Feb 11, 2025 Board of Aldermen

I HAVE A MOTION A SECOND.

IS REQUEST AND PETITION OF CITIZENS.

AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? OKAY.

AGENDAS APPROVED.

[4. Request and Petition of Citizens.]

MADAM CLERK.

FIRST UP IS MARIA CHO.

GOOD EVENING MAYOR.

BOARD STAFF.

IN RECENT WEEKS, THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN HAS DISCUSSED THE UPCOMING OCTOBER, 2025 MUNICIPAL ELECTION AND POSSIBLE NOVEMBER RUNOFF WITH THE INTENT OF FINALIZING THE CONTRACT WITH THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS IS REFLECTED IN THE JANUARY 14TH MEETING MINUTES.

THAT EARLY VOTING COSTS APPROXIMATELY $1,500 PER DAY, AND THE EARLY VOTING PERIOD CANNOT BE SHORTENED.

MAYOR ODOM VOICED CONCERNS WITH THE EXPENSE OF THE TWO WEEK EARLY VOTING PERIOD, SPECIFICALLY WITH JUST OUR MUNICIPAL ELECTION ON THE BALLOT.

ANY DECISION TO MOVE FORWARD WAS TABLED.

DURING THE JANUARY 28TH BOARD OF, UM, ALDERMAN MEETING, MR. HUGHES PROVIDED AN ADDITIONAL COST BREAKDOWN ANALYSIS, SPECIFICALLY FOCUSING ON THE INDIVIDUAL EXPENSES, INCLUDING THE EARLY VOTING PORTION OF THE OCTOBER ELECTION, AS WELL AS THE ESTIMATED EARLY VOTING COSTS OF A POTENTIAL NOVEMBER RUNOFF.

ON FEBRUARY 6TH.

HOUSE BILL 66 REDUCED EARLY VOTING PERIOD WAS INTRODUCED BY SEVERAL REPUBLICAN MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO THE NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

THE BILL WOULD BAN ALL SUNDAY EARLY VOTING AND REDUCE THE PERIOD FROM THREE WEEKS TO SIX DAYS, ENDING THE SATURDAY BEFORE THE ELECTION AS YOUR CONSTITUENT.

THIS PROTRACTED DISCUSSION AND HYPER-FOCUS ON THE LENGTH AND COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH EARLY VOTING IS CONCERNING.

ANY CONSIDERATION OF OPTING OUT OF EARLY VOTING WOULD BE RECKLESS DESPITE COSTS.

ELIMINATING EARLY VOTING WILL LIMIT ACCESS FOR OUR CITIZENS TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE, ULTIMATELY IMPACTING THEIR ENGAGEMENT.

AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

RESTRICTING ACCESS TO EARLY VOTING DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTS VOTERS OF COLOR, PEOPLE WITH LIMITED JOB FLEXIBILITY, THE ELDERLY AND DISABLED, AND CITIZENS WHO LACK ACCESS TO RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION.

WHAT WE KNOW TO BE TRUE, $13,700 IS THE ESTIMATED COST FOR 13 DAYS OF EARLY VOTING DURING NEW BURNS OCTOBER, 2025 ELECTION CYCLE.

THIS OCCURS ALMOST FOUR EVERY FOUR YEARS.

THIS IS THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS.

$13,700 IS ALSO THE COST OF DOING WHAT IS FAIR AND EQUITABLE.

IT'S A SMALL PRICE TO PAY FOR PROVIDING CITIZENS OF NEW BERN.

THE ACCESS TO SHAPE, THE LAWS AND POLICIES THAT IMPACT THEIR LIVES AND PROTECT THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE.

THERE'S NO OPTING OUT.

EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

NEXT UP IS HELEN ROBINSON.

GOOD EVENING, MAYOR ODOM

[00:05:01]

GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS HELEN ROBINSON.

I LIVE AT 1906 CAYENNE COURT.

I'M IN WARD SIX THAT WARD THAT SNAIL GOING ON SEVEN MONTHS WITHOUT AN ALDERMAN.

I'M HERE TO SHARE A FEW THOUGHTS WITH YOU ABOUT EARLY VOTING.

EARLY VOTING OFFERS MORE CITIZENS, MORE MANAGEABLE OPPORTUNITIES TO VOTE.

I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE A STRONGER COMMUNITY WHEN MORE PEOPLE ARE INVESTED IN GOVERNMENT AND IN THE OPERATION OF THE CITY.

I'M AGAINST OPTING OUT OF EARLY VOTING IN THE UPCOMING MUNICIPAL ELECTION THIS FALL.

I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL EXPENSE ASSOCIATED WITH EARLY VOTING, AND I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OTHER WAYS TO SAVE MONEY.

I DO APPRECIATE YOUR INTENTION TO BE FRUGAL WITH TAXPAYER MONEY.

ONE GOOD WAY TO ADDRESS THE CONCERN ABOUT THE EXPENSE WITHOUT OPTING OUT OF EARLY VOTING IS TO CHANGE THE MUNICIPAL ELECTION TO EVEN NUMBER OF YEARS.

WHEN THERE ARE OTHER STATE OR FEDERAL ELECTIONS, A GROWING NUMBER OF MUNICIPALITIES ARE MAKING THIS CHOICE, NOT ONLY BECAUSE IT SAVES MONEY DUE TO THE SHARED EXPENSES, BUT IT ALSO PROTECTS OUR SACRED RIGHT TO VOTE AND RESULTS IN HIGHER VOTER TURNOUT.

LET'S NOT OPT OUT OF EARLY VOTING.

I URGE YOU GUYS TO SHOW THAT YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO ACT IN UNISON AND TO VOTE UNANIMOUSLY TO OPT IN.

THERE IS A BETTER WAY FORWARD.

NEXT UP IS BRUCE ETTE.

HOPE I DIDN'T MESS THAT UP.

TOO BAD.

BOARD, IT'S A PLEASURE TO TALK TO YOU AND, UH, MY FIRST CHANCE TO EVER COME UP TO YOU, SPEAK TO YOU.

MY NAME IS BRUCE LEVI.

VIOLET VIOL.

LEVI.

I LIVE AT 1902 CAYENNE COURT.

JUST WANTED TO SAY, AND, AND THEY COVERED IT PRETTY WELL, THAT THE RIGHT TO VOTE IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST SACRED THINGS THAT A CITIZEN CAN DO.

IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO FIND WAYS FOR EVERYBODY TO BE ABLE TO GET UP THERE AND VOTE AND HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE.

I KNOW THAT I HAVE A VERY BUSY SCHEDULE AND OFTEN I'M OUT OF TOWN, UH, LET'S SAY DURING THE VOTING DAY OR, OR AND DOING AS PART OF MY WORK.

SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME WAYS FOR THE CITIZENS TO BE ABLE TO GET TO THOSE, UH, THOSE, UH, POLLING PLACES AND TO BE ABLE TO CAST THEIR VOTES.

AGAIN, IT'S ONE OF THE MOST SACRED, UH, RIGHTS AS AN AMERICAN, AND I THINK WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT AND ADOPT WAYS TO THEN GET OUT TO VOTE.

THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO SAY IS WHETHER IT'S ONE DAY OR 13 DAYS, THAT'S RATHER ARBITRARY, I THINK.

AND, AND I WOULD GO FOR THE 13 DAYS RATHER THAN ONE DAY OR 14 DAYS OR MANY DAYS THAT YOU HAVE OUT THERE.

BUT WHY IS ONE DAY ANY BETTER THAN 13, 13 OR 14 DAYS THIR ONE DAY.

YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GET EVERYBODY IN THERE TO VOTE TO, TO BEGIN WITH.

BUT AGAIN, THAT'S AN ARBITRARY NUMBER THAT SOMEBODY HAS SET EITHER IN RALEIGH OR HERE.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT, WHERE THAT COMES FROM.

AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US, AGAIN, TO ENSURE THAT THE CITIZENS HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE AND, AND CAN'T CAST THEIR VOTE SO THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS, IS OPERATED IN A WAY THAT'S SINCERELY GOOD FOR EVERYBODY.

SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND, UH, I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A GOOD DAY.

NEXT IS CARLA CROLE.

GOOD EVENING MAYOR, BOARD OF ALDERMAN.

THANK YOU FOR, UH, ENTERTAINING MY COMMENTS TONIGHT.

I THINK WE'VE HAD SEVERAL SPEAKERS THAT HAVE COVERED THE SALIENT POINTS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THE ISSUE OF EARLY VOTING.

I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADD THAT ONCE UPON A TIME, MAYBE IT WAS ONLY DEMOCRATS THAT CAME OUT AND VOTED EARLY, BUT I THINK OUR RECENT ELECTIONS SHOW THAT DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS MAKE USE OF ALL FORMS OF VOTING, BE IT MAIL IN EARLY VOTING

[00:10:01]

OR A DAY OF VOTING.

AND SINCE YOU HAVE ALSO HAD PRESENTED TO YOU SOME ALTERNATIVES LIKE GOING ON THE EVEN YEARS SO THAT YOU CAN SHARE THE COSTS OF ACROSS THE STATE AND THE COUNTY, UM, AND, AND, AND THAT THE RELATIVE COST IS, IS MINIMAL, CONSIDERING THE IMPACT VOTING HAS ON OUR COMMUNITY AND THE NECESSITY OF OUR CITIZENS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THEIR VOICE.

I HOPE THAT YOU MAINTAIN EARLY VOTING, THE CITY OF NEW BERN, FOR THE SAKE OF ALL OF US, UM, AND ESPECIALLY THOSE OF US IN WARD SIX WHO ARE DESPERATELY SEEKING AN ALDERMAN TO FILL SEAT AFTER SO MANY MONTHS.

NEXT IS WENDY CARD.

GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND ALDERMAN EVENING.

GOOD EVENING.

I'M JUST HERE TO, TO ASK FOR CLARIFICATION AS I DID PROBABLY ABOUT A YEAR AGO.

UM, LAST FEBRUARY, YOU ALL, UM, DISCUSSED THE RULES OF PROCEDURE.

UH, ALDERMAN KINSEY HAD BROUGHT UP THE FACT THAT THE MAYOR, UM, NO LONGER VOTES ON OR BREAKS A TIE.

HE'S BEEN, UM, AND NOT, I'M NOT PICKING ON MAYOR ODOM.

THIS IS JUST HOW THINGS HAVE BEEN SHAPED SINCE 2011.

THE PRIOR TO 2011, THE BOARD, THE MAYOR VOTED, UM, TO BREAK A TIE.

THEN WHEN THREE BOARD MEMBERS, I, WHEN ONE ALDERMAN WAS NOT PRESENT, THE THREE BOARD MEMBERS HAD THE MAJORITY AND THEY VOTED TO ALLOW THE MAYOR TO HAVE A VOTE ON ALL MATTERS.

SO IT KIND OF THREW THINGS OUTTA WHACK.

I GUESS MY POINT IS, A YEAR AGO, THE CITY ATTORNEY ADVISED THE BOARD THAT THE MAYOR IS MEETING CHAIRMAN AND JUST ORGANIZES IT SO THE BOARD UNDERSTANDS WHAT'S ON THE FLOOR.

HE SAID, QUOTE, WE DON'T WANT THE MAYOR TO BE EFFECTIVELY BE IN CHARGE OF WHERE THE BOARD IS GOING TO END UP.

END QUOTE.

HE SAID, IF THE MAYOR WAS TO SPEAK FIRST OR VOTE FIRST QUOTE, IT CAN SET THE TONE AS TO THIS IS WHAT THE MAYOR WANTS.

SO EVERYONE GETS IN LINE END QUOTE THAT CAME FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY.

UM, SO I'M, I'M CURIOUS WHY, UH, THINGS ARE THE MAYOR'S TALKING ABOUT THINGS AND THEN IT REALLY IS NOT GOING, UH, I'M REALLY CAUGHT UP HERE.

I'M SORRY.

UM, WHEN ALL, WHEN THE, THE CITY MANAGER ASKED THE BOARD LAST, LAST MONTH, IF YOU ALL WANTED TO CONTINUE WITH THIS CONTRACT WITH THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS, THE MAYOR SAID, THE REASON THEY'RE ASKING, BECAUSE I BELIEVE WE ARE THE ONLY ONE NOW, WE'RE IN THE PAST, THE OTHER CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES.

SO IT'S JUST WE'RE HAVING TO BEAR THEIR FULL BRUNT OF THE COST ACCORDING TO INFORMATION THAT WAS PRESENTED TO THE PRIOR BOARD, AND MOST OF YOU ARE ON IT, UH, BY THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS.

NEW BERN HAS BEEN THE ONLY MUNICIPALITY IN CRAVEN COUNTY THAT HOLDS ELECTIONS IN OCTOBER, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE OCTOBER 21ST ELECTION, WHICH WAS MOVED TO MAY 22ND TO ALLOW FOR REDISTRICTING.

THIS EXTENDED THE TERMS OF FOR THE MAYOR AND ALDERMAN FOR EIGHT MONTHS.

SO THE 2017 ELECTION, THEY DIDN'T HAVE A RUNOFF AND IT COST $36,454.

