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[1. (9 am) - Call to Order and Welcome.]
GOOD MORNING.I WANNA WELCOME EVERYONE TO THE JANUARY 24TH REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, UH, WORKSHOP.
UH, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE CASUAL AND WE'RE JUST GOING TO THROW SOME THINGS ON THE TABLE, BUT WE GOING TO, MOST LIKELY, I HOPE TO STICK TO THE AGENDA.
UH, ONE THING RIGHT QUICK, ROBBIE MORGAN WILL NOT BE HERE.
UH, HE'S HAD A ISSUE, SOME HEALTH ISSUES WITH THAT HOSPITAL LAST NIGHT.
SO HE CALLED ME THIS MORNING AND HE SENT ME SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE, UH, CLAY.
SO I, WHEN HIS THING COMES UP, WE'LL, WE'LL GO, GO FOLLOW AND EXPLAINED IT TO YOU, BUT, BUT HE FOUND OUT ABOUT HEALTH CLINIC AND SERVICES THAT THEY'VE DONE SO FAR.
UM, I WANT TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK MARVIN FOR STEPPING IN WITH WHERE, UH, Z IS WHEN HOPEFULLY, UH, HE WANTS TO GIVE UP THIS POSITION RIGHT AWAY.
YOU GONNA GET THE POSITION? YEAH.
SO HOPEFULLY, UH, IF YOU WILL UPDATE US LATER ON ABOUT TO SEARCH FOR.
DOES ALSO, UM, SHERIFF, WANT CONGRATULATIONS ON LEAVING US.
UM, AND HOPEFUL YOU'LL TURN ON THE CITY COUNCIL.
I KNOW YOU HAVE SOME GOOD INPUT AND I KNOW YOU'LL BE STRONG FROM THE CITY OF THANK YOU.
UM, ADD MARTIN, IF YOU WOULD GO AHEAD AND GIVE US A ROLL CALL, PLEASE.
UM, CONSIDER APPRO THE AGENDA.
[3. Consider approving the Agenda.]
APPROVING THE AGENDA.DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE AGENDA? SO, MOVE.
I LIKE TO MAKE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION.
[4. Consider approval of Minutes: August 13, 2025]
AS PRESENTED WITH THE CORRECTION THAT THE, UH, MINUTES FOR AUGUST 13TH SHOULD BE DECEMBER THE 10TH.YOU HEARD THE MOTION IN THIS OFFICE.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
CONSIDER APPROVEMENT OF MINUTES FOR DECEMBER THE 10TH.
ANY QUESTIONS? ANY CORRECTIONS? HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THAT SECOND MOVED, BEEN MOVED TO PROBABLY SECOND THAT WE APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR DECEMBER THE 10TH, 2025.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[5. Mission Statement and Guiding Principles]
MISSION STATEMENT, GUIDING PRINCIPLES.AM I READING THE, THE BIG THING? YEAH.
UM, THE NEW REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION LEADING THE WAY FOR COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION AND IMPROVEMENT BY DIRECTLY ADDRESSING COMMUNITY NEEDS IN THE VITAL AREAS OF PUBLIC HEALTH, INFRASTRUCTURE, HOUSING, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
UH, AND OF COURSE GOD PRINCIPLES.
RESPECT AN OPINION, LISTEN TO BUILD CONSENSUS, SHARE ACCURATE INFORMATION, UH, PUBLIC PERCEPTION, STAY FOCUSED.
[6. (9:10 am) – Discussion regarding request for property purchase by Mr. Philip Hedrick]
YOU.YOU KNOW, AT OUR LAST MEETING, WE, UH, WE HAVE TWO GENTLEMEN TO COME TO, UH, GET APPROVED SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD ON THE, UM, BID ON, ON THE PROPERTY, ON THE UPSET BID PROCESS.
AND OF COURSE, UH, ONE OF 'EM WAS MR. PHIL HENDRICK AND THE OTHER ONE WAS MR. ZA JARVIS.
UM, THE QUESTION THAT WE HAD, OR THE REASON THAT WE KIND OF HELD OFF ON THIS IS BECAUSE, UM, WE NEEDED SOME PICTURES, JUST THE IDEA OF WHAT THEY WERE GONNA BUILD.
SO, AND IT WAS IN THE PACKAGE.
AND IF ANYONE HAS ANY CONCERNS ABOUT THAT OR HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, LET US KNOW NOW.
IF NOT, UH, I WOULD LIKE, PERSONALLY, I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO GO AHEAD AND APPROVE, UH, ITEM NUMBER SIX, BASED ON THE PICTURES WE GOT, ANY QUESTIONS' HAVE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT THAT? DID, DID ANYONE, OBVIOUSLY I SENT THE, THE PACKAGE SO EVERYONE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE, THE PHOTOS OF THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE SIMILAR TO WHAT, WHAT HE IS DOING.
[00:05:01]
ONE OF THE EXAMPLES OF OF THE PROPERTY THAT HE SENT.UH, AND THIS IS THE SECOND ONE.
WHAT THAT, UH, POST LOCATION FOR THAT.
I BELIEVE THAT'S WHERE PROPERTY, THERE WAS TWO, THERE WAS TWO ADDRESSES FOR HER.
WELL ONE OF THEM, UH, THE, THE, UH, THE CITY OWNED THE, THE BACKSIDE OF THAT THAT HE'S ALREADY PUT IN AND PURCHASING THAT.
THE, WHAT THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION OWNS IS THAT LITTLE SLIDE ON THE FRONT SIDE.
UH, SO YOU, WHAT YOU CAN SEE, I THINK THE ONE WITH THE TREE ON IT IS WHAT THE, UH, REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION OWNS.
AND THE OTHER SIDE IS WHAT THE CITY OWNS.
SO HE'S ALREADY PURCHASED THE ONE FROM THE CITY JUST GETTING THE ADJOINING LOT FROM THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
IS IT FOR PERSONAL TO LIVE IN OR IS IT REALLY IT IS FOR A, UM, HE DEVELOPS A SALE.
I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT HE, DIDN'T HE PRESENT THAT I WASN'T, YEAH, THIS, YEAH, THIS, MY UNDERSTANDING IS HE'S BUILDING, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING RIGHT.
UH, I WANNA MAKE A STATEMENT ABOUT THAT.
THE HOUSING BILL CHARACTER AND, UH, IS ANYBODY ELSE WITH THE HOUSES THAT AREN'T ON STREET? I'M LOOKING AT THE HOUSE VOTING TO DEAL AND, UH, HAVE TO OPEN.
THAT'S THE QUESTION I'M ASKING.
IS THAT GOING BE A REQUIREMENT? OR YOU CAN BUILD ANYTHING? WELL, I DON'T THINK YOU CAN JUST BUILD ANYTHING.
OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THE CITY HAS ITS CODES AND, AND STATUES AND EVERYTHING, WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN'T BUILD.
UH, BUT YOU BUT BUT THE CHARACTER OF THE HOUSE, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
DOES IT FIT IN WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD? WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD? RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT.
BECAUSE NOW THE ONE THERE THAT'S ON BURN STREET AND THAT'S DOWN THE STREET FROM, FROM MY HOUSE, UH, IT IT, IT'S THE SMALLEST THING ON BURN STREET.
BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT, IT IS ON THE LOT THAT YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING ELSE WITH.
IS IT IN CHARACTER WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF THIS IS ACROSS THE STREET.
YEAH, I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AND I'M LOOKING AT IT.
YEAH, I KNOW WHERE THE STREET IS.
BUT I'M SAYING IS IT IN CHARACTER WITH THE HOUSES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD? OH, SHE COULD GO AND ANYTHING.
PERSONALLY, I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT HOUSE BEING ON BAR STREET, CONSIDERING THE OTHER STUFF THAT I'VE GOT ON BURR STREET THAT IS NOT PRESENTED AND NOT PLUS AND ISN'T IT COMMISERATE WITH THE UH, WITH THE, THE LOT SIZE? WELL, IT'S GONNA BE ALL ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, THE ZONING REQUIREMENTS.
WHAT'S ALLOW, I MEAN IT'S ALLOWABLE, IT FITS WITHIN THE ZONING, UM, UM, GUIDELINES.
AND WHEN YOU'RE TALKING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND YOU'RE NOT GOING GET A TWO STORY, UH, ELABORATE HOME, YOU'RE GONNA GET SOMETHING BASED ON THE EQUIVALENT OF THAT FOR THAT, THAT PARTICULAR COMMUNITY.
I MEAN, I, I DON'T, I MEAN, I CAN'T MAKE AN OPINION AS FAR AS IF IT LOOKS LIKE THE OTHER HOUSES ON THE STREET.
IT, IT IS A, A NEW CONSTRUCTION THAT'S, THAT'S AFFORDED.
CAN YOU GO TO THE OTHER ONE THAT YOU GREW UP ON THE OTHER STREET? NOW THAT ONE THERE FOR SOME REASON, UH, SEEMS A MORE APPEAL IN THE, SO IF THAT BECAME AN ISSUE FOR ANYBODY, ANYBODY THINKING FOR THE MEMBERS OF THAT COMMUNITY, THERE MIGHT BE A STIPULATION ON HOW YOU MAY NEED TO DO TO EAT ON THE HOUSE TO TRY.
BECAUSE IF YOU GO BACK TO THE ONE, THE BLUE HOUSE, THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THAT SEEMS LIKE THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MORE APPEAL.
SO IF THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS GONNA BE WONDERING ABOUT A APPEAL AND JUST DROP OF SOMETHING IN THERE AS MR. DI HUNT WAS STATING, THAT WAS A GOOD POINT.
'CAUSE THAT HOUSE RIGHT THERE WOULD NOT MATCH OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ON STREET.
NOW THAT A HOUSE THAT SMALL COULD MM-HMM
WE JUST HAVE TO DO SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THE, UM, IFICATION ON THE FRONT.
WELL WE, WE, WE DON'T HAVE OUR ESTEEMED LEGAL COUNSEL IN THE ROOM RIGHT NOW, BUT I EXPECT SHE WOULD BE CAUTIONING US TO BE LEERY OF GOING DOWN THE ROAD OF PICKING AND CHOOSING WHETHER OR NOT WE SELL PROPERTY BASED ON COLORS OR MINOR THINGS ABOUT IT.
WE, WE, I SAY WE, WE FORGO THAT CONTROL, RIGHT.
WHENEVER WE SELL IT, WE CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS AND WE, WE, WE DO HAVE COUNCIL IN THE ROOM BUT NOT, NOT SPECIALIZING IN THIS AS I SEE YOUR HEAD NOD ON.
SO BASICALLY I, I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO,
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WE EITHER NEED TO SELL IT FOR SOMEONE TO DEVELOP SOMETHING, RIGHT.BASED ON THE GENERAL CONCEPT THAT'S PRESENTED.
THEY'RE GOING TO BUILD A SMALLER HOUSE THAT DOES NOT CLEARLY CONFLICT WITH THE REST OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD OR WE THINK IT'S GONNA CONFLICT THAT, THAT'S JUST MY 2 CENTS BECAUSE WE'RE KIND OF GOING DOWN THE, THE MORE NUANCED HOLE OF WHAT, WHAT EXACTLY IS IT? SO WE NEED TO BE ABLE, IF WE THINK IT DOES NOT FIT, IN ORDER FOR US NOT TO BE OPEN TO LIABILITY, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO ARTICULATE WHY IT DOES NOT FIT, NOT JUST MINOR, MINOR DETAILS AND, AND WE NOT SET UP THAT.
AND WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS SUBJECTIVE ANYWAY.
LIKE I DON'T LIKE TO LOOK AT THAT.
SO YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WITH THAT.
AND, AND, AND EVERYTHING CAN CHANGE.
I MEAN HE CAN PUT THIS IS A GENERAL PICTURE RIGHT HERE AND SAY THIS IS WHAT I INTEND TO BUILD RIGHT NOW.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE MARVIN OUT THERE ENFORCING, MAKING SURE THAT HE BUILDS EXACTLY WHAT'S IN THAT PICTURE OR ANYBODY ELSE.
AND AND THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF BECAUSE UH, THE BOARD WAS ASKING FOR SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT HE'S BUILDING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE SALE OF THE, UH, 6 0 6 WHITE STREET TO MR. PHILLIP AND I SECOND THAT SECOND.
AND THAT'S THE PROCESS GOING WITH THE, UH, MY UPSET BID PROCESS? THAT'S CORRECT.
IT'S GOING TO THE, UH, THE BOARD.
SECOND THAT WE CONSIDER THE BID PROCESS FOR 6 0 6 WEST STREET.
[7. (9:20 am) - Discussion regarding request for property purchases by Mr. Ansel Jarvis]
THE SECOND ONE IS, UH, MR. JARVIS, THIS, YOU KNOW, WE HELD UP ON THIS 'CAUSE OF PICTURE.THIS IS THE IDEA OF WHAT HE WANTS TO PURCHASE.
I MEAN, WHAT HE WANTS TO BUILD AND UH, HIS PROPERTY IS, UM, UBANK STREET AND EIGHTH STREET.
HE HAS THREE LOTS THAT HE PUT THE BE IN FOR, UH, EIGHT, I BELIEVE IT'S 8 0 8.
AND THEN HE HAS THE ALSO REQUEST FOR 1129 EIGHTH STREET, H AS IN HENRY AND 1135 H STREET.
UM, OF THOSE THREE PROPERTIES.
AND AND THESE ARE EXAMPLES WHICH WAS IN YOUR PACKET OF, OF THE TYPES OF PROPERTIES, UH, TYPES OF BUILDINGS BUILT.
THIS IS A PICTURE OF THE PROPERTY ON EUBANKS EIGHTH STREET AGAIN THAT BE AND THE OTHER EIGHTH STREET.
DO WE KNOW IF THESE ARE IN THE BLOOD ZONE? I MAP.
WE HAVE AN OVERLAY MAP, BUT I, SO HE'LL JUST HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THE, WHEN HE GOES TO BUILDING GOES UP, HE HAVE TO COMPLY WITH 10, 11.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANY CONCERNS? I HAVE A QUESTION.
I THINK IT'S A BROAD QUESTION.
I THINK TALKS ABOUT IT IN HIS EXECUTIVE BRIEFING.
WHAT IS THE, AND MAYBE NOT THE TIME FOR, I THINK IT'S RELATIVE TO THIS PURCHASE OF ALL OF THEM.
WHAT IS THE, UH, GOVERNANCE OF MAKING SURE THAT FOLKS THAT ARE PURCHASING THESE PROPERTIES ARE ACTUALLY PUTTING THESE RESIDENTS AND THESE OTHER THINGS ON THE PROPERTY? 'CAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE HIS EXECUTIVE BRIEFING.
THERE'S PROPERTIES THAT'S BEEN SOLD THAT NOTHING'S BEEN DONE WITH.
UM, SO WHEN WE'RE, WHEN WE'RE LIQUIDATING THESE PROPERTIES, WHAT IS, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THERE'S A, UH, CHECK AND BALANCE TO MAKE SURE THAT THINGS ARE ACTUALLY BEING DONE.
LET, LET'S HOLD THAT TOWARDS FOR OPEN DISCUSS LATER.
OKAY, WELL LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE CARE OF THIS, THIS ISSUE.
WELL, I THINK IT'S OUR RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT HIS EXECUTIVE BRIEFING, HE'S SAYING THAT THERE'S LOTS THAT HAVE BEEN SOLD WHERE THERE'S BEEN NOTHING DONE WITH IT.
DID THE CITY SOLD REDEVELOPMENT? OKAY, WELL THAT, THAT'S PART OF YOU ALL'S COVENANT.
THE REQUIREMENTS THAT, THE RESTRICTED COVENANT THAT Y'ALL PUT IN THERE THAT SAYS YOU HAVE TO START CONSTRUCTION WITHIN 12 MONTHS AND IT HAS TO BE COMPLETED BY 24.
IF IT'S NOT, IT REVERTS BACK TO YOUR OWNERSHIP.
IF SOMEONE DOES NOT START WITHIN 12 MONTHS, MAYBE PUT A FOUNDATION DOWN OR GET PERMISSION FROM YOU ALL TO, TO, UH, AMEND THAT.
IF THEY HAVE A, IF THEY HAVE A PROBLEM, SOMETHING COMES UP AND THEY CAN'T DO IT WITHIN THE TOP GUIDELINES, BUT IF THEY DON'T DO IT WITHIN THOSE GUIDELINES, THERE'S A DIVERSION CLAUSE AND IT'LL WORK BACK TO THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE,
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UH, INITIATED BY AS PART OF THE CONDITIONS THAT YOU ALL ALL PLACED ON THAT? RIGHT.I THINK THE DIRECTOR WOULD NEED TO KEEP A SPREADSHEET OF WHAT WE'VE SOLD, WHICH MIGHT REQUIRE SOME WORK TO GO BACK, BUT KEEP A, YOU KNOW, SPREADSHEET, HERE'S WHAT WE'VE SOLD, HERE'S THE TIMES, HERE'S 12, HERE'S 24.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, BRING IT TO US ON A PERIODIC BASIS.
AND THEN I DON'T THINK WE'VE HAD TO ENFORCE BEFORE, BUT, UM, WE COULD FIGURE OUT FROM THEN.
SO I THINK THAT SHOULD BE SOMETHING WE CAN REQUEST KIND OF IN THE PURVIEW OF THE NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ROLE.
AND I THINK THEY'VE WATCHED THAT THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS AND STAY IN CONTACT WITH FOLKS.
'CAUSE I KNOW WE, FOR, FOR OTHERS THAT HAVE COME BACK AND ASK FOR A DELAY, YEAH, WE'VE BEEN TOLD LIKE, HEY, WE'RE AT NINE MONTHS, THEY'RE GONNA COME BACK AND ASK FOR EXTRA TIME BECAUSE THEY RAN INTO SO AND SO PROBLEM AND THEN IT'S BEEN PRESENTED IN FRONT OF US IN A MEETING OR TWO AFTER THAT.
SO I'M ALMOST WONDERING IF MAYBE HIS NOTE ON HIS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY WAS JUST KIND OF A, HEY, YOU, YOU'RE GONNA NEED TO STAY ON TOP OF THIS IF I'M NOT SITTING IN THIS CHAIR AND SOMEBODY, HE, HE LISTS SOME ADDRESSES ON PEOPLE IN REGARDS TO THAT.
BUT AGAIN, IT MAY NOT BE THE PROPER TIME.
IT'S A QUESTION I HAD BECAUSE I, LET'S, LET'S HOLD THAT TO THE END.
SO ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, WE HAVE IT.
UM, DOES ANYONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THIS PROCESS? UM, SO THIS IS THE UPSET BID PROCESS, UPSET BID PROCESS ALSO, UNLESS THERE'S GONNA BE AN OBJECTION BETWEEN THE THREE PROPERTIES.
YOU ACTUALLY DRAW THREE OF THESE TOGETHER.
SO WE WANT TO DO UPSET BID ON 8 28 EUBANK 1129 EIGHTH STREET AND 1135.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE UPSET BID PROCESS FOR THOSE FOUR COUNTIES.
MOVE TO PROPERTY SECOND, UH, FOR ITEM SEVEN THAT WE GO INTO THE UPSET BID FOR 8 28 UBANK STREET, 1129 EIGHTH STREET AND 1135 EIGHTH STREET.
ANY QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[8. (9:40 am) - Public Works Presentation: Redevelopment Area Projects]
PUBLIC WORKS PRESENTATION.UM, I DUNNO MY COLLEAGUES THERE.
I THINK WE CALLS IT A, OH, UH, GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.
Y'ALL HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT ONGOING STORM WATER PROJECTS WITHIN THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION BOUNDARY.
AND SO WHAT I'VE GOT IS THE HANDOUT THAT, UM, SMITH, OUR STORM SUPERINTENDENT HAS PASSED OUT TO YOU.
WHAT WE HAVE, UM, COMPLETED WHAT'S RECENTLY BEEN COMPLETED LOOKING AT THAT IS ONGOING RIGHT THERE.
SO WITHIN THE REDEVELOPMENT BOUNDARY, WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH, UH, THE PROJECTS ALSO.
BUT IF YOU JUST LOOK AT THE VALUE OF THE WORK THAT'S BEEN COMPLETED TODAY.
SO THIS IS, WE'VE COMPLETED, UH, JUST OVER 5.7 IN THAT AREA.
AND WE HAVE ANOTHER 1.6 THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON IN THE PLANNING STAGES THAT BY TIME THAT'S PAST, UH, THREE OR FOUR YEARS, AND THAT DOES NOT APPROXIMATELY 2.1 MILLION OF CAT A AND D FEAL WORK THAT WAS DONE ON THE SMITH BASIS.
SO THESE, THESE NUMBERS ARE NOT INCLUSIVE OF F WORK AND THIS IS JUST DRAINAGE.
SO AS, AS WE GO THROUGH THESE, UM, PAGE, THE, THE NUMBER TWO SHEET ON YOUR HANDOUT.
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AN ARPA ENABLED, WHICH IS AND FUNDING FOR THE EAST ROSE CULVERT.AND WE'LL GO INTO DETAIL ON THESE, THAT THAT'S $500,000 THAT'S BEEN ALLOCATED FOR THAT.
WE HAVE A BOND REFERENDUM ITEM FOR THE DRAINAGE LONG POLY AND LIBERTY THAT'S RIGHT HERE IN FRONT OF THE HABITAT.
AND UH, THAT'S BEEN A HISTORIC ISSUE WITH DRAINAGE RIGHT THERE.
WE'VE HAD SOME GENERAL FUND ALLOCATIONS THROUGH THE STORMWATER DIVISION THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, AND ONE ON BROAD IN FIRST AT THE CHURCH RIGHT THERE ON THE CORNER.
UM, JARVIS, GRACE WILLIAMS AND BIDDLE, QUEEN STREET AND WEST STREET.
AND THEN WE GET INTO GRANT FUNDING.
WE HAVE $250,000 THAT WE APPLIED FOR OR RECEIVE FROM GOLDEN LEAGUE, THAT FUNDING AND WE'LL GET TO SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING ON THAT PROJECT.
EAST ROADS BASIN EXPANSION, WHICH HAS BEEN COMPLETED, THAT DUFFY FIELD STORM HAD CEMENT PHASE ONE, WHICH WAS TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
PHASE TWO AND THREE WAS 2.872 MILLION.
AND THEN WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON THE DUFFY FIELD CANAL MASTER RESTORATION PLAN.
SO AS THE, THE NEXT YEAR THOSE WERE, THESE ARE DETAILS OF THOSE PROJECTS.
SO THE EAST ROADS, UM, CULVERT REPLACEMENT, THIS IS ONE FIVE ARPA, UM, ENABLED FUNDING FROM AL INVEST.
AND THIS IS TO REPLACE THE CULVERTS AT THE DISCHARGE POINT OF THE EAST ROSE LIFT STATION RIGHT THERE AT THE CEMETERY AS YOU CAN GO TO THE CEMETERY.
IS THAT, IS THAT IMPROVEMENTS ON BOTH SIDES? THAT WILL BE AN IMP IT'LL BE A REPLACEMENT OF THE CULVERTS IS WHAT OUR PLAN IS.
