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[1. Meeting opened by Mayor Odham. Prayer Coordinated by Alderman Brinson. Pledge of Allegiance. ]
EVENING EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO THE FEBRUARY 14TH, 2023 NEWBURN BOARD OF ALDERMAN MEETING.THE PRAYER TONIGHT WILL BE COORDINATED BY ALDERMAN PRINCETON.
I'D LIKE TO CALL UP, UH, MR. BRIAN SAUNDERS, WHO IS, UH, BOTH MY, UH, HE IS MY HOME GROUP LEADER FROM, UH, UNION POINT CHURCH ON TRENT ROAD.
WELL, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE.
PLEASURE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THIS HONOR.
AND SO LET'S OPEN UP WITH THE WORD PRAYER.
WELL, LORD JESUS, YOU, UH, YOU SAY IT WHERE TWO OR THREE COME TOGETHER AND I NAMED.
THERE YOU ARE, AND I'M SURE THERE'S AT LEAST TWO OR THREE HERE THAT ARE HERE IN YOUR NAME.
SO FATHER, WE WELCOME YOU, LORD, WE, UH, I, I DON'T EVEN HAVE A CLUE WHAT TO EVEN PRAY FOR, BUT YOUR WORD SAYS, YOUR SPIRIT WILL PRAY FOR US.
AND WHEN WE DON'T EVEN HAVE THE WORDS
SO SPIRIT, HAVE YOUR WAY SPEAK, UH, THROUGH THIS PRAYER.
UH, WE CELEBRATE THIS DAY AS A DAY OF LOVE.
UH, SOMETHING THAT JUST HIT ME AS I'LL SITTING THERE AND I WILL JUST PRAY, LORD, THAT WE AS A PEOPLE, WHETHER WE AGREE OR DISAGREE, WHETHER WE LIKE OR DISLIKE, UH, THAT WE COULD FOLLOW, UH, YOUR TWO GREATEST COMMANDMENTS,
AND LORD, WE EVEN LOVED THAT PHONE CALL
MAYBE THAT'S YOU A CALLING WHO KNOWS
IF YOU DON'T SEE THINGS THE WAY I SEE THINGS, THEN, THEN, THEN YOU, YOU'RE JUST A FOOL AND IDIOT AND WHATEVER ELSE.
AND LORD, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT BOTHERS ME AS I'M SURE IT BOTHERS YOU.
IT'S TIME THAT PEOPLE COULD COME TOGETHER EVEN IN DISAGREEMENTS, THAT REGARDLESS OF WHATEVER VIEW WE HOLD, WHATEVER POLITICAL STANCE WE HOLD, WHATEVER POLITICAL PARTY WE MAY BE A PART OF THAT ULTIMATELY, LORD GOD, UH, YOU ARE SOVEREIGN AND YOU ARE IN CHARGE, AND YOU WILL HAVE YOUR WAY, REGARDLESS OF WHAT MAN MAY THINK.
WHAT MAN MAY BELIEVE THAT HE OR SHE, AND WHEN I SAY, MAN, I'M SPEAKING OF BOTH, UH, YOU KNOW, KNOW THAT, THAT THEY HAVE CONTROL OVER, UH, YOU ULTIMATELY ARE SOVEREIGN AND YOU ARE IN CONTROL.
SO, LORD, I JUST PRAY FOR THAT, UH, OVER THIS EVENING.
I PRAY THAT, UH, OUR ELECTED, ELECTED OFFICIALS HERE, UM, BEHIND THESE, THE, I DON'T KNOW, THAT'S A LONG TABLE, I'LL CALL IT.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT IT'S CALLED, BUT LORD, I PRAY THAT, UH, YOU WOULD GIVE THEM WISDOM TO MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON WHAT IS NOT ONLY BETTER FOR THIS CITY, BUT BETTER FOR YOUR KINGDOM.
YOUR KINGDOM COME BECAUSE YOUR WILL WILL BE DONE, AMEN.
ON THIS EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
SO, FATHER, I PRAY THAT YOU JUST GIVE THEM THAT, THAT WISDOM THAT YOU'LL GIVE 'EM DISCERNMENT, UH, TO UNDERSTAND AND TO SEE.
AND EVEN IF IT'S A DISCERNMENT TO, TO NOT EVEN, UH, SPEAK UNTIL FULL UNDERSTANDING, IF YOU WILL, THEN SO BE IT.
UM, SO, LORD, I, I JUST, UH, I JUST PRAY THAT, PRAY FOR LOVE, PRAY FOR WISDOM AND OUTTA WISDOM.
AND LORD, I PRAY FOR THE PEOPLE BEHIND ME.
UM, I JUST PRAY THAT THEY WOULD HAVE PATIENCE, UH, THAT THEY TOO WOULD HAVE WISDOM AND FROM WISDOM TO SERMON, AND IF THEY DISAGREE
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WITH ANYTHING THAT IS DECIDED THAT, LORD, THAT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO GIVE 'EM A SPIRIT OF GRACE.I DON'T AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT THEY DO.
I DON'T AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT THIS CITY HAS DONE.
I DON'T AGREE WITH EVERYTHING MY BOSS TELLS ME TO DO, BUT THIS SIDE, NO, WHETHER I AGREE OR DISAGREE IS NOT MATTERS IN HOW I HANDLE IT.
SO, LORD, I PRAY THAT WE AS A PEOPLE WOULD BE ABLE TO HANDLE THINGS WITH GRACE.
AND LORD, JUST CONTINUE TO BLESS THOSE WHO SERVE THIS COMMUNITY.
I PRAY YOU BLESS THOSE THAT ARE GOING TO COME OUT HERE AND SPEAK TONIGHT, BECAUSE I'M SURE THEIR PASSION IS STRONG.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT.
BUT LORD, I I JUST PRAY THAT, UH, AGAIN, YOU, YOU WOULD GIVE THEM GRACE AND THEIR COMMENTS AND THEIR THOUGHTS YES.
AND THEIR ACTIONS AND THEIR WORDS IN THEIR TONE AND IN EVERYTHING THAT, THAT TRANSPIRES THIS EVENING, BECAUSE INTO THE END, LORD GOD, THIS REALLY IN THE END IS NOT TRULY GOING TO MATTER MUCH IN HEAVEN.
WHAT'S GOING TO MATTER IS HOW WE HANDLE IT AND HOW WE TREAT ONE ANOTHER.
AND LORD, I PRAY THAT WE CAN JUST TREAT EACH OTHER IN LOVE.
SO LORD JESUS, JUST HAVE YOUR WAY.
AND MAY YOU BE GLORIFIED IN HONOR IN EVERYTHING THAT TRANSPIRES IN THIS PLACE AND WITHIN THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE.
AND I JUST PRAY THIS LORD GOD, IN YOUR MOST HOLY AND PRECIOUS NAME, AND IT'S IN YOUR NAME.
YOU WOULD PLEASE STAND WITH ME AS THE PLEDGE PLEDGE OF OUR COUNTRY, A PLEDGE REASON TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN THE, TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY, JUSTICE.
MADAM CLERK, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE CALL THE RULE ALDERMAN FRI.
[3. Approve Agenda. ]
ITEM NUMBER THREE IS TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.ANY CHANGES? IF NOT, ENTERTAIN A MOTION OF YES, MA'AM.
I'D LIKE TO ASK, UM, THE BOARD TO TABLE ITEM NUMBER 14 UNTIL LATER DATE, PLEASE.
IS THAT YOUR MOTION? THAT IS MY MOTION.
WE HAVE A SECOND ON ITEM NUMBER 14 TO TABLE THAT SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
HOW ABOUT THE REMAINDER OF THE AGENDA, MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE, IF THERE'S NO MORE CHANGES, MAYOR, I MAKE MOTION TO ACCEPT THE AGENDA AS IS.
I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND IN DISCUSSION.
[4. Request and Petition of Citizens. ]
UH, NUMBER FOUR, REQUEST AND PETITION OF CITIZENS.FIRST TONIGHT IS TRACY DU DZA AT TWO 15 P*****K STREET.
YOU WOULD JUST PLEASE COME TO THE MIC, SIR.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE, UH, UM, PETITION, BUT, UM, REPRESENTING THE BUSINESS GROUP DOWNTOWN AND REQUESTING THAT THE BOARD, UM, CONSIDER PUTTING TOGETHER AN ADVISORY BUSINESS COMMITTEE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF SOCIAL DISTRICTS.
IT'S BEEN A YEAR AND A HALF SINCE THE LEGISLATION WAS PASSED AND THE CITY HAS, UM, NOT THE ISSUE.
AND THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD AS EITHER IMPLEMENTING
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OR AT LEAST INVESTIGATING, ANALYZING WHETHER OR NOT SOCIAL DISTRICT IS RIGHT FROM NEWTON.BUT WE FEEL WE NEED THE SUPPORT, UM, OF THE BOARD TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A FORMAL COMMUNITY CONSENT.
NEXT IS CHRISTOPHER AND CAROLYN ADAMS OF 2 20 94 BETTY GRESHAM LANE.
WE'LL JUST, UH, MOVE FROM COLMAR, PENNSYLVANIA, WHICH IS, UH, A VILLAGE IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
SO WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR SEVEN MONTHS AND WE ARE OVER AT THE, UM, LAKEVIEW COMMUNITY.
AND RIGHT NOW WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT TO YOU IS SOME ISSUES THAT WE ARE HAVING WITH A WARDED DRAINAGE PROBLEM.
UM, WE WERE TOLD, UH, EXCUSE ME, UH, WE FIRST ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE WITH OUR BUILDER NOLAN CONSTRUCTION, NOLAN COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION, UM, COMPANY BACK IN AUGUST OF 2021.
WE WERE INITIALLY TOLD, UH, WHEN WE SIGNED OUR CONTRACT IN AUGUST OF 2021, WE WERE TOLD THAT WE WERE MOVE INTO OUR HOME IN OCTOBER OF 2021.
WE WERE NOT ABLE TO MOVE INTO OUR HOME UNTIL ALMOST ONE YEAR LATER.
DURING THAT TIME, UM, IF YOU COULD SEE ON THE DEMONSTRATION HERE, UH, WE POINTED OUT THAT THERE WAS A WATER ISSUE.
AND WE TOLD THEM BACK THEN IN 2021 THAT THIS WAS A CONCERN OF OURS.
THEY EXPLAINED TO US AT THAT TIME THAT WE HAD NO WORDS, THE WATER PROBLEM WILL BE HANDLED.
HOWEVER, UM, THAT HAS NOT BEEN THE CASE.
AS YOU CAN SEE NOW FROM THESE HERE, THIS IS SEPTEMBER OF 2022.
WE HAVE A RIVER IN THE BACKS OF OUR YARDS.
IT NOT ONLY AFFECTS OUR PROPERTY, BUT THERE ARE FOUR OTHER ADJACENT PROPERTIES THAT ARE ALSO AFFECTED BY THIS WATER FLOW.
UH, NOLAN PUSHED BACK ON US NUMEROUS TIMES, TELLING US THAT THIS WAS OUR PROBLEM AND NOT THEIRS.
I, IN TURN, WENT TO OUR BYLAWS AND DISCOVERED THAT WITHIN OUR BYLAWS, THEY ARE NOW THE ACTING H HM O H HOA.
AND UNTIL SUCH TIME AS OUR SUBDIVISION HAS BEEN DEDICATED, THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING CERTAIN THAT THERE IS A, A COMPLETE PASSAGEWAY FOR THIS WATER TO GO THROUGH TO DRAIN PROPERLY.
WHAT HAPPENS NOW HAS BEEN A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS AND PUSHED BACK CLEAR.
WE WERE TOLD THAT THE WATER IS SUPPOSED TO GO OUT TO THE LAKE, BUT THE WATER STOPS AND IT BACKS ALL THE WAY UP TO OUR PROPERTY.
AND WE WERE TOLD BY NOLAN JUST RECENTLY THAT THE CITY OF NEW BERN, ALONG WITH THOMAS ENGINEERING FIRM, WE'RE GOING TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE WITH OUR HOME.
I'VE ASKED REPEATEDLY TO GIVE US A DATE AND TIME AS TO WHEN THIS CAN HAPPEN, BECAUSE WE ARE RISKING OUR HOME BEING FLOODED.
AND WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE IS NO TIME FOR US.
TO US, THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE AS NEW HOMEOWNERS.
UM, WE CAME HERE, THIS IS OUR RETIREMENT HOME THAT WE HAVE BUILT, AND WE WERE EXCITED TO BE NEWCOMERS HERE, BUT THIS HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT A NIGHTMARE FOR US.
AND WE ARE BEGGING FOR SOMEONE TO HELP US RESOLVE THIS ISSUE WITH NOLAN.
IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, I MEAN, MY, WE CONSULT IT WITH AN ATTORNEY TO LOOK OVER OUR BYLAWS TO SEE IF, IF WE WERE CORRECT IN OUR, OUR OPINION, AND HE WROTE A LETTER TO THEM, THEY IGNORED THE LETTER.
ONCE THEY FOUND OUT THAT I HAD CONSULTED WITH AN ATTORNEY, THEY SAID THAT WE WERE, THEY WERE TOLD NOT TO SPEAK TO ME OR MY HUSBAND AGAIN.
SO THEREFORE I TOLD, I WROTE BACK TO THEM, I SAID, OKAY, I WON'T CONSULT WITH AN ATTORNEY.
I'M JUST TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT MY RIGHTS ARE.
AND ONCE I SAID TO THEM THAT, OKAY, I WON'T CONSULT WITH AN ATTORNEY ANYMORE, THEY STARTED TALKING TO ME AGAIN.
BUT STILL THERE HAS BEEN NO ANSWER AS TO WHEN THIS ISSUE WILL BE RESOLVED.
SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A COPY OF THE LETTERS AND BYLAWS, UM, THOSE PROVISIONS, I HAVE MADE A COPY FOR ANYONE THAT WISH TO HAVE THEM.
AND I'LL TURN THIS OVER TO MY, THIS BUILDER HAS A, MY NAME CHRISTOPHER ADAMS. UH, THIS BUILDING HAS A TENDENCY TO PROCRASTINATE, PUT OFF, PUT OFF, PUT OFF, PUT OFF IF YOU GOT A 30 DAY PUNCH LIST.
HERE WE ARE AT THE SEVENTH MONTH, JUST GETTING AROUND TO IT.
THEY TALK ABOUT CERTAIN THINGS THAT'S LEFT.
THEY GONNA PUT IT ON ONE YEAR EVERY TIME THEY PUT SOMETHING OFF.
AND THEN IF WORKERS COME THERE, THEY COMPLAIN, THEY DON'T WANT TO DO THE JOB.
WE FIRST MOVED THERE, WE FOUND A DEAD BUSH SHRUG.
THEY HAD A DOWNSPOUT AND THE DOWNS SPELL WAS FLOODED.
AND WE NOTICED IT AFTERWARDS AND THEY COULDN'T TELL US THAT'S A 30 DAY WARRANTY.
I'M LIKE, HOW YOU GIMME 30 DAYS ON A PLANT? SOMETHING THAT I HAD NO CONTROL OF, BUT YOU HAD A DOWNSPOUT RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, FLOODED THE PLANT.
SO THEY HAVE A HISTORY OF PROCRASTINATING, UH, DELAYING PUSH YOU OFF AND FALL IN DEATH AREAS.
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FRUSTRATED.WE, WE THINK WE'VE MADE A MISTAKE MOVING TO NEW BURN.
THEY TOOK THE EXCITEMENT AWAY.
I'M GLAD I'M NOT A FIRST TIME HOME BUYER.
CAUSE THEY REALLY WOULD DID A JOB TO YOU.
CAUSE RIGHT NOW, WHEN THAT WATER STARTED GETTING ON THE PICTURE, YOU SEEING THAT MUD, THAT WATER CAME WITHIN TWO FEET OF MY PATIO.
AND THEN WE WAS RUNNING AROUND TRYING TO FIND SANDBAGS.
EVERYBODY SAID, WE CAN'T FIND SANDBAGS, YOU KNOW, SO HERE WE ALREADY TRYING TO FIND OUT WHO COULD HELP US WITH THIS.
CAUSE I'M NOT EVEN SURE IF THE CITY IS WORKING WITH THE ENGINEERING.
THEY HAVEN'T, UH, COME OUT TO SEE US, TO LEAST TALK TO US ABOUT IT.
WHAT WE WANT TO DO, HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO.
IT'S GONNA BE ANOTHER SIX MONTHS OR A YEAR.
AND WE GONNA STILL BE IN THE SAME POSITION.
THEY KNOW THE PROBLEM AND IT TAKES SEVEN DAYS FOR IT.
THE DRAIN, ANOTHER FOUR DAYS FOR YOU TO WALK ON IT.
I TRY TO GROW GRASS AND YOU CAN SEE THAT MUCH OF THE GRASS UNDER WATER, I MEAN ABOVE THE WATER.
UH, MR. ADAMS, WHAT WAS YOUR ADDRESS AGAIN? IT'S 29 0 4 BETTY GRM LANE.
AND AND WHAT SUBDIVISION IS THAT? LAKEVIEW.
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THIS OFFICER? ABSOLUTELY.
I'VE VISITED THEM ON THE SITE.
THEY DEFINITELY HAVE A DRAINAGE PROBLEM.
THE CITY MANAGER HAD OUR, UM, BUILDING INSPECTION DEPARTMENT TO GO OUT AND LOOK.
UM, WE'VE ADDRESSED IT AS IT IS NOT A CITY PROBLEM, FOR THE LACK OF BETTER WORDS, THAT IS A DEVELOPER'S PROBLEM.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE ENCOURAGED THEM TO TAKE IT UP WITH MR. SIDES.
AND I SEE THAT AS OF YESTERDAY, A NICE LETTER WAS WRITTEN.
BUT THE PROBLEM IS SIDES DOESN'T RESPOND.
AND THAT'S JUST, I, THEY, THEY'RE STUCK.
I MEAN, YOU'RE GONNA SEE OTHER PHOTOS HERE IN A FEW MINUTES, BUT WE, THE CITY HAS ADDRESSED IT.
WE'VE MET WITH 'EM ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
AND, UM, I'LL ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY IS THIS, YOU KNOW, ACCORDING TO THE BUILDING CODE OFFICIAL FOR THE CITY, THE, IT HAS TO BE SLOPED FROM THE FOUNDATION OUT 10 FEET.
AND IT APPEARS THAT THEY HAVE THAT.
BUT NOW WHAT THEY DO HAVE, THEY HAVE A MOUND OF STUFF, JUNK, DIRT AND EVERYTHING ELSE IN THEIR BACKYARD THAT HAS EVERYTHING FLOWING FROM THE YARD TOWARDS THE HOUSE.
SO I I REALLY THINK IT'S, UM, ONE MOMENT.
IT MUST BE GETTING CLOSE TO TIME FOR, UH, I THINK THEY'VE CONSULTED AN ATTORNEY AND I THINK IT'S GETTING CLOSE TO TIME THAT THEY, THEY, UM, EXERCISE THAT.
I WANT TO ADD TO THAT, UH, EVEN WITH THE 10 FOOT SLOPE THAT YOU MENTIONED, IT'S NOT SATISFACTORY.
CAUSE ONCE THE WATER STARTED TO SEE, YOU COULD SEE BIG PONDS.
SO THERE'S NOT THE SLOPE MEAN IT'S NOT GREATER.
WELL, I THINK, I THINK, AND, AND YOU, WE MIGHT NEED TO GET THE BUILDING INSPECTOR INVOLVED BACK IN IT AGAIN, SO YOU'LL UNDERSTAND.
BUT I THINK WHAT THE BUILDING CODE SAYS, ACCORDING TO WHAT I, HOW I UNDERSTAND IT, IS FROM THE FOUNDATION OUT 10 FEET IS THE ONLY THING THAT THE NORTH CAROLINA BUILDING CODE ADDRESSES.
IS THAT CORRECT, FOSTER? THAT'S CORRECT, YOUR HONOR.
SO, AND ACCORDING TO OUR BUILDING INSPECTOR THAT WAS MET, AND I MEAN THAT IT IS PROBABLY 10 FEET, ONE INCH, BUT THAT WAS MET NOW, NOW IT ALSO STATES THAT THE STORM WATER DRAINS OFF INTO THE LAKE SO THE WATER CAN'T GET TO THE LAKE BECAUSE THERE'S A, THERE'S A, THERE'S A AREA IN THE BAG THAT'S ABOUT MAKING 10 ENGINE FEET.
ONCE THAT FILLS UP, IT'S COMING TO ME.
AND AGAIN, I THINK GO DOWN TO THE STREET TO GO TO THE, TO THE, TO THE LAKE.
I MEAN, I'LL LET THE CITY ATTORNEY ADDRESS IT, BUT I THINK YOU'RE, I THINK IT'S A DEVELOPER ISSUE.
WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WE HERE, THEY'RE TELLING US THAT THE, THE CITY OF NEWBURN THAT WE'RE ALL ENGINEERING IS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF IT.
I I'VE NOT HEARD A WORD FROM JOHN THOMAS OR MR. SIDES ABOUT ANY OF THIS.
YOU HAVE, I'VE NOT HEARD A WORD.
THE GENTLEMAN THAT REPRESENTED THE COMPANY CAME TO US AND EXPLAINED TO MY WIFE AND I AND MY NEIGHBOR, UH, WHAT, WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO DO IT.
HE EVEN TOLD ME WHAT WAS THERE, THE FARMLAND, THE STUFF THAT WAS THE DEBRIS THAT WAS ON THE LAND.
HE EVEN TOLD ME ABOUT HOW TO LAKE LAYTON, DOUG.
HE TOLD ME HOW DEEP IT IS, BUT HE DUG IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S FEET DEEP.
HE TOLD THE GUY IS FAMILIAR, HE SAID, I GOTTA GO BACK TO NOLAN AND SEE WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
SO WE, WE, WE'VE GOT THE INFORMATION.
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WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND IS FOR STAFF TO PREPARE A LETTER AND LET YOU KNOW WHAT OUR STANCE IS ON THIS.AND THEN YOU CAN TAKE THAT LETTER TO WHOMEVER YOU NEED TO.
BUT IT'S, IT'S NOT A CITY OF NEWBURN ISSUE.
THEY'VE STATED THAT WE HAVEN'T HEARD FROM THE ENGINEER OR THE DEVELOPER TO TALK ABOUT THIS.
SO IT'S, IT'S A PRIVATE PROPERTY, PERSONAL RIGHTS ISSUE.
IT'S NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CITY OF NEWBURN.
SO WE'LL BE HAPPY TO GET YOU A FORMAL DOCUMENT THAT STATES THAT YOU CAN USE THAT EVER HOW YOU SEE FIT.
AND, AND MAYOR, I WILL ALSO ADD THAT I, I DID MEET WITH SEVERAL OF THE NEIGHBORS OUT THERE.
IT WAS, IT WAS SEVERAL MONTHS AGO.
AND, AND I DID SEND THE LETTER TO SIDE'S CONSTRUCTION.
THEY NEVER RESPONDED TO, UH, REGARDING THEIR CONCERNS.
AND THEY NEVER RESPONDED TO ME EITHER.
THEY DON'T RESPOND, AND THAT'S A PROBLEM.
SO I GUESS I HAVE TO SELL IT AND, UH, VIEW, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT IT'S GOING BE LIKE.
I'M JUST HOP MY RETIREMENT HOME.
SO I GUESS I'M JUST UP THE CREEK WITHOUT PADDLE.
PARTICULARLY, I, WITHIN OUR BYLAWS, THIS, UM, I, I JUST, I I DON'T WANT TO CUT YOU OFF, BUT THE PETITION OF CITIZENS IS FOUR MINUTES PER PERSON.
I, I ALLOWED YOU ENOUGH SINCE THERE WAS TWO OF YOU.
BUT WE, WE GOTTA MOVE ON TO THE, THE REST OF THE UNDERSTAND.
AND WE THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH YOU FOR ALLOW US SENT OVER OUR, OUR ALLOW TIME.
SORRY IF I DIDN'T GET THAT RIGHT.
UM, I'M THE, UM, UH, CURRENT PRESIDENT OF THIS HISTORIC RIVERSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
AND, UM, I COME HERE TONIGHT TO, UM, ASK YOU TO CONSIDER THE, UM, UH, DISCUSSION YOU MAY HAVE THIS EVENING ABOUT THE CHANGE OF, UH, THE SPEED LIMIT ON NATIONAL AVENUE.
AND, UM, I HAVE COPIES OF, UH, MY PRESENTATION HERE IF YOU'D LIKE TO TAKE THEM.
UM, AND THIS IS OUR CONCERN IS THE AREA, THE RESIDENTIAL AREA ON NATIONAL AVENUE BETWEEN DUNN STREET AND NUS AVENUE, WHICH IS AROUND, UM, THE, UH, CEMETERY BY THE PLAYGROUND THERE.
AND, UM, LIKE ANY OF THE OTHER, UM, NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE AREA, UM, IN TOWN, THE HOUSES ARE VERY CLOSELY CONNECTED.
THERE'S, UH, A LOT OF FOOT TRAFFIC AND, UH, OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE CITY HAVE, I THINK, HAVE A, A SLOWER, UH, 25 MILE AN HOUR SPEED LIMIT.
CURRENTLY, THE SPEED LIMIT ON NATIONAL IS 35 MILES AN HOUR, WHICH WE FIND EXCESSIVE PEOPLE, UH, GO WAY BEYOND THAT.
AND, UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF, UH, PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC, CHILDREN WALKING, PLAYING ON THE SIDEWALKS, BICYCLES, THAT TYPE OF THING.
AND THE TRUCK TRAFFIC AND THE, UH, CAR TRAFFIC THERE IS, UH, VERY HAZARDOUS IN OUR OPINION.
UH, AND A LOT OF THE HOUSES ON NATIONAL AVENUE DO NOT HAVE TURNAROUND DRIVEWAYS.
UM, SO THEY'RE BACKING OUT INTO, UM, SPEEDING CARS ON NATIONAL AVENUE, UM, OBSTRUCTED BY OTHER PARKED CARS OR THE LARGE, UH, OLD GROWTH TREES ON THE AVENUE.
UM, AND THERE'S BEEN A NUMBER OF, UH, AUTOMOBILE INCIDENTS ON, UH, NATIONAL AVENUE.
I HAVE A, A POLICE REPORT HERE.
THIS IS FROM JANUARY OF 2022 THROUGH MID-SEPTEMBER OF 2022 FOR NATIONAL AVENUE IN THE AREA I'M SPEAKING ABOUT.
AND THERE WERE, IN THAT TIME PERIOD, THERE WERE 23 TRAFFIC STOPS BY, UM, THE POLICE FOR EXCESSIVE SPEEDING.
THERE WERE FOUR HIT AND RUNS INVOLVING PARKED CARS, DAMAGE TO PARKED CARS ON THE AVENUE, AND FIVE TRAFFIC CRASHES, THREE OF WHICH INVOLVED, UH, INJURY.
SO IT'S A VERY HAZARDOUS, UM, SITUATION.
WE HAVE RIGHT THERE IN ON, UH, NATIONAL AVENUE.
WE'RE ASKING THAT YOU CONSIDER THAT CHANGE OF SPEED LIMIT, UH, THE HISTORIC DISTRICT DOWNTOWN FROM THE BRIDGE, UH, ON UP FRONT STREET, UM, UP THROUGH NORTH CRAVEN IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND PASTORAL ALL THE, UM, SPEED LIMIT ARE 25 MILES AN HOUR.
AND ALTHOUGH IT IS A, UM, CONSIDERED A MAJOR, UH, THOROUGHFARE THROUGH THE CITY, UM, WE THINK BECAUSE OF THE TRAFFIC AND THE, UH, PEDESTRIAN CONCERNS THERE THAT WE REALLY SH WE'RE ASKING YOU TO TAKE A REAL GOOD LOOK AT THAT.
UM, WE ACTUALLY HAD ONE OF OUR MEMBERS DO A, A LITTLE MATH CALCULATION, UM, AND, AND MEASURE THE, UH, TIME LOSS BETWEEN, UH, THE RAILROAD TRACKS AND THE, UH, THE RED LIGHT.
AND IT WAS A 2020 SECOND DELAY BETWEEN GOING 25 MILES AN HOUR AND 35 MILES AN HOUR, WHICH WE THINK IS ENOUGH FOR PEOPLE TO CONSIDER THE SAFETY CONCERNS OF THAT, OF THAT COURT.
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AND ALSO IF YOU, IF YOU'RE REALLY CONSIDERING THIS, YOU MIGHT WANT TO EVEN CONSIDER EXTENDING THAT DOWN, UH, GEORGE STREET WITH ALL THE PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC ON, UH, WITH THE RC S UH, CENTER, THE SENIOR CENTER, THE GEORGE STREET PLAYGROUND, AND THE BASEBALL FIELD.BUT I'M, I'M HERE TODAY TO ASK YOUR INDULGENCE TO PLEASE CONSIDER THAT CHANGE, UH, OF THE SPEED LIMIT FROM 35 TO 25 ON NATIONAL BETWEEN DUNN NEWS.
NEXT UP IS, UH, VICTORIA BLACKENS OF 1205 NORTH PASTURE EVENING.
I WANTED TO SPEAK ABOUT THE SPEED ON NATIONAL AND THE FACT THAT WE HAVE EXAMPLES OF PEOPLE THAT SPEED.
I MEAN, THEY LITERALLY WILL GO FROM 45 TO 55 TO 60, AND SOMETIMES THEY'RE VERY LARGE TRUCKS, AND THAT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE A TRUCK THROUGH FAIR AS FAR AS GETTING FROM ONE SECTION TO THE NEXT.
BUT WE HAVE THEM COME THROUGH ALL THE TIME AND IT'S QUITE NOISY AND YOU VERY UNSAFE WALKING ON THE SIDEWALK, IF NOTHING ELSE.
AND I FEEL LIKE THE POWER TO REGULATE EXISTS FOR SOCIETY.
AND IF WE DON'T HAVE IT AND WE DON'T MAKE CHANGES, THEN YOU KNOW, THE MINORS EVENTUALLY MAKE ALL THE DECISIONS.
SO ALL I'M ASKING FOR IS THAT WE CONSIDERED THE VALUE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THAT IT IS NOT DIMINISHED BY THE SPEED OF A ROAD THAT GOES THROUGH IT THAT MAKES IT EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO MANY PEOPLE.
YOU CANNOT COME FROM A SIDE ROAD ON THE NATIONAL WITHOUT HAVING TO WORRY WHETHER YOU'RE GOING TO GET HIT OR NOT.
AND YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE AROUND THE CARS THAT ARE PARKED.
SO WE'RE JUST ASKING FOR THE SLOWER SPEED LIMIT FOR THE SAFETY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE AMBULANCE THAT WE PROVIDE.
NEXT IS RUTH COOPER OF 10 22 COLTON WAY IN TRENT WOODS.
UM, HI, MY HUSBAND DOG AND I MOVED HERE A YEAR AGO FROM CINCINNATI, AND WE LOVE CRAVEN COUNTY AND NEW BERN.
UH, ONE THING WE DON'T LOVE IS LITTER, AND I'M SURE THAT TOURISTS, THAT EVERYBODY ELSE WHO PASSES THROUGH IS KIND OF PUT OFF BY THE AMOUNT OF LITTER THAT'S SEEN ON OUR ROADWAYS.
UM, WHILE THE COUNTY NOW DOES FOUR CLEAN SWEEPS A YEAR, AND MANY LOCAL NONPROFITS DO MANY, UH, CLEANUPS IN NEW BERN, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE AN ORGANIZED PROGRAM TO PREVENT LITTERING AND ILLEGAL DUMPING OF TRASH.
RECENTLY, WHILE IN THE DUFFY FIELD NEIGHBORHOOD, I ASKED MEN FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WHO WERE RESURFACING A STREET, IF ANY OF THEM HAD TAKEN PART IN A BIG CLEANUP IN DUFFY FIELD SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
ONE MAN SAID HE HAD, HE ADDED THAT HE WAS VERY DISHEARTENED TO COME TO THE AREA AGAIN A WEEK OR TWO LATER AND SEE AS MUCH LITTER AND TRASH AS HAS BEEN THERE.
BEFORE THE CLEANUP, I MET WITH TWO OTHER PEOPLE IN THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TO DISCUSS STORM WATER MANAGEMENT.
WHEN I MENTIONED THE RECENT CLEANUP, THEY WERE ALSO DISCOURAGED ABOUT HOW MUCH DIFFERENCE A CLEANUP WOULD MAKE IF PEOPLE DIDN'T STOP LITTERING AND DUMPING TRASH IN THE ENVIRONMENT.
MANY PEOPLE FACING LITTER FIELD COMMUNITIES FEEL DISAPPOINTED ABOUT THE STATE OF THEIR COMMUNITY AND WISH IT WERE CLEANER.
HOWEVER, THEY HESITATE TO REMOVE LITTER FROM THEIR COMMUNITY BECAUSE OF CONCERNS SUCH AS DISEASE SPREAD AND INJURY FROM HIDDEN NEEDLES.
THEY ALSO FEEL A SENSE OF FUTILITY IN PICKING UP LITTER AS SO MUCH QUICKLY REAPPEARS WHILE BEING OUTSIDE IS ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO BOOST OUR MENTAL HEALTH.
THAT EFFECT IS DAMPENED WHEN THE OUTDOORS IS TRASHED WITH PLASTIC AND LITTER.
RECENTLY, PITT COUNTY ANNOUNCED AND PUBLICIZED AN ANTI LITTER CAMPAIGN CALL LITTER FREE.
PART ONE FOCUSES ON EDUCATION.
PART TWO WILL INVOLVE BANNERS HUNG AT COUNTY BUILDINGS AND A FOURTH GRADE LITTER CLEANUP CHALLENGE.
PART THREE, TAR OR TICKET WILL FOCUS ON EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ON ENFORCEMENT OF FINES FOR LITTERING ILLEGAL TRASH DUMPING AND UNSECURED LOADS, WHICH CAN LEAD TO POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS.
THEY WILL EVEN PROVIDE TARPS TO TRUCK DRIVERS SO THEY CAN SECURE THEIR LOADS.
UM, ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO, THE SUN JOURNAL HAD AN ARTICLE THAT SAID STEVEN ASTOR, CHIP HUGHES, GREG MURPHY AND STEVE TYSON ARE CONCERNED ABOUT LITTER ALONG OUR ROADWAYS.
FOR 35 YEARS, TEXAS HAS HAD A DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS ANTI-LITTER CAMPAIGN.
WILLIE NELSON AND OTHERS HAVE DONE PUBLIC SERVICE SONGS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS TO PREVENT LITTERING.
THEY'VE REDUCED ROADWAY LITTER BY OVER 55%.
MY HUSBAND AND I TOOK PART IN THE FEBRUARY 4TH CLEAN SWEEP.
WE PICKED UP EIGHT BIG ORANGE BAGS FULL OF TRASH AND LITTER IN LUVERNE.
I PICKED UP LITTER WITH FOLKS FROM MY CHURCH ALONG THE PARKWAY BY THE SENIOR TOWER ON WALT BELLAMY.
I DON'T PLAN TO CONTINUE TO PICK UP OTHER PEOPLE'S TRASH.
[00:30:01]
UM, PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW THAT LITTERING IS ILLEGAL, HAS CONSEQUENCES, AND THAT IT'S NOT OKAY.PERHAPS SIGNS THAT SAY NO LITTERING VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED WOULD HELP, UM, MAYBE MORE TRASH CANS.
I KNOW THERE'S THREE TRASH CANS RIGHT AT THIS INTERSECTION, SO I DOUBT THAT THERE'S MUCH LITTER RIGHT AT THIS INTERSECTION.
BUT, UH, IN SOME NEIGHBORHOODS YOU CAN GO FOR BLOCKS AND BLOCKS AND BLOCKS WITHOUT SEEING A TRASHCAN.
UM, WHEN WALT DISNEY BUILT DISNEY WORLD, HE WANTED TO HAVE A TRASHCAN WITHIN 14 PACES SO PEOPLE WOULD NOT LITTER.
THAT WAS THE, UH, AMOUNT OF SPACE THAT THEY FIGURED PEOPLE WOULD, IF THEY HAD TO WALK MORE THAN 14 PACES, THEY WOULD JUST DUMP IT.
UH, AND HE TEACHES EVERYBODY WHO WORKS AT DISNEY WORLD TO PICK UP LITTER.
I REALLY THINK IT'S TIME FOR CRAVEN COUNTY AND NEW BERN TO SPEND SOME TIME, MONEY, AND ENERGY ON AN ANTI-LITTER CAMPAIGN.
IT WILL SAVE MONEY IN THE LONG RUN.
UH, PERHAPS THE COUNTING AND NEW BERN COULD JOIN FORCES TO DECREASE LITTERING, TRASH, DUMPING AND UNSECURED LOADS.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, I HAVE A T-SHIRT THAT SAYS IT'S SIMPLE, DON'T LITTER.
I GIVE THESE TO MY NEIGHBORS AND PEOPLE AT THE Y AT MY CHURCH.
THERE'S STILL A LOT ON MY DINING ROOM TABLE, SO IF ANYBODY WANTS ONE, I HAVE THEM HERE TONIGHT.
NEXT IS SHARON BRATUS, 29 0 6.
I WOULD BE SPEAKING, SPEAKING TO.
SO I LIVE NEXT DOOR TO CHRIS AND CAROLYN.
AND AS THEY HAD ALREADY STATED, YES, WE HAVE BEEN AFTER MOLAN OR AIDES SINCE WE MOVED IN JULY, AND WE'VE HAD SOME NUMEROUS RAINS AND WHATNOT.
WE ACTUALLY HAD ABOUT A TURTLE, ABOUT NINE INCHES BIG SWIMMING ACROSS OUR PATIO, UP AGAINST OUR SLIDING GLASS DOORS ON ONE OF THE RAINS LAST SUMMER.
AND THESE AREN'T EVEN THE RAINS THAT YOU GUYS NORMALLY GET, WHICH ARE VERY HEAVY.
WE LOVE THE, THIS OLD TOWN PART.
WE JUST, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE, IT'S JUST LOVELY HERE.
BUT THIS AGAIN, HAS BEEN SO DISAPPOINTING AND FRUSTRATING THAT WE CANNOT SEEM TO BE ABLE TO GET ANYTHING DONE WITH A BUILDER TO CORRECT HIS PROBLEM THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE TOWN FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW TO CORRECT THESE SITUATIONS.
THAT LAST STORM, I E AND IAN THAT CAME THROUGH, I LITERALLY RAN OUTSIDE TO TAKE PICTURES.
THERE ARE NO SWES OR DEPRESSIONS BETWEEN THE HOMES.
SO THERE'S NO WATER RUNNING FROM THE BACK OF THE LOT, WHICH IS THE NORTH SIDE TO THE SOUTH, WHICH IS BETTY GRESHAM, TO THE SEWER LINES TO GO TO THOSE RETENTION PONDS OR THAT LAKE.
THE WATER JUST SITS IN THE BACKYARDS FROM EAST TO WEST, FROM OLD AIRPORT ROAD TO UNDERWRITER IN ALMOST EVERYONE'S YARD.
BUT IT'S COMING TO THIS SIDE, WHICH IS MY HOUSE, THEIR HOUSE, AND SITS THERE.
IT LOOKS LIKE A RIVER COMING THROUGH.
YOU CAN JUST SEE IT BLOWING ACROSS THE WAY A SIDES DID.
MUCH OF THE, I WANNA SAY THE REGRADING OVER AND OVER AGAIN, CUZ IT, IT WASN'T AN ORGANIZED WAY OF BUILDING.
SO THEY'D BUILD A HOUSE HERE, A HOUSE THERE, AND THEN A HOUSE THERE.
AND THEY'D COME BACK AND FORTH AND RECREATE THOSE LOTS.
THEY KEPT PUSHING ON THE EDGES OF THE BACK OF THE LOT, WHICH IS RICES, CROSSINGS, BERM AREA, TREES, DEBRIS, CONSTRUCTION, JUNK, ALL SORTS OF LOVELY THINGS.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE PROBLEMS CUZ NONE OF THAT HAS BEEN CLEANED UP.
TALKING ABOUT TRASH, WE'VE GOT AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF THAT KIND OF THING ALL OVER THE LAKEVIEW COMMUNITY THAT NEEDS TO BE CLEANED UP.
IF THE TOWN, THE CITY WOULD LIKE PEOPLE TO MOVE HERE AND BE PROUD OF IT.
WHY ARE THERE NO ORDINANCES IN PLACE, NO RULES, REGULATIONS, THINGS OF THAT SORT THAT WILL ENCOURAGE THE BUILDER OR FORCE THE BUILDERS IN ANY COMMUNITY FIRST TO CLEAN UP THAT MESS.
THERE SHOULDN'T BE ALL THESE DEAD TREES IN CONSTRUCTION, DEBRIS AND DRYWALL AND PIPES AT THE VERY EDGE OF OUR PROPERTY AGAINST SOMEONE ELSE'S C COMMUNITIES PROPERTY.
WHY IS THAT NOT CLEANED UP? SO THAT'S PART OF OUR BIGGEST PROBLEMS, BUT ALSO AS EVERYTHING WAS BEING APPROVED AND THEY CAME BACK AND REGRADED ANOTHER LOT, AND THEN THREE LOCKS DOWN, THEY REGRADED ANOTHER ONE.
