* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. OKAY. [1. Meeting opened by Mayor Jeffrey T. Odham. Pledge of Allegiance. ] [00:00:04] GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO JUNE 19TH, 2026. SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN. IF YOU WOULD PLEASE STAND AND SAY THE PLEDGE WITH I PLEDGE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. MADAM CLERK, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE CALL THE ROLL ALDERMAN FERGUSON. HERE. ALDERMAN BRYANT. HERE. ALDERMAN ASHER. HERE. MAYOR ODOM. HERE. ALDERMAN WHITE. ALDERMAN BEST ALDERMAN OUTLAW HERE. OKAY. NEXT [3. Consider Adopting Ordinance Amendments as Follows: a) Multi-Year Grants Fund b) 2019 Electric Improvements Project Fund c) 212 Kale Road Project Fund d) Entitlement Cities CDBG Fund e) Drainage Improvements Project Fund f) Hurricane Florence Fund ] UP IS ITEM NUMBER THREE. CONSIDER ADOPTING ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS AS FOLLOWS. UH, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'VE GOT MULTI-YEAR GRANTS FUND, 2019 ELECTRIC IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT FUND TWO 12 KE ROAD PROJECT FUND, THE ENTITLEMENT CITY CDBG FUND, THE DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT FUND AND THE HURRICANE FLORENCE FUND. MR. S AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO ASK TANYA HARM FOR THIS IS IN THESE ITEMS. OKAY. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND ALDERMAN. GOOD MORNING. UM, THE VARIOUS MULTI-YEAR FUNDS THAT ARE ON THIS ORDINANCE AMENDMENT IS TO, UH, RECORD THE SALES TAX REVENUE AND EXPENSE. AS I EXPLAINED AT THE RETREAT, UM, PREVIOUSLY, LIKE MANY MUNICIPALITIES, THE REVENUE AND EXPENSES WERE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED IN A BALANCE SHEET ACCOUNT. THIS IS JUST TO RECORD THEM IN REVENUE AND EXPENSE ACCOUNTS AS SUGGESTED BY THE LGC AND OUR AUDITORS. ANY QUESTIONS? I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT ITEM NUMBER E, BUT IT MIGHT NOT BE THE APPROPRIATE TIME AND WE CAN, I CAN DO IT WITH A MOTIONS MADE OR WHATEVER. UH, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND ASK. UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, BECAUSE THIS IS TAXPAYER'S MONEY THAT WE SPEND OUR MONEY WISELY. OBVIOUSLY ANY DROP OF WATER, UH, THAT LEAVES ANYWHERE IN NEW VERN AND GOES TO THE NOOSE OR TRENT RIVERS, UH, IT NEEDS TO BE FILTERED CLEANED. UM, THE GUIDELINES ARE SUCH THAT ON SOME OF THESE, SOME OF THESE PROJECTS ARE VERY OLD. BACK BEFORE THERE WAS A CLEAN ORDER OF, OF ANY TYPE OF ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, ET CETERA. UM, FOR THAT REASON ON ANYTHING THAT'S WITHIN THE SIMMONS STREET EXTENSION, UM, THE, THE, THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE SYSTEM FOR CLEAN WATER ON SIMMONS STREET. IF THAT WATER DUMPS INTO THERE, WE SHOULD HAVE SOME SORT OF A WAIVER ON CULVERT REQUIREMENTS. I KNOW THAT ON YOUR FIRST ONE WE TALKED ABOUT THAT DIRECTLY DUMPS INTO THE NOOSE RIVER AND SOME OF THESE SITUATIONS ARE SUCH AS WHERE STAFF HAS, HAS DONE THEIR JOB TO, TO ADEQUATELY ENGINEER, UM, CURRENT DRAINAGE ISSUES. BUT THERE IS A DIVIDE SOMETIMES AS TO WHERE IF ELECTED OFFICIALS WITH STAFF NEED TO TRY TO MITIGATE FOR OPTIMAL USE OF FUNDING, UM, THIS, THE ELECTED OFFICIALS NEED TO TAKE OVER AND GO TO WASHINGTON AND, AND TRY TO PRESENT A CASE FOR A LARGER CULVERT. UM, ONE OF THESE IN PARTICULAR, WOULD YOU COME UP JUST A SECOND? I