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AND WE'LL OPEN WITH A PRAYER BY REVEREND MIKE REGISTERED IN RIVERSIDE, UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, PRECIOUS AND HOLY FATHER.
WE THANK YOU FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING HERE TO CARRY ON THE BUSINESS OF THIS CITY.
WE THANK YOU LORD, FOR THESE THAT HAVE COME.
THOSE LORD WHOM YOU HAVE PLACED IN AUTHORITY FOR SURELY YOUR WORD TEACHES THAT WE ARE TO BE IN A BDS TO THE POWERS THAT BE FOR ALL POWERS ARE ORDAINED OF VIEW.
SO FATHER, WE PRAY YOUR BLESSINGS UPON THESE AT LEAD AND FATHER, WE PRAY THAT YOU WILL GIVE THEM THE WISDOM, THE BOLDNESS, AND THE COURAGE TO STAND AND JUDGE FAIRLY ON ALL ISSUES, FATHER, THAT YOU WILL WATCH OVER AND BLESS THEM AND ALL THAT THEY SAY AND DO.
AND THAT ALL DECISIONS MADE MIGHT BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR WHEEL LESSEES, LORD, WHO COME BRINGING PETITIONS AND VARIOUS THINGS OF BUSINESS THAT NEED TO BE CARRIED ON.
AND FATHER, WE PRAY THAT YOU WILL GUIDE AND DIRECT EACH SALT AND THAT IN ALL THINGS, NOT ONLY MIGHT YOU BE GLORIFIED, BUT THAT THIS CITY MIGHT BE A PROSPEROUS, WONDERFUL PLACE TO LIVE, THAT MEN MIGHT LIVE TOGETHER IN PEACE AND HARMONY AND IN PRAISE OF THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
BUT WE ASK IT IN JESUS' PRECIOUS NAME.
THE FIRST THING WE HAVE TONIGHT, A VERY PLEASANT THING, AND WE'VE ALL BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO SOME TIME AND THAT'S TO PRESENT THE PORTRAIT THAT WITH GOD, I ASKED MAYOR MORGAN, AND I'D LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS AS USUAL THAT POPPED INTO MY HEAD.
BUT, UH, BEFORE I CAME HERE TONIGHT, I HAPPENED TO BE WATCHING THE CABLE TV AND, UH, THEY WERE INTERVIEWING, UH, ROY CAMPANELLA AND HE WAS TALKING ABOUT, UH, JACKIE ROBINSON, A GREAT JACKIE ROBINSON WAS AND ALL THE THINGS THAT HE HAD DONE AND SO FORTH AND SO ON, AND REALLY TOLD A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE STORY ABOUT HOW THE HELEN OR THE TEAM TOOK JACKIE ROBINSON INTO THE MAJOR LEAGUES.
IT KIND OF SAT DOWN WITH JACK AND HE SAID, LOOK, HE SAID, YOU KNOW, I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO THIS TO GET THE FIRST BLACK OR AFRICAN-AMERICAN PLAYER IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES.
HE SAID, BUT IT HAD TO BE THE RIGHT GUY.
HE SAID, HE COURSE HAD TO BE A GREAT BASEBALL PLAYER, BUT HE HAD TO BE THE KIND OF PERSON THAT EVERYBODY WOULD ADMIRE.
HE KNEW HOW TO HANDLE HIMSELF.
HE SAID, THERE'LL BE PEOPLE THAT WON'T WANT YOU TO SUCCEED.
NEVER TRY TO HAVE A WAY THEY CAN MAKE YOU FAIL.
AND YOU'VE GOT TO OVERCOME THAT AND DO IT.
YOU'LL SET UP A LEGACY FOR ALL TIME TO COME BEHIND YOU.
AND HE SAID, MAN, THANK YOU TO MAN TO DO IT.
AND HE TURNED OUT HE WAS A MAN TO DO IT.
AND ROY CAMPANELLA WENT ON TO SAY THAT, UH, HE SAID, YOU KNOW, ONE THING ABOUT, UH, JACKIE ROBINSON SAID HE COULD HIT, HE COULD RUN.
HE COULD PITCH, HE COULD DO IT ALL SAID, AND THEN BEAT YOU ON TOP OF THAT.
AND THE MORE HE TALKED ABOUT IT, THE MORE I THOUGHT ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO HERE TONIGHT AND TRULY THE RAMIFICATIONS OF EXACTLY WHAT LEE MORGAN DID LIVES ON AND ON FOR ALL OF US.
AND THIS HAPPENS TO ME CONTINUALLY BECAUSE OF THE JOB THAT HE DID IS THAT MAYOR OF A RELATIVELY SMALL CITY AND THE PLACES HE WENT, THEY EXPECT ME TO BE SOMEBODY.
WHEN I COME THERE, HONEST TO GOD, HE SAT A LEGACY NO MORE AND NO LONGER DOES ANYBODY THINK IF YOU COME FROM A SMALL TOWN THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE SOMEBODY WHO CAN'T HAVE YOURSELF AND DON'T HAVE SOME INTELLIGENCE OR ALL THIS TYPE OF THING.
SO HE, HE SAT A BIG LEGACY, BUT HE PROVED HE MADE IT EASIER FOR ME.
IN ONE SENSE, HE PUT A BAR UP THERE, PRETTY HIGH FOR ME TO GET OVER, BUT, UH, HE MADE IT EASIER IN THE SENSE THAT PEOPLE EXPECT GREAT THINGS TO COME FROM.
IT MAKES IT TOUGH, BUT IT MAKES IT EASY IN THE SENSE.
AND A LOT OF RESPECTS, A LOT OF FOLKS MENTIONED THAT HE WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN NEWMAN MAYOR.
I NEVER KNEW THAT NEVER REALIZED THAT AND NEVER EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT THAT UNTIL IT WAS POINTED OUT TO ME, UH, AFTER I BECAME THE MAYOR.
BUT THE RAMIFICATIONS OF WHAT THAT MEANT YOU AND I SETTLED IN OVER TIME AND LOOKING BACK FOR AN EXAMPLE, THE THING THAT REALLY STUCK IN MY MIND ABOUT WHAT ROY CAMPANELLA SAID TONIGHT IN THAT INTERVIEW UNIT FILM, AND THIS IS SOME OF YOU THAT KNOW ME VERY WELL,
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KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT AMERICAN PATRIOTISM AND ALL THAT KIND OF BUSINESS.BUT ROY CAMPANELLA SAID THAT BEFORE JACKIE ROBINSON CAME ALONG, IT WAS CALLED THE GREAT AMERICAN GAME.
HE SAID, BUT UH, NOW THAT JACKIE ROBINSON HAD COME ALONG AND THE BLACK PLAYERS THAT CAME AT IT, HE SAID, IT TRULY IS AN AMERICAN GAME.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE TONIGHT.
AND, UH, SO IT GIVES ME, I'M VERY HUMBLE WHEN IT COMES TIME TO, TO UNVEIL THIS THING, BECAUSE I THINK OF IT, UH, I'VE TOLD YOU ALL THIS BEFORE.
I HOPE PEOPLE REMEMBER THAT BAYLIS AND MORGAN MORE PROPERLY MORGAN BAYLESS ERA IN NEWMAN FOR WHATEVER IT'S WORTH.
I WAS GLAD TO COME ALONG BEHIND HIM.
AND, UH, HE HAD A TREMENDOUS TRIPLE RIGHT AHEAD OF HIM AND HE GOT ON THIRD BASE AND HIS POLE, TOM, ALL I CAN DO IS BUMP, BUT I HOPE I BRING YOU SO I'M GLAD TO FAMILIES HERE TONIGHT AND THE BOARD, I'M SURE WE'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY WHEN WE UNVEIL THIS TO SAY ANYTHING AND WHENEVER THEY WOULD LIKE, SO I'LL COME DOWN AND ASK SOME ASSISTANCE.
THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, ESTEEMED BOARD OF ALDERMAN AND ALL THE WOMAN TO THE CITY.
OFFICIALS GATHERED FELLOW ELECTED OFFICIALS AND FRIENDS.
ALL THOSE OF US WHO LOVE NEWBURN SO MUCH AS MY FATHER DID.
THANK YOU TO THIS WONDERFUL, GREAT BODY OF LEADERS OF OUR WONDERFUL CITY FOR HONORING MY FATHER IN THIS WAY.
MY MOTHER HAS ASKED ME TO SAY SOME WORDS ON BEHALF OF OUR FAMILY MEMBERS.
AND I DO WANT TO INTRODUCE EACH OF THEM IF I MAY, BEFORE I PROCEED WITH ANY OTHER COMMENTS, UH, TO MY FAR LEFT IS MY WIFE, PATTY SMITH, MORGAN OF RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA, AND SEATED BESIDE HER IS MY DAUGHTER, MARISSA SMITH MORGAN.
WE LIVE IN RALEIGH BESIDE HER.
MARISSA IS KRISTEN NICOLE CRUTCHFIELD AND HER SISTER MORGAN CRUTCHFIELD.
AND BESIDE THEM IS LAND ROBERT MORGAN, JR.
MY BROTHER, YOU HAVE HEARD FROM MY MOTHER, BOB RIVERS, MORGAN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE ON THE FRONT ROW IS DANA DOMINICK MORGAN.
AND SHE'S HOLDING HER DAUGHTER, CASEY MORGAN
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MERIT TO LEANNE TO ROB MORGAN, JR.UH, DANA IS, AND BESIDE DANA IS MY SISTER LISA GAY MORGAN.
AND BESIDE HER IS MARK SPARROW MORGAN.
AND FINALLY OUR FAMILY MEMBERS BESIDE HIM, GARY SMITH, MORGAN, ON BEHALF OF MY FAMILY, I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW HOW MUCH YOU HONOR US WHEN YOU HONOR THE PATRIARCH OF OUR FAMILY LAND, ROBERT MORGAN SENIOR, ALTHOUGH HE HAILED ORIGINALLY FROM OUR NATION'S CAPITOL, WHEN HE MOVED TO OUR WONDERFUL COLONIAL CAPITAL OF NORTH CAROLINA, NAMELY NEWBURN, HE LOVED THE CITY WITH A FERVOR AND WITH A PASSION.
I REMEMBER VIVIDLY MR. MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
WHEN WE CAME IN AS A FAMILY, MY FATHER, MY MOTHER, MY SISTER, LISA ROBBIE, AS WE CALL THEM WAS ALMOST TO BE BORN ON THAT NIGHT OF AUGUST 8TH, 1963.
WHEN I FOUND THAT WE WERE RELOCATING FROM MY FATHER'S HOME OF WASHINGTON, DC, TO MY MOTHER'S HOME OF NEW BERN, NORTH CAROLINA, ALL OF THE PROMISE AND VITALITY THAT WAS FAILED AND RELOCATING TO THIS WONDERFUL CITY.
AND I REMEMBER VERY VIVIDLY AND FONDLY, MY FATHER'S DEEP LOVE FOR THE CITY AND RECOGNIZING THAT IT HAD POTENTIAL TO GROW AND TO PROSPER TAKING THAT ON TILL THE DAY THAT I WILL FOREVER REMEMBER RIGHT IN THESE HALLS.
WHEN MY FATHER TOOK THE OATH TO BE THE MAYOR OF OUR WONDERFUL CITY BACK IN 1977.
AND ON THAT HISTORIC OCCASION, NEWBURN FULFILLED MUCH OF THE PROMISE THAT MY FATHER SAW THAT IT HAD IN ITS PROGRESSIVENESS, IN ITS FORWARD-THINKING PHILOSOPHY, WHICH CONTINUES ON TO THIS PRESENT DAY WITH YOU, THE CITY, FATHERS AND MOTHER PROGRESSING AS WELL IN MAKING BIRTH AND ALL THAT IT CAN BE AS IT NOW MOVES INTO THE 21ST CENTURY.
THANK YOU FOR HONORING HIM IN THIS MOST GREAT FASHION, JUST AS YOU HAVE SEEN FIT TO HONOR HIM WITH THAT GREAT PARK ON WALT BELLAMY DRIVE.
EVERY TIME WE GO BY THERE AS A FAMILY, OUR HEARTS FIELD WITH JOY OF THE RECOGNITION THAT THIS CITY HAS GIVEN HIM, AND ALSO FILLS US WITH THE JOY OF KNOWING THAT HE WAS OUR FAMILY MEMBER AND JUST AS HE LOVED HIS FAMILY.
SO PASSIONATELY, HE LOVED THIS CITY.
SO THANK YOU FOR HONORING HIM.
THANK YOU FOR HONORING US AND THANK YOU FOR HONORING HIS LEGACY AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO FOR THE CITY THAT HE LOVED SO MUCH NEW BERN, NORTH CAROLINA.
ONCE TOLD ME THAT KNEW MY FATHER.
HE SAID, AS LONG AS YOU'RE STILL ALIVE, YOUR DADDY WILL NEVER DIE.
I'M GOING TO PASS THAT ON TONIGHT.
AS LONG AS HE AND ROBBIE YOU'RE FOLLOWING HIM DIE.
SO ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS? I'M I MAKE A COMMENT MAYOR.
UH, I SERVED WITH ALI BOGON THE ENTIRE TIME THAT HE WAS MAYOR OF THIS FINE CITY ON HIS GREAT LEADERSHIP.
I WAS REALLY PRIVILEGED TO SERVE UNDER HIM, BUT MOST OF ALL, LEE AND MYSELF BECAME PERSONAL FRIENDS.
WE WERE GOOD FRIENDS AND I MISS HIM VERY MUCH.
ANYBODY ELSE? I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY, EXCEPT I FEEL LIKE HE WAS MY FAMILY TOO.
I LOOKED AT HIM LIKE MY BIG BROTHER AND HE TOOK ME BY MY HAND AND TOOK ME TO POLLS FROM YEAR AFTER YEAR.
AND IT'S BECAUSE OF HIM THAT I SEEK THE OFFICE AS ALL THE MEN HERE IN THE CITY OF NEW BERN, I SERVED WITH HIM.
