Tag Archive for: #cityofhenderson

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Restricting Downtown Business Hours Topic of Today’s Public Hearing

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The Henderson Planning Board held a public hearing at 3:30 p.m. this afternoon in the City Hall Council Chambers to discuss restricting hours of operation for nightclubs, taverns, lounges and dance halls in the downtown Henderson business district.

The Henderson Police Department, in conjunction with Development Services staff, made the request to restrict hours of operation in the B-1, Central Business District.

The request adds language to the existing ordinance regulating the hours of operation for nightclubs, taverns, lounges and dance halls in the B-1 district to Sunday through Thursday from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 4 a.m. to midnight.

The request also stipulates that restaurants obtain a special-use permit if they provide live music or dancing.

Language has also been added to allow businesses established prior to construction of residential properties to be grandfathered in under zoning requirements until the business undergoes a change in ownership or in business type.

Hotels and motels are excluded from these particular zoning requirements.

The ordinance as it reads on the Henderson Planning Board’s agenda is outlined below. Type in red indicates proposed changes to Ordinance 18:

ORDINANCE 18

TEXT AMENDMENT TO AMEND ARTICLE 600B: SUPPLEMENTARY USE REGULATION SECTION 652B: NIGHT CLUBS, TAVERNS, LOUNGES & DANCE HALLS.

The City Council of the City of Henderson, North Carolina ordains: That the following section be amended/added to the City Zoning Code:

Section 652B: Night Clubs, Taverns, Lounges and Dance Halls

652B.1 Location and Hours

No night club, tavern or lounge (except night clubs, taverns or lounges with 25,000 square feet of individual building floor area that are located within a shopping center with at least 100,000 square feet of total area) shall be located within a radius of 500 feet of any school, church, hospital, funeral home, domiciliary home, rooming house, residential dwelling unit or residential zoning district.

Hours of operation in a B-1 (Central Business District) Sunday thru Thursday from 4 AM to 10 PM, Friday and Saturday 4 AM to midnight. In the event restaurant provides live music and/or dancing a special use permit is required. Any place of business that was established prior to construction of residential properties within this area shall be grandfathered under this zoning requirement until such time a business changes owners or business type. Hotels and motels are also excluded.

652B.2 State Standards

Any night club, tavern or lounge shall demonstrate that it can meet the standards for on-premises ABC Permit under Chapter 18, Article 10 of the North Carolina General Statutes in the event that any alcoholic beverages are to be consumed on the premises.

652B.3 Noise

Every night club, tavern or lounge shall be designed and constructed as to prevent unreasonably loud noise from emanating beyond the premises in such a manner that they would disturb nearby uses.

652B.4 Dance Halls

Dance halls serving alcoholic beverages shall be deemed to be a nightclub. Dance Halls serving no alcoholic beverages shall not meet the locational or State standards set forth in subsections 652B.1 and 652B.2 but shall meet the noise requirements set forth in section 652B.3

652B.5 Banquet Facilities/Event Center

No banquet facilities/event center shall be located in a radius of two hundred fifty (250) feet from any school, church, residential dwelling unit or residential district measured from the occupied/rentable space.

The requirements and restrictions of Section 10-30 (a) through (e) of the City of Henderson, North Carolina Code shall apply to the uses permitted by this section. (Amended 12/12/16).

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Henderson City Council Adopts FY 2018-19 Budget

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Without further ado, the Henderson City Council adopted the proposed FY 2018-19 budget at their Monday, June 11, 2018, meeting.

After hearing a brief summary of the overall budget from City Manager Frank Frazier, who thanked council members for the meetings and work sessions that were held to get to that point in the budget process, the approximately $44 million budget was approved.

Frazier said he felt encouraged about the budget thanks, in part, to an increase in the amount of sales tax collected this past fiscal year. “We were slightly ahead of projections,” Frazier reported. “Whereas some projections by different agencies increased that [collection rate] to 4%, we used a more conservative approach at 2%.”

Frazier also reported an increase in the personal/real property tax collection rate as performed by the Vance County Tax Office. “This collection helped increase our revenue projections for the upcoming year and staff worked hard over the last several years in becoming a safer workforce and obtaining a better worker’s comp rate,” said Frazier.

The increase in tax collection has also helped to offset the less than 1% lower personal property value from the previous fiscal year.

Budgeted funds for the final phase in a five-year pay class study allows for a 5% pay increase for City employees effective August 9, 2018. According to Frazier, “This helps us to reduce our turnover rate and also helps us compete with our neighboring jurisdictions.”

As previously reported to WIZS by Henderson City Councilman Garry Daeke, the turnover rate for City of Henderson employees has dropped from 20% to 5% since the implementation of the five-year study.

