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Pocomoke City council schedules work session to refine CDBG-funded Family Life Center plans
Summary
Council members raised concerns about scope, duplication with the new library and parking and moved to postpone final decisions pending a public work session scheduled for Oct. 15.
A council member moved to postpone final action on plans for a proposed Family Life Center and the Pocomoke City mayor and council scheduled a public work session on Oct. 15 to refine the grant-funded scope.
Council members and staff said the review is intended to avoid duplicating programs the new library will provide, right-size the gymnasium and classrooms, and incorporate public input before the city commits grant funds. “I'll make a motion that we table this until after a work session,” said a council member during the meeting.
City staff explained the project is tied to a CDBG grant and that current documents provide only an estimate of needs. “A lot of them, the way that it was broken down...we're gonna have to put in that work,” said the city manager, who recommended comparing the center's proposed activities with what the new library will offer so the city can “scale it down and get what we really need going forward.”
Council members asked specific questions about gym size and classroom counts, noting design choices drive most of the building's square footage. One council member suggested a smaller gym similar to the armory as a possible model: “I think something like we had at the armory would suit our needs greatly.”
Council members also pressed for public input to be part of the work session. The mayor and staff agreed to post notice of the meeting online and to consider additional outreach for residents without internet access; the council discussed opening at least part of the session to public comment and limiting individual remarks if needed.
No final vote on the center's plans was recorded during the open session. The council asked staff to publish an announcement about the Oct. 15 work session and to prepare a comparison of proposed Family Life Center programs with expected library services so the council can minimize duplication before returning with a recommendation.
The motion to table and the scheduling of a work session were discussed on the record; the transcript does not record a formal roll-call vote on the motion to table.
