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Selma recreation advisory board presses for clearer CIP figures, timeline for Brack Wilson repairs
Summary
At its April 15 meeting the Selma Recreation Advisory Board questioned unclear cost estimates in the town's Capital Improvement Plan, pressed staff for a timeline for Brack Wilson work that is dependent on a pump-station project, and asked for earlier access to the parks-and-rec portion of the town budget.
The Selma Recreation Advisory Board on April 15 pressed town staff for clearer cost estimates and a project timeline in the Capital Improvement Plan, focusing discussion on repairs and an eventual relocation of the Brack Wilson site and on how grant and general-fund assumptions are reflected in the CIP.
Board members raised repeated concerns about the source and precision of cost figures in the CIP and whether listed amounts are based on bids or internal estimates. "That number was created out of air," said Board member (Speaker 1), criticizing a $52,000 line tied to Brack Wilson repairs. Staff repeatedly described the CIP as a "living, breathing document" and said it is meant to be a planning guide rather than a set of final bid prices. "This is actually brought back before you all… it's an estimate, it's a living, breathing document," said Staff member (Speaker 2).
Board members said the Brack Wilson work has been discussed for more than two years and noted at least one dependency: a pump-station project that must be resolved before substantial site work can proceed. Board member (Speaker 1) asked the staff to provide a timeline showing what steps must happen before any major work and what fiscal years various parts of a project would be scheduled for. Staff said the timeline will be supplied to the board in a future meeting.
Members also pressed staff about how the CIP lists projects that affect school properties. One board member (Speaker 3) asked whether Johnston County bears responsibility for the school facilities that appear in the CIP and whether the town is effectively improving land it does not own. Staff said the town currently maintains those fields because town teams and programs use them, and that staff is researching historical arrangements and contracts so the board can better understand scope and responsibilities.
Several members said some CIP line items are identified as "grant funding" for fiscal year 2026 even though no grant applications or awards were described in the meeting. Staff explained that listing a project as grant-funded in the CIP flags it as contingent on future awards and that the CIP is updated annually to reflect whether funding was realized. "If we didn't get grant funding in '26… the hope would be that we get it fiscal year '27," Staff member (Speaker 2) said.
Board members asked for practical steps that could be taken before the budget year ends. The mulch project was discussed as an example of money that could be spent quickly if quotes exist and money remains in the parks budget; one member urged staff to check whether quotes had been obtained and whether purchases could be completed before June 30 to avoid unused funds expiring. Staff committed to gathering quotes and to trying to provide that information before the next board meeting.
The board also raised procedural concerns about timing and access to budget information. Several members said they had difficulty reviewing the department budget before being asked to make recommendations. Staff said the department will deliver its budget to the town council at the end of the month and that the board would receive the parks-and-rec portion either the same day or the next day; council would discuss and then consider adopting the budget in May–June. "I'll try to make sure that the day that the council gets it, either you guys get it that day or the next day," Staff member (Speaker 2) said.
No policy changes or budget votes were taken by the board on the CIP at the meeting. Staff repeatedly described the CIP as a planning guide; board members repeatedly requested (1) a clearer, year-by-year breakdown of projects and (2) the timeline showing dependencies such as the pump-station project that affects Brack Wilson. Staff said the department will provide more detailed timelines, confirm which CIP figures are based on bids versus estimates, gather mulch quotes for possible near-term purchase, and report back to the board before the next meeting.
Votes at a glance: the board approved the meeting agenda and the March 19 minutes and adjourned; those routine motions were approved by voice votes recorded as "Aye," with no roll-call tallies in the transcript.