SO WE'RE GONNA GET SOME DIFFERENT STYLE FLOODGATES.
THE INTENT OF THOSE FLOODGATES IS THIS, THIS CONNECTS RIGHT TO THE OUTFALL OF JACKSON CREEK.
SO WHEN WE HAVE A TROPICAL EVENT AND THE RIVER RISES BETTER FLOODGATES ALLOW US TO KEEP THE WATER FROM THE RIVER FROM COMING BACK INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO EIGHT POINT.
NOW WHEN WE GET TO STORMS LIKE FLORENCE, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S A LIMIT TO HOW WELL WE CAN DO TO STOP THE RIVER.
SO WE'RE GONNA DO OUR BEST TO GAIN, GAIN A COUPLE EXTRA FEET THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY STOP THE RIVER FROM COMING BACK IN AUGUST.
THE PROBLEM WON'T BE CONSISTENT LIKE WE USUALLY IS.
YEAH, I MEAN WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A HUNDRED YEAR STORM, LIKE, LIKE FLORENCE.
UM, JUST OUR NORMAL, NORMAL HIGH NOR EASTERS, UM, UH, IN TROPICAL EVENTS THAT, THAT WE, WE SEAL QUITE OFTEN.
AND THEN ON THE NEXT PAGE WE GOT THE, UH, THESE ARE, WE ADDED SOME STORM PIPE AND, UH, CURB INLET RIGHT THERE FIRST AND, AND AND BRA.
AND THERE WAS NO, THERE WAS NO STREET DRAINAGE RIGHT THERE.
WE TIED IT INTO THE BRA DRAINAGE RAISED WILLIAMS AND BID, UH, MARY AGAIN, WE HAD TO, UM, WE'VE BEEN ADDING STORM DRAINAGE TO AREAS THAT HAVE PREVIOUSLY NOT HAD PIPES AND COLLECTION POINTS AND THAT PROJECT'S BEEN COMPLETED.
LIC AND LIBERTY, THIS IS ONE OF THE BOND REFERENDUM ITEMS. SO WHEN THE BOND REFERENDUM FOR STORMWATER APPROVED, WE HAVE SELECTED 11 PROJECTS.
AND THIS WAS, WE HAD HISTORICALLY KNOWN THIS WAS A PROBLEM, BUT IT WAS ALSO ANALYZED DURING THE ASSET INVENTORY ASSESSMENT THAT WE RECEIVED A $400,000 GRANT FOR THAT CAMERAING AND THEN LOCATION WORK ON.
AND WE HAD COME UP WITH SOME IDEAS THAT WILL BE FUNDED THROUGH THE BOND REFERENDUM TO HELP GET THE WATER DOWN DOWN THE STREETS, THE RIVER.
AND IT'S REALLY GOTTA DO WITH AN OUTFALL SIZE, UM, THAT GOES DOWN LIBERTY, FORGIVE ME IF IT'S ALREADY PUBLIC AND KNOWN, BUT DO WE HAVE A TIMELINE OF WHEN THAT THAT REFERENDUM FUNDING WILL BE PROCURED IN THE PROJECT START THIS WILL WILL LIKELY HAVE SOME FUNDING AVAILABLE STARTING THIS.
SOME OF, THERE'S SOME STEPS THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH TO GET IT.
AND SOME OF THE DRAINAGE PROJECTS, THIS ONE WILL REQUIRE ADDITIONAL PERMITTING.
SO AS WE TRY TO WORK THROUGH 'EM, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO HIT THE ONES THAT WE HAVE LIMITED STATE OR FEDERAL OVERSIGHT ON THAT WE CAN QUICKLY DO THIS ONE SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AN OUTFALL DIRECTLY TO PUBLIC TRUST WATERS.
THIS ONE WILL REQUIRE SOME MORE PERMITTED DEPENDING ON WHAT WE DO.
SO WE'RE GONNA TRY TO GET 'EM IN THE PLANNING STAGES.
WE, LIKE I SAY, THESE DRAWINGS CAME FROM THE A I A STUDY, SO WE'VE GOT A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT
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YOU'VE GOTTA DO.UM, WE'VE JUST GOTTA MAKE IT NOT OVERRUN PRICE AND STILL ACHIEVE SOME KIND OF BENEFIT FOR THE AREA.
AND THAT IF YOU LOOKING UP RIGHT HAND CORNER, IF YOU'VE EVER DRIVEN DURING A HEAVY, HIGH VOLUME INTENSE FRAME, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS IN THAT AREA.
NOW IT DOES CLEAR, IT JUST TAKES A LITTLE TIME MAINLY BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF DRAINAGE THAT IS CONNECTED TO THIS WHOLE OUTFALL THAT COMES OFF THE BROAD.
SO WE'VE GOT MORE WATER THAN WE HAVE PIPES.
WE'VE OUTGROWN THE SYSTEMS. I KNOW WE'VE OUT UPGRADE THE SYSTEM.
THE SYSTEM AND YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A VERY OLD TOWN THAT WE OVER HISTORICALLY, WE, YOU KNOW, PIPES HAVE BEEN ATTACHED TO PIPES AND ADDITIONAL DRAINAGE AND IT WORKS FINE DURING A NORMAL RAIN, BUT WHEN WE HAVE A HIGH INTENSITY RAIN, WHEN WE GET AN INCH AN HOUR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU WILL HAVE IT BACKED UP AND IT WILL CLEAR IN 60 MINUTES OR SO.
BUT THE RESULT IS, IT IS, UH, DIFFICULT TO PASS THAT AREA.
UM, NEXT ONE ON, UH, PAGE SEVEN OF YOUR HANDOUT.
SO THIS IS TO LOWER THE LIFT STATION, THE, THE PUMPS ON THIS.
AND WHAT THAT ALLOWS TO DO IS HAVE ADDITIONAL DRAW DOWN CAPACITY.
SO IF WE LOWER THE INTAKE OF THE PUMP, WE CAN DRAW DOWN LOWER IN THE CANAL, WE DRAW MORE WATER DOWN IN THE CANAL AND THAT WILL HELP WITH HIGH FLOW TIMES.
WE HAVE OUR ADDITIONAL, WE HAD APPLIED FOR $250,000 OVERWEIGHT.
WE RECEIVED THAT, WE PUT IT OUT TO BID AND THE LOWEST BID CAME IN AT ABOUT THREE TIMES THAT.
SO WE HAVE APPLIED FOR SOME ADDITIONAL GRANT FUNDING THROUGH THE, UH, RESILIENT COASTAL COMMUNITIES PROGRAM.
WE SHOULD HEAR ABOUT OUR APPLICATION IN FEBRUARY.
THAT'S THE SECOND ONE THAT CALLED REPLACEMENT.
RIGHT? IT IS THAT THE SAME POND AND THE CULVER'S RIGHT THERE.
BUT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S ONE PROJECT AREA.
WE'VE JUST HAD MULTIPLE PROJECT INVOLVED.
IT'S DIFFICULT TO GO AFTER BIG Y'ALL BIG BRANDS.
Y'ALL DONE A GOOD JOB OVER THERE SO FAR IT LOOKS BETTER.
THAT CAN BE TESTAMENT TO AVERY SMITH.
AND IT'S GOING MORE, IT LOOKS MORE APPEALING
AND THEN WE HAVE, UM, THE EAST ROSE BASIN EXPANSION, WHICH WE'VE ALREADY COMPLETED.
SO WE, WE ENLARGE THAT, THAT BASE THERE, THE POND RIGHT THERE ABOUT 6,500 SQUARE FEET.
AND THAT ALLOWS US FOR SOME ADDITIONAL CAPACITY, HELPS THE PUMPS, UH, BE ABLE TO HANDLE LITTLE MORE WATER.
IT ALSO HELPS THE WATER TREATMENT.
SO WE WE'RE TAKING, A LOT OF THESE PLANTS ARE ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH THE REDUCTION OF PHOSPHOROUS, NITROGEN AND OTHER POLLUTANTS THAT, THAT WE CAN TAKE OUT WITH WETLAND SPECIES.
SO THAT IS A, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S USUALLY A DRY AREA, BUT WHEN THE POND FILLS UP, YOU'LL SEE IT FLOOD OVER THAT, THAT SMALL FORM.
AND, AND THAT HAS BEEN CONFLICTED NOW.
SO THE DUST FIELD COMMUNITY STORMWATER ENHANCEMENT PROJECT WAS FUNDED BY SEVERAL DIFFERENT GRANT AGENCIES.
THE FIRST PART OF THAT WAS, AND THIS WAS SEVERAL YEARS AGO, WE ENLARGED THE MIDDLE STREET COUNTY.
SO WE WENT FROM APPROXIMATELY A THIRD OF AN ACRE TO ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF AN ACRE FOR THAT POND SIZE.
WE'VE GOT ADDITIONAL CAPACITY.
AND AT THAT TIME THEY IN, THEY INSTALLED A NEW WET WELL FOR THE FUTURE PUMP AND WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO PURCHASE, HAVE BACKUP GENERATION POWER THERE.
SO IF WE'RE ING POWER IN THAT AREA OF TOWN, WE STILL HAVE BACKUP POWER RUNNING PUMPS.
HOW MANY, HOW MANY, UH, PROPERTY DID YOU HAVE TO PURCHASE TO DO THIS? THE, THESE, WE DID NOT HAVE TO PURCHASE ANY PROPERTIES.
WE'RE ABLE TO UTILIZE LOTS THAT THE CITY RECEIVED THROUGH FEMA FROM THE BUYOUT PROGRAM WHERE THEY WERE NO LONGER BUILDABLE AND WHEN THE CITY RECEIVES THOSE BACK TO FEMA.
SO THIS IS A GOOD USE OF THOSE PROPERTIES.
WE, WE ENDED UP PURCHASING ONE PROPERTY AT THAT ONE GENTLEMAN.
UM, AND ONE WITH THE, UH, HANDICAP ACCESS ROUTE, UH, THAT GOES UP TO THE BACK TO THE ONE HOUSE.
HE DIDN'T WANT TO SELL THAT HOUSE TO WHERE? THE ONE PLACE? YEAH.
THAT, THAT WAS THE ONLY PROPERTY WE HAD TO PURCHASE.
IT'S A, WELL, I, I GO BY, I LOOK AT IT FROM ELEVATION STANDPOINT, THE BOTTOM OF IT IS A NEGATIVE TWO.
SO IT IS, RIGHT NOW IT'S PROBABLY HOLDING THREE FOOT OF WATER IN IT, BUT IT, CAPACITY WISE, YOU STILL GOT A FREEBOARD OF FOUR TO FIVE MORE FEET OF FREEBOARD AROUND THE SIZE OF IT.
I CAN'T TELL YOU IN GALLONS HOW MUCH IT IS.
BUT, UH, IT WILL DEFINITELY, THE PUMP SIZES
[00:30:01]
THAT WE PUT IN THAT WE REPLACE IT WITH, WE'LL PUT A 35 HORSEPOWER PUMP IN THERE.SO WHEN IT GETS UP THAT HIGH, THAT 35 HORSEPOWER SHOULDS SUCK IT DOWN PRETTY FAST.
I NOTICED A BIG DIFFERENCE ALREADY COMPARED TO THE, REMEMBER THE OLD STATION? YOU REMEMBER THE OLD LITTLE STATION THAT WAS ON THE SIDE OF THE FENCE INSIDE TIGHT? YEAH, IT'S TINY.
IT HAD ONLY THOSE PUMPS WAS LIKE TWO HORSEPOWER.
AND YOU REMEMBER HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE FOR IT TO DRAW DOWN? YES, BUT THE LAST HEAVY RAIN WE HAD, I DIDN'T EVEN SEE THE, THAT'S A LAWNMOWER.
WE DIDN'T EVEN SEE THE LEVELS CHANGE.
REMEMBER WHAT WAS THE LAST STORM WE HAD MAYBE A MONTH AGO? WE HAD A HEAVY STORM.
THE LEVEL EVEN NEVER CHANGED IN THE POND.
THE PUMPS KEEP UP WAY, WAY BETTER.
IT'S A WAY BETTER SYSTEM AND IT'S, I THINK IT'S GOT A LOT TO DO WITH THE ABILITY FOR WATER TO FLOW TO THE PUMP STATION FASTER AS WELL.
SO DID Y'ALL TAKE IT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE WATER TABLE OR IS THAT A YEAH, IT IS A LITTLE, IT IS A, IT IS, IT IS IT ABOUT RIGHT AT THE WATER TABLE.
SO IT'LL, YOU CAN DRY IT OUT, BUT IT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE WATER IN THE BOTTOM OF SO LITTLE BIT.
AND, AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE, THE DEPTH OF THE POND STORM PONDS, ONES LIKE THIS, THERE IS A SHELF DOWN RIGHT BELOW THE NORMAL WATER LEVEL THAT IS A 10 TO ONE SLOPE SLOPE.
SO YOU'VE GOT 10 FEET WHERE IT ONLY DROPS 12 INCHES AND THAT IS A VEGETATED SLOPE.
SO WHEN PEOPLE HAVE MORE CONCERNS ABOUT, UM, THE DEPTH OF A POND, PEOPLE FALLING IN IT, WELL, IF YOU GO DOWN THE BACK, YOU'LL BE AN ANKLE DEEP WATER FOR 10 FEET.
SO, SO THERE, IT, IT PROVIDES THAT IT'S MORE DESIGNED FOR A, UM, POLLUTANT REDUCTION ISSUE, BUT IT ALSO PROVIDES FOR A SAFETY, SAFETY RE.
AND SO THE NEXT PART OF THE PHASE ONE WAS WE HAD TO HAVE A DISCHARGE FOR THIS NEW HUGE PUMP SYSTEM WE WERE PLANNING TO PUT IN.
SO WE ACTUALLY PUT IN, AND THIS WAS PROBABLY 24 MONTHS AGO WHEN THIS COMPLETED, UM, WE PUT IN 2300 FEET OF FORCE MAIN THAT TAKES THE WATER FROM THAT POND AND TAKES IT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE CULVERT UNDER THE TRACKS, RIGHT IN EAST ROADS IS ACTUALLY WHERE IT COMES OUT.
AND THAT ALLOWS US TO PUT THE WATER, ONCE IT'S BEEN TREATED IN THE POND, IT WILL BE ABLE TO GO RIGHT TO THE OUTFALL.
AND IF YOU LOOK TO THE RIGHT AS YOU'RE GOING TO THIS CEMETERY RIGHT IN FRONT OF THESE ROADS, UH, LIFT STATION, THERE'S SOME, UM, RIVER WRAP MORE RIGHT THERE.
THE WATER ACTUALLY COMES DOWN THAT PIPE AND THEN IT SLOWLY OUTFLOWS AND IT JUST DOWN DOWNFALL.
IT'S KIND OF NEAT HOW IT OPERATES WHEN THE FACTS HONOR.
DOES ANY OF THIS FLOW ALL THE WAY OVER TO SIMMONS STREET? NO, THIS WATER WOULD NOT, IT GOES STRAIGHT TO, UH, JACKSON CREEK.
SO WE, WE, WE HAD FINISHED ALL THAT TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
AND IN PHASE TWO AND THREE, THE HEAVY CONSTRUCTION, EVERYTHING WE JUST FINISHED IN THE CLOSEOUT DOCUMENTS ON THIS, UM, TWO AND THREE WAS PROBABLY WHAT YOU NOTICED THE MOST.
SO WE CAN, IN THIS CONTRACT AND DESIGN, THERE WAS A CONSTRUCTED EIGHT AND A HALF ACRES OF NEW WEAPONS AND RETENTION AREAS.
THIS RECEIVES WATER FROM OVER 50 ACRES OF AREA.
SO THIS WAS, THIS AREA RECEIVED WATER THAT HAD NO REAL OUTLET, NOT INADEQUATE OUTLET THAT WE NOW HAVE TO, TO DISCHARGE THIS WATER.
SO IT PROVIDES ABOUT 2 MILLION GALLONS OF STORMWATER STORAGE THAT WE DID NOT HAVE BEFORE.
JUST THE WETLANDS ITSELF, NOT INCLUDING THE POND.
SO NOW WE HAVE A PLACE TO COLLECT THE WATER.
WE'VE GOT THE PUMP SYSTEM NOW TO DISCHARGE THE WATER, WHICH BEFORE THESE AREAS HAD NO REAL OUTLET FOR DRAINAGE.
AND ALONG WITH THAT, UH, IF YOU'VE BEEN IN THERE, IT'S A REALLY NEAT PLACE.
THERE ARE WALKWAYS, THERE'S THOUSANDS OF PLANTINGS, WETLAND SPECIES, UM, CYPRESS TREES THAT THERE'S THE PLANTINGS ALSO HELP REDUCE THE NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS AND BACK TEARS IN THE WATER BEFORE IT GOES ACTUALLY INTO THE POND, WHICH GETS ADDITIONAL TREATMENT BEFORE WE PUT THE IN.
AND GEORGE, HOW LONG ARE THE, UM, THE PROTECTION FOR THE, THE PLANTINGS GONNA BE THERE? DO YOU KNOW? OKAY, SO IF YOU GO OUT THERE AND YOU SEE STRINGS WITH LITTLE SILVER SHINY PIECES, THE CONTRACTOR HAS TO WARRANTY THE PLANTS.
WELL, IF THOSE STRINGS WEREN'T UP, THE GEESE WILL PULL THEM ALL OUT OF THE GROUND BEFORE THEY REACH MATURITY.
SO THAT IS ACTUALLY A DETERRENT TO KEEP THE GE FROM GOING IN THERE AND PULLING THESE NEW WETLAND PLANTS OUT OF THE GROUND.
AND THEY WILL BE REMOVED ONCE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ESTABLISHED IN WARRANTY, PERIOD.
COULD I BUT WHAT, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA TOO, ONCE THE PLANTS ESTABLISH THEMSELVES, THE GEESE WON'T, WILL CAN'T
[00:35:01]
SEE FROM THE WATER AND THEY WON'T POPULATE THE AREA ANYMORE.THEY DON'T LIKE TO BE IN OPEN AREAS.
SO A LOT OF THAT STUFF WILL SELF HEAL ITSELF AFTER A WHILE.
WE WANTED TO WORRY ABOUT, AND ALSO THERE WAS A DISCUSSION AT ONE TIME ABOUT A PHASE FOUR, BUT OBVIOUSLY IT'S A FUNDING CONSIDERATION THAT, THAT HASN'T BEEN READDRESSED YET WITH THE PHASE FOUR FOR THAT PROPERTY WOULD BE MORE OF, UM, PARK AMENITIES, PARK AMENITIES.
THEY HAVE THEIR SEATS, UH, BENCHES AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
BUT THAT'S GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD.
BUT THE WALKWAYS AND OVER WALKS ARE INSTALLED.
UM, SO YOU CAN WALK THROUGH THE WALK THROUGH THE SITE.
UM, PAGE 12 IS JUST KIND OF AN OVERVIEW, UM, SHOWING THE ENLARGED POND AND HOW THE WATER IS ROUTED.
SO NOW, NOW THAT YOU SEE THIS, YOU CAN NOW SEE WHERE WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE WATER INTO THESE WETLANDS FROM PLACES THAT DID NOT HAVE THAT DRAINAGE, UH, OUTFALL PRIOR TO THIS.
YES, THIS IS PROBABLY FOR MARVIN.
DOES NEW BERN, LIKE PUBLIC WORKS TAKE OVER LIKE UPKEEP OF THOSE AREAS NOW? LIKE ONCE THEY'RE DONE WITH THE SWAR WATER PHASE, DO Y'ALL, DO THEY GET MOWED AND ALL THAT STUFF? THE PARK AGGRESSION? YEAH.
THIS IS NOT OFFICIALLY A PARK.
SO JUST LIKE JACKSON SMITH CREEK WETLANDS AT, UH, STORM WATER AND PUBLIC WORKS MAIN STAINS WILL MAINTAIN THIS.
NOW FOR PHASE FOUR FUNCTION GOING IN WHERE YOU HAVE PARK AMENITIES, UM, THAT MAY BE SOME GOOD CONSIDERATION RIGHT NOW, BUT NONE OF OUR FUNDING FOR PHASE ONE, TWO, OR THREE, UM, WHILE PHASE FOUR WAS SHOWN ON SOME SCHEMATICS, IT WAS NOT CONSIDERED IN THE GRANT.
AND WE'RE ALSO CURRENTLY WORKING ON A $367,000, UM, RESILIENT COAST COMMUNITIES PROGRAM GRANT FOR A MASTER RESTORATION PLAN FOR INDUSTRIAL FIELDS NOW.
SO THAT WOULD BASICALLY RUN FROM HENDERSON PARK ALL THE WAY TO THE EAST ROADS LIFT STATION TO DOWNFALL.
AND THEY'RE WORKING ON THAT NOW.
THEY'VE DONE A LOT OF THE SURVEYING.
IF YOU'VE SEEN IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS, YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN THESE BIG PAINTED BEES ON THE GROUND.
THOSE WERE ACTUALLY AERIAL TARGETS FOR WHEN THEY FLEW IT TO GET LIDAR ELEVATIONS ON THE WHOLE SITE.
SO IF YOU SEE SURVEYORS IN THAT AREA, THAT'LL BE SUPPLEMENTING THAT INFORMATION THEY SHOT.
AND THIS WILL JUST BE A PLANNING, THIS IS JUST A PLANNING GRANT.
SO ONCE WE GET THAT TOGETHER AND HAVE IDEAS OF WHAT WE CAN DO.
ONE THING ABOUT PLANNING GRANTS, ONCE YOU HAVE THE, THE PLANNING DONE, IT MAKES IT MORE EASY TO ACCESS OTHER GRANTS FOR CONSTRUCTION.
AND THIS, UH, THE NEXT PAGE IS A KIND OF A DRAINAGE BASIN AREA OF WHAT THE W FIELD CANAL, UM, COLLECTS TO LET YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WATER ACTUALLY GOES INTO THIS CANAL.
AND THAT IS JUST WITHIN THE STUDY AREA.
THERE'S ADDITIONAL WATER THAT ACTUALLY ONCE YOU GET UP TO MS. BOULEVARD, THERE'S SOME ADDITIONAL DRAINAGE THAT ACTUALLY GOES INTO THIS CANAL FROM OTHER AREAS.
LIKE I SAID, THAT THAT'S WHAT WE'VE HAD GOING ON LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
UM, AND WE STILL HAVE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR COMPLETE.
WE HAVE ONGOING FUNDED PROJECTS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT 24 MONTHS WE HOPE TO HAVE SOME OF THESE PROJECTS COMPLETED WITH LEAST CONSTRUCTION PHASE.
EVERYTHING DOES REPRESENT WATER, DOES IT? NO, THAT'S JUST A SEPARATE PARCEL.
JUST THE HIGHLIGHTED THE HIGHLIGHTED UH, LINE SHOWING WHERE THE DUFFY FIELD NOW THE, THE RED LINE IS THE BOUNDARY OF THAT AREA THAT DRAIN TO IT WITHIN THE, THE
SO IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, I, YOU KNOW, AVERY SMITH HERE, HE'S BEEN AND OVERSEEING A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS, THIS CREW ARE THE ONES THAT GO IN A LOT OF MAINTENANCE IN THAT AREA.
