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ALRIGHT,[1 . Meeting opened by Mayor Odham. Prayer Coordinated by Alderman Aster. Pledge of Allegiance.]
GOOD EVENING EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO THE AUGUST 27TH, 2024 NEW NEWBORN BOARD OF ALDERMAN MEETING.THE PRAYER TONIGHT IS GOING TO BE GIVEN BY ALDERMAN ROYAL.
HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR YET ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO GATHER TOGETHER, TO CONDUCT THE BUSINESS OF OUR CITY.
WE PRAY TONIGHT THAT OUR DELIBERATIONS WILL REFLECT ALL THE CITIZENS OF THIS GREAT CITY OF NEW BERN.
IN FAIRNESS AND INEQUITY, WE PRAY THAT YOU WOULD GUIDE US WITH YOUR WISDOM AND YOUR UNDERSTANDING.
THAT WHAT WE DO AND SAY IN THIS SPACE TONIGHT, WILL HONOR AND PLEASE YOU.
IF YOU'RE ABLE TO STAND, PLEASE DO SO.
LEDGE TO THE FLAG OF OUR COUNTRY.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE LAW.
MADAM CLERK, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE CALL THE ROLL ALDERMAN CREEL.
[3. Approve Agenda.]
OKAY.NEXT UP IS TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.
ARE THERE ANY CHANGES ON THE AGENDA YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE? YES, I WOULD, SIR.
UM, AL MCKENZIE, I WOULD LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND PROCEED WITH THE VACANCY OF THE SIX WARD, SIR.
WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO THAT AT? UH, NEXT? YES, SIR.
UM, ALDER AND PRILL, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO ADD? UH, YES.
I WAS GONNA MAKE A MOTION THAT, UM, ON ITEM 11, FOLLOWING THE PRESENTATION THAT IS GOING TO BE PROVIDED TO US BY THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, I'D LIKE TO HAVE THE, UH, MEETING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO OFFER COMMENTS TO US WITH REGARDS TO THE PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN REQUEST.
UM, AL MCKENZIE, ARE YOU OKAY WITH ADDING PUBLIC COMMENT AFTER ITEM NUMBER 11? WELL, THE THING THAT IT IS THAT ALL OF THOSE THINGS THERE HAVE BEEN TAKEN CARE OF.
WELL, LET'S DO, LET'S DO, LET'S DO THIS.
SO LET'S, LET'S MAKE A MOTION TO TAKE UP THE ITEM, UH, THAT YOU WANTED TO DISCUSS THE VACANCY OF WARD SIX.
NEXT, LET'S MAKE A MOTION FOR THAT.
SEE IF WE GET A SECOND AND WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
IS THAT YOUR MOTION? THAT IS MY MOTION, SIR.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO DISCUSS THE VACANCY OF WARD SIX.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? WELL, I'M WONDERING WHY WE'RE ADDING SOMETHING TO THE AGENDA THAT WOULD BE NORMALLY COVERED UNDER ITEM SEVEN, UH, 17.
UM, WE HAVE A MOTION A SECOND, SO LET'S HAVE A VOTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ADDING THAT ITEM NEXT, SAY AYE.
SO ALDER MCKENZIE, YOU'LL HAVE TO TAKE THAT ITEM UP UNDER NUMBER 17 WHEN WE GET TO IT ON THE AGENDA.
ALDERMAN PRILL, DO YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION TO ADD PUBLIC COMMENT AFTER ITEM NUMBER 11? YES, I'D, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT FOLLOWING THE PRESENTATION, UM, FROM THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ON ITEM 11, THAT THE MEETING BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO OFFER SOME COMMENTS, UH, TO THE BOARD.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
SO NOW, UH, LET'S GO BACK TO ITEM NUMBER THREE, UH, AND APPROVE THE AGENDA WITH THE CHANGES THAT WE VOTED ON.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
[Consent Agenda]
AMENDED.NEXT UP IS THE CONSENT AGENDA.
WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD ON ITEMS FOUR THROUGH 10? MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION, UNLESS THERE'S ANY, UM, REQUEST TO REMOVE ANY OF THESE ITEMS. I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
MUST HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN P PRI.
[11 . Consider Adopting: a) a Resolution Approving the Redevelopment Commission' s Sale of 1002 Walt Bellamy Drive to the Housing Authority of the City of New Bern, N. C.; b) a Resolution Approving the Redevelopment Commission' s Sale of 1004 Walt Bellamy Drive to the Housing Authority of the City of New Bern, N. C.; and c) a Resolution Approving the Redevelopment Commission' s Sale of 1006 Walt Bellamy Drive to the Housing Authority of the City of New Bern, N. C.]
ON TO ITEM NUMBER 11.CONSIDER ADOPTING A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION SALE OF 1002, 1004
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AND 1006.WALT BELLAMY DRIVE TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO THE CITY OF NEW BERN.
MR. ZEV HUFF WILL BE MAKING A PRESENTATION.
GOOD EVENING BOARD AND MR. MAYOR.
THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION HAS BEEN WORKING HARD OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF.
WE COULD NOT HAVE ASKED FOR A BETTER CITY, STAFF, COMMUNITY, OR LEADERSHIP TO PARTNER WITH US IN THESE ENDEAVORS THAT WE HAVE SOUGHT TO COMPLETE.
YOU'VE ALWAYS ANSWERED THE PHONE WHEN WE CALL, AND YOU'RE ALWAYS WILLING TO WORK WITH US TO DECREASE THE COMMUNITY INTEGRATION AND HIGHLIGHT THE SOLE OF THE REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT BOUNDARY AREA.
I'M HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION TO SEEK YOUR APPROVAL FOR THE SALE OF THREE PROPERTIES AT 1 0 0 2.
WALT BELLAMY DRIVE, 1 0 0 4 WALT BELLAMY DRIVE AND 1 0 0 6 WALT BELLAMY DRIVE TO THE NEW BERN HOUSING AUTHORITY.
THE SALE OF THIS PROJECT WILL MAKE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS TOWARDS ACHIEVING OUR GOALS, INCLUDING INCREASING THE AVAILABILITY OF ENERGY EFFICIENT CODE-COMPLIANT AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITHIN THE REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT BOUNDARY AREA.
THIS STRATEGIC MOVE AIMS TO REVITALIZE OUR COMMUNITY AND ENSURES SUSTAINED INVESTMENT.
EACH OF THE THREE HOMES THAT HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED HAS TWO BEDROOMS, ONE BATHROOM, AND APPROXIMATELY 900 SQUARE FEET OF LIVING SPACE.
THIS IS NOT A NEW, UH, PROJECT.
IT HAS THREE HI, UH, THREE YEARS OF HISTORY IN THE MAKING.
THIS PROJECT REPRESENTS THE ESSENCE OF WHAT THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION IS ALL ABOUT.
BACK IN MAY, 2021, THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION ACQUIRED A VACANT PARCEL AT 2 0 9 JONES STREET AND A AND A DILAPIDATED PARCEL AT 2 0 3 JONES STREET.
THE COMMISSION INTENDED TO REVITALIZE THE AREA BY CONSTRUCTING NEW HOUSING TO SUPPORT THE ONGOING DEVELOPMENT IN WA IN THE WALL BELLAMY NEIGHBORHOOD.
THIS INITIATIVE MARKED THE INITIAL PROGRESS TOWARDS GOAL TOWARDS ACHIEVING GOAL TWO.
OBJECTIVE 2.2 IN THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN, WHICH AIMS TO INCREASE THE AVAILABILITY OF ENERGY EFFICIENT, CODE COMPLIANT AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WITHIN THE REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT BOUNDARY AREA.
ON APRIL 4TH, ALDERMAN ASTER MADE THE MOTION TO USE HIS ARPA FUND APPROPRIATION NOT TO EXCEED $547,000 TO BUILD THREE NEW SMALL HOMES IN THIS BOARD APPROVED THAT MOTION MAKING THIS PROJECT POSSIBLE.
THE REQUEST WAS INITIATED AFTER COMMUNITY DIALOGUES AND MUCH PLANNING TO ENHANCE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPTIONS IN OUR CITY.
BY NOVEMBER, 2023, THE COMMISSION HOSTED CITY OFFICIALS, MEDIA AND STAKEHOLDERS FOR A, A SHOVEL TURN TO ANNOUNCE THE COMMITMENT COMMENCEMENT OF THE SITE WORK AND CONSTRUCTION DURING ITS DEVELOPMENT.
OVER 73 RESIDENTS FROM THE NEWBURGH COMMUNITY VISITED THESE FACILITIES AND TOURED THEM.
ALL THREE HOMES OF OBTAINED THEIR CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY.
AT THE APRIL 10TH, 2024 REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION'S MEETING, THE COMMISSION APPROVED A RESOLUTION MOVING THE WALT BELLAMY HOUSES FROM THE UNSELLABLE LIST TO THE SELLABLE LIST, NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL STATUTE, CHAPTER ONE 60 A DASH FIVE 14.
SUBSECTION C COVERS THE SALE AND DISPOSITION OF REAL PROPERTY BY REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS.
WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE GOVERNING BOARD, THE STATUTE ALLOWS THE COMMISSION TO SELL, EXCHANGE, OR OTHERWISE DISPOSE OF REAL PROPERTY LOCATED IN THE REDEVELOPMENT AREA.
FOR EXAMPLE, ONE METHODOLOGY THAT WE USE OFTEN IS THE SALE OF REAL PROPERTY BY UPSET BID, WHICH REQUIRES THE COMMISSION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION THAT DESCRIBES THE PROPERTY, THE SALE TERMS, THE DATE, TIME, AND PLACE.
THE RESOLUTION ALSO REQUIRES THE BIDDER TO DEPOSIT 5% TO THE CITY CLERK AT THE TIME OF THE REQUEST TO PURCHASE.
THE STAFF ENGAGED THE STAFF BEING ME, BY THE WAY, JUST ME.
WE ENGAGED MULTIPLE PARTIES TO INITIATE THE REQUEST TO PURCHASE PROCESS, UM, AND DIRECTED MANY POTENTIAL LOW WEALTH CITIZENS TO FINANCIAL PARTNERS FOR ASSISTANCE.
DESPITE SIGNIFICANT INTEREST IN THE PROPERTIES, NO INDIVIDUAL WAS ABLE TO MAKE AN OFFER THAT WAS DUE IN PART TO THE UPSET BID PROCESS THAT REQUIRES UPFRONT CASH AND CAN BE A HURDLE IN THE DISPOSITION OF THE DEVELOPED PROPERTIES BY THE COMMISSION, PARTICULARLY FOR LOW WEALTH INDIVIDUALS WHERE COM COMPETITION FOR BIDDING WOULD BE A PROBLEM.
NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL STATUTE ALSO ALLOWS LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS TO SELL AND CONVEY PROPERTIES DIRECTLY TO ORGANIZATIONS CARRYING OUT A PUBLIC PURPOSE.
AS THE HOUSING, UH, PARTNER IN THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, THE NEW BERN HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROJECT SINCE ITS INCEPTION.
THEY EXPRESSED INTEREST IN THE PROPERTIES EARLY IN THE
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DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.DURING THE DEVELOP THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION'S.
JUNE 12TH MEETING, MR. REGINALD BARNER, INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NEW BERN HOUSING AUTHORITY, DELIVERED A PRESENTATION REQUESTING TO PURCHASE THE HOUSES AS REPLACEMENT UNITS FOR THE TRENT COURT RESIDENCE, THEREBY ALLOWING THE REDEVELOPMENT EFFORT OF TR COURT TO COMMENCE.
MR. BARNER INDICATED THAT WHILE THESE HOUSES ARE CURRENTLY NEEDED FOR REPLACEMENT HOUSE RENTAL HOUSING, HE RECOGNIZED THAT THE BEST WEALTH CREATION TOOL IN THE COMMUNITY IS HOME OWNERSHIP.
SO ONCE THESE HOUSES HAVE FULFILLED THE ORGANIZATION'S CURRENT NEED, THE HOPE IS TO UTILIZE HUD PROGRAMMING TO OFFER THEM AS HOME OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOW WEALTH FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS.
HIS PRESENTATION WAS COMPELLING TO THE COMMISSION, AND THE COMMISSION RECOMMENDED PROCEEDING WITH THIS REQUEST THAT BRINGS US HERE TONIGHT.
AT THE RECENT AUGUST 14TH, 2024 MEETING, THE NEW BERN HOUSING AUTHORITY FORMALLY SUBMITTED A PROPOSAL TO PURCHASE THE ENTIRE DEVELOPMENT FOR $492,000 OR $164,000, WHICH ON AVERAGE IS ABOUT $2,000 OVER THE APPRAISED VALUE FOR EACH OF THE HOUSES.
THE TOTAL ALLOCATED COST FOR THE PROJECT THAT WE ACTUALLY SPENT WAS $429,385 AND 44 CENTS.
THE PROCEEDS FROM THIS SALE WILL BE USED TO REINVEST IN OTHER, DEVELOP, UH, REDEVELOPMENT PROJECTS WITHIN THE BOUNDARY AREA.
THE THREE HOMES WERE CONSTRUCTED ACCORDING TO THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN, AS AFFORDABLE, EFFICIENT HOMES UTILIZING THE LABOR AND SKILL OF THE COMMISSION AND CITY STAFF.
THEY WERE BUILT AT APPROXIMATELY $160 PER SQUARE FOOT.
THE IMEC GROUP DID A FANTASTIC JOB IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION HOPES TO WORK WITH THEM AGAIN VERY SOON.
THIS PROJECT HAS SPURRED OTHERS LIKE IT IN THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD.
FOUR REHABILITATION PROJECTS ARE HAPPENING CURRENTLY AS WE SPEAK.
TWO WILL BE RENOVATED RENTAL PROP PROPERTIES AND TWO WILL BE RENOVATED FOR THE OWNER TO OCCUPY THIS.
THIS SALE MARKS THE INITIAL STEP TOWARDS REALIZING A LONGSTANDING COMMUNITY GOAL.
APPROVING THIS PURCHASE TODAY WILL HELP UPHOLD OUR COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY AND IN INTRODUCE DIVERSE MIXED INCOME HOUSING OPTIONS TO THE WALT BELLAMY NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE CITY OF NEW BERN AT LARGE.
BY PARTNERING WITH THE NEW BERN HOUSING AUTHORITY, WE ARE ADDRESSING THE IMMEDIATE HOUSING NEEDS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND CREATING A PATHWAY TO HOME OWNERSHIP FOR THOSE IN NEEDS.
THIS COLLABORATIVE EFFORT ALIGNS WITH OUR MISSION.
IT DECREASES THE COMMUNITY DENIGRATION, IT HIGHLIGHTS THE SOUL OF THE REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT BOUNDARY AREA.
IT GETS US TO THE FINISH LINE, BUT IT'S JUST A FIRST STEP.
PLEASE CONSIDER THE LONG TERM IMPACT AND THE BENEFITS OF THIS SALE.
YOUR SUPPORT IN IMPROVING THIS SALE WILL UNDOUBTEDLY CONTRIBUTE TO OUR CITY'S SUSTAINED GROWTH AND PROSPERITY.
AND SO I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO QUESTIONS.
THE, UM, THERE, THERE WAS ONE, I THINK, UM, COMPONENT MISSING IN YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, BACK WHEN ALDERMAN ASKED HER, HAD, UM, PROPOSED ALLOCATING, UM, ARPA FUNDS FOR THIS PROJECT.
I MEAN, IT ORIGINALLY STARTED OUT, UM, AS A, UM, SORT OF A GOAL TO PROVIDE, UM, HOUSING FOR HOMELESS VETERANS.
UM, BUT THE LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE, UM, FOR THE VETERANS ASKED THAT THAT NOT BE DONE, THAT THAT WASN'T GOING TO SERVE THE GREATER GOOD FOR THAT PARTICULAR, UH, COMMUNITY.
UM, AND, AND SHE MADE A VERY, UM, VERY EFFECTIVE PRESENTATION ON THAT.
SO THE FOCUS GOT CHANGED FROM, SAY, UH, HOMES OR, UH, HOUSING FOR HOMELESS VETERANS TO, UH, HOUSING FOR, DON'T WANT TO USE THE WRONG TERMINOLOGY, BUT LOW WEALTH INDIVIDUALS, MORE MODERATE INCOME OR WHATEVER THE PROPER TERMINOLOGY IS.
BUT THE KEY THERE WAS THAT THEY WOULD BE MARKET HOUSING, AND THAT'S WHAT THIS BOARD VOTED ON, THAT THE HOUSES WOULD BE BUILT AND THEY WOULD BE SOLD TO INDIVIDUALS, PREFERABLY INDIVIDUALS IN THE COMMUNITY OF NEWBURN, WHETHER THEY ARE FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS OR NOT.
BUT IDEALLY, YOU KNOW, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO, UH, BECOME FIRST TIME HOMEOWNERS, THAT WAS A KEY PART OF THE APPROVAL OF THIS BOARD.
UM, YOU DIDN'T POINT THAT OUT.
YOU KIND OF SKIPPED OVER THAT.
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HAD A CONVERSATION, UH, A WEEK OR SO AGO WITH A MEMBER OF THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION 'CAUSE SHE WAS CONCERNED THAT I HAD MADE A REQUEST THAT ANY ACTION ON THESE ITEMS BE MOVED, UM, TO OUR FIRST MEETING IN SEPTEMBER.AND I EXPLAINED THAT, THAT THE GOAL, UM, OF PROVIDING MARKET HOUSING, UM, IS NOT BEING MET WITH THE PROPOSED ACTIONS THEY ARE GOING TO BECOME OR WOULD BECOME RENTAL HOUSING FOR THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH WHAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS TRYING TO DO.
THEY, THEY HAVE, UM, A NEED THAT IS THAT THEY ARE DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO BE, UM, WITH RENTAL HOUSING.
I KNOW YOU STATED IT THAT THEY'VE INDICATED THAT MAYBE SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE THESE HOUSING HOUSES COULD BECOME MARKET HOUSING.
YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU CATEGORIZED IT AS ONCE THEY'VE MET THEIR NEED IN THE RENTAL SIDE.
I, I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF CONFIDENCE THAT THAT WOULD EVER HAPPEN.
I CAN'T SAY FOR SURE, BUT I'M NOT SURE THE CONVERSION FROM RENTAL TO MARKET HOUSING WOULD, UH, WOULD EVER HAPPEN.
I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY PURSUING, UM, ACQUIRING THESE PROPERTIES OR ANY OTHER PROPERTY, UM, TO MEET THEIR MISSION.
