City Council to consider budget amendments
By Ty Johnson
Published in News on November 6, 2011 1:50 AM
Goldsboro's City Council will consider two budget amendments at Monday's council meeting that, if approved, would decrease the unappropriated fund balance of the general fund by a net of $90,000.
The consent agenda contains a budget amendment that allocates $110,000 from the unappropriated fund balance of the general fund into the city's line item for legal fees due to "unanticipated legal costs."
The city typically allocates $130,000 to cover the services of the city attorney through Everett, Womble, Lawrence and Brown, but has also taken on attorney Anthony Fox through Parker Poe in Charlotte to assist in litigation matters concerning the deannexation of the Phase 11 area of Goldsboro.
The budget ordinance says the city has legal fees "in excess of $80,000." Then-Interim City Manager Tasha Logan received a letter from Fox on July 1 indicating that his rate would be $350 an hour, though "hourly rates are subject to change from time to time, without notice."
The city was already in court concerning the annexation of the Buck Swamp area, from 2004 until 2008, when it spent $180,720 for legal services to argue the legality of the annexation, which went into effect Sept. 30, 2008.
But the counci also will consider a consent agenda item to replace $20,000 into the general fund's unappropriated line item after the owner of 1706 N. William St. completed the demolition of the building on that lot within the required 30 days.
In other business, the council will also consider the site and landscape plans and subdivision of a 4.15-acre plat of land at the end of West Lockhaven Drive between Wayne Memorial Drive and Norwood Avenue, a memorandum confirming the official name of the Parks and Recreation department and an agreement with CrossPoint Telecom and Consulting to review the city's communications systems to seek out any possible savings.
A resolution supporting the state Department of Transportation's efforts to install a right-turn lane on Country Day Road at Patetown Road, a temporary street closing request for the Veterans Day Parade and tax forfeitures from federal and state entities round out the consent agenda.
There is one item requiring individual action on the agenda: a rezoning request for the northwest corner of the intersection of West Holly Street and North Virginia Street by Franklin Baking Company.
A petition against the rezoning will require that six of the seven council members vote affirmatively to approve the zoning change. At a Sept. 19 public hearing, four people spoke in opposition to the request while one person spoke in favor of it. A subsequent meeting between the property owners and Franklin Baking Company representatives did not reveal what the company aims to do with its newly rezoned property -- a chief concern among the property owners. The Planning Commission determined that the concerns should be addressed at the time development plans are proposed and recommends approval of the rezoning request.