Nov 14, 2023 Board of Aldermen

HAS THE BOARD HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE AGENDA? MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO, UH, MAKE A ONE REVISION TO THE AGENDA.

UH, I KNOW WE HAVE A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS IN ATTENDANCE, UH, THIS EVENING, UM, HERE TO, UM, LISTEN TO OR TO GIVE, UM, OR JUST TALK TO THE BOARD ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF A MENORAH BEING, UM, PUT ON CITY PROPERTY DURING THE HOLIDAYS.

UM, SINCE THE, THAT ISSUE HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM OUR PRE AGENDA, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO AT LEAST PUT A PLACEHOLDER BACK ON THE AGENDA FOR THAT ISSUE TO BE DISCUSSED BY THE BOARD FOLLOWING THE VARI, THE PRESENTATIONS THAT ARE GONNA BE MADE THIS EVENING.

IS THAT YOUR MOTION? YES.

DURING NO SECOND, THAT MOTION DIES.

CAN YOU SPEAK UP? YES.

DO WE HAVE A SUBSEQUENT MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA? MOVE SECOND.

HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

NO.

ANY OPPOSED? OPPOSED.

IS REQUEST AND PETITION OF CITIZENS.

THE AGENDA IS APPROVED, ALDERMAN PRILL OPPOSED? NUMBER FOUR

[4. Request and Petition of Citizens.]

MS. CLERK.

FIRST ONE TONIGHT IS STEVE SKIFFINGTON.

THANK YOU, MR. SKIFFINGTON.

I, UM, I CAME HERE TONIGHT TO SUPPORT THE TEMPLE.

UH, I AM DISMAYED TO WHAT JUST HAPPENED.

SO EDUCATE ME.

AM I TO UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT A SECOND ON THE MOTION TO HEAR ABOUT IT, THAT IT IS KILLED, IT IS DEAD.

IS THAT CORRECT? UH, MR. SKIPTON, THE PETITION OF CITIZENS, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITIZENS TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD.

THERE'S TYPICALLY NOT INTERACTION BACK AND FORTH, UH, BUT THE MOTION WAS MADE TO HAVE AN ITEM PLACED BACK ON THE AGENDA AFTER THE PETITION OF CITIZENS FOR THE BOARD TO DELIBERATE.

AND THAT DIED FOR A SECOND.

THE PUBLIC IS STILL, THAT'S ALL THAT HAS SIGNED UP, IS STILL GONNA BE ALLOWED TO SPEAK FOR THEIR FOUR MINUTES.

[00:05:02]

UH, I'M FROM CALIFORNIA.

MY HUSBAND AND I MOVE HERE.

TWO YEARS AGO, I HAD PEOPLE IN CALIFORNIA WHO FEARED FOR MY SAFETY, UH, BECAUSE I'M AN OPEN GAY MAN.

I HAD PEOPLE IN MY CHURCH.

I'M AN EPISCOPALIAN WHO FEARED FOR MY SAFETY BECAUSE I WAS COMING, QUOTE UNQUOTE, TO THE SOUTH.

AND I TOLD THEM PEOPLE WERE JUST PEOPLE.

I WAS NOT WORRIED.

UM, I JUST FINISHED AN 1 0 1 CLASS.

I WAS HIGHLY IMPRESSED HOW THIS CITY IS RUN, THE DEPARTMENTS.

I MEAN, I WAS BLOWN AWAY.

I DID NOT EXPECT IT TO BE THAT LEVEL.

AND IT IS, AND IT SURPASSES IT.

WHAT I'M SHOCKED AT IS THAT ANTISEMITISM IS ALIVE AND WELL, I'M NOT MOVING, BUT, UH, IT IS.

IT'S JUST LIKE, DON'T PEOPLE WATCH THE NEWS AND KNOW WHAT HAS HAPPENED AND WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THIS COUNTRY ON MANY LEVELS, AND FOR THIS GROUP OF ELECTED LEADERS TO FAIL TO EVEN GIVE IT A SECOND.

ISAAC IS DISGRACEFUL.

ON BEHALF OF TEMPLE THAN A SHALOM.

NEXT UP IS JODY SHERMAN OF 2 0 4 EIGHTH STREET IN NEW BERN.

GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS JODY SHERMAN.

I'M A TRUSTEE AND CO-CHAIR OF THE OUTREACH COMMITTEE FOR TEMPLE VENET.

SHALOM.

I'M HERE REQUESTING A MENORAH BE INCLUDED WITH THE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS AT UNION POINT PARK.

TEMPLE VENET SHALOM IS A SMALL OF A GROWING CONGREGATION.

WE ARE THE SOLE SYNAGOGUE IN NEW BERN AND CRAVEN COUNTY.

WE ARE ALSO THE ONLY JEWISH HOUSE OF WORSHIP THAT SERVES FOUR OTHER COUNTIES, PAMLICO CARTER RAT, ONSLOW, AND JONES.

WHILE OUR MISSION IS TO SERVE THE RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL NEEDS OF OUR CONGREGATION, WE STRIVE TO BUILD CONNECTIONS WITH MEMBERS OF OTHER FAITHS AND TO JOIN THEM IN SUPPORTING OUR COMMON VALUES OF BRINGING PEACE AND UNITY INTO THE WORLD.

WE ARE MEMBERS OF FAITH CONNECTION AND WE PARTICIPATE IN SEVERAL COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS AND EVENTS.

IN DECEMBER OF 2022, WE WERE INVITED BY CAROLINA CREATIONS TO PARTICIPATE IN LIVE WINDOWS TO CREATE NEW NEWBORN'S, FIRST HANUKKAH WINDOW DISPLAY.

CROWDS OF PEOPLE WERE DELIGHTED TO SEE AND HEAR THE HANUKKAH STORY, AND MANY OF THEM REMARKED IT'S ABOUT TIME.

WE ARE DELIGHTED TO BE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS YEAR'S LIVE WINDOWS BY SURF, WIND, AND FIRE.

NEW BERN INVOLVES A COMMUNITY AND NUMEROUS CELEBRATIONS, WHETHER HISTORIC EVENTS OR HOLIDAYS IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER, EXCUSE ME, THE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS AND CELEBRATIONS THAT FILL THE TOWN MAKE THE SEASON VERY FESTIVE FOR ALL TO ENJOY.

AS MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL JEWISH COMMUNITY, WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE OUR OWN WINTER HOLIDAY OF HANUKKAH, WHICH IS REFERRED TO AS A FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS, ALSO DISPLAYED FOR ALL TO ENJOY.

THERE ARE CULTURAL REPRESENTATIONS OF BOTH CHRISTMAS AND HANUKKAH.

THE PUBLIC DISPLAY OF HOLIDAY AND RELIGIOUS SYMBOLS HAS RAISED CONTROVERSY AND HAS BEEN BROUGHT BEFORE THE COURTS OVER THE YEARS.

IN 1989, A SUPREME COURT CASE CONCLUDED THAT WHEN A MENORAH IS PLACED NEXT TO A CHRISTMAS TREE, THE OVERALL EFFECT OF THE DISPLAY RECOGNIZES THAT BOTH CHRISTMAS AND HANUKKAH ARE PART OF THE SAME WINTER HOLIDAY SEASON, BOTH OF WHICH HAVE ATTAINED A SECULAR STATUS IN OUR SOCIETY.

MANY TOWNS DISPLAY MENORAHS ALONGSIDE A CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS.

AND HERE ARE SOME TOWNS IN NORTH CAROLINA THAT ALREADY DISPLAYED PUBLIC MENOS AND CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS TOGETHER.

WE INITIALLY MADE THIS REQUEST OVER A YEAR AGO, AND WERE GIVEN THE IMPRESSION THAT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT WAS GOING TO BILL THEM INNO LIKE THE OTHER LIGHTED HOLIDAY DISPLAYS.

EARLIER THIS YEAR, WE REQUESTED A FREESTANDING ELECTRIC MANURE, WHICH IS MORE IN KEEPING WITH OUR TRADITION, THESE ELECTRIC MENOS, WHICH YOU CAN SEE THE PICTURES OF SIT ON A METAL BASE THAT CAN BE SET UP AND TAKEN DOWN EVERY YEAR.

IF COST IS AN ISSUE, WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO RAISE MONEY TO HELP COVER THE COST.

IF AN ELECTRIC MANURE IS NOT AN OPTION, WE WOULD WELCOME THE INCLUSION OF ALIGHTED MANURE STRUCTURE CREATED BY THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT

[00:10:04]

WE HOPE THAT OUR PRESENTATION TONIGHT CREATES A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF OUR REQUEST TO INCLUDE A HANUKKAH MENORAH IN NEW BERN'S COMMUNITY HOLIDAY DISPLAY.

PLEASE CONSIDER THE INCLUSION OF A LIGHTED DISPLAY AS AN EXPRESSION OF NEW BERN'S MOTTO.

EVERYTHING COMES TOGETHER HERE, AND OUR ADVOCACY FOR COMMUNITY UNITY.

THE FIRST NIGHT OF HANUKKAH IS DECEMBER 7TH, AND WE WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR DECISION BEFORE THEN IF POSSIBLE.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

NEXT UP IS MAXINE WISEMAN OF FIVE 11 CRAVEN STREET.

GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS MAXINE WEISSMAN.

I'M A TRUSTEE OF TEMPLE VENETIAN ALONE AND CO-CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE COMMUNITY OUTREACH COMMITTEE.

I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THE REQUEST FOR, FOR HANUKKAH MENORAH AT UNION POINT, AND TO SHARE WITH YOU A LETTER FROM OUR RABBI, RABBI BENJAMIN SCHUL, WHO COULD NOT BE HERE TODAY.

FRIENDS, IT HAS BEEN EIGHT MONTHS SINCE I ASSUMED THE POSITION AS THE RABBI OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OF NEW BERN.

DURING THAT TIME, MY WIFE AND I HAVE FOUND NEW BERN TO BE A TOWN FILLED WITH OPEN-MINDED AND CARING PEOPLE WHO ARE PROUD OF THEIR COMMUNITY.

WITH ALL IT HAS TO OFFER, WE HAVE BEEN WELCOMED AND EMBRACED BY ALL.

IMAGINE MY SURPRISE AND DISAPPOINTMENT WHEN I WAS TOLD BY MY LAY LEADERSHIP THAT THE TOWN LEADERSHIP HAD INITIALLY REJECTED OUR REQUESTS TO DISPLAY AND LIGHT A HANUKKAH MENORAH AT UNION POINT PARK, AMONG THE OTHER WINTER HOLIDAY DECORATIONS AND SYMBOLS.

THE HANUKKAH MENORAH IS A CHERISHED SYMBOL OF THE HOLIDAY OF HANUKKAH, REMINDING EVERYONE OF THE TRIUMPH OF LIGHT OVER DARKNESS AND FREEDOM OVER OPPRESSION.

EXCLUDING THIS VITAL PART OF JEWISH TRADITION FROM NEW BRUNS HOLIDAY CELEBRATION IS EXCLUDING THE JEWISH COMMUNITY.

I'M SORRY THAT I'M NOT ABLE TO JOIN MY CONGREGANTS IN PERSON TO MAKE OUR CASE.

I HOPE THAT YOU WILL RECONSIDER YOUR INITIAL REJECTION OF YOUR, OF OUR REQUEST.

WE TRUST THAT NOT ONLY DOES EVERYTHING COME TOGETHER HERE, BUT EVERYONE COMES TOGETHER HERE AS WELL.

THIS SHALOM IN PEACE, RABBI .

I'LL APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE FOR THIS LAST NAME, BUT IT'S HOWARD NEISSER NEER OF EIGHT 11.

HELM DRIVE NOWHERE NEAR ELLO.

WHEN IS THE PREVIOUS THREE PEOPLE? I JUST WANNA REMIND YOU ALL PICK UP.

I JUST WANNA REMIND YOU ALL, UM, WHAT I FEEL IS DIVERSITY IS ONE OF THE STRENGTHS OF NEWBURN.

MOST PEOPLE HERE THAT YOU MEET CAME FROM SOMEPLACE ELSE.

THEY COME HERE, THEY FIND A COMMON DENOMINATOR.

WE HAVE PROBABLY THE STRONGEST INTERFAITH COMMUNITY THAT ANYBODY COULD EVER WANT.

WE, WE, WE WORK TOGETHER, WE SUPPORT EACH OTHER, AND, AND WE SHOULD ALWAYS PUBLICIZE AND, AND, AND MAKE VISITORS AWARE OF OUR DIVERSITY.

AND HAVING A MERAH AND CHRISTMAS TOGETHER MAKES SENSE TO ME.

HOPEFULLY IT'LL MAKE SENSE TO YOU AS WELL.

WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OUR WONDERFUL COMMUNITY.

NEXT UP IS DEACON JIM HACKETT OF 2 0 7 FAIRMOUNT WAY.

GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, ALL THE WOMEN, ALL THE MEN.

A FEW MINUTES AGO, I MADE A CONSCIOUS DECISION TO PUT MY DISAPPOINTMENT ASIDE AND REMAIN OPTIMISTIC AND HOPEFUL.

AND THANK YOU ULTIMATE APPEAL FOR YOUR INTENT IN YOUR MOTION.

FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS, I HAVE SERVED AS AN ORDAIN DEACON AT ST.

PAUL CATHOLIC CHURCH HERE IN NEW BERN.

I'M ALSO THE BOARD CHAIR OF FAITH CONNECTION, A LOCAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION AND A PARTNERSHIP OF LOCAL CONGREGATIONS, CLERGY AND LAYPEOPLE, CHRISTIANS AND NON-CHRISTIANS,

[00:15:01]

AND I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE AND THE BLESSINGS OF HAVING BEEN INVOLVED IN VARIOUS INTERFAITH GROUPS FOR THE NEARLY PAST 20 YEARS.

AND DURING THAT TIME, I'VE GOTTEN TO KNOW MANY PEOPLE OF MANY DIFFERENT FAITH TRADITIONS AND HAVE GROWN TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE PEOPLE OF FAITH, HAVE SO MUCH MORE IN COMMON THAN WE HAVE IN DIFFERENCES.

I GAINED THIS KNOWLEDGE OVER THIS TIME THROUGH MANY CONVERSATIONS AND SHARING OF BELIEFS AND STORIES WITH THESE PEOPLE, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

THIS KNOWLEDGE, THIS UNDERSTANDING, HAS TAKEN A PLACE MY OWN IGNORANCE AND IGNORANCE IS SIMPLY A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE, AND THAT RESULTS IN A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING, WHICH THEN RESULT IN MISTRUST, PREJUDICE, AND SOMETIMES OUTRIGHT HATRED.

AND IN MY JOURNEY AS A CATHOLIC DEACON, I'VE ALSO LEARNED MORE ABOUT MY OWN FAITH AND BEGAN TO BETTER UNDERSTAND MORE AND APPRECIATE MORE ABOUT OUR JUDEO-CHRISTIAN HISTORY AND CONNECTION.

I'VE ALSO LEARNED THAT JESUS CHRIST WAS A PRETTY GOOD JEW.

YOU COULD SAY, LOOK AT THE MENORAH AS A RELIGIOUS SYMBOL, BUT IT IS SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT.

ALTHOUGH IT'S REALLY A MINOR HOLIDAY IN THE JEWISH CALENDAR, IT HAS GROWN INS SIGNIFICANCE.

AND ONE WAY TO VIEW IT, EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT JEWISH, IS THAT IT HELL RAISED A MIRACLE OF PEOPLE LOOKING AFTER ONE ANOTHER AND DOING WHAT IS RIGHT.

THE MINORITY TELLS A STORY, AND IT'S THE STORY OF OUR SURVIVAL ABOUT FREEDOM.

IN HEBREW, THE WORD MENORAH MEANS LAMP.

LAMPS PROVIDE LIGHT, AND LIGHT REPRESENTS GOODNESS.

THE MENORAH, ME MENORAH IS A STORY ABOUT LIGHT.

GOODNESS OVER BECOME THE EVIL OF DARKNESS.

IN TRADITIONAL MENORAH, THE CANDLES REPRESENTING EACH DAY ARE NOT HIGHER THAN ONE ANOTHER.

THEY SERVE EQUALLY.

AND THAT SERVES US AS A REMINDER FOR ALL OF US THAT THERE'S A DANGER WHEN WE LIFT ONE GROUP OVER ANOTHER.

AND THERE'S HOPE AND BEAUTY WHEN WE CONNECT TO ONE ANOTHER AS EQUALS.

PERHAPS IT IS TIME FOR PEOPLE TO MAKE THE EFFORT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE HIS STORIES FROM PEOPLE.

PEOPLE WHO MAY PRAY OR WORSHIP DIFFERENTLY THAN THEY DO.

I'LL BE HEARING THESE STORIES, THEIR FEARS, THEIR MISTRUSTS, THEIR PREJUDICES WILL BE REPLACED BY KNOWLEDGE, AND KNOWLEDGE WILL GIVE THEM UNDERSTANDING AND THE WILLINGNESS TO LIVE AS ONE, ONE WORLD WHICH HAS BECOME SO DIVIDED TODAY.

TODAY, MANY OF US HERE, INCLUDING MANY OF YOU ON THIS BOARD, ARE BELIEVERS, BELIEVERS IN GOD.

AND IF WE BELIEVE THAT GOD IS OUR FATHER, THEN WE MUST ALSO BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE HERE IN THIS ROOM, EVERYONE IN THE CITY OF NEW BERN, AND EVERYONE THROUGHOUT THIS TROUBLE WORLD, IS OUR BROTHER OR SISTER.

YOU CANNOT BELIEVE ONE AND NOT THE OTHER.

THAT WOULD SIMPLY BE HYPOCRISY.

ON BEHALF OF THE MEMBERS OF FAITH COLLECTION COMMUNITY, I ASK YOU THAT YOU PLEASE RECONSIDER A GOOD DECISION TO NOT ALLOW THE MANURE TO BE ON THIS PLAY AT POINT PARK.

AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO ALSO LEARN THE STORY OF THE MENORAH AND GIVE THE PEOPLE THIS GREAT CITY OF NEW BERN, THE OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO LEARN THIS WONDERFUL STORY OF LIGHT OVERCOMING DARKNESS, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE NEED NOW MORE THAN EVER.

I THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR PRAYERFUL WEEKS CONSIDERATION.

HAS BEEN VANDALIZED, AND THEIR SERVICES REGULARLY HAVE POLICE PROTECTION.

NEXT IS BAILEY EVANS OF 1332 TON STREET IN NEW BARN.

GOOD EVENING.

UH, UH, I AM THE CHAIR OF A LOCAL NONPROFIT CREATING AND SUSTAINING EQUITY, AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF OUR BOARD AND OUR MEMBERS TO STAND IN SUPPORT OF ALLOWING TEMPLE BENA SHALOM TO DISPLAY A MENORAH AT UNION POINT PARK THROUGHOUT THE EIGHT NIGHTS OF HANUKKAH, OUR CITY'S SLOGAN IS, EVERYTHING COMES TOGETHER HERE.

THIS IS AN EASY OPPORTUNITY TO PUT ACTION BEHIND OUR WORDS AND DEMONSTRATE A COMMITMENT TO FOSTERING COMMUNITY TIES.

IF THE LOCAL CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY GETS TO SEE THEIR HOLIDAY CELEBRATED IN THE PARK FOR NEARLY AN ENTIRE MONTH, THERE'S NO REASON TO DENY THE LOCAL JEWISH COMMUNITY A SIMILAR OPPORTUNITY.

THE MEMBERS OF TEMPLE BONAI SHALOM HAVE DEALT WITH ENOUGH DISRESPECT FROM THEIR FELLOW CITIZENS.

THEIR PLACE OF WORSHIP

[00:20:01]

IT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE TO NEED ARMED PROTECTION TO FEEL SAFE PRACTICING YOUR RELIGION.

AND WE SHOULD NOT BE FOSTERING A DIVIDE WHERE THIS IS THE NORM.

PRIORITIZING ONE RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY WHILE DENYING ACCESS TO ANOTHER IS TACIT SUPPORT FOR THAT DIVISION.

AS OUR CITY'S ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES, THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN SHOULD BE LEADING THE WAY IN CREATING AN ATMOSPHERE OF WELCOME AND SUPPORT FOR EVERY NEW IAN, REGARDLESS OF RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION, YOU ALL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP EVERYTHING COME TOGETHER HERE.

PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE ASKING TO BE REPRESENTED AND ALLOW THEM TO CELEBRATE ALONGSIDE THEIR NEIGHBORS.

IN THE SPIRIT OF OUR NEW CITY AD CAMPAIGN, IT'S TIME, IT'S TIME TO EQUALLY EMBRACE THE RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS OF ALL THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE, NOT JUST SOME OF THEM.

NEXT IS JOHN E. PRICE OF 52 13 SPRINGWOOD DRIVE.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

UM, ACTUALLY, I WAS UNAWARE THAT I WAS SIGNING UP TO SPEAK, UH, .

UH, I I CAME HERE AS PART OF, UH, FAITH CONNECTION AND, UH, DEACON JIM HAS SPOKEN ON OUR BEHALF.

AND, UH, I WOULD LIKE FOR EVERYONE HERE TO RECONSIDER, UH, PLACING A MENORAH AT UNION, UH, PARK.

I'M, UH, I'VE RECENTLY RELOCATED TO NEW BERN.

I'VE SPENT, UH, 22 YEARS IN THE MILITARY, THEN, UH, JUST NOW RETIRED BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY.

AND, UM, I'M QUITE SHOCKED AT WHAT I'M SEEING RIGHT NOW.

UM, I, I, I WOULD JUST LIKE FOR EVERYONE HERE TO, TO RECONSIDER AND, UM, SUPPORT ALL RELIGIONS EQUALLY AND, UH, ALLOW THIS CELEBRATION, UH, BEAUTIFUL CELEBRATION TO OCCUR.

IN THIS TIME IN OUR COUNTRY WITH RISING ANTI-SEMITISM, ONE SMALL STEP CAN HELP DECLARE THAT NEWBURN IS NOT A PLACE WHERE HATE IS WELCOMED.

NEXT IS HELEN ROBINSON OF 1906 CAYENNE COURT.

GOOD EVENING, FRIENDS.

I'M NOT JEWISH, I'M PRESBYTERIAN, BUT I'VE COME HERE TONIGHT ON BEHALF OF MY JEWISH FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS TO SUPPORT THEIR REQUEST TO DISPLAY THEIR MENORAH AT UNION POINT PARK.

THE CITY OF NEW BERN IN RECENT YEARS HAS ALREADY DISPLAYED ITS WILLINGNESS TO HONOR DIFFERENT, UH, TRADITIONS BY, UH, STARTING A JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION A FEW YEARS AGO.

I WAS SO DELIGHTED WHEN THAT BEGAN.

HANUKKAH IS AN IMPORTANT JEWISH CELEBRATION.

THE MENORAH, AS YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD TONIGHT, IS THE JEWISH SYMBOL FOR THEIR BELIEF THAT LIGHT OVERCOMES DARKNESS.

AND I WANT TO TELL YOU, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD MESSAGE TO SHARE IN TODAY'S WORLD.

AS I ALREADY TOLD YOU, I'M PRESBYTERIAN AND I'M FROM FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, AND OUR SENIOR PASTOR, ANNA PINCKNEY STRAIT WROTE A LETTER TO YOU GUYS, AND I'VE BEEN ASKED TO READ REAL QUICKLY IN ABOUT A MINUTE AND A HALF.

SO, UM, THIS IS TO THE MAYOR AND THE BOARD.

AS A RELATIVE NEWCOMER TO NEW BERN, I HAVE FOUND NEW BERN TO BE A WELCOMING AND KIND PLACE.

I HAVE ENJOYED LIVING AND WORKING IN A COMMUNITY THAT VALUES ITS NEIGHBORS AND THE RELATIONSHIPS WE BUILD.

I ALSO VALUE THAT NEW BERN IS NOT A PLACE WHERE EVERYONE IS FROM HERE.

WE WELCOME PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER AND INVITE THEM TO MAKE THIS THEIR HOME.

HAVING LIVED UP AND DOWN THE EAST COAST, I'VE LEARNED TO LOOK FOR SIGNS AND SIGNALS ABOUT THE NATURE OF A COMMUNITY, SIGNS AND SIGNALS, SUCH AS THE DECORATIONS OF COMMUNITY SHARES AND WHAT IT CELEBRATES HERE IN NEWBURN.

I'VE ENJOYED AND APPRECIATED THE CELEBRATION OF LIGHT AT UNION POINT.

IT'S A FOCAL POINT IN OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY, AND IT USUALLY HAS A GLORIOUS CHRISTMAS TREE AND CHRISTMAS LIGHTS.

I'VE NOTICED, HOWEVER, THE ABSENCE OF A MENORAH IN OUR LIGHT DISPLAY, MANY COMMUNITIES WHERE I'VE LIVED HAS INCLUDED THOSE, AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN ASSIGNED TO ME THAT THAT COMMUNITY WANTS TO BE WELCOMING IN A SAFE PLACE.

I VALUE THE INCLUSION OF OTHER TRADITIONS

[00:25:01]

THE MENORAH IS A NATURALLY GOOD FIT FOR THIS, FOR AT ITS VERY BASIS IS THE PROCLAMATION THAT LIGHT WILL NOT BE DEFEATED BY NIGHT, AND THE JOY WILL CONQUER DESPAIR.

THE CONGREGATION AT FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH FEELS SO STRONGLY ABOUT THIS, THAT WE WILL BE INSTALLING OUR OWN MENORAH ON OUR CHURCH CAMPUS, AS WILL TWO OR THREE OTHER DOWNTOWN CHURCHES.

SO BE LOOKING AROUND, UH, TEMPLE, THE NA SHALOM HAS BEEN OUR VALUED AND GOOD NEIGHBOR FOR MORE THAN 125 YEARS, AND WE BELIEVE IT'S IMPORTANT TO TRY TO BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR TO THEM.

I PRAY THAT YOU WILL FEEL THE SAME.

IF I CAN HELP MAKE THIS HAPPEN, I HOPE YOU'LL CALL ON ME.

SHE'S OFFERING TO HELP SIGNED ANNA PINKNEY STRAIGHT.

SO, IN CLOSING, I JUST WANT TO ASK YOU TO DEMONSTRATE THAT IN NEW BERN, WE STILL BELIEVE IN BEING GOOD NEIGHBORS.

THE LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, IS REVEREND ETHEL SAMPSON OF 10 38 SAMPSON STREET.

PRAISE THE LORD, EVERYBODY.

LORD, TO THE HONORABLE MAYOR BOARD , THE CITY OFFICIALS AND EVERYBODY UNDER THE SIGN.

MY VOICE, I JUST HAD TO COME HERE TO THANK Y'ALL FOR, THANK Y'ALL FOR ALLOWING, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE THE FIRST ONE TO COME UP THOSE, THE ELEVATOR.

AND I WAS ACCOMPANIED BY THE CHIEF AND MY DAUGHTER BARBARA, AND I'VE BEEN COMING TO THE BOARD, INTEGRATED, SEGREGATED TIMES 69 YEARS.

AND WHEN I DON'T BE HERE, I WAS LOOKING AT Y'ALL ON THE BOARD, SO I JUST THANK YOU IF I CAME FOR THANK YOU.

[Consent Agenda]

UH, BOARD NEXT IS THE CONSENT AGENDA.

WHAT IS THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD? MAY I MAKE THE MOTION TO ACCEPT THE CONSENT AGENDA AS IS SECOND? HAVE A MOTION A SECOND.

LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN PRILL.

CONSENT AGENDA CARRIES.

UH, MR. HUGHES, I BELIEVE YOU HAD A PERSONNEL INTRODUCTION THAT YOU WANTED TO MAKE AT THIS POINT.

TONIGHT I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE ZEV HUFF.

HE IS OUR NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.

AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO ASK Z TO COME UP AND, AND MAKE A FEW COMMENTS IF YOU'D LIKE TO.

GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR ALDERMAN BOARD.

IT'S THE FIRST TIME I GET TO STAND BEFORE YOU AS, UH, IN MY NEW ROLE, UH, BUT IT WON'T BE THE LAST, UH, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE WORK WE HAVE TO DO AT THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, AND WE'RE EXCITED TO PARTNER WITH YOU.

UH, AND SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE IS I PROMISE THIS WILL BE THE SHORT, THE, THE ONLY TIME I'M, I'M BRIEF EVER .

SO, READY? YEAH.

WHY DON'T YOU GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THE SMALL HOME PROJECT? SAY AGAIN? WHY DON'T YOU GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THE SMALL HOME PROJECT THAT YOU'RE OVERSEEING? ABSOLUTELY.

WE JUST BROKE GROUND LAST FRIDAY ON THE SMALL HOME PROJECT, AND IN 180 DAYS, WE LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, TIGHTEN THAT RIBBON AND ADDING THREE QUALITY BUILT HOMES, UH, TO THE HOUSING STOCK IN NEW BERN, NORTH CAROLINA.

SO, LIKE I SAID, WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT THE WORK WE HAVE TO DO, AND WE'RE EXCITED TO GET BUSY.

SO THANK YOU.

[12. Recognition of New Bern 101 Graduates.]

ITEM NUMBER 12 IS THE RECOGNITION OF THE NEW BERN 1 0 1 GRADUATES.

