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OKAY, WELCOME TO THE FEBRUARY 27TH, 2023 NEWBURN BOARD OF ALDERMAN WORK SESSION.
UH, I WOULD ASK, UH, ALDERMAN ROYAL IF SHE WOULDN'T MIND OPENING US UP IN A WORD OF PRAYER.
FATHER, WE THANK YOU TODAY FOR YET ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TOGETHER, TOGETHER IN YOUR NAME TO CONDUCT CITY BUSINESS.
WE PRAY TODAY THAT WE WILL BE LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, THAT YOU WILL GUIDE US THAT WHATEVER DECISIONS ARE MADE, OR WHATEVER THE AGENDA MIGHT BE, THAT WE WILL CONSIDER THE RESIDENTS OF OUR CITY, AND THAT WE WOULD MAKE DECISIONS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THEM.
WE PRAY FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, YOUR GUIDANCE, AND WE PRAY, FATHER GOD, FOR ONENESS AND UNITY AMONG THIS BOARD CAUSE US TODAY TO BE ON ONE ACCORD AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND WE ASK THIS IN JESUS NAME.
LET'S STAND AND SAY I PLEDGE ALLEG TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH TO STAND.
ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
ADAM CLERK, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
UH, THE PURPOSE OF TODAY'S WORK SESSION IS TO REVIEW SEVERAL TOPICS ON
[1. Discussion of Municipal Service District (“MSD”):]
THE AGENDA.SO WE'LL GET STARTED WITH ITEM NUMBER ONE, WHICH IS THE DISCUSSION OF MUNICIPAL SERVICE DISTRICT, MR. HUGHES.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND ALDERMAN.
AND AS A REMINDER, UH, FOR THE WORK SESSION, UH, THERE MAY BE SOME THINGS THAT COME UP THAT YOU WANT TO GIVE STAFF DIRECTION ON.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO, UH, VOTE TO ACT ON ANYTHING DURING THIS.
UH, WE HAVE ALLOCATED THREE HOURS IF WE GET FINISHED SOONER THAN SO BE IT.
BUT, UH, THAT, THAT'S OUR TIME LIMIT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
SO WHEN IT COMES TO THE MUNICIPAL SERVICE DISTRICT, UM, WE'VE GOT A POWERPOINT WE'RE GONNA SHOW YOU.
SO BACK IN 1973, MUNICIPAL SERVICE DISTRICTS WERE ESTABLISHED UNDER THE MUNICIPAL SERVICE DISTRICT ACT OF 1973.
UH, THE STATE STATUTE THAT COVERS THAT.
THE PURPOSES OF AN MSD, UH, WHICH ARE COVERED UNDER STATE STATUTE 1 68 DASH 5 36, ARE, UH, FOR URBAN, UH, AREA REVITALIZATION PROJECTS, TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, SOME DRAINAGE PROJECTS, DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION PROJECTS, CONSTRUCTION OF PEDESTRIAN MALLS, BIKE PATHS, OVERHEAD, PEDESTRIAN WALKWAYS, SIDEWALK CANOPIES, PARKING FACILITIES, ON AND OFF STREET CONSTRUCTION OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS, RESTROOMS, DOCKS, VISITOR CENTERS, AND, AND THINGS SUCH FOR THAT.
THIS IS A MAP OF THE CURRENT MSD.
THE LAST TIME THIS MAP WAS ADJUSTED WAS IN 2014.
IT ENCOMPASSES THE, THE NEWS RIVER, UH, PART OF THE TRENT RIVER.
IT GOES TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HANCOCK STREET ON THE RAILROAD TRACKS AND THE OTHER SIDE OF BROAD STREET.
UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BREAKDOWN, IT'S BASICALLY 30% RESIDENTIAL, UH, 70% COMMERCIAL.
THERE ARE ALSO NONPROFIT AND GOVERNMENT ENTITIES INVOLVED IN THERE.
THE NONPROFIT AND GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES DO NOT CONTRIBUTE TO THE, I BELIEVE IT'S WHAT POINT, 1370 5 CENTS ON THE TAX RATE.
SO IN DOING OUR RESEARCH, THERE ARE OVER 70, 74 MSDS THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
AND SO WHAT YOU'LL SEE ON THE SCREEN ARE THE HIGHLIGHTED ONES THAT, THAT ARE IN THE SAME BASICALLY POPULATION AS US.
AND THAT'S MORRISVILLE, STATESVILLE, SANFORD, GOLDSBORO, AND SALISBURY.
AND WE LOOKED AT A VARIETY OF THEM, AND YOU COULD SEE WHAT THEY'RE CHARGING FOR THE TAX RATE FOR THOSE ENTITIES.
SOME CITIES HAVE MULTIPLE MSDS, SUCH AS DUCK AND NAG HEAD.
I THINK THOSE WERE THE ONES, UM, THAT HAVE THE MOST.
AND WHAT WE SEEING IS HOW MSDS ARE MANAGED STATEWIDE.
AND THEY'RE BASICALLY THREE, THREE DIFFERENT AREAS.
ONE, AN ADVISORY BOARD IS SET UP.
TWO, THERE IS NO ADVISORY BOARD SET UP AT ALL.
UH, BASICALLY RECOMMENDATION JUST TO COME TO THE GOVERNING BOARD ON HOW TO SPEND CERTAIN FUNDS.
AND IN 2015, THE, UH, THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE LEGISLATURE PASSED, UH, AN AMENDMENT TO THIS THAT WOULD ALLOW YOU TO CONTRACT OUT WITH
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OTHER ENTITIES TO BE ABLE TO OPERATE THE PROGRAM.AND SO WHAT WE'VE SEEN WITH A LOT OF OUR COMPARABLE CITIES IS THEY'VE CONTRACTED OUT WITH THE MAIN STREET, UH, GROUPS TO OPERATE THIS.
SO THOSE ARE THE THREE BASIC WAYS YOU, YOU COULD LOOK AT OPERATING IN MSD.
I'M GONNA GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF THREE OF THOSE.
WILMINGTON, WHICH IS A MUCH LARGER CITY THAN US, HAS AN MSD.
UH, AND THEY BREAK THEIR, THEIR ADVISORY BOARD UP, UH, VERY DETAILED ON THIS.
THEY HAVE 14 MEMBERS THAT REPRESENT A VARIETY OF INTERESTS.
THEY DO HAVE A FULL-TIME STAFF MEMBER THAT THAT WORKS FOR THE CITY THAT OVERSEES THAT.
THEY HAVE THREE RESIDENTS, ALL PROPERTY OWNERS.
THEY HAVE TWO LARGE PROPERTY OWNERS, A HOSPITALITY REPRESENTATIVE, A REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER, A RESTAURANT REPRESENTATIVE, A RETAIL REPRESENTATIVE, A WILMINGTON DOWNTOWN INCORPORATED BOARD MEMBER, AND A MEMBER OF THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESS ALLIANCE, A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AND A NIGHTLIGHT REPRESENTATIVE.
AND THEY HAVE AT LARGE REPRESENTATION, UH, AND THE CITY MANAGER SERVES AS EX OFFICIO TOWN OF MORRISVILLE, FOR EXAMPLE.
UH, AND IT'S OPERATED SIMILAR TO US TO WHERE THEY HAVE A, BASICALLY A SPECIAL FUND WHERE THE TAXES GO INTO.
AND THEN, UM, THERE'S A DETERMINATION HOW, HOW THOSE FUNDS WILL BE SPENT.
THEN WE'VE GOT SANFORD AND THEY, THEY WORK WITH THEIR DOWNTOWN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GROUP, DOWNTOWN SANFORD, THAT'S A 13 MEMBER BOARD.
THEY HAVE A CITY AND A COUNTY LIAISON.
AND, UH, BASED ON OUR UNDERSTANDING FROM THEM, THEY HAD TO FORM A NEW, UH, AN AM MERITUS GROUP.
BECAUSE ONCE PEOPLE GET ON THESE, THESE BOARDS LIKE THIS, THEY DON'T WANT TO GET OFF.
THEY WANT TO STILL BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE.
UM, HOWEVER, THOSE, THEY'RE NON-VOTING.
SO WE'VE STARTED RECEIVING A LOT OF EMAILS FROM, FROM CITIZENS ON WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE AND MAKE UP OF.
AND AND STAFF IS, IS MAKING THE RECOMMENDATION, UH, TO THE BOARD THAT WE HAVE AN ADVISOR COMMITTEE NOT NECESSARILY GO UNDER A SWISS BEAR OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
AND THEN WE BREAK IT DOWN WITH 30% RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNERS, 70% COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNERS.
AND THAT CAN BE FURTHER BROKEN DOWN, WHETHER THAT BE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM RETAIL RESTAURANT, UH, LODGING ENTERTAINMENT, HAVE SOMETHING FOR WHERE THE LARGEST PROPERTY OWNERS TO PARTICIPATE AND HAVE AT LEAST THREE EX OFFICIO MEMBERS WITH THE CITY MANAGER, THE FINANCE DIRECTOR, AND THE SWISS BAY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
UH, BEYOND THAT, THAT COMMITTEE, UM, HAPPY TO START DISCUSSION ON THAT AND HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY.
UM, AT THE LAST MEETING WE HAD, UH, THERE'S CONVERSATION THAT WHATEVER CAME OUT OF THIS MEETING, WE WOULD END UP HAVING A, A PUBLIC MEETING DOWNTOWN TO LET THE, THE MSD UH, PROPERTY TAXPAYERS HEAR WHAT WE HAD TO SAY, THEN GATHER THEIR INPUT.
SO WE CAN COME BACK AT A LATER MEETING TO MAKE A, A FINAL PRESENTATION ON HOW THIS BOARD WOULD LIKE TO PROCEED WITH THE MS. D ADVISORY GROUP BOARD.
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I DO, MAAM.
UM, I'M LEANING MORE TOWARDS, UH, THE MSD ADVISORY BOARD SINCE THOSE ARE BASICALLY THE CITIZENS THAT PAY THE MSD ADDITIONAL MSD TAX.
UM, I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A BOARD COMPRISED OF THOSE, UM, TAXPAYERS.
THAT'S JUST HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT.
UM, BUT I DO THINK SOME TYPE OF BOARD NEEDS TO BE ESTABLISHED.
FOSTER THE, UM, WHAT YOU'VE PROPOSED, THE 30% RESIDENTIAL, 70% COMMERCIAL, IS THAT REFLECTIVE OF THE COMPOSITION OF OUR DISTRICT? THAT IS.
AND WHEN THE MST WAS ORIGINALLY CREATED, IT WAS MAINLY COMMERCIAL THAT WERE, THAT WERE, UM, SUBJECT TO THAT TAX.
AND I BELIEVE IT WAS IN 2014 WHERE THAT CHANGED WHERE YOU HAD, WE ENLARGED THE FOOTPRINT AND WE INCLUDED RESIDENTIAL.
BUT IN WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH OUR CALCULATIONS, THAT IS HOW THE BREAKDOWN IS.
AND DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATION AT THIS POINT IN TERMS OF WHETHER THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UH, WOULD BE PERMANENT APPOINTMENTS OR SERVE VARIOUS FIXED TERMS? YOU KNOW, THEY NEED TO HAVE THREE YEAR TERMS. NOW, WHETHER THAT BE A TWO OR THREE YEAR TERM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY NEED TO STUDY BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE GONNA RUN INTO WHAT WE'VE SEEN WITH OTHER CITIES ONCE PEOPLE ARE ON THERE WHERE THEY WANT TO CONTINUE TO STAY.
AND WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PROPERTY OWNERS, THAT'S, THAT'S A FINITE NUMBER OF FOLKS.
AND WE'VE ALSO GOTTA LOOK AT THE INTEREST.
THERE MAY BE A LOT OF FOLKS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN SERVING ON THIS COMMITTEE.
WE, WE, WE'RE REALLY NOT GONNA KNOW THAT UNTIL WE HEAR
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FROM THOSE CITIZENS.IN CONVERSATION WITH THE, UH, MEMBERS OF, UH, WARD ONE, AS FAR AS EX-OFFICIAL MEMBERS, HAVE YOU HEARD ANYONE, UH, GIVE DIRECTION AS TO WHO THEY WOULD LIKE TO BE? EX-OFFICIAL MEMBERS? NO, WE WILL BE MEETING WITH, UM, THE GROUP AFTER THIS MEETING.
WE'RE GONNA SET SOMETHING UP HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO.
UH, WE'VE ONLY GOTTEN AN EMAIL OR TWO FROM, FROM CITIZENS THAT LIVE IN THE MSD SO FAR.
AND WHAT I'VE SEEN IS BASICALLY THEY'RE, THEY'RE KIND OF COPYING WHAT WILMINGTON DOES IN THEIR, UH, RECOMMENDATION.
BECAUSE I, I'VE HEARD A LOT OF PRELIMINARY TALK MM-HMM.
AND I, LIKE I SAID, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW, DID YOU HAVE A FIELD FOR, UM, EX OFFICIAL MEMBERS? NO, MA'AM.
FOSTER, WHEN DID THIS, THIS CHANGE? BECAUSE I, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY THIS MORNING TO TALK TO OUR, ONE OF OUR OLDER CITY MANAGERS, BILL HART, AND I ASKED HIM ABOUT IT WHEN WE WERE THROUGH THE CONVERSATION.
AND HE, HE WAS TELLING ME THAT, FOR AN EXAMPLE, HE, WELL, HE SAID SWISS BEAR HANDLED IT.
HE SAID, YOU KNOW, IF THE CITY PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HAD A PROJECT, THEN IT WOULD BE PRESENTED TO THE SWISS BEAR.
SWISS BEAR WOULD PRESENT IT TO THEIR BOARD MEMBERS, AND THEN THEY WOULD, UM, MOVE FORWARD WITH HAVING, UM, TOWN HALL TYPE SESSIONS OR OPEN MEETINGS WITH ANYONE THAT'S A M S D, UH, TAXPAYER.
UH, AND THEN THEY WOULD MAKE A DECISION AND THEN BRING IT BACK TO THE, THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN FOR RECOMMENDATION.
UM, HAVING ANOTHER ADVISORY COMMITTEE WHEN I THINK WE'VE GOT SOMETHING ALREADY IN PLACE.
AND IT'S THE WAY IT USED TO WORK.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, IT IS JUST, I'M JUST WONDERING THE REASON WHY WE JUST DON'T UTILIZE SWISS BEAR.
THE OTHER THING IS, IS WHO WILL APPOINT THESE MEMBERS? ME BEING FROM WARD THREE TRYING TO APPOINT SOMEONE FROM WARD ONE, IT, IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE HARD TO DO.
AND IF WE LET SWISS BEAR HANDLE IT AND LET THEM HAVE THE TOWN HALL MEETINGS ON THE PROJECTS.
AND THEN IF THE DOWNTOWN, UH, PEOPLE WANTED TO DO A A PROJECT, THEY BRING SWISS BEAR, SWISS BEAR GOES THROUGH THE SAME MOTION AND THEN PRESENT IT BACK TO THE, THE CITY BOARD ALTMAN FOR APPROVAL.
SO THE FIRST ADVISORY BOARD WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1985, AND THEY WERE REALLY NEVER RECONSTITUTED AFTER THAT.
AND THAT, THAT INCLUDED NINE INDIVIDUALS AND, AND TWO, IN AN ADVISORY CAPACITY.
IN THE INFORMATION THAT I HAVE FROM THE HISTORICAL NOTES, WE DID SEE THAT SWISS BEAR WOULD TRADITIONALLY HAVE THE MEETING AT THEIR, THEIR OFFICES, BUT WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING WHERE ANYTHING OFFICIAL, WHERE SWISS BEAR BASICALLY TOOK THE LEAD ON THIS IN ANY OF THE DOCUMENTATION WE'VE RECEIVED.
AND WHILE THAT MAY HAVE HAPPENED, WE, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING BY, BY RESOLUTION OR ANYTHING THAT STATES THAT IT MAY HAVE BEEN JUST BEEN FOLKS THAT WERE INTERESTED IN CONTINUENCY, UM, DOWNTOWN PROJECTS OCCURRING.
WELL, I, I JUST THINK THAT SINCE WE ALREADY HAVE, UH, A SWISS BEAR BOARD, THE SWISS BEAR IS THE ONE THAT INITIATED THE MSD TAX IS MY UNDERSTANDING.
UH, IT WOULD JUST BE, UM, JUST BE SIMPLE FOR THEM TO, TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS INVOLVED IN THE M S D RESIDENTS AND COMMERCIAL OWNERS AND, UH, AND THEN MAKE THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS TO THIS BOARD.
SO, SO LET ME ASK THIS QUESTION.
SINCE THE STATUTE NOW ALLOWS MAIN STREET PROGRAMS TO MANAGE IT IN SWISS BEAR BEING A MAIN STREET PROGRAM, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER EXAMPLES OF, UH, THESE CITIES THAT HAVE MSDS MANAGED BY A MAIN STREET PROGRAM? WE TALKED SEVERAL.
UM, STATESVILLE, SALISBURY KINSTON ARE THE THREE THAT, THAT COME.
AND BURLINGTON ARE ALSO FOUR THAT, THAT COME TO MIND.
SO THEY HAVE, THEY'RE MSD MANAGED BY THEIR, THEY, THEY EITHER HAVE A MAIN STREET GROUP OR IT'S A DOWNTOWN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GROUP.
BUT ONCE YOU GET ABOVE 50,000, YOU'RE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE MAIN STREET PROGRAM.
I'M, UM, ALDERMAN PRI UH, FEEL FREE TO CHIME IN.
I'M, I'M GUESSING THAT PROBABLY SOME OF THE RESIDENTS WOULD PROBABLY FEEL
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LIKE SWISS BEAR IS MORE COMMERCIALLY DRIVEN AND WOULD NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT, AND I DON'T KNOW THE MAKEUP OF SWISS BEAR BOARD.I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF THOSE FOLKS ARE PROPERTY OR RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNERS ON SWISS BEAR.
SO THAT MAY BE A QUESTION OR CONCERN THAT WE WOULD WANT TO ADDRESS.
I, I WOULD EXPECT THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME PUSHBACK FROM THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNERS.
I, I'VE, I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THEY HAVE APPROACHED SWISS BEAR IN THE PAST ASKING, UM, PERMISSION TO JOIN SWISS BEAR AND HAVE BEEN TOLD NO.
SO I THINK THERE, THERE'S, THERE WOULD BE CONCERN, I THINK FROM RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNERS IF, IF THIS WAS TURNED OVER THE SWISS BEAR.
UH, I, I'LL ALSO, UM, JUST MAKE THE COMMENT.
I THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS, BUT IT'S PROBABLY WORTH REPEATING THAT THIS IS JUST AN ADVISORY BOARD TOO.
SO NO DIFFERENT THAN EVEN PLANNING AND ZONING.
THERE'S BEEN, I DON'T THINK ON THIS PARTICULAR BOARD, BUT ON PREVIOUS BOARDS, PLANNING AND ZONING WOULD MAKE A UNANIMOUS RECOMMENDATION AND THIS BOARD WOULD ACTUALLY GO AGAINST THAT.
SO THAT'S ALWAYS A POSSIBILITY AS WELL.
SO I, I RECEIVED, UM, QUITE A BIT OF FEEDBACK FROM SOME FOLKS, UH, WHEN WE PUT THIS OUT THERE, THAT WE WERE GONNA DISCUSS THIS.
AND AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, SOMEWHERE FOUR, SOMEWHERE AGAINST, THEY HAD VARIANCE OPINIONS ON, ON HOW IT SHOULD BE STRUCTURED.
UM, BUT ALSO THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE MOVE FORWARD IN WHATEVER DIRECTION OR CAPACITY WE DO, THAT THOSE FOLKS UNDERSTAND AGAIN, THAT THIS IS JUST AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
THAT IF THEY HAVE A, IF THEY PACK THE COURTROOM AND THEY SAY, WE WANT TO DO THIS, AND THAT ADVISORY COMMITTEE AGREES OR DISAGREES WITH 'EM, ULTIMATELY IT'S THIS BOARD THAT'S GONNA HAVE TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.
SO JUST DON'T WANT THEM TO GET THE IMPRESSION THAT WHATEVER THEY SAY IS WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
CAUSE THERE'S THAT DELINEATION BETWEEN THE AUTHORITY.
WELL, I KNOW I, FOR ONE, HAVEN'T HAD THIS DISCUSSION, PROBABLY NEED TO GET, UH, MORE INFORMATION.
AND I'M NOT LOOKING AT YOU CITY MANAGER FOR THIS, BUT, YOU KNOW, I PROBABLY NEED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH SWISS BEAR AND GET UP TO SPEED ON WHAT IT IS.
I MEAN, I HAVE A GENERAL IDEA, BUT, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY NEED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT BEFORE DECIDING BETWEEN COURSES OF ACTION.
I, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
UM, MAYBE WE NEED TO HAVE SWISS FAIR COME TO US SO WE AS A BOARD CAN, MAYBE THEY CAN COME AND DO A PRESENTATION OR WHATEVER, UM, TO WHATEVER TO, TO THE EFFECTS OF WHAT THEY MAY, UM, DEEM NECESSARY FOR THIS, UH, ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
BUT I DO SAY, LET ME REITERATE, AS I SAID, FIRST SAID, I DO THINK THE, THE TAXPAYERS AS P US ADDITIONAL TAX NEED TO HAVE A VOICE, NEED TO BE PART OF THIS.
SOME OF THEM, SOME OF 'EM NEED TO BE PART OF THIS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
WELL, IT SHOULD BE MADE UP OF A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE MS D TAXPAYERS BUTT.
YOU THINK, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, HOW MANY YEAH.
MEMBERS YOU GONNA HAVE ON THIS ADVISORY COMMITTEE IF YOU'RE GOING TO, IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO IT THAT WAY.
I THINK, AND, AND LET'S SEE, PAY, YOU GONNA SIT AND HAVE A VOICE IN IT.
SO I, I JUST STILL THINK IT WOULD BE SIMPLER FOR EVERYBODY IF THE SWISS BEAR WAS TO, TO INITIATE IT AND CALL THE TOWN HALL MEETINGS AND BRING, HAVE THE DISCUSSIONS AS TO WHAT PROJECT THERE, WHAT THEY PROPOSE, AND, UH, AND THEN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO US.
NOW, IF ANY OF THE CITIZENS WANT THEIR VOICE IS CONCERNED, THEY HAVE AN ALDERMAN THEY CAN CALL THERE.
AGAIN, I THINK CITIZENS THAT PAY THAT TAX AND HE'S TO BE INVOLVED ONE A HUNDRED PERCENT WITH THIS IS ADVISORY BOARD COMMITTEE.
HOWEVER, COUNCIL, WHATEVER WE IS DETERMINED, WHICHEVER WAY WE'RE GONNA GO.
IF, IF I JUST FEEL THEY NEED A VOICE, THEY NEED TO BE HEARD, THEY NEED TO BE THERE SO THEY CAN BE PART OF MAKING SOME DECISIONS.
I THINK ALDERMAN PR JUST JUST SAID THAT, UM, THERE'S PROBLEMS WITH PEOPLE WANTING TO JOIN SWISS BAYER AND WASN'T ABLE TO.
SO I JUST LOOK AT IT FROM THAT PER, YOU KNOW, PERSPECTIVE.
I BELIEVE THAT RESIDENTS WHO ARE THE STAKEHOLDERS AND OTHER INVOLVED, UH, UH, RESIDENTS SHOULD BE THE ONES THAT COMPRISE THIS MS. MSD, UH, ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UH, I STRONGLY RECOMMEND IT AND, UH, WHATEVER WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD.
IF AS, UH, ALDERMAN BRINSON SAID HE NEEDS MORE INFORMATION, BUT I AGREE WITH ALDERMAN CPRI, AND AGAIN, UH, MAYOR ODOM TALKED ABOUT THE FEEDBACK.
I'VE HEARD A LOT OF FEEDBACK ALSO.
