Tag Archive for: #hendersoncitycouncil

West End Baptist

West End Community Watch Hears From Daeke; Positive Changes Ahead for Henderson!

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-Notes courtesy Claire Catherwood

Notes from the West End Community Watch meeting held on April 16, 2019:

West End Community Watch met on Tuesday, April 16. The speaker was Garry Daeke. Daeke discussed the City Council’s progress and plans since his joining the council 12 years ago.

In 2006, the City Council was very short on funds and the city was in danger of shutting down. Finances are now greatly improved. Taxes are not expected to be increased any time soon.

Many streets need resurfacing, and they are now being done. Resurfacing is very expensive.

City employee salaries had to be increased because Henderson has not been keeping up with the pay for city employees in neighboring cities. The city is still not on par with surrounding areas.

New equipment has been added; this is also very expensive.

About 80% of city employees’ time is spent on water, sewer, and street maintenance. The city has 100 miles of water and sewer line.

Asked about the THM pollutant in the city water supply, Daeke noted that Henderson was “just over the edge” in recent tests.  The problems existed only at the “dead ends” of water lines that were all outside of city limits.

The City Council realizes that changes must be made in housing and is working towards redevelopment through private and public funding. Cost is the problem. Some of the plans are expected to be “very unique.” Attention is being placed on the entryways to the city; particularly Highway 39/Andrews Avenue. Lighting and signage will soon be added to some areas.

Downtown development is expected soon. An outdoor theater on Breckenridge Street, just outside the police station, has been contracted and will be the final stage of “Breckenridge Commons.” Also, a grant has been procured for a park to be developed at the site of the old Vance Hotel.  An “open-air market” and a park, to include a “splash pool,” is planned for the site.

Beckford Drive is to be widened soon. Original plans included Beckford being wider when first built, however, due to inflation, the money saved was insufficient by the time the road was built.

Dabney Drive is being redesigned. There are currently two separate, projected plans. One widens Dabney Drive only as far as Parker Lane. The second widens it all the way to the Hardees location.

Additional businesses are coming to Dabney Drive. A coffee shop and a bank are soon to be added to the new Aldi’s. After that, additional shops are expected to open. These will add to the traffic in this already congested area.

Daeke said he is pro-sidewalks, but they are very expensive. With the city population decreasing, little progress has been made on building sidewalks.

The council is trying to get more kids involved with the Recreation Center. There are many activities available to Henderson children, but many parents are not aware of offerings. To name just a few opportunities, Henderson has PALS, The Boys’ and Girls’ Club, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, the “Y”, the Henderson-Vance Recreation Department, Fox Pond Park, Aycock Recreation Center, Rollins Park, the Perry Memorial Library, etc.

From the floor, it was suggested that the police department and/or the City Council post a list on social media so that parents can see the many options open to their kids.

The City Council, realizing that the perception of the city needs to change, is soon to start a trash and litter program. Also, not enough people recycle. Daeke would like to see the existing garbage carts become recycle bins and smaller carts be used for garbage. Both of these goals require a change in the mentality of our citizens.

Complaints are often issued about the cost of the city’s water. Daeke noted that our water is actually much lower than areas around Henderson; however, it is expected that our rates will soon increase. Our sewer rates are, admittedly, already high.

The group asked about the development behind the hospital. Daeke noted that this is outside city limits and beyond the responsibility of the city council.

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Henderson City Council: Elmwood Cemetery, Food Trucks Under Review

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City Manager Frank Frazier was on Wednesday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program to provide a brief overview of the Henderson City Council meeting held on Monday, April 8.

According to Frazier, the City Council voted to table the first agenda item, a public hearing and consideration of approval that would amend the zoning map to rezone two parcels on Dabney Drive and one parcel on Lynne Avenue in Henderson to a neighborhood commercial district.

Council members voted to table the discussion on the rezoning of those parcels citing a need for additional research and information.

In new business, the City Council voted to renew the City’s contract with Waste Industries, Inc. for curbside sanitation pickup services for an additional three-year period. Waste Industries has been contracted with the City since 2010, according to Frazier.

The City Council also approved the demolition of properties at 813 Andrews Avenue, 210 Chestnut Street and 435 Chestnut Street. Frazier reported that the 435 Chestnut Street location is jointly owned by the County of Vance; discussions will be held with the County on how to proceed.

Also approved was a proposal to purchase the property at the corner of Beckford Drive and Andrews Avenue. Frazier stated this land would be used for future City redevelopment endeavors, including a potential small park.

In the accompanying work session, City Council members discussed amending the City-owned Elmwood Cemetery’s maintenance and operation codes.

