City Council

TOWN OF ELIZABETHTOWN Regular Meeting June 6, 2022 The Elizabethtown Town Council met for its regular on Monday, June 6, 2022 at 7:00 pm in the Council Chamber. Those present were Mayor Sylvia Campbell, Mayor Pro Tem Rufus Lloyd, Council Members Herman Lewis, Howell Clark Jr., Paula Greene, Ricky Leinwand, Town Manager Dane Rideout and Town Attorney Goldston Womble. Council Member Rich Glenn was absent. Department Heads in attendance included Finance Director Sharon Penny, Police Chief Tony Parrish, Public Services/Engineering Director Stephen Duffy, Town Clerk Juanita Hester, Assistant Town Manager Pat DeVane, Planner Rusty Worley, Director of Communications & Marketing Terri Dennison and Fire Chief Hollis Freeman. Mayor Sylvia Campbell opened the meeting and welcomed Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy Cadets. The presentation of Colors and the Pledge of Allegiance were given by Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy Cadets. Mayor Campbell then called upon Mayor Pro Tem Rufus Lloyd to give the invocation. Item #3.1: Approve Consent Agenda Items Upon a motion by Council Member Howell Clark Jr., seconded by Council Member Herman Lewis, the Board unanimously approved the following Consent Items as presented: A. Proposed Agenda, B. May 2, 2022 Noon Minutes, C. May 2, 2022 Regular Minutes, D. May 16, 2022 Special Called Meeting Minutes, E. Tax Releases. Item #4.1: Public Hearing – Town’s Property Conveyance of 112 W. Broad Street Mayor Campbell opened the Public Hearing and called upon Town Planner Rusty Worley to present. Mr. Worley noted that the former C. A. Nails building burned and it was transferred to the Town in December 2020. The tax value is $104,380.00 and it is 560 sq. ft. There were no public comments, therefore, the Mayor closed the Public Hearing. Item #4.2: Proposed FY 2022-2023 General Fund and Utilities Fund Budgets Mayor Sylvia Campbell opened the Public Hearing and called upon Finance Director Sharon Penny to present. Mrs. Penny noted that the tax rate remains the same .615, $1,000.00 bonus for employees, 3 additional holidays President Day, Juneteenth and Columbus Day, general and water fund increase. There were no public comments, therefore, Mayor Campbell closed the public Hearing. Item #4.3: Public Hearing: 2032 Land Use Plan and Future Land Use Map Mayor Campbell opened the Public Hearing and called upon Town Planner Rusty Worley to present. Mr. Worley noted that the NCGS 160D need to be approved by July 1, 2022. The Planning Board recommended to adopt the Land Use Plan and Future Land Use Map with the following changes: C.A.2 page 30 Downtown Libations remove word “breweries”, L.A.5 page 37 Downtown Mixed Use remove word “CBD”, T.A.7 page 40 Wayfinding Suite remove phrase “Town staff are not able to enforce the restrictions of truck traffic along Broad Street.” There were no public comments, therefore, the Mayor closed the Public Hearing. Item #5.1: Monthly Projects Update Assistant Town Manager Pat DeVane noted that NCDOT did a great job on the planning of closing and opening the bridge in May. The contractor for the Cemetery project has been awarded another job. They did come back and repair one last thing. Item #6.1: Budget Ordinance – FY 2022-2023 General Fund and Utilities Fund Budgets Council Member Howell Clark Jr., seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Rufus Lloyd, moved to approve FY 2022-2023 General Fund and Utilities Fund Budget as presented (Unanimous). Copy attached and incorporated herein by reference. Item #6.2: Ordinance Approval for 2023 Land Use Plan and Future Land Use Map Council Member Paula Greene, seconded by Council Member Howell Clark Jr., moved to approve Ordinance Approval for 2023 Land Use Plan and Future Land Use Map with the following changes: L.A.1 Bladen County Hospital Expansion page 56 to delete the second paragraph (Unanimous). Copy attached and incorporated herein by reference. Item #7.1: Appointments: Elizabethtown Airport/Economic Development Commission and Elizabethtown ABC Board Council Member Ricky Leinwand, seconded by Council Member Howell Clark Jr., moved to appoint Commissioner Fred Tate (on a one-year appointment basis) and Chad Devane to the Airport Board and Mr. Charles Ray Peterson will serve the term of office for the additional seat created in May (Unanimous). Council Member Ricky Leinwand, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Rufus Lloyd, moved to appoint Mr. Wayne Edge to the Elizabethtown ABC Board (Unanimous). Item #7.2: Budget Amendment #2022-05 Finance Director Sharon Penny noted that the Budget Amendment is for a $25,000.00 insurance reimbursement for sewer backup in the Council Chamber, $551.00 for Town Hall roof, Fire Department repairs, budget one-stop voting fee $7,156.00 and attorney fees for street project. Council Member Howell Clark Jr., seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Rufus Lloyd, moved to approve Budget Amendment #2022-05 as presented (Unanimous). Copy attached and incorporated herein by reference. Item #7.3: Monthly Financial Report Finance Director Sharon Penny noted that the financial report is in good shape. Council Member Ricky Leinwand, seconded by Council Member Howell Clark Jr., moved to approve the Monthly Financial Report as presented (Unanimous). Copy attached and incorporated herein by reference. Item #8.1: “Briefly” Town Manager Dane Rideout briefed on the following: Golden Leaf Grant $132,000.00 for Master Plan and Stormwater. EDA Grant $380,000.00. Golden Leaf awarded $365,000.00 toward Live, work, play. Town office will be closed on Monday, July 4th in observance of Independence Day. Item #9.1: Open Forum There were no public comments. Item #10.1: Closed Session Council Member Howell Clark Jr., seconded by Council Member Ricky Leinwand make a motion to enter into Closed Session in accordance with NCGS 143-318.11(a))6) – Personnel and NCGS 143-318.11(a)(5) – Real Estate (112 W. Broad Street) (Unanimous). Upon completion of Closed Session, Council Member Howell Clark Jr. made a motion to return to open session, and the motion was seconded by Council Member Herman Lewis (Unanimous). Action was taken in open session. Upon return to open session, Town Attorney Goldston Womble outlined the process of conveying 112 W. Broad Street (former C.A. Nails Business) under NCGS 158-7.1 as a commercial use (restaurant business). The required Public Hearing was conducted and the value of such property is $3,900.00 which is the proposed consideration for the conveyance. The Town intends to convey the property in fee simple subject to covenants, conditions and restrictions. Covenants include: Commercial Use and 24 months for conveyance and the building envelope is to be sealed on a timely basis but no more than 6 months; Board determined and considered the financial capability and building capability of the interested party and for economic development reasons for the downtown, the property was given to the Town and will be added to the tax scrolls and the new business will bring in additional people to the Town. The restaurant business will create in excess of 10 jobs. A reverter clause will be part of the conveyance. Motion was made by Council Member Howell Clark Jr., seconded by Council Member Herman Lewis, to approve the conveyance of 112 W. Broad Street (Unanimous). With no further business to conduct, Council Member Howell Clark Jr., seconded by Council Member Herman Lewis moved to adjourn the meeting (Unanimous). Sylvia Campbell, Mayor