SO THE THE ELEVATIONS ARE CHANGING.
IT DID NOT STAY THE SAME FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE PROJECT TO WHERE IT'S NOW FINISHED.
SO WE'VE GOT ALL THESE ELEVATIONS, WE LITERALLY HAVE SLOPES IN OUR BACKYARD, WHICH ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THERE.
ACCORDING TO THE PLANS FROM THOMAS ENGINEERING.
THERE ARE THESE SMALL LITTLE DIVOTS AND SWELLS THAT ARE ON THOMAS ENGINEERING'S PLANS WHERE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DRAINAGE GOING SIX INCHES FROM THE BACK OF OUR HOUSE DOWN DOWNWARD TO THE NORTH SIDE OF THE HOUSE, OR THE PROPERTY, WHICH DO NOT GO DOWN, DOES NOT GO TO UNDERWRITER.
[00:35:01]
AND AGAIN, WE HAVE BIG SLOPES IN OUR BACKYARD.WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WHEN THE WATER COMES IN AGAIN, I'VE HAD WATER ONCE IN THE HOUSE JUST AT THE SLIDING GLASS DOOR.
BUT I IS, IS IT MY EXPECTATION THAT I MOVE INTO A BRAND NEW HOME AND I EXPECT THAT I'M GOING TO FLOOD AND I HAVE TO REPAIR THE ENTIRE HOUSE AND ALL MY FURNITURE AND EVERYTHING I HAVE BECAUSE OF THAT? SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT EITHER.
THE ORDINANCES NEED TO BE CHANGED.
YOU NEED TO GET BETTER WITH WATER CONTROL AND DRAINAGE AND SEWAGE OR SOMETHING.
BUT AS A CITIZEN, I SHOULDN'T BE EXPECTED TO HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED WELL LAID PLANS IF THINGS TO HAPPEN, FOLLOWED CORRECTLY ALL THE WAY THROUGH THIS CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, NOT A PIECE AT A TIME, AND THEN BEEN LEFT FOR ME TO DEAL WITH.
WE'RE TALKING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.
NEXT IS JAMIA HARRIS OF 2 22 MONTEREY CIRCLE.
HOW ARE YOU? UM, ONE, I DIDN'T PUT MY ADDRESS ON THERE, BUT I TOLD YOU, UM, I'M HERE TONIGHT TO TALK ABOUT HOUSING.
UM, MY FIRST, UM, THING THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS THAT WE ALL KNOW I'VE BEEN IN THAT SEAT THAT THE MAYOR HAS THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE NEW BURN HOUSING AUTHORITY AND YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS THE RIGHT TO APPOINT SOMEONE TO THAT BOARD.
SO I'M TRYING TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING ON WHY YOU APPOINTED SABRINA BENGAL AND DANA OUTLAW TO THE BOARD, AND NOW THERE IS UNREADINESS ON THAT BOARD IN REGARDS TO TIFFANY AND HOW SHE FEELS AND HOW SHE'S UNCOMFORTABLE.
UM, I DON'T THINK THAT'S CONDUCIVE TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT TRANSPARENCY AND COMING TO THE BOARD.
SO I WOULD LIKE, UM, WHETHER YOU SEND AN EMAIL OR HOWEVER YOU'RE GONNA RESPOND, I WOULD LIKE ANSWERS TO KNOW IF THE RUMOR MILL IS TRUE THAT, UM, SHE WAS SENT THERE TO PUSH FORWARD TEARING DOWN THE BUSINESS, UH, THE BUILDINGS, WHICH, SO WE UNDERSTAND THEY NEED TO BE TORN DOWN.
IT'S NO DISRESPECT TO THE COMMUNITY, BUT THE BUILDINGS HAVE TO BE TORN DOWN FOR YOU TO REBUILD WITH THEM BEING TORN DOWN.
RIGHT? UM, WE ARE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THERE IS A BACKDOOR CONVERSATION WITH THE KESSLER GROUP TO, ONCE THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS DISMANTLED AND BROUGHT UNDER THE CITY, THAT THAT PROPERTY, THE DAYS END PROPERTY, ONCE YOU'RE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT A DEAL WITH THE, UM, HABITAT RESTORE BUILDING IS GONNA BE SOLD TO THE KESTER GROUP BECAUSE THE DEAL WAS LOST OVER AT THE WATERFRONT UNION POINT.
AGAIN, IT'S THE RUMOR MILL, BUT I'M COMING TO YOU GUYS TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THIS IS WHAT'S CIRCULATING IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND HA BEING HERE, UM, AND, AND HEARING THESE SITUATIONS, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN AN ADVOCATE ON THIS BOARD AND I'VE ALWAYS BEEN AN ADVOCATE FOR TRANSPARENCY IN WHAT'S RIGHT.
THERE'S THE LAW, THERE'S RIGHT AND THERE'S WRONG.
AND YOU CANNOT SIT ON THIS BOARD AND BE A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT SIT HERE AND PAY TAXES AND SAY IT'S NOT A CITY ISSUE.
IT IS BECAUSE YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO, UM, COMMUNICATE AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE BUILDING THESE HOMES.
WE HAVE NO MORE LAND AVAILABLE IN NEW BERN.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS NOT MARKET RENT.
I FEEL THAT TRENT COURT IS GOING TO BE GENTRIFIED AND WHERE THE INDIVIDUAL'S GONNA GO.
THERE IS A RACIAL EQUITY CONCERN IN THE CITY.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN SPOKEN TO AND SPOKEN ON FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
TODAY'S VALENTINE'S DAY, AND, YOU KNOW, ANY OTHER TIME I WILL COME AND, AND REALLY GIVE MY ALL, BUT I'M GIVING LOVE TODAY.
AND BASED ON WHAT THAT PASTOR SAID AND THE WORDS THAT HE USED, TODAY'S MESSAGE IN THE BIBLE WAS ROMANS 1210.
AND IT SAYS THAT LOVE EACH OTHER WITH GENUINE AFFECTION AND DELIGHT IN HONORING EACH OTHER.
THE MESSAGE VERSION SAID, VERSION SAYS, LOVE FROM THE CENTER OF WHO YOU ARE.
HOLD ON FOR DEAR LIFE TO GOOD AND BE GOOD FRIENDS WHO LOVE DEEPLY AND PRACTICE SECOND FIDDLE.
I HAD TO GOOGLE WHAT THAT WAS AND WHAT IT MEANT.
IT MEANT THAT YOU DON'T ALWAYS HAVE TO BE IN THE LIMELIGHT.
YOU DON'T ALWAYS HAVE TO BE RIGHT.
I DON'T ALWAYS HAVE TO BE RIGHT, BUT THERE ARE SOME LACK OF RESOURCES IN THESE COMMUNITIES.
AND THE ONLY WAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SEE EYE TO EYE IF WE SIT AT THE TABLE AND UNDERSTAND THE DISCREPANCIES IN THESE COMMUNITIES.
WE ARE TIRED OF MARCHING, WE'RE TIRED OF PROTESTING, WE'RE TIRED OF BEGGING FOR RESOURCES.
WE NEED HOUSING AND WE NEED IT YESTERDAY.
AND IT'S NICE THAT YOU, UM, UH, BOBBY, UH, ALDERMAN ASTOR ON THE OTHER SIDE TOOK SOME OF YOUR, UM, FUNDS TO, YOU KNOW, PRODUCE SOME SORT OF HOUSING.
BUT THAT IS LITTLE TO WHAT WE NEED.
I'M SO SORRY TO HEAR THAT THEY HAVE WATER ISSUES GOING ON.
BUT DUFFY FIELD BEEN HAVING WATER ISSUES FOR WHAT, 300, 300 YEARS EVER SINCE IT'S BEEN ERECTED.
I'M GONNA BE RESPECTFUL WITH MY TURN.
[00:40:04]
NEXT IS MS. GAR SAMPSON OF FOUR 80 WEST NORTH CAROLINA HIGHWAY 55.FIRST, LET ME GIVE HONOR TO GOD WHO IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON AND THE REASON THAT I HAVE A SCR AND INTELLIGENCE TO STAND BEFORE THE BOARD OF OTTOMAN AND ADDRESS MY CONCERN.
AND GOOD EVENING, GOOD EVENING, GOOD EVENING.
UH, WHATEVER I SAY IS NOT CRITICISM, IT'S JUST OBSERVATION.
AND I WANT TO KNOW IF THIS FIT ANY YOU GUYS, THIS DEFINITION OF TRANSPARENCY AND TO TELL YOU WHERE THE TRANSPARENCY AS A CORE VALUE TRANSPARENCY IMPLIES OPENNESS, COMMUNICATION, AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
ANOTHER WAY OF LOOKING AT TRANSPARENCY, NOT HIDING ANYTHING, WHETHER THINGS ARE GOOD OR BAD.
YOU OPENLY AND HONESTLY CONVEY INFORMATION AS YOU KNOW.
AND I FEEL LIKE YOU ALL HAVEN'T BEEN DOING THAT TO THE PUBLIC.
I KNOW YOU GO, BUT I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS, BUT YOU GO BEHIND CLOSED DOORS AND MAKE A DECISION, AND THEN AFTER YOU MAKE THE DECISION WITHOUT ASKING US OR HOW WE FEEL, THEN YOU LET US HAVE A PUBLIC INPUT.
WHEN YOU KNOW IT, DON'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE WHAT WE SAY.
AND I KNOW THIS BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED AT THE, WITH THE TABLET INCIDENTS.
OH YES, YOU LET US HAVE A PUBLIC INPUT.
LET US HEAR, HEAR WHAT WE HAD TO SAY, BUT YOU DIDN'T COMMUNICATE BECAUSE YOU HAD ALREADY MADE A DECISION.
SO WHAT WE WANT IN THE FUTURE GOING FORWARD, PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND IF YOU NEED A GROUP OF PEOPLE AND YOU SAY, WELL, YOU'RE NOT PART OF A GROUP, I AM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE PEOPLE ASSEMBLY.
SO YOU ALWAYS HAVE THE MEANING TO COME TO ME.
WHEN YOU START DECIDING WHAT YOU WANT TO DO ABOUT SELLING SOMETHING, I DO PAY TAXES SO I CAN SPEAK, I DO HAVE INTELLIGENCE, I DO HAVE IDEAS OF THINGS THAT YOU ALL FEEL LIKE YOU THE ONLY ONE KNOWS SOMETHING ABOUT.
SO JUST BE TRANSPARENT AND IF THIS FIT YOU, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT YOU, BUT IF DON'T FIT YOU, I'M TALKING ABOUT YOU.
NEXT UP IS CHARLES SKINNER OF 1203 NATIONAL AVENUE.
GOOD EVENING, HAPPY VALENTINE'S.
I KNOW ALL YOUR SPOUSES ENJOY Y'ALL BEING AWAY FROM HOME TONIGHT, BUT WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
I AM SPEAKING AGAIN, I'M ANOTHER ONE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE RIVERSIDE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE REDUCTION OF THE SPEED ON BETWEEN DUNN STREET AND NOOSE AVENUE.
ONE THING THAT WAS NOT MENTIONED IS WE DID TURN OVER A, UH, PETITION SIGNED BY ABOUT 70 TO 80 PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD TO REDUCE THAT SPEED.
SO I THINK RICK HAS A COPY AND FOSTER HAS A COPY.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I'M, I THINK THE MATTER OF THE LAYOUT OF THAT STREET SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.
UH, AND I MEAN THAT COMING BACK FROM CHARLOTTE, I CAME DOWN BROAD STREET TONIGHT, TODAY, AND IF YOU NOTICE, BROAD STREET GOES FROM 35, I THINK 35 TO 25 MILES PER HOUR.
NOW THEY'VE GOT THE, THE BUMP OUTS AS YOU'RE COMING DOWN ON EITHER SIDE, THIS SORT OF NARROW THAT ROAD.
DOES EVERYBODY KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT? THAT REDUCES THE SPEED LIMIT.
ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE ON THIS PARTICULAR STRETCH IS PEOPLE ARE PARKING ALONG THE ROAD ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE.
THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT GET HIM IN THE DRIVER'S SIDE, AND WE GOT CARS COMING DOWN BOTH WAYS, GOING 35 TO 45, 50 MILES PER HOUR.
NOW, I'VE, WE'VE SPOKEN TO THE POLICE ABOUT THIS AND THEY SAID, THEY'VE SAID THEY'VE DONE THEIR SURVEYS AND THERE THERE AREN'T THAT MANY.
MY WIFE AND I, ONE OF THE FEW THAT SIT OUT ON OUR PORCH FACING NATIONAL AVENUE, SPRING, SUMMER, AND FALL, THERE ARE A LOT MORE PEOPLE GOING
[00:45:01]
FASTER THAN 35 MILES PER HOUR DOWN THAT STRETCH ROAD.YOU'VE GOT RIVER ROAD, WHICH I'LL REDUCE TO 25, OR IT IS 25.
THIS 25, THIS PARTICULAR STRETCH OF NATIONAL AVENUE HAS AS MUCH PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC AS EITHER ONE OF THOSE ROADS, IF NOT NORTHERN RIVER ROAD.
WE HAVE ASKED FOR SIGNS TO BE PUT UP.
I THINK RIVER ROAD HAS TWO SIGNS, 25 MILES PER HOUR, AND THEY FLASH.
WE'VE GOTTEN NO LUCK WITH AT LEAST PUTTING THOSE UP FOR 35 MILES PER HOUR.
BUT IT IS JUST A, IT IS A BASICALLY A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.
I'VE SEEN PEOPLE ALMOST HIT PULLING OUT OF THEIR DRIVEWAY BACK IN, INTO THE DRIVEWAYS IN THAT WE GOT KIDS ON THAT ROAD AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A FAIRLY, UH, HEAVILY RESIDENTIAL AREA BETWEEN THAT STRETCH.
SO I KNOW Y'ALL ARE BUSY TONIGHT.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME, UH, AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR SPEAKING TO THIS, MATT.
NEXT IS SHARON BAKKAS, 1009 NORTH CRAVEN STREET.
I, UM, SEE QUITE A BIT OF MY RIVERSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD'S NEIGHBORS HERE.
UH, IT'S A GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE BOUGHT A HOUSE AND MOVED IN DECEMBER, 1985.
AND WHEN THE EXPLOSION OF THE GRAIN SILOS HAPPENED, THE WINTER OF 22, 2016 AND 2017, THAT WAS THE STRAW THAT BROKE THE CAMEL'S BACK.
AND THAT WAS THE END OF THE SEWER SYSTEM ON OUR STREET THAT HAD BEEN PLAGUING US FOR 15 YEARS.
UH, I'M NOT GONNA CALL PUBLIC WORKS AND I'M NOT GONNA ENCOURAGE MY NEIGHBORS UP THE STREET TO CALL PUBLIC WORKS.
I'VE ALREADY PLAYED THAT GAME WITH THEM AND IT DOESN'T WORK.
SO I'M JUST GONNA COME HERE TO REMIND YOU.
RIVERSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD IS THE VERY FIRST SUBURB OF NEW BERN.
IT HAS TERRACOTTA SEWERS, WHICH ARE DETERIORATING AND COLLAPSING.
AND TODAY BEING VALENTINE'S DAY, I LOVE MY NEIGHBORS, ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT LIVE A HALF A BLOCK FROM ME, RIGHT OVER ACROSS THE RAILROAD TRACK WHO DIDN'T GET BRAND NEW INFRASTRUCTURE IN 2017.
THEY'RE HAVING TROUBLE FLUSHING THEIR TOILETS.
IT CAN TAKE OVER A HALF AN HOUR TO FILL THE WASHING MACHINE.
WE ALL KNOW THE INFRASTRUCTURE HAS TO BE REPLACED.
AND IF YOU HAVE $2 MILLION TO SHIP OFF TO COLORADO FOR INVESTMENT, HOW ABOUT TAKING THAT $2 MILLION AND INVESTING IT IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT HAS TO BE REPLACED? YOU WOULDN'T PUT UP WITH A SEWER SYSTEM THAT DOESN'T WORK HALF THE TIME, AND I DON'T THINK THE NEIGHBORS IN RIVERSIDE, YOU HAVE TO PUT UP WITH IT TOO.
UH, WHY DON'T YOU HAVE YOUR PUBLIC WORKS GUY GO RUN THEIR COLONOSCOPY FOR PLUMBING THROUGH THE SEWERS AND LET'S LOCATE EXACTLY WHERE THEY COLLAPSED AND LET'S START FIXING THEM.
YEAH, IT'S GOING TO COST A LOT OF MONEY, A LOT OF MONEY, BUT IT'S NOT GONNA WAIT ANYMORE.
IT'S SIMPLY NOT GONNA WAIT ANYMORE.
SO I'M BRINGING IT TO YOU INSTEAD OF TAKING IT TO PUBLIC WORKS BECAUSE I KNOW HOW THOSE PEOPLE OPERATE AND I'VE DANCED THE DANCED WITH THEM AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF MY NEIGHBORS.
NEXT UP IS PETE FRY, 4 0 6 FORBES ALLEY.
UM, BACK IN NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR, I MADE A PRESENTATION TO THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION FOR, UH, 2 0 3 AND 2 0 7 JONES STREET.
I WANTED TO BUILD A HOUSE THERE.
AND, UM, UM, MOST OF YOU GUYS KNOW THE STORY, UM, THAT DIDN'T, THAT WAS, UH, UH, CAST OUT FOR A PLAN.
UH, REDEVELOPMENT KITCHEN WANTS TO BUILD SOME OTHER FOUR SMALL HOUSES THERE.
I DON'T, I THINK THAT'S, THAT IS NOT GONNA GO THROUGH NOW.
I, I STILL WANT TO, UH, WELL, I WAS ASSURED IN JANUARY THAT THE, UM, THEY HAD A PLAN.
THERE WAS GONNA BE SHOVELS IN THE GROUND, SHOVELS IN THE DIRT.
WAS THAT WAS, THAT WAS THEIR WORDS, UM, TO START, UM, BUILDING HOUSING.
UM, THEN, UH, THE J UH, THE MEETING LAST MONTH, YOU
[00:50:01]
GUYS WERE ASKING FOR SEED MONEY OR THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION WANTED SEED MONEY.I DON'T THINK THAT THEY GOT IT.
UM, MY BID IS STILL IN HERE IN CITY HALL.
UH, MY MONEY IS STILL HERE IN THE VAULT.
UM, I'M STILL INTERESTED IN BUILDING A HOUSE ON ONE OF THE PROPERTIES AND I WANT TO BUILD A, UM, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO RENT ON THE OTHER PARCEL.
AND, UM, I'M CURIOUS, THERE WAS NOTHING, IT WASN'T SPOKE OF AT THE LAST REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION MEETING, AND IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT.
UM, I THINK, UH, MR. ASHER SAID YOU HAD A, YOU WERE, HAD A PARTNERSHIP WITH, UH, REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY NEWS ON THAT AT ALL? I, I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THERE'S ANY NEW NEWS ON OR JUST GET WITH ON, UH, THOSE, THOSE PARCELS.
ALDERMAN ASTRA WILL GET WITH YOU.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UH, I ASKED STAFF TO ENSURE THAT A DECISION WAS MADE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE SO YOU COULD GET YOUR DEPOSIT RELINQUISHED.
I THINK THEY ATTEMPTED TO DO THAT AT THE LAST MEETING, BUT THE LAST MEETING THE RE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION HAD WAS A SPECIAL CALL MEETING AND THEY DIDN'T PUT IT ON THE AGENDA.
IT WASN'T PROPERLY NOTICED, SO THEY COULDN'T DO IT AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
SO AT THEIR NEXT MEETING, THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE TAKING UP THAT ISSUE, JUST SO YOU'RE AWARE.
OKAY, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, UH, DAVID BECK OF 32 10 ELIZABETH AVENUE.
UM, SOME OF Y'ALL HAVE SEEN ME BEFORE.
AND, UM, I'M TRYING TO GET AN ORDINANCE ADDED IN FOR MINISTRY GOATS, BOTH NIGERIAN DWARVES AND PIGG GOATS 50 POUND GOATS INSIDE THE CITY LIMITS.
HAVELOCK HAS JUST RECENTLY OPENED UP THERE, CITY ORDINANCE TO ALLOW GOATS INSIDE THE CITY, AND I WAS WONDERING IF I COULDN'T GET THE SAME COURTESY HERE.
ALRIGHT, THAT CONCLUDES AN ITEM NUMBER FOUR, REQUEST AND PETITION OF CITIZENS, UH, BOARD.
[Consent Agenda ]
ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD? MAKE A MOTION.
MAY APPROVE YOU HAVE A MOTION.
SECOND AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ANY DISCUSSION? LETS HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN PR.