HE WAS MY FRIEND, EVEN BEFORE THEN WE PARTICIPATED IN MANY ACTIVITIES TOGETHER.
I KNOW ALL OF YOU LOVE ALL OF YOU FEED GARY EVERY DAY.
I'M JUST, OH, WELL, WHO AM THEN OVERJOYED
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BY THIS? UH, HONOR.I'M GLAD THAT YOU HAVE ASKED THAT IT'D BE HUNG DOWNSTAIRS SO THAT EVERYBODY CAN SEE OTHERS CAN JUST WALK IN AND, AND, AND LITTLE KIDS WHO REMEMBER THE NAME AND ALWAYS BE REMINDED OF THE FACE THAT GOES WITH THAT NAME.
JUST ONE SHORT COMMENT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IS THAT I DON'T HAVE TO TALK A LOT.
THE WORDS ARE IN THE FACT THAT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ONE PAINTING OF A FORMER ELECTED OFFICIAL IN THE CITY OF NEWBURGH, THIS IS THE ONLY, THE SECOND TIME THAT THEY DIDN'T WANT, THAT I'M AWARE OF HAS BEEN HONORED BY HAVING THEIR PORTRAIT ON IN CITY HALL.
AND WE HAVE SMALL PHOTOGRAPHS OF A NUMBER OF THE FORMER ELECTED OFFICIALS IN THE ROOM OVER HERE, BUT THERE'S ONLY ONE, ONE PAINTING, ONE THAT BIG.
AND IT JUST SPEAKS OF THE RESPECT THAT HE HAD IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND FROM THIS BOARD THAT, UM, THE OTHER ONE IS FROM BACK IN LATE 18 HUNDREDS, A SON, BUT THAT'LL GIVE YOU SOME INDICATION.
NO ONE HAD, UH, NO ONE HAD BEEN GIVEN THIS HONOR SINCE THEN.
AND I THINK THAT'S SPEAKS VOLUMES FOR THE WAY LEE IS SEEN BY THE PEOPLE IN NEW ZEALAND.
WELL, I HAVE A VERY CONTRADICTORY, CONTRADICTORY EMOTIONS REGARDING THIS ENTIRE EVENING.
GOD, MR. MORGAN, THE REASON IS THAT, UH, NO, I'M STILL SADDENED BY THE FACT THAT WE LOST HIM AND THE, MY MEMORY OF HIM GOES BACK TO THE LATE SIXTIES OR EARLY SEVENTIES.
UM, MR. MORGAN WAS A ROLE MODEL OFF OF ME COMING UP.
AND, UH, I REMEMBER DOING ALL MY TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS AS A YOUTH.
YOU KNOW, HE WOULD ALWAYS HAVE SOME VERY ENCOURAGING AND, UH, COMPLIMENTARY THINGS TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WHEN I SAW HIS ADVICE, I NEVER DREAMED THAT I WOULD BE SERVING ON A GOVERNING BOARD WITH HIM WHEN I WAS YOUNG.
I NEVER DREAMED THAT I WOULD COME BACK TO NEWBURN AND THAT, UH, HE WOULD BE THE MIRROR AND I WOULD BE AN ALDERMAN.
I NEVER DREAMED THAT, UH, I WOULD GO TO SWITZERLAND WITH, UH, HIM AND HIS WIFE AND MR. BALANCER.
WELL, MR. MORGAN WAS HAROLD BY THE SWISS.
AND, UH, I'M SAD THAT HE'S NOT HERE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I'M HAPPY THAT I'M STILL ON THE BOARD AND THAT I, I HELPED MAKE THE DECISION TO MAKE SURE THAT HIS MEMORY LIVED OFF OF, IN THIS CITY.
AND I JUST WANT TO LET THE FAMILY KNOW THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE THE TIME THAT I SPENT WITH YOUR FATHER AND OUR ROOM.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING? THEY WANT TO SAY UH, TO THE BOARD, BOB, HER AND HER HUSBAND AND HER FATHER BISHOP GO WAY BACK.
AS FAR AS THE BELT, I HAVE HIS CONCERN WHEN MY MOTHER WAS ILL, THEY WERE THERE TO SUPPORT HER IN HOOPER.
AND I REMEMBER BARBARA WHEN HE CAME OVER TO THE HOUSE AND I TOLD HIM, I WOULD EVENTUALLY COME BACK TO NEWBURN AFTER RETIRING.
HE SAID, JUST DON'T COME BACK TO NEW BROOM, COME BACK AND BE MIRRORED.
AND I TOLD HIM, YOU KNOW, I MIGHT CONSIDER THAT.
AND THAT REALLY WAS A CONSIDERATION THAT I HAD AT ONE TIME.
AND THE MAYOR HERE KNOWS ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I TOLD HIM THAT SAY, HEY, REMEMBER THAT JOHNNY.
BUT THE KEY IS THAT THIS WAS AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN WHO BROKE THE COLOR BARRIER HERE IN MY CITY NUBER AND CAME FROM THE CAPITAL WHERE POLICY REALLY IS MADE.
AND NEWBURN HAS GAINED FROM THIS, ALL OF US, ALL CITIZENS, NO MATTER WHAT THEIR ETHNICITY IS, WE HAVE GAINED FROM THIS PERSON OF COLOR, BEING THE MIRROR AND NEWBURN.
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YOU'RE FINE FOR ALLOWING US TO BE A PART OF HIM.AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT HERE TONIGHT, I WANT THEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A MAN THAT THEY CAN REVIEW AND FOR THE KIDS TO COME IN THE FUTURE AND THEY TALK ABOUT HISTORY, DIVERSITY, HISTORY, CULTURE, DIVERSITY.
THIS WILL BE ONE OF THE PRODUCT SAMPLES THEY WILL HAVE.
ALL RIGHT, MERIT, I HADN'T PLANNED TO SAY ANYTHING AND I KNOW THE FAMILY AND, YOU KNOW, I SEE HIM EVERY TWO DAYS, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I JUST, I JUST SAID THERE WAS ONE STATEMENT THAT, UH, I USED TO LISTEN TO, UH, LEE MORGAN SAY TO ME WHENEVER WE WERE RIDING, BECAUSE, UH, BEFORE HIS TWO SONS MOVED BACK HOME TO WORK IN A FUNERAL HOME, HE AND I USED TO RIDE TO MAKE REMOVALS.
AND, UH, WE, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE TALKING AND, UH, IT WAS, HE WAS ONE GUY THAT COULD TURN A TWO HOUR TRIP INTO A SIX HOUR TRIP.
UH, AND THAT'S BECAUSE HE WOULD GO TO RALEIGH AND THEN HE WANTED TO STOP, SEE THE KIDS AND THEN WE'LL STOP AND HAVE BREAKFAST.
AND ON THE WAY BACK WHEN TO STOP, HAVE DINNER, AND THEN WE'LL STOP SEEING SOMEONE ELSE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, IT WAS, UH, COURSE, YOU KNOW, THE RIDES WEREN'T BORING, BUT HE ALWAYS HAD SOMETHING TO SAY, BUT THERE WAS ONE STATEMENT THAT HE ALWAYS SHARE WITH ME.
AND, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS REMEMBER, HE SAID, REMEMBER EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO AFFECT SOMEONE ELSE WHEN YOU'RE SLEEPING AND AFFECTS SOMEONE ELSE WHEN YOU'RE AWAKE, IT AFFECTS SOMEONE ELSE.
SO WHATEVER YOU DECIDE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO OR NOT GOING TO DO, REMEMBER THAT IT AFFECTS SOMEONE ELSE, BUT IT MADE ME CRAP.
UM, MAYOR OF NEWBURN, ANOVA, DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE DIOCESE, MY GOOD FRIEND, BARBARA LANE, CONGRESSMEN, RAINER.
I MEAN,
IT TAKES TO DISTINGUISH BLACK GENTLEMEN TO BALANCE THE ROSTRUM AS COMPARED TO ONE EXCEPTIONALLY DISTINGUISHED BLACK LADY ON THE OTHER SIDE.
SO I MADE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN TELL FROM THAT HOW MUCH I TAKE OF ME.
THE BELLA TEACH TO THE STADIUM, BUT YOU KNOW, AN OFFICER THAT AS I COME ACROSS, I COME DOWN CHELSEA FROM MY BELOVED CITY OF TRIP WORDS, I'VE WEIGHED, SHY MY GLORIFIED MEMBER AND VERY HAPPY.
IN FACT, I'M MARRYING A YOUNG LADY, JUST ABOUT A HALF A MILE FROM MY HOUSE.
SO I CAN NOT ONLY GET A LADY OF GOOD TASTE, BUT A BUILT-IN FAMILY, AND ALSO BE ABLE TO STAY IN CRAMP WOODS WITHOUT HAVING TO COME BACK INTO THE ROAD, BOASTFUL OF THE CITY OF NEWBURGH.
UH, I PAY US THE CEMETERY THERE ON CHELSEA.
AND WHEN I HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RIDE BY THE CEMETERY, UH, OUT WELL OUT THERE ON, UH, DOWN BELOW WHERE THEN YOU BEEN HIGH SCHOOL AGE.
NOW I THINK OF THE WORK THAT I'LL, UH, THAT MAY HAVE MORGAN DID IN MAKING THOSE CEMETERIES BETTER THAN WHAT THEY WERE.
WHEN I FIRST MOVED BACK TO THE NEWBURN AREA IN 1980, THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL CEMETERIES AND SOLELY BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT MAYA MORGAN DID TO MAINTAIN, HELP, MAINTAIN, AND PROGRESS THOSE TWO LOVELY CEMETERIES, CORE TEETH DONE TREMENDOUS WORK HERE IN OAK GROVE CEMETERY.
I MEAN, CEDAR GROVE CEMETERY, EXCUSE ME, I GET TIRED THIS TIME OF EVENING.
UH, BUT I, I AM TREMENDOUSLY PROUD OF THE FACT OF HAVING KNOWN SUCH A FINE CHRISTIAN GENTLEMAN AS MAYA MORGAN.
AND I KNOW THE WORK THAT HE DID THROUGH THE FUNERAL HOME, AND I'M VERY, VERY PROUD TO CALL HIM MY ADOPTED BROTHER AND MY BROTHER IN CHRIST.
FIRST GEAR ON TOP LORD AND SAVIOR.
JESUS CHRIST DID A BLESSING TO BE HERE WITH THE MORGAN FAMILY TONIGHT.
AND WE, WE GO REAL REAL WAY BACK.
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BARBARA AND IVY WAS IN SCHOOL TOGETHER.AND I, I MET MR. MAHLER WHEN THE FIRST CAME INTO NEWBURN, MR. MARGARET AND IVY WORKED TOGETHER QUITE OFTEN.
AND AS ARE HIS, I REMEMBER MR. MULLIGAN, WHEN YOU WERE FIRST ELECTED THE MATH W IT WASN'T AN EASY JOB TO BE ELECTED MAYOR IN THE CITY OF NEWBURGH.
AND AT THAT TIME, BUT WE WORKED HARD AND HE WORKED HARD AND HE WAS A RESPECTABLE GENTLEMEN.
THIS WHY THE PEOPLE WAS WILLING TO VOTE FOR HIM.
I DON'T BELIEVE NO ONE ELSE COULD HAVE BEEN MET THAT TIME ITSELF, MR. MONG, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD, IF THEY HAD RAN FOR OFFICE AND I MET HIM ON ANOTHER OCCASION ABOUT, UH, WHAT BELLA DRIVE APARTMENTS OUT THERE.
I REMEMBER MR. MORGAN WENT, WAS IN RALEIGH IN THE BOAT WHEN THE BOARD WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE A VOTE ABOUT GIVING THAT PROPERTY OVER TO THE NOOSE RIVER CDC, MR. MORGAN RUSHED BACK ALL THE WAY FROM RALEIGH TO MAKE SURE HE BE ABLE TO VOTE FOR THAT PROJECT.
AND WE HAD A PRETTY TOUGH TIME RECEIVING THAT PROPERTY FROM THE CITY BECAUSE ONE PERSON ON THE BOARD VOTED AGAINST IT.
AND WE HAD TO, HE WORKED LONG BEFORE US TO GET SOME INFORMATION TO RALEIGH, TO GET THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, TO, TO INITIATE THE LAW, THE CHARACTER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN THE HOUSE OF SENATE, THAT WE WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN THIS PROPERTY.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE RESULTS DOWN ON WHAT BELLA DRIVE, WHICH HIS NAME IS ON THERE.
PAUL GOING TO BE ON A PARK DOWN THERE AND WALKED VALLEY MEANT DRIVING THIS WASN'T NO EASY JOB.
HE WENT THROUGH A LOT OF TRYING TIMES BECAUSE IT WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE AGAINST THE CITY, TURNED OUT LAND OVER TO THE CDC TO BE A HOUSING FOR LOW INCOME PEOPLE.
AND SOME GENTLEMAN TOLD ME THAT IT WILL NEVER BE DONE BECAUSE THERE WASN'T A LOT FOR THAT TO BE DONE FOR LOW INCOME, LOW INCOME PEOPLE TO BE LIVING DOWN ON THE WATERFRONT.
BUT AS WE ALL CAN SEE NOW, GOD MADE IT POSSIBLE THAT IF SOME HOME BE BUILT DOWN THERE.
AND ANOTHER THING I REMEMBER ABOUT MR. MORGAN, WE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL AND I, AND MR. MALL WERE PRETTY LOW WHEN I WENT IN TO SEE HIM.
AND HE TOLD ME, HE SAID, BRAS OUT AND SAY, YOU KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.
I SAID, NO MATTER WHAT YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH WITH THAT SOMETIME YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH WITH SOMETHING TO BE STRONG.
SO WHEN YOU HAVE TO KEEP ON KEEPING ON, SO RIGHT NOW I'M A LITTLE LAID UP SAY BUCK ON WHICH ALL THE WAY.
