Several topics to be discussed Tuesday during back-to-back meetings at New Bern’s City Hall.
The Board of Aldermen will consider several issues on June 10, 2025, including changing the electric rates, closing streets for events, authorizing orders for general obligation bonds, allowing projects to move forward in the Municipal Service District, approving a memorandum of understanding with the Drug Enforcement Agency, holding public hearings on changes to the land use ordinance and discuss other topics.
A work session on electric rates will be held at 4:30 p.m. and the regular meeting will begin at 6 p.m. on the second floor of New Bern City Hall at 300 Pollock St.
The following items are included on the agenda. The full meeting packet is available here.
Members of the public will have an opportunity to share their thoughts during Petition of Citizens.
The Board of Aldermen will consider approving the Consent Agenda that includes closing public streets for July 4 events, the Trail to Tryon race and Mumfest and calling for public hearings on the Community Development Block Grant Annual Action Plan for Fiscal Year 2025 and amending the Electric Rate Schedule to reflect a 3% increase in rates and removing the power cost adjustment on July 8.
Changes to New Bern’s land use regulation
The Board of Aldermen will consider changes to the Land Use Ordinance that includes a proposed text amendment that increases the number of lots that can be created out of one tract using the minor subdivision plat approval process from four to six lots. The meeting packet says the change, “Allows smaller scale development to occur without the burden of the longer review processes that major subdivisions are required to go through.”
Currently, the director of Planning and Inspections has the authority to approve minor subdivisions.
In May, the BOA authorized text changes to the ordinance that removed the Planning and Zoning Board from the major subdivision approval process and gave approval authority to the director of Development Services or their designee, as reported here. This eliminating the requirement to advertise a notice in the newspaper about a public meeting related to planned unit developments. The decision-making process is no longer public.
Other changes to the LUO include allowing “mobile food vendors as a temporary use in residential districts” and removes registration and separation requirements for short-term rentals because it’s inconsistent with case law.
Will bond referendum questions be added to the 2025 ballot?
The Board of Aldermen will consider adopting three general obligations bond orders, which authorizes the filing of disclosures and statements and calling for a public hearing on July 8. If the orders are approved, the voters will be asked on the ballot for the 2025 election if they support issuing $24 million in debt for bond projects that will be paid by property owners. It’s proposed that a ten-million-dollar bond be issued for Street and Sidewalk Improvements, an $8 million bond for Parks and Recreation and a $6 million bond for Stormwater. The board has discussed a number of projects over the last several months but there’s nothing in the orders that identify any specific projects. The city manager told NewBernNow.com that the funds must be used to pay for street and sidewalk improvements, parks and recreation and stormwater projects.
The director of Finance estimates that the property taxes to increase by $0.0275 per $100 of assessed valuation to pay for the bonds based on a 5.344% interest rate and an assumed growth in the property tax base of 1% in the FY ending June 30, 2027, and each year thereafter.
Proposed projects in the Municipal Service District
The Board of Aldermen will consider adopting a resolution authorizing the Municipal Service District Advisory Committee to move forward with adding two digital kiosks to the entrances of Bear Plaza and the Craven Street parking lot, paving parking at the Riverwalk pier, constructing eight brick crosswalks, adding center armrests for all downtown benches, an additional of 16 4-foot benches and eight trashcans within the district. The estimated costs for all projects is $1,155,000 and will come out of MSD funds.
They will also hear a presentation by New Bern Underground Railroad Coalition and consider approving a resolution for a Memorandum of Understanding with the Drug Enforcement Administration, approving a resolution authorizing submission of a grant application for the 2025 Bureau of Justice Assistance Bulletproof Vest program, approving an ordinance to demolish 1014 Grace Street and adopting the final Budget Ordinance Amendment for FY2025.
About the New Bern governing body
There’s a common misconception that New Bern has a mayor-manager form of government — that’s not true. The city has a council-manager form of government, according to the charter.
New Bern’s city council, locally known as the Board of Alderman, is comprised of six alderman who are elected by citizens to represent each ward. Members include Aldermen Rick Prill of Ward 1, Hazel Royal of Ward 2, Robert “Bobby” Aster of Ward 3, Johnnie Ray Kinsey of Ward 4, Barbara Best of Ward 5. The Ward 6 seat has been vacant since July 31, 2024 as previously reported here.
The Board of Aldermen acts as the legislative body and approves the city budget, sets taxes and fees and makes decisions as a whole and directs the city manager to execute them.
City Manager Foster Hughes is the chief administrator who manages the day-to-day operations. He was appointed in September 2021 on a contract basis.
Mayor Jeffrey Odham is elected at large to facilitate Board of Aldermen meetings and represent the city as the ceremonial head at events, like ribbon cuttings. He also appoints members to the housing authority board. The Board of Aldermen appoints a mayor pro tem each year to act as the mayor if he is absent or incapacitated. Rick Prill is the mayor pro tem.
City Attorney Scott Davis has told the Board of Aldermen and mayor that, “The mayor is the chairman of the meeting and is not to engage in robust discussion. If the mayor engages in an issue, the mayor is to turn the gavel over to the mayor pro tem.”
The board has rules of procedures that are designed so everyone has the same set of rules similar to a sports playbook. Decisions are made through the process of a motion, debated and voted on. Decisions can be challenged and could be overturned.
Candidate filing period approaching for October 2025 election
The City of New Bern has a nonpartisan election and runoff method for the mayor and six members of the Board of Aldermen. The election is scheduled for Oct. 7, 2025, according to the Craven County Board of Elections website here.
The candidate filing period for six aldermen and mayor races is set to begin on July 7, 2025, and last through July 18 at the Board of Elections office at 406 Craven Street.
If a candidate doesn’t receive 50% plus one of the votes, the race can be contested and a runoff between the top two candidates will be held in November.
Meeting minutes and agendas can be found here. Meeting videos can be found on the city’s Facebook page, City 3 TV and YouTube channel.
Other news:
The City of New Bern has been working with consultants from CodeWright Planners to re-write the Land Use Ordinance, which regulates how landowners can use their land since 2023. Learn more about the project on the Re-New Bern website.
By Wendy Card, editor. Send an email with questions or comments.