DATE: Thursday, May 8, 1997                 TAG: 9705080554

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B01  EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

SOURCE: BY JEFFREY S. HAMPTON, CORRESPONDENT 

DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY                    LENGTH:   37 lines

ELIZABETH CITY LEADERS POSITIVE ABOUT STATE OF CITY

Mayor Rick Gardner made a strong pitch for city growth and annexation during ``The State of the City'' breakfast Wednesday at Pine Lakes Country Club.

``Without annexation cities would wither,'' said Gardner to an audience of 60-plus. ``If cities cannot expand, they tend to stagnate and decrease.''

While the audience enjoyed eggs, bacon and orange juice, Gardner, City Manager Steven Harrell, Police Chief Michael Lloyd and Public Works director Bart Van Nieuwenheuse each spoke five to 10 minutes. The Elizabeth City Area Chamber of Commerce, which sponsored the breakfast, held a similar event two years ago, said Executive Director Rhonda Martin.

Harrell used his time to try to clear what he called misconceptions about the budget.

``We are not propping up the general fund with utilities,'' he said. The city transfers only $800,000 from the electric fund to help the $8 million general fund, he said.

Van Nieuwenheuse said a new $20 million waste water treatment plant is on schedule.

``It has helped spur a lot of growth since the plant has been under construction,'' he said.

The city's old waste water treatment plant had reached capacity, which created a moratorium on new industry. The new plant should be completed in 1998.

Lloyd said the police force has been reorganized to make officers more responsible to the public. Each officer and detective has a territory of the city to cover. Lloyd has publicized the names and pager numbers of every officer.

``You now have your own personal detective and personal set of police officers,'' he said. ``This has been really successful, so far.''

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