AND, AND EVEN DURING HIS SICK TIME, WHEN HE WAS SUFFERING FROM COWS, HE WOULD PRESS HER WAY OUT TO THE WEED AND SEED.
YOU WOULD COME OUT THERE TO THE MEAT.
AND WE TOLD HIM, MR MULLIGAN, YOU DON'T HAVE TO COME, BUT HE DOES WANT TO BE A PART OF IT.
HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT, OR, UH, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TURNING THAT WHEAT, THAT A ROW HOUSE OVER TO THE CITY WHERE WE HAVE THE WEED AND SEE YOU NOW.
AND SO HE HAS DONE A GREAT, A LOT OF GREAT THINGS.
I COULD STAND ON HIS NAME, LIKE QUITE A FEW THINGS THAT HE HAS DONE FOR THE CITY.
AND A LOT OF THINGS PEOPLE DON'T EVEN KNOW.
AND HE, HE HAS TAKEN A LOT OF ABUSE FROM SOME PEOPLE.
AND, AND, AND HE LET ME KNOW THAT YOU YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE THIS ABUSE, BUT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO HOLD YOURSELF STEADY.
AND LET'S KEEP RIGHT ON DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND WE THAT'S MY FAMILY AND I, WE ARE REAL PROUD AND I'M SURE THAT CITY, AND I KNOW THE COUNTY, HE DID GREAT WORKS IN THE COUNTY.
THIS IS WHY I CAME UP TONIGHT BECAUSE I AM A COUNTY COMMISSIONER.
AND I KNOW HE DID A GREAT SERVICE TO THE COUNTY AND HE WAS OPPRESSED AND HE WAS A PEOPLE PERSON.
AND HE WAS A PERSON THAT COULD LOVE EVERYBODY.
AND I DON'T, I DON'T BELIEVE I EVER SEEN HIM GET MAD NO MATTER WHAT WENT BY.
HE MIGHT GO HOME AND GET MAD, BUT HE DIDN'T SHOW TO GET MAD IN THE PUB.
THAT'S THANKED ME, THE MULLIGAN FAMILY FOR THE USE OF THAT FATHER.
WE GAVE UP A LOT OF TIME TO US.
AND I IMAGINE THE FAMILIES WENT SUFFERING SOMETIME BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES HE COULD HAVE BEEN HOME.
HE WAS OUT HERE IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND I'M SURE MORGAN FAMILY DOES ALL THE KIND OF THINGS THAT WERE SAID TONIGHT.
THEN REALLY, IF EVERYBODY KNEW WHEN HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, UM, EVERYBODY ON IT WOULD BE HERE SPEAKING ON AND ON ABOUT HIM.
I'D LIKE TO SAY ALSO WHEN YOUR SON MIKE AT THE FUNERAL GAVE HIM A GREAT EULOGY.
AND ONE THING THAT STUCK WITH ME IN LIVING THE, UH, COMING ALONG BEHIND MAYOR MORGAN AND TRYING TO EMULATE HIM AS BEST I CAN, I WILL REMEMBER IF ANYBODY'S EVER LOOKING
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AT HIM IN A LINE AND SAYS, WHO YOU LOOKING AT, I'M GOING TO SAY, I'M LOOKING AT YOU.LET'S SAY AS LITTLE THINGS ABOUT PEOPLE THAT YOU JUST REMEMBER ON AND ON AND ON.
AND, UH, I THOUGHT THAT WAS GREAT, BUT IT WAS JUST, JUST TO SHOW YOU, GIVE YOU A GOOD MAN AND YOU SMILE AND YOU CAN, WHEN THE TIME COMES TO BE TOUGH, YOU CAN DO THAT TOO.
SO WE THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING TONIGHT, AND WE'RE GOING TO HANG IT DOWNSTAIRS WHERE YOU WANT IT IN A NICE ROBBING THE PLACE AND BEEN QUIETER, QUITE A MOVE AT NIGHT.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I GUESS WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE NUMBER FOUR, WHICH IS YES.
WE HAVE A RULE IN HERE THAT IF YOU'RE DESCENDANTS OF AMR AND YOU CAN GO AND COME ANYTIME AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO, I AM NOT A PROBLEM.
AND MORGAN SAYS, HEY DUDE, BELIEVE ME.
YOU GUYS HAVE YOUR ROCK HAZARD MITIGATION REPORT SAY DIRECTOR OF PLANNING, WHO WAS THE GUY STANDING THERE? THIS IS HELL, THIS IS MILTON BARNETT.
HE'S AN ENGINEER WITH NICK DAVID AND ASSOCIATES.
HE'S WORKED WITH US FOR MANY YEARS ON OUR CDBG PROJECTS.
AND, UH, I ASKED HIM IF HE WOULD COME DOWN AND TALK TONIGHT ABOUT THE HAZARD MITIGATION ELEVATION PROGRAM AND ADDRESS QUESTIONS THAT THE BOARD MAY HAVE.
I, UM, I'VE CERTAINLY THE LAST HALF AN HOUR.
I, I REMEMBER MAYOR MORGAN JUST BRIEFLY WHEN I WAS HERE AND HE WAS ALWAYS QUITE A GENTLEMAN AND ALWAYS WONDERFUL TO DEAL WITH.
UM, IN SPEAKING WITH MIKE, HE HAD PRESENTED A SCHEDULE.
I HAD GIVEN TO HIM, I THINK, AT YOUR APRIL 23RD BOARD MEETING.
UM, AND I THINK THE BOARD HAD EXPRESSED TO HIM A DESIRE TO FIND SOME WAY TO MOVE THE ACTIVITIES HOME QUICKER THAN WE'D ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED.
UM, I HAVE GONE BACK AND TRIED TO REDO A SCHEDULE.
UH, I HAVE GIVEN, AND I'M GOING TO GO OVER IN A MINUTE.
I'VE GOT PLACED A COPY OF EACH ONE OF YOUR PLACES.
UH, WE'VE ACTUALLY GONE BACK AND COMMITTED ADDITIONAL PEOPLE, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO TRY TO GET THIS DONE QUICKER.
AND WHILE IT WASN'T RESOLVED, I WAS GOING TO GO THROUGH A RIGHT HERE.
UM, I PLACED AT YOUR, UH, AT YOUR PLACE.
AND THEN YOU CAN GIVE ME THE RECIPE LATER.
THE, UH, THE PALM, MR. MAYOR, THE ORIGINAL, THE SCHEDULE WE PRESENTED, UM, ON APRIL 23RD HAD ALL THE ENGINEERING FOUNDATION DESIGNS BEING COMPLETED IN APRIL OF 2001.
WE HAVE MOVED THAT BACK WITH A DIFFERENT, ADDITIONAL EFFORT BACK TO NOVEMBER OF THE YEAR, 2000.
NOW, IF I CAN GO THROUGH THE RECIPE WITH YOU, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT.
IT'S SIMPLE, EXCEPT WHEN ONE THING I WAS NOT PAYING ATTENTION.
I HEARD YOU SAID THE T ALWAYS TURNED ME OFF.
WHEN YOU SAY 2001, AND YOU CAME BACK AND SAID 2008 HAPPY INSIDE.
HE ASKED, HE ASKED FOR THE END RESULTS.
I WANTED TO GIVE THE END RESULT AT THAT BOAT, BECAUSE IF YOU JUST SAID, WE GOT IT DOWN TO 2000 AND SEE WHAT SHE'S SAYING.
THAT'S WHAT, AND IN NOVEMBER, 2000, AND IF YOU, IF YOU BEAR WITH ME FOR A MINUTE, JUST LET ME SHOW YOU A FEW THINGS ABOUT THE PROGRAM I'M STARTING.
AND I'M GOING TO TALK FROM THIS, THIS SHEET.
UM, OBVIOUSLY WITHOUT ALL THE HANDWRITING ON IT, THE HMGP START DATE AGREEMENT.
THE START OF YOUR ACTUAL GRANT AGREEMENT IS WITH JUNE 16TH, 1999.
THAT'S WHEN THE CITY SIGNED THE GRANT AGREEMENT FOR YOUR HMGP
[00:35:01]
FUNDING, THE HMGP FUNDING END DATE.IN OTHER WORDS, WHEN WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE THROUGH WITH THIS PROGRAM WAS FOUR 15 OF 2003, WE RECEIVED.
AND I SAY, WE COLLECTIVELY, AS A CITY, THE CITY RECEIVED, WHAT'S CALLED
WE SIGNED THAT AGREEMENT IN DECEMBER OF 1999.
UM, I MEAN, I'M IN THE UPPER LEFT-HAND CORNER OF THE SHEET, THREE LINES DOWN, WHICH SHEET, THE LANDSCAPE SHEET IS SHE SAYING WHEN YOU IT'S LANDSCAPE, BECAUSE IT'S LONG LIKE THAT.
MAX, UM, COMING DOWN TO ENGINEERING DESIGNS, WHICH IS BOLD ON THE UPPER LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THE SHEET, UM, WE RECEIVED AUTHORIZATION TO PROCEED WITH THE ENGINEERING DESIGNS IN JANUARY OF THE YEAR, 2000.
I HAVE LISTED THREE SCHEDULES HERE.
UH, THE FIRST TWO REALLY DON'T MAKE MUCH DIFFERENCE TO YOU, BUT I'D LIKE A CHANCE TO JUST BRIEFLY GO THROUGH THEM.
THE FIRST ONE IS WHAT WE HAD ORIGINALLY ANTICIPATED WHEN WE FIRST STARTED TALKING TO MIKE, WHEN THIS PROGRAM RECOGNIZING THAT THE PROGRAM WOULD EXTEND ON THROUGH APRIL OF 2003, THIS IS REALLY WHAT WE HAD ORIGINALLY ANTICIPATED IN DOING THE FOUNDATION DESIGNS OR THE ENGINEERING DESIGNS.
UM, THEN MY KID, UM, IN TALKING WITH ME EARLIER THIS YEAR HAD SAID, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO MOVE THIS THING ON.
UM, THE BOARD IS VERY INTERESTED IN GOING AHEAD AND GETTING STARTED, GETTING THESE DESIGNS STARTED GETTING SOMETHING HAPPENING OUT THERE.
SO THE SECOND GROUP OF NUMBERS DOWN, WHICH WAS THE 4 25 PROPOSED SCHEDULE ACTUALLY SHOWS THAT STARTING A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, UM, STILL NOT DOING THEM A WHOLE LOT FASTER AND A PER MONTH BASIS, BUT STARTING AT A LITTLE BIT EARLIER.
UH, AND THEN IN THE LAST WEEK, WE'VE SAT DOWN AND REALLY TRIED TO EXAMINE, UM, WHAT KIND OF MAN HOURS AND WHAT KIND OF MANPOWER WE CAN DEVOTE SOLELY TO THIS PROGRAM TO GO AHEAD AND GET IT WRAPPED UP AND GET THE ENGINEERING DESIGNS DONE SO WE CAN GET THEM ON THE MARKETING, UH, TO BE WORKING.
AND THAT'S PRESENTED IN THE LAST GROUP OF NUMBERS, WHICH YOU SEE, UH, THE 59TH HOUSE ENGINEERING DESIGN BEING DONE IN NOVEMBER THE YEAR, 2000.
NOW WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO TRY TO DO THESE FASTER, UH, THIS, THIS IS A AS I STAND UP HERE AS A COMMITMENT TO YOU, UM, THAT AT A MINIMUM THERE'LL BE DONE, THE DESIGNS WILL BE DONE THIS QUICKLY.
AND, UH, LIKE I SAY, WE HOPE TO DO THEM FASTER.
THERE IS A POSSIBILITY WE CAN DO THEM FASTER.
WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO DO THEM FASTER.
NOW THIS IS THE DESIGN MEANING THAT THEN YOU'LL HAVE A BID PACKAGE.
AND THEN W WHERE IS THAT SCHEDULE? I JOINED THE BID PACKAGE THAT NOW MATES WITH THIS.
LET ME, LET ME, I'M GONNA READ THESE NOTES ON THE BOTTOM OF THIS LANDSCAPE PACKAGE OF LANDSCAPE SHEET.
LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION BEFORE YOU DO THAT, THIS FOR WHERE YOU HAVE THIS, UM, 4 25 PROPOSED SCHEDULED NUMBER OF DESIGNS TO BE COMPLETED.
IS THAT APRIL 2ND? I MEAN, TO, TO BE DONE IN APRIL, IS THAT APRIL? YES.
THOSE ARE THE TWO THAT ARE OUT FOR BID RIGHT NOW.
NOW THAT IS THE SCHEDULE THAT WE PREACH THAT MIKE HAD PRESENTED TO YOU AT YOUR LAST MEETING.
AND THE ONE WE ARE GOING BY IS THE ONE RIGHT BELOW THAT ON THE FIVE, NINE, 2000 SCHEDULE.
IT SHOWS US WRAPPING UP THE DESIGNS IN NOVEMBER.
AND MR. MAYOR, EXCUSE ME TO FOLLOW UP ON, CAN I ASK THE QUESTION EARLIER? I ASKED THE SAME QUESTION.
YOU DID, UM, ELEVATION BIDDING SCHEDULE, WHICH AGAIN IS A LITTLE BIT FURTHER DOWN THE PAGE.
AS SOON AS THE ENGINEERING DESIGNS ARE RECEIVED, WE WILL BID THOSE AND WE SHOULD HAVE BIDS APPROXIMATELY 30 DAYS AFTER THEY'RE RECEIVED.
FOR INSTANCE, IF THERE ARE 10 DONE IN A MONTH, THE END OF THAT MONTH, THE PACKAGE WILL GO OUT TO RECEIVE BIDS 30 DAYS LATER.
NOW I WANT TO TAKE YOU OVER TO THIS SHEET.
DOESN'T HAVE THIS ON IT, BUT WITH A TYPICAL HOUSE SCHEDULE, BUT ALSO HANDED OUT TO YOU.