[8. Update from CPL Architects on Stanley White Recreation Center. ]
CARRIES.ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, UPDATE FROM C P O ARCHITECTS ON STANLEY WHITE RECREATION CENTER.
I'M HAPPY TO INTRODUCE CHRIS VOLCANO.
THEY ARE THE GROUP THAT, UH, ARE HAD BEEN WORKING ON THE STANLEY WHITE RECREATION CENTER PROJECT, AND HE'S GONNA GIVE A PRESENTATION ON WHERE THINGS STAND AND, AND MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS PROJECT.
UH, AS FOSTER SAID, UH, MY NAME'S CHRIS VOLCANO, UM, AND I'M THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR, UH, THE STANLEY, A WHITE RECREATION CENTER.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO START OFF BY THANKING YOU GUYS FOR, FOR HAVING ME HERE TONIGHT AND LETTING, LETTING US, UH, PRESENT TO YOU.
UM, MY GOAL WITH THIS PRESENTATION IS TO GIVE EVERYONE AN UPDATE, UM, IN, IN WHERE WE STAND WITH OUR PLANS, UH, THE, THE PERMITTING PROCESS AND THE BIDDING SCHEDULE MOVING FORWARD.
UM, SO AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE OUR SITE PLAN.
UM, THE LAST TIME THAT WE PRESENTED TO THIS BOARD WAS IN JUNE OF LAST YEAR.
UM, AND, AND NOT MUCH MUCH HAS CHANGED FROM A SITE PERSPECTIVE.
UM, WE, WE HAVE MADE A FEW MODIFICATIONS, BUT, UH, THE SITE PLAN YOU SEE, UM, IS, IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE ONE THAT WE SHOWED YOU IN JUNE.
UH, THE ONE CHANGE THAT, THAT YOU WILL NOTE, UM, THE, THE PREVIOUS PLAN HAD SHOWED, UM, AN ENTRY OFF OF GASTON BOULEVARD, UH, ADJACENT TO THE PARK, UH, THE APARTMENT BUILDING TO THE RIGHT OF THE SITE.
UM, WE HAVE, WE HAVE MODIFIED THAT SO THAT THE, UH, THE ENTRY AND EXIT POINTS FOR, UH, FOR THIS BUILDING ARE BOTH OFF THIRD AVENUE.
UH, WE DID THAT FOR A FEW DIFFERENT REASONS.
UH, THE, THE BUILDING SIGNAGE WILL BE ALONG THIRD AVENUE, AND WE DIDN'T WANT TO CREATE ANY, ANY CONFUSION IN TERMS OF WHERE YOU ENTER AND EXIT THAT SITE.
UM, AND ALSO WE'VE ADDED A, A PASSENGER DROP OFF THAT YOU CAN SEE RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING.
SO CREATING THAT PASSENGER DROP OFF LOOP WAS ALSO ANOTHER REASON WHY WE RELOCATED THE ENTRY.
[00:55:01]
THE FLOOR PLAN, ONCE AGAIN, THIS, THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE, UH, THE 35,000 SQUARE FOOT OPTION, UH, THAT YOU ALL SAW IN JUNE OF LAST YEAR.UH, WE'VE DEVELOPED IT FURTHER IN TERMS OF OUR PLANS, UM, AND, AND OUR DETAILING.
BUT, UM, A MAJORITY OF WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE, UH, WAS PRESENTED IN JUNE OF LAST YEAR.
UH, THAT BEING SAID, I STILL WOULD LIKE TO, UM, TO WALK EVERYONE THROUGH THE BUILDING, UH, JUST TO, UH, FAMILIARIZE EVERYONE, UH, WITH THE PROGRAM.
SO, UM, IF YOU, IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SHEET, UH, TOWARDS THE, TOWARDS THE CENTER, UH, WE HAVE THE FRONT ENTRY DOORS IN THE FRONT ENTRY VESTIBULE.
UH, SO AS YOU COME IN THROUGH THE ENTRY DOORS, UM, THERE ARE FOUR OFFICES LOCATED JUST TO THE RIGHT WITH A, A WORK ROOM AND A BREAK ROOM AREA.
UM, AS YOU KIND OF MOVE INTO THIS SPACE, YOU HAVE A RECEPTION DESK AND AN OFFICE, UH, FOR A STAFFING MANAGER THERE AS WELL.
UM, MOVING INTO THE LOBBY ITSELF, YOU HAVE THE, THE MAIN STAIR OFF TO THE LEFT AND THE, UH, THE ELEVATOR THAT GOES UP TO THE SECOND FLOOR AS WELL, UH, OFF TO THE RIGHT OF THE GYM ENTRY DOORS.
UM, IF YOU FOLLOW, UH, THE CORRIDOR DOWN TO THE LEFT, THE LARGEST ROOM ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE PLAN IS THE MULTIPURPOSE SPACE.
UM, WE HAVE THREE BAYS THAT ARE WITHIN THAT MULTIPURPOSE SPACE AND TWO OPERABLE PARTITIONS TO KIND OF DIVIDE THAT SPACE UP.
UM, IF WE NEED TO, TO HAVE SMALLER, UH, BREAKOUT GROUPS, UH, WITHIN THE MULTIPURPOSE ROOM.
UM, ADJACENT TO, UH, THE MULTIPURPOSE, WE HAVE OUR CONCESSIONS AREA, UM, AND, AND CATERING KITCHEN.
UH, BOTH THE MULTIPURPOSE ROOM AND THE CATERING KITCHEN EACH HAVE THEIR OWN STORAGE AREAS AND SUPPORT SPACES.
UM, AND THEN THE FINAL KIND OF SUPPORT SPACE ON THAT SIDE OF THE BUILDING, UH, WOULD BE THE, THE FAMILY RESTROOM, UH, LOCATED JUST TO THE RIGHT OF THE CONCESSIONS.
UM, AS YOU MOVE BACK THROUGH THE, THE CENTER OF THE BUILDING OVER TO THE, THE RIGHT WING OF THIS PLAN, UH, YOU'LL SEE THE TWO PURPLE ROOMS THERE, UM, ON THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE CORRIDOR.
UH, THE, THE FIRST ONE IS A GAME ROOM, AND THE SECOND ONE IS, UH, A MEDIA LAB OR KIND OF ESPORTS AREA.
UM, THIS ROOM, UH, AS WELL HAS AN OPERABLE PARTITION THAT, THAT CAN OPEN UP OR, OR CLOSE OFF THAT ROOM DEPENDING ON THE NEEDS.
UM, ADJACENT TO THAT, UH, WE HAVE A MAJORITY OF OUR RESTROOMS ON THE FIRST FLOOR.
UM, AND THEN IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT HAND CORNER OF THE PLAN, UH, WE HAVE OUR ELECTRICAL, OUR IT, AND, AND MECHANICAL ROOMS. UM, ON THE NORTHERN HALF OF THAT CORRIDOR, WE HAVE A SECOND EGRESS STAIR THAT GOES UP TO THE, UH, THE SECOND FLOOR, UM, ANOTHER FAMILY RESTROOM, A LAUNDRY ROOM, AND A SCREENING ROOM.
UM, AND, AND LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, WE HAVE OUR, OUR GYM.
UH, THAT'S, THAT'S LOCATED ON THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE PLAN WITH OUR BASKETBALL COURTS, UM, AND VOLLEYBALL COURTS AS WELL.
UH, LEVEL TWO, UH, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, UM, WE DO HAVE TWO STAIRS IN AN ELEVATOR THAT GO UP TO THE SECOND LEVEL.
UM, THE, THE BIGGEST PORTION OF THIS PLAN YOU'LL SEE IS THE, THE WALKING TRACK THAT SURROUNDS THOSE BASKETBALL COURTS AND VOLLEYBALL COURTS THAT I SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER.
UM, AND THEN THE TWO LARGER SPACES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PLAN, UM, ARE THE, UH, THE WORKOUT, UH, AREA AND CARDIO AREA.
UH, AND THEN FINALLY OFF TO THE RIGHT OF THE RESTROOMS, WE HAVE AN EXERCISE STUDIO THAT CAN BE USED FOR, UM, SMALLER CLASSES LIKE YOGA, UM, YOU KNOW, IN SMALLER BREAKOUT CLASSES OF THAT NATURE.
UM, FINALLY ON THIS FLOOR, WE DO HAVE A FEW SUPPORT SPACES.
UM, SO WE HAVE, UH, A JANITOR'S CLOSET, ANOTHER FAMILY RESTROOM, AND THEN A FEW STORAGE AREAS AS WELL.
UM, IN TERMS OF THE EXTERIOR OF THE BUILDING, UM, VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE PRESENTED IN JUNE OF LAST YEAR.
UM, THIS IS PART OF THAT 35,000 SQUARE FOOT OPTION, UM, THAT, THAT WE'VE, WE'VE PUSHED THROUGH PERMITTING.
UM, SO YOU'LL, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT, UH, A LARGE PORTION OF THE, OF THE BUILDING IS MADE UP OF PRECAST CONCRETE.
UM, WHEN WE, WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THIS DESIGN, WE, WE REALLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THE EXTERIOR MATERIAL WAS, WAS GONNA BE DURABLE AND RESILIENT.
UM, AND IT WAS GONNA LAST, BUT IT ALSO WAS GONNA BE COST EFFECTIVE IN TERMS OF GIVING US THE MOST BANG FOR OUR BUCK.
UM, AND PRECAST CONCRETE CERTAINLY DOES THAT.
UM, ALL OF THE EXTERIOR WALLS YOU SEE HERE ARE 12 INCHES THICK.
UH, EIGHT INCHES OF THAT IS CONCRETE.
SO IT, IT'S AN EXTREMELY RESILIENT, UM, MATERIAL THAT WILL BE, UM, OF GOOD USE FOR, FOR A SHELTER.
UM, AND THEN THE, THE COST EFFICIENCY IS, IS GREAT AS WELL.
UM, THESE ARE, UM, CRAFTED IN, UH, IN, IN FACTORIES.
UH, SO, UM, THE PRECISION INVOLVED IS EXTREMELY HIGH.
AND THE, UM, THE FACT THAT THESE ARE ABLE TO BE, UM, TAKEN TO THE SITE, UM, AND, AND THE AMOUNT OF LABOR THAT'S INVOLVED IS, IS EXTREMELY LOW COMPARED TO, YOU KNOW, CONSTRUCTING A CORN SHELF OF A BUILDING THIS SIZE, UM, WITH OTHER MEANS.
SO IN TERMS OF THE ELEVATIONS THEMSELVES, UH, THE TOP ELEVATION, UM,
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FACES THIRD AVENUE.THIS IS KIND OF OUR FRONT ELEVATION, SO TO SPEAK.
UM, THERE IS A KEY PLAN IN THE BOTTOM LEFT-HAND CORNER TO KIND OF ORIENTATE A LITTLE BIT AS WELL.
UM, BUT THAT ELEVATION, LIKE I SAID, FACES THIRD AVENUE.
UH, SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT, YOU HAVE THE MAIN ENTRY DOORS, UM, ON THE, UH, ON THE FRONT, UH, LOWER PORTION OF THAT ELEVATION.
UH, WE HAVE GLAZING, UM, ON TO THE LEFT OF THAT, UH, THAT KIND OF COVERS THAT MULTIPURPOSE ROOM.
SO WE'RE BRINGING A LOT OF LIGHT INTO THAT SPACE.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE GLAZING ON THE SECOND FLOOR, UH, THAT LOOKS INTO THE, UH, THE WORKOUT AND CARDIO AREA AS WELL.
UM, THE ELEVATION BELOW THAT, UH, FACES, UH, THE ADJACENT APARTMENT BUILDING.
UM, YOU'LL NOTICE WE DO HAVE, UH, GLAZING ON THE UPPER FLOOR THERE AS WELL.
UH, FOR THAT, UH, THAT EXERCISE STUDIO AND YOGA STUDIO.
UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF GLAZING, UM, IN THAT SPACE AS WELL AS THE ELEVATED WALKING TRACK, UH, TO THE RIGHT OF THAT.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, UH, BEFORE WE FINISH OFF THE OTHER TWO ELEVATIONS, UH, THE LAST PIECE, UH, THAT I WANTED TO TOUCH ON IS THE OVERHEAD COILING DOOR THAT YOU'LL SEE IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT HAND CORNER.
UM, WE TYPICALLY LIKE TO INCLUDE A DOOR LIKE THIS, UM, INTO THE GYM, UM, JUST SO THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S ANY NEEDS FOR MAINTENANCE, UM, ANY SORT OF LIFT OR MAINTENANCE VEHICLE THAT NEEDS TO GET INTO THE SPACE.
UM, WE HAVE A DOOR THAT, UM, THAT'S TIED INTO THE HARDSCAPE AROUND THE BUILDING AS WELL.
UH, SO THESE TWO ELEVATIONS, UH, THE, THE ELEVATION AT THE TOP OF THE, UH, TOP OF THE PAGE IS OUR REAR ELEVATION THAT, UH, FACES GASTON BOULEVARD.
UM, THE FOUR DOORS THAT YOU SEE HERE, UM, ALL ARE EGRESS ONLY, UH, THESE ARE, UH, EGRESSING FROM THE GYMNASIUM.
UM, AND THEN THE, UH, THE BOTTOM ELEVATION THERE FACES BROAD STREET AND THE, UH, THE ADJACENT PARKING LOT.
SO WE, WE INCLUDED A FEW RENDERINGS AS WELL.
UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES LOOKING AT AN ELEVATION CAN BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING THE SCALE, UM, OF THE BUILDING AND KIND OF THAT, THAT HUMAN SCALE.
UH, SO WE WANTED TO INCLUDE A FEW RENDERINGS TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS IS GONNA LOOK LIKE, UM, AND, AND UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT THAT FRONT ENTRY IS GONNA FEEL LIKE.
SO WE DO HAVE A FRONT ENTRY CANOPY THAT, UH, THAT SHOULD BE WELL LIT, UM, AND GIVE SOME COVER, UM, DURING ANY SORT OF STORM IF ANYONE NEEDS TO BE WAITING OUTSIDE FOR A RIDE.
UM, AND THEN YOU'LL NOTICE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE PAGE.
UM, WE HAVE KIND OF A, A SCULPTURAL PIECE.
UM, WE HAD SEEN A PHOTOGRAPH, UM, A WHILE BACK OF, UM, OF A DECORATIVE STRUCTURAL MEMBER FROM THE PREVIOUS RECREATION CENTER, UH, THAT WE WANTED TO USE AS IS, UH, KIND OF A WAY TO PAY TRIBUTE TO THAT RECREATION CENTER AND KIND OF HAVE THAT, UM, OUT FRONT AS A SCULPTURAL PIECE AS WELL.
UM, BUT IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN, I THINK, UH, THAT'S THE EXTENT OF THE UPDATES THAT I HAVE, UM, IN TERMS OF OUR PERMITTING AND BIDDING, UM, I'D LIKE TO KIND OF JUST TAKE EVERYONE THROUGH WHERE WE STAND RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE, THE MULTITUDE OF, OF LOGOS THAT WE HAVE ON HERE, WE HAVE QUITE A FEW, UM, AGENCIES THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH TO GET APPROVAL.
UH, FOUR AGENCIES IN TOTAL, AND EIGHT TOTAL APPROVALS THAT WE NEED TO, UH, TO START BUILDING THIS PROJECT.
UM, A LOT OF THOSE ARE CONTINGENT UPON OTHER AGENCIES, UH, HAVING APPROVAL.
UH, SO I'D LIKE TO KIND OF START OFF ON THE FAR RIGHT.
UM, NC D E Q, THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, UH, REVIEWED BOTH OUR EROSION CONTROL AND STORM WATER, UM, SUBMITTALS.
BOTH OF THOSE HAVE BEEN APPROVED AND, UH, THOSE ACTUALLY ARE, ARE NEEDED FOR THE CITY OF NEW BERN TO, UH, TO APPROVE THE STORM WATER SUBMITTAL ON THEIR END.
UM, ADJACENT TO THAT, ON THE LEFT, WE HAVE, UH, THE NC UH, D O I, THE DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE AND THE OFFICE OF THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL.
UM, DUE TO THE SIZE OF OUR BUILDING, UM, IT BEING OVER 20,000 SQUARE FEET, UM, AND, AND OF AN ASSEMBLY NATURE, WE NEEDED TO GO THROUGH DOI, UH, FOR THEIR APPROVAL FROM THE FIRE MARSHAL.
UH, THOSE DRAWINGS WERE SUBMITTED BACK IN NOVEMBER.
UH, WE RECEIVED COMMENTS LAST MONTH AND RESUBMITTED LAST MONTH AS WELL.
UM, AFTER TALKING TO THEIR REVIEWER, WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE, UM, OUR ANSWER ON, ON WHETHER WE HAVE A DOI APPROVAL, UH, LATER THIS MONTH.
UM, AND, AND THAT APPROVAL, UH, WAS ALSO NEEDED, UH, BEFORE THE, THE CITY OF NEWBURN, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT COULD SIGN OFF ON, ON THEIR PORTION OF THE PROJECT AS WELL.
SO WHEN THE UPDATED DRAWINGS WERE SENT TO DUI, WE ALSO SENT THEM TO THE CITY SO THAT, UH, WE HAVE CONSISTENT, UM, DRAWINGS, UH, TO BOTH AGENCIES.
AND THEN FINALLY, UM, TO FINISH OFF WITH, UH, THE CITY OF NEW BERN PERMITS, WE HAVE, UH, THE BUILDING PERMIT AND THE SITE PERMIT, WHICH BOTH HAVE BEEN APPROVED.
UM, AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE DO HAVE FEMA.
UM, SO THE FEMA REVIEW PER THEIR GUIDELINES, UH, WE DO NEED, UM, JURISDICTIONAL APPROVAL FROM ALL OF THE AGENCIES YOU SEE ABOVE BEFORE THEY WILL REVIEW OUR DRAWINGS.
[01:05:01]
SO WE HAVE, UH, WE'RE HOPING THAT WE CAN, WE CAN ROUND UP THESE LAST THREE APPROVALS AND SUBMIT OUR DRAWINGS TO FEMA IN THE COMING WEEKS.UM, IN TERMS OF OUR NEXT STEPS AND WHERE WE GO FROM HERE, UM, WE HAVE RECEIVED ALL, UH, WE'VE RECEIVED COMMENTS FROM ALL OF THESE AGENCIES, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CITY OF NEWBURN FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE ROUNDING UP ALL OF OUR DOCUMENTS AT THIS POINT, AND WE'RE PLANNING TO, UM, PUT TOGETHER AN ISSUE FOR CONSTRUCTION SET OR BID SET, UM, IN A FEW WEEKS HERE AND, AND PUT OUT THE ADVERT ADVERTISEMENT FOR BID, UH, LATER THIS MONTH.
UM, OUR HOPE IS BASED ON THE, THE BIDDING SCHEDULE YOU SEE HERE IS THAT WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE A, A BID OPENING, UH, TOWARDS THE END OF MARCH.
UM, AND I THINK THAT SHOULD, UH, SHOULD DO IT IN TERMS OF OUR UPDATE.
IF, IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'D BE, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER BOARD, HAVE QUESTIONS? YES, I HAVE TWO PLEASE.
NUMBER ONE, WHAT IS THE SIZE OF THE MULTIPURPOSE ROOM? UM, I WILL CHECK REALLY QUICK.
DON'T KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
UM, WHILE I'M LOOKING AT THAT, I THINK, UM, WE, WE MADE AN EFFORT, IT IS FOUR, ALMOST 1400 SQUARE FEET.
UM, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE, I THINK IN OUR PREVIOUS PRESENTATION, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY, EVERYTHING THAT WAS IN THE PREVIOUS RECREATION CENTER WE HAD IN THIS RECREATION CENTER AND THAT, AND THAT THOSE SIZES WERE, WERE MET, IF NOT EXCEEDED IN THE NEW RECREATION CENTER.
MY SECOND QUESTION IS, WAS THIS PLAN PRESENTED TO THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THIS PLAN YOU'RE PRESENTED TONIGHT? I READ A COMMENT FROM ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE ADVI STANLEY WHITE ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT SAID THEY WISHED THAT THIS PLAN HAD BEEN, UH, PRESENTED TO THEM FIRST BEFORE IT CAME BEFORE THE BOARD OF ALDER ALDERMAN ROYAL.
I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THAT IF, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
SO, BACK WHEN WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PROCESS, IT IS BASICALLY THE SAME PLAN THAT, THAT, THIS IS WHEN I WAS DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION AT THAT TIME, AND I WAS THE CHAIR OF THAT COMMITTEE.
WE HAD TWO OPTIONS FOR, FOR THE, UH, STANLEY WHITE RECREATION CENTER ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO LOOK AT.
AND WE ASKED THEM TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ON EITHER OF THOSE PLANS TO THE GOVERNING BOARD TO FINISH UP OUR, OUR SCOPE SCOPING WORK.
