New Bern Board of Aldermen approve the annexation of property into the city; 3-cent increase in the ad valorem tax rate; water and sewer use agreement; 2% increase in the cost-of-living-allowance; the purchase vehicles, equipment, and building improvements; and more.
The board of aldermen met at City Hall on May 12, 2026 at 6 p.m. in New Bern, NC. The meeting agenda and packet can be found here.
Requests and petition of citizens
The board of aldermen received requests and petition of citizens and the mayor told one person that he couldn’t speak because the topic wasn’t related to the agenda, as reported here.
Consent agenda
Over a dozen consent agenda items like the sale of city-owned properties, recombining Dept. of Public Utilities property, and other things were approved with one vote without discussion, as reported here.
Community Development Block Grant Annual Action Plan
Development Services Director Jessica Rhue presented four proposed projects and expenditures for the Community Development Block Grant Annual Action Plan including $48,063 in administrative costs for things like the in-house roofing project and it helps pay the CDBG Coordinator Fulmore’s salary; $127,251 to reconstruct streets and sidewalks in low-to-moderate income locations; $40,000 to finance owner-occupied roof replacement activities; and $25,000 will be used to provide utility assistance to low-income households that will be run by the Abundant Life group. She said the amount of money they received this year is $20,000 less than last year.
The board of aldermen continued holding the public hearing that was opened during a meeting in April. When asked who does the roofing and HVAC contracts and the CDBG coordinator said they receive three bids from a list of contractors and choose the lowest bidder.
Water and sewer use agreement
The aldermen unanimously approved a water and sewer use agreement for Craven County parcel ID: 7-037-017 and 7-034-025 at 4095 US 70 Hwy for commercial development. The average daily water and sewer demand is anticipated to be 5,150 gallons and service can be provided with an extension that will be installed by the developer. The mayor also voted for the motion.
Annexation of property into the city of New Bern
They also held a public hearing on the annexation of the two parcels at 4095 US 70 Hwy near Carolina Colours and across the highway from Madeline Farm and no one spoke. The aldermen unanimously approved the annexation of the properties. The mayor also voted for the motion.
New street lighting
The mayor bundled two resolutions into one vote and approved the addition of a streetlight at 1800 Peppercorn Ct. at an estimated cost of $4,373 plus a monthly $28 utility charge for service and a streetlight at the intersection of Pinehurst Drive and Carmel Lane at an estimated cost of $4,373 plus a monthly $28 for service.
Department of Public Utilities Director Charles “Charlie” Bauschard said the utility evaluated the request and concluded there is sufficient lighting. The Police Department then evaluated the request, and they recommended a light be installed there for the purpose of public safety.
The board approved the addition of both streetlights. The mayor also voted for the motion.
City streets
E Street was renamed Leroy Way Jr. Avenue, as reported here.
One resolution and two ordinances were bundled together and the board approved a motion to accept the ownership and maintenance of certain streets in Blue Water Rise including “a portion of Bluewater Boulevard, Kingfish Way, Bluefish Place, a portion of Sharpnose Street, Marlin Boulevard, Cobia Court, Barracuda Boulevard, Tuppy Lane, Flounder Run, Perch Place, Spot Circle, Snapper Street, a portion of Grouper Run, Mackerel Manor, Red Drum Way, a portion of Tarpon Trail, Sailfish Street, and Blackfin Boulevard,” add the streets to the list of stop intersections and establish speed limits for the streets, and amend the schedule of speed limits to add the streets in Blue Water Rise.
The BOA approved a motion to change Chapter 70 “Traffic and Vehicles” of the city’s ordinance.
Electric Services Board
The board approved a motion to remove the Electric Services Board that hasn’t been active since 2012, according to city officials. Alderman Trey Ferguson and Dana Outlaw mentioned their Electric Utility ad hoc committee but didn’t give any details of what the committee has been talking about for the last few months.
Water and Sewer Resources
Director of Water Resources Jordan Hughes recommended that the board adopt an ordinance that restates the Schedule of System Development and Connection Fees for Water and Sewer Customers which “will allow the city to recover the actual cost of the work for larger, more complex, or site-specific installations while retaining published fixed fees for standard service connections,” according to the meeting packet.
Director Hughes said, “If somebody come came in and needed a very large connection, an industrial customer needs a 12-in meter and a 12-in sewer line connection, we don’t have everything published out all the way in for those very large specialty sizes. So, we’ve always had some verbiage in there. If somebody comes in and requests a very large connection, it, you know, we kind of we can go back and take a look at what that would actually cost and then present them a true cost to make that connection. What we’re really doing with the cost plus 10% on these other ones is giving us the same ability for places where we’re doing deep excavation to make sewer connections or places where we’re making roadway boards and we’re having to bring in specialty contractors.”
The aldermen unanimously approved the changes. The mayor also voted for the motion.
Public docks
The BOA also approved changes to the city’s Waterways ordinance “to address the mooring and operation of commercial and working vessels at city-owned launching ramps and docking facilities.” It says overnight mooring is prohibited at all public docks unless it’s included as part of a public assembly permit. The ordinance also notes “Commercial and working vessels, specifically including commercial fishing vessels, may not moor or otherwise use the public docking facilities at all. Portions of public docks may be licensed to owners of commercial tourist vessels or water taxis under such terms and conditions as may be established from time to time” by the aldermen. Parks and Recreation Director Kari Greene-Warren proposed offering a $500 annual fee to allow commercial vessels to use the docking facilities for loading and unloading.
Cost-of-living-allowance and new positions
Human Resources Director Sonya Hayes recommended changes to the Classification Pay Plan that included a 2% cost-of-living-adjustment and “eight title changes all in Water Resources, one new position title in Water Resources, two position titles that are going to be used just for career development purposes in Water Resources, and one new position title in Finance.” The aldermen unanimously approved the changes. The mayor also voted for the motion.
