City of Whiteville issued the following announcement on Feb. 5.
The Whiteville City Council took no action other than approving minutes of previous meetings during an unusually short session Tuesday night that lasted roughly 20 minutes.
The only action items on the agenda were approval of the minutes of previous meetings and the receipt of public comment. Council unanimously approved the minutes of a Jan. 14 special workshop and the Jan. 14 regular meeting. No members of the public attended to offer comments.
City Manager Darren Currie updated the board on several items. Currie said that representatives of the N.C. Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR) had met with residents concerning the buyout program for homes destroyed by flooding. The NCORR staff has set up office space at 50 Legion Dr. (the former board of elections building) and will be available to work with residents in completing paperwork to apply for buyouts. Homeowners also can call 211 for more information.
Currie told council that lights are being installed at the baseball/softball fields at the Recreation Center, a project that should be completed within a couple of weeks.
The city’s architect is finalizing plans for the new ABC store on U.S. 701 Bypass South. Currie hopes to have a set of plans to present to council in February. After that occurs, the bid process can begin, Currie said.
Currie also reported that work on the widening of J.K. Powell Boulevard will begin soon. The first step will be moving utility poles. Whiteville Fire Department has been utilizing the buildings for training sessions in the project area that have been scheduled for demolition by the N.C. Dept. of Transportation.
Work also is underway to obtain right-of-way easements along portions of Mollie’s Branch. Residents should contact either Currie or City Attorney Carlton Williamson if they have questions about those easements.
Original source: https://whitevillenc.gov/news/2020/2/5/state-agency-sets-up-office-for-city-buyouts