* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:33] AND THEN CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AND, UH, LIKE THAT WITH A PRAYER BY REVEREND JIM HUGGING CORNERSTONE CHURCH THAT APPEAR TO BE HERE. SO MR. SAMSON, WOULD YOU COMMISSIONER SAM'S WOULD YOU DO YOUR USUAL I WILL FOLLOW THEM OUT WITH GOD. THEY BE I'M TO COME BEFORE YOU TONIGHT, FATHER, TO DO BUSINESS IN YOUR NAME AND NOT IN OUR NAME, BUT TO FOLLOW YOUR ASS, THE DOLLAR DIRECT THE CITY FATHERS IN THE WAY THAT IT MUST GO WITH FALL, LET THEM REALIZE FATHER THERE'LL BE ALL ONE IN CHRIST. JESUS BLESS THEM IN A VERY SPECIAL WAY. BLESSED THOSE. THE CAME OUT TONIGHT, FATHER TO SEE THAT BUSINESS IS DONE IN THE NAME OF JESUS. WE PRAY KIND OF DONE. AMEN. UH, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE. OKAY. FIRST THING WE HAVE TONIGHT IS TO FEEL THE FOURTH WARD HALDEMAN POSITION. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROTOCOL IS OR THE PROCEDURE IS, OH, THIS IS A PRETTY UNUSUAL, UH, CERTAINLY IN MY TERM, BUT I GUESS WHAT WE'LL DO IS MAYBE JUST OPEN THE THING TO DISCUSSION IF YOU WANT TO START WITH, AND THEN I GUESS WE'LL CALL FOR A BOAT. UH, WE HAVE LESLIE, WHAT WOULD WE DO HERE? WHAT WOULD BE YOUR NOMINATED NOMINATE? AND THEN SECOND AND THEN SECOND REQUIRE JUST A NOMINATION. AND THEN WE'D ALL VOTE ON THAT INDIVIDUALLY. I MEAN THE BATHROOM MADE IT DIDN'T GO ANY FURTHER. OKAY. WE CAN DO THAT. UNLESS IF WE WANT TO DISCUSS IT, NOBODY WANTS TO DISCUSS IT, UH, TO MAKE A NOMINATION, UH, MAYOR MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE BOB A FRANCIS TO FULFILL THE UNEXPIRED TERM OF DOMINANCE OF THE FOURTH AWARD OF DON MCDOWELL. AND THE REASON I'M NOMINATING A BOTTLE OF FRANCIS IS THAT, UH, UH, AFTER, UH, DON DECIDED THAT HE WAS GOING TO RESIGN BECAUSE HE TOOK ANOTHER JOB OUT OF TOWN. UM, NO ONE KNEW ANYONE FROM THE FOURTH WARD TO TAKE HIS PLACE. DON DIDN'T KNOW THAT HE WAS GOING TO NOMINATE ANYONE. UH, THEREFORE, UH, WE WERE ASKED TO SOLICIT OR TO TRY TO FIND SOMEONE TO TAKE HIS PLACE. UH, AFTER THAT MEETING, WHEN WE DECIDED TO DO THAT, I WAS AGGRESSIVE AND I SOUGHT SOMEONE TO TAKE HIS PLACE. BARBARA FRANCIS' NAME CAME UP BY HAPPENSTANCE. I KNEW HER DON'T KNOW HER PERSONALLY, BUT I, SHE WORKS IN THE SAME OFFICE COMPLEX THAT I WORKED WORKING IN. AND I SAW HER AS BEING, UH, VERY INTELLIGENT. SHE CAN REASON. WELL, SHE'S A MOTHER AND SHE'S AN ENGINEER. AND I THOUGHT THAT SHE WOULD ASK SOME DIVERSITY TO THE BOARD. SO BASED UPON , I LIKE TO NOMINATE HER FULFILLED OR HIT DOG X ON THE SPOT TERM. NO, IT HAS TO DO WITH SOMETHING ELSE IN CASE ANYBODY'S WONDERING. OKAY. WE HAVE A SECOND, I GUESS. DID WE CALL THEM DOWN THE ROAD? ALL THE ROW. OKAY. YES, YES, NO, YES, NO. I'M GOING TO HAVE TO SAY NO. AND I'D LIKE TO EXPLAIN WHY IN THE CASE OF LIKE OF THEM IN RAIN OR DID I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS THING THROUGH AND THROUGH? [00:05:01] EXCUSE ME. AND THE ONLY THING I COULD DO IS OBVIOUSLY THE WAY THAT SOMEBODY IS NORMALLY ELECTED IS BY THE PEOPLE IN THAT PARTICULAR WARD. AND THE ONE TIME PEOPLE VOTED IN THIS INSTANCE WAS PREDOMINANT DOWN. AND I FELT LIKE SINCE I HAD CHOSEN HIM AS THEIR VOICE, THEN THE ONLY THING I COULD DO IS TO DO IS TO, IS TO, UNLESS I HAD SOME COMPELLING REASON NOT TO VOTE FOR WHO THEY PICKED TO SUCCEED HIM, WHOEVER IS ELECTED OR NOT ELECTED, BUT NOMINATED THE PEOPLE HAVE A CHANCE TO EITHER FORWARD OR FIRE THAT CHOICE OR CORRECT THAT CHOICE IN A FEW MONTHS. ANYWAY, THIS IS AN ELECTION YEAR, BUT REALLY, AND TRULY THE MORE I THOUGHT ABOUT IT, EXCUSE ME, THAT WAS THE ONLY THING THAT I COULD DO AND FEEL LIKE THAT I WAS REACHING BACK THROUGH DON TO THE, TO THE PEOPLE. AND THAT WAS THE LAST TIME PEOPLE SPOKE ON THE MAP. SO IT HAS TO REASON I'M BOTH KNOW BECAUSE DON HAD PICKED SOMEBODY ELSE. MR. MAYOR, I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE MR. MATTINGLY TO THAT POSITION AND I DON'T HAVE HIS RESUME HERE. SO I DON'T HAVE THE FIRST NAME. I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT, BUT I DO NOT HAVE HIS NAME CERTAINLY AS AN INDIVIDUAL AT, UH, DON PICKED JOSEPH MATTINGLY. AND I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, GIVE MY REASONS FOR MY SELECTION. AND MR. MADIGAN HAS NOTHING NEGATIVE TO DO ANY OF THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE, UH, ANY OF THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE PUT THEMSELVES FORWARD FOR THIS POSITION. BUT, UH, MR. MATTINGLY, IN EFFECT, HE DID NOT HAVE TO BE, UH, APPROACHED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF TAKING THIS JOB. HE HAS SHOWN AN INTEREST IN ADDING TO THIS COMMUNITY. HE HAS BEEN A RESIDENT HERE FOR THREE AND ONE HALF YEARS. AND SOMEONE SAID TO ME A WHILE BACK, WELL, THAT'S AN OFFER SHORT TIME. AND THEN THEY REMINDED ME, SOMEONE ELSE REMINDED ME THAT I BELIEVE WHEN THE MAYOR WAS ELECTED MAYOR OF NEWBURN, HE HAD ONLY BEEN A RESIDENT OF NEWBURN FOR SIX MONTHS. WELL, IT'S TOTALLY DIFFERENT. I THOUGHT IT WAS FUNNY THAT THEY SHOULD PUT IT IN THAT, IN THAT WAS OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS, BUT, AND NOTHING PERSONAL. I JUST COULDN'T RESIST THAT ONE BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THAT WAS SO FUNNY. ANYWAY, UM, MR. MATTINGLY'S RESUME, AS I RECALL, SHOWS HIM TO BE A 30, 40 YEAR VETERAN OF THE POSTAL SERVICE DURING WHICH HE SERVED IN A NUMBER OF MANAGEMENT POSITIONS ALSO HAS QUITE A GOOD EDUCATION. HE IS, UH, HE SERVED, AS I SAY, AS IN A MANAGEMENT AND PERSONNEL AND DEVELOPMENT POSITION FOR MANY, MANY LONG YEARS AND CHOSE THIS TO MAKE HIS HOME THREE AND A HALF YEARS AGO. THE THING THAT IMPRESSED ME ABOUT MR. MATTINGLY, I THINK MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE IS THE FACT THAT HE IS THE ONLY ONE OF THE FOUR PEOPLE WHOSE NAMES HAVE COME TO US, WHO HAS APPEARED IN THIS ROOM TO FOLLOW THE WORKINGS OF THIS BOARD AT EVERY MEETING. I BELIEVE SINCE HE MAY HAVE BECAME INTERESTED SINCE DON RESIGNED AND HE PUT HIS NAME FORWARD, OR SINCE DON LEFT AND PUT HIS NAME FORWARD, THIS SHOWS THAT HE IS TRULY INTERESTED IN THIS POSITION. AND HE IS THE ONLY PERSON WHO HAS APPEARED HERE ALL OF THOSE TIMES. I THINK ONE OF THE OTHER PEOPLE HAS BEEN HERE ONCE. UH, THIS SHOWS AN INTEREST THAT I HAVE NOT SEEN IN THE OTHER CANDIDATES. HE HAS AN ADEQUATE EDUCATION. HE HAS MORE THAN ENOUGH INTEREST IN THE JOB TO SATISFY IN MY MIND. AND THAT'S WHY I NOMINATE HIM FOR THE JOB. I DO NOT. I HAVE NOT DISCUSSED THIS WITH HIM. I HAVE NOT DISCUSSED THIS WITH, I HAVE NOT QUESTIONED ANY OF THE FOUR PEOPLE WHO PUT THEIR NAMES IN FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING APPOINTED. AND I DID NOT DO THAT FOR VERY GOOD REASON. AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, WE ARE TO A CERTAIN DEGREE NOMINATING ALMOST A CARETAKER BECAUSE OF THE SHORTNESS OF THE TERM BEFORE RUNNING FOR ELECTION BY THE PEOPLE, WHICH I THINK IS THE BEST WAY HAD THERE BEEN TWO YEARS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO GO BEFORE AN ELECTION, I WOULD HAVE FOUGHT TOOTH AND NAIL FOR A SPECIAL ELECTION TO BE HELD WITHIN THE FOURTH WARD. THE PROBLEM IS WE HAVE TO PAY THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS TO CONDUCT, TO CONDUCT THESE ELECTIONS. IT IS NOT AN INEXPENSIVE PROCESS AND IT SEEMED TO BE NOT THE BEST USE OF THE TAXPAYER'S DOLLARS TO HOLD AN ELECTION IN THE FOURTH WARD, FOUR, TO FILL A POSITION, WHICH THE PERSON WOULD THEN HAVE TO REGISTER TO RUN AND JUST A COUPLE OF MONTHS. AND IT JUST DIDN'T SEEM TO BE A REASONABLE WAY TO USE THAT MONEY. THEREFORE, I HAVE NOMINATED MR. JOSEPH MATTINGLY FOR THAT POSITION. WHAT'S THE PROCEDURE NOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE WAY WE, THE WAY WE'RE CARRYING THIS OUT, IT'S LIKE, I'M FOR ONE. AND I'M AGAINST ANOTHER ONE TO ME, TO US, EITHER ANYONE OR AGAINST ANYONE. SO WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE NOW, WHEN WE'LL END UP WITH A VOTE OF THREE, THREE, MR. MAYOR, MAY I MAKE A SUGGESTION TO THAT? WELL, I KNOW WE HAVE TO VOTE, BUT I'LL MAKE THIS SUGGESTION. EVEN IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO GIVE AN ANSWER, [00:10:02] I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NOW, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, SO IT WON'T SEEM LIKE WE'RE PLANNING, MR. MAY. I CAN ANSWER THAT VERY SIMPLE FROM MS. LEE. UM, I W I WILL VOTE YES FOR MR MATTER. SO DON'T WORRY ABOUT A TIE. UH, THE REASON I WAS VOTING, OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE I THOUGHT THE YOUNG LADY THAT WAS RUNNING, THAT WAS MY FIRST CHOICE. MY SECOND CHOICE WOULD BE MR. , I DIDN'T GET THE SUPPORT OR MR. RADER DIDN'T GET SUPPORT FOR THE NOMINATION HE MADE. SO ONLY THING I CAN DO NOW IS SUPPORT THE NEXT PERSON THAT IS BEING NOMINATED, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT ME TO MENTALLY TO FEEL AS THOUGH WE'RE PICKING SIDES AND SUCH THAT THAT WAS MY FIRST CHOICE. THAT WAS MY CONCERN, BECAUSE NOW WE'RE PLAYING, PLAYING, YOU KNOW, NEITHER OF US ARE ADAMANT ABOUT EITHER OF THEM. SO, YOU KNOW, IF MR. MADDEN IS THE ONLY OTHER NOMINATION, UNLESS THERE IS ANOTHER MAYER, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK HER IF MS. FRANCE STAND UP. SO THE PEOPLE WOULD KNOW WHO I WAS SUPPORTING. MS. PRINCE, COULD YOU PLEASE STAND UP? UM, I'D LIKE TO REMIND HER THAT ELECTIONS ARE COMING UP SO YOU CAN HAVE, IT HAS A LOT OF FUN. IT MADE A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE, AND THEN YOU GET MISTAKEN FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, BUT, UH, AND IT'S TRUE. NOBODY ON THIS BOARD HAS ANY AX TO GRIND WITH ANY INDIVIDUAL. IN FACT, IF WE CAN POINT TO THAT'S THE TWO WE TAKE, REALLY, I THOUGHT THROUGH IT FOR REASONS THAT I HAVE, AND I CAN'T, I MEAN, NOBODY, NO ONE INDIVIDUAL SCRUTINIZE ALL OF US AND PICKED US. IT WAS A VOICE OF THE PEOPLE. AND THAT EVEN COMES DOWN TO WHO EVEN GOT UP AND GO PULL THE LEVER, WHETHER THEY WERE RIGHT OR WRONG OR WHATEVER. SO I DID WHAT I DID FOR THE REASONS I NAMED. RIGHT. AND SO DOES EVERYBODY ELSE, SO LET'S CALL THE VOTE AGAIN, THEN JUST SEE WHAT HAPPENS. YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, YES. ALL RIGHT. I GUESS THE NEXT THING TO DO IS TO SWEARING AND THAT'LL BE MY JOB, MR. MATTINGLY. YOU ARE HERE. THIS IS