[1. Meeting opened by Mayor Odham. Prayer Coordinated by Alderman Royal. Pledge of Allegiance.]
[00:00:04]
GOOD EVENING EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO THE MAY 23RD, 2023 NEWBURN BOARD OF ALDERMAN MEETING.
THE PRAYER TONIGHT IS GONNA BE COORDINATED BY ALDERMAN ROYAL.
DURING THE RECENT CORONATION OF KING CHARLES DEFERRED, IT WAS SAID THAT WITH THE GIVEN OF POWER COMES THE DUTY TO SERVE.
WITH THAT IN MIND, LET US PRAY.
ETERNAL GOD, I PRAY ON BEHALF OF THOSE WHO ARE IN POSITIONS OF AUTHORITY AND OUR CITY, THAT OUR COMMITMENT TO SERVE WILL BE MARKED BY GODLINESS AND DIGNITY.
I PRAY FOR OUR MAYOR, THE GOVERNING BOARD, AND ALL OTHER LOCAL LEADERS, THAT WE WILL SEEK THE KINGDOM OF GOD ABOVE ALL ELSE AND LIVE RIGHTEOUSLY.
I PRAY THE DECISIONS WE MAKE WILL BE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF ALL OF OUR CITIZENS.
AS WE INSPIRE AND ARE DIRECTED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.
AND THEN, LORD, I THANK YOU FOR BRINGING REVIVAL TO OUR CITY, AND I ASK THIS PRAYER IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN.
IF YOU WOULD PLEASE STAND AS WE PLEDGE OUR COUNTRY PLEDGE PLEDGE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TWO REPUBLIC, WHICH STANDS, ONE NATION, INVISIBLE, LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
MADAM CLERK, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE CALL THE ROLL ALDERMAN PRI.
[Additional Item]
UH, I THINK I SPOKE WITH EVERYONE AND ASKED, UH, TO HAVE A SLIGHT CHANGE IN THE AGENDA.SO, UH, PASTOR ROBERT JOHNSON, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE JOIN ME, SIR, AT THE PODIUM, WE HAVE SOMETHING WE'D LIKE TO PRESENT YOU.
WHEREAS SINCE MAY OF 1980, ROBERT JOHNSON HAS FAITHFULLY SERVED AS PASTOR OF EBENEZER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
THE ONLY AFRICAN AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN CONGREGATION IN CRAVEN COUNTY.
THIS YEAR MARKS 43 YEARS OF THE DEDICATED SERVICE AND EARNS HIM THE TITLE OF THE LONGEST SERVING PASTOR OF EBENEZER CHURCH.
AND WHEREAS REVEREND JOHNSON IS A LEADER WITH THE ABILITY TO UNITE PEOPLE, HE FELT THE CALLING OF MINISTRY ON HIS LIFE AT THE EARLY AGE OF NINE AND LATER PURSUED A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN HISTORY AND A MASTER'S OF DIVINITY DEGREE.
AND WHEREAS DURING HIS TENURE AT EBENEZER CHURCH, REVEREND JOHNSON WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN ESTABLISHING RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY SERVICES, ALSO KNOWN AS RCS, AND OPENED THE CHURCH'S FELLOWSHIP HALL TO SERVE AS THE FIRST SUIT KITCHEN PRAISE.
HE SERVED TWO TERMS AS RC S'S PRESIDENT BEING THE FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT FOR THE ORGANIZATION, THEN TRANSITIONED TO SUPERVISOR OF THE FAMILY HOME MINISTRY.
REVEREND JOHNSON ALSO MONITORED THE 24 HOUR HOTLINE AND SERVED AS SHELTER MANAGER.
JESUS RCS PLAYED A PART IN NEW BURNS AWARD AS AN ALL-AMERICAN CITY IN 1989, AND REVEREND JOHNSON JOINED CITY OFFICIALS IN CHICAGO FOR THE EVENT.
AND WHEREAS HIS INVOLVEMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY HAS BEEN STEADFAST AND EXTENSIVE, REVEREND JOHNSON WAS ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF THE M L K OUTREACH MINISTRY IN NEWBURG CHAIR OF THE PHOENIX HOUSE PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES ADDICTS WITH COUNSELING AND ASSISTANCE DURING THE RECOVERY PROCESS.
THE LONGEST SERVING CHAPLAIN AT CAROLINA EAST MEDICAL CENTER, A MEMBER OF THE NEWBURN INTERDENOMINATIONAL MINISTERIAL ALLIANCE, PRESIDENT OF THE DUFFY FIELD PHOENIX PROJECT, PURSUING A MISSION TO IMPROVE THE SURROUNDINGS AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR DUFFY FIELD RESIDENTS.
PAST PRESIDENT OF THE HISTORIC DRIVER OR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION CHAIR OF REVIVING LIVES MINISTRIES FOR 22 YEARS, A MEMBER OF THE CRAVEN COUNTY AIDS TASK FORCE AND NUS RIVER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, ASSISTANT CHAPLAIN FOR THE GOOD SHEPHERD HOMES OF THE AGE, AND WAS INVOLVED IN AN AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS OF JT BARBARA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WHO NEEDED MENTORSHIP AND AFTERSCHOOL CARE.
AND WHEREAS REVEREND JOHNSON HAS ANSWERED THE CALL COUNTLESS TIMES TO NEW NEWBORN'S, BOARD OF ALDERMAN MEETINGS WITH PRAYER, HIS PRAYERS AND GUIDANCE HAVE EXTENDED OUTSIDE OF THE MEETINGS AND HE HAS BEEN A CON, A CONSISTENT SOURCE OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR COMMUNITY LEADERS.
AND WHEREAS WHILE NEW NEWBORN'S, ELECTED OFFICIALS, CITY STAFF, AND CITIZENS ARE HONORED TO RECOGNIZE REVEREND JOHNSON'S RETIREMENT AND YEARS OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, IT IS WITH GREATER HONOR TO ACKNOWLEDGE HIS FRIENDSHIP AND IMPACT ON ALL OF OUR LIVES.
NOW, THEREFORE, I JEFFERY T OEM, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF NEWBURN, ON BEHALF OF NEWBURN BOARD OF
[00:05:01]
ALDERMAN, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM MAY 8TH, 2023 AS REVEREND ROBERT JOHNSON DAY AND THE CITY OF NEWBURN AND RECOMMENDED CITIZENS ACKNOWLEDGE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF REVEREND JOHNSON HAS MADE TO OUR GREAT CITY AND COMMUNITY.ONE THING I CAN SAY, LET THE CHURCH SAY AMEN.
I AM OVERWHELMED AND, AND BLESSED ME IN MY SOUL THAT I WILL LOVE MAYOR AND, UH, THIS GREAT HISTORIC CITY COUNCIL AND MEMBERS OF THIS GREAT CITY.
THIS ALL FIT IN YOUR HEART TO, UH, EXTEND THIS, UM, AWESOME, UH, PROCLAMATION TO ME.
AND CERTAINLY I WILL CONTINUE TO, UH, SERVE THIS GREAT CITY BECAUSE I LOVE YOU AND I LOVE, UH, THE CITIZENS.
AND I CONTINUE ON TO BE A VOICE, A POSITIVE VOICE IN THIS CITY FOR THE GLORY OF GOD AND MY FAMILY.
AND SO, UM, YOU'LL BE SEEING MORE OF ME HEARING MORE OF ME AND, AND KNOW THAT ARE ALWAYS AVAILABLE, UH, TO, UH, LISTEN TO YOU, TO COUNSEL, UH, JUST BE A SERVANT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, SIR.
THANK YOU BOARD FOR ALLOWING, UH, ME TO DO THAT.
THAT IS, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE APPROVED AT OUR LAST BOARD MEETING AND, UH, FELT LIKE IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT WE DO THAT PUBLICLY TO SHOW OUR RESPECT AND HONOR.
[3. Approve Agenda.]
MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE.ANY QUESTIONS? IF NOT, I ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE.
HAVE A MOTION, THE SECOND TO APPROVE THE, THE AGENDA.
ANY QUESTIONS, DISCUSSIONS, COMMENTS, HEARING NONE.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[Consent Agenda]
TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD ON ITEMS FOUR THROUGH SIX? CAN YOU MAKE A MOTION TO PASS A CONSENT AGENDA AS IT IS? SECOND.
LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN PRI.
[7. Conduct a Public Hearing on the Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year 2023-2024.]
CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR PHYSICAL YEAR 2324.MR. HUGHES, ANY COMMENTS? UH, NO, SIR.
OTHER THAN, UH, UH, AT THE MAY 9TH MEETING, I DID PRESENT THE BUDGET TO THE GOVERNING BOARD.
WE, UH, DID ALSO, UH, ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO CALL FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AT THIS TIME, THE BUDGET HAS BEEN POSTED ON THE CITY WEBSITE IN THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE AND AT THE LIBRARY FOR THE PUBLIC TO REVIEW.
UH, AND NOW IT'S TIME TO CALL FOR THAT HEARING.
UH, BEFORE I DO SO, WE'LL JUST LET THE PUBLIC KNOW THAT YOU DID NOT RECEIVE AN INJURY FROM, UH, DEBATING OVER THE BUDGET
JUST TO BE CLEAR, ANY COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD BEFORE WE OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING? OKAY.
AT THIS TIME, WE WILL OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING FOR ANY COMMENTS RELATIVE TO THE PROPOSED FY 2324 BUDGET COURT.
I'D LIKE TO SPEAK IF YOU WOULD JUST PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE.
STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
I DON'T HAVE SPECIFIC COMMENTS ON ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO THE BUDGET LINE ITEMS. HOWEVER, I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THE PROPOSED TAX RATE OF 4 1 59, AND THAT IS GOING TO SUPPORT THIS BUDGET.
THE PUBLICITY OVER THE TAX RATE DECREASING, IN MY OPINION, IS A RED HERRING BECAUSE SOME PROPERTY VALUES HAVE SKYROCKETED.
THE INFLATED REAL ESTATE MARKET HAS PLACED MORE OF A BURDEN ON THOSE SI CITIZENS THAT OWN HOMES IN WHAT REALTORS HAVE BRANDED AS AFFORDABLE AND DESIRABLE NEIGHBORHOODS.
THEREFORE, JUST SOME OF US WILL BE PAYING MUCH MORE IN TAXES.
[00:10:01]
EXAMPLE.PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT HANDOUT.
ONE THAT I'VE PASSED OUT IN THE SUBDIVISION OF TROLLEY RUN WHERE I LIVE.
THERE ARE 61 HOMES IN 20 22, 3 HOMES SOLD AT THE PEAK OF THE HOUSING MARKET AT VALUES WE'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, AFTER THE REVALUATION, THESE 61 HOMES AVERAGED A 78% INCREASE IN PROPERTY VALUE.
THAT'S 36% GREATER THAN THE 40 42% THE TAX OFFICE REPORTED AS AN OVERALL AVERAGE AT THE 4.4149 RATE, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD OF 61 FAMILIES COMBINED WILL BE PAYING GREATER THAN $20,000 A YEAR OVER WHAT WE'VE BEEN PAYING IN CITY TAXES ALONE.
NOW, PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT HANDOUT NUMBER TWO.
JUST AROUND THE CORNER IN THE GET NEIGHBORHOOD IS DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO TROLLEY RUN A SAMPLING OF JUST ONE CITY BLOCK OF HOMES.
I'VE LABELED THOSE THE 700 NUMBER BLOCKS.
THE DATA SHOWS THEIR PROPERTY VALUES INCREASED AN AVERAGE OF 57% AND THEY'LL BE PAYING GREATER THAN 3000 ANNUALLY COMBINED WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN PAYING.
AND THAT'S JUST 21 PROPERTIES.
IF YOU TRAVEL JUST ONE BLOCK DOWN, PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT HANDOUT NUMBER THREE.
THOSE 600 NUMBERED LOCKS, THEIR PROPERTY VALUES INCREASE AN AVERAGE OF 62% AND THEY WILL BE PAYING GREATER THAN $5,000 ANNUALLY.
COMBINED WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN PAYING, AND THIS IS JUST A SAMPLING OF 17 PROPERTIES.
TO PUT THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE, I HAVE ALSO INCLUDED DATA FROM ONE SQUARE BLOCK OF PROPERTIES IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
AS YOU CAN SEE, PROPERTY VALUES INCREASED IN AVERAGE OF 33%, AND THEY'LL BE PAYING JUST OVER $6,000 ANNUALLY, COMBINED OVER 21 PROPERTY.
NOW, I'VE SPENT TIME TALKING ABOUT PROPERTY REVALUATIONS TO MAKE MY POINT.
I DON'T BELIEVE THE REVALUATION WAS COMPLETED IN A FAIR AND EQUITABLE WAY.
AND WE AS INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY OWNERS HAVE AN AVENUE TO APPEAL.
WHAT YOU CAN DO IS SET THE TAX RATE TO WHAT WE AS CITIZENS CAN MANAGE UNTIL THE NEXT REEVALUATION.
THE PROPOSED TAX RATE OF 0.4159 IS STILL TOO HIGH.
KICK THIS BUDGET BACK FOR REVISION REQUEST.
EACH DEPARTMENT LOOK AT THE WANTS VERSUS NEEDS.
EACH DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO TIGHTEN THEIR BILL CUT.
THE FACT TO PUT IT SIMPLY, THIS PROPOSED TAX BURDEN OF 0.4 1 59 IS TOO GREAT.
MY NAME IS, EXCUSE ME, JODI SHERMAN.
I LIVE AT 2 0 4 EIGHTH STREET IN TROLLEY RUN.
AND I HAVE ONE QUESTION ACTUALLY, AND IT HAS TO DO WITH THE LINE ITEM IN THE BUDGET CALLED ADD FOR LAUREN TAXES.
AND FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, THE ALARM TAXES HAVE TO DO WITH THE ASSESSMENTS ON THE PROPERTIES.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY TOOK THE TIME TO LOOK IT UP, BUT LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS FROM 21 TO 20 2021 TO 2023, THE INCREASES ARE LESS THAN A MILLION DOLLARS.
THE INCREASE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR FROM 23 TO 24 IS $3 MILLION.
WHY? UM, CAN SOMEBODY ANSWER THAT? I WILL, I WILL ATTEMPT TO ANSWER THAT AND THE MANAGER CAN CHIME IN.
UM, MR. MANAGER, I BELIEVE ROUGHLY 70 TO 80% OF OUR BUDGET IS PERSONNEL COST.
AND THE CITY COMPLETED A SALARY STUDY, WAS IT LAST YEAR? YES, IT WAS.
AND IT CAME BACK THAT OUR OVERALL POSITIONS WERE ABOUT 10 TO 12% BELOW THE MARKET AVERAGE.
SO THIS BOARD MADE A DECISION ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO TO IMPLEMENT HALF OF THAT RECOMMENDATION OF THE SALARY STUDY AND THEN MADE A GOOD FAITH EFFORT THAT WHEN THE BUDGET CAME AROUND, WE WOULD IMPLEMENT THE SECOND HALF OF THAT SALARY STUDY.
SO THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THE INCREASE THAT YOU'RE SEEING IS COMING FROM IS FROM PERSONNEL.
BUT THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH PERSONNEL.
THIS VALOR TAX, IT HAS TO DO WITH THE ASSESSMENTS OF PROPERTIES.
[00:15:01]
WHERE DOES PERSONNEL FIT INTO THIS? PER PERSONNEL IS AN EXPENSE AND THE AVOR TAX IS A REVENUE, AND THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA REQUIRES MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES TO PASS A BALANCE BUDGET.SO IN ORDER TO COVER ALL OF THE EXPENSES, WE HAVE TO INCREASE THE REVENUES TO COVER THAT AMOUNT.
BUT ALL OF THE OTHER LINE ITEMS IN THE BUDGET THAT ARE REVENUES, THE INCREASES ARE NOIR'S NEAR THAT, THAT DOLLAR MR. MANAGER, YOU WANNA GIVE HER EXPLANATION ON SALES TAX, HOW THAT'S PROJECTED? YEAH, SO, UM, AND, AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT AVOR TAXES.
