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Edenton council adopts vacant‑building ordinance and approves budget amendments, employee background‑check update
Summary
Council approved a vacant‑building ordinance with a tiered fee schedule, accepted multiple budget amendments including a $6.35M Project Teapot appropriation and approved a policy update to require SBI background checks for staff working with children under new state statute.
At its Oct. 14 meeting the Edenton Town Council approved several administrative actions including a vacant‑building registration and fee ordinance, multiple budget amendments for capital projects and an employee policy update to implement a new state background‑check requirement.
Vacant‑building ordinance: Council voted to adopt an ordinance establishing registration and graduated annual fees for vacant buildings to encourage maintenance and return to productive use. The proposed fee structure read into the record included an initial registration fee of $250 and annual renewals escalating with years vacant (example tiers cited: 1 year — $300; 2 years — $500; 3 years — $750), with a cap tied to occupancy or demolition. Staff reported the structure was benchmarked to comparable towns.
Budget amendments: The council approved a $6,348,335 budget amendment to recognize IFA loan reimbursements, lease payments and associated revenues and expenses for ‘Project Teapot’ and approved smaller grant amendments: $15,000 for airport T‑hangar site design (grant 36244‑22.10.1) and additional engineering consulting amendments for runway 1‑19 pavement and lighting (work authorizations cited totaling about $18,300). Council and staff said the airport amendments will fund project engineering and resident project representative services during construction.
Employee background checks: Council updated the town employee policy to comply with recent North Carolina legislation (cited as N.C. Gen. Stat. 168‑164.2B) requiring municipalities to conduct SBI criminal background investigations for positions that will involve working with children; staff noted the requirement takes effect Oct. 1, 2025. The change passed on a council vote.
Other business: Council also authorized a letter of support for College of the Albemarle’s Lyman graduate program curriculum, discussed parade candy distribution protocols (policy currently prohibits throwing candy from vehicles but allows participants on foot to hand out candy), reviewed street and water‑line maintenance plans and heard updates on Project Teapot building remediation and early voting reminders.
Votes and next steps: Most administrative measures were approved by voice vote as recorded in the meeting; staff will finalize fee schedules for the vacant‑building program, proceed with grant and contract administration for the airport projects, implement the statutory employee background‑check procedures and return with drafts or implementation timelines where required.
The meeting continued with transportation and planning updates and then adjourned.