WE COULD NOT GET THAT, THAT COMMITTEE TO MAKE A MOTION ON ACCEPTING EITHER PLAN.
THEN WE HAD TO GO TO THE GOVERNING BOARD AT THE TIME TO SEE WHICH, WHICH ROUTE THEY WANTED TO GO.
THAT COMMITTEE COULD NOT MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD AT THAT TIME.
AND SO THIS IS WHY WE'VE MOVED FORWARD WITH THIS, AND IT'S THE SAME PLAN THAT THE GOVERNING BOARD APPROVED PREVIOUSLY.
YEAH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
[9. Presentation on GIS HUB. ]
NUMBER NINE, PRESENTATION ON GIS HUB.MR. HUGHES, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON QUITE A LOT OF, UM, TECHNOLOGY UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AND I'M REALLY PLEASED TONIGHT FOR, FOR ALICE WILSON, OUR GIS MANAGER TO, TO COME UP AND, AND GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF, OF WHAT SHE HAS BEEN WORKING ON WITH, WITH HER STAFF.
UM, THE INFORMATION THAT SHE IS GOING TO SHARE IS ON OUR WEBSITE NOW, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHERE YOU CAN FIND THAT.
AND ALSO INFORMATION IS GOING OUT TO THE MEDIA SHORTLY AFTER HER PRESENTATION, SO EVERYONE WILL HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT THEY CAN ACCESS AND WHERE THAT WILL BE LOCATED.
PASTOR, BEFORE SHE STARTS ME, IS THERE ANYBODY POSSIBLE WE CAN GET AN ELECTRONIC VERSION OF THAT PRESENTATION OF, OF THE WHITE STANLEY WHITE CENTER? ABSOLUTELY.
AND IT WILL ALSO BE POSTED ON THE STANLEY WHITE RECREATION CENTER SITE AS WELL.
AND, AND YOU SHOULD ALSO HAVE THAT IN YOUR, IN YOUR PACKET AS WELL.
AS THE CITY MANAGER SAID, UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS SITE FOR A WHILE.
UM, WE STARTED IT COUPLE YEARS AGO ACTUALLY, AND HAD HAD A TIME TO WORK ON IT.
AND SO WE HIRED, UM, NEW STAFF THIS PAST YEAR.
UM, IN SEPTEMBER, WE HIRED A, UM, ANALYST PROGRAMMER WHO HAS WORKED ON THIS DILIGENTLY.
THE GOAL FOR THIS SITE IS TO SHARE INFORMATION, SPATIAL INFORMATION, UM, AND I THINK COLLEEN HAS PUT IT IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT LOCATIONS ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.
SO UNDER BUSINESS YOU CAN FIND IT, AND I THINK LIKE IT'S BEEN MENTIONED, IT'LL BE, UM, MORE INFORMATION'S COMING OUT.
SO THIS GOAL OF THIS SITE IS TO PROVIDE
[01:10:01]
INFORMATION, SPATIAL INFORMATION.WE GET A LOT OF PROJECTS GOING ON AND, UM, PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW, UM, WHERE THEY CAN FIND DATA USED TO, COULD DO FLASH DRIVES AND FTP SITES AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
SO THIS PRESENTS, UH, UM, MORE SECURE.
YOU CAN ACTUALLY CLICK ON THIS DATA AND LOOK FOR DIFFERENT DATA AND YOU CAN ACCESS A LOT OF OUR DATA.
YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THERE'S ACTUALLY A SIGN IN LINK UP THERE AT THE TOP.
SO SOME OF THIS DATA WILL NOT BE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE CREDENTIALS TO HAVE ACCESS TO IT, BUT A LOT OF IT IS PUBLIC INFORMATION THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE.
SO IF YOU SCROLL DOWN, THERE'S ACTUALLY A FEEDBACK SURVEY THAT, UM, TIM, TIM BLANCHARD IS THE PERSON, UM, WHO IS OUR ANALYST.
UM, SET THIS UP SO YOU CAN ACTUALLY ACCESS THIS SITE.
IF YOU SEE SOME DATA OR LACK OF SOME DATA YOU WOULD LIKE, OR SOME APPLICATIONS YOU WANT TO SEE, THEN YOU KNOW, PLEASE GIVE US THAT FEEDBACK AND WE'LL PROVIDE THAT.
UM, WE JUST GOT SOME BASIC GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE CITY AS FAR AS POPULATION, OTHER DEMOGRAPHICS AS THE STATE, THE CENSUS DATA BECOMES AVAILABLE.
WE'LL HAVE SOME MORE DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION REVIEW UP THERE.
WE'VE GOT A FEW MAPPING APPLICATIONS THAT, UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE UTILIZE.
SO WE, WE PUT THOSE UP FIRST, BUT THOSE ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO GROW.
WE'VE ALSO MET WITH, UH, A LOT OF THE DEPARTMENTS, UH, TO GET THEIR FEEDBACK.
SO IF YOU CLICK ON ONE OF THESE LINKS, YOU'LL ACTUALLY BE TAKEN TO THAT DEPARTMENT AND SEE SOME OF THE MAPS THAT THEY HAVE AND SOME OF THE DATA THAT THEY HAVE.
SO IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO GO AND ACCESS THE DATA.
AND AGAIN, WE'VE GOT DIFFERENT APPS, UTILITIES, UM, PARKS AND REC.
UM, THEY'RE, THIS IS THE YEAR OF THE TRAIL.
SO ONE OF THE, THE PROJECTS WE WANT TO WORK ON IS, UM, MAPPING OUT THE TRAILS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, BOTH ON WATER AND ON LAND.
SO THAT'S A PROJECT THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON.
UM, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES HAS A LOT OF PROJECTS AS YOU CAN IMAGINE.
UM, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING.
SO THIS IS A SITE THAT WE ACTUALLY JUST UPDATED, UM, RECENTLY.
SO MY MOUSE DOESN'T WANT PLAY NICE TONIGHT.
UM, AGAIN, WE'VE GOT POLICE DEPARTMENT, FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM TO GET SOME APPS.
UM, WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING A PROJECT WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RIGHT NOW THAT THEY'VE GOT FORMS THAT THEY FILL OUT.
AND WE ARE USING SURVEY 1 23 TO, SO THEY CAN USE IT IN THE FIELD RATHER THAN HAVING TO, UM, FILL IT OUT MANUALLY.
WE ALSO HAVE DATA OR SOME PREDEFINED MAPS THAT ARE PDFS THAT YOU CAN CLICK ON.
IF YOU WANT TO DOWNLOAD, INCLUDE THE RECENT, UM, ANNUAL BUILDING PERMIT REPORT THAT WE JUST DID.
AND IF YOU JUST WANNA PLAY AROUND WITH A MAP, YOU CAN EITHER USE IT THROUGH THE DATA, YOU CAN OPEN ONE OF THE DATA SETS AND, AND, UM, OPEN A MAP.
BUT YOU CAN ALSO JUST BASE DATA VIEWER.
YOU CAN ZOOM IN HERE AND THERE'S TOOLS UP THERE.
YOU CAN PRINT, YOU CAN MAKE A MAP OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
BUT YOU CAN TURN DIFFERENT LAYERS ON AND OFF.
SO LIKE, THESE ARE THE, UM, RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES PARCELS, AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY CLICK ON ANY OF THE FEATURES AND YOU CAN GET GENERAL INFORMATION.
SO THIS IS ACTUALLY A LIVING DOCUMENT.
IF YOU WANT, IF YOU HAVE FEEDBACK, WE WOULD LOVE TO, TO GET THAT.
YOU WANT TO USE THE SITE, YOU NOT QUITE SURE HOW TO USE IT, PLEASE REACH OUT TO US.
UM, SOME OF THE OTHER ONES PROJECTS THAT WE'VE GOT UP HERE, JUST THAT WE'RE GETTING READY TO ADD.
UM, I THINK COL SHOWED THIS A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, LIKE THE CITY OF NEW BURNS PROJECTS AND GRANTS.
UM, THIS IS A DASHBOARD THAT'S PULLING FROM A SURVEY.
YOU CAN WHITTLE IT DOWN INSTEAD OF LIKE THE A A R P FUNDS.
IF YOU WANNA SEE WHAT PROJECTS AROUND THE CITY AND YOU WANTED TO FIND IT EVEN MORE, YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, SELECT LIKE WHAT IS PARKS AND RECS, I THINK, OR PUBLIC WORKS.
YOU CAN WHITTLE IT DOWN AND IF YOU'LL LOOK ON THE SIDE, YOU CAN SEE THE INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS.
YOU CAN GET JUST QUICK ON THE FLY INFORMATION.
AND YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE PRO NUMBER OF PROJECTS AND THE AMOUNT, UM, CHANGES WHEN YOU MAKE A SELECTION.
AND WE, WE ALSO CURRENT, THIS IS ALREADY UP ON OUR SITE, WE REDID THIS SITE, CURRENT DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
WE DID HAVE IT WHERE YOU JUST HAD TO SCROLL AND SCROLL AND SCROLL.
SO WE REDID IT SO THAT YOU CAN JUST OPEN UP IF YOU'RE JUST LOOKING AT COMMERCIAL PROJECTS, I KNOW WE WERE TALKING ABOUT DEVELOPMENT AND, AND HOW IT MIGHT IMPACT NEIGHBORHOODS.
YOU CAN COME IN HERE AND GET A GENERAL IDEA OF NEW PROJECTS.
IF WE SEE THAT DIRT MOVE, WE ALL WANNA KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.
SO THIS IS A, A GREAT RESOURCE.
AS SOON AS WE KNOW THAT A PROJECT ACTUALLY IS GONNA BE BUILT, THEN WE ADD TO THIS SITE.
AND I KNOW IN VALENTINE'S DAY, AND I DON'T WANT TO KEEP YOU HERE, BUT PLEASE ACCESS THESE SITES AND UTILIZE THEM.
UH, MY DOG, I TOLD 'EM THERE WERE SPECIAL TREATS TONIGHT, SO I NEED TO GET HOME AND TAKE CARE OF THEM.
BUT, UM, THIS IS REALLY GREAT, THE HUB SITE.
I THINK IT'S GONNA BE AWESOME.
[01:15:01]
A GREAT WAY TO SHARE INFORMATION BOTH WITH THE PUBLIC AND IT'S, IT'S, LIKE I SAID, IT'S A LIVING DOCUMENT, SO YOU'LL, THERE'LL BE CHECK BACK OFTEN CUZ THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF GOOD STUFF THAT'S GONNA BE ADDED TO IT.AND I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS IF ANYBODY HAS QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
BOARD ANY QUESTIONS? GREAT JOB.
[10. Consider Adopting a Resolution Approving the Redevelopment Commission' s Sale of 827 Cedar Street. ]
NUMBER 10, CONSIDERED ADOPTING A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION'S SALE OF 8 27 CEDAR STREET.MS. HUGHES, IN AUGUST OF 2022, THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION RECEIVED A BID $1,140 FROM WILLIAM RICHARDSON FOR THE PURCHASE OF 8 27 CEDAR STREET.
THE PARTIAL WAS A VERY SMALL 0.02 ACRE VACANT RESIDENTIAL LOT WITH A TAX VALUE OF $1,520.
HIS BID WAS ADVERTISED, BUT NO ADDITIONAL BIDS RECEIVED.
RESTRICTIONS WILL BE IMPOSED TO PROHIBIT PROPERTY FROM BEING USED TO STORE JUNK DIRECT VEHICLES.
AND TO PROHIBIT THE ERECTION OF ANY STRUCTURES, PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE WILL BE PLACED IN THE REDEVELOPMENT FUND BOARD.
HAVE QUESTIONS? I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADOPT A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION CELL OF 8 27 CEDAR STREET.
SECOND, HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN ROYAL.
[11 . Consider Adopting a Resolution Approving a Law Enforcement Mutual Assistance Agreement with the Havelock Police Department. ]
ITEM NUMBER 11, CONSIDERED ING RESOLUTION.APPROVE A LAW ENFORCEMENT MUTUAL ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT WITH HAVELOCK POLICE DEPARTMENT.
MR. HUGHES, I'D LIKE TO ASK CHIEF GALLAGHER TO COME FORWARD AND MAKE THIS PRESENTATION.
UH, IN 2016, THIS BOARD AUTHORIZED CHIEF OF POLICE TO SIGN MEMOS OF, UH, UH, UNDERSTANDING AND MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS WITH LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS THROUGHOUT, UH, NORTH CAROLINA.
UM, UNDER THE CAVEAT THAT IT MET A, UH, OR THE ELEMENTS OF A, UM, SAMPLE POLICY, UM, IT BECAME NECESSARY FOR HAVELOCK TO REINITIATE A, UM, UH, A MUTUAL AID AGREEMENT WITH NEWBURN BASED ON THE FACT THAT THEY ONBOARDED A NEW CHIEF.
IN MY REVIEW OF THAT MOU OR THAT, UH, MUTUAL AID AGREEMENT, I FOUND FIVE AREAS THAT WERE INCONSISTENT, UM, OR WERE OR DID NOT MIRROR THE SPIRIT OF THAT, UH, SAMPLE POLICY.
THREE OF THE AREAS WERE COMMAND AND CONTROL ISSUES THAT I, AS THE CHIEF HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH.
AND I RECOMMEND THAT THIS BOARD, UM, ALSO APPROVED THOSE CHANGES.
TWO OF THE AREAS WITHIN THAT, UH, AGREEMENT, UH, HELD THIS CITY AND THIS DEPARTMENT LIABLE FINANCIALLY FOR LOSS AND DAMAGED EQUIPMENT, UM, AND ALSO FOR REASONABLE EXPENSES.
UM, IN REVIEW OF THOSE TWO, I THINK THOSE ARE REASONABLE.
UM, IN FACT, THERE IS LANGUAGE WITHIN OUR SAMPLE POLICY, UM, THAT COVERS PARTS OF THE IDENTIFICATION OF DAMAGED PROPERTY.
SO WE'RE NOT THAT FAR OFF OF, UH, WHAT WE'VE, UH, AGREED TO IN OUR SAMPLE POLICY.
AND WITH RESPECT TO REASONABLE, UH, EXPANSIONS, AS I OUTLINED IN MY MEMORANDUM TO THE MAYOR, UM, WE'VE DONE THIS BEFORE, SPECIFICALLY WITH, UH, THE UTILITY SUPPORT.
UH, WHEN WE BRING IN, UM, OUTSIDE ENTITIES TO COME TO NEW BERN TO ASSIST US.
UM, AND I RECOMMEND THAT THIS BOARD APPROVED THE, UH, THE MOU WITH HAVELOCK.
IT WILL APPLY TO US JUST AS WELL AS IT WILL APPLY TO THEM IF THEY CALL US TO, UH, HAVELOCK TO ASSIST THEM.
BOARD HAVE QUESTIONS? MAY I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADOPT A RESOLUTION OF PROVING LAW ENFORCEMENT MUTUAL ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT WITH THE HAVELOCK POLICE DEPARTMENT? SECOND.
HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND IN DISCUSSION.
HEARING NONE, LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN ASTOR.
[12. Consider Adopting an Ordinance to Amend Chapter 70 " Traffic and Vehicles" to Amend the Schedule of Speed Limits to Reduce Speed on National Avenue. ]
CONSIDERED ADOPTING AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 70, TRAFFIC AND VEHICLES TO AMEND THE SCHEDULED SPEED LIMITS TO REDUCE SPEED ON NATIONAL AVENUE.MR. HUGHES, I'D LIKE TO ASK MR. CHILDS TO COME FORWARD AND MAKE THIS PRESENTATION.
[01:20:01]
GOOD EVENING BOARD MAYOR.UM, FOLLOWING UP ON WHAT YOU HEARD FROM THE RESIDENCE AND THE RIVERSIDE COMMUNITY, WE RECEIVED THEIR PETITION AND ALONG WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE EVALUATED THEIR CONCERNS WITH THE CURRENT POSTED SPEED LIMIT ON NATIONAL AVENUE AND CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT SUPPORTED THEIR CONCERNS THAT A REDUCTION IN 25 MILES AN HOUR WOULD BE APPROPRIATE IN THIS AREA.
SO WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU RIGHT TONIGHT, IS A REDUCTION FROM NU AVENUE, WHICH IS APPRO JUST TO THE, UH, TOWNSIDE OF THE JACK SMITH CREEK BRIDGE TO DUN STREET RIGHT NEAR THE RAILROAD TRACKS THAT WILL TIE IN CURRENTLY TO GEORGE STREET, WHICH IS ALREADY POSTED AT 25.
UM, IF APPROVED, OUR DEPARTMENT IS PREPARED TO INSTALL A S THIS WEEK.
BOARD HAVE QUESTIONS? WHAT'S THE PLEASURE? ITEM NUMBER 12, IF THERE'S NO MORE QUESTIONS, I'D LIKE MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 70, TRAFFIC AND VEHICLES TO AMEND THE SCHEDULED SPEED LIMITS TO REDUCE SPEED ON NATIONAL AVENUE.
SECOND, HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE UNLESS HAVE A ROLL CALL.
STARTING WITH ALDERMAN KINZIE.
[13. Consider Adopting a Resolution to Authorize the Execution of a Deed and Transfer and Reversion Agreement to Transfer Properties to the Redevelopment Commission. ]
13, CONSIDERED ADOPTING A RESOLUTION TO AUTHORIZE THE EXECUTION OF A DEED AND TRANSFER AND REVERSION AGREEMENT TO TRANSFER PROPERTIES TO THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.MR. HUGHES, BACK IN THE SPRING OF 2022, THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION APPROACHED CITY STAFF ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF GETTING SOME CITY COUNTY OWNED PROPERTIES SO THEY COULD, UH, UH, DO SOME REDEVELOPMENT.
SO I HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COUNTY MANAGER, WE DISCUSSED THIS FOR SEVERAL WEEKS.
THEY FINALLY AGREED ON 10 PROPERTIES OF THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION'S, CHOOSING AS LONG AS THERE WAS A TRANSFER AND REVERSION AGREEMENT IN PLACE, UH, THE CURRENT TRANSFER AND OVER, AND A REVERSION AGREEMENT.
UH, IT CONCLUDES A PLAN THAT IF, UH, DEVELOPMENT HAS NOT OCCURRED WITH, UH, THAT MEETS THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN WITHIN 60 MONTHS, THOSE, THOSE PROPERTIES WOULD REVERT BACK TO THE CITY.
THE CITY WOULD IN TURN REVERT, UM, THOSE RIGHTS BACK TO THE COUNTY AS WELL IN THE APPROPRIATE PERCENTAGE.
UM, HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
IF NOT, WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD ON ITEM NUMBER 13, MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO, UH, MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO AUTHORIZE THE EXECUTION OF A DEED AND TRANSFER AND REVISION AGREEMENT TO TRANSFER PROPERTIES TO THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN.
[15. Consider Adopting an Ordinance to Amend Section 66- 85 for City-Sponsored Events. ]
ON TO ITEM NUMBER 15, CONSIDER OP ADOPTING AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND SECTION 66 85 FOR CITY SPONSORED EVENTS, MR. HUGHES.SO MAY THE LAST TIME THE THIS, THE SCHEDULE OF CITY SPONSORED EVENTS WAS UPDATED WAS IN 2018, AND WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS LIST AND, AND ARE MAKING THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND I'M GONNA READ, READ THIS LIST TO YOU.
THERE ARE, THERE ARE A FEW EVENTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY OFFERED BY, UH, CITY DEPARTMENTS WHO REALLY DON'T NEED TO BE ON THIS LIST INTO THE DEPARTMENT FUNCTION.
AND THAT INCLUDES THE CITY'S NEW YEAR'S EVE, UH, CELEBRATION, THE NATIONAL NIGHT AND THE NATIONAL NIGHT OUT.
OTHER EVENTS THAT, THAT ARE ON THIS LIST THAT ARE NO LONGER BEING HELD INCLUDE THE MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
PARADE NEWS, RIVER DAYS VISION FORWARD RELAY FOR LIFE, AND THE GEORGE WASHINGTON SOUTHERN TOUR.
WE DID HAVE A REQUEST FROM VICTOR TAYLOR WITH VISION FORD.
UH, HE HAS BEEN DOING THE BLACK HISTORY MONTH PARADE AND FEBRUARY FOR SEVERAL YEARS, AND HE HAS REQUESTED THAT THIS BE CONSIDERED AS A CITY SPONSORED EVENT IF APPROVED AS A CITY SPONSORED EVENT, THE ESTIMATED IN-KIND CONTRIBUTION FOR THE PARADE WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY $560.
AND THIS INCLUDES $155 FOR BARRICADES AND $405 FOR POLICE SERVICE.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ON THAT REQUEST.