THAT'S FOR FOUR YEARS AND EIGHT MONTHS.

RIGHT? SO THAT'S THE COST OF AN ELECTION.

IF THERE ISN'T A RUNOFF, UH, THE MAYOR SAID, SO IF THERE'S TWO WEEKS OF EARLY VOTING, THE COST COULD BE LOWER.

THAT'S WHAT THE BOARD NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERING.

THAT'S NOT WHAT THE CITY MANAGER ASKED.

THE CITY MANAGER ASKED IF Y'ALL WANTED EARLY VOTE OR NOT.

YOU DIDN'T PUT OUT, OH, YOU NEED TO CONSIDER THIS 'CAUSE IT'S GONNA LOWER.

UM, SO HE TOOK THE MAYOR IS, IS LEADING YOU ALL AND NOT GIVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO, FOR THE WHOLE BOARD TO DISCUSS THIS.

AND, AND THAT'S A CONCERN.

AND I'M SAYING THAT AS A CITIZEN, NOT AS THE EDITOR OF NEW BURN.

NOW, I'M, I'M A CONCERNED CITIZEN.

LATER THAT WEEK, I CONTACTED BOB BRINSON ASKING HIM THE NEXT STEP THAT WE WOULD TAKE TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS PLAN.

NEXT UP IS BARRY DAVIDSON.

GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS MARY DAVIDSON.

MY ADDRESS IS 35 12 NOOSE BOULEVARD.

WHEN I TOOK NEW BERN 1 0 1 CLASS, WE HAD SAT IN ON AN ALDERMAN'S MEETING, AND THAT DAY YOU ACCEPTED THE PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE PLAN.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

[00:15:01]

AND HE TOLD ME THAT A COMMITTEE WOULD NEED TO BE FORMED.

HE WOULD SEND ME THAT INFORMATION AND HERE WE ARE.

I'M THRILLED TO BE A PART OF A TOWN THAT ADOPTS A PLAN, PUTS THE PIECES TOGETHER AND MAKES THAT PLAN HAPPEN.

HERE IS A, HERE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT NEW THE NEW BERN BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN COMMITTEE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST YEAR.

WE'VE REVIEWED ALL THE SHEET PLANS IN THIS PLAN BOOK, DISCUSSING PROBLEM AREAS IN CERTAIN AREAS THAT NEEDED WORK.

WE VOTED ON AREAS THAT WE SAW AS A HIGH PRIORITY.

OUR TOP THREE AREAS OF CONCERN ARE THE TRENT ROAD SIDE PATH, OAKS ROAD, SIDEWALK OR SIDE PATH, AND THE COUNTRY CLUB ROAD DIET.

WE ARE WORKING ON THE SAFETY ADVISORY CAMPAIGN CAMPAIGN, INCREASING WAY FINDING SIGNAGE, SPEED MANAGEMENT LIKE MINI ROUNDABOUTS AND TRAFFIC CALMING MURALS.

WE WERE INVOLVED IN THE HELMET GIVEAWAY GRANT, WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY IN GIVING AWAY HELMETS TO CHILDREN IN NEW BERN.

AND NOW BEN WILL BE TELLING YOU ABOUT OUR FUTURE PLANS.

PEOPLE WOULD BE LIKE, YEAH, WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD CUT EARLY VOTING.

UM, ADVOCATING FOR, FOR LOCAL PROJECTS, FUNDING IS ONE OF OUR RESPONSIBILITIES.

WE HEARD THAT HOW MR. I WAS ABLE TO RAISE FUNDS TO CONSTRUCT THEIR TRAIL BY SELLING T-SHIRTS.

WE ARE INTERESTED IN DISCUSSING FUNDRAISING OPTIONS TO IMPLEMENT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.

WE ARE ALSO SEEKING GUIDANCE ON WHAT WE SHOULD NEXT FOCUS ON THE, THERE HAS NOT BEEN A BOARD OF ALDERMAN ASSIGNED TO THIS COMMITTEE SINCE THE RESIGNATION OF SENATOR BOB BRUNSON IN JULY OF 2024.

WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN AND ON HOW WE CAN HELP MOVE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS FORWARD.

THE NEXT MEETING OF THE BICYCLE PEDE AND PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS APRIL 7TH, AND WE INVITE YOU ALL TO ATTEND.

UM, THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THIS CHANCE TO SPEAK TO YOU THIS, THIS EVENING.

UM, I AM A STUDENT OF SOCIAL WORK, UM, AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT, AT PEMBROKE.

AND AS A STUDENT, I'VE HAD TO READ THE CODE OF ETHICS MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY TIMES, UM, FOR ASSIGNMENTS.

SO I TOOK THE LIBERTY OF READING THE CODE OF ETHICS FOR, UM, THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN AND APPLYING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I LEARNED IN THAT DOCUMENT TO THE VOTING ISSUE AND TO THE POSSIBILITY OF MOVING THE DATE FOR THE ELECTIONS.

UM, ONE OF THE CORE PRINCIPLES OF, UM, ETHICAL GOVERNANCE IS ACTING WITH INTEGRITY AND INDEPENDENCE, WHILE ALSO PRIORITIZING THE INTERESTS OF THE CONSTITUENTS.

BUT THE WAY THAT IT IS PERCEIVED, UM, ON, ON MY END AT LEAST, IS THAT MAYBE THIS HAS BEEN SLIGHTLY OVERLOOKED.

UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE CITY OF NEW BERN USED TO SHARE COSTS WITH OTHER MUNICIPALITIES.

AND FOR SOME REASON THAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND, THAT I WOULD LOVE TO BE ENLIGHTENED FOR ABOUT, UM, IS WHY NEW BERN DIDN'T FOLLOW.

UM, BECAUSE WITH THE STATISTICS AVAILABLE, UM, AT MY HANDS, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S MORE COST OF COST EFFECTIVE TO HAVE ELECTIONS IN EVEN YEARS, UM, THAN IT IS TO SAVE MONEY BY OPTING OUT OF EARLY VOTING.

OPTING OUT OF EARLY VOTING WOULD SAVE US ABOUT 14,000.

AND IF WE'RE RIGHT THAT THE ESTIMATED COSTS ARE ABOUT $94,000, THE SAVINGS FOR MOVING THE ELECTION IS CLOSER TO 60,000.

SO 60,000 VERSUS 14,000, THAT'S, THAT'S SIGNIFICANT.

UM, SO AS A STUDENT OF SOCIAL WORK AND A STUDY OR OF ETHICAL, UM, ISSUES, IT'S, IT'S CONCERNING BECAUSE IT EITHER SEEMS LIKE A SHORTSIGHTED DECISION WAS MADE TO PRESERVE LIKE THE LENGTH OF, OF A TERM, UM, OR SOMETHING SLIGHTLY MORE CONCERNING, UM, IS THAT IT'S A, IT'S A CALCULATED MOVE TO CREATE THIS SORT OF SPENDING CRISIS SO THAT

[00:20:01]

IT'S, IT'S AN UNREASONABLE EXPENSE, BUT, UM, SOMEBODY SAID EARLIER, IT'S THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS.

IT'S, IT'S PART OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED, UM, TO BE A REPRESENTATIVE BODY, PEOPLE HAVE TO VOTE.

UM, SO I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IF YOU WOULD HELP ME KNOW THE HISTORY BETTER ABOUT WHY WE DIDN'T CHOOSE TO MOVE WITH THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES.

UM, AND JUST IF WE COULD PUT THAT ON THE TABLE AS WELL.

AND THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I YIELD MY TIME.

IS ITEM NUMBER FIVE, CONSENT AGENDA TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.

OKAY, BOARD NEXT UP

[Consent Agenda]

IT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD ON ITEM NUMBER FIVE.

SO MOVED SECOND.

HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FROM ALDER MCKENZIE, ALDERMAN ROYAL WITH THE FIRST ALDER MCKENZIE WITH THE SECOND.

ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.

UP IS NUMBER SIX, PRESENTATION OF 2024 CRIME REPORT BY POLICE DEPARTMENT CHIEF GALLAGHER.

A AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? OKAY, THAT PASSES.

[6. Presentation of 2024 Crime Report by Police Department.]

GOOD EVENING, MAYOR FORD.

EVENING, CITY MANAGER.

PAULINE, I THE CLICKER? YES, I HEARD HER IN THE BACKGROUND UNDER, UNDERNEATH YOUR BINDER.

UM, DID REFLECT, UM, THAT, UH, OUR ENFORCEMENT STRATEGY THERE.

YOU NEVER DID ANY DETECTIVE WORK, DID YOU? CHIEF? IT'S BEEN A MINUTE.

UM, SO I AM PLEASED TO STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY OR TONIGHT TO PROVIDE YOU WITH AN OVERVIEW OF THE CRIME REPORT FOR 2024.

THERE'S ALSO SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT I WANT TO COVER, UM, SPECIFIC TO, UM, THE DIFFERENT, UH, COMMUNITY POLICING DISTRICTS.

AND ALSO I WANT TO DRILL DOWN INTO SOME ACTIVITIES THAT OCCUR AT EACH ONE OF YOUR RESPECTED WARDS.

AND ALSO, I'M EXTREMELY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT I HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ABOUT A PROJECT THAT, UM, I PROMOTED HEAVILY.

AND, AND THANKS TO, UM, ALDERMAN ASTOR, WE WERE ABLE TO BRING SHOT SPOTTER ONLINE, UM, EARLY IN 2024.

AND I WANT TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AND, AND WHAT VALUE THAT HAD TO OUR COMMUNITY.

THE FIRST THING I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS REALLY WHAT IS CALLED THE FBI UNIFORM CRIME REPORTING.

AND IT'S BROKEN UP INTO TWO SECTIONS.

THERE'S, UH, PART ONE, VIOLENT CRIME AND PART ONE, UH, PROPERTY CRIME.

IN 2024, WHAT WE SAW WAS, UH, VIOLENT CRIME WAS REDUCED BY 20%, UM, AS A, UH, TOTAL IN TERMS OF THE AVERAGE OF THE PAST THREE YEARS.

AND PROPERTY CRIME WAS REDUCED BY JUST SLIGHTLY MORE THAN 31%.

BUT WHAT I WANT TO DRAW SOME SPECIAL ATTENTION TO IS, UM, THE MOST CRITICAL CRIME THAT CAN BE COMMITTED IN A COMMUNITY.

AND THAT'S, THAT'S MURDER.

UM, AND WE TAKE EVERY, UH, WELL, LET ME JUST SAY THIS.

WE TAKE EVERY VIOLATION OF THE LAW SERIES, UH, WHETHER IT'S A LARCENY, UH, BUT MURDER IS ONE OF THOSE CASES THAT REALLY DRIVES, UH, THE FEAR OF CRIME IN A COMMUNITY, AND WE TAKE THEM EXTREMELY SERIOUS.

UM, WHAT WE SAW IN 2024 WAS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE SAW THE PREVIOUS YEAR, BUT THE FOCUS, UH, OF WHAT I WANT TO DRILL DOWN IN IS WITH RESPECT TO THE PAST FOUR YEARS, UM, WE CLEARED, MEANING, WE SOLVED, UH, A MAJORITY OF THOSE MURDERS THAT OCCURRED IN OUR CITY.

SO LET ME GIVE YOU SOME CONTEXT.

WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT DATA ACTUALLY TELL US? IN 2023, THE NATIONAL AVERAGE FOR, UM, MURDER CLEARANCES IN THE UNITED STATES WAS 57.8%.

SO SLIGHTLY OVER HALF OF ALL MURDERS IN THE UNITED STATES WERE SOLD.

IF WE LOOK SPECIFICALLY TO THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, THAT CLEARANCE RATE WAS 46.1%.

IN THE CITY OF NEW BERN, OUR CLEARANCE RATE OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS WAS 58.8%.

SO OUR CLEARANCE RATE WAS ABOVE THE STATE AVERAGE AND ABOVE THE, UM, UH, UH, NATIONAL AVERAGE.

UM, WE HAVE SIX COMMUNITY

[00:25:01]

POLICING DISTRICTS.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? UH, WE ASSIGN A PATROL OFFICER TO, UH, PATROL AND BE DEDICATED TO EACH ONE OF THESE PATROL DISTRICTS DURING, UM, UH, A GIVEN SHIFT, WHAT WE TRIED TO ESTABLISH IS KEEPING THE SAME OFFICER IN THE SAME DISTRICT, UM, ON EACH SHIFT.

THEREFORE, THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THE UNIQUENESS OF THEIR COMMUNITY POLICING DISTRICT.

AND, UM, THEY'RE IN A BETTER POSITION TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY WHAT SEEMS ODD, WHAT WHAT ISN'T, UM, CONSISTENT WITH THE NORMS OF OF THAT DISTRICT.

UM, SO I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT IN THE BATTLEGROUND DISTRICT, UM, WHICH FORTUNATE, IF YOU LIVE IN THE BATTLEGROUND DISTRICT, UM, WE HAVE THE LEAST AMOUNT OF CALLS TO SERVICE.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THE LEAST NUMBER OF PERSONS ARE CALLING 9 1 1 OR THE NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER ASKING FOR ASSISTANCE.

