Tag Archive for: #hendersoncitycouncil

City of Henderson Logo

City Council To Consider Minimum Housing Code At Aug. 8 Meeting

The Henderson City Council will hold its regular monthly meeting Monday Aug. 8 at 6 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers, 134 Rose Ave.

Council members are scheduled to review a draft of the proposed minimum housing standards, according to the agenda. The draft still needs to be finalized and approved by the council.

There was a special called meeting in late July to discuss various proposed changes and edits to the existing document, which has not yet been voted on.

Anyone who wishes to address the council must now do in person or by submitting a question or comment by 3 p.m. on the day of the meeting – questions and comments are no longer being accepted via the online platform Zoom. via Zoom.

Residents may join the meeting via Zoom at:

 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82231380308?pwd=OVlzUUowbmxWV1p6QVdnYS9BY0p6Zz09
Meeting ID: 822 3138 0308

Passcode: 639894

 

City Council Reviews Proposed Minimum Housing Code; Could Approve At Aug. 8 Meeting

The stage is set for the Henderson City Council to possibly approve a revised minimum housing code at their August meeting. Updates to the code were reviewed during a called meeting of the City Council at noon on Wednesday, and Mayor Eddie Ellington told WIZS Thursday the changes in code are needed and called current enforcement “mediocre at best.”

Ellington said the city needs more code officers to address the challenges of enforcement. “This has been an ongoing 20-year troublesome problem that is holding our city back and we’ve paid the price for it, especially with our older neighborhoods,” Ellington said to WIZS News Thursday.

But there were some concerns about some of the details contained in the document, such as requiring property owners to designate an authorized agent and provide that information to the city. City Attorney D. Rix Edwards is consulting the N.C. League of Municipalities/School of Government to determine what city leaders can and cannot ask of rental property owners. State law prohibits municipalities from having any type of registration of rental property owners, and City Manager Terrell Blackmon said Thursday that he hopes to get clarification about the language contained in the revised code.

Blackmon told WIZS that the intent simply is to have a person to contact in case of an emergency regarding a rental property.

“At this time, we are considering just making it voluntary for all landlords as we await legal interpretation,” Blackmon said. “This is a work in progress, but there will be changes to the current code,” he added.

Council member Garry Daeke said he thought most of the ordinance is good, but he said there are a few things to check on to ensure due process.

He said he felt it premature to call for additional code enforcement staff at this time. “That question is legitimate, at another time, and for our manager and staff to propose to Council once the process is finished and they submit a plan of action,” Daeke said.

Although Daeke had to leave the meeting before it concluded, he said Thursday that he also has concerns about the point of contact. “We need it, but the lien issue isn’t the answer,” he said.

Despite what he described as a “chaotic” meeting, Daeke said he felt he and his fellow Council members made a good start to address the code challenges.

Council member Sara Coffey echoed Daeke’s sentiments. “I’m real happy that we are moving forward with issues that we have been burdened with for quite some time now,” Coffey said in a written statement to WIZS.

“We still have a few tweaks and are going to have all that done by our August meeting,” she continued. “It be great to work together to help our citizens and our city to be more productive for the betterment of all.”

Another concern related to an increase in penalties assessed as a result of inspections resulting in code violations.

Blackmon observed that the City Council has decided “not to sit on their hands and do nothing. The penalties already exist and the increases are not out of bounds with the General Statutes.”

Ellington said the city’s future depends on clear action from Council and others.

“The business constituents have spoken, as noted by their submitted letter to the City and also being in attendance (at) every meeting since,” he stated. “We as leaders are faced with as I’ve said, ‘hard truths’ and difficult decisions. But the future direction of our City depends upon it. This is expected from us as a municipality.”

CLICK PLAY!

Chamber Leaders Share Concerns With City Council

It was standing room only during at least a portion of Monday evening’s Henderson City Council meeting, thanks in large part to a contingent of local business owners present as Chamber of Commerce Board Chair Ronald Bennett presented council and city leaders a letter outlining concerns for the city and the negative impact that “tolerance of criminal and undesirable behavior” could pose for the future.

