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Council weighs housing manager and inventory study; Central Pines report due late summer
Summary
Council members urged creation of a housing manager role but deferred adding a permanent position until a regional inventory by Central Pines is complete; staff said Central Pines' report is expected in August and can inform any future position or program design.
Council members pressed for action on affordable housing during the May 27 work session, but stopped short of immediately funding a new full-time housing manager.
Several council members and the mayor voiced support for adding staff to address affordable housing issues, including both long-term affordability and assistance for residents in older homes needing repairs. Council member Behringer said she had sought an estimate of the town's existing affordable housing and that Carolina Central Pines Regional Council ("Central Pines") is completing an inventory, which staff now expects to deliver in late summer, likely August. "Central Pines is doing that work for us, and it seems reasonable to wait till we get the numbers so that we know which numbers to plug in where," Behringer said.
Council members including Singleton, Vance and Dellinger described the task force work and recommended following its sequence: finish the inventory and definition work, then define the job title, objectives, pay scale and reporting relationships before budgeting a new position. Mayor Jackson and others said the council broadly supports the task force recommendations but prefers a deliberate approach so any new role is clearly scoped and measurable.
Staff said one-time ARP (American Rescue Plan) funds could be used as a short-term source for an FY26 limited-term position if council chooses to accelerate hiring; staff characterized ARP as a one-time funding source. Council members expressed caution about using one-time funds for an ongoing operating cost, but left the option on the table if council later directs it.
Council did not take a formal vote to create or fund a housing manager at the May 27 work session. Several members asked staff to return the Central Pines inventory and to develop a timeline, scope and deliverables for that engagement so council can decide whether to fund a position or other programs once the data are available.
What happens next: staff will track Central Pines' deliverable (targeted for August), provide council with contract scope and timeline, and return with options after the inventory is complete.