BUT I DO HAVE A PROBLEM, UM, AND A CONCERN THAT WHAT THIS BOARD VOTED ON IS, IS NOT WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED.
UH, AND THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN MY, MY PRIMARY CONCERN.
SO I'LL, I'LL LET IT GO AT THAT FOR THE TIME.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? I, I DO I HAVE A QUESTION? YES, MA'AM.
UM, IS THIS IN THE FUTURE, IS THIS GOING TO BE THE PLANS OF THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION TO BUILD HOMES AND THEN SELL 'EM TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY? I WOULDN'T ASK, UH, THIS BOARD TO TRUST IN PLANS FOR THE FUTURE.
WE RELY SOLELY ON THE PLANS THAT HAVE BEEN LAID OUT IN FRONT OF US.
OUR, OUR OUR, OUR MANDATE IS TO CARRY OUT THE PLANS THAT WE HAVE.
SO EMBEDDED IN THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN AS IT IS WRITTEN, IS TO, IS TO TAKE THE HOUSING AUTHORITY UP AS OUR PRIMARY HOUSING, UH, AS OUR PRIMARY HOUSING PARTNER.
THE RE ONE OF THE REASONS, UH, FOR, FOR THAT IS ANYTIME YOU DO HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT DEVELOPING A MARKET, YOU HAVE TO ESTABLISH A BASELINE OF HOUSING INFRASTRUCTURE.
THE BASELINE OF HOW ANY HOUSING, UH, MARKET IS, IS PUBLIC HOUSING.
AND SO IT MAKES SENSE THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WOULD BE OUR PRIMARY PARTNER AS WE'RE STARTING FROM A DEFICIT THAT WE ACKNOWLEDGE BY CALLING THIS A REDEVELOPMENT BOUNDARY AREA.
SO THE ALL HOUSES THAT WILL BE BUILT BY THE RE AND I'M JUST SAYING BUILT BY THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, WILL BE WITHIN THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION ZONE? THAT'S CORRECT.
WE HAVE TO BUILD INSIDE OUR, OUR BOUNDARY AREA.
AND, AND IN THE FUTURE, YOU, THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION MAY SELL HOUSES TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
IT, IT WOULD, IT, IT WOULD CERTAINLY HELP WITH THE BROADER REDEVELOPMENT, UH, EFFORT, UH, TO, TO CONTINUE TO HELP, UH, TO HELP FIND HOUSING FOR INDIVIDUALS LIVING IN TR COURT.
THAT SAID, IT WOULDN'T BE, AND I CAN SPEAK FOR THE COMMISSION ON THIS 'CAUSE WE ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT THIS IN OUR LAST, IN OUR LAST MEETING.
IT IS NOT THE INTENT OF THE COMMISSION TO SOLELY SELL TO THE HOUSING, TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
UM, WE ARE WORKING VERY, VERY HARD, UH, IN EVERY PROJECT GROUP THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH TO ESTABLISH SOME SORT OF WAY THAT WE CAN WORK WITH CO-DEVELOPERS SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY FAST FORWARD THE PROCESS SO THAT WE CAN GET THE HANDS OF, UH, OF GOOD QUALITY HOUSING INTO THE HANDS OF, UH, OF LOW TO MODERATE INCOME INDIVIDUALS.
THE, THE, THE SIMPLE, THE, THE SIMPLE TRUTH IS THE MECHANISM OF THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION WAS NEVER MEANT, UH, OR DESIGNED TO SELL ON THE OPEN MARKET.
AND SO THAT'S A HURDLE, AND WE'RE WORKING THROUGH IT.
AND, AND I GIVE YOU, UH, MY WORD THAT EVERY MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION IS DEDICATED TO THAT END.
THE GOAL, IF THIS, THESE PROPERTIES WERE SOLD TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, WOULD IT BE END UP BEING, UM,
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HOME OWNERSHIP OR RENTAL PROPERTY? INITIALLY, THEY, IN MY UNDERSTANDING, ACCORDING TO THE PRESENTATION WE WERE GIVEN IN JUNE, THEY WOULD BE USED AS REPLACEMENT RENTAL PROPERTIES FOR THE TRENT COURT, UH, UNITS LOST, UH, IN FLORENCE FOR THE CURRENT RESIDENCE OF TRI COURT.SO THAT TRI COURT CAN BE ULTIMATELY REDEVELOPED.
UM, AND, UH, I, I WOULD, I WOULD DIRECT YOU BACK TO MR. ER'S COMMENTS ON JUNE 12TH, UH, FOR A DEEPER ANALYSIS OF THAT.
HE, HE DID DO A VERY, VERY GOOD JOB AT PRESENTING, UH, THE HOUSING AUTHOR'S INTENT WITH THESE PROPERTIES.
SO, LONG STORY SHORT, RENTAL PROPERTY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ZAB, WHAT ACTIONS SPECIFICALLY DID THE, DID YOU TAKE, UM, ON BEHALF OF THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION TO MARKET THESE HOMES TO THE COMMUNITY? AS INDICATED BEFORE, THESE HOMES AREN'T FOR SALE ON THE OPEN MARKET.
AND SO I DIDN'T TAKE ANY, UH, ANY, ANY ACTION TO MARKET THESE HOMES BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT FOR SALE ON THE OPEN MARKET.
UH, THE SAME, UH, THE SAME ACTIONS AND INITIATIVES THAT WOULD BE, UH, WOULD BE TAKEN FOR ANY SURPLUS PROPERTIES WERE TAKEN FOR THESE PROPERTIES.
SO EVEN THOUGH NO MARKETING WAS DONE, UM, TO THE COMMUNITY, I MEAN, YOU HAD, UM, I GUESS 73 INQUIRIES.
UM, SO OBVIOUSLY I THINK THAT'S PRETTY INDICATIVE OF THE, UH, UH, OF THE NEED AND DESIRE THAT PEOPLE HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY TO BECOME HOMEOWNERS.
BUT IF NO MARKETING IS BEING DONE, AND WHEN I'M USING THE TERM MARKETING, I'M, I'M KIND OF USING IT IN A GLOBAL, UM, UH, A FRAMEWORK THAT COULD PUT FOR SALE SIGNS UP ON THE PROPERTY.
AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WAS DONE SOMETHING MORE THAN JUST A LINE ITEM BURIED IN THE CITY'S WEBSITE UNDER THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, UM, THAT DID NOT OFFER ANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THESE HOMES.
I'M NOT AWARE THAT, UH, THERE WAS ANY INFORMATION PUT TOGETHER THAT WAS PROVIDED TO THESE, UH, 73 INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD MADE INQUIRIES TO KIND OF HELP GUIDE THEM THROUGH WHATEVER PROCESS THEY WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH.
NOT AWARE THAT THERE WAS ANY EFFORT MADE, UM, TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL FUNDING THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE LOCALLY OR AT THE STATE LEVEL TO ASSIST WITH THE 5% REQUIREMENT.
AGAIN, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT NONE OF THAT WAS DONE.
SO IT JUST, IT'S COME ACROSS THAT IT WAS A FOREGONE CONCLUSION THAT THESE ARE NOT, THESE ARE NOT MEANT TO BE FOR SALE HOUSING.
AND THAT'S CONTRARY TO WHAT THIS BOARD APPROVED.
IS THERE A QUESTION, SIR? WELL, I GUESS YOU'VE ANSWERED IT.
YOU'VE INDICATED THAT NOTHING WAS DONE TO MARKET THESE HOUSES.
I INDICATED THE SAME MEASURES WERE TAKEN AS ANY SURPLUS PROPERTIES WOULD BE TAKEN BECAUSE LEGALLY NOT BY SOME POLICY OF THE CITY, LEGALLY, THESE ARE SURPLUS PROPERTIES.
WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TREAT THEM AS ANY SUCH THING OTHER THAN SURPLUS PROPERTIES.
NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE WOULD LIKE TO, NO MATTER HOW GREAT THE NEED, SHOW ME THE STATE STATUTE, GIMME THE STATE TO SIT DOWN WITH NO, LISTEN TO WHAT I'M SAYING.
I'VE REFERRED TO THE STATE STATUTE PROVIDED ME WITH THE STATE STATUTE THAT SAYS THAT YOU CANNOT GO ABOVE AND BEYOND THE MINIMUM, WHICH IS 5%.
SIR, WITHOUT DUE RESPECT, BE ELIGIBLE.
THE CO-DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS THAT WE'RE DOING ARE GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND THE BARE MINIMUM.
EVERYTHING THAT THIS COMMISSION IS DOING, ALL NINE OF THESE MEMBERS EVERY TIME THEY COME AND THEY IMAGINE THINGS OF HOW TO BRING NEW HOUSING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN NEW WAYS, NO OTHER REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA IS DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SO TO SAY THAT THAT'S BARE MINIMUM IS QUITE FRANKLY, OFFENSIVE.
WE'RE NOT DOING THE BARE MINIMUM.
WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WITHIN OUR POWER EXCEPT ADHERING TO ESSENTIALLY THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE MONEY THAT YOU RECEIVED FROM THIS BOARD.
THAT'S NOT MY INTERPRETATION, BUT I APPRECIATE THAT.
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I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT YOU CAN'T DENY THAT THE INTENT OF THIS BOARD'S APPROVAL TO PROVIDE THAT FUNDING TO THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION WAS BASED ON THESE WOULD BE MARKET POLLS, MARKET SOLD TO THE MARKET, NOT RENTAL HOUSING.WELL, ALDERMAN ASHER'S RIGHT THERE, HE MADE THE MOTION MOTION.
AND I BELIEVE THE VERBIAGE THAT'S THAT'S INDICATED IN THE MINUTES IS, UH, IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
FIRST THING IS, RICK, I'M KIND OF SURPRISED THAT YOU HAVEN'T ASKED THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION THESE QUESTIONS SINCE YOU SIT ON THE BOARD.
I MEAN, I, I, I'M, I WAS ACTUALLY LOOKING TOWARDS YOU TO GIVE US GUIDANCE TONIGHT, BUT THESE QUESTIONS SHOULD HAVE BEEN ANSWERED BY THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
AND, AND, AND IF YOU HAD QUESTIONS LIKE THIS, YOU SHOULD BE DIRECTING THEM TO THEM DURING YOUR BOARD MEETINGS WITH THEM.
IF I'M, UM, I SIT ON THE REDEVELOPMENT AS AN EX OFFICIARY.
THE FIRST THING WE TALKED ABOUT WERE VETERANS, AND THEN WE WERE JUST TOLD THAT THAT PROBABLY WASN'T A GOOD IDEA.
AND NOW I'M GONNA DIRECT MY, MY QUESTION TO JEB, THE CITY MANAGER, CITY ATTORNEY, MOST LIKELY FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY TO ANSWER THESE HOUSES WERE ORIGINALLY CONSTRUCTED OR TALKED ABOUT.
I WAS IN A BUNCH OF MEETINGS WITH THIS STUFF ABOUT RENTING THESE HOMES BECAUSE THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION COULD KEEP USING THE RENT MONEY TO REPAIR OTHER HOMES AS FACT.
WE WERE TOLD THAT WHEN THEY DECIDED THAT WE COULDN'T DO THAT WAS BECAUSE THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION CANNOT RENT A HOUSE.
IS THAT CORRECT? NOT LONG TERM.
UH, SHORT TERM ONLY FOR THIS DISPLACED PEOPLE FOR YES, SIR.
SO, YOU KNOW, THESE HOMES WERE BUILT, THEY WERE APPRAISED.
THEY ARE SELLING ABOVE THE APPRAISED VALUE.
THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION IS GOING TO COME AWAY WITH ALMOST HALF MILLION DOLLARS TO TURN AROUND AND DO THIS AGAIN.
YOU KNOW, UH, I DON'T, I I, I JUST THINK IT'S RIDICULOUS THAT WE'RE SITTING HERE HAVING THESE TYPE OF CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DIRECTOR OF THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION WHEN YOU'RE A MEMBER OF THE BOARD.
AND YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN SITTING IN THERE TALKING TO HIM AND ASKING HIM THESE QUESTIONS IF HE HAD, IF, IF YOU HAD CONCERNS.
THIS IS KIND OF, I MEAN, WE'RE READY TO SELL THESE HOUSES.
HAS THE COMMISSION OR Z ATTENDED ANY OF OUR PREVIOUS MEETINGS TO KEEP US UPDATED ON THE DIRECTION THAT THEY WERE MOVING IN ON? THEY'VE GOING IN THE SAME DIRECTION THAT WE DECIDED FROM THE BEGINNING.
I MEAN, THEY, WE CAN'T, THEY CAN'T RENT THE HOUSES.
I WOULD, I WOULD JUST INTERJECT, THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF AN EX OFFICIO ON THIS BOARD BEING ON THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, IS TO BRING THAT INFORMATION BACK AND KEEP THIS BOARD APPRISED OF WHAT'S TAKEN PLACE IN THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
IF NOT, THERE'S NO POINT IN HAVING EX OFFICIOS, WE'LL JUST ASK THE STAFF TO COME GIVE US PRESENTATIONS.
THERE'S ACTUALLY 300 AND, AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK.
I I, I FEEL THAT THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION ALSO SHOULD COME BACK TO US TOO AND GIVE US UPDATES AS THEY MOVE ALONG IN THE PROJECT.
AND IT SHOULDN'T BE JUST LEFT UP TO US EX OFFICIOS.
'CAUSE I'M ONE OF THEM TO SIT, SIT THERE IN THAT MEETING AND COME BACK ENTERPRISE Y'ALL OF EVERYTHING.
WHEN YOU HAVE A DIRECTOR OF THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION THAT SHOULD BE GIVING US THAT INFORMATION, THAT'S WHAT HE'S THERE FOR.
AND THE COMMISSION TO GIVE US THAT INFORMATION.
WELL, I KIND OF DISAGREE WITH YOU BECAUSE I THINK THE EX OFFICIO FROM THIS BOARD SHOULD BE SAYING, HEY, I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
HOW IS THAT A MEETING THE OTHER DAY? THIS IS WHAT WAS DISCUSSED.
THIS IS THAT AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
NOW, SO FROM NOW ON, WHEN THE BOARDS THAT YOU SIT ON, YOU MAKE SURE YOU COME BACK AND APPRISE US AND GIVE US INFORMATION OF EVERYTHING THAT GOES ON IN THOSE BOARDS.
IF YOU GONNA DIRECT THAT TOWARDS ME.
'CAUSE I'M ONE OF THE EX OFFICIOS AS WELL.
THIS DISCUSSION IS NOT A PART OF WHAT WE ARE HERE FOR TONIGHT.
IS THAT CORRECT? I THINK THE ACTION BEFORE YOU ALDERMAN KENZIE, IS TO CONSIDER APPROVING THE SALE OF THESE VARIOUS DIFFERENT PROPERTIES AS IS REQUIRED BY THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION STATUTES.
WELL, WE NEED TO GO AHEAD AND JUST DO THAT THEN AND MOVE ON.
WELL, WE, MCKENZIE UH, I BEG TO DIFFER.
YOU CAN'T SIT THERE AND SAY WHAT WE CANNOT DO.
SO BEFORE WE DO ANYTHING, UH, THERE WAS A MOTION THAT WAS MADE AND APPROVED THAT WE'RE GONNA ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO SPEAK.
SO WHEN THIS BOARD'S FINISHED DELIBERATING
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WITH THE DIRECTOR, THEN WE'LL OPEN IT UP AND HAVE ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO COME SPEAK.LET ME ASK ONE MORE QUESTION, IF YOU WOULD, MR. HUFF, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT, AND I KNOW YOU USED THE TERM MARKETING AND 73 PEOPLE THAT INQUIRED ABOUT THE PROPERTY, AND I KNOW I APPROACHED YOU TWICE ABOUT HOSTING AN OPEN HOUSE AND ALLOWING THE CITIZENS TO SEE WHAT'S AVAILABLE AND THE BEAUTY OF THOSE HOMES.
AND I WENT IN THERE TO LOOK MYSELF THEIR ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL HOMES.
AND THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL.
UM, IS IT FEASIBLE THAT, UH, IN THE PROCESS BEFORE THE SALE, AND I KNOW FEASIBLE IS, IS ANOTHER WORD, BUT WOULD, WOULD WE BE WILLING TO DO THE OPEN HOUSE OR DO OTHER ITEMS THAT PERHAPS WERE NOT DONE TO PROVIDE MORE ATTENTION OR MORE FOCUS FROM THE COMMUNITY AND THE POPULATION OF PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY THESE HOMES WOULD SERVE BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD TO, UM, SELL THE PROPERTY TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY? IS THERE MORE TO BE DONE? THAT'S MY QUESTION.
BUT AREN'T YOU ON THE BOARD AS WELL? I AM.
WELL, WHY, WHY DID, WASN'T THIS DISCUSSED DURING THE BOARD, DURING THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION MEETINGS AND, AND, AND ASKED IF WE COULD DO THIS INSTEAD OF UP HERE WHILE WE'RE TRYING TO SELL THESE HOUSES? I MEAN, WHY WASN'T THIS KIND OF STUFF DISCUSSED DURING THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION'S MEETINGS? I CHOSE TO DISCUSS IT NOW.
I DID BRING A REQUEST TO THE COMMISSION AND WE RECEIVED THE REQUEST TO PURCHASE FROM THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, UH, PRETTY MUCH SIMULTANEOUSLY IN THAT JUNE IN, IN THAT JUNE MEETING.
AND IT WAS JUST DECIDED THAT IT WAS BEST TO GO WITH A VIABLE OFFER RATHER THAN KIND OF DANGLING HOUSING OUT IN FRONT OF A COMMUNITY THAT WE KNOW IS HUNGRY FOR HOUSING WITHOUT A, A VIABLE SOLUTION.
AT THIS POINT, AGAIN, AS I STATED EARLIER, OUR COMMITMENT IS TO WORK TIRELESSLY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE OPTIONS AVAILABLE IN THE, IN THE FUTURE.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO BRINGING THEM TO YOU.
THANK YOU, MR. HOWELL? UM, MY LAST NAME IS HUFF.
IT'S CONFUSING WITH THE SPELLING.
WHEN THE COMMISSION WAS WORKING THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND OBVIOUSLY HAVING, UM, DISCUSSIONS ABOUT IT.
A A ABSOLUTELY EVERY PART OF THIS, UH, EVERY PART OF THIS PROJECT IN PARTICULAR WAS DISCUSSED IN OPEN SESSION.
UH, 'CAUSE THERE WAS NO PROJECT TEAM ASSIGNED TO THIS, UH, TO THIS PROJECT.
