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WELCOME TO THE[1. Call to order and Welcome.]
REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION.THIS IS THE SECOND SESSION WE'VE HAD LIKE THIS, AND THIS IS SCHEDULED FROM 9:00 AM TO 12:00 PM TODAY.
WE WILL BE FINISHED BY 12:00 PM TODAY.
I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU, UM, COMING AND JOINING US THIS MORNING.
UM, I DO WANT TO, THIS IS A PUBLIC MEETING, SO FOR THE PUBLIC, UM, I WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT THE NEW BERN REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION IS A PUBLIC BODY APPOINTED BY THE ALDERMAN OF THE CITY OF NEWBURN, AND IT'S A PUBLIC BODY GOVERNED BY THE NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL STATUTES, PARTICULARLY THE OPEN MEETING LAWS.
UM, AND WITH THAT, I'LL GET YOU TO GIVE US A ROLL CALL, PLEASE.
SHARON BRYANT, JIMMY DILL HUNT.
THAT IS GOOD BECAUSE WE GOT THINGS TO DO.
UM, BEFORE WE APPROVE THE AGENDA, I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MINUTE TO RECOGNIZE WE'VE BEEN, UM, AS WE KNOW IN A COMMISSION THAT STARTED FIVE YEARS AGO, 2018, A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THAT.
NOW WE'RE IN THE FIVE AND A HALF YEAR MARK.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MINUTE AND RECOGNIZE THOSE COMMISSIONERS WHO HAVE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION SINCE ITS INCEPTION.
THAT IS COMMISSIONER MORGAN, COMMISSIONER VOY, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND, AND NOT WITH US TODAY.
UM, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE, UM, COMMISSIONER THERESA LEE.
SHE IS NOT HERE WITH US, BUT SHE WAS THE CHAIRWOMAN OF THIS COMMISSION FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, JUST MINUS A COUPLE OF MONTHS.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE HER.
YOU KNOW, OUR NEWER MEMBERS ARE COMMISSIONER FARM, COMMISSIONER PROCTOR, COMMISSIONER DILLA HUNT, AND COMMISSIONER BRYAN, WHO IS NOT HERE WITH US, BUT IS SHE JOINING US? UH, SHE'S BEEN RALEIGH.
WAS SHE GONNA JOIN US BY VIDEO? OKAY.
ALRIGHT, WELL, UM, WITH THAT, THE NEXT ORDER
[3. Approve the Agenda.]
OF BUSINESS IS TO APPROVE OUR AGENDA.EVERYBODY HAS THAT, THAT IN OUR BOOK TOO.
AND MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE AGENDA, SAY AYE.
UH, THE MOTION CARRIES AND WE WILL MOVE ON WITH OUR, UM, ORDER OF BUSINESS FOR THE DAY.
[4. Mission Statement]
HISTORICALLY ALWAYS STARTED OUR MEETINGS WITH OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES, AND OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES WERE DEVELOPED, DECIDED ON THE COMMISSION, VOTED IN AT A TIME WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE, UH, REDEVELOPMENT PLAN.WE DIDN'T HAVE BOUNDARIES FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT AREA.
AND SO WE WORKED TOGETHER WITH THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES TO BUILD THE COMMISSION, I MEAN, THE REDEVELOPMENT DOCUMENT TO BUILD THE AREA AND TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO ON THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
SO THIS MORNING, I'M GONNA CHANGE THE PACE A LITTLE BIT.
SINCE THIS IS OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION, I WANNA REMIND EVERYBODY WHAT OUR MISSION STATEMENT IS BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES HAVE LED US TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR PLAN AND OUR MISSION STATEMENT.
SO I'M GONNA START BY READING THE MISSION STATEMENT THIS MORNING, AND THAT'S IN THE FIRST, UM, AGENDA ITEM IN YOUR BOOK LETTER.
AND OUR MISSION STATEMENT SAYS, THE NEW BIRD REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION LEADING THE WAY FOR COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION AND IMPROVEMENT BY DIRECTLY ADDRESSING COMMUNITY NEEDS AND THE VITAL AREAS OF PUBLIC HEALTH, INFRASTRUCTURE, HOUSING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION HAS COMMITTED TO AN ACCOUNTABLE, TRANSPARENT, AND PUBLICLY DRIVEN PROCESS.
AND I THINK WE'VE SEEN THAT BE THE CASE OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
[5. Residential Redevelopment Presentation (Dr. Reginal Barner)]
I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE, UH, DR.REGINALD BARNER THIS MORNING AND LET HIM GIVE US A LITTLE, UM, PRESENTATION.
WE TOURED THROUGH THE WALL BELLAMY HOMES.
AND, UH, I'VE LEARNED INFORMATION THAT, UM, I THINK WE ALL NEED TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND WHAT OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE GOOD HOUSING STOCK IN THE REDEVELOPMENT AREA.
SO, NEED THE BIO AT ALL, OR JUST MENTION IT'S IN THE FRONT OF YOUR, I DON'T WANNA READ HIS BIO.
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BUT I'M GONNA LET YOU TELL US JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHY YOU'RE HERE.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, HE SAYS, DOCTOR, BUT I'M NOT A DOCTOR.
SO, UH, HE JUST CALLS ME THAT.
BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE FOR LEGAL PURPOSES AND
UH, THANK, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, TO COME, UM, INITIALLY, SO I, I HAVE A LITTLE, I TOLD BETH YESTERDAY, I, I GOT A LITTLE JOKE WITH ZEV ON THIS, ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE.
ZEV SAID A FEW WEEKS BACK, HE SAID, REGGIE, WE'RE HAVING THE, UH, STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
UH, COULD YOU ATTEND? AND I SAID, SURE.
AND, UH, I SAID, WELL, CAN I, IT'S A SATURDAY.
HE SAID, WELL, CAN I ATTEND BY ZOOM OR DO I NEED TO BE THERE IN PERSON? AND HE SAYS, WELL, I PREFER IF YOU'RE THERE IN PERSON.
AND THEN ON WEDNESDAY WE HAD LUNCH.
THURSDAY WE HAD LUNCH, AND HE SAID, UH, SO WE'LL DO THE OPENING AND THEN I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
I SAID, I SAID, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT A MINUTE.
YOU, YOU SAID, COULD I ATTEND YOUR SESSION? YOU NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT BEING ONE OF THE PRESENTERS.
BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'M ALWAYS READY, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING AND HOUSING RELATED, UH, ISSUES.
AND SO, UH, AS BETH SAID, UH, LITTLE BACKGROUND, UH, AND I'LL GET TO ULTIMATELY WHY IMAN WHYMAN NEWBURN, BUT I'M ORIGINALLY FROM GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA.
UH, I LIVE IN AIKEN, SOUTH CAROLINA NOW, WHICH IS KIND OF ON THE BOARD BETWEEN GEORGIA AND SOUTH CAROLINA.
UM, I'VE BEEN IN THE HOUSING BUSINESS SINCE 1986.
UH, STARTED MY CAREER IN GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA, AND THEN, UH, LEFT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, UH, THE CITY OF GREENVILLE.
UM, TWO OF THE LARGEST WHITE CHURCHES IN GREENVILLE, FIRST BAPTIST AND BUNKER STREET, UNITED METHODIST CHURCH AT THAT TIME.
UM, GOVERNOR DICK RODER WAS, WAS GOVERNOR, UM, AND OR HAD BEEN GOVERNOR, UH, THE KING SECRETARY OF EDUCATION.
UH, AND HE ATTENDED, UH, BUNKER STREET.
UH, CAROL CAMPBELL WAS A CONGRESSMAN, FORMER GOVERNOR.
HE ATTENDED, UH, FIRST BAPTIST, THEY GOT TOGETHER WITH THE CITY AND FLORIDA DANIEL LARGE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY TO DEVELOP A, A INNER CITY REVITALIZATION PLAN FOR GREENVILLE.
AND I, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL HAVE BEEN IN GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA, UH, RECENTLY, BUT WHERE THE BASEBALL STADIUM IS THAT USED TO BE, UH, SLUMS AND HOMELESS AND, UH, VERY, UH, UH, DELI AREA.
AND SO, 19 87, 88, I LEFT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, UH, BECAUSE I KIND OF, IN MY EARLY TWENTIES BUILT A NAME OF, UH, OF LEARNING JUST BUSINESS.
AND SO THEY DUBBED ME TO BE THE FIRST DIRECTOR FOR REDEVELOPMENT, UH, OF THE WEST WASHINGTON STREET AREA WHERE THE RAILROAD IS, AND THE AREA OF WHAT, WHAT IT WAS CALLED IN.
AND NOW IT'S CALLED WEST END, OR, UH, SOUTH MAIN STREET IN, IN GREENVILLE WHERE A BASEBALL SETTING IS.
WE DEVELOPED A 25 YEAR REDEVELOPMENT PLAN, UH, FOR THAT AREA AND TO, TO KIND OF GET RID OF BLIGHT AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
AND SO, SO THAT'S KIND OF HOW I GOT MY START.
AND, UH, AND THEN WE MOVED BACK.
MY WIFE AND I MOVED BACK TO AUGUSTA, GEORGIA AREA, AND THEN IN, IN 1994, TOOK OVER THE HOUSING AGENCY.
AND SO MY, MY WHOLE PREMISE, UH, WHEN I TOOK OVER THE HOUSING AGENCY IN 94 WAS THAT, UH, WE DO A GOOD JOB OF PUTTING PEOPLE IN HOUSING, BUT HOUSING IS ONLY ONE COMPONENT OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO FOR PEOPLE.
AND SO I DON'T SAY LOW INCOME, I SAY LOW WEALTH.
SO THE LOW WEST FAMILIES THAT WE WERE CHARGED WITH SERVING, IT WAS TO BUILD A OPPORTUNITY NOT ONLY FOR THEM TO GAIN EMPLOYMENT, UH, BESIDES HOUSING, BUT ALSO CREATE HOME OWNERSHIP.
BECAUSE WHAT'S THE NUMBER ONE WEALTH BUILDING TOOL IN AMERICA IS EQUITY IN OUR HOMES.
AND SO WHAT WE FIND, AND YOU ALL KNOW THIS BETTER THAN I DO, UH, THERE WAS A PERIOD OF TIME, UH, AND STILL TO SOME DEGREE, BUT WAS MORE PREVALENT DURING THOSE PERIOD OF TIME WHERE REDLINING EXISTED, UH, IN A LOT OF THE LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES, LOW WEALTH COMMUNITIES, WHERE BANKS MADE A CONSCIOUS DECISION NOT TO INVEST IN MINORITY COMMUNITIES.
AND SO WE BEGAN, UH, AT LEAST IN MY CAREER, UH, I BEGAN THE PROCESS OF MAKING SURE THAT WE DEVELOPED A MECHANISM BY WHICH, UH, WE COULD HELP FACILITATE, UH, CREATING MORE HOME OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR FAMILIES.
AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT STRATEGY AND, AND, AND HOW I'VE BEEN ABLE TO, TO TRY TO ACCOMPLISH THAT WHILE I MANEUVER.
UM, UH, WHEN I RETIRED MR. HAM IN 2018, THE HUD OFFICE, UH, AND SOUTH CAROLINA CALLED AND SAID, REGGIE, YOU RETURN NEXT MONTH? I SAID, YEAH.
I SAID, WELL, THE, THE, UH, CEO IN SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA IS MOVING TO DAYTONA BEACH.
AND BECAUSE THEY'RE ENGAGED IN, UH, DEVELOPMENT, THEY LIKE,
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UH, THEY NEED SOMEBODY THAT HAS A DEVELOPMENT BACKGROUND, HUD PUBLIC HOUSING, BUT ALSO A DEVELOPMENT BACKGROUND TO BE INTERIM CEO.AND I SAID, OKAY, HOW LONG? AND THEY SAID, SIX MONTHS.
AND 19 MONTHS LATER, I WAS STILL THERE, BUT WE DID HIRE A-A-A-C-E-O.
AND THEN AT THE SAME TIME, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA ASKED ME, SO WHILE I'M STILL IN SPARTANBURG WITH TRANSITIONING, SO THEN THERE, YOUNG LADY THAT WAS IN GREENVILLE, MOVED TO COLUMBIA.
AND SO I RAN GREEN, I RAN GREENVILLE TO SPARTANBURG AT THE SAME TIME.
AND THEN ONE OF MY, UH, EMPLOYEES, UH, APPLIED AND BECAME THE CEO OR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NEW BERN HOUSING AUTHORITY.
UH, SHE RAN THE SECTION EIGHT PROGRAM AND THEN SHE SAID, HEY, REGGIE, WE GOT THIS TRENT COURT ISSUE WITH THE FLOOD THAT HAPPENED IN 2018.
UM, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO HELP US LOOK AT, IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR SOME TIME.
WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO HELP US, UH, LOOK AT HOW WE CAN GET OFF THE DIME WITH FEMA AND EVERYBODY ELSE AS IT RELATES TO THE FUNDING, UH, FOR, FOR THAT ISSUE.
AND SO, SO I'VE BEEN WORKING IN, IN NEWMAN FOR ABOUT THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF.
AND THEN WHEN SHE MADE A DECISION TO, TO LEAVE AND TAKE A JOB BACK IN SOUTH CAROLINA, THE BOARD SAYS, WELL, RIDGE IS FAMILIAR ALREADY WITH WHAT WE ARE DOING, AND IT'S KIND OF LEADING THE CHARGE, UH, WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH FEMA AND SHIPPO AND EVERYBODY ELSE.
WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO SERVE AS THE INTERIM HERE? SO I'M HERE THREE DAYS A WEEK, UH, AS THE INTERIM, UH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE NEWBURN HOUSING AUTHORITY.
UH, BUT I STILL DO CONSULTING WORK, UH, ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
AND SO, SO THAT'S KIND OF WHY I'M HERE.
UH, AND HOW I GOT TO NEWIN AND, AND MET ZEV.
ZE WAS A FORMER, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, ON, ON THE HOUSE BOARD.
SO LEMME TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT AND ASK YOU ALL A QUESTION.
AND AS I WAS BEGINNING TO THINK ABOUT ZA ASKED ME TO, TO, TO BE ONE OF THE PRESENTERS AND, AND LOOKING AT THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, THE FIRST QUESTION I'LL ASK YOU ALL AS YOU LOOK AT YOUR STRATEGY AND AND STRATEGIC PLAN IS REALLY, WHO ARE YOU? AND THEN THE NEXT QUESTION IS, UH, WHO DO YOU WANT TO GROW WHEN YOU GROW UP? WHO DO YOU WANT TO BE? OKAY? BECAUSE I, I THINK ULTIMATELY THAT'S THE QUESTION THAT YOU GOTTA ASK YOURSELF IS, YOU KNOW, THE CHARTER, BUT WHEN YOU GROW UP, WHO DO YOU REALLY WANT TO BE? WHO DO YOU REALLY WANT FOR NEWBURN, SOUTH CAROLINA? I MEAN, EXCUSE ME, NORTH CAROLINA, WHO DO YOU REALLY WANT THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION? IS IT AUTHORITY? IS IT GONNA JUST STAY A COMMISSION? DO YOU WANT TO BE A DEVELOPER? DO YOU WANT TO OWN PROPERTY? AS BETH WAS TALKING TO AND MENTIONED YESTERDAY THAT REALLY YOUR CHARGE IS TO DEVELOP THE HOUSING, CREATE HOME OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, BUT NOT BE A, A LANDLORD NECESSARILY.
RIGHT? BUT THE QUESTION IS, IS THAT REALLY WHO YOU WANT TO BE? AND SO I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME STRATEGIES AND HOPEFULLY I CAN POSE SOME QUESTIONS TO YOU THAT WILL MAKE YOU THINK ABOUT LONG TERM.
ULTIMATELY, WHAT ARE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AND WHAT DO YOU REALLY WANT TO DO? 'CAUSE I'M GONNA DRAG, UH, YOU ALL, UH, ALONG ISAIAH KICKING AND SCREAMING INTO THE NEWPORT HOUSING AUTHORITIES WORLD OVER THESE NEXT FEW MONTHS ON WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO WITH TR COURT AND THE REDEVELOPMENT THERE.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU ALL.
I'M ALL ABOUT COLLABORATION, OKAY? SO FOR ME, FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, NOT TO HAVE A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT MAKES NO SENSE TO ME.
OKAY? AND SO AS WE BEGIN DOWN THIS ROAD, PART OF THE QUESTION TODAY IS, AGAIN, WHO DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? WHAT ARE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AND HOW DO WE GET THERE? SO LET'S TALK ABOUT CURRENT STRATEGIES.
SO PART OF THAT, AND ZEV MENTIONED THIS NOT DIRECTLY TO ME, BUT INDIRECTLY AS WE WERE HAVING A CONVERSATION THE OTHER DAY, AND YOU DIDN'T REALIZE THAT I LISTENED TO EVERYTHING HE SAYS.
AND, AND ONE OF THE QUESTIONS IS, HOW ARE YOU GONNA FUND THIS ORGANIZATION LONG TERM? HAS THE CITY REALLY SAT DOWN WITH YOU ALL AND TALKED ABOUT IT, A FUNDING STRATEGY? AND YOU SHAKING YOUR HEAD NO, YOU KNOW, UH, HAS HA HAVE YOU ALL HONESTLY SAT DOWN AND HAD A REAL CONVERSATION WITH CEDAR LEADERSHIP ABOUT HOW IS THIS ORGANIZATION GOING TO OPERATE AND CONTINUE TO PROVIDE A BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY? IS THAT THROUGH, UH, IS THAT THROUGH A BONDING OF SOME CAPACITY THAT THE CITY ISSUES FOR HOUSING AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING, IS THAT THROUGH A MECHANISM BY WHICH YOU ALL SERVE AS A DEVELOPER? IT GOES BACK TO WHAT BEV SAYS.
IS THAT A MECHANISM BY WHICH YOU OWN PROPERTY AND YOU EARN A FEE OF THAT PROPERTY AND SO THEREFORE YOU HAVE REOCCURRING INCOME THAT WILL SUSTAIN THE ORGANIZATION? IS THERE A DIRECT APPROPRIATION FROM THE CITY, FROM THE AL? OKAY, IS THERE DIRECT APPROPRIATION FROM THE ALDERMAN THAT COMES TO THIS ORGANIZATION EVERY DAY THROUGH, THROUGH FROM A BUDGET STANDPOINT? UH, ZEL WAS TALKING ABOUT, UH, AGAIN,
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INDIRECTLY ABOUT, HERE I AM, I'M HERE NOW.A LITTLE BIT OF THE MONEY COMES FROM THIS POT, A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY THAT COMES FROM THIS POT, BUT ULTIMATELY IT MAKES IT WORK.
WELL, THAT MAKES IT WORK FOR WHAT A STAFF PERSON.
BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FROM AN ORGANIZATIONAL STANDPOINT TO DEVELOP HOUSING IN THE COMMUNITY? SO HOW CAN YOU BE CHARGED WITH DEVELOPING SOMETHING WITH NO RESOURCES THAT'S APPROPRIATED AND DESIGNATED TO DO THAT? SO OLD PEOPLE USED TO SAY IT'S LIKE OPENING THE WINTER IN THE WINTERTIME AND LETTING THE HEAT GO OUT.
OKAY? BECAUSE ULTIMATELY HOW DO YOU DO THAT? HOW DO YOU ULTIMATELY BUILD HOUSING AND DEVELOP A STRATEGY AROUND HOUSING WITHIN A COMMUNITY? AND YOU HAVE NO RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND IT'S NICE, IT'S A NICE THOUGHT TO SAY, OH, WELL WE GOT THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION AND YOU ALL COME TOGETHER ON A SATURDAY MORNING FOR THREE HOURS TO TALK ABOUT IT.
BUT ULTIMATELY YOU WALK OUT OF HERE AND IF I HAVE $5 TO MY NAME, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? AND IT, IT'S NOT, IT'S MORE THAN JUST HAVING, UH, ZA DID NOT LEAVE HIS JOB TO TAKE THIS JOB JUST TO BE THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OR THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION THAT ULTIMATELY CAN'T DO ANYTHING.
WHICH BRINGS ME BACK TO THE POINT THAT I MADE, IS THAT IS WHY FOR ME, AS I SHARED WITH HIM, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE STRATEGY ALONE, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION PLAY AN INTEGRAL PART IN HOW BOTH ENTITIES CAN ULTIMATELY BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY.
OKAY? AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT, A LITTLE, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
UM, SO WHEN WE, AND THEN THE OTHER STRATEGY AROUND THAT IS WHAT I WOULD ALWAYS SAY, BECAUSE OF THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, YOU, YOU ALL WOULD WANT TO CREATE A LAND TRUST, A COMMUNITY LAND TRUST, A HOUSING LAND TRUST.
WELL, ULTIMATELY YOU HAVE A DEFACTO LAND TRUST BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WHAT THE CITY BUYS PROPERTY AND THEN IT DOES WHAT? IT DEEDS IT OVER TO THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
AND THEN YOU ALL THEN UTILIZE IT IN SOME MECHANISM TO DEVELOP OR PLAN TO DEVELOP HOUSING.
WHAT IS THE STRATEGY AROUND THAT HOUSING? DO YOU SELL IT? DO YOU LEASE IT? DO YOU GRANT IT? DO YOU GET ANY MONEY BACK FORWARD? IF I SELL THE HOUSE THAT WE BUILD ON THAT PROPERTY, WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO AS PROGRAM INCOME? HOW DO YOU PLAN TO UTILIZE IT? IF I GIVE A GRANT TO A HOMEOWNER FOR DOWN PAYMENT AND CLOSING COSTS, IS IT A FORGIVABLE GRANT? IS IT A REPAYABLE GRANT? IS IT A DEED RESTRICTION THAT'S PLACED ON THAT HOUSE THAT IN 20 YEARS WHEN I DECIDE TO SELL THAT HOUSE AND HOUSING PRICES IN NEWBURN CONTINUE TO GO UP AND YOU SELL THAT HOUSE IN 20 YEARS, DO WE HAVE A DEED RESTRICTION ON THAT HOUSE THAT A PORTION OF THAT PROCEEDS OF THAT $20,000 IN DOWN PAYMENT AND CLOSING COST WE GAVE 20 YEARS EARLIER, DOES IT COME BACK TO THE AGENCY? SO WE HAVE A FUND THAT WE'RE CREATING THAT CAN REPLENISH ITSELF OR DO WE DO, SO I TALKED ABOUT GREENVILLE.
SO IN 19 87, 88, THE CITY OF GREENVILLE IS GETTING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GREEN FUNDS.
AND THEY DID A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL JOB OF CREATING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND GRANTING DOWN PAYMENT COSTS AND COST ASSISTANCE TO THESE FAMILIES.
AND THEY PUT A DEEP RESTRICTION ON IT THAT YOU AS A LOW INCOME BUYER HAD TO LIVE IN THIS HOUSE FOR A MINIMUM OF 10 YEARS.
AND IF YOU DID THAT, MONEY WAS THEN FORGIVE.
SO IF I SOLD A HOUSE A DATE OF THAT 10 YEARS, WHO GETS THE BENEFIT? THE HOMEOWNER, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
WE ARE GONNA GRANT YOU THAT $20,000.
BUT WHEN YOU SELL THAT HOUSE, WHENEVER YOU SELL THAT HOUSE, THAT $20,000 IS COMING BACK TO THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
AND WE THEN ARE GONNA LOAN THAT OR GRANT THAT BACK OUT AGAIN.
SO IF I GOT A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR AND I'M GRANTING $20,000 IN DOWN PAYMENT AND CLOSING COSTS, AND IN 10 YEARS, 20 YEARS IT GOES AWAY, WHAT COMES BACK TO THE SEE THEIR AGREEMENT? NOTHING.
THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION SAID, I DON'T CARE WHEN YOU SELL IT, AS LONG AS YOU STAY IN IT, AS LONG AS IT'S YOURS, DOESN'T MATTER TO US.
BUT ONCE YOU SELL IT, WE WANT WHAT? OUR $20,000 BACK.
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LET'S TAKE 20 YEARS OF A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR THAT I'M GRANTING IN YEAR 21, YOU START SELLING HOUSES OFF.WHAT HAS HAPPENED NOW TO THE GREENVILLE COUNTY REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, THEY GOT A HOUSING FUND THAT WILL ALWAYS DO WHAT? REPLENISH ITSELF.
SO WHAT DID I COME BACK AT THE BEGINNING OF MY DISCUSSION AND SAY, WHO ARE YOU AND WHO DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? YOU GOTTA START THINKING ABOUT WHAT IT IS YOU ARE GOING TO DO WITH THIS ORGANIZATION AND HOW DO YOU WANT THIS ORGANIZATION TO OPERATE LONG TERM AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? IT'S NOT A BLACK WHITE ISSUE, IT'S AN ECONOMICS ISSUE.
I'VE BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS FOR OVER 30 YEARS.
I'VE NEVER ONE TIME TALKED TO CITY COUNCIL.
WHEN YOU ALL'S CASE ALDERMAN ABOUT WHAT I'M PLANNING TO BUILD OR WHO I'M PLANNING TO BUILD BEFORE I DO TALK ABOUT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT.
OKAY? RIGHT NOW YOU CAN LOOK IT UP.
UH, I'M WORKING WITH AN ORGANIZATION, UH, IN GRANVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA IN AIKEN COUNTY WHERE WE'RE TAKING AN OLD TEXTILE MILL, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TEXTILE MILL BUILT IN 1900.
AND WE REDEVELOPED IT INTO 212 MARKET RATE APARTMENTS.
AND THE COUNTY COUNCIL CHAIRMAN SAID AT THE GROUNDBREAKING, I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT PROJECT FOR 15 YEARS NOW.
ONE THING ABOUT ME IS ONCE I GET AHOLD TO SOMETHING AND I BELIEVE IN IT, IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT TAKE A YEAR OR 20 YEARS, ONCE I STICK WITH IT, I'M GONNA SEE IT TO A CLOSING 'CAUSE I BELIEVE IN IT.
SO HERE IS A TRADITIONAL COMMUNITY THAT WAS A MILL VILLAGE.
THE TRAIN WRECK HAPPENED IN 2005 WHERE IT WAS CHLORINE SPILL THE MILL SHUT DOWN, NINE PEOPLE PAIRS, AND ALL THESE JOBS WERE LOST.
SO NOW I'M TAKING YEARS LATER, THIS TEXTILE MILL PARTNERING WITH THE GROUP AND REDEVELOP IT AND, AND, AND HEAR THE COUNTY COUNCIL CHAIRMAN STOOD BEFORE THE PODIUM ON OUR DEDICATION BACK IN JULY AND SAID, REGGIE HAS BROUGHT IN OVER A HUNDRED YEARS, IT'S A $60 MILLION PROJECT THAT IT'S THE LARGEST ECONOMIC IMPACT TO THIS PART OF THE COUNTY IN OVER A HUNDRED YEARS.
WHAT'S THE LARGEST EMPLOYER IN CRAVEN? COUNTY CITY? OKAY, LET'S TAKE, LET'S UH, UH, LIKE A PLAN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UH, YOU GONNA BE WAREHOUSING, YOU GONNA HAVE BOSCH? OKAY? SO LET'S TAKE BOSCH.
IF THE STATE, CRAVEN COUNTY AND THE CITY OF NEWMAN WAS TRYING TO RECRUIT BOSCH, WHAT DOES IT DO? GIVES ACADEMIC INCENTIVES, RIGHT? IF NOBODY EVER THINKS ABOUT ECONOMIC INCENTIVES FOR HOUSING, HOUSING IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
WHO DO YOU WANNA BE WHEN YOU GROW UP AND WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO ABOUT IT? AND IN 19, WHEN I TALKED ABOUT HOW I GOT, I LEFT THE HOUSE AND STARTED AND RAN A NONPROFIT AT 25 YEARS OLD, ONE OF THE THINGS WHEN I WAS TRAVELING AROUND WITH FOUR GAMES AND, AND THE CITY AND ALL OF THEM, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU KNOW WHAT CORPORATIONS, THE BMWS OF THE WORLD.
I WAS COMING IN AND I HAD OPPORTUNITY TO SIT AT THE TABLE IN MY TWENTIES TO LISTEN, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY ASKED THE QUESTION, I KNOW WHERE MY TOP EXECUTIVES ARE GOING TO LIVE IN GREENVILLE COUNTY, BUT WHERE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT'S WORKING IN MY PLANT GOING TO LIVE? WHERE ARE THEIR KIDS GOING TO BE EDUCATED? SO IF I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THE COMMUNITIES THAT THE MY EMPLOYEES ARE WORKING IN AND LIVING IN, THEN WHAT DIFFERENCE ARE WE REALLY MAKING IN THE COMMUNITY? SO WE FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE THAT THE SCHOOLS AND THE HOUSING CONDITIONS FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE INVOLVED IN WORKING IN THE PLANT HAD SUSTAINABLE SUITABLE HOUSING.
JUST LIKE SO IT DIDN'T DO US ANY GOOD TO SPEND HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF TAX BASED REVENUE OR DEDUCTIONS.
'CAUSE WHAT DO WE DO TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? WE GIVE 'EM A TAX BREAK FOR 15, 20 YEARS TO BRING IN THOSE NEW JOBS.