AND I THINK MR. TAYLOR IS HERE AS WELL.
WHAT'S THE, UM, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN THE MLK JUNIOR PARADE? AS FAR AS THE COST OF WHAT THAT WAS? IT WAS PROBABLY ABOUT THE SAME COST.
IT HASN'T BEEN HELD MANY YEARS, BUT THAT WAS HELD IN JANUARY.
UH, THE BLACK HISTORY MONTH PARADE IS HELD IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR.
AND DO WE, DO WE KNOW WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF THE MLK PARADE? I BELIEVE THE VICTOR TAYLOR WAS, WAS THE CHAIRMAN OF THAT GROUP.
AND THERE WAS A, A LARGER COMMITTEE THAT WAS INVOLVED WITH THAT.
[01:25:02]
OKAY.SO E ESSENTIALLY WE'RE, WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY ADDING ONE, WE'RE SWAPPING THE MLK JUNIOR PARADE FOR THE BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
BOARD, DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? WELL, WELL, THIS ISN'T REALLY PERTAINING TO THIS SCHEDULE WE HAVE RIGHT HERE, BUT, UM, YOU'RE LIKE, YOU'RE SAYING, UM, I, I'M GONNA BE ASKING LATER ON TO ADD ONE, UM, SINCE, UM, WE'RE TAKING OFF THE MARTIN LUTHER KING JR PARADE.
UM, AND IT'S BASICALLY, UM, THE CHARGE WILL BE THE SAME AS IT WOULD BE FOR, UM, THE, UM, OTHER EVENTS HERE FOR HIS BARRICADES, POLICE, AND WHATEVER IN FIRE, WHATEVER IS, IS INCLUDED.
BUT I'LL BE ASKING FOR THAT LATE LATER DATE.
MR. ATTORNEY, I, I'M ASSUMING WE CAN ALWAYS PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA AND MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AND YES, SIR.
ANY QUESTIONS? BOARD, I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADOPT AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND SECTION 66 THROUGH 85 FOR CITY SPONSORED EVENTS.
HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND ANY MORE DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE UNLESS HAVE A ROLL CALL.
STARTING WITH ALDERMAN B BRINSON.
[16. Appointment(s). ]
16.I DO NOT SEE ANY APPOINTMENTS.
DID I MISS ONE FROM ANYONE? IF NOT, WE WILL MOVE ON TO
[17. Attorney' s Report. ]
ITEM NUMBER 17.ATTORNEY'S REPORT, NOT REPORT TONIGHT.
[18. City Manager' s Report. ]
ITEM NUMBER 18, CITY MANAGER'S REPORT.FEW OTHER ITEMS TO UPDATE YOU ON CITY HALL PROJECTS.
IF YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED QUITE BUSY AT AT CITY HALL.
UH, WE MET WITH THE CONTRACTORS TODAY REGARDING THE ELEVATOR PROJECT.
THE ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE IS NOW JUNE 10TH, AND THAT INCLUDES SOME RAIN DATES.
THEY'RE HOPING THAT THE PROJECT WILL STILL BE COMPLETED IN MAY, BUT BASED ON THE PAPERWORK, IT'S GONNA BE JUNE 10TH.
UH, THE STAIRWELL PROJECT THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, THEY COMPLETED THE PLASTER WORK, UH, ABOUT A WEEK AGO AND STARTED TOMORROW.
THEY'RE GONNA START REPAINTING THE WHEEL AND THEN THAT PROJECT WILL BE COMPLETED.
LAST WEEK, THE BRICK REPOINTING PROJECT STARTED.
UH, THIS WAS ON THE NORTH SIDE BEHIND ME, UM, AND, AND IT'S, UH, BEEN QUITE LOUD AND, AND MINE AND THE ASSISTANT MANAGER'S OFFICES.
AND SO IT'S, IT'S, UH, THE PARKING LOT IS CURRENTLY CLOSED OFF IN THE BACK.
BUT STAGING WILL ALSO BEGIN TOMORROW ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE BUILDING WHERE THEY'LL START BUILDING SCAFFOLDING AS THEY, UH, GET READY TO START GRINDING THE, UH, THE MORTAR OUT OF THE JOINTS ON THAT SIDE.
SO THIS PROJECT IS STILL EXPECTED TO TAKE APPROXIMATELY SIX MONTHS TO COMPLETE.
THEY'RE GONNA GRIND EVERYTHING OUT, THEN THEY'RE GONNA COME BACK AND REORDER ALL OF THE JOINTS IN THERE.
AND THEY HAVE FOUND A LOT OF SOFT AREAS, UH, IN THE MORTAR.
SO THAT'S INTERESTING TO NOTE.
UH, ALSO ON PLEASANT HILL COMMUNITY CENTER, WE ESTIMATE THAT GRAND OPENING TO BE AROUND THE 1ST OF APRIL.
WE SHOULD HAVE A DATE, UH, SOMETIME RIGHT AFTER THE 1ST OF MARCH.
SO WE'LL INFORM EVERYONE ON THAT.
AS WE GET A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO THAT, WE'LL REMIND EVERYONE THAT THE RESILIENCY ROAD SHOW WILL BE HELD ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16TH, AND IT'S GONNA BE OPEN FROM 10:00 AM TO 1:00 PM AT THE OMEGA CENTER.
THERE WILL BE PRESENTATIONS AT 10:30 AM AND 12:15 PM THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO ATTEND.
UM, WHILE YOU'RE THERE, THERE WILL BE LISTING SESSIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES TO GIVE FEEDBACK TO OUR CONSULTANTS AND STAFF.
ALSO IN NEWBURN 1 0 1 WILL BEGIN ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23RD AT 4:00 PM UH, THIS EIGHT SESSION PROGRAM EXPOSES CITIZENS THAT HAVE AN INTEREST IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE CITY OF NEWBURN TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS AND HOW LOCAL GOVERNMENT WORKS.
IT'S BEEN A GREAT PROGRAM SINCE WE IMPLEMENTED THIS.
UH, THE, UH, FOR THIS PROGRAM, WE'VE GOT 20 PEOPLE IN THAT SO THAT IT IS FULL.
UH, SO WE ARE GONNA BE HAVING A FALL PROGRAM AS WELL.
AND IF, UH, IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT, YOU CAN FIND OUT SOME MORE INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE.
THAT'S ALL WE HAVE TONIGHT, SIR.
LET'S MOVE ON TO NEW BUSINESS OTTOMAN FRI.
I HAVE A QUESTION, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
THE REPORTING PROJECT, DID YOU SAY THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL SIX MONTHS, THAT WAS NOT THE ELEVATOR, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
MR. VICTOR TAYLOR JUST WALKED IN.
DID YOU NEED CLARIFICATION ABOUT THE MARTIN LUTHER KING EVENT? VICTOR DID.
DID YOU AND YOUR GROUP USED TO RUN THE MARTIN LUTHER KING JR PARADE? YES, SIR.
THAT WAS THE ONLY QUESTION WE HAD.
IT, WE, WE ADDED THE, UH, THE BLACK HISTORY MONTH PARADE AS REQUESTED.
[19. New Business. ]
OKAY.I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF ITEMS I'D LIKE TO REVIEW WITH THE BOARD.
[01:30:01]
A PHONE CALL TODAY FROM A RESIDENT WHO IS A MEMBER OF THE, UH, SUNNYSIDE NEIGHBORS GROUP.THEY'VE REQUESTED, UM, THAT MYSELF AND CITY STAFF, UM, MEET WITH THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP ON SATURDAY, MARCH 3RD AT THREE O'CLOCK, UM, TO ADDRESS CONCERNS IN THE SUNNYSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I WILL BE COORDINATING WITH FOSTER TO, UM, KIND OF GET THAT SET UP.
SECONDLY, UM, I, I HAVE REQUESTED, AND FOSTER HAS INCLUDED ON OUR UPCOMING WORK SESSION MEETING, UM, AN ITEM TO TALK ABOUT RECONSTITUTING THE, UH, MUNICIPAL SERVICE DISTRICT, UM, ADVISORY BOARD.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT AT THIS EARLY STAGE IN REVIEWING THAT, THAT WE GET THE INPUT OF SOME OF THE, UM, MSD PROPERTY OWNERS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE A RECONSTITUTED ADVISORY BOARD LOOK LIKE.
UM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT THE, THE CITY STAFF REACH OUT TO THE MSD PROPERTY OWNERS, UM, INVITING THEM TO ATTEND THE WORK SESSION, UH, ON THE 27TH TO OFF, HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO OFFER INPUT INTO THAT DISCUSSION.
AND IF I NEED TO MAKE THAT, UH, BY WAY OF A MOTION, I WILL, MR. DAVIS, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY ITEMS WE'RE GONNA HAVE ON THAT WORK SESSION AGENDA.
I THINK IT'S SCHEDULED FOR FOUR HOURS, IS THAT CORRECT? I BELIEVE IT'S THREE HOURS.
UM, ALDERMAN PR, ARE YOU ASKING TO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT DURING THAT PERIOD ON THAT PARTICULAR ITEM? YES.
FROM, FROM THE, UH, MSD PROPERTY OWNERS THAT CHOOSE TO ATTEND.
SO THE BOARD WOULD PROBABLY WANT TO GIVE SOME DIRECTION.
CAUSE THAT COULD TAKE AN HOUR OR TWO OF THE DISCUSSION, DEPENDING ON HOW MANY PEOPLE SHOW UP TO DISCUSS ONE ITEM WHEN THERE'S MULTIPLE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
SO, I MEAN, I CERTAINLY HAVE NO ISSUE IF THEY WANT TO BE IN ATTENDANCE AND IF THEY WANT TO GIVE US THEIR INPUT.
I'VE ALREADY RECEIVED SOME, UH, FROM SOME FOLKS.
ONE WAS A RECOMMENDATION TO BASICALLY MIRROR WHAT WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA HAS DONE, WHICH I THINK IS GREAT.
I'D SIGN OFF ON THAT RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO I MEANT WE CAN ALSO, WHILE STAFF REACHES OUT EVER HOW YOU'RE GONNA DO THAT, I ASSUME YOU COULD PULL THE INFORMATION FROM ALICE'S JUST MAPS AND WE COULD REACH OUT TO THEM SOMEHOW, UM, AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY'RE FREE TO EMAIL AND CONTACT US BY PHONE OR EVER HOWEVER, IT'S EASIER FOR THEM TO GIVE US THEIR INPUT AS WELL.
SO WE DON'T HAVE, THERE'S, THERE'S FOUR PAGES ON THAT SPREADSHEET.
WE LOOKED PROPERTY OWNERS, SO WELL, WHY DON'T WE ASK STAFF TO PUT TOGETHER A PROPOSAL ON HOW SUCH A COMMITTEE SHOULD, WHAT A COMMITTEE WOULD LOOK LIKE AND PRESENT IT TO US.
SO, SO AS PART OF THAT, THAT AGENDA ITEM, WE'RE GONNA GIVE EXAMPLES OF WHAT OTHER MSDS ARE DOING THROUGHOUT THE STATE, AND YOU'RE GONNA SEE A GOOD VARIETY OF THINGS, AND WE WILL HAVE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AS WELL.
AND HAPPY TO GET FEEDBACK FROM, FROM YOU ALSO ON THAT.
COULD THAT BE SHARED BEFOREHAND WITH THOSE MSD PROPERTY OWNERS SO THEY CAN HAVE TIME TO REVIEW THAT AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK? SURE.
I THINK ALDERMAN, PERO I'M NOT GONNA SPEAK FOR YOU, BUT I THINK YOUR, THE SPIRIT OF YOUR COMMENT WAS TO ALLOW THOSE THAT ARE ACTUALLY INVOLVED TO HAVE A SAY IN HOW THE BOARD IS STRUCTURED, NOT STAFFED.
IS THAT, I I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AT THE EARLY STAGE OF THE DISCUSSION THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO AT LEAST SOLICIT THE INPUT OF THE ACTUAL MSD PROPERTY OWNERS JUST TO UNDERSTAND WHAT CONCERNS, IF ANY, THEY MAY HAVE IN TERMS OF HOW THE, AN ADVISORY BOARD IS GOING TO BE ESTABLISHED.
UH, AGAIN, WILMINGTON HAS A MODEL, UH, THAT COULD BE FOLLOWED.
OTHER BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS AROUND THE STATE, UM, I THINK HAVE ESTABLISHED THEIR ADVISORY BOARDS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY THAN WILMINGTON.
UM, UH, HOPEFULLY, UH, FOSTER WILL BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY SOME OF THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS, UH, AT OUR MEETING SO THAT WE CAN REVIEW THAT AND DISCUSS IT AND, UH, AGAIN, HOPEFULLY GET THE INPUT OF THE ACTUAL INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY END UP BEING ON THE BOARD, UM, PRIOR TO A FORMAL DECISION BEING MADE.
[01:35:01]
WHATEVER WAY WORKS BEST, UM, I MEAN, I'M COMFORTABLE WITH, UH, IF, IF WE DON'T WANT TO INVITE THEM INTO THE WORK SESSION MEETING, AT LEAST WE NEED TO GET SOMETHING OUT TO THEM EARLY ON FOR THEIR REVIEW.WOULD IT BE, WOULD IT BE MAYBE THAT YOU COULD HAVE A MEETING WITH THEM AND BRING THEIR CONCERNS OR THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS TO THIS BOARD? UH, AT, AT WHAT POINT IN TIME, I GUESS IS MY QUESTION? WHENEVER IT IS TIME TO ESTABLISHED THIS COMMITTEE BEFORE THE WORK SESSION? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? I DON'T THINK, I MEAN, WHEN'S THE WORK SESSION? 2027.
AND I, AND I DON'T, I DON'T ANTICIPATE YOU'RE GOING TO, UH, YOU MAY GIVE DIRECTION AFTER THAT MEETING FOR US TO PUT IT ON, UH, FUTURE AGENDA.
THAT WAY YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU LIKE.
I THINK IT'D BE GREAT IF, IF ALMOND WILL WORK WITH THE, THE MEMBERS OF THE MSD AND, UH, THE PEOPLE THAT PAY THE TAX, MAKE A RECOMMENDATION AND COME BACK TO THIS BOARD WITH THEIR THOUGHTS AND CONCERNS.
I DON'T THINK THAT DURING THE THREE HOUR PERIOD THAT WE HAVE DEDICATED ALREADY IN THE AGENDA SET ALREADY FOR THE WORK SESSION IS, IS GOING TO WORK.
I, I THINK THAT WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO, I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA, WE WOULD HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO DEDICATE THE NEED, YOU KNOW, TO, TO DISCUSS IT WITH EVERYBODY THAT MAY WANT TO TALK.
YOU MAY GET EVERY, EVERY PERSON AND PROPERTY OWNER IN THE M S D DISTRICT WHO WANTS TO COME AND TALK, WHICH IS FINE.
WHICH IS, MIGHT BE A BETTER REASON WHY YOU MEET WITH 'EM AND, AND BRING BACK THEIR CONCERNS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, WELL I I, I'M NOT SURE WE GOT ANY RESOLUTION TO THAT, BUT, WELL, I'LL, I'LL SAY THIS.
I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF A WILLYNILLY ALLOWING ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY THAT'S MSD TAXPAYER TO SPEAK IN OUR WORK SESSION BECAUSE I THINK IT'S GONNA TAKE TIME AWAY FROM WHAT OUR GOAL IS TO GET THINGS ACCOMPLISHED.
DOES ANYBODY DISAGREE? IF YOU WANNA OPEN IT UP AND SAY YOU WANT TO ADD PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE WORK SESSION FOR THIS ITEM, THEN WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT.
I DON'T, IT'S CALLED THE WORK SESSION.
WELL, WELL, I, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT DOES AUT PRAYER WANT? WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR IS TO GET INPUT FROM THE MSD PROPERTY OWNERS EARLY ON IN OUR DELIBERATION.
SO WHETHER THAT'S AT THE MEETING ON THE 27TH OR IF THAT'S US REACHING OUT TO THEM WITH A PROPOSAL, I'M, I'M COMFORTABLE GOING WHATEVER DIRECTION THE BOARD IS COMFORTABLE MOVING IN, AS LONG AS WE ARE SOLICITING THAT INPUT EARLY ON.
WHAT MY, WHAT I WAS UH, ALLUDING TO WAS POSSIBLY AFTER OUR WORK SESSION.
THAT'S, I MEAN, WE HAVE MORE TIME TO, YOU KNOW, GIVE TO THE SUBJECT.
I JU I I FEEL LIKE THE MAYOR, I'M, I'M CONCURRING WITH THE MAYOR RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I THINK DOING THIS WORK SESSION, I MEAN, WE WANT TO GIVE THE CITIZENS ENOUGH TIME TO SPEAK AND EVERYBODY WANT, WE WANT EVERYBODY TO BE HEARD.
SO THAT'S WHY I WAS SUGGESTING AFTER OUR WORKSHOP NOW, UNLESS THE BOARD WANT TO DO SOMETHING BEFORE WE HAVE ANOTHER MEETING, BEFORE THE WORKSHOP, I, I WOULD CONCUR IT WITH AFTER THE WORKSHOP ALSO.
CUZ I MEAN, THE PRESENTATION I ASSUME WE'RE GONNA GET IS ALL THESE IDEAS AND THEN, UH, WE, AND THEY WOULD BE ALLOWED TO PICK AND CHOOSE AND MODIFY AND ALL OF THAT.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE SPIRIT OF WHAT YOU'RE GOING FOR, UH, AS OPPOSED TO WALKING INTO A BLACKBOARD SESSION WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE JUST THROWN OUT IDEAS.
AND SO ALTMAN WE'RE HAPPY TO DO OUR PRESENTATION TO THE GOVERNING BOARD DURING THE WORK SESSION, AND THEN I CAN WORK WITH ALTMAN PRI AND WE CAN HAVE A MEETING WITH MEMBERS OF THE M MSS D THAT WOULD LIKE TO, TO ATTEND AND, AND GO OVER THE SAME INFORMATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE BOARD HAS GIVEN US AT THE WORK SESSION AND THEN TAKE THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS AS WELL, UM, FORMULATE WHATEVER COMES OF THAT AND WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT, COME BACK TO THE GOVERNING BOARD TO, TO LET YOU DECIDE HOW YOU WOULD LIKE TO IMPLEMENT THIS.
I'M, I'M COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
THE, THE NEXT ITEM I HAVE, UM, JUST A FOLLOW UP TO CONCERNS THAT I HAD RAISED AT OUR LAST
[01:40:01]
REGULAR MEETING.ONE, THE CONCERN I EXPRESSED, UH, ABOUT THE, THE MAYOR'S APPOINTMENT OF, UM, TWO RESIDENTS TO THE, UH, HOUSING AUTHORITY.
UM, THAT, UM, THOSE APPOINTMENT WERE NOT MADE AT A PUBLIC MEETING.
I DID A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH, UM, FOLLOWING THAT CONCERN BEING EXPRESSED.
AND I JUST VERY QUICKLY WANT TO TAKE THE BOARD BACK TO JANUARY OF 2018 WHEN THE SITTING BOARD AT THAT TIME APPROVED, UH, A RESOLUTION TO ADOPT RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN.
AND THAT WAS, UH, ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY BY THAT BOARD IN THE, THE RULES OF PROCEDURE RULE 25 DEALS WITH APPOINTMENTS AND SUBSECTION A UNDER APPOINTMENTS, THE BOARD MAY CONSIDER AND MAKE APPOINTMENTS TO OTHER BODIES INCLUDING ITS OWN COMMITTEES, IF ANY, ONLY IN OPEN SESSION.
SO WE HAVE A RULE SINCE 2018 THAT IS VERY SPECIFIC THAT THE BOARD AND THE MAYOR IS A MEMBER OF THIS BOARD IS, IS TO ONLY MAKE APPOINTMENTS DURING AND OPENED SESSION.
SO THAT PROCEDURE WAS NOT FOLLOWED, UM, IN THE MAYOR'S APPOINTMENT OF THE MOST RECENT TWO MEMBERS BEING APPOINTED TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
I ALSO EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE PROCEDURE THAT WE WERE FOLLOWING, MAKING APPOINTMENTS TO THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION AND UNDER RULE 25, SUBSECTION TWO, THAT OUTLINES THE SELECTION PROCESS FOR INDIVIDUALS TO BE APPOINTED TO VARIOUS BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
AND LET ME JUST QUICKLY REVIEW THAT.
INDIVIDUALS INTERESTED IN APPLYING FOR APPOINTMENT SHALL SUBMIT A WRITTEN APPLICATION ON A FORM PROVIDED BY THE CITY TO THE CITY CLERK AND AVAILABLE ON THE CITY'S OFFICIAL WEBSITE.
