Citizen complains to city about park maintenance
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on September 16, 2014 1:46 PM
Johnny McCoy arrived at the Goldsboro City Council meeting Monday night with long weeds in one hand and long strands of grass in the other, all collected at Stoney Creek Park.
Officials are not keeping the grass at the park mowed and no one seems to want to do anything about it, he told council members during the public comment period of the meeting.
McCoy said he had repeatedly tried to get someone with the city to take care of the problem, but to no avail.
"I'm (6 foot 4 inches tall)," McCoy said. "As you can see, some of this stuff is taller than I am. If I were to let this happen in my yard, the city would send out a crew to do their thing, they would cut it and send me a bill for it if I don't mow it."
Council members told McCoy they were aware of the problem. Councilman Charles Williams said the state Department of Transportation is responsible for keeping the grass cut and that it would be on the job soon.
McCoy responded by saying that the city should mow the grass itself and send DOT the bill, just as it would do with a resident.
"It is a shame that you know about this and I've got to come up here and raise holy hell before you respond and say you're doing something about it," McCoy said. McCoy was also concerned with the litter at the park, and went as far as to make a DVD illustrating what he was talking about for the council.
"It is the worst-looking place in Goldsboro," he said.
After McCoy spoke, Rhonda Coakley presented a plan to the council for a cardboard city to raise awareness of the homeless.
She said there are more than 1,700 homeless people in Goldsboro and more than 400 homeless students in the Wayne County school system.
Volunteers, including children, plan to stay outside in cardboard boxes on the lawn of the Herman Park Center Nov. 22-23, she said. In the morning, the volunteers will serve a pancake breakfast to Goldsboro's homeless population, and will attempt to raise money throughout the night to donate to the crisis center on Slocumb Street.
"We're doing it whether it's 10 degrees or raining," Ms. Coakley said.
Ms. Coakley said she would request security for the night from the Goldsboro Police Department.
The department came under fire during the work session before the council meeting when Councilman Michael Headen raised concerns about safety on North James Street.
"There are men doing inappropriate things in dilapidated houses on that road, and that's me being nice about it," Headen said. "I've had members of that community tell me they've called the police about it but got no response from the department."
Police Chief Jeff Stewart said the reason units had not responded is because the callers had requested a specific officer, who was on vacation at the time, but that "we will be sending units out there."
Headen continued, asking what it takes to get a house condemned. Building code inspector Allen Anderson said it takes about a year to get a house condemned.
Anderson said his department has a number of houses to bring before the council at its next meeting to ask that they be condemned.
But Headen was not placated, and remained adamant that action needs to be taken to ensure better safety for residents in his district.
In other business, Scott Barnard, director of the Parks and Recreation Department, reported on Beak Week, which ended Saturday.
Barnard said about 4,500 people attended the festival downtown on Saturday, and that more than 2,000 ride tickets were sold during the event. Rain ended the event an hour early, but Barnard said he still believed it went well.
Two businesses competed in the signature sandwich contest -- Haulin' Hog and Flying Shamrock -- and Haulin' Hog emerged the winner. But the competition was friendly. Haulin' Hog provided the wings for the wing-eating contest at the Flying Shamrock, and the Flying Shamrock decided to make Haulin' Hog's sandwich a permanent fixture on its menu.
"There were an awful lot of things for the kids to do and they seemed to have a great time," Mayor Al King said. "It went far better than I thought it would for it being our first festival."