Bennett addressed the mayor, council members and other city staff Monday evening as he formally presented the letter, endorsed by 21 community business leaders named at the close of the document. In what he described as a “call to action,” Bennett said he hoped for an alignment between business and city leaders to address the issues of violence and crime that has been plaguing Henderson. He specifically mentioned the exchange of gunfire that occurred at an Andrews Avenue business over Memorial Day weekend.

“In the following weeks, many members of the business community began talking with each other on how the increase in local violence would impact our business growth, and how it would affect our already struggling recruitment of workforce personnel and the future growth of our Henderson and Vance County economic development efforts,” Bennett explained.

A group of about 20 business leaders formed a Business Roundtable and have met twice in recent weeks, resulting in identification of five focus areas:

  • Neighborhood and Business Code Enforcement
  • Drugs and Crime
  • City Messaging
  • Business Friendly
  • Promoting Churches, Goodwills and Non-Profits

In an email response to questions from WIZS News, City Manager Terrell Blackmon said Tuesday that overall, the letter was well received, but some members felt that more could’ve been done initially to meet with or at least include council members and staff in the dialogue before sending it.

“Conversations were very constructive after the meeting and the consensus by both sides is that we can better address these issues by working together,” Blackmon said.

“I firmly believe as city officials that we should be held accountable and that citizens have the right to ask questions of their government,” Blackmon continued.

“However, some feedback is difficult to digest when fingers are pointed and assertions made with no full understanding of some policies and how they are administered and/or enforced.  The requests made by the group were not totally unreasonable and the city has already addressed or has begun addressing many of their concerns,” he continued, adding that he and Mayor Eddie Ellington had shared some of the updates and issues of concern at the Chamber’s recent “State of the City” event.

“Many of the speakers admitted to being absent, but now see the need for more citizen involvement and accountability from government,” Blackmon said. “We need the community to not only bring us problems, but also help us identify solutions.  The city will respond by meeting with these business leaders and hopefully developing a task force that can assist the city with developing solutions to the issues mentioned in the Chamber letter,” he said.

Chamber President Michele Burgess was present at Monday’s meeting and told WIZS News Tuesday said she thought things went “great.” During the recent “State of the City” event sponsored by the Chamber and the Henderson Rotary Club, the mayor and city manager had commented on the need for business involvement, Burgess said. “Last night, most of the speakers said that they would help, now we have to find out way we can all be involved,” she said.

Mayor Ellington, however, expressed disappointment during the meeting about the context behind the letter, according to City Clerk Esther McCrackin, who is responsible for taking minutes at the council meetings.

“He said it’s easy to criticize, condemn and complain but he hasn’t seen most of those in attendance ever present at a City Council meeting before,” McCrackin wrote in a statement Tuesday afternoon on Ellington’s behalf.

Council member Melissa Elliott’s perspective focused on the positives. In a written statement to WIZS, Elliott said she sees nothing but opportunities. She said those who spoke at the meeting, as well as the others who signed the letter, stated “they wanted to help so as I see it, it could be a phenomenal partnership between public and private sector to help our community, help our citizens have a better place to live, work and play. We can always be better and doing it together makes it much easier… no one entity can change this community alone,” Elliott said.

Brian Boyd was one of those who spoke during Monday evening’s meeting. He told WIZS News Tuesday afternoon that “Henderson is at a place in time where the decision has to be made to either defend the current state of things that are detrimental to our community, or defeat them. The challenges are real and can only be overcome with strength through unity identifying the real root of the problems, and no longer exhausting our resources on byproducts and symptoms caused by the main problem.”

He praised the council members for the way they “lead with heart, compassion and care” for the citizens they serve.