FOUR YEARS AGO. YOU DON'T WANT ME TO STAND TO LET ME GET SOME CLARIFICATION ON SOMETHING ON MY LEG. CAN YOU SIT UP A LITTLE BIT, I GUESS THAT'S THE REAL SERIOUS ABOUT IT? SO YOU'LL HAVE TO PUT YOUR LEFT HAND ON THE BIBLE, RAISE YOUR RIGHT AND REPEAT AFTER ME, JOSEPH MADIGAN, DO YOU SOLEMNLY SWEAR OR SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I WILL SUPPORT THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES? I WILL SUPPORT THE PACIFICATION IN THE UNITED STATES. SO HELP ME GO DO YOU SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I WILL SUPPORT AND MAINTAIN THE CONSTITUTION? I WILL SUPPORT THE CONSTITUTION AND THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE LAWS IN THE UNITED STATES AND THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF NORTH CAROLINA, PROSTITUTION LAWS IN NORTH CAROLINA, NOT INCONSISTENT HERE ON THERE WITH INCONSISTENT WITH, AND THEN I WILL FIGHT FULLY AND PARTIALLY DISCHARGE THE DUTIES OF MY OFFICE. AND I WILL FAITHFULLY AND IMPARTIALLY DISCHARGE THE DUTIES OF MY OFFICE, ULTIMATELY THE CITY OF NEWBURGH. [00:15:01] SO HELP ME GO ALL AN MEN IN THE CITY OF NEWBURGH. OKAY. JOSEPH MADENA, JR. THEY SOLIDLY AND SINCERELY SWEAR YOU SOLEMNLY AND SINCERELY SWEAR. NOW I WILL BE FAITHFUL IN MY, OUR TRUE ALLEGIANCE TO THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA. I WILL BE FAIR, TRUE, AND TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL POWER AND AUTHORITIES TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL POWER AND AUTHORITY, WHICH MA, WHICH ARE, OR MAYBE ESTABLISHED FOR THE GOVERNMENT, THEY ARE UP, WHICH ARE MAYBE ESTABLISHED FOR THE GOVERNMENT. AND THEN I WILL ENDEAVOR TO SUPPORT. I WILL NEVER SUPPORT, MAINTAIN AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF SAID, STATE NOT INCONSISTENT WITH THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE BEST OF MY ABILITY. SO HELPED ME UP TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY. THIS GETS EASIER, BUT IF YOU'LL NOTICE THIS AS MY WHOLE YEAR, AND I STILL AM A VOICE, I GAVE UP MY SEAT BACK THERE. SO SOMEBODY ELSE ASKED, HEY, YOU ARE A PUBLIC SERVANT. BELIEVE THAT'LL BECOME REAL APPARENT. OKAY. YEAH. NOW MAKE A NOTE AND A REQUEST AND HOPEFULLY SUPPORT FROM OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, UM, AS AGENDAS PRINTED IS FINE, BUT IS IT POSSIBLE WITH SUPPORT FROM THE BOARD? IF WE ITEM SEVEN, UH, UP UNDER REQUEST TO PETITION CITIZENS AS A LARGE CROWD IN, OKAY. NOW, MR. MEYER, UH, THAT'S FINE. THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. WELL, I THINK WHAT HE'S WANTING TO, WHERE DO YOU WANT TO LEAVE IT TO? I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE IT UP UNDER REQUEST A PETITION OF CITIZENS UP UNDERNEATH IT. SAY YES, SIR. OKAY. WELL, HERE'S THE MIC NUMBER SEVEN, NUMBER SIX AND NUMBER SIX. NUMBER SEVEN. OKAY. YEAH. MR. MATTINGLY SAY TO HIM, ADDRESS SUGGESTED THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO HAVE A FEW WORDS OF INTRODUCTION OR HOW MUCH TIME DO I HAVE IT GETS REAL HOT IN HERE. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK THE BOARD MEMBERS FOR THEIR TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN POINTING ME TO THIS IMPORTANT POSITION. I AM COMMITTED AFTER A SHORT ORIENTATION PERIOD, TO TRY TO BE A FORCE, TO HELP THE BOARD TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR NOT ONLY THE RESONANCE OF THE FOURTH WARD, BUT FOR ALL THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY OF NEWBURGH. MY LIFELONG PHILOSOPHY HAS BEEN TO DO THE RIGHT THING AT THE RIGHT TIME FOR THE RIGHT REASON. THAT'S WHAT I INTEND TO DO IN THIS JOB. I'M VERY AWARE OF THE MANY PROBLEMS THAT FACE THE WARD IN THE CITY IN GENERAL, SPECIFICALLY GROWTH I'M IN FAVOR OF GROWTH, BUT GOOD, GOOD GROWTH IS CONTROLLED GROWTH. HOWEVER, THE CITY GOVERNMENT MUST BE MORE SENSITIVE TO THE INTERESTS AND CONCERNS OF THE CURRENT RESIDENTS RATHER THAN FAVOR THE DEVELOPERS WHO COME INTO OR THROUGH THE EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS. TRAFFIC IS A PROBLEM INCREASING TRAFFIC FLOW, BUT PLACING STRONGER ENFORCEMENT OVER TWO OF OUR MAJOR THOROUGHFARES GLEN BURNIE AVENUE AND NEUSE BOULEVARD IN PARTICULAR, SLOWING DOWN TO SPEEDING TRUCKS AND REQUIRING COVERED LOADS ON TRUCKS, CARRYING THE BRAVE LAND USE. WE NEED TO IMPOSE OR ENFORCE STRONGER ZONING REQUIREMENTS, MORE PUBLIC NOTICE ON ZONING, NOT ALLOWING SPECIAL DEVIATION DRAINAGE. THIS IS A REAL CITY PROBLEM. THE MAYOR HAS BEEN QUOTED. AND ESPECIALLY SPECIFICALLY IN THIS SUN JOURNAL ON NOVEMBER THE 12TH 96, HE SAYS, AS LONG AS I AM MAYOR FIXING THE DRAINAGE WILL BE MY NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. THIS WILL BE ALSO ONE OF MY MAJOR OBJECTIVES PARENTS AND FORCING THE CLEAR CUTTING ORDINANCE PROPERTY OWNERS WHO HARVEST TIMBER WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS MUST CLEAN UP THE MESS. AFTER THE SALEABLE TIMBER IS REMOVED LITTERING, TAKE A WALK WITH ME DOWN OUR MAJOR THOROUGHFARES OF GLEN BURNIE AND [00:20:01] NEUSE BOULEVARD AND SEE WHAT THE LITTER IS. UH, ALONG THOSE TWO MA TWO OF OUR MAIN THOROUGHFARES, WE NEED TO CLEAN IT UP, ENFORCING THE LITTERING LAWS. FINALLY, I REFER TO THE SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22ND, SUN JOURNAL EDITORIAL, WHICH STATES THAT THE MOST VALUABLE PREREQUISITE FOR THE OFFICE OF ALDERMAN IS OWNING AN ANSWERING MACHINE. IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN I QUALIFY. I WOULD ALSO ASK THE SUN JOURNAL TO PUBLISH MY TELEPHONE NUMBER, WHICH HAS AN ANSWERING MACHINE. THE NUMBER IS 5 1 4 2 5 6 4. AND MY OFFICE WILL BE OPEN AT 10 O'CLOCK TOMORROW MORNING. THAT'S 5 1 4 2 5 6 4. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADVISE EVERYONE THAT, ALTHOUGH I UNDERSTAND THIS POSITION IS NOT A FULL-TIME POSITION, I WILL DEVOTE WHATEVER TIME IT TAKES TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE CITIZENS OF THE FOURTH WARD AND THE REP AND THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF NEW BERN, UH, ARE PROPERLY REPRESENTED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE TIME. IT WASN'T THAT THE MAYOR'S PHONE NUMBER YOU GAVE, BUT HE'LL FIND OUT WHEN IT STARTED RINGING. THAT'S RIGHT. OKAY. LET'S SEE. PRESENTATION OF THE SERVICE AND RETIREMENT CERTIFICATES. NOW I KNOW THAT HERE, BECAUSE I BELIEVE I SIGNED EVERY ONE OF THE SOLE LEFT LEFT-HANDED POLE. 15 YEARS OF SERVICE. YEAH. [00:26:13] IT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS. TODAY. I WENT TO THE BARBER SHOP AND THIS IS ALL IS ALL MARRIED MEN. WE HAVE OUR LITTLE WAYS OF DOING OUR THING OR OUR LITTLE REBELLION. AND THE LAST THING MY WIFE TOLD ME FOR WANTING TO BARBERSHOP IS DON'T GET YOUR HAIR CUT SHORT. THIS IS MY THING. WE'LL END THE BARBERSHOP WHERE YOU LEARN ALL THINGS AND, AND SO FORTH. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TELL QUITE A FEW FOLKS, AND NOW TODAY IS KINDA RIDING AND THEY WERE ASKING ME ABOUT BEING MAYOR AND SOME OF THEM, WELL, ONE GUY CUT MY HAIR FOR 30 YEARS OR MORE, I GUESS. AND I SAID, ONE OF THE SURPRISES I GOT AS MAYOR WAS HOW GOOD THAT THE BOARD WAS, YOU KNOW, THEIR HEART WAS IN THE RIGHT PLACE. THEY HAD PLENTY OF SENSE AND THEY ALWAYS WANT TO DO THE RIGHT THING. AND I WAS SURPRISED BY THAT. AND I SAID, THE SECOND BIG SURPRISE I GOT WAS HOW GOOD THE CITY EMPLOYEES WERE. AND I MEANT THAT A HUNDRED PERCENT THEN DARREN AND NATE, AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THEY CAN CURVE. AND THEN WHEN I SAY, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, JUST BECAUSE THE PUBLIC, A LOT OF TIMES DOESN'T REALLY HAVE AN APPRECIATION FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN GOVERNMENT HAVE WORKED FOR THE GOVERNMENT AND WHATEVER, BUT, UH, YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED A LOT OF THE FOLKS AROUND NEW BUD, EXCUSE ME, DO HAVE AN APPRECIATION FOR THE CITY WORKERS. AND, UH, YOU GOT SOME GOOD ACCOLADES TODAY. I WAS QUICK TO POINT OUT AS I ALWAYS DO. I LIKE TO TAKE SOME CREDIT, BUT AS YOU ALL KNOW, I DON'T DESERVE ANY, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT. SO THANK YOU FOR A JOB. WELL DONE. AND, UH, AS FAR AS MY WIFE IS CONCERNED, IT WILL GROW OUT IF YOU WATCH IT. SO, ANYWAY, LET'S SEE, WE WANTED TO DO THAT. DID THAT, OKAY. REQUEST AND PETITIONS OF CITIZENS. UH, WE GOT A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I DO KNOW OF, AND I, AND SOME, PROBABLY SOME THINGS I DON'T KNOW OUT HERE. ONE IS THE SHOREBIRD BOAT RENTAL FELL OUT IF HE WANTS TO COME FORTH AND MAKE HIS PRESENTATION. AND ESPECIALLY SINCE HE'S ON THE FRONT ROW CURRENTLY. AND I GUESS YOU, UH, GENTLEMEN AND LADY, UH, MY NAME IS BOB AND I OWN A SHOREBIRD, BOTH RENTALS. AND WE'RE BEGINNING OUR FIFTH SEASON NOW, UH, IN THE DOWNTOWN LOCATION WITH AN OPERATION ON THE TRENT AND THE NEWS RIVERS. UH, JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND. MAYBE SOME OF THIS WILL BE NEW, UH, AND MAYBE SOME OF IT'S A REPEAT, BUT OUR BUSINESS IS A FAMILY OWNED BUSINESS. I'VE LIVED HERE NOW FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS. I'VE OWNED HOMES HERE FOR ABOUT FIVE OR SIX YEARS, AND IT'S A FAMILY BUSINESS, MY WIFE, MYSELF, AND BOTH OF MY SONS, OUR SONS, UH, WERE, UH, POWER SQUADRON MEMBERS, UH, WERE AGENTS OF THE NORTH CAROLINA WILDLIFE, UH, ASSOCIATION, UH, WERE, UM, COAST GUARD, CERTIFIED CAPTAINS IN OPERATION. AND WE'RE ALSO AGENTS OF KNOWER, WHICH IS, UH, UH, A CHAAT, UH, AGENCY OF THE GOVERNMENT. WE, UH, HAPPENED TO BE THE ONLY THING THAT'S ON THE RIVER AT THIS POINT, UH, IN, IN TERMS OF HAVING PEOPLE MAKE USE OF OUR RIVERS. UH, WE HAVE A FLEET OF, UH, NEARLY 20 BOATS AT THIS POINT. AND IF WE PROCEED WITH OUR PLANS, WE WILL INCLUDE IN OUR FLEET BOATS, THAT WILL BE LOANED TO US BY OTHER PEOPLE WHO WANT TO MAKE PART-TIME USE OF THEIR BOATS WHEN THEY'RE NOT USING THEM. [00:30:02] WE MAINTAIN A VERY LARGE LIABILITY INSURANCE POLICY IN OUR BUSINESS. AND I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT IN OUR FIVE YEARS OF OPERATION, WE HAVE NO LAWSUITS AND NOBODY HAS EVER BEEN INJURED. UH, WHICH AN OUTCOME IN OUR BUSINESS, I THINK IS A, IS AN ACCOMPLISHMENT AND SAYS SOMETHING FOR THE WAY THAT WE OPERATE OUR BUSINESS, WHICH IS TRYING TO KEEP IT AS FAMILY ORIENTED AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. THE, THE