Discussion surrounding a new social district in downtown Goldsboro and the swearing in of a new mayor pro tem were among the highlights of Tuesday evening’s Goldsboro City Council meeting.

Goldsboro mayor David Ham announced that councilman Taj Polack of District 3, had resigned from the council for personal reasons. Council member Brandi Matthews, of District 4, was sworn in as mayor pro tem.

A presentation regarding a social district in downtown Goldsboro was made by Greg Mills, the business development specialist for downtown Goldsboro.

A social district is a defined area in which a person may consume alcoholic beverages sold by an approved ABC permittee located within defined social district boundaries and defined days and hours of operation.

A social district area may include both indoor and outdoor areas of businesses within the social district. A social district may include privately owned property, permittees and nonpermittee businesses, multi-tenant establishments and public streets.

In September 2021, Governor Roy Cooper signed into law House Bill 890 (HB 890) – ABC Omnibus Legislation – which passed both the House and Senate with bipartisan support.

Included in HB 890 was a provision allowing local governments to create social districts in North Carolina. In less than a year since the enactment of HB 890, nearly twenty municipalities successfully created social districts in towns as small as Norwood to cities as big as Greensboro.

In June 2022, House Bill 211 (HB 211) – Social District/Common Area Clarifications – passed both the House and Senate with bi-partisan support and was subsequently signed into law by the Governor on July 7, 2022.

This legislation provides clarity to the original social district legislation and includes more detail on the inter-workings of social districts. The sections of the North Carolina General Statutes regulating social districts contained in HB 890 were repealed and replaced with a brand-new section of Chapter 18B to regulate social districts.

There are currently 40 cities across North Carolina with social districts, including Raleigh, Wilson and Greenville. Social districts are currently the fastest growing downtown development program in the state.

Only ABC permittees holding approved on-premises ABC permits may sell alcohol to be consumed in a social district such as an on-premises malt beverage, unfortified wine, fortified wine or mixed beverages permit, a distillery permit or a wine shop permit.

Special One-time ABC permits used for non-profit organization events at the HUB or Freedom Field are not legally approved to sell alcohol into the Social District.

An event that chooses to sell alcohol with a special one-time ABC permit must be closed to the Social District. Therefore, events serving alcohol will operate as they have in the past, meaning no alcohol comes in and no alcohol goes out of the defined event space.

An event that chooses not to sell alcohol at their event may choose to be open to the Social District. This would mean that people with alcohol legally obtained from and acting in accordance with the Social District may attend.

An event that chooses not to sell alcohol at their event may choose to be closed to the Social District, meaning no alcohol is allowed inside their event space.

Social districts must be clearly defined, and signage must be posted in conspicuous locations. Social districts are only allowed to operate during locally defined days and hours.

Local government is required to establish management plans for the social district and post these plans on the local government’s website, along with a drawing of the boundaries plus the applicable days and hours of the social district.

Local government is also required to distribute signs to non-permittee businesses that are included in the social district indicating that a business allows, or does not allow alcoholic beverages on its premises when the social district is active.

The proposed Social District boundary includes Center Street from Ash Street to Spruce, and from James Street to John Street on Mulberry, Walnut, Chestnut and Spruce. The social district would also include ABC permittees sharing a common border, including The Firehouse and Torero’s.

The proposed hours for the downtown social district would be 10 am to 10 pm Monday through Sunday.

Any business located in, or contiguous to, the designated social district has the option to participate, or not, in allowing customers with beverages to enter their premises.

Alcoholic beverages that are being sold to be consumed in a social district can only be sold in an official container that meets all the following requirements:

• The container clearly displays the ABC permittee from which the alcoholic beverage was purchased.
• The container clearly displays a logo or some other mark that is unique to the social district in which it will be consumed.
• The container clearly displays the date the beverage was purchased.
• The container displays, in no less than 12-point font, the statement, “Drink Responsibly – Be 21.”
• The container is not made of glass. The container cannot hold more than sixteen fluid ounces.

A person can only possess and consume alcoholic beverages purchased from an approved ABC permittee located in the social district. A person cannot bring their own personal alcohol into the social district for consumption.

Any alcoholic beverages consumed in the social district outside of the approved ABC permitted business must be consumed from an official container. A person cannot pour their alcoholic beverage into any personal type of container.

A business with an approved ABC permit located in the social district may decide to participate or not participate in allowing customers to leave their premises with an open container.

Mills promised to provide the council with future updates on the proposed social district.

The 2023-24 budget was also approved during Tuesday evening’s meeting.

Other topics of discussion included a proposed housing development at the intersection of Cuyler Best Road and West New Hope Road named Hawthorne Trail. The motion to approve Hawthorne Trail passed despite numerous concerns expressed by local residents.

Plans to relocate Performance East from its current location on Corporate Drive to a location east of the Tommys Road and East Patetown Road intersection off Highway 70 bypass were also approved.

At the conclusion of Tuesday evening’s meeting, Mayor Ham read a proclamation declaring June 27 as National PTSD Awareness Day throughout the city. Ham called on citizens and interested groups to observe the day with appropriate ceremonies and activities that promote awareness and understanding of PTSD.