UH, MR. HUGHES MAYOR.

WE STARTED NEW BERN 1 0 1 BACK IN THE FALL OF 2021.

UH, TONIGHT ENDS THE FIFTH SESSION OF THAT PROGRAM, AND IT'S REALLY A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR, FOR CITIZENS OF THE CITY OF NEWBURN AND SURROUNDING AREAS TO COME TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT LOCAL GOVERNMENT HAS TO OFFER AND TALK TO THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND, AND, AND OTHER STAFF, AS WELL AS THE ELECTED OFFICIALS ON THE FINAL NIGHT TO, TO SEE WHAT MAKES LOCAL GOVERNMENT TICK.

SO THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, WE HAVE HAD 74 FOLKS PARTICIPATE IN THIS CLASS, AND TONIGHT WE HAVE A GRADUATION

[00:30:01]

OF OUR FIFTH CLASS.

SO I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO COLLEEN AT THIS TIME.

YEAH, JUST, WE'LL JUST GIVE IT A MINUTE FOR EVERYONE TO EXIT POLITELY AND COURTEOUSLY CHRISTIAN, REMEMBER, NOT ALL, NOT ALL.

FIRST, CONGRATULATIONS TO DARLA.

I THINK WE'RE PROBABLY SAFE, COLLEEN, IF YOU WANT TO CONTINUE NOW.

GOOD EVENING MAYOR, BOARD OF ALDERMAN.

UM, I'M PLEASED TO INTRODUCE YOU TO THE FIFTH CLASS OF NEW BERN 1 0 1.

UH, WE STARTED THIS SESSION WITH 18 PARTICIPANTS, AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE CLASS HAS BEEN SPLIT RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE, NINE PARTICIPANTS WHO LIVE IN CITY LIMITS AND NINE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN CRAVEN COUNTY.

TO GIVE YOU A PICTURE OF THIS CLASS, THESE ARE FOLKS WHO COME FROM BACKGROUNDS IN MORTGAGE LOAN OFFICER, REALTORS, RETIRED EDUCATOR, FOLKS WHO WORK IN THE NONPROFIT SECTOR, THE TOURISM SECTOR, HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATION, AND MORE.

THERE ARE FOLKS IN THIS CLASS WHO VISITED NEW BERN ONCE AND DECIDED TO MOVE HERE IN THEIR APPLICATION.

THEY WROTE, THEY WERE IMPRESSED WITH THE PRIDE THAT WE TAKE IN OUR CITY.

THERE ARE PARTICIPANTS WHO JUST MOVED HERE IN THE SPRING OF THIS YEAR.

I THINK WHAT I'VE EXPLAINED TO YOU SO FAR SPEAKS TO THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS PROGRAM TO FOLKS WHO HAVE JUST MOVED HERE, WHO'VE LIVED HERE A LONG TIME, AND FOLKS WHO CHOOSE TO WORK IN THE CITY AND THE SURROUNDING AREA.

SO I'D LIKE FOR YOU, IF YOU DON'T MIND, TO COME STAND IN FRONT OF THE PARTITION TO CONGRATULATE THEM AS THEY COME, UH, TO RECEIVE THEIR CERTIFICATE OF CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION.

UH, WE ALSO HAVE A NEWBURN PIN FOR THEM, AND WE'LL CALL THEM UP ONE BY ONE.

THAT'S WHY I GAVE HIM JUST TO HIM.

BLAIR, START DOWN HERE.

HERE'S YOUR CERTIFICATE.

[00:35:20]

YOU MAY HAVE LEFT US.

AND LAST, BUT NOT LEAST, STEVEN WINTERS.

THANK YOU, MAYOR, BOARD OF ALDERMAN AND CITY MANAGERS.

AS YOU MAKE YOUR WAY BACK TO YOUR SEATS, IF THE GRADUATES COULD COME UP FRONT, I'D LOVE TO TAKE A GROUP PHOTO OF YOU.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BRING YOUR SEARCH IF YOU WANT TO BREAK, IF YOU DON'T, THAT'S FINE TOO.

WE'LL START IN FEBRUARY, 2024.

COME OVER TO THIS POINT FOR THOSE WHO MAY BE WATCHING AT HOME OR JOINING US IN THE AUDIENCE TONIGHT.

THE NEXT NEWBURN 1 0 1.

IT IS AN EIGHT WEEK FREE PROGRAM.

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TO ITEM NUMBER 13, MR. HUGHES PRESENTATION OF

CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN TO ALL THE GRADUATES.

WE'LL MOVE ON

[13. Presentation on Wreaths Across America.]

[00:40:01]

REESE'S ACROSS AMERICA.

MAYOR, AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO ASK ADDIE YATES TO COME FORWARD TO GIVE HER PRESENTATION.

OH, PERFECT.

HOW DOES THIS START? THIS ONE? THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TODAY.

UM, MY NAME IS ADDIE YATES.

I AM ONE OF THE COORDINATORS HERE, UH, FOR THE NATIONAL CEMETERY HERE IN NEW BERN, NORTH CAROLINA.

UM, THIS IS OUR, WHAT WAS THIS SAY THIS YEAR? OUR EVENT WILL BE SATURDAY DECEMBER 16TH AT 12 NOON.

UM, I APOLOGIZE, I'VE NEVER DONE THIS.

THERE WE GO.

THERE ARE CURRENTLY OVER 3,500 CEMETERIES PARTICIPATING IN ARETHA CROSS AMERICA.

THIS IS OUR 14TH YEAR PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM.

WE ARE ONE OF THE LARGEST VETERANS CEMETERIES HERE IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

UM, WE HAVE 6,773 HEADSTONES, AND WE ALSO, IT WAS JUST BUILT AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, AND IT CONTAINS OVER A THOUSAND UNKNOWNS ALSO.

EVERY REAP WILL BE PLACED IS SPONSORED, AND THEY ARE A LIVE REAP, AND THEY ARE $17.

SOME OF OUR CHALLENGES OF GETTING ALL SEVEN 6,773 HEADSTONES COVERED IS THE FACT THAT WE ARE ONE OF THE OLDEST AND IN THE AREA, EXCUSE ME, AND THE MILITARY, SOME MINI, I'M GONNA SLOW DOWN HERE FOR A SECOND.

MILITARY FAMILIES DON'T STAY IN THE AREA, UM, ONCE THEIR FAMILY HAS BEEN INTERRED HERE.

UH, SO WITH THAT AND THEN BEING AN OLD CEMETERY, UM, THEY ARE TRANSPLANTS THAT ARE CONNECTED TO THE CEMETERY.

SO THE THOUSAND ALSO ARE UNKNOWN.

DO NOT HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS TO ENSURE THAT EACH HEADSTONE HAS A WREATH AND ARE REMEMBERED DURING THE CEREMONY.

HERE'S SOME OF THE PICTURES OF THE EVENTS THAT WE HAVE FOR YOU.

THERE'S ALSO IS ALSO MORE THAN JUST WREATHS AS YOU CAN SEE.

WE ALSO HAVE OTHER THINGS THAT LET THE COMMUNITY BE INVOLVED AND, UH, PARTICIPATE IN.

WE HAVE OUR TRUCK ESCORT, WHICH HAS BECOME, IT'S GOTTEN BIGGER AND BIGGER OVER THE YEARS.

UM, THAT IS ONE WE ALSO HAVE OUR MOTTO IS TO HONOR, REMEMBER, AND TEACH.

I'M GONNA LET YOU GUYS KNOW THAT MY HUSBAND DOES SO MUCH BETTER AT THIS THAN I DO.

YOU'RE DOING FINE.

HE IS THE TALKER.

UM, SO HERE'S AN, THE ESCORT WE ARE ASKING CURRENTLY FOR YOU GUYS TO HELP US WITH THE POLICE ESCORT FOR THIS EVENT.

AND THIS IS GOING TO BE ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14TH AT 9:00 AM FOR THE POLICE ESCORT.

PLACING THE REEF IS ALSO OUR PRIMARY WAY OF PARTICIPATING, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A SETTING UP THE, UM, BEFORE IN THE MORNING OF THE EVENT ON SATURDAY THE 14TH, OH, EXCUSE ME.

I'M SORRY.

I GOT MY DATES WRONG THERE.

THE ESCORT IS ON THE 14TH OF DECEMBER, THE SATURDAY.

DUDE, I DON'T EVEN HAVE IT.

LET'S SEE.

HERE.

HERE WE GO.

LEMME JUST SLIDE THROUGH HERE.

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL, UM, PLACING THE REESE IS OUR PRIMARY WAY TO PARTICIPATE.

WE HAVE A BRIEF CEREMONY FOLLOWED BY FAMILY MEMBERS PLACING THE REESE AND THEIR LOVED ONES HEADSTONE, AND THEN ALL THE VOLUNTEERS PLACING THE REMAINING WREATHS.

ANOTHER WAY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE WREATH IS THE RETIREMENT.

THIS HAS BECOME AS POPULAR AS PLACING THE REESE THIS YEAR'S.

THE REESE WILL BE RETIRED ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 13TH AT 9:00 AM SO WHAT WE'RE REQUESTING IS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ESCORT AND THE BUSES OF THE DAY OF THE EVENT AT RUTH'S CHAPEL TO THE CEMETERY.

AND THAT'S FROM 11:00 AM TO 2:00 PM FOR THE BUSING, AND ALSO TWO DUMPSTERS TO DISCARD THE RES ON JANUARY 13TH.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE WE GO.

AND THAT'S BASICALLY, UM, WE HAVE LOTS OF VOLUNTEERS.

THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY TO HONOR OUR VETERANS AND THOSE, AND TO TEACH THE FUTURE CHILDREN.

YEP.

AND THAT'S ALL I'D LIKE TO SAY.

THANK YOU, MR. THANK YOU.

HAVING MR. HUGS, I BELIEVE A FEW YEARS AGO, AND THIS IS THE SAME REQUEST THAT WE'VE HAD FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, RIGHT? YES, SIR.

I BELIEVE A FEW YEARS AGO, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, ALDERWOMAN HARRIS AT THE TIME MADE THE MOTION THAT WE WOULD JUST CONTINUE TO DO THIS YEAR AFTER YEAR.

AND THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENTATION WAS JUST A REMINDER.

IS THAT R MCKENZIE YOU? OKAY.

I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I REMEMBER THAT CORRECTLY.

I, I THINK WE SHOULD DO WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO HELP WITH THE PROJECT AND CONTINUE, AT LEAST CONTINUE DOING WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING.

SO IT'S NOT A NEW REQUEST, IT'S, NO, IT'S JUST TO CONTINUE FOLLOW FROM.

AND I BELIEVE THIS IS WHAT OUR 10TH YEAR OF YOU GUYS HELPING US.

DOES THE BOARD HAVE QUESTIONS? ANYBODY THAT I MAY ANSWER? DO WE NEED A MOTION OR JUST DIRECTION? A DIRECTION WILL BE FINE.

I'M FINE WITH CONTINUING THE TRADITION.

[00:45:01]

IT, IT RUNS PRETTY SMOOTHLY.

YOU GUYS HAVE DONE AMAZING FOR US WITH THE DUMPSTERS AND THE CLEANUP, AND THEN ALSO WITH JUST THE PRESENCE.

WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANYBODY TO BE AT THE DAY OF THE CEREMONY.

WE'RE NOT ASKING THE POLICE OR ANYBODY JUST TO BE AWARE THAT, THAT WE'RE THERE.

AND IT SHOULD BE, UM, STARTING AROUND 8:00 AM IS WHEN SEVEN TO 8:00 AM IS WHEN WE START DOING THE UNBOXING AND PLACING OF THE C OF THE WREATHS.

AND THEN THE ACTUAL CEREMONY IS AT NOON, AND THAT'S WHEN EVERYTHING GOES.

AND SO FROM 11 TO TWO IS WHEN THE BUSES, SO THAT WE WERE HOPING YOU COULD HELP WITH SO THAT WE CAN KEEP PARKING FROM PILING UP ON THE STREETS.

VERY GOOD.

YOU GUYS HAVE A WONDERFUL EVENING.

SO WAS EVERYTHING, JUST BE CLEAR.

ANYONE IN OPPOSITION OF THIS? ALL GOOD.

WELL, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU A GOOD EVENING.

ITEM NUMBER 14 IS TO CONDUCT THE PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDER ADOPTING AN ORDINANCE TO ANNEX 4 1 2 SANDY POINT ROAD.

[14. Conduct a Public Hearing and Consider Adopting an Ordinance to Annex 412 Sandy Point Road.]

MR. HUGHES, DONNA MARIE HINES IS PETITION TO ANNEX THE PROPERTY IN QUESTION.

THIS PROPERTY IS THE SITE OF A SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE ON 1.16 ACRES THAT IS CONTIGUOUS TO THE CITY OF NEW BRUNS MUNICIPAL BOUNDARY.

AFTER CONDUCTING A PUBLIC HEARING, THE BOARD IS ASKED TO CONSIDER THIS ANNEXATION REQUEST BOARD.

HAVE QUESTIONS FOR STAFF BEFORE I OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING? OKAY.

AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE TOPIC OF ANNEXING 4 1 2 SANDY POINT ROAD.

IF ANYONE HAS ANY COMMENTS, PLEASE COME FORWARD TO THE MICROPHONE.

MAY I MAKE A MOTION TO CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING? SECOND, HAVE A MOTION A SECOND TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? I I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION.

UH, POLICE AND FIRE HAVE REVIEWED THIS AND HAVE NO ISSUES WITH THIS, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING, SAY AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED.

WHAT IS THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD ON ITEM NUMBER 14, MAY I MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE TO ANNEX FOUR 12 SANDY POINT ROAD? SECOND.

HAVE A MOTION A SECOND.

NUMBER 15, CONSIDER ADOPTING A RESOLUTION APPROVING AN INTER-AGENCY AGREEMENT WITH CRAVEN AND PAMLICO CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTER.

LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN ROYAL ALDERMAN MEMORIAL.

[15. Consider Adopting a Resolution Approving an Interagency Agreement with Craven and Pamlico Children' s Advocacy Center of Southmountain Children and Family Services and Other Parties.]

ADVOCACY CENTER OF SOUTH MELTON CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES AND OTHER PARTIES.

CHIEF GALLAGHER.

THANK YOU MAYOR BOARD.

UM, THE NEW BERN POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE, UH, CRAVEN PCO, UH, CHILDREN'S ADVISORY CENTER, UH, FOR MANY YEARS.

WE ARE ABOUT ONE OF, UH, MANY STAKEHOLDERS IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO REDUCE CHILDHOOD TRAUMA THROUGH ABUSE.

UM, WE ARE ASKING THAT YOU, WE RENEW THIS MOU SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE THIS RELATIONSHIP.

MR. BOARD HAVE QUESTIONS? THERE'S NO QUESTIONS.

I'LL MAKE A MOTION.

I MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION APPROVING AND INTERAGENCY AGREEMENT WITH CRAVEN AND PAMLICO CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTER OF SOUTH MOUNTAIN'S CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES AND OTHER PARTIES.

ITEM NUMBER 16 IS TO CONSIDER ADOPTING A RESOLUTION APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE NORTH CAROLINA ANTI-COUNTERFEITING TRADEMARK TASK FORCE CHIEF GALLAGHER.

HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE UNLESS HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN ASTOR.

ALDERMAN MEMORIAL? YES.

MAYOR ODOM? YES.

MOTION CARRIES.

[16. Consider Adopting a Resolution Approving and Authorizing the Execution of a Memorandum of Understanding with the NC Anti- Counterfeiting Trademark Task Force.]

THANK YOU AGAIN, MAYOR.

UM, OVER THE PAST SIX MONTHS, IF, IF NOT LONGER, THE NEW BERN POLICE DEPARTMENT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CRAVEN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, HAS BEEN MONITORING ACTIVITIES WITHIN OUR CITY, WITHIN OUR COUNTY, INVOLVING THE SALE OF COUNTERFEIT AND TRADEMARKED PROTECTED MERCHANDISE.

UM, WITHIN OUR AREA, THIS IS A VERY UNIQUE, UM, UH, CRIMINAL EVENT, WHICH IS,

[00:50:01]

UH, ARTICULATED IN GENERAL STATUTE.

IT'S ONE OF THOSE TYPES OF CRIMINAL EVENTS THAT REQUIRES EXPERTISE.

THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, UNFORTUNATELY, ONLY HAS THREE INVESTIGATORS FOR THE ENTIRE STATE.

UM, THE CRETON COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT WAS PROACTIVE IN ESTABLISHING ATFO WITH, UH, WITH THAT AGENCY TO ALLOW THEM TO BE DULY SWORN TO INVESTIGATE THE COUNTERFEITING OF THESE TRADEMARK, UH, MERCHANDISE.

UH, WE FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT THE NEW BERN POLICE DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS TYPE OF INVESTIGATIVE, UH, MEASURES.

WE HAVE IDENTIFIED STAFF THAT WOULD PICK UP A COLLATERAL RESPONSIBILITY TO ALSO INVESTIGATE, UH, THIS TYPE OF ACTIVITY WITHIN OUR CITY.

UM, THIS IS NOT A SMALL PROBLEM.

THIS IS A VERY LARGE PROBLEM, WHICH, UM, WE FEEL THAT WE NEED TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION.

SO I'M ASKING THAT YOU, UH, APPROVE OUR ABILITY TO SIGN THIS MOU SO THAT OUR STAFF CAN BECOME A FORCE MULTIPLIER IN TRYING TO BRING WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, A STOP OF THIS TYPE OF SALES OF COUNTERFEIT MERCHANDISE.

FOUR HAVE QUESTIONS? YES, I DO.

HOW LONG HAVE THIS ACTUALLY BEEN INTO OPERATION AND WHY ARE THEY STILL OPEN? IF THE TASK FORCE OF GOING IN, UH, UH, CONFISCATING, UH, UH, UH, ILLEGAL SALES, WHY ARE THEY STILL OPEN? WHY SS SO WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO DIFFERENT TO SHUT THEM DOWN? THAT'S A, UM, VERY COMPLICATED.

WELL, IT'S A SIMPLE QUESTION.

IT'S A COMPLICATED ANSWER.

THE VIOLATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS TYPE OF ACTIVITY IS TOUGH TO PROSECUTE.

OUR LOCAL PROSECUTOR IS, UM, NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE, THIS TYPE OF ACTIVITY.

UM, ALTHOUGH, UM, THEY ARE BECOMING MORE AWARE, UM, THE REASON IT IS PREVALENT IN OUR AREA AS IT IS IN MANY AREAS, IT'S VERY PROFITABLE, VERY PROFITABLE.

THE ABILITY TO, UH, PULL A BUSINESS LICENSE TO SELL THESE ITEMS, UM, IS ALSO PROBLEMATIC.

THAT, THAT IT IS NOT AS EASY AS JUST TO GO IN AND SAY YOU HAVE TO STOP DOING BUSINESS.

UM, JUST BECAUSE SOMEBODY'S CONVICTED ONCE DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY ARE NOT GONNA CONTINUALLY SELL THIS MERCHANDISE.

ONE MANAGER COULD, UH, BE REPLACED BY ANOTHER MANAGER, AND THE PROCESS STARTS ALL OVER.

ONCE AGAIN, AGAIN, THE PROFIT MARGIN IN THE SALES OF THESE COUNTERFEIT MERCHANDISE IS PRETTY LUCRATIVE.

AND, UM, IT IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ENTREPRENEURS WHO WANT TO OPEN UP SHOPS IN OUR CITY, IN CRAVEN COUNTY AND THROUGHOUT NORTH CAROLINA TO SELL THIS MERCHANDISE.

SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT WHATEVER YOU GO IN AND TAKE, THEY STILL CAN OPERATE? YES.

THEY HAVE DUE PROCESS RIGHTS.

THEY'LL, THEY'LL GO TO COURT.

WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS ON AN INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNT, UM, OF A CHARGE.

BUT WE MAY FIND OURSELVES BACK IN THE SAME STORE ONCE AGAIN, UM, AND WE REPEAT THE PROCESS.

SO CHIEF, UM, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED MERCHANDISE, BUT HAVE THERE BEEN ANY DISCOVERIES OF CURRENCY INVOLVED? ARE WE TALKING ABOUT COUNTERFEIT? MM-HMM.

? WELL, WE HAVE COME ACROSS COUNTERFEITING, BUT NOT NECESSARILY LINKED TO THE SAME BUSINESSES THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH HERE.

HEY, UH, CHIEF, IF YOU CAN, UM, CAN YOU GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT TYPE OF MERCHANDISE IS USUALLY COUNTERFEITED AROUND THIS AREA? I DON'T WANT TO JEOPARDIZE ANY OF YOUR INVESTIGATIONS OR ANYTHING.

SO IF YOU CAN'T, I UNDERSTAND.

SO, UM, A GREAT EXAMPLE WOULD BE, UH, OREO COOKIES, FOR EXAMPLE.

UM, THE PARTICULAR MERCHANDISE THAT, THAT I'M REFERRING TO IS A PRODUCT THAT IS, UM, HEAVILY LACED WITH CBD, WHICH IS, UM, A PRODUCT THAT IS LEGAL BUT CAN ONLY BE OBTAINED BY A PERSON OVER THE AGE OF 21.

IT IS, UH, PACKAGED IN A WAY THAT LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE AN

[00:55:01]

OREO COOKIE.

A CHILD WOULD KNOW NO DIFFERENT.

I'D BE QUITE CANDID WITH YOU UNTIL I SAW THE PACKAGING AND WAS, WAS GIVEN INFORMATION THAT THIS WAS NOT, IN FACT AN OREO COOKIE.

I WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN ANY DIFFERENT.

AND GOD FORBID YOU EAT ONE OF THESE THINGS.

UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE IMPACT WOULD BE FOR MYSELF, BUT I KNOW FOR A CHILD IT PROBABLY WOULD BE, WOULD NOT BE, UH, A PLEASANT SIGHT.

WOW.

AND THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF MANY DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE COUNTERFEIT, UH, MARKET OUT THERE.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE WAR? IF THERE'S NO MORE QUESTIONS, CHIEF, WE WOULD DEFINITELY, I DEFINITELY WANT THIS TO CONTINUE FOR THE SAFETY OF, UH, NOT JUST CHILDREN OF ADULTS AS WELL.

I'LL MAKE A MOTION, SIR, IF THERE'S NO MORE QUESTIONS.

UH, I MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF A MEMO, MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE NC ANTI COUNTERFEITING TRADEMARK TASK FORCE.

HAVE A MOTION.

IN A COUPLE SECONDS, I'LL LET THE CLERK FIGURE OUT WHO THAT WAS.

NUMBER 17 IS TO CONSIDER ADOPTING A RESOLUTION DESIGNATING AGENTS FOR THE 2022 BUILDING RESILIENCE AND COMMUNITIES.

LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDER MCKENZIE.

[17. Consider Adopting a Resolution Designating Agents for the 2022 Building Resilience in Communities Grant.]

GRANT MS. OSTRO.

IN OCTOBER, 2022, THE CITY SUBMITTED A LETTER, UM, OF INTEREST TO THE NORTH CAROLINA DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR A FEMA BUILDING RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE AND COMMUNITIES CAPABILITIES AND CAPACITY BUILDING GRANT, ALSO KNOWN AS THE BURKE GRANT.

NCM INVITED THE CITY TO SUBMIT A FULL APPLICATION FOR THE BURKE GRANT IN DECEMBER, 2022, THE CITY SUBMITTED THE APPLICATION REQUESTING $200,000, WHICH WILL BE MATCHED BY THE NORTH CAROLINA ATTORNEY GENERAL'S ENVIRONMENTAL ENHANCEMENT GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $150,000 FOR THE RESTORATION OF THE DUFFY FIELD CANAL PROJECT PLANNING AND SCOPING.

AS THE NEXT STEP IN THE PROCESS, NCM HAS REQUESTED THE CITY TO DESIGNATE A PRIMARY AND SECONDARY AGENT THROUGH A RESOLUTION APPROVED BY THE BOARD.

UM, WE'RE ASKING YOU TO CON OR CONSIDERING ADOPTING A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING FOSTER HUGHES AS PRIMARY AND KIMBERLY ROSE'S SECONDARY AGENTS FOR THE CITY OF NEW BERN TO EXECUTE THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS FOR THE FEMA BRICK 22 CNCB GRANT BOARD.

HAVE QUESTIONS ON ITEM NUMBER 17? NO MA'AM.

I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADOPT A RESOLUTION DESIGNATING AGENTS FOR THE 2022 BUILDING RESILIENCE AND COMMUNITIES GRANT.

HAVE A MOTION A SECOND.

ITEM NUMBER 18, CONSIDER ADOPTING A RESOLUTION EXPRESSING SUPPORT FUNDING FROM THE 2022 ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS GRANT AND AUTHORIZING STAFF TO PRESENT A BUDGET AMENDMENT TO COVER THE MATCH.

MUST HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN BEST? ALDERMAN BEST? YES.

ALDERMAN KENZIE? YES.

MAYOR ODOM? YES.

MOTION CARRIES.

[18. Consider Adopting a Resolution Expressing Support of Funding from the 2022 Assistance to Firefighters Grant and Authorizing Staff to Present a Budget Amendment to Cover the Match.]

UM, CHIEF MCCONNELL, MAYOR BOARD, UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CURRENT GRANT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE? I THINK YOU HAVE IT BEFORE YOU, YOU FIRE DEPARTMENT ENTERED A GRANT WITH CRAVEN COUNTY FIRE ASSOCIATION AND 13 OTHER FIRE DEPARTMENTS.

THEY WERE AWARDED A GRANT IN AUGUST, UM, WITH THE OLD ADMINISTRATION.

THE GRANT PROCESS WE THOUGHT WAS GONNA BE MATCHED BY THE COUNTY, WHICH IT HASN'T BEEN MATCHED FOR THE CITY OF NEW VERN.

SO WE'RE ASKING FOR GRANT MONIES FOR THE MATCHING PORTION AND FOR THE GRANT RIGHT.

OF APPROXIMATELY 9,600 SOME DOLLARS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS GRANT PROCESS.

CAN I ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS FOR QUESTION? THE MAYOR AND THE BOARD? YEAH.

EXPLAIN TO THE BOARD IF YOU DON'T MIND, WHAT THIS GRANT IS IS GOING TO PURCHASE.

WE OPERATE HERE WITHIN THE CITY, IT'S FINE.

AND THE IMPORTANCE OF IT.

YES SIR.

UM, SO IT'S GONNA PURCHASE NEW PORTABLE RADIOS FOR US.

UM, THESE ARE GOOD RADIOS, BUT WE'RE GONNA GET BETTER RADIOS THAN THIS.

UH, OUR CURRENT RADIO SYSTEM IS GOOD, BUT WE WANNA MAKE IT MORE ENJOYABLE FOR THE ATMOSPHERES THAT FIREFIGHTERS ENTER ON A DAILY BASIS.

UH, THERE ARE GONNA BE MORE RE RESISTANCE TO WATER, HEAT AND ALL THE ELEMENTS THAT WE ENTER.

AND A LOT SAFER FOR US.

NOT ONLY THAT, THEY WILL PROVIDE BETTER COMMUNICATIONS FOR US WITHIN OUR COUNTY BECAUSE WE HAVE A DULL BAND.

WHEN

[01:00:01]

BUT ONCE OUR UNITS AND APPARAT AND PERSONNEL LEAVE THE CITY, WE DON'T HAVE THE CAPABILITIES OF ALWAYS TALKING TO OUR PARTNERS AT THE COUNTY LEVEL AND THE STATE LEVEL AND EVEN THE FEDERAL LEVEL IF IT'S NEEDED.

SO WITH THIS GRANT, AND IT WILL GIVE US THE ABILITY TO COME MORE COMPLIANT WITHIN APA 1802 BECAUSE WE'RE AN ACCREDITED FIRE DEPARTMENT.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF POSITIVES WITH THIS GRANT MOVING FORWARD.

SO WHAT YOU'RE DOING, YOU'RE ASKING US FOR MONEY THAT YOU DIDN'T BUDGET IN FOR THIS.

CORRECT, SIR, WE ARE, AND WE ARE.

SORRY WE DIDN'T FOLLOW THE PROCESS.

UM, IT WASN'T OUR INTENT, BUT ONCE AGAIN, WE THOUGHT THAT WITH THE COUNTY'S MATCH THAT WE'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN THAT AND THE MONIES WOULD'VE BEEN RECEIVED WITH NO MATCH ASKED FROM THE CITY.

AND I BELIEVE ALSO THAT IF WE RECEIVED THIS GRANT, WE HAD TWO YEARS OF SPENDING IT.

AND THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION I THINK, THOUGHT THAT WE COULD ROLL THIS INTO NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET AND GO THROUGH THE GRANT PROCESS.

BUT THE COUNTY'S MOVING FORWARD FASTER WITH THE GRANT FASTER THAN WE THOUGHT.

UM, OBVIOUSLY IT WAS AWARDED TO THE US THE ASSOCIATION AND THE GRANT WRITER OBVIOUSLY WANTS TO GET PAID.

SO I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THE PROCESS IS MOVING A LOT FASTER THAN NORMALLY WAS.

SO LET ME ASK YOU THIS, THE, THERE'S 13 FIRE DEPARTMENTS ALTOGETHER THAT'S INVOLVED IN THIS GRANT, CORRECT? CORRECT, SIR.

