[00:00:05]
GOOD EVENING,[1. Call to Order and Welcome.]
EVERYONE ASSEMBLE, UH, THE MEETING OF THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION WILL NOW COMMENCE AND WE WILL START WITH OUR ROLL CALL.COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND? HERE.
CO-CHAIR? UH, WE HAVE A COURT.
UH, CAN WE ADJUST THE, UH, OKAY.
CAN WE ADJUST THE RECORD TO REFLECT THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER VICTOR DOVE IS PRESENT.
WE WILL ASK, UH, EACH COMMISSION TO START WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER STEWART.
AND WE WILL START WITH NUMBER ONE AND GO OVER OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
BUT I WILL START OFF THE NEW NEWBORN 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.
THE COMMISSION IS COMMITTED TO AN ACCOUNTABLE, TRANSPARENT, AND PUBLICLY DRIVEN PROCESS.
WE'RE GONNA START WITH OUR CORE VALUES.
COMMISSION BEST PRESENT FUTURE EQUALITY TIME, RESPECT OTHERS' OPINIONS.
LISTEN TO BILL CONSENSUS, SHARE ACCURATE INFORMATION, PUBLIC PERCEPTION.
STAY FOCUSED, BE ACTION ORIENTED AND BELIEVE, BELIEVE, BELIEVE.
[4. Consider Approving the Agenda.]
YOU HAVE BEEN, UH, YOU WERE SENT EARLIER, BUT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU A, UH, AN AGENDA AND WE NEED TO, UM, HOLD A VOICE VOTE, UM, TO APPROVE THAT AGENDA.DO I HAVE ANY MOTIONS? WE APPROVE THE AGENDA.
I, I, I MOVE TO MAKE AN MOTION.
DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER MOTION? I DO COMMISSION.
I, I MOVE TO MAKE A MOTION TO MOVE ITEM NINE CI ONE UP TO AFTER PUBLIC COMMENT AS WELL AS NINE B.
WHAT WAS THAT FIRST ONE AGAIN? WE GOT NINE B.
UH, SO NON CI ONE, UH, WHICH IS THE, UH, DIRECTION TO SELL THE, UH, SELL PROPERTY, UH, PROPERTY SALES.
UH, AND THEN THERE IS, UH, NINE B, WHICH IS DISCUSSION OF 8 21 AND WEST STREET PURCHASE.
UH, MY MOTION IS TO MOVE THOSE UP TO AFTER PUBLIC COMMENT.
BUT WITH THOSE CHANGES MADE IN THE AGENDA, YOU CAN CALL FOR A VOTE ON THAT MOTION.
AND PROBABLY SECOND, UH, MAY ALL THE COMMISSIONERS START BY SAYING, AYE.
AND WE WILL ADJUST THE AGENDA.
[5. Consider Approval of Minutes]
A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE MEETINGS FROM MARCH 11TH, 2026 AND APRIL 8TH, 2026.DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THOSE MINUTES? I MOVE TO, UM, APPROVE THOSE MINUTES.
UH, MOTION HAS BEEN PROPER AND PROPERLY.
SECOND, UH, MAY THE COMMISSION, UH, PLEASE VOTE BY SAYING AYE A.
ANY OPPOSED? I SO HAVE IT LET IT BE REFLECTED IN THE RECORD.
AND YOU ASKED FOR IT BEFORE COMMENT, RIGHT? NO, AFTER PUBLIC.
[6. Public Comment]
FOR, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT.AND RIGHT NOW I THINK WE HAVE, UH, MR. STRAHORN, ARE YOU IN THE AUDIENCE? ARE YOU IN CITY? UH, YES.
WE CAN HAVE, UH, MR. DENISE ROBINSON.
HOW YOU DOING MS. ROBINSON? GOOD EVENING.
HOW ARE YOU? IT'S BEEN A MINUTE.
LOOK, I AM THE ADMINISTRATOR OF UNITED WORSHIP CENTER.
WE YELL ON OUR LEFT IS LEE STREET AND ON OUR RIGHT IS WEST STREET.
AND WE HAVE SOUGHT OVER 29 YEARS AGO TO REALLY COME AND CLEAN UP THAT STREET AND REALLY BRING THE PEOPLE THAT WAS WALKING
[00:05:01]
AND, AND HAVING ISSUES ON THAT STREET INTO THE CHURCH AND HELP CHANGE THEIR LIVES AND DOING THAT.WE HAD MADE A DECISION AT OUR CHURCH THAT WE WILL BUY THE PROPERTY ONCE PROPERTY CAME AVAILABLE IN THAT AREA.
WE SOUGHT OUT THE CITY OF NEW BERN OVER 10 YEARS AGO.
AND I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE MAPPING DEPARTMENT AND THEY HAVE BEEN EMAILING ME DIFFERENT LANDS THAT COME AVAILABLE.
NOW, THIS PIECE OF LAND GOT BY ME.
I DID NOT SEE A SIGN, UM, COME ON THE CORNER OF 8 21, UH, WEST STREET, THAT THAT PROPERTY WAS EVEN AVAILABLE AT THAT TIME.
SO WHEN THE PROPERTY CAME AVAILABLE ON LEE'S AVENUE AND I WENT TO THE, CAME OUT TO THE CITY TO PURCHASE THAT, TO PUT A BID IN, I FOUND OUT THAT SOMEONE HAD PURCHASED THAT PROPERTY.
SO I CONTACTED THE PERSON THAT PURCHASED THE PROPERTY AND HE SAID THAT HE LOVED WHAT WE DO IN THE COMMUNITY AND HE LOVED OUR CONNECTION AND HOW WE ACTUALLY KEPT UP THAT LAND WITH THE CITY OF NEW BERN.
'CAUSE IN OUR MIND, WE ARE WITH THE CITY.
WE ARE A COMMUNITY, AND WE WORK TOGETHER TO BUILD PEOPLE LIVES AND BUILD THE CITY.
SO WE DID NOT WAIT FOR THE CITY TO COME THROUGH AND PICK UP A PIECE OF TRASH.
WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO ADOPT THE STREET.
WE JUST KNEW THAT THAT IS WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO AND THAT IS WHAT WE DID.
AND WHEN HE HEARD THAT WE WERE THE ONES THAT WAS KEEPING UP THAT PROPERTY, HE SAID, LOOK, I WANT YOU ALL TO HAVE THAT PROPERTY.
SO HE DECIDED THAT HE WAS SALE US THE PROPERTY AT 8 21 WEST STREET.
NOW, BEING MYSELF, I RAN DOWN TO SOME AREA LAW FIRMS, THREE OF THEM TO BE EXACT.
AND ALL THREE OF THEM TOLD ME THAT IT WAS LISTED IN THE DEED THAT HE HAD TO BUILD A HOUSE ON IT FOR TWO IN TWO YEARS.
WHEN I CONTACTED HIM, HE SAID HE HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THAT.
SO WE WAS CAUGHT BETWEEN, UM, CATCH 22.
SO AT THAT POINT, WE DECIDED TO START CHECKING IN ON THIS LAND AND FINDING OUT WHY, BECAUSE WE ARE A COMMUNITY CHURCH.
WHY? BECAUSE WE LOVE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WHY? BECAUSE WE LOVE PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF NEW BERN.
WE STILL HAVE OUR PLAN TO OWN THE WHOLE BLOCK.
WE SEE WE OWN TWO, THREE HOUSES RIGHT NOW.
WE OWN THREE HOUSE, TWO ON MAIN STREET AND ONE ON LEE STREET.
AND WHAT, AND THEN I GOTTA TELL Y'ALL THIS BEFORE MY PASTOR GET UP TO SPEAK, WE HAD PEOPLE THAT DON'T EVEN LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY.
THEY CAN OWN A SLIVER OF A PIECE OF LAND.
THEY WILL CONTACT US, THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW US, AND GAVE US THE HOUSE ON LEE STREET AND WE FIXED IT UP BY THE HANDS OF THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT GO TO THE CHURCH.
NOT ONLY THAT, IT'S A PIECE OF PROPERTY ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CORNER OF LEE AND WEST STREET THAT SOMEONE CALLED US AND ASKED US DID WE WANT THAT PIECE OF LAND.
SO WE ARE COMING TONIGHT BECAUSE WE WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT WE ARE THE COMMUNITY.
AND BECAUSE WE CONNECT WITH THE CITY AND WE DON'T WAIT FOR THE CITY TO CLEAN THE PROPERTY AROUND US AND TO TAKE CARE OF THE PEOPLE AROUND US, WE ARE COMING TO LET Y'ALL KNOW WE ARE THE ONES THAT'S IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE ARE THE ONES THAT'S GONNA HELP REDEVELOP WITH YOU ALL.
WE DON'T HAVE TO BE IN THE MEETING, BUT WE ARE IN THE STREETS WORKING TO REDEVELOP THIS COMMUNITY FOR NOT JUST THE COMMUNITY, FOR ALL OF THOSE THAT WANNA COME IN AND BUILD A HOUSE AND BE A PART OF SUCH A GREAT CITY.
AND BEFORE WE CALL UP, UH, THANK YOU MS. ROBINSON.
UH, BEFORE WE CALL UP, UH, PASTOR, UH, STRAYHORN, UM, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I PUT THE, YOU KNOW, THE CHARGE OF THE COMMISSION IN REGARDS TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT IS AN OPPORTUNITY AND, UH, WE THANK YOU FOR COMING TO THE REDEVELOPMENT MEETING, UH, TONIGHT TO SHARE YOUR VIEWS.
UH, WE VALUE ALL CITIZEN INPUT, ESPECIALLY FROM MY AREA, WEST STREET
UM, SPEAKER COMMENTS ARE LIMITED TO MAXIMUM OF FOUR MINUTES.
YOU ONLY DID TWO, SO DON'T WORRY ABOUT THAT.
UM, DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, AT THE CONCLUSION OF FOUR MINUTES, EACH SPEAKER SHALL LEAVE THE PODIUM.
UH, COMMENTS WILL BE DIRECTED TO THE FULL COMMISSION, NOT TO AN INDIVIDUAL, A MEMBER OR STAFF MEMBER.
ALTHOUGH THE COMMISSION IS INTERESTED IN HEARING YOUR COMMENTS, SPEAKERS SHOULD NOT EXPECT ANY COMMENTS OR ACTIONS OR DELIBERATIONS FROM THE COMMISSION ON ANY ISSUE RAISED DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, PERIOD.
IT, IT'S CONSIDERED A FIRST READ.
SO WE'VE GOT THE DIGESTED AND THEN GO FROM THERE.
UM, IN THE COMMISSION'S DISCRETION, IT MAY REFER ISSUES TO THE APPROPRIATE CITY OFFICIALS OR STAFF FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION.
IF AN ORGANIZED GROUP IS PRESENT TO SPEAK ON A COMMON ISSUE, PLEASE DESIGNATE ONE PERSON IN THIS CASE TWO.
IT'S JUST SHELTON TONIGHT, UH, TO PRESENT ON THE GROUP'S COMMENT, WHICH SHALL BE LIMITED TO A MAXIMUM OF FOUR MINUTES.
I DIDN'T WANT TO HIT IT IN THE MIDDLE OF DAY.
YOU DIDN'T TELL I HAD FOUR MINUTES, SO I DIDN'T HIT IT.
BUT YOU DID DO, BUT TWO, BUT WE'RE GOOD.
MR. CHAIR, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR MR. DENISE.
MR. DENISE, UNDERSTANDING THAT PROPERTY IS, UM, IS OWNED BY SOMEONE ELSE CURRENTLY, WHAT
[00:10:01]
WAS YOU GUYS' PROPOSED USE OF THAT PROPERTY? WE'RE GONNA BUILD A PARKING LOT BECAUSE WE NEED PARKING STATION.EVERYBODY ON THE CITY, MA'AM, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE, PLEASE.
OUR PLAN IS TO, UM, EXTEND OUR PARKING LOT MM-HMM
BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PARKING FOR EVEN THE PEOPLE THAT, UM, COME INTO THE CHURCH.
AND NOT ONLY DO WE USE IT FOR PARKING, JUST LIKE THIS WEEKEND COMING, WE HAVE A COMMUNITY DAY, WHICH WE HAVE BEEN DOING OVER THE YEARS, AND WHERE WE INVITE EVERYBODY TO COME OUT AND ENJOY BECAUSE WE LIKE UNITY IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO WE WILL BE SUPPORTING THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY.
WITH OUR PARKING LOT AND OUR SPACE.
MR. MR. CHAIR, I HAVE A COMMENT AND I HAVE A QUESTION.
WELL, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS IF YOU'LL STEP BACK UP TO THE MR. MORGAN.
BEFORE WE GET TO THAT, UM, MR. CO-CHAIR.
AS YOU INDICATED IN YOUR SPEECH, THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS GENERALLY YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE PUBLIC COMMENT.
IF A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS ON THE BOARD WANT TO ALLOW AN ENGAGEMENT BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN BOARD MEMBERS AND THE THE PUBLIC, YOU ALL WILL NEED TO MAKE A VOTE TO DO THAT.
I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ARE ALLOWED TO ASK MS UH, ROBINSON, MS. ROBINSON, SOME QUESTIONS IN REGARDS TO HER PUBLIC COMMENT.
UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF THE ENGAGEMENT, SAY AYE.
PLEASE CONTINUE WITH YOUR THAT THOUGH.
UH, BECAUSE THE DOOR WAS OPENED UP AND YOU DID SAY THAT YOU ALL OWN A FEW OTHER PROPERTIES.
CAN YOU GIVE ME THOSE ADDRESSES? THE TWO ON MAIN AND THE ONE ON LEES? WELL, I CAN'T VERBATIM.
I, UH, WHAT, EIGHT 11 LEES AVENUE.
EIGHT 11 LEE NINE 15 MAIN STREET, 9 15, 9 13 AND A HALF MAIN STREET.
AND OUR CHURCH ADDRESS? 9 0 7 MAIN STREET AND THE CHURCH IS 9 0 7.
AND THE REASON WHY I ASK IS BECAUSE I HAVE NOT ONLY, UH, VISITED AND WORSHIPED THERE AT THE CHURCH, UM, AS A WELL WITH ME AND MY FAMILY, I HAVE PARTICIPATED IN YOUR FAMILY DAY AND, UM, CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU TO, UH, PASTOR STRAYHORN.
I WAS VERY, I IMPRESSED AND I AM CONTINUALLY IMPRESSED BY WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING.
AND IT'S, UH, PARTNERSHIPS LIKE THESE THAT THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION HAS TO BE A PART OF.
AND WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE NOT ONLY ENGAGE WITH YOU, BUT MAKE SURE THAT WE USE YOU AS A, UM, AS AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHER CHURCHES FOR US TO BE ABLE TO GET OUT AND TO BE ABLE TO, UH, TOUCH FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY WITH THIS.
DID ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING? I THINK THEY'RE DOING A WONDERFUL JOB AND IT'S GREAT TO SEE THINGS LIKE THIS SOMETIME WHEN WE HAVE TO BREAK CERTAIN PRECEDENTS TO DO THESE KIND OF THINGS.
SO I, I'M GLAD TO SEE THIS HAPPENING AND I TOTALLY SUPPORT WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
UH, APPRECIATE THANK YOU FOR THIS TIME TO COME AND TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS, UH, YOUR COMMITTEE.
UH, WE THINK ELLA ROBINSON DID A, UM, SUPERB JOB.
SO SOME THINGS I WON'T HAVE TO, UM, DISCUSS.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS, UM, JUNE MAKE 29 YEARS OF SERVING THERE, UH, AS THE PASTOR OF UNITED WORSHIP CENTER USED TO BE UNITED MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH, UM, FROM THE TIME THAT I GOT THERE, AND MANY OF YOU, UH, THAT ARE FROM THIS AREA, YOU'VE SEEN THE PROGRESSING OF THE CHURCH AND HOW, YOU KNOW, UM, THERE WAS A FENCE AROUND IT WASN'T ABLE TO GIVE ABOUT MAYBE, MAYBE SIX, MAYBE EIGHT CARS, UM, WITHIN THAT ON THE PROPERTY.
AND WE, OF COURSE, THE VISION WAS TO BE ABLE TO CLEAN UP, UM, THAT AREA.
AND WE HAVE DONE A, A TREMENDOUS JOB WITH MAKING SURE THAT THAT AREA AND THAT COMMUNITY WHERE WE WERE AT, UH, IS ABLE TO BE A, A VITAL COMMUNITY, UM, WHERE YOU'RE NOT GONNA RIDE BY AND SEE GRASS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, UM, OVERTAKEN, UH, THESE IMPOSSIBLE LAND.
AND ALSO ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE KEPT UP THAT LOT IS BECAUSE THE CITY WAS NOT, IT WASN'T CUTTING IT REGULARLY.
UH, THEY WASN'T CUTTING IT REGULARLY IN THE GRASS FROM GROWING UP.
AND OF COURSE WE DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE THAT, UM, CONNECTED TO OUR PROPERTY.
SO WE STARTED, UH, WE STARTED CUTTING BACK.
SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT OVER 10 YEARS, UM, OF KEEPING UP A PROPERTY, I MEAN, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S EXPENSIVE THAT WE HAD TO, UM, TO DO EVEN THOUGH WE TOOK IT ON
[00:15:01]
OUR OURSELVES TO DO IT.SO IF YOU KINDA LOOK AT FROM 29 YEARS AGO TO NOW, UM, THAT PROPERTY IN THAT CORNER, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THE PROGRESSION OF OUR, OF OUR MINISTRY.
