[00:00:04]
OKAY.UM, IT IS SIX O'CLOCK AND I DID NOT USE THE GAVEL BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE A QUORUM.
UH, I'M GONNA ASK THE CLERK, UH, CITY CLERK, DID YOU RECEIVE CALLS FROM THE MISSING ALDERMAN? I DID.
I'VE HEARD FROM ALDERMAN ROYAL AND ALDERMAN VESTS.
THEY WILL NOT BE IN ATTENDANCE.
AND ALDERMAN FRILL ADVISED A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, HE WOULD BE OUT OF TOWN AND WILL NOT BE HERE.
UM, SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, UNFORTUNATELY THE CITY CANNOT CONDUCT ANY BUSINESS TONIGHT.
UH, THERE ARE QUITE A FEW THINGS ON THE AGENDA THAT I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT.
UH, FIRST OF ALL IS PETITION OF CITIZENS.
I'M SURE SOME OF YOU ARE PROBABLY HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THAT TONIGHT.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY WE CAN'T CONDUCT THAT ASPECT OF IT.
UH, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME FORWARD AND AND SPEAK, YOU CAN DO SO.
UH, BUT IT'S NOT AN OFFICIAL MEETING.
IT WOULD NOT BE RECORDED IN THE MINUTES.
AND, UH, IF YOU DO WANNA DO THAT, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO COME BACK TO THE NEXT MEETING, UH, WHEN HOPEFULLY THE REST OF THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD FIND IT IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO COME CONDUCT THE BUSINESS OF THE CITY.
SO WE, WE, WE CAN DO THAT IF YOU WOULD LIKE.
UM, AND I'M GOING TO MAKE SOME
[12. Appointment of Ward 6 Alderman]
COMMENTS, AND I'M GONNA BE, UM, CAREFUL BUT PROFESSIONAL IN WHAT I ATTEMPT TO SAY IN THIS REGARDING ITEM NUMBER 12 ON THE AGENDA, WHICH IS THE APPOINTMENT FOR THE WARD SIX ALDERMAN.UH, THAT HAS CAUSED, APPARENTLY FOR WHATEVER REASON, QUITE A BIT OF CONTROVERSY THROUGHOUT SOME PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, THERE HAVE BEEN, UH, A FEW INFORMATION REQUESTS THAT HAVE BEEN RELAYED TO OUR STAFF, UH, FROM SOME FOLKS IN THE MEDIA.
UH, WHAT'S INTERESTING THOUGH, UM, I HAVEN'T SEEN AN ARTICLE THAT'S ACTUALLY BEEN PUBLISHED AFTER FOLKS HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THOSE EMAILS.
UH, SO I TOOK IT UPON MYSELF LAST NIGHT, UH, TO REVIEW, UH, THOSE INFORMATION REQUESTS AND SAW, UM, QUITE A FEW INTERESTING EMAILS ABOUT HOW THIS PROCESS HAS TRANSPIRED.
AND, UM, I'M NOT GONNA SAY THERE'S A CONSPIRACY, UH, BUT I WILL SAY THAT THERE WAS SOME COMMUNICATION BETWEEN HALF THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, UM, IN HOW THEY WANTED TO APPROACH THE APPOINTMENT OF THE VACANT WARD SIX ALDERMAN SEAT.
UH, I PERSONALLY HAVE HEARD FROM A LOT OF CONSTITUENTS IN WARD SIX.
I SEE SOME THAT ARE HERE TONIGHT, UM, THAT WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS, UM, THEIR INTEREST IN WHO THEY WANT TO HAVE REPRESENT THEM.
BUT AS I SAID EARLIER, UNFORTUNATELY WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM OF THE BOARD BECAUSE WE HAVE THREE MEMBERS THAT CHOSE NOT TO COME TONIGHT FOR WHATEVER REASON THAT MAY BE.
[4. Request and Petition of Citizens.]
AT THIS POINT, IF ANYBODY, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF A FREE FOR ALL.UH, I WILL TELL YOU, THE MEETING IS BEING LIVE STREAMED.
UH, SO YOU WILL BE ON TV, BUT IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO COME FORWARD AND STATE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
HOW YOU DOING, SIR? I'M JERRY SHILL.
I LIVE ON OXFORD LANE IN KINGS ROW, WHICH IS PART OF THE SIXTH WARD.