AND YOU'RE NUMBER 14 ACTUALLY, OR ARE YOU? I BELIEVE WE'RE 13.

NOT EVERYBODY.

SO THERE'S, AND THE COUNTY'S GOING TO PAY THE MATCH FOR ALL THE, THE 12 OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS, BUT THEY'RE NOT GONNA PAY THE GRANT THE MATCH FOR THE CITY OF NEWBURN FIRE DEPARTMENT? THAT IS CORRECT, SIR.

DEPARTMENT ASKED HER ONE THING I DO WANNA CLARIFY.

I FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS WHEN THE COUNTY MANAGER CALLED ME AND HE WANTED TO EXPLAIN THIS TO ME.

UH, AS AS, AS YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW, THE COUNTY HAS FIRE SERVICE DISTRICTS THAT ARE TAXING DISTRICTS.

AND SO THE COUNTY WAS ABLE TO USE THOSE FUNDS FOR THE MATCHES FOR, FOR EACH OF THOSE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS.

UM, THERE'S NOT A SEPARATE FIRE TAX FOR THE CITY OF NEW BERN.

AND SO THAT'S WHY THEY DIDN'T DO A MATCH WITH THIS.

ALSO, THIS GRANT WAS APPLIED FOR BY A VOLUNTEER AND A VOLUNTEER FIRE SYSTEM AND THEY LISTED NEWBURN ON HERE.

SO IT DIDN'T GO THROUGH OUR GRANT PROCESS THROUGH OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT.

SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE BRINGING THIS TO YOU TONIGHT.

SO THE COUNTY'S USING EACH INDIVIDUAL DISTRICT'S FIRE TAX MONEY TO PAY FOR THE MATCH? THAT'S CORRECT.

JUST TO GO AHEAD, HONOR MS, SO YOU'RE ONLY ASKING FOR EIGHT THOU $8,290, CORRECT? I BELIEVE THE, WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR THE MATCH AND THE GRANT WRITER IS 9,000 672 73.

I BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE CORRECT.

AND HOW MANY RADIOS WILL THIS PURCHASE TO, SIR? WERE PRO APPROXIMATELY 14 TO 15 RADIOS FOR US, WHICH WILL OUTFIT US SOMEWHERE AROUND 70, $75,000.

I I UNDERSTAND THE FIRE TAX AND THE VOLUNTEER PIECE.

COULD, COULD YOU JUST MAYBE CLOSE THE LOOP ON HAVELOCK IS HAVELOCK AND THEY'RE IN CRAVEN COUNTY.

THEY PART OF THIS, THEY HAVE A FULL, THEY DECIDED TO DO OPT OUT OF THE GRANT, SIR.

THEY'RE NOT PARTICIPATING.

SO THEY'RE NOT GETTING THEIR PORTION, THEY'RE NOT PAID FOR BY THE COUNTY.

THEY'RE, THEY DIDN'T EVEN PARTICIPATE.

AND THEN THE ONLY OTHER QUESTION I HAD, WE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT RADIOS MANY TIMES ON THE BOARD.

I THINK WE'VE PURCHASED A COUPLE DIFFERENT SYSTEMS. IS THIS CHANGING THE ACTUAL SYSTEM? NO, SIR.

IT IS NOT CHANGING THE SYSTEM AT ALL, WHICH IS ENHANCING OUR CAPABILITIES AT THE END USER AND MAKING THE DOOR BAND BECAUSE THE CITY'S BAND VERSUS THE COUNTY BANDS ARE TWO DIFFERENT FREQUENCIES AND MAKES IT CAPABLE TO TALK ON BOTH BANDS WHERE THERE'S A DISCONNECT IF WE LEAVE THE CITY AND TRY TO TALK WITH OUR AGENCIES OUTSIDE THE CITIES.

AND WHEN THEY COME INTO THE CITIES, IT'S GONNA BETTER THOSE OPERATIONS.

WHAT TYPE OF WARRANTY ARE YOU GONNA GET WITH THIS HERE? IS IT IT'S UNDER A STANDARD OF WARRANTY THAT WE WOULD HAVE WITH THE REST OF OUR RADIOS.

WE'RE NOT GOING FROM A DIFFERENT PROVIDER OR ANYTHING ELSE.

UM, SO IT'LL FALL UNDER OUR ANNUAL MAINTENANCE AND FEES AND ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

SO IT JUST FALLS RIGHT UNDER NUMBER? YES, SIR.

IT WILL FALL RIGHT BACK UNDER ALL THE INITIAL FEES THAT WE ALREADY, ONCE AGAIN, WE'RE JUST GETTING MORE EQUIPMENT, BETTER EQUIPMENT FOR THE GRANT.

SO THAT MEANS THE NEXT TIME AROUND THAT YOU WOULD INCLUDE THIS INTO YOUR BUDGET NEXT YEAR? YES, SIR.

AND WE'RE GONNA APPLY FOR THAT SAME GRANT TO OUTFIT US WITH BETTER RADIOS TOO.

WE APPROVE THIS? 'CAUSE I DON'T, I KNOW THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME QUESTION.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, I, I DO, I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED HERE.

I THOUGHT THE TOTAL WAS $988,000 AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SEEKING FROM THE 13 FIRE DEPARTMENTS, CORRECT? NO MA'AM.

IT'S DIVIDED BY THAT 13 DEPARTMENTS.

SO OUR PORTION THAT WE HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS IS THE MATCH PORTION AND THEN THE GRANT WRITER'S FEE.

WHAT COMES OUT TO 9,000? I WANNA, I WANNA CLARIFY THE INTERIM CHIEF BASED ON THE INVOICE THAT WE HAVE IN THE, IN YOUR AGENDA PACKAGE THAT THE TOTAL AMOUNT IS $8,290 AND 91 CENTS ON AN INVOICE.

UM, NOW THAT IS A MATCH FOR THE CITY'S PART, RIGHT? MM-HMM.

AND, UM, AND THAT'S ALL THE CITY WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR IN EXCHANGE FOR THE RADIOS? CORRECT.

THANK YOU, SIR.

ANY MORE QUESTIONS? ARE WE, ARE WE SURE ABOUT THE AMOUNT WHEN

[01:05:01]

I WANNA MAKE SURE WHATEVER WE APPROVE COVERS, WHATEVER THE AMOUNT IS IN THE AGENDA PACKET YOU HAVE? YES.

BRENDA, WHAT IS, WHAT IS IN THAT AGENDA? WHAT PAGE IS THAT ON THE AGENDA PACKET? LET ME LOOK FOR THE PAGE NUMBER.

BUT IT'S $8,290 AND 91 CENTS.

SAY THAT AGAIN.

$8,290 91 CENTS.

THAT REPRESENTS, UM, $1,381 AND 82 CENTS FOR THE GRANT WRITER'S FEE.

AND THEN $6,909 AND 9 CENTS FOR THE ACTUAL CONTRIBUTION.

THE MATCH.

SO THE, THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT NEEDS IS $8,290 AND 91 CENTS.

THAT'S CORRECT.

MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR $8,290 AND 91 CENTS.

STATE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT COULD PURCHASE THESE RADIOS.

HAVE A MOTION A SECOND.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NOTE, LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN BRISSON.

WHEN ARE YOU EXPECTING DELIVERED? WE DO NOT YET, SIR.

WORKING ON THE VENDORS RIGHT NOW FOR THE, THE RADIOS.

YOU GOT PAY FOR IT BEFORE YOU GET 'EM DELIVERED, RIGHT? YES SIR.

THANK YOU CHIEF.

THANK YOU SIR.

ITEM NUMBER ALDERMAN.

ASHER, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION AND ALSO TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION OH.

'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE AN ACTUAL BUDGET AMENDMENT.

APPROVE THE RESOLUTION THEN TO, UM, BRING AUTHORIZE $8,290 91 CENTS FOR PURCHASE OF THE RADIATE.

MR. ATTORNEY, YOU WANT US TO RE-VOTE ON THAT? LET'S DO PLEASE.

NUMBER 19 IS TO CONSIDER ADOPTING A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE SUBMISSION OF AN APPLICATION FOR THE BUILDING RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE AND COMMUNITIES PROGRAM GRANT TO AID THE NEW BERN RAIL CORRIDOR PLANNING STUDY.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.

ALRIGHT, WE HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND ON THE CLARIFIED MOTION.

LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL.

WE'LL, AGAIN, WE'LL START WITH ALDERMAN BRISSON.

[19. Consider Adopting a Resolution Authorizing the Submission of an Application for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Program Grant to Aid the New Bern Rail Corridor Planning Study.]

MR. SEABERT? YES, SIR.

THANK YOU MAYOR.

UH, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND BOARD, UM, FOR YOU REQUEST ANY CONSIDERATION ON THE NEXT CYCLE OF BRICK FUNDING.

WE'VE SUBMITTED A LETTER OF INTENT IN EARLY OCTOBER.

UH, SOLE PURPOSE IS TO DEVELOP A PLAN OF RAIL CORRIDOR SPECIFICALLY FROM THE INTERSECTIONS OF GEORGE STREET AND DUN STREET TRAVELING WEST TO THE EDGE OF THE CITY CITY'S CORPORATE LIMITS.

IT DOES INCLUDE WARDS ONE, FOUR, AND FIVE.

THE PURPOSE OF THAT IS WE ARE LOOKING AT UNDERSIZED CULVERTS THAT ARE UNDER THE RAIL BED AND DEVELOPING A PLAN TO IMPROVE THE FLOW OF THE STORMWATER IN THAT AREA.

IT OBVIOUSLY WOULD INCLUDE THE RESIZING OF THOSE CULVERTS THAT ARE INADEQUATELY SIZED.

THE ANTICIPATED COST FOR THIS PROJECT IS ESTIMATED $200,000.

THERE IS A 25% COST MATCH, WHICH AMOUNTS TO $50,000 THAT WE WOULD REQUEST FOR CONSIDERATION.

THERE ARE WAYS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE COST SHARE CAN BE CASH DONATED, THIRD PARTY INC KIND SERVICES MATERIALS OR COMBINATION THEREOF.

AND THERE IS AN OPTION WHAT THAT WE'LL FIND OUT FURTHER ON ACTUAL APPLICATION IF WE QUALIFY AS ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED RURAL COMMUNITY, WHICH WILL REDUCE OUR COST SHARE FOR THIS PROJECT.

EXCUSE.

I AM OPEN IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS.

BOARD HAVE QUESTIONS? YOU SAID THERE'D BE A COST SHARE? THERE IS A COST SHARE.

YES, MA.

AND WHAT AMOUNT IS THAT? THAT WOULD BE, RIGHT NOW AT 25% IT'S $50,000.

OF THE 200,000.

YES MA'AM.

BUT THAT'S WHAT THE GRANT IS.

YOU'RE GONNA REQUEST A GRANT GRANT FOR 200,000.

THE GRANT, YOUR GRANT TOTAL AMOUNT IS FOR $200,000.

SO IT'D BE A HUNDRED AND UH, 50 WITH OUR MATCHING INTAKE.

CHRIS, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, THIS, THIS IS TO REQUEST FUNDING FOR A STUDY THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE IN ORDER TO ASK FOR THE ACTUAL GRANT.

IS THAT THIS IS A, THIS IS A, UH, GRANT FOR THE STUDY.

AND THEN THE INTENT IS TAKE THE RESULTS OF THAT STUDY AND APPLY FOR CONSTRUCTION GRANTS FOR

[01:10:01]

THE IMPROVEMENTS.

SO I, I KNOW THIS IS, THIS IS A REALLY HARD QUESTION, SO I'M SORRY TO HAVE TO ASK YOU, BUT DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THE LIKELIHOOD IS OF US ACTUALLY GETTING THE GRANT TO DO THE WORK FOR CONSTRUCTION OR FOR CONSTRUCTION? YEAH, BECAUSE I MEANT WE'RE, WE'RE BASICALLY BEING ASKED IN A NUTSHELL TO SPEND $50,000 ON A HOPE AND A PRAYER THAT WE'RE GONNA GET THE ACTUAL GRANT THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO DO THE WORK.

AND I KNOW WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT PLANS IN THE PAST.

WE'VE GOT SOME GREAT PLANS, BUT YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING UNLESS YOU ACTUALLY HAVE THE FUNDING TO DO IT WELL.

AND, AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE SEEING WITH A LOT OF THE STORM WATER RELATED IS WE'VE GOT TO HAVE THOSE DESIGNS IN PLANS IN PLACE BEFORE WE CAN APPLY FOR OUR GRANT.

AND SO WE HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN APPLYING FOR CONSTRUCTION GRANTS, UH, ESPECIALLY THE FIELD STORMWATER PROJECT.

WE HAVEN'T SEEN THAT FAUCET TURNOFF YET FOR THOSE, THOSE GRANTS FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES.

SO I THINK WE'VE GOT A PRETTY GOOD CHANCE WITH OUR APPLICATION PROCESS.

DOES BOARD HAVE QUESTIONS? KIND OF A SIMILAR QUESTION TO WHAT THE MAYOR'S ASKING.

YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CONSTRUCTION IN THE RAILROADS ARE, IS NORTHLINE RAILROAD OR NORFOLK SOUTHERN GONNA BE PARTICIPATING IN THIS STUDY AT ALL? UH, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO APPROVE THE CONSTRUCTION WHETHER WE GET A GRANT OR NOT.

WE ARE INTENDING ON HAVING THEM AS A PARTNER IN THIS PROJECT.

SO IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE CAN GET THAT PARTNERSHIP FIRST? BECAUSE NORMALLY FROM MY EXPERIENCE IN THE LAST 15 YEARS, UH, WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE COVID RIGHT NOW THAT THEY WON'T EVEN MOVE ON.

THE PIPE IS UP THIS HIGH AND THE WATER'S THIS LOW.

SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO FLOOD TO REACH THE LEVEL TO GO THROUGH THE PIPE.

SO IS IT ANY WAY THAT WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GET THE AGREEMENT FROM THEM FIRST INSTEAD OF WAITING? WELL, THE INITIAL DRAFT TO THE STATE, BECAUSE WE ARE, UH, THE STATE IS THE RECIPIENT OF THE GRANT.

WE ARE A SUBRECIPIENT UNDER THEM.

UM, THAT IS OUR FIRST, UH, SUBMITTAL TO THEM IS DECEMBER 4TH.

SO THE INTENT ON HAVING THIS BEFORE YOU TONIGHT IS TO COVER THAT BASIS.

UH, WE HAVE, UH, MADE CONTACT WITH NCRR BUT HAVE NOT RECEIVED A RESPONSE YET.

BUT THAT IS THE INTENT TO HAVE THEM.

IT'S, IT IS PART OF THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE TOO.

UM, AND WE FEEL CONFIDENT THEY'LL, THEY'LL COME TO THE TABLE AND HAVE SOME CONVERSATION.

GOOD LUCK.

UNDERSTOOD IT.

IT IS A LITTLE CONCERNING THAT WE'RE GOING TO OUTLAY $50,000 AND IT COULD BE IN KIND LIKE YOU SAID, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE 50,000 BUCKS, $50,000 IN CASH.

BUT, YOU KNOW, LET'S JUST SAY THAT WE DO THIS AND WE GET AN IMPLEMENTATION GRANT ESSENTIALLY TO DO THE PROJECT IN NORTH CAROLINA.

RAILROAD SAYS, YOU'RE NOT TOUCHING MY TRACK, WHICH IS POSSIBLE.

SO DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH OF THE $50,000 IS GONNA BE IN KIND VERSUS THE OUTLAY OF CASH? ANY IDEAS? I MEAN, IT, IT, OUR INTENT WHEN WE START DEVELOPING THE BUDGET FOR THIS IS, UH, GAUGE THAT, I MEAN, I FEEL CONFIDENT IF WE, WE CAN GET THAT CONSIDERATION UNDER DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY THAT'LL SHAVE THAT 25% DOWN TO 10% OBLIGATION.

SO, UH, THAT'S THE GOAL.

UM, IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY STAFF, UM, IN THEIR INITIAL LOI REVIEW LETTER OF, UH, ENTRANCE REVIEW, THEY DID NOT CATCH THAT WE WERE IN THAT DESIGNATION.

WE ARE TO, UH, DOCUMENT THAT IN OUR ACT, OUR INITIAL APPLICATION TO THEM.

SO WE CAN GET THAT CONSIDERATION.

CHRIS, CAN THE, UM, THE MATCH COME FROM OTHER GRANT FUNDS? YES, IT CAN BE, UH, WE CAN USE GRANT MATCH FUNDS.

FUNDS ARE CURRENTLY NOT NEEDED UNTIL WE WOULD RECEIVE A GRANT.

THIS IS AUTHORIZATION TO APPLY FOR A GRANT.

THIS IS AUTHORIZATION APPLY FOR THE GRANT.

DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR THE GRANT IS WHEN THE DEADLINE, NO FINAL DEADLINE.

THEY HAVE TO HAVE EVERYTHING BY THE END OF FEBRUARY TO FEMA FOR CONSIDERATION.

AND AWARD, ESTIMATED AWARD DATE IS, THE AWARD DATE IS LIKELY, OR WARD DATE TIMEFRAME IS LIKELY SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER OF 24.

BUT AFTER THAT, IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT THIS 2022 BREAK PROCESS IS.

THERE'S CERTAIN REVIEWS, HISTORIC, UM, PRESERVATION, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS.

SO THEY'RE EXPRESSING TO US THAT THE FUNDING IS NOT LIKELY GOING TO BE AVAILABLE UNTIL OCTOBER, 2025.

SO WITH US BEING A SUB APPLICANT FOR THE STATE, WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM TO POLISH SHOW UP OUR APPLICATION.

WHAT WAS THE DECEMBER 4TH DATE THAT YOU THREW OUT THAT?

[01:15:01]

SO OUR INITIAL SUBMITTAL TO THEM IS THE FOURTH AND WE'RE GONNA WORK THROUGH THE MONTH OF DECEMBER TO GET EVERYTHING APPROPRIATE.

ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD ON ITEM NUMBER 19? I'M JUST VERY LEERY BASED ON MY PERIOD, MY, UH, PAST EXPERIENCE WITH SOUTHERN RAILROAD COMING IN TO DISRUPT THEIR TRACKS.

YOU KNOW, I I I, I JUST, I DON'T FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT BECAUSE WHEN WE HAD THE PROBLEM OVER, UM, OVER, UM, WHAT IS THAT CANAL? WE JUST EXPANDED OVER NEAR ROAD STREET.

THE FIELD.

THAT CANAL, WHEN WE DID THAT CANAL EXPANSION, THEY DIDN'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING.

I, I WILL SAY, IS THIS THE SAME? IS THIS NORTH CAROLINA RAILROAD? YES.

IT WAS.

SO I WILL SAY THAT, UM, ALDERMAN BRISSON AND P PRILL AND MYSELF HAD A MEETING WITH THEM TODAY, UM, ABOUT THE DEPOT.

UM, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT THING FOR, I THINK ATTORNEY DAVIS SAID OVER 20 YEARS NOW.

UM, IT WAS PROBABLY THE BEST MEETING I THINK THAT WE'VE HAD WITH NORTH CAROLINA RAILROAD OVER THE YEARS.

SO IF THAT'S A SIGN OF WHAT COULD BE HERE, I'M OPTIMISTIC.

UH, BUT ALL WE HAVE TO GO ON IS THE HISTORY THAT WE HAVE SO FAR, AND IT HASN'T BEEN GREAT WHEN IT COMES TO CHANGING ANY OF THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE.

SO THAT'S WHEN WE HAD THE FLOOD TRYING TO PUMP THE WATER ACROSS THE TRACKS.

WE, THEY DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO STOP THE TRAIN TO LET US PUMP WATER.

BUT WE ENDED UP, THAT ENDED UP WORKING OUT PRETTY GOOD.

THE ONLY THING YOU GOTTA DO IS TELL THESE PEOPLE, THIS IS GONNA PREVENT FLOODING.

AND THEN I LET 'EM KNOW REAL QUICKLY THAT IF THE FLOODING DID HAPPEN, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT US TO PUMP THE WATER ACROSS THE TRACK, IT WAS GONNA BE THEIR FAULT.

THEY PUT PEOPLE OUT THERE TO WATCH THE TRAIN FOR US WHILE WE PUMPED ACROSS.

SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'VE GOTTEN, I MEAN, THEY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE PRETTY GOOD WHEN IT COMES TO FLOODING ISSUES.

THEY HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST.

UH, I, I WORKED WITH 'EM THROUGH ALMOST EVERY HURRICANE GETTING, YOU KNOW, PERMISSION TO GO ACROSS THE TRACKS TO, TO, UM, DO SOME PUMPING OUT AND STUFF.

SO, UH, WE JUST NEED, WELL, WE GIVE IT A SHOT.

I MEAN, IT'S NOT GONNA HURT ANYTHING.

WE, THE ONLY THING YOU'RE DOING IS ASKING PERMISSION TO APPLY, CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.

ALL BEST.

THAT WAS WHEN HE JUST MADE THAT STATEMENT THOUGH.

WE JUST ASKING FOR TO APPLY BECAUSE AS CITY MANAGER SAID, THE, THE COST SHARE OF $50,000 IS ONLY GONNA TAKE EFFECT IF WE, IF THE GRANT IS APPROVED IN 25.

AND IF, AND IF THE BOARD ACCEPTS THE GRANT AWARD, SO, OKAY.

IT'S PLEASURE.

THE BOARD ON ITEM NUMBER 19.

WELL, MR. MAYOR, GO AHEAD.

I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION FOR THE BUILDING RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE AND COMMUNITIES PROGRAM GRANT TO AID THE NEW BERN RAIL CORRIDOR PLANNING STUDY.

I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

NUMBER 20 IS A REVIEW OF STORMWATER PROJECTS FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS.

LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN PRILL.

[20. Review of Stormwater Projects for Last Five Years.]

MR. CHARLES.

GOOD EVENING MAYOR BOARD.

UM, WE WERE ASKED TO, UH, PRESENT THE, THE LAST FIVE YEARS OF STORMWATER PROJECTS THAT ARE IN PROGRESS AND COMPLETED, UM, FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS.

AND THAT'S WHERE, WHERE WE STARTED OFF WITH THIS TIMEFRAME WAS REALLY FROM POST WARRANT.

SO, SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS, UM, THIS WILL BE POST FLORENCE WORK THAT, THAT WE'VE GOT UNDERWAY, COMPLETED.

UM, I TRIED TO COMPRESS DOWN THE DETAIL PACKAGE THAT YOU RECEIVED FROM THOSE APPROXIMATELY 70 PAGES TO JUST A LITTLE OVER A DOZEN FOR TIME.

BUT IF YOU DO AT ANY TIME HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DETAIL PAGES, UM, I'M AVAILABLE TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS.

SO WE, WE STARTED OUT, AND WE HAD A REAL INTENT IN THE CITY OVERALL TO WORK ON STORMWATER EITHER REPAIRS OR IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE NOTED FROM HURRICANE FLORENCE.

SO THE WAY WE'VE BROKEN THIS DOWN, AND, AND IT'S BROKEN DOWN THIS WAY IN THE DETAILS SHEET.

SO WE'VE GOT, UH, THE FIRST SECTION, WHICH IS, UH, PUBLIC WORKS AND WATER PROJECTS.

AND THAT INCLUDES GRANT FUNDED PROJECTS THAT WERE

[01:20:01]

ACTUALLY DOING OR HAVE COMPLETED TODAY DURING THAT FIVE YEAR PERIOD.

WE'VE ALSO INCLUDED IN THESE NUMBERS GET LITTLE PERSPECTIVE WHAT WE HAVE COMPLETED OF THE FLORENCE CAT D WORK SO FAR.

AND WE DO HAVE SEVERAL OF THE BASINS THAT'LL BE BID IN DECEMBER, JANUARY, AND FEBRUARY TO COMPLETE THAT WORK.

SO THAT NUMBER WILL LIKELY GO UP MULTIPLE MEETINGS OF DOLLARS AS WE WORK THROUGH THE COMPLETION OF THOSE BASINS.

UM, CAT A, WE HAVE COMPLETED THE MAJORITY OF CAT A.

THERE'LL BE SOME ADDITIONAL CAT A DURING THE CAT D WORK THAT'LL BE ACCOUNTED FOR.

THEN WE HAVE THE, UH, BOARD OF ALDERMAN, UM, ARP FUNDED PROJECTS THAT ARE DIRECTLY ALLOCATED FROM EACH WARD FOR STORMWATER PROJECTS.

AND THAT IS, UM, 2,860,000 $142.

AND THEN WE HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL PROJECTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN, IN PROJECT DESIGN PLANNING OR BIDDING, AND THAT'S ANOTHER 4.7 MILLION.

SO IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, WE, UH, HAVE EITHER COMPLETED OR HAVE IN PROGRESS JUST OVER $21 MILLION OF PROJECTS JUST TO GIVE US A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE OF WHERE WE ARE.

AND THAT THAT'S, THAT'S A GREAT EFFORT, I THINK POST FLORENCE OF WHERE WE RECOGNIZE DEFICIENCIES WHEN WE, WE DISCOVERED, UM, DAMAGES WITHIN OUR SYSTEM.

SO THE, THE 33 PROJECTS THAT WE'VE DONE WITHIN THE CITY, THAT'S BROKEN DOWN BY YEAR, AND YOU'LL SEE THESE NUMBERS AND COST ACCELERATING AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS BECAUSE WE'VE GOT GRANT PACKAGES THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THE DESIGN PHASE, WHICH MADE THE SHOVEL READY, WHICH WILL THEN PRECIPITATE US BEING ABLE TO RECEIVE GRANTS FOR THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION FUNDING.

UM, CHRIS WAS MENTIONING MUCH OF THAT IN HIS PRIOR AGENDA ITEM.

AND THIS IS JUST A SMALL, SMALL MAP HERE OF THE STORMWATER PROJECTS, UM, OUTSIDE OF FEMA THAT WE HAVE DONE THROUGHOUT THE CITY, JUST SHOWING SOME LOCATIONS OF REPAIRS, PIPE REPLACEMENTS, UM, BANK STABILIZATION, UM, WITHIN THOSE AREAS.

SO, SO TO DATE, THE FEMA, UH, CAT D WE'RE A LITTLE OVER 1.8 MILLION.

UM, AND I'LL HAVE THAT BROKEN DOWN ON THE NEXT SLIDE.

AND THEN THE CAT D AT 8.2 MILLION.

SO THE, THE CAT D THAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR, WE'VE COMPLETED QUARRY ONE AND QUARRY TWO, CAT D, SO THAT'S PERMANENT WORK, BANK STABILIZATION, HEAD WALLS, THAT TYPES OF WORK.

UM, I'VE ALSO INCLUDED IN HERE, UH, TRENT TRENT VILLAGE, UH, RETAINING WALL, WHICH WAS IN THE TRENT RIVER BASIN, WHICH WAS, UH, $624,000.

TO COMPLETE THAT WE HAVE PRIORITIZED SHRIMP BEING THE NEXT BASIN THAT GOES FOR BID.

SO IT'LL BE ADVERTISED IN DECEMBER.

SO WE CAN GO AHEAD AND CAPTURE THE REST OF THE CAT D IN THE FEMA IN THE FEMA FUNDED, UH, WORK FOR THE CAT.

A SO WITHIN ALL THE CAT A WORK, AND I KNOW, UH, WE HAD THE TRC CONSULTANT HERE TO GO OVER A LOT OF THE CAT A WORK, UM, 349 SPOTS OF, UH, SPECIFIC LOCATION FOR DEBRIS AND SEDIMENT REMOVAL FROM 662 DITCHES OR STREAMS WITH A COMBINED TOTAL LINEAR FOOTAGE OF JUST OVER 25 MILES THAT WE, WE REMEDIATED AFTER THE STORM.

AND THIS IS A BREAKDOWN OF THE CAT D COST ASSOCIATED WITH, I MEAN THE CAT, A COST ASSOCIATED WITH EACH ONE OF THOSE BASINS, UH, WITH AN UNDERSTANDING THAT RANDY'S NORTH GLEN BURN, RIVERFRONT WILSON AND BRYCE'S CREEK, UM, WERE COMBINED IN THAT.

AND THEY WILL BE BIDDING A PACKAGE.

THEY'RE SMALLER BASINS WITH, UH, WITH, WITH NOT AS MUCH DAMAGE, UH, COMPARED TO THE LARGER ONES OF TRENT, JIMMY'S AND JACKSON, SMITH CREEK, WHICH ARE TWO OF THREE OF OUR LARGEST BASINS.

SO WE'VE GOT SOME ADDITIONAL, UH, WORK COMING UP.

UM, WE'RE PLANNING TO ADVERTISE BID THE PHASE TWO AND THREE OF THE DUFFY FIELD STORMWATER PROJECT.

UM, AND CURRENTLY WE HAVE DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES FOR THAT AND APPROXIMATELY $4.3 MILLION OF FUNDING TO, FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THAT WORK.

WE ALSO HAVE THE ASSET INVENTORY, UM, GRANT, WHICH WE'RE ACTUALLY MEETING ON SITE WITH THE CONSULTANT TOMORROW TO LOOK AT FOUR TO FIVE SPECIFIC AREAS WHERE WE WANT MORE DETAILED SURVEY WORK DONE OF OUR, OF OUR ENTIRE, UH, DRAINAGE SYSTEM.