AND AGAIN, I BELIEVE THERE WOULD BE A LOT OF PUSHBACK IF IT WAS JUST A SWISS FAIR ENTITY.
THE, UM, CITIZENS SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN ABSOLUTELY.
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FOSTER ONE OF YOUR SLIDES, UH, EARLY ON, I THINK IT LISTED THREE, IT SAID NO ADVISORY COMMITTEE.AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND ONE THAT'S MANAGED BY THE MAIN STREET.
UM, IF WE DO THE PROCESS OF ELIMINATION, IS ANYONE AGAINST SAYING THAT WE DON'T THINK THERE SHOULD NOT BE AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE? SO I THINK WE ALL, I'VE KIND OF HEARD AT EARNED FROM WALTER MCKENZIE, BUT I THINK EVERYBODY AGREES THERE SHOULD BE SOME SORT OF COMMITTEE.
DO WE ALL AGREE WITH THAT? AGREE.
SO WE CAN ELIMINATE THE MIDDLE BULLET.
SO WHAT I WOULD MAYBE RECOMMEND, UM, IS PROVIDING SWISS BEAR, SINCE THEY ARE OUR MAIN STREET DOWNTOWN GROUP, THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT TOGETHER, LET'S SAY, A PROPOSAL, IF YOU WILL, ON WHAT THEY WOULD MAYBE DO IF THEY WERE GIVEN THIS OPPORTUNITY AND THEN LET STAFF, UM, THE WILMINGTON MODEL TO ME, I, I'M, I'M FINE.
THE WILMINGTON MODEL, I KNOW THAT SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED, PRILL AND I WERE ON A LOT OF THOSE EMAILS WAS IT WAS TOO BIG.
UM, THERE'S 14 PEOPLE ON THERE.
UM, I THINK SWISS BEAR HAS CLOSE TO 30 MEMBERS, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY.
SO I'M NOT SURE THAT ARGUMENT NECESSARILY HOLDS A LOT OF WATER, BUT I, I APPRECIATED THE WAY IT WAS BROKEN DOWN BY GIVING EACH ONE OF THOSE SEGMENTS A VOICE IN THE DISCUSSION.
AND AS LONG AS IT'S PROPORTIONATE WITH THE COMMERCIAL VERSUS RESIDENTIAL, THE NUMBER OF 14, I THINK COULD PROBABLY BE MASSAGED.
SO IF, IF STAFF COULD MAYBE COME BACK WITH A PROPOSAL, WHAT YOU WOULD THINK WOULD BE APPROPRIATE BASED OFF OF OUR FEEDBACK, THEN AT A FUTURE MEETING, WE COULD ACTUALLY LOOK AT THOSE TWO AND THEN MAYBE MAKE A DECISION.
ANY FEEDBACK FROM THE BOARD IN THAT SAME SETTING WITH SWISS BEAR MAKING A PRESENTATION, WOULD ANY OF THE RESIDENTS GET THAT SAME OPPORTUNITY IN THAT SETTING? AH, MEANT WE ALWAYS HAVE OUR PETITION OF CITIZENS WHERE RESIDENTS COULD COME.
I, THE, THE REASON I'M A LITTLE BIT HESITANT ON THAT IS BECAUSE I SENT AN EMAIL OUT COPIED ALDERMAN FRILL AND STAFF AND SENT IT TO SOME FOLKS THAT I KNEW COULD HELP SPREAD THE WORD.
AND TWO OF THE FIRST EMAILS I GOT BACK ABOUT THE MSD WAS ABOUT THE SOCIAL DISTRICT.
AND I HAD TO EXPLAIN TO 'EM THAT THIS WAS NOT HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH SOCIAL DISTRICT.
THIS WAS ABOUT HOW THE FUNDING WOULD BE SPENT.
AND THEN WE GOT SOME EMAILS, AT LEAST I GOT, I THINK TWO OR THREE BACK FROM FOLKS THAT AREN'T EVEN IN THE MSD BOUNDARIES.
SO THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT THEY DIDN'T PAY THE TAX.
SO ONCE I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT THEY WEREN'T PART OF IT, THEY SAID, OKAY, NO PROBLEM.
SO AS LONG AS WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO EDUCATE FOLKS, CAUSE I DON'T REALLY WANT SOMEONE TO WASTE THEIR TIME STANDING UP HERE GIVING US THEIR OPINION.
IF WE ALL AGREE THAT IF YOU'RE NOT A MSE TAXPAYER, YOU REALLY SHOULDN'T HAVE A VOICE ON THE BOARD.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? I'M ASSUMING THAT, UM, THE T THAT THE CITY HAS CLOSED ON, THAT WE CLOSED ON THAT I THINK THE FIRST OF LAST WEEK.
SO THE MONEY FROM THE SALE IS NOW IN THE MS. YES.
AND WE CAN TELL YOU HOW MUCH WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN THE MS ACCOUNT.
SO AS OF RIGHT NOW, THE FUND BALANCE FOR MSD IS $1,670,665.
GIVEN THAT LEVEL OF MONEY THAT'S IN THE MSB, DOES STATE STATUTE PUT ANY RESTRICTIONS ON THE COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF HOW LONG THAT MONEY CAN SIT WITHOUT BEING USED? THERE ISN'T ANYTHING IN THERE ABOUT HOW LONG, BUT WE DO NEED TO HAVE A PURPOSE FOR THOSE, THOSE FUNDS THAT ARE BEING SPENT.
RIGHT? AND, AND THAT'S A CONCERN RIGHT NOW IS THAT BECAUSE WE'VE GONE SO LONG WITHOUT A BODY MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BOARD, THAT WE REALLY DON'T HAVE A PURPOSE FOR THAT, THAT MONEY.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE KEEP MOVING FORWARD TO ESTABLISH SOME KIND OF AN ADVISORY BODY SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH STATE STATUTE.
UM, SOMETHING ELSE THAT THE BOARD, I THINK NEEDS TO KEEP IN MIND, NOT TO BE, I THINK, DISCUSSED WITH THE DECIDED TODAY BY ANY MEANS.
BUT SIR, GIVEN ALMAN PRI I'M SURE SHE YOU TO SPEAK.
CAN YOU SPEAK IN YOUR MOUTH BECAUSE OF THE NOISE BACK HERE? CAN'T HEAR YOU ME INTERRUPT YOU.
UM, WE LET THEM KNOW LAST WEEK THAT WE'RE GONNA BE HAVING THIS MEETING TODAY.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET THEM TO GO TO THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING SO IT'S NOT AS LOUD HERE.
AND ALSO WANNA LET YOU KNOW, UH, THE RESTROOM ON THE SECOND FLOOR IS CLOSED.
THEY, THEY BASICALLY HAVE DISMANTLED THAT.
SO, UM, YOU CAN JUST GO DOWNSTAIRS TO THE MAIN LEVEL IF, IF YOU NEED
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TO.SO I MEANT TO TELL YOU THAT EARLIER.
SO YEAH, JUST AGAIN, SOMETHING TO, TO, TO KEEP IN MIND AS WE CONTINUE DISCUSSING THIS IS THAT WITH THE, UM, PROPOSED INCREASE IN PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS THAT HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED BY THE COUNTY, UM, AT SOME POINT IN TIME WE WILL NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT OUR EXISTING RATE AND MORE THAN LIKELY, UM, LOOK AT REDUCING THAT RATE, AT LEAST BASED ON THE, THE PERCENTAGE OF INCREASE OF ASSESSED VALUES.
AND POSSIBLY GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED, WE MAY WANT TO EVEN LOOK AT REDUCING THAT MSD RATE EVEN FURTHER SO THAT WE DON'T START ACCUMULATING ESSENTIALLY TOO MUCH MONEY IN THE MSD THAT DOESN'T HAVE ANY SPECIFIC PURPOSE BEHIND IT.
SO JUST SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND.
I MEAN, I'VE HAD A COUPLE OF RESIDENTS, PROPERTY OWNERS WHO ARE NOT IN FAVOR OF THE, THE MSD RATE ITSELF AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT GO AWAY.
I'M NOT PROPOSING THAT, BUT WE, WE WILL NEED TO DISCUSS AT SOME POINT, UM, WHETHER OR NOT THE RATE NEEDS TO BE REDUCED.
AND HONOR, PHIL, I WILL TELL YOU THAT ON AVERAGE, UM, THE TAX THAT WE PULLED IN FROM THE MSD IS APPROXIMATELY $195,000 ANNUALLY FOR THAT.
NOW WE DO HAVE, UM, DEBT SERVICE PAYING OFF SEVERAL LOANS FROM THAT, SOME OTHER ONGOING EXPENSES.
UM, AND WE CAN PROBABLY PULL FOR YOU WHAT, WHAT THAT IS AS WELL.
WHILE, WHILE THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THAT.
UM, I THINK IT MIGHT BE BENEFICIAL THE NEXT TIME THIS COMES BEFORE US IS TO MAYBE HAVE SOME EXAMPLES OF SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED BY THE M SD.
SO LIKE JAMES REED LANE IS ONE, THE UNDERGROUND CONVERSION OF UNDERGROUND UTILITIES.
UM, THE COBBLESTONE OR THE, THE SIDEWALKS THAT HAVE BEEN ALL REPLACED, ALL THAT'S BEEN DONE.
AND IN THE PAST, INSTEAD OF PAYING FOR ALL OF THAT UP UPFRONT, OUT OF CASH, I BELIEVE WE FINANC THOSE.
SO THAT COULD BE SOME OF THE DEBT SERVICE YOU'RE REFERRING TO.
DEFINITELY TWO STREET SCAPE PROJECTS HAVE OCCURRED.
UM, UH, OBVIOUSLY THINGS TO PURCHASE TRASH CANS, WE'VE PURCHASED SOME BANNERS FOR A VARIETY OF THINGS.
UM, WE'VE ALSO PURCHASED, UM, A LOT HERE AT THE CORNER OF HANCOCK AND SOUTH FRONT STREET.
WE, UH, THE MSSD ORIGINALLY PURCHASED THE TABLETS A LOT, SO THAT'S WHY THE FIRMS ARE GOING BACK IN INTO THAT.
SO, UM, SOME BEAUTIFICATION PROJECTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED ALONG THE WAY, JUST LIKE YOU SAID, JAMES REED LANE, UM, BEAR PLAZA HAVE GONE TO THAT AS WELL.
AND, UH, THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THE FUND BEING CREATED FOR THOSE TYPE OF PROJECTS THAT HAS COME ABOUT WHEN I FIRST CAME ON THE BOARD MYSELF, UH, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I LEARNED THAT THAT'S WHAT BEING, THAT'S WHAT THE, THE PROJECT WAS ALL ABOUT, GOING AROUND, SNIFFING UP THE CITY.
AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, IT HAS ACCOMPLISHED A LOT AND IT'S MORE TO ACCOMPLISH.
I GUESS IT'S JUST PROBABLY LOOKING AT HOW CAN WE EXPAND THAT.
ANYTHING ELSE ON ITEM ONE A? OKAY.
SO AS PART OF THE DISCUSSION, UH, HARMEN BRIDGE THAT ACTUALLY ASKED FOR THE DOWNTOWN ADVISORY COUNCIL, UH, DISCUSSION BE PUT ON THIS IF YOU'D LIKE TO.
I, I PUT TOGETHER A, UH, PREPARED STATEMENT, SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND READ THAT TO YOU.
THAT BASICALLY, UH, MY ORIGINAL IDEA FOR A DOWNTOWN ADVISORY COUNCIL WAS TO HAVE A STANDING COMMITTEE TO WHICH WE AS A BOARD WOULD REFER TOPICS FOR NEW IDEAS, DISCUSSION OF ISSUES, ET CETERA.
UH, THIS COMMITTEE WAS BASED ON THE IDEA THAT FOR DOWNTOWN ISSUES, WE NEED ALL THE VOICES AT THE TABLE, RETAIL, BUSINESS, BAR, RESTAURANT, BUSINESS, HOSPITALITY, BUSINESS AND RESIDENTS, SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU SEE WITH THE WILMINGTON, UH, MODEL TO DEVELOP A HOLISTIC AND REPRESENTATIVE PLAN FOR WHATEVER ISSUE WE GIVE THEM.
UM, I'VE COME AROUND TO THE REASONING THAT HAVING A STANDING COMMITTEE IS PROBABLY NOT A GOOD IDEA IN THAT ANY GIVEN TOPIC, WE MAY NOT HAVE THE EXPERTISE OR THE RIGHT PERSONS APPOINTED TO THAT COMMITTEE.
UH, SO THEREFORE, I WISH TO CONTINUE THE BOARD'S HISTORICAL PRACTICE OF STANDING UP A COMMITTEE FOR A SPECIFIC TOPIC.
USING THE PARKING COMMITTEE FROM A FEW YEARS AGO, AS AN EXAMPLE, UH, WE STOOD THAT COMMITTEE UP WITH A STATED PURPOSE AND APPOINTED PEOPLE TO THE COMMITTEE.
[00:30:01]
DECIDED ON ITS RECOMMENDATIONS, THE COMMITTEE WAS DISBANDED AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS PASSED A SWISS BEAR FOR FINAL DETAILS AND PRESENTATION TO THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN.THEREFORE, I'D LIKE TO CONTINUE THAT PRACTICE.
UM, SO REALLY THIS WAS KIND OF AN OPENING IDEA TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION HERE AT THE WORK SESSION, BUT, UH, I'VE KIND OF BACKED OFF ON THAT.
BUT HAVING STATED THAT, I DO THINK THAT THIS IDEA FOR A DOWNTOWN ADVISORY COMMITTEE WAS NOT BIG ENOUGH.
AND THIS LENDS TO OUR DISCUSSION ABOUT PLANNING, UH, LATER ON.
SO, UH, I'LL GO AHEAD AND STATE THOSE IDEAS NOW, BUT KNOWING THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT THIS LATER, UH, WHILE DOWNTOWN SEEMS TO BE THE SITE WHERE WE HAVE THE BIGGEST DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF NEWBURN, THE REST OF NEWBURN NEEDS US TO ALSO FOCUS ON THEM.
I TRULY BELIEVE THAT NEW BURN'S ON THE EDGE OF EXPONENTIAL GROWTH.
WHEN I STARTED LOOKING AT STATISTICS WITH MY APPOINTMENT TO THE NEWBURN METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION, I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND OUT THAT NEWBURN IS CONSIDERED A MID-SIZE TOWN, NOT THE SMALL TOWN IN WHICH I GREW UP AND STILL HAVE IN MY HEAD, THAT WE ARE, UH, NEWBURN HAS JUST OVER 31,000 RESIDENTS AND THE MPO HAS JUST UNDER 50,000 RESIDENTS.
THE FOLKS OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WILL TELL YOU THAT THAT 50,000 IS THE MAGIC NUMBER.
ONCE WE SUSTAIN GROWTH OVER THAT NUMBER, THEN THE BIG BOX STORES START LOOKING EX EXPANDING TO THAT AREA.
AND I THINK WE'RE POISED TO GET THERE QUICKLY.
WE KNOW THAT DEVELOPERS HAVE PLANS ON THE SHELF FOR MORE THAN 2000 HOMES, BOTH ALONG US 70 SOUTH OF THE CITY, AND BETWEEN HIGHWAYS 55 AND 17 WEST OF THE CITY ALONG THE CURRENT AND FUTURE 43 CONNECTOR.
I'VE ALREADY STATED TO YOU THAT I DO NOT THINK THE CITY OF NEWBURN IS PROPERLY STAFFED OR STRUCTURED TO PROPERLY OVERSEE THIS GROWTH.
WE'VE CONTINUED TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH INGRESS, EGRESS FOR NEIGHBORHOODS AND DEVELOPMENTS.
WE CONTINUE TO HAVE RESIDENTS COMPLAIN ABOUT SHODDY DEVELOPERS.
UH, DON'T GET ME WRONG, WE HAVE SEVERAL EXCELLENT ONES OUT THERE THAT PUT UP A GREAT PRODUCT, BUT WE DO NOT HAVE THE TOOLS OR THE STAFF TO ENFORCE OR MONITOR THE TROUBLESOME ONES.
NEITHER DO WE HAVE THE ORDINANCES OR THE PLANNING TO TIE THESE NEIGHBORHOODS TOGETHER.
AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT ELECTRICAL SEWER OR WATER, I'M TALKING ABOUT STORM WATER BIKEWAYS AND TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT.
BUT WHY ARE WE SEEING THIS TREMENDOUS GROWTH? MANY WILL LOOK AT RETIREES AND DISCOVERY OF OUR SOUTHERN CHARM AND LIFESTYLE IN A POST COVID WORLD.
HOWEVER, IN MY OPINION, THAT ONLY EXPLAINS PART OF THE PICTURE.
FRC IS THE LARGEST TECHNICAL EMPLOYER, EAST OF 95, AT ALMOST 4,000 CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES IS POISED TO GROW OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS AS THE F 20 TWOS ARE FIELDED.
AND IN BROAD TERMS, THE AIR FORCE IS LOOKING TO OFFLOAD THEIR DELO LEVEL WORK OF THE MARINE FORCE.
AND FRC EAST HAS THE MILITARY, MILITARY CONSTRUCTION MONEY AND THE SPACE TO EXPAND CHERRY POINT.
WHILE IN THE INITIAL STAGES, THEY ALSO STARTED THE INITIATIVE TO MOVE THEIR HELICOPTER DEPOT WORK TO THE GLO GLOBAL TRANS PARK IN KINSTON.
NOW, IF I WAS A POTENTIAL FRC EMPLOYEE, EAST EMPLOYEE, I WOULD LIVE IN NEWBURN BECAUSE THE COMPLETION I 42, I'D BE WITHIN 30 MINUTES OF EITHER SITE, COULD TAKE PROMOTIONS WITHOUT HAVING TO MOVE.
AND ALREADY IN SOME OF THE MILITARY COMMUNITIES, THEY'RE CALLING THE US 70 I 42 FROM GOLDSBORO TO KINSTON TO CHERRY POINT AS THE NEW NORTH CAROLINA AEROSPACE CORRIDOR.
CRAVEN COUNTY'S ALSO PART OF THE NAVAL TECH BRIDGE INITIATIVE, WHERE CRAVEN COUNTY'S MARION UNIVERSITIES AND LOCAL CONTRACTORS, BOTH EXISTING AND STARTUPS, TO MEET MILITARY IMMEDIATE NEEDS.
FRC EAST AND TECH BRIDGE REPRESENT RECESSION PROOF GROWTH BECAUSE THEY'RE TIED TO THE DEFENSE INDUSTRY.
AND THEN TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL INITIATIVES THAT CRA UNION COUNTY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND C ONE A IS HAVING WITH THE CRAVEN COUNTY INDUSTRIAL PARK.
UH, LAST YEAR ALONE, THEY DEVELOPED OR EXPANDED 200 MORE JOBS WITH THE CURRENT INDUSTRIAL PARK REACHING CAPACITY.
THE COUNTY'S ALREADY DISCUSSING EXPANDING TO ANOTHER PARK.
WHERE DO YOU THINK THOSE FOLKS ARE GONNA LIVE? WE'RE GONNA LIVE HERE IN NEWBURN ON OUR TOUR OF BOSCH.
LAST WEEK DURING THE RECENT 25TH ANNIVERSARY, ONE OF THE EMPLOYEES REMARKED THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO EXPAND OR BRING ON ANOTHER SHIFT IF THEY NEEDED TO BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF WORKFORCE HOUSING IN NEW BERN.
AND THIS IS EVERYTHING THAT'S BEING DISCUSSED.
I DON'T THINK WE'VE EVEN TOUCHED THE SURFACE OF WHAT I 42 AND HAVE AN INTERSTATE CONNECTION WILL MEAN TO US.
SUFFICE IT TO SAY THAT ALL OF THIS IS INTERRELATED AND IN A SUPPORTING CYCLE, GROWTH IN HOUSING, GROWTH IN INDUSTRY, GROWTH IN COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES AT COMMERCIAL COMPANIES, AND GROWTH IN JOBS.
AND I HAVEN'T EVEN TOUCHED ON WHAT THE CONCERNS ARE THE SUPPORTING IN INDUSTRIES LIKE HEALTHCARE AND TRANSPORTATION.
SO WHAT I'M PROPOSING IS, AS WE TALK ABOUT OUR LONG-TERM PLANNING FOR THE CITY OF NEWBURN, WE NEED AN ADVISORY COUNCIL THAT BURN
[00:35:01]
ADVISORY COUNCIL SHOULD HAVE BUSINESS LEADERS, INDUSTRY LEADERS, DEVELOPERS, RESIDENTS AND STAFF, AND MAYBE EVEN COUNTY STAFF TO INFORM THE PLANNING EFFORTS OF THEIR CONCERNS AND IDEAS GOING FORWARD.THEREFORE, I'D LIKE TO FURTHER THIS DISCUSSION DURING THE PLANNING DISCUSSION WE'RE HAVING LATER TODAY.
BECAUSE WHILE I THINK A BOTTOM UP PLANNING REVIEW IS AN IMPORTANT AND EFFICIENT TO LEVERAGE THE PLANNING EFFORTS OF OUR STAFF HAS ALREADY MADE, I THINK WE AS A BOARD SHOULD ALSO TAKE A HIGHER LEVEL VIEW TO MAKE SURE THOSE EFFORTS INCORPORATE OUR STAKEHOLDERS CONCERNS AND WHAT OUR STAKEHOLDERS SAY WE NEED.
GIVEN THAT VISION AND PERSPECTIVE, WE'RE NOT GONNA GET WHAT WE NEED, WHAT THE CITY NEEDS SOLELY FROM A STAFF EFFORT.
SO, UM, HAVING SAID ALL THAT, I'M WALKING BACK FROM A DOWNTOWN ADVISORY COUNCIL AND REALLY I THINK WE NEED A, A PLANNING ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR THE CITY.
I THINK IT, I I THINK THE, THE IDEA THAT CONCEPT, UM, THAT, UH, ALDERMAN BRISSON IS BRINGING UP IS, IS AN IMPORTANT ONE.
UM, WHAT I, WHAT I HAD LIKE TO, TO SEE, AND I'M NOT SURE JUST HOW BEST THIS CAN BE DONE, WOULD BE TO TRY TO PULL TOGETHER REPRESENTATIVES OF SOME OF THE LARGEST EMPLOYERS IN THE CITY WHO COULD MEET PERIODICALLY TO DISCUSS CONCERNS THAT THEY HAVE AS EMPLOYERS IN THE COMMUNITY AND, AND HAVE THAT INFORMATION PASSED BACK ON TO US SO THAT WE HAVE A MUCH BETTER UNDERSTANDING AS TO ISSUES AND CONCERNS THAT THEY ARE FACING AS THE LARGEST EMPLOYERS IN THE AREA.
UM, AND I THINK THAT WOULD FIT VERY WELL INTO, UM, THE CITY'S PLANNING EFFORTS AS WE LOOK FORWARD, YOU KNOW, OVER, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT FIVE TO 10 TO 20 YEARS.
AND IT WOULD HELP, I THINK, FOSTER, UM, BETTER PLANNING EFFORTS ON OUR PART AND ON THE CITY'S PART TO, TO BE ABLE TO ENGAGE REPRESENTATIVES OF THESE COMPANIES.
SO IT, WHETHER OR NOT THE, AN ADVISORY GROUP THAT, UM, MR. BRINSON IS TALKING ABOUT, WHETHER THAT MIGHT BE A MECHANISM TO ACHIEVE THAT, YOU, I DON'T KNOW.
I THINK IT'S WORTH EXPLORING A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.
UH, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS, I, I WOULD LIKE TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT SOME WAY OF GETTING THE INPUT, YOU KNOW, OF THESE VERY KEY COMPANIES, UM, THAT, THAT REALLY SUPPORT, UM, NEWBERG, I WOULD SAY, UM, IT'D PROBABLY BE A GOOD IDEA TO INVITE JEFF WOOD MAYBE, UM, TO ONE OF OUR MEETINGS.
