Council tables felines again
By Matt Caulder
Published in News on July 17, 2013 1:46 PM
After missing its July 1 meeting due to the Independence Day holiday and a light agenda, Goldsboro City Council made up for lost time with a packed agenda Monday night, which included the annexation and approval of a cluster subdivision off Ditchbank Road and more talk about cats in the city.
A proposed amendment to the city's animal ordinance to make it a finable offense to feed feral cats, along with other changes, was again tabled at the request of Mayor Al King to allow him the opportunity to get in contact with one last citizen who wants to discuss the ordinance.
The amendments, which make allowances for feeding cats in Trap-Neuter-Return programs, but propose changes to the "Dogs at Large" portion of the ordinance to change the language to "Animals at Large" has caused opponents to question the ordinance.
Police Chief Jeff Stewart said that the ordinance gives his officers the power to do something about the cat colonies that are a nuisance to area citizens.
With the cats being fed, they are not hungry enough to go after food in city traps hindering the city's efforts to get cats out of those areas residents are complaining about.
Also at Monday's meeting, a public hearing was held on whether to approve a conditional use permit for a boarding house.
Area residents and the building owners spoke on both sides of the issue.
A recommendation is expected from the city Planning Commission to the council for the Aug. 5 meeting.
The council also approved the annexation and rezoning of an almost 25-acre plot of land on Ditchbank Road to R-20, a change from the requested R-12 zoning.
The change alters the minimum size the lots in the subdivision can be, bringing the number to 36, a higher number than would be allowed in the county, which was zoned R-30 and demanding higher acreage lots.
The measure came up at the last council meeting in a public hearing when citizens spoke on both sides of the issue.
The council approved the subdivision with the provision that waivers are signed for refuse services and police coverage is contracted through the Wayne County Sheriff's Office.
The only change council made was to build in interconnectivity with the adjacent lot instead of a cul-de-sac shown on the plans.
The city also approved a $174,000 bid by T.A. Loving Co. of Goldsboro for the Big Cherry Pump Station bar screen and the $169,035.07 bid by Outer Banks Tennis Contractors LLC of Enfield to resurface and light the tennis courts at Herman Park before a United States Tennis Association tournament this fall.
A budget amendment was approved to roll over all outstanding purchase orders to the 2013-14 budget as well as approval given to re-up the insurance contract with BB&T.