THING, THE REASON THAT I'M I'M HERE TONIGHT IS THAT I HOPE TO MAKE IT CLEAR TO YOU THAT MOST OF OUR CUSTOMERS ARE NOT LOCAL TOWNS, PEOPLE, BUT RATHER PEOPLE WHO VISIT EITHER IN FAIRFIELD HARBOR OR IN THE HOTELS IN THE CITY. AND WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A LARGE MARKET OF, FOR OUR BUSINESS, WITH THE LOCAL TOWNS PEOPLE. AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN TOWN WHO WANT TO BE ON THE RIVERS, BUT PROBABLY CAN'T AFFORD THE PURCHASE OF BOAT TO BE THERE. THE PLACE WHERE WE DO BUSINESS RIGHT NOW HERE AT THE SHERIFF. AND HE TOLD US LAST YEAR, THIS YEAR, WE HAD A STORE RIGHT BEHIND THE SHIRT, WHICH I'M READY TO SAY THIS WAS LOST IN FLOODS AND WINDS OF JULY. AND WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE MOVED OUR INSTALL FROM HERE OVER HERE TO RIVER AT A PLACE CALLED TIDEWATER MARINE OPERATION. SO WE NOW HAVE A STORE OPEN. SO READING SUPPLIES, AND THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT THE MARINAS HAVE GONE. THERE IS NOTHING, THERE IS NO PLACE TO PUT A BOAT IN THE WATER, EXCEPT AT THE SHERATON HOTEL. AT THIS POINT, THE COMFORT SUITES IS GONE AND IT'S NOT ANY SIGN OF REBUILDING. ALTHOUGH IT HAS BEEN SOMETHING ABOUT POSSIBLY DOING SOMETHING. THE RAMADA, AS YOU KNOW, IS, HAS BEEN DESTROYED AND IS IN THE PROCESS OF REMOVING FILINGS AND TEARS AND THAT SORT OF THING. AND WHEN IT COMES BACK, I BELIEVE IT'S COMING BACK AS A, AS A FRANCHISE TO A SEPARATE HOME OTHER THAN THE VERMONTER. BUT RIGHT NOW THIS SEASON, WE ARE HERE AND WE WANT, I TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE VERY DOABLE. I WANT TO OFFER TO THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THIS TOWN, THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO OUT IN BOLTS, IN A VERY NON-THREATENING ENVIRONMENT, MEANING THE ONE PLACE WHERE YOU COULD GO ON THE SHERIFF IS A HOTEL AND IT'S, UH, IT'S MORE OF A THREATENING ENVIRONMENT TO COME AND USE BOATS, ESPECIALLY THE KIND OF BOATS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO PUT IN THE RIVER, WHICH IS SMALLER CRAFT THAT ARE EITHER MANUAL POWERED OR SAIL POWERED OR KAYAK TYPE OR CANOE TYPE OR JET POWER TYPE. THIS IS A RESTRICTED AREA AT BE SAY, IS SPEED LIMITS. DOES THAT REQUIRE A DIFFERENT PHONE? AND ALSO THESE ARE PRIVATE. IT'S NOT VERY EASY FOR LOCAL TOWNSPEOPLE TO COME IN AND USE THE EQUIPMENT. WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IS COME INTO LAWSON CREEK PARK AND THIS LOCATION, WE WOULD LIKE TO SET UP AN OPERATION AND PUT IN PLACE A SMALL BOAT OPERATION WHERE PEOPLE COULD RENT BOATS AND USE THEM ON THE RIVER. IN THIS AREA WITH MONITORING BY OURSELVES IN THIS, WE WOULD FOCUS ON FAMILY OPERATION, MEANING THAT WE WOULD TAKE PEOPLE ON THE RIVER. WE WOULD SHOW THEM HOW TO OPERATE WATERCRAFT. AND WE WOULD BE ON THE RIVER WITH THEM TO MONITOR THE SAFETY OF THE OPERATION, WHICH IS NOT FOREIGN TO US OBVIOUSLY, BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IT IN THAT LOCATION. ALSO, THE, UH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, WHICH I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT IS THAT WE HAVE OFFERED THIS TIME OF SERVICE TO DISABLED PERSONS. WE HAVE TWO BALLS THAT ARE ADA QUALIFIED, MEANING WE CAN PUT WHEELCHAIRS ON FOR THE, FOR THE BOATS. AND WE HAVE DONE THAT. AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL CASES OF REPEAT CUSTOMERS WHO COME BACK TO OUR CITY BECAUSE THEY LIKE TO BE ON THESE BEAUTIFUL RIVERS AND WE CAN PUT THEM OUT. WE'VE ALSO WORKED WITH THE, UH, [00:35:01] THE NEWS FOUNDATION, UH, OR THE NEW CENTER, I'M SORRY. UH, THE HANDICAP PEOPLE THERE, WE WORK CLOSELY WITH THE BLUE KNIGHTS IN, IN PROVIDING COMMUNITY EVENTS FOR THEM. AND, UH, WITH THE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE OFFER DISCOUNTS ON OUR OPEN. SO WE ARE COMMUNITY ORIENTED. WE INTEND TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT. AND IF WE CAN GET INTO THIS, THE LOCATION IN THE FALL, IT'LL GIVE US MORE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT MORE TYPES OF EQUIPMENT IN PLACE FOR, FOR THE TOWN. NOW, IN PREPARING TO COME TO THIS MEETING, THIS WAS AN IDEA THAT WAS GENERATED LAST FALL IN OUR BUSINESS. I HAVE TAKEN THIS TO, UH, THE, UM, THE SWISS BEAR TO THEIR BOARD. I'VE TAKEN IT TO THE CHANGES BOARD AND I'VE TAKEN IT TO THE CONVENTION, THE CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU, AND ALL HAVE ENDORSED THE IDEA OF DOING THIS. AND I NEED YOUR SUPPORT TO, TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. MATTER OF FACT, UH, THE CHAMBER, STEVE HICKS HERE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY IT AGAIN? I CAN SHOW WHAT I'M ASKING FOR THEN TO BE VERY SPECIFIC. I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO OPEN THE PARK TO OUR BUSINESS. I UNDERSTAND THE HESITATIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE WITH THAT. WHAT I'M ASKING IS LET ME HAVE A DAY OR TWO OF THE WEEK TO TRY THIS, TO SEE HOW IT WORKS WITH THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO SEE WHAT KIND OF A REACTION WE GOT. IT'S NOT OUR INTENTION TO TAKE OVER THE POC. IT'S NOT OUR INTENTION TO HAVE A CITY SPEND ANY MONEY. I WILL PUT $50,000 WORTH OF BOATS IN THAT LOCATION, OR MAKE THEM AVAILABLE IN THAT LOCATION. I WILL PUT THE FLOATING DOCK IN PLACE THAT MY FLOATING DOCK IS DESTROYED PONTOON BOAT FROM ONE OF THE STORMS. I WILL TIE IT AT THAT LOCATION ON A WE'LL USE THAT AS A SAFE PLATFORM AND A MONITORING PLATFORM, UM, FOR THE ACTIVITY THAT TAKES PLACE IN THE RIVER. SO IF WE'RE TO PROCEED, I NEED YOUR BLESSING TO MOVE AHEAD WITH A ONE OR TWO DAY OPERATION TO GIVE IT A FAIR CHANCE. FIRST QUESTION, I'M GOING TO HAPPEN. COME ON. WHAT KIND OF LEGAL OUTCOMES DO WE HAVE? YEAH, IT SHOULD BE HANDLED BY CONTRACT CITY. AGAIN, YOU SHOULDN'T BE REQUIRED TO HAVE A LARGE AMOUNT OF LIABILITY AND HAVE IT PROPERLY. I DON'T THINK, OKAY. THAT'S GOING TO BE A BIG CONCERN. I HAVE THE LIABILITY ON THERE. EXCUSE ME. I SAY, I KNOW YOU HAVE THE LIABILITY IN THE CITY'S NAME IS EXCUSE ME, IN IT. AT LEAST THAT WAS ONE OF THE TRENDS. YES, SIR. I HAVE A $1 MILLION LIABILITY POLICY NOW, AND I, UH, I HAD THE HOTELS THAT WE OPERATE IN OR THE HOTEL AMOUNT THAT I OPERATE IN IDENTIFIED, AND I WOULD BE SURE TO HAVE THE CITY IDENTIFIED ALL THIS TIME. OKAY, MA'AM GO AHEAD. WHERE'S THE IF POSSIBLE. AND OF COURSE MY FIRST QUESTION, EVERY GAS IS LIABILITY AND WHAT RESPONSIBILITY, UH, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO MERIT ALSO CITY MANAGER, ALONG WITH THE POSSIBLE BOBBING TO ATTEND OUR WORK SESSION ON MONDAY. AND AT THAT TIME, THE ATTORNEY CAN BRIEF US ON WHAT CAN AND CAN'T BE DONE AT THE SAME TIME. WE CAN ALSO CALL IN, UH, OF PARKS AND RECREATION AND ALSO DANNY. SO THAT ANY QUESTIONS WE HAVE, WE CAN ASK AND GET ANSWERS, THEN WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. NOW WE'RE GOING TO BE ASKING QUESTIONS AND MAYBE SOME DEPARTMENT HEADS THAT NEED TO BE HERE, NOT HERE. I THINK IF WE DID AN WORK SAYS WHEN YOU SIT DOWN AND GO HEAD TO HEAD AND BE IN A LITTLE MORE COMFORTABLE SITUATION, I HAVE SOME THINGS THAT I THINK WE CAN GET MORE DONE INSTEAD OF TRYING TO ANSWER QUESTIONS HERE TONIGHT. AND OF COURSE I WORK SESSIONS MONDAY, EVEN BETTER THAN THAT, YOU KNOW, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WON'T BE WITH YOU COMING TO ASK US SOMETHING AND YOU HAVE TO GO BACK AND FIND IT OUT. I SUGGEST IF YOU, HAVE YOU MADE THIS PROPOSAL TO THE CITY MANAGER YET? YES MA'AM. OKAY. AND I PARTICULARLY [00:40:01] LIKED FOR THE CITY MANAGER TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION. WE DON'T ALWAYS GO ALONG, BUT MOST OF THE TIME WE DID, YOU KNOW, HE JUST WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND LOOK INTO, UM, OUR RESPONSIBILITIES AND OUR LIABILITIES IN REGARDS TO THIS AND, YOU KNOW, SORT OF ASSESS IT SOMEWHAT. THEN HE CAN ADVISE YOU AS TO THE KINDS OF THINGS WE CAN AND CANNOT DO, AND THEN BRING IT TO US KNOWING TO MAKE THAT WAY, HE'LL BE PREPARED TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO US AS TO HOW WE SHOULD PROCEED TO DO WELL. I HAVEN'T MET, WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW THIS THING. AND MAX IS THAT I DON'T HAVE MY NAME ON IT. I CAN SEE IT. OKAY. UH, FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, I'M TOTALLY IN FAVOR OF THIS 100%. I AM VERY MUCH A WATER PERSON. AND I SUDDENLY FIND MYSELF BETWEEN THE BOATS BECAUSE MY WIFE TRADED HER SKI BOAT FOR A JET SKI AND SHE HASN'T PICKED IT UP YET, BUT ANYWAY, WATER'S A LITTLE COLD FOR THAT SORT OF THING FOR ME. ANYWAY, I DO HAVE QUESTIONS, WHICH I DID WANT TO BRING OUT SO THAT YOU CAN THINK ABOUT THEM. AND WE CAN THINK ABOUT THEM AT WHATEVER POINT WE NEED TO. UH, FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE ARE GOING TO ALLOW ONE PERSON TO OPERATE AND IN FACT, A BUSINESS IN A CITY PARK, WHAT IS GOING TO BE OUR ATTITUDE THE NEXT TIME SOMEBODY COMES ALONG AND SAYS, WELL, HE'S GOT A LOT OF CUSTOMERS OVER THERE. SO I'D LIKE TO USE THIS LITTLE PART TO PUT A HOT DOG TRUCK ON OR AN ICE CREAM TRUCK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO I FEEL WE NEED TO, TO FIND THE ANSWER FOR THOSE. I DON'T THINK THE ANSWERS ARE GOING TO KEEP YOU FROM DOING WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE ANSWERS ARE AND NOT HAVE THESE COME UP LATER AND CATCH US BY SURPRISE. I COMMEND YOU FOR COMING UP WITH THE IDEA. MANY TIMES I HAVE TRAVELED TO WATERFRONT CITIES DRAWN THERE BY THE WATER AND FOUND THAT THE ONLY THING I COULD DO IS LOOK AT IT AND THAT'S A TERRIBLE THING TO HAVE TO DO. SO I'M WITH YOU ALL THE WAY ON THE SIDE. YEAH. I THINK IT'S A KEY RIGHT IN LINE WITH WHAT WE WANT NEW-BORN TO BE A VISITOR FRIENDLY. AND I JUST THINK THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ON SAFE GROUNDS AND THIS IS MOSTLY A SITUATION, I GUESS, FOR THE CITY MANAGER AND OUR CITY ATTORNEY TO EXAMINE AND GIVE US THE ANSWERS WE NEED AND I'LL DO ANYTHING I CAN TO HELP HIM. THANK YOU, SIR. YES. RIGHT. OH, I'M SORRY. YOU'RE WRONG? YES, SIR. UM, MY QUESTION IS WHEN YOU WERE STATIONED AT THE SHERATON, DID YOU HAVE TO PAY THEM FOR THE USE OF THEIR MARINE FACILITIES, SIR? W WE'RE STILL LOCATED AT THE SHERIFF AND WE WILL ALWAYS BE AT THE SHERATON. I HAVE A CONTRACT THERE. SO