BY MILES LAYTON

EDENTON — Edenton Town Council will convene its regular meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, September 9, 2025, with an agenda featuring a mix of high-profile discussions and decisions including a big raise for the Town Manager, redevelopment updates, and community improvement projects.

Cha-ching — the big news is that council is considering amending Town Manager Corey Gooden’s employment contract to raise his salary from $136,600 to $160,000 retroactive to July 1, 2025. NOTE, I got a text from Town Hall clarifying Gooden’s salary — so I changed the initial figure initially reported $124,000 — which was his salary — to $136,600 — Gooden’s received a roughly a $12,000+ pay increase in December of 2024 — $124K to $136K.

If approved, the amendment would also guarantee automatic 3% annual increases through July 2028, setting his salary at $174,836 by that time.

Gooden has been Edenton’s Town Manager since October 2021, per the town’s website. The former Director of Public Works since 2017, Gooden has an intricate knowledge of Edenton’s infrastructure and modern-day challenges. In his past endeavors, he spent time in both Research Triangle Park as well as with Weyerhaeuser and International Paper in New Bern. He is a proud alumnus of North Carolina State University and native of Elizabethtown, in Bladen County. Gooden also serves as the Town Clerk and the official point of contact for public records requests.

Our readers may want to click this link to the story of Gooden’s salary — our first big story for the Albemarle Observer, with the mainstream media later catching up. As we said then, Gooden deserves a raise and his skill and knowledge of Edenton is an investment in our community.

Hotel Hinton Update on the Agenda

Council will also hear from Dawson Tyler, of Down East Preservation, who is scheduled to provide a special presentation on the long-discussed Hotel Hinton project.

The redevelopment of the historic downtown landmark on East King Street has been the subject of ongoing scrutiny. Under the town’s Major Special Use Permit (MSUP), any changes to the project’s protective covenants, conditions, and restrictions require written approval from Preservation North Carolina.

Developers have resubmitted an amendment to the National Park Service to expand their concept from 33 units to 56, a change necessary to retain historic tax credits, according to our previous story about Edenton-Chowan Partnership’s August meeting. Partnership members described the progress as “positive movement” after months of planning.

The permit also carries a strict deadline: It expires automatically one year after issuance if criteria in Section 4.18 of Edenton’s Unified Development Ordinance are not met. Tyler’s presentation is expected to address progress on construction milestones, compliance with preservation rules, and any potential requests for amendments.

Later in the meeting, the council must decide whether to approve the amendment or enforce existing permit conditions.

Police Department Reorganization Under Review

The Administrative Committee will bring forward two police department proposals: a reorganization plan and changes to part-time officer pay. Chief David LaFon requested replacing the current police captain and detective sergeant positions with two lieutenant positions — one focused on operations and patrol, the other on administration and evidence management.

The reorganization aims to address increasing technological and computer-based requirements while maintaining the same staffing levels at potentially lower cost. Chief Affan indicated the changes would save approximately $1,000 monthly in salaries.

The committee also endorsed increasing part-time auxiliary officer pay from $15 to $26.44 per hour to match the base pay of full-time officers, making the positions more competitive with neighboring departments.

Speed Limit Adjustment Proposed

On the Public Works side, council will consider lowering the speed limit along portions of West Queen Street. The change would apply from the 1100 and 800 blocks down to the 600 block. The change seeks to extend the current 45 mph speed limit on Queen Street past its current endpoint at Albania Street closer to the downtown area. The change is being considered in preparation for upcoming construction work on the Pembroke Creek bridge.

Grant Funding for Coastal Resilience Project

Under new business, the council will vote on a resolution authorizing a grant contract through the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Resilient Coastal Communities Program (RCCP).

Edenton was awarded $115,000 for restoration work at Filbert’s Creek on Granville Street. According to Mayor High, the project will redesign and expand the existing wetlands area, improve the weir and culvert system, and establish a greenway near Virginia Road.

The project aligns with statewide goals to help coastal communities mitigate flooding, improve stormwater management, and adapt to climate change.

Closed Session on Pending Lawsuit

In addition to its public agenda, the council will enter a closed session under state law to consult with the town attorney regarding pending litigation in Chowan County Superior Court. The case, John Shannon v. Town of Edenton (File No. 25-CV000004-200), aka the Confederate Memorial case, remains unresolved. The council will meet privately to preserve attorney-client privilege and discuss legal strategy.