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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-23-2024 Regular Meeting373 Dunn City Council Regular Meeting Tuesday, April 23, 2024 6:30 p.m., Dunn Municipal Building Minutes PRESENT: Mayor William P. Elmore Jr., Mayor Pro Tom J. Wesley Sills, Council Members Raquel McNeil, April Gaulden, Billy N. Tart, Alan Hargis, and Dr. David L. Bradham. • Also present: City Manager Steven Neuschafer, Assistant City Manager Billy R. Godwin, Finance Director Cary McNallan, Chief of Police Cary Jackson, Planning Director George Adler, Parks and Recreation Director Brian McNeill, Human Resources Director Connie Jernigan; Public Works Director Dwayne Williams, Collections and Distribution Manager Billy Cottle, Water Plant Manager Ian Stroud, Wastewater Plant Manager Donne Dukes, Administrative SupportSpecialistAmber Groves, CityAttorney Tilghman Pope, and City Clerk Tammy Williams. CALL TO ORDER AND INVOCATION Mayor Elmore opened the meeting at 6:30 p.m. and Rev Michael Preddy, Pastor at Hodges Chapel Church gave the invocation. Afterwards, Council Member Hargis led in the Pledge of Allegiance. AGENDA ADJUSTMENT AND APPROVAL Motion by Mayor Pro Tern Sills and second by Council Member Gaulden to adopt the April 23, 2024 meeting agenda as presented with the following addition: • Condemnation for Easement Acquisition for Machine & Welding Outfall Project. Motion unanimously approved. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD The Public Comment Period was opened by Mayor Elmore at 6:35 p.m. Carla Clevinger on Fayetteville Avenue spoke concerned about the speeding traffic on her street Having no additional comments, the Public Comment period was closed. CONSENTITEMS • Minutes of the February 20, 2024 City Council Meeting • Minutes of the March 12, 2024 Work Session • : Minutes of the March 26, 2024 City Council Meeting Destruction of Public Records - Administration Temporary Blocking of Streets - Friends Fighting Cancer • Temporary Blocking of Streets- Juneteenth Celebration • Budget Amendment for Operating Accounts - A copy of Budget Amendment (BA2024-17) is incorporated into these minutes asAttachment#1. • Grant Project Ordinance and Budget Amendment for $50,000 Grant from Harnett County - A copy of Budget Amendment (BA2024-18) and Ordinance (02024-06) are incorporated into these minutes as Attachment #2. Motion by Council Member Bradham and second by Council Member Hargis to approve all consent items. Motion unanimously approved. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION AND/OR DECISION OA-01-24 Ordinance Amendment - Sign Setbacks Mayor Elmore opened the Public Hearing at 6:39 p.m. Planning Director Adler presented a request to amend Section 6.11 G of Article 6 of the City of Dunn Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). This amendment request is for text changes to modify the setback and height requirements for freestanding and monument signs in the C-1, Central Commercial District (Downtown). The text amendment will allow freestanding and monument signs to be as close as five feet from any right-of-way and ten feet from any side property line, while limiting the height of the sign to only ten feet This will accommodate the desires of property owners while preventing visual clutter. With no other comments, the Public Hearing was closed. Motion by Mayor Pro Tern Sills and second by Council Member Gaulden to adopt ordinance amendment OA- 01-24, as presented. Motion unanimously approved. A copy of the Ordinance (02024-07) is incorporated _ into these minutes as Attachment #3. CZ-01-24 Walk by Faith Rezoning Planning Director Adler presented a request to rezone one parcel 0.9-acres +/- at 1105 Erwin Road. The property is currently zoned 0&1, Office & Institutional District and is proposed to be rezoned to MXU CZD, Mixed -Use Conditional Zoning District to permit only the following uses: Family Care Home (6 or fewer residents). The Planning Board, at their regular meeting on February 27, heard presentations from staff and DeAngelo Jackson, Walk By Faith business owner. The Planning Board voted unanimously to recommend approval of this conditional zoning request At the March 12, 2024 meeting, the Council made a motion to table the case until the applicant could obtain the property owner's signed approval for more limited uses to be permitted at 1105 Erwin. The applicant obtained signed approval from the owner as requested by the Council. 374 Motion by Council Member Gaulden and second by Mayor Pro Tem Sills to approve CZ-01-24, to rezone one parcel, PIN being 1506-99-0391.000, at 1105 Erwin Road, from 0&L Office & Institutional District to MXU CZD, Mixed -Use Conditional Zoning District, to permit only the following uses: Family Care Home (6 or fewer residents), as presented. Motion uu mbriously approved. Temporary Bitching of Streets - St Jude's Car Show Downtown Director Lindsey presented request to block portions of Broad St from Magnolia Ave to S Washington Ave and permission to use city property on October 19, 2024, from 6:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., with Rain Dates set as November 9 and then November 16, 2024. The St Jude's Car Show was held last year in Dunn on W Broad St just over railroad tracks. Motion by Council Member Hargis and second by Council Member McNeil to approve temporary blocking of Broad Street for the St Jude's Car Show as presented. Motion unanimously approved. Acceptance of K-9 Grant Chief