BUT IS THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION PUSHING FOR ANY TYPE OF TAX INCENTIVES TO INCENTIVIZE SOMEBODY TO CREATE ATTAINABLE? YOU KNOW WHAT ATTAINABLE HOUSING IS NOW? SO THERE'S WORKFORCE HOUSING, THERE'S ATTAINABLE HOUSING AND THERE'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
NOW I BELIEVE THE CONTENTION IS WHAT'S AFFORDABLE TO ME AND WHAT'S AFFORDABLE TO YOU IS TWO DIFFERENT
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THINGS.WHAT DID I SAY YESTERDAY, BETH? AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS NOT WHAT WE BUILD.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS HOW WE FINANCE.
YOU DON'T GET A DISCOUNT AT LOWE'S BECAUSE YOU SAY YOU GONNA BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THEY GOING TO CHARGE YOU THE SAME AMOUNT BUT AT SHEET ROCK, BUT AT AFFORDABLE HOUSE AS THEY'RE GOING TO CHARGE YOU FOR A MILLION DOLLAR HOUSING SHEET ROCK IS SHEET ROCK.
YOU GET ME? SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, HOW DO YOU, SO AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS NOT WHAT WE ARE BUILDING.
BUT GUESS WHO HAS TO BE THE VOICE FOR THE VOICE LESS? YOU ALL YOU, YOUR JOB IS TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ATTAINABLE HOUSING OR WORKFORCE HOUSING, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE THINK IS SUBSTANDARD.
AND IT'S THE OLD PUBLIC HOUSING, QUITE FRANKLY, PUBLIC HOUSING IS WITHSTOOD A WHOLE LOT.
SO IT WASN'T BADLY BUILT, IT JUST WAS WHO IT WAS TARGETED TO.
AND I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT THE BROOKE AMENDMENT FOR A MINUTE, SHARE WITH YOU THAT IN 1969.
BUT HERE, SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THAT, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE'RE BUILDING, IT'S HOW WE FINANCE IT.
OKAY? AND SO WHAT, HOW WE MAKE, HOW WE MAKE A, IF IF THE SQUARE FOOTAGE COSTS FOR A HOUSE IS $150 A FOOT AND I GOT A THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT HOUSE, THAT'S $150,000.
IF I CAN'T AFFORD $150,000, THEN HOW DO I MAKE IT AFFORDABLE? I MAKE IT AFFORDABLE BY PROVIDING A SUBSTANCE.
SO IF I PUT THAT $20,000 IN SUBSIDY INTO THAT HOUSE, THEN NOW I CAN TAKE IT FROM ONE 50 TO ONE 30.
AND NOW THAT MAY MAKE IT AFFORDABLE FOR SOMEBODY ELSE.
OKAY? AND SO, BUT THEN GO BACK TO WHAT I SAID.
ARE YOU GONNA GRANT IT AND NEVER GET ANYTHING BACK? OR ARE YOU GONNA PUT A RESTRICTION ON IT AND WHEN THEY SELL IT, YOU GET SOMETHING BACK? THAT'S ULTIMATELY WHAT YOU ALL GOTTA MAKE A DECISION ON.
BUT FIRST YOU GOTTA MAKE A DECISION ON HOW ARE WE GONNA GET SOME FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT? AND THAT HASN'T BEEN ANSWERED YET BY THE CITY, BY THE COUNTY, BY YOU ALL AS AN ORGANIZATION.
YOU ALL GOTTA DECIDE ARE WE GOING TO THE NORTH CAROLINA LEGISLATURE AND ASK FOR OUR STATE SENATOR AND OUR REPRESENTATIVE TO ASK FOR SOME APPROPRIATIONS, FOR SOME MONEY TO GIVE US SEED FUNDS TO HELP THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION JUMPSTART ITS VISION LOCALLY IN THE COMMUNITY AND DO SOME WORK IN THE CITY OF AUGUSTA, GEORGIA.
AND WE ARE, THE CITY OF AUGUSTA, UH, HAS A PROGRAM WHERE THEY FLOATED BONDS, THE CITY FLOATED BONDS FOR HOME OWNERSHIP.
OKAY? SO THEY GOT A PROGRAM WHERE THEY'LL GIVE UP $40,000 IN SUBSIDY.
THE MEDICAL COLLEGE OF GEORGIA IS TWO TWO BLOCKS AWAY FROM IT.
AND SO THEY TRY AND INCENTIVIZE THE BETHLEHEM AREA TO FOR REDEVELOPMENT.
AND SO THEY'RE CREATED HOME OWNERSHIP.
SO NOW WE GOT YOUNG DOCTORS, BLACK, WHITE, BLUE OR GREEN MOVING INTO THIS TRADITIONALLY AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND THE CITY'S INCENTIVIZING IT TO GIVING UP TO $40,000 IN DOWN PAYMENT AND CLOSING COSTS.
A PORTION IS PAYABLE A PORTION'S FORGIVEN.
YOU GOTTA LIVE IN THE HOUSE FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME.
OKAY? THE OTHER THING THAT WE DO IS WHEN WE GIVE THAT DOWN PAYMENT AND CLOSING COST, IF WE DON'T PUT RESTRICTIONS ON IT, WHAT HAPPENS? THE MOTIONS OUT THERE.
SO IF I GIVE A LOW INCOME FAMILY A DOWN PAYMENT IN CLOSING COST OF A HUNDRED OF $30,000 ON $150,000 HOUSE AND THEY MOVE IN NEXT, NEXT YEAR, BUY THAT HOUSE AND THEN HERE'S THIS LOAN SHARK WHO CALLS 'EM AND SAYS, YOU COULD BORROW $20,000 AGAINST YOUR HOUSE AND GET A SECOND MORTGAGE, WILL THEY LOSE IT? YEAH, BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD IT.
THAT PAYMENT SHOT OF THAT ADDITIONAL MORTGAGE IS GONNA SPIRAL THEM INTO FORECLOSURE.
AND THEN BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T PUT A DEED RESTRICTION ON THAT DOWN PAYMENT AND CLOSING COST, YOU'VE LOST THE HOUSE.
SO WHEN YOU DO THOSE KIND OF PROGRAMS, DO YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU PUT THE DEED RESTRICTION ON IT? AND
[00:30:01]
THEN THE OTHER THING THAT YOU WANT TO DO IS MAKE SURE THAT YOU PUT FIRST RIGHT OF REFUSAL THAT THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION GETS THE FIRST RIGHT TO BUY BACK WITH A STIPULATION.HERE'S THE STIPULATION THAT SOME COMMUNITIES DO WE AT THE TIME OF SALE BECAUSE THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION BUILT IT AND THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION IS SELLING IT TO YOU.
WE ARE GONNA PUT A STIPULATION THAT OUR FIRST RIGHT OF REFUSAL IS BASED OFF OF AN APPRECIATION VALUE.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN THE HOUSING MARKET CRASHED IN 2008? MM-HMM?
DO YOU KNOW WHY IT CRASHED? JUST ONE PERSON.
TELL ME WHY THEY THINK THAT HAPPENED.
YOU THINK 'CAUSE BANKS MADE BAD LOANS.
PEOPLE THEY GAVE TOO MANY PEOPLE LOANS.
EXACTLY, BECAUSE THE PAYMENT SHUT THEY WERE MAKING, THEY WERE GIVEN LOANS AT 110, 120% OF VALUE.
SO PEOPLE WERE DOING ARM LOANS AND BUYING HOUSES IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA.
SO THEY WERE BUYING A HOUSE AT 110, 120, 150% OF VALUE.
SO THEY BUY A HOUSE AND THEN GO BUY A MERCEDES 'CAUSE THEY GOT AN INTEREST ONLY LOAN.
AND THEN WHEN THAT THING BALLOONED IN FOUR YEARS, NOW YOU GOT THAT HOUSE NOTE, YOU GOT A NICE NEW CAR AND YOU GOT THAT HOUSE NOTE.
BUT NOW THAT PRINCIPAL INTEREST COME DUE, THAT INTEREST ONLY IS GOING AWAY.
BUT NOT ONLY THAT, WHY DO YOU THINK WALL STREET WAS CONCERNED? 'CAUSE WHAT BANKS DO Y'ALL IS BANKS FIRST CITIZEN MAKES THE LOAN, THEY PACKAGE THOSE LOANS AND THEY SELL THOSE LOANS TO WALL STREET.
IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU AS A BUYER.
WHAT WHAT MADE IT CRASH WAS WALL STREET BOUGHT THAT PAPER AND THEN YOU REMEMBERING THE NEWS, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT CHINA AND JAPAN BEING AFFECTED BY THE US HOUSING MARKET.
YOU KNOW WHY? WHO BOUGHT THAT PAPER FROM GOLDMAN SACHS, CHUCK? THAT'S WHY GLOBALLY IT AFFECTS US.
DO YOU RECOGNIZE THAT IF THE HOUSING MARKET AND THE UNITED STATES CRASHED AMERICA IS GONE, FORGET EVERYTHING ELSE.
THE HOUSING MARKET CONTROLS THE US ECONOMY.
SO THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT I'M SHARING WITH YOU THAT YOU ALL AS THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, HAVE THE ABILITY AND THE AUTHORITY TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A DECISION AND HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION ON WHO DO YOU WANT TO BE? WHAT IS IT, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU'RE GOING TO REPRESENT? WHAT TYPE OF PROGRAMS THAT YOU WANT TO FOCUS ON? BECAUSE AS, AS YOU CAN HEAR THE THINGS THAT I'M SHARING WITH YOU, YOU GOT A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES.
NOW YOU CAN'T LIKE, YOU CAN'T BE LIKE A FRIEND OF MINE THAT'S A DOCTOR WHO WANTS TO GET INTO REAL ESTATE.
AND I TELL HER SHE GOT FIVE PEOPLE LIVING ON HER HEAD RENT FREE BECAUSE EVERY DAY SHE CALLS ME WITH A NEW IDEA OF WHAT SHE WANT TO DO.
AND I'M SAYING YOU GOTTA FOCUS.
YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU GOT THE FINANCIAL WHEREWITHAL TO DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, BUT THEM FIVE PEOPLE IN YOUR HEAD LIVING RENT FREE, YOU GOTTA TAKE ONE OF THEM TO FOCUS ON WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M SHARING WITH YOU ALL IS PART OF YOUR STRATEGIC PLANNING IS DECIDING WHO THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION IS GOING TO BE.
SO ZEV AS YOUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CAN THEN HAVE WHAT IT HE NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT DIRECTION YOU ALL WANT HIM TO FOCUS ON AND WHAT DIRECTION HE CAN HELP LEAD YOU IN TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
HOW CAN I HELP, HOW DO I PLAN TO HELP IN THAT PROCESS IS WHEN YOU GET A MOMENT LOOK UP THE NORTH CAROLINA HOUSING FINANCE, UH, AGENCY, HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY AND THEY HAVE WHAT IS CALLED UH, THEY PUT OUT EVERY YEAR THE GOVERNOR HAS TO SIGN.
IT'S CALLED A QUALIFIED ALLOCATION PLAN.
AND SO HUD IS NOT IN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEW CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS.
HUD IS NOT IN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING RENTAL, NEW CONSTRUCTION BILLS.
THEY GOT OUTTA THE PUBLIC HOUSING BUSINESS A LONG TIME AGO.
OKAY? SO WHEN YOU HEAR PEOPLE TALK ABOUT RAD AND ALL THESE OTHER THINGS RELATED TO PUBLIC HOUSING, WHY? BECAUSE THEY WERE BUILT THE 37 HOUSING ACT ROOSEVELT PUT TOGETHER IN MY VIEW WAS ONE OF THE BEST DOCUMENTS THAT'S EVER BEEN PUT TOGETHER.
DO YOU KNOW THAT IT, THAT THE HOUSING ACT THAT WAS IN 37 WAS PUT TOGETHER.
WE STILL HAVE NOT UTILIZED ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WERE PUT
[00:35:01]
IN THAT HOUSING ACT IN 1937.AND IT STILL STANDS TO THIS DAY.
WE'VE MODIFIED IT BUT WE'VE NEVER GONE AWAY WITH IT 'CAUSE THAT THAT DOCUMENT HAS STOOD THE TEST
THE QUALIFIED ALLOCATION PLAN.
Y'ALL HAVE HEARD OF THE LOWER INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT PROGRAM? MM-HMM?
IT'S THE LARGEST PRODUCER OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THIS COUNTRY.
IS IT A HOUSING PROGRAM? LEMME GO BACK.
IT HAS BEEN THE LARGEST PRODUCER IN THE UNITED STATES OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THIS COUNTRY.
WHAT'S THAT UP THE LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT PROGRAM SINCE 1986.
IS IT A HOUSING PROGRAM? NO, IT IS SECTION 42 OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE.
ALRIGHT, SECTION 42 OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE.
WHY DOES ANYBODY REALLY, DOES ANYBODY REALLY CARE ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING? EXCUSE MY LANGUAGE, HECK NO.
BUT DO THEY CARE ABOUT TAX CREDITS? DOES CORPORATIONS ENJOY THE BENEFIT OF TAX CREDIT? LET'S GO BACK TO, I SAID ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, RIGHT? SO TELL YOU A STORY.
I GO INTO A BANKER, YOUNG GUY SIT DOWN WITH HIM, I'M RUNNING A HOUSING AGENCY AND I SAY TO HIM, I WANT TO GET A LOAN THAT I'M BUILDING A $10 MILLION DEVELOPMENT AND ALL I NEED IS A MILLION DOLLAR LOAN HERE.
WHAT JUST SAID, NOW I'M BUILDING A $10 MILLION DEVELOPMENT AND I NEED A MILLION DOLLAR LOAN.
WILL YOU GIVE ME THE LOAN FOR THE HOUSING AGENCY'S NONPROFIT, WHICH IS THE EQUIVALENT OF A REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
I SAID, WELL LET ME TALK TO THE CITY AG, WHO'S OVER THAT REGION? 'CAUSE SURELY Y'ALL KNOW LIKE I DO, LOANS ARE MADE ON WHAT LOAN THE VALUE.
SO IF I GOT A $10 MILLION DEVELOPMENT AND I'M ONLY ASKING FOR A MILLION DOLLARS AND SURELY EARLY IT'S A NO BRAINER THAT YOU'RE GONNA GIVE ME A MILLION DOLLAR LOAN.
GO TO THE CITY EXEC AND HE SAYS, WE DON'T MAKE THOSE KIND OF LOANS.
NOW I'M TALKING TO A B OF A GUY BACK THERE.
I SAID, YOU, YOU DON'T, YOU SURE? NO, THAT'S NOT OUR SPECIALTY.
I SAID, WELL LEMME ASK YOU THIS QUESTION.
DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE LOW INCOME HOUSING AND TAX CREDIT PROGRAM? SAID NO.
DO YOU KNOW SAID EXACT ABOUT THE LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT PROGRAM? NO.
I SAID, SO DO YOU RECOGNIZE THAT BANK OF AMERICA'S THE LARGEST PURDUE PURCHASER OF LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDITS IN THE COUNTRY AT THAT TIME? WELL WHAT IS THAT? I SAID, CALL YOUR CHARLOTTE OFFICE AND GET SOME INFORMATION AND THEN LET US HAVE ENOUGH CONVERSATION.
SO THEY CALL THE SHERIFF OFFICE, GET SOME INFORMATION AND NOT ONLY DO THEY CALL ME BACK, THEY BRING PEOPLE FROM CHARLOTTETOWN TO MEET WITH THEM.
'CAUSE THEY SAY, OH ABSOLUTELY WE MAKE THESE KIND OF LOANS BECAUSE HERE'S HOW IT WORKS.
EVERY STATE GETS AN ALLOCATION OF CREDITS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO THE STATE BASED ON THE PER CAPITA OF THE STATE.
AND THE STATE THEN PUTS TOGETHER A PLAN AND PUTS IT OUT ON THE STREET AND DEVELOPERS APPLY FOR THOSE CREDITS TO BUILD HOUSING.
AND IN TURN THERE'S A 9% CREDIT AND THERE'S A 4% CREDIT.
SO LET'S FOCUS ON THE 9% AND GO BACK TO MY $10 MILLION BILL.
SO I GOT A $10 MILLION DEAL AND I GOT A 9% CREDIT AND I DO 9% ON 10 MILLION PER YEAR FOR 10 YEARS.
HOW MUCH DID I RAISE IF I SOLD IT? $4 $9 MILLION, RIGHT? HMM.
SO B OF A BUYS THOSE CREDITS AND I GET THE CREDITS TO BILL HOUSING THAT NEVER HAVE TO PAY BACK.
[00:40:01]
AGAINST THEIR CORPORATE INCOME TAX FOR 10 YEARS.AND I GET THE 9 MILLION TO BILL AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THE ONLY LOAN THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS A MILLION DOLLARS ON A 10 MILLION DEAL.
THAT'S A GOOD DEAL YOU TALKING RIGHT? BUT THE LITTLE BANKER HAD NO IDEA THAT HIS BANK WAS THE LARGEST PRODUCER PURCHASER AT THAT TIME OF CREDITS.
SO IS THIS STILL A VALUABLE PIECE? YES SIR.
SO, SO WHAT I SAID TO Z IS NOW, RIGHT NOW THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION CAN'T GO GET ANY OF THESE CREDITS 'CAUSE THIS DOCUMENT LAYS OUT WHAT ARE THE RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT ARE
AND ONE OF THEM IS SO DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE.
TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR AN AWARD OF 9% CREDITS, AT LEAST ONE PRINCIPAL MUST HAVE SUCCESSFULLY DEVELOPED, OPERATED AND MAINTAINING COMPLIANCE.
EITHER ONE 9% TAX CREDIT PROJECT IN NORTH CAROLINA, OR SIX SEPARATE 9% TAX CREDIT PROJECTS TOTALING IN EXCESS OF 200 UNITS.
THE PROJECTS MUST HAVE BEEN PLACED IN SERVICE BETWEEN JANUARY, 2016 AND JANUARY 1ST, 2023.
BECOME A GENERAL PARTNER OR MANAGING MEMBER OF THE OWNERSHIP ENTITY.
GO BACK TO WHAT I SAID AT THE BEGINNING.
WHO ARE YOU AND WHO DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? SO ALL YOU GOTTA DO, WHICH IS WHAT I'M GONNA HELP YOU DO, BUT AT LEAST I WANT TO HELP YOU DO HELP, OKAY? IS AS WE AS MOVEMENT HOUSING AUTHORITY BEGIN TO REDEVELOP TRI COURT, I'M GONNA DO WHAT I WANT TO MAKE THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION OUR DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS.
ONCE I PUT YOU ON ONE DEAL, WHAT DOES IT SAY YOU'RE ABLE TO DO AFTER THAT? MAKE SOME MORE DEALS.
BUT YOU GOTTA DO ONE WHAT FIRST SUCCESS.
OKAY? AND YOU ALL HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION.
IS IT? THAT'S SOMETHING YOU AS A COMMISSION WANT TO DO.
SO I SERVED ON THE FEDERAL HOME BANK.
YOU SEE ON MY BIO, I SERVED ON THE FEDERAL HOME BANK OF ATLANTA'S ADVISORY BOARD, UH, FOR TWO TERMS ON THE ADVISORY BOARD SOME YEARS BACK.
SO IN 1985 THERE WAS ANOTHER SAVING THE LOAN CRISIS THAT HAPPENED.
THEY DON'T THINK YOU'RE OLD ENOUGH TO DO THAT
OKAY? SO IN 85 Y'ALL KNOW THAT THERE WAS A SAVINGS LOAN PRICES BACK IN EIGHT FIVE.
SO WHAT CONGRESS DID AT THAT TIME IS THEY REQUIRED GOOGLE AND LOOK IT UP.
WE LEGISLATION CALLED FIVE YEAR.
AND SO, UH, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REQUIRED FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANKS SET ASIDE 10% OF THEIR PROFITS ANNUALLY TO MAKE GRANTS AVAILABLE WITHIN THEIR MARKETS.
SO IT'S CALLED THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM.
AND SO THE FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, YOU APPLY AND YOU CAN APPLY FOR GRANTS TO GO WITH PROGRAMS AND YOU CAN DO OWNERSHIP SIDE AND YOU CAN DO IT ON THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING SIDE TO GET SUBSIDY, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
THIS YEAR, UH, THE LIMIT IS A MILLION DOLLARS.
SO YOU CAN APPLY FOR A MILLION DOLLAR GRANT THROUGH THE FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK.
OKAY? CAN THIS COMMISSION DO THAT? YEP.
SO THIS COMMISSION CAN DO A WHOLE LOT OF THINGS MR. PARK.
BUT WHAT'S THE BUT PIECE? THE BUT IS YOU GOTTA DECIDE WHO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP.
SO THAT MEANS DECIDE ON HOW MUCH YOU WANT TO TACKLE.
YOU GOTTA DECIDE WHERE, GO BACK TO WHAT BEV SAID.
DO YOUR MISSION STATEMENT IS BROAD.
YOU ALL GOTTA DECIDE ON ARE WE, ARE WE A DEVELOPMENT? ARE WE GOING TO ENGAGE? NOW THAT DOESN'T GIVE HIM CAR BLANCHE TO GO OUT AND DO ANYTHING HE WANT TO DO.
THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M ADVOCATING.
WHAT I'M ADVOCATING IS AS, AS AN ENTITY.
[00:45:01]
DO YOU SAY WE ARE, WE ARE THE DEVELOPMENT ARM.'CAUSE BY STATUTE, LORD, YOU, YOU ARE A SEPARATE NON-PROFIT AFFILIATE ENTITY OF THE CITY.
WE ARE A SEPARATE PUBLIC BODY YES.
OF THE CITY, RIGHT? SO YOU, YOU ALL ARE APPOINTED AS A COMMISSION TO BE ABLE TO FACILITATE AND DO THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
EVERYTHING THAT I'M TALKING TO YOU ABOUT, YOU'RE ABLE AND ELIGIBLE TO DO.
REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS GENERALLY ARE ABLE AND POWERED WITH THESE POWERS, BUT YOU ALL THEN HAVE TO WORK WITHIN THE BODIES TO BE ABLE TO DO THOSE THINGS.
AND THEN YOU ALL HAVE TO ADOPT AND CHOOSE WHAT IT IS THAT YOU WANT TO DO.
THERE ARE FUNDING SOURCES THAT YOU CAN TAP INTO.
THERE ARE NUANCES TO ALL OF THESE.
I'M NOT GONNA SIT HERE AND TELL YOU THAT IT IS EASY.
'CAUSE IF IT WAS EASY, EVERYBODY WOULD BE DOING IT.
BECAUSE I'M GONNA USE A JESSE JACKSON QUOTE.
UH, IF NOT ME, THEN WHO? IF NOT YOU, THEN WHO? HONESTLY, IF YOU ALL AS A REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, DON'T DO IT.
FORGET NEW GRAND HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR ME.
IF YOU ALL AS A REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION DON'T DO IT, THEN THE QUESTION IS WHO IS GONNA DO IT NOW ARE YOU PART OF THE SOLUTION OR ARE YOU PART OF THE PROBLEM? YOU CAN KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE PROBLEM.
AND WE KNOW THE PROBLEM EXISTS.
IT'S GOING BEYOND AFFORDABLE HOUSING AT THIS POINT.
WE ENTER THE ATTAINABLE HOUSING, THAT'S THE MISSING MIDDLE.
THAT'S THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE $1 TWO MONTHS TO BE CONSIDERED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND NOT ENOUGH TO BUY ANYTHING THAT'S ON THE MARKET.
LEMME ASK YOU A QUESTION AND BECAUSE YOU THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND, AND MOST OF THIS CONVERSATION HERE IS HOUSING, BUT IN OUR PLAN THERE ARE OTHER ELEMENTS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO HELP, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPING YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
HOW DOES THAT, HOW DOES THAT GET THAT GO ON? BECAUSE WE JUST, NOT HOUSING, WE JUST, IT'S A, I GUESS WE JUST GOT A BIG CIRCLE.
SO, AND ONE OF THE THINGS I SHARE, AND I KNOW I I WANNA BE MINDFUL OF YOUR TIME, BUT, UM, SO BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF THE AREAS THAT YOU PROBABLY WOULD FOCUS ON IS IN A LOW INCOME CENSUS TRACK.
UH, THE OTHER THING THAT YOU'LL FOCUS ON AND LOOK AT IS NEW MARKET TAX CREDITS.
SO NEW MARKET TAX CREDITS ARE SIMILAR TO HOUSING TAX CREDITS IN THE SENSE THAT, SO I'M WORKING IN MINNEAPOLIS RIGHT NOW, SO ANYBODY BASKETBALL FANS, SO THERE'S A GUY NAMED DEVVIN GEORGE WHO PLAYED FOR THE LAKERS FOR 11 YEARS AND HE'S FROM MINNEAPOLIS WIN SOME CHAMPIONSHIP WITH COVID CHECK.
I'M WORKING WITH HIM, HE'S ONE OF MY CLIENTS AND I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH HIM FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS TO BE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WE JUST GOT APPROVED OF 20 MILLION, $21 MILLION TO BUILD A MODULAR PLANT IN NORTH MINNEAPOLIS BETWEEN STATE MONEY AND NEW MARKET TAX CREDITS.
WE GOT FOUR BANKS INVESTED IN THOSE NEW MARKET TAX CREDITS TO BRING 350 NEW JOBS TO THE INNER CITY OF NORTH MINNEAPOLIS UTILIZING NEW MARKET TAX CREDITS.
SO TO ANSWER NEW MARKET TAX CREDITS.
SO, SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION IS ON THE COMMERCIAL RETAIL DEVELOPMENT SIDE, YOU CAN UTILIZE NEW MARKET TAX CREDITS TO BUILD HEALTHCARE FACILITIES, UH, COMMERCIAL, UH, FACILITIES, RETAIL, ALL OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
AND SO THERE, THERE ARE FUNDING SOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO HELP FACILITATE THAT.
AGAIN, GOING BACK TO YOUR
AND THAT IS WHERE, SO IN, IN CLOSING, AND I'LL OPEN UP THE QUESTION IN CLOSING.
THAT IS WHERE MY ROLE AS THE INTERIM, AS I'VE SAID TO THERE, I WANT TO PARTNER WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
SO AS WE BEGIN TO LOOK AT, CAN I BORROW YOUR DOCUMENT FOR YOU? YES.
SO IN MY VIEW, THIS IS ONE OF THE GREATEST DOCUMENTS THAT Y'ALL HAVE AT YOUR DISPOSAL.
OKAY? WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING SINCE
[00:50:01]
I GOT HERE WITH FEMA AND OTHERS TO GET FUNDING MY BOARD, I GOT MY BOARD APPROVED LAST MONTH, THE APPROVAL TO PUT AN RFP OUT FOR A NEW CNI CONSULTANT TO WORK WITH US, YOU ALL, AND THE CITY FOR THIS YEAR TO APPLY IN THE FALL HOPEFULLY FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION GRANT THAT COMES ALONG, COMES WITH THE CNI IMPLEMENTATION.OKAY? UH, WE JUST SECURED FROM FEMA OVER $8 MILLION THE DAY AWARDED AT THE END OF DECEMBER FOR US TO DO THE PLANNING PROCESS FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT TREAT COURT.
NOT JUST THE TRENT COURT PROPER, BUT FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT.
SO WE ARE GOING TO USE THIS DOCUMENT AS OUR GUIDE TO PUT TOGETHER A MASTER PLAN FOR, UM, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO THERE AND USE THAT 8 MILLION, $7 MILLION THAT'S AVAILABLE.
'CAUSE WE, WE ARE GOING TO TAKE THOSE CHARLES TAYLOR BUILDING AND TURN IT INTO THE HOUSING AUTHORITIES ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE AND GET THEM BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY.
SO WE'RE GONNA REDEVELOP THAT BUILDING INTO THEIR ADMIN OFFICE, BUT WE'RE GONNA USE SOME OF THOSE FUNDS WITH HOPEFULLY WITH CITY FUNDS TO GO AFTER, PUT TOGETHER A MASTER PLAN FOR REDEVELOPMENT FOR THE AREA.
UH, I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMERCIAL REDEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE FIVE POINTS AREA.
UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT OTHER AREAS, UH, THAT Z CAN TALK ABOUT THE SCHOOLS AND OTHER THINGS FOR HOUSING AND OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT, UH, MY GOAL, UH, COMMISSION IS TO BRING TO YOU ALL THROUGH ZAYA AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO PARTNER WITH THE HOUSING AGENCY TO DO THESE PROJECTS WHERE YOU ALL THEN CAN GET THE EXPERIENCE POINTS THAT WE TALK ABOUT HERE.
SO THEN SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE YOU CAN SPEND ON YOUR OWN TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
NOW, STILL WHERE YOU NEED RESOURCES, I CAN'T FIX ALL THAT PROBLEM.
WHAT I CAN FIX IS IF I MAKE YOU A PARTNER WITH US ON DEVELOPMENT, THEN THAT MEANS YOU GET DEVELOPER FEE.
SO REMEMBER THAT $10 MILLION EXAMPLE I GAVE, IF YOU DO A 10 MILLION DEAL, IT ALLOWS YOU TO EARN 15% DEVELOPER FEE.
SO IF WE EARN $1.5 MILLION IN DEVELOPER FEE AND I MAKE YOU MY 30% PARTNER, THEN YOU EARN A DEVELOPER FEE AND THEN THAT'LL HELP.