SO JEFF IS THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MANAGER THAT RUNS BASICALLY C ONE A.
I KNOW HE HAS SEVERAL OF THESE COUNCILS.
HE HAS AN INDUSTRIAL COUNCIL, I THINK THERE'S A MILITARY COUNCIL, BUT THEY HAVE THESE MEETINGS PERIODICALLY.
FOSTER SITS ON THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF C ONE A.
UM, YOU PROBABLY ARE MORE PRIVY TO SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAN I AM AS, AS A REPRESENTATIVE, BUT I KNOW THAT THEY TALK ABOUT SOME OF THEIR, UM, ISSUES AND CONCERNS AND, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S NOT, IF IT'S NOT A REGULAR OR ROUTINE MEETING THAT JEFF COMES TO ADDRESS THE BOARD, MAYBE HE COULD JUST UPDATE US WITH, YOU KNOW, A, A QUARTERLY COMMUNICATION WITH JUST SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT HE RECEIVES.
CAUSE I THINK THAT INFORMATION'S PROBABLY READILY AVAILABLE ALREADY, UM, THROUGH DIFFERENT SOURCES COULD BE ONE AVENUE FOR US TO EXPLORE.
ANY MORE COMMENTS ON ITEM B? ALL BRISSON, ARE YOU, UM, PROPOSING SOMETHING SPECIFIC TO PUT TOGETHER FOR THE BOARD TO CONSIDER? WELL, WHAT, UM, I WAS PROPOSING IN OUR PLANNING DISCUSSION FOR NUMBER THREE IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE DECIDE WHETHER WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER A, WHATEVER WE'RE CALLING A STRATEGIC PLAN, A, UM, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OR MASTER PLAN, BASICALLY, UH, TO ME THAT PLAN WOULD NOT BE COMPLETE WITHOUT HAVING CONVENED THE, UH, TYPES OF INDIVIDUALS I WAS TALKING ABOUT.
[00:40:01]
CONCERNS, BUT ALSO THEIR FEEDBACK.SO AT LEAST A, A ONE OR TWO MEETINGS, YOU KNOW, TO GET THEIR CONCERNS.
AND IF YOU'RE SAYING THAT WE CAN GET ALL THAT FROM JEFF WOOD, THEN OKAY.
BUT, UM, I THINK THAT WE, AT LEAST AT THE END OF THIS, OR TOWARDS THE, TOWARDS THE END OF THIS PLANNING PROCESS TO GET FEEDBACK FROM THAT COMMITTEE I PROPOSED, THEN THAT'S, UH, MORE ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT I'M THINKING.
TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ADDRESSED, UH, THEIR CONCERNS AND THEIR FUTURE GROWTH, UM, IN, IN OUR PLANS OF WHAT WE THINK NEW BE AUTO LOOK LIKE.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS THAT MORE UNDER ITEM NUMBER THREE.
SO ANYTHING ELSE ON ITEM ONE B BEFORE WE MOVE ON?
[2. Discussion of Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (“ETJ”) ]
OKAY.AND WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS THE DISCUSSION OF THE EXTRA-TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION, ALSO KNOWN AS THE E T J.
MAYOR AT THIS TIME, JESSICA IS GONNA BE LEADING THIS DISCUSSION.
JESSICA, JESSICA, I, SO I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING SOME CONVERSATION AND HAVING, UM, TALK SOME OTHER CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SOME STRATEGIC PLANNING.
COULD YOU CUT THE MIC ON? I THINK IT, THERE WE GO.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I UNDERSTAND WE'RE GONNA BE GONNA BE LOOKING AT IS OUR E T J.
SO IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, WE HAVE BEEN ALLOWED IN CITIES TO ENFORCE ZONING REGULATIONS SINCE 1923.
AND THEN THAT WAS EXTENDED TO COUNTIES IN 1959.
AND AT THAT TIME, IN 1959 IS WHEN THEY CAME UP WITH THIS THING CALLED THE EJ.
AND AT THE TIME, THAT WAS A TOOL TO BE ABLE TO HELP ENFORCE MORE INTELLIGENT GROWTH, TO BE LOOKING AT WHAT AREAS IN THE FUTURE MAY REASONABLY BECOME A PART OF THE CITY.
AND THERE'S KIND OF BEEN A TREND OVER TIME THAT THOSE LINES MOVE.
SOME PLACES NO LONGER WANT TO BE IN THE EJ BUSINESS AND WE'RE GONNA START HAVING THAT CONVERSATION ON WHETHER OR NOT WE'D LIKE TO CONSIDER ELIMINATING OUR EJ, WHICH CAN BE DONE RELATIVELY SIMPLY OR CHANGING THE LINE OF OUR EJ.
UM, WHICH ALSO IS NOT TERRIBLY COMPLICATED PROCESS AND, AND LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO A COUPLE OF THINGS TO NOTE.
THE CITY OF NEWBURN HAS NINE DISTINCT EJ AREAS.
THE HATCHED AREAS OUTLINED IN PURPLE ARE THE AREAS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN OUR E T J.
JUST FOR YOUR KNOWLEDGE, HOW FAR OUT YOUR E T J CAN GO IS BASED UPON YOUR POPULATION? SO WE HAVE THE MAXIMUM ABILITY TO GO OUT THREE MILES FOR OUR EJ PLANNING AREA.
WE'VE GOT DENYING AREAS I'M GONNA ROLL THROUGH REALLY QUICKLY AND I CAN GO BACK TO THEM IF WE WANNA HONE IN ON ANY CERTAIN AREA.
GOT BRIARWOOD, BRIDGE POINT, ROCKY RUN ROAD, THAT'S TRUNK CREEK, SOUTH TRUNK CREEK ROAD, UM, TOWNSHIP TWO HERE, THE US 70 BASH AREA GREEN, BAYER BRIAR, WHICH IS THE LARGEST ONE.
WHEN WE MAINTAIN THAT E T J AREA, WE ARE AS THE CITY NOW RESPONSIBLE IN OUR CASE FOR PROVIDING SERVICES OF ALL LAND USE CODES.
SO THAT INCLUDES PLANNING, SUBDIVISIONS, INSPECTIONS, ZONING, MINIMUM HOUSING, AND FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT.
SO THOSE ARE SERVICES THAT OUR STAFF IS PROVIDING TECHNICALLY TO NON-CITY RESIDENTS.
SO WE LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
IF YOU WANNA LOOK AT THESE DIFFERENT AREAS, THERE MAY BE SOME AREAS WHERE IT IS A GOOD PLANNING PRACTICE TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE, PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES BECAUSE WE ENVISION THAT THEY MAY BECOME PART OF OUR, OUR CITY BOUNDARY AT SOME POINT.
AND THERE MAY BE SOME AREAS WHERE WE CAN LOOK AT AND SAY IT MAY NO LONGER BE WORTH ALL OF THESE RESOURCES WE'RE SPENDING TO MAINTAIN THAT CONTROL OF THE PLANNING IN THOSE AREAS.
SO IF IT WAS THE DESIRE AND WE HAD THE DIRECTION TO ELIMINATE THE E J, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE CAN NO LONGER PROCESS REQUEST TO ANNEX IN.
THAT'S STILL THE RIGHT OF DIFFERENT AREAS OR SUBDIVISIONS OR ANYWHERE THAT WE ARE THEY'RE ASKING FOR TO USE OUR UTILITIES.
[00:45:02]
J JUST JUST TO THROW THAT OUT THERE FOR YOU, WE CAN'T PICK AND CHOOSE THE AREAS THAT WE, UM, WANT TO TAKE IN.AND WE DID CONFIRM THAT IN A CONVERSATION WITH THE ATTORNEY LAST WEEK, BUT TO REMOVE THE E T J LINE WOULD SIMPLY, UH, REQUIRE A PUBLIC HEARING ON REVERSING THE ORDINANCE THAT WAS ADOPTED TO ESTABLISH IT.
AND THAT WOULD BE THE SAME WAY THAT WE WOULD MODIFY THE LINE IF WE WOULD LIKE TO MAINTAIN CERTAIN AREAS AND ELIMINATE OTHER ONES.
AND SO WITH THAT, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ON THIS.
UM, YOU, YOU MAY HAVE SAID THIS AND I JUST MAY NOT HAVE REGISTERED, BUT DO PEOPLE THAT LIVE INSIDE THE E T J, ARE THEY REQUIRED TO GET BUILDING PERMITS? YES, SIR.
AND WE DO ALL THE INSPECTIONS.
UM, RE UH, COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES THAT ARE IN THE E T J, DO WE HAVE TO DO FIRE INSPECTIONS ON THOSE BUILDINGS? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, I WOULD ENVISION THAT, YES, BECAUSE THEY WERE IN OUR PLANNING JURISDICTION THAT WE WOULD BE DOING, UH, THE FIRE INSPECTIONS BECAUSE IN MANY PLACES THE FIRE INSPECTIONS ARE A PART OF, UH, PLANNING.
UM, YOU SAID THERE WERE NINE, WERE ALL NINE OF THOSE CALLED OUT IN THE ACTION THAT THE BOARD TOOK EVER HOW MANY YEARS AGO? UM, THE LINE I'M, I'M CERTAIN HAS BEEN MODIFIED SINCE THAT TIME.
I AM SURE WHEN THE LAST TIME THAT WAS, BUT WE TECHNICALLY MODIFY OUR, OUR LINE SORT OF EVERY TIME WE DO AN ANNEXATION AS WELL.
CAUSE THAT WASN'T PERSONALLY, I I DIDN'T KNOW DUCK CREEK WAS PART OF THE E T J.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE EVER DISCUSSED THAT IN ANY DISCUSSIONS.
THERE'S PROBABLY NOTHING THAT'S HAPPENING OVER THERE.
SO I HAVE NO REASON TO COME BEFORE US, BUT, WELL, UM, ALICE SENT US A MAP CUZ I REQUESTED A MAP FROM ALICE AND SHE SENT US A MAP.
DOUG CREEK CAME ABOUT IN MAY OF TWO, 2008.
THAT WAS ALL, THAT WAS ALL PART OF THAT PROPERTY THAT WAS GONNA BE DEVELOPED IN, I THINK INTO A MARINA 20 YEARS AGO WHEN THEY PUT THE, THE SEWER LINE IN ACROSS THE RIVER.
IS THAT, THIS IS OFF SANDY POINT, CORRECT? YES.
BARBARA, DON'T YOU REMEMBER WHEN THEY PUT THAT SEWER LINE IN UNDERNEATH THE RIVER TO SERVICE THAT AREA OVER THERE? BECAUSE THAT WAS ALL GONNA BECOME A MARINA AND A BIG SUBDIVISION AND STUFF.
AND ALL THESE PLANTS FELL THROUGH, I THINK IT WAS ZACH TAYLOR'S PROPERTY ACTUALLY, BUT, UM, IT WAS, BUT IF WE RAN OR, OR THEY RAN SEWER THERE AND THEY WOULD ASK TO BE ON THERE, THEY WOULD HAVE TO ASK TO BE ANNEXED.
WELL, BASED OFF OF OUR ORDINANCE.
BUT I, THEY JUST RAN THE, THE MAIN LINE UNDER THE RIVER AND WHEN THE PEOPLE HOOKED UP OVER THERE, THEY WERE ANNEXED THEN I I, THE MOST, PROBABLY THE LAST ONE THAT'S RECEIVED CITY SEWER OVER THERE THAT I CAN RECALL WAS DR.
AND THEY, THEY HAD TO, WE HAD TO GO OVER THERE AND UM, HE HAD TO GET ANNEX INTO THE CITY BEFORE THEY WOULD GIVE IT TO HIM.
BUT I'M MORE, I'M INTERESTED IF YOU GO BACK, YOU WENT TO 'EM KIND OF QUICK.
IS THERE ANYTHING ON 70 EAST, THE JAMES CITY AREA BRIDGE POINT AND THE BRIDGE POINT? THAT'S IT.
AND SEE THAT THE BRIDGE POINT IS IN THE CITY LIMITS.
IT'S THE OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE AND THEN THE, THE CONDOS AT TRENT VILLA, THOSE ARE IN THE ATJ AND THAT'S THE ONLY THING HIDDEN DOWN TO BURN AWAY.
CAUSE THAT'S KIND OF WHAT, LOOKING AT ALL OF THESE KIND OF BEGS OF QUESTION FOR ME IS, YOU KNOW, WEST NEWBURN IS SEEING TREMENDOUS GROWTH BUT ALSO SOUTH NEWBURN AND THERE'S NONE, NO ETJ IS DOWN THERE.
UM, I KNOW THAT'S THE OPPOSITE QUESTION
BACK UP A FRAME OR TWO TO WHERE IT SHADED THE BRIDGE POINT RIGHT THERE.
AND THAT'S THE, ALL THE EJS THAT OVER IN THE JAMES CITY AREA, IT'S NOT EVEN IN THE JAMES CITY AREA I'D SAY MEAN.
THAT'S ON THAT SIDE OF THE RIVER STILL.
YOU MENTIONED THE VARIOUS SERVICES THAT, UM, THE COMMUNITIES WERE RECEIVING AND THE POSSIBILITY, EXCUSE ME, IF WE DECIDED
[00:50:01]
THAT WE DID NOT, UH, WE WANTED TO MOVE THE BOUNDARIES OR WE DID NOT WANT TO PARTICIPATE HERE, IF WE DOES, IF WE DO NOT PROVIDE THE SERVICES, THEN HOW ARE THEY PROVIDED WHETHER THEY WOULD DEFAULT TO CRAVEN COUNTY.SO IF WE DECIDED WE WANTED TO START CONSIDERING MOVING OR ELIMINATING THIS LINE TO BE GOOD NEIGHBORS, I WOULD ASK TO GO HAVE A MEETING WITH THEIR PLANNING DEPARTMENT THAT EVERYONE IS REQUIRED BY STATE LAW TO PERFORM BUILDING INSPECTIONS.
SO THAT WOULD BE A SERVICE THAT THEY WOULD AUTOMATICALLY HAVE TO START PROVIDING BACK IN THAT AREA.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PROVIDE OTHER LAND USE LAWS, SUBDIVISION LAWS, ZONING REGULATIONS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
CRAVEN COUNTY IS VERY PRO PROPERTY RIGHTS AND DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF THOSE REGULATIONS THAT THE CITY HAS.
SO IN REGARDS TO THOSE TYPES OF PLANNING EFFORTS, THEY JUST WOULDN'T EXIST BECAUSE THE COUNTY CHOOSES NOT TO ENFORCE THEM.
AND WOULD YOU GO BACK AND NAME THOSE SERVICES AGAIN? YES.
SO CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW THE CITY OF NEWBURN IS DOING PLANNING, SUBDIVISIONS, INSPECTIONS, ZONING, MINIMUM HOUSING AND FLOOD PLAN MANAGEMENT IN THOSE AREAS.
WE, WE DO NOT PROVIDE FIRE, POLICE, PUBLIC WORKS, PARK AND RECREATION.
SO I, I'LL GO BACK TO ONE OF THE RECENT DISCUSSIONS WE HAD ABOUT THE ROCKY RUN AREA, WHICH I THINK PROBABLY SPARKED THIS WHOLE DISCUSSION.
UH, THERE WERE SOME FOLKS THAT WERE FROM THAT COMMUNITY AND THERE WAS A PARCEL OF LAND THAT HAD BEEN REQUESTED TO BE REZONED.
AND THEY FELT LIKE THAT, UM, THAT THEY WERE PART OF THE CITY AND THAT THEY HAD A REPRESENTATIVE ON THE BOARD WHEN TECHNICALLY THEY DON'T, THEY HAVE ONE, I THINK IT'S ONE NOW ON PLANNING AND ZONING, THEY USED TO HAVE THREE, THE EJS USED TO HAVE THREE REPRESENTATIVES.
AND WHEN THE ATTORNEY LOOKED AT THAT AND HE SAID, PLEN AND ZONING BOARD IS MAKING DECISIONS, PROBABLY I'M, I'M GONNA GUESS AND SAY 99% OF THE DECISIONS THEY MAKE ARE FOUR CITY LIMITS.
AND THAT ONE SMALL FACTION, WHENEVER THEY MAKE A DETERMINATION ABOUT SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF THE CITY LIMITS, YOU ARE ACTUALLY OVER-INDEXED WITH REPRESENTATION FROM THE EJ.
SO THEY HAD THREE VOICES ON THAT BOARD THAT WERE MAKING DECISIONS FOR THINGS INSIDE THE CITY WHEN THEY ARE NOT INSIDE THE CITY OR CITY TAXPAYERS.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF CONFUSION AROUND THAT TOO.
CAUSE ONE OF THE LADIES THAT SPOKE THAT EVENING TALKED ABOUT OUR PARK THAT WE HAD IN ROCKY RUN, AND I EXPLAINED TO HER, WE DON'T HAVE A PARK IN ROCKY RUN.
SO THE PARK AT ROCKY RUN IS THE COUNTY'S PARK BECAUSE THEY PROVIDE ALL THE SERVICES THERE.
WE JUST PROVIDE THE OVERSIGHT FROM AN INSPECTIONS AND A DEVELOPMENT STANDPOINT.
JESSICA FOSTER, I I I'VE GOT SORT OF A LOADED QUESTION TO ASK, UH, IN BOTH OF YOU.
THE, THE, THE ETG PROVIDES THE CITY WITH AT LEAST A MEASURE OF CONTROL OVER AREAS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY, UM, BECOME PART OF THE CITY IN THE FUTURE.
WHETHER, WHETHER THEY ULTIMATELY DO, WE DON'T KNOW, BUT THEY THEY CERTAINLY COULD.
SO IT'S DESIRABLE TO HAVE AT LEAST SOME CONTROL OVER WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THOSE AREAS.
UM, BALANCING THAT WITH THE LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING ESSENTIALLY AT, AT TAXPAYER COST FOR NON-TAX PAYERS THAT LIVE IN THE E T E T J.
SO THE, THE QUESTION IS, IN BOTH OF YOUR OPINIONS, DO YOU FEEL THAT THE E T J PROVIDES SUFFICIENT VALUE TO THE CITY THAT IT SHOULD BE MAINTAINED? OR DO YOU FEEL OTHERWISE? SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE UNFAIR QUESTION TO KIND OF ASK YOU GUYS.
I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY AREAS THAT ARE PROVIDING VALUE AND THERE'S PROBABLY AREAS WHERE WE CAN LOOK AT AT THE MAP AND UH, THERE'S PROBABLY A REALISTIC, UH, ASSUMPTION THEY WILL NEVER BE BE PULLED IN AND, AND PART OF THE CITY OF NEWBURN, I'LL THROW ON TO THAT WITHOUT ACTUALLY ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION.
ANYTIME WE'RE LOOKING AT CHANGING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE CITY, WE WANNA LOOK AT WHERE THERE'S ACCESS TO UTILITIES AND WE CAN PROVIDE THEM, WE WANNA LOOK AT THE CONDITION OF EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE, PAYING PARTICULAR CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE CONDITION OF ROADS.
BECAUSE IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTIES DO NOT CONTROL ROADS, BUT CITIES DO.
SO ANY ROADS ON THE GROUND WOULD LIKELY BECOME PART OF OUR SYSTEM AND BECOME OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAINTAIN IF THEY WERE NOT IN AN HOA AREA.
[00:55:01]
THE, THE WORKLOAD TO STAFF, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING HAS A COST.WE LOOK AT GROWTH, UM, BUT IT AS A REALLY GOOD THING AND IT IS WHEN IT'S MANAGED CORRECTLY, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE HAVE 3000 NEW HOMES SOMEWHERE, WE ALSO HAVE THE RIGHT ROADS IN SCHOOLS AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND AREN'T SCRAMBLING TO HAVE TO, TO PAY TO SUPPORT THOSE NEW RESIDENTS AS WELL.
AND I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT IN THIS SECTION OF THE, OF THE WORLD TO LOOK AT, UM, THE FLOOD ZONES OF PROPERTIES THAT WE'RE INCORPORATING INTO THIS CITY.
RIGHT? WE GET AUDITED IN OUR, OUR COMMUNITY RANKING SYSTEM EVERY YEAR ON HOW WE'RE MANAGING FLOODPLAIN.
AND THE MORE ACREAGE THAT WE HAVE IN FLOODPLAINS, UM, DOES, DOES HURT THAT SCORE A LITTLE BIT.
AND I'M, I'M STATING THAT WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING EXACTLY, UH, HOW MUCH OF THE E T J IS IN FLOOD ZONE, BUT THAT IS BRINGING IN A LOT MORE WORK INTO A DEPARTMENT WHERE, UM, THERE'S A GREAT DEAL OF EXTRA PAPERWORK, UH, THAT WE NEED TO DO FOR THAT RESILIENCY INTO MAINTAIN GOOD STANDING WITH OUR FLOOD INSURANCE.
I THINK THE EJ WAS, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I THINK THE E T G A WAS MORE BENEFICIAL TO US WHEN WE WERE DOING FORCED ANNEXATIONS INSTEAD OF, I MEAN WE DON'T DO THAT ANYMORE.
IT'S ALL YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU VOLUNTARILY ANNEXATIONS, BUT I WILL SAY THIS, UM, THE COUNTY HAS NO ZONING, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
SO IT COULD PROTECT THE CITY LIMITS IN A WAY, MAYBE RIGHT BESIDE GREENBRIER SUBDIVISION.
IF SOMEBODY RIGHT BESIDE YOUR HOUSE OUT THERE IN THE, THIS ACROSS THE LINE, IF SOMEBODY WANTED TO GO OUT THERE AND PUT A, A PIG FARM UP, YOU KNOW YEAH.
WE, WE WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE CONTROL OF, OF WHETHER OR NOT THAT WOULD BE ALLOWED.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S RIGHT.
I WHAT I'M NOT AN ADVOCATE OF GETTING RID OF ANY OF THOSE
YOU'RE NOT WHY I I'M NOT AN ADVOCATE OF GETTING RID OF ANY OF THOSE EJS ON OUR SIDE OF TOWN.
NOW I THINK IT DOES HAVE SOME, SOME, SOME BENEFITS.
IT, IT DOES COST US A LITTLE BIT IN SERVICES BECAUSE WE DO HAVE TO PROVIDE FIRE INSPECTIONS TO THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.
GOOD NEWS IS THERE'S NOT THAT MANY COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES OUT THERE THAT WOULD REQUIRE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF RESOURCES FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE DO GAIN MONEY FROM PERMIT ISSUING PERMITS TO BUILD ANY OTHER STRUCTURES OUT THERE.
BUT MY BIGGEST CONCERN WOULD BE IF MAYBE WE NEED EJ ON MY SIDE OF THE RIVER TO PROTECT MY PROPERTIES OVER THERE SOME TOO.
I, I WAS THE ONES READY TO DO AWAY WITH IT, BUT I WOULD HATE TO KNOW THAT SOMEONE WENT RIGHT BESIDE, BOUGHT THE PROPERTY RIGHT BESIDE, UH, 10 OR LONG LONGLEAF PINES AND DECIDED TO STRIP IT DOWN AND PUT A PIG FARM IN THERE.
YOU KNOW, SO, AND RIGHT NOW WE COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT CAUSE THERE'S NO UTK OVER THERE.
BUT, WELL, LET'S BE REALISTIC.
NEWBURN IS GONNA CONTINUE TO GROW A HUNDRED YEARS FROM NOW.
IT'S GONNA BE MUCH, MUCH BIGGER THAN WHAT IT IS NOW.
WE, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S GONNA BE GROWTH FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE OUT TOWARD THE WEST AND OF COURSE THERE'S A SIGN LINE WHEN WE'RE GOING SOUTH, UH, TO WHERE HAVELOCK IS.
CAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIND THAT HAPPY MEDIAN THERE.
WE CAN PROBABLY GO A LITTLE BIT FARTHER, BUT THEN YOU'VE GOT SOME SWAMP LAND AROUND THE RIVERS AND ALL THAT.
WE, WE'D HAVE TO LOOK AT JUST LIKE WHAT JESSICA WAS SAYING, WHAT, WHAT'S REALISTIC AND WHAT ISN'T.