YES, THIS ONE'S A LITTLE BIT SIMPLE TO UNDERSTAND IT'S LIKE THIS,
[00:40:02]
THIS IS WHAT WE WOULD ANTICIPATE HAPPENING TO A TYPICAL HOUSE.AFTER WE HAVE RECEIVED THE, UH, ELEVATION AND FOUNDATION DESIGN, UH, WE NEED TO ADVERTISE AND RECEIVE BIDS THAT NO ONE WILL TAKE APPROXIMATELY 30 DAYS.
WE COULD PUSH THAT BACK TO 15 DAYS.
UH, BUT WE DO NEED TO GIVE SUFFICIENT TIME FOR THESE PEOPLE TO LOOK AT THESE TOWELS, ESPECIALLY AS WE GET INTO WHERE WE WOULD DATE IN 10 A MONTH, WE'VE ESTIMATED APPROXIMATELY 15 DAYS.
AND THIS IS TO PROCESS THE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS, GET THE CONTRACTS AWARDED BY THE APPROPRIATE PERSONS AND TO ALSO PROCESS A TEMPORARY RELOCATION OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THE HOUSE.
WE'VE GOT TO GIVE THEM TIME TO GET OUT AND GET THEIR, UM, GET WHAT THEY NEED OUT BEFORE WE ACTUALLY GET THEM OUT OF THE HOUSE.
UM, WHAT I'M STARTING RIGHT NOW WILL ACTUALLY BE A CONTRACTUAL PART OF THE CONTRACT INVOLVED WITH THE HOUSE.
THEY WILL BE A TOTAL 45 DAY CONTRACT TO ELEVATE AND RETROFIT AND PUT IN THE FOUNDATION, UH, ESTIMATE 15 DAYS, UH, TO ELEVATE IT, MAYBE 10, THE FOUNDATION, WHICH IS REALLY IN, IN MY WORKING IN THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS WITH THESE ELEVATIONS IS WHERE THE PROBLEM WILL BE.
THERE'S A, THERE'S A SHORTAGE OF MASONS.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WITH SUFFICIENT STEEL TO GET THESE HOUSES UP IN THE AIR.
THE PROBLEM PEOPLE HAVING IS, IS GETTING, UM, SUFFICIENTLY EXPERIENCED MASONS TO PUT IN THESE, UH, FOUNDATIONS, WHICH ARE FIELD FOUNDATIONS WITH REBAR IN THE FOUNDATIONS.
SO WE'VE GOT 30 DAYS THERE AND THAT WOULD ALSO INCLUDE GETTING THE HOUSE BACK DOWN ON THE FOUNDATION, UM, TRYING TO DO ANYTHING WE NEED AS FAR AS PATCHING UP THE WALLS OR ANY THINGS THAT MAY HAVE CRACKED THAT TYPE THING DURING THE ELEVATION.
UM, AFTER, AFTER THAT ELK FOUNDATION RETROFIT, UH, WE WOULD ANTICIPATE GIVING THE OCCUPANT NOTIFICATION TO GET BACK IN THE HOUSE, CLEAN UP AND RE OCCUPANCY.
UM, IT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT IT SAYS, CLEANING UP THE CONSTRUCTION SITE AND PEOPLE CAN BE MOVING BACK IN AND THAT TYPE OF THING.
SO IN SUMMARY, AS WE GET THE FOUNDATION ENGINEERING FOUNDATION DESIGN, WHICH ARE ON THIS SHEET DONE, IT WILL START INTO THIS PROCESS.
AND THE NEXT LOGICAL QUESTION IS WHEN WILL THIS ALL BE DONE? HMM, THAT'S ENOUGH.
NOW LET ME ASK THEM WAS JUST THE ONE I WAS HOPING FOR.
I'M JUST TRYING TO, I KNOW YOU'RE TRYING TO DO THE SAME THING I HOPE Y'ALL ARE, AND THAT IS TO GET THESE PEOPLE'S STUFF FIXED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THE WEATHER WHITES ARE NO, MAN.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S THE DEAD ONE WAY TO DO THE BEST GAME, BUT ANYWAY, LET ME ASK YOU THIS.
HAVE YOU DECIDED HOW MANY HOUSES YOU'RE GOING TO LET AT ONE TIME, ANYWHERE FROM THE ONE HOUSE AT THE TIME TO ALL OF THEM AT ONE TIME, AS FAR AS BID PACKAGES, QUOTING THEM, WHETHER YOU'RE GOING TO JUST MAYBE DECIDE I DON'T UNKNOWN.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE ANTICIPATED GETTING ABOUT 10 ON THE MARKET PER MONTH.
NOW, WHEN YOU SAY THE MARKET, DOES THAT MEAN YOU GOING TO GO OUT AND ASK GOD TO DO 10 OF THEM, JUST ONE CONTRACT OR DO A 10? NO, WE ANTICIPATE PUTTING THEM OUT ACTUALLY AS SEPARATE CONTRACTS SO WE CAN TRY TO INVOLVE, UH, MORE LOCAL PEOPLE, UM, SMALLER CONTRACTORS.
UM, PROBABLY TO THE EXTENT WE CAN INITIALLY STAYING AWAY FROM QUOTE, JUST ONE CONTRACTOR JOB IN USING SUBS.
ARE THERE PEOPLE THAT HAVE EXPERTISE IN RAISING COWS? YES.
ARE THEY LIKE, UH, ONE OF THE MAIN ONES? YES, HE IS FROM BRIDGETON.
WELL, WHAT I WAS WONDERING IS, AND AGAIN, NOT PRETENDING THAT THIS HAS A WHOLE HECK OF A LOT OF THE BUILDING LOGIC, UH, YOU KNOW, LIVING ON THE FARM, GROWING UP.
I, YOU LOOK AT THINGS A LITTLE DIFFERENT SOMETIMES, BUT BEAR WITH US.
WHAT WOULD BE WRONG WITH COMING UP WITH A LIST OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERTISE AND DO IT WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HAVING A PRE-BID MEETING, CONTRACTORS CAN SAY, FELLOWS, WE GOT 59 HOUSES THAT WE'VE GOT TO DO, AND WE WANT TO DO THEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
MEANING YOU ALL, AS FAR AS GENERATING THESE, UH, ENGINEERING DOCUMENTS AS TO THE WAY THAT WE WANT IT DONE, UH, WHAT WOULD BE YOU GUYS PROPOSALS AND GETTING THESE HOUSES DONE THE FASTEST ONE AT THE TIME FIVE AT A TIME, IS IT SUCH THAT IF A MAN GETS HIS EQUIPMENT, WHATEVER EQUIPMENT'S NEEDED ON THE JOB, AND HE'S GOT FIVE OF THEM OR WHATEVER, EVEN CAN GO AHEAD AND DO
[00:45:01]
THIS.AND SO, AND AS AN ECONOMY, NOT ONLY IN MONEY, BUT IN AFRICAN TIME AND THIS THING TO GET THEM UP.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT PEOPLE THAT ARE, THAT ARE INTELLIGENT AND SURELY, MOST OF US HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF INTELLIGENCE CAN SIT THERE AND LISTEN TO THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE AND FIGURE OUT, WHO'S REALLY KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT AND WHAT WHO DOES AND WHY IT'S MAKING SENSE AND THAT KIND OF THING.
AND I BELIEVE THAT WOULD PROBABLY END UP KINDA POINTING OUT WHICH WAY THIS THING OFF TO BE BID AND PUT OUT AGAIN WITH THE MAN TO QUALITY JOB, DOING IT RIGHT IN THE SHORTEST PERIOD OF TIME, BECAUSE YOU GET INTO PEOPLE THAT LIVE TOGETHER, THEY KNOW HOW TO DO IT.
SUPPOSEDLY THAT WAS MY, MY PRESUPPOSITION WHEN I STARTED THIS LITTLE CONVERSATION WAS TO GET PEOPLE TO YELL AT THE DISPLAY OF THEY HAVE EXPERTISE DOING THIS.
AND, UH, THAT WOULD BE THE WAY I WOULD DO IT.
AND AGAIN, WITH THE LITTLE CAVEAT THAT I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THIS BUSINESS, BUT I DO, I THINK I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S BEST TO GO TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAD DONE IT BEFORE AND NOT JUST TO GO TO ONE OF SECOND, THIRD, FOURTH, AND FIFTH OPINION IS WHAT YOU'RE GETTING WHEN YOU GET THEM, GET THEM TOGETHER.
AND HE'S AN EXCELLENT SUGGESTION.
WE, UM, NORMALLY AS WE, YOU SAY I WAS AN EXCELLENT SUGGESTION.
OH, THAT'S WHY I WAS LAUGHING.
WHEN YOU SAID YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHAT, UM, IF I SAY I WAS AN EXCELLENT, NO, WE, WE DO HAVE SOME ON THE MARKET.
I HAVE HAD PRELIMINARY CONVERSATIONS WITH SEVERAL HOUSE RAZORS AND SEVERAL MID-LEVEL CONTRACTORS THAT DO THIS TYPE WORK.
AND THERE OBVIOUSLY ARE TRADE-OFFS BETWEEN, UM, DOLLAR SPENT AND THE LEVEL OF CONTRACTORS WE ENDED UP WITH, BUT I, AND, AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT NEEDS TO BE EXAMINED.
UM, BUT WHAT I'M SAYING, AND I WILL DO THAT.
I THINK THAT'S A WONDERFUL IDEA.
WELL, LET ME GIVE YOU AN IDEA ALSO, OR AT LEAST A COMMENT, AND THAT IS YES.
WE WOULD LIKE TO USE LOCAL PEOPLE WHO WERE GOOD AND THAT KIND OF THING.
HOWEVER, IN MY, AND THIS IS JUST MY OPINION, THIS IS ME SPEAK.
I WANT TO SEE, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THOSE PEOPLE'S HOUSES RESERVED AND THAT BABY, THAT THE NUMBER ONE CRITERIA.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS DUMB AS THEY MADE THE CALLS AND WANTS TO GO AND BE ON THE GUN.
ANYBODY DISAGREES WITH THAT? AGAIN? THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING I'M SPEAKING WHEN MYSELF OR ANYBODY.
YOU SPEAK FOR ME TOO BETTER THAN I DO.
I SHARE YOUR, I SHARE YOUR CONCERN AND YOU EXPRESSED IT QUITE WELL.
UH, HOW MANY PROJECTS HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED WITH SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DO TO NOT, NOT OF THIS SCALE, OBVIOUSLY.
SO THIS IS THE FIRST GROUP THAT HAVE COME OUT OF THE SCALE, BUT AS FAR AS ELEVATION PROGRAM, THIS IS LARGE COMPARED TO ELEVATION PROGRAMS WE'VE WORKED WITH IS, UH, THE OTHER ELEVATION PROJECTS AND JUST KIND OF A PROSTITUTE, I MEAN, HOMES.
AND HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO COMPLETE WHOLE PROJECT? JUST AN EXAMPLE, THE, UM, THE MOST RECENT ONE HAS BEEN DOWN IN CARTERET COUNTY.
UM, WE WERE ABLE TO KIND OF DO WHAT THE MAYOR HAD SAID.
UM, TALK WITH PEOPLE BEFORE, GET ONE OR TWO CONTRACTORS LINED UP TO DEAL WITH, TO DO, UH, A GROUP OF HOUSES AND THAT WORKED OUT WELL.
UM, AND I WOULD ANTICIPATE WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE DOING, UM, EVEN THOUGH THEY WOULD BE CONTRACTED AS INDIVIDUAL HOUSES, THAT YOU WOULD HAVE ONE, TWO MID RANGE CONTRACTORS WORKING ON 10 TO 12 HOUSES AT THE TIME AND MY VISUAL PLAN BEFORE.
EXCELLENT SUGGESTION, WHICH I CERTAINLY DO WAS TO GO THROUGH THE FIRST COUPLE AND SEE IF WE HAVE SATURATED THE MARKET AND THAT WE COULD GO AHEAD AND GET PEOPLE IN HERE TO WORK ON.
UM, AND THEN IF, IF, IF WE SAW WITH SAY THE LAST 30 THAT WE NEEDED TO GO WITH A LARGE CONTRACT WITHIN OUR BUDGET, BUT STANDING WHERE THE LARGE CONTRACTOR, WE COULD GO AHEAD AND DO THAT.
THE PROJECT THAT YOU WAS THAT YOU WERE, THAT YOU WERE PART OF, HOW LONG DID IT TAKE THE PROCESS OF HOW MANY HOMES WERE INVOLVED? THEY OWN OWN AVERAGE TOOK PRETTY MUCH CONSISTENTLY WITH THIS ABOUT 45 DAYS TO GET THEM UP.
UM, SOME OF THEM ARE GONNA RUN UNDER THAT.
SOME OF THEM ARE GOING TO RUN A LITTLE BIT OVER THAT.
UM, BUT I I'M COMFORTABLE THAT GIVEN WEATHER CONDITIONS, GIVEN EVERYTHING ELSE AT 45 DAYS IS A GOOD CONTRACT PERIOD FOR THEM TO BE WORKING BACK TO MY RATE.
THE QUESTION, RESTATE YOUR QUESTION.
[00:50:01]
SORRY.HOW LONG DID THE PROJECT TAKE AND HOW MANY HOMES, WHERE IS BOMB? THE, UM, THE LAST ONE HAD APPROXIMATELY 10 HOMES IN IT.
IT TOOK ABOUT SIX MONTHS, SIX MONTHS TO DO 10.
I WANT TO KIND OF GET A KIND OF IDEA OF WHAT YOU'VE DONE AND HOPEFULLY WHAT IS BEING REQUESTED BY US IS NOT A UNOBTAINABLE.
CAUSE I DON'T THINK WE DIDN'T HAVE HIGH EXPECTATION.
WE WERE, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? THEN WE'LL SEE WHAT THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS ON.
I HAVE THE PREVIOUS ONES PROBABLY WOULD NOT ADDRESS WITH THE INTENSITY AND THIS ONE WILL BE, AND I AM VERY COMFORTABLE WITH THESE NUMBERS THAT I'VE GIVEN YOU BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO BE BACKED UP HERE.