UM, THERE, AS I HAVE SHARED WITH, UH, MR. MARTIN, WHEN I CALLED AND SHARED WITH YOU WHAT IT WAS WE WAS LOOKING, UH, FOR IN GETTING THIS, THIS PROPERTY, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU ASKED ME WAS, WELL, WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU HAD IT RIGHT, RIGHT THEN? AND THEN I SHARED THE SAME THING WITH YOU THAT ELLA ROBINSON, UH, SHARED WITH THIS COMMITTEE THAT WE NEEDED FOR PARKING RIGHT NOW SUNDAY, I WENT OUT AND LOOKED, I MEAN, WE CARS WAS PARKING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BECAUSE WE JUST DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH SPACE.
UM, SO WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET THE LAND THAT'S AROUND US TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND.
AND IF WE ARE NOT ABLE TO PURCHASE LAND THAT IS AROUND US, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO EXPAND.
AND, AND WE NEED THAT, UH, THIS COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE ON SATURDAY.
UH, WE'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR 14 YEARS.
EVERYTHING IS FREE, EVERYTHING IS FREE FOOD AND ATTAINMENT.
UM, IC TRUCKS COME OUT AND UH, THIS IS A WAY THAT WE GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND THE LARGEST NUMBER WE'VE EVER FED HAS BEEN OVER, OVER 300, 325 PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME OUT TO, UM, TO THE EVENT.
SO THE THING IS HERE, WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR ANYBODY TO JUST GIVE US A HANDOUT.
THAT'S NOT WHAT WE ARE AND WHAT WE STAND FOR.
BUT WE ARE HERE TO SEEK THIS REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION BECAUSE AS I LOOKED AND WENT THROUGH, UH, YOUR, YOUR WEBSITE, I BELIEVE THAT THE CHURCH IS A PART OF REDEVELOPMENT IF YOU TAKE THE CHURCH OUTTA REDEVELOPMENT.
AND, UH, WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS AS OTHERS TO BE ABLE TO DO THE THINGS THAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO.
WE'RE NOT ABLE TO BUILD A HOUSE, UH, ON THAT LAND.
THAT'S NOT WHAT WE ARE LOOKING TO DO.
BUT WE ARE LOOKING TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, IF YOU DID PURCHASE THE LAND BACK FROM THE INDIVIDUAL, UM, THAT WE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT PURSUING THAT LAND IF IT DID NOT HAVE THAT COVENANT.
SO I'M, I'M STANDING HERE TONIGHT THIS EVENING, UH, FOR UNITED, BUT ALSO I REPRESENT OTHER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT MAY IN THE FUTURE, UH, FIND THEMSELVES NEEDING A, UM, SOME LAND THAT THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND THEIR PARKING LOT OF THEIR CHURCH AND THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO DO SO BECAUSE OF THIS COVENANT BEING ATTACHED TO IT.
SO I UNDERSTAND REDEVELOPING, UH, THE COMMUNITY AND BUILDING HOUSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT I ALSO THINK THAT YOU SHOULD RECONSIDER THAT IN SITUATIONS LIKE THIS, THAT A NONPROFIT, LIKE A CHURCH THAT MAKES UP A PART OF THE COMMUNITY THAT'S IMPACTING THE COMMUNITY AND YOU CAN SHOW PROOF OF THAT, THAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER WORKING WITH, UH, THAT NONPROFIT.
I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WITH HIM BECAUSE REDEVELOPMENT IS MORE THAN JUST BUILDING HOUSES AND REDEVELOPMENT IS REDEVELOPING PEOPLE, WHICH MAKES UP THE COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT THEY DO.
AND I HAVE SEEN THEM DO A GOOD WORK.
SO, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME LATITUDE LEGALLY, YOU KNOW, RESPONSIBLY.
SO, UH, I, I HOPE WE CAN TRY TO DO THE BEST WE CAN TO HELP WHOMEVER, WHENEVER WE CAN ABOUT HOUSING AND OTHER THINGS.
SO I LEAVE IT UP TO THE BOARD AND TO THINK WHOLEHEARTEDLY ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP OUT THIS COMMUNITY EVERY WAY THAT WE CAN.
IS THERE ANY MORE UP, ANYBODY ELSE SIGNED UP? JUST WANNA MAKE SURE BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE ITEM.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR THE TWO ELOQUENT SPEAKERS AND WE WILL TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AND PROBABLY NEXT MEETING BE UP FOR DISCUSSION.
NOW PART OF THE AMENDED AGENDA, WE'RE GONNA MOVE UP NINE CI, SO IT'S NINE, IT'S NINE B AND NINE CI ONE.
AND NINE CI, YOU WENT FIRST, RIGHT? UH, ACTUALLY NINE
[9.b. Discuss 821 West Street Purchase ]
B IS FIRST.UH, BUT THEY'RE ALL IN COMBINATION.
THE EIGHT 12 WEST STREET PURCHASE, CORRECT? CORRECT.
UH, SO BOARD IT IS KIND OF MY STANCE IN IN MY CONVERSATION, UH, WHEN WE HAD OUR RETREAT, UH, AND THEN I THINK IT WAS ECHO BACK IN OUR FEBRUARY MEETING THAT THERE ARE A LIST OF LOTS THAT WE OWN, ALRIGHT, WITH THOSE LOTS THAT WE OWN.
THERE ARE LOTS THAT ARE SMALLER THAN OTHERS.
THERE ARE LOTS THAT ARE BIGGER THAN OTHERS.
THERE ARE LOTS THAT NO ONE CAN BUILD A RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE ON.
THERE'S LOTS THAT THAT CAN BE.
[00:20:01]
IT WAS A CONVERSATION THAT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION, NOT ONLY THROUGH THE RETREAT, BUT ALSO BACK IN FEBRUARY BY ASSISTANT COUNSEL, UH, BULLOCK, UH, THAT MENTIONED, UH, THAT WE SHOULD BE GIVEN DIRECTION TO STAFF FOR US TO LOOK AT THOSE LOTS AND TO DETERMINE WHAT LOTS ARE LOTS THAT CAN BE BUILT UPON WHAT LOTS ARE LOTS THAT THANK YOU ARE NOT GONNA BE BUILT UPON.AND TO DATE, WE HAVE NOT DONE THAT.
I THINK WHAT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO RUN INTO IS SITUATIONS LIKE WHAT 8 21 IS, IS, IS DISCUSSING.
I HAVE A, I HAVE A, I I'M, IT'S A EDGED SHORTAGE WITH 8 21.
TECHNICALLY, UH, 8 21 IS OUT OF OUR CONTROL.
THE BOARD DOES NOT OWN THAT, BUT THAT WAS SOLD.
UH, WE HAVE NO LEGAL RIGHT TO THAT, THAT HAS BEEN DEEDED TO A BUYER WE ALL RECOGNIZE THROUGH CONVERSATION AND EVEN BY MS. DENISE WHO PRESENTED, UH, THAT WAS DEEDED.
AND UNFORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO COVENANTS PUT ON THAT PROPERTY IN PAST INSTANCES.
I KNOW THAT, AND I DON'T WANNA SPEAK PRISTINE, BUT I KNOW THAT ONE OF YOUR ISSUES WAS, HEY, IF WE SOLD IT, WHY ARE WE BUYING IT BACK? UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT IN THAT PARTICULAR SITUATION, UM, THE GENTLEMAN BROUGHT IT AT ONE PRICE IS WILLING TO SELL IT BACK TO US FOR THAT PRICE, BUT WILLING TO SELL IT TO THE PUBLIC FOR A TOTALLY DIFFERENT PRICE.
UH, I I THINK ONE ASK THAT I HAVE FROM THIS BOARD IS TO BE ABLE TO GIVE DIRECTION TO STAFF TO BREAK THOSE LISTS DOWN BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO RUN INTO THESE SAME ISSUES.
THERE ARE ISSUES AND THERE ARE, THERE ARE A COUPLE THINGS THAT'S GONNA BE PRESENTED TO US TONIGHT, SUCH AS A 21, SUCH AS MR. CHAPMAN, WHERE THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE FROM THAT COMMUNITY, THE DUFFY FIELD COMMUNITY, WHERE THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO THAT COMMUNITY, THAT IT'S NOT WITHIN OUR POLICIES OR PROCEDURES OR THE RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT WE'RE GOING BY.
HOWEVER, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE THOSE, TO ADJUST THOSE RULES.
AND FOR INSTANCE, IN THIS SITUATION FOR 8 21, IF IT WAS IN OUR POSSESSION, I WOULD BE ONE TO BE FOR ALLOWING THE CHURCH TO PUT A PARKING LOT THERE BECAUSE OF THE CHURCH'S HISTORY.
HOWEVER, IF WE CONTINUE TO GO WITH THESE CASE BY CASE SITUATIONS AND NOT HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT LOTS WE REALLY WANT TO SEE DEVELOP BASED ON THE SIZE AND WHAT LOTS CAN BE USED FOR PARKING CAN BE USED FOR GREEN SPACE CAN BE USED, UH, TO, TO, TO, TO, AND AS ADDITION TO THE, THE CURRENT PROPERTY, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO GO IN, IN, IN A, A SPEND.
SO MY FIRST ASK WOULD BE THAT THE BOARD GIVES SOME DIRECTION TO STAFF TO TAKE THE LIST THAT WE HAVE AND GIVE US THE SIZE, GIVE US THE DIMENSIONS OF THOSE LISTS SO THAT WE CAN THEN MAKE AN ADEQUATE DECISION ON, HEY, THIS LOT IS WAY TOO SMALL.
SO IF JOHNNY WANTS TO COME IN HERE AND BUY THIS LOT, HE CAN BUY THE LOT.
HOWEVER, THIS LOT RIGHT HERE IS BILLABLE AND THERE'S THREE LOTS RIGHT BESIDE IT THAT ARE BILLABLE.
WE WANT TO ACTUALLY BUILD UPON THOSE LOTS.
THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF MY FIRST DISCUSSION BECAUSE I THINK AS YOU, AS YOU LOOK AND, AND IF, IF THERE ARE SITUATIONS, PARTICULARLY WITH THIS 8 21, MY STANCE IS I WOULDN'T HELP THE CHURCH.
OKAY? I THINK THE CHURCH HAS A VERY VALUE, A VERY VALID REASONING FOR USING IT FOR THAT USE.
HOWEVER, I ALSO RECOGNIZE RIGHT NOW, LEGALLY WE DON'T OWN THAT LOT.
IT WOULD BE IN OUR BENEFIT IF WE WERE GONNA WORK WITH THE CHURCH TO BUY THAT PROPERTY BACK AND PUT A COVENANT IN THERE TO ALLOW THEM TO DO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
IF WE'RE NOT GONNA DO THAT TO ME, WE DON'T NEED TO BUY THE PROPERTY BACK.
IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO ME.
IF WE'RE GONNA WORK AND SHOW GOOD FAITH WITH THE COMMUNITY BASED ON WHAT THEY'RE PRESENTING TO US, WHICH MAKES SENSE AND THE, AND THE VALIDATION IS THERE, THEN WE SHOULD BUY THE PROPERTY BACK.
BUT THE BIGGER PICTURE AND THE BIGGER PROBLEM TO ME IS THAT WE HAVE THESE PROPERTIES THAT WE, SOMEONE COMES, THEY WANNA PRESENT, WE HAVE NO INFORMATION ON.
WE HAVEN'T COLLECTIVELY SAID, HEY, WE DON'T WANT TO SELL THIS.
THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN BUILD ON.
THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN'T BUILD ON.
AND THEN WE'RE KIND OF SPINNING OUR WHEELS.
SO I GUESS MY FIRST POSITION WOULD JUST BE IN CONSIDERATION TO SAY, HEY, CAN WE DIRECT STAFF? I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE MARVIN'S OFFICE, MARVIN'S ADMINISTRATION TO SAY, HEY, UH, CAN YOU GUYS GIVE US THE LIST, GIVE US THE SIZE OF THESE LOTS AND GIVE US A RECOMMENDATION ON THESE.
LOTS ARE SOMETHING THAT CAN BE BUILT UPON BASED ON THE SIZE OR NOT.
I THINK IT'S MY FIRST KIND OF OPEN DISCUSSION THAT I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE TO, TO, TO BE TALKED ABOUT.
AND IT'S BIGGER THAN THE 8 21 SITUATION.
'CAUSE WE'RE RUNNING INTO THIS TIME AND TIME AGAIN, SUCH AS MR. CHAPMAN, MR. CHAPMAN, THEY HAVE A STORE THERE.
[00:25:01]
SOME PARKING.THE STORE HAS BEEN IN THE COMMUNITY FOR SOME TIME.
IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE HE DOESN'T WANT TO DEVELOP ON IT.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO THE COMMUNITY.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUT THEN OUR RULES KIND OF SAY SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
BUT IF IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S STILL SO SUBJECTIVE.
AND SO MY ASK IS THAT WE GIVE DIRECTION TO STAFF TO SAY, HEY, GIVE US THESE, THESE LOTS.
GIVE US SIZES, GIVE US A RECOMMENDATION.
AND WE CAN, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT OUR TIME LOOKS LIKE.
I KNOW WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE A WORKING GROUP WITH THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN, BUT WE'RE RUNNING INTO THE, SO KIND OF THE SAME THINGS AND WE'RE NOT REALLY MOVING FORWARD.
WE'RE, IT'S ALMOST LIKE WE'RE ROAD BLOCKING PEOPLE.
BUT I STILL WANNA MAKE THE STANCE OF IF WE DO AGREE TO BUY BACK 8 21, I WOULD ONLY LIKE TO MAKE A SOMEONE TO, MY STANCE IS WE ONLY BUY BACK IF WE'RE GONNA SELL IT TO THE CHURCH WITH THESE STIPULATIONS.
UNDERSTANDING WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO FOR US JUST TO BUY THAT PROPERTY BACK TO HAVE IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR ON THAT.
UH, THE LAST THING I WANNA SAY IS THAT AS WE CONTINUE TO GO FORWARD, MAN, I, YOU KNOW, I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE GOT P****D WITH ME AT THE, THE, THE, UH, UH, THE RETREAT, BUT WE'RE ALL VOLUNTEERING OUR TIME.
ALRIGHT? EVERYBODY HAS FAMILY.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT MY TIME IS SPENT BEING AS IMPACTFUL AS WE CAN.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AT, UH, ZEV LEFT, FOR US, THE MOST IMPACTFUL PROJECT THAT WE CAN DO IS THE AVENUES PROJECT.
I MEAN, THAT IS THE, THAT IS THE BIGGEST IMPACT THAT WE CAN HAVE BECAUSE THE REDEVELOPMENT OWNS SEVERAL PARCELS ALREADY IN THAT AREA.
THESE SPOTTY PLACES IN DUFFY FIELD ARE, ARE REALLY GOOD AND THERE ARE LOTS THAT ARE NECESSARY.
BUT AS FAR AS OUR FOCUS, IT REALLY NEEDS TO BE ON THE AVENUES PROJECT.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, IN TRYING TO ACQUIRE THESE OTHER PROPERTIES, PEOPLE HAVE TO HAVE A PLACE TO GO.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE THESE OTHER LOTS THAT ARE IN DUFFY FIELD TO ME, YOU START MAKING THESE PARTNERSHIPS.
YOU, I SEE MR. MCGOVERN IS PRESENTING SOMETHING TO, UH, TONIGHT FOR A PROPERTY.
AND IT'S LIKE THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE LOCAL BUILDERS, LOCAL DEVELOPERS, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE SHOULD BE WORKING WITH THEM FOR THESE SMALLER LITTLE PLOTS IN DUFFY FIELD FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE SOMEWHERE TO GO.
I WOULDN'T SELL YOU IN MY HOUSE IF YOU'RE NOT PRESENTING SOMETHING SOMEWHERE FOR ME TO GO.
AND WE UNDERSTAND PEOPLE ON THE BUDGET IS, UH, PEOPLE ON THE BUDGET IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUT IN GENERAL, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CLEAR THAT IT'S VERY HARD TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THE PUBLIC COMING TO PRESENT SOMETHING TO US.
AND WE DON'T HAVE AN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S REALLY A STANDARD IN GIVING US GUIDANCE ON THAT, UNDERSTANDING THESE VARIOUS DIFFERENT SIZES OF LOTS.
AND SO THAT IS WHAT MY OPEN CONVERSATION, UH, IS, IS ABOUT ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON, UH, NINE B, STEVE, ANYBODY? SO I I WOULD, I WOULD MAKE A MOTION, UH, THAT WE GIVE DIRECTION TO STAFF, UH, TO BREAK THE LIST DOWN, UH, TO GIVE A SIZE, UH, TO GIVE US, UH, IF THE LOT IN THEIR, UH, UH, RECOMMENDATION IS BILLABLE AND TO GIVE US SOME DIRECTION ON THE LIST THAT THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION HAS, UH, PRIOR TO CONTINUING TO SELL SELL LOCKS.
UH, MAY SPEAK BY ALL MEANS ALMOND STEWART.
COMMISSIONER STEWART? YES, SIR.
UM, TRYING TO UNRAVEL SOME OF WHAT YOU, YOU JUST, UH, UH, EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN AS FAR AS HAVING THE STAFF TO GO.
THERE'S PROBABLY ABOUT 50 LOTS THAT THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION OWNS.
AND ALL OF THOSE LOTS AND DIMENSIONS ARE, UH, BASICALLY LAID OUT ON THE GISO TO HAVE US GO OUT THERE TO TRY TO GIVE YOU ALL THE INFORMATION THAT IS JUST EASILY AVAILABLE.
UH, WE PROBABLY NEED A LITTLE MORE DIRECTION AS FAR AS WHAT, WHAT DIMENSIONS YOU ALL WOULD, UM, BASICALLY ENTERTAIN AND SAY THIS IS TOO SMALL.
