New Bern Board of Aldermen to consider approving a declaration of intent to finance $31 million in revenue bond debt to build a new substation on the south side of the city and update infrastructure at the Glenburnie Substation.
City of New Bern elected officials will hold public hearings and consider authorizing the city manager to execute engineering and easement clearing service agreements for substations, rezoning property, selling city-owned property, creating a new no-wake zone, authorizing a Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant application with a dollar-for-dollar match, Municipal Service District projects, closing streets for events, and several other items on Sept. 8, 2026, according to the meeting packet.
The regular meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in the second-floor courtroom at City Hall, 300 Pollock Street in New Bern, NC.
Requests and Petition of Citizens
Members of the public can sign up to speak for 4 minutes at the beginning of the meeting or prior to the end of the meeting. The sign-up sheet asks whether or not you live in the city.
One vote without discussion
The board will bundle several items on a consent agenda, including setting a public hearing on Oct. 13 to consider updates to the electric rate ordinance and vote on it without a discussion. The 5-year Electric Capital Plan was estimated to cost $98.8 million in June, which excludes the annual operating capital which averages over $3.3 million per year. A few aldermen have been meeting as a working group to discuss the city’s wholesale power contract with the North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency, as reported here.
New substation on the south side
The city has discussed plans to construct a new substation on the south side of New Bern for several years. In June, they talked about potentially taking over Duke Energy Progress’s distribution line from Catfish Lake Road through part of the Croatan National Forest into Hunters Ridge and Perrytown, but the mayor cut the conversation short. He said, “Maybe this is just me, but I don’t really want to have this conversation in the open. This is about a contract negotiation with a vendor. This should not be done in the open. I mean, we’re talking about negotiating millions of dollars, and I’m not at a point where I’m going to say anything else about it. I’m not saying I’m not interested or I am interested, but I just think that we need to discuss this in a closed session.”
Engineering services and easement clearing costs
The board will consider authorizing City Manager Foster Hughes to execute an engineering and ancillary services agreement in support of the Southeast System Capacity Improvement project which is estimated to cost $1,451,967 and engineering services in support of replacing transformers at the Glenburnie Substation estimated at $859,265.
Revenue bonds for substations
New Bern intends to finance the engineering and ancillary services ($2,277,396), and the remaining construction costs associated with the projects with proceeds from municipal revenue bonds. The BOA will consider authorizing the declaration of intent that “identifies a maximum principal amount of $31 million of debt to be issued to finance the projects and provides for reimbursement of eligible expenditures incurred prior to the issuance of the debt.” The resolution would authorize the mayor to sign the DOI on behalf of the city.
New streetlight
The board will consider a request for streetlight on Johnson Street.
NCDOT project costs
They will also consider approving an ordinance to amend the 2019 Electric Improvements Project Fund to recognize a $3,596,739 change order to the US 70 Thurman/Havelock Bypass agreement to relocate city-owned electric utilities in connection with NCDOT roadway improvement project. The ordinance will also rename the Electric Improvements Project Fund to reflect its purpose,” according to the meeting packet.
2021 Electric System Capacity Improvement Project Fund
The board will consider amending the 2021 Electric System Capacity Improvement Project Fund. A breakdown of costs includes $1,178,138 for engineering services for the new Southeast Substation; $400,000 for partial easement clearing for the new Southeast Substation; and $699,258 for engineering services for the replacement of the Glenburnie Substation transformers, according to the packet.
If approved, the ordinance will also “rename the fund Electric System Capacity Improvement Project Fund to more accurately reflect its ongoing purpose.”
The 2021 Electric System Capacity Improvement Fund was created in May 2021 “for the development of additional electric system capacity to support current loads” and anticipated growth in the region.
Rezoning property
The board will hold a public hearing on each of the following rezoning applications:
-922 Pollock Street from C-5A Commercial to C-4 Commercial.
-Three parcels on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard from R-15 to C-3 Commercial (Craven County tax ID 9-206-001, 8-206-3001, and 8-206-3002).
-1822 S. Glenburnie Road (Parcel ID 8-208-060) from R-6 Residential and C-4 Commercial to only C-4.
No-Wake Zone
The BOA will consider holding a public hearing on its “intention to make formal application to the Wildlife Resources Commission for special rules and regulations with reference to the safe and reasonable operation of vessels on a section of Brices Creek within the territorial limits of the City of New Bern,” according to proposed resolution. “To establish a “No Wake Zone” to ensure the safe and reasonable operation of vessels along a portion of Brices Creek identified as follows: Beginning at a point on the eastern side of Brices Creek, said point being the southwesternmost corner of the real property owned by Stillwater Harbour Yacht Owners Association (PID No. 7-103-A-OOG)… and running thence from said point of beginning in a eastwardly direction along and with the southern line of such property approximately 180 feet to a point, being the southeasternmost corner of said property.”
Grant application with dollar-for-dollar match
The board will consider a request from city staff “to submit a grant application to the Land and Water Conservation Fund for continued development of Martin Marietta Park. The application will seek $750, 000. If awarded, a dollar-for-dollar match from the city will be required.
Vehicles for Hire ordinance
The BOA will consider adopting an Ordinance to amend Chapter 82 “Vehicles for Hire,” which will remove taxis and limos and add “provisions for pedicabs, horsedrawn carriages, and commercial pedal vehicles for hire. The amendment also addresses the permit process, responsibilities of operators, and penalties for violation,” according to the meeting packet.
Municipal Service District Fund
The Municipal Service District Advisory Committee recommended that the board spend $122,500 of MSD funds on additional armrests for downtown benches ($3,000), Riverwalk fencing ($92,000), Union Point Park sidewalk addition ($17,500), and $10,000 for an extra duty MSD sponsored police detail, as reported here. The agenda says, “Aldermen Aster is also allocating $17, 500 from Ward 3 ARPA-enabled funds.” In case you missed it, the city spent the American Rescue Plan Act funds on public safety salaries a few years ago, so the money is coming out of the city’s General Fund, as reported here.
More agenda items and meeting materials can be found on the city’s website here.
Parking
In case you haven’t heard, the intersection of Middle and Pollock Street is closed for construction, as reported here. It’s free to park on most streets in the downtown area. It costs $1 per hour plus a 45-cent transaction fee to park in the Pollock/Craven Street Parking Lot across from City Hall using a mobile app by scanning the QR code or calling/texting a number. More information about parking can be found on the city’s website.
Related news
The aldermen meeting schedule can be found here.
By Wendy Card, editor. Send an email with questions or comments.