THAT'S THE SINGLE LARGEST AMOUNT OF TAX REVENUE THAT THE CITY DOES RECEIVE.
THE, PROBABLY THE SECOND OUTSIDE OF, UH, FEES AND CHARGES FROM OUR ENTERPRISE FUNDS IS GOING TO BE, UH, SALES TAXES.
AND THOSE ARE, UH, WE USUALLY GET THOSE ABOUT EVERY THREE, THREE MONTHS, THREE MONTHS BEHIND ON THAT.
UM, AND THAT'S BASED ON WHAT YOU SEE IN, IN THE, UM, UH, ON YOUR INFORMATION, WHAT WE PROJECTED FOR THE SALES TAX.
THAT'S BASED ON THE BEST CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE.
UM, SO AS WE WERE LOOKING AT BALANCING THIS BUDGET, YES.
THE, THE SALARIES WERE THE BIGGEST, BIGGEST EXPENSE ITEM WE SAW, AND THAT'S WHY WE MADE THE RECOMMENDATION ON THE TAX RATE WITH THE, UH, ABOR TAXES.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE REVENUE GENERATED FROM THE ASSESSMENTS IS GOING TO BE FOR SALARIES? YES.
THAT IS THE MAIN REASON THAT THAT WENT UP.
BUT NONE OF THE INCREASES FOR THE OTHER REVENUE GENERATING ITEMS, WE MADE THE MOST CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATES WE COULD BASED ON THE INFORMATION WE HAD ON THE OTHERS.
HI, MY NAME IS REBECCA TINDELL.
AND WHAT'S YOUR ADDRESS, MS. TINDELL? I'M NOT REQUIRED TO GIVE MY ADDRESS.
SO, AND THEN, UM, I WAS INFORMED THAT LAST YEAR CAMERAS WERE GONNA BE ON THE BUDGET LAST YEAR.
DID THEY MAKE IT ON THE BUDGET? MR. MANAGER, UH, WOULD YOU WANNA REFER TO WHICH CAMERAS? YOU'RE, UH, CAMERAS IN CITY HALL? YES, THEY DID.
THEY DID MAKE IT IN THE BUDGET.
AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, UH, OUR CREWS ARE INSTALLING THEM.
SEVERAL OF 'EM HAVE BEEN INSTALLED IN THIS BUILDING, AND THEY'RE BEING INSTALLED IN THE, IN THE NEW ANNEX AS WELL.
THAT'S, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE LIVE YET, BUT YES, THEY'RE GOING.
I LIVE AT 2 0 5 EIGHTH STREET.
UM, UM, LISA HUBBLE AND I, UH, LISA CAME BY MY HOUSE AND WENT THROUGH ALL THIS, AND WE TRIED TO COME UP WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT QUESTIONS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'D THINK OF FROM THERE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DID NOT HEAR IS, UH, HOW AND WHEN WE WOULD HEAR A RESPONSE TO YOU ON WHAT SHE HAS SUBMITTED, BECAUSE I HEARD NOBODY SAY ANYTHING IN RESPONSE TO THAT.
CAN YOU REPLY TO THAT, PLEASE? SURE.
MOST LIKELY WHEN THE PUBLIC HEARING CLOSES, THE BOARD WILL DELIBERATE.
THAT'S TYPICALLY WHAT WOULD HAPPEN.
SO YOU'LL HAVE AN ANSWER THIS EVENING, THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE'LL HAVE AN ANSWER FOR YOU, BUT WE WILL TALK ABOUT IT FOR SURE.
SO THEN WHEN CAN WE EXPECT AN ANSWER THEN? BECAUSE WE WILL, THE BUDGET'S GONNA BE LAID IN STONE HERE, NOT TOO LONG.
RIGHT? IT'S GONNA BE VOTED ON AT OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING.
SO FROM NOW UNTIL TWO WEEKS WHEN WE HAVE OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING, THAT'S WHEN WE WOULD ACTUALLY VOTE ON THE BUDGET.
KNOW MOST OF YOU ALL AS MOSTLY AS FRIENDS AND SOME OF YOU HAVE KNOWN AS, UH, THE CAMPAIGN SHOW.
MY NAME IS EMMANUEL RUIZ, LIVE AT 7 23 LAKE TYLER DRIVE HERE IN NEWBURN.
IT'S A PLEASURE TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN NOW, NO LONGER ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL, BUT SEEING YOU GUYS, UH, IN OFFICE.
UH, MORE OF A POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
UH, FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM SOME OF THE INTERVIEWS THE MAYOR HAS DONE ONLINE WITH MY CONVERSATIONS WITH, UM, UH, ALDERMAN BRINSON, FROM MY GENERAL UNDERSTANDING IS WE'RE LOOKING AT A GENERAL 4 CENT TAX INCREASE, BUT A GENERAL SIX, UH, CENT TAX DECREASE OVERALL, ONCE YOU LOOK INTO ALL THE NUMBERS AND THEN THE POSSIBLE PROPOSITION, I MEAN BY SOME OF YOU THOUGH, NOT THE ENTIRE BOARD, UH, AS A WHOLE IS INSTEAD NO TAX INCREASE, BUT INSTEAD JUST TAKING IT FROM THE GENERAL FUND SINCE WE HAVE SUCH A LARGE SAVING ACCOUNT.
IS THAT CORRECT? SO THE PROPOSED BUDGET PULLS HOW MUCH FROM THE GENERAL FUND FOSTER? SO ON, ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET, IT'S BASICALLY 49 MILLION FOR THE GENERAL FUND.
THE REMAINING IS APPROXIMATELY A HUNDRED MILLION FOR THE, FOR THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS, WHICH ARE SELF SUPPORTING.
SO OVERALL, WOULD THAT ELIMINATE, IS THAT STILL WITH THE 4 CENT TAX INCREASE THAT IS WITH THE 4 CENT TAX INCREASE? YES.
UM, JUST FROM MY OWN PERSONAL POINT OF ADVOCACY, AS A, UH, NO TAX KIND OF GUY, IF WE CAN ELIMINATE THAT 4 CENT TAX INCREASE WHILST BEING ABLE TO GO INTO THE SAVINGS ACCOUNT BY NOT
[00:20:01]
GOING TOO FAR, I THINK THAT'S THE BEST SOLUTION.GIVING EVERYONE WHAT THEY NEED ALLOWS CITY TO GROW.
I WOULD ALSO CAUTION THE BOARD TO AVOID, UH, THE HEADACHE.
I'M HAPPY TO GO THROUGH WITH HAVELOCK RIGHT NOW WITH THIS INTERESTING, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER COR THERE WITH THEIR CURRENT SITUATION.
UH, THE CITY OF NEWBURN IS A MUCH BETTER SITUATION.
WE ARE IN MUCH BETTER HANDS RIGHT NOW.
I, I HAVE THE FULL SUPPORT AND, UH, FULL BACKING HERE OF THE MAYOR.
I THINK WE'RE GONNA DO WELL WITH, UH, WHATEVER BUDGET YOU GUYS COME UP WITH, BUT WE CAN ELIMINATE THESE TAXES ALTOGETHER, BRING IT BACK TO, UH, NO TAX INCREASE FOR THE REST OF US.
I THINK WE'D ALL BE IN A MUCH BETTER POSITION.
ANYONE ELSE HAVE COMMENTS? IF THERE'S NO MORE COMMENTS, MAYOR, I'D LIKE MAKE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
SECOND, HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING IN A DISCUSSION.
UM, MR. MANAGER, JUST A COUPLE OF, UH, COMMENTS TO KIND OF GET THIS DISCUSSION STARTED.
UM, YOU REACHED OUT TO ME, UH, A FEW MONTHS AGO AND, UM, ASKED ME MY THOUGHTS ON THE BUDGET AND THE DIRECTION, AND I TOLD YOU THAT, UH, REVENUE NEUTRAL WAS MY CHOICE.
UM, ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, THE CITY IS ALSO NOT IMMUNE TO THE INFLATION THAT EVERYONE IS DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW.
FUEL WE BUY BY WHOLESALE, BUT IT'S ALSO COSTS MORE WHEN WE BUY BY WHOLESALE, UH, THAN WHAT IT DID PRIOR.
SO THERE'S SOME EXPENSES THAT WE'RE HAVING TO INCUR.
AND OBVIOUSLY THE SALARY STUDY WAS A GIGANTIC PIECE OF THAT.
UH, I BELIEVE IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET, YOU HAVE THE SECOND HALF OF THE SALARY STUDY IMPLEMENTATION BUILT INTO THIS.
AS WELL AS A COLA AND A MERIT INCREASE FOR THIS BUDGET, WHICH IS SOMETHING SEPARATE FROM THE SALARY STUDY.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
DO YOU KNOW THE VALUE, SIR, OF THE MERIT AND THE COLA THAT IS IN THIS BUDGET RIGHT NOW FOR THE FULL YEAR, THAT IS APPROXIMATELY 1.2 MILLION OF AN INCREASE.
THE SALARY STUDY, COMPLETE IMPLEMENTATION IS APPROXIMATELY 2.4 MILLION.
UM, SO IF, IF THE CITY WERE TO DELAY THE COLA AND THE MERIT INCREASE RIGHT NOW, WHEN WE ADOPT THE BUDGET AND MAYBE REVISIT THAT AT THE END OF THE YEAR WHEN WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE HOW THE SALES TAX REVENUES COME IN, WHAT IS THAT VALUATION IF WE WERE TO DELAY THOSE TWO ITEMS? IF WE DELAYED THAT FOR AN EXAMPLE OF SIX MONTHS AND IMPLEMENTED THAT IN JANUARY OF THE NEW YEAR, THAT THAT TAX RATE COULD GO TO 0.40 CENTS AND 1 CENT IS WORTH ABOUT 400, 470 $1,000.
THAT'S, UH, THAT'S THE COMMENTS THAT I WANTED TO MAKE TO GET STARTED OFF.
SO, BOARD, YES, I DO HAVE SOME COMMENTS.
UM, WHEN WE WAS GOING THROUGH OUR BUDGET DELIBERATIONS, UM, I MADE A SUGGESTION TO THIS BOARD BECAUSE I FELT THAT WE SHOULD WAIT UNTIL TO SEE WHAT STEPS, UM, AND WHAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN WITH CRAVEN COUNTY.
UM, WE ALL KNOW THAT THERE WAS A 42% INCREASE IN TAX VALUES THROUGHOUT, UM, THE COUNTY, CITY, AND THE COUNTY AS I LAST, UM, HEARD, THE COUNTY, UM, IS GOING TO STAY.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA RAISE THEIR TAXES, THEY'RE GONNA STAY WITH THE REVENUE NEUTRAL RATE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I FEEL THAT THIS CITY, WE, AS A CITY SHOULD DO FOR OUR CITIZENS.
WE SHOULD STAY AT THE REVENUE NEUTRAL RATE, WHICH IS 0.3 7 34.
SO WHEN WE WAS GOING THROUGH BUDGET DELIBERATIONS, WE HAD OUR DIVISION HEADS COME UP HERE, DEPARTMENT HEADS COME UP HERE, AND THEY WARNED US ABOUT THE INCREASE, THE ANTICIPATED INCREASES IN OUR WATER RATES, SEWER RATES, AND SOLID WASTE RATES.
SO WITH ME, I HAVE A PROBLEM THAT IS ADDITIONAL FEES, WHICH WE AS A CITY, THE PRICE OF GOODS AND SERVICES IS GOING UP.
SO WE GOT TO PASS THAT, THAT THAT RATE ON THAT'S FEE TO OUR CUSTOMERS.
SO THAT'S GONNA BE ADDED, UH, ADDED FEE TO OUR CUSTOMERS ALONG WITH THIS PROPOSED BUDGET RIGHT NOW, INCREASING THE TAXES TO 0.41 I I, I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT AND I'LL LET THIS BOARD KNOW THAT I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT.
I THINK WE AS A BOARD, WE SHOULD LEAVE OUR TAXES RIGHT NOW AND SEE HOW OUR TAX, HOW THE TAXES, OUR REVENUE TAXES COME IN.
AND THEN IF WE HAVE TO RAISE THE TAXES LATER ON IN, IN THE 24 BUDGET YEAR, THEN LET'S DO SO.
[00:25:01]
TIME, WITH ALL THE OTHER COSTS AND FEES THAT WE ARE GONNA BE PASSING ON TO OUR, TO OUR CITIZENS, I THINK WE SHOULD LEAVE THE TAX RATE AT THE REVENUE NEUTRAL RATE, WHICH AS I SAID BEFORE, 0.3734, I THINK OUR, OUR CITIZENS CANAND, AND, AND I LOOK AT, WE ARE HERE TO SERVE OUR CITIZENS.
AND IF WE CAN SERVE OUR CITIZENS IN A WAY THAT WE WANT TO BE SERVED, I THINK WE ARE ALL, IT'LL BE A WIN-WIN SITUATION FOR EVERYBODY.
BUT WE HAVE, WE HAVE A HEALTHY GENERAL FUND BALANCE MM-HMM.
SO LET'S, WHY CAN'T WE TAKE SOME OF THAT MONEY FROM GENERAL FUND TO BALANCE OUR BUDGET SO WE WON'T HAVE TO RAISE OUR, OUR, THE TAX RATE FOR OUR CITIZENS? THAT'S ALL I'M GONNA SAY AT THIS POINT.
UM, I COULD GO ON AND ON, BUT THAT'S ALL I NEED TO SAY AT THIS POINT.
BEST, UM, JUST WANNA MAKE A COMMENT AND I'LL PROBABLY DEFER TO ALDERMAN BRINSON.
UM, WITH RESPECT TO THE COUNTY'S BUDGET, JUST EVERYONE'S AWARE, THE COUNTY'S RECEIVING 8.5 MILLION IN THE OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS.
UM, SO THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT REVENUE STREAM THAT ALSO ALLOWS THEM TO DO SOME THINGS.
AND I BELIEVE THE NUMBER WAS 17, THAT THEY WERE INCREASING THEIR HEADCOUNT.
UH, WITHIN THIS, THE CITY OR THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT WAS ABOUT ABOUT 17.
SO THEY'VE GOTTEN REAL CREATIVE, UH, IN HOW THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO COVER THAT COST AS WELL.
THE, THE LAST COMMENT THAT I'LL MAKE WITH RESPECT TO ALDERMAN BEST COMMENTS, UM, THE FUN BALANCE.
THE LAST ESTIMATE WE SAW, UM, I WOULD ALSO CAUTION US TO REMEMBER THAT WHEN HURRICANE FLORENCE CAME THROUGH, WE DIPPED BELOW 8% AND WE ALL AT THE TIME WAS ON THE BOARD, RECEIVED THE LETTER FROM THE LGC THAT WE WERE BELOW THAT NUMBER.
AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE FUND BALANCE AS A SAVINGS ACCOUNT, WHEN YOU DEPLETE THAT FUNDS, UNLESS YOU START REPLENISHING IT, IT, IT'S GOTTA GET BUILT BACK UP OR IT WON'T BE THERE THE NEXT TIME.
SO THAT'S THE ONLY THING I WOULD CAUTION YOU.
AND I, I'LL PROBABLY AGREE WITH YOU THAT YEAH, I THINK RIGHT NOW THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS TIGHTEN THE BELT ON THE BUDGET A LITTLE BIT, PULL SOME MORE FROM FUND BALANCE, AND LET'S REEVALUATE THIS IN, IN DECEMBER.
BUT I, I DO THINK THAT IT'S GONNA BE VERY HARD TO DO ANY OF THAT IF YOU MOVE FORWARD WITH THE COLA AND THE MERIT INCREASE IN THIS BUDGET AS WELL.
MAYOR, I DO WANT TO GIVE YOU A POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
UM, BASED ON OUR LAST AUDIT, OUR, OUR FUND BALANCE GENERAL FUND IS APPROXIMATELY 50%.