SO IF I CAN'T ANSWER IT, I'M GONNA ALLOW, OKAY.
I LIVE IN DE ANYBODY IN THIS AREA HERE AT THIS TABLE IN DE I MEAN, OKAY, DEFINITELY.
AND WE SPENT $2 MILLION ON SUMMER STREET PROJECT.
IT HADN'T DONE ONE THING AS FAR AS BEING AND NOW NEIGHBORHOOD $2 MILLION TO THAT PROJECT.
[00:40:01]
COURSE WHERE THE NEIGHBORS IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE, UH, EAST ROAD FILING LANE WHERE THEY NOTIFIED OF THE WORK THEY Y'ALL DO.AND IN THAT AREA, WHAT WAS DONE, WE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH, WITH SOME OF THE NEIGHBORS THAT LIVED IN THAT AREA AND SOME OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT WERE, UM, THEY OWNED THE PROPERTIES, BUT AT LEAST THE HOUSES.
UM, SO WE DID HAVE SOME OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS AND THEY HAD PUBLIC OUTREACH BEFORE ANY OF THE WORK WAS DONE AND THE ELIMINATION OF THE STREETS AND THAT, I CALL THEM PONDS, MOSQUITO PONDS WERE THAT CONSIDERED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP TALK.
WE LOOKED AT THE TRAFFIC PATTERNS AND WHAT WE SAW A LOT OF, AND THIS WAS ESPECIALLY TRUE WHEN WE DID THE FORCE MAGNET, UH, CONSTRUCTION.
A LOT OF PEOPLE USE THAT AREA FOR A THROUGH AREA, NOT SO MUCH THE RESIDENCE THAT LIVED THERE.
UM, WE ACTUALLY HAD SOME COMMENTS FROM PEOPLE THAT LIVE ON THESE ROADES THAT THEY WOULD'VE PREFERRED US TO KEEP THE CONSTRUCTION BARRIERS UP TO LIMITED THE OF VOLUME OF TRAFFIC THROUGH THERE.
AND WE ARE SEEING A CHANGE IN TRAFFIC PATTERN NOW PEOPLE SEE THAT IT'S NOT REALLY A FREEWAY ANYMORE, IT'S MORE OF A RESIDENTIAL AREA.
BUT THERE IS ONE AREA THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT WHERE THE, THE POINT IS ON, AT MS KAY AND KAY FIELD.
WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT WE MIGHT HAVE TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, UM, AND TO CHANGE THAT JUST TO MORE EASILY FACILITATE GETTING AROUND THAT ACUTE ANGLE.
AND, AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UH, YOU HAD MENTIONED MOSQUITO PONDS.
ONE GOOD THING ABOUT THE, THE NEW BIDDLE STREET POND, IT HAS AN ELECTRIC PUMP IN IT.
SO THERE ARE THREE PUMPS IN THAT SYSTEM.
SO WE CAN STAGE THEM AS THEY GO UP.
THE ELECTRIC PUMP IS A SMALLER PUMP AND IT RUNS MOST OF THE TIME WHEN TO DRAW WATER THROUGH.
SO YOU HAVE A CONSTANT MOVING WATER SYSTEM.
SO YOU'RE NOT, IT'S NOT JUST A STAGNANT POND WAITING, YOU KNOW, FOR HIGH WATER TO GET IT, GET IT GO OUT.
AND SO WHEN WE HAVE WATER MOVEMENT, IT HELPS FACILITATE THIS MOSQUITO MAR UM, IT, THE WETLANDS THEMSELVES INTRODUCE, UH, OTHER ANIMAL AND INSECT SPECIES THAT ALSO COUNTERACT THAT PROBLEM.
SO YOU, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SAYING BY THE WATER MOVING AND WE'RE NOT STAGNATE MOSQUITO AND, AND I SAY THAT WE DON'T WANT A MOSQUITO.
I THINK ALL OF US AND THE WIND COME AND BLOW ACROSS TOWN AND THAT'S WHAT NORMALLY HAPPENS.
AND IT BOOM RIGHT BY MY HOUSE.
I SAID, IF YOU DON'T STAY IN VILLE AND I LIVE OVER THERE, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
I CANNOT GET OUT OF MY HOUSE WITH A BIG RAIN.
I CANNOT GO DOWN HAZEL AVENUE.
I CANNOT GO DOWN WASHINGTON STREET.
SO WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT THOSE AREAS? WELL, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON AREAS THAT, THAT RIGHT NOW WE FACILITATED GRANT FUNDING.
I MEAN, YOU LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS, THESE ARE FAR AHEAD OF WHAT IS NORMALLY FUNDED OR WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR US TO DO STORMWATER STRUCTURES.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHY WE TAKE GRANT OPPORTUNITY THERE.
AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF PLACES IN TOWN, DUFFY FIELD BEING ONE OF THEM THAT HAVE LIMITED OUTFALL OR IT'S RESTRICTED BECAUSE THE RAILWAY OR WHERE THE OUTFALLS OFF.
SO, SO THERE'S SOME BARRIER THERE FOR THE WATER TO GET OUT.
AND THERE WAS NO WAY OR NO FACILITY FOR AN OUTFALL BECAUSE OF THE ELEVATION, YOU KNOW, THESE CONSTRUCTION OF THESE WETLANDS AND MINES NOW WE HAVE TO MECHANICALLY MOVE IT TO THE ELEVATION, UM, YOU KNOW, ALLOWS US TO NOW INTRODUCE SOME OF THOSE THINGS TO DRAW THE, THE DRAINAGE INTO THOSE AREAS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE BEEN WORKING OUT LAST FIVE YEARS HARD WE CAN, THAT'S THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY.
EXPLAIN AGAIN, THAT WOULD SAY, AND THE REASON I'M SAYING THAT THE WATER FROM NEW, UH, FROM BROAD STREET, NEW AVENUE FROM MONTGOMERY WARD COME OVER IN
SO YOU LOOK AT A NEW AND DEVELOPED AREA AND EACH PARCEL OR THE DEVELOPMENT HAS A STORMWATER POND, A COLLECTION POINT THEY RUN OFF IN, IN AS GREAT AS A, AS A SITE THAT HAS NO STORMWATER FEATURES.
AND THAT IS WHY JUST LIKE JACKSON CREEK, UH, WETLANDS, YOU'RE TRYING TO CAPTURE AN AREA OF BUILT HISTORICALLY THAT HAS NO STORMWATER TREATMENT.
[00:45:01]
WHAT WE'RE HAVING TO DO IS GO BACK TO RETROFIT.WE'RE LIMITED BY ONE AVAILABLE LAND.
YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T WANNA START GETTING INTO TRYING TO TAKE LAND TO BUY LAND.
BUT WE'RE UTILIZING THE SITES THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO US RIGHT NOW.
AND FORTUNATELY WE'VE HAD SOME OPPORTUNITIES IN THE AREA AROUND
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE AN OLD TOWN SO WE CAN'T, I DOUBT WE'LL SOLVE ALL THE PROBLEMS IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, BUT WE'RE WORKING THE BEST WE CAN TOWARDS THAT.
SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, YOUR NEXT PHASE YOU ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE RESIDENT OVER THERE AND LIKE I SAID, THE POND WHERE I LIVE IN AND I DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOU WHERE THAT OR NOT.
THE WATER'S SO HIGH YOU CAN'T EVEN GET OVER AND YOU CAN'T GET OUT OF THERE.
LAST HURRICANE WE HAD, I WAS IN FIVE FOOT OF WATER, I DUCK DOWN BACK THE WATER, GOT THE WATER, GOT ALMOST TO THE RAILROAD TRACKS.
UM, FROM, FROM FLORENCE AND THE RAILROAD, THE RAILROAD TILE ALWAYSAND, IT'S NOT LONG ENOUGH TO TAKE THE WATER OUT OF THAT AREA.
THE RAILROAD, WHEN WE HAVE THAT KIND OF STORM THERE, THERE'S VERY LITTLE WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO ON A STORM WATER RETENTION PUMPS.
UM, TO, TO COUNTERACT THAT TYPE OF STORM.
I, THERE'S NO WAY I CAN PROMISE YOU THAT.
BUT WHAT WOULD THE PERSON THAT $2 MILLION POND BUILT UP FROM
THAT'S THE BIG CAUSE THAT'S THE ITSELF, THAT'S THE RIVER AT THAT POINT.
THE RIVER IS COMING OVER EVERY DAY.
YOU TALKING ABOUT, UH, WINDY HILL, WINDY TRAIL AREA THAT, THAT DEVELOPMENT.
YEAH, WELL YEAH, A LOT OF THAT WHEN WE SAW DURING FLORENCE WAS ACTUALLY YOU STAND IF YOU COULD, BUT ANYWAY, I'VE BEEN OVER THERE FOR 40 YEARS.
WELL, YOU, I HAVEN'T SEEN NO IMPROVEMENT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD 40 YEARS OR MORE.
ALRIGHT, SO DO YOU REMEMBER, ACTUALLY, I'M TRYING TO GET A GOOD ONE.
BEFORE, UH, WE ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTED, I REMEMBER ALL OF, I HAD TO LEAVE MY HOUSE.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN NORTH HILLS USED TO FLOOD EVERY TIME THE WIND BLOW? YEAH.
WELL WE, THAT IMPROVED SINCE THEN.
THE WATER COMING BACK IN DESERT FIELD.
I MEAN YEAH, WE DO IN A, IN A, IN A STANDPOINT OF, AND AND ESSENCE WHAT I'M SAYING, I CAN CUT MYSELF SHORT.
IF YOU COME OVER THERE IN A HIGH RANGE, YOU'LL KNOW IF YOU LIVE OVER THERE, YOU WILL KNOW.
SO TALK THINGS OR TALK TO THE PEOPLE THAT KNOW I LIVE IN THE POND.
SO WOULD BE OVER THERE TO KNOW.
THE BIGGEST HELP WOULD BE IF WE COULD GET SOME TRACTION TO GET BIGGER TILES WITHIN THE RAILROAD WOULD HELP A LOT.
THAT PART OF, BUT THAT TAKES A LOT OF THE FIELD SCHOOL, THAT'S WHERE THE WATER STAY THERE NO DRAINAGE WHEN YOU LEAVE.
UH, NOT W FIELD BARBER SCHOOL.
THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO GET TRACTION.
THE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW HIS CONCERN.
I WAS TRYING TO GET OUTTA THE POND.
YOU KNOW, HIS CONCERN, YOU WANNA GET OUTTA THE POND IN THE LAST 40 YEARS.
BUT WATER BEING PUT IN THAT AREA, I, AND I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT HAVE OKAY.
ANY QUESTION? UM, THIS IS MY ROUGH MAP.
UM, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE ABOUT TWO POINT, I MEAN, UH, $6.7 MILLION HAS ALREADY HAS BEEN INVESTED AND I KNOW YOU'RE TRYING TO SECURE MORE FUNDING TIMETABLE ON THE, UM, CANAL, UH, COMPLETION, MR. FIELD CANAL COMPLETION THE CANAL COM THE, THE STUDIES SHOULD BE DONE, I WOULD THINK PROBABLY BY THE END OF THE FALL, WINTERTIME THEY'LL HAVE SOME PUBLIC OUTREACH AND PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD MEETINGS AVAILABLE.
AND WHAT THEY'RE GONNA ASSESS IS WHERE, WHERE WE CAN MAKE IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF PRIVATE PROPERTY ALONG WITH NOW, WHICH LIMITS OUR ABILITY TO DO CERTAIN THINGS.
BUT THIS WILL GIVE US A PLAN TO HAVE TARGET AREAS WHERE WE CAN GO AFTER ADDITIONAL GRANT FUNDING, UM, TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS.
AND WHICH WHERE YOU PLAN TO RUN THAT
WE'RE NOT REROUTING THE D FIELD CANALS.
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH ONE ONE RIGHT BACK OF WASHINGTON STREET RUN TO SEVENTH STREET? IT DIDN'T IMPROVE TO BE DONE TODAY.
MR. CHAIR, I HAD TO FINISH MY QUESTION.
[00:50:01]
THAT.UM, AS FAR AS THE CANAL PROJECT, AS FAR AS FLORENCE, THE WATER CAME THE 1809 GARDEN STREET KINSTON RIGHT THERE.
THAT'S WHERE, THAT'S WHERE I'M AT.
WATER CAME FROM THE CANAL BACK THERE.
SO I BIGGEST CONCERNED WITH THAT SIDE.
I'M NOT OVER THERE JC BOB, BUT I RIGHT THERE, THAT'S MY CONCERN AS FAR AS THE CANAL BEFORE THE NEXT CAN DO THE FLORENCE STORM BEFORE THE NEXT HURRICANE COME.
I WAS JUST ASKING FOR THE TIMET 'CAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE WATER GOT US AT.
AND I, I THINK A, A LOT THAT THE, THE BEST FEATURE THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO GET COMPLETED IS THE CULVERTS AT THE EAST ROADS GOOD STATION.
THAT IS OUR PRIMARY SOURCE OF, UH, BACKFLOW FROM THE RIVER.
IT'S TIED RIGHT TO JACKSON, SMITH CREEK AND, AND INITIAL RIVER.
SO AS THE RIVER RISES, YOU KNOW, THE WATER IN THE, IN THE, IN THAT CULVER THAT COMES UNDER THE TRAY TRACKS.
AND IF WE CAN GET PROPER GATES, THAT'LL SEAL THERE.
AND WE'RE LOOKING AT POTENTIALLY CHECK, THERE'S A DROP DOWN STEP RIGHT THERE AT THE CULVERTS RAISING THAT ROAD A LITTLE BIT.
UM, THAT'LL HELP US TO APRIL POINT.
BUT WE'RE ONLY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE RESTRICTED BY HOW MUCH WE COULD COUNTER A TROPICAL SYSTEM.
YOU KNOW, WE GET A HEAVY TROPICAL SYSTEM AND GET IN AND DATES AND TYPE, YOU KNOW, LOTS OF PLACES AND WE CAN'T STOP THE DEAD ATLANTIC OCEAN FROM COMING.
UM, GEORGE AND
I MEAN, I THINK MY FIRST INTRODUCTION TO YOU SEVERAL YEARS AGO WITH MATT WAS AN ISSUE I WAS HAVING OUT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
NOT IN W FIELD, BUT I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND HERE IS THAT EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN CERTAIN ISSUE THAT IMPACTS THEM.
AND IT'S THE MOST DEAR TO YOU, BUT ALL YOU GUYS CAN DO IS TARGET THE MASSES AS BEST YOU CAN AND TRY TO MINIMIZE THINGS.
SO AS
I THINK IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT RIGHT OF US TO CONSIDER EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT LIVES THERE AND TRYING TO ADDRESS EVERYTHING.
IF, IF I COULD, YOU'D HAVE A WHOLE LOT BIGGER PIPE OVER BY HJ MCDONALD MIDDLE SCHOOL TO CATCH THAT RAIN.
I'VE, I'VE, I'VE BET YOU HERE ON THAT PLENTY OF TIMES.
BUT WE'RE HERE TO HELP THE MASSES AND YOU'RE TRYING TO DO THAT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I REMEMBER WHENEVER THIS PROJECT FIRST CAME UP WAS, UH, AN ESTIMATE OF NUMBER OF, OF THE AMOUNT OF RAIN THAT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE AFTER THIS PROJECT WOULD, WOULD IMPACT BEING MINIMAL.
HAS THAT ESTIMATE HELD TRUE? AND DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT THAT IS NOW? SO WE HAVE A GENERAL IDEA WHERE WE COULD BLANKET SAY, HEY, YOU'VE SEEN ALL THIS WORK.
WE CAN HOLD AN EXTRA FOUR INCHES OF RAIN NOW MORE THAN WE COULD BEFORE.
OR WHAT, WHATEVER THAT NUMBER MAY BE FOR THE, FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN GENERAL.
THE, THE, THE CALCULATION THAT WAS PROVIDED TO US WAS APPROXIMATELY SEVEN ACRE FEET OF WATER.
SO IF YOU CONSIDER THAT, THAT IS, IF YOU HAVE A ONE ACRE PARCEL, IT WILL HOLD SEVEN FEET OF WATER ALL THE WAY ACROSS THAT PARCEL.
SO WHEN YOU TALK A 50 ACRE DRAINAGE FACING, OBVIOUSLY THAT GETS LOOSE.
UM, BUT NOW THAT WE HAVE LARGER PUMPS, WE CAN, WE CAN DEAL WITH THAT WATER FASTER.
AND, AND THAT'S THE BIGGEST, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAD NO OUTFALL FOR THAT AREA, SO IT WOULD RANGE AND SIT ON THE GROUND.
WE HAD NO WAY TO GET IT TO GO TO THE RIVER.
AND NOW THIS ALLOWS US TO, IT IT WAS ALL POND.
IT WAS ALL, NOW YOU'RE MOVING PART OF IT.
NOW WE CAN, NOW WE CAN TREAT IT AND, AND WE CAN DISCHARGE IT.
WE DID NOT HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY BEFORE.
AND FROM A, FROM A ROAD SITUATION, THE ROADS AS THEY SIT RIGHT NOW TODAY, IS THAT THE, THE FINAL VERSION OF WHAT THAT'S GONNA BE? OR IS THERE GONNA BE MORE OPEN CLOSURES OR REPAIR WORK OR ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE TO WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN DONE? UM, I THINK AT THAT TRIANGLE POINT WHERE YOU HAVE THE ANGLE RIGHT UP AS YOU'RE WORKING TOWARDS BE STREET, WE'RE, WE'RE CONSIDERING SOME OPTIONS THERE.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY FINAL DESIGN ON WHAT WE WANT TO CHANGE, BUT WE DO KNOW THAT THERE, THERE IS SOME ISSUE RIGHT THERE.
UM, I I WILL SAY IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, AND THIS IS INCLUSIVE OF AREAS RIGHT OUTSIDE OF THE, THE, UM, REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT BOUNDARY, WE'VE DONE APPROXIMATELY A MILLION DOLLARS OF PAVING IN THERE IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
SO WE JUST FINISHED SOME LAST MONTH, ANOTHER $300,000 THAT WAS, UM, AR ENABLED THROUGH
UM, SO, SO WE'VE BEEN DOING SOME, SOME RESURFACING WORK.
WE'VE ALSO, UM, THERE IS A COMMUNITY DEVELOPED BLOCK GRANT THAT IS WORKING ON GASTON BOULEVARD TO RESURFACE THAT AND PROVIDE SOME SIDEWALKS LONG STANDING LIGHT ON THAT SECTION.
UM, AND, AND LIKE I SAID, NONE OF THIS WAS INCLUSIVE OF THE FEMA, THE FEMA WORK THAT WENT THROUGH THAT AREA TOO.
SO $2.1 MILLION ON CAT A, CAT B, AND JACK SMITH CREEK.
NOW JACK SMITH CREEK EXTENDS OUTSIDE OF THIS BOUNDARY, BUT THAT, THAT WAS WHAT WAS DONE JUST FOR THAT DRAINAGE BASE.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU START ADDING THESE NUMBERS UP AND THERE'S BEEN A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF
[00:55:01]
EITHER FEMA, FEMA WORK OR NEW CONSTRUCTION OR, UH, REWORK OF THE STREETS IN THOSE AREAS.ONE MORE QUESTION I'LL, I'LL, I'LL GIVE MY TIME.
UM, THE, THE BROAD STREET AND FIRST IS WERE DOING OVER BY THE, THE HABITAT RESOURCE.
UM, YOU MENTIONED THERE'S A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF PERMITTING REQUIRED BECAUSE THAT FLOWS INTO THE WATERWAY, I'M ASSUMING, GOING DOWN THROUGH THE, THE TRI COURT AREA ON THE WAY TO, TO LAWS CREEK.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, ARE YOU GUYS ACTIVELY ENGAGED WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY ON WHAT THAT SITE REDEVELOPMENT CAN BE AND WHAT CAN BE DONE PROACTIVELY WHENEVER THAT PROJECT FINALLY GOES FORWARD TO HELP FLOW WATER FROM THAT WAY IN A BETTER RIGHT.
AND, AND WE HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE, THE CONSULTANTS THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THE CNI GRANT, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A MEETING WITH THEM THE FIRST WEEK OF FEBRUARY AGO, THEIR FINAL PLANS.
SO ULTIMATELY, YES, WE HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THAT.
AND THAT IS ONE REASON YOU DO NOT SEE MAYBE, UM, SOME OF THE STREETS THAT WILL BE IN THAT AREA REDONES WITH.
THE LAST THING WE WANT TO DO IS JUST SPEND MONEY ON INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S TORN OUT FOR IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE ZONING.
SO WE, WE'LL HAVE A BETTER IDEA ONCE THIS GRANT, UM, OPPORTUNITY.
WE, WE KNOW WHERE, WHERE WE'RE GONNA LAND ON THAT.
SO, BUT THE ONE ON LIBERTY IS, HAS BEEN A HISTORIC PROBLEM.
I'VE LIVED HERE MY ENTIRE LIFE.
I'VE SEEN THAT STREET FLOOD EVERY TIME WE HAVE A HIGH DENSITY RAIN AND IT'S JUST A VOLUME ISSUE WITH THE OUTFALL.
AND LIKE, LIKE I SAID WITH THE PERMITING, ANYTIME YOU GET CLOSE TO THE RIVER, PERMITS CHANGE AND THAT THEY INCREASE ON ALL, ALL LEVELS.
SO, BUT THE STORM WATER PROJECTS THAT ARE CLOSE TO A BLUE LINE OR PUBLIC TRUST WATER WILL HAVE MORE OVERSIGHT AND MORE PERMITTING.
THANK Y'ALL BOTH AGAIN, APPRECIATE YOU SAID
RIGHT BESIDE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF WHERE WOULD THAT WANT TO GO? THERE ACTUALLY, THERE'S ACTUALLY, UM, INLETS NOW THAT WERE CONSTRUCTED AS PART OF THE STANLEY WHITE PROJECT, UH, ON GAS THAT, THAT COLLECTED AND PUT IT INTO A RETENTION AREA.
BUT THE WORK HE'S TALKING ABOUT IS THE ROADWAY, UM, COMMISSIONER.
BUT, BUT NORMALLY THAT WOOD WOULD GO IN THE CANAL RUNNING ALL THE WAY TO WASHINGTON STREET SEVENTH STREET.
THAT'S WHERE THAT WOOD WOULD GO.
AND IT GOES, IT WOULD GO TO THE EAST ROSE POND ULTIMATELY.
BUT IT GOES THROUGH WHAT ROAD YOU SAYING IT'S GONNA GO THROUGH THE DUNFIELD NOW BECAUSE THAT IS THE OUTFALL, THE OUTFALL COLLECTION POINT FOR THAT AREA.
I THINK THE QUESTION YOU'RE ASKING IS DIRECTION, BUT THAT'S THE AREA I'M IN THAT DOES PARK AND DOWN NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT'LL GO, IT WALK WHERE THE CANAL IS.
RIGHT AT THE, WHAT I WAS SAYING, THAT LITTLE WATER COMES TO MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
I BOAT MY WAY OUT THAT MAN, AND THAT'S WHERE THAT WATER GOES NOW.
