I need your feedback! Your input is needed on some issues that I would like to address as a City. One is our street improvement plan for the future, and the other is the need for public transportaon. The following is the background informaon along with my proposed soluons: I think we can all agree that many of our city streets are in need of improvement. The City did a study of all our city streets by outside experts and they have priorized our paving needs. The study consists of a 5-year program to repave streets based on current road condions. We have allocated about $200,000 each year to accomplish this goal. The funds received from the State, based upon gas tax revenues, have remained about the same even though the cost of asphalt has increased significantly. So, paving doesn’t go as far as it used to. We could do more road projects if we were able to increase funding. One soluon is the state allows us, using state statute G.S. 20-97(b1) to charge an annual tag fee of up to $30. I would propose a $20 fee per vehicle that is only collected when you renew your tag. It would generate $160,000. That would mean that we could improve more roads in Kings Mountain. The only other opon is to raise property tax by 1 cent to achieve the same amount or we could do nothing and remain on the current funding level. We also have a real need to provide transportaon to those that don’t have a way. Where geng to the doctor, drug store, and grocery store is a real problem. Many of us have a car to get around but some of our cizens don’t have that luxury. That same state statute would allow us to use $40,000 of that $160,000 to fund a public transit system to help those without a way. With using it as a 10 % match funding with Federal and State dollars this would add up to an operaonal budget of $400,000. My proposal would not only just set up bus stops, because it will surely fail, because people have a hard me geng to the stops. Riders could call 24 hours in advance to schedule a pick up. Several communies have done this and ridership is doing well www.Choanokepta.org. Eventually, we could connect to the Gastonia Transit system to open up more opportunies to connect to an expanded area round trip. I think it is important that all of the cizens of Kings Mountain have the chance to have a good quality of life and this would be a step in the right direcon! What do you think? Go to hps://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QT3F82B or scan the URL code. Thank you for taking the me to give me your input. Together we can connue to move Kings Mountain forward! CITY CALENDAR OF SPECIAL EVENTS 4/9 Easter Egg Hunt @ Patriots Park 4/10 Easter Friday (City Offices Closed) 4/25 Earth Day @ Gateway Trail 5/7 National Day of Prayer At City Hall @ Noon www.cityofKM.com 704-734-0333 [email protected] 101 W. Gold St. Kings Mountain, NC 28086 Council Meeting March 31, 2020 6:00pm April 28, 2020 6:00 pm Council Chambers at City Hall ELECTED OFFICIALS www.fb.com/cityofkingsmountain March/April 2020 Volume 6, Issue 2 A messAge from THe mAYor’s office Mayor Scott Neisler Councilmember Keith Miller, At Large, Mayor Pro-Tem Councilmember David Allen, At Large Councilmember Annie Thombs, Ward 1 Councilmember Mike Butler, Ward 2 Councilmember Tommy Hawkins, Ward 3 Councilmember Jimmy West, Ward 4 Councilmember Jay Rhodes, Ward 5 CITY MANAGER—Marilyn Sellers Very soon your household will receive noficaon from the U.S. Census Bureau regarding the compleon of your 2020 Census quesonnaire. The Census takes place every 10 years and has since the very first me the populaon of the United States counted, all the way back to 1790! This is a civic duty that is mandated by the U.S. Constuon. Being counted is your opportunity to help shape the future of your local community and the State of North Carolina. Your responses are used to help redraw legislave districts and determine the number of seats the State of North Carolina will have in the U.S. House of Representaves. It also determines how federal funding is to be distributed, as well as influencing important economic development planning. The quesonnaire is basically a demographic survey, and it will NEVER ask for personal informaon such as social security numbers, bank account informaon, donaons or polical preferences. This is VERY IMPORTANT for your community, so be sure to BE COUNTED. (U.S. Department of Commerce – U.S. Census Bureau, 2020) We are excited to announce that due to a great partner- ship between the City and the Cleveland County School System there are now two tennis courts for public use. The courts available are located at the Kings Mountain High School, along with restrooms and also those at the Kings Mountain Middle School. These courts are for public use except for when the schools are ulizing them for school use or an event.