THAT INCLUDES RESTRICTED AND UNRESTRICTED.
SO UNRESTRICTED FUND BALANCES AT ABOUT 37%, UM, WHICH IS, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, APPROXIMATELY 26 POINT 37%, 13, 13.5 MILLION OF UNRESTRICTED, SO RESTRICTED FOR FUND BALANCE.
THAT INCLUDES THINGS LIKE MAYBE SOME FEMA GRANTS THAT WE, WE HAVE OUTSTANDING, UM, ARPA FUNDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT WE HAVE ALREADY DESIGNATED.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE EVERYONE, IS STANLEY WHITE FUNDING IN THAT RESTRICTED AMOUNT? IT SHOULD BE, YES.
SO THAT'S AN AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE WE HAVE THE, THE ABILITY TO PAY FOR THAT AS WE GO.
BUT YOU COULD ALSO FINANCE THAT BEING IT'S A LONG TERM ASSET TO PROVIDE SOME CASH FLOW, BUT, UM, IS IT CURRENTLY, RIGHT NOW, IS IT ABOUT 3.5 MILLION THAT WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED FROM FEMA? OR, OR A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN IT, IT'S PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THAT.
UH, I KNOW THERE'S SEVERAL THINGS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN CLOSED OUT, SO WE'RE WORKING TO TRY TO GET AN UPDATE ON WHERE THINGS STAND.
WE CAN GIVE YOU AN UPDATE AT THE NEXT MEETING.
YEAH, I, I MEAN, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH, UM, ALTMAN BEST I, ON THIS I AM SUPPORTIVE OF, OF REVENUE NEUTRAL BUDGET.
UM, I AM SUPPORTIVE OF PUSHING OFF THE KOHLER AND MERIT INCREASE, AND I DO THINK WE CAN TAKE THE REMAINING 800 SOME THOUSAND OUT OF FUND BALANCE, UM, AS STATED HERE.
I MEAN THE, THE REVALUATION IS HALF OF THE EQUATION WHEN IT COMES TO AVAL, ORUM TAXES.
AND I THINK WITH, UH, THE RATES THAT ALDER WOMAN BEST BROUGHT UP THAT WE KNOW, WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA END UP INCREASING SEWER, WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA END UP INCREASING SOLID WASTE.
WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA END UP INCREASING ELECTRICITY.
UM, I, I JUST DON'T THINK THAT ALL OF OUR CITIZENS CAN AFFORD ALL OF THOSE INCREASES, PARTICULARLY EVEN IN ONE YEAR.
SO, YOU KNOW, MY THOUGHT PROCESS IS, IS AGAIN, I'LL REITERATE THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A REVENUE NEUTRAL BUDGET
[00:30:01]
AND, UM, BY TAKING OUT COLON MERIT, AND I THINK THE REMAINING COULD COME FROM FUNDAMENTALS.JU JUST TO BE CLEAR, I DON'T THINK THERE WAS AN ELECTRIC RATE INCREASE PROPOSED IN THE BUDGET.
THAT, THAT'S NOT WHAT, UH, BUT AS WAS PRESENTED DURING OUR BUDGET HEARINGS MM-HMM.
THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS HAVE COMMENTS.
I'LL JUST A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.
THE, THE RESIDENT THAT MADE THE PRESENTATION WITH THE, THE ASSESSED VALUES, I WOULD HOPE AND ASSUME THAT YOU WILL BE ATTENDING THE BOARD OF COMMISSION, COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONER'S MEETING BUDGET HEARING, BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONES THAT NEED TO HEAR THE COMMENTS ABOUT THE, UH, THE ASSESSED VALUES.
AND I'M, I, YOU'RE SHAKING YOUR HEAD, SO I ASSUMED CORRECTLY THAT YOU, YOU UNDERSTAND THAT PROCESS AND THAT YOU WILL BE THERE IN TALKING TO THEM.
UM, I, I'M, I THINK ON A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT PAGE THAN, UH, THOSE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD WHO HAVE VOICED, UM, COMMENTS, UH, SO FAR THIS EVENING.
I TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A PRAGMATIC OR AN INCREMENTAL, UM, APPROACH TO, TO BUDGETING.
AND THAT COMES OUT OF HAVING BEEN IN A CITY MANAGER POSITION FOR 30 YEARS, TRYING TO KEEP THE TAX RATE AT A CONSTANT LEVEL YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR IS A MISTAKE.
AS A MUNICIPALITY, WE INCUR COST INCREASES JUST LIKE ALL OF US DO IN OUR OWN HOUSEHOLDS, AND WE HAVE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO OUR INCOME STREAM TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES.
INFLATION IS VERY HIGH RIGHT NOW.
WE ARE FEELING THE PRESSURE OF, OF THOSE INFLATIONARY COST INCREASES AND TO ARBITRARILY TALK ABOUT A REVENUE NEUTRAL TAX RATE IS DOING NOTHING MORE THAN JUST KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD.
AND A YEAR FROM NOW, WHEN WE ARE GOING THROUGH THIS BUDGET PROCESS, ONCE AGAIN, CHANCES ARE THE SAME INDIVIDUALS ON SITTING UP HERE WHO ARE ARGUING FOR A REVENUE NEUTRAL TAX RATE ARE GONNA ONCE AGAIN ARGUE THAT WE HAVE TO HOLD THE LINE ON THE TAX RATE AND NOT INCREASE IT.
AND THE ORGANIZATION THEN SLIPS A LITTLE FARTHER BEHIND, A LITTLE FARTHER BEHIND THE EXAMPLE BEING THAT PREVIOUS BOARDS HAVE ALLOWED COMPENSATION TO OUR STAFF TO FALL BEHIND WHAT THE MARKET SAID THAT THEY SHOULD BE KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD.
THIS BOARD HAD TO BITE THE BULLET TO TRY TO BRING THE STAFF UP TO A COMPENSATION LEVEL THAT IS COMPETITIVE WITH THOSE MUNICIPAL ENTITIES THAT WE ARE COMPETING WITH FOR TALENT.
I DON'T BELIEVE IN KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD.
I'M NOT SURE THE PROPOSED TAX RATE IS THE ANSWER.
UH, ALDERMAN BRINSON AND I WILL BE MEETING WITH THE CITY MANAGER THIS WEEK TO TALK ABOUT SOME SUGGESTIONS, SOME IDEAS ON HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE PROPOSED INCREASED AND BACK OFF OF THE PROPOSED TAX RATE A LITTLE BIT.
SO, LONG STORY SHORT, I I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF A REVENUE NEUTRAL TAX RATE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT POLITICALLY, IT'S A NICE GESTURE.
REALISTICALLY, THOUGH, I THINK IT'S A MISTAKE FOR THE BOARD TO GO DOWN THAT ROUTE.
I WOULD, I WOULD BE MORE IN FAVOR OF AN INCREMENTAL TAX RATE INCREASE TO AT LEAST KEEP THE ORGANIZATION MOVING FORWARD IN TRYING TO COVER THE COST INCREASES THAT WE ARE FACING.
UH, SO WITH THAT, I'LL JUST, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO SOMEBODY ELSE.
I KNOW YOU ASKED ME THESE FIGURES A FEW MINUTES AGO, BUT WHAT IS JUST THE COST OF THE MERIT? IF WE, UM, DO THE MERIT RAISES, MERIT
[00:35:01]
AND COLA JUST MERIT, YOU HAVE IT SEPARATED.THE MERIT IS 2%, UH, 400,000, 296,000 FOR MERIT ONLY.
AND THE COLA WOULD BE 576,000.
SO MY, MY QUESTION TO YOU, MR. MANAGER, IS WE'VE, WE'VE JUST HAD SOME SERIOUS CONSTRUCT, UH, CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SALARIES AND HOW FAR BEHIND WE WERE FROM THE OTHER CITIES, OUR, OUR, OUR BENCHMARK CITIES.
UH, IF, IF WE DON'T PROVIDE THE, I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO DO THE REST OF THE SALARY SURVEY, BUT IF WE DON'T PROVIDE THE, AT LEAST THE COLA, UM, WILL THAT JUST MAKE US GO BEHIND AGAIN? WE'LL BE BEHIND.
I MEAN, I, I MEAN, COULD WE DO JUST THE, COULD WE DO THE COLA IN JULY AND SAVE THE MERIT RAISE UNTIL JANUARY? WE'RE HAPPY TO DO ANYTHING THE BOARD GIVES ME DIRECTION TO DO.
UM, I WILL TELL YOU THIS, WE, AND WHEN WE PULLED THE CITIES AROUND US IN TERMS OF COST OF LIVING, WE'RE PROPOSING THE, THE SMALLEST AMOUNT OF THE OTHER CITIES.
SO THAT TELLS US, EVEN WITH THE, THE SALARY SURVEY, WE'RE TRYING TO GET BACK UP TO THE SAME LEVEL THAT, THAT OUR COMPETITIVE MUNICIPALITIES ARE.
BUT, BUT WHEN WE SEE THE COAL THAT THEY'RE DOING, WE'RE STILL HAVING AN ISSUE WITH, WITH PERSONNEL ACROSS THE BOARD NATIONWIDE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
WE'RE STILL GONNA BE BEHIND, BUT WE'VE GOTTA BE REALISTIC.
THERE'S, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH WE CAN AFFORD.
AND I KNOW THAT, THAT THE TAX ISSUE IS EXTREMELY SENSITIVE TO OUR CITIZENS.
I, I FEEL THE PAIN JUST AS MUCH AS THE REST OF OUR CITIZENS AND YOU DO AS WELL.
UH, AND SO SOMETHING THAT WE SERIOUSLY HAVE TO LOOK AT, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING YOUR, WHAT YOU'D LIKE FOR ME TO DO.
I JUST DON'T WANT TO GET BACK INTO THE POSITION WHEN WE HAD EMPLOYEES LEAVING RIGHT AND LEFT AS HARD AS THEY CAN.
AND THEN WE'RE HAVING TO SPEND ALL THIS MONEY TO TR RETRAIN AND HIRE NEW EMPLOYEES.
WE FINALLY GOT 'EM, THEIR PAY RAISES THAT THEY NEED.
I, I THINK THE, THE TURNOVER RATES PROBABLY SLOWED DOWN NOW THAT THEY RECEIVED THE RAISES.
I JUST DON'T WANT IT TO START BACK UP IN, IN JULY.
EVERY ONE OF 'EM HAS BEEN EXPECTING THE COLA AS WELL AS THE START OF THE MERIT SYSTEM.
I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM DELAYING THE MERIT SYSTEM, BUT I CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO SEE, SEE NEWBURN FALL BEHIND AGAIN AND WE START LOSING EMPLOYEES LIKE WE LOST A YEAR AGO.
THE CITY RIGHT NOW, WE TAKING OVER SO MANY NEW STREETS AND GIVING UP THE RIGHTS FOR THE BRIDGE.
I I THINK THOSE ARE ONE OF THE THINGS, UH, THE MAINTENANCE OF THE CITY, THAT'S A VERY EXPENSIVE COST AS WELL.
UH, I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING DISCUSSED ABOUT THAT PART.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MERIT RAISES, CUTTING TAXES, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE OPERATING COST? HOW MUCH IS THAT GONNA COST US THIS TIME AROUND WITH ALL THE STREETS THAT'S BEEN ADDED ON, THAT IS UP NOW FOR REPAIR.
SEE, WHEN WE RECEIVED THOSE STREETS, THERE WAS SOME PRETTY BAD CONDITION.
SO ARE WE LOOKING TO SUFFER AND LET THE STREETS GO BAD? UM, THE SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE, I KNOW WE TALK ABOUT A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE, BUT YOU CAN HAVE A CATASTROPHIC COME IN AT ANY GIVEN TIME AND JUST WIPE US OUT.
SO, UM, IT'S A LOT OF THINGS HERE THAT HAS TO BE CONSIDERED WHEN YOU RUN A BUSINESS.
WE ALL DON'T KNOW WHAT, UM, NO ONE CAN PAY.
IT'S NONE OF NOBODY'S BUSINESS.
BUT WHEN YOU HAVE A BUSINESS THAT YOU HAVE TO RUN, THAT YOU HAVE TO MAINTAIN FOR EACH AND EVERY INDIVIDUAL, I I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE REALLY LOOKED AT, AT THE NUMBERS REALLY CONSIDERED.
UM, AND I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT FACTOR TO ME.
UM, I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD FOR, UH, UH, UH, 15 YEARS.
I'VE SEEN THE STREETS THAT WAS IN BAD CONDITION.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT SERVICES.
I MEAN, UM, WOULD YOU LIKE FOR YOUR SERVICE TO GO DOWN OR YOU LIKE FOR YOUR SERVICES TO GO UP? WHAT ARE YOU
[00:40:01]
WILLING TO PAY FOR? YOU KNOW, YOU WANT MORE SERVICES OR LESS SERVICES THAT HAS TO COST.UM, I KNOW IT'S A TOUCHY SITUATION, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE DONE AND, AND SPOKE ABOUT.
SO ARE YOU WILLING TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND DO THE RIGHT THING AND PAY YOUR WAY? UM, THAT'S A CALL THAT I HAVE TO MAKE ALONG WITH YOU.
IT'S A DECISION HAS TO BE MADE AND THE DECISION HAS TO BE MADE THE RIGHT WAY TO TAKE CARE OF THE CITY.
YOU CAN LOSE EMPLOYEES, NOT HAVE 'EM HAVE BAD STREETS TO HAVE JUST POOR SERVICE.
I MEAN, IT'S A CALL THAT WE ALL HAVE TO DO TOGETHER.
SO IT'S UP TO US TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
UM, IN REFERENCE TO THE 3% COLA AND THE 2% MERIT, UM, I I, I KNOW WE WERE GOING TO IMPLEMENT THE SECOND PHASE OF THE, OF THE, UM, SALARY EMPLOYEE SALARY STUDY.
UM, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE 2% MERIT, BUT I DO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH BOTH OF 'EM.
ACROSS THE BOARD, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 5% ACROSS THE BOARD.
THAT'S A, THAT'S A BIT MUCH FOR ME NOW, YES, AS ALDERMAN ASTOR SAID, WE NEED TO KEEP HER EMPLOYEES, SO WE NEED TO PAY THEM.
AND I, AND I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE 2% MERIT, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT BOTH OF THESE SHOULD BE HANDLED AND GIVEN TO THE EMPLOYEES ACROSS THE BOARD.
5%, 5% TO A HIGH SALARY EMPLOYEE IS A LOT OF MONEY AS OPPOSED TO 5% TO A LOWER SALARY EMPLOYEE.
SO THERE'S BIG DIFFERENCE THERE WHEN YOU CALCULATE THE MONIES WITH THESE PERCENTAGES THAT WE WON'T PROPOSED ON, GIVEN OUR, OUR, OUR EMPLOYEES.
YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TO REMEMBER TOO, THE MERIT RAISE IS NOT ACROSS THE BOARD GIBB ME.
I MEAN, IT'S A, IT'S A RAISE THAT THEIR SUPERVISOR OR DEPARTMENT HEAD SAYS THAT THEY DESERVE BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING OUTSTANDING WORK.
WHAT IF THEY'RE DOING THEIR JOB, THEY TYPICALLY DON'T GET A MERIT RAISE THAT DOES.
SO THE MERIT RAISE IS TIED TO THE ANNUAL EVALUATION.
UM, AND IT REALLY DEPENDS ON HOW AN EMPLOYER RANKS.
IF, IF THEY DO AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB, THEN MOST LIKELY THEY WOULD GET A 2% INCREASE.
IF THEY'RE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, THEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT A 1% INCREASE.
IT REALLY ALL DEPENDS ON HOW THEY'RE RATED, UH, BY THEIR, BY THEIR SUPERVISOR.
