Tag Archive for: #hendersoncitycouncil

TownTalk: Fuqua Receives Recognition from City Council

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Henderson’s Finance Director Joey Fuqua received some special recognition at Monday’s City Council meeting for excellence in financial reporting.

And though it was more a formality than anything else, Fuqua was officially sworn in as finance director – before Council Member Tami Walker read a proclamation expressing gratitude on behalf of the Council for the work done by Fuqua and his staff. He’s been the city’s finance director for about 10 years.

“Thank you for your financial leadership and your excellence in financial reporting for the last eight years,” Walker said in remarks before she read the proclamation.

The 2023 budget marks the 8th year that Fuqua and his department have received a certificate of excellence in financial reporting from the Government Financial Officers Association.

In addition to preparing the city’s annual budget, Fuqua and his team provide financial services and support city departments, manage revenue collections and disbursements and oversee purchasing functions, Walker noted.

Fuqua also has “emphasized commitment to addressing budget constraints,” Walker said, and helps the city by planning with long-term financial responsibility in mind.

Fuqua accepted a certificate, a bouquet of cut flowers and a standing ovation from the City Council members, Mayor Melissa Elliott and city staff at the meeting.

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Council Approves Parental Leave Policy; Includes Paternal Leave For New Dads

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The Henderson City Council Monday unanimously approved a parental leave policy that will provide parents time with the newest additions to their families.

According to the resolution that Council members approved, parental leave policies are a standard offering for all
companies, municipalities, and private
firms in the country, and having a policy in place emphasizes that the city is committed to providing flexibility and incentives for new hires and existing employees.

The resolution adopted by Council at its February 10 meeting updates to policy to include paternal leave as a benefit to staff.

TownTalk: City Council Removes Daeke As Mayor Pro Tem, Replaces Him With Michael Venable

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The Henderson City Council on Monday voted to remove Council Member Garry Daeke as mayor pro tem and replace him with Council Member Michael Venable.

Daeke was not present at the meeting but told WIZS News Tuesday afternoon that he was not totally surprised by the decision.

“We saw this coming a month or so ago,” Daeke said, referring to the Council’s December meeting when Council member Geraldine Champion inquired about appointing a new mayor pro tem. “I had thought it was going to happen at some point, but I didn’t particularly know it would be last night,” he said.

“Childish shenanigans is what I’d call it,” he said. He said he had no idea why the change was made, in the middle of what normally is a two-year appointment, but said the Council needs to be talking about infrastructure, roads, water system and other matters that will help city residents.

“When you don’t know why it’s being done, you try to figure out what’s the reason behind it,” Daeke mused. “I don’t see any logic behind it – I see emotion or something else.” He described himself as someone who likes to have information before making decisions and not someone who automatically agrees with everything being said. “I like information and like to know both sides of the issue and I like to make my decisions based on informed information,” he said. “And I don’t think that’s appreciated.”

The mayor pro tem’s role is to fill in for the mayor when needed. And Daeke said he had only been called on a couple of times to fill in for Mayor Melissa Elliott, which he did.

“I wasn’t being utilized…for whatever reason,” he said. “You’re only utilized when you’re called to be utilized.”

Monday’s vote was 4-1, with Council Member Sam Seifert casting the no vote on the motion to make Venable the mayor pro tem, which was made by Council Member Geraldine Champion and seconded by Council Member Tami Walker. Champion, Walker, Venable and Council Member Ola Thorpe-Cooper voted in favor of the motion.

In addition to Daeke, also absent were Council Members Sara Coffey and Lamont Noel.

The vote took place after the council returned to the open meeting following a closed session to discuss a lawsuit, but it was not listed on the agenda as an item for discussion. Neither was that portion of the meeting available via livestream as the first part of the meeting; according to City Clerk Tracey Kimbrell, the IT person left the meeting after the council went into closed session.

City Manager/City Attorney Hassan T. Kingsberry told WIZS News Tuesday that he was “unaware that the Council would be removing Councilman Daeke yesterday,” and added that he had no other details than what was provided in the meeting.

According to information from the UNC School of Government, councils must choose a mayor pro tem at the organizational meeting, but it also can choose – with or without cause – to “vote to remove the MPT at any time, and appoint a new one.”

There was no discussion following the motion and the second before the vote was called.

WIZS News has reached out to Venable, Champion and Elliott for comment, but have not heard back as of 4 p.m. Tuesday.