SO THEN WE COULD JUST BASICALLY LIMIT IT TO THE ONES THAT WOULD NOT ACCOMMODATE, UH, SOME TYPE OF, UM, STRUCTURE THAT THAT'S WHAT THE, THE BOARD'S INTENT IS, AS OPPOSED TO GOING OUT AND, UH, 'CAUSE I, I CAN TELL YOU, UM, IN THE COURSE OF THE TIME AND DOING ALL MY RESEARCH, THERE'S ONLY BEEN ONE LOT THAT WAS SOLD TO, UH, ENLARGED SOMEONE'S PROPERTY FROM THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
UH, THE OTHER TWO, UH, CONCERNS WITH THE PURCHASING OF SELLING A LOT BACK OR PURCHASING A LOT BACK, IT REALLY DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH HIS DESIRE.
IT HAS TO DO SOMEWHAT WITH THE WAY THE CONTRACT WAS, WAS, WAS HANDLED.
UH, THAT THAT'S WHAT THE WEST A STREET BUYBACK WAS FOR, NOT FOR, UH, A CONDITION TO SAY ONLY BUY BACK IN THE EVENT THAT WE COULD, UH, SELL IT
[00:30:01]
TO SOMEONE ELSE.UM, WITH THE OTHER, UH, LOT THAT'S COMING UP WITH MR. CHAPMAN, UH, THERE IS A CONCERN NOT BASED ON, UH, WHAT HIS ASKED IS THIS A LAND USE ORDINANCE ISSUED THAT NOT, WILL NOT ALLOW FOR, FOR THAT PARTICULAR INTEREST OR PURPOSE BASED ON, UM, LAND USE AND, AND NOT JUST BECAUSE WE ARE SAYING WE WON'T ALLOW THAT.
AND SO THAT GOES AND, AND, AND THAT'S, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
SO AS FAR AS THE LOT SIZE, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN GET FROM DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND ZONING.
SO THEY'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO YOU.
I WOULD IMAGINE THAT STAFF, YOU CAN GIVE STAFF DIRECTION ON ASKING KENDRICK, I BELIEVE TO SAY, HEY, BASED ON THESE SIDES OF THESE LOTS, WHAT IS ABLE TO BE BUILT UPON, WHICH LOTS ARE ABLE TO BE BUILT UPON BASED ON THE SIZE OF THE LOT.
SO PERHAPS MR. STEWART, I CAN BE HELPFUL AS WELL.
SO WHAT I THINK YOU ALL ARE ASKING FOR IS DATA.
SO I THINK WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR ARE TO IDENTIFY THE LOTS THAT YOU OWN FOR ONE, IDENTIFY PERHAPS THE ZONING DISTRICT THAT THE LOTS ARE LOCATED IN, BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT USES MAY BE PERMISSIBLE.
I THINK YOU'RE ALSO MAYBE ASKING ABOUT FLOODING BECAUSE A GOOD DEAL OF THE REDEVELOPMENT AREA BOUNDARY IS IN A FLOODPLAIN OF SOME SORT.
AND CERTAINLY IF WE HAVE A SMALL LOT THAT'S IN THE FLOODPLAIN AND ANY STRUCTURE HAS TO BE ELEVATED, 8, 9, 10 FEET, THAT IMPACTS SUITABILITY FOR DEVELOPMENT.
SO I, I THINK THE TENSION PERHAPS THAT I'M HEARING BETWEEN, UM, MR. ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER AND, AND WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR MR. STEWART IS I, I THINK THAT STAFF CAN VERY EASILY PROVIDE YOU WITH THE FACTS, FIGURES, AND INFORMATION THAT YOU ALL NEED TO ULTIMATELY MAKE A DECISION ABOUT WHAT LOTS ARE SUITABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT THAT MAY BE OUTSIDE OF STAFF'S PURVIEW.
BECAUSE AS YOU INDICATED, YOU ALL, UM, ARE THE RESIDENT EXPERTS ON REDEVELOPMENT.
YOU SIT IN THESE SEATS TO MAKE THOSE TYPES OF JUDGMENT CALLS.
SO WHAT I THINK I'M HEARING YOU SAY, MR. STEWART, IS YOU'RE, YOU'RE SEEKING CONSENSUS FROM YOUR FELLOW COMMISSIONERS TO HAVE STAFF PRODUCE THE ADDRESSES FOR THE LOTS OWNED BY THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, THE ZONING DISTRICT, THE DIMENSIONS OF THE VARIOUS DIFFERENT LOTS, WHETHER THEY'RE IMPACTED BY THE FLOOD ORDINANCE, UM, AND PERHAPS THE SETBACKS THAT APPLY FOR THOSE PARTICULAR PROPERTIES.
IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR? VERY WELL ARTICULATED, YES.
AND, AND SO I'LL ALSO ADD SOMETHING THAT HE, THAT, UH, MARVIN SAID IN REGARDS TO CHAPMAN, THE LAND, THE LAND USE ORDINANCE, THE, THERE ARE OTHER WAYS AROUND THAT.
AND STRATEGICALLY, IF EDUCATED PROPERLY, HE'S ABLE TO USE THAT FOR HIS TO THE BEST USE THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO USE FOR THAT STORE.
MAYBE IT'S NOT A PARKING LOT, BUT AGAIN, THERE ARE, THERE ARE STRATEGIC WAYS THAT WE KNOW OF THAT PEOPLE CAN DO CERTAIN THINGS AND I JUST THINK THAT, UH, WE SHOULD, WE NEED TO BE HELPFUL IN THAT, IN THAT DIRECTION.
BUT TO YOUR POINT, YES, THAT IS, THAT IS MY ASK.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT'S BEING REQUESTED BY MR. STEWART AS DIRECTION TO STAFF.
IS THERE CONSENSUS FROM THE BOARD MEMBERS TO GIVE STAFF THE DIRECTION TO AGGREGATE THAT INFORMATION AND BRING IT BACK TO YOU AT A FUTURE MEETING? YES.
WHAT, WITH THE INFORMATION THAT YOU JUST, YOU WERE SPECIFIC IN A LOT OF THINGS I WANT TO ASK YOU, MR. STEWART, DO YOU ALSO MEAN SOMETHING TO THE MATTER AS WE WANT TO FILTER IT OUT BY ANYTHING 50 BY A HUNDRED OR ABOVE OR, OR FILTER OUT 50 BY 100 AND BENEATH? BECAUSE THAT'S A MUCH SMALLER LOT TO BUILD UPON.
I THINK THAT ONCE WE GET THAT INFORMATION THAT WE CAN COLLECTIVELY MAKE THAT DECISION.
UH, I THINK TRYING TO DO THAT PRE WITHOUT HAVING THE INFORMATION IS HARD TO, HARD TO DO.
UH, I ALSO THINK THAT THERE ARE THESE SPECIAL SITUATIONS LIKE 8 21 AND LIKE MR. CHAPMAN'S STORE WHERE WE RECOGNIZE THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE EMBEDDED IN THAT COMMUNITY THAT THIS IS GOING TO BENEFIT THEM.
I MEAN, AND SO I THINK THEY'RE, ONCE WE GATHER THE INFORMATION, I MEAN THEY SAID THEY'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THIS LOT FOR 10 YEARS, FIVE YEARS.
AND SO THEY'RE, TO ME, THEY'RE ALSO ALSO SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT.
AND IF WE HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION IN FRONT OF US, THEN WE CAN PROVIDE A, A INFORMED DECISION.
SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, I CANNOT ANSWER THAT UNTIL WE GET THE INFORMATION AND COLLECTIVELY WE SIT AND SAY, HEY, BASED ON THIS SIZE LOT, AND THEN ALSO HAVING INFORMATION FROM KENDRICK, UH, AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND SAYING, HEY, WELL THIS LOT'S JUST WAY TOO SMALL TO, TO BUILD UPON OR THIS LOT AND WE ALL REALIZE THAT DUFFY FIELD IS THE BOWL.
SO EVERYTHING OVER THERE THAT'S NEWLY BUILT IS GONNA HAVE TO BE ELEVATED, WHETHER IT'S FOUR FOOT, 10 FOOT, NINE FOOT.
SO SOME THINGS JUST MAY NOT MAKE SENSE.
AND SO TO ME, IF WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE THAT RELATIONSHIP IN CONVERSATION WITH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES TO SAY, HEY MAN, THIS REQUIREMENT IS 11 FOOT ELEVATION, THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR IS FOUR FOOT OR NOT EVEN ELEVATED 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, DOES IT EVEN MAKE SENSE FOR US TO DO THAT? AND SO I THINK
[00:35:01]
THAT THERE JUST HAS TO, ONE, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO GET THE INFORMATION FIRST AND FOREMOST.I THINK THAT'S MY BIGGEST THING.
AND THE ONLY REASON I ADDED THAT TO IT, BECAUSE WHEN I HEARD WHAT YOU WERE SAYING, MISS, UM, JAMIE, I DIDN'T HEAR YOU SPECIFY THE DIMENSIONS IN THAT LISTING.
THE DIMENSIONS WOULD BE A, AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF THAT ANALYSIS, I WOULD SAY IN MY RECOMMENDATION TO YOU ALL.
SO GOING BACK TO MR. STEWART'S POINT, IS IT THE CONSENSUS FROM THIS BOARD THAT YOU WOULD LIKE STAFF TO AGGREGATE THE DATA THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED TONIGHT TO BRING IT BACK TO YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AT A FUTURE MEETING? I THINK SO.
SO I'M SEEING HEADS NODDING, GIMME AFFIRMATIVE.
SO WE GOT THAT DIRECTION DATA, BUT OUR GROUP, MR. STEWARD, WE NEED THE DATA, BUT THEN WE ALWAYS WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT LEADWAY THAT WE CAN STILL HELP THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PEOPLE INVOLVED.
SO I'M IN AGREEMENT ON BOTH SIDES AND MAKE A BALANCE HERE.
SO GOING BACK TO, 'CAUSE I THINK WE'RE AT NINE B, WHICH IS THE DISCUSSION OF 8 21 WEST STREET.
UM, THIS, THIS MATTER HAS BEEN ON THE AGENDA A FEW TIMES AND I KNOW THAT MR. STEWART HAS STARTED TO ESPOUSE HIS THOUGHTS.
I THINK STAFF IS SEEKING SOME DIRECTION FROM YOU ALL ABOUT WHAT IT IS THE MAJORITY OF YOU ALL WANT TO DO.
I'VE HEARD A COUPLE OF COMMENTS TONIGHT THAT PEOPLE ARE EN ENDEAVORING AND WANTING TO HELP THE CHURCH.
I THINK THAT THE PUBLIC COMMENT THAT HAS BEEN MADE TONIGHT IS THE CHURCH WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE THE LOTS FROM THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
ONE LEGAL ISSUE THAT YOU MAY HAVE WANDERING IN YOUR MIND THAT I MIGHT BE ABLE TO CLARIFY FOR YOU IS IF OWNERSHIP COMES BACK TO THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, YOU ALL AS THE GRANTOR HAVE THE ABILITY TO RELEASE ANY RESTRICTIONS.
SO IF THERE'S A QUESTION ABOUT CHAIN OF TITLE AND THERE'S, IF THERE'S A QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER THE RESTRICTIONS ATTACHED OR NOT, YOU ALL AS THE GRANTOR HAVE THE ABILITY TO RESOLVE THOSE QUESTIONS IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO SO.
SO JUST TO CLARIFY BEFORE WE GO THERE, SO IS IT TO CLOSE OUT THE, THE FIRST ITEM IS DIRECTION BEING GIVEN TO STAFF TO PROVIDE THAT DATA TO US? YES, SIR.
SO
WHY, WHY CAN THAT NOT BE MADE? UM, JAMIE, I SEE YOU SHAKING YOUR HEAD.
SO THIS COMMISSION HAS A PRECEDENT OF SELLING LOTS MM-HMM
THROUGH THE UPSET BID PROCESS.
UM, WHICH IS A COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCESS.
WHICH WOULD ALLOW THE CHURCH OR ANY OTHER PERSON, I HEAR YOU, TO MAKE A BID.
AND THAT BID COULD BE UPSET USING THE STATUTORY PROCESS.
SO A CONDITION LIMITING SALE TO THE CHURCH.
I HEAR YOU, GIVEN THE PRECEDENT OF UPSET BID WOULD BE INCONSISTENT WITH THIS BOARD.
THAT'S WHY YOUR LEGAL COUNSEL, SO, SO THEN MY, MY QUESTION WOULD BE IS IF WE WERE TO, UH, PURCHASE THAT PROPERTY BACK, CAN WE PURCHASE IT BACK WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WOULD NOT PUT CONDITIONS ON THAT PROPERTY? YOU AS A BOARD HAVE THE ABILITY TO RELEASE ANY CONDITIONS THAT MAY RUN WITH THE LAND BECAUSE YOU ARE THE GRANTOR THAT ATTACHED THE CONDITIONS IN THE FIRST PLACE.
BUT NOT ONLY WOULD WE BE ABLE TO REMOVE ANY, WE COULD ALSO GRANT ANY ADDITIONAL COVENANTS THAT WE WOULD WANT TO HAVE ON THE LAND.
IS, IS THAT CORRECT? YES, SIR.
ALSO, HOLD ON, MR. STRICKLAND.
SO IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS OVER, I GUESS, HOW FORMALLY THE RESTRICTIONS WERE ATTACHED ON THE INITIAL DEED.
UH, AS WE COULD HEAR FROM, FROM MS. ROBINSON, SHE SAW SOMEWHERE THAT THEY WERE OUT THERE AND THEN SOME QUESTIONS AROSE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE, THE GENTLEMAN THAT PURCHASED IT WAS PURELY AWARE.
AND I'VE JUST HEARD YOU SAY NOW THAT WE AS THE GRANTEE HAVE THE ABILITY TO RELEASE RESTRICTIONS.
IF YOU GET IT BACK, IF WE GET IT BACK, IF WE GET IT BACK MM-HMM
SO CAN WE CHOOSE TO NOT ENFORCE THAT SINCE THERE IS A QUESTION OVER WHETHER OR NOT IT IS DULY APPLIED AND UNDERSTOOD TO THE GENTLEMAN THAT PURCHASED IT? YOU COULD, I WOULD ADVISE AGAINST IT.
ANY SUBSEQUENT CONVEYANCE OF THIS PROPERTY IS GOING TO HAVE CLOUD ON THE TITLE, WHICH CREATES DIFFICULTY WITH FINANCING.
POTENTIALLY IF, LET'S JUST SAY A SUB SUBSEQUENT GRANTEE WANTED TO EXPAND THEIR DEVELOPMENT OR CREATE NEW DEVELOPMENT, WHEN A TITLE INSURANCE COMPANY OR A FINANCE COMPANY EVALUATES THAT TITLE, THEY MAY NOT BE WILLING TO LEND BECAUSE THERE'S A QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER THE PROPERTY'S BEING USED AS INTENDED BY THE ORIGINAL GRANTOR, WHICH IS YOU ALL.
SO I THINK JUST NOT RECOGNIZING THAT THE CONDITIONS ARE AN ISSUE IS NOT THE BEST LEGAL PATH FORWARD, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE TRYING TO HAVE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE FUTURE.
I THINK HE TOUCHED WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY, BUT
[00:40:01]
I WANT TO CLARIFY JUST SO I CAN UNDERSTAND EVEN BETTER.CURRENTLY THE CURRENT LAND OWNER, THERE'S NO WAY THAT WE, THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION CAN SOMEHOW GO IN AND REMOVE THOSE OFF HIS CURRENT DEED SINCE WE WERE THE ONES THAT IMPOSED THEM.
THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION THAT I CAN RECOMMEND TO YOU ALL IF YOU ARE ENTERTAINING, REMOVING CONDITIONS IS TO REACQUIRE THE PROPERTY SO THAT IT'S VERY CLEAR IN THE CHAIN OF TITLE WHAT IS GOING ON AND WHAT, IF ANY, CONDITIONS ATTACH.
AND THE ONLY REASON I SAY THAT, BECAUSE IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, DIDN'T, WASN'T THAT LANDOWNER WI ISN'T HE WILLING TODAY TO SELL THAT PROPERTY TO YOU, MR. STRAHAN? IF YOU, IF YOU, IF YOU LISTEN TO WHAT HE MENTIONED EARLIER.
HE, HE WAS WILLING TO DO THAT.
HE, HE WANTED MORE, YOU KNOW, MORE MONEY FOR IT.
AND HE, HE'S TRYING TO GET RID OF IT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE HE FEELS FROM THAT.
BUT HE CAN'T, HE'S, UM, HAS TO DEAL WITHIN THAT 24 MONTH PERIOD BECAUSE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT COVENANT, UH, STATES.
BUT I THINK HE IS DEFINITELY OPEN TO, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL PURCHASING IT BACK FROM HIM.
AND BECAUSE HE, AND IN THE CONVERSATION AND JUST TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE DIRECT MM-HMM
IT, IT WOULD BE MORE BENEFICIAL FOR US TO PURCHASE THAT PROPERTY BACK WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT, UH, WE'RE NOT GOING TO PUT THOSE RESTRICTIONS ON IT THAT WOULD BENEFIT THIS CHURCH VERSUS THE CHURCH TRYING TO GO PURCHASE IT BACK FROM THE GUY.
BECAUSE HE'S TRYING TO CHARGE HIM AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF MONEY.
SO HE WILL SELL IT BACK TO THE COMMISSION IF IT'S NOT IN MY UNDERSTANDING FOR THE AMOUNT THAT HE BROUGHT IT FOR.
BUT IF HE SELLS IT TO SOMEONE IN THE PUBLIC, HE'S GONNA SELL IT AT A DIFFERENT PRICE.
MY STANCE WOULD BE THAT IF WE'RE GONNA PURCHASE THIS PROPERTY BACK IN MY MIND, UNDERSTANDING WHAT, UH, JAMIE SAID, THAT IT HAS TO GO OUT, BACK OUT FOR PUBLIC BID, IT WOULD BE MY POSITION THAT WE PURCHASE IT BACK WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS WHEN WE SELL IT BACK OUT TO THE PUBLIC, BECAUSE THAT GIVES THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND PURCHASE IT.