It isn’t enough to simply point out problems and expect others to fix them. “The next step was to show up and clearly state that this mission is not intended to be acted on alone, but with the engagement and cooperation of the citizens and businesses of the community,” Boyd said.

“Engagement from the community has now presented itself as a necessary ingredient to the recipe.  There is great hope here and it is because of the true love that we have for Henderson,” he added.

Newly sworn in council member Lamont Noel reserved comment on the letter, saying that he would like to have a chance to discuss with his fellow council members. Noel did tell WIZS that he was “glad to see others wanting to get involved.”

Council member Garry Daeke said Tuesday that he believed the individuals who submitted the letter “are sincere about the issues and say they want to support our efforts. It will take community to solve most issues, so this should be a great collaborative start.”

For Council member Sara Coffey, however, the contents of the letter sound familiar. “They basically are asking us for the same thing we’ve been asking them for years,” she told WIZS News Tuesday, especially with regard to code enforcement and substandard rental houses.

“We’re willing to work with the landlords, willing to work with any of the people who came before us last night,” Coffey said in a phone conversation Tuesday. “What they’re stating in the letter is a fact that we all know: that crime is bad, housing is bad. But we’ve been working on that for years.”

She said the letter is requesting action on issues that council members also have asked for. “They state the part (about) violence and the disrepair in the (city’s) homes,” Coffey said. “To me, that’s something that’s been obvious for years. And it’s also something the council has worked on for years. It’s been the same problems. We’ve worked and worked to try to eradicate guns, which we’re doing every day. But more are being brought in.”

Although she was somewhat critical of the group for being late coming to the council with the concerns, she said she was glad the group addressed council “because what they’re asking for is the same thing we’ve been asking for for years from them – the “them” being landlords.

“We want the houses where the people can live in them comfortably…we don’t want them put out of houses if they file a complaint. We just want them to fix up their houses. If they rent to tenants here in the city, then make the houses liveable,” Coffey continued.

During Monday’s meeting, Ellington noted that the city’s $1.5 million investment in two redevelopment areas, along with the upcoming Unified Development Ordinance are two positive steps in the right direction for the city. He encouraged all leaders and others present to participate and return to City Council meetings, board and committee meetings and concluded his remarks by challenging each and every one to do their part, reminding them that “tomorrow begins today.”

See below a cut and paste of entire letter.


July 5, 2022

Henderson Mayor and City Council Members
City of Henderson
P.O. Box 1434
Henderson, North Carolina 27536

Dear Honorable Mayor Ellington and Members of the Henderson City Council:

Goodwill and order in a community is achieved through the fair and consistent administration of laws and ordinances by elected leaders and appointed officials. When unlawful activities, behaviors, and violations of city codes are tolerated without penalty, and these violations overwhelm our current systems, the community suffers.

Thrive becomes Survive
Affordable becomes Deplorable
Contribution becomes Consumption
Appealing become Appalling

If we, the community of local citizens and businesses, have remained silent for too long, please forgive our absence. We believe that Henderson has earned an undesirable and unhealthy reputation of being an unsafe place to live or visit. If we continue to appear that we have tolerance of criminal and undesirable behavior, our city’s future is somber. We can no longer afford to rely solely on the hope that things will just get better on their own. It is time for concerned citizens, business leaders, elected leaders, and appointed officials to align by acknowledging the following points:

1. Neighborhood and Business Code Enforcement – The lack of enforcement of our written codes has led to the significant decline in the appeal and safety of neighborhoods and the central business district. These unsightly areas are now growing to become main focal points around the city, with the safety and quality of structures being extremely compromised. The vegetation overgrowth, substandard living conditions, junk that is being allowed to remain, abandoned homes that remain in deplorable condition, have all created an environment of oppressed poverty and crime. We believe it sends the wrong message that our city is content with status quo and we do not care enough to make improvements.

