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Gastonia council advances downtown parking study, GO Bond resurfacing and routine contract agenda
Summary
The Gastonia City Council on Nov. 7 approved a $60,000 Kimley‑Horn downtown parking study (with a $43,600 budget amendment from the MSD fund), authorized GO Bond resurfacing bid preparation, and passed routine consent and personnel items in unanimous votes.
The Gastonia City Council on Nov. 7 voted unanimously to hire Kimley‑Horn for a $60,000 downtown parking study and to authorize bid preparations for the 2025 GO Bond resurfacing program. The meeting also included routine approvals of minutes, consent agenda items and personnel policy updates.
Council members approved the Kimley‑Horn contract with a requested budget amendment of $43,600 from the Municipal Service District (MSD) fund balance. Robert Farren, the Kimley‑Horn project manager, told the council the 16‑week study will use drone imagery and on‑the‑ground counts (10 a.m.–6 p.m. sampling every two hours on two peak days), produce a needs assessment and offer 5‑ and 10‑year parking demand forecasts and signage/wayfinding recommendations. Farren said the firm will model special‑event demand (for parades and ballgames) by incorporating additional imagery and historical event calendars.
"Once we get started, we'll wrap up in roughly four months," Farren said, summarizing the project schedule and analysis approach.
Earlier the council approved a transportation committee recommendation to move forward on resurfacing work connected with the 2025 GO Bond. Councilman Jim Gallagher described recent resurfacing totals (50 miles at roughly $17.2 million in FY23–24) and explained a $625,000 'rejuvenator' reclamite treatment to extend pavement life on 27 miles as a cost‑effective complement to full resurfacing. The council voted to permit staff to prepare bid documents and advertise resurfacing projects.
On the consent agenda and in committee reports, the council unanimously approved personnel policy manual clarifications and career development program changes, and accepted the Government Finance Officers Association Distinguished Budget Award announced by Finance Director Crystal Cirtle.
What happens next: Staff will finalize the Kimley‑Horn scope and authorize the study to begin; results are expected in approximately 16 weeks and will include recommendations for signage, time limits and potential ordinance changes. The GO Bond resurfacing items will proceed to bid development and public procurement per standard process.
Votes at a glance: - Agenda approval: unanimous - Minutes (Oct. regular meeting): unanimous - Personnel policy manual update: unanimous - Career development program changes: unanimous - Motion to prepare GO Bond resurfacing bid documents: unanimous - Kimley‑Horn downtown parking study contract and $43,600 MSD budget amendment: unanimous - Consent agenda: unanimous
The council meeting also featured recognitions for the Gastonia Police Department and the finance office, and concluded with council reports and announcements.