WHETHER OR NOT THIS PROCEEDS, I WILL STILL BE AT THE SHERIFF, BUT YOU ALL PAYING THEM SOMETHING? YEAH, BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO COME UP FROM THE PUBLIC. I CAN TELL YOU THAT. WELL, YES, I'M PAYING THEM, I'M PAYING THEM AT THE SAME RATE. ANY BOAT OWNER WOULD PAY TO KEEP HIS BOAT THERE AND RECEIVE ELECTRIC, POWER, WATER, POWER, SECURITY, AND SPACE AND, AND, AND, AND AMENITIES LIKE PARKING AND, AND OTHER THINGS THAT GO WITH IT. SO YES, I PAY A FAIR PRICE FOR THAT. OKAY. SO IF THIS IS SUCCESSFUL, YOU WOULDN'T MIND PAYING US A FAIR PRICE FOR THE TAX TAXPAYERS? NO, I JUST MEAN, I THINK QUID PRO QUO. OKAY. OKAY. YOU SAID THE RIGHT WORDS. YOU'RE WELCOME. I SAY, MAN, ANYBODY ELSE ON THE FIRST ROAD, UH, REQUESTING PETITIONS OF CITIZENS NOW, THIS IS NOT THE PROBABLY HEARING FOR THE, FOR THE CHARGES OR THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE INSTALLMENT MERCHANTS, A PROPERTY, JUST TO MAKE IT CLEAR ANYBODY ON THE SECOND OR THIRD RUN, ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE, NOBODY NOW. OKAY. AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT THING, WHICH IS LESLIE. WE SWAP SIX AND SEVEN. THIS WILL BE PUBLIC HEARING. YOU CAN SELL THE PROPOSED NOMINATIONS OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC LICENSE FOR THE FOLLOWING NEIGHBORING HISTORIC RESOURCES ST. PETER, THE AME ZION CHURCH SIX 17 QUEEN STREET, RU CHAPEL AME CHURCH, 709 OAK STREET ST. JOHN MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH, 1130, WALT BELLAMY DRIVE, EXCUSE ME. FIRST MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH, EIGHT 19 CYPRESS STREET, EXCUSE ME, PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AT SEVEN 18 BURNS STREET. TAKE IT AWAY. OKAY. A MEMBER OF THE BOARD, UM, MR. MAYOR, UH, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TONIGHT, WE ARE HERE TO, UH, HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING TO SOLICIT COMMENT [00:45:01] ON SOME NATIONAL REGISTER NOMINATIONS, UH, TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THIS PROJECT. UM, WE GO BACK TO 1994. UM, AT THAT TIME, THE CITY'S HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION, WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE AS PART OF ITS MANDATE FOR IDENTIFYING AND EVALUATING HISTORIC RESOURCES WITHIN THE CITY, UH, WAS WITH THE HELP OF BRANT MONEY OF UNDERTOOK AN ARCHITECTURAL INVENTORY OF THE CITY'S AFRICAN-AMERICAN NEIGHBORHOODS. WE HIRED TWO CONSULTANTS WITH FUNDING THROUGH THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL RESOURCES AND WERE ABLE TO DOCUMENT OVER 600 BUILDINGS WITHIN SEVERAL OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAD AT LEAST A A 50 YEAR AGE TO THEM. THE END RESULT OF THAT SURVEY WAS THE COMPILATION OF A REPORT DOCUMENT ENTITLED THE HISTORY AND ARCHITECTURE OF LONG WHARF AND GREATER DUFFY FIELD AFRICAN-AMERICAN NEIGHBORHOODS IN NEW BERN, NORTH CAROLINA, SEVERAL BUILDINGS, UH, THAT WERE INVENTORIED AT THAT TIME WERE IDENTIFIED IN THIS PUBLICATION AS BEING POTENTIALLY ELIGIBLE FOR LISTING IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES. THE NATIONAL REGISTER PROGRAM IS A PROGRAM OF THE U S DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, UH, ADMINISTERED THROUGH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE. AND IT IS ESSENTIALLY A AN HONOR PROGRAM. IT IS A LISTING OF BUILDINGS, SITES, DISTRICTS, OBJECTS, STRUCTURES, ARCHEOLOGICAL, UH, AREAS THAT HAVE SIGNIFICANCE EITHER ON A LOCAL STATE OR NATIONAL LEVEL BECAUSE OF THEIR ARCHITECTURE, THEIR HISTORY, OR THEIR CULTURAL VALUE. AS I SAID, THERE, THIS IS PRIMARILY AN HONORIFIC PROGRAM. UH, THERE ARE NO RESTRICTIONS PLACED ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, UH, FOR BEING NOMINATED TO THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES. UH, THERE IS SOME PROTECTION AFFORDED TO PROPERTIES THAT ARE PLACED ON THE REGISTER, CERTAIN FEDERAL PROJECTS AND UNDERTAKINGS, FOR EXAMPLE, A ROAD WIDENING PROJECT, UH, A PROGRAM THAT MIGHT INVOLVE, UH, FLOOD MITIGATION, ALL OF THESE TYPES OF PROGRAMS THAT MAY IN SOMEHOW IN SOME FASHION, UH, NEGATIVELY IMPACT A HISTORIC BUILDING HAVE TO BE EVALUATED, UH, BEFORE, UH, THE UNDERTAKING CAN TAKE PLACE IN ORDER TO SEE WHAT KIND OF IMPACT IT WOULD HAVE ON THESE HISTORIC RESOURCES. SO THERE IS SOME PROTECTION AFFORDED. THE OTHER BENEFIT TO NATIONAL REGISTER NOMINATION IS THAT IT DOES PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY FOR POSSIBLE GRANT FUNDING. THERE'S NEVER ANY GUARANTEE OF THAT. IT'S OF COURSE, BASED ON THE AVAILABILITY OF DOLLARS, BUT BEING ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER DOES GIVE A PROPERTY AND AN UPPER HAND, WHEN IT COMES TO TRYING TO SEEK A GRANT MONIES TO, FOR EXAMPLE, REPAIR A PARTICULAR BUILDING IN 1995, FOLLOWING THE PUBLICATION OF THE REPORT, THE CITY OF NEWBURN APPLIED THROUGH THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION APPLIED FOR FUNDING TO GO TO THE NEXT STEP. AND THAT WAS ACTUALLY TO TAKE SOME OF THESE PROPERTIES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE REPORT AND ACTUALLY BEGIN THE PROCESS OF NOMINATING THEM TO THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES. AND WE WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH IN EARLY 1996 TO RECEIVE $20,000, 10,000 FROM THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL RESOURCES AND AN ADDITIONAL $10,000 FROM THE NORTH CAROLINA INSTITUTE OF MINORITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO UNDERTAKE THE PREPARATION OF NATIONAL REGISTRY NOMINATIONS FOR THE FIVE CHURCHES THAT ARE BEING EVALUATED WE'VE AT THAT TIME, FORMED A STEERING COMMITTEE WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM EACH OF THE CHURCHES INVOLVED, AS WELL AS FOR REPRESENTATIVES FROM OTHER GROUPS THAT WOULD HAVE HAD INTEREST IN THIS PROJECT, INCLUDING THE NEW-BORN PRESERVATION FOUNDATION, THE COASTAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, THE NORTH CAROLINA INSTITUTE OF MINORITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE CITY'S HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION. THAT GROUP WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR REALLY SPEARHEADING THE WHOLE PROJECT. AND THEY HIRED A CONSULTANT BY THE NAME OF DR. RUTH LIDDELL, WHO FOR THE PAST SIX MONTHS HAS REALLY BEEN UNDERTAKING THE RESEARCH FOR THIS. UH, DR. LITTLE HAS BEEN TALKING TO LONGTIME CHURCH MEMBERS. SHE IS RENT BEN, UH, SURVEYING AND REVIEWING, UH, CHURCH DOCUMENTS, GOING TO THE LIBRARY, DOING RESEARCH ON OLD TAX RECORDS, LOOKING AT, UH, JOURNALS AND OTHER PUBLICATIONS THAT SOME OF THE RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS HAVE PUBLISHED. IT IS ESSENTIALLY TRIED TO PIECE TOGETHER A HISTORY OF THESE CONGREGATIONS. THE OTHER THING SHE HAS DONE IS ATTEMPTED TO DEVELOP WHAT WE CALL A CONTEXT STATEMENT BY WHICH TO EVALUATE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THESE BUILDINGS. AND IN YOUR PACKETS, YOU HAVE RECEIVED BOTH A COPY OF THE NOMINATIONS TO THE NATIONAL REGISTER FOR EACH OF THE INDIVIDUAL INDIVIDUAL CHURCHES, BUT YOU'VE ALSO RECEIVED A SORT OF [00:50:01] AN OVERALL ESSAY THAT EXPLAINS THE HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CHURCHES IN LIGHT OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO CRAVE AND COUNTY'S HISTORY OF CHURCH CONSTRUCTION. THESE CHURCHES ARE SIGNIFICANT PRIMARILY BECAUSE THEY EMBODY AND REPRESENT REALLY THE ASPIRATIONS OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN CITIZENS IN THE POST CIVIL WAR PERIOD IN THE UNITED STATES, UH, DURING THE RECONSTRUCTION PERIOD, UH, ONE OF THE FIRST AREAS THAT AFRICAN AMERICANS ASSERTED THEIR INDEPENDENCE IN, IN SOCIETY WAS THROUGH THE CHURCHES AND THE CHURCHES REALLY BECAME A CORNERSTONE OF THE COMMUNITY, NOT ONLY IN TERMS OF RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL VALUES, BUT ALSO IN TERMS OF THE CULTURAL, SOCIAL EDUCATIONAL, AS WELL AS THE POLITICAL ASPIRATIONS OF OUR AFRICAN-AMERICAN CITIZENS. AND FOR THAT REASON THAT THE HISTORY OF THESE CHURCHES IS MORE THAN JUST A HISTORY OF RELIGION. IT'S A HISTORY OF THE WHOLE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL FRAMEWORK OF MANY OF OUR, OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. AND FOR THAT REASON, THESE CHURCHES ARE VERY SIGNIFICANT. WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS VERY BRIEFLY JUST SHOW YOU THROUGH SLIDES, SOME IMAGES OF EACH OF THE CHURCHES, AND THEN INVITE, UH, THE PUBLIC TO, TO OFFER ANY COMMENTS. OUR PURPOSE TONIGHT IS REALLY TO SOLICIT ANY COMMENTS THAT FOLKS MAY HAVE RELATIVE TO THE APPROPRIATENESS OR INAPPROPRIATENESS OF NOMINATING THESE RESOURCES TO THE NATIONAL REGISTER. WHAT WILL THEN HAPPEN IS THAT THE NOMINATIONS WILL BE FORWARDED TO THE STATE, UH, DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL RESOURCES. THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL RESOURCES WILL IN TURN, REVIEW THE NOMINATIONS ON APRIL THE 10TH. THEY WILL THEN MAKE THE FINAL DETERMINATION OF WHETHER OR NOT THE NOMINATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE NATIONAL REGISTER. AND THE KEEPER OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER WILL ULTIMATELY BE THE ONE WHO SIGNS ON THE DOTTED LINE SAYING THESE BUILDINGS MEET THE CRITERIA FOR NATIONAL REGISTER LISTING. AND THEN HOPEFULLY SOMETIME THIS SUMMER, WE WILL BE NOTIFIED THAT, UH, EACH OF THESE FIVE BUILDINGS HAS OFFICIALLY BEEN ENTERED INTO THE NATIONAL REGISTER. AND AT THAT TIME WE WILL HOLD A, HOPEFULLY A BIG PUBLIC, UM, UH, CELEBRATION WITH EACH OF THE CHURCHES INVOLVED. AND, UH, AT THAT TIME, DR. LITTLE WILL ALSO COME DOWN AND ALSO TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE HISTORY AND THE FINDINGS, BUT I'M GOING TO VERY BRIEFLY TONIGHT BEFORE WE ASK FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, JUST SHOW YOU, UM, EACH OF THE CHURCHES, THE FIRST CHURCH, UH, THAT WE HAVE, UH, TO CONSIDER TONIGHT IS, UH, ST. PETER'S AME ZION CHURCH, WHICH IS . UH, THIS CHURCH IS CONSIDERED THE MOTHER CHURCH OF ZION MECHANISM IN THE SOUTH. UH, THE CHURCH TRACES ITS ORIGINS BACK TO 1864, AND IT WAS IN THE WANING YEARS OF THE CIVIL WAR, UH, THAT, UH, THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, WHICH ACTUALLY