SO WATCH THAT ALTERNATIVE TO PUT IT ANOTHER WAY GOING ANOTHER ROUTE.
I I SO YOU WON'T GO THROUGH THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT, IT'S TOUGH TO WATCH NATURE AND ELEVATIONS.
I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING.
BUT I, I THINK THAT THE BIGGEST BENEFIT YOU'LL SEE IS WHEN WE'RE ABLE TO COMPLETE THESE ROADS POND WORK BECAUSE THAT IS THE OUTFALL OF THAT WATER AND THE WATER THAT ACTUALLY CONNECTS TO NEAR YOUR HOUSE.
SO ONCE WE, ONCE WE HAVE THAT COMPLETED, I THINK WE'LL SEE SOME IMPROVEMENT ON NORMAL, NORMAL DRAINAGE FUNCTION IN THAT AREA.
IF YOU SEE HIM, CHASE HIM OFF,
IF YOU ALLOW 'EM TO NEST IN A PLACE, ONCE THEY ALWAYS COME BACK, THEY GONNA COME BACK, CHASE THEM UP BEFORE THEY NEST, THEN THAT'D BE THE BEST THING FOR THE DOG.
Y'ALL HAVE A YOUNG, WONDERFUL WEEKEND.
[9. (10 am) - Habitat Presentation: Community Development Collaboration]
TRACY HAD TO GO OUT OF TOWN, SO[10. (10:30 am) - New Bern Police Department Presentation: Recent Calls and Reports]
WE GOT POLICE CHIEF HERE WITH SOME GOOD NEWS.UM, WE GOT UP THIS MORNING, WALKED OUTSIDE AND THANK GOD FOR ALL THE HAIR HE PUT ON MY HEAD TO KEEP MY HEAD WARM.
I KNOW HOW TO, SO, UM, AND I'M A LITTLE OLDER THAN YOU TOO.
UM, SO LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF.
I'M PATRICK GALLAGHER AND, UH, THE, UH, I HAVE THE HONOR OF SERVING, UH, SOME OF THE BEST POLICE OFFICERS I'VE EVER MET IN THE 40 YEARS I'VE BEEN DOING THIS WITH
[01:00:01]
THE NEW VERNON POLICE DEPARTMENT.AND WE ARE AN AGENCY THAT, UM, SEEKS TO BE INTELLIGENCE LED AND EVIDENCE BASED IN WHAT WE DO.
AND WE TRY TO, UH, LEVERAGE BEST POSSIBLE, UH, INDUSTRY BEST PRACTICES IN HOW WE DELIVER SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY.
WE ARE AND HAVE BEEN, UM, FOR SEVEN CYCLES ACCREDITED THROUGH THE INTERNATIONAL BODY KNOWN AS KALIA, AND WE ARE CONSIDERED A FLAGSHIP AGENCY WITH RESPECT TO NATIONAL ACCREDITATION.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS CHALLENGED WITH, UM, WITH THIS BODY WAS TO PROVIDE SOME STATS WITH, UH, RESPECT TO THE BOUNDARIES OF THE REDEVELOPMENT, UM, DISTRICT.
AND IT, DOES EVERYBODY HAVE THIS CHART? MM-HMM
SO IF YOU WOULD LOOK AT THIS CHART, WHAT YOU SEE IS THE BOUNDARIES IN RED.
NOW, YOU MIGHT BE ASKING YOURSELF, WELL CHIEF, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT IS THAT? UH, ORANGES CIRCLE IN THE MIDDLE.
NOW I I I WOULD ASK THAT, UH, WE KEEP THIS A SECRET AMONGST OURSELVES, IF YOU WOULD, BUT THAT IS THE OFFICIAL BOUNDARIES OF OUR SHOT SPOTTER PROGRAM, WHICH WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 2025, I'M SORRY, 2024.
UM, THE REASON WHY WE DO NOT PROMOTE THE ACTUAL BOUNDARIES OF OUR SHOT SPOTTER IS WE DON'T WANT THE NATURE WELLS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT WOULD USE FIREARMS TO SETTLE THEIR, UH, UH, UH, PIECE WITH OTHERS TO THINK, OH, I'M IN A SAFE SPOT AND I CAN UTILIZE MY FIREARM WITH IMPUNITY.
WE DO NOT WANT THAT, BUT I, I WILL TELL YOU THAT OUR SHOTS BROUGHT A PROGRAM.
OUR SHOTS BROUGHT A, UH, UM, TECHNOLOGY WILL WILL ALERT US WHEN THERE ARE SHOTS ACTUALLY FIRED AT UNION POINT PARK, WHICH IS MUCH FURTHER FROM THE OFFICIAL BOUNDARIES.
THIS IS THE AREA IN WHICH, UM, WE ARE GUARANTEED, UM, COVERAGE.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, MOST OF THE REDEVELOPMENT, UH, COMMISSION ACTUALLY FALLS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR SHOTS SPOTTER LOCATION.
IN FACT, WHAT WE DID IN 2025 WAS THERE WAS A SECTION IN TRENT COURT THAT WAS NOT COVERED.
UM, AND WE LEARNED THIS AFTER THE IMPLEMENTATION AND WE WORKED WITH, UH, SOUND THINKING, WHICH IS THE PARENT COMPANY OF OUR PROGRAM.
AND WE ASKED THEM TO BRING THEIR ENGINEERS BACK INTO NEW BERN SO THAT WE COULD DEVELOP, UM, A SYSTEM BY WHICH WE COULD CAPTURE ALL OF TRENT COURT, WHICH IS, YOU CAN SEE, UM, NOW EXISTS.
NOW ONE OF THE THINGS I, I I, I WANT TO, UM, CLARIFY OR, OR, OR, OR, OR MAYBE MAKE A QUICK STATEMENT.
WE FIND IT A LITTLE BIT DISHEARTENING TO TAKE A VICTORY LAP WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, REDUCTION IN CRIME.
BECAUSE ANY VICTIM OF A CRIME, ESPECIALLY A CRIME OF VIOLENCE, IS SOMEBODY WHO, UM, IS NOT GOING TO SEE A REDUCTION IN CRIME AS A POSITIVE, BECAUSE THEY THEMSELVES WILL VICTIMIZE.
SO THIS IS NOT A VICTORY LAST OPPORTUNITY, BUT WHAT I WILL SHARE IS OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, AND, AND I'VE PROVIDED SOME DATA GOING BACK TO 2023 RELATIVE TO THE, UM, THE BOUNDARIES IS WE HAVE SEEN A REDUCTION AND WE HAVE SEEN A DECREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF GUNFIRE, UH, OR GUN RELATED INCIDENCES IN THIS AREA.
UM, AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THAT IS NOT BY MISTAKE.
SHOTSPOTTER HAS BECOME, UM, AN INVALUABLE TOOL AND RESOURCE TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE.
UM, AND I WILL GIVE YOU ONE QUICK EXAMPLE OF WHY SHOT SPOTTER IS SO CRITICALLY IMPORTANT, THAT ONCE WE ARE ALERTED THAT GUNFIRE HAS BEEN DETECTED, UM, OUR OFFICERS WILL RESPOND.
WE WILL RESPOND NOT ONLY TO, UH, TRY TO ABATE FURTHER VIOLENCE AND APPREHEND THOSE THAT ARE, UH, ENGAGED IN ILLEGAL ACTIVITY, BUT WE WILL ALSO CHECK FOR THOSE THAT MIGHT BE INJURED.
ROUGHLY 80% OF ALL SHOTS THAT HAD BEEN FIRED IN, IN THE DUFFY FIELD AREA WENT UNREPORTED.
AND OF THOSE 80%, IF A VICTIM, UM, LIES INJURED AND NOBODY HAD CONTACTED THE POLICE.
AND NOT WITHSTANDING THE FACT THAT
[01:05:01]
OFTENTIMES WHEN WE DID RECEIVE CALLS FOR SERVICE ABOUT GUNFIRE, IT WAS IN A GENERAL LOCATION, WE WOULD NOT KNOW SPECIFICALLY WHERE THE GUNFIRE, UM, WAS, UM, WAS DISCHARGED.NOW WE KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THE GUN WAS FIRED.
AND NOT ONLY DO WE KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THE GUN WAS FIRED, WE DON'T HAVE ANY ROUNDS WERE FIRED.
UM, SO WE CAN GO AND WE CAN CHECK FOR THE INJURY.
'CAUSE I CERTAINLY WOULD NOT WANT TO HAVE BEEN A PERSON WHO CAUGHT A BULLET AND NOBODY'S COMING.
AND I WOULD NOT BE FOUND UNTIL THE MORNING UNTIL SOMEBODY SAW.
SO THE, THE, THERE ARE ADDED VALUES THERE.
ONE OF THE STATS THAT I THINK IS JUST JUMPS RIGHT OFF THE PAGE IS IN 2023, JUST IN THE REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT, THERE WAS 63 CALLS FOR SERVICE FOR GUNFIRE.
IN 2024, WE IMPLEMENT SHOTS FIRED THAT WENT FROM 63 TO 20.
AND IN THE CALENDAR YEAR OF 2025, WE RECEIVED SIX CALLS FOR SERVICE FOR GUNFIRE IN THE REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT.
UM, IF THERE IS A METHOD BY WHICH TO ABATE AND REDUCE, UM, VIOLENCE AND, AND ULTIMATELY, UM, HOMICIDES, LET ME, LET ME RESTATE THAT.
UH, MURDERS, I, I, I SAY THIS BECAUSE HOMICIDE IS NOT ILLEGAL.
MURDER IS ILLEGAL, AND THERE IS, THERE IS NOTHING MORE CRITICAL THAN REDUCING THE LOSS OF LIFE.
AND, UM, IN THE CALENDAR YEAR 2025, WE DID NOT HAVE A SINGLE, UH, MURDER OR HOMICIDE IN THE REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT.
AND THAT'S A CRITICAL ELEMENT.
ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, SAY, BECAUSE IN 2025, WE WERE FINALLY SUCCESSFUL IN BRINGING JUSTICE TO THE FAMILY IN THE MEMORY OF NEIL LANIE SHETA, THE 15 MONTH OLD WHO WAS TRAGICALLY SHOT AND KILLED, UM, BASED ON GANG VIOLENCE.
AND IT, IT WAS, UH, NOT WITHOUT AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF DEDICATION AND EFFORTS, NOT ONLY BY THE NEW BERN POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT BY THE FEDERAL AGENCIES AND STATE AGENCIES TO BRING THIS CASE TO JUSTICE.
AND SHE WAS KILLED ON MAIN STREET ON THE 4TH OF JULY IN 2023.
SO WE WERE INCREDIBLY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT WE WERE FINALLY ABLE TO CONVINCE, UH, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY TO ALLOW US TO, UM, FILE CHARGES AGAINST TWO OF THE SUSPECTS.
ONE ACTUALLY HAD, UH, RELOCATED TO, UH, JOHNSON, TENNESSEE, IN WHICH WE WORKED WITH THE FBI.
AND OUR STAFF WENT TO JOHNSON, TENNESSEE TO TAKE HIM INTO CUSTODY, UM, AND EXTRADITE HIM BACK TO, UH, NEW BERN MORE.
NEW BERN HAS A FAR HIGHER RATE OF CLEARANCE PER MURDER THAN THE AVERAGE IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA.
SO YOU ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE ARRESTED AND CHARGED FOR MURDER IN NEW BERN THAN YOU WOULD ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE STATE, OR AT LEAST AS AN AVERAGE FOR THE STATE.
UH, ONE OF THE STRATEGIES THAT WE HAVE, AND WE TRY TO BEAT THIS DRUM AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE, IS WE CANNOT DO THIS ALONE.
COMMUNITY POLICING IS A MILESTONE, NOT JUST FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT, FOR THE COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY COMES FIRST IN THAT, IN THAT TAG, WE NEED THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT.
NEIL AND SHEP TALKS, UH, UH, MURDERERS WOULD'VE BEEN APPREHENDED THE NIGHT OF THE MURDER HAD WE ONLY HAD SUPPORT FROM MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I, I I, I BELIEVE THAT THAT IS A, UH, GOAL THAT ALL COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, WILL SHARE, ESPECIALLY WITH GOVERNMENT, SPECIFICALLY LAW ENFORCEMENT, THAT THAT PARTNERSHIP COULD PLEASE COURT.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
WHAT I PROVIDED YOU WERE BASICALLY PART ONE CRIMES, UM, FOR A THREE YEAR PERIOD.
AND AS YOU COULD SEE, IN 2023, THE GRAND TOTAL WAS 173.
AND OVER THE TWO YEARS, IT CONTINUED TO REDUCE TO A POINT WHERE WE'RE AT NOW, 127, 127 PERSONS.
UM, WERE VICTIMIZED IN 2025, AND WE PAY GRAVE DEFERENCE TO, UH, THEIR PAIN AND SUFFERING.
AND WE HOPE THAT 2026 WILL BE EVEN LESS THAN THAT.
SO I STAND READY TO ANSWER ANY OF YOUR QUESTIONS.
UM, THIS IS MORE CURIOSITY, BUT SO YOUR, UM, SHOTS SPOTTER, SHOTS FIRED ARE WAY DOWN
[01:10:01]
IN THE AREA WHERE THE, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE HAVE THE ORANGE OVERLAY.DID IT SPREAD GUNFIRE JUST OUTSIDE THE REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT OR IT IN TOWN, OR, I MEAN, NO, IT, SO THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
THE, THE, SO IF, IF I CAN ASSUME, UH, UH, WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ME, DID IT ONLY DISPLACE VIOLENCE TO ANOTHER LOCATION? WE DID NOT SEE THAT IN OUR, OUR CITY.
IN FACT, IF I CAN MAKE ONE OTHER POINT, UM, EARLY IN 2025, WE SAW, UM, UM, INCREASED GANG VIOLENCE.
WE'RE TALKING, UH, MARCH, APRIL TIMEFRAME, UM, IN WHICH WE PUT A GREAT DEAL OF EFFORT INTO ABATING, UM, UH, THAT VIOLENCE.
AND THE WORD ON THE STREET WAS THE NEW BERN POLICE DEPARTMENT IN C CRAVEN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS NOT PLAYING AROUND.
AND, UH, UH, IT WAS BASICALLY A STAND OUT, STAND DOWN ORDER FROM THE GAMES BECAUSE THEY WERE, WERE NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO SPENDING TIME IN, UH, CHIP HUGHES'S HOTEL DOWN ON CLARK STREET.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THE GANG MEMBERS KNOW THAT WE EXIST AND THEY KNOW THAT THERE'S CONSEQUENCES.
UM, AND WE SAW, UM, A HUGE REDUCTION IN VIOLENCE AFTER THAT.
NOW, THE PROBLEM IS THE CONDITIONS THAT CREATE GANG INVOLVEMENT IS BEYOND LAW ENFORCEMENT'S CAPACITY TO SOLVE MM-HMM
HOMELESSNESS, DRUG ADDICTION, UM, UH, UH, LACK OF, OF CERTAIN BASIC SERVICES, UM, UH, UNEMPLOYMENT.
THESE ARE CONDITIONS THAT CREATE POVERTY.
POVERTY CREATES OPPORTUNITIES FOR GANG RECRUITMENT.
UM, AND WE, WE, LAW ENFORCEMENT, ARE BOTH ONE OF THE STAKEHOLDERS IN A MUCH BROADER, UM, NOT TO UNTIE IT QUESTION BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO REVITALIZE CERTAIN AREAS WITH HOMES AND ELIMINATING ABANDONED HOMES.
DOES THAT HELP YOU, DOES THAT AND, AND, AND THEN PUTTING IN, YOU KNOW, THE NEWER HOMES OR IT BRING, DOES IT BRING A DIFFERENT ATMOSPHERE OR BRING A DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN? OR HOW DOES THAT AFFECT YES.
SO IF, IF YOU CAN ELIMINATE, AND, AND THIS IS, THIS IS A BROKEN WINDOWS THEORY IN, IN, IN A PRACTICAL SENSE, IF YOU CAN ELIMINATE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CRIMINAL ELEMENT TO THRIVE, AND THEY THRIVE IN PLACES WHERE THEY'RE NOT SEEN, THEY THRIVE IN PLACES WHERE APATHY WITHIN THE COMMUNITY SUGGESTS THAT WE DON'T CARE AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO PARTNER WITH.
UM, I CAN GIVE YOU, UH, ONE EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE SOUGHT TO DO.
UM, AND THIS INCLUDES OUR CITY ATTORNEY AND, UM, THE OWNERSHIP OF THE FIVE POINTS MARKET.
WE HAVE WORKED WITH THEM IN 2023 TO ESTABLISH SOME PRINCIPLES THAT THEY HAVE TO ADHERE TO.
UM, FROM ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, THEY'VE DONE WHAT WE'VE ASKED THEM TO DO.
UH, THE PROBLEM IS, UM, CRIMINALS WILL FIND A WAY AND, UM, TO YOUR POINT, UM, IF WE CAN ELIMINATE, UM, UH, UNOCCUPIED HOUSING AND PLACES FOR, UM, CRIMINALS TO GO TO, TO, TO HIDE IT AND TO DISCRETE THEMSELVES IN, IN THE COMMUNITY, THAT MAKES LIFE A WHOLE LOT EASIER FOR US.
UM, BECAUSE WHEN WE PATROL, UM, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON IN AREAS THAT WE CANNOT SEE YOU.
BUT
I DIDN'T HEAR YOU SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THOSE AREAS.
WE, WE WORK CLOSELY WITH THE, UH, WITH OUR SROS TO PRODUCE, UH, UM, SAFETY PROGRAMS WITHIN THE SCHOOL CAMPUSES.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A ROBUST SYSTEM IN WHICH, UM, WE HAVE PSAS, WE DO, UH, SAFETY PROGRAMS AT, UH, DID YOU USE, EVERYBODY DON'T KNOW WHAT SRO PSAS ARE? OH, I'M SORRY.
SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS ON CAMPUS TO PROVIDE A SAFETY PROGRAM.
IN 2025, WE HAD, WE HOSTED TWO, UH, SEMINARS.
ONE FOR THE ELDERLY FOR SCAMS TO HELP THEM PREVENT, UH, THEMSELVES FROM BEING VICTIMIZED THROUGH, THROUGH SCAMS, BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT STAY UP LATE AT NIGHT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO SEPARATE YOU FROM YOUR MONEY.
UM, AND THEY'RE VERY GOOD AT IT.
AND SO WE, WE DO HOST SEMINARS.
WE'VE HOSTED THEM EVERY YEAR, SAFETY SEMINARS THAT WE'VE DONE, THOSE, UM, YOUTH PROGRAMS
[01:15:01]
THAT WE'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN.UM, I, I HOPE THAT WAS ONE WAY TO ANSWER THAT, BUT I CAN GET A, A THOROUGH LIST OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE.
UM, BUT THOSE ARE THE PROACTIVE MEANS OF TRYING TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO OUR, TO OUR COMMUNITY SO THAT THEY DON'T BECOME, OKAY.
I DID HEAR YOU MENTION THAT, AND ONE OF MY CONCERNS, I A SENIOR CITIZENS WHERE YOUR DAUGHTER NOT VOTE,
AND I TAKE SHERIFF RIGHT AT THE CORNER BEFORE PEOPLE WHAT DONE ABOUT WHAT KIND OF PROGRAM WE HAVE SET UP FOR.
DON'T GO BACK, GO THE CORNER, STAND ALL DAY.
WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING CREATES A VERY SENSITIVE CONVERSATION AND A REALITY IN AMERICAN CAN COME BY.
SO STANDING ON THE CORNER IS NOT ILLEGAL.
TRIAL IS WHAT YOU DO IN THE CORNER.
SO THIS IS A, THIS IS A DELICATE CONVERSATION TO SAY, WHEN DID THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER CROSS THE LINE IN CIVIL RIGHTS, WHEN THE SPIDER SENSE GOES OFF OF THE OFFICER'S MIND, WHETHER THEY'RE WHITE OR BLACK MM-HMM
AND THEY ENGAGE A PERSON WHO IN THEIR MIND SEEMS SUSPICIOUS, BEING ON A PARTICULAR STREET CORNER AT 2:00 PM IS A WHOLE LOT DIFFERENT THAN THE SAME SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES AM MM-HMM
AND THEN THERE'S THIS NOTION THAT YOU ONLY STOPPED ME BECAUSE OF MY RACE, AND YOU PROFILED ME.
AND SO THAT'S A DELICATE SITUATION.
NOW, THE SOLUTION IS NOT, DON'T ENGAGE.
AND THAT HAPPENED QUITE CANDIDLY.
IT HAPPENED A LOT IN, IN URBAN CITIES WHERE POLICE OFFICERS SAID, I DON'T WANT TO BE THE GUY ON CNN TONIGHT.
I DON'T WANT TO BE TO BE ACCUSED, SO I'M GOING TO DE POLICE MYSELF.
I'M JUST GONNA SIT IN MY CAR AND I'LL ANSWER MY CALLS FOR SERVICE.
BUT THAT'S ABOUT ALL I'M GONNA DO.
AND THE ANSWER, THE ANSWER IS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU CAN DO LEGALLY.
THE FOURTH AMENDMENT IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT AMENDMENTS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE LINE IS.
AND A LOT OF TIMES IT'S ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS.
HOW DO YOU COMMUNICATE WITH SOMEBODY? THE OTHER REALITY IS OUR POLICE OFFICERS KNOW WHO OUR GANG MEMBERS ARE.
AND ALTHOUGH, UM, AFFILIATE BEING AFFILIATED WITH A GANG OR BEING A CERTIFIED GANG MEMBER, THOSE ARE TWO SEPARATE THINGS FROM A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE.
BUT PART OF IT IS UNDERSTANDING WHO YOU'RE DEALING WITH.
AND ONE OF THE, UH, UH, STOP AND FRISK FAILURES WAS OFFICERS WERE STOPPING EVERYONE AS OPPOSED TO BEING A LITTLE BIT LIKE THE ISRAELIS, WHEN THEY DO THEIR, UM, INTELLIGENCE, THEY KNOW EXACTLY THE TYPES OF PERSONS THEY HAVE TO FOCUS ON.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT BETWEEN CHOPPING A TREE DOWN WITH AN AX AND USING THE SCALPEL.
YOU HAVE TO BE STRATEGIC, AND IF YOU CAN DO IT THE PROPER WAY, THEN YOU DON'T DISENFRANCHISE THE PERSON WHO JUST SIMPLY IS, IS NOT INVOLVED IN CRIMINALITY, BUT RATHER IS JUST LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY AND TRYING TO, UH, YEAH.
HANGING OUT AT 2:00 AM GOOD OUTSIDE.
I WAS TOLD SOMETHING A LONG TIME AGO THAT, UH, NOTHING GOOD HAPPENS AFTER MIDNIGHT.
THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF REALITY TO THAT.
UM, I THINK MR. JILL HUNT, BUT YOU HIT IT RIGHT ON THE HEAD IN THE ACTION.
OKAY, I CAN RIDE AND TAKE MY CAR AND RIDE THROUGH TANNER.
I CAN KNOW UNTIL EVERYWHERE WITH SOMEBODY SMOKING DOPE.
