|
|
Wilson This Week -- June 2, 2022
|
|
City Council prepares final budget for 2022-23
Now that it's June, we are coming up on the deadline for the city to approve a budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. State law requires it be passed by June 30.
Wilson City Manager Grant Goings presented a proposed budget on May 19 with no property tax increases and modest increases to some fees. The proposed budget totals $268.4 million, an increase of 1.15 percent from the current budget. The property tax rate will remain at 57.5 cents per $100 valuation. Wilson’s tax rate continues to be one of the lowest in our peer group including Kinston, Goldsboro, Rocky Mount and Greenville. The peer group has an average tax rate of 64.1 cents per $100 valuation.
“While the City’s budget has been spared from dramatic impacts due to the pandemic, there continues to be uncertainly regarding the sustainability of growth in revenues driven by economic conditions and consumer spending,” said Goings. “In addition, high inflation impacts the cost to provide services and presents some unknowns. With consideration for these factors and the potential for more economic uncertainty nationally, the 2022-23 budget meets the City Council’s stated goals for high levels of service and strong redevelopment efforts.”
The budget focuses on investing in the city’s workforce, upholding the City Council’s commitment to redevelopment efforts, including investment in downtown development, and fully funding the city’s pools. Rate adjustments are necessary to cover inflationary and market cost increases.
More details can be found here. The City Council held a work session on this budget on June 2. The next step will be a public hearing on Thursday, June 16, beginning at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 112 Goldsboro St. E.
|
|
Wilson honors those that fought, died for our country
The Wilson Committee on Patriotism held its first in-person Memorial Day ceremony since 2019. More than 200 people turned out for Monday morning's event at the Wilson County Courthouse.
ICYMI: The ceremony can be watched on Wilson's Channel 8 on Greenlight and other cable television systems. The schedule will be 10 a.m., 5 p.m., 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. every day through Wednesday, June 15. It can also be watched online anytime.
|
Structural Engineer Reports on Fleming Stadium and WF/RS Station Four
City Council recently heard updates from structural engineer Bobby Joyner on Fleming Stadium and Wilson Fire/Rescue Services Station Four.
Fleming Stadium
Several sections of seating at the stadium were were closed off following the most recent inspection and engineering report, removing some access during the Tobs season.
A repair timeframe has not been established, but City Council has had discussions on options to repair the stadium. Current technology offers options that could greatly reduce the weight on the existing structure. The repairs will cost several million dollars yet the construction timeline is short.
The Council will consider recommendations from staff once the Tobs season concludes.
WF/RS Station Four
In March 2022, the city announced that WF/RS Station Four would be closed immediately due to structural issues found with the station. Firefighters were relocated to an adjacent property at that time. The building was fully investigated by a structural engineer and geological expert to determine the full extent of the problem and the future of the station. During Thursday’s meeting Joyner reviewed the findings of the geotechnical study and structural study, explaining significant issues with the station related to moisture and settlement.
Plans for the new station will be presented to City Council in the coming months.
|
|
Police make statement in wake of Texas tragedy
The Wilson Police Department issued a statement last Friday in the wake of the tragic events in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 school children and two educators dead:
"The Wilson Police Department has tactical and operational plans for many different scenarios we hope we will never face in Wilson. Many of these plans were developed as part of our accreditation process, including our active shooter response. In light of the recent tragedy at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, we want the Wilson community to know the efforts the Wilson Police Department has in place to address active shooters.
"Our department was one of the first police agencies in North Carolina to have active shooter instructors and teach active shooter response to officers. Currently, the department has numerous active shooter instructors that teach law enforcement officers and civilians. We hold an annual in-service training for all officers using Simunition, the leading provider of realistic, non-lethal force-on-force, simulation training, and video simulation.
"Our department works with the Wilson County Schools Safety Committee to develop safety protocols and procedures at all public schools. Our officers have access to school buildings and practice lock-down exercises regularly. Officers are present at school crossings at all schools in the city limits during student arrival and dismissal. We also work with private schools and major healthcare facilities on safety assessments and response.
"The Wilson Police Department has a Special Response Team and Crisis Negotiations Team made up of experienced, highly-trained officers who train together quarterly with a focus on violent incidents. Our Special Response Team regularly trains with Wilson Fire Rescue Services personnel on large-scale response. The department has 72 active Crisis Intervention Officers who receive 40 hours of intense training on substance abuse, mental illness, and developmental disabilities. Crisis Negations Team members receive training dealing with active shooters, and the department’s three certified De-escalation Instructors provide annual in-service scenario-based training to all officers.
"We provide church safety assessments and presentations to Wilson churches on request.
"While the Wilson Police Department provides a solid foundation, protecting our community requires everyone’s help. The best way to stop an active shooter is prevention. The police department encourages all citizens to follow the “See Something Say Something” protocol. The relationship the department has with its community partners allows it to find non-law enforcement options when the investigation finds no violations of law but civil action is warranted. If you see something that needs to be reported, you can call CrimeStoppers at 252-243-2255 anonymously."
|
City responds to major outages starting May 20
Early morning thunderstorms on Friday, May 20, damaged the city's power grid and caused both power and broadband outages. A quick response from city crews and mutual aid from neighboring communities soon had everyone reconnected, though.
The storms brought down 19 utility poles along Forest Hill Road and brought a large tree down onto the city's 115 kV line, which disrupted three substations. More than 14,000 Wilson Energy customers were without power at the peak of the storm damage. The storm also cut off 1,300 Greenlight customers. Power was restored to nearly all customers by Friday afternoon. The Greenlight outages took a little longer to clear due to the challenges of splicing fiberoptic cables.
We want to offer out sincere thanks to every city employees who assisted in this massive storm response as well to crews from Apex, Rocky Mount, Tarboro and Greenville Utilities who responded via the mutual aid system. We are never surprised by our employees' grit and determination in an emergency, but we are always grateful.
|
Many people have noticed speeding on city streets lately. The Wilson Police Department heard you.
During May, the department did special enforcement on Forest Hills Road, Nash Street, Ward Boulevard, Airport Boulevard, N.C. 58 and Packhouse Road. They issued nearly 100 citations for speeding with most of the violators driving between 15-20 miles per hour over the posted speed limit.
There were a dozen people cited for driving on a revoked license and a handful of people were charged with driving without a license in their possession.
The police department’s mission is to ensure the safety of citizens traveling on city streets and highways and be proactive in dealing with vehicles speeding, racing, and reckless driving. Anyone with information can contact the WPD at 252-399-2323 or Crime Stoppers at 252-243-2255.
Exclusively in Wilson This Week, we're sharing the breakdown of citations written during the operation.
The average citation speed at each location is shown below.
Forest Hills Rd. (Raleigh Rd Parkway to Ward Blvd)
53.6 MPH in a 35 MPH Zone
Nash St. (Airport Blvd. to Ward Blvd.)
54.6 MPH in a 35 MPH Zone
Ward Blvd. (Wilson Woods, Raleigh Road Pkwy.)
62.9 MPH in 45 MPH Zone
Airport Blvd. (Raleigh Road Pkwy to Nash St.)
63.3 MPH in 45 MPH Zone
N.C. 58 and Packhouse Rd.
62 MPH in 45 MPH Zone
|
|
|
Look up weekend events on ExploreWilson.com
Getting tired of trying to find local events on Facebook? Give Explore Wilson a try! It is Wilson’s community calendar. Find weekend events, including Wilson Farmers & Artisan Market, Wilson Pride 2022, Tobs Baseball games and much more. Use the link below to take a look at ExploreWilson.com
|
|
|
|
|