WAS FIRST ESTABLISHED IN NEW YORK CITY IN 1796, BEGAN TO LOOK TO THE, A LARGE FREE BLACK POPULATION IN THE SOUTH AS A MEANS OF EXPANDING THE CHURCH'S MISSION AND BASE, UH, IN THE UNITED STATES, THE NEW ENGLAND CONFERENCE OF THE AME ZION CHURCH SENT, UH, THE REVEREND JAMES WALKER HOOD AS A MISSIONARY TO NORTH CAROLINA. AND WHEN HOOD ARRIVED IN NEW BIRD IN JANUARY OF 1864, HE FOUND AN ACTIVE CONGREGATION OF FREED MEN WHO WERE AFFILIATED WITH THE, AT THAT TIME, THE METHODIST CONGREGATION HERE IN NEWBURGH, WHICH WAS KNOWN AS ST ANDREW'S CHAPEL. AT THAT TIME, IT WAS NOT UNCOMMON FOR BLACKS AND WHITES TO WORSHIP IN ONE CHURCH TOGETHER. AND YOU'LL FIND THAT MANY OF THE CHURCHES, THE BLACK CHURCHES IN NEWBURGH ACTUALLY BEGAN IN THE WHITE CHURCHES AND THE WHITE CHURCHES ACTUALLY SPONSORED THEIR FORMATION AS A SEPARATE CONGREGATION DURING THIS TIME. AND THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED, UH, IN THE CASE OF ST. PETER'S THE METHODISTS, UH, CONGREGATION IN ESSENCE, UH, GAVE THE CHURCH, THE OLD ST ANDREW'S CHAPEL BUILDING TO, UH, IT'S BLACK BROTHER, AND WHO HAD AT THAT TIME ASSUMED THE PASTORATE OF THAT CHURCH. AND IT BECAME THE FIRST AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL ZION CHURCH IN NORTH CAROLINA, AND IS BELIEVED TO BE THE FIRST SUCH CHURCH OF THE ZION DENOMINATION IN THE SOUTH. UH, THE CONGREGATION CHANGED ITS NAMES TO ST. PETER'S AME ZION CHURCH IN 1879, AND ERECTED A FRAMED CHURCH AT THE PRESENT QUEEN STREET LOCATION. UH, THAT FIRST CHURCH WAS LATER IN LARGE AND REMODELED AND WAS BRICK VENEER IN 1914. AND IT WAS A VERY BEAUTIFUL GOTHIC REVIVAL, A CHURCH BUILDING THAT VERY SADLY AND TRAGICALLY WAS DESTROYED BY THE GREAT RIVER FIRE OF 1922. UH, THE CURRENT STRUCTURE, WHICH YOU SEE PICTURED HERE, UH, WAS BEGUN IN 1923 AND [00:55:01] WAS OVER A PERIOD OF TIME SLOWLY, UH, CONSTRUCTED AND COMPLETED IN 1942. AND THE PRESENT STRUCTURE TODAY IS THE RESULT OF THAT REBUILDING EFFORT. THE SECOND CHURCH THAT WE LOOKED AT, UH, IS ROOT CHAPEL AME CHURCH, WHICH IS LOCATED ON OAK STREET AROUND TREE STREET ESTABLISHED IN 1865. ROOT CHAPEL IS ONE OF THE EARLIEST AME CHURCHES IN NORTH CAROLINA. THE OTHER OLDEST, UH, AME CHURCH IS ST LUKE'S, WHICH IS DOWN IN WILMINGTON. THE CONGREGATION WAS ORGANIZED UNDER THE SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP OF THE REVEREND GEORGE BRU, WHOSE NAMESAKE IS NOW GIVEN TO THE CHURCH. UH, RU WAS AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN PREACHER WHO BEGAN HIS MINISTRY IN NEWBURN BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR AT ST. ANDREW'S CHAPEL. THE CHURCH THAT, UM, REVEREND HOOD ACTUALLY ENDED UP BECOMING THE PASTOR OF, UH, ACCORDING TO ROOT CHAPEL HISTORY, THE, UH, REVEREND ROOM, UH, LEFT NEWBURGH TRAVELED TO THE NORTH DURING THE WAR. AND WHILE HE WAS IN THE NORTH, HE BECAME AFFILIATED WITH THE AME CHURCH, WHICH WAS FORMALLY ORGANIZED IN PHILADELPHIA AT 1816 UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF THE REVEREND RICHARD ALLEN, UH, RETURNED TO NEWBURN IN 1865 AND FOUND THAT WHO WOULD BECOME THE PASTOR OF THE ST ANDREWS CHAPEL IN TURN. UH, HE BECAME THE PASTOR OF A CHRISTIAN CHURCH WHOSE MINISTER HAD FLED TO VIRGINIA, UH, THE CHURCH, WHICH WAS FORMERLY A BAPTIST CHURCH, WAS LOCATED ON THE PRESENT DAY SITE OF ST. CYPRIAN'S A FISCAL CHURCH RU ESTABLISHED THE FIRST AME CHURCH CONGREGATION IN, IN NORTH CAROLINA DURING THIS TIME, AND ALSO BECAME A VERY ARDENT, UH, SPOKESPERSON FOR BLACK SUFFRAGE IN NORTH CAROLINA. AND IN 1865, THERE WAS A FREEDMEN'S CONVENTION IN RALEIGH. AND, UH, RU WAS ONE OF THE FOUR INDIVIDUALS WHO WAS ASKED TO DRAFT A DECLARATION OF THE INTENT OF FREE BLACKS IN NORTH CAROLINA TO ASPIRE TO, UH, POLITICAL, UH, INDEPENDENCE IN THE STATE, WHICH WAS THEN FORWARDED TO PRESIDENT ANDREW JOHNSON. SO HE POLITICALLY WAS A VERY POWERFUL FIGURE. AND AS I SAID, UM, BECAME THE PASTOR OF THIS PARTICULAR CONGREGATION. UH, THE CHURCH ITSELF, UH, WAS LOCATED FOR AWHILE ON CYPRESS STREET, UH, NEAR THE CORNER OF CYPRUS AND GEORGE STREET ON YOUR, THE PHOENIX HOUSE IN THAT GENERAL AREA. AND THAT CHURCH ALSO WAS CONSUMED BY FIRE DURING THE GREAT NEWBURGH FIRE IN 1922 IN, UH, A SUBSEQUENT PERIOD OF TIME. THE CHURCH ACQUIRED SOME PROPERTY ON OAK STREET, AROUND TREE STREET, AND, UH, DAIRY TO SUCCESSIVE PERIODS ACTUALLY BUILT A CHURCH. UH, THAT CHURCH WAS THAT CONDEMNED BY, UH, THE CITY WHEN A TERRORIST WAS INSTRUCTED AND THE CHURCH ACTUALLY HAD TO BE DISMANTLED AND REBUILT FURTHER DOWN THE STREET AS AN ADDITIONAL LAND AND THE PRESENT CHURCH, UH, THAT YOU SEE THERE TODAY WAS FINALLY COMPLETED IN ABOUT 1941 STRUCTURE. YOU SEE HERE IS A CORNERSTONE OF THE CHURCH AND THE CANDIDATE AND THE BUILDERS, A LOCAL, THE INTERIOR OF THE SANCTUARY. THE THIRD CHURCH THAT WE LOOKED AT WAS FIRST MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH, WHICH WAS FOUNDED IN 1869 AND ORIGINALLY NAMED THE CEDAR GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH. UH, THE CONGREGATION'S FIRST HOUSE OF WORSHIP WAS A SMALL FRAME CHURCH LOCATED IN WHAT IS NOW PRESENT DAY GREENWOOD CEMETERY, UH, THAT EARLY CHURCH, UH, ENDED UP BURNING. AND IN 1906, THE CORNERSTONE WAS LAID FOR THIS CHURCH. AND THIS CHURCH IS RECOGNIZED GREAT CHURCH THAT WAS BUILT FOR AND BY AFRICAN-AMERICANS FOR A SHORT FOUNDATION. SO IT IS VERY SIGNIFICANT CHURCH FROM THAT STANDPOINT. IT ALSO IS A VERY NOTABLE, UH, GOTHIC REVIVAL BUILDING. UH, CHURCH IS CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THE RESTORATION OF THIS BUILDING. AND WE'RE HOPING THE NATIONAL REGISTER NOMINATION WILL AID THE CHURCH'S EFFORTS TO TRY AND RAISE FUNDS TO HAVE THIS CHURCH RESTORED ST. JOHN'S, UH, MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH, UH, IS CONSIDERED THE MOTHER CHURCH AND MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCHES IN NEWBURN. IT WAS ORGANIZED ACCORDING TO CHURCH TRADITION IN 1865, AND MAY HAVE ORIGINALLY A BEAR MORE THAN THE SLABS CHAPEL. UM, THE, THE NAME ACTUALLY FROM THE WORLD TRADITION IS THAT MEMBERS, UH, WHO RESIDED, UH, IN PERHAPS JAMES CITY OR IN AND AROUND NEWBURGH ACTUALLY CONSTRUCTED A VERY CRUDE [01:00:01] CHURCH CONSTRUCTED OF PIECES OF BOARDS. UH, THE CHURCH REALLY HAD NO WINDOWS OR A FLOOR. IT WAS A DIRT FLOOR, AND THEY WORSHIPED ON VERY PRIMITIVE BENCHES AND USED A, A WARMING BREAST TO HEAT THE SANCTUARY OF THE WINTER MONTHS. UH, THE REVEREND ISAIAH, UH, ISAAC NATHANIEL WAS THE FIRST PASTOR TO SERVE THE CHURCH. BUT LATER UNDER THE PASTORATE OF THE REVEREND, UH, LP BARTON, A NEW CHURCH WAS CONSTRUCTED IN THE NEIGHBOR OF THE CONGREGATION WAS CHANGED TO ST. JOHN'S MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH. THE NEW HOUSE OF WORSHIP WAS A VICTORIAN PERIOD STRUCTURE. THERE ARE NO PHOTOGRAPHS THAT SURVIVAL THIS STRUCTURE, BUT THERE WERE RECORDS THAT THE CHURCH HAD BALCONIES LAMPS AND FLOORS, PEWS, AND A STOVE FOR HEAT. UH, THE CHURCH BECAME A VERY ACTIVE CHURCH. ITS MEMBERSHIP GREW, AND THE OLD SANCTUARY WAS FINALLY, UH, DEMOLISHED AND REPLACED BY THIS PRESENT STRUCTURE IN JUNE OF 1926. NOW THE STRUCTURE IS KNOWN FOR ITS VERY WONDERFUL CLASSICAL REVIVAL DETAILS WITH THIS, UH, POLYCHROMATIC, UH, BRICK DETAILING HERE ON THE SIDES. UH, THE CHURCH, UH, ALSO CONTINUE TO PLAY A VERY ACTIVE ROLE IN ITS NEIGHBORHOOD AND WAS THE SITE OF NEWBORN'S FIRST BLACK RUN CREDIT UNION, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE CHURCH DURING THE 1940S. THE FINAL CHURCH THAT WE LOOKED AT LAST, BUT NOT LEAST OF COURSE IS, UH, EBENEZER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH ON BURN STREET, UH, IN THE YEARS PRIOR TO, AND AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, UH, AFRICAN-AMERICANS LIKE OUR COUNTERPARTS WITH THE METHODIST, UH, PRESBYTERIANS BLACK PRESBYTERIANS WORSHIPED IN THE CONGREGATIONAL SPACE AT FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH ON NEW STREET, UH, PLANS TO ORGANIZE A SEPARATE BLACK CONGREGATION BEGAN IN HIS EARLY AS 1878. AT THAT TIME, UH, THE PASTOR OF THE CHURCH, REVEREND ELSEY BASQUE ALONG WITH, UH, BB PALMER, WHO WAS A BLACK MEMBER OF THE ORANGE PRESBYTERY, UH, DISCUSS THE ABILITY AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF A BLACK CONGREGATION, UH, STARTING ITS OWN, UH, CHURCH, UH, WITHIN THE CITY. AND IN 1878, A COMMITTEE WAS FORMED IN BY THE END OF REALLY THE 1880S. UH, THE CONGREGATION OF EBENEEZER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH HAD FORMED AND THE CONGREGATION HAD CONSTRUCTED ITS FIRST SANCTUARY ON PASTOR STREET NEAR THE RAILROAD DEPOT THAT STRETCH SANCTUARY SADLY LIKE SO MANY OTHERS ALSO PERISHED IN THE GREAT FIRE OF UBERLY 1922 IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE FIRE. THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH MEMBERS RALLY TOGETHER TO PROVIDE, UH, HYMNALS FURNITURE AND OTHER SUPPLIES TO ASSIST THEIR SISTER CHURCH IN THE REBUILDING PROCESS. AND UNDER THE PASTORATE OF REVEREND OEE SANDERS LAND WAS SECURED FOR A NEW BUILDING SITE ON THE CORNER OF BIRD AND CEDAR STREETS. AND A NEW SANCTUARY WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1924 AND UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THEN CHURCH TRUSTEE AND BUILDER BY THE NAME OF HF SUTTON AND THE NEW BUILDING COST APPROXIMATELY $10,000 TO CONSTRUCT. AND WHEN IT WAS COMPLETED, UM, THIS CHURCH LIGHT AUTHOR SAYS REMAINED A VERY ACTIVE PART OF THE COMMUNITY. UH, AS YOU KNOW, FOR, UH, FOR A WHILE THE SOUP KITCHEN RCS REALLY WAS BORN OUT IN THE BASEMENT OF THIS CHURCH. SO THE SOCIAL ELEMENT OF THE CHURCH'S HISTORY HAS CONTINUED. THOSE ARE THE FIVE CHURCHES THAT HAVE BEEN NOMINATED. I'D LIKE TO AT THIS TIME, JUST RECOGNIZE A FEW INDIVIDUALS. I KNOW THERE ARE PEOPLE HERE FROM ALL FIVE CONGREGATIONS, BUT I WOULD ASK THOSE OF YOU WHO SERVED ON THE STEERING COMMITTEE FOR OUR CHURCHES TO PLEASE STAND. AND I'D LIKE TO GIVE A HAND TO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE'RE REALLY THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THIS PROJECT. I DO ALSO WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO ALSO RECOGNIZE, UH, WHO WAS A MEMBER OF THIS COMMITTEE, UM, MRS. COMBAT SADLY PASSED AWAY AT THE END OF FEBRUARY. UH, SHE WAS VERY, VERY DRIVING FORCE, UH, UH, FROM HER ENTHUSIASM FOR THIS PROJECT. AND I'D LIKE