UM, I SENT ALL THE ALDERMAN, UH, UH, WHAT, WHAT I THINK ABOUT THIS SEAT.
UM, FELT A LITTLE BIT PARANOID THIS MORNING.
I WAS AT BOJANGLES, UH, WAITING IN LONG, A LONG LINE AT BOJANGLES.
IT WAS QUITE SLOW, AND I SAW SOMEBODY, IT LOOKED A LOT LIKE JOHNNY RAY APPROACHING, AND HE LOOKED UP, I THOUGHT HE LOOKED AT ME, AND THEN HE LEFT.
SO I WAS FEELING A LITTLE BIT PARANOID.
SO WERE YOU AT BOJANGLES THIS MORNING?
SO I HAVE REASON TO FEEL PARANOID, BUT I GUESS IT WAS THE LONG LINE THAT IT, IT WAS LONG.
ANYWAY, UM, I, YOU KNOW, I, I'LL TRY TO GET BACK, BUT MY WIFE IS NOT WELL.
SO IT'S, UH, I HAVE TO GET A CAREGIVER.
NORMALLY, WE WOULD BOTH BE AT A MEETING LIKE THIS AND MAKE IT A DATE NIGHT, BELIEVE IT OR NOT.
UM, NOW THAT YOU HAVE THE ELEVATOR, UH, SHE HAS PROBLEMS MOTIVATING.
SO SHE, NO WAY SHE COULD HAVE COME UP THOSE STAIRS, BUT, UH, SHE, SHE'S NOT.
WELL, I, I BELIEVE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE KEEP HEARING BECAUSE OF THE POLITICS OF THIS CYCLE, DEMOCRACY, DEMOCRACY, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A REPUBLIC, WHICH MEANS REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT.
WE ELECT PEOPLE SUCH AS THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN TO, UH, REPRESENT US.
IN OUR CASE, NORMALLY IN AN ELECTION, IT WOULD BE THE CITIZENS OR THE VOTERS OF THE SIXTH WARD THAT WOULD MAKE THAT DECISION.
UH, WE WOULD MAKE THAT DECISION OF WHO'S GOING TO ELECT US, BUT OR REPRESENT US.
BUT BECAUSE OF THE VACANCY, OF COURSE, THAT FALLS TO Y'ALL.
AND I JUST PERSONALLY THINK THAT YOU SHOULD GIVE DEFERENCE TO WHO WE WANT.
AND, UH, I JUST CAN SPEAK FOR MY WIFE AND MYSELF AND, AND
[00:05:01]
WE, WE BELIEVE DANA OUTLAW IS THE MAN.NOW, THE REASON FOR THAT WASN'T TAKEN LIGHTLY.
I'VE NEVER MET MR. UH, UH, TREVOR.
UH, I KNOW WHAT HE DOES, BUT I CALLED DANA A COUPLE TIMES.
HE RESPONDED TO MY CALLS BOTH TIMES VERY QUICKLY.
THAT'S JUST THE WAY DANA DOES BUSINESS.
I HAD SOME CONCERNS THAT I TALKED TO HIM ABOUT, AND HE ADDRESSED THOSE.
UM, I SENT AN EMAIL TO TREVOR, UH, NOBODY, HE DID NOT REPLY TO IT.
IF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IS TO WORK, THOSE WHO REPRESENT US NEED TO BE RESPONSIVE.
THE OLD SAYING, YOU CAN'T TAKE THE HEAT YOU GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN.
AND, UH, I JUST THINK IT'S, UH, MORE EVIDENT.
I WAS, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I WAS LEANING TOWARD DANA ANYWAY, MAINLY BECAUSE I KNOW HIM WELL.
BUT, UH, WITH A LACK OF RESPONSE FROM TREVOR, TO ME, IT'S A NO BRAINER.
BUT I WOULD HOPE, BASED ON WHAT YOU SAID, MR. MAYOR AT THE OUTSET, THAT THESE VACANT CHAIRS AREN'T DUE TO SOME SORT OF A PLOY.
UH, BUT WHEN YOU ADVERTISE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A HEARING ON A PARTICULAR ISSUE, AND YOU HAVE, IN MY CASE, I WAS FORTUNATE TO GET MY DAUGHTER TO STAY WITH MY WIFE.
NORMALLY I'VE GOTTA PAY SOMEBODY TO STAY WITH MY WIFE.
