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Home My WebLink About01-28-25 Regular004 Dunn City Council Regular Meeting Tuesday, January 28, 2025 6:30 p.m., Dunn Municipal Building Minutes PRESENT: Mayor William P. Elmore Jr., Mayor Pro Tem J. Wesley Sills, Council Members April Gaulden, Raquel McNeil, 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, Parks and Recreation Director Brian McNeill, Human Resources Director ConnieJernigan, Public Works DirectorDwayne Williams, Collections and Distribution ManagerBilly Cottle, Water Plant Manager Ian Stroud, Wastewater Plant Manager Donrie Dukes, Administrative Support Specialist Sydney McKoy, CityAttorney Tilghman Pope, and City Clerk Melissa R. Matti. CALL TO ORDER AND INVOCATION Mayor Elmore opened the meeting at 6:30 p.m. and Reverend Camerom Thomas -1st Presbyterian Church gave the invocation. Afterwards, Maor Pro Tem Sills led in the Pledge of Allegiance. AGENDA ADJUSTMENT AND APPROVAL Motion by Mayor Pro'Tem Sills and second by Council Member Gaulden to adopt the January 28, 2025 meeting agenda by moving item #7.- Temporary Blocking of Streets - Cigar Social Gathering to Items for discussion. Motion unanimously approved. PRESENTATIONS Chief Cary Jackson recognized Lt. Apelles Hart II and Sgt. Kenneth Santana for obtaining their advanced law enforcement certifications from the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education Training Standards Commission. Chief Jackson provided background on both officers: • Lt. Hart has been employed with the city since February 2013, starting as an Animal Control Officer. He became a sworn Law Enforcement Officer in 2018 and now oversees the Professional Standards Division and CALIE accreditation program. • Sgt. Santana has been employed since October 2018, starting as a Patrol Officer. He now works as a' supervisor in the patrol division and is a Certified Criminal Justice General Instructor. Mayor Elmore thanked both officers for their commitment and extended training. CONSENT ITEMS Minutes of November 12, 2024 City Council Meeting #Budget Amendment - Various Accounts. A copy of Budget Amendment (BA2025-24)is incorporated into these minutes as Attachment #1. Capital Project Ordinance Amendment - Raw Water Pump Station Improvements. A copy of Capital Project Ordinance Amendment Raw Water Pump Station Improvements (02025-01) is incorporated into these minutes as Attachment #2. Motion by Council Member Bradham and second by Council Member Tart to approve all consent items Motion unanimously approved. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION AND/OR DECISION Temporary Blocking of Streets Cigar Social Gathering Mayor Elmore suggested tabling this item until the February 25th meeting to allow for discussion of street closing fees at the upcoming retreat. He noted there was sufficient time as the request was for a May event. Motion to table the item until February 25th was made by Council member Tart,.seconded by Council member Gaulden. The motion carried unanimously. Voluntary Annexation Petition ANX-03-24 504 Moon Circle Owned by Gabrielle Jones City Manager, Steve Neuschafer explained this was the third and final stage of annexation. He requested adoption of a resolution to fix the date of the public hearing for February 25, 2025. Motion to adopt the Resolution Fixing the Date of Public Hearing as February 25, 2025 at 6:30 PM for the Contiguous Annexation Petition ANX-03-24 was made by Mayor Pro Tem Sills, seconded by Commissioner Gaulden. The motion carried unanimously. A copy. of Resolution Fixing the Date of Public Hearing (R2025-03) is incorporated into these minutes as Attachment#3. Voluntary Annexation Petition ANX-01-25 Arrowhead Rd., Owned by City of Dunn City Manager, Steve Neuschafer explained this was the second stage of annexation for a property owned by the city. He requested adoption of a resolution to set the date for the public hearing. Motion to adopt the Resolution Fixing the Date of Public Hearing as February 25, 2025 at 6:30 PM for the voluntary non-contiguous annexation petition ANX-01-25 was made by Council Member Bradham, seconded by Council Member Hargis. The motion carried unanimously. A copy of Resolution Fixing the Date of Public Hearing (R2025=04) is incorporated into these minutes as Attachment #4. 111 Voluntary Annexation Petition ANX-02-25 N. Powell Ave. General Utility Co., Inc. Steve Neuschafer explained this was the first stage of annexation for a property located at North Powell Avenue, involving approximately 18.06 acres. He requested direction to the clerk to investigate the voluntary annexation. Motion to adopt the Resolution Directing the City Clerk to Investigate the Voluntary Contiguous Annexation Petition ANX-02-25 as presented was made by Council Member McNeil, seconded by Mayor Pro Tern Sills. The motion carried unanimously. A copy of Resolution Directing the City Clerk to Investigate the Voluntary Contiguous Annexation Petition (R2025-05) is incorporated into these minutes as Attachment #5. Consideration of Eastside Pump Station Project Loan Cary McNallan, Finance Director, presented information on the Eastside Pump Station project loan: • The project budget is around $12 