TO, AT THIS MOMENT, RECOGNIZE HER FOR HER CONTRIBUTIONS. UH, SHE IS SADLY MISSED, AND I KNOW SHE'S LOOKING DOWN AT US TONIGHT AS WE'RE MOVING AHEAD ON THIS PROJECT. I'D ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE MEMBERS OF OUR HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION THAT ARE HERE. I KNOW A FEW OF YOU ARE HERE AND IF YOU WOULD PLEASE STAND AS WELL. I ALSO SEE A BIBLE HOLIDAY HERE, UH, WITH THE NEW-BORN PRESERVATION FOUNDATION AND BARBARA HAS BEEN [01:05:01] VERY SUPPORTIVE AS WELL. MR. BEAR. NOW WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS JUST GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY. UM, AND PERHAPS THE WAY I WOULD SUGGEST WE DO THIS IS TO ASK MAYBE EACH CHURCH AT THAT WE'LL CALL THE FIRST CHURCH. UM, AND YOU, CAN, YOU GOT YOUR LIST THERE AND JUST ASK IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN COMING UP AND SPEAKING EITHER FOR OR AGAINST THE NOMINATIONS, OR HAS ANY INFORMATION TO PARTAKE OR GIVE TO US, WE WOULD BE GLAD TO RECEIVE IT AT THIS TIME. WELL, I'D LIKE TO ASK IF THERE'S ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE IT'S AGAINST ANY OF THE CHURCHES, JUST FROZEN WHO'S BEING NOMINATED TO THE REGISTRAR, ANYBODY ON THE BOARD THAT WOULD BE AGAINST IT. I LIKE TO SAY THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF FUNNY BEING THE MAYOR THAT MIGHT LAST YEAR, A HUNDRED YEARS SINCE 1896, THE MAYOR OF BERN, SWITZERLAND CAME OVER AND SHARED A LITTLE CELEBRATION WITH US, YOU KNOW, FROM THE A HUNDRED YEARS. AND THEY GAVE US THAT FLAG. DID YOU SEE IN THE BACK OF THE BAYER ON IT AND ALL THAT KIND OF THING, AND WE'VE DONE A REAL GOOD JOB IN SOME CASES, REMEMBERING OUR, OUR ROOTS, UH, FROM SWITZERLAND AND THAT TYPE OF THING. AND YOU SEE A BEAR HANGING OFF THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING AND ALL THAT KIND OF BUSINESS, BUT THE REAL FABRIC THAT HAS MADE NEWBURN WHAT IT IS TODAY, IT GOES BACK A LONG WAY ALSO. AND PART OF THAT FABRIC IS WHAT IS YOUR SHED ON THAT SLIDE? AND PART OF THAT FABRIC IS THE PEOPLE IN HERE THAT REPRESENT THAT. AND BELIEVE ME, YOU'RE A VERY ESSENTIAL PART OF NEIGHBORING WHAT IT IS TODAY AND WHAT IT WAS IN THE PAST. AND, AND, AND REALLY PART OF THE PLAN OF WHERE ARE WE GOING? HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET FROM WHERE WE ARE TODAY TO WHERE WE'RE HEADING? SO THAT'S THE REASON I ASK IF ANYBODY COULD POSSIBLY BE AGAINST IT BECAUSE TO DENY THOSE CHURCHES AND WHITE REPRESENTS IS THE TRULY DENYING OUR OWN HISTORY. AND, UH, I JUST WANT TO LET ALL OF YOU KNOW THAT, AND SOMEBODY SAID, ONE TIME, WE ARE YOU AND YOU WERE US. SO, UH, WE'RE BEHIND YOU ALL THE WAY. IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO COME FORTH AND GIVE US SOME ADDITIONAL REASONS THAT WE WOULD WANT TO DO THAT HE WOULD LIKE COME FORTH AT THIS TIME AND SPEAK A FEW WORDS. I KNOW IT'S HOT. I DON'T KNOW WHO'S GOT CONTROL OF THAT THERMOSTAT, BUT I HOPE SOMEBODY CAN FIND IT. ANYBODY. NOBODY WANTS TO SAY ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR AND THE AUDIENCES FOR IT. STEVE REISHI HANGER. CAN I ASK YOU IF ANYBODY ON THE BOARD LINE TO MAKE A COMMENT, LET ME MOVE IT TO THE HERE. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR OF CLOSING THE PERMIT HEARING SAY, AYE, I LIKE IT. MAKE A MOTION THAT WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO FURTHER ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, THE, THAT I DON'T THINK WE NEED A ROLL CALL, DUDE. I TOLD YOU YOU'LL NEVER LEARN THIS THING. I WAS GOING TO GIVE YOU SOME POINTS ALL IN FAVOR, SAY, AYE, ALL RIGHT. MA'AM I ASKED GREG AND I SAID, HOW LONG WILL IT BE BEFORE? THE NEXT STEP IS APRIL 10TH, WHICH IS A MEETING OF THE NATIONAL MINISTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEE. AND FROM THAT, IT GOES TO THE FENCE AND WE ALL KNOW WHAT BUREAUCRACY IS LIFE. SO DO US, BUT WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT IT WOULD BE SOMETIME IN EARLY SUMMER. WELL, HOW ABOUT GIVING US SOME ADVICE OR SEEING IF YOU CAN GET SOME ADVICE AS TO WHAT WE CAN DO AS A BOARD TO, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO TELL THEM, NOT TO SAY, LET THE RECORD SHOW THAT 9% OF THE PEOPLE IN HERE, BREEZED IN HAND SUPPORT OF THIS THAT MIGHT HELP COMMITTED. YOU DID IT. YOU DID A GOOD JOB WITH THE INFORMATION. NOW THE ONE THAT HAS CITY BUREAUCRATS, MR. MAN. THERE'S ONE THING THAT PEOPLE LIKE TO DO AND THAT'S TO IDENTIFY. AND I WAS JUST WONDERING IF WE COULD HAVE THE VARIOUS ONES FROM THE VARIOUS CHURCHES TO LET US KNOW WHO THEY ARE. I KNOW THE FOLKS FROM ST PETER'S LOVE THE STABBED UP. WHY DON'T YOU CALL THE CHURCHES AND TO LET THEM STAND [01:10:01] OUT FROM EACH SHIRT? WELL, I DON'T WANT TO BE PREJUDICED, BUT ST. PETER'S BAPTIST. ST. JOHN EBENEEZER. YEAH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THERE'S A LOT OF HISTORICAL INFORMATION GATHERED TOGETHER IN THIS PRESENTATION THAT WAS SENT TO US. AND SINCE WE ARE BEHIND IT ALL THE WAY, AND WE HAVE NO FURTHER USE FOR THIS PARTICULAR MATERIAL THAT WAS IN OUR PACKETS. IF SOMEONE WOULD LIKE THIS INFORMATION, I'LL BE GLAD TO GIVE THEM MY COPY. IT'S GOT A LOT OF HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND THE FORUMS AND EVERYTHING. IF SOMEBODY WOULD LIKE THIS, EACH OF US, IF YOU HAVE, SO DANNY, I'LL JUST HAND IT TO YOU. FIRST ONE UP THERE CAN HAPPEN. AND WE ALL HAVE ONE. SO IF ANYBODY ELSE LIKE IT, ALL RIGHT, I GUESS THE NEXT THING WILL BE ON THE AGENDA. THE PUBLIC HEARING TO FINANCE THE INSTALLMENT PURCHASE OF 10 ACRES, A PROPERTY ADJACENT TO WEST NEWBURN RECREATION CENTER, MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. UH, THE NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL STATUTES REQUIRE THAT A PUBLIC HEARING BE HELD TO PROVIDE THE CITIZENS WITH AN OPPORTUNITY FOR INPUT PRIOR TO ENTERING, ENTERING INTO A CONTRACT, TO FINANCE THE PURCHASE OF REAL ESTATE. THIS PURCHASE OF APPROXIMATELY 10 ACRES OF LAND ADJACENT TO THE WESTMINSTER REC CENTER THAT THE BOARD HAS A PREVIOUSLY AGREED TO PURCHASE IS INCLUDED IN THE INSTALLMENT PURCHASE THAT WE HAVE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA TONIGHT. ITEM NUMBER 12, THE CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE IS WITH BB AND T THEY'LL BE PROVIDING THE FINANCING AT AN INTEREST RATE OF 4.4, 6%. AND IT IS FOR TERM OF FOUR AND THREE QUARTER YEARS. SO IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, ANYBODY ON THE BOARD, OKAY. IS A PUBLIC HEARING OPEN IF ANYBODY IN THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO MAKE COMMENT ON THIS PROPOSITION, WHAT WOULD THAT COVER THERE? OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. ALL OPPOSED. NO. CAN WE MAKE A FURTHER MOTION ON THAT? NOT AT THIS TIME. OKAY. THEN THE NEXT THING WOULD BE NUMBER EIGHT. AND THAT'S THE PUBLIC HEARING TO AMANDA MINIMUM HOUSING CODE OF THE CITY NEWBURN, WHICH IS EMBODIED IN CHAPTER 38 HOUSING OF THE CITY CODE, THE CITY OF NEWBURGH, WHOSE ELUCIDATE THAT MR. JOHNNY CLARK, ARE YOU GOING TO RING THE BELL OR ARE YOU GOING TO GOT TO RING IT WHEN MICE RUN OUT OF, UH, GOOD EVENING? THIS IS, UH, THE CULMINATION OF SOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE HAD IN PREVIOUS WORK SESSIONS. UM, AND WITH THE, UH, CITY ATTORNEY AND CITY STAFF, UH, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT, UH, UH, COMMENTS THAT WERE RECEIVED AND, AND ISSUES RAISED, UH, OVER THE YEARS, PRIMARILY WHAT IT DOES IS TO UPDATE OUR EXISTING ORDINANCE. IT, UH, REFLECTS CHANGES IN DEFINITIONS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE SINCE THE, UH, EXISTING ORDINANCE WAS WRITTEN. IT REFLECTS CHANGES IN THE, UH, GENERAL STATUTES. UH, SINCE THAT TIME, UH, IT ALSO, UH, CLARIFIES AND UPDATES PROCEDURES. IT ALSO HELPS GIVE ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE TO THE INSPECTORS AND OTHERS AS TO WHAT CONSTITUTES A SUBSTANDARD HOUSING FOR THE MAKING OF THAT DETERMINATION. AND IT ALSO FLESHES OUT FURTHER, UH, THE, UM, VARIOUS STANDARDS FOR EXTERIOR WALLS, INTERIOR WALLS, HEATING PLUMBING, AND SO FORTH IN GREATER DETAIL THAN THE PRIOR ORDINANCE. UH, ONCE AGAIN, IT UPDATES IT, UH, WE FEEL IT'S, UH, AN UNIMPROVED DOCUMENT THAT WILL HELP, UH, OUR INSPECTORS, UH, ENFORCE THE ORDINANCE. AND, UM, ALSO, UH, BE, YOU KNOW, MORE [01:15:01] ROBUST CITIZENS WHO ARE SEEKING TO HAVE, UH, ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE CITY ON IT. UH, BE GLAD TO ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS. AND WE HAVE MR. CLARK HERE ON DETAILS. AND OF COURSE, MR. WARD ALSO, UH, REVIEWED IT LETTER BY LETTER. ARE THERE ANY SURPRISES VERSUS TO WHAT WE WENT OVER AND WORK SESSION SOMETIME BACK? UH, NO, SIR. UM, THE ONLY CHANGES WERE, UH, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF GENERAL STATUTE CHANGES THAT TOOK PLACE THAT, THAT WE NEEDED TO INCORPORATE, BUT THOSE WERE, UH, IN SYNC WITH WHAT OUR CURRENT PROCEDURES HAVE BEEN THERE. THERE WERE SOME, SOME DEFINITIONAL CHANGES AND SOME TYPOS, BUT, UH, I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES SINCE THAT PERIOD. HOW DOES THIS, EXCUSE ME? WHERE ARE WE IN COMPARISON? AND I GUESS YOU MIGHT SAY HOW WE, UH, AND WITH THE STRENGTH ABOUT COAL COMPARED TO THE TOP OF THE STATE LEVEL WITH THE STATE REQUIRE. OKAY. UM, WE HAVE THE, UH, UH, SOUTHERN BUILDING CODE, UH, MINIMUM HOUSING CODE LEVELS. UH, I THINK WE PROBABLY HAVE TAKEN THAT AND FLESH THAT OUT A BIT FURTHER. UH, BUT I'D LIKE TO DEFER TO JOHN ON THAT SINCE HE, UH, DID A LOT OF THE STUDYING AND A LOT OF THE CONTACTING WITH OTHER CITIES, JOHN, WHERE DO WE STACK UP AS FAR AS OTHER CITIES IN THE STATE, AS FAR AS THE REQUIREMENTS, AS FAR AS I WOULD SAY, WHEN HE BROUGHT IN SOME THINGS FROM THE WRONG CITY BURN , , THOSE THINGS. SO IT'S PRETTY STRONG. WELL, JOHN, I'M JUST LOOKING THROUGH IT AGAIN HERE, BECAUSE IT'S THE FIRST TIME WE HAD A GOOD LOOK AT IT. WE HAVE MANY HOUSES IN THIS TOWN. IT STILL DON'T HAVE BATHROOMS IN THEM. DO WE HAVE MANY, OR THEY GO AHEAD TO CONFORM TO THIS? ONCE WE ADOPT, UM, QUESTION, IT SAYS IT RIGHT HERE. I MEAN, WE'RE GOING TO BE, WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVE ENOUGH FORESIGHT TO GIVE HIM ENOUGH TIME TO NOT GO SUNDAY. GOT TO HAVE IT TOMORROW. IT'S GOT TO START CONSTRUCTION. YOU GUYS WILL WORK WITH