IF SOMEONE UPSETS 'EM, THEN THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S THEIR DEAL TO DEAL WITH.
BUT THERE'S NO NEED FOR US TO PURCHASE THE PROPERTY BACK WITH RESTRICTIONS.
UH, THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME.
SO JUST TO CLARIFY A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT YOU SAID, MR. STEWART, IF YOU, IF THE COMMISSION IS INCLINED TO REACQUIRE THE PROPERTY, YOU WILL REACQUIRE IT AS IT WAS DEEDED TO THEM.
AND IT WAS A DEEDED TO THEM WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS.
THERE IS A, A ARGUMENT FOR BOTH SIDES.
THERE'S AN ARGUMENT THAT THERE ARE RESTRICTIONS BECAUSE THERE IS AN ATTACHMENT TO THAT DEED THAT REFERENCES THE CONDITIONS THAT APOSTLE STRAIGHT WARRANT HAS SET OUT.
AND THE AR THE OTHER ARGUMENT TO THAT WOULD BE THAT THE BOX IS NOT CHECKED.
THAT IS THE OTHER ARGUMENT THAT CREATES THE CLOUD ON TITLE THAT I THINK YOU ALL ARE TRYING TO RESOLVE.
BUT YOU ALSO HAVE, I I, I'M SORRY.
THE OTHER THING THAT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO BEAR IN MIND IN THE UPSET BID PROCESS THAT I KNOW YOU ALL ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH IS THIS, THIS COMMISSION APPROVES WHO THE HIGH BIDDER IS MM-HMM
SO IF YOU ALL GET THROUGH THE COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCESS AND YOU SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE CHANGED OUR MIND SELLING THIS PROPERTY WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS TO THIS PARTICULAR BUYER IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN, YOU CAN BACK OUT OF THE SALE BEFORE IT'S APPROVED.
SO I JUST WANT YOU TO HAVE THAT IN YOUR MINDLY AS YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THE VARIOUS DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT MAY LAY BEFORE YOU.
SO I JUST WANNA PUBLICLY SAY, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE.
I'M ONLY INTERESTED IN US BUYING IT BACK IF WE'RE ABLE TO HELP THE CHURCH, IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO HELP THE CHURCH'S, NO POINT IN US BUYING IT BACK.
AND I ALSO WOULD SAY THAT OUR, MY CONSTITUENTS, I WOULD HOPE THAT IF WE PURCHASE THIS PROPERTY BACK AND WE AGREE THAT WE'RE PURCHASING IT BACK AND POTENTIALLY WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GONNA PUT ANY, UH, RESTRICTIONS ON IT, UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS GONNA HELP A CHURCH IN OUR COMMUNITY, THAT WE DON'T COME BACK LATER AND SAY, AH, NAH, WE DECIDED THAT WE NOT GONNA DO THAT.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE PRETTY, MY ONLY CONCERN RIGHT NOW IS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T GET CAUGHT TRYING TO STACK THE DECK TO TRY TO GO PURCHASE SOMETHING.
WE STACK THE DECK TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CHURCH IS ABLE TO GET IT.
WE ALL SEEM TO BE IN FAVOR OF THE CHURCH GETTING IT BECAUSE WE KNOW WHAT THE REPUTATION IS AND SOME OF US KNOW WHAT THAT LAND LOOKED LIKE 20 YEARS AGO.
WE KNOW WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE 25 YEARS AGO MM-HMM
AND WE SEE THE PROGRESS AND WE SEE A NEWNESS AND WE SEE SOME PROGRESS BEING MADE THERE, BUT WE JUST HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SO CAREFUL AS TO NOT HAVE THAT CONVERSATION NOW TONIGHT ABOUT STACKING THE DECK.
WE ARE JUST TRYING TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT CAN BE DONE, HOW IT CAN BE DONE, AND NOT TRY TO REINVENT THE WHEEL TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE WE'RE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU SAID THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN WAYS THAT WE CAN DO CERTAIN THINGS.
[00:45:01]
LEGALITIES IN PLACE.ALREADY, SUCH AS THE UPSET BID.
AND THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTION AND THAT'S WHERE I WAS GOING.
SO DO YOU, REGARDLESS IF WE PURCHASE IT BACK OR NOT, WE'RE NOT JUST SAYING, HERE YOU GO, PASTOR STRAYHORN.
I'M WE'RE SAYING THIS HAS, AND, AND, AND, AND JAMIE JUST CLARIFIED THAT I COULDN'T MAKE THAT MOTION BECAUSE IT STILL HAS TO GO BACK OUT FOR THE UPSET BID.
THAT WILL BE ON THEM IN THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO DO THAT.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS LET'S GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THE BEST USES FOR THAT PROPERTY MAY BE.
AND THEN PERHAPS, UH, IF IT DOES COME BEFORE US, WE OBVIOUSLY ALL RECOGNIZE THE CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE HAD BEFORE.
I'D LIKE TO GO ON THE RECORD SAYING THAT I DO AGREE WITH, UM, MR. STEWART, AND THEN HOW CAN WE PUBLICLY GO ON RECORD WITH THESE TWO SITUATIONS THAT WE HAVE NOW.
WELL, AND THAT GOES TO HOLD ON.
GOES, WE'RE GETTING AWAY FROM ROBERT'S RULES WARNING Y'ALL, PLEASE, WE RECOGNIZED BEFORE WE SPEAK, WE'RE GOING, IT'S STARTING TO BE TOO MUCH.
SO LET'S GIVE ME A MOTION AND NOW LET ME CALL ON YOU THEN WE GOES, WE'RE GETTING OUT ORDER RIGHT NOW.
WELL, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A MOTION ON THE TABLE, BUT I THINK THAT JAMIE'S ALREADY, JAMIE'S ALREADY SPOKE ON THAT, UH,
SO IF YOU HAVE THAT DATA, I'M SORRY, I ABOUT THAT.
WHAT I WANNA SAY IS THESE TWO SITUATIONS, I AGREE WITH YOU TOO ON BOTH SITUATIONS, BUT I WANT TO, HOW DO WE PUT, UM, A LINE IN THE SAND SO AFTER THESE TWO SITUATIONS, WE CAN GET BACK TO DOING WHAT, WHEN I TOOK MY OATH, I SAID I WAS GONNA SIT ON THE BOARD AND DO, BECAUSE IT WAS TO REDEVELOP.
NOW, IN THESE SITUATIONS, I AGREE WITH THEM IN THAT COMMUNITY.
I KNOW THE CHURCH, I KNOW THE STORE, I KNOW IT CAN BENEFIT THEM.
SO, BUT MOVING FORWARD, IT'S LIKE I KNOW WHAT I WAS TOLD, WHAT I READ AND WHAT I KNOW THIS COMMITTEE IS SUPPOSED TO BE DOING, WHICH IS DEVELOPING HOME HOMES.
THERE WAS A COMMITTEE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO SPECIFY THINGS AND GET THINGS MORE DETAILED FOR US, WHICH WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THAT YET BECAUSE I HEARD THEY CUT FUNDING AND WE DON'T HAVE THAT, THAT DEDICATED DIRECTOR THAT WE NEED.
BUT I, I, I DON'T WANT THIS TO CONTINUE TO COME UP AND THEN IT'S LIKE WE START TAKING SIDES.
SO, SO MR. DOVE, YOU, YOU RAISED A GREAT POINT ABOUT WHAT, WHAT IS OUR PURPOSE, WHAT IS OUR ROLE? AND I WANNA REDIRECT YOU ALL BACK TO THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN THAT THIS BOARD ADOPTED AND THAT THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN APPROVED.
AND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THAT PLAN, I WANNA DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION SPECIFICALLY TO PAGE 17 OF THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN THAT WAS ADOPTED.
THE FIRST OBJECTIVE THAT THIS BOARD SET OUT IN THINKING ABOUT YOUR STRATEGY FOR REDEVELOPMENT IS TO TAKE PROACTIVE MEASURES TO ELIMINATE EXISTING BLIGHT AND STOP FURTHER DEGRADATION OF THE COMMUNITY.
ANOTHER, UM, OBJECTIVE THAT I WANT TO JUST PUT IN YOUR HEARING FOR PROBABLY THE UMP THINK UMPTEENTH TIME IS NUMBER SEVEN, WHICH IS UTILIZE CITY OWNED PROPERTY, I GUESS REDEVELOPMENT, COMMISSION OWNED PROPERTY WITHIN THE BOUNDARY TO CREATE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
AND I WOULD SUBMIT TO YOU ALL THAT USING THESE EXISTING LOTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE EXISTING DEVELOPMENT, IF EXISTING DEVELOPMENT CAN SUBSUME THESE VACANT LOTS, WE DECREASE BLIGHT POTENTIALLY BECAUSE NOW THEY'RE IN PRIVATE OWNERSHIP OR THE OWNERSHIP OF NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND ARE BEING PUT TO PRODUCTIVE USE.
WHEREAS THEY'RE, THEY'VE JUST BEEN SITTING VACANT AND UNUTILIZED BEFORE.
SO I DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK THAT CONVEYING A VACANT LOT, GETTING IT OUT OF GOVERNMENT HANDS AND INTO PRIVATE OWNERSHIP IS NOT REDEVELOPMENT.
'CAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT'S CONSISTENT WITH YOUR PLAN, BUT SPECIFICALLY TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT DRAWING THAT BRIGHT LINE, I THINK THAT'S HAPPENED TONIGHT.
UM, CERTAINLY WITH REQUESTING THE DATA SO THAT YOU CAN ANALYZE IT AND BE THOUGHTFUL GOING FORWARD AT THIS STAGE IN THE GAME TO CONSIDER WHAT LOTS YOU THINK ARE SUITABLE FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT AND WHAT LOTS MAY NOT BE SO SUITED.
AND IF THEY'RE NOT SUITED FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, THEN WHAT? SO I, I THINK THAT MOMENT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED, BUT CERTAINLY YOU ALL CAN FORMALIZE A MOTION TO SAY FROM, YOU KNOW, AFTER TODAY, AFTER WE RESOLVE THESE TWO ISSUES THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA RELATED TO THESE PROPERTY SALES, WE WILL NOT SELL ANOTHER LOT UNTIL WE AGGREGATE THAT DATA THAT'S WITHIN YOUR PURPOSE.
I JUST GOT ONE MORE JUST VERY QUICKLY IF I MAY, BECAUSE NOW ANOTHER QUESTION AND I'LL BE VERY SHORT.
AND THIS IS, UM, A QUESTION FOR MARVIN AND FOR, UH, MRS. BULLOCK.
SO ASIDE FROM THESE TWO PARTICULAR INSTANCES, ONCE WE GET THE INFORMATION BACK THAT WE HAVE REQUESTED AND THAT THE BOARD HAS, UH, BEEN GIVEN ACTION TO BRING US BACK, WHAT WOULD BE WRONG? BECAUSE DIMENSIONS ARE ACTUAL AND FACTUAL.
THEY'RE NOT KIND OF, THEY'RE NOT ALMOST, AND THEY'RE PEOPLE THAT BUILD HOMES EVERY DAY THAT DO THIS AS A LIVING.
WHY DON'T WE GIVE THEM THE DIMENSIONS? WHEN I JOINED THIS COMMISSION,
[00:50:01]
THE CITY OF NEW BERN, NOT THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION OWNED OVER 106 PARCELS OF LAND IN THE DUFFY FIELD.WELL, IN THE REDEVELOPMENT AREA, WHICH INCLUDED MORE THAN JUST DUFFY FIELD, BUT MOST OF THEM WERE IN DUFFY FIELD.
SO WHY DON'T WE GIVE DIMENSIONS THAT WE WILL BE GETTING, GIVE THEM TO A DEVELOPER AND THEN THEY SHOW US WHAT THEY CAN PUT ON THESE PARTICULAR LOTS.
WHAT'S TOO SMALL, WHAT'S TOO LARGE, WHAT NEEDS TO BE RAISED UP? BECAUSE THEY DO THIS EVERY DAY.
WE DON'T DO THIS EVERY DAY AS IT RELATES TO BUILDING HOMES.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE WASTING A LOT OF TIME, WE'RE WASTING A LOT OF CONVERSATION BY US TRYING TO DO SOMEBODY ELSE'S JOB.
SO MY THING IS LET'S GIVE THEM THE DIMENSIONS, GIVE EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE ASKED FOR, BUT THE INFORMATION COMING FROM THE CITY OR RATHER FROM THE ADMINISTRATION HERE, AND WE PRESENT THEM TO DEVELOPERS AND THEN LET THEM SHOW US WHAT THEY HAVE PUT ON THESE TYPES OF PROPERTIES, ON THESE SIZE PROPERTIES IN FLOOD PLAINS, WHAT THEY'VE HAD TO RAISE UP WHERE THEY HAD ISSUES AND LET THEM DO THEIR JOBS.
LET'S DO WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
AND I'M HOPING MR. DOUG, THAT I HAD A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING SAYING THAT I THINK WE'RE GETTING OUT OF PLACE BY TRYING TO DO TOO MUCH.
AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS LET THE DEVELOPERS DEVELOP AND WE JUST BE HERE, AS YOU SAY, GOOD CUSTODIANS.
UH, QUESTION COUNCIL, WHAT HAPPENS IF HE DOES NOT MEET THE TIMELINE OF BEGINNING CONSTRUCTION ON, UH, 8 21 WEST STREET? WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT PROPERTY? I DON'T HAVE THE DEEDS IN FRONT OF ME.
UM, BUT CERTAINLY THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION HAS THE PRO PREROGATIVE TO ENFORCE THE COVENANT SO THEY COULD INSTIGATE A, A LAWSUIT AND TRY TO CLAW IT BACK IF THEY WANTED TO.
CERTAINLY THERE WITH THE ISSUE WITH THE CLOUD ON THE TITLE, UM, THAT COULD BE A PROTRACTED PROCESS.
UM, MR. CHAIR, UM, I'M GOING REPLY TO WHAT, UH, CHAIR ROCK, UM, MORGAN SAID MY THOUGHT PROCESS IS ONCE PRESENTED, THE DATA ZONING IS GONNA BE ABLE TO GIVE THAT INFORMATION BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO TELL US WHAT CAN BE BUILT ON THOSE LOTS ARE BILLABLE BASED ON THE SIZE.
I DON'T THINK THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO SOMEONE ELSE'S JOB, AND I DEFINITELY DON'T WANT TO TAKE ON ANOTHER RESPONSIBILITY, BUT I DO THINK THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE SOME INFORMED DECISIONS AS A BOARD BY HAVING THE INFORMATION VERSE COMING IN AND PEOPLE PRESENTING US NOT HAVING THE INFORMATION, UH, AND TO, YEAH, SO THAT, I JUST WANTED TO, TO REPLY TO THAT.
ROBERT BUILDERS, WE DON'T HAVE THAT, THAT INFORMATION.
OH, YOU WANNA FINISH? I'M SORRY, STEVE.
I'M HAVING TROUBLE RECONCILING HOW WE CAN SIMULTANEOUSLY ASK FOR DATA SO WE CAN DETERMINE THE BEST USE FOR A PIECE OF PROPERTY AND THEN SAY WE'RE GONNA BUY BACK A PIECE OF PROPERTY WITH AN INTENDED USE OUTTA THE OTHER SIDE OF OUR MOUTH AT THE SAME TIME.
YEAH, I MADE MY THOUGHTS ALL ON THE, THE BUYBACKS IN GENERAL.
UM, THAT'S MY THOUGHTS, MY THOUGHTS ALONE.
BUT I, I HAVE A HARD TIME WITH SIMULTANEOUSLY SAYING TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO I DON'T SEE HOW YOU MOVE FORWARD WITH ONE WHILE YOU'RE SAYING WE GOTTA, WE'VE GOTTA GET DATA.
SO WHENEVER WE GET DATA THAT COMES BACK AND SAYS, THIS PARTICULAR PARCEL IS HIGH ENOUGH, IT'S DIMENSION ACCORDINGLY TO BUILD ON.
IF NOT FOR THE CONVERSATION THAT'S TAKEN PLACE, WE WILL PUT THAT IN THE, HEY, YOU NEED TO BUILD WHENEVER YOU BUY ON THE SLOT.
BUT NOW WE'RE SAYING WE'RE GONNA BUY SOMETHING BACK WITH THE INTENTION OF NOT BUILDING ON IT.
SO THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S INCONGRUENCE IN MY MIND.
AND, AND, AND WHAT I WOULD JUST SAY TO THAT IS, UH, THE, THAT PARTICULAR PROPERTY, THE GENTLEMAN'S NOT GONNA BUILD ON IT THAT, THAT, THAT HAS IT.
AND SO, UM, IT'S KIND OF A, I I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND THE CONTRADICTION.
I MEAN, I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT IGNORANT TO THAT, BUT I THINK THAT THERE ARE JUST SOME SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES UNDERSTANDING THAT WE DO NOT HAVE THESE THINGS, UH, AND THIS INFORMATION PROVIDED TO US THAT WE CAN ALSO MAKE, AND WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS.
UM, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS, UNDERSTANDING THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE DATA, IT OBVIOUSLY WORKS IN THE PUBLIC'S BENEFIT
SO I WOULD SAY AS A PART OF OUR DECISION MAKING PROCESS, AFTER WE GET THAT DATA, WE NEED TO FORMALLY DOCUMENT WHAT A DEVIATION FROM THE, THIS IS BUILDABLE.
THE PLAN IS, AND HAVE THAT DOCUMENTED.
NOW YOU, YOU, YOU WON'T, YOU WANT, THIS IS, THIS IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO IT.
IT'S NICE AND SMOOTH AND EASY THAT WE GOTTA HAVE THAT FORMALIZED.