MUCH OF THIS ASSET INVENTORY WILL BE FOCUSED ON THE OLDER PARTS OF TOWN WHERE WE DO NOT HAVE NEW SERVICE, UH, NEW SURVEY DATA, UM, LOTS OF THE NEWER SUBDIVISIONS WE HAVE THE CONSTRUCTION PLANS, WE HAVE THE AS-BUILTS.

UM, BUT IN A LOT OF THE OLDER PARTS OF TOWN WE'VE FOUND, WE'VE GOT BLIND CONNECTIONS UNDER STREETS WITH MULTIPLE DRAINAGE BASINS TIED TOGETHER WHERE WE'RE NOT REALLY GRASPING THE ENTIRE BASIN THAT'S BEING SERVICED BY A SINGLE OUTLET.

SO WE'VE GOT AREAS THAT GET OVERWHELMED FOR SHORT

[01:25:01]

PERIODS OF TIME DURING THE HEAVY RAIN BECAUSE WE HAVE ONE OUTLET, BUT IT MAY BE SERVICING A LARGER DRAINAGE BASIN THAN WE REALIZE BECAUSE 300 YEARS OF PIPES IN THE GROUND THERE, THERE ARE THINGS CONNECTED THAT WE'RE NOT AWARE OF, BUT WE'RE HOPING TO FIND THAT IN THIS STUDY.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE PHASE TWO, UH, THREE AND FOUR.

UM, CURRENTLY TWO AND THREE ARE FUNDED.

UH, FOUR IS NOT, WHICH ARE THE PARK AND RECREATION ACTUALLY, UH, FIXTURES WITHIN THAT PLAN.

AND THEN WE GET TO THE BOARD ALLOCATED FUNDING.

UM, WE'VE GOT TRENT, TRENT, RED ROBIN ROAD, UH, BANK STABILIZATION.

SO THE CONTRACTOR THIS WEEK IS ACTUALLY FINISHING SOME PUNCH LIST ITEMS ON THAT ONE.

UM, TRENT ROAD BANK STABILIZATION, WHICH IS ACTUALLY, UH, RIGHT NEAR THE BYPASS RIGHT BESIDE FLIGHTS BICYCLE SHOP.

UM, THEY ARE JUST ABOUT DONE JUST A LITTLE BIT OF CLEANUP THAT THEY'LL FINISH THIS WEEK AND WE'LL BE COMPLETED WITH THAT.

UM, THE PINEHURST PUMP STATION, THE ENGINEERS ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON THAT AND CONSULTING WITH THE PUMP MANUFACTURERS.

UM, FOR THAT UNION POINT, UM, WE'VE COMPLETED ALL THAT WORK.

WE INSTALLED NEW PIPE IN UNION POINT, REPLACING SOME OLD FOUR INCH YARD DRAINS WITH 15 INCH, UH, PIPE, STORM PIPE.

AND WE ALSO HAVE A BACKFLOW PREVENTER TO PREVENT WHEN WE HAVE, UM, INCREASED NORTHEAST WINDS THAT FLOOD FLOODS THE PARK FOR EVENTS, WE CAN ACTUALLY SHUT THAT, SHUT THAT OUTLET OFF.

AND WE HAVE A PUMP SYSTEM IN CASE THERE'S ANY ADDITIONAL RAIN DURING THE EVENT.

HANCOCK STREET, UH, PIPE REPLACEMENT.

UM, WE HAD THE CONTRACTOR ACTUALLY GOT IN FINALLY TO, UH, CAMERA, THAT PIPELINE, UM, NOT THE FINDINGS WE WANTED TO FIND.

SO WE ARE GONNA BE FORCED TO REPLACE THAT PIPE.

WE HAD HOPED WE'D BE ABLE TO ALIGN IT WITH THE LINING SYSTEM.

UM, BUT FROM THE FINDINGS FROM THIS WEEK OF, OF CAMERON, THAT LINE, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO REPLACE THAT ENTIRE BLOCKAGE FROM ONE PIPE.

THE EAST ROSE CULVERTS, THEY ARE GOING THROUGH DESIGN RIGHT NOW WITH THE, UM, WITH THE GATES.

WE HAVE BEEN IN CONSULTATION WITH N-C-D-O-T FOR THE NORTH HILLS DRAINAGE STUDY, AND THIS HAS GOT TO DO WITH THE CULVERT, UM, UNDER SIMMONS STREET WITH SOME ADDITIONAL GATES.

THEY, OUR CONSULTANTS HAVE TURNED THEIR INFORMATION OVER TO THE HYDROLOGY HYDROLOGY DIVISION OF N-C-D-O-T SINCE THAT CULVERT IS ACTUALLY ON SIMMONS STREET, WHICH IS THE DOT ROAD.

UM, SO WE'VE GOTTA GET THEIR INPUT AND HOPEFULLY WE'RE IN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT GETTING SOME CONTRIBUTION OF, UH, EITHER LABOR INSTALLATION FROM DHC ON THAT CULVERT ONCE WE GET TO THAT POINT.

COLLEGE PARK, UM, DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS, UH, IN THE PLANNING STAGE.

UM, THE RACETRACK ROAD CULVERTS ARE INCLUDED IN THE RACETRACK ROAD, UM, IMPROVEMENTS.

UM, AND THAT, THAT MEETING I HAVE WITH, UH, BARNHILL CONTRACTING IS FOR NEXT WEEK TO GET A NOTICE OF PROCEED DATE WHERE THEY'RE GONNA MOBILIZE.

AND SO I'LL BE ABLE TO PRESENT THAT TO YOU.

SO ONE THING I DID WANNA POINT OUT HERE IS THE, THE COST ALLOCATION WHERE WE'RE GETTING THIS FUNDING.

SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE OVERALL COST, MUCH OF THIS HAS BEEN FEMA REIMBURSABLE, MUCH OF IT HAS BEEN THE BOARD ALLOTTED OR ALLOCATED ARPA FUNDING WHERE, WHERE YOU ALLOCATED EACH ONE OF YOUR AWARDS FOR STORM WATER PROJECTS.

AND THEN THE NEXT IS THE GRANT SOURCES.

SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT GRANT SOURCES, WE'RE, WE'RE CURRENTLY AT OVER $8 MILLION OF GRANTS THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED FULL CONSTRUCTION PROCESS AS WE LOOK AT.

AND, AND IT'S DIFFICULT WHEN WE ASK FOR, UM, AS MR. SEABERG ASKED FOR, FOR PLANNING GRANTS, BUT WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS IF WE HAVE THE PLANNING OR THE ENGINEERING GRANT IN HAND WHEN THERE IS AVAILABLE CONSTRUCTION MONEY, SO WE HAVE A SHOVEL READY PROJECT, IF YOU'LL JUST, IF WE CAN GET THE FUNDING THROUGH A GRANT AGENCY, WE ARE MORE LIKELY TO RECEIVE THAT GRANT.

AND THAT'S WHERE IT'S DIFFICULT TO COME ASK FOR PLANNING OR SURVEYING WORK OR, OR DESIGN WORK.

AND WE DON'T GET ANYTHING IMMEDIATELY.

BUT WHAT IT DOES DO IS PREPARES US FOR THE NEXT GRANT PHASE WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE READY AND PUTS US AT THE TOP OF THE LIST FOR SOME OF THE GRANT FUNDS.

GEORGE, JUST A QUICK QUESTION.

ON, ON THE FEMA PORTION, DOES, DOES ANY OF THAT INCLUDE REIMBURSEMENT? SO WHERE THE CITY EXPENDED FUNDS AND THEN FEMA REIMBURSED US, IT'S ALL REIMBURSED.

IT'S ALL REIMBURSED.

SO THE CITY HAS TO SPEND THOSE FUNDS AND THEN REQUEST, UH, REIMBURSEMENT ALLOCATION FROM FEMA.

SO JUST TO KIND OF CLEAR IT UP A LITTLE BIT, THAT'S NOT JUST $10 MILLION THAT FEMA JUST GAVE US CORRECT.

TO DO THINGS? THAT IS CORRECT.

IT'S THINGS WHERE WE'VE SPENT THE MONEY LOCALLY AND THEN THEY'VE REIMBURSED.

AND THAT, AND THAT IS THE SAME WAY WITH THE GRANT FUNDING.

WE HAVE TO ACTUALLY DO THE EXPENDITURE BEF AND THEN ASK FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF THAT.

LOOK, BUT LOOKING AT THE GRANT SOURCES AND, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RAILROAD CORRIDORS AND, AND OPTIONS FOR CULVERTS UNDER RAILROADS, WE ALSO HAVE SOME, SOME GRANTS THAT ARE, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE INTENDING TO APPLY FOR THROUGH OTHER FUNDING SOURCES OUTSIDE OF A STATE OR FEDERAL.

BUT

[01:30:01]

SO, SO THERE'S SOME NEW GOLDEN LEAF GRANTS COMING OUT THAT, THAT ARE GOING TO BE UP TO $2 MILLION OF PROJECTS, UM, THAT WE'RE HOPING TO UTILIZE FOR TWO CULVERTS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN A 2018 DRAINAGE STUDY.

SO WE GET BACK TO THE STUDIES WE DID ONE FIVE YEARS AGO.

NOW THAT WE HAVE THAT, IT PUTS US AHEAD OF OTHER REQUESTS FROM OTHER, FROM OTHER, UH, MUNICIPALITIES TRYING TO ACHIEVE THAT GRANT MONEY.

SO RIGHT, RIGHT NOW THERE ARE GRANTS AVAILABLE AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE PUSHING.

I I THINK THE NUMBER WE'RE ADDED OVER $22 MILLION, UH, IS, IS SIGNIFICANT FOR THE TOWN ONCE WE GET THE CAT D DONE.

AND I WOULD ESTIMATE FROM THE PRIOR COST OF QUARRY ONE, QUA TWO, WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA BE ANOTHER EIGHT $9 MILLION ON CAT D WORK ONCE WE GET DONE TOTAL FRUITION OF THAT.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE GOT SOME, SOME LARGE CHUNKS STILL COMING AND, AND WE FEEL LIKE THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE THROUGH THE FEMA AND THROUGH THE ARPA WORK AND ADDITIONALLY THROUGH THE GRANT FUNDING THAT WE'RE SEEING IMPROVEMENTS IN OUR DRAINAGE SYSTEM AND WE'RE TALKING DAY TO DAY ON JUST NORMAL RAIN EVENTS, UM, IT, IT, IT REALLY, WE'VE HAD FEWER CALLS, WE'VE HAD FEWER BACKUPS.

UM, AND I THINK THE A I A GRANT WILL IDENTIFY SOME STRUCTURAL ISSUES WE MAY HAVE IN OLDER PARTS OF TOWN THAT THEN WILL HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK FOR GRANT MONEY TO, TO GO AFTER.

BUT WE'LL HAVE IT IDENTIFIED WITH THAT, WITH THAT A I A STUDY AND, AND THAT'S THE IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDIES THAT, YOU KNOW, LEADING UP TO APPLYING FOR THE GRANTS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION.

DOES THE BOARD HAVE QUESTIONS? YES, YES, I DO.

UM, THIS IS A KEN, UM, I DO KNOW THAT, UM, IT WAS SAID THAT, AND I'M SPEAKING ON THE OPERA FUNDS.

UM, THAT THOSE FUNDS HAD TO BE OBLIGATED BY DECEMBER OF 2024, BUT NOT, DON'T HAVE TO BE ACTUALLY SPENT UNTIL 2026 NO, WHEN WE SELECTED THE REVENUE REPLACEMENT.

THAT OPENED IT UP SO THAT IT WAS BASICALLY COMING OUT OF UNRESTRICTED FUND BALANCE.

SO NOW WE'VE ASSIGNED THOSE FOR THE ARBOR FUND.

SO YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT DEADLINE, WORRY ABOUT ANY KIND OF DEADLINES, NO.

SPIN THOSE FUNDS OR ENTERING INTO A CONTRACT OR CREATING A CONTRACT.

GREAT.

THAT WAS ONE OF MY QUESTIONS.

OKAY, GEORGE, THIS QUESTION IS FOR YOU.

UM, THE EAST ROAD CULVERTS? YES MA'AM.

YOU HAVE NOW JOINED, THEY ARE NOW JOINED WITH THE, THE, UM, BIDDLE STREET PROJECT? NO, MA'AM.

NO MA'AM.

EAST EAST ROAD.

THE EAST ROADS CULVERTS ARE STANDALONE UP NEAR THE EAST ROAD LIFT STATION.

SO THAT'S A SEPARATE FROM OKAY.

FROM THAT PROJECT.

YES, MA'AM.

SO HAVE, HAVE YOU, UM, ENTERED INTO ANY, CREATED ANY CONTRACTS OR ENTERED INTO ANY CONTRACTS ON THESE TWO PROJECTS? THE EAST ROAD AND THE NORTH HILLS? THE EAST ROADS, AND WHICH ONE? NORTH HILLS, UH, STORM DRAINAGE, MA'AM? YES MA'AM.

WE HAVE.

SO YOU WHEN WE HAVE, YES MA'AM.

AND THAT'S WHERE I WAS SAYING THE CONVERSATION HAS NOW GONE FROM THE STUDY INFORMATION TO N-C-D-O-T.

SO THAT WOULD BE FOR THE NORTH HILLS, THAT'S THE SIMMONS STREET CULVERT.

AND THEN WE ARE IN THE KIND OF DESIGN SECTION OF THE NORTH HILLS.

I MEAN, I'M SORRY, EAST ROADS, UH, CULVERS.

BUT WE ALSO HAVE IN THOSE PACKAGES OF, THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE CITY OF NEW BERN PROJECTS, WE, WE ALSO HAVE, UM, THE EAST ROSE BASIN.

SO THAT IS GOING OUT TO BID.

WE'VE GOT DESIGN WORK TO EXPAND THAT BASIN.

WE ALSO HAVE A GOLDEN LEAF GRANT FOR A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS TO RETROFIT THAT BASIN.

WE'RE ACTUALLY LOWERING THE STATION AND THAT IS ALL BEING DESIGNED.

WE SHOULD HAVE THAT OUT IN THE BASEMENT.

NOW IS THAT THE BASIN THAT WE MET? YES, MA'AM.

RIGHT BESIDE THE .

EXCUSE ME, IS THAT THE BASIN THAT WHERE WE MET BACK IN JUNE WITH TRC TO DISCUSS THAT? IS THAT YES, MA'AM.

THE BASIN OVER MA? YES MA'AM.

THAT'S EVERGREEN CEMETERY? YES, MA'AM.

AT EAST ROSE? YES, MA'AM.

AND YOU WITH THE NORTH HILLS, UM, PROJECT STORM PROJECT, SO N-C-D-O-T WAS AMENABLE TO JOINING IN? THAT'S THE CONVERSATION, SHARING SOME OF THE CALLS.

THAT'S THE CONVERSATION WE'RE HAVING RIGHT NOW.

WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOME KIND OF, UM, PARTNERSHIP IN THAT, BUT I CAN'T SPEAK TO ANY, YOU KNOW, AGREEMENT AT THIS TIME.

BUT THAT'S OUR INTENT.

IF THIS IF THOSE TWO PROJECTS WERE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, A CONTRACT HAD BEEN CREATED OR YOU ASCERTAINING A CONTRACT COMING FORTH, BECAUSE THE LAST FEMA, UM, NOT FEMA BUT ARP FUNDING, UM, SPREADSHEET THAT WAS SUBMITTED TO US, THOSE TWO PROJECTS WERE THE ONLY TWO ON THAT SPREADSHEET THAT HAD NOT BEEN , CORRECT? CORRECT.

I I, AND THE REASON WHY I ASKED ABOUT

[01:35:01]

AND, AND THE DIFFICULT PART WITH THAT IS WE, WE CURRENTLY HAVE, UM, $300,000 OF WORK THAT'S GONNA GET BID RIGHT THERE AT THE EAST ROSE LIFT STATION.

SO YOU'VE GOT THE PUMP RETROFIT AND THE BASIN EXPANSION GOING ON AT ONE TIME.

IF WE IMPLEMENT ANOTHER CONTRACT IN THAT AREA, WE'RE GONNA HAVE DIFFICULTY, DIFFICULTY GETTING IT DONE.

SO THE, THE LIFT STATION RETROFIT AND THE BASIN EXPANSION NEED TO COME BEFORE THE CULVER'S.

THE, THE COHORTS ARE USABLE NOW, BUT THEY'LL BE IMPROVED WHEN WE, WHEN WE, UM, REPLACE 'EM.

WHAT, WHAT KIND OF TIME FACTOR DO YOU HAVE WITH IMPLEMENTING THIS? IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT TO SAY WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH, AND, AND WE'RE GONNA BRING UP THE RAILROAD ON ONE SIDE AND WE'RE GONNA BRING UP ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS.

SO, SO EVERYWHERE WE WORK, UM, IN STREAMS IS GOT REPERCUSSIONS ON THE PERMITTING SIDE.

SO WE'VE GOT THE DIVISION OF, OF WATER QUALITY, WE'VE GOT THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS AS REG REGULATIONS ON THIS.

SO ALL OF THIS HAS TO GO THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW IN ADDITION TWO, IF WE'RE ADJOINING THE SIDE OF THE RAILROAD WHERE WE HAVE TO WORK WITH THEM, ONE, THEIR REQUIREMENTS AND THEIR STIPULATIONS ON PRODUCT MATERIAL LOCATION OF WHAT WE INSTALL.

SO THE DIFFICULTY INCREASES AS WE'RE ENVI ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS.

AND AS WE GET ADJACENT TO THE RAILROAD TRACKS, DOES THAT MEAN IT'S NOT, NOT ACHIEVABLE? NO, MA'AM.

NO MA'AM.

WE, WE CAN CERTAINLY GET THIS DONE.

ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.

HEY, GEORGE, THE, UM, THE BASIN THAT WE HAD THAT HAD THE MAJOR OVERRUN ON IT, AND I THINK IT WAS A CAT D PROJECT, THE, THE TRENT THAT, THAT'S TRENT BECAUSE WE HAD THE TRENT VILLAGE RETAINING WALL.

HAVE WE, UM, HAVE WE CLOSED THAT OUT OR STARTED OR GETTING CLOSE TO CLOSING THAT ONE OUT? NO, UM, I DO NOT BELIEVE WE'RE CLOSING THAT ONE OUT YET BECAUSE WE'VE GOT TO ACTUALLY DO THE REST OF THE CAT D WORK IN THAT BASIN, WHICH DID, WHICH IS BEING ADVERTISED FOR BEING DECEMBER.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

THAT'S WHY WE PRIORITIZE IT BECAUSE WE'D ALREADY OVERRUN IT WITH THAT ONE PROJECT.

MR. CHALLENGE, YOU MADE MENTION OF THE TRENT ROAD PROJECT.

DID YOU NOT SAY IT'S ALMOST COMPLETE? AND IF THAT'S THE STATEMENT, HOW FAR AWAY AWAY FROM COMPLETION ON THE, UH, WHICH ONE? RED ROBIN.

ON RED ROBIN? YES.

THE CONTRACTOR.

UM, YEAH, HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE HERE THIS WEEK.

I SAW HE HAD HIS EXCAVATOR BACK ON SITE TODAY, SO THEY'RE GONNA FINISH A PUNCH LIST.

THE CONSTRUCTION, UM, INSPECTOR IS GONNA BE ON SITE TOMORROW ALSO WHILE THEY DO THAT.

SO WE'RE GONNA TRY TO WRAP.

SO PERCENTAGE WISE, WE ARE MAYBE WE'RE 99% DONE.

99? YES MA'AM.

AND THAT'S FOR BOTH PROJECTS, WHICH MA'AM? YES MA'AM.

THOSE SHOULD BE WRAPPED UP IN THE NEXT WEEK.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, GEORGE? I'LL JUST MAKE A A COMMENT THAT OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A TOPIC THAT WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT.

UM, AND I THINK I WAS THE ONE THAT REQUESTED THIS PRESENTATION BE DONE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, $22 MILLION AND CHANGE THAT, THAT'S REAL MONEY THAT'S BEEN SPENT.

AND I WAS PLEASED TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT WE'VE SEEN RESULTS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS STUFF THAT YOU DON'T REALLY SEE.

IT'S NOT A PARK, IT'S NOT A PLAYGROUND, IT'S NOT A FIRE STATION.

BUT THESE ARE THINGS UNDERGROUND THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT.

AND I CAN TELL YOU, UH, WE'VE HAD A FEW SIGNIFICANT RAIN EVENTS SINCE A LOT OF THIS WORK HAS BEEN DONE.

THE CALL VOLUME IS CERTAINLY NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE.

UM, IT DOESN'T MEAN WE HAVE FIXED EVERYTHING.

WE'RE NEVER GONNA FIX EVERYTHING.

THERE'S GONNA BE PLACES THAT WHEN WE GET THREE OR FOUR INCHES OF RAIN IN A MATTER OF A COUPLE OF HOURS, IT'S GONNA FLOOD.

UM, BUT I WILL SAY THAT THIS WATER IS MOVING OUT A LOT QUICKER AND IT'S BECAUSE OF ALL THIS WORK.

AND AGAIN, FOR FOLKS THAT WE WENT THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF HEARTBURN IN CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, WHERE WE WENT IN AND DID SOME EXCAVATION AND FOLKS SAID, WELL, I DIDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH WATER IN MY YARD.

WELL, YOU MAY NOT HAVE IN YOUR YARD, BUT YOU WERE BLOCKING UP OR SLOWING DOWN WATER FROM PROGRESSING THROUGH THE SYSTEM UPSTREAM.

AND THAT HAS CERTAINLY HELPED.

SO FOR FOLKS THAT MAY NOT HAVE HAD A PROBLEM AND YOU THOUGHT NOW YOU DO HAVE A PROBLEM, YOU ACTUALLY HELPED OTHER PEOPLE.

SO, UH, I COMMEND ALL THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE, UM, AND I JUST, WE GOTTA, WE GOTTA KEEP IT UP.

IT'S GONNA BE A CONSTANT MAINTENANCE ISSUE, BUT, UH, I THINK WE'VE DONE A GREAT JOB SO FAR.

THAT THEY FOLLOW ACTUALLY THE LOOSE LEAF WHEN YOU SEE THE LOOSE LEAF MAP.

AND SPEAKING OF MAINTENANCE ISSUE IN THE PEMBROKE COMMUNITY, IS THERE A SCHEDULE FOR MAINTENANCE WHEN IT COMES TO THE DITCHES? WE HAVE OUR, OUR STORMWATER CREWS ARE IN EACH

[01:40:01]

SO THE DAY THAT YOUR AREA IS IN A LOOSE LEAF PICKUP AREA, THE STORMWATER CREW HAS THEIR MAINTENANCE GUYS ALLOCATED TO THAT AREA.

SO IF THERE'S A SPECIFIC SPOT WITHIN THE PEMBROKE COMMUNITY THAT, THAT HAS BECOME A PROBLEM, UM, IF WE'RE UNAWARE OF IT, JUST HAVE THE RESIDENT CALL, THEY CAN, THEY CAN CALL OUR OFFICE AND REPORT IT AND WE'LL CERTAINLY HAVE SOMEBODY OUT IN THAT AREA.

I'M SURE YOU WILL BE HEARING FROM THEM SHORTLY.

YES, MA'AM.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MR. CHILDS FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

ITEM NUMBER 21, DISCUSSION OF VP BUILDING CHANGE AND SCOPE OF WORK MR. HUGHES.

[21 . Discussion of BP Building Change in Scope of Work.]

SO, UM, BACK DURING HURRICANE FLORENCE, THE OLD BP BUILDING, WHICH WAS USED BY PUBLIC WORKS, IS BASICALLY A STORAGE BUILDING IN A WORKSHOP BY THEIR STAFF WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED.

THAT BUILDING IS LOCATED AT 26 0 2 OAKS ROAD.

IT'S STILL STANDING TO THIS DAY.

SO WE'VE GONE THROUGH SEVERAL YEARS OF THE PROCESS, UH, WITH FEMA TO, TO TRY AND GET REIMBURSED.

THEY HAVE FINALLY AWARDED US $955,812 AND 7 CENTS TO REBUILD THAT PROJECT.

IN OUR DISCUSSIONS, WE HAVE, UM, MADE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ON SOME ALTERNATE PROJECTS, AND SO I WANT TO COVER THOSE, HAVE SOME DISCUSSIONS, AND THEN SEE IF WE CAN GET SOME DIRECTION ON, ON HOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.

SO PREVIOUSLY WE HAD DISCUSSED POTENTIAL PROJECTS OF AN AMPHITHEATER AT MARTIN MARIETTA PARK, A NEW FIRE STATION IN WEST NEWBURN, A FIRE TRUCK, A GROUNDS MAINTENANCE FACILITY FOR PARKS AND RECREATION, A PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY, AND THEN A SKID STEER MULCHER FOR PUBLIC WORK.

SO I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT EACH ONE OF THOSE AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS WHILE I'M GOING THROUGH THIS, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO ASK.

SO THE, THE BIG THING WE SAW WITH AMPHITHEATERS, WE DID A CONCEPT PLAN FOR THIS BACK IN 2018, AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE AS A CONCEPT.

WE HAVE NO CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS.

AND, AND AT THAT TIME WHEN THE MASTER PLAN WAS COMPLETED FOR THAT PART, THE ESTIMATED COST WAS A MILLION DOLLARS.

UH, CURRENT ESTIMATED COST BY STAFF ACCOUNTS ARE APPROXIMATELY $2 MILLION.

AND THAT DOES NOT ACCOUNT FOR NATIONAL OR, UH, ACTS COMING INTO NEW BRUN.

AND, AND WE HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT POSSIBLY BRINGING BIGGER ACTS INTO NEWIN AND POSSIBLY LEASING THE AMPHITHEATER OUT TO, TO, UM, UH, PROMOTERS NATIONWIDE PROMOTERS TO, UH, OPERATE THAT AMPHITHEATER.

THE BIGGEST ROADBLOCK WE HAVE FOUND IN, IN TALKING WITH SOME OF THE NATIONAL PROMOTERS IS THEY LIKE TO DO A MARKET ANALYSIS TO SEE IF THE AREA WOULD SUPPORT A TOUR THAT THEY WOULD PUT TOGETHER.

AND IN ORDER FOR THEM TO, TO DO THAT, THEY REALLY LIKE TO SEE A TRACK RECORD.

REIN DOESN'T REALLY HAVE A, A TRACK RECORD.

THIS AREA DOESN'T HAVE A TRACK RECORD OF, OF BIG CONCERTS HERE.

SO THAT'S ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'VE HAD.

AND THEN, UM, THEY ALSO LIKE TO SEE AN AMPHITHEATER IN PLACE BEFORE THEY MAKE A DECISION.

SO WE'RE KIND OF PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE ON THIS.

THE INITIAL PLAN FOR A MASTER, FOR THE INITIAL MASTER PLAN FOR AN AMPHITHEATER AT MARTIN MARIETTA PARK.

WE WERE LOOKING AT A BASIC STRUCTURE.

THE, THE AREA CAN ACCOMMODATE APPROXIMATELY 7,000 PEOPLE.

IT'S A LARGE AREA OUT THERE.

AND SO I, UM, I THINK THE, THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT FOR AN AMPHITHEATER OUT THERE, BUT FOR THESE FUNDS, IT'S PROBABLY NOT GONNA BE THE MOST APPROPRIATE THING.

THE NEXT THING WAS A FIRE STATION.

WE KNOW THAT WEST NEWBURN AREA IS GOING TO BE A A, A LOCATION FOR A FIRE STATION, IS THE WEST NEWBURY COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO BUILD OUT.

FIRE RESCUE STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING ON CON A CONCEPT PLAN FOR A NEW FIRE STATION.

WE HAVEN'T BROUGHT THAT TO THE BOARD FOR DISCUSSION YET, BUT THAT SHOULD BE COMING BEFORE THE BOARD.

UM, IN THE, IN THE COMING MONTHS, WE KNOW A NEW FIRE STATION BASED ON COMPARATIVE COSTS FROM WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE BUILDING FIRE STATIONS FOR, ARE GONNA BE ABOUT FOUR TO $6 MILLION.

AND IT'S GONNA TAKE IN REALITY TWO TO THREE YEARS TO BUILD.

SO THAT'S A PROJECT THAT'S ON DOWN THE ROAD AS WELL.

SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY AN APPROPRIATE USE OF THIS 900 PLUS THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THIS.

THEN WE LOOKED AT A FIRE TRUCK.

AND SO DURING OUR BUDGET PROCESS, WE DID INCLUDE ONE FIRE TRUCK IN OUR BUDGET.

WE INCLUDED $800,000 IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.

THEN WE ALSO INCLUDED APPROXIMATELY $550,000 TO REFURBISH A 21 YEAR OLD TRUCK.

AND DURING OUR BUDGET DISCUSSIONS, WE TALKED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF INSTEAD OF BUYING ONE FIRE TRUCK, BUYING TWO.

AND AT THAT TIME I SAID, WHEN WE GET PRICING, WE CAN COME BACK TO THE BOARD AND GET PRICING.