AND IF THEY'RE DOING THEIR JOB, THEY GET ZERO PRESENTER.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST TO RECOGNIZE OUR EMPLOYEES THAT TO GO TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
WELL, YOU KNOW,
WELL, THAT'S WHAT THEY GET PAID TO DO, IS DO THEIR JOB
SO YOU, AND THAT'S WHY THEY GET MARRIED RAISED IF THEY GO ABOVE AND BEYOND THEIR JOB.
SO YOU JUST WANT SOMEBODY TO SIT THERE ALL 5, 10, 15 YEARS JUST BARELY DOING THE JOB.
WHEN YOU CAN EMPLOY SOMEBODY THAT'S GONNA GO ABOVE AND CALL WITH DUTY TO DO THEIR JOB.
IF THEY GO, AND I'M ALL FOR EMPLOYEES NOW, DON'T GET ME WRONG, IF THEY GO ABOVE THE CALL OF DUTY, THAT'S WHEN THEY ARE REWARDED WITH THEIR MERIT RAISE.
A MERIT OR EMPLOYEES SHOULD GET A MERIT RAISE IF IT AIN'T NOTHING BUT 0.50 CENTS.
IF THEY DON'T GET 1%, THEY SHOULD GET SOMETHING FOR SHOWING UP, DOING THEIR JOB.
BUT NOW FOR COLA, YEAH, BUT I STILL HAVE A PROBLEM WITH A 5%, WELL, 3% COLA ACROSS THE BOARD.
NO, THESE HIGHER SALARY EMPLOYEES.
IF YOU'RE LISTENING THE HIGHEST SALARY EMPLOYEES, I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S FAIR.
AND, AND THAT'S JUST MY, THAT'S MY OPINION ON THAT.
UH, OFFICER, CAN YOU REMIND, UH, US HOW MUCH WE INCREASE THE STREET PAVING BUDGET BY, DURING OUR BUDGET WORKSHOP? WE INCREASED THAT BUDGET.
WE, WE'LL PUT ABOUT $400,000 INTO THAT LINE ITEM THIS YEAR.
WE INCREASE THAT BY 200,000 TO 600,000.
AND WHAT WOULD THAT GET US? THREE MILES, TWO MILES.
IT, IT PROBABLY WON'T GET US IN TERMS OF MILES SINCE THERE'S SO MANY AREAS THAT WE'VE GOT TO, TO PATCH AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
[00:45:04]
UM, JUST TO COMMENT, MY MY PHILOSOPHY, I'VE BEEN, I THINK THIS IS EITHER MY NINTH OR 10TH BUDGET NOW THAT I'VE BEEN A PART OF.AND I'VE NEVER VOTED FOR A TAX INCREASE AND I, I DON'T INTEND ON DOING IT THIS TIME.
MY PHILOSOPHY ON GOVERNMENT IS YOU GROW YOUR BASE AND NOT GROW YOUR RATE.
AND FOR THE LAST NINE YEARS OR SO, THAT'S WORKED OUT PRETTY WELL FOR US.
AND I TALKED ABOUT REPLENISHING THAT FUND BALANCE.
SO WE'RE STATUTORY REQUIRED, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, TO PASS A BALANCE BUDGET.
MEANING THAT IF WE'RE SAYING WE'VE GOT X AMOUNT OF EXPENSES, WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH Y AMOUNT OF REVENUE AND THOSE NUMBERS HAVE TO MATCH.
SO IF WE WERE TO PUT MORE MONEY OR PULL MONEY OUT OF FUND BALANCE TO MAKE THAT BALANCE, IF HISTORY PROVES ITSELF CORRECTLY, WE CONTINUE TO GROW OUR ECONOMY AND WE SEE AN EXAMPLE LIKE THE OLD PEPSI PLANT THAT'S OUT ON MLK, THAT WAS A BRICK BUILDING THAT'S BEEN TORN DOWN AND NOW THERE'S A ROYAL FARMS GAS STATION GOING THERE.
I'M GONNA DO SOMETHING, I'VE BEEN MEANING TO DO THIS FOR A WHILE.
I'M GOING TO TAKE A HISTORICAL PICTURE OF WHAT THAT LOOKED LIKE BEFORE.
AND I'M GONNA TAKE A PICTURE OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN IT GETS OPEN AND I'M GOING TO CALCULATE WHAT TAX REVENUE THAT GENERATES FOR ALL OF US THAT WE'RE ABLE TO SPEND.
SO OFTENTIMES WE, WE'VE KIND OF DISCUSSED THIS TONGUE IN CHEEK ABOUT NEW RESTAURANTS COMING AND SOMEONE SAYING, I REALLY WISH THE NEW MEXICAN RESTAURANT WAS A STEAKHOUSE VERSUS A MEXICAN RESTAURANT.
BUT THE REALITY IS, IS THAT NEW MEXICAN RESTAURANT HAS CONTRIBUTED MORE TO THE TAX BASE THAN THAT VACANT EMPTY PROPERTY WAS.
AND THAT'S THE PHILOSOPHY THAT I HOPE WE WOULD ALL HAVE, IS WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR VACANT BUILDINGS BECOME OCCUPIED, OLDER STRUCTURES GET IMPROVED AND WE ACTUALLY BRING IN MORE TAX REVENUE THAT WAY VERSUS INCREASING OUR TAX RATE.
SO WHAT I WOULD PROPOSE AND WHAT I'VE SAID EARLIER IS WE DELAY THIS COAL IN MERIT UNTIL DECEMBER.
WE SEE WHAT THE SALES TAX REVENUE LOOKS LIKE.
BECAUSE AGAIN, I THINK LAST YEAR WAS ONE OF THE RECORD YEARS WE'VE HAD WITH SALES TAX REVENUE GENERATION.
SO WE'RE BRINGING MORE MONEY IN THAN WHAT OUR BUDGET LAST YEAR SAID WE WERE GONNA BRING IN.
WHICH MEANS WE'RE GONNA PUT MONEY INTO THE FUND BALANCE.
IT'S GONNA BE A, A NET INCREASE IN OUR FUND BALANCE THIS YEAR BASED OFF OF OUR GROWTH THAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED.
HOW MUCH THAT IS, I DON'T THINK WE KNOW THAT NUMBER YET, BUT WE'LL KNOW THE CLOSE OF THE BOOKS TALKING ABOUT SALES TAX.
I THINK IT WAS MENTIONED THAT IT WAS WHAT, 11.7 MILLION IN SALES TAX.
SO AGAIN, THAT ADDS TO OUR REVENUE AS WELL.
QUESTION AGAIN, COLA IS WHAT PERCENTAGE? 3%.
AND COLA IS ACROSS THE BOARD ON COLA'S ACROSS THE BOARD.
AND MERIT IS WHAT, AGAIN? MERIT IS BASED ON, ON HOW YOU'RE EVALUATED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF YOUR JOB DUTIES.
AND SO IF A MERIT ISN'T IMPLEMENTED AND IT'S 2%, NOT EVERY EMPLOYEE WOULD GET 2%, SOME MAY GET 1%, SOME COULD GET ONE AND A HALF PERCENT, SOME COULD GET, UH, A HALF OF A PERCENT.
IT JUST ALL DEPENDS ON HOW THEY RATE ON THEIR INDIVIDUAL EVALUATION.
AND THAT'S LEFT TO THE DISCRETION OF THE SUPERVISOR.
IT IT'S BASED ON THE SCORES THAT THE SUPERVISOR GRADE THEIR EMPLOYEES ON, THEN THAT, THAT INFORMATION IS, IS COMPILED AND AND TABULATED BY OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT IN A HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT IN TERMS OF WHAT THE RATE WOULD ACTUALLY BE.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS MR. MANAGER? ARE YOU LOOKING FOR SOME DIRECTION? I'M LOOKING FOR SOME DIRECTION.
UH, MY DIRECTION IS, UM, THE SAME AS IT WAS MONTHS AGO.
THAT'S MY STANCE AND THAT'S MY STANCE AS WELL.
I THINK WE SHOULD GO WITH THE REVENUE NEUTRAL RATE FOR, FOR THE TAXES.
HAVE Y'ALL HAD CONVERSATION WITH THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT REVENUE NEUTRAL? CAUSE HE'S, HE, HE, WE SENT HIM BACK.
HE CUT ALL ABOUT ALL THE BUDGET.
HE KNEW HOW TO CUT OUT OF IT AND NOW YOU WANT HIM TO CUT ALL THIS MORE OUT OF IT.
I MEAN, THERE'S ONLY TWO THINGS THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN HERE.
WE EITHER HAVE TO MAKE MORE MONEY OR CUT SERVICES.
WHICH SERVICE DO YOU WANT TO CUT? I THINK WE HAVE ALREADY MADE OUR RECOMMENDATION THAT WE CUT MERIT AND COLA AND TAKE THE REST.
THAT'S WHAT I'M, THAT'S MY POINT.
WE ARE NOT ASKING HIM TO CUT ANY SERVICES.
I I AND I AGREE WITH THE MAYOR.
I'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT THE REVENUES COMING IN IS GONNA BE LIKE FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR OUR TAXES IN SALES TAX.
SO RIGHT NOW, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WHAT I'M HEARING IS CUT, CUT COLA AND MERIT GO TO REVENUE NEUTRAL.
UM, AND BASICALLY WITH THE REMAINDER LOOK AT BALANCING WITH FUND BALANCE, WHICH IS TANYA, CAN YOU GIMME A, AN ESTIMATE ON WHAT THAT WOULD BE IF WE, IF WE PULLED COLA AND MERIT, WHAT IS OUR SHORTFALL?
[00:50:01]
THAT'S THE POINT.4 0 3 IS WHERE THAT'S, THAT IS IF IT WAS IMPLEMENTED, IF THE CO PERMIT WERE IMPLEMENTED IN JANUARY OF 2024, IF IT'S NOT IMPLEMENTED AT ALL, THEN THAT REDUCES.
YEAH, THAT'S THE NUMBER THAT WE NEED.
BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO MAKE AN ASSUMPTION THAT WE'RE GONNA DO IT IN JANUARY UNTIL WE SEE THE REVENUES.
AND AGAIN, I MEAN, LET'S BE HONEST, THERE'S, THERE'S AN ART TO THIS GAME AND IT'S YES, SIR.
COURTESY OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PASSING A GENERAL OF MOUNTAINS BUDGET.
DO THEY, ARE THEY REQUIRED TO DO THAT? YES.
THE GOVERNOR HASN'T NECESSARILY SIGNED IT EVERY YEAR.
MR. MR. HUGHES, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR DIRECTION, WHAT YOU'VE HEARD FROM THREE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, YOU HAVEN'T HEARD FROM FOUR MEMBERS OF THE BOARD? YES.
I'M NOT NECESSARILY IN FULL AGREEMENT WITH YOUR PROPOSED TAX RATE OF 41 CENTS.
UM, I'M ALSO NOT IN FAVOR OF A REVENUE NEUTRAL TAX RATE.
SO I'M SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE.
I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION AS I INDICATED THAT I WILL BE SITTING DOWN WITH YOU IN A COUPLE OF DAYS, MAYBE EVEN TOMORROW.
I FORGET WHAT DAY IT WAS, THURSDAY.
UM, TO TALK A LITTLE BIT FURTHER ABOUT, UM, THE BUDGET, UH, AND ABOUT THE NUMBERS.
UM, SO PENCIL ME ON A TAX RATE INCREASE.
I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
WELCOME TO I, I JUST THINK YOU CAN, I I'M JUST REAL CONCERNED ABOUT OUR EMPLOYEES.
I MEAN, I, I I I THINK YOU, YOU'RE OPENING UP CAN OF WORMS AND WE'RE GONNA START LOSING EMPLOYEES AGAIN.
IT, IT, IT IS A VALID CONCERN.
UH, I BELIEVE THAT ROCKY MOUNT ANNOUNCED A COUPLE WEEKS AGO THAT THEIR STARTING POLICE SALARY IS $60,000.
BUT I'VE SAID THIS COMMENT BEFORE, THERE IS A VALUE OF LIVING IN NEW BERN AND WORKING FOR THE CITY OF NEW BERN VERSUS SOME OF THESE COMPETITIVE CITIES.
AND THERE'S ALSO A VALUE OF MAKING $20,000 A YEAR MORE IN SALARY.
MEAN? WELL THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S THE QUESTION THAT EVERY INDIVIDUAL HAS TO ASK HIMSELF.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY IN THIS AUDIENCE HAS BEEN IN THE WORKFORCE HAS HAD TO MAKE DECISIONS THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER.
YOU KNOW, I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW I'VE PASSED UP NUMEROUS PROMOTIONS.
UH, ONE WAS TO TEXAS AND IT WAS QUITE A BIT OF MONEY.
AND, UH, I'M THANKFUL THAT I STAYED RIGHT HERE IN NEWBURN.
AND, AND AS A REMINDER, WE DID PASS THE 13TH HOLIDAY.
SO, YOU KNOW, NOT ALL BENEFITS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS BUDGET.
SO THREE OF YOU, I THINK THE MANAGER NEEDS TO HEAR FROM YOU SO WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM SO HE CAN HAVE SOME DIRECTION.
OF COURSE, WE ALREADY VOTED FOR THE SALARY INCREASE AND I AGREE ALSO IF WE COULD WAIT AND DELAY THE COLA AND THE MERIT AND LET US SEE WHERE, WHAT DIRECTION WE GO IN.
YEAH, YOU CAN, YOU CAN DO WHAT YOU WANT TO.
DON'T MESS WITH THEIR EMPLOYEES AND THEIR SALARIES.
YOU GOT ENOUGH? SO ALT MACKENZIE, IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A PASS, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO, UNLESS YOU JUST WANT TO VOICE YOUR OPINION ON WHERE YOU STAND.
WELL, I'M FOR THE, UH, I DON'T WANT TO LOSE THE EMPLOYEES.
WHAT WE HAVE RATHER ACTUALLY SET UP FOR THEM AND I'D LIKE TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
UH, MR. MANAGER, UM, I WILL TAKE MY BUDGET BOOK WITH ME THIS WEEK WHENEVER I TRAVEL.
AND, UM, I WILL SEND YOU A LIST OF ITEMS THAT I FEEL LIKE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED THAT COULD BE CUT FROM THE BUDGET AND YOU CAN DO WITH IT AS YOU SEE FIT.
ANYONE ELSE SINCE, SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BUDGET HERE? UM, I, I JUST WANT TO, TO IMPLEMENT THIS.
YOU KNOW, I HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANY NUMBERS BACK.
UM, IT WAS, WE DISCUSSED IT AT THE BUDGET, UM, ABOUT REFURBISHING AND ADDITIONAL FIRE TRUCKS.
SO WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME OF THAT? SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE APPROXIMATELY 1.2 MILLION IN THE BUDGET FOR A NEW FIRETRUCK REFURBISHED, TWO OTHER FIRETRUCK.
WE DID GET QUOTATIONS BACK, UH, ON WHAT IT WOULD COST FOR TWO FIRE TRUCKS.
IT ENDS UP BEING APPROXIMATELY $1.9 MILLION.
[00:55:01]
TRUCKS FOR TWO TRUCKS GONNA TAKE TWO PLUS YEARS TO ORDER.SO THE CURRENT PLAN WAS TO, TO KEEP THAT BUDGET NUMBER IN PLACE, COME BACK TO THE GOVERNING BOARD IN THE NEW BUDGET YEAR AND GO THROUGH THE BUDGET AMENDMENT PROCESS.
SO WE ARE GONNA PURCHASE TWO TRUCKS PLUS REFURBISH TWO MM NO, NO.
REFURBISH ONE OF AMOUNT $50,000.
THE THE, THE SECOND TRUCK CAN BE RE THE FIRST TRUCK BE REFURBISHED TO APPROXIMATELY 400 AND SOME THOUSAND DOLLARS.
WE WOULDN'T END UP SELLING THAT IN THE BUYING ANOTHER TRUCK.
IS THAT GOING TO BE CAPITAL? THAT WILL BE CAPITAL I'LL OF EVEN THE $50,000? THAT, THAT'S CORRECT.