[00:55:01]
TIME SOMEONE COMES IN AND WANTS TO BUY SOMETHING THAT'S ON A BUILD LOT, THEN WE'RE GONNA SET UP HERE AND BE JUDGE AND JURY AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THAT CAUSE IS GOOD ENOUGH TO DEVIATE IF WE DON'T HAVE SOMETHING DOCUMENTED.Y'ALL PRESENTED A GREAT CASE TONIGHT.
I I WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT YOU.
IF IT WAS MINE, I WOULD SELL IT TO YOU RIGHT NOW.
PROBABLY GIVE IT TO YOU BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S A GOOD, A GOOD CASE FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
I'M, I'M JUST STRUGGLING WITH THE, THE PROCESS AND THE FORMALITY OF IT AND HOW WE'RE NOT GONNA BE TALKING OUT OF BOTH SIDES OF MY MIND AT THE SAME TIME.
UNTIL WE HAVE SOMETHING FORMALLY DOCUMENTED OF WHAT WE ARE GONNA DO AND THEN WE FOLLOW THROUGH ON THAT.
UH, JUST TO GIVE A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE, UM, ESPECIALLY WITH THE MAP, UM, WITH THE, THE ASK OF THE DIMENSIONS AND ALL, WE DID HAVE A MAP WHEN WE FIRST STARTED.
RED WAS A FLOOD, PLAIN GREEN WAS HOUSES THAT WAS READY TO GO AND THIS AND THAT.
I THINK THAT'S WHERE, UH, MR. DOVE WAS GOING BACK WITH HIS REQUEST.
IF THE LOTS WERE SO SMALL THAT IT WAS UNFEASIBLE TO BUILD UPON, THEN THAT WAS THE, THAT WAS WHEN WE HIT GOAL TO BE ABLE TO CONSIDER DIFFERENT USES OF THE PROPERTY.
BUT IF IT WAS EVER BUILT ABLE TO BE BUILT UPON, WE MADE SURE WE PUT THE COVENANTS TO MAKE SURE THOSE STRUCTURES GO UP.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S JUST A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF, OF WHERE WE'VE BEEN AND, AND WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO GO.
BECAUSE WHAT SEPARATES US FROM THE CITY IS WE'RE THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
THEY GIFTED THAT LAND IN THE REDEVELOPMENT ZONE FOR HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT.
THAT'S WHAT THEY GAVE IT TO US FOR.
SOME PLOTS HAVE BEEN MIXED WITH COUNTY PLOTS THAT THEY ENTRUSTED WITH US, UM, TO BE ABLE TO BUILD UPON.
SO AS GOOD STEWARDS OF TAXPAYERS PROPERTY AND DOLLARS, WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL TO BE UNBIASED ON THIS BOARD IN REGARDS TO CERTAIN ENTITIES IN THE, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND SOME VERBIAGE HAS BEEN USED UP HERE.
THAT MIGHT SEEM CONTRARY TO THAT, BUT I NEED EVERYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE AN UNBIASED ENTITY.
WE FORM AS A COMMISSION, AND WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO HELP THE COMMUNITY.
I'M FROM HERE, PASTOR, STRAIGHT ON HERE, BAPTIZE MY WIFE FOR CHRIST SAKE.
SO I, IF ANYBODY'S GONNA BE BIASED, IT'LL BE ME SITTING.
UM, BUT WE ACT AS A COMMISSION AND WE, WE WILL TAKE IT ALL INTO CONSIDERATION.
I THINK WE JUST HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO ON THE NEW DIRECTION OF WHERE WE WANT TO GO.
I'VE BEEN UP HERE FOR SEVEN YEARS, BUT, UM, WHERE WE WANT TO GO, IT SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE SOME DIFFERING OPINIONS AND WE GONNA HAVE TO WORK THAT OUT.
CAN I SAY ONE THING Y'ALL? YES, SIR.
MR. STRAHORN, WE'VE BEEN GOING FOR HOUR.
WE'RE GONNA WRAP IT UP OUT HERE.
BUT, BUT, BUT I, I, WHEN I HEAR REDEVELOPMENT, AND I HEAR YOU MR. STRICKLAND, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT REDEVELOPMENT, WHAT BETTER WAY TO REDEVELOP A COMMUNITY THAN THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE COMMUNITY? TO ME, WHEN I THINK ABOUT REDEVELOPMENT, EITHER YOU ARE GONNA REDEVELOPMENT GENTRIFICATION WISE OR YOU ARE GONNA REDEVELOPMENT WITH PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THAT COMMUNITY.
SO WHEN YOU ARE NOT A PART OF THE COMMUNITY, YOU DON'T LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY, YOU DON'T HAVE FAMILY IN THAT COMMUNITY, THEN YES, IT'S EASIER FOR YOU TO LOOK AT PUTTING A HOUSE THERE, IN A HOUSE THERE, BUT FOR PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE, GRANDPARENTS, GREAT-GRANDPARENTS, AND TO BE ABLE TO SEE THEIR CHURCH PROGRESS OR ANY OTHER NONPROFIT OR STORE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THAT BUILDS THEIR MORALE TO WANT TO IMPROVE THEIR LIVES.
SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT REDEVELOPMENT, IT'S NOT JUST TAKING A A PARTIAL LAND AND BUILDING A HOUSE, BUT IT'S BUILDING INDIVIDUALS.
AND THAT'S WHAT GOD HAS ALLOWED US TO BE ABLE TO DO TO 29 YEARS.
IT'S TO REDEVELOP THAT BLOCK THERE.
AND IF YOU GO BACK AND YOU LOOK AT THAT, YOU'LL SEE THAT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT BECAUSE I, I, YOU KNOW, I, I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH.
SO I, I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH ON REDEVELOPMENT AND I KNOW YOU HAVE THE POWER TO DO CERTAIN THINGS.
IT JUST HAS TO BE IN YOUR HEART TO WANT TO DO IT.
SO TO JUST BRING US BACK TO THE ITEMS THAT'S LISTED YOU ON THE AGENDA, UM, I THINK STAFF IS SEEKING SOME DIRECTION AND, OR, UM, SOME ACTION FROM YOU ALL ABOUT HOW IT IS THAT YOU WANT TO PROCEED.
THE OPTIONS BEFORE YOU TONIGHT ARE TO DO NOTHING AND HOPE FOR THE BEST, OR YOU HAVE THE OPTION TO PURCHASE 8 21 WEST STREET BACK FROM THE GRANTEE FOR THE PRICE THAT HE PAID FOR IT.
I'M GONNA PUT A MOTION ON THE FLOOR THAT WE PURCHASED THAT PROPERTY BACK AND HELP THIS CHURCH.
THE MOTION IS THE MOTION TO, FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT, COMMISSION TO PURCHASE 8 21 WEST STREET FOR THE PER FOR THE PRICE THAT IT RECEIVED FOR EXACTLY.
BUT NOT FOR THE PRICE THAT THEY TRIED TO CHARGE THE CHURCH.
[01:00:01]
THE MOTION FOR MR. SIMMONS.RIGHT, BUT MY QUESTION WOULD BE ARE WE ABLE TO ENTERTAIN BUYING THAT BACK TO REBID WITHOUT YES.
I WOULD MAKE A MOTION THAT WE PURCHASED THAT.
I, I I I WOULD JUST SAY THAT I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO MAKE THE MOTION TO BUY BACK AND BE ABLE TO RESELL IT WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS.
BUT THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S A LEGAL POSSIBILITY THAT EXISTS WITH THE MOTION THAT WE HAVE ON THE FLOOR.
AND BEFORE WE VOTE, UH, BEFORE WE SECOND THE MOTION, I KNOW IT IS, I JUST WANT TO REALLY CAUTION MY COMMISSIONERS, UH, THIS IS A PRECEDENT.
IS THIS A SLIPPERY SLOPE? UM, SO I JUST, I I'M, I'M ONE PERSON.
MY JOB UP HERE IS TO ADVISE YOU OF THE LEGALITIES AND WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
AND IT'S A, ONCE WE SET A PRECEDENT, THERE IS NO GOING BACK.
SO I JUST NEED US TO UNDERSTAND, IS THIS THE NEW DIRECTION WE'RE GOING ON ONCE WE DO THIS? OR DO WE WANT TO WAIT TABLE THIS FOR DISCUSSION SO WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WHAT THE LEGALITIES AND THE CONSEQUENCES WILL THIS, WE THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH DISCUSSION.
THAT GOING FORWARD, WE'RE GONNA PUT SOME OTHER THINGS IN PLACE.
SO THIS WILL BE SUFFICIENT FOR THE TIME BEING TILL WE PUT THOSE OTHER THINGS IN PLACE.
WELL, THERE'S NOT VERY MANY OTHER SITUATIONS LIKE THIS BECAUSE FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, MARVIN, THOSE HAVE BEEN CORRECTED.
WERE THOSE PEOPLE, UH, AND THOSE DEEDS THAT HAVE WENT OUT AND THEY WERE NOT, THE BOXES WERE NOT CHECKED, YOU'VE CALLED THEM BACK AND THOSE HAVE BEEN REDONE.
IS THAT NOT ACCURATE, SIR? UH, THAT'S CORRECT.
UH, TWO OF THE THREE PROPERTIES HAVE ALREADY BEEN APPROVED FOR SALES, AND IT WAS APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN.
AND THE THIRD ONE, THE GENTLEMAN BACKED OUT, WHICH IS, IS THE AGENDA.
AND THAT'S THE ONE WITH, UM, A NEW BUYER WHO PRESENTED TONIGHT.
SO, UH, SO TO TO, TO, SO, SO ASSISTANT CHAIR, I GUESS MY QUESTION WOULD BE THIS IS NOT A, THE OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES HAVE ALREADY BEEN TAKEN CARE OF.
WHAT LEGALITIES ARE YOU REFERRING TO, OR WHAT PRECEDENTS ARE YOU STATING THAT WE'RE SETTING IN REGARDS TO BUYING BACK THE PROPERTY? BECAUSE IF YOU LISTEN TO CHAIR STRICKLAND THERE, HIS, HIS STANCE IS THAT WE SHOULD NOT BUY BACK ANY PROPERTY THAT'S BEEN SOLD.
I THINK THERE'S BEEN ONE OTHER OCCURRENCE IN REGARDS TO THAT.
HOWEVER, THIS SEEMS TO BE THE LAST SITUATION OF THE, THE DEED ISSUE.
WHAT, WHAT PRECEDENCE OR LEGAL ARE YOU REFERRING TO? SO THAT WE'RE CLEAR ON THAT.
BUT BEFORE WE GET THERE, MR. WALLACE, WE GOT A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
YEAH, WE GOTTA GET A SECOND TOO.
I WAS TRYING TO GET TO THAT TO SEE IF WE CAN HAVE SOME DISCUSSION.
AS DO WE HAVE THE SECOND, I SECOND THAT MOTION? YES, SIR.
SO, OKAY, NOW WE'RE AT DISCUSSION.
NOW TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, UM, NEXT MONTH, SEPTEMBER OR JANUARY OF NEXT YEAR, SAME AS COMES IN FRONT OF US, HOW CAN WE DENY IT? WELL, THE QUESTION, WELL, IT CAN'T COME BEFORE US BECAUSE ONE, WE HAVE A DOCUMENT THAT MARVIN SENT OUT TO US FOR OUR APPROVAL ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE O'CLOCK THIS AFTERNOON.
THAT'S GIVEN US THE COVENANT OF PROPERTIES THAT ARE SELL THAT TO BE SOLD AND WHAT THE RESTRICTIONS ARE.
TWO, THOSE MISTAKES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE HAVE ALREADY BEEN RECTIFIED.
SO THIS IS KIND OF, AGAIN, A GIFT FOR THE CHURCH THAT'S BEEN LOOKING AT THIS PROPERTY FOR 25 YEARS.
THIS IS ALMOST A GIFT FOR THEM IF THEY ARE ABLE TO GO AND BID FOR IT AND OBTAIN IT.
SO WE DON'T HAVE THOSE SITUATIONS MOVING FORWARD BASED ON THE DOCUMENT THAT MARVIN SENT OUT THIS EVENING.
AND THOSE HAVE ALREADY BEEN CORRECTED TO HIS, TO HIS STATEMENT.
I, I WOULD SUBMIT THAT WE WON'T HAVE THE SAME EXACT SCENARIO, BUT AFTER THAT BOX IS CHECKED AND SOMEONE COMES ALONG AND SAYS, UH, GUYS, I'M NOT GONNA, I'M NOT, I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA BUILD ON THIS AFTER ALL, THEN YOU, THEN IT GOES TO WHAT JAMIE MENTIONED, WE CAN SUE THEM OR THOSE OTHER OPTIONS, BUT IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A SITUATION WHERE WE'RE BUYING THAT PROPERTY BACK FROM THEM 'CAUSE THEY DID NOT DO WHAT THE RESTRICTIONS SAY.
WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA WANT TO TAKING THAT PROPERTY BACK IF A LAWSUIT WAS FILED AND PURSUANT TO THE DOCUMENTS THAT MR. STEWART JUST REFERENCED, THAT DOCUMENT ELECTS FOR YOU ALL TO ASK FOR IT BACK INSTEAD OF HAVING TO BUY IT, WHICH WAS, IS GENERALLY A CONVENTIONAL WAY TO DEAL WITH THOSE TYPES OF ISSUES IF THERE'S DEFAULT.
UM, SO IF YOU ALL WANT TO MOVE FORWARD USING THE DOCUMENTS THAT WE HAVE PREPARED FROM OUR OFFICE, THEN THAT GIVES YOU SOME ADDITIONAL TOOLS IN YOUR TOOL BACK FROM A CONTRACTUAL STANDPOINT.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS ASKING THE FIRST TIME.
THAT'S WHAT I ASKED WHEN I SAID WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT COMES, DOES IT COME REVERT BACK TO US IF HE DOESN'T BUILD? AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS ASKING UNDER WITH THESE PURCHASE DOCUMENTS.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS, THAT'S WHAT I WAS UNDER THE THAT'S WHAT THE CONTRACT THAT'S YOU SIGNED.
THAT IS, THAT'S NOT A REMEDY THAT WE HAVE.
[01:05:01]
AND WHERE ARE WE AT AT THE TIMELINE AND WE AT A YEAR DO WE WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE THAT IN FRONT OF YOU RIGHT NOW? I DO NOT.AND AND AGAIN, THE, THAT IS VERY SUBJECTIVE BECAUSE THERE'S THE CONVEYANCE AND THERE'S THE BOX NOT BEING CHECKED, BUT THERE'S A MOTION ON THE, BEFORE WE HAVE A DISCUSSION AND SO I SECOND THE MOTION THAT WE PURCHASED A PROPERTY BACK.
IS THAT A ROLL CALL VOTE OR IS THAT A YEAH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE THAT ROLL CALL VOTE ON THAT ONE.
CAN WE HAVE A ROLL CALL VOTE ON IT MR. WAY? YOU I AM COMMISSIONER DOVE? YES.
AND COMMISSIONER STEWART? YES.
ON TO OUR NEXT, WELL, IT'S NOT OVER YET.
WE STILL GOTTA GET THE PROPERTY.
NOW DON'T CELEBRATE TOO FAST
[9.c. Workgroup Reports (Part 1 of 2)]
C ONE ON THE AMENDED AGENDA.THAT'S WHAT YOU WANTED MR. STOOP.
WELL, I THINK SHE'S ALREADY ADDRESSED TO THAT EARLIER.
UH, IT WAS NINE C UH, ICI ONE I ONE.
WHICH IS DISCUSSED IN CLARIFY, REVISING THE PURCHASE CONDITIONS.
AND I THINK THAT WHAT I WAS ASKING FOR I THINK HAS ALREADY BEEN, UH, STAFF HAS ALREADY BEEN DIRECT, UH, THERE'S ALREADY BEEN DIRECTION GIVEN TO STAFF IN REGARDS TO REQUESTING THAT DATA.
I DO WANT TO MAKE A POINT THOUGH, JUST SO STEVE, I THINK YOU MAKE A VERY GOOD POINT.
I DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK THAT, UH, I'M IGNORANT TO THAT OR, OR, OR NOT.
IT IS VERY MUCH SO A CONTRADICTION.
UH, BUT I ALSO FEEL LIKE THERE ARE JUST CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, AND I KNOW I'M GONNA HEAR THIS FROM SOME OTHER FOLKS TOMORROW, BUT THERE ARE CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES THAT I THINK THAT JUST MAKE SENSE AND POTENTIALLY TRYING TO HELP GET THAT BACK OUT FOR SOMEBODY IN THE COMMUNITY CAN PUT THAT TO USE.
BUT I DO CONCUR AND UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM.
WE'LL GO ON TO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM.
AND THAT IS THE DISCUSSION OF, UH, DISCUSSION REGARDING PROPERTY REQUESTS BY MR. TORRANCE CHAPMAN.
MR. WILLIAMS, WILL YOU LEAD US IN THERE? UH, YES SIR.
UH, BASICALLY WHAT WE HAVE IS, UM, MR. CHAPMAN HAD PUT IN A REQUEST TO PURCHASE, UH, THE PROPERTY AT 1213 MECHANIC STREET.
UM, INITIALLY THE REQUEST WAS FOR AN EXPANSION OF HIS, UH, BUSINESS AS WELL AS THE, UH, A, UH, RESIDENT THAT THAT'S, UH, NEXT DOOR TO IT.
UM, WITH A LEGAL REVIEW AND SPEAKING WITH PLANNING AND ZONING, WE REALIZED THAT THE INTENDED PURPOSE WOULD NOT ALLOW THAT PROPERTY TO BE SEPARATED AND UTILIZED FOR PARKING AND STORAGE, WHICH WAS INITIATED, WHICH WAS INDICATED.
UH, ONE OF THE OPTIONS, UH, SIGNED MR. UH, CHAPMAN.