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S-Line Rail Corridor

The Local Skinny! City Council Chooses Iconic Downtown Bank Building As Site Of Local Mobility Hub

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The Henderson City Council chose Monday night the former First National Bank building to be the site of the mobility hub for the S-Line railway project.

In a unanimous vote, at its regular monthly meeting, the Council selected the historic building located in the middle of downtown Henderson. Council members Sara Coffey, Garry Daeke and Lamont Noel were absent from the meeting.

Assistant City Manager Paylor Spruill and N.C. DOT representatives reviewed progress with the project thus far and said next steps were waiting the final site selection.

The Mobility Hub and Rail Station is a separate project from the actual rail project, which will help connect by rail Raleigh and Richmond.

Henderson is one of the stops along the 85-mile stretch of rail line that will provide commuter and passenger service.

The city’s Land Planning Committee met in November and December to consider the two sites under consideration – the city-owned First National Bank property and the Garnett Street Station.

Renovating a major building in the downtown was seen as a strong catalyst to further confidence by private investment in downtown’s redevelopment, according to information contained in Monday’s agenda package.

The historical significance of the bank building, with covenants in place to preserve the architecture, would likely not attract private investors. But putting the building to use as a public space could be a good way to preserve the building and provide benefits to the community.

Council member Sam Seifert sits on the Land Planning Committee and said choosing the historic building would send “a strong message” about downtown development, adding that the transformed building could become a “statement piece” along the S-Line project.

Staff from the DOT’s Integrity Mobility Division attended Monday’s Council meeting and said although the program is facilitated by DOT, “we want to make sure it’s led by the city of Henderson.”

They want to ensure that the mobility hub provides connectivity to William Street and Garnett Street, giving pedestrians safe options to walk in the area when they come to visit.

With the feasibility study completed, next steps include an environmental study before getting to the design and construction phases. But DOT needed a decision from city leaders before moving on.

Cost estimates are preliminary but could be more than $21 million to bring the old building back from disrepair, due to age and damage and the fact that it has been vacant for so long.

The façade appears ok and in good shape, but the interior needs extensive work.

Also, there are businesses on the William Street side that will be displaced because of the project, so there will need to be money set aside for acquisitions. And because of its historic significance, there need to be extensive coordination with state historic preservation officials.

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Hassan Kingsberry To Fill Dual Roles; City Manager and Part-Time City Attorney

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Monday at noon the Henderson City Council met for a special called meeting and entered into closed session for a personnel matter.

When the council returned to council chambers at City Hall, Mayor Melissa Elliott seemed to indicate the council would hear two motions.

Hassan Kingsberry, who became interim city attorney after Rix Edwards resigned and who was apparently named the city manager a couple of weeks ago, will now serve as both the city manager and part-time city attorney.

City Manager Terrell Blackmon, also who has resigned with an effective date of January 10, said after the meeting that the meeting was held “to approve the contract and make public the salary.”

Sara Coffey made a motion, seconded by Ola Thorpe-Cooper, to start the new manager at the salary of $161,906.40, the amount apparently being considered as a level two salary for the position out of a one-to-four range.

A City of Henderson press release issued after the meeting said of the now dual role Kingsberry’s salary, “(He) will begin his role as City Manager with an annual salary of $161,906.40, which represents a savings of $18,000 compared to the salary of the outgoing City Manager, Blackmon. Additionally, he will earn $40,000 annually as the part-time City Attorney.”

The second motion, made by Michael Venable and seconded by Geraldine Champion, was to move Kingsberry from interim attorney status to part-time City attorney.

Tami Walker, Thorpe-Cooper, Venable, Coffey and Champion each voted in favor of each motion. Councilmen Garry Daeke, Lamont Noel and Sam Seifert were not present.

As to possible conflicts of interest in the dual position, Blackmon said, “I use outside counsel all the time.” He said there would “probably be some matters (Kingsberry) can’t advise on.”

The City’s press release said, “Prior to (Kingsberry’s) appointment as City Attorney, the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Legal Services, but no firm or individual responded.”

Kingsberry is scheduled to be sworn in as the new City Manager at City Hall in the Council Chambers on Monday, January 13, 2025, at 6 PM.

Kingsberry is the first African American to be City Attorney for Henderson, NC.