IF THE BOARD AT THAT TIME WANTS TO PURCHASE TWO TRUCKS, WE WE CAN DO THAT.

WE HAVE RECEIVED THE MOST RECENT, UH, PRICES FOR A NEW FIRE TRUCK.

AND FOR ONE TRUCK, BASICALLY THE COST IS BASICALLY $986,661 BEFORE A DISCOUNT IF IT'S PAID IN FULL.

WHEN WE CHECK

[01:45:01]

WITH FEMA, FEMA DOES ALLOW THE PURCHASE OF A FIRE TRUCK THEY'RE ON.

THE CAVEAT IS IF WE SELL IT AT THE END OF USE, WHICH COULD BE 20, 25, 30 YEARS, DEPENDING ON HOW THAT'S USED, IF WE SELL THAT, THEN THOSE FUNDS WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK TO FEMA.

TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, THE MOST RECENT FIRETRUCK WE SOLD WAS PROBABLY BETWEEN 10 AND $15,000.

SO THAT WOULD GO BACK TO FEMA.

BUT IF YOU NEVER SELL IT, IF, IF YOU NEVER SELL IT, YOU NEVER HAVE TO REPAY FEMA.

AND THAT, SO FOSTER YES.

BE BEFORE YOU, UM, MOVE FORWARD, UM, ABOUT, NOW YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THE FIRE STATION AND I WAS THE ONE THAT WANTED THE TEMPORARY FIRE STATION ON THE WEST END.

BUT, YOU KNOW, AFTER RECEIVING INFORMATION, UM, FROM STAFF AND, YOU KNOW, THE DELAYS WITH THE N-C-D-O-T 43 CORRIDOR, UM, THAT'S, UM, PUSHED BACK UNTIL 2025 AND WHO KNOWS, IT MAY EVEN BE FURTHER.

YOU KNOW, I, I, THAT'S WHEN I DECIDED, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULDN'T BE A SMART ASS OF ME TO THIS BOARD.

UM, I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT.

UM, BUT NOW I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS WITH, UH, THE FIRETRUCK, THE REFURBISHING OF THE FIRETRUCK, UH, THAT THAT'S $350,000 THAT WE ARE GONNA REFURBISH THIS TRUCK, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE A TEMPORARY FIRE DEPARTMENT.

SO THAT'S, THAT WAS A CONCERN FOR ME.

UM, I JUST WANTED TO, TO INPUT THAT WHILE, WHILE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE FIRE TRUCK AND THE FIRE STATION.

SO THEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE GROUNDS MAINTENANCE FACILITY.

UH, IF, IF YOU GO OUT TO GLEN BURNIE PARK PARKS AND RECREATION HAS THEIR GROUNDS MAINTENANCE FACILITY, RIGHT? THEY'RE ON THE RIGHT SIDE.

IT'S RIGHT THERE AT THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.

AND IT IS A VERY OLD FACILITY.

IT IS A SMALL SPACE AND, AND THAT DIVISION OF PARKS AND RECREATION DOES PUT OUT AN EXTRAORDINARY AMOUNT OF WORK FOR THE FACILITIES THAT THEY WORK OUT OF.

AND SO WE TALKED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF EXPANDING THAT.

AND ORIGINALLY WHEN WE WERE FIRST STARTED TALKING ABOUT WHAT COULD WE DO WITH THESE FUNDS, AND THIS IS A FEW YEARS AGO, WE TALKED ABOUT TAKING PUBLIC WORKS, BUILDING A NEW FACILITY OUTSIDE WATER RESOURCE, THAT AT THAT TIME WE ESTIMATED THAT WOULD BE ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS TO DO THAT.

AND THIS IS HOW INFLATION HAS CHANGED THINGS.

MOST RECENT COST ESTIMATES WE GOT WAS ABOUT $3.5 MILLION TO, TO DUPLICATE WHAT PUBLIC WORKS CURRENTLY HAVE.

BUT, BUT OVERALL THE GOAL WAS TO BASICALLY SWITCH PARKS AND RECREATION OVER PUBLIC WORKS, BUILD A NEW FACILITY FOR, FOR PUBLIC WORKS.

UM, SO BASED ON FUNDS THAT, THAT, THAT'S JUST NOT ANOTHER VIABLE OPTION.

THEN HAD A DISCUSSION WITH STAFF ABOUT A SKID STEER MULCHER FOR PUBLIC WORKS IN, IN SOLID, UH, IN THE STORM WATER DIVISION.

THE COST FOR THAT IS APPROXIMATELY $150,000.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD BE BUDGETED, UH, IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET IF THE DEPARTMENT, UM, MAKES THE RECOMMENDATION FOR IT AND THE BOARD APPROVES THAT.

SO BASED ON THESE PROJECTS, MY RECOMMENDATION AT THIS TIME IS TO PURCHASE AN ADDITIONAL FIRETRUCK.

THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TAKES, UM, FROM THE TIME WE PURCHASE A FIRETRUCK UNTIL IT'S RECEIVED IS APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS.

UM, HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

IF THERE ARE OTHER PROJECTS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE US TO, TO, TO EVALUATE, DISCUSS, HAPPY TO DO THAT.

AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO BACKTRACK TO THE AMPHITHEATER AND THE MASTER PLAN FOR MARTIN MARIETTA WITH THE MASTER PLAN.

, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE AMPHITHEATER, HOW CLOSE IS MARTIN MARIETTA TO BEING FULLY, UM, REALIZING THE MASTER PLAN? SO THAT MASTER PLAN IN REALITY COULD BE DONE IN MANY, MANY, MANY PHASES.

UM, WE'VE COMPLETED ONE PHASE OF THAT.

WE HAVE SPENT, UH, WITH CITY FUNDS AND GRANT FUNDS APPROXIMATELY $700,000.

WE HAVE NOT APPLIED FOR ANY OTHER FUNDING, UH, UH, FOR GRANTS FOR MARK MARIETTA PARK YET.

UH, BECAUSE THE NEXT PROJECT FOR OBVIOUSLY FOR PARKS AND RECREATION IS, IS THE STANDING WHITE RECREATION CENTER.

SO IT, UH, MANY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO ACTUALLY COMPLETE MARTIN MARIETTA PARK AND MANY, MANY YEARS TO COMPLETE THAT.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

JUST TO CLARIFY, WHEN YOU SAID YOUR RECOMMENDATION IS TO BUY AN ADDITIONAL FIRETRUCK, RIGHT? THIS IS, THESE ARE ALL REPLACEMENT VEHICLES? REPLACEMENT VEHICLES.

REPLACEMENT VEHICLES? THAT IS CORRECT.

THE PROCESS IS WE HAVE TO REQUEST A CHANGE IN SCOPE OF WORK WITH, WITH FEMA.

AND I, I WILL SAY ANOTHER THING, NO MATTER WHAT WE DO, IF, IF, IF THE BOARD GIVES DIRECTION ON A REPLACEMENT PROJECT,

[01:50:01]

THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT TAKES PLACE IN, IN 30 DAYS.

IT COULD TAKE THREE MONTHS, SIX MONTHS.

IT'S FEMA IS ON THEIR OWN TIMEFRAME.

SO IT'S, IT'S NOT LIKE WE COULD GO OUT AND DO THIS PROJECT IMMEDIATELY.

IT'S GONNA TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME FOR OUR CONSULTANT, PUT THE INFORMATION TOGETHER TO SUBMIT TO FEMA AND THEN WE WOULD HEAR BACK FROM THEM.

BUT REGARDLESS, UH, IF WE DO A CHANGE IN SCOPE OF WORK, WE STILL HAVE TO TAKE DOWN THE EXISTING BP BUILDING.

WE'VE GOT TO DO ASBESTOS ABATEMENT ON THAT, AND THEN WE HAVE TO PROPERLY DISPOSE OF IT ACCORDING TO FEMA GUIDELINES.

SO WE ESTIMATE THE, THE APPROPRIATE COST BEING APPROXIMATELY $20,000 TO DO THAT, WHICH WOULD COME OUT OF THE, THE ALLOCATED FUNDS FROM FEMA.

UM, NUMBER ONE, I THINK WE SHOULD PROCEED JUST AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE IN TEARING THAT OLD BUILDING DOWN THAT YOU TALKING ABOUT AN EYESORE.

SO WE NEED, IN MY OPINION, THAT THAT BUILDING NEEDS TO GO AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

I, I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN ON THIS KICK IN THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS ABOUT ACTIVITIES IN NEW BERN, AND I KNOW THE MAYOR AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT.

UM, THIS IS A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY WITH THIS FUNDING THAT WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING TO ENTERTAIN KIDS IN THIS CITY.

THERE IS NOTHING IN THIS CITY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO DO OTHER THAN TO GO DOWNTOWN AND DRINK IF YOU'RE OF AGE.

BUT THE, THE THE YOUNGER KIDS HAVE NOTHING TO DO.

YOU CAN'T GO TO THE MOVIE THEATER.

BUT SO MANY TIMES, UH, I I'M I'M NOT AGAINST ANY OF THESE PROJECTS.

UH, YOU, I THINK A LOT OF YOU LIKE THE SKID STEER I AGREE WITH YOU, IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE BUDGETED FOR.

UM, JUST YESTERDAY A PROJECT POPPED UP THAT, UM, THAT I TALKED TO THE, THE MAYOR AND THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT THAT, UM, MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN THE PROJECT AS WELL.

BUT, UH, I, I JUST, I'M JUST NOT IN, IN, I WOULD LOVE TO UTILIZE THIS MONEY TO DO SOMETHING TO ENTERTAIN OUR KIDS.

AND I'M NOT SUR SURE WHAT A, A SKATE PARK MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW.

I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY KIDS DO THAT ANYMORE.

YOU KNOW, UH, I KNOW IT WAS ON ONE OF THE TOP OF YOUR LIST OF THINGS THAT YOU WANTED TO BUILD.

UM, BUT IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT TO HAVE SOMETHING TO ENTERTAIN KIDS AND, AND, AND I'LL, I'LL MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT ENTERTAINMENT FOR KIDS.

WHILE SKATE PARK DOES FIT AN NICHE FOR, FOR, UH, A CERTAIN PART OF THE POPULATION, I, I DON'T THINK IT'S GONNA HIT EVERYONE THAT YOU'RE, THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF FAMILY FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES FOR, FOR A VARIETY OF KIDS OF ALL AGES.

UH, AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, HMM, A A TRAMPOLINE, A TRAMPOLINE, UH, BUSINESS OR A LASER TAG, A COMBINATION OF THINGS IN ONE BUILDING.

AND, AND AS WE START TALKING ABOUT, WE TALK PRETTY QUICKLY, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF WE PUT A A, A RED IRON METAL BUILDING UP 10,000 SQUARE FOOT, IT'S GONNA COST A MILLION DOLLARS FOR THAT BUILDING.

AND WHAT WE'VE SEEN WITH A LOT OF THOSE STRUCTURES IS IT'S 25 TO 30,000 SQUARE FEET OR BIGGER WITH ALL THE COMPONENTS THEY PUT IN THOSE.

SO THEN WHEN WE START LOOKING AT, UM, AND, AND I'M JUST TELLING YOU, I'M BEING, I UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, FOSTER, BUT WHY CAN'T WE USE SOME, I KNOW WE, WE PROBABLY CAN'T USE THIS MONEY FOR INCENTIVES FOR SOMEBODY TO DO SOMETHING, BUT WE CAN SUBSTITUTE IT FOR MONEY THAT WE'RE GOING TO BUY LIKE A FIRETRUCK WITH AND USE THOSE FUNDS.

SOMETHING WE NEED TO FIND SOME WAY OR ANOTHER TO INCENTIVIZE SOMEONE TO COME IN THIS CITY AND BUILD A BOWLING ALLEY, A TRAMPOLINE PARK, UH, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT FOR OUR CHILDREN TO, TO DO, I MEAN, MAYBE, I MEAN, WE JUST NEED TO GET SOMEBODY WORKING ON IT AND TRY TO GET OUT THERE.

I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH A, A CONTRACTOR NOT TOO LONG AGO ABOUT A PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT HE OWNS OVER IN THE, UH, CAROLINA COLORS AREA.

AND HE SAID HE WOULD LOVE TO BUILD A, A BOWLING ALLEY OVER THAT WAY.

HE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GREAT THING TO DO, BUT JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST NOT INTERESTED IN THIS STATE OF HIS LIFE TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS, UM, I'VE HAD THE COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MANAGER REACH OUT TO A VARIETY OF FRANCHISE.

THERE ARE A LOT OF FRANCHISES THAT DO THE TRAMPOLINE CAMPS AND AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO FIND OUT TO GET A FRANCHISE FOR CERTAIN CERTAIN COMPANIES.

WHAT ARE THE DEMOGRAPHIC REQUIREMENTS THEY HAVE

[01:55:01]

TO SEE IN REALITY? WOULD SOMETHING LIKE THAT WORK IN NEWBURN BASED ON THE RESEARCH THAT THEY'VE DONE? SO, SO STAFF IS WORKING ON THAT TO HELP US ALONG A LITTLE BIT MORE WITH THAT.

WELL, I JUST THINK A LOT OF THOUGHT NEEDS TO BE PUT INTO WHAT WE, WE CAN USE THIS MONEY FOR.

AND I THINK A LOT OF THOUGHT NEEDS TO BE PUT INTO UTILIZING IT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN THIS CITY.

I'M A FIRM BELIEVER IF A KID PLAYS ALL DAY, HE SLEEPS ALL NIGHT, GET ALL MCKENZIE THAT ARM BEST.

UH, SO WHAT DOES THAT BUILDING WORTH OUT AT IN BURN PARK THAT PARKS AND REC OWN? NOW, WHAT IF THEY WOULD, THE BUILDING THAT THEY HAVE FOR THE STORAGE IN VEHICLES AND TRAILERS, WHAT IS THAT BUILDING WORTH? SO THEY'VE GOT THREE BUILDINGS OUT THERE.

ONE IS A WOOD SHOP THAT'S OUT IN THE WOODS NEAR THE, NEAR THE SHELTERS.

THEN THERE ARE TWO THAT ARE, ARE SIDE BY SIDE AS YOU COME IN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, ONE OF 'EM IS A WOODEN STRUCTURE AND THAT'S BASICALLY WHERE THEY STORE SOME, SOME LANDSCAPING CHEMICALS.

AND THERE'S THE LITTLE STORAGE AND THEN THERE'S A METAL BUILDING THAT, THAT THE WORTH OF THAT BUILDING.

IT'S GONNA BE A HUNDRED DOLLARS A SQUARE FOOT RIGHT NOW.

UM, AND I THINK THAT MAY BE ABOUT A 3 2500 TO 3000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING.

SO WHAT I'M ASKING IS THAT IF WE CAN LOOK AT SELLING THAT BUILDING AND MOVING TO WHERE PUBLIC WORKS IS, AND THEN LOOK INTO TO SEE WHAT YOU SORT OF GIVEN US A NUMBER JUST NEAR ON BUILDING OUT THE, THE WATER, UH, TREATMENT PLANT.

UM, HAVE YOU PUT ANY OF THOSE NUMBERS TOGETHER AND SEEN WHAT WE COME UP WITH IF FOR FOR FOR A NEW BUILDING? YES.

FOR PUBLIC WORKS AND MOVING PARKS AND REC BUILDING FROM, FROM, FROM, UM, SO IF, IF WE WERE TO LOOK AT THE EXISTING PUBLIC WORK FACILITY MM-HMM.

AND MOVE THAT OVER TO WATER RESOURCES.

CREATE A NEW CAMPUS FOR THEM AND THEN BRING PARKS AND RECREATION OVER TO TAKE PLACE OF WHERE PUBLIC WORKS IS NOW.

WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT $3.5 MILLION.

AND I, IF, IF YOU WERE GOING DOWN THE ROAD LIKE WE OFTENTIMES DO TO SAY IF WE MAKE SOME MOVES AND CONSOLIDATE AND MAYBE SELL WHAT'S OVER AT GLIMMERING PARK, I DON'T THINK IT'S GONNA BE VERY MARKETABLE.

IT'S NOT NEXT TO THE WASTE TREATMENT PLANT.

YEAH, YOU JUST SAID IT.

AND EVENTUALLY AT GLEN BURNIE PARK WATER RESOURCES GONNA WANT TO TAKE THAT AREA OVER WITH, WITH THEIR FUTURE EXPANSIONS AT SOME POINT.

MONEY'S ALREADY SPENT FOR THIS BUDGET YEAR.

WE KNOW THAT'S GONNA COME AT SOME POINT AS THE NEED CONTINUES TO ARISE.

JUST REACHING OUT, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A DIRECTION THAT WOULD BE FEASIBLE FOR US ALDERMAN BEST.

UM, AND I, I SPOKE TO FOSTER BRIEFLY ABOUT, UM, THIS BP FUNDING AND I AGREE WITH ALDERMAN ASTOR THAT BP STATION NEEDS TO BE DEMOLISHED.

IT IS AN EYESORE, BUT I HAVE, WHICH IS NOT INCLUDED WITHIN FOSTER'S, UM, REQUEST HERE, THE FORD HE'S GIVEN US.

UM, I'M WANTING TO USE SOME OF THAT MONEY, ALL OF THAT MONEY OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE FOR GETTING, THERE ARE FOUR STREETS THAT I HAVE ASKED FOR IN THE PAST THAT NEEDS REPAVING AND I'M WANTING YOU SOME OF THAT MONEY TO REPAY THOSE STREETS.

UM, AND THE STREETS ARE ALABAMA AVENUE, LINCOLN STREET, MONT ROAD.

AND UM, THERE WAS ONE OTHER, WHAT WAS IT? UM, IT WAS IN ONE OTHER STREET, I'LL, I'LL THINK OF IT IN A FEW MINUTES.

UM, IT WAS BEAUFORT STREET WHERE, UM, THAT'S THE STREET.

THOSE STREETS ARE HORRIBLE NOW.

NOT ONE OF US BOARD MEMBERS OR YOU MAYOR WANT TO HAVE TO TRAVEL DOWN THAT STREET DAILY, BACK AND FORTH DAILY, DOWN THAT STREET IN THE CONDITION THAT THOSE STREETS ARE IN.

NOW I KNOW THAT WE TOOK IN OUR BUDGET, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT OUR BUDGET, WHEN IT WAS IN BUDGET, WE TOOK $200,000 FROM THE SIDEWALL PROJECTS AND WE PUT IT OVER INTO THE STREETS RESURFACING PROJECT, WHICH BOUGHT THAT PROJECT UP TO 400.

IT WAS $400,000 AND IT MOVED IT UP TO $600,000.

NOW ALL OF THAT

[02:00:01]

THAT $600,000 IS ALREADY SPENT FOR THREE STREETS.

AND I'M NOT GONNA NAME THE STREETS BECAUSE AS I GO, AS I TRAVEL DOWN THOSE STREETS, THAT'S A DIRE NEED FOR THOSE STREETS TO BE REPAID.

BUT THAT MONEY IS ALREADY SPENT.

SO HERE NOW, UM, I HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT, ANOTHER YEAR, TWO, THREE, BEFORE I CAN GET THESE STREETS PAVED.

SO WITH THIS MONEY, I FEEL THAT THAT WOULD BE THE RIGHT WAY TO GO TO PAVE THESE STREETS FOR OUR CITIZENS THAT TRAVEL DOWN THOSE STREETS DAILY.

UM, , IF, IF ADDITIONAL MONEY IS, IS IS LEFT AFTER, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, THE, THE, THE PROJECTS FOR THE FOUR STREETS OR THE MONIES ARE CALCULATED.

AND IF IT'S NOT GONNA SPEND THE REST OF THAT $955,000, UM, I'D LIKE FOR THAT ADDITIONAL PARKING IS NEEDED FOR THE PLEASANT HILL COMMUNITY CENTER.

WHEN WE, WHEN THERE ARE EVENTS THERE, PEOPLE, CITIZENS ARE HAVING TO PARK ON THE STREET ON THAT HIGHWAY.

AND THAT IS VERY DANGEROUS.

UM, I, THIS IS, THIS IS WHAT I'M ASKING THIS BOARD TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION.

UM, AND I HOPE THAT YOU AGREE WITH ME THAT THIS MONEY CAN BE SPENT THIS WAY FOR PAVING THOSE STREETS.

SOMETHING THAT OUR CITIZENS DESERVE.

AND GOING BACK TO THE FIRE TRUCK, WE WAS GONNA REFURBISH, WE WAS GOING TO, UH, LOT $350,000 TO REFURBISH THAT FIRE TRUCK AS A, UM, TRUCK THAT WOULD BE USED FOR THE PLEASANT HILL, UM, TEMPORARY FIRE STATION.

BUT I'M NOT ASKING FOR A TEMPORARY FIRE STATION BECAUSE I SEE NOW THAT THAT IS NOT THE PRACTICAL WAY, THAT IS NOT A SMART ASK FOR US TO SPEND THE TAXPAYER AND CITIZENS THERE BY PUTTING IN A TEMPORARY FIRE STATION WHEN I KNOW A NEED FOR A BIGGER FIRE STATION IS GONNA BE NEEDED ON THAT WEST END OF NEWBURN.

WE GOT WAREHOUSER PROJECTS STILL BUILDING, WE GOT LAKE TYLER STILL BUILDING, WE GOT, UH, FUTURE CRAYON FOREST AND WE GOT THE 43 CONNECTOR.

WE'LL NEED A BIGGER FIRE DEPARTMENT AT THAT TIME.

SO I, I'M NOT GONNA SPEAK ANYMORE ABOUT A FIRE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE I DO KNOW THAT AT THAT POINT IN TIME, IF I'M HERE ON THIS BOARD OR WHOMEVER'S ON THIS BOARD, THAT A BIGGER FIRE STATION IS NEEDED THERE.

BUT I JUST WANT THIS BOARD TO KNOW I AM ADVOCATING FOR THESE FOUR STREETS TO BE PAID FOR OUR CITIZENS.

AND THAT'S WHERE I WANT THIS BP MONEY.

THE REMAINING BALANCE AFTER THE $20,000 IS TAKEN OUT.

BUT THE REMAINING 935,000, IF IT TAKES THAT MUCH TO PAVE THESE STREETS, BAR MASTER, YOU KNOW, BARBARA WOULD ALL DO RESPECT.

YOU COULD, GEORGE COULD PROBABLY SHARE WITH YOU THE LIST OF THE STREETS THAT I SENT HIM THAT I THINK NEED TO BE PAVED AS WELL.

THERE'S STREETS ALL OVER NEW BERN THAT'S IN DESPERATE NEED OF BEING PAVED.

AND, AND I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A CITY PARK ARE A COMMUNITY BUILDING IN MY BOARD.

I WE DON'T HAVE A CITY PARK.

YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE A CITY PARK IN OUT BOB.

YOU DON'T HAVE A CITY PARK IN YOUR WARD EITHER.

SO, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S ALL KINDS OF NEEDS.

IS ALREADY PLANNED TO BE PURCHASED.

IS, I I JUST, I ACTUALLY, WE COULD SIT HERE AND DISCUSS THIS ALL NIGHT LONG AND I THINK WE ALL SHOULD THINK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT AND COME BACK WITH SOME BETTER SUGGESTIONS.

'CAUSE I DON'T LIKE ANY OF THESE SUGGESTIONS.

CAN CAN I ASK A QUESTION? MS. HUGHES? CAN, CAN THE FEMA MONEY BE USED FOR REPAVING STREETS? IT CAN, THERE COULD BE SOME ISSUES.

IF IT'S IN A FLOOD AREA, FEMA MAY DENY IT.

UH, IF THERE HAS TO BE FILL, FEMA HAS TO CERTIFY WHERE THAT FILL COMES.

ANYTHING THAT WE DECIDE TO DO, IT'S GONNA GO THROUGH, THROUGH A A STRINGENT SCREENING PROCESS BY FEMA.

SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT A VARIETY OF PROJECTS.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S GONNA BE UP TO FEMA TO DETERMINE WHAT'S GONNA BE APPROPRIATE USE OF THAT MONEY.

ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY COMMENTS? NO.

UNLESS YOU'RE GONNA LET THE KIDS PLAY IN THE STREET.

'CAUSE I THINK WE NEED SOMETHING FOR THE CHILDREN TO DO IN THIS COMMUNITY.

AND THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT.

BUT I DO THINK THAT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT MORE.

UH, WE'VE GOT, I'VE GOT A PROJECT THAT, THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE PRESENTING SOMETIME IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE THAT SOMEBODY MIGHT, WE MIGHT WANT USE SOME OF THEIR MONEY FOR.

SO MY, MY PARTING COMMENT ON THIS IS, AS YOU SAID, ORMAN ASHER, WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING QUICK.

UM, BUT WE ALSO DON'T NEED TO HASTILY MAKE A DECISION.

THE THE FIRETRUCK THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT

[02:05:01]

CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.

SO WITH FEMA FUNDING BEING RESTRICTIVE, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ROADS, IT CAN'T BE IN THE FLOOD ZONE.

THERE'S OTHER PROJECTS AND THINGS THAT THEY MAY OR MAY NOT APPROVE.

THEY WILL APPROVE A FIRETRUCK.

WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO BUY THE FIRETRUCK ANYWAY.

WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO PAY FOR THE FIRETRUCK.

SO MY THOUGHT PROCESS WITH A FIRETRUCK IS WE'RE GONNA GET IT ANYWAY.

IF YOU USE THIS FUNDING FOR THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU CAN'T TAKE THIS FUNDING THAT WAS GONNA BE ALLOCATED FOR THAT FIRETRUCK AND SPEND IT ON SOMETHING ELSE THAT DOESN'T HAVE ANY RESTRICTIONS, WHICH GIVES US THAT FLEXIBILITY.

THIS WOULD MOVE THE BALL DOWN THE ROAD.

AND THAT, THAT WOULD BE MY FIRST CHOICE, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S THE EASIEST ONE.

UH, MY SECOND CHOICE IS IF WE USE THE OBJECTIVE STREET STUDY AND SURVEY THAT WAS DONE, IF WE START AT THE TOP AND GO THROUGH THAT LIST OF THE STREETS THAT'S BEEN PRIORITIZED AND WE SPEND THE $956,000 ON THAT.

I'M ALL FOR PAVING STREETS WITH IT, BUT IT'S GONNA BE, MY VOTE WOULD BE FOR THE OBJECTIVE LIST OF STREETS.

NOT ONES THAT THE BOARD WANTS TO ALLOCATE FOR.

AND THERE'S NOTHING I, I DON'T FAULT ALDERMAN BEST AT ALL FOR WHAT SHE'S DOING, BUT FOR EVERY FOUR STREETS THAT SHE HAS, EVERYBODY ELSE PROBABLY HAS FOUR STREETS TOO.

SO, YEAH.

WELL I JUST LOOK AT IT FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF WE ARE GONNA HAVE $600,000 EACH YEAR IN OUR PAVING PROJECT FOR RESURFACING.

THEN WE ARE GONNA CATEGORIZE THE STREETS THAT NEEDS PAVING BASED OFF OF THAT.

UM, WHAT IS IT? THE STREET SURVEY? THE STREET SURVEY? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? THE STREET SURVEY.

THEN I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT, BUT I WANT EACH ONE OF YOU THAT DON'T LIVE WITH, WITHIN THESE AREAS OF THE STREETS THAT I JUST MENTIONED, I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO JUST RIDE DOWN THOSE STREETS AND THEN YOU CAN SEE FOR YOURSELF, JUST RIDE DOWN THE STREET YOU SEE FOR YOURSELF.

SO THAT'S WHERE I WANNA PUT THIS MONEY.

I NOW, I AM, UH, WITH ALDERMAN ASTRO AS WELL.

I THINK OUR KIDS NEED SOMETHING TO DO.

WE DO NEED SOME FACILITIES HERE TO ACCOMMODATE OUR CHILDREN.

BUT, AND ALSO I'M NOT FOR PUTTING THIS MONEY IN A MARTIN MARRIOTT PARK BECAUSE OUR CITIZENS DON'T LIVE IN PARKS, BUT THEY DO DRIVE ON OUR STREETS.

SO THAT'S WHERE I WANT THIS MONEY TO GO.

BUT HOWEVER, DOES BOARD SEE, UM, WHATEVER YOUR CONVICTION MAY BE OR HOW YOU FEEL THAT YOU WANT THIS MONEY BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE AN OPINION AND WE ALL WANT WHAT WE WANT, BUT I'M, I'M JUST ADVOCATING FOR THESE STREETS.

DOES THE BOARD WANT TO TAKE ACTION ON ITEM NUMBER 21? I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST WE TABLE IT, GIVE IT SOME THOUGHT, UH, ACCORDING TO ALDERMAN ASTOR AND REVISIT IT.

AND IF THE BOARD HAS ANY TOPICS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO, IF IT'S KID FRIENDLY AMENITIES, WE COULD, WE COULD START LOOKING AT THOSE TYPES OF THINGS AND COME BACK.

SO IF COULD YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT ROADS? WE CAN, WE CAN ANALYZE THAT AS WELL.

COULD I MAKE THE SUGGESTION WE TABLE IT TO THE DECEMBER 12TH MEETING SO WE HAVE A DEADLINE SO WE WE CAN SHOOT FOR A GOAL OF MAKING A DECISION.