Schedule of Fees
The board of aldermen approved changes to the Schedule of Fees which included a 5-cent increase in residential refuse service per month; an increase in the cost of renting the Union Point Gazebo and charges to rent James Reed Lane and the horseshoe area at Union Point Park; personal fitness training fees; and among other things.
Outlaw noted the cost of diesel fuel has increased 40% or 50%.
Aldermen Trey Ferguson (Ward 1), Sharon Bryant (Ward 2), Bobby Aster (Ward 3), Lainy White (Ward 4), Barbara Best (Ward 5) and Dana Outlaw (Ward 6) voted to approve the Budget Ordinance for Fiscal Year 2026-2027 that includes a 3-cent increase in the ad valorem tax rate from $0.3900 per $100 of valuation to $0.4100 per $100 of valuation. Mayor Jeffrey Odham (of Ward 6) voted against the motion.
Purchase of vehicles, equipment and building improvements
The aldermen approved a declaration of intent that includes $2,785,639 to purchase vehicles, equipment, and building improvements from the General Fund and $280,000 from the Solid Waste Fund. The mayor also voted for the motion.
Multi-Year Grants Fund
The board approved a change to the Multi-Year Grants Fund to recognize a $6,500 grant from the NC Amateur Sports Youth Sports Grant Fund.
City manager’s report
City Manager Foster Hughes talked about the construction projects and announced some events.
New Business
Trey Ferguson said the state highway commission for highway markers is putting together a plaque for Gertrude Carroway on Broad Street and asked if anyone was opposed.
He also said he received a letter from RCS (Religious Community Services) that he circulated to “you all” and “about the need for utility assistance and as we uh enter into the warmer months, I think that’s going to become even more necessary. Typically, they’ve gone through a process with funding through CDBG funds. That didn’t happen. That’s likely not going to happen this year uh for a variety of reasons, but I would ask this board if they would support allocating $7,000 from that special appropriation community development fund to the utility assistance program which is administered by RCS. And so that would be my motion.”
Bobby Aster asked if it was in addition to the $25,000 from the CDBG funds that were presented for utility assistance?
Ferguson said he understood it was proposed that CDBG funds would be through Abundant Life Community Services.
Jeffrey Odham said it was General Fund money going to support electric utility customers and asked, “Is there an issue with customers outside of the city limits receiving any of this funding?”
City Attorney M. Scott Davis said that was a good question and he didn’t know but he would be happy to look into it.
Alderman Ferguson said, “It’s my understanding that if it goes into our utility assistance program that is through the electric utility and then administered by the voucher program that any customer would be eligible based on how our current program is structured.”
Best asked if there were any rules or regulations that you can’t do because it’s through Electric?
Outlaw said he wasn’t aware of benevolent items that the RCS does being limited to the city’s residents. He also asked what happens if they are a Duke (Energy Progress) customer within the city of New Bern?
Ferguson said he understood the city’s utility assistance program was administered by RCS giving them a voucher that only the city of New Bern Electric Utility honors. “And so, it is essentially a voucher that pays part of their bill or some of their arrears to avoid shut off.”
The mayor called a voice vote and said the motion carried.
Sharon Bryant talked about graduations and the upcoming Juneteenth event.
Bobby Aster told the city manager that he received phone calls, and he was a member of a Facebook page and said people were plundering around in yards and ringing doorbells in a certain area of his ward. “I would like to see if we could get some little extra control going on out there at nighttime,” he said.
The city manager said, “Yes sir.”
Aster also said one of their regulars who fish on the fishing pier called him and said, “Call the police, there’s people fishing from the sidewalk and I said ‘Yeah, right. You know, I’m not calling police or something like that,’ but is there signage down there saying”
Foster Hughes said, “There is and we’ll make sure that we start patrolling that again just to remind folks that we built that pier for a reason and not to fish on the (inaudible).”
Dana Outlaw said there’s signage and kids are riding bikes on the pier.
Barbara Best asked when the city was going to start cutting grass because she had received complaints.
Public Works Director George Chiles said they are mowing now.
Outlaw asked when the board could meet with the city of New Bern Redevelopment Commission. After a discussion Odham said, “So, if the majority is in favor of one day, I’ll ask the clerk if she would recirculate the available dates to everyone um to see if we can land on one date that would work for everybody” and asked if anyone was opposed to that.
Requests and petition of citizens
Two people spoke during requests and petition of citizens, as reported here, and the city clerk told the two other people who signed up to speak that they couldn’t speak because they didn’t sign up before the meeting started.
The mayor called for a motion to adjourn, and the editor said we signed up to speak.
After a brief discussion, Aldermen Aster and Bryant withdrew their motion to adjourn and Alderman Ferguson said, “I make a motion to suspend our rules of procedure to allow the two public comment forms that have been submitted to be heard during this second Petition of Citizens under the 4-minute requirement under our rule” and the board voted to approve the motion, as reported here
The editor said the city attorney told the board of aldermen in January that they would receive a draft of the policy of changes to the requests and petition of citizens. If that is approved, the public comment period for non-agenda items would be moved to the end of the meeting. We asked the board of aldermen if that ever happened and have not received a response by press time.
Related news
The New Bern Board of Aldermen will hold a special meeting on June 9 at 4 p.m. with the Redevelopment Commission followed by their regular meeting at 6 p.m. in the second-floor courtroom at City Hall in New Bern.
Meeting videos can be found on City 3 TV or on the city’s Facebook page and/or YouTube channel.
By Wendy Card, editor. Send an email with questions or comments.