UH, THE OTHER, UH, UH, DISCUSSION WAS THE NORMAL CONDITIONS THAT A NORMALLY PLACED ON A PROPERTY WOULD BE THE SAME AS THE ONES PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED WITH THE, UH, PURPOSE FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION WITH THE 12 MONTH, UH, REQUIREMENT TO COMMENCE, UH, CONSTRUCTION AND, UH, 24 MONTH, UH, BILL, UM, REQUIREMENTS.
MARVIN, ARE YOU, ARE YOU SAYING BASED ON WHAT WAS PRESENTED, THAT IT'S BEEN STATED THAT BASICALLY FROM LAND, THE LAND USE THAT HE'S HE'S REQUESTING IS NOT, IS NOT SUITABLE FOR THAT LOT? NOT, NOT THE PURPOSE THAT WAS REQUESTED, MEANING SUBDIVIDED BETWEEN THE TWO PROPERTIES AND USING PART OF THE PROPERTY, UH, BEHIND EACH, UM, THE BUSINESS AS WELL AS THE RESIDENT FOR PARKING AND OR STORAGE.
UM, THE ONLY PURPOSE THAT WE HAVE FOR THAT USE OF THAT LIGHT AT, UM, WITH THE CURRENT, UH, RESTRICTIONS IS FOR A RESIDE BE PLACED ON THAT WITH, WITH THE CURRENT RESTRICTIONS.
CURRENT RESTRICTIONS FROM REDEVELOPMENT OR CURRENT RESTRICTIONS.
CURRENT RESTRICTIONS FOR REDEVELOPMENT WITH THE CURRENT RESTRICTIONS APPLIED TO PROPERTIES BY THE
[01:10:01]
REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION ASSOCIATED WITH THE SALE OF PROPERTY IN THAT, IN THAT AREA.BUT AS, AS A ZONING AND A LAND ORDINANCE USAGE.
WERE YOU ALSO SAYING THAT IN THE EVENT HYPOTHETICALLY REDEVELOPMENT WAS TO SELL THAT PROPERTY? ARE YOU SAYING THAT ZONING AND ZONING IS GONNA SAY THAT THE USE STUDY, HIS INTENDED PURPOSE IS NOT ACCEPTABLE IN THAT ZONE? YES, SIR.
SO THAT PROPERTY IS ZONED RESIDENTIAL SIX, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST DENSE RESIDENTIAL ZONING DISTRICTS IN THE CITY OF NEW BERN.
THE CHAPMAN STORE, WHICH HAS BEEN THERE FOREVER AND EVER IN, IS AN EXISTING NON-CONFORMING USE.
MEANING IT'S A, IT'S A USE THAT'S BEEN THERE FOR A LONG TIME AND BECAUSE IT'S A COMMERCIAL BUSINESS IN A RESIDENTIAL ZONE, IT'S FINE 'CAUSE IT'S BEEN THERE.
LAND USE LAW AND THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF NEW BERN PREVENT EXPANDING OR ENLARGING A NON-CONFORMITY.
SO WHAT IS THERE IS GRANDFATHERED, HE'S FINE, BUT HE CANNOT EXPAND THAT COMMERCIAL USE INTO THE LOT BEHIND HIM BECAUSE OF THE ZONING RESTRICTIONS.
AND IF YOU RECALL FROM THE LAST MEETING, WELL NOT LAST MEETING, THE MEETING FROM MARCH, UM, I BROUGHT TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF NEIGHBORHOOD STORES THROUGHOUT THE REDEVELOPMENT AREA BOUNDARY THAT ARE IN RESIDENTIAL ZONES WHO BUMP UP AGAINST THE SAME ISSUE.
AND WHAT YOU MAY WANT TO DO IS SURVEY HOW MANY COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS ARE IN RESIDENTIAL ZONES WITHIN YOUR BOUNDARY AND THEN THINK CREATIVELY ABOUT WHAT, IF ANYTHING, FROM A ZONING PERSPECTIVE YOU ALL CAN RECOMMEND TO OFFER RELIEF TO THRIVING BUSINESSES WHO MAY HAVE THE DESIRE TO EXPAND WHAT YES, SIR.
BUT CURRENTLY WHAT YOU JUST EXPLAINED TO US HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS.
THAT'S THE CITY OF NEW BARNES, THAT'S RESTRICTION ZONING MAP.
THE ZONING MAP TELLS US WHAT IS ALLOWED IN RESIDENTIAL ZONES.
AND COMMERCIAL USES GENERALLY ARE NOT ALLOWED IN RESIDENTIAL ZONES SUCH AS THE R SIX.
SO THAT MEANS THE ONLY THING THAT'S ON THE PLATE FOR US RIGHT NOW IS IF WE WOULD SELL THIS PROPERTY WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS SO HE CAN BID JUST LIKE ANY OTHER CITIZEN IN NEW BERN.
AND IF HE WERE TO WIN, THEN HE COULDN'T MAINTAIN THAT PROPERTY AND DO WHATEVER RESIDENTIALLY HE WANTED TO.
THERE ARE MORE OPTIONS THAN THAT.
IF YOU ALL ARE INCLINED TO SELL THIS PROPERTY, YOU, THE, THE STANDARD FORMS THAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU TONIGHT ATTACH CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH THE RESIDENTIAL ZONE THAT THAT PROPERTY IS LOCATED IN.
YOU CAN DECIDE THAT YOU ARE GOING TO INITIATE THE UPSET BID PROCESS AND ATTACH RESIDENTIAL CONDITIONS AND SELL IT.
YOU CAN DECIDE THAT YOU ARE GOING TO INITIATE THE UPSET BID PROCESS AND ATTACH SOME OTHER CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE INFORMATION THAT YOU RECEIVED TONIGHT IN THE MEETING, RECOGNIZING THAT IT'S GOING TO GO THROUGH THAT COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCESS AND WHOEVER THE FINAL HIGH BIDDER IS GOING TO BE, UM, RESTRICTED TO THE CONDITIONS THAT YOU ALL DECIDE THAT YOU WANT TO IMPOSE, WHATEVER THOSE MIGHT BE.
BUT THE PRECEDENT HAS BEEN, AND THE CONDITIONS THAT ARE IN THE MODEL DOCUMENTS THAT ARE BEFORE YOU ARE ASSOCIATED WITH RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.
SO, AND THE OTHER THING YOU CAN ALSO DO IN ADDITION TO THAT, AS I FORECASTED, IS SURVEY THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE AND TRY TO OFFER GLOBAL RELIEF SO THAT COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS, NEIGHBORHOOD STORES AND RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS HAVE SOME RELIEF IN THE FUTURE.
SO THE ONLY RELIEF THAT THIS BOARD CAN OFFER HIM AT THIS MOMENT IS TO RELEASE RESTRICTIONS FOR ANYONE WHO WANTED TO BID ON IT BECAUSE IT'S RESIDENTIAL ZONED.
THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO AS FAR AS, UM, THAT THE ONLY THING THAT HE WOULD BENEFIT FROM US IS TO REMOVE THE TIME RESTRAINTS TO CONSTRUCT A RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY ON IT.
YOU ALL COULD ATTACH CONDITIONS CONSISTENT WITH WHAT HE SAYS HE'S PROPOSING AS A REDEVELOPMENT PLAN.
BUT ACCORDING TO THE CITY OF NEW BERN, THAT MUST BE A RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE PER ZONING.
IT IS A RESIDENTIAL USE OR ANY USE THAT IS PERMITTED BY RIGHT OR BY SPECIAL USE PERMIT IN THE R SIX ZONING DISTRICT UNLESS THE PROPERTY IS REZO.
SO, SO LET'S JUST BE CLEAR AND LET'S JUST BE STRAIGHTFORWARD.
WE WOULD BE DOING HIM A DISADVANTAGE TO SELL HIM THAT PROPERTY CURRENTLY.
I MEAN, THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
IF WE, IF WE WERE TO SELL HIM THAT PROPERTY AND, AND, AND HYPOTHETICALLY WE WERE TO SAY WE'RE GONNA SELL IT TO HIM WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS, HE'S STILL GONNA RUN UP AGAINST THE CITY OF NEWBURN IN THE ZONING.
SO WE WOULD BE DOING HIM A TOTAL DISADVANTAGE.
WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE, IF WE WANT TO CONSIDER THAT, WHICH, IT GOES BACK TO SOME STUFF THAT WE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE.
[01:15:01]
SEEMS THAT THERE'S THE P*****K STORE OVER THERE, FRANK P*****K STORE, THERE'S THE CHAPMAN STORE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT OTHER, THERE'S A COUPLE OTHER COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES OVER THERE, IT SOUNDS LIKE TO BE MOST BENEFICIAL TO, TO, TO THE CHAPMANS IS NOT TO SELL THEM THAT PROPERTY UNDER THE CURRENT CONDITIONS.'CAUSE THEY'RE GONNA RUN INTO PROBLEMS WITH THE CITY.
IT SOUNDS LIKE WE NEED TO GO AND DO THE, DO THE BLANKET SURVEY AND GO AHEAD AND CHANGE IT AND TRY TO CHANGE IT BEFORE YOU SELL IT, BECAUSE ALL YOU'RE DOING IS HE'S JUST GONNA RUN INTO ANOTHER PROBLEM.
I MEAN YEAH, IT GETS IT OFF IT, WE, YOU KNOW, WE DO IT, BUT THEN THERE'S STILL RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT HE IS GONNA HAVE TO FOLLOW THAT HE IS GONNA RUN INTO.
THAT'S, AND MR. WALLACE, IT MAY BE, I SEE THAT THE, THE PROSPECTIVE BUYER IS HERE AT THE PODIUM.
HE MAY HAVE SOME INFORMATION ABOUT HIS INTENDED USE THAT MIGHT INFORM YOUR DECISION OR YOUR DISCUSSION IF YOU'D LIKE TO HEAR IT, MR. JACK.
SO OUR BIGGEST THING WHEN WE ORIGINALLY, UM, PRESENTED THIS IDEA TO THE BOARD WASN'T AN IDEA FOR A PARKING LOT.
THAT WAS AN IDEA ESSENTIALLY GIVEN TO US BY SOMEBODY ELSE ON THE BOARD AS A MEANS TO A SOLUTION TO OBTAIN THE PROPERTY.
UM, OUR IDEA IS BASICALLY, AS SOMEBODY MENTIONED, IS SIMPLY NOT HAVING THE TIME CONSTRAINT TO PUT SOMETHING ON THAT PROPERTY.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM, YOU KNOW, WITH HELPING THE REDEVELOPMENT IN DUFFY FIELD, TRYING TO PUT A HOME ON THAT PROPERTY, DOING WHAT WE CAN TO, YOU KNOW, MAINTAIN IT AS THE CITY FEELS FIT OR AS THE DEVELOPMENT 'CAUSE THE, YOU KNOW, COMMITTEE FEELS FIT.
BUT WE JUST DON'T WANNA SAY THAT WE COULD HAVE THAT DONE IN A ONE YEAR, TWO YEAR TIMEFRAME.
I MEAN, WE BOTH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE BOTH WORKING PARENTS.
LIFE IS LIFE AND WE CAN'T SAY, YOU KNOW, HEY, WE COULD HAVE THIS DONE IN X AMOUNT OF TIME.
NOT TO SAY THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE WANT TO DO, BUT JUST WE DON'T FEEL, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT CERTAIN TIME CONSTRAINT IS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD ABIDE BY.
BUT OUR IDEA FOR A PARKING LOT THAT WASN'T INITIALLY WHAT WE WANTED.
AND, AND AS I EXPLAINED TO MR. MARVIN EARLIER TODAY, I'M NOT A DEVELOPER.
I JUST, MY FAMILY WORK HARD MM-HMM
PUT YOUR MIND ON SOMETHING AND MAKE IT HAPPEN.
AND THAT PROPERTY BEEN THERE FOR YEARS THAT MY FAMILY HELPED MAINTAIN ALSO WITH THE CITY.
AND WE JUST WANT TO DO SOMETHING TO MAKE IT BETTER IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND I DONE SPEND A LOT OF MONEY REDEVELOPING, RENOVATING MY GRANDMOTHER'S HOUSE, AND I'M ABOUT TO DO THE SAME THING TO THE STORE.
I JUST WANT THAT CORNER LOT, LIKE HOW IT USED TO BE, HOW MY GRANDPARENTS HAD IT.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYBODY'S DOWN HERE WANTS TO MAKE DE FEEL BETTER, BUT THE RESTRICTIONS AND YOU, YOU GOTTA BE ON A CERTAIN TIME.
ANY QUESTION? SO, UM, JAMIE, IN, IN THE EVENT, AND I DO RECALL THAT IDEA BEING GIVEN TO THE CHAPMAN'S IN, IN REGARDS TO A PARKING LOT.
UM, WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE? UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE'S THE 12 MONTH THAT SHOULD, THAT CONSTRUCTION SHOULD BEGIN AND IN 24 MONTHS IT SHOULD BE COMPLETED.
WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE IN REGARDS TO EXTENSIONS OR IF THEY RUN INTO ISSUES OR UNDERSTANDING WHAT OUR PURPOSE IS AND HEARING FROM THEM THAT THEY'RE NOT AGAINST THE REDEVELOPMENT OR NEW CONSTRUCTION.
WHAT PROCEDURES ARE IN PLACE TO HELP THEM IF THEY DON'T MEET THE 24 LAPTOP? SO, I, I'LL DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO THE SAMPLE DEED THAT'S BEEN PROVIDED TO YOU ALL.
IT'S THE DOCUMENT THAT IS LABELED QUIT CLAIM DEED.
IF YOU TURN TO PAGE FOUR OF THAT DOCUMENT, IT'S LABELED EXHIBIT B, RESTRICTIVE COVENANT.
THAT'S PAGE FOUR FOR EXHIBIT B, RESTRICTIVE COVENANT.
IF YOU LOOK DOWN AT THE BOTTOM, THE LAST PARAGRAPH, PARAGRAPH 11 IS MODIFICATIONS.
SO IF THERE IS AN ISSUE OR THAT THE LANDOWNERS NEED ADDITIONAL TIME, THE, THERE IS A PROVISION IN THE SAMPLE DEED THAT ALLOWS BOTH PARTIES TO MODIFY EVERYTHING IN WRITING AND YOU COULD GRANT ADDITIONAL TIME IF CIRCUMSTANCES WANTED.
AND HOW CAN WE, UM, EDUCATE THE PROBABLY OVER THERE IN SOME OF THE RESEARCH THAT WE HAVE TO DO, FOR INSTANCE, BECAUSE PARKING IS AN ISSUE OVER IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
[01:20:01]
SOME YEARS OLD AND I GREW UP WITH THAT AND WE, AND IT'S STILL AN ISSUE.SO WE NEED TO DO SOME RESEARCH AS A BOARD IN THIS DEVELOPMENT, WHICH, UH, HOUSING IS AN ISSUE AND BUILDING ITSELF IS AN ISSUE.
SO EVEN THOUGH WE SUPPOSED TO DO THIS, IT NEED TO KEEP BEING SAID THAT THIS BOARD IS MORE IN JUST HOUSING OR BUILDING.
IT'S ABOUT THE PEOPLE AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMMUNITY.
SO WITH THEM TRYING TO PURCHASE PROPERTIES OR HOUSING OVER THERE AS A COMMUNITY WITH THIS PARKING COMING UP, PARKING LOTS OR DRIVEWAYS AND THAT SORT OF THING, THEM TRYING TO GET THE PROPERTIES OR HAVE IT IN THEIR POSSESSION, WORKING WITH THEM, OBTAINING THESE PROPERTIES OVER THERE.
WE NEED TO, LIKE CURTIS WAS SAYING THOUGH, ESTABLISHING THESE RULES AND THE DATA ABOUT ALL THESE ISSUES AND STUFF.
WE WORK WITH THESE PEOPLE OR THE COMMUNITY AND HELPING THEM TO BE KNOWLEDGEABLE OF WHAT'S GOING ON AND, AND AS THEY'RE TRYING TO ACQUIRE THESE PROPERTIES, WE, WHILE WE ARE GETTING OURSELVES EDUCATED TO IT AND GETTING THESE THINGS IN PROCESS, HOW, YOU KNOW, WE ESTABLISHING SOME WAYS OF WORKING WITH THESE PEOPLE BASICALLY OF WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY AND WE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN.
SO, BUT NOT LETTING THEM LOSE THE PROPERTIES OF THEIR VISIONS WHILE WE ARE AT IT.
SO I, I'M MAKING, I'M JUST SUGGESTING THAT WE REALLY MAKE ALL OUR EFFORT TO TRY TO DO THESE THINGS.
LIKE CURTIS WAS ASKING FOR DATA OR PROCESS AND PROCEDURE.
I THINK WE NEED TO WORK WITH THAT AND MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH THEM ON THIS.
CAN I SAY STEP? UH, I STARTED THIS PROCESS LAST YEAR BEFORE THE BOARD WAS EVEN MADE.
AND DURING THE PROCESS OF ME WAITING FOR THE BIDS, THE UN SOMEONE TO UNDERBID, THAT'S WHEN THIS WAS FORMED.
AND I COME BACK, YOU KNOW, MS. BRENDA, SHE, UH, TOLD ME THAT THIS WOULDN'T TAKE NUMBER ABOUT THREE, FOUR WEEKS AND IT'S TIME CONSUMING.
IT, IT, IT, IT WOULD SEEM TO ME BASED ON THE, THE CURRENT SITUATION, MY STANCE IS IF IF THIS BOARD WAS TO SELL YOU THAT PROPERTY, YOU'D BE STUCK WITH IT.
WE WOULD BE DOING YOU A DISADVANTAGE UNDER THE CER THE CURRENT SET OF RULES.
BECAUSE WHAT YOU'RE ACTION TO DO, EVEN IF THERE WAS A SALE WITH NO RESTRICTIONS, THERE STILL ARE RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT THE CITY'S GONNA ENFORCE ON YOU.