SO MY WHOLE THING IS I'M NEVER GONNA ASK YOU TO ASK SOMEBODY FOR SOMETHING, MEANING THE CITY OR SOMEBODY ELSE IF YOU DON'T HAVE A MECHANISM TO CREATE SOME INCOME YOURSELF AS WELL.
BUT ULTIMATELY, GOING BACK TO WHAT JAMES SAID, ULTIMATELY YOU ALL THEN HAVE TO DECIDE OF THOSE, THE TYPE OF PROGRAMS THAT YOU WANT TO BE ENGAGED IN AND INVOLVED IN.
OKAY? SO I KNOW I'VE SAID A LOT.
I HOPE I'VE GIVEN YOU A GOOD OVERVIEW OF WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE, WHAT THE COMMISSION CAN AND CAN DO ULTIMATELY IS YOUR DECISION, UH, FROM THERE.
UH, I LIKE THE MISSION OF WHAT THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION CAN DO.
UM, BUT IN CLOSING, WHEN YOU GROW UP, YOU GOTTA DECIDE WHO YOU WANT TO BE, WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO AND WHAT DIRECTION YOU'RE GOING TO GO.
BUT IT, IT IS GOING TO TAKE, UH, TOUGH SKIN.
IT IS GONNA TAKE SOME ADVOCACY, UH, TO OPEN DOORS AND OPPORTUNITIES WITH PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE PUSHING FOR.
IT'S ALSO GOING TO TAKE YOU ALL STEPPING OUTTA YOUR COMFORT ZONE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ARE, TO BE THE ADVOCATE.
'CAUSE AGAIN, I ALWAYS WILL SAY THIS, I ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS IN CLOSING, YOU ALL ARE THE VOICE FOR THE VOICE LIST.
THAT IS THE JOB BEING ON THIS COMMISSION IS YOU'RE ADVOCATING FOR REDEVELOPMENT IN AREAS THAT OTHERWISE WOULDN'T GET REDEVELOPED.
AND SO IT SHOULD CHARGE THAT YOU TAKE TO SERVE THIS COMMISSION TO ADVOCATE FOR THOSE AREAS THAT OTHERWISE WOULDN'T GET DIVORCED, UH, AT THE TABLE.
NOW ARE WE COMPETING OTHER AGENCIES? AS FOR HU UH, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
SO WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE FROM THOSE AGENCIES ACQUIRING MONEY AND US ACQUIRING MONEY? SO, SO, SO PART OF THAT INITIATIVE IS COLLABORATION.
WHENEVER YOU HAVE A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT, THAT'S WHY WITH THE CNI, WE'RE GONNA DO THIS IN A COLLABORATIVE FASHION WITH THE CITY, WITH YOU ALL AND THE HOUSING AGENCY, WHEN WE GO APPLY FOR FUNDING AND WE CAN DEMONSTRATE THAT WE'RE GOING ON A UNITED FRONT, IT MAKES US MORE COMPETITIVE THAN WHEN WE GO
[00:55:01]
ALONE.AND WHAT HAPPENS A LOT OF TIMES, IF, IF THE CITY OF NEWBURN TRIED TO APPLY FOR SOMETHING ON THEIR OWN VERSUS HAVING A COLLABORATION WITH THE HOUSING AGENCY, THEN THERE'S A CHANCE OF US GETTING IT IS SLING BY ALL THREE OF US JOINING FORCES TOGETHER AND BRINGING OUR CONSTITUENCIES TOGETHER AND ADVOCATE FOR IT, THEN WE, WE STAND A BETTER CHANCE.
SO WHEN WE GO AS A UNITED FRONT, WE CAN COMPETE AGAINST THE RALLIES OF THE WORLD WHEN WE GO AS A UNITED FRONT.
SO THAT'S NEVER BEEN MY CONCERN AS IT RELATES TO THAT.
SO THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE OF BEING ABLE TO BE COMPETITIVE.
UH, THAT PLAN THAT I SHARED IS A GREAT PLAN WHEN WE DO IT AT, IN A UNITED FRONT AND IN A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT.
UH, THEN WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WITH THE RIGHT GRANT WRITERS AND THE RIGHT COLLABORATION, WE CAN BE VERY COMPETITIVE.
NOW, ONCE AGAIN, WE GOTTA GET CONGRESSMAN MURPHY INVOLVED.
WE GOTTA GET THE, UH, FEDERAL SENATORS INVOLVED.
SO ONCE WE DEMONSTRATE FROM A COLLABORATIVE, FROM A COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AND THEN WE GET OUR, OUR POLITICIANS INVOLVED TO ADVOCATE FOR WHAT WE'RE PUSHING FOR, THAT'S HOW WE, AND I'LL SAY THIS, I'M NOT, IT'S NOT DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN STATEMENT.
IN MY 30 YEARS, I'VE GOTTEN MORE FOR JUST AS MUCH FOR MY HOUSING PROGRAMS AND REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATIONS AS MUCH AS I'VE GOTTEN IN DEMOCRATIC ADMINISTRATIONS.
SO I'M, I'M JUST SHARING WITH YOU OPENLY AS A COMMISSION, DON'T LET POLITICAL AFFILIATIONS DICTATE WHAT YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CAN AND CANNOT GET FOR YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY.
BECAUSE WHEN WE GO INTO THAT ON THE UNITED FRONT, WE'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL ALWAYS WHEN WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO IT REGARDLESS OF PARTY AFFILIATIONS.
UM, WORKFORCE HOUSING, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT 10 AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT WORKFORCE HOUSING, UM, HOW CAN WE GET MORE INFORMATION OR DO YOU HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE WITH THAT? UM, BERTIE COUNTY, JUST, I KNOW YOU, BERTIE COUNTY JUST OPENED UP AND DID RIBBON CUTTING FOR THEIR TEACHER HOUSING.
THEY HAD, THEY WENT AT IT ALONE WITH THE COUNTY COMMISSIONS.
BUT AS A RESULT OF THAT, IT'S BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL NOW PROBABLY HAS SAID IF YOU BUILD ANOTHER ONE, THEY WANT A PIECE OF IT.
SO I'M TRYING TO, NO NEED TO REDO THE WHEEL.
WE HAVE A TEACHER SHORTAGE HERE AND THEY JUST OPENED THOSE DEPARTMENTS OUT ON 70 GOING OUT.
BUT THAT'S ANOTHER WAY TO BRING IN A PARTNER SCHOOL SYSTEM.
SO, SO LET'S GO BACK TO WHAT YOU SAID.
YOU SAID FIRST YOU SAID, WHICH GOES BACK TO WHAT I STARTED WITH.
WHAT DID YOU SAY? THE COUNTY IN THAT COUNTY TOOK IT ON AND INVESTED IN IN IT, RIGHT? IT'S A LOCAL COMMUNITY MAKING A LOCAL DECISION.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS IF YOU ALL ADVOCATE, HERE'S WHAT I'M SAYING FOR YOU, IF CRAVEN COUNTY DOESN'T HAVE THE EQUIVALENT OF A REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, AND WHAT I'VE UNDERSTOOD IN MY UNIT HAS BEEN IN THE COMMUNITY IS THE COUNTY HAS GIVEN THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION LAND TO CORRECT.
WHICH MEANS Y'ALL ARE THAT ENTITY.
WHO DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? YOU GOT ALSO FOSTER RELATIONSHIPS, NOT JUST WITH THE ALDERMAN BUT WITH THE COUNTY COMMISSION AS WELL.
SO TO YOUR POINT IS IF I DO THAT AND WE PUSH THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE BECAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT THIS WITH, WITH THE, UH, FR FFR DAVIS.
SO SOUTH CAROLINA, SO I'M GONNA GO TO THE STATE CLUB.
THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA SAID WE HAVE A TEACHER ISSUE AND WE MORE SO HAVE A TEACHER ISSUE IN RURAL SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO LET'S GO BACK TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGAIN.
THE STATE THAT HAS A SMALL CITY PROGRAM THROUGH THE STATE ECONOMIC COMMERCE DEPARTMENT.
SO THEY GAVE GRANTS TO SMALL RURAL SOUTH CAROLINA CITIES TO HELP FACILITATE TO BRING TEACHER HOUSING INTO THOSE COMMUNITIES.
SO PEOPLE WERE TAKING STOREFRONTS DOWNTOWN IN SMALL RURAL SOUTH CAROLINA AND BUILDING APARTMENTS UP ABOVE THOSE FACILITIES AND GIVING THE OWNER OR DEVELOPER A GRANT INCENTIVE TO BE ABLE TO DO JUST WHAT YOU SAID.
I'M GONNA TAKE THIS STOREFRONT DOWNTOWN, I'M GONNA REDEVELOP IT INTO APARTMENTS.
AND BECAUSE IT COSTS $200,000 PER UNIT TO BILL AND A TEACHER CAN'T AFFORD TWO, WHAT I SAY, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS NOT WHAT WE BILL, IT'S HOW WE FINANCE IT.
I CAN'T GET 200,000 FROM A FIRST YEAR TEACHER
[01:00:01]
IF THAT TEACHER CAN AFFORD $900.I GOT INCENTIVIZED AND SUBSIDIZED THAT DEVELOPMENT COST THAT THAT TEACHER CAN AFFORD TO LIVE THERE.
SO THE STATE THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE GAVE A GRANT TO BE ABLE TO SUBSIDIZE THAT REDEVELOPMENT OF THAT UNIT.
SO THEN THE TEACHER COULD AFFORD TO PAY $900 A MONTH BECAUSE WHAT WAS HAPPENING, TEACHERS WERE GOING TO RURAL SOUTH CAROLINA AND THEN DRIVING WHEN THEY GOT OFF WORK TO COLUMBIA, TO GREENVILLE, TO CHARLESTON.
OR IN SOME CASES, IF YOU'RE IN HILTON HEAD AREA, THEY WERE GOING TO SAVANNAH, YOU FOLLOW ME? MM-HMM
AND THEN TWO, IT WAS COSTING TOO MUCH.
SO THIS WAY THEN, HOW IS IT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THEN YOU, YOU, YOU NOW GOT THOSE TEACHERS LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO WHAT ARE THEY DOING? THEY'RE BUYING GROCERIES IN THE COMMUNITY.
THEY'RE GETTING GAS IN THE COMMUNITY.
THEY'RE DOING ALL OF THOSE THINGS IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
AND THAT IS WHERE YOU CREATE THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
ALLENDALE, SOUTH CAROLINA, WHEN I TELL YOU ALLENDALE, SOUTH CAROLINA HAS THE HIGHEST RATE OF EVERYTHING WRONG IN THE COUNTRY.
YOU, YOU, NO, THIS YOU WHAT'S IN PLACE? ALLENDALE, SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHWAY 3 0 1 WENT THROUGH ALLENDALE YEARS AGO AND WHEN THEY BUILT 95 THEY LOST IT.
AND SO THEREFORE IT'S THE POES COUNTY.
THEY, YOU, YOU SAW THE 60 MINUTES REPORT ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO WHERE THEY PICK PEOPLE UP AT 4:00 AM ON BUSES AND DRIVE THEM TO HILTON HEAD HOUR TO WORK AND THEN THEY CATCH THE BUS AT 11 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT TO DRIVE BACK.
SO EVERYTHING WRONG, THEY'RE THE HOBBIES, CORRECT? WELL THERE'S A TWO YEAR COMPONENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA, SOUTH ATCH, WHICH IS A TWO YEAR UH, COMPONENT.
I BUILT A DORM, I BUILT A HUNDRED UNIT DORMITORY IN AVENUE.
WHY? BECAUSE IF WE COULD START GETTING STUDENTS TO LIVE THERE, THEN WHAT HAPPENS? THEY GO TO THE GROCERY STORE, THEY DO THOSE THINGS.
SO HOW DID I FUND IT? I FUNDED IT THROUGH USDA COMMUNITY FACILITY PROGRAM.
SO THE COMMUNITY FACILITY PROGRAM BUILDS HOSPITALS OR MEDICAL FACILITIES, WHATEVER.
BUT WE'VE USED THE COMMUNITY FACILITY PROGRAM IN RURAL SOUTH CAROLINA TO BUILD A HUNDRED UNIT DORMITORY.
SO I'M JUST SHARING WITH YOU, THERE ARE WAYS YOU GOTTA THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND THEN YOU GOTTA LOOK AT THE FUNDING SOURCE AND WE GET TO FIGHT FOR TWO YEARS TO USE THE COMMUNITY FACILITY PROGRAM TO BUILD DORMS. BUT WE HAD TO TAKE A LOT OF VISITS TO DC TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
BUT YOU GOTTA BE WILLING TO DO THAT OR AS I SAID, GO TO THE STATE LEVEL AND SAY WE NEED TEACHER HOUSING BUT WE NEED TO INCENTIVIZE IT BECAUSE WHY? IT'S NOT WHAT WE ARE BUILDING, IT'S WHAT FINANCE, IT'S HOW WE FINANCE IT.
SO WE GOTTA GET OUT OF THE HOW WE BUILD IT.
WHAT WE CAN DO IS WE FIGHT FOR THE SUBSIDY OF HOW IT'S FINANCED, WHICH THEN ULTIMATELY MAKES IT AFFORDABLE FOR TEACHERS TO BE ABLE TO PAY THAT AMOUNT.
THE RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH FRE COUNTY, JUST WITH THE GOVERNMENT AT THE CITY OF BRANCH AND THE WAY THAT WE CAN HOOK UP CLEVELAND COUNTY WITH THIS PROGRAM THAT WE ARE WORKING ON.
FIRST I'M ASKING DO THEY HAVE A REDEVELOPMENT OR CAN WE PARTNER UP WITH CLEVELAND COUNTY? SO REALLY I THINK THAT YOU ALREADY DO 'CAUSE THEY ALREADY GIVE YOU ALL, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, WHENEVER THEY GET ACCESS LAND LIKE THAT, YOU ALL ARE ALREADY TAPPING INTO IT.
SO I THINK Y'ALL ALREADY HAVE A PRETTY GOOD RELATIONSHIP.
AGAIN, AS YOU DECIDE WHAT YOUR GOALS AND MISSIONS ARE AND AS YOU BEGIN TO ASK FOR FUNDING AND RESOURCES, THAT'S WHERE YOU WANNA SIT DOWN AND BRING BOTH PARTIES TOGETHER TO HELP, TO HELP GO TOWARDS YOUR BOTTOM LINE BUDGET.
'CAUSE AGAIN, AS I SAID IN THE BEGINNING, RIGHT NOW WE KNOW THE CITY IS FUNDING ZB SALARY, BUT WHAT OTHER RESOURCES FROM A BUDGET STANDPOINT DO Y'ALL REALLY HAVE TO DO ANY DEVELOPMENT AND BOTTOM LINE TON COUNTY, THEY AFFORD, THEY ARE DOING PROJECTS IN NEW BERN WITH DOUBT, LET'S SAY THE NEW BERN KNOWLEDGE OF THAT PROGRAM.
SO THE PROGRAM SHOULD BE PUT TOGETHER.
THEY WAS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, THEY DIDN'T KNOW MY NEIGHBORHOOD WAS FLOOD AREA, SO THEY'D BE IN REPETITIOUS GOING THE FOLKS HOUSES AND ALREADY HAVE A GRANT THROUGH NORTH CAROLINA HOUSING AGENCY.
SO THAT'S WHAT, YOU KNOW, I WONDERING ABOUT THE COOPERATION THAT WE HAVE WITH FREEMONT COUNTY.
AND THAT'S, AGAIN, THAT'S WHERE YOU ALL ULTIMATELY
[01:05:01]
MAKE A DECISION OR GIVE YOUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AUTHORITY TO HAVE THOSE KIND OF CONVERSATIONS, TO DO SOME EXPLORATORY STUFF, TO SEE WHAT THOSE RESOURCES ARE AND HOW Y'ALL CAN HAVE A BETTER COLLABORATIVE.SO MAYBE IN THE FUTURE, THOSE RESOURCES CAN BE MANAGED THROUGH THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, AND THEN THERE'S A BETTER COORDINATION ALL THE WAY AROUND OF HOW SERVICES ARE DELIVERED IN THE COMMUNITY.
YOU'VE GIVEN US INFORM INSIGHT ON HOW TO MOVE FORWARD.
I REALLY ENJOY YOUR PRESENTATION.
WELL, I, I, I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE, AND I'M HERE, LIKE I SAY, UH, WEEKLY, SO AS, AS, UH, I'M GONNA STEP OUT.
BUT AS ZEV KNOWS, UM, YOU KNOW, ANYTIME THAT WE NEED TO HAVE SOME DISCUSSION AROUND THIS ISSUE, I'M HAPPY TO, TO DO IT WITH.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING YOURSELF AND Z AND JAMIE ARE GONNA GIVE US SOME, UM, INFORMATION OF WHERE WE'VE BEEN AND WHERE WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
AND I HAVE TO SAY, I WAS REMISS WHEN I WAS, UM, GIVEN, UH, FOCUS ON THANKING EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE FOR FIVE YEARS.
MS. JAMIE BULLOCK HAS BEEN ON THIS COMMISSION.
SHE OFFERED HER LEGAL ADVICE OFTEN TO US, SO MUCH SO THAT SHE BECAME OUR LEGAL
AND WE REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE AND COULD NOT DO THIS WITHOUT YOU.
JAMIE BULLOCK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND WE'RE WELCOME, ZEV, WHO BRINGS SO MUCH DOGGONE ENERGY THAT, UH,
SO THANK YOU Z FOR, WELL, MADAM CHAIRMAN COMMISSION,
[6b. Overview of challenges and Successes ]
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE THIS MORNING.UM, I, I WANNA PIGGYBACK A LITTLE BIT ON SOME OF THE, THE COMMENTS THAT MR. VARNER SHARED AND DRAW SOME FINER DISTINCTIONS.
UM, SO FIRST, I AGREE WITH MR. VARNER IN AS MUCH AS HE'S ASKED YOU SOME VERY PROBATIVE QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW YOU ENVISION THE, THE COMMISSION AT THIS STAGE AND GOING FORWARD, PICK THE FIRST, UM, PORTIONS OF THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION'S TASKS WERE TO FIGURE OUT, OKAY, WHAT'S YOUR BOUNDARY GONNA BE? WHAT SHOULD THE PLAN LOOK LIKE? IT WAS VERY, UH, PRELIMINARY AND PLANNING ORIENTED, AND NOW WE TRANSITION TO A PHASE WHERE YOU HAVE A PLAN, BUT WE'RE FOCUSED AT THIS POINT IN IMPLEMENTATION.
SO PERHAPS AT THIS JUNCTURE, YOU CONSIDER ALTERING YOUR STRATEGIES A BIT.
AND I'M, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU SOME NUGGETS TO THINK ABOUT.
AND THEN Z IS GOING TO, TO FOLLOW UP WITH SOME ADDITIONAL COMMENTS.
BUT IN, IN LIGHT OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT MR. BARNER SHARED, I WANT YOU TO, TO APPRECIATE AND UNDERSTAND THAT IN NORTH CAROLINA, THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT FLAVORS OF REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS.
OKAY? AND DEPENDING ON THE FLAVOR THAT DICTATES WHAT TYPES OF POWERS YOU HAVE AND WHAT TYPES OF THINGS YOU CAN DO.
SO, VERY OFTEN WHAT YOU HEARD MR. BARNES TALK ABOUT IS, FROM MY, WHAT I HEARD HIM SAY WAS, UM, REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS THAT WERE ALSO HOUSING AUTHORITIES, WHICH IS ONE TYPE OF FLAVOR OF REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION IN NORTH CAROLINA.
THAT IS NOT WHAT YOU ARE, OKAY? THERE ARE REGIONAL REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS THAT HAVE ADDITIONAL EXPANDED OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE THEY'RE ACCESSING RESOURCES FROM ACROSS REGIONS.
UM, I THINK THERE WAS ONE EXAMPLE OF A REGIONAL REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION IN THE NORTHEASTERN PART OF THE STATE AS A REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, THE WAY YOU ARE, UM, NOT BEING A HOUSING AUTHORITY, NOT BEING A REGIONAL ORGANIZATION, UM, WE, WE PAIR DOWN SOME OF THOSE POWERS, BUT YOU ALWAYS HAVE THE POWER TO COLLABORATE AND PARTNER WITH OTHERS.
SO THE, THE TONE OF MY COMMENTS TODAY ARE GONNA BE ABOUT PROCESSES AND PARTNERSHIPS.
I THINK EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM APPRECIATES THAT WE HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES, AND WE DON'T HAVE AN INFINITE POT OF MONEY.
WE DON'T HAVE AN INFINITE STOCK OF LAND, AND WE DON'T HAVE AN INFINITE AMOUNT OF MONEY.
SO HOW DO WE MAXIMIZE THE RESOURCES WE HAVE AND STILL ACCOMPLISH OUR GOALS IN A REASONABLE TIMEFRAME? WE CAN'T DO IT ALL BY OURSELVES.
WE HAVE TO WORK WITH OTHER ENTITIES.
I THINK SEVERAL OF THE, THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT MR. BARNER MENTIONED IS WHERE YOU CAN HAVE A HOUSING AUTHORITY AND A REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION USING THEIR EXPERTISE, THEIR POWERS, AND THEIR ACCESS TO ACCOMPLISH VERY SIMILAR THINGS.
UM, MR. DI HUNT WAS TALKING ABOUT CRAVEN COUNTY, WHICH HAS ALREADY PARTICIPATED IN GIVING YOU PROBABLY THE MOST OF THE LOTS THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR INVENTORY.
CRAVEN COUNTY HAVE HANDED THAT THERE MAY BE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU TO WORK MORE COLLABORATIVELY, UM, WITH OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENTITIES, UM, OTHER PARTNERS SUCH AS HABITAT FOR HUMANITY AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
THEY MAY HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO WHAT YOU CAN'T DO EASILY.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, THEY'RE ALREADY TAPPED INTO FEMA AND LOTS OF FUNDING SOURCES, BOTH LOCALLY, STATEWIDE, AND NATIONALLY.
IT MAY BE MORE PRUDENT IN YOU,
[01:10:01]
UM, FURTHERING YOUR HOUSING AIMS TO WORK WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY INSTEAD OF TRYING TO, TO USE COMMISSIONER WALLACE'S ANALOGY TO REINVENT THE WHEEL.SO, AS YOU'RE LOOKING AT YOUR GOALS AND WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, YOU MAY WANT TO THINK ABOUT, WE COULD TRY TO GET THIS THING OFF THE GROUND AND CREATE SOMETHING NEW.
OR IS THERE SOMEONE IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY, IS THERE AN ENTITY THAT'S REPUTABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE CAN WORK ALONGSIDE WITH TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO? AND I, I, THIS GOES WITHOUT SAYING, BUT OUR BIGGEST PARTNER AT THIS JUNCTURE IS THE CITY OF NEWBOROUGH.
WE'RE IN A CITY FACILITY, CITY STAFF, SO THERE MAY BE, UM, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS AT OUR FINGERTIPS OR AT OUR DISPOSAL WITHIN THE CITY'S RESOURCES THAT CAN HELP US MINE INFORMATION AND MOVE OUR, UH, OUR PROJECTS FORWARD.
I THINK JORDAN HUGHES, THE CITY ENGINEER, HAD A LARGE HAND IN HELPING YOU ALL WITH THE WAL BELLAMY PROJECT.
YOU WANNA BE MINDFUL OF THOSE RESOURCES THAT ARE FREE TO YOU, UM, THAT YOU CAN UTILIZE IN MOVING THINGS FORWARD.
ALSO, THINKING ABOUT MOVING FORWARD, WE WANT THINK ABOUT OUR PROCESSES, UM, VERY EARLY ON, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE ROBUST STAFFING, THERE WERE A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE HAD TO DO IN HOUSE USING OUR OWN, UM, INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONER RESOURCES.
NOW THAT YOU ALL HAVE EVOLVED AND ARE GETTING CLOSER TO, I GUESS WHAT, WHAT REGGIE SAID, WHAT WE WANT TO BE WHEN WE GROW UP, IT MAY BE A GOOD TIME TO LOOK AT THOSE PROCESSES AND SAY, HMM, HOW CAN WE WORK MORE EFFICIENTLY NOW THAT WE HAVE A FULL-TIME ZEV? ARE THERE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO ALLOCATE TO STAFF THAT PERHAPS WORK OR PROJECT GROUPS HAD TO DO BEFORE? UM, AND JUST THINKING ABOUT HOW, HOW IT IS THAT FROM A PUBLIC FACING PERSPECTIVE, THINKING ABOUT OUR MISSION STATEMENT, HOW DO WE MAKE OUR PROCESSES SIMPLE AND EASY FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND? HOW DO WE INFORM THE PUBLIC ABOUT OUR PROCESSES? IS SOCIAL MEDIA SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO UTILIZE MORE OFTEN? UM, OR IS OUR WEBSITE ADEQUATE? THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, UM, MAY BE SOMETHING THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO BEAR ON.
AND, UH, I WANT TO SHOUT OUT COMMISSIONER SARAH FOR HER DILIGENT WORK WITH OUR RULES OF PROCEDURE.
THAT GOES A LONG WAY TOWARDS ESTABLISHING AND CODIFYING WHAT THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS, PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES ARE.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT IS GONNA WALK US THROUGH.
UM, BUT THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE MAKE IT EASILY UNDERSTANDABLE FOR PEOPLE TO BUY PROPERTY FROM THE COMMISSION? BECAUSE THINKING ABOUT ECONOMIC DRIVERS AND INCENTIVES, ONE OF THE EASIEST WAYS THAT WE CREATE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IN THE REDEVELOPMENT AREA IS GETTING HAND, GETTING PROPERTY OUT OF THE HANDS OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AND THAT ON TAX RULES.
AND YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT, UM, THROUGH THE PROCESSES THAT YOU SET UP IN THE RULES OF PROCEDURE.
UM, THERE IS A SECTION ON CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.
I JUST WANT TO PUT THIS BACK IN EVERYBODY'S HEARING.
UM, ZEV REMINDED US, AND THERE'S A FORM HERE, I THINK IT'S INCLUDED IN YOUR BINDER.
THE FORM IS TITLED REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, CITY OF NEW VERN, STATEMENT OF DISCLOSURE.
EVERY YEAR, YOU ARE BEING ASKED TO RENEW YOUR DISCLOSURE, IDENTIFYING WHETHER YOU OWN ANY PROPERTY IN THE REDEVELOPMENT AREA, WHETHER YOU HAVE THE INTEREST IN ANY PROPERTY, DIRECT YOUR INDIRECT.
LEMME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE IF JOHN DOE DOES NOT OWN PROPERTY IN THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, UH, BUT JOHN DOE LEASES A BUILDING IN THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
THAT IS AN ENTRANCE, OKAY? THAT'S NOT TO SAY YOU CAN'T DO IT, YOU HAVE TO DISCLOSE IT.
AND THERE'S A STATUTE THAT WE'VE WALKED THROUGH IN YOUR TRAINING SEVERAL TIMES, AND I'M NOT GOING TO BELABOR THE POINT YOU NEED THAT WALKS THROUGH ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF INTERESTS YOU NEED TO DISCLOSE.
I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY DIRECT INDIRECT INTEREST, UM, OR IF I HAVE ONE, HERE'S MY INTEREST.
IF YOU OWN A HOME AND YOU LIVE IN IT IN THE VILLE AREA, THAT'S FINE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT SHOULD I DISCLOSE THIS OR NOT, FEEL FREE TO GIVE ME A CALL OR SHOOT ME AN E AN EMAIL.
I THINK ALL OF Y'ALL HAVE MY CONTACT INFORMATION, AND I'M HAPPY TO, TO TALK TO YOU FURTHER ABOUT THAT.
BUT BEFORE YOU LEAVE TODAY, IF YOU HAVE NOT FORMALLY DONE SO IN THE CALENDAR YEAR OF 2024, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU COMPLETE THIS FORM SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE IT ON FILE WITH, UM, THE CITY CLERK.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHERE THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION BOUNDARIES ARE, I THINK THERE'S A MAP, UM, IN YOUR MATERIALS.
BUT IF NOT, I, AND WE CAN HELP YOU WALK THROUGH THOSE STEPS.
SO HOW DO WE MAKE THIS ENVIRONMENT MAKE THIS AREA ATTRACTIVE FOR DEVELOPMENT, WHETHER IT'S, UM, OUTSIDE DEVELOPERS, WHETHER IT'S EMPOWERING PEOPLE WHO HAVE TRADITIONALLY BEEN IN THE COMMUNITY TO DEVELOP AND REDEVELOP, OR WHETHER YOU ALL TAKE ON THE ROLE AS DEVELOPERS, HOW DO WE SET THE TABLE, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH INFRASTRUCTURE, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH, UM, SMALL SCALE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, COMMERCIAL OR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT
[01:15:01]
PROJECTS, USING THE TOOLS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR ARSENAL SO THAT WE CAN GET BUY IN FROM OTHER ENTITIES TO HELP US, UM, IN DOING THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN CHARGED TO DO.SO AS YOU GO THROUGH YOUR CONVERSATION TODAY, HOPEFULLY SOME OF THE THINGS I SAID, UM, WILL BE HELPFUL IN TRYING TO, WHAT AM I TRYING TO SAY? CHARGE FOR FUTURE.
THINK I, THERE MAY BE A MAP IN THE, THE CNI, UH, BUT MR. DIRECTOR IS SAYING THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL MAPS AVAILABLE.
