Board to hold bond hearing Tuesday
By Steve Herring
Published in News on April 17, 2017 9:57 AM
The public will have the opportunity Tuesday to comment on a proposal by Wayne County commissioners to borrow $42 million for schools and other projects.
A public hearing on the plan to sell bonds to finance the projects will be held at 9:15 a.m. in the commissioners' meeting room on the fourth floor of the Wayne County Courthouse Annex.
State law requires a public hearing on the bond sale, but not a public referendum.
Tuesday's meeting will begin with an 8 a.m. agenda briefing followed by the formal session at 9 a.m. in the commissioners' meeting room.
The bond includes $20 million for a new Meadow Lane Elementary School, and a wing to house Edgewood Community Developmental School, and $12,042,604 for the Maxwell Regional Agricultural and Convention Center.
A limited obligation bond, which the county will use, is secured by some asset or combination of assets related to the financing.
In this case, the assets are the buildings.
County Manager George Wood has said that repayment of the bonds over a 20-year period will not require a tax increase.
Other projects the bonds will be used for include:
* $2,615,869 for a sewer line between Grantham Middle School and the county landfill at Dudley.
* $3.2 million for a new gym and six classrooms at Southern Wayne High School.
* $400,000 to install HVAC systems in three middle school gyms.
* $610,000 for an information technology project for the public safety offices fiber optic loop and extension to the Maxwell Regional Agricultural and Convention Center.
* $1.3 million for software for the Sheriff's Office, dispatchers, 911, EMS and the jail.
* $2.22 million for the Canterbury Village street repairs. This will be repaid by residents of the subdivision through a special property tax levy.
Also on the agenda Tuesday are motions to:
* adopt a proclamations for Small Business Week in Wayne County and for National Day of Prayer.
* approve the preliminary plat for Planters Ridge.
* approve reallocation of funds for Wayne Community College and appropriate budget amendment in the amount of $145,000 to be used to help fund a project to renovate/create a more functional nursing simulation lab.
* authorize Wood to advertise for proposals to build a 50,000-square-foot shell building. It would be built on lot 8 at the ParkEast Industrial Park. The county will ask the city to assist with the cost.
* authorize Wood to advertise for bids for the Canterbury Village/ North Creek subdivision road improvements.
Consent agenda items include: Application for Present Use Value; budget amendments; resolution supporting state funding for the Charles B. Aycock Birthplace; motion to approve selling surplus property at 206 Whitfield Drive that is jointly owned with the city of Goldsboro as requested by the city.
Public comments will start at 9:05 a.m. Speakers will have four minutes to comment on their topic of choice.