Frazier said some of the codes are dated and need revising, including codes for proper barricading of open grave sites and upkeep of flowers and memorials.

To “protect the integrity and appearance of Elmwood,” Frazier said the City Council is also reviewing ways to prevent issues with leaning tombstones and memorials due to uneven grounds.

Another work session discussion – amending ordinances related to peddlers, solicitors, park concessions and food trucks – centered around the increased interest in food truck operations in Henderson.

In response to the increase in inquiries, Frazier said the City Council seeks to be proactive in establishing ordinances guiding food truck operations. City Council members have held discussions with the Henderson Police Department to determine the best way to proceed.

According to Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow, proposed ordinances regarding food truck operations are fairly simple.

“My primary concern is safety and knowing who is providing services to our citizens,” said Barrow. “With food trucks, the criteria for a permit are having a certificate from the health department and having permission to set up at the location.”

The ordinance is straightforward; I did not recreate the wheel. It was pulled from other established ordinances from other municipalities. This ordinance will not be a hindrance, only a way to ensure safety for our citizens.”

Code amendments and proposed ordinances discussed at the work session will be presented to the entire Henderson City Council for review at their May meeting.

To hear the Town Talk interview with City Manager Frank Frazier in its entirety, click here.

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Henderson City Council to Hold Regular Meeting This Evening

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-Information courtesy Esther J. McCrackin, City Clerk, City of Henderson, NC

The Henderson City Council will hold their regular meeting on Monday, April 8, 2019, beginning at 6 p.m. in the R.G. (Chick) Young, Jr. Council Chambers of the Municipal Building located at 134 Rose Avenue in Henderson, NC.

Agenda items include:

PUBLIC HEARING

  1. a) Consideration of Approval of Ordinance 19-01, Amending the Zoning Map to Rezone 1337 Dabney Drive (Parcel 0013 03052), 1343 Dabney Drive (Parcel 0013 03001), and 1511 Lynne Avenue (Parcel 0013 03002) from OIA (Office Institutional “A”) District and R-8 (Moderate to High Density Residential) District to B-4 (Neighborhood Commercial) District. (CAF 19-05-A) 
  • Ordinance 19-01

NEW BUSINESS

  1. a) Consideration of Approval of Resolution 19-16, Confirming the City’s Desire to Continue Services with Waste Industries, Inc., Relative to the Contracting of Sanitation Services. (CAF 19-26)
  • Resolution 19-16
  1. b) Consideration of Approval of Resolution 19-18, Authorizing the Demolition of 813 Andrews Avenue, 210 Chestnut Street and 435 Chestnut Street Alley. (CAF 19-28)
  • Resolution 19-18
  1. c) Consideration of Approval of Ordinance 19-13, FY18-19 BA #29, Approval to Purchase Property at the Corner of Beckford Drive and Andrews Avenue Further Identified as Parcel No. 0104 03001 for the Purpose of Redevelopment. (CAF 19-31) 
  • Ordinance 19-13
  • d) Consideration of Approval of Resolution 19-19, Approving a Contract Between the City of Henderson and Thompson, Price, Scott, Adams and Co., P.A. to Conduct the Annual Audit for Fiscal Year 2018-2019. (CAF 19-32) 
  • Resolution 19-19
  1. e) Consideration of Approval of Ordinance 19-15, Approving a Small Cell Wireless Facility Ordinance. (CAF 19-34) 
  • Ordinance 19-15
  • f) Consideration of Approval of Ordinance 19-14, FY19 BA #30 Establishing a CIP Project for the Replacement of the Generator at the Martin Creek Pump Station FY2018-2019 Budget Amendment #30. (CAF 19-33) [See Notebook Tab 8]
  • Ordinance 19-14

CONSENT AGENDA

All matters listed under the Consent Agenda are considered to be routine or have been previously discussed, and can be approved in one motion unless a Council Member asks for separate consideration of an item.

  1. a) Consideration of Approval of Resolution 19-09-A, 1) Issuance of Certificate of Sufficiency; 2) Fixing Date of Public Hearing on Question of Annexation of 429 Birch Street and 432 Bobbitt Street Pursuant to N.C.G.S. §160A-31. (CAF 19-16-A) 
  • Resolution 19-09-A
  1. b) Consideration of Approval of Resolution 19-17, Approving FY 19-20 Budget Review Calendar and Scheduling of Special Council Budget Work Sessions. (CAF 19-27) 
  • Resolution 19-17
  1. c) Consideration of Approval of Tax Releases and Refunds from Vance County for the Month of February 2019. (CAF 19-30) 