AND WITH RESPECT TO THE BATTLEGROUND DISTRICT THAT ONLY REPRESENTED, UH, ABOUT 4.7% OF ALL OF OUR CALLS FOR SERVICE WERE GENERATED IN BATTLEGROUND, UM, IN THE COUNTRY CLUB COMMUNITY, UH, POLICING DISTRICT.

UM, WE HAD SLIGHTLY OVER 19% OF ALL CALLS TO SERVICE, UH, WERE IN THIS DISTRICT.

UM, WHAT I WILL, UM, HIGHLIGHT, ALTHOUGH THE NUMBER 202 IS A VERY LARGE NUMBER OF BULK OF THOSE WERE LARCENY CALLS.

THAT'S 140 LARCENY CALLS.

NOW, IF YOU'RE THE VICTIM OF A LARCENY AND YOU HAD SOMETHING STOLEN FROM YOU, WHICH ALSO INCLUDES SHOPLIFTING, UH, THAT MEANS A LOT TO YOU.

UM, BUT THAT DROVE UP THE STATS IN THAT PARTICULAR COMMUNITY POLICING DISTRICT, UM, IN THE GREENLEAF COMMUNITY POLICING DISTRICT.

UM, IF WE HAD SLIGHTLY MORE THAN 17% OF OUR CALLS TO SERVICE IN THAT COMMUNITY POLICING DISTRICT, UM, IN GATEWAY, UM, WE HAD, UM, THE BULK OF OUR VIOLENT CRIMES OCCURRED IN THE GATEWAY COMMUNITY DISTRICT.

TWO OF OUR HOMICIDES OCCURRED IN THIS COMMUNITY POLICING DISTRICT, AND SLIGHTLY MORE THAN 38% OF ALL AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS OCCURRED IN THIS DISTRICT.

IT'S ONE, WE, WE SPEND A BULK OF OUR TIME TRYING TO MITIGATE, UM, THE ISSUES INVOLVING, UM, VIOLENT CRIME, DRUG DEALING AND GANG ACTIVITIES SPECIFIC TO THIS DISTRICT AND THE NOOSE RIVER COMMUNITY POLICING DISTRICT.

UM, WE HAD ROUGHLY, UH, NORTH OF 16% OF ALL OF OUR CALLS IN THAT DISTRICT.

AND THE WA WASHINGTON FOUR COMMUNITY DISTRICT, UM, SLIGHTLY MORE THAN 21% OF ALL OF OUR CARS CALLS WERE DEDICATED THERE.

WHAT I WANT TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO NOW IS, UM, EACH OF THE SIX WARDS EACH WEEK, UM, WE PRODUCE AND WE GIVE TO THE CITY MANAGER, AND HE PLACES INTO THE WEEKLY, UH, UPDATES THE SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES IN EACH ONE OF OUR WARDS.

IN, UH, WARD ONE, IF YOU COULD SEE, UM, ALDERMAN PRI, UM, THESE ARE THE TYPES OF CALLS THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO YOUR WARD.

AND WHAT WE REPORT OUT IS THE NUMBER OF CRASHES, UM, THE NUMBER OF TRAFFIC STOPS, AND THE NUMBER OF NOISE COMPLAINTS.

UM, WHAT WE ALSO TRIED TO DO IS WE TRY, TRY TO USE THIS DATA INTELLIGENTLY BY TRYING TO DETERMINE HOW BEST TO MITIGATE TRAFFIC CRASH, UH, TRAFFIC CRASHES, AND TO REDUCE THE, UH, THE NUMBER OF CRASHES RESULTING IN INJURIES.

UM, IN WARD ONE, UH, 17.4% OF ALL CRASHES IN THE CITY OF NEW BERN OCCURRED IN YOUR WARD, AND ROUGHLY 24% OF ALL TRAFFIC STOPS OCCUR, UH, OCCURRED IN YOUR WARD.

WHAT WE BELIEVE IS THAT THAT IS A GOOD RATIO IN, IN TERMS OF TRYING TO ADDRESS, UM, THOSE THAT ARE INVOLVED IN TRAFFIC RELATED VIOLATIONS, SPECIFICALLY THOSE INVOLVING IMPAIRED DRIVING AND RECKLESS DRIVING.

IN WARD TWO, UM, OBVIOUSLY YOU SEE THE DATA THERE, UM, ALMOST 22% OF ALL CRASHES OCCUR, OCCURRED IN WARD TWO AND 30.5% OF ALL, UH, TRAFFIC STOPS OCCURRED IN THAT SAME WARD.

UH, WARD THREE, UM, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY THE BATTLEGROUND DISTRICT.

UM, WE HAD A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF TRAFFIC CRASHES AND OUR TRAFFIC STOPS,

[00:30:01]

I WILL SAY THAT THERE ARE SOME THAT, THAT WOULD SUGGEST THAT, UM, WE DO NOT HAVE A UNIFORM PRESENCE IN, UH, WARD THREE.

BALDMAN ASKED IF THAT'S NOT THE CASE.

WE DO ASSIGN AN OFFICER IN THAT WARD, UH, IN YOUR WARD ON EVERY SHIFT, NIGHT SHIFT AND DAY SHIFT.

WE BELIEVE THAT REGARDLESS WHERE YOU LIVE, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO HAVE POLICE SERVICES AND POLICE PRESENCE, UH, NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE.

UH, WARD FOUR, UM, THE, UH, NUMBER OF TRAFFIC CRASHES WERE, UH, VERY LIMITED, AND THEREFORE THE TRAFFIC STOPS WERE ALSO LIMITED.

UM, IN TERMS OF, OF PERCENTS.

UM, IN WARD FIVE, UM, SIMILAR DATA HERE, WE HAD, UH, 21.3% OF ALL OF OUR TRAFFIC STOPS OCCURRED THERE BASED ON 15.6% OF THE CRASHES, UM, THAT OCCURRED.

NOW, HERE IS AN INTERESTING ONE THAT I WANT TO, UH, UH, UH, I WANT TO CLARIFY.

SO IN WARD SIX, UH, 31.2% OF ALL CRASHES OCCURRED IN WARD SIX.

THAT'S THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF CRASHES IN ANY ONE WARD.

BUT THERE'S A REASON LIKE PAUL HARVEY WOULD SAY, HERE'S THE REST OF THE STORY.

A BULK OF THE CRASHES IN WARD SIX ARE OCCURRING IN PARKING LOTS AT SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS, WALMART AND THE MALL, AND ALL THE OTHER, UH, UM, UH, BUSINESSES OF MLK AND, UH, GLEN BURNIE, UM, RESULT IN QUITE A NUMBER OF CRASHES.

THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THE, UH, CRASHES WITH NO INJURY IS SUCH A HIGH NUMBER.

CRASHES THAT OCCUR IN PARKING LOTS GENERALLY DO NOT RESULT IN, UM, ANY INJURIES.

SO SOME NOTABLE ACTIVITIES, AND I THINK THIS IS, THIS IS IMPORTANT WHEN, WHEN I SPEAK ABOUT REDUCING CRIME AND FEAR OF CRIME, AND I SPEAK ABOUT ENFORCEMENT, UH, PRIORITIES, UH, I MENTIONED THEM ALREADY, AND I'LL MENTION THEM AGAIN.

WE FOCUS, UM, OUR ATTENTION USING INTELLIGENCE LED STRATEGIES TO FOCUS ON DRUG DEALING, ON GUN VIOLENCE, AND ON GANG ACTIVITY.

WE BELIEVE THAT IF WE CAN FOCUS OUR ATTENTIONS ON THOSE THREE ACTIVITIES, WE CAN DRIVE DOWN, UM, CRIME.

UM, AND WE BELIEVE THAT, THAT THIS IS A, UM, SUCCESSFUL OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO USE THE POWERS OF GOVERNMENT IN THE PLACES THAT ARE MOST WARRANTED.

AND SO IN 2024, WITH THAT PHILOSOPHY IN MIND, WE HANDLED MORE CASE REPORTS.

WE ARRESTED MORE PEOPLE, UH, FOR MORE DRUG OFFENSES THAN WE DID THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

AND IF YOU COMPARE THAT OVER FOUR YEAR AVERAGE, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE ALSO BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN, UM, ADVANCING THAT STRATEGY AND, UM, BRINGING THE POWERS OF GOVERNMENT, UM, SPECIFICALLY ON THOSE AREAS.

NOW, UH, LET, LET ME TRANSITION FROM THE POWERS OF GOVERNMENT AND ARRESTS TO SOME OF THE OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT WE DO THAT, UH, WE DEF WE DEFINE THESE AS A COMMUNITY CARETAKERS ROLE.

SO WHAT YOU SEE IN THIS SLIDE, UM, ARE THE TOP ACTIVITIES THAT WE HAVE ENGAGED IN IN THE 12 MONTHS OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

AND AS YOU SEE, TRAFFIC STOPS ARE THE HIGHEST.

UM, BUT BEYOND THAT, YOU SEE THE, UH, SECURITY CHECKS AT BUSINESSES SPECIFICALLY.

UM, AFTER HOURS ON THE MIDNIGHT SHIFT, THE OFFICERS ARE CHALLENGED TO ENSURE THAT THEY, UH, CHECK OUR BUSINESSES AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE SECURE.

UM, WE DO THE SAME THING AT RESIDENTS, UM, TO ENSURE THAT, UM, WE ARE PRESENT IN THE COMMUNITY.

NOW, HERE'S SOMETHING A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW, AND I, AND I'M GLAD THE ROOM IS FILLED FULL OF PEOPLE, AND I HOPE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE WATCHING THIS ONLINE, BUT I'VE HEARD THIS BEFORE.

I'M GOING ON VACATION, I'M CONCERNED THAT SOMEBODY WILL BREAK INTO MY HOME.

AND I SAID, WHY DON'T YOU CALL THE POLICE AND LET US KNOW? AND THEY SAID, WELL, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO ABOUT IT? WE'RE GONNA COME TO YOUR HOME AND WE'RE GONNA CHECK YOUR HOME WHILE YOU ARE AWAY ON VACATION.

AND THEY SAY, YOU DO THAT? I SAID, WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT.

IF YOU ARE LEAVING TOWN AND YOU WANT THE POLICE TO COME AND MAKE SURE THAT YOUR HOME IS SAFE, THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO.

WE'LL COME TO YOUR HOME EVERY DAY ON THE DAY SHIFT, ON THE NIGHT SHIFT TO MAKE SURE YOUR HOME IS SAFE.

UH, THAT'S A SERVICE WE'VE BEEN DOING EVEN

[00:35:01]

BEFORE I SHOWED UP.

UM, THIS COMMUNITY CARETAKER ROLE IS SOMETHING THAT WE BELIEVE AS PUBLIC SERVANTS THAT WE SHOULD DO FOR THE TAXPAYER.

UH, IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

WE ASSIST CITIZENS IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS.

THAT'S ANOTHER BIG DRIVER IN WHAT WE DO.

UM, WE PARK OUR POLICE CARS, WE GET OUT AND WE, AND WE PATROL ON FOOT.

UM, WHETHER YOU'VE SEEN IT OR YOU HAVEN'T, WE TRACK THOSE, THAT DATA.

UM, WE BELIEVE THAT'S, THAT IS ALSO AN IMPORTANT COMMUNITY, UH, CARETAKER ROLE.

AND TWO OTHER PARTS THAT I WANNA MENTION.

WE GO TO A LOT OF COMMUNITY MEETINGS.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE NEW BERN POLICE DEPARTMENT IS REPRESENTED AT COMMUNITY MEETINGS SO THAT THEY CAN SEE AND HEAR FROM US AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT THEY MAY HAVE.

ONE OF THE, UH, STRATEGIES THAT WE HAVE IS, UM, WELL, LET ME SAY IT LIKE THIS.

AT AT THE LINFIELD RESIDENCE COUNCIL MEETING, I'VE MADE A VERY SPECIFIC, UM, INTENT INTENTIONAL ISSUE TO BE AT EVERY ONE OF THOSE MEETINGS.

NOW, EVERYBODY KNOWS ME IN, IN DUFFY FIELD, BUT I ALSO BRING A PATROL OFFICER WITH ME.

SO THE TWO OF US ARE THERE SO THAT THEY, THEY WILL SEE THE CHIEF AND THEY KNOW THE CHIEF TAKES THEIR CONCERNS SERIOUSLY, BUT THEY NEED TO SEE THE PATROL OFFICER THAT'S GONNA BE IN THERE, UM, DURING THE DAY AND THE NIGHT SHIFT.

AND THAT'S IMPORTANT.

WHAT I ALSO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IS THE ARE UOK PROGRAM.

NOW, THE ARE U ARE UOK PROGRAM NO LONGER EXISTS.

IT HAS BEEN REPLACED BY THE CARE PROGRAM.

DIFFERENT, UH, ACRONYM.

SAME EXACT THING.

IF YOU HAVE A LOVED ONE IN THIS COMMUNITY AND YOU ARE CONCERNED FOR THEIR SAFETY, I STRONGLY AND HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT THEY PARTICIPATE IN THE ARE.

OKAY? WHAT THAT MEANS IS THERE IS AN AUTOMATED PHONE CALL THAT IS SENT TO A RESIDENT.

