Town of Hertford  Regular Session Meeting (In Person/Facebook) Monday, March 11, 2024 - 6:00PM Horace Reid Community Center, 305 W Grubb Street  The Council of the Town of Hertford held a Regular Session Meeting at the Horace Reid Community Center (also by Facebook) on Monday, March 11, 2024, at6 6:00 PM.  COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT Ashley Hodges, Mayor Connie Brothers Rhonda Waters STAFF PRESENT  Sandra Anderson, Mayor Pro Tem  Keith Rouse  Janice McKenzie Cole, Town Manager Doris Walton, Assistant Town Manager Ashley Eure, Finance Director Dave Forsythe, Public Works Director Gina Durante, Town Clerk John Leidy, Attorney Ac quorum was present. CALL TO ORDER  Mayor Hodges called the meeting to order. INVOCATION & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE  The invocation was given by Mayor Hodges, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Ar motion was made by Councilman Rouse to approve the agenda with the following amendments: under New Business, add 7b) Resolution Authorizing Negotiated Offer & Upset Bid of Town Property at 513 Grubb Street and Resolution of Mowing Fees; and 7c) Presentation of Budget Requests for Electric, Water, & Street Departments. The motion was seconded by Councilwoman Brothers, and it passed unanimously, 5-0. Mayor Pro Tem Anderson motioned to approve the Consent Agenda consisting of:  APPROVAL OF AGENDA  CONSENT AGENDA  a) The minutes from February 12, 2024, Regular Session and February 26, 2024, b) Acceptance of Resolution FY24-14 Right of Ways at Meads Circle and Meads  Work Session Loop  March 11, 2024 Regular Session Minutes    c) March 28th Sheriff's Easter Egg Hunt, and March 29th Cross Walk Piney  Woods Friends Meeting  Counciwoman Waters seconded the motion and it passed, 5-0.  CITIZEN CONCERNS CONTINUED BUSINESS  None None  NEW BUSINESS  a) Budget Amendments  1. FY24-22 - transfer funds from one line item to another within the same fund from Admin Buildings to Admin Bank Fees ($1,000) and from Street Infrastructure to Street Buildings ($1,000) to balance the accounting. An motion and a second were made by Councilwoman Brothers and Councilman Rouse to approve Budget Amendment FY24-22. The motion 2. FY24-23 - move funds from Water Contingencies to Water Professional Services ($21,000) to pay the balance of Southern Corrosion, Julius Mayor Pro Tem Anderson motioned to approve Budget Amendment FY24- 23. Councilwoman Brothers seconded and the motion passed, 5-0.  carried, 5-0.  Williams, and VC3.  b) Resolution FY24-11 Authorizing Negotiated Offer and Upset Bid of Town Property at 513 West Grubb Street and resolution of Mowing Fees = Manager Cole explained this resolution regarding the dilapidated building at 513 W. Grubb Street. The County turned the property over to ZLS for a tax foreclosure sale, no one bid on it, sO ZLS reverted the property to the County. The Town asked the County to sell the property to us because the Town was aware that there was interest in rehabilitating the building and we would be able to put certain restrictions on the purchase sO that the purchaser cannot allow the building to sit there with no work being done. The resolution is for the Town to go forward with the negotiated offer and upset bid. The Town purchased 513V W. Grubb Street from the County for approximately $8600. The Town has added attorney fees, title search, and other incurred expenses to the starting bid. The resolution states that the purchaser has 120 days to bring the exterior of the building up to code, and a full year to complete the interior. There are almost $30,000 of mowing fees imposed by the Town on the property. Council agrees  March 11, 2024 Regular Session Minutes  2    that it is in the best interest of the Town for the sale of the property to waive those fees. Upon discussion between Attorney Leidy, Council, and Manager Cole, it was decided that before the resolution is adopted, it will be amended to include paragraph 10, "the Town hereby waives the mowing fees imposed on this property." " If the resolution is approved with that amendment, Mayor Hodges will Councilman Rouse made a motion to approve Resolution FY24-11 Authorizing Negotiated Offer and Upset Bid of Town Property at 513 West Grubb Street, with the addition of a new paragraph 10 stating "the Town hereby waives the mowing fees that have been imposed on this propeny."Counclwoman Brothers  sign it after paragraph 10 is added.  seconded the motion and it carried, 5-0.  Presentation of Budget requests for Electric, Water & Street Departments - Public Works Director David Forsythe presented budget requests for the  following Public Works departments: 1. Street 2. Water Distribution 3. Electric  Director Forsythe explained requests, answered questions, and discussed them  with Council and Manager Cole.  MANAGER'S UPDATE Manager Cole had no update. COUNCIL REPORISICONCERNS Councilman Rouse had no report.  Councilwoman Brothers announced an invitation from JW Hood Consistory #155 for their Annual Recognition Banquet. The banquet will be held June 22, 2024, at Mid Atlantic Christian University in Elizabeth City, from 6 PM - 9 PM. Town Manager Cole is one of the four honorees. Tickets are $50 and for information regarding tickets contact JC Cole or call: Victor Neal, 252.339.3519 or Melvin Reid, 252.312.8718.  Counciwoman Waters had no report. Mayor Pro Tem Anderson had no report.  Mayor Hodges noted that the Town Council held their Annual Retreat March 2, 2024. He said it was very productive and thanked the staff for the very detailed materials they compiled. At the retreat, Manager Cole also presented information to show what  March 11, 2024 Regular Session Minutes  3    Hertford could look like in 2058, the 300th anniversary of Hertford's original charter. Mayor Hodges, Manager Cole, and Director Forsythe met with the infrastructure rep for Congressman Davis's office last week. The rep walked them through the process of submitting a project list for any kind ofi infrastructure that we are trying to get funded through federal designated funding. Senator Tillis's rep also gave them guidance on how their office accepts those materials. Such projects would include the Grubb Street waterline expansion for the future neighborhoods in the west part of town, adding an additional clarifier to increase capacity at the wastewater plant, and supporting infrastructure for the Waterfront Project. Mayor Hodges, Councilman Rouse, and Manager Cole attended Hertford Housing Authority's Board meeting. He thanked Ms. Holley, Chairman Johnson, Ms. Privott, Ms. Winslow, Mr. Sutton, and Mr. Downing. He expressed that Council understands HHA's situation with their budgetary limitations and challenges. Council is looking for ways to partner with HHA and help as we want to ensure HHA's success and the success of their residents. Mayor Hodges thanked  Director Forsythe for his presentation.  ANNOUNCEMENIS  Mayor Hodges read the announcements.  ADJOURNMENT  Councilwoman Brothers motioned to adjourn the meeting. Councilwoman Waters  seconded the motion, and it passed, 5-0. The meeting was adjourned at 7:33 PM.  March 11, 2024 Regular Session Minutes