[00:00:01]
IF YOU LIKE GAVEL, I'LL USE GAVEL CALL
[ 1. Call to order and Welcome.]
TO ORDER THIS, UH, REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING OF THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.AND I WOULD LIKE TO START OFF THIS EVENING WITH THE ROLL CALL IF WE COULD.
AND NONE OF OUR EX OFFICIO MEMBERS ARE IN THE HOUSE HERE.
[3. Mission Statement and Guiding Principles]
THING ON OUR AGENDA, AND WHILE YOU GENTLEMEN ARE GETTING, UH, SITUATED, WE'RE GOING TO GO OVER OUR MISSION AND OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES.UM, CAN I GET SOMEBODY TO VOLUNTEER TO READ THE MISSION STATEMENT? I BELIEVE MR. STRICKLAND READ IT LAST TIME.
SO DO YOU HAVE IT IN FRONT OF YOU, SARAH? MM-HMM.
I'M GONNA VOLUNTOLD YOU TO VOLUNT TELL YOU THEN
THE NEW BERN REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
LEADING THE WAY FOR COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION AND IMPROVEMENT BY DIRECTLY ADDRESSING COMMUNITY NEEDS IN THE VITAL AREAS OF PUBLIC HEALTH, INFRASTRUCTURE, HOUSING, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
THE COMMISSION IS COMMITTED TO AN ACCOUNTABLE, TRANSPARENT, AND PUBLICLY DRIVEN PROCESS.
AND NOW WE'LL, UM, ALSO GO THROUGH OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES, UM, AND WE CAN JUST CARRY THAT AROUND THE ROOM.
PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE, EQUAL TIME.
LISTEN TO BUILD CONSENSUS, SHARE ACCURATE INFORMATION, PUBLIC PERCEPTION, STAY FOCUSED, BE ACTION ORIENTED.
AND EVERYBODY TOGETHER BELIEVE, BELIEVE.
I I WONDER ABOUT THIS STATEMENT.
I WONDER INTO THE ACCURATE, OR WHERE DID IT COME FROM, IF I MAY ASK THAT QUESTION.
OUR GUIDING, OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLE.
WE DEVELOPED THAT WHEN WE DEVELOPED OUR DOCUMENT IN, I BELIEVE IT WAS 2019.
IT WAS DONE BY THE COMMISSION IN THE EARLY YEARS OF, OF THE FORMATION IN THE, YOU THINK WE ARE LIVING UP TO IT?
TALKING ABOUT, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, THE WHOLE THING.
UH, THAT'S A MATTER OF OPINION.
UH, ONE AND THINK ABOUT WHEN I READ IT.
AND I, I THINK THAT'S WHY WE LIKE TO KEEP IT IN FRONT OF US AND READ IT AT EVERY MEETING SO THAT WE WERE REMINDED OF.
IT'S WHAT IT IS WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON.
[4. Consider Approving the Agenda.]
MOVE ON TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS APPROVING THE AGENDA.DID EVERYBODY RECEIVE THEIR AGENDA PACKET? AND ALMOST EVERYBODY HAS IT IN FRONT OF YOU WORKING ON THAT.
UH, CONSIDER APPROVING THE AGENDA, PLEASE.
I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS IT IS.
UM, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? NO.
AND ALL OPPOSED? OKAY, THE MOTION CARRIES.
AND WE HAVE AN APPROVED AGENDA.
[5. Consider Approving Minutes (May)]
THAT NEEDS TO BE APPROVED ARE THE MINUTES FROM MAY.AND I BELIEVE THEY WERE ALSO IN YOUR PACKET SENT OUT
UM, AND I HAVE ONE THING, UH, ON THE MINUTES I NOTICED THAT I WAS, UM, LISTED AS A ABSENT INSTEAD OF E EXCUSED.
AND I THINK IT SHOULD BE AN E EXCUSED.
UM, AS I HAD WORKED WITH KIP TO TAKE THAT MEETING FOR ME AND I WAS OUT, I WAS TRAVELING.
I CAN CERTAINLY MAKE THAT NOTATION AND HAPPY TO MAKE THAT AMENDMENT.
ANYONE ELSE HAVE, UM, MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS AMENDED? SECOND.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND AND, UM, TO APPROVE THE MEETING MINUTES AS AMENDED.
AND ALL OPPOSED? AND THAT MOTION CARRIES.
[00:05:01]
THE MEETING MINUTES FROM MAY.[6. Consider Approving Closed Session Minutes]
NUMBER SIX ON OUR AGENDA IS TO CONSIDER APPROVING THE CLOSED SESSION MINUTES.AND THESE ARE FROM A WHILE BACK.
THEY ARE NOT FROM MAY, AREN'T THEY FROM APRIL THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT 'EM, CORRECT? I AM PULLING UP RIGHT NOW THE EXACT ONES.
'CAUSE I HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS THIS WEEK, AND I GOT IT WRONG ALMOST ALL THE TIME.
SO WE WOULD BE, UH, APPROVING OUR, UH, DECEMBER AND JANUARY AND MARCH, UH, CLOSED SESSION MEETING.
AND I BELIEVE EVERYONE HAS HAD A CHANCE TO READ THOSE AND REVIEW THOSE.
SO, UM, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CLOSED SESSION MINUTES FOR DECEMBER, JANUARY, AND MARCH.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
UM, AND I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S ANY DISCUSSION ON THOSE SINCE WE'VE ALL LOOKED THROUGH 'EM.
AND ALL OPPOSED? AND THAT MOTION CARRIES.
SO NOW WE HAVE APPROVED OUR CLOSED SESSION MEETING MINUTES.
UM, THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS PUBLIC COMMENT, AND I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE ANYBODY IN THE PUBLIC C TWO.
[8. Presentation of the New Bern Housing Authority]
UM, MOVE ON TO OUR PRE PRESENTATIONS THIS EVENING.WE HAVE TWO, AND THE FIRST ONE IS A PRESENTATION BY THE NEW BERN HOUSING AUTHORITY.
UM, AND WE HAVE REGINALD BARNER HERE WITH US THIS EVENING.
GOOD, GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY.
UH, AS, AS INDICATED BY THE CHAIRWOMAN, UH, WE, WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO, UH, TO BE HERE AND PRESENT OUR, OUR ASK OF YOU ALL, UH, TO, UH, ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT AT SOME POINT FOR US TO PURCHASE, UH, THE THREE HOUSES THAT YOU ALL HAVE BUILT ON WALT BELLAMY.
UM, I WANT TO FIRST BY SAYING THAT SINCE ZEV IS, IS, IS BEEN IN THE CURRENT POSITION, AND I'VE BEEN, AS THE INTERIM WE HAVE DISCUSSED AND REALLY FORMULATED A, A PARTNERSHIP AROUND WHAT THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION IS TRYING TO DO.
I LISTENED TO YOUR MISSION STATEMENT AND THAT OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
UH, WE WANNA WORK IN PARTNERSHIP, UH, FROM OUR BOARD STANDPOINT AND FROM A COMMUNITY STANDPOINT.
AND SO, I, I JUST WANNA GO ON RECORD TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL UNDERSTAND FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE THAT WE WANT TO BE IN LOCKSTEP WITH YOU ALL AS YOU ALL TAKE ON DIFFERENT INITIATIVES IN THE COMMUNITY AND HOW THE HOUSING AUTHORITY CAN BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF WORKING WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION FROM, FROM THAT STANDPOINT.
SECONDLY, UH, MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE THE REASON I'M HERE IS IF, IF YOU ALL WOULD APPROVE US TO BE ABLE TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH YOU ALL.
I ALSO PLAN TO TAKE TO MY BOARD ON MONDAY NIGHT, UH, THE REQUEST TO, TO PURCHASE, UH, THE THREE HOUSES.
UH, WE'VE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH FEMA, UH, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WHEN THE FLOOD OCCURRED AT, UH, TRENT COURT.
UH, FEMA HAS, UH, PRELIMINARY COMMITTED, UH, SOME FUNDS TO THE AUTHORITY.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING THROUGH THAT PROCESS WITH THEM.
THEY HAVE APPROVED ABOUT $8 MILLION ALREADY, UH, FOR US TO DO A PLANNING AND PLANNING AND REDEVELOPMENT.
UH, FROM A MASTER PLAN REDEVELOPMENT STANDPOINT, THEY APPROVED US A LITTLE OVER $8 MILLION BACK IN DECEMBER.
AND WE'RE WORKING ON THAT PROCESS.
WE'RE ALSO ENGAGED, UH, UH, AN RFP, UH, FOR A CNI CONSULTANT TO, UH, ALLOW THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO WORK IN COLLABORATION WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UH, WE PLAN TO GO AFTER A CHOICE NEIGHBORHOOD INITIATIVE IMPLEMENTATION GRANT, IF YOU ALL REMEMBER AS A COMMUNITY, YOU ALL RECEIVED A CHOICE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, PLANNING GRANTS SOME YEARS BACK.
AND SO OUR GOAL NOW IS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH AN IMPLEMENTATION GRANT.
AND WE'RE GONNA USE PART OF THAT, UH, $8 MILLION THAT WE RECEIVED FROM FEMA TO PAY THE COST OF THE CONSULTANTS, THE PLAN, AND THE ENGINEERS, THE ARCHITECT, TO PUT A MASTER PLAN TOGETHER TO REALLY FOCUS ON THE, THE, UH, UH, FIVE POINT PLAN THAT WAS, UH, UH, PRESENTED, UH, BACK IN 20 15, 20 16.
AND SO OUR GOAL IS, IS TO USE, UH, SOME OF THOSE FUNDS LONG TERM, UH, TO REIMBURSE, UH, REIMBURSE OURSELVES FOR THE PURCHASE OF THESE THREE HOUSES.
UH, IN COMMUNICATION WITH ZAYA.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ALL, UH, WOULD BE WILLING TO ENTERTAIN AN OFFER FROM US AT $164,000, UH, PER HOUSE.
[00:10:01]
WE'RE WILLING TO ACCEPT THAT.WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR APPRAISAL RIGHT NOW CAME IN AT 162, UH, THOUSAND PER HOUSE, BUT WE'RE WILLING TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT AT, AT THE 164,000 PER HOUSE.
OUR GOAL IS TO BEGIN TO UTILIZE, UH, UM, THE TRANSITION AND THE REPLACEMENT OF SOME OF THOSE UNITS LOST, UM, AT TRENT COURT WHEN THE FLOOD OCCURRED, UH, WITH FLORENCE TO BEGIN TO UTILIZE AT LEAST THESE THREE TO JUMPSTART THAT EFFORT TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THAT.
BUT I'M ALSO A HOME OWNERSHIP PERSON, AND SO I, I'M BIG ON HOME OWNERSHIP.
SO I'M NOT AS INTERESTED IN REDEVELOPING, UH, APARTMENT COMPLEXES FOR WHAT I CALL LOW WEALTH PEOPLE.
SOME PEOPLE SAY LOW INCOME, BUT I CALL LOW WEALTH.
AND SO MY LONG TERM GOAL IS WITH THESE THREE HOUSES IS WHY WE MAY BUY THEM INITIALLY AS RENTAL HOUSES.
THE INTENT LONG TERM WOULD BE AT SOME POINT TO BE ABLE TO HELP CREATE A HOME OWNERSHIP FOR THOSE LOW WEALTH FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE KNOW THAT IN AMERICA, THE NUMBER ONE WEALTH BUILDING TOOL IN AMERICA IS HOME OWNERSHIP.
AND WE CAN UTILIZE, UH, OUR PROGRAMS TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT AND OUR RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND SO, UH, AS WE GO FORWARD WITH YOU ALL AND OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY, IN, IN, IN REDEVELOPING WHAT WAS LOST AT, AT TRENT COURT, OUR GOAL AND HOPE IS TO, TO FACILITATE SOME OF THAT WITH SINGLE FAMILY HOMES OPPOSED TO JUST APARTMENT COMPLEXES.
'CAUSE THAT LONG TERM DOESN'T GIVE THOSE FAMILIES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE AMERICAN DREAM.
SO THAT'S ONE OF OUR FOCUSES AS WELL.