UH, SO IT'S DEFINITELY WORTH LOOKING AT, UM, WEST OF TOWN.
IT'S PROBABLY, PROBABLY THE BEST TO KEEP THAT SOME OTHER AREAS NOW.
YEAH, I WOULD, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU HAVE THE CITY ATTORNEY LOOKING TO THE, WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN HAVE E J E T J ON 70 EAST.
I REMEMBER THERE WAS SOME LEGISLATION PASSED YEARS AGO THAT WE CAME ANNEX OVER THERE AND THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME, IT MAY HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THERE THAT WE CANNOT DO, UH, HAVE E T J I DON'T KNOW.
BUT WE CERTAINLY, AND I, I WOULD ALSO HAVE THE CITY ATTORNEY IF WE'RE PLANNING ON DOING AWAY WITH ANYTHING TO LOOK AT THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CONTRACTOR THAT PAID TO HAVE THAT WATER LINE PUT IN UNDERNEATH THE RIVER AND THE DUCK CREEK PROPERTY AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THAT CAN BE DROPPED FROM THE E T J.
IT'S WORTH LOOKING INTO BEFORE WE GO MUCH FURTHER OVER THERE ON THOSE PROPERTIES.
YEAH, I, I JUST TO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THE ONES TO THE WEST, I MEAN THE UH, THE ONE ROCKY RUN ROAD AND THE ONE, UH, TRENT CREEK ROAD IS, IS BASICALLY
[01:00:01]
OUR BOUNDARIES WITH THE TOWN OF RIVER BEND.YOU KNOW, UH, IF IF WE WERE TO GET RID OF THOSE THEN YOU KNOW, WHAT'S TO SAY RIVER BEND WOULDN'T TAKE THAT OVER CUZ THAT'S WITHIN THREE MILES OF THEIRS.
SO I THINK IT'S IN OUR BEST INTEREST TO KEEP THOSE.
AND THEN AS FAR AS US 70 GREENBRIER, I MEAN WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE PLANS TO DEVELOP THAT AREA ALREADY.
UH, THOSE ARE THE ONES I ALLUDED TO IN, IN MY STATEMENT.
UM, SO I, THERE'S NO SENSE IN GETTING RID OF THAT BECAUSE THOSE ONES DEVELOP END UP GETTING ANNEXED ANYWAY.
I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE US 70 BOSCH, BUT I THINK IT'S THE SAME, THE SAME ARGUMENT.
SO WE KNOW ABOUT PLANS ON US 70 BOSCH AND US 70 GREEN BAR.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WOULD SAY ABOUT THE ONES ON THE WEST.
I I, I DON'T SEE ANY UTILITY OF GETTING RID OF THOSE.
EVEN I, I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE, UH, RESIDENTS IN ROCKY RUN EITHER TO GET RID OF IT.
UH, I DON'T THINK THEY, UH, HAVE PROBABLY UNDERSTOOD WHAT WE'VE SAID SEVERAL TIMES IN HERE THAT THERE WOULD BE NO ZONING IF WE GOT RID OF THE E T J.
WHAT IS THE, THE STATUTE ALLOWS, IS IT A CERTAIN MILEAGE FROM YOUR BORDER? YES.
SO IT IS BASED ON YOUR POPULATION AND AT 10,000 POPULATION, I THINK IT GOES OUT ONE 20,000 TO, AND ONCE YOU HIT 30,000, YOU GO OUT THE MAXIM, YOU MAX OUT AT THE THREE MILES WORK THAT YOU CAN REQUEST THAT E T J TO GO INTO.
SO TO ALTMAN ASTROS POINT, IF THERE IS NO REGULATION FOR SOME OF HIS AREA, IT MAY BE WORTHWHILE TO LOOK TO MAYBE EVEN ADD AN EJ ON THAT SIDE OF TOWN.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT WOULD BE LIKE ONE MILE FROM HIS, FROM HIS GUESS IT AREA COULD BE UP TO THREE, THREE MILES FROM THE FEATHERS END OF THE CITY LIMITS, WHICH WOULD BE SOMEWHERE AROUND BLUE WATER RISE.
IF, IF WE WANT TO DO IT, I, I MEAN I DON'T NEED, AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW AS IF WE CAN DO IT SINCE I KNOW THE, LIKE I SAID, THE CITY IN, DO YOU RECALL THE, WHEN MAYOR BAYLIS? I DON'T REMEMBER IF THAT COVERED AN ETJ.
I KNOW IT, I KNOW IT'S, THE LEGISLATION FORBIDS US FROM ANNEXING RIGHT OVER THERE, BUT I DON'T KNOW AS IF IT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH ETJ.
IF, IF IT DIDN'T, MY ONLY CONCERN WOULD BE WHY ISN'T THERE EJ OVER THERE IF IT, IF IT WASN'T THE FACT, UM, I'LL CHECK INTO IT.
IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO GET THE COUNTY INVOLVED? I THINK TO BE GOOD NEIGHBORS, WE WOULD ENGAGE THE COUNTY IN THIS DISCUSSION BECAUSE WE ARE RE PASSING THE BOOK BACK, SO TO SAY ON SOME SERVICES SUCH AS BUILDING INSPECTIONS.
I CAN'T TELL YOU THAT OUR NEIGHBORS, UM, THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE KEEPS ONCE A YEAR TAKING PIECES OF THEIR ETJ, BUT THEY DON'T WANT FOR WHATEVER REASON OR ANOTHER, MOSTLY BECAUSE IT'S THE AREAS THAT ARE VERY EXPENSIVE TO MAINTAIN AND NEED A LOT OF ENFORCEMENT ACTION AND GIVING THEM BACK TO THE COUNTY AND TAKING THEM OUT OF THE EJ.
UM, ENSLOW COUNTY HAS A VERY ROBUST ZONING PROGRAM.
SO OUT IN ENSLOW COUNTY, IF, IF YOU'RE MOVING THE EJ LINE, YOU'RE STILL GONNA HAVE SOME ZONING AND ARE OFFERED THAT LEVEL OF PROTECTION THAT, THAT YOU JUST REFERENCED.
BUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS IF WE DID ELIMINATE THE LINE HYPOTHETICALLY, UM, THEY WOULD HAVE 60 DAYS TO ADD ANY REGULATIONS THEY WANTED TO IN THOSE AREAS.
UM, AND ONCE THAT TIME PASSED, UH, LIKE OUR REGULATIONS WOULD BE ENFORCED AND WE WOULD CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE DO FOR THOSE 60 DAYS.
AND AT THAT POINT IN TIME IT JUST REVERTS BACK TO THEIR JURISDICTION.
WELL, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT CREATING ANY PROBLEMS FOR US.
ONCE EVERY YEAR OR SO WE HAVE SOMEONE COMES UP THAT'S WANTING TO DO SOME ZONING AND WE HAVE TO SPEND TIME ON THAT.
WELL, I WILL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
WE HAD, UH, UH, THE DEMOLITION A COUPLE MONTHS AGO OF SOME PROPERTIES ON SANDY POINT.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S NOT JUST ZONING.
IT IS, IS THOSE POTENTIAL ISSUES AS WELL THAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF PROPERTIES THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY IN THE CITY OF NEWBURN, BUT THEY ARE IN OUR EJ, WE, I MEAN I, I SPOKE TO THE MANAGER ABOUT THAT.
I WAS STRICTLY AGAINST US SPENDING CITY TAX DOLLARS TO DEMOLISH PROPERTIES THAT'S IN THE EJ.
AND SOME OF 'EM WEREN'T EVEN IN THE EJ IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THEY WERE DECIDED OR SOMETHING.
[01:05:01]
I, I AGREE.I THINK IT, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE DILAPIDATED PROPERTIES THAT WE HAVE IN OUR CITY, I'D RATHER SPEND OUR FUNDS IN THE CITY LIMITS THAN OUTSIDE THIS TIME.
BUT, YOU KNOW, HAVING TALKED TO THE COUNTY MANAGER, THEY WEREN'T GONNA DO ANYTHING WITH IT BECAUSE IT WAS, WAS AN R E TK.
SO IT'S, TO ME, IT'S ONE OF THOSE, IF YOU WANT TO MANAGE THOSE TYPE OF PROPERTIES, WE, UH, AS THE CITY AND THE COUNTY NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHO'S GONNA TAKE CARE OF.
I I THINK A LOT OF THIS GOES BACK TO WHAT WE TOUCHED ON BRIEFLY EARLIER, IS THE STRATEGIC FUTURE OF THE CITY WHERE WE WANT TO GROW.
THAT'S WHERE WE SHOULD BE MAKING SURE WE'RE PROTECTING OURSELF.
UM, I WOULD JUST SAY OFF THE CUFF, I DON'T THINK THAT THE AREA OF BRIDGETON IS REALLY A FOCUS AREA FOR FUTURE GROWTH IN THE CITY.
UH, CAUSE YOU'RE PRETTY MUCH SURROUNDED BY BRIDGETON THERE, BUT LIKE IN ALDERMAN ASTS AREA, ALDERMAN PRINCETON'S AREA, THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY WHERE THE CITY'S GONNA CONTINUE TO GROW.
AND THEN THOSE FOLKS ARE GONNA PRETTY MUCH BE FORCED TO ASK TO BE PART OF THE CITY.
CAUSE THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE OUR UTILITIES.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK MAYBE A CLEANUP OF THIS AREA, YOU KNOW, BRIARWOOD LANE PROBABLY DOESN'T SEEM THAT SIGNIFICANT, BUT IT'S SURROUNDED BY CITY PROPERTY.
SO TO ME, I WOULD THINK THAT WE WOULD WANT TO PROTECT OURSELF OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO, ANY MORE COMMENTS? SO, OKAY, WE HAVE THESE NINE AREAS OF E T J.
SO WE'RE FOR, AS THE MANAGEMENT OF THESE AREAS.
SO IF FOR INSTANCE, THERE IS THE BRIDGETON, THE, THE BRITON, UH, THE SANDY POINT ISSUE THAT CAME UPON US, OF THOSE HOUSES THAT WE WERE GONNA DEMOLISH THAT NEED TO BE DEMOLISHED, IS THERE NOT WHERE WE, AS SINCE THEY'RE IN OUR E T J AND WHERE AS THE CITY, WE CAN IMPOSE SOME FEES ON THEM OTHER THAN JUST PERMITS? GOOD QUESTION, HUH? NO, THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION.
I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER TO THAT TODAY.
I MEAN, THEY'RE IN OUR EJ WE AS A CITY TAKE RESPONSIBILITY CUZ THEY'RE IN OUR ETJ AND FOR DEMOL PURPOSES, I KNOW THEY HAVE TO GET PERMITS AND ALL THIS.
BUT FOR AS YOU KNOW, FOR AS DEMO DEMO IN THOSE PROPERTIES, I MEAN SOMEBODY, WE CAN'T JUST SAY THAT, WELL, IT'S GONNA BE THE COUNTY'S RESPONSIBILITY.
WE AS A CITY NEED TO IMPOSE SOME FEES, I WOULD THINK.
BUT SINCE IT'S NOT A CITY PROPERTY, THAT WAS WHERE, THAT WAS WHY I HAD THE DISCUSSION WITH THE COUNTY MANAGER AND HE ALLUDED TO THE FACT THAT THEY MAY HAVE TAKEN THAT OVER FOR US TO DO THE DEMOLITION, DO THE LEVIES BECAUSE IT'S A COUNTY PROPERTY, QUOTE UNQUOTE.
AND SO HE WAS WANTING TO BE IN ON THE DISCUSSION BEFORE WE STARTED ALL THE LEGAL ACTIONS AND SEND THEM NOTICES.
BUT SINCE WE'VE GONE DOWN THAT POINT, WE HAVEN'T REALLY REACHED IT.
CUZ MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THE PROPERTY OWNER ACTUALLY STARTED DEMOLISHING THAT PROPERTY.
SO WE HAVEN'T REACHED THAT POINT WHERE WE NEED TO LEVY, UH, A LIEN ON IT.
AND CUZ WE, WE DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN LEVY LEAN ON A NON-CITY PROPERTY.
WELL, WE GONNA PROVIDE, WE HAVEN'T GOT THAT FAR YET IF WE'RE GONNA PROVIDE THAT SERVICE.
NOT DISAGREEING, NOT DISAGREEING WITH YOU.
BUT MY, I KNOW I'M SAYING, BUT MY ORIGINAL CONCERN WAS IF WE WERE GONNA FORECLOSE ON THAT PROPERTY, THEN THERE WAS NO MECHANISM FOR THE CITY TO RECOUP ANYTHING EITHER BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT PAYING CITY TAXES, THEY'RE PAYING COUNTY TAXES.
AND SO WOULD THE COUNTY FORECLOSE ON A PROPERTY AT THE REQUEST OF THE CITY WHEN WE WEREN'T GONNA GET ANYTHING? SO ANYWAY, THOSE WERE ALL THEORETICAL DISCUSSIONS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T REACH WELL THEN WE, WE CAN'T PUT THE LIEN ON A PRICE PIECE OF PROPERTIES IF WE HAVE TO DEMOLISH IT.
BUT THINK ABOUT, THINK ABOUT THE PROPERTIES WE SELL WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH THE COUNTY GETS, YOU KNOW, FOR ON AVERAGE WITH, WITH ANY OF THOSE PROPERTIES, IT'S 50% OF TAX VALUE, UH, THAT WE'RE GETTING.
SO ANY, ANY LIEN AMOUNTS THAT ARE ON THERE ARE NORMALLY PRETTY MUCH WAIVED OFF TO SELL THE PROPERTY.
WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT MAKING ANY OF THAT BACK.
UH, I WOULD, I WOULD VENTURE TO SAY THAT IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS, THE, THE COST, I MEAN, WE'RE CERTAINLY NOT MAKING MONEY OFF OF THE EJ, BUT IT SHOULDN'T REALLY BE COSTING US A LOT BECAUSE THE FEES AND THE INSPECTIONS AND ALL OF THAT'S PAID FOR.
AND WE EVALUATE THAT EVERY YEAR TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COVERING OUR COSTS.
SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A, A HUGE FINANCIAL IMPLICATION ON THIS DECISION ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
AND I THINK IT'S MORE OF A STRATEGIC DECISION ON WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT THE CONTROL OVER THAT FUTURE POTENTIAL APPROACH AND, AND, AND DILAPIDATED STRUCTURES IN, IN AN ETJ.
THIS THE ONE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, THAT'S THE FIRST ONE THAT I CAN, I CAN REMEMBER IN A WHILE COMING UP.
BUT I JUST BROUGHT UP AS POTENTIAL EXAMPLE.
[01:10:01]
ALL.SO ARE THERE ANY MORE THOUGHTS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD ON ITEM NUMBER TWO WITH RESPECT TO THE EJ? ANY DIRECTION WE WANT TO GIVE STAFF? JUST OTHER THAN WOULD YOU CHECK ON THE 70 EAST, UM, BASICALLY MY WARD TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY LIMITATIONS OR RESTRICTIONS AS TO PUTTING EJS OVER THERE? SURE CAN.
AND OH,
THERE MAY NOT BE PAYING TAX CITY TAXES, BUT WE'VE BEEN PROVIDING SERVICES TO THESE PEOPLE FOR SO LONG, THESE DIFFERENT AREAS FOR SO LONG.
I, I JUST CAN'T SEE OF US DISSOLVING OF THE EJS.
I THINK IT'S A GOOD THING THAT WE ARE SUPPORTING THESE CITIZENS WHERE I FEEL LIKE THEY SHOULD BE SUPPORTED BY CRAVEN COUNTY, BUT TO NO AVAIL.
WE ARE SUPPORTING THESE CITIZENS.
SO, I MEAN, AT SOME POINT, AND IT FOR THE CITIZENS TO, TO FEEL THAT WE AS A CITY ARE TAKING CONTROL OF OUR EJS.
WE ARE MANAGING THE EJS IF THE CITIZENS HAVE A PROBLEM.
AS ALTMAN ASTRA MENTIONED, YOU CAN, ANYBODY CAN BUY A PIECE OF PROPERTY AND COME IN BESIDE YOU AND PUT UP SOME STRUCTURE, UM, THAT'S NOT GONNA BE AMENABLE TO THE COMMUNITY.
I, I JUST THINK WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS, THIS MAP HERE LOOKS LIKE 1998 YEAR.
[3. Planning Discussion: ]
MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE, PLANNING.THE FIRST ONE LOOKS LIKE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
MR. HUGHES MAYOR AND HONOR, WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA BE DOING ALL OVER.
I KNOW JESSICA AND I ARE GONNA BE HITTING OFF ONE ANOTHER FOR THIS.
UM, YOU'RE A BRAND NEW BOARD AND AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, UH, IN CONVERSATIONS WITH, WITH EACH OF YOU AND ALSO THROUGH, THROUGH EMAILS, YOU'VE GOT BASICALLY THREE YEARS TO MAKE A MARK ON WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH, UM, DURING THIS TERM.
WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING OFF OF 2018 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
THEY'RE CURRENTLY STILL ON THE WEBSITE FROM THE, FROM THE PREVIOUS GOVERNING BOARD.
AND SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT, THAT THIS BOARD HAS SOME PLANNING AND THAT YOU HAVE SOME SKIN IN THE GAME, LIKE WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, AS I'VE TOLD YOU THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE OCCUR AS A STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND THAT'S A VISION THAT LAYS US TO WHERE WE ARE CURRENTLY.
WHERE DO WE WANT TO BE AND THE STEPS NEEDED TO GET US THERE IN THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS.
UM, IT'S ESSENTIALLY A BLUEPRINT.
HOW ARE WE GONNA GET THERE? WHAT ARE WE GONNA FOCUS ON? AND IT LOOKS AT OUR GOALS, OUR PLAN PROJECTS TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS AND THE METRICS TO DETERMINE OUR SUCCESS.
NOW IT'S DIFFERENT THAN A MASTER PLAN, WHICH WE'RE, JESSICA'S GONNA TALK ABOUT IN A FEW MORE MINUTES.
BUT IT'S REALLY FOR THIS BOARD AND STAFF TO LOOK AT AND SAY, OKAY, WHEN WE'RE DOING OUR BUDGET EVERY YEAR, THIS IS PART OF THIS CHECKING OFF THE GOALS.
AND, AND IN, IN THE MIDDLE OF JANUARY, I SENT ALL THE ALDERMAN, UM, A FORM ASKING FOR YOUR GENERAL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE ACCOMPLISHED.
AND WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT A FEW OF THOSE.
BUT BASICALLY WHAT WHAT I SAW WAS YOU WANNA SEE SIDEWALKS, YOU WANNA SEE STREETS, UH, YOU MAYBE WANNA TO SEE THE PEPSI MUSEUM COME TO TOWN, IF THAT EVER COMES TO BE, YOU WANT TO SEE, UM, UM, UH, THERE WAS AN ADJUSTMENT, MORE REVENUES COMING INTO THE CITY.
UM, JUST A VARIETY OF THINGS LIKE THAT.
FIRE DEPARTMENT WANT TO SEE ANOTHER FIRE DEPARTMENT OUTTA WEST NEWK.
UM, WANTING TO SEE, UH, A VARIETY OF PROJECTS, STORMWATER PROJECTS ACCOMPLISHED.
UM, AND SO STAFF ALSO HAS THOSE SIMILAR GOALS.
CAUSE THEY'RE LOOKING AT THOSE PROJECTS RIGHT NOW.
THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE AMOUNT OF, UM, GRANTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AND HOW WE CAN ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS.
BUT IT'S A LITTLE MORE THAN THAT.
IT'S DIVING DOWN A LITTLE BIT DEEPER INTO THOSE THINGS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WAS, WELL, WHY DON'T WE COMBINE ALL THE STRATEGIC PLANS FOR THE DEPARTMENTS.
WELL, ALL DEPARTMENTS DON'T HAVE A STRATEGIC PLAN.
UH, AND I SEND EVERYBODY THAT CURRENTLY FOUR DEPARTMENTS HAVE A STRATEGIC PLAN THAT'S GIS, FIRE RESCUE, PUBLIC UTILITIES, AND POLICE.
UH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS NOT ADOPTED BY THE GOVERNING BOARD.
SO THERE'S SEVERAL OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT DON'T HAVE ONE.
BUT THIS PLAN IS SPECIFIC TO THE GOVERNING BOARD ON WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH.
AND SO WE'D LIKE TO CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS.
AND I JUST WANNA GET ALL OF YOUR DIRECTION.
WE'VE TALKED INDIVIDUALLY ABOUT THIS AND WE'LL PROBABLY BRING A CONSULTANT IN TO HELP US.
CAUSE THIS, IT, IT'S A BEAR TO WORK THROUGH THIS.
[01:15:01]
TIME AND, AND STAFF IS IS QUITE BUSY.AND, AND THE GOAL WOULD BE TO COMPLETE THIS IN THE NEXT THREE TO SIX MONTHS.
THAT WAY WE CAN IMPLEMENT THIS OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS AND GOING INTO, UM, IN, INTO REALLY FIVE YEARS.
AND I JUST WANNA HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS.
TELL ME HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT AND GO FROM THERE.
BOARD, DO YOU, DO YOU HAVE A LIST OF THE, UM, GOALS THAT WE HAD SUBMITTED? THIS IS NOT ALL INCLUSIVE BY GIVE YOU A VERY, I'M ASK HIM TO PASS THAT AROUND.
A NEW ELECTRIC SUBSTATION FOR FUTURE GROWTH IN STABILITY.
NEW FIRE STATION, WEST NEWBURN AREA AMPHITHEATER, CITYWIDE PAVING, BUILDING AN EXTENSION OF BROAD STREET WITH PIER PROMENADE AT THE END.
KEEP UTILITY AND TAX RATES FLAT, BRINGING TOGETHER ALL ALL STRATEGIC PLANS THROUGHOUT THE CITY INTO ONE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
SUPPORT THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION OR OPERATE IT INTERNALLY.
APPROVE AND INITIATE THE CITYWIDE MASTER PLAN URBAN DESIGN PLANNING PROCESS.
UPDATE DEPARTMENTAL STRATEGIC PLANS THAT ARE OUTDATED, DEVELOP A PEPSI MUSEUM, MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PLAN TO MARKET THE FORMER DAYS IN PROPERTY WITH THE GOAL OF SELLING THE PROPERTY TO A VIABLE DEVELOPER REPLACEMENT OF CULVERT BY THE RAILROAD TRACKS AT DUFFY FIELD ON DUFFY CANAL BY EVERGREEN CEMETERY FLOOD STORM WATER PROJECT IN NORTH HILLS AND SIMMONS STREET, DUFFY FEEL CANAL BANK STABILIZATION FROM THE SIDEWALKS.
AND SO WE'RE ALSO WITH GOLDEN OBJECTIVE.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE JUST TALKED ABOUT THE EJ BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STRATEGIC GROWTH.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT, UM, FACILITIES WE'RE HAVING SOME ISSUES WITH, WITH, WE'RE OUTGROWING SOME OF OUR FACILITIES WHERE STAFF WORK.
SO HAVING TO LOOK AT THAT OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, WHERE ARE WE GONNA GO? WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT CONSOLIDATING TO, TO SOME CENTRALIZED LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
FOSTER, HOW MANY OF THESE ITEMS DO YOU THINK CAN REALISTICALLY BE ACCOMPLISHED IN THREE YEARS? CONSIDERING WE'RE ALL GOVERNMENT TIME? YEAH, NO OFFENSE TO YOU ALL.
UM, I'M GONNA MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TOMORROW NIGHT ON ONE PROJECT.
BUT, UM, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT SIDEWALKS, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT STORM WATER PROJECTS, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT, UM, CITYWIDE PAVING, EVEN THE POTENTIAL FOR THIS BOARD TO CONSIDER A FIRE STATION IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS BASED ON HOW GROWTH IS GONNA CONTINUE AT WEST NEWBURN, THERE'S A GOOD POSSIBILITY THAT THE MAJORITY OF THESE GOALS CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED BECAUSE WE'RE ALREADY WORKING ON SEVERAL OF THEM NOW.
