Kinston City Council to hear annual audit, consider budget amendment and utility projects Tuesday
Kinston City Council will meet Tuesday, March 3, for its regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 207 E. King St. The meeting will be held in person and live-streamed on the city’s YouTube channel, @thecityofkinston, and aired on KTV, the local government channel.
After opening items, citizen comment and approval of minutes from the Feb. 17 meeting, council is scheduled to receive the city’s FY2025 annual financial report from audit manager Matthew Finney of RH CPAs.
In the presentation materials included with the agenda, the auditor reports an unmodified opinion on the city’s basic financial statements and notes that fieldwork is complete and the statements have been submitted to the Local Government Commission for approval. The “major takeaways” slide also indicates the general fund balance increased by about $1.52 million and ended the year at $20.67 million, while enterprise funds net position increased by about $1.85 million to $183.16 million.
Budget amendment includes city manager search, planning grant match, stadium improvements
Council’s action agenda begins with a proposed FY2025-2026 operating budget amendment, presented by Finance Director Donna Goodson.
Documents attached to the agenda outline several adjustments:
City manager search services: The amendment would add $39,300 for professional services tied to the city’s search for a new city manager, referencing work approved with Raftelis.
NCDOT multimodal planning grant match: The amendment would appropriate $13,000 as the city’s required match for a $65,000 NCDOT-IMD multimodal planning grant intended to develop a multimodal network plan consistent with NCDOT standards.
Grainger Stadium improvements: The amendment includes $51,000 connected to field naming rights revenue, with the city’s share transferred to the general fund capital reserve for future stadium improvements. The memo states Superior Metal Structures & Concrete purchased field naming rights for $90,000 per year for three years, and the anticipated city revenue for the remainder of the fiscal year is $51,000.
Wastewater equipment costs: The amendment also would add $25,386 for additional costs tied to the Belt Filter Press Reconditioning Project, funded through a transfer from the wastewater capital reserve fund.
The ordinance summary in the agenda materials lists a total general fund increase of $103,300 tied to the city manager search, the grant match, and the stadium reserve transfer.
Police special revenue fund restructuring
Council also is scheduled to consider multiple ordinances affecting how certain police department revenues are tracked.
One ordinance would amend the existing seizure and restitution special revenue fund (Project P9136). In a letter included in the agenda packet, Kinston Police Chief Keith Goyette requests that the city continue using P9136 for federal forfeiture proceeds and create two separate project codes, one for state forfeiture and one for donations, to improve tracking and meet federal reporting requirements.
The agenda includes ordinances to establish a Kinston Police Department donations project (P9156) and a state forfeiture fund (P9155). The donations project ordinance lists revenues totaling $13,108, including donations and investment earnings. The state forfeiture fund ordinance lists revenues totaling $46,198, including state tax distribution revenue, special court allocations and investment earnings.
In the same letter, the chief states the department is reserving donated funds for development of a future police memorial planned for installation in front of the department at a later date.
Cunningham substation transformer project agreement
Council is scheduled to consider approval of an engineering services agreement with Ampirical Solutions totaling $463,530 for design and construction administration for the Cunningham Substation transformer replacement project, presented by Public Services Director Steve Miller.
In a memo included with the agenda, staff notes council previously approved work to replace the current transformer at Cunningham Substation and describes a scope that includes replacement of the transformer, adjustments to accommodate the new unit, and control panel and breaker-related work. The memo also notes the work is expected to be needed in order to serve customers and relates to planned substation improvements.
Cemetery master plan update and board appointments
The agenda includes an information item on a cemetery master planning project.
Council also is scheduled to vote on appointments to the Parks and Recreation Commission, including the appointment of Jerry Burns and Sue Ellen Maddux and the reappointment of Roger Jones.
The meeting agenda lists time for the city manager’s report, city attorney’s report, and mayor and councilmember reports, followed by a closed session and adjournment.
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