million • The city received a USDA grant of $3.5 million and a USDA low -interest loan of $8.6 million • The USDA loan process requires obtaining a temporary loan from a local bank before receiving USDA funds • Two resolutions were presented for approval: one to apply to the LGC for a bond anticipation note, and another noting the use of bond funds for the capital project Council members asked for clarification on the loan process and timeline. The project is anticipated to be complete by the end of 2026. Motion to approve the two Resolutions Authorizing the Filing of Application with the LGC to Sell Bonds and with the Intent to Reimburse the Expenditure for Bond Proceeds was made by Council Member Tart, seconded by Council Member Gaulden. The motion carried unanimously. A copy of Resolution Authorizing the Filing of Application with LGC to Sell Bonds (R2025-06) and Resolution with the Intent to Reimburse the Expenditure for Bond Proceeds (R2025-07) are incorporated into these minutes as Attachment #6. Consideration of Approval to Purchase Police Vehicles Chief Cary Jackson requested approval to purchase five 2023 Dodge Charger vehicles for $36,270 each. She explained: • Five patrol vehicles in the fleet need replacement due to high mileage and age • The 2023 models were found at a dealership in Cornelius, NC at a savings of about $10,000 per car compared to 2026 models • The Dodge Charger is no longer being manufactured • Current high -mileage vehicles are causing increased maintenance costs Council members discussed the cost, the need for replacement, and the potential for reusing equipment from old vehicles. Chief Jackson and Captain Smith provided additional details on the vehicles' conditions and equipment compatibility. Motion to approve the purchase of five 2023 Dodge Charger Police Vehicles with upfit and to direct the finance .director to bring back borrowing options was made by Council Member Hargis, seconded by Council Member Gaulden. The motion carried unanimously. Consideration of Governor's Highway Safety Program Grant Application Chief Cary Jackson requested authorization to apply for a grant from the North Carolina Governor's Highway Safety Program. He explained: • The program helps fund efforts to reduce traffic crashes • The grant would reimburse officer costs, equipment, and training expenses • The funding structure changes over four years, with the city's match increasing from 15% to 100% • The program provides opportunities to acquire equipment through a point system Motion to allow the police department to apply for grant funding from the North Carolina Governor's Highway Safety Committee was made by Council Member Bradham, seconded by Mayor Pro Tern Sills. The motion carried unanimously. Recommendation for Award of Contract 301 South Tank City Manager, Steve Neuschafer presented bids for both multi -leg and spheroid elevated water storage tanks. Council members discussed the long-term maintenance costs and aesthetic considerations of each option. Motion to tentatively award the contract for 301 South tank to the low bidder for the spheroid tank to Phoenix Fabricators and Erectors LLC for $4,245,311 was made by Mayor Pro Tern Sills, seconded by Council Member Bradham. The motion carried unanimously. Administrative Reports City Manager's Report/Update on Council Goals City Manager, Steve Neuschafer presented an update on the city's goals and objectives for 2025-2026. He highlighted items that had seen movement since the last meeting and invited questions from the council. 11. Financial Report/Assessment Update Finance Director, Cary McNallan presented the financial report for December 2024: • Cash balances as of 12/31 were $9.1 million, compared to $9.6 million a year ago • General property taxes collected for November were $1.3 million, compared to $1.1 million the previous year • Year-to-date property tax collections were $2.4 million • September sales tax receipts were $280,000, slightly higher than the previous year • October sales tax receipts were $275,000, about $18,000 less than the previous year • Building permits for December were $15,000, with year-to-date collections at $66,000 (41% of budget) Department Reports Various department heads provided updates and answered questions from council members: • Chief Jackson discussed ongoing bike patrols on the Rail Trail • Parks & Rec Director, Brian McNeill provided an update on the World Series project and playground equipment installation • Water Treatment Plant Manager, Ian Stroud answered questions about the water tank project Announcements Mayor Elmore announced: • The city of Dunn planning retreat will be held on February 7th and 8th at Wrightsville Beach at Lumina conference center • The next regular meeting of Dunn City Council is scheduled for February 25th at 6:30 PM in the chambers Closed Session Motion to go into closed session to discuss a personnel matter was made by Council Member Hargis, seconded by Council Member Tart. The motion carried unanimously. The mayor thanked everyone in attendance and dismissed the public. William P. Elmore Jr. • ►r..,. Ma or y Za. CITY p CG, R. Matti, CMC, CC - :' GO RPp� City Clerk = �•.e TF �'• SEA L ,y FARO\,- .��'�.