THAT SOUNDS, I'M WANNA THROW THIS IN BEFORE YOU MAKE THE SURE.

WE GONNA LOSE YOUR TRAIN OF THOUGHT.

LOSE YOUR TRAIN OF THOUGHT.

WE CAN SPLIT THE MONEY DOWN THE MIDDLE AND DO HALF AND HALF.

WE CAN DO THAT AS WELL.

THAT'S JUST A SUGGESTION.

SO YOU'RE SAYING DO TWO PROJECTS INSTEAD OF JUST ONE? YEAH, WE COULD DO TWO PROJECTS.

SO EVERYBODY GET A CHANCE TO GET SOME OF THE SKIN IN THE GAME.

WHAT, WHAT DID YOU SAY AGAIN, MAYOR? I'M, I, I WOULD RECOMMEND WE TABLE ITEM NUMBER OR TABLE DECISION ON ITEM NUMBER 21 UNTIL OUR DECEMBER 12TH MEETING.

DO WE NEED A MOTION FOR THAT? I THINK THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.

WELL, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION.

EXCUSE ME, LET ME INTERRUPT THAT FILE.

I WOULD LIKE TO GET A COPY OF THAT STREET SURVEY IS AND, AND, AND LET ALL OF US TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT HAS BEEN PRIORITIZED AS THE VARIOUS COMMUNITIES FOR STREETS REPAVING.

I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE TABLE NUMBER, WHAT WAS IT? 21, ITEM NUMBER 21 UNTIL THE DECEMBER 12TH MEETING FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION.

I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION.

FOSTER, UM, IS THERE ANYTHING PREVENTING THE CITY FROM MOVING FORWARD WITH REMEDIATION ON THAT PROPERTY? NO.

DEMOLITION, THERE'S NOT DEMOTION OF THE BUILDING PARKING LOT OR THE CONCRETE.

THERE IS NOT.

WE ARE GONNA MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.

ALL WE'RE GONNA DO THAT OURSELVES.

WE KNOWN THE CONTRACT OUT FOR THAT, BUT WE WILL TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING ELSE.

WE WET TYPICALLY DO THAT.

WE CAN'T DO THE ASBESTOS ABATEMENT ON THAT.

WE,

[02:10:01]

AND LET'S PUT LOT UP FOR SALE AND THE FUNDING THAT FEMA HAS AWARDED TO THE CITY, UM, FOR THAT PROPERTY.

DO WE HAVE TO EXPEND FUNDS AND GET REIMBURSED BY THEM? YES, WE DID.

SAME, SAME PROCESS? YES SIR.

AS ANYTHING ELSE? YES, SIR.

ALL THOSE THAT ARE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO TABLE TO 1212 SAY AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? ALRIGHT.

THE DECISION WILL BE TAPED TO 1212.

[22. Consider Adopting a Budget Ordinance Amendment for Fiscal Year 2023- 24.]

ITEM NUMBER 22.

CONSIDER ADOPTING A BUDGET ORDINANCE AMENDMENT FOR FY 2324 MS. OSTROM.

THIS BUDGET ORDINANCE AMENDMENT WILL ROLL THE PURCHASE ORDERS THAT WERE OUTSTANDING AS OF JUNE 30TH, 2023.

IT ALSO AMENDS THE GENERAL AND SOLID WASTE FUNDS TO RECOGNIZE REVENUE OF $141,143 FROM THE SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL STATE DISTRIBUTION REVENUE THAT CONTINUED TO BE RECORDED IN THE GENERAL FUND, UM, SINCE 2019 WHEN THE SOLID WASTE FUND WAS CREATED.

WAIT A MINUTE, SAY THAT AGAIN.

I THINK I MISSED SOMETHING.

SO THIS BUDGET ORDINANCE, UM, AMENDS THE, UM, FOR THE ROLLOVER PO.

SO AT THE END OF JUNE 30TH, THERE WERE POS THAT WERE OUTSTANDING.

THOSE WERE COMMITMENTS AND ALLEGATIONS THAT WE MADE.

AND WE DIDN'T RECEIVE THOSE THINGS, OR THE SERVICES WEREN'T NECESSARILY SO YOU'RE SAYING THEY WERE PUT IN THE WRONG FUND THAT WAS PUT IN THE WRONG ACCOUNT AS FOR THE SOLID WASTE PART? YES.

SO IN 2019, THE SOLID WASTE FUND WAS CREATED AND THE REVENUES THAT WERE, UM, FOR THE STATE DISTRIBUTION, THE SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL STATE DISTRIBUTION REVENUE, THAT ONE WAS RECORDED, CONTINUED TO BE RECORDED IN THE GENERAL FUND.

WE FOUND THAT DURING A, UH, INTERNAL AUDIT BUT FOLLOWED IT THROUGH, IT WENT BACK TO 2019.

SO HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? UM, THROUGH A TEMPLATE.

SO YEARS AGO WHEN THEY CREATED THE TEMPLATE OF, YOU KNOW, UM, REPORTING THAT REVENUE, IT WAS IN GENERAL FUND WHEN SOLID WASTE WAS WITHIN THE GENERAL FUND, BUT THEN WHEN THEY CREATED THE NEW FUND, THE SOLID WASTE FUND, UM, THAT TEMPLATE DID NOT GET UPDATED.

SO WE'RE JUST TRANSFERRING A HUNDRED.

WELL, SOMEBODY WASN'T WATCHING THE DOOR 141,000 OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD.

YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.

THEY WASN'T WATCHING THE DOOR.

SOMEBODY WASN'T WATCHING THE DOOR BECAUSE IT'S A VERY SMALL AMOUNT AND IT WAS DEPOSITED INTO THE JOURNAL FUND.

AND SO WE HAD TO TRANSFER IT BACK.

SO WE'RE MAKING THE THE BOOK.

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT? MM-HMM.

BUT WHO WATCHES THE DOOR TO SEE THAT EVERY ACCOUNT THAT COMES IN GOES INTO THE RIGHT ACCOUNT? WHO CHECKS THAT? WELL, UM, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR PRIOR TO ME, BUT WHAT I CAN SAY IS THAT AS WE'VE REVIEWED, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN AREAS YOU, UM, REVIEW AND ASSESS, YOU HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT ON $150 MILLION.

IF, IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, NOT EVERYTHING CAN BE LOOKED AT AT THAT TIME.

AND WE'VE BEEN SLOWLY GOING THROUGH.

AND IN 2018, THE ORDER THAT, THAT THE AUDITS, THEY DIDN'T EVEN CATCH IT.

THAT'S WHY THE ANNUAL AUDIT, TO ME, IT IT IS JUST, I MEAN, YOU GOTTA DO IT 'CAUSE YOU'RE REQUIRED TO DO IT, BUT THEY CHECK THE BOX.

OFTENTIMES THEY DON'T DO A DEEP DIVE INTO THINGS LIKE THIS.

THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT THEY HAVE TO DO.

IT'S ALL BASED ON, UM, LIKE I SAID, THE, THE MATERIALITY.

AND THIS IS VERY SMALL IN THE BIGGER PICTURE.

IT'S JUST NOT A MATERIAL AMOUNT.

I'M GLAD WE CAUGHT IT.

WE PUT IT IN THE RIGHT FUND.

WHO CAUGHT IT? UM, TANYA HARMS OUR REVENUE.

WHO? UH, SENIOR ACCOUNTANT.

SHE MANAGES THE REVENUE.

SHE WAS DOING A REPORT, I BELIEVE.

DO YOU CHECK BEHIND HER? I'M SORRY? DO YOU CHECK BEHIND HER? UM, ARE I'M JUST ASKING QUESTIONS.

I'M NEW AT THIS.

NO, THAT'S OKAY.

SO I'M JUST TRYING TO FIND MY WAY.

THERE ARE MULTIPLE LAYERS OF APPROVAL AND, UM, ONE OF OUR ACCOUNTANT, UH, ACCOUNTING TECH TWOS ENTERS THE REVENUES BASED ON THAT TEMPLATE, AND THEN SHE APPROVES IT, AND THEN IT GOES THROUGH ANOTHER, UM, APPROVAL PROCESS.

SO I DON'T NECESSARILY SEE IT DIRECTLY.

IT'S KIND OF, BUT YOU ARE THE BOSS SEEING THAT YOU WERE CHECKING OUT.

I SEE IT AT A BIGGER LAR AT A HIGHER LEVEL.

I'M, I'M LOOKING AT LARGER NUMBERS.

SOLID WASTE, WE WERE ABLE TO FIND IT.

BUT DURING THE, UM, INTERNAL AUDIT THAT WE DID WITH

[02:15:01]

WELL, OVERALL, AT LEAST YOU FOUND IT.

AND IT WAS STILL IN THE GENERAL FUND.

OH, YEAH.

I WOULD VENTURE TO SAY THAT IF SOMEONE SPENT ALL DAY, EVERY DAY LOOKING IN EVERY DEPARTMENT, YOU WILL FIND SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THIS.

IT'S, IT'S PART OF THE JOB, ESSENTIALLY.

BUT I'M, I'M GLAD YOU FOUND IT.

SO IT'S A PLEASURE.

THE BOARD ON ITEM NUMBER I PAID TO FOUND IT TOO.

IT'S A PLEASURE OF THE BOARD.

ON ITEM NUMBER 22, MR. MAYOR.

MAYOR, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT A BUDGET ORDINANCE AMENDMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020 3 24.

SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION.

LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN ROYAL.

[23. Consider Adopting an Ordinance to Amend the Stanley White Recreation Center Project Fund.]

ITEM NUMBER 23.

CONSIDER ADOPTING AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE STANLEY WHITE RECREATION CENTER PROJECT.

FUND MS. OSTROM.

SO THE STANLEY WHITE REC CENTER PROJECT FUND, IT WAS ESTABLISHED ON JULY 11TH, 2023 IN THE AMOUNT OF $13,180,400.

THIS INCLUDED ESTIMATED DEBT PROCEEDS OF $5,173,751.

SINCE THE DEBT PROCEEDS ACTUALLY TOTALED $10 MILLION, THE REMAINING PROCEEDS OF $4,826,249 IS BEING RECOGNIZED THROUGH THIS AMENDMENT.

SO THAT WE'RE COVERING ALL FUNDS OR IT'S PLEASURE OF THE BOARD ON ITEM NUMBER 23.

MR. MAYOR, GO AHEAD.

AHEAD.

I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE STANLEY WHITE RECREATION CENTER PROJECT FUND.

SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION, A SECOND.

IS APPOINTMENTS THE ONLY ONE I'LL SHOW ALDER MCKENZIE, YOU HAVE ONE FOR THE PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD.

HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN ASTOR.

[24. Appointment(s).]

DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY APPOINTMENTS? I DIDN'T KNOW.

ITEM NUMBER 25

[25. Attorney' s Report.]

ATTORNEY'S REPORT.

UH, NOTHING.

FOURTH NIGHTMARE.

CITY MANAGER'S REPORT

[26. City Manager's Report.]

NOTHING TONIGHT, SIR.

NEW

[27. New Business.]

BUSINESS.

WE'LL START WITH ALDERMAN PRILL.

UM, YES.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

UM, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION, UM, THAT THE, THE CITY AND TEMPLE BENET, UH, SHALOM, UH, GET TOGETHER TO AGREE ON A LOCATION FOR THE INSTALLATION OF A MENORAH FOR THIS HOLIDAY SEASON.

I HAVE A MOTION.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? I HAVE A SECOND.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION QUESTION? SURE.

UM, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH US GETTING TOGETHER AND DISCUSSING IT, BUT MY FEELINGS ARE IF THIS SHOULD BE ON CITY PROPERTY, NOT PUT ON CITY PROPERTY.

WHY? BECAUSE WE ORDINANCE .

WHAT KIND OF ORDINANCE DO WE HAVE? BECAUSE, AND, AND, AND I WISH THIS HAD HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP WHEN THE CITIZENS WAS HERE, BECAUSE WHEN WE HAD, WE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM COME BEFORE US WITH THE UNION POINT PARK.

AND A CITIZEN WANTED TO PUT UP WHERE THAT A STORYBOARD WAS PUT UP, AND WE AS A BOARD, WE VOTED ON THAT MOVING FORWARD THAT WE WOULD NOT ERECT INSTALL OR WHATEVER, ANYTHING INTO OUR CITY PARK.

AM I CORRECT MR. HUGHES? UH, YOU ARE CORRECT.

SO THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO ASK THE QUESTION THAT I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT BEING PUT ANYWHERE AS LONG AS IT'S, ARE WE, YOU KNOW, DON'T BE PUT ON CITY PROPERTY.

THAT'S JUST MY, MY TAKE ON THAT DECISION.

NO, NO, I, I APPRECIATE THAT.

I, I APPRECIATE THAT.

DECORATIONS TO BE PUT ON CITY PROPERTY.

AND I APPRECIATE THE RESPECT THAT MOST OF YOU SHOWED.

UH, I WAS ACTUALLY GONNA MAKE A COMMENT THAT I APPRECIATE THE MAJORITY OF THE SPEAKERS THAT SPOKE WAS VERY RESPECTFUL, AND WE APPRECIATE THAT.

THE FEW THAT WALKED OUT THAT HAD PARTING WORDS, YOU DIDN'T REALLY HELP YOUR CASE.

I WILL JUST SAY THAT.

SO THE BOARD WILL CONTINUE TO DELIBERATE ON THE ITEM.

WELL, MANY YEARS AGO, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG AGO IT WAS, BUT I SUSPECT THAT IT'S BEEN MANY, MANY YEARS, A DECISION WAS MADE TO ALLOW FOR HOLIDAY

[02:20:01]

AT THAT POINT IN TIME, THE BARN DOOR WAS OPEN AND A POLICY WAS SET TO ALLOW FOR DECORATIONS, WHICH I WOULD SAY MOST PEOPLE RECOGNIZE AS BEING A RELIGIOUS CONNOTATION TO IT, CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS CONNOTATION BEHIND THESE DECLARATIONS.

SO THE CITY HAS ESTABLISHED A POLICY.

ALL I'M SUGGESTING IS THAT WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT POLICY AND ALLOW ANOTHER DECLARATION, IF YOU WILL, OR AN ICON TO BE PUT UP DURING THE SAME HOLIDAY PERIOD.

THE MOTION WAS THE CITY AND THE TEMPLE GET TOGETHER TO DISCUSS A LOCATION.

A LOCATION WAS, IS THAT CORRECT? YES.

UH, BECAUSE, UH, UNION POINT PARK HAS BEEN MENTIONED, UH, BUT IT WOULD NOT HAVE TO BE AT UNION POINT PARK.

MAYBE THERE'S ANOTHER LOCATION THAT IT COULD BE, UM, SET.

SO I'M LEAVING IT UP TO THE TWO PARTIES TO DISCUSS, TO TRY TO DECIDE ON AN APPROPRIATE LOCATION.

COULD END UP BEING UNION POINT PARK.

I DON'T KNOW.

SO JUST, I WANT, WANT TO GET A LITTLE BIT OF CLARIFICATION.

WHEN YOU SAID THE CITY GET TOGETHER WITH THE TEMPLE, WHO FROM THE CITY? I, I, I THINK WE PROBABLY SHOULD SPECIFY THAT.

IS IT GONNA BE STAFF? IS IT GONNA BE A SELECT MEMBER OF, OF THE BOARD? WHO DID YOU ALL HAVE? NO, IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE STAFF.

IF I MAY ASK A QUESTION.

UM, BASED ON YOUR MOTION, DOES THAT INCLUDE DISCUSSION ON, ON THE, THE MENORAH ITSELF, WHETHER THE CITY OR IT WOULD BE TO PURCHASE OR TO, TO CONSTRUCT THAT AS WELL? SO WE'D LIKE IT TO BE CLEAR ON THAT AS WELL, SO WE UNDERSTAND.

LET, LET'S DEFER TO, IF YOU DON'T MIND TO ATTORNEY, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ORDINANCES, UH, ALDERMAN PRILL MENTIONED AN ORDINANCE, THEN WE MENTION AN OR THE LATEST VERSION OF THE ORDINANCE.

GIVE US CLARITY TONIGHT, PLEASE.

AS FAR AS, YES MA'AM.

THIS ISSUE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH OUR LOCAL ORDINANCES.

THIS IS, UH, A, A CONSTITUTIONAL MATTER SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE.

IT'S THE ESTABLISHMENT CLAUSE WITHIN THE FIRST AMENDMENT.

UM, AND THE, THE LEGAL CONFLICT THAT COMES UP WITH THESE ISSUES IS WHETHER OR NOT A GOVERNMENT CAN PROMOTE A PARTICULAR RE RELIGION.

AND WE HAVE CASE LAW GOING BACK DECADES AND DECADES.

IN FACT, ONE OF THE SPEAKERS MENTIONED A US SUPREME COURT CASE FROM THE LATE EIGHTIES WHERE THE SUPREME COURT UPHELD A LOCAL GOVERNMENT DISPLAYING A VERY LARGE CHRISTMAS TREE AND A LARGE MENORAH.

UM, IT HAD A PARTICULAR SIGNAGE AROUND IT.

ALL THESE CASES ARE VERY FACT SPECIFIC.

THIS, THIS, THIS AREA IS A HOTBED OF LITIGATION.

UM, SO THE MORE CLOSELY YOU CAN FOLLOW THE FACT PATTERN OF A CASE THAT'S BEEN UPHELD, THE THE SAFER WE ARE FROM A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE.

DID EVERYONE UNDERSTAND THAT? I, I MS. SAY IT MORE SIMPLY.

WE DON'T HAVE AN ORDINANCE THAT SPECIFIES HOW WE CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS.

WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE THAT, THE, EXCUSE ME, A RESOLUTION THAT THE BOARD ADOPTED NOT TO ADD ANY ADDITIONAL FIXTURES TO UNION POINT PARK.

THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE.

YOU CAN CHANGE THAT AS A BOARD.

THAT'S YOUR, THAT'S YOUR AUTHORITY.

SO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS HOW THE BOARD WANTS TO VIEW ADDING ADDITIONAL, UM, HOLIDAY SYMBOLS TO THE CURRENT SYMBOL THAT'S IN THE PARK.

THAT'S THE LEGAL QUESTION THAT YOU'RE GRAPPLING WITH OR THAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT.

AS YOU THINK ABOUT HOW YOU WANT TO CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS AND THE VARIOUS GROUPS THAT CAN OR SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THAT PROCESS, IS YOUR POLITICAL DECISION.

AND I'M REFLECTING ON THE LEGAL ISSUES THAT YOU MIGHT LAND ON TO KEEP THE CITY AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE.

THANK YOU, ATTORNEY DAVIS.

MY, MY QUESTION, AND, AND I'VE, I'VE DONE A LITTLE RESEARCH ON THIS.

THERE'S BEEN SOME CASE LAW THAT SAYS A MENORAH IS NOT NECESSARILY CONSIDERED A RELIGIOUS ITEM.

IT'S CONSIDERED A SECULAR ITEM.

THAT'S RIGHT.

IF, IF THAT WERE THE CASE, I WOULD PROBABLY BE VERY APTT TO SUPPORTING THIS.

, MY CONCERN IS THE SLIPPERY SLOPE.

THIS IS WHERE I LOOK TO YOU IF THIS IS A RELIGIOUS ITEM.

AND IT'S HARD TO SAY THAT IT'S NOT WHEN A TEMPLE IS ASKING FOR IT, AND WE'VE HAD MEMBERS OF CLERGY

[02:25:01]

THAT'S ASKING FOR IT.

SO FOR ME, THAT'S WHERE I'M, I'M I'M TORN BECAUSE I I'M PERSONALLY, I, I'M, I'M FINE WITH IT.

BUT IF IT, IF THIS IS SOMEHOW CONSIDERED A RELIGIOUS FICTION OR RELIGIOUS ITEM, I BELIEVE THAT IF THIS WERE TO BE APPROVED, WE'RE GONNA HAVE MULTIPLE REQUESTS FOR OTHER ITEMS SUCH AS A MANGER SCENE TO BE PUT IN UNION POINT PARK WHERE OR WHEREVER THIS MAY GO.

THAT'S, THAT'S MY ISSUE WITH IT.

AND THAT'S WHY THERE ARE SO MANY CASES ON THIS VERY POINT, IS REASONABLE PEOPLE DISAGREE ABOUT SPLITTING THOSE VARIOUS HAIRS.

UM, I CAN SHOW YOU CASES THAT COME OUT ON EITHER SIDE OF THAT ISSUE.

UM, THE ONE THING I CAN POINT TO IS THE CASE FROM THE LATE EIGHTIES WHERE THE COURT CONCLUDED, UM, BY SIX THREE VOTE THAT A CHRISTMAS TREE AND A MENORAH, AND IT WAS A 45 FOOT CHRISTMAS TREE AND A 18 FOOT TALL MENORAH WITH A MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR, A, A HOLIDAY GREETING MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR THAT WAS NON-DENOMINATIONAL.

UM, THE COURT VIEWED THAT AS A, A SYMBOL OF HOLIDAY DECORATIONS AND, AND NOT A RELIGIOUS SYMBOL.

IN THAT SAME CASE, THEY, UM, UM, RULED AGAINST THE SAME CITY HAVING A CRUSH IN THEIR CITY HALL.

THEY FOUND THAT WAS A RELIGIOUS SYMBOL THAT WAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

BUT THE TREE AND THE MENORAH TOGETHER WERE NOT.

AND THERE ARE CASES AND CASES WHERE PEOPLE TAKE A CRUSH AND ADD CANDY CANES AND WREATHS AND TRY TO DISGUISE IT ALL AS HOLIDAY SYMBOLS.

AND SOMETIMES THEY WIN AND SOMETIMES THEY LOSE.

I'D PREFER NOT TO BE IN THE GAME THAT'S WINNING OR LOSING BECAUSE IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE.

SO THAT'S WHY I MENTIONED TO YOU, WHATEVER, WHATEVER IDEA YOU LAND ON, LET'S TRY TO PAIR THAT WITH A CASE THAT WE CAN POINT TO THAT IS, UH, AS ANALOGOUS AS POSSIBLE.

AND I'M ALSO VERY HAPPY TOO, TO REACH OUT TO THE FEW CITIES THAT WERE IN THAT PRESENTATION AND SPEAK WITH THEIR CITY ATTORNEYS TO SEE WHAT THEIR THOUGHT PROCESS WAS.

I THINK I SAW ASHEVILLE AND MAYBE CHARLOTTE HAD, UH, HAD TANGLED WITH THIS.

SO I'M HAPPY TO REACH OUT TO THEM TO, TO REFLECT ON WHAT, UH, THEIR THINKING WAS.

SO BACK TO THE MOTION THAT'S ON THE FLOOR.

I, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM HAVING THAT DISCUSSION, BUT I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE PUT ON STAFF TO DO THAT.

THIS IS NOT GONNA BE A STAFF DECISION.

THIS IS GONNA BE A BOARD DECISION.

SO THREE PEOPLE FROM THIS BOARD NEED TO BE INVOLVED WITH THAT CONVERSATION.

AND IF THE MOTION WERE TO CHANGE TO REFLECT THAT, I WOULD SUPPORT THE MOTION, BUT I CAN'T SUPPORT IT.

THIS IS NOT A STAFF DECISION.

I THINK THIS IS WHY WE MAY BE IN THE SITUATION WE'RE IN NOW IS BECAUSE IN THE PAST MM-HMM.

STAFF HAS MADE SOME DECISIONS THAT WERE OUTSIDE OF THEIR PURVIEW.

AND IF YOU INCLUDE THREE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, I DON'T HAVE TO BE ONE OF 'EM, I'LL BE HAPPY TO BE ONE OF THEM, BUT IF THREE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD ARE INCLUDED, THEN I WOULD SUPPORT THE MOTION.

SO IF, IF WE WERE TO APPROVE THIS, UM, ARE YOU SAYING WE'RE OPENING UP THE DOOR FOR ALL RELIGIOUSSS TO COME FORWARDS AND SAY WE WOULD LIKE OUR SYMBOL TO BE THERE AS WELL? WELL, ONE COULD FORECAST THAT PROBLEM.

THAT THAT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU.

AND, AND THEN YOU'VE GOT TO TANGLE WITH THAT.

UM, BUT I, I'M, I'M, I'M REFLECTING ON IT ONE STEP AT A TIME.

UH, THERE ARE CITIES THAT, THAT WILL, UM, DESIGNATE AREAS AND SAY, THIS IS THE CITY TREE.

AND THAT'S THE AREA WHERE OTHER FOLKS CAN CELEBRATE WITH THEIR SYMBOLS AND CELEBRATION, YOU KNOW, FIGURES AND, AND THEY CAN BE CORRALLED IN A, IN A SIMILAR AREA.

SO THAT WAY EVERYONE HAS A CHANCE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS.

AND IT'S ALL INCLUSIVE.

THAT, THAT WOULD BE AN OPTION.

WELL, I'LL, I I'LL MAKE ONE COMMENT.

I'LL, I'LL GO AHEAD AND GO ON RECORD.

REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE DECISION IS OF THIS BOARD, UM, I AM ADAMANTLY OPPOSED TO USING PUBLIC FUNDS TO BUY THOSE TYPES OF RELIGIOUS SYMBOLS.

SO I KNOW THAT MAY HAVE BEEN PART OF YOUR MOTION OR NOT, BUT I, I'M OPPOSED TO, UH, CO COINCIDENTALLY, I'LL JUST ADD THAT.

WELL, HOW, HOW DOES THAT FIT WITH ALL OF THE DECORATIONS THAT THE CITY PUTS UP ON STAFF TIME? IT'S PURCHASED BY THE, HAS BEEN PURCHASED BY THE CITY.

YEAH, BUT IT'S NOT RELIGIOUS.

SO PUBLIC, YOU AND I HAVE TWO DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE NOT BEING A RELIGIOUS SYMBOL.

SO AS THE MAYOR POINTED OUT, IT'S A VERY FINE LINE BETWEEN LOOKING AT IT FROM A RELIGIOUS STANDPOINT AND LOOKING AT IT FROM A SECULAR STANDPOINT.

AND I AGREE WITH IT.

IT IS, AND THAT'S WHY I MADE THE COMMENT THAT A DECISION WAS MADE YEARS AGO TO ESTABLISH A POLICY.

IT IS A

[02:30:01]

RELIGIOUS DECLARATIONS.

I MEAN, HALL, YOU CAN, YOU CAN CLOUD IT HOWEVER YOU WANT.

IT'S A HOLIDAY DECORATIONS, IT'S CHRISTIAN BASED, SO IT'S RELIGIOUS.

SO THAT DOOR HAS BEEN OPENED.

WE'RE JUST NOW, AND, AND MAYBE PREVIOUS BOARDS HAVE, HAVE TRIED TO WRESTLE WITH THIS.

I, I DON'T KNOW THAT, BUT IT'S HERE BEFORE US.

NOW.

I APPRECIATE YOUR OPINION.

WE NEED TO A DECISION ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

AND YES.

IS IT POTENTIALLY OPENING IT UP TO OTHER ABSOLUTELY.

IT IS.

WHETHER THAT HAPPENS OR NOT, I DON'T KNOW.

WE'LL HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT.

OR AS, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY, YOU KNOW, MENTIONED MAYBE WHAT WE HAVE TO LOOK TO IN THE FUTURE IS IDENTIFYING A SPOT CITY PROPERTY.

AND THAT CAN BE USED BY EVERYBODY INCLUDING THE CITY WITH THE DECORATIONS THAT WE HAVE IN THE PARK AND DOWN AT THE TRAFFIC CIRCLE.

MAYBE WE NEED TO CHANGE OUR PERSPECTIVE AS TO WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AND STEP BACK FROM IT AND LOOK AT IT OBJECTIVELY.

QUESTION.

AND THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO.

QUESTION.

WE RAISED THE ISSUE OF, I, I THINK IT WAS ALDERMAN BEST, THAT WE ESTABLISHED AN ORDINANCE.

WHEN WAS THAT? IT WAS A RESOLUTION.

RESOLUTION.

I'M SORRY, THAT WAS RECENT, CORRECT? YES.

AND SO IT'S NOT LOOKING AT THE PAST OR YEARS AGO IT WAS THIS, THIS WAS RECENT.

SO, SO IT WAS THIS BOARD FOR SURE.

I DO WANT, I DO WANT TO CLARIFY.

WE, WE HAD, I BROUGHT A POLICY BEFORE THE BOARD A LITTLE MORE THAN A YEAR AGO.

AND, AND AT THAT TIME, THE BOARD DID NOT WANT TO ADAPT, ADOPT THAT POLICY THAT ADDRESSED MARKERS AND PLAQUES AND MONUMENTS AND PARKS.

BUT THE DIRECTION THAT I HEARD THAT NIGHT WAS THAT YOU WEREN'T PLANNING ON ADDRESSING THAT.

AND IF SOMEONE DID APPROACH THE CITY ABOUT THAT, WE WOULD POLL THE BOARD, UH, TO GET THEIR OPINIONS.

AND, UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, THOSE ENTITIES ALWAYS HAD THE OPTION TO COME TO PETITION CITIZENS IF THEY WANTED TO, TO MAKE THAT REQUEST TO THE BOARD THEMSELVES.

SO, AND YOU, THERE IS NO POLICY.

THERE IS NO POLICY THAT THE BOARD'S ADOPTED.

