EDENTON — Edenton Town Council met Monday evening to review significant changes to the town’s Downtown Social District, which allows residents and visitors to enjoy alcoholic beverages while strolling through the historic downtown area.
The most substantial change involves slightly expanding the geographic boundaries of the social district and standardizing its operating hours. Under the proposed updates, the district would operate Monday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., replacing the previous schedule of 5-9 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on weekends.
Town staff explained that the simplified hours aim to reduce confusion among establishment employees and ensure compliance with regulations.
“We just want to not put anybody in a place where they’re going to break the law, basically,” said Dewayne Whealton, Assistant Town Manager. “Make it more standardized and easier to understand.”
The proposed expanded district now includes portions of West Eden Street and additional areas near Sunfish Park, connecting the park to Broad Street via sidewalk access. The expansion also encompasses the municipal pier and breakwater walkway, allowing boaters to participate in the social district. The revitalized footprint covers all commercially zoned downtown areas while continuing to exclude fenced areas and the Colonial Park gated section.
Town officials noted the expansion was driven by economic development considerations, ensuring vacant buildings and potential new businesses wouldn’t be excluded from participation.
District Operating Successfully
Council members and town officials reported that the social district has been operating smoothly since its implementation, with minimal issues.
Police Chief David Lafon noted that overall behavior downtown has improved compared to previous years.
“I think the behavior in general is better because we had a couple years there where the downtown behavior was not what it should have been,” he said.
Town Manager Gooden added that the expansion would also streamline event management, allowing the administration to approve special events within the district more easily without requiring separate ABC resolutions from the council for each occasion.
The district requires participating establishments to serve beverages in specially marked, non-glass containers no larger than 16 ounces that clearly identify the business and display the Downtown Social District logo along with a “Drink Responsibly – Be 21” message.
During the meeting, Gooden encouraged residents interested in becoming downtown ambassadors to apply through the Town of Edenton website, noting that these part-time staff members are beneficial to the community.
Police Department Restructuring Moves Forward
In other business, the council received updates on the police department’s ongoing reorganization. Following last month’s elimination of a detective sergeant position and a captain position, town officials are working with Management and Personnel Services (MAPS) to create job descriptions and salary scales for two new lieutenant positions—one administrative and one operational.
Gooden reported that the town received preliminary feedback from MAPS on Sunday and expects to present formal recommendations to the council at the next meeting, with plans to post the positions shortly after approval. LaFon expressed comfort with a January timeframe for filling the positions, though he noted sooner would be preferable.
Public Information Officer Position Under Review
The council also discussed the vacant Public Information Officer (PIO) position. Town Manager Corey Gooden announced the town would hire a temporary administrative assistant for the next 90 days while working with MAPS to refine the position’s job description and classification.
Gooden explained that the town has experienced two vacancies in this position, with previous occupants excelling at social media outreach while at the same time balancing administrative duties needed to support executive staff. The town is now considering whether to restructure the role as an executive assistant position that includes public information responsibilities.
Councilman Aaron Coston emphasized the importance of maintaining the outreach component, noting that timely updates to social media and the town website remain top priorities for residents.
“That’s one of the biggest complaints that I’ve seen,” Coston said, “that we’re not pushing things out on social media anymore.”
Gooden is currently handling PIO duties himself until the temporary position is filled.
The permanent position will be reposted once the job description is finalized, and temporary employees may apply.
The council emphasized that timely posting of meeting minutes on the website should be a top priority in the revised job description.
Editor’s note: Story updated at 1:47 p.m. Oct. 29, 2025, to correct some attributions to discussions held during the meeting.