WANT, I WANT TO ASK YOU A QUESTION ABOUT THIS ONE. UM, WE HAD TOLD PUBLIC WORKS. WE HAD TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, CHRISTOPHER AVENUE IF, AND, AND I'LL, I WANT YOU TO GO OFF ON WHAT I, I TOLD YOU THE REAL 300 PLUS THOUSAND DOLLARS ANSWER TO THAT DRAINAGE PROBLEM IS, IS TO LEAVE FROM WHERE THE OLD JET USED TO BE, WHICH IS A SEVEN FOOT BOX CULVER, WHICH DRAINS ALL A TR VILLAGE, UM, UH, SIMMONS STREET OVER, UM, OVER NEAR TRINITY METHODIST CHURCH. ALL THAT ORDER GOES THROUGH THAT LITTLE PARK OVER THERE BY MEADOW STREET. IT GOES UNDER A BOX CULVERT UNDER 17TH, AND IT MEANDERS IN BACK OF A BUNCH OF HOUSES, COMES OUT AT THIS COHORT YOU'RE GONNA REPLACE, WHICH BY THE WAY HAS A SEWER LINE IN THE MIDDLE OF IT, I BELIEVE. AND THEN IT EVENTUALLY GOES OVER HAVING CROSSED 17, IT RE-CROSS 17 AND GOES OUT THE CANAL SYSTEM. UM, I, I'M NOT GONNA BELABOR THIS OVER TO SAY THAT THE, THE REALLY WAY TO FIX THAT IS FROM THE OLD JET LOCATION, AN INVERTED UNDERGROUND THREE FOOT CULVERT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THAT IN FRONT OF THE PALACE MOTEL. YOU'D NEVER HAVE TO SPEND THAT $300,000 IF YOU TOOK THAT WATER DOWN THE HIGHWAY. I KNOW WE HAVE RIGHT OF WAY PROBLEMS AND ALL, BUT THERE'S [00:05:01] JUST SOME SITUATIONS WHERE THE, THAT'S, THAT'S FIXING SOME OF IT. THAT'S 300 SOME THOUSAND, BUT YOU PROBABLY NEED TO SPEND A MILLION DOLLARS AND FIX IT THE RIGHT WAY 'CAUSE YOU GOT ALL THAT DRAINAGE TO CONSIDER THAT THIS LITTLE BIT OF THIS $300,000 IS GOING TO HALFWAY FIX BY WAY OF ALL THAT WATER COMING FROM EDUCATIONAL DRIVE. ALL THAT WATER GOES THROUGH THERE. UM, AND WOULD YOU JUST COMMENT ON THAT FOR A SECOND BEFORE WE GET TO THAT? AND I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT THAT QUESTION, BUT JUST TO, TO VERIFY WITH STAFF AND ANYONE WHO MIGHT BE LISTENING THE ORDINANCE BEFORE US IS AN ORDINANCE AMENDMENT FOR THE DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT FUND, WHICH IS JUST AN ACCOUNTING MECHANISM TO RECOGNIZE THE INCREASE FOR SALES AND USE TAX AND THE SALES AND USE TAX REIMBURSEMENT, CORRECT? YES. SO THIS IS NOT ANYTHING ABOUT PROJECTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY UNDERGOING FOR STORMWATER DRAINAGE. IT'S JUST AN ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLE FOR RECOGNIZING THAT SALES TAX REVENUE RIGHT. IN THAT FUND. YEAH, IN THAT FUND. UM, I I, I'M FINE FOR YOU TO ANSWER, SIR. I, I APOLOGIZE TO INTERRUPT, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE IT CLEAR THAT WE'RE NOT REALLY DECIDING ANY KIND OF PROJECTS THAT, THAT SOUNDS LIKE ALDERMAN OUTLAWS SUGGESTION WOULD BE BETTER FIT FOR MAYBE A, A SMALLER GROUP TO, TO LOOK AT DESIGN OF THESE STORED WATER DRAINAGE PROJECTS THAN JUST WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO TODAY. SURE. UM, AND ALDERMAN, ALL THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GOOD, GOOD QUESTION AND GOOD, UM, IDEA THAT YOU BRING UP WITH, WITH THE IMPROVEMENTS. I BELIEVE THE SCOPE, THE ORIGINAL SCOPE OF THIS PROJECT, THE INTENT FOR, FOR THIS BOND, UM, WAS TO REPLACE KNOWN EXISTING, UM, ISSUES OR FAILURES WITHIN OUR, OUR STORMWATER SYSTEM. AND I BELIEVE THIS, THIS PIPE WITH ITS RESTRICTION AND WITH SOME OF THE FAILURE FAILURES, UM, IT, IT, IT IT'S AN EXISTING FEATURE THAT NEEDS, UM, FIXED AND REPAIRED, UM, WHERE AS YOU MENTIONED WITH THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, THERE MIGHT BE A BETTER IMPROVEMENT WHERE WE'RE MOVING WATER, WE'RE