2. Drugs and Crime – The continuing violence and crime creates a perception that Henderson is not a safe place to move to or locate a business. To some outsiders, Henderson is now considered to be a business friendly city, but unfortunately, to only one type business, and that type being the illegal drug dealer business. Many neighborhoods are at a level of severe poverty and blight and the local justice system has proven itself to offer slow-to-no enforcement of penalties, thus creating a perfect illegal drug business culture. If this continues, we fear businesses and jobs will flee, or just stay away. This type of community will only take and consume from the next generation that has to survive within it. We must work together to stop this downward spiral of rampant drug use and criminal behavior within our community.

3. City Messaging – It is important for city officials and law enforcement to take immediate action identifying the neighborhood streets with suspected drug houses, abandoned house hang-outs and gang activity, and then add a police presence to protect lawful citizens living there. Placing an immediate priority on, (1) holding the current property owners accountable for not meeting the housing codes and (2) taking immediate steps to condemning those houses where drug deals are being made, is the only fair and law-abiding action. Please research and use creative measures that allow you to take immediate action. Our community cannot tolerate a year-long wait to go through the long, red-tape processes of doing so, as it compromises accountability and promotes negligence. We encourage you to take a bold stance with a consistent message: “This activity will not be tolerated and those that act in this manner will face immediate consequences. Henderson will be a clean and safe community for all who live, work, visit and shop here!”

4. Business Friendly – In order to grow our local economy, we need an efficient system in place for developers beginning the process of starting a business, renovating an existing building, or finding an appealing location to purchase property. Attracting employers, services, and goods to Henderson are integral to creating a vibrant and strong community where citizens can thrive. There are several issues of code, process, and communication hindering progress in this area. Those who want to invest need to know the city departments, city-required processes, and needed permitting up front. Having clear and concise city regulations as a guide, rather than a guard, is the best way to make sure we have a community open for solid, quality-of-life contributing businesses. Also, having a streamlined system in place ensuring equal enforcement of code and compliance standards for existing businesses and structures, and for new start-ups is essential.

5. Promoting Healthy Churches, Civic Organizations, and Non-Profits – There are already many active organizations providing help and hope to Henderson citizens, above and beyond what government is doing. These organizations are local and made possible because of the generous, volunteer spirit of neighbors, caregivers, and people who love this city. These are resources that do not get put into a city budget because they are supported through the time and investments of their volunteers. This type of collective impact is a model of problem-solving which involves different entities (both governmental and non-governmental) working to address a specific social problem. Identifying and promoting these organizations are crucial to a healthy and growing community.

We are grateful to all city staff members for the quality work and service they provide daily. In order for a vibrant and thriving community to exist, we must rely on the City Manager and the City Department Heads to oversee the diligent enforcement of the established laws, codes, and ordinances, many at dangerous and critical levels. In this way, we are a contributing society rather than a consuming one.

We hope you receive this message with a renewed sense of purpose, urgency, and focus. We must address the violence along with the multitude of underlying factors to move from the mode of survive to thrive.

We want to work with you to transform our city into one that will effectively Thrive, Appeal, Afford, Contribute, and Educate. Together we can begin now with a renewed sense of action to address these challenges faced by our community. Please accept these requests willingly and with the knowledge that our community will respond with encouragement, support, and active participation.

Sincerely,

Concerned Business and Community Leaders in Henderson and Vance County

Gerson Morales Argueta
Ronald Bennett
Brandon Boyd
Brian Boyd
Charles Boyd
Mary Boyd
Michele Burgess
Greg Etheridge
Dicky Flye
Faye Guin
Heather Hodge
Stephanie Hoyle
Angie Jacobs
Amanda Pearson
Tommy Roberson
Cliff Rogers
Dr. Abidan Shah
Curtis White
Margier White
Sandra Wilkerson
Michelle Wood

TownTalk: Sara Coffey Discusses Her Ward 1 At Large City Council Candidacy

Incumbent Sara Coffey wants another term on the Henderson City Council. Coffey holds the Ward 1 at large seat and faces challenger Clementine Hunter in the May 17 primary.

