The Mount Olive Town Board has agreed to seek an additional $200,000 in funding for the town’s downtown revitalization project. Consultant David Harris, left, of RSM Harris Associates of Goldsboro, explains the request during a Tuesday night, Sept. 13, public hearing. From left are Harris, Town Attorney Carroll Turner and Commissioner Barbara Kornegay. (Steve Herring|mountolivetribune.com)
The Mount Olive Town Board is seeking an additional $200,000 in state funding for the town’s downtown revitalization project for the core downtown area between John and Pollock streets. This photo shows the west side of Center Street looking north from Main Street. Earlier this year, Mount Olive received a $175,000 Rural Transformation Grant through the N.C. Dept. of Commerce to hire a company to help develop a master plan of how the downtown area can be improved. (Steve Herring|mountolivetribune.com)
Speakers had a hard time staying on topic during a Tuesday night public hearing called to consider requesting an additional $200,000 for downtown planning. Many, instead ,sought to divert the hearing into a debate on funding disparity. But that did not deter the Mount Olive Town Board from voting unanimously to proceed with the application.
Two speakers questioned the town using the money for the benefit of a few at the expense of other taxpayers. They focused in particularly on the need for drainage, water and sewer improvements in the southern part of town.
Mayor Kenny Talton agreed the needs are there, adding that the town has others grants to address those concerns.
On several occasions Talton reminded the speakers the public hearing was on the revitalization grant and had nothing to do with those issues, but some in the group continued to stray from topic.
Mount Olive Area Chamber of Commerce President Julie Beck said improving the downtown area would provide an economic benefit town wide.
Following the hearing, the board unanimously approved applying for the $200,000 grant.
Earlier this year, Mount Olive received a $175,000 Rural Transformation Grant through the N.C. Dept. of Commerce to hire a company to help develop a master plan detailing how the downtown area can be improved.
However, the Tuesday, Sept. 13, public hearing was called to consider requesting an additional $200,000 through the Community Development Block Grant Program.
David Harris of RSM Harris Associates of Goldsboro, the town’s longtime CDBG consultant, explained the request.
The initial $175,000 grant was for a “very comprehensive” downtown revitalization plan that has three key components, Harris said.
“One is a downtown strategic plan, which will include a market analysis for the business end of it — what benefits can the businesses be looking at, what direction they can head in, what changes or improvements could be made,” he said. “Their involvement is critical to any success in a downtown development plan.”
The town has hired a company to work the retail service, business-type development needed to make downtown a thriving place, Harris continued.
The second part is what the design is going to look like.
“In other words, the streetscape design — parking, lighting, pedestrian areas, things that would make downtown visibly a place that people would actually want to go to and spend some time,” Harris added.
The town has funds for that component as well, he said.
The one missing component is the engineering that needs to go into any changes in the downtown area, Harris said.
A large portion of that will be a very detailed survey of every block and storefront improvements, underground utilities, overhead utilities — all aspects of that civil engineering component that identifies what is there and any potential changes, he said.
That lack of funding is not the town’s fault, but is just because the initial grant did not provide funding for that aspect of the project, he added.
Once all of the components are complete, the town will have a plan it can go out to bid with and to search for funding to help with the cost to do the work, Harris said.
The area is the three-block core area of Center Street between John and Pollock streets, he added.
The state did not have funding for that planning through the Rural Transformation Grant, where the town’s initial $175,000 came from. However, it does have money in the CDBG program, Harris said.
“With a lot of prompting from the town and encouragement, the (state) Dept. of Commerce is looking favorably on providing funding through the Community Development Block Grant program, in essence amending the current Neighborhood Revitalization Grant that we have where we are only doing housing components,” Harris explained.
The state is satisfied that is the direction the town can go in, he said.
The $200,000 would include $190,000 for the engineering and survey work and $10,000 for administration since the CDBG has federal requirements that the Rural Transformation Grant does not have, Harris said.
The town would apply for the $200,000, and the state has indicated it would be a quick turnaround, he said.
Harris said it is a unique agreement and that in his 40 years of experience he has not seen the state combine, after the fact, two completely separate sources of funding in order to try to make a project work in a town.
Hobart Yates and Mount Olive mayoral candidate Jerome Newton questioned the project and attempted to shift the conversation to water and sewer improvements and funding disparity.
“I think I am hearing this revitalization program is for downtown and that keeps ringing in my ear — what about us in the low-rent district,” Yates said. “You are concentrating on three streets, but Mount Olive includes more than three streets.
“What is the plan? Those three streets aren’t the only streets that need to be revitalized because when I hear you talk about sewage and I hear you talk about drainage — those are problems in my area. When are we coming away from downtown and get to the other taxpayers.”
Talton and Town Manager Jammie Royall responded that there are a number of ongoing water and sewer projects with more being planned.
Yates wanted to know a timetable and if he could see the plans. Royall said he could.
Newton also wanted more information about the timetable while James Carlton wanted to know how the town could create growth while under the current sewer moratorium.
Talton said the discussion was about a project that would benefit the entire town and not just a select few.
The issue of the public hearing and those being raised are like comparing apples and oranges, he added.
Beck said that as a representative for the Small Town Main Street organization, of which Mount Olive is part of, that she has the honor of representing the community — something she has been doing for about 10 years.
“What makes a town grow is when you develop your downtown,” Beck said. “You may be only developing the downtown, but you are developing the entire community.”
Beck said she attends meetings and workshops and realizes the value of such projects.
Look at what Goldsboro did to its downtown and the difference it made, she said.
Mount Olive can do the same, she added.
“We can grow our community,” Beck said. “It is going to be a phenomenal experience for us here in Mount Olive, and it is going to bring growth to us — growth that we need in this community.
“Again, I am not putting aside other infrastructure issues we have, but this is really going to make a big difference. It is going to bring people to our community that we want to come here and live here and spent money here. It will have a huge economic impact.”