YEAH, THERE ARE SEVERAL MAPS, UH, INCLUDING OVERLAY OF FLOOD, UH, FLOOD PLAINS, UH, OUTLINED THE PARCELS, UH, THE PARCEL OWNED, UM, THERE IN SECTIONS, UH, I BELIEVE TWO AND FOUR OF, OF YOUR BINDER.
UM, SO I TRIED TO TABULATE THOSE SO THAT THEY WOULD BE EASILY, EASILY LOCATED.
THERE, ANY, ANY QUESTIONS FOR HER BEFORE I START? UM, GO AHEAD.
ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT, THAT WE RAN INTO VERY RECENTLY IS TITLE.
UH, HISTORICALLY TITLES ARE NOT VERY GOOD DOWN THERE BECAUSE OF THE AIRING OF PROPERTIES, UH, ALONG THE WAY.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE RAN INTO THE SITUATION WITH MR. DIGGS.
WE SOLD HIM TWO PIECES OF PROPERTY AND THE TITLE WAS BAD ON BOTH OF THEM.
CORRECT? I KNOW TITLE WAS BAD ON ONE.
I CAN'T SEE 2 0 9 BRIAN SHEET.
BUT I ALSO HEARD THAT HE BAILED ON 8 21 BURN BECAUSE OF, ACCORDING TO THE RECORD, HE, HE, HE, UH, HE WITHDREW, HE FORFEITED HIS DEPOSIT, UH, FROM, FROM THE WEST STREET FOR ECONOMIC REASONS.
OKAY? BUT REGARDLESS, TITLE, TITLE ISSUES ARE GOING TO BECOME A CONTINUOUS ISSUE.
AND IT, IT, IT, IT PLAYS INTO THE, THE THING ABOUT MAKING THE AREA ATTRACTIVE FOR DEVELOPERS.
UH, WE, WE, AS LAND CONSOLIDATE, IF WE TAKE THE ROLE OF BEING LAND CONSOLIDATORS AND WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SHOW GOOD TITLE TO THE PROPERTY THAT WE OWN, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET DEVELOPERS INTEREST IN BUILDING IN AND SO FORTH LIKE THAT.
NOW HOW DO WE GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS, FOR INSTANCE, AND THEN I'LL BRING THIS UP, SPECIFICALLY THE PARCEL THAT WE GOT ON A STREET FROM THE COUNTY.
DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA IF THE TITLE'S GOOD? I WOULD TELL YOU THIS, THAT GENERALLY PROPERTIES THAT ARE ACQUIRED BY TAX FORECLOSURE, THE FORECLOSURE PROCEEDINGS GENERALLY CURE ANY TITLE DEFECTS.
THAT FORECLOSURE PROCESS NOTIFIES EVERYBODY THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE NOTIFIED.
AND THE PROBLEM WITH BRIAN STREET WAS WHEN THE TAX FORECLOSURE ATTORNEY DID THAT PROCESS, THEY MISDEMEANOR, OKAY? WHICH IS A, A UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCE.
IT'S NOT ONE THAT I'VE SEEN VERY COMMONLY.
YOU ALL HAVE BEEN ACQUIRING PROPERTY AND DISPOSING OF PROPERTY AND RECOMMENDING THE DISPOSAL OF PROPERTY FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW, AND THIS IS THE FIRST INSTANCE.
I'M HAPPY IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO, AND IF BEGINNING OF DIRECTION TO, UM, DO A TITLE SERVICE OF THE WEST, A STREET DEVELOPMENT PROPERTIES TO VERIFY THAT, THAT YOU COULD, IF YOU WANTED TO GIVE A GENERAL WARRANTY FEE IN YOUR OFFER TO PURCHASE, YOU ADVERTISE TO THE WORLD THAT IF THEY WANT TO BUY PROPERTY FROM THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, THEY'RE DOING SO BY QUICK PLAN FEE.
WHEREIN YOU MAKE NO WARRANTIES AND THEY UNDERSTAND THAT COMING INTO THE DEAL, UM, WHICH IS VERY CONSISTENT WITH, AND DO THEY SHOULD, DO THEY DO THEY UNDERSTAND THAT? THEY SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT THEY'RE COMING INTO THE DEAL AND YOU ARE NOT MAKING ANY WARRANTIES, WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH WHAT, UH, THE CITY OF NEW BERN DOES AND CRAVEN COUNTY.
BUT, AND I HEAR YOU, IF, IF WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL INVESTMENTS ON THESE LOTS, WHICH VERY OFTEN CAUSES THE PURCHASER TO WANT TO GET TITLE INSURANCE, THERE MAY BE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT LARGE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPERS, UM, THERE MAY BE SOME UTILITY IN GIVING STAFF DIRECTION TO LOOK AT PARTICULAR PROPERTIES.
NOW, DO YOU WANT ME TO DO A TITLE SEARCH ON EVERY SINGLE 4,000 SQUARE, YOU KNOW, 4,000 LOT IN, IN DUFFY FIELD THAT YOU OWN? PERHAPS NOT.
UM, BUT IF THERE ARE SPECIFIC AREAS OF INTEREST, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE THAT DIRECTION.
AND I, I GUESS MY MAIN CONCERN IS, IS THE PROPERTIES THAT WE'RE GETTING FROM CRAVEN COUNTY AND IN THE CITY THAT THERE WAS 10 LOTS THAT WE GOT LIKE THIS.
I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE TWO LOTS ACROSS FROM THE UBANKS HOUSE.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE CITY AND COUNTY HAVE BEEN DONATING LOTS TO HABITAT FOR HUMANITY FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
[01:20:01]
KNOWLEDGE AND HAVING ACCESS TO CITY BOMBS GOING BACK TO LIKE 1999, I'VE NOT SEEN AN ISSUE WHERE HABITAT WAS UNABLE TO GET FUNDING OR TO SELL THEIR HOUSE THAT THEY BUILT OFF FROM THE CITY AND COUNTY BECAUSE OF THE TYPE OF DEFECT THAT THEY GOT FROM PORTFOLIO.SO I SAY THAT TO SAY IT'S NOT AN IMPOSSIBLE CIRCUMSTANCES YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, 'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY SAW WITH TWO OF BRIAN STREET, BUT IT IS THE EXCEPTION, NOT
I CLARIFICATION ON THE MATTER AS IT RELATES TO CHARLES DIGGS.
SO SINCE THE LAST TIME WE SAW CHARLES DIGGS, HE HAS WITHDRAWN.
SO HE, HE MADE OFFICE TO PURCHASE ON TWO DIFFERENT PROPERTIES.
AND THERE WAS ONE PROPERTY, I THINK IT WAS ON WEST STREET RIGHT, THAT HE, HE FORFEITED HIS DE DEPOSIT.
HE SAID, I'M NOT GOING TO GO FORWARD WITH THE PURCHASE OF THE PROPERTY ON WEST STREET, PUT TWO ON 2 0 9 BRIAN STREET.
HE CAME BACK TO YOU AT THE LAST MEETING AND MADE A REQUEST.
AND I THINK IT IS ON THE AGENDA TODAY TO REVIEW AND RECONSIDER THE ACTION.
I HAVE, IF I MAY, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS FALLS OUT OF LINE, BUT IF WE CANNOT SEAL THE DEAL OR IF WE DON'T FINISH THE DEAL WITH MR. DIGGS, HE CAN STILL WITHDRAW FROM THE BRYAN STREET DEAL ALSO, CORRECT? YES, SIR.
BUT IN FACT, IS THAT GONNA HAVE ON US AS IT RELATES TO FUTURE ENDEAVORS WITH THE COUNTY AND WITH THEM BEING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH US TO CONVEY LAND AS, I DON'T KNOW, CONVEY IS THE RIGHT WORD? YES, SIR.
AND THE CITY AND COUNTY GAVE YOU THOSE 10 PARCELS WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT THEY WOULD BE PUT BACK ON THE TAX ROLLS IN SOME MEANINGFUL WAY, IN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME.
UM, I THINK THAT THAT STILL HOLDS TRUE, AND I'M GONNA DEFER TO ZEN 'CAUSE HE HAS OR FREQUENT CONVERSATIONS WITH, UM, CITY STAFF OR EXECUTIVE CITY STAFF ON THESE PARTICULAR TOPICS.
BUT I THINK FROM EVERYTHING THAT I'VE SEEN, THE CITY AND COUNTY ARE VERY MUCH INVESTED IN THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION TRYING TO GENERATE SOME ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION IN THAT AREA.
SO WHETHER IT'S MR. DIGGS OR SOMEONE ELSE, UM, SO LONG AS THOSE PROPERTIES CAN BE UTILIZED FOR DEVELOPMENT IN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME, I, I DON'T THINK THE COUNTY OR CITY CARE WHO, WHO GETS IT NECESSARILY, RIGHT? SO LONG AS THEIR UTILIZATION OF THE PRODUCT OF THAT PROPERTY IS CONSISTENT WITH THE PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN.
MY FEAR IS THAT IF WE DON'T SEAL THE DEAL, WHETHER IT BE WITH MR. DIGS OR ANYBODY ELSE WITH THE LAND THAT'S BEEN CONVEYED BY THE COUNTY, THAT WE ARE ON THE COURSE OF SHOOTING OURSELVES IN THE FOOT FOR, FOR, UH, FUTURE EFFORTS, AND I HOPE I'M WRONG ABOUT THAT.
WELL, ROB, YOU GOTTA REMEMBER, YOU'RE NOT SHOOTING YOURSELF IN THE FOOT BECAUSE YOU GOT POLICIES OUT THERE.
YOU GOT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
THIS IS WHAT WE OPERATE UNDER.
THEN IF THE COUNTY COMES IN, WHY DIDN'T THEY DO THIS? THIS IS THE PROCEDURE AND THEN FALL UNDER THAT AND THEN GO THROUGH CATCH THAT IS DO YOU CHANGE THE PROCEDURE TO MAKE IT EASY FOR IT TO GET POP? I'LL SAY THIS, MR. COMMISSIONER MORGAN, IF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT WAS TO COME BACK AND REVIEW THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION IN FIVE YEARS, AND THE COMMISSION STILL HAS ALL KIND OF THOSE LOTS IN YOUR INVENTORY, I COULD SEE HOW BOTH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WOULD SCRATCH THEIR HEADS AND SAY, WHAT YOU DOING? RIGHT? YEAH.
WHETHER IT'S MR. DIGGS OR SOME OTHER INDIVIDUAL, I THINK FROM YOU ALL'S STANDPOINT, WHETHER NOT NECESSARILY SPECIFIC TO THE PROPERTY LOCATED UP 2 0 9 BRIAN STREET FOR YOUR ENTIRE INVENTORY, WHAT CAN WE DO TO PACKAGE THESE LOTS IN A WAY THAT IS, THAT IS ATTRACTIVE TO DEVELOPMENT, WHETHER IT'S FROM DEVELOPMENT OUTSIDE THE COMMISSION OR DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU ALL DECIDE TO TAKE ON, AND HOW CAN WE DO THAT SOONER RATHER THAN LATER? SO IS NOW THE TIME TO REVISIT AND TO MAYBE RESTRUCTURE SOME OF THOSE TO SAVE LATER ON? WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA DEAL WITH IT.
AND I, I'LL SAY, UH, COMMISSIONER MORGAN, THERE IS AN APPENDIX TO THE RULES AND PROCEDURE ABOUT THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR SELLING PROPERTY OWNED BY THE
AND THE PROPOSAL THAT HAS BEEN REVIEWED, UM, SLIMS DOWN THAT PROCESS QUITE A BIT, STREAMLINES IT AND MAKES IT, UM, A SHORTER PROCESS TO COMPLETE BECAUSE THAT'S WHY I DIDN'T WANT TO GET TOO FAR AHEAD OF MYSELF WHEN I WAS ASKING.
YOU HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL AND YOU'RE SEEING WHERE WE'RE GOING
UH, AND IF, IF I COULD JUST ADD, UH, UH, AN ADDENDUM, UH, TO, TO WHAT
[01:25:01]
THE, OUR ATTORNEY HAS SAID, UH, SIMPLY PUT, IT'S ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS.AND I BELIEVE WHAT, WHAT OUR, WHAT OUR LOCAL OFFICIALS ARE LOOKING FOR FROM THIS COMMISSION IS EFFECTIVE EFFECTIVENESS.
UH, ARE WE MISSION EFFECTIVE? AND SO IN EVERY DECISION THAT WE MAKE, WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO COME BACK TO OUR, TO, TO OUR ROLE AND OUR MISSION, WHICH I'M SO THANKFUL TO THE CHAIRPERSON FOR BRINGING US BACK TO MISSION THIS MORNING.
AND ARE WE BEING EFFECTIVE IN OUR MISSION? OUR MISSION IS, AS WAS SAID, DURING, UH, MR. BARNARD'S, UM, PRESENTATION.
OUR MISSION IS NOT NECESSARILY TO BUILD HOUSES, UH, BUT OUR, OUR MISSION IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SETTING THE TABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT IN, IN THE REDEVELOPMENT ZONE.
I SAW HAND EITHER KIER, STEVE.
ONE OF THE THINGS I GATHERED, I THOUGHT I GATHERED FROM THE FALL THAT WE HAD ON MR. DAVE KIND OF JUMPING BACK TO THOSE PROPERTIES REAL FAST AT A CERTAIN TIMEFRAME OF THOSE PROPERTIES BEING TAILED.
IS THE TITLE CLEAN THEN? BECAUSE I THOUGHT I HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT A FIVE YEAR WINDOW OR A SEVEN YEAR WINDOW OR SO WITHOUT SPEAKING TO MR. DIGS ATTORNEY, HERE'S WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THAT MR. DIGS WOULD BE MAKING A CLAIM FOR ADVERSE POSSESSION.
AND IN NORTH CAROLINA, THERE ARE TWO THEORIES BY WHICH SOMEBODY CAN CLAIM PROPERTY UNDER ADVERSE POSSESSION.
SO HE CAN, IN THAT TIME PERIOD IS SEVEN YEARS.
CITY HAD IT, CITY COUNTY HAD IT FOR FIVE YEARS.
HE WOULD NEED TWO MORE YEARS TO GET TO THE MAGIC NUMBER.
HE DID TELL US WHEN THAT TIMEFRAME IS GONNA BE, BUT THAT'S THE THEORY THAT HE'S USING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A CLAIM TO CLEAR UP THE TITLE DEFECT THAT HIS ATTORNEY HAS IDENTIFIED.
SO FROM THE, I GUESS THE CONSTRUCT OF THE GUIDANCE THAT YOU MAY NEED OF WHAT OUR WISHES COULD POSSIBLY BE, IF THE CITY AND OR CITY AND COUNTY HAVE OWNED SOMETHING FOR A SEVEN YEAR WINDOW THAT CHANGES THE PROCESS, ENSURE THAT WE HAVE CLEAN TITLE.
THAT'S CERTAINLY IMPACT THE PROCESS, SIR.
IF, IF IT'S A TAX FORECLOSURE, WELL, YEAH, BUT THERE, A REGULAR FORECLOSURE DOESN'T DO A WHOLE LOT FOR CLEANING TITLE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THE CITY FORECLOSES ON PROPERTY OTHERWISE OTHER THAN TAX FORECLOSURES.
EVERY NOW AND AGAIN, YOU GET A GIFT, UM, WHERE SOMEBODY GIVES PROPERTY TO THE COMMISSION.
IN MY EXPERIENCE, THE CITY WILL ONLY ACCEPT PROPERTY FROM SOMEBODY IF THEY GIVE IT BY ONE.
SO IF WE THEN SUBSEQUENTLY CONVEY THE PROPERTY AND THE PERSON SAYS, HEY, THIS TITLELESS MONTH, THEY CAN GO BACK TO THE IN INDIVIDUAL IF THE ENTITY THAT CONVEYED THE PROPERTY TO THE CITY TO ADVANCE.
SO MAYBE THIS IS A WEIRD QUESTION, BUT IS THERE ANY WAY IN OUR PROCESSES THAT WE CAN, UM, MAYBE PUT A PROCESS IN PLACE THAT BEFORE WE HAVE THOSE COME CONVERSATIONS TO FINALIZE THE TITLE OR SALE OR THIS AND THAT, THAT WE ACTUALLY RESEARCH THE TITLE? SO WE GO IN THERE KNOWING ONE, THAT THE TITLE'S GOOD.
I'LL TELL YOU THIS TITLE SEARCHES CAN BE TIME CONSUMING AND EXPENSIVE, ESPECIALLY IN AN AREA WHERE VERY OFTEN PROPERTIES ARE INHERITED AND PEOPLE INHERIT THOSE PROPERTIES WITHOUT RULES.
AND THERE CAN BE VERY INTRICATE OR COMPLEX FAMILY DYNAMICS.
UM, WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT WHO INHERITED, WELL, YEAH, KIPP IS LAUGHING.
I WORKED REAL HARD ON THAT LANGUAGE,
SO I WOULD, I WOULD ADVISE AGAINST THIS COMMISSION TAKING ON THE BURDEN OF DOING THE BUYER'S DUE DILIGENCE FOR THEM.
SO THAT'S A BUYER RESPONSIBILITY.
ALWAYS HAS IT BUYER RESPONSIBILITY.
YOU WANT TO TAKE THE PROPERTY, WE SAY IN ALL OF OUR DOCUMENTATION, YOU'RE TAKING IT AS IS THE BURDENS ON THAT BUYER TO SAY, DO I WANT TO GO FORWARD WITH THIS DEAL? UNDERSTOOD.
AND GENERALLY YOU'RE CONVEYING PROPERTY BY UPSET BID PROCESS.
SO ANY SUBSEQUENT BIDDER ALSO CARRIES THAT RESPONSIBILITY TO FIGURE OUT IF THIS IS WHAT YOU REALLY WANT, AND THEY CAN SAY, ONCE THEY GET THE PROPERTY, THEY CAN SELL IT TO SOMEBODY ELSE.
WITH YOUR, WITH YOUR CONDITIONS.
YOU, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO TAKE ON THAT RESPONSIBILITY UNLESS YOU ABSOLUTELY WANT TO.
AND I WOULD ADVISE AGAINST YOU.
YOU JUST ABOUT ANSWER MY QUESTION THAT IF I DECIDED TO BUY THAT PROPERTY WITHOUT A CLEAR TITLE OF, WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO GET TYLER INSURANCE, THE BILL ON IT HELPED ME MY GAMBLE.
BUT HERE, HERE'S THE THING THAT YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO KEEP IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND, OKAY? BECAUSE IN THE PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT WORLD, TOO BAD, SO SAD, WE DON'T CARE.
BUT GIVEN WHAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN TASKED TO DO, IF NOBODY, IF, IF A, IF AN, IN THE CASE OF MR. DIGGS, IF AN ISSUE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED, THAT MAKES A LOT THAT'S LOCATED IN A REDEVELOPMENT ZONE EVEN LESS ATTRACTIVE FOR DEVELOPMENT.
WHO IS GOING TO REMEDY THAT ISSUE SUCH THAT THAT LAND JUST DOESN'T LIE VACANT AND DOES THAT AND,
[01:30:01]
AND CONTINUES TO BE A BLIGHT IN THE COMMUNITY.REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS EXIST TO HELP ELIMINATE BLIGHT, NOT NECESSARILY TO BE PURE PROFIT CENTERS.
SO WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THESE TYPES OF LIVES, IT'S GOOD TO LOOK AT IT FROM A DEVELOPMENTAL STANDPOINT, BUT IT'S ALSO VERY IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT IT FROM A, A FUNDAMENTAL STANDPOINT, APPLYING YOUR VALUES AND THE STATUTORY, UH, POLICY THAT'S BEEN ARTICULATED BY THE LEGISLATURE ABOUT WANTING TO EL ELE ELIMINATE OR REDUCE BLOOD.
THE QUESTION I'M REALLY ANSWERING, YOU GOT A PIECE OF PROPERTY? YES, SIR.
A CLOUD IS ONLY THE TYLER CAN'T GET TYLER INSURANCE.
SO AFTER THE SEVEN YEARS, LET GO TO THAT PERSON, MY ADVERSE POSSESSION OF
SO I'M TRYING NOT TO GIVE YOU A LAWYER ANSWER.
AN ADVERSE POSSESSION CLAIM IS EFFECTIVE WHEN YOU MAKE IT.
SO IF YOU SATISFY ALL THE REQUIREMENTS, BUT NEVER CLAIM, HEY, I'M GOING TO COURT ADVERSE POSSESSION.
I MEET ALL THE ELEMENTS AND, AND GET A JUDGMENT.
YOU'RE STILL IN A, IN A QUICK SENTENCE, BUT TO YOUR POINT, IF SOMEBODY DOESN'T CARE TO ADVANCE THE CLAIM, WE'RE IN THE SAME POSITION THAT WE STILL HAVE TO MAKE THE CLAIM.
SO AT SEVEN YEARS, YOU HAVE TO FILE WITH THE COURT, AND THAT CAN TAKE A WHILE TO GET THE CLAIM TO COURT.
UH, I'M GONNA GO TO SOME OF OUR SUCCESSES.
I, UH, I GAVE YOU A LOT MORE INFORMATION THAN I'M GONNA COVER, UH, IN, IN YOUR PACKET, BUT I WANT JUST REVIEW.
IN 2023, THE RDC, UH, WORKED TO COMPLETE, UH, THE NINE 11 EUBANKS PROPERTY.
AND NOW WE ARE LOOKING, UH, FOR A WAY TO, UH, FINISH, UH, FINISH THE PROJECT BY MAKING SURE THAT WE ACCOMPLISH THE NATIONAL GOAL OF GETTING A LOW TO MODERATE INCOME, UH, FAMILY.
IN THAT, UH, BY SOME MECHANISM, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING WITH STRATEGIC PARTNERS TO CLUSTER DEVELOP AROUND THE PROPERTY TO RAISE THE STANDARD OF HOUSING IN THAT SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, AND, UH, WORK, UH, CONTINUES ON THAT PRO ON THAT INITIATIVE.
UM, ALSO WE WORK TO REALIZE THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS CLINIC IN O OVER THE LAST YEAR, UH, THAT THAT PROJECT HAS MORPHED AND IT HAS SHIFTED AND IT HAS PRESENTED, UH, LOTS AND LOTS OF OPPORTUNITY FOR CONVERSATION AND LOTS AND LOTS OF OPPORTUNITY FOR OPPORTUNITY.
UH, UH, I'M REALLY, REALLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT, UH, ABOUT THE FUTURE, UH, OF THAT PROJECT.
AND I WANT TO THANK PUBLICLY, UH, COMMISSIONER TARI, UH, WALLACE FOR HIS, HIS ZEAL AND PURSUING, UH, THAT ALONG WITH OTHERS AROUND THE TABLE, UH, UH, AND ESPECIALLY FOR THE UPCOMING COMMUNITY MEETINGS, UH, AS WE HAVE CONCERNED CITIZENS WHO ARE ASKING US FOR AN UPDATE.
UM, AND, AND SO, UH, UM, MR. WALLACE HAS BEEN PROACTIVE IN WORKING WITH MS UH BRYANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING OUT, OUT IN THE COMMUNITY TO TALK TO STAKEHOLDERS, UH, ABOUT LIKE, TO GIVE ACCURATE INFORMATION AND TO KEEP EVERYBODY UPDATED AS TO WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROJECT.
I, ON THE STAFF SIDE, HAVE BEEN WORKING, UH, WEEKLY.
UH, UH, JAMIE KNOWS ALL THE THINGS, UH, TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR, OUR POTENTIAL COMMUNITY PARTNERS, UH, HAVE AGREEMENTS AND, AND, AND WORKING THROUGH ALL THE THINGS.
AND WE SHOULD HAVE A, A, A REPORT ON THAT RELATIVELY SOON.
UH, AND THEN ALSO WE STARTED THE INITIATIVE TO BUILD PRE AFFORDABLE HOUSES.
AND WALT BELLAMY, THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF THE CITY OF NEWBURG AND ALDER AND BOBBY ASTER, UH, HIS A RPA APPROPRIATION, THE RDC ENGAGED IMEC BUILDERS AND ARE NEARING COMPLETION OF CONSTRUCTION.
UH, THESE HOMES WILL BE USED, UH, TO HOUSE LOAD TO MODERATE INCOME FAMILIES IN NEED OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING SOLUTIONS.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE CURRENTLY ENGAGED AS A COMMISSION WITH SEVERAL VERY INTERESTED PARTIES IN PURCHASING THESE HOMES.
UH, THOSE PARTIES RANGE FROM, UM, RANGE FROM OTHER PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN BUYING THEM FROM US AND RENTING THEM OUT, UH, THE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE ENGAGED AND CALLED OUR OFFICES FOR TOURS AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
UH, SO I'M VERY OPTIMISTIC THAT ONCE, UH, ONCE THEY'RE AVAILABLE FOR SALE, UH, WE, WE WILL BE ABLE TO, UH, MOVE FORWARD, UH, QUITE QUICKLY, UH, WITH, UH,
[01:35:01]
UH, WITH, UH, THAT DEAL TO CLOSE IT OUT AND START ANOTHER ONE.BECAUSE YESTERDAY WHEN WE WERE ON SITE, WE TALKED ABOUT MOVING FORWARD WITH APPRAISAL PROCESS FOR THE PROPERTIES, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE AT THE PLACE WHERE THEY CAN, WE CAN HAVE AN APPRAISER COME IN AND GIVE US A, A MARKET VALUE FOR THEM.
MONDAY MORNING, OUR APPRAISER MONDAY MORNING.
TO, TO REGGIE'S POINT, DO WE KNOW WHERE THE MONEY GOES?
VERY EXCELLENT POINT ON RECORD.
THE, UH, THE, THE, THE PROCEEDS FROM THESE SALES WILL GO TO THE FUND, UH, TO THE FUND BALANCE OF THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
UM, AND SO I DID WANT TO, UH, INCLUDE FOR THE RECORD, UH, JUST PICTURES OF, OF THE, UM, PICTURES OF THE PROGRESS, UH, OF THIS PROJECT.
AND SO IF YOU LOOK ABOUT MIDWAY THROUGH YOUR SECTION ONE IN YOUR AGENDA, UH, YOU'LL SEE A VERY COLORFUL PAGE, UH, OF PICTURES, UH, THAT SHOW EVERYTHING FROM OUR SHOVEL TURN, UH, THAT WE ALL, THAT A LOT OF US, UH, WENT TO, TO SOME OF THE INTERIOR, UH, SETTING OF THE CABINETS TO THE FRAMING, ALL THE WAY TO WHEN SIDING STARTED JUST ABOUT A WEEK AGO.
UH, SO THE PROJECT IS MOVING ALONG, UH, QUITE WELL, AND WE'RE REALLY, REALLY HAPPY WITH IT.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD, UH, IN THE WORDS OF OUR CITY ENGINEER.
WE, WE WANT TO, UM, WE WANT TO USE IT, RINSE IT, AND REPEAT, UH, UH, BECAUSE THIS, THIS IS A PROCESS THAT WORKS.
AND WE'RE GOING TO BUILD, UM, BUILD AFFORDABLE AND ATTAINABLE HOUSING STOCK IN NEWBURG.
THERE'S A PLACE OF, UM, COMPLETING INTERIOR FINISHES NOW.
DOING THE PAINTING, PUTTING DOWN THE FLOORING.
THAT'S WHY WE CAN'T GO AHEAD AND GET THEM WITH RIGHT.
SO ALL BROKEN DEPENDS UPON ACTIVITY.
THERE IS NO DEVELOPMENT TO PHYSICALLY OR INTELLECTUALLY WITHOUT EFFORT.
IT IS A PRE PREROGATIVE OF INTELLIGENCE.
THE ONLY MEANS OF MANHOOD IN THE MEASURE OF CIVIL CIVILIZATION.
AND SO I WANT TO COMMEND THE, THIS COMMISSION ON THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE, UH, TO YOUR BACK AND THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE TO YOUR FRONT.
UH, I ALSO WANT TO MOVE, UH, I ALSO WANT TO JUST, UH, REMARK THAT THE RDC SUPPORTED THE REMOVAL OF OVER 200 VEHICLES FROM THE REDEVELOPMENT ZONES, UH, THAT WERE ABANDONED OR, OR NOT, UH, NOT IN ACCORDANCE WITH, UH, ZONING, UM, PRIOR TO OUR ACTIVITY, UH, THAT WAS ALL COMPLAINT DRIVEN.
AND SO THAT NUMBER WAS MUCH, MUCH LESS, UH, WITH OUR SUPPORT AND ADVOCACY TO, TO, UH, AND PARTNERSHIP WITH, UH, THE CITY OF NEW BERN.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE CLEANING UP THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WE'RE WORKING IN.
ALSO, I WANT TO REMARK THAT THE RDC FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ITS HISTORY IN 2023, CLOSED ON TWO, UH, ON TWO PARCELS OF LAND THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY OWNED, UH, BY THE RDC NETTING, UH, AROUND $6,000 TO YOUR FUND BALANCE.
SO, UM, TO, TO MR. BARNARD'S POINT, UH, WE'VE ADDED TO THE FUND BALANCE, UH, EVEN IF IT IS JUST BY $6,000, $6,000 IS BETTER THAN ZERO.
SO, GOOD JOB ON THE WORK THAT, THAT WE HAVE DONE.
AND I'M OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE HAVE YET TO COME, UH, IN ORDER TO SAFEGUARD OUR TIME.
THAT'S THE CONCLUSION OF MY REPORT.