UM, THE BIG THING IS, AND AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE ELECTRIC SUBSTATION.
UM, ELECTRIC UTILITIES HAS BEEN WORKING ON PLANTS AND TRYING TO, UH, ACQUIRE PROPERTY FOR THE NEXT SUBSTATION FOR THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF.
UM, AND, AND AS WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT, THE INITIAL COST FOR THAT STARTED OUT AT FIVE TO 10 MILLION.
AND THAT'S ALMOST DOUBLED, UH, IN THAT TIME.
AND SO THAT'S GONNA BE A HARDER ONE, A HARDER ONE THAT YOU CHEW ON.
BUT WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT SOME VERY GOOD GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AS WELL.
I, I WOULD, I WOULD MAKE A SUGGESTION TO THE BOARD FOR US TO CONSIDER.
UM, UM, I THINK THE MAJORITY OF THESE ARE ALL GOOD PROJECTS.
SOMETHING WE PROBABLY ALL COULD GET BEHIND.
UM, STAFF WOULD I'M SURE NEED SOME TIME TO DO A LITTLE RESEARCH ON EACH ONE OF THESE TO COME BACK WITH SOME ESTIMATES AND SOME MORE DETAILS.
UM, WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE A RETREAT PER SE.
I THINK WE KIND OF HAD A WORK, A WORK SESSION EARLIER, BUT I THINK IT'D PROBABLY BE A GOOD IDEA FOR US TO CONSIDER HAVING A RETREAT.
THAT'S TYPICALLY WHEN THE BOARD WOULD SET GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, HAVE SOME GOOD CONVERSATION AND SOME DELIBERATION AMONGST THESE.
SO, UM, I WOULD OFFER THAT SUGGESTION.
WE'VE GOT THE LIST NOW WE CAN ALL GO THROUGH THESE AND SORT OF PRIORITIZE THE ONES THAT WE FEEL AND RANK.
UH, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE DEFINITELY NEED, WE NEED A, A GOAL AND A, A PATH ON HOW WE'RE GONNA GET THERE.
CAUSE I DON'T THINK ANYONE, REGARDLESS OF POLITICAL
[01:20:01]
RAMIFICATIONS, I DON'T THINK ANYONE WANTS TO SIT UP HERE THREE YEARS FROM NOW AND SAY WE DIDN'T REALLY ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING.SO THAT WOULD BE MY SUGGESTION QUESTION.
UM, FORM THERE IS NO TIME LIMIT NOW ON, UM, SPENDING A R P FUNDS.
IT WAS 26, BUT THAT WAS OUT BECAUSE OF OKAY, WE SUBPOENAED THOSE SIGNS.
IS THERE, IS THERE A TIME LIMIT ALSO ON THE, UH, ALLOCATION OF MONIES WE RECEIVED FROM FEMA? UM, THE 32 MILLION FOR CAT A AND D WORK, THERE IS A TIME LIMIT.
BUT, BUT AGAIN, WHAT I WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE OF IS THAT THAT GOLDEN MAGIC NUMBER, 32 MILLION, THAT WAS, THAT WAS BASED ON A FORMULA OF PULLING A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF, OF, OF DIRT AND DEBRIS AND MUCK OUT OF ALL THE DITCHES.
AND IN A LOT OF CASES WHEN THEY DID THE DESIGN, THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO PULL THAT MUCH OUT.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATION WITH OUR CONSULTANT, CAN WE ADD MORE DITCHES? CAN WE ADD MORE? AND WE REALLY CAN'T FOR THAT.
WE STILL FOLLOW THE FEMA'S GUIDELINES.
SO IN THEORY, YES, WE HAD 32 MILLION TO DO THAT, BUT IT DIDN'T TAKE 32 MILLION TO COMPLETE THE PROJECTS.
SO YOU TELL ME, UH, YOU SAID COMPLETE THE PROJECTS, YOU'RE TELLING ME THOSE PROJECTS ALL COMPLETED, QUITE A FEW OF 'EM ARE COMPLETE NOW.
THEY'RE JUST GETTING STARTED ON CAN D CAT D OKAY.
IT'S BUT THE CLEAN OUT, THE CLEAN OUT IS THAT, UH, THAT'S DONE, I THINK.
IF NOBODY ELSE WANTS TO CHIME IN OR WHATEVER, BUT, UH, YEAH, I, I HAVE SOME GREAT CONCERNS ABOUT THAT.
I MEAN THAT CANAL RUNS ALL THROUGH THE CITY.
AM I CORRECT, FOSTER? YOU'RE CORRECT.
SO IF THAT CANAL RUNS ALL THROUGH THE CITY AND ALL OF THE SENTIMENT AND ALL OF THE DEBRIS AND ALL THAT STUFF THAT WE HAD FROM HURRICANE FLORENCE, AND THEN WHEN I GO OVER LOOK AT CERTAIN AREAS OF THAT CORNAL IN MY WARD, I STILL SEE DEBRIS.
AND, AND IT'S NOT DEBRIS THAT JUST HAPPENED WITHIN THE LAST YEAR OR TWO.
IT'S DEBRIS, YOU CAN TELL IT'S OWED DEBRIS.
SO I'M CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT, WHO THESE COMPANIES, THEY GOING IN AND CLEANING UP THIS DEBRIS, WHAT, WHY ARE THEY MISSING CERTAIN THINGS? AND, AND IT'S GONNA BE AN ISSUE FOR WATER FLOW THAT THAT'S GONNA BE MORE OF A QUESTION FOR GEORGE CHILD.
BUT, BUT IN MOST CASES THEY DIDN'T MISS ANY DEBRIS.
IT ALL REVOLVES AROUND WHAT QUALIFIED AND, YOU KNOW, CONVERSATIONS I'VE HAD WITH GEORGE, YOU MAY SEE OVERGROWTH IN SOME, NO, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT OVERGROWTH.
SO IF YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT OVERGROWTH, THAT'S THE BIGGEST THINGS WE'VE HEARD.
OVERGROWTH, THERE'S SO MUCH OVERGROWTH, BUT THAT, THAT DOESN'T REALLY HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE FLOW.
I I, I, YOU KNOW WHAT I, THIS DON'T NEED TO BECOME A FEMA DISCUSSION RIGHT HERE CAUSE IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THAT.
BUT I, I HEAR YOU AND I, I CAN TAKE YOU TO A DITCH RIGHT NOW THAT A TREE FELL IN DURING THE HURRICANE AND IT HASN'T BEEN TOUCHED.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, ACCORDING TO THE RECORDS, THE ENGINEERS WENT IN IT AND SAID THEY COULDN'T QUALIFY THIS, UH, HURRICANE DAMAGE.
AND I SCRATCHED MY HEAD AND ASKED THEM IF THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY CRAZY, YOU KNOW? BUT ANYWAY, UH, IT'S DONE NOW.
AND, BUT THE, I I DO WANT THE, THE DUST FIELD CANAL BANK STABILIZATION IS THAT IS, THAT'S A, A CAT D PROJECT, RIGHT? THAT IS, SO THE BANK STABILIZATION IS GONNA BE TAKEN CARE OF.
NOW, HOW MUCH OF IT IS TO BE DONE IS A DIFFERENT STORY.
ALSO, WE, WE HAVE BEEN RECEIVING GRANTS TO BASICALLY REHAB DUFFY FIELD, THE CANAL AS WELL ON THE SIDES AND ALL.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING PLANNING DOLLARS RIGHT NOW.
CAUSE YOU GOTTA DO THE PLANNING FIRST AND IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE BEFORE YOU GO AFTER THE BRICKS AND MORTAR, UM, GRANTS.
AND SO, UH, WE'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFULLY GETTING SEVERAL GRANTS FOR THAT.
NOW AGAIN, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT SPECIFIC AREAS THAT WAS DESIGNATED WHEN THE REPS CAME OUT AND LOOKED AT THE, THE CANAL THAT'S GONNA BE INCLUDED? OR IS THIS A BANK STABILIZATION FOR THAT CANAL PERIOD? FOR THAT CANAL? IT'S, IT'S ON THE GRANTS.
IT'S FOR SPECIFIC AREAS THAT ACTUALLY STARTED AROUND THE STANLEY WHITE, OLD STANLEY WHITE RECREATION CENTER MM-HMM.
AND IS MOVING FORWARD, UM, MOVING FORWARD OVER TO EVERGREEN.
[01:25:02]
AND, AND THE REASON WHY I STRESS SO MUCH ON THIS AND IS BECAUSE I HAVE CITIZENS THAT LIVE DOWN BESIDE THAT CANAL.AND, AND, AND THERE'S A PROPERTY RIGHT THERE, UH, MAYOR I SENT YOU FOR YOU AND I WENT OVER THERE AND LOOKED AT THAT PROPERTY.
IT'S RIGHT THERE BESIDE A, A BIG PARCEL OF CITY PROPERTY, ACTUALLY TWO PARCELS OF CITY PROPERTY.
AND THIS HOMEOWNER IS EXPERIENCING BANK STABILIZATION THERE.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING, IT IS NOT JUST A 2018 FEMA, UH, I MEAN, UM, HURRICANE FLORENCE ISSUE, IT'S BEEN AN ISSUE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK STUFF LIKE THAT NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CAT D WORK AND BANK STABILIZATION.
AND I KNOW MAYBE WE CAN'T USE THE FEMA OF 33, 30 $2 MILLION TO DO IT, BUT I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME GRANT FUNDING GOING TOWARDS THIS.
I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CITIZENS HOMES THERE.
I MEAN, YOU LOOK, YOU, YOU'RE NOT EVEN WHAT, ONE OR TWO FEET AWAY FROM YOUR PROPERTY.
SO THAT, THAT'S A, THAT'S A CONCERN FOR ME.
UM, AND I JUST, ALL RIGHT, WELL, I'M NOT GONNA DWELL ON THIS TODAY BECAUSE WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT FEMA, BUT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT
WHAT, WHAT'S OUR NEXT MOVE ON THESE GOALS? I MEAN, DO WE WANT TO DISCUSS 'EM ALL DURING, DO WE, YOU MAYBE EACH ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS SEND IN THEIR TOP FIVE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND HAVE A, A SESSION? LIKE A WORK SESSION OR JUST KEEP 'EM ALL AND HAVE A WORK SESSION AND OR RETREAT AND DISCUSS HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO IT? IF SO, IT'S GONNA PROBABLY BE THE ONLY THING ON THE AGENDA.
YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA TAKE A WHILE TO DISCUSS EACH ONE OF THESE PROJECTS AND PUT A GAME PLAN TOGETHER FOR IT.
WELL, I'LL JUST, YOU KNOW, I'LL MAKE A COMMENT.
SO CITYWIDE PAVING, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING WE ALL LIKE TO SEE IS CONTINUED INVESTMENT IN OUR STREET SYSTEM, WHICH IS THE NUMBER ONE YES.
UM, PIECE OF OWNERSHIP THAT THE CITY HAS IS OUR STREET SYSTEM.
AND, UM, SEVERAL YEARS AGO, STAFF HAD AN OUTSIDE CONSULTANT COME IN AND THEY DID A, UH, PRIORITIZATION AND A RANKING OF THE STREETS.
AND WE USED THAT FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
AND THEN, UM, I BELIEVE THE LAST BOARD DECIDED THEY WANTED A MORE EQUITABLE, EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION.
SO INSTEAD OF STREETS THAT WERE IN WORSE CONDITION, THAT HAD MORE TRAFFIC ON THEM GETTING ADDRESSED, FIRST IT WAS TO MAKE SURE EACH WARD GOT A FAIRLY EQUAL AMOUNT SPENT ON THEM.
UM, I, I PREFER THE MORE OBJECTIVE APPROACH WHERE YOU LOOK AT A STREET THAT HAS A THOUSAND CARS ON IT THAT IS CRUMBLING AND YOU ADDRESS THAT VERSUS A STREET THAT MAYBE IS A LITTLE GRAY AND WOULD LIKE TO BE BLACK THAT ONLY HAS A HUNDRED CARS ON IT.
SO THAT'S JUST A EXTREME EXAMPLE TO TO, TO PROVE THE POINT.
BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT I WOULD SEE OTTOMAN ASER IS FOR THE CITYWIDE PAVING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, MR. CHILES COULD MAKE A SHORT PRESENTATION TO THE BOARD ON WHERE WE ARE, UM, WHAT WE'RE DOING, UH, WHAT THE EXPECTATION IS OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
AND, UH, TYPICALLY WE WERE TRYING TO SHOOT FOR AROUND A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR, UH, IN THE BUDGET TO BE SPENT ON STREET RESURFACING AND, AND REPAVING.
SO TO ME, THAT WOULD BE A FAIRLY QUICK AND TO THE POINT TYPE PRESENTATION.
THEN YOU GET INTO WORK, AND I THINK HE HAS THAT LIST.
I THINK HE'S, HE DOES, HE HAS A CONSULTANT THAT, UM, AND NOW HE'S ACTUALLY GONNA HIRE A CONSULTANT OR TO, TO LOOK AT THE RIDE QUALITY OF THE ROAD AS WELL.
THEN YOU GET INTO THE ONE RIGHT UNDERNEATH IT, THE AMPHITHEATER AT MARTIN MARRIOTT PARK, WHICH WOULD BE, UM, ALMOST STARTING FROM SCRATCH WITH SOME IDEAS AND SOME CONCEPTS AND SOME COST ESTIMATES AND EVERYTHING THAT GOES ALONG WITH THAT.
YOU KNOW, THE TRAFFIC INGRESS, EGRESS OUT OF THE PARK.
I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT TO THAT.
YOU COULD PROBABLY SPEND A COUPLE HOURS ON THAT TOPIC.
SO THAT'S THE REASON I WAS SUGGESTING IF, IF THERE'S THE BOARD'S, YOU KNOW, FAIRLY, UM, SATISFIED WITH THIS LIST, THAT STAFF COULD START WORKING ON PUTTING SOME DETAILS TOGETHER AND THEN WE CAN HAVE A RETREAT OR A WORK SESSION WHERE WE COULD DISCUSS 'EM AND LINK YEAH, I AGREE.
LIKE THE CITYWIDE PAVING, THAT'S A, THAT'S A MATTER OF US FUNDING, YOU KNOW, EACH YEAR IN THE BUDGET.
AND WHEN WE WERE DOING A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR, WE WERE MAKING SOME GOOD PROGRESS.
WHEN YOU DO $400,000 A YEAR, YOU DON'T GET MUCH.
AND SIDEWALKS WOULD BE A PART THAT I THINK THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WE ALREADY HAVE A BUDGET FOR THAT.
I'D RATHER FIX THE SIDEWALKS WE HAVE INSTEAD OF BUILDING NEW ONES.
YOU, WELL, THERE'S SOME AREAS THAT NEED SIDEWALKS.
DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU LIVE AND IT DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU LIVE.
AND OVER IN MY AREA ON GARDEN STREET, UH, WE WERE OUT LOOKING AT THAT AREA FOR TRYING TO GET A SIDEWALK PUT IN.
AND ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, MYSELF, MR. GEORGE CHILDS ALMOST GOT RUN OVER BY SCHOOL BUSES
IT'S REALLY HEAVY TRAVEL STREET AND THE PEDESTRIAN, THE
[01:30:01]
CITIZENS NEED A SIDEWALK TO WALK ON.BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S GONNA BE A COMPLICATED PRO, UH, PROCESS OF TRYING TO GET A SIDEWALK OVER THERE.
BUT THAT IS SOME OF THE NEEDS THAT I, I JUST THINK WE NEED SIDEWALKS IN SOME AREAS, UM, THAT THERE'S A LOT OF CITIZENS THAT IS, IS UTILIZING, I MEAN, THAT WALK HAVE NO OTHER WAY OF GETTING FROM A TO B TO D OR WHATEVER, WALKING IN THOSE AREAS.
WELL, WE HAVE, WE HAVE A BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN PLAN NOW.
AND I THINK THE IDEA IS WE NEED TO TAKE THAT AND PRIORITIZE IT SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE FOR THE ROADS AND PRIORITIZE THE PROJECTS THAT ARE IN THE BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN PLAN.
THAT'S GONNA TAKE SOME MAJOR WORK.
YOU MAY NOT SEEN THE PLAN THEN.
THAT'S WHAT, NOW YOU MAY NOT HAVE READ THE PLAN THEN.
YEAH, IT WAS, IT WAS A VERY THOROUGH PLAN.
THEY LOOKED AT THINGS LIKE THE, THE CNI INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE THERE WAS NOT VEHICLES WHERE THERE WAS MORE PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC.
THERE WERE SOME, AND THEY, THEY SORT OF PRIORITIZED AND THEY DIDN'T DO EVERY SINGLE PROJECT.
BUT THEY PRIORITIZED ONE THAT, UM, WAS AROUND THE WEST NEWMAN RECREATION CENTER.
THERE WAS A GREENWAY TRAIL THAT I THINK WE ALREADY OWNED THE PROPERTY FOR.
SO THEY WERE LOOKING AT THINGS THAT DID NOT REQUIRE RIGHT AWAY ACQUISITIONS TO BUILD THAT.
SO IT, IT WAS A, A PRETTY IN-DEPTH PLAN, BUT, UM, THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE COULD REVIEW AT THAT TIME.
IT, IT'S TAKEN IT TO THE NEXT STEP AND TAKING THIS PLAN AND DEVELOPING SHOVEL-READY PROJECTS SO THAT YOU CAN PUT IN FOR GRANTS IN ORDER TO GET IT MOVING ALONG.
AND I BEST, ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES ON THE GARDEN STREET AREA IS JUST NOT ENOUGH RIGHT OF WAY ALONG THE ROAD TO BE ABLE TO PUT A FIVE FOOT SIDEWALK ON ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER.
AND THAT'S WHAT I, I THINK YOU'VE HAD TO MEET WITH THE ASSISTANT MANAGER AND, AND WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR.
AND THAT'S BEEN ONE OF THE ISSUES THEY'VE HAD.
CAUSE THEY'VE BEEN OVER THAT COURT OR QUITE A FEW TIMES, TRIED TO COME UP WITH SOME OPTIONS FOR THAT.
I'M SURPRISED, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THE PROJECT HAS STARTED OR NOT, BUT THE SIDEWALK PROJECT IN PEMBROKE, I'M SURPRISED THAT YOU DON'T RUN SOME, MAYBE SOME OF THAT SAME ISSUES OUT THERE.
I KNOW BACK WHEN I WAS INTERIM PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, WE HAD A MAJOR ISSUE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING WITH A ROAD OUT THERE BECAUSE THERE'S NO RIGHT OF WAY.
SOME OF THE EXISTING DITCHES ALREADY ON PRIVATE PROPERTY AND THAT KIND OF STUFF.
UM, THAT MIGHT BECOME A, AN ISSUE WHEN THEY, IF THEY EVER START PUTTING YOUR SIDEWALKS IN OUT THERE THAT JAMIE WANTED MM-HMM.
SO LOOKING AT THE RETREAT, THE, UM, THOUGHT OF DOING THE RETREAT, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
UM, AND AGAIN, I THINK IT'S A, A WONDERFUL IDEA IF WE WOULD LIKE EACH ONE OF US TO MAYBE TAKE FIVE, UH, ITEMS OFF THIS LIST AND, AND HIGHLIGHT THEM AND, AND COME TOGETHER AND SEE AGAIN WHAT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES WE, UH, CAN AGREE ON AND THEN MOVE FORTH WITH SOME STRATEGIC PLANNING.
A AGAIN, THE STAFF CAN COME BACK WITH THE NUMBERS AND FIGURES ONCE WE GET, UH, SOME DIRECTION AS TO WHAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE ACHIEVED.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD WAY TO MOVE FORWARD.
WE'LL LET, UM, IF YOU DON'T MIND, STAFF CAN PUT TOGETHER MAYBE SOME SORT OF RANKING OR PRIORITIZATION.
UM, JUST KEEP IN MIND, UM, IF WE ONLY PICK FIVE AND WE ALL CURL IT, THERE'S 17 ITEMS ON THE LIST.
SO IF WE ONLY PICK FIVE AND STAFF THINKS THAT ALL 17 ARE VIABLE PROJECTS, THEN SOME MAY GET LEFT OFF.
WELL THEN STAFF CAN JUST PRIORITIZE THEN.
WELL, WE CAN, I MEAN, WE CAN PRIORITIZE OURSELVES.
THERE'S SOME STUFF THAT STAFF WON'T EVEN HAVE TO WORK ON.
I MEAN, AGAIN, CITYWIDE PAVING, WE, THAT'S A NU WE, WE, WE'VE GOT A PLAN FOR THAT.
WE JUST HAVE TO FUND IT, YOU KNOW, KEEP UTILITY AND TAX RATES.
SO YOU, UM, THE A R P FUNDS OF FLOOD STORMWATER PROJECT, NORTH HILLS OF SIMMONS STREET, THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, RIGHT? I MEAN THAT'S CORRECT.
SO THAT, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T FEEL BANK STABILIZATION THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH FEMA FUNDS.
SO THERE'S QUITE A FEW OF THOSE THAT WILL, IT'S, IT'S LIKE BUILD A NEW FIRE STATION WEST LOUISVILLE.
WE KNOW THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, RIGHT?
AND IN MOST CASES, WE'LL, WE'LL ALMOST DOUBLE THAT.
DEPENDING ON WHAT'S GOING ON THAT YEAR.
WE DO AT LEAST TWO TO $300,000 IN SIDEWALK PROJECTS.
THE YEARS, WELL, WE, WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH, WITH ARPA
[01:35:01]
FUNDS, UH, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF SIDEWALK PROJECTS THAT ARE, UH, ABOUT READY TO BE IMPLEMENTED THROUGHOUT THE CITY.AND THAT'S GONNA BE EXCITING AS WELL TO SEE THAT CONNECTIVITY.
ANYTHING ELSE? SO WE GOING JUST WAIT UNTIL HE GETS EVERYTHING TOGETHER BEFORE WE DECIDE WHEN WE'RE GONNA MEET ON IT.
IS THAT YEAH, BECAUSE TIME TO WORK ON IT.
THEY'RE ALL WORKING AROUND BUDGET.
SO SOME OF THIS IS GONNA COINCIDE WITH THE BUDGET.
SO I WOULD THINK THE SOONER YOU COULD GET DIRECTION FROM THE BOARD ON THE THINGS WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH, THE BETTER.
IT'S GONNA BE EASIER FOR YOUR PROCESS.
WE TALKING ONE MONTH, WE TALKING TWO MONTHS, WE TALKING THREE MONTHS, I'M GUESSING SOMETIME IN THE MONTH OF MARCH.
WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL GET BACK, PROBABLY WON'T BE TOMORROW NIGHT, BUT IT'LL PROBABLY BE THE FIRST MEETING IN MARCH.
WE, WE'LL COME WITH THE DATE COVER MEETING.
SO WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT STRATEGIC PLANNING.
WE WOULD LIKE TO REALLY DO AN IN DEPTH FOCUS ON THAT.
UH, AND WE ARE LOOKING AT BRINGING SOME WOMEN TO HELP HELP US WITH THAT.
BUT IT'S GONNA BE A, I THINK, I THINK THIS BOARD NEEDS TO HAVE THAT AND BE A GOOD IDEA TO, UM, REALLY FOCUS NOT ONLY JUST YEAR TO YEAR, WHAT, WHAT GOALS YOU'D LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE BUDGET, BUT OVERALL HOW WE CAN MOVE THE CITY FORWARD.
ANY COMMENTS FROM BOARD ON STRATEGIC PLANNING? SOUNDS LIKE STAFF IS LOOKING TO BRING IN A CONSULTANT TO HANDLE THAT PROCESS.
I'M NOT, NOT OPPOSED TO A CONSULTANT.
UM, THIS IS ALSO TIED DIRECTLY INTO BUDGETING.
