New Bern
In a well-attended meeting on March 12, the New Bern Board of Aldermen considered several projects aimed at upgrading its existing facilities and infrastructure.
Members of the Redevelopment Commission presented a proposal for a health and wellness center at 727 Third St., a city-owned plot. Located between the new and old Stanley White Recreation Center, the Redevelopment Commission has been in talks with CarolinaEast Health Systems to build and operate a clinic in the Duffyfield Area. The commission's Executive Director Zeb Hough said the proposed clinic has been 20 years in the making.
"To say that we have been talking this for a while, would be an understatement," Hough said, citing the city's 2014 Gateway Renaissance Plan, 2016 Choice Neighborhood Initiative Greater Five Point Transformation Plan, and 2020 Redevelopment Plan. Each of those reports identified barriers to healthcare for residents in the area and advocated for a long-term healthcare resource.
A representative of CarolinaEast said the clinic will serve as a convenient care facility that provides walk-in, same-day care that is not life-threatening.
The Redevelopment Commission is now asking the Board to transfer the property to CarolinaEast, as well as $313,000 currently allocated to Commission for building a clinic.
"The convenient care is not urgent care," Judy Pierce, director of mission effectiveness, said. "Like all CarolinaEast primary care locations, narcotics will not be available on the property."
Though not decided just yet, the overall tone was congratulatory and positive. However, one resident of Indigo Ridge Senior Apartments — which is located just across from the proposed site — asked the Board to choose another location , saying the site may pose security risks for her and her neighbors.
"When you bring people in who have medical issues, you don't know what their problems may be," the resident said. "We don't have the security and I'm sure they're not going to have the security that's going to watch people going in and out of that facility."
Aldermen Barbara Best and Johnnie Ray Kinsey said they'll vote in favor, while Mayor Jeffrey Odham and Alderman Bobby Aster indicated support, though stopped just shy of saying they'll approve it as is. The Board will consider approving the plan at a later date.
Later in the meeting, the Board accepted $4 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to construct a "stormwater wetlands" area to mitigate flooding in the Duffyfield area. In Sept. 2022, the city applied for funds through the North Carolina Dept. of Environmental Quality and last month received a funding offer. The unanimously approved resolution was the final stage in securing funding for the project.
ShotSpotter is now live in New Bern. ShotSpotter is a system that uses microphones to pick up gunfire and notify police where the shot occurred. The city's approval of ShotSpotter in December came just weeks before several high-profile cancellations. Earlier this month, Durham declined a three-year contract with the company in a 4-2 vote, with the mayor and mayor pro-tem as the outliers. Chicago, too, dropped ShotSpotter this year. More than 150 cities use the technology.
Greenville
At its March 11 meeting, the Council heard a presentation from Arcina Dixon, chair of the Multimodal Transportation Commission, on its priorities for the year and ongoing projects. The commission aims to create safer streets and identify areas for improvement. Among the list of priorities for the commission are improving compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act for public transportation and safety in subdivisions. Dixon said shelters are needed at many bus stops as well as wheel chair accessibility. She noted one case in which a man with a wheelchair is unable to access the bus stop outside the Food Lion on South Memorial Drive.
"Although the busses themselves do adhere to ADA compliance, we still have some work that needs to be done," Dixon said in response to a question from Councilmember Portia Willis.
Pedestrian safety is top of mind, Dixon said. She said cars often speed on roads that cut through subdivisions and that lighting on Memorial Drive toward the airport are areas in need of improvement. Over the years, several deaths have happened along Memorial Drive from cars hitting pedestrians, including a juvenile that was hit and killed last year.
To conclude the regular meeting, Councilmember Marion Blackburn recognized former Councilmember Inez Norwood Fridley, who passed away March 11. Fridley sat on the council for 16 years, from 1985 to 2001. Fridley was a chief organizer for the Greenville Greenway and believed in preserving nature in the urban environment, according to her obituary.
"Inez did so much for our community in a time when these were new, even radical ideas," Blackburn said, referring to greenways, or undeveloped land set aside for recreation and environment protection in urban areas. "
At the workshop earlier in the day, the council discussed data processing ordinance standards and enhancements to Greenville Convention Center Courtyard.
The Council initiated a review of its data processing ordinances in January, at Blackburn's request, to ban cryptomining in the city. Data processing centers are sites that store large computers that store and analyze data. Hospitals, tech companies, crypto firms, and other large companies often have data processing centers to handle their data.
The Council created a task force of city employees to review its existing ordinances and propose changes so that cryptomining facilities are banned without affecting other uses.
The city does allow permitted facilities to go up in its industrial areas, but so far no requests have been made for such a facility. City Planner Chantae Gooby presented to board at the workshop. She noted one difficulty is differentiating what data is being processed at a site. City Attorney Emmanuel McGirt said the city is free to place a moratorium on these type of facilities, but urged caution in pursuing an outright ban, saying it may put the city at risk of legal challenges.
Blackburn, who has advocated for a ban, urged the Council to implement a moratorium while continuing to look at amending its ordinances. Citing a contentious battle over a crypto facility two years ago, Blackburn said it's clear crypto mining ought to be banned. A moratorium, however, is not an easy process for the city, as city manager Michael Cowin pointed out. If pursuing a moratorium, the council would have to justify its decision to the state as to why another path could not be pursued. Through Gooby's presentation, the staff recommendation was to keep the city's ordinances as is, as they're already some of the strictest in the state.