CHANGING, WE'RE ADDING PIPES. UM, AND THAT'S A LARGER SCALE AS, AS YOU POINTED OUT, THAT'S, UM, THAT'S GONNA REQUIRE SOME DESIGN THAT MAY TAKE A COUPLE YEARS TO, TO REALLY DIAL IN AND, AND, AND COPE WITH A SOLUTION. UM, AND THEN FIND THE FUNDING. WHERE I BELIEVE WITH THIS BOND REFERENDUM, WE, UM, WERE IDENTIFYING KNOWN, UM, FAILURES AND KNOWN ISSUES. AND IT'S A SMALLER PROJECT, IT'S A SMALLER COST. IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE KNOW WE CAN GO IN AND, AND QUICKLY GET TO CONSTRUCTION TO MAKE AN, MAKE A REPAIR AND IMPROVEMENT TO, UM, TO THIS, TO OUR STORMWATER SYSTEM. ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE MORTON ROAD? PROBABLY ABOUT TWO FOOT CULVERT THAT'S UNDERGROUND IN FRONT OF SOUND FITNESS AND ALL THAT GOES TO, TO JIMMY'S CREEK. THAT'S, THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF THE TYPE OF FRICTIONLESS MOVEMENT OF WATER I WAS TALKING ABOUT. BUT, UM, I SEE THAT I'VE UPSET SOME OF THE, MY COLLEAGUES HERE, SO I'LL BELABOR THAT POINT AT A LATER, AT A LATER MEETING. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. WELL, IT'S A PLEASURE OF THE BOARD ON ITEM NUMBER THREE, MAY I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADOPT THE ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS AS FOLLOWS, MULTI-YEAR GRANT FUND 2019 ELECTRIC IMPROVEMENT PROJECT FUND TWO 12 KELL ROAD PROJECT FUND. TITLE CITY CDBG FUND, DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT FUND AND HURRICANE FLORENCE FUND. SECOND. I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND. IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE UNLESS HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN FERGUSON. ALDERMAN FERGUSON. YES. ALDERMAN BRYANT. YES. ALDERMAN ASER. YES. ALDERMAN OUTLAW. YES. MAYOR ODOM. YES. MOTION CARRIES. NEXT [4.Consider Adopting the Final Budget Ordinance for Fiscal Year 2026. ] IS ITEM NUMBER FOUR. CONSIDER ADOPTING THE FINAL BUDGET ORDINANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026, MR. HUGHES. OKAY, WE'RE GONNA ASK TANYA HARMS TO PRESENT THIS ITEM AS WELL. GOOD MORNING AGAIN, UH, THIS AMENDMENT BEFORE YOU, UM, IS SIMILAR TO THE MULTI-YEAR FUNDS IN THAT IT DOES INCLUDE SALES TAX, SALES AND USE TAX REVENUE AND EXPENSE FOR EACH OF THESE FUNDS. JUST FOR RECORDING PURPOSES. IT ALSO, UM, AMENDS EACH OF THE FUNDS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ALL THE YEAR END EXPECTED PROJECTED EXPENSES HAVE ENOUGH REVENUE AND THEY ALIGN SO THAT THE BALANCE, THE BUDGET IS BALANCED. SO, UM, THE OTHER POST-EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS FUND IS AMENDED TO RECOGNIZE A $100,000 TRANSFER FROM THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS FUND. THAT'S AN ANNUAL TRANSFER, UM, THAT WE TRY TO DO TO FUND THAT FOR THE POSTED, UM, EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS. THERE ARE A FEW CHANGES FROM WHAT WAS PREVIOUS SUBMIT, PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED. AND SO YOU'VE GOT THE REVISED, UM, FINAL BUDGET ORDINANCE IN FRONT OF YOU. THERE WERE NO CHANGES TO THE GENERAL FUND. [00:10:01] UM, THE FIRST CHANGE WAS ON THE SEWER FUND AND WE DID INCREASE THE SEWER OPERATIONS, UM, EXPENSES BY AN ADDITIONAL $135,000. THEY HAD, UM, SEVERAL PUMPS, PIPES AND FITTINGS THAT, UH, CAME THROUGH JUST THIS MONTH. SO WE'VE INCREASED THAT TO COVER THE ADDITIONAL COST. UM, WE WERE ABLE TO, OH, AND WE CHANGED THE SHARED SERVICE CHARGES. IT WAS PREVIOUSLY REDUCING