Goldsboro council accepts $500,000 Brownfields grant, approves policing grants, SRO pay bump and public‑decency ordinance

Goldsboro — At its only July meeting the Goldsboro City Council voted unanimously to accept a $500,000 Brownfields assessment grant, authorized police to apply for two Department of Justice grant programs and approved a supplemental operating budget that includes funding for School Resource Officer pay incentives and the Chamber of Commerce agreement.

The Brownfields award "is a $500,000 grant that allows the city to select city‑owned sites and also other private sites for assessment purposes," City Manager Mike Livingston told council as he presented item 8.1. He said downtown development staff are managing the grant and that an RFP for environmental services is out or forthcoming.

Why it matters: Brownfields assessments identify possible contamination, loosen barriers to redevelopment and can unlock site‑specific cleanup funding or redevelopment strategies. Council members said the grant can be used citywide, not only downtown.

The council then approved two policing grant actions. Police Chief Steve West described a COPS (Office of Community Oriented Policing Services) community policing micro‑grant the department plans to request for $175,000 to buy a patrol management/crime‑forecasting platform called Resource Router, license‑plate reader equipment and to expand neighborhood watch and other community engagement programs. "The department intends to request the $175,000 in grant funding," Chief West said, adding the award requires no local match.

Chief West also asked council to approve applying for the 2025 School Violence Prevention Program, another COPS grant. He said the department plans to request $63,290 and that this grant requires a 25% local match — $15,822.50 — for training and school‑oriented programs such as de‑escalation and ALICE (alert, lock, inform, counter, evacuate) training for school staff and community members.

The council discussed SRO coverage and pay during the policing briefing. West described restoring SRO presence after staffing shortages and proposed a 10% salary incentive for officers assigned as SROs to improve recruitment and retention. He said Wayne County Public Schools will reimburse the city approximately $110,000 for three SROs; the city’s net cost to implement the 10% incentive for the current three SROs would be about $28,000. West said a newly hired SRO with the minimum two years of experience would start at roughly $62,000 under the proposed arrangement.

Council also approved a fiscal year 2025–26 operating budget amendment (item 8.6) that, according to staff, incorporates the SRO pay enhancement funding and the Chamber agreement previously budgeted at $15,000. The council approved the Chamber of Commerce support agreement (item 8.5), which allocates $15,000 in sponsorship/support for the fiscal year; staff summarized how that $15,000 is to be applied across events and programs in the packet.

Finally, council members adopted an ordinance aimed at regulating urination and defecation in public after staff said police had requested a more specific local tool to address an uptick in such incidents. Mayor Pro Tem Jones explained the measure provides an additional enforcement option in situations that can fall short of state criminal thresholds.

Votes at a glance: - Item 8.1 — Accept EPA Brownfields assessment grant ($500,000). Motion passed unanimously (recorded 6‑0 when roll call was taken for the item). Mover: Councilman Wicks; Second: Mayor Pro Tem Jones. - Item 8.2 — Authorize application for COPS community policing micro grant (up to $175,000). Motion passed (unanimous). Outcome: authorized to apply; no local match required. - Item 8.3 — Authorize application for 2025 School Violence Prevention Program (requested $63,290; 25% match required). Motion passed (unanimous). Local match estimated at $15,822.50; council indicated contingency funds are available to cover matches. - Item 8.5 — Chamber of Commerce FY25‑26 agreement (support/sponsorship, $15,000 already budgeted). Motion passed by voice vote (approved). - Item 8.6 — FY25‑26 operating budget amendment (includes SRO pay incentive funding and Chamber allocation). Motion passed (approved by roll call/voice vote). - Item 8.8 — Ordinance regulating public urination/defecation. Motion passed (approved by show of hands).

What happened next: Staff will issue an RFP for Brownfields assessment services, the police department will submit the grant applications described above, and the city manager and finance staff will implement the budget amendment and the SRO pay incentive as directed by council.

Speakers quoted in this article include City Manager Mike Livingston and Police Chief Steve West, both of whom addressed the council on the items above.