REPORTS

  1. a) Mayor/Mayor Pro-Tem (No Report) b) City Manager (No Report) c) City Attorney (No Report) d) City Clerk
  2. Meeting and Events Calendar ii. E-911 Monthly Report iii. Fire Department Monthly Report iv. Recreation and Parks Monthly Report

WORK SESSION

  1. a) Consideration of Ordinance 19-12, Amending Elmwood Cemetery City Code Article II. Section 4-12, Cemetery Maintenance and Operation and Article IV. Section 4-18, Plants, Flowers, Etc., and Section 4-22, Other Rules and Regulations Enumerated (CAF 19-29) 
  2. b) Consideration of Ordinance 19-07, Amending Section 10-34 of the City Code Relative to Peddlers, Solicitors, Park Concessions and Food Trucks. (CAF 19-13)

ADJOURNMENT

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City’s Land Planning Committee to Discuss Central Business District, Parking

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-Information courtesy Esther J. McCrackin, City Clerk, City of Henderson

The Henderson City Council’s Land Planning Committee will meet on Thursday, April 4, 2019. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss potential land use categories for B1 (central business district) and a possible ordinance regarding residential parking.

This meeting will take place at 1 p.m. in the Large Conference Room at City Hall, 134 Rose Avenue in Henderson.

The public is welcome to observe.

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City Council’s Public Works Committee to Meet March 29

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Information courtesy Esther J. McCrackin, City Clerk, City of Henderson

The Henderson City Council’s Public Works Committee will meet on Friday, March 29, 2019, to discuss items relative to applications for funding, bid award and generator replacement.

This meeting will take place at 3 p.m. in the Large Conference Room at City Hall, 134 Rose Avenue in Henderson. The public is welcome to observe.

Vance County NC

City Seeking Grant for Park at Corner of Williams/Montgomery St.

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At the corner of Williams and Montgomery Streets in Henderson, NC used to stand the Vance Hotel. The big beauty burned to the ground in the early 1980s. Now the City of Henderson plans to revitalize the area with a park.

When asked if the City was moving forward with the item that appeared on the agenda of Monday night’s Henderson City Council meeting, City Manager Frank Frazier told WIZS News, ”Yes – seeking a grant to help pay for this, so the project would be contingent on receiving it. This is the old Vance Hotel site. City originally bought this for the police station.”

If received, the grant could total some $500k for the project.

If you’d like to see a picture of the old hotel, which most people younger than 40 never saw while it was still standing, check it out at facebook.com/wizsradio.

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Daeke, Henderson City Councilman, Talks Dabney Dr. Rezoning

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Garry Daeke, Henderson City Council member, was on Tuesday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program to provide further insight into the Council’s recent discussions on the possible rezoning of three lots at the corner of Lynne Avenue and Dabney Drive in Henderson.

Currently zoned for either residential or light commercial traffic, the Council has tabled the discussion on rezoning the lots for a heavier commercial use until their next meeting in February.

Further complicating any final rezoning decision is the concern over increased traffic volume in an already congested area along with uncertainty on the NCDOT’s current plans for the restructuring of parts of Dabney Drive.

“We know traffic on Dabney Drive is pretty bad most of the time, especially on Fridays and weekend,” said Daeke. “The corner of Lynne Avenue and Dabney has some particular concerns about ingress and egress traffic. For example, when you turn right off Lynne Avenue, you turn immediately into the right lane turning into the old Henderson Mall. Traffic also has difficulty turning left there and generally has to turn right.”

Daeke said one consideration to address safety concerns would be to make the area an out parcel of the mall and design the entrance and exits of any businesses that occupy that space to be accessible only through the mall parking lot.

According to Daeke, what the DOT has planned for Dabney Drive will also play into consideration. “We hope what the DOT does to Dabney Drive will help with that area, but we need more information before making a decision.”

As of now, Henderson City Council members are aware that the DOT is focusing its Dabney Drive surveying efforts from the intersection of the old mall to Interstate 85.

While Daeke said there have been talks that the lanes near the old mall intersection will be redesigned, the Council has not yet received an indication if that includes measures such as adding medians or changing the entire structure of the traffic flow.

Looking ahead to the future, Daeke said there are additional plans for Dabney Drive that include making the current road a one-way from the corner of Oxford Road and Dabney, all the way to the interstate. This plan also includes the addition of another one-way street running parallel along the old railroad line.

As with any project, costs and logistics are major considerations. “Some properties would be affected by this plan and that issue would need to be addressed. The plan we’ve been shown includes bike and pedestrian lanes and sidewalks; it’s a beautiful plan,” said Daeke.

While up to the DOT to fund any such project, Daeke said he believes “Dabney Drive needs it for growth in the future and for safety.” He suggested the implementation of the plan would be at least 5-10 years down the road.