AND, AND, AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, YOU POLLED THE BOARD ON THIS ISSUE LAST YEAR, MAYBE? UM, IT WAS EARLIER THIS YEAR.

EARLIER THIS YEAR.

AND IT WAS SEVEN.

OH.

WE WERE NOT IN FAVOR OF MOVING FORWARD WITH ANY ADDITIONAL, ANY ADDITIONAL ITEMS. OKAY.

THAT'S CORRECT.

SO WE DO HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE FLOOR.

UM, AS A REMINDER, UM, MS. CLERK, WOULD YOU MIND SHARING THAT WITH US AGAIN? IT'S BEEN A LITTLE WHILE.

UM, FOR THE CITY TO GET TOGETHER ON A LOCATION FOR, WITH THE TEMPLE ON A LOCATION FOR THE INSTALLATION OF A MANURE FOR THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, THAT WAS A MOTION BY ALDERMAN PRI AND A SECOND BY ALDERMAN ROYAL? THAT'S CORRECT.

I, I, I DON'T REMEMBER THAT.

IS, UH, THE, TO HAVE A CONVERSATION.

IS WHAT I SECOND TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE TEMPLE AND WITH, UH, THE BOARD.

I CAN GO BACK AND LISTEN TO THE TAPE, BUT I WAS TYPING AS HE WAS TALKING.

SO I TYPED GET TOGETHER TO AGREE ON A LOCATION FOR THE INSTALLATION OF A MANURE FOR THIS HOLIDAY SEASON.

WAS THAT YOUR MOTION ON APPEAL? YES, IT WAS.

YEP.

OH, AND THE PRECISE LOCATION DETERMINED BY STAFF.

YOU WITHDRAW YOUR SECOND, YOU GONNA WITHDRAW YOUR SECOND? NO, I STILL WANT THE COMPENSATION.

THAT'S, I'M STUCK ON THAT PART, THE CONVERSATION.

CORRECT? I THINK THE MOTION WOULD NEED TO BE AMENDED TO INCLUDE THAT IF TWO PATHS FORWARD.

YES, MA'AM.

READ MY MIND ONE PATH IS THE ALDERMAN PRI CAN AMEND HIS MOTION.

OR SINCE IT'S ALREADY GOT A SECOND, YOU CAN VOTE ON THAT MOTION, SEE WHAT THE OUTCOME IS.

IF IT DOESN'T PASS, REFLECT ON LANGUAGE THAT MIGHT PASS.

WOULD YOU LIKE? WELL, IF, IF WE VOTE ON MY MOTION, AND IF A MAJORITY OF THE BOARD APPROVES THE MOTION, THEN STAFF HAS ITS DIRECTION.

MAYOR, WHAT YOU SUGGESTED OF THREE BOARD MEMBERS BEING INVOLVED IN THAT AS OPPOSED TO STAFF SIMPLY MEANS THAT IT'S GOT A, A DECISION WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK TO THIS BOARD TO BE ULTIMATELY ACTIVE.

OH, WELL THE DECISION'S COMING BACK FOR THIS BOARD, REGARDLESS.

I MEAN, I DON'T THINK STAFF HAS THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE A DECISION.

IF THEY MEET WITH THE TEMPLE AND THEY, THE STAFF AGREES WITH THE TEMPLE, THE BOARD'S GONNA HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION.

WELL, I THINK, I THINK THE MOTION IS TO, TO ALLOW IT TO BE LOCATED.

[02:35:01]

WELL, IF THAT'S THE CASE, I'M AN ABSOLUTE NO, THAT IS NOT A STAFF DECISION.

I'M NOT PUTTING THAT ON THE STAFF.

WE WERE ELECTED TO MAKE SUB DECISIONS, NOT OUR STAFF CONFIDENCE.

QUESTION.

GOT A CALL FOR THE QUESTION.

FOR THE MOTION.

DOES HAVE A ROLL CALL VOTE STARTING WITH ALDERMAN? KENZIE? NO.

THIS IS A VOTE TO GET WITH THE TEMPLE AND SOMEONE FROM THE CITY GET WITH THE TEMPLE AND DISCUSS A LOCATION WHERE THE MINOR NEEDS TO BE.

WOULD BE PLACED.

WILL BE PLACED, WILL BE PLACED.

UH, LET'S SEE.

UM, MM-HMM? , I, I CAN'T AGREE WITH THAT.

NO.

ALDERMAN BRISSON? NO.

ALDERMAN PRILL? YES.

ALDERMAN ROYAL.

ALDERMAN ASKED HER BASED ON BEING INCLUDING STAFF AND NOT THE BOARD MEMBERS.

I'LL HAVE TO VOTE NONE.

MAYOR ODOM.

NO.

MAYOR.

I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO, AND AND, AND HELP ME OUT WITH THIS.

UM, TO HAVE THREE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD TO BE SELECTED BY THE BOARD, SIT DOWN WITH STAFF, AND WITH THE TEMPLE TO DETERMINE A LOCATION FOR THE PLACING OF A MINOR SECOND.

UM, THAT'S THE SAME MOTION, ISN'T IT? NO, NO, NO, NO.

IT'S A DIFFERENT MOTION, I THINK.

HOWEVER, I THINK MR. ATTORNEY MIGHT HAVE TO HELP ME OUT HERE.

I THINK YOUR MOTION INCLUDED THE THREE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, WHICH I AGREE WITH.

BUT YOUR MOTION WAS VERY CONCLUSIVE THAT THE BOARD WOULD MEET WITH THE TEMPLE AND FIND THE LOCATION AND IT WOULD BE INSTALLED.

SO YOU'RE BASICALLY, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING YOU CORRECTLY, YOU'RE DEFERRING THE THREE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD TO MAKE A DECISION THAT YES, WE'RE GONNA DO IT AND WHERE IT'S GONNA GO.

IS THAT CORRECT DISCUSSION, MAYOR, I, I JUST, YOU RAISED AN IMPORTANT POINT TO ME.

THE MOTION IS TO APPROVE THE ASK AND RESOLVE THE LOCATION.

THAT'S WHAT I HEARD.

SO WITH THIS VOTE, THE BOARD IS VOTING TO ALLOW IT SUBJECT TO THE MEETING TO DECIDE WHERE, IF THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU MEANT.

MY JOB IS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE VOTING ON.

REPEAT THAT, SIR.

SO THE MOTION IS TO ALLOW THE MINORITY TO BE INSTALLED IN THE PARK, PROVIDED THAT THREE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, NOT SPECIFICALLY IN THE PARK IN, EXCUSE ME, ON CITY PROPERTY.

ON CITY PROPERTY.

PROVIDED THAT THREE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND STAFF MEET WITH THE TEMPLE TO DECIDE WHERE.

SO, SO THE PERMISSION WILL BE GIVEN UPON THIS ABOVE VOTE WITH THE ONLY VARIABLE BEING WHERE, AND THAT'S WHERE THE DISCONNECT IS WITH ME IN THE MOTION IS I'M FINE SITTING DOWN AND DISCUSSING IT WITH 'EM BECAUSE I THINK ALL PARTIES NEED TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION BECAUSE I WANT EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE POTENTIAL RAMIFICATIONS COULD BE ON THIS DECISION IF IT'S BEING MADE.

BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE THAT WE'VE ALL THOUGHT THIS OUT.

IF WE SIT DOWN AND HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, THAT THAT GROUP MAY COME BACK AND SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? THE CITY WAS PROBABLY RIGHT.

WE MAY NOT WANT TO DO THIS.

LET'S FIND SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE CAN PARTNER ON AND DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

YOUR MOTION, I THINK IS EXACTLY WHAT THE ATTORNEY SAID IS THE SUBSET GROUP OF THIS BOARD, THREE MEMBERS WILL GET WITH THEM.

WE'RE GONNA FIND OUT WHERE IT'S GONNA GO AND WE'RE GONNA PUT IT THERE.

THAT'S WHAT I HEARD IS THAT THE SPIRIT OF YOUR MOTION WAS TO MAKE THE DECISION THAT THAT'S THE INTENT OF MY MOTION.

AND ALDERMAN BEST, DID YOU I THINK ALDERMAN BE SECONDED IT.

SHE DID.

CAN I RESEND THAT? YOU SURE CAN.

I'LL RESCIND THAT SECOND.

ALDERMAN PRI, DO YOU WANNA PUT A LITTLE FLEXIBILITY IN THERE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THREE MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE TEMPLE ON A POTENTIAL LOCATION AND POTENTIAL ACQUISITION AND POTENTIAL INSTALLATION OF A MENORAH? CAN, CAN I ASK ONE QUESTION? SURE.

A QUESTION THAT THE BOARD CAN ANSWER.

AND, AND I'M KIND OF OPENING IT UP TO THE COMMUNITY, UM, BECAUSE I WAS NOT, AND I'M NOT SURE I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF AT LEAST THIS YEAR FOR CITY FUNDS TO BE EXPENDED TO PURCHASE AND OR CONSTRUCT A MENORAH.

SO DOES THE COMMUNITY HAVE A MENORAH THAT IS AVAILABLE? THAT OKAY.

COULD BE.

I, I'M ASKING THE QUESTION, BUT IT'S NOT

[02:40:01]

THAT'S FINE.

SO MAKE MAKE A MOTION THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET FEEDBACK FROM THE, THE FOLKS IN THE AUDIENCE.

WE'LL GET A SECOND, WE'LL OPEN IT UP AND WE'LL ALLOW THEM TO COME UP AND SPEAK.

SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ALLOW 'EM TO DO THAT, MAKE THAT MOTION.

I'M SURE WE'LL PROMPT YOU.

ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS AT ALL INTERESTED HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY? YES.

OKAY, THEN I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO OPEN IT UP FOR THE COMMUNITY TO ANSWER THE QUESTION.

JUST WANNA BE CLEAR BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA BE HERE TILL 11 O'CLOCK TALKING ABOUT THIS ISSUE.

SO CAN WE HAVE A, CAN WE HAVE A LIMITATION? SO LET'S OPEN THE CONVERSATION UP FOR FIVE MINUTES.

IS THAT AMENABLE? UH, I WOULD THINK IT WOULD TAKE LESS THAN 30 SECONDS.

PERFECT TO GET AN ANSWER.

ALRIGHT, SO ARE YOU GOOD WITH THAT? YEP.

GOT A MOTION TO OPEN UP THE FLOOR.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.

WE DID SAY 30 SECONDS .

HE DID SAY 30 SECONDS.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? OKAY, ALDERMAN PRO.

ASK YOUR QUESTION, SIR.

UH, WELL I'M ASKING THE COMMUNITY, IS THERE A MENORAH AVAILABLE THAT COULD BE LOCATED SOMEWHERE IN THE CITY? UH UH.

THERE IS NO MENORAH.

HOWEVER, BASED ON THE SUPPORT THAT YOU'VE SEEN HERE, I'VE HAD PEOPLE COME TO ME AND SAY THEY ARE WILLING TO DONATE.

I THINK WE COULD PROBABLY RAISE THE MONEY IN A FEW DAYS FOR A MANURE.

THAT'S MY SENSE, BUT OKAY.

ALRIGHT, VERY GOOD.

SO WE ARE BACK TO HAVING OTTMAN APPEAL'S ORIGINAL MOTION.

THAT WAS THE SECOND WAS RESCINDED.

SO NOW WE'RE BACK TO SQUARE ONE, I BELIEVE.

AND I WILL TWEAK MY MOTION TO AUTHORIZE THREE MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD AND STAFF TO MEET WITH WHOEVER WE'RE GONNA MEET WITH IN THE COMMUNITY, PRESUMABLY, UH, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ASKING PARTY THAT'S TEMPLE, UH, SHALOM IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS TO SEE IF WE CAN DETERMINE A LOCATION FOR A MENORAH TO BE SET UP ON PUBLIC PROPERTY AND HAVE A RECOMMENDATION BACK TO THIS BOARD AT OUR SECOND MEETING THIS MONTH FOR A DECISION BY THIS BOARD.

EVERYBODY GOOD WITH THAT MOTION? WE'RE COMMITTING TO HAVING A CONVERS OR THREE MEMBERS HAVING A CONVERSATION AND BRINGING BACK INFORMATION AND A RECOMMENDATION AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING.

IS THAT? YES.

GOOD.

SO WE HAVE A MOTION.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? AND THAT INCLUDED CITY ERECTED ON CITY PROPERTY, CORRECT? YES.

SITE YET TO BE DETERMINED.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND FOR THE RECORD? I WILL SUPPORT THAT MOTION.

SORRY, I THOUGHT SO.

THIS IS A NEW MOTION.

IT THAT IS CORRECT.

DID YOU SECOND? I DID NOT.

OKAY, SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND SECOND BY THE ALDERMAN ROYAL.

UH, FOR THE SAKE OF THIS ONE, LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN BEST.

ALDERMAN BEST.

THE REASON WHY I'M VOTING THE WAY I VOTE IS BECAUSE I FEEL THAT I DO NOT, WHATEVER THE DISCUSSION MAY TURN OUT TO BE.

I DO NOT WANT THIS ON CITY PROPERTY BECAUSE IT'S GONNA OPEN UP THE DOORS FOR OTHER PEOPLE, ORGANIZATIONS, GROUPS, INDIVIDUALS.

SO I'M VOTING NO ALDERMAN.

BRISSON.

I'M VOTING YES TO THE CONVERSATION, BUT I, I'M OPPOSED TO HAVING ON CITY PROPERTY.

ALDERMAN PRI YES.

ALDERMAN ROYAL? YES.

TO THE CONVERSATION.

ALDERMAN ASKED HER YES TO THE CONVERSATION AS WELL.

ALDER MCKENZIE? JUST FOR THE CONVERSATION.

NOT FOR THE PROPERTY OF THE CITY.

SO NOW LET'S FIGURE OUT THE THREE LUCKY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

I WOULD ASSUME THAT IT WOULD BE ONES THAT VOTED YES.

UM, TO THE PROPOSAL THAT WOULD LIKE TO MEET WITH THE GROUP AGAIN.

I'LL BE HAPPY TO.

I DON'T HAVE TO BE, BUT I'LL BE HAPPY TO DO IT.

IF NOBODY I CAN READ ALSO, I'LL BE HAPPY TO.

ALTMAN PER ALTMAN, ROYAL AND MYSELF.

UNLESS SOMEBODY ELSE WANTS TO TAKE IT UP.

I'LL VOTE LAST ON IT TOO.

SO .

[02:45:01]

THANK YOU MAYOR.

I HAVE NOTHING FURTHER.

VERY GOOD HONOR.

ROYAL, I HAVE A COUPLE OF ITEMS. PLEASE FILE.

GIMME ONE SECOND.

MAYOR, ONE OF THE THINGS I'D LIKE TO MENTION, PLEASE.

UH, I MENTIONED THIS IN THE PAST AND I RAISED THIS ISSUE AGAIN.

I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO SCHEDULE A WORKSHOP OR INFORMATION SESSION, WHATEVER, HOWEVER WE WANT TO DEFINE IT, FOR US TO DEFINE THE ROLES OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN AND THE MAYOR.

I MENTIONED IT BEFORE.

I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT DONE.

I KNOW THAT I CAN READ AND I CAN DECIPHER THINGS ON MY OWN.

BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT WORKSHOP SESSION, WHATEVER FORUM WE CAN PUT IT IN TAKE PLACE.

THAT'S ONE ITEM TO, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAR 'CAUSE WE NEED TO GIVE STAFF SOME DIRECTION.

SO DEFINE THE ROLES.

JUST TO SAY WHAT OUR ROLE IS.

I'M SURE THE SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT HAS SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

MAYBE THE CLERK COULD CHECK WITH HER RESOURCES TO SEE.

WELL, WHO IS THE GENTLEMAN THAT CAME TO THE PREVIOUS MEETING UNDER THE, UM, PROCEEDING BOARD THAT TALKED ABOUT THE NON-PROFIT BOARD OF DIRECTORS? THE GENTLEMAN CAME FROM RALEIGH.

THE LEAGUE.

YEAH, ABOUT THE CONFLICTS.

YEAH, HE WAS FROM THE LEAGUES.

THE, WOULD HE BE A VIABLE PERSON TO HIM OR SOMEBODY LIKE HIM? THERE'S FOLKS THAT WOULD DO THAT FOR SURE, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT AND FOR US TO ESTABLISH A DATE FOR IT AND GET IT ON THE CALENDAR.

SO, SO LET'S, I LIKE BEING CLEAR ON THIS STUFF.

SO TOMORROW WHEN STAFF HAS THEIR MEETING, THEY KNOW WHAT TO DO.

SO WE WANT THE MAJORITY OF THE BOARD WANNA MAKE SURE WE AGREE THAT WE WANT STAFF TO FIND SOMEONE WHO CAN COME DO A WORKSHOP FOR US TO TALK ABOUT ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE BOARD MEMBERS.

IS THAT GOOD? THAT'S CORRECT.

IS ANYBODY OPPOSED TO THAT? OKAY.

CAN I MAKE A SUGGESTION? THE ATTORNEY CHOICE BEEN THIS, IF THIS COULD ACTUALLY BE, UH, NOT HELD IN, IN PERSON.

AND IF WE CAN HAVE IT AS A, UH, SOMEONE PRESENTING TO US AS REMOTELY PRESENT THIS INFORMATION TO US FROM THE SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT OR WHOEVER WE FEEL THAT NEEDS TO PRESENT THIS INFORMATION TO US.

I IN PERSON KIND OF PERSON, HOWEVER I COULD TAKE IT INDIVIDUALLY, BUT AS A BOARD, THEY CAN'T PARTICIPATE IN A ZOOM.

DID THEY, DID THEY, UM, DID THEY PARTICIPATE IN THEIR NEWLY ELECTED OFFICIAL PROGRAM AT CHAPEL HILL? YES.

EVERYONE.

SO I'M NOT, I'M NOT SURE WE'RE GONNA GET SOMEONE TO SAY SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAT'S ALREADY BEEN SAID, WOULD THEY? BUT THERE MIGHT BE A, THERE MIGHT BE A, UH, SLIDE PRESENTATION.

I'M SURE THERE IS.

I CAN ASK.

I'M SURE THERE'S A SLIDE PRESENTATION WE CAN GET.

SO WE'LL, WE'LL WORK ON IT.

WE HEARD YOU HEARD THE RECOMMENDATION, SO WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN FIGURE SOMETHING OUT.

UM, THIS MIGHT BE FOR MR. CHAS, THE DEMOLITION OF THE PROPERTY ON GARDEN STREET, THE MOBILE HOME THAT WAS THERE.

UH, WHY HAS THAT PROJECT, UM, NOT BEEN TAKEN CARE OF IN A TIMELY MANNER? IT HAS BEEN ONGOING.

I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S DIFFERENT PARTS OF THAT MOBILE HOME THAT HAS TO BE ADDRESSED AT DIFFERENT TIMES.

WE, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED THAT THE ACTUAL DEMOLITION BECAUSE THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH, ONCE IT WAS APPROVED BY THE BOARD FOR DEMOLITION, SOMEONE WENT IN AND STARTED TAKING THINGS OFF OF THAT BUILDING.

AND THAT IS WHAT'S HELD IT UP RIGHT NOW.

BUT I'LL CHECK AND SEE WHERE THAT STANDS.

WITH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES WE CAN PUSH FORWARD ONCE THEY HAVE AN ISSUE.

SOMEONE MEANING SOMEBODY WAS TAKING THE COPPER AND STEEL OFF OF THE TRAILER ILLEGALLY REMOVING IT.

YES MA'AM.

WELL, THE, THE DAY OR TWO AFTER THE BOARD APPROVED DEMOLITION, I WAS WONDERING WHY THE CITY WAS MOVING.

SO, SO YES MA'AM.

THAT WAS NOT US PERFORMING THAT, THAT TYPE OF DEMOLITION.

BUT, BUT WE WILL COMPLETE IT.

IT'S AMAZING THOUGH THAT THAT TRAILER HAS SAT THERE.

FOR YEARS.

AND THE TIME THAT WE DECIDE WE'RE GONNA AUTHORIZE THAT IT'S GONNA BE TORN DOWN.

NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN SOMEBODY GOES IN AND TAKES THE COPPER OUT OF IT.

THAT'S CORRECT.

THAT'S AWFULLY IRONIC.

AND THERE WAS NO INDICATION WHO DID THAT? THE OWNER? NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF.

I'VE NOT BEEN INVOLVED FOLLOWING UP.

IT WAS A MIDNIGHT COURSE.

I'M UNSURE.

I I COULD NOT SPEAK ON IT.

THAT'S STRANGE.

UM, I DON'T KNOW WHERE OR WHEN WE'RE GONNA GET TO THIS REGARDING THE DECEMBER 12TH CHRISTMAS GATHERING.

UM,

[02:50:01]

LET'S DO IT RIGHT NOW.

MIGHT AS WELL.

WE HAVE ALLUDED, TALKED, DISCUSSED.

I KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE IT, BUT YES, WE CAN GO AHEAD ON AND YEAH, I, I THINK, I THINK WE PROBABLY NEED TO GIVE SOME VERY CLEAR DIRECTION ON WHAT THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO SEE AND DO ON DECEMBER 12TH REGARDING THE CHRISTMAS GATHERING OF THE BOARD.

MAY I SAY SOMETHING? SURE.

I'M NOT IN FAVOR FOR THE CITY TO PROVIDE ANY FUNDS TOWARDS A CHRISTMAS GATHERING FOR, FOR THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN.

AND I'M DEFINITELY NOT IN FAVOR OF HAVING ANY TYPE OF A DINNER OR WHATEVER FOR THIS BOARD OF ALDERMAN AND OUR EMPLOYEES ARE NOT RECEIVING ANYTHING OR THE DECISION HASN'T BEEN MADE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.

I'M NOT GONNA GO EAT A DINNER AT THE CITY'S EXPENSE.

AND OUR EMPLOYEES, WE HAVEN'T EVEN DISCUSSED IF WE'RE GONNA DO ANYTHING FOR EMPLOYEES OR NOT.

MR. HUGHES I THINK PROBABLY HAS SOME CLARITY ON THAT.

SO FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE HAVE INCLUDED DECEMBER GIFTS FOR CITY EMPLOYEES IN THE BUDGET, UH, IN THE HUMAN RESOURCES BUDGET.

SO IT WOULD BE THE SAME THING THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING THE LAST FEW YEARS FOR THAT.

UM, ALSO, UM, AS, AS PART OF THAT, WE'VE BEEN DOING THE QUARTERLY MEALS FOR CITY EMPLOYEES AND THEN THE NEXT ONE IS SCHEDULED FOR I BELIEVE DECEMBER 6TH.

FOR HOLIDAY LUNCHES FOR CITY EMPLOYEES.

AND WE GET TO ENJOY THAT AS WELL.

YES SIR.

I'M, I'M STILL NOT IN FAVOR OF CITY FUNDS BEING USED TO PURCHASE ANY DINNER FOR THIS BOARD FOR A CHRISTMAS DINNER.

MR. HUGHES, WHEN DID YOU SAY THAT EMPLOYEE DECEMBER EVENT WAS GONNA BE DECEMBER 6TH.

DECEMBER THE SIXTH.

WHAT TIME IS IT? 11 TO ONE.

IT'S ABOUT 1130 TO, TO ONE OR ONE 30.

WHAT LOCATION? WEST NEWBURN.

THAT WILL BE AT WEST NEWBURN RECREATION CENTER.

THANK YOU SIR.

SO IF THE BOARD DECIDED THAT WE WANTED TO PARLAY A BOARD GATHERING AND WE ALL WANNA SIT AT THE SAME TABLE AT THAT EVENT AND HAVE LUNCH, WE NEED TO CALL FOR A MEETING FOR THAT.

AS LONG AS YOU DON'T DISCUSS CITY BUSINESS.

SAY THAT AGAIN, MAYOR.

SEVEN OF US SIT AT A TABLE FOR AN HOUR AND DON'T DISCUSS CITY BUSINESS.

IT'S GONNA BE VERY HARD, BUT WE CAN MINE.

WE CAN MINE.

I DON'T THINK ALL US HAVE TO, WELL, THE REASON I SAID THAT IS 'CAUSE I THINK THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL INTENT WAS TO TRY TO BUILD SOME COMRADERY WITH THE BOARD.

IT'S JUST THE NATURE OF GOVERNMENT IS, IT'S VERY CHALLENGING TO DO THAT.

I WOULD LOVE FOR US TO SIT DOWN AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS AND NO CAMERAS ON AND JUST BE REAL.

I TRY TO DO THAT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, BUT, UM, I TRY TO BE A LITTLE RESPECTFUL TOO AT TIMES WHEN I COULD SAY SOME OTHER THINGS.

BUT I GIVE YOU MY WORD, I WILL NOT DISCUSS BUSINESS.

ALSO, AM I CORRECT THAT THE EMPLOYEES WILL STILL BE GETTING THE GIFT CARD? YES, THEY WILL.

UM, SO THE BOARD IS FREE ON DECEMBER 6TH TO JOIN THIS CITY EMPLOYEES AT THIS EVENT.

BARRING WE DON'T TALK ABOUT CITY BUSINESS, ASSUMING THAT THERE'S A QUORUM THERE.

UM, I I WILL GO BACK TO THE DECEMBER 12TH MEETING THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE.

UM, I PERSONALLY, AND I KNOW THAT NOT EVERYBODY AGREES WITH THIS, I HAVE NO ISSUE WITH THE CITY PROVIDING A MEAL FOR THIS BOARD.

WHEN WE ARE HERE FOR HOURS AT A TIME DOING CITY BUSINESS, I DRAW THE LINE WITH THE SPOUSE THING.

SO THAT'S WHERE I KIND OF GOT LOST ON THE AGREEMENT OR THE DISCUSSION THAT WAS GOING BACK AND FORTH.

BUT IF WE'RE GONNA BE HERE AT TWO O'CLOCK, IS THAT WHAT THE BUDGET TIME? MM-HMM.

BUDGET WORKSHOP.

WE'RE GONNA BE HERE FROM TWO O'CLOCK AND WE HAVE A BOARD MEETING AT SIX O'CLOCK AND WE'RE GONNA BE HERE FOR SEVERAL HOURS.

UH, AGAIN, I I DON'T MIND BRINGING SOMETHING IN THE CROCKPOT, BUT IF THE CITY WANTS TO ORDER DINNER FOR THE BOARD, THAT IS NOT UNHEARD OF.

THAT IS PART OF DOING YOUR JOB AND DUTIES AS A BOARD MEMBER IN MY OPINION.

I KNOW THERE'S SOME THAT DISAGREE WITH THAT.

I, I CONCUR WITH YOU.

AND AS YOU SAID, IF SPOUSES ARE NOT INCLUDED, IT'S JUST FOR THE BOARD.

I MEAN, UM, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.

I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA.

I MEAN, WE HAVE A CITY POLICY, I'M ASSUMING FOR TRAVEL AND ENTERTAINMENT THAT GOVERNS THE AMOUNT.

I MEAN, WE'RE NOT GONNA ORDER IN, YOU KNOW, FROM THE ANGUS BARN IN RALEIGH AND HAVE IT DOOR DASHED IN AND IT'D BE $150 APA PIECE.

SO, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS WE FOLLOW OUR GUIDELINES, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH HAVING A MEAL PROVIDED FOR THAT PARTICULAR MEETING THAT THAT'S WHERE I AM.

I I THINK YOU SAID YOU WERE AGAINST IT, BUT HOW I WAS MORE SO AGAINST IT AS UNTIL WE HAVE A DECISION ON WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO, OUR CITY EMPLOYEES.

SO NOW YOU'RE IN FAVOR.

WELL, AND ALSO FOSTER YOU DID, DID TODAY

[02:55:01]

SO LET'S GET SOME CLARITY AGAIN FOR THE, FOR THE STAFF.

UM, WHAT, WHAT IS STAFF PLANNING ON DOING RIGHT NOW BASED OFF OF THE FEEDBACK? AND IF YOU SAY YOU DON'T KNOW, THAT'S THAT'S FINE.

BASED ON THE FEEDBACK FOR THE, FOR THE WORK SESSION ON DECEMBER 12TH.

WELL WE CALLED FOR BRENDA.

WHY DON'T YOU PULL, I DON'T KNOW, .

SO, SO THAT, THAT'S FINE.

THAT'S PERFECT.

IF THAT'S FAIR.

SO WE CALLED FOR A MEETING HERE AT TWO O'CLOCK ON DECEMBER THE 12TH.

AND I THINK WE SORT OF SAID WE WOULD PROBABLY HANG OUT AND CONTINUE THAT MEETING WHILE WE HAD OUR CHRISTMAS PARTY, CHRISTMAS DINNER, MEAL, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT.

IF EVERYBODY'S GOOD WITH THAT.

IF STAFF IS OKAY WITH FOLLOWING OUR PURCHASING POLICY TO PROVIDE A MEAL FOR THE BOARD.

JUST THE BOARD, NOT SPOUSES.

IS ANYBODY OPPOSED TO THAT? NO, SIR.

THAT WAS NOT AS DIFFICULT AS I THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE.

I'M SORRY.

THANK YOU .

ANYTHING ELSE? YES SIR.

UM, ONE QUESTION REGARDING THE STATUS OF THE PROGRESS WITH DOT, MR. HUGHES WITH THE TRAFFIC LIGHT.

