TO CONSIDER TO APPLICATION BY CITY OF WILSON FOR FUNDING UNDER THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 1974, AS AMENDED
Notice is hereby given that the City Council of the City of Wilson will hold a public hearing at the City Operations Center, 1800 Herring Avenue, E, Wilson, North Carolina on October 15, 2020, at 7:00 p.m. to consider the following:
An application by the City of Wilson to the Rural Economic Development Division of the North Carolina Department of Commerce for the Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus Program (CDBG-CV). The City of Wilson intends to submit an application for a grant requesting $900,000 in CDBG North Carolina Neighborhood Revitalization Program funds for two activities. ACTIVITY I - The City of Wilson, as a municipal utility provider, delivers electricity, gas, water and wastewater services to its citizens. From March 30, 2020 through July 30, 2020 the State of North Carolina placed a moratorium on disconnection of utilities for nonpayment. During that period, many citizens of Wilson suffered adverse employment actions related to COVID-19 that reduced their income and/or incurred unplanned expenses related to COVID-19, both of which resulted in utility accounts accruing substantial delinquent balances. The City of Wilson will seek $650,000 for Utility Payment Assistance for Customers affected by COVID 19.
ACTIVITY II – The City of Wilson will seek $250,000 to provide additional broadband connections to support remote learning in areas where broadband is deficient to support remote education. If funded, Greenlight will expand broadband infrastructure to two (2) rural areas of Wilson County that have reported inadequate internet service availability. Expansion of the network into these two (2) rural areas will provide reliable high-speed internet to facilitate remote learning as well as allow for future telehealth services as they become available.
Additional information is available from John Morck, Planning & Community Development Manager, PO Box 10, Wilson, NC 27894, phone 252-399-2227. The City of Wilson is an Equal Opportunity Employer and service provider.
Due to COVID-19, no direct public entry to the City Council meeting will be allowed. The public is encouraged to remain at home and watch the meeting streamed live on the City’s website at www.wilsonnc.org . The public can submit their comments to the City Clerk via email to twest@wilsonnc.org or submit a request to call in and teleconference during the City Council meeting by emailing their name, address, and phone number to the Clerk by Wednesday, October 14th at 5:00 p.m. Please provide the agenda item number or subject matter with your comments. Copies of the written comments timely received will be provided to the City Council at the meeting, read at the meeting, and included in the minutes of the meeting. No Council action on public hearing item will occur the night of the meeting. Instead, the public hearing item will be continued and the public will have an additional 24 hours from the end of the meeting to provide any comments on the public hearing item.
City of Wilson, North Carolina
By: Tonya A. West, City Clerk