AND I GOTTA TELL YOU, IF I HAD TO PAY SOMEBODY TO COME HERE AND HEAR THAT, YOU DON'T HAVE A QUORUM, I, THAT'S JUST NOT RIGHT.
I HOPE THAT THERE'S REALLY GOOD REASONS FOR THOSE FOLKS NOT TO BE HERE.
HI, DIANA WHITMEYER, 2, 2 5 BANDON DRIVE IN NEWBURN.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I'VE CALLED ALL THE ALDER PEOPLE AND THANK YOU.
I THINK I CALLED EACH TWO OR THREE TIMES, DEPENDING ON THE PROCESS.
MANY, AS I SAY, DIDN'T EVEN BOTHER.
UM, I DID RECEIVE A CALL BACK FROM ONE OF THE ALDER MEN, UM, DIDN'T SAY LIKE THE OTHER ONES DID.
GEE, IT'S NICE YOU'RE STANDING UP GIVING US YOUR INFORMATION.
THIS ALDERMAN JUST PROCEEDED TO RAISE HIS VOICE AND TELL ME I NEEDED TO RESPECT HIS OPINION AND HIS REASONS WERE PERSONAL.
I DON'T HAVE TO RESPECT AN OPINION.
I CAN AGREE OR I CAN DISAGREE.
AND IF YOU ARE GOING TO REPRESENT ME IN WARD SIX, I GUESS IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW WHY YOU'RE PICKING WHO YOU ARE.
UM, SO AGAIN, NOT EVERYBODY RETURNED THE CALL.
THAT KIND OF BOTHERED ME A LITTLE TREVOR DID REACH OUT TO ME, DANA.
NOW, SO WE'RE IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS.
THIS GENTLEMAN AND MYSELF, I'M FOR TREVOR.
SOMEBODY ELSE ISN'T, BUT I DON'T EXPECT TO BE CALLED BACK AND VOICES RAISED AND NOT WANT TO HEAR ME JUST THE WAY IT IS.
DOES ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK? HELLO, I'M GREG FAYE, 1307 BENFIELD AVENUE.
UM, I'LL COME BACK IF NEEDED, BUT, UM, THE REASON MY COME FORWARD IS THIS IS ON THE HURRICANE HELENE RELIEF EFFORT, AND I HAD SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK THE CITY.
ONE BEING IN WHAT WAYS THE CITY OF NEW BERN IS ASSISTING IN THE RELIEF EFFORT? I KNOW Y'ALL ARE DOING A LOT, BUT JUST TO GET THE WORD OUT.
UM, WHAT WAYS THE CITIZENS OF NEW BERN CAN RESPOND, UM, AND CAN WE SET UP A CITYWIDE, UNIFIED, UNIFIED, LONG-TERM RELIEF EFFORT OF FINANCIAL AID AND NEEDED SUPPLIES SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO HELP THE WESTERN PART OF OUR STATE THROUGH ALL THIS? SURE.
I'LL, UM, MR. MANAGER, COULD YOU MAYBE SHARE WITH THE PUBLIC, UH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THE CITY'S BEEN PARTICIPATING IN? UH, YES, SIR.
SO WHEN THE HURRICANE WAS ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH THE WESTERN PART OF THE STATE, UM, WE ACTUALLY STARTED TALKING WITH STAFF, UH, TO TALK ABOUT, UH, WHAT KIND OF DRIVE CAN WE DO? AND SO THE GOAL WAS TO START THAT ON THE MONDAY AFTER THAT EVENT THAT DID START.
[00:10:01]
UM, AND JUST JUST SO EVERYONE KNOWS, WE ARE COLLECTING A VARIETY OF GOODS THROUGH THE 11TH OF OCTOBER.THEN WE'RE GONNA BE, UH, SENDING A TRUCK UP TO THE, UM, I THINK HAYWOOD COUNTY, UH, AT SOME POINT NEXT WEEK.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY PLEASED AT THE AMOUNT OF CITIZENS WHO HAVE DONATED A VARIETY OF GOODS.
WE HAVE SEVERAL DROP OFF POINTS WHEN WE HAD NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, THAT WAS A DROP OFF POINT.
CITY HALL IS A DROP OFF POINT.
WEST NEWBURN RECREATION CENTER, PLEASANT HILL COMMUNITY CENTER, AND THE FARMER'S MARKET.