KIND OF LOCKED A NEW SITUATION WHERE I DO THE LACK OF A DIRECTOR FOR, FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
AND THEN BEFORE THAT, ALMOST EVERY DOCUMENT THAT WE'RE WORKING OFF OF THAT GUIDES OUR DAY-TO-DAY WORK AND, AND OUR RESPONSIBILITIES NEEDS TO BE UPDATED.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT ABOUT COMPREHENSIVE PLANS AND WE'VE ALSO BEEN TALKING QUITE A BIT ABOUT ORDINANCES.
UM, WE'RE REQUIRED BY THE COASTAL AREA MANAGEMENT ACT TO HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IN THE CITY OF NEW BERN, BECAUSE WE'RE IN ONE OF NORTH CAROLINA'S 20 COASTAL COUNTIES, AND THAT'S BEEN THAT WAY SINCE THE SEVENTIES.
AND THEN MOVING EVEN FURTHER, SINCE 2021, WE'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DUE TO ONE 60 D, WHICH IS THE, THE MERGE CITY AND COUNTY LAND USE LAW THAT THE STATE HAS, UM, IN ANY JURISDICTION THAT ENFORCES ZONING, HAS TO HAVE AN UP TO DATE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
SO WE SAY THOSE, AND MOST OF THE TIME THOSE ARE PLANS THAT ARE REALLY CHECK BOXES.
THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS THE MOST USE USEFUL PLANNING TOOLS.
THEY'RE NOT GETTING INTO THE NITTY GRITTY, UH, IN DETAILS ON HOW WE WANNA GROW, HOW THINGS ARE CONNECTED.
THEY'RE LOOKING AT ENVIRONMENTAL AREAS.
THEY'RE LOOKING AT, UH, YOUR ROADS AND THINGS AND YOUR OTHER ADOPTED PLANS.
AND IT KIND OF PUTS THEM ALL IN ONE CATALOG.
AND, AND THAT CHECKS THOSE BOXES.
AND THEN WE HAVE OUR CITY ORDINANCES.
AND HERE IN THE CITY OF NEW BERN, FOR WHATEVER REASON, EVERY LAND USE ORDINANCE WE HAVE HAS KIND OF BEEN PUT INTO WHAT'S CALLED APPENDIX A.
AND OVER TIME THEY JUST KIND OF MERGED ORDINANCE ONTO ORDINANCE UNDER ORDINANCE.
AND THEY'RE NOT ALL WORKING TOGETHER.
THEY'RE NOT WORKING IN A CONCERT AND IN HARMONY AND TYPICALLY STANDARD PLANNING PRACTICES.
THAT TYPE OF ORDINANCE GETS UPDATED EVERY 10 YEARS.
AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THE CITY OF NEW BERN HAS NEVER INVESTED IN DOING A COMPREHENSIVE REWRITE OF THOSE ORDINANCES.
AND SO MOST OF THE THINGS THAT I'M HEARING, AND THE GOALS FROM THE CONVERSATIONS THAT I'VE HAD WITH SOME OF YOU ABOUT THE FRUSTRATION WITH THE PLANNING ARE ACTUALLY THINGS I BELIEVE COULD BE AC ACCOMMODATED AND FIXED MORE EFFECTIVELY THROUGH UPDATING OUR ORDINANCES.
AND WHEN I SAY THAT, IT'S BECAUSE, UH, AND, AND SOME OF YOU HAVE HEARD ME SAY THIS ALREADY, A PLAN IS JUST THAT IT'S A PLAN.
WHEN YOU PUT SOMETHING IN THE ORDINANCE, IT'S ENFORCEABLE AND IT'S THE LAW.
IF YOU WANT TO SEE ROADS CONNECTED TO OTHER ROADS, PUT IT IN THE ORDINANCE.
IF YOU WANT TO SEE CERTAIN AESTHETICS IN A CERTAIN DISTRICT IN TOWN, YOU PUT IT IN THE ORDINANCE.
AND AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WHEN WE ISSUE THE PERMITS, WE CAN BASE THAT PERMIT ON WHATEVER THAT REGULATION IS.
[01:40:01]
THAT'S A VERY GENERAL OVERVIEW.CREATING A NEW COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND CREATING A NEW LAND USE ORDINANCE ARE BOTH TIME CONSUMING, LENGTHY AND EXPENSIVE ENDEAVORS.
AND SO AS STAFF, I'M LOOKING FOR SOME DIRECTION ON WHAT IT IS THAT YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO ACCOMPLISH WITH LAND USE PLANNING.
SO I CAN DETERMINE IN THE BUDGET WHETHER TO ASK YOU ALL FOR FUNDS TO UPDATE THOSE ORDINANCES OR TO DO MORE COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING.
SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS LET'S ADVANCE, WE HAVE A BUSINESS HERE, THIS BUILDING, AND YOU HAVE ANOTHER BUSINESS BESIDE THEM.
AND TO A, NOT TO GO ONTO THE HIGHWAY, THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT IN THE ORDINANCE TO HAVE THAT CUT THROUGH IS, AS I'M ASKING THAT CORRECTLY, OR YES AND YES.
SO IT WOULD DEPEND ON, ON WHETHER YOU'RE ON A STATE ROAD OR NOT.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO INTERCONNECTIVITY OF CITY ROADS, WE CAN ABSOLUTELY REQUIRE THAT.
WE CAN ALSO LOOK AT STORM WATER.
WE CAN LOOK, MAKE ALL OF THESE THINGS LOST THROUGH OVERLAY DISTRICTS IN AREAS WHERE THEY MAKE SENSE.
YOU HAVE A LOT OF OVERLAY DISTRICTS RIGHT NOW.
UM, WE MAY WANNA LOOK AT WHAT'S STILL EFFECTIVE, WHAT'S NOT.
MAYBE WE WANT TO COMPLETELY START THAT OVER.
BUT I AM A PRAGMATIST WHEN IT COMES SOLELY INDUCED.
AND THE WAY TO GET THINGS DONE, IN MY OPINION, IS TO PUT THEM IN THAT ORDINANCE.
BECAUSE WE CAN HAVE THE BEST PLANS IN THE WORLD, BUT I CAN'T REQUIRE SOMEBODY TO BUILD WHAT'S IN THOSE PLANS.
I CAN REQUIRE YOU TO BUILD WHAT'S IN THE ORDINANCES.
I'M DEALING WITH A BUNCH OF STORM WATER ISSUES IN ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS NOW WHERE THE GRADING WASN'T PROPER.
SO I THINK AND FIND, TO FIND OUT FROM OUR BUILDING CODE OFFICIALS THAT IF THE, AS LONG AS THE HOUSE OR THE PROPERTY IS GRADING FROM THE FOUNDATION OUT 10 FEET TO FLOW AWAY FROM THE HOUSE, THAT'S THE END OF IT.
THAT'S ALL THAT THE BUILDING CODE REQUIRES.
BUT IN SOME OF THESE CASES, THEY FLOW OUT 10 FEET LIKE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO.
BUT THEN THERE'S A BIG OLD HOLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PROPERTY, AND ALL THE WATER PULL, YOU KNOW, PULLS UP IN THERE.
AND AFTER IT GETS BIG ENOUGH OR LARGE ENOUGH, IT COMES OUT AND SPILLS OVER AND COMES INTO THEIR HOUSE OR UP TO THEIR HOUSE IS, CAN WE NOT, CAN WE DO AN ORDINANCE WHICH WILL REQUIRE A POSITIVE FLOW OF STORM WATER TO THE STREET AND SHOW A, MAKE 'EM SHOW A PLAN FOR EACH OF THESE PROPERTIES? BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, I MEAN, THE ONLY THING THEY HAVE TO DO IS WORRY ABOUT 10 FEET FROM THE HOUSE.
SHORT ANSWER, YES, YOU CAN WRITE AT AN ORDINANCE ON ANYTHING YOU PRETTY MUCH WANT ABOUT STORM WATER DOWN TO THE COLOR OF THE FRENCH DRAIN.
HOWEVER, WE ALSO HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT STORM WATER CONTROLS ARE EXPENSIVE.
THEY ADD ON ANOTHER LAYER OF ENGINEERING MOST OF THE TIME.
WELL, I MEAN, IT'S HIS, IT'S PROPER DRAINAGE.
IT'S PROPER GRADING OF THE MAN, THE, THE, THE LOT.
SO MOST OF THE TIME IN MANY AREAS.
AND HERE, THE OVERALL SUBDIVISION TODAY, NOT IN THE PAST, BUT NOW IS REQUIRED TO BE ENGINEERED, HAVE THE, THE SUBDIVISION WIDE STORM WATER CONTROLS THAT GOES, IF IT'S OVER AN ACRE, IT'S GO INTO THE STATE TO BE APPROVED AND YOU MOVE ON.
IF YOU LOOK AT OUR NEIGHBORS DOWN ON THE BOG BANKS, THEY'VE TAKEN STORM WATER FURTHER LIKE YOU'RE SUGGESTING.
AND THEY REQUIRE, UH, THAT YOU, YOU SHOW IF YOU'RE ADDING FILL OR CHANGING THE GRADE ON A LOT THAT YOU HAVE THAT ENGINEERED AND ALSO THAT YOU MAINTAIN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF WATER, IT'S USUALLY ONE AND A HALF TO THREE INCHES ON SITE.
UM, AND YOU, YOU WILL, THAT THAT HELPS YOU OUT IN LIKE YOUR REGULAR STORM OR MAYBE SOMEWHAT IF YOU HAVE ONE HEAVY RAIN, IT'S NOT GONNA ACCOMMODATE YOU AND SOLVE ALL THE WORLD'S PROBLEMS IN THIS AREA OF THE COUNTRY, UH, IN, IN A FLORENCE OBVIOUSLY.
BUT IT CAN HELP TO, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YES, WE CAN ADD MORE ROBUST LANGUAGE AND REQUIREMENTS IN ON INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES.
I WOULD SAY ON NEW HOMES IT WOULD BE VERY HARD TO ACCOMMODATE THAT, YOU KNOW, IN OUR EXISTING AREAS.
UM, I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO DO A LITTLE MORE, UH, PAY MORE ATTENTION TO, TO WHAT WE'RE ALLOWING TO BE DEVELOPED AND REDEVELOPED IN OUR FLOODPLAIN AREAS.
UM, IT'S REALLY A CHALLENGE IN AN AREA WHERE WE KNOW WE HAVE SO MUCH FLOODPLAIN AND THERE'S SO MUCH HISTORY IN AREAS BALANCING,
[01:45:01]
MAINTAINING THAT AND REDEVELOPING IN A SUSTAINABLE AND ETHICAL WAY.IT'S VERY HARD TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR PEOPLE IN, IN A FLOOD PLAIN.
YOU'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE JUST TOO MUCH INSURANCE IF YOU HAVE A, A, A MORTGAGE.
AND THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT COMPREHENSIVELY, NOT JUST IN A PLAN, BUT IN, IN OUR ORDINANCES, IN OUR, IN OUR LAWS THAT, THAT WE CAN ENFORCE.
UM, THE ORDINANCE IS VERY DISJOINTED.
THERE ARE, I'LL TAKE THE SIGN ORDINANCE FOR EXAMPLE.
IF YOU WANNA FIND THE ANSWER TO A QUESTION ON TEMPORARY SIGNAGE.
THERE'S TWO SEPARATE SECTIONS THAT ADDRESS BANNERS, FOR INSTANCE.
AND THEY BOTH SAY DIFFERENT THINGS ABOUT HOW TO HANDLE A BANNER.
WE JUST LOOKED, LOOKED THAT UP THE OTHER DAY.
IT'S THE SAME WAY ON SETBACKS.
AND IT'S THE SAME WAY IN OVERLAY DISTRICTS AND THE WAY THE DEFINITIONS ARE ARRANGED, WHERE SOME SECTIONS OF THE ORDINANCE HAVE THEIR OWN DEFINITIONS.
AND, AND THEN THERE'S A SEPARATE COMPREHENSIVE SECTION ON DEFINITIONS, AND THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS.
THESE ARE REALLY INVITING LEGAL PROBLEMS WHEN YOU USE OUR ORDINANCE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, BE PROACTIVE ABOUT FIXING SOME OF THOSE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE.
AND I THINK WE'RE AT A GOOD TIME WITH ALL OF THIS PLANNING AND THE DESIRE TO SEE SOME OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS THAT I'M HEARING FROM YOU TO, TO START WORKING WITH A CODE WRITER WHO IS AN EXPERT IN MAKING SURE ALL THE PARTS OF THE ORDINANCES WORK TOGETHER, UM, AND MOVING US FORWARD IN THAT REGARD.
SO, AND AUTUMN ALDERMAN, I'VE HAD QUITE A FEW CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY ON THIS.
UH, BOTH, BOTH ATTORNEYS AGREE THAT IT'S LONG OVERDUE THAT WE REALLY REEVALUATE ALL OF THOSE ORDINANCES AND, AND COME UP WITH A BETTER PLAN FOR THAT.
WHAT'S IT GONNA COST? WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANY PRICES YET, BUT IT'S NOT GONNA BE CHEAP.
UM, IT, IT'S GONNA BE A, A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT AND IT'S PROBABLY GONNA TAKE A YEAR OR MORE TO, TO ACTUALLY COMPLETE.
SO IF WE DO THIS, I, I ANTICIPATE PHASING THIS IN HITTING, UH, CERTAIN THINGS AT A CERTAIN TIME AND THE BOARD WILL CONTINUE TO BE, UH, GETTING, GETTING, UH, ORDINANCE UPDATES.
BUT WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO ADDRESS IT.
UH, SO I HAVE A, I HAVE A REALLY DUMB QUESTION.
UHHUH
WHY IS IT THAT WE HAVE TO CREATE ALL THIS FROM SCRATCH? WHY CAN'T WE JUST GO TO A CITY THAT HAS GOOD ORDINANCES AND COPY AND PASTE? I WOULD ABSOLUTELY SUGGEST THAT THAT'S WHERE THEY KIND OF START THIS PROCESS.
THE INTERESTING FACET HERE IS THAT THERE'S SO MANY OVERLAY DISTRICTS AND SO MANY, UM, DIFFERENT LAYERS OF PLANNING IN THE CITY OF NEW BERN BECAUSE WE ARE IN A CAMA AREA, WE ARE IN A FLOOD AREA, WE ARE IN A HISTORIC AREA.
WE ARE IN A GROWING AREA THAT ONCE YOU KIND OF TAKE THOSE BASE LAYER LAWS, THEN THEY START GETTING CUSTOMIZED.
AND THE REALLY FUN PART ABOUT THIS IS THERE'S NO WAY TO LOOK AT ALL THESE ORDINANCES AND NOT TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT THAT ZONING MAP AS WELL IN WHAT'S ALLOWED WHERE IN THE DESCRIPTIONS OF ALL THOSE DISTRICTS AND WHAT IS AND IS NOT ALLOWED.
AND TO YOUR POINT, HOW THINGS ARE BEING CONSTRUCTED THERE WHEN THEY'RE NEW.
AND THIS PROCESS WOULD PROBABLY NATURALLY, YOU KNOW, ORGANICALLY TO USE THAT WORD, UM, FORCE US TO LOOK AT THAT E T J AS WELL DURING THIS PROCESS.
THE GOOD THING IS, WHICH I DIDN'T THINK YOUR QUESTION WAS DONE, IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
WHEN THE STATE MERGED ALL THE, THE ZONING LAW, THE BIG BENEFIT TO DOING THAT WAS THAT PLANNING PROFESSIONALS AND CONTRACTORS AND LAND LAND USE DESIGNERS ALL STARTED USING THE SAME LANGUAGE.
THEY PROVIDED A TON OF DEFINITIONS.
THE DEFINITIONS ARE A HUGE AND IMPORTANT PART OF ANY ORDINANCE BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE YOU WIN AND LOSE LAWSUITS ON LAND USE.
WHAT DOES IS THIS MEETING, THIS DEFINITION HERE.
AND SO JUST BY STARTING WITH USING ALL OF THE DEFINITIONS THAT THE STATE NOW PROVIDES FOR US SAYING, HERE'S THE DEFINITION, EVERYWHERE IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, WE'RE ALL GONNA CALL THIS A STRUCTURE.
WE'RE ALL GONNA CALL THIS A BUILDING.
THAT IS A REALLY GOOD STARTING POINT THERE.
AND THEN, THEN COMES THE FUN PART OF WHERE YOU START CUSTOMIZING US TO US HERE.
SO YOU SAID IT WAS NOT GONNA BE CHEAP FOSTER, IS THAT, UM, WHAT, WHAT'S THE RELATIVE RANGE? ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS? ARE WE TALKING ABOUT MILLIONS AND AT WHAT MY BEST GUESS IF WE WERE TO UPDATE,
[01:50:01]
AND THIS IS A, IF WE WERE TO TAKE OUR WHOLE, WHAT WE CALL APPENDIX A, THE LAND USE ORDINANCE, WHICH IS EVERY CODE THAT WE HAVE THAT DEALS WITH LAND USE, I THINK YOU'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT $250,000 IN TWO YEARS.I WOULD ADVOCATE FOR IF WE WERE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH SOME ORDINANCE UPDATES, NOT TO LEAVE ANYTHING BEHIND.
BECAUSE REMEMBER, THESE ALL SHOULD BE WORKING TOGETHER.
IF THIS IS REFERENCED HERE, IT SHOULD POINT YOU OVER HERE SO YOU'RE NOT MISSING ANYTHING.
I, UH, AN INVESTMENT IN THIS, I THINK IS AN INVESTMENT IN GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE BECAUSE IT'S JUST GOING TO BE SO MUCH EASIER TO NAVIGATE.
THAT'S HOW THEY'RE DESIGNS NOW.
AND THAT'S WHY SOME PEOPLE MAKE SO MUCH MONEY WRITING THESE, UM, THAT WE START LOOKING AT THE ZONING MAP AND WE START BY LOOKING AT WHAT IN, IN MANY PLACES WOULD BE REFERRED TO AS THE ZONING ORDINANCE, WHICH IS AN ARTICLE IN APPENDIX A.
BUT THAT IS ABSOLUTELY WHERE I WOULD START.
OKAY, MACKENZIE? IT'S JUST LIKE IN A SUBDIVISION THAT HOSES UH, SO CLOSE TOGETHER THAT I'VE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD, UH, A PERSON COME BEFORE US TALKING ABOUT THE DRAINAGE AND, AND I, I THINK WHAT YOU WERE SAYING AND WHAT, UH, UH, UH, UH, ALMAN ASKED HER, JUST BROUGHT ABOUT THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO DO QUICKLY TO AVOID THAT SORT OF PROBLEM.
WE REALLY DON'T HAVE A, A STANDALONE SUBDIVISION DESIGN SECTION IN OUR ORDINANCE RIGHT NOW.
AND WOULD, WOULD PROBABLY BENEFIT FROM ONE WITH HOW MANY ARE ARE COMING IN HERE.
WE WOULD BENEFIT FROM IT GREATLY IF WE HAD ONE IN PLACE.
WELL THE, THE PROBLEM IS YOU GET A GREAT CONTRACTOR, YOU DON'T HAVE THESE PROBLEMS. IF YOU GET A FLY BY NIGHT CONTRACTOR, THAT'S WHERE YOU HAVE ALL THE PROBLEMS. MM-HMM.
CAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO GET BY WITH DOING IT AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE AND WE DON'T HAVE THE ORDINANCES TO HOLD 'EM ACCOUNTABLE.
THE ONLY THING WE'VE GOT IS THE BUILDING CODE.
AND THEY'RE ALL MEETING THE BUILDING CODE.
THEY JUST STOPPED DOING AN OUNCE OVER THE BUILDING CODE.
AND I, I'M GETTING THESE COMPLAINTS AND, AND FOSTER KNOW CAUSE I'VE BEEN PASSING THEM ON.
I'VE BEEN GETTING THESE COMPLAINTS ALL THE TIME AND YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST TO RETENTION PONDS THAT ARE CAVING IN AND THE GRASS IS RUNNING UP HEAD HIGH AROUND THEM TO HOLES IN THE BACKYARD AND IT'S LIKE A, A SWIMMING POOL WHEN IT RAINS.
I, I THINK, I THINK Y'ALL WERE, I THINK THEY SHOWED THE PICTURE IN HERE THE OTHER DAY OF A, A BIG TURTLE SWIMMING ACROSS THE LADY'S PATIO.
SO, SO THE OTHER THING THAT'S IMPORTANT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS IS THE BALANCE.
CAUSE YOU CAN OVER-REGULATE AND DRIVE DEVELOPERS OUT.
THAT'S WHY I HAPPENED TO HAVELOCK DECADES AGO.
THAT'S THE REASON PEOPLE DON'T BUILD AND HAVELOCK ANYMORE.
SO YOU, YOU HAVE TO HOMEOWNERS AND, AND PROPERTY OWNERS HAVE TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF RESPONSIBILITY NOT TO BUY SOMETHING THAT THE PRECEDENT HAS BEEN SET, THAT IT'S NOT A GOOD INVESTMENT FOR THEM.
BUT YOU KNOW, I'M SURE THERE'S PROBABLY OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO STRENGTHEN WHAT WE'VE GOT FOR SURE.
SO ARE WE IN FAVOR IN, UM, FOSTER LOOKING INTO WHAT IT COST THE HIGHER CONSULTANT TO REDO THESE CODES AND ORDINANCES? I AM AM.
SO WE'LL INCLUDE THIS AS PART OF THAT BUDGET PROCESS WITH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
GOOD NEWS IS I LOVE FIXING THINGS.
YOU'D LIKE DO A BREAK? SURE, SURE.
YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION? SECOND.
I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND TAKE A HOW LONG? 10.
OPPOSED? ALRIGHT, WE ARE IN RECESS.
BOARD, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET BACK STARTED.
WE'RE NOW ON ITEM, I BELIEVE WE WRAPPED UP WITH
[4. Financial Update ]
3D SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR, FINANCIAL UPDATE.SO KIM'S GOT A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION TO TALK ABOUT.
SO KIM, SO UM, I'M JUST GONNA GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE'RE AT WITH OUR REVENUES AND EXPENSES.
SO, UM, LOOKING AT THIS CHART, IT BASICALLY SHOWS YOU, UM, BASED ON THE FUND, GENERAL FUND WA FUNDS SOONER ELECTRIC AND CONSOLIDATION SIDE, SO OUR GENERAL FUNDING, UTILITIES AND UM, HOW MUCH IS WE'VE RECEIVED AN ACTUAL AND HOW MUCH IS, IS REMAINING.
[01:55:01]
YOU, IT'S A, UM, RIGHT NOW WHERE WE'RE AT IN THE YEAR WE'RE FEBRUARY, IT'S 67% IN THE YEAR.BUT YOU NEED TO CONSIDER, UH, THAT A LOT OF OUR REVENUES WE RECEIVE, UM, TWO MONTHS, UM, BEHIND, THREE MONTHS BEHIND, YOU KNOW, SO YOU WON'T QUITE SEE US AT THAT 67%.
WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW IS EXACTLY WHERE WE SHOULD BE.
UM, WE HAVE, SO THE UTILITY BILLS FOR EXAMPLE, THEY RUN BEHIND A COUPLE MONTHS.
YOU'RE GONNA SEE ABOUT 50 TO 60% IS WHERE THAT REVENUE SHOULD SIT.
THE POWER BILL, WE RECEIVE THAT, UM, AT A HUNDRED PERCENT.
SO THAT OFFSETS, UM, SOME THE ALCOHOL BEVERAGE TAX, WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED IT.
WE WON'T RECEIVE IT UNTIL MAY.
SO THERE'S JUST SO, SO MANY THINGS THAT, UM, THAT CAUSE US TO LOOK A LITTLE, UM, SKEWED.
UH, WE RAN, WE RAN THE NUMBERS AND DID SOME PROJECTIONS AND BASICALLY OVERALL WE'RE SITTING RIGHT WHERE WE EXPECT TO SIT.