IF THEY PICK UP THE PHONE, THEY KNOW TO HIT A SPECIFIC NUMBER.

THAT MEANS I'M OKAY.

I DON'T NEED ANY HELP.

IF SOMEBODY DOESN'T PICK UP THAT PHONE, A POLICE OFFICER WILL GO TO THE HOUSE TO MAKE SURE THAT PERSON IS OKAY.

UM, AND THERE ARE QUITE A NUMBER OF FAMILY MEMBERS THAT DON'T EVEN LIVE IN NEW BERN.

THEY DON'T EVEN LIVE IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, BUT THEY'RE CONCERNED WITH THEIR LOVED ONES.

AND WE ALWAYS SAY, SIGN UP FOR THIS PROGRAM.

UM, AND IT WILL GIVE YOU PEACE OF MIND.

UM, THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO THAT HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH THE POWERS OF GOVERNMENT, HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH USES OF FORCE AND THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE CARRY ON OUR, UH, ON OUR UNIFORM, BUT RATHER WHAT SERVICES WE CAN PROVIDE TO OUR COMMUNITY.

SO ONE OF THE MOST CONSISTENT COMPLAINTS THAT I HAVE RECEIVED FROM THE FIRST DAY I SHOWED UP IN NEWBURN UNTIL WELL TODAY, UM, IS, UM, COMPLAINTS OF AGGRESSIVE DRIVERS AND SPEAKERS.

I HEAR THIS ALL THE TIME CONSTANTLY.

AND ONE OF THOSE STRATEGIES IS SIMPLY THIS.

WE NEED TO EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITY AND WE NEED TO STOP PEOPLE THAT ARE DRIVING AND VIOLATING A, WHAT WE CALL A CHAPTER 20 VIOLATION.

THAT MEANS IT'S A TRAFFIC VIOLATION.

SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN WHEN YOU GET STOPPED BY THE POLICE? WELL, I CAN TELL YOU, ANYWHERE IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, IF THE NICE POLICE OFFICER AND THE NICE DEPUTY STOPS YOU WITH BLUE LIGHTS ON BEHIND YOU, YOU ARE 56.5% LIKELY TO GET A TICKET.

THAT IS AN INVITATION TO TRAFFIC COURT IN THE CITY OF NEWBURGH.

IT'S ONLY 27.7% OF THE TIME YOU'LL GET A TICKET.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WE ARE GONNA STOP YOU AND WE'RE GOING TO EDUCATE YOU AND TELL YOU YOU DID SOMETHING WRONG.

THREE FOURTHS OF THE TIME, ALL YOU'RE GOING TO GET IS A WARNING.

I HAVE TOLD MY OFFICERS, WE DO NOT HAVE QUOTAS.

I DO NOT JUDGE THEIR PRODUCTION ON HOW MANY TICKETS THEY CAN WRITE.

THAT'S NOT THE SAME IN THE REST OF THE STATE.

ANOTHER WAY OF SAYING THIS IS REALLY, IT'S BACKWARDS MATH.

ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, YOU ABOUT 40% LIKELY TO GET A WARNING.

IN OUR CITY, IT'S A, IT'S ALMOST 66% OF THE TIME.

I THINK THAT'S THE RIGHT WAY TO

[00:40:01]

ADDRESS, UM, THE ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS.

NOT EVERYBODY DESERVES A TICKET.

AND I'M HERE TO TELL YOU, SOME PEOPLE TALK THEMSELVES INTO A TICKET, UH, AND IF THEY, IF THEY DESERVE A TICKET, THEY WILL, THEY WILL GET AN INVITATION TO TRAFFIC COURT.

UM, SO WHAT DID GO UP IN 2024 PARKING COMPLAINTS? THAT WENT UP SIGNIFICANTLY.

AND I CAN TELL YOU WHY PARKING COMPLAINTS WENT UP BECAUSE WE PROMOTED IT.

WE PROMOTED THE, THE NOTION THAT IF SOMEONE IS ILLEGALLY PARKED TO CONTACT US, AND AN OFFICER WILL RESPOND, AND THE EXPECTATION OF THE OFFICER IS THEY WILL DO ONE OF THREE THINGS.

THEY WILL MAKE CONTACT WITH THE VIOLATOR AND INFORM THEM, YOUR CAR IS ILLEGALLY PARKED AND YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

LIKE RIGHT NOW, THEY MIGHT GET A WARNING TICKET.

THE WARNING TICKET SERVES AS THE SAME EDUCATIONAL, UH, OPPORTUNITY TO ADVISE OUR COMMUNITY.

YOU'RE NOT PARKING CORRECTLY.

UM, OR YOU MIGHT GET A PAID TICKET, ONE OR THE OTHER.

AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE, UH, PARKING ENFORCEMENT STAFF DOWNTOWN.

THEY DO A WONDERFUL JOB TOO.

AND, AND, AND, UM, THAT'S A THANKLESS JOB.

BY THE WAY.

IF YOU SEE ONE OF OUR PARKING ENFORCEMENT PEOPLE, THEY ARE ACTUALLY AMBASSADORS FOR THIS CITY, AND THEY TRY TO DO THE BEST THAT THEY CAN.

NONETHELESS, UM, PARKING ENFORCEMENT IS A JOB THAT, THAT ALL OF OUR POLICE OFFICERS ARE INVOLVED IN.

AND BY THE WAY, A PET PEEVE OF MINE IS, AND, AND, AND I HOPE EVERYBODY'S LISTENING TO ME, DO NOT PARK YOUR CAR ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE STREET.

THAT'S A, THAT'S A NO GO.

PLEASE DON'T DO THAT.

UM, AND THERE ARE SAFETY REASONS BEHIND THAT.

NOW, TRAFFIC COMPLAINTS, I TOLD YOU THAT HAS BEEN A CONSISTENT PROBLEM.

CHIEF, YOU GOTTA DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE, ABOUT THE SPEEDERS.

AND SPEEDERS AND BUGS ARE VERY SIMILAR.

YOU COULD PUT A BUG ZAPPER UP AND, OH MY GOODNESS, LOOK, IT'S KILLING ALL THE BUGS.

AND, UH, YOU THINK THEIR PROBLEM IS SOLVED AND I CAN PUT A PATROL OFFICER ON A PARTICULAR STREET, AND ALL BY A SUDDEN, THE, THE SPEEDERS STOPPED.

WELL, YOU TAKE AWAY THE BUGS AFTER TWO DAYS LATER THAT YOU'RE INFESTED WITH BUGS AGAIN.

I TAKE THE PATROL OFFICER OFF THAT PARTICULAR STREET, AND GUESS WHAT, WE'RE BACK TO SPEED.

BUT IN 2024, WE SAW A REDUCTION BY FIVE AND A HALF PERCENT.

NOW I'LL TAKE IT, IT'S HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE SEEN MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE OR LESS, UM, IN TERMS OF TRAFFIC COMPLAINTS, BUT I'LL TAKE IT.

UH, I TALKED ABOUT THE, UH, DRUG ACTIVITY AND, AND HOW WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS THAT.

UM, WHAT WE'VE NOTICED WAS THE NUMBER OF ACTUAL COMPLAINTS BY CITIZENS CALLING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT COMPLAINING THAT THERE'S DRUG DEALING OR SOME DRUG ACTIVITY IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AND WE SAW A REDUCTION OF THAT BY 14.7%.

WHAT DOES THAT TELL ME? THE STRATEGIES THAT WE HAVE HAVE DEPLOYED SEEM TO BE WORKING BECAUSE THE CANARY AND THE MINE SHAFT, SO TO SPEAK, IS OUR COMMUNITY.

THEY'RE TELLING US WHAT'S GOING ON.

AND WHEN WE HAVE LESS COMPLAINTS, THAT TELLS US SOMETHING THAT'S, THAT'S, UM, GENERATING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

SO I I I, I'M EXCITED TO BE AT THIS POINT RIGHT NOW.

UM, GUNFIRE IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST, UH, DANGEROUS THINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN BECAUSE THE BULLET THAT COMES OUT OF THE BUSINESS END OF A GUN HAS TO GO SOMEWHERE.

EVEN IF YOU SHOOT THAT GUN DIRECTLY IN THE AIR, IT'S COMING BACK DOWN.

AND THAT BULLET'S INDISCRIMINATE.

IT WILL DESTROY WHATEVER'S IN ITS PATH.

AND IN ORDER TO TRY TO MITIGATE AND DO SOMETHING ELSE, TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT, MITIGATE THE PROBLEMS WITH, UM, WITHOUT HAVING TO RELY ON CONSTANT POLICE, POLICE PRESENCE SHOTS, SPOTTER WAS THAT OPPORTUNITY.

AND WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THE STATS THAT WAS EXTRAPOLATED BEFORE WE IMPLEMENTED SHOT SPOTTER, UM, TELLS THE TAIL AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THIS PROGRAM IS SUCCESSFUL.

SO I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE, UM, THE 39 MONTHS PRIOR TO

[00:45:01]

OUR IMPLEMENTATION OF SHOTS SPOTTER, WE AVERAGE 12.8 SHOTS FIRED PER MONTH.

WE IMPLEMENTED SHOT SPOTTER THE VERY FIRST MONTH, IT DROPPED TO FIVE, AND FOR THE BALANCE OF 2024, WE AVERAGED 6.1 SHOTS FIRED PER MONTH.

IN HALF, IT DROPPED THE NUMBER OF REPORTED SHOTS FIRED CALLED IN HALF.

THAT'S, THAT'S AN AMAZING STAT.

AND, UM, THE DEPENDENT VARIABLE IN THIS EQUATION WAS IN FACT, SHOT SPOTTERS.

IT, IT, IT, IT JUST BEEN AMAZING TOOL FOR US.

SO HERE ARE SOME, SOME ADDITIONAL STATS.

SOME OF THIS HAS BEEN BLOCKED OFF.

WHY? 'CAUSE I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO KNOW WHERE SHOT SPOTTER IS.

I WANT YOU TO ASSUME IT'S EVERYWHERE.

UM, SO IF YOU SAY, CHIEF, WHERE, WHERE, WHERE'S YOUR SHOT SPOTTER LOCATED IN, IN NEW BERN, THAT'S ABOUT THE BEST YOU'RE GOING TO GET.

UM, SO WE HAD 52 ACTIVATIONS LAST YEAR, UM, RECORDING 206 ACTUAL SHOTS FIRED.

UM, I'M HERE TO TELL YOU IF SOMEBODY IS FIRING A WEAPON, YOU DON'T WANT TO BE ANYWHERE, ANYWHERE DOWN RANGE OF THAT.

IN ONE INSTANCE, WE HAD AN AUTOMATIC WEAPON USED THAT WAS ACTIVATED THROUGH SHOT SPOTTED.

YOU CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO BE ANYWHERE DOWN RANGE OF THAT.

UM, OF THE, OF THE ACTUAL, UH, UH, ACTIVATIONS, ONLY 20% OF THOSE ALSO INCLUDED AN INDEPENDENT CALL TO, UH, NINE ONE ONE THAT A SHOT SOMEBODY HAD ACTUALLY FIRED A WEAPON.

SO 80% OF ALL, OF ALL THE CASES THAT WE WENT TO, UM, WOULD'VE WOULD HAVE BEEN HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR SHOT SPOTTER GONE UNNOTICED.

IN ONE OF THE CASES IN 2024, WE HAD AN INCIDENT AND THE MAYOR WAS ACTUALLY WORKING THAT NIGHT, UM, WHERE THE OFFICERS WERE ACTUALLY FIRED UPON, UM, TOOK FIRE AND HAD TO RETURN FIRE.

THANKFULLY, NOBODY WAS HURT.

UH, BUT THERE WAS AT LEAST THREE PEOPLE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO, UM, VISIT THE SHERIFF AT HIS JAIL.

UM, WE'RE WE'RE VERY PLEASED WITH, UM, THE, UH, PRODUCTION OF SHOTS SPOTTER.

I WILL LEAVE MY PRESENTATION WITH THIS.

WE HAVE A STRATEGIC PLAN.

OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, UM, ENCOMPASSES, UH, EIGHT COMMON GOALS.

UM, YOU, YOU CAN SEE IT, UH, RIGHT THERE.

UM, BUT IN, IN, IN TERMS OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF OUR, UH, STRATEGIC PLAN, UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE WANT TO REDUCE CRIME AND THE FEAR OF CRIME.

NUMBER TWO, WE WANT TO ELEVATE OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND OUR OPPORTUNITIES TO, UH, WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY FOR, UH, MUTUALLY, UM, UH, UH, AGREED UPON SOLUTIONS TO CRIMINALITY.

UH, WE WANT TO FOCUS ON OUR COMMUNICATIONS, NOT NOT JUST EXTERNALLY TO OUR COMM, TO OUR COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO INTERNALLY WITH OUR, UM, WITH OUR INTERNAL STAFF.

WE WANT TO FOCUS ON THE CULTURE OF OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.

WE WANT TO FOCUS ON OUR ORGANIZATION AND ENSURE THAT OUR ORGANIZATION IS MEETING BEST PRACTICES.