SO ALL OF THOSE SITES HAVE BEEN QUITE BUSY.
I BELIEVE AS OF EARLIER TODAY, WE HAD 19 PALLETS OF GOODS THAT HAVE BEEN PRE-WRAPPED AND ARE READY TO BE PUT ON A TRUCK TO GO.
AND, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THINGS LIKE THAT AS LONG AS THERE'S A NEED.
WE ALSO DID SEND TWO FIRE RESCUE CREWS.
THEY WERE DISPATCHED AS PART OF TASK FORCE 10 FOR SEARCH AND RECOVERY.
AND WE HAD, UH, SEVERAL AS PART OF NC HEART, WHICH IS HELICOPTER AND AQUATIC RECOVERY TEAM.
AND SO THOSE FOLKS HAVE BEEN VERY, VERY BUSY IN THOSE EFFORTS.
WE ALSO SEND AN ELECTRIC UTILITY CREW TO ASSIST IN UTILITY REPAIRS.
UM, THEY'RE STILL IN SEARCH AND RECOVERY UP THERE.
AND IT TOOK US QUITE A WHILE TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE WERE GONNA SEND THESE GOODS.
SHE HAS BEEN THE PERSON THAT'S COORDINATED THE, THE, THE DRIVES AND HAS BEEN REACHING OUT TO FOLKS IN THE MOUNTAINS AND GETTING INFORMATION ON, ON WHAT WE COULD DO AND HOW WE COULD HELP HAS BEEN VERY DIFFICULT.
WE WERE ABLE TO SEND OUR FIRE RESCUE AND OUR UTILITY CREWS THROUGH, UH, PREVIOUSLY EXISTING MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS.
BUT WHAT WE HAVE HEARD TIME AND TIME AGAIN IS IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PLAN FOR HELPING US OUT AND YOU HAVEN'T WORKED SOMETHING OUT ALREADY, DON'T COME.
AND, AND WE HEAR THAT CONSISTENTLY.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE ON THE MUTUAL AID AS LONG AS WE CAN AND AS LONG AS THEY'RE NEEDED, WE'RE CURRENTLY ASSESSING, UH, SOME EQUIPMENT NEEDS IF WE CAN HELP THEM WITH THAT NOW.
UM, AND, UM, AND WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO, IF, IF, IF, IF THERE ARE GROUPS LIKE WE'VE TALKED WITH THROUGH THE UNITED WAYS, UH, WE'VE TALKED WITH CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS, AND THEY HAVE SEVERAL AREAS IN THE MOUNTAINS HAVE CONTACT INFORMATION, YOU CAN LOOK AT 'EM ONLINE, UH, AND THEY CAN TELL YOU IF, IF THEY NEED VOLUNTEERS TO HELP OUT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE'RE HAPPY TO DO ANYTHING WE CAN.
IT, IT WASN'T THAT LONG AGO WHEN WE WENT THROUGH HURRICANE FLORENCE AND THE UNITED STATES CAME TO NEWBURN AND HELPED US OUT GREATLY.
AND, AND, AND I'VE TALKED ABOUT FLORENCE A LOT LATELY, AND, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS REALLY NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA'S GOING THROUGH.
SO WE CERTAINLY FEEL FOR THEM AND WANT TO HELP OUT IN ANY WAY WE CAN.
DOES THAT HELP ANSWER SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS, SIR? YES.
ROBERT JOHNSON OF SEVEN 16 GARDEN STREET AND, UM, CITIZEN OF, UH, THE GREAT HISTORIC NEW VERN.
AND I CERTAINLY, UM, I LOVE THIS, UM, HISTORIC CITY SINCE I SPENT MOST OF MY LIFE HERE IN NEW BERN, 44 YEARS.
AND, UM, I HAVE WALKED THE COMMUNITY AND, UM, ENCOUNTERED WITH THE LEADERS OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND IF TRULY SAID MY HEART TO KNOW THAT AT THIS MEETING, THAT WE CERTAINLY DOESN'T HAVE A QUORUM TO, UH, TO CARRY ON, UH, THE BUSINESS OF THE CITY.
AND, UM, WE ARE CITIZENS OF, UH, ELECT OUR OF REPRESENTATIVE TO REPRESENT THE CITIZEN, TO BE THE VOICE FOR THE CITIZEN, TO DO WHAT IS GOOD AND RIGHT FOR THE, YOU KNOW, THE CITIZENS.