UH, IF YOU ALL APPROVE US TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD FROM A TIMING STANDPOINT, UH, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, IF YOU ALL APPROVE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT IF YOU APPROVE IT, THAT IT HAS TO GO TO THE ALDERMAN FOR FINAL APPROVAL.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT MY, I WANNA WORK, UH, HAND IN HAND, UH, WITH OUR ATTORNEY AND YOUR ATTORNEY TO BE ABLE TO DRAFT THOSE APPROPRIATE DOCUMENTS.
UM, I PLAN TO GET APPROVAL, UH, FROM MY BOARD ON MONDAY NIGHT.
UH, AFTER THIS PRESENTATION, GET APPROVAL FROM APPROVAL FROM OUR BOARD, UH, FEMA HAS SIGNED OFF THAT THEY WILL, UH, WHEN FUNDS COME IN, WHICH MAY BE TWO YEARS DOWN THE ROAD ON ON THE REDEVELOPMENT SIDE, THEY WILL REIMBURSE US FOR WHAT WE USE TO PURCHASE THESE HOUSES.
SO WE'RE WILLING TO TAKE THE RISK TO BE ABLE TO GO AHEAD AND ACQUIRE THESE THREE HOUSES, UH, AT THIS POINT, KNOWING THAT AT SOME POINT FEMA WILL PROVIDE US REIMBURSEMENT FOR THAT.
WE'RE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT, AND WE UNDERSTAND, UH, THE PROCESS THAT WE HAVE TO UNDERTAKE.
SO WITH THAT, UH, WE WILL BE WORKING WITH THE LOCAL LENDER, UH, TO BE ABLE TO HELP FACILITATE, UH, THE INITIAL, UH, ACQUISITION OF THAT, UH, OF THE PURCHASE OF THOSE HOMES, UH, WITH THE FINANCE MECHANISM THAT IS ACCEPTABLE TO OUR BOARD, UH, TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, MY MY GOAL IS HOPEFULLY WE CAN BE ABLE TO CLOSE THIS PROJECT, UH, OUT IN THE ACQUISITION BY THE END OF AUGUST, NO LATER THAN THE END OF AUGUST.
IF IT CAN BE FACILITATED SOONER THAN WE WOULD BE WORKING TO DO THAT, BUT AT LEAST, UH, TO GIVE OURSELVES A LITTLE BIT OF COMFORT, UH, AND TIMING, UH, THEN, THEN OUR GOAL WOULD BE TO BE ABLE TO FACILITATE IT BY THE END OF AUGUST.
UH, AGAIN, UH, THE WHOLE INTENT IS TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOU ALL.
SO OUR GOAL IS, IS WE PURCHASE, UH, THESE HOUSES FROM YOU ALL.
HOPEFULLY YOU WILL USE RESOURCES TO IDENTIFY OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD MORE SINGLE FAMILY HOUSES.
UH, THERE ARE A LOT OF INFIELD LOTS IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT NEED TO BE REDEVELOPED.
AND WE WANT TO BE A, A STRATEGIC PARTNER WITH YOU ALL TO HELP FACILITATE THAT.
UH, WE NEED TO MOVE FAMILIES OUT OF TRENT COURT IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO REDEVELOP AND DO, DO OUR DEMOLITION LONG TERM.
AND SO, WHILE IT'S ONLY THREE HOUSES, WE GOTTA START SOMEWHERE.
AND SO THAT'S OUR GOAL TO, TO WORK WITH YOU ALL AS YOU GO FORWARD WITH YOUR, YOUR PROJECTS, THAT WE CAN DO THAT, UH, AGAIN, IN COLLABORATION.
UH, THAT'S THE END OF MY PRESENTATION AND IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS OF ME, I'D BE HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
YOU, YOU COVERED A LOT OF GROUND, BUT I WILL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS, UM, FROM MY BOARD.
DOES THE NEWBURN HOUSING AUTHORITY CURRENTLY OWN ANY SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS? UH, WE DON'T.
SO, SO TRADITIONALLY THIS COMMUNITY HAS NOT FOCUSED, UH, ON THE SINGLE FAMILY ASPECT.
AND SO I THINK THIS WOULD BE, UH, OUR FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
BUT HOPEFULLY IT WON'T BE OUR LAST OPPORTUNITY TO DO IT.
AND EVEN IN THE DISCUSSIONS WITH Z UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, YOU KNOW, OLD SCHOOLS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT INFIELD LOTS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT EVERYTHING IN THIS COMMUNITY, EVERYTHING THAT WAS INITIALLY PUT IN THAT CNI, UH, PLAN.
UH, WE WANT TO FOCUS ON THAT AND REVIVE THAT.
THERE'S NO, IT'S A GOOD DOCUMENT, HAS GREAT BONES, AND WE WANT TO UTILIZE THAT TO BEGIN THIS PROCESS FOR REDEVELOPMENT IN THE COMMUNITY.
I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS IF I CAN
[00:15:01]
ASK.NOW, YOU ANSWERED MY FIRST QUESTION AND I HAVE TWO MORE FOR YOU.
ARE YOU IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HABITAT HUMANITY? WE'RE, WE'RE NOT AT THIS TIME.
SO THIS IS, UH, OUR FIRST OPPORTUNITY, UH, BASED ON THESE THREE HOUSES, UH, TO BE ABLE TO FACILITATE THAT.
AND AGAIN, I WANT TO BE CLEAR, WE ARE PRIMARILY FROM A RENTAL STANDPOINT, BUT OUR LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THESE HOUSES TO CREATE HOME OWNERSHIP.
SO WE'RE NOT DOING HOME OWNERSHIP RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE LIKE HABITAT DOES.
BUT OUR LONG TERM INTENT IS TO, YOU KNOW, BUILD WHETHER IT'S TOWN HOMES, SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, YOU KNOW, GARDEN STYLE APARTMENTS AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, UH, ARE THE TRADITIONAL WAY.
BUT IN MOST COMMUNITIES, UH, NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT ALTERNATIVES.
'CAUSE AGAIN, THE LONG TERM IS TO GIVE PEOPLE A CHANCE TO, FOR HOME, HOME OWNERSHIP.
HOW MUCH OF TRENT COURT DO YOU PLAN TO DEMOLISH? OUR, OUR GOAL LONG TERM IS FIRST TO DEMOLISH, UH, THOSE UNITS THAT WERE FLOODED.
AND THEN SECONDLY, AS WE CAN TRANSITION FAMILIES OUT OF THERE, IS TO DEMOLISH THE ENTIRE DEVELOPMENT AND DO A, A, A LONG-TERM REDEVELOPMENT PLAN IN THAT SAME AREA.
AND, AND, AND, AND WE, WHAT WE WANNA FOCUS ON IS A MIXED USE, MIXED INCOME, UH, DEVELOPMENT FROM WHERE WE DEMOLISH THOSE UNITS.
AND THAT IS WHY WE'RE TRYING TO FOCUS ON THE INITIAL CNI PLAN FOR THE FIVE POINTS AREA, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF GROUND TO COVER AND THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY.
AND SO WE WANT TO USE CNI FUNDS THAT WE'RE GONNA APPLY FOR WITH THE FEMA FUNDS, AND THEN OTHER FUNDING THAT CAN BE POTENTIALLY LEVERAGED TO REALLY CREATE A LONG-TERM VISION FOR REDEVELOPMENT FOR THAT ENTIRE QUARTER.
WE ONLY USE FIVE POINT HAVE A PONY IF YOU KNOW WHAT A PONY IS.
SO ARE WE USING IT FOR A PONY TO DEMOLISH TRENT COURT TO BUILD HIGH RISE OVER THERE OR WE THE, UH, NO, NOT, NOT FROM MY STANDPOINT.
SO AGAIN, I'VE ONLY BEEN IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, FROM THE INTERIM STANDPOINT SINCE OCTOBER.
I'VE BEEN THE CONSULTANT TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR THE YEAR LAST YEAR AND A HALF.
AND SO TO, TO YOUR QUESTION AND, AND MORE SPECIFICALLY TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, UH, THAT'S NOT MY GOAL AND THAT'S NOT MY INTENT.
HOWEVER, UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT DUFFY FIELD AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS COMPLETELY, UH, OUR GOAL IS TO LOOK AT THOSE AREAS STRATEGICALLY AND SEE HOW WE CAN BE A VERY GOOD PARTNER IN HELPING TO BRING MORE QUALITY, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, IN THOSE COMMUNITIES.
UH, LET ME BE VERY CLEAR WITH YOU.
I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR OVER 30 YEARS.
YOUR HOUSING STOCK IS NOT THE BEST IN THOSE COMMUNITIES.
AND I THINK THE HOUSING AUTHORITY CAN PLAY AN INTEGRAL PART IN BEING ABLE TO BRING BETTER QUALITY HOUSING FOR LOW TO MODERATE INCOME FAMILIES, UH, AS A STRATEGIC PARTNER.
IF YOU MADE MY POINT, BUT THEN, UH, MAYBE I CAN THROW THIS TO THERE.
I DON'T WANNA SEE CONDOS OR WHATEVER ON THE WATERFRONT PRICED OUR PRICED OUT OF OUR RANGE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I CAN ENVISION SEEING.
WELL, OUR GOAL IS TO CREATE A MIXED INCOME, UH, DEVELOPMENT.
JUST TO BE CLEAR WITH YOU, WHAT HUD IS NOT INTERESTED IN AND WHAT HUD FOCUSES ON IS THE DECONCENTRATION OF POVERTY.
AND SO WE'VE MOVED AWAY FROM THOSE D DAYS OF WE WAREHOUSING POOR PEOPLE TOGETHER ALL TOGETHER.
THE INTENT IS WHAT MAKES COMMUNITIES VIBRANT IS WHEN WE CAN CREATE A MIXED INCOME ENVIRONMENT.
SO OUR GOAL, I'LL BE VERY HONEST WITH YOU, IS TO CREATE A, A COLLABORATION OF LOW TO MODERATE INCOME PEOPLE AT 80 TO A HUNDRED PERCENT OF A MI AND THOSE PEOPLE AT A HUNDRED TO 140%.
THE, THE, THE, THE THREE TIERED APPROACH MAKES IT MORE FOR A BETTER LIVING CONDITION THAN JUST PUTTING ALL POOR PEOPLE IN A COMMUNITY TOGETHER.
AND SO OUR GOAL IS COLLECTIVELY NOT JUST, NOT JUST WHERE TRENT COURT SITS, BUT THROUGHOUT OUR WHOLE MASTER PLAN IS TO CREATE A MIXED INCOME DEVELOPMENT.
AND ONE MORE, I THINK THIS WILL DO ME, DO YOU PLAN TO ONLY GO INTO FIVE POINT AREA OR MAYBE VENTURE OUT OF THAT AREA? YEAH, SO OUR GOAL IS TO LOOK AT EVERYWHERE WITHIN THE CITY.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, PRIOR TO ME COMING, UH, THE PROJECT ON CAROLINA AVENUE WAS A COLLABORATION THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY DID TO BUILD SOME APARTMENT UNITS THERE.
SO WE WANNA LOOK AT THE ENTIRE CITY OKAY.
HOLISTICALLY AND ALSO CRAVEN COUNTY HOLISTICALLY.
SO NO, WE'RE NOT JUST LOOKING AT THAT.
HOWEVER, I DO WANT TO BE VERY SPECIFIC.
THERE IS A TREMENDOUS NEED WITHIN THE INNER CORE OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WE, WE FEEL COMPELLED TO BE A STRATEGIC PARTNER TO HELP BRING BACK REDEVELOPMENT, WHICH I LOOK AT AND I'VE READ YOUR HISTORY.
THOSE ARE VIBRANT COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE SEEN SOME BETTER DAYS.
AND SO WE WANT TO TRY TO HELP DO OUR PART TO BRING SOME QUALITY HOUSING BACK.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? DID YOU, WE GOT A COUPLE REAL FAST.
UM, NOW YOU MENTIONED THIS BEING THESE THREE BEING A PART OF THE, THE INVENTORY REPLACEMENT,
[00:20:01]
OR YOU BE LOOKING TO REPLACE THE ONES THAT WERE TAKEN OFFLINE WITH THE FLOOD, OR WILL YOU BE TAKING MORE UNITS IN TRI COURT OFFLINE AS A PART OF THIS? YEAH, WE'RE GONNA BE TAKING LONG TERM, WE'RE GONNA BE TAKING EVERYTHING OFFLINE.SO, BUT THESE THREE SPECIFICALLY.