This year’s budget was approved with no tax rate increase, keeping the rate steady at approximately 71 cents per $100 of property value. Sanitary sewer and sanitation rates also remain unchanged.

A 5% water rate increase was approved, which will allow for the completion of several infrastructure projects with streets, water and sewer as well as equipment purchases.

As Frazier stated in previous budget documentation “Whereas not all needs are met, as in most budgets, I believe this budget represents further positive steps in areas not funded previously, which will help the City continue to grow and reach its full potential again.”

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City of Henderson Update 06/06/18

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City of Henderson Reports Bypass of 968,000 Gallons of Untreated Wastewater

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-Press Release, City of Henderson

The City of Henderson’s Sewer Collection System bypassed approximately 968,000 gallons of untreated water starting May 7, 2018, due to a fallen tree and other debris dislodging the existing sanitary sewer on piers across the creek. This occurred on the Red Bud Outfall to the west of Tiny Broadwick Boulevard and Oxford Road (Hwy 158 Business).

After locating the problem, pumps were set up to begin pumping the spill back into the sewer system and approximately 202,500 gallons of affected creek water was pumped back into the sanitary sewer system. Also, hydrogen peroxide was added to the creek to help mitigate any negative environmental effects of the untreated water that entered the creek.

Upstream and downstream samples were taken to monitor the stream for oxygen levels and other measures; however, at this time there has been no indication of any fish kills or harmful effects to other wildlife, The State has been notified and they are investigating.

North Carolina General Statutes article 21 chapter 143.215.1c requires a press release for all bypasses of 1,000 gallons or more than enter surface waters.

Questions concerning this matter should be directed to Public Works ORC Joey Long, Jr. at (252) 226-4492 or Andy Perkinson (252) 431-6117.

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City of Henderson Updates (March 2018)

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By: Kelly Bondurant, Freelance Writer/Editor for Hire

Garry Daeke, a 13-year member of the Henderson City Council, recently spoke on air with WIZS to answer questions and provide listeners with City of Henderson updates.

Breckenridge Pavilion:

The proposed Breckenridge Pavilion, to be located near the Henderson Police Department, will serve as the last piece of the overall Breckenridge Commons project and as the corner piece of the block.

According to Daeke, the importance of the project has led the City to reexamine best practices to ensure a satisfactory final result.

“We had gotten some initial startup on the pavilion last year and we thought it would be going very quickly, but as we looked at it further, we decided that we really needed to do some landscaping on that lot,” said Daeke. “We decided that we need a landscape architect to give us a layout for the whole activity.”

While no date has been set for estimated completion, the City expects to receive the architect’s layout in the next few weeks.

“It will certainly cost a little more to complete, but we decided that we needed to do this right,” Daeke said.

Former Bank Building in Downtown Henderson:

Daeke said that while a few people have expressed interest in the vacant former bank building in the downtown area, none have been completely willing to follow the building covenants.

“The City really wants to maintain the façade; however, not everyone wanted to maintain the façade or keep the old architecture,” said Daeke.

Additional covenants include maintaining the lobby area of the building and maintaining and utilizing the vault in some way.

The building is currently for sale.

City of Henderson Tax Base:

The City’s tax base has remained stagnant over the past decade, especially in regards to residential growth.

“The tax base hasn’t grown at all like we’d like for it to grow, especially residential. We aren’t building many houses inside the City limits,” Daeke said.

Daeke also sees future potential issues with a stagnant tax base and the City budget. “We have to plan for reoccurring expenses,” said Daeke. “We gave raises [to City employees] last year and we love to be able to do that, but that’s a cost every year down the road. If you don’t have growth, where do you find the money?”

Fire Department:

According to Daeke, the City has known for years that there is a need to realign the two existing fire stations and add a third station.

“Some businesses have come in on both ends of town and wanted to be annexed,” Daeke said. “We did that, but it is a little problematic in that we then stretch our service base. The police and fire department have to respond farther out to the east and the west.”

Currently, a new fire engine is being custom built for the City to the tune of $560,000. The engine takes approximately one year to build and is on the City’s budget for the next fiscal year.

Daeke credits Fire Chief Steve Cordell and his men for doing a great job with the resources they have available, “Chief Cordell does an excellent job with the fire department. We’ve got some excellent young men working there. They are always training and are on spot every time they’re called. We are really proud of them.”

Other Miscellaneous Items:

  • The recent inclement weather has delayed the demolition of the former Abagayle’s Books building, but the project is expected to be completed soon.
  • The City is currently discussing a redevelopment plan. “We want to layout a redevelopment plan to highlight certain areas where we would like to see growth as well as open it up for investment in other areas,” said Daeke.
  • Turnover in the fire departments and police departments is an ongoing concern. According to Daeke, it has become increasingly difficult for the City to compete with neighboring communities such as Wake Forest and their higher pay rates.
  • Daeke commends new Henderson Downtown Development Director Kaine Riggan, “I think Kaine Riggan is doing a great job. He’s got a lot of experience and a lot of energy. He thinks outside of the box and I’m excited about all of the things he is going to pull together.”