Jackson presented a request to accept a grant from AKC Reunite Adopt a K-9 Cop. The acceptance of this grant will allow the police department to purchase an additional K-9 to serve the City of Dunn. The department currently has one K-9 unit that is on -call 24/7. An additional K-9 would allow two officers to split those duties. The K-9 unit is essential to narcotics investigations, crime scene evidence recovery, missing person cases, and officer safety. The grant provides $7,500.00 in funds to the department with the agreement that the department will pay up to $2,500.00 towards the procurement of this resource. Motion by Council Member Bradham and second by Council Member Sills to accept an award of $7,500.00 from the ABC Reunite Adopt a K-9 Cop grant and to approve the Budget Amendment as presented. Motion unanimously approved. A copy of Budget Amendment (B42024-19) is incorporated into these minutes as Attachment#4. Four -Way Stop Sign Request Chief Jackson presented approval to have a Four -Way Stop at the intersection of S Fayetteville Avenue and W Bay Street for the safe Bow of traffic. Council Member Tart asked about changing the traffic Bow instead and reversing the stop signs on that street since it would only be a three-way stop. Chief Jackson agreed with that recommendation. Motion by Council Member Tart and second by Council Member Bradham to reverse the traffic pattern for the stop sign at the intersection of South Fayetteville Avenue and West Bay Street and take another look at it in six months. Motion unanimously approved. Condemnation for Easement Acquisition for Machine & Welding Outfall Project Assistant City Manager Godwin asked for approval of a condemnation resolution authorizing the law firm of Yarborough, Winters, & Neville, PA, to initiate, on behalf of the City, condemnation proceedings to acquire utility easements necessary to make repairs and enhancements to its wastewater collection system in furtherance of the Machine & Welding Outfall Project associated with the Special Order by Consent Most of these have been obtained via negotiation with the property owners. However, negotiations with the owners of PIN #1515-19-3281 have not been successful and the power of eminent domain must be used to acquire easements over that property. Godwin says they have been unresponsive to request, and this will spur conversation. After discussion, motion by Council Member Bradham and second by Council Member Gaulden to approve a condemnation resolution authorizing the law firm of Yarborough, Winters, & Neville, PA, to initiate, on behalf and in the name of the City, condemnation proceedings against the owners of Harnett County PIN #1515-19- 3281 to acquire utility easements necessary in furtherance of the Machine & Welding Outfall Project. Motion approved with Mayor Pro Tem Sills opposed. A copy ofthe Resolution (R2024-19) is incorporated into these minutes as Attachment #5. Administrative Reports City Manager Neuschafer presented goals report update and reported that there is a lot of utility work going on with the 195 widening project Council Member Bradham noted that he has noticed a lot of potholes filled around town. Public Works Director Williams gave an update on the Divine Street Storm Drain repair and City Manager Neuschafer gave an update on the Pearsall St project, with hopes to have it completed by the end of the calendar year. Finance Director McNallan provided the following financial report for the period ending March 31, 2024: • The City has $13,264,449 cash, compared to $13,805,035 last year. The decrease is primarily due to unreimbursed grant/loan proceeds for capital water and sewer projects. • Property Taxes collected are $5,414,782, with projected budget of$5,563,300. • Sales Tax receipts for month received were $338,322, $34,899 more than same period last year, with total collected to -date of $1,816,174 or 58.7% of budget • Building Permit Fees collected total $114,724 or 72% of budget compared to total collected last year of $99,528. • General Fund expenditures for month are $1,615,774, with total expensed to -date at $10,037,018 or 71.54% of Budget, compared to $10,006,261 in 2023. Revenues to -date are $10,665,620 or 76% of budget 375 • Water and Sewer Revenues for the month were $781,709 with total collected year to -date at $6,971,187 or 64.6% of budget, compared to $6,373,555 in 2023. • Water and Sewer fund expenditures for the month are $904,380, with total expensed to -date at $6,598,533, or 61.1% of budget, compared to $5,019,968 last year. Revenues to -date are $6,971,187 or 64.6% of budget. • Stormwater fund expenditures for the month were $9,453, with mml expenses to -date of $181,050, or 42.5% of budget. Revenues to -date are $391,306 or 91.9% of budget. • The benchmark for this period is 75% of budget Reports were also received as follows: Communications, Planning and Inspections Report, Public Works • Report, Public Utilities Report, Parks and Recreation Report and Police Report Announcements/Information Mayor Elmore thanked everyone who participated in the Spring Litter Sweep and then announced upcoming events and activities. Council Member McNeil requested that a resident be able to give a public comment because she didn't know to sign up. Thelma Rae expressed concern on 911 call response time. The Mayor asked her to talk to Chief Jackson, who was in attendance. With no further business to discuss, Mayor Elmore adjourned the meeting at 7:15 p.m. with no objections. •