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DGDC and city present Main Street impact; council presses for clearer MOU and nonprofit financial transparency
Summary
The Downtown Goldsboro Development Corporation (DGDC) presented volunteer and economic impact figures and a draft MOU. Council members asked for clearer accountability language, annual review, corrected language about MSD fund management, and requested city financial contribution figures.
City downtown development staff and leaders of the Downtown Goldsboro Development Corporation (DGDC) presented the Main Street program's recent impact and a draft memorandum of understanding for the city's quasi public‑private partnership.
Downtown development staff summarized 10 years of volunteer contributions and impact: 28,701 volunteer hours (an estimated value of roughly $720,657) and dozens of building renovations, new jobs and businesses. DGDC executives said the partnership helped secure a $612,500 Rural Downtown Economic Development grant for stabilizing Goldsboro Union Station and credited the public‑private Main Street structure for making the application competitive.
DGDC president Grayson Hussey and executive committee members January Hammond, Lisa Govan and past president Doug McGrath described committee work (design, promotions, economic vitality, merchants) and said DGDC provides volunteer capacity, event production and small property acquisitions intended to support downtown revitalization.
Several council members welcomed the report but pressed for written accountability. Councilwoman Weeks raised concerns about transparency, asking how in‑kind services and city staff time were recorded and requesting clearer reporting of financial flows between the city and the nonprofit. Weeks said she had sought DGDC financials and wanted documented records of city contributions, staffing equivalencies and any in‑kind services.
Assistant City Manager Matt Livingston and downtown staff said the nonprofit maintains independent accounting (Form 990 and annual financials) and that the Main Street program has an annual agreement and state/national accreditation with reporting benchmarks. Staff acknowledged a drafting error in the proposed MOU that incorrectly suggested MSD (municipal service district) funds were managed by DGDC; staff said that is a typo and that MSD funds are managed by city staff.
Council members requested the draft MOU be revised to tighten accountability, include performance measures and a termination/flexibility clause, and to be reviewed annually. Several members also asked staff to provide a breakdown of city financial support and staff time devoted to downtown functions so council could compare total public investment to private and volunteer contributions.
City staff said they would take council feedback to DGDC's executive committee, update the draft MOU and return with revised language. No vote was taken on the MOU at this meeting.
The presentation acknowledged broad volunteer and private investment in downtown over decades, while council sought clearer documentation of the partnership's financial ties and oversight.