THAT'S OUR, UM, SOON, YOU KNOW, UM, WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVE THAT SIT IN AND POSITION, SEE WHERE YOU ARE, UH, TO DO.
AND, UM, IT JUST, UM, TO SEE THE OTHER THREE, NOT, I, YOU KNOW, I I JUST FEEL THAT, UH, THIS IS NOT WHAT, UH, IT'S NOT GOOD FOR US AS A CITY.
AND, UM, AND I'M, I'M A PASTOR AND, UM, THE LORD HAS, YOU KNOW, HE,
[00:15:01]
HE, HE TALKS TO ME AND, AND I TALKS TO HIM AND, UM, I DON'T SAY OR DO ANYTHING THAT'S WITHOUT HIS.AND, AND, UM, AND I PRAYED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS, UH, THIS PARTICULAR MEETING, UH, BEFORE COMING BECAUSE I WANTED TO BE WHAT THE LORD WOULD HAVE IT TO BE.
AND SO, UM, WHATEVER, UH, A PERSONAL GRIEF IS THAT THAT MIGHT BE, UH, GOING ON IN, ON THIS BOARD BETWEEN WHOEVER, UM, IS, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO PUT THAT ASIDE AND DO WHAT IS GOOD AND RIGHT TO BRING ABOUT UNITY, UM, YOU KNOW, IN OUR, YOU KNOW, CITY.
I DON'T, I FEEL THAT THE BUSINESS OF THIS CITY CANNOT GO ON WITHOUT THE, THE, THE SIX OF, UH, THE OTHER THREE.
SO, UM, I JUST HOPE THAT, UM, WHATEVER IT IS THAT HAS CAUSED THEM NOT TO BE HERE, THAT THEY WILL, UH, DO, YOU KNOW, KNOW THAT THEY NEED, THEY WAS PUT HERE TO REPRESENT, BE THE VOICE OF, OF US, AND WE AS CITIZENS DESERVED THEM TO WORK TOGETHER AND TO, UH, DO, UH, WHAT IS NECESSARY TO MOVE OUR CITY FORWARD.
[13. Discussion of Power Supply Cost Increase.]
I WILL ALSO SAY, UH, IF YOU WANNA TAKE A PEEK AT THE AGENDA.THERE WERE SEVERAL ITEMS ON HERE, UH, THAT WERE TIME SENSITIVE.
MR. BOUCHARD, UH, WAS GOING TO MAKE A PRESENTATION ON A POWER SUPPLY COST INCREASE THAT'S GONNA AFFECT ALL OF OUR ELECTRICAL CUSTOMERS.
WE'VE BEEN GIVEN A INCREASE FROM ELECTRIC CITIES.
UH, THE PLAN WAS TO LOOK AT THE INFORMATION TONIGHT, CALL FOR PUBLIC HEARING, SO WE COULD MAKE A DECISION IN OUR NEXT MEETING.
MR. BOUCHARD, IT LOOKS LIKE, UM, WHEN, WHEN WILL THAT INCREASE FROM ELECTRIC CITIES START HITTING US? THEY'VE ALREADY HAD, OKAY, SO WE'VE ALREADY STARTED INCREASED COST THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS TO PAY FOR.
SO THEREFORE NOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DELAY THIS DECISION AT LEAST TWO WEEKS TO CALL FOR A PUBLIC HEARING AND ACTUALLY TAKE THIS TOPIC UP.
SO I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT.
UH, THERE ARE SOME, IT LOOKS LIKE A REZONING.
UH, WE WERE CALLING FOR A PUBLIC HEARING ON A REZONING.
THERE WERE SOME UPSET BID PROCESSES TO GET STARTED, SOME STREET CLOSURES.
AND, UM, I CERTAINLY, UH, AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE THREE MEMBERS THAT CHOSE TO HAVE BETTER THINGS TO DO THIS EVENING AND COME CONDUCT THE BUSINESS OF THE CITY.
SO AT THIS POINT, WE'LL CONSIDER OURSELVES ADJOURNED.
COULD WE TAKE A ROLL CALL, PLEASE? A ROLL, ROLL CALL.
APOLOGIZE TO THE PUBLIC AND STAFF WHO TOOK YOUR TIME OUT TO COME TONIGHT FOR WASTE.