UNLESS YOU ALL HAVE QUESTIONS, AND I, I'LL SAY THIS IN CLOSING, I THINK OUR, OUR JOINT PRESENTATION, IF YOU HAVE THOUGHTS OR QUESTIONS, PLEASE REACH OUT TO STAFF, PLEASE.
UM, Z'S CONTACT INFORMATION IS INDICATED ON THAT CONTACT FORM IN THE BACK.
I THINK MOST OF YOU HAVE MY CONTACT INFORMATION, BUT IF YOU DON'T, UM, MY LAW OFFICE IS LOCATED AT 2 0 9 P*****K STREET.
IF YOU CAN'T FIND ME THERE, YOU CAN ALWAYS GET ME ON MY CELL PHONE, WHICH IS (252) 671-7808.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR THOUGHTS, OR IF YOU'RE GO AS YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THESE MATERIALS, UM, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REACH OUT AS YOU'RE REFLECTING ON THIS CONVERSATION, PLEASE GIVE Z SO THAT HE CAN, UH, GET YOUR COLLECTIVE THINKING AND HELP YOU GUYS FORWARD.
THE MONEY FROM, UH, ABATE THESE CARS.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT FUND? UH, THE ABATEMENT ENFORCEMENT IS ACTUALLY DONE BY OUR ORDINANCE OFFICIALS.
AND SO THAT, THAT WOULD BE A CITY FUNCTION.
SO THE, THE FUNDS, UH, WOULD GO BACK TO THE CITY TO SUPPORT, UH, FURTHER, UH, FURTHER ENFORCEMENT.
UH, AND I WILL SAY THAT THE CITY CURRENTLY HAS, UH, TWO, TWO, UH, TWO STAFF DOING THIS JOB.
AND SO, UH, THEY, THEY NEED SUPPORT AS WELL SO THAT, SO THAT THEY HAVE MORE, MORE OF A FORCE, UH, WORKING, WORKING
[01:40:01]
TO, TO THAT EFFORT.BECAUSE I CALL 'EM ALMOST EVERY DAY AND SAY, HEY, CAN YOU GO HERE? CAN YOU GO HERE? AND THEY'RE ALWAYS VERY, VERY RESPONSIVE, UH, TO, TO OUR CALLS REASON FOR THAT.
A VEHICLE NORMALLY SALE BETWEEN FIVE AND $600.
SO I'M THINKING WE HAVE MONEY OR COULD THAT MONEY COME BACK TO THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE? I DON'T THINK OUR VACANT OFFICERS ARE SELLING THE PROPERTY, SELLING THE VEHICLES, ANYTHING.
THAT WAS A VERY FAST OVERVIEW.
BECAUSE NOW I THINK WE DO HAVE SOME BUSINESS WE'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT, UM, AND THE CONSIDERATIONS THEY'RE LISTED IN YOUR AGENDA.
AND THE FIRST ONE AS, UM, COMMISSIONER MORGAN HAD BROUGHT UP WAS THE REVIEW OF THE DIGS REQUEST TO PURCHASE.
UM, I'M, I'LL TURN THAT OVER TO YOU, COMMISSIONER PARA BOY TO KIND OF SUMMARIZE THAT.
YOU LOOKING LIKE IN THE DAYS
WELL, I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS GOING BE THE, AT OUR LAST MEETING, UH, MR. DIGS MADE A PRESENTATION TO US AND WE JUST HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE TITLE ISSUE AND SO FORTH LIKE THAT.
AND HIS REQUEST WAS TO, UH, REMOVE ONLY THE TIME LIMIT ON WHEN HE HAD TO START CONSTRUCTION.
UM, WE DISCUSSED THAT AND HAD, AND IT'S IN THE MINUTES THAT, THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR THING THAT WERE REALLY ACCURATE.
UH, AND WE ENDED UP, UH, EXTENDING THE TIME LIMIT FROM ONE YEAR TO FOUR YEARS, WHICH ALLOWED HIM THE TIME THAT, UH, HIS ATTORNEY PROJECTED THAT IT WOULD TAKE TO GET THE, THE, THE PLOW OFF OF THE TITLE.
UH, SO EVIDENTLY, MR. DIGGS WOULD AND UNDERSTANDABLY HAD SOME CONCERNS ABOUT SPENDING THAT MUCH MONEY TO LEGAL FEES TO CLEAR TITLE AND MIGHT NOT WORK.
AND SO THEN HE WOULD BE BE OUT.
SO THE THE ISSUE BECOMES, UH, FOR REVISITING, DO WE WANT TO, UH, GO ALONG WITH MR. DIGS INITIAL REQUEST AND REMOVE THE TIME LIMIT ON THE BUILDING OF, OF A HOME ON THAT LOT.
IF, IF THE TITLE CANNOT GET CLEARED, YOU KNOW, IT, IT IS NOT OURS ANYMORE.
AND, UH, WE DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR MOWING IT AND EVERYTHING ELSE FOR, IN INFINITY, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
IT'S GONNA HAVE A CLOUD ON THE TITLE, AND IT'S GONNA TAKE A LONG TIME OR A LOT OF MONEY TO GET IT CLEARED OFF SO THAT WE CAN SELL IT TO SOMEBODY TO BUILD A LOT THE HOUSE ON IT.
AND, AND, AND TO ROBBIE'S POINT, UM, IF MR. DIGS IS THE OWNER AND WE LIFT THIS TIMEFRAME, AND HE DOES NOT, HE, HE GOES FORWARD WITH THE PURCHASE, IS THAT STILL AN OPTION? DID HE NOT GO FORWARD? COULD HE, UM, FORFEIT LIKE HE DID THE OTHER PROPERTY? OR IS HE ALREADY BEYOND THAT POINT? UH, MR. DIGS IS READY, UH, TO CLOSE.
AND SO BASICALLY WHAT HE HAS INDICATED TO STAFF IS AS SOON AS THE, THE TIME RESTRICTION IS, IS LIFTED, HE WILL CLOSE IMMEDIATELY.
THAT MEANS OWNERSHIP OF THAT PARCEL WILL GO, WILL, WILL GO FROM THIS COMMISSION.
IN OTHER WORDS, THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT PARCEL, THE MOWING OF THAT PARCEL, THE TAX WHATEVER FOR THAT PARCEL WILL, WILL TRANSFER.
AND THE INSURANCE FROM THAT PARCEL WILL TRANSFER FROM US FROM PUBLIC FUNDS.
'CAUSE WE ARE A PUBLIC BODY TO A PRIVATE CITIZEN WHO WILL THEN OWN THAT PARCEL, UH, ALMOST IMMEDIATELY HE WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE UPKEEP OF THAT, UH, UH, UH, OF THAT PARCEL.
HE WILL PAY TAXES ON THAT PARCEL AND HE WILL WORK TO ENSURE THAT PARCEL.
SO THAT IS, THAT IS WHAT WE ARE DISCUSSING TODAY.
SO THE CITY AND THE COUNTY WOULD, UH, RECEIVE TAXES MM-HMM.
SO TO YOUR POINT, ROBBIE, THAT THEY WOULD FEEL LIKE WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH OUR PLAN AND THEY'RE SEEING THE BENEFIT OF GETTING TAXES.
THEY REALLY DON'T CARE IF SOMEONE BUILDS A HOUSE THERE.
THEY JUST WANNA GET THE TAXES.
AND AND THE IMPORTANT PART THAT I THINK MADAM CHAIR ALLUDED TO EARLIER, EXCUSE ME, MR.
BUT THE, THE RESOLUTION, UM, THAT HAS BEEN INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET, AS WELL AS THE RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS THAT HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE DEED, DO CONTAIN RESTRICTIONS THAT ANY RESIDENTIAL DWELLING THAT IS ESTABLISHED ON THAT LOT, UM, WOULD HAVE TO BE, UM, OCCUPIED BY EITHER THE OWNER OR PERSONS OF LOW TO MODERATE INCOME.
[01:45:01]
STILL ARE SOME ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS IN THE DEED, UM, TO HELP YOU ACCOMPLISH WHAT I THINK YOU SET OUT TO ACCOMPLISH.THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
THAT ALL BEING SAID, THAT IT, IT, IT, IT'S APPROPRIATE, WE MAKE A MOTION TO MOVE THE, UH, TIME LIMIT ON THE, ON THE DEED TO MR. DIGS AND RETAIN ALL THE OTHER, UH, RESTRICTIONS THAT WE HAVE IN, IN THE SALE CONTRACT.
AND IF SOMEONE'S INCLINED TO MAKE THAT MOTION, THERE IS A RESOLUTION IN YOUR PACKAGE.
THAT EVIDENCE IS JUST FOR MR. PARA'S SET OUT.
YOUR MOTION MAY BE CAPTION AS A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION REGARDING TO A NON THAT I MAKE THAT MOTION.
UH, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO, UH, OFFICE RESOLUTION.
I WAS JUST GONNA, I MEAN, JUST, SORRY, I WOULDN'T HELP.
THAT'S, I WAS TRYING TO SEE WHERE YOU AVOID, IF YOU'RE GONNA GET ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE LOW POINT.
UM, THE REQUEST TO ME IS, IS LOGICAL AND I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY YOU MADE THE APPEAL TO START WITH.
UM, THE CONCERN I HAVE WITH US REVISITING RIGHT NOW IS ARE WE SETTING A PRECEDENT FOR ANY TIME WE MAKE A DECISION THAT SOMEONE DOESN'T LIKE THAT, THAT'S GONNA BE REOPENED? BECAUSE NONE OF THE FACT THAT CIRCUMSTANCES HAVE CHANGED, EVERYTHING'S IN FRONT OF US JUST LIKE IT WAS, AND NOW WE'RE REVISITING, THAT'S NOT A REASON NOT TO DO ANYTHING.
BUT I WANT TO JUST BE CAREFUL OF THE PRECEDENT THAT WE ARE SITTING, THAT EVERY TIME ANYBODY COMES IN FRONT OF US OR WE DO ANYTHING, ANYBODY, MAY I, I DON'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU, BUT I, I, I JUST DO WANNA MAKE IT CLEAR FOR THE RECORD, MR. DIGS DID NOT ASK US AS A COMMISSION TO REVISIT THIS ISSUE, UH, THIS COMMISSION A A AS AS LAST, UH, LAST MEETINGS MINUTES WERE REVIEWED, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER PARAGO ACTUALLY REQUESTED THIS, UH, THIS ITEM BE PUT BACK ON THE AGENDA FOR RECONSIDERATION.
UH, SO AS WE REVIEWED IT, THE COMMISSION ACTUALLY SAID WE'D LIKE TO RECONSIDER AND REVIEW THIS ACTION.
OKAY? UH, AND NOT JUST MR. PARAGUAY, BUT A BUT A MAJORITY OF THE COMMISSION ACTUALLY ASKED TO REVIEW THIS.
AND SO I THINK WHENEVER THAT HAPPENS, THE PRECEDENT MIGHT OUGHT TO BE SET THAT WHENEVER, UH, WHENEVER THE COMMISSION HAS MADE AN ACTION THAT NEEDS TO BE REVIEWED, IT WAS PUT BACK ON THE AGENDA TO TO, TO DO THAT.
I DON'T THINK, HOWEVER, AND I SEE YOUR HAND, I I DON'T THINK, HOWEVER, THAT WHENEVER A CITIZEN COMPLAINS ABOUT WHAT WE DO, THAT, THAT, THAT'S THE PRECEDENT WE'RE SETTING HERE AT ALL.
'CAUSE I WANT TO MAKE IT VERY, VERY CLEAR FOR THE RECORD THAT, UH, MR. DIGGS DID NOT COME BACK FOR A FOURTH TIME SINCE 2022 AND ASK US, UH, TO RECONSIDER HIS, HIS, UH, TO, TO RECONSIDER HIS REQUEST.
OKAY? THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
JUST AS A POINT, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER PARAGO HAD REQUESTED THAT IT BE PUT BACK AS A CONSIDERATION.
BUT WHAT I DID, BECAUSE I WAS NOT PRESENT AT THE ORIGINAL, UM, PRESENTATION OF MR. DIGS AND I WAS THERE FOR, FOR HIS LAST PRESENTATION, I WENT BACK AND I REVIEWED, AND THAT'S WHY I HAD THOSE QUESTIONS WAS BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING, UH, AT THE TIME THAT HE WAS THERE LAST.
AND SO THAT WAS WHY I ASKED THOSE QUESTIONS.
'CAUSE I NEED CLARIFICATION, SO TO MAKE SURE.
SO I AM GLAD THAT YOU MADE THAT, THAT BROUGHT THIS TO THE, TO THE COMMISSION FOR CONSIDERATION.
THE, THE ONLY THING THAT I'LL ADD TO THIS IS THIS, THIS, ALL THIS PROCESS IS CLOUDED IN MY MIND, OUR ROLE IS IT TO GET PROPERTY ON THE TAX ROLL IS THAT OUR OBJECTIVE, REGARDLESS OF WHAT MAY HAPPEN, RIGHT? 'CAUSE WE'RE FACING THAT, WE'RE FACING THAT NOW WITH CITY AND CITY COUNTY PROPERTIES.
THERE IS NO REVIEW, NO RESTRICTIONS ON PROPERTY USE AT ALL.
SO ALL THEY'RE INTERESTED IN IS GETTING MONEY.
THE PROPERTIES BACK ON THE TAX ROLL.
NOW, IS THAT WHAT WE'RE, DOES THAT ALSO COME TO US? WHEREAS OUR, SOME OF OUR OVERRIDING GOALS AND OUR REDEVELOPMENT PLAN IS FOR HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOOD ELIMINATION OF BLIGHT AND SO FORTH LIKE THAT.
BUT WE SEEM TO BE LEANING TOWARDS A PRIORITY OF HELL JUST, JUST GET IT ON, GET IT ON THE TAX ROLL THAT THAT'S ALL THE CITY WANTS US TO DO.
I'LL SPEAK FIRST TO THAT QUESTION AND UH, IF I, IF I NEGLECT ANY, ANY PART OF A COMPLETE ANSWER, YOU WOULD BACK ME UP.
UM, WHAT, WHAT I WOULD, WHAT I WOULD SAY IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID.
ONLY I I I WOULD, I WOULD DEFINE
[01:50:01]
IT A LITTLE BIT MORE NUANCE.OUR ROLE IS REDEVELOPMENT, UH, UH, COMMISSION STATUTORILY IS TO REDUCE OR DECREASE BLIGHT IN THE REDEVELOPMENT ZONE.
WHAT I WILL ALSO SAY IN AS A NUANCE IS THAT A VACANT LOT THAT IS UP KEPT BY A PRIVATE CITIZEN AND WELL, AND WELL MANICURED IS NOT BLIGHT.
SO IN FACT, GETTING, GETTING, GETTING LAND ON THE TAX ROLL HELD BY A PRIVATE CITIZEN THAT IS INVESTED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU HAVE DONE YOUR JOB OF DECREASING LIFE.
DO WE, DO WE HAVE THE PRIORITY OF INCREASING HOUSING STOCK? YES.
GOAL NUMBER TWO AND REDEVELOPMENT PLAN, UH, CLEARLY STATE THAT.
IS THAT THE ONLY THING THAT WE'RE DOING? UH, I DON'T THINK SO.
AS HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID AROUND THE TABLE THIS MORNING, OUR JOB IS MUCH, MUCH BIGGER.
IS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, IS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS ACCESS, UH, AND IT IS BEAUTIFICATION IN, IN, IN, IN THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN.
OUR JOB IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE PARCELS OF LAND ARE PRODUCTIVE PARCELS OF LAND FOR THE COMMUNITY AND DECREASED BLIGHT.
AND SO A VACANT LOT IS NOT LIKE IN AND OF ITSELF A VACANT LOT THAT'S USED THAT THAT'S TAKING UP PUBLIC FUNDS TO, TO KEEP BEAUTIFUL, THAT MIGHT BE CONSIDERED LIKE, SO THAT'S WHAT I'LL SAY.
ANYTHING TO ADD? AND I FEEL LIKE THAT IS, THAT HAS BEEN OUR, OUR MISSION SINCE THE BEGINNING IS WE ARE THE, THE, I MEAN, DON'T WANT TO OVERDO IT, BUT WHAT KIND OF THE MORAL COMPASS OF THE DEVELOPMENT AREA OF TRYING TO MEET COMMUNITY, UM, GOALS OF PROVIDING GOOD QUALITY HOUSING, PROVIDING, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT AND PROVIDING, BRINGING COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS HEALTH AND WELLNESS ENTITIES.
IT'S NOT JUST A HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER, BUT IT'S IMPROVING THE, IMPROVING THE NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVES EVERYBODY'S MENTAL HEALTH.
I DO BELIEVE, I THINK WE ALL THINK THAT THAT'S WHY WE'RE ON THIS COMMISSION.
UM, BECAUSE AS REGGIE SAID, ENTITIES LIKE THE STATE, CITY, AND COUNTY, AND LIKE KIP SAID, THEY'RE, THEY WANT THE, THE TAX MONEY.
THE BANKS THAT ARE GIVEN THE GREAT MONEY FOR ALL THIS DEVELOPMENT, THEY ARE NOT DOING IT.
THEY DO NOT CARE WHO LIVES IN THOSE HOUSES.
THEY'RE DOING IT BECAUSE IT'S A MONEY MAKER, RIGHT? SO WE'RE THE, THE ENTITY THAT'S TRYING TO MAKE IT MATTER TO OUR COMMUNITY.
'CAUSE WE LIVE HERE IN NEWLAND.
UM, AND, AND THAT, SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A, A BALANCE BEING.
WE ARE WALKING AND HAVE WALKED FOR FIVE YEARS AND THAT'S WHY WE I THINK ARE, UM, ACCUSED OF NOT SEEING THE ACTION THAT SOME ENTITIES WANT US TO SEE.
UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE A, UH, VALUE SYSTEM THAT WE'RE TRYING TO IMPLEMENT WHEN WE'RE MAKING THESE DECISIONS.
AND WHEN WE SELL A LOT, WE, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT RESTRICTIONS, ABOUT JUNK CARS AND ALL THE OTHER STUFF THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ELIMINATE THAT'S PART OF THE LIGHTING OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND ARE WE, WE'VE GOT, SEEMS THAT WE'VE GOTTEN CROSS CROSSWISE WITH THE CITY'S OBJECTIVE OF JUST GETTING TACTICAL MONEY ON THE TAX ROLL.
'CAUSE WHEN THEY TOOK OVER OUR REVIEW OF, OF SALES AND PROPERTIES AND, AND, AND ELIMINATED IN ALL PURPOSES THE ABILITY TO CONTROL WHAT HAPPENS ON THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY, WE'RE GETTING A LITTLE CROSSWIRED.
AND, AND PERHAPS WHAT YOU DO IN THINKING ABOUT PROCESSES IS PERHAPS YOU REQUEST FOR THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN TO GIVE YOU THAT OVERSIGHT ABILITY AGAIN.
NOW, I'LL SAY THAT WHEN A PROCESS TAKES 6, 9, 12 MONTHS TO COMPLETE, UM, I, I DON'T THINK OUR PUBLIC OFFICIALS WOULD BE VERY INCLINED TO TURN OVER OVERSIGHT WHEN IT TAKES SO LONG FOR CITIZENS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS.
HOWEVER, ONCE YOU, YOU KNOW, REVIEW YOUR PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES AND GET THINGS STREAMLINED AND VERY CLEAR AND SIMPLE FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND AND PARTICIPATE AND SHOW THAT PEOPLE CAN COMPLETE IT IN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME, THEN PERHAPS THERE MIGHT BE SOME APPETITE TO REVISIT THAT DECISION.
I, I THINK TOO, PUTTING THE RESTRICTIONS ON IT AT ZEV, I THINK IT WAS YOU AND I THAT HAD THIS CONVERSATION, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A BROADER CONVERSATION ON WHETHER IT'S PRUDENT FOR EVERY PIECE OF PROPERTY TO PUT THE LOW INCOME TAG.
'CAUSE I THINK YOU, YOU WANT TO BRING A MIXED GROUP OF PEOPLE AND INCOMES IN WHATEVER TO THE AREA.
SO I'M NOT SURE THAT IT MAKES SENSE TO TAG EVERY PROPERTY WITH YOU HAVE TO BE LOW INCOME.
[01:55:01]
POLICING THAT LONG TERM AND ALL OF THE ABOVEBUT, BUT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO BUILD A UH, WE DON'T WANT IT TO JUST BE, YOU KNOW, HIGH INCOME PEOPLE COME MOVE IN TO BE CLOSE TO THE RIVER.
YOU KNOW, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT WHAT WE SORT OF WANT TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE THE AREA AND WHAT IT'S BEEN HISTORICALLY.
BUT IS THAT THE BEST WAY TO GET THERE? I THINK THAT'S, I I THINK IT WAS YOU BEST.
IT WAS, UH, DIVERSITY IN EVERY WAY.
DATA HAS SHOWN IS BY FAR THE BEST WAY TO DEVELOP LONG TERM YES.
AND I LOVE THE CONVERSATIONS WE'RE HAVING 'CAUSE THIS IS OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION, BUT WE DO HAVE THE MOTION AND THE SECOND ON THE TABLE.
SO ARE THERE ANY OTHER CONCERNS ABOUT, AND IF TO SUMMARIZE IT, IT'S REMOVING THE TIME RESTRICTION FROM MR. D***S? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND THAT WOULD MAKE THE PROPERTY HIS, HE WOULD CLOSE ON IT AND FROM HIS PRESENTATION HE PLANS TO BUILD.
BUT HE DOES NOT KNOW IF THE TIMEFRAME WILL ALLOW HIM TO PAY ALL THE LEGAL EXPENSES AND BUILD IN THE TIME, RIGHT? CORRECT.
JUST WANNA GET SOMETHING STRAIGHT REAL QUICK.
THIS RESOLUTION CAME FROM KE HE INITIATED IT.
DOES THAT MEAN, DOES THAT CHANGE HOW YOU LORD, WELL IT, IT OBVIOUSLY TO UM, WOW.
WHAT'S UPSET? IT, IT WAS A CONCERN THAT COMMISSIONERS HAD AFTER OUR MEETING WAS OVER, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CAN'T DO EVERYTHING IN AN HOUR AND A HALF.
WE TRIED TO GET OUTTA THERE IN AN HOUR AND EVERY, IT SOUNDED GOOD AT THE TIME AND EVERYBODY SAID, YEAH, WE'LL GIVE YOU SOME MORE TIME.
AND THEN WE THOUGHT, WELL MAYBE THAT'S NOT ENOUGH.
SO I, I, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE.
AND, UH, RESOLUTION CARRIES MOVING FORWARD.
UM, THE NEXT THING WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS SOMETHING THAT I KIND OF INTIMATED WHEN WE'RE SWITCHING.
I FEEL LIKE WE, WE, WE JUST HAVE COME TO A DIFFERENT PLACE AND HOW WE GET WORK DONE AND WHERE WE GET WORK DONE.
YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT OUR MISSION, OUR FIVE, UM, GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR REALLY FOR US TO CREATE OUR MISSION STATEMENT AND THE REDEVELOPMENT AREAS.
SO I THINK, UM, AND I'M ADDING INTO THIS, I THINK WE SHOULD START OUR MEETINGS WITH OUR MISSION STATEMENT NOW.
AND WHAT I REALLY WANNA SAY IS MAYBE WE OUGHT TO ALSO LOOK AT OUR WORK GROUPS.
BECAUSE OUR WORK GROUPS WERE BASED ON THOSE THREE AREAS OF OUR, UM, MISSION STATEMENT, YOU KNOW, HEALTH AND WELLNESS, IMPROVING THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND PROVIDING HOUSING.
AND ALL OF THAT'S UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF BLIGHT OF REDUCING BLIGHT.
AND I FEEL LIKE WE'RE GONNA HAVE, MAYBE IT IS JUST LISTENING TO REGGIE THIS MORNING AND, AND BEING KIND OF EXCITED ABOUT PROJECTS, SEEING THE WALT BELLAMY PROJECTS COME TO FRUITION.
I FEEL LIKE WE MIGHT BE MOVING INTO A PLACE WHERE WE NEED, UM, TEAMS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST GONNA TAKE ON A SITUATION, HANDLE IT, REPORT TO US, WE ASK THEM QUESTIONS AND THEN THEY'RE DONE.
UM, AND I FEEL LIKE OUR PROPOSAL PROPOSED, WHATEVER WHAT YOU'RE DOING, SARAH
AND, AND THAT'S WHY WE WOULD HAVE SEPARATE MEETINGS.
YOU KNOW, LET ME BACK UP IN HISTORY WHEN WE STARTED ON THE COMMISSION, THOSE OF YOU HAVE BEEN ON HERE SINCE INCEPTION.
DO YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST YEAR AND A HALF? WE MET EVERY TWO WEEKS BECAUSE THAT'S HOW MUCH TIME IT TAKES TO GET SOMETHING DONE.
AND EVERYBODY SAID THIS IS TAKING TOO MUCH TIME.
SO WE STARTED WORK GROUPS AND IN YOUR WORK GROUPS MET AT A BETTER PLACE IN TIME THAN COMING HERE EVERY NIGHT.
YOU KNOW, WHATEVER WORKED FOR YOU.
AND THEN PEOPLE HAVE COME OFF THE COMMISSION, COME BACK ON THE COMMISSION AND THERE'S BEEN CONFUSION OF WHERE DO I FIT IN A WORK GROUP.
SO I FEEL LIKE WE ADDRESS PROJECTS HEAD ON WITH SOMEBODY WHO HAS MAYBE THE EXPERTISE IN THAT SUBJECT MATTER AND EXPERIENCE AND, YOU KNOW, THE HISTORY OF THE HISTORY IN THE AREA, UM, EXPERIENCE WITH CITY OFFICIALS, EXPERIENCE WITH WHATEVER THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT IS.
UM, AND I I, I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO THAT KIND OF, UM, WORKING SESSION.
'CAUSE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH TIME FOR US TO GET ANYTHING DONE.
IF WE MEET ONCE A MONTH FOR AN HOUR, AN HOUR AND A HALF, WHAT I WOULD LIKE OUR MEETINGS TO BE IS HEARING WHAT THE WORK GROUPS OR THE, THE PROJECT TEAMS, I'D LIKE TO USE THE WORD TEAMS. THE TEAMS OF PEOPLE ARE DOING THE REPORT TO US.
WE HAVE QUESTIONS TO THEM EVERY TIME.
UM, I SAY, I REALLY WANT TO DO THAT
[02:00:01]
TOO.HOW CAN I JOIN YOUR TEAM? YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO RULES THAT YOU CAN ONLY BE ON ONE TEAM OR ANOTHER TEAM, BUT THAT'S HOW WE'RE GONNA GET PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE EXPERTISE AND THE EXPERIENCE TO WORK TOGETHER, I THINK.
AND I DON'T HAVE THE PERFECT PLAN.
LIKE, SO RIGHT NOW, LET'S RAISE YOUR HAND.
WHICH ONE DO YOU WANT TO BE ON? BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT SOME OTHER PROJECTS AND IF, YOU KNOW, I'M AN ARCHITECT, I STILL LIKE DOING THE, THE BUILDING PART OF THE PROJECT, BUT I ALSO KNOW A LOT OF CITY OFFICIALS 'CAUSE I'M AN ARCHITECT AND I'VE, I'VE BEEN IN THE INSPECTIONS OFFICE AND OTHER BEFORE THE ALDERMAN, ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
SO I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT SKILL SETS LOOKING READ.
MADAM CHAIR, I'D JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT THE MEMO ATTACHED TO THIS COVER SHEET DOES GOING TO A LITTLE BIT OF DETAIL ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HISTORICAL WORKING GROUPS, PROCEDURALLY HOW THEY WORK, UH, AND THE, THE NEW PROPOSED, UH, PROJECT TEAMS AS AD HOC GROUPS BROUGHT TOGETHER SPECIFICALLY TO UNDERTAKE A SPECIFIC PROJECT WITHIN THE REDEVELOPMENT ZONE.
THESE GROUPS ARE GENERALLY INTERDISCIPLINARY, THUS ALLOWING THE GROUP TO ACHIEVE HOLISTIC AND SHARED GOALS.
WE WANT TO SAY EXPERIENCE PAIRED WITH EXPERTISE YIELDS EFFECTIVE OUTCOMES.
THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO BE AS A COMMISSION.
UM, AND SO THERE'S A, THERE'S A PROCEDURAL, UM, UH, RUNDOWN IN, IN THAT MEMO AS WELL.
AND SO I BELIEVE THAT THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE, UH, THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE ASKING FOR A MOTION ON TO SWITCH TO PROJECT TEAMS INSTEAD OF WORKING GROUPS.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS, THAT IS CORRECT.
IT SOME THERE FEEL LIKE I WAS KIND OF ALL OVER THE PLACE.
I WOULD LIKE TO ADD MADAM CHAIR, THAT, UH, IN THE PROPOSED RULES AND PROCEDURE, PAGE 12 OF 14, UM, THERE IS A RULE THAT'S PROPOSED FURTHER CODIFYING, UH, THE PROJECT GROUPS TO PUSH PROJECT TEAMS TO SEE WHAT IT LOOK LIKE.
UM, WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT, UM, THE OPEN MEETING AS WELL.
'CAUSE YOU ARE A PUBLIC BODY, YOU DON'T WANT MORE THAN MORE THAN FOUR PEOPLE ON A TEAM AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT.