I STILL RIDING WITH THE WINDOWS UP.
MAYBE THEY NEED PUT THE WINDOWS DOWN.
THEY CAN SMELL THE DOPE WHERE IT'S COMING FROM.
NOT THAT I'M A SNIFF DOG, BUT, UH,
[01:20:01]
I CAN SMELL IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.I CAN SMELL IT ANYTIME I GO OUT PLEASANT HILL, I CAN COME BY THAT HOUSE RIGHT ACROSS THE ROAD.
REEFER HAVE A TENDENCY TO FOLLOW THE WIND FLOW.
SO MAYBE THE GUY ROLLING WITH THE WINDOWS UP COMING THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, LET ME THROW THE WINDOW DOWN AND BEAT THE AIR.
YOU ANYTHING GONNA COME COMING? OH, I KNOW IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
THERE'S SOME THAT WOULD SAY, I, I, I WOULDN'T MIND DECRIMINALIZING MARIJUANA.
IT SMELLED LIKE POT, BUT IT'S HORRIBLE SMELL.
AND PEOPLE ARE LIKE, I, I JUST DON'T LIKE THE STINK OF IT.
BUT WE WORK UNDER TWO BASIC PRINCIPLES.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO OUR AUTHORITY.
UM, AND REASONABLE SUSPICION IS NOTHING MORE THAN, IS IT MORE THAN A HUNCH, BUT LESS THAN PROBABLE THAT SOMEBODY'S COMMITTED A CRIME THAT HAS COMMITTED A CRIME, IS COMMITTING A CRIME, WILL COMMIT A CRIME.
THAT THAT'S THAT, OKAY, I CAN STOP YOU TEMPORARILY AND FIGURE THIS OUT.
YOU'RE NOT TECHNICALLY UNDER ARREST.
IN ORDER TO GET TO AN ARREST, UH, LEVEL, THERE HAS TO BE PROBABLE CAUSE.
AND PROBABLE CAUSE JUST MEANS IF THERE WAS A, UM, ZERO TO A HUNDRED PERCENT STANDARD, IT JUST HAS TO BE ABOVE 50%.
NOW, THAT'S A MOVABLE TARGET, BUT IT JUST HAS TO BE PROBABLE.
AND THE TRIER OF FACT WILL BE A MAGISTRATE AND, AND A JURY AND A JUDGE.
UM, AND THEY WORK OFF A DIFFERENT STANDARD THAT'S APPROVED BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT STANDARD.
SO POLICE OFFICERS WORK WITHIN THAT.
SO IN TERMS OF TO WHAT DEGREE CAN WE FORCIBLY DETAIN A PERSON, IT BETTER BE AT THAT REASONABLE SUSPICION LEVEL.
AND SO, AND, AND I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
UH, A CAR DRIVES BY AND THEN ALL BY A SUDDEN, OH MAN, DID YOU SMELL THAT? WHAT THAT WAS AN EARTHY SMELL.
RIGHT? THEN YOU MIGHT SAY, DID IT COME FROM THAT CAR? WELL, IT WAS THE ONLY CAR THAT DROVE BY.
BUT COULD THAT HAVE NOT BEEN CARRIED BY THE WIND? YOU GOTTA START TO THINK, I THINK IT WAS THAT CAR, BUT I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH.
NOW, IF YOU SEE SMOKE COMING OUT THE WINDOW OF THE CAR AND THEN YOU SMELL IT, NOW YOU, NOW YOU'RE IN A DIFFERENT YEAH.
AND SO LIKE YOU THINK, I DON'T FOLLOW YOUR OFFICERS LOOK LIKE YOU ARE.
IF, IF YOU COME INTO POLICE HEADQUARTERS, YOU, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE WE, WE, WE HAVE STATE STABLE, WE HAVE STENCIL.
THE ENTIRE FOURTH DEFENDANT ON THE WALL.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE FOURTH AMENDMENT.
WE TALKED ABOUT SEARCH AND SEIZURE.
ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND.
BECAUSE IF YOU'RE GONNA BE A PRACTITIONER IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, YOU BETTER KNOW THAT FOURTH AMENDMENT.
NOW, I'M NOT, I'M HERE TO TELL YOU I LOVE THE FIRST AMENDMENT.
THAT'S WHAT WHAT MAKES US GREAT.
THAT FIRST AMENDMENT MAKES US GREAT.
AND IN THE SOUTH, THERE'S A FAIR NUMBER OF US THAT THINK THAT SECOND AMENDMENT MAKES US GREAT.
UM, BUT FROM A LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSPECTIVE, IT'S THAT FOURTH AMENDMENT.
THEN THEY SAY, WELL, ABOUT THE FIFTH AMENDMENT CHIEF.
WELL, NOT AS IMPORTANT, BUT THAT'S IMPORTANT.
TELL 'EM WHAT THE FOURTH AMENDMENT IS.
'CAUSE THEY, THE FOURTH AMENDMENT IS THE AMENDMENT THAT SPEAKS TO SEARCH AND SEIZURES WITHIN SEARCH.
ANYTIME AN OFFICER USES FORCE, IT FALLS UNDER THE FOURTH AMENDMENT.
THE FIFTH AMENDMENT DEALS WITH SELF-INCRIMINATION, WHERE THE PROBABLE CAUSE ON THAT, UH, PROBABLE EQUIVALENT, PROBABLE CAUSE IS A FOURTH AMENDMENT ISSUE.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE PROBABLE CAUSE, UM, TO SEIZE A PERSON UNDER MOST CIRCUMSTANCES.
THERE'S ALWAYS CAVEATS TO THAT.
YOU CAN SEIZE A PERSON IF YOU BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE A DANGER TO THEMSELVES.
AN INVOLUNTARY COMMITTAL COMES IN INVOLVED, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, WITH CRIMINALITY, PROBABLE CAUSE IS A FOURTH AMENDMENT ISSUE.
UM, YEAH, MY QUESTION IS TWO PARTS.
ONE, WHEN DID THE SROS, NEW BERN POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, COME OUT OF THE SCHOOLS 2021? WHY DID THEY COME OUT OF THE SCHOOLS? AND DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT IS A DISADVANTAGE TO THE INNER CITY? IS THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DEALS WITH VERSUS THE MOST TIME THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT? I'LL ANSWER THAT IN TWO RESPECTS.
UM, ONE, UM, THAT WAS A POLITICAL DECISION, UM, BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND THE CITY.
AND I WAS NOT HERE FOR THAT DEBATE.
SO I CANNOT GIVE YOU ANY, UH, REAL GUIDANCE
[01:25:01]
ON THE RATIONALE, UM, BEHIND THAT BECAUSE IT, YOU KNOW, EVERY, EVERY FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE, EVERY FTE SWORN EMPLOYEE, THAT THAT'S A COST TO THE TAXPAYER.AND THERE WAS A BELIEF THAT THE CITY TAX PAYER IS ALSO PAYING COUNTY TAXES.
AND I'M MAKING AN ASSUMPTION ON THAT.
AND THAT WAS BETTER SUITED FOR THE, FOR THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT TO, TO HANDLE ALL THE SRO PROGRAMS. THE SECOND QUESTION, I, I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A FIRM BELIEVER THAT THE PATROL, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT ENTITY THAT PATROLS THE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO BE MORE DIRECTLY, UH, CONNECTED TO THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH FEEDS THAT SCHOOL.
AND THE REASON IS NOT, I HAVE GREAT FAITH IN, IN, IN THE DEPUTIES THAT WORK IN THE CRAVEN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, BUT THE CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN THE DEPUTIES AND THE PATROL OFFICERS ISN'T THERE.
THAT SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP ISN'T AS STRONG.
REMEMBER, OUR OFFICERS WORK ON A DIFFERENT RADIO CHANNEL THAN THE DEPUTIES WORK ON.
SO WE DON'T HEAR EACH OTHER TALK ALL THE TIME.
AND THEY HAVE DIFFERENT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAN DO WE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, WHEN GOD GIVES YOU LEMON, YOU, YOU MAKE LEMONADE.
AND WE DID, BUT WE DO THE BEST WE CAN.
IS THAT A CONVERSATION TO BE ABLE TO GO BACK INTO THE SCHOOL? I BELIEVE THAT'S A CONVERSATION FOR, UM, OUR POLITICAL LEADERS.
AND IF THEY DO NOT HAVE THE, UH, APPETITE FOR THAT, THEN IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT, UH, I THINK IS GONNA HAPPEN.
A LOT OF TIMES YOU DON'T HAVE A CONVERSATION UNTIL SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS.
WELL, YOU ASK ABOUT THE CITY VAR, SR OR JUST S ALL GENERAL.
I MISSED THE, SO THE SROS ARE COUNTY, THEY'RE THE SHERIFFS, RIGHT? THEY'RE THE SHERIFF.
THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT CITY POLICE.
UH, AT THE MOST BE CITY POLICE.
AND, AND PART OF THAT DECISION, PART OF THE DECISION WAS DONE TO, UH, MAXIMIZE PERSONNEL.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY FOR EACH OFFICER, YOU, THERE'S A, THERE'S A BIG SUM THAT COMES FOR EVERY PERSONNEL THAT YOU HIRE.
UH, AND IT CAME DOWN TO, UH, IF YOU PUT IN THREE OR FOUR OFFICERS OR MORE IN A SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT'S THREE OR FOUR MORE OFFICERS, YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE ON THE STREET AND, AND BUDGETARY RESTRICTIONS, UH, NOT TO SAY, AS THE CHIEF HAS SAID THAT IT'S, IT IS NOT THAT THE SCHOOLS ARE GETTING CHEATED OUT OF ANYTHING, BUT THERE'S SOME FUNDS ASSOCIATED WITH HAVING OFFICERS IN SCHOOLS AND, UM, WHETHER IT'S A POLICE OR IT'S A COUNTY, THEY'RE GETTING SUBSIDIZED THOSE, THAT INCOME.
BUT, UM, WHEN, WHEN ALL THAT WAS DONE WITH THE PREVIOUS CHIEF, THAT WAS PART OF THE CONSIDERATION WAS BEING ABLE TO MAXIMIZE FUNDS AND MAXIMIZE POSITIONS THAT YOU HAVE, UH, ACROSS THE TWO AGENCIES.
IT JUST SEEMS FROM A RELATIONSHIP STANDPOINT THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK THAT'S, WE TOUCHED ON THAT AS WELL, BUT IF IT'S NOT A CONVERSATION, THEN JUST GOOD INFORMATION.
PLUS THAT ADDS INTO THE, GO BACK TO WHAT I THINK MR. DYLAN SAID, THE COMMUNITY CONNECTION, WORKING WITH THIS.
'CAUSE IF I SEE YOU ALL THE TIME, MAN, I WON'T SAY YOU MY FRIEND, BUT YOU COULD BE A FRIEND.
YOU, IF I SEE THE SCHOOLS ALL THE TIME, THEN I SEE YOU PATROLLING.
WELL I WOULD SAY, UM, DURING THAT TIME, DURING THAT TRANSITION, UM, I KNOW THE CRAVEN COUNTY SHERIFFS, UM, THEY ALMOST DOUBLED IN SIZE.
UM, BECAUSE WHEN YOU GET THOSE OFFICERS IN THE SCHOOL AND WE GO OUT ON SOME BREAK, THOSE OFFICERS HIT BROKE.
YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? UM, SO THAT, THAT WAS GOOD.
BUT I WILL SAY ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN C CRAVEN COUNTY SHERIFFS AND THE NEW BERN POLICE DEPARTMENT WHERE WE HIT THAT BUTTON.
WE'RE NOT WAITING FOR THE RESPONSE TIME OF THE SHERIFF.
AND SOMETIMES THAT CAN BE 20 MINUTES.
AND SO SPREAD WIDE NEWBURG PD ACTUALLY RESPOND.
PEOPLE THINK THEY DON'T TALK, BUT WHEN WE HIT THAT BUDGET, THEY KNOW IT'S A SITUATION ON THAT.
UM, ANYTIME IT GETS REAL ILL ON CAMPUS, UM, NEW NEWBORN PD IS THERE FIRST.
I MEAN, 'CAUSE THEY'RE RIGHT THERE.
UM, SO I CAN SAY I KNOW NEWBURG HIGHWAY.
SO, UM, SO I, I WILL SAY EVEN THOUGH IT IS A, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ON DIFFERENT CHANNELS, WE AT THAT, BUT IT GOES TO ALL CHANNEL.
WE HAD A STATE OUT PATROL RESPOND ONE TIME.
SO, ANY OTHER QUESTION FOR CHIEF? SO, UH, MR. JONES, I DO WANT TO TALK TO YOU FOR A MINUTE.
'CAUSE I'VE TRIED TO CALL YOU THREE TIMES YESTERDAY.
RETURN YOUR CALL, BUT I MUST HAVE YOUR WRONG PHONE NUMBER.
DON'T EVER THINK I IGNORED YOU BECAUSE I DIDN'T, I TRIED TO CALL YOU.
OH, I WAS IN TOUCH WITH THE MAYOR, UH, THE GRANT, RIGHT?
BUT I LET 'EM KNOW THAT I KNEW I WOULD BE IN TOUCH WITH YOU.
[01:30:01]
SO WE'RE GOOD TOGETHER, SIR.I HAVE AN IMPORTANT, UH, ASSIGNMENT TO DO.
SO YEAH, APPRECIATE AND, AND, UH, CHAIR, IF YOU WANT TO LET THEM A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAK FOR A MINUTE.
OFFICE, ARE YOU, UH, WE HAVE THE NEXT ONE WAS NUMBER 12, I'M SORRY,
[11. (10:45 am) - Attorney Presentation: General Statute and Powers Review]
NUMBER 11, WHICH THE ATTORNEY PRESENTATION, RIGHT? UH, WITNESS, OBVIOUSLY THE ATTORNEY'S NOT, IS NOT PRESENT.UM, AND WE WEREN'T DOING ANYTHING LEGAL.
WE WERE JUST GONNA GO OVER SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE.
UH, AS IN YOUR PACKAGES WE GAVE YOU ALL THE, THE, UH, INFORMATION REGARD, RESPONSIBILITIES ARE AND AS WELL AS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ORGANIZATION.
AND JUST TO, UH, PUT THAT OUT THERE TO SEE IF YOU ALL HAD ANY QUESTIONS ON, UH, I KNOW WE HAVE A COUPLE OF NEW MEMBERS, IF THEY HAD ANY QUESTIONS OR EVEN SOME OF THE OLDER MEMBERS, YOU ALL HAVE QUESTION AS TO WHAT AND DO AS A ION, WE HAPPY TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT.
UH, ONE THING I WILL SAY, ALL OF Y'ALL HAVE MET MR. UH, COMMISSIONER DOVE SAID YOU NEWEST ONE THAT JUST COME ON AND WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU'RE TAKING OVER THE LEFTOVER PORTION OF WHAT, UM, COMMISSIONER BRIAN HAS.
BUT AT THE END OF THAT, UM, YOUR, YOUR ROLE AT THE SECOND TIME, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, MORGAN WROTE IN 2018, I BELIEVE.
AND THEN AT THAT TIME, YOU KNOW, EACH ONE OF YOU ALL'S TERMS OBVIOUSLY LAST FOR FIVE YEARS.
UM, ALSO THE INFORMATION IN THERE ESTABLISHES THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL HAVE NON POSITIONS.
UH, AND WE'RE, WE'RE CURRENTLY FULL NOW.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, WE'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO TRY TO ANSWER THOSE OR HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT, WE'VE HAD RECENTLY, UH, YOU'LL, YOU ALL WILL GET SITUATIONS WHERE, UH, SOMEONE WILL PURCHASE A PROPERTY AND THEN THEY WANT TO SELL THEIR PROPERTY TO SOMEONE ELSE AFTER THEY PURCHASED THE PROPERTY.
ONE OTHER THING WHY HE IS DOING THAT, WE ARE, UH, A DISCUSSION COMES UP ALL THE TIME ABOUT PEOPLE BUYING PROPERTY AND YOU GOT A YEAR TO DO IT A YEAR, HUH? IS IT A YEAR OR 24 MONTHS? A YEAR.
A YEAR TO START START A YEAR TO START.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DO HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF EX EXPANDING IT OR MAKING IT LONGER EXTENDING, EXTENDING IT, OR WE CAN JUST MAKE IT, YOU KNOW, KNOWN TO THE, TO THE DEVELOPER WHO'S GONNA DO IT.
THAT, HEY, IF YOU GET TO THE POINT WHERE YOU CAN'T DO SOMETHING, YOU NEED TO KEEP US INFORMED OF WHY YOU CAN'T.
AND THEN MAYBE IT MIGHT BE EASY FOR US, SELFCARE, YOU GOT A PROBLEM? BECAUSE I THINK ONCE BEFORE STRICKEN, WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT, UH, UH, SOME PROPERTY LINES OR SOME SURVEYS OR SOMETHING THAT DELAYED SOME OTHER FOLKS FROM GET SOMETHING.
SO IT IS LIKE, I THINK WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT THAT AS WE MOVE ALONG.
HOW LENIENT ARE WE GONNA BE AS KEEPING PEOPLE IN LINE OF A TIME LIMIT? AND I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW SOME OF YOU THINK ABOUT THAT.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, I HAD TWO OR THREE CALLS IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS ABOUT THEY ONE BUY THE PROFIT.
WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT A YEAR TO START SOMETHING AND ONE GENTLEMAN SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, I WANT IT, BUT I CAN'T GET NOTHING GOING FOR A YEAR.
AND I, I DON'T WANT US TO BEGIN TO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT US TO BE SO LENIENT THAT AND SO UNDERSTAND THAT SO HARD THAT WE JUST, OKAY, BUY PROFIT, I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING.
AND THEN A YEAR AND A HALF, TWO YEAR, THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING.
I THINK JAMIE SAID ONE TO TWO YEARS, I THINK, BUT ONE YEAR TO START TWO YEARS, ONE YEAR TO START.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WELL, STEVE CAN SAY, I LIKE THE IDEA OF THERE BEING A TIME COMMIT, JUST LEAVING IT OPEN-ENDED.
THAT'S, THAT'S BEGGING FOR TROUBLE.
ESPECIALLY WHENEVER PART OF OUR, OUR GOAL BEHIND IT IS TO FACILITATE DEVELOPMENT, RIGHT? WITH THAT SAID, THERE'S ALSO BEEN PLENTY OF LOT.
SO WE SOLD WHERE WE KNOW THERE'S GONNA BE NO DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE THE PERSON NEXT TO IT IS BUYING TO HAVE, AND WE PUT RESTRICTIONS ON IT WHERE THEY CAN'T DO CERTAIN THINGS AND THAT'S IT.
RIGHT? SO WE'RE THOSE TWO THOUGHTS ARE ALMOST INCONGRUOUS BECAUSE YOU'RE, YOU'RE SELLING ONE PIECE TO ONE PERSON, PERSON AND SAYING, WE KNOW YOU'RE NEVER GONNA DEVELOP ANYTHING.
YOU'RE SELLING SOMETHING ELSE TO SOMEONE AND
[01:35:01]
SAYING YOU NEED, YOU'VE GOT A YEAR TO DO IT.RIGHT? SO WE HAVE TO HAVE TO ZOOM OUT AND THINK BIG PICTURE AS TO WHAT THE GOAL WHENEVER WE SELL THE PROPERTY IS, IF OUR GOAL IS TO SELL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT, THEN MAYBE WE NEED TO REEVALUATE, DO WE SELL PROPERTY TO PEOPLE JUST BECAUSE THEY OWN THE LOT NEXT TO IT.
AND THEY DON'T WANT SOMEBODY COMING BESIDE 'EM.
THAT, THAT'S KIND OF, YOU MEAN WE GOT
I WAS GONNA SAY, I DO THINK THOUGH, THERE'S SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR IF THEY'RE, IF YOU KNOW, SO YOU CAN HAVE TWO DIFFERENT SORT OF PATHS.
SO THERE'S SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR WANTING THE LOT NEXT DOOR TO YOU.
THEN YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA PUT A FENCE AROUND IT FOR YOUR DOG.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO PLACE FOR YOUR KIDS TO PLAY.
YOU'RE GONNA MOW THE GRASS, YOU'RE GONNA BUILD WEALTH FOR YOUR FAMILY.
'CAUSE THEN THE LAND'S GONNA BUILD WEALTH.
I, I THINK THAT'S A FINE GOAL.
AND I THINK YOU CAN DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, WE PUT RESTRICTIONS ON THIS.
WE DON'T WANT YOU TO JUST KEEP AN EMPTY LOT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE WHEN YOU TOLD US YOU WERE GONNA DEVELOP IT.
YOU KNOW? SO TO ME, I CAN HAVE, I CAN SORT OF HAVE DIFFERENT BUCKETS THERE, BUT SO, SO IS OUR PATH ON THAT THEN IF A NEIGHBORING PROPERTY, IF A NEIGHBORING PROPERTY ONLY WANTS TO BUY IT, THEN WE SELL IT TO THEM AND WITH, WITH NOTHING ATTACHED.
NO, NO REQUIREMENTS TO BUILD, OTHERWISE WE HAVE REQUIREMENTS.
I MEAN, I, I THINK YOU CAN, I THINK IT'S SORT OF FACTUAL, BUT YEAH, I THINK I I CAN ABSOLUTELY LIKE FACTUALLY DISTINGUISH THE TWO SCENARIOS.
AND I THINK WHAT, WHAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE HISTORICALLY IS BUILDABLE LOTS.
YOU ALL HAVE SOLD AS BUILDABLE LOTS THAT YOU HAVE A REQUIREMENT ALMOST OF THE LARGER LOTS, THE SMALLER ONES THAT REALLY YOU CAN'T BUILD ON.
THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT YOU ALL HAVE JUST MADE THE CONDITION THAT YOU CAN'T USE IT AS A STORAGE LOT FOR VEHICLES.
SO I DON'T THINK YOU ALL HAVE DONE, I MEAN THAT'S THE GREAT THING ABOUT WHAT THE REDEVELOPMENT CONDITION, UH, COMMISSION CAN DO THAT THE CITY CAN'T DO.
YOU CAN MAKE THOSE CONDITIONS.
UH, IF YOU GOT A BUILDABLE LOT AND SOMEONE SAID, HEY, I WANT TO EXPAND MY PROPERTY AND, AND IT IS A BILL, YOU COULD AL ALWAYS MAKE A CONDITION, LIKE YOU CAN'T SELL THIS LOT FOR ANOTHER, FOR PROFIT OR WHATEVER.
MEANING IF SOMEONE SAYS, TODAY I WANT TO JUST EXPAND MY PROPERTY, AND THEN A YEAR FROM NOW THEY SAY, OKAY, I WANT TO DIVIDE IT BACK UP AND NOW SELL IT AS A PIECE OF PROPERTY.
YOU COULD ALWAYS MAKE CONDITIONS THAT NO ONE'S GONNA PROFIT OFF OF THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION LIKE THAT.
BUT I DON'T THINK YOU ALL HAD THAT, THAT SITUATION.
BUT IT'S GOOD TO GET AHEAD OF IT.
AND, AND THE DICHOTOMY THERE ACTUALLY IS, UH, IT'S LIKE SARAH SAID, YOU CAN HAVE THE TWO TIERS.