IT BY 223,000. WE'RE NOW JUST REDUCING IT BY 110,000. SO THOSE ARE THE CHANGES IN THE SEWER FUND AND THE ELECTRIC FUND. THERE WERE A COUPLE OF CHANGES AS WELL. UM, THE PREVIOUS, UH, ELECTRIC OPERATIONS EXPENSE WAS 6 89 9 72. IT'S INCREASED BY, UM, IT WAS 146,000 TO 8 35 8 72. AND THAT'S TO COVER ADDITIONAL COST FOR CABLES, DEVICES, TRANSFORMERS, AND THE MERCHANT CREDIT CARD FEES. SO JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT ENOUGH COVERED THERE. UM, SO THEN THAT REDUCED THE AMOUNT THAT WE WERE TRANSFERRING TO THEIR FUND BALANCE. SO THEY HAD A, UM, GREATER INCREASE MOSTLY IN THE PCA COSTS REVENUES. SO WE WERE ABLE TO PUT THAT ADDITIONAL AMOUNT BACK INTO THEIR FUND BALANCE, THE EMPLOYEE'S BENEFIT INSURANCE FUND. THAT CHANGED BY AN ADDITIONAL A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS JUST AGAIN, TO MAKE SURE WE HAD A COUPLE OF UNEXPECTED OR A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN WE ANTICIPATED ON THAT INITIAL CHANGE. SO WE JUST ADDED A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS MORE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GOT THAT COVERED. UM, SOLID WASTE FUND WAS THE OTHER, THE LAST FUND THAT HAD CHANGES FROM THE PREVIOUS SUBMISSION. AND, UM, WE JUST REDUCED, UM, THE, WE HAD REDUCED THE CONTRACTED SERVICES FOR BROWN GOODS SLIGHTLY, BUT WE REMOVED THAT. AND SO THERE'S REALLY A ZERO NET TO THAT SOLID WASTE FUND. SO NO INCREASE, NO DECREASE FOR THAT BOARD. ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS? I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION. I HAVE A STATEMENT IF I'M ALLOWED TO. SURE, SIR. THIS IS TAXPAYER MONEY. UH, I DON'T ANYBODY ON THIS BOARD THAT QUESTIONS MY QUESTIONING OF PROPER SPENDING OF DRAINAGE. NOTHING IN THE CITY NEAR AND OVER 12 FEET ELEVATIONS SHOULD BE FLOODING. WITH THE COMPLETION OF THESE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS. THERE WILL BE HOUSES WITHIN THE CITY OF NEWBURN THAT ARE ABOVE 12 FEET THAT WILL STILL FLOOD IN EVENTS LIKE HURRICANE FLORENCE OR THAT CATASTROPHIC RAIN EVENT THAT HAPPENED NINE OR 10 YEARS, WELL, ABOUT 12 YEARS AGO. AND NOTHING SHOULD FLOOD. THE ONLY THING I'M TRYING TO POINT OUT IS THERE ARE SEVERAL AREAS WITHIN THE CITY, LIKE THE ONE I JUST MENTIONED IN FRONT OF PALACE MOTEL, WHICH YOU GET QUITE A BIT OF A GRADE DROP REAL QUICKLY, IF YOU WERE TO PUT THAT UNDERGROUND IT, IT WAS SO HELP THE TOTAL DRAINAGE ALL THE WAY OUT TO SIMMONS STREET, TRENT VILLAGE AREA, UH, EDUCATIONAL DRIVE, THOSE AREAS. UM, THERE'S A COUPLE OTHER ONES LIKE THAT. NEW BOULEVARD. UM, THE RAILROAD IS A PROBLEM THERE. I JUST DON'T WANT ANYTHING IN THE CITY OF NEWIN WITH OVER 12 FOOT ELEVATION TO FLOOD. AND IT DOES. THAT'S ALL I'M TRYING TO GET AROUND TO. THANK YOU. OKAY, MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADOPT THE FINAL BUDGET ORDINANCE FOR PHYSICAL YEAR 2026. I'LL SECOND A MOTION. I HAVE A MOTION A SECOND. IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL SERGEANT WITH ALDERMAN BRYANT. ALDERMAN BRYANT? YES. ALDERMAN NAER. YES. ALDERMAN OUTLAW. YES. ALDERMAN FERGUSON. YES. MAYOR EM? YES. MOTION CARRIES. NEXT IS, UH, ITEM TO ADJOURN. IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? ADJOURN. HAVE A MOTION. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND. IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. A. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? WE ADJOURN. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.