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Goldsboro council ratifies Crossroads Strategies contract and modifies Friends of Seymour agreement to include legislative initiatives
Summary
Council authorized an agreement with Crossroads Strategies to continue work supporting Seymour Johnson base priorities, and unanimously approved a modified Friends of Seymour agreement that explicitly adds infrastructure, public education and other legislative initiatives to its scope and calls for clearer reporting.
The Goldsboro City Council approved two closely related agreements intended to protect and advocate for Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and, by amendment, to address quality‑of‑life federal priorities.
Council first ratified a contract with Crossroads Strategies, a consulting firm already working to protect base assets and mission priorities. Several members asked staff to return with options to broaden Crossroads’ scope to include other federal advocacy areas such as housing and child care; staff said expanding the contract would require an addendum and additional funding but expressed willingness to present options.
Council then discussed the Friends of Seymour agreement, which coordinates local advocacy and federal engagement. Multiple council members sought stronger written language that Friends of Seymour should pursue ‘‘quality of life’’ issues and recommended adding reporting requirements for more frequent updates. The council amended section 13 to add ‘‘infrastructure, public education, and other legislative initiatives as defined in resolution by council’’ and asked that periodic reporting be provided to the military liaison committee. After amendment and discussion, the council approved the Friends of Seymour agreement as modified.
During a later briefing, Ken Gerard of Friends of Seymour described ongoing efforts in Washington to secure an amendment in the House NDAA to protect and preserve operational squadrons at Seymour Johnson, noting the house rules committee was considering many proposed language changes and that the group expected to follow developments closely.
What’s next: Staff will execute the Crossroads agreement, present scope‑expansion options and formalize reporting expectations for Friends of Seymour; Friends of Seymour will continue tracking NDAA developments and provide updates to the council.