UM, MY BEING PROPERLY CHASTISED FOR WHAT I HAVEN'T DONE, I'M DESIGNATED TO ASK THE TOUGH QUESTIONS.
WHEN DO WE SEE THE FIRST HOUSE I'VE BEEN TOLD EVER SINCE THE END OF LAST DECEMBER OF 99, IT WAS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE FIRST HOUSE IN A YEAR.
WHEN CAN WE EXPECT, I WANT TO SEE IT.
I WANT TO BE THERE WHEN IT HAPPENS SORT OF BREAKFAST, BE CAREFUL, BE CAREFUL.
CALL ME A BUNCH OF PROMPTS, ZEROING IN ON WHEN CAN WE SEE? AND I KNOW YOUR SCHEDULE IS LAID HERE.
WHEN CAN WE SEE SOME ACTUAL, OKAY, LET ME, UM, I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH A PREMISE OR TWO THAT WILL PREFACE MY ANSWER.
UM, WE HAVE, FOR INSTANCE, WE HAVE TWO BIDS OUT.
NOW, IF THE CONTRACTOR WHO GETS THOSE BEDS IS READY TO GO TO WORK.
WHEN WE GET THE BIDS IN, YOU COULD SEE SOMETHING, UH, AT THE END OF JUNE, I'M SHAKING MY HEAD BECAUSE THAT'S A LOT LONGER THAN I EXPECTED.
AND I, AND I'M NOT, I DO NOT WANT TO BE EVASIVE, BUT I DON'T WANT TO GIVE YOU BAD INFORMATION EITHER, RIGHT? IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHO GETS THE CONTRACT.
AND WHEN THEY'RE READY TO GO TO WORK WITHIN NORMAL, YOU TALK, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, IT'S TOUGH TO ANTICIPATE HAVING BRICK MASONS TO DO THE IMPORTANT JOB OF REBUILDING THE FOUNDATION.
ARE THERE ENOUGH QUALIFIED, SKILLED LABOR IN NEW BURNS AND TO DO THIS ENTIRE PROJECT? I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH MR. COLLINS, UH, LAST WEEK WHO'S MR. COLLINS.
HE IS A HOUSE, UH, ELEVATOR MOVER RAISER, ADD MY FRIEND HE'S IN BRIDGETON.
HE WORKS ALL OVER EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA.
HE SAID HE HAD 25 HOUSES IN THE AIR AND HAD TONS OF STEEL ON THE YARD TO PUT MORE UP.
BUT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT GETTING THE HOUSES ELEVATED, BUT IT WAS FINDING THE MASONS TO PUT THE FOUNTAINS, THESE SPECIALIZED FOUNDATIONS IN.
SO, UM, WHAT ARE WE, WHAT CAN WE DO TO ENTICE MORE BRICK MASONS TO COME AND HELP US ON THIS PROJECT? I KNOW THERE'S ALL KINDS OF NEW HOUSES BEING BUILT ALL OVER ALL OVER THE CITY.
IS THIS A SPECIALIZED NEEDS, A SPECIAL SKILL TO DO THIS WHAT'S FOR YOU.
BUT WHAT WASN'T PART OF HIS, THE ANSWER TO WHAT HE'S ASKING, WOULDN'T THAT ASHER COME OUT.
IT TURNS UP WHO YOU CAN FIND HELP DO THE WORK WHEN THEY COME OUT.
ONCE YOU HAD YOUR CONVERSATION WITH THE CONTRACTORS THAT YOU WERE GETTING TOGETHER WITH, AND THEN THEY CAN GIVE YOU A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT'S GOING TO BE AVAILABLE.
THAT'S AFTER YOU HAVE THE MEETING WITH THE GROUP YOU WANT TO TALK TO, BECAUSE I MEAN, WE CAN TELL YOU THAT I'VE GOT 10 BRICK MASONS RIGHT OVER HERE.
I CAN GO PICK UP, BUT I HAVE TO FIND A FEW.
BUT SOME OF THE INFORMATION WE WERE LOOKING FOR THAT NIGHT WERE PROBABLY NOT BE OBTAINABLE UNTIL YOU'VE HAD YOUR GROUP MEETING.
AND I, AND I REALLY, I, I DON'T WANT US TO PUT THIS GENTLEMAN ON THE SPOT OF SAYING, I WANT A HOUSE DONE AT THE END OF JUNE.
I MEAN, AND I KNOW WE WANT IT DONE, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO AHEAD AND MEET WITH THE GROUP FIRST AND THEN COME BACK REPORT TO US BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO PUT PRESSURE ON THE GENTLEMAN.
HE PUTS SOME HOUSES UP AND THEN IT'S NOT READY.
THEN WE LOOK AT HIM AND SAY, WELL, YOU LIED TO THEM AND THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT THE FACT.
WAIT, WHAT DID YOU HAVE TO MAKE NAFTA? WE SUGGESTED TWO WEEKS, THREE WEEKS.
I WOULD PROBABLY GO IN AND TRY TO SCHEDULE IT NEXT WEEK.
I'M SURE WE WOULD WANT YOU TO COME BACK.
IF YOU COULD, TO US, AS SOON AS YOU TALK TO THAT GROUP, DON'T JUST STOP.
BUT YOUR HEAD AND COME BACK AND SAY, I TOLD THEM, THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO KEEP US UP OR, UH, EXCUSE ME.
UM, ANOTHER THOUGHT WOULD BE, SINCE THESE PEOPLE ARE, ARE SCATTERED, FOR INSTANCE, MOUNT OLIVE IN GREENVILLE, IN NEWBURN, UM, I MAY TAKE THE TIME TO VISIT ME, GO AND VISIT THEM
[00:55:01]
AND TALK WITH THEM.UH, AND I MAY BE ABLE TO SPEND MORE TIME AND ACTUALLY GET MORE INFORMATION FROM THEM.
AS FAR AS HOUSE RAZORS AND IMPOSSIBLY HAVE A, A LOCAL MEETING WITH MID RANGE CONTRACTORS AND SAY MASONS HERE IN NEWBURN, UM, WHICH WOULD PROBABLY BE INVOLVED IN WHAT WE HAVE.
SO, BUT AS I GET THOSE, I WILL TRY TO KEEP NOTES ON EVERYTHING WE'VE DONE AND TRY TO GET THOSE REPORTS BACK TO YOU ON WHAT WE FOUND OUT.
I THINK ONE THING, IF I COULD ADD ON THE, UH, FOUNDATION WORK, IT'S NOT YOUR TYPICAL FOUNDATION IS NOT THE FOUNDATION.
LIKE, UH, I'LL READ MATTINGLY.
WE WOULD SEE OUT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, TYPICALLY THE FOUNDATION IS GOING TO BE AS TALL AS I AM.
UH, IT'S GOING TO HAVE REBAR LINKED FROM THE FOUNDATION UP THROUGH IS THAT THERE ARE A COUPLE OF CROSSOVERS WITH THE REBAR AND COMING ON UP.
SO IT'S, IT IS A VERY COMPLICATED SYSTEM THERE IN THE A HUNDRED E HIGH WIND ZONE DESIGNATION, WHICH IS NEXT TO LIVING RIGHT ON THE BEACH.
SO, UH, IT IS SOMETHING THAT TAKES A LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE AND SKILL ON THE PART OF THE BRICK MASON AND TAKES LONGER TO GO UP THEN A STANDARD THREE OR FOUR BLOCKS STACKED ON TOP OF EACH OTHER IN A, IN A NON HIGH WIND.
THAT'S WHY I WAS SUGGESTING IF YOU DIDN'T WHAT PEOPLE'S DONE IT BEFORE, THEY MAY APPEAR TO BE A LITTLE BIT HIGH.
AND THAT IS, I COULD PROBABLY TURN OUT HOUSES A WHOLE LOT FASTER CAUSE THEY'D BEEN THERE AND DONE IT INSTEAD OF DOING IT WRONG THE FIRST COUPLE OF TIMES.
BUT I MEAN, YOU DON'T HAVE TO EVALUATE THAT AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE KIND OF THINGS YOU WOULD DO, BUT THAT'S ALL I'M, I'M DRAWN.
I THINK JAKE, AND LIKE I SAID, ASKING THE TOUGH QUESTION, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'VE BEEN ASKED, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO SEE ONE GO? I MEAN, THAT'S REALLY THE BOTTOM LINE.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ENGINEERS SCHEDULES AND ALL THIS OTHER STUFF, THE GUY LIVING IN THE HOUSE, HE DO INTEREST IN THAT.
HE WANTS TO KNOW, WHEN AM I GOING TO THE HOUSE? AND I UNDERSTAND THAT WE ALL UNDERSTAND THAT YOU COULDN'T SIT HERE AND TELL US EXACTLY WHEN, BUT I, AND WE WILL FEEL A WHOLE LOT MORE COMFORTABLE ABOUT THE SITUATION, BUT WITH EVERYBODY ELSE AND SEEING IT COME TOGETHER.
AND I REALLY THINK THAT THE BIGGEST MOVE WILL BE TO GET THOSE PEOPLE TOGETHER.
SEE WHAT AGE, WHAT ARE THE BITS TO BE OPENED ON THE TWO FRIDAY ON FRIDAY? HOW MANY PEOPLE THAT GO OUT TO WE'VE HAD NOTICES GO OUT TO ABOUT 10? UM, WE'VE HAD, UM, ACTUAL CONTRACTORS ABOUT FOUR DO YOU THINK IT'S A WISE MOVE BECAUSE I GET I'M GETTING CALLS.
AND WHEN I WALK AROUND IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THIS IS A MAJOR CONCERN, THOSE IN WITHDRAWAL, DO YOU THINK IT'S WISE THEN TO KEEP THE COMMUNITY INFORMED AS TO THE PROCEDURE? YEAH, I GUESS WHEN, WHEN THEY HAVE, LIKE, WE HAD A COMMUNITY MEETING ONCE BEFORE AND THEN, UM, AND WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT WE HOPED THEY WOULD BE, AND IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE BEGINNING TO GET SOME, YOU KNOW, IT'S EASY TO SAY CITY HALL DON'T DO THIS.
YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY BLAME CITY HALL FOR EVERYTHING.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I, YOU KNOW, I LIKED IT.
I'M TOLERANT OF THEIR PATIENT, THEY SAY.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE PROCEDURES AND I'M SURE THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE AFFECTED WOULD UNDERSTAND THAT THEIR PROCEDURES AS WELL, IF WE KEPT IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH THEM, LETTING THEM KNOW WHAT, WHAT IS GOING ON AND WHAT IS ACTUALLY GOING ON, AND WE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN YOU NOW HERE, YOU KNOW, THEY SEE YOUR SCHEDULE, YOU KNOW, THEY GET, GIVE THEM SOME FEEL FOR ALL OF THE TIMES THAT WE'VE HAD RECORDS.
AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'S JUST MY FAULT THAT I DIDN'T READ IT, THAT WE WANT TO GO FROM 99 TO YEAR TWO, 2003.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, SO I'M SURE THEY'RE NOT THINKING OF THAT EITHER.
THEY'RE JUST THINKING OF THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE BEEN APPROVED AND STORMS ARE CONTINUING TO COME AND THEN YOU FILL UP.
SO I WAS JUST WONDERING IF, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE NEED TO HAVE ANOTHER COMMUNITY MEETING.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A GOOD IDEA OR MAYBE WE NEED TO SEND OUT FACT SHEETS PERIODICALLY SO THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
WE HAVE SENT OUT SOME FLYERS ON TWO OR THREE OCCASIONS THUS FAR.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND SEND ANOTHER ONE OUT NEXT WEEK WITH THIS LATEST SCHEDULE AND INFORMATION ON IT, ABOUT A SHEET, JUST TO BRING EVERYBODY, LET ME, LET ME, LET ME THROW SOMETHING, MAN.
I LET MAXIMUM WAS TO SAY SOMETHING, MAX, IF YOU BEAR WITH ME, I'M GOING TO BE HERE TO SAY YES, WHILE IT'S ON MY MIND, I'M GETTING TO A CERTAIN AGE.
I'M QUALIFYING FOR ALL THE DISCOUNTS AND I WANT TO GET IT, BUT LOOK FIRST OFF FOR THE, FOR THE, SO THAT THE CONSTITUENTS OUT THERE CAN WATCH SALES OR SEE IT OR WHATEVER CAN KNOW THAT, THAT WE'RE WANTING TO DO IT ABOUT AS BAD AS THEY WANT IT DONE.
I'M GOING TO ASK BOTH OF YOU PUBLICLY THAT YOU FEEL THE HEAT.
[01:00:01]
YOU CAN TAKE THE END TO TELL THE PEOPLE THAT I MAY KNOW, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU ALL HAVE HAD THE HEAT FROM US AND EVERYTHING ELSE.I WANT THE PUBLIC DON'T UNDERSTAND IT.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING WITH BRUSHING THE SIGN.
NUMBER ONE, NUMBER TWO, I BELIEVE IN GIVING PEOPLE ALL THAT INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE NOT A PROBLEM, BUT MY FEAR IS JUST LIKE IN THE CASE OF THIS SCHEDULE RIGHT HERE, THAT SOMEBODY MIGHT MISREAD IT AND LOOK AT IT AND SEE, THIS IS BOTTOM LIST OF MEMBERS.
THE 59TH HOUSE WILL BE FINISHED BY THE 11TH MONTH OF THIS YEAR.
WHAT IT SAYS IS WE'LL BE UP TO THAT PROCESS OF SCHEDULING DESIGNS COMPLETED.
AND REALLY WHAT HE'S SAYING IS SOMETIMES NEXT YEAR, THE HOUSES WILL BE FINISHED, BUT REALLY THAT'S GOOD NEWS COMPARED TO THE NEWS THAT WE'VE BEEN GETTING.
SO, YOU KNOW, IS THAT NOT, THAT'S ENTIRELY WITH THE PROCESS IT'D BE GOING AND TALKING TO ALL THESE PEOPLE AS A GROUP AND TRYING TO GET THE BID PACKAGES THEMSELVES IN SUCH A MANNER THAT WE CAN EVEN SPEED THAT UP.