THE CITY CLERK SHALL PROVIDE THE BOARD WITH WRITTEN NOTIFICATION THAT VACANCIES EXIST ON THE VARIOUS BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, AND COMMITTEES APPOINTED BY THE BOARD OR ITS MEMBERS.
THIS NOTIFICATION ALONG WITH APPLICATIONS OF INTERESTED CITIZENS SHALL BE PROVIDED TO THE BOARD AT A REGULAR MEETING.
SO HERE AGAIN, WE HAD A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD EXPRESSED INTEREST IN BEING APPOINTED TO THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION IN THIS CASE.
NOT A SINGLE ONE OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WAS, UH, AS FAR AS I KNOW, WAS ASKED TO PROVIDE, UM, OR TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION FORM, WHICH APPARENTLY WE HAVE, ALTHOUGH I I DON'T BELIEVE WE'RE BE, WE'RE USING IT, THAT APPLICATION FORM AND I HAVEN'T SEEN IT, UM, HOPEFULLY WOULD SPELL OUT WHAT THAT PERSON'S BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE IS AND THEN ONCE RECEIVED BY THE, UH, CITY CLERK, SHE WOULD PROVIDE US WITH COPIES OF THAT.
AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER PROCEDURE THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE, BUT WE'RE NOT FOLLOWING IT.
I WOULD LIKE TO GO A LITTLE BIT FARTHER UNDER THIS SUBSECTION TWO AND REQUEST THAT THE BOARD BE GIVEN AT A MINIMUM TWO WEEKS NOTICE OF, OR AT LEAST A COPY OF AN APPLICATION AT LEAST TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO AN APPOINTMENT BEING MADE SO THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE PERSON'S BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE AND IF WE FEEL, UH, THE NEED TO POSSIBLY INDIVIDUALLY MEET WITH THE INDIVIDUAL TO TALK TO THEM, TO SATISFY OURSELVES THAT THEY WOULD, UM, BE A GOOD FIT FOR THE NEED THAT WE HAVE.
THAT THAT'S IN ADDITION, UM, TO WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
THE PRIMARY CONCERN THOUGH IS THAT WE HAVE A DOCUMENT, IT'S RULES AND PROCEDURES, WHICH WE AS A BOARD ARE SUPPOSED TO BE FOLLOWING, BUT IN TWO INSTANCES VERY RECENTLY, WE HAVE DEVIATED FROM THE RULES AND ARE NOT FOLLOWING THEM.
SO THERE'S A CONCERN THAT I HAVE THAT,
[01:45:02]
WELL, THE, THE CONCERN IS VERY SIMPLE.WE'RE NOT FOLLOWING THE RULES THAT, THAT HAVE BEEN SET UP.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT CORRECTLY MOVING FORWARD.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME FURTHER REVISIONS MADE TO THE SELECTION PROCESS SO THAT WE AS BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ADEQUATE TIME TO REVIEW, UM, THE, THE APPLICATIONS BEING SUBMITTED BY INDIVIDUALS SO THAT WE CAN MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS AT THE TIME OF MAKING AN APPOINTMENT MAY.
AND WITH THAT, I HAVE NOTHING FURTHER.
YOU HONOR, MR. DAVIS, COULD YOU CLARIFY THE DIFFERENCE IN A UNILATERAL MAYORAL APPOINTMENT VERSUS A BOARD APPOINTMENT, PLEASE? YES, SIR.
R RULE 25 IS, AS ALDERMAN PR POINTS OUT, IS SIMPLY A RESTATEMENT OF STATE LAW.
THE BOARD CANNOT, CAN ONLY TAKE ACTION IN AN OPEN MEETING.
SO WHEN YOU APPOINT SOMEONE TO SERVE ON A PUBLIC BODY, THE LAW REQUIRES THAT YOU DO THAT IN AN OPEN MEETING AS A BOARD BECAUSE THAT TAKES A MAJORITY OF YOU TO MAKE THE APPOINTMENT.
STATE STATUTE WITH RESPECT TO HOUSING AUTHORITIES IS SPECIFICALLY DIFFERENT.
IT'S THE ONLY STATUTE THAT I'M AWARE OF THAT THAT SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT THE MAYOR UNILATERALLY MAKES AN APPOINTMENT TO THE HOUSING BOARD, NOT THE BOARD.
SO RULE 25 RECOVERS BOARD DECISIONS AND BOARD APPOINTMENTS, BUT JUST BECAUSE THE MAYOR IS ON THE BOARD DOES NOT MAKE IT A BOARD APPOINTMENT.
IT'S STILL THE MAYOR'S APPOINTMENT.
THE MAYOR'S PERFECTLY FREE TO MAKE THAT APPOINTMENT IN AN OPEN MEETING IF YOU'D LIKE TO ALSO FREE TO DO IT OTHERWISE, TOTALLY UP TO THE MAYOR.
WELL, I UNDERSTAND THE STATE STATUTE THAT, AND, AND THE POINT THAT I'M MAKING IS NOT THAT THE MAYOR DOES NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY, THE MAYOR ABSOLUTELY HAS THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE THOSE APPOINTMENTS PURSUANT TO STATE STATUTE.
AND UNLESS I MISS SOMETHING, STATE STATUTE DOES NOT GET INTO THE MECHANICS OF HOW THOSE APPOINTMENTS ARE, ARE, ARE TO BE MADE.
SO I INTERPRET IT THAT WE AS A, A LOCAL GOVERNING BODY CAN MAKE IT MORE RESTRICTIVE, BUT WE'RE NOT, WE CAN'T MAKE IT LESS RESTRICTIVE.
SO WE CANNOT REQUIRE BOARD APPROVAL OF THE MAYOR'S APPOINTMENTS.
THAT'S MAKING, THAT'S GOING TOTALLY THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.
BUT GIVEN THE FACT THAT STATE STATUTE IS SILENT ON THE ISSUE OF THE MECHANICS OF HOW THOSE APPOINTMENTS ARE MADE, I WOULD THINK THAT THE RULE THAT WE HAVE WOULD BE VERY, WOULD BE APPLICABLE IS ALL WE'RE SAYING IS THAT ALL APPOINTMENTS SHOULD BE MADE IN A PUBLIC MEETING.
AND I APPRECIATE THE ARGUMENT.
I'M, I'M JUST STATING TO YOU THAT RULE 25 IS INTENDED TO RECITE THE STATE LAW, THAT THE BOARD MUST ACT IN AN OPEN MEETING TO NOT VIOLATE THE OPEN MEETING STATUTES WHEN YOU MAKE APPOINTMENTS.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I'M STATING TO YOU IN BILL 25, THE MAYOR.
OUTSIDE OF THAT, THE BOARD CAN'T CONSTRAIN THE MAYOR IN THE WAY THAT THEY WOULD LIKE HIM TO MAKE HIS APPOINTMENT.
THE STATE STATUTE GIVES HIM THAT AUTHORITY.
I'M NOT CONVINCED THAT THE BOARD CAN MAKE HIM DO THAT IN AN OPEN MEETING IF THE BOARD DEMANDED IT.
BUT I, I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND IT'S A FINE ARGUMENT, BUT THAT RULE IS DESIGNED TO SIMPLY RESTATE THE LAW, NOT NOT TO CORNER THE MAYOR IN MAKING THOSE APPOINTMENTS IN AN OPEN MEETING.
AGAIN, HE'S FREE TO DO THAT IF YOU'D LIKE ANYTHING ELSE.
NO, I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ATTORNEY IS SAYING.
I WOULD, I WOULD URGE MAYOR U AS WELL AS ANY FUTURE MAYORS TO SIMPLY MAKE APPOINTMENTS DURING A PUBLIC MEETING.
I, I'D BE INTERESTED IN THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS AS TO HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THAT.
I THINK OUR ATTORNEYS BASICALLY SAID IT'S NOT A BOARD DECISION.
SO YOU ALL CAN STATE YOUR OPINION ON WHATEVER YOU'D LIKE TO.
YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO DO THAT.
UM, BUT UNTIL YOU WANT TO TRY TO MAKE A MOTION TO PUT THAT RULE INTO PLACE, THE BOARD CAN VOTE ON IT AND THEN THE ATTORNEY CAN RESEARCH IT AND FIND IT IF IT'S LEGAL OR NOT.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO DO? YES.
I, I'VE EXPRESSED WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO.
IS THAT A MOTION? THE, THE, THE WAY I INTERPRET THIS RULE IS WE ALREADY HAVE IT IN PLACE.
CAUSE IT REFERS TO THE BOARD, YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THIS BOARD.
NOW, IF, IF THE BOARD, IF THE REST OF THE BOARD MEMBERS WANT TO GIVE YOU THE AUTHORITY
[01:50:02]
TO MAKE APPOINTMENTS AT ANY POINT IN TIME, NOT NOT AT A PUBLIC MEETING, THEN MAYBE THE BOARD SHOULD VOTE TO CHANGE THE LANGUAGE HERE TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT THE BOARD DOES NOT INCLUDE THE MAYOR WHEN IT COMES TO THE HOUSING ATTORNEY.I UNDERSTAND THE CITY ATTORNEY'S ARGUMENT THAT THIS RULE WAS BASED ON, YOU KNOW, THAT STATE STATUTE, BUT THERE ARE OTHER STATE STATUTES THAT ADDRESS APPOINTMENTS TO OTHER BOARDS AND COMMITTEES AND, AND, AND, UH, COMMISSIONS.
SO BASED ON THE ATTORNEY'S ARGUMENT, THIS LANGUAGE IS INAPPROPRIATE.
IT LEAVES IT TO, TO, IT LEAVES IT WIDE OPEN TO INTERPRETATION.
SO MAYBE IT NEEDS TO BE CORRECT, SO, SURE.
I UNDERSTAND WHERE OMAN PR IS COMING FROM FOR ITS PROCEDURE WISE.
SO AS A BOARD WITH THE GENERAL STATUTE, WE HAVE A RIGHT TO, AS A BOARD, AS A MAYOR, WE HAVE A RIGHT TO GO IN AND REVISE THIS PROC THESE PROCEDURES CORRECT.
TO CHANGE 'EM TO WHAT WE WANT TO CHANGE 'EM TO WHEN THE GENERAL STATUTE IS SAYING ONE THING AND WE, WE HAVE A RIGHT TO GO IN AND CHANGE THAT.
THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S TWO ISSUES AND I DON'T WANNA CONFLATE THE TWO.
THE CURRENT RULE IS THE, TO THE BOARD, NOT A BOARD MEMBER AND NOT THE MAYOR, BUT THE BOARD.
SO THE CURRENT RULE SIMPLY RECITES THE STATE LAW THAT THE BOARD CAN ONLY ACT IN AN OPEN MEETING WITH RESPECT TO APPOINTMENTS.
THE SECOND QUESTION IS, IF THE BOARD DEMANDED THAT THE MAYOR MAKE HIS UNILATERAL APPOINTMENT IN AN OPEN MEETING, IS THAT, DOES THE BOARD HAVE THAT AUTHORITY TO MAKE THE MAYOR DO THAT? I AM VERY DOUBTFUL THE BOARD HAS THAT AUTHORITY OR IS THIS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN PROCEED WITH FINDING OUT AN ANSWER TO THAT? IF, IF THE BOARD DIRECTED ME TO GO DO THAT, I, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO POKE AROUND AND SEE WHAT I CAN FIND.
I'M NOT SURE I'M GOING TO FIND AN ANSWER ON THAT.
MY, MY, MY INSTINCTS ARE THAT NO ONE'S EVER CALLED THE QUESTION ON THAT.
AND YOU'VE GOT A STATE STATUTE SAYS THE MAYOR HAS THE UNILATERAL AUTHORITY.
I I DON'T KNOW WHAT WOULD STOP HIM FROM EXERCISING HIS AUTHORITY, WHETHER HE WANTED TO DO IT BEFORE THE MEETING, DURING THE MEETING OR AFTER THE MEETING.
I, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU WOULD STOP HIM IF HE JUST SAID, I'M GONNA DO IT THIS WAY BECAUSE YOU CAN'T STOP HIM.
IT'S ALREADY AUTOMATICALLY DONE.
AND AGAIN, JUST TO BE CLEAR TOO, THE MAYOR IS PERFECTLY FREE TO DO IT DURING THE MEETING IF YOU WOULD LIKE OR NOT.
IT'S TIED UP TO THE MAYOR AND, AND THAT'S THE WAY IT'S BEEN DONE FOR DECADES.
UM, I WANTED TO JUST SIMPLY STATE HOW CONCERNING IT IS FOR ME TO HAVE SO MANY RESIDENTS THAT ARE SO FRUSTRATED AND DISHEARTENED.
UM, I KNOW WE SAID SOMETIME AGO THAT WE CANNOT PLEASE EVERY PERSON, BUT I BELIEVE THAT, UH, IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS THE GOVERNING BODY TO, UH, HAVE CONVERSATIONS THAT CAN HELP US BRING SOME TYPE OF RESOLVE TO SOME OF THESE ISSUES THAT WE ARE SAYING.
UH, SOMEONE BROUGHT UP THE TERM TRANSPARENCY.
AND I KNOW THAT WHEN WE WERE ALL SWORN IN THAT, UH, MOST OF US SAID THAT WE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
UH, WE WANTED A BOARD THAT OUR CITIZENS COULD TRUST.
WE WANTED A BOARD THAT, UM, WOULD BRING SOME TYPE OF RESOLVE.
AND, AND I WANT US TO AGAIN, HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS AS A BOARD, UH, TO COME TOGETHER TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO ACTUALLY, UM, ADDRESS SOME OF THE ISSUES.
THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHART THAT I ALWAYS REFER TO STATES THAT THE CITIZENS OF NEWBURN GOVERNS THE BOARD.
THAT THE CITIZENS OF NEWBURN ARE AT THE TOP OF THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHART AND THAT WE
[01:55:01]
ALL WERE ELECTED BY THE CITIZENS OF OUR GREAT CITY.I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US AGAIN, UH, I'M REPEATING THIS, BUT IT IS SO CONCERNING TO ME THAT AS A BOARD, WE COME TOGETHER, HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS AT, UH, UH, AMONG OURSELVES.
AND YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT THAT, YOU KNOW, HOW I FEEL ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
IT PROVIDES COMMON GROUND FOR CITIZENS TO WORK TOWARDS COMMON GOALS.
AND TO HEAR THESE RESIDENTS TONIGHT COME IN WITH SO MANY ISSUES.
AND I KNOW THAT WE CAN SAY IT'S NOT A CITY ISSUE, BUT I'M TELLING YOU, IF I WERE IN YOUR SHOES, IF I WAS, UM, EXPERIENCING WHAT YOU'RE EXPERIENCING, I WOULD DEFINITELY WANT SOMEONE SOMEHOW TO HELP ME TO BUY A BRAND NEW HOME AND TO SEE IT FLOODED.
AND THERE'S JUST SO MANY CONCERNS.
AND AGAIN, I URGE US AS A GOVERNING BODY THAT WE HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS.
I DON'T KNOW IN WHAT SETTING, BUT I KNOW IT NEEDS TO BE SOON.
AND I NEED, I KNOW THAT IT NEEDS TO FOCUS ON THE RESIDENTS OF OUR CITY, MEETING THE NEEDS OF AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE CAN.
UM, HEARING THEM OUT AND SEEING WHAT TYPE OF RESOLVE WE CAN COME TO AS A GOVERNING BODY JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY VOICE HAS VALUE AND THAT WE ARE DOING ALL WE CAN AS A GOVERNING BODY AND ANSWERING TO THE, UM, REQUESTS OF OUR CITIZENS.
WELL THERE'S TWO SETS OF RULES THAT WE HAVE HERE THAT, UH, THE SEE THE ATTORNEY EXPLAINED TO THE BOARD AND TWO OTHERS THAT IS LISTENING.
THAT ONE IS SET UP BY THE STATE.
ONE IS GIVEN TO YOU BY THE GOVERNOR TO ELECT PEOPLE TO ANOTHER OUTSIDE BOARD.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE DONE.
AND YOU, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE RULES AND REGULATIONS, YOU EXERCISE YOUR RIGHTS TO DO THAT.
SO FROM WHAT THE RULES SAID, YOU HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING WRONG.
SO I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M UNDERSTANDING THE RULES HERE, HOW WE SHOULD FOLLOW THEM.
SO THE TWO RULES THAT WE HAVE, WE HAVE ONE JUST FOR THE BOARD.
ANY APPOINTMENT IS MADE IS THROUGH THE BOARD.
BUT ALSO IT'S ANOTHER SET OF RULES THAT HE HAS TO GO BY THAT IS SET UP WITH ANOTHER SET OF RULES THAT HE DOES NOT HAVE TO COME BEFORE THE BOARD TO APPOINT ANYONE TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD.
AND THAT'S THE ONLY BOARD THAT HE'S ALLOWED TO DO THAT.
SO I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE HE HASN'T DONE ANYTHING WRONG.
HAS HE NOT, HAS HE FOLLOWED EVERYTHING CORRECTLY? YES, SIR.
SO SIR, IT, IT, IT'S NO NEED TO WASTE ALL THAT TIME TO GO RESEARCH SOMETHING THAT YOU GONNA COME BACK WITH AN ANSWER THAT WE ALREADY KNOW BASED ON WHAT THE RULES IT'S BEEN BEFORE US.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW.
AND THEN ANOTHER THING, I'M SORRY ABOUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO YOU GUYS TONIGHT? UM, THAT'S NOT A CITY ISSUE.
UH, MY HEART GOES OUT TO YOU AS WELL THAT YOU GONNA PROBABLY HAVE TO LOOK INTO LEGAL COUNSEL TO FURTHER THE THINGS THAT YOU ARE LOOKING TO DO WITH THIS CONTRACTOR OR WHATEVER HAPPENED THERE.
WE HAVE SENT OUT FROM, FROM WHAT THE CITY MANAGER SAID, THAT IT'S OUR HANDS ARE TIED.
WE CAN'T GO INTO THAT SITUATION THERE.
BUT WITH YOU SEEKING LEGAL COUNSEL, THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO PUT YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTIONS TO HELP YOU OUT WITH YOUR SITUATION AND SOME THINGS WE CAN DO, SOME THINGS WE CAN'T, BUT WE TRY TO DO EVERYTHING RIGHT THAT I KNOW.
I TRY, I FOLLOW THE RULES, I MAKE SURE I GO STRAIGHT TO THE CITY ATTORNEY AND THE MANAGER TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THAT I GET THE, THE FACTS RIGHT WHERE I CAN BASE EVERYTHING FACTS.
[02:00:01]
OF THE DAY, PEOPLE WILL BRING YOU ALL KINDS OF WRONG INFORMATION ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS AND THEY'LL KEEP YOU RUNNING IN A CIRCLE WHEN YOU JUST HAVE TO MAKE ONE PHONE CALL AND STAND UP AND DO WHAT IS RIGHT THE FIRST TIME TO KEEP FROM WASTING ALL THAT TIME GOING HERE, ASKING THAT PERSON OR LISTENING TO ANOTHER PERSON BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GONNA BRING YOU THE FACTS.YOU CAN'T PUT YOUR EMOTIONS IN IT.
STICK TO THE FACTS, DO WHAT IS RIGHT.
IT MAY COST A LITTLE OF MONEY, BUT IT'S COSTING MONEY ANYWAY.
SO GO AHEAD AND DO THE RIGHT THING.
THAT IS MY POINT IN CASE TONIGHT.
OKAY, ALDERMAN BEST I, UM, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THE WAY THAT THE APPOINTMENTS ARE MADE TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY BY THE MAYOR, BUT I DO HAVE A PROBLEM AND I EXPRESSED IT TO THE MAYOR AT OUR LAST MEETING THAT AS A, I'M GONNA SPEAK FOR MYSELF AS A BOARD MEMBER, I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT CITIZENS NAMES TO THE MAYOR TO TAKE UNDER ADVISEMENT TO LOOK AT THEIR APPLICATION, TO BE SELECTED AND APPOINTED TO THE BOARD, TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
I JUST FEEL THAT AS A BOARD MEMBER, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT RIGHT TO SUBMIT MY CITIZEN'S NAME, TO HAVE AN INTEREST.
UM, I KNOW WE GET ATTACKED ALL THE TIME ABOUT TRANSPARENCY.
I MEAN, JUST BECAUSE I SIT UP HERE WITH THIS BOARD AND I'M A PART OF THIS BOARD DON'T MEAN THAT I'M GONNA SIT UP HERE AND DO SOMETHING THAT I KNOW THAT IS NOT RIGHT BECAUSE I HAVE TO WORK WITH MY COLLEAGUES.
I'M NOT GONNA DO SOMETHING THAT I KNOW THAT IS NOT RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING.