SO, UH, WE WOULD UM, BASICALLY GET A LOAN FOR THOSE PROCEEDS, BUT WE WOULD END UP GOING TO FUND BALANCE TO PAY THE DEPOSIT DOWN ON THAT.
TRADITIONALLY IT'S DEPENDING ON, THERE'S A RANGE THAT WE COULD, WE COULD PAY ON BASED ON WHATEVER VENDOR WE CHOOSE, WHETHER THAT'S 25, 50 OR 75 OR EVEN A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE PURCHASE OF THAT, UH, YOU GET A LITTLE DISCOUNT, UH, IF YOU PURCHASED, UH, UH, IF YOU, IF YOU PAY AHEAD OF THAT, WE CAN GET A LOAN, UH, AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO, TO COVER THAT ONCE THE TRUCKS COME IN.
AND I THINK I KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS, BUT YOU ALREADY HAVE A GROWTH PERCENTAGE BUILT INTO THE SALES TAX AND THE AORM TAX, CORRECT? YES.
CAUSE WE ARE SEEING SOME TREMENDOUS GROWTH.
AUBURN BRENTON'S AREA, THERE'S TWO NEW APARTMENT COMPLEXES GOING UP.
OTTOMAN, ASHER'S GOT HUNDREDS OF APARTMENTS AND DOCTOR'S OFFICES AND OTHER THINGS THAT'S BEING BUILT.
SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE GONNA HELP CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THIS TO THE EVENTUALLY, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T WANT TO BRING THIS UP, BUT I I I HAVE TO.
LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FEMA.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE CAT A WORK AND THE CAT D WORK AND ALL THE MONEY THAT THE CITY HAS SPENT.
AND WE'RE WAITING ON CLOSEOUTS TO GET THAT MONEY BACK.
I KNOW OF ONE BASIN THAT'S $900,000 THAT WE NEED TO CLOSE IT OUT, YOU KNOW, AND I CAN'T BEGIN TO TELL YOU HOW MANY OTHER, UH, THAT MAY BE OUT THERE, BUT I, I THINK IF TO, TO GENERATE SOME FUNDS HERE, WE NEED TO GET SOMEONE TO, LET'S START CLOSING OUT SOME OF THESE ACCOUNTS.
LET'S START CLOSING OUT SOME OF THESE PROJECT WORKSHEETS AND LET'S START COLLECTING MONEY.
CAUSE IF WE CLOSE 'EM OUT TODAY, IT MAY BE SIX MONTHS BEFORE WE SEE THE MONEY, BUT IF WE CLOSE 'EM OUT TODAY, IT IS A GOOD CHANCE WE'LL RECEIVE THE MONEY BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO GET THIS CAT A WORK DONE.
WE NEED TO GET THE CAT D WORK DONE, YOU KNOW, AND WE NEED TO START GETTING, CLOSING OUT SOME OF THESE, THESE FEMA PROJECTS AND, AND LET'S GET SOME MONEY BACK INTO OUR ACCOUNT AS A RESULT OF THAT.
I MEAN, THAT'S A, THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY OUT THERE AND, AND WE SAID EARLIER WHEN, WHEN ONE OF YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THEME PROJECT, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN UPDATE FOR YOU THE NEXT MEETING WHERE THINGS STAND AND WITH THE, WITH THE PROGRESS IS ON THAT.
YEAH, I THINK YOU SAID I WAS SAYING 3.5 MILLION, BUT THAT'S RIGHT.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THAT.
SO WE'LL HAVE AN UPDATE FOR YOU ON WHERE EVERYTHING STANDS.
ANYTHING ELSE? SO WHAT WAS THE FINAL DECISION HERE? WE WERE, IT WAS FOUR TO THREE TO REVISIT THIS BUDGET AND TAKE OUT, I HEARD, I HEARD FOUR.
YOU, ALTMAN, BRISSON, ALTMAN, ROYAL, AND MYSELF.
ALTMAN ASTRA I THINK SAID, AS LONG AS YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE EMPLOYEES SALARY, DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, DO WHAT YOU WANT TO, JUST DON'T MESS WITH OUR EMPLOYEES.
I JUST RECEIVED AN EMAIL TALKING ABOUT FROM SOME OF THE EMPLOYEES ALREADY.
YOU, WELL, IT'S NOT, WE ARE GOING TO LET THE EMPLOYEES BE AWARE NOW WE ARE GOING TO IMPLEMENT THAT 1.2 MILLION, THE SECOND PHASE THAT WE DISCUSSED.
UM, BUT, AND I'M ALL FOR THE EMPLOYEES.
I WANT THEM TO GET, BUT YOU, YOU KNOW, I WANT THEM TO GET THE 2% MERIT.
I WANT 'EM TO GET THE 3% COLA.
BUT I THINK RIGHT NOW WE NEED TO WAIT A LITTLE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW HOW OUR TAX REVENUE IS, WHAT IT'S GONNA BE LIKE AND WHAT OUR SALE TAX GONNA BE LIKE.
I JUST THINK THAT THAT WOULD ADD TO, TO THE, THE COST OF GIVING OUR EMPLOYEES THOSE, THOSE RAISES.
I'M ALL FOR THE EMPLOYEE, BUT I JUST THINK WE NEED TO WAIT RIGHT NOW.
JUST, I THINK WE'RE STARTING OFF ON THE WRONG FOOT AFTER SUCH A GIANT LEAP FORWARD FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.
AND NOW THEY WERE ALL EXPECTING THAT.
CAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF THE, THE THINGS THEY TALKED ABOUT.
DOES THAT STILL MEAN YOU'RE GOING TO, WHAT ARE YOU GOING, YOU GONNA CUT OUR MERIT RAISES OUT OR OUR COLA RAISES OUT AS A RESULT OF THIS AND WE, NO, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS IS GOING TO STILL, THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
I'M SAYING LET'S WAIT
I'M SAYING LET'S, WELL I'M OKAY.
[01:00:01]
I'M OKAY WITH WITH WAITING ON THE MERITS.BUT I, I WOULD CERTAINLY LIKE TO SEE THE COAL TAKE EFFECT.
I MEAN, WHAT'S THE INFLATION IS 8%, APPROXIMATELY 8.5%.
I MEAN, THE EMPLOYEES HAVE TO BUY GROCERIES TOO.
YOU KNOW WHAT, I COULD SIT UP HERE AND I COULD REALLY GO OFF ON THE DEEP END RIGHT NOW WHEN THIS BOARD DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO GIVE US A RAISE.
IT'S ALL, BUT YET WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REC, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WE'RE EMPLOYEES TOO.
WE'RE NOT IN AN ESSENCE, WE'RE NOT EMPLOYEES.
I I WOULD, I WOULD OFFER THAT I THINK THIS DISCUSSION HAS HIGHLIGHTED THE NEED FOR NOT A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT A PLAN THAT LOOKS MORE BROADLY AT THINGS.
AND I'LL GIVE YOU ONE EXAMPLE, FOSTER.
WE HAVE 27 PARKS IN THE CITY OF NUER.
AND AN AVERAGE CITY OUR SIZE WOULD TYPICALLY HAVE HOW MANY? SEVEN OR EIGHT.
SO THERE ARE THINGS THAT PEOPLE ENJOY THAT COME WITH A COST.
AND THOSE ARE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE LOOKED AT.
CAUSE THERE'S MAINTENANCE OF THOSE PARKS.
THERE'S UPKEEP, THERE'S THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE DONE THAT ARE ALL FACTORED IN THIS BUDGET.
CAUSE YOU HAVE TO HAVE EMPLOYEES TO MAINTAIN THOSE PARKS.
AND IT'S A DECISION THAT REALLY THE CITIZENS NEED TO CHIME IN ON.
DO THEY ENJOY 27 PARKS WORTH A TAX INCREASE POTENTIALLY.
YOU CLOSE ALL THE PARKS, THE CITY PARKS IN MY DISTRICT.
HOW ABOUT THAT
I DON'T HAVE ANY OF MINE EITHER.
IT'S JUST, UH, IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED.
AND, AND MY LAST COMMENT, I PROMISE ON THIS TOPIC IS I KNOW THIS BOARD AND THE PREVIOUS BOARD, WE HAVE DISCUSSED A FIRE STATION ON THE WEST END OF THE CITY.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S A NEED, THERE'S ALSO A COST.
AND BASED OFF OF THESE NEW PROJECTIONS OF REVENUE, IT WOULD BE ABOUT 3 CENTS ACCORDING TO MY CALCULATION TO MAN AND OPERATE ANOTHER FIRE STATION.
SO WE WILL HAVE THIS DISCUSSION AGAIN IN THE FUTURE AT SOME POINT IN TIME.
ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY, LET'S MOVE ON
[8. Consider Adopting a Resolution Closing Specific Streets for Downtown Street Cafes and Entertainment.]
TO ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.CONSIDER ADOPTING A RESOLUTION.
CLOSING SPECIFIC STREETS FOR DOWNTOWN STREET CAFES AND ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTER.
LOOKS LIKE MS. WARREN IS GOING TO PRESENT THIS.
AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO SPOKE, UH, FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING.
THAT'S ACTUALLY, UH, PRETTY RARE.
WE USUALLY HAVE OUR BUDGET PUBLIC HEARINGS AND THERE'S NOBODY THAT SPEAKS.
BUT I GUESS WHEN YOU SAY THERE'S A TAX INCREASE, THAT'S HOW TO GET MORE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UM, SO SWISS BEARS MADE A REQUEST TO CLOSE DOWNTOWN STREETS.
THE 200 BLOCK OF MIDDLE 300 BLOCK OF MIDDLE, A PORTION OF IT, AND 300 BLOCK OF P*****K, UM, FOR STREET CAFES.
THIS IS GONNA BE ON FRIDAY NIGHTS, BEGINNING MAY 26TH THROUGH JUNE 30TH.
AND THEN EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT IN THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, THIS WILL ADD UP TO ABOUT 11 TOTAL FRIDAY NIGHTS OF STREET CLOSURES DOWNTOWN.
UM, WE PROVIDED SEVERAL PIECES OF INFORMATION FROM SWISS BAYER REGARDING, UM, BUSINESSES THAT WERE EITHER FOR OR AGAINST THE CLOSURE.
UM, THERE WERE ALSO, I THINK, A LETTER THAT WAS SUBMITTED FROM THE RIVERTOWN BALLROOM, UM, WITH THEIR CONCERNS.
SO WHATEVER QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE REGARDING THIS CLOSURE, UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS, MORE THAN WELCOME TO ANSWER 'EM.
I'VE I'VE JUST GOT A QUESTION.
SO ON THE FORM THAT, UM, WAS PUT IN, THERE'S A SECTION WHERE IT SAYS FOOD VENDORS, THEY'RE NOT REQUESTING ANY FOOD VENDORS.
DOES THAT INCLUDE FOOD TRUCKS OR NOT? YES, THAT WOULD BE FOOD TRUCKS.
SO THERE'S NO REQUEST FOR FOOD TRUCKS? NO.
SO, UM, MS. WARREN, HOW MANY YOU HAVE? UM, A PETITION SIGNED BY SOME OF THE, UH, BUSINESS OWNERS FROM DOWNTOWN.
WE DO HAVE, UM, EMAILS TO THAT EFFECT FROM THOSE BUSINESSES THAT WERE ON THE STREETS THAT ARE REQUESTING TO BE CLOSED.
AND I THINK MS. HARK ALSO PUT OUT LETTERS TO THE RESIDENCE.
DID YOU HAVE ANY HI, LYNN HARK.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SWISS BAY.
UM, AND YES, UM, THERE WERE LETTERS THAT WERE MAILED OUT TO ALL OF THE, UM, RESIDENTS IN THE AFFECTED AREA, UM,
[01:05:01]
LETTING THEM KNOW ABOUT THE STREET CLOSURES AND WHEN IT WAS GOING TO BE PUT BEFORE THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN.AND I HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY COMMENTS FROM ANY OF THOSE, UM, RESIDENTS.
I WAS REALLY SPEAKING IN REFERENCE TO THE BUSINESS OWNERS.
ARE THEY OPPOSED TO THIS OR ARE THEY IN FAVOR OF IT? THE MAJORITY ARE IN FAVOR OF IT.
THERE ARE FOUR BUSINESSES THAT ARE OPPOSED.
THERE WERE 22 THAT WERE IN FAVOR.
UM, I DO HAVE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR EVERYBODY TO BE AWARE OF THAT ON THE 200 BLOCK OF MIDDLE.
I I WITH REGARD TO RETAIL AND SERVICE BUSINESSES.
AND WHEN I'M TALKING ABOUT SERVICE BUSINESSES, I'M TALKING ABOUT CONSUMER SERVICE BUSINESSES LIKE HAIR SALONS AND BARBERSHOPS AND THINGS ALONG THOSE LINES.
UM, DRIP BY B FALLS INTO THAT CATEGORY.
SO ON THE 200 BLOCK, THERE ARE 18, UM, RETAIL AND SERVICE BUSINESSES.
OF THOSE 18, 13 OF THEM CLOSE AT 6:00 PM OR EARLIER, THE REQUESTED STREET CLOSURES ARE NOT UNTIL 6:00 PM.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, ON THE 300 BLOCK, THERE ARE FIVE FOUR CLOSE AT 6:00 PM OR EARLIER.
AND ON THE 300 BLOCK OF P*****K, THERE ARE TWO, AND THEY BOTH CLOSE AT 6:00 PM OR EARLIER.
UM, THE, UM, RIVERTOWN DANCE STUDIO AND STANLEY HALL, THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
UM, RIVERTOWN, THEY DO CLASSES, UM, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ONE FRIDAY EVENING A MONTH.
THEY DO HAVE AN OPEN DANCE THAT GOES FROM SIX UNTIL SEVEN 30 AT NIGHT.
BUT OTHERWISE, ON FRIDAYS, THEIR CLASSES ARE ENDING AT THREE O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON.
STANLEY HALL CAN ACTUALLY LEASE OUT THEIR SPACE ON A FRIDAY OR SATURDAY NIGHT.
THE MAJORITY OF THOSE, THOSE RENTALS ARE ON SATURDAY NIGHTS FOR WEDDINGS.
THERE ARE CONCERNS WITH PARKING THAT WE WERE EXPRESSED IN THAT LETTER.
UM, I HAVE A DOWNTOWN INVENTORY OF PARKING.
I'M HAPPY TO LEAVE THAT MAP WITH Y'ALL.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THAT.
I JUST ASKED TO GET IT BACK FROM YOU.
UM, I TOOK A LOOK AT, UM, THE INVENTORY THAT'S AVAILABLE NOW AT FIRST STREET PARKING ON, UH, CRAVEN 100 AND 200 AND 300 BLOCKS.
SAME FOR MIDDLE STREET AND FOR P*****K STREET.
LOOKED AT 200, 300, 400, SAME FOR SOUTH FRONT AND FOR BROAD STREET.
ALSO LOOKED AT THE PUBLIC PARKING LOTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN THE DOWNTOWN.
THE NUMBER OF SPACES THAT ARE AVAILABLE, THE NUMBER OF LEAST SPACES BY THE CITY THAT ARE AVAILABLE AFTER 5:00 PM DO NOT INCLUDE THOSE THAT RELEASED FOR 24 HOURS.
UM, AND FOR CITIZENS BANK HAS BEEN EXTREMELY COOPERATIVE WITH THIS, UM, EFFORT.
AND, UM, THE, ALL OF THEIR SPACES ARE AVAILABLE AS WELL.
AND PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO DRIVE THEIR CARS, UM, ONTO THE 400 BLOCK OF P*****K, BE ABLE TO TAKE A LEFT HAND TURN ONTO THE 300 BLOCK OF MIDDLE AND BE ABLE TO ACCESS THAT PARKING LOT OF ALL OF THOSE PARKING SPACES THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
THERE ARE 608 PARKING SPACES AVAILABLE JUST IN THOSE LOCATIONS AND NOT INCLUDING ANY OTHER PRIVATE LOTS THAT EXIST IN OUR DOWNTOWN AREA.