Mayor P.J. Connolly pushed back on the request for a moratorium, saying the lack of companies looking to set up any data processing center in the city is enough to prove the existing ordinances' effectiveness. He said continuing to look into further restrictions is a waste of city staff's time and resources.
"Nobody wants to come here," Connolly said, accusing some members of politicking. "So I don't why we keep bringing this up over and over again."
Councilmember Les Robinson expressed hesitancy, arguing a ban of a specific use would not hold up legally, while Councilmember Matthew Scully raised the idea of raising noise pollution and other standards in a way that would indirectly ban crypto firms while still leaving the door open for other types of institutions. The path forward is complicated by the fact that regulating crypto is relatively new and it's unknown the exact impact any given measure. The question moving forward is whether there are enough councilmembers to continue exploring modifying ordinances or a moratorium.
Morehead City
In a marathon of meetings, the Morehead City Town Council accepted $5 million from NCDEQ to improve stormwater runoff quality into Calico Creek. The water infrastructure project is one of several in our area to recently receive funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.
A flood mitigation project along Shepard Street may soon be begin. The City Council approved a $2 million contract with Ralph Hodge Construction Company for drainage improvements. Originally bid for $4 million, the project was scaled back due to a lack of grant funding by eliminating proposed improvements along 8th and 10th Street, as well as Shepard Street East. Improvements along Shepard Street between 8th and 10th will move forward, as well as along 9th Street from Evans Street southward.
Lastly, a study of town employee's compensation found most positions are underpaid when compared to peer cities. In response, the Council approved pay raises for many positions, including newly hired police officers, who will now make $53,113 annually – up from $46,911.
Oriental
Oriental celebrated 125 years earlier this month. Founded in 1899, the town's early economy was supported by lumber, fishing and farming. As those industries began declining in the 1950s with the end of rail service to the area, Oriental's claim to fame as "Sailing Capital of North Carolina" started taking hold. In 1960, just four sailboats called Oriental home. Today, more there are more than 3,000. The town hosted vendors, live music and a parade to mark the occasion.
Town Commissioners are reckoning with the resignation of its Public Works Director Andrew Cox. Citing staff shortages and stress, the last straw for Cox, according to TownDock.net, was questions from commissioners on why he was taking his son to school each morning. The line of questioning came from the newly formed financial liaison position on the Board, a controversial position tasked with monitoring the town's spending. The PW Director is a salaried position, and Cox said he often worked overtime and was always on call for emergency situations. You can a well-documented account of the financial liaison position here, as well as the TownDock.net interview Andrew Cox here.
Jacksonville
The Jacksonville City Council weighed regulations for tobacco and vape shops in the city and its extra-territorial jurisdiction. At the Council's March 5 workshop, Director of Planning & Inspections Ryan King and Director of Public Safety Mike Yaniero said the yet-to-be written ordinance aims to safeguard public health while balancing businesses' needs. Citing vaping statistics among youth and a lack of state testing of THC products, Yaneiro said public safety is, especially among minors, is a top concern.
King said the city has 40 such shops selling tobacco, vape, THC and hookah products and that they'll be exploring regulations around where these types of shops can be located as well as what signage can be used.
The Council approved a Unified Development Ordinance later in the month that now prevents such shops from setting up within 1,500 feet of schools, daycares, hospitals, parks and youth facilities. Existing shops are grandfathered in under the new regulation.
Kinston
Renovations to the Holloway Pool House were approved March 19. Parks & Recreation Director Scott Alston said the building will receive a much needed "facelift."
Also at its March 19 meeting, the council approved a contract with an Indiana-based firm to conduct a lead pipe inventory. The survey is the first step to identify and replace lead water pipes in the city, and it's part of a larger nationwide effort from the Biden administration to eliminate lead pipes altogether.
Carteret County
The Carteret County Board of Commissioners rejected a proposal from Sheriff Asa Buck for salaries increases. Buck asked for a 12% raise, arguing it will lower high turnover rates and attract applicants. The Board voted 5-2 against the proposal – for now. All commissioners said something ought to be done, but some wanted to explore alternatives. For context, cities and counties around the state are engaging in a bidding war of sorts to keep and retain officers. Many departments are experiencing long-standing vacancies, high turnover rates, and smaller recruiting pools.
The Board appointed Sharon Griffin as interim county attorney at its monthly meeting Monday, March 18. The appointment comes after a high-profile dismissal of its longtime attorney Rob Wheatly – a brother of Commissioner Ed Wheatly. Commissioner Bob Cavanaugh said at a February meeting the dismissal was needed due to conflicts of interest and that Rob Wheatly's "mental acuity was not as sharp," according to the Carteret County News-Times. Commissioner Ed Wheatly accused the Board of playing politics in an effort to oust him in the upcoming primary. He lost his March primary to Keith Moore, 59%-40%.
On Friday, March 22, Carteret County officials announced a partnership with a Hickory-based behavioral health service to bring a clinic to the area. Local leaders say the new facility will serve as a hub for addiction treatment and mental health care. Operated by Integrated Care of Greater Hickory, the clinic will open in April along U.S. 70 in Sea Level. The biggest impact will be the 104 beds on site that will help free up hospital space and offer specialized care for overdoses, detox, and mental health crises. The clinic will open with a phased roll out, starting with adolescent mental health care. Later, it will expand to include addiction treatment and adult mental health, as well as providing transportation services, peer groups, toxicology, and pharmacy services.