I TALKED TO, UH, GEORGE CHILDS ABOUT THIS ACTUALLY YESTERDAY.

THEY'RE, UH, UH, PUBLIC COURT IS WAITING FOR THE AGREEMENT FROM DOT TO BE SIGNED AND THEN HOPEFULLY CONSTRUCTION WILL BEGIN ON THAT IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER.

ALDERMAN AS MAYOR, UM, AS I THINK MANY OF THE MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD KNOWS, THERE'S PLANS FOR A SCHOOL TO BE BUILT, A PRIVATE SCHOOL TO BE BUILT ON AN OLD AIRPORT ROAD NEAR, UM, IS IT CREEKSIDE? WHAT? I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME OF THAT LITTLE SUBDIVISION.

UM, IT'S NOT CREEKSIDE IS IT? NO, BUT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT OLD OLD AIRPORT ROAD.

UM, AND THIS IS THE PORTION FROM, UM, FROM TO BURNA CIRCLE.

NO, TO BURNA.

WAY OVER TO, IT MUST BE GRANT FROM ROAD OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT WHERE IT COMES OUT BY .

ANYWAY, MY, MY QUESTION IS, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UM, A RESOLUTION OF SOME SORT TO NORTH CAROLINA DOT IN LIGHT OF THAT PARK BEING THERE AND THE SCHOOL COMING, THAT SOME ROAD IMPROVEMENTS BE MADE THERE, INCLUDING WHITING, THAT ROAD.

UM, DON'T WE OWN THAT ROAD? NO, NOT THIS SECTION OF IT.

WE DON'T OWN I THOUGHT WE TOOK OVER ALL OF OLD AIRPORT.

NO, JUST FROM RNA.

JUST FROM RNA CIRCLE DOWN TO COUNTY NINE ROAD.

I'M TALKING ABOUT THE PART OVER BY CREEKSIDE PARK.

OH, OH, OH, OH, OKAY.

I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW.

THAT, THAT'S A TER ROAD.

THAT WASN'T A TER CONDITION.

SO I WOULD LIKE THE COURSE TO SEND IT.

IS IT A RESOLUTION? THAT IS WHAT I'VE, YOU KNOW, ASKING THEM TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE, THE NEW SCHOOL THAT'S GOING TO START CONSTRUCTION SOON AND, UH, SEE IF THEY CAN DO SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO THAT ROAD, INCLUDING WIDENING.

I MEAN IT'S, IT'S, IT IS BAD.

IT REALLY IS.

IS ANYBODY OPPOSED TO, SEE I HAVE A QUE I HAVE A COMMENT MAKE ABOUT THAT.

WILLIAMS. ANYWAY, THEN WE'LL JUST SCRATCH OUT THAT PART OF IT.

I'M ASKING HER.

YOU JUST SIT THERE TONIGHT AND YOU DID JUST DENIED ME WHEN I'M TALKING ABOUT THE ROADES IN MY COMMUNITY.

BUT NOW YOU TALKING ABOUT THE DOT ROAD.

OKAY, WELL YOU'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT ROAD.

I'M TALKING ABOUT CITY ROADS, CITY ROAD.

WE'LL VOTE AGAINST IT THEN.

I MEAN CITY ROAD.

NO, I'M NOT GONNA VOTE AGAINST IT.

NO, IT'S ADOT ROAD.

I JUST HAD TO MAKE MENTION THAT WE HAVE NO AUTHORITY EVER WHATSOEVER.

WELL THIS IS SAME WITH SIMMONS STREET.

IT'S ADOT ROAD.

LOOK AT SIMMONS STREET WORK AS WELL.

CAN YOU, YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? ADD RESOLUTION.

YEAH, THAT WOULD BE NICE.

IF YOU WANT TO AND ADD THE FOUR THAT I HAD.

WELL, THEY'RE CITY ROWS.

THEY'RE NOT STATE ROWS.

THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE.

THEY'RE CITY OWNED, THE CITY ROAD.

I KNOW THIS AND I JUST HAD TO MENTION THAT BECAUSE AL WELL, WHAT ALDERMAN ANSWERED MENTIONED EARLIER.

THAT'S WHY THAT'S DULY NOTED.

BUT I DON'T, I DON'T THINK WE WANNA SEND THE DOTA RESOLUTION FOR ROADS WE OWN.

SO NO, IT'S NOT ALDERMAN AS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION OF THAT EFFECT QUESTION? WAS THIS WITH DOT MONEY? YES.

I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THAT A MOTION.

CAN YOU JUST CLARIFY? JUST, OKAY.

I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE SEND A RESOLUTION TO NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ASKING THEM TO, CONSIDERING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW SCHOOL ON THAT PORTION OF OLD AIRPORT ROAD BETWEEN VERNA WAY.

AND I WOULD THINK THAT'S GRANT FROM ROAD.

IS THAT, WOULD THAT BE GRANT FROM NO, IT WOULD BE, UH, WILLIAMS ROAD, WOULDN'T IT? WHAT'S THE ROAD THAT THE AIRPORT'S ON

[03:00:01]

BUT THIS, THE, UM, THE PORTION OF OLD AIRPORT ROAD THAT'S OWNED BY NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND MAKE IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDING WIDENER ROAD, SIMMONS STREET.

YOU WANT ME TO INCLUDE SYM STREET? ABSOLUTELY.

AND, AND PAVING THE PAVING OF SIMMONS STREET AS WELL.

WE HAVE A MOTION.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.

WE HAVE A SECOND.

I JUST WANNA CLARIFY, THIS IS A RESOLUTION.

SO THIS IS GONNA BE BROUGHT BACK AT OUR NEXT MEETING IN PRINT FOR US TO APPROVE.

SO YES SIR.

AND THAT CAN BE PUT ON THE CONSENT AGENDA 'CAUSE WE'RE APPROVING NOW.

DO WE HAVE A MOTION? AND SECOND, DO WE HAVE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? OKAY.

ANYTHING ELSE SIR? NO, THANK YOU HONOR.

MCKINZIE.

WELL, UM, TONIGHT WAS A QUITE OF A SHOCK TO ME AND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN, WHEN THE WRONG INFORMATION IS GIVEN OUT TO A GROUP OF PEOPLE, IT FALLS BACK ON US.

AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PREVENT EVENTS LIKE THAT.

UM, WHO GIVING THEM THE WRONG INFORMATION BECAUSE THEY KEPT SAYING, WELL, WHAT THEY WAS TOLD AND WHAT THEY WAS EXPECTING US TO DO FOR THEM NOT KNOWING THE CONSEQUENCES THAT WE WOULD SUFFER FROM THAT.

UM, I WAS A LITTLE TAKEN BY THAT, SO I DON'T KNOW WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.

IS THERE ANYBODY FROM THE BOARD, UH, UH, THAT MADE A PROMISE TO THEM THAT WE COULD DO SOMETHING FOR THEM? AND I I I, I DUNNO, IT WAS, UH, CHALLENGING TO ME TONIGHT TO SEE THE, UH, THE ACTION.

SOME OF 'EM WAS NASTY, SOME OF 'EM WAS GOOD, BUT YOU HAVE GOOD AND BAD AND CHRISTIAN PEOPLE THAT IT, THEY SHOW, JUST LIKE THEY SAY IS THE MOST SEGREGATED PLACE ON SUNDAYS, IS THE CHURCH.

AND THAT WAS TRUE.

YOU HAD A CHANCE TO SEE THAT OUT THERE IN THE AUDIENCE TONIGHT.

I MEAN, IT WAS VERY, UH, UH, UH, DISTURBING TO ME.

BUT, UM, THAT'S WHAT THEY DO AND THEY DO IT WELL.

UM, I, I'M, OH, MACKENZIE, I'M LOST.

UH, WHAT, WHAT INFORMATION WELL ARE YOU REFERRING TO THAT YOU, THE WAY THAT THEY PRESENTED? LIKE SOMEONE TOLD THEM SOMETHING CAN HAPPEN, BUT IT DID NOT HAPPEN.

I FEEL THAT IT WAS MISLEAD IN INFORMATION BASED ON WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.

THEY WAS DISAPPOINTED.

THAT'S WHAT I GATHER FROM THEM MYSELF.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ALL PICKED UP BECAUSE EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD WAS SAYING SOMETHING DIFFERENT TONIGHT IN THE DISCUSSION AND WHAT THEY BELIEVE AND WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE.

SO, ALDER MCKENZIE, I CAN TELL YOU THAT WHEN I TALKED TO MEMBERS OF THE, OF THE TEMPLE AFTER I POLLED THIS BOARD, AND I BELIEVE IT WAS IN SOME POINT IN SEPTEMBER, I DID REACH OUT TO THEM AND LET THEM KNOW WHAT THE BOARD, THE MAJORITY OF THE BOARD'S DESIRES WERE ON THAT.

AND THAT'S WHY I WAS FORCING THE ISSUE.

AND, UH, THEY ALSO AT THAT TIME SAID THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD, WOULD LIKE TO BE PUT ON AN AGENDA, WHICH BASICALLY THEY WERE ON TONIGHT.

SO THEY, THEY REQUESTED THAT AS SOON AS I TOLD THEM THAT.

BUT THEY ACT LIKE THEY WAS REALLY DISAPPOINTED THAT THEY COULDN'T HAVE THEIR WAY AND THAT THEY WAS A LITTLE, UH, OUT OF TOUCH AND OUT OF PLACE.

LIKE THEY WERE GONNA MAKE US TELL US WHAT TO DO.

YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE BEHAVIOR THAT I RECEIVED.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT ANYBODY ELSE TAKE WHOSE TAKE ON THAT.

BUT, UM, WELL MY, MY TAKE ON IT IS I OBJECTED TO THE FACT THAT OUR PRE AGENDA HAD THEIR PRESENTATION ON THE AGENDA, JUST LIKE THE, THE WREATH PRESENTATION.

THEY WERE BACK TO BACK.

I WAS FINE WITH THAT BECAUSE THEY WERE JUST GONNA BE MAKING A PRESENTATION AND THEN THE BOARD WOULD DISCUSS IT OR, OR NOT.

BUT APPARENTLY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BOARD TOOK EXCEPTION TO THAT ISSUE BEING ON THE AGENDA AND IT GOT PULLED.

AND I OBJECT TO THE FACT THAT IT GOT PULLED

[03:05:02]

'CAUSE I WANTED THIS BOARD TO DISCUSS IT.

THEY WANTED TO HEAR THE BOARD DISCUSS IT, AND IT WASN'T HAPPENING UNLESS I KEPT PUSHING IT ALDERMAN.

SO THERE WAS NO MISINFORMATION.

THEY'RE DISAPPOINTED IN THE BOARD NOT BEING WILLING TO DISCUSS IT.

ALDERMAN PRI I I, I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP 'CAUSE I'LL BE HAPPY TO DISCUSS THAT.

SO WHEN WE GO BACK TO THE RULES AND PROCEDURES THAT THE BOARD WORKS BY THE RULES AND PROCEDURES SAY THAT IF ANYONE MEMBER WANTS AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA, THAT IT IS TO BE BROUGHT UP UNDER NEW BUSINESS.

THERE'S TO BE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

AND IF THE MAJORITY OF THE BOARD SAYS THEY WANT TO DISCUSS IT AT A FUTURE AGENDA, IT GETS ON THE AGENDA.

OBVIOUSLY STAFF HAS THINGS EVERY WEEK, EVERY DAY THAT NEEDS TO GET ON THE AGENDA.

AND I THINK WE ALL WOULD AGREE THAT IF A STAFF HAS AN ISSUE THAT THEY NEED TO PUT ON AN AGENDA, THAT GOES ON THE AGENDA.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO.

THE BUSINESS OF THE ITEM OF THE WREATH.

AND I, I KNEW THAT WAS GONNA COME UP SO I'M PREPARED FOR IT.

UM, AGAIN, I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT THE PREVIOUS BOARD SAID, WE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO COME EVERY YEAR TO DO THIS.

YOU'RE OKAY, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO SUPPORT IT.

AND THAT GROUP SAID, WELL, WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE TO COME TO PROMOTE IT.

AND THAT BOARD SAID, OKAY, SO IF THIS BOARD NO LONGER WANTS WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA TO MAKE THEIR PRESENTATION, WE JUST NEED TO SAY SO BECAUSE THE PRECEDENT FOR THEM HAS BEEN SET.

NOW, ALDERMAN, KENZIE, ALDERMAN BEST ALDERMAN ASTOR, YOU WERE ALL HERE BEFORE.

IF I'M SAYING ANYTHING WRONG, PLEASE CORRECT ME.

THE ISSUE WITH THIS MENORAH IS I, I AGREE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION.

I THINK I'M THE ONE THAT HELPED CRAFT THE MOTION WITH YOU TO GET THIS MOVE FORWARD.

BUT WE'VE GOTTEN TO GET OUT OF THIS POINT IN SOCIETY.

AND I KNOW I'M GONNA DIGRESS A LONG WAYS, BUT I'M GONNA GO THERE.

I, MAYBE I'M GETTING OLD, MAYBE I'M GETTING JUST MORE HUMBLE OR WHATEVER IN MY OLD AGE.

BUT WE'VE GOT THIS THING IN SOCIETY WHERE YOU'RE EITHER FOR OR AGAINST SOMETHING.

YOU'RE EITHER FOR ISRAEL AND PUT A MENORAH UP OR YOU'RE AGAINST ISRAEL AND WE GOTTA GET PAST THAT.

AND NEWBURN, YOU KNOW, I LOVE THE FACT THAT EVERYBODY USES THIS MOTTO.

EVERYTHING COMES TOGETHER HERE.

WELL DO WE REALLY WANNA TALK ABOUT THAT? BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU A LOT OF THINGS THAT DIDN'T COME TOGETHER HERE.

ONE OF 'EM IS THE KESSLERS WITH THE ELKS BUILDING THAT'S GONNA SIT VACANT UNTIL SOMEBODY ELSE COMES UP WITH ABOUT $27 MILLION TO DO SOMETHING WITH IT.

SO IF WE WANT TO WORK TOGETHER AS A BOARD, AND I HOPE THAT'S WHAT WE CAN DO.

I THINK WE FOSTER SOME GOOD CONVERSATION, A HEALTHY DISCUSSION TONIGHT.

BUT WE GOTTA GET PAST THIS.

ME, I'M FOR, YOU'RE AGAINST, YOU KNOW, LET'S PACK THE COURTROOM AND WHOEVER'S THE LOUDEST IS GONNA WIN.

THIS IS NOT AMERICAN IDOL.

THIS IS ABOUT THE BOARD GOVERNING THE CITY AND THERE'S RULES AND PROCEDURES AND THAT'S THE REASON THAT THE ITEM GOT PULLED OFF OF THE AGENDA.

BECAUSE THAT'S THE REASON WE HAVE A PRE AGENDA FOR EVERYBODY TO LOOK AT IT AND SAY, WAIT A MINUTE, I DON'T REMEMBER THIS BEING DISCUSSED.

HOW DID THIS GET ON THE AGENDA? PULL IT, IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE THERE.

THAT'S MY RAN, SORRY, I'VE BEEN HOLDING THAT IN FOR ALL DAY.

BUT THEY, THEY, YOU KNOW, THE THING THAT GETS ME DONE, THEY FEEL THAT THEY CAN INTIMIDATE YOU AND SCARE YOU WHEN THEY COME IN HERE OUT THERE NO MIND MYSELF.

'CAUSE I KNOW THEY'RE JUST ALL MOUTH AND THEY WANTING TO CRY OUT THAT YOU KNOW, WHO YOU TALKING ABOUT? THE PEOPLE THAT WAS HERE TONIGHT, THEY DIDN'T, I DIDN'T FEEL INTIMIDATED ONE BIT BY THAT OF THOSE PEOPLE.

I DIDN'T FEEL INTIMIDATED.

BUT THERE WAS SOME TWO OR THREE PEOPLE THAT STORMED OUT OF THE ROOM AND MADE COMMENTS ON THEIR WAY OUT.

RIGHT? AND THAT'S WHY I TOLD THE GROUP THAT STAYED HERE THAT WAS VERY RESPECTFUL.

I APPRECIATE THE WAY THEY MANAGED THAT CONVERSATION AND I THINK WE CAME TO A RESOLUTION TONIGHT.

BUT WHEN YOU STAND UP AND YOU SAY, I'M DISAPPOINTED IN YOU, AND I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, I DON'T EVEN THINK THEY EVEN REALIZED WHAT THE VOTE WAS THAT WE TOOK, IF I'M BEING HONEST WITH YOU.

THEY DID NOT.

THEY THOUGHT THAT THE WHOLE DEAL WAS DONE AND OVER WITH AND NOBODY'S GONNA SPEAK ABOUT IT TONIGHT.

BUT WHAT DID WE DO? WE FOLLOWED OUR RULES AND PROCEDURES, WE ALLOWED 'EM TO SPEAK THE BOARD DELIBERATED AT OUR TIME.

AND I'LL REMIND EVERYBODY TOO, THE ATTORNEY CAN BACK ME UP ON THIS.

A BOARD OF ALDERMAN MEETING IS OUR MEETING CORRECT? IT'S THIS GOVERNING BODY'S MEETING.

IT'S NOT THE PUBLIC, IT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE PETITION OF CITIZENS ONCE A MONTH.

THEY CAN COME HERE FOR FOUR MINUTES AS LONG AS THEY FOLLOW THIS GUIDELINE THAT WE HAVE, THEY CAN PRETTY MUCH SAY WHAT THEY WANNA SAY.

BUT AFTER FOUR MINUTES IS UP, IT'S TIME FOR THIS BOARD TO DELIBERATE.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID TONIGHT.

AND I THINK THAT'S GOOD GOVERNMENT MYSELF, I APPRECIATE THE FOLKS THAT STAYED FOR THE ENTIRE MEETING.

THEY LISTENED TO IT ALL AND I THINK HOPEFULLY THEY WENT HOME WITH, UH, MAYBE A WIN.

UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A DISCUSSION AND WE'RE GONNA COME TO RESOLUTION.

BUT ALDER MCKENZIE, I AGREE WITH YOU THAT WHEN PEOPLE STAND UP AND WE'RE TRYING TO CONDUCT BUSINESS AND THEY STORM OUT OF HERE, THAT'S NOT HELPING YOUR CALLS KNOW THAT WOULD MAKE ME WANT TO TELL THOSE PEOPLE NO, I'M NOT SUPPORTING PUTTING WHATEVER YOU WANT UP.

BUT WHEN YOU SIT THERE AND YOU'RE RESPECTFUL AND WE HAVE DIALOGUE AND CONVERSATION, THAT'S WHAT GOOD GOVERNMENT IS.

AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE HAD FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE NIGHT.

SO THAT'S WHAT THEY DID STORMING OUT.

BOBBY, YOU MUST WENT TO SLEEP BECAUSE UH, THAT'S WHAT I SAW.

I WAS, WAS SLEEPING ONE OR TWO GUYS THAT MADE SOME STUPID COMMENTS AND WALKED OUT THE DOOR.

BUT THERE WAS A WHOLE COURTROOM FULL OF PEOPLE HERE THAT WERE

[03:10:01]

VERY RESPECTFUL.

WELL, I'M GLAD THAT YOUR OPINION IS DIFFERENT THAN MINE.

ANYTHING ELSE? UM, I THINK I'M THROUGH, YOU KNOW, HONOR AND BEST NEW BUSINESS.

UM, CHIEF GALLAGHER, I JUST WANNA ASK A QUESTION 'CAUSE I HAD SOMEONE REACH OUT TO ME.

A CITIZEN REACHED OUT TO ME, THE SHOT SPOTTER, UM, EVENT THAT WAS AT THE OMEGA CENTER.

IS THAT WHERE IT CAN BE VIEWED, UM, ONLINE NOW OR YOUTUBE OR WHERE IS THAT LOCATED WITHIN THE, ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE? I WOULD'VE TO DEFER TO COLLEEN.

I'M NOT SURE.

I KNOW IT WAS RECORDED, RIGHT? WE MADE SURE THAT WAS DONE.

I THINK COLIN CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

YES, ALDERMAN BEST WE ARE EDITING IT FOR INCLUSION ON YOUTUBE.

WE WILL SHARE IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

IT WILL ALSO BE POSTED ON CITY THREE TV AND ALSO WILL, UM, BE FOUND ON OUR VIDEO ON DEMAND SITE ON OUR WEBSITE AS WELL.

I I WANT TO THANK THE, UH, VETERANS GARDEN AND NC WORKS FOR HAVING A GREAT VETERANS STAND DOWN.

UH, THIS PAST WEEK IT WAS, UH, A GOOD TURNOUT AT THE ARMORY AND, UM, A LOT OF SERVICES WERE THERE BOTH FROM THE VA, FEDERAL VA AND FROM THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT, UH, OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

SO, UH, WELL ATTENDED AND, UH, NOT JUST BY PEOPLE IN AND AROUND NEWBURN, BUT ALSO THOSE AGENCIES, UH, ALSO HAD A GREAT, UH, VETERANS COUNCIL OF CRAVEN COUNTY.

UH, VETERANS DAY LUNCHEON, UH, WANTED TO PUT OUT THAT, UH, LIZ HARTMAN WAS GIVEN THE VETERAN OF THE YEAR AWARD FOR CRAVEN COUNTY.

A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW HER COMMANDER OF, UH, 5 39, ALSO ONE OF THE LEADERS OF, UH, MARCH FOR THE 22.

UH, ALSO WANT TO CONGRATULATE GARY GILLETTE.

UH, VERY PROMINENT, UH, VETERAN, UH, OR IN BOTH LEADERSHIP AND MEMBERSHIP FOR A LOT OF OUR VETERAN ORGANIZATIONS.

HE WAS GIVEN A LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, UH, FOR VETERANS AND THEN A NEW CATEGORY.

WE WANTED TO RECOGNIZE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, BOTH GENEROUS WITH THEIR, THEIR TIME AND THEIR VOLUNTEERS AND THEIR, THEIR MONEY.

AND SO WE RECOGNIZED CAROLINA EAST, UH, AS A BUSINESS, UH, OF THE YEAR FOR, FOR THAT AWARD.

UH, AND THEN I ALSO WANT TO PASS ALONG TO, UH, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, MARCH FOR THE 22 THANKED, UH, YOU FOR, UH, PARTICIPATING IN THEIR SAFETY IN THEIR MARCH.

AND, UH, IT WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL MARCH.

AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK ALL THE, UH, LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN THANKING, UH, VETERANS FOR THIS PAST VETERANS DAY WEEKEND.

THAT'S ALL.

UH, JUST A COUPLE THINGS.

UM, I, I BELIEVE I SAW WHERE THE MIDDLE AND BROAD STREET STOPLIGHT DID NOT RECEIVE ANY BIDS.

IS THAT CORRECT? SO I GUESS WE'RE SENDING THAT BACK OUT.

THAT IS GETTING READY TO GO BACK OUT TO BID GEORGIA THE .

BUT I DO THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED FOR THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF THE EMPLOYEES IN CITY HALL.

UM, THE LAST THING I WANNA BRING UP, I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO SPUR A LOT OF CONVERSATION, BUT I WANTED TO BRING IT UP.

WE NOW HAVE TWO MAIN ENTRANCES TO CITY HALL.

WE HAVE THE OLD HISTORIC ONE, THEN WE HAVE THE NEW ONE WHERE THE ELEVATOR IS.

UM, IF I COULD GO BACK IN TIME, I PROBABLY WOULD MAKE SOME CHANGES TO THAT DECISION ON HOW THE LAYOUT IS.

UM, FROM A SAFETY AND SECURITY STANDPOINT, ANYBODY CAN WALK IN OFF OF THE STREET, HIT THE ELEVATOR BUTTON AND GO, IF YOU LOOK, THERE'S A SIGN THAT SAYS, MAYOR'S OFFICE, SECOND FLOOR, YOU CAN COME UP HERE, BUT I'M PROBABLY NOT GONNA BE HERE.

UM, BUT TODAY SOMEONE WALKED IN THAT NEW ELEVATOR ENTRANCE, WALKED IN, WENT ALL THROUGH THIS BUILDING, WENT THROUGH THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND LOOKED AT HER AND SAID, WHO ARE YOU? ? AND SHE SAYS, I'M THE CLERK, WHO ARE YOU? AND HE SAYS, WELL, I'VE ALREADY WALKED THROUGH THIS BUILDING, I'M JUST GONNA WALK THROUGH THE REST OF IT.

SO I, I'M, I'M FINE WITH US BEING OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE, UH, FOR GOOD GOVERNMENT.

BUT FROM A SAFETY AND SECURITY STANDPOINT, WE'VE GOT SOME VERY SMART PEOPLE HERE ON STAFF WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT BACKGROUND, MILITARY BACKGROUND.

I WOULD LIKE FOR THERE TO BE AN ASSESSMENT MADE, UM, AND SOME RECOMMENDATIONS MADE TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS BUILDING IS SAFE AND SECURE FOR THE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE HERE AND THE EMPLOYEES THAT WILL BE HERE IN THE FUTURE.

UM, I CAN TELL YOU MY SUGGESTION, UM, MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO BLOCK OFF THE OLD ENTRANCE, PUT A, PUT THE WOOD DOOR BACK, THAT WAS THERE YEARS AGO.

BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WHEN YOU STAND THERE, IT FEELS LIKE A BLIZZARD COMING THROUGH WHEN IT'S COLD, PUT THE WOOD DOOR BACK THERE, PUT A SIGN THAT SAYS GO TO THE ELEVATOR ENTRANCE AND HAVE SOME SORT OF INTERCOM OR SOMETHING.

I WOULD PREFER TO HAVE A DESK THERE WITH SOMEONE MANNING IT TO HELP DIRECT PEOPLE IN WHERE THEY NEED TO GO.

BUT I'M NOT GONNA GET THAT MUCH INTO THE WEEDS,

[03:15:01]

I AGREE.

ANYONE DISAGREE? SO WHEN YOU WANNA START FA START TOMORROW.

SO, SO MAYOR.

YES MA'AM.

UM, I KNOW THIS IS A, THE, A CITY BUILDING, SO CITIZENS HAVE ACCESS TO THIS BUILDING AT ANY TIME? UM, CURRENTLY THEY DO RIGHT NOW, BUT I'M SAYING IS THAT THE LAW? NO, MA'AM.

THEY DON'T HAVE TO, WE DON'T HAVE TO GIVE THEM ACCESS TO THIS BUILDING.

NO, NO MA'AM.

I, I HAVE THAT ONLY TO TRANSACT BUSINESS THAT THEY NEED TO TRANSACT.

I VISITED SEVERAL OTHER CITY HALLS AND WHEN YOU WALK IN THE FRONT DOOR, SOMEONE GREETS YOU AND ASKS YOU WHAT ARE YOU THERE FOR? AND IF YOU'RE THERE TO SEE SOMEBODY, THEY POINT YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

AND SOME OF 'EM, YOU KNOW, HAVE A NICE LITTLE STICKER THEY PUT YOUR PICTURE ON.

I'M NOT SAYING WE GOTTA GO THERE, BUT I MEAN, PEOPLE COME IN HERE ALL THE TIME THINKING IT'S THE REGISTER OF DEEDS OR IT'S THE COURTHOUSE AND STAFF IS HAVING TO DIRECT 'EM SOMEWHERE.

AND I THINK WE NEED TO BE MORE EFFICIENT IN HOW WE HANDLE THAT.

ABSOLUTE.

SO COULD THAT BE AVOIDED BY WHEN YOU COME IN WHERE THE ENTRANCE TO THE ELEVATORS LOCATED, THAT YOU CANNOT GET UP ONTO ANY OF THE FLOORS IF YOU HAVE YOUR, OUR BADGE, THAT'S THE ONLY WAY YOU'D BE ABLE TO GET IN THE DOOR.

THAT OR THERE'LL BE SOME SORT OF MECHANISM THERE TO WHERE SOMEBODY HAS TO BUZZ YOU IN TO ALLOW YOU TO GET ON ELEVATOR.

EXACTLY.

SOMETHING.

AGREE.

THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I'M GETTING AT.

SO, OKAY.

AND OBVIOUSLY THERE'LL BE, I KNOW THERE'LL BE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS.

WE JUST MEANT $4.3 MILLION, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE $4.3 MILLION IS FUNCTIONABLE.

AND RIGHT NOW I THINK IT'S QUESTIONABLE MYSELF.

SO WELL FOSTER GONNA TAKE CARE OF THAT FIRST THING IN THE MORNING.

THANK YOU, SIR.

I REPRE YOU LIKE YOU'RE GETTING READY TO SAY SOMETHING.

NO, I MEAN, YOUR, YOUR RECOMMENDATION IS JUST THAT AN ASSESSMENT BE DONE.

THAT'S ALL YOU'RE ASKING.

JUST AN ASSESSMENT.

STAFF CAN COME BACK WITH SOME OPTIONS.

AND AGAIN, I'M SURE THERE'S GONNA BE COSTS ASSOCIATED IN THE BOARD.

WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION, BUT I, I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO ADDRESS IT.

UH, DO WE NEED A CLOSE SESSION? NO, SIR.

GREAT.

IT'S A PLEASURE OF THE BOARD.

MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.

HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.

WE HAVE A SECOND.

HAVE A SECOND.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.