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THANK YOU.[1. 9 am: Call to order and Welcome. ]
TITLE RETREAT AND, YOU KNOW, CHICK-FIL-A MAKES IT LIKE A RETREAT, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.UH, BUT, UH, WELCOME EVERYBODY TO OUR RETREAT.
IT'S ALSO OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, AS YOU KNOW, PUBLIC PEOPLE HERE AT TEAM THIS MORNING.
BUT, UM, I THINK, AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR SPECIAL GUESTS FOR COMING THIS MORNING.
I JUST MET, UM, TRACY JACKSON AND MERRILL FLU, SO WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU WITH US THIS MORNING.
UM, SETH, CAN YOU GIVE US A ROLL CALL? I CERTAINLY CAN.
[3. 9:05 am: Attorney Presentation: General Statute and Powers Review ]
YOU VERY MUCH.WELL, I, WE ARE GONNA GET STARTED WITH OUR VERY FAVORITE ATTORNEY,
CAN I TAKE THE, UM, AND I BELIEVE YOU HAVE A PRESENTATION FOR US ABOUT THE GENERAL STATUTE AND POWERS REVIEW, WHICH IS A GREAT WAY TO START THE YEAR, BECAUSE YOU ARE ALWAYS REFERENCING THIS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND WE LOOK TO YOU AT EVERY MEETING.
WELL, GOOD MORNING, MADAM CHAIRMAN, AND I DID NOT SEE THE PINK AND GREEN YES.
SO MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION, HAPPY NEW YEAR OF YOU, HAVE NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GREET SO FAR THIS YEAR.
UM, IT IS MY ESTEEM PRIVILEGE TO ACCEPT MR. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S INVITATION TO JOIN YOU THIS MORNING AS BECOME OUR CUSTOM, UM, TO GIVE YOU JUST A REFRESHER OF SOME INFORMATION THAT WE TALK ABOUT KIND OF DURING THE COURSE OF THE YEAR.
BUT IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR JUST TO RESET, MAKE SURE THAT WE ALL ARE WORKING WITH THE SAME INFORMATION AND THE SAME KNOWLEDGE AS WE TURN OUR COURSE FOR THE NEXT 12 MONTHS.
SO, YOU'RE NOT GONNA HEAR ANYTHING NEW TODAY, BUT WE'RE GONNA REVISIT SOME OLD THINGS AND MAYBE UNPACK THEM IN A WAY THAT WE HAVEN'T UNPACKED THEM BEFORE, AND CONNECTING OUR, OUR CHARGE WITH OUR TOOLS IN A WAY THAT PERHAPS WE HAVEN'T UNDERSTOOD THEM IN THE PAST.
SO, THE FIRST THING THAT I'VE GIVEN OUT TO YOU, AND ACTUALLY THE ONLY THING LEMME GIVE OUT TO YOU TODAY IS YOUR POWERS CHART.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE SEEN BEFORE.
YOU SHOULD HAVE IT IN YOUR NOTEBOOK FOR REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
WE HAVEN'T MADE ANY AMENDMENTS, BUT IT'S ALWAYS GOOD WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO? WHAT'S OUR VISION TO CONNECT IT TO HOW WE CAN ACCOMPLISH THE VISION.
AND WE USE THE TOOLS IN OUR POWERS CHART TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THE VISION THAT WE HAVE.
SO WE'RE GONNA VISIT THAT IN JUST A SECOND BEFORE WE GET THERE.
WE ALL KNOW THAT REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS ARE CREATURES OF STATUTE.
SO IN NORTH CAROLINA, GENERAL STATUTE, CHAPTER ONE 60 A, ARTICLE 22, LEGAL MOMBO JUMBO, THAT'S WHEN WE FIND ALL THE RULES RELATED TO REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS.
AND VERY OFTEN WHEN WE READ STATUTES, THEY GOT THIS KIND OF INTRODUCTORY STUFF AT THE TOP THAT SAYS, OKAY, THIS IS WHY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY'S CREATING THE LAW.
AND WE KIND OF GLAZE PAST THAT AND GET DOWN TO THE NITTY GRITTY, OKAY, WHAT CAN WE DO? WHAT CAN WE NOT DO? HOW DO WE DO IT? BUT I WANNA GO BACK TO THE TOP TO SAY, WHEN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THIS STATE WAS THINKING ABOUT WHETHER TO CREATE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS, WHAT WAS ON THEIR MIND? AND I THINK UNDERSTANDING THE PUBLIC POLICY BEHIND WHY REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS EXIST WILL HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS THAT WE ARE TO DO.
SO IN THE STATUTE 1 68 5 0 1, WE HAVE CERTAIN FINDINGS BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
AND HERE'S WHAT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SAID.
THEY SAID THAT THEY HEREBY FIND THAT THEIR EXISTING URBAN COMMUNITIES, BLIGHTED AREAS, IT'S THE FIRST THING THEY SAY.
THEY, THEY, THEY TALK ABOUT THIS CONCEPT OF HAVING A BLIGHTED AREA.
AND THEY GO ON TO SAY THAT BLIGHTED AREAS, UM, ARE AREAS WHERE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL LIABILITIES EXIST, CIRCUMSTANCES THAT ARE INTEREST TO PUBLIC HEALTH, HARMFUL TO SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC WELLBEING.
UM, SITUATIONS WHERE WE HAVE DEPRECIATE VALUES, DECLINING TAX REVENUES, UM, OVERALL JUST A SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES THAT HAVE REALLY NEGATIVE IMPACTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND IN RECOGNIZING THAT THOSE CONDITIONS EXIST IN SOME OF OUR COMMUNITIES, THE LEGISLATURE SAYS THAT THE ACQUISITION, PREPARATION, SALE, AND SOUND RE-PLANNING OF THESE AREAS WILL PROMOTE PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY, CONVENIENCE, AND WELFARE.
SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WHY WE EXIST AND WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE TO DO, WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE HAVE BLIGHTED AREAS IN
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OUR COMMUNITY.AND THE LEGISLATURE THINKS THAT ACQUISITION, PREPARATION, SALE, AND REPLANNING WILL HELP TO IMPROVE CONDITIONS IN THESE AREAS SUCH THAT WE REDUCE
SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WHAT IT IS, HOW WE HAVE TO PRIORITIZE THE THINGS THAT WE DO, AT LEAST IN THE SHORT TERM, YOU MIGHT CONSIDER BEARING IN MIND THAT BLIGHT EXISTS.
AND WE CAN ELIMINATE OR REDUCE BLIGHT BY ACQUIRING PROPERTIES, BY PREPARING PROPERTIES, SELLING PROPERTIES, AND REPLANTING PROPERTIES.
AND WE'LL UNPACK WHAT THOSE CONCEPTS MEAN.
THE STATUTE GOES ON TO SAY, THEREFORE, IT'LL BE THE POLICY OF THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA TO PROMOTE HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE IN ITS CABINETS BY CREATING REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS, WHICH SHALL EXIST AND OPERATE FOR PUBLIC PURPOSES, FOR ACQUIRING, REPLANNING, HOLDING, AND DISPOSING OF AREAS SUCH THAT THEY ARE, THEY BECOME AVAILABLE FOR ECONOMICALLY AND SOCIALLY SOUND REDEVELOPMENT.
SO IF WE LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE THINGS TOGETHER, REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS ARE DIRECTLY CONNECTED WITH THE STATE'S GOAL TO REDUCE AND ELIMINATE THE LIGHT.
WHAT DOES BLIGHT MEAN? I'M GLAD YOU ASKED.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY TELLS US WHAT THAT MEANS, BECAUSE VERY OFTEN WHEN WE THINK ABOUT POP CULTURE AND MOVIES AND, AND OTHER THINGS, WE HAVE AN IMAGE IN OUR MIND THAT MAY NOT NECESSARILY CONNECT WITH WHAT THE STATUTORY DEFINITION OF BLIGHT IS.
AND IT'S FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
STATUTE SAYS THAT A BLIGHTED AREA IS AN AREA WHERE THERE'S A PREDOMINANCE OF BUILDINGS THAT ARE DILAPIDATED, DETERIORATED, OLD OBSOLETE, OR AREAS WHERE THERE ARE OPEN SPACES, HIGH DENSITY POPULATIONS, OVERCROWDING, UNSAFE PROPERTY CONDITIONS, OR ANY COMBINATION OF THESE FACTORS THAT ALSO ARE CONNECTED WITH ILL HEALTH, TRANSMISSION OF DISEASE, INFANT MORTALITY, JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, CRIME, AND OTHER CONDITIONS OF THE DETRIMENTAL TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH.
SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE AREAS WHERE YOU ALL ARE TASKED WITH REDEVELOPMENT, WE WANT TO THINK ABOUT EACH OF THOSE COMPONENTS AND HOW THEY CONTRIBUTE TO THE OVERALL LIFE.
NOW, I'M THINKING ABOUT SOME OF THESE SOCIAL CONDITIONS.
OBVIOUSLY, OUR COUNTY HAS A DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, AND THERE ARE LOTS OF NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE TASKED WITH DOING VERY SPECIFIC SOCIAL TYPE WORK IN OUR POWER.
WE DON'T HAVE THE THE CAPABILITY TO DO A LOT OF THOSE THINGS.
HOWEVER, IF WE GO BACK TO OUR MISSION, ACCORDING TO THE LEGISLATURE, SOME OF THE TOOLS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR DEVELOPMENT TO CHANGE THE PHYSICAL LANDSCAPE CAN ALSO CHANGE SOME OF THOSE SOCIETAL ISSUES AS WELL.
SO, AS YOU GO FORWARD TODAY, I WANT YOU TO BEAR IN MIND, IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING, ADDRESSING LIGHT IS A PROPERTY THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING.
IF WE REPLAN THAT PROPERTY, WE SELL THAT PROPERTY, WE REQUIRE THAT PROPERTY.
WHAT IMPACT DOES THAT HAVE TO THE OVERALL FLIGHT IN YOUR PACKET INFORMATION THAT MR. HUFF HAS DISTRIBUTED TO YOU ON PAGE 13 OR 43, DEPENDING ON HOW YOU LOOK AT IT, THERE IS A MAP FROM THE CHOICE NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, PLAN THAT LOOKS AT CRIME AND CODE, UH, CODE ENFORCEMENT, AND IT BLOCKS CRIME RATES AND MINIMUM HOUSING CODE ENFORCEMENT FROM 2018 TO 2019.
NOW, GRANTED, YOU KNOW, THE STATISTIC IS A BIT DATED, BUT THIS IS THE MAP I'M TALKING ABOUT.
ANYWAY, THIS IS WHAT WE STARTED WITH.
SO THIS IS IN YOUR ADOPTED REDEVELOPMENT PLAN FROM YES, TO YEAR.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THESE, THESE VARIOUS DIFFERENT, UM, SYMBOLS ON THIS MAP, YOU SEE SOME OF THE AREAS, YOU HAVE A VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF SOME OF THE AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED WITH EITHER DILAPIDATED OR DETERIORATED STRUCTURES, UM, INCIDENCES OF VARIOUS DIFFERENT CRIMES, UM, EXPIRED BUILDING PERMITS AND ET CETERA.
SO AS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THE PHYSICAL LANDSCAPE AND THINKING ABOUT THIS CONCEPT OF BLIGHT, LOOKING, THINKING ABOUT BLIGHT AND CONNECTING IT TO THIS MAP MAY GIVE YOU SOME INFORMATION TO CONSIDER AS YOU PRIORITIZE WHERE TO CONCENTRATE YOUR EFFORTS.
NOW, CERTAINLY YOU ALL HAVE HAD MANY SUCCESSES IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR AND TAKING VACANT PROPERTIES AND CONNECTING THEM WITH SALARY DEVELOPMENT.
AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THOSE REDEVELOPMENT EFFORTS COME TO FRUITION.
BUT AS YOU THINK ABOUT OTHER PROPERTIES
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AND PARCELS, THINK ABOUT THE NUMBER OF VACANT LOTS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED IN THE PLAN.THINK ABOUT, UM, INCIDENCES WHERE WE MAY HAVE DETERIORATED OR DILAPIDATED STRUCTURES AS YOU RIDE BY.
WE HAVE A DEPARTMENT HERE IN THE CITY OF NEW BERN THAT TRACKS DETERIORATED AND, UH, DILAPIDATED RESIDENTIAL AS WELL AS COMMERCIAL STRUCTURES.
SO THAT MAY BE INFORMATION THAT YOU WANT TO SEEK GOING FORWARD TO MAKE SURE THAT THE STATISTICS THAT WERE BLOTTED IN 2018 AND 19, MAYBE THOSE STATISTICS HAVE CHANGED.
MAYBE THERE ARE MORE PROPERTIES THAT NEED TO BE ON THIS MAP.
MAYBE THERE ARE PROPERTIES THAT NEED TO BE ELIMINATED FROM THIS MAP.
BUT THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE PIECES OF INFORMATION THAT YOU MIGHT SEEK GOING FORWARD TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE AN ADEQUATE UNDERSTANDING OF THE CURRENT CONDITION OF LIGHT AND REBELLING AREA.
MAY, UH, I WANNA CUT YOU OFF, BUT WHEN YOU WERE SAID YOU HAVE AN APARTMENT HERE, I'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THE DEPARTMENTS HERE, BUT IT SEEMS OUT IT'S A LONG PROCESS TO GET SOMETHING REMOVED OR TORN DOWN.
AND IF YOU'VE SEEN A HOUSE WITH A HOLE IN THE ROOF FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS, AND WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING ABOUT IT, IT'S LIKE, IT'S, IT'S, I'M GLAD YOU BRING THAT UP AS IT, IT, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT IS, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TRYING TO DO SOME REDEVELOPMENT, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE AN DEPARTMENT THAT, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE THEY'RE DOING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
JUST SEEM THE PROCESS IS TOO LONG.
THE PROCESS, THE PROCESS IS TOO LOW.
AND, AND FOR THOSE OF YOU ALL WHO MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH THIS DEPARTMENT, WHAT MR. DEPARTMENT IS DISCUSSING IN THE CITY'S CODE OF ORDINANCES, THERE'S A PROCESS IN THE STATUTE AS WELL.
THERE'S A PRO PROCESS WHEREIN A LOCAL GOVERNMENT CAN COME IN AND SAY, HEY, YOUR PROPERTY, WE'VE INVESTIGATED IT.
IT FAILS TO MEET THE MINIMUM SAFETY STANDARDS OF OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
IT IS EITHER DILAPIDATED OR DETERIORATED, DEPENDING ON THE LEVEL OF, UM, DETERIORATION, DETERIORATION IN THE BUILDING TO REPEAT THE PHRASE.
UM, AND IF THAT DETERMINATION IS MADE, THE CHIEF BUILDING INSPECTOR OF THE CITY, UM, FILES A COMPLAINT AND ISSUES AN ORDER SAYING, THOU SHALT IMPROVE YOUR PROPERTY WITHIN THIS PARTICULAR WINDOW OF TIME.
AND THAT CAN BE A SHORT TIME, OR IT CAN BE A LONG TIME, DEPENDING ON THE NATURE OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
IF A PROPERTY OWNER FAILS TO REMEDY THE ISSUES SUCH AS IT'S IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR MINIMUM STANDARDS, THEN THERE ARE CERTAIN ACTIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
ONE OF THEM CAN BE DEMOLITION DEPENDING ON THE LEVEL OF SEVERITY.
ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT THE DEPARTMENT OFTEN FACES IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING IS QUITE OFTEN THESE PROPERTIES ARE AIR PROPERTIES.
AND WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT PROPERTY OWNERS HAVE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS THAT PROTECT THEM FROM HAVING THEIR PROPERTY TAKEN FROM THEM WITHOUT DUE PROCESS OF LAW OR JUST COMPENSATION.
SO WE HAVE TO BALANCE THOSE INTERESTS.
IF WE CAN'T NOTIFY THE OWNERS BECAUSE WE CAN'T IDENTIFY THEM THAT THESE ISSUES EXIST, HOW CAN WE THEN GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND BE HEARD BEFORE WE THINK ABOUT DEPRIVING THEM OF THE STRUCTURE THAT HAS SOME VALUE, NO MATTER HOW DI MINI IS GIVEN THE LEVEL OF DETERIORATION.
SO I HEAR THAT THE PROCESS TAKES A LONG TIME, ESPECIALLY IN THE REDEVELOPMENT AREA BECAUSE OF THAT NEW ISSUE.
AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT MY ADVICE TO THE INSPECTIONS DEPARTMENT IS TRY TO FIND A LIVING, BREATHING HUMAN BEING TO TALK TO, TO TRY TO REMEDY THESE CONDITIONS BEFORE WE INPUT, UM, STATE ACTION.
THE TWO CASES WE DEAL WITH NOW IS THEY SEND LETTERS, BUT THEY NEVER GET A RESPONSE FROM THE LADY THAT OWNS THE PROPERTY.
AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE, THERE'S A PROVISION IN OUR CODE THAT SAYS IF WE COULD GET SERVICE ON A PERSON WHO HAS AN INTEREST IN THE PROPERTY, THAT CHECKS A BOX.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU MAY DO, LEADING ME TO OUR POWERS ANALYSIS, IS YOU HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN.
IF YOU IDENTIFY ISSUES IN THE REDEVELOPMENT AREA OR ISSUES IN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT THAT COULD BE REMEDIED TO HELP BE MORE EFFECTIVE AND ADDRESSING ISSUES OF LIFE, YOU CAN BRING THAT INFORMATION TO THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN AND ASK THEM TO CHANGE POLICIES OR CONSIDER MAKING AMENDMENTS TO OUR LOCAL ORDINANCES.
SO LET'S TRANSITION NOW TO THE POWER CHART.
TO EXTEND THIS BEFORE, BEFORE THE POWER THAT YOU ALL USE QUITE OFTEN AND REGULARLY IS THE POWER TO PURCHASE PROPERTY IN THE REDEVELOPMENT AREA.
OKAY? WE'RE GONNA SHARE SOME OVER HERE.
THAT'S YOUR, YOU HAVE THE POWER TO PURCHASE PROPERTY.
YOU CAN GO INTO CLOSED SESSION.
YOU CAN INSTRUCT THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OR ONE OF YOUR MEMBERS ABOUT WHAT PRICE YOU'RE WILLING TO PAY, OR A RANGE THAT YOU'RE WILLING TO PAY FOR A PARTICULAR PROPERTY.
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THAT PROPERTY IS GOING TO HELP REDUCE BLIGHT, OKAY? THAT'S NOT TO SAY YOU CAN ONLY BUY BLIGHTED PARCELS, IS NOT WHAT I'M SAYING, BUT YOU CAN BUY PARCELS SO THAT YOU CAN AGGREGATE PARCELS SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE A NET IMPACT OF PRODUCING LIFE IN THE COMMUNITY.YOU HAVE THE POWER TO DO THAT, OTHERWISE ACQUIRE PROPERTY IN THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION OR THE REDEVELOPMENT AREA.
BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? OTHERWISE ACQUIRE, YOU CAN ACCEPT GIFTS, THE LION'S SHARE OF YOUR PROPERTY THAT YOU'VE GOTTEN, YOU HAVE RECEIVED AT NO COST FROM THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
BE THAT COUNTY OR THE CITY OF NEWCOMB.
SO YOU CAN ACQUIRE PROPERTY THAT WAY.
ENTITIES OR INDIVIDUALS WHO GIFT YOU PROPERTY PAY.
I KNOW THAT THE HOUSE ON MY PROPERTY IS GETTING READY TO FALL DOWN.
I CAN'T BRING IT INTO COMPLIANCE.
I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO DEMOLISH IT.
I WILL GIVE IT TO THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
SO LONG AS YOU ALL WILL DO SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE WITH THE LOT, THAT IS AN OPTION THAT YOU HAVE AT YOUR DISPOSAL.
HOLD IMPROVE, CLEAR OR PREPARE LAND FOR DEVELOPMENT.
YOU HAVE GONE ON BLOOMFIELD STREET, YOU HAVE HELD SOME LOTS, SOME OF THEM, YOU BOUGHT SOME OF THEM.
YOU ACQUIRED THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT, YOU'VE CLEARED THEM LOTS OF DEBRIS AND OTHER THINGS.
YOU HAVE 'EM SURVEYED, YOU PUT 'EM ON THE MARKET, YOU ADVERTISE FOR BIDS, AND YOU WERE ABLE TO SELL THOSE LOTS.
YOU'VE EXERCISED THAT POWER, OBTAIN SURVEYS, APPRAISALS, PRELIMINARY STUDIES.
YOU'RE IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING SOME SURVEY WORK DONE, UM, ON WEST A STREET, WHICH I KNOW MR. KIPP IS GONNA TALK ABOUT LATER TODAY.
SO YOU HAVE, YOU'VE EXERCISED THAT POWER.
SO YOU, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GOOD ON THAT ONE.
MAKE PLANS FOR A PROGRAM FOR VOLUNTARY REPAIR AND REHABILITATION OF BUILDING.
THAT'S THE POWER THAT YOU HAVE THAT PERHAPS YOU CONSIDER UTILIZING.
YOU HAVE THE POWER TO WORK WITH CITY STAFF AND OTHERS TO CREATE A PROGRAM BY WHICH INSTEAD OF THE GOVERNMENT TAKING PEOPLE'S PROPERTY BECAUSE THEY CAN'T FIX IT, HELPING PEOPLE UTILIZE RESOURCES TO IMPROVE AND INVEST IN THEMSELVES AND IMPROVE THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS AND THEIR OWN PARCELS.
NOW, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN PRACTICE, WE CAN UNPACK A BIT BECAUSE WE HAVE A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, UM, PERSON HERE IN THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP US WITH GRANTS AND OTHER, UM, FEDERAL FUNDS, STATE FUNDS THAT YOU MIGHT BE A CONDUIT FOR TO INSTITUTE SUCH A PROGRAM.
IF YOU HAVE AN APPETITE TO DO SO, MAKE PLANS FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT RELATED TO LAND USE AND THE USE AND OCCUPANCY OF BUILDINGS.
SOMETHING THAT MR. PARHAM JUST TOUCHED ON.
YOU HAVE THE POWER TO SAY, HEY, RIGHT NOW THE CITY OF NEW BERN IS A COMPLAINT BASED SYSTEM WHERE IF I'M DRIVING BY ON A PARTICULAR STREET AND I SEE A BUILDING THAT'S IN A STATE OF DECAY DISREPAIR, I'VE GOTTA CALL AND TELL SOMEBODY ABOUT THIS BUILDING BEFORE SOMETHING HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAPPEN.
WHY DON'T WE CHANGE THAT POLICY SO THAT MAYBE IT FUNCTIONS A DIFFERENT WAY, PERHAPS TO BE MORE PROACTIVE.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE HEARD CONVERSATION ABOUT IN THE PAST.
YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE STATUTORY AUTHORITY TO MAKE SUCH A RECOMMENDATION OR MAKE A PLAN YOURSELVES AND PRESENT THAT TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT FOR ITS CONSIDERATION AND ADOPTION, EXECUTE CONTRACTS FOR CONSTRUCTION, DEMOLITION, ET CETERA.
YOU'VE MOVED STRUCTURES, YOU'VE DEMOLISHED STRUCTURES, YOU'VE BUILT STRUCTURES, YOU'VE DONE ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
SO WE DRUG TOO, I'M SORRY, WE DRUG TOO.
WE DID, WE DID, UM, MAKE RESOLUTIONS.
UM, MAKING RESOLUTIONS IS A GOOD WAY TO BE TRANSPARENT AND DOCUMENT YOUR ACTIONS.
YOU ALL ARE A PUBLIC BODY, YOU KNOW THAT.
AND THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME IN AND INSPECT YOUR WORK IF THEY WANT TO.
SO IF ANYONE EVER HAS A QUESTION ABOUT THE ACTION THAT YOU TOOK, HAVING A RESOLUTION THAT DOCUMENTS IT, THERE'S A PIECE OF PAPER THAT EXISTS THAT ARTICULATES YOUR POSITION AND WHY YOU DID SOMETHING IS ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS A GOOD PRACTICE.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL DO.
MAKE EXPENDITURES, Y'ALL DO THAT, Y'ALL DO THAT.
MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN.
YOU DO THAT WHEN YOU GET READY TO SELL PROPERTY.
YOU HAVE TO ASK FOR THE APPROVAL FROM THE GOVERNING BOARD, AND YOU RECOMMEND TO THEM THAT THEY APPROVE THE SALE.
THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU CAN RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD DO.
CONNECTING THAT TO SOME THINGS THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED.
HIGHER UP ON THE LIST, SELL PROPERTY WITH OR WITHOUT CONSIDERATION.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS KIND OF AT LENGTH AD NAUSEUM, BUT I'M JUST GONNA RUN THROUGH IT REAL QUICKLY.
OBVIOUSLY WE GOTTA GET APPROVAL FROM THE GOVERNING BOARD ADVERTISEMENT FOR SEAL BID.
YOU'VE DONE THAT AND THAT PROCESS.
WE PUBLISHED A NOTICE IN THE NEWSPAPER FOR 30 DAYS SAYING,
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HEY, WE'RE SELLING THIS PROPERTY AT THIS PRICE.OR YOU DON'T HAVE TO SET A MINIMUM PRICE.
HERE ARE THE CRITERIA THAT YOU HAVE TO SATISFY.
FILE A BID WITH THE CITY CLERK WITHIN THIS PERIOD.
ONCE THE BIDS ARE OPEN, WHOEVER BIDS THE HIGHEST MEETING, THE CRITERIA WINS.
CONVERSELY, THE UPSET BID PROCESS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
WE PUBLISH A NOTICE IN THE NEWSPAPER SAYING, HEY, WE HAVE RECEIVED AN OFFER TO PURCHASE.
THIS IS THE MINIMUM AMOUNT THAT HAS BEEN BID.
YOU GOT 10 DAYS TO UPSET THAT BID.
IF SOMEONE DOES, OKAY, THEY'VE RAISED THAT BID BY A CERTAIN AMOUNT, GOT 10 MORE DAYS TO UPSET THAT BID, AND THAT PROCESS CAN GO ON AND ON AND ON AND ON UNTIL FINALLY THERE ARE NO UPSET BIDS RECEIVED.
ONCE THAT FINAL BID IS RECEIVED AND THERE'S NO UPSET, YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACCEPT OR REJECT ALL BIDS PUBLIC OPTION.
YOU SEE THAT ON TV VERY OFTEN.
THE COUNTY DOES IT ALL THE TIME WITH TAX FORECLOSURE PROPERTIES.
LITERALLY STAND ON THE COURTHOUSE STEPS HERE.
YOU HERE, YOU WE'RE GONNA SELL THIS PROPERTY.
AND YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, THE FIFTH FLOOR EXCHANGE.
WHEN THERE IS A BLIGHTED PARCEL OR A PARCEL IN YOUR REDEVELOPMENT AREA BOUNDARY THAT HAS VALUE TO YOU, AND YOU HAVE, UH, PROPERTY THAT MIGHT BE VALUABLE TO ACCELERATE, YOU CAN SWAP 'EM SO LONG AS THERE IS ADEQUATE CONSIDERATION, NOT MEANING THEY HAVE TO BE VALUED THE SAME MONETARILY, BUT IN VALUING THE PROPERTIES, IF IT'S GOING TO BE AN EVEN EXCHANGE, YOU CAN SWAP PROPERTIES IN YOUR BOUNDARY.
AND I SAY IN YOUR BOUNDARY BECAUSE ALL OF YOUR JURISDICTION BEGINS AND ENDS IN YOUR REDEVELOPMENT AREA BOUNDARY.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY, PRIVATE SALE TO AN ENTITY CARRYING OUT A PUBLIC PURPOSE.
YOU CAN SELL PROPERTY TO ENTITIES CARRYING OUT A PUBLIC PURPOSE, SUCH AS, UM, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE CARRYING OUT A PUBLIC PURPOSE, BEING A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION IN AND OF ITSELF DOES NOT CHECK THE BOX.
IT LOOKS SPECIFICALLY AT THE PURPOSE THAT IS BEING CARRIED OUT.
OKAY? AND I SEE OUR FRIEND FROM ECU SHAKING HIS HEAD BECAUSE VERY OFTEN PEOPLE GET TRIPPED UP THERE.
WELL, THEY'RE 5 0 1 C3, WHY CAN'T I JUST GIVE THEM A MILLION DOLLARS? WELL, THERE'S MORE TO THAT ANALYSIS.
UM, BUT IN YOUR CASE, YOU'VE EXERCISED HIS POWER.
WHEN YOU, UM, CONVEY PROPERTY TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, YOUR THE UNITS THAT YOU CONSTRUCTED ON, UH, WHILE FELONY TEMPORARILY RE LEASE OR RENT PROPERTY IN CONNECTION WITH AN ONGOING REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT, WHAT DOES TEMPORARY MEAN? I DON'T KNOW.
UM, THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY CASE LAW INTERPRETING WHAT THAT MEANS.
THE SCHOOL GOVERNMENT DOESN'T HAVE ANY INSIGHT.
NOT TOO LONG IS ALL I HAVE FOR YOU
FORTUNATELY IN NORTH CAROLINA, THERE HAS NOT BEEN A GREAT AMOUNT OF LITIGATION CONCERNING REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS.
WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF GUIDANCE FOR WHAT THE PARAMETERS ARE.
WE JUST HAVE TO COMPARE IT TO OTHER, OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS USE OF THE RIGHT EXERCISE OF THE RIGHT OF IMMINENT DOMAIN.
AND YOUR REDEVELOPMENT PLAN THAT YOU ADOPTED YEARS AGO, YOU SET OUT TO THE PUBLIC, WE HAVE THIS RIGHT AND WE KNOW WE HAVE THIS RIGHT, BUT IS OUR INTENTION TO ONLY USE IT AS A TOOL OF LAST RESORT? I BRING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION BECAUSE THERE MAY BE CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE IT MAY BE NECESSARY OR PRUDENT TO ACQUIRE, ACQUIRE BLIGHTED PARCELS FOR REDEVELOPMENT PURPOSES, WHICH ARE PUBLIC PURPOSES.
YOU HAVE THE TOOL IF YOU WANT TO USE IT.
THERE'S A PROCESS BY WHICH WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH.
BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS IN YOUR TOOL BELT.
CAN I USE THAT FOR THE HOUSE I'M TALKING ABOUT? PER, PERHAPS IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR YOU TO, TO DISCUSS.
DISCUSS WHAT IMMINENT DOMAIN IS NOT.
SO IMMINENT DOMAIN IS A CONDEMNATION COUNT.
AND VERY OFTEN AND JUST COMMON CONVERSATION, PEOPLE SAY THEY OUGHT TO CONDEMN THAT HOUSE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S GETTING READY TO FALL DOWN ON ITSELF.
THEY OUGHT TO, THEY, THEY JUST NEED TO CONDEMN THAT HOUSE.
AND WHAT THEY'RE SAYING IS THAT HOUSE, THAT HOUSE IS UNFIT FOR HUMAN HABITATION AND PEOPLE SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED TO LIVE THERE.
AND THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD TAKE SOME ACTION TO EITHER FORCE THE PROPERTY OWNER TO REMEDY THE ISSUES OR TEAR IT DOWN.
THAT IS NOT A CONDEMNATION IN THE, IN THE TERMS THAT WE'RE SAYING, CONNECTED WITH IMMINENT DOMAIN.
CONDEMNATION IN THE IMMINENT DOMAIN CONTEXT IS A TAKING OF PRIVATE PROPERTY, BUT YOU PAY JUST COMPENSATION FOR IT.
SO, HEY, MS. SUSIE, WE ARE GETTING READY TO BUILD A VOICE, UH, A WETLANDS FEATURE TO HELP THE DRAINAGE OF THE LARGER COMMUNITY, YOUR PROPERTY'S IN THE WAY.
SO WE ARE GOING TO FILE A LAWSUIT
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NAMING YOU AS A DEFENDANT, AND WE ARE GOING TO TAKE TITLE OF YOUR PROPERTY.WE'RE GOING TO HAVE IT APPRAISED, AND WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU THE APPRAISED VALUE FOR THAT PROPERTY.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT SOMETIMES PEOPLE SAY NO THANKS, OR THEY DISAGREE WITH THE VALUE THAT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT OR GOVERNMENT ENTITY PROPOSES.
AND THEN WE FIND OURSELVES IN A CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE WE'RE HAVING A TRIAL ON THE ISSUE OF VALUE.
IT CAN BECOME A LONG, EXPENSIVE PROCESS, NOT TO DISCOURAGE YOU AT ALL, BUT JUST SO THAT YOU KNOW THE BREADTH OF THE POSSIBILITIES THAT COULD ENUE ONCE YOU CHART DOWN THAT COURSE SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE A BEFORE DECISION ABOUT WHETHER THAT'S AN ADEQUATE USE OF YOUR RESOURCES.
BUT IN THE CONTEXT OF A HOUSE OR A STRUCTURE OR A BUILDING IS UNFIT FOR HUMAN HABITATION.
THERE IS A PROCESS THAT EXISTS CURRENTLY THAT MAY, THAT YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER REVIEWING AND MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY ABOUT HOW TO BETTER EITHER CHANGE THE RULES, UM, CONSISTENT WITH THE STATUTE OR BETTER IMPLEMENT IT SO THAT IT'S MORE EFFECTIVE AND GIVES BETTER OUTCOMES AND DECREASING
SO THE LAST THING ON YOUR CHART IS YOU HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN WITH AN ASTERISK THAT WOULD TAKE IT, UM, APPROVED BY THE GOVERNING BOARD.
YOUR REDEVELOPMENT PLAN, UM, COVERS A LOT OF GROUND.
THERE ARE A LOT OF COMPONENTS.
AND MY SURVEY OF REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS ACROSS THE STATE, I'VE NOT SEEN A REDEVELOPMENT AREA AS LARGE AS THIS ONE WITH BOTH COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL COMPONENTS, HISTORIC AREAS.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF DIVERSITY THERE.
AND IF IT EVER COMES TO YOU THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WE WERE THINKING IN 2017 OR 18 MAY NOT BE GERMANE, NOW YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO BACK AND MAKE REVISIONS TO THE EXTENT THAT IT'S NECESSARY.
SO THAT'S MY SPIEL FOR THE MORNING.
IF YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING THAT I DISCUSSED, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE THOSE QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.
IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WASN'T CONTAINED IN THIS PRESENTATION THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO, UM, ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT IN THE FUTURE, WE CERTAINLY CAN PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA AND WE CAN, UH, ENTERTAIN THOSE, THOSE TOPICS AT THAT TIME.
UH, VICE VERSUS RESPONSE, UM, IN REGARDS TO THE HOMEOWNER, THE SAID GUIDED STRUCTURE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T GO IN BECAUSE THEY HAVE RIGHTS, BUT WHEN DO THE RESPONSE, WHAT'S THE TRADE OFF WITH THE RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES? SO YOU MENTIONED WE CAN'T GO INTO THE STRUCTURE.
THERE IS A LEGAL MECHANISM WHERE IN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS CAN GET ADMINISTRATIVE SEARCH WARRANTS THAT ARE ISSUED BY EITHER THE CLERK OF COURT OR A MAGISTRATE THAT ALLOW CITY INSPECTORS TO GO ONTO THE PROPERTY WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THE PROPERTY OWNER.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT THAT HAPPENS.