AND WE ALL KNOW THAT PEOPLE PARK IN PRIVATE PARKING SLOTS THAT BELONG TO BUSINESSES ALL THE TIME IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
BUT THAT INVENTORY IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS NUMBER WITHOUT INCLUDING THAT NUMBER.
AND I ALSO WOULD JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT IN GENERAL THAT IN DOWNTOWN NEWBURN IN THE MS D, THERE'S 3,180 PARKING SPACES OF THE 3,180 PARKING SPACES, THOUGH 1776 ARE OWNED PRIVATELY.
DON'T KNOW IF THAT INFORMATION'S HELPFUL.
I THINK TWO THINGS TOO, UH, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT THE NUMBER OF DATES THAT YOU'RE ASKING IS LESS THAN IT WAS LAST YEAR, CONSIDERABLY BY OVER 20.
AND YOU ALSO, THE COMMITTEE THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER RECOMMENDED 6:00 PM CLOSURE VERSUS A 5:00 PM THAT'S CORRECT.
FOR THE VERY REASON THAT MOST BUSINESSES, IF THEY'RE NOT STAYING OPEN UNTIL EIGHT O'CLOCK AT NIGHT, THEY ARE CLOSED DOWN BY SIX O'CLOCK.
I BELIEVE YOU'VE ALSO MADE A CHANGE ON MIDDLE STREET, ON THE UPPER BLOCK OF MIDDLE STREET, WHERE YOU'RE ONLY PROPOSING TO CLOSE YES.
HALF OF THE STREET AS OPPOSED TO THE FULL BLOCK.
SO THERE'S 20 AVAILABLE PARKING SPACES ON THE 300 BLOCK OF MIDDLE STREET.
ONLY NINE BLOCKING SPACES WILL NOT BE ACCESSIBLE, BUT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE FIRST CITIZEN'S BANK PARKING LOT AND
[01:10:01]
PARK THERE.THE REQUEST IS TO CLOSE PORTIONS TO ALLOW FOR OPERATION OF STREET CAFES ALONG WITH FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT.
PERHAPS OUR CITIZENS WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT DOES THAT ENTAIL? FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT.
THE ONLY ENTERTAINMENT THAT WOULD BE HAPPENING WOULD BE IF ANY OF THE RESTAURANTS WOULD BE HAVING SOME, UH, ACOUSTICAL MUSIC ON THE STREET.
AND LASTLY, I KNOW WE DISCUSSED PREVIOUS, OH, OKAY.
WE DO HAVE, WE DO HAVE GAMES THAT ARE PART OF, UM, THAT WERE PURCHASED BY A COMBINATION OF SWISS BEAR AND DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES.
AND THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES WILL PUT OUT CORNHOLE BOARDS AND, UH, PARKS AND REC BRINGS OUT, UM, LARGE, UH, SCALE, UM, CHESS BOARDS.
SO THIS IS IN CONJUNCTION WITH PARKS AND REC? YES.
PARKS AND REC DOES BRING THOSE OUT.
THE BUSINESSES BRING OUT THE, THE CORNHOLE BOARDS.
UH, LAST QUESTION IS, I KNOW WE TALKED PREVIOUSLY ABOUT THE, THE POSSIBILITY OF DEVELOPING A POLICY FOR STREET CLOSURES.
WHERE ARE WE ON THAT? SO WE, WE DO HAVE A POLICY ON STREET CLOSURES, AND THAT IS VETTED BY PARKS AND RECREATION.
THEN IT'S BROUGHT TO THE GOVERNING BOARD.
AND, UH, THE, THE CONVERSATION REALLY REVOLVED AROUND DETERMINING HOW THOSE STREETS ARE CLOSED, UH, UH, WHETHER OR NOT WE DO A POLL OF THE VARIOUS BUSINESSES TO, TO LOOK AT A MAJORITY OF BUSINESSES OR, OR WHATNOT.
AND MY COMMENTS HAVE BEEN, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO FALL IN STAFF'S HANDS.
I CAN SEE THAT GOING WRONG IN, IN A MAJOR WAY.
UM, I THINK THE, IN REALITY, I THINK THE EASIEST THING TO DO FOR THIS IS ONCE STAFF DOES THEIR PROPER VET FOLLOWING THE ORDINANCE THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN PLACE, AND THE GUIDELINES THEY HAVE ESTABLISHED TO BRING THIS TO THE GOVERNING BOARD TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE A CLOSURE OR NOT.
COULD, COULD, I, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE THIS ANSWER OR NOT, BUT I'M LOOKING AT THE SHEET THAT SHOWS THAT YES AND NOS.
UM, I KNOW THAT FOR ONE CAROLINA CREATIONS, THE CITY MANAGER, AND I MET WITH THE NEW OWNER THERE LAST WEEK, I BELIEVE.
AND WHEN SHE FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS 6:00 PM CLOSING, SHE SAID SHE HAD NO ISSUE.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
YOU COULD PROBABLY CROSS HER OFF TOM'S COINS.
ISN'T TOM CLOSED BY SIX O'CLOCK ON FRIDAY NIGHTS? YES.
SOMETIMES SHE WILL STAY OPEN FOR, UM, FOR STREET CLOSURES.
I I THINK THE, THE CONUNDRUM HERE, UM, IS OBVIOUSLY A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION.
UM, I'VE HEARD FROM SOME FOLKS THAT FEEL LIKE IT'S UNFAIR FOR THE STREET TO BE CLOSED, FOR RESTAURANTS TO BE ABLE TO BASICALLY EXPAND THEIR BUSINESS AND HAVE MORE CUSTOMERS AND INCREASE THEIR REVENUE.
AND I THINK, UM, THIS ATTORNEY, YOU'LL HAVE TO CORRECT ME, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT A BUSINESS THAT SELLS A RETAIL PRODUCT HAS THE AUTHORITY TO PUT THAT PRODUCT OUTSIDE AND SELL BASED OFF OF OUR COURT CURRENT ORDINANCE.
IT'S ONLY TO SERVE FOOD BASED OFF OF WHAT YOUR BOSS TOLD ME.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, YES, SIR.
SO MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT, BECAUSE IF I OWN A RETAIL CLOTHING STORE DOWNTOWN AND THE STREETS CLOSE, AND I WANT TO BRING RACKS OF CLOTHES OUT TO ATTRACT BUSINESS IN, LEGALLY THEY CAN'T DO THAT.
ALTHOUGH I THINK IT DOES HAPPEN.
JUST LIKE THE SIGNS, EVERY TIME YOU SEE A SIGN DOWNTOWN, THESE SANDWICH BOARD SIGNS, THEY'RE ALL ILLEGAL TOO, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO ADDRESS.
BUT MY, WHAT I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO DO IS TO IMPROVE ON THE ENTERTAINMENT ASPECT, HAVE MORE ACTIVITIES.
I KNOW YOU'RE DOING SOME, BUT IF YOU CAN DO MORE.
AND THEN ALSO, I THINK IA MAY BE ALLUDING TO THIS, BUT INVITE FOOD TRUCKS TO COME IN, BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU, I'LL, I'LL BE HONEST, THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THE COMMENTS THAT I HEAR FROM CITIZENS IS THEY ENJOY THE STREET CAFES.
THEY WANT TO SEE THOSE CONTINUE.
THEY DON'T LIKE 'EM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER, WHICH YOU'VE ADDRESSED THAT HERE.
BUT THEY'VE ALSO SAID THAT IF THEY COME DOWN, MAYBE THEY DON'T WANT TO EAT AT ONE OF THE RESTAURANTS, BUT THEY DO WANNA BROWSE AND SHOP.
AND IF THERE WAS A FOOD TRUCK THERE, IT WOULD INVITE THEM AND MORE PEOPLE TO COME DOWN AND PARTICIPATE.
SO IF THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN FIND TO ENCOURAGE THAT, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND.
UM, IF IT'S THE WILL OF THE BOARD, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO TRY TO ARRANGE FOR SOME FOOD TRUCKS.
I WOULD, UM, SUGGEST THAT THEY'D BE SIMPLE, GRAB AND GO FOOD FOR PEOPLE WITH YOUNG CHILDREN.
MAYBE, YOU KNOW, HOT DOGS OR SLICES OF PIZZA OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, SOMETHING THAT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE AFFORDABLE FOR YOUNG FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN.
BE HAPPY TO TRY TO ARRANGE THAT.
AND SO YOU WOULD REACH OUT TO THE VENDORS OR HOW WOULD THEY BE TO CONTACT YOU? WELL, THERE ARE, PEOPLE WOULD BE ABLE TO CONTACT, UM, TO CONTACT ME OR ANNEMARIE
[01:15:01]
BIRD, UM, WHO WORKS WITH ME.UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE A, A LIST OF VENDORS AND I, THE CITY HAS LISTS OF VENDORS THAT THEY WORK WITH, SOME OF THEIR EVENTS.
AND I COULD ALSO, UM, SEE WHAT OPTIONS THERE MIGHT BE THAT I, I DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE INFORMATION ON.
SECOND, NO MOTION AND A SECOND.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN ROYAL.
[9. Consider Adopting a Resolution Authorizing the Execution of a Contract with T.A. Loving Company for the Stanley White Recreation Center Project.]
NUMBER NINE, CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF A CONTRACT WITH TA LOVING COMPANY FOR THE STANLEY, A WHITE RECREATION CENTER PROJECT, MR. HUGHES.SO I'D LIKE TO TO BRING CHRIS VOLCANO.
HE IS OUR REPRESENTATIVE WITH C P L ARCH ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERS TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON, ON WHAT THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS HAS BEEN AND, UH, GO FROM THERE.
UM, I AM CHRIS VOLCANO WITH CPL ARCHITECTS.
UM, SO I BELIEVE AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING YOU ALL WERE PRESENTED WITH TA LOVING COMPANY AS THE APPARENT LO BIDDER.
UM, AT THIS POINT, UM, WE HAVE ENTERED INTO CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS WITH THEM.
UM, THEY HAVE SINCE PROVIDED THEIR AFFIDAVIT C UM, AND THE REFERENCES, WHICH WE'RE CURRENTLY REVIEWING RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND WE ARE MOVING FORWARD TOWARDS A MOBILIZATION DATE WITH THEM, UH, BASED ON WHERE WE ARE WITH OUR PERMITS, UM, AND OUTSTANDING ITEMS AND THE CONTRACTS THAT STILL NEED TO BE EXECUTED.
THEY'RE ANTICIPATING AN EARLY JULY TO, UM, MID-JULY MOBILIZATION DATE TO GET STARTED.
UM, AND THAT, THAT'S PART OF THEIR AVAILABILITY, UH, PART OF, UH, US BEING ABLE TO GET THE CONTRACTS SIGNED AND EXECUTED AS WELL AS GET THE NECESSARY PERMITS, UM, ONCE WE HAVE THE CONTRACT ON BOARD.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, UM, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE.
UM, AT THIS POINT, WE, WE ARE AWAITING FEEDBACK FROM TA LOVING ON THE CONTRACT.
UH, THE CITY HAS REVIEWED IT, GIVEN THEIR EDITS, SO WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR TA LOVING AT THIS POINT TO, TO DO THE SAME BOARD.
I I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS, BUT THESE PROBABLY ARE BETTER FOR, UH, THE CITY MANAGER.
UH, I SAW ON THE CONTRACT WE DECIDED NOT TO TAKE TWO OF THE OPTIONS ON THERE.
ONE OF THEM BEING A STANLEY WHITE HISTORY WALL.
WHAT IS OUR PLAN FOR DOING THAT? INSTEAD OF USING A THIRD PARTY TO DO THIS? WE'RE GOING TO CONTRACT, UH, SEPARATELY WITH A DESIGN FIRM THAT, THAT SPECIALIZES THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO SAVE A LITTLE MONEY DOING THAT.
SECOND THING WAS ALSO LANDSCAPING.
WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO USE OUR PUBLIC WORKS AND PARKS AND RECREATION STACK TO DO THE FINE GRADING, INSTALL FACADE PLANNINGS AND THINGS, AND BE ABLE TO SAVE MONEY ON.
THAT, THAT'S WHAT I ASSUME, BUT I WANT TO MAKE 'EM FAX.
SO THE NEXT TIME YOU COME BACK TO US TO SPEAK WITH US, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO BRING US A POWERPOINT TO SHOW US SOME ACTION.
NO, WE'RE, WE'RE HOPING THAT, UH, ONCE THEY GET MOBILIZED, THE THINGS SHOULD MOVE PRETTY QUICKLY.
UM, I KNOW THAT THE, THE HOUSE THAT IS CURRENTLY, UH, LOCATED ON THE SITE, I THINK IS, UH, IS ABOUT TO BE RELOCATED.
UM, SO THINGS ARE ALREADY KIND OF STARTING TO MOVE.
UH, BUT YEAH, ONCE WE, ONCE WE GET SOME PHOTOS AND EVERYTHING, WE'LL DEFINITELY BE BACK TO SHARE.
ALSO, THE, AGAIN, OUR CITIZENS ARE EXTREMELY READY TO SEE THIS PROJECT TAKE ON FORM.
WOULD YOU RESTATE THAT TIMELINE AGAIN? SURE.
UM, SO AT THIS POINT, UH, THE, THE CITY HAS REVIEWED THE CONTRACT TA LOVING, UH, IS IN POSSESSION OF THE EDITS.
THEY'RE REVIEWING IT WITH THEIR ATTORNEYS, AND WE'RE HOPING TO GET THAT BACK IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO.
UM, AND THEN FROM THERE, UH, WE HAVE A FEW OUTSTANDING PERMIT ITEMS, UH, WITH THE, UH, WITH DOI AND THE, UH, THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL, UH, THEY WANT TO SEE THE SHOP DRAWINGS FOR, UH, THE EXTERIOR OF THE BUILDING AS
[01:20:01]
WELL AS THE ENTRY CANOPY AND THE STEEL INVOLVED WITH THAT.SO ONCE THE CONTRACTOR'S ON BOARD, WE ARE GOING TO SUBMIT THOSE DRAWINGS, UH, THAT ARE PROVIDED BY THE CONTRACTOR TO DOI TO GET THEIR FINAL APPROVAL.
AND ONCE WE GET THEIR FINAL APPROVAL, UM, WE CAN GET THE PERMITS THAT WE NEED AND WE CAN KIND OF MOVE FORWARD INTO MOBILIZATION.
SO, UH, THEY'RE ANTICIPATING BASED ON THAT TIMELINE AND THE REVIEW PERIODS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AN EARLY JULY TO MID-JULY TIMEFRAME.
AND I'M SEEING HERE THAT IT SAYS THE DRAFT CONTRACT INDICATES THE PROJECT IS TO BE COMPLETED 15 MONTHS FROM THE DATE OF COMMENCEMENT.
SO IF WE'RE TALKING PERHAPS JULY FOR PERMITS AND ALL THE OTHER, UH, INTRICATE DETAILS AND THE HOUSE BEING MOVED, WE'RE HOPING TO, DID YOU SAY BEGIN IN JULY OR? YEAH, THEY, THEY WOULD BEGIN WORK IN, IN GROUNDBREAKING IN JULY.
AND I AGREE WITH ALDERMAN KENZIE.
I'D LOVE TO SEE THAT IN THE PRESENTATION.
THAT'S, THAT, UH, ALL OF US CAN LAY EYES ON.
ONCE WE, ONCE WE GET SOME PHOTOS AND, AND THEY MAKE SOME PROGRESS ON SITE, WE'D BE HAPPY TO COME BACK AND PRESENT IT.
THE 64, UH, UH, 64, I THINK IT WAS 64, ALMOST 64.5, UM, THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR ADDITIONAL BASKETBALL GOALS.
SO HOW DID THAT A A, A TRADITIONAL TWO GYM, TWO, TWO COURT GYM.
