[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6605679,"mediaKeyId","2985064-7991b0d592dabf34e4b7c176f7d117f6","parentId",2985064,"title","United Way representative says homelessness initiative advancing; council urges county participation and funding clarity","audioSeconds",816,"startMs",1437940,"endMs",2254490,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2985064-7991b0d592dabf34e4b7c176f7d117f6&start=1437&end=2254","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2985064-7991b0d592dabf34e4b7c176f7d117f6/thumbnail_1437940.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6605679/Rocky-Mount/Nash-County/North-Carolina/United-Way-representative-says-homelessness-initiative-advancing-council-urges-county-participation-and-funding-clarity","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6605679-fc62af161f2bf24f8e6f0fe74ebc200b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771194296&Signature=XXx~E~MWYx3sDYPodNjR7kXE5MbJ5BDpp7Y2jeIlK1jeVKdeOdTuXF1v3hea4Ei0GTBljrSkmCnsd~ABp7OBsrJzHhxQ2BFpiS236ahrOMwvdSj26fLqIoNPi6ADILSeqlkuIsc0Kq3hy5QFMtUVe7ZnF7IPhj9LHd9SSW7Y0T8JcNnLJZXseUD3UJB5KyS1vhR60PRoKLgw392M0a0WPmxazUYrQQc0TMYgLUzScST7cgJ2BBEWrC~P7q3mgHBLBgb4wWU3477wPksjfxw9ya6R-ZUYZse1i9fYz~shsvFG5aX3xHS1Rfc6ttmG1n25U0CdWpk~sXI59zoTPd6G4Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Rocky Mount","date","2025-04-14T21:41:09.887Z","article","Jenny Moore, a United Way staff member working on the homelessness initiative, told the Rocky Mount City Council Committee of the Whole that the project team has had preliminary meetings with Nash County leaders and scheduled a meeting with Edgecombe County leaders on May 7 to present a regional approach and seek broader participation.

\"I think from our perspective, just the urgency of what we're seeing in our community around homelessness is big,\" Moore said, describing the rationale for moving forward with a tiered plan. Moore told council members that the initiative's organizers had not yet set firm county-level asks but that initial planning included a multi-tier approach: a near-term planning tier (staff described $250,000 as an initial planning estimate for a first prong), larger development phases requiring outside funding, and ongoing coalition-building with hospitals and shelters. Moore said she has discussed coordination with local hospital leadership and identified Tarboro-area shelter operators as partners to engage more directly.

Multiple council members said they support a regional approach but urged more active, near-term commitments from Nash and Edgecombe counties. One council member said the counties must \"step up\" because county budgets and social-service roles make them central partners. Another council member noted the city's existing charitable spending and questioned whether Rocky Mount taking a lead role would reduce pressure on other jurisdictions to provide resources.

Council members pressed for clarity on the financial ask: staff and the presenter said the city had not finalized a county-specific request and that the $500,000 figure discussed at retreat-level conversations was not the full amount required to execute later phases. Moore said preliminary conversations with Nash County produced constructive responses and that the May 7 meeting with Edgecombe County leaders is intended to advance calendar and ask planning.

No formal action or vote occurred at the workshop. Council members asked staff to continue building the multi-jurisdiction coalition and to return with specific proposals and proposed county-level commitments before the council approves any significant financial allocation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Committee of the Whole Meeting, April 14","oneSentenceSummary","A United Way representative briefed the Rocky Mount council on a homelessness initiative and said staff have begun preliminary outreach to Nash and Edgecombe county leaders; council members pressed for county commitments and questioned the city's potential fiscal exposure.","taxTitle","Rocky Mount, Nash County, North Carolina","taxId",5685,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6605682,"Rocky Mount staff present Stith-Talbert Park master plan and targeting of grant funding",1138,282810,1421495,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2985064-7991b0d592dabf34e4b7c176f7d117f6&start=282&end=1421","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2985064-7991b0d592dabf34e4b7c176f7d117f6/thumbnail_282810.jpg","/articles/6605682/Rocky-Mount/Nash-County/North-Carolina/Rocky-Mount-staff-present-Stith-Talbert-Park-master-plan-and-targeting-of-grant-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6605682-1c7ba947b551b9521da6182d86fe6cdb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771194296&Signature=K5jfepjS9jZL9NepmCeuC155VYAgj-cL~uwHoFNyAfivOXO8nEooJYjfjV8nFMaP4rnDmjaQGWZWwHHwcRctc~RbVUW-I9I83vrfNEcZsox~2M2fbxh-EOJmJLTDMQKZJSS~NTfGUsw1SPK7Dr1NrwDCbyhoRBBZwTJKqWgHBJJkGpTAHbNENvR98i5mzGVCT0tWYQkZ352T1fllmoLDa0wEUb8LAqJiA2j-ZlhNL4KpPLeK3pOHRYmH~Mslc7U8rNN8PfbI3GIT6NzMdLgI8pgNNh-DAMIRNPOoSksjTFYIAcydtUScS0Kan-dsHtMXMBL~502IUzL9RZmZETZXfA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Parks and recreation staff told the Rocky Mount City Council Committee of the Whole that they have completed a master plan for Stith-Talbert Park and plan to ask the council to adopt that plan at the next regular meeting. Staff outlined public-input results, project priorities and a grant-targeting strategy that aims to assemble roughly $1 million to $1.2 million in outside funding.

Joel, the parks and recreation director, said the master plan consolidates prior planning and public input for the combined Stith and Talbert park properties and that staff will bring an adoption item to the April 28 council meeting. \"We're here today to just give you an update on, the Stuttgart Park, master plan, that we're asking you to adopt, here at the next meeting,\" Joel said during the workshop. Staff described three recent public-input meetings that drew more than 50 participants and listed high-priority amenities such as basketball courts, improved restrooms, an upgraded playground, canoe/kayak launch improvements, and potential tennis/pickleball courts.

Staff recalled recent grant successes for Battle Park (about $1.2 million in grant funding) and Sunset Park (about $1.1 million) as context for pursuing funding for Stith-Talbert. The presentation identified target grant sources including the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (up to $500,000 per project), the Land and Water Conservation Fund, state trails grants, the Department of Environmental Quality, and private grantors such as the Foundation for the Carolinas. Joel and the consultant from Griffin Grant Works said the parks team believes the project can score well in competitive grant rounds; staff mentioned the PARTF application deadline in May and an August hearing where awards are typically announced.

Staff emphasized the park's location within the flood plain and said renovation choices must account for periodic flooding. Joel explained some amenities (for example, playground relocation and pier repairs) are being scoped to be sustainable despite flood exposure. The workshop materials described a project-cost breakdown separating new items and renovations; staff told council that adoption of the master plan does not bind city capital funds immediately. \"When we ask you to adopt this park plan, it doesn't tie any city funds to it,\" Joel said. \"So if we get funded from the grants, great. If we don't, we're not able to do it to CIP plan.\"

Council members asked about programming, off-street parking and land acquisition. Staff said gym and community-center renovations planned nearby are expected to support more active programming at the park and that land acquisition typically uses different funding sources; staff agreed to explore adding property-acquisition considerations to future planning. No formal vote took place at the workshop; the plan will appear on the council's consent agenda for adoption at the next regular meeting and staff indicated they will submit one or more grant applications as early as May.","Parks staff briefed council on the Stith-Talbert Park master plan, public input results and a grant strategy that targets roughly $1 million to $1.2 million from multiple state and federal programs; the plan is scheduled for adoption on the next council agenda and would not obligate city funds unless grants are secured.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6605687,"City manager outlines Halverson option amendment that would extend inspection window and add deed restriction",177,80825,258680,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2985064-7991b0d592dabf34e4b7c176f7d117f6&start=80&end=258","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2985064-7991b0d592dabf34e4b7c176f7d117f6/thumbnail_80825.jpg","/articles/6605687/Rocky-Mount/Nash-County/North-Carolina/City-manager-outlines-Halverson-option-amendment-that-would-extend-inspection-window-and-add-deed-restriction","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6605687-e935c3685cbd93c3eb42eacf5a22c618/orig.mp4?Expires=1771194296&Signature=d8yWgmZzlyiMI8uAbGJ5r0ayaj5mP-4HRs4NkOEo0506MhorPHF3fOOoBJ8iQB3NuEKgXCJPruaEiWE2ok4dpdbturWvPLN5Appp8EEvoLYyBWvRsxZBj5hDYQb73f8MWy6HC~lHB5oIBK~RO0HClXdHO9LQx-uWuwKo7YziXyURAS64Tt6~VMAKPtE7hdNtAQhmA9Vg3UvURndh-KsgMff3CITevZGfXngngVvIjMNOjNrDJXSph-dxeT4jHar3MqcQ5yCN6Nzvl6fhDdYpBTIDz17vsLIO3qdiGkg13ZPrAdwE~~3urMh5-rlP2FD-W45O0XJTNc7OAzUAQX2FTQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The city manager told the Rocky Mount City Council Committee of the Whole that the first amendment to the Halverson purchase option agreement will extend the inspection period by 30 days, to a total of 150 days, and add a deed restriction on an adjacent parcel that would prohibit a grocery store or supermarket.

The amendment was placed on the consent agenda for the regular council meeting scheduled April 28. The city manager said the amendment \"really does just 2 things. 1 thing is that it extends the inspection period by 30 days for a total of a hundred and 50 days now. And the second thing it does is it has us agreeing to impose a deed restriction on the adjacent tract of land, and that restriction would prohibit a, you know, grocery store or a supermarket.\" No formal vote or council action on the amendment occurred during the workshop discussion.

Council members asked whether the deed restriction would apply if the named tenant did not occupy the site or if a grocery later closed. A council member asked, \"Would that restriction be applicable if, there was not a Publix at that site?\" The city manager said the current language ties the restriction to the term of Publix's lease and indicated the restriction would lapse if the option is not exercised. He said the city could revise the drafting to clarify the restriction's duration if council wished.

The presentation did not include a vote tally or formal motion in committee; the item was described as placed on the consent agenda for the upcoming regular meeting. The staff summary provided at the workshop described two substantive effects of the amendment: (1) the inspection period extension, and (2) an agreed deed restriction on the adjacent tract limiting grocery/supermarket uses during the relevant term noted in the agreement.

The city manager said staff included a map with the materials showing the adjacent parcel and offered to answer further drafting questions at the regular meeting; no formal legal citations or ordinance numbers were presented in the workshop session. The city manager also told council members that the deed restriction language could be adjusted to reflect council's intent about duration and triggers for lapse.","City staff told Rocky Mount council members the first amendment to the Halverson purchase option would extend the inspection period to 150 days and add a deed restriction limiting a grocery or supermarket on an adjacent tract; the item is on the city's consent agenda for the April 28 regular meeting.","actionData","errors"]

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United Way representative says homelessness initiative advancing; council urges county participation and funding clarity

Rocky Mount staff present Stith-Talbert Park master plan and targeting of grant funding

City manager outlines Halverson option amendment that would extend inspection window and add deed restriction