AND SO WOULD YOU TAKE THREE MORE OUT, OUT OF TRI COURT NOW, OR USING THE INVENTORY THAT YOU, THE ON PAPER, THE INVENTORY THAT YOU LOST FROM THE FLOOD? YEAH, SO FROM A FUNDING STANDPOINT, WE'RE USING, UH, THE REPLACEMENT FUNDING TO BRING BACK THREE THAT WERE LOST.
HOWEVER, IN ORDER TO DO THE DEMOLITION OF THE 108 THAT'S REMAINING, WE GOTTA HAVE SOMEWHERE FOR THOSE FAMILIES TO GO.
SO WE CAN'T BEGIN THAT DEMOLITION PROCESS UNTIL WE CAN RELOCATE THOSE FAMILIES AND WE WANT TO RELOCATE 'EM IN QUALITY HOUSING.
THIS BEGINS THAT PROCESS FOR US.
SO THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US IS TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THESE THREE QUALITY FAMILIES MOVING OUT OF TRENT COURT INTO THESE THREE HOUSES.
SO THEN WE CAN BEGIN THAT PROCESS OF LONG-TERM, UH, DEMOLITION.
BUT WE CAN'T DO THAT UNTIL WE CREATE MORE HOUSING.
SO WOULD IT, COMING OUT OF THOSE THREE THEN, WOULD THE THE PRICING THAT YOU INTEND TO CHARGE THE FAMILIES STILL BE BASED ON THE HOUSING CHARGES THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IN TR COURT? ABSOLUTELY.
SO, SO ONE THING I WANT, AND I I'M GLAD THAT YOU BROUGHT THAT POINT UP AND THAT WAS A POINT THAT I MISSED TO SHARE.
SO WHEN TRENT COURT FLOODED THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HUD PROVIDED TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY 110 PRO 110 VOUCHERS.
TWIN RIVERS OPPORTUNITY DOES, UH, WE'VE BEEN IN CON IN, IN, IN, IN, UH, COMMUNICATION WITH CYNTHIA.
SHE AND I ARE WORKING HAND TO HAND ON THAT.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE A CALL WITH HUD, UH, NEXT WEEK.
SHE'S LEANING ON ME 'CAUSE SHE'S NOT DONE THE PROJECT BASED VOUCHER ASPECT BEFORE.
BUT WHAT WE WILL BE DOING WITH THESE THREE HOUSES, THESE THREE HOUSES WILL HAVE PROJECT BASED SECTION EIGHT ASSISTANCE TIED TO IT.
SO THAT WAY THE SAME RENT THAT THE FAMILIES ARE PAYING TO LIVE IN TRENT COURT IS THE SAME RENT THEY'RE GONNA PAY TO LIVE IN THESE HOUSES BECAUSE THERE'LL BE A PROJECT BASED VOUCHER ATTACHED TO EVERYTHING WE DO.
YOU HAVE, I HAVE SOMETHING ELSE.
MORE ALSO A STATEMENT THAN A QUESTION.
AND I GUESS THE HARD, THE HARD FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT, UH, THERE HAS BEEN PUBLIC HOUSING ON THAT PROPERTY SINCE WORLD WAR II AND IT'S PRIME WATERFRONT PROPERTY AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
NOW, WITH WHAT MR. STRICKLAND JUST ASKED ABOUT THE PRICES, IT'S GONNA BE APPARENT THAT WATERFRONT PROPERTY IS GONNA BE MUCH MORE VALUABLE THAN SOME OF THAT INLAND PROPERTY THAT WILL SIT ON THE SAME PROPERTY, BUT JUST NOT WATERFRONT PROPERTY.
AND I GUESS THE CONCERN OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE CONCERN OF THIS BOARD SHOULD, SHOULD BE, AND THE CONCERN OF THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY IS GONNA BE, ARE YOU GOING TO PUT, NOT HIGH RISE, BUT PUT, IS IT GONNA BE THAT, THAT MUCH OF A, OF A DIFFERENCE IN THE PRICE AND OF WHO'S LIVING ON THE WATERFRONT PROPERTY VERSUS WHO'S LIVING ON THE INLAND PROPERTIES? SO LET ME, I'M GONNA ANSWER YOUR QUESTION TWO WAYS.
ONE, I'M HERE TONIGHT TO TALK ABOUT THE THREE HOUSES.
SO WE'RE NOT GOTTEN AS FAR IN THE PLANNING PROCESS, UH, RELATED TO THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THAT MASTER PLAN SITE.
SO I WANT TO BE FAIR, BUT I WANT TO BE HONEST WITH YOU THAT THAT'S NOT WHAT WE ARE.
I'M FOCUSING ON THIS EVENING, BUT I WANT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
SO LET'S BE, TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL FROM A FEMA STANDPOINT, FROM THE WATER TO WALT BELLA, THAT WILL BE A GREEN SPACE.
NO UNITS WILL EVER BE BUILT BACK FROM THE WATER UP TO WALT BELLA.
NOW, FROM WALT BELLAMY BACK, WE CAN DEVELOP, WHICH WE'VE NOT DEVELOPED YET, WE'VE NOT DEVELOPED THAT MASTER PLAN.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE UNITS GONNA LOOK LIKE.
WE DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A HIGH RISE, WE DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A MID-RISE.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS.
WE GOT TRIUM PALACE NEXT DOOR.
SO THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT FACTORS WITHIN A HISTORIC DISTRICT.
SO THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE GOTTA TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.
HOWEVER, UH, BECAUSE OF THE BASE ELEVATION LEVEL, WE KNOW THAT WE GOTTA ELEVATE ANY UNITS THAT WE BUILD BACK.
BUT LET'S BE VERY SPECIFIC FROM WALT BELLAMY TO THE WATER.
THERE WILL NOT BE ANY UNITS BEING BUILT THAT WILL BE GREEN SPACE.
AND OUR INTENT IS TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT'S WALKING TRAILS, SOME TYPE OF PARK, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
BEFORE, ANY TIME GOING FORWARD, WE, WE WILL BE PROHIBITED FROM BUILDING ANY UNITS FROM WALT BELLAMY TO THE, TO THE WATER.
AND MY, UH, STATEMENTS WERE BASED ON I KNOW HOW MY COMMUNITY THINKS.
AND THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT I WOULD ADVISE THAT THEY GET OUT IN FRONT OF TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW THAT THEY HAVE NOT TAKEN WHAT USED TO BE PUBLIC HOUSING.
AND NOW TRYING TO MAKE IT WATERFRONT PROPERTY.
BUT YOU ANSWER MY QUESTION PERFECTLY.
BUT I, BUT I DO WANNA PUBLICLY SAY
[00:25:01]
THE INTENT WHILE I'M HELPING THE AGENCY, AS I ANSWERED THE GENTLEMAN'S QUESTION, IS TO CREATE A MIXED INCOME DEVELOPMENT.SO YOU'RE RIGHT, WE'LL GET IT OUT IN FRONT OF IT, BUT WE WILL ARTICULATE AND, AND TO BE VERY CANDID WITH YOU, WHAT WAS IN THE, WHAT WAS IN THE, UH, PLANNING GRANT FOR CNI IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
SO THERE'S NOTHING THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT NOW THAT YOU ALL AS A COMMUNITY THAT PREVIOUSLY PARTIC PARTICIPATED IN CHARETTES AND OTHER DISCUSSIONS THAT THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE DIDN'T SIGN OFF ON.
UH, SO WE ARE REALLY TAKING THE BONES OF THAT CNI PLAN AND NOW TRANSFORMING IT TO OUR GOAL FROM AN IMPLEMENTATION STANDPOINT.
AND TABARI, UM, AND BEING THAT WE'RE NOT HERE TO TALK ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR PART, I'LL JUST MAKE A STATEMENT AND THEN, BUT IT'S TIME TO TALK ABOUT IT.
YOU GOT MY NUMBER, JUST LET ME KNOW, THEN I CAN TALK ABOUT, OKAY.
BUT, UH, AS FAR AS THE MIXED INCOME, YOU KNOW, THE GOAL OF HAVING MIXED INCOME OVER THERE, UM, THE GUARANTEES, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER RIGHT NOW, BUT AS YOU WORK TOWARDS IT, UM, TRY TO PUT SOME FIREWALLS OR GUARANTEES TO ENSURE TO THIS COMMUNITY THAT IT WILL BE MIXED INCOME AND THEY WILL NOT BE PRICED OUT.
AND, AND, AND, AND THOSE ARE GUARANTEED.
WE'RE, WE, WE'RE GONNA BE REQUIRED THE FEMA MONEY CAN, SO THE FEMA MONEY CAN ONLY BE USED FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF WHAT WAS THERE BEFORE.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO C OUR MONEY AND OTHER FUNDING.
WE CAN'T DO THIS MASTER PLAN WITHOUT INCORPORATING ALL FACETS OF FUNDING SOURCES TO MAKE IT WORK.
SO IF ALL WE HAD TO BE ABLE TO DO AND UTILIZE IS THE FEMA FUND, THEN 100% OF WHAT WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO DO BACK WOULD HAVE TO BE FOR LOW TO MODERATE INCOME FAMILIES.
AND SO, UH, WE GOTTA CREATE A MIXTURE OF OTHER FUNDING SOURCES TO MAKE THIS MASTER PLAN WORK.
DO YOU KNOW WHERE WAL BETTER DRIVE IN THAT, UH, I QUESTION I'M ASKING.
SO FROM THAT POINT TO THE CURVE TRYING PALLET, WHAT'S GONNA BE DONE? YEAH, SO A PORTION OF IT WE OWN A PORTION OF IT WE DON'T OWN.
SO A PART OF THAT IS OWNED BY THE CITY WHERE THE, UH, PUMP STATION USED TO BE AND, AND THOSE KIND OF OTHER THINGS.
BUT WHERE THE OFFICE IS BACK TO OUR DEVELOPMENT, ALL OF THAT WOULD BE GREEN SPACE.
I HAVE, WE'VE HAD SOME VERY GOOD QUESTIONS.
I CAN TELL THERE'S EXCITEMENT ABOUT YOUR PROPOSAL TO BUY THESE THREE HOUSES BASED ON THE QUESTIONS THAT WE'VE GOTTEN FOR FUTURE, UM, DEVELOPMENT AND FUTURE PARTNERSHIP.
UM, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE ON THIS SIDE OF THE ROOM, YOU LADIES ARE QUIET.
ANY QUESTIONS OVER THERE? NO, YOU'RE GOOD.
UM, WELL, IF THERE'S NO MORE QUESTIONS, I APPRECIATE, THANK YOU THAT, UM, WE GO FROM HERE NOW, CHAIRMAN, UM, TONIGHT, IS IT, UH, JUST LISTENING AND UNDERSTANDING OR DO, ARE WE IN A PLACE TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS DISCUSSION? JUST DISCUSSION.
AND MADAM CHAIR, I MIGHT BE ABLE TO BE HELPFUL.
UM, SO TONIGHT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU ALL TO ASK QUESTIONS TO BE, TO BE ABLE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE LONG-TERM VISION FOR THESE UNITS AS WELL AS SOME NEIGHBORING REDEVELOPMENT.
I ANTICIPATE AS MR. BORNER HAS INDICATED THAT NEXT MONTH AFTER HIS BOY TAKES SOME ACTION, THERE MAY BE SOME DOCUMENTS FOR YOU ALL TO REVIEW AND CONSIDER.
SO YOU MAY WANT TO GIVE DIRECTION TO STAFF TO CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE WITH MR. BORNER AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO BRING THIS ISSUE BACK TO YOU DURING YOUR JULY MEETING FOR ACTION.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU GOING THROUGH THAT BECAUSE, UM, MS. BURNER'S BRINGING IT TO HIS BOARD FOR APPROVAL AND THEN THAT WILL COME BACK TO US AS YES MA'AM, AGREEMENT FOR CONSIDERATION.
SO IS A DIRECTION TO MR. HUFF TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH MR. WARNER AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITIES TO BRING THIS MATTER BACK TO YOU IN JULY, CORRECT? MM-HMM,
JUST ONE QUICK QUESTION ON THAT.