UM, AND THAT THE GROUP WOULD TERMINATE UPON THE COMPLETION OF A PROJECT.
SO WHEREAS, UM, WORKING GROUPS WERE STANDING, UM, THESE WOULD BE VERY ACTION SPECIFIC AND TARGETED, UM, GROUPS TO COMPLETE PROJECTS.
I DO AGREE WITH MADAM CHAIR FIRST WHOLEHEARTEDLY.
MAYBE I DO HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL IN FRONT OF ME, WHICH YOU WILL HEAR ABOUT LATER.
BUT MY QUESTION IS, IF YOU DO HAVE THE FOUR TEAM MEMBER, FOUR 14 MEMBER GROUP, WOULD THEY BE ABLE TO SAY, OKAY, NOW WE NEED AN ALL HANDS ON DECK FOR A SPECIFIC PROJECT AND IT ENTERTAIN THE, I MEAN, AND IT CONTAIN THE WHOLE COMMISSION.
I, I THINK, AND, AND MADAM CHAIR, PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
UM, THE IDEA OF THE PROJECT GROUP IS FOR, FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS IN THAT GROUP TO WORK ON THOSE ADVANCING THOSE PROJECTS BETWEEN MEETINGS AND THEN AT THE REGULAR MEETING OR WHENEVER YOU ALL GET TOGETHER AS A WHOLE, WE WOULD REPORT BACK AND GET EVERYBODY'S INPUT AND BUY-IN.
AND IF THERE WERE TIMES WHERE THE WHOLE GROUP NEEDED TO TAKE ACTION, YOU WOULD HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY DURING THE REGULAR MEETINGS.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE, UM, WE CAN DO THINGS AS AN ENTIRE COMMISSION, I MEAN, WORK ON A PROJECT TOGETHER, BUT, UM, THIS IS TO HELP GET THE WORK DONE IN BETWEEN OUR MEETINGS.
OKAY, DO THE HOMEWORK, DO THE HOMEWORK, DO THE LEGWORK, AND THEN COME BACK, BRING IT BACK AND SEE WHAT, AND THEN YOU MIGHT SAY, WELL, WE NEED SOME, I I NEED YOUR LEGAL COUNSEL.
JAMIE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING HERE.
YOU KNOW, WE COULD DO THAT OUTSIDE OF OUR COMMISSION MEETING.
'CAUSE AS YOU'VE REMINDED US, AND I APPRECIATE IT, ALL OF OUR EMAILS TO EACH OTHER ARE PUBLIC INFORMATION AS WELL.
YOUR EMAILS TO ONE ANOTHER CONCERNING COMMISSION BUSINESS OR PUBLIC RECORDS? MM-HMM.
THAT'S WHY I SAID SMOKE CITY
UH, JUST AS A, AS AN EXAMPLE OF SUCCESS FOR, FOR PROJECT GROUPS, I WANNA SAY OUT LOUD, THE PROJECT GROUP THAT BROUGHT TOGETHER AND MAKE TODAY HAPPEN WAS LED BY COMMISSIONER JULIUS PARHAM.
AND WE WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO, TO YOU FOR YOUR DILIGENT WORK, UH, WITH, WITH STAFF AND THE PROJECT GROUP FOR THE RULES OF PROCEDURES TO GET THAT DRAFTED INTO US WAS LED BY SARAH PROCTOR.
AND WE WANT TO CONGRATULATE AND THANK YOU, UH, FOR THE HARD WORK.
AND, AND BOTH OF THOSE, THEY USED THE WORD TIME BOUND GOALS BECAUSE IT TOOK ME SO LONG.
UH, BUT AFTER TODAY, THERE WILL BE NO, THERE WILL NO LONGER BE A STRATEGIC PLANNING PROJECT, UH, TEAM, BECAUSE WE HAD OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION AND THE ROP THE RULES AND PROCEDURES HAVE BEEN, WILL HAVE BEEN, UH, UH, RECOMMENDED TO, UH, RECOMMENDED TO THE COMMISSION.
SO THAT'S HOW THEY'LL WORK IN PRACTICALITY.
AND WE'VE ALREADY SEEN THEM WORK.
[02:05:01]
UH, CHAIR COMMAND CHAIRPERSON, YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A MOTION RIGHT NOW.I AM LOOKING FOR A MOTION TO, UM, AND I BELIEVE TO GO WITH THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT WE HAVE DRAFTED, THAT WE WOULD HAVE PROJECT TEAMS RATHER THAN STANDING WORK GROUPS.
I THINK THE LANGUAGE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR IS A MOTION TO ABOLISH WORKING THE EXISTING WORKING GROUPS AND TRANSITION TO PROJECT GROUPS.
SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND AND MORE DISCUSSION ON THE ISSUE.
WILL I STILL BE ABLE TO MAKE A REPORT TODAY ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE IT WON'T BE A NEIGHBORHOOD WORKING GROUP, BUT STILL SHARE WITH WHAT HAS TAKEN PLACE AND WITH THE DIRECTION THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD SHOULD GROW.
THERE UNDER, UH, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.
OR I COULD MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THAT AFTER YOU MAKE YOUR SPEECH
BUT I WOULD BE, I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION.
UH, WOULD IT BE PERMISSIBLE TO WORK MORE ON MORE THAN ONE GROUP OR, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
THE QUESTION WAS, CAN YOU WORK ON MORE THAN A GROUP? AND I, I WOULD SAY I DON'T SEE WHY YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO.
I MEAN, IT IS NOT RIGHT IF YOUR TIME PERMITS.
IF YOUR TIME PERMITS, YOU KNOW THAT EVERYONE SHOULD PROBABLY SERVE ON AT LEAST ONE.
EVERYONE SHOULD DISTINCTION SERVE ON ONE COMING DOWN THE LEFT AT LEAST ONE.
SECOND, IF THAT'S ALL THE CONVERSATION, THEN I'LL DO A VOICE, VOICE VOTE TO ABOLISH THE, UM, WORKING GROUPS AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT GROUPS.
AND I STILL LIKE THE WORD TEAM, SO I'M GONNA USE IT EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT WRITTEN THAT WAY.
SO WE'LL MOVE FORWARD WITH THE NEW STRUCTURE THERE.
UM, WHICH LEADS US, THAT'S A GOOD SEGUE INTO THE ADOPTION OF THE RULES OF PROCEDURE THAT SARAH PROCTOR HAS BEEN WORKING ON.
SO I'M GONNA LET YOU KIND OF OVERVIEW THAT FOR THE COMMISSION, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
UM, SO WE, WHEN WE FIRST TALKED ABOUT THESE SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, I THINK OUR MAIN CONCERN WAS THEY'RE KIND OF LONG, WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT A FOOT FAULT.
UM, SO WHEN OUR GROUP MET, UM, KI SHARON AND I AND ZB, UM, WE JUST TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD ALL SORT OF READ THEM A LOT MORE CLOSELY AND WE WERE LIKE, WELL, THEY REALLY SET OUT SORT OF EXACTLY WHAT THAT DOES.
THERE'S A, THERE'S A BIG SECTION IN THE MIDDLE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE CHAIRPERSON'S ROLE IN THE DEBATE AND HOW, HOW OUR MEETINGS GO.
SO EVEN THOUGH THEY DO SEEM SORT OF LONG AND PERHAPS DAUNTING 'CAUSE WHAT IF WE MESS SOMETHING UP? I REALLY THINK THEY'RE INTENDED TO, YOU KNOW, SET OUT WHAT WE ALREADY DO AND CLARIFY SOME OTHER, YOU KNOW, AREAS THAT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN IN WRITING.
UM, SO I DIDN'T MAKE THAT MANY CHANGES.
I REARRANGED SOME THINGS 'CAUSE THAT'S HOW MY BRAIN WORKS.
BUT REALLY IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, PRETTY CLOSE TO THE ORIGINAL.
THE FEW, UM, THINGS I'LL NOTE IS I STILL HAD SORT OF BLANKS ON RULE EIGHT ITEMS. THAT PAGE, UH, PAGE FIVE OF 14, RULE EIGHT.
UM, THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT REQUIRE A ROLL CALL VOTE.
UM, AND I THINK WE'LL STILL LOOK TO JAMIE SOMETIMES FOR, FOR WHAT, YOU KNOW, SHOULD WE DO A ROLL CALL ON THIS? 'CAUSE SOME THINGS JUST SEEM TO, YOU KNOW, RISE TO THE LEVEL SO THAT THAT'S WHAT NUMBER THREE IS FOR.
UM, NUMBER TWO IS ABOUT THE EXPENDITURES.
AND I DON'T KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, IS EVER JAMIE, MAYBE YOU GUYS HAVE MORE THOUGHTS, BUT THIS USED TO SAY A THOUSAND DOLLARS AND I THINK WE SORT OF WENT AWAY WITH THAT.
'CAUSE WE PRETTY MUCH WHAT WE DO, YOU KNOW, FOLLOWS OUR BUDGET THAT'S APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN ANYWAY.
'CAUSE WE'RE PART OF THEIR BUDGET.
SO I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF WE NEED TO FILL THIS IN OR WHAT WE NEED TO FILL IT IN WITH.
BUT THAT'S JUST, I THINK, I DON'T THINK WE WANT TO APPROVE THESE WITH BLANK.
SO WHAT, WHAT WAS THAT MS PART? UH, SORRY.
RULE EIGHT EIGHT AT NUMBER TWO.
IT'S JUST TALKING ABOUT A ROLL CALL VOTE TO APPROVE AN EXPENDITURE NOT INCLUDED IN OUR BUDGET OR IN EXCESS OF BLANK DOLLARS OR BLANK PERCENT ABOVE THE BUDGETED AMOUNT.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, I THINK OUR BUDGET ALLOWS FOR 10% OR DOES IT NOT? I WOULD, I'LL TELL YOU THIS.
SO BACK IN THE DAY, UM, BEFORE THE COMMISSION HAD A ROBUST BUDGET MM-HMM,
THOSE WERE NOT SPECIFICALLY ITEMIZED IN THE BUDGET AND THEY NEEDED TO ACTUALLY TO BE TAKEN.
[02:10:02]
A MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE FOR THOSE OF US WHO WERE STILL HERE.SO I THINK, UM, THAT THAT ITEM IS INCLUDED IN THE EVENT THAT AN EXPENDITURE COMES UP THAT WAS NOT ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE BUDGETING PROCESS.
SO IT IS A SUPER DUPER FAIL SAFE THAT YOU MAY DETERMINE IS NOT NEEDED.
UM, BUT IT'S INCLUDED BASED ON, UM, A VERY MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE THAT WE HAD, UM, BEFORE WE HAD A ROBUST BUDGET.
I BELIEVE IF, IF, IF MEMORY SERVES ME CORRECTLY ALSO, OR PAST, UH, PAST ACTION OF THIS COMMISSION, UH, YOU DELEGATED UP TO A THOUSAND DOLLARS, UH, OF EXPENDITURE TO, TO BE ABLE TO BE MADE BY THE STAFF, UH, WITH, WITHOUT HAVING TO COME TO, TO THE BOARD.
EASY APPLICATION OF THAT HAD THAT RULE NOT BEEN IN THERE.
UH, YOU ALL WOULD NOT HAVE FOOD TODAY BECAUSE I WOULD'VE HAD TO COME TO YOU WITH A QUOTE, UH, HOW MUCH THE FOOD COSTS, UH, TO, TO TO GET YOUR PERMISSION TO SPEND, UH, THE THE FUND, THE WHATEVER TO, TO GET FOOD TO YOU ALL.
SO THAT, THAT, THAT IN MY VIEW JUST GIVES A CLEAR, UH, CLEAR GUIDELINE TO WHAT YOU ALL ARE WILLING TO, UH, DELEGATE AND ENTRUST TO THE STAFF PERSON TO USE COMMON SENSE OUTSIDE THE ITEMIZED BUDGET.
UH, BUT I DO AGREE, UH, THAT IF WE'RE GONNA PUBLISH THESE AND, UM, MAKE THESE ARE STANDING RULES WE NEED TO HAVE YES.
IS TO STRIKE THAT FROM THE, I WAS GONNA SAY, DO WE NEED A ROLL CALL? UH, YOU TELL ME, DO WE NEED A ROLL CALL FOR A, YOU KNOW, LARGER EXPENDITURE? IF WE DON'T NEED A ROLL CALL, TAKE IT OUT OF THE MANDATORY ROLL CALL AND WE'LL HANDLE IT AS IT COMES.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S ENTIRELY FOR YOU ALL TO DECIDE.
UM, WOULD IT BE PRUDENT, LIKE FROM A PUBLIC, FROM A PUBLIC STANDPOINT, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IT, SPENDING MONEY? YEAH.
IT MAY BE GOOD TO HAVE A VERY CLEAR RECORD OF WHERE EVERYONE STOOD AS FAR AS THE PROGRAM.
SO THEN WE SHOULD FILL IN NUMBERS IN THERE TO MAKE IT A NUMBER PERCENTAGE.
I WASN'T A THOUSAND OR 10% JUST COMES TO MIND, BUT PERCENT MAKES MORE SENSE TO ME.
'CAUSE WHAT IF OUR BUDGET IS A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT OR A BUYING A CHICK-FIL-A LIKE THERE COULD BE A VERY BIG, LIKE A THOUSAND DOLLARS IS, IF IT'S A HUGE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, IT MAY MAKE SENSE FOR IT TO BE $2,000.
SO PERCENT MAKES MORE SENSE TO ME, BUT 10% ABOVE PURCHASING AMOUNT.
10% ON A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT OR A LARGE PROJECT IS ANYTHING ABOVE 10% IS, I MEAN, 10% IS GETTING IN A SIGNIFICANT RANGE.
MAYBE IT'S SMALLER, MAYBE IT'S FIVE OR SEVEN.
BUT I JUST, THAT'S THOUGHTS ON THIS SIDE OF THE TABLE.
MONEY, MAN, WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? PROJECT BUDGETS OR THE COMMISSION BUDGET? I MEAN, THE COMMISSION BUDGET WE HAD WE APPROVED WAS $50,000.
SO I MEAN, WE'RE NOT THAT EASY.
SO MAYBE, BUT THE PROJECT BUDGETS ARE A DIFF YOU KNOW, SOMEWHAT A DIFFERENT BALL WAX ALTOGETHER.
SO EXPENDITURES WOULD COME UNDER PROJECT BUDGETS.
SO FOR INSTANCE, WHEN I MEET WITH, UH, YESTERDAY AND WE TOURED DEWALT BELLAMY, UH, DEWALT BELLAMY, UH, SITES AND UM, THE SITE MANAGER HAD A QUESTION OF DO WE GO WITH LOCKING UH, LOCKING ROOF ACCESSES THAT COST APPROXIMATELY $48 MORE THAN A NON LOCKING, UH, MECHANISM.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU GUYS WANT ME TO MAKE THE, THE ST SITE MANAGER WAIT A MONTH SO I CAN COME AND ASK YOU ALL.
AND SO 'CAUSE OF THE 48 BUCKS, I SAID, PLEASE GO AHEAD AND DO DO WHAT YOU NORMALLY, BUT, BUT WITHIN THAT PROJECT BUDGET THAT WE APPROVED, WE ADDED 10% EXTRA CONTINGENCY IN IT.
SO YOU'RE STILL WITHIN YEAH, YEAH.
THAT'S A BIG, SO TO YOUR POINT, IF IT COMES, IF EXPENDITURES COME WITH PROJECTS, YOU MAY, YOU ALL MAY ELECT TO DO THAT PER PROJECT, UH, INSTEAD OF HAVING A STANDING A STANDARD PERCENTAGE.
SO YOU MAY OPT TO, TO STRIKE THAT OR IT'S JUST TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
IT MIGHT BE AS A FLAT ALL EXPENSES UNDER A THOUSAND DOLLARS.
AND THEN AS A AGREED UPON PERCENTAGE OF A PROJECT BUDGET, 'CAUSE THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT EXPENDITURES IN MY OPINION THERE.
OR YOU DID PUT THE ANNUAL COMMISSION BUDGET.
THE FIRST PART IS APPROVAL OF AN EXPENDITURE NOT INCLUDED IN THE COMMISSION'S BUDGET.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF WHAT, LIKE OUTSIDE OF THE THOUSAND WE ALREADY GIVE YOU
[02:15:01]
FOR WHATEVER.SO THAT'S THE, SO MAYBE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STRIKING THE SECOND HALF, IS THAT WHAT WE'RE THINKING? 'CAUSE WE KIND OF ALREADY THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING.
AND, AND SO AS A PROJECT COMES UP, WE CAN MAKE THAT DETERMINATION THAT EACH PROJECT, IF THIS IS GOING TO BE OVER 10% AND FIND IT'S NOT WORKING, IS THAT FEELING LIKE HE'S HAVING TO COME BACK TO US ALL THE TIME CAN JUST AMEN.
THIS SECTION, IT'S HARD TO FORESEE EVERYTHING THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
SO MAYBE WE JUST STRIKE EVERYTHING AFTER OR AND LEAVE THE FIRST PART AND IF THAT IS NOT WORKING, WE CAN REVISIT HIM A FEW MONTHS OR, OKAY.
AND THEN BETH ON NINE I, I ADDED THIS LANGUAGE THAT, AND THEN I THOUGHT ABOUT IT AS I WAS READING IT THIS MORNING.
IS THIS TOO STRICT? THE PRESIDING OFFICER, WHAT TALKING ABOUT WILL RESTATE THE INITIAL MOTION AND AFTER A SECOND'S BEEN OBTAINED, OPEN FLORIDA DEBATE, NO SECONDS OBTAINED, THE MOTION FAILS.
'CAUSE THIS IS LITERALLY JUST TALKING ABOUT OUR PROCESS OF DEBATE.
BUT THEN I SAID IT SHALL RESTATE TOO STRICT.
LIKE WHAT AND FOOTFALL THINKING LIKE WHAT IF BETH DOESN'T EXACTLY RESTATE IT? SO IS THAT SOMETHING WE CAN COME UP WITH LIKE FLUFFY LANGUAGE THERE OR SOMETHING? IF WE, THAT WAS JUST ONE.
I, I WOULD SAY SHOULD, UM, 'CAUSE VERY OFTEN IN MY OBSERVATION THERE'S ROBUST DISCUSSION, UM, SOMETIMES BETWEEN THE MOTION AND THE SECOND AND SOMETIMES AFTER THE SECOND.
AND PEOPLE MAY NOT HAVE REMEMBERED WHAT THE ORIGINAL MOTION WAS.
SO IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD PRACTICE, UM, TO RESTATE IF, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.
SO INSTEAD OF SHALL PERHAPS SHOULD OKAY THEN JUST POINTING OUT, 'CAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING I DIDN'T KNOW WAS A THING.
SO, UM, 10 A ON PAGE SIX IT SAYS A COMMISSIONER JUST READING LAST SENTENCE.
A COMMISSIONER WHO HAS WITHDRAWN FROM A MEETING WITHOUT BEING EXCUSED BY A MAJORITY VOTE SHALL BE COUNTED AS PRESENT FOR PURPOSES OF DETERMINING A QUORUM.
AND THEN LATER ON, UM, IT SAYS, UH, PAGE NINE OF 14 ON RULE 13.
UM, THAT BASICALLY WE HAVE A DUTY TO VOTE.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T JUST SIT OUT FOR A REASON.
THAT'S NOT A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
SO THE LAST SENTENCE OF 13 SAYS, UM, IF WE'VE WITHDRAWN WITHOUT BEING EXCUSED BY A MAJORITY VOTE, OUR VOTE IS REPORTED AS AN AFFIRMATIVE VOTE.
SO I DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THOSE, THEY'RE JUST, I DIDN'T KNOW THOSE WERE A THING.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP THOSE IN MIND GOING FORWARD.
UM, AND IF I DON'T KNOW WHERE THOSE CAME FROM, IS THAT LIKE A STANDARD PUBLIC BODY THING? IT IT IS, IT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE RULES AND PROCEDURE FROM THE CITY OF NEW BERN.
WHICH IS AN EXTRAPOLATION ABOUT THESE RULES.
AND I, AGAIN, I DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH IT, BUT THAT'S, JUST KNOW IF YOU ARE NOT EXCUSED, YOU'RE GONNA BE IN AFFIRMATIVE VOTE FOR EVERYTHING.
SO LET'S MAKE, YOU KNOW, LET'S MAKE SURE WE'RE HERE AND VOTING OR YOU KNOW, EXCUSED AHEAD OF TIME THAT JUST POINTING IT OUT.
UM, MOTION EIGHT C ON PAGE NINE.
BETH IS THIS, SO IT SAYS ANY AMENDMENT TO A PROPOSED RESO RESOLUTION SHALL BE REDUCED TO WRITING.
AND THEN I ADDED SOME LANGUAGE THERE AND REREAD BEFORE THE VOTE.
AND I GUESS MY ISSUE WAS WITH, I THINK THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE SAID REDUCED TO WRITING.
AND I WAS THINKING, HOW'S ALL THIS GONNA HAPPEN DURING THE MEETING? SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TO A WRITTEN RESOLUTION THAT JAMIE'S ALREADY PREPARED BEFORE THE MEETING.
I THINK YOU'VE TYPICALLY SCRIBBLED 'EM DOWN 'CAUSE YOU'RE THE ONE THAT, YOU'RE THE ONE THAT GOES BACK AND ACTUALLY MAKES THE CHANGES.
BUT IS THAT TO JUST BASICALLY LET'S MAKE SURE HOW THAT PROCESS WORKS IS DRAFTED CORRECTLY BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO AGAIN, AND I SWEAR THERE'S NOT MANY MORE.
WELL, YOU HAVE HIGHLIGHTED ON, ON PAGE 12, YOU WOULD YELLOW BEEN, WHAT WAS THAT ON PAGE 12? A COPY THAT I GOT HAD A LOT OF YELLOW THERE.
THEY WERE JUST QUESTIONS I ASKED FOR JAMIE OR ZEV OR SOMEBODY OR TO LIKE ADD LANGUAGE.
'CAUSE I DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW THE PROCESS AND THEY SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE ASKING, SO THE UM, PROPOSED RESOLUTION NEEDS TO BE YEAH.
WRITTEN AND READ BEFORE IT'S BURDEN ON YEAH.
AND I'M JUST WONDERING, LIKE I SAID BY THE PRESIDING OFFICER, 'CAUSE I JUST, WE JUST NEED TO FIGURE OUT THIS PROCESS AND REREAD BEFORE THE COMMISSION.
BUT IS THAT ACTUALLY, I THINK IT'S BEEN JAMIE THAT'S HISTORICALLY DONE THAT.
SO CAN WE JUST SAY BY HOW DO, LIKE WHAT DO WE SAY THERE? SO HISTORICALLY, IF THERE'S AN AMENDMENT TO A RESOLUTION, UM, LET'S JUST
[02:20:01]
SAY IS A RESOLUTION OF SALE PROPERTY, YOU WANT TO CHANGE THE RE RESTRICTION COVENANT TO ADD OR INCREASE MARKS OR SOMETHING, UM, YOU'LL VOTE TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION WITH AMENDED YEAH.PROVIDED BLAH, BLAH BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
AND EITHER ZEBRA, I WILL MAKE THAT AMENDMENT.
IT'S GENERALLY MINOR OR CLERICAL.
UM, ON THE WRITTEN COPY FOR THE PRESIDING OFFICER.
AND THAT CAN HAPPEN AFTER THE MEETING.
UM, BECAUSE WE'RE LISTENING AND TRYING TO PAY ATTENTION TO SUPPORT YOU DURING.
SO I, HAVING THE RESOLUTION READ ALOUD AS AMENDED DURING THE MEETING IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN DO.
UM, BUT IT, IT MAY PROLONG YOUR MEETINGS IF, IF THERE HAVE TO BE SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES.
UM, BUT WE CAN, WE CAN ACCOMMODATE THAT REQUEST.
WELL I THINK, I MEAN I THINK JAMIE, CAN WE ASK LIKE YOU TO MAKE THIS BETTER AND MAKE IT HAVE IT ACTUALLY LIKE WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
BASICALLY LIKE THE CLERICAL, LIKE IF THERE'S AN AMENDMENT TO A RESOLUTION, WE VOTE ON THE SUBSTANCE OF IT AND GIVE STAFF DIRECTION TO MAKE THE CLERICAL CHANGE AND THEN WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT A WHOLE NOTHER MONTH TO READ.
YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S WHAT I'M, THAT'S WHAT I THINK THAT NEEDS TO SAY.
I DON'T THINK IT NEEDS TO SAY WHAT IT SAYS, BUT I WOULD LOOK TO SOMEONE WHO ASKS THESE THINGS TO MAKE IT BETTER.
SO THIS ONE'S JUST TALKED, WE JUST PUT IN SORT OF COMMISSION BUDGET.
'CAUSE I MEAN, I HAD A QUESTION WHEN I STARTED, WHERE'S OUR BUDGET FROM? SO THIS, YOU KNOW, LET'S WHOEVER'S READING THESE RULES KNOW WE'RE PART OF THE CITY OF NEW BERN.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE PREPARE OURS IN THE SAME MANNER, UM, AS OTHER DEPARTMENTS OF MUNICIPALITY.
AND THEN WE ASK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PREPARES A DRAFT AND WE REVIEW IT.
'CAUSE IS THAT, I GUESS THAT'S HISTORICALLY BEEN OUR PROCESS.
UM, I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT MONTH WE DID THE BUDGET.
IS IT LIKE NOVEMBER? DO YOU HAVE TO ADOPT IT BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR OR? YEAH, SO IN NOVEMBER WHEN WE DID IT LAST YEAR, IT WAS AN AMENDMENT TO, TO THE BUDGET BECAUSE, UH, PREVIOUSLY, UH, IN JUNE WHEN I CAME ON, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I ASKED AS A CONSULTANT IS FOR THE BUDGET.
UH, AND THERE WAS NONE ON FILE.
AND SO WE, WE BEGAN WORKING ON THAT FROM JUNE TO NOVEMBER TO GET ONE, UH, GET AN AMENDMENT DRAFTED.
WE ADOPTED AN AMENDMENT LAST YEAR.
UH, THIS YEAR OUR, OUR BUDGET IS ALREADY IN PROGRESS AND, AND, AND WORKING ON PROJECTION.
AND I HOPE TO HAVE THAT, UH, HAVE THAT HAVE THE COMMISSION SIDE OF, OF THE RAC BUDGET, UH, PRESENTED TO YOU ALL NO LATER THAN MAY.
AND THEN IT WILL TAKE EFFECT JULY ONE.
SO THAT'S THE JULY END OF THE FISCAL YEAR FOR THE CITY IS JUNE 30TH.
CALL AND YOU ALL WOULD NEED TO MAKE ANY REVISIONS, CONSIDERATION OPERATING FEEDBACK BEFORE STAFF PRESENTS IT TO THE GOVERNING BOARD BECAUSE YOUR BUDGET IS INCLUDED IN THE CITY'S BUDGET ORDINANCE.
SO SARAH, YOU'RE ASKING FOR DO WE PUT A DATE IN HERE ON OR BEFORE WHAT DATE? YEAH.
AND MAYBE WE DON'T NEED TO, MAYBE WE JUST STRIKE THAT.
BUT I JUST, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THE PROCESS SO THAT THIS WAS ONE OF MY YELLOW QUESTIONS.
LIKE WHAT IS THE PROCESS? BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY HISTORICALLY LIKE FOLLOWED A PROCESS WE HAVE.
SO MAYBE WE JUST LEAVE IT GENERIC THAT YOU'LL PREPARE A DRAFT ANNUAL BUDGET AND WE ALREADY STAY ALONG THE SAME PROCEDURE AS OTHER.
SO I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE A DATE.
I MEAN, UNLESS FOLKS, I FEEL LIKE YOU'RE GONNA DO YOUR JOB.
SO I DON'T THINK I NEED TO HOLD YOU.
YOU JUST TOLD ME WHAT YOUR JOB WAS, SO I'M FINE WITH IT.
UM, FINANCE DEPARTMENT MAKES ME DO IT REGARDLESS OF
AND THEN IF WE'RE GONNA CALL 'EM PROJECT TEAMS, MAYBE JUST UPDATE 19.
UM, AND THEN JAMIE, QUESTION FOR YOU.
APPENDIX A IS JUST SORT OF ATTACHED BUT NOT REFERENCE.
AND THIS AGAIN IS LIKE A CONTRACT LAWYER BRAIN.
UM, DO WE NEED TO REFERENCE IT ANYWHERE OR FOLKS JUST KNOW, LIKE EVEN LIKE 20 AT THE VERY END OR SOMETHING LIKE WE ALSO ADOPT THE 'CAUSE WE MAY ADD OTHER APPEND AT SOME POINT.
UM, CERTAINLY ADD 21 TO SAY THAT WE SHOULD UTILIZE AS A YEAH, IN PROPERTY.
AND THEN DID, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU NEED TO TALK ANYMORE ABOUT WHAT WE DID TO SHORTEN THE PROPERTY PURCHASING, IF THAT'S ALREADY BEEN DISCUSSED, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T NEED TO.
IT JUST DIDN'T, I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT IT.
I JUST HAD NO, YOU DID QUESTIONS, SO WE APPRECIATE YOU DOING THAT WORK.
