Council to talk alcohol sales
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on July 16, 2017 1:45 AM
The Goldsboro City Council will take up the issue of whether to allow Sunday morning alcohol sales during its Monday night meeting.
Cities from the mountains to the coast have been steadily approving Sunday alcohol sales, starting at 10 a.m. instead of noon, after state legislation allowing local decisions was signed into law June 30.
The council will discuss the issue during its 5 p.m. work session, in the City Hall annex, prior to its regular 7 p.m. meeting.
State law allows cities and counties to pass local ordinances allowing Sunday alcohol sales starting at 10 a.m., including mixed drinks at restaurants and hotels and beer and wine sales at local stores.
"I saw where the legislature passed it and other towns were starting to adopt it, so I asked the clerk to put it on the agenda to see how the council felt about allowing it or not," Mayor Chuck Allen said.
"Personally, I think it's fine and should help a few of our restaurants out, but I would like to see how other council members feel about it."
Many cities across the state have approved the earlier Sunday sales, except New Bern after its Board of Alderman failed to vote on the change last week.
The Goldsboro City Council will meet for a two-hour work session Monday at 5 p.m. in the City Hall annex, 200 N. Center St., where presentations, Sunday alcohol sales and the council's meeting agenda will be discussed.
The council will also meet at 7 p.m. for its regular meeting in City Hall, 214 N. Center St.
At the 7 p.m. meeting, the council is set to approve a $16,028 settlement payment to the owner of a Brookwood Lane home where the city's sewer line backed up and flooded the residence.
Mary O'Tuel, homeowner, and her daughter, Maria O'Tuel, complained to city officials in February and were initially denied financial relief. The city's insurance carrier denied liability on the city's part, since city workers were not aware that the sewer line was clogged.
City officials claimed that to be found negligent, employees would have had to know a problem existed and failed to make improvements.
The O'Tuels said there was nothing they could have done to prevent the problem.
The O'Tuels were displaced from the home for at least two months and estimated the damages at the amount the city will now pay.
The money will come from the city's utility fund's fund balance reserves, according to the meeting agenda.
Also during the meeting, the council will:
* Hold a public hearing for a conditional-use permit for Southern Current, which is interested in adding a solar farm to a 23-acre property on Old Smithfield Road, between Hollowell and Gin Roads. The permit request will be considered by the Goldsboro Planning Commission on July 31.
* Hold a public hearing for a conditional-use permit for McIntyre Funeral Home, which is interested in operating a funeral home on Royall Avenue, in a 5,068-square-foot building, near Audubon Avenue. The planning commission will review the request on July 31.
* Consider a $62,200 contract with Eastern Earthscapes and Construction to install fencing at Union Station.
* Consider a $391,200 engineering contract with McKim and Creed for phase four of the sewer collection system rehabilitation project. The work involves surveying lines and manholes and designing repair or replacement projects to prevent inflow and infiltration problems.
* Consider seeking proposal requests from banking institutions to finance $1.78 million in vehicle and equipment purchases, which were approved in the city's 2017-18 budget.
City officials expect to close on a five or 10 year bank loan in January, and will consider Monday approving a reimbursement resolution for $1.85 million to cover the purchases until the loan is approved.
The purchases include vehicles for several city departments, including $302,000 for eight police cruisers and four sport utility vehicles, and $270,247 for several vehicles for the future multisport complex.
The council, including the mayor, previously expressed concern about the level of spending planned for the multisport complex and asked the city's parks and recreation director to evaluate the possibility of using other vehicles used by the department. No changes have been proposed or approved.