Coffey spoke with John C. Rose as part of WIZS’s election coverage; the recorded and unedited interview aired during Tuesday’s Town Talk segment.

She draws upon her experiences in law enforcement – both as a law enforcement officer and in her business as a bail bondsman –  to help guide her work on the city’s public safety committee.

“I can spot safety issues,” Coffey said. “I have been trained to be aware of problems in the criminal element and the justice system,” she said.

And she said she has the knowledge to deal with issues that Henderson faces when it comes to public safety as well as other challenges.

She said she fully backs construction of a third fire station. “If all for it,” she said. “We have a dire need for it” somewhere in the Dabney area. “Our firemen are cramped in the quarters they’re in now.”

She said she and her fellow Council members have become a cohesive group, collaborating to address challenges in the city. And she said she’d like the opportunity to continue to build on the progress that the council has made in areas like beautification and affordable housing.

“We don’t have enough housing – affordable housing,” Coffey noted. “I mean decent, affordable housing,” she added, not substandard units.

A second issue – trash – she said is probably linked to the low home ownership rates in the area.

She said the city’s trash problem is one of the worst trash issues she’s seen in the various places she has lived over the years.

Renters in substandard housing to begin with, she said, may be less motivated to keep their place tidy. “You’re renting…your house is halfway torn up to start with – it kind of spirals from that and we end up with a big trash problem,” she said.

She would like the council to work with landlords on a continuing basis to offer better homes to rent to city residents. Having some restrictions and standards in place would make things better for residents and for the city overall. “We need to find a happy medium,” she added.

Coffey is a native of Vance County. She moved back to the area and opened her business in 1998. Just like with her clients, she said she has an open door policy when it comes to hearing from her constituents. As an at large member, she represents all city residents, not just those in a particular ward.

“I was brought up to be honest,” she said. “There’s really no hidden agenda for me – what you see is what you get.”

One tradition she enjoys is feeding city employees as a show of appreciation. She recently fed who she calls her “city guys” at the operations center. She brings in food as a show of thanks for their hard work and dedication to the city and its residents. She said she tries to do that a couple of times a year, as well employees of the fire department, jail, 911 call center and animal control.

“That’s my way of saying thank you,” she said, “and you mean a lot to me and your service means a lot to me. I’m very proud to be a part of that.”

 

Note: WIZS contacted challenger Clementine Hunter, who kindly declined the opportunity to be interviewed.

 

 

City of Henderson Logo

Henderson Council To Convene Special Called Meeting Tuesday, Apr. 26

The Henderson City Council will meet for a special called meeting on Tuesday, Apr. 26, at the request of Mayor Eddie Ellington to approve an asset management plan and stormwater pollution prevention plan.

The meeting will begin at 12 noon in Council chambers, 134 Rose Ave., according to information from City Clerk Esther McCrackin. The meeting will be an in-person meeting and the public is welcome to observe.

Immediately following the special called meeting, the City Council’s Boards and Commissions Committee will convene. This group will consider applications, allowing ETJ Member full voting rights on the board of adjustment and planning board, filing fees, Council photographs, number of Council members serving on committees and council members serving on boards. This meeting also will be an in-person meeting; the public is welcome to observe.

 The Redevelopment Commission will meet on Wednesday, Apr. 27, during which time Elmwood District Redevelopment Area will be renamed. The meeting will take place at 5:30 p.m. in Council chambers. The public is welcome to observe either in person or via Zoom:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86272090925?pwd=K0h0djQrZTBNalNoTWFaMHBoTCsvZz09
Meeting ID: 862 7209 0925
Passcode: 328361

City of Henderson Logo

City Council Discusses URA, S-Line Project And Industrial Park Upgrades

The Henderson City Council approved Monday next steps for several projects underway, including the S-Line commuter/passenger rail service, completing projects at the Industrial Park and the official approval of the Urban Redevelopment Area.