AND I WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT ANOTHER INITIATIVE THAT, UH, WE WILL BE ASKING YOU TO ASSIST US ON WITH RESPECT TO OUR DISCIPLINARY POLICY.

AND WE ALWAYS ARE LOOKING AT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, TO DETERMINE HOW BEST TO DELIVER THOSE SERVICES.

SO WITH THAT, I KNOW I'VE BEEN A LITTLE BIT LONG-WINDED.

UM, I'M EXTREMELY PROUD OF, UM, THE OUTCOME OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT SERVE, UH, THIS COMMUNITY, UM, AND THE COMMUNITY ITSELF.

UM, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THIS, I I, I'M THE CHEERLEADER.

UM, I'M NOT THE ONE WORKING THE MIDNIGHT SHIFT, AND I'M NOT THE ONE THAT'S DIRECTING TRAFFIC, AND I'M NOT THE ONE THAT IS DOING THE HARD WORK.

THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN THAT YOU SEE OUT THERE ARE EXTREMELY DEDICATED TO, UH, MEETING OUR MISSION AND EXTREMELY DEDICATED TO, UM, THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH EFFORTS THAT WE ARE ENGAGED IN.

AND I'M HAPPY TO EVEN, UH, TALK ABOUT MANY OF THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH EFFORTS THAT WE HAVE CONDUCTED OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS THAT ARE, ARE WORTHY OF PRAISES.

BUT I KNOW I'M TAKING A LOT OF TIME AT, AT THIS POINT.

[00:50:01]

SO I, I'M WELCOME.

UH, I WELCOME YOUR QUESTIONS BOARD.

HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE CHIEF? I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT I DO JUST WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT.

UM, CHIEF, I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU AND YOUR STAFF DOES.

I LIVE IN TO BERNARD FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MANY A YEARS.

WE FINALLY DO SEE POLICE OFFICERS PATROLLING NOT ONLY THE, THE MAIN ROADS, BUT THE SIDE STREETS IN, IN MY SUBDIVISION AS WELL AS THE OTHER SUBDIVISIONS THAT WERE THERE.

BUT THE THING THAT I, I LIKE THE MOST IS THAT OCCASIONALLY I GET A PHONE CALL CONCERNING SPEED, AND THE FIRST THING I'LL DO IS I'LL PICK UP TELEPHONE AND I'LL CALL THE CHIEF AND SAY, CAN YOU DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS? MAYBE PUT YOUR TRAILER UP OUT THERE AND IT'S SOMETHING.

AND HE SAID, YEP, I'LL TAKE CARE OF IT.

AND THE NEXT THING I KNOW IS THE DAY LATER, I GET A PHONE CALL FROM THE PERSON THAT CALLED ME ORIGINALLY AND SAID, I WANT TO THANK YOU, BUT YOUR CHIEF OF POLICE CAME BY AND VISITED ME, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS SPEEDING ISSUE, .

UH, SO A WHILE LATER, I THINK IT WAS OVER IN THE HARDY FARM SUBDIVISION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE HAD ANOTHER LITTLE ISSUE DEALING WITH TRAFFIC.

IT WASN'T MUCH ANYTHING REAL MAJOR.

AND A COUPLE DAYS LATER I GET AN EMAIL SAYING, THANK YOU.

YOUR CHIEF OF POLICE STOPPED BY TO VISIT WITH ME, AND WE DISCUSSED THIS PROBLEM.

AND I APPRECIATE YOU DOING THAT.

I REALLY DO.

AND THAT JUST, IT SHOWS ME WHAT TYPE OF, UH, PERSON YOU ARE AND THAT YOU'RE AN A, A GREAT LEADER AND I APPRECIATE IT.

OUR POLICE DEPARTMENTS THE BEST.

MM-HMM .

THAT SHOULD MEAN A LOT COMING FROM A FIRE GUY.

YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

IT TOOK A, IT TOOK A LOT FOR HIM TO SAY THAT.

I CAN TELL , ANYONE ELSE, UH, J CHIEF, UM, I, I SHARE YOUR PET PEEVE ABOUT PEOPLE PARKING ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE STREET.

UM, AND JUST TO REMIND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE OFFICERS THAT PATROL IN WARD ONE, BECAUSE A LARGE NUMBER OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS HAPPEN TO BE IN WARD ONE.

SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE, UM, THOSE OFFICERS TO NOT FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT BEING AGGRESSIVE IN ADVISING PEOPLE THAT THEY NEED TO STOP DOING THAT.

UM, BECAUSE IT, IT CONTINUES TO HAPPEN ALL TOO OFTEN.

ROGER TO THAT.

YES, MA'AM.

UM, CHIEF, I TOO WANT TO THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR, UM, PROTECTING AND SERVING OUR CITIZENS.

UM, I, I KNOW IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A TOUGH JOB, BUT I HAVE A QUESTION.

WHAT CONSTITUTES YOUR DEPARTMENT, YOUR OFFICERS TO, UH, AND I KNOW YOU SAID IT WAS DRUGS AND CRIMES AND GANGS TO PROMOTE THESE TRAFFIC STOPS, AND I NOTICED WARD ONE, TWO, AND FIVE HAD THE MOST TRAFFIC STOPS.

SO HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT THAT? I, I, SO, UH, I, I THINK THERE'S SOME CLARITY THAT'D BE BE PROVIDED.

AND THOSE WARDS, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THERE ARE MAJOR THOROUGHFARES THAT RUN THROUGH THERE.

SO THE, THE BULK OF THE TRAFFIC FLOW OCCURS IN THOSE AREAS.

SO IT IS MORE LIKELY THAT A VIOLATION WILL BE SEEN BY AN OFFICER.

AN OFFICER MUST HAVE REASONABLE SUSPICION TO STOP A CAR.

THAT'S, THAT'S THE REQUIREMENT TO STOP A CAR.

YOU CAN'T JUST MAKE A DECISION, OH, I'D LIKE TO STOP THAT CAR.

THE CAR HAS TO HAVE, THE OFFICER MUST HAVE REASONABLE SUSPICION THAT THE, THAT THE, THE DRIVER HAS COMMITTED A TRAFFIC VIOLATION.

IF THEY POSSESS THE PREREQUISITE, REASONABLE SUSPICION, THEN A TRAFFIC STOP CAN OCCUR.

ANYONE ELSE? THANK YOU, CHIEF.

I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH.

CALLS FOR TONIGHT'S AMENDMENT, AS YOU ALL REMEMBER, THE 2022 HOUSING REHAB PROGRAM, WE ALLOCATED FUNDS TO RUN A HOUSING REHAB PROGRAM, UH, WITH NONPROFITS IN OUR COMMUNITY, ADMINISTERING THE PROGRAM.

THANK CHIEF.

OKAY, NEXT STEP IS ITEM

[7. Conduct a Public Hearing on a Proposed Substantial Amendment to the FY2022 CDBG Annual Action Plan]

NUMBER SEVEN.

CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING ON A PROPOSED SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT TO THE FY 2022 CDBG ANNUAL ACTION PLAN.

MS. FULMAR, GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND BOARD OF ALDERMAN.

TONIGHT I STAND BEFORE YOU TO PRESENT THE CDBG 2022 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT.

UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE ANNUAL ACTION PLAN IS A SUMMARY OF THE ACTIVITIES WE SUBMIT TO HUD EACH YEAR DETAILING HOW WE INTEND TO, TO SPEND OUR CDBG ALLOCATION TONIGHT.

I STAND BEFORE YOU TO PRESENT AN AMENDMENT, WHICH IS A CHANGE IN THAT, UM, PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF AN ACTIVITY.

THE

[00:55:01]

THOSE, THOSE NONPROFITS WITHDREW.

UM, THERE WAS AN INABILITY TO SECURE CONTRACTORS.

THE NONPROFITS HAD LIMITED KNOWLEDGE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS BY, UH, OF CDBG.

AND THAT HAS LEFT US WITH A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF UNSPENT FUNDS.

SO, LOOKING AT THE ACTIVITY IN I-D-I-S-I-D-I-S IS THE SYSTEM THAT WE SUBMIT OUR PLANS AND WE SEND IT TO HUD THROUGH IDIS.

SO WE'RE LOOKING AT IDIS NUMBER 41, WHICH IS THE HOUSING REHAB PROGRAM.

SO THIS SLIDE JUST KIND OF REITERATES THAT.

IN 2023, UM, IN IDIS, WE GAVE FUNDS TO THE OMEGA CENTER AND TO THE VILLAGE, THE OMEGA CENTER.

THEY WERE ALLOCATED $35,000, UM, TO, UH, TO CONSTRUCT A DA COMPLIANT BATHROOM STALLS.

AND THE VILLAGE WAS GIVEN $50,000 FOR THE ACQUISITION AND DEVELOPMENT OF A PLAYGROUND.

UM, WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS MOVING $100,000 FROM THE OLD IDS ACTIVITY FROM THE HOUSING REHAB PROGRAM AND REALLOCATING $50,000 TO BE GIVEN TO THE VILLAGE AND $50,000 TO BE GIVEN TO THE OMEGA CENTER SO THAT THESE TWO NONPROFITS CAN COMPLETE THE PROJECTS THEY PROPOSED IN 2023, WHICH WERE PREVIOUSLY APPROVED BY THE BOARD.

IN SUMMARY, THE AMENDMENT IS SIMPLY CALLING FOR A REALLOCATION OF FUNDING.

ALL OTHER PARTS OF THE PLAN HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY ADOPTED.

WE'RE NOT CHANGING ANY OTHER PARTS OF THE PLAN.

AND AGAIN, THE AMENDMENT WILL GIVE ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO THE VILLAGE AND THE OMEGA CENTER FOR SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THEIR PROJECTS.

THE NEXT STEPS, UM, AS OF RIGHT NOW, THE SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT HAS BEEN ON DISPLAY, UH, FOR 30 DAYS.

I'M SORRY, IT ENDS ON FEBRUARY 24TH.

THAT COMPLETES THE 30 DAY PERIOD DISPLAY PERIOD.

A RESOLUTION WILL COME BEFORE YOU ALL AT THE FEBRUARY 25TH, UH, MEETING.

AND WE HAVE, WE PRESENT AND APPROVE THESE AMENDMENTS IN SEPARATE MEETINGS TO JUST TO SATISFY THE DISPLAY PERIOD REQUIREMENT.

THAT IS THE END OF MY PRESENTATION.

DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD BEFORE WE OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING? I DO, YES, SIR.

I DON'T THINK THAT THE CITY SHOULD, UH, GIVE THIS MONEY TO A NONPROFIT THAT ALREADY RECEIVED GRANTS.

UH, I DON'T THINK THAT'S A, SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD TAKE ON.

UH, WE HAVE OTHER PROJECTS LIKE THE SHOP SPOTTER.

THE CHIEF WAS LOOKING FOR MONEY TO PAY FOR THAT.

WE COULD TAKE THAT MONEY AND USE FOR THAT.

WE HAVE SIDEWALKS WE NEED TO PUT DOWN THROUGH THE CITY.

WE HAVE STREETS THAT NEED TO BE REPAIRED.

UH, THIS IS TAX PAYER MONEY GIVEN TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN RAISE THEIR OWN MONEY.

WHY ARE WE GOING INTO THAT TYPE OF BUSINESS? I DON'T KNOW.

I KNOW WE HAVE TO SPEND THE MONEY, BUT THEY WON'T HAVE TO SPEND IT THAT WAY.

WE CAN USE IT TAKING CARE OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE CITY.

THAT'S MY TAKE.

I WANT TO RESPOND TO THAT.

UM, SO WITH THIS AMENDMENT, THIS AMENDMENT WILL GIVE US THE ABILITY TO COMPLETE SOMETHING THAT IS CURRENTLY INCOMPLETE.

WHAT I WOULD ENCOURAGE FOR SOMETHING LIKE WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING IS MAYBE, UH, WITH THE UPCOMING ALLOCATION, MAYBE WE LOOK INTO THAT FOR FUTURE ALLOCATIONS, TO GET SOME FUNDS TO THESE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING.

BUT SPECIFICALLY FOR TONIGHT'S AMENDMENT, IT WILL HELP COMPLETE SOMETHING THAT'S JUST SITTING THERE RIGHT NOW THAT'S INCOMPLETE AND WE HAVE TO REPORT THAT TO HUD.

SO WE JUST HAVE TO LOOK AT TO SEE WHAT WE QUALIFY FOR AS WELL.

AND WE CAN BE COMPLETED, NOT INCOMPLETE, NOT TAKING FUNDS.

THAT IS FOR HOUSING TO GIVE TO SOMEONE ELSE.

I MEAN, THAT'S MY TAKE.

UNDERSTAND, I DON'T KNOW.

I UNDERSTAND IF ANYONE ELSE'S TAKE ON THAT, BUT THIS IS TAXPAYERS MONIES THAT TO GO FIX HOMES, BUT REALLOCATE THE MONEY TO GIVE IT AWAY.

YOU KNOW, WE FIXED THOSE BATHROOMS UP WHEN WE WAS REPAIRING STANLEY WHITE AND NOW WE CHANGED THE RULES IN THE GAME TO GIVE MONEY AWAY.