UM, EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE LINING UP.
SO THERE WERE NO REAL BIG CONCERNS.
KIM, WHAT, WHAT PERCENTAGE, I'M SORRY, WHAT, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE 50 SOME ODD MILLION IN THE GENERAL FUND IS AD VALOR? OH, UM, I CAN PULL THAT AND, AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS CAUSE I THOUGHT THAT THERE WOULD, I WAS EXPECTING US TO BE FURTHER ALONG WITH THAT CONSIDERING THE TAX BILLS WERE DUE.
UM, WELL WE HAVE THE, UM, YEAH, WE RECEIVED OUR, OUR MOST OF THE TAXES FOR SURE, BUT THERE'S A LOT MORE THAN JUST THE, THE
SO WE HAVE, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR LOCAL SALES TAX THAT RUNS AT LEAST TWO MONTHS BEHIND.
WE HAVE ONLY RECEIVED, UM, TWO PAYMENTS.
YEAH, WE'VE ONLY RECEIVED TWO QUARTERS OF THE UTILITY IN THE OTHER MISCELLANEOUS TAXES.
WE HAVE TO, WE GET IT LATER AND THEN WE HAVE TO POST IT BACK TO THE FISCAL YEAR THAT IT'S, IT'S FOUR AND THEN THE SEWER, YOU'LL SEE THAT THAT'S ONE OF THE OUTLIERS.
UM, AND THAT'S MOSTLY DUE TO THE FUND BALANCE TRANSFER, UM, THAT WE HAVE FOR TOWNSHIP SEVEN.
UH, WE'VE ALLOCATED, YOU KNOW, THE 4 MILLION, I THINK IT WAS $4 MILLION FOR, UM, TOWNSHIP SEWER, TOWNSHIP SEVEN SEWER PROJECT.
AND WE'RE NOT ACTUALLY MAKING THAT TRANSFER UNTIL, UH, WE SEE WHERE WE GO.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO SEND THAT OVER A HUNDRED PERCENT OF IT.
WHEN WE HAVE THAT INTENT TO REIMBURSE, WE'RE NOT QUITE SPENDING THAT JUST YET.
THAT WILL REALLY, UM, OFFSET OUR CASH FLOW FOR SEWER.
SO THAT ONE IS A LITTLE BIT LOWER.
THAT LOOKS AT LIKE, IT'S UH, MORE OF A 40% I BELIEVE IF I LOOK YES.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, IF YOU WERE TO EXCLUDE THAT, WE WERE SITTING RIGHT WHERE WE EXPECTED ON THE SEWER AS WELL.
AND AGAIN, WE REVIEWED IT, WE DID A ROUGH ESTIMATE, WE PROJECTED TO SEE WHERE WE WOULD BE AT WITH OUR FINAL BUDGETS COMPARED TO WHAT WE BUDGETED, UM, WHAT OUR REVISED BUDGET SAYS RIGHT NOW.
AND WE DID NOT SEE ANYTHING THAT WAS ANY, UM, ANYTHING THAT WOULD BE ALARMING.
ARE YOU GOOD WITH MOVING ON TO EXPENSE? OKAY, SURE.
SO THE EXPENSES, UM, SAME THING.
WE DID THE FINAL BUDGET ALLOCATION, UM, PROJECTIONS AND THERE WEREN'T ANY BIG SURPRISES.
THERE ARE A FEW ADJUSTMENTS THAT WILL BE MADE THAT ARE IN OUR DEPARTMENTAL OR WITHIN THE RESPECTIVE FUND.
UM, AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR, THE AVERAGE WOULD BE PROBABLY ABOUT 55 TO 65%.
UM, AGAIN, FEBRUARY PUTS A 67%, BUT THERE'S ALL OF THE FEBRUARY INVOICES AREN'T GOING TO BE PAID AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
UM, AND EVEN SOME OF JANUARY WE DO HAVE SEVERAL THINGS THAT WE LOOKED INTO THAT, SOME BIGGER NUMBERS AND IT'S, UM, THAT ARE A BACK ORDER THAT LEAVES US, UM, WHERE THAT 55% MADE SENSE.
THE, UH, SEWER AGAIN IS UM, REFLECTED IN HERE AS WELL CUZ OF THE TOWNSHIP.
SO THIS IS, UM, THE PROJECTS BY DEPARTMENT.
WE TOOK ALL THE PROJECTS, CATEGORIZED 'EM BY DEPARTMENT SO THAT YOU COULD SEE, UH, WHERE THEY'RE, WHERE THEY'RE SITTING.
WE HAVE QUITE A FEW THAT HAVE BEEN SPENT.
[02:00:01]
34.8 MILLION TOTAL BUDGET FOR ALL PROJECTS AND IT'S FOR THE LIFE OF THE PROJECT.WE'VE SPENT ABOUT 17.4 MILLION.
THERE'S ABOUT 12 MILLION ENCUMBERED AND OUR BALANCE REMAINING IN, IN THE PROJECT FUNDS IS ABOUT 5 MILLION.
THE GRANTS WE DID THE SAME THING, WENT AHEAD AND, UM, PROVIDED YOU, THIS IS MORE OF A EXPENSE TO DATE DOES NOT INCLUDE THE ENCUMBRANCES AT THIS POINT, BUT ENCUMBRANCES WAS ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS SPREAD OUT THROUGHOUT SOME OF THESE GRANTS.
UM, WE HAVE 44 ACTIVE GRANTS THAT'S REPORTING HERE.
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES HAS, UH, PROBABLY ABOUT 7.3 MILLION OF THAT, ALMOST 10 OR JUST OVER 10 MINUTES LISTED AND PUBLIC BALANCES AT PROBABLY ABOUT 3.6 MILLION.
WHAT, WHAT ARE THOSE LARGE REMAINING BALANCES FOR FINANCE AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES? SO THE FINANCE ONE IS OUR FUNDS.
UH, THEY HAVE RECEIVED, RECENTLY RECEIVED THE TWO AND A HALF DEPUTY FIELD STORMWATER PROJECT, 2.5 MILLION.
I DON'T REALLY HAVE THAT BREAKDOWN.
WE HAVE EIGHT GRANTS THAT HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED FOR REVIEW THAT ARE IN THE HOPPER, UM, THAT WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED RESPONSE BACK ON YET.
AND WHERE WOULD, ARE WE TREATING THE FEMA FUNDING FROM? STANLEY WHITE AS A GRANT? NO, THAT'S IN THE, UH, THAT'S NOT ON HERE.
UM, THE NEXT SLIDE GIVES YOU A BREAKDOWN OF THE GREAT AWARDS BY PURPOSE.
SO WE CATEGORIZE THOSE, UM, INTO THE SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE, RESILIENCY, PUBLIC SAFETY, M P O, MISCELLANEOUS GRANTS, THOSE WERE PROBABLY A HANDFUL OF GRANTS THAT ALL FELL UNDER 150,000.
THEN THE HAZARD MITIGATION, DUFFY FIELD STORMWATER IMPROVEMENTS IN NOW GRANTS, THE CDBG AND THEN THE ARPA FUNDS.
UH, THE ONE MIL, 1.3 MILLION FOR CDBG IS YES.
THAT'S, UH, ACCUMULATION OF YEARS OF GRANTS.
YEAH, ALDERMAN BEST, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A CHALLENGE WITH SPENDING THOSE FUNDS.
SOMETHING THAT I'M SURE THAT DEPARTMENT'S GONNA BE LOOKING INTO TO IMPROVE.
CAUSE I'M PERSONALLY TIRED OF GETTING LETTERS FROM THE FOLKS SAYING WE HAVE MONEY THAT WE HAVEN'T SPENT.
SO YOU'LL ACTUALLY, UM, SEE SOME CHANGES ON THAT WHEN, WHEN THE, WHEN THE NEXT PLAN IS BROUGHT TO THE BOARD FOR APPROVAL.
THE NEXT SET OF, UM, SLIDES, WE'RE GOING INTO SOME DEBT OVERVIEW.
UM, COMING UP WE HAVE A COUPLE THINGS, UM, THAT SOME KEY FINANCIAL MEASURES ARE IS THE DEBT COVERAGE RATIO.
AND THAT'S A, UM, IT BASICALLY SHOWS THE CITY'S ABILITY TO PAY FOR ITS LONG-TERM DEBTS.
CURRENT BOND COVENANTS REQUIRE A DEBT COVERAGE RATIO OF 120% AND THE CITY MEETS THAT REQUIREMENT WITH OURS AT 165%.
IS THAT INCLUDING YOUR ENTERPRISE FUNDS? YES.
SO ALSO PER THE BOND COVER COVENANTS, THE PRINCIPLE AMOUNT OF INSTALLMENT DEBT CANNOT EXCEED 15% OF NET INVESTMENT IN CAPITAL ASSETS.
OUR, THE CITY MET REQUIREMENT WITH A 5.62%.
UM, WE HAVE, IT DID RUN A CALCULATION AND WE WOULD HAVE ABOUT 27.4 MILLION.
UM, AS OF TODAY, THAT WOULD BE, UM, SOME, SOME ROOM FOR BORROWING UP TO THE MAX, I SHOULD SAY, OF 27.4.
BUT THAT NUMBER WILL CHANGE AS OUR NOT ASSETS CHANGE.
SO THAT, THAT'S JUST KIND OF LIKE A, A NUMBER AS OF TODAY, OUR LEGAL DEBT MARGIN IS, UM, 8% AND IT'S A VERY LARGE BORROWING, UM, CAPACITY THAT IT'S JUST UNREALISTIC AT 240 BILLION, 149 MILLION
[02:05:01]
THROUGH HUNDRED THOUSAND.SO WE HAVE, UM, THIS IS THE, YOU'VE SEEN THIS CHART BEFORE.
THIS IS OUR TOTAL DEBT SERVICE OVER TIME, UM, REPORTING RECORDING FOR THIS YEAR FORWARD.
WE HAVE, UM, ABOUT 3.7 MILLION COMING OFF FROM THIS YEAR TO NEXT YEAR.
THIS IS A BREAKDOWN OF THAT BY FUND THE SEWER, WHICH IS IN THE ORANGE IS COMING TO AN END.
UM, A ELECTRIC IS COMING, IS DWINDLING DOWN AND WILL BE PAID OFF IN 2026 MSD.
AND THAT BALANCE IS $566,657 AND THAT'LL BE PAID OFF IN 2020 7, 28 EIGHTH.
DOES THIS INCLUDE NEW FUNDS SUCH AS THE ELEVATOR? MM-HMM.
SO THE DEBT THAT'S COMING OFF THIS FISCAL YEAR, WE HAVE 1.3 MILLION IN THE LAS, OR ALMOST 3 MILLION IN WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
THE AQUATIC CENTER SWIMMING POOL, UM, DOWNTOWN STREET SKI, THAT ONE IS 4 9 30 $2,125.
AND THEN THE A M I ELECTRIC AND WATER SEWER IMPROVEMENTS IS 1.9 MILLION.
WE HAVE A TOTAL OF JUST UNDER 3.7 MILLION THAT IS COMING OFF.
UM, LAST PAYMENT IS JUNE 1ST, AND THEN WE'RE, UM, TALKING ABOUT AS THAT'S COMING OFF OUR BORROWING NEEDS, OUR FUTURE BORROWING NEEDS.
THIS YEAR WE HAVE SOME VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT AND THE, THAT'S ABOUT 4.2 MILLION.
THAT INCLUDES, UM, SOME THAT WERE ROLLED OVER FROM LAST YEAR DUE TO BACK ORDERS.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE THE TOWNSHIP SEVEN SEWER PROJECT.
LIKE I UH, MENTIONED EARLIER, THERE IS A, AN ATTEMPT TO REIMBURSE THAT WE DID.
WE DON'T EXPECT TO SEE, UM, THE NEED TO GO UPWARD BORROWING UNTIL A LITTLE BIT LATER GOING INTO FISCAL YEAR 23, 24.
THEN WE HAVE THE STANLEY WHITE RECREATION CENTER.
WE HAVE $8 MILLION, UH, FOR FEMA AND INSURANCE.
AND THEN THE REST OF THAT WOULD NEED TO BE, UH, WE WOULD NEED TO DO BORROWING FOR, WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE ELECTRIC SUBSTATION, WHICH WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, WITH IT WAS STARTED OFF ESTIMATED AT A FIVE TO $10 MILLION PROJECT.
IT'S NOW LOOKING AT 20 PLUS MILLION.
UM, THERE WAS A GRANT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE SUBSTATION.
THE ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT SUBMITTED A CONCEPT PAPER, WHICH IS REQUIRED IN ORDER TO APPLY FOR THE GRANT.
THE CONCEPT PAPER WAS ACCEPTED IN HIS IN, UM, CHARLIE IS NOW, UH, HAS PERMISSION TO APPLY FOR THE GRANT.
SO HE'S WORKING ON THAT GRANT APPLICATION.
IT'S DUE MID-APRIL AND HE IS REQUESTING FUNDING FOR ABOUT APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 22 MILLION ON THAT APP.
AND THEN VEHICLES IN EQUIPMENT FOR FY 2324.
WE'RE JUST STARTING THAT BUDGET, LOOKING AT THAT THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS.
SO I DON'T QUITE HAVE A NUMBER, UM, OF WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF ASKS IN THAT.
AND THEN GOING INTO FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD, UM, CONVERSATION WITH JORDAN HUGHES.
HE SAID THAT, UH, THE WEISS WATER TREATMENT PLANT, UM, IS ABOUT A 25 MILLION TO 30 MILLION PROJECT.
AND HE FELT THAT THAT WOULD, THE NEEDS WOULD, UM, BE IN ABOUT IN FISCAL YEAR 28.
I KNOW THAT, UM, EVERYTHING THESE DAYS SEEM TO BE DELAYED, BUT AUBURN ASTRA, YOU WERE TELLING ME LAST WEEK THAT FIRE TRUCKS ARE THREE YEARS OUT, FOUR YEARS OUT, 2.5 MILLION IS WHAT A LADDER TRUCK COST NOW FOUR YEARS OUT.
SO I DON'T KNOW PROCEDURALLY WHAT WE WOULD NEED TO DO, BUT I WOULD THINK WE WOULD WANT TO HAVE THAT ON THE RADAR THAT WE WOULDN'T START MAKING PAYMENTS OBVIOUSLY TILL WE GET IT, WHICH WOULD BE FOUR YEARS DOWN THE ROAD.
BUT WANNA MAKE SURE WE KEEP OUR CONSIDERATION.
CAUSE WE'VE GOT ONE TRUCK THAT'S BEEN IN THE SHOT.
IT STAYS EVERY TIME I GO THROUGH JAMES
[02:10:01]
CITY.IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S ALWAYS OVER THERE AT THE REPAIR SHOP.
THE LAST TWO YEARS, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH, WITH WHETHER IT'S POLICE VEHICLES, DUMP TRUCKS OR WHATNOT.
AND THEN, YEAH, I'VE HEARD THE HORROR STORIES ON THE FIRE TRUCKS AND IT'S NO END IN SIGHT REALLY FOR THAT FLEET.
SOME OF THE FLEETS GETTING OLD AND IT'S THE ONE THAT RECEIVED THE FLOODING DURING THE HURRICANE HAS GIVEN US A MAJOR PROBLEM.
FOSTER LOOKING AT THE FUTURE, UM, BORROWING NEEDS OF THOSE ITEMS THAT WERE ON THE LIST, THE PREVIOUS, UM, OH EXHIBIT, UH, LOOKING AT LIKE THE TOWNSHIP SEVEN SEWER PROJECT, UM, THE ELECTRIC SUBSTATION, UH, THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
CAN WE REASONABLY EXPECT THAT WE WOULD BE RECEIVING GRANT FUNDS TO HELP OFFSET SOME OF THOSE COSTS? I BELIEVE WE WILL BE RECEIVING GRANT FUNDS FOR THE MAJORITY OF THOSE.
THE QUESTION'S GONNA BE HOW MUCH WE RECEIVE, RIGHT? UH, FOR EXAMPLE, AS, AS KIM WAS SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A GOOD SHOT AT APPLYING FOR SOME GRANTS, UH, FOR THE ELECTRIC SUBSTATION, WHICH WOULD COVER A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF THAT.
UH, CAUSE A LOT OF FUNDING IS OPENING UP, UH, FOR ENERGY RELATED PROJECTS.
THAT, AND THAT'S THE, THE HOPE.
AND IF WE DON'T GET THAT, THEN WE'VE GOTTA LOOK AT POSSIBLY PUSHING THOSE PROJECTS BACK A LITTLE BIT MORE.
CAUSE WE'VE GOTTA BE REALISTIC.
THERE IS A DEBT CEILING THAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH AND IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH TO ADD THOSE NUMBERS UP.
AND YOU SEE, WE, WE, WE, WE CAN EXCEED THAT PRETTY QUICKLY.
I THINK IT WAS A MISSED OPPORTUNITY.
SOME OF US HAD A MEETING, I DON'T REMEMBER WHO WAS THERE WHEN WE WENT TO JORDAN'S OFFICE.
BOBBY, I THINK YOU WERE THERE.
WE MET WITH SOME NEIGHBORING TOWNSHIPS AND MUNICIPALITIES BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF FUNDING THAT'S AVAILABLE TO REGIONALIZE, UM, SOME OF THIS WATER AND SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND UH, I THOUGHT IT WAS A PRODUCTIVE MEETING.
UM, MAYBE I'M NOT A GOOD POKER PLAYER.
I DIDN'T READ EVERYBODY VERY WELL, BUT IT ENDED UP GOING NOWHERE.
CAUSE THOSE OTHER TOWNS AND MUNICIPALITIES THAT ARE NEARBY DID NOT WANT TO PARTICIPATE.
WE WOULD'VE ESSENTIALLY, I'LL TRY TO MAKE IT SIMPLE.
WE WOULD'VE CREATED A, LIKE A BOARD, UM, A UTILITIES BOARD THAT THOSE DIFFERENT, UM, AND I'LL JUST SAY TRENTON FOR EXAMPLE, TRENTON WOULD'VE HAD A REPRESENTATIVE ON THAT BOARD TO SPEAK FOR THEM.
AND WE COULD HAVE REGIONALIZED AND, AND GOT MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FUNDING.
BUT, UM, UNFORTUNATELY, UM, I DON'T THINK POLITICS WOULD'VE ALLOWED THAT TO HAPPEN BASED OFF OF THE PARTICIPATION FROM THOSE OTHER CITIES.
SO IT WAS A BIG MISSED OPPORTUNITY FOR THE REGION.
IT SOUNDED GOOD UNTIL EVERYONE WALKED OUT THE DOOR.
SO, UH, AS WE'VE MENTIONED A COUPLE TIMES NOW, WE'RE IN THE BUDGET PROCESS.
UM, JUST AS, AS A RECAP OF WHERE WE'VE BEEN, UH, IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY AS WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THE, UM, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT REQUESTS, THE BUILDING MAINTENANCE REQUESTS, UM, ANY SUBMISSIONS OF, UH, POSITION CHANGES WERE SUBMITTED TO ER, TO HR, THE, UH, FEE SCHEDULED CHANGE REQUEST.
WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON THE BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS AND UH, CREATING AND DESIGNING THOSE PAGES.
THAT'S A SNAPSHOT SHOT TO YOUR RIGHT.
UM, AND THEN THE BUDGETS ARE BEING ENTERED INTO MUNIS TO THE SOFTWARE SYSTEM IN MARCH AND JUNE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, MARCH THROUGH JUNE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, THE DEPARTMENT, UM, DEPARTMENTS WILL MEET WITH THE BUDGET COMMITTEE.
WE'LL WORK ON BALANCING THAT BUDGET.
UM, CITY MANAGER WILL BRING THE, DO AN OVERVIEW OF PRESENTATION OF THE BUDGET IN APRIL.
AND THEN IN MAY THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN BUDGET WORKSHOPS WILL START.
AND THEN OF COURSE THE BOARD MEETING ON MAY 9TH.
AND, UM, HOPEFULLY JUNE 13TH, WE'LL HAVE A ADOPTIVE BUDGET.
WE MUST ADOPT THE BUDGET BY JUNE 30TH.
AND IF THERE'S ANY INFORMATION THAT YOU WOULD LIKE ALONG THE WAY THAT'S NOT WITHIN THE CALENDAR HERE, JUST SHOOT ME AN EMAIL AND I CAN GET THAT INFORMATION TO YOU.
[02:15:01]
WHAT YOU WANT IN, IN, IN ADVANCE.SORRY, ON THURSDAY IN ADVANCE BEFORE THE BOARD MEETING, BUT I CAN GET YOU WHAT YOU MEAN.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, OR AT LEAST SOME INFORMATION THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE, IS WE ALL KNOW THAT THE BUDGET'S GOING TO BE A LOT TOUGHER THIS YEAR, MAINLY BECAUSE OF THE SALARY INCREASES.
WE KNOW WE'VE GOT TO COME UP WITH WAYS OF FUNDING THAT.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I KEEP HEARING A LOT ABOUT, FOR EXAMPLE, JORDAN WAS TELLING ME A WHILE BACK THAT THE CHEMICALS THAT HE'S USING HAVE LIKE QUADRUPLED IN PRICE MM-HMM.
SO I, I WOULD LIKE FOR EACH OF THE DEPARTMENTS TO PUT A FEW OF ITEMS TOGETHER SO WE WILL HAVE AN IDEA OF JUST WHAT THE INCREASES ARE.
FOR AN EXAMPLE, I, I DON'T KNOW, UM, MANAGE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WOULD TURN OUT GEAR.
YOU KNOW, LAST TWO COUPLE YEARS AGO WE WERE BUYING $1,200 A SET.
YOU KNOW, TRANSFORMERS, COUPLE YEARS AGO WE WERE A THOUSAND DOLLARS.
NOW THEY'RE, I DON'T KNOW, WHATEVER THEY ARE NOW, $10,000.
NOW I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE DAILY EXPENSES THAT THE, OUR DEPARTMENTS ARE HAVING TO SPEND MONEY, THE ITEMS THEY'RE HAVING TO SPEND MONEY ON AND HOW MUCH THE INCREASE IS IN THOSE ITEMS. SO WE CAN HAVE A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT, UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO FOR THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
I KNOW, UH, ALMAN ROYAL, UH, HAS ALSO SAID THAT SHE WOULD, SHE AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT AND SHE THOUGHT THAT SHE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT TYPE OF, UM, WORKSHEET AS WELL.
WELL, WE'LL NEVER KNOW UNTIL WE SEE 'EM.
AND, AND AS YOU, AS YOU ALL KNOW AND IF YOU HAVE YOUR OWN BUSINESS COST OF DOING BUSINESSES CONTINUING TO ESCALATE.
AND SO IT'S REALLY NO DIFFERENCE WITH THE CITY AND WE'RE HAVING TO ABSORB THOSE, THOSE COSTS.
AND UM, IN SOME CASES, MAYBE WE DIDN'T GET A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS DUMP TRUCK.
WE'VE HAD TO OPT FOR A 60,000, UH, DOLLAR USED DUMP TRUCK WHEN WE COULDN'T GET ONE.
SO WE'VE HAD TO, WE'VE HAD TO JUGGLE THINGS AROUND FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS DEALING WITH ALL THESE ISSUES.
IT'S PROBABLY NOT GONNA BE A A, A GOOD YEAR TO BUY A LOT OF TRUCKS AND CARS AND STUFF OTHER THAN THE ONES THAT WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO HAVE.
CAUSE THE PRICE SETTLE 'EM HAS GONE CRAZY OVER IN BRENTON.
JUST, UH, SINCE WE HADN'T HAD A REEVALUATION SINCE 2018, UH, YOU KNOW, AND, AND BEING NEW, WHERE IN THIS DISCUSSION DO, IN THIS BUDGET PROCESS, DO WE START DISCUSSING TAX RATES? UM, THIS IS GETTING READY TO COME UP.
