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Morehead City Council expands city manager's authority to buy property, earmarks parcel for lift station
Summary
On July 21, 2026, the Morehead City Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2026-R-46 to allow the city manager to purchase real property when funds are appropriated and approved a budget amendment identifying a parcel at 4800 Country Club Road for a wastewater lift station. Council members said the change aligns policy with a prior $300,000 budget transfer and lets staff secure a site before grant funding arrives.
Morehead City Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted Resolution 2026-R-46 to clarify and expand the city manager's delegated contract authority to include the purchase of real property, and approved a companion amendment to the July 2026 Water and Sewer Capital Project budget (ordinance 2026-16) identifying a parcel at 4800 Country Club Road for a new lift station.
City Attorney (speaking to the council) said the change fills a gap in existing policy: "This resolution adds that possibility that the manager can buy a piece of property," and ties the manager's authority to specific budget appropriations and public-notice requirements. The attorney described the measure as housekeeping to align the city's procedures with auditor expectations.
City Manager Randy told the council staff wants to move quickly to secure a site while the property is available and before grant funds are obtained. Daniel, the city engineer, described the candidate lot as a small triangular parcel near the high school: "If there could be a perfect place, that's a perfect place," he said, noting most equipment would be located underground with only control panels and a generator above ground.
Council members said the resolution and the budget amendment formalize actions the council had already begun. The attorney and managers referenced a prior budget transfer (described in the meeting as about $300,000) that must be tied to a specific property to satisfy finance and audit procedures. The attorney said he has drafted an offer to purchase that would reserve the right to complete engineering and site-suitability reviews before closing.
Mayor Pro Tem Balu moved the land-identification amendment; the motion was seconded and approved unanimously by a hand vote. Council Member Nathan Chambers was excused from the meeting for a family matter and did not participate.
Council members and staff discussed broader infrastructure planning around Country Club Road, including whether to run additional utilities along the corridor and how potential future road widening could interact with sewer installation. Members asked staff to return with engineering analysis and to place strategic planning for Country Club Road on the council's October retreat agenda.
Next steps identified at the meeting include completing the drafted offer to purchase with standard contingencies for engineering and permitting, securing the signatures required on any contract (the manager and the financial director must sign to pre-audit funding), and continuing grant-seeking for construction funds. The meeting adjourned after the council took both votes.