I'M NOT GONNA SAY REGULARLY, BUT IT'S NOT, UM, UNUSUAL TO OBTAIN A SEARCH WARRANT IN THE CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE WE'RE UNABLE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER OR, UM, THE PROPERTY OWNERS ARE NOT EASILY IDENTIFIED.
BUT I'LL TELL YOU IN CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE WE HAVE LOCAL KNOWLEDGE, WHERE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO GROW UP AND HAVE CONNECTIONS WITH THAT COMMUNITY MAY BE ABLE TO HELP IDENTIFY SOMEONE WHO KNOW, WHO YOU KNOW, HAS A CONNECTION TO THE PROPERTY, WHO MAY LIVE IN THE PROPERTY, WHO MAY HAVE OWNED THE PROPERTY.
AND, AND SHARING THAT KIND OF LOCAL KNOWLEDGE CAN BE HELPFUL IN TRYING TO REMEDY SITUATIONS AS OPPOSED TO INSPECTORS JUST USING PUBLIC RESOURCES TO TRY TO, UM, IDENTIFY FOLKS.
SO THE RESPONSIBILITY TO IMPROVE THE PROPERTY IS ALWAYS ON THE PROPERTY OWNER.
THE ROLES IN TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH THAT CAN BE SHARED.
IT CAN BE SHARED BY THE PROPERTY OWNER OR THE LEFT SEAT, OR SOMEONE HAS AN OPTION TO BUY.
UM, IT CAN BE SHARED WITH YOU ALL.
IF THERE'S A VOLUNTARY, UH, REHABILITATION PROGRAM, THE ROLES CAN BE SPREAD OUT.
BUT THE, THE RESPONSIBILITY, OFTEN THE LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY REST THE PROPERTY OR OWNERS.
ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'VE RUN INTO MULTIPLE TIMES IS TITLE, THE PROPERTY IN THE REDEVELOPMENT AREA.
I MEAN, THE HORRIBLE, AS WE KNOW, HOW, HOW CAN WE CONTINUE TRYING TO DO THE THINGS THAT WE'RE SET TO DO OR DESIRED TO DO WHEN WE RUN INTO THESE, THESE TITLE PROBLEMS ALL THE TIME? 'CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY TIME WE HAVE 'EM ALL, BUT LET'S PUT IT THAT WAY, WE DO.
AND, AND I'M GONNA UNPACK A LITTLE BIT, BUT WHAT YOU MEAN BY TITLE IS AWFUL.
SO SOMETIMES IN COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY, I'M NOT GONNA SAY THAT.
SOMETIMES IN COMMUNITIES, UM, GRANDMA BIG MAMA HAD A HOUSE AND BIG MAMA WILL HAVE FOUR CHILDREN.
AND BIG MAMA WILL SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, WHEN I DIE, Y'ALL KNOW WHAT TO DO.
Y'ALL KNOW WHAT MY WISHES ARE AND I WANT EVERYBODY TO SHARE AND SHARE A LIFE.
[00:30:01]
AND THEN YOU HAVE, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY CHILDREN BIG MAMA HAS, BUT WE'LL CALL FIVE THESE FIVE CHILDREN, AND EVERYBODY MOVES AWAY AND ONE PERSON STAYS IN THE HOUSE AND THAT ONE PERSON THINKS IT'S THEIR HOUSE.BUT BECAUSE BIG MAMA DIED AND DIDN'T HAVE THE WILL AND DIDN'T OTHERWISE CONVEY THE PROPERTY DURING HER LIFE, ALL FIVE OF THOSE CHILDREN SHARE A ONE FIFTH INTEREST IN THE PROPERTY, RIGHT? SUCH THAT NO ONE PERSON CAN SELL OR CONVEY THE PROPERTY, NOT THE CONSENT OF THE OTHER.
FOURTH AND PRACTICAL LIFE HEARS THE PROBLEM.
ALL FIVE OF THEM HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY, THE LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY.
SO WHEN THE HOUSE STARTS TO FALL INTO A STATE OF DISREPAIR, THE ONE WHO'S LIVING THERE SAYS, HEY, Y'ALL NEED TO HELP ME REPAIR THIS STRUCTURE.
AND THEY'RE LIKE, I'M GONNA THAT EXTRA HOUSE.
SO THE PERSON WHO'S IN THE HOUSE, OR THE PERSON WHO'S LOCAL BEARS THAT BRUNT, BUT THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE, THEY MAY NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES DO EVERYTHING THAT'S NECESSARY.
SO THE PERSON WHO LIVES THERE SAYS, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS GETTING TO BE TOO MUCH FOR ME? I WANNA SELL IT.
WELL, THEN THE OTHER FOUR SHOW UP AGAIN AND SAID, WELL, YOU'RE GOING TO SELL IT.
'CAUSE MAMA LEFT THAT HOUSE TO BE TWO.
SO NO, VERY OFTEN, NO ONE WANTS TO INVEST.
NO ONE OWNER WANTS TO INVEST THEIR RESOURCES TO HAVE TO SHARE THE RETURN WITH FIVE OTHER PEOPLE OR FOUR OTHER PEOPLE.
SO THAT'S WHAT MR. PARAGO IS REFERENCING.
WHEN WE HAVE THESE TITLE ISSUES WHERE MULTIPLY THAT HYPOTHETICAL BY FOUR OR FIVE, SIX GENERATIONS.
SO YOU GET TO A CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE YOU MIGHT HAVE 56, 1100 OWNERS OF A PROPERTY THAT NOBODY HAS LOOKED AT IN THE LAST 50 YEARS, AND IT'S FALLEN DOWN ON ITSELF, COMPILING THAT WITH, YOU KNOW WHAT, MY NEIGHBOR OVER THERE WANTS ANOTHER 10 FEET ON THEIR YARD, SO THAT'S FINE.
SO THEN THE LOCK LINES GET ALL MARKED UP AND THEN WE JUST, WE JUST TWIRLING AND WIN.
SO HOW DO WE FIX IT? MR.
SO IT MAY NOT UNPACK WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST, BUT FOR PROPERTY OWNERS, OWNER OCCUPIED STRUCTURES THAT EXIST THIS DAY, MAYBE YOU CONNECT THOSE FOLKS WITH FOLKS LIKE LEGAL AID.
MAYBE YOU, YOU REACH OUT TO THEM AND SAY, HEY, WILL YOU COME TO A CLINIC IN THE REDEVELOPMENT AREA BOUNDARY BECAUSE WE HAVE AN AGING POPULATION THAT NEEDS TO GET THESE ISSUES, YOU KNOW, HANDLED IN A WAY THAT WE DON'T CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE THIS LEGAL ISSUE THAT ULTIMATELY CREATES AN INCREASE LIGHT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? MS. PROCTOR, I SEE YOU.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S IN QUESTION.
WHO DO WE CALL? UM, THERE'S A POTENTIAL SALE YOU PRACTICE, SO WE ALL DO.
BUT, UM, LIKE YOU SAID, FENCE LINE, PROPERTY LINE ISSUED, UM, THE CURRENT SITUATION WHERE, UM, WE'RE ABOUT TO, ABOUT TO HOPEFULLY FINISH A SALE AND THE NEIGHBOR ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE GOT THEIR FENCE ON OVER THE PROPERTY LINE.
WELL, WHO REMEDIES THAT? IS THAT THE CITY'S JOB OR IS IT GOING BE A S Y'ALL PROPERTY IS Y'ALL'S PROPERTY.
WHAT, WHAT PEOPLE WITH NO, IT'S OUR PROPERTY.
BUT I'M SAYING THAT THE FENCE IS ALREADY, SOMEBODY'S GONNA HAVE TO PAY TO TAKE THAT FENCE DOWN AND GET IT ACROSS THE PROPERTY LINE.
AND I DON'T WANT IT TO BE THE NEWS PEOPLE GOING INTO THE, YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? YOU REPORTED TO Z.
AND Z WILL CONNECT WITH THE APPROPRIATE ENTITIES OR PEOPLE IN THE CITY OR AT THE CITY THAT WILL
BECAUSE I KNOW BOTH OF I DON'T WANNA BE IN HERE.
I APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION.
I DON'T WANNA CUT OFF EVERYBODY'S QUESTIONS, BUT I KNOW YOU ALWAYS MAKE YOURSELF AVAILABLE TO US AND I KNOW WE NEED TO GET ON WITH OUR SPEAKERS.
AND PROBABLY SARAH, I'M THE ONE THAT WAS LIKE TOTALLY TRACKING WITH YOU, BUT
Y Y'ALL KNOW HOW TO GET UP WITH ME.
IF YOU GET YOUR PEN, I'LL GIVE YOU MY EMAIL ADDRESS UNLESS YOU DON'T ALREADY HAVE IT.
NOT ONLY DO THEY HAVE YOUR E EMAIL ADDRESS, THEY HAVE YOU ON A SPEED DOT
I DON'T WANNA SAVE MY TELEPHONE NUMBER ON THE RECORDER, BUT, UM, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS, IF SOMETHING I SAID TODAY SPARKS A THOUGHT THAT YOU NEED TO UNPACK FURTHER, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO REACH OUT.
I'M A RESOURCE THAT'S ALWAYS AT YOUR DISPOSAL.
I'LL TELL YOU, UM, MR. DAVIS AND I WORK IN TANDEM.
MR. DAVIS HAS BEEN REPRESENTING THE CITY OF NEW BERN IN SOME CAPACITY FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS.
UM, SO BETWEEN HE AND I, WE ARE CERTAINLY, UM, GONNA BE IN A POSITION TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT YOU AS
[00:35:01]
YOU ACCOMPLISH YOUR GOALS AND TRACK TOWARDS THAT COURSE OF IMPROVING OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY.AND THANK YOU FROM SOMEONE WHO IS A CHILD OF THAT COMMUNITY FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
[4. 9:30 am: Redevelopment in Greenville: Presented by Mr. Merril Flood ]
ALRIGHT.WELL, UM, YOU ALL KNOW AS PART OF MY JOB, I GET TO, UM, FLOAT AROUND TO DIFFERENT, UH, DIFFERENT PLACES AND FIGURE OUT WHAT OUR NEIGHBORS ARE UP TO.
AND ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT I'VE GOTTEN A CHANCE TO, UH, MEET AND, AND CONNECT WITH IS MR. MERRILL FLOOD.
UH, I'M NOT GONNA, I'M NOT GONNA TAKE THE TIME TO GIVE YOU HIS WHOLE, UH, RESUME.
HE CAN DO THAT, UH, BECAUSE I KNOW HE HAS A, HE HAS A, UH, PRESENTATION, UH, FOR US THIS MORNING AND I'M EXCITED FOR WHAT HE HAS TO SHARE.
SO WITH THAT, I I WILL THEY TAKE IT AWAY.
SEE IF WE CAN GET, UH, ALRIGHT, LET'S SEE.
I APPRECIATE, UH, THIS INVITATION AND GETTING A CHANCE TO MEET, TALK TO YOU ALL.
I WAS A LITTLE BIT INTIMIDATED TALKING WITH, UH, NEWBURN ABOUT REVITALIZATION AND REDEVELOPMENT BECAUSE, UH, I SPENT 30 YEARS, UH, IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT, UH, 29 OF 'EM IN GREENVILLE AS A PLANNER, PLANNING DIRECTOR, UH, DOING REDEVELOPMENT, AND THEN ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
AND WHEN WE GOT STARTED, SOME OF WHAT YOU ALL DO HERE IN NEW BERN, WE SAID, WELL, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT IT WITH THE DOWNTOWN EFFORTS BECAUSE YOU ALL HAVE HAD A HISTORY AND THAT HISTORY HAS BEEN EXTREMELY, UH, WELL THOUGHT, WELL EXECUTED.
AND WE THOUGHT, ALRIGHT, THAT WOULD BE GOOD.
WE REALLY HAD TWO REAL, AND IT'S NOT ADVANCING STUFF.
SO THAT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME.
UH, AS I MENTIONED, 30 YEARS IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
UM, IT'S LESS ABOUT ME, MORE ABOUT THE PEOPLE I HAD A CHANCE TO SURROUND MYSELF WITH.
I HAD A REALLY GREAT STAFF AND WE DID A LOT OF GOOD THINGS.
UM, UH, MY FORTE, I CAME INTO TO PLANNING AS A LAND USE PLANNER AND THEN WENT INTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THEN WORKED TO DEVELOP AND CREATE THE PROGRAMS, THE WHOLE APPROACH TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN GREENVILLE.
AND THEN MOVED INTO PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS ALONG WITH REDEVELOPMENT.
SO, UM, WE HAD REALLY TWO EFFORTS OF REDEVELOPMENT IN GREENVILLE.
FIRST, THE, THE 1960S MODEL THAT EVERYBODY HAD, 1962 WAS AHO DRIVE EFFORT.
AND SO I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR REDEVELOPMENT EFFORTS.
UH, I'LL FOCUS A LITTLE BIT ON OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM AND I'LL SHOW A NUMBER OF PROJECTS BECAUSE YOUR REDEVELOPMENT AREA AS YOUR ATTORNEY MISSION IS VAST.
UH, YOU DO HAVE A LARGE AREA, YOU HAVE A LOT OF MOVING PIECES.
AND SO SOME OF THE THINGS WE DID MAY BE, UH, INFORMATIVE IN SORT OF YOUR APPROACH.
SOME OF THEM YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY COVERED, BUT WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
AND SO THIS WAS GREENVILLE AS IT STARTED OUT IN 1930S, WHICH CERTAINLY OLDER THAN THAT, BUT THIS WAS WHEN THE CITY HAD A POPULATION OF 10,168.
WE'RE A LITTLE BIT OVER 95,000 NOW.
UM, AND THERE'S BEEN A STEADY TRAJECTORY OF GROWTH.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, OUR REVITALIZATION REDEVELOPMENT HISTORY CAME IN TWO REAL TRANCHES, 1960S.
WE HAD THE MODEL THAT EVERYBODY HAD WHERE YOU HAD A REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
IT WAS KIND OF ALMOST AUTONOMOUS, LIKE HOUSING AUTHORITIES.
AND THEY HAD, UH, A LOT OF THE SAME AUTHORITIES THAT YOUR ATTORNEY, UH, ADVISED YOU ON.
BUT THEY REALLY FUNCTION MORE INDEPENDENTLY THAN THE NEW VERSIONS OF REDEVELOPMENT, UH, COMMISSIONS DO.
UM, WE WENT THROUGH A PERIOD OF A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WAS FINALLY DISSOLVED IN THE 19, LATE 1970S.
WE HAD A NUMBER OF PROJECTS AS SHORT DRIVE, CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, THE MEADOWBROOK PROJECT.
UH, WE DID A NUMBER OF THINGS AND THEN WE SHIFTED EVERYTHING TO A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION CALLED EVERGREEN.
AND THAT WAS OUR FOCUS FOR OUR DOWNTOWN.
FAST FORWARD, WE WERE STILL DOING SOME WORK BECAUSE OUR DOWNTOWN, WE LOST A LOT OF GREAT BUILDING STOCK WITH THAT 1960 EFFORT.
AND SO WE FELT WE HAD TO, TO MOVE FORWARD, UH, AT THE END OF THE NINETIES INTO REESTABLISHING OUR DOWNTOWN AND LOOKING AT THE NEIGHBORHOODS SURROUNDING.
AND I'LL SHOW YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
SO IN 2001, WE HAD A NEW COUNCIL THAT CAME IN AND WE HAD A COUPLE OF PROJECTS THAT WERE, UH, ON THE FOREFRONT, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT.
THIS WAS OUR SHORE DRIVE,
IT IS THE AREA, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH GREENVILLE, WHERE OUR TOWN COM IS.
UH, IT WAS A NEIGHBORHOOD, IT WAS A COMMUNITY AND MUCH OF THE EFFORTS IN THE SIXTIES AT THAT TIME WERE SLASH WE, WE WE'RE GONNA BUY EVERYTHING UP AND, UH, HOPE TO RECEDE IT WITH SOMETHING, BUT WE'RE REALLY NOT FEELING A LOT OF THOUGHT.
WE'LL, WE'LL GIVE A PLAN, BUT NOT A WHOLE LOT HAPPEN.
UM, OUR CENTRAL DISTANCE DISTRICT TOUCHED IT.
THIS WAS THE AREA OF DOWNTOWN,
[00:40:01]
I CALL IT THE HORSESHOE.AND SO THAT WAS OUR DOWNTOWN AREA.
UM, THIS WAS THE LAST REPORT OF THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION IN 1980.
AND THEY SUMMARIZED WHAT HAPPENED IN THE SHORE DRIVE AREA, CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT.
THEY HAD CLOSE TO $9 MILLION TO WORK WITH, UH, NOT A LOT OF MONEY, BUT THEN IT WENT A LONG WAYS.
UM, BUT THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THEY DID.
AND SO OUR AREA OF WHAT WAS THE TOWN COMMON WAS THE SHORE DRIVE AREA.
WE HAD A NUMBER OF CATEGORIC, UH, LANDMARKS.
WE HAD THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, WE HAD SYCAMORE HILL CHURCH AND WE HAD THIS BRIDGE, ALL OF WHICH WE'VE TRIED TO KIND OF DEAL WITH.
WHAT HAPPENED WITH THAT DAY, WE MOVED THE BRIDGE OVER THE TOWN CREEK COMMON.
THIS IS THE SHORE DRIVE AREA AS IT EXISTS TODAY.
AND SO TO A LOT OF NEIGHBOR, UH, COMMUNITY, NEIGHBORHOOD MEMBERS THAT EXPERIENCED THAT REDEVELOPMENT, THEY REALLY FELT, UH, DISHEARTENED BY THEIR LAND, THEIR PROPERTY BEING BOUGHT.
AND SO WE HAD TO REALLY KIND OF THINK ABOUT THAT AS WE REENTERED A NEW PHASE OF REDEVELOPMENT.
BECAUSE A LOT OF FOLKS, WHENEVER I WOULD TALK TO FOLKS ABOUT REDEVELOPMENT, IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE SIDE OF THE STREET YOU WERE ON.
SOME PEOPLE HAD, YOU KNOW, EXPECTATIONS AND THOUGHT IT WAS GOOD.
OTHERS FELT, NO, I HAD A PIECE OF PROPERTY AND I LOST IT DURING THAT TRANSITION.
SO WE, WE WERE IN 2001 THROUGH 2017, REALLY FACING THAT HIT ON GREENVILLE AS IT EXISTED BACK IN THE FIFTIES AND SIXTIES WAS A TYPICAL GRID STREET, NEIGHBORHOOD OR COMMUNITY AND CITY, UH, EVANS STREET WAS KIND OF THE IMPETUS OF WHERE EVERYTHING HAPPENED.
DICKINSON AVENUE CAME IN, WE HAD A FIVE POINTS PLAZA THAT WAS MADE, WHICH WE'LL SEE A LITTLE BIT LATER ON.
WE PUT IN THIS MALL, UH, IN OUR DOWNTOWN AREA, CLOSED OFF EVANS STREET BETWEEN FIFTH AND THIRD.
AND IT BECAME A PEDESTRIAN MALL.
AND THAT WAS WHAT EVERYBODY WAS DOING AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
AND WE CAME FAST FORWARD, UH, AFTER HURRICANE FLOYD AND WE SAID, WE KILLED THAT STREET AND SO WE'RE GONNA PUT TRAFFIC BACK ON THAT STREET.
AND BY DOING SO, UH, WE STARTED TO SEE SOME THINGS HAPPENING, UH, IN THAT AREA.
WE INSTITUTED A FACADE IMPROVEMENT GRANT PROGRAM.
AND THAT STREET BECAME ELIGIBLE FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION, UH, CONSIDERATION.
AND ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER, MEANING IT GOT HISTORIC TAX CREDIT ELIGIBILITY AND PROPERTY OWNERS STARTED USING THOSE TAX CREDITS TO TAKE SOME OF THESE LARGER BUILDINGS AND RENOVATE THEM AND PUT LIFE BACK INTO THEM BECAUSE THEY WERE VACANT.
WE WENT INTO THIS ONE, I REMEMBER.
UH, AND KIDS WERE GETTING IN LIGHTING CANDLES.
WE JUST KNEW IT WAS FIRE WAITING TO HAPPEN.
SOMETHING HAD TO HAPPEN ON THAT STREET.
SO WE HAD A NUMBER OF THOSE BUILDINGS THAT HAPPENED.
SO BEGINNING IN 2004, UM, WE HAD A COUPLE THINGS THAT WERE COLLIDING WITH US.
WE HAD A NEW COUNCIL THAT CAME IN.
WE HAD A 10TH STREET CONNECTOR, WHICH WAS AN N-C-D-O-T, UH, ROADWAY PROJECT THAT HAD SPENT 25 YEARS ON THE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT LIST.
UH, THE MAYOR AND SEVERAL COMMUNITY LEADERS WENT TO N-C-D-O-T AND SAID, WE'D LIKE TO SPEED THIS UP.
IF WE WOULD DO THE PRE-PLANNING ON THAT ROADWAY, WOULD YOU ALLOW US TO HELP MOVE IT UP AND NOT CAUSE US TO LOSE THE TRANSPORTATION DOLLARS? 'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY WITH N-C-D-O-T, IF YOU PUT LOCAL MONEY INTO A PROJECT, THEY WITHDRAW THEIR MONEY.
WE DIDN'T WANT TO LOSE THE MONEY TO BUILD THE ROAD.
WE WANTED TO JUST DO THE PRE-PLANNING BECAUSE WE KNEW OUR COMMUNITY BETTER THAN NC DOT AND WE WERE GONNA BE GOING THROUGH AREAS WHERE PEOPLE HAD BEEN TOUCHED WITH REDEVELOPMENT.
AND SO WE NEEDED TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
AND SO THAT BEGAN OUR SECOND REDEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
THE COUNCIL APPOINTED A REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, MUCH LIKE YOU, HOWEVER, DIDN'T HAVE THE SAME AUTONOMY THAT THE 1960S REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
THEIR BUDGET PROPERTY PURCHASES, UH, ACTIVITIES HAD TO BE REVIEWED BY THE COUNCIL BEFORE THEY WOULD BE AUTHORIZED.
AT THE SAME TIME, THE COUNCIL SAID, WE'RE CONSIDERING A BOND REFERENDUM AND THAT BOND REFERENDUM WILL BE USED TO HELP FUND THE PLANNING ON THAT 10TH STREET CONNECTOR.
WE WANT $5 MILLION FOR WEST GREENVILLE, WHICH IS THE AREA OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD IMMEDIATELY TO THE WEST OF DOWNTOWN.
AND THEN 5 MILLION FOR DOWNTOWN TO FACILITATE PROJECTS.
IT WAS OUR SECOND BOND REFERENDUM THEN.
SO WE ASKED THIS QUESTION, CAN WE DO THIS BOND REFERENDUM? ASK THE VOTERS, WOULD YOU AGREE FOR US GOING OUT INCURRING DEBT TO DO PROJECTS IN THESE AREAS? AND OVERWHELMINGLY IT PASSED.
SO WE STARTED DOING SOME PLANS.
WE DID OUR REDEVELOPMENT PLAN, WHICH I BOUGHT HERE, THE STREETSCAPE PLAN I BOUGHT, UH, WE HAD A 45 BLOCK REDEVELOPMENT PLAN ARE ALREADY IN IN PROCESS 'CAUSE WE ARE AN ENTITLEMENT COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, DID A STREETSCAPE PLAN, THEN DICKINSON AVENUE PLAN.
SO WE, WE DID A LOT OF PLANNING, BUT WE KNEW WE COULDN'T JUST DO PLANS.
[00:45:01]
TO DO SOME WORK AT THE SAME TIME.SO WE BEGAN TO GET STARTED IN EARNEST WITH WHAT I CALL A TWO AND A HALF YEAR ODYSSEY, BECAUSE A LOT OF FOLKS STILL HAD THAT BAD TASTE OF REDEVELOP IN THEIR MOUTH.
SO IT TOOK US TWO AND A HALF YEARS TO GET THIS PLAN CONSIDERED TO ADOPTED BY, UH, THE COUNCIL BECAUSE WE APPOINTED REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, WE HIRED A CONSULTANT, BUT EVERYBODY WAS SUSPICIOUS, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO? WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO TO US? AND SO WE HAD TO REALLY KIND OF JUMP THAT HURDLE AND REIMAGINE REDEVELOPMENT BEYOND JUST THAT SPLASH OF BURN.
HOW DO WE BUILD COMMUNITIES? HOW DO WE TAKE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE COMMUNITY AND BETTER THEIR LIVES? AND SO THAT WAS THE WHOLE THING.
IN THIS PROCESS THAT YOU, THAT YOU, THAT YOU WERE DOING AND GETTING STARTED, HOW WAS YOUR, HOW WAS THE COMMISSION'S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PUBLIC? UM, I MEAN WE, WE, YOU KNOW, WE YEAH.
AND YOU PROBABLY WERE AROUND GREENVILLE MUCH AROUND THAT TIME.
AND THE FOLKS THAT WERE APPOINTED WERE WELL-MEANING, UH, HAD, MANY OF THEM HAD NOTHING TO DO PER SE WITH THE LAST REDEVELOPMENT AREA.
BUT BECAUSE THEY HAD THE TITLE, THE COMMUNITY LOOKED AT THEM WITH A, A, YOU KNOW, A A BIG ERROR OF SU UM, SUSPICION.
AND SO THEY HAD PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
WE WOULD, WE WOULD OPENLY ASK THE PUBLIC, GIVE US YOUR VIEWS, BUT WE CAN'T LEAVE IT IN ITS CURRENT STATE.
AND THAT WAS PARTICULARLY FOR THE WEST GREENVILLE AREA, BECAUSE MANY OF THE RESIDENTS THERE HAD BEEN MOVED FROM SHORE DRIVE, WEST GREENVILLE BECAME THEIR HOME.
AND I HEARD MORE THAN A FEW FOLKS SAY, IT'S HAPPENING TO ME AGAIN.
AND SO THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION ACTIVELY SOUGHT IN ANYWAY FOR THE AREA IN THE DOWNTOWN.
IT WAS, YEAH, YOU'RE GETTING READY TO DRIVE UP RENTS AND IT'S GONNA BE UN UH, NOT AFFORDABLE FOR ME TO RUN A BUSINESS BECAUSE RENTS ARE GETTING READY TO GO UP BECAUSE OF THE WORK THEY'RE GETTING READY TO DO.
UM, SO IT WAS, IT WAS A TENUOUS PERIOD.
YOUR ATTORNEY ADVISED YOU ON THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION'S AUTHORITIES, I WON'T GO TOO MUCH INTO THAT.
SHE, SHE SPELLED IT OUT FOR YOU.
WE, UH, ADOPTED A AREA, UH, THAT WAS, UH, IN COMPLIANCE WITH THAT SECTION FOR THE WEST GREENVILLE AREA.
WE COULDN'T MEET A BLIGHTED, UH, CRITERIA FOR THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
SO WE ENDED UP WITH A REVITALIZATION PLAN AND A REDEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR THE WEST GREENVILLE AREA.
'CAUSE WE HAD, WE'LL SEE SOME FIGURES THAT SHOWED WHAT WE HAD.
BUT SO THE TWO WORDS, THE TWO DIFFERENT WORDS ALLOWED YOU TO YEAH.
SO WE HAD A REVITALIZATION FOR THIS HORSESHOE AREA DOWN TO HERE.
AND THIS IS THE WEST GREENVILLE COMMUNITY THAT WAS OUR CERTIFIED REDEVELOPMENT REDEVELOP.
AND THAT PROBABLY TOOK THE LONGEST PART OF THE PLANNING PROCESS BECAUSE OF THAT HISTORY.
SO ALL TOTAL WAS ABOUT 400 ACRES.
UM, WE'LL SEE, SEE A LITTLE BIT OF THAT.
UH, BUT THAT, THAT, THAT WAS OUR, THAT WAS OUR WORK AREA.
THAT COMMISSION IS HIT BOTH THE COMMISSION WAS STEWARDS OF THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
SO THE DOWNTOWN AREA, 212 ACRES.
UM, WE HAD A MEDIAN INCOME OF 17,700.
'CAUSE OF STUDENTS, THAT'S PRIMARILY AN AREA WHERE THE STUDENTS BLEED OVER.
UH, THE PRIMARY LAND USE WAS OFFICE.
UM, MEDIAN PROPERTY VALUE WAS AROUND 77,700.
THAT'S BECAUSE OF THE, THE COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS THAT WERE IN THAT AREA.
UH, LAND WAS SELLING FOR ABOUT $40,000.
UH, BECAUSE WE WERE AFFECTING, WE WERE AFFECTING THE COPS BY OUR ACTIVITIES.
UH, WE HAD A MISSION STATEMENT, AND IT SOUNDS SORT OF CORNY, BUT MY STAFF AND I, EVERY TIME WE GOT STARTED WITH A PROJECT, WE TRY TO BALANCE IT AGAINST THAT MISSION STATEMENT.
ARE WE TRYING TO MAKE IT A BETTER PLACE? AND WHAT WE FOUND IS THE CONCEPTS FOR THE DOWNTOWN AND THE CERTIFIED REDEVELOPMENT AREA, THEY ARE NOT THAT DIFFERENT.
MAKE IT A BETTER PLACE, UH, MAKE IT FEEL BETTER TO THE FOLKS THAT ARE THERE.
WE HAD SOME EMPHASIS ON MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT CONCEPTS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
AND IN WEST GRABLE IT WAS PRIMARILY 70, 75% RENTER.
SO WE WANTED TO GET BACK TO HOME OWNERSHIP IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD AND TRY AND FIND A WAY FOR THE FOLKS THAT LIVED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO BUY AND NOT MAKE IT A SLASH AND BURN.
WE GOT A LOT OF RENTAL AND HERE WE GOT.
SO YOU GOT STARTED WITH THE STREETSCAPE PLAN AND YOU SAID, WELL, WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? WELL, IF THE PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE LOOKS CRAPPY, SO HOW CAN YOU BRING PRIVATE INVESTMENT IN? SO WE STARTED WITH THE STREETSCAPE PLAN, WHICH BECAME REALLY A KIT OF PARTS.
AND WE SAID, WE'RE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING FROM WEST FISH STREET, UH, OVER TO THE HORSESHOE, DOWN EVANS AND DOWN DICKINSON.
[00:50:01]
AND WE HAD A PLAN FOR HOW WE WOULD GET THAT DONE.BUT WE WOULD DO SOME, UH, INTRODUCTORY PROJECTS WITH THE IDEA THAT COUNCIL WOULD COME BACK AND GIVE US THE AUTHORITY TO DO SOME MORE.
WE'RE JUST NOW GETTING FROM THIS SECTION TO HERE DONE.
AND THIS DONE BECAUSE OF A BILL GRANT THAT THE CITY'S RECEIVED MONEY FOR, AS WELL AS SOME IMPROVEMENTS BY N-C-D-O-T.
BUT BY HAVING THIS PLAN, WE WERE ABLE TO SAY TO NNC, DOT, WHEN YOU TREAT THE STREETS IN OUR JURISDICTION, YOU WILL USE THE TREATMENTS OUTLINE IN OUR, IN OUR, UH, STREET STATE MASTER PLAN.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT, HOW THE STREET INTERACTS WITH THE PUBLIC, UH, THE KIT OF PARTS, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO WITH TREE RATES? WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO ALONG THE WAY? WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO AT, UM, INTERSECTIONS, ET CETERA.
AND SO WE DID SOME, SOME DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AND WE DID TWO ONE IN WEST GREENVILLE, WHICH WAS A, BECAME A REAL, UM, KIND OF HOMECOMING TYPE PROJECT.
AND THEN WENT AROUND CHARLES AND COAN STREET.
AND THAT WAS SORT OF THE AREA THAT WE DID DOWNTOWN.
UH, THIS WAS THE ENTRANCE, THE GATEWAY INTO WEST FIFTH STREET.
IT WAS AT WHAT WAS, UM, SACRED GROUND.
AND THAT WAS THE FORMER EPPS HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH WAS THE, UH, LAST SEGREGATED HIGH SCHOOL.
AND MANY OF THE, UH, FOLKS HAVE GONE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD TO DO AMAZING THINGS.
AND THEY SAID, WE'VE GOTTA DO MORE WITH THAT SITE BECAUSE IT WAS ACQUIRED BY THE CITY AND THEN IT BURNED.
SO WE'RE GONNA TREAT THAT SPECIAL.
WE'RE GONNA MAKE THIS ACTUALLY A GATEWAY ENTRANCE AND THAT GATEWAY ENTRANCE INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE, YOU KNOW, AN ARCHWAY WHERE THE FRONT DOORS OF THE SCHOOL WERE.
AND THEN WE HAD AN ARTIST, WE COMMISSIONED AN ARTIST, WE DID A CALL FOR ARTISTS.
THEY TOOK PHOTOGRAPHS OF, UH, FROM THE PPS ALUMNI AND THEY ETCHED THAT INTO THE WALL.
AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD BOUGHT INTO THE PROJECT.
THEY SAID, YES, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT.
AND WE'VE SINCE DONE SOME MORE TO, TO UH, SOLIDIFY THE PPS, UH, HIGH SCHOOL WITH THE MUSEUM IN THE BACK OF THE STRUCTURE THERE.
BUT IT WAS A WAY FOR THE COMMUNITY TO SEE WE ARE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WAS DONE BEFORE DOWNTOWN.
WE HAD THIS, I TALKED ABOUT DICKINSON FIFTH STREET, WHERE UH, THEY CAME TOGETHER AND WE HAD THIS OPEN AIR PARK WHERE IT WAS A PARKING LOT, BUT IT DIDN'T FEEL GOOD DURING EVENTS.
AND WE SAID, HOW CAN WE DO SOMETHING WITH THAT? WE NEED TO COMMEMORATE WHERE THIS, THIS OLD, UH, UH, IRON UH, BUILDING USED TO BE THE OLD, UH, FIRST NATIONAL BANK BUILDING.
AND SO WE DID A STREETSCAPE PROJECT THAT ENDED UP TAKING OUT SOME OF THE ROADS AND REALLY CREATING A DOWNTOWN SPACE.
SO WE GET THAT DUAL FUNCTION WHEN THE FUNCTION OF THE PARKING LOT DURING THE DAY CLOSED IT OFF FOR EVENTS AND THE COMMUNITY IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA STARTED GOING TO IT.
BUT THEN ONCE IT STARTED HAPPENING, PEOPLE FROM ALL PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY STARTED SAYING, HEY, THAT'S THE SPOT WE CAN GO.
OR WE CAN GO TO THE WEST FISH STREET LOCATION AND WE CAN HAVE AN EVENT.
SO WE WERE BEGINNING TO GET SOME THINGS GOING AND THEN WE SAID, ALRIGHT, NOW WE'VE GOTTA REALLY DO SOME OF THE HARD STUFF.
AND SO WE STARTED GETTING A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT INTEREST DEVELOPER OUT OF ATLANTA SAID, UH, YOU ALL GOT SOME LAND AND I REALLY PROMOTE PUTTING PUBLIC LAND INTO PLAY.
