Goldsboro City Council tables grant planning
By Matt Caulder
Published in News on September 17, 2013 1:46 PM
The Downtown Goldsboro Development Corp. director made a presentation to the Goldsboro City Council during the council's work session Monday night to flesh out what details are available about the $10 million grant the city will receive for transportation projects.
The $10 million TIGER 2013 grant will be funded through the U.S. Department of Transportation. The city will match more than the 25 percent required match, bringing the total project funds to about $13.3 million.
DGDC Director Julie Metz said TIGER officials told her the grant would fund the remainder of the Streetscape and the construction of the GATEWAY bus transfer center, but would not fund the renovation of Goldsboro Union Station.
The grant application allowed for three blocks of Center Street to be completed along with an additional block on Walnut Street leading to the transfer center and Union Station, which became a sticking point since the third block had not been discussed.
Councilman Chuck Allen was hesitant to lump the third block of Streetscape into the pile with a possible bond referendum around the corner for Parks and Recreation projects and other city projects.
"I want to make sure we use the money to do what we said," Allen said.
City Manager Scott Stevens said the third block was in the TIGER grant application.
"I think it's an opportunity lost if the grant is paying 75 percent of the project cost. I see this as tying in the businesses and finishing downtown, except for the infill housing development," Stevens said.
Assistant City Manager Randy Guthrie said the design costs for the next block would be about $150,000 -- like the previous blocks except that the third block involves working with a small amount of sewer the others did not have.
Councilman Gene Aycock asked why the city was going to pay $150,000 again for Streetscape design when two had already been designed.
It was decided to continue the City Council meeting to Monday at noon in the large conference room of the city hall addition to finish the Streetscape discussion.
Also deferred was discussion on the possible Parks and Recreation bond referendum and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee's recommendation for projects.
Council also delayed a discussion on the possible expansion of Elmwood Cemetery.
The advisory committee unanimously agreed with Parks and Recreation Director Scott Barnard's recommendation to include the new W.A. Foster Recreation Center, Herman Park Center renovations, a multi-sports complex and the paving of city greenways in the proposed $18.9 million bond referendum.
In other business, council:
* Allowed Stevens to appropriate $6,000 from his budget to hire a consultant to help the city with creating two to three marketing packages for the top few entries in the motto contest.
* Approved 12 houses for condemnation and demolition. The structures should be torn down by the end of the month.
* Approved an agreement relating the accepted uses of a property on the south side of John Street donated to the city in 2012 by General Industries.
The North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources approved the property for use as an open space, cemetery expansion and/or commercial use.
Public Works Director Jose Martinez said that the restrictions would fall in line with whatever uses the city had for the property.