04/03/06 — Commission to eye cable, shell building in two weeks

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Commission to eye cable, shell building in two weeks

By Andrew Bell
Published in News on April 3, 2006 1:48 PM

Wayne County's commissioners have canceled their next meeting scheduled for Tuesday, but are creating the agenda for the April 18 meeting.

Wayne County Manager Lee Smith said the meeting is canceled due to various trips and meetings throughout the week. Some of the commissioners will be on Seymour Johnson-related trips and unable to attend the commissioners' meeting. So, Smith said he would use the opportunity to attend county budget meetings throughout the week.

The public is encouraged to attend the next commissioners' meeting beginning at 9 a.m. on the fourth floor of the Wayne County Courthouse, because there will be four public hearings concerning the renewal of two cable franchise agreements, to borrow money to finance a new hangar at the Goldsboro-Wayne Airport and to borrow money to pay the financing costs of the Mount Olive shell building.

The commissioners will hear public comments regarding the establishment of cable television franchise agreements with Cox Communications and Time Warner Cable. At the public hearing, scheduled to begin at 9:15 a.m., local residents can voice their opinion on both cable companies and any other topic concerning cable television.

At 9:30 a.m., the commissioners will receive public input on whether or not the county should borrow $1.7 million from the North Carolina Eastern Region to pay the financing costs of the Mount Olive shell building. Economic Development Commission President Joanna Thompson said the shell building is an asset for the county because it will provide a readily available structure in which a business could locate and begin operations quickly.

Following that hearing, the commissioners will hear any opinions or comments regarding the county borrowing $700,000 from the North Carolina Eastern Region to pay for a new hangar at the Goldboro-Wayne Airport. Smith said a new hangar would allow more airplanes and jets to use the airport, which could bring more tax revenue to the county.