AND ALONG THEN THERE ALSO FOUR GOALS.
IF YOU'RE PLAYING HALF COURT SIDEWAYS, THEIR PROPOSAL DID NOT INCLUDE FOUR GOALS.
SO YOU WOULD HAVE A FULL GYM EXPERIENCE FOR EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE ALTERNATES, SOME EXPENSIVE BASKETBALL GOALS.
SO FOSTER LAST MEETING, I THOUGHT THAT WE VOTED ON THIS, BUT DID WE JUST VOTE TO SAY, LET'S MOVE FORWARD AND THIS IS THE ACTUAL CONTRACT? THAT'S RIGHT.
SO THEY'RE STILL REVIEWING THE CONTRACT.
SO DO WE NEED TO APPROVE THIS IF THEY'RE STILL REVIEWING IT? SO YOU CAN SPEAK, YOU, YOU'VE HAD THE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE ARCHITECT, I MEAN, WITH THE, WITH THE CONTRACTOR.
YOU ANTICIPATE ANY ISSUES? WELL, WE, WE DON'T ANTICIPATE, UM, ANY ISSUES AT THIS POINT.
UH, WE HAVEN'T HEARD BACK YET.
SO I, I CAN'T SAY FOR CERTAIN, BUT I THINK AT THIS POINT WE'D BE JUST LOOKING TO, IF, IF EVERYTHING CAME BACK, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE ALL CLEAR THEY AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN PROPOSED IN TERMS OF THE EDITS THAT WE'VE MOVE FORWARD AND EXECUTE THE CONTRACT.
SO ANY SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES THAT THEY COME BACK TO AND SAID, HEY, IT'S GONNA TAKE US 24 MONTHS VERSUS 15, THAT WOULD BE BROUGHT BACK BEFORE COURT.
AND THIS IS A STANDARD AIA CONTRACT, WHICH SPELLED OUT THE, THE LOW BID AMOUNT.
UM, UH, ANY, UH, ANY FEES THAT WOULD BE PAID IN, IN, IN, IN TERMS OF, UM, IF THIS TOOK LONGER THAN THE 15 MONTHS AND JUST THE GENERAL, GENERAL ITEMS IN THAT CONTRACT AND THE COST STAYS THE SAME, COST STAYS THE SAME? THAT'S CORRECT.
AS YOU KNOW, TOMORROW THE PRICE CAN CHANGE.
WE, UH, WE ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN TALKING TO OUR COST ESTIMATORS AND, UH, YEAH.
EVERY MONTH, UM, YOU KNOW, THE COSTS ARE OBVIOUSLY GOING UP AND UP.
I MEAN, LAST YEAR WE WERE ANTICIPATING, UH, A ONE AND A HALF PERCENT, UH, PER QUARTER IN TERMS OF LIKE THE, THE ESCALATION THAT WE WERE USING TO, TO PRICE OUT PROJECTS.
AND NOW WE'RE, WE'RE CLOSER TO 1% PER MONTH.
EVERY DAY IT DEFINITELY GOES UP.
CAUSE WE HAVE EXPERIENCED THAT, YOU KNOW,
ON ITEM NUMBER NINE, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF A CONTRACT WITH TA LOVING COMPANY FOR THE STANLEY WHITE RECREATION CENTER PROJECT.
SECOND, HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION.
HEARING NONETHELESS, HAVE A ROLL CROSS, STARTING WITH ALDERMAN ASTOR.
[10. Consider Adopting a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Negotiate and Execute a Contract with Moffat & Nichol for Resilience Design and Permitting Consulting Services.]
ON TO ITEM NUMBER 10.CONSIDER ADOPTING RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH MOFFITT AND NICKEL FOR RESILIENCE, DESIGN AND PERMITTING CONSULTING SERVICES.
UH, IN DECEMBER, 2021, THE NORTH CAROLINA LAND OF WATER TRUST FUND, SELECTED
[01:25:01]
AS CITY OF NEWBURN AS A GRANTEE TO RECEIVE AN INNOVATIVE STORM WATER GRANT TO PERFORM STORMWATER IMPROVEMENTS OF AFFECTING THE DUFFY FIELD.NOW THE STATE WILL BE USED, UH, THE STATE FUNDING WILL BE USED TO DESIGN A STORMWATER PROJECT AT HENDERSON PARK BASED OFF AN APPROVED CONCEPTUAL PLAN THAT WILL BE PRESENTED IN THE JUNE TO JULY TIMEFRAME.
THE CITY DID PUBLICLY ADVERTISE THE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS STARTING ON MARCH 3RD, 2023.
WE HELD IT OPEN FOR A PERIOD OF ONE MONTH.
AND THEN CITY STAFF, UH, TOTAL OF THREE CITY STAFF FROM DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS REVIEWED THE EACH RESPONSE AND RATED APPROPRIATELY BASED OFF OF THE EVALUATION CRITERIA AND THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS.
MOFFITT NICHOLS WAS THE TOP RATED AT 2 81 OUT OF A POSSIBLE 300 LITTLE POINTS.
SO STAFF IS REQUESTED, OR A STAFF RECOMMENDED, RECOMMENDS THE BOARD CONSIDER APPROVING THE RESOLUTION, AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER NEGOTIATIONS AND EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH MOFFITT NICHOLS FOR THIS PROJECT BOARD, HAVE QUESTIONS.
IT'S PLEASURE OF THE BOARD ON ITEM NUMBER 10, UM, MAY I MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH MOFFITT AND NICHOLS FOR RESILIENCY DESIGN AND PERMITTING CONSULTANT SERVICES.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN KINZIE.
[11. Consider Adopting a Resolution Approving a Lease Agreement with the Area Day Reporting Program for Youth for 500 Fort Totten Drive.]
11, CONSIDERED ING RESOLUTION APPROVING A LEASE AGREEMENT WITH THE AREA DAY REPORTING PROGRAM FOR YOUTH AT 500 FORT TOTON DRIVE.UM, THIS IS A RENEWAL REQUEST FROM AREA REPORTING DAY FROM THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR OF, UH, BARBARA LEE.
THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ANNUAL LEASE, UM, AND SHE'S REQUESTING TO DO ANOTHER YEAR RENEWAL ON THIS LEASE.
IN TERMS OF THE LEASE, HAVE NOT CHANGED FROM THE PRIOR YEAR.
UM, SHE HAS BEEN, UH, A GOOD TENANT IN, IN STANDING WITH THE TERMS OF THE LEASE, THE PRIOR YEARS.
UH, I DON'T SEE ANY REASON WHY WE SHOULDN'T RECOMMEND THAT SHE, UH, BE ABLE TO RENEW THIS LEASE WITH US.
HAVE QUESTIONS? MAKE A MOTION.
WELL, I JUST WANNA MAKE A, A STATEMENT ABOUT AREA DAY REPORTING.
UH, FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT PROGRAM, ESSENTIALLY WHAT THEY DO IS WHEN STUDENTS ARE SUSPENDED FROM SCHOOL SOMEWHERE HERE IN CRAVEN COUNTY, UH, AREA DAY TAKES THEM IN.
AND THEY DO HAVE A TEACHING ASSISTANT FROM CRAVEN COUNTY SCHOOLS WHO HELPS THEM WITH THEIR SCHOOLWORK, UH, SO THAT THEY DON'T FALL BEHIND IF IT'S A SHORT TERM, UH, SUSPENSION.
BUT THEY ALSO TAKE, UH, LONG-TERM SUSPENSIONS TOO.
SO IN ORDER TO KEEP THEM, UH, GOING.
SO, UM, IT, IT'S A WORTHWHILE CAUSE TO ME.
UM, JUST WANTED TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION CAUSE I DON'T SEE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THEM HERE.
AND I, I BELIEVE SOMEONE, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, I THINK SOMEONE ELSE IS HELPING MS. BARBARA LEE NOW.
THERE'S A NEW, THERE'S A NEW INDIVIDUAL THAT'S HELPING WITH THAT.
PASTOR STRAIGHT HORN LESTER S STRAYHORN, UH, PASTOR WHO'S HELPING HER AS WELL.
MAY I MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION? APPROVE A LEASE AGREEMENT WITH THE AREA DAY REPORTING PROGRAM FOR THE YOUTH FOR 500 FORT TOTON DRIVE.
LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN BEST? ALDERMAN BEST? YES.
[12. Appointment( s).]
UH, LOOKING AT ITEM NUMBER 12 APPOINTMENTS.I DID NOT SEE ANY IN THE PACKAGE.
DOES ANYONE HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TONIGHT? OKAY, WE MOVE ON TO ATTORNEY'S REPORT.
[14. City Manager's Report.]
CITY MANAGER'S REPORT.WE WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT THE ANNUAL FOOTLOOSE ON THE NEW SUMMER CONCERT SERIES RETURNS THIS FRIDAY NIGHT
[01:30:01]
TO UNION POINT PARK WHERE THE CAROLINA DREAMERS WILL KICK OFF THE, THE, THE SEASON.WE'VE GOT A LOT OF GREAT BANDS THAT WILL TAKE PLACE AT 6:30 PM SHOULD HAVE A GOOD TIME TO, TO WELCOME THE MEMORIAL HOLIDAY MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY.
ALSO OUR AQUATIC CENTER AND SPLASH PAD OPEN UP THIS WEEKEND AS WELL.
UM, COLLEEN IS WORKING TO PUT A LITTLE POWERPOINT UP FOR SOME PICTURES.
I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THE DALE HOUSE MOVE IS IN PROGRESS.
SO, UH, THE ASSISTANT MANAGER TOOK ME OUT THERE TODAY AND WE SAW THAT THE HOUSE IS OFF OF THE FOUNDATION, SO YOU'LL SEE SOME PICTURES IN FRONT OF YOU.
UH, THEY WERE WORKING ON PUTTING THE, THE WHEELS UNDERNEATH THE, THE STEEL BEAMS, UH, THIS AFTERNOON.
THE PLAN AS OF RIGHT NOW, IS FOR THE CONTRACTOR TO MOVE THE HOUSE TOMORROW EVENING, STARTING AT 7:30 PM SO THAT WILL LEAVE THE EXISTING PROPERTY, UH, AND GO DOWN, UH, FIRST AVENUE AND THEN WE WILL HEAD, UH, ONTO RIM INTO ITS RESTING PLACE.
SO, UM, POLICE WILL BE WORKING TO, UH, MAKE SURE THEY MONITOR TRAFFIC, UH, PUBLIC WORKS AND, AND PUBLIC UTILITIES WILL BE OUT THERE, UH, ADDRESSING OTHER ISSUES THAT ARE IN THE WAY WITH THE, WITH THE LINES AND THINGS.
UH, I'M SURE THIS IS GONNA DRAW A CROWD CAUSE THIS HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT FOR QUITE A WHILE.
SO, UH, IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO, TO COME OUT AND WATCH THIS, PLEASE OBSERVE THE PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS AS THERE, OUT THERE.
STAY ON THE SIDEWALKS AS WELL, UH, AND, AND STAY AWAY FROM THE MOVE OF THE HOUSE.
BUT THIS IS GONNA BE A NICE HISTORIC MOVE AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO, TO SEEING THIS OCCUR TOMORROW NIGHT.
ALSO, WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE HAVING AN MS D MEETING THIS THURSDAY AT 5:00 PM HERE AT CITY HALL.
AND THE PURPOSE OF THAT MEETING IS TO, TO INFORM THE PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN THE MSD OF A PROPOSED COMMITTEE.
WE TALKED ABOUT POTENTIAL PLANS WITH THE GOVERNING BOARD DURING WORKSHOP.
SO WE'RE GONNA MENTION, UH, UH, POTENTIAL COMMITTEE MAKEUP TO, TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS, GET THEIR FEEDBACK AS WELL, AND TALK ABOUT POTENTIAL PROJECTS.
THEN WE WANT TO ALSO GET FEEDBACK FROM THOSE INDEPENDENTS ON OTHER POTENTIAL PROJECTS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE WITHIN THE MSD FOSTER ON THAT.
UM, I'M SURE ALDERMAN PR KNOWS THIS.
THERE IS A DOWNTOWN BUSINESS COUNCIL MEETING.
THEY STILL HAVE A NOTICE THIS AFTERNOON.
I WOULD, UM, I WAS GONNA SUGGEST THAT SINCE THERE WAS A CONFLICT THERE, THAT WE HAVE ANOTHER MSD MEETING AND I'M NOT SURE, THAT MIGHT NOT BE A BAD IDEA IF YOU'RE GONNA PUT PROJECTS IN FRONT OF FOLKS THURSDAY NIGHT FOR THEM TO CONSIDER.
MAYBE HAVE ANOTHER MEETING A WEEK OR TWO LATER JUST TO, OR AT LEAST PROVIDE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE FEEDBACK.
AND THE FINAL THING I HAVE IS REALLY RIGHT BEFORE THE THE BOARD MEETING STARTED, WE RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM THE NORTH CAROLINA LEAGUE OF MUNICIPALITIES.
YOU'LL SEE SOME INFORMATION ON EXTRA TERRITORIAL JURISDICTIONS AND, UM, UH, SENATE BILL 6 75, WHICH IS LAND USE CLARIFICATION AND CHANGES PROPOSES, ELIMINATING MUNICIPAL ETJ STATEWIDE.
SO I'M PASSING THIS INFORMATION OUT TO YOU.
IF, UH, IF YOU SUPPORT THE MS, UH, THE, UH, THE EJS AS THEY CURRENTLY ARE THAT WE HAVE, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE REACH OUT TO, TO OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND LET THEM KNOW.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN OPINION ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, THAT THAT'S FINE AS WELL.
BUT I WANTED TO BRING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION.
CAN, CAN YOU GIVE US THAT BILL NUMBER AGAIN? IT'S, UM, SENATE BILL 6 75 LAND USE CLARIFICATION AND CHANGES.
ARE THEY, I I THINK THE EMAIL THAT I READ ASKED US TO TAKE SOME SORT OF ACTION ON THIS.
SO, UM, I I WOULD MAYBE MAKE THE SUGGESTION THAT STAFF DRAFT A LETTER, UM, THAT WOULD SUPPORT, UM, NOT MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS BILL.
AND THEN THAT WOULD ALLOW US SOME TIME TO REVIEW THIS.
CAUSE I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE TURNED IN TOMORROW.
DIDN'T THE EMAIL SAY THE VOTE WAS TOMORROW? YES.
SO IT'S, DO WE KNOW WHAT TIME OR WE, I DUNNO.
SO I WOULD SAY THIS BOARD TAKE, TAKE THIS BRIEF HOME, UH, REVIEW IT AND IF YOU FEEL STRONGLY ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, UH, LET THE MANAGER KNOW.
AND IF THE MANAGER GETS, UM, SUPPORT FROM THE BOARD FROM FOUR OR MORE, THEN WE CAN SEND A LETTER, UH, ON CITY LETTERHEAD THAT BASICALLY SAYS WE STAND IN OPPOSITION OF THIS BILL UNLESS ANYONE IMPOSES.
DO BEFORE YOU MOVE FORWARD, SIR, BECAUSE I JUST GOT THIS, WHAT, WHAT ARE THEY ASKING US TO, TO DO? THE PROPOSED BILL IS TO ELIMINATE THE EJ.
SO LOCAL GOVERNMENT WOULD NO LONGER HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO HAVE AN EJ.
IT'S BASICALLY THE STATE TAKING THAT AWAY FROM LOCAL AUTHORITY FROM THE MUNICIPALITIES.
[01:35:01]
OKAY.SO THEN IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THIS BOARD WE AGREED TO DO, THEN THAT MEANS THAT WE'LL BE GETTING RID OF ALL OF THE EJS, CORRECT? YES.
WE, WE'D BE REQUIRED TO, IT WOULDN'T BE OUR CHOICE.
I MEAN, I COULD GO AHEAD, TAKE, TELL YOU MY STANCE.
I'M NOT, I'M OPPOSED TO THIS BILL.