City Manager Terrell Blackmon said there was some discussion by council members about what to name the URA, so the plan passed without having a formal name attached to it.

The Redevelopment Commission will be asked to reconsider the name of the district from “Elmwood” to something that includes “West End,” which is the name of the historical neighborhood included in the URA.

Council members approved the plan in February meeting, at which time a copy of the plan was posted on the city website for review. The Planning Board Commission approved the plan on Feb. 21, 2022.

The URA includes more than 200 acres in the city and much of that property is in a blighted condition, according to information contained in the Council’s March meeting packet. The redevelopment plan is expected “to yield a substantial increase in the tax value of these properties and in turn contribute toward the redevelopment of downtown,” the information stated.

Another project connected to downtown revitalization is the Regional S-Line Mobility Hub project that would provide $2.64 million in federal grants to re-establish a train station for the S-Line commuter and rail service.

The grant application is due April 14 with grants awarded by August, according to the agenda information.

The total cost is $3.3 million, and the city would be asked to pitch in $190,000 of matching funds if the grant is awarded. All grant and matching funds would need to be obligated by 2026 and spent by 2031.

The Council also heard from Manager Blackmon about the recently awarded $761,040 in Economic Development Administration funds to finish the sewer and roadway at the Henderson-Vance Industrial Park.

The city and county were awarded the money jointly to finish the project, which is a continuation of the work done by the county to install water and sewer lines and also to  build a gravel road for the city.

Now that the funding is in place, the county intends to pave the road and finish the sewer force main which was removed from the previous project because of budget constraints.

 

 

Possibility Of Winter Storm Prompts Council To Reschedule Planning Retreat

The Henderson City Council’s annual strategic planning retreat has been rescheduled to late February, based on the possibility of inclement weather. The retreat had been schedule d for tomorrow and Friday, but city officials said it would now take place on Feb. 24 and 25. Start times and location will remain the same.

The retreat will be held at Henderson Country Club. Thursday’s meeting will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday’s session will begin at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at 12:45 p.m., according to information from City Clerk Esther J. McCrackin.

The public is invited to observe the retreat sessions, but the meeting will not be livestreamed; it will be in-person only.

City of Henderson Logo

Henderson City Council Set To Meet Monday, Jan. 10

The Henderson City Council will meet Monday, Jan. 10, 2022 at 6 p.m. for its regular monthly meeting in City Hall Council Chambers, 134 Rose Ave. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

Anyone who wishes to address the council must do so in person or submit comments or questions to the city clerk no later than 3 p.m. on Monday. Questions and comments from the public are no longer taken via Zoom.

Use the following link to join virtually:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85987462307?pwd=SUdUR3lYeStoMkFleCtEam9pUUgvQT09

 

Meeting ID: 859 8746 2307

Passcode: 743012

One tap mobile

+13126266799,,85987462307#,,,,*743012# US (Chicago)

+19292056099,,85987462307#,,,,*743012# US (New York)

City of Henderson Logo

Council Approves Amendments To Wards; Minor Changes May Affect Voters’ Polling Places

The city of Henderson’s population decreased by 2 percent since 2010, according to 2020 Census data, and the City Council approved changes this week to the municipal voting districts to reflect that change.

According to 2020 Census data, 15,060 people live in Henderson. The deadline to approve changes is today (Friday). The council approved the changes at its Dec. 13 meeting.

The city’s Development Services Director, Corey Williams, presented information about the redrawn ward boundary lines to the council during the Monday meeting. The city began the task of redistricting the wards in September, when information from the recently completed Census was received.

Federal law requires that the wards have balanced populations, and the ward maps were redrawn to within 1.5 percent of each other, according to information from the city council minutes.

The council held a public hearing on Nov. 30 to share the information and to hear from citizens. City Manager Terrell Blackmon said the current maps needed to be adjusted to comply with federal and state laws.