SO I AM, AS MS. BARBARA SAMPSON SAID, I AM ONE OF THOSE THAT I FEEL LIKE I BE TRANSPARENT AND MOVING FORWARD WHEN IT COMES TO TRANSPARENCY, AND WE USE THAT WORD TRANSPARENCY.
IF WE, IF I HAVE A QUESTION, A A, A PROBLEM, WE DISCUSS SOMETHING, I'M NOT CLEAR WITH IT.
I'M GONNA DIRECT MY QUESTIONS FOR AN ANSWER TO OUR ATTORNEY DAVIS.
SO I HAVE TO JUDGE, I HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR OUR CITIZENS ALONG WITH THIS BOARD BASED ON WHAT THE CITY ATTORNEY, THE ADVICE THAT HE GIVES ME.
SO IT'S, IT IS A REALLY, REALLY, UM, TERRIBLE SITUATION, UM, THAT WE SIT UP HERE AND WE LISTEN TO ALL THE COMMENTS, WE LISTEN TO ALL THE RIDICULE AND ALL OF THIS.
BUT IT'S A, IT IS A BIG DECISION THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE.
AND I, LIKE I SAID, I'M JUST GONNA BASE MINE ON THE ADVICE I GET FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY.
UM, CUZ I, I'M THE FIRST TO SAY, DON'T CARE.
WHO KNOWS? THIS IS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE AND ANYBODY SITS UP HERE IN THIS SEAT.
THIS IS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE.
BUT NOW I DO WANT TO COMMENT ALSO ON, UH, THE ATOMS. UM, I JUST FEEL THAT IF WE HAVE DEVELOPERS THAT COME INTO OUR CITY AND DEVELOP SUBDIVISIONS THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE AS A CITY WE CAN HOLD THOSE DEVELOPERS TO.
I I JUST FEEL THAT WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF THAT.
IT'S, IT'S JUST LIKE WITH OUR CITY STREETS AND, AND, AND ROBES OR WHATEVER, WE HOLD THE DEVELOPERS.
WE DON'T SIGN OFF ON CONTRACTS FOR THOSE STREETS UNTIL WE KNOW THAT THOSE STREETS ARE 100% CORRECT.
SO I THINK THAT WE NEED TO DO AS A BOARD, WE NEED TO DIVE A LITTLE DEEPER.
WE NEED TO SEE WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO HOLD THESE DEVELOPERS ACCOUNTABLE.
UM, AND THEN, AND I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO ASK, UM, YOU MAYOR OM, IF YOU, CUZ I'VE HAD SOME, UM, QUESTIONS, UH, HAD SOME CALLS AND CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE PROCESS BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR CITIZENS ARE SAYING THAT THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE FEELING LEFT OUT AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENS AFTER WE GO INTO A CLOSED SESSION AND COME OUT OF THAT COLO SESSION.
THEY'RE NOT AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON AND DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE AFTER WE COME OUT OF THAT CLOSED SESSION.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE LATER ON WHEN YOU GIVE YOUR COMMENTS OF HOW THAT PROCESS IS HANDLED, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT.
DO I NEED TO EX I I MEAN I I'LL TRY TO EXPLAIN IT NOW.
[02:05:01]
PROBABLY OKAY.BUT, UM, OBVIOUSLY THE, THE CAMERAS ARE ON WHILE WE'RE IN AN OPEN SESSION.
UM, THE CLERK RECORDS EVERYTHING FROM AN AUDIO TRANSCRIBING STANDPOINT THAT GETS TRANSLATED INTO THE MINUTES, WHICH WE ALL APPROVE WHEN THE BOARD GOES INTO CLOSED SESSION.
I'M GONNA SAY STAFF, CORRECT ME, I'M GONNA SAY 99% OF THE TIME WHEN WE COME OUT, WE DON'T TAKE ACTION.
USUALLY IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S GIVEN DIRECTION IN CLOSED SESSION BECAUSE YOU REALLY CAN'T TAKE A VOTE IN CLOSED SESSION.
UM, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO IS THE LAST CLOSED SESSION WE HAD, NO, EXCUSE ME.
I'M NOT SPEAKING OF HOW WE HANDLE OUR BUSINESS IN THE CLOSED SESSION, WHEN WE COME BACK INTO OPEN SESSION, WE COME BACK AFTER WE COME OUT OF A CLOSED SESSION, WE COME BACK IN, WE OPEN UP THE DOORS TO SEE IF ANY CITIZENS ARE HERE.
THAT'S THE PROCESS THE CITIZENS ARE WANTING KNOW WHY ARE THEY'RE NOT INVOLVED IN COMING BACK IN? SURE.
WELL I MEANT WE'RE GONNA HAVE A CLOSED SESSION TONIGHT.
RIGHT? SO ALL OF YOU ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO SIT OUT THERE IN THE FOYER UNTIL WE GET THROUGH DELIBERATING.
IF IT'S 30 MINUTES OR THREE HOURS, THE DOORS GET OPENED BACK UP.
IF YOU'RE HERE, INCLUDING THE MEDIA USED TO, WHEN WE HAD A MEDIA REPRESENTATIVE FROM SUN JOURNAL, THEY WOULD USUALLY HANG AROUND AND COME BACK IN.
UM, AND THEN WHATEVER HAPPENS, THE AUDIO RECORDING STARTS AGAIN.
AND THEN THE BOARD EITHER TAKES ACTION OR ADJOURNS.
DOES THAT HELP? THAT'S IT, THAT'S WHAT I DID.
AND THE ACTION TAKEN WILL OF COURSE BE IN THE MINUTES.
UM, I THINK I HAD ONE OTHER THING.
OH, UM, I WANTED TO KNOW WHEN, UM, WILL WE BE BRINGING BACK TO THE BOARD? UM, WE HAD OUR LAST DISCUSSION ON THE EJ AND I DIDN'T KNOW, I KNOW THAT OUR ATTORNEY DAVIS, THERE WAS SOME ISSUES AND CONCERNS THAT WE HAD TO TAKE A DI A DEEPER DIVE INTO AND LOOK INTO.
BUT WHEN WOULD THAT, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA, UM, MAYOR OR ATTORNEY DAVIS, WHEN WE'LL BE BRINGING THAT BACK AS AN AGENDA ITEM SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT DISCUSSION AND GET THE CITIZENS THAT LIVE WITHIN THAT E T J, YOU KNOW, MAKE A DECISION, WHATEVER, WHICHEVER WAY WE ARE GONNA GO.
WHAT I CAN TELL YOU ABOUT THAT IS THAT IS GONNA BE ONE OF THE TOPICS THAT THE WORK SESSION ISS COMING UP ON THE 27TH.
AND UM, ALSO I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, THE, UM, MST MASSEY OF JUNETEENTH WOULD LIKE TO COME BACK BEFORE THE BOARD AND GIVE A RECAP OF JUNETEENTH LAST YEAR.
AND I JUST WANT TO, UM, MAKE SURE, AND POSSIBLY IF THAT CAN BE PUT ON THE AGENDA SO SHE CAN COME AND DO A PRESENTATION ON MARCH, THE MARCH 28TH, 2023 MEETING.
IS THAT A MOTION? THAT'S A MOTION, PLEASE.
DOES EVERYONE UNDERSTAND THE MOTION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
UM, CITY ATTORNEY, UM, I MEAN, UH, CITY MANAGER.
WHERE, WHERE IS MY VALENTINE
IF FINANCE RECORD DON'T HAVE A VALENTINE.
WHAT, WHAT? WHERE'S OUR VALENTINE? ALL I CAN SAY I'M BUSTED FOR, FOR THE, UH, FOR THE, UH, FOR CHRISTMAS WITHOUT THE, UH, THE ETT.
NOW I'M BUSTED FOR THE VALENTINE, SO I APOLOGIZE.
YOU KNOW, US GIRLS, I'M, I'M NOT SURE GIRLS.
I'M NOT SURE WE CAN GIVE AND RECEIVE GIFTS.
REMEMBER, THERE'S ALL KINDS AROUND THAT WE LIKE GIFTS.
I TRYING TO DECIDE WHETHER I WANT TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE TOPICS WE'VE, UH, TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT.
I THINK THE ONE THAT I WILL ADDRESS IS, IT'S, IS ONE OF THE, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DEVELOPERS, TO ME, ONE OF THE SYMPTOMS WE HAVE IS WE AS A CITY NEED TO DECIDE WHETHER WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE A STRUCTURE OF MAINTENANCE.
WE HAD ISSUES ADDRESSED WITH RIVERSIDE ABOUT MAINTAINING THOSE AREAS.
OR ARE WE GOING TO RESTRUCTURE AND MANAGE OUR GROWTH AND MAINTAIN? SO WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT? WELL, I DON'T THINK WITHIN OUR, AND STAFF CAN CORRECT ME.
I'M, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW
[02:10:01]
EVERYTHING, JUST LIKE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.UM, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE THE ENGINEERING EXPERTISE TO LOOK AT PLANS, TO LOOK AT TRAFFIC STUDIES, TO LOOK AT GRADING, TO LOOK AT ALL OF THESE THINGS AND, AND FOR THE SHEER FACTOR, THE VOLUME THAT WE HAVE NOW.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A DISCUSSION OBVIOUSLY FOR BUDGET TO COME, BUT I THINK IT'S A SYMPTOM OF THE ISSUES WE'RE HAVING WITH DEVELOPERS THAT THE CITY PROBABLY DOESN'T HAVE THE CAPACITY, MUCH LESS THE ORDINANCES TO WORK ON THAT SHEER VOLUME OF DEVELOPERS THAT ARE HERE.
SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING, UM, PROBABLY TO DISCUSS DURING THE BUDGET.
CAUSE I KNOW, UH, I'VE BEEN TOLD AT LEAST THEY'RE PROBABLY GONNA CONTRACT OUT FOR SOME OF THOSE SERVICES.
AND, UM, MY THOUGHT PROCESS IS WE NEED TO START THINKING ABOUT WHETHER WE BRING THAT IN HOUSE SO THAT WE HAVE 'EM TO DEAL WITH THE DEVELOPERS.
THAT'S ALL I'LL SAY ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THE NEXT THING I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS, UH, I ATTENDED, OR I WATCHED THE LAST, UH, COUNTY COMMISSIONER MEETING.
AND SO THE COUNTY TAX OFFICE, WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT, UH, REEVALUATIONS HERE AT ALL.
THE COUNTY TAX OFFICE WILL MAIL PROPERTY REEVALUATIONS ON FEBRUARY 27TH AND EXPECTS 'EM TO HIT YOUR POST OFFICE BOXES AROUND, UH, MARCH 1ST.
THEY WILL ALSO POST THE REEVALUATIONS ON GIS FEBRUARY 28TH.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU? WELL, THE REVALUATION IS A TAX ASSESSED VALUE OF YOUR PROPERTY.
WE USE THAT TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH TAXES YOU'RE GONNA PAY.
UH, EVERY PROPERTY IS EVALUATED SEPARATELY, SO YOUR INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY MAY GO UP, MAY STAY THE SAME, MAY GO DOWN.
HOWEVER, I WANT TO CAVEAT THAT, UH, WITH EACH PROPERTY IS IN EVALUATED SEPARATELY, BUT WHAT THE COUNTY, UM, THE COUNTYWIDE AVERAGE PROPERTY VALUE HAS GONE UP 36.11% SINCE THE LAST REEVALUATION IN 20 16, 30 6%.
NOW, WHAT THE COUNTY AND THE CITY DOES WITH THE TAX RATE IS ACTUALLY GONNA DETERMINE WHAT YOUR TAX BILL IS GONNA BE.
BUT THE BASIS IS GONNA BE YOUR REEVALUATION THAT'S COMING OUT.
UH, I FULLY EXPECT I CAN, I'LL SAY THIS NOW.
I, I FULLY EXPECT BOTH TO LOWER THE TAX RATES, BUT TO WHAT EXTENT, THAT'S STILL TO BE DETERMINED.
THE CITY AND COUNTY WILL SET A NEW TAX RATE BY ONE JULY, BECAUSE THAT'S FOLLOWING OUR BUDGET PROCESS.
UH, I EXPECT OUR BUDGET WORK SESSION STARTS IN MARCH OR APRIL, SOMEWHERE IN THERE.
UH, SO THAT'S WHEN YOU NEED TO START TALKING TO US ABOUT TAXES.
BUT I DIDN'T WANT IT TO BE A SHOCK WHEN YOU GET YOUR REEVALUATION NOTICE.
HOWEVER, IF YOU'RE MORE, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN MORE DETAILS ON REEVALUATION, THE COUNTY WILL HAVE A DETAILED UPDATE DURING THEIR FEBRUARY 20TH MEETING THAT'S AT EIGHT 30 AT THE, UH, COUNTY BUILDING.
BUT, UH, JUST LIKE US, THEY BROADCAST, THERE'S MEETINGS LIVE ON YOUTUBE AND THEY'RE ALSO ARCHIVED THERE.
SO WHILE WE DO FACEBOOK AND, UH, ROKU, THEY USE YOUTUBE.
SO IF YOU JUST SEARCH, UH, CRAVEN COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, YOU CAN LOOK UP THEIR MEETINGS THERE.
BUT AGAIN, THEY'LL HAVE A DETAILED MEETING GOING THROUGH REEVALUATION ON FEBRUARY 20TH.
AND, UH, NEXT TOPIC IS AT THE JANUARY 26TH MEETING AT THE NEW BERN METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION, WE APPROVE FLASHING LIGHTS AT THE INTERSECTION OF MLK AND HIGHWAY 17 WITH TRENT CREEK ROAD AND BENDI QUINN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
UH, THESE FLASHING LIGHTS WILL GIVE DRIVERS MORE WARNING WHEN THE LIGHTS TURNING RED, SIMILAR TO THE ONES THAT ARE ON US 70.
AND HOPEFULLY THIS WILL PREVENT ACCIDENTS LIKE THE ONES WE HAD LAST YEAR INVOLVING A SCHOOL BUS.
UH, SO I WANTED TO LET CITIZENS KNOW THAT WE ARE TAKING A REACTIVE MEASURE IN THIS CASE, BUT WE ARE TRYING TO IMPROVE SAFETY.
AND THEN THE LAST THING I WANTED TO MENTION, I, I DIDN'T REALIZE THE, UH, WORK SESSION AGENDA WAS ALREADY SET, BUT, UH, WHAT I AM,
[02:15:01]
I GET WHAT ALDERMAN MASTERS SAID.UH, I WANTED TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THE, AT THE SPECIAL SESSION I TALKED ABOUT, UH, HAVING A DOWNTOWN ADVISORY COUNCIL SEPARATE FROM THE MS. D.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THAT AT THE, UM, WORK SESSION, CUZ I THINK THAT KIND OF GOES HAND IN HAND WITH THE MSD.
BUT MY THOUGHT PROCESS IS I'LL GET WITH, UH, ALDERMAN PRILL AND WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND PUT TOGETHER SOME SORT OF PROPOSAL, UH, TO DISCUSS.
WE DON'T HAVE TO ADOPT IT, THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR, BUT BASICALLY HAVE THE DISCUSSION, UH, FOR A DOWNTOWN ADVISORY COUNCIL.
AND THE REASON WHY IT'D BE SEPARATE FROM MSD IS, YOU KNOW, OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR BUSINESSES AREN'T NECESSARILY THE PROPERTY OWNERS.
UH, BUT THE, UH, THIS DOWNTOWN ADVISORY COUNCIL IDEA THAT, UH, I WOULD BE PROPOSING WOULD HANDLE SOME OF THE ISSUES AT DOWNTOWN, LIKE THE STREET CAFES.
SHOULD WE STILL HAVE 'EM? SHOULD WE MODIFY 'EM? UH, SHOULD WE GET RID OF THEM? AND THEN, AS YOU HEARD, UH, TONIGHT ABOUT A SOCIAL DISTRICT, SHOULD WE HAVE ONE AT ALL? AND IF WE SHOULD HAVE ONE, THEN WHAT SHOULD IT LOOK LIKE? BUT BASICALLY THAT ADVISORY COUNCIL WOULD BE A WORK GROUP IN AND OF ITSELF TO DEVELOP PROPOSALS AND, UH, PRESENT IT TO THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN RATHER THAN JUST KICKING THINGS AROUND.
BRISSON, I'LL, I'LL MAKE A COUPLE COMMENTS ON, UH, WHAT YOU JUST MENTIONED.
UM, CITY ATTORNEY, WHEN, WHEN WE HAVE A ADVISORY COUNCIL THAT IS AN OFFICIAL BOARD, IF YOU WILL, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO POST THEIR MEETINGS, UM, THEY HAVE ALL THOSE DIFFERENT STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS, MINUTES HAVE TO BE TAKEN, THEY HAVE TO BE UNAVAILABLE.
AND, AND YOU WOULD WANT TO APPOINT A CITY STAFF PERSON TO BE THAT LIAISON JUST FOR THAT REASON.
BECAUSE WE GOTTA CHECK ALL THE LEGAL BOXES THAT THE NOTICES, UH, ARE PROPERLY GIVEN THAT MINUTES ARE PROPERLY KEPT AND RECORDED.
CUZ THE CITY IS GONNA FOREVER OWN THAT LIABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY TO COMPLY.
IF IT IS A WORKING GROUP, IT CAN BE 50 PEOPLE, RIGHT? AND THEY CAN MEET INFORMALLY WHEREVER THEY WANT TO MEET, MAKE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS TO US.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE DIFFERENCE IN A ADVISORY COUNCIL AND A WORKING GROUP.
SO WHAT WE HAVE NOW FROM AN MSD PERSPECTIVE IS A WORKING GROUP CAUSE IT'S INFORMAL.
AND I THINK WHAT OTTOMAN PR HAS BEEN PROPOSING IS A FORMAL MSD COUNCIL WHERE YES, SIR, WHAT I JUST MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY WOULD ALL BE HANDLED THAT WAY.
UM, LAST COMMENT I WANNA MAKE, UH, IF YOU COULD JUST, UH, GIVE US A REMINDER, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO COMMUNICATING, UH, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TRANSPARENCY, UH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, UH, THE BOARD BE REMINDED THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE CONDUCTING BUSINESS VIA EMAIL.
WHEN YOU GET AN EMAIL, UH, FROM A CITY STAFF MEMBER OR ANOTHER BOARD MEMBER, UM, PLEASE DO NOT, UH, CLICK REPLY ALL AND SHARE INFORMATION.
IT'S ONE THING TO SAY, GREAT JOB.
IT'S ANOTHER ONE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS AT THE NEXT MEETING.
UH, THOSE TWO HAVE DIFFERENT LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS.
SO JUST A REMINDER FOR EVERYONE, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO THAT.
SO DO WE NEED A CLOSED SESSION TONIGHT? YES, SIR.
UM, UH, PURSUANT TO 1 43 13 11 A FIVE TO DISCUSS THE POTENTIAL ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY HONOR, MCKENZIE, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE? YES, I HAVE SOMETHING.
UM, WE HAVE A, I HAVE A SPECIAL GUEST WITH ME TONIGHT AND, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO TELL HER HAPPY VALENTINE'S AND, UH, THAT IS MY, UM, FIANCE.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SAY HELLO AGAIN AND HAPPY VALENTINE'S TO YOU AND MANY MORE YOU CAN TELL WHO'S NOT MARRIED ON THE BOARD, BUT THEY'RE THE ONLY ONES THAT THOUGHT TO WISH THEIR SIGNIFICANT OTHER HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY.
SO HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO THANKS FOR THE REMINDER, MAYOR.
I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, MAKE ONE COMMENT.
THE, UH, THE AGENDA FOR THE WORK SESSION IS NOT SET YET.
WE SENT THE INFORMATION OUT AND, UH, NEWSLETTER, UH, THE, THE WEEKLY REPORT, SEVERAL WEEKS TO ENLISTED SOME THINGS AND WE'RE STILL TAKING ITEMS. IF ANY OF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER THINGS YOU'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT, WE'LL DEFINITELY PUT THEM ON THE LIST AND IT'LL BE SIMILAR TO THE THE LAST MEETING.
WE'RE GONNA GO UNTIL, UNTIL WE RUN OUT OF TIME ON THINGS.
SO, AND I'VE TAKEN NOTE OF, OF, OF WHAT THE BOARD SAID TONIGHT.
[20. Closed Session. ]
A REMINDER, WE NEED A CLOSED, CLOSED SESSION.THE ATTORNEY STATED THE STATUTE, SO I NEED A MOTION TO SECOND PLEASE.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF GOING TO CLOSED SESSION, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? WE ARE NOW IN CLOSED SESSION.
IF THE, UM, ARE WE GOOD? DID SHE GET IT? YES.
WE ARE MOTION TO MOTION BACK IN.
THERE ANY MORE BUSINESS BECOME BEFORE THE CITY OF NEWBURN TONIGHT.
[02:20:01]
MOTION TO ADJOURN.