WHAT WE DON'T WANT AND WHAT THESE CONDITIONS DO GUARD AGAINST.
AND IT'S BEEN GREAT BECAUSE IT'S GOING ON IN PEMBROKE RIGHT NOW.
WHETHER PEOPLE KNOW IT, THEY GOT THAT HIGHWAY 70 CORRIDOR COME THERE, THERE'S A FIRM BUYING UP PROPERTY IN PEMBROKE AND WAITING FOR THE, FOR THE, THE CORRIDOR TO COMPLETE.
'CAUSE THAT THOSE PROPERTY VALUES ARE SAW RISING.
YOU'RE JUST SITTING ON THE LAND AND THAT'S WHAT'S DRIVING UP THE REST OF OUR RATES FOR MORTGAGES.
AND I MEAN THE REST OF THE HOUSING, YOU KNOW, THE HOUSING PRICES AND ALL, ONCE YOU BUY AND SIT ON THAT LAND, NOW THE REST OF THE HOUSES GO UP.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON IN AMERICA RIGHT NOW.
THESE BIG FIRMS WITH LIMITLESS CASH AND THEY'RE BUYING UP THESE PROPERTIES, OR WHAT THIS IS DOING IS GARBAGE AGAINST IT.
SO THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE PEOPLE GO IN LIKE THE BLUEFIELD STREET PROPERTY.
NOW THAT WAS FEDERAL REGULATIONS THAT DID THAT, BUT WE HAD PEOPLE ASKING LEFT AND RIGHT BECAUSE WE SOLD IT, YOU KNOW, RIGHT.
BUT SOMEBODY WOULD'VE JUMPED IN AND BOUGHT THAT.
YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? NOW THEY'RE MAKING A PROFIT OFF THE REATION AT THE SAME TIME.
THEY WOULD'VE PROBABLY DEVELOPED IT, BUT IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN FOR AFFORDABLE.
IT'S ALL PROFIT, IT'S JUST, IT'S PROFITABLE.
SO GREG, UM, I WANT TO ASK, HAS THERE BEEN OVER IN THE REDEVELOPMENT AREA, HAS THERE BEEN A CONSCIOUS EFFORT FOR THE PROPERTY TO BE SOLD TO PEOPLE IN THAT COMMUNITY OR IN THAT LYING AREA AROUND THE ADJACENT TO IT? WELL, ARE ARE THE HISTORICAL PEOPLE THAT LIVE OR HAVE LIVED THERE? WELL, IN THE PAST, THE PROPERTIES THAT WE HAVE SOLD, UH, WELL, BUT THE UMAC STREET MM-HMM
THAT, THAT WAS THE FIRST PROJECT THAT THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION DID WHEN THEY MOVED THE HOUSE.
THAT WAS THE PERSON THAT LIVED IN THE COMMUNITY AND THAT, THAT WE SOLD LIVED IN THAT COMMUNITY.
THE, THE OTHER PROPERTY THAT, LIKE FOR INSTANCE, MR. JARVIS, HE'S, HE'S FROM, ACTUALLY, HE'S FROM PCO COUNTY I THINK, BUT HE WANTS TO DO HOUSES HERE IN, IN THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
YOU ALL CAN MEMBERS THAT'S BEING BROUGHT, I DON'T KNOW OF ANYONE THAT'S LIVING IN THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
THAT'S ONE HAS COME TO US TO BUY THE PROPERTIES.
SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? AND I KNOW THERE'S ONE OR TWO COMMISSION THAT'S ONE TO SELL IT TO.
I DON'T WHAT THIS BODY, BUT FROM THE SHORT TIME
[01:40:01]
I'M SEEING BLOCKS OF PROPERTIES IS BEING SOLD OR BOUGHT, YOU KNOW, BY PEOPLE MAYBE FROM OUTSIDE THE COMMUNITY.THEREFORE THE COMMUNITY IS BEING DIMINISHED FROM THE COMMUNITY WITHIN.
AND IT MAY WIND UP HAVING TO BE THAT WAY.
BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS, HAS THERE BEEN A CONSCIOUS EFFORT FROM THIS BODY TO TRY, HAVE IT BEEN SOLD TO PEOPLE FROM THAT COMMUNITY OR MAYBE THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE ADJACENT TO THAT COMMUNITY THAT HAVE COME FROM THAT COMMUNITY? I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, HISTORICAL TIE TO THAT COMMUNITY JUDGE, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE, WE HAVE PUSHED THAT AND I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU CAN, WE CAN DISCRIMINATE.
I KNOW THAT YOU CAN DO THAT UNLESS YOU PUT A SIGN UP FOR SALE.
SO IF YOU GOT INTEREST IN IT, YOU GOING TO REACH OUT YOURSELF.
BECAUSE THE SIGN IS ON THE PROPERTY.
I'M JUST SAYING WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO REDEVELOP THAT AREA, THAT'S A HISTORICAL TIE TO THAT AREA THAT YOU MAY WANT TO TRY.
LIKE I SAID, PEOPLE FROM PEMBROKE HAVE FAMILY IN THAT AREA THAT STILL MAY WANT NOT IN THE DESIGN.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU TRY AND HAVE A TIE TO IT, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ON THE, FROM THE LEGAL PERSPECTIVE, YOU CAN'T ONLY SELL TO A PERSON FROM THAT.
BUT THERE IS, LIKE I SAID, A CONSTANT EFFORT THAT THERE IS A CULTURAL ATTI TO THAT AREA STILL, THAT PEOPLE FEEL SOMETIMES IT'S A GENTRIFICATION PERSPECTIVE THAT SOME PEOPLE FEEL THAT IT'S HAPPENING TO THE AREA.
SO WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT WANTING TO REDEVELOP THAT AREA, I THINK THERE'S A CONSIDERATION OF A THOUGHT THAT MAYBE YOU WANT TO SEE THAT AREA REMAIN HISTORICALLY TO THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE GROWN UP IN THAT AREA OR HAVE A TIE TO THAT AREA, SO TO SPEAK.
BUT NOW YOU GOT, YOU GOTTA REMEMBER TOO, SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THAT AREA MAY NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO BILL OR BUY LISTEN NOW BILL OR BUY AND AT THE SAME TIME DEVELOP IT SO THAT SOMEONE FOR LOW INCOME CAN RENT IT.
AND THAT'S WHY THAT NO INCOME THAT YOU JUST SAID, THAT'S WHY WE DO HAVE A PERSPECTIVE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THAT AREA, THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.
SO THE PEOPLE IN THAT AREA DON'T HAVE BE A LOW RENTER IN UNDERSTAND.
SO THAT'S SOME WORK THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING AS WELL.
UM, I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS, BUT TO, TO MR. JONES' POINT, I, I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU GUYS SAYING.
I THINK MORE SO IF, AND IT'S AN ACTION ITEM I WROTE, I MEAN, I THINK YOU GOTTA BE EDUCATED.
I DON'T THINK PEOPLE ARE EDUCATED ON WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE AREA.
PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE, PEOPLE ARE NOT EDUCATED ON WHAT EXACTLY IS HAPPENING IN THAT AREA.
SO I THINK THAT WITH EDUCATION, PEOPLE KNOWING, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S HAPPENING, IT, IT WILL HELP OUT TO, TO WHAT MR. REGGIE'S SAYING.
AND IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU'RE WHITE, BLACK, GREEN, PURPLE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GOT THE INFORMATION AND YOU CAN MAKE THE DECISION.
AND IF YOU HAVE THE RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO, TO DO WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
I GUESS MY FIRST QUESTION WAS THE, THE SIGNS THAT ARE POPPING UP ON THE LOTS, WHO'S PUTTING THOSE SIGNS OUT? ARE WE THAT'S CITY PROPERTY.
THAT'S THE CITY DOING THOSE ALL THIS LOT.
AND THEY DON'T, AND THEY DON'T HAVE RESTRICTIONS LIKE THE REDEVELOPMENT CONDITION.
SO THE SECOND QUESTION IS WHAT IS THE PROCESS ON IF SOMEONE HAS BROUGHT A PROPERTY FROM THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, IT'S BEEN THE TWO YEARS, WHAT IS THE PROCESS ON THAT PROPERTY COMING BACK TO THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION AND WHO INITIATES THAT? AND HAS ANY OF THOSE BEEN INITIATED? THREE QUESTIONS AND THEN I KNOW THIS UP HERE SAYS PROPERTY SOLD IN 2025, WE'RE GONNA ASSESS THAT.
BUT OTHER PROPERTIES THAT HAVE BEEN SOLD, THERE ARE SPECIFIC NOTES IN HERE FROM ZIA THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME LOTS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN DEVELOPED.
I'M UNDER I NOT TO GET INTO THAT.
I'M JUST WANTING TO KNOW WHAT IS THE PROCESS ON THOSE COMING BACK TO THE REDEVELOPMENT.
IF, IF, IF THERE'S A CONDITION ON THERE FOR BUILDING TO OCCUR WITHIN A YEAR AND IT HASN'T HAPPENED, THAT'S WHEN WE UH, GET THE, THE ATTORNEYS, UH, DO UP THE PROPER, PROPER PAPERWORK TO WHO THAT THE ED WOULD, UM, I MEAN YEAH, I WOULD, UH, WHOEVER THE ED IS WOULD LET THE ATTORNEY KNOW THAT THEY, THAT THEY ARE OUTSIDE OF THE REVERSIONARY CLAUSE AND THEN THE ATTORNEY NOW SOME OF THOSE THAT, THAT YOU MAY BE LOOKING AT SAYS
[01:45:01]
NO DEVELOPMENT.THEY MAY BE LOTS THAT ARE THEY NOT DEVELOP ON.
I THINK I'M, I I I DON'T WANT TO GET STUCK ON HIS NOTE.
SO I GUESS I'M MORE CONCERNED WITH UNDERSTANDING LIKE THE PROPERTIES THAT YOU'RE SELLING, THAT PEOPLE AREN'T JUST, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S ACTUALLY DEVELOPMENT THAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE PROPERTIES THAT YOU'RE SELLING.
THERE ARE, THERE ARE SITUATIONS, UM, WHERE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW SOMEONE, THE BARBERSHOP SAID TO ME THE OTHER DAY, THEY'VE SPOKEN WITH YOU, THEY WANT TO BUY A PROPERTY.
SIMILAR TO WHAT, UH, SHANE, I'M SORRY? SARAH.
SARAH SAID WHERE THEY WANT TO HOLD THE PROPERTY BECAUSE IT MIGHT BE NEXT TO THEIR LOT.
SO THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT SITUATIONS, BUT I GUESS I'M MORE CONCERNED WITH TRYING TO SEE THE DEVELOPMENT ACTUALLY HAPPEN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR WHOEVER'S DOING IT.
SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TIME SPENT ON WHAT THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION CAN DO, WHAT THE STATUTORY REGULATIONS SAY, WHERE YOU REALLY, IF YOU REALLY LOOK AT IT, AND AGAIN, I, YOU KNOW, I PROBABLY SAY AN UNPOPULAR THING THAT HASN'T BEEN A LOT OF WIND IN MY OPINION WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
'CAUSE YOU DON'T SEE A LOT OF HOUSES GOING UP IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WELL, AND, AND SOME OF YOU ALL HAVE A LITTLE MORE EXPERIENCE WITH THIS THAN I DO, BUT WHAT I WILL TELL YOU FROM MY UNDERSTANDING SINCE THE TIME I'VE BEEN HERE, OBVIOUSLY, UH, WE STARTED, UM, THIS PROGRAM STARTED IN 2018.
AND THEN YOU ALSO GOT TYING COVID IN THERE, WHICH SLOWED THE BRAKES A LITTLE BIT, AND I'M NOT MAKING EXCUSES FOR IT, BUT THERE WAS, UH, A GROUP OF HOUSING THAT THEY WERE TRYING TO DEVELOP FOR THE AVENUES A PROJECT, WHICH HAS NOT NEVER BEEN REALLY FORMALIZED, BUT IT'S, IT IS A THEORY THAT THEY HAVE LIKE 20 SOMETHING LOTS THAT THE THOUGHT WAS LET'S HOLD THESE AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO WITH A MAJOR PROJECT.
I AGREE THAT A LOT HASN'T HAPPENED.
UH, MOST OF THE, THE WINS FOR THIS, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHEN WE GET TO THAT SECTION, WERE, WERE, UM, ENHANCED OR ASSISTED BY, UH, THE ALDERMANS AQUA FUNDS AND SUCH MM-HMM
SO, SO THO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE, THE WINS.
BUT I I, I'M NOT DISAGREEING WITH YOU.
UH, I'VE HAD THIS DISCUSSION WITH THE FORMER, UH, DIRECTOR TO SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE MAY BE AT A POINT WHERE LET'S START PUSHING THOSE, SELL THOSE LOTS ON THE NOT SELLABLE LIST, OPEN THOSE UP BECAUSE THOSE ARE SOME OF THE MORE DESIRABLE LOTS AND START LETTING PEOPLE GO FOR THOSE AS WELL.
I MEAN, AND IT IS UP TO THE BOARD IF YOU ALL WANT TO GIVE DIRECTION THAT WE CAN START PUTTING REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION SIGNS UP ON THOSE LOTS SO THEY'RE MORE VISIBLE TO EVERYONE.
UM, THAT THOSE LOTS OF BRAZIL ALSO IN, IN CONJUNCTION WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT, UH, SOMEONE HAVING A LOT AND WANTING TO HOLD ONTO IT.
I THINK THAT BASICALLY DEFEATS WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING IN THE SENSE THAT IF SOMEONE SAYS, HEY, I CAN'T START BUILDING FOR A YEAR AND A HALF, UH, AS A RECOMMENDATION.
I SAY, OKAY, SIX MONTHS FROM NOW, COME BACK AND SEE IF THE LOT STILL AVAILABLE BECAUSE WITHIN THAT SIX MONTHS YOU MAY HAVE SOMEBODY WHO CAN, I MEAN, I WOULD NOT NEVER HOLD A LOT FOR MORE THAN WHAT YOU ALL CURRENTLY DOING.
I MEAN, SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A LOADED THING.
I, I GUESS MY, SO MY INITIAL QUESTION IS, AND I, I JUST, I DON'T THINK IT'S CLARIFY FOR ME IS, WELL, I GUESS YOU DID CLARIFY, IS THAT IF THERE'S A LOT THAT'S SOLD AND IT'S WITHIN THE TIMEFRAME AND THE WORK HAS NOT BEEN DONE, THEN THAT RESPONSIBILITY IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WILL INITIATE THE PROCESS ON ACQUIRING THAT PROPERTY BACK OR SEIZING THAT PROPERTY, WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE.
UNLESS THAT PERSON COMES AND ASKS FOR EXTENSION.
THEN TWO, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A VARIABLE THAT HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED WHERE THERE IS PEOPLE THAT ARE PURCHASING A PROPERTY WITH THE MINDSET OF HOLDING THE PROPERTY OR ATTACHING THE PROPERTY TO THEIR CURRENT, UH, UH, PARCEL OR HAVING THE PROPERTY BECAUSE IT'S NEXT TO THEIR PARCEL VERSUS A PERSON THAT IS PURCHASING AND SAYING, WE'RE GONNA DEVELOP ON IT.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT HAS, I MEAN, TO ME THAT WOULD NEED TO BE ADDRESSED BECAUSE LIKE SOONER THAN LATER, BECAUSE YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO PURCHASE A PROPERTY NEXT TO THEM, BUT HAVE NO DESIRE TO DEVELOP, DEVELOP THE PROPERTY, THEN TO YOUR POINT, IT DOES NOT BENEFIT WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE NEED TO SEE HAPPEN.
BUT FOR THEM, MAYBE AS, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE ELSE SAID THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO DO IT, MAYBE THEY CAN JUST AFFORD THE ACQUISITION, IS SOMETHING PUT AROUND THAT PARAMETER TO SAY, OKAY, WELL THEN YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.
THIS IS AS AN EXAMPLE TO ME THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE.
YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF HAVING A SURVEY AND CONVEYING WITH YOUR CURRENT PARCEL.
SO NOW IT'S ONE PARCEL VERSUS YOU OWN THIS SEPARATE PARCEL OVER HERE AND YOU OWN THIS PART'S SUPERIOR, BUT THIS PART ACTUALLY COULD BE DEVELOPED, BUT YOU DIDN'T DO IT.
SO MAKE THEM HAVE SOME BUYIN AND TIE TWO PARCEL TOGETHER WOULD MAKE SENSE TO ME.
BUT I GUESS MY BIGGER STRENGTH, WELL LET, LEMME POINT.
[01:50:01]
SAY TODAY I DECIDE THAT I DO THAT.AND THEN A YEAR FROM NOW I LIKE, I'M NOT GONNA BE ABLE, I GO BACK, GO RIGHT BACK THE TAX OFFICE AND GET THOSE PROPERTIES JUST SEPARATED.
IT'S GONNA BE A LOT OF CONDITIONS YOU ALL DON'T WANT TO GET.
YOU'RE SAYING THAT, THAT, THAT THAT SAME PERSON THAT YOU COMBINE 'EM, YOU CAN, YOU CAN SEPARATE SUBDIVIDED AGAIN, SUBDIVIDED AGAIN TO COME BACK.
SEE, I SEE MY MINDSET WOULD SAY THAT WOULDN'T, THAT WOULDN'T NECESSARILY MAKE SENSE FOR THAT.
WELL, WE CAN'T SAY WHAT MAKES SO SENSE.
SO THE CONVERSATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION, AND I THINK THAT ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO COME AS I'M LISTENING, THOSE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE A DESIRE TO DEVELOP ON THAT PROPERTY.
THEY DON'T WANT NOBODY ELSE TO DEVELOP.
SO THEY WANT IT TO BE A PART OF THEIRS.
I GUESS THAT'S A, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SEEMS LIKE THE BOARD'S GONNA HAVE TO COME BACK AND ADDRESS.
I MEAN, IF YOU ALL HAVE THE CONFIDENCE THAT THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
I'M NOT, I MEAN, I CAN'T TELL THE BOARD, BUT IF YOU GOT A MAJORITY OF THE BOARD TO SAY, HEY, WE BELIEVE THIS PERSON IN GOOD FAITH, THIS IS WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
I MEAN, WE, WE CURRENTLY HAVE A SITUATION SIMILAR TO THAT.
IF SOMEONE WANTS TO PURCHASE A PROPERTY, NOT BUILD ON IT, AND IT'S A BUSINESS ORGANIZATION THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, IT IS NOT A, TO BUILD A HOUSE, IT'S TO EXPAND THEIR BUSINESS.
AND IT'S A PROPERTY THAT'S, THEY HAVE EVERYTHING ELSE AROUND IT AND IT IS A BUILDABLE LOT.
SO IT WOULD BE UP TO THE BOARD TO SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, WHEN THIS PROPERTY BECOMES AVAILABLE, IF IT BECOMES AVAILABLE AGAIN, DO YOU ALL WANT TO MAKE THAT DECISION AS A MAJORITY BOARD TO SAY, I FEEL COMFORTABLE PREVENTING THIS, THIS, UH, POTENTIAL BUYER PURCHASE THIS PROPERTY AND JUST EXPAND WHAT THEY HAVE AS, AS OPPOSED TO BUILDING A, A HOUSE FOR SOMEONE WHO CAN HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING THERE.
I MEAN, WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M, I, UH, AND, AND CURTIS, I DON'T, I DON'T CUT YOU OFF, BUT LET'S, LET'S, LET'S TAKE THIS, THIS IDEA.
YOUR QUESTION, YOUR IDEA IS GOOD.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO SIT DOWN WITH WHEN WE GET THE NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IN MM-HMM
'CAUSE SOME THINGS WE AT A POINT WHERE WE JUST NEED TO GET THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WHO HAS THE EXPERIENCE TO HELP US THROUGH THIS.
I, AND I THINK THAT'S BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD PUT ON THE AGENDA.
WE MEET WITH THE NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO HELP US THROUGH, I MEAN, GO AHEAD, FINISH UP.
UM, AND I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT IT UP BECAUSE WE NEED TO KNOW IT.
BECAUSE I MEAN, I HAD A LOT OVER THAT I MIGHT WANT TO BUY ONE BESIDE ME JUST TO INCREASE MY TERRITORY.
YOU KNOW, I, I GUESS PUT ME GAZEBO MAYBE, OR, OR, YOU KNOW, IF YOU ALLOW ME TO FINISH THIS, MY STATEMENT, I, I GUESS WHAT I, WHAT I'M SAYING IS, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY, TIME IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO ME.
SO I DON'T WANNA SPEND A LOT OF TIME AT THIS TABLE TALKING AND NOT SEEING PRODUCTION.
UNDERSTAND THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT.
SO TO ME, WHAT I'M SAYING IS THIS IS MY SECOND OR THIRD MEETING.
I HAVE TO HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING BASED ON THE RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT ARE SET BEFORE US ON HOW WE GO ABOUT MAKING AND SEEING STRUCTURES GO UP IN THE REDEVELOPMENT ZONE.
AND TO ME, WHATEVER THE FORMULA IS, AGAIN, I'M TRYING TO STEP ON YOUR TOES.
PROOF IS IN THE PUD, YOU AIN'T GOT A LOT OF HOUSES GOING UP IN THESE AREAS.
ZEV LEFT A A, A LIST OF POTENTIAL PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN BUYING THE AREA.
SO TO ME, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET TO A POINT WHERE IT IS SAYING, OKAY, HEY, UNDERSTANDING THAT THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION SPEND A LOT OF TIME THINKING THEY CAN BUILD AND LEASE AND MANAGE AND ALL THIS OTHER STUFF.
NOW WE'RE AT A PLACE YOU ALMOST 10 YEARS IN.
SO NOW IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE A WORK THESE PARTNERSHIPS WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE DRAWN TO BUY THESE LOTS SO THAT WE CAN SEE REDEVELOPMENT GETTING WELL, THAT'S PURELY WHAT I'M, YEAH.
I'M SAYING THE THING THOUGH, UH, COMMISSIONER, UM, STEWART IS YOU JUST, YOU JUST SOLD FOUR LOTS.
YOU JUST AGREED TO, TO AGREE FOR FOUR LOTS.
I THINK THOSE ARE GONNA BE FOUR POTENTIAL STRUGGLES THAT ARE GONNA GO UP.
THE, THE, THE SECOND PART TO THAT.
I WILL LOOK INTO THE PROPERTIES THAT HAVE BEEN SOLD TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE ALL IN COMPLIANCE WITH WHATEVER THE RESTRICTIONS ARE.
IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GONNA DO THAT AS A PART OF 80.
WE WE'RE GONNA LOOK OVER THE ONES THAT, THAT WE'VE, THAT, I MEAN, THINK THERE'S THREE OR FOUR WHATEVER THAT HAVE BEEN SOLD IN 2025.
THE ONES THAT, UM, I'M NOT SURE IF WE HAVE A WHOLE LIST.
I, BUT I'LL, I'LL GO OVER THAT.
THE, UH, THE OTHER PART WAS THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION DIDN'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF PROPERTIES.