I JUST THINK THE THINGS WILL COME TOGETHER MUCH BETTER, AND MAYBE THEY WERE GOING TO MONTH, WEEKS AGO, MONTHS AGO, WHATEVER.
AND IT ENDED THE WAY TO DO THIS IS FOR YOU TO MEET WITH THOSE PEOPLE IN MAPPING.
AND THEN COME BACK BEFORE US, WE'LL GO OUT INTO THE WORLD TO HEAR IT, SEE IT, JUST TELL US, TELL US WHAT THEY SAY, TELL US IF THERE'S A BIG CONTRACT OR TWO THAT SAYS, HEY, WE CAN BUY IT OFF.
YOU KNOW, A BUNCH OF THEM AND MOVE ALL MY EQUIPMENT.
WE'VE GOT MASONS OR WHATEVER, AND THIS IS WHAT IT WILL COST.
AND THAT'S, I MEAN, LET THEM BE IN THAT, IN THE PACKAGE THAT WE CAN, WE CAN HERE'S HOW MANY DOLLARS AND HERE'S HOW LONG IT'LL TAKE THAT GIVES US THE OPTION TO SAY, WAIT A FEW MORE BUCKS, BUT WE GET IT DONE A THIRD QUICKER OR WHATEVER.
BUT SO ANYHOW, NOW MAX, SORRY NOW.
UM, MIKE, UH, CALL MIKE WHAT'LL THAT SIDE.
WE'RE ABOUT TO SAY, UM, ONE REQUEST YOU SAY YOU'VE DONE, YOU'VE MAILED OUT THE LEAFLETS OR CIRCULARS.
IF YOU WOULD, COULD YOU INCLUDE US ON YOUR MAILING LIST? BECAUSE I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY CIRCULARS AND I I'D LIKE TO GET THE SAME INFORMATION THAT THE PEOPLE ARE GETTING AT THE SAME TIME.
SO JUST FOR OUR SECOND THING TONIGHT, WE WERE GIVEN THIS AND I WANTED THE PEOPLE WHO MAY CATCH THIS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT WITH ALL THE PAPERWORK.
THIS IS THE PAPERWORK THAT HAS TO BE DONE.
25 PAGES OF THIS, UH, HAS TO BE DONE FOR EACH HOUSE.
SO I JUST WANT THE PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS A MONSTROUS BIG BIT OF PAPERWORK FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVING TO DO IT.
AND THEN ONE QUESTION, WHICH IS YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO GIVE ME AN EXACT ANSWER, BUT WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR IS BASICALLY A YES OR NO ON WHETHER THIS SCHEDULED AND YOU GIVE US MEANS THAT FROM THE TIME YOU PROCESS A CONTRACT, THE SECOND ITEM UNTIL IT'S THE PROPERTY IS REOCCUPIED, YOU'RE ESTIMATING A MAXIMUM OF 75 DAYS FOR AN, FOR ONE HOUSE.
ONCE YOU BEGIN TO PROCESS THE CONTRACT UNTIL RE OCCUPANCY, YOUR GENERAL ESTIMATE IS THAT IT WILL TAKE 75 DAYS.
IN OTHER WORDS, THEY MAY BE OUT OF THEIR HOUSE FOR 75 IN THE AREA OF 75 DAYS.
ONCE THEY MOVE OUT, MAYBE A LITTLE LONGER, BECAUSE IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO BE TOTALLY ACCURATE AS TO HOW MANY DAYS IT WILL TAKE.
IS THAT WHAT, WHAT IT REALLY SAYS, WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO HAVE THEM BACK IN THEIR HOUSE IN 60 DAYS, BUT THERE'S, BUT IT COULD BE 75, 15 DAYS, 15 DAYS, 30 DAYS, 15 DAYS.
AT THE BEGINNING, THAT LAST 10 TO 15 DAYS IS, IS FOR THEM TO MOVE BACK HERE.
AND I'M, AND I'M NOT ASKING YOU WHEN YOU WA FOR A DATE, YOU'LL START THE PROCESS.
JUST IF THIS HAS KIND A ROUGH ESTIMATE IS FROM THE TIME YOU STARTED UNTIL THE TIME THEY'RE BACK IN THEIR HOUSE.
AND YOU'RE GUESSING HAS GOT TO TAKE HIM, THE NEIGHBOR COULD TAKE US 75 DAYS AS A ROUGH ESTIMATE YOU HAVE HERE.
I WAS, I WAS THINKING, I DON'T KNOW WHERE I GOT THE IDEA, BUT SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE, I PICKED UP THE IDEA THAT THEY WOULD NOT HAVE TO BE OUT OF THEIR HOMES MUCH MORE THAN AFTER THE FOUNDATION WAS BUILT, BECAUSE YOU WOULDN'T RECONNECT ALL THE UTILITIES AND EVERYTHING, AND THAT THEY COULD ACTUALLY BE BACK WHILE THE FOUNDATION WAS BEING FINISHED ONCE THE, UH, BUT, UH, OBVIOUSLY, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S NOT THE MINIMUM MOVE-OUT TIME.
WE WOULD ANTICIPATE BEING 60 DAYS OUT, TIME BEING 60 DAYS THAT THAT'S, I GOT THE WRONG, THERE'S ANOTHER 15 DAYS AT THE BEGINNING OF THAT OVER THE CONTRACT PROCESSING THAT THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO MOVE OUT.
WE WAS TALKING A MINIMUM OF 60 DAYS AND HOPEFULLY NOT MORE THAN 75 FOR AN INDIVIDUAL, ONCE THE PROCESS
[01:05:01]
STARTS WITH THEIR HOUSE, WITH THE PROCESS IN YOUR CONTRACT.I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF I WAS INTERPRETING THAT CORRECTLY WITHOUT PINNING DOWN ANY START DATE ON THE COWS.
I JUST MAY, IF I COULD MAKE TWO COMMENTS FOR BRACELET, UM, WE HAVE, WE HAVE, UH, I DON'T WANNA SAY FAILED THE HEAT BECAUSE THAT HAS SUCH A NEGATIVE, NEGATIVE CONNOTATION, BUT WE MAY NEGATIVELY OR POSITIVELY.
BUT I THINK MIKE HAS COMMUNICATED TO US EXTENSIVELY THE, THE URGENCY THAT THE BOARD HAS EXPRESSED IN GETTING THIS DONE AND HELPING THE PEOPLE DOWN THERE.
UM, AND WE WERE GOING TO ACT UPON THAT, UM, TO GET IT DONE AS SOON AS WE CAN, TO TRY TO ADDRESS THE URGENCY THAT YOU HAVE.
THE, UM, THE SECOND THING WE TALKING ABOUT SENDING LETTERS OUT, IT MAY BE A GOOD IDEA TO ACTUALLY SEND AN INDIVIDUAL LETTER OUT.
WE CAN DO, UM, SAYING WE ANTICIPATE SOMEBODY COMING TO YOUR HOUSE TO DO YOUR ENGINEERING DESIGN, CRAWL YOUR HOUSE DURING THE MONTH OF SO-AND-SO AND, AND KEEP THEM INFORMED THAT WAY.
SO THEY'LL HAVE A GOAL IN THEIR EYESIGHT, UH, THAT THEY CAN SEE, AND THEY'LL KNOW THAT THIS IS WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO ME DURING THIS MONTH.
AND THEN AFTER THIS MONTH, I NEED TO CALL THESE PEOPLE AND FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT OR EITHER BE.
SO, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT IF THAT'S OKAY.
AND THAT'S WHY YOU CAN LET US KNOW ABOUT LIKE, SO WE CAN GET SOMEBODY TO ASK US ABOUT THE LETTER THEY GOT AND WE'LL ACTUALLY SEND ALL COPIES OF ALL THOSE FROM MR. ABE.
WE'RE PRETTY SURE IT'S NOT EASY TO UNDERSTAND.
NEXT THING WE HAVE IS REQUESTING PETITION OF CITIZENS.
GIVE SOMEBODY AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME FORWARD.
MAY I REMEMBER THE BOARD? I'M PAUL COX.
I LIVE AT FIVE 16 PARK STREET, AND I'M SURE THAT ALL OF YOU EXCEPT ORMAN, BALLENGER AND MATTINGLY KNOW WHY I'M HERE.
THIS IS THE SEVENTH AND I REPEAT THE SEVENTH YEAR.
AND I'VE BEEN BEFORE YOU REQUESTING YOU TO DO ONE THING AND YOU'VE NOT DONE IT.
AND THAT IS ORMAN, BALLENGER, AND MATTINGLY THAT YOU CHANGED THE WAY THAT A MAYOR OR AN ALDERMAN IS ELECTED IN CASE ONE OF YOU HAVE TO DROP OUT.
IT WAS ALL RIGHT WHEN WE WERE DOING IT CITYWIDE, BUT IT IS NOT ALL RIGHT TODAY.
AND I REPEAT, AND YOU ARE GETTING TIRED OF ME SAYING THIS, BUT IT IS NOT RIGHT FOR FIVE PEOPLE SITTING AROUND A TABLE TO SELECT AN ALLAMAN FOR A WARD AND NOT ONE OF THOSE FIVE LIVE IN THAT WALL.
I UNDERSTAND YOU SENT A BILL UP THERE TO CHANGE THE VOTING POWER OF THE MAYOR.
AND NOT A ONE OF, I SAID, LET'S SEND A BILL ALSO TO CHANGE THE WAY WE WOULD SELECT THE MAYOR.
I UNDERSTAND, AND I MAY BE WRONG IF I AM TELLING ME THAT YOU FIXED IT SO THAT THE MAYOR CAN ONLY VOTE IN CASE OF A TIE.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT, BUT IT HASN'T BEEN APPROVED.
WELL, YOU DIDN'T STOP THE THANK YOU IN THE SAME POSITION YOU WERE WHEN HE COULD VOTE.
WHAT YOU HAVE DONE IS DISENFRANCHISED THE MAYOR.
WHO'S THE ONLY ONE OF YOU WHO'S ELECTED BY ALL THE PEOPLE, BECAUSE ONE NIGHT WHEN THERE ARE ONLY FIVE OF YOU HERE AND HE CAN SEE THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A THREE, TWO BOOK.
AND WHAT WOULD BE VOTED IS NOT WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN FOR THE CITY OF NEWBURGH.
THERE'S NOT A THING HE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
NOW, IF YOU HAD FOLLOWED THE STATE STATUTE, YOU WOULDN'T BE IN THAT SHAPE BECAUSE THE STATE STATUTE SAYS, AND MR. WARD CAN TELL YOU THIS, THAT YOU CAN GIVE THE MAYOR THE RIGHT TO VOTE, BUT YOU DID NOT DO THAT.
JUST AS BAD AS WHAT THE BOARD I WAS
[01:10:01]
SITTING ON SAID THAT THE MALE WILL BUCK.SO YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT THAT BILL.
NOW, IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE GOING TO BE UP THERE ABOUT AS LONG AS THEY WERE IN LAST SHOT SESSION WHEN THEY START MESSING WITH THE BUDGET.
SO YOU'VE GOT TIME TO THINK ABOUT WHAT I JUST SAID.
AND IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE THAT, BILL IS NOT RIGHT.
THERE ARE ONLY FIVE OF YOU HERE.
OH, SO I REQUESTED SOMETIME BACK.
I REMEMBER, I DON'T THINK THAT ALL OF THIS SHOULD BE DONE JUST BECAUSE I REQUESTED, BUT I THINK IT'S WHAT'S BEST FOR THE CITY THAT YOU HAVE A STUDY MADE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED A PAID FIRE DEPARTMENT.
HEY, EVERYTHING IS GOING ON AROUND US.
AND THEY'RE TRYING TO BUILD SOMETHING ON EVERY VACANT LOT IN NEWBURGH.
AND I THINK IT'S TIME YOU STUDY WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED A FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT'S PAY.
COMMENTS, ANYBODY WANNA MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THAT? AND I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT THE MAYOR, UH, LOSING HIS VOTE, BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN, AND IT'S REALLY, I DON'T HAVE ANY OPINION ON IT.
I MEAN, IT'S, AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED UP THE REST OF THE BOARD, BUT YOU BEING A PAST MAYOR, YOU KNOW THAT SOMETIMES IT'S FUN IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO VOTE ON A COCKY PERSON.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHETHER I'M FOR IT OR AGAIN, IT IS TRUE, BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND EVERYBODY SHOULD, SHOULD THINK ABOUT IT AND CONSIDER MR. MAYOR ABOUT THE IDEA OF, UH, UH, HAVING, HAVING A SPECIAL ELECTION IN THE WARD TO FILL A, UH, AN UNEXPIRED TERM.
I THINK WE DISCUSSED THAT WHEN THAT SITUATION CAME UP LAST TIME, AND THE ONLY REASON WE DID NOT DO THAT WAS BECAUSE IT WAS A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME REMAINING IN THE TERM.
AND BY THE TIME WE HAD ARRANGED TO HAVE AN ELECTION AND GIVEN PEOPLE TIME TO REGISTER AND IN EFFECT CAMPAIGN.
SO THE PEOPLE WOULD KNOW THEIR POSITION OR WHAT THEY WERE IN, WHAT THEY, WHY THEY WANTED THE JOB, WHAT THEY INTENDED TO DO, IT WOULD HAVE JUST ABOUT BEEN OVER ANYWAY, UH, THE TERM WOULD'VE BEEN OVER, I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH THE REST OF THE BOARD WANTS TO CONSIDER, UH, HAVING A CHANGE MADE SO THAT A SPECIAL ELECTION IS HELD.
