Aldermen approve sale of city-owned properties; closing a street for a Redevelopment Commission project; rezoning; property lease; allocating Municipal Service District funds for the inner core parking lot project; and more.
The New Bern Board of Aldermen covered several topics during their regular meeting on Nov. 12, 2025 at City Hall in New Bern, NC.
The aldermen approved a motion to appoint Trey Ferguson to fill the vacant Ward 1 alderman seat after Rick Prill resigned, as reported here. Hazel Royal (Ward 2), “Bobby” Aster (Ward 3), Barbara Best (Ward 5) and Dana Outlaw (Ward 6) voted yes. Alderman Johnnie Ray Kinsey (Ward 4) was absent. Mayor Jeffrey Odham (of Ward 6) also voted yes. Alderman Ferguson was sworn in and seated.
Petition of Citizens
A citizen questioned the legitimacy of a requirement to obtain an arborist report prior to receiving a tree removal permit. She said it appeared that Historic Preservation Commission rules have been interpreted differently over the past 30 years and asked the board if there were other unwritten rules that the public would benefit from knowing. She asked how the city knows if rules are being exercised fairly and if citizens were getting their due process if they aren’t written down.
She talked about the method of removing paint from historic houses with the use of hand tools. She said she had to spend tens of thousands of dollars and years of delay to meet the city’s demands. “It would have been so helpful if she was one of the lucky ones that the unwritten rules applied to,” she said.
She said, “Stop operating in the dark. Hold yourselves accountable. And pro tip — don’t ask the person that broke it to fix it. That’s the same thing as asking the arsonist to look into the fire.”
Consent Agenda
The aldermen approved the consent agenda. The mayor also voted yes. The items included initiating the upset bid for 1428 Lincoln St. Ebonie Taylor-Dixon and Gerard Dixon submitted a $4,250 bid for the purchase of the vacant 0.114-acre parcel, which was acquired by the county and city through tax foreclosure in 2015.
The consent agenda also included calling for public hearings on Nov. 25 regarding Two Farms, Inc.’s request to rezone 18.092 acres at 3610 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. from Industrial I-1 to Commercial C-3; New Vision Ministries’ request to rezone 2.53 acres at 1506 S. Glenburnie Rd. from Residential R-6 to Commercial C-3; and PB&J Property Group LLC’s request to rezone a 0.52-acre at 3328 Neuse Blvd. from Commercial C-4 to Commercial C-3 district; and DGT Ventures, LLC’s request to establish a Commercial C-3 zoning district for 10.68 acres at 4301 US Hwy 70.
The aldermen also voted 5-0 to approve the draft minutes from the Oct. 28 meeting. The mayor also voted for the motion.
Closure of the E Street terminus
The city manager said the Redevelopment Commission made a request to close the E Street terminus to help facilitate the commission’s West A Street project.
A resident asked for clarification of the area of the street closure and the city manager referred to a map on the monitor. The map can be found on page 34 of the meeting packet.
The aldermen approved a motion to adopt an ordinance to close the terminus of E Street. The mayor also voted for the motion.
Information in the meeting packet says the street closure will help the commission with their plan to consolidate three adjacent parcels for “a more developable site” at the West A Street project and prepare the land for housing. The property is adjacent to Greenwood Cemetery.
Rezoning
On Sept. 18, the New Bern Planning and Zoning Board determined H & M Real Estate, LLC’s request to rezone the property from Industrial I-1 to R-10S was consistent with the land use plan and recommended that the Board of Aldermen approve the rezoning with Danielle Peoples (Ward 2 seat), Kip Peregoy (Ward 3 seat), Thomas Brownell (Ward 4 seat), Kellie Kiser (Ward 6 seat), Brad Jefferson (mayor seat — Ward 6) and Marshall Ballard (Craven County ETJ seat) voted for a motion to recommend the yes. The Ward 1 and Ward 5 board seats were vacant.
The aldermen approved an ordinance to rezone two parcels at 207 S. Glenburnie Rd. from Industrial I-1 to Residential R-10S after the director of Development Services director said the rezoning was consistent with the land use plan and it was determined to be reasonable and in the public interest. The mayor also voted for the rezoning.
City-owned property lease
The Board of Aldermen approved an agreement to lease city-owned property at 408 Hancock Street for $1 a year for five years to the We Can Be Association City for a children’s museum and related activities, as previously reported here. The mayor also voted for the lease.
Sale of city-owned properties
Lenwood Daniels submitted a $3,785 bid for the purchase of a vacant 2.06-acre parcel at the corner of North Bern and Dunn Streets – the former site of the Mary White Park. The parcel was removed from the park system in March 2025 and declared surplus property.
Hassell, LLC submitted a $3,825 bid for the purchase of a vacant 0.061-acre parcel with a tax value of $7,650 at 804 West Street. The property was acquired by the city and county in May 2015 through tax foreclosure. If sold for the bid, the county would receive $2,398 and the city will receive $1,426 from the proceeds.
The RL Seven Group submitted a $3,000 bid for the purchase of a vacant 0.109-acre parcel at 809 Green Street. The property was acquired by the city and county through tax foreclosure in 2019 and the tax value was $6,000. If sold, the county will receive $2,413 and the city will receive $586 from the proceeds.
PhuongLien Do and Terrence Lubsen submitted a $ 3,000 bid for the purchase of a vacant 0.127-acre parcel at 819 Miller Street. The tax value was $6,000. It was acquired by the county and city in September 2017 through tax foreclosure. If sold, the county will receive $2,758 and the city will receive $241.
The aldermen approved a motion to approve resolutions approving the sale of the properties. The mayor also voted for the motion.
