At the beginning of the Wake Forest Town Board’s Feb. 20 meeting there will be a public hearing where town residents can say what they want to see in the 2018-2019 town budget.
Do you want town support for a sport? People spoke up in past years, asking for a pickleball court and there are now four lighted courts at J.B. Flaherty Park on North White Street. Or maybe you want to see more playgrounds, or real rest rooms at all the town parks. Do you have a gripe about town taxes or recreation fees? This is the time you will be heard.
Fiscal years for town run from July 1 to June 30 and the yearly budget process is underway but can always be altered if there is a lot of public demand or a demonstrated need.
A special member of the Wake Forest Fire Department, Carlton Keith, will be recognized for his 29 years of service.
The board will also award two contracts for the Stadium Drive complete street, one to Mott MacDonald for construction administration and one to Stewart Engineering and Kimley-Horn and Associates for engineering inspection. The complete agenda had not been posted on the town website as of Feb. 13 so the contract amounts were not available. In December the board approved a contract of $6,789,876 with the Fred Smith Company for the construction which will include a roundabout at the intersection of North Wingate Street, a sidewalk and a multi-use trail, bike lanes, bus bump-outs, wider shoulders on the existing traffic lanes and turn lanes at intersections.
Since the request for a townhouse project, Forestville Towns on the dead-end portion of Forestville Road behind Shuckers, was not heard at the Feb. 6 planning board meeting, that item will be struck from the agenda.
The board will consider the Wake Union Place request for 85 to 90 townhouses and 288 or 300 apartments in 12 buildings on separate parts of the commercial property on Wake Union Church Road. The planning board voted unanimously not to recommend the plan.
There will be consideration of an ordinance to amend the current fee schedule, but it was not clear which fee schedule is involved.
After an appeal last fall from the residents along Heritage Spring, a private street in Wildflower, asking the town make it a public street, the commissioners and mayor discussed the situation at the retreat on Feb. 2 and seemed to agree to a procedure which could make Heritage Spring and six other streets public streets. The board is expected to give its stamp of approval to that procedure.
Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department Director Ruben Wall will ask the board for approval of an agreement with a private company to manage the Holding Park Aquatic Center when it opens this spring. During the retreat he explained it will save the town money by using a private contractor for the management.