WE'RE GONNA DEVELOP THIS COMPLEX, BUT WE NEED A PLACE TO PARK THESE INDIVIDUALS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF HOUSING IN THE DOWNTOWN.
AND SO THIS WAS AT CORNER FIRST IN GREEN.
THEY CAME IN WITH THEM WHAT WAS ABOUT A $20 MILLION PROJECT.
THIS LAND THAT'S DOWN HERE WAS PART OF THE OLD LAY DOWN AREA FOR THE ELECTRIC SUBSTATION.
SO IT HAD C SO, UM, PROBLEMS, IF YOU EVER GET INTO A PHASE ONE, SO GROUND FLOOR, YOU CAN'T LIVE IN IT.
SO WE HAD TO CAP IT OFF AND WE SAID, WE'LL PARK THE FOLKS AND THAT AND THAT DIRT, AND THEN GO AHEAD AND BUILD THE PROJECT.
SO WE SOLD 'EM THAT PROPERTY AND STARTED MAKING SOME, SOME THINGS HAPPENING.
SO THAT'S THE FIRST STREET APARTMENTS, UH, THAT WE WERE ABLE TO BUILD.
AND DOWN THE LITTLE BEHIND HERE IS WHERE THEY PARKED THEM.
DID YOU ADVERTISE THE PROPERTY FOR SALE? WE DO.
UM, SO WE DID WHAT YOUR ATTORNEY DID.
WE WOULD DO, UM, DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL, SEAL BIDS THAT SAID, WE'RE LOOKING FOR A DEVELOPER THAT'S KIND OF COME IN AND DO, UH, A VARIETY OF THINGS AND WE'LL TAKE THE BEST HIGHEST BID OR THE PLAN THAT'S MOST CLOSELY ALIGNED WITH, WITH WHAT OUR GOALS ARE.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE DO WITH, UH, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE DO FROM BOOM TO, YEAH.
AND WITH A C UM, I KNOW THAT'S, THAT'S THE ELEPHANT IN THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, 'CAUSE THEY'VE DONE THIS EVEN SINCE I'VE BEEN THERE.
DO Y'ALL PARTNER WITH THEM? SO IT'S A WIN-WIN SITUATION WITH SOME OF THE LANDS THAT ARE ADJACENT EAST, EAST CAROLINA? YES.
AND WHEN WE GOT STARTED WITH OUR LAND USE DEVELOPMENT UPDATE.
THEY WERE THERE AT THE TABLE TALKING ABOUT WHAT THEIR INTERESTS WERE, WHAT WE WERE.
I KNOW THIS BACK WHEN I WAS A MANAGER, WHEN WE WOULD NEED TO BUY A FIRE, UH, LADDER
[00:55:01]
TRUCK OKAY.WITH TALL LADDERS AND SOMETIMES THEY WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE COST.
SO THEY'VE BEEN VERY WELL INVOLVED.
ONE THING THAT'S A MISNOMER, WE'VE GOT THE MEDICAL CAMPUS, WE'VE GOT ECU 25% OF THE TAX BASED AGREEABLE IS OFF THE RULES BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY NON-PROFITS.
SO WHILE WE'VE GOT A LOT OF ECONOMIC ENGINES, A LOT OF IT'S OFF THE ROLLS.
AND THEN IN THE LATE SIXTIES WE HAD AN INDUSTRIAL PARK THAT WAS DEVELOPED AND THE COUNCIL AT THE TIME SAID, WE'RE NOT GONNA ANNEX IT.
SO THAT'S TAX BASED OFF WHAT WE'RE STILL PROVIDING SERVICE.
SO WHEREAS SOME COMMITTEES HAVE PROBLEMS, OUR PROBLEM IS WE HAVE A LOT OF PROPERTY THAT'S NOT ON THE RULES.
THAT'S, THAT'S DIFF THAT'S DIFFICULT.
YOU FIRST TREATED THOUGH, DID YOU GUYS INCENTIVIZE THAT IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM? IN THAT CASE? WE SOLD THE LAND AND THAT WAS OUR INVOLVEMENT.
WE DIDN'T PROVIDE ANY INCENTIVES.
THERE'S A COUPLE OF PROJECTS, I'M GONNA SHOW SOME INCENTIVES THAT WE DID.
WE DID ADD, BUT WE DIDN'T INCENTIVIZE THAT ONE.
UH, UNLESS THERE'S A PUBLIC PURPOSE, WHICH THE BOUNDARY, YOU SEE WE DID A, A SYNTHETIC TIP ON THAT.
ONE OF THE NEXT THINGS WE DID IS WE SAID, IF WE'RE GONNA MAKE THIS AN ENVIRONMENT BOTH WEST SPRINGVILLE AND CITY, WE NEED TO MAKE THE PUBLIX NAVIGATION A LITTLE BIT BETTER AND UNDERSTANDING SO PEOPLE GET OUT OF THE CAR OR, OR EITHER IF THEY'RE TRAVELING, THEY KNOW WHERE TO GO.
SO WE DID A, A WAY FINDING PROGRAM.
WE GOT A WHOLE LOT OF HEAT ABOUT THAT.
YOU'RE SPENDING THE MONEY TO, TO SHOW PEOPLE HOW TO GET AROUND.
WE SAID, WELL YES, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE A POINT OF INTEREST AND IF YOU DON'T HOW TO GET THERE, YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING.
SO WE UH, UNDERTOOK A WAYFINDING PRO PROJECT.
WE PROBABLY DID IN THIS PLAN, UH, 300 SIGN RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 300 SIGNS.
WE BUILT OUT 115 OR 120 WITH FIRST ROUND OF IT.
UM, AND SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE SIGNS.
AND AGAIN, HOW DO YOU GET PEOPLE OUT OF THE CARS, GET 'EM AROUND? IS IT WORKING? OKAY, GOOD.
YOU ARE THE MAN,
WE SPENT ABOUT $250,000 IN ALL MONEY THERE.
TOWN COMMON MASTER PLAN, WE WERE FORCED TO GO BACK AND REVISIT THAT BECAUSE THE TOWN COMMON HAD BECOME JUST THIS CHASM OF INACTIVITY.
WE HAD, YOU KNOW, A BANDSHELL THERE, BUT NOBODY WAS DOWN THERE.
AND SO WE SAID, LET'S RETHINK THAT.
IT BOUGHT UP A LOT OF OLD WOUNDS.
A LOT OF FOLKS SAID, HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU BOUGHT MY PROPERTY AND JUST LET SIT OUT.
I COULD HAVE LIVED THERE, YOU KNOW, TILL WHENEVER.
AND SO WE REALLY WENT BACK AND LO TALKED ABOUT THAT.
THAT FORCED US TO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE SYCAMORE HILL, UH, CHURCH THAT WAS AT THE CORNER.
I DIDN'T TELL THE STORY ON THAT.
THAT WENT FOR AT LEAST SIX YEARS BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE CITY.
SHOULD WE BUY IT OR NOT? SYCAMORE HILL MEMBERSHIP SAYING, NO, WE'RE NOT GONNA SELL IT.
FINALLY IN THE LATE SIXTIES, THEY AGREED TO SELL IT.
THE CITY CLOSED ON IT, AND LESS THAN TWO TO THREE MONTHS LATER ON OUR SINS BURNED.
MUCH LIKE THE EPPS HIGH SCHOOL.
WHEN WE GO INTO THE COMMUNITY AND TALK ABOUT IT, UNDERSTANDABLY SO.
AND SO, AN IDEA CAME FOR A GATEWAY HERE, WHICH WE'LL SEE A LITTLE BIT LATER ON.
SO ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS HAPPENED, WE GOT SOME MONEY FROM TRILLIUM TO BUILD A PLAYGROUND AND WE HAD TO AUGMENT IT.
THEY GAVE US, UH, I THINK IT WAS 750,000.
'CAUSE WE HAD TO DO A LOT OF GRADING.
SO WE PUT IN A PLAYGROUND, AND THIS OPENED IN 2014.
AND THEN 17 OR 18, WE HAD THE RESTROOMS. UH, COINCIDENTALLY, UH, I WAS, YOU KNOW, FOUR WALKS AWAY FROM THIS WHENEVER WE OPENED THE PLAYGROUND.
NOW I SIT IN FRONT OF IT AND EVERY DAY, AS LONG AS THE WEATHER'S GOOD, YOU SEE FAMILIES, KIDS, EVERYBODY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THAT.
AND WE'RE GETTING MORE ACTIVITIES IN THE DOWNTOWN TOWN.
THERE'S STILL PUSH, A PUSH TO DEVELOP SOMETHING ON THE TOWN.
THERE ARE RESTRICTIONS BECAUSE OF THE MONEY USED WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION AS WELL AS SOME, UH, PARKLAND GRANTS.
BUT IT, IT BECAME A COMMUNITY ASSET.
IS THAT, IS THAT A PLUS FOR REDEVELOPMENT TO HAVE SMALL PARKS? IT IS.
AND I WILL SAY ONCE YOU LOSE, AND I TEACH PLANNING NOW, ONCE YOU LOSE PUBLIC SPACE, YOU NEVER GET IT BACK.
AND YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE BEST POCKET PARKS.
YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE AREAS WHERE PEOPLE CAN GET OUT OF THE OFFICE, HAVE LUNCH.
OUTSIDE PUBLIC SPACE IS IMPORTANT.
AND THE REASON ASK IS, SEE IF I REDEVELOP, IT'S BASICALLY HOUSING AND YEAH.
SMALL AND IT, IT IS A COMMERCIAL.
I JUST, JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF THAT NO, THAT'S A GREAT POINT.
THIS IS THE MONUMENT THAT WE DID AT THE CORNER OF GREEN AND FIRST, UH, FOR,
[01:00:01]
UH, THE SYCAMORE HILL, UH, MEMBERSHIP.UH, WE STARTED THE PLANNING RIGHT BEFORE I RETIRED.
UH, THEY HAD ONE OF THE DESIGNERS THAT DID THE AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM IN DC ON THE TEAM.
AND THIS IS WHAT WAS COMPLETED, UH, AT THE END OF 2020.
AND IT'S BECOME A MONUMENT AND THE SYCAMORE HILL MEMBERSHIP, AS DID THE EPS ALUMNI, IN SPITE OF THEIR FEELINGS CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROJECT.
AND SO WE WERE GETTING COMMUNITY BUY-IN.
UH, WE LOOKED AT ALLEY, YOU ALL HAVE DONE SO MUCH MORE THAN WE HAVE, BUT WE HAD ABOUT THREE ALLEYS.
AND WE STARTED THINKING, HOW DO WE REACTIVATE THOSE, UH, BEST POCKET PARKS? HOW DO WE TAKE SOME UNUSED PROPERTY AND MAKE SOME THINGS HAPPEN? SO WE DID A BEST POCKET PARK.
IT REALLY LOOKS MORE LIKE THIS PICTURE NOW.
UM, AND THEN PARKING BECAME AN ISSUE.
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WITH PEOPLE IF WE'RE TRYING TO GET 'EM MAP? WE NEED TO DEAL WITH THIS PARKING ISSUE.
WE STARTED RETRIP STREETS LIKE FIRST STREET THAT ARE TOO WIDE, UH, FOR PARKING FOR PEOPLE THAT WORK IN THE DOWNTOWN.
WE DID SOME INSTALLMENT BOND FINANCING SEPARATE FROM THE GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND TO BUILD A, UH, PARKING DECK.
BUT IT WAS THE FIRST PARKING DECK WE HAD BUILT.
AND SO WE KNEW WE NEEDED TO, TO DO SOMETHING.
UM, SO TAX EXEMPT BONDS WERE SOLD.
THEY'VE LATER HAD TO REFINANCE IT BECAUSE NOW THE HOTEL WAS GOING UP.
IT'S GONNA TAKE SOMETHING TO GET TO THE PRIVATE USE QUESTIONS, REFINANCE WHAT WE'VE FINANCE
UM, IS THAT DEBT SERVICE OFF THE PARKING REVENUE ONLY OR IS THIS IT WAS WITH WHAT WE WERE DOING, UM, WHEN WE FIRST FINANCED IT, I THINK WHEN WE REFINANCED IT, BECAUSE OF THE PRIVATE USE QUESTIONS, THE CITIES HAD TO KICK IN A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY.
UM, REUSE OF VACANT PROPERTIES.
I TELL EVERY COMMUNITY I TALK TO, TAKE INVENTORY OF YOUR PRIVATE, OF YOUR, OF YOUR PUBLIC LAND THAT'S UNUSED, THAT'S NOT GONNA BE DEDICATED FOR PARTS OR SOME OTHER USE AND PUT IT INTO PLAY.
AND SO, UH, WE HAD A GSA REQUEST FOR BANKRUPTCY COURT.
UH, WE PUT SOME LAND INTO PLAY THAT WAS THERE AND WE PROVIDED THAT.
IT WAS ABOUT A $4 MILLION PROJECT.
UH, THE BOUNDARY I TALKED ABOUT.
WE DID A SYNTHETIC TIP ON THIS.
THIS WAS AN OLD, CAN YOU COME BACK TO THAT GSA PROJECT? YES.
YOU PROVIDED THE LAND AND SOMEBODY ELSE BUILT THE BUILDING.
YEAH, WE HAD A PIECE, WE DIDN'T HAVE ALL OF IT.
WE HAD A PIECE IN THE MIDDLE MM-HMM
AND WE PUT THAT INTO THE MIX WITH IT.
WE HAD A VERY LARGE LOCAL DEVELOPER THAT SAID, I'M GONNA BUILD A LARGE STUDENT HOUSING COMPLEX ON WHAT WAS THE GEORGETOWN PARKING OR, UH, UH, MULTI-FAMILY AREA ACROSS FROM CHICO'S.
BUT THIS IS A BIG PROJECT AND I'M GONNA WHAT CITY PARTICIPATION CITY WAS NOT GONNA PARTICIPATE IN STUDENT HOUSING.
AND WE SAID THERE HAD TO BE SOMETHING TRANSFORMATIONAL ABOUT THIS.
AND SO WE SAID, WE REALLY WANT OFFICE FOR COMMERCIAL ON GROUND FLOOR TO PROVIDE JOBS.
AND SO THAT WAS OUR RATIONAL NEXUS FOR PROVIDING A SYNTHETIC TIP.
AND WHEN I SAY A SYNTHETIC TIP, WE PLEDGED, UH, ALONG WITH THE COUNTY, THE INCREASE IN THE TAX BASE OVER A SEVEN YEAR PERIOD, 70% OF IT, SEVEN YEARS TO THE DEVELOPER AFTER THEY PAY THE TAXES.
'CAUSE YOU CAN'T REBATE TAXES IN NORTH CAROLINA, BUT THEY CAN PAY THE TAXES AND YOU CAN PROVIDE A CAPITAL INVESTMENT GRANT.
SO WE USED THE INCREASED TAX BASE TO PROVIDE 77,000 FROM THE CITY AND ABOUT 80,000 FROM THE COUNTY OVER SEVEN YEAR PERIOD BACK BECAUSE OF THE TRANSFORMATIONAL NATURE OF THIS PROJECT.
NOW, NOW THERE WERE HOUSES THERE.
HOW DID YOU GET ALL THOSE PEOPLE? WELL, TO GO AND TO BUILD THOSE.
LUCKILY, I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE.
LUCKILY THEM DEVELOPER BOUGHT THAT, BOUGHT THAT ENTIRE PROPERTY.
AND SO WE JUMPED IN, UM, AND, AND DID THAT, WE DID THE SAME THING WITH A GROCERY STORE.
WE DID A SYNTHETIC TIP ON A GROCERY STORE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I DON'T HAVE A PHOTO OF THAT ONE, BUT WE PROVIDED, UH, A SYNTHETIC TIP OR THE EXTRA, THE, THE DIFFERENCE IN THE NEW TAXES THAT THEY WERE GONNA PAY OVER A SEVEN YEAR PERIOD TO HELP CASH FLOW THE DEAL.
SO IT, IT WAS A REAL CREATIVE WAY OF LOOKING AT IT.
FINANCING IS NEW IN NORTH CAROLINA.
THERE'S ONLY BEEN ONE TO DO IT, ONE OR TWO COMMUNITIES.
SO WE, WE'VE LOOKED AT IT AS A SYNTHETIC TIP THAT WE, WE CAN DO IT BASED ON THE NEW TAX REVENUES THAT COME IN.
THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE BEEN TO GREENVILLE, REMEMBER THIS, THIS IS THE OLD CLUB SCENE DOWNTOWN.
HAD A DEVELOPER THAT SAID, I WANT TO COME IN AND DO THIS.
I NEED AN ELEVATOR ON THE BACK AND I NEED RACKS FROM
[01:05:01]
THE CITY.THERE'S A SMALL ALLEY THAT WE STILL HAD TITLED TO IN BETWEEN THE TWO BUILDINGS WE SOLD NEGOTIATING THE AIR RIGHTS AND THEN HELPED FINANCIALLY WITH AN ELEVATOR IN THIS BUILDING.
THEN WE STARTED HAVING OTHER DEVELOPERS POP IN AND SAY, HEY, I'M GONNA DO SOMETHING ACROSS FROM CITY HALL.
YOU ALL GOT A SLIVER OF PROPERTY.
CAN I GET THAT? AND WE SAID, YEAH, IF YOU DO SOMETHING THAT HAS STREET APPEAL.
AND SO WE STARTED IMPRESSING OUR DESIGN THOUGHTS ON WHAT HAPPENS.
I SAW YOUR REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION LAST MONTH AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS GREAT.
YOU ALL SAID THIS HOUSE THAT IS GONNA GO ON A LOT, WE DON'T LIKE THE WAY IT LOOKS.
YOU GOTTA COME BACK WITH SOMETHING.
ANYTIME YOU CAN DO THAT, DO THAT.
I WAS GLAD TO HEAR WE DEVELOPED COMMISSION SAY THAT YOU NEED TO DO THAT.
UH, WE HAVE THEATER, A VAUDEVILLE ERA THEATER THAT WAS IN DISREPAIR.
AND IF YOU'VE EVER HAD SOMETHING LIKE THIS AND IT'S EXPOSED THE PIGEONS DO MORE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS DOING LIKE THIS.
SO WE GOT BROWNFIELD REMEDIATION GRANTS FOR PIGEON.
BECAUSE OF THE PIGEON STUFF AND THE ROOF WAS OFF.
THEY SAID, NO, YOU GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE.
SO DUMPLING DUNHAM WAS OUR ENVIRONMENTAL CONTRACT.
WE HAD A BROWNFIELD ASSESSMENT IN THE CITY AND SEVERAL SITES WERE IDENTIFIED.
WE GOT A REMEDIATION GRANT TO GET RID OF THE PIGEON POOP AND STUFF AND UM, DRY IT IN.
AND THEN WE PUT IT OUT FOR SALE.
AND WE HAVE NOW A THEATER WHERE, UH, ACTIVITIES TAKE PLACE IN THE DOWNTOWN.
IS THIS THE SAME GRANT PERSON FINDING Y'ALL LAW THESE GRANTS? UM, YOU SAY GRANTS LIKE NINE TIMES THE SAME PERSON
WE HAVE A TEAM AND WE, YOU KNOW, MONDAY MORNINGS WERE OKAY, WHAT HAVE WE HEARD OVER THE WEEKEND? WHAT CAN WE THINK ABOUT? AND THEN WE HIRED A LOBBYIST AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT TOO.
SO WE WERE STANDING ONE DAY AT DICKINSON AVENUE AND WE SAID, WE'VE MISSED SOME OPPORTUNITIES.
AND SO WE PUT TOGETHER A QUICK PLAN OVER THE COURSE OF MONTHS.
THIS WAS THE FASTEST PLANNING EFFORT I EVER SAW HAPPEN FROM PLAN TO ACTUAL PROJECTS.
AND SO THE DICKINSON AVENUE, WE STARTED AT THE END OF 2013.
BY NOVEMBER OF 2014, UM, IT WAS APPROVED AND WE STARTED SAYING, LET'S REIMAGINE DICKINSON AVENUE.
WE KNOW THAT THE STATE'S GONNA IMPROVE THE STREETS.
WE GOT THE STREET STATE STANDARDS.
BUT THEN WE STARTED GETTING PROJECTS AND WE DID SOME PUBLIC ART IN THE AREA.
GO SCIENCE, NOW TIME FOR SCIENCE.
NOW IT'S GETTING READY TO MOVE THAT SAME DEVELOPMENT THAT DID THE BOUNDARY'S GONNA DO CONDOS AT THIS CORNER.
BUT THAT'S OKAY BECAUSE WE TOOK THE PEW SERVICE STATION OUT.
WE USED A BROWN FUEL REMEDIATION RACK FOR THAT.
BECAUSE LIFTS LET GO OF HYDRAULIC FLUID IN THE GROUND.
WE TOOK POSSESSION OF IT, CLEANED IT UP, PUT A TIME FOR SCIENCE IN.
NOW WE'RE GONNA GET THE SECOND GENERATION OF OWNERSHIP, WHICH IS GONNA BE CONDOS.
UH, WE STARTED SAVING ABOUT $12 MILLION WORTH OF INVESTMENT DOWN THIS STREET JUST WITH THE BUSINESSES AFTER WE GOT THROUGH WITH THE PLAN.
AND THEN, UH, THIS IS WHERE GHOST SCIENCE IS GONNA GO.
AND THE KOLA BUILDING, IT WAS AN OLD CHURCH OCCUPIED BY THE SAME SYCAMORE HILL BEFORE THEY MOVED OUT ON COOKER ROAD.
UH, IT BECAME TAP OFFICE SUPPLY.
IT SIT, SAT VACANT AFTER THEY LEFT.
AND NOW IT'S GONNA BE THE TIME FOR SCIENCE.
SO WE'RE STILL MOVING THE PIECES ON THE DECK, BUT WE'RE STILL GETTING SPOTS OCCUPIED.
UH, WE STARTED DOING A LOT OF SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS AND LOANS.
SO MANY TO THE POINT THAT WE WERE RECOGNIZED AS A SMALL BUSINESS COMPETITION, UH, GRANT, UH, OR GOVERNOR'S INITIATIVE COMMUNITY.
'CAUSE WE DID OVER 30 GRANTS, ABOUT 450,000 THAT WAS FUNDED FROM THE BOND.
UM, ANOTHER SMALL BUSINESS INITIATIVE.
AND THEN THIS PROJECT CAME IN ON THE DICKINSON AVENUE AREA IN THE POLICE PARKING LOT WITH POLICE AND FIRE RESCUE PERSONNEL PARKED BEHIND THE POLICE FIRE RESCUE BUILDING.
AND THIS ONE CAME ON, IT WAS MY LAST DEAL, ONE OF, ONE OF MY LAST DEALS.
AND I THOUGHT, YEAH, IT IS TIME TO RETIRE BECAUSE THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT ARE MAD AT ME 'CAUSE I'M TAKING THE PARKING.
BUT WE TOOK THEIR PARKING LOT PUT UP.
UH, I THINK THERE WERE 116 UNITS IN THIS.
IT WASN'T JUST STUDENT HOUSING, IT WAS YOUNG PROFESSIONAL AND STUDENT HOUSING.
WE HAD COMMERCIAL ON THE GROUND FLOOR.
WE BUILT AN OVERFLOW PARKING AREA FOR THIS PROJECT.
THAT WAS OUR CONTRIBUTION SINCE RE CONNECTOR PROJECT.
I TALKED ABOUT THE BOND THAT I TALKED ABOUT IN 2004.
2 MILLION FROM THE CITY WENT TO THAT 2 MILLION FROM ECU, 2 MILLION FROM THE HOSPITAL
[01:10:01]
TO FUND THE PLANNING OF THIS ROADWAY AND GET IT GOING.SO YOU, SO SO YOU SET WHAT YOU WANTED TO HAPPEN BEFORE DOT CAME AND SAID, I WANT TO DO THIS.
WE, WE, THE WAY IT ENDED UP HAPPENING, IT WAS ALREADY ON THEIR IMPROVEMENT LIST.
WE WANTED TO MOVE IT UP AND WE SAID WE'RE GONNA PARTICIPATE IN THE PLANNING.
UH, THAT ROADWAY WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE LIGHT RAIL ON IT THAT HAD TO GO BY THE WAYSIDE.
AND WE MISSED THE OPPORTUNITY TO CROSS UNDER 10TH STREET A LITTLE BIT CLOSER.
SO WE LOST SOME THINGS, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO GET A ROADWAY THAT HAS BIKE LANE SIDEWALKS ON BOTH SIDES.
THAT'S WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET.
AND THE PEOPLE THAT WAS IN THE ROLE, EMINENT DOMAIN, IS THAT WHAT Y'ALL USED OR BOUGHT IT OUT? THE STATE DID.
AND SO I DON'T THINK THEY HAD TO USE EMINENT DOMAIN ON ANY OF THOSE CASES.
THEY JUST, BUT THEY JUST OFTEN THEY NEGOTIATED AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED.
DID WE HAD ONE BACK, UH, TRANSPORTATION ACTIVITY CENTER EARMARKS, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THE LOBBYISTS.
HELP SECURE EIGHT AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS TO BUILD THAT FACILITY FOR MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUS TRAIN, UM, TAXI, WHATEVER, ALL THAT FACILITY.
SO THEN THE CERTIFIED REDEVELOPMENT AREA, THAT WAS JUST TO THE WEST 193 ACRES.
WE HAD 1,087 STRUCTURES, 560 OF SOME FORM OF DILAPIDATION OF 2 62 STRUCTURES BEING VACANT.
WE BOUGHT UPWARDS OF 200 STRUCTURES IN THIS AREA BECAUSE THEY WERE
WITH A 80 GOT UH, WE HAD FIVE IN IT.
AND THEN SOME OF OUR ENTITLEMENT MONEY, 'CAUSE WE BECAME ENTITLEMENT 94.
AND THAT HELPED US, BUT NOT TO THE TUNE OF THAT, THAT THAT BOND, BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE ALL THE FEDERAL RED TAPE AND YOU'RE GONNA PROBABLY DO SOME OF THE VERY SAME THINGS THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WOULD SIGN OFF ON.
BUT THE BOND GAVE US MORE CAPACITY.
SO MEDIAN VALUE OF HOMES IN THE AREA IS ABOUT 52,000 LAND SALES, AROUND 30,000.
SO WE WORKED REALLY IN AN AREA THAT WAS REALLY HIGH PRODUCING.
SO ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT MAPS OUT OF OUR REDEVELOPMENT PLAN IS THE TREATMENT MAP.
WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO WITH EACH PARCEL? 'CAUSE AS YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU DO A CERTIFIED REDEVELOPMENT AREA, YOU HAVE TO SPECIFY WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO WITH THE PARCEL.
UM, FIRST THING WE FOUND OUT, THE COMMUNITY SAID, WELL, IT WOULD HELP US IF WE HAD A COMMUNITY CENTER WHERE FOLKS FROM FIVE TO 95 COULD COME IN.
CATHOLIC DIOCESE WAS ABOUT TO SELL A PIECE OF PROPERTY THEY HAD.
UM, AND WE SAID LET'S BUY IT AND CREATE COMMUNITY CENTER THERE.
VCU WILL BE OUR, UM, MASTER SORT OF, UH, DIRECTOR OF WHAT HAPPENS IN THE FACILITY.
SO WE GOT THAT, UH, FOR ABOUT 750,000.
AND THEN WE PUT MONEY IN TO TUNE OF ABOUT 2.5 MILLION.
UM, THIS IS THE LADY THAT WAS NAMED AFTER SHE WAS A GEM OF THE COMMUNITY PASSED NOT TWO LONG AGO, BUT, UH, SHE WAS EVERYONE'S MOTHER.
AND SO WE WANTED TO CAPTURE THAT.
AND SO WE WERE REALLY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT HOW WE PUT OUR ARMS AROUND THE COMMUNITY INSTEAD OF KEEPING THE COMMUNITY AT ARMS BAY FROM US.
AND THAT'S WHERE I'M GONNA REALLY SPEND THE FEW REMAINING MOMENTS THAT I'VE GOT.
UM, THESE ARE SOME OF WHAT WE DID, UH, AND OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM.
WE WERE DOING A LOT OF SUBDIVISIONS AROUND THE COMMUNITY.
WE WERE FINDING
AND SO HOW DO WE TAKE THAT OUT AND CREATE OPPORTUNITIES, EITHER WORKING WITH COMMUNITY COLLEGE OR FROM WHAT WE LEARNED IN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM.
HOW DO WE PARCEL LOTS TOGETHER TO BUILD BACK SOMETHING NEW? UH, TAKING OLD SHOTGUN DUPLEXES AND CREATING OWNERSHIP FOR THE FOLKS THAT WERE LIVING IN THE UNIT.
AND SO WE DID THAT IN SEVERAL OF THOSE CASES.
UH, I HAD GOTTEN THE FIRST SMALL CITIES GRANT THAT THE CITY HAD, UH, IN YEARS.
'CAUSE WE WERE NON ENTITLEMENT AT THAT TIME.
AND THEN THE CITY COUNCIL GAVE US A CHARGE.
THEY SAID, WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING STEERING COMMITTEE IN 91.
YOU COME UP WITH WAYS TO INCREASE THE SUPPLY OF HOUSING AND THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO BUY HOUSES.
WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU A MILLION DOLLARS TO GET STARTED.
WE'RE GONNA PULL A BOND REFERENDUM.
WE TALKED WITH CHARLOTTE AND SAID, CHARLOTTE, TELL US WHAT YOU DID.
CHARLOTTE SAID, YOU KNOW, WE BASICALLY USED THAT MILLION DOLLARS TO LEVERAGE OTHER DOLLARS.
THEY SAID, WELL BEST THING YOU CAN DO FOR US IS STAY OUTTA THE WAY AND GIVE US INCOME ELIGIBLE BUYERS THAT ARE CREDIT COORDINATE.
I SAID, COME ON, WE CAN DO MORE THAN THAT.
FAST FORWARD, WE START BUILDING OUR FIRST SUBDIVISION.
WE'D LOVE FOR YOU TO CHANGE YOUR PROGRAM AND DO THIS.
AND I SAID, WELL, AT THIS POINT I DON'T NEED YOU.
WE'RE ALREADY BUILDING HOUSING.
IF WE NEED YOU AND WE NEED TO CHANGE OUR PROGRAM,
[01:15:01]
WE'LL DO IT THEN.SO WE GOT STARTED IN EARNEST IN 1994 AT A MILLION DOLLARS.
AND WE BOUGHT OUR FIRST PIECE OF PROPERTY.
WE DID 90 LOANS AND OVER 180 UNITS.
AND WE TOLD THE VOTERS THAT $1 MILLION, EVERY PENNY WILL COME BACK AND WE'LL RECYCLE IT.
FIRST THING, WE BUILT A, A SUBDIVISION OF THREE ACRES HOMES.
WE DID 16, THEY SOLD BETWEEN 75 AND 85,000.
WE PUT IN THE STREETS, THE SANITARY SEWER, WATER, STORM SEWER, ET CETERA.
AND WE BUILT THREE BEDROOM, TWO BATH HOUSES, 1200 SQUARE FEET, ALL BRICK AT THAT TIME.
AND OUR BUYERS WERE PROBABLY FOLKS THAT WERE, UH, FOLKS WORKING IN RETAIL, YOUNG TEACHERS, ET CETERA.
DID YOU BUILD OR DID YOU WORK WITH A DEVELOPER TO BUILD? WE WERE THE DEVELOPER AND WE SOLICITED BUILDERS THROUGH A A PROCESS.
WE SAID, IF YOU CAN BUILD A HOUSE THAT MEETS THESE SPECS AND MEETS THESE PRICE POINTS, WE'LL DEED YOU THE LOT.
YOU'LL PAY US FOR THE LOT AT THE TIME OF SALE TO AN INCOME ELIGIBLE BUYER.
NOW IS THIS THE REDEVELOPMENT GROUP ITSELF DOING IT? OR WAS IT THE CITY OF GREEN? THIS IS THE CITY.
THIS IS THE CITY, BUT THESE ARE THE LESSONS THAT WE LEARNED TO DO THE REDEVELOPMENT.
IS THERE ANYTHING ABOUT THE WAY THAT YOU PUT THAT PROJECT TOGETHER THEN THAT IS NOT ON THE TABLE NOW, STILL DONE.
THEY'RE STILL DOING IT THAT WAY NOW.
UM, I STOLE IT TO GREENSBORO, UH, QUITE HONEST.
AND UH, THEY WERE DOING THE SAME THING.
AND I SAID, HOW DID YOU DO IT? AND I SAW WHAT THEY WERE DOING.
HURRICANE FLOYD HIT, UH, IN BETWEEN THIS ONE.
WE STARTED THIS ONE SHORTLY AFTER THAT ONE.
GOT THAT FOR I THINK 80,000 IN LAND COSTS, 160 IN INFRASTRUCTURE.
THEY SELF NOMINATED IT FOR A HOUSING IN NORTH CAROLINA AWARD.
SO WE WERE, WE WERE HAPPY WITH THAT.
THAT WAS WHEN FLOYD HIT AND WE WERE FINISHING UP THAT ONE.
AND MUCH LIKE YOU ALL HAD FLORENCE, WE HAD FLOYD SURVIVORS WERE DOING SOMETHING.
WE SAID, WE'VE GOTTA DO SOMETHING.
AND SO WE PURCHASED, UM, THIS TRACK OF 49 ACRES.
WE DID 105, CLOSED THAT ONE OUT IN THREE AND A HALF YEARS.
AND AGAIN, NORTH CAROLINA HOUSING FINANCE NOMINATED.
THEY SELF NOMINATED INSTEAD OF US NOMINATING IT FOR WHAT WE DID, ALMOST SAME PRICE POINT, SAME STYLE.
UH, INCOMES WERE A LITTLE BIT BETTER, ABOUT 35,000.
BUT STILL WE'RE ABLE TO GET PEOPLE IN PRETTY QUICKLY.
AND SO THEN WE TOOK THAT KNOWLEDGE AND WORKED IN THE REDEVELOPMENT AREA.
SOMETIMES THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION WOULD SELL LOTS FOR WHAT WE WERE GONNA DO.
OR WE TOOK OUR PROPERTIES AND WE USED MONEY FROM THE BOND TO SOMETIMES BUILD, WE'D HIRE A CONTRACTOR AND BUILD, BUILD HOUSES ON THOSE LOTS.
AND SO, SO THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION RESPONSIBLE FOR SELLING THE HOUSES THE CITY ENDED UP SELLING FOR THE CITY WAS SELLING.
BECAUSE WE WERE AND OUT THERE, WE CAN'T SELL DIRECTLY.
THEY, THE TITLES BECAME VESTED WITH THE CITY OF GREENVILLE AND SO WE SOLD THEM TO THE CITY.
THEN WE SAID, ANY OF YOU THAT HAVE BEEN IN AN ENTITLEMENT COMMUNITY KNOW THAT IF YOU DON'T TOUCH EVERYTHING IN YOUR CONSOLIDATED PLAN, HUD WILL SAY, ALRIGHT, YOU'RE MISSING MISS ELEMENT.
SO WE WERE DOING SO MUCH HOME OWNERSHIP, WE HAD TO DO RENTAL.