[01:55:01]
THEY WENT TO THE COUNTY FOR THE COUNTY TO LET THEM, TO BASICALLY GIVE THEM 10 LOTS.AND SOME OF THE LOTS THAT YOU ALL ARE THINKING ABOUT THAT MAY BE ADJACENT TO SOMEONE ELSE'S PROPERTY WERE THEY WERE ACQUIRED BECAUSE THEY THINK, HEY, THESE ARE GOOD LOTS FOR US TO DO SOME REDEVELOPMENT, SOME PUT SOME HOMES THERE.
NOW, IF YOU ALL GO BACK AND SAY, HEY, WE JUST WANT TO EXPAND SOMEBODY ELSE'S PROPERTY, COUNTY'S GONNA SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE COULD'VE DONE THAT.
WE COULD'VE GIVEN THEM THOSE, LIKE, YOU ALL WERE SUPPOSED TO BUILD ON THOSE, OR YOU SUPPOSED TO DO SOMETHING WITH 'EM.
SO YOU DON'T WANT TO NOW USE THESE LOTS BECAUSE YOU ALL ACQUIRED THEM THROUGH THE COUNTY'S DONATION.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE SPEAKING TO EXACTLY WHAT I'M SAYING.
AND SO WHAT I'M SAYING TO YOU, AND I GET THE, I GET THE POLITICAL SOMATICS OF WHO OWNED IT, WHO DIDN'T OWN IT.
REMEMBER, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WERE HERE, THEN I CAME TO THE TABLE AND I HAD TO GO THROUGH A LOT OF FOOLISHNESS BECAUSE ONE PERSON OWNED IT.
SO NOW IT'S SINCE THEN, AND I CAN GO BACK INTO THE ARCHIVES WHERE NOW THESE PROPERTIES ARE OWNED BY THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
WHAT I, ALL I'M SAYING IS IN A NUTSHELL IS WE NEED TO, WE, WE, WE HAVE TO WORK, WHETHER IT'S WHITE FOLKS, BLACK FOLKS, GREEN FOLKS, WHOEVER CAN AFFORD IT, WE NEED TO BE WORKING WITH, TO ME, THE LIST OF PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING TO BUY THESE PROPERTIES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO SEE SOME REDEVELOPMENT ACTUALLY HAPPEN.
I'M INTERESTED IN HEARING THE PROPERTY SOLD IN 2025.
HOW? BECAUSE I SEE THERE'S TWO HOUSES THAT HAVE BEEN UP THAT'S BEEN PUT UP OVER THERE.
THERE'S ONE OFF OF MAIN STREET, WHICH IS A HIGH RISE, UH, A REALLY NICE HOUSE, WHICH IS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE PROTOTYPES THAT THEY TALKING ABOUT BACK IN 2018 FROM NC STATE IS ONE OF THOSE PROTOTYPES.
AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER HOUSE THAT IS THE GENTLEMAN, UH, THAT WE JUST, UH, CONVEYED THE PROPERTY TO ON BURN STREET.
SO WHEN YOU REALLY LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING OVER THERE, YOU DON'T SEE, I I, UNLESS I'M MISSING IT, I'M NOT SEEING WHAT THESE HOUSES ARE GOING UP AT.
SO FOR ME, SEEING SOME HOUSES GO UP AND EDUCATING PEOPLE ON WHAT'S GOING ON ARE REALLY WHAT MY ANGLE IS ON THIS BOARD.
I JUST DON'T WANT TO SIT HERE.
AND THEN AT THE END, THIS BOARD IS DISSOLVED, AND THEN PEOPLE POINT THE FINGER SAYING, YOU ON THE BOARD, IT AIN'T NOTHING HAPPEN.
KURT, KURT, HOLD, HOLD ON ONE SECOND.
I, I UNDERSTAND YOUR STATEMENT.
I UNDERSTAND YOU WANT SOMETHING TO GO AND MOVE MM-HMM
I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT YOU GOTTA UNDERSTAND SOME THINGS ARE NOT THAT EASY.
YOU'RE SAYING DEVELOPERS GET WITH THE DEVELOPERS WHO, WHO'S COME TO US TO BUY THE PROPERTY.
WELL, HE'S GIVING YOU A LIST OF, I MEAN, BUT, BUT TWO MANY PEOPLE.
BUT, BUT I'M, BUT I'M, BUT I'M SAYING THIS IS NOT A OVERNIGHT THING THAT'S GOING TO GO JUST LIKE THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, AND I WAS, I I'M REALLY, I WAS A LITTLE OFFENDED WHEN YOU SAID WE AIN'T DONE NOTHING.
I MEAN, I MEAN, I WAS OFFENDED, BUT I'M GOING CUT THAT CONVERSATION SHORT.
AND, AND WE'LL GO FROM THERE BECAUSE, BUT EVERYBODY, I'M JUST, I'M JUST SAYING, I'M JUST, EVERYBODY HAS THEIR RIGHT TO AN OPINION.
AND MY OPINION WAS, I WAS OFFENDED WHEN YOU SAID, WE AIN'T DONE NOTHING.
YOU'RE OFFENDED, BUT YOU AIN'T NOT APOLOGIZE.
BUT ALSO YOU ALSO AIN'T BEEN ON THE BOARD THE WHOLE TIME.
SO WHAT I'M SAYING TO YOU IS WHEN YOU GO BACK AND YOU LOOK, BUT YOU ARE SAYING THE SPEED THAT WE'RE GOING, I WAS HERE THREE YEARS, SO I WOULD ASSUME MY THREE YEARS AIN'T DONE THAT EITHER.
ALLOW ME TO FINISH MY STATEMENT, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
IT'S NOT A PERSONAL ATTACK TO YOU.
IT, WHAT I'M SIMPLY SAYING IS THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT REDEVELOPMENT, AND I HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS SINCE IT STARTED, OKAY.
THERE HAS NOT BEEN A LOT OF WINS FOR THIS COMMISSION.
THE BIGGEST WIN THAT YOU HAD WAS REALLY THROUGH BOBBY ASHFORD GIVING HIS FUNDS TO THEN TURN AND BUILD THREE HOUSES THAT HE ULTIMATELY SOLD TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
THE SECOND THING THAT HAS HAPPENED IS THE PROPERTY ON UBANK STREET THAT WENT THROUGH, GOD KNOWS THE LOSS THAT THE, THE, THE REDEVELOPMENT TOOK ON IT BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T EVEN SELL IT AT MARKET VALUE.
TO ME, I DON'T EVEN WANT TO GET INTO THE, THE, THE, THE, THE COMMUNITY CRAVING COMMUNITY THING, BECAUSE THAT, TO ME, AGAIN, SURE.
THAT TO ME IS MORE OF A, A CRAVEN REGIONAL HOSPITAL THING THAN A REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION THING.
BECAUSE THERE WAS A HOUSE THAT WAS TORE DOWN THAT COULD HAVE BEEN USED FOR HOUSING IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO AGAIN, I'M NOT, WHAT I DON'T WANT TO DO, AND I'M, I'M SORRY IF YOU'RE OFFENDED, BUT IT'S NOT A PERSONAL ATTACK TO YOU.
ALL I'M SAYING IS FOR TIME PURPOSES, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A RETREAT, THAT WE HAVE CLEAR AND PRECISE UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROTOCOL, THE PEOPLE THAT WE NEED TO BE WORKING WITH, WHICH IT LOOKS LIKE ZEV LEFT QUITE A FEW PEOPLE IN HERE THAT HAVE CONTACTED.
IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT WE NEED TO BE TARGETING AND WORKING WITH THOSE FOLKS SO THAT ULTIMATELY WE CAN SEE SOME HOUSES GO UP IN THAT COMMITTEE.
SO WE ARE NOT ONLY FOR HOUSING, WE,
[02:00:01]
WE HAD SEVERAL OTHER, WE WE GOT A WHOLE OTHER THING GOING ON THAT, SO HOLD ON, LET ME HAVE MY MINUTE PLEASE.SO, SO IF THAT, SO WE USED TO HAVE COMMITTEES.
SO WE HAD A HOUSING COMMITTEE, WE HAD A HEALTH COMMITTEE.
DIFFERENT COMMITTEES FOR THINGS.
CHIEF, MAYBE WE, AND WE WENT TO MORE OF A PROJECT BASE, AND I FEEL LIKE WE'RE FLOUNDERING AROUND A LITTLE MORE.
I'M WONDERING IF MAYBE WE GO BACK, YOU OBVIOUSLY CARE THE MOST ABOUT HOUSING AND DON'T CARE ABOUT THE OTHERS.
DO YOU WANT TO CHAIR THE HOUSING COMMITTEE? I WON'T SAY SO.
AND THAT'S HOW WE CAN KIND OF MOVE THINGS FORWARD ON HOUSING.
I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE OTHER THINGS I'M SAYING THAT A REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION AND THIS REDEVELOPMENT AND THE HOUSING COMPONENT IS SOMETHING THAT IS THE FOREFRONT OF IT.
AND IT HAS NOT, THAT HAS NOT BEEN A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT.
SO, SO TODAY IS A STRATEGIC PLANNING.
LET'S PLAN HOW THE BEST WAY TO GO FORWARD IS.
SO YOU, YOU OBVIOUSLY CARE ABOUT HOUSING, SO YOU SAY Z MUST LEFT US A LIST OF 20 PEOPLE.
I'VE NOT, WE AIN'T NEVER SEEN IT.
BUT WHAT HE, I STILL DON'T HAVE WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AT ALL.
I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT, THAT I'VE NEVER UNDERSTOOD MY JOB ON THIS COMMISSION TO BE, TO CALL DEVELOPERS AND REACH OUT TO DEVELOPERS AND DO ALL THIS SIDE WORK.
I, WE COME HERE, WE GIVE THE IDEAS JUST LIKE ANY BOARD OF ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND, YOU KNOW, HIS STAFF, IF THERE WERE ONE, CARRY IT OUT.
SO WE ARE HERE TO GIVE THEM DIRECTION ON WHAT, WHAT, WHAT OUR NEXT INITIATIVES ARE.
ZB WAS TALKING TO THOSE PEOPLE ALL THE TIME.
HE'S ONLY NOT BEEN HERE FOR A MONTH OR TWO.
SO WE'VE HAD A MONTH OR TWO THAT NOBODY'S DOING THAT.
THAT IF, IF YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT UP AS PART OF YOUR JOB TO DO THAT ON THE SIDE FOR FREE, GO FOR IT.
BUT I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT AS MY POSITION.
AS A COMMISSIONER ON A FREE, YOU KNOW, BOARD.
I VOLUNTEER MY TIME ON MY, MY JOB IS TO SIT AROUND THE TABLE AND, AND HAVE SIDE CONVERSATIONS AND DO, SO WE USED TO HAVE PROJECT TEAMS AND DO SIDE MEETINGS DURING THE MONTH.
I, I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE BEEN PUTTING LESS TIME INTO IT SINCE WE DISBANDED THE COMMITTEES.
WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT STRUCTURE TODAY.
BUT JUST SAYING WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING IS NOT THAT THERE, THERE'S BEEN, YOU, YOU CAN GO BACK AND WATCH, EVEN SINCE SHARON AND I GOT HERE IN 2022 ON THE SAME DAY MM-HMM
THERE'S JUST BEEN HURDLE AFTER HURDLE AFTER HURDLE.
WHEN, WHEN WE SAID YES TO TAKING THE CDBG FUNDS FOR THE EUBANKS HOUSE, WE WERE GIVEN BAD INFORMATION BY THE CURRENT DIRECTOR.
WE HAD NO IDEA WHAT WE WERE UP AGAINST AND IT ENDED UP TAKING FOREVER.
AND WE, THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION DIDN'T TAKE A LOSS.
THE CDBG FUNDS WERE USED FOR, AND IT WAS NOT MONEY WE HAD ON THE BOOKS.
IT WAS FREE GOVERNMENT GRANT MONEY.
AND YES, THERE'S ABSOLUTELY A LOSS THERE THAT'S NOW ATTACHED TO THAT PROPERTY, BUT THAT'S NOT, WE DIDN'T SPEND ANY REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION FUNDS ON THAT PROJECT.
THAT TO ME, WASN'T A FAILED PROJECT.
WAS IT? ABSOLUTELY FRUSTRATING AS A PERSON WHO'S A COMMERCIAL FINANCE LAWYER AND MY DEALS CLOSED IN ONE MONTH.
IT'S ABSOLUTELY FRUSTRATING THAT IT TOOK TWO AND A HALF YEARS TO GET THAT SOLD.
WE ARE, WE'RE UP AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT.
WE'RE UP AGAINST THE BARRIERS WE'RE UP AGAINST, WHICH I'VE HAD TO LEARN.
I'M NOT HAPPY ABOUT 'EM EITHER, BUT I THINK IT'S NOT CONSTRUCTED TO COME IN HERE AND SAY THAT THE HEALTH, UM, THE HEALTH THING WAS A FAIL.
I MEAN, YOU SAID THAT WAS MORE OF A COMMUNITY DURING YOU KEEP TALKING TO US.
LET'S, LET'S MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAR.
SO, SO, SO LEMME SPEAK TO THAT.
SO LET'S BE CLEAR, UH, AND AGAIN, I DON'T MIND SAYING THE UNPOPULAR THINGS.
GET TO NO, NO, DON'T RUSH ME THROUGH IT.
I, THIS, THIS, COME HERE TO MAKE SURE WE ARE PRODUCTIVE ON WHAT WE GOT GOING.
THERE WAS A MEETING BACK AT THE
WHERE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM HERE PUSHED TO HAVE THAT HOUSE TORE DOWN.
WE ALREADY KNEW THAT BY YOUR CURRENT MAYOR, THAT THAT WELLNESS CENTER WAS NEVER GOING IN THAT LOCATION.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE A CONVERSATION.
CURTIS INTERRUPTED FINISH CURTIS.
SO THERE'S A TEXT MESSAGE THAT I SHARED WITH AN INDIVIDUAL AT THIS TABLE THAT SHOWED WHAT WAS GOING TO GO IN THE LOCATION THAT IS CURRENTLY AT THE CITY, WAS NOT GONNA SUPPORT IT GOING IN THE LOCATION THAT
[02:05:01]
WAS RECOMMENDED AND THAT HOUSE WAS TORE DOWN.CAN I, CAN I ASK SOMETHING TO THAT? SURE.
THE, THE, THE THING WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO IS WHEN THE PARTICULAR PERSON YOU NAME SAID IT WASN'T GONNA GO THERE, IT WAS, THERE WAS NO SUPPORT FROM THE, THE HOSPITAL TO PUT IT THERE BECAUSE THEIR, THEIR, UH, GOAL WAS TO BUILD SOMETHING THAT COULD BE EXPANDED UPON THAT PIECE, PARTICULAR PIECE OF PROPERTY IS NOT SUITED FOR THE EXPANSION.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHEN THAT CHANGED IT ORIGINALLY.
THAT WAS THE PLAN THAT INFORMED LATELY.
AND THEN AS IT DEVELOPED, THEY SAY, HEY, WE ARE GONNA WANT TO, AND HAVE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE EXP EXPANDING.
SO IT DIDN'T, IT WASN'T ORIGINALLY THAT IT WASN'T GONNA GO THERE ORIGINALLY.
IT REALLY WAS GONNA BE SOMETHING THERE.
BUT THEN WHEN THEY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD SOMETHING THAT'S, UH, A BETTER PROJECT, THAT'S WHEN THAT OTHER PROPERTY CAME AVAILABLE AND THAT DISCUSSION STARTED.
IT WAS UNDERST IT WAS UNDERSTOOD BY THE POWERS TO BE THAT IT WASN'T GOING THERE.
WHATEVER MR. REGGIE, IF YOU WOULD ALLOW ME TO FINISH IT, I'M, AND I'M GONNA DIGRESS AFTER I MAKE THIS POINT.
UH, IT WAS UNDERSTOOD BY THE POWERS TO BE THAT IT WAS NOT GOING THERE.
IT WAS BLATANTLY SAID IN A MEETING THAT IT WAS NOT GOING THERE.
UH, A HOUSE GOT TORE DOWN IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY THAT COULD HAVE BEEN USED FOR THE PURPOSES OF HOUSING.
SO THEN WE TURN AROUND AND THEN THE, UH, UH, CRAVEN FOUND CRAVEN REGIONAL HOSPITAL, EAST CAROLINA, UH, WAS WILLING TO DO THAT.
AND THERE WAS A CONVERSATION FROM THE BEGINNING.
IT WAS NOT GONNA GO ON THAT LOCATION TO ME AND MY OPINION, WHICH I HAD BEEN ENTITLED TO.
JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE AT THIS TABLE.
TO ME, THAT WAS THE RESOURCES FROM THEM TO DO THAT.
SO WE WANT TO SAY THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION HAD A WIN THAT GREAT.
WHAT I'M SIMPLY SAYING TO YOU IS THIS HERE, WHEN YOU GO THROUGH THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, COMMISSION ZONE, JUST TELL ME HOW MANY HOUSES YOU SEE THAT HAVE WENT UP IN THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT AREA.
THAT'S SIMPLY WHAT I'M SAYING.
CAN WE PUT THAT, THAT'S START RIGHT.
SOME OF THE WIND THAT HAVE FINALLY STARTED TO COME ION ARE NOW STARTING TO HAPPEN.
LIKE I SAID, THE FOUR LOSSES YOU SOLD TODAY IS, IS FROM WORK THAT THIS BOARD HAS DONE TO GET TO THIS POINT.
SO EVEN, EVEN THE, THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE BLOOMFIELD PROPERTY, UM, THAT WAS A PROJECT THAT WAS IN THE WORKS.
I MEAN, TO, TO INCLUDE OVER $300,000 THAT WAS GIVEN TO THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION TO DEVELOP THAT PROPERTY.
THAT, THAT, THAT WAS A, A PROJECT THAT WAS GOING FORWARD UNTIL THERE WAS A BETTER PROSPECT LAID ON THE TABLE.
AND THAT WAS DUE TO THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE, WITH THE, UH, WITH THE HOSPITAL.
BUT WE, WE, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT EVERYONE PROBABLY WON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU.
THERE HASN'T BEEN ENOUGH PROGRESS TO WHERE EVERYONE WOULD SAY THEY WOULD LIKE TO BE, BUT I THINK MOVING FORWARD, WE HAVE A GOOD TEAM.
WE HAVE, UH, LIKE, UH, WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR, YOU SHOULD, YOU SHOULD HAVE FOUR MORE PIECES OF PROPERTY THAT'S GONNA START DEVELOPING.
AND I THINK WE'RE IN, WE'RE IN A BETTER PLACE THAN WE WERE TWO YEARS AGO.
AND JUST, UH, JUST TO ADDRESS THE, THE FIRST THREE YEARS OF THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION WAS A LOT OF LEARNING.
THE RULES CHANGED A LITTLE BIT FOR US.
UH, DIDN'T IT CHANGE? WE THOUGHT WE COULD DO THIS AND THEN WE COULDN'T DO IT.
UH, BUT WE FIRST STARTED OUT WITH COURTING LARGE DEVELOPERS.
I REMEMBER THAT NC STATE CAME IN HERE AND DID A BIG PRESENTATION.
THEY WAS GONNA REDEVELOP AND THEY WERE GONNA DO ALL THIS.
AND MOVING FORWARD, UH, WHOEVER'S GOING TO, UH, HEAD UP THE HOUSING, UH, COMMITTEE, IF WE REINSTATE THAT DEVELOPERS, THE MAJORS ARE LOOKING FOR STRIPS OF LAND.
SEE, YOU REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE DOING THAT? THEY'RE LOOKING FOR STRIPS OF LAND.
AND A LOT OF OUR LAND IS DISJOINTED, WHICH BRINGS US TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY, TRYING TO, UH, DO SINGLE, YOU KNOW, SINGLE, UH, PLOTS AND SINGLE HOMES.
SO THE FIRST TWO YEARS, YOU KNOW, TO TO TO, TO THE CREDIT, THE WHEELS WERE, WERE VERY SLOW THE FIRST THREE YEARS BECAUSE AGAIN, OUR TRAJECTORY WAS DIFFERENT.
WE WERE REALLY TRYING TO, TO, TO GO WITH THE BIG BANG, THE BIG MASS OF THE BIG APARTMENT COMPLEXES.
LIKE I THINK, UH, JIMMY ON HIS, UM, AVENUE PROJECT, HE'S STRINGING ALONG A LOT OF THEM TO, TO GET 'EM TO, TO GET A DEVELOPMENT THERE THAT WE CAN DEVELOP THE LIKE MM-HMM
SO IT'S A LOT OF LEARNING CURVES.
UM, BUT, UM, AGAIN, I KNOW OF FIVE FAMILIES RIGHT NOW THAT ARE IN HOMES DUE TO THE WORK OF THIS REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
ONE PERSON IN A HOME BECAUSE OF THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, THAT'S WIN.
THAT'S WHEN, ESPECIALLY THE BLOOMFIELD, I MEAN THE, UH, UBANK NOW WE REALLY HELPED THE FAMILY OUT RIGHT THERE.
NOW WE WENT THROUGH A LOT D
AND SOME, AND SOME THINGS THAT, FOR US MAY SEEM EASY, IS NOT EASY.
AND THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT YOU, LIKE I SAID, YOU, YOU, YOU HAD A, A, A DIRECTOR THAT STAYED HERE, WHAT, MAYBE LESS THAN A YEAR.
[02:10:02]
AND THAT CHANGED.AND THEN WHEN WE START DOING SOME OTHER THINGS, YOU FIND OUT FROM THE STATUTES, THERE'S SOME THINGS YOU CAN'T DO.
AND THEN YOU HAD COVID, THEN YOU GOT OTHER THINGS.
THEN YOU GOT PROPERTY THAT YOU SOLD THAT.
NOW SOME OF THE DEVELOPERS DON'T WANT TO DO IT.
SO IT IS, IT IS, IT IS, IT IS.
THIS IS THIS, THIS COMMISSION IS CANNOT, I DON'T THINK, BASED ON WHAT I'VE SEEN SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, THIS COMMISSION CANNOT, OR I SHOULD SAY, HASN'T TURNED OVER PROPERTY OR SO PROPERTIES AS FAST AS YOU MIGHT WANT THEM TO DO.
THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION IS SOMETHING BRAND NEW FOR THE CITY OF NEW VERN.
WE GOT A JUMPSTART WHEN WE HAD HAD EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LIFE Z THAT'S A, THAT WAS A BIG JUMP FOR US.
NOW WE AT A POINT WHERE WE KIND OF LIKE ON HOLD TILL WE GET ANOTHER DIRECTOR.
BUT SOME THINGS WE GOT IN PLACE, WE'RE HOPING THAT THEY CONTINUE TO GO.
BUT THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS, YOU KNOW, I'M HOPE, I'M HOPING THAT EACH ONE OF US AS BOARD MEMBERS CAN COME TO THIS TABLE WITH IDEAS AND NOT POINTING FINGERS.