Remembrance:

In an aside from the main interview topic, Daeke also discussed his fond memories of the late Mary Emma Evans, a former Henderson City Council member, on the occasion of her recent birthday.

“Mary was a sweet lady and a dear friend. She always called me ‘Daeke,’ which made me laugh. She always cared so much for the community and was wonderful to work with.”

“Something that she used to always say to me that I’ll never forget is, ‘We can disagree and we can have different opinions; that doesn’t have to mean we have to be disagreeable.’ She was always about compromise and working together to find a solution. We miss her and may she rest in peace”

To hear the interview in its entirety, please click here. Daeke’s interview portion of the Town Talk segment begins at the 14:27 mark.  

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Breckenridge Pavilion Project Slowly, but Surely, Moving Ahead

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Among the agenda items for the City of Henderson’s Public Works Committee at their meeting this past Friday, January 11 was the proposed outdoor pavilion set to complete the area known as Breckenridge Commons.

Intended for live performances and more, the pavilion will sit on the open end of the block occupied by the Henderson Police Station – the end closer to Chestnut Street between Breckenridge and Montgomery streets.

City Councilman William Burnette serves on the Public Works Committee and gave WIZS News a synopsis of the meeting.

In regards to the progress made on the pavilion, Burnette responded, “We have the preliminary concept in place. We’ve talked to two different companies concerning the groundwork. So, hopefully, we can get this off the ground pretty quickly.”

According to Burnette, while the committee would like to see the project completed in the next two months, it will more likely be three to four months. Certain donated structures are not expected to be in place until the fall of this year.

The City has been taking its time on this project for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is working out of an abundance of caution given how permanent and important the final product will be.

The cost of the pavilion, to include repair and repaving of the nearby parking lot, will be approximately $200,000 according to Burnette.

The completed pavilion will be used during events such as the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce’s outdoor “Meet Me in the Street” series. Currently, the events require tractor trailers to block off streets and certain permits. Burnette believes the pavilion will make events such as these easier to plan and more accessible to the community.

Burnette is looking forward to seeing the completed project and is confident that citizens will enjoy the pavilion. “We need to get it off the ground so the citizens can enjoy it. I’m excited about it! I think it’s going to add to McGregor Hall. We’re not going to be in competition with them, but it should add to them.”

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Coffey Discusses Kerr Lake Regional Water Meeting, Possible Rate Changes

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Sara Coffey, member of the Henderson City Council, was on Wednesday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program to discuss the City’s recent meeting with the Kerr Lake Regional Water Partners.

Attendees of the November 27 meeting held at City Hall included representatives from the City of Henderson, the City of Oxford and Warren County.

The KLRW Advisory Board reviewed the system upgrade project, discussed a possible revision of the partners’ rate structure and reviewed results from a recent study projecting water usage over the next 10 years.

According to Coffey, the meeting focused mainly on a potential new rate structure and the partners’ capacity needs.

“No decisions were made at this meeting, other than to move forward with the rate structure discussion,” said Coffey. “We will meet again in December to decide how to proceed.”

Several factors necessitate a rate structure change, Coffey said, including the increase in cost to operate the water plant, the cost of new equipment and the increase in costs of water and water treatment measures.

“We [Henderson] are 60 percent partners, so 60 percent of the debt is on the City of Henderson,” said Coffey. “We need a different rate structure; ours has been the same for a good, long time now.”

Additional discussions focused on the capacity needs of each partner, a task that, according to Coffey, is hard to determine exactly. To help with this process, a study was conducted to project water usage for the next 10 years according to a variety of scenarios.

Plans to change the rate structure are still in the infancy stage, but, according to Coffey, the project will move forward.

“All we came away with yesterday was to know the project wasn’t going to be scrapped. Warren County has $3 million and we [Henderson] have $3 million to use. It does not need to be sent back. It needs to go into the water and water plant.”

To hear the interview in its entirety, including discussion on current and upcoming events in and around Henderson, please click here.

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Henderson City Council Meeting 10-8-18

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The Henderson City Council’s regularly scheduled meeting is Monday, Oct 8.  It takes place as always at the City Hall Council Chambers, 134 Rose Avenue.  Time is 6 p.m.

The full agenda is available by clicking here.

A couple of standout items on the agenda include:

  • Consideration of Approval of Ordinance 18-52, Amending Section 7-49 of the Henderson City Code Declaring Court Street from Young Street to Montgomery Street a “One-Way’ Street.
  • Consideration of Approval of 1) Resolution 18-63, Authorizing an Additional Interim Sewer Tap Fee of $500.
  • Reports from the City Manager as well as E-911, the Fire Department and Recreation and Parks