SO MR. MARTIN, ARE YOU GONNA TAKE IT TO YOUR BOARD MONDAY AND THEN AFTER WE MAKE OUR DECISION ON IT, THEN THE BOARD OF AUTUMN IS GONNA HAVE TO SIGN OFF? SO REALISTICALLY, IF WE EXPECT TO HAVE EVERYTHING TIED UP BY THE END OF AUGUST, CAN WE WAIT TO VOTE ON IT OURSELVES OFFICIALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF JULY? IF YOU ALL WANT TO, YOU CAN CALL A MEETING BETWEEN NOW AND JULY OR THE END OF JULY.
UM, SO LONG AS YOU HAVE A FORM TO TAKE ACTION, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO EXPEDITE THE TIMELINE ON THAT ONE ISSUE ON THAT ONE, ISSUE ONE.
WELL, ONE, ONE OF THE OPTIONS IN, IN OUR PACKET IS TO, UH, EMPOWER THE CHAIR AND THE STAFF TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE THE AGREEMENT AS WELL.
WE DON'T HAVE AN AGREEMENT BEFORE YOU TONIGHT.
CAN, CAN WE, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
[00:30:01]
EMPOWERING THEM TO NEGOTIATE AND CREATE THE DOCUMENT.AND THAT IS WHAT I, AND PERHAPS I WASN'T CLEAR.
ONE THING THAT YOU CAN DO IS GIVE STAFF DIRECTION TO CONTINUE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, TO NEGOTIATE MM-HMM,
AND I, I THINK FOR, FROM REGINA'S STANDPOINT, HE, HE WOULD PROBABLY BE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE AN ENDORSEMENT, NOT, NOT AN AN AGREEMENT, APPROVAL OF AN AGREEMENT, BUT AN ENDORSEMENT FROM THIS COMMISSION, UH, FOR THE SALE OF THE PROPERTY TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR THEIR ESTATE PURPOSES.
IS, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WELL, IN GIVING STAFF DIRECTION TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION, UM, THAT INDICATES YOUR WILLINGNESS TO ENTER INTO THIS TYPE OF ARRANGEMENT.
IF YOU ALL TOLD STAFF DON'T TALK TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY ANYMORE, WE DON'T HAVE ANY APPETITE, THEN THAT WOULD BE VERY, UH, ILLUSTRATIVE AS WELL.
SO THOSE ARE OUR TWO OPTIONS TONIGHT IS TO, UM, MOVE FORWARD AND EMPOWER STAFF TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS OR TO SAY, WE DON'T LIKE THIS IDEA.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION TO, TO THE ATTORNEY'S POINT? UH, MY, MY INTENT ON MONDAY NIGHT IS BASED ON THE PRICE POINT THAT I MENTIONED, UH, IS TO GET APPROVAL, UH, FOR OUR ATTORNEY TO WORK WITH JAMIE TO DRAFT A PSA RE AROUND, UH, THAT NUMBER.
AND SO, UH, AS, AS, AS SHE INDICATED WHY YOU MAY NOT BE TAKING A FORMAL VOTE.
I MEAN I I I DO WANNA MAKE SURE WE ARE GOING DOWN THE RIGHT TRACK ON THIS THING 'CAUSE RIGHT.
OTHERWISE I DON'T, I DON'T WANT TO GET THE BOARD TO, TO APPROVE SOMETHING.
AND, AND, AND THE PRICE POINT THAT YOU MENTIONED WAS, WAS 164,000 PER UNIT PER HOUSE, WHICH PER HOUSE, UM, THEY ALL APPRAISED SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.
THAT IS ABOVE, THEY PREED AT 1 62 EACH APPRAISAL.
AND JUST FOR THE RECORD IN OUR DISCUSSION, UH, WE HAD SOME DISCUSSION WHEN THE BUILDER WAS, UH, BECAUSE WE'VE HAD AN INTEREST.
SO WE HAD SOME DISCUSSION WITH THE BUILDER.
HE MADE SOME MINOR MODIFICATIONS AND, UH, AND SO, AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE WILLING TO INCUR THAT COST IN THE, IN THE PURCHASE PRICE BECAUSE IT WASN'T A PART OF YOUR ORIGINAL, UH, PLANS AND SPECS.
AND SO HE MADE THOSE MODIFICATIONS, IT RESULTED IN A HIGHER PRICE POTENTIALLY FROM A SALES STANDPOINT.
SO WHILE IT'S A COUPLE THOUSAND DOLLARS MORE THAN APPRAISED VALUE, WE'RE, WE'RE COMFORTABLE IN PAYING THAT.
UM, WHEN WE ARE ASSUMING WE AGREE TO THE SALE AND PURCHASE, WE WOULD NOT BE PUTTING ANY RESTRICTIONS ON IT.
LIKE WE LOW INCOME, ANY OF THAT STUFF WE WOULD DO, WE WOULD JUST BE SELLING IT OUTRIGHT.
IS THAT CORRECT? I BELIEVE THAT YES IS THE CASE THAT WE WOULD JUST BE SELLING IT.
I JUST, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE, UM, THE MECHANISM THAT YOU ALL WOULD USE IF YOU'RE INCLINED TO GO FORWARD WOULD BE SELLING DIRECTLY TO AN ENTITY SERVING A PUBLIC PURPOSE.
SO MUCH OF THE RESTRICTIONS THAT YOU ALL MIGHT BE INCLINED TO IMPOSE BECAUSE THEY'RE USING FEMA FUNDING BECAUSE THEY'RE A PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCY, THEY ARE ALREADY MORE REGULATED THAN PERHAPS YOU, YOU WOULDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE IMPOSING.
WOULD THAT BE IN THE DOCUMENTATION THAT WE ARE GONNA GET IN A WEEK THAT THEY'RE A PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCY? YES.
NO, THAT KIND OF THINGS WITH THE RESTRICTIONS ON ALL THAT, SOME OF US AREN'T AWARE OF ALL THAT THINGS.
SO WHAT WE WILL DO IS WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THE AGREEMENT IS READY, IT'LL GO OUT IN YOUR PACKET.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AS YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THOSE DOCUMENTS, Z IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC LEGAL QUESTIONS, I'LL MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE TO HELP EVERYONE UNDERSTAND.
AND AND THIS ELIMINATES THE UPSET BID PROCESS, CORRECT? YOU THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WOULD NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE ACCEPTED PROCESS AND, AND JUST EXCUSE THIS SOUNDS ELEMENTARY, BUT SO EVERYBODY'S CLEAR, THE THE MONEY THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS PROPOSING WOULD COME INTO OUR COFFERS FOR FUTURE PROJECTS FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
WE ARE SELLING THESE HOUSES AND IT IS WHAT WE WOULD HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH OTHER PROJECTS WITH.
WELL, CHAIRMAN, TO CUT IT SHORT, I'D JUST LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION WE, UH, UH, UH, DIRECT STAFF TO, UH, WORK WITH HOUSING OR TO BEGIN NEGOTIATION AND COME BACK WITH A PRESENTATION AND, UH, A CONTRACT THAT THIS BOARD NEEDS TO REVIEW FOR APPROVAL.
DOES THAT IS THAT ATTORNEY? BUT THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S PERFECTLY FINE.
NOW I'LL SECOND THAT A MOTION.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND AND WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSION.
SO IF, IF, UM, DO WE NEED A ROLL CALL VOTE OR CAN WE JUST DO A, A VOICE VOTE FOR THAT VOICE VOTE IS FINE.
I JUST ASK ONE QUESTION THAT YEP.
[00:35:01]
THINGS, IF YOU COULD PUT SOMETHING IN FRONT OF ME REAL FAST 'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE NUMBERS AND EVERYTHING THAT SHOWS THAT THE 1 64 I ASK DOES EXCEED OUR PROJECT PRICE PLUS OVERS.SO OUR PROJECT FUND PLUS OVERS, BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAD SOME ADDITIONAL OVERAGES THAT CAME IN YES.
UM, I JUST WANT TO SEE SOMETHING ON PAPER ABSOLUTELY INDICATING THAT WE DO THAT WE ARE COMING OUT WHOLE ON THIS PROCESS AT A MINIMUM.
OKAY, SO
I'M GONNA SAY, UM, ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
SO THE MOTION CARRIES AND WE ARE EMPOWERING STAFF TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
[9. Presentation of agreement for Grant writing Services]
ANOTHER PRESENTATION THIS EVENING AND THIS IS, UM, FROM MARGARET SHIELDS, WHO IS, UH, WITH FUND DEVELOPMENT INC.AND SHE'S PRESENTING A PROPOSAL TO ENTER INTO A FORMER AGREEMENT WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION TO PROVIDE, UM, GRANT SERVICES FOR FUNDING DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
I KNOW SEVERAL OF YOU ON THE COMMISSION, NOT ALL OF YOU, BUT, UM, YOU MAY KNOW THAT I'VE BEEN WRITING GRANTS FOR THE CITY FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS SINCE FLORENCE AND, UM, HAVE, UH, HELPED THEM SECURE FUNDING FOR THEIR, UM, RESILIENCY AND HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN.
AND THEN A NUMBER OF, UM, REPAIR AND RECOVERY PROJECTS, UH, POST FLORENCE AND AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL RESILIENCY PROJECTS SINCE, UM, WE MOVED OUT OF THE RECCO, SORT OF OUT OF THE RECOVERY PHASE, I GUESS WE'RE ALWAYS GONNA KIND OF BE IN RECOVERY PHASE, BUT, UM, I'VE WORKED WITH SEVERAL OF THE ENGINEERING FIRMS THAT THE CITY WORKS WITH, UM, IN SECURING FUNDING.
AND SO, UM, IN SORT OF LOOKING AT THE FUNDS THAT I'VE HELPED BRING TO THE CITY, IT'S BEEN BETWEEN 10 AND $12 MILLION OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
AND, UM, SO AM INTERESTED IN HELPING THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION WITH, UH, FUNDING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, AS A, AS A PRIORITY AND WAS HAPPY TO HEAR THAT.
UM, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS REALLY, UM, LOOKING AT THE, UM, CNI PLAN AND THE BONES OF THAT BECAUSE I'VE USED THAT, UM, IN A NUMBER OF THE GRANTS THAT I'VE DONE FOR THE CITY, AS WELL AS EVEN SOME OF THE VERBIAGE, UM, I USED WITH THE RCSB CAMPAIGN.
AND HABITAT FOR HUMANITY IS ONE OF MY CLIENTS AS WELL.
SO A LOT OF COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS, UM, ON THE PART OF FUND DEVELOPMENT HERE IN THE NEW BERN COMMUNITY IN CRAVEN COUNTY.
UM, AND SO I THINK IN YOUR PACKET YOU HAVE MY INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR, UM, AGREEMENT THERE THAT, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
UH, IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO THE, UM, AGREEMENT THAT I HAVE WITH THE CITY OF NEW BERN, SORT OF THE, THE SAME, UM, PRICING AND, UM, MONTHLY OR QUARTERLY, UM, STATEMENTS, INVOICES.
SO I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
UM, BETH AND ZEB AND I MET, UH, A MONTH OR SO AGO AND TALKED ABOUT, UH, SOME DIFFERENT GRANTS THAT I THINK WOULD BE APPLICABLE, UM, TO SOME OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING INITIATIVES THAT, UH, THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION HAS.
AND SO I CAN TALK ABOUT SEVERAL OF THOSE IF, IF YOU WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THOSE NOW, OR I CAN COME BACK AT ANOTHER TIME.
UM, SO THERE'S SOME THAT ARE DUE, UH, GRANT APPLICATIONS THAT ARE DUE, UM, IN THE NEXT QUARTER THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST.
SO, UM, I CAN PROVIDE DETAILS ABOUT THOSE OR, OR WHATEVER YOU ALL ARE INTERESTED IN THIS EVENING.
THANK YOU MARGARET FOR MM-HMM.
THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA FOR THE COMMISSION TO HEAR WHAT YOU DO.
UM, AND I, I THINK I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR BEFORE WE ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT THIS IS THE SAME KIND OF SITUATION AS, UM, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, THAT SHE'S BRINGING THIS FOR OUR CONSIDERATION.
WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT AND THE OPTIONS ARE TO, UM, EMPOWER THE STAFF TO NEGOTIATE THIS AGREEMENT AND BRING IT BACK FOR
[00:40:01]
FINAL APPROVAL OR FOR THE COMMISSION TO SAY WE'RE NOT INTERESTED IN THIS AT ALL.UM, SO IF, IF THAT HELPS TO SET THE STAGE FOR QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE OF, OF MARGARET, I'D LIKE TO OPEN IT UP FOR ANYONE TO ASK HER QUESTIONS.
ABAM CHAIRMAN, I HAVE A QUESTION REAL QUICK.
I HAVE A RESEARCHER WHO, UM, DOES SOME OF THE RESEARCH.
UM, SOME OF THE THINGS ARE ON LISTSERV.
SO THAT I'M ON, THAT I RECEIVE INFORMATION ON.
AND THEN ALSO THERE ARE CERTAIN GRANTS THAT IF YOU ALL ARE AWARE AND WANNA BRING 'EM TO MY ATTENTION THAT I MIGHT NOT BE AWARE OF.
UM, THAT'S SORT OF HOW IT WORKS WITH THE CITY.
UM, SOMETIMES THERE'S SOME THINGS, SOME PARTICULAR INITIATIVES THAT THEY WANT TO GO FOR.
USUALLY I'M BRINGING THEM TO THEM, BUT, OKAY.
DO YOU, DO YOU, DO YOU DO, UH, GIVE, DO YOU SET A LIMIT ON THE GRANTS IN TERMS OF AMOUNT? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT YOU, WHAT YOUR COST WOULD BE AND I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO TRY, I DIDN'T WANT US TO HUNT DOWN A GRANT FOR $20,000 AND, AND THEN YOUR PERCENT COMES OUT OF THAT.
YOU'RE NOT LEFT WITH A WHOLE LOT.
SO ARE WE LOOKING AT GRANTS AT 50,000 AND ABOVE OR A HUNDRED THOUSAND ABOVE? WHAT, WHAT'S, WHAT WERE YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS? SO SOME OF THESE THAT I HAVE ON MY LIST, UM, ARE JUST IN THE 25 TO $50,000 RANGE.
BUT THEN OTHERS ARE IN THE MILLION DOLLAR RANGE, SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, OR SEVERAL MILLION.
SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY WHAT YOU ALL ARE INTERESTED IN AND WHAT YOU'RE, YOU FEEL LIKE CAN BE HELPFUL TO YOUR PROJECTS.
SO, YOU KNOW, SOME CLIENTS DON'T WANT TO GO FOR SMALLER GRANTS.
SO, SO IF YOU FOUND A GRANT, THEN YOU BRING IT TO US TO SEE IF WE MM-HMM.
BRING IT TO Z AND YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO GIVE HIM THAT AUTHORITY OR HOWEVER YOU WANNA WORK THAT.
THANK YOU FOR THOSE QUESTIONS.
SO WE COULD ALSO, UM, AND, AND WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SET A, A LIMIT LIKE OF SO MANY HOURS OF YOUR TIME MM-HMM.
AND I, SO IN, IN JUST RENEGOTIATING MY CONTRACT WITH THE CITY WE TALKED ABOUT, IT'S BEEN LIKE MORE ACTUALLY RESEARCH THAN IT HAS BEEN WRITING IN THE LAST YEAR OR SO.
WE INCREASED THE RESEARCH AMOUNT BECAUSE THEY'D SORT OF CAPPED THAT AND IT'S FLIP FLOPPED, UM, THAT THERE'S MORE RESEARCH RIGHT NOW THAN WRITING.
AND THAT IS SO SORT OF, BECAUSE THERE'S JUST A LOT OF MONEY OUT THERE RIGHT NOW, UM, FOR INFRA INFRASTRUCTURE AND NOT SO MANY ENGINEERS AVAILABLE OR, UM, FOLKS ON CITY STAFF TO MANAGE THESE LARGE PROJECTS.
SO THERE WAS A LOT OF MONEY THAT CAME IN IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND NOW THESE PROJECTS ARE, IT, IT'S TAKING A WHILE TO GET THEM DONE BECAUSE THERE'S A LACK.
SO IT JUST REALLY DEPENDS ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
SO IT, IT'S HOW, AND IT, THERE MAY BE MORE RESEARCH ON THE FRONT END RIGHT NOW, UM, BUT I, YOU KNOW, I DO HAVE A LIST OF FIVE OR SIX GRANTS THAT I'M ALREADY AWARE OF AND ZEV MAY HAVE SOME OTHERS THAT HE'S BECOME AWARE OF AS WELL.
I HAVE ONE QUESTION, IF I MAY.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS HAS IMPROPER OR NOT.
COULD YOU GIVE US SOME IDEA OF SOME GRANTS THAT YOU HAVE WRITTEN AND HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL? MM-HMM.
UM, SO I, UM, AS I SAID, WROTE ALL OF THE GRANTS FOR THE, UM, HAZARD, THE RESILIENCY AND HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN.
UM, SO THERE, THERE WERE FIVE OR SIX DIFFERENT GRANTS, UM, FOR, FOR THAT.
UM, THAT RANGED FROM COMING FROM COASTAL MANAGEMENT TO, UM, DUKE ENERGY FOUNDATION.
UM, UH, SO THERE WERE A NUMBER OF PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS THAT I WENT TO FOR THAT FUNDING.
UM, GOLDEN LEAF OVER A MILLION DOLLARS IN GR, THREE DIFFERENT GRANTS OR FOUR FROM GOLDEN LEAF FOR THE CITY.
[00:45:01]
MAYBE FROM GOLDEN LEAF.UM, THE, UM, RESILIENT, UM, COASTAL COMMUNITIES FUND, UM, FOR THE ROSE STREET, UH, BASIN UPSIZING OF THAT.
UM, AND THE NEW ROSE STREET PUMP.
SO THAT WHOLE PROJECT PUMP, THE PUMP CAME FROM, UH, GOLDEN LEAF.
THE BASIN UPSIZING CAME FROM THE, UM, RESILIENT COASTAL COMMUNITIES FUND.
SO THOSE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE GRANTS THAT I'VE GOTTEN FOR THE CITY.
IN MY FINAL QUESTION, HAVE YOU DONE ANY DEVELOPMENTS, ANY DEVELOPMENTS PER SE, FOR LOW INCOME OR MODERATE INCOME? WELL, SO A LOT OF THESE GRANTS, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE INFRASTRUCTURE ARE FOCUSED ON THE DUFFY FIELD COMMUNITY, GREATER FIVE POINTS.
UM, THE CITY RECEIVED A BRICK GRANT, UM, BUILDING RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE IN COMMUNITIES.
UM, AND THAT IS FOR THE DUFFY FIELD CANAL, UM, FOR PROJECT SCOPING.
SO THAT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WILL, UM, BE SORT OF GEARED TOWARDS HOUSING ALONG THAT COMMUNITY.
THERE'LL BE PROJECTS AND THINGS.
HENDERSON PARK IS ANOTHER PROJECT THAT I AM WORKING ON RIGHT NOW.
SO, UM, AS FAR AS ACTUAL HOUSING WITH HABITAT, UM, SEVERAL GRANTS FOR THEM THAT ARE GEARED TO HOUSING TO FOR THEIR HOUSING PROJECTS.
WHAT, WHAT IS THE, THE AVERAGE SUCCESS RATE, UH, FOR A GRANT WRITER? YEAH, I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE AVERAGE SUCCESS RATE IS.
DIDN'T WANNA GET SPECIFIC WITH YOU, BUT YEAH.
MINE, BUT MINE IS SE IT'S 70% RIGHT AROUND HOVERS RIGHT AROUND THAT.
SO I WOULD SAY FAIRLY SUCCESSFUL.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I HAVE, I DID SUBMIT, UH, AN LOI LAST YEAR FOR, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING GRANT FOR THE CITY.
BUT THEN, UM, AS I WAS TELLING BETH AND SEB, THE CITY WAS SORT OF THINKING ABOUT THAT WEST STREET PROPERTY, BUT WE DIDN'T, THE DETAILS OF ALL OF THAT WERE NOT WORKED OUT.
AND SO WE HAD TO JUST NOT, UM, ACT ON OUR LOI, IT WAS ACCEPTED BY THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, BUT WE JUST COULDN'T FOLLOW THROUGH WITH IT.
NOW THE OTHER QUESTION ALONG WITH SUCCESS RATE, WHAT ABOUT THE AMOUNT YOU RECEIVE VERSUS WHAT YOU REQUEST? UM, USUALLY IT'S PRETTY CLOSE TO THE AMOUNT THAT I REQUEST IT'S REQUESTED MM-HMM.
LIKE I, I HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE GOLDEN LEAF FOUNDATION, SO, YOU KNOW, I USUALLY HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM BEFOREHAND.
UM, THE RESILIENT COASTAL COMMUNITIES FUND, THOSE, THOSE KINDS OF, I, I, UM, YOU KNOW, SINCE I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR FIVE YEARS, I HAVE REALLY, I KNOW A NUMBER OF THOSE FOLKS IN POSITIONS WITH THE STATE.
UM, SO DO THESE GRANTS TYPICALLY, LIKE, DO YOU HAVE EXAMPLES OF ANY, LIKE STRINGS OR LIKE, DO THEY COME WITH STRINGS ATTACHED, LIKE, YOU HAVE TO MEET X, Y, Z OR IS IT JUST GENERALLY LIKE, HERE'S MONEY, USE IT.
LIKE YOU SAY, SOMETIMES YOU KNOW, A STRING IS GONNA BE A MATCH REQUIREMENT AND YOU'LL KNOW THAT UPFRONT.
UM, LIKE I ALWAYS, UH, MAKE MY CLIENTS AWARE OF MATCHING FUNDS THAT ARE REQUIRED.
UM, BUT LIKE IN GOV TO GET ANY SORT OF GOVERNMENT MONEY, THERE'S LIKE 7 MILLION HURDLES AND THINK, YOU KNOW, REPORTING AND THIS AND THAT, THAT JUST BECOME LIKE A NIGHTMARE FOR YOU TAKING THE MONEY.
THERE IS A LOT OF REPORTING AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I AM DOING WITH THE CITY IS, UM, A LOT OF THESE GRANTS THAT I'VE WRITTEN I AM REPORTING ON.
AND SO THAT'S IS THAT LIKE I, SO I'M HAPPY TO WORK WITH Z ON THE REPORTING THAT IS NEEDED.
[00:50:01]
DURING THE GRANT AND WOULD INCUR MM-HMM.AND THEN, UM, SORRY, USUALLY THE REPORTING IS NOT AS ARDUOUS AS THE GRANT WRITING, BUT YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WITH HUD GRANTS THEY CAN, THAT CAN BE COMPLEX.
AND THEN DO WE NEED IDEAS FOR LIKE SPECIFIC PROJECTS FIRST? LIKE, YOU KNOW, OR JUST, ARE YOU JUST LOOKING GENERALLY FOR A HOUSING GRANT THAT WE CAN USE TO BUILD DUPLEXES OR WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER WE CHOOSE OR DO WE NEED TO SORT OF HAVE IDENTIFIED AREAS WE WANT TO DEVELOP X, Y, Z AREAS I NEED IS BETTER.
IF YOU HAVE, UH, IDENTIFIED AREAS AND, AND SORT OF A, AN AT LEAST A GENERAL IDEA AND, AND SOME COST, UM, BECAUSE IT'S TIME CONSUMING TO, YOU KNOW, LOOK AROUND FOR THINGS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT OKAY.
THAT'S WHAT I'M WONDERING WHICH COMES FIRST, THE CART OR THE HORSE.
DO WE NEED TO GET YOU SORT OF LIKE, WE NEED TO IDENTIFY, HERE'S FIVE THINGS WE WOULD LIKE TO ENGAGE YOU TO.
THE THING THAT WORRIES ME IS THAT YOUR, YOUR NOTE ABOUT THE INFRA INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS BEING AVAILABLE, BUT NOT A LOT OF ENGINEERS, PEOPLE TO MANAGE 'EM, LIKE WE'RE NOT HEAVILY STAFFED.