SO MY STANCE IS IT'S EITHER ONE OR TWO THINGS.
IT'S EITHER UNDERSTAND THE RULE THAT IS IN EXHIBIT B FOR US, WHICH IS THAT YOU CAN ESSENTIALLY ASK FOR MORE TIMES AND IT DOESN'T HOLD YOU TO THAT TWO YEAR RULE.
OR WE NEED TO BE FOCUSING ON GOING TO ZONING AND LOOKING AT THAT HOLISTICALLY AND SAYING, HEY, HOW DO WE APPROACH THESE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES AND MAKING THEM MAKING THIS, THIS ZONING FIT THE NEED.
AND SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, I I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER FOR YOU ON THAT, BUT WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT I THINK, AGAIN, IT'S NOT EVEN THINK IT IS NOTE BASED ON THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IF WE TRY TO SELL YOU THE PROPERTY WITH OR WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS.
SO MR. WALLACE, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY A COUPLE OF THINGS.
SO DIRECTING THE BOARD'S ATTENTION BACK TO EXHIBIT B, RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS, PAGE FOUR FOUR.
I ALSO WANNA DIRECT THE BOARD'S ATTENTION TO PARAGRAPH SEVEN, WHICH IS THE DEFAULT NOTICE AND CURE SECTION.
SO IF A PURCHASER FAILS TO SATISFY THE TIMELINE SET OUT IN THE RESTRICTIONS, THIS PROVISION ALLOWS YOU ALL THE GRANTOR, THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION IN ITS SOLE DISCRETION TO EXTEND THE TIME FOR THE GRANTEE, WHOEVER OWNS THE PROPERTY TO COMPLY WITH THE CONDITIONS AND THE RESTRICTIONS.
SO LONG AS THEY'RE MAKING GOOD FAITH PROGRESS MM-HMM
SO IN A CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE SOMEONE RUNS UP AGAINST ECONOMIC CONDITIONS OR FAMILY CIRCUMSTANCES OR WHAT HAVE YOU, SO LONG AS THE PERSON WHO OWNS THE PROPERTY IS MAKING GOOD FAITH PROGRESS TOWARDS THE GOAL, WHICH IS HAVING A STRUCTURE ON THAT THAT LOT, YOU ALL DON'T HAVE TO TAKE ANY ACTION IF YOU DON'T WANT TO.
SO THAT WILL REQUIRE YOU ALL TO MONITOR WHAT'S GOING ON, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE GOAL IS BEING, UM, ACHIEVED AND THAT YOU ARE SATISFIED WITH THE PROGRESS.
AND IF NOT, THEN THERE ARE OTHER PROVISIONS THAT YOU CAN UTILIZE IF YOU SO CHOOSE.
AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BOARD IS CLEAR IN HEARING MR. CHAPMAN'S STATEMENT TODAY, THAT THEIR DESIRE IS TO BUILD A RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE ON THAT LOT.
THEY ARE JUST CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR ABILITY TO PULL A BUILDING PERMIT IN SIX MONTHS,
[01:25:01]
START CONSTRUCTION WITHIN 12 MONTHS, COMPLETED WITHIN 24 MONTHS.I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON THAT ISSUE.
WHAT'S THE RANGE OF THE EXTENSION? LIKE WHAT IS OUR RANGE FROM WHAT TO WHAT? THAT'S IN YOUR DISCRETION, THAT'S IN YOUR DISCRETION.
AND THEN YOU GOT TIME TO SEE CAN YOU GET IT UP FOR A COMMERCIAL WHILE THE BOARD IS DOING THAT RESEARCH? UH, I FORGOT THE TERMINOLOGY, BUT YOU GOT, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT OPTIONS IN OTHER WORDS, BUT HOW, HOW CAN WE, THIS IS ALL A WORK IN PROGRESS, EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT WITH A LINE IN IT THAT SAYS, I WILL DO THIS IN THIS TIMEFRAME.
WHENEVER WE'VE HAD SOMEONE STAND IN FRONT OF US AND SAY, WE DON'T REALLY THINK WE CAN DO IT IN THIS TIMEFRAME.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE LITERALLY BROADCASTING TO US THAT, THAT THAT TIMELINE DOES NOT WORK.
THE OTHER REMEDY THAT YOU ALL COULD UTILIZE IS GIVEN THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'RE RECEIVING TONIGHT, IF YOU ALL WANT TO ALLOW 36 MONTHS FOR CONSTRUCTION COMPLETION OR 48 MONTHS FOR CONSTRUCTION COMPLETION, YOU ALL CAN DO THAT.
IF THE MAJORITY OF YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO ADJUST THOSE TIMEFRAMES, THESE ARE SAMPLE MODEL DOCUMENTS, UM, THAT HAS BEEN CONSISTENT WITH WHAT THE BOARD HAS DONE IN THE PAST, BUT CERTAINLY GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, IF YOU WANT TO, UM, DEVIATE FROM THAT, IF A MAJORITY OF YOU WANT TO DO IT, IT'S PERMISSIBLE, WILL THAT WOULDN'T, WILL THAT BE AS A, A STANDARD? WILL THAT BE ON A CASE BY CASE? THAT'S UP TO YOU, OFFICER, THE MAJORITY OF YOU ALL.
SO I THINK AND, AND I HEAR WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE GOING WITH THAT I I I GUESS IT WOULD JUST, MY POSITION WOULD BE, IT IS OUR, IT IS OUR POLICY PROCEDURE THAT IF SOMEONE WANTS TO BUILD ON A STRUCTURE THAT THEY COME IN HERE WITH THOSE DRAWINGS TO MAKE THAT THAT AX CORRECT.
THEY WOULD HAVE TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF WHAT DRAWING AND WHAT'S GOING ON THAT STRUCTURE.
IS THAT, IS THAT ACCURATE? IN THE PAST, THE BOARD HAS ASKED POTENTIAL RE DEVELOPERS TO PRESENT THEIR REDEVELOPMENT IDEA AND PLAN TO THE BOARD BEFORE THE BOARD WILL CONSIDER INITIATING THE UPSET BID PROCESS.
AND SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, IN UNDERSTANDING THE SET OF RULES, IT WOULD SEEM THAT WOULD BE MOST BENEFICIAL FOR YOU GUYS TO DO THAT VERSUS IT WOULD SEEM THAT WOULD BE MOST BENEFICIAL.
I I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO GIVING YOU ADVICE, BUT I ALSO DON'T WANT TO SIT UP HERE AND FORCE TO TRY TO SELL YOU SOMETHING AND THEN YOU RUN INTO OTHER ISSUES WITH THE CITY BECAUSE THERE'S RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT'S GONNA GO AGAINST WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO.
SO IT'S THROUGH REG WHAT CAN BE BUILT THERE.
SO TO, TO YOUR POINT OR OR TO YOUR WIFE'S POINT, INITIALLY YOU GUYS WEREN'T COMING TALKING ABOUT A PARKING LOT.
THE PARKING LOT CAME UP BY RECOMMENDATION AS AN OPTION.
WE LEARNED THROUGH THAT PROCESS BASED ON WHAT, UH, JAMIE IS SAYING AND MARVIN'S SAYING THAT THE PARKING LOT'S NOT GONNA WORK.
SO WHETHER WE AGREED TO SELL IT TO YOU WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS OR NOT COOL, BUT THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE ZONING AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THE CITY SAYING, HEY, YOU CAN'T USE THIS FOR YOUR INTENDED PURPOSES BASED ON THE IT IT'S ALSO ATTACHED TO LAND ALREADY ON.
BUT WHAT SHE'S SAYING IS THE RULES AND REGULATIONS ARE NOT GONNA LET YOU DO THAT.
SO WHAT SHE'S SAYING IS ONE OF TWO THINGS, AND I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR HER, BUT THIS IS MY INTERPRETATION.
IT'S EITHER YOU GUYS NEED TO PRESENT AND SAY, HEY, WE'RE GONNA BUILD A STRUCTURE HERE.
CAN THIS GO OUT FOR UPSET BID? AND IF YOU RUN INTO ISSUES ALONG THE WAY ON THE TWO YEARS THAT YOU HAVE, THERE'S RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT WE HAVE THAT PROTECT OR THAT CAN ASSIST YOU WITH THAT.
THE SECOND OPTION IS YOU DON'T DO ANYTHING.
WE TRY TO FIGURE OUT, HEY, DO WE GO TO ZONING AND TRY TO ATTACK THIS HOLISTICALLY? WHICH NOW, IN MY OPINION JUST DRAGS YOU OUT ANY EVEN FURTHER.
SO WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE TO ME IS THAT YOU GUYS PROBABLY WANT TO COME BACK WITH YOUR ORIGINAL PLAN, WHICH WAS TO BUILD THERE, UNDERSTANDING THERE ARE RULES AND REGULATIONS AROUND IT, BUT THEY'VE ALSO SAID TO YOU TONIGHT THERE'S RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT CAN ALSO HELP YOU OUT, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
SO IT I KNOW THAT, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE TO YOU, JAY? YEAH, YEAH, DEFINITELY.
EVERYBODY'S KIND OF RUMINATING ON THAT.
SO AS FAR AS ACTION FOR THE BOARD TONIGHT, IF YOU ARE INCLINED TO, UM, FOLLOW MR. STEWART'S POSITION AND CONTINUE THIS ITEM TO NEXT MONTH TO ALLOW THE PROSPECTIVE BUYERS TO BRING THEIR PLANS BACK TO YOU IN IN PICTORIAL, UM, DESCRIPTIONS OR IN WRITING, YOU COULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CONTINUE THIS ACTION ITEM TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING.
UM, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO THE STUDY THAT I FORECASTED BEFORE, YOU CAN MAKE AN A MOTION TO THAT EFFECT.
UM, BUT I THINK STAFF AND I THINK THE, THE, THE CHAPMAN FAMILY IS LOOKING FOR SOME ACTION TONIGHT.
AND, AND LAST THING I'LL SAY IN REGARDS TO THIS, AGAIN, I I JUST PROFESSIONAL, UH, UH, PROFESSIONAL, UH, UM,
[01:30:02]
DETERMIN IS STEVE, I UNDERSTAND YOUR STANCE AND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND, AND I HEAR YOU SAYING, HEY, THE FOLKS ARE TELLING YOU THEY CAN'T DO IT IN 24 MONTHS.I ALSO HEAR WHAT MR. REGGIE IS SAYING IS PEOPLE HAVEN'T BEEN EDUCATED ON THE SUBJECT MATTER TO BE ABLE TO SAY, OKAY, HEY, HOW DO I APPROACH THIS? RIGHT? SO TO ME THE ANSWER IN THAT IS IN THIS RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS, WHICH GIVES SOME LEEWAY TO HELP PEOPLE ALONG THE WAY, UNDERSTANDING THAT FOR THEM THEY'RE SAYING, HEY, 24 MONTHS IS A BIT MUCH, BUT THROUGH SOME EDUCATION AND MAYBE, UH, UH, UM, MEETING SOME OF THESE OTHER FOLKS THAT ARE DOING DEVELOPMENT HERE, PERHAPS THEY CAN DO IT BEFORE THEN.
BUT I DO WANT TO JUST SAY, AND I UNDERSTAND IN THE CONVERSATIONS YOU HAVE, I I DO UNDERSTAND WHERE YOUR STANCE IS AT AND I DO UNDERSTAND WHAT WHAT REGGIE IS SAYING AS WELL.
BUT IN THE CONCLUSION, I, I GUESS THERE, UH, BOARD CHAIR, I JUST, MY STANCE WOULD BE IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU GUYS SHOULD GO BACK TO THE TABLE, COME WITH A PLAN TO PRESENT TO US TO PUT A STRUCTURE ON THAT LOT AND HOPEFULLY THE BOARD OF TABLE THAT AND, AND, AND WE CAN PREVENT IT NEXT, NEXT, UH, MEETING.
IT DID LOOK LIKE THEY HAVE, BUT IS THE RESTRICTIONS ON THE TYPE OF STRUCTURE THAT GO ON THE PROPERTY? THAT'S A GENUINE QUESTION.
I DON'T, I THINK, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RESTRICTIONS.
WELL, ZONING IS THE RESIDENTIAL ZONING DISTRICT.
SO THE STRUCTURE WOULD BE LIMITED TO A RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE.
SO I COULDN'T ADD IT, JUST HAVE IT ADDED ONTO THE PROPERTY I OWN SINCE IT'S RIGHT BESIDE ME.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT RECOMBINING THAT PARCEL? YES.
WITH THE, THE PARCEL THAT STORE ON.
UM, THAT THAT'S A POTENTIAL IF YOU, I NOT YOUR LAWYER, SO I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN'T DO.
UM, BUT CERTAINLY IF YOU WERE TO ATTACH COVENANTS, THAT WOULD BE A VERY DIFFICULT THING FOR HIM TO RECOMBINE THE PROPERTY WITH A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY KNOWING THAT THE YES FOR THAT PROPERTY HAS RESTRICTIONS THAT REQUIRE RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION.
SO ARE, ARE WE SAYING THAT THEY CAN COME BACK NEXT MONTH AND GIVE US THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE BEEN USED TO HAVING, WHETHER IT BE THROUGH WRITING OR WITH PICTURES, AND THEN THEY ASK FOR INSTEAD OF THE 24 MONTH ASK FOR THE 48 MONTH AND I'M TALKING ABOUT WITH A NEW PLAN FOR, FOR BUILDING? OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE DONE TO CHANGE THE ACTUAL TIMEFRAME? WELL, TO, TO STEVE'S POINT AND TO KEEP THINGS CONSISTENT, WHAT IT SEEMS LIKE SHOULD HAPPEN IS THEY SHOULD GO COME BACK AND PRESENT WITHIN THE 24 TIME, 24 MONTH TIMEFRAME AND UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY NEED SOME ASSISTANCE THEN THEY COULD ASK FOR, THEY COULD ASK FOR THAT.
I, I DON'T, I I THINK BECAUSE WE COULD BE WORKING ON TRYING TO FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION ON THAT.
WHAT WAS YOUR TERMINOLOGY FOR IF THEY, UH, GETTING OUT OF THAT GRANDFATHER, UH, POSITION THAT COMMERCIAL COULDN'T EXPAND, WE COULD BE WORKING ON THAT FOR 'EM.
SO THAT WOULD LEGITIMIZE THEM WANTING EXTRA TIME.
WELL, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? YEAH.
BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
NO, THAT GOES WITH THEM CURTIS, I THINK.
BUT YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? MM.
NOT NECESSARILY, THERE'S NOT DIRECTION GIVEN TO, TO TRY TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
BUT TO WHAT STEVE WAS SAYING, IF YOU, IF YOU SIT HERE TODAY AND SAY, OH, WE'RE GONNA GIVE THEM 48 48 MONTHS, AND THE RULE SAYS 24, THIS IS A PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, MEETING PEOPLE.
NOW EVERYONE'S COME IN AND SAY, WE GAVE THEM 48 MONTHS.
SO MY TO MAKE, TO MAKE THIS AS SIMPLE AS CLEAN, THAT'S THAT SLIPPERY SLOPE I WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER.
TO MAKE THIS AS CLEAN AS EASY AS POSSIBLE, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT WOULD BE IN THEIR BEST INTEREST TO COME BACK BEFORE THIS BOARD WITH THE INFORMATION THAT IS REQUIRED TO GO OUT FOR UPSET BID, UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE'S RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT CAN HELP SUPPORT THEM.
BUT WE DON'T NEED TO CHANGE THE TIMEFRAME IN WHICH THAT IS BEING DONE TONIGHT.
MAKE THE MOTION WE'LL COME BACK.
'CAUSE THAT GIVES EVERYBODY TIME TO WHAT JAMIE IS SAYING IS A WHOLE NOTHER ISSUE, WHICH MAYBE PLAYS INTO PART AT SOME POINT IN TIME, BUT I DON'T THINK IT PLAYS INTO PART INTO WHAT IS CURRENTLY HAPPENING.
SHE'S SAYING THAT THERE'S A BIGGER ISSUE THAT'S THERE THAT WE CAN ADDRESS AS A BOARD, WHICH IS THERE'S COMMERCIAL PROPERTY THERE THAT HAS THESE RESIDENTIAL NEEDS OR VICE VERSA THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.
BUT WE ARE NOT IN A POSITION THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A WHOLE PROCESS THAT'S GONNA HAVE TO TAKE PLACE.
VERSE NOW HE CAN AT LEAST ACQUIRE THE PROPERTY, HAVE A PLAN THAT'S PRESENTED TO US, BEGIN TO WORK ON THAT PLAN, WHETHER IT IS FOUNDATION OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, WHATEVER THAT MAY LOOK LIKE.
AND IF IT IS NOT DONE WITHIN THE TIMEFRAME, THERE'S SOME RULES THAT HELP HIM ALONG THE WAY.
SO WHAT I'M HEARING FROM MR. CHAPMAN AND HIS WIFE AND FROM MR. STEWART IS THAT SOMEONE MAY BE INCLINED TO MAKE A MOTION TO TABLE THE DISCUSSION OF 1213 MECHANIC STREET TO THE JUNE REGULAR MEETING OF THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
[01:35:01]
WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT HE'S, THEY'RE COMING BACK TO PRESENT THEIR PLANS TO, TO PURCHASE THE PROPERTY.SO IS THERE A MOTION ON THAT ISSUE YOU MAKE I MAKE YEAH, I MAKE A MOTION TO THAT WE TABLED THE SELLING OF 1213 MECHANIC STREET TO GIVE THE BUYER SOME OPPORTUNITY TO BRING BACK THE PROPER DOCUMENTATION SECOND TO THE JUNE OF THE MEETING.
AND IS THAT YOU SECOND MR. OKAY.
AND THAT SHOULD DON'T REQUIRE A VOICE FORWARD.
