MSD board approves paid summer intern position with $4,500 budget

The Municipal Service District (MSD) Advisory Board voted to pursue a paid downtown internship this summer, approving an MSD-funded assignment intended to give a graduate student a single portfolio-style project tied to the district master plan.

The internship was described by staff presenter Trey Samson as a 300-hour assignment with pay set at $15 an hour. Samson told the board the estimated total cost is $4,500 and that equipment and workspace (a laptop, desk and onboarding materials) would come from MSD funds: "That would be the actual cost." The board voted in favor after a motion and second; the motion carried.

Board members and staff said the intern would coordinate with town departments and the MSD board, and any recommendations produced by the intern would come back to the MSD and the Town Council for approval before implementation. Samson outlined typical duties in the packet: project development and execution tied to an MSD master plan; coordination with town departments on beautification, pedestrian flow, wayfinding, parking and streetscape; social media and marketing for available retail space; and monthly reporting to the MSD board.

Discussion focused on scope and candidate fit. Several board members asked that the position duties be narrowed or tailored after interviews so the final assignment matches the intern’s skills — for example, prioritizing grant research or a specific streetscape task rather than a broad “do everything” scope. Board member Beasley and others noted master’s students at East Carolina University (ECU) have varied skill sets and that the MSD should work with ECU faculty to seek candidates whose coursework aligns with the district’s needs.

The board directed staff to continue refining the job description, to accept applications for the coming summer internship cycle, and to present candidate(s) or a revised scope at a future meeting. Samson said the MSD would pay the intern from its budget and would store equipment for reuse by future interns if needed.

Clarifying details from the packet and discussion: pay was set at $15/hour, the internship is structured as up to 300 hours (either as one 300-hour project or multiple smaller projects), and the estimated total MSD cost was given as $4,500. The MSD will fund equipment and workspace out of existing MSD funds; final onboarding and HR processing will follow town HR procedures.

The board’s approval was a recommendation to the Town Council to move forward with recruitment and funding from the MSD fund; staff will return with refined job language and candidate information before final placement.