(Script above added and updated 5:30 p.m. Monday, January 6, 2025)

(Audio below added to post Tuesday, January 7, 2025)

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In 4-3 Vote, City Council Votes To Make Kingsberry City Manager

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In a 4-3 vote, the Henderson City Council Monday selected Hassan Kingsberry – the interim city attorney – to be the new city manager.

Mayor Melissa Elliott called the second special called meeting in as many weeks to go into closed session to discuss a personnel matter.

When the group returned from the closed session, Council member Tami Walker made a motion to make Kingsberry the city manager.

Voting in favor were Walker, Geraldine Champion, Ola Thorpe-Cooper and Michael Venable. Council members Garry Daeke, Lamont Noel and Seifert voted against. Council member Sara Coffey was not present.

Following the first special called meeting on Sunday, Dec. 15, it was announced that City Manager Terrell Blackmon had resigned, effective Jan. 10.

Kingsberry was announced as the interim city attorney at the December Council meeting.

Apparently, the City Council will extend the job offer of city manager to Kingsberry. If he accepts the position, the City will need to locate another attorney.

The Public Notice for the Dec. 23 called meeting went out Dec. 16 the day after the first called meeting.

Blackmon submitted his letter of resignation on Wednesday, Dec. 11 – two days after the regular monthly Council meeting. He didn’t elaborate on any reason for his decision to resign. Blackmon told WIZS that his last day as manager will be Jan. 10. He came to work as manager in 2020.

He will go next to be one of two assistant city managers in Jacksonville, NC.

The Local Skinny! Henderson City Council Takes $275K Loan To Purchase Embassy Block Property

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The Henderson City Council approved Tuesday taking a $275,000 loan to purchase property in the Embassy Block area of downtown to create extra parking and a “pocket” park.

Benchmark Community Bank will provide the five-year amortized loan. The council approved the purchase of the Embassy Block in the 2024-25 budget that was adopted in June 2024.

According to City Manager Terrell Blackmon, the property that the city will purchase is bounded by Young and Montgomery streets. It doesn’t include the part of the property that faces Garnett Street. It is where Falkner Building Supply was located, and is currently part of the McGregor Hall holdings.

The council also approved paying bilingual city employees up to $2,000 extra a year for language services they provide for city business transactions with customers whose first language is not English.

Blackmon told council members that the police department has five employees who fit the bill and there are several other city employees who currently help out when needed. At most, Blackmon estimated that it could mean an extra $20,000 in the budget. The languages needed most are Spanish, Arabic and American Sign Language, he noted.

Employees would have to demonstrate their proficiency by passing an exam; details were not provided about the type of exam that would be involved.

Information in the agenda packet stated that the “objective of the incentive is to establish and strengthen relationships with other communities where English is a second language and to provide language assistance  services on a consistent basis. Additionally, the incentive will be a source for future talent for various positions and retention of multilingual staff.”

The water fountain installation at Garnett and Charles streets will be named in honor of former mayor Eddie Ellington. Ellington was the 39th mayor of Henderson and served two terms from 2015-2023.

Blackmon said the city had fielded several calls from members of the community to request that Ellington be honored in some way. He said the city’s Public Works department will create a sign that will be placed at the water fountain with Ellington’s name on it.

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TownTalk: Winder Street Signs To Get Special Designation To Honor Eddie Hicks

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The City of Henderson is officially honoring the late Eddie Hicks by attaching his name – literally – to the street where he grew up.

In a ceremony scheduled for Friday, Nov. 1 at 11 a.m., local leaders, dignitaries and others will gather at the corner of Garnett and Winder streets in downtown Henderson to witness the unveiling of the new Winder Street signs, which will have a second sign attached to it bearing Hicks’s name.

City Manager Terrell Blackmon gave a sneak preview to Hicks’s widow, Jackie, and others present at the October City Council meeting. Hicks died on Oct. 31, 2022 at the age of 67.

“This council took the time to take action to recognize Mr. Hicks, based on his commitment to this community,” Blackmon said in remarks during the meeting. Hicks had a long association with the Henderson Vance Recreation and Parks Department, having worked there as a teenager and during the summers when he was in college. A college football standout at ECU, Hicks returned to his hometown – and the recreation and parks department – following a successful NFL career with the New York Giants.

“We wanted to honor his name on Winder Street, where he grew up,” Blackmon said. And the city’s Public Works Department created a design that honors Hicks without having to change the street name.