RIGHT? LET'S JUST TABLE IN THE, WE DON'T NEED TO DO VOICE PHOTOS, SIR.
SO HAVE IT AND IT BE MOVED TO THE JUNE, SO WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT MONTH.
I APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE WITH US TODAY.
ALRIGHT, UH, AND WE'RE GOING BACK
[8. Discussion regarding request for property purchases by Mr. Ed McGovern ]
UP TO NUMBER EIGHT.UM, AND THIS IS THE PROPERTY ON 6 0 6 WHITE STREET.
UM, AND I UNDERSTAND WE'VE HAD SOME, SOME UPDATES AND SOME CHANGES.
MR. WILLIAMS? UH, THAT'S CORRECT.
THE, UH, PREVIOUS, UH, BIDDER FOR, UH, THAT PROPERTY, UH, DECIDED NOT TO, UH, PURCHASE THE PROPERTY.
UH, AND HE ACTUALLY PULLED OUT FROM, UH, THE BID THAT HE HAD PLACED IN IT.
AND IN THE, UH, COURSE OF, UH, HIM PULLING OUT, WE HAD ANOTHER, UH, POTENTIAL BUYER, UH, MR. UH, ED MCGOVERN, WHO WAS, UH, REQUESTING TO, UH, PUT A, UH, REQUESTING TO PURCHASE THE PROPERTY.
SO WE NEED TO INITIATE THE UPSET BID PROCESS.
IS THAT WHAT WE NEED TO DO HERE TODAY? THAT IS THE ACTION FOR THE BOARD'S CONSIDERATION TONIGHT? YES, SIR.
DO I HAVE A MOTION? WELL, JUST POINT OF CLARITY.
SO JUST TO MAKE SURE I'M CLEAR, SO THE PROPERTY AT 6 0 6 WHITE STREET, THERE HAD BEEN A BID PUT OUT FOR THAT? YES, SIR.
THAT THE UPSET BID WENT OUT FOR THAT? YES, SIR.
AND THIS, THE GENTLEMAN THAT WAS ORIGINALLY PURCHASING 6 0 6 WHITE STREET WITHDRAW HIS BID.
HE DID NOT GO FORWARD WITH THE SALE.
DID HE WIND UP UPSET THE BID PROCESS? HE DID.
AND SO YOU KEPT WE KEPT THE 5% HIS DE YEAH.
AND SO NOW, SO WOULD THAT HAVE TO GO BACK OUT FOR THE UPSET BID PROCESS? YES, SIR.
SO, SO WHAT IS BEFORE YOU TONIGHT IS AN OFFER TO PURCHASE SIGNED BY MR. MCGOVERN, WHICH WOULD BE THE IMPETUS FOR THE UPSET BID PROCESS.
MR. MCGOVERN HAS OFFERED $3,600 FOR THE PROPERTY.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM OF HIS OFFER TO PURCHASE FORM, HE, UM, INITIALS ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE SALE WILL BE CONT CONTINGENT ON CERTAIN CONDITIONS.
THOSE CONDITIONS ARE SET OUT IN THE EXHIBIT A, WHICH INCLUDE CONSTRUCTION OF A RESIDENTIAL DWELLING WITHIN 12 MONTHS.
UM, THAT IF CONSTRUCTION IS NOT COMMENCED WITHIN 12 MONTHS, IT REVERTS BACK TO THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION AND THAT ANY DWELLING THAT'S NOT OCCUPIED BY THE OWNER MUST BE SOLD OR RENTED TO LOW TO, UM, PERSONS OF LOW TO MODERATE INCOME.
AND THAT THERE ARE NO RECOR JUNK VEHICLES, UM, THAT CAN BE STORED ON THE PROPERTY.
AND IN THIS INSTANCE, MR. MCGOVERN IS PREPARED TO BUILD UPON THE PROPERTY ACCORDING TO HIS OFFER TO PURCHASE.
HE ACKNOWLEDGES THAT HIS OFFER TO PURCHASE IS SUBJECT TO THE CONDITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS SET ON, SET OUT ON THE DOCUMENT THAT I JUST REFERENCED.
AND HAS HE PRESENTED THE VISUALS FOR THE PROPERTIES? IT IS NOT, IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING.
I WAS SPEAKING WITH HIM THIS WEEK THAT HE WAS GOING TO COME HERE TODAY TO, TO DO THAT PRESENTATION.
I BELIEVE YOU MENTIONED THAT HE SPOKEN WITH ONE OF YOU, IF I'M MISTAKEN, UH, YOU COMMISSIONER STEWART, AND, AND HE SAID THAT YOU ALL HAD SPOKEN AND, AND HE WAS, UH, GIVEN A DATE AND TIME TO BE HERE, AND HE HAD INDICATED THAT HIS PLAN WAS TO BE HERE.
SO WE HAVE NOT SEEN ANY, ANY, UH, PLAN OF WHAT HE PLANNED PUTTING ON THAT CAR.
WELL, JUST TO BE CLEAR, HE, I I, I DID SEE MR. MCGOVERN.
HE STOPPED ME ON EUBANK STREET ONE DAY AND JUST, IT KIND OF CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD.
I DIDN'T HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION IN FRONT OF ME.
UH, I DID NOT PROVIDE HIM A DATE AND TIME TO BE HERE UNLESS, NO, I, I CONTACT HIM THIS WEEK.
I'M SURE HE WAS GONNA BE HERE FOR THIS PURPOSE AND HE INDICATED THAT HE WOULD.
YEAH, I, I, I GUESS MY ONLY STANCE WOULD BE IS THAT, UM, IF HE WAS HERE TO PRESENT WITH THE INFORMATION, THEN IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO SELL HIM THE PROPERTY.
SO I, I THINK THAT, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE COULD SELL HIM THE PROPERTY WITHOUT HIM BEING HERE TO PRESENT US THE INFORMATION TO SHOW US WHAT HE'S GONNA PUT ON THE, ON, ON THE PROPERTY.
UM, SO I DON'T, I DON'T SEE HOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THE SELLING OF THE, OF THE PURCHASE.
WHICH BRINGS ANOTHER QUESTION UP THAT I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE.
IF SOMEONE WAS TO UPSET THE BID PROCESS IN A REGULAR SITUATION, THEN HOW WOULD WE UNDERSTAND THAT? THEY WOULD GET THE INFORMATION
[01:40:01]
AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS WHAT THE RESTRICTIONS ARE.AT WHAT POINT DO WE RE I THOUGHT, OH, MY UNDERSTANDING WAS, OH, I THINK I DO IT.
YOU GUYS SAY THAT IF WE WERE TO DO THAT, HE WOULD HAVE TO SUBMIT THAT TO BRENDA.
I WAY THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO SUBMIT THOSE, THAT INFORMATION TO BRENDA.
SO IF, IF SOMEONE WAS TO UPSET SOMEONE'S BID, THEN AT WHAT POINT WOULD THAT PERSON SUBMIT SUBMITTING INFORMATION TO SHOW WHAT THEY'RE GONNA PUT ON THE, ON THE, ON THE PARCEL.
I KNOW I ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS, BUT JOE CITIZEN WANTS TO PURCHASE A PIECE OF PROPERTY FROM THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONER OF THE CITY OF NEWBURG.
THEY GO TO THE CITY CLERK AND SAY, HEY, I WANT BUY 1, 2, 3 MAPLE STREET.
THE CITY CLERK WOULD THEN GET THAT PERSON TO MARVIN AND MARVIN WOULD TALK TO THEM ABOUT THE PROCESS, RECOGNIZE THAT THEY'RE, UH, RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS.
IT COULD APPLY TO THE PROPERTY THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO BILL X, Y, AND Z.
THIS IS THE TIMEFRAME TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THE PROCESS.
IF THEY ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE AND AGREEABLE TO YOUR STANDARD CONDITIONS, THEN THEY WILL RECEIVE AN OFFER TO PURCHASE FORM THAT THEY WOULD FILL OUT AND MAKE AN OFFER TO PURCHASE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN CONDITIONS THAT ONCE THAT OFFER TO PURCHASE FORM IS RECEIVED AND THE DEPOSIT IS PAID TO THE CITY CLERK, THEN THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME TO THE BOARD AND PRESENT THEIR IDEA WITH THEIR VISUALS AND ALL THE THINGS.
IF YOU ALL ARE INCLINED TO INITIATE THE UPSET BID PROCESS, YOU ADOPT A RESOLUTION INITIATING THE PROCESS, AND IT IS PUT OUT FOR BID.
SOONIE Q WANTS TO UPSET THE BID, AND SHE DOES, AND SHE'S THE FINAL HIGH BIDDER IN THE PROCESS.
THE INFORMATION COMES BACK TO YOU ALL THAT SUSIE Q WAS THE HIGH BIDDER FOR THE PROPERTY.
AND THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO APPROVE THE SALE.
YOU ALL CAN DETERMINE THAT WHOEVER THE HIGH BIDDER IS, IF IT'S SOMEONE DIFFERENT THAN THE INITIAL BIDDER, THAT THEY COME TO THAT MEETING BEFORE YOU APPROVE THE SALE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL ARE COMFORTABLE WITH WHATEVER THEIR PROPOSED REDEVELOPMENT PLAN IS.
UM, GIVEN YOUR CURRENT INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, MARVIN, SO MR. MCGOVERN WAS AWARE THAT HE NEEDED, HE CONTACT WAS MADE WITH HIM TO SAY, HEY, YOU NEED TO COME TO THE MEETING TONIGHT TO PRESENT.
I SPOKE TO HIM, UH, IT WASN'T YESTERDAY, IT WAS THE DAY BEFORE, AND I GAVE HIM A DAY AND HE SAID HE WAS AWARE THE DAY AND TIME.
SO, UM, HE DIDN'T REQUEST ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
UM, I GUESS THE ASSUMPTION WAS THAT WHEN HE INDICATED TO ME THAT HE HAD SPOKEN TO ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS THAT, UH, HE KNEW WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS WERE UPON HIS ARRIVAL AT THE, UH, THE, THE SCHEDULED MEETING.
SO THE OPTIONS BEFORE THE BOARD TONIGHT, SINCE YOU DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'RE CUS ACCUSTOMED TO RECEIVING, IS AS THE SAME THING WITH MR. CHAPMAN.
YOU CAN ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CONTINUE THIS ACTION ITEM TO THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING TO GIVE MR. MCGOVERN AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE PRESENT AND TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO THE BOARD.
I MAKE A MOTION THAT, UH, WE CONTACT MR. MCGOVERN AND ASK HIM TO PRESENT THE, UH, REQUESTED INFORMATION AT THE NEXT, UH, MEETING THAT IS GONNA BE HELD IN JUNE.
I'M TRYING, ISN'T HE OFTEN BELOW TAX VALUE FOR THIS PROPERTY? YES, SIR.
THE BOARD ADOPTED A POLICY THAT YOU WILL ACCEPT 75% OF THE ASSESSED TAX VALUE AS A STARTING BID.
WOULD, UH, PLEASE, UH, MAKE YOUR VOTE BY SAYING AYE.
SO HAVE IT, IT WILL BE DELAYED OR REVISITED IN THE JUNE MEETING.
ALRIGHT, NOW WE'RE GONNA SKIP DOWN TO NINE.
I TWO I MARKING NINE A NINE EIGHT.
[9.a. Nominate a New Board Chair ]
OH, I'M SORRY.OH, YEAH, I DON'T EVEN WANNA SEE.
UH, NOMINATE A NEW BOARD CHAIR.
ANY NOMINATIONS? WE, WE, OH, HOLD ON.
WE WILL BE NOMINATING, UH, AT THIS ISSUE FOR A CHAIR TO FILL THE VACANT CHAIR POSITION.
DISCUSS, WELL, IT'S UP FOR DISCUSSIONS AND THEN NOMINATIONS, AND THEN WE TAKE A VOTE.
SO, CURRENTLY YOU ASSISTANT CHAIR, RIGHT? MM-HMM
BUT NO, I, WE, I DON'T WANT CHAIR.
AND JUST SO EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS, THE, THE PURPOSE OF THE CHAIR IS TO RUN THE MEETING.
SO IT IS TO OPEN THE MEETING, MAKE SURE THAT
[01:45:01]
THERE'S FAIRNESS IN HOW THE BOARD CARRIES OUT ITS FUNCTIONS AS IT RELATES TO MAKING MOTIONS AND DELIBERATING SO THAT YOU ALL CAN CARRY OUT YOUR BUSINESS.THE, THE ROLE OF THE CHAIR IS LIMITED TO, TO WHAT I JUST DESCRIBED.
SO FLOOR IS ON THE NOMINATION? NO, I NOMINATE, UH, TO BAR WALLACE.
NO, I I HAVE TO DENY THAT, UH, MR. JONES, I WOULD MAKE A NOMINATION TO, TO NOMINATE STEVE STRICKLAND AS THE CHAIR.
I APPRECIATE THE CONSIDERATION, MR. STEWART, BUT IT'S TOO MUCH ON THE PLATE.
WELL, IN THAT CASE, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A NOMINATION TO NOMINATE CURTIS STEWART.
I, I DON'T THINK I HAVE THE SKILLSET FOR THAT
JUST WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY INITIALLY IS SINCE YOU ARE SERVING AS A CO-CHAIR, LET'S WAIT TILL THE NEXT MEETING.
HOPEFULLY WE CAN HAVE A FULL BOARD AND THEN WE CAN MAKE THAT DECISION WHEN ALL IS THAT PERMISSIBLE PRESENT.
IF THAT'S A MOTION, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE MOVE AS A MOTION.
SO, JUST SO EVERYBODY'S CLEAR ABOUT THE MOTION THAT IS CURRENTLY BEING VOTED ON, IT'S A MOTION TO CONTINUE THE BOARD'S DISCUSSION ABOUT NOMINATING A NEW BOARD CHAIR TO THE JUNE REGULAR MEETING SO THAT THE BOARD CAN HAVE MORE PARTICIPATION FOR ITS MEMBERS.
EVERYBODY THAT'S MOTION, THAT'S CORRECT.
ARE WE, ARE WE SAYING THAT WE'RE DOWN ONCE? WE'RE DOWN, SARAH? MM-HMM
AND MR. MR. UH, MR. DI HUNT? UH, STEP DOWN.
ARE WE SAYING THAT WE'RE GONNA PUSH THAT OUT TO HAVE PARTICIPATION FROM SARAH? MM-HMM
WOULD YOU LIKE TO, NOW, MR. MORGAN, DOES THERE NEED TO BE A MOTION MADE TO TABLE THAT FOR, FOR NEXT? NO, SIR.
THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE TABLE.
BUT I GOTTA, WE GOTTA DISCUSS, SO WE GOTTA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S HEARD.
WELL, I GUESS I'M JUST SAYING THAT, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I CAN HONESTLY SAY THIS.
I, I DEFINITELY DON'T FEEL I HAVE THE SKILLSET TO TAKE THE CHAIR POSITION AT THIS MOMENT.
I'M LEARNING AND I WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE.
I WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE OF ROBERT'S RULES.
WE'VE ALREADY HAD 1, 2, 3, 4 DENIALS.
SO WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO? BUT WAIT FOR HER TO RETURN TO SEE IF SHE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN IT.
NOW, WOULD I TAKE ONE FOR THE TEAM IF NO ONE WANTED TO STEP FORWARD? I WORKED WELL UNDER PRESSURE.
I WOULD AT THAT MOMENT, BUT THAT'S NOT ANYTHING I WOULD LIKE TO DO EITHER.
SO THERE'S NO OTHER OPTION TODAY, BUT TWO CHAIRS TO THE NEXT MEETING SO WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
ANY MORE DISCUSSION? I WILL JUST ASK THE QUESTION.
PROBABLY NOT THE APPROPRIATE TIME, BUT DO WE KNOW WHERE WE ARE ON OPEN SEATS BEING FILLED? ANY INSIGHTS FROM THE BOARD OF MENT ON THAT FRONT? THE, UH, DECISION TO POSSIBLY FILL THE OPEN SEATS? UH, WERE, UH, DEFERRED TO, UH, A LATER DATE AFTER WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE BOARD OF OTTOMAN TO HAVE A, AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO THE COMMISSIONERS, WHICH RIGHT NOW, THE, THE ASK, WHICH IS LATER ON IN, IN THE, SINCE, SINCE WE'RE DISCUSSING IT, UM, THE, UM, THE, THE CURRENT ASK IS FOR THE, UH, UH, THAT TO HAVE THE BOARD OF HONOR MEET WITH THE, UH, COMMISSIONERS ON JUNE THE NINTH AT 4:00 PM WERE THOSE ALL ARE AVAILABLE SPEND MY BIRTHDAY.
AND WHAT I CAN DO IS SEND SOMETHING OUT.
I KNOW THAT, THAT, THAT DATE JUST JUST PRESENTED TO YOU ALL AS JUST PRESENTED TO ME TODAY.
BUT, UM, WE CAN SUBMIT THAT OUT AND SEE WHAT ALL AVAILABILITY IS.
YEAH, BECAUSE LAST NIGHT I THOUGHT THAT, SO IS THAT BASED OFF OF THE MEETING LAST NIGHT? BECAUSE WHEN WE LEFT, WHEN I WAS LISTENING TO THE BOARD ON MEETING LAST NIGHT, IT WAS SAYING THAT THEY WERE GONNA BE, THERE WAS A COUPLE POTENTIAL DATES THAT WERE GONNA CIRCULATE.
THERE WERE CERTAIN DATES THAT WERE CIRCULATED AMONGST THE BOARD OF ALMONDS, UH, TO SEE THE AVAILABILITY AND THAT THIS WAS THE DATE THAT,
[01:50:01]
THAT THEY, UH, DECIDED UPON.MR. AT CHAIR, YOU HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ONE.
NOW, I DIDN'T KNOW IF WE WERE SUPPOSED TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION