOT JUST LOOKING AT A NUMBER, UH, WITHOUT SOME CONTEXT, IF YOU WILL.
UH, TOTAL FUND BALANCE IN GENERAL FUND IS 26,000,473 TO GO BACK TO 18.
SO A NICE TREND LINE UP UNAVAILABLE FUND BALANCE IS 12,044,000, RESTRICTED AND ASSIGNED IT'S 12 MILLION 3 34 TOTAL GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURE, INCLUDING TRANSFERS OUT IS 36,000,189.
FUND BALANCE AVAILABLE AS A PERCENTAGE OF GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES IS 39.87.
UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE IS 13,000,499.
UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE BASICALLY IS TOTAL FUND BALANCE, LESS RESTRICTED AND NONS SPENDABLE, NONS, SPENDABLE BEING YOUR INVENTORY.
PREPAID RESTRICTED IS BASICALLY RECEIVABLES, WHICH COULD BE FROM SALES
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TAX OR, UH, DUE TWOS AND TWO FROMS FROM OTHER FUNDS.UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE IS A PERCENTAGE IS 37.3 UNASSIGNED.
AS YOU TAKE OUT THE, UM, FEMA FLORENCE FUND BALANCE IS 52.1.
AND THEN THE OVER REVENUES, OVER AND UNDER EXPENSES BEFORE CONTRIBUTIONS, TRANSFERS.
AND THE GENERAL FUND IS A POSITIVE 2 0 8, 200 8,000 ELECTRIC FUND IS 2.3 MILLION.
THE SEWER FUND IS 1,000,580 2000.
THESE NEXT THREE, I'M NOT GONNA READ ALL THESE NUMBERS.
CASH AND ACCUMULATE APPRECIATION FOR ELECTRIC FUND, WATER FUND AND SEWER FUND.
UM, CAUSE WE'RE, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THE NUMBERS, BUT YOU'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON CASH FLOW ON YOUR PROPRIETARY FUNDS AND NOT NECESSARILY IN TERMS OF TOTAL, UH, FUND BALANCE LIKE YOU WOULD IN GENERAL FUND CASH VERSUS FUND BALANCE.
YOU CAN SEE, UH, TOTAL FUND BALANCE OR TOTAL CASH IN YOUR GENERAL FUND IS 18,820,000.
SEWER FUND IS 7 MILLION, ONLY 25.
THE ARPA MONEY IS 6.7 MILLION.
AND THEN THE OTHER GOVERNMENTAL IS 2.1 MILLION.
YOU SEE THE FUND BALANCE AGAIN IN GENERAL FUND, SAME AS THE TOP TWO 26 MILLION 4 73.
THE ELECTRIC, UH, FUND AT 54, UH, MILLION 418,000.
THE WATER FUND AT 45000000.5 OR 500,000 SEWER FUND IS 68000000.5.
AND THE FEMA IS A NEGATIVE ONE, UH, 0.4 MILLION AND OTHER GOVERNMENTAL IS 1.5 MILLION.
I'LL SAY THIS ONE MORE TIME, MAKE SURE I GET IT RIGHT.
UM, THE OTHER GOVERNMENTAL IS REALLY BASED ON GRANTS, ET CETERA.
AND CAN, UH, EBB AND FLOW REALLY HAS, UH, DEPENDING ON WHERE THE PROJECTS ARE IN TERMS OF GRANTS, ET CETERA.
SO DON'T GET EXCITED UP OR DOWN ON THAT.
IT'S JUST THE STATUS OF THE PROJECT, THE PROPRIETARY FUNDS, WHAT YOU'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR IS CASH FLOW AND THE GENERAL FUNDS, THE FUND BALANCE IS STRONG.
WE'LL LOOK AT, UH, SOME CHARTS HERE IN JUST A MOMENT.
THE NEXT LINE YOU SEE PROPERTY TAX RATES COLLECTION PERCENTAGE 99.15, WHICH IS AWESOME.
TOTAL PROPERTY VALUATION THERE AT 3 MILLION.
AND THEN THE LEVY AMOUNT, 16000000.6.
AND 9.4 FOR GOVERNMENTAL AND THE BUSINESS ACTIVITIES IS 21.3 MILLION.
I I WILL SAY THIS JUST FROM A HEALTH STANDPOINT, IF YOU GO UP TO THE TOP, YOU LOOK AT FUND BALANCE, YOU SEE A NICE TREND, YOU GO TO THE VERY BOTTOM, YOU SEE BUSINESS TYPE ACTIVITIES, AND YOU SEE YOUR DEBT GOING DOWN, THAT'S ALWAYS A GOOD THING.
YOU'D BE KIND ENOUGH TO FLIP OVER TO PAGE FIVE.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA READ ALL THOSE NUMBERS, BUT YOU CAN SEE BASICALLY YOUR GENERAL FUND REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES BY DEPARTMENT BY EACH OF THE YEARS.
SO YOU CAN SEE, UH, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
ON PAGE SIX AT THE TOP YOU SEE YOUR TOTAL FUND BALANCE IN BLUE, YOU RESTRICTED AND SIGNED IN RED.
OBVIOUSLY A 22 YEAR IN IS THE HIGHEST.
AND THEN ON THE BOTTOM YOU SEE YOUR FUND BALANCE AND THE GROUP WEIGHTED AVERAGE, YOU CAN SEE AFTER THE HURRICANE, THE NICE BUMP BACK.
AND THEN ON PAGE SEVEN, SAME THING IS TRUE THERE.
WE HAD THE NICE BUMP BACK, UH, FUND BALANCE, UH, AS A PERCENTAGE OF UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE AS A PERCENTAGE.
AND THEN ON THE BOTTOM YOU SEE REVENUES OVER AND UNEX EXPENSES BEFORE TRANSFERS WITH 19 AND 22 BEING THE ONLY YEAR WHERE ALL FOUR FUNDS SHOWN ARE POSITIVE.
ON PAGE EIGHT, YOU SEE THE TOP, UH, PIE CHARTS WERE CASH BALANCES AND FUND BALANCES.
UM, THERE WITH THE RESPECTIVE NUMBERS UNDERNEATH THAT TOTAL CASH BALANCE IS AT 58,000,929.
AND TOTAL FUND BALANCE IS 195 MILLION.
AND AGAIN, I KNOW I'M REPEATING MYSELF, BUT THE FUND BALANCE IS THERE BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE FIXED ASSETS IN YOUR PROPRIETARY FUNDS.
BUT WHAT YOU'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR IS CASH FLOW THERE.
THE FIXED ASSETS THERE, UNLESS YOU WERE DECIDE TO SELL 'EM, DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF VALUE IN TERMS OF ARE YOU GONNA SPEND IT OR NOT.
YOU'RE REALLY LOOKING TO PROVIDE A SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS.
ON THE BOTTOM, YOU SEE YOUR PROPERTY TAX RATE COMPARED TO THE GROUP WEIGHTED AVERAGE, WHICH LOOKS RIGHT IN LINE.
UH, ON PAGE NINE, YOU SEE YOUR COLLECTION PERCENTAGE, UH, COMPARED TO THE GROUP WEIGHTED AVERAGE IN THE STATEWIDE AVERAGE.
I WILL SAY THIS, UH, GOING FORWARD, UM, LGC MADE A DECISION TO LUMP GROUP WEIGHTED AVERAGE.
SO IT WON'T BE NEAR AS HELPFUL GOING FORWARD TO ALL THOSE, UH, MUNICIPALITIES, COUNTIES, TOWNS, ET CETERA, WHERE YOU MAY HAVE A GROUP TO OVER A HUNDRED MILLION BUDGETED AND UNDER A HUNDRED MILLION BUDGETED.
SO IT IT, IT WIDENS THE GROUP WEIGHTED AVERAGE OF THE GROUPS.
SO, SO, UH, LARGE, I'M NOT SURE IT HAS
[00:55:01]
A WHOLE LOT OF VALUE IN TERMS OF COMPARISONS.AND ON THE BOTTOM YOU SEE A BREAKDOWN OF YOUR GENERAL FUND REVENUE WITH 49.47 COMING FROM YOUR AVOR TAXES AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL MAKING UP MOST OF THE REST, WHICH IS WHERE YOUR MOST OF YOUR SALES TAXES AT.
AND THEN ON PAGE 10, YOU SEE THE BIGGEST ITEM THERE, YOUR PUBLIC SAFETY AT 55.47%.
AND THEN, UH, THE TWO FINDINGS HERE LISTED, UM, IN THE PAST ON THE BOARD FOR A WHILE, YOU NOTICED THAT THE LGC MAY SEND YOU A LETTER.
THEY STOPPED DOING THAT FOR THE 6 30 21 YEAR.
AND SO THIS BASICALLY SERVES AS THEIR LETTER OF COMMENTS TO THE BOARD.
AND THE BUDGET ITEM HERE MENTIONED HAS TO DO WITH THE GASBY 87 ALMOST, I WON'T SAY ALL, BUT THE MAJORITY BY FAR OF ALL OUR UNITS.
AND, UM, AS A FIRM WE DO SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 140 AND 150.
AND I DON'T REMEMBER GOVERNMENTAL LAW HAD A GASBY 7 87 FINDINGS.
SO IT IS LEASE DEALS WITH LEASES, THE TOWN HAS TWO, AND FROM IT, UH, OTHER ENTITIES.
UH, WHEN WE WERE IN THE AUDIT COMMITTEE, I DID DISCUSS, UH, MY FEELINGS ON THAT, WHICH I DON'T KNOW THAT HAS A TON OF VALUE, BUT IT IS A STANDARD THAT HAS TO BE ADDRESSED.
THE OTHER STANDARD, UH, OR FINDING HAD TO DO WITH, UH, NEGATIVE, NEGATIVE FUND BALANCES, WHICH CAN BE CORRECTED FAIRLY EASY.
IT HAS, MOST OF THOSE ARE RELATED TO PROJECTS AND JUST TRANSFERS WILL FIX MOST OF THOSE FAIRLY EASILY.
I DID ENJOY MEETING MOST, UH, SEVERAL OF YOU IN THE AUDIT COMMITTEE AND, AND THE COUPLE MEETINGS WE HAD.
UM, APPRECIATE YOUR INVOLVEMENT THERE.
UH, AS I TOLD THEM, I'M ALWAYS HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE, NOT JUST TONIGHT, BUT ANYTIME YOU HAVE A QUESTION, UH, YOU GO THROUGH THE AUDIT REPORT, UH, CALL THE OFFICE IF YOU GOT A QUESTION.
IF I'M NOT THERE, FEEL FREE TO ANSWER MY CELL NUMBER AND TRACK ME DOWN AND I'LL GET YOU AN ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO DO THE AUDIT AND WE APPRECIATE THE HELPING US OF THE STAFF.
UM, DOES BOARD HAVE QUESTIONS? NO.
MR. HUGHES, DO WE NEED TO TAKE ANY ACTION OR IS THIS JUST FOR PRESENTATION PURPOSES? THIS IS FOR PRESENTATION.
[14. Conduct a Public Hearing and Consider Adopting Revisions to the Land Use Ordinance.]
UH, NUMBER 14, CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDER ADOPTING REVISIONS TO THE LAND USE ORDINANCE.MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY TO DISCUSS THIS ITEM.
UH, MA'AM, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, UM, A NUMBER OF MONTHS AGO, THE CITY, UM, YOU GUYS, UH, WHO WERE HERE ON A PRIOR BOARD ADOPTED A COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN REQUIRED BY A NEW UPDATE TO CHAPTER ONE 60 A CALLED ONE 60 D.
AND THAT PUT THE CITY IN A POSITION TO UPDATE ITS LAND USE ORDINANCES CONSISTENT WITH THAT NEW STATUTE.
THE ORDINANCE YOU HAD BEFORE, YOU INCORPORATES ALL OF THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS MUST HAVE IN THEIR LAND USE ORDINANCES.
AS WE WENT THROUGH OUR LAND USE ORDINANCE, WE MADE ALL THE REVISIONS THAT THE STATUTE REQUIRES WHILE DOING THAT.
ALSO NOTICED SOME CLEANUP ISSUES, JUST REFERENCES TO OBSOLETE STATUTES, TYPOS, WHATEVER.
SO A FEW OF THE CHANGES YOU'LL SEE ARE SIMPLY CLERICAL CORRECTIONS, BUT 99% OF THOSE REVISIONS ARE REQUIRED BY STATUTE.
THE VAST MAJORITY ARE PROCEDURAL.
THEY DON'T CHANGE ANY OF OUR LAND USE RULES.
WE'RE NOT CHANGING SETBACKS, ZONES, DENSITIES, HEIGHTS.
UH, IN TERMS OF DESIGN STANDARDS.
WE ARE SIMPLY ADDRESSING THE PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS THAT THE NEW STATUTES REQUIRE, SUCH AS HOW ONE GOES ABOUT CONDUCTING QUASI JUDICIAL HEARINGS.
UM, HOW WE GO ABOUT, UM, LABELING OUR SUBDIVISION ORDINANCES ALL IN AN EFFORT TO CREATE UNIFORMITY ACROSS THE STATE.
SO PEOPLE IN MY BUSINESS AND DEVELOPERS CAN TALK THE SAME TALK AS THEY DEVELOP ACROSS THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA.
UP UNTIL CHAPTER ONE 60 D MOST CITIES HAD THEIR OWN UNIQUE FLAVOR OF LAND USE LANGUAGE, AND NOW ACROSS THE STATE, IT WILL NOW BE UNIFORMED.
SO THAT IS WHAT YOU'LL HAVE BEFORE YOU THE PUBLIC HEARING WILL ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES.
ANY QUESTIONS? I'M HAPPY TO ADDRESS 'EM.
ANY QUESTIONS BOARD BEFORE WE OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING? ALRIGHT.
AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING WITH REGARDS TO THE REVISIONS TO THE LAND USE ORDINANCE.
IF ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OR AN OPPOSITION, PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE AT THIS TIME.
[01:00:03]
MAYOR, SINCE UM, NO ONE'S COMING FORTH, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.A MOTION AND A SECOND CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING IN DISCUSSION.
ANY OPPOSED? PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED NOW.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR, UM, AN ORDINANCE, UH, TO ADOPT THE ORDINANCE FOR THE LAND USE CHANGES.
MAYOR, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE TO PROVIDE FOR THE REVISIONS TO THE LAND USE ORDINANCE.
SECOND MOTION, AND SECOND IN YOUR DISCUSSION.
ALL THOSE IN, UH, LET'S DO A ROLL CALL ON THIS ONE, STARTING WITH ALDERMAN ROYAL.
[15. Appointment of Mayor Pro Tempore and Administration of Oath.]
NUMBER 15, APPOINTMENT OF A MAYOR PROTE.AND WE WILL ADMINISTRATE THE OATH, UH, JUST FOR THE PUBLIC'S BENEFIT, UH, AT EACH DECEMBER MEETING OF THE NEW BOARD OF ALDERMAN.
IT'S IN OUR RULES AND PROCEEDING AND OUR CHARTER THAT THE BOARD CHOOSE A MAYOR PROTE TO SERVE IN THE CASE THAT I CANNOT.
SO THAT IS THE ITEM NUMBER 15, MS. MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION.
UM, HOW IS IT DONE? IS THIS A NOMINATION, UM, OR A MOTION? A MOTION.
MOTION, UH, THAT WE APPOINT BOB BRESSON AS MAYOR PROTE.
HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND TO NOMINATE ALDERMAN BOB BRESSON AS MAYOR PROTE.
ANY DISCUSSION? BOB, WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE ON THIS POSITION?
UH, DO WE NEED A ROLL CALL VOTE ON THAT, OR IS VOICE VOTE FINE? VOICE IS FINE.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ALDERMAN RINSING SERVING AS MAYOR PRO TEM SAY AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? CONGRATULATIONS, SIR.
I THINK THE CLERK WILL ADMINISTRATE THE OATH TO YOU.
DO YOU SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT YOU WILL SUPPORT THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES TO HELP YOU? GOD, I DO NOT.
DO YOU SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT YOU WILL SUPPORT AND MAINTAIN THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF NORTH CAROLINA NOT INCONSISTENT THEREWITH, AND THAT YOU WILL FAITHFULLY DISCHARGE THE DUTIES OF YOUR OFFICE AS MAYOR PRO TEM.
DO YOU SOLEMNLY AND SINCERELY SWEAR THAT YOU WILL BE FAITHFUL AND BEAR TRUE ALLEGIANCE TO THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA AND TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL POWERS AND AUTHORITIES WHICH ARE OR MAY BE ESTABLISHED FOR THE GOVERNMENT THEREOF, AND THAT YOU WILL ENDEAVOR TO SUPPORT, MAINTAIN, AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF SAID, THE STATE, NOT INCONSISTENT WITH THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES TO HELP YOU GOD? I DO.
ALL RIGHT, NOW WHAT WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR,
[16. Consider Adopting a Resolution to Amend the Classification Pay Plan for Fiscal Year 2022-23 as Part of the Market Analysis Pay Study.]
ITEM NUMBER 16 IS CONSIDER ADOPTING RESOLUTION TO AMEND THE CLASSIFICATION PAY PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2223 AS PART OF THE MARKET ANALYSIS PAY STUDY.MR. HOUSTON, MAYOR ALDERMAN, UH, THE PIEDMONT TRIAD COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS RECENTLY COMPLETED A MARKET PAY STUDY FOR THE CITY.
THIS STUDY REPRESENTS A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF THE CITY'S CURRENT POSITION, CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM AND PAY PLAN, AND COMPARES IT TO SPECIFIC LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENTITIES.
AND THOSE ENTITIES INCLUDED CLAYTON GOLDSBORO, GREENVILLE, HAVELOCK, JACKSONVILLE, KENSTON, MOREHEAD CITY, ROCKY MOUNT STATESVILLE, WAKE FOREST, WASHINGTON, WILMINGTON, WILSON, CRAVEN COUNTY, PIT
[01:05:01]
COUNTY, AND THE GREENVILLE UTILITIES COMMISSION.THE CONSULTANT STUDIED OUR POSITION CLASSIFICATIONS TO DETERMINE CORRECT PLACEMENT WITHIN THAT CLASSIFICATION PAY PLAN.
AND IN THE CLASSIFICATION PLAN, THERE ARE 203 POSITION TITLES AND THOSE POSITION TITLES ARE LIKE POLICE OFFICER, UH, RECREATION PROGRAM COORDINATOR, THINGS LIKE THAT.
THE TITLES, SO 203 POSITION TITLES, AND AS OF TODAY, THAT REPRESENTS 460 EMPLOYEES.
THE 55 OF THOSE POSITION TITLES ARE RECOMMENDED TO ADVANCE ONE PAY GRADE, AND THAT AFFECTS 80 EMPLOYEES.
122 OF THOSE POSITION TITLES ARE RECOMMENDED TO ADVANCE TWO PAY GRADES, AND THAT AFFECTS 261 EMPLOYEES AND 24 OF THOSE POSITION TITLES ARE RECOMMENDED TO ADVANCE THREE PAY GRADES, AND THAT AFFECTS 117 EMPLOYEES.
TWO POSITION TITLES ARE RECOMMENDED TO DECREASE ONE PAY GRADE, AND THAT AFFECTS TWO EMPLOYEES.
UM, THE CITY OF NEWBURN IMPLEMENTATION RECOMMENDATIONS ARE TO FUND THE FULL MARKET STUDY, THIS WOULD COST 3.5 MILLION.
AND SO WE RECOMMEND IMPLEMENTING THIS IS A TWO STEP PROCESS.
THE FIRST STEP WOULD BE BASICALLY A 66% IMPLEMENTATION.
AND THAT WOULD BE IN EFFECT BEGINNING WITH A DECEMBER 25TH PAY PERIOD WITH A CHECK DATE OF JANUARY 13TH, 2023.
AND WHAT THAT WOULD INCLUDE IS A ONE GRADE ADVANCE OF 3% ANNUAL SALARY INCREASE, AND THAT WOULD AFFECT 80 EMPLOYEES.
THE TWO GRADE ADVANCE WOULD BE A 6% ANNUAL SALARY INCREASE THAT WOULD AFFECT 261 EMPLOYEES.
THE THREE GRADE ADVANCE WOULD BE A 10% ANNUAL SALARY INCREASE THAT WOULD AFFECT 117 EMPLOYEES.
EMPLOYEES WHO ARE SIGNED TO A POSITION THAT WILL DECREASE BY ONE GRADE WOULD RECEIVE A 1% BONUS.
THE TOTAL IMPLEMENTATION COST IS APPROXIMATELY 1.15 MILLION FOR SIX MONTHS ENDING JUNE 30TH, 2022.
FOR AN ANNUAL, UH, FOR A ONE YEAR FOOT TO FUND THE 66% THAT WOULD BE $2.3 MILLION.
THE PROPOSED FUNDING WOULD COME FROM FUND BALANCE FROM THE GENERAL AND ENTERPRISE FUNDS.
STEP TWO, AND LOOK AT FUNDING THE BALANCE DURING THE FY 2324 BUDGET PROCESS.
WE'RE HAPPY TO ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS THE BOARD MAY HAVE.
FOSTER, LET ME ASK YOU A COUPLE QUESTIONS IF YOU DON'T MIND.
UM, HOW MUCH IS OUT, OUT OF THE ENTERPRISE FUND, THAT 3.5 MILLION FOR FULL IMPLEMENTATION, HOW MUCH OF IT COMES FROM AN ENTERPRISE FUND? DO YOU KNOW KIM OTR CAN ANSWER THAT FOR FULL IMPLEMENTATION AND WHY SHE'S LOOKING AT IT? LET ME ASK YOU ANOTHER QUESTION.
UM, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IMPLEMENTING THE PERCENTAGES THAT YOU JUST SPOKE OF AT THE END OF DECEMBER, IT'S PAID PERIOD? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND THEN THE OTHER PORTION OF IT WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED WHEN WE WOULD ADDRESS THAT DURING THE FY BUDGET AS WE GO THROUGH THAT BUDGET, WHICH WILL START RIGHT AT THE FIRST OF THE YEAR.
AND THE GOAL WOULD BE TO IMPLEMENT THAT AROUND JULY OR DECEMBER, JUST DEPENDING ON HOW THE BUDGET PROCESS GOES, WHICH THE BOARD WILL BE, UH, UH, INCLUDED ON.
WELL, AS YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M FULL, I AM, I I WANT FULL IMPLEMENTATION.
WE'VE HAD, WE'VE HAD EMPLOYEES, UM, AFTER EMPLOYEES THAT WE BRING IN, WE TRAIN AND THEN THEY LEAVE TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE FOR MORE MONEY.
I MEAN, I, I WAS, I CAN TELL YOU OF A, A PARTICULAR EMPLOYEE THAT'S A FRIEND OF MINE THAT WORKED FOR THE ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT.
HE CAME IN WITH ZERO EXPERIENCE.
THREE YEARS LATER HE LEAVES US AS A, A FIRST CLASS LINEMAN AND IS WORKING WITH A CONTRACTOR.
NOW, MY MY POSITION IS HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU THINK THE CITY OF NEWBURN SPENT TO TRAIN HIM AND TO BUY HIS EQUIPMENT? AND HOW, SAME WITH POLICE OFFICERS.
HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK THE CITY OF NEWBURN, YOU KNOW, SPENDS TO TRAIN A POLICE OFFICER ONLY FOR THEM TO RECEIVE THEIR TRAINING AND CERTIFICATIONS TO, AND TO LEAVE? SAME WITH ALL THE OTHER EMPLOYEES.
I MEAN, WE'VE GOT, UM, EMPLOYEES THAT ARE, THAT ARE HERE FOR, TO RECEIVE ALL THEIR TRAINING AND CERTIFICATIONS, JUST TO FIND A, A STEPPING STONE OUT.
AND I KNOW YOU UNDERSTAND THIS, WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION.
SO I, I CAN GET ON BOARD BECAUSE OF BUDGET REASONS ONLY THAT WE DO THE DECEMBER 25TH OR 26TH WHENEVER THE PAY PERIOD
[01:10:01]
BEGINS PORTION.BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE A DATE OR HEAR A DATE AS TO WHEN THE SECOND PORTION WOULD BECOME EFFECTIVE.
AND I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT DATE BE JULY 1ST.
AND I'M NOT, I'M LOOKING AT YOU, I'M TALKING, I'M TALKING TO THE BOARD MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, UM, LET'S LET THE CITY MANAGER DO HIS JOB, YOU KNOW, FIND A WAY OF, UH, PAYING FOR IT.
IF WE DON'T PAY OUR EMPLOYEES WHAT THEY'RE WORTH, THEN THEY'RE JUST GOING TO CONTINUE USING US AS A STEPPING STONE.
YOU KNOW, I'VE SAID THIS A HUNDRED TIMES, HOW MANY OF YOU ARE HOME SITTING IN YOUR BED DURING A HURRICANE OR A SNOWSTORM AND THESE GUYS ARE OUT IN SOMEONE'S BACKYARD CLIMBING A UTILITY POLE, PUTTING THEIR FINGERS ON, I DON'T KNOW, 22,000 VOLTS AT THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING? OR HOW MANY POLICE OFFICERS HAVE BEEN CHASED OR, OR CHASED A CRIMINAL? THEY, THEY DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE GONNA TURN AROUND AND SHOOT AT 'EM OR NOT.
HOW MANY FIREFIGHTERS, YOU KNOW, GO INTO A, A BUILDING THAT'S FULLY INVOLVED IN FIRE TO, TO SAVE PROPERTY LIVES AND PROPERTIES AND, AND LOOK AT UNION POINT PARK.
I MEAN, YOU'VE GOT TO THANK YOUR RECREATIONS DEPARTMENT FOR ALL THAT HARD WORK.
AND MOST OF THAT IS BUILT IN HOUSE.
YOU KNOW, SO WE HAVE SOME TALENTED PEOPLE HERE.
WE, BY GOD, WE NEED TO PAY 'EM AGAIN.
I'M LOOKING AT YOU, BUT I'M NOT, I'M, I'M DISCUSSING IT.
I'M, I'M DISCUSSING IT WITH THE BOARD TRUST.
TRUST ME, EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM IS LOOKING AT HIM RIGHT NOW.
COULD YOU, UM, COULD YOU EXPLAIN MAYBE THE, A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE CHANGING OF GRADES? CAUSE I THINK, IF I RECALL, I'M SURE SONYA'S HERE SOMEWHERE.
UM, I THINK I'LL RECALL THAT THE LAST TIME WE DID THIS, WE DIDN'T CHANGE THE GRADES.
WE JUST MADE ADJUSTMENTS TO SALARIES.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE NOW THAT HAS OCCURRED OVER THE TIME.
TRADITIONALLY, WHEN WE WOULD DO A, UM, A COLA AND, AND REALLY THE COLAS REMAINED REALLY FLAT FOR YEARS.
ONE, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4% UNTIL 2021 WHEN INFLATION HIT.
AND THEN THIS YEAR WE'RE, WE'RE EIGHT EIGHT PLUS PERCENT.
AND THAT'S WHAT REALLY CHANGED, CHANGED THE THING.
BUT WE DID NOT UPGRADE OUR CLASSIFICATION PLAN ALONG THE WAY.
AND THAT'S WHAT HAS KIND OF GOTTEN US IN THE POSITION WE'RE IN.
AND THEN, AND WE ARE UNDER MARKET COMPARED TO, TO THE, THE CITIES AND THE COUNTIES THAT WE DID THE STUDY AGAINST.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, AGAIN, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT IF SOMEONE IS AT A SALARY, LET'S JUST PICK A NUMBER, $50,000 MM-HMM.
AND THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO MOVE UP TO A GRADE 20 BASED ON THIS RECOMMENDATION.
IF BY MOVING THERE'S $50,000 SALARY UP THE 10% THAT'S RECOMMENDED.
IF THAT IS SOMEHOW BELOW THE MINIMUM FOR THEIR NEW GRADE, THEY'RE BROUGHT UP TO THE MINIMUM, EVEN IF IT'S MORE THAN 10%.
IS THAT WHAT I UNDERSTAND? THAT IS CORRECT.
AND THAT, THAT HAPPENS TO, WE'VE GOT THE NUMBER, UH, UH, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT IT IS THAT HAS, DOES AFFECT SEVERAL EMPLOYEES.
SO I, I WANTED TO JUST BE CLEAR ON THAT, THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THE, THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE THREE, SIX AND 10 ARE SORT OF THE BASELINE, BUT IT'S ALL GONNA BE DEPENDENT ON THE EMPLOYEE'S SALARY AND WHERE THEY FALL ON THE SCALE DEPENDING ON WHAT THEY ACTUALLY GET.
SO FAA HAS THIS, SO DID HR OR YOU, OR COMPARE, UM, YOUR FIGURES WITH THIS CONSULTANT COMPANY AND EACH, EACH JOB CLASSIFICATION DESCRIPTION WAS ACTUALLY VIEWED AND LOOKED AT FOR THE SALARIES CONCERNED FOR EACH EMPLOYEES? THAT'S, THAT'S CORRECT.
AND WHAT WE DID WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROCESS, AND THIS PROCESS REALLY STARTED IN THE SPRING OF THIS YEAR, WE ASKED THE DEPARTMENT HEADS TO REVIEW THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS, MAKE UP UPDATES ON THOSE BEFORE WE SENT THOSE IN.
AND, AND THE DEPARTMENT HEADS DID DO A GOOD JOB OF VETTING THROUGH THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THE EMPLOYEES ARE DOING, PERFORMING THE JOBS IN THOSE JOB DESCRIPTIONS.
AND SO THE CONSULTANT REVIEWED OUR JOB DESCRIPTIONS COMPARED THOSE WITH OTHER JOB DESCRIPTIONS FROM THE COMPARABLE CITIES.
WE CAME UP WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HE DID.
YOU KNOW, I, THIS SALARY STUDY IS, I KNOW IT'S A VERY COMPREHENSIVE STUDY AND IT, AND IT'S, WE HAD TO GET A CONSULTANT TO ACTUALLY ADMINISTER IT.
BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN, AND WE HAVE TO HAVE A COMPARISON RATIO.
I MEAN, AND WE USE OUR BENCHMARK CITIES.
BUT DID YOU TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION, I MEAN, CUZ THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, DETERMINING FACTORS INVOLVED WITH A PARTICULAR JOB DUTY OF, I'M GONNA PICK ON, LET'S SEE, MAYBE CITY CLERK, I'M, I'M GONNA PICK ON YOU, BRENDA, CITY CLERK FOR INSTANCE.
WE KNOW WHAT SHE DO AS A, AS A CITY CLERK, WE KNOW HOW DEMANDING HER JOB IS AND
[01:15:01]
WE KNOW THAT SHE PUTS A LOT OF TIME INTO HER JOB.SO SEE ANOTHER BENCHMARK CITY, THEIR CITY CLERK MAY NOT HAVE THE SAME JOB DESCRIPTION, PUT THEM ALL THAT TIME INVOLVED.
WAS THAT A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR THAT Y'ALL LOOKED INTO THAT WAS NOT A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR AND THAT, THAT'S REALLY HARD TO DO THAT.
CAUSE THEN YOU WERE LOOKING AT THE EMPLOYEE ITSELF.
AND WE MAY HAVE, AND, AND LET'S, LET'S TALK ABOUT A POLICE OFFICER.
WE MAY HAVE A, A POLICE OFFICER, ONE, TWO POLICE OFFICER.
ONES, ONE MAY, ONE MAY BE GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND ON EVERYTHING THEY DO.
THE OTHER ONE MAY BE JUST AN, AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE.
AND SO IT'S HARD TO LOOK AT THAT.
YOU'VE GOT TO LOOK AT THE, AT THE, AT THE JOB DESCRIPTION ITSELF.
THAT'S, BUT THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
AND THIS IS WHEN MERIT COMES INTO PLAY.
SO AS PART OF OUR EVALUATIONS THAT WE DO ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, THAT'S WHEN WE, WE REWARD THOSE EMPLOYEES WITH THE MERIT INCREASES THAT WE DO.
AND WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS NOW WITH MERIT PAY.
AND THE REASON WHY I SAID THAT IS BECAUSE I JUST SAY OUR CITY CLERK AND, AND OUR, UH, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICERS, THEY ATTEND A LOT OF BOARD MEETINGS THAT GO BEYOND THE NORMAL WORK HOURS.
SO, YOU KNOW, I JUST THINK THAT THAT SHOULD, THAT SHOULD BE A DETERMINING FACTOR IN THERE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS FEEL, BUT WE GOTTA LOOK AT THE JOB THAT EMPLOYEES DO AND THE TIME THAT THEY PUT INTO THAT TO ACTUALLY DOING THAT JOB.
AND ALDERMAN, YOU KNOW, I, I TALK A LOT ABOUT OUR EMPLOYEES AND WE HAVE A LOT OF ASSETS IN THE CITY OF NEWBURN.
AND, AND, AND I HAVE A, IT'S REALLY A CHEAT SHEET THAT I GO BY AND I THINK YOU WERE AT THAT MEETING WHEN I TALKED ABOUT IT.
THE CITY HAS A LOT OF BUILDINGS, A LOT OF ROADS, A LOT OF ELECTRIC UTILITY INFRASTRUCTURE, A LOT OF WATER SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE.
BUT OUR NUMBER ONE ASSET ARE OUR EMPLOYEES.
WITHOUT OUR EMPLOYEES, WE CAN'T OPERATE ALL OF THESE THINGS.
AND, AND SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE LOOK AFTER OUR EMPLOYEES AND TAKE CARE OF 'EM TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY.
UH, AND THIS IS A TOUGH TIME RIGHT NOW.
I MEAN, WE ARE, WE ARE HAVING TO COMPETE WITH OTHER MUNICIPALITIES WHO ARE GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING THAT WE ARE.
ONCE THIS IS ADOPTED, WE'VE GOT OTHER CITIES AND COUNTIES THAT ARE GONNA BE LOOKING AT WHAT WE'RE DOING AND THEY'RE GONNA BE GOING THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS AND IT'S PROBABLY GONNA CONTINUE FOR A WHILE.
WELL, I WISH THAT WE COULD GIVE ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES A 10% RAISE, BUT WE KNOW THAT THAT'S DUE TO THE ECONOMY AND BUDGETARY STRAINS THAT WE THAT'S FINE.
BUT WHAT HAPPENS IS IT'S SALARY SURVEY SAYS HE NEEDS 20%.
WE'RE GIVING OUT, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE BOARD RAISING SIX AND 10.
I'M, I, I MEAN FIRST KIM, DID YOU FIND THAT INFORMATION? YEP.
SO FOR FULL IMPLEMENTATION ENTERPRISE FUNDS WOULD BE, UM, JUST OVER 1.2 MILLION FOR FULL IMPLEMENTATION.
SO THAT BRINGS IT DOWN TO WHAT, 2.2 MILLION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? TWO, 2.4.
NOW WHAT YOU WERE SAYING, A AGAIN, IS THIS, IS THERE CONSTRAINTS OR RESTRAINTS WITH THE BUDGET THAT WE COULD NOT DO THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION? I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT ALDERMAN ASTOR WAS ASKING.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE COMING INTO OUR, OUR, OUR NEW BUDGET PROCESS.
AND SO THERE ARE A LOT OF UNKNOWNS.
WE'RE OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GETTING READY TO GO THROUGH THE TAX EVALUATION.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT'S GONNA BE UNTIL FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR.
AND SO THERE WERE JUST A LOT OF UNKNOWNS.
WE WERE STILL DEALING WITH INFLATION.
UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF CAPITAL ITEMS THAT OUR DEPARTMENTS ARE NOT ABLE TO PURCHASE, OR WE'RE HAVING TO, AS YOU'VE SEEN WITH SOME OF THE BUDGET AMENDMENTS, UH, THAT WE'RE HAVING TO COME BACK AND ASK FOR MORE FUNDS FROM IT.
AND ESPECIALLY WITH PROJECTS THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH.
A GREAT EXAMPLE IS CITY HALL ELEVATOR PROJECTS, SEVERAL WATER SEWER PROJECTS.
SO THINGS ARE COSTING A LOT MORE MONEY.
AND SO AS WE GO THROUGH THIS BUDGET PROCESS, WE'VE REALLY GOTTA LOOK TO SEE WHERE THINGS ARE AND GO FROM THERE.
AND WE ALL KNOW, I MEAN, THE CITY HAS TO PAY THE SAME INFLATION RATE AS EVERYBODY ELSE.
NOW HE'S PAYING $9,000 FOR A TRANSFORMER.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S THE COST OF HIS WIRE.
ME AT ONE TIME HAD QUADRUPLED IN PRICE.
NOW THE PRICE OF THE DIESEL FUEL THAT WE USED TO PAY THREE YEARS AGO IS, IS UP QUITE A BIT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH, BUT EVERYTHING'S UP, UH, EXCEPT FOR THE EMPLOYEE SALARIES.
AND WE, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO KEEP OUR EMPLOYEES.
WE'VE GOT SOME OF THE, WE'VE GOT THE BEST EMPLOYEES THAT MONEY CAN BUY, BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH MONEY BECAUSE THEY'RE LEAVING US AND THEY'RE GOING TO OTHER PLACES.
AND WE NEED, NOW, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE OUR SALARY WHERE CHARLIE COULD HIRE A FIRST CLASS LINEMAN FROM ONE OF THESE CONTRACTORS DOWN THE ROAD, OR OUR SALARIES WHERE HE COULD HIRE FIRST CLASS LINEMAN FROM THE, I DON'T DOES
[01:20:01]
THE CITY OF KINSTON, ARE THEY ELECTRIC CITIES? YOU KNOW, FROM OVER THERE OR SOMETHING.WE NEED TO START HIRING FIRST CLASS LINEMEN AND FIRST CLASS POLICE OFFICERS AND, AND FIRST CLASS FIREFIGHTERS FROM SOME OTHER CITIES INSTEAD OF THEM TAKING 'EM ALL THE AWAY FROM US.
JUDGE, YOU SAID THAT, UM, YOU WOULD LOOK AT THE DATE, WE COULD LOOK AT THE DATE EITHER JULY OR DECEMBER.
WHY NOT JUST JULY? WHY, UM, CAN WE NOT JUST SET THE DATE AGAIN? IS THAT DUE TO ALL THAT, THAT WOULD BE A BOARD DECISION TO LOOK AT AS WE GO THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS.
AND WE WILL HAVE SEVERAL WORKSHOPS AS WE GO THROUGH THIS AND WE'LL SEE ACTUALLY WHAT OUR FINANCIAL PICTURE LOOKS LIKE OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
I MEAN, I THINK I KNOW THE ANSWERS TO 'EM, BUT I THINK IT'S WORTH ASKING AND REALLY FOLLOWING UP ON ALDERMAN MASTERS'S, UH, QUESTION OR HIS RECOMMENDATION THAT THE BOARD LOOK AT FULL IMPLEMENTATION, FULL IMPLEMENTATION, UM, BEING THE 66% INCREASE EFFECTIVE ESSENTIALLY IMMEDIATELY.
UM, AND THE BALANCE, UM, EFFECTIVE AS A, LIKE EFFECTIVE AS OF SAY JULY ONE OF NEXT YEAR.
ARE THERE ANY STATUTORY RESTRICTIONS THAT WOULD PREVENT US FROM TAKING OFFICIAL ACTION TONIGHT TO IMPLEMENT THAT RECOMMENDATION? SINCE WE'RE DEALING WITH RIGHT.
TWO DIFFERENT BUDGET CYCLES THAT YES, SIR.
I, I, I THINK, UM, EXPRESSING THAT AS A, A GOAL AND OBJECTIVE IS FINE.
I THINK TRYING TO, TO BIND YOURSELF INTO A FIXED NUMBER FOR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET IS GONNA GET YOU, UM, IN A JAM.
BUT CERTAINLY, I THINK NOW SAY THAT AGAIN, SCOTT.
I'M, I, I, I THINK TRY TRYING TO TIE YOURSELF NOW INTO A BUDGET DECISION THAT'S GONNA BE EFFECTIVE JULY ONE WITHOUT HAVING ANY FINANCIAL DATA BEFORE YOU REGARDING NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, COULD GET YOU IN A JAM.
I THINK, I THINK EXPRESSING THAT GOAL AND OBJECTIVE, UH, IS CERTAINLY APPROPRIATE IF THAT'S HOW THE BOARD FEELS.
BUT TRYING TO MANDATE NOW A DOLLAR AMOUNT IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
SO WE CAN DO IT AS A TARGET DATE THOUGH, CORRECT? ABSOLUTELY.
WHAT I'M HEARING SITTING HERE IS THAT FEELS LIKE A GOAL AND OBJECTIVE FROM THE FEW VOICES I'VE HEARD ON THE BOARD.
I FEEL LIKE THAT IS WHERE THE BOARD IS LOOKING FOR WHAT CITY MANAGER IS TELLING YOU IS THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF MOVING PARTS BETWEEN NOW AND THEN THAT YOU HAVE TO ADJUST, BUT I THINK THE GOAL AND OBJECTIVE MAY WELL BE TO ACCOMPLISH THAT JULY ONE RATHER THAN LATER NEXT YEAR.
IS THAT THAT FAIR? THAT WAS A GOOD QUESTION.
WELL, WELL THAT, THAT ADDRESSES, UM, MY QUESTION AND, AND I THINK IT PRETTY MUCH ANSWERED MY SECOND QUESTION, THAT BEING THAT IF THE BOARD WERE TO TAKE OFFICIAL ACTION TONIGHT BASED ON ALL THE MASTER'S RECOMMENDATION, UM, COULD THE SECOND HALF OF THAT BE REVERSED BY THIS BOARD AT A FUTURE DATE PRIOR TO OH,
BUT NOW HAVING SAID THAT, RIGHT, I MEAN, ASKED THAT QUESTION, UM, I THINK YOU ADDRESSED IT IN THAT YOUR RECOMMENDATION TO US WOULD BE NOT TO TAKE OFFICIAL ACTION ON BOTH PIECES OF THAT, THE 66% AND THE BALANCE AS OF JULY ONE, TAKE ACTION ON THE FIRST PART OF IT WITH A RECOMMENDATION OR A, A STATEMENT, A GOAL THAT WE, OR AN INTENTION THAT WE INTEND TO IMPLEMENT THE SECOND PART OF IT.
UM, BUT WE'RE NOT TAKING ANY OFFICIAL ACTION TONIGHT ON THAT SECOND PORTION OF IT.
SO I THINK YOU ADDRESSED YES, SIR.
BOTH QUESTIONS, UM, IN, IN YOUR ANSWER.
SO I MEAN, I I, I'M COMFORTABLE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE THE BOARD HAS ANY, ANY FURTHER, UM, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
UM, I'M COMFORTABLE WITH, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION THAT ALDERMAN ASKER HAS, UH, SUGGESTED, UH, WITH THE CAVEAT THAT WE TAKE OFFICIAL ACTION TONIGHT BASED ON STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION, UM, ON THE 66% OR TWO THIRDS, UH, IMPLEMENTATION EFFECTIVE WITH THE FIRST PAY PERIOD IN JANUARY.
[01:25:01]
AND THAT THE BOARD MAKE A COMMITMENT.IT'S A COMMITMENT, IT'S AN INTENT THAT THE SECOND PART OF THAT IMPLEMENTATION WOULD BE EFFECTIVE AS OF JULY ONE, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, HOPEFULLY NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY COMES UP.
THE NUMBERS LOOK GOOD, UH, AT THE TIME THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THE BUDGET AND THAT WE CAN FULLY IMPLEMENT THAT BY OFFICIAL ACTION AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
I'LL GET ON BOARD WITH THAT AS LONG AS WE SCHEDULE THE SECOND PORTION OF IT AS TARGET DATE OF JULY 1ST OR, OR WHATEVER PAY PERIOD MAKES YEAH.
SO I WANNA BE CLEAR, DID I HEAR A MOTION IN A SECOND? YOU DID.
UH, ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, I'D LIKE TO HAVE A ROLL CALL ON THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR STARTING WITH ALDERMAN ASTOR, AB ALDERMAN ASTOR ALDERMAN BEST BEFORE I MAKE MY MOTION.
UM, UM, CAN I SAY THIS? DO THE EMPLOYEES REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE JUST ALL ABOUT TO AGREE TO AND WE DISAGREE? SO FOSTER, COULD YOU, WE'RE IN, WHAT WE ARE ABOUT TO VOTE ON RIGHT NOW IS TO IMPLEMENT THE FIRST STAGE OF THIS, WHICH IS A 1.2 MILLION, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS FISCAL YEAR.
WHICH WILL BE AFFECTED FOR THE EMPLOYEES FOR THEIR JANUARY ONE.
IT WOULD ACTUALLY BE AFFECTED WITH THE DECEMBER 21ST PAY PERIOD.
WITH THE, WITH THE GETTING BASICALLY PAYMENT FOR THAT JANUARY 13TH.
I MAKE A MOTION WHEN WE TAKE THE FIVE MINUTE RECESS.
CAN WE DO THAT? DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.
ALRIGHT, WE ARE NOW BACK IN SESSION.
I WANT TO PROCEDURALLY CLEAN UP, UH, THIS LAST MOTION.
I BELIEVE, UH, AS, AS THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THIS MEETING, I BELIEVE THAT THE INTENT OF THE MOTION FOR NUMBER 16, UM, WAS TO ADOPT THE RECOMMENDATIONS BY STAFF THAT IS PRESENTED IN NUMBER 16 WITH A CAVEAT THAT WE WOULD LOOK TO MAKE A FURTHER IMPLEMENTATION IN JULY OF NEXT YEAR.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHO MADAM CLERK WHO MADE THE MOTION.
AL IS THAT THE WAY YOU INTENDED THE MOTION TO BE? YEAH.
WELL, AGAIN, I, NOT TO GET INTO SEMANTICS, BUT, UH, I GUESS GETTING, TRYING TO GET THE BOARD TO COMMIT, YOU KNOW, AN INTENT TO, UH, MOVE FORWARD WITH THE SECOND, UH, INCREASE AS A, AS OF JULY ONE AND THEREABOUTS.
NOW WHETHER THAT NEEDS A SECOND MOTION OR YOU GOOD, MR. ATTORNEY, ARE YOU MAKE THE SECOND.
SO IS 66% OF THE CONSULTANT'S RECOMMENDATION IF THAT, IF THE VERY NEXT PAY PERIOD, I RECKON IT IS, OR JULY OR JANUARY AND, AND AMENDING THE CLASSIFICATION PAY PLAN, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT'S, THAT'S THE PART THAT, THAT WAS PART OF THE MOTION THAT WAS ON NUMBER 16.
BUT, UH, BUT IT'S 66% OF THE RECOMMENDED SALARY FROM THE CONSULTANT, AND THAT'S CORRECT.
AND WITH THE TARGET DATE OF JULY 1ST FOR THE REST OF IT, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT, YES.
THAT'S WHAT, SO THAT'S CLEAR ON YOUR MOTION.
YOU'RE GOOD WITH THE SECOND? DOES THE BOARD FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT'S WHAT WE VOTED ON? YES.
MR. TURNER, ARE YOU GOOD? YES.
[17. Consider Adopting a Budget Ordinance Amendment for FY2022- 23 to Provide for Amendment to Classification Pay Plan.]
17.WE NEED TO ADOPT THE BUDGET ORDINANCE AMENDMENT FOR FY 2223 TO PROVIDE FOR THE AMENDMENT TO THE CLASSIFICATION FAKE PLAN THAT WE JUST VOTED ON IN NUMBER 16.
THANKS MS. OSTROM TO MAKE THIS PRESENTATION IN CORRELATION WITH THE AMENDED CLASSIFICATION PAY PLAN THAT WAS JUST PRESENTED.
THIS BUDGET AMENDMENT ALLOCATES FUNDS FOR THE INCREASED COSTS OF SALARIES AND BENEFITS FOR THE PERIOD OF JANUARY 1ST, 2023 THROUGH JUNE 30TH, 2023.
PAY INCREASES WERE CALCULATED AND POSITIONS THAT WERE ADJUSTED BY ONE OR MORE PAY GRADES.
[01:30:01]
SALARY DID NOT MEET THE MINIMUM OF THE RESPECTIVE PAY GRADE, THEN THE SALARY WAS BROUGHT TO THE MINIMUM OF THAT PAY GRADE.ADDITIONALLY, THE TWO POSITIONS THAT WERE DOWNGRADED RECEIVED A 1% BONUS FUND BALANCE WAS APPROPRIATED AS FOLLOWS, TO PROVIDE FOR THE INCREASED COST WITH $766,019 FROM GENERAL FUND, $81,636 FROM THE WATER FUND, $73,999 FROM THE SEWER FUND, $216,243 FROM THE ELECTRIC FUND, AND 3,499, UH, $494 FROM THE MPO GRANT PLAN GRANT FUND.
AND $13,277 FROM THE SOLID WASTE FUND TOTALING $1,154,658.
WE, WE'VE GOT TWO EMPLOYEES, AND GOD FORBID I DON'T KNOW WHO THEY ARE AND DON'T WANT TO KNOW THIS BEING OVERPAID ACCORDING TO THE SALARY SURVEY, CORRECT.
BASED, BASED ON THE JOB DESCRIPTION.
SO WHY ARE WE GIVING 'EM A BONUS IF THEY'RE BEING OVERPAID? IT, IT ONLY MADE SENSE THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD BE THE ONLY TWO EMPLOYEES OUT OF 460 OUTSIDE THE CITY MANAGER'S NOT INCLUDED IN THIS, BUT THEY WOULD BE THE ONLY TWO EMPLOYEES THAT WOULD NOT GET SOMETHING.
AND SO THAT, AS WE TALKED ABOUT THIS WITHOUT, WELL, AT LEAST THEY NEED TO GET SOMETHING OUT.
WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF ORDER ON ITEM NUMBER 17? MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADOPT THE BUDGET ORDINANCE AMENDING AT TWO FY 2223 TO PROVIDE FOR AMENDMENT OF THE CLASSIFICATION PAID PLAN.
SECOND, HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION? LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN BEST? ALDERMAN BEST, YES.
[18. Consider Adopting a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Change Order for the City Hall Elevator Project to Include a Fire Alarm System.]
ADOPTING A BUDGET RESOLUTION AUTHOR, I'M SORRY.CONSIDER ADOPTING A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CHANGE ORDER
MR. HUGHES, AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO ASK MR. CHILDS TO COME MAKE THIS PRESENTATION A GOOD EVENING BOARD.
UM, WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU IS, UH, A CHANGE ORDER FOR REQUEST THAT BECAME PRESENT WHEN ONCE THE CONTRACT WAS LED, IT WENT INTO PERMITTING AND DURING THE PERMITTING PROCESS, IT WAS IDENTIFIED THAT THE EXISTING SYSTEM OF THE HISTORIC SECTION OF CITY HALL WOULD NEED TO BE TIED TO THE NEW ANNEX SECTION.
SO ONCE THAT WAS IDENTIFIED, THEY WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS OF HOW TO TIE THEM TOGETHER.
AND WHAT WAS DISCOVERED AT THAT TIME WAS THAT WE HAVE GOT AN ANTIQUATED SYSTEM, TECHNOLOGY-WISE, IN THIS PORTION OF THE BUILDING, WHICH WOULD NOT TIE TO THE NEW ANNEX.
SO IT WAS NECESSARY TO FACILITATE HAVING COVERAGE IN THIS BUILDING AS REQUIRED BY THE FIRE CODE TO ADD THIS SECTION TO INSTALL THESE NEW ARM SYSTEMS OR FEATURES TO TIE THE SYSTEMS TOGETHER.
GEORGE? IT'S GONNA BE WIRELESS SYSTEM.
BUT THEY DID, THEY DID WORK BETWEEN OUR, UM, OUR FIRE, OUR FIRE GROUP, AND THE ARCHITECTS TO TRY TO MAINTAIN THE HISTORICAL INTEGRITY OF THIS BUILDING AS TO THE REQUIRED PLACEMENT OF THOSE ALARMS. SO WHAT ABOUT BERG BURGLAR, BURGLAR ALARM SYSTEM? THIS, THIS HAS JUST GOTTA DO WITH THE FIRE SYSTEM.
NOW IN THIS PROCESS, THEY ARE GOING TO, SINCE WE IDENTIFIED THAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO RUN SOME ADDITIONAL CHASES IN THE ANX, UM, WE SAW THE OPPORTUNITY TO RUN THE CHASES FOR SOME ADDITIONAL SECURITY AND CAMERA SETUPS ON THE ANN ANX.
BUT THAT WILL BE DONE OUTSIDE OF THIS CONTRACT, EITHER IN-HOUSE WITH BOTH WORKS DEPLOYS OR OUTSIDE VENDORS THAT CURRENTLY SERVICE THAT THAT EQUIPMENT.
GEORGE, WHO, WHO PULLED THE PERMITS FOR THIS PROJECT? DID THE GC PULL THE PERMITS? YES.
SO, A, AM I MISSING SOMETHING THAT IT WOULD BE THIS LATE IN THE GAME FOR IT TO BE DETERMINED THAT WE'VE HAD TO MAKE THIS CHANGE? WELL, FROM MY CONVERSATIONS WITH BOTH THE ARCHITECT AND THE FIRE MARSHAL, WHEN YOU GET INTO TIE-INS BETWEEN EXISTING STRUCTURES, UH, WHERE THE REQUIREMENTS ARE, AND THERE'S LITTLE BIT OF, YOU KNOW, VAGUENESS AND INTERPRETATION OF HOW YOU READ THAT.
SO, UM, IT CAME TO THE AGREEMENT THAT THIS WAS NECESSARY BY FIRE, FIRE CODE AND WE, WE MOVED FORWARD TO IMPLEMENT THAT.
AND IT DOES TAKE, IT DOES TAKE SOME TIME TO GET ARCHITECT THROUGH THE PLAN SET, UM, WORKING WITH, WITH THE, THE FIRE MARSHAL TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE NEED 'EM AND THEY GET THEM TO THE CONTRACTOR TO
[01:35:01]
GO OUT TO THE SUB SKIP PRICING BOARD, HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADOPT A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING IN THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CHANGE ORDER FOR THE CITY HALL ELEVATOR PROJECT TO INCLUDE A FIREARM SYSTEM.SECOND, HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
I THINK ALDERMAN, UH, BRINSON BEAT YOU TO IT.
UM, I DO HAVE, I DO HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.
KIM, KIM MAY KNOW I HATE PUTTING HER ON THE SPOT, BUT DID WE HAVE CONTINGENCY BUILT INTO THIS PROJECT? N UH, NO.
WHEN WE TRANS, WHEN WE, UM, WE WERE THINKING ABOUT DOING THAT, BUT WHEN YOU TRANSFER THOSE FUNDS OVER TO THE PROJECT FUND CANNOT GET THEM BACK TO THE JOURNAL FUNDS.
SO WE WERE GOING TO DO THAT AS A CHANGE ORDER'S ARRIVE.
DID THE ARCHITECT SUBMIT A CONTINGENCY IN THEIR PLANS CONTINGENCY NUMBER? HE DID.
AND IT WAS CLOSER TO $300,000.
UH, ANY MORE DISCUSSION? ALRIGHT, LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALTMANN BRESSON.
[19. Consider Adopting an Ordinance Amendment to the City Hall Elevator Project Fund.]
ADOPTING AN ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TO THE CITY HALL ELEVATOR PROJECT FUND.MS. ESTHER WILL MAKE THIS PRESENTATION IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PREVIOUS ITEM, THIS BUDGET ORDINANCE, AMENDS SECURITY HALL, ELEVATOR PROJECT FUND BY $70,709, THE COST OF THE FI FOR THE COST OF THE FIRE ALARM, UH, MONITORING SYSTEM FUNDS WILL BE APPROPRIATED FROM THE GENERAL FUND FUND BALANCE.
MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE AMENDMENT FOR THE CITY HALL ELEVATOR PROJECT FIRM.
SECOND, HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND ANY DISCUSSION, HEARING NONETHELESS, HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN FRI ALDERMAN PR YES.
[20. Consider Adopting a Budget Ordinance Amendment for FY2022- 23.]
CONSIDER ADOPTING A BUDGET ORDINANCE AMENDMENT FOR FY 2223.MR. HUGHES, I'D LIKE TO ASK MS. OSHER TO MAKE THIS PRESENTATION AS THE FINAL STEP TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THE FIRE ALARM SYSTEM IN THE ELEVATOR.
THIS AMENDMENT WILL APPROPRIATE $70,709 FROM GENERAL FUND FUND BALANCE.
THE AMENDMENT ALSO APPROPRIATES $189,108 FROM GENERAL FUND FUND BALANCE FOR THE APPOINTING OF THE CITY HALL AND MAKE APPROPRIATIONS TO COVER IN CONFERENCES FOR OUTSTANDING PURCHASE ORDERS AS OF OF JUNE 30TH, 2022.
LASTLY, IT MAKES TRANSFER TRANSFERS FROM THE WATER AND SEWER FUNDS FUND BALANCES TO COVER PHASE THREE OF THE TOWNSHIP SEVEN SEWER IMPROVEMENT PROJECT IMPROVEMENTS.
PROJECT BOARD HAVE QUESTIONS? NOT I ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER 20.
I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADOPT THE BUDGET ORDINANCE AMENDMENT FOR FY 20 22 23.
SECOND, A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ANYMORE DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE UNLESS HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN ROYAL.
[21. Consider Adopting a Resolution Awarding Contract- I for the Township No. 7 Sewer Improvements Phase- III Project.]
CONSIDERED DOCUMENT RESOLUTION AWARDING CONTRACT, ONE FOR THE TOWNSHIP.NUMBER SEVEN, SEWER IMPROVEMENT PHASE THREE PROJECT.
MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO ASK MR. HUGHES TO COME UP AND DISCUSS THESE PROJECTS.
ACTUALLY, THE NEXT TWO ITEMS YOU HAVE 21 AND 22 ARE BOTH RELATED TO THE TOWNSHIP SEVEN SEWER IMPROVEMENTS PHASE THREE PROJECT.
THIS IS A VERY LARGE SCALE SEWER IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR OVER A DECADE AND SEVERAL PHASES.
TO ULTIMATELY, UH, ENSURE WE HAVE ENOUGH TRANSMISSION CAPACITY TO MOVE ALL THE WASTEWATER FROM THE EAST SIDE OF, UH, THE TRENT RIVER ACROSS THE TRENT RIVER AND IN THE MAIN NEWPORT INTO OUR TREATMENT PLANT.
THIS IS THE FINAL STEP IN THE PROCESS.
UH, IT'S A VERY LARGE, VERY COMPLEX PROJECT, OR SPLIT IT INTO TWO SEPARATE CONTRACTS.
UH, TRYING TO ENCOURAGE MORE BIDDERS AND MORE PARTICIPATION.
HOPEFULLY GET IT DONE QUICKER WITH TWO SEPARATE CONTRACTS.
SO WE BID THE PROJECT, UH, ON NOVEMBER 4TH.
WE ONLY HAD TWO BIDDERS SHOW UP FOR EACH CONTRACT.
WE'RE STARTING TO SEE REGIONALLY ON OUR CONSTRUCTION RESOURCE.
I THINK THAT WILL CONTINUE TO ACTUALLY GET WORSE AS AS TIME ROLLS ON IN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO.
UH, HOWEVER, WE DID HAVE A COUPLE OF GOOD CONTRACTORS THAT SUBMITTED LOAD BIDS FOR CONTRACT ONE.
[01:40:01]
ASSOCIATES, WHO WE'VE WORKED WITH FAIRLY REGULARLY.THEY'VE DONE A NUMBER OF VERY SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS, UH, THROUGHOUT NEWBURN OVER THE LAST TWO OR THREE DECADES.
VERY CONFIDENT IN THEIR ABILITY TO CARRY OUT THEIR PORTION OF THE PROJECT.
AND CONTRACT TWO, UH, LOW BID WAS PETERS AND WHITE.
UH, IT'S A HEAVY INDUSTRIAL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY BASED OUT OF VIRGINIA.
DID A LOT OF FOLLOW UP RESEARCH, UM, TALKED A LOT OF REFERENCES AFTER THE BID.
UH, THEY COME HIGHLY REC RECOMMENDED FOR THE TYPE OF WORK THEY BID.
I FEEL LIKE WE'VE GOT A PRETTY GOOD TEAM IN THE TWO CONTRACTORS, AND I THINK WE'RE READY TO MOVE FORWARD, UH, WITH THE AWARD OF THE CONTRACTS TONIGHT.
UH, WE'LL BE READY TO GET EVERYBODY IN GEAR FOR THE FIRST OF THE YEAR.
HOPEFULLY START GETTING SOME CONTRACTORS AND MATERIALS DOWN HERE IN EARLY 23.
AND, AND WE'D LOVE TO SEE THE CONSTRUCTION STARTED, UH, BY THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER OF 23.
DO YOU HAPPEN TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON NEITHER ONE OF THOSE OR HAVE QUESTIONS? NONE.
MR. MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE, WELL, REAL QUICK, UM, IS OUR ASSISTANT ATTORNEYS HERE CAN, CAN WE COMBINE 21 AND 22 TOGETHER? I WOULD DO THEM SEPARATELY.
SO, UM, I'D LIKE TO CON ADOPT A RESOLUTION AWARD AND CONTRACT ONE FOR THE TOWNSHIP.
NUMBER SEVEN, SEWER IMPROVEMENT PHASE THREE PROJECT.
HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND ON ITEM NUMBER 21.
HEARING NONE, LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN ASER.
[22. Consider Adopting a Resolution Awarding Contract- II for the Township No. 7 Sewer Improvements Phase- III Project.]
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADOPT A RESOLUTION AWARDING CONTRACT TWO FOR THE TOWNSHIP.NUMBER SEVEN, SEWER IMPROVEMENT PHASE THREE PROJECT.
HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND ON ITEM NUMBER 22.
AND ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN BEST, ALDERMAN BEST? YES.
[23. Consider Adopting an Ordinance to Amend the Township 7 Sewer Improvements Project Fund.]
CONSIDERED O IN AN ORDINANCE.TO AMEND THE TOWNSHIP SEVEN SEWER IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT FUND, MS. OSTER WILL PRESENT THIS ITEM.
THE TOWNSHIP SEVEN SEWER IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT FUND WILL BE AMENDED BY $6,106,000 $106,123 FOR PHASE THREE OF THE PROJECT.
CONSTRUCTION COSTS WITH INIT WILL INITIALLY BE COVERED BY A TRANSFER OF $4,869,181.
FROM THE SEWER FUND, FINANCING OPTIONS WILL BE REVIEWED WITH THE INTENT OF REIMBURSE REIMBURSING THE SEWER FUND.
ADDITIONALLY, $1,236,942 WILL BE TRANSFERRED FROM THE WATER FUND TO COMPLETE WORK ON WATER LINES IN THE SAME AREA.
THE WATER FUND WILL NOT BE REIMBURSED FOR THIS TRANSFER.
ALSO, THE TOTAL PROJECT THUS FAR ALSO INCLUDES $500,000 FROM GOLDEN LAKE GRANT FUNDS, WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED BOARD.
HAVE QUESTIONS ON ITEM NUMBER 23? NO SIR.
BUT I'D MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADOPT AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE TOWN TOWNSHIP SEVEN SEWER IMPROVEMENT PROJECT FUND.
SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND ON ITEM NUMBER 23.
IN ANY DISCUSSION, HEARING NONE, LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN BRISON.
[24. Consider Adopting a Resolution Approving a Declaration of Intent to Reimburse the Township 7 Sewer Improvements Project.]
CONSIDER ADOPTING RESOLUTION APPROVING A DECLARATION OF INTENT TO REIMBURSE THE TOWNSHIP SEVEN SEWER IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT.GOTTA LOVE GOVERNMENT, DON'T YOU
MS. OSTROM, PRESENT THIS ITEM.
THIS ITEM RELATES TO THE PREVIOUS ITEMS FOR THE TOWNSHIP.
SEVEN SEWER IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT IS REQUIRED BY IRS REGULATIONS.
A DECLARATION OF INTENT TO REIMBURSE MUST BE ADAPTED PRIOR TO OR WITHIN 60 DAYS OF PAYMENT OF EXPENDITURES THAT WILL BE REIMBURSED THROUGH FINANCING PROCEEDS.
BOARD HAVE QUESTIONS MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION OF APPROVING THE DECLARATION OF INTENT TO REIMBURSE THE TOWNSHIP SEVEN SEWER IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT.
LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN PRI.
[25. Consider Adopting a Resolution in Support of NC Department of Transportation Reducing the Speed Limit on NC 43 Between SR 1483 ( Briarwood Lane) and the 0. 101 Mile Mark North of SR 1481 ( Gracie Farms Road).]
CONSIDER ADOPTING A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF NC D O T REDUCING THE SPEED LIMIT ON NC 43 BETWEEN STATE ROAD 1483 BRIAR ROAD LANE AND THE 1 0 1 MILE MARKER NORTH OF STATE ROAD 1481 GRACIE FARMS ROAD.MR. HUGHES, AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO ASK MR. CHILDS TO MAKE THIS PRESENTATION.
THIS IS A, UH, RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT FOR D O T IN REDUCING
[01:45:01]
A SPEED LIMIT FROM 55 TO 50 MILES AN HOUR, UH, ON A SECTION OF 43 BETWEEN B BRIARWOOD AND GRACIE FARMS. UM, THIS HAD COME BEFORE THE BOARD ON A PREVIOUS STATE, AND IT WAS REQUESTED TO BE TABLED BY ALDERMAN VEST SO WE COULD GO BACK TO D OT TO SEE IF THEY WOULD CONSIDER A FURTHER REDUCTION TO 45 MILES AN HOUR.D O T RESPONDED THAT THEY, THEY DID COMPLETE THEIR EVALUATION AND DID NOT HAVE THE EVALUATION SHOW THAT IT NEEDED A 45 MILE AN HOUR SPEED LIMIT, AND THEY WERE GONNA HOLD TO THE REQUEST OF OUR SUPPORT REDUCTION TO JUST 50 MILES AN HOUR.
THE FOLLOW UP FROM D O T IS INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET.
COURT RECOMMENDS THAT WE DO, WE DO THIS REDUCTION IN CONCURRENCE ON THEIR HIGHWAY.
IF THERE'S NO QUESTIONS, I'LL LIKE MAKE A MOTION.
UM, I REALLY WISH THAT THE SPEED LIMIT COULD HAVE BEEN LOWERED TO 45, BUT I'M NOT GONNA, UM, STOP PROGRESS BECAUSE THAT IS A BUSY HIGHWAY AND ANY REDUCTION IN THE SPEED LIMIT IS, IS NEEDED THERE.
UM, SO I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION AND SUPPORT OF NC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, REDUCING THE SPEED LIMIT ON NC 43 BETWEEN SR 1483 BRIARWOOD LANE AND, UH, 0.101 MILE MARTIN OFF OF SR 1481 GRACIE FARMS ROAD.
LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN ROYAL.
[26. Consider Adopting a Resolution Approving a Bill of Sale for the Tisdale House and Special Warranty Deed for Tax Parcel ID 8- 011- 27000 ( 1311 Rhem Avenue).]
CONSIDERED ADOPTING A RESOLUTION APPROVING A BILL OF SALE FOR THE TISDALE HOUSE AND SPECIAL WARRANTY DEED FOR TAX PARCEL ID 8 1 1 2 700, WHICH IS ALSO KNOWN AS 1311 RIM AVENUE.MR. HUGHES, MAYOR OF THE CITY ATTORNEY WILL DISCUSS THIS ITEM, MAY MEMBERS THE BOARD, UM, THIS MATTERS BEFORE YOU, UM, THAT IT IS, IT IS QUITE UNUSUAL.
UM, TYPICALLY WHEN THE BOARD, UM, APPROVES, UH, AN OFFER TO PURCHASE TO SELL PROPERTY, UM, THE CLOSING TAKES PLACE THEREAFTER.
UM, THIS ONE IS A BIT UNIQUE IN THAT WE ARE ADDING, YOU MAY RECALL VARIOUS DUTIES, OBLIGATIONS, AND PRESERVATION REQUIREMENTS TO NOT ONLY THE RIM AVENUE LOT, BUT THE TISDALE HOUSE ITSELF.
SO BECAUSE THE, THE DEED AND THE BILL OF SALE ARE UNIQUE AND NON-STANDARD, I WANTED THAT TO BE ON THE AGENDA, NOT ONLY FOR YOU TO SEE, BUT FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEE SO THAT YOU COULD REFLECT ON THOSE PROVISIONS.
IN THE DEED AND BILL OF SALE, WE DO A BILL OF SALE FOR THE TISDALE HOUSE ITSELF.
ONCE A STRUCTURE IS REMOVED FROM ITS FOUNDATION, IT BECOMES PERSONAL PROPERTY, NO LONGER REAL PROPERTY.
IN THIS CASE, WE ARE SELLING THE REAL PROPERTY, THE REM AVENUE LOT FOR $45,000.
THE TISDALE HOUSE, WHEN IT BECOMES PERSONAL PROPERTY, WILL BE TRANSFERRED THROUGH A BILL OF SALE AT A PRICE OF $3,500.
THAT GETS US TO THE $48,500 TOTAL PURCHASE PRICE.
BOTH THE SPECIAL WARRANTY DEED AND THE BILL OF SALE CONTAIN OBLIGATIONS FOR THE PRESERVATION FOUNDATION TO MOVE THE TISDALE HOUSE OVER TO THE REM AVENUE.
LOT CAUSED IT TO BE PRES RESTORED AND PRESERVED.
AND THEREAFTER, ALL SUBSEQUENT OWNERS WILL BE BOUND BY THOSE COVENANTS TO KEEP AND MAINTAIN IT IN ITS HISTORIC CONDITION.
SO, BECAUSE THAT IS UNIQUE, I WANTED THAT ON THE AGENDA SO THAT EVERYONE IS AWARE OF IT.
AND THIS RESOLUTION SIMPLY AUTHORIZES THE MAYOR TO SIGN BOTH THAT DEED AND BILL OF SALE BOARD HAVE QUESTIONS.
FOSTER, DID YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO CHECK WITH THE, THE PRESERVATION FOUNDATION AS TO WHETHER THEY'VE MADE A DECISION ON WHO IS GOING TO BE AWARDED THE HOUSE, OR ARE THEY STILL REVIEWING PROPOSALS? YES, I SPOKE WITH A REPRESENTATIVE TODAY.
THEY HAVE MADE A DECISION AND THEY'RE PLANNING ON DOING A FORMAL ANNOUNCEMENT ON WHO, WHO THAT PERSON WILL BE, SO YES, SIR.
UM, AND OTTOMAN'S QUESTION REMINDED ME TOO, THAT, OF COURSE, THE PRESERVATION FOUNDATION HAS REVIEWED AND APPROVED THESE DOCUMENTS.
THIS IS PLEASURE OF THE AWARD.
ON ITEM NUMBER 26, MAYOR, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE BILL OF SALE FOR THE TISDALE HOUSE AND SPECIAL WARRANTY DEED FOR TAX PARCEL ID EIGHT DASH 0 11 27, UH, 1311 REM AVENUE.
SECOND, HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN ASTOR.
[27. Consider Adopting a Resolution Approving a General Warranty Deed Between Habitat for Humanity of Craven County NC, Marie Brown, and the City of New Bern for 2007 Pearson Street.]
ADOPTING A RESOLUTION OF PROVING THE GENERAL[01:50:01]
WARRANTY DEED BETWEEN HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF CRA COUNTY, NC MARIE BROWN AND THE CITY OF NEW BERN FOR 2007 PEARSON STREET, MR. HUGHES.MAYOR SEPTEMBER, UH, 24TH, 2019, THE CITY APPROVED THE CONVEYANCE OF THIS PROPERTY TO HABITAT FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEVELOPING AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR LOW AND MODERATE INCOME FAMILIES.
HABITAT HAS, UH, SUBSEQUENTLY CONSTRUCTED A HOME OWNED PROPERTY AND INTENDS TO TRANSFER THE HOME TO A BUYER BY EXECUTING THE DEED TO TRANSFER OWNERSHIP TO THE BUYER, THE CITY WILL RELEASE ANY RIGHTS RETAINED UNDER A TRANSFER AND REVERSION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND HABITAT.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION, APPROVE A GENERAL WARRANTY DEED BETWEEN HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF CRAVEN COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, MARIE BROWN, AND THE CITY OF NEWBURN FOR 2007 PEARSON STREET.
I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND IN DISCUSSION.
HEARING NONE WAS HAVING ROLL CALL.
STARTING WITH ALDERMAN BEST? ALDERMAN BEST, YES.
[28. Appointment(s).]
NUMBER 28.I DO NOT SEE ANY APPOINTMENTS IN THE AGENDA.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ONE THAT I MISSED? ALL RIGHT.
[29. Attorney's Report.]
TO ITEM NUMBER 29 ATTORNEY'S REPORT.[30. City Manager's Report.]
NUMBER 30, CITY MANAGER'S REPORT THREE THINGS TO, TO DISCUSS.FIRST, UH, UM, I'M PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE HAVE NAMED GEORGE CHILDS AS OUR NEW DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS.
GEORGE HAS BEEN WITH THE CITY FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND HE'S FILLED IN AS AN INTERIM ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE GEORGE, UH, IN THAT ROLE.
AND GEORGE, IF YOU WOULD COME UP, YOU'D LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS.
NOTHING LIKE BEING PUT ON THE SPOT, HON.
IT'S NOT LIKE I HAVEN'T BEEN UP HERE A FEW TIMES BEFORE IN THE PAST.
I, I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY THAT'S BEEN AFFORDED TO ME BY THE CITY, AND IT HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT ENJOYABLE WORKING WITH THIS.
THE, ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND EVERY DAY-TO-DAY EMPLOYEE THAT I WORK WITH, UM, I CERTAINLY HOPE TO, YOU KNOW, LOOK, GOING FORWARD, BE A PART OF OUR FUTURE GROWTH, WHICH WE'RE, WE'RE WE'RE HAVING COME.
AND ALSO TO PROTECT WHAT ASSETS THAT DO MAKE OUR CITY SO VALUABLE AND ALSO WORK ON OUR, OUR RESILIENCY TOO SOMETIMES WITH OUR UNSETTLED WEATHER THAT COMES IN EVERY SUMMER.
SO, YOU KNOW, I I THINK OUR, OUR FUTURE GROWTH IS REALLY WHERE, WHERE I'M, I'M EXCITED TO BE A PART OF.
AND I'M CERTAINLY GLAD TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
CONGRATULATIONS, GEORGE IN MAYOR.
I SENT SOMETHING TO THE BOARD A FEW WEEKS AGO, BUT I'M ALSO PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE HAVE HIRED A NEW DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
SHE'S CURRENTLY THE DIRECTOR OF, OF PLANNING AND, UH, DEVELOPMENT IN ENSLOW COUNTY.
SHE WILL BE JOINING US ON JANUARY 3RD.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING HER COME AND WE'LL INTRODUCE, UH, HER TO THE BOARD AT THE FIRST MEETING IN JANUARY.
ALSO, SINCE THIS IS THE LAST MEETING OF THE YEAR, WE DO WANNA WISH EVERYONE TO MERRY CHRISTMAS.
AND THE NEXT THING THAT COMES WITH THAT IS HAPPY NEW YEAR.
AND SO WE DO HAVE OUR NEW YEAR'S EVE BLOCK PARTY, WHICH WILL BE RIGHT OUTSIDE CITY HALL AT THE INTERSECTION OF CRAVEN AND P*****K.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF GREAT EVENTS SCHEDULED.
A LOT OF, UH, STROLLING ENTERTAINERS CRUSH IS THE BAND.
WE'LL ALSO HAVE A DJ OUT HERE.
WE HAVE A NEW SPONSOR THIS YEAR.
THE RIVERSIDE AUTOMOTIVE GROUP IS OUR SPONSOR, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING A GOOD TIME.
ACTIVITIES WILL BEGIN AT 5:30 PM AND WE'LL WIND UP JUST A LITTLE BIT AFTER MIDNIGHT.
[31. New Business.]
NEW BUSINESS.UM, MAYOR OUM, I'D LIKE TO, UH, REMIND THE BOARD OUR LAST, UH, CLOSED SESSION WHEN WE DID, UH, FOSTER'S EVALUATION.
WE DISCUSSED, UH, HIS SALARY AND, UH, COMPENSATION.
AND SO, UH, I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE AWARD HIM $12,000 FOR A BONUS.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND, SECOND, SECOND.
ON THE MOTION OF YOUR DISCUSSION.
THE, UM, DISCUSSION REALLY IS WHY WE ARE DOING THAT.
AND, UH, THE REASONS IS, YOU KNOW, UH, WE HIRED FOSTER AT A VERY CHALLENGING TIME, UH, TRANSITION BETWEEN BOARDS AND, UH, PROBABLY SOME DIFFICULT GUIDANCE, YOU KNOW, OR LACK OF THEREOF, UH, TO NAVIGATE THE CITY THROUGH WHEN WE WERE GOING THROUGH OUR TRANSITION.
AND THEN ALSO, UH, MANAGING DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS.
MISSING THREE, UH, DEPARTMENT HEADS.
[01:55:01]
AND SO, UH, WE DECIDED ARE WE DISCUSSED, UM, A BONUS VERSUS A SALARY INCREASE FOR THOSE REASONS.UM, LET'S DO A ROLL CALL JUST TO BE SAFE ON THIS ONE.
LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL, STARTING WITH ALDERMAN BRISSON.
AND THIS IS TO, UH, AUTHORIZE PAYMENT, UH, ONE TIME BONUS TO CITY MANAGER FOR PERFORMANCE, THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR OF $12,000.
AND, UH, A COUPLE OF THINGS I'D, I'D LIKE TO PUBLICLY THANK, UH, PUBLIC WORKS UNDER GEORGE CHILDS AND THE STORMWATER DIVISION UNDER AVERY SMITH FOR RECENTLY WORKING IN KINGS ROW ON THEIR DRAINAGE ISSUES.
UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR RESPONDING TO CITIZENS CONCERNS.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE, UH, NEWBURN HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND CAROL BECKTON FOR THE GREAT PRESENTATIONS AND THE VIGIL HELD, UH, LAST WEEK FOR THE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1922 NEWBURN FIRE.
UH, THEY WERE VERY INFORMATIVE AND WE AS CITIZENS NEED TO KNOW MORE OF OUR CITY'S HISTORY BECAUSE WE'RE THE CITY GOES IN THE FUTURE, NEEDS TO BE INFORMED BY WHERE WE'VE BEEN.
UH, ALSO WANT TO THANK, UH, PARKS AND REC, UH, LED BY CARRIE GREEN WARREN FOR THE SUCCESSFUL TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY AND THE UNION POINT PARK DECORATIONS AND THE CHRISTMAS FLOTILLA AND THE HUGELY SUCCESSFUL ICE SKATING RINK.
UM, WE'RE DOING WELL THEN THAT POINT.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW, LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, I DON'T KNOW HOW PARKS AND REC GETS IT ALL DONE WITH, WITH WHAT THEY HAVE, AND, UH, BUT THEY DO A GREAT JOB AND WANT TO THANK THEM.
UH, I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND THE SWEARING IN CEREMONIES FOR THE NEW MEMBERS OF THE CRAVEN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD AND THE CRAVEN COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS.
I WANT TO CONGRATULATE ALL THE NEWLY ELECTED OFFICIALS OF THOSE BOARDS.
AND I'M SURE, UH, JUST AS I AM, THIS BOARD OF ALDERMAN LOOKS FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THOSE BOARDS AS BEST WE CAN.
UH, THE ONLY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENT I HAVE IS REESE ACROSS AMERICA.
UH, THEY WILL BE THE RE WILL BE ARRIVING, UH, AT THE CEMETERY BY EIGHT 30.
THEY'RE GONNA BE ESCORTED AT 8:00 AM FROM THE CLARKS ROAD REST AREA.
AND AT EIGHT 30 THEY'LL ARRIVE AT NATIONAL CEMETERY.
ANYONE WANTING TO HELP WITH UNLOADING IS WELCOME, BUT PLEASE DO NOT PARK INSIDE THE CEMETERY CUZ THE SEMI HAS TO MAKE IT IN THERE.
UH, REESE ACROSS AMERICA DAY IS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17TH.
OF COURSE, THE CITY PARKS AND REC WILL PROVIDE BUSES FROM RUTH CHAPEL, WHICH IS AT THE CORNER OF, UH, SIMMONS STREET OAKS ROAD TO THE CEMETERY.
AND BUSES WILL START AT 11:00 AM AND THEN THE CEREMONY STARTS AT 12 NOON.
UH, PLEASE BE ADVISED THERE'S VERY LITTLE PARKING AROUND THE CEMETERY.
UH, PLEASE USE THE CITY SHUTTLES, BUT IF YOU'RE PLANNING ON PARKING AROUND THE CEMETERY, PLEASE ARRIVE EARLY.
AND THEN FOLLOWING THE BRIEF CEREMONY AND LAYING OF RES, UH, THEY WILL BE MOVING OVER TO GREENWOOD CEMETERY, WHERE WE'RE GONNA LAY, UH, 63 REEFS IN GREENWOOD CEMETERY.
THERE'S 5,000 REEFS WE'RE GONNA LAY IN NATIONAL.
SO, UM, THERE ARE VERY LIMITED NUMBER OF REEFS AT GREENWOOD, BUT IF YOU WISH TO DO THAT, WE WILL DO THAT IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING, UH, THERE WILL NOT BE A SEPARATE CEREMONY AT GREENWOOD.
UH, THERE'S ONLY ONE CEREMONY CUZ WE'RE ONLY ONE CITY.
AND THEN SINCE THIS IS OUR LAST BOARDING MEETING OF THE YEAR, I WANT TO WISH THE BOARD OUR CITY STAFF AND CITIZENS AND MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR, UH, WITH OUR NEW, UH, DIVISION CHIEF HIRES AND APPROVAL OF AN EMPLOYEE PAY INCREASE.
I'M OPTIMISTIC IN THIS COMING YEAR, WE AS A CITY CAN MAKE PROGRESS IN FILLING POSITIONS AND MAINTAINING NEWBURN IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY AND DEVELOP A MASTER PLAN AND FUTURE GROWTH, BOTH RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL AND SO ON.
FOR ALL OF THOSE REASONS, I LOOK FORWARD TO 2023 WITH GREAT ANTICIPATION.
ALDERMAN BEST, UM, JUST WANNA SAY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO THE BOARD AND TO, UM, STAFF.
UM, I WISH I'D HAD
UM, WE COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT THEM.
UM, IT'S BEEN A LONG YEAR AND I KNOW A LOT OF, UM, EMPLOYEES ARE, WAS VERY THANKFUL.
THEY CONTACTED ME ABOUT THEIR GIFT CARD, UM, THAT WE, UM, SO THIS BOARD, SO, UM, GENEROUSLY ALLOWED TO BE GIVEN TO OUR EMPLOYEES.
UM, SO THEY'RE REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
[02:00:01]
UM, BUT I DO HAVE A, UM, UM, A ISSUE WITH, UM, MAYOR ODOM AND, UM, CITY MANAGER FOSTER HUGHES.IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME AND I DON'T EVEN SEE A CANDY CANE UP HERE FOR US BOARD MEMBERS.
I DON'T EVEN SEE A CRIME SETTER
WE, UM, I JUST THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.
WE HAVE MADE A LOT OF DECISIONS HERE FOR OUR CITIZENS, FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, AND I JUST, UM, THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU AND JUST LET US CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OUR CITY AND OUR, OUR OVERALL, OUR EMPLOYEES, WHICH MAKE OUR CITY WHAT IT IS AND FOR OUR CITIZENS.
AND MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE.
UM, FIRST I'D JUST LIKE TO WISH EVERYONE A BURY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR.
AND I WOULD ALSO, UM, LIKE TO MENTION MY HEART GOES OUT TONIGHT TO THE, UH, FAMILY OF THE YOUNG MAN THAT WAS THE, I BELIEVE A JUNIOR AT WEST CLEVELAND HIGH SCHOOL THAT WAS KILLED ON DECEMBER THE 11TH.
AND, UH, I, I JUST, YOU KNOW, MY, YOU KNOW, MY HEART GOES OUT TO THE FAMILY.
AS CORMAN ROYAL, I ECHOED THE SENTIMENTS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK, YOUR PATIENCE, YOUR TIME, THE INVESTMENT.
UM, THE JOURNEY AHEAD IS A JOURNEY, BUT I SAY IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
THANK YOU ARM AND FRILL, JUST TO COMMENT THAT IT'S BEEN AN INTERESTING FOUR MONTHS SO FAR AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
I DO HAVE, UH, ANOTHER COMMENT.
UM, I JUST WANT THE STATEMENT, BROTHER.
UM, I HAD GOTTEN WITH, UM, CITY MANAGER, UM, HUGHES OH, LAST YEAR SOMETIME.
AND, UM, I REALLY DO THANK YOU FOR IMPLEMENTING THE BRINGING BACK THE EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR.
AND, UM, WE DEFINITELY HAVE TO CONTINUE WITH THE EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR AND HAVING THE LUNCHEON THAT I, I FELT WAS, UH, OVERALL WAS A VERY LARGE TURNOUT BY OUR EMPLOYEES.
THEY SEEMED LIKE THEY ENJOYED IT.
UM, I MET A LOT OF EMPLOYEES THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T THINK I WOULD EVER HAVE MEET, WOULD HAVE EVER MET THEM IF WE DID NOT HAVE THAT LUNCHEON.
SO IT WAS, OVERALL IT WAS VERY GOOD.
UM, I EVEN TOOK SOME CHICKEN HOME AND BARBECUED FOR MY HUSBAND BECAUSE IT WAS SO MUCH FOOD LEFT.
UM, UM, AND IT WAS MOST ENJOYABLE.
IF WE CAN CONTINUE ON THAT SAME ROUTE, I I THINK OUR EMPLOYEES WILL APPRECIATE IT.
AT LEAST IT LETS THEM KNOW THAT WE ARE THINKING ABOUT THEM AND WE APPRECIATE THEM.
IT'S JUST SOMETIMES IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT.
UH, I HAVE JUST A COUPLE THINGS.
UM, I WAS ABLE TO, UH, I WAS INVITED TO SPEAK TO THE CHAMBER, UM, COMMITTEE, BOARD THIS MORNING.
THEY'VE DONE THAT A A COUPLE TIMES SINCE I'VE BEEN IN THIS POSITION AND KIND OF GIVE 'EM AN UPDATE ON THINGS TAKING PLACE THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
THEY WERE, UH, THAT WAS THE LAST MEETING OF THEIR CURRENT CHAIR AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT AN EVENT COMING UP THIS FRIDAY NIGHT.
UH, I NORMALLY DON'T, UH, USE THIS AS AN ADVERTISING SEGMENT, BUT I, I WANTED TO JUST MENTION THAT, UH, FRIDAY NIGHT THAT THE CHAMBER IS SPONSORING AN EVENT.
IT'S CALLED CHRISTMAS WITH THE EMBERS.
IT'S GONNA BE AT THE DOUBLETREE HOTEL.
I MENTIONED THIS FOR A COUPLE REASONS.
I I'VE BEEN TO THIS EVENT IN GREENVILLE, I THINK FOR THE LAST EITHER TWO OR THREE YEARS.
UM, IT'S NOT JUST BEACH MUSIC, UH, THE EMBERS, THAT'S THEIR GENRE, BUT THEY DO A VERY GOOD JOB WITH THE CHRISTMAS MUSIC.
SO, UH, THE DOORS OPEN AT SIX SHOW STARTS AT SEVEN.
YOU CAN GET YOUR TICKETS ONLINE.
AND I, I REALLY WANTED TO MENTION THAT, UM, BECAUSE THE DOUBLETREE HOTEL FOR MANY YEARS HAD BEEN OWNED BY AN OUT OF TOWN ENTITY AND ENTITIES, I SHOULD SAY THAT.
UM, I THINK IT'S SAFE TO SAY THEY WEREN'T VERY INVESTED IN THE CITY OF NEW BERN.
DOUBLETREE HAS BEEN PURCHASED BY A LOCAL INVESTOR, MR. JOHN HARRELSON.
AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS NOW THAT THE DOUBLETREE IS OWNED BY SOMEONE LOCAL, WHICH I THINK IS A, A GREAT THING.
UH, HE IS WORKING ON PLANS FOR THE ANNEX, WHICH IS THE BUILDING NEXT DOOR THAT HAS, UH, BEEN VACANT
[02:05:01]
SINCE FLORENCE, THAT'S GONNA BECOME A SEPARATE HOTEL.AND WE ALL KNOW THE HOTEL NEEDS THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY.
SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE, UH, KUDOS TO HIM FOR REACHING OUT AND DOING SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT WITH THAT EVENT.
SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING GOING ON FRIDAY NIGHT, I'D ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO SO.
UH, THE NEXT ITEM IS, UM, OUR ETHICS TRAINING.
THE CLERK REMINDED ME TODAY, UH, WE HAVE BEEN, UH, OFFERED BY THE, UM, EASTERN CAROLINA COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENT.
IT'S HARD TO KEEP 'EM STRAIGHT.
UH, THEY HAVE OFFERED, UH, TO CONDUCT THIS TRAINING.
THEY ARE CONDUCTING THIS TRAINING.
THEY HAVE OFFERED FOR ANYONE TO PARTICIPATE IF WE WANT TO AT NO CHARGE.
UM, HOWEVER, WE ARE NOT MEMBERS OF THE COG, SO KEEP IN MIND THAT MIGHT BE OBLIGATING US OR WE MIGHT FEEL SOMEWHAT OBLIGATED IF WE DID THAT.
UH, THE CLERK, WE'VE ALREADY PAID FOR THE ON DEMAND TRAINING THROUGH THE UNC SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT.
I THINK WE HAD HAD SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT WANTING TO DO THAT AS A GROUP.
SO IF WE HAD QUESTIONS, WE COULD HIT PAUSE, WE COULD HAVE THAT CONVERSATION BACK AND FORTH.
WE STILL NEED TO GET THAT SCHEDULED.
UM, AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO THAT, I BELIEVE THE LINK COULD BE SHARED WITH EVERYONE AND AT OUR OWN PLEASURE.
YOU COULD TAKE THE TRAINING ON YOUR OWN.
CHECK THAT BOX OFF AND WE CAN MOVE ON.
SO DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT TO TRY TO SCHEDULE THAT MEETING NOW? OR WOULD THE MAJORITY OF THE BOARD PREFER TO DO THAT INDIVIDUALLY? CAN I ASK A QUESTION? SURE.
IF WE, INSTEAD OF DOING IT INDIVIDUALLY, IS IT SOMETHING WHERE WE CAN MAYBE HAVE IT SET UP AS A ZOOM AND DO IT? I MEAN, I KNOW I THINK ALL THE IT IS A ZOOM.
BUT ARE YOU SAYING THAT WE WOULD ALL BE REMOTE? RIGHT.
AND DO IT THAT WAY? IT'S GONNA REQUIRE NOTICES CAUSE IT'LL BE A PUBLIC MEETING.
YEAH, IT WOULD BE A, IT WOULD BE A MEETING WHICH THE PUBLIC WOULD BE INVITED TO IF THEY WANTED TO WATCH.
SO THEY MIGHT PRESENT SOME CHALLENGES TO GET THE NOTICES OUT AND, AND DO THAT.
THE CHALLENGES, THE CHALLENGES MAY BE GREATER THAN, UH, THAN, UH, THE END RESULT.
I WOULD, BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S SCHEDULE, ESPECIALLY THIS TIME OF YEAR, I'D PREFER JUST TO BE HAPPY.
THE LINKS INTO US LET ME DO IT INDIVIDUALLY.
AND I'M ASSUMING IF NO MORE THAN THREE WANTED TO GET TOGETHER AND DO IT AS A GROUP, THEY COULD CERTAINLY DO THAT.
SO YOUR INDIVIDUAL I WOULD PREFER DO IT INDIVIDUALLY.
ONLY REASON WHY I ASK, BECAUSE I KNOW IT WAS STATED WHEN WE FIRST TALKED ABOUT THE ETHICS TRAINING.
I THINK A COUPLE BOARD MEMBERS WERE SAYING SOMETHING ABOUT GETTING TOGETHER COLLECTIVELY AS A GROUP AND DOING IT, BUT IT WAS GONNA BE PART OF A WORK SESSION.
BUT IS THAT TIMEFRAME ON THIS? WE DO HAVE A DEADLINE.
WHEN IS IT MS. CLERK THAT IT'S GOTTA BE COMPLETED? YOU HAVE 12 MONTHS FROM THE ELECTION.
HOW, HOW LONG DOES THE COURSE ACTUALLY LAST? A COUPLE HOURS.
IF YOU WANNA WAIT TILL AFTER HOLIDAYS, WE CAN REVISIT FIRST MONTH OF JANUARY IF YOU'D LIKE.
SO IF YOU, IF THE CLERK WOULD SEND THE LINK OUT TO EVERYONE INDIVIDUALLY AND THEN IF THERE'S A FEW FOLKS THAT WANT TO GET TOGETHER NO MORE THAN THREE, UH, WE CAN HOST THAT AT CITY HALL AND DO IT THAT WAY.
UH, LAST THING I'LL SAY, I I'VE, I'VE PROBABLY SAID ENOUGH ABOUT, UH, THE FOOTBALL GAME FRIDAY NIGHT.
UM, BUT I'M GONNA SAY A COUPLE MORE THINGS.
IT WAS A, UM, TREMENDOUS GAME.
UH, I DON'T REALLY THINK FOLKS REALLY UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF THIS COMMUNITY.
UM, I DROVE UP FROM COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA.
MY WIFE AND SON RODE WITH SOME FRIENDS AND I WAS SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE, UH, WITH SHARON BRYANT AND WE KEPT TURNING AROUND AND LOOKING AND IT WAS JUST DROVES OF PEOPLE KEPT COMING IN.
MY WIFE TEXTED ME, THEY WERE STUCK IN TRAFFIC.
I DON'T THINK CHAPEL HILL SCOTT, I DON'T THINK OUR TAR HILLS WERE ANTICIPATING THE NEWBURN BEARS SHOWING UP THE WAY WE DID.
BUT, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE AUDIENCE, HOW EVERYBODY CAME TOGETHER AND, AND DROVE TWO AND A HALF HOURS TO GET THERE WAS GREAT.
I KNOW ALDERMAN BRISON WAS THERE.
WE WE HAD TWICE AS MANY PEOPLE.
AND IT WAS, UH, IT WAS REALLY GREAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE COMMITMENT THAT THOSE YOUNG MEN MADE TO IT WASN'T, WE TALKED ABOUT IT THE DAY AT LUNCH.
IT WASN'T JUST PLAYING FOOTBALL.
I MEAN, IT, IT, IT TAKES A COMMITMENT TO DO THAT.
WE ARE EXTREMELY PROUD OF THEM.
UM, WE DEFINITELY, UM, LOVE COACH NOW AND WE DON'T WANT HIM GOING ANYWHERE.
SO I HOPE HE STAYS HERE FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
SO, AND MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE.
[32. Closed Session.]
DO WE NEED A CLOSE SESSION, MR. MY APOLOGIES.I DO NEED YOU IN A CLOSE SESSION.
I WILL BE VERY BRIEF UP TO THE 1 43 13 11 83 TO MAINTAIN OUR ATTORNEY, CONNIE.
AND YOU CAN PROBABLY KEEP YOUR SEATS AND I CAN GET YOU IN AND OUT A LOT QUICKER.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO GO IN CLOSED SESSION? WE HAVE A SECOND.