SPRING LAKE - The Spring Lake Board of Aldermen on Monday is scheduled to hear an update from the Local Government Commission and discuss the fiscal 2022-23 budget.
The board meets at 6 p.m. in the Grady Howard conference room at town hall.
Susan McCullen, director of the Fiscal Management Section of the Local Government Commission, is scheduled to give the update.
Sharon Edmundson, deputy treasurer and director of the State and Local Government Finance Division of the Department of the State Treasurer, and McCullen joined the board for a two-hour executive session on Feb. 22 that cited attorney-client privilege.
The board came out of the executive session and adjourned with no action taken.
Last year the Local Government Commission took control of Spring Lake’s finances. The commission had warned town leaders about long-standing financial disarray, concerns about potential budget deficits and investigations into missing money.
Interim Town Manager Samantha Wullenwaber will lead the discussion on the 2022-23 budget, provide the monthly financial report and give a manager’s report.
Wullenwaber will oversee the budget process while the Local Government Commission will oversee and approve the budget in a virtual public hearing before the end of the fiscal year, according to Dan Way with the N.C. Department of the State Treasurer.
Alderwoman Sona Cooper said she is looking forward to accounts being in order so this budget process runs smoothly as opposed to past years she has served on the board.
“I don’t have a true perspective until I see the year-to-date expenditures, but all department heads have gotten budget requests in on time from what I understand,” Cooper said.
In other business, the board is expected to approve appointments to various town committees and assign ex-officio appointments to the committees. Mayor Pro Tem Robyn Chadwick would be assigned to the Board of Adjustment, Cooper to the Senior Enrichment Program committee, Alderman Marvin Lackman to the Military and Veteran Advisory committee, Alderman Raul Palacios to the Appearance and Sustainability committee, Alderwoman Adrian Thompson to the Recreation Advisory committee and Mayor Kia Anthony to the Minimum Housing Appeals board.
The board also will be looking at approving an on-call engineering services contract to have support in locating funding sources such as grants, design work and other assistance with construction bidding and management pertaining to the town’s water distribution, sewer collections and wastewater treatment plant.
Six firms responded to a Request for Qualifications in December. A committee comprised of the town manager, water resources director, streets and sanitation director, revenue supervisor and stormwater administrator recommended entering into an on-call agreement with all of the firms that responded. Those firms are Crawford Design Company in Fayetteville, MacConnell and Associates in Morrisville, McGill Associates in Pinehurst, RK&K in Raleigh, Timmons Group in Raleigh and WithersRavenel in Southern Pines. There is no cost associated with entering into the on-call contract. Costs will be negotiated on a project-by-project basis.
A closed session citing attorney-client privilege is also on the agenda.
Jami McLaughlin covers Spring Lake for CityView TODAY. She can be reached at jmclaughlin@cityviewnc.com. Have a news tip? Email news@CityViewTODAY.com.