AND VILLE HAS A HEALTHY RENTAL HOUSING MARKET, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE A HEALTHY FIRST TIME OR LOWER INCOME RENTAL MARKET.
AND SO WE PUT SOME PROPERTY THAT WE HAD FROM THE OLD SCHOOL BOARD OUT THROUGH THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION FOR DEVELOPMENT.
AND WE GOT A GROUP OUT OF WINSTON-SALEM THAT DID 48 UNITS OF AFFORDABLE RENTALS.
UH, WE DID NOMINATE THAT ONE HOUSING NORTH CAROLINA BOARD THAT THE LITECH BILL, THE LITECH LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT.
THIS IS JUST OFF THE FIFTH, ISN'T IT? YES.
YOU GET TO THE RAILROAD TRUCK.
WE PARTNERED WITH THEM AND I KNOW YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT HOUSING AUTHORITY.
THEY SAID WE NEED TO BUILD AN ELDERLY DEVELOPMENT LOW PROFILE 'CAUSE ELDERLY, UH, RESIDENTS HAVE LIMITATIONS.
SOMETIMES I NEED WIDER DOORWAYS, DON'T NEED A LOT OF STEPS.
SO WE BUILT THIS LOW PROFILE UNIT 48, USE THAT SAME BOND THAT I TALKED ABOUT FROM 1992.
WE GAVE THEM A $350,000 LOAN FOR THAT PROJECT, WHICH THEY PAID US BACK.
THEN WE DID THIS ONE WINSLOW POINT USING HOME DOLLARS.
WE PUT ABOUT 450,000 IN THAT, UH, FOR $15 MILLION DEVELOPMENT.
DID THE CITY STILL OWN THAT RIVER PROPERTY? NO.
BUT WE FACILITATED IT BY PUTTING, UM, GRANT MONEY INTO IT SO THAT THEY COULD GET POINTS IF THE LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT, YOU WANT TO HAVE LOCAL COMMITMENT AND TO SCORE POINTS AND GET
[01:20:01]
THE POINTS YOU NEED TO HAVE SOME FORM OF LOCAL COMMITMENT.WE PUT 450,000 INTO THAT 1, 3 50 INTO THE ONE THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY DID AND THEN A $500,000 LOAN FOR THE NATHANIEL VILLAGE.
SO WE GOT THOSE LOW, THOSE LOCAL COMMITMENT POINTS BECAUSE THAT POINT SPREAD IS TIGHT.
MOST OF THESE SITES, UH, VACANTS SITES FROM WHERE THEY OCCUPIED, YOU HAD TO BUY THE HOUSING AND EVERYTHING OUT OF IT.
AND, UH, THIS ONE WAS NOT VACANT.
THE, THE DEVELOPER, UH, HAD TITLE TO THAT AND THEN HAD SOME UNITS THAT HE HAD THAT HE CLEARED OUT.
THE ONE THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD HAD, WE HAD A STRUCTURE ON IT, WE HAD TO REMOVE.
SO WE STARTED LOOKING AND WE HAD SAID, ALRIGHT, HOW MUCH IMPACT HAVE WE HAD? WE HAD ABOUT $300 MILLION WORTH OF INVESTMENT.
WE HAD BEEN INVOLVED DIRECTLY WITH ABOUT 250 MILLION OF IT.
AND SO WE FELT LIKE WE HAD A PRETTY GOOD RUN.
UM, SO I SAY THERE'S SOME KEY STEPS TO ANY COMMUNITY THINKING OF REDEVELOPMENT OR REVITALIZATION.
REALIZE THAT THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE GONNA AFFECT MAY HAVE ALREADY BEEN TOUCHED BY REDEVELOPMENT AT ONE POINT IN TIME OR ANOTHER.
HOW DO YOU PUT YOUR ARMS AROUND 'EM? HOW DO YOU MAKE THEM FEEL, YOU KNOW, A APART? HOW DO YOU DO THINGS THAT ARE NOT TRANSFORMATIVE WHERE YOU'RE JUST CLEARING THE CHEST FORWARD? UM, DEVELOP A PLAN.
REALLY THINK OF A ONE TO FIVE INVESTMENT FOR EVERY $1 YOU PUT INTO A PROJECT.
YOU WANT FIVE OR MORE FROM PRIVATE INVESTMENT THAT HELPS JUSTIFY SORT OF YOUR INVOLVEMENT.
IF IT'S A ONE FOR ONE, YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT BE TRANSFORMATIVE, BUT REALLY THINK ONE TO FIVE.
UM, YOU'RE GONNA DO A MULTITUDE OF THINGS, UH, FROM INFRASTRUCTURE, FROM BUILDING HOUSING, FROM BUILDING PUBLIC FACILITIES, ET CETERA.
SO, YOU KNOW, THINK OF DOING SEVERAL THINGS.
SO THAT MULTIPLE APPROACH APPROACH IS BETTER.
KEY SITES, THINK OF WHAT'S IN YOUR READABLE AREA THAT YOU CAN PUT TOGETHER.
IF YOU DO A LITECH, YOU WANT PROBABLY FOUR AND A HALF TO FIVE ACRES OR MORE SO THAT YOU CAN BE COMPETITIVE.
AND THERE'S CERTAIN CRITERIA THAT YOU GOTTA MEET FOR A LI TECH.
SO THINK FOUR AND A HALF, FIVE ACRES OR MORE.
I REALLY SAY CONSIDER THAT FINANCIAL ADVISOR OUT OF DC.
WE STARTED WITH THEM IN 2002, THEN THE ECONOMY WENT DOWN IN 2008.
WE BACKED AWAY FOR TWO YEARS, BUT CAME BACK.
SO WE SPENT ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS WITH THEM, BUT WE GOT OVER 15 TO $20 MILLION WORTH OF EARMARKS OR GRANTS FROM WASHINGTON AS A RESULT OF THAT RELATIONSHIP.
NOW WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU SAY THAT, DID THE CITY GET IT OR DID THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION GET IT? A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH.
SO WE WOULD SIT DOWN WITH THE FERGUSON GROUP ANNUALLY AND WE'D SAY, HERE ARE THE PROJECTS FROM THE CITY.
HERE'S WHAT THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION WANTS TO APPROVE OR APPROACH.
AND THEY WOULD ARRANGE VISITS WITH OUR LOCAL DELEGATION.
AND THEN WE'D GO TO WASHINGTON AND WE PUT TOGETHER A GRANT.
IN FACT, THE BUILD GRANT IS BUILDING THE REST OF THE, UH, STREETSCAPE WORK WAS A BUILD GRANT OPPORTUNITY.
WE STARTED GOING UP IN 20 16, 20 15.
SO THAT KIND OF GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF HOW LONG SOME OF 'EM TAKE.
BUT WE STARTED GETTING MONEY FROM THAT INVESTMENT WITH BERKSON GROUP.
IMMEDIATELY THEY
WELL, THEY, I'M NO ONE WITH THEM.
THEY HIRED SOMEBODY FROM, UH, WARDEN SMITH TWO YEARS AGO TO DO RALEIGH.
SO, AND IT, IT, IT IS BENEFICIAL.
UM, PUBLIC ART, CONSIDER PUBLIC ART WITH ANY AND EVERYTHING YOU DO.
IT HELPS GIVE THE COMMUNITY A SPACE THAT THEY MIGHT CLAIM AS THEIR OWN.
UM, MIXED USE BECAUSE YOU ALL GOT SO MUCH GOING ON.
YOU CAN'T JUST DEVELOP A PARCEL NOW, PARTICULARLY ON A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE, JUST FOR ONE USE.
YOU HAVE TO ALMOST THINK MIXED USE BECAUSE OF THE COST OF DEVELOPMENT OF THE LAND.
YOU'RE GONNA BE THINKING MULTIPLE USERS ON ONE PARCEL NOW.
'CAUSE IT'S GOTTA BE SUSTAINABLE.
UH, IDENTIFY YOUR CATALYST ICONS AND SITES.
I COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT ALL MYSELF.
I HAD A REALLY GOOD TEAM THAT WERE PROJECT LEADERS THAT THEY WOULD TAKE IT AND THEY WOULD JUST RUN WITH IT.
WE WOULD GET TOGETHER AND THEY'D SAY, HERE'S WHAT I'M WORKING ON.
IF WE NEED TO DO A COURSE CORRECTION, WE DID THAT.
BUT I HAVE A REALLY GREAT TEAM AND WE GOT A LOT DONE.
WELL, YOU GOT WITH THAT TRANSPARENCY, YOU GOTTA TELL BOARD MEMBERS TO BE TRANSPARENT.
AND THAT IS ALWAYS A SLIPPERY SLOPE, BUT IT IS A PERFECT MESSAGE.
AND THAT'S FROM ELECTED DENTAL.
SO PROGRAMS THAT WE USE, LITECH, FEDERAL EARMARKS HAVE TALKED ABOUT THAT.
NINE TWO AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOND.
A 2004 GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND
[01:25:01]
THAT WAS A TOTAL OF 10 BILLION, 5 MILLION FROM THE CITY, EXCUSE ME, FOR THE CENTER CITY.5 MILLION FOR WEST GREENVILLE, OUR CDBG AND HOME FUNDING.
AND WE DID ALL OF THESE THINGS.
AND WHAT WE DID, THE BONDING THAT WAS DONE, DID THE CITY SWALLOW THAT AND SERVICE IT AND CLOSE OUT OR DID YOU HAVE TO DO IT ON THE BACK END? YEAH, THE CITY DID.
SO WHAT HAPPENS, UM, MAYBE IT'S THE NEXT SLIDE.
IF YOU DO, UH, YOU PROBABLY, YOU'VE ALREADY SEEN THAT.
SO MAYBE YOU CAN DO, UM, BONDS ARE REAL INTERESTING QUESTION FOR COMMITTEE.
UM, SO A BOND, TYPICALLY YOU'RE GONNA DO SOME PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE, SOME TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECTS.
AND FOR COMMUNITIES TO GET INVOLVED WITH A BOND, IT'S A DIFFICULT CONVERSATION.
'CAUSE WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS YOU'RE ASKING THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO LET YOU INCUR DEBT.
AND IF WE HAVE TO RAISE TAXES, IF WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH GROWTH FROM JUST THE NATURAL GROWTH OF OUR TAX BASE, WE'LL RAISE TAXES TO PAY BACK THAT DEBT.
I THINK WE'VE DONE IT, WE HAD DONE IT THREE TIMES.
UH, THREE BOND REFERENDUMS. I WAS THERE FOR, IT WAS TWO, MAYBE THREE.
ANYWAY, WE DID A $25 MILLION QUESTION.
THAT WAS THE ONE WITH THE FIRST 1 MILLION OF, OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THEN WE DID A 20 MILLION, THAT'S THE ONE WHERE WE GOT THE 10 MILLION, 5 MILLION FOR WEST GREEN OR 5 MILLION FOR CENTER CITY.
AND WE HAD OTHER PUBLIC QUESTIONS LIKE PARKS AND ROADS ON IT BECAUSE PEOPLE AREN'T GONNA COME OUT JUST FOR THOSE ISSUES ALONE.
YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE OTHER THINGS THAT CARRY THE DAY.
AND EACH ITEM IS A SEPARATE QUESTION AND ASKED FOR THE VOTER.
SO CONSIDER IF YOU'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING LIKE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR REDEVELOPMENT, PARLAYING IT WITH PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, SO THAT WAS JUST AN ARTICLE WHERE SUITING REVITALIZATION REALLY PAID OFF, OFF.
I THINK MAYBE WE GOT TWO MORE.
THE, THE VALUE OF PUBLIC ADVISORS.
I TALKED ABOUT THE FERGUSON GROUP AND WHAT THEY'VE DONE FOR US.
UM, WHAT'S BEING DONE NOW? THREE QUICK MORE SIZE.
SO THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION WAS MOTHBALL THE LAST ONE IN 2020.
'CAUSE THEY RAN OUTTA MONEY AND UH, THE CITY DIDN'T GO OUT FOR ADDITIONAL BONDING AFTER THAT.
SO THEY SAID, REALLY, WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF BOND PROJECTS FOR YOU ALL TO DO.
THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE IN THE PLAN TO DO, BUT WE'RE JUST GONNA GO AHEAD AND DO IT AND WE'LL, WE'LL MOVE THERE.
UH, WE CONTINUE TO BUILD NEW HOUSING THROUGH THE SAME METHOD I'VE TALKED ABOUT.
THEY'RE NOW WORKING IN THE LINCOLN HEIGHTS AREA.
THERE'S THREE LITECH DEVELOPMENTS NOW BEING CONSIDERED, UH, DOWNTOWN HOTELS GOING IN AND STREETSCAPE.
SO THIS IS THE STREETSCAPE AREA.
IT WAS PART OF THE BILL GRANT.
SO I DIDN'T FACTOR THIS ONE IN WITH THAT 14 TO 20.
IF I TALKED ABOUT THE FERGUSON, IF YOU TALKED ABOUT THAT, THEY GOT $42 MILLION IN, UH, FEDERAL FUNDS FOR THIS, THAT THE, UH, FERGUSON GROUP HELPS SECURE.
BUT THIS IS GONNA TIE IN ALL THESE AREAS WITH GREENWAYS AND, UH, SIDEWALK AND ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS.
UH, THIS IS THE LINCOLN PARK AREA.
ADDITIONAL FOUR TO EIGHT UNITS GOING UP THERE.
AND THAT'S THE HOTEL'S SCHEDULED TO OPEN THE END OF FEBRUARY.
YOU ALL ALREADY HAVE A, A WONDERFUL SET OF HOTELS DOWNTOWN.
WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO CATCH UP WITH YOU ON WHAT THIS, CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE LINCOLN PARK SLIDE REAL QUICK? SURE.
DOWN THERE IS, UM, AND I KNOW THIS IS AN ASIDE, BUT ISN'T THAT, THAT THE DEVELOPER, THE
THERE'S A DIFFERENT, THESE FOUR JUST SOLD.
THERE'S ANOTHER LOCAL BUILDER THAT GOT THOSE.
BUT MR. NEWKIRK, UM, YOU ALL PICKED A GREAT CONTRACTOR.
WE GOT STARTED WITH COMMUNITIES VERY YOUNG OR YOUNGER THAN HE IS NOW THAT WAY.
AND HE'S DONE GREAT WORK FOR THE CITY, UH, AT LEAST WHILE I WAS THERE.
AND I STILL THINK THEY OWE 'EM IN HIGH REGARD.
FOR, FOR LINCOLN PARK, HOW MANY DEVELOPERS DID YOU USE FOR, FOR, FOR THAT, UM, PROJECT? WE HAD THREE BUILDERS WHEN I WAS THERE.
THEY MAY HAVE AS MANY AS FOUR MORE BUILDERS SINCE I'VE LEFT IN THAT AREA.
AND THEY DO IT THE SAME WAY THEY SELL TO THE PROPERTY AND THEN THEY BUILD WHAT YOU WANTED TO BUILD.
EXCEPT IN THESE THREE I I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ACTUALLY PAID THE BUILDER TO DO THOSE.
WE DID THREE OF THOSE, UH, IN CAROLINE HEIGHTS.
SO IT'S STILL THE SAME MODEL WHERE YOU PUT THE SPECS OUT, UHHUH YOU CONTRACT WITH THE BUILDER TO BUILD YOUR PROJECT, AND THEN YOU PAY THEM, UH, DISBURSEMENTS BASED ON ELEMENTS COMPLETED.
SO THEY, THEY'VE USED STILL SAME VERSION OF WHAT WE, OKAY.
SO MUCH SPACE BETWEEN THE BUILDERS NOW ARE BUILDING HOUSES.
LIKE, LIKE YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE ANY YARD SPACE BETWEEN THEM AND YOU'RE
[01:30:01]
NOT, I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING IN GREENVILLE LIKE THAT.HOW ARE YOU AVOIDING THAT? SO OUR MINIMUM BLOCK SIZE IS 6,000 SQUARE FEET.
AND YOU DO THAT PRIVATE PURCHASE? YEAH, WELL WE COMBINE 'EM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND, UH, WE GET THAT SAME TITLE, AIR PROPERTY BUG IN GREENVILLE.
SO IT, I DON'T, IF YOU WANNA FIND A WAY TO SOLVE IT, I'M SURE FOLKS IN THE CITY WILL BE GLAD TO HEAR IT.
IT'S DIFFICULT EVERYWHERE YOU GO.
SO COMMIT, IDENTIFY, EMPLOY DIFFERENT METHODS, TRY TO TACKLE A NUMBER OF YOUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEEDS PARTNERSHIP.
I GO BACK TO WHAT THE LOCAL BANKS TOLD ME.
WE FOUND WE HAD A FEW NONPROFITS, SOME THAT WERE BETTER THAN OTHERS.
IF WE COULD WORK THROUGH A NONPROFIT, WE DID THAT, BUT EVENTUALLY THE BANKS CAME AROUND, WE JUST HAD TO PROVE WHAT WE WERE GONNA DO.
I'M NOT ONE TO SAY PARTNERSHIPS DON'T, AREN'T, WE NEED 'EM.
I LOVE THE FACT THAT AT YOUR LAST MEETING, QUALITY WAS AT THE, AT THE DIOCESE.
IF WE'RE GONNA DO THIS, IT NEEDS TO BE QUALITY BECAUSE AFFORDABLE HOUSING DOESN'T HAVE TO BE CHEAPLY DONE.
WHEN YOU SAY AFFORDABLE HOUSING PEOPLE, OH, YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT NOTHING AGAINST HABITAT.
WE GAVE THEM LOTS AND WE WORKED WITH HABITAT, BUT EVERYONE SAYS, OH, IT'S, YOU KNOW, VOUCHER HOUSING OR IT'S, UH, HABITAT.
WELL THAT'S GREAT, BUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING CAN BE QUALITY.
SO QUALITY AND EDUCATION OF HOMEOWNERS.
I'LL, I'LL LEAVE ON THIS LAST POINT.
UH, ALL OF OUR HOME BUYERS WERE REQUIRED TO GO THROUGH HOME BUYER EDUCATION.
EVERYBODY'S PROGRAM IS THAT WAY.
WHEN WE STARTED LOOKING AT OUR NUMBERS OUT OF 180, WHENEVER I LEFT 180 UNITS OF NEW HOUSES THAT WE CREATED, ONLY 12 WENT UNDER THAT'S BETTER THAN LOCAL BANKS.
I HATE THAT THOSE 12 WENT UNDER, BUT I'LL TAKE 12 VERSUS 90 OR MORE.
THAT MEANS THAT SOMETHING WAS WORKING AND IT WAS EDUCATION AND THEN LAST DAY VIGILANT.
SO I'VE GONE OVER MY TIME, BUT I REALLY ENJOYED TALKING ABOUT THIS STUFF.
I'M, UH, I'M JUST DRAWN TO IT.
SO YOU ALL ARE DOING A GREAT JOB AND IF I CAN HELP, GLAD TO HELP.
UH, IT IS A LARGE FILE SO MARILYN AND I WILL, WILL GET TOGETHER.
YEAH, BECAUSE I THOUGHT I COULD GIVE IT TO HIM AND IT IT IS SOMEHOW, BUT I WOULD PRINT A LOT OF THEM.
LAST SLIDE WERE THEY'RE REALLY IMPORTANT.
YEAH, I, I, I TOOK NOTES, THE ONES THAT I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE PUBLISHED AND DISTRIBUTED TO OUR OKAY.
COMMISSION AT THE OUR NEXT GET SHOW.
WELL, SO YOU CAN PULL THEM OUT, YOU KNOW, EXTRACT THEM OUT.
WELL, WHAT WE CAN DO HERE, WE'LL WORK TOGETHER.
SO WE THANK YOU FOR ALREADY HELPING US.
[5. 10:15 am: Community Development in Jacksonville: Presented by Ms. Tracy Jackson ]
PERSON THAT I HAVE ON SPEED DIAL IS MS. TRACY JACKSON.SO WE WILL GO STRAIGHT INTO, UH, YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, I, I SPENT THE DAY WITH, UH, WITH TRACY DRIVING AROUND JACKSONVILLE AND I WAS ABSOLUTELY, UH, SPELLED OUT AND I KNOW THAT YOU ALL WILL BE AS WELL.
AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE WON'T TAKE, UH, WE WON'T TAKE DEDICATED BREAKS BECAUSE WE HAVE A PACKED SCHEDULE TODAY.
BUT, UH, UH, PLEASE DO FEEL FREE TO GET UP AND MOVE AROUND AND DO ALL THE THINGS.
SO WITH THAT, WE WILL, UH, WE'LL GET INTO THIS.
I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU A, A THICK INTRODUCTION OF MYSELF.
I AM TRACY JACKSON, THE DIRECTOR OF NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT SERVICES WITH THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE.
I'M ALSO THE VICE PRESIDENT OF NORTH CAROLINA, UM, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION.
SO WHEN YOU SEE E-C-C-P-A COME DOWN HERE FOR CONFERENCES, IT'S BECAUSE OF ME.
AND WE TRY TO GO TO THE WEST ONE YEAR AND THEN WE'LL COME TO THE EAST.
SO NEW BERN IS DEFINITELY ON MY LIST, ON MY SHORT LIST OF, UH, PLACES TO BRING A CONFERENCE.
UM, JUST WANT TO, UM, GO OVER SOME OF THE THINGS.
MR. FLOOD, HE HIT A LOT OF THINGS THAT THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE IS DOING, BUT FIRST I WANT TO COMMEND THE CITY OF NEW BERN AND YOU ALL FOR HAVING A REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO NOT HAVE IN THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE.
AND IT, IT, IT IS, IT GIVES YOU THE FLEXIBILITY THAT THE CITY CAN'T DO.
SO I DO COMMEND YOU ALL FOR PARTICIPATING IN THIS IMPORTANT, UM, COMMISSION.
UM, JUST WANNA ALSO, UM, TOUCH ON THE FACT THAT,
[01:35:01]
UM, THE REDEVELOPMENT, UM, PLAN THAT YOU ALL HAVE AND THAT YOU'VE ESTABLISHED IN 2020.I WAS IMPRESSED WHEN I SAW THAT ON THE WEBSITE.
SO, UM, YOU ALL ARE DOING A GREAT JOB WHEN IT COMES TO WANTING TO DO SOMETHING IN YOUR COMMUNITY AND YOU ALL HAVE SPELLED IT OUT IN THAT PLAN.
SO THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE, WE HAVE OUR HOME OWNERSHIP PROGRAM.
WE HAVE A INFIELD HOUSING RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAM, AND WE ALSO HAVE SOME AREA BENEFIT PROJECTS.
WHEN CONTACTED ME, HE SAID, JUST TELL WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING WITH YOUR C-D-B-D-C-D-B-G DOLLARS, UM, BECAUSE WE DO GET COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUNDS AS WELL.
UM, AND THE SPECIAL THING THAT, UM, THAT THE CITY COUNCIL HAS DONE IN 2023 SEPTEMBER, UM, THEY HAVE ESTABLISHED A AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUND TO WHERE THEY ALLOCATED A MILLION DOLLARS SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE.
WE ALSO, CITY COUNCIL ALSO PUT A MILLION DOLLARS IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, FUND SO THAT WE CAN SPUR SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT IN OUR DOWNTOWN AREA.
SO I AM GOING TO GO OVER SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING GROUND LEVEL.
UM, I KNOW MR. FLOOD, HE DID A LOT OF HIGH LEVEL STUFF.
UM, BUT WE ARE GONNA, I'M, I'M GOING, I'M GONNA BRING YOU DOWN SO THAT YOU CAN, UH, DO SOME THINGS THAT ARE, I WANT TO SAY THEY'RE, UM, LOW HANGING FRUIT, THAT KIND OF THINGS.
SO WITH OUR DOWN PAYMENT, UM, PROJECT, WE HAVE A PROGRAM THAT WE MIRROR NORTH CAROLINA HOUSING AND FINANCE, UH, AGENCY.
WE ONLY GET, UM, CDBG DOLLARS.
SO WE HAVE, UM, DEVELOPED A PROJECT, UM, A PROGRAM THAT ALL OF OUR HOMEOWNERS, THEY HAVE TO HAVE A MINIMUM SCORE OF 600 COURSE.
THEY HAVE TO, UH, QUALIFY THROUGH OUR HU INCOME GUIDELINES.
UM, OUR SALES PRICE LIMITS, IT'S JUST FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION, IT'S $251,000.
BUT THAT IS WHAT THE MARKET IS, YOU KNOW, DURING THIS TIME.
UM, AND FOR EXISTING HOUSING, UM, THE SALE PRICE LIMITS ARE $209,000.
SO HERE'S OUR HU INCOME GUIDELINES, OF COURSE.
SEE OF NEWBURN, THEY, YOU ALL HAVE YOURS.
I THINK YOURS A LITTLE BIT LOWER THAN OURS.
SO WHEN YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT LOWER INCOME, THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO PUT MORE GRANT DOLLARS IN TO MAKE THOSE PROJECTS WORK.
SO WHAT WE CAME UP WITH, WE OFFER UP TO $25,000 DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE.
WE ALSO OFFER OUR $30,000 LOTS.
SO ALL OF OUR LOTS THAT WE, UM, PURCHASE, WE WILL PROVIDE THAT AS A GRANT OVER 10 YEARS.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS, IS WHEN THEY MAKE THE PURCHASE, WE WILL HAVE A LIEN ON THE PROPERTY.
THE FIRST FIVE YEARS, THEY DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT PAYING IT.
AND THEN THE SIXTH YEAR WE START DEFERRING ONE YEAR OFF UNTIL THE END OF 10 YEARS.
AND THEN THEY WILL HAVE THAT LOT AS INSTANT EQUITY IN THEIR HOUSE.
WE ALSO DO A DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE TO WHERE WE WILL BRING CASH TO THE TABLE TO COMPLETE THE LOAN.
NOW WHAT THAT DOES IS IT'S 30, 30 YEARS THAT THEY CAN PAY THAT BACK.
BUT WE HAVE FOUND THAT A LOT OF LARRY IS GOING ON WITH TRYING TO GET THESE HOME BUYERS IN THESE HOMES.
SO WITH $55,000 THAT NORTH CAROLINA HOUSING IS OFFERING, AND THEN ANOTHER 25, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AT LEAST $80,000 THAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO PAY AGAIN AT THE END OF 30 YEARS, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO REFINANCE AND THEN MAKE THAT PAYMENT.
WELL, FOR US AND YEAR 10, WE ARE PUTTING A PROGRAM TO WHERE THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO START PAYING US BACK IN YEAR 10, DEPENDING ON WHERE THEY ARE AND THEIR INCOME.
UM, HOPEFULLY THEY'VE HAD SOME PROMOTIONS, THEY'VE HAD SOME ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO KNOW THAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO PAY, SO THEY WON'T BE GETTING INTO A LOT OF DEBT.
AND THEN THEY'LL MAKE A PAYMENT FOR LIKE $83 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT OVER THAT, THAT 25 YEARS.
SO THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN UNTIL THE, UH, AFTER 10 YEARS.
SO MR. FLOOD, HE ALLUDED TO HOME BUYERS DOWN PAYMENT.
IN ORDER TO GET DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE, ALL OF OUR HOME BUYERS HAVE TO GO THROUGH A HOME BUYER EDUCATION COURSE.
THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE IS A HUD CERTIFIED COUNSELING AGENCY.
SO THAT MEANS THAT ALL OF OUR, ALL OF OUR, UM, CLIENTS,
[01:40:01]
WE GO, THEY GO THROUGH OUR CLASSES.WE ALSO HAVE A MONEY MANAGEMENT CLASS WHERE THEY ALSO HAVE TO GO THROUGH IN ORDER TO GET FUNDED.
NOW, UM, I KNOW MR. PLUG SAID THAT IT WAS, UM, 12 UNITS THAT HAVE GONE UNDER.
WE HAVE NO FORECLOSURE IN OUR, WE HAVE NO, THERE'S NO COMPETITION IN THIS INDUSTRY.
WE HAVE NO, WE HAVE NO FORECLOSURE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, OUR MO OUR MISSION IS, AND WE'VE TAKE IT VERY PASSIONATELY.
IT IS OUR JOB IS NOT JUST TO GET YOU IN THE HOUSE, IS TO KEEP YOU IN THE HOUSE.
SO WE TAKE THAT VERY PERSONAL AND WE TAKE THEM BY THE HAND AND WE GUIDE THEM AND WE, WE WILL, SOMETIMES WE WILL HAVE TO GET, WE HAVE TO GET TOUGH, BUT, BUT IN THE END, OUR HOME BUYERS, THEY ARE VERY GRATIFIED.
UM, WHEN THEY COME BACK AND SAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HELPING ME GET MY HOME.
I DIDN'T KNOW, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT THIS WAS WHAT WE WERE GOING TO GET INTO.
SO BY CREATING THIS HEALTH, UH, HEALTHY HOMES AND CREATING THIS WEALTH FOR THE FAMILY, THAT'S OUR MISSION.
SO WITH OUR, UM, WE ALSO, WE, WE WORK WITH OUR LENDERS.
UM, WE WORK WITH, UM, UM, SEVERAL OTHER AGENCIES.
LIKE I SAID, NORTH CAROLINA HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY MAY HAVE A, A, UM, SUBSIDY LAYER IN THAT, THAT TOTAL LOAN.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS PROJECT OVER HERE, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT, UH, INFIELD CONSTRUCTION, THIS RIGHT HERE, WE, IT USED TO BE THE, THE NAME OF THE, THE COMPLEX IS COUNTRY CLUB DEALERS.
THE NAME THAT WAS ON THE STREET WAS MYRLE WOOD
BUT WE HAD SO MUCH CRIME GOING ON IN THERE THAT WE HAD TO WORK WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH A WEED AND SEE TYPE OF ACTIVITY AND WE GOT ALL THE NEGATIVE BEHAVIORS OUT OF THERE BECAUSE WE COULDN'T EVEN GO IN AND ENGAGE WITH THE RESIDENTS THEY WOULD TO AFRAID EVEN COME AND TALK TO US.
SO WE HAD TO GET THAT AND ONCE WE GET THAT NEGATIVE BEHAVIOR OUT, THEN THE RESIDENTS CAME OUT AND STARTED TALKING TO US AND TELLING US WHAT THEY WANT US TO DO.
SO WE PURCHASED MOST OF THE WORST LOOKING DILAPIDATED BUILDINGS THAT WERE IN THERE AND WE TURNED THEM INTO HOME OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES.
SO THESE ARE THE TWO, UM, THE LAST TWO THAT WE DID, UM, IN THAT COMPLEX.
AND WE'VE SOLD ALL OF THOSE PROPERTIES.
WAS THIS CDBG FUNDS THAT WERE USED FOR THIS OR OTHER FUNDS AS WELL? THIS WAS, UH, CDBG FUNDS AND ACQUISITION.
AND THEN WE DID OUR RENOVATION.
SO I DO ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO WORK WITH YOUR CDBG UM, STAFF SO THAT YOU CAN SEE HOW THEIR ACTION PLAN OR HOW YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR ACTION PLAN SO THAT YOU ALL CAN, YOU KNOW, MAKE YOUR MISSION COME FORWARD.
AND IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT'S THE USUAL TURNAROUND TIME WITH, IN, IN WORKING WITH AND LIAISING WITH THE CCB CBBG? PLEASURE ON THAT QUESTION.
YEAH, YOU KNEW I WAS GONNA ASK, I WAS WAITING TO ASK THAT QUESTION.
SO I DON'T, I DON'T YOU'RE AN EXPERT AT THIS ANSWER.
YOU CAN REALLY GIVE AN ANSWER, DON'T I? I DON'T KNOW WHAT, UM, AS FAR AS, UM, THE TURNAROUND FOR THAT, IT ALL DEPENDS ON YOUR POOL.
IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BUYING THE PROPERTY, UM, OF COURSE TITLE ISSUES, YOU GOTTA CLEAR THE TITLE ISSUES.
ONCE WE BUY THE PROPERTY, THEN WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH, UM, RENOVATING THE PROPERTY MM-HMM
AND THEN ONCE WE DO THAT, IT JUST HAS TO GO OUT TO A
AND FOR US, IT'S FINDING CONTRACTORS TO COME IN AND DEAL WITH YOUR PROJECT.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, THEN YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH YOUR, YOUR HOME BUYERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY QUALIFY.
AND ONCE THEY DO THAT, WE MAKE A SALE.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE A PRETTY QUICK, SIMPLE PROCESS.
WELL, IT'S NOT THAT SIMPLE, BUT NO, I MEAN THE GETTING THE HOMEOWNER AND THE SELLING PART, YOU HAVE TO BE, YOU HAVE TO BE FOCUSED AND YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH YOUR HOMEOWNERS.
UM, AND YOU ALL, DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT OF STAFFING THAT YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE ENOUGH STAFF TO BE ABLE TO CARRY OVER AND, UM, UM, COMMIT TO THAT HOMEOWNER PIECE.
BECAUSE YOU MAY HAVE A HOMEOWNER THAT WANTS TO PURCHASE A HOME, BUT IT MAY TAKE ABOUT 36 MONTHS FOR THEM TO GET READY.
BECAUSE THEY SOMETIMES THEY, THEY DO THINGS THAT THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO OR THEY DO THINGS THAT WE TELL 'EM THAT YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO AND IT'LL SET 'EM BACK AND THEN WE'LL MOVE FORWARD.
I WAS JUST GONNA ASK, WHAT, WHAT IS THE STACK, BECAUSE THERE'S LIKE, THERE'S A LOT OF PIECES LIKE IDENTIFYING THE PROPERTIES,
[01:45:01]
REHAB PROPERTIES, THE CDBG ASPECT OF COUNSELING ASPECT.HOW, HOW LONG WAS YOUR STAFF? WE WERE WORKING TO DOING ALL THIS ON A STACK OF TWO.
AND THEN, UH, WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE TO HIRE ANOTHER PERSON THIS PAST AUGUST.
SO WE ARE LOOKING TO DO MORE, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE HAVE THE, UH, GENERAL FUND, UH, UH, ALLOTMENT FOR THE, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUND.
SO, UM, THAT TAKES ME INTO ANOTHER, UH, I GUESS ANOTHER PHASE TO WHERE, UM, SOME OTHER PEOPLE ARE NEEDED TO FILL IN THOSE GAPS.
SO WE, WE WERE OPERATING ON A STAFF OF THREE AND WE'LL GET, WE HAVE GOT ABOUT $432,000 A YEAR IN OUR ENTITLEMENT FUNDS.
AND THEN WE'LL HAVE ABOUT $221,000 IN PROGRAM INCOME.
SO WE ARE WORK, WE'RE WORKING ON A BUDGET ABOUT A $630,000 BUDGET.
GET ALL THE MILEAGE FOR YOUR MONEY.
SO WITH THIS, THIS IS A HOUSE THAT WE DID IN THE INFIELD CONSTRUCTION.
UM, IT'S LIKE MR. FLOOD SAID CBG AND HUD HOUSING.
SO THIS HOUSE, UM, WE WORKED WITH OUR BUILDER AND I WISH I COULD SHOW YOU MORE PICTURES, BUT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF TIME I WANTED TO SHORTEN IT.
UM, THIS BUILDER WAS COMMITTED IN HER, UM, HER IMAGE.
