Board presents budget

The Havelock Board of Commissioners laid out the degree to which city costs have been slashed Monday night, presenting a $14.6 million proposed budget to the public.

No one spoke during the public hearing on the 2009-10 budget, which has been cut by 10 percent.

There will be no increase in the property tax rate of 53 cents per $100 in valuation.

According to Lee Tillman, finance director, the budget includes water and sewer fee increases of 5.5 percent. The rate increase would be equivalent to a monthly increase in fees of $3.55 for an average family using 5,000 gallons of water per month.

Under the proposal, the city is adding three firefighter positions for the new West End Fire Station under construction. There will be no furloughs or layoffs of city personnel.

Commissioners have yet to decide on any funding for the Havelock-Craven County Public Library, which requested $55,525 from the city.

The board had discussed in the past a possible 35 percent to 65 percent division for funding the library with Craven County, but that was considered merely a guideline and has not been formally approved.

If the board sticks with that general formula, they would provide about $48,500 to the library, but commissioners did not discuss the matter Monday night. Currently as budgeted, the library would not receive any city funds.

Commissioners could allocate money for the library before they vote on the budget at their next meeting, which is scheduled for June 22.

Trash talk

Commissioners learned that information regarding the city's new garbage pickup program is scheduled to be mailed out to residents in the coming week. Flyers will contain detailed information about the program, which calls for a mandatory trash fee of $11 per month for weekly garbage pickup.

Residents are scheduled to begin receiving their new 95-gallon rollout garbage cans beginning June 24.

Sign of the times

Commissioners plan to hear from the public concerning changes to the city's sign regulations. They scheduled a hearing on the matter for 7 p.m. June 22 at Havelock City Hall.

The board approved a moratorium on new electronic and digital display signs in February to give Scott Chase, city planner, a chance to review and prepare new regulations on the signs.

Chase said in February that he was concerned about the growth of such signs that change messages every few seconds. The city has such signs in front of the Havelock Recreation Complex, and the Havelock Tourist and Event Center has a similar sign near U.S. 70.

Chase had expressed concerns that the signs were a distraction for motorists, and that he was concerned that, without regulation, the growth of such signs would turn Havelock into a mini Las Vegas strip with flashing messages all over the city.

In other business, commissioners:

• presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Boy Scout Joe Gaskill for his contributions to the new 1.02-mile recreation trail at the recreation complex. Gaskill volunteered to design and erect a series of mile markers, measured the trail for accurate distance location and led scouts from Scout Troop 82 to install the signs.

• presented public utilities director Pete Deaver with a N.C. Rural Water Association Certificate of Achievement in formulating a Wellhead Protection Plan. The plan is designed to protect the viability of underground aquifers.

• directed Jim Freeman, city manager, to send a letter in opposition to two state house bills that would impose fees on police officers and firefighters for course training and certifications from the state.

• held a public hearing to allow for the city to move forward with a loan for a new quint fire truck, EMS vehicles and equipment. The city would receive $825,000, with $725,000 being borrowed at an interest rate of 4.5 percent for 20 years. Annual payments would be about $68,875. The city would not have to pay back $100,000.

• approved a $340,000, five-year loan from BB&T for an annual rate of 3.08 percent for the purchase of three garbage vehicles.

• accepted a $4,817 grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina to go toward the purchase of weight room equipment for the recreation center. The equipment includes storage racks, free weight bars, floor mats, instructional charts, equipment for yoga and aerobics classes and a body fat analyzer.

• appointed Laura Savin and Charles Zink as new alternate members of the Board of Adjustment, replacing members James DeRoche and Patricia Warner.

• appointed Kathy Bruening and Raymond Birch to the Appearance Commission, replacing Kacey Randgaard and Ronald Sage.

• heard from Mayor Jimmy Sanders that Johnathan Wilder, a fifth-grader from Graham A. Barden Elementary School, will be participating as a member of the People to People Sports Ambassador Program in Vienna, Austria this summer.