Board of Aldermen to hold a day-long retreat at a non-city-owned building.
City of New Bern aldermen will discuss the city charter, electric utility items, general obligation bond projects, land use ordinance, so-called ARPA projects and several other things during a non-televised meeting “off-site” in New Bern, NC on Jan. 7, 2026.
Hours after the polls closed in early November 2025, Mayor Jeffrey Odham sent an email to the city clerk that said, “Would love to have this event (Board of Aldermen Retreat) off site, away from city hall.” He also copied the city manager on the email.
In another email to the clerk and manager he said, “Now that we know the makeup of the new board, I believe it’s imperative we schedule a retreat as soon as possible, but once staff is ready. Foster (Hughes)… can you let Brenda (Blanco) know when that time would be so she can poll the new board members to find a date and time that works for all?”
The clerk replied, “In the likely event I’m asked, what will be the topics at the retreat? Review of the bond projects, overview of the upcoming budget, etc.? An all-day event? Is there still a need to have an orientation session, or will the logistical things that are covered at the orientation be covered at the retreat?”
The city manager told the aldermen on Nov. 12 that they would be polled about their availability for their retreat in January. The next day, the city clerk told alderman Trey Ferguson, Bobby Aster, Barbara Best, Dana Outlaw; Sharon Bryant and Lainy White; and Mayor Jeffey Odham in an email that an all-day retreat was being considered for Jan. 6, 7 and 8 and asked which dates worked best for them.
The runoff election results for the mayor and Ward 4 alderman became official on Nov. 14.
On Nov. 17, the city clerk wrote in an email to the newly elected officials that the retreat would be held on Jan. 7, 2026, and noted potential agenda items included: Bond, Electric infrastructure & rates, Budge process, Charter changes, Rules of Procedure, Goals & objectives for your term, Special projects and Advisory board review & discussion.
On Nov. 18, NewBernNow.com asked the city for a copy of the 2026 BOA meeting schedule, which showed one meeting a month with the exception of two meetings in April and a work session in May.
The schedule on the city’s website said the meeting would be held at the Stanley A. White Recreation Center.
After the new aldermen were seated on Dec. 9, the mayor asked to board to consider a motion for the Board of Aldermen’s retreat to be held on Jan. 7 at the New Bern Area of Chamber of Commerce. In the middle of a voice vote, Alderman Outlaw interjected and asked the city manager questions about the retreat. Once they were answered, the meeting was adjourned.
When the aldermen’s retreat agenda was published on Dec. 31, we asked the aldermen, city manager and mayor who determined that the regular aldermen meetings will be once a month. Public Information Officer Colleen Roberts responded, “This item was considered & approved during the October 28th meeting.” The statement doesn’t match what Rick Prill — the former Ward 1 alderman — told said, as reported here.
We also noted that “the (city’s) website says the location is the Stanley A. White Recreation Center, but the agenda says it’s at the Chamber of Commerce.”
The public information officer responded, “The website has been corrected to reflect the appropriate meeting location.”
We asked, “Why would you hold the meeting at the chamber after spending over $4 million on an elevator and invested into an A/V system at City Hall to give citizens better access to meetings?”
“The Chamber of Commerce was selected as a neutral, off-site location to allow the Board & staff to step away from their regular meeting environment & focus on long-range planning & discussion. You’ll recall past strategic, budgetary & planning meetings have been held off-site at Stanley White Recreation Center (2024) and Pleasant Hill Community Center (2023),” Colleen Roberts said.
We also asked if the meeting would be livestreamed.
“No, the meeting will not be livestreamed. It will be recorded & broadcast later on City 3 TV. It will also be available on the City’s Roku channel, YouTube channel, and on the City website. The public is welcome to attend the meeting in-person at the Chamber,” Roberts said.
Barbara Best told the city manager in an email that she wasn’t asked or advised to be part of a poll asking for where the location of the retreat would be held. She said she wasn’t in favor of holding it at the chamber due to the parking location and it not being live streamed. “City Hall is more accessible for our citizens and especially our senior citizens, and provides all the needs for our citizens,” she said.
The situation was reminiscent of the 2022-2025 Board of Aldermen’s retreat on Nov. 3, 2022. The first-time mayor Jeffrey Odham said, “We’re not required to televise it (the meeting).”
Bobby Aster said, “Yeah, but if we don’t, you know what we’ll hear.”
“Then we’re going to hear that we’re operating with a lack of transparency…,” Odham said.
It’s also noteworthy to mention that Stanley A. Recreation Center and Pleasant Hill Community Center are city-owned buildings and the Chamber of Commerce is not.
The 2022-2025 Board of Aldermen held their retreat three months after they took office. The newly elected aldermen took office on Dec. 9 and faced with an agenda that includes discussion on General, MSD, ARPA, grant and General Obligation Bonds; Budget Process; Board’s Goals and Objectives; Local Bills; Governing Board Rules of Procedure; Re-New Bern Land Use Ordinance Update; Choice Neighborhood Initiative Grant Update; Economic Development; Special Bond Projects; City-Sponsored Events; Advisory Committees; Electric Utilities: Infrastructure, Rates and Pay-As-You Go Program and other things during their first full meeting on Jan. which will be held “away from city hall” and not televised or livestreamed.
This will be the first time in recent history that the aldermen will not hold two regular meetings in January, according to the 2026 BOA meeting schedule. It’s unclear how that decision was made, as reported here.
Editor’s note: Who benefits from newly elected city officials holding a non-televised/livestreamed public meeting at a non-city-owned building?
Correction: The article was updated to reflect the Jan. 7 meeting is an all-day retreat, not organizational meeting.
Most meeting videos are available on 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.