SO SHE MADE SURE THAT THE MATERIALS THAT PUT IN THERE, IT, YOU KNEW THAT THIS WAS HER HOUSE AND SHE DIDN'T CUT COSTS ON ANY OF THAT, BUT SHE MADE SURE THAT SHE, WE COULD GET A PRODUCT THAT WAS AFFORDABLE FOR OUR CLIENTS.
AND, AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE, THE OWNERS THAT CAME IN AND SHE DID EVERYTHING WRONG.
AND WHEN SHE CAME BACK AND SHE SAID, I KNOW Y'ALL TOLD ME NOT SHE, BUT I WANTED TO GO ON THAT TRIP AND I USED THAT, THAT CREDIT CARD.
WE WERE LIKE, LORD HAMBURG MERCY.
AND THEN BY THAT TIME, THIS WAS IN, IN 2019 DECEMBER, GUESS WHAT HAPPENED IN 2020? MM-HMM
SO EVERYTHING DOUBLED AFTER THAT.
COVID HIT, EVERYTHING DOUBLED.
SHE COULD NOT AFFORD THAT PRICE.
SO, UM, HER INCOME, SHE INCREASED HER INCOME, BUT SHE HAD TO GO BACK TO WORK.
SHE WAS A LADY WHO, UH, RETIRED.
SO SHE HAD TO GO BACK TO WORK IF SHE WANTED THE HOUSE AND BLESS HER HEART.
INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO GET THAT $953 A MONTH, UH, MORTGAGE, SHE ENDED UP HAVING TO PAY ABOUT 1100, ALMOST $1,200.
THAT EXTRA $300 BECAUSE OF THE PRICES OF THE HOUSES WENT UP.
SO MISS, MISS, UM, MISS MISS A, SHE WENT THROUGH OUR HOME BY EDUCATION.
SHE ALSO HAD EXTENSIVE HOUSING COUNSELING, UH, WITH US.
AND SHE WAS FINALLY ABLE TO CLOSE ON THIS HOUSE.
SHE'S VERY PROUD OF THIS HOUSE.
I WILL SAY WHEN WE GO INTO NEIGHBORHOODS, WHEN YOU GO INTO NEIGHBORHOODS AND YOU LOOK AT THESE HOUSES AND YOU WANT TO GET THESE DILAPIDATED HOUSES, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, STAFF AND I, WE ALWAYS GO BACK AND FORTH IS, IS TREES CITY OF JACKSONVILLE, WE'RE A CANOPY TREE, UM, COMMUNITY.
SO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT GOING IN AND DOING INFIELD CONSTRUCTION RECONSTRUCTION, MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A WAY FOR YOU TO PUT THE HOUSE BACK INSTEAD OF CUTTING THE TREES IN, CUTTING THE TREES OUT AND THEN PUTTING THE HOUSE ON THE PROPERTY.
SO WHEN THEY STARTED THIS PROJECT, PROJECT, WHEN YOU WENT DOWN THE STREET, THERE WERE TREES AND I TOLD HER, DON'T TAKE OUT ANY OF THE TREES, JUST PUT IN THE HOUSE.
'CAUSE WHEN YOU RIDE DOWN THE HOU DOWN, RIDE DOWN THE ROAD, I DO NOT WANT ANYONE TO IDENTIFY THAT AS A HOOD HOUSE.
SO AFTER THE HOUSE WAS BUILT AND SHE WENT BACK ON IT, SHE PASSED RIGHT BY THE HOUSE BECAUSE THE HOUSE FIT ON THE STREET.
SHE HAD TO BACK UP AND FIND THE HOUSE.
SO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT REDEVELOPMENT, SAVE TREES, I'M A TREE HUGGER.
SHE DIDN'T TO I KNOW THESE TREES LATELY.
UM, SO WITH OUR UM, NORTH CAROLINA HOUSING PARTNERSHIP, UM, WE HAVE TO DO ALL OF OUR, UM, REPAIRS.
IF, IF, ESPECIALLY IF WE DO EXISTING HOMES, WE'LL GO IN AND DO ALL THE REPAIRS AND MAKE SURE ALL OF THE STANDARDS ARE MET.
AND THEN, UM, IT'LL TAKE ABOUT, WITH THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH NORTH CAROLINA HOUSING FINANCE
[01:50:01]
AGENCY, IT'LL TAKE ABOUT SEVEN TO 30 DAYS, UM, FOR UNDERWRITING AND DEALING WITH US AND DEALING WITH THE BANK.ALL OF THOSE SUBSIDIES AND LAYERS THAT COME TOGETHER.
AND THEN WE'LL END UP CLOSING.
SO NOW WE HAVE TWO MORE HOUSES.
THIS IS ONE THAT UM, WE COULD NOT GO BY, UM, 'CAUSE WE RAN OUT OF TIME, BUT WE HAVE SOLD ONE 14 AND NOW WE HAVE ONE 12 FOR SALE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WITH THE CONCEPT OF YOU DON'T HAVE TO, UH, HAVE A CHEAPLY MADE HOUSE, UM, THIS IS ONE OF THE BEDROOMS. GO AHEAD THERE.
THIS IS WALKING INTO THE KITCHEN.
THIS IS OUR BATHROOM FACILITY AND WE HAVE IT FOR SALE FOR 1 93, 2 50.
SO RIGHT NOW IN JACKSONVILLE, THAT IS THE CHEAPEST NEW CONSTRUCTION HOUSE IN THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE.
IT'S, IT'S SLAB FOUNDATION, BUT IT'S UM, IT'S, IT'S A SPECIAL SLAB FOUNDATION.
IT'S NOT JUST SITTING ON THE GROUND.
IT'S, UM, IT'S A SPECIAL ONE THAT OUR UDO, UH, THAT OUR PLANET DEPARTMENT HAVE APPROVED.
SO WE DIDN'T WANT THE HOUSE JUST TO SIT ON THE GROUND.
WE WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE SOME KIND OF BARRIER FOR THAT.
SO WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WHAT CAN THE REDEVELOPMENT PERMISSION DO, WHAT WE DECIDED TO DO IS WE HAD A, UM, AREA BENEFIT IN OUR NEW RIVER, UM, AREA.
WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUT A SPLASH PAD.
THIS IS A FIRST EVER SPLASH PAD THAT WENT INTO JACKSONVILLE.
UM, IN OUR PLANNING OF OUR ANNUAL ACTION PLAN, THE RESIDENT SAYS WE WANT A POOL.
EVERYBODY SAID WE WANT A POOL, WE WANT A POOL.
BUT THE CITY SAID THAT'S A LOT, LOT OF RISK WITH A POOL.
SO THIS WAS OUR ANSWER TO THAT.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO PUT A SPLASH PAD IN THERE AND WE HAD THE WHOLE CITY COME AND THAT'S LOW INCOME AREA USING THAT SPLASH PAD.
SO OF COURSE WITH THAT INTEREST, UM, THE CITY MADE, UH, PREPARATIONS TO BUILD SEVERAL MORE SPLASH PADS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY.
BUT WE WERE THE FIRST ONE TO, UM, HAVE A SPLASH PAD TO ANSWER THE COMMUNITY NEEDS.
SO, AND YOU USED, YOU USED THE CDPG MONEY DO THAT.
BECAUSE IT WAS AN AREA OF BENEFIT.
SO YOU GOTTA FIND OUT WHERE YOUR SMALL INCOME AREAS ARE LOCATED AND THAT'S WHERE YOU CAN PUT IN YOUR, YOUR CBD DOLLARS.
TWO OF NEW AND CENSUS TRACKS ARE ACTUALLY IN OUR REDEVELOPMENT AREA.
WHAT'S THAT AGAIN? NOW WALT BELLAMY, UH, THE WALT BELLAMY NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE
NOW WE HAVE A SPLASH PASS OVER.
IS THAT IN YOUR AREA? YEAH, NORTH STREET.
BUT IT NEEDS TO BE, IT NEEDS TOUCHING UP.
SO THEN THAT'S CITY, BUT THAT'S NOT US.
IS THAT LIKE A RECOMMENDATION FROM US TO THE CITY? TO THAT CITY PARKS RECREATION.
BUT WE CAN DO THE, SO WHEN WE BUILD IT, WE TURN IT OVER TO THE CITY BECAUSE WE CANNOT MAINTAIN IT WITH CBG FUNDS.
SO YOU JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION.
WHEN WE PUT THAT INVESTMENT IN, WE TELL PARKS AND RECREATION.
THEY DO, DO YOU GET THEIR PERMISSION BEFORE YOU PUT IT IN? BUT THEY WILL MAINTAIN IT? OH, THEY COMING TO ME CHARGED FOR IT.
THEY COME TO ME AND SAY, TRACY, DO YOU HAVE ANY MONEY? AND I SAY, I'M GLAD YOU ASKED
SO WHEN THEY COME TO ME AND I SAY, YES, WE HAVE MONEY, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT? OKAY.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THEY SAY, WELL, WE WANT, UM, I, WELL AT THIS CASE WE SAY WE WANT TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION ON OUR, UM, CITIZENS INPUT SURVEY AND WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT A POOL.
AND SO I SAID, CAN WE EXPLORE A SPLASH PAD? SO THAT'S WHAT WE DID.
AND WE GOT, WE PARTNERED WITH ENGINEER.
Y'ALL USE YOUR IN-HOUSE, YOU KNOW, RESOURCES.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DEMOLITION, WHAT WE DO IS WE WILL GO OUT AND I'M JUST GONNA TOUCH ON OUR DEMOLITION, UH, PROGRAM FOR A MINUTE.
WE WILL GO OUT, WE IDENTIFY A DEMOLITION PROJECT.
WE'LL GET PERMISSION FROM THE OWNERS TO, YOU KNOW, TEAR IT DOWN AT $10,000, UP TO $10,000.
WE JUST WANT TO ELIMINATE SLUM AND BLIGHT.
SO THE OWNERSHIP STAYS WITH THE, UH, WITH THE FAMILY.
YOU JUST GET EVERYBODY TO SIGN OFF ON IT.
AND THEN, UH, WE USE CITY CREWS TO GO IN THERE AND KNOCK EVERYTHING DOWN.
AND THAT SAVES US SO MUCH MONEY WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DEMOLITION COSTS.
SO YOU NEED MONEY TO CLEAN UP AREAS.
[01:55:01]
SO WE WOULD, WE WOULD USE OUR, OUR, UH, CBG FUNDS FOR THE LANDFILL COSTS, BUT WE WILL USE THE CITY CRUISE FOR THE LABOR.SO THEY WILL COME OUT AND JUST KNOCK EVERYTHING DOWN, TAKE IT TO THE LANDFILL.
THEY BRING US BACK THE TIPPING SHEETS AND WE'LL PAY THAT WITH CBD WAS CCB D THAT'S SIGN THEIR BUDGET LAST YEAR, IF YOU REMEMBER THE CD PLUS, THEY HAD, THEY HAD $70,000 IN THERE FOR DEMOLITION WORK.
YOU REMEMBER US TALKING ABOUT THAT? MM-HMM
WHY CAN'T THEY DO SOME OF OUR DEMOLITION WORK? THEY DID, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN PAYING FOR THAT DEMO.
THIS SYI WEST PAGE THREE AND BLOOMFIELD WERE BOTH PAID.
WE, WE BE, BUT WE'RE LIKE, OKAY.
BUT BLOOM WAS, THIS IS THE WAYS THAT YOU ALL CAN STRETCH YOUR CDBG DOLLARS.
WE'D BE BACK, WE BACKFILLED THIS.
I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE, BUT WHAT I'M HEARING HERE, THERE'S ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO USE THOSE FUNDS TO FAR OTHER PARCELS THAT WE DON'T OWN.
AND REACH OUT TO THE PEOPLE THAT DO OWN THEM AND USE THOSE FUNDS FOR DEMOLITION.
I'VE GOT A DOZEN PRODUCING BLOCKING HOUSES IN MY HEAD RIGHT NOW.
AT FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD AVENUE.
REMEMBER WE CLEANED IT UP AND WE COULDN'T GO ON THEIR PROPERTY BECAUSE YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? ALRIGHT.
WHAT? SHE SAID, YOU GOTTA GET THE FAMILY OFF ON IT.
IT'S DIFFERENT WHEN YOU SAY, I GOT 10 GS FOR YOU, I NEED TO TALK TO THE FAMILY.
YOU SEE, IT IS DIFFERENT WHEN YOU, IT, IT IS.
YOU, I NEED TO TALK TO YOU AND YOUR BROTHER AND I GOT 10,000.
YOU DON'T THINK THEY GONNA BE AT THE TABLE AT 10 O'CLOCK? FINE.
I JUST WANNA ALSO ASK TO Y'ALL, Y'ALL, Y'ALL ARE EXACTLY WHERE I NEED YOU ALL TO BE, BE IN THE WEED.
SO WE ALSO HELP, WE, LIKE I SAID, WE USE OUR INTERNAL RESOURCES SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT.
SO ALL OF THE MINIMAL HOUSING CASES THAT COME BEFORE WE ARE IN THOSE HEARINGS.
SO IT IS LIKE, HERE'S THE CITY SAYING YOU HAVE TO DO THIS.
YOU HAVE TO ABIDE BY THE ORDINANCE, THE UDO, THE CODE.
IF YOU DON'T DO SOMETHING, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE FINES, UH, WHATEVER.
WE'LL TAKE IT TO COUNSEL, AND COUNSEL WILL ORDER IT TORN DOWN, AND THEN A LIEN WILL BE PUT ON YOUR PROPERTY.
THEN YOU HAVE ME IN THE MEETING AND SAY, I CAN HELP
I HAVE A $10,000 GRANT THAT YOU CAN UTILIZE UP TO $10,000.
WE'LL, UH, PARTNER WITH OUR CITY, UH, DEPARTMENTS, AND THEY WILL TEAR IT DOWN FOR YOU AND YOU WILL MAINTAIN OWNERSHIP.
NINE TIMES OUT OF 10, I HAVE THE CAP.
SO THAT'S HOW WE WORK WITH GETTING, UM, SLUM AND BLIGHT ELIMINATED.
WE HAVE 180, EVER SINCE WE STARTED THIS, EVER SINCE WE STARTED COUNTING, UM, IN 2010, WE HAVE ELIMINATED 180 STRUCTURES WOW.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE, WE ALSO HAVE, UM, AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, TO, UM, USE CBG DOLLARS FOR A SIDEWALK.
AND I, THE REASON I PUT THIS HERE IS BECAUSE, UM, THIS IS THE SIDEWALK GOING INTO A NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THIS NEIGHBORHOOD TOLD ME, NO, Y'ALL CAN'T COME INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND PUT SIDEWALKS BECAUSE THE, THE CITY WILL TAKE AND, AND, AND IT IS JUST A MISUNDERSTANDING.
NOT UNDERSTANDING, UM, ABOUT EASEMENTS.
SO I KNEW THAT THEY STILL, THIS NEIGHBORHOOD WAS, UH, A LOW INCOME NEIGHBORHOOD AND I KNEW THIS NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDED SOMETHING AND IT NEEDED SOME CBG INVESTMENTS.
SO I ASKED THE CHURCH WHO WAS THE CORNERSTONE OF THIS NEIGHBORHOOD GOING IN BECAUSE I PUT SIDEWALKS INTO THAT CHURCH.
AND OF COURSE THE CHURCH SAY, NO, NO, WE HEARD ABOUT THE CITY.
AND, UM, BASICALLY I WENT TO THE PASTOR AND SAY, NOW PASTOR, UM, GOD FORBID, YOUR CHURCH WOULD BURN DOWN.
SO IF YOU WANTED TO REBUILD, GUESS WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO? PUT SIDEWALKS OUT.
SO YOU NEED FOR ME TO PUT THIS $280,000 SIDEWALK GOING INTO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND HE WENT BACK TO HIS CONGREGATION AND THEY AGREED
SO THAT'S HOW WE GOT SIDEWALKS GOING INTO A LOW INCOME NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE ALSO PUT BATHROOMS IN THAT LOW INCOME NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, IT WAS A PARK THERE AND IT WAS A CINDER BLOCK
[02:00:01]
BUILDING THAT HAD BEEN THERE SINCE 1937.SO WHEN MY GRANDCHILD CAME, MY GRANDBABY CAME AND SHE WANTED TO USE THE FACILITIES.
UH, WE POKED OUR HEAD IN THAT DARK, DARK BUILDING, AND I'M LIKE, NO, THEY NEED A BATHROOM.
SO EVEN THOUGH THEY DIDN'T LET ME GO INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, I KNEW THEY NEEDED ME.
SO I, WE PUT A BATHROOM IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD AND NOW THEY HAVE A NICE NEW BATHROOM IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE ALSO PUT, UM, THERE'S A, WE PUT A TRAIL RIGHT IN THERE.
AND ALONG THE WALKING TRAIL, WE ALSO PUT EXERCISE EQUIPMENT BECAUSE THERE WERE SENIOR CITIZENS THAT WERE, UM, LIVING IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO NOT ONLY CHILDREN LIVED THERE WITH SOME SENIOR CITIZENS.
SO WE DID SOMETHING FOR THE SENIOR CITIZENS TO BE ABLE TO STAY HEALTHY.
WAS THIS, WAS THIS, WAS THIS USED TO BE A CITY PARK OR SOMETHING? YES.
THERE WAS A WAY FOR US TO SPRUCE UP THE CITY PARK.
YES, IN A LOW INCOME NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, AND THIS IS THE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT THAT WE, UM, ALSO, UH, REPLACED SOME OF THE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT THAT WE WERE, UH, REPLACING THE BENCHES THAT WE REPLACED IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, SO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT WAYS TO SPEND MONEY, AND YOU ALL SEEM THOUGH YOU HAVE A BUDGET, AND IF YOU HAVE A BUDGET, UM, I KNOW YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING, JUST THINK ABOUT THE AREAS THAT YOU CAN GO AND INVEST.
BECAUSE THESE ARE AREAS PROBABLY THAT HAVE THE, UM, THE OLDEST LONGEST RESIDENTS IN, YOU KNOW, IN YOUR CITY.
AND SOMETIMES THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, TEND TO BE FORGOTTEN.
'CAUSE NEW DEVELOPMENT IS COMING, AND NEW DEVELOPMENT IS, IS USUALLY GETTING THE ATTENTION.
BUT, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT YOU, BECAUSE YOU ALL HAVE THE POWER TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, I TAKE CARE OF MY SENIORS.
THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, I I SAY THEY MY BABIES BECAUSE THEY HAVE PAID THE TAXES THE LONGEST AND THEY HAVE THE, UM, THEY, THEY PAY, UH, WELL, THEY PAY THE TAXES THE LONGEST.
AND THEY ALSO HAVE A LIMITED INCOME.
THEY ALSO HAVE A LIMITED INCOME.
SO I TEND TO, YOU KNOW, WHENEVER WE HAVE A SENIOR PERSON THAT COME IN THERE, EVERYONE BENEFITS.
IF YOU HUG INCOME, YOU KNOW, QUALIFIED, YOU ARE GOING TO GET SOME ASSISTANCE.
UM, BUT WE, WE, WE MAKE SURE THAT OUR SENIORS KNOW ALL ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS. OKAY.
SO YOU ALL HAD SOME GOOD QUESTIONS BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, WE ARE DOWN HERE, UM, AS FAR AS GETTING THE MONEY SPENT, GETTING THE PROJECTS DONE AND COMPLETE.
UM, I DO KNOW YOUR, UH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT REPRESENTATIVE.
UH, WE HAVE WORKED TOGETHER IN SEVERAL, UM, PROJECTS AND, AND ALL OF THAT.
UM, OUR ANNUAL, OUR FIVE YEAR PLAN, WE HAVE SEVERAL GOALS.
AND, UH, REHAB IS ALSO INCLUDED IN THAT, ALONG WITH THE OTHER THINGS I MENTIONED.
BUT I ALSO WANTED TO JUST LEAVE YOU WITH, UM, WE STARTED A NEW PROGRAM THIS YEAR, AND IT'S A SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM WHERE WE JUST GOT A SOLICITATION FOR, UM, AN ALLOCATION OF $50,000 FOR SOMEONE TO COME IN AND BE A MENTOR AND DEVELOP OUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
WE, UM, WE ARE BEHIND WHEN IT COMES TO OUR DOWNTOWN AND WE ARE TRYING TO REVITALIZE.
WE TRY TO GET Y'ALL, EVERYBODY'S TRYING TO GET LIKE, LIKE NEW BERN
Y'ALL DO A GOOD, Y'ALL DID A GREAT JOB.
AND, UM, THIS IS ONE WAY THAT WE CAN INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO COME BACK DOWNTOWN BECAUSE THEY LEFT OUR DOWNTOWN AND WE MAXIMIZED WESTERN BOULEVARD.
SO IF YOU ALL HAVE EVER BEEN TO JACKSONVILLE, Y'ALL KNOW WHAT WESTERN BOULEVARD IS.
SO EVERYBODY WENT TO, UH, WESTERN BOULEVARD AND NOW WE'RE TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO COME BACK TO OUR DOWNTOWN AREA.
SO THAT'S A NEW PROGRAM THAT WE ARE, UH, GONNA BE IMPLEMENTING THIS YEAR, UM, ALONG WITH OUR ANNUAL ACTION PLAN.
UM, SO WE ARE LOOKING TO DO SOME MORE GOOD THINGS, UM, WITH THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE.
UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT, UM, DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO Y'ALL JUST KEEP LOOKING IN THE FUTURE AND FOR US IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE FOR ME? YOU GOT ANY INFLUENCE WITH THAT? UH, Y'ALL BE A NEW SUPERINTENDENT IN JUNE.
YOU GOT AN INFLUENCE WITH THAT PART? OH MY, OH, I'M SORRY.
AND INSPIRED SOME CONVERSATION, UM, THE FUTURE.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU COMING THIS MORNING.
AND I CAN, Z HAS ME ON SPEED NOW, SO HE KNOWS THAT
[02:05:01]
I WILL SEND HIM ANY, ANY OF OUR PROGRAMS. ONE THING ABOUT OUR INDUSTRY WE DON'T TRY TO RECREATE, WE WILL SHARE INFORMATION AND Y'ALL MAKE IT YOUR OWN.YOU'RE WELCOME TO STAY FOR THE ENTIRE MEETING.
HAVE I SAY I HAVE ANOTHER COMMITMENT THAT I YOU LATE, BUT IF LEAVE, YOU MUST TAKE SOME FOOD WITH YOU.
CAN I ASK THEM BOTH A QUESTION BEFORE THEY LEAVE? SINCE THEY'RE LEAVING? I, UM, HAS THERE EVER BEEN, OKAY, I'M JUST THINKING AHEAD.
HAS THERE EVER BEEN IN ANY CITY OR ANY OF YOUR EXPERIENCE THAT YOU'VE EVER HEARD OF CITY THAT TAKES ON A PROGRAM LIKE, UM, TO INTENTIONALLY START TO CLEAR TITLES, LIKE HAVE A YEAR WHERE YOU PUT THE CALL OUT TO THE OWNERS, LIKE, WE, WE NEED YOU TO CONTACT US SO WE CAN GET THESE.
YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? SO WE'RE NOT EVERY TIME RUNNING INTO A TITLE ISSUE, BUT WE TRY TO AT LEAST GET 80% OF THE TITLES RIGHT.
WHAT HAVE, IS THERE ANYTHING OUT THERE LIKE THAT? I'M JUST ASKING.
I MEAN, I'M, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE HAS BEEN SOME LEGISLATION THAT HAVE CHANGED, SOME LAWS THAT PASSED ABOUT THE TITLE ABOUT AIR PROPERTY.
WE TRIED TO HAVE A, A LEGAL AID REPRESENTATIVE TO DO A TITLE AND, AND WILL WORKSHOP RIGHT.
IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD YEARS AGO.
I DON'T KNOW IT'S CONTINUED OR NOT, BUT IT IS REALLY ABOUT INFORMATION.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU GET PEOPLE, FAMILIES TO DISCUSS THE UNCOMFORTABLE RIGHT.
I WILL TELL YOU, WE HAD THIS ONE, UM, LADY, SHE WAS ONE, SHE WAS A SIBLING.
UH, UH, SHE HAD TWO OTHER SIBLINGS HAD PASSED AWAY, AND SHE WAS THE LAST ONE.
AND THAT THOSE SIBLINGS HAD A SON AND A DAUGHTER.
AND THEY MOVED AND WENT UP TO WENT NORTH.
WE NEEDED THEM TO EITHER, WE OFFERED TO SELL THEIR INTEREST, I MEAN, TO BUY THEIR INTEREST IF THEY WOULD SELL IT TO US.
THEY REFUSED BECAUSE THEY SAID YOUR, YOUR PRICE WAS TOO LOW.
SO SHE ENDED UP GOING TO COURT BECAUSE SHE PAID THE TAXES.
THE JUDGE SAYS, OKAY, LET'S SEE WHO YOU, YOU ARE RIGHT.
LET'S SEE WHO, WHO DID THE MAINTAINING OF THIS PROPERTY FOR ALL OF THESE YEARS? THEY PAID NOT ONE TAX, NOT ONE INSURANCE, NOT ONE MAINTENANCE, NOTHING ON THIS PROPERTY.
AND WE NEEDED TO REPLACE HER HOUSE AND MOVE IT FROM RIGHT HERE AT THE SIDEWALK BACK BACK.
SO AFTER THE JUDGE FINISHED WITH THEM, THAT $15,000 WHITTLED AWAY DOWN TO 3000
SO THEY SHOULD HAVE TOOK IT IN THE BEGINNING.
SO THERE IS THAT SHE, THEY CAN GO TO COURT IF THEY, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE SHE REALLY NEEDED TO HAVE HER HOUSE AND THE JUDGE ORDERED TO SELL AND THEY HAD TO SELL THEIR INTEREST TO HER.
WHAT IS THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONER OF NEWBURY? CAN YOU GUYS GIVE OUR SPEAKERS JUST ONE MORE APPLAUSE.
I WAS CURIOUS, WHAT'S YOUR, WHAT'S YOUR MENT IN HOW MUCH? UH, ABOUT 4 MILLION.
AND WHAT ABOUT JACKSON? WE GET ABOUT $432,000.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE, WE SET UP OUR PROGRAM.
SO WE HAVE A REVOLVING LOAN FUND.
SO ALL OF OUR LOANS, LIKE A $25,000 DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE.
AND WE ALSO PARTNERED WITH, UH, MULTI-FAMILY, UM, DEVELOPERS.
SO WHEN THEY COME IN AND ASK FOR CDBG FUNDS OF ABOUT TWO TO $300,000, THAT'S, THAT'S IN THE FORM OF, OF FORM OF A LOAN, A 2% INTEREST LOAN.
AND THEY WILL GET THAT TO BEAR WITH SCORING OF THE TAX CREDIT COMPETITION.
SO, NOT TO LEAD YOU TOO, TOO MUCH, BUT I DO WANT TO DIRECT YOU BACK TO YOUR POWER SHEET.
UH, UH, GIVING LOANS, UH, IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT RE DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION CAN DO.
SO A REVOLVING LOAN PROGRAM IS WITHIN THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY FOR US.
SO THAT'S HOW WE HAVE A TOTAL BUDGET OF OVER $600,000 EVERY YEAR BECAUSE WE GET PROGRAM INCOME FROM THOSE LOANS.
YOU, YOU WON'T MAKE THE ELIGIBLE FOR A HOME CONSORTIUM BETWEEN YOU AND ENVELOPE YOU WON'T TOUCH.
YOU WON'T LIKE, BE ELIGIBLE AS A HOME CONSORTIUM.
ADDITIONAL MONEY, THE HOME PROGRAM, IF YOU INCLUDE ON
[02:10:08]
TRUST, EVERYBODY MAKES IT WORK.ALL BEFORE THEY, BEFORE THEY LEAVE, ANY MORE QUESTIONS FOR EITHER OF THEM? ALL LONG AS YOU GOT ON SPEED NOW WE'RE GOOD.
I HAVE ON SPEED DIAL, I PROMISE.
OH, YOU WANT ME TO, LEMME INTRODUCE YOU.
I SAW ONE OF THE THINGS IN MR. PLUS'S PRESENTATION WAS TO HAVE A GOOD, YOU KNOW, HAVE MULTIFACETED STAFF AND THERE YOU ARE,
ALL, ALL THREE OF YOU RIGHT THERE.
[6. 11:00 pm: Annual Report: Presented by Executive Director ]
WE APPRECIATE YOU, AND NOW WE WANT TO GIVE US YOUR ANNUAL REPORT.WELL, I APPRECIATE WORKING WITH YOU AND HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH YOU ALL, ALL YEAR LONG YEAR.
UM, PART OF, PART OF OUR DUTIES, UH, PER, UH, PER THE GENERAL STATUTE IS THAT, UH, NUMBER ONE, HAVE A BUDGET.
SO THIS MORNING I'M GONNA GO OVER, UH, SOME PROPOSED BUDGET NUMBERS WITH YOU.
I'M NOT GONNA GET INTO TOO MUCH DETAIL, UH, ON, ON HOW WE'RE WE'RE GONNA PLAN TO SPEND THOSE DOLLARS.
UH, ONLY BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA CLOSE SESSION AT THE END, UH, TO TALK ABOUT ACQUISITION, UH, AN ACQUISITION STRATEGY FOR, UH, FOR THIS NEXT YEAR.
UH, BUT I WILL GO OVER OUR BUDGET.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, THE OBLIGATION TO REPORT TO, UH, THE PUBLIC WHAT WE'VE DONE, UH, WITH THE PUBLIC FUNDS THAT WE MANAGE, UH, IN THE LAST YEAR.
AND SO, VERY QUICKLY, I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU ALL ON ALL OF THE PROJECTS THAT YOU COMPLETED.
UH, IN THE LAST YEAR, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER OR NOT, BUT WE, UH, WE CONVEYED AND, UH, PARTNERED WITH CAROLINA EAST, UH, HEALTH, UH, SYSTEMS, AND WE HAVE, UH, AGREED TO, UH, HELP FUND A HEALTH AND WELLNESS CLINIC.
I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT JUST THIS WEEK, UH, PERMITS WERE GRANTED, UH, TO, UH, TO CAROLINA EAST, AND THEY WILL BE BREAKING GROUND AND ARE ON SCHEDULE TO FINISH THAT PROJECT BEFORE THE END OF MARCH.
UH, AFTER THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS, UH, CLINIC, WE MOVED ON TO, UH, WALT BELLAMY AVENUE.
YOU GUYS DON'T REMEMBER THAT AT ALL.
BUT, UH, THOSE THREE HOUSES, UH, THOSE THREE HOUSES THAT YOU ALL BUILT OVER THE SPAN OF A COUPLE OF YEARS, UH, WERE SOLD, UH, THIS PAST YEAR TO THE NEWBURN HOUSING AUTHORITY.
UH, THOSE, THOSE HOMES WILL BE FEMA REPLACEMENT, UTILIZED FOR FEMA REPLACEMENT HOMES IN THE TRI COURT REDEVELOPMENT EFFORT, WHICH WE ARE NAMED, WHICH THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION IS NAMED AS A CO-DEVELOPER AND PARTNER IN, UH, I'M GOING THROUGH MY LIST HERE.
WE BROKE, UH, BROKE GROUND ON THE WEST, A STREET, UH, DEVELOPMENT, WHICH KIPP UH, UH, KIPP HAS BEEN GIVING ME EYES ABOUT ALL MORNINGS.
UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, WHEN, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DEEDS AND TITLES, ONE OF THE REASONS IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO DO THE WORK ON DEEDS AND TITLES IS BECAUSE WHEN DEVELOPERS, WHEN THE DEEDS AND TITLES GET INTO THE HANDS OF DEVELOPERS, IT'S EXPENSIVE AND, AND HIRING WORK.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING, UH, WITH OUR CURRENT SURVEYOR, UH, SINCE I THINK WE, WE ENGAGED IN APRIL, UH, LIKE LAST SPRING.
AND WE STILL, TO DATE, UH, UH, DON'T HAVE A, UH, A COMPLETED SERV, UH, SITE SURVEY BECAUSE THE, THE LOT LINES AND, UH, THE LOT LINES ARE THAT COMPLICATED.
UH, RIGHT NOW, UH, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE, THE, UH, THE SURVEYOR IS WAITING FOR A RESOLUTION TO COME FROM THE CITY, UH, THE, UH, THE LAWYER.
UH, SO ACCORDING TO, I KNOW YOU GO INTO THE WEEDS, UH, BECAUSE YOU ALL WANT ME TO BE DEALING WITH THIS, SO YOU CAN GET TO YOUR PART, UH, FIRST, BUT TAKE YOUR TIME IN, UH, IN SHORT, THE WAYS AND MEANS MAKE REFERENCE TO A STREET THAT NO LONGER EXISTS, BUT WAS NEVER CLOSED BY THE CITY.
SO THERE NEEDS TO EXIST A DOCUMENT, LIKE JAMIE WAS SAYING EARLIER, A RESOLUTION THAT SAYS THE STREET NO LONGER, NO LONGER EXISTS FROM THE CITY.
AND WE'RE HOPING WE CAN GET THAT DONE OR THAT IT ALREADY EXISTS.
SO, UH, THE LEGAL TEAM IS ON THAT.
AS SOON AS WE HAVE THAT, UH, I'M TOLD BY THE SURVEYOR THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET AN ACCURATE DRAWING.
'CAUSE SO FAR WE HAVE TWO THAT
[02:15:01]
ARE NOT ACCURATE.UM, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET AN ACCURATE DRAWING AND WE CAN GET TO THE BUSINESS OF SUBDIVIDING, UH, THE WEST EIGHTH STREET, UH, PROJECT.
UH, MOST RECENTLY WE CLOSED ON THE BLOOMFIELD PROJECT WHERE WE SOLD, UH, THREE PARCELS, UH, TO UNSHAKEABLE BUILDER FOR THE SUM OF $15,100.
UH, ON EACH OF THOSE PARCELS, THEY WILL DEVELOP A, UH, DUPLEX THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE AS AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE HOUSING TO LOW MODERATE INCOME, UH, INDIVIDUALS.
THEY ARE UTILIZING, UH, A NUMBER OF FEDERAL DOLLARS, UH, TO GET, UH, TO CLOSE THE GAP PROJECT.
AND I KNOW THAT THEY JUST, UH, SAT WITH THE BUILDING INSPECTOR WITH SITE, UH, SITE PLANS THIS PAST WEEK.
UH, SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE MOVING RIGHT ALONG AND PROMISED IT.
UH, AND, AND THEY ARE SHOWING PROMISE THAT THEY WILL BREAK GROUND, UH, WITHIN THE ALLOTTED SIX MONTHS.
WE HAVE DONE, UH, A LOT THIS YEAR, AND I WILL SAY IN THE NEXT YEAR, UH, WE HAVE A LOT MORE TO ACCOMPLISH, UH, STILL ON OUR DOCKET THAT'S BEEN ON OUR DOCKET SINCE I STARTED IS NINE 11 UBANK.