I MEAN, I THINK I MIGHT NEED TO APPLY OR SOMEONE ELSE MIGHT NEED TO APPLY, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE BETTER

[01:00:01]

CHOICES AND BE A BETTER STEWARD OVER THE MONIES THAT WE RECEIVE.

YOU KNOW, IF WE GET THE MONEY IN A TIMELY MANNER AND SPEND IT, WE DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THESE THINGS TO DO THIS.

THAT'S JUST MY TAKE.

UNDERSTOOD.

ON, ON THE BEST.

SO, MS. PALMORE, IF THESE CDVG FUNDS FOR 2022 IS NOT, UM, DISPERSED AND SPENT, THAT, THAT CREATES A PROBLEM FOR OUR ONGOING YEAR AFTER YEAR RECEIVING CDBG FUNDING, CORRECT? NO.

UM, SO IT JUST CREATES A BACKLOG OF FUNDING SITTING THERE.

UM, AS I STATED THAT WE, AND WE ALSO HAVE A HOUSING REHAB PROGRAM THAT IS RUNNING RIGHT NOW.

SO WE ALREADY HAVE ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT'S STILL SITTING THERE THAT CITIZENS CAN STILL APPLY FOR TO RECEIVE SERVICES.

SO WE'RE NOT OMITTING OR, UH, GETTING RID OF THE HOUSING REHAB PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE.

I ENCOURAGE CITIZENS TO CONTINUE TO APPLY.

WE'RE TAKING A PORTION OF FUNDS TO HELP COMPLETE SOMETHING THAT, UH, WAS PROPOSED IN 2023 THAT IS CURRENTLY INCOMPLETE.

I WOULD SUGGEST CONTINUE WITH THE HOUSING REHAB PROGRAM, HOW WE HAVE IT REALLOCATE THE FUNDS TO ALSO COMPLETE THE 2023 PROJECTS AND IT WOULD BENEFIT THE ENTIRE PROGRAM.

SO THE RULES HAVE CHANGED WITH HOW THE CDBG FUNDS WERE SPENT.

'CAUSE I THOUGHT AT ONE POINT IN TIME THAT YOU HAD TO SPEND THOSE FUNDS DO IT WOULD AFFECT YOUR UPCOMING YEAR RECEIVING FUNDING AFTER A CERTAIN PERIOD.

YES, THAT IS CORRECT.

WE'LL RECEIVE A SANCTION FROM HUD IF WE DO NOT SPEND THESE FUNDS.

AND IT CAN RESULT IN FUTURE REDUCTIONS OF THE ALLOCATION.

THAT IS CORRECT.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I WAS JUST GONNA MAKE A COMMENT THAT, THAT WE HAVE, WE HAD A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO REHABILITATE HOMES WITH AND DID WE JUST NOT HAVE ANYBODY TO APPLY? IS THAT WHAT FOR THAT? SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE, UM, ACTIVE APPLICATIONS RIGHT NOW THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF GETTING THEM ALL SET.

UM, SO WE, WE WE'RE MOVING THAT PROGRAM, THE HOUSING REHAB PROGRAM THAT WE HAD WITH THE NONPROFITS RUNNING IT, THAT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL.

BUT THE CURRENT HOUSING REHAB PROGRAM, WE CURRENTLY HAVE, UH, A CONTRACT THAT'S GOING OUT FOR BID FOR ONE HOMEOWNER AND WE HAVE OTHER HOMEOWNERS THAT ARE GETTING READY TO RECEIVE SERVICES, BUT YOU'LL REDUCE THE PROJECT BY A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR AND, AND MOVED IT TO A BUDGET LINE ITEM FOR AMOUNT FOR, IS THAT WHERE THE TWO $50,000 GRANTS WENT FROM THE, FOR THE OMEGA CENTER IN THE VILLAGE FROM THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT WAS IN FOR REHABILITATION HOUSES.

SO, SO WE HAD INITIALLY ALLOCATED ABOUT $289,000 FOR A HOUSING REHAB PROGRAM TO BE RAN BY NONPROFITS.

WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TONIGHT IS ONCE WE DETERMINED THAT THE NONPROFITS COULD NOT SUCCESSFULLY RUN THOSE PROGRAMS, UM, TO HELP WITH SPENDING AND TO HELP COMPLETE THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE INCOMPLETE, WE'RE MOVING A PORTION OF THOSE FUNDS TO THOSE PROJECTS AND THE REMAINING $100,000 IS, WILL GO TO THE HOUSING REHAB PROGRAM TO CONTINUE RUNNING FROM MY DESK.

ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY.

UH, AT THIS TIME I WILL OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO COME SPEAK ON THIS ITEM.

PLEASE COME FORWARD AT THIS TIME.

HELLO AGAIN.

I JUST HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE STANLEY WHITE REC CENTER, OR THE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED.

THE REC SERVICES AT THE OMEGA CENTER NOW BACK WITH THE STANLEY WHITE.

I, I THINK THEY WERE SERVICES THAT WERE LIKE PARKS AND REC.

UH, MAYBE.

I'M JUST TRYING TO CLARIFY MR. HUGHES, ALL ALL SERVICES OR PROGRAMS THAT, THAT WERE OFFERED AT THE STANLEY WHITE RECREATION CENTER ARE NOW, OR WILL BE OFFERED THAT WERE OFFERED AT THE OMEGA CENTER ARE NOW, OR WILL BE OFFERED AT THE STANLEY WHITE RECREATION CENTER OR THE WEST NEWBURN RECREATION CENTER.

ANYONE ELSE MAKE MOTION TO CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING? I HAVE A MOTION BY ALDERMAN ASTER AND A SECOND, SECOND BY ALDERMAN ROYAL TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.

AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED AND IT DOESN'T APPEAL LIKE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR ANY ACTION ON THIS ITEM.

IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.

THANK YOU MS. FILLMORE.

NEXT STEP IS ITEM

[8. Consider Adopting a Resolution to Approve Amendment to Chapter 26 of New Bern Police Department' s Policy and Procedure Manual]

[01:05:01]

NUMBER EIGHT.

CONSIDER ADOPTING A RESOLUTION TO APPROVE AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER 26 OF NEW BERN POLICE DEPARTMENT'S POLICY AND PROCEDURE MANUAL CHIEF GALLAGHER IS BACK.

I'LL BE MUCH MORE BRIEF THIS TIME AROUND.

UH, THE LEADERSHIP OF THE NEW BERN POLICE DEPARTMENT IN COLLABORATION, UH, WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF HUMAN RESOURCES CITY HALL AND THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS CAREFULLY STRATEGIZED IMPROVEMENTS OF OUR DISCIPLINARY POLICY OUTLINED IN CHAPTER 26 OF OUR GENERAL ORDERS.

UH, THIS PROCESS BEGAN WITH A THOROUGH REVIEW OF THE EXISTING POLICY, FOLLOWED BY A COMPREHENSIVE TABLE READ IN DISCUSSION INVOLVING KEY LEADERSHIPS ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION.

THE INITIAL DRAFT WAS DEVELOPED AND SUBMITTED TO HR AND LEGAL FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION.

ADDITIONALLY, EARLY DRAFTS WERE SHARED WITH MEMBERS OF THE POLICE ASSOCIATION TO INCLUDE THE FOP AND THE PBA, UH, TO INCORPORATE THEIR PERSPECTIVES.

SPECIAL THANKS ARE, UH, GIVEN TO SCOTT DAVIS AND JAMIE BULLOCK, WHOSE UH, CONTRIBUTIONS WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN REFINING OUR POLICY AND CLARIFYING AND PROVIDING A LOGICAL FLOW TO THAT POLICY THAT DID NOT EARLIER EXIST.

IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE POLICY REINFORCES THE PROCEDURES FOR HANDLING, INVESTIGATING ALLEGATIONS OF OUR CODE OF CONDUCT VIOLATIONS.

IT CLEARLY OUTLINES THE STEPS INVOLVED IN THE INVESTIGATIVE PROCESS AND HOW CONCLUSIONS ARE REACHED.

EACH RULE WITHIN THE CURRENT POLICY WAS EVALUATED, UH, FOR RELEVANCE AND EFFECTIVENESS IN ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF OUR AGENCY IN THE CONTEMPORARY LAW ENFORCEMENT ENVIRONMENT.

WHILE MANY RULES REMAIN TO INTACT, SOME WERE REMOVED, CONSOLIDATED, EDITED, OR UPDATED TO BETTER ALIGN WITH MODERN POLICING STANDARDS.

SEVERAL NEW RULES OR UPDATED DEFINITIONS OF CURRENT RULES WERE ADDED, INCLUDING UNSATISFACTORY WORK PERFORMANCE CONDUCT UNDER BECOMING BIAS BASED POLICE MEAN CONDUCT, FRATERNIZATION USE OF FORCE DUTY TO INTERVENE, THEFT, AND CRIMINAL VIOLATIONS INVOLVING MORAL TURPITUDE.

THIS REVISION OR CORRECTION, THIS REVISED DISCIPLINARY POLICY ESTABLISHED A CLEAR AND STRUCTURE FRAMEWORK FOR ADDRESSING ALLEGATIONS, UH, GUIDING INVESTIGATIVE PROCESSES, AND ENSURING FAIR AND CONSISTENT DISCIPLINARY OUTCOMES.

WHILE NO POLICY CAN ANTICIPATE EVERY POSSIBLE SITUATION, THIS UPDATE REINFORCES OUR COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND ADAPTABILITY WITHIN THE NEW, NEW BERN POLICE DEPARTMENT.

AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.

CHIEF, IF YOU COULD JUST ADDRESS THE, UH, THE UPDATE THAT THE CLERK GAVE US, UH, WHENEVER WE SAT DOWN.

I BELIEVE IT'S, UH, PAGE 14.

YES.

SO THE RED LINE EDITION, THERE ARE CERTAIN, UM, RULE VIOLATIONS THAT HAVE WHAT'S CALLED A ROLL OFF TIME PERIOD, MEANING IF A, AN EMPLOYEE, A SWORN EMPLOYEE, COMMITS A VIOLATION, THAT VIOLATION WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE BASED ON A TIMEFRAME.

SO, UM, IF THIS IS A SIMPLE RULE VIOLATION, GENERALLY A LEVEL ONE VIOLATION THAT RESULTS IN A WRITTEN WARNING, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WILL ROLL OFF AFTER 12 MONTHS, THE VIOLATION RESULTS IN A LETTER OF REPRIMAND THAT WILL ROLL OFF AFTER 24 MONTHS.

IF THE VIOLATION RESULTS IN A SUSPENSION OF LESS THAN 15 DAYS, IT WILL ROLL OFF AFTER 36 MONTHS.

IF THE VIOLATION RESULTS IN A SUSPENSION OF 15 OR MORE DAYS, IT WILL ROLL OFF AFTER 60 MONTHS.

THOSE ARE A PROGRESSION THAT IT, WE RECOGNIZE THAT SOME EMPLOYEES OR SOME SWORN EMPLOYEES MAY VIOLATE A RULE.

UM, IT SHOULDN'T FOLLOW THEM FOREVER.

THEY LEARN BY THEIR MISTAKES AND WE MOVE FORWARD.

SOME VIOLATIONS ARE SO EGREGIOUS THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA FORGET ABOUT IT IN 12 MONTHS.

WE'RE NOT GONNA FORGET ABOUT IT IN 24 MONTHS.

SO THERE WAS A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT WAS CONSISTENT, WHAT WAS FAIR, WHAT MADE SENSE, AND WE LANDED, UM, ON THAT, ON THOSE PROGRESSIVE ROLL OFF DATES.

I HOPE THAT ANSWERED CORRECT.

YES, SIR.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

BOARD, HAVE QUESTIONS FOR THE CHIEF? IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO APPROVE AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER 26 OF THE NEW BERN POLICE DEPARTMENT'S POLICY AND

[01:10:01]

PROCEDURE MANUAL.

SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND IS THERE TO FURTHER DISCUSSION.

HEARING NONE.

LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN PRILL.

[9. Consider Adopting an Ordinance for the Demolition of 2301 McKinley Avenue.]

NUMBER NINE.

CONSIDER ADOPTING AN ORDINANCE FOR THE DEMOLITION OF 2301 MCKINLEY AVENUE.

MR. ZEL.

GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR BOARD.

EVENING STAFF IS SEEKING THE APPROVAL OF AN ORDINANCE TO DEMOLISH THE DWELLING AND ACCESSORY STRUCTURES LOCATED AT 23 0 1 MCKINLEY AVENUE.

STAFF HAS SENT THE OWNER OF RECORD THE INITIAL MILL HOUSING LETTER ON DECEMBER 9TH, 2021, STATING THAT THE DWELLING AND THE STRUCTURES LOCATED AT 2301 MCKINLEY AVENUE AT DEFICIENCIES VIOLATING THE CITY'S MILL HOUSING CODES.

STAFF HAS ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE OWNERS VIA THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE CERTIFIED AND NON-CERTIFIED LETTERS WERE DELIVERED WITH NO RESPONSES FROM THE OWNERS.

WE HAVE UNCOVERED NO WORKING PHONE NUMBERS OR EMAIL ADDRESSES OR RE OR RELATIVES DURING THIS INVESTIGATION.