THESE KINDS OF PEOPLE, RIGHT? OH, UH, JOHNNY, THAT, THAT'S AN INTERESTING POINT. IS THAT HOUSE A, AN OWNER OCCUPIED DWELLING OR IS IT A RENTAL PROPERTY? WELL, I JUST STARTED TO SAY, I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT SITUATION HASN'T COME UP FOR SOME OF THE DISCRETIONARY FUNDS ON THE COMMUNITY BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM, BECAUSE I MEAN, GIVE ME A BREAK GUYS. WE NEED TO STRAIGHTEN THAT SITUATION OUT FOR THAT LADY. IS THERE ANY, IS THERE ANY DISCRETIONARY MONEY IN THAT A BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS? I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE CURRENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM, BUT THE ONE THAT WE'LL HEAR ABOUT IN A FEW MONTHS, UH, MAY WELL HAVE SOME DISCRETIONARY FUNDS IN IT THAT WE CAN WORK WITH. UH, I CAN GO BACK TO MR. MAYO AND, AND HAVE HIM LOOK TO SEE WHAT IS AVAILABLE, UH, THAT THAT COULD BE PUT, I, I AGREE THE BATHROOM SITUATION, UH, AND, UH, SEE WHAT WE CAN DO AND WE CAN REPORT BACK TO YOU, UH, AT THE NEXT MEETING. OKAY. AND I WISH YOU, WELL, I THINK THIS IT'S TIME FOR THIS CITY NOT HAVE 93 YEAR OLD WOMAN LIVING IN A HOUSE WITH NO POINT WITH NO INDOOR POTTY HAVING USED AN OUTHOUSE. I MEAN, I GREW UP IN ONE LIKE THAT, BUT IT'S JUST THE DIFFERENT AGE, DIFFERENT ERA. SO I'D APPRECIATE IT. IF YOU WOULD LOOK INTO THAT. THE OTHER THING I HAD TO ASK, AND I THINK I'M REALLY LOOKING FOR CONFIRMATION OF WHAT I ALREADY SUSPECT. THERE IS JUST NO WAY TO [01:20:01] USE ONE OF THE MAYOR'S FAVORITE WORDS, EMPIRICAL MEASUREMENT, BY WHICH WE CAN ENFORCE THESE STANDARDS. ARE THERE, I LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE ONE THAT COMES TO MIND, INTERIOR WALLS, A VERTICAL STUDS WITH SERIOUSLY LIST, LEAN OR BUCKLE TO SUCH AN EXTENT AS TO RENDER THE BUILDING UNSAFE. AND THAT'S ONCE AGAIN, LIKE THESE THINGS USUALLY ARE IN THE EYES OF THE BEHOLDER, BUT IN THAT CASE, YOU WOULD THINK THAT THERE WOULD BE AN ANGLE OFF PLUM OR SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD USE AS A SOLID MEASUREMENT. BUT WE'RE JUST NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT ON, UH, I THINK, I THINK THERE ARE INDUSTRY STANDARDS AND JOHN MCCANN, THERE IS, UH, THERE IS A PLACE THAT DEALS WITH PEERS THAT ARE OFF A CERTAIN AMOUNT TO GO ON THAT SAME BASIS IN RELATION TO THE WALL. AND AGAIN, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE THERE THAT ANOTHER AMERICAN WHITE THIS A WHOLE LOT, BUT THERE ARE SOME TIMES WHERE WE WOULD HAVE TO, WE'LL HAVE TO USE OUR DISCRETION AND CALL, SEE IF WE CAN BUILD A CODE. THAT DISCRETION WOULD BE CAST OUT TO ONE SIDE AND SAY, EVERYTHING IS BLACK AND WHITE. YOU MOVE WITHOUT . I DON'T THINK, I DON'T THINK YOU CAN REALLY EITHER. I WAS JUST, IT WAS JUST KIND OF A LAST POTENCY. YOU HAVE TO USE THAT KENTUCKY WINDAGE. YEAH. I THINK, I THINK THEN YOU WOULD GET COMPLAINTS ABOUT THOSE INFLEXIBLE BUREAUCRATS GO BY THE LETTER OF THE LAW AND DON'T UNDERSTAND THE CONTENT. SO IT CUTS BOTH WAYS. YOU'VE HEARD THAT. HAVE YOU I'VE HEARD THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH, MIKE, I KNOW THAT THE, UM, THE REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION WAS VERY INTERESTED IN MINIMUM HOUSING. THEY WENT TO THE POINT OF HAVING A MEETING WITH US TO TALK ABOUT AND MEXICO SUGGESTIONS. AND I WAS JUST WONDERING IF THEY'D HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO OVER THE DOCUMENT WE'RE GOING TO ADOPT TONIGHT AND IF THEY HAD ANY SUGGESTIONS. OKAY. UM, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT DRAFTS. WE HAD A, UH, UH, TWO DRAFTS IN JANUARY THAT ARE SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME DOCUMENT THAT YOU HAVE FOR YOU THIS EVENING. AND MOST EVERYONE, UH, HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO OBTAIN A COPY OF THAT. UH, THE COPY THAT YOU SEE BEFORE YOU, UH, THIS EVENING, UH, WE DID NOT HAVE AVAILABLE UNTIL, UH, LATE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. UH, AND WE MADE IT AVAILABLE TO SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN IT, UH, AS SOON AS WE COULD, UH, THIS MORNING, UH, BUT THE DOCUMENT, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE JANUARY DOCUMENT IN THE MARCH DOCUMENT IS, UH, PRIMARILY THE REVIEW BY SCOTT DAVIS, UH, WITH, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S FARM, UH, UH, LEGAL ASSISTANT THERE, AND THE CITY ATTORNEY TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE I'S WERE DOTTED T'S WERE CROSSED. UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT THEY PICKED UP WAS THE TWO PROVISIONS OF THE GENERAL, UH, SOME, UH, USE OF WORDS, THOSE KINDS OF ISSUES, BUT THE RIVERSIDE FOLKS ARE AWARE OF THAT. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT, AND I THINK MR. IS HERE TO, TO ADDRESS THEIR CONCERNS. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. YES, IT PROBABLY HERE IN YOUR MIND, I'M ADDRESS AND I AM FROM RIVERSIDE AND YES, WE DID NOT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PICK THIS DOCUMENT UP UNTIL LATE THIS AFTERNOON. I STILL HAVE NOT READ IT. I'M A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT I HAVEN'T READ. UH, BUT, UH, I SPOKE WITH MY ON SATURDAY NIGHT AND LATER ON THIS AFTERNOON, AND HE ASSURES ME THAT, UH, THERE ARE NO SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES IN HERE THAT WE'RE NOT AWARE OF. SO I DO HAVE, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT EARLIER AND I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS, UH, ON BEHALF OF RIVERSIDE. UH, WE, NUMBER ONE, APPLAUD YOUR EFFORTS TO STRENGTHEN THE MINIMUM HOUSING CODES, WHICH AFFECT, UH, ALL THE COMMUNITIES IN THE CITY OF NEWBURGH. SECONDLY, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO PASS THIS NEW MINIMUM HOUSING CODE, AND FINALLY AT THE RIVERSIDE ASSOCIATION, UH, IT'S A PRETTY ROUGH CROWD. WE WOULDN'T THAT WE DO HAVE MANY CONCERNS. WE HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO DIGEST ALL OF THIS AND DISCUSS IT AND SEE HOW IT IMPACTS OUR COMMUNITY. BUT WE WOULD APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPEAR AT SOME FUTURE DATE, UH, TO PROPOSE ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS TO THIS. UM, AND THEN LASTLY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND WE ALWAYS WELCOME PUBLIC INPUT. SO ANYTIME Y'ALL WANT TO COME FORTH, THERE'S ALWAYS OPPORTUNITY ONCE A MONTH UNDER THIS, UM, PETITION OF CITIZENS. BUT YOU CAN ALSO ASK ALL DOWN AND ASKED TO BE PUT ON THE AGENDA, LIKE THE WORK SESSION OR WHATEVER, BELIEVE ME, WE WELCOME [01:25:01] TO ANY HELP WE CAN GET ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT I'M DURING THE PUBLIC HEARING PAGES ON THIS HOUSING CODE, BUDDHA OVER HERE, EVERY CLOSE SECOND, ALL IN FAVOR, SAY, I WANT TO POSE, MAKE A MOTION THAT WE HAVE DONE. I THINK THAT'S A ROLL CALL. IT GOT ONE, RIGHT? YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, YES. YEAH. AND ALSO REMEMBER THAT, UH, THESE, THE THINGS THAT CAN BE REMEDIED, IF WE FIND SOMETHING IN THERE ABOUT WORKING WRONG, OR WE NEED TO CHANGE IT, AND THERE'S A POSSIBILITY WE CAN CHANGE IT. SO WE'RE ALWAYS STRIVING TO IMPROVE. NEXT THING IS A CONSENT AGENDA. AND NUMBER 14 HAS BEEN POOLED AND HAS BEEN COOL. I MAKE A MOTION WITHOUT CONSENT AGENDA EXCLUDED ITEM 14, SECOND. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OF THAT WE MAY CALL. UM, YES, YES. YEAH. I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT MEANS. YOU CAN SEND AGENDA. I'D LIKE TO DEFER MY VOTE UNTIL I FIND OUT WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT. YES, YES. OKAY. THE NEXT THING WE'LL HAVE HIS APPOINTMENTS AND I WOULD ASSUME THE BEST. IMAGINE HE DOESN'T HAVE IT WAS THAT ONE, THE RIGHT SIDE OF THAT THOUGH. YEAH. LET'S SAY IT WAS THAT. WHAT THOUGHT WE'LL EXPLAIN THAT TO HIM LATER, THAT WORK SESSION IS GOING TO BE VALUABLE. THE NEXT THING WE HAVE ON THE AGENDA IS APPOINTMENTS. WHAT I WAS SAYING IS I DON'T THINK HE'S GOT ANYTHING ON THE BOARD. SO I GUESS BARBARA, IT'LL BE YOUR, DID YOU HAVE ANY MAPS? NO, SIR. I, NOT TODAY. OKAY. I'M SUPPOSED TO MAKE ONE OR TWO. AND ONE I'D LIKE TO MAKE IS TO THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT BACK HERE ON THIS ONE. YES, SIR. AND ONCE UPON A TIME, I WANTED MY BROTHER TO ONE WHILE I'M ON A PHONE, ANOTHER FRIEND OF MINE THAT I GREW UP WITH AND HIS NAME, HIS LAST BOOK, PAUL EBERHARDT, RED ROBIN LANE, SICK. AND I'M NOT UP KING. I'M JUST THE MAYOR. SECOND, ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE, ALL OPPOSED. AND THAT WHEREVER HE IS, HE SHOULD HAVE FELT A LITTLE SCHIFF. WE'RE GOOD AT HIS SPINE. AND LET'S SEE HERE. ANOTHER ONE THAT I HAVE IS THE GOSH HUMAN RELATIONS. AND I'D LIKE TO APPOINT MIKE HENDERSON, MICHAEL HENDERSON, TO THAT SECOND NOMINATE NOMINATE. I'D LIKE TO NOMINATE MIKE AND I THINK NOW LEAVE ME FOR THE NIGHT. DO YOU HAVE ANY, NO, I DON'T DO A POINT OR DID NOT. IT WOULD BE TO NOMINATE YOU. SURE. I HEAR, WELL, IT SAYS A POINT NUMBER 15. THAT'S WHAT THREW ME OFF. SO ROBERT, YES, I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE BOB REALLY FOR REAL PUMPING ON THE CARDBOARD ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE, AYE. WITHOUT A MISCELLANEOUS, MR. MATTINGLY, I'LL EXPLAIN WHAT THE BEST WAY WE'VE BEEN WATCHING THIS MISCELLANEOUS OR NOT. WELL, THE APARTMENTS THERE, NOMINATIONS. THAT'S WHY WE CALL THEM APARTMENTS IN THE BOOK. I'M GOING TO CHANGE THAT TO NOMINATIONS FROM MISCELLANEOUS IS WHERE YOU CAN HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY. AS LONG AS YOU DON'T MIND PRINTED OR RECORDED. [01:30:03] I THINK I'LL PASS THIS FIRST TIME. I DON'T BLAME MS. LEE. I HAVE A QUESTION. I SERVE ON THE RECREATION COMMISSION AND I USUALLY DON'T CAN'T MAKE THE MEETING, BUT I KNOW FOR SOME REASON I STAY ON THE RECREATION COMMISSION. I LIKE BEING IN A WRECK AND THEY LIKE USE ME, BUT REALLY WHENEVER THEY NEED ME TO DO SOMETHING AND RIGHT NOW I'VE MET WITH SOME OF THEM AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY, THEY LIKED THE FACT THAT I'M WANTING TO COMMISSION, BUT I'D LIKE TO HAVE AN ALTERNATE. IF I MAY TO ATTEND THE MEETINGS WITH ME TALKING ABOUT THE RECORD BY FOR GORDON, IF NO ONE ELSE'S, THERE'S A GENTLEMAN NAMED MR. BROWN, WHO I MET FROM MR. WHITE. WHO'S LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT MR. WHITE. BRENDA WHITE HAS BEEN ON THE RECREATION COMMISSION FROM ABOUT 10 YEARS, EVERY BIT AND THERE FOREVER AND EVER. AND HE'S GOES TO EVERY MEETING. HE'S VERY DILIGENT AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SO HE MAKES SURE I KNOW WHATEVER THEY NEED TO KNOW ALL THE TIME REQUEST YOUR COMMISSION. BUT HE HAD FOUND A YOUNG MAN WHO WOULD SERVE AS AN ALTERNATE TO OUR REPRESENTATIVE IF I AM THE REPRESENTATIVE AND WHO COULD ATTEND THE MEETINGS AND TYPES OF IT USUALLY CONFLICT, EVEN WITH OUR WORK SESSIONS OR OTHER MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE. AND I WAS JUST WONDERING IF THIS ALLOWED, DOES THIS HAVE TO BE A MEMBER OF THE BOARD? BARBARA WOULD CALL LANGUAGE RESOLUTION IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH THAT PROVIDED FOR THAT, BUT NOT PEOPLE MET, BUT THEN THERE ARE A FEW OCCASIONS AS FAR FROM, I'M JUST NOT SURE WHETHER IT IS OKAY. WELL, CAN, CAN WE TAKE A LOOK AT THAT? UH, QUICK MENTION THAT PROGRESS IS, UH, OBSERVABLE AND THE MOVE TOWARD GETTING A NEW ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY AND THE NEWBURN AREA. IT WILL BE LOCATED ON ABOUT A 15 ACRE TRACK OFF OLD CHERRY POINT ROAD UNDER THE AUSPICES OF UNITED SENIOR SERVICES. IT WILL BE FOUR 60 RESIDENTS. IT WILL HAVE A NICE KITCHEN FACILITY DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE THEIR MEALS ON WHEELS PROGRAM, WHICH WILL SAVE THEM MONEY. UH, THE GOVERNMENT HAS GIVEN US THE GUARANTEE OF THE LOAN, WHICH IS LIKE $2.9 MILLION TO BANKS HAVE INDICATED AN INTEREST IN LENDING THE MONEY UNDER THAT A GOVERNMENT GUARANTEE. SO HOPEFULLY IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE, WE WILL SEE GROUNDBREAKING GOING ON JUST OUTSIDE THE CITY, JUST BELOW DENVER CITY OR CHERRY POINT ROAD ON A NEW ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY. AND WITH THE INCREASING AGE, AVERAGE AGE OF RESIDENTS OF THIS AREA, IT'S A FACILITY THAT I THINK WILL FILL A GREAT NEED. AND, UH, I AM ON THAT BOARD OF UNITED SENIOR SERVICES. THAT'S WHY I BRING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION. IT'S A GO AND IT LOOKS GOOD. THE SECOND THING IS MAY THE 28TH, MARCH 28TH, THIS MONTH, MARCH 28TH, THE IMPERIAL POTENTATE OF THE SHRINE OF NORTH AMERICA WILL BE IN NEWBURN AND WE'LL HOLD A PRESS CONFERENCE. THE TIME IS NOT SET YET. UH, 1 45 OR TWO 30. IT'S NOT DEFINITE YET. THIS GROUP FUNDS THE 19 CHILDREN'S ORTHOPEDIC HOSPITALS IN THE UNITED STATES, MEXICO AND CANADA, AND THREE BURN CENTERS. THIS YEAR, THEY WILL SPEND $419 MILLION FOR SERVICES, CONSTRUCTION OF NEW FACILITIES AND RESEARCH, ANY CHILD WHO HAS NEED OF THOSE SERVICES IN THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, MEXICO. AND THEY ALSO HAVE PATIENTS FROM OTHER NATIONS RECEIVE COMPLETE TREATMENT, NO COSTS. THEY ACCEPT NO MONEY FROM INSURANCE. THEY ACCEPT NO MONEY FROM ANY GOVERNMENT SOURCE, THE TOTAL COST OF OPERATING THOSE FACILITIES AND SO FORTH. IT'S A SENSE THEY WERE ESTABLISHED IN THE 1920S. IT IS APPROACHING $4 BILLION THAT SHRINERS HAVE RAISED TO OPERATE THESE HOSPITALS. I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT, UH, WHEN THE CURRENT IMPERIAL POTENT TAKE MR. JOHN OF LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, VERY SUCCESSFUL BUILDER, WHO STARTED OUT AS A CARPENTER'S HELPER AND IS NOW ONE OF THE MOST PREEMINENT BUILDERS IN THAT AREA. IN FACT, HAS DEVELOPMENTS OVER 10 STATES BE HONORED WITH A PROCLAMATION FROM THE CITY OF PROCLAMATION OF HONOR, I WOULD CALL IT ON GOOD FRIDAY, MARCH 28. AND THAT, THAT BE PRESENTED BY THE APPROPRIATE, UH, CITY OFFICIAL. IF THE MAYOR IS ABLE TO DO THAT, OR THE MAYOR PRO TEM THAT THE MAYOR IS I'M ABLE TO DO IT, BUT THIS GENTLEMAN HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB OVER HIS CAREER OF HELPING TO SHINE. AND THEY HAVE RAISED JUST AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY AND DONE A FANTASTIC JOB. AND I FEEL [01:35:01] THAT, UH, THAT HONOR IS TO DO OKAY. DO WE NEED A MOTION? I DON'T THINK SO. I THINK THAT WOULD BE AT YOUR DISCRETION. I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT. NO PROBLEM. OKAY. WELL, IF ANYBODY, IF HE WANTS SOME GOOD BARBECUE THIS WEEKEND, COME ON DOWN TO THE AREA DOWN AROUND REUNION POINT THAT CRAVEN COUNTY FARMERS ASSOCIATION IS GOING TO HAVE THEIR ANNUAL BIG COOKING CONTEST AND BE SELLING THE RESULTS. SO THERE IS A LOT OF SUPPORT. THEY CAN USE THEM, PLUS THE WINNERS AND LOSERS, ALL THE SITE. I'LL PUT IT IN THE SAME GOOD BOOK, COME DOWN. THERE I'LL EVEN TREAT YOU UNTIL . AND I HAD A JOHNNY, JOHNNY CLARK COME BACK IN, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS HAVE COMPLAINTS ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE DO WITH THEIR HOMES IN TERMS OF THEIR PROPERTY, WITH TRASH ON IT, THE SYSTEM STANDARDS ARE BAD. WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT A BUSINESS THAT TAKES AND PUT 20 WASHER AND DRYERS BEHIND THE BUILDING AND OUTSIDE OF THE ONE? AND IT HAS BEEN A HIT TO ME AND HAS BECOME A DISGRACE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. I MEAN, ON QUEEN STREET, IT IS TERRIBLE. I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, OR IF IT'S SOMETHING IN SOME BOOK WHERE WE CAN CONTROL IT. BUT THE GENTLEMAN TO ME IS OUT OF PLACE. THEY NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT. UM, IN RELATION TO OTHER ITEMS THERE, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT AT ALL TO A CERTAIN DEGREE. WE BELIEVE GEORGE IS GOING TO LOOK INTO THE ZONE AND THE MINISTER ALSO MENTIONED IT TO WARD WAS ALSO THE KEY PART OF THIS IS THAT HE IS THE GENTLEMAN THAT LIVES OUT IN THE SHRIMP ROAD. WE HAVE TO SEND MEDICINES TO QUITE OFTEN. SO I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IS BEING WORKED ON THAT GOVERNMENT ATTENTION, NOT JUST FROM OUR OFFICE, BUT FROM VARIOUS OTHER PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY. SO WE ALL WORK. THIS IS, IS TERRIBLE. IT'S RIGHT ACROSS BLG ELECTRIC. UH, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE PROBLEMS WITH PRETENDING TO SALES WITH ALL THAT STUFF IS JUST OUTSIDE. JUST LIKE IT WAS TAKING TO ME A LITTLE, LIKE IT NEEDS TO BE CARED AT ALL. AND IF YOU GOT TO GO OUT TO A GOLDMAN AND HAVING TO PUT SOME SHRUB THAT TRY TO HIDE WHAT HE HAS, AND IF YOU HAVE SOME POLITICAL NEED TO BE WORRIED ABOUT, I MEAN, SIMPLE AS THIS THING IS THIS GUY JUST NEED TO TAKE A TRUCK, PUT THEM ON TRUCK AND HAUL THEM OFF. IS IT ZONE FOR A SALVAGE YARD, SOUND SCIENCE, YES. BUSINESS. AND THAT ZONE WOULD ALLOW YOU TO ORGANIZE THE OUTSIDE. OUTSIDE ALL THE BUSINESSES IN THE NAME OF THE SOUTH, TELL YOU SOMETHING THERE. AND SCOTT OR MR. . I WOULD HOPE WE COULD DO SOMETHING. UH, THAT'S AN OLD FAMILIAR NAME. I THINK TO OUR CITY ATTORNEY. WE'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THAT. MAY I HAVE ANOTHER SHOT AT, UH, JUST BROUGHT UP, UH, ONE OF MY MAJOR GOALS IS TO IMPROVE THE APPEARANCE OF THE CITY OF NEWBURN. NOW I'VE JUST WENT DOWN AND TRENT ROAD JUST THIS PAST WEEK AND RIGHT BEHIND MOORE'S BBQ OR INTERNET HOUSING, IT'S A MOBILE HOME, UH, SALES YARD, WELL BETWEEN THEIR FRONT OF THEIR BUILDING AND TRENT ROAD, IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE PARKING JUNK CAR. AND THEN IT'S JUST NOT ONE OR TWO IT'S SEVERAL. AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT SOMEBODY OUGHT TO MAKE SOMEBODY OUGHT TO ENCOURAGE HIM TO MOVE THOSE BECAUSE THEY'RE AN EYESORE AND THERE'S A BEAUTIFUL HOME RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET, RIGHT ACROSS TRENTON ROAD THERE. AND I'M SURE WHEN THEY WAKE UP EVERY MORNING, LOOK OUT AT THEIR FRONT DOOR AND SEE THAT THEY'VE GOTTA BE APPALLED UNLESS THEY OWN THE PLACE. SO [01:40:01] IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE POWERS TO BE, AND THAT'S US, I GUESS, UM, OUGHTA MAKE A MOVE. IT, I MEAN, THIS THAT'S AN ENTRY TO THE CITY OF NEW BERN AND TO, UH, AN AREA THAT GOES INTO ONE OF OUR SISTERS SAID HE SPENT WOODS. WE WOULD HAVE ENCOURAGE THE OWNERS TO IMPROVE THEIR PROPERTY, THE APPEARANCE OF THEIR PROPERTY. AND THAT WOULD BE A GREAT PLACE TO START. AND YOU ARRIVED AT THE THING THAT WE ALSO WILL DO IS IT SAID PARAPHRASE AT THE CITY OF LAWS. AND THAT IS SOMETIMES WE FIND THAT SALES UNABLE TO DO THINGS BECAUSE THE LAW LAOS. SO I HAD TO KIND OF THING. SO THE OVERALL VISION OF WHERE WE WANT TO GET FROM HERE TO THERE AND THE COOPERATION OF THE CITIZENS HASN'T YES, I HAVE ONE LAST THING I WOULD LIKE TO ASK OUR NEW CITY, ALDERMAN, MR. JOSEPH MATTINGLY, IF HE WOULD PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO INTRODUCE HIS WIFE TO THE BOARD OR ELSE YOU WILL HAVE GREAT DIFFICULTY GETTING OUT OF THE DOGHOUSE IN THE FUTURE. I'M NOT IN THE DOGHOUSE, BUT, UH, SHE IS THE, UH, THEN MY, A GUIDING LIGHT FOR 34 YEARS IN SANDRA. WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND UP SINCE THEY ASK YOU TO SEIZE A WELL, NOW, MR. MATTINGLY, I'LL TELL YOU WHY I DID THAT. SHE IS GOING TO RECEIVE PROBABLY MORE CALLS THAN YOU DO. AND I WILL TELL YOU THIS. WHEN PEOPLE SAY, WHEN YOU GO OUT OF TOWN, WHY DOES YOUR WIFE ACCOMPANY YOU? THEY DESERVE, WELL, SHE'S GOING TO TAKE ME OUT OF TOWN O'CLOCK BUT BILL, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO PUBLISH YOUR, MY TELEPHONE NUMBER FIVE ONE FOUR TWO FIVE SIX, FOUR. THAT'S NOT OUR HOME NUMBER. DON'T PUBLISH MY HOME PHONE NUMBER. I HAVE ENOUGH CALLS FROM OTHER PEOPLE ON THAT ONE, PLEASE. THANK YOU FURTHER FROM THIS AND THEN THEY ARE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD WHILE DANNY IS LOOKING FOR THAT RESOLUTION. LET ME JUST JUMP RIGHT IN HERE WITH ONE LAST ITEM THAT I HAVE. WE HAVE A POLICE CIVIL SERVICE REGISTER THAT HAS THREE, UH, YOU, UH, CANDIDATES OR POSITIONS IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, HOMELESS REGISTER. AND IT'S RECOMMENDED THAT YOU APPROVE THIS REGISTERED MOTION TO APPROVE. I GUESS YOU CALL IT A ROLL ON THAT TWO OUT OF THREE, ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE, DANNY . I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WOULD, UH, I, I DON'T REALLY THINK SO. UH I'M GOING TO KNOCK IT OUT TUESDAY, TUESDAY. I DON'T HAVE ANY MISCELLANEOUS. IF I DID, DAVID BRINKLEY WOULD SAY, I FORGOT ALL IN FAVOR OF A JOURNEY. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.