UM, IN OUR DECEMBER MEETING, UH, WE MET AND YOU ALL GAVE ME GUIDANCE TO, UH, TO PUT OUT FOR, UH, TO PUT OUT A BID FOR QUOTES, UH, TO HAVE THAT PROPERTY APPRAISED, THAT THAT BID WENT OUT, UH, IN JANUARY, UH, A WE GOT FOUR, UH, QUOTES FROM LOCAL APPRAISERS RANGING IN, UH, UH, RANGING IN PRICE FROM A THOUSAND DOLLARS TO $495.
UH, I CHOSE THE $495, UH, APPRAISAL.
UH, AND THAT 5,000, UH, $495 FOUR FOR THE, TO DO THE APPRAISAL TO, TO DO THE APP.
SORRY, WHAT I SAY, I'M GONNA HIRE YOU GUYS.
HOUSE FLIPPER APP COMES BACK AT FOUR 95,000
SORRY, THE COST OF THE APPRAISAL, UH, CAME BACK FOR $495 AND THAT APPRAISAL WAS COMPLETE, UH, AS OF YESTERDAY AFTERNOON.
SO, UH, IN THE NEXT, IN THE NEXT 10 DAYS, WE'LL GET THE REPORT.
I WILL DISSEMINATE THAT REPORT TO YOU ALL.
UH, AND AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, PERHAPS BEFORE THE FEBRUARY BUSINESS MEETING, WE CAN CALL SPECIAL BI, UH, A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING TO INITIATE THE SEAL BID PROCESS FOR THE HOUSE ON NEW BANKS.
DIDN'T WE HAVE TO GET THREE OF OUR RULES, OR DID THAT GO AWAY? THE ONE WE HAD, SOMEBODY SAID FREE APPRAISALS.
SO THE, THE CDBG REQUIREMENT REQUIRES US TO GET THREE QUOTES FOR THE APPRAISAL SO THAT WE'RE GETTING, UH, SO THAT WE'RE GETTING THE, THE MARKET FAIR PRICE FOR AN APPRAISAL.
WE DID GET, WE GOT FOUR QUOTES, UH, TO SATISFY THAT REQUIREMENT.
UM, AND, UH, WE CHOSE THE, I CHOSE THE LOWEST, UH, THE LOWEST, UH, QUOTE, UH, TO GET THAT DONE.
SO WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS ON THE EUBANKS HOUSE.
UH, WE HAVE STAYED IN CLOSE COMMUNICATION WITH, UH, POTENTIAL BUYERS.
UH, AND SO WE DO, UH, WE DO ANTICIPATE THAT ONCE WE INITIATE A SEAL BID, UH, THE SEAL BID PROJECT FOR THE EUBANKS, UH, PROJECT, WE WILL GET A, A, A BUYER BE ABLE TO GO TO CLOSING RATHER QUICKLY.
UH, ONE THING I'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATION WITH OUR C UH, CDBG STAFF ABOUT IS, UH, WHEN THAT MORTGAGE IS TAKEN ON NINE 11, UH, THAT MONEY WILL GO BACK TO CDBG.
AND THERE IS A POSSIBILITY IF THE COMMISSION IS SO INCLINED FOR THAT MONEY TO BE POOLED INTO A, UH, REDEVELOPMENT, COMMISSION DESIGNATED POT, UH, SO THAT WE CAN, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A POT OF MONEY THAT IS, UH, IT WILL STILL FALL UNDER CDBG RULES, BUT IT WILL BE DESIGNATED FOR, UH, REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION PURPOSES IF THE COMMISSION IS SO INCLINED, UH, TO EXPLORE THAT OPTION.
AND IF THAT IS, AND IF THAT IS AN OPTION THAT YOU'D LIKE TO EXPLORE, YOU CAN CERTAINLY GIMME DIRECTION, UH, TO, TO FIND OUT SOME PARTICULARS A REPORT ON THAT TO YOU.
UH, AT UPCOMING MEETING, I SEE A LOT OF HEADS NODDING.
HERE BY DIRECTION, UM, BY DIRECTION.
UM, AS FAR AS ONGOING PRO, UH, AS FAR AS ONGOING PROJECTS, THAT THOSE ARE OUR ONGOING PROJECTS AS FAR AS, AS FAR AS RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT GOES.
UH, ANOTHER THING THAT WE, THAT, THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO SINCE I CAME ON STAFF, UH, I SAY THAT 'CAUSE I GO TO THE MALL, IS WE GET TO ENGAGE IN, IN, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY MEETINGS.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE HEARD IT WHEN, UH, WHEN THE TWO PRESENTERS WERE SPEAKING THIS
[02:20:01]
MORNING, BUT A LOT OF WHAT WE DO HAS TO DO WITH TURNING PUBLIC PERCEPTION, UH, AND TELLING THE STORY TO THE PUBLIC.AND I WOULD SAY THAT THAT 75% OF THE JOB OF THIS COMMISSION IS TO KNOW WHAT THE PUBLIC IS SAYING.
SO IE AND IN TRACY'S EXAMPLE, WHEN SHE SAID THAT THE COMMUNITY WANTED A POOL, THE ONLY WAY SHE KNEW THAT IS BECAUSE SHE SPENDS HER TIME IN CHURCHES AND, AND, AND IN, AT DUFFY FIELD, A RESIDENCE COUNCIL MEETINGS, HEARING, WE WANT POOL, WE WANT A POOL, WE WANT TO POOL.
AND THAT GIVES US IDEAS SO THAT WE CAN, SO THAT WE CAN BE CREATIVE AND SAY, OKAY, A POOL IS A LITTLE BIT HIGH RISK, BUT MAYBE WE CAN PUT A SPLASH PAD IN.
IN OUR CASE, I'LL TELL YOU THAT, UH, THERE, THERE'S PROBLEMS WITH THE HOMELESS POPULATION, UM, GOING TO THE, USING THE BACK BACKYARDS AS A RESTROOM, SO THE, THE, THE PUBLIC RESTROOM, UH, SAY IN A PLACE LIKE THE WALT BELLAMY PARK WOULD BE FANTASTIC.
UM, BUT WE DON'T KNOW THAT KIND OF THING UNLESS WE'RE OUT IN THE PUBLIC ATTENDING THESE, UH, THESE COUNCIL MEETINGS AND ATTENDING THESE COMMUNITY MEETINGS.
SO IF THERE'S ONE THING THAT I, THAT I WOULD PROBABLY, UH, URGE YOU, UH, OR URGE YOU AS A COMMISSION TO KEEP ON DOING AND, AND TO BE VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT DOING IS GO TO, UH, COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND NOT JUST THE DUFFY FIELD, UH, COMMUNITY MEETINGS OR THE WALT BELLAMY COMMUNITY MEETINGS, BUT ALL OF THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS TO, UH, REALLY SHOW YOUR PRESENCE, UH, BECAUSE IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE WHEN, WHEN BOARD OF ALDERMAN MEETINGS ARE HAPPENING OR ZONING.
I MEAN, YOU HEARD TRACY, WHEN, WHEN THE, UH, ZONING AND PLANNING MEETINGS ARE ARE HAPPENING.
THOSE ARE THE, THOSE ARE THE TIMES AND PLACES WHERE LOCAL SITUATIONS ARE POPPING UP, WHERE WE CAN SAY, WHERE WE CAN PUT ON OUR TAPE AND WE CAN SAY, WE CAN HELP WITH THAT, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING UNLESS WE'RE THERE.
SIR, DO YOU HAVE LIKE A CENTRALIZED CALENDAR WITH ALL THOSE KIND OF THINGS? BUT I, I, I'LL SPORADICALLY HERE SOON, SOMETHING HERE OR THERE, BUT I MEAN, IF THAT, THAT'S ALL I LOOK, IF THAT IS OF INTEREST TO YOU, I CAN CERTAINLY SEND OUT CALENDAR INVITES WHEN I, WHENEVER I PUT IT ON MY CALENDAR.
UH, AND I CAN JUST INCLUDE YOU GUYS AS A GROUP ON THAT CALENDAR INVITE SO THAT, SO THAT YOU'RE AWARE.
UH, BECAUSE AGAIN, THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SORRY FOR INTERRUPT YOU.
I DON'T ABOUT BABBLE ON FOREVER.
WHY YOU ON BATHROOMS? UH, IS THERE SOMETHING ON THE DOCKET FOR THE BATHROOM OUT AT THE FIELDS OF STANLEY WHITE POLE? UH, THERE'S PORT, PORT PORTA POTTYS OUT THERE RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS PRETTY DISGUSTING.
BUT
UH, I DON'T THINK SO, BUT THAT IS CERTAINLY A, UH, A THAT IS CERTAINLY AN AREA OF BENEFIT, UH, THAT WE COULD, WE, WE COULD PARTNER WITH CDBG REALLY, REALLY EASILY, UH, TO JUDGE.
WHO'S GONNA LOBBY THE CITY OF NEW BERN TO HAVE THEM NOT PUT IT IN OUR BUDGET GOING FORWARD? THE UPKEEP OF THOSE BATHROOMS. SO WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA P OURSELVES, IF WE BUILD ALL THESE THINGS IN THE CITY OF NEWBURN, WON'T HELP US UPKEEP THEM.
WE'RE GONNA USE OUR WHOLE BUDGET OF KEEPING BATHROOMS AND SLASH PADS.
WELL, I, I THINK THAT'S, THERE'S, THERE'S AN IMPORTANT DIFFERENTIATION THAT, THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE OUR, OUR GENERAL FUND.
AND I, I DON'T KNOW THAT I'VE EVER SAID THIS TO YOU ALL.
SO I WANT, I I WANT TO BE ABLE TO SAY THIS TO YOU ALL.
OUR GENERAL FUND IS FOR THE PROCUREMENT AND THE CURE AND, AND, AND BLIGHT CURE FOR, UH, FOR PROPERTY, UH, FOR, FOR PROPERTY AND PARCELS.
SO AS FAR AS MAINTENANCE, SIMILAR TO THE WAY YOU CAN'T USE CDBG FUNDS FOR MAINTENANCE.
YOU, WE, WE CAN'T USE OUR GENERAL FUND FOR MAINTENANCE.
I KNEW YOU WERE GONNA SAY THAT.
I, I GUESS YOU ALL WERE GONNA SAY THAT WE ONLY, WE ONLY MAINTAIN A PROJECTS THAT HAVE ONGOING WORK.
SO IF IT IS AN OPEN PROJECT, IT IS CONSIDERED WORK BEING DONE AFTER, SAY, SAY WE SOLD WALT BELLAMY TO THE CITY OF NEW BERN, AND, AND, AND WE, OR THIS IS A BAD EXAMPLE, BUT SAY WE OPERATED OUR WALT BELLAMY HOUSES AS TRANSITIONAL HOUSING FOR, FOR INDIVIDUALS FOR SHORT TERM, SHORT TERM RENTALS, SIMILAR TO THE PROGRAM YOU ALL WERE TALKING ABOUT.
WE WOULDN'T BE, ONCE IT'S OPERATIONAL AND THERE'S SOMEONE ACTUALLY LIVING IN IT, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO USE OUR GENERAL FUND DOLLARS TO MAINTAIN THOSE.
THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD BE MAINTAINED UNDER THE CITY'S BUDGET, PROBABLY UNDER PARKS, UH, PARKS AND RECREATION BUDGET SPECIFICALLY.
[02:25:01]
YOU'RE SAYING THEY CONSIDER ALL THE LOTS THAT THEY MOW THEY CONSIDER THOSE CURRENT ONGOING PROJECTS? YES.BECAUSE, BECAUSE THEY'RE ON OUR LIST FOR SALE.
WE'RE WE'RE SELLING THOSE, THOSE PARCELS.
NO, WE TOOK THEM OFF THE THIS AND THEY AIN'T SELLING, THEN WE TOOK REVERT BACK TO THEM CUTTING AND PARTS RED CUTTING.
BASICALLY WE WOULD CONVEY BACK WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE WELL, NO, I, WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING IS WE BE CONVEYING THOSE LOTS BACK TO THEM.
THINK THAT'S A WEIRD IT IS A WEIRD DONATION.
THAT'S JUST SOMEBODY, SOMEBODY, YEAH, THAT IS CORRECT.
SO, SO WHAT, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THAT WOULD BE ONE OF MY JOBS, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT, TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MAINTENANCE COSTS GOT PLANNED TO GO TO REC PARKS AND RECREATION IN, IN THE CASE OF A BATHROOM.
AND I WOULD SAY LET'S, LET'S FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THE EXISTING ONES OFF TOO.
I MEAN, WE'RE PAYING 10, 20 WHATEVER GRAND, HOWEVER MANY GRAND A QUARTER FOR THAT.
LIKE 10 GRAND A QUARTER, ISN'T IT? YEAH.
SO WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO NOT MAKE THEM ONGOING PROJECTS.
SO WE, WE CAN, WE CAN SPREAD AROUND, HAS THE CITY, CAN THEY, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? MM-HMM
BUT THE THING IS, YOU GET BACK TO THE CITY NO.
I'M SAYING IT'D BE HARD GETTING IT, GETTING IT BACK, BACK FROM THEM.
SO, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF PROPERTY IN OUR REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION AREA THAT WE DON'T PAY FOR THEM TO MOW.
RIGHT? IS IT NOT THAT WE DON'T, IF, IF WE OWN, IF WE OWN AND, AND WE DON'T CARE, WE DON'T PAY FOR THE LANDSCAPING, WE PAY FOR OUR BASEMENT.
SO BASICALLY WE KEEP ALL, WE DON'T KEEP OUR, OUR PARCELS LANDSCAPED.
AND SO, UH, ONCE EVERY THREE MONTHS, EACH PROPERTY THAT WE OWN IS BROUGHT INTO COMPLIANCE.
UM, SO WE CAN CERTAINLY, WE, WE COULD CERTAINLY LOOK AT OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
I MEAN, SO THAT FIGURE AT THE, FOR, I MEAN FOR MAINTENANCE IS EVERY THREE MONTHS THIS THING, JUST ABOUT THE SAME THING.
EVERY PARCEL, EVERY THREE MONTHS, I'M ABOUT TO START A DETECTOR BUSINESS.
I MEAN, THEY GO OUT EVERY MONTH, BUT IT'S ON A ROTATION.
SO THEY TOUCH ONE OF OUR PARCELS EVERY THREE MONTHS, EVERY DAY.
SO THE GRASS GETS KNEE HIGH BEFORE THEY CUT.
IT IS MORE LIKE ANKLE HIGH, BUT YEAH, IT, IT'S ANKLE HIGH BECAUSE IT'S WINTERTIME IN THE SUMMERTIME, IT'S GONNA BE, I MEAN, I SAY THAT WHEN WE COMPARE, YOU DID LIKE A BID AND WE DECIDED WE BURN CHEAPER.
ANY LAWN CARE PLACE'S GONNA KNOW IT EVERY TWO WEEKS.
LET'S GO GET A HIRE PRIVATE LAWN CARE EVERY TWO WEEKS.
THAT IS A BIG EXPENSE FOR, I'M JUST SAYING.
I'M JUST, WE CAN CERTAINLY, I, I HAVE NO PROBLEM RESEARCHING BETTER OPTIONS.
AND, AND IF YOU ALL, IF YOU ALL GIVE ME DIRECTION, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ALL ARE GIVING ME DIRECTION.
I MEAN, WE'D RATHER RESEARCH THE WAY THEY'RE BEING ABOUT IT HERE.
WE'RE, ESPECIALLY IF THERE IS A LANDSCAPE BUSINESS THAT IS BEING OPERATED IN THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
SOMEBODY WHO WORKS FOR SOMEBODY WHO WORKS IN THE AREA AND KNOWS THE AREA, I'D RATHER GIVE THE MONEY TO THEM.
THIS, THIS ACTUALLY BRINGS UP, UH, THIS BRINGS UP ANOTHER, UH, ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR US IF WE'RE GONNA CONSIDER, UH, GOING OUT FOR AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR FOR, FOR LANDSCAPE SERVICES THAT WE CAN, THAT WE CAN CALL UPON.
IT MIGHT NOT BE A BAD IDEA TO EXPLORE THE IDEA OF, OF, UH, PROVIDING SUBSIDIZED LAWN CARE FOR, UH, FOR OWNER OCCUPIED PARCELS IN THE REDEVELOPMENT ZONE.
SO, SO THAT WE'RE BEAUTIFYING, UH, BEAUTIFYING THE, THE BOUNDARY AREA AND, AND, AND REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF, OF, UH, FINES AND FEES THAT THE RESIDENTS WHO LIVE IN OUR BOUNDARY AREA ARE PAYING.
BECAUSE I'LL TELL YOU, ANYTIME THAT PUBLIC WORKS GOES OUT IN A BASE, UH, A CITIZEN'S HOME, THAT'S $110 FOR THEM.
SO IT, IT, IT MIGHT BE, IT, IT MIGHT BE WORTH, UH, WORTHWHILE TO, UH, TO, TO LOOK AT THAT.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN REALLY, UM, MAKE A DECISION.
I EVERYBODY'S HEAD'S SPINNING IN HERE, SO I WOULD LIKE EVERYBODY TO THINK ABOUT THAT AS A POTENTIAL THING TO, OH MY GOD, STILL THINK ABOUT $10 A YEAR.
[02:30:01]
TELL ME ABOUT IT.SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THAT RESIDENT? THEY JUST GETS BILLED AGAINST THEIR TAX LIEN BECAUSE IF THEY CAN'T AFFORD IT, WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT? UH, WELL, PUBLIC WORK WILL COME IN AND CLEAN IT UP, AND THEN THEY'LL WORK OUT A PAYMENT.
THEY'LL, THEY'LL WORK OUT A PAYMENT.
SO, AND, AND, AND, AND MY POINT IN BRINGING THAT UP IS PART OF OUR, PART OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY IN REDUCING THE LIFE IS REDUCING THINGS, REDUCING THINGS THAT THE AVERAGE PERSON, THE AVERAGE POPULATION WOULDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH.
IF YOU GOT $110 BILL IN, IN THE MAIL, IT WOULD, IT, IT, IT MIGHT MAKE YOU MAD FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS, BUT, BUT WOULDN'T, IT WOULDN'T CHANGE YOUR MONTH.
UH, THE INDIVIDUALS WHO LIVE IN OUR BOUNDARY AREA FOR BY AND LARGE, WHEN THEY GET $110 BILL AND THEY'RE IN THEIR MAILBOX, THAT CHANGES THE LANDSCAPE OF THEIR ENTIRE MONTH.
UH, AND SO IF WE CAN COME IN AND START, AND START WORKING WITH, WITH, WITH FAMILIES AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, UH, TO, TO CHANGE QUALITY OF LIFE SO THAT THEIR MONTH, UH, THEIR MONTHLY, THEIR CASHFLOW ISN'T GETTING WAYLAID BY THINGS THAT ARE COMMON TO EVERYBODY ELSE, UM, THEN WE'RE, WE'RE DOING THAT WORK OF CHANGING, CHANGING HEARTS AND MINDS IN, IN COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
I OFFER THAT TO YOU JUST SO THAT WE'RE THINKING BEYOND BUILDING HOUSES AND, AND, AND, AND, AND RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE A MUCH LARGER, UH, A, A MUCH LARGER RANGE THAT WE CAN WORK IN.
UH, TRACY, ACTUALLY, I WISH SHE HAD TALKED ABOUT IT.
THEY, IN JACKSONVILLE, THEY HAVE A PRO, UH, A PROGRAM WHERE, UH, SIMILARLY, UH, INSTEAD OF GETTING, UH, INSTEAD OF GETTING A FINE, UH, YOU CAN GO TO THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE AND BORROW A LAWNMOWER, UH, AND YOU CAN BORROW THE LAWNMOWER, MOW YOUR LAWN AND RETURN IT.
AND IT COSTS 10 BUCKS, UH, TO GET YOUR, UH, YOUR LAWN MOWED, UH, PLUS WHATEVER YOU, UH, WHATEVER YOU PAY TO GET DOWN THE STREET.
WHO ACTUALLY DOES MOW MOW THE LAWN? UH, THEY HAVE HEAD TRIMMERS.
THEY HAVE, UH, WEED WHACKERS, THEY HAVE SIDEWALK BLOWERS.
ALL THESE THINGS ARE AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC USE.
AND, UH, SHE'S ALREADY SENT ME THE, UH, THE, UH, PARAMETERS OF THAT PROGRAM.
I'D BE HAPPY TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU IF THAT'S AN ALTERNATIVE THAT, THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN.
BUT SEE, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S EXACT THING WHAT THAT WAS SAYING.
UM, LAWNMOWER PUSH LAWNMOWERS, 250 BUCKS, A HUNDRED AND TEN, NINE, TWELVE MONTH.
YOU SEE WHERE I'M GOING WITH THAT? YEAH.
SO INSTEAD OF GOING TO 110 THE OTHER WAY, THAT RESIDENT IS NOW GOING THIS WAY.
YOU KNOW, BUT, YOU KNOW, WITH A GIVE AND TAKE TYPE OF PROGRAM, INSTEAD OF US, HE PAYING THE C THAT BIG LINE ITEM ON OUR BUDGET KIT, WHACKED EVERY, YOU KNOW, THOUGH, IS THE LOCKS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE NOT LAWNS.
THEY'RE ROUGH WITH, WITH SPROUTS, HARDWOODS, SPROUTS AND EVERYTHING COMING UP ON, THEY DON'T KNOW 'EM REGULARLY.
WELL, I HARD LIKE FLAT, SO YEAH, IT'S NOT YOUR YARD.
IT IS, IT IS A PIECE OF UNCHECK UN UNMAINTAINED PROPERTY THAT ALL KINDS OF STUFF ON IT.
BUT $250 LAWNMOWER WOULD TEAR ALL THE PIECES.
TEAR ALL THE PIECES, FIRST TIME IT GOT MOVED.
BUT THE OVERARCHING IDEA IS ONE, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS SAY, WE'VE SAID IT OVER THE YEARS, WE'RE NOT HERE TO MAKE MONEY AND KEEP IT IN THE BANK.
IT'S GOOD THAT WE HAVE MONEY AND IT'S GOOD THAT WE HAVE MORE MONEY THAN WE'VE EVER HAD RIGHT NOW, BUT IF WE CAN PUT THE MONEY TO GOOD USE TO REDUCE FLIGHT YES.
REDUCE, UM, THE PERCEPTION OF, AND ACTUALLY AND REDUCE, UM, BE IN A DANGEROUS NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU KNOW? MM-HMM
TAKING DOWN A LOT OF BRUSH AND THINGS, PAYING SOMEBODY TO DO THAT KIND OF THING IS A, A GREAT OUTREACH TO THE COMMUNITY JUST AS MUCH AS BUILDING HOUSES, OR NOT JUST AS MUCH, BUT IT IS THE REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.
BUT WHAT I TOOK AWAY FROM THAT, THAT, THAT THERE ARE CBG FUNDS AVAILABLE TO DO THAT.
I MEAN THIS WHOLE THING, THE OVERWHELMING THING I HEARD WAS, MAN, WE AIN'T TAPPING INTO ANYTHING.
WE, WE HAVE OPPORTUNITY, WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES.
AND BACK TO MY EARLIER POINT, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE REASONS WE'RE NOT TAPPING INTO THOSE THINGS IS BECAUSE WHEN CDBG HAS THEIR ANNUAL ACTION PLANNING MEETING, THERE'S NO ONE FROM RDC THAT HAS BEEN THERE, UH, UNTIL I, I LITERALLY STOPPED THE, SO IT ALMOST LIKE, AND OR INVITED.
IT'S NOT LIKE WE, EVERYBODY'S TOO BUSY.
IT, IT, IT IS ABOUT KNOWLEDGE AND YOU ALL ARE, ARE VOLUNTEER CITIZENS.
[02:35:01]
LIKE, DON'T HEAR ME.SAY WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GROW, TO CHANGE THE WAY THAT WE'RE DOING THINGS.
AND SO SOMEBODY'S GOTTA PAY PUBLIC WORKS OR SOMEBODY, SOMEBODY'S GOTTA PAY SOMEBODY TO KEEP THE GRASS MOWED.
AND I ALREADY WEAR THREE HATS.
I AIN'T MOWING NO GRASS FOR Y'ALL
UH, SO, SO WE HAVE TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
WE CAN LOOK INTO GRANTS, UH, WE CAN LOOK INTO GRANTS.
THAT'S A GRANTING OPPORTUNITY.
UH, THE, THE, THE SUMMER WORKFORCE.
WE, WE CAN DO THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, BUT WE HAVE TO THINK, CREATE CREATIVELY ABOUT THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE INTENTIONAL, UH, INTENTIONALLY PLANNING THOSE KINDS OF THINGS OUT.
IT IS A LOT OF MONEY THAT WE SPEND EVERY YEAR, UH, FOR, FOR THAT.
I'M GONNA BE VERY QUICK BECAUSE I PROMISED, UH, I PROMISED, UH, UH, MERRILL AND TRACY THAT THEY COULD TAKE AS LONG AS THEY WANTED BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO BE VERY, VERY SHORT.
AND SO IF YOU GO TO MY, MY, IN YOUR PACKET, MY REPORT IS ACTUALLY IN YOUR PACKET, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO REMEMBER ALL THIS STUFF, BUT IT IS THERE.
I HAVE A BREAKDOWN OF OUR FINANCIAL ACTIVITY FOR THE LAST, UH, FOR THE LAST 12 MONTHS, UH, WHEN WE ENTERED INTO WHAT PAGE, WHAT PAGE YOU SAY.
SO IF YOU, I DID ACTUALLY ASK FOR THEM TO BE NUMBERED, BUT WHEN I GOT THEM, THEY WERE NOT NUMBERED UNLESS YOURS ARE, IT'S 1 0 7.
THEY'RE A NUMBER, BUT THE NUMBERS SHOW.
IT WHAT SECTION YOU'RE IN 1 0 7.
SO I'M GLAD YOURS ARE NUMBERED BECAUSE THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE NUMBER.
JANUARY, 2024, OUR FUND BALANCE OF UNASSIGNED FUNDS, WHICH IS OUR GENERAL FUND BALANCE, WAS $366,683 AND 14 CENTS.
UH, OVER THE LAST, UH, OVER THE LAST YEAR, WE HAVE, UH, U UTILIZED, UH, $16,377 AND 73 CENTS IN WHAT'S CALLED OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
UH, WE'VE, UH, UTILIZED, UH, 200, UH, 2000, UH, $283 AND 65 CENTS IN UTILITY COSTS FOR WALT BELLAMY AND, UH, AND EUBANKS.
UM, AND IN THAT PROFESSIONAL, UH, FEES, UH, THE OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES COSTS ARE THE, ARE THE ABATEMENT COSTS THAT YOU ALL ARE, UH, REFERENCING.
UH, AND, UM, AND AS OF 1231 OF 2024, OUR FUND BALANCE WAS $844,531 AND 75 CENTS.
AND THAT WAS DUE TO THE, THE SALE OF THE WALT FELLOW MEETING, UH, UH, THE SALE OF DEWALT BELLAMY PROJECT AND THE PARCEL SALES THAT WE DID LAST YEAR.
INCLUDED IN THAT NUMBER IS NOT, UH, THE BLOOMFIELD PROJECT YET, BECAUSE THAT DIDN'T CLOSE UNTIL JANUARY.
QUESTION 8 44 PLUS, HUH? 8 44 PLUS 8 44 PLUS 15.
AND THAT LAST COLUMN, ON THAT PAGE, YOU'LL SEE THE PROPOSED, UH, UH, THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR 20 20 16, UH, SORRY, 2026.
UH, IT IS THE LAST COLUMN ON THAT SAME GRAPH AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE.
UH, AND I JUST SIMPLY USE THE PROJECTIONS.
UH, I, I USED THE PROJECTIONS FROM THIS YEAR, UH, TO, UH, TO PROJECT NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
THE ONLY THING THAT HAS CHANGED IS LAND AND STRUCTURE, AND THAT IS BECAUSE, UH, A COUPLE OF PRO UH, A COUPLE OF PROJECT GROUPS LAST YEAR TALKED ABOUT PRO UH, PROPERTY ACQUISITION.
AND I WANTED TO ACTUALLY PLAN FOR PROPERTY ACQUISITION, UH, THIS YEAR.
AND SO WHEN WE GO INTO CLOSE SESSION, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL TALK SPECIFICS AROUND, UH, PROPERTY ACQUISITION AND WHY THAT NUMBER IS $200,000.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROPOSED BUDGET? THIS, UH, THIS BUDGET WILL BE PROPOSED TO THE BOARD OF BALDMAN, UH, AND ADOPTED, UH, AND ADOPTED SOMEWHERE AROUND MAY.
UH, SO WE, WE HAVE SOME TIME TO CHANGE THESE NUMBERS IF SOMETHING ABOUT THESE NUMBERS DON'T MAKE SENSE TO YOU ALL.
BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU WERE PRESENTED WITH THE BUDGET BEFORE I PRESENTED IT TO THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN, UH, SO THAT I HAD YOUR THOUGHTS ON IT AND YOUR
[02:40:01]
BLESSING ON IT WHEN I PRESENT IT TO THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN.DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YEAH, IT DOES.
AND THIS IS A, A PROBABLY A QUESTION I SHOULD HAVE THE ANSWER TO.
DOES THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN HAVE US INCLUDED IN THEIR BUDGET? THAT'S CORRECT.
UM, WHICH CATEGORY IS THE MOWING AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES OR UTILITIES? I APOLOGIZE.
I GAVE YOU THAT LIST AND DIDN'T EXPLAIN IT TO YOU.
SO THE GRAY CODED THINGS ARE, UH, ARE THE 70 30, UH, THE 1 1 1 ORGANIZATION, WHICH IS THE CITY OF NEW BERN.
THOSE ARE THE COSTS THAT THE CITY OF NEW BERN PAY, UH, TO PROVIDE ME TO YOU ALL, UH, MINUS MY SALARY, BECAUSE THAT COMES OUTTA HRS BUDGET.
UH, THE 2 1 1 6, UH, ORGANIZATION IS YOUR, IS THE REDEVELOPMENT FUND.
SO EVERYTHING HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW ARE THINGS THAT YOU ALL PAY.
EVERYTHING HIGHLIGHTED IN GRAY ARE THINGS THAT THE CITY PAYS.
AND, AND OTHER IS THAT BELONG CARE, OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICE, OTHER, OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES IS LONG CARE.
AND UTILITIES AT THIS POINT IN TIME, IS THAT JUST THE BLOOMFIELD HOUSE? I MEAN, WHAT OTHER THINGS DO WE HAVE THAT TAKE UTILITIES? UH, IT, IT IS JUST, UH, UBANKS AT THIS POINT.
LAST YEAR INCLUDED IN, IN, IN THE $2,000 NUMBER IS LAST YEAR.
IT IS, IS WALL BE ALL THREE WALL BE BUILDING.
SO WE'RE ESTIMATING 4,500 JUST IF WE ACQUIRE OTHER PROPERTY AND HAVE TO CARRY 'EM FOR A WHILE.
SO WE, I ESTIMATED 4,500 BASED ON THE ACQUISITION STRATEGY, WHICH I'LL OUTLINE FOR YOU ALL WHEN WE GO INTO A CLOSED SESSION.
SO THAT'S WHY THE LIGHTS RESOLVED WHEN WE WENT TO UBANK STREET.
THE SHOPPING, WHEN WE WENT IN, WE, I MEAN, IT WAS ON, I MEAN, THE REFRIGERATOR WAS GOING AND EVERYTHING.
I MEAN, IT'S THE CRAZIEST THING.
WE GOTTA KEEP IT, YOU KNEW, GOTTA KEEP AIR FLOWING THROUGH IT.
JUST SO YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE HOUSES HAVE ALSO, UH, ALSO GET ANY HOUSE THAT I MANAGE, ANY PROPERTY THAT I MANAGE THAT PARCEL ON IT, WE, WE CLEAN THOSE HOUSES AS WELL SO THAT WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE MITIGATING MOLD AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS AS WELL.
SO, UH, WE, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE HOUSES THAT WE ARE PUTTING ONLINE PAY QUALITY HOUSES FOR A, A LONG TIME, CERTAINLY AS LONG AS THEY'RE IN OUR CUSTODY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS PAGE? STEVE? IF I'M FOLLOWING YOUR, YOUR COLOR CODING HERE CORRECTLY, THE EIGHT FORTY FOUR, WE'LL CALL IT EIGHT FORTY FIVE THAT WE WERE SHOWING IN OUR TWO ONE ORG.
RIGHT NOW YOU'RE BUDGETING ROUGHLY 235,000 OUT OF THAT.
SO FOR ACTUAL PROJECT PURPOSES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, OR THINKING IF WE WERE TO GO SOMETHING ABOVE AND BEYOND THE 200,000 LAND INSTRUCTORS RIGHT HERE, WE'VE ONLY GOT 600,000 TO PLATELET, NOT 8 44 AS AS LONG AS THE STRATEGY, AS LONG AS WE STICK TO THE STRATEGY.
BUT, UH, I, BASED ON, BASED ON WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO IN THE PAST, IN THE PAST, I DON'T SEE US SPENDING MORE THAN 200.
THESE NUMBERS ARE VERY CONSERVATIVE, AND SO I, I THINK OUR CARRY FORWARD BUDGET WILL BE 600 PLUS WHATEVER WE SELL IN THE NEXT YEAR.
SO, BUT I'M JUST MAKING SURE THESE, THESE FUNDS IN YELLOW ARE NOT ADDITIONAL ALLOCATION FROM THE CITY GOING INTO OUR BOARD.
THAT'S, IT'S OUR BALANCE, OUR COMING OUTTA OURS.
THOSE ARE EXPENSES COMING OUT OF OURS IN D SO THOSE AREN'T, I MEAN, THAT'S JUST KIND OF, I GUESS, RUBBER STAMP APPROVAL FROM THE CITY THEN, BECAUSE IT'S OUR FUND.
AS LONG AS THEY DON'T GET CRAZY WITH IT, THAT'S, I MEAN, THAT SHOULD BE THE ONLY THING IN QUESTION SHOULD BE THE GRADE.
THE, THE THING THAT I HEARD FROM BOTH PRESENTATIONS IS THE CITY THAT THEY INVOLVED IN ALL CONTRIBUTED INTO REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS AND HOUSING AND SO FORTH LIKE THAT AND, AND SOME FINANCES.
SHE SAID, REMEMBER HE SAID HE GAVE A THIRD, IT WAS A THIRD, A THIRD AND A THIRD.
SO YEAH, I MEAN, WELL, THE THIRD, THE THIRD WAS FROM A BOND THAT WAS ISSUED YEAH.
WHAT I'M SAYING, ACTUALLY ONE OF, SO IN, IN FULL TRANSPARENCY, UH, OVER THE LAST 12 MONTHS, I'VE MET WITH, UH, I'VE MET WITH 36 OF TRACY AND, AND MERYL STILL WORKING.
UH, IT, I'VE MADE IT MY BUSINESS TO GET ALL OVER THE STATE AND, AND, AND TO MEET WITH EVERYBODY DOING REDEVELOPMENT IN, IN THIS STATE.
I SPECIFICALLY HAD TRACY AND MERRIL COME TODAY BECAUSE OF THE BOND REFERENDUM.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL ARE AWARE OF THIS, BUT IN THIS UPCOMING ELECTION BOND REFER, UH, GENERAL, UH, GENERAL USE BOND REFERENDUM WILL BE ON THE BALLOT.