MAD CHAIR, CONSIDERING THERE'S GONNA BE SOME REVISIONS TO SEVERAL OF THE RULES, PERHAPS ONCE YOU DO TODAY IS JUST GET, UM, A CONSENSUS TO UTILIZE APPENDIX A FOR THE DISPOSITION OF PROPERTY, IF THAT'S THE PLEASURE OF
[02:25:01]
THE COMMISSION.AND THEN AT THE FEBRUARY MEETING, WE CAN BRING BACK THE REVISED RULES AND PROCEDURE.
THAT WAY EVERYBODY CAN SEE THE, THE CODIFIED OR THE PROPOSED, UM, LANGUAGE FOR ALL THE RULES.
WOULD IT, I FEEL LIKE THEY WERE MORE CLERICAL.
WOULD IT NOT BE PRUDENT TO JUST LIKE, ALLOW YOU TO DO THE CLERICAL THINGS AND ADOPT 'EM LIKE THAT? WOULD YOU RATHER US HAVE THE FINAL DOCUMENT IN FRONT OF US AND DO IT IN FEBRUARY? TO MY MIND, I'M NOT A LEGAL MIND.
UH, BUT TO MY MIND, THIS IS A LI LIVING DOCUMENT, SO IT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE INFLUX AND IT'S NEVER REALLY A FINAL VERSION TO IT.
UH, SO IF, IF IT IS THE WILL OF THE COMMISSION TO ADOPT THE RULES AND PROCEDURES WITH RECOMMENDED AMENDMENTS TO BE REVIEWED IN FEBRUARY, I DON'T, I DON'T FIND A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
CAN WE, UM, DISCUSS THE MAIN DIFFERENCES OF THE PROTOCOLS FOR PURCHASE AND PROPERTY AND BY THE RDC, JUST HOW THAT CAUSED US SHORTEN? SURE.
SORRY, COMMISSIONER FARM, BUT I'M GOOD.
THE BIG CHANGE IS THAT THE PEOPLE'S REQUESTS, UM, THEIR PROPOSED REDEVELOPMENT PLANS WILL NOT BE REFERRED TO A WORKING PROJECT.
INDIVIDUAL SEEKING TO PURCHASE PROPERTY FROM THIS COMMISSION WILL COME TO THE FULL BODY IN A MEETING, MAKE THEIR PRESENTATION ABOUT THEIR REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT.
YOU ALL IN LIVING CO WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
UM, IT'S RECOMMENDED OBVIOUSLY, THAT STAFF ENGAGE WITH THAT INDIVIDUAL TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR, THEIR PRESENTATION TO YOU IS ROBUST.
UM, AND THEN AT THE CONCLUSION OF THAT FIRST MEETING, WHEN THAT INDIVIDUAL OR ENTITY MAKES THEIR PRESENTATION, YOU WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE TO INITIATE THE UPSET PROCESS.
THAT'S THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGE, I THINK.
I THINK THE KEY THERE IS THAT STAFF IS GOING TO BE INVOLVED WITH THE POTENTIAL BUYER FROM THE BEGINNING SO THAT YOU'RE BRINGING TO THE COMMISSION WHAT WE NEED TO HEAR AND SEE.
WITHIN THREE BUSINESS DAYS OF SOMEONE MAKING A REQUEST TO PURCHASE, UH, TO THE CITY CLERK STAFF ME, I WILL REACH OUT TO THEM.
I KNOW YOUR QUESTIONS, I'VE HEARD THEM, I KNOW THE RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS AND I'VE WORKED WITH ALL OF YOU, UH, RATHER CLOSELY.
SO I'LL MAKE SURE THAT I ASK THOSE QUESTIONS.
I'LL BRING YOU, UH, I'LL BRING YOU THE INFORMATION BEFORE THE MEETING SO THAT YOU HAVE TIME TO REVIEW IT, ASK ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS SO THAT WHEN PEOPLE COME IN AND TAKE THE TIME, CITIZENS COME IN AND TAKE THE TIME TO MAKE A PRESENTATION, WHICH CAN BE QUITE FRANKLY RATHER NERVE WRACKING.
UM, SO THAT WHEN, WHEN THEIR REQUEST GOES GO TO THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN, WE'RE WE'RE SAYING, HEY, THIS IS A PROJECT WE BELIEVE IN AND WE ALREADY HAVE THAT QUESTION ANSWERED BEFORE ANYONE COMES BEFORE US.
UM, YOU STILL DO RETAIN, I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT, UH, THAT YOU STILL DO RETAIN THE ABILITY AS A COMMISSION IF DURING THE LIVE MEETING THAT THERE COMES UP A QUESTION THAT WE DIDN'T ANTICIPATE, YOU CAN TABLE IT, UH, FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION.
AND THESE PROCEDURES DO ALLOW THAT.
BUT WITH, UH, WITH THIS PROCEDURE AS, AS OUTLINED FROM A, FROM A TIME, UH, FROM A TIME PERSPECTIVE, YOU'RE LITERALLY TAKING THE MINIMUM TIME EACH RE EACH REQUEST COMES BEFORE THE COMMISSION FROM THREE TO ONE IS THE MINIMUM.
THE, THE UPSET BID WILL BE, UH, INITIATED.
AND, AND THEN THEY DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK FOR US TO ACCEPT THEIR BID AND MOVE IT TO, TO THE BOARD OF INVOLVED.
I WAS JUST GONNA ASK WHAT, WHERE DID THE, UM, PROTOCOL OF LIKE HAVING TO DO A PRESENTATION COME FROM AND IS THAT NECESSARY? LIKE, IS THERE A WAY TO JUST GET IN WRITING, LIKE, I JUST WANNA BUY THIS TO GO TO HOUSE ON IT TO LIVE ON.
LIKE, DO WE REALLY NEED, BECAUSE THAT IS DAUNTING FOR SOME PEOPLE.
IT WOULD BE LIKE MY NIGHTMARE
SO, BUT I'M, I'M JUST ASKING LIKE WHERE THAT CAME FROM AND DO WE, DO WE NEED THAT IF WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE GETTING ENOUGH WRITTEN INFORMATION BEFOREHAND OR MAYBE WE DO.
YEAH, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THAT.
SO IN THE OUTSET, BEFORE WE HAD DEDICATED STAFF AND IT WAS JUST THE COMMISSIONERS BY AND LARGE, UM, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO IMPLEMENT ALL OF THESE THINGS.
THERE WAS NOT A STREAMLINED WAY FOR THE COMMISSION TO GET INFORMATION ABOUT THESE PROPOSED PROJECTS.
AND VERY OFTEN, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WOULD COME AND THERE PERHAPS WERE QUESTIONS THEY HAD THOUGHT ABOUT.
SO HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR FROM THE PERSON LIVE, TO ASK QUESTIONS AND TO FULLY FLESH OUT
[02:30:01]
WHAT THE PROJECT, UM, WAS PROPOSED TO BE, WAS ADVANTAGEOUS AT THAT TIME.UM, AND IF YOU ALL, YOU KNOW, WOULD LIKE WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION FROM, YOU KNOW, PROPOSED RE DEVELOPERS, YOU CERTAINLY CAN DO SO.
UM, OR IF YOU WOULD ALLOW, UM, IF YOU WANT SOME OTHER TYPE OF WAY TO GATHER INFORMATION, IF YOU'D LIKE STAFF TO MAKE A PRESENTATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT THAT'S WITHIN YOUR DISCRETION, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE ANY AMENDMENTS, I THINK MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE EITHER OR.
SO IT WON'T PUT THE PERSON ON THE SPOT.
I THINK THE LANGUAGE AND THE PROCEDURES, UH, IT JUST SAYS PRESENTATION AND UM, IT SORT OF IMPLICIT IN THAT LANGUAGE TO MY MIND IS, UH, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID, UH, WITH THE 8 0 8 AND EIGHT 10, UH, BURN STREET, UH, PRESENTATION.
THE ACTUAL, THE ACTUAL PURCHASER, UH, WASN'T COMFORTABLE BECAUSE ENGLISH IS A SECOND LANGUAGE.
SO HE HAD, UH, AN ADVOCATE COME UP AND PRESENT FOR HIM.
STAFF WOULD'VE BEEN HAPPY TO PRESENT FOR HIM.
AND ALL OF THAT IS PERMISSIBLE UNDER, UNDER THESE PROCEDURES AS WRITTEN.
SO PRESENTATION TO THE COMMISSION IS IMPORTANT, NOT NECESSARILY WHO GIVES THE PRESENTATION? CORRECT.
STEP FIVE SAYS POTENTIAL BUYER OR, OR DESIGNATED.
THE OTHER THING ABOUT GET HAVING A WRITTEN PRESENTATION IS YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO HOLD THAT INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTABLE FOR IF HE DOESN'T DO WHAT HE TELLS US.
I MEAN, I'VE BEEN THROUGH SO MANY PLANNING BOARD MEETINGS WHERE THE PEOPLE HAVE TO LIE TO YOU.
I MEAN, SERIOUSLY ABOUT WHAT THEY PROPOSED DO, THEY WEREN'T SAYING IS THE ZONING.
AND ALL IT DOES IS INCREASE THE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY, BUT THEY HAVE NO INTENT AND NEVER DO CARRY OUT WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF WHAT THEY TELL YOU.
AND SO HAVING A WRITTEN PROPOSAL THAT THEY SIGNED KIND OF CREATES SOME CREDIBILITY OR SOME, UH, SOME INFORMATION FOR US TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE TOO.
AND THE OTHER THING THAT THAT IS, IS INTERESTING IN THIS PROCESS IS, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE, IS IT'S GOING TO THE UPSET BID PROCESS.
SO THAT PERSON MIGHT NOT BE THE BUYER OF THE PROPERTY.
AND WHOEVER BUYS IT AT THE END, WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY'RE PLANNING ON DOING WITH IT.
WE DON'T HAVE TO ACTUALLY AS A PERMISSION, AND I SHOULD PROBABLY LET JAMIE TALK, SPEAK TO IT, BUT, UH, JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE OUTBID OR THE BID IS UPSET DOESN'T MEAN WE HAVE TO ACCEPT THE UPSET.
BUT I THOUGHT I HEARD YOU SAY THAT THAT PART WOULD BE ELIMINATED COMING BACK TO US FOR APPROVAL OF THE NO, NO, THE, THE PURCHASER DOESN'T HAVE TO COME BACK FOR A SECOND MEETING.
BUT YOU DEFINITELY HAVE TO APPROVE WHO THE FINAL HEIGHT IS BITTER IS.
AND AT ANY POINT IN THAT PROCESS, YOU CAN SAY NO THANK YOU.
UM, SO IF THE INITIAL RE DEVELOPER WHO MAKES THE PRESENTATION, UM, PRESENT SOMETHING THAT'S BEAUTIFUL AND CONSISTENT WITH YOUR PROPOSED REDEVELOPMENT PLAN, BUT THE FINAL HIGHEST BIDDER IS EVEN THOUGH THE RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS THAT YOU ARE IMPOSING, UM, WOULD GO WITH WITH THE PROPERTY.
WITH THE PROPERTY, IF THEIR TAKE ON THE PROPOSED REDEVELOPMENT PLAN IS DIFFERENT OR NOT CONSISTENT WITH WHAT YOU THINK OR THERE'S SOME OTHER OBJECTIVE METRIC, UH, IF YOU FIND THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE'VE GOT ANOTHER DEVELOPER THAT'S GOING TO DO A CLUSTER AS OPPOSED TO JUST ONE SINGLE DEVELOPMENT, WE DECIDE WE DON'T WANNA SELL THE PROPERTY ANYMORE.
YOU STILL HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
AND THEN THE LAST THING I'LL SAY, AND THAT WE'RE, WE DO NOT HAVE TIME TODAY, BUT WE, WE HAVE TO HAVE A BROADER CONVERSATION, AND MAYBE THIS IS FOR A PROJECT TEAM ABOUT OUR RESTRICTED COVENANTS.
LIKE DO, ARE WE GONNA HAVE A STANDARD SLATE LIKE THE LOW INCOME AND THE NO JUNK CART? LIKE WHATEVER OUR, WHAT WE NORMALLY PUT DO WE, DO WE NEED THAT? BUT I JUST, I I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED AND THAT SORT OF GOES WITH THE, YOU KNOW, DIRECTION WE WANT TO GO IN WITH REDEVELOPING THE AREA.
SO I THINK AT SOME POINT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THOSE MORE.
AND I, I HEAR THE COURT HEARD WHAT YOU SAID TIME WISE TOO.
SO I'D LIKE TO WRAP UP THE POLICY AND PROCEDURE ONE.
AND MY GUESS I COULD BE WRONG IS THAT NOBODY'S REALLY GOING TO POUR OVER THIS DOCUMENT ONCE YOU HAVE MADE THOSE, UM, CHANGES BECAUSE THEY'RE MOST HYSTERICAL.
IF, UM, I COULD GET A MOTION TO ACCEPT THIS AND THE APPENDIX A ONCE IT HAS AS, HOW DO YOU SAY IT, ACCEPT IT WITH THE CHANGES BEING DISCUSSED TODAY, THERE CHANGES.
I HAVE A MOTION SECOND AND A SECOND.
DO WE NEED TO HAVE MORE DISCUSSION TO ACCEPT THIS? NO.
THIS IS A RESOLUTION TO ACCEPT THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES WITH APPENDIX A WITH THE CHANGES WE HAVE DISCUSSED TODAY.
[02:35:01]
UM, SO THOSE ARE OUR, OUR YES.OUR THREE RESOLUTIONS, I BELIEVE.
AND DO YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? SO, UH, I WAS JUST GONNA MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION THAT ON ITEM SEVEN WE FLIP FLOP ITEM SEVEN AND EIGHT.
UH, AS COMMISSIONER MORGAN HAS EXPRESSED A TIME, A SPECIFIC TIME RATE AND WE'RE GETTING LATER INTO OUR TIME.
SO HE HAS A PRESENTATION THAT HE, HE DID REQUEST TO MAKE.
SO WE'LL DO THAT BECAUSE THESE, I'M GONNA SAY THIS, THESE PRESENTATIONS, THIS INFORMATION WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW, AND AS SARAH SAID, MAYBE EVEN LOOKING AT OUR COVENANTS ARE GONNA BE, YOU THINK THAT'S WHERE OUR PROJECT KINGS ARE GONNA COME IN? YEP.
UM, I WAS NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT
[8. Neighborhood Development Project Proposal]
PROJECT, RIGHT? I TOO MANY WOULD LIKE TO, I GUESS SINCE THERE ARE NO MORE WORK GROUPS, I'M GOING TO SUBMIT THIS IS RAW MATERIAL AND I CAN FIND THIS WOULD JUST BE SUBMITTED AS RAW MATERIAL AS, AND UH, THIS IS ONLY GONNA BE ONE MAN'S OPINION AND THAT'S WHY THIS NEEDS TO CHANGE.IN ORDER FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD TEAM TO BE EFFECTIVE, IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE THAT ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION TAKE PART IN OUR FUTURE EFFORTS.
THIS PARTICULAR DEFUNCT WORK GROUP HAS NOT BEEN EFFECTIVE IN TERMS OF PRODUCTION TOWARD THE GOALS OF THE COMMISSION.
WE SIMPLY PLACED THE BANDAGE ON A GAPING WALL AND HAVE REROUTED THE BLEEDING THAT IS NOW HEMORRHAGING.
I'LL BE THE FIRST TO ADMIT THAT THE PAST NEIGHBORHOOD UPDATES HAVE HAD NO SUBSTANCE AND NO DIRECTION.
NUMBER ONE, IN OUR EFFORTS TO CONTINUE WITH COMMUNITY CLEANUP PROJECTS.
BUT THEY MUST BE RAMPED UP WITH INCLUDING NEWS COVERAGE, SPONSORS, CONTRIBUTORS, COMMUNITY GROUPS, CHURCHES, ET CETERA.
WE MUST FEED AND EVEN HAVE PROGRAMS TO RECOGNIZE CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS AND WELCOME ALL INPUT TO ENGAGE LOCAL RESIDENTS.
NUMBER TWO, WE MUST GO DOOR TO DOOR IN SOMEWHAT OF AN OLD SC AN OLD SCHOOL CENSUS TYPE INFORMATION TO GET HARD DATA.
IT'S HARD DATA WILL HELP US TO BETTER UNDERSTAND AND IDENTIFY RENTERS VERSUS OWNER OCCUPIED NUMBER OF ADULTS IN THE HOUSEHOLD, VETERANS, CHILDREN IN THE HOUSEHOLD AGES, AVERAGE INCOME IF POSSIBLE.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S LEGAL AND WHAT IS NOT LEGAL, BUT THIS INFORMATION WILL NOT BE MAILED IN ON THE POSTCARD.
IF IT'S LEFT WITH THE COMMUNITY, IT WILL BE TRASHED AND DISCARDED BECAUSE THERE'S A LACK OF TRUST.
THIS WILL BE A CLIPBOARD ENDEAVOR AND THE INFORMATION WILL NEED TO BE ACTUALLY ASKED, ANSWERED, AND BROUGHT BACK TO THE COMMISSION.
THE COMMISSION WILL BE NEEDED TO IDENTIFY WHICH QUESTIONS CAN AND CANNOT BE ASKED WHAT INFORMATION WOULD BE RELEVANT AND WHAT INFORMATION WOULD BE WORTHLESS.
IT'S MY HOPE THAT THIS DATA WOULD ALSO HELP IN FUTURE HOPES OF OBTAINING GRANTS AND OTHER MONIES AVAILABLE.
COMPARING THIS DATA AND WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH NEWBURN PD, WE'LL GIVE THE COMMISSION A BETTER INSIGHT AS TO CRIME IN THAT AREA.
NUMBER THREE, WE NEED TO HAVE RESOURCES IN PLACE TO SHARE UPLIFTING OR MOBILITY OPTIONS FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, RELOCATION, SALES, AND OR PURCHASE INFORMATION FOR THOSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO BECOME HOMEOWNERS.
INFORMATION CAN BE PROVIDED OR CLASSES WHERE YOU CAN LEARN NOT ONLY HOW TO OWN A HOME, BUT HOW TO CARE FOR IT.
JOIN IN PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMPANIES SUCH AS LOWE'S TO HAVE NEIGHBORHOOD BEAUTIFICATION CONTESTS WHERE LOWE'S WILL MATCH THE COMMISSION DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR FOR THE ALARM AND GARDEN SUPPLIES FOR LANDSCAPING OR ET CETERA.
PARTNERSHIPS WITH CRAVEN COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
FOR THOSE THAT MAY NEED OR WANT TO IMPROVE THEIR LIVES THROUGH SCHOLARSHIP, WE MUST REEVALUATE OUR BUS STOP LOCATIONS TO MAXIMIZE THE EFFORTS OF SAFETY AND TIME.
WHERE ARE THE SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN LIVING? WHERE ARE THE ROADS THAT ARE MOST AND LEAST TRAVELED? THE REDEVELOPMENT AREA HAS MORE FOOT TRAFFIC
[02:40:01]
AS A MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION THAN ANY OTHER PART OF THE CITY.THAT HARD DATA WILL IDENTIFY WHERE THE TRAFFIC INFRACTIONS ARE AND WE MUST INCORPORATE BROADBAND THROUGHOUT THE AREA.
WHAT WAS A LUXURY IS NOW A NECESSITY.
I'M ASKING THE COMMISSION TO MAKE THE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS TO ENSURE THAT EACH COMMISSIONER TAKE PART IN THE ENDEAVOR.
NOT TO MAKE THIS A COMMITTEE GOAL, BUT A COMMITTEE, BUT A COMMITMENT TO GET BOOTS ON THE GROUND TO BE AN INSTRUMENT, TO COLLECT THIS DATA AND MOVE FORWARD WITH MAKING A DIFFERENCE AND UNDERSTANDING THAT THE DIRE NEED IS NOW, IF NOT NOW, WHEN.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT WHEN I MET THE DISSOLUTION OF THE WORKING GROUPS.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WAS PRETTY MUCH GETTING AT.
AND IT'S GONNA TAKE EVERYBODY, IT'S GONNA TAKE THE WHOLE COMMISSION.
AND UH, I HAVE NOT PROVIDED YOU WITH THAT HARD DATA AND I'VE JUST MERELY GIVEN YOU A, AN OVERVIEW OF THE LANDSCAPE.
SOME OF THE MOST BORING NEIGHBORHOODS UPDATES EVER.
BUT WE REALLY DO NEED TO MOVE IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION AND GET SOME SUBSTANCE, GET SOME HARD DATA.
UM, THE ATTORNEY LEFT, BUT I NEED TO, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO FIND OUT WHAT WE CAN DO IF WE CAN GET CERTAIN CENSUS INFORMATION.
BUT IF YOU LEAVE SOMETHING WITH THE COMMUNITY ON A MAILER TO BE MAILED BACK IN TO GET THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD, IT'S NOT GONNA BE MAILED IN.
IT'S GONNA BE A WASTE OF PAPER AND A WASTE OF GOOD POSTAGE.
THIS IS GONNA BE A CLIPBOARD IN ENDEAVOR THAT NEEDS TO BE ASKED, ANSWERED AND SUBMITTED.
AND THAT'S WHY WE NEED THE WHOLE BOARD TO BE ABLE TO ADD AND TO BRING UP OTHER THINGS THAT I'VE LEFT OUT.
THIS IS JUST AN OVERVIEW OF SOME THINGS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN DONE BY THE NEIGHBORHOOD TEAM THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
AND COMMISSIONER MC MORGAN? YES SIR.
I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IF YOU WOULD GIVE ME A HARD COPY OF WHAT YOU READ.
THAT'S ALL I NEED IS A HARD COPY.
AND THEY WERE VERY, I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING UP OTHER ASPECTS OF HELPING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
UM, ONE THAT RESONATED WITH ME WAS RESOURCE AVAILABILITY.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT CDBG FUNDS AND PEOPLE NOT KNOWING THAT THEY CAN, IF THEY OWN A HOME, CAN GET THEIR HOME REPAIRED, HOW MUCH MONEY THEY CAN GET ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S EVERY YEAR THE CITY GETS MONEY FOR THAT AND I FEEL LIKE THERE'S A HUGE DISCONNECT WITH THE PEOPLE WHO NEED THE MONEY.
AND SO THERE, THAT'S JUST BROUGHT INTO THAT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AS WELL.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU EXPANDING THAT INTO MORE OF A, UM, REALLY A HEALTH AND WELLNESS APPROACH OF HOW WE CAN HELP THE COMMUNITY.
I WONDER IF THERE'S A WAY TO PARTNER WITH, 'CAUSE I DON'T, THERE'S, IT'S IN HERE EXACTLY HOW MANY RESIDENTS ARE IN THE AREA, BUT I MEAN IT WITH JUST THIS NUMBER OF COMMISSIONERS, I THINK IT WOULD BE A LONG TIME TO HAVE THE TIME TO GO DOOR TO DOOR.
SO CAN WE, BUT YOU BROUGHT UP A LOT OF GOOD THINGS AND I TOTALLY AGREE.
WE NEED MORE BOOTS ON THE GROUND BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHO ARE WE HELPING? IT'S THE PEOPLE.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THE LAND 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT.
BUT IT'S REALLY ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE MAKING THIS AREA BETTER FOR THEM.
SO BEING MORE FOCUSED ON THEM.
BUT THINGS I HEARD YOU SAY WERE A LOT OF FOOT TRAFFIC IN OUR ORIGINAL PLAN WAS ADDRESSING LIGHTING.
HOW'S THE LIGHTING IN THE AREA? WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP THAT BROADBAND? DO THEY REALLY NOT HAVE LIKE OPTIMUM OR INTERNET OR ANYTHING OVER THERE? AND IF NOT, THERE ARE GRANTS FOR BROADBAND.
THERE ARE DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, UM, LIKE FEDERAL OR STATE FIRMS. I DON'T KNOW ANY OF THEM.
I JUST KNOW THAT IT MIGHT BE A THING THAT, SO IS THERE SOME SORT OF, YOU KNOW, TEAM WE COULD DO TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES? AND THEN THINK MORE ABOUT HOW DO WE GET BOOTS ON THE GROUND? AND I KNOW SOME OF THE QUESTIONS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH THE CLIPBOARD, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ALLOWED TO ASK LIKE, YOU KNOW, FROM A LEGAL, BUT HOW WOULD WE MEET THE VOLUNTEERS OR WITH SCHOOL OR WITH YOUNG ADULTS WHO, AND I MEAN, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT IMPLORING THEM OR PAYING WELL ITEMS. OKAY.
ANYTHING ELSE? UM, SO THE, THE CITY HAS A LOT OF DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ALREADY ON FILE.
UM, ALICE WITH GIS WHO CAME TO MANY OF OUR MEETINGS WHEN WE FIRST GOT STARTED HAS ACCESS TO A LOT OF THAT.
UM, SHE, SHE'S A WIZARD AND I CAN'T SAY ALL THE, I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND ALL THE THINGS THAT SHE DOES.
UM, BUT SHE MIGHT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A LOT OF THE MOST RECENT INFORMATION THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, ABOUT HOW MANY KIDS ARE IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, SINGLE FAMILY HOUSEHOLDS,
[02:45:01]
UM, HAD WHO THE HOUSE HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD ARE, MAYBE NOT ADDRESS BY ADDRESS, BUT GENERAL AGGREGATE INFORMATION FROM THE DEVELOPMENT SON, IF YOU LIKE THAT, JUST REQUEST THAT FROM STAFF.AND WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO MAKE A PRESENTATION AT, BY WAY OF UPDATE FROM WHAT WE GOT IN 2018.
AND IT ALSO OCCURS TO ME, WE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TAKE SMALL BITES.
OUR REDEVELOPMENT AREA IS A VERY LARGE AREA.
IT ENCOMPASSES LANDFILL HARDLY TALK ABOUT SOMETIMES.
UM, AND SO THERE NEEDS TO BE, WE NEED TO HAVE FOCUS AREAS AND THAT COULD BE A TEAM OF A FOCUSED AREA WITHIN THAT QUESTION.
IT'S TOO MUCH TO TAKE ON THE WHOLE, EVEN EVEN A WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD LIKE THAT.
I KNOW SOME AREAS WORSE THAN OTHERS, SO THAT'S THAT COURT.
BUT, AND, AND I THINK THAT EVEN SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN, UH, OBTAINED BY THE CITY IS NOT THAT ACCURATE.
UM, AND I KNOW IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GO HOME AND DEFINITELY FOR THIS COMMISSION WITH JUST THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE HERE TO BE ABLE TO GET OUT AND TO PUT A DENT IN IT IN ANY SUBSTANTIAL TIMEFRAME.
BY THE TIME THAT WE DID OBTAIN ALL OF THE INFORMATION, IT WOULD'VE CHANGED AND IT WOULD'VE BEEN ANTIQUATED ANYWAY.
BUT THERE'S GOT TO BE A WAY THAT WE COULD GET THE INFORMATION IN SO THAT WE CAN GET THE INFORMATION OUT TO FIND OUT WHO NEEDS WHAT.
I'M SURE YOU KNOW, THERE ARE, THERE ARE SO MANY VETERANS THAT DON'T EVEN HAVE COPIES OF THEIR DD TWO FOURTEENS THAT NEED TO HAVE THEM.
WITHOUT THAT, UH, DD TWO 14, YOU CAN GET NO BENEFITS AT DEPTH.
AND IT HITS ME PERSONALLY BECAUSE I DIDN'T RUN ANYBODY'S PT FORM, I DIDN'T JOIN THE, UH, ARMY FORCES.
BUT THERE ARE SO MANY OF THEM.
IT'S NOT WHAT THEY'RE BEING GIVEN, IT'S WHAT THEY'VE EARNED THROUGH AN HONOR, AN HONORARY DISCHARGE THAT THEY'RE NOT RECEIVING.
UM, AND EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN SEEN IN THE VA HOSPITAL, THEY'RE STILL NOT GETTING THE EMOTIONAL, MENTAL OR PHYSICAL ATTENTION THAT THEY NEED AND THAT THEY DESERVE AND THAT THEY'VE EARNED.
UM, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF WE HAVE A VA OFFICE THAT'S OPEN HERE IN NEW BERN ANYMORE.
UH, AND IF I MAY, MR. MORGAN, I THINK WHAT YOUR RECOMMENDATION IS, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT EMBEDDED IN ALL OF THE PROJECT TEAMS THAT WE HAVE GOING FORWARD IS THIS ASPECT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WHEREBY WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING INTO THE COMMUNITIES AND, AND WHERE WE'RE WORKING SO THAT WE CAN GET HARD NUMBERS AND, AND DATA SO THAT WE CAN BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION TO MAKE THAT, UH, THAT THAT PIPELINE A LITTLE BIT MORE ACCURATE AND A LITTLE BIT MORE TRUE TO WHAT'S ACTUALLY ON THE GROUND SO THAT WE CAN ASSESS NEED THAT IS NOT NEEDED, IS PERCEIVED.
WE HAVE TO GET SURGICAL WITH THIS AND EVEN WITH THE BUS STOPS IN THE MORNING, UH, THERE, THERE, AND AS MY FELLOW EDUCATOR WILL TELL YOU THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN TIMES OF THE SCHOOL YEAR WHERE KIDS ARE WAITING OUT AT THE SCHOOL BUS IN THE DARK.
UM, AND IT'S, AND SOME OF THEM ARE NOT WELL LIT.
UH, AND SOMETIMES IT IS NOT A SAFE SITUATION.