'CAUSE IT WAS WELL UNDER DEVELOPMENT BY THE TIME WE CREATED PROJECT TEAMS. SO EVERY STEP OF THIS DEVELOPMENT WAS GONE OVER IN SESSION, IN OPEN SESSION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY, MR. HUFF, THANK YOU.
IF ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE MAYOR FORWARD, IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO COME FORWARD AND SPEAK, PLEASE DO SO NOW.
I KNOW MR. PRILL INTIMATELY, WHICH IS WONDERFUL.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO PERSONALLY RECOGNIZE AND THANK, UM, ALDERMAN BOBBY ASTER FOR HIS INSIGHT AND GENEROSITY IN ALLOCATING HIS ARPA FUNDS TO THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION TO BUILD THE THREE MODEST IZED HOMES.
ONCE THE KINKS WERE WORKED OUT, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO SELL THESE AFFORDABLE HOMES ON THE OPEN MARKET.
THIS PROJECT BECAME A BEACON OF HOPE TO THE RESIDENTS WITHIN THE CITY OF NEW BERN, WHO DREAMED OF A HOME OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY.
WHILE MEMBERS IN THE COMMUNITY LEARNED OF THESE HOMES THROUGH INTERN, UH, INTERN INTERNAL COMMUNITY NETWORKING, THERE WAS NO GOOD FAITH EFFORT MADE BY THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, NOT THEIR FAULT, BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT, UH, THEY WERE TOLD THAT THE 5% DEPOSIT FOR ANY BIDDING PROCESS WAS REQUIRED.
THE ONLY OFFERING I SAW WAS FIVE CLICKS INTO THE CITY OF NEW BERN'S WEBSITE UNDER REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS, SALEABLE LOTS, PAGE ONE LINE PER ADDRESS WITH NO PRICE UNTIL RECENTLY, NO PHOTO, NO DESCRIPTION OF HOUSES FOR SALE.
NO REASONABLE PERSON WOULD LOOK AT THIS SITE TO BUY A BRAND NEW HOME.
IT WAS CONFIRMED BY CITY STAFF AND AGAIN, BY MR. HUFF, THAT 73, UH, RESIDENTS INQUIRED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE TOLD THAT THEY REQUIRED A 5% DOWN PAYMENT.
LET'S BE CLEAR, IT'S NOT A DOWN PAYMENT.
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BIG DIFFERENCE.AND IT IS NOT REQUIRED THAT THE EARNEST DEPOSIT COMES FROM THE BUYER.
THE 5% EARNEST DEPOSIT CAN COME FROM ANYONE.
YOU NEED THE 5% TO MAKE YOUR BID SO YOUR BID CAN BE RECOGNIZED.
BUT THIS IS NOT PART OF THE MORTGAGE PROCESS.
IT IS PART OF THE STATE STATUTE THAT REQUIRES THAT ANYONE MAKING A BID ON A CITY OWNED PROPERTY NEEDS TO HAVE THIS MONEY.
THE NORTH CAROLINA HIGHS HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY OFFERS A $15,000 DOWN PAYMENT AND CLOSING COST ASSISTANCE TO FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS WHO QUALIFY THE PROGRAM IS EXTRAORDINARILY SUCCESSFUL.
OVER THE YEARS, MANY, MANY, MANY MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY HAVE APPLIED FOR THESE LOANS AND PURCHASED HOMES.
IN MY OPINION, THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION WAS NOT PREPARED TO SELL THESE HOMES IN THE OPEN MARKET.
IT'S THE FIRST TIME THEY'RE DOING IT.
THEY DO NOT HAVE THE POLICIES OR PROCEDURES FIRMLY IN PLACE, AND THEY TOOK ON THIS AMAZING PROJECT.
SELLING A HOME CAN BE A DAUNTING PROCESS.
I'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR 35 YEARS.
I HAVE NO INTEREST FINANCIALLY IN ANYTHING THAT THE CITY OF NEW BERN DOES.
THE COMMISSION NEEDS POLICY AND GUIDELINES PLACED IN PLACE TO ENSURE A FAIR AND EQUITABLE PROCESS.
WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW, AND I WOULD LIKE TO CHALLENGE THE COMMISSION AND THE CITY TO ALLOCATE MONIES INTO A FUND THAT WOULD BE USED AS A WORKAROUND FOR THE 5% DEPOSIT.
IN ORDER TO HAVE A MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY HAVE A VIABLE OPTION AND OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME A HOMEOWNER IN THE REDEVELOPMENT AREA, THE 5% DEPOSIT CAN BE ALLOCATED TO QUALIFIED BUYERS SO THAT THEIR OFFERS CAN BE SUBMITTED FOR CONSIDERATION.
THESE FUNDS ARE NOT GIVEN TO THE BUYER.
THESE FUNDS ARE NOT DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE.
THESE FUNDS ARE SIMPLY USED TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THE STATE STATUTE IN AN OFFER TO PURCHASE AND BIDDING REQUIREMENT.
THE FUNDS WILL BE RETURNED IN FULL TO THE COMMISSION OR THE CITY.
THE ALLOCATION WILL BE USED AS A WORKAROUND.
I REPEAT TO OVERCOME THE STATE STATURE REQUIRING THE EARNEST DEPOSIT RISK FREE TO THE CITY, BENEFICIAL TO THE RESIDENTS.
ONCE THE PROPERTY CLOSES, THE MONEY IS RETURNED.
IF THE BID IS REJECTED, THE MONEY IS RETURNED.
IT'S TIME TO STOP DOING THINGS THE WAY WE ALWAYS HAVE AND START MOVING TOWARDS THE WAY WE SHOULD TO BE TAKING CARE OF OUR RESIDENTS.
WE NEED FRESH IDEAS, FRESH MINDSETS, AND FRESH AGENDAS.
LET'S SUPPORT THE MISSION OF ERADICATING HOUSING INSECURITY AND REBUILD A COMMUNITY ROOTED IN HOME OWNERSHIP, NOT RENTALS.
I BESEECH YOU TO RECONSIDER APPROVING THE SALE OF THESE HOMES TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, AND I CHALLENGE YOU TO MAKE A GOOD FAITH EFFORT AND OFFER THESE HOMES TO THE HUNDREDS OF FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS WILLING, READY, ABLE TO MAKE HOME OWNERSHIP POSSIBLE.
I CHALLENGE YOU, AGAIN, TO REFRAIN FROM SAYING AND BELIEVING WE CAN'T, AND START EXPLORING.
HOW CAN WE, I CHALLENGE YOU TO BE BRAVE AND STEADFAST IN YOUR LEADERSHIP ROLE.
LET'S DO THE WORK AND BRING EVERYTHING TOGETHER.
I HUMBLY OFFER MY SUPPORT AS WE NAVIGATE FORWARD AND PROVIDE OUR SUPPORT TO THE RESIDENTS IN NEED WHO DESERVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE HOME OWNERSHIP A REALITY.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR ODOM, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
I'M A RESIDENT OF THE WAL BELLAMY COMMUNITY, AND I'M HERE TO SHARE MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE SALE OF THE THREE PROPERTIES ON WALT BELLAMY DRIVE.
UNDER DISCUSSION THIS EVENING, I LIVE IN A RENOVATED WAREHOUSE ADJACENT TO TRENT COURT ABOUT A BLOCK FROM THE PROPERTIES UNDER DISCUSSION.
THOSE THAT KNOW ME WELL, AND MANY OF YOU DO KNOW THAT BUILDING A DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE VIBRANT COMMUNITY IS CORE TO THE WORK THAT I HAVE TRIED TO DO OVER THE LAST SEVERAL DECADES.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SOME OF MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS, CURRENTLY LIVING IN SUBSTANDARD HOUSING STOCK AT TRENT COURT, MOVING INTO THE SMALL HOMES IN THE WALT BELLAMY COMMUNITY.
I DON'T THINK MOST OF THE ALDERMAN, UM, HAVE PROPOSED PUTTING HIGHLY SUBSIDIZED PROPERTIES IN THEIR WARDS FOR SUCH
[00:40:01]
RESIDENTS.OUR COMMUNITY GROWS WEARY YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR, AFTER RESIDENTS AT TRENT COURT CONTINUE TO LIVE IN OBSOLETE WORLD WAR II HOUSING STOCK.
AND I HAVE TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, AS I ALWAYS AM, WE WHO LIVE, WE WHO DO BUSINESS, AND WE WHO INVEST OUR PERSONAL MONEY IN THE REDEVELOPMENT ZONE, GROW WEARY OF A CITY GOVERNMENT, WHICH HAS DONE SO LITTLE OVER THE PAST DECADES TO BUDGET SIGNIFICANT FUNDS TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND MIXED INCOME PROPERTIES IN THE CITY OF NEW BERN.
AND I WILL ADD TO MY FRIENDS AT THE COUNTY IN CRAVEN COUNTY, YES, THERE'S A HUGE NEED.
AS MS. PRILL DESCRIBED, OUR CITY WORKERS CAN'T EVEN LIVE IN NEW BERN ANYMORE BECAUSE IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT TOOK HURRICANE FLORENCE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF REDEVELOPMENT IN EARNEST FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT I WAS SEEN IN DECADES.
IRONICALLY, IT WAS A HURRICANE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT CAME TO RESCUE WHEN THERE WAS NO CHOICE IN THE CHOICE NEIGHBORHOODS.
NOT UNTIL ALL OF THE UNITS AT TRENT COURT ARE VACANT, NOTHING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WILL CHANGE.
AND HOW MANY DECADES DO WE THE PUBLIC HAVE TO WATCH THE FINGER POINTING ABOUT WHO DOES WHAT, WHEN, AND HOW WITH LITTLE TO SHOW.
I HAVE WATCHED THIS FOR THE 20 YEARS THAT I HAVE LIVED AND WORKED IN THIS CITY.
I AM GRATEFUL TO ALDERMAN STERMAN WHO PROVIDED THE FUNDS TO BEGIN FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAVE NOTICED A REAL OPPORTUNITY.
THE HOT, THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A PENNY.
HOW COULD THEY DO ANYTHING? I, WE TALK ABOUT MARKETING, WHICH IS EXPENSIVE.
I DON'T SEE THE CITY PUTTING A REQUEST TO MARKET ALL THE THINGS THAT IT'S DOING WITH THE SAME VEHEMENT OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT I HEARD EARLIER THIS EVENING.
I'M GRATEFUL TO THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION WHO SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS WORKING ON THIS PROJECT, STRUGGLING TO COME TOGETHER IN A CONSENSUS.
AND CONSENSUS DOES NOT MEAN THAT EVERYBODY IS THRILLED ABOUT THE DECISION THAT THEIR TEAM MAKES.
IT MEANS THAT THEY ARE GOING TO SUPPORT IT AND NOT GO OUT INTO COMMUNITY AND B***H ABOUT IT.
I AM GRATEFUL FOR LEADERSHIP THAT SHOUTS OUT LOUD AND MOVES TO ACTION TO ADDRESS THE DESPERATE NEED FOR AFFORDABLE AND HIGHLY SUBSIDIZED HOUSING IN NEWBERG AND CRAVEN COUNTY.
I HEAR THESE WORDS FLOATED ALL THE TIME.
UH, ALDERMAN KINSEY SPOKE ELOQUENTLY SOME MONTHS AGO ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
I DON'T SEE ANYTHING GOING ON.
WELL, NOW WE'VE GOT SOMETHING GOING ON.
AND, UM, I HEAR THAT THIS BOARD MAY NOT SUPPORT IT TONIGHT, TRAGICALLY, THAT'S A RUMOR THAT'S BEEN FLOATED DOWNTOWN.
I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I STAND IN TOTAL SUPPORT OF THE BOARD APPROVING THE SALE OF 1002, 1004, 1006, WALT BELLAMY DRIVE TO THE NEW BERN HOUSING AUTHORITY.
IT REPRESENTS AN IMPORTANT STEP FORWARD IN A LONG-TERM STRATEGY TO REDEVELOP AND REVITALIZE IN TANDEM WITH GREATER DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
WE HAVE WAITED FAR TOO LONG AND THE NEED IS SO EXTRAORDINARY.
BUT DON'T STOP SOMETHING GOOD BECAUSE WE HAVE FAILED TO PUT TOGETHER THE PROCESSES THAT WE MIGHT ALL AGREE ON IF WE GOT TOGETHER AND TALKED ABOUT IT.
GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
MY NAME IS AGAPE ADAMS AND I USED TO LIVE IN, UM, DUFFY FIELD.
IT WAS MY FIRST TIME LIVING IN A BLIGHTED COMMUNITY REALLY.
BUT IN 2016 WHEN I SAW THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE CHOICE NEIGHBORHOOD INITIATIVE GOING ON, I WAS LIKE, WOW.
I JUST, I HAD NEVER, UM, SEEN SUCH EFFORTS TO CARE FOR A BLIGHTED COMMUNITY BY CITY BEFORE.
I MEAN, MAYBE I'M TOO YOUNG TO KNOW.
I'M SURE IT'S HAPPENED, BUT, UM, I JUST WANTED TO GET UP HERE AND THANK YOU WHOEVER HAD A HAND IN THAT COMING ABOUT, BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE SOMEONE AT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WHO HAS NOTICED THOSE EFFORTS
[00:45:01]
AND WANTS TO PLAY A PART IN IT THEMSELVES.AND THEN IT CAME TOGETHER SO SEAMLESSLY WHEN THEIR INITIATIVE OVER THE HOUSING COMMUNITY MATCHED WHAT THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE WANTS TO DO.
AND I WAS LIKE, OH MY GOODNESS.
THE UNITY THAT I'M WITNESSING IS JUST, I DON'T KNOW.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR WHATEVER HAND YOU HAD IN THAT, AND THANK YOU TO, UM, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION AND THE INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR THIS WORK THAT THEY'VE BEEN A PART OF.
UM, I AM A RESIDENT, UH, OF, OF AL CONTROLS WARD.
UH, ALSO A MEMBER OF THE COMMISSIONER OF THE, THE, THE HOUSING, UH, AUTHORITY BOARD HERE.
UM, AND JUST WANTED TO SAY FIRST AND FOREMOST, UH, HOW THANKFUL I AM AS WELL AS WE JUST HEARD, UH, FOR ALDERMAN ASKED FOR THEIR VISION, UH, AND, AND FOR THE COMMITMENT I'VE SEEN ON SO MANY, UH, FROM SO MANY PEOPLE TO TRY TO REDEVELOP THIS AREA OF THE CITY.
LIKE, LIKE MY FRIEND KATHY ADOLPH.
UH, I LIVE, UH, VERY NEAR TRENT COURT.
UM, AND, UH, I WAS HERE DURING HURRICANE FLORENCE AND SAW THE DAMAGE AND DEVASTATION.
UH, IT'S TAKEN FAR TOO LONG, I THINK, UH, TO GET FROM THERE TO WHERE WE ARE NOW.
UH, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF FORWARD PROGRESS.
UH, WE'VE GOT, UH, REAL MONEY THAT'S COME IN FROM FEMA.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP MOVING FORWARD.
WE'VE ALSO BEEN BLESSED WITH JUST EXCEPTIONAL INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IN REGGIE BARNARD, UH, AND AN EXCEPTIONAL, UH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF, OF THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION IN ZEPPO.
SO, UH, I I, I DO A LOT OF, UH, WORK IN MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE ON PUBLIC POLICY AND GOVERNANCE AND BOARDS.
AND I DON'T THINK, UM, IT'S REALLY THE, THE BEST.
I DON'T THINK THAT THIS BOARD, UH, HAS THE OPTIMAL COMPETENCE TO ENGAGE IN, IN REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE SCHEMES.
UM, EVEN IF A MEMBER OF THIS BOARD HAS A SPOUSE THAT'S A REAL ESTATE BROKER, UH, I, I DO THINK, UH, THAT LOW INCOME HOUSING IS SOMETHING THAT IS THE PURVIEW OF THE HOUSING COMMISSION.
WE'VE DISCUSSED IT IN OPEN MEETINGS.
UH, WE'VE ENGAGED WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, WHICH HAS ALSO DISCUSSED THIS CAREFULLY IN OPEN MEETINGS.
AND I HOPE WE CAN MOVE FORWARD, UH, BECAUSE AS WAS SUGGESTED EARLIER, UH, YOU KNOW, THE ABILITY TO, TO TURN OVER THIS PROPERTY WILL LEAD TO A DOMINO EFFECT AND THE REDEVELOPMENT OF MORE PROPERTIES, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT THE LOW INCOME RESIDENTS OF NEWBURN NEED.
UH, SO I HOPE WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH IT, IF NOT HERE VERY SOON.
ANYONE ELSE? ROBERT JOHNSON, SEVEN 16 BURN STREET.
AND I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF, UH, NEW BERN FOR 44 YEARS, AND I'VE BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN WALKING THROUGH, UH, MY COMMUNITY AND OBSERVING, UH, THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND, AND EVERY TIME THAT I'D, UM, WALKED DOWN THROUGH, UH, THE TRENT COURT, UM, SETTLEMENT, UH, AREA IS, IS HURTS MY, UH, MY SPIRIT TO, TO SEE THAT, THAT THAT AREA IS NOT BEING, UM, CARED FOR.
IT SHOWS THAT SOMEBODY IN THE CITY DOESN'T CARE ABOUT HOUSING, UH, IN THAT AREA.
AND, AND WE HAVE PEOPLE COMING INTO OUR CITY EVERY DAY, YOU KNOW, HOPING TO MAKE NEWBURY THEIR HOME.
BUT IF THEY RIDE DOWN, YOU KNOW, TRENT COURT AND, AND SEE THE, UH, THE, THE CONDITION THOSE BUILDINGS ARE IN, THEY QUICKLY TURNED AND SAID, NO, I, I CANNOT, UH, COME HERE.
AND I'M WONDERING, ARE WE CONSIDERING THAT? AND I'M JUST PLEASED TO HEAR THAT, UH, THE REDEVELOPMENT AND, UH, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS, HAS AGREED, HAVE COME
[00:50:01]
TOGETHER TO HELP TO PROVIDE, UH, HOUSING FOR THE INDIVIDUALS THAT LIVES IN THAT AREA.AS THE BEGINNINGS, UH, POINT, IT, UM, IT REALLY BLESSED MY HEART, YOU KNOW, TO SEE THAT, UM, REDEVELOPMENT AND, AND THE, UH, HOUSE AUTHORITY DECIDE THAT THEY WANT TO COME TOGETHER AND MEET A NEED THAT EXISTS WITHIN, UH, OUR COMMUNITY WITH HOUSING.