THIS PARTICULAR ONE WAS ALSO POSTED IN THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER AND POSTED ON THE ADDRESS ON THE PROPERTY AS WELL FOR BOTH THE COMPLAINT AND THE ORDER OF THE BUILDING.

INSPECTOR STAFF FILED THE COMPLAINT AND NOTICE THE HEARING ON JULY 19TH, 2024.

NEITHER DID NEITHER OF THE DEFENDANTS RESPONDED TO THE AUGUST 15TH HEARING.

ON AUGUST 16TH, WE ISSUED THE ORDER OF THE BUILDING INSPECTOR AND SERVED THE OWNERS TO BRING THE DWELLING BACK INTO COMPLIANCE WITH THE MINIMAL HOUSING STANDARDS ESTABLISHED CHAPTER 38 OF THE CODE WITHIN, BY THE DATE OF OCTOBER 15TH, 2024.

TO DATE, THERE HAS BEEN NO CONTACT FROM ANY OF THE NO PERMITS HAVE BEEN APPLIED FOR, AND THE DWELLING STILL REMAINS NONCOMPLIANT.

A DEMOLITION ESTIMATE FROM PUBLIC WORKS ON THIS PROPERTY IS $15,199 AND 76 CENTS.

THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE ASBESTOS TESTING.

WE HAVE NOT STARTED THE UTILITY TERMINATION ON THIS PROPERTY.

STAFF DOES PLAN TO UTILIZE FUNDING FROM THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM FOR THIS DEMOLITION AT THIS TIME, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? DOES THE BOARD HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? HEARING NONE.

WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD? ON ITEM NUMBER NINE, MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION, UM, TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE FOR THE DEMOLITION OF 23 0 1 MCKINLEY AVMA.

I HAVE A MOTION.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER NINE? HEARING NONE.

LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL FIRM WITH ALDERMAN ROYAL.

[10. Appointment(s).]

NUMBER 10.

APPOINTMENTS.

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY APPOINTMENTS TONIGHT? DID WE EVER DECIDE WHAT WE WERE GONNA DO WITH THE, UM, MSD COMMITTEE, ADVISORY COMMITTEE? I KNOW SOME, I BELIEVE, UH, ALDERMAN PER, UM, SUGGESTED WE OPEN THAT UP.

SO IS THERE DIRECTION NEEDED BY STAFF ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT PROCESS? THERE HAVE BEEN NO ADDITIONAL APPLICATIONS.

UH, WE CURRENTLY HAVE THREE POSITIONS, UM, THAT ARE NOW OPEN, UH, FOR EITHER REAPPOINTMENT OF THE EXISTING INDIVIDUALS, UM, THAT HAVE BEEN SERVING, UM, OR APPOINTMENT OF NEW INDIVIDUALS TO REPLACE THE THREE THAT, UH, HAVE BEEN SERVING.

UH, MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO, UM, JUST KIND OF REVIEW WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THAT.

IF, IF THE BOARD RECALLS WHEN, UM, WE TOOK ACTION TO REESTABLISH, UM, THE MSD ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

UM, IT WAS STRUCTURED IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE HAVE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF APPOINTMENTS, UM, ON THE, UH, UH, THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UM, THE, WE, WE HAVE RESIDENTIAL CATEGORY, RESTAURANT CATEGORY, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CATEGORY.

UM, AND AT THAT TIME WE HAD A, A GOOD, A LARGE NUMBER OF INTERESTED, UM, INDIVIDUALS, UM, WHO WOULD LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, BE CONSIDERED FOR THOSE APPOINTMENTS.

SELECTIONS WERE MADE, UH, AND THE, THE NEW ADVISORY COMMITTEE WAS RECONSTITUTED AND, AND SET IN PLACE.

EACH OF THOSE, UH, APPOINTMENTS CARRIED WITH IT EITHER A ONE YEAR OR TWO YEAR OR THREE YEAR TERM OF OFFICE.

[01:15:01]

UM, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION, UM, TO APPOINT, UM, MIKE LENTZ, WHO ACTUALLY, UM, HAS ONLY BEEN SERVING IN THE RESTAURANT CATEGORY FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO MONTHS.

UH, HE WAS APPOINTED, UM, TO FILL A VACANCY, UH, OF THE ORIGINAL INDIVIDUAL, UH, IN, IN THE RESTAURANT CATEGORY.

AND GIVEN THE FACT THAT HE'S ONLY BEEN ON THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR TWO MONTHS, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO REAPPOINT HIM, UH, TO THAT POSITION.

THE OTHER TWO INDIVIDUALS IN THE PROFESSIONAL AND RESIDENTIAL CATEGORY.

SO IN ADDITION TO MIKE LENTZ FOR THE RESTAURANT CATEGORY, UM, UH, I AM NOMINATING, UH, GEORGE OLIVER FOR THE PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY AND DR.

POLO FOR THE RESIDENTIAL CATEGORY.

UH, SO IN SUMMARY, UH, MAKING A MOTION, UH, TO APPOINT OR REAPPOINT MIKE LENTZ AND TO APPOINT TWO NEW INDIVIDUALS, THAT BEING GEORGE OLIVER AND DR.

POLO.

SO YOU HAVE ONE MOTION FOR THREE APPOINTMENTS.

WE'LL CONSIDER ALL THOSE TOGETHER SINCE THAT'S THE WAY THE MOTION WAS MADE.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.

I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND ANY DISCUSSION.

SO IF, IF WE WANT TO VOTE FOR ONE AND NOT THE OTHER TWO, HOW DO WE GO ABOUT DOING THAT? VOTE NO FOR EVERYTHING.

THAT'S CORRECT.

CORRECT.

MR. ATTORNEY? YES, SIR.

ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? SO, DO WE NEED TO DO THESE SEPARATELY THEN THE MOTION AND WHAT WAS MADE AND SECONDED WITH ALL THREE TOGETHER? SO WE SHOULD TAKE ACTION ON THAT MOTION, AND THEN IF THAT DOESN'T WORK, THEN WE CAN TRY SOMETHING ELSE.

UH, SO WE HAD A MOTION AND A SECOND.

UH, LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN ASTOR.

UH, ALDERMAN CREEL, DO YOU WANNA TAKE THOSE INDIVIDUALLY AND TRY THAT? DO, UH, WELL, YEAH.

UH, I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO.

UM, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPOINT MIKE LZ TO THE RESTAURANT CATEGORY.

WE HAVE A MOTION A SECOND FOR MIKE LZ.

LET'S HAVE A ROLL.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION.

JUST HAVE A ROLL CALL, STARTING WITH ALDERMAN KENZIE.

MIKE LINZ IS REAPPOINTED.

UH, MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPOINT JUST TO GEORGE OLIVER TO THE PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY.

I'M SORRY, OLIVER PRE, CAN YOU SPEAK INTO WHAT CATEGORY? UH, THIS, UH, THE MOTION WAS TO APPOINT MR. GEORGE OLIVER TO THE PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY.

I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

ANY DISCUSSION? YES.

UM, ALDERMAN PRI WERE MR. OLIVER.

WASN'T HE ONE OF OUR FIRST ONES THAT APPLIED? YES, HE WAS.

LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN BEST? ALDERMAN BEST? YES.

ALDERMAN MCKENZIE? YES.

MAYOR ODOM? YES.

THAT MOTION CARRIES.

UM, AND MAYOR, UM, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPOINT DR. JAMES POLO TO THE RESIDENTIAL CATEGORY.

SO, UM, QUESTION, UM, I DIDN'T RECEIVE ANYTHING THAT, UM, ANYTHING CIRCULATING ON THAT? DID YOU SEND ANYTHING OUT ON TO US, UM, CITY CLERK? NO, I HAVEN'T RECEIVED IT.

HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALDERMAN PRI, HE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST AS WELL, CORRECT? YES, HE WAS.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.

YES.

UM, I, I'LL JUST MAKE ONE COMMENT.

I BELIEVE MR. POLO HAS BEEN CIRCULATING A PETITION TO PAUSE THE MSD.

UM, SO THEREFORE, I'M, I'M NOT GOING TO SUPPORT HIS APPOINTMENT, BUT I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW WHY.

[01:20:01]

I THINK I, I WOULD, WAS SHOWN IT BY PROPERTY OWNER IN WARD ONE AND THEN BY PROPERTY OWNER? MM-HMM .

SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN PRILL.

ALDERMAN PRILL? YES.

ALDERMAN ROYAL? YES.

ALDERMAN ASTOR? NO.

ALDERMAN KENZIE? YES.

ALDERMAN BEST? YES.

MAYOR ODOM? NO.

SO THEY ALL GOT APPOINTED, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.

HEARING NONE ATTORNEY'S REPORT.

ANY OTHER APPOINTMENTS? OKAY.

[11. Attorney' s Report.]

I NOTHING TO REPORT TONIGHT.

MAYOR, CITY MANAGER'S REPORT

[12. City Manager' s Report.]

A FEW UPDATES FOR YOU.

SO THE LAST MEETING WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, THE ELECTION UPDATE, AND ONE OF THE QUESTIONS ASKED WAS, IF WE CONTINUE TO DO EARLY VOTING, DO YOU HAVE TO DO IT AT, AT THE OCTOBER 7TH ELECTION AND IF THERE'S A RUNOFF DUE AT THE SAME TIME? SO WE, WE REACHED OUT TO SUSAN WILLIAMS. SHE WAS NOT SURE, SO SHE REACHED OUT TO LEGAL COUNSEL WITH THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS IN RALEIGH, AND THEY CAME BACK AND TOLD US THAT WHEN YOU DO EARLY VOTING, IT'S ALL OR NOTHING.

SO I THINK THAT ANSWERED ALL THE QUESTIONS THE BOARD HAS.

IF YOU WANT TO KEEP THE ELECTIONS HOW WE HAVE, THEN ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GIVE DIRECTIONS AND TELL US THAT IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE ANYTHING BY, UH, AND, AND SAY YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THE EARLY VOTING, WE WOULD NEED TO COME BACK WITH A RESOLUTION STATING THAT AND SEND THAT TO THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS AT THE NEXT MEETING.

ANY COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? QUESTIONS? UM, YEAH, MAYOR, UH, IF I COULD, UM, I THINK FOR THE BENEFIT OF THOSE WHO ARE STILL IN THE AUDIENCE WHO, WHO, UM, GAVE US A PRESENTATION, UM, WITH REGARDS TO THIS MATTER, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE BOARD TO, UM, STATE IF YOU WOULD, WHETHER YOU SUPPORT THE, UM, MAINTAINING THE EARLY VOTING AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, OR WHETHER YOU WOULD PREFER TO SEE, UM, THE BOARD APPROVE A RESOLUTION TO ELIMINATE EARLY VOTING SINCE THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO OPTIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO US.

UM, AND TO AT LEAST START IT OFF, UM, I HAVE NO PROBLEM INDICATING THAT I DO NOT SUPPORT ELIMINATING, UH, EARLY VOTING.

UM, MR. ATTORNEY, SINCE IT'S AN, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE EARLY VOTING UNLESS YOU OPT OUT AS FAR AS, I THINK ALDERMAN PRE JUST WANTS TO GET EVERYBODY ON RECORD ON WHERE YOU STAND.

UH, IS THAT, THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING.

RIGHT.

SO THERE'S NO ACTION DOING NOTHING, DOING NOTHING MAINTAINS THE STATUS QUO, WHICH IS ALREADY VOTING.

SO TO CHANGE THAT, YOU WOULD NEED A MOTION TO DIRECT STAFF TO COME BACK WITH A RESOLUTION TO CHANGE THE STATUS QUO.

THE ALITY METHOD, BUT THAT'S HERE AND NOR THERE.

RIGHT.

AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF THOSE THAT ARE IN THE AUDIENCE OR WHO MAY BE WATCHING, UM, I THINK WE OWE IT TO THEM TO LET THEM KNOW WHERE WE STAND ON THIS ISSUE.

WELL, I, I'LL, I'LL SPEAK UP.

I'VE ANSWERED, I THINK ALL OF THE EMAILS THAT I RECEIVED THAT I SUPPORT EARLY, EARLY VOTING.

UM, AND I'LL ALSO, UH, LET THE GENTLE LADY KNOW THAT SPOKE ABOUT CHANGING THE ELECTION DATE, THAT, UH, BOTH TIMES THIS HAS COME BEFORE THIS BOARD, I VOTED TO MOVE THE ELECTION THE FIRST TIME WAS TO MOVE IT TO THE PRESIDENTIAL CYCLE, WHICH OBVIOUSLY WOULD HAVE THE HIGHEST TURNOUT AND THE LOWEST COST, UM, THAT DID NOT PASS.

AND THAT WAS TWO BOARDS AGO, I BELIEVE.

UH, AND THEN THIS BOARD TOOK THIS ITEM UP TO MOVE THIS ELECTION TO NEXT YEAR FOR THE MIDTERM CYCLE.

UM, AND IT FAILED FIVE TO TWO TO KEEP IT ON THIS CURRENT CYCLE.

