Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Finance And Contracts topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rocky Mount council approves state-funded housing grants, downtown contracts and July street closure
Summary
The Rocky Mount City Council approved a package of state-funded appropriations and agreements including a $700,000 housing repair grants appropriation, a $300,000 homelessness-support appropriation (one member recused), a $375,000 building reuse grant and related nonprofit funding for OIC, a wholesale sewer agreement with Nashville, the Imagine Rocky Mount 2050 contract, updated banking authorizations, and a street closure for July 19.
The Rocky Mount City Council approved a string of budget appropriations, grant agreements and contracts at a regularly scheduled meeting that included new state-funded money for housing repairs, support for homelessness services and multiple other authorizations.
On an ordinance amendment introduced under Item 10, the council authorized appropriating $700,000 from the state budget appropriations fund to expand distribution of grants through the city’s housing repair and rehabilitation programs. Councilman Knight moved the ordinance; Councilman Joiner seconded, and the motion passed by voice vote.
The council then approved a $300,000 appropriation from the same state fund to support an outside organization addressing local homelessness. The council recorded a recusal: Councilman Joyner stated he would not participate in that vote because of his position with the charity named during discussion. Councilman Jabaris Walker made the motion; Councilmen Harris and TJ Walker seconded, and the council approved the appropriation by voice vote.
Under Items 12 and 13, the council authorized execution of a $375,000 building reuse grant agreement with the North Carolina Department of Commerce intended to assist Memorial Hospital and approved a related loan agreement and a nonprofit agreement with OIC for $175,000 (split in the record as $100,000 for a construction trade program and $75,000 for Youth Connect). Councilmen Knight and Blackwell recused themselves from votes involving OIC. Motions to authorize execution were approved by voice vote.
The council also approved a wholesale sewer purchase agreement with the Town of Nashville. Council members discussed the agreement’s term structure — successive 10-year terms that together can extend to 40 years — and confirmed that wholesale rates may be subject to annual rate adjustments when the city adopts its budget, while residential customer rates are not fixed by the wholesale contract. Water Resources Director Brenton Bent was present to take questions.
Council awarded the comprehensive plan contract “Imagine Rocky Mount 2050” to Benchmark CMR Inc. at a cost not to exceed $180,250. The city manager said the planning process will be open and include opportunities for council and public input.
The council also passed a resolution updating PNC Bank account authorizations to add the city manager and finance director as primary signatories and approved a street closure at 709 Lincoln Drive on July 19 between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Most votes were taken by general voice vote; specific roll-call tallies were not recorded in the meeting transcript. Multiple council members who had potential conflicts recused themselves from individual votes when noted in the record. The meeting adjourned after final comments.