AND, UM, AND WE DO HAVE TWO, YOU KNOW, STRONG, UH, UH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS THAT HAVE REALLY GIVEN THEM THEIR TIME AND THEIR SACRIFICE TO HELP TO MEET THIS NEED.
AND I JUST HOPE AND PRAY THAT AT YOU AS A BOARD WILL PUT ASIDE WHATEVER, UH, PERSONAL, UH, UH, FEELINGS THAT YOU MAY HAVE AGAINST SOMETHING THAT, A NEED THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED BY PARTNERS WITHIN THIS CITY.
IF WE CANNOT COME TOGETHER AND WORK AS PARTNERS, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO DO IT? IS LATE IN THE EVENING? WHEN ARE WE GOING TO DECIDE TO COME TOGETHER AND, AND MAKE, UH, BETTER HOUSING FOR ALL THE CITIZENS THAT LIVES WITHIN OUR VALUES? SO I JUST HOPE YOU PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER, UM, ACCEPTANCE OF THE, UH, REQUEST THAT IS COMING FOR YOU.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, UH, THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION IS SOMETHING NEW TO NEW LEARN.
AND OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, WE'VE ATTEMPTED TO DO THINGS THAT WE THOUGHT WERE RIGHT.
AND AN ATTORNEY WILL TELL YOU THERE WERE SOME THINGS WE WANTED TO DO, BUT AFTER WE LOOKED AT OUR STATUTES AND LAWS AND WHATEVER IT IS, WE FIND OUT SOME THINGS WE COULDN'T DO.
WE CANNOT SELL DIRECTLY TO INDIVIDUALS.
RIGHT? WE, WE CAN'T, WE JUST, WE CAN'T DO IT.
AND NOW WE HAD A POSITION WHERE WE ARE TRYING TO DO SOME IMPROVEMENTS, AND AT THE SAME TIME, AS WE MOVE THROUGH THIS PROCESS, HOPEFULLY WE'LL LEARN AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO CORRECT SOME THINGS AND DO A BETTER JOB ON THE NEXT PROJECT.
MAYBE WE CAN PUT SOMETHING IN THE STATUTE WHERE WE MIGHT SAY, BUT WE CANNOT SELL DIRECTLY TO INDIVIDUALS.
AND, AND I MEAN, GRANTED, THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT WE NEED YOUR HELP ON AND WE NEED YOUR HELP BEFORE WE COME HERE.
WE NEED YOUR HELP ONCE A MONTH TO SIT WITH US AND DISCUSS SOME THINGS.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION? ANYONE ELSE? ALDERMAN MASTER, UH, EXPLAIN TO ME THE REASON WHY THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION CANNOT SELL TO AN INDIVIDUAL.
IS IT BECAUSE OF POLICIES OR? NO, SIR.
THERE NEED TO BE REDEVELOPMENT.
COMMISSIONS ARE CREATURES OF STATUTE, MEANING GENERAL ASSEMBLY, ENUMERATED SPECIFIC POWERS AND SPECIFIC METHODOLOGIES FOR REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS IN NORTH CAROLINA TO DISPOSE OF PROPERTY.
THEY CAN ONLY USE ONE OF THE TOOLS THAT THE LEGISLATURE HAS GIVEN THEM.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE LEGISLATURE, MUCH LIKE, UM, CITIES AND COUNTIES, CANNOT SELL DIRECTLY BY NEGOTIATED SALE TO INDIVIDUALS.
ACTUALLY, THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION STATUTES PARODY THE STATUTES THAT, UM, GOVERN MUNICIPALITIES FOR HOW THEY CAN SELL PROPERTY.
SO THEY CAN USE, UH, SEAL BIDS, UPSET BIDS, PUBLIC OPTIONS, THOSE TYPES OF TOOLS NOT, UH, COMMISSIONED TO INDIVIDUAL DIRECTLY IN A NEGOTIATION THAT YOU WOULD SEE IN THE PRIVATE REAL ESTATE MARKET.
AND I HAVE A QUESTION FOR ZEV, IF YOU DON'T MIND, ZEV, IF, WHEN WE SELL THESE PROPERTIES, UM, I KNOW YOU CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE ENTIRE BOARD, BUT I KNOW YOU HAVE VISIONS.
WHAT, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO USE THE PROCEEDS FOR? WE HAVE AT LEAST THREE, UM, THREE PROJECTS ALREADY IN, IN, IN DEVELOPMENT, JUST WAITING FOR FUNDING.
UH, THE, THESE FUNDS WILL ACTUALLY GO TO IT.
IT WON'T JUST BE A DOMINO EFFECT WHERE YOU TAKE ONE DOWN AND
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YOU KNOCK ANOTHER ONE DOWN.IT'LL ACTUALLY ALLOW US TO DO MULTIPLE PROJECTS AT THE SAME TIME.
SO A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS IS A BIG DEAL WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING AT ALL.
AND, AND YOU AND YOUR, THE COMMISSION IS, YOU'RE DOING, AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, AN EXCELLENT JOB.
AND I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU DO, AND I'M READY TO GET SOMEBODY IN THESE HOUSES.
THEY'VE BEEN SITTING VACANT LONG ENOUGH.
YOU, UH, IF I COULD, A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR FOSTER, UM, FOSTER YOU, WE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT A WEEK OR SO AGO.
AND YOU, UM, HAD DETERMINED THAT, UH, ONE OPPORTUNITY THAT IS AVAILABLE, UH, TO THE CITY WITH REGARDS TO THE 5% DEPOSIT, UM, REQUIREMENT.
AND THAT IS USE UTILIZING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK RENT FUNDS, AND, AND, UM, RECOGNIZING THE DISTINCTION THAT WAS MADE EARLIER BETWEEN THE 5% DEPOSIT AND, AND A DOWN PAYMENT.
A DOWN PAYMENT IS, IS, IS WORKING THROUGH THE MORTGAGE PROCESS.
THE DEPOSIT, UM, IS TO MEET THE STATE REQUIREMENT TO ALLOW A PERSON TO BE ELIGIBLE TO BE CONSIDERED IN ACQUIRING, UH, A PIECE OF SURPLUS PROPERTY.
UM, AGAIN, CAN YOU JUST CON CONFIRM, UH, FOR THE BOARD'S BENEFIT THAT CDBG MONEY, UM, COULD BE USED TO SET UP A FUND TO BE MADE AVAILABLE TO ADDRESS THE 5% DEPOSIT ISSUE? YES.
A, AFTER WE HAD A CONVERSATION, WE REACHED OUT TO OUR CONSULTANTS, UH, AND, AND ASKED THEM ABOUT THIS.
THEY SAID, YES, CDBG FUNDS CAN BE USED FOR THIS TYPE OF THING.
UM, THERE ARE CERTAIN CRITERIA THAT HAVE TO BE WORKED OUT, AND OF COURSE, THE DEVIL IS ALWAYS IN THE DETAILS.
AND SO THAT, THAT'S THE DIFFICULT THING TO WORK OUT THE DETAILS, UH, WITH THE ATTORNEYS TO MAKE SURE IT'S IN, MEETS THE STATE STATUTE.
SO, BUT YES, THOSE FUNDS CAN BE USED.
AND OTTERMAN PRILL, IT'S WORTH MENTIONING THAT THE 5% DEPOSIT IS FOR THE FIRST OFFER AND THE UPSET BID PROCESS.
THAT FIRST OFFER COULD BE UPSET.
SO THE OFFER IS PUBLISHED IN THE NEWSPAPER, AND ANY INDIVIDUAL HAS 10 DAYS TO MAKE A SUBSEQUENT BID.
THAT SUBSEQUENT BID IS 10% OF THE FIRST THOUSAND DOLLARS AND 5% OF THE REMAINDER.
SO I'M NOT SURE, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE MIGHT NEED TO UNTANGLE IF WE CAN USE THOSE FUNDS FOR THE FIRST 5%, COULD SUBSEQUENT, UM, PROSPECTIVE PURCHASERS USE THAT MONEY FOR 10, MAYBE 15% UP AND UP AND UP UNTIL THE COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCESS CONCLUDES? YES.
UM, THE POINT BEING THAT, UM, MOVING FORWARD THAT IS A POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY TO ASSIST INTERESTED PARTIES TO MEET THAT 5% REQUIREMENT, 5% PLUS REQUIREMENT.
DID YOU EVER GET A DETERMINATION AS TO WHETHER, UM, ARPA FUNDS COULD BE USED FOR THAT SAME PURPOSE? SO WE COULD USE ARPA ENABLED FUNDS TO GIVE TO THE, UH, REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION FOR A PROGRAM, BUT WE COULD NOT DESIGNATE IT FOR, UH, A DEPOSIT PROGRAM.
SINCE IT, IT DOESN'T MEET THAT, UM, THAT THAT COMPONENT OF, OF PUBLIC PURPOSE THAT WOULD SERVE DIRECTLY SERVE AN INDIVIDUAL FOR, FOR THAT.
UM, JU AGAIN, JUST SO I BETTER UNDERSTAND THAT, COULD THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION THEN USE ARPA FUNDS TO CREATE A FUND? SO, SO TO ASSIST POTENTIAL.
SO, SO BASICALLY WE COULD, WE COULD ALLOCATE SOME FUNDS TO THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION IF THEY WANTED TO CREATE A PROGRAM, THEN THEY COULD, IN THEORY, USE THOSE FUNDS TO DEVELOP A TYPE OF PROGRAM LIKE THAT.
AND WE CANNOT NOT, I, I, I, WE CANNOT, WE COULD NOT DESIGNATE FOR THAT PURPOSE, RIGHT? BECAUSE THAT DOESN'T MEAN, BUT THE COMMISSION HAS THE POTENTIAL ABILITY TO, UM, TO CREATE A, A PROGRAM, UM, THAT'S CORRECT.
TO HELP, UM, INTERESTED PARTIES.
UM, UH, THE, THE, THE POINT BEING THAT, AGAIN, MOVING FORWARD, I THINK THERE ARE SOME OPPORTUNITIES, UM, THAT COULD BE PUT IN PLACE TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED THIS EVENING.
UH, AND TO TRY TO OVERCOME, YOU KNOW, THE, THE STATE STATUTE HURDLE, UM, WHICH CAN BE OBVIOUSLY VERY DAUNTING FOR, FOR PEOPLE THAT, UH, ARE, UM, CHALLENGED IN TERMS OF COMING UP WITH THE, THE NECESSARY FUNDS TO, TO BE ABLE
[01:00:01]
TO POTENTIALLY GET INTO, UH, A HOME PURCHASED OFF PURCHASING OPPORTUNITY.I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE BOARD IS AWARE THAT THERE, THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES, AND AGAIN, I, I KNOW THAT, UM, UH, THE AMOUNT OF ARPA FUNDS REMAINING, YOU KNOW, IS, IS DWINDLING AND, AND, AND WHETHER OR NOT ANYBODY WOULD WANT TO PURSUE THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S A, A CHOICE THAT SOMEBODY WOULD HAVE TO MAKE.
UM, AS FAR AS THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, WHAT WOULD NEED TO TAKE PLACE, UM, TO POTENTIALLY ALLOCATE CDBG MONEY FOR THAT PURPOSE? MORE DISCUSSIONS WITH OUR CONSULTANT TO TELL THEM ABOUT THE PARAMETERS WE HAVE TO WORK WITH AND, AND THEN WORKING WITH THE ATTORNEYS.
I I WOULD ASSUME THAT THAT'D BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK TO THIS BOARD TO APPROVE THE USE OF THOSE FUNDS.
BECAUSE THAT, THAT WOULD MEAN ADJUSTING THE, THE, THE FIVE YEAR ANNUAL ACTION PLAN.
ARE YOUR REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS MEETINGS OPEN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? YES.
UM, THE NEXT THING I'D LIKE, AND I KNOW IT'S, IT'S, IT'S RELEVANT TO THIS DISCUSSION BECAUSE ALDERMAN PERLE BROUGHT UP CDBG FUNDS.
CAN YOU LET THE BOARD AND THE PUBLIC KNOW ABOUT THE HOUSE THAT WAS RELOCATED FOR STANLEY WHITE TO BE BUILT AND THE STATUS OF THAT AND HOW LONG IT'S BEEN SITTING VACANT AND THE REASON WHY IT'S SITTING VACANT RIGHT NOW? IF YOU DON'T MIND, DON, IF I JUST A QUICK, QUICK SUMMARY.
I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR BEFORE I START SPOUTING OFF.
'CAUSE Y'ALL KNOW I CAN GET A LITTLE LONG-WINDED.
NINE 11, YOU MAKE, WELL, I KNOW YOU'RE A PASTOR, SO KEEP IT SHORT FOR US.
BUT, BUT I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CDBG FUNDS TO EXPLAIN HOW DETAILED AND COMPLEX THAT PROCESS GETS.
'CAUSE WE HAVE A HOUSE THAT'S SITTING VACANT THAT'S BEEN REDEVELOPED, RIGHT.
IT'S BEEN FULLY RENOVATED, TOP OF THE LINE APPLIANCES, AND IT'S BEEN, AND IT IS SITTING CURRENTLY ON NINE 11 EUBANKS BOARDED UP.
UH, NOT FOR LACK OF TRYING, UH, BUT QUITE FRANKLY, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO IN CDBG WORLD, YOU HAVE HAVE TO REACH A NATIONAL, UH, A NATIONAL OBJECTIVE THAT FITS THE CRITERIA.
AND SO EVERY TIME, ANY COMPONENT ALONG THE WAY FROM FROM DEVELOPMENT TO END USER CHANGES THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE STRATEGY TO ACTUALLY MEET THAT NATIONAL OBJECTIVE CHANGES.
AND SO WHEN WE FIRST, UH, WHEN WE FIRST RE RENOVATED THE HOUSE, UH, THE HOUSE ON EUBANK STREET, UH, THE OBJECTIVE WAS TO USE IT AS TRANSITIONAL HOUSING.
AND WE FOUND OUT THAT THAT WASN'T POSSIBLE, THEN WE WANTED TO USE IT AS SHORT TERM U UH, RENTAL HOUSING THAT WASN'T POSSIBLE.
AND SO EVERY TIME THAT WE RAN INTO A ROADBLOCK, THE ENTIRE PROCESS HAD TO START OVER AGAIN.
SO, UH, IT IS, IT IS NO SMALL EXAGGERATION WHEN I STATE THAT EVERY TIME THE NINE COMMISSIONERS GET TOGETHER TO, TO, TO WORK, WE REALLY ARE BEATING DOWN EVERY SINGLE BUSH THAT WE CAN, UH, TO FIND, UH, TO FIND GOOD AND PROPER USES, UH, OF THE HOUSES AND THE PROPERTY AND THE PARCELS AT OUR DISPOSAL.
I JUST WANTED THE BOARD TO BE AWARE THAT THAT HOUSE WAS MOVED HOW MANY MONTHS AGO OR YEARS? YEARS.
UM, AND THIS IS, IT'S NOT AN EASY PROCESS.
AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT, SIR.
I WOULD JUST SAY THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT I NECESSARILY DISAGREE WITH ANYTHING THAT WAS SAID TONIGHT BY ANYONE.
UM, THE ISSUE IS, IS WE'RE BOUND BY STATUTE ON CERTAIN THINGS WE CAN AND CAN'T DO.
UH, IT, I I REFERENCE BACK TO THE ELS BUILDING.
THE ELS BUILDING IS SITTING VACANT, NOT BECAUSE THERE'S A LACK OF OPPORTUNITY AND IDEAS AND PLANS.
IT'S THE RESOURCES AND THE WAY YOU HAVE TO GO ABOUT THAT.
UH, I APPRECIATE WHAT, UH, WHAT THE REVEREND SAID WHEN HE TALKED ABOUT PARTNERSHIPS.
UM, I, I THINK THERE'S A GREAT SUCCESS STORY IN THIS COMMUNITY.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE VOLT CENTER.
IT, IT WAS A PARTNERSHIP OF FEDERAL, STATE, COUNTY, AND CITY GOVERNMENT CAME TOGETHER.
AND WE'VE ALL SEEN THE BENEFITS OF THE VOLT CENTER AND WHAT IT'S DONE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UH, THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE AS FAR AS THE HOUSING AUTHORITY GOES, I WILL PUBLICLY SAY THAT, UM, MR. BARNER HAS MADE MORE PROGRESS IN HIS TENURE HERE THAN I'VE SEEN SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN SINCE 2013.
UH, AFTER THE HURRICANE THAT OCCURRED, UH, SOME OF US ON THE BOARD SAT AROUND AND BEGGED LEADERSHIP AT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO GO GET A CONSULTANT, BECAUSE IF YOU GET A CONSULTANT THAT KNOWS HOW TO WORK THE FEMA PROCESS, YOU CAN GET A LOT OF MONEY TO HELP REBUILD THAT COMMUNITY.
AND FINALLY, UH, UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP, THAT WAS DONE AND NOW THEY'RE MAKING PROGRESS.
I DON'T, I DON'T DO THAT FOR APPLAUSE.
I JUST DO IT BECAUSE I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THE COMMUNITY KNOWS THEY'RE, THEY'RE MAKING PROGRESS.
AND IF WE'RE EVER GOING TO SEE THAT PROJECT COME TO FRUITION WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THAT COMMUNITY, IT'S GONNA TAKE LITTLE BABY STEPS LIKE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT.
[01:05:01]
SO, I APPRECIATE THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.UH, I BELIEVE IT'S A UNANIMOUS DECISION.
I APPRECIATE THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
I BELIEVE THAT WAS A UNANIMOUS DECISION ON MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS PLAN TONIGHT.
IF THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTIONS APPROVING THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION SALE OF 1002, 1004 AND 1006 WAL BELLAMY DRIVE TO THE NEW BERN HOUSING AUTHORITY.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? UH, MAYOR, BEFORE WE ACTUALLY TAKE A VOTE, I, AGAIN, I'VE BEEN, UH, YOU KNOW, CRITICAL OF, I THINK WHAT HAS HAPPENED AND, AND MAYBE WHAT, WHAT HASN'T HAPPENED.
UM, I THINK, I THINK SOME, SOME MISSTEPS, UM, WERE MADE.
I THINK IT'S BEEN A LEARNING EXPERIENCE, UH, FOR ALL OF US.
UH, SOMETIMES THE THE BEST LESSONS WE LEARN, WE LEARN THE HARD WAY.
AND, AND MAYBE THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF THIS, BUT, UM, WHEN IT COMES RIGHT DOWN TO IT, I, I DON'T WANT TO BE, UM, A THORN IN ANYBODY'S SIDE.