AND THERE'S NO REASON THAT IT IS NOT THIS, IF NOT THIS ELECTION, THE NEXT ELECTION WE COULD, WE, WE SHOULDN'T HAVE A REDEVELOPMENT, UH, BOND REFERENDUM, UH, AS WELL.
I JUST DON'T THINK THAT THIS COMMISSION HAS EVER HAD THAT CONVERSATION.
UH, AND SO I WANTED YOU TO HEAR SOMEONE WHO GOT IT DONE, WHO MADE IT WORK, UH, AND,
[02:45:01]
AND, AND SEE WHAT COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED WITH THOSE KINDS OF DOLLARS AS OPPOSED TO THESE KINDS OF DOLLARS.BECAUSE WHAT, WHAT IS GONNA BE ON THIS BOND REFERENDUM? UH, IT'S, IT'S A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE STUFF.
UM, SO I MEAN, THERE'S NO WAY TO ASK THEM TO INCLUDE SOME HOUSING IN, IN AUTHORITY INTO THAT PRESENTATION, OR IS IT ALREADY LOCKED UP AND IT'S A DONE DEAL? I DON'T KNOW THAT IT IS A DONE DEAL.
I CAN CERTAINLY HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND, AND, AND, AND SEE IF WE CAN SUBMIT SOMETHING, UH, FOR, FOR THIS ELECTION, UH, FOR, FOR THIS ELECTION.
UH, BUT AGAIN, IS THAT, I, I WANNA MAKE IT VERY, VERY CLEAR ON THE RECORD, I WORK FOR YOU ALL, SO I ONLY DO WHAT YOU ALL TELL ME TO DO.
UH, SO IT, IT IS CONVERSATIONS LIKE THIS THAT DRIVE, THAT DRIVE THE OTHER CONVERSATIONS.
SO, UH, IF, IF, IF YOU ALL SAY TO ME ANYTIME THERE'S A FUNDING OPPORTUNITY THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE, UH, BE SOMETHING WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, WE WANT YOU TO RESEARCH IT AND PRESENT IT TO US AS SOON AS YOU FIND IT, UM, I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT.
SO HOLD UP A SECOND IN'S DEFENSE ON THIS.
HE CAN, HE CAN MAKE THAT ASK, BUT THE, THE COMEBACK TO US IS GONNA BE WHAT YOU CAN DO.
YOU WANT US ATTACK $2 MILLION ON WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW? I MEAN, THAT, THAT WOULD BE, IN MY MIND, THAT'S WHERE MY HEAD GOES.
ISN'T ASK TWO, THAT'S THAT'S MORE THAN ENOUGH TO DO SOMETHING, BUT NOT ENOUGH THAT IT'S GONNA COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY BUST THOSE BONDS.
SO IF WE MAKE THAT ASK, THEN THE IMMEDIATE COMEBACK IS GONNA BE WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO WITH IT? 'CAUSE WHENEVER YOU GET, IF YOU GET THOSE FUNDS, YOU HAVE TO START DOING SOMETHING FOR THOSE FUNDS.
YOU CAN'T JUST SIT THERE AND HOLD 'EM FOR FIVE YEARS WHILE YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING.
AND THIS, THIS IS WHERE THAT'S A GOOD THING.
THIS IS WHERE YOUR LEADERSHIP COMES INTO PLAY.
YOU KNOW, WE PERSONALLY, I'M DEPENDENT ON YOU TO TELL ME WE HAVE A CHANCE TO GET A GRANT.
MY RECOMMENDATION IS LET'S PRESENT IT TO THE CITY.
I WANT TO USE THE MONEY HERE, HERE, AND HERE.
WE, YOU KNOW, WE, YOU KNOW, BUT, BUT YOU KNOW, AS A LEADER, I THINK YOU NEED TO TAKE, TAKE THAT AND THEN SHARE WITH US YOUR IDEAS AND WE SAY, OKAY, FINE, GO AHEAD.
BUT YOU NEED, YOU NEED TO HELP US WITH THE IDEAS AND WE NEED TO HELP YOU WITH THE IDEAS.
SO DON'T, SO DON'T, YOU KNOW, DON'T ALWAYS SAY I GOTTA WAIT ON YOU.
NO, YOU CALLED ME UP, SAID THIS IS MY IDEA WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT IT.
SO YOU HAVE WAY MORE KNOWLEDGE BASE THAN ANYBODY.
YOU GOT MORE CONTACT WITH STUFF WITH WE DON'T, AND WHEN YOU FIND SOMETHING ELSE, HEY MAN, I FOUND $10 ON THE FLOOR, WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO WITH IT? MM-HMM
YOU, I MEAN, SAY, ALL I GONNA SAY IS ALL GONNA SAY IS ME AND ME FORGIVE JULIUS.
HE DOES NOT KNOW WHAT HE'S ASKING FOR JULIA.
I WANT, I WANT TO SAY I KNOW WHAT YOU RIGHT, RIGHT.
I WANT TO SAY THIS OUT LOUD JUST FOR THE RECORD.
THEN THIS, THIS IS, THIS IS 18 MONTHS INTO THIS.
SO I'VE SPENT 18 MONTHS LEARNING.
I THINK THEY'RE GOOD IDEAS, RIGHT? AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO WANT TO DO IS, AS WE'RE GOING INTO CLOSED SESSION, IS TALK ABOUT THE, THOSE IDEAS.
UH, AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO ACCOMPLISH AND HOW WE'RE GONNA ACCOMPLISH THOSE, THOSE IDEAS TO MAKE THEM A REALITY.
UM, AND, AND, AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO PUSH THE, PUSH THE NEEDLE FORWARD.
'CAUSE WE NEED TO MOVE THE NEEDLE.
SO I GUESS AS FAR AS GUIDANCE FOR YOU GOES, CAN WE KIND OF UNIFORMLY SAY WE WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO EXPRESS OUR INTEREST TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS? AND IF THERE IS AN APPETITE, THEN WE CAN GET SOMETHING MOVING VERY QUICKLY ON WHAT A PROJECT LIST LOOKS LIKE AND THINGS.
I MEAN, I'M IN THE PROCESS OF WRITING BONDS RIGHT NOW, AND I CAN TELL YOU, UNLESS THEY'RE GONNA GIVE US 10 OR $15 MILLION WORTH, IT'S GONNA BE A WHOLE LOT EASIER TO ATTACK A MILLION OR TWO ON TOP OF WHAT THEY'RE ALREADY DOING.
ARE YOU THROUGH WITH YOUR REPORT? HUH? ARE YOU, THIS IS YOUR MEETING? SO I, I, I HAVE A COUPLE, A COUPLE ADDITIONAL ITEMS, UH, BUT BASICALLY I'LL, I'LL COVER, I'LL COVER OTHER ON ONE MINUTE STATE.
SO LAST THING IS, UH, LAST THING IS TRAVEL AND TRAINING FOR THIS NEXT YEAR.
IF YOU TURN THE PAGE, UH, FROM WHERE YOU'RE FROM, WHERE YOU'RE LOOKING, UH, AS I MENTIONED, PART OF, PART OF MY JOB IS TO, TO SCOUR THE WORLD, UH, TO FIGURE OUT WHAT, WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHAT'S WORKING IN OTHER LOCALES.
ONE OF THE WAYS THAT, THAT I DO THAT IS THROUGH TRAVEL AND TRAINING.
AND SO THERE'S A ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FINANCE PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION PROGRAM THAT I'D LIKE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS YEAR.
UM, THERE'S A CERTIFIED ZONING OFFICIALS, UH, CERTIFICATE OF CREDENTIAL THAT I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, OBTAIN THIS YEAR.
AND THEN, UH, THE PUBLIC HOUSING ASSOCIATION
[02:50:01]
CONFERENCE, WHICH I JUST WENT TO, UH, LAST WEEK.I'D LIKE TO GO AGAIN, UH, NEXT JANUARY.
SO, UH, ALSO I'D LIKE, UH, TO, UH, I'D LIKE TO PROCURE, UH, UH, MEMBERSHIP TO THE CAROLINA COUNCIL OF HOUSING, UH, REDEVELOPMENT CODE, UH, CODE OFFICIALS, UH, TO THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HOUSING REDEVELOPMENT OFFICIALS.
AND, AND, UH, YOU'LL SEE, UH, A UNIFORM, UH, A, A UNIFORM, UH, LINE THERE THAT IS JUST FOR IDENTITY WEAR.
'CAUSE AGAIN, WHEREVER I GO, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT NEW BERN HAS A REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION ALSO, TO THAT END, UH, TO THAT END, THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HERE TODAY.
THEY JUST GOT TO THE WAREHOUSE YESTERDAY, SO I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO GET THEM.
BUT THIS JACKET THAT I AM WEARING, UH, THE, UH, THE CHAIR AND THE CO-CHAIR HAVE PURCHASED, UH, THIS JACKET FOR ALL OF YOU TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO WEAR THEM, UH, WHENEVER YOU'RE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO I, I'LL BE MAKING THOSE AVAILABLE TO YOU VERY, VERY SHORTLY.
BUT THAT, THAT MEANS YOU GOTTA BE PLACES, RIGHT? THIS IS NOT A GIFT CHARGE.
UNLESS THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT TRAVEL AND TRAINING, I DO BELIEVE THAT IS THE END OF MY REPORT WITH ONE CAVEAT.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DO THIS EVERY YEAR.
THE VERY LAST SHEET IN YOUR PACKET IS A, UH, CITY OF NEW BERN STATEMENT OF DISCLOSURE.
AS REDEVELOPMENT OFFICIALS, UH, WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO OWN, UH, OWN OR MAKE MONEY IN THE REBUILD BOUNDARY AREA, UH, OUTSIDE OF, UH, OUTSIDE OF OUR PRIMARY RESIDENCE.
SO EVERY YEAR I ASK YOU TO BUILD THIS FORMAT IN CASE YOU NEED TO DECLARE ANY PROPERTY OR BUSINESS INTEREST, UH, OCCURRING IN THE REDEVELOPMENT BOUNDARY AREA.
SO IF YOU'LL PLEASE FILL THAT FORM OUT, SIGN IT AND GIVE IT TO ME, I'LL MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY CLERK GETS IT AGAIN.
AND WITH THAT, THAT IS ALL I HAVE FOR YOU FOR NOW.
AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THE SPEAKERS THAT YOU BROUGHT TODAY BECAUSE THEY TALKED ABOUT THINGS THAT, LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR YOU TO BE HERE FOR THE PAST 18 MONTHS IS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR US ONGOING.
AND HEARING THINGS LIKE, UM, THIS IS MY OPINION THAT THE CDBG FUNDS COULD BE USED MUCH MORE WISELY WITHIN OUR DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
UM, WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY ACCESS TO THAT.
'CAUSE I WAS AT THE ALDERMAN'S MEETING WHEN THERE WERE NO FUNDS ASSIGNED TO US, NO FUNDS FOR CDPG.
SO I'M JUST SAYING IT'S GOOD TO LEARN THOSE THINGS AND LEARN THAT WE NEED TO ASK FOR THAT KIND OF STUFF.
I DO WANT TO JUST SAY WE'RE NOT, WE, WE ONLY HAVE TWO OF THE CENSUS TRACKS.
I BELIEVE NEW BERN HAS FOUR OR FIVE, UH, LOW INCOME CENSUS TRACKS.
SO, WE'LL, WE'LL NEVER HAVE THE ENTIRE CDBE UH, FUND AT OUR DISPOSAL, BUT SEEING AS WE DO HAVE TWO OF THEM, 40% IN OUR BOUNDARY AREA, WE SHOULD HAVE SOME, SOME SORT OF ACCESS.
BUT THAT ONE UBANK, THAT'S ALL WE C, BG WE'VE SEEN.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO GET YEAH.
THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT YOUR AD HOC MEMBERS SHOULD BE HERE.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THEY SPOKE ON, LIKE, LIKE WHAT KIM WAS SAYING, THE CITY WAS PUTTING MONEY IN.
AND THOSE BOARD MEMBERS LEAVE IF THEY WERE GETTING IN THE CITY, BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THE CITY COUNCIL NEED.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING, BUT WE HANDICAP BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT THAT SOME OF THESE OTHER CITIES ARE GETTING FROM THEIR CITY COUNCIL FINANCIAL.
THAT IS A SEGUE INTO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM.
[7. 11:30 pm: Debrief: Redevelopment Commission of New Bern ]
I, UM, I WANT TAKE SOME TIME.AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, READ, DEBRIEF AND REDEVELOPMENT.
COMMISSIONER RIVER, WE DON'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY.
I KNOW WE'RE STILL BEING RECORDED, BUT WE DON'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AT OUR MEETINGS TO SAY WHAT WE FEEL PERSONALLY HAS GONE WELL, HAS IT'S NOT GONE WELL.
OR TO GET, THROW AN IDEA OUT THERE IF IT SOUNDS CRAZY.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE THREW OUT THE IDEA OF CUTTING GRASS AND THEN WE REALIZED, WELL, THAT MIGHT BE BEYOND OUR REALM OF MANAGEMENT, BUT, BUT THERE'S SOMETHING THERE WE CAN TAKE AWAY.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE, UM, I DON'T WANT EVERYBODY TO TAKE A TON OF TIME.
I DON'T WANT TO DIATRIBE, I JUST WANT TO, UM, YOU KNOW, I WANT AT LEAST ONE WIN, ONE LOSS AND A GOOD IDEA.
AND YOU GET EXTRA CREDIT IF YOU HAVE TO DO UP, UM, I WOULD CALL ON YOU AND SHERRY, YOU'RE SO HAPPY
[02:55:01]
THAT TABARI CAME IN LATE BECAUSE YOU WERE ALWAYS ON THE END, ALWAYS LIKE SHARONSO I'M NOT GONNA CALL, I'M GONNA LET YOU KNOW, RAISE YOUR HAND AND START IT OUT.
BUT I, I DO WANT TO HEAR FROM EVERYBODY TODAY BECAUSE THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE.
I MEAN, AND I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS SHOWING UP.
THE PEOPLE SITTING AT THIS TABLE SHOW UP, THEY SHOW, THEY'VE BEEN SHOWING UP SOME OF US FOR SEVEN YEARS, SOME OF US FOR TWO YEARS.
BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN YOU GOT, YOU KNOW, A YEAR AND A HALF ASSIGNED TO BE PART OF IT.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS SHOWING UP.
SO WHO WANTS TO GET FIRST? SO WAS IT A WINNING LOSS? A WIN A LOSS, AND AN IDEA FOR THE FUTURE? Y'ALL WANT ME TO GO FIRST? MM-HMM
GIVE A THE IDEA OF WHAT I'M GONNA SAY
UM, I REALLY FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, WALT BELLAMY CLOSED THIS YEAR.
THEY CAME TO FRUITION, BUT THAT'S AN O THAT'S A WIN.
AND IT'S NOT JUST A WIN BECAUSE WE, YAY WE SOLD THE HOUSES.
WE MADE A PLAN, WE DID THE WORK.
WE SAID NO WHEN PEOPLE WANTED TO CHANGE OUR PLAN.
UM, WE CAME UNDER SOME SCRUTINY FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD, FROM THE CITY FOR DOING THAT.
AND WE SIT STOOD FIRM AND THEN WE WENT TO OUR PLAN.
AND THEN AT THE END WE FLEXED BECAUSE OUR PLAN CHANGED.
YOU KNOW, WE ENDED UP SELLING TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
THAT WASN'T OUR ORIGINAL PLAN, BUT WE REALIZED IT WAS A GOOD PLAN.
THE WALL BELLAMY, WE ALL WORK TOGETHER.
I THINK, UM, I GUESS TO YOUR POINT, ONE OF OUR, I FEEL LIKE ONE OF OUR LOSSES AND IT, IT'S JUST GETTING TO BE MORE AND MORE EVIDENT IS OUR ALDERMAN INVOLVEMENT.
AND I KNOW THAT WE, UM, FEEL LIKE OUR, OUR PLEA, WHAT ARE THEIR ACTUAL TITLE EXECUTION MEMBERS DON'T ATTEND AND THEY SHOULD.
UM, BUT I FEEL LIKE BECAUSE OF THAT, MAYBE WE NEED TO TAKE THE ACTION TO BE MORE ALDERMAN INVOLVED.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE SHOWN UP A FEW TIMES WHEN WE KNOW ZEV HAS SOME, A DIFFICULT INFORMATION TO PRESENT.
BUT REALLY WE'RE COUNTING ON ZEV TO ALWAYS STAND UP IN FRONT OF THE ALDERMAN.
UM, AND SO THIS IS ALSO MY IDEA.
COULD WE BE MORE PROACTIVE IN THAT? AND SOMEBODY BRINGING SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE GOING ON, ACTIVELY BRINGING THAT TO THE NEXT ALDERMAN MEETING, JUST AS A LITTLE THING ON THE AGENDA.
BUT THEN THEY SEE DIFFERENT FACES, THEY SEE PEOPLE ON THE COMMISSION AND THEY CAN'T SAY WHAT THEY ALWAYS SAY, WHICH IS, WISH YOU HADN'T SPRUNG DISHONEST.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEN THEY, THEY CAN'T SAY THAT.
AND MY OTHER GOOD IDEA, I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA, IS IT'S TIME FOR US TO BE PROACTIVE ON COMMISSIONERS ON THIS COMMISSION.
WE HAVE GOOD COMMISSIONERS ON THIS COMMISSION.
SOME ARE GONNA ROLL OFF THIS YEAR.
SOME PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, I HAVE BEEN ON THIS COMMISSION FOR SEVEN YEARS AND SOME OF THE COMMISSIONERS THAT WERE APPOINTED DID NOT WANT TO BE ON THE COMMISSION, DID NOT ATTEND OUR MEETINGS, DID NOT CONTRIBUTE.
WE NEED PEOPLE LIKE THE ONES SITTING AT THIS TABLE WHO WILL CONTRIBUTE.
SO IF YOU KNOW SOMEBODY'S GETTING READY TO ROLL OFF, YOU NEED TO BE TALKING TO ZEV AND TALKING TO YOUR ALDERMAN ABOUT, UH, UM, REPLACEMENT OF SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD SERVE OUR COMMISSION WELL, BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST GONNA APPOINT SOMEBODY.
ALRIGHT, SO WHO ELSE HAS A WIN AND A LOSS? WE CAN TAKE IT.
THE PROPERTY YOU SOLD TO THE GENTLEMAN ON BURN STREET.
IT IT ADD IT, ADD TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
YOU PUTTING THAT IN THE WINDS, THAT'S A WIN.
UH, ANOTHER WIN IS EVEN WHEN WE THOUGHT WE WERE LOSING, WE NEVER FOLDED OR ANY OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAD TO FACE FOR THE PUBLIC.
WE STUCK WITH WHAT WE HAD TO DO.
UH, THE LOSSES, YOU KNOW, LOSSES, I THINK PROBABLY, I THINK THE LOSS WE GOT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DID NOT OURSELVES DO, BUT IT WAS DUE TO WRONG INFORMATION GOING OUT BEFORE CERTAIN THINGS WERE DONE.
AND SOME OF IT WAS, YOU KNOW, SOME OF IT WAS INTENTIONAL.
UM, I JUST, MY OTHER IDEA, I GOT REAL IDEA I GOT IS TWO IDEAS.
LET'S JUST MAKE SURE WE STAY ON COURSE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND THE SECOND THING IS, I THINK WE NEED TO SIT DOWN WITH THE CITY COUNCIL
[03:00:01]
FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF MEETING BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT YET SAT WITH THE BOARD TO EXPLAIN SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE LEARNED TODAY.UH, AND JUST KIND OF GET AN IDEA OF WHAT, WHAT, WHAT ARE THEY, WHAT ARE THEY EXPECTING OUT OF US? AND THEN WE NEED TO LET 'EM KNOW WHAT WE EXPECT OUT.
AND SO YOU'RE SAYING OUTSIDE OF ATTENDING AN ALDERMAN MEETING, THAT MAY BE CALLING A AN INVITATIONAL WORK SESSION.
YOUR HOUR AND A HALF, THAT'S ALL YOU NEED.
I YOU NEED THAT MY DAY LONG BECAUSE I SAID WE JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT THEY EXPECT FROM US AND WHAT WE EXPECT FROM THEM.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT, LIKE YOU SAID, MISCOMMUNICATION IS NOT BEING BORED AND NOBODY'S SITTING AROUND THE TABLE TALKING, RIGHT? MM-HMM
SO IS THAT YOUR LOSS? THAT'S MY LOSS.
I THOUGHT THE NEW BANKS, UM, PROPERTY WAS A WIN BECAUSE WHEN WE FIRST CAME ON, IT JUST SAT THERE, NOTHING TOOK PLACE.
BUT NOW YOU DO FINALLY HAVE SOMEONE THAT IS GONNA PURCHASE THAT PROPERTY.
SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS A GOOD WIN, BUT IT'S GONNA GET SOLD.
WELL, BUT NOW IF I'M HEARING IT'S A WIN, THEN Y'ALL WERE IMPLEMENT INSTRUMENTAL IN THE WIND.
HOW'S THAT? RIGHT? WE MOVED, WE MOVED THAT NEEDLE.
UM, IDEAS IS, AND I KNOW THIS IS LEADING THE DEAD HORSE, BUT I'M A FIRM BELIEVER THAT WE HAVE TO PUT SOMETHING IN THE
SOME TYPE OF, SHE SHOWED IT ON, NO, HE SHOWED IT ON IT IN GREENVILLE, WHERE THEY BUILT THOSE, UM, HOUSES IN THE PARK UNDERNEATH.
SO THAT'S WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS BUZZING ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S NOT GONNA BUY A HOUSE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY, WHEN I SAY WE, THE AREA DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, SUPER HOUSES, APARTMENTS OVER THERE FOR PEOPLE TO STAY MM-HMM
AND I THINK ONCE WE PUT OUR MONEY SOMEWHERE IN A AREA WHEN WE CALL OR BRAND IT, SAY IF THIS IS NEWBAR, WE NEED TO INCLUDE THAT AREA.
I SAY, I WOULD SAY A WIN IS DELTA THAT HOW MUCH TIME, UH, WAS PUT INTO THAT.
AND I MEAN, I KNOW IT'S NOT BUILT YET, SO IT'S JUST LIKE YOU S SORT A FUTURE ONE.
BUT I MEAN, I THINK THAT WAS LIKE, WE HAD SOME OPPOSITION AND SOME STUFF GOING ON, BUT WE HAD, WE HAD TO PIVOT.
IT DIDN'T WORK WHERE WE WERE PUTTING IT.
SO I MEAN, I WAS IMPRESSED, YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE TIME.
JUST HOW YOU HAD A HOLD ON THE, THE ENTIRE PROCESS AND HOW YOU LISTEN TO SUGGESTIONS AND QUESTIONS.
WHEN I CAME IN NOT KNOWING ABOUT THE FIVE YEARS OF WORK BEFORE, I'M LIKE, WHAT ABOUT THIS? WHAT ABOUT THAT? UM, SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS A WIN.
UM, I THINK JUST KIND OF A, ANOTHER WIN OVERALL IS JUST THE WAY I, LIKE, WE'RE ALL ENGAGED AND TRYING TO, OKAY, WHAT'S NEXT? WHAT'S NEXT? LIKE SEEING THE FUTURE.
I THINK WE COULD DO THINGS A LITTLE FASTER, TO BE HONEST.
LIKE COME UP WITH PROJECTS, HAVE, HAVE A SLATE OF PROJECTS IN THE WORKS SORT OF THING.
BRAINSTORM FASTER AND HOPEFULLY MOVE THINGS FASTER BECAUSE WE HAVE MOMENTUM RIGHT NOW.
SO, I MEAN, I WOULD SAY IT'S A WIN THAT WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER BETTER.
UM, BUT NOW WE ARE HOWEVER MANY YEARS INTO THIS REDEVELOPMENT PLAN, I THINK WE, WE ALL NEED TO LIKE, BRUSH UP ON THAT AND REVISIT IT.
AND MAYBE IT'LL GIVE US IDEAS FOR OTHER, LIKE, WE DID THE CODE ENFORCEMENT STUFF BACK IN THE DAY, WE DID.
BUT THERE'S OTHER THINGS IN THAT PLAN THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY JUST HOUSING THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THAT'LL REFRESH OUR MEMORY OR SOMETHING.
I WOULD SAY THE, AND THIS IS NOTHING, YOU KNOW, PERSONAL, BUT I WOULD SAY THE, SOMETIMES MOMENTUM GETS STALLED AND SOMETIMES THERE'S LIKE BACKHAND CONVERSATION.
SO I DON'T THINK OUR COMMUNICATION HAS BEEN AS GOOD AS IT CAN BE.
UH, 'CAUSE I, I WOULD CALL DEB AND LIKE, WHAT IN THE ACTUAL HECK IS GOING ON HERE? I'VE NEVER EVEN, YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S CONVERSATIONS AND I KNOW WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BEING A QUORUM SO WE CAN'T JUST ALL GET TOGETHER AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS OFF PUBLIC RECORD.
BUT IT, I I THINK WE SHOULD MAYBE COME UP WITH A WAY TO LIKE, FEEL MORE ENGAGED AND MAKE SURE STUFF'S GOING THROUGH CHANNELS SO EVERYBODY DOESN'T HAVE TO BE UP TO SPEED ON DEB'S DAY EVERY DAY THAT I'M NOT ASKING FOR THAT, BUT MAYBE A ONCE A MONTH CHECK IN BEFORE THE MEETING MINUTES COME OUT.
UM, SO I THINK COMMUNICATION IS A LITTLE BIT OF A WIN.
'CAUSE WE'RE BETTER, BUT I DON'T THINK WE'RE THERE YET.
UM, CAN I, CAN I INTERRUPT YOU? MM-HMM
[03:05:01]
NOT NECESSARILY A NEW IDEA, BUT MAYBE AN EXPANSION OF AN, OF AN OLDER PRACTICE.ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HELPS ME OUT, UH, LEARNING ABOUT THE, THE COMMISSION WAS ACTUALLY, UH, IN, IN THE HOUSING, WHAT DID YOU GUYS CALL 'EM? THE WORK PRO WORK.
THE HOUSING WORK GROUP ALWAYS HAD A PRE-MEETING BEFORE THE MEETING, UH, TO GO THROUGH EVERYTHING THAT WAS BEING PRESENTED.
UM, AND I THINK IF WE WERE TO PUT TOGETHER A COUPLE OF THOSE, UM, WHERE, WHERE I COULD COME AND I COULD TALK TO THREE OF YOU AT A TIME, A THREE ON THREE, UM, AND, AND WE COULD GO OVER THE AGENDA THAT WAY.
IT WOULD, IT WOULD HELP A LOT.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE IN 2025, UH, 2025.
SO IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE IN PERSON.
IT'S NICE WHEN IT'S IN PERSON, UH, ESPECIALLY AT KID'S HOUSE.
UH, UH, BUT IT IS NICE WHEN IT'S IN PERSON.
UH, BUT, UH, UM, WE, WE CAN DO A ZOOM MEETING OR A PHONE CALL OR, OR OR WHATEVER.
BUT IN, IN, IN THE PAST, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS HELPED JUST WITH THAT EDUCATION IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE OFFLINE CONVERSATION WHERE WITH A GROUP OF PEOPLE SO THAT YOU'RE BUILDING COALITION AT THE SAME TIME, AT THE SAME TIME AS YOU'RE GETTING INFORMATION.
SO, UM, THAT, THAT IS, THAT IS ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT.
WELL, I'M GONNA STEAL THAT AS WHY IDEA OH GOD.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU MEANT.
NO, I DO, I MEAN I DO LIKE THAT THOUGH.
AND DEFINITELY, I MEAN, I CAN, I'M, I'M ACTUALLY MORE FLEXIBLE DURING THE DAY 'CAUSE I WORK FROM HOME AND NOBODY KNOWS WHAT MEETING I'M IN.
SO I, I'M FINE WITH DAYTIME MEETINGS.
LIKE GOING TO THE COMMUNITY STUFF IS HARDER.
UM, BUT DAYTIME STUFF IS NOT THAT HARD.
UM, SO THEN IDEAS FOR THE FUTURE.
I MEAN, I WAS, THIS IS GONNA, I THINK WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT IN OUR CLOSED SESSION, BUT I MEAN, I LIKED A LOT OF WHAT I HEARD TODAY.
AND ONE THING THAT STANDS OUT TO ME, AND MAYBE WE'VE DETERMINED WE DON'T WANT TO SPEND THE MONEY ON IT, BUT IS ALMOST LIKE THE BEAUTIFICATION, THE SIGNS, THE SIDEWALKS, BETTER LIGHTING, THAT SORT OF THING ON THE MAIN CORRIDORS IN OUR AREA.
UM, BECAUSE I MEAN, THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
DRIVE THROUGH VERNA OR TRENT WOODS AND DRIVE THROUGH DUFFY FIELD AND THEY, THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T FEEL IT OR THE SAME, YOU KNOW, SO WE, I MEAN THE SIDEWALK, I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GONNA GO IN AND BUILD SIDEWALKS WHERE THEY'RE NOT, BUT, BUT MAYBE, I MEAN, BUT LIKE STENS, THAT SORT OF THING.
I LIKE THE TRANSPORTATION HUB THING.
SO I, MY MIND IS SORT OF SHIFTING AWAY FROM HOUSING A LITTLE BIT INTO WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS WILL IMMEDIATELY CHANGE THE FEEL OF THE AREA WILL SHOW DEVELOPERS THAT WE, WE INVESTED MONEY, YOU KNOW, IN THE AREA, THAT SORT OF THING.
SO, AND I MEAN, NEW BERN ALREADY HAS LIKE, SCIENCE DEVELOPED.
SO I THINK WE SORT OF USE THIS PACKET OF, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE GREENVILLE SIGNS.
WE SORT OF USE WHAT NEW BERN ALREADY DOES, BUT MAY MAYBE WE DO HAVE TO SPEND THE MONEY TO ACTUALLY GET 'EM, YOU KNOW, PUT IN AND MAYBE WE DO, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT MORE SIDEWALKS OR BETTER SIDEWALKS OR PRESSURE WASHING SIDEWALKS OR WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER IT'S GONNA TAKE TO ENHANCE THE FIELD.
UM, PUTTING TREES, BUSHES, WHATEVER.
SO, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS NOTICED, BUT IN, IN BOTH GREENVILLE, JACKSONVILLE, AND MOREHEAD, ONE OF A KEY PART OF THEIR REVITALIZATION EFFORT IS ART INSTALLATION.
I PUT A ASTERISK BY THAT IN TODAY'S PRESENTATION BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO.
AND THAT IS A GRANT OPPORTUNITY.
I, IT JUST, INFRASTRUCTURE'S A HUGE GRANT OPPORTUNITY, I THINK MORE SO THAN HOUSING.
DO WE KNOW ANY ARTISTS THAT LIVE IN THE AREA LIKE THAT? YOU KNOW, IN OUR, OH YEAH.
THERE'S A CERTAIN SOMEBODY AROUND THE TABLE WHO'S ON THE ARTS COUNCIL, UH, BOARD.
SHE DID BRING EYE CONTACT WHEN YOU SAID THAT.
I MEAN, I JUST THINK, I THINK, I THINK THAT WOULD BE, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY DOES SCULPTURE OR WHATEVER.
I THINK IF WE'RE TALKING OUTSIDE, THAT WOULD, AND, AND THAT WAS PART OF LIKE DOWNTOWN TRYING TO BRING IN DIFFERENT ART SO PEOPLE CAN SEE IT.
THAT'S WHEN THEY STARTED PUTTING THROUGHOUT THE TOWN.
SO WHEN YOU COME THROUGH THAT MAIN CORRIDOR, YOU CAN SEE SOME DIFFERENT ART PIECES, MURALS, AND A LOT OF CITIES NOW ARE GOING UP ON SIDE THE WALLS AND STUFF.
YOU'RE GONNA START SENDING DOWN, OH MAN, ECU IS JUST GUNNING THAT, THAT BUILDING, THAT BUILDING RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM BLOOMFIELD ON MAIN STREET, IT HAD IS THAT BIG HISTORIC BUILDING.
I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT IT'S CALLED.
WELL, THERE IS THE ELK BUILDING, BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT ON MAIN STREET.
[03:10:01]
JUST TOOK DOWN THE, WELL, A COUPLE YEARS AGO.OH, YOU TALKING ABOUT THE ROSS OF A HALL? OH.
BUT IT, IT HAS THE WHOLE, IT'S A BLANK CANVAS.
IT COULD BE THAT'D BE GORGEOUS.
PLACE TO, TO WHEN YOU FIX IT UP, THEN WE CAN DO A REHAB AND MAKE IT A INCUBATOR.
BUT THAT WOULD BE NICE BECAUSE WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT ON A WALL AND WHEN YOU SEE BUILDINGS BEING FILLED, THAT'S WHAT MOST PEOPLE LOOK FOR.
IF YOU SAY YOU GOING TO DO SOMETHING, DON'T WAIT TWO TO FIVE YEARS TO GET IT DONE.
GET THAT GOAL PLAN AND GO AHEAD AND IMPLEMENT IT.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHEN YOU SEE THE COMMUNITY COME TOGETHER.
I MEAN, IF THAT'S A REHAB OPPORTUNITY, WHAT, WHAT'S IT CURRENTLY USED FOR? NOTHING.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT.
TITLE, TITLE PROBLEMS. THAT'S A TITLE PROBLEM.
SO, BUT IT HAD LONG TERM AGO HAD BUSINESS IN THERE.
UH, UPSTAIRS WAS A PLACE WHERE IT WAS LIKE A SOCIAL FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE AREA.
BARBER SHOP DOWNSTAIRS, THERE'S A MR. FLOYDS A GRANT.
BARBER BARBERSHOP WAS DOWNSTAIRS.
THE CANDY STORE WAS AT THE FRONT.
WE GOT A FEW MORE YOU WANT TO GO? YEAH, SURE.
I, I I REFLECT BACK TO, UH, SOME OF OUR FLEXIBILITY AND, AND WORKING WITH MR. DIGS.
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THE TYPE PROBLEM ON THAT PROPERTY.
YOU KNOW, HE WAS WILLING TO, HE WAS WILLING TO TACKLE GETTING THAT WORK CLEARED UP FOR HIMSELF.
AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE DID, DID SOME REVERSE COURSE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN AND SELL THAT PROPERTY TO HIM.
UH, SOME OF THE LOSSES THAT I SEE IS THE, THE BIGGEST ONE IS LETTING THE CITY TAKE THAT PRO, TAKE OUR SOME OF OUR PROPERTY BACK AND SO THAT THEY CAN SELL IT UNCONDITIONALLY.
AND IT WAS ALL, ALL BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE PEAK FRY MESS AND EVERYTHING MM-HMM
AND SO THEY ARE IN EFFECT, UH, DOING EVERYTHING THEY POSSIBLY CAN TO BE CONTRARY TO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, WHICH IS WE REMOVE FLIGHT MM-HMM
AND ENCOURAGE, UH, PRIVATE INVESTMENT IN THE PROPERTY.
NOW THE BIG THING IS THEY GET THE PROPERTY BACK ON THE TAX ROLLS.