Renaming of city-owned street
Foster Hughes said the city received a request to rename Trent Street to Luke Martin Drive. He said Luke Martin was the lead brick mason in the restoration of Tryon Palace and was a teacher in Pamlico County. Alderman Royal added that he was the son of a Civil War Union Soldier and an ex-slave. She said, “His father was enslaved at a plantation near Plymouth, North Carolina, but escaped and became a member of the first NC Colored Volunteers which was later called the 35th US Colored Troops.” She said he has been honored with a historical marker in 2013, and the county commissioners named Sept. 18, 2014 after him. He died at the age of 97 in 2015.
The aldermen approved a motion to adopt a resolution to rename Trent Street to Luke Martin Drive. The mayor also voted for the motion.
Municipal Service District Fund
The aldermen approved a motion to authorize an estimated $860,000 of Municipal Service District funds to be used to renovate the city’s parking lot, commonly known as the inner core parking lot off Craven Street; sidewalk improvements along the 200 block of Pollock Street; and purchase banners and support events for the NC Main Street Conference.
General Obligation Bonds
In May 2024, Mayor Odham suggested having a bond referendum on the ballot to complete projects. Over the next several months, the aldermen talked about issuing municipal general obligation bonds to finance various projects like a fire station, stormwater projects, streets and sidewalks improvements, and parks and recreation projects. At one point it was estimated there would be a 5 percent increase in taxes to cover the costs of miscellaneous projects.
The Board of Aldermen held a special meeting on the bond referendum on May 15, 2025, and called it a “town hall,” according to meeting minutes. The minutes noted that the assistant city manager sat in for the city clerk.
This was unlike regular Board of Aldermen meetings that we’ve covered over the years. Foster Hughes ran the meeting and directed staff to present potential bond projects and field questions from the community while the aldermen and mayor sat in the audience. The roll was not called. Aldermen Aster and Kinsey were not present. The city manager introduced the mayor first and said the mayor was an alderman, which is not the case. He introduced the aldermen, presented an agenda and a microphone was passed around the room, but it didn’t work at times due to “technical difficulties.”
In June 2025, the director of Finance estimated the ad valorem tax (property taxes) would increase by $0.0275 per $100 of assessed valuation to pay back 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 for 20 years, as reported here. The amount of interest on the $24 million bonds was estimated at $13.4 million.
In July, before voting on a motion to consider adopting a resolution calling for a bond referendum for three bond orders that didn’t include specific projects, Alderman Best said she wasn’t opposed to the bond referendum, but she didn’t approve of some of the wants that were being proposed for the Parks and Recreation projects. She also said Public Works had funding for streets and sidewalks. The aldermen voted 4-1 to approve general bond orders for streets and sidewalks, parks and recreation, and stormwater improvement projects. Alderman Prill, Royal, Aster, Kinsey voted yes. Best voted no. The ward 6 alderman seat was vacant. The mayor also voted with moving forward.
City staff also hosted several meetings to promote “potential” projects leading up to the election.
A bond referendum was put on the ballot for the October 2025 General Election.
Twenty-five percent of the city’s 25,128 registered voters cast 6,311 ballots in the election with 4,145 voting for the Street and Sidewalk Bonds Referendum and 1,810 voted against it; 3,912 voted for the Parks and Recreation Bonds Referendum and 2,039 voted against it; and 4,590 voted for Stormwater Bonds Referendum and 1,483 voted against it, according to the official election results.
On Nov. 12, the aldermen approved a motion to adopt a resolution certifying and approving the bond referendum results. The mayor also voted for the motion.
The board also approved a motion to establish capital project ordinances to establish the Street and Sidewalk Improvement Project Fund, the Parks and Recreation Project Fund and the Stormwater Project Fund. The mayor also voted for the motion.
The aldermen approved a motion to adopt a resolution approving a declaration of intent to reimburse expenditures for the $10 million Street and Sidewalk Improvement bonds, $8 million Parks and Recreation Bonds and $6 million Stormwater Bonds. The city’s Accounting manager said the ordinances “authorize temporary advances from city funds to cover project expenditures incurred prior to the issuance of bonds. These advances will be reimbursed once bond proceeds are received.” The mayor also voted for the motion.
City of New Bern Electric Utility
The Board of Aldermen adopted a resolution that amended the 2019 Electric Improvements Project Fund to recognize estimated expenses and reimbursement of $166,548 that will be used to relocate city owned electric lines that conflict with the North Carolina Department of Transportation roadway improvements in Havelock, as reported here. The mayor also voted to adopt the resolution.
Budget amendments
The aldermen approved a budget ordinance amendment that recognized a $1,000 donation from Martin Marietta to the Fire Department. It also amended the MSD Fund to appropriate $860,000 for the aforementioned projects. The mayor also voted for the amendments.
Appointments
The board approved Alderman Ferguson’s motions to reappoint Mollie Bales to the Historic Preservation Commission and appoint George Oliver to the Board of Adjustment. The mayor also voted for the motions.
New business
Alderman Outlaw asked when the board was going to talk about holding a retreat.
City Manager Hughes said, “So, you’re going to be pulled about potential dates for the retreat. We want to have that within the first two weeks of January.”
Closed session
The aldermen went into closed session to discuss potential economic develop development incentives.
Related news
The Board of Aldermen will hold a retreat on Jan. 7 at 8:30 a.m. at the Stanley A. White Recreation Center located at 601 Third Ave. in New Bern, NC. The board will hold a regular meeting on Jan. 13 at 6 p.m. in the second-floor courtroom at City Hall, according to the city’s website. The meeting agenda and packet can be found here.
Meeting videos are available City 3 TV, the city’s Facebook page and the city’s YouTube channel.
By Wendy Card, editor. Send an email with questions or comments.