Town of Zebulon

This document outlines 'Pillar 2 - Inclusive Economy' of Zebulun's economic development strategic plan, which aims to ensure every resident has the opportunity to thrive through inclusive growth. Key priorities include providing a balanced mix of housing options (affordable, workforce, traditional, executive) and exploring tools like community land trusts to prevent displacement. Additionally, it focuses on ensuring residents have access to well-paying jobs, career pathways, and essential amenities like healthcare, grocery stores, shopping, dining, and recreation, fostering a future that preserves opportunity, strengthens neighborhoods, and supports a thriving, equitable community.

The event was a swearing-in ceremony for newly elected officials of the Town of Zebulun, including the first female mayor, Jessica Daniel Harrison, and the highest vote-getter in the town's history, Quinton Miles. Remarks were given emphasizing the importance of public service, integrity, community support, and adopting core values such as accountability, respect, and customer service. The ceremony included an invocation and the pledge of allegiance, and recognized various community leaders and elected officials in attendance.

The special called meeting agenda was amended following discussions to remove items related to social districts and mobile food vendors from the consent agenda and move a finance ordinance to old business. Public comment included a presentation concerning free speech rights in the context of past board behavior and a suggestion for remedies, as well as a presentation on the anniversary of the Battle of Hampton Store. The board presented proclamations recognizing Jonathan Vincent for professional excellence as a Food Lion regional manager of the year and honored a teacher and a student from Zebulun Gifted and Talented Magnet Middle School. The amended consent agenda was approved. Under new business, discussion ensued regarding social districts, focusing on economic impact data from other North Carolina towns like Mebban, and planning for a community information session the following day to gather business feedback.

The work session focused extensively on discussions regarding the upcoming budget development process. Key topics included commissioner expectations for the budget, effective aspects of past processes, and areas for improvement. Commissioners emphasized the need for earlier involvement in budget discussions, better understanding of department head priorities relative to strategic goals, and exploring alternative funding sources such as grants and strategic partnerships rather than relying solely on the general fund. There was also significant discussion about community engagement, including hosting Town Halls to gather citizen input on community priorities and revisiting and aligning the budget with the town's strategic goals, which were noted to have evolved since previous planning documents.

The joint public hearing commenced with the swearing in of new planning board members, specifically Mr. Jason Smith and Miss Natasha Drake. A key discussion topic centered on the zoning map amendment (2026-01) proposed for a 1.41-acre property on Rosenberg Road, owned by the Privet family. The proposal sought to add a Manufactured Home Overlay District to the existing Residential Suburban R2 zoning. Staff detailed the purpose of the overlay, which is to allow for the reasonable placement of HUD-certified, post-1976 manufactured homes that meet specific design and construction standards, aiming to provide affordable housing options while maintaining compatibility with surrounding single-family homes. The board and staff clarified that the proposal concerned a single manufactured home, not a manufactured home park, and that the process being followed was the only mechanism for such an allowance under the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). Board members discussed concerns regarding precedent and compliance with UDO standards, particularly noting that the structure must be a manufactured home built after 1976.