AND THEN YOU'RE SAYING THESE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS, LIKE, I WANT FREE MONEY, BUT I KNOW BETTER THAN TO THINK ANYTHING'S JUST FREE.
THERE'S ALWAYS A WHOLE BUNCH OF STRINGS.
SO LIKE, WHAT ARE WE GETTING OURSELVES INTO? BECAUSE I'M THE ONE WHO LET THE CHARGE TO GET US INTO THIS CDBG MESS THAT WE'RE IN, THEN WE CAN'T OFFLOAD A HOUSE BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY STRINGS TO OFFLOAD IT.
SO THAT, SO I JUST SORT OF HAVE, YOU KNOW RIGHT.
HEIGHTENED AWARENESS OF STRINGS BECAUSE OF THAT.
AND I WOULD THINK TOO, THAT ON THE GRANTS, ONCE YOU SEE THE GRANT, IT'S GOING TO GIVE YOU REQUIREMENTS AND MM-HMM.
OTHER THAN JUST WRITING IT SO YOU KNOW UPFRONT WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANNA PURSUE IT, UH, BASED ON ALL THE INFORMATION THEY'RE GONNA GIVE YOU IS HOW MUCH OF A HEADACHE YOU WANNA DO.
AND THAT'S WHAT I DO IS, YOU KNOW, STUDY ALL OF THOSE NO FOES AND MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THAT IS COMMUNICATED TO Z AND THEN HE COMMUNICATES TO YOU WHAT, UM, WHAT DID YOU CALL IT? AND YOU JUST SAID, YEAH, THE A, A NOFO A NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY.
SO READING YOUR STRIP HERE, YOU'RE SAYING IN 60 DAYS YOU SHOULD PROVIDE US WITH SOMETHING RIGHT? FROM LIKE THE, SO YOU TELL ME THAT YOU WANT RESEARCH DONE, UM, OF GRANTS THAT WILL FIT THE CRITERIA OF A PARTICULAR PROJECT.
SO I WILL TURN AROUND, UH, AND HAVE A REPORT FOR YOU ON THE VARIOUS GRANTS THAT WILL WORK FOR THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT WITHIN 60 DAYS.
AND I THINK, STEVE, YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YES.
SO JUST KIND OF HIGH LEVEL, BREAKING IT DOWN RIGHT NOW, WE'RE, BY GOING FORWARD WITH THIS, WE'D BE COMMITTING TO 5,000, UP TO 5,000 FOR THE RESEARCH PORTION.
THEN YOU WOULD COME BACK TO US WITH THE INDIVIDUAL PIECES.
SO IS THAT RATE I SEE AT 85 PER HOUR IN HERE, BUT I I SEE YOU WRITTEN OUT 80, SO IS THE RATE 80 OR 85? IT'S 85.
UM, AND THEN HAS LEGAL REVIEWED THIS CONTRACT THAT'S IN OUR PACKET OR NO? I, I BELIEVE THAT MR. DAVIS, UM, ASSISTED WITH PREPARING THE DRAFT.
'CAUSE I SEE SOME THINGS THAT, I MEAN THERE, THERE ARE A LOT OF REFERENCES TO THE CITY.
SO IF, IF THE DIRECTION TONIGHT IS TO, UM, MOVE FORWARD, THEN WE WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE IT IN A, A FORM WHERE YOU ALL WOULD BE ABLE TO EXECUTE IF YOU'RE SO INCLINED.
AND I WOULD IMAGINE THAT THAT WOULD SET SOME SPECIFICS, UM, LIKE, JUST LIKE IT IS FOR THE CITY, YOU KNOW, UP TO A CERTAIN AMOUNT OR, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A, A CERTAIN AMOUNT ON RETAINER OR FOR SEEKING.
IT WOULD BE TAKING THAT DIRECTION FROM YOU ALL.
I HAVE WORKED WITH MARGARET SHIELD IN WRITING GRANTS TO TRY AND POWER SOME PROGRAMS AND STUFF THAT I HAD WHEN I WAS THERE.
SO SHE WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL IN WRITING THE GRANTS THAT I NEED.
SO I JUST WANNA PUT THAT OUT THERE.
I'M LOOKING DOWN ON THE BOTTOM BECAUSE YOU GUYS HAD QUESTIONS LAST TIME YOU
[00:55:01]
HAD, THEY HAD SO MANY QUESTIONS.YES, HONOR, I, I THINK THE KEY, THE KEY FACTOR IS WE HAVE A RESOURCE IN FRONT OF US, BUT WHAT SARAH BROUGHT OUT WAS THAT THE, THE HIGHEST LIKELIHOOD OF SUCCESS IN GETTING A GRANT IS TO HAVE A DEFINED PROJECT WITH ASSOCIATED BUDGETS AND COSTS AND SO FORTH TO PRESENT IN THE APPLICATION.
WE, I DON'T THINK WE'RE THERE YET ON ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
I THINK, I THINK THE RESOURCES THERE WHEN WE GET THERE.
BUT, AND, AND THEN AFTER WE HAVE A PROJECT DEFINED AND AND ESTABLISHED, THEN WE CAN ALSO SET LIMITS ON WHAT DOLLAR LEVEL WE WON'T HER TO SEARCH.
'CAUSE IT WON'T DO US ANY GOOD TO GO GET $15,000 GRANTS.
THAT'S, THAT'S NOT GONNA GET US ANYWHERE.
SO FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, I, I THINK MAYBE WE'RE JUST A LITTLE BIT EARLY IN THIS PROCESS UNTIL WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN WORK WITH.
WELL, IF WE EX, IF WE EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT WITH YOU, THERE'S NO MONEY OUTLAY UP FRONT.
IT'S JUST WE START BRINGING YOU PROJECTS.
SO IT JUST, IT LAYS THE FOUNDATION, RIGHT? SO IF WE SIGN AN AGREEMENT IN ONE OR TWO MONTHS, BUT DON'T HAVE A PROJECT YET, THAT JUST MEANS YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOW ENGAGED WITH US WHERE WE CAN PRESENT YOU A PROJECT AND START THE CLOCK.
WELL, I, I READ THIS AGREEMENT TO SAY THAT WE'RE COMMITTING UP TO 5,000 IN RE IN FUNDING FOR HER RESEARCH POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES.
IS THAT CORRECT OR IS IT, I MEAN, IT COULD, YOU, YOU COULD WRITE IT LIKE THAT.
WHAT YOU DON'T WANT TO HAPPEN IS TO MISS OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE THEY, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE AND THEN HERE'S A, AND THEN IT TAKES SO LONG TO GET APPROVAL THAT THEN YOU'VE MISSED THE DEADLINE FOR SOMETHING THAT WOULD'VE REALLY WORKED WELL.
SO MAYBE WE JUST LIKE THE SCOPE OF WORK SHOULD BE MORE CLEAR THAT IF AND WHEN WE PRESENT YOU A PROJECT AND YOU, YOU KNOW, THEN YOU HELP US FURTHER DEVELOP THE PROJECT AND RESEARCH GRANTS RELATED TO IT.
SO IT'S MORE OF AN IF AND WHEN INSTEAD OF YOU JUST START RESEARCHING WILLY-NILLY FOR HOUSING, YOU KNOW, HOUSING GRANTS.
I MEAN, IS IS THAT HOW YOU WORK? I GUESS I WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S IT'S HOW YOU WORK AS WELL.
AND I DO, LIKE, I WILL KEEP MY EYE PEELED FOR SOMETHING THAT I THINK, BUT I NEED YOU TO GIVE ME SORT OF A, A LIST OF YEAH.
I MEAN I'M NOT, I DON'T WANNA SPEND MY TIME RESEARCHING GRANTS THAT AREN'T A FIT.
AND I WONDER IF WE SHOULD CONSIDER LIKE A, WHAT DO WE CALL THEM NOW? PROJECT GROUPS, WHAT DO WE CALL THEM? UH,
IT'S THAT REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION SHOULD CONSIDER A GROUP TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL.
'CAUSE IT'S NOT JUST HOUSING THAT'S NOT OUR ONLY MANDATE.
WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, OTHER MANDATES.
SO MAYBE A GROUP OF THREE OR FOUR CAN START A PROJECT GROUP TO HAVE OUR, YOU KNOW, MANDATE IN FRONT OF US AND THINK ABOUT AREAS OF POSSIBLE, YOU KNOW, TO DEVELOP A PROJECT AROUND THAT WHERE WE'RE LOOKING FOR MONEY.
BUT I HEAR A LOT OF INTEREST IN THE COMMISSION.
I I DON'T HEAR NEGATIVE COMMENTS.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S CONCERN, THERE'S QUESTIONS AND ARE, I GUESS, ARE WE AT A PLACE TO GIVE STAFF THE DIRECTION TO WORK FURTHER WITH MARGARET TO MAYBE IRON OUT SOME OF THESE DETAILS AND, AND CERTAINLY COMMISSIONERS WHO HAVE TIME AND ENERGY TO DEVOTE TO THAT COULD BE PART OF THAT AS WELL IN TERMS OF LOOKING FOR SOME OF THOSE.
OR ARE WE AT A PLACE TO WAIT TO, WE HAVE A PROJECT, I HAVE A SUGGESTION, A SUGGESTION.
WE TALKING ABOUT IN HUNDREDS OF THOUSAND DOLLARS MILLION, MILLIONS PROBABLY.
WE SORT OF RUNNING OUT, CRAWLING AND WALKING TO PUT ALL THE PROPERTY TOGETHER AND SEE WHAT CAN'T SHE DO AS FAR AS GETTING THE GRANT AS FAR AS BUILDING HOUSES.
IF IT'S 50 PROPERTY, HEY, SEE WHAT YOU CAN GET A GRANT FOR BILLING 50 HOUSES, AT LEAST CLEARING THE LAND AND GETTING IT PREPARED FOR THAT.
THERE'S BILLABLE, UH, 52 AVAILABLE LOTS CURRENTLY.
SO THAT'S A START RIGHT THERE.
[01:00:01]
AND PRESENT THEM TO HER, COMPILE THEM AND SEE CAN SHE GET A GRANT FOR THE, UH, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEM.UH, MAKE THEM HAVE THE BOOK TO BUILD A HOUSE ON ANYTHING WE CAN GET WOULD BE BETTER THAN 50 LOTS.
SO MY, WELL, OUR, OUR DIRECTION RIGHT NOW IS TO EMPOWER THE CHAIR AND THE STAFF TO NEGOTIATE AND WORK ON THIS AGREEMENT WITH, UM, MARGARET, OR TO SAY THAT WE FOUND IT UNFAVORABLE.
SO AM I HEARING MORE POSITIVES THAT WE'D LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS AND, AND DO SOME MORE RESEARCH AND, AND MAKE THIS A WORKABLE AGREEMENT THAT WE CAN USE? I MEAN, I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF THAT AND MAYBE SCALING, SCALING BACK.
POSSIBLY THE, THE RESEARCH SIDE OF, I MEAN, KIND OF SYNTHESIZING WHAT KIPP AND, AND, UM, THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS, AS I'VE SAID, IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO ME TO KIND OF GO FORWARD AND HAVE HER STANDING BY AND READY TO MOVE FORWARD AS WE PICK A PROJECT, BUT NOT NECESSARILY COMPENSATING HER TO GO OUT AND FIND PROJECTS RIGHT NOW.
AND GO OUT AND FIND, FIND GRANTS.
WE JUST, AGAIN, FOCUSING ON SYNTHESIZING WHAT SARAH AND KIPP HAD TO SAY.
CAN I ASK A CLARIFYING QUESTION? THE $5,005,000, UM, WITH THE CITY, 'CAUSE THIS IS THE EXAMPLE.
UM, YOU SAY YOU'VE BEEN HERE FOR FIVE YEARS, SO THAT'S ABOUT $25,000 IN RESEARCH AND YOU BROUGHT IN 12 MILLION.
IN, AND SOME OF THAT WAS IN COMBINATION WITH PROVIDING PORTIONS OF GRANT NARRATIVE FOR THE ENGINEERING FIRMS WHO WERE PROVIDING THE ENGINEERING SPEAK, UM, FOR SOME OF THOSE GRANTS THAT WERE LARGE FOR MILLION DOLLAR GRANTS.
THAT NOT I HAVE A QUESTION, I GUESS IF I CAN ASK YOU, SAY AGAIN.
