City annexes parcel, gives up others

Feb. 14—HENDERSON — After January's relatively sparse agenda, the Henderson City Council seems to have kicked things into a higher gear for this month's meeting when the agenda was chock full of items.

Notably, the city voted to annex a tax parcel on Ruin Creek Road, where it turns into Tiny Broadwick Boulevard. There are no developments on the parcel, though the Vance County GIS map shows that it's owned by one Ruin Creek Investments LLC, which requested the city annex the lot.

No word yet on what the company plans to do with the property. Nothing was submitted to the city yet, said City Manager Terrell Blackmon. That annexation will be effective March 1 and will be made a part of Ward 2 for voting purposes.

The council also voted to turn over two parcels, a 118.5-acre lot just north of Hunter's Ridge off U.S. Highway 158 Bypass, and an adjacent 75-acre lot. Both look to be woodlands, though the former has what looks like a path.

The Kerr-Tar Regional Economic Development Corporation owns both parcels, which are split-zoned between the city and Vance County. The county has zoning jurisdiction of around 80% of both lots. In a letter to both entities, KTREDC noted that companies may not want to tussle with two zoning authorities. Both governments agreed that the county should take over the rest of those parcels.

Public safetyThe council approved several requests from the Henderson police and fire departments.

They allowed the HPD to apply for the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation Grant which, if approved, would give the department nearly $32,000 to purchase a BullsEye Digital Fire Extinguisher Training System.

Officers would use that to complete annual fire extinguisher training without the risks of using an actual fire. The device uses sensors to determine whether a trainee is using the extinguisher correctly, displaying computer-generated fires that grow and shrink according to feedback.

Police Chief Marcus Barrow requested the submission of another grant application to the North Carolina Governor's Highway Safety Program. The HPD is looking for $24,600 to buy two radars as well as overtime and fringe benefits for three officers assigned to work the department's Speed and Alcohol Field Enforcement traffic initiative.

The department places officers in certain areas to enforce traffic laws more stringently during holidays, for example. That's what SAFE involves.

On the fire side, Chief Tim Twisdale requested that he be allowed to apply for a $2.5 million grant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to purchase a new ladder truck. The department has been without one since April 2023, and it's likely to remain out of service till late spring or summer. It is also approaching the 20-year lifespan recommended for all front-line fire trucks.

The ladder gives firefighters options for rescuing victims from high places and gives them the high ground on fires.

Water and sanitationThe city accepted a $400,000 state Department of Environmental Quality grant that will go towards an Asset and Inventory Assessment. The funds will be split right down the middle for both water and sewer.

Hazen and Sawyer is the firm that will handle the AIA.

The city also amended its sanitation ordinance to allow it to provide additional sanitation containers, i.e. dumpsters, to noncompliant customers, those allowing excess garbage bags around their dumpsters. The city implemented a three-strike policy, sending out notifications on strikes one and two and issuing one of those additional containers on three.

Human resourcesHR Director Jamie Dittmeyer made a few requests, which the council mostly granted. In doing so, they implemented a referral bonus for city employees — workers who refer someone else for a position will get a tidy $400. After six months, the new employee will also get that much as a retention bonus, assuming they're in good standing with their hiring department. There won't be any retroactive payments.

The city reaffirmed its commitment to equal opportunity employment so the HPD could meet its obligations in applying for a N.C. Governor's Crime Commission grant to upgrade its in-car cameras.

They implemented a policy to allow incoming employees to transfer over sick leave time from previous state and local government employers, up to 500 hours with approval from the city manager. Any employee hired since 2019 can get any sick time not previously transferred, assuming they can provide the right documentation.

Lastly, there was a proposal on the table to grant workers 20 extra hours of sick leave, what with the advent of extended illnesses like COVID-19, but it was tabled and sent back to the Human Resources Committee for review.

Mayor Melissa Elliott DayLast, but certainly not least, the council unanimously voted to designate Feb. 12 as Mayor Melissa Elliott Day.

The declaration came as a surprise to the mayor, she told the Dispatch on Wednesday. Regardless, she said she was honored.

"I'm very grateful that my colleagues think so much of me to make it happen," she said. She thanked them for their faith in her.

The resolution cites her contributions to the community through her nonprofit Gang Free Inc., her bona fides as a minister, her "monumental" efforts to feed and house the hungry and homeless and her advocacy against human trafficking.

And, of course, she's Henderson's first Black mayor, an important fact given February is Black History Month.

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