AND I WAS ONE OF THE TWO THAT VOTED TO MOVE IT.

JUST FOR YOUR CLARIFICATION.

DOES THAT HELP WITH MY RESPONSE, SIR? UM, I DON'T THINK IT DOES FOR THESE FOLKS.

UM, AGAIN, ALL I'M ASKING IS FOR THIS BOARD, EACH MEMBER TO LET THEM KNOW WHERE YOU STAND ON THIS ISSUE.

WELL, I JUST DID.

I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH CLEARER I CAN MAKE IT.

I SUPPORT THE EARLY VOTING.

I SUPPORT EARLY VOTING.

I SUPPORT, I, I SUPPORT EARLY VOTING AND, UM, I SUPPORT THAT WE CONTINUE WITH THE WAY THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY.

UM, WE ARE NONPARTISAN RUNOFF.

UM, THAT'S WHAT THE MAJORITY OF THE BOARD SEEMS LIKE.

THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT.

UM, ME PERSONALLY, I PREFER

[01:25:01]

UM, AND I, I FEEL THAT WE NEED TO KEEP IT THE WAY IT IS AND COST SHOULDN'T, THIS ESTIMATED TOTAL COST OF $95,000 OF MAY NOT, MAY NOT EVEN BE THE COST.

IT COULD BE LOWER, MUCH LOWER.

UM, SO I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH, UH, LET'S GO AHEAD ON WITH THIS.

VOTE ON THIS.

I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH VOTING ON THIS TONIGHT.

INSTEAD OF KEEP ON PROCRASTINATING ON, THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING TO VOTE ON.

THERE IS, THERE IS NO VOTE THAT IS NEEDED UNLESS WE WANT TO CHANGE AND GET RID OF EARLY VOTING.

RIGHT.

THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.

I I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH VOTING ON THAT TONIGHT.

I'M READY TO GO AHEAD AND GET IT, GET IT STARTED.

WELL, IF YOU, IF WE DON'T VOTE, THEN IT GETS STARTED.

IS THAT CORRECT, MR. ATTORNEY? YES.

BUT DON'T WE HAVE TO MAKE A VOTE ON NOT VOTING? NO, MA'AM.

NO, MA'AM.

THAT'S WHAT HE'S SAYING.

WE'RE ON.

AND, AND JUST ONE FINAL COMMENT, AGAIN, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THOSE PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE, I WOULD STRONGLY URGE YOU TO REACH OUT TO YOUR LOCAL STATE REPRESENTATIVES, MR. STEVE TYSON AND, AND SENATOR BOB BRISSON, WHO HAPPENS TO BE A WARD SIX RESIDENT, SO A NEIGHBOR OF SOME OF YOU.

AND, AND ASK THEM WHERE THEY STAND BECAUSE IF A CHANGE IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO EARLY VOTING, IT'S GONNA HAPPEN AT THE STATE LEVEL, AND THERE'S ALREADY AT LEAST ONE BILL THAT HAS BEEN INTRODUCED, UM, TO MODIFY THE EARLY ELECTION CYCLE.

SO YOU NEED TO BE AWARE OF THAT, AND YOU NEED TO BE REACHING OUT TO YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES AND VOICE YOUR OPINION TO THEM AND ASK THEM WHERE THEY STAND ON THIS ISSUE.

AND YOU, I YOU MAY END UP BEING DISAPPOINTED AT WHAT YOU HEAR, BUT DON'T JUST LEAVE IT WITH US BECAUSE THE STATE MAY CHANGE IT, NOT US.

SO MR. MANAGER, THAT'S ALL I HAVE ON THAT ISSUE.

DID WE ALL SPEAK? I BELIEVE SO.

THIS IS AVAILABLE ONLINE@NC.GOV.

I SUPPORT EARLY VOTING.

TWO OTHER THINGS.

SO KIM, IF YOU'LL GO AHEAD AND PASS THAT INFORMATION OUT, WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU THE THIRD ANNUAL CITIZENS FINANCIAL REPORT THAT THAT STAFF JUST COMPLETED, UH, FOR THE PUBLIC.

YOU CAN GO TO THE FINANCE PAGE AND CLICK UNDER UNDERNEATH THE, UH, BUDGET.

AND YOU'LL SEE THIS INFORMATION.

IT, IT'S GREAT INFORMATION THAT TALKS ABOUT THE BUDGET ITSELF.

IT'S EASY TO READ AND YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG WITH THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES THAT, THAT THE CITY HAS SET FOR THIS BUDGET.

HOW THE MONEY WAS SPENT, THE PROGRAMS THAT IT SUPPORTS.

UH, SO THIS IS THE THIRD TIME WE'VE DONE THIS, AND IT'S, IT'S BEEN VERY WELL RECEIVED BY THE CITIZENS.

AND, UH, IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

ONE FINAL THING.

UH, I FOUND OUT EARLIER TODAY THAT, UH, A LONG TIME RETIRED EMPLOYEE, LINWOOD TAYLOR, WHO, I'M SORRY, LINWOOD TAYLOR, WHO WORKED IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR A LITTLE BIT AND WORKED FOR 30 YEARS AS A BUILDING INSPECTOR, PASSED AWAY.

HIS SON IS A PARKS AND RECREATION EMPLOYEE.

AND SO THAT FUNERAL WILL BE ON FRIDAY.

AND THAT'S ALL WE HAVE.

BUSINESS STARTING WITH ALDERMAN FRILL.

NEW

[13. New Business.]

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

UM, UH, ONE ITEM THAT I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, BRING UP SINCE WE ARE, UM, MOVING INTO OR ANNUAL BUDGET PROCESS, UM, THERE'S ONE AREA OF CONCERN THAT I HAVE AND THAT HAS TO DO WITH PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, WHICH THE CITY EN ENGAGES, UM, DIFFERENT OUTSIDE FIRMS TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.

UM, ONE AREA IS EACH YEAR, UH, WE, UH, HAVE A NEED FOR AUDITING, AND THE CITY FOLLOWS A PROCESS WHERE WE, UM, PUT TOGETHER AN RFP, WE GO OUT INTO THE MARKETPLACE, UM, AND SOLICIT PROPOSALS FROM PROFESSIONAL AUDITING FIRMS, UM, AND ULTIMATELY SELECT ONE OF THOSE FIRMS TO PROVIDE AUDITING SERVICES FOR THE CITY.

UH, ANOTHER AREA WHICH, UH, WE, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE A NEED FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES DEALS WITH ENGINEERING.

UH, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PROJECTS WHERE WE LOOK TO GET OUTSIDE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FROM ENGINEERING FIRMS TO ASSIST THE CITY, UM, WITH THE VARIOUS PROJECTS THAT WE UNDERTAKE EACH YEAR.

AGAIN, THE SAME PROCESS IS FOLLOWED WHERE AN RFP IS PUT TOGETHER.

WE GO OUT INTO THE MARKETPLACE, SOLICIT PROPOSALS FROM ENGINEERING FIRMS, AND ULTIMATELY,

[01:30:02]

UH, SELECT ONE TO PROVIDE THOSE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.

THE AREA WHERE, UH, I THINK THE CITY IS FALLING SHORT HAS TO DO WITH LEGAL SERVICES.

UM, AGAIN, IT'S AN AREA WHERE THE CITY IS EXPENDING, UH, A GOOD AMOUNT OF MONEY.

AND, BUT WHERE WE'RE FALLING SHORT IS THAT, TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE IN THE 11 YEARS THAT, UM, MY WIFE AND I HAVE LIVED IN NU NEWBURN, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE CITY HAS EVER PUT TOGETHER AN RFP TO GO OUT INTO THE MARKETPLACE TO SOLICIT PROPOSALS FROM OTHER, UH, ENGINEERING FIRMS. IF FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN JUST TO SEE WHERE WE STAND WITH OTHER CITIES, OTHER FIRMS THAT PROVIDE MUNICIPAL LEGAL SERVICES.

UM, WE AS A BOARD HAVE A FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY TO THE RESIDENTS OF NEWBURN TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE TAKING EVERY STEP POSSIBLE, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT TAXPAYER'S MONEY IS BEING SPENT, UH, AS WISELY AND EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY AS POSSIBLE.

SO WITH THAT, I'M MAKING A MOTION TO AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER, UM, TO PUT TOGETHER AN RFP FOR LEGAL SERVICES, UM, AND PUT THAT OUT TO THE MARKETPLACE TO SOLICIT PROPOSALS FROM OTHER LAW FIRMS TO COMPARE WITH THE PROPOSAL THAT, OR THE, THE, THE, AT LEAST THE BUDGET, UM, NUMBER THAT HAS BEEN OR WILL BE PRESENTED BY OUR CURRENT LEGAL SERVICE, UM, LAW FIRM.

UM, FOR COMPARISON PURPOSES, I THINK IT'S PRUDENT TO TAKE THIS STEP AT THIS POINT IN TIME SO THAT, UM, WE HAVE THE INFORMATION NEEDED WHEN WE SIT DOWN TO REVIEW THE 2020 5 26, UM, BUDGET.

SO WITHOUT, AGAIN, I'M, I'M MAKING THE MOTION, UM, TO AUTHORIZE, UM, MR. HUGHES TO PUT TOGETHER AN RFP AND SOLICIT PROPOSALS FOR LEGAL SERVICES.

I HAVE A MOTION.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? MOTION DIES FOR A SECOND.

I HAVE NOTHING FURTHER.

YOUR, OKAY.

ALDERMAN ROYAL.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT $100,000 FROM THE WARD TWO OFFER FUNDS BE REALLOCATED TO THE PEMBROKE MICROSURFACING PROJECT SO THAT ADDITIONAL STREETS IN THE PEMBROKE COMMUNITY CAN BE ADDRESSED.

SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

ALDERMAN STER, SCOTT OR MR. DAVIS, LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION.

HOW LONG WAS AD WARD OUR ATTORNEY? IT WAS 43 YEARS.

AND HOW MANY YEARS DID YOU WORK WITH HIM DURING THAT TIME? UM, I WORKED WITH HIM HIS LAST NINE YEARS.

SO, AND THAT TOTALLY, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN THE CITY ATTORNEY NOW, INCLUDING THOSE NINE YEARS? 20, UH, 23 OR FOUR YEARS.

SO YEAH, I'VE GOT 60, 60, 67 YEARS CONSECUTIVE.

THE THE REASON I'M SAYING THAT THERE'S SOMETHING, I, I MEAN AN ATTORNEY FOR A MUNICIPALITY, AND I WOULD HOPE YOU WOULD AGREE THAT IT'S NOT ABOUT NECESSARILY ALL ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY OR IN THE MAY IN THE FUTURE, BUT WHAT'S HAPPENED 45 YEARS AGO THAT WE WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO IF NEEDED BE? UH, UH, I, I, WE'VE HAD TWO ATTORNEYS IN PAST 60 YEARS, AND, AND I THINK THERE'S A REASON BEHIND THAT.

AND THAT'S FOR THE, THE, THE RECORD KEEPING AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE PAST.

I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I'VE PICKED UP TELEPHONE AND CALLED SCOTT AND SAID, HEY, DO YOU REMEMBER THIS? AND HE SAID, YEAH, YEAH.

IT GOES BACK A LONG WAYS.

BUT, UM, IT, THAT'S BEEN VERY IMPORTANT TO ME AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT STATEMENT.

AND I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICES.

[01:35:01]

YOU DO A GOOD JOB.

I, I APPRECIATE THAT.

I, AND WITH, WITH THAT SEGUE, I, I DO SHARE AL THE RILLS CONCERNS ABOUT THESE ISSUES FOR, FOR MY ENTIRE CAREER.

WE TRACK OUR BUDGET AGAINST WHAT WE CALL OUR SISTER CITIES, AND I'M VERY HAPPY TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND FINANCE DIRECTOR, AND THEY CAN SHARE THAT WITH YOU SO THAT YOU CAN SEE HOW WE COMPARE ACROSS OUR COMPARABLE CITIES.

I KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS, BUT FEEL FREE TO SHARE IT.

ALDER MCKENZIE NEW BUSINESS.

YES.

UM, CITY MANAGER, I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO PROVIDE ME A LIST OF WHAT, UM, THE BLOCK GRANTS PROVIDE MONEY FOR.

IF YOU DON'T MIND, PLEASE.

WHAT QUALIFIES FOR BLOCK GRANTS? YES.

YES, SIR.

SIR.

AND SCOTT.

UM, I THINK THAT YOU PROVIDED US WITH THAT, UM, INVOICE A WHILE BACK ABOUT MAYBE, I THINK, UH, SIX YEARS AGO YOU PROVIDED THAT THIS CAME UP IN ANOTHER CASE.

AND, UM, UH, I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT MYSELF, YOU KNOW, UM, WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.

BUT WE'LL FIND OUT EVENTUALLY.

ANYTHING ELSE, SIR? THAT'S IT, SIR.

I'LL RUN BEST.

UM, NO, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TONIGHT.

I DO NOT EITHER.

DO WE NEED TO CLOSE SESSION? NO, SIR.

UH, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.

MAKE A MOTION.

WE ADJOURN.

SO MOVED.

I HAVE A MOTION A SECOND.