Brian Sheehan, founder and CEO of Swim Club Management Group, talks to the Kinston City Council. Rudy Coggins/NeuseNews

Lions Water Adventure

After a three-year decline, ticket sales and revenue jumped significantly for the Lions Water Adventure in 2019.

The park reported a 38-percent increase over 2018 with nearly $200,000 in net proceeds after basic expenses.

Brian Sheehan, founder and CEO of Swim Club Management Group, cited overall guest experience, improvement of the park and community engagement as key factors. A concession change and ticket prices helped spark a rise in revenue.

Sugar Hill Concession came in and reduced the wait time for patrons who ordered food and drinks. Local landscapers came in and improved the overall look of the park. In-week visitors paid lower entrance fees compared to those who attended the park on weekends.

"We accomplished a lot of these objectives," Sheehan said. "When you do that, you see positive financial results. Our anticipation is that we will continue on that trend."

Sheehan said future improvements of the park include a playground area. He said that the group plans to send out surveys via social media platforms to generate feedback about the park.

Emma Webb Pool

Corey Povar, director of the Kinston-Lenoir County Parks and Recreation Department, is aggressively pursuing a Parks and Recreation Trust Fund [PARTF] grant for Emma Webb Pool.

"The grant cycle is not open for 2019-20, but we're working from the previous grant and getting our processes in order to secure a grant to fund a new project there, whether it be a splash pad or a pool," Povar said.

A common grant for North Carolina municipalities, PARTF is a dollar-for-dollar matching subsidy. It will fund up to $500,000.

The last estimate to rebuild Emma Webb Pool, which has been empty for two years, is between $769,000 and $860,000. Povar said the overall expense could increase.

In other Council actions:

a) The Council ended in a 2-2 deadlock on the request for voluntary annexation by Mr. Rodney Landers Sr. Council member Kristal Suggs left unexpectedly before the vote, and Mayor Don Hardy was not present to break the tie.

b) The Council approved the purchase of eight electric circuit breakers from Siemen's Industry, totaling $167, 025.32.

c) The Council approved a resolution for the designation of primary and secondary agents for Hurricane Dorian. The purpose is to execute and file applications on behalf of the City of Kinston.

d) The Council approved a permit application for the annual Kinston Christmas Parade and Turn on the Holidays celebration.