The four wards had minor adjustments, but Ward 1 saw the biggest drop in population, according to Census figures. Ward 1 basically comprises the north and east sides of Henderson.

At the public hearing, Williams said the ideal population average for each ward is 3,762. The redrawn districts show that the existing four wards are balanced to within 20 people.

Anyone interested in knowing whether their ward information has changed should contact the Vance County Board of Elections at 252.492.3730.

Read the complete public notice and view ward maps at https://henderson.nc.gov/.

Following is a list of the council members and the wards they represent:

Ward 1:

Marion B Williams

Sara Coffey, at-large

Ward 2:

Mike Rainey

William Burnette, at-large

Ward 3:

Gary Daeke

Melissa Elliott, at-large

Ward 4:

Ola Thorpe-Cooper

Jason Spriggs, at-large

Fox Pond Park Shelter, Tennis Courts Named In Honor, Memory Of Local Athletes

If Henderson were to create a list of notable athletes that got their start locally and went on to become standouts in their selected sport, two names — Eddie Hicks and Mary Lloyd Hodges Barbera — certainly would be included.

The Henderson City Council recently approved naming a shelter and two tennis courts at Fox Pond Park in honor of and in memory of those two local athletes, both of whom played for and were graduated from Vance Senior High School. The proposals were made by Recreation and Parks Director Kendrick Vann.

Fox Pond Shelter #1 will be named for Eddie James Hicks. Hicks grew up in Henderson and graduated in 1975 from Vance Sr. High School. He earned a football scholarship to East Carolina University, where he rushed for more than 2,100 yards during his four years. He was instrumental in the Pirates’ first-ever victory over UNC-Chapel Hill and continues to hold the school record for longest rushing yard play – 95 yards – in ECU history. He was inducted into the ECU Hall of Fame in 2014. Hicks was drafted by the New York Giants in 1979 and has long ties to the recreation and parks department. He often returned home during his professional career for special events and has been a long-time advocate for youth in the community.

His off-field accomplishments are equally impressive. Hicks is a devoted employee for the Recreation and Parks Department. “He takes pleasure in being a part of the team and takes pride in his work,” according to agenda information from the commissioners’ Nov. 8 meeting. “He has been called upon numerous times by the department and community, and he never wavers or disappoints. Even when Mr. Hicks is off work, he ensures that things are being handled and taken care of properly.” Hicks also oversees the adult and youth community service program and makes sure that areas throughout the city and county are clean.

Hicks is a member and trustee of the Kesler Temple AME Zion Church in the Flint Hill community and is an active community leader and advocate for youth. He has been a member of the Beacon Light Masonic Lodge #249 since 1984, and he joined #195 in 1986 and the Imran Temple #168 in 1995.

Tennis courts #1 and #2 will be renamed in memory and honor of teenage tennis standout Mary Lloyd Hodges Barbera. The Henderson native died at the age of 49 in 2015, but many remember her prowess on the tennis courts.

One of her nicknames was “Rabbit,” according to David Hicks, who remembers well Barbera’s dedication to the sport and who had occasion to face her on the tennis courts. “She’s the only tennis player I knew who could get mad at herself on the court and actually play better,” he said in an email to WIZS News. “Most don’t.”

She was considered one of the state’s premier junior tennis players in the 1970’s and 1980’s and was ranked number one in the state in girls’ 12-, 14- and 18-year-old divisions. She won two 4A state singles titles as a junior in 1981 and again in 1982 as a senior. She graduated from Vance Sr. High in 1983 and went on to Peace College, where, in 1984, she was named an All-American athlete by the National Junior College Athletic Association for Flight #1 in singles competition. She transferred to N.C. State University in 1985 and led the Wolfpack women’s tennis team with 16 wins in singles competition.

In addition to a 6-1 record against ACC competition, she contributed to a 16-3 slate in doubles, which included three wins in the ACC tournament. She was inducted into the William Peace University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012.