COME TO THIS TABLE WITH, HEY, I, I'VE RESEARCHED THIS HOW YOU THINK IT WOULD, HOW YOU THINK IT WILL WORK WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
REGGIE, YOU START, YOU WORKING ON SOMETHING REGGIE SAID HE MIGHT WANNA BRING TO NOT REG, WANNA BRING SOMETHING TO THE TABLE FOR THE
SO WHEREVER WE MADE MISTAKES OR WHERE WE LACK ON OR SLIPPING ON, IT'S A, IT IS, THE BOARD MEMBERS SHOULD COME TO THE TABLE AND SAY, LOOK, I THINK WE NEED TO DO THAT.
I THINK WE NEED TO CHANGE THIS.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, COVER SOME IDEAS, COVER WITH SOME IDEAS TO HELP US OUT.
I DON'T, I AND, AND JUST TO HELP US OUT.
I'M SORRY TO HELP US ALL OF US.
JUST TO BE CLEAR, IT'S NOT A FINGER POINT THING AT ALL.
THERE'S PEOPLE THAT WERE ON THIS COMMISSION FROM THE BEGINNING THAT WASN'T, THAT ARE NO LONGER HERE.
THERE WAS A ED, I THINK TRIC TRIC THAT WAS HERE BEFORE.
UH, BUT WHAT I WILL OFFER TO YOU THAT I THINK THAT EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE VERY MINDFUL FOR IS THE LITERATURE.
YOUR ASSISTANT, UH, ATTORNEY, AND I'LL PROVIDE YOU THE DOCUMENT IF YOU'D LIKE AS WELL.
WHEN THIS COMMISSION WAS ESTABLISHED, SHE INFORMED US THAT THERE WAS SOME CONSULTANTS THAT SHOULD BE USED OUTTA RALEIGH SO THAT YOU KNEW THE PROPER PROCEDURE TO DO THINGS.
SO WHEN WE SAY, HEY, WE DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS GUIDANCE THAT THIS WASN'T FOLLOWED, CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
BUT ALL I'M SAYING IS SITTING HERE ON A SATURDAY MORNING AND AS WE GO FORWARD, I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT I'M NOT INTERESTED IN BEING A PART OF THE, THE ENDING RESULT THAT THE COMMUNITY SEES.
AND IT HAS NOT PROGRESSED THE WAY THAT IT SHOULD BE.
I DON'T THINK GOING BE THAT WAY.
SO ALL I'M, SO ALL I'M SAYING IS CAN WE JUST MAKE SURE THAT SOME OF THESE LOOSE ITEM THINGS THAT ARE, THAT ARE, THAT ARE, THAT ARE THERE, YOU KNOW, SUCH AS THE SELLER PROPERTY, IF THE PERSON'S GONNA USE THE PROPERTY FOR THIS, IF THEY DON'T, CAN'T USE FOR THIS.
THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME GREAT AREAS THAT HAVE TAKEN THAT ARE STILL THERE.
AND I'M JUST SAYING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE POLICIES, PROCEDURES THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING THAT WE NEED TO REVAMP.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY THAT WE CAN SEE SOME HOUSES GO UP IN THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION AREA.
READY? WE ARE HERE TO BE A REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION FOR AN AREA.
THERE ARE MORE THAN JUST ONE THING THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.
BUT NARRATIVE COME FROM MORE THAN ONE PERSON.
SELF-INTEREST IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THE PRIMARY GOAL OF JUST WHAT WE ARE OUT WANT TO DO.
WE SUPPOSED TO BE, IF IT'S AN IDEA TO COME TO THE TABLE, WE ALL SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE AN OPINION ABOUT IT.
IF WE'RE WORKING ON HOUSING, THAT'S NOT THE ONLY GOAL FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
IF WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HOUSING, AND I'M USING THIS AS AN EXAMPLE, EVEN THOUGH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SHOULD GO WITH IT, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HEALTH AND WELLNESS, THERE'S A LOT THAT GOES ALONG WITH THAT.
AND EVERYBODY CAN HAVE AN OPINION ON IT.
SO IF YOU JUST GOT ONE INTEREST AT, AT THE, AT THE, AS A GOAL HERE FOR YOU, THAT CAN'T JUST BE YOUR WAY, HOW IT SHOULD BE AND COMING ALONG ON SOMETHING.
'CAUSE SOMEBODY TOLD YOU SOMETHING OR YOU THOUGHT SOMETHING AND YOU COMING IN ON THE TAIL END OF IT, YOU CAN'T BEAT EVERYBODY ELSE OVER THEIR HEAD ABOUT IT WHEN YOU JUST THINK IT IS YOUR WAY OR THE HIGHWAY.
[02:15:01]
ANYWHERE ON THINGS LIKE THIS.WE'VE WORKED ON PROJECTS, OTHER PEOPLE HAVE WORKED ON PROJECTS AND JUST BECAUSE YOU HEARD SOMETHING OR THOUGHT SOMETHING ABOUT IT THAT DON'T MAKE IT TRUE.
SO WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER ON THINGS.
SOMETIMES THE NARRATIVE HAS TO CHANGE ABOUT WHAT WE MAY THOUGHT PROCESS AND PROCEDURE MAY HAVE BEEN LAID DOWN BEFORE.
WE COME TO THE TABLE TO MAKE SOME CHANGES FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE SUPPOSED TO BE TRYING TO SERVE OUT THERE.
WE SUPPOSED TO GO AND HELP THE PEOPLE SOMETIME IT IS THEIR DECISION IS WHAT WE NEED TO TRY TO WORK FOR.
THAT'S WHY I DO WORK WITH THE RESIDENTS COUNCIL AND PUT IT ON MY APPLICATION THAT WHEN I COME TO THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, I'M STILL WORKING WITH THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE THE FINAL ON THIS.
AND SO, YES, JUST LIKE JULIA SAID, I DO HAVE A PROJECT, BUT I ASKED HIM HOW WE SUPPOSED TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN THE TWO.
JAMARI AND I WORKED ON THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS FOR YEARS.
HE WORKED FROM A POSITION AND HE KNOW AT THE TIME, AND I NEED TO SAY THIS BECAUSE WE NEED TO CLEAR ON THIS, WITH THAT PROJECT, WHEN THAT PROJECT AND, AND MR. WILLIAMS HERE WORKED AT THE TIME, FROM THE TIME SOME OF THAT STARTED TO HOW IT WOUND UP, IT DIDN'T WIND UP HOW WHEN I STARTED.
'CAUSE WHEN HE, I WAS WALKING OUT THE ROOM, HE SAID, NO, WE CAN'T DROP THIS PROJECT.
IT WASN'T ABOUT, 'CAUSE IT CAME OUT OF MY HEAD, BUT IT WAS THE WORK THAT SOME OF HIM THAT HE DID FROM THE REDEVELOPMENT THAT I STILL DID FROM THE RESIDENCE COUNCIL SURE DID.
NO, IT DIDN'T WIND UP WHAT I WANTED.
BUT IT DIDN'T WIND UP WHAT YOU THINK EITHER, BROTHER, BECAUSE IT STARTED SOMEWHERE BEFORE IT EVER, ANY INFORMATION GOT TO YOU ABOUT IT.
SO LET'S CLEAR THE ARROW ON THERE RIGHT NOW.
AND MR. WILLIAMS SITTING HERE, HE KNOW FROM WHEN THE PROPERTY WAS EVEN PURCHASED OVER THERE BECAUSE I GOT IT PURCHASED OVER THERE, SIR.
AND SO, SO LET'S, LET'S MAKE THAT CLEAR.
AND WHEN THAT HOUSE GOT TORN OUT, IT GOT TORN OUT FOR A REASON IN THE PROCESS OF THAT PROJECT FOR A VERY GOOD REASON.
AND THE HOSPITAL WAS, IT WASN'T EVEN NOTHING TO DO.
WE GOING BACK TO SOMETHING, GET THAT THROUGH SO WE DON'T HAVE TO BRING THAT UP.
SO WHAT WE WANT WORK ON PROJECTS NOW MOVING FORWARD THAT WE, THAT WE'LL AGREE TO DISAGREE ON AND DO FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE PEOPLE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO TRY TO DO FROM ON.
I'VE BEEN SITTING AND LEAVE ME NOT SAYING NOTHING, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO WORK TOGETHER ON THIS STUFF.
WE, WE, WE'VE REALIZED THAT THERE'S SOME LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE PAST.
A LOT OF STUFF THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, STEWART COULD BRING UP THAT, THAT WERE LESSONS LEARNED.
THAT, THAT THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT ROUTES GOING.
WE ARE NOW, UH, THIS, THIS, UH, RETREAT IS FOR WHERE WE GOING FORWARD.
NOT, UH, THE MISTAKES WE'VE ALREADY MADE.
SO, SO WE ALL RECOGNIZE THERE WERE THINGS THAT, THAT DEVELOPED OVER TIME.
BUT WE WE'RE ALL GOOD WITH THAT NOW.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE REGARDING THE LEGAL, THE LEGAL REGARDING THE LEGAL ASPECT, BUT IT IS NOT BECAUSE OF, OF SOMETHING ELSE.
AS A NEW BOARD MEMBER, THIS BEING MY FIRST MEETING, IS THERE ANY TYPE I DO SEE THAT I HAVE THIS REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, MISSIONING GUIDING CRUNCH, THIS PAGE.
BUT IS THERE ANY TYPE OF BOOK OR WELCOME PACKET THAT I'LL RECEIVE? THERE IS, IS IT A COPY? SO I WAS, I WAS JUST SAYING DO YOU HAVE, DO YOU HAVE THIS COURTESY? I DO THAT, YEAH.
I HAD IT IN 2018, BUT I GOT A QUESTION.
SO THIS IS NOT FROM 2018, THIS IS FROM 2020.
IT TOOK THE FIRST YEAR AND A HALF IT FEBRUARY, 2020.
WHAT I'M SAYING TO YOU IS I HAD THIS INCIDENT IMPLEMENTATION.
I GOT THIS BOOK FROM Z THAT HAS THAT IN IT.
SO I JUST MAKE SURE BEFORE WE GET LOST, WHAT IS THE IT SOMETHING IN HERE THAT STATES WHAT THE NEWBURN REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION IS? THAT'S WHAT I'M POINTING YOU.
SO I TRYING MAKE SURE THAT IN THIS PARAGRAPH CAN, DO YOU HAVE THAT CHAIR? THE PARAGRAPH THAT IT SAYS WHAT IT IS THAT
[02:20:01]
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I'M CLEAR ON WHAT THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON.I CAN READ THE PARAGRAPH, BUT IT, IT, IT, IT STATES, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I'M CLEAR READ.
IT SAYS THE NEWBURN DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION IS PUBLIC BODY CREATED AND ORGANIZED BY THE NEWBURN BOARD OF ALDERMAN IN MAY OF 2018.
THE PURPOSE WAS TO DESIGN, TO IMPLEMENT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO ADDRESS THE BLATANT PARCELS AS WELL AS PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY AND GENERAL WELFARE OF CITIZENS WITHIN THE REDEVELOPMENT AREA DESIGNED IN THE, IN THIS ARTICLE.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE OF WHAT, OF WHAT THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION IS IN, IN THE PURPOSE PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND THE LAST THING I'LL SAY ON THAT, MR. TABARI AND MR. JONES.
IS THAT, UH, AS A CREDENTIALED HEALTH PROVIDER WITH A MASTER'S OF HEALTH ADMINISTRATION SERVICES, THAT NOBODY THAT YOU GUYS WERE TALKING ABOUT TO RUN THAT FACILITY, THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO RUN THE FACILITY WITH THE COMMUNITY.
YOU WHAT? WE DO THIS IN THE LOCATION.
REGGIE, I THINK WE'RE DONE WITH THE LEGAL SIDE.
EVERYONE, THE MEALS OVER HERE.
[12. (11 am) - City Management Q&A]
I KNOW WE GOT A COUPLE NEW PEOPLE AND, AND SOME OF THE OLD PEOPLE MAY HAVE SOME FEW QUESTIONS.SO THIS IS OPPORTUNITY FOR, FOR ME TO PRESENT ON THE SIDE OF THE CITY.
THAT'S A BASIC OUTLINE OF WHAT THE CITY DOES AND SOME OF THE RESOURCES THAT YOU ALL HAVE WHENEVER YOU ALL GIVE US DIRECTIONS AND SAY, HEY, WE'RE GIVING THE STAFF DIRECTIONS TO DO THIS OR THAT, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW WHERE AND WHO TO CONTACT HERE OR WE UTILIZING.
AND IF YOU ALL NEED TO REACH OUT TO SOME OF THESE CONTACTS OR GATHER SOME OF THIS INFORMATION, WE'RE HERE TO PROVIDE THAT WITH.
SO, UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, JUST SOME BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT OUR CITY.
UM, MOST OF Y'ALL KNOW ABOUT JUST UNDER 31 A SQUARE MILES WITH JUST UNDER, UH, JUST A LITTLE BIT OVER 35, UH, THOUSAND PEOPLE IN THE CITY LIMITS.
AND, AND THAT RED PARK THAT YOU SEE, THERE ARE THE CITY LIMITS OF, OF, UH, NEWBURN.
YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE LIVE LIKE IN RIVER BEND OR, OR WOODS.
THEY MAY HAVE A, A NEW ADDRESS, BUT THEY'RE NOT PAYING, UH, TAXES, UH, FOR THE CITY.
SO EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY, IT MAY SAY NEW BERNON, THEY'RE NOT NEWBURN ANYTHING THERE IN RED THOUGH ALREADY BE, UH, OUTLINED CITY LIMITS OF NEW ALL RIGHT THERE.
THAT'S, UH, BASICALLY HOW WE GO.
WE GOT A COUNCIL, UH, MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT WHERE YOU BASICALLY HAVE, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL THAT SERVES AS A LEGISLATIVE COURT PART WHERE THEY BASICALLY GIVE US OUR, UH, ORDINANCES AND GUIDANCE AND POLICIES.
AND THEN YOU HAVE APPOINTED, UH, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, WHICH IS FOSTER HUGHES, THE CITY MANAGER.
AND, UM, HE GETS EVERYTHING DONE THROUGH, UM, THE DIRECTORS, UH, AND THE STAFF THAT FALLS SOME OF THOSE DIRECTORS.
AND AS I'M GOING THROUGH THIS, Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? THIS IS, UH, THE CURRENT GOVERNING BOARD, IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON WHAT, UH, WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE.
UM, Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? PRETTY MUCH CONSIDERED LIKE THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
UH, ALMOND PRIDE, HER AREA PREDOMINANTLY LIKE DUCKY FIELD THERE.
A LOT OF WHAT WE DISCUSSING TODAY.
ALMAN ASKED HER, UH, BLUE WATER RISES TO BURNA CAROLINA COLORS AREA.
UH, ONE OF OUR NEWER, NEWEST TUM AS WELL.
TUM, UH, WHITE, UH, THE AREA USED TO, UM, I GUESS THAT'S OVER IN THE, UM, UM, RACE BACK AREA, ALTMAN BEST.
UM, AND, AND, AND LET ME STEP BACK A MINUTE.
ALTMAN, UM, UH, WHITE AND ALTMAN BEST AS WELL AS AS ALTMAN BROAD, THEY'RE ALL, UH, LIAISONS FOR OUR BOARD.
SO YOU MAY, UH, IN AROUND C THEM IN AROUND THESE
SO IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, YOU CAN FORWARD OVER THEM AS WELL ON THE WHITE.
AND IT DOESN'T, AS YOU, AS YOU KNOW, IN, IN YOUR, UH, UH, THE, UH, THE ORDINANCES OR WHATEVER IT SAYS, YOU CAN HAVE AT LEAST ONE, UH, ALTMAN.
IT DOESN'T SAY WHAT BOARD THEY HAVE TO COME FROM AND YOU CAN'T HAVE MORE THAN THREE BECAUSE THEN YOU HAVE A QUORUM.
[02:25:01]
SO, UH, ALDERMAN, UH, FERGUSON WANTED TO BE ON HERE, BUT, UH, WHEN, WHEN THE OTHER THREE SHOWED MORE DESIRE, SO HE, HE STEPPED BACK TO LET THEM, LET THE THREE OF THEM, UH, PO IS OKAY.UH, ARNOLD BEST, OBVIOUSLY Y'ALL PRETTY MUCH FAMILIAR WITH HER AS WELL.
UH, MAINLY, UM, PREDOMINANTLY PEMBROKE AREA AND, UH, DANA OUTLAW.
NOW HE'S BACK ROAD AREA AND ALL THAT YOU SAID YOU SAID BEST, HUH? I THOUGHT YOU SAID, HMM.
UM, OUR ORGANIZATION CHARTER KNOW, SO I CHARGE EVERY ONE THING I WOULD POINT OUT AT THE TOP OF THAT IS THE CITIZENS OF NEW BERN.
THEY PRETTY MUCH GIVE DIRECTION TO THE ALDERMAN.
ALDERMAN GIVE DIRECTIONS TO, UH, FOSTER, BUT THEY ALSO, UH, UH, THEY, THEY HIRED FOSTER.
THEY HIRE, THEY, THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR HIRING FOSTER, UM, THE CITY MANAGER, UH, THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCES AS WELL AS THE CITY ATTORNEYS.
AND THEN UNDER FOSTER, HE PRETTY MUCH HAS, UH, UH, RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL THE STAFF.
YOU ALL CAN SEE THAT MY MAIN RESPONSIBILITY, I'M PRETTY MUCH RESPONSIBLE FOR THE POLICE, FIRE, PUBLIC WORKS, AND IT, AND FOSTER HAS THE OTHER FOUR DEPARTMENTS, UH, PARKS AND REC, GOVERNMENT SERVICES, UH, HUMAN RESOURCE, AND THEN THE, UH, PUBLIC UTILITIES ADMINISTRATIVE.
WHILE THIS IS OUR ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF, UM, YOU ALL PROBABLY DEALT WITH ALL, MAY NOT HAVE HAD ANY MUCH, UH, WITH REBECCA, BUT TO GOES BY BECKY, BUT SHE'S BASICALLY OUR ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF.
SO IF YOU ALL NEED ANYTHING, YOU ALL PROBABLY TOUCHING BASES WITH HER THAT YOU ALL KNOW.
COLLEEN, WHO BEEN AROUND AS OUR PIO, THESE ARE ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS.
YOU'VE PROBABLY MET MOST OF THEM.
ERNEST SIMONS IS OUR, UH, TECHNOLOGY IT DIRECTOR, CHARLIE, UH, CHARLES, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC UTILITIES, GEORGE CHARLES, UH, PUBLIC WORKS, WHO WAS HERE EARLIER.
KERRY WARREN, DIRECTOR OF AND, UH, RECREATION.
SO HAYES, OUR HR DIRECTOR JOINING YOU, DIRECTOR OF WATER RESOURCES, JESSICA RU, UH, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, UH, CHIEF PATRICK GALLAGHER, AND CHIEF DAMON LOCKLEY, FIRE CHIEF.
AND KIM OSTROM IS OUR DIRECTOR OF FINANCE.
UH, IT'S BEEN THE SAME MISSION FOR THE LAST ALMOST 20 YEARS.
UH, NOT A WHOLE LOT OF CHANGE.
IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE, BUT IT PRETTY MUCH COVERS WHAT THE CITY DOES.
EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF NEW VERN STILL STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE, WHICH WILL ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY BY PROVIDING ACCOUNTABLE AND EQUITABLE SERVICE TO ALL CITIZENS.
I MEAN, DON'T GET MUCH BASIC THAN THAT, BUT HOPEFULLY IT COVERS EVERYTHING THAT OUR CITIZEN NEED.
AND THIS IS WHAT WE DO WHEN PEOPLE ASK, YOU KNOW, I GET PEOPLE SOMETIMES CITY MANAGERS, THIS IS CITY MANAGER, WHAT DO YOU DO ASIDE FROM ANSWERING COMPLAINTS,
I MEAN, THE PEOPLE WITH THE CITY, THEY PROVIDE ELECTRICITY, WATER, SEWER, TRASH COLLECTION, PUBLIC SAFETY, AND, UH, THE POLICE AND FIRE FALLING US.
AND OBVIOUSLY MAINTAIN THE STORM WATER.
A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT WE TALKED ABOUT TODAY THAT, UH, PEOPLE HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS.
UM, WE USED TO HAVE 27 PARTS, NOW WE'RE DOWN TO 26.
BUT AS YOU ALL KNOW, SOME OF THE PARKS AREN'T REAL PARTS.
BUT, BUT, UM, FOR THE CITY, OUR SIZE, WE HAVE HAVE WAY MORE THESE TYPE OF AMENITIES FOR OUR CITIZENS.
AND, UH, AS YOU ALL KNOW, FROM GETTING THE ANNUAL OR QUARTERLY BILL MOW GRASS AS WELL.
SO WE SURE YOU GET THE BILL, YOU GET THE BILL AND PICK UP TRASH AND ALL THAT.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT, THAT COME FROM OUR EMPLOYEES FOR, UH, 4,100 SERVICE TICKETS FROM IT.
THESE, IT TAKES SERVICE TICKETS.
WE'RE STRICTLY FOR THE EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY.
WE DON'T DO ANY, ANY IT WORK FOR CITIZENS.
SO THIS IS JUST WHAT, WHAT CASE IS TO DO THE, UH, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FOR THE CITY.
THESE NUMBERS ARE PRETTY MUCH 2025, UH, FAR.
LOTS OF CALLS, UH, FINANCE, UH, PROCESSES, 1600 INVOICES, 11 LITTLE 11,000 TIME SHEETS.
AND THAT DOESN'T, DOESN'T REALLY MATTER A WHOLE LOT TO YOU ALL, BUT THAT'S WHAT KEEPS THE, UH, EMPLOYEES HAPPY BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE, UH, PAYCHECKS COME FROM.
AND EITHER CAPS, UM, CUSTOMER AND PAYMENT SERVICES, AKA, UH, WATER AND LIGHT DEALS.
UM, THAT THAT'S HOW MUCH THEY PROCESS.
[02:30:01]
THERE'S 5,500 NEW LIGHTS WENT ON.NEW SERVICES, SERVICES, ALL SERVICES, UH, UH, NEW NEW SERVICE APPLICATION FOR PEOPLE WHO APPLYING FOR WATER AND, AND, AND, AND, UH, ELECTRIC SERVICES.
SO THEY MOVED IN, RIGHT? YEAH.
AND WHAT WAS THE TIMEFRAME? I'M SORRY, WHAT WAS THAT? WHAT'S THE TIMEFRAME? WAS THAT 5,500? THIS WAS FOR LAST YEAR.
AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE'VE DONE.
YOU ALL, UH, DUCK FIELD STORM WATER IS WHAT, UH, GEORGE, UH, CHARLES TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.
UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE REVAMPING THE LAND USE ORDINANCE RIGHT NOW.
UH, SO THERE'S A LOT OF, GOES INTO THAT.
THERE A LOT OF LEGAL HURDLES THAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW.
SO THAT'S, THAT STOPS AND STOPS AT DIFFERENT TIMES, BUT RIGHT NOW IT THAT SORT OF A STANDSTILL.
BUT WE'RE STILL BEHIND THE SCENES WORKING ON TRYING TO IMPROVE THOSE OBVIOUSLY
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STANDARD WHITE RECREATION CENTER.