Neighbors talk to city officials
By Anessa Myers
Published in News on September 19, 2007 1:52 PM
Jamela Mooltrey wants her children to be safe when they are walking to school.
"I am a mother of seven, and my children do walk to school on occasion," she said at Tuesday night's neighborhood meeting sponsored by the Goldsboro City Council.
"If we could just have a sign to slow people down for school hours (around the North Drive school area)," she said. "I just want you to know how very, very, very important it is. I love my babies."
This was just one of the concerns that residents voiced at the last meeting of this year's series. The meeting was held at Fire Station No. 2 on Royall Avenue.
About 40 neighborhood residents came out to let the city know what they wanted improved, and the mayor, council members and city department heads were on hand to listen.
City Manager Joe Huffman said city officials set up the series of neighborhood meetings to find out how they could make life in Goldsboro better.
"But it's just that -- to help you make it better. We don't always have the resources to fix all the problems," he said.
Residents spoke about safety, cleanliness and crime.
Doris King said that children in the area should have sidewalks to use when they walk to school.
"They have nowhere to walk," she said. "That's disgusting."
Angel Anderson said Quail Park isn't being maintained as it should be.
"That park down there is not fit for my dog," she told officials.
Dogs were a whole subject of concern by themselves.
The new dog pound located in their neighborhood angered some, who said dogs barking kept them from getting a good night's sleep.
"Those dogs wake us up every hour on the hour," said Carol Head.
Joyce Randolph said she had a problem with the way the city maintained the streets. She said the street sweeper comes around "once a year."
Flooding is a problem along some streets, residents said.
"When it rains, we have two areas (around Fourth Street) that flood out," Daisy Miller said.
John Howell said he also has had problems with drainage, but he wanted to prevent a problem of a different kind.
"I'd like to see more of a police presence in the area," he said. "Not just when we call them to come out."
Felicia Williams told officials that she, too, wanted to keep the neighborhood free of crime. She said her home had been broken into in February, and if there was a neighborhood watch program, she wanted to help.
"My next door neighbor saw the man come out of my house, and she didn't call the police," she said.
Mayor Al King told residents not to hold back on their comments.
"We're here for you. We are not thin-skinned," he said.
He assured residents that the city would do what it could to help.
"There are some things we can do immediately. Some things take longer, and some we just can't do," King said.
The next set of meetings will be set by the council in January.