UH, AND AS I SAID, THERE'S MORE WALKING TRANSPORTATION, NOT MORE WALKING TRAFFIC, BUT PEOPLE WHO ARE WALKING AS A MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION TO GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B, UM, IN THAT AREA.
AND WE HAVE MORE GREEN SPACE IN THAT AREA, UH, WHICH CAN CAUSE COVER SOMETIMES FOR SOME EVENTS THAT ARE NOT ABOVE BOARD.
SO WE DO HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING EVERYTHING.
MAYBE BACK CAN ASK SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS.
THERE'S A VA OFFICE DOWN ON MARTIN LUTHER KING DRIVE RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE DESK.
IT IS, IT IS IT TO BE AT THE, UH, HEALTH DEPARTMENT BUT MOVE THERE.
SO ANYBODY, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SEND MARTIN LUTHER KING, BUT WE STILL HAVE TO IDENTIFY SOME OF THESE THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR SOME OF THESE SERVICES AND THAT THEY NEED TO APPLY FOR THE DD TWO FOURTEENS.
A LOT OF THEM DON'T HAVE NOT APPLIED FOR 'EM.
THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE.
A LOT OF THESE, UH, SCHOOL AGE
[02:50:01]
CHILDREN, IT'S JUST A LOT THAT HAS TO BE COVERED AND WITH EVERYBODY'S INPUT FROM THE BOARD, UM, EVERYBODY'S GONNA HAVE A DIFFERENT VIEWPOINT, A DIFFERENT OPINION.AND I THINK THAT WITH THE DISSOLUTION OF THE WORKING GROUPS, THAT WE ALL CAN HAVE SOME INPUT INTO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND WHAT DATA IS, UH, GONNA BE NEEDFUL AND WHAT'S GONNA BE WORTHLESS.
UM, JUST WANNA TALK BRIEFLY TOO ABOUT THE, ANOTHER, UM, PLAN THAT WE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS PROPOSED THAT WHEN ONE OF, WE HAVE SEVERAL AREAS OF PROPERTY WE'VE BEEN WORKING FOR A FEW YEARS TO MAKE ATTRACTIVE TO DEVELOPERS.
ONE OF 'EM BEING A GROUP OF LOTS ON, UM, A STREET WEST.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S THREE LOTS.
WE NOT, WE, WE APPROVED THE DEMOLITION MADAM CHAIR.
I THINK COMMISSIONER
UM, AND YOU GET THAT WHILE YOU TALK.
I GOTTA GO INTRODUCE MY OH NICE.
SO COMMISSIONER PARAGUAY, IF YOU WANNA GIVE AN INTRODUCTION, I'LL, I'LL GET THESE THINGS COPIED FOR YOU.
ALRIGHT, MR. ONE OF THE PROJECT.
ONE OF THE PROJECTS WE, THE OLD HOUSING WORK GROUP HAS LOOKED AT OVER, OVER THE YEARS IS A STREET THAT, UH, IN TAKING THE LEAD FROM THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION GOALS OF ACCUMULATING PROPERTY TO EITHER ENTICE AN OUTSIDE DEVELOPER OR UTILIZE OURSELVES IF THAT BECAME THE, THE ONLY OPTION WE HAD, UH, A STREET, UH, IT BECOMES A VERY ATTRACTIVE AREA.
UH, IT'S A, YOU GOT SINGLE FAMILY HOUSES FROM WHATEVER THE STREET DOWN BELOW IS UP TO OUR PROPERTY.
WE ACQUIRED, UH, BY GIFT, I GUESS IT WAS AGAIN, IT WASN'T IT FROM THE SEVEN 10 TRUST MANY YEARS AGO, THE FIRST PIECE OF A STREET.
AND THEN WE HAD THE COUNTY, IT WAS THE CITY COUNTY PROPERTY THAT, UH, WAS IN THE REQUEST OF THE 10 LOTS THAT WE WANTED.
UM, TO ADD TO THAT, TO GIVE US A STRIP OF LAND THAT YOU'LL SEE WHEN YOU GET THE COPIES OF THE PRESENTATION AND IT'S 200, IT GIVES US 236 FEET OF FRONTAGE.
UH, ONCE WE GET THE HOUSES, THERE'S CURRENTLY THREE DILAPIDATED HOUSES ON THE PROPERTY WHERE WE'VE ALREADY APPROVED DEMOLITION.
UH, SO WE WILL THEN HAVE A CLEAN STRIP PROPERTY THAT IF YOU DEVELOP IT INTO 40 FOOT WIDE LOTS, FOR INSTANCE, UH, YOU CAN END UP WITH SIX, SIX PROPERTIES.
THERE'S ALSO A PROPERTY ON THE VERY END UP AT THE RAILROAD, A LITTLE TRIANGULAR PIECE OF PROPERTY, UH, THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO ACQUIRE, UH, THAT COULD BE USED TO BUFFER, CREATE A VEGETATIVE BUFFER AGAINST THE RAILROAD TO MAKE THEY LOTS ALONG, THEY ARE MUCH MORE ATTRACTIVE RATHER THAN JUST LOOKING AT TRAIN TRACKS.
UH, WE PLANTED TREES AND SOME VEGETATION ON THAT PARTICULAR PROPERTY.
THESE COVER, THEY GET IN THE RAILROAD, COME BACK AND TAKE PROPERTY FRONT OF YOU.
WELL, IT'S OUTSIDE OF THE RAILROAD RIGHT AWAY,
UM, THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY, IF WE PURSUE THE WORK ON IT, THERE'S A, IN THE PRESENTATION YOU'LL SEE THERE'S A LIST OF THINGS WE WOULD HAVE TO DO TO MAKE IT ATTRACTIVE TO AN OUTSIDE DEVELOPER OR EVEN TO OURSELVES TO UTILIZE.
THERE'S, THERE'S SEVERAL THINGS THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT AS PART OF THE HOUSING GOAL FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND IT IS TO ATTRACT AN OUTSIDE DEVELOPER.
FIRST THING WE HAVE TO DO IS PROVE THE MARKET.
[02:55:02]
NOW WE'RE BEGINNING TO DO THAT WITH THE WAL DEVELOPING PROPERTY.THAT THERE IS A MARKET IN THE REDEVELOPMENT FOR NEW HOUSING AND FOR PEOPLE TO PURCHASE AND A COOPERATE FOR HOME OWNERSHIP.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IN DEVELOPING A STORY THAT WE PRESENT TO AN OUTSIDE DEVELOPER.
WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PROVE A MARKET AND PROVE VALUES OF WHAT THE PROPERTY HAS BEEN SELL FOR.
SO IN LOOKING AT THE A STREET PROPERTY, IT IS THE NEXT LOGICAL PLACE THAT WE WOULD NEED, I THINK THAT WE WOULD WANT TO DEVELOP HOUSING.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE THE VOLUME THERE THAT WOULD BE SOMEWHAT INTERESTING IN BEING SIX LOTS.
AND, UM, SO IT'S, IT IS THIS AN AREA THAT WE THINK WE'RE, UH, WANT TO PURSUE DURING THE UPCOMING YEAR TO GET IN A POSITION TO EITHER BUILD ON WHEN WE ARE FINISHED WITH THE WEALTH BELLAMY HOUSES.
'CAUSE WE WILL HAVE THAT FINANCIAL ABILITY TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION OF NEW PROPERTIES, UH, AND OR, UH, ATTRACT AN OUTSIDE DEVELOPER, INDEPENDENT DEVELOPER TO WORK ON.
CAN I, UH, ADD TO YOUR YES SIR.
I'M NOT IN A LOT CLEANING, BUT I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT A PIECE OF PROJECT ON FIRST AVENUE.
I HAD TO SIT ON SEVEN LOTS MM-HMM.
SO, UH, GET THE CONSENT ON THE BOARD TO LOOK INTO THAT AND SEE WHAT COULD BE DONE OR WHATEVER.
WELL, JIMMY, I DON'T WANNA GET TOO, TOO MUCH AHEAD OF ONE AND THAT, THAT WE KNOW THE PROPERTY YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AND UH, WE TALKED TO IT IN THE PRESENTATION, WHY, WHY WE'RE FAVORING A STREET OVER FIRST AVENUE.
THERE'S MORE WORK INVOLVED WITH THAT IN ACQUIRING PROPERTIES AND PLANNING THAN A STREET IS.
AND SO FOR IMMEDIATE OPPORTUNITY, A STREET PRESENTS A MORE IMMEDIATE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES THAN FIRST AVENUE.
FIRST AVENUE CREATES MORE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE SOMETHING UNIQUE, BUT IT THE TIME, THE TIME IT'S GONNA TAKE TO GET THAT TO THAT POINT.
I PUT, I DIDN'T WANT TO PUT NO TIME TO STRETCH ON IT.
I'M THINKING THAT'S SOMETHING WE, WE WE HAVE NOT GET CLEANED UP YEAH.
A LOT WORK HAS TO BE DONE THERE YEAH.
HOW GOTTA BE TORN DOWN TREES THAT BE CUT AND YOU CAN MAKE IT ATTRACTIVE.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND EVEN WHAT WE HAVE TO DO ON, ON A STREET IS WHEN WE DEMO A PIECE OF PROPERTY, ALL THEY DO IS TAKE THE, THE HOUSE AWAY.
THERE'S PROBABLY ANOTHER 25 FEET OF BUSHES AND GARBAGE AND EVERYTHING TO THE REAR PROPERTY LINE.
SO THE, THE PROPERTY BY LOOKING AT IT RIGHT.
AND BY HAS SHRUNK OVER WHAT IT REALLY IS.
SO WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO AGAIN GO IN AND CLEAR THE LAND, NOT JUST THE HOUSE.
THAT WAY PEOPLE COME OUT ACTUALLY IDENTIFY WHERE THE LOT IS TOO.
IS THE, NOW I'LL JUST RUN DOWN, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT WHY IT'S, IT'S THE QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK THERE.
WE'VE DONE FIELD TOPO ON THAT SITE.
UH, WE HAVE THAT AND IT'S INCLUDED IN YOUR POTENTIAL.
AND THERE'S, UH, THERE'S AN OPPORT.
YOU CAN SEE THE, THE LAYOUT BACK IN THE FLATS FURTHER WHAT THE YIELD CAN BE FOR EITHER 35 FOOT OR 40 FOOT PROJECTS.
UH, YOU GET THE PROJECT TO BE PROJECT GET THE SITE TO BE PROJECT READY.
WE NEED TO RESEARCH THE TITLE ON THE COUNTY PROPERTY, UH, ACQUIRE THE ADJACENT TRIANGULAR PROPERTY THAT WE TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE WHILE AGO.
WE NEED TO COMPLETE SURVEY OF THE PROPERTY, UH, IDENTIFY THE EXISTING WATER AND SEW CONNECTIONS AND DEMOLISH THE EXISTING HOUSES AND THEN CLEAR THE SITE TO THE BOUNDARY LINES AND PRESERVE A TREE OR TWO IF WE CAN IN THAT, ON THOSE SITES.
[03:00:01]
COMMISSIONER PARAGUAY, DID I HEAR YOU RECOMMENDING, UH, MAKING A, UH, THE WEST A STREET, UH, AN ACTIVE PROJECT TEAM? UH, ARE YOU ASKING THE COMMISSION, UH, COURT FOR THAT DIRECTION? I'M GOING, I'M PRESENTING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMISSION TO DISCUSS AND MAKE A DECISION ON IT.UH, THE DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS WE HAVE, IF WE DO THE ABOVE TO GET A PROJECT READY IS TO IDENTIFY AN OUTSIDE DEVELOPER TO WORK ON THE SITE.
WE CAN DEVELOP AND SELL JUST LOTS THERE.
OR THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION CAN BUILD HOMES, UM, FOR A HOUSING PARTNER, UH, SUCH AS THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OR COMMUNITY ACTION COMMITTEE OR WHATEVER.
UH, THEY'RE WITH ROLLING THE PROCEEDS OUT OF WEST OUT OF, UH, WELL BELLAMY ROLLING THEM INTO THIS PROJECT.
IT'S JUST NOT ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY.
AND THEN WHY NOT FIRST AVENUE, JIMMY, AS WE JUST DISCUSSED, UH, REQUIRED MORE PROPERTY ACQUISITION, REQUIRED MORE DEMOLITION, UH, AND REQUIRED MORE COMPLETED NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING RATHER THAN THIS HOUSING PLANNING.
SO, AM I UNDERSTANDING YOU CORRECTLY THOUGH IT'S NOT AN EITHER OR FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION? IT'S A, LET'S START WITH A AND START WITH A, AND AGAIN, IT GOES BACK TO WE HAVE TO PROVE A MARKET IF WE DON'T WANNA BE BUILDING HOUSES FOREVER AND EVER.
BUT IF WE GET TO GET AN OUTSIDE DEVELOPER INVOLVED, WE HAVE TO PROVE THAT THERE'S A MARKET FOR THE HOUSING THAT THEY WOULD DEVELOP.
AND WE'RE STARTING THAT PROCESS WITH WAL BELLAMY AND BY GOING, YEAH, WE CAN DO THIS AGAIN, UH, WITH A STREET.
WHAT KIND OF INCENTIVE WOULD YOU GIVE AN OUTSIDE
SO THAT AREA IS FEELING NEGLECTED.
I IT'S NOT EXACTLY THE SAME AREA, BUT, MM-HMM.
UM, I MEAN, I, I LIKE THE A STREET THOUGHT.
OUR FIRST PROJECT TEAM'S GETTING BORN, WE GOT WHATEVER IT IS.
I KNOW WE DO, I THINK WE SHOULD DO.
AND WE, WE HAVE SEVERAL, AND I'M NOT SURE WE, I KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE KNOCKING ON THE END OF OUR TIME AND WE COULD GO INTO MUCH MORE ROBUST DISCUSSION ABOUT PROJECT GROUPS.
I AM OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO, TO WORK THROUGH THAT.
IS IT, UH, PONDER THE THINGS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TODAY AND EXPRESS YOUR INTEREST.
AND THEN IN OUR NEXT, UM, REGULAR SCHEDULE MEETING, WE ACKNOWLEDGE, YOU KNOW, WHO'S WORKING ON WHAT.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THAT INFORMATION DUB PEOPLE CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU AND EXPRESS THEIR INTEREST ON WHERE THEY WOULD LIKE TO BE INVOLVED.
'CAUSE ALL THESE THINGS TAKE TIME.
AND, AND IF YOU'RE NOT INTERESTED OR IF IT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE EXPERTISE OR EXPERIENCE OR IT MIGHT NOT BE THE BEST FIT.
SO, I MEAN, THE ONES I'VE HEARD TODAY OR THE AVENUE OF, I MEAN THE, A STREET PROJECT I'VE HEARD, UM, STILL MAYBE EVEN LOOKING AT OUR SALE DOCUMENT AND LOOKING AT RESTRICTIONS AND COVENANTS FOR THAT.
UM, I'VE HEARD, YOU KNOW, WE STILL HAVE PROPERTY THAT WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT TODAY, BUT WE DO HAVE PROPERTY.
UM, NEVER BEEN IN NAME STREET.
THAT'S WHERE THE ARD HOUSE WAS.
THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY THERE AND A LOT OF RESEARCH AND, AND YOU KNOW, TEAMWORK, NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT IN SMALL PROJECTS THAT INCREASE THE OVERALL WELLBEING OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S LIGHTING, WHETHER IT'S, UM, SAFETY, WHETHER IT'S MORE, WE'VE DONE A LOT.
THEY'RE GETTING RID OF ALL THOSE CARS AND, AND THERE HAVE BEEN NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUPS AND FORTUNATELY NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUP IS NOT INCUMBENT ON US.
THERE ARE OTHER GROUPS WHO ARE DOING THAT AS WELL.
UM, SO I HEAR THOSE BEING TOSSED IN.
ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO PUT OUT A PROPOSAL OR ZED, DID YOU HEAR SOMETHING ELSE ASKING? DO I OR SHOULD I ASK THE BOARD PERMISSION TO LOOK INTO THAT FIRST AVENUE? WELL, I, I THINK WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW IS I, ME PERSONALLY LOOK INTO NOT ACQUIRE OR JUST SEE WHAT IT'S ABOUT.
HOW MANY HOUSES YOU CAN GET ON THERE, WHO OWNS IT.
[03:05:01]
A BUYER.NO, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
AND, AND SOME OF THAT INFORMATION IS, IS ALREADY EXISTING.
'CAUSE THAT DEVELOPMENT, UM, THAT OPPORTUNITY'S BEEN, EXCUSE ME, IN IN PEOPLE'S MINDS FOR A WHILE.
UH, WHAT, WHAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING FOR YOU ALL TO CONSIDER IS REFLECT ON THIS CONVERSATION TODAY AND BETWEEN NOW AND YOUR NEXT MEETING, COMMUNICATE TO STAFF THE PROJECTS THAT YOU IDENTIFY.
SO MR. DI HUNT, YOU'RE IDENTIFYING FIRST AVENUE AS A PROJECT.
MR. PARAGO IS IDENTIFYING, UH, WEST A STREET AS A, AS A PROJECT.
WE HAVE, UM, A BLOOMFIELD PROJECT COMMUNICATE THOSE PROJECTS TO STAFF.
THAT WAY HE CAN AGGREGATE THAT INFORMATION.
AND IF THERE'S A BUNCH OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ALL IDENTIFYING THE SAME PROJECT, THEN MAYBE THAT'S HIGHER UP ON THE LIST.
AND THEN AT YOUR NEXT MEETING, WHICH IS FEBRUARY 15TH, YOU'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT, UM, DO WE WANT TO ESTABLISH THESE PARTICULAR PROJECT GROUPS? WHO'S GOING TO BE ON THEM AND WHAT ARE THOSE PROJECT GROUPS GONNA BE TASKED WITH DOING? SO SPOKE, I WAS PRIED TO THE INFORMATION THAT JIM HAS.
I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE EIGHTH STREET PROJECT.
AND, AND PERHAPS YOU CAN GET WITH STAFF TO GET THE, A STREET INFORMATION AS WELL AS THE PREVIOUS EXISTING, UH, FIRST AVENUE INFORMATION.
I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT LOTS YOU'RE REFERRING TO, BUT THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION OWNS SEVERAL LOTS ON FIRST AVENUE.
SO SOME OF THOSE ARE ALREADY IN THE REDEVELOPMENT, NOT THE CITY'S POSSESSION.
AND YOU CAN GET THAT INFORMATION, REFLECT UPON THAT AS YOU MOVE FORWARD TO THE NEXT ONE.
THAT ALL ABOUT WORKING? YES SIR.
DO WE STILL OWN BLUE PIT? ACCORDING QUESTION.
WELL, WE, WE MADE, WE HAD A RESOLUTION PASSED SIX MONTHS AGO TO TRANSFER THAT BACK TO THE CITY ALONG WITH OUR $300,000.
WE STILL, I THINK WE STILL HAVE, I THINK, WELL, I MEAN IT MIGHT BE A DECISION HAND, BUT I STILL THINK PUSH COME THE SHELF WE CAN GET, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, WELL THIS IS THE PROBLEM WITH IT.
WHILE WE'RE WRAPPING UP, THERE'S THE PROBLEM WITH IT, WE CAN'T EVEN HAVE A MEETING OVER THERE ABOUT HEALTH AND WELLNESS WENT OVER THERE.
YOU WOULD'VE WENT OVER THERE TO SPEAK WITH HEALTH AND WELLNESS AND EVEN THOUGH CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS IN THERE TRYING TO GET THEM RILED UP ABOUT WHAT HOSPITALS SAID AND WHAT THEY DIDN'T SAY, THEY WASN'T FOCUSED ON THAT.
THEY SAID, TAMARI, WE GOT YOU.
WE CAN UNDERSTAND YOU MOVEMENT.
BUT THE ENTIRE FOCUS WAS YOU TORE THAT ADA HOUSE DOWN AND YOU TOLD US, BEEN TWO YEARS, YOU TOLD US SOMETHING WILL BE GOOD.
ALL ABOUT PROGRESS MOVING FORWARD WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
'CAUSE WE TORE THAT HOUSE DOWN AND WE PUT NOTHING NEXT THERE.
SO NOW IF I GOTTA GO AT THE LAW, I MEAN, I, I WANT A GROUP, BUT WE GOTTA GET, I'M NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO PROJECT ANYTHING ELSE.
THE BLOOMFIELD, WHERE THE HOUSE USED TO BE, EVEN A DUPLEX.
I DON'T CARE IF WE PUT A, WE JUST GOTTA PUT SOMETHING THERE.
I MEAN, SO'S GOTTA GO IN THAT SPOT.
'CAUSE THAT'S ALL THEY TALKING ABOUT.
I GOTTA BE ON THE 31ST CHAIR TO WALK IN FRONT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT'S GONNA BE ABOUT.
AND I, I AGREE WITH YOU A HUNDRED PERCENT AND I, I FEEL LIKE THERE ARE, THAT IS THAT LOOSE END THAT WE DID VOTE TO SEND THAT BACK TO THE CITY.
SO AS FAR AS WE KNOW, AND ON PAPER, THE CITY OWNS THAT AND TOOK THE MONEY.
SO WE NEED TO HAVE THAT, THAT THAT WAS A RECOMMENDATION.
ALL THIS BOARD, ALL THE COMMISSION HAS POWER TO DO IS MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO THEY DIDN'T WELL I'M GONNA, LET ME PUT A PEN THERE.
I'M HEARING A CONVERSATION HERE THAT GIVES STAFF DIRECTION TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE STATUS OF THE BLOOMFIELD PROPERTY IS.
IS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING? THAT IS.
AND SO TO BE CLEAR, I'VE RECEIVED CONSENSUS AROUND THE BOARD, AROUND THE TABLE TO RECEIVE PROJECT, UH, PROJECT PROPOSALS TO BE PROPOSED DURING THE NEW BUSINESS SECTION OF OUR FEBRUARY 15TH, UH, MEETING WHEREBY WE WILL, UH, DECIDE AS A COMMISSION WHAT PROJECTS WE WILL PURSUE IN THE NEXT YEAR.
AND I WOULD LIKE, UM, CAN YOU ALSO, UM, BE IN CONTACT WITH ROBBIE ABOUT THAT? YES.
BECAUSE I, I FEEL LIKE HE HAD A LOT OF GREAT IDEAS, BUT I, I'D LIKE A FINER PINPOINT ON A, A PROJECT THAT COULD BE DONE.
YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS TO BE DONE, BUT WE NEED, UH, SOMETHING TO DO A SPECIFIC AREA OR A SPECIFIC TASK.
ONE OTHER THING TOO, JUST, AND I I'M MIND VERY SHORT, WE COME UP WITH A LOT OF IDEAS AND A LOT OF THINGS CROSS OUR MINDS.
THERE'S SOME THINGS, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO REACH OUT AND DO, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, AS WE THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS, WE NEED TO START THINKING ABOUT WHO'S DOING SOME OF THESE THINGS TO BECOME PARTNERSHIP WITH SOME FOLKS.
AND THEN THERE'S SOME PEOPLE THAT'S DOING CERTAIN THINGS.
ALL WE NEED TO DO IS KIND OF BRING 'EM TO THE TABLE, SAY, LOOK, WE ARE PART OF REDEVELOPMENT.
CAN YOU HELP WITH THIS PROJECT? YOU KNOW, THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
'CAUSE WE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE CAN'T DO EVERYTHING, BUT WE CAN BRING PEOPLE THAT ARE ALREADY DOING SOME THINGS TO THE TABLE AND THEN HELP US.
AND IT'S A, IT'S A, A PARADIGM SHIFT BECAUSE I HEARD COMMISSIONER, UH,
[03:10:01]
BILL HUNT'S QUESTION OR WHO ARE WE IN COMPETITION WITH FOR THIS? AND I HEARD REG'S ANSWER IS WE SHOULD BE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ALL THESE PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO THE THINGS.OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY DOING THINGS, WE JUST NEED TO BRING THEM IN SO YOU KNOW, THEY CAN DO IT WITHIN OUR BOUNDARIES AND, AND MEET OUR GOALS.
SOMETHING, SOMETHING DOWN THE ROAD AND I I SAID IS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT THREE OR FOUR PROBABLY COMMITTEES THAT ARE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING IN THE
DIFFERENT LITTLE GROUPS HERE AND THERE.
WE, WE, WE PROBABLY NEED TO THINK ABOUT CALLING 'EM ALL IN AND SAY, LOOK, LET'S HAVE A ROUND TAPE DISCUSSION.
YOU WANT TO DO THIS, YOU WANT TO DO THIS? YOU KNOW, ALL OF US NEED JUST KIND OF GET OUT THERE WHAT YOU WANT TO DO AND THEN LET'S HIGHLIGHT EACH OTHER'S BEST PART AND THEN GO AND SUPPORT 'EM ON THAT.
'CAUSE EVERYBODY TRYING TO DO A LITTLE THIS AND A WHOLE LOT OF PROGRESS.
AND YOU'RE RIGHT, IT'S ON OUR COMPETITION.
THURSDAY WORKING TOGETHER THURSDAY MAYBE SUNDAY SIX O'CLOCK THEY BE MAYBE PHOENIX PROJECT LAND SHOUT PEOPLES SIBLINGS, BARBARA SAN PETTY SIMPSON, I'M SORRY.
AND THE GREATER THE D FIELD AREA, IF Y'ALL CAN COME NOT OUT.
WHAT'S THE AGENDA OF WELLNESS? I HOPE THE HOSPITAL SHOULD BE THERE.
LIKE THE MANY ONE WE HAD WITH THE VILLE RESIDENT COUNCIL.
SO THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE OTHER THAN THOSE HAND CHOSEN ONES THAT WERE THERE THAT WANT TO BE HEARD ABOUT HOW GLAD THEY ARE TO HEALTH THE WELLNESS AND I'M, AND THAT WAS SCRAPPING THE BODEGA ONE.
I JUST CAN'T GET NOTHING BACK FOR THE Y SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE GOING TO RESIDENTIAL.
WE GOTTA PUT SOMETHING AND I'M JUST SORRY THAT THINGS THAT WE DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSIONS GOT.
IT'S A SHAME, IT'S A VIOLATION OF STATE ETHICS.
THAT THAT HAS REALLY BEEN, HAS REALLY, FOR ME, THAT HAS REALLY BEEN THE HURTFUL PART AND IT'S REALLY JUST HELPED.
IT, IT IS JUST, IT JUST CREATED SOME BAD FEELING OF TRUST.
YOU DISCUSSED STUFF IN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND NEXT THING YOU KNOW, YOU AT A MEETING SHARING THAT INFORMATION.
AND I, RIGHT, RIGHT NOW, AT THIS POINT IN TIME, I'M GONNA HAVE TO PUT A, A LID ON THAT DISCUSSION.
SO THAT IS A, A CLOSED SESSION OH YEAH.
ITEM THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT AND I DON'T WANT TO SPEND ANY MORE TIME ON THAT THIS MORNING.
IF AS LONG AS IT'S NOT ABOUT THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER.
WELL WE HAVE TO DOWNTOWN OF HERE.
THAT WAS A, A CITY DIRECTIVE FOR US.
WE USED TO MEET HERE ALL THE TIME.
AND SOMEBODY ASKED, CAN WE COME BACK HOME? YEAH.
YOU HAVE MORE ROOM AND YOU HAVE, WE COULD LOOK AT EACH OTHER IN THE FACE EASIER TO DISCUSS IT.
LET US COME HOME AND WE SAY THAT, CAN WE GIVE YOU DIRECTION SO WE COME ON.
EXCEPT THAT IT WASN'T SAY THAT.
I FEEL LIKE WE'LL BE MORE PRODUCTIVE.
IF THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION C MEET IN THIS CONFERENCE ROOM ON THE REGULAR, JUST SAYING IN EIGHT MONTHS, I CAN GET YOU A WRITEUP OF WHY WE'LL BE BETTER.
AND LEMME SAY IF COVID DON'T RISE, I GUESS ALL OF THEM KNOW.
AND WE HAVE MORE ROOM HERE SCATTER.
THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I, UH, MAKE THAT UP.
I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS AND, UH, I, I WILL TAKE THAT DIRECTION AND RUN WITH IT.
UH, WELL COUNTING ON YOU THEN.
I'LL REPORT BACK TO THE COMMISSION.
CLEARLY THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AN ALL DAY EVENT.
UM, AND I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS.
I REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING, UH, REGGIE IN TO TALK TO US.
I FEEL LIKE HE WAS, UM, GAVE US INFORMATION AND FOOD FOR THOUGHT WE HADN'T HAD IN A MOMENT OR MAYBE AT ALL.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT AND HEARING FROM EVERYBODY AND HAVE EVERYBODY, IT WAS NICE.
THAT'S WHY WE COULD LAST ALL DAY.
BUT I DON'T WANT TO, I KNOW EVERYBODY'S TIME IS VALUABLE AND I REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, YOU GUYS MAKING THE EFFORT TO GET HERE SO WE CAN GET THIS ON THE BOOKS.
I THINK IT GIVES US, UM, UM, MORE, EVEN MORE CREDIBILITY TO KNOW THAT EVERYBODY'S, UH, READY TO GIVE UP THEIR PERSONAL TIME ABOVE AND BEYOND TO MAKE SURE WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND WORKING ON PROJECTS THAT MATTER.
YOU GUYS DID A LOT OF WORK TODAY.
I WANT TO AMEND ALL OF YOU AND THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
OH, WE NEED A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
[03:15:02]
AYE.