Council OKs funding for GATEWAY project
By Matt Caulder
Published in News on July 22, 2014 1:46 PM
The Goldsboro City Council approved contracts for design and administrative services for the new GATEWAY transfer station and the continuation of the city's Streetscape project at its meeting Monday night.
Both projects are funded by U.S. Department of Transportation grants.
The nearly $15 million in funding, with $10 million coming from the grant, will go to pay for the construction of the transfer station as well as Streetscape along Walnut and Center streets and the area surrounding Goldsboro Union Station and the new bus station.
The grant is the fifth round of Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grants, or TIGER V.
The Local Government Commission signed off on the financing package earlier this month, paving the way for the city to proceed.
The $300,000 expenditure will include $108,000 to The Wooten Co.; $100,000 to David E. Gall, architect; $66,000 to S&ME; and $26,000 to Allison Platt and Associates for the company's design work and administrative services associated with the projects.
Councilman Chuck Allen recused himself from the discussion of the project during the council's work session and the vote during the general meeting.
Allen owns property along Center Street and does not participate in votes directly related to Center Street construction.
The measure passed in a 5-1 vote, with Councilman Gene Aycock voting against the project, maintaining that the scope of the project is inflated.
Aycock has affirmed the need for a new GATEWAY station, but has said the planned structure is too expensive.
The construction bid for the GATEWAY station came in at $5.1 million and is expected to be completed in the next year.
The council also filled a vacancy on the GATEWAY board of directors after the board discovered a bylaw limiting a member to six consecutive one-year terms.
One of the board members, John Forbes, was no longer eligible to serve on the board.
The council appointed former councilman Don Chatman to serve as the city's third GATEWAY board member.
Now the three Wayne County members and three city members will come together to elect a seventh member at the next GATEWAY board meeting, which is set for Aug. 4.
In other business, the council also formally refused to take ownership of a property at 1404 and 1406 Crepe Myrtle Street, which was deeded to the city without consent.
A quit claim deed was filed on the property conveying the land to the city, but the city has decided not to accept it.