By Emily Featherston | January 31, 2020 at 11:16 AM EST – Updated January 31 at 11:31 AM
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – City of Wilmington and New Hanover County leaders plan to weigh “major changes” to the leadership of WAVE Transit next week, including potential replacement of the authority board.
According to a release from the city ahead of its meetings Monday and Tuesday, the city and county are considering these changes after the Cape Fear Public Transportation Authority requested a $700,000 loan due to cash flow issues.
Both bodies — Wilmington City Council and the New Hanover County Commission — will reportedly consider resolutions to amend the existing interlocal agreements they have with WAVE, with a proposal the existing 11-member board be dissolved and replaced “by a board made up of high level city and county staff.”
Proposed members of the new board:
- New Hanover County Manager
- City of Wilmington Manager
- City of Wilmington Attorney
- New Hanover County Deputy Attorney
- City of Wilmington Finance Director
- New Hanover County Finance Director
- Executive Director of the Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
This move would come before the city and county begin their work to examine the long-term future of the public transit authority.
“The new board would remain in place while the city and county conduct a review of WAVE’s current operations and options for improvement, which was approved at the last Board and Council meetings,” the city’s update reads.
If approved, the new board would meet for the first time on Feb. 10.
As for the requested loan, the vote Tuesday would also be for a proposed $400,000 loan to be repaid by June 30. If that loan is not repaid by then, the city would have the option to withhold funding for the next fiscal year.
WECT is reaching out to those involved and will update this story as information becomes available.
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