The city will dedicate Winder Street to remember one of Henderson’s most beloved residents. Each street sign along Winder Street will have the second sign bearing Hicks’s name, Blackmon explained.

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Henderson City Council Approves Adding Two Staff Positions

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The Henderson City Council approved on Monday the creation of two new staff positions – a public information officer who will report to the city manager and a part-time administrative support position to assist the mayor’s office with scheduling and other tasks.

The council voted unanimously for the public information officer position, but the vote was 6-2 in favor of the part-time position. Council members Lamont Noel and Sam Seifert cast the no votes.

“It’s one of the areas that we’re lacking in,” said City Manager Terrell Blackmon during his presentation about the public information officer to the council during the Oct. 14 monthly meeting.

The salary range for the PIO would be between about $66,000 and $99,000, according to information in the meeting’s agenda packet. Among other things, Blackmon said the PIO would be the person to handle marketing, social media and “proactive media outreach.”

Although the salary is not in the current budget, Blackmon said it shouldn’t be a problem to fund the position. “I think we’re in a position now that we can fund this position,” he said.

A list of general job duties was included in the agenda packet, including serving as the city’s source of information about various programs, policies and activities and “developing a voice for the City and community that builds trust by prioritizing transparency and accuracy.”

Following a request by Council Member Garry Daeke, Blackmon said he would provide a full job description to the full council for review before hiring.

Seifert asked whether the current budget contains money for the PIO position.

“We have reserves that we can fund that position,” Blackmon said.

As for the administrative support position, Noel asked whether those job responsibilities already fall to the mayor, manager, mayor pro tem or the clerk. Blackmon said there are duties that are above and beyond what the city clerk is able to do.

The part-time position would be for between 20 and 24 hours a week, with a pay range of between $18 and $20/hr. for a total annual salary to be about $12,000, Blackmon said.

Among the part-time assistant’s duties will be planning meetings and events, and representing the mayor at some of those events, responding to correspondence and keeping track of the mayor’s calendar, filing system and assisting the mayor at community events, presentations and appearances.

The Local Skinny! Council Approves Pay Increases For City Employees

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In a unanimous vote Monday, the Henderson City Council approved a pay increase for all city employees, tacking on close to a 20 percent increase in payroll costs in the city’s budget. The increase will be retroactive to sync with the pay increase given to police and fire department employees.

City Manager Terrell Blackmon said the move adds about $1.8 million on the expense side – payroll expenses and the cost of the study – but the city’s expected revenues should be about $2.5 million, so “we can accommodate the total impact,” he told council members during their regular monthly meeting.

Back on Aug. 19, the city council approved a pay increase for police and fire department employees – to the tune of just more than $900,000 – out of “urgency,” Blackmon said in remarks during the meeting. At that August meeting, it was stated that the results of the pay study for all employees would be considered at the Sept. 9 meeting.

Blackmon said the pay study reviewed 70 different job positions for the 2023-24 fiscal year which resulted in recommendations for an updated classification and grading scale.

Salary increases have been a part of the city’s strategic plan for a couple of years, he said, citing the need to be competitive with surrounding areas and attract and retain employees.

The local tax base hasn’t grown much in the last decade, but Blackmon said anticipated growth is on the horizon.

“There’s expected growth here in the community,” he said, noting that there are close to 2,000 housing units underway and more on the way in the first quarter of 2025.

Council Member Michael Venable made the motion to approve the pay increase, which was seconded by Council Member Tami Walker. Council Members Garry Daeke and Sara Coffey were not present at the meeting.

The Council also voted to approve a unified development ordinance that essentially updates zoning and land-use regulations that have been in place – unchanged – for more than 40 years.

Information in the agenda packet prepared for the meeting stated, “Over the past 12 months the Development Services Department staff, Insight Planning Consultants, and the Planning Board have been working on land use regulations of the zoning and subdivision ordinances that have not been comprehensively updated and re-written since the 1970’s. The proposed Unified Development Ordinance combines best practices for zoning and subdivision regulations, along with other desired City codes such as design guidelines, sign regulations, floodplain and stormwater management, into one document.”

The updated ordinance includes a revised table of uses, mixed-use district, regulation removal of redundancy zoning districts, new regulation to assist in affordable housing creation and other  technical planning practices.

The city contracted with Insight Planning to craft the UDO and comprehensive plan that was adopted in July 2022 for $99,000.

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