SO THEY'RE GOING AGAINST OUR VISION OF THE COMMUNITY BY ALLOWING THAT TO HAPPEN FOR THEIR $5 A MONTH OR A YEAR TAXES COMING ON A $4,000 LOT.
SO, AND THAT, THAT'S A, A REAL THAT AND A REAL PROBLEM.
AND FOR ME, AND THEN I THINK I'VE BEEN ALSO DISAPPOINTED IN OUR APPROACH TO GETTING GRANTS.
WE HIRED A GRANT WRITER AND WE HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
AND LIKE WE ALL HEARD TODAY, THIS WORLD REVOLVES ABOUT GRANTS.
AND, AND, AND THE MONEY'S OBVIOUSLY OUT THERE.
YOU JUST GOTTA GO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GO GET IT.
SO I BELIEVE YOU PUT THEM ALL FLOSS INTO A WIN.
I I'LL SPEAK TO THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT.
UM, UH, SO THE GRANT WRITER THAT WE HIRED, UH, MARGARET GENERALLY WORKS FOR NON-PROFITS AND, AND AUTONOMOUS ENTITIES OR CITIES.
WE ARE NEITHER AUTONOMOUS, UH, OR A MUNICIPALITY.
WE DON'T HAVE OUR OWN EIN UH, AND THERE ARE, THERE ARE CERTAIN QUESTIONS THAT NEVER GET ASKED UNTIL THEY NEED TO BE ASKED, LIKE THE EIN QUESTION OR THE, UH, THE GRANT WORKFLOW, UH, PROCESS.
SO IN ORDER TO GET A GRANT, TO GO FOR A GRANT, WE'RE WORKING RIGHT NOW WITH FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION TO FIGURE OUT WHAT OUR WORKFLOW HAS TO BE SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY FIGURE OUT HOW TO APPLY FOR A GRANT AS THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
BECAUSE WE ARE SET UP SORT OF UNIQUELY AT NOT SORT OF, WE ARE UNIQUE IN THE WAY THAT WE ARE SET UP IN THE STATES, UM, IN THAT WE ARE NOT INDEPENDENT YET.
WE ARE NOT, UH, YET WE ARE NOT INCLUDED IN, IN THE CITY IN ANY WAY, ANY MATERIAL WAY EXCEPT, UH, OUR FINANCIAL, UH, TRACKING IN THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING REALLY HARD WITH KIM
[03:15:01]
ROSE, UH, UH, SORRY, KIM, THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE,UH, AND, AND, AND ADMINISTRATION TO FIGURE OUT A WORKFLOW.
AS SOON AS WE HAVE THAT WORKFLOW, UH, AS SOON AS WE HAVE THAT WORKFLOW DOWN, PAT, MARGARET HAS, UH, PUT TOGETHER A EXCEL SPREADSHEET OF POTENTIAL GRANTS THAT WE CAN APPLY FOR OVER THE, OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.
AND SO I'LL BE DISSEMINATING THAT TO YOU ALL SO THAT WE CAN PUT PROJECTS, UH, TOGETHER AND NARRATIVES TOGETHER FOR THOSE GRANTS.
AND AS SOON AS WE HAVE THOSE, UH, SHE'LL BE ABLE TO, TO, TO APPLY ON MASS, UH, FOR, FOR, FOR THOSE GRANTS, UH, PRETTY EASILY.
BUT IT IS, IT HAS BEEN A SLOW PROCESS AND, AND YOUR FRUSTRATION IS WELL, IS WELL FOUNDED, BECAUSE IT IS, IT, IT SEEMED LIKE AN EASY THING BECAUSE EVERYWHERE I WENT, PEOPLE, BUT IT'S NOT YEAH.
EVERYWHERE I WENT, THE ONLY WAY THIS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS SAW SOME OF THE NUMBERS THAT, THAT OTHER MUNICIPALITIES THROW AROUND, LIKE $25 MILLION.
LIKE WE'RE, WE'RE SITTING WITH $800,000 AND THINKING, MAN, WE DOUBLED OUR BUDGET
UH, YOU KNOW, SO LIKE THE, THE, THE NECESSITY OF GRANTS IS UNDENIABLE AND WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO AND HOW FAST WE'RE ABLE TO DO WHAT WE, WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO DEPENDS UPON OUR ABILITY TO GET GRANTS AND TO BE FUNDED THAT WAY.
AND SO, UM, THE, THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF MY BIGGEST PROJECTS RIGHT NOW IS JUST FIGURING OUT THE WORKFLOW AND HOW, HOW TO GO ABOUT APPLYING FOR, FOR A GRANT.
BECAUSE INCLUDED IN THAT WORKFLOW, JUST TO GIVE YOU TWO SECONDS, I KNOW TWO MINUTES I GOT YOU, UH, INCLUDED IN THAT WORKFLOW IS APPROVAL BY THIS BODY, BUT ALSO APPROVAL BY THE GOVERNING BODY.
ALSO SIGN OFF, UH, SIGN OFF FROM FINANCE, UH, THAT THEY'RE GONNA AUDIT AND REPORT ON THE, ON THE GRANT.
THEN WE HAVE TO MEET THE, WE HAVE TO MEET THE GRANT TURNAROUND SO THAT WE CAN TURN IT IN WHEN IT BEFORE IT'S DUE.
AND PROCURE ALL THE APPROVALS.
AND SOMETIMES YOU ONLY HAVE 90 DAYS TO GET ALL THAT DONE.
SO STREAMLINING THE WORKFLOW AND, AND FIGURING OUT AN ACTUAL PROCESS THAT'S GONNA WORK FOR US.
WE'VE STARTED TWO, UH, JUST, JUST SO YOU ALL KNOW, WE'VE STARTED TWO GRANTS AND THE GRANTS CLOSED BEFORE, UH, THEY GOT OUT OF FIVE EIGHT TO SIGN OFF.
SO
AND THEN WITH VISIONS OR PROJECTS IN THE FUTURE, AND I, I, I HATE TO EVEN BRING THIS UP
AND, YOU KNOW, A LONG TIME AGO, IF YOU REMEMBER, YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN AROUND, WE TALKING ABOUT THE BIG BOULEVARD GOING, GOING, GOING DOWN THIRD AVENUE AND EXTENDED IT ON DOWN TO MAIN STREET MM-HMM
TO PROVIDE MODERN LOOKING ACCESS INTO DUFFY FIELD, GO TO HELP SPUR ON ACTIVITY AND SO FORTH.
WELL, IT MAKES IT PART OF THE CITY.
I MEAN, IT MAKES IT PART ACCESSIBLE FOR YEAH.
AND, AND, AND YOU KNOW, THAT I, I KNOW IT'S A TERRIBLE THOUGHT AND SO FORTH, BUT HENDERSON PARK NEEDS TO GET RETHOUGHT AND, AND IT IS TOTAL, IN MY OPINION, YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE, THEY GONNA PUT SO MUCH STUFF ON IT NOW.
THEY GOT NEW PLAYGROUND OUT THERE.
WE AIN'T GONNA BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
WELL, I, I KNOW, BUT THAT'S PART OF THE PROCESS THAT I THOUGHT THE SNAPPING HIT WAS YOU COULDN'T BUILD THE ROAD ACROSS THERE BECAUSE THE WAY WHEN THAT, THAT PARK WAS DEED OR SOMETHING, I THOUGHT, WELL, THERE, THERE'S SOME, SOME THOUGHTS TO THAT, BUT EVERYTHING CAN GET REDONE, UH, IF YOU PUT THE EFFORT INTO IT.
THAT'S THE SAME THING I SAID ABOUT THE DUCK HILL AREA BECAUSE IT USED TO BE A DRIVING AREA.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I DON'T SEE A PROBLEM.
BUT WHEN YOU GO IN AND SAY THAT IT'S A FLOOD AREA AND YOU RIDING AROUND EVERYWHERE ELSE AND GOING IN DIFFERENT TOWN LIKE JACKSONVILLE AND GREENVILLE AND WILMINGTON, YOU SEE ALL THESE HIGH RISE COMING UP.
SO WHAT I'M SAYING, IF YOU GOING TO SAY WE ARE NEWBURN, WE HERE TOGETHER AND WE'RE BRANDING TWO RIVERS COMING TOGETHER, WE ARE TOGETHER, AND YOU GOT THIS PART OF THE TOWN LOOKING TERRIBLE AND EVERYTHING ELSE IS PRIVATE.
WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT THIS PART OF THE COUNTY? YOU GOT PEOPLE STILL IN LIVING IN TRENT COURT GETTING TO GO.
I DON'T LIKE THAT PLAN BECAUSE THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT BUILDING LOW INCOME HOUSES IN THERE AND EVERYBODY, I MAY BE PAYING A THOUSAND DOLLARS.
YOU MAY BE PAYING THREE MM-HMM
'CAUSE I'M GONNA BE PAYING, I'M PAYING A THOUSAND.
WELL, WHAT I, WHAT I'LL SAY THERE IS THAT OPPORTUNITY MAY, THAT OPPORTUNITY MAY ORGANICALLY OPEN TO US TO BE A PART OF THE CONVERSATION, UH, SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE C AND I APPLICATION THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS LEADING.
[03:20:01]
A BAD IDEA AT ALL.AND IN FACT, I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA TO REINVIGORATE THAT CONVERSATION AND REALLY START WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY.
'CAUSE YOU'RE, ANYTHING THAT YOU, TO BE AN ADVOCATE FOR THE COMMUNITY, RIGHT? ANYTHING THAT YOU DO, YOU'RE GOING TO NEED, YOU'RE GONNA NEED POSITIVE PUBLIC, UH, FEEDBACK.
AND SO GETTING, GETTING GRAPHICS MADE SO YOU CAN SHOW PEOPLE WHAT'S POSSIBLE AND MAKING THAT PART OF THE NARRATIVE NOW A YEAR TO 16 MONTHS BEFORE WE EVEN APPLY THAT, THAT WILL HELP SMOOTH THE ROAD AND, AND PAVE THE WAY.
BECAUSE REALLY WHEN, WHAT I FOUND ABOUT NEWBURN, UH, IN, IN MY 18 MONTHS WORKING PUBLICLY, IS NOT THAT PEOPLE HATE DOING THINGS.
IT'S PEOPLE HATE NOT KNOWING WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AND BEING TOLD AFTER THE FACT.
SO IF WE GET AHEAD OF THAT AND START EN ENGAGING PEOPLE IN CONVERSATION AND LETTING THEM LEAD THAT CHARGE, MAYBE THEY DON'T WANT A ROAD THROUGH HENDERSON PARK.
MAYBE MAYBE SECOND AVENUE IS THE BOULEVARD WAY TO GO.
AND, AND I, I, I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT ANY OF IT BECAUSE I'VE BEEN BUILDING HOUSES FOR, I'M NOT ROADS.
I MEAN, THERE'S SPACE FACTS ABOUT IT, AND YET THEY'RE CONTINUING TO PUT NEW STUFF DOWN IN THERE.
YOU KNOW, IT KIND OF MAKES YOU WONDER, BUT RIGHT BEHIND STANLEY WHITE MM-HMM
ON THE, ON THE OPPOSITE CORNER.
THERE'S A 10 ACRE FIELD BACK THERE.
AND YOU BEHIND THE APARTMENT, RIGHT? YES.
BIG, I MEAN, IT IS VACANT AND IT COULD ADJACENT TO AND CONNECTED TO THE NEW STANLEY WHITE AND WHY THEY DON'T PUT THEIR RESOURCES, TAKE IT OUT OF, OUT OF, UH, A FLOOD, THE WORST PIECE OF PROPERTY IN NEW BERN AND PUT IT UP THERE OUT OF THE FLOODPLAIN WHERE YOU CAN DEVELOP NEW, NEW FIELDS, SOCCER FIELDS, ALL FIELDS, WHATEVER.
YOU CAN REPLACE ALL THE, ALL THE ACTIVITY CENTERS THAT ARE DOWN THERE ADJACENT TO THE EXISTING THING.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE SEPARATE BATHROOMS AND ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS.
HAVE NO IDEA WHY THAT AND, AND WHO OWNS IT AND WANT FOR IT.
I CAN GET YOU THAT INFORMATION.
I MEAN, THEY'RE THE VISION FOR THE FUTURE.
AND IT'S AN INEVITABLE THING AS UM, NOT YET.
SO TO BE PROACTIVE AND KEEP THAT VISION AHEAD OF US IS NOT A BAD, I THINK THAT'S A SMART THING ALL.
YOU GOTTA, YOU GOTTA ROCK IT BECAUSE YOU'RE THE LAST ONE.
I'M GONNA BE NICE AND NOT STEAL YOUR, YOUR WIN BECAUSE I HAPPEN, UM, WAT BELLAMY'S ALREADY BEEN MENTIONED, BUT THERE'S A KEY PIECE OF WAT BELLAMY THAT NEEDS TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED.
WE'RE FIRING A LOT OF SHOTS AT, I DON'T WANT SAY CITY HALL IN GENERAL, BUT KIND OF CITY ALL BOARDMAN FOR INVOLVEMENT AND EVERYTHING.
THERE WAS A HUGE WIND THAT LED TO WAT BELLAMY IN THE PAST, AND THAT WAS AN ALDERMAN VERY SPECIFICALLY SAYING A POT OF MONEY THAT IS OUR SINGLE LARGEST SOURCE OF SUPPORT FROM THE DAY WE WERE FORMED.
SO AN ALDERMAN STEPPING UP AND MAKING THAT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND HELPING TO SUPPORT US IS A HUGE WIN THAT WE MIGHT RIGHT.
WHY THAT BUDGET LOOKS LIKE AND IT'S GONNA CONTINUE.
THAT'S NOT REASON FOR, I MEAN, AS SOON AS SOON AS THAT CONVERSATION FIRST CAME UP, I STARTED TALKING ABOUT THE VELOCITY OF THAT CAPITAL.
THAT'S, I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A AND BECAUSE OF THAT AND OTHER PROJECTS BECAUSE OF THAT.
KIP DID STEAL MY, MY LOSS WITH REGARD TO THE PROPERTY AND THE CITY BEING ABLE TO BASICALLY DISPERSE AS THEY SO CHOOSE WITHOUT THAT, WITHOUT OUR FEEDBACK OR THOUGHTS.
SO DOVETAILING THAT INTO THE IDEA, IS THERE AN APPETITE FOR US TO PUT TOGETHER A LIST OF THINGS THAT WE WOULD KINDLY REQUEST THAT THE CITY TO CONSIDER OR TO PUT IN PLACE WHENEVER THEY SELL PROPERTY THERE? ABSOLUTELY.
NOW, NOW WOULD GO ALONG WITH MEETING WITH THEM.
I MEAN THEY, THEY CAN SAY NO, BUT IF WE MAKE THE ASK, THEN WE ARE, WE ARE AT LEAST SAYING WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU FELT LIKE YOU NEEDED TO DO THIS TO EXPEDITE PROCESSES.
BUT WE ASK, BUT WE'RE DOING A LOT OF WORK TO STOP A FROM HAPPENING.
SO CAN YOU PLEASE HELP US STOP THAT FROM HAPPENING IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD? THAT'S GOOD.
THAT'S AN EXCELLENT IDEA CATEGORY.
THEY CAN'T PUT RESTRICTION LIKE WE CAN, BUT THEY CAN STILL ASK CERTAIN QUESTIONS AND DO CERTAIN THINGS.
I DON'T THINK THEY CAN PUT, THEY COULD PUT KIDS LIKE, NO, YOU CAN'T PARK JUNK CARS HERE, BUT THEY CAN ASK QUESTIONS AND NO, THEY CAN'T.
I DON'T THINK THEY CAN DO ANYTHING.
[03:25:01]
WAY THE CITY, UM, THE, THE WAY THE CITY WOULD DO THAT IS ACTUALLY THROUGH THE LAND USE ORDINANCE.AND SO WHAT, WHAT, UM, WHAT WOULD BE ENFORCEABLE WOULD BE PERMITTED USE IN ALTERING THE PERMITTED USE, UH, THE, THE THE PERMITTED USE, UM, UH, ORDINANCES, UH, IN, IN THE LAND USE ORDINANCE.
AND SO BEING, BEING PART OF THAT CONVERSATION AND, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE SAYING, HEY, IN THE REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT, UH, WHAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES IS X, Y, Z.
NO, UH, DON'T, DON'T PERMIT SOMEONE WHO TO, TO DO THIS.
DON'T PERMIT PEOPLE TO DO THAT.
UH, SORT OF THE SAME, THE SAME REP REFERENDUM THAT WE HAVE ON, UM, UH, MANUFACTURED HOUSES, UH, THAT'S WRITTEN INTO, INTO THE OVERLAY.
WE CAN DO THE SAME THING WITH THE LAND USE ORDINANCE AS THEY'RE REWRITING IT.
SO ACCORDING TO ACCOMPLISH SUBMISSION.
I'M NOT SURE EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT KIND OF PROBLEM CAN HAPPEN, BUT THE CITY CAN SELL TO SOMEBODY WHO IS A REGULAR CITIZEN, IS NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO ORDINANCE AND OVERLAY AND HAS A MANUFACTURED HOME.
THEY'RE GONNA ROLL ONTO THE SITE AND THEY HAVEN'T TOLD THE CITY THAT, AND THE CITY DIDN'T ASK.
AND THEN THEY REALIZE THEY'RE IN THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION BOUNDARY AND THEY CAN'T PUT A, A MOBILE HOME THERE.
SO THAT'S PERSON HAS BOUGHT A PROPERTY, HAS MAYBE EVEN BOUGHT OR MADE A DOWN PAYMENT ON A HOME LIKE THAT AND THEN THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
SO IT, IT ALSO, IT IT JUST MAKES GOOD SENSE.
AND SO CAN, TO THAT EFFECT, CAN WE MAYBE NOT ASK 'EM TO PUT RESTRICTIONS ON IT, BUT CAN WE REQUEST MORATORIUM ON CERTAIN PROPERTIES IF WE HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE AND IN A CERTAIN TIME LIMIT? THAT'S WHAT THEY DID.
THEY PUT A MORATORIUM ON SALE IN OUR AREA WITHOUT OUR APPROVAL.
UM, WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
I MEAN, THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN PURSUE.
WE CERTAINLY HAVE THE CONVERSATION.
THE OTHER THING, SORRY TO CUT OFF THAT.
THE OTHER THING THAT I WILL SAY IS, NOW THAT WE HAVE IRONED OUT SOME OF OUR PROCESSES, WE HAVE DEMONSTRATED AS A COMMISSION THAT WE CAN SELL PRO UH, THAT, THAT WE CAN SELL PARCELS AND WE CAN, WE CAN DO THAT IN, IN NOT A NINE MONTH, UH, PERIOD OF TIME.
WE, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF WINS THAT WAY.
IF I WERE TO NAME A WIN, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY THE $29,000, UH, IN REAL ESTATE THAT WE SOLD OVER, OVER THE LAST UH, YEAR, THAT'S A WIN.
UH, BECAUSE PRIOR, PRIOR TO 2023, WE DIDN'T SELL ANY, UH, UH, OF RDC OWNED PARCELS.
UH, SO THE, THE, WE'VE DEMONSTRATED THAT WE CAN NOW SELL PARCELS.
SO GOING BACK TO THE, UH, TO THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN AND SAYING, HEY, CAN, CAN YOU BE FLEXIBLE? GO BACK TO THIS ACTION THAT YOU TOOK AND, AND TAKE A STEP BACK AND GIVE US ANOTHER SHOT AT THIS NOW THAT WE'VE IRONED OUT OUR PROCESSES SO THAT WE REGAIN THAT, THAT POWER OF INFLUENCE SO THAT WE CAN, SO THAT WE CAN IMPOSE, UH, RESTRICTIONS THAT, THAT ARE CONDUCIVE TO THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN.
UM, SO THAT, THAT'S, I I HEARD IT TWICE AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY LIKE, MAYBE THE EASIEST APPROACH IS JUST ASKING THEM TO LET US, LET US HAVE A SECOND CHANCE NOW THAT WE SHOULD DEMONSTRATE THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY SELL PARCELS.
AND I THINK THO THOSE KIND OF QUESTIONS, THOSE ARE THE LIST OF THINGS THAT WE WOULD TAKE WITH US TO THAT MEETING MM-HMM
AND THESE ARE, THESE ARE THE THINGS WE, THESE ARE GOOD THINGS AND THIS IS WHAT WE WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO HELP US CHANGE.
IF YOU REMEMBER MR. FLOOD SAID THAT THAT WAS THE KUDO THAT HE GAVE US THAT WE SAID NO MM-HMM
AT OUR LAST MEETING TO, TO SOMETHING THAT WASN'T HAPPEN ON THE LOT THAT WAS GONNA BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE COMMUNITY.
HE SAID, THAT'S A KUDO TO YOU GUYS FOR DOING THAT.
IF YOU, IF THE CITY OWNED THAT LOCK AND THEY WENT, HE WENT TO THEM, WE HAVE TO, TO YOUR POINT DOWN THE ROAD FROM THE PARCEL WILL WILL BE THE EXACT SAME MM-HMM
OWNER, DEVELOPER AND, AND AND OH REALLY? SITE PLAN BLOCKS DOWN, THERE'S RESIDUAL.
SO TO YOUR POINT, AND AND I, I I, I DO THINK THAT THAT'S A LOSS AND I THINK THAT IT'S WORTH, IT IS WORTH ONE FIT, ENGAGING, ENGAGING, ENGAGING THE GOVERNING BOARD AND, AND JUST SAYING, HEY, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE NOTICING.
YOU KNOW, BRINGING UP THE, YOU THE EXAMPLES OF WHAT WE SEE.
THE EXAMPLES OF OF H STREET, THEY, THEY SOLD THAT LOT AND THE GUY STARTED PUTTING IN LOWE'S STORAGE UNITS.
UH, THEY WERE GONNA CONVERT INTO TINY HOUSES, UH, WITH NO
[03:30:01]
FOUNDATIONS.LUCKILY WE WORKED WITH, UH, WITH ENFORCEMENT.
WE GOT THOSE, THOSE, BUT UH, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS HAVE CERTAINLY TAKEN AN UPTICK.
SO, SORRY STEVE, I'M TAKING ALL YOUR
NO, UM, ONE MORE IDEA AND THIS, AGAIN, THIS IS PIGGYBACKING OFF OF A, A, A FAULT AND A PROBLEM AND I MENTIONED YOU MADE, UM, FROM THE GRANT PERSPECTIVE, IT IS NOT OUTTA THE ORDINARY AT ALL AND WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED OUTLANDISH IN A GOVERNMENTAL SETTING FOR THIS GROUP TO CREATE ITS OWN RELATED BUT DISTINCT NON-PROFIT.
IT WOULD MAKE THINGS VERY MUCH EASIER.
I'VE GOT A WHOLE HANDFUL OF 'EM THAT I WORK WITH ON A NORMAL BASIS.
AND THEY CAN EVEN CREATE A NEW ORG CODE IN BANNER AND TRACK IT IN THE BOOKS AND EXCLUDE IT FROM THE CITY'S FINANCIALS.
IT COMES WITH ITS OWN REPORTING AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THAT ORG.
BUT YOU CAN STAGGER THE DIRECTORS THE SAME WAY THAT THIS BOARDS ARE STAGGERED AND BASICALLY HAVE A NONPROFIT EXTENSION OF OUR GROUP THAT IS RELATED BUT NOT EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE CITY THAT'S GONNA, AND THAT'S GONNA OPEN IT UP WHERE YOU CAN GET IN ON THE GOVERNMENTAL GRANTS AND ON THE NONPROFIT GRANTS.
THAT KIND OF FREES UP YOUR HEAD WHAT I HAD TO GO THROUGH.
THAT'S BEEN DONE TO GREAT SUCCESS.
I'VE GOT A HALF DOZEN OF 'EM ON MY BOOKS IN GRAVES, SO YEAH.
I WANT TO CONTINUE WHAT, UH, STEVE JUST SAID AS FAR AS, UH, GRANT STUFF.
'CAUSE I WAS THE MAIN CHEERLEADER WHEN WE FIRST DID THIS.
WHAT WAS I COME, WHAT WAS THE GRANT THING? I THINK AUGUST HIRED AUGUST.
WE, WE WENT INTO CONTRACT WORSE.
SO, AND I WAS THE MAIN ONE GIVING NONVERBAL, I AIN'T GONNA CALL 'EM OUT, BUT GIVING NONVERBAL, LIKE LET'S DO THIS.
AND I SHOULD HAVE ASKED MORE QUESTIONS BECAUSE THAT WAS FIVE MONTHS AGO.
AND WHAT WE JUST DISCUSSED HERE, WE JUST SPEAK THE PROBLEM 30 MINUTES WHERE WE CAN START MOVING FORWARD.
SO AGAIN, UH, WE, WE GOTTA START SEEING SOME OF THAT FROM THAT GRANT.
I'M GONNA SAY THE BLOOMFIELD PROJECT, YOU STOOD IN FRONT OF THE COMMUNITY.
'CAUSE I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA SAY IT.
I MEAN THE, UM, THE COMMUNITY AND WE, YOU KNOW, ASKED FOR THEIR BLESSINGS FOR THIS PARTICULAR THING.
AND THEN WE HAD TO PIVOT PER THE RULES AND LAND AND THIS AND THAT.
UM, AND THEN WE ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO BREAK GROUND HERE IN A MINUTE.
AND I THINK THAT THE, THE COMMUNITY IS, THEY'RE SEEING THE GREEN JACKETS OVER THERE NOW.
THEY'RE ALREADY BUZZING ABOUT IT.
AND SO NOW I CAN GO BACK AND VISIT MY MOM.
I TOLD THEM SOMETHING DIDN'T HAPPEN.
SO I THANK ALL THE HELP Y'ALL GAVE ON THAT.
SO GO THROUGH THE TOLL ROAD WITH THE BOYS AT NIGHT.
I WASN'T EVEN GOING OVER THERE.
UM, AND THE OTHER WIN, AND I THINK I SAID THIS THE LAST UM, UM, WORK SESSION, UM, IS THE EXPERTISE OF THIS TEAM.
WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT DIFFERENTIATING EXPERTISE THAT SHOWS ITS HEAD WHEN IT'S NEEDED.
IT'S THE CRAZIEST THING IN THE WORLD.
YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID WHEN I WAS IN, UH, I IT MESSING WITH YOU.
BUT, UM, BUT I, BUT UH, LIKE WHEN I WAS OUT OF TOWN AND I WAS WATCHING THE BOARD OF ALMOND MEETING, UM, WHEN THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER, ALL THAT MESS WAS GOING ON AND SEVERAL MEMBERS OF HERE STEPPED UP THERE TO THAT MIC AND DID WHAT THEY DID AND WE PREVAIL.
YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? BUT WE JUST CAME TO KIPP'S.
I MEAN, UM, KIPP'S CONSTRUCTION, STEVE'S FINANCIAL SHARE, HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE.
AND SARAH WAS JUST KICKING F**K TODAY.
I MEAN I HAD, I MEAN SHE WASN'T THE ARCHITECTURE AND THE LEADERSHIP.
I MEAN I CAN JUST GO ON AND KNOW BUT WE HAVE A SET OF EXPERTISE HERE.
THIS GROUP WAS PUT TOGETHER GREATLY 'CAUSE WE ALL COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER.
YOU KNOW, THAT WAS ONE OF MY WINS I WROTE DOWN ACTUALLY WAS THAT WE, UM, FOUGHT FOR SARAH MM-HMM
BECAUSE SHE WAS A TEMPORARY PERSON APPOINTED AND IT WAS GETTING READY TO BE OVER WITH.
AND WE WENT
WE FOUGHT FOR HER, WENT TO THE ALMAN AND SHE WAS NO, SHE WAS COMING BACK.
SO I FEEL LIKE THAT WAS A WIN TOO.
THAT'S ON MY, BUT KEEP THE, AND AND THEN THE CCB, Y'ALL DIDN'T HEAR THIS PART BUT THE CBDG THING WHEN SHE FIRST GOT IT WITH ZB ON THAT AND I WAS ON Z'S PHONE AND I HEARD HER GOING IN JUST, OKAY, ALL I GOTTA SAY IS SHE'S SUFFER WHEN SHE SHE SOMETHING ELSE.
WHEN SHE NEEDS A PROOF POINT, THE OTHER SARAH COMES OUT.
UM, BUT THE LOSS, UH, THE LOSSES I THINK, UM, IS THE, UH, THE LOST TIME WITH
[03:35:01]
CBDG.I MEAN HOW LONG IT TOOK THEM TO FINALLY GET THEIR ACT TOGETHER.
AND THEN I'VE BEEN ON THIS THING FOR SEVEN YEARS.
IT'S THE FIRST TIME I'VE SEEN THIS PAPER.
WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR IT SINCE 2018.
IT'S THE FIRST TIME I'VE SEEN THIS PAPER EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE ALLOWED AND WHAT WE'RE NOT TO DO.
AND KIM, WOULD YOU LOOK AT THIS MIRACULOUSLY, TEMPORARILY RENT OR LEASE PROPERTIES? WHAT THE YOU BASE WAS TOTALLY DERAILED BY THAT QUESTION RIGHT THERE.
AND WE HAD TO START ALL OVER AND NOW WE ARE HERE.
THAT WE COULD HAVE TEMPORARILY DID IT.
WELL IT'S FOR TEMPORARY HOUSING FOR IT IS A VERY SPECIFIC, VERY NARROW RIGHT.
BUT I ASKED THAT, BUT IT HASN'T BE LITIGATED RIGHT THERE LITIGATED.
SO NOBODY TOLD US NO, WE COULDN'T DO IT.
WE WERE TOLD WE COULD NOT, WE COULD NOT RENT OR LEASE.
HEY, THAT WAS WRONG WITH IT WAS RIGHT HERE.
DON'T TELL ME SOMETHING AND CHANGE IT.
IF I GOT 10 YARDS AGO, DON'T GET TO THE ONE AND DIDN'T SAY, OH YOU GOT SIX MONTHS.
NO, YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME TO WRITE THE FIRST TIME YOU PLAYED DEFENSE.
UM, BUT MY IDEA IS THE, THE HOME BUYER EDUCATION, WHAT WE HEARD TODAY MM-HMM
I DIDN'T GET TO ASK THEM WHO TAUGHT IT.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF THEY CONTRACTED OUT FOR IT.
UM, CAN I SAY SOMETHING ON ON THAT JUST 'CAUSE IT IS A GOOD IDEA.
UH, SO THE CERTIFYING BODY FOR THAT, FOR, FOR AN ACCREDITED COURSE, WHICH IS THE ONLY THING THAT WORKS FOR THE HOME BUYER, IS A PROGRAM DONE BY N-C-F-H-A.
IT TAKES A NUMBER OF YEARS TO GET THAT CERTIFICATION.
BUT TRACY, UH, OFFERS THOSE CLASSES VIA ZOOM.
AND SO IT IS OPEN TO HOME BUYERS IN OUR MARKET.
UM, AND I'VE ALREADY REFERRED, ALREADY BEGUN TO REFER PEOPLE, UH, TO, TO THAT.
UH, BUT IF PURSUING THAT CERTIFICATION FOR, FOR THIS BOARD, SO WE CAN OFFER A PROGRAM LIKE THAT, WE'RE FINDING A PARTNER IN NEW BERN THAT WILL OFFER THAT, UH, OFFER THAT AND MAYBE SPONSORING THAT CERTIFICATION BECAUSE IT DOES CARRY A COST WITH IT AS WELL.
UM, THAT, THAT, THAT WOULD BE A REALLY GREAT IDEA TO HAVE THAT IN OUR OWN MARKET.
I WONDER IF THE REAL ESTATE PROBABLY NOT BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T, I WAS THINKING OF IN RRR WHATEVER THE NATIONAL ASSOCI ASSOCIATION REALTOR HERE, BUT I DON'T, IT WOULDN'T BENEFIT THEM.
AND MY LAST IDEA WAS, AND I'M GONNA KEEP SAYING THIS, I'M GLAD THAT CAMERA'S ON.
I'VE TALKED TO THE MAYOR, ALREADY TALKED TO SEVERAL ALDERMEN AND IT'S JUST A PROBLEM THAT IT'S A SOLID PROBLEM NOBODY'S HEARING, BUT PEOPLE WHO'S LIVING IT EVERY DAY, IT'S A GROCERY STORE AGAIN WHEN THEY CLOSE, UH, PIG PIGGLY WIGGLY OUT THERE, UH, UH, BY THE DRIVE.
NOW THE RESIDENTS THAT WE REPRESENT, OKAY, NOW THEY'RE FINDING A RIDE UP TO CENTER STREET AND WAY OUT TO THE FOOD LINE BY THE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S TAXI THERE.
THEY'RE TAKING CARTS AND DOING EVERYTHING ELSE.
AND Y'ALL I SAW YESTERDAY SOMETHING ARE WALKING THE HUMP.
THEY'RE TAKING THE WHOLE HUMP IN FRONT OF THE HOSPITAL ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THAT FOOD LINE AND THEY'RE PUSHING BASKETS.
UM, EVENTUALLY THE FOOD LINE GOING, I MEAN PEOPLE EITHER REALIZE THEIR BASKETS START TO MISSING BECAUSE THEY'RE PUSHING THEM BACK UP UPTOWN.
BUT THEY GOTTA DO WHAT THEY GOTTA DO.
I MEAN, BUT THE GROCERY STORE IS KEY.
'CAUSE NOW THEY DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE TO GO.
BUT THAT, UM, WHAT IS IT, DOLLAR GENERAL, WHAT IS THAT? FAMILY DOLLAR.
AND IF YOU CHECK FAMILY DOLLAR BET YOU WALK IN AND ASK THEM, THEY GOTTA BE MAKING MONEY HAND OVER FOOT BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY PLACE THEY GOT TO GO.
TO BE ABLE TO FEED THEIR FAMILY.
AND THERE'S NO FRESH FOOD IN THERE.
SO, I MEAN, I'M GONNA SAY IT AGAIN THAT THAT'S A VISION.
WE GOTTA GET THAT GROCERY STORE OVER ON THIS, ON THIS END.
I MEAN NOW WITH THAT PIG, THIS ADDED EMPHASIS WITH THAT, UH, PIG THE WICKED CLOSER.
[8. 12:15 pm: Closed Session ]
I KNOW WE HAVE A CLOSED SESSION JUST TO TALK ABOUT ACQUIRING PROPERTY.SO MADAM CHAIR, I, YOU'RE GONNA NEED A COMMISSIONER TO SAY THESE WORDS.
I MOVE TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO THE NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL STATUTE.
1 4 3 DASH 3 18 1 1 A FIVE TO DISCUSS THE ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY.
I MOVE TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION TO DISCUSS THE ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY, UH, PURSUANT TO NC GENERAL STATUTE.
OH, WE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR OF GOING TO CLOSED SESSION.
ALL OPPOSED? ALRIGHT, WE'RE GOING.
MADAM CHAIR, WE ARE BACK IN OPEN SESSION AFTER A CLOSED SESSION.
BEING BACK IN OPEN SESSION AND NO MORE AGENDA ITEMS. CAN I GET A MOTION TO ADJOURN? I MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.