BUT I STILL THINK THAT IT SHOULD MAKE AN ACCOMMODATION FOR A TIME PERIOD IF IT WAS WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME BEFORE THE GENERAL ELECTION THAT, UH, IT NOT BE DONE, BUT IT WOULD, THE TIME WOULD HAVE TO BE BASED ON HOW LONG THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS OR THE, UH, CHAIRMAN OF THE ELECTION BOARD, WHATEVER, UM, SAYS IT WOULD TAKE WHAT WOULD BE A LOGICAL TIME TO ARRANGE AN ELECTION, UH, GIVE THE PEOPLE TIME TO REGISTER, RUN FOR THE OFFICE AND A REASONABLE TIME TO PRESENT THEIR CASE TO THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD BE VOTING ON THEM FOR THE SEAT.
IT WOULD COST US SOME MONEY OF COURSE, TO HOLD A SPECIAL ELECTION.
I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T COST THAT MUCH MONEY.
THE ONLY PROBLEM I HAVE IS SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY OR NOT GIVING THE PEOPLE TIME ENOUGH TO CAMPAIGN.
IF THEY'RE ONLY GOING TO SERVE THE UNEXPIRED TERM FOR ONLY A MONTH OR TWO, IT JUST DOESN'T SEEM, THAT WOULD BE VERY SENSIBLE.
IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THAT WOULD BE GOOD, COMMON SENSE, BUT IF IT'S GOING TO BE LONGER THAN A TIME THAT THE, UH, ELECTIONS PEOPLE THINK IS A REASONABLE PERIOD OF TIME, THEN I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM TO CHANGE THIS.
YOU CAN'T LEGISLATE EVERY CONTINGENCY THAT MAY, THAT MAY HAPPEN IN LIFE.
UH, I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE 1985.
IT WAS NOT AN IMMEDIATE PROBLEM.
MOST IS IN THIS STATE, THE MAYOR ONLY VOTES THROWING A TIE.
THE MAYOR VOTES, EXCEPT HE BOTH IN A TIE, BUT NOT STRIPPING HIS RIGHT TO VOTE TOTALLY WITH JUST RELEGATING HIM TO HIS STATUS.
THAT'S SAME STATUS IN MOST CITIES, AS A PERSON WHO IS A CONSENSUS BILL, BUT WE'RE NOT TAKING AWAY HIS POWER.
WHEN, WHEN, UH, FORMER MAYOR COX SAID THE, GIVE THE MAYOR THE, THE RIGHT
[01:15:01]
TO VOTE, UH, DID YOU MEAN THAT IT WOULD BE HIS OPTION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT HE CHOSE TO VOTE ON AN, IN, ON AN ISSUE, RIGHT? IF HE WANTS, I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT ANYBODY UP HERE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO PICK AND CHOOSE WHEN THEY DECIDE TO VOTE WHEN THEY DON'T WANT THEM.I THINK HE'S PROBABLY PROBABLY MISUNDERSTANDING EACH OTHER.
I THINK THE BOARD CAN DECIDE THE MAYOR WILL HAVE A VOTE, BUT THE THING THAT MR. COX HAS BROUGHT UP AND MACK, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT AS FAR AS US HAVING AN ELECTION, IF SOMEBODY DOESN'T MAKE IT TO THE TERM, CAN'T WE, WHY DON'T WE ASK THE, UH, INSTITUTE OF GOVERNMENT, CHAPEL HILL, WHERE THEIR OPINION ON WHAT, YOU KNOW, BASED ON WHERE OUR COUNTRY CAME FROM, MY STATE CAME FROM AND ALL THE DAVID CROCKETT DID AND EVERYTHING YOU OUT, WHAT WOULD BE THE RIGHT THING TO DO? JUST SEE WHAT WE WERE PAYING TO THESE PEOPLE UP.
AND THEN WE PROBABLY WANT TO GO AHEAD.
WE'LL DO IT THE OTHER WAY ANYWAY.
AND LET'S JUST SEE WHAT THEY SAY.
YEAH, I DON'T HAVE, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM.
LIKE I SAY, I JUST, I JUST, IF IT WAS JUST A COUPLE OF MONTHS, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT WOULD WORK WITH, HE WAS, HE WAS J I MIGHT HAVE TO GET YOU A HAMMER.
HE SAID, WELL, I CAN'T BE, THANK YOU, MR. COX, SINCE I WAS THE BENEFICIARY OF THAT, ESSENTIALLY BY THE BOARD, I HAVE A, UH, I'M HAPPY THAT THAT WAS A DECISION YOU MADE.
HOWEVER, SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD, I THOUGHT THAT MAYBE I SHOULD BRING IT UP, THAT WE SHOULD DO IT.
UH, HAVE SOMEBODY LIKE YOUR INSTITUTE OF GOVERNMENT, LOOK AT IT AND SEE HOW IT SHOULD BE DONE BASED ON THE TIMING, BASED ON HOW IT WOULD BE DONE.
IF I WAS GOING TO VOTE ON IT, I'D SAY, LET THE BOARD DO IT AGAIN.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AS AN INDEPENDENT PARTY, GIVE US A RECOMMENDATION ON HOW TO DO THAT.
OH, HE'S TALKING ABOUT, WE'RE ABOUT TO MOVE OUT THE LUNA BECAUSE SHE'S ABOUT TO FREEZE TO THE, OR WOULD IT BE ASKED FOR AN OPINION ABOUT WALK ME THROUGH WHAT HAPPENS THERE? THE NEXT THING WE HAVE THE HANDY IS WHERE WE AT, WE PULL NUMBER SIX.
WHAT WOULD THEY GET MARRIED? I GUESS WE'RE STILL ON THE PETITION OF CITIZENS AND ANYBODY ELSE WHO WANTED TO SPEAK.
AND I HANDED A PETITION AND SAID, LISTEN, WE PULLED NUMBER SIX, MR. HOFFMAN, WE PULL THAT.
AND NUMBER EIGHT AND THE CONSENT AGENDA.
AND THE CONSENT AGENDA IS NINE THROUGH 15 CALL.
UH, I THINK THE BOARD SHOULD CONSIDER APPROVING A RESOLUTION TO APPROVE A CONTRACT DRAWN TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES OF RUN UP.
THE LAST TIME THIS WHITE STREET CAME UP.
DON'T YOU THINK YOU SHOULD POSTPONE ACTING ON THE ORDINANCE UNTIL YOU SEE WHETHER THAT GENTLEMAN IS GOING TO COME WITH, HE'S JUST GIVING OUT.
I MET WITH MR. SIMMONS THIS AFTERNOON AND HE WAS READY TO PUT DOWN HIS MONEY AND SIGN THE PAPER AT THAT TIME.
AND I TOLD HIM THAT WE REALLY NEEDED TO HAVE THE, UM, AGREEMENT APPROVED BY THE BOARD PRIOR TO DOING THAT.
AND THAT THE AGREEMENT STATED THAT HE WOULD MAKE HIS DEPOSIT BY THE 16TH.
HE WAS READY TO GO, BUT HE'D WAIT FOR ME TO CALL HIM, TO TELL HIM WHERE TO COME BY IT, TO MAKE THE DEPOSIT.
AND HE JUST WANTED ME TO EXPRESS TO THE BOARD, UH, HIS APPRECIATION FOR WORKING WITH HIM, UH, AND THAT HE INTENDS TO GO AHEAD AND REHAB THE HOUSE.
BUT HE, UH, WILL BE BY AS SOON AS I CALLED HIM, I TOLD HIM PROBABLY COME BY AND SEE THE CITY CLERK TO MAKE THE DEPOSIT AND SIGN THE AGREEMENT SO FORTH.
BUT HE'S INTENSE TO DO THAT, BUT I STILL WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU WAIT TO AMEND THAT ORDINANCE UNTIL AFTER THE AGREEMENT SIGNED AND THE MONEY IS POSTED.
HOLD, LET ME JUST PULL IT UP WITH, BACK TO ME.
JUST PULL THE ORDINANCE, AMENDING THE ORDINANCE TILL THE NEXT MEETING, WHICH WOULD BE FINE.
HOW ABOUT, UH, SLAVIN? 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, AND 15.
SO ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OF THOSE GOING WRONG, PLEASE? MA'AM
[01:20:03]
YES, YES.DO I STILL HAVE A VOTE? DON'T USE IT WHEN I DON'T HAVE IT.
NEXT THING WE HAVE IS APPOINTMENTS.
I DON'T HAVE ANY SHERIFF COME IN THIS WAY.
ANYBODY GOT MISCELLANEOUS? YES, SIR.
I'D LIKE TO MENTION THAT THE ELIZABETH AVENUE FIRE STATION IS NOW FULLY OPERATIONAL.
AND, UH, THE CITY IS WELL-PROTECTED FROM THAT AREA RIGHT NOW WITH THE BAR STATION BACK UP IN THE OPERATION.
I THINK WE SHOULD CELEBRATE WITH A COOKOUT.
YEAH, NO APPRECIATE THAT PIECE.
JUST WANT TO KNOW THAT THERE'S A COMMUNITY CLEANUP CAMPAIGN AND WOODROW MAY THE 20TH AND ENCOURAGING THE COMMUNITY TO COMPANIES THAT MAY THE 20TH, THE RIGHT DATE, DANNY, RIGHT ON THE SATURDAY.
AND MAY THE 20TH INTERVIEW GOING TO COME ON AND HELP US CLEAN UP WOODROW? NOTHING ON THE MISCELLANEOUS.
UH, SEVERAL MEETINGS NANNY MENTIONED ABOUT VOT IN THE LIFE OF BROAD STREET.
AND, UH, I WAS ON THE IMPRESSION A LOT OF IT WAS GOING TO BE REMOVED UNTIL I, I PASSED THE INFORMATION AS THEY GAVE IT TO ME.
AND I'M LIKE, YOU, I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING ELSE.
I DID GET A PHONE
AND THAT WAS THE LAST WORD I GOT.
THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT REMOVING SEVERAL, BUT I'M NOT SEEING ANY OKAY.
MARY, I WOULD LIKE TO PUBLICLY THANK DAN AND HIS DEPARTMENT WHISPER AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT SHARE IT IS THE COUNCIL BLUFF.
UH, WE HAD SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT SOME TREES BLOCKED SOME VIEW, BUT WE MOVED ONE TO TWO.
UM, AND I THINK WE, UH, I THINK IT'S A GREAT ADDITION.
I LIKE TO MENTION, I LIKE TO COMMAND WHOEVER CUT THE GRASS ON MLK BOULEVARD.
IT'S WHAT THEY DID A GOOD JOB THIS TIME.
THEY DIDN'T PUT ALL THE GRASS CLIPPINGS OUT IN THE STREET AND IT LOOKS NICE.
I HOPE IT CONTINUES ALL SUMMER.
AND A MISCELLANEOUS I'D LIKE TO TOSS OUT, UH, THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE WATCH CHANNEL 12 TONIGHT.
THEY WERE SHOWING A LITTLE TRAFFIC STUDY.
THEY'D DONE PEOPLE RUNNING RED LIGHTS.
DID YOU SEE THAT? WHICH WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT HERE HAD THE CHEAPEST, HAD HIS FOLKS ON, BUT IT WAS REALLY JUST, JUST WE WERE TALKING ABOUT AND SHADE.
ONE CAR THAT WAS FOR SEX AFTER THE LIGHT TURNED RED STILLS.
AND I WON'T TELL YOU, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS.
AND I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, BUT IT'S NOT JUST HERE.
AS LONG AS THE TRASH IS EVERYWHERE.
AND YOU KNOW, IT'S GOT, IT'S GOT TO BE STOPPED.
I EVEN THOUGHT AT NIGHT, YOU KNOW, IS THERE A PROBLEM WITH THE WAY WE HAVE LIGHTS, RED AND YELLOW AND GREEN? I MEAN, IT'S BEEN THAT WAY EVER SINCE I CAN REMEMBER PEOPLE USED TO SAY, WHAT IS IT? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS? CHEESES ARE WHAT THEY CALL IT'S PEOPLE THAT ARE SO IMPATIENT TO GET SOMEPLACE.
THE TYPICAL RED LIGHT LASTS ABOUT 45 TO 60 SECONDS.
AND TO NOT WASTE THAT 60 SECONDS, YOU TAKE ANY CHANCE ON GETTING KILLED OR KILLING SOMEBODY ELSE.
IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.
ONE OF THE THINGS I NOTICED THE MOST IS WHEN PEOPLE ARE IN THE ATTORNEY LANES THAT WE LET ABOUT TWO OR THREE CARS THROUGH AND YOU FOURTH, THE FIFTH, AND THAT LIGHT STARTS CHANGING.
YOU CAN TO TRY TO MAKE THAT ONE LIGHT.
I THINK THERE'S A MISINTERPRETATION AS TO WHAT THE YELLOW LIGHT MEANS.
THE YELLOW LIGHT MEANS SLOW DOWN THE LIGHTS GOING TO TURN RED, NOT SPEED UP THE LIGHTS GOING TO TURN RED, BUT IT'S THE SPEED UP.
HOW MANY OF YOU SAW THE FAMILY CIRCUS CARTOON SEVERAL YEARS AGO, WHICH LITTLE BOY ASKED HIS MAMA SAYS, HOW DO YOU TELL WHETHER IT WAS SLOW DOWN ON YELLOW? I SPEED UP ON YOU.
HEY, THERE, WELCOME TO ANSWER.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT REALLY THE STATE HIGHWAY PATROL NEED TO DO RADIO AND TELEVISION, PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT SAFE DRIVING PERIOD.
WHEN I WAS COMING UP, I REMEMBER THEY USED TO DO THAT, BUT NOW THEY DON'T DO IT.
PEOPLE WILL DRIVE OR RECKLESS.
THEY DRIVE IN THE PASSING LANE CONSTANTLY INSTEAD
[01:25:01]
OF DRIVE ON, RIGHT? DON'T GO THE HORN.WHEN THEY'RE PASSING, THEY DON'T USE A TURN SIGNAL AND THEN THEY SHOOT YOUR BIRD AND THEN THEY GET MAD.
WHEN YOU PASS THAT'S DRIVERS DID ONE ON ONE, YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HE'S SAYING.
