SE North Carolina News

The Wilmington City Council has announced a regular meeting to be held on Tuesday, May 21, at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will take place inside the Council Chambers at City Hall, located at 102 North Third Street.

Key items on the agenda include a presentation by the Police Department of Citizen Commendations, Medal of Valor, Certificates of Merit, Life Saving Awards, and Certificates of Appreciation.

A public hearing will also be held to discuss the recommended budget for FY25. This hearing will not involve any voting. The next steps in the budget process are scheduled as follows: a Council Work Session on May 24; the first vote on June 4; the second and final vote on June 18; with the budget going into effect from July 1.

Another public hearing will address the FY25 Annual Action Plan for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME funds used to provide affordable housing in the city.

The council is also set to consider appropriating $9945 from a Nature Conservancy Grant towards restoration work at Halyburton Park's Longleaf Pine Savanna. This project is already underway and includes controlled burning across 45 acres, wiregrass planting, and mid-story control under mature longleaf pines. The initiative aims to contribute to conservation efforts by re-establishing a robust and resilient longleaf pine ecosystem at Halyburton Park. The work is expected to continue through 2025 with periodic controlled burns included in the plan.

Those interested can view the full agenda online or provide written comments for public hearings via an online comment form. Comments received electronically prior to noon on Monday, May 20 will be entered into the public record. Remote viewing options for these meetings include GTV8 (Spectrum channel 8), www.wilmingtonnc.gov/gtv, www.youtube.com/user/cityofwilmington or via app by downloading the “cablecast” app on any app store and searching for “City of Wilmington”.