Goldsboro City Council adds $20,000 to this year's budget
By Anessa Myers
Published in News on October 2, 2007 2:22 PM
Goldsboro City Council allotted more money for demolishing rundown city structures, and made arrangements to make interest payments on the rebirth of another at its meeting Monday night.
Council members learned that with construction of the new Paramount Theatre getting closer to completion, the first quarterly payment is due on the interest on the $4.5 million loan.
The city will have to pay about $20,000 by Oct. 10, and since the payment was not included in this year's budget, the action required council approval of a budget amendment, Assistant City Manager Tasha Logan said.
The council approved the amendment without discussion.
Ms. Logan added that all of the money might not be used for this payment, and if it isn't, the city would put the remainder toward the next quarterly payment, which is due in January.
When the Paramount agreement was made, the city agreed to buy the theater back when it is finished as well as paying any accrued interest from the loans taken out for the theater construction by the nonprofit organization set up on the Paramount behalf. This was one of those interest payments.
In addition to the Para-mount, council members also approved additional money to further the city's efforts to rid the area of dilapidated structures.
Chief Building Inspector Ed Cianfarra received $75,000 extra dollars to pursue demolition of the structures already marked for removal by the city.
Cianfarra said he asked for the money for demolition and asbestos abatement costs, and just in case he had to help the city's General Services Department demolish some of the structures assigned to that department for removal.
So far this year, Cianfarra said 13 buildings have been torn down, but 20 have been repaired and brought back into compliance.
As of Monday, he said, 202 houses are in the minimum housing process, and 70 are about 90 days from condemnation.
Council also approved funds to expand the Goldsboro Police Department's drug-related budget as well as operating expenditures from property confiscated during undercover operations.
Three public hearings were held for requests for annexation into city limits. No one spoke at any of the hearings concerning the requests.
The first hearing was for a request for a non-contiguous annexation for property located on the west side of Wayne Memorial Drive between New Hope Road and Tommy's Road.
The second and third hearings were held for contiguous annexation requests for properties located on the northeast corner of Gateway Drive and Commerce Court and on the east side of Cuyler Best Road between New Hope Road and North Park Drive.
Another contiguous annexation petition was approved for Gruma Corp. for property on the north side of Gateway Drive between North Oak Forest Road and Commerce Court.
Site plan revisions and site and landscape plans were approved for the Wayne County Animal Shelter, Country View Western Store and Moe Abduh (former Piggly Wiggly).
The site plan revision for Victory Free Will Baptist Church was pulled from the agenda and is expected to be placed on the next meeting's business.
Two rezoning requests came to the council for discussion.
One was denied based on public concerns for the appearance of the property.
Property owned by Mike Farfour on the northeast corner of Royall Avenue and Jefferson Avenue will not be changed to general business from neighborhood business to allow for an increase in heavy car repair. The motion was denied without prejudice, which allows for the property owner to make another request to council immediately.
Noble Real Estate Invest-ments requested council rezone property located on the south side of Central Heights Road between McLain Drive and North Oak Forest Road from residential to office and institutional. That request was approved.
A conditional use permit requested by S.T. Wooten was also approved by council for the construction and operation of a concrete plant on the north side of U.S. Highway 70 West between Springwood Drive and J&L Drive.
In other business, council approved a lease of a city-owned vacant lot on Arrington Bridge Road to Williams Farms Inc. for farming purposes.
Council also set a public hearing for Oct. 22's council meeting to allow citizens to discuss whether Reuel Inc. should receive grant funds based on how much additional tax base the company will bring to the city.