Kinston City Council hears public concerns, approves grants, selects firm for city manager search

The Kinston City Council met Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, at City Hall, addressing public safety concerns, approving multiple grant-related ordinances, and selecting a consulting firm to lead the search for the city’s next permanent city manager.

The meeting was called to order by Mayor Kareem Moore at 5:30 p.m. An invocation was delivered by Bishop Slade Chapman, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and roll call. Council members present included Antonio Hardy, Sammy Aiken, Les Lipford, Liz Seaforth, and Mayor Pro Tem Felicia Solomon.

Public comment

Several residents addressed the council during the public comment period.

Jeanette Blue, a resident of Marcella Drive, returned to council for the third time regarding an abandoned house at 507 Marcella Drive, which she said has remained unsecured for years. Blue also raised concerns about a drainage ditch behind her property that she said causes flooding during heavy rain and asked for clarification on city responsibility for maintenance. She additionally asked about future plans for the former Teachers Memorial School, which she said has remained boarded up since being sold several years ago.

Quarla Blackwell sharply criticized the handling of the recent municipal election, alleging violations of state election law and questioning the certification of the mayor. Blackwell also called on council members to follow through on campaign commitments, particularly regarding homelessness, and questioned the city’s hiring decisions related to senior staff.

Tharol Branch congratulated Moore on his election and thanked former Mayor Don Hardy for his service. Branch urged council to reconsider the three-minute limit for public comments, saying it restricts meaningful participation. He also cautioned council members to consider the broader community when voting on city matters and referenced long-standing disputes related to downtown redevelopment.

Consent agenda and minutes

Council unanimously approved the agenda and approved meeting minutes from Dec. 2, Dec. 16, Dec. 23, 2025, and Jan. 6, 2026.

Grants and ordinances

Finance Director Donna Goodson presented multiple ordinances establishing special revenue funds tied to recently awarded grants.

Council approved the creation of a special revenue fund for a $182,000 grant from the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency. The funding will provide interest-free, deferred, forgivable loans to eligible homeowners for housing rehabilitation through a federal HUD pass-through program.

Council also approved two federal grants awarded through the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. One $51,270 grant will offset costs associated with police department accreditation through CALEA and NCLEA. A second $136,020 grant will fund a comprehensive mental health and wellness initiative for sworn officers and civilian police staff. Both grants require no local match.

Recognition

Fire Chief Chad Jackson recognized Lt. Frederick Greeley III for completing 40 hours of chaplaincy training covering topics including trauma, grief, PTSD, suicide prevention, disaster response, and ethics. Jackson said the training will provide an internal mental health support resource for fire department personnel.

Infrastructure project

Council approved awarding a $295,805 contract to Andritz for refurbishment of a belt filter press at the city’s wastewater treatment plant, along with a 10 percent contingency, bringing the total potential cost to $325,385.50. Interim City Manager Harold Miller explained that refurbishing the nearly 20-year-old equipment is expected to extend its life by 15 to 20 years and reduce biosolids disposal costs. A future budget amendment will be required to cover the contingency using wastewater capital reserve funds.

City manager search

The most extensive discussion of the evening centered on selecting a consulting firm to conduct a national search for Kinston’s next permanent city manager.

The proposals were from three firms: Raftelis, Development Associates, and PolyHire. Council discussed costs, timelines, stakeholder involvement, and prior experience with the firms. Estimated total costs, including advertising, background checks, and candidate travel, were repeatedly noted to likely exceed base fees.

Several council members emphasized transparency about the full cost of the city manager search, noting that the approved firm’s $34,300 base fee does not include additional expenses discussed during the meeting. Those costs include up to $2,500 for advertising, about $500 per background check for finalists, travel and lodging costs for three to four finalists, which council members said has previously totaled $6,000 to $10,000, and optional stakeholder engagement services ranging from $2,500 to $5,000. Council members also noted the proposal includes a $15,000 secondary placement fee if the city hires another candidate from the firm’s applicant pool within six months. When combined, council members said the total cost of the search could reasonably exceed $50,000 and, depending on services used and travel costs incurred, approach $70,000, though only the base fee has been approved at this time.

After discussion, council voted 3–2 to select Raftelis to conduct the search, with council members directing that stakeholder input be included in the process. Mayor Pro Tem Solomon and Council Member Lipford voted against the motion, expressing preference for PolyHire.

Council comments and announcements

Council members shared several announcements, including vacancies on the city’s Recreation Commission, encouragement for community support of youth sports programs, and upcoming fundraisers for Friends of the Homeless and the Council on Aging.

Concerns were also raised regarding the use of Teachers Memorial School as a future voting site during youth basketball tournaments, with calls for the Board of Elections to reconsider precinct locations to avoid disrupting youth activities.

Adjournment

Mayor Moore encouraged residents to participate in the Kinston 101 program to better understand city operations and decision-making. The meeting was adjourned following a unanimous vote.

The next regular city council meeting is scheduled for February 3, 2026.

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