ROANOKE RAPIDS — The Roanoke Rapids City Council killed a proposed plan that would have placed the Main Street director on the city payroll as a temporary city employee Tuesday night during their regular meeting at Lloyd Andrews City Meeting Hall in Roanoke Rapids.

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The Roanoke Avenue Business Alliance, a group of Roanoke Rapids business owners, brought the idea before City Council for a partnership back in 2009. The plan has been through several iterations, with the latest being a plan where RABA would pay all salary and expenses for their Main Street director to be a temporary city employee for the first 364 days after his or her hire, answerable to the city manager. RABA agreed to pay the city up to 60 days in advance for position’s salary, which is not currently filled.

The Main Street program is a national and state program providing designated communities with access to grants and other funding opportunties aimed at revitalizing downtown business districts such as Roanoke Avenue. Roanoke Rapids obtained the Main Street designation in September of 2009.

After being scheduled to vote on the measure earlier this month at their work session, City Council postponed action to Tuesday. City Manager Paul Sabiston addressed Council prior to the vote to introduce the measure.

“The idea of course is to get this Main Street manager position started,” Sabiston said. “Give them a place to get off to a start for a year and then RABA would take over the position.”

Mayor Emery Doughtie spoke in praise of RABA for bringing the measure to the city, and also praised Sabiston. “Thank you for your diligence,” he told Sabiston. “And thanks to RABA for putting this whole thing together.”

“Talking to other mayors they had a lot of positive things to say about what this downtown revitalization can do,” Doughtie added. “We were fortunate to have this designation come to our city.”

Councilman Carl Ferebee, who's also Mayor Pro Tempore, spoke before the vote as well. “I will say that I have gotten a lot of calls regarding this project,” Ferebee said. “Being a council member, I keep those comments in the forefront. We try to make the best decision for the city. Sometimes we look at processes and can’t get everything in the process that everyone wants.”

“A group of people have come forth and are trying to make our city better,” stated Councilman Edward Liverman. “These people are trying to do something to help our city. Instead of our city sitting there and dying just a little maybe we can try to bring it to life.”

After the comments were over, Mayor Doughtie called for a motion to approve the current contract making the Main Street director a temporary city employee with RABA paying 60 days in advance all salaries related to the position. Once the motion was made and seconded, Council voted, with Ferebee and Liverman voting for the measure, but Councilwoman Suetta Scarbrough, Councilman Ernest Bobbitt and Councilman Greg Lawson voting against it, meaning the motion did not carry and the contract is not approved.

“They have 10 very intelligent members of the RABA board that can direct this,” Scarbrough said after the meeting. “There are national guidelines on how to execute the Main Street Program. It’s not like they’re going in blind. I think they’re capable of directing the Main Street director. I have always supported the Main Street Program, but never under the city’s auspices.”

“From day one, most of us didn't want it to be a city position,” Bobbitt asserted. “They have people capable of running it. I hope it does make it — it just doesn’t have to be a city employee.”

“Of course we’re terribly disappointed that the Council took this position," stated RABA Secretary Sherry Wade. "We'll have to meet up and decide what to do from here.”

Wade added RABA will continue moving forward on the Main Street Program. “The Main Street Program is a proven success model,” Wade said. “I’m disappointed by their lack of vision.  This is more than just about the Avenue. It’s about our city and our county. We'll continue to do our work, even though this is a step back for us.”

“My no vote was not against Main Street or against anything that RABA was doing,” explained Lawson. “I’m still committed to the financial commitments we (the city) said we would provide. It’s not a no vote against Main Street; I totally support it. The requirement to hire them as a temporary city employee just made me uncomfortable.”

Lawson indicated he'd studied the various Main Street Program models before casting his vote. “When you look at all the management models,” Lawson said, “there’s nothing that says one model will work better than another.” There was nothing to indicate having the city directly managing the program would help the Main Street Program more than not having them involved, according to Lawson.

“You’re willing to pay for everything, but you want the city to manage it,” Lawson added. “I’m not comfortable with that.”