I DON'T REALLY NEED TO REVIEW IT ANYMORE.
SO REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU FEEL ABOUT EJS, I DON'T THINK THE AUTHORITIES SHOULD COME AWAY FROM LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
IT SHOULDN'T BE DICTATED BY RALEIGH.
SO HERE, HERE YOU'D LIKE TO GIVE DIRECTION.
NOW IF THE, IF THERE'S A CONSENSUS, WE CAN ALTMANN BRISSON IS OPPOSED TO THE BILL AS WELL.
I NEED TO, I WOULD LIKE TO REPEAT.
T MCKENZIE'S OPPOSED? OPPOSED ALTMAN.
SO WE'LL GET IT OUT FIRST THING IN THE MORNING.
ANYTHING ELSE? THAT'S IT FOR TONIGHT.
[15. New Business.]
BUSINESS.ROYAL, JUST A QUICK QUESTION, AND I THINK WE ASKED THIS IN EVERY MEETING.
COULD WE GET AN UPDATE ON THE RESURFACING OF THE STREETS IN THE DR FIELD COMMUNITY? I THINK THAT WE'RE ASKED THAT EVERY DAY BY CITIZENS.
AND HOPEFULLY THEY'RE LISTENING IN TODAY AND THEY CAN GET SOME CLARITY AS TO, UM, WHAT TO EXPECT.
YES, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA ASK.
NOW, I DISCUSSED THIS EARLIER WITH OTTOMAN BEST.
WE DO NOT HAVE A MOBILIZATION DATE NOR A CONTRACTOR SELECTED, BUT WE ARE PRESSING TO GET THAT TIMEFRAME DOWN.
UM, AS SOON AS I HAVE A MOBILIZATION DATE AND A CONTRACTOR ON SITE SCHEDULED, I WILL LET EVERYONE KNOW.
THEY'LL GO OUT THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA.
IN THE MEANTIME, WE HAVE PUBLIC WORKS CREWS SCHEDULED TO GO DOWN THERE AND START SOME FINE GRADING AHEAD OF THE CONTRACTOR ON THURSDAY.
THIS, THIS, THIS MUCH PAVING'S OUTSOURCED.
SO WHY IS IT TAKING SO LONG? CAPACITY ISSUES, UH, WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT AND WITH THE CONTRACTORS? WHAT DO YOU MEAN WITHIN YOUR DEPARTMENT? WE HAVE A LOT.
CAN YOU ELABORATE PLEASE? WE HAVE A LOT OF PROJECTS GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE A LOT OF PROJECTS GOING ON RIGHT NOW THROUGH OUR PREFUNDED PROJECTS AND, AND FEMA AND ADDITIONAL THINGS AND, AND WE'RE A LITTLE SHORT ON STAFF FILLING ALL OUR STAFF ROLES, BUT WE'RE WORKING ON BOTH OF THOSE.
SO, SO AT WHAT POINT ARE YOU WITH HIRING EMPLOYEES? WE ARE, WE ARE, WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING TOWARDS THAT.
SO YOU HAVE NO TIMELINE OR ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN GIVE THE CITIZENS RIGHT NOW THAT LIVE WITHIN? I DO.
I DO NOT HAVE A DATE THAT I CAN BE ASSURED OF TO STATE AT THIS PODIUM.
SO DO YOU NEED SOME ADDITIONAL HELP TO, TO EXPEDITE THIS PROCESS OF HIRING SOME EMPLOYEES? WE ARE WORKING, WE, I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE, UH, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER AND HR TO, UH, FACILITATE THAT.
BUT THE JOB, THE JOB PRESSURES, UM, ON EVERY INDUSTRY, ESPECIALLY IN THE CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW, ARE VERY SIMILAR TO THE PRESSURES ON THE EMPLOYEES RECRUITING IN OUR DEPARTMENT, SINCE WE'RE MAINLY CONSTRUCTION ORIENTED.
UM, THE DEMAND FOR THOSE PEOPLE IS VERY HIGH RIGHT NOW.
SO HAVING THE AVAILABILITY OF VAST NUMBERS OF APPLICANTS FOR TO, TO ATTRACT THEM IS, IS NOT JUST A DIFFICULTY WITH OUR DEPARTMENT, BUT IT'S A DIFFICULTY THROUGHOUT THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY RIGHT NOW.
SO WHEN YOU SAY YOU'RE GONNA HAVE CREW GO OVER AND DO SOME FINE GRADING, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A MONEY GRADER IN THERE AND TAKE SOME MORE STONE IN THERE AND START THE FINE GRADING PROCESS, WHICH WOULD BE SOMETHING THE CONTRACTOR WOULD MOVE IN TO DO, UM, AND LEAD UP TO THE PAYMENT.
THEY'RE TRYING TO, ONCE THE CONTRACTOR GETS ON SITE, WE'RE TRYING TO BE A LITTLE MORE PREPARED FOR THEM TO BE THERE TO EXPEDITE THEIR PROCESS.
SO ALL THE WORK HAS BEEN DONE AS FAR AS THE INFRASTRUCTURE WORK? YES MA'AM.
SO THE FINAL PHASE IS JUST, IS THE SURFACING? YES, MA YES MA'AM.
AND THE ROADS THAT, THE ROADS THAT'LL BE INSTALLED, UM, ONCE WE'RE COMPLETE.
SO A LOT OF THOSE SECTIONS OF ROADWAY HAD LESS THAN AN INCH ASPHALT COVER ON THEM.
AND WHAT WE'LL END UP WITH IS A TWO INCH FINAL PAVE COURSE THROUGHOUT, THROUGHOUT THOSE ROADS.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING A LONG TERM, 25 YEAR HOPE FOR NEW INFRASTRUCTURE UNDERGROUND AND NEW SURFACE COAT ON IT.
THAT SHOULD, SHOULD EXTEND THE LIFE OF THE, OUR NEED TO GO BACK INTO THOSE AREAS AND DO REPAIRS.
GEORGE, I KNOW, UM, I'M, I'M NOT INVOLVED WITH OBVIOUSLY YOUR DAY-TO-DAY OPERATION.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S PROBABLY SOME OTHER PROJECTS THAT YOU'RE WORKING ON.
UM, I, I WOULD JUST SPEAK FOR MYSELF AND THE COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK THAT I'VE HEARD, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN DO TO EXPEDITE THIS
[01:40:01]
ONE, WE WOULD ALL MUCH APPRECIATE IT.EVEN AT THAT MEANS PUTTING SOME OTHER APER PROJECTS OR SOMETHING ON THE BACK BURNER UNTIL WE CAN GET THIS ONE ADDRESSED, IF THAT HELPS YOU AT ALL.
CAUSE WE DO, I I'M RECEIVING A LOT OF, I, I BELIEVE YOU AND I, I FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT OUR DEPARTMENT IS RECEIVING A, A, A A LOT OF CALLS FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND I UNDERSTAND THOSE COMPLAINTS.
UM, ANYTIME YOU'VE GOT ANY CONSTRUCTION OR DELAYED CONSTRUCTION WITH IN FRONT OF YOUR RESIDENCE, IT'S NOT A CONVENIENCE.
IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A GOOD THING.
BUT I BELIEVE, UM, IN THE END, WHAT THEY WILL END UP WITH IS A MUCH IMPROVED ROADWAY SYSTEM IN FRONT OF THEIR HOUSES AND BUSINESSES.
ANYTHING ELSE ON ALMAN ROYAL? NO, SIR.
UM, I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THE DAYS IN PROPERTY.
WE ALL RECEIVED THE, UH, APPRAISAL OF THE DAY'S END PROPERTY AND I'M READY TO GIVE THE MANAGER DIRECTION TO PUT THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY ON THE MARKET.
LET'S TAKE THE PROCEEDS AND HELP THE BUDGET OUT FOR THIS YEAR.
UH, I'M, I'M NOT NECESSARILY OPPOSED TO THAT, UM, BUT I DID HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE ATTORNEY AND THE MANAGER TODAY.
AND YOU, AS YOU WELL KNOW, THERE'S A COUPLE WAYS THAT THE CITY CAN DISPOSE OF PROPERTY.
ONE WAS THE TALBOT SLOT WHERE YOU PUT A UPSET BID OUT THERE AND WHATEVER GOES GOES, THERE'S NO RESTRICTIONS THAT THE CITY CAN PUT ON IT.
UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY HAS RECOMMENDED THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY EXPAND OUR CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, WHICH WOULD ALLOW US TO PUT SOME CONDITIONS OR RESTRICTIONS ON THAT TO ENSURE THAT THE WILL OF THE BOARD IS ACTUALLY FOLLOWED THROUGH AND, AND SEEN MADE HAPPEN ON THAT PROPERTY.
SO THE ATTORNEY WAS GONNA LOOK INTO THAT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT PROCESS ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE AND COME BACK TO THE BOARD IN A LATER TIME VERSUS JUST THE FOR SALE SIGN.
CAUSE IF I KNEW WE COULD GET THE APPRAISED VALUE FOR IT, I'D VOTE WITH YOU TONIGHT, PUT A FOR SALE SIGN UP.
BUT JUST BECAUSE THAT WAS THE APPRAISED VALUE, I DON'T BELIEVE IT WOULD PULL THAT.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU WON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IT'S FOR SALE.
I MEAN, PUT A FOR SALE SIGN UP, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.
PRICE IS GOING TO BE IF IT SELLS, IT SELLS.
IF IT'S DOESN, THEN WE'LL CONTINUE DOING WHAT YOU WANT TO DO WITH THE I ON ON THAT SUBJECT.
I'D LOVE TO HEAR THE VOICE OF THE FIVE POINTS BUSINESS CORRIDOR AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE INVOLVED BEFORE WE MOVE TO THAT LEVEL OF PUTTING UP A SALE SIGN UP.
WELL, I WILL TELL YOU THAT I HEARD FROM A FEW THAT WERE NOT IN FAVOR OF THE PEPSI MUSEUM GOING THERE.
SO, OH, I DO THINK IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO GET SOME FEEDBACK, BUT ABSOLUTELY.
I DIDN'T GET THE INCLINATION FROM SCOTT TODAY THAT IT WAS GONNA TAKE A LONG TIME TO COME UP WITH THAT.
THAT'S A PROJECT THAT WE'RE ACTIVELY WORKING ON.
I HOPE THAT WE HAVE THE UPDATE AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING.
SO IF WE, AND SO WHAT WOULD, HOW WOULD THAT BENEFIT US? CAUSE WE CAN PUT RESTRICTIONS ON THEN WHAT? YES, SIR.
SO IF, IF WE EXPAND, SO WE CAN SAY WE WANT TO SELL AT SOMEONE THAT'S GONNA PUT UP A GROCERY STORE MAYBE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IT ALLOWS YOU TO DO WHAT SCOTT GENERALLY CALLS A BEAUTY CONTEST.
SO YOU CAN SAY, WE WANT THIS TYPE OF GOOD SERVICE, THIS TYPE OF USE IN THIS SPACE.
YOU CAN MARKET IT TO EVERYBODY IN, IN THE WORLD.
PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED AND CAN PROVIDE THE VISION THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR CAN RESPOND.
SO THEN YOU CAN SELECT THOSE INDIVIDUALS OR THOSE ENTITIES THAT CAN PROVIDE THE VISION THAT YOU WANT TO DO VERSUS THE TRADITIONAL UPSET BID PROCESS WHERE THE FINAL HIGHEST BID WINS.
SO IF YOU REMEMBER ARM MASTER, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED TO THE DUNN BUILDING BECAUSE THAT'S HOW WE GOT THE CUB HOUSE AND THE PUBLIC PARKING SPACES BEHIND THERE, THERE, THAT WAS PART OF THAT PROCESS.
WHEREAS IF WE JUST SOLD THE DUNN BUILDING, IT WOULD'VE BEEN SOLD AND WE WOULDN'T HAVE RECEIVED ANYTHING OUT OF THAT.
WELL I JUST NOTICE IT'S, UH, ONE OF FLASH THAT'S SITTING THERE AND I'D LOVE TO SEE THE MONEY IN THE BANK AND I'D LOVE TO SEE IT BENEFIT THE FOLKS IN FIVE POINTS, WHICH WAS THE ORIGINAL PLAN WITH THE FIVE POINTS REVITALIZATION COMMITTEE.
IS TO SEE SOMETHING SEATED THERE THAT WOULD BENEFIT THE FIVE POINTS COMMUNITY? YEAH.
I MEAN, THE PROPERTY'S GONNA SITTING THERE AND IF WE CAN SELL IT, WE NEED TO SELL IT.
BUT I THINK WE AS A CITY NEED TO HAVE A PART TO PLAY IN IT SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THOSE RESTRICTIONS.
BUT I ALSO WANT TO SEE THAT AREA.
I WANT TO SEE THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY REVITALIZE AND PUT SOME RETAIL BUSINESS THERE.
SO MAYBE SOME, UH,
BUT I THINK WE NEED SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE THERE.
IT CAN BE A, A ECONOMIC DRIVER FOR OUR CITY.
[01:45:01]
I'M GOOD.UH, MS. ROYAL COVERED IT FOR ME AND, UH, MR. CHILDS EXPLAINED IT WELL.
UH, THIS YEAR'S MEMORIAL DAY OBSERVANCE WILL TAKE PLACE AT NEWBURN NATIONAL CEMETERY ON MONDAY, MAY 29TH AT 11:00 AM UH, THERE'LL BE SEATING AVAILABLE FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE BASIS.
MARK SANDIN, CHAIRMAN OF THE VETERANS COUNCIL OF CRAVEN COUNTY WILL BE OFFICIATING AND WE WILL ALSO HAVE A GUEST SPEAKER THIS YEAR, DR.
JOHN BY FROM THE DEFENSE, P O W M I A ACCOUNTING AGENCY IN HAWAII.
SO AGAIN, OUR MEMORIAL DAY OBSERVANCE WILL BE MONDAY MEMORIAL DAY, UH, IN NEW BERN NATIONAL CEMETERY, UH, AT 11:00 AM AND THEN THE LAST THING I WANT TO ANNOUNCE, UH, WE'LL HAVE A WARD SIX TOWN HALL WITH MYSELF, THE MAYOR AND, UH, CITY MANAGER ON THURSDAY, JUNE 8TH FROM SIX TO 7:00 PM WE'RE GONNA BE AT BITES ON A BOARD, WHICH IS 2025 SOUTH GLENBURN ROAD.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT IS, THAT IS IN THE OLD HARRIS TEETER, UH, SHOPPING CENTER.
IT'S ACTUALLY IN THE BACK OF, UH, JENNA'S JUSTIN BOUTIQUE.
AGAIN, THAT'S THURSDAY, JUNE 8TH, UH, SIX TO 7:00 PM WARD SIX TOWN HALL.
UM, THE ONLY ANNOUNCEMENT I WANTED TO MAKE IS, UM, SATURDAY MORNING.
THERE IS THE, I THINK IT'S THE THIRD ANNUAL MAYOR MORGAN GOLF TOURNAMENT.
THEY ARE STILL ACCEPTING ANYONE THAT WANTS TO PLAY.
UH, I DON'T PLAY GOLF, BUT I WILL BE THERE EIGHT O'CLOCK TO UH, KICK THEM OFF AND SHOW A SIGN OF SUPPORT.
AND THERE IS ALDERMAN OR FORMER COMMISSIONER JOHNNY SAMPSON'S.
UH, DAY AND BREAKFAST ALDERMAN.
DO YOU HAVE THAT IN FRONT OF YOU? I BELIEVE THAT IS RIGHT HERE.
SATURDAY MAY 27TH, 10:00 AM TO 12:00 PM VERY GOOD.
SO THAT'S, UH, SECOND ANNUAL COMMISSIONER JOHNNY SAMPSON DAY BREAKFAST FOR ANYONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT THE CITY NEEDS TO DISCUSS? MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURNED.
HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND ANY DISCUSSION.
CAN YOU OPPOSE? WE'RE ADJOURN.