UM, I MAY NOT FULLY AGREE WITH WHAT'S HAPPENED, BUT, UH, AGAIN, I WILL SUPPORT MOVING FORWARD WITH ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION.
HEARING NONE, LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN ROYAL.
[12. Consider Adopting a Resolution Approving the Sale of Parcel ID 8- 013-016 on Lincoln Street.]
IS ITEM NUMBER 12.CONSIDER ADOPTING A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE SALE OF PARTIAL ID.
8 0 1 3 0 1 6 ON LINCOLN STREET, MR. HUGHES, AFTER RECEIVING THE BID OF $4,250 FROM BCJ DEVELOPMENT, LLC, UH, FOR THE BID, UH, ON THAT PROPERTY ON LINCOLN STREET, UH, THE BOARD ADOPTED THE RESOLUTION ON MARCH 26TH, 2024 TO INITIATE THE UPSET BID PROCESS.
THAT BID WAS ADVERTISED BUT NO UPSET BID WERE RECEIVED.
THE PARCEL IS A VACANT 0.195 ACRE RESIDENTIAL TRACK WITH A TAX VALUE OF $8,500.
IT WAS ACQUIRED JOINTLY BY THE CITY AND THE COUNTY IN MAY OF 2017 THROUGH TAX FORECLOSURE.
IF THE PROPERTY IS SOLD FOR THIS BID, THE CITY WILL RECEIVE $811 89 CENTS, AND THE COUNTY WILL RECEIVE $3,438 AND 11 CENTS FROM THE PROCEEDS.
THE BOARD HAVE QUESTIONS ON ITEM NUMBER 12.
THERE'S NO QUESTIONS I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION APPROVING THE SALE OF PARCEL 8 0 13 0 16 ON LINCOLN STREET.
SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN ASTOR.
[13. Consider Adopting a Resolution to Amend the On- Call Engineering Contract to Add WithersRavenel as an Additional Vendor.]
IS ITEM NUMBER 13.CONSIDER ADOPTING A RESOLUTION TO AMEND THE ON-CALL ENGINEERING CONTRACT TO ADD WITHERS RAVENEL AS AN ADDITIONAL VENDOR.
MR. CHILDS GOOD EVENING BOARD MAYOR, AS YOU RECALL, ON IN JUNE OF 2023, THE BOARD APPROVED AN ON-CALL ENGINEERING AGREEMENT, WHICH HAD BEEN PUT OUT FOR RFQ.
PRIOR TO THAT MEETING, WE HAD SIX UH, RESPONDENTS IN THAT.
AND WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR TONIGHT IS TO INCLUDE WITHERS RAVENAL ON THE ON-CALL LIST.
CURRENTLY WE HAVE TRC, WHO'S THE ENGINEERING FIRM THAT SCORED THE HIGHEST, UH, WITHERS.
RAVENAL SCORED SECOND HIGHEST.
THE INCLUSION OF WITHERS ON THE ON-CALL LIST WILL MEET THE CRITERIA UNDER THE FEDERAL ARPA GUIDELINES SO THAT THEY CAN PERFORM ENGINEERING SERVICES RELATED TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF PHASE TWO AND THREE OF THE DUFFY FIELD STORMWATER PROJECT BOARD HAVE QUESTIONS? YES.
MR. CHOWS ARE, ARE YOU SAYING THAT IN ORDER TO COMPLETE ALL THREE PHASES, WE NEED TWO ENGINEERING FIRMS? NO, MA'AM.
WITHERS RAVENAL DID THE ORIGINAL DESIGN WORK ON PHASE ONE, TWO, AND THREE.
IT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY FINANCIALLY, UM, AND THE PROJECT THROUGH ITS COMPLETION TO HAVE THE DESIGN FIRM PERFORM THE CONSTRUCTION INSPECTIONS AND DO THE CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION OVER THE SELECTED CONTRACTOR AS THEY WERE THE ONE DOING THE DESIGN WORK, THEY'LL ABLE, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO FACILITATE A FASTER CONSTRUCTION PROCESS.
IF WE, UM, HAD TO GO TO A SECOND PARTY LIKE TRC, UM, THEY WOULD THEN HAVE TO REFER THE QUESTIONS BACK TO WITHERS WITH EVERYTHING THAT CAME UP.
SO IT WOULD SLOW THE PROCESS DOWN AND LIKELY COST US MORE FUNDING GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
SO EACH ENGINEER HAS THEIR OWN,
[01:10:01]
UM, LANE, SO TO SPEAK.UH, TRC HAS THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES AND THEN THE WITHERS OL WILL HAVE THEIRS.
EACH ONE HAS YOUR OWN YES, MA'AM.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND EVEN, EVEN WITH THE ON CALL ENGINEERING SERVICES, THAT DOES NOT, UM, PREVENT US FROM GOING OUTSIDE AND HIRING A TOTALLY DIFFERENT ENGINEERING FIRM FOR ANOTHER, ANOTHER, UH, PROJECT.
WHAT THIS DOES, IT INCLUDES THEM IN THE RFQ AND THE SELECTION PROCESS FOR ON CALL, AND THAT MEETS THE FEDERAL CRI CRITERIA FOR PROCUREMENT OF ENGINEERING SERVICES THAT ARE REQUIRED WITH THE R FOR FUNDING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THERE'S NO QUESTIONS.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION TO AMEND THE ON-CALL ENGINEERING CONTRACT TO ADD WITH THIS AL AS AN ADDITIONAL VENDOR.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN KINZIE.
[14. Consider Adopting a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Contract with WithersRavenel for Task Order # 1 of the Duffyfield Community Stormwater Enhancements Project, Phase 2- 3.]
14, CONSIDER ADOPTING A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH RIVERS RAVENEL FOR TASK ORDER NUMBER ONE OF THE DUFFY FIELD COMMUNITY STORMWATER ENHANCEMENTS PROJECT PHASE TWO AND THREE.AS, AS STIPULATED IN THE ON-CALL ENGINEERING AGREEMENTS, UM, NO WORK COULD BE PERFORMER ENGAGED UNTIL WE HAVE AN APPROVED TASK ORDER WITH THE, UH, ONCALL ENGINEER.
THIS TASK ORDER IS RELATED TO THE OVERSIGHT AND CONSTRUCTION, UM, ADMINISTRATION OF FOR PHASE TWO AND THREE OF THE DUFFY FIELDS FROM WATER PROJECT BOARD HAVE QUESTIONS.
MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH WITHERS RAVENEL FOR TASK ORDER NUMBER ONE OF THE DUFFY FIELD COMMUNITY STORM WATER ENHANCEMENT PROJECT PHASE TWO DASH THREE.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN BEST? ALDERMAN BEST? YES.
[15. Consider Adopting a Resolution Approving the Acquisition of Property at 1505 North Hills Court and Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Settlement Statement HUD- 1 ) Associated with FEMA' s Hazard Mitigation Assistance Program DR 4393- 0029.]
CONSIDER ADOPTING A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY AT 1505 NORTH HILLS COURT AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A SETTLEMENT STATEMENT HUD ONE ASSOCIATED WITH FEMA'S HAZARD MITIGATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM DR.MR. FULMAR, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND BOARD OF ALDERMAN.
UM, THIS ITEM SPEAKS TO THE CONVEYANCE OF 1505 NORTH HILLS COURT, UM, UNDER THE HAZARD MITIGATION PROGRAM THROUGH FEMA THAT HOMEOWNER HAS ELECTED TO SELL THE PROPERTY AND THIS PROPERTY WILL NOW BE TRANSFERRED TO THE CITY OF NEW BERN FOR A OPEN SPACE WHERE IT'LL REMAIN THAT IN PERPETUITY.
IS, IS THIS RIGHT ON THE CANAL? Y DO YOU, DO YOU KNOW? I BELIEVE IT IS ON ACROSS THE STREET.
ACROSS THE STREET ACROSS, YEAH.
UH, IS THE HOUSE STILL THERE NOW? YES.
SO WHEN WILL THE CITY ACQUIRE IT? WILL WE TEAR THE HOUSE DOWN OR IS THE HOUSE BEING TORN DOWN BY SOMEONE ELSE? THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION.
I DO BELIEVE THAT THE TEAR THE HOUSE WILL BE TORN DOWN, UM, THROUGH A CONTRACTOR THROUGH UNDER FEMA.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT PAYING FOR IT AND THEN WE HAVE TO KEEP THE PROPERTY UP IN PERPETUITY.
SO I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE CASE.
I WILL DOUBLE CHECK ON THAT TOMORROW THOUGH.
BOARD HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OH, AND I DO WANNA SAY A LOT OF YOU HAVE, I WANT TO SAY PUBLICLY, A LOT OF YOU HAVE REACHED OUT 'CAUSE YOU'VE HEARD OTHER CITIZENS SAYING, HEY, I WANT MY HOME ELEVATED.
AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE DID PURSUE THAT OPTION OR TRY TO PURSUE GETTING MORE HOMES ELEVATED.
BUT FEMA MADE THEIR SELECTIONS AND, UM, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO HAVE AT THIS TIME.
FEMA DID LET US KNOW THAT ANOTHER STORM WOULD HAVE TO COME FOR HOMEOWNERS TO THEN REAPPLY TO RECEIVE ELEVATION.
AND, AND THANK YOU MS. WILMORE FOR BEING MY BACKUP SUPPORT.
'CAUSE ALWAYS, I'VE RECEIVED A LOT OF CALLS FROM HOMEOWNERS WITHIN THAT, UM, SUBDIVISION COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, WANTING TO KNOW WHY THEIR HOME WAS NOT ELEVATED OR THEY WERE CHOSEN TO FOR A BUYOUT.
SO THANK YOU FOR, UM, REACHING OUT TO THOSE CITIZENS AND ABREAST THEM OF THE REGULATIONS, RULES AND REGULATIONS.
AND IT'S JUST, IT WASN'T A CITY SPONSORED YES.
PROJECT AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, OUR HANDS WAS TIED AT A CERTAIN POINT.
SO, UM, IF YOU ALL RECEIVE ANY CALLS ABOUT THAT, YOU CAN DIRECT THEM TO ME AND I'LL EXPLAIN
[01:15:01]
THE WHOLE THING.OF ALL THE ELEVATIONS BEEN COMPLETED, ARE THEY STILL ONGOING? SO MOST OF THEM HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.
THERE'S STILL FOUR, UH, FOUR HOMES THAT ARE STILL UP IN THE AIR AND THERE'S SOME FINAL THINGS BEING DONE, BUT 11 HOMES HAVE RECEIVED ELEVATION.
UM, LIKE I SAID, FOUR OF THOSE, WHICH ARE STILL BEING COMPLETED.
BUT WE ONLY HAD ONE HOMEOWNER THAT WAS WILLING TO SELL, WHICH IS THE HOMEOWNER THAT WE HAVE BEFORE YOU ALL TONIGHT.
UM, OTHER HOMEOWNERS ELECTED NOT TO SELL THEIR PROPERTY.
NOW, THOSE 11 HOMES NOW WAS NOT SPECIFICALLY IN NORTH HILLS.
IT WAS SPORADICALLY ALL OVER THE STATE.
I BELIEVE THERE'S SOME, UM, HAZEL AVENUE.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS? I MAKE A MOTION, IF THERE'S NO MORE QUESTIONS, MAY I MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION APPROVING THE ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY AT 1505 NORTH HILLS COURT AND AUTHORIZE A CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A SETTLEMENT STATEMENT HUD ONE ASSOCIATED WITH FEMAS HAZARD MITIGATION ASSISTANT PROGRAM.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN PRILL.
[16. Consider Adopting a Budget Ordinance Amendment for Fiscal Year 2025.]
IS CONSIDER ADOPTING A BUDGET ORDINANCE AMENDMENT FOR FY 2025.MS. OSTROM, THE GENERAL FUND IS AMENDED TO APPROPRIATE $7,000 FROM FUND BALANCE FOR STUCCO REPAIR AT 4 0 8 HANCOCK STREET, WHICH IS THE, UM, FORMER FIREMAN'S MUSEUM THAT THE CITY OWNS.
ADDITIONALLY, IT IS AMENDED, UM, THE, THE, THE MUNICIPAL, I'M SORRY, MSD FUND IS AMENDED TO APPROPRIATE 24,500 FROM FUND BALANCE FOR TREE MAINTENANCE SERVICES.
IT'S REQUESTED THAT THE BOARD CONSIDERS ADOPTING THE ENCLOSED BUDGET AMENDMENT.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON ITEM NUMBER 16? FOSTER? UM, IS THIS REPAIR, UM, AS A RESULT OF ANY LEAKING THAT THAT OCCURRED THAT GOT INTO THE WALLS OR SOMETHING? YES, SIR.
THE REPAIR IS PRIVATE CAR BECAUSE OF WATER INFILTRATION TO THE BUILDING? NO.
WE THOUGHT THERE WAS SOME ROOF LEAKS, BUT UPON FURTHER REINVESTIGATION IT WAS THE STUCCO THAT WAS CAUSING THE LEAKING.
SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO DO THIS REPAIR.
WHEN IT WAS WIND DRIVEN RAIN THROUGH THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING, LIKE HAPPENS IN OLD BRICK BUILDINGS THAT THE STATE WON'T ALLOW US TO SEAL? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? I JUST WANNA BE SURE.
ITEM NUMBER 16, MAYOR, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO CONSIDER ADOPTING A BUDGET ORDINANCE AMENDMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN ROYAL.
[17. Appointment( s).]
IS ITEM NUMBER 17.UH, I KNOW THERE'S A, A GREATLY ANTICIPATED ITEM HERE, BUT I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THE LIST 'CAUSE THERE'S SEVERAL HERE.
AND THEN WHEN WE GET THROUGH THIS LIST, WE'LL TAKE UP THE, UH, BOARD SIX VACANCY.
SO FIRST UP, UH, MCKENZIE, YOU HAVE AN OPENING FOR THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS.
DO YOU HAVE ANYONE TO FILL THAT VACANCY? NOT YET, SIR.
UH, AS A REMINDER, UH, THIS IS OPEN TO THE MAYOR AND ANY BOARD OF ALDERMAN MEMBER MIKE DUFFY WAS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT.
UH, WE NEED TO FIND SOMEONE TO FILL THAT.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANYONE TO FILL THAT PARTICULAR POSITION THIS EVENING? OKAY.
UH, NEXT IS MR. CHARLES SCHULTZ.
UH, HE WAS RECENTLY APPOINTED TO THE CIVIL SERVICE BOARD.
UH, HOWEVER, I THINK HE BECAME A VOLUNTEER, WHICH MAKES HIM INELIGIBLE TO BE ON THE CIVIL SERVICE BOARD.
SO WE ARE STILL LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO SERVE THERE.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY THERE TONIGHT? AND I'M GOING OVER THESE AS A REMINDER, SO WE'LL ALL KNOW THAT WE NEED TO FILL THESE VACANCIES.
BOB BRISSON, FORMER ALDERMAN BOB BRISSON, UH, WAS APPOINTED TO THE M-P-O-T-A-C.
THAT'S THE TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UH, WE NEED TO HAVE SOMEONE FROM THIS BOARD.
UM, AND I BELIEVE IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE FROM THIS BOARD TO SERVE ON THE TAC.
IS ANYONE WILLING TO SERVE IN THAT CAPACITY? MY THOUGHT WAS THAT WE HOLD OFF ON, ON THOSE TWO, UM, APPOINTMENTS UNTIL SUCH TIME AS WE HAVE A, A NEW WARD, SIX ALDERMAN OKAY.
TO SEE WHETHER THAT INDIVIDUAL MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN JUST PICKING THOSE UP.
'CAUSE THE NEXT ONE IS ALSO, UH, ALDERMAN, FORMER ALDERMAN BRINSON WAS ON THE BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
AND AGAIN, THAT POSITION HAS TO BE FILLED BY SOMEONE ON THE BOARD.
[01:20:01]
AND THEN THE LAST ONE THAT I SHOW IS, UH, MS. SARAH PROCTOR'S TERM ON THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION EXPIRED AUGUST 14TH.UH, SHE IS ELIGIBLE FOR REAPPOINTMENT AND HAS EXPRESSED A DESIRE TO CONTINUE.
UM, AND I ALSO RECEIVED SEVERAL CALLS FROM MEMBERS OF REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION ASKING FOR HER TO BE REAPPOINTED.
SO, UM, WHAT IS THE DESIRE FOR BOARD? YOU SURE CAN.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE REAPPOINT SARAH PROCTOR TO THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
AND NOW, UH, IT'S NOT LISTED IN THE BOOK, BUT, UH, DER MCKENZIE HAD TALKED ABOUT THE WARD SIX VACANCIES.
UM, THE DEADLINE WAS FRIDAY, AND, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE THE SELECTIONS TONIGHT.
AND, UH, I THINK THAT THE CLERK HAS THE, UM, SHEET THAT WE CAN CHECK OFF THE PERSON THAT WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO MAKE THAT PLACEMENT.
SO I'LL, I'LL REFER TO THE ATTORNEY, BUT, UM, WE HAD OUR SPECIAL CALL MEETING, UH, FRIDAY, A FEW WEEKS AGO TO DISCUSS THE PROCESS.
UH, WE TALKED ABOUT ADVERTISING IT, GETTING THE WORD OUT, SO ANYBODY THAT WAS INTERESTED TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY.
AND THEN AT THAT TIME, UH, WE DIDN'T VOTE ON IT, BUT WE GAVE DIRECTION THAT OUR DESIRE WAS TO HAVE A BALLOT FORM BECAUSE WE WERE ANTICIPATING MORE THAN ONE OR TWO PEOPLE.
UH, SO I BELIEVE THE CLERK HAS BALLOTS AVAILABLE.
WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS FIRM THAT UP WITH A VOTE, UM, OF HOW WE WANT TO PROCEED WITH THE BALLOT.
AND THE HIGHEST VOTE GETTER WOULD BE SEATED.
SO IF SOMEONE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THAT MOTION OR SOMETHING DIFFERENT, WE CAN, MR. MAYOR, JUST TO YES, MA'AM.
TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S CLEAR ABOUT THIS PROCESS.
YOU DID GIVE STAFF SOME DIRECTION TO, UM, USE THE BALLOT NOMINATION BALLOT PROCESS.
BUT IN THAT, UM, YOU NEED TO MAKE SOME ADDITIONAL DETERMINATIONS ABOUT WHAT THE RULES OF THE ROAD WILL BE FOR THIS ELECTION PROCESS.