I MEAN, HE IS EXACTLY RIGHT, BECAUSE I TOLD MY SON THE OTHER DAY WE WERE RIDING DOWN THE ROAD AND I WAS TELLING HIM THAT.
I SAID, YOU KNOW, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS, BUT PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT THAT LEFT LANE, YOU KNOW, ON THE FOUR LANE HIGHWAY IS THE PAST.
AND THEN YOU HIT, BUT WHAT DO YOU MEAN? HE SAID, IT'S A FOUR LANE ROAD.
I REALIZE THERE'S A CERTAIN AGE GROUP SOMEWHERE.
I MEAN THE OLDER ONES, ALL OF US WERE TOLD THAT SOMEWHERE.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT WAS, BUT AS A WHOLE BUNCH OF BUGS MAN, AND ARGUE WITH YOU AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE THEY WANT TO ARGUE IT'S BECAUSE THEY TRULY SOMEWHERE DIDN'T GET THAT MESSAGE AND HE'S HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.
I MEAN, WHERE WERE WE GETTING IT FROM BEFORE? WELL, YOU WERE GETTING IT FROM DRIVER'S ED, FROM YOUR PARENTS WHO TAUGHT YOU HOW TO DRIVE FROM THE OFFICER WHO GAVE YOU A TICKET AND PEOPLE WERE ACTUALLY LISTENING.
BUT THOSE POINTS THAT THE CHIEF CHIEF'S TALKING ABOUT, I MEAN, PROBABLY THAT'S PART OF THE PROBLEM, BUT I THINK PART OF THE PROBLEM, ALONG WITH TRASH PROBLEM, YOU TRIED TO ADDRESS AND THE CITY GOES BACK TO PEOPLE, JUST LOSE THE RESPECT FOR EACH OTHER.
AND DON'T SAY, THAT MIGHT BE TRUE.
I MEAN, BECAUSE IT LIKE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHY DO THEY JUST DO THE THINGS THAT DO RUN YOU OFF THE ROAD? UH, YOU KNOW, RUNNING UP BEHIND SPEED UP RIGHT BEHIND YOU.
UH, YOU KNOW, THEY PULLED UP, UH, ACROSS THE STREET FROM WHERE I LIVE TO GO VISIT.
SOMEONE, TURNED HIS MUSIC UP, GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND WENT IN THE HOUSE, IN A CAR, THE MUSIC STILL RUNNING.
AND YOU KNOW, I JUST, I JUST SAID IT WAS ABOUT THREE OR FOUR MINUTES, BUT IT CAME IN.
I WAS, I ASSUMED IT MUST'VE BEEN THE RIGHT MUSIC FOR HIM TO GO INTO, LISTEN AND TALK AT THE SAME TIME.
I CAN EXPLAIN THAT AND I WON'T GIVE IT TO YOU.
WHEN I'M A LITTLE OLDER, WELL, CONSIDERABLY OLDER THAN YOU ARE.
AND WHAT HAPPENS IS THE OLDER YOU GET THE YOUNGER PEOPLE'S MUSIC SOUNDS WORSE.
UH, THE DECISION ON WHAT RUNS AND THERE ARE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HIGHWAY MADE BY THE HIGHWAY PATROL FAIRLY OFTEN AND BY OTHER AGENCIES CONCERNING THE VARIOUS.
ALRIGHT, THAT'S ONE OF VARIOUS SAFETY ITEMS. IT IS THE PREROGATIVE OF LITERALLY ONE PERSON AT EACH TV STATION GENERALLY ENTITLED THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER OR WHO DOES THE PROMOTIONS FOR THE UPCOMING LOCAL SHOWS THE NEWS PROMOS AND EVERYTHING, AND SCHEDULES THOSE PROMOS AND SCHEDULES, THE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS.
IF YOU WANT TO APPEAL TO, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE ON LOCAL TELEVISION, THE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS.
I THINK IF YOU WOULD APPEAL AS A CITY BOARD TO THE LOCAL DELIVERY STATIONS FOR WHICH THIS IS THE MARKET, THE WASHINGTON GREENVILLE, NEWBURN AREAS CONSIDERED A MARKET BY THE RATING SERVICES.
IF YOU WOULD APPEAL TO THOSE THREE STATIONS AND TO THE CABLE STATION TO RUN MORE ON PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS ABOUT ANY GIVEN SUBJECT, UH, YOU MIGHT GET A RESPONSE THERE AND GET MORE ON THE AIR BECAUSE THEY DO, THEY DO RUN PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS.
THEY RUN WHAT THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER GENERALLY IT'S CALLED CHOOSES TO PLACE IN THAT TIME SLOT.
THEY SEND THEM AN OFFICIAL RESOLUTION ASKING THEM TO, UH, IF WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM RUN MORE PUBLIC SERVICES.
I, BUT JUST SEND THEM ONE FROM THE WHOLE BOARD.
WHEREAS YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD IDEA DEAL, PLUS, UH, I WISH WE COULD COPY THE STATE HIGHWAY PATROL BECAUSE THEY NEEDED TO DO IT ON A STATEWIDE LEVEL BECAUSE PEOPLE REALLY WELL, THEY ARE AVAILABLE TO DRIVE WHATEVER AVAILABLE, BUT DON'T DRIVE CONSTANTLY ABOUT SAFE DRIVING.
I APPRECIATE YOU SAYING THAT'S A GOOD IDEA BECAUSE I'M GLAD I CAME UP WITH ONE GOOD IDEA, ADAM, 31 YEARS TELEVISION.
I WAS THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER AT ONE OF THE LOCAL STATIONS FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.
AND WHEN I DIDN'T DO THE NEWS AND I SCHEDULED THE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS, YOU KNOW, IF THE CITY, IF THE CITY MANAGER HAD CALLED OR WRITTEN A LETTER SAYING, CAN YOU RUN MORE SAFETY ANNOUNCEMENTS? CAN YOU DO SOMETHING ABOUT STOP FLIGHTS THEY'RE AVAILABLE? YEAH, THE GOVERNOR, I THINK THE PROBLEM IS LET'S GET ALL THE WAY TO THE GOVERNMENT BECAUSE OF MILES LONG TO TRY
[01:30:01]
TO DO IT WITH THE WHOLE STATE, THE TV STATION.WELL, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO MAKE A MOTION TO VOTE ON IT, BUT I THINK IF WE'RE, IF THERE'S A CONSENSUS THAT WE APPROACHED THE CITY MANAGERS TO DRAFT IN SUCH A RESOLUTION, OF COURSE RIGHT NOW IS BUDGET PREPARATION BUT BEFORE, BEFORE WE GET, BEFORE WE GET TO THAT POINT, IT'S CHEAP.
I THINK, I THINK THE CHIEF HAS SOME INPUT, OH, TO ADVISE THE BOARD THAT THE NEWBURN POLICE DEPARTMENT PARTICIPATES WITH THE GOVERNOR'S HIGHWAY SAFETY PROGRAM IN PUBLIC SAFETY ANNOUNCEMENTS ALL YEAR LONG, WE PROBABLY DO SIX OR SEVEN A YEAR THAT WE ACTUALLY ARE IN PART OF THE PRODUCTION OF IT.
AND I DON'T THINK I'VE SEEN, BUT ONE IN THE LAST YEAR, THREE YEARS.
SO THE GOVERNORS HAVE TO COVER THIS HIGHWAY SAFETY PROGRAM IS ACTUALLY SPONSORING, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY NETS TO BE MADE BY LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ALL ACROSS THE STATE AND THE HIGHWAY PATROL.
IT'S JUST THAT THEY'RE NOT BEING OKAY.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS GOOD LAST NIGHT, AS IT COMES THE LAST NIGHT THAT THE CHANNEL 12, UH, TELEVISED, THE FACULTY SHAM GIRL WAS KILLED.
AND EVEN THOUGH I KNOW THAT IT'S PROBABLY HARD ON THE FAMILY WHO, WHO AGREED TO BE INTERVIEWED ABOUT IT, BUT IT DOES SHAKING THE AWARENESS OF THE DANGERS WHEN THEY LOOK UP AND SEE TRENT ROAD AND MARTIN LUTHER KING BOULEVARD, THAT WHERE SOMEBODY RAN A RED LIGHT, KILLED A YOUNG LADY, YOU KNOW, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS ARE TRAGIC, BUT IT DOES, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WAKE YOU UP.
THE APPROACH THAT THEY'RE TAKING AND MAKING PEOPLE AWARE OF WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM.
THAT'S ACTUALLY A PART OF A SERIES.
THAT'S PART OF A SERIES THAT CHANNEL 12 DID WITH US.
THEY RODE WITH SOME OF OUR TRAFFIC OFFICERS AND ACTUALLY PARTICIPATED IN SOME TRAFFIC STOPS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THEY'RE VERY INTERESTED IN THE PROBLEM AND IT'S A, IT'S A PERVASIVE PROBLEM.
AND LIKE I SAID BEFORE IN FRONT OF YOU, WE WRITE 900 TO A THOUSAND TICKETS A MONTH AND IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE NOT ENFORCING THE LAWS.
AND AS A RESULT OF THAT ENFORCEMENT, OUR ACCIDENT RATES ARE WAY DOWN RELATIVE TO OTHER PLACES THAT CITIES IN AREAS THAT ARE OUR SIZE.
AND THE PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE IS THAT SOME FOLK DON'T TAKE CHEFFICK TICKETS AS SERIOUSLY AS THEY SHOULD BE TAKING IN.
THERE'S A LOT OF GETTING RID OF THE TICKET PROBLEMS, YOU KNOW? SO YEAH.
I'VE HEARD SEVERAL PEOPLE COME IN AND SAY, YOU MUST HAVE GOT UP.
YOU GUYS MUST HAVE GOT A BUNCH OF WIKI COPS.
CAUSE THEY KEEP GIVING US TICKETS DOWN THERE, BLACK CROWS VIDEO SAY, AND THE LIGHT JUST FLIPPED ON AND I WAS JUST GOING SLOW, BUT I'M GOING TO CUT.
AND HE CAME ON WAY DOWN AND I SAY, HE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU.
THE CHIEF KNOWS MORE THAN ANY OF US THAT MAKING A LAW SAYING SOMETHING IS ILLEGAL.
IF THE PERSON WANTS TO GO AHEAD AND DO IT ANYWAY, THAT'S AND I ARGUE THAT POINT WITH PEOPLE FREQUENTLY WHEN THEY ACCUSED US, WHY DON'T YOU LOWER THE SPEED LIMIT? IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE.
IF THE PEOPLE CHOOSE NOT TO OBEY THE LAW, THAT'S FINE.
THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT, EXCEPT KEEP GIVING THEM TICKETS.
AND IF THEY'RE WILLING TO PAY THEM, WHAT THE, YOU, I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD.
WHEN I TALK TO HIM, I'LL TALK TO CHANNEL AS WELL FOR WHAT THEY'VE DONE.
AND THEN, UH, THE PRINT MEDIA COULD HELP YOU TO WEAR IT UP TO THE, TO THE GOVERNMENT WAS ALL NO, BECAUSE I KNOW THERE ANDREW SAID AND DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT, BUT REALLY THERE'S A LARGE GROUP OF FOLKS THAT REALLY DON'T KNOW IS WRONG TO DRIVE IN THAT PASSING LANE.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHY, BUT THEN THE NEXT THING WE HAVE, I GUESS, IS EVERYBODY DOWN, BUT THE MISCELLANEOUS YES, SIR.
TONY'S REPORT EARNINGS REPORT.
YOU WANT TO APPROVE THAT AGREEMENT? YOU MEAN THE WHITE THREE? YUP.
WE DIDN'T DO THAT ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
WE HAVE THE AGREEMENT FOR MR. SALMONS ON WHITE STREET AND THE RESOLUTION TO BE ADOPTED WITH YOUR APPROACH.
WE NEED TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION AND GET MR SAMMONS TO OKAY.
FOR THE DISCUSSION PLEASE, MAN.
NOW THE ATTORNEY'S REPORT JUMPING THERE, ROBERT, ALL RIGHT.
NOW, I GUESS WE GOT TO SEE THE MANAGERS BEFORE THAT'S.
WHEN YOU BRING OUT THAT ALONE, I HAVE VERY, A SHORT REPORT.
JUST WANT TO ADVISE THE BOARD.
MY SON HAS GRADUATED FROM WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY COMING UP ON THE 15TH, WHICH I'M VERY PROUD OF, BUT, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO, IF IT'S POSSIBLE, WE HAVE A WORK SESSION SCHEDULED AT NIGHT AND I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE IT TO THE FOLLOWING NIGHT SO THAT I CAN ATTEND.
[01:35:02]
THAT'S ON MONDAY.I MEAN, HE'S GRADUATING FROM LAW SCHOOL, WHITE FARSI.
I WOULD LIKE TO, I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT THE BOARD KEEPING THEIR CONSIDERATION, THEIR THOUGHTS AND THEIR PRAYERS, ROBERT BOYD, A RETIRED CITY FIRE IS REFERRED TO A STATION STATION AT THE PROPER TIME.
HE HAD THE JOB THAT BOBBY ASTER HAS NOW AND RETIRED FROM THAT JOB AND HIS SON, UH, BOBBY IS A NOT BOBBY ASTER, BUT BOBBY, UH, A BOY IS, IS NOW A LIEUTENANT WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND UM, MR. BOYD'S WIFE IS THE COUNTY CLERK OF COURT AND HE IS IN VERY SERIOUS CONDITION FROM THE ACCIDENT HE HAD IN FLORIDA SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
AND, UH, AND HE'S MY NEIGHBOR TOO.
THE WHOLE FAMILY UP AND THE ENTIRE FAMILY ARE VERY WELL KNOWN IN THE AREA AND HIM PUT A LOT INTO THE COMMUNITY.
IT'S IT BREAKS MY HEART THAT HE WAS, HE WAS INJURED SO BADLY IN THAT ACCIDENT.
WELL, I ME MAKE A MOTION THAT WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR PROPERTY ACQUISITIONS.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.