Daeke will be back on the air with WIZS in the next three months to provide additional City of Henderson and Henderson City Council updates.

 

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City of Henderson Update 03/15/18

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Henderson City Council Planning Retreat 2018

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— written and provided by Esther McCrackin, City Clerk – City of Henderson, NC

The Henderson City Council will meet for its annual Planning Retreat on Wednesday, February 21, 2018 at the Henderson Country Club from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. for a working dinner and on Thursday, February 22, 2018 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Farm Bureau Room at the Perry Memorial Library. A quorum is expected at both meetings; however, no final action will be taken at either meeting. The public is welcome to observe.

 

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City of Henderson Jan 19, 2018

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— courtesy City of Henderson

City Hall and other administrative offices and facilities will be opening on a two hour delay on Friday, January 19, 2018 due to the temperature dropping Thursday night to below freezing.

In the event there is a reason to further delay the opening of City facilities Friday due to inclement weather, an announcement will be made on WRAL, ABC11, WCNC and WIZS.

Patricia Pearson
Exectuve Assistant
City Manager’s Office
City of Henderson, NC

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Loose Leaf Collection

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The following from the City of Henderson, NC:

Loose leaf collection will begin the week of October 23rd, 2017 and will end Mid-January. This involves the use of a vacuum machine and trucks.  Therefore, it is essential that leaves be free of rocks, trash and limbs so that the equipment is not damaged. You may continue to bag the leaves or place in a container, however it is not required until the loose leaf pickup season is over.

LOOSE LEAVES – All leaves must be raked behind the curb (not into storm drains, ditches or gutters on the street).
BAGGED LEAVES – All leaves must be in CLEAR plastic bags and weigh less than 50 lbs. per bag. Bags must be left at the curb. Do not put in street or gutters and ditches.

Make certain that no leaves are left on top of your water meter. Leaves will generally be picked up on a two or three week rotation.  However, this is dependent on weather conditions and leaf accumulation. If you have any questions, contact the Public Services Department at 252-431-6115 or 252-431-6118. Also, please keep in mind after January 19, 2018 if leaves are not bagged, there will be a $75.00 charge.

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City of Henderson Election Oct. 10

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Local, live election returns can be heard on WIZS 1450 AM and on wizs.com Tuesday night beginning at 7:30.  In addition to the live audio on air and online, there will be a live results sheet on wizs.com that you can follow as we type in the vote totals.

The City of Henderson non-partisan election will take place Tuesday, October 10th.  Based on the number of people who filed to run for the Henderson City Council seats up for grabs this year, there is one contested race, and that’s for the Ward 4 Ward Seat.  However, the Ward 2 At Large seat will see a contest as well.

The Ward 4 Ward Seat incumbent, Fearldine Simmons, is being challenged by Blakely Lee Bates.  Simmons won the Ward 4 Ward Seat back in October of 2013 with 51.08% of the vote, when a total of 325 people from the ward voted.  Bates last ran for local office in October of 2015 when he challenged Ward 4 At Large incumbent George Daye.

The filing period in Vance County ended on July 21, 2017, and you can click here for a complete list.

For Ward 2 At Large, William Burnette filed to seek the seat being vacated by incumbent Mike Inscoe.  Inscoe did not file for re-election after serving for four consecutive terms.  Bryan Hargrove is running a write-in campaign against Burnette.  In order for a vote for a write-in candidate to count, a voter must fill in the bubble beside write-in on the ballot and then write a name, according to Deputy Director Melody Vaughan with the Vance County Board of Elections.  As for Inscoe, he explained more about his decision not to run in this link to a Daily Dispatch article on August 3.

The polls open at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, October 10 and close at 7:30 p.m.

Early One-Stop voting has concluded.

Sara Coffey is running unopposed for the Ward 1 At Large Seat.

Garry D. Daeke is running unopposed for the Ward 3 Ward Seat.

Both Coffey and Daeke won substantially in 2013.

Ward seats are voted on exclusively by residents in the ward’s precincts.  At Large seats are voted on by all eligible voters in the city.

Seats on the Henderson City Council are elected every four years.  Also, the mayor is elected every four years.

Here in 2017, Ward 1 At Large, Ward 2 At Large, Alderman 3rd Ward and Alderman 4th Ward are being elected.  Back in 2015, the mayor was elected along with Ward 3 At Large, Ward 4 At Large, Alderman 1st Ward and Alderman 2nd Ward.