SO THE FIRST INQUIRY YOU MIGHT WANT TO TACKLE IS HOW, HOW MANY VOTES DO EACH SEAT GET? YOU CAN DO ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE, OR SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
UM, ANOTHER THING YOU NEED TO CONSIDER IS HOW WILL THE VOTES BE TABULATED? IS IT A MAJORITY OF THE VOTES CAST OR SOME OTHER DETERMINATION? AND THEN LASTLY, YOU WANT TO DETERMINE WHAT HAPPENS IN THE EVENT OF A TIE.
IS THERE A RUNOFF, UM, BASED ON THE HIGHEST VOTE GETTERS OR SOME OTHER TYPE OF MECHANISM? QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? NOT A QUESTION.
JUST, UM, UH, I THINK THE THOUGHTS THAT I, NO, NONE OF US, I THINK AT THIS POINT KNOW JUST EXACTLY HOW THE VOTE, UM, UH, MAY UNFOLD.
UM, I, I, I SUSPECT THAT WE MAY FIND OURSELVES, UM, IN, IN KIND OF A, MAYBE NOT A THREE, THREE TIE, BUT NOT GAINING THE FOUR PERSON MAJORITY, SIMPLE MAJORITY TO BE ABLE TO APPOINT SOMEBODY.
AGAIN, DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE CASE, BUT I SUSPECT IT MIGHT BE.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A PROCESS, UM, SINCE, SINCE WE HAVE SIX APPLICANTS THAT HAVE EXPRESSED INTEREST IN BEING CONSIDERED, I'D LIKE A PROCESS THAT ALLOWS ALL SIX OF THESE INDIVIDUALS TO REMAIN VIABLE CANDIDATES THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE PROCESS AS OPPOSED TO, UM, ELIMINATING ANY OF THEM.
BECAUSE I THINK IT MAY TAKE A FEW VOTES ON OUR PART TO ACHIEVE A A FOUR, UM, MEMBER.
SO I, I, I'D SHY AWAY FROM, UH, ANY PROCESS THAT IS GOING TO START ELIMINATING ANY OF THESE SIX CANDIDATES RIGHT UP FRONT AND JUST, UM, WOULD RATHER SEE A PROCESS THAT KEEPS ALL OF THEM ACTIVE UNTIL FOUR OF US CAN AGREE ON, ON A CANDIDATE.
SO ATTORNEY MIGHT HAVE TO HELP ME OUT.
SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS, IF, IF WE TAKE A VOTE ON THE BALLOT AND NO ONE GETS FOUR VOTES AND WE DO ANOTHER BALLOT VOTE, YOU WANT ALL SIX OF THE CANDIDATES TO BE AVAILABLE AGAIN? YES.
YES, MS. ATTORNEY, YOU ALL CAN UTILIZE WHATEVER PROCESS A MAJORITY OF YOU AGREE UPON.
UM, ONE THING TO NOTE IS, I, I, ALDERMAN PRILL HAS SAID A COUPLE OF TIMES THAT A, THE WINNER WOULD NEED TO GET FOUR VOTES.
THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE CASE.
IF YOU ALL DECIDE ANOTHER PROCESS, SO YOU CAN DECIDE THAT THE WINNER MUST GET FOUR VOTES, YOU CAN DECIDE THAT THE, THE WINNER IS THE MAG GETS THE MAJORITY OF THE VOTES CAST, WHICHEVER WAY YOU'D LIKE TO DO IT.
IT MAY BE EXPEDIENT IN THIS PROCESS,
[01:25:01]
UM, TO CAST ONE VOTE PER SEAT.SO ALL OF THE SIX OF YOU GET ONE VOTE, AND THEN YOU SEE WHERE IT IS.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KEEP PEOPLE ON THE BALLOT, IF THERE'S A MAJORITY OF YOU THAT COULD AGREE ON THAT PROCESS, YOU CAN, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ELIMINATE EVERYONE EXCEPT THE TOP VOTE GETTERS, YOU CAN USE THAT PROCESS AS WELL.
WELL, IF YOU DON'T ELIMINATE, IT IS JUST GOING, WE'RE GONNA VOTE AGAIN.
WE'RE JUST GONNA KEEP ON GOING AND GOING.
I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO RECOMMEND THAT IF IT BECOMES A, UM, THREE, THREE, THEN WE JUST TAKE THOSE TWO TOP THOSE TWO NAMES AND PUT 'EM IN THE HAT AND DRAW A NAME.
UH, WE DID THAT PROCESS WHEN WE WAS SELECTING MEMBERS WITHIN THE MUNICIPAL SERVICE DISTRICT IN THE, UM, WHEN WE WAS ELECTING OFFICERS.
IT MAY COME TO THAT, BUT IF YOU GET DOWN TO TWO CANDIDATES, WE PROBABLY JUST NEED TO HAVE A ONE, AT LEAST ONE MORE VOTE TO TRY TO MAKE IT A MAJORITY.
THERE NEEDS TO BE BOARD ACTION.
IF YOU GET DOWN TO TWO CANDIDATES, IF THAT'S THE PROCESS YOU AGREE TO, THERE WOULD NEED TO BE AN ELECTION.
THERE WOULD NEED TO BE A VOTE CAST TO BE A DETERMINATION BETWEEN THOSE TWO INDIVIDUALS.
SO BOARD NEEDS TO GIVE DIRECTION ON WHAT WE WANT THIS BALLOT.
IF WE STILL WANNA DO THE BALLOT, UH, BALLOT PROCESS TO LOOK LIKE, DO YOU WANT THE PERSON WITH THE MOST VOTES TO WIN? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
THE PERSON THAT GETS THE MOST VOTES AS TO WIN OR, OKAY.
SO SOMEONE NEEDS TO MAKE A MOTION A SECOND.
WHEN WE SAY MOST VOTES, WE'RE NOT SAYING FOUR VOTES.
JUST WHOEVER GETS THE MOST CORRECT.
SO, SO YOU'RE SAYING IF YOU GET A PERSON GETS THREE VOTES OR IT'S SIX CANDIDATES OR TWO VOTES, YEAH.
SO IF THAT ONE PERSON GETS THREE VOTES, CORRECT, THAT'S THE WINNER.
NOT NECESSARILY BECAUSE THERE'S THREE OTHERS.
BUT I THOUGHT WE WERE SAYING THAT THE PERSON THAT GETS THE MOST VOTES IS THE WINNER.
SO, SO IF HE GETS BOILED DOWN TO THAT, SO ONE PERSON HAS TO GET FOUR VOTES, IS THAT WHAT WE'RE SAYING? NO, MA'AM.
SO IF THERE'S, SO IT'S NOT A MAJORITY OF THE BOARD VOTING FROM THE BOARD, IT'S NOT A MAJORITY OF FOUR VOTES.
WHAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED THAT THAT IS CORRECT.
SO SOMEONE NEEDS TO MAKE A MOTION SO WE CAN START THIS PROCESS.
WELL, I MAKE A MOTION THAT THE PERSON GETS THE MOST VOTES IS THE WINNER.
AND IF SUPPOSE THERE IS A TIE, I NEED A, I NEED A SECOND.
CAN WE ADD THAT INTO THERE? OR WHAT, HOW WE, LET'S GET, LET'S GET A SECOND AND THEN WE CAN DISCUSS WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE'S A TIE.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND THAT THE PERSON WITH THE MOST VOTES WINS.
IN THE CASE OF A TIE, WHAT WOULD THE BOARD LIKE TO DO? WELL, AND THAT'S WHERE, UH, MY SUGGESTION THAT, UH, ALL THE CANDIDATES REMAIN VIABLE CANDIDATES UNTIL WE CAN REACH AGREEMENT.
BECAUSE SO, SO LET ME OFFER THIS TO THE ATTORNEY.
IF WE PULL THROUGH WITH A MOTION THAT'S ON THE TABLE NOW AND WE VOTE AND IT ENDS IN A TIE, THERE'S NO ACTION TAKEN.
RIGHT? SO THEN WE COULD JUST HAVE THIS DISCUSSION ALL OVER AGAIN AND START FROM SCRATCH.
THE BETTER PROCESS WOULD BE TO IRON OUT THE PROCESS THAT YOU WANT TO USE FROM START TO FINISH.
WELL, WE HAVE A MOTION A SECOND ON THE TABLE.
SO UNLESS THE PEOPLE THAT PUT THE MOTION, THE SECOND ON THE TABLE IS WILLING TO CHANGE THAT OR AMEND IT, THAT'S THE MOTION AS IT SITS RIGHT NOW.
THE PERSON WITH THE MOST VOTES ON THE BALLOT BECOMES THE NEW ALDERMAN FOR WARD SIX.
I'M SORRY, I MISSED THE SECOND.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? AGAIN, I, I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THAT PROCESS BECAUSE IT FAVORS, UM, BLOCK VOTING.
I THINK IT'S BIASED TOWARDS BLOCK VOTING, AND I HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT THAT.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY, LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN.
ASTOR, ARE WE, SO WE'RE GOING TO DO A ROLL CALL OR NOT WRITTEN.
WE'RE WE'RE GOING, WELL, WE'RE GONNA DO A ROLL CALL.
JUSTING ON THE MOTION THE PROCESS CORRECT.
SO NOW WE ARE GONNA HAVE THE BALLOTS PASSED OUT.
EVERY BOARD MEMBER GETS ONE VOTE.
MAYOR, IF YOU'D LIKE TO YES, MA'AM.
YOU CAN ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF A, I'M SORRY.
[01:30:01]
THE MOTION IS WHOEVER GETS THE MOST VOTES, CORRECT? CORRECT.DID WE ADDRESS IF THERE'S A TIE? WE DID NOT.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS GETTING READY TO SAY.
YOU ALL IN A SECOND MOTION CAN DEAL WITH THE ISSUE OF IF THERE IS A TIE, SO SUCH THAT NO ONE GETS A MAJORITY, LET'S JUST SAY THE TOP TWO VOTE GETTERS GET THREE VOTES.
HOW DO YOU ALL WANT TO HANDLE THAT PROCESS? THEN BEFORE YOU LOOK AT THE VOTE, YOU TAKE THE, THE TWO TOP WINNERS AND HAVE ANOTHER VOTE.
RIGHT? HOW THAT'S WHAT YOU CAN DO.
UNTIL, UNTIL YOU TAKE IT TWO, TWO TIMES UNTIL SOMEBODY GIVES IN AND SAYS, I'LL VOTE FOR THE OTHER CANDIDATE.
IF THAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD, THEN YOU MAY WANT TO VOTE ON THAT ISSUE.
DOES THE BOARD WANNA VOTE ON THAT ISSUE, OR DO YOU WANNA SEE HOW THIS TURNS OUT? LET'S SEE HOW THIS TURNED OUT.
IT'S STILL OPEN, RIGHT? UM, THE PERSON WITH THE MOST VOTES WILL WIN.
THAT'S WHAT'S ON THE TABLE NOW.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON NOW, UNLESS SOMEBODY WANTS TO MAKE ANOTHER MOTION AND WE CAN VOTE ON IT.
AND WHAT WE WOULD DO IN CASE OF A TIE, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT IF AFTER THE FIRST BALLOT, IF WE HAVE A THREE THREE TIE, THAT NO FURTHER ACTION BE TAKEN THIS EVENING.
AND, AND WE, UM, RESCHEDULE, UM, A VOTE FOR THE FIRST MEETING IN SEPTEMBER.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND TO THAT MOTION? I SECOND IT.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL ON THAT MOTION, STARTING WITH ALDER MCKENZIE.
I WAS LOOKING AT THAT PAPER AND I I DIDN'T CATCH ALL.
WHAT WAS THE MOTION? IF, IF THERE'S A TIE, THEN WE DON'T TAKE ANY ACTION.
FURTHER ACTION TONIGHT AND WE KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD TO NEXT MONTH.
SO SINCE IT'S, UH, SIX BALLOTS, I DON'T ANTICIPATE IT WOULD TAKE LONG TO COUNT.
AND THESE WILL BE PUBLIC RECORD.
IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW.
MAY ALDERMAN ROY WAS AL FILLING HERS OUT.
SO I SAW YOU WERE STILL WRITING.
THERE ARE THREE FOR TREVOR DANELLE AND THREE FOR DANA OUTLAW.
WARD ONE CAST A VOTE FOR TREVOR DANELL.
TREVOR DANELL, THE MAYOR, DANA OUTLAW.
SO WHAT WOULD THE BOARD LIKE TO DO NOW? I'D LIKE TO MAKE, WELL, I'D LIKE TO NOMINATE.
WELL, MR. TODD, SO START AGAIN.
I I, I MEAN, I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF BEATING, BEATING MY HEAD AGAINST A, A BRICK WALL HERE.
UM, I THINK WE, WE ARE AT A STALEMATE AND WE MAY CONTINUE TO BE AT A STALEMATE.
THAT'S NOT A, NOT A GOOD THING.
AND THAT'S, SO MAYBE WE NEED TO CHANGE THE PROCESS.
WE NEED TO WHAT? CHANGE THE PROCESS.
THERE, THERE ARE OTHER CANDIDATES THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER, BUT THEY WEREN'T ANYBODY, UM, IS INTERESTED.
I MEAN, I, I HAVE NO PROBLEM MAKING A MOTION TO NOMINATE ANOTHER CANDIDATE.
[01:35:01]
WE JUST DID THAT.WE NOMINATED WHO WE WELL SEE, THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY I RECOMMENDED BEFORE, IF IT'S A TIE, WE PUT THE TWO NAMES IN THE HAT AND THEN WE DRAW ONE.
WELL, AGAIN, I, I, I DON'T AGREE WITH, SO KEEP ON WITH THIS PROCESS.
PUTTING, PUTTING NAMES IN THAT, JUST DRAWING.
I THINK WE'RE ABDICATING OUR RESPONSIBILITY IN DOING THAT.
AND I, I PREFER NOT TO GO DOWN THAT ROAD.
UH, I DON'T I DON'T BELIEVE YOU, SIR.
UM, THE BOARD CAN DO ANOTHER BALLOT.
SOMEBODY CAN MAKE A MOTION TO MAKE THE APPOINTMENT OUTRIGHT.
TAKE A VOTE, SEE HOW THAT GOES.
MS. ATTORNEY, YOU CAN USE WHATEVER METHOD A MAJORITY OF YOU AGREE UPON.
IF THAT DON'T WORK, THEN WE'LL DO THE NOMINATION.
AND THEN WE VOTE ON, LIKE YOU SAID.
SO YOU'RE MAKING A MOTION TO CORRECT.
DO ANOTHER BALLOT LIKE WE JUST DID? YES.
NO, WELL JUST TO THE TOP TWO OR THE TOP TWO CANDIDATES.
WELL, LET'S BE CLEAR ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE THAT'S A PRETTY IMPORTANT POINT.
SO IT IS JUST THE TOP TWO CANDIDATES? THAT IS CORRECT.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SO IT'S JUST, UH, MR. OUTLAW AND MR. ELL, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
THAT NAMES WILL, THAT WE WILL BE VOTING ON BASED OFF OF THE MOTION THAT'S PUT FORWARD.
THAT IS CORRECT, BUT I NEED A SECOND IN ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
DOES EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND THE MOTION? OKAY.
UH, LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL ON THE PROCESS AGAIN, STARTING WITH ALDERMAN KINZIE.
WELL, YOU, YOU'RE ASKING ME FOR WHAT?
BUT THERE'S ONLY BE, I THOUGHT YOU JUST SAID THE PROCESS.
THERE'S ONLY GONNA BE TWO CANDIDATES.
I THOUGHT I HAD TO RESTATE THE PROCESS.
WE WERE USE NO, NO, WE'RE JUST ASKING ARE YOU IN FAVOR OF IT? UH, IN FAVOR OF, YES.
SO MR. ASSISTANT MANAGER IS GONNA PASS ANOTHER ROUND OF BALLOTS OUT.
YOU GONNA TAKE ODDS AND LET THE VOTES, SIR?
SO THE NEXT THING WOULD BE BASED ON WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT, WHAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR WAS EXPERIENCE AND THE ABILITY TO FULFILL THAT SEAT.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE DANA OUTLAW MAY.
I'D LIKE TO ALSO SECOND THAT AND ALSO INCLUDE THAT WE'VE GOT A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK SESSIONS AND, UM, BOND WORK SESSIONS COMING UP.
[01:40:01]
OUTLAW WITH HIS 20 SOME YEARS EXPERIENCE ON THIS BOARD, UM, THERE'D BE NO LEARNING CURVE.UH, AND WE COULD START GETTING TO WORK, UH, IMMEDIATELY WITH, UH, HIS APPOINTMENTS.
SO I SECOND JOHNNY RAY'S, UM, MOTION.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? YES.
WHEN WE SPOKE ABOUT A CANDIDATE FOR WARD SIX, I NEVER MENTIONED I WAS LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WITH EXPERIENCE.
I NEVER MENTIONED THAT THAT WAS NOT MY CRITERIA.
IF THAT WAS THE CASE, I WOULD NEVER BE ON THE BOARD, NOR I, BECAUSE I HAD NO EXPERIENCE, NOR DID ALDERMAN BRINSON.
WE HAD NO EXPERIENCE THE THREE NEW ONES.
SO THAT WAS NEVER MENTIONED BY ME THAT I SAID, I'M LOOKING FOR A CANDIDATE WITH EXPERIENCE.
I WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLARITY.
I'D JUST LIKE TO ECHO THAT, THAT, UH, IF YOU TAKE THAT ARGUMENT AND CARRY IT THROUGH TO THE END, UM, THEN NONE OF US WOULD BE HERE.
WE, YOU KNOW, EVERY ELECTED OFFICIAL STARTS OUT AS A NEWBIE AT SOME POINT IN TIME.
AND, UM, FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ULTIMATELY, UM, ELECTED OR APPOINTED, IT IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO GET UP TO SPEED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
AND, AND I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT ANY OF THE SIX CANDIDATES, UM, YOU KNOW, CAN DO THAT.
OBVIOUSLY, MR. OUTLAW, UM, HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF THIS BOARD IN, IN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT CAPACITIES IN THE PAST, IN THE PAST.
UH, AND THAT'S A, A FINE THING.
UM, BUT JUST HAVING THAT BACKGROUND ALONE IS NOT NECESSARILY THE IN INDICATION AS TO, UM, THE BEST DIRECTION FOR THE CITY AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
I THINK GETTING, UM, NEW THOUGHTS, UH, FRESH PERSPECTIVES, UM, UH, IS, IS CRITICAL, UH, FOR THE CITY OF NEWBURG.
WHY I WANTED TO TRY TO TRY TO FIND A WAY TO KEEP, UH, EACH OF THE CANDIDATES, UM, IN CONSIDERATION, UH, UNTIL A FINAL DECISION IS MADE.