ARE YOU STILL TALKING? YEAH, I YOU GO AHEAD.
DO YOU THINK IT'S FEASIBLE? UH, THINKING ABOUT THE 52 LOTS THAT WE HAVE TO IMP EMPLOY HER TILL SHE CAN REFINE GRANTS TO DEVELOP THOSE LOTS? I'M ASKING YOU THAT QUESTION.
I WAS ABOUT TO SAY THE MATH ADDS UP.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION, MR. DOLE HUNT.
I WOULD HESITATE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION SOLELY BECAUSE I WORK AT YOUR DISCRETION AND I WOULD NOT WANT TO SHAVE YOU.
IS IT FEASIBLE, UH, TO HAVE HER ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE, SIR.
AND I DO THINK WE'RE KIND OF AT THE SAME PLACE.
WE WERE, WE WERE WHEN WE WERE, UM,
SO I THINK THAT THAT'S MAYBE A VERY PINPOINT SPECIFIC THING THAT WE'RE NOT QUITE READY WITH OUR OTHER COMPONENTS TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
WELL, I THINK WE ARE READY IF WE HAVE 52 LOTS, IF Z CAN GO TO WORK ON THERE.
THERE'S A COUNTY COMMISSIONER WHO HAS SOME VERY, NO, I'M TALKING TO ZEV.
OH NO, I WAS, OH, YOU STILL TALKING? NO, I'M TALKING Z ASKING YOUR QUESTION, ZEV.
DO YOU THINK I'VE ALREADY ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION, SIR? I'M NOT GOING TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION BECAUSE IT IS NOT MY JOB TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
LET'S GO AHEAD WITH OUR, YOU KNOW, IT'S FEASIBLE.
LET'S, CAN WE GO AHEAD WITH A POINTED HAND THOUGH? I MEAN, 'CAUSE THAT WILL GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE THAT.
WELL PUT IT ON THE PHONE AND GET A MOTION FOR IT BECAUSE WE JUST TALKING NOW AND WASTING TIME.
MADAM CHAIR, IN THE SPIRIT OF BEING HELPFUL AT THIS JUNCTURE, YOU ALL HAVE TWO OPTIONS.
ONE IS YOU CAN GIVE DIRECTION TO STAFF AND EMPOWER THE CHAIR TO CONTINUE CONVERSATIONS WITH MS. SHIELDS TO EXPLORE WHAT A RELATIONSHIP WITH HER MIGHT LOOK LIKE TO BRING AN AGREEMENT BACK FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AT YOUR NEXT REGULAR MEETING.
OPTION TWO WOULD TO SAY NO THANK YOU.
SO GIVEN THOSE TWO OPTIONS, UM, MADAM CHAIR, YOU MIGHT ENTERTAIN THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD.
MY MOTION, MY MOTION WOULD BE THAT WE PROCEED, UH, TO NEGOTIATE A CONTRACT, UH, WITH MS. SHIELDS.
LET'S, UH, THEY HAVE AND OTHER STAFF MEMBERS BEGIN TO NEGOTIATE AND GIVE US SOME IDEA OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE PRESENTED BACK TO THIS BOARD, UH, WITH THE IDEA THAT, LIKE MICHELLE SAID, IF WE'VE GOT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON AND WE DON'T HAVE HER IN PLACE, WE MIGHT LOSE IT.
SO THERE'S A MOTION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS,
[01:05:01]
UM, AGREEMENT IN A SECOND.WELL, IT WAS TO EMPOWER THE CHAIR TO FURTHER NEGOTIATE.
NOT NECESSARILY NO, NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH, THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH THE EXAMPLE AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE, BUT TO MOVE FORWARD TO CREATE AN AGREEMENT FOR CONSIDERATION FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT.
AND, UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU COMING TONIGHT TO HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT THE WORK IS THAT YOU DO BECAUSE IT, IT GRANT WRITING IS ALWAYS SOUNDS LIKE A NEBULOUS THING DOES.
WE DIDN'T VOTE ON THAT, DID WE? NO MA'AM.
SO WE WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT AND YOU WILL PROBABLY BE BACK TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AGAIN, OKAY? OKAY.
[10. Consider accepting Bid for Surveying work on West A Street Project]
AGENDA IS MUCH MORE CONCRETE.WE HAVE TWO SURVEYS FOR, UM, THE WEST A STREET PROJECT AND OR WE HAD ONE SURVEY FROM ENGINEERING.
AND THAT SURVEY, UM, I MEAN THAT PROPOSAL WAS IN THE AMOUNT OF $16,900 AND IT PRETTY MUCH CHECKED ALL THE BOXES OF WHAT WE WERE ASKING FOR IN OUR RFP.
WE ALSO RECEIVED A PROPOSAL FROM ECLS GLOBAL AND THEY'RE A FIRM BASED IN COATES, NORTH CAROLINA.
AND THERE, UM, FIRST THEY SENT US A PROPOSAL IN THE AMOUNT OF 8,480.
SO BOTH, UM, Z AND I REACHED OUT INDEPENDENTLY TO UNDERSTAND IF THE, TO HELP UNDERSTAND IF THEY HAD THE SAME, UM, COMPONENTS IN THEIR SURVEY.
AND THEY CAME BACK WITH A PROPOSAL OF 11,575, WHICH I THINK, UM, AND SAID, YOU CORRECT ME IF WRONG, DOES CHECK ALL THE BOXES OF OUR RFP.
SO THE, UH, THE 11,000 AND 16,000 ARE ESSENTIALLY APPLES TO APPLES AND ALL OF YOU GUYS THAT IN YOUR EMAIL, IN YOUR INBOX TO REVIEW AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE, THE LANGUAGE CHANGED IN THE SECOND PROPOSAL FROM ECLS BECAUSE THEY WERE BEING MORE CLEAR WITH WHAT THEY WERE PROVIDING.
UM, AND IT LOOKS MORE LIKE THE OTHER PROPOSAL.
UM, SO WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT NOW ARE DISCUSSING TO SEE IF WE ARE IN FAVOR OF MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS SURVEYING OF THESE PROPERTIES AS PREPARATION FOR PROJECTS OR IF WE'RE, UM, GONNA DECLINE THEM BOTH.
AND BASED ON THAT LOWEST PRICE FOR THE SAME FLAVOR, I MEAN, WHY NOT ONE QUESTION WE HAD SEEN DIVIDED NOT SOMETHING 25 FOOT INCREMENTS.
AND WE'VE BEEN TRY TO GET SIX BLOCKS.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT SIX BLOCKS OUTSIDE THAT, UH, PROPERTY AT 25 FOOT WAREHOUSE? NO, NO IT WASN'T AT 25 FOOT.
THERE WERE AT, UH, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 35 AND 40 FOOT.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN? UH, AND, AND THE, THE, THE PROPOSAL SAID THEY'LL CREATE A FI A FINAL SUBDIVISION PLA UP TO SIX LOCKS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S IN THE RANGE THAT WE, UH, HAD ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT FOR THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY.
SO IT, IT COMPLIES WITH WHAT WE ARE HAVE ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT AND WE TALKED ABOUT ON THE SITE THAT DAY.
SO IF YOU NEED A MOTION, UH, WHICH WHEN WE SHALL HAVE CHOSEN YOU GOT IT.
I'LL SECOND IT TO ACCEPT, ACCEPT THE 11,575 FROM ECLS GLOBAL.
AND NOW IF THERE'S ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION, STEVE? 'CAUSE YOU LOOK LIKE YOU WERE OKAY.
ANYTHING I OBJECT TO BE RIGHT? I'M SORRY.
BEING NORTH CAROLINA DO NOT HAVE COS NORTH CAROLINA OF WHERE? COS COS OKAY.
UM, AND THEY ALSO, THEY DO HAVE, THEY ARE A LARGER FIRM.
THEY HAVE, UM, STAFF OF 50 AND THEY ALSO HAVE AN OFFICE IN MYRTLE BEACH IN, IN COS AND I THINK WE, THEY ALSO DID THE SURVEY WORK AND STAKE THE HOUSES OUT ON
[01:10:01]
THE WAL BELLAMY PROJECT FOR THE, FOR THE BUILDER OF THEIR IMAC.THEY, THEY DO HIS SURVEYING ALSO.
SO THEY'RE FAMILIAR WITH THIS AREA, WHAT WE DO AND, AND, AND THE RULES AND REGULATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, WHAT WE DO.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
THEY DID SURVEY THE LOTS ON ALL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR OUR MOTION? AND OUR SECOND, UM, ALL IN FAVOR OF ACCEPTING THE ECLS SURVEY PROPOSAL? SAY AYE.
AND ALL OPPOSED, THE MOTION CARRIES AND WE ARE, UM, ENABLING DEB TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
HIRING THEM TO SURVEY THE PROPERTY.
I BELIEVE THERE ARE SURVEY THAT THEY COULD, I MEAN THE PROPOSAL SAID THEY COULD BEGIN WORK ON THE PROJECT WITHIN THREE DAYS OF PROCEEDING TO PROCEED.
SO THAT SHOULD HAPPEN FAIRLY QUICKLY.
THEY SAID THEY COULD WORK ON WEEKENDS AND NECESSARY SO IT WOULD EXPEDITE FEES.
IT WOULD, I'D RATHER THEM WORK ON WEEKDAYS.
I THINK THEIR PRICE GOES UP IF THEY'RE WORKING ON THE WEEKEND.
[11. New Business]
THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS NEW BUSINESS.AND I BELIEVE WE'LL START OUR NEW BUSINESS WITH, UM, IF ANYBODY HAS ANYTHING THEY WANNA BRING UP, WELL, WE'LL START WITH DEB'S REPORT THEN THAT MIGHT BRING UP NEW BUSINESS
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THIS NEW BUSINESS OR NOT, BUT YOU DID MENTION THE LAST MEETING IN THE LAST MINUTES ABOUT THE MOBILE HOMES.
YOU DIDN'T BRING IT UP IN THE LAST MEETING, BUT IT WAS ON THE AGENDA.
YOU DON'T REMEMBER THAT? NO, SIR.
THE BOARD OF BALDMAN ASKED YOU WOULD, WOULD WE APPROVE BRINGING OF PUTTING MOBILE HOMES IN DUB AGAIN? NO SIR.
I MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP ADD SOME CLARITY.
I THINK, UM, MR. HUFF DID AN INFORMAL POLL OF THE COMMISSIONERS, UM, WAY BACK AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS PROCESS.
THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION ADOPTED A REDEVELOPMENT PLAN AND RECOMMENDED A POLICY CHANGE TO THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN THAT WOULD CREATE AN OVERLAY DISTRICT TO PROHIBIT MANUFACTURED HOMES IN THE REDEVELOPMENT AREA BOUNDARY.
UM, THERE HAS BEEN SOME QUESTION FROM CITIZENS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, REPLACING MOBILE HOMES AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
UPON HEARING THAT INFORMATION, MR. HUFF REACHED OUT TO YOU ALL TO GAUGE WHETHER YOU HAD ANY APPETITE TO REVISIT THAT POLICY RECOMMENDATION.
UM, I I, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING AND MR. HUFF CAN CORRECT ME THAT THERE WAS NOT A MAJORITY OF YOU ALL WHO HAD AN APPETITE TO REVISIT, UM, THAT POLICY RECOMMENDATION.
THEREFORE, IT DID NOT MAKE IT TO THE AGENDA FOR FORMAL DEBATE, UM, OR CONSIDERATION BECAUSE THERE WAS A, A LACK OF WILLINGNESS.
I DON'T REMEMBER IT BEING BLOWN UP, BUT, YOU KNOW, SO DID OKAY.
DID YOU HAVE ANY BUSINESS? UH OH, WE NO.
MS. VAN REPORT? WELL IF ONCE, CAN WE STILL BRING UP NEW BUSINESS REPORT? WE, YES.
WELL WE CAN BRING UP NEW BUSINESS RIGHT NOW.
WELL I GOTTA GET THIS, I GOTTA GET IT DONE.
IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE DONE TWO, TWO WEEKS AGO.
UM, DURING MY SOLILOQUY TO THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN, UM, I SAID SOME THINGS AND USED SOME CHOICE WORDS BASED ON WHAT I WAS TOLD, UH, WHEN I FIRST TOOK THIS POST AND WHEN I FIRST TOOK OVER THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS COMMITTEE.
UM, SOME THINGS I WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF.
UM, AND MY PREDECESSORS ON THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS, UM, WHAT I WAS TOLD AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I SAW WAS MISCONSTRUED.
'CAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE THE HISTORICAL FOUNDATION UNTIL I TALKED THROUGH THOSE TWO.
JOHN HAD AN IN-DEPTH MEETING WITH 'EM ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO.
UM, AND I WAS APPRISED OF A LOT OF THE THOUGHTFUL AND PASSIONATE WORK THAT THEY DID DO DURING THE TIME THEY WERE OVER THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS, UH, COMMITTEE.
AND BEING THAT I MADE THOSE STATEMENTS IN PUBLIC, I'M GOING TO ADDRESS AND APOLOGIZE FOR SOME OF THOSE STATEMENTS THAT I MADE IN PUBLIC.
UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I USE THIS TIME AS NEW BUSINESS TO GET IT ON THE RECORD, UM, THAT I WAS INFORMED SO I WAS WRONG.
UH, AND I'M TRYING TO CORRECT THAT WRONG NOW.
AND THEY WORKED WITH WHAT THEY COULD WORK WITH.
UM, AND I DEFINITELY MISUNDERSTOOD THE EXIT THAT THAT TOOK PLACE.
AND I THINK I SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THAT.
SO I STAND CORRECTED AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I GOT THAT CORRECT.
[01:15:01]
YOU FOR PUTTING THAT ON THE RECORD.ANY OTHER NEW BUSINESS HAD TWO.
[12. Staff Report]
ASK YOU TO DO YOUR STAFF REPORTAS YOU ALL HAVE REVIEWED MANY THINGS TONIGHT, AND I APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK THAT HAS GONE INTO THE PAST MONTH, UH, AS HAS BEEN STATED, I, I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH SEVERAL DEVELOPERS TO DISCUSS THE WORK OF THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION INDEFINITELY, UH, LOOKING AT WAYS TO ATTRACT, UH, DEVELOPMENT, UH, TO OUR NON-CONTIGUOUS, UM, PARCELS, UH, FORM.
UH, PREVIOUSLY, UH, THE BOARD, UH, THE COMMISSION GAVE ME DIRECTION, UH, TO RESEARCH HOW WE MIGHT GO ABOUT DOING THAT.
AND SO I'M STILL IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THAT AND I'LL MAKE SURE THAT, UH, AS, AS, AS SOLID IDEAS FORM, UH, I MAKE YOU GUYS AWARE OF THAT.
BUT I DID WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THAT'S STILL IN THE PROCESS.
UM, I'VE CONTIN I'VE CONTINUED TO MEET WITH CITIZENS INTERESTED IN HOME OWNERSHIP.
UH, A LOT OF THAT CONVERSATION HAS BEEN SPARKED BY THE WALT BELLAMY DEVELOPMENT.
UH, INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE INTERESTED, UH, WHO'VE BEEN LIFETIME RENTERS AND INTERESTED IN HOME OWNERSHIP HAVE COME OUT.
AND WE'VE HAD A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT FINANCIAL LITERACY AND LENDERS AND IN GETTING THE NORTH CAROLINA, UH, HOUSING, UH, RESOURCES INTO THEIR HANDS.
UH, AND SO THAT'S BEEN, UH, THAT'S BEEN A GREAT OPPORTUNITY THAT DEWALT BELLAMY DEVELOPMENT HAS OPENED UP FOR US ON TOP OF, UH, UH, ADDING POSITIVE STOCK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO THE MARKET.
UM, I ALSO CONTINUED, UH, TO WORK WITH POTENTIAL PURCHASERS.
I HAVE TO THANK, UH, MY COLLEAGUE, UH, MADAM ATTORNEY, UH, JAMIE FOR ALL OF HER HELP.
UH, THE, THE LEGAL, THE LEGALESE IS HARD TO, TO JUMP OVER, BUT SHE'S BEEN, UH, UH, AN AMAZING ASSET AND EVERYONE WHO'S BEEN INVOLVED IN WITH THAT.
I'M HAPPY TO REPORT TONIGHT THAT THE, THE SPECIAL WARRANTY DEED HAS BEEN TOTALLY CONVEYED, UH, FOR THE THIRD AVENUE PARCEL, UH, FROM THE RDC TO CAROLINA EAST.
AND THEIR CLOCK, UH, TO START CONSTRUCTION AS INDICATED IN THE AGREEMENT HAS BEGUN.
AND SO WE ANTICIPATE CONSTRUCTION, UH, TO BEGIN FOR THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS CLINIC, UH, FAIRLY SOON.
MY WORK WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS TO STAY INFORMED AND STAY ENGAGED IN THAT PROJECT ALSO CONTINUES.
UM, UH, THIS MONTH WE ALSO, UH, COMMISSIONER SARAH PROCTOR AND I TEAMED UP, UH, AND HAD A PHONE CALL, UH, WITH CDBG TO KIND OF GET CAUGHT UP ON THAT WHOLE PROCESS AND EXPLORE SOME, UH, OPTIONS.
AND I BELIEVE THE DISCUSSION WAS FRUITFUL.
UM, IT RECAPPED THE JOURNEY THAT THIS PROJECT, THIS PROJECT HAS TAKEN TO DATE AND THE CONSULTANT GAVE, UH, US SOME, UH, SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT.
SO AT THIS POINT, I'M GONNA ACTUALLY ASK COMMISSIONER PROCTOR, UH, TO SHARE HER THOUGHTS WITH THE COMMISSION SO THAT, UH, YOU HAVE THAT BIT OF INSIGHT.
UM, SO WE, IT WAS CARL WHO IS THE, UM, CONSULTANT AND DAJA AND ZEV AND I, UM, AND CHIEF DAJA IS THE CITY CDBG GURU.
SO, UM, WE JUST BASICALLY WENT THROUGH THE HISTORY WHERE WE HAD THE MONEY WAS DESIGNATED FOR RENTAL 'CAUSE THAT'S BACK WHEN WE THOUGHT WE COULD RENT PROPERTY.
SO WE INTENDED TO RENT OUT THE PROPERTY AND THE CDBG FUNDS WERE GOING TO BE FORGIVEN UNDER RENTALS.
SO WE HAD TO SWITCH, THE CITY HAD TO GO SWITCH THE USE WHEN WE, UM, DETERMINED WHO COULDN'T RENT PROPERTY.
UM, SO THEY HAD TO SWITCH THE USE OF THE CDBG DOLLARS AND THAT.
SO THAT WAS A WHOLE PROCESS THAT TOOK MONTHS AND MONTHS AND MONTHS.
AND SO NOW IT'S, UM, FOR HOME OWNERSHIP, THAT'S THE, YOU KNOW, PERMITTED TYPE OF ACTIVITY UNDER THE GRANT.
UM, AND BASICALLY WE TALKED THROUGH, OKAY, WHAT'S NEXT? UM, THE BEST IDEAS WE HAVE.
SO IT DIDN'T WORK WITH HABITAT BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY PLACE A MORTGAGE ON THE PROPERTY AND HAVE THAT HOMEOWNER PAY THEM BACK.
THAT'S HOW HABITAT REDEPLOYS ITS FUNDS TO DO WHAT IT DOES.
UM, SO IT DOESN'T WORK FOR HABITAT 'CAUSE WE, THE CDBG HAS THE, A LIEN ON THE PROPERTY.
SO WE UM, TALKED THROUGH SOME NON-PROFIT OPTIONS THAT REACHED OUT TO ONE.
I DON'T THINK THEY'VE EVER RESPONDED, BUT THERE'S ONE IN NEW BERN THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED.
I REACHED OUT TO A COLLEAGUE IN RALEIGH WHO DOES NON-PROFIT LEGAL WORK AND HE REACHED OUT TO SOME OF HIS CONTACTS.
SO FAR, NONE OF THEM ARE INTERESTED IN COMING THIS FAR EAST, BUT, UM, HE'S DEFINITELY KEEPING HIS EYE OUT FOR US.
UM, AND THEN WE TALKED ABOUT ARE, ARE THERE CHURCHES? 'CAUSE BASICALLY WHAT WE NEED IS AN ENTITY THAT'S WILLING TO TAKE THE PROPERTY.
[01:20:01]
DONATE IT TO THEM AND THEY, UM, CONVEY IT TO A LOW INCOME FAMILY PART, THE LOW INCOME PARTY THAT MEETS CDBG REQUIREMENTS.SO THEY MAY HAVE SOME COSTS INCURRED WITH FOLLOWING THE RULES AND RECORDING AND THIS AND THAT, BUT THOSE COSTS, UM, COULD BE REIMBURSED.
SO, AND THEN WHATEVER IN, IN THE SALE PROCEEDS.
SO THEY'D SELL IT TO SOMEONE, LOW INCOME, GET THEIR COST REIMBURSED, AND THEN THE FUNDS WE GET GO RIGHT BACK TO THE CITY TO REFRESH THE CDBG FUNDS.
UM, SO WE WERE JUST, ZEV AND I WERE SORT OF BRAINSTORMING CHURCHES, NONPROFITS, SO IF ANYBODY HERE KNOWS ANYBODY WHO MIGHT BE WILLING TO TAKE THAT ON, IT IS, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY WE'LL NEED SOME EDUCATION AND DISCUSSIONS BACK AND FORTH.
BUT IN, IN MY VIEW, IF THEY'RE A TRUE NON-PROFIT, IT, IT WOULD JUST TAKE A LITTLE WORK ON THEIR PART, BUT THEY WOULD GET ALL THEIR EXPENSES REIMBURSED FOR DOING THAT.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER OPTION IS THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
AND THERE ONGOING DISCUSSIONS, HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS A LOT GOING ON.
SO THOSE DISCUSSIONS ARE GOING ALONG SLOWLY, BUT HOPEFULLY, SURELY.
SO WE'RE STILL JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY TO OFFLOAD THAT PROPERTY.
IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT IT'S BEEN THIS LONG, BUT WE ARE, SO IF ANYBODY HAS IDEAS ON CHURCHES OR NON-PROFITS, PLEASE, UM, THAT WE HAVEN'T TALKED TO.
OBVIOUSLY WE'VE TALKED TO HABITAT.
WE, YOU, UM, MENTIONED A COUPLE OTHERS A FEW MEETINGS AGO THAT YOU TALKED TO AND DID NOT COME TO FRUITION.
SO IF THERE ARE ANY NEW THOUGHTS ON NONPROFITS OR CHURCHES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, WE WOULD APPRECIATE IT.
UH, THE LAST PART OF, UH, MY STAFF REPORT TONIGHT IS JUST THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL UPDATE.
YOU ALL WILL NOTE THAT OUR GENERAL FUND, UH, BALANCE IS $351,663 AND 37 CENTS.
UM, AND UH, YOU ALSO NOTE ON THIS REPORT THAT OUR ARPA FUNDS HAVE, UM, UH, FOR THE, UH, FOR THE, UH, OTTER, UH, THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS CLINIC, UH, HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED TO CAROLINA EAST AND ARE THEREFORE CLOSED AT THIS TIME.
UH, WITH THAT STATED, I BELIEVE THAT IS, THOSE ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS AND I AM HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ON THE THINGS THAT I MENTIONED IN MY REPORT.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT REPORT.
[13. Closed Session]
OUR AGENDA IS, UM, A CLOSED SESSION.AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE A REQUEST FOR THAT TONIGHT.
DISCUSS NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL STATUTE 1 43 3 18, 11 85 TO, UM, DISCUSS THE MATERIAL TERMS OF THE STATE DEPOSITION.
SO WE NEED A MOTION TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION.
SO MOVED I A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ALL OPPOSED, MR. HALL, IF YOU PUT THIS ENC CLOSED SESSION, CAN WE STAY IN THIS ROOM? YES.
WE ARE, WE ARE BACK IN OUR, UM, REGULARLY REGULAR SESSION.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO AD AGAIN? UH, MOTION TO ADJOURN.
NOT TRYING TO PERSUADE ANYBODY.
ALL OPPOSED? OKAY, THE MOTION CARRIES.