SO THE REVENUE MUTUAL PROPERTY TAX RATE, WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO, UM, WHAT IS IT? IT'S, UM, INTENDED TO MAKE THE REAPPRAISAL AND THE RATE SETTING PROCESS MORE TRANSPARENT, BUT UM, IT CAN BE QUITE COMPLEX CONFUSING.
UM, THE PURPOSE OF IT IS TO, UM, ESTIMATE THE REVENUE FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR FOR THE REV TO THE REVENUE THAT YOU WOULD HAVE RECEIVED OR YOU KNOW, FOR THIS FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR ON THE CURRENT RATE IF THE REAPPRAISAL HADN'T OCCURRED.
UM, THE CALCULATION ALSO INCLUDES AN AVERAGE ANNUAL GROWTH RATE ON THE TAX BASE SINCE THE LAST APPRAISAL, WHICH OURS WAS IN 2016.
AND WHEN WE DID THE UH, CALCULATION, WHICH YOU'LL SEE, UM, OURS IS ESTIMATED AT APPROXIMATELY 3.1%.
AND AGAIN, THESE ARE ALL ESTIMATES BECAUSE WE DON'T REALLY HAVE THE HARD NUMBERS YET.
THE RATE IS REQUIRED TO BE CALCULATED AND PUBLISHED, BUT IT'S NOT REQUIRED TO BE ADOPTED.
THE REVENUE NEUTRAL CALCULATION SHOULD ONLY BE DONE IN THE YEAR OF THE EVALUATION.
THE REVENUE NEUTRAL TAX RATE REFERS TO THE AGGREGATE TAX BURDEN FOR THE CITY'S ENTIRE JURISDICTION, NOT JUST THE INDIVIDUAL TAXPAYER.
I THINK THERE'S SOME CONFUSION AROUND THAT AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO KNOW AND TO SHARE OUT AS WELL.
PROVIDED YOU A HISTORY OF OUR TAX RATES AND WHEN WE HAD AN INCREASE OR DECREASE DUE TO REEVALUATION OR WHEN THE BOARD HAD MADE THAT DECISION.
[02:20:01]
AND IN 2008 WE INCREASED TO, UM, OH, THE BOARD INCREASED FIF POINT 50 50 FROM 0.47.AND THEN IN 2011 IT DECREASED TO 0.41.
IN 2017 WE INCREASED TO 40.46 AND THAT THOSE TWO WERE DUE TO A NEW, UH, REEVALUATION.
AND THEN 2019, THERE'S ANOTHER INCREASE THAT THE BOARD MADE TO FOUR 8.4822 PRIOR TO 2008, UM, IT WAS IN 2000, 2002.
THE 2008 INCREASE I DID FIND WAS THREE AND A HALF CENTS.
UM, ACCORDING TO THE BOARD MEETING JUNE 12TH, THAT IT NOTED THAT THE LAST INCREASE WAS IN 1990.
UM, THE COUNTY PROJECTED THE TAX BASE FOR US AT, AND THIS IS AN ESTIMATE ONLY OF FOUR 4 MILLION, FOUR MILLION FOUR HUNDRED TWENTY TWO MILLION FIVE HUNDRED FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.
AND UM, SO OUR CURRENT, UM, BUT WITH THAT PROJECTED TAX BASE WITH OUR CURRENT TAX RATE WOULD BE THE 21,000,325.
SO KIM, THAT'S CURRENT INFORMATION FROM THE CROON COUNTY TAX YES.
THAT YOU'RE BASING THIS OFF OF? THEY GAVE US A LETTER, UM, IN JANUARY WITH JUST THE ESTIMATED AMOUNT.
IT WAS ABOUT A 24% INCREASE TO TAX BASED.
I, I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, LAST MEETING I HAD ANNOUNCED, THEY SAID IT WAS 36% AND HAVEN'T LISTENED TO THE MEETING LAST WEEK.
SO GONE JUST QUITE HASN'T RECEIVED.
SHE SAID JANUARY, BUT I JUST, I HAVEN'T RECEIVED IT.
I WANTED TO PUT THAT IN CONTEXT.
YEAH, I HAVENT, I LOOKED AND I'VE NOT RECEIVED ANYTHING MORE RECENT.
YEAH, IT'LL BE UP TOMORROW NIGHT.
YEAH, WE WERE HOPING TO RECEIVE THE INFORMATION WHEN I TALKED TO THE COUNTY MANAGER.
WE WERE HOPING TO RECEIVE IT THIS MORNING SO WE CAN GIVE YOU THE MOST UP TO DATE ACCURATE INFORMATION.
BUT, SO THE NEXT SLIDE SHOWS, UM, THE CALCULATION AND BASED ON THE INFORMATION OF COURSE THAT I HAVE TODAY, UM, IT SHOWS THAT, UH, IT CALCULATES THE AVERAGE GROWTH IN REVENUE SINCE THE LAST REEVALUATION IN 2006 2016, WHICH IS 3.1%.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT DOWN TOWARDS THE BOTTOM RIGHT OF THE CHART.
THE TAX RATE TO PRODUCE THE EQUIVALENT LEVEE TO LAST YEAR WOULD BE 0.3897%.
AND THEN THE REVENUE NEUTRAL TAX RATE ADJUSTED FOR GROWTH WOULD BE 4 0 1 8%.
SO THAT WOULD UM, RESULT IN AN INCREASE OF $533,859 FOR A TOTAL LEVY OF SEVEN TEN SEVEN SIX SEVEN.
KIM, YOU SAID IT WAS 3% GROWTH FACTOR NOW? YEAH, 3.1.
AND OF COURSE THIS WILL UPDATE WITH THE NEW NUMBERS AS WELL.
ARE THERE ANY
CAN YOU RERUN THIS BASED OFF OF THAT TOMORROW AFTER TOMORROW NIGHT WHEN THEY HAVE, ARE THEY ADOPTING THAT TOMORROW NIGHT, BOB, LET'S STOP.
DID THEY'VE ADOPTED IT? UH, IT'S HAPPENED ALREADY.
THEY ARE GONNA HAVE IT UPDATED TO THE GIS WEBSITE TOMORROW NIGHT AND ALL OF THE NOTICES WILL GO OUT MARCH 1ST.
[02:25:01]
SO BY THE END OF THE WEEK EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE IT IN THEIR BOX OKAY.FOR THEIR INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY.
AND THERE IS, SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT, THEY DID, UH, A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT PRESENTATION ON THEIR MEETING LAST WEEK AND THAT IS POSTED ON YOUTUBE.
THEY'VE ACTUALLY TAKEN HER PRESENTATION, THE TAX ASSESSOR'S PRESENTATION OUT OF IT SO YOU CAN FIND IT ON YOUTUBE.
AND THAT WAS WHERE SHE HAD STATED THAT THEY WERE COMPLETELY DONE AND THE COUNTY AVERAGE WAS 42%.
SO THAT MEANS THERE COULD BE MOST LIKELY SOME CITIZENS IN NEWBURN THAT ARE GETTING 50 OR 60% INCREASE.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO, TO MENTION THIS, AND KIM HAD A BULLET POINT IN ONE OF OUR PREVIOUS SLIDES THAT WE CAN SET THIS TAX RATE TO BE REVENUE NEUTRAL AT THE CITY LEVEL, BUT IT DOESN'T GET DOWN TO THE ACCURATE LEVEL OF THE ACTUAL TAXPAYER.
SO IF SOMEONE'S PROPERTY TAX WENT UP AND SOMEONE ELSE'S WENT DOWN, WE CAN SET THIS RATE AS CLOSE AS WE CAN TO REVENUE NEUTRAL AT THE CITY LEVEL, BUT THEY'RE STILL GONNA SEE SOME FLUCTUATION.
SO PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SEE EITHER A TAX INCREASE OR A TAX DECREASE MOST LIKELY BASED ON THEIR BILL.
THERE, THERE WAS A QUESTION OF HOW MANY PROPERTIES WENT DOWN
UM, SOME OF 'EM MAY HAVE STAYED THE SAME, BUT, UM, ANYWAY, THAT'S ALL I'LL SAY.
IS THAT ALL YOU HAD? THAT'S ALL I HAVE RIGHT NOW.
WE COULDN'T END ON A BETTER NOTE.
SO THIS WILL BE ADDRESSED AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS AND THE LEFT.
WE'LL HAVE A VERY GOOD CONVERSATION.
SO THE DIRECTION THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO GET, COULD YOU TAKE THAT LAST SLIDE AND ONCE YOU UPDATE THAT, SHARE THAT WITH THE BOARD.
THAT WAY WE CAN GO AHEAD AND START GETTING OUR MINDS WRAPPED AROUND THAT.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS FOR MS. OSTROM ON THE FINANCIALS? IF NOT, WE WILL MOVE
[5. Discussion of Days Inn Property ]
ON TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE.DISCUSSION OF THE DAYS IN PROPERTY, MR. HUGHES.
SO WE HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS ON THE DAYS IN PROPERTY FOR A WHILE AND IT, UM, IF MEMORY SERVES ME IN NOVEMBER OF 2021, WE LOOKED AT, UH, DOING AN RFP FOR THIS PROJECT.
AND AT THAT TIME AS WELL, WE WERE LOOKING AT DOING A CNI GRANT AND OUR CONSULTANT AT THE TIME SAID, HEY, HOLD OFF ON DOING THIS GRANT BECAUSE IF, IF THAT PROPERTY'S DEVELOPED, YOU CAN USE THAT AS LEVERAGING AND HAVE IT TOWARD MATCH FOR, FOR A 30 TO 50 MILLION GRANT.
WELL, AS, AS WE HAVE SEEN OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, IT, IT'S GONNA TAKE THE HOUSING AUTHORITY MORE THAN THE NEXT YEAR, MOST LIKELY TO GET ALL THEIR DUCKS IN A ROW THAT THEY'VE GOT A VERY GOOD CONSULTANT NOW THEY'RE WORKING WITH FEMEN, HUD, UH, TO, TO WORK THROUGH THE TRENT COURT PROJECT AND TO HOPEFULLY GET THOSE FUNDS ENCUMBERED CUZ CURRENTLY THEY DON'T HAVE ANY FUNDS ENCUMBERED.
AND, AND SO IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE A WHILE THEY GO THROUGH THAT PRO PRO PROCESS.
AND SO WE NEED TO LOOK AND SEE WHAT THE BOARD WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE TO DO WITH THAT DAY'S I PROPERTY.
WE CAN SIT ON IT LIKE WE HAVE BEEN FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS OR WE COULD LOOK AT SELLING IT.
SO JUST WANNA HEAR WHAT THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO DO AND, UH, ANY COMMENTS YOU, HAVE WE EVER HAD IT APPRAISED? WELL, AT LEAST NOT RECENTLY, MAN.
I THINK THE FIRST STEP SHOULD BE, LET'S GET IT APPRAISED.
UH, I'LL SHARE A STORY, MAYBE IT'LL GET SOME CONVERSATION STARTED.
SO THE, UM, THE VERY FIRST MEETING I WAS IN OFFICE WAS I THINK DECEMBER 10TH, 2013.
AND WE WENT TO A CLOSED SESSION AND IT WAS ABOUT, OR MACKENZIE WILL REMEMBER, IT WAS ABOUT TODAY'S END, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO? AND AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THERE WERE SEVERAL PEOPLE ON THE BOARD AND THERE WERE SOME DIFFERENT THOUGHTS AND IDEAS ABOUT WHAT TO DO WITH IT.
UH, THERE WERE SOME THAT WANTED THE CITY TO SOMEHOW TRY, TRY TO ACQUIRE IT AND REHAB IT AND GET IT, UH, WEATHERPROOFED AGAIN.
UM, THERE WERE SOME THAT SAID IT SHOULD BE DEMOLISHED CAUSE THAT'S, I THINK WHAT THE CNI PLAN CALLS FOR IS FOR THAT BUILDING NOT TO BE THERE.
UM, AND I JUST ASKED A QUESTION, I SAID, WELL, I MADE A STATEMENT.
I SAID, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASKED FOR CAUSE IT MIGHT JUST HAPPEN.
AND SO OBVIOUSLY EVERYBODY KNOWS THE STORY NOW.
THE CITY HAS ENDED UP WITH IT AND WE NEVER REALLY DID HAVE A PLAN FOR IT.
UH, WE HAD TALKED ONE TIME ABOUT REHABBING IT AND PUTTING CITY OFFICES THERE.
UM, THERE WERE SEVERAL DIFFERENT IDEAS.
THE HOUSING AUTHORITY LOOKED AT IT ABOUT RENOVATING IT, UH, BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE FUNDING OR THE CAPABILITY TO DO THAT EITHER.
[02:30:01]
I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S VERY MANY PLANS OR ANY DEVELOPERS THAT WOULD PROBABLY LOOK AT THAT SITE AND SAY IT NEEDS TO BE ALL HOUSING.UM, MOST OF THE SUGGESTIONS THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM FOLKS THAT HAVE COME IN AND LOOKED AT IT HAS BEEN SOME SORT OF MIXED USE TYPE OPPORTUNITY.
SO, UM, I I'M, I'M ALL FOR LET'S GET SOMETHING GOING THERE.
UM, NUMBER ONE, I THINK IT'S A HAZARD.
UH, CAUSE PEOPLE TRAVERSE OVER THAT AREA AND IT'S VERY UNEVEN.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME FOR SOMEBODY GETS HURT.
UM, BUT NUMBER TWO, IT, IT IS A CORNER CORNERSTONE OR CORNER PIECE OF THE FIVE POINTS AREA.
AND WHILE I COMMEND KREMA BREW AND WHAT DANNY BATTON HAS DONE AND SOME OF THE OTHERS IN THAT AREA TO REVITALIZE IT, IT'S, IT'S A VACANT CANVAS SITTING THERE AND SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE WITH IT.
SO HOW WE FACILITATE THAT IS OBVIOUSLY UP TO THE BOARD.
UM, I THINK LEGALLY WE'RE SOMEWHAT RESTRICTED.
WE CAN'T PUT RESTRICTIONS ON IT TO SAY, HEY, WE WILL SELL YOU THIS PROPERTY IF YOU DO THIS.
WE'VE ALREADY BEEN DOWN THAT ROUTE IN DISCUSSION SEVERAL TIMES.
UH, WE CAN LOOK AT A PRIVATE, UH, PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP POTENTIALLY.
IT IS NOT IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT.
SO CURRENTLY, UH, GREAT EXAMPLE, WE COULD DO THAT WITH THE, WITH THE TALBOT LAW PROPERTY.
CAUSE THAT WAS IN, IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, WHICH IS THE C1 AREA, UH, WHERE THE, UM, DAY'S END PROPERTY IS.
NOW COULD WE EXTEND THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT? YES, WE COULD POSSIBLY LOOK AT DOING THAT.
AND I HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY ABOUT THAT TODAY.
BUT BECAUSE IT'S NOT IN THAT CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT THAT IS CURRENTLY DEFINED IN OUR ORDINANCE, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T DO THE DOG AND PONY SHOW.
WE, WE CAN'T DO THE DOG AND PONY SHOW LIKE WE DID WITH THE DUNN BUILDING MM-HMM.
BUT I THOUGHT THAT WE AS AN INDO GOVERNMENT ENTITY COULD GO OUT AND SAY, WE WANT TO SEE THIS HAPPEN AND WE'RE WILLING TO BE PARTNERS IN THIS DEAL AND THEN DEVELOPERS CAN COME HERE.
WE HAVE A FINANCIAL VESTED INTEREST IN THAT.
SO I THINK WE PROBABLY NEED TO GET SOME CLARIFICATION ON THAT.
CAUSE WE, WE MAY SAY, HEY, WE WANT TO PUT THE CITY MAY, I'M NOT ADVOCATING FOR THIS, BUT THE CITY MAY SAY WE WANT TO GET INTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUSINESS AND WE WANT TO GET A DEVELOPER TO COME IN AND PUT RETAIL ON FIRST FLOOR AND HOUSING ON THE UPSTAIRS.
SO, UM, I THINK WE NEED TO PROBABLY GET SOME DIRECTION FROM MR. DAVIS'S OFFICE ON EXACTLY WHAT WE CAN DO.
AND IT'S ON DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS SPECIFICALLY LISTED IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT.
SO THE ONLY WAY THAT WE CAN DO ANYTHING AT TODAY'S END PROPERTY IS THE CITY'S GONNA BUILD SOMETHING OR EITHER WE PUT IT UP FOR FOR SALE, WE CAN SELL IT DOING THE UH, ADVERTISEMENT FOR SEALED BIDS, THE NEGOTIATED OFFER ADVERTISEMENT AND SAID BID PROCESS, PUBLIC AUCTION.
IT IS CURRENTLY IN THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION ZONE.
WE CAN GIVE THE PROPERTY TO THEM SINCE THEY, UH, CAN PUT RESTRICTIONS ON PROPERTY.
THEY COULD DO WHAT THEY WANTED TO WITH IT.
SO IF WE WANTED TO LOOK AT ADJUSTING THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, THAT WOULD BE HOW WE WOULD NEED TO PROCEED.
OH, MCKINSEY, WHAT ABOUT IF THE CITY BUILDS SOMETHING THEIR OFFICE SPACE FOR ALL THE DEPARTMENTS AND TAKE AN INTEREST IN THAT CORRIDOR OF THE CITY? SURE.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD THINK ABOUT AND LOOK AT AND SEE, UM, WHAT WE COULD BRING TO THE CITY ITSELF.
WELL, AS I SAID WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT STRATEGIC PLANNING, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT IS WHERE, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO PUT OUR STAFF? UH, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU SOME GREAT EXAMPLES OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, UH, HUMAN RESOURCES.
THEY'RE BUSTING AT THE SEAMS IN THEIR CURRENT LOCATION.
UM, THE, THE, UH, CAPS BUILDING OFFICE FOR FINANCE.
AND UM, AND YOU PAY YOUR POWER BILLS OUT.
I MEAN THAT, THAT BUILDING IS FLAT FULL.
I WOULD LOVE TO BRING MORE PEOPLE IN THE CITY HALL, BUT BASED, BASED OUTTA THE CONFIGURATION IS I CAN'T BRING A WHOLE DEPARTMENT IN HERE.
I CAN BRING DEPARTMENT HEADS IN LIKE WE DID PREVIOUSLY, BUT WE FOUND OUT THAT IT'S BETTER FOR, FOR OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR TO BE WITH HER FINANCE STAFF AS OPPOSED TO BEING HERE.
CAUSE SHE, SHE'S GOT THE HANDS ON AND CAN SEE WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.
UM, SO YEAH, WE'RE DEFINITELY LOOKING AT THAT AS, AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD ON THE BRISON.
SO, SO WHAT ARE THE GEOGRAPHIC LIMITS OF OUR CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT NOW? CURRENTLY IT ENCOMPASSES HANCOCK MIDDLE STREET AND A PORTION OF SOUTH FRONT STREET IN THE PORTION OF BROAD STREET FOR C1.
THE BACK PARKING LOT IS, IS THAT OWNED BY, IS IT TAP THAT OR I SEE PARK THAT'S THE CITY OF NEWBURN
[02:35:01]
OWNS THAT.AND IS THAT LEASED OR SOMETHING? NO, IT IS NOT.
WE, WE DEEMED THAT A PUBLIC PARKING LOT, BUT ALSO WHEN, WHEN THE GOVERNING BOARD AT THE TIME AGREED TO MAKE THAT A PUBLIC PARKING LOT THAT WAS ON THE CONDITION, UH, THAT COULD BE SOLD AT ANY TIME OR DEVELOPED AT ANY TIME.
UH, SO FROM BROAD STREET TO P*****K STREET THAT'S CORRECT.
FOSTER, HAVE YOU, HAS ANYBODY, UM, TALKED WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION? CUZ I KNOW AT ONE POINT IN TIME THEY WAS TALKING ABOUT ACTUALLY UTILIZING THAT LOCK WITH A DEVELOPER AND TRYING TO TO MAKE LIKE, UH, OFFICES DOWNSTAIRS AND APARTMENTS UPSTAIRS.
HAS THERE BEEN ANY TALKS ABOUT THAT WITH THE NO, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, WHEN, WHEN THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION WAS FORMED, THE GOVERNING BOARD AT THAT TIME DECIDED TO PULL THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY OUT OF THAT REDEVELOPMENT ZONE.
I HAVE SEEN THEIR PLANS, UH, ON WHAT THE, A DEVELOPER DID COME TO SPEAK WITH THEM AND THEY, THEY PASSED THAT ON.
THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHERE IT DIED WHEN WE STARTED LOOKING AT SOME OTHER THINGS AT THAT PROPERTY.
FOSTER, WAS THAT THE PLAN FOR THE ARCHITECT, UH, OUT OF RALEIGH THAT HAD YES.
SO THAT, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, HE HAD TWO PHASES.
ONE WAS WITHOUT THE HABITAT PROPERTY AND THE OTHER ONE WAS WITH THE HABITAT PROPERTY AND IT WAS AFFORDABLE.
MULTI-FAMILY HOUSES AND THEN RETAIL AND OFFICE ON THE FIR FIRST FLOOR.
UM, BUT BASED OFF OF WHAT YOU JUST SAID FROM OUR ATTORNEY, WE COULD PUT IT ON THE FAIR MARKET AND IF THEY END UP BUYING IT AND THEY BUILD IT, GREAT.
IF NOT, THEY BUY IT AND THEY DO NOTHING WITH IT.
WE CAN'T PUT ANY RESTRICTIONS ON IT.
SO THEN THIS NEXT STEP AGAIN IS ALDERMAN AS TO SET IS TO GET IT APPRAISED.
I MEAN, WE DON'T, WE CAN GET IT APPRAISED, PUT IT ON THE MARKET JUST LIKE WE DID IN TOWER LOT.
WE DON'T HAVE TO SELL IT IF SOMETHING ELSE COMES IN, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE TO SELL IT, BUT I'M READY TO, I'M READY TO MOVE IT.
IT'S NOT DOING ANYBODY ANY GOOD SITTING THERE VACANT OTHER THAN THE PEOPLE THAT ARE PARKING OVER THERE.
SEVO, HOW'S THE BOARD FEEL ABOUT GIVING STAFF DIRECTION ON GETTING AN APPRAISAL DONE AND LOOKING AT BUILDING? IF EVERYBODY'S BUSTING OUT A SCENE AND YOU GOT LOTS, THEN YOU HAVE BUILDINGS TO SELL.
PRI YOU HEAR ME SAY SOMETHING? OR MAYBE NOT
EVEN IF WE BUILD, DO WE NOT STILL NEED THE APPRAISAL OR SEE WHAT WE'RE WORKING WITH OR, OR IT'S NOT REQUIRED? IT IT, YEAH, IT WOULDN'T BE REQUIRED IF THE CITY DECIDED WE WANTED TO BUILD SOMETHING THERE.
I THINK, UM, I THINK THE COST OF BUILDING SOMETHING, UM, IS GONNA BE PRETTY HIGH RIGHT NOW.
SO I'M IN FAVOR OF GETTING AN APPRAISAL DONE JUST SO WE CAN SEE WHAT WE'RE WORKING WITH.
SO ANYTHING ELSE ON THAT ONE? THAT'S IT.
AND IT'S 10 TILL FOUR, SO WE'RE JUST GETTING YOU OUT IN TIME TODAY.
BOARD, UH, WE'VE GOT OPPORTUNITY, WE'VE GOT A FEW MINUTES LEFT.
IF ANYBODY HAS ANYTHING, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY ON THE AGENDA, BUT IF ANYTHING RELEVANT TO WHAT WE'VE DISCUSSED TODAY, I JUST WANNA SAY, UM, RECOGNIZE MS. KATHY ADOLF OUT HERE.
SHE'S ONE, ONE OF OUR LAWYER DEDICATED CITIZENS.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY.
SHE'S A RECENT WINNER OF THE NORTH CAROLINA EDUCATION LOTTERY AS WELL.
IS THAT READY? OH, CONGRATULATIONS TO HER.
YOU WANNA BUY THE, UH, DAYS IN PROPERTY
AND SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION, ALTHOUGH IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.