AND, AND HAVING SAID THAT, THEN I WILL ALSO MAKE A MOTION TO APPOINT, UH, DARLENE BROWN.
WE ALREADY HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE FLOOR.
WE'RE IN DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW.
UH, THE ONE THING THAT I WOULD SAY THAT I THINK WE'RE MISSING HERE IS, YES, EVERYBODY STARTED SOMEWHERE NEW.
EVERYBODY THAT'S SELLING THIS BOARD, AL MCKENZIE.
HOW LONG AGO WAS IT WHEN YOU FIRST GOT ON THE BOARD? UH, 17 YEARS AGO.
AND IT TOOK YOU A LONG TIME TO LEARN WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, THIS IS AN APPOINTMENT TO FILL A VACANT TERM.
THIS, EVERYBODY SITTING UP HERE IS NOT EVEN IN A FULL TERM.
IF YOU RECALL, THIS ELECTION WAS DELAYED A YEAR BECAUSE OF COVID.
SO THIS IS ESSENTIALLY A THREE YEAR AND A FEW MONTHS TERM.
UM, I THINK IF WE'RE ALL HONEST WITH OURSELF, WHEN WE FIRST GOT ON THIS BOARD, THERE WAS A LOT TO LEARN.
UH, I THINK IT'S CLEAR FROM THE DISCUSSION TONIGHT THAT ALL OF US ARE STILL LEARNING WHAT OUR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ARE.
WHEN I'M LOOKING AT WHAT SITS AHEAD OF US, THERE WILL BE A FILING PERIOD IN JUNE OF NEXT YEAR, I BELIEVE.
SO IN LESS THAN A YEAR, EVERYBODY ON THIS BOARD, INCLUDING WHOEVER IS GONNA FILE FOR WARD SIX, IS GONNA HAVE TO FILE AND RUN FOR OFFICE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PUTTING SOMEBODY IN THAT SEAT THAT CAN IMMEDIATELY START, MOVE FORWARD.
WE HAVE A THREE HOUR WORK SESSION IN TWO WEEKS TO TALK ABOUT LAND USE ORDINANCE.
UM, AGAIN, I, I'M, THIS IS NO DESPAIRING OF ANYBODY THAT PUT THEIR NAME ON THE LIST BECAUSE I THINK ANYBODY THAT'S WILLING TO SIGN UP, THAT'S A, A FEATHER IN THEIR CAP.
THEY'RE WILLING TO SERVE THEIR COMMUNITY.
I AM TASKED WITH PICKING THE BEST PERSON TO REPRESENT.
AND I ALSO SAY THIS, MY WARD, WARD SIX, THE WARD THAT I REPRESENTED FOR EIGHT YEARS, AND THE WARD THAT I'M RE, THAT I LIVE IN NOW.
SO THAT'S THE REASON, UH, THAT I VOTED THE WAY I DID.
AND THAT'S THE REASON I WILL VOTE THE WAY I WILL WHEN WE TAKE THIS NEXT VOTE.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? YES.
LET ME JUST AGAIN, SAY, I APPRECIATE MR. OUTLAW.
I APPRECIATE ALL THE EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE.
I ONLY WANTED TO STATE THAT I NEVER SAID I WAS LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WITH EXPERIENCE.
AND I RESPECT ALL SIX OF THESE CANDIDATES FOR WHAT EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE, WISDOM, LEADERSHIP, WHATEVER THE ABILITIES ARE.
I RESPECT ALL SIX OF THESE CANDIDATES.
AND MR. OUTLAW AND MR. DARNELL DARNELL.
[01:45:01]
TWO WE'RE BOILED DOWN TO.SO NOW WE NEED TO MAKE A DECISION OF, OF WHAT WE ARE GONNA DO HERE.
SO AS A REMINDER, WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE AND A SECOND TO APPOINT MAYOR OR DANA OUTLAW TO THE WARD SIX VACANCY.
MY THOUGHTS IS THAT, UM, BEING IN LEADERSHIP AND LEADING, YOU WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT IN MAKING A SELECTION, UM, YOU WANT THE BEST PERSON THAT YOU FEEL THAT CAN COME IN AND DO THE JOB.
AND THAT IS THE REASON MY SELECTION IS WHAT IT IS.
UM, YOU CAN LOOK AT WHERE YOU ARE, LOOK AT WHERE YOU'RE GOING, BUT A DECISION HAS TO BE MADE AND YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT IS THE BEST PERSON THAT YOU KNOW IN YOUR HEART THAT CAN COME IN AND DO THE JOB.
AND I FEEL VERY STRONG THAT MR. OUTLAW CAN COME IN AND DO THE JOB AND DO IT VERY WELL.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? UH, YEAH.
ONE FURTHER COMMENT IF I COULD.
UM, I UNDERSTAND, UH, THE ARGUMENT BEING THAT, UM, BUT WITH, WITH REGARDS TO MR. OUTLAW, AND WE HAD A MEETING THIS MORNING, YOU KNOW, A VERY PLEASANT MEETING.
WE TALKED ABOUT A NUMBER OF THINGS.
UM, AND, AND I EXPRESSED CONCERN, UM, TO, TO MR. OUTLAW, UM, ABOUT WHAT I SAW AS HIS PAST DECISIONS AS AN ALDERMAN, AS MAYOR, AND WHERE I FELT THAT THOSE DECISIONS, SOME OF THOSE DECISIONS ARE NOW COMING BACK TO HURT US RIGHT NOW.
UM, I, I'M TRYING TO THINK OF SOMETHING I KNOW I HAVEN'T OVERCOME, BUT I, I CAN'T THINK OF WHAT IT'S AT THIS POINT.
UM, MS. CLERK, I BELIEVE I'M ON ALDERMAN ROYAL TO START THE ROLL CALL.
WE'RE GONNA MOVE FORWARD WITH ALDERMAN ROYAL FOR A ROLL CALL.
I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE DARLENE DECISION MAKING.
SO YOU HAVE A, YOU WANNA DOMINATE WHO? UH, DARLENE BROWN.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO NOMINATE MS. DARLENE BROWN, WHO IS HERE TONIGHT.
THAT MOTION FAILS FOR LACK OF A SECOND.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE PUT THESE TWO CANDIDATES NAME INTO A HAT AND DRAW.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO PUT THE TWO TOP CANDIDATES NAMES IN A HAT AND DRAW.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? THAT MOTION DIES FOR A LACK OF A SECOND.
SO HOW ARE WE GONNA CONCLUDE THIS? THIS CAN GO ON AND ON.
WELL, SO DO I, BUT I JUST DON'T SEE THE NEED DONE IT.
I, I'M CURIOUS WHEN WE HAVE, I'D LIKE TO ASK A, A QUESTION OF, OF MY, MY COLLEAGUES UP HERE.
AND I, I DON'T EXPECT IT TO GET AN ANSWER, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO AT LEAST THROW IT OUT.
I, I'M CURIOUS IF, IF EACH OF THE, UM, BOARD MEMBERS, UM, SPOKE TO ALL OF THE CANDIDATES.
I HAVEN'T SPOKEN WITH, THE ONLY CANDIDATE I SPOKE WITH WAS A GENTLEMAN ON THE FRONT ROW, UH, THAT CALLED ME ONE NIGHT AND I SPOKE WITH HIM AND MS. BROWN AND I EXCHANGED A TEXT MESSAGE.
I SO, SO THE POINT BEING THAT, THAT, UM, IF, IF OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, UM, HAVE NOT ACTUALLY SPOKEN TO ALL THE CANDIDATES, THEN HOW DO YOU KNOW WHETHER OR NOT WHO YOU ARE PREFERRING IS ACTUALLY THE BEST CANDIDATE? IF, IF YOU HAVEN'T TAKEN THE TIME TO ACTUALLY TALK TO EACH OF THE CANDIDATES? IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UH, I WORK WITH THE CANDIDATE THAT I SUPPORTED TONIGHT FOR SEVERAL YEARS, AND THAT'S ALL I NEED TO KNOW.
WELL, WE'VE GONE THROUGH A PROCESS AND WE'RE NOT GETTING ANY WAY.
[01:50:01]
LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE DEFER THIS UNTIL THE FIRST MEETING IN SEPTEMBER AND GIVE EVERYBODY A CHANCE TO WHY, WHY WON'T WE? WE GOT A MOTION TO TABLE IT TO THE FIRST MEETING IN SEPTEMBER.DOES ANYONE WANNA SECOND THAT? OBJECTION.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND TO DEFER THE DECISION TO THE FIRST MEETING IN SEPTEMBER.
LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL VOTE, STARTING WITH THE ALDERMAN.
WE'RE GONNA KEEP ON AND ON TONIGHT WITH THIS.
JESUS, IT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD ON THE VACANCY FOR WARD SIX.
I'D LIKE TO ASK THE ATTORNEY ONE MORE TIME.
I KNOW THAT YOU SAID WE CAN MAKE THE SUGGEST MOTIONS.
DO YOU HAVE A SUGGESTION? SHE CAN GIVE HER LEGAL OPINION, BUT SHE IS NOT A ELECTED OFFICIAL TO GIVE A POLITICAL OPINION.
WHAT I'LL SAY, WHAT I WAS ASKING HONOR ROYAL IS THE PATH FORWARD IS WHATEVER A MAJORITY OF YOU DECIDE ON.
BASED ON YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT, PARTICULARLY IN THIS THIS BOARD, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A NOMINATION.
I'D LIKE TO NOMINATE DANA OUTLAW FOR THE POSITION OF THE SIXTH BOARD.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPOINT DANA OUTLAW TO THE POSITION.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? UM, WELL, I BELIEVE THAT THAT NOMINATION HAD BEEN MADE PREVIOUSLY AND, AND, UM, DID NOT GET A, A MAJORITY VOTE.
UM, NOT SURE WHY WE'RE BEATING OUR HEAD AGAINST THE WALL.
CAN THE ANOTHER NOMINATION FOR THE SAME PERSON BE BROUGHT UP IF IT FAILED THE FIRST TIME? IF IT FAILED THE FIRST TIME, SOMEONE IN THE MAJORITY, WHICH IN THIS CASE THERE IS, THERE ISN'T ONE WOULD NEED TO, WE'RE BOTH IN THE MAJORITY, AREN'T WE? THREE.
THERE IS NO MAJORITY IF IT'S A TIME.
SOMEONE WHO WAS AGAINST WOULD NEED TO MAKE THAT MOVE.
SOMEONE WHO WAS AGAINST THE RULE IS WHOEVER WAS IN THE MAJORITY, IN, IN MOST CASES, DEFEATING THE MOTION WOULD NEED TO MAKE THE MOTION.
SO IN THIS CIRCUMSTANCE, THE ANALOGY WOULD BE WHOEVER WAS AGAINST COULD MAKE THE MOTION TO RENEW IT.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? IS THE MOTION THEN VALID? THE COURT IS MOTION VALID? THE COURT MOTION ON THE TABLE? OR IS IT A VALID MOTION THEN? I I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A MAJORITY, SO I DON'T KNOW HOW THERE COULD BE, UH, NO SIR.
SOMEONE IN THE OPPOSITION THAT WOULD HAVE A STANDING.
HEARING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, I HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN.
KENZIE, RESTATE THE MOTION AGAIN PLEASE.
TO APPOINT DANA OUTLAW TO THE SEAT.
IT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD.
ALDERMAN PRIAL, WHAT RESERVATIONS DO YOU HAVE WITH PUTTING THE TWO CANDIDATE'S NAME IN A POT AND THE NAME BE DRAWN? WE USED THAT PROCESS BEFORE.
WELL, I, I AND I, AND I UNDERSTAND I THAT IT WAS USED BEFORE, BUT TO ME THAT'S, IT'S ABDICATING OUR RESPONSIBILITY, YOU KNOW, TO TRY TO FIND THE BEST CANDIDATE TO FILL THIS, THIS POSITION.
I, I JUST DON'T LIKE THE RANDOM, THE RANDOMNESS OF PUTTING HAT, PUTTING NAMES IN THE HAT AND PICKING ONE, BUT WE'VE ALREADY GONE OVER, OVER AND OVER.
IT IS THE SAME VOTE AND THE SAME.
THAT'S WHY I MADE A MOTION TO KIND OF GIVE US SOME BREATHING ROOM.
UM, AND GIVE EVERYBODY A CHANCE TO, TO THINK IT THROUGH FURTHER.
MAYBE IF, IF, YOU KNOW, IF THE BOARD MEMBERS ARE INTERESTED, THEY CAN, THEY CAN REACH OUT TO THE CANDIDATES, UH, FURTHER TALK TO YOU MORE.
[01:55:01]
AND, AND MAYBE IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, UM, MAYBE THERE MIGHT BE A CHANGE IN MIND THEIR HEART.SO I, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE TABLED THIS UNTIL THE FIRST MEETING IN SEPTEMBER 2ND.
A MOTION TO TABLE IT TO THE FIRST MEETING IN SEPTEMBER.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? ALDERMAN PRI SAYS SECOND.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN BEST? DERMAN BEST YES.
CAN WE, CAN WE START FROM SCRATCH AND PUT ALL SIX NAMES BACK OUT AND HAVE ANOTHER VOTE LIKE THAT? IF YOU, THE MAJORITY OF THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? THAT'S WHAT YOU'VE BEEN ASKING FOR? WELL, THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO DO UP FRONT IS TO KEEP ALL OF THE CANDIDATES VIABLE CANDIDATES UNTIL FOUR OF US CAN, CAN REACH AGREEMENT.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT FAILED.
UM, I, I AM MORE THAN WILLING TO CONSIDER OTHER CANDIDATES.
IF OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BOARD MEMBER WELL TAKES HIS A MOTION AND A SECOND AND A VOTE.
LET, LET ME ASK THIS QUESTION TOO, SINCE ALDERMAN PRI HAS RESERVATIONS ABOUT PUTTING THE TWO NAMES IN THE PAT.
YES, BUT I, I WAS GONNA MAKE A SUGGESTION, A MOTION RATHER.
BUT WE ARE GONNA END UP IN THE SAME PLACE.
NEVERMIND THAT IT'S A PLEASURE OF THE BOARD.
UM, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH YOU MOVING ON.
I'M SURE YOU WOULDN'T MR. MAYOR, ONE THING THAT THE BOARD MIGHT CONSIDER UP UNTIL THIS POINT, YOU'VE DONE ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE.
IF YOU ALL WERE INCLINED, YOU COULD DEVIATE FROM THAT PATTERN AND RANK YOUR PREFERENCES, WHICH MIGHT GIVE US MORE INFORMATION TO WORK WITH.
INSTEAD OF USING ONE PERSON ONE VOTE, YOU ALL MAY LOOK AT A BALLOT OR ANY NUMBER OF CANDIDATES THAT YOU DECIDE UPON TO RANK YOUR PREFERENCES AND THAT MAY OR MAY NOT GIVE YOU SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL.
SO MEANING EVERY BOARD MEMBER COULD GET TWO VOTES AND YOU COULD VOTE FOR DIFFERENT CANDIDATES IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO.
WHAT, WHAT'S THAT GONNA SOLVE? I COULD SIT HERE AND VOTE FOR TWO TIMES FOR THEY NOT LONG AND WE STILL AIN'T END UP WITH THE SAME.
IF YOU WOULD DO THAT, WE COULD MOVE ON TO GO HOME.
WELL, DON'T, SO CAN YOU TWO VOTES FOR THE SAME CANDIDATE? YEAH, SAME.
WHAT YOU MIGHT DO IS CAST TWO VOTES, ONE FOR ONE CANDIDATE, AND ONE FOR ANOTHER.
THAT MIGHT GET US TO AN, A DIFFERENT FIELD THAT MIGHT SPARK SOME DISCUSSION THE OTHER WAY.
IT'S GONNA BE JUST A SIX, SIX TIME
WELL, I I WOULD JUST POINT OUT THAT WE DON'T NEED TO MAKE THE APPOINTMENT TONIGHT.
UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE BUSINESS THAT IS COMING UP.
UM, THE SIX OF US ARE PERFECTLY CAPABLE OF ADDRESSING THAT BUSINESS WHEN WE NEED TO.
WELL, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TONIGHT.
IT DON'T LOOK LIKE WE'RE GOING TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TONIGHT, BUT IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE COULD.
ARE YOU WILLING TO CHANGE YOUR VOTE MR. ASTOR? NO.
WELL, I'M, I'M VOTING FOR THE PERSON I FEEL IS THE MOST QUALIFIED.
SO AM I ACTUALLY, I THINK THERE ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF CANDIDATES HERE THAT, UH, I THINK ARE VERY STRONG CANDIDATES, BUT WE DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ONLY FILLING ONE POSITION, NOT TWO.
SO, UM, AS MUCH, AND I HATE TO SAY IT, THIS IS JUST, TO ME IT'S STUPID GAME PLAYING.
UM, BUT THAT'S THE PROCESS WE'RE GOING THROUGH IS THAT WE'RE VOTING AGAINST SOMEBODY AS MUCH AS WE'RE VOTING FOR SOMEBODY.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING NO, I THINK, I THINK YOU MIGHT BE SPEAKING FOR YOURSELF WHEN YOU MAKE THAT COMMENT.
'CAUSE I'M NOT VOTING AGAINST ANYONE.
I'M VOTING FOR THE BEST QUALIFIED CANDIDATE.
IN YOUR OPINION, IN YOUR OPINION.
AND MOVE, EXCUSE ME, I'M TALKING SIR, IN YOUR OPINION, I'M VOTING FOR THE BEST CANDIDATE THAT WOULD SIT IN THAT SEAT TOMORROW AND
[02:00:01]
START FIELDING THE CALLS AND THE EMAILS THAT I'M GETTING BECAUSE I WAS THE FORMER ALDERMAN FOR THAT WARD.NONE OF YOU ARE HAVING TO FILL THOSE CALLS.
AND I KNOW THAT THE GENTLEMAN THAT CAN SIT IN THAT SEAT TOMORROW COULD TAKE THOSE CALLS AND WE CAN MOVE THIS CITY FORWARD.
BUT SOME OF YOU WANT TO VOTE AGAINST SOMEONE AS YOU JUST SAID, SO.
WELL, YOU DON'T KNOW IF MR. DONALD WOULD BE ABLE TO FILL SOME OF THOSE CALLS.
THIS MAN IS A NATIVE NEW, BERNIE HAS DEALT WITH PEOPLE ALL OVER THIS CITY.
IT'S PART OF OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PRESS.
I MEAN, SO HOW, YOU KNOW THIS, AND NO PUN INTENDED, MR. OUTLAW, BUT HOW DO YOU KNOW HE CAN'T FILL THOSE SHOES AS WELL? IT IS JUST LIKE WITH ME.
I COME IN JUST AS BLINDSIDED AS BLINDSIDED CAN BE.
BUT I WORK DILIGENTLY TO, TO GET TO A POINT TO WHERE I FOLLOW CITY GOVERNMENT AND TRY TO UNDERSTAND AND WORK ALONG BESIDE THE OTHER ALDERMAN HERE AS WELL WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT.
THE OTHER OPTION WE HAVE, WE CAN ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO RECESS FOR A FEW MINUTES.
ANY DISCUSSION? HOW LONG WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECESS FOR? GIVE US 10.
UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
WE ARE BACK IN SESSION AND WE ARE STILL ON ITEM NUMBER 17, DISCUSSING THE VACANCY FOR WARD SIX.
WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD? MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU MOVE, MOVE FORWARD ON THE AGENDA IF WE COULD SO WE CAN ADJOURN THE MEETING.
YEAH, NO, I, I'LL VERIFY WITH THE ATTORNEY.
THAT'S MY DECISION AND WE'RE GOING TO KEEP DISCUSSING THIS UNTIL WE HAVE SOME SORT OF RESOLUTION TONIGHT.
UM, WILL THE, THESE TWO CANDIDATES, WILL THEY BE FILING FOR THE UPCOMING ELECTION IN 2025? THEY WANNA, I'M JUST SAYING, WILL, ARE THEY STILL GONNA BE WILLING TO WORK IN THIS IN THE SEAT THAT'S ALDERMAN FOR THE SIXTH WARD WHEN THE NEXT ELECTION PERIOD COMES AROUND? OR IS IT GONNA BE AT THAT POINT? WE GET SOMEBODY NEW THAT'S GONNA RUN FOR THAT WARD SEAT SIX.
AND I'VE TALKED TO, UM, MR. DARNELL AND HE SAYS HE IS GOING TO RUN FOR THE UPCOMING ELECTION.
NOW I HAVEN'T SPOKEN WITH, UH, MR. OUTLAW.
I'VE SPOKEN WITH HIM AND HE SAID HE WAS GONNA RUN ALSO FOR THE SEAT.
WELL WE GOT THAT OUT AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY I SELECT HIM.
I FELT THAT HE WAS THE BEST CHOICE FOR ME BASED ON SERVING WITH HIM FOR 17 YEARS.
SO WE COULD DO IT AGAIN WITH ANY MINDS CHANGED DURING THE BREAK.
MAYOR, BASED ON EXPERIENCE, I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE DANA OUTLAW TO FILL THE POSITION IN WARD SIX FOR THE TEMPORARY OR THE REMAINDER TERM OF ALDERMAN RENTON.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, THEY'LL FILE AGAIN IN JUNE.
AND LET THE BEST MAN WIN THEN.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION? DO WE HAVE A SECOND? UH, YEAH, I'LL SECOND IT.
OKAY, SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? AND THIS IS JUST APPOINTING HIM FOR RIGHT NOW FOR THE SEAT, CORRECT? CORRECT.
AND THEN TO THE ELECTION TIME COMES THEN HE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO, UH, UH, UH, UH, SIGN UP FOR IT.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH THE ALDERMAN PRILL.
SINCE THERE IT DOESN'T LIKE WE'RE GOING TO GET ANYWHERE AND I THINK THAT WE MAYBE SHOULD TAKE SOME TIME, DISCUSS IT SOME WITH THE CANDIDATES.
UM, THINK ABOUT IT, DISCUSS IT AMONG OURSELVES.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE POSTPONE THIS
[02:05:01]
UNTIL THE FIRST MEETING IN OCTOBER AND THAT WILL GIVE US TIME TO, UM, DISCUSS IT AND LOOK AT THE, EACH OF THE CANDIDATES MAKE THE CORRECT DECISION.I SECOND THAT IN OCTOBER OR SEPTEMBER.
LET'S GIVE US THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER.
LET'S GIVE US THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER TO DISCUSS IT AND THEN WE'LL DO IT IN THE FIRST MEETING IN OCTOBER.
DID YOU SECOND THAT FOR ME? I SECOND THAT.
SO WE HAVE A SECOND, UH, TO POSTPONE THIS DECISION TO THE FIRST MEETING IN OCTOBER.
LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN ROYAL.
[18. Attorney' s Report.]
NEXT UP IS ATTORNEY'S REPORT.[19. City Manager's Report.]
CITY MANAGER'S REPORT SEVERAL ITEMS TO UPDATE YOU ON.THE FIRST ONE IS THE, UH, RIPARIAN BUFFER AGREEMENT.
UH, WE SENT YOU ALL A COPY OF THAT LAST WEEK AFTER THE COUNTY SIGNED THAT.
AND ON APRIL 9TH, 2024, UH, DURING THE GOVERNING BOARD MEETING, THE CITY ATTORNEY WAS GIVEN DIRECTION TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE COUNTY TO ACQUIRE RIPARIAN RIGHTS FOR THE BROAD STREET PIER PROJECT.
YOU HAVE RECEIVED THAT AGREEMENT.
UH, AND, AND TONIGHT WE'RE ASKING THE BOARD TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE AMENDMENT TO EASEMENT AND AGREEMENT BY AND BETWEEN CRAVEN COUNTY AND THE CITY OF NEW BERN.
SO JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, THE BOARD VOTED TO ESTABLISH THE PROJECT FUND ALLOCATE SOME OF ALDERMAN ASTOR'S WARD ALLOCATION MONEY FOR THE PEER PROJECT.
WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR TONIGHT IS APPROVAL FROM THE GOVERNING BOARD OR FOR ACTUALLY I THINK THE MAYOR TO SIGN THE RIPARIAN RIGHTS AGREEMENT WITH CRAVEN COUNTY.
MAY I SPEAK ON THAT, MA? YES, SIR.
UM, MARY, THIS, THIS PROJECT IS GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER AND CLOSER EACH DAY.
ALTHOUGH THIS AGREEMENT HAS PUT A STOP TO EVERYTHING.
WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITH CATTLE PERMITS.
I'VE GOT DONORS THAT HAVE DONATED.
THEY'RE IS WILLING TO DONATE OVER $125,000 TOWARDS THIS PROJECT.
THEY'RE ASKING ME WHEN IT'S GOING TO GO FORWARD.
WE KIND OF HAD A GOAL OF THE FALL SO WE COULD HAVE SOME FALL FISHING.
UM, AND I WOULD LOVE FOR THIS BOARD TO AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR TO SIGN THIS AGREEMENT, WHICH THE COUNTY ALREADY HAS.
AND SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR CAMERA PERMITS, UH, FOR THIS PEER PROJECT.
IS THAT YOUR MOTION, SIR? YES, IT IS.
SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ALTMAN PER ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION.
ALDERMAN ASKED, WHAT DID YOU SAY? THE HOLD UP IS THIS AGREEMENT BETWEEN DISAGREEMENT.
WE HAVE TO HAVE THIS AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF NEWBURN AND THE CRAVEN COUNTY BEFORE WE CAN APPLY FOR THE CAMMA PERMITS.
NOW WE'VE ALREADY SENT A BLANK COPY TO CAMERA.
AND THEY REVIEWED IT, UH, UNSIGNED COPY AND MADE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO THEY'VE ALREADY REVIEWED IT.
WE'VE MADE CHANGES TO THE RECORD THAT THEY RECOMMENDED ON THE AGREEMENT AND NOW IT'S, IT'S READY TO GO WITH THE PERMIT.
THE PERMITS SITTING THERE WAITING FOR THIS, THE, THE APPLICATION FOR THE PERMIT SITTING THERE, WAITING FOR THIS AGREEMENT.
UM, AND I HOPE IF WE SIGN THIS THING TONIGHT, WE CAN SUBMIT A PERMIT WITHIN THE NEXT DAY OR TWO.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? IS THAT A RESOLUTION OR DO WE NEED A VOTE ROLL, ROLL CALL OR A VOICE VOTE? THERE, THERE IS A RESOLUTION PREPARED JUST TO BE CONSISTENT WITH OUR POLICIES.
SO WE'LL DO A ROLL CALL VOTE SINCE IT'S A RESOLUTION, STARTING WITH ALDERMAN ASTOR.
ALSO, UH, I WANNA REMIND YOU THAT, UH, LAST WEEK'S WEEKLY REPORT, WE, WE HAD SOME LINKS.
I DON'T THINK THE LINKS WORKED FOR THE, FOR THE IEDC REPORT ON, AND THAT'S THE INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL.
THEY CAME IN THIS SPRING TO, TO GIVE RECOMMENDATIONS ON HIGH SPECIAL USE FOR THE OLD DAYS INN PROPERTY AND THE SOUTH FRONT AND HANCOCK STREET PROPERTY.
SO, UM, UH, ALDERMAN BEST ACTUALLY MADE US AWARE THAT THAT LINK DID NOT WORK.
SO WE SENT, UH, LINKS OUT AGAIN YESTERDAY MORNING.
SO WE'RE PLANNING ON BRINGING THIS UP AT THE NEXT MEETING.
I WANT TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK THROUGH THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEN WE'LL DISCUSS AND SEE WE, WE'LL MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AND SEE HOW THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO PROCEED FROM THERE.
BUT IF YOU GET A CHANCE, PLEASE, PLEASE LOOK AT THAT.
ALSO, A REMINDER THAT MAGIC MIDWAYS
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RETURNS TO AUSTIN CREEK PARK THIS FRIDAY OUT, UH, AUGUST 31ST, AND THEY WILL BE HERE THROUGH SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8TH.SO THAT SHOULD BE, UH, A GREAT ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE LABOR DAY WEEKEND FOR OUR CITIZENS.
ALSO, REMINDER THAT, UH, THE CITY OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED ON MONDAY FOR LABOR DAY.
WE HAVE A FOOTLOOSE ON THE NEW SUMMER CONCERT THIS FRIDAY AT UNION POINT PARK FEATURING THE JOE BROWN BAND.
THAT CONCERT STARTS AT 6:30 PM WE DID HAVE A RAINED OUT CONCERT WITH, UH, ON THE BORDER, UH, THE ULTIMATE EAGLES TRIBUTE THAT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR, FOR, UH, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5TH.
IT'S A SPECIAL TIME THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5TH AT LAWSON CREEK PARK THAT'S BEING HELD AT THE SPECIAL TIME AND LOCATION BECAUSE THE MS BIKE RIDE, UH, WILL BE IN TOWN ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6TH THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
AND THE FINAL THING I HAVE IS LIKE TO CONGRATULATE OUR CITY CLERK, BRENDA BLANCO.
SHE WAS SWORN IN AS THE SECOND VICE PRESIDENT FOR THE NORTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF MUNICIPAL CLERK.
CONGRATULATIONS BRENDA, HOW DO YOU DO IT ALL? GIRL
I HAVE A GREAT BOARD THAT HELPS ME.
ANYTHING ELSE? THAT'S ALL WE HAVE TONIGHT.
[20. New Business.]
NEW BUSINESS STARTING WITH ALDERMAN PRILL.I HAVE TWO UM, ITEMS TONIGHT, MAYOR.
THE FIRST ITEM IS I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO REALLOCATE UP TO $250,000 IN WARD.
TWO OFF OF ENABLED FUNDS TO GO TOWARDS MICROSURFACING AS MANY STREETS IN THE PEMBROKE COMMUNITY AS POSSIBLE.
THERE ARE STREETS IN THE PEMBROKE COMMUNITY THAT HAVE NOT HAD ANY RESURFACING SINCE THE COMMUNITY WAS ANNEXED BACK IN THE EARLY NINETIES.
AND OUR STREETS ARE IN, UM, ILL REPAIR AND I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, PROVIDE THE OPERA FUNDS TO, TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? I GUESS THIS IS GONNA COME BACK TO US AS A BUDGET AMENDMENT.
IS THAT, THAT'S TYPICALLY WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING WILL BE IN THE FORM OF A BUDGET AMENDMENT.
SO A VOTE, VOICE VOTE IS, OKAY.
THE SECOND, UH, THING I'D LIKE TO PRESENT IS I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE YOUR SUPPORT TO REALLOCATE WARD TWO A RP ENABLED FUNDS TO GO TOWARDS EXTENDING THE LICENSE OR THE LEASE FOR THE USE OF THE OMEGA CENTER FOR PUBLIC PURPOSE ACTIVITIES.
UM, ACTIVITIES SUCH AS, UH, HOMELESS PROGRAMS OR RECREATION PROGRAMS THAT MAY NOT BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE NEW STANLEY WHITE REC CENTER DUE TO SPACE REGULATIONS AND ANY OTHER PROGRAMS FOR THE GOOD OF THE PEOPLE.
LET ME ADD THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE HOMELESS POPULATION, AND THAT HAS BEEN A THING THAT HAS BEEN DEAR TO MY HEART, UM, WE LOOK AT WHAT IS HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND THE CAMPS THAT ARE BEING SET UP AND THE MIGRATION THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
I TALKED WITH SOMEONE, UH, YESTERDAY AND I, IT WAS VERY ALARMING TO ME, UH, THAT THEY SAID AT LEAST ABOUT 30% OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE UNHOUSED ARE ELDERLY PEOPLE.
MEANING THAT THEY ARE 65 YEARS OLD AND OLDER AND THAT HAVING, UH, NOT HAVING THE ABILITY TO, UM, FACILITATE THEIR NEEDS AT THE ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES.
AND SO THE POPULATION IS INCREASING JUST LOOKING AT PROGRAMS SUCH AS A WARMING, A COOLING STATION, UH, TO, TO BE, UH, UTILIZED THERE AT THAT FACILITY AND, AND OTHER PROGRAMS. AND SO I WOULD CERTAINLY LIKE TO SUPPORT YOUR SUPPORT TO ALLOCATE THE WARD TO, UM, IN ORDER TO EXTEND THE LEASE FOR THE OMEGA CENTER.
SO RO UM, YOU'RE SAYING A COOL WOMAN AND COOLING CENTER? MM-HMM.
SO THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO GO THERE, I GUESS WHEN THEY ARE HAVE TO LEAVE THE RCS OR ANY OTHER SHELTER THAT THEY'RE IN, THEY WOULD GO THERE DURING THE COURSE OF THE DAY OR WHATEVER THAT IS CORRECT.
AND AGAIN, THAT IS COMPLICATING OR INCREASING WHAT IS HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE CITY WHEREIN THAT THEY HAVE NO PLACE TO GO.
RIGHT FROM SEVEN TO 3:00 PM EVERY DAY.
WHO WILL SUPERVISE THIS OPERATION? WE ARE LOOKING AT MOVING FORWARD TO SEE, UH, ABOUT STAFFING IT, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH THE OMEGA CENTER OR STAFFING IT THROUGH RCS OR CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS.
THERE, THE, I TALKED WITH CHIEF GALLAGHER ABOUT THE, UM,
[02:15:01]
HOMELESS COALITION AND ALL OF THE AGENCIES THAT HAVE COME TOGETHER TO A ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM OF HOMELESSNESS.AND SO I'M SURE THAT WE COULD FIND SOME CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT NOW TO SEE IF WE CAN PUT THE VOLUNTEERS THERE.
SO THE CENTER'S OPEN ANYWAY DURING THE DAY, CORRECT? CURRENTLY DURING THE WEEK IT'S OPEN WHEN PROGRAMS ARE HELD.
SO NO, IT IS NOT OPEN FOR, FOR YOU TO JUST WALK IN THE DOOR.
IF, IF PARKS AND RECREATION HAS A PROGRAM GOING ON AT THAT TIME, THE DOOR IS OPEN.
OUTSIDE OF THAT, THE DOOR, THE DOORS ARE CLOSED.
ALDERMAN ROYAL, UM, IF YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION, WE'LL SEE IF WE GET A SECOND BEFORE WE HAVE MORE DISCUSSION.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO REALLOCATE WARD TWO APA FUNDS TO GO TOWARDS EXTENDING THE LICENSE FOR THE USE OF THE OMEGA CENTER FOR PUBLIC PER PUBLIC PURPOSE ACTIVITIES.
MY QUESTION IS HOW MUCH I WAS GONNA MENTION THAT, MAYOR.
SO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS MAKING SOME MODIFICATIONS TO AN EXISTING CONTRACT AND CHANGING THE MATERIAL TERMS. WHAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO DO IS TO GIVE STAFF DIRECTION TO BRING A PROPOSED AGREEMENT TO YOU REFLECTING THE TYPES OF PURPOSES THAT YOU'VE ENUMERATED TODAY WITH AN AMOUNT OF CONSIDERATION.
WE HAVE NOT DISCUSSED THE LENGTH OF THE EXTENSION.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING, SOMETHING THAT WOULD NEED TO BE IRONED OUT.
THAT WAY EVERYBODY KNOWS ALL THE DETAILS OF THE AGREEMENT.
UM, AND THEN YOU CAN REFLECT UPON THAT AND MAKE A DECISION.
OKAY? SO WE HAVE A MOTION A SECOND, BUT IF THOSE TWO INDIVIDUALS ARE WILLING TO PULL THAT, THEN WE CAN GIVE STAFF DIRECTION TO PAPER THIS UP.
ESSENTIALLY BRING US BACK A DOCUMENT THAT WOULD HAVE THE NUMBERS IN IT AND THE AGREEMENT WE WOULD VOTE ON THAT AGREEMENT.
IS THAT WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING? YES, SIR.
SO ALDERMAN, BEST YOU MADE A SECOND.
ARE YOU WILLING TO REMOVE YOUR SECOND TO THE MOTION AND GIVE DIRECTION INSTEAD? YES.
ALDERMAN ROY, ARE YOU OKAY WITH THAT? YES, SIR.
SO, UH, IS ANYBODY ON THE BOARD OPPOSED TO THAT HAPPENING? WE NEED STILL NEED FOUR, UH, A MAJORITY TO SAY YOU'RE OKAY WITH MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT.
I'M OKAY WITH MOVING FORWARD WITH LOOKING AT THE PAPERWORK AND OBVIOUSLY ALDERMAN ROYAL IS YES, I'M ASSUMING ALDERMAN BEST IS.
IS THAT ALL YOU HAVE, MA'AM? THAT'S ALL, SIR.
ALDERMAN ASTER? UM, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING.
UM, I JUST WAS GOING TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE FIREMAN MUSEUM SINCE I SIT ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MUSEUM IS, UM, IS DOING GREAT.
UH, WE'VE HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL SUMMER AND WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE A, UH, WONDERFUL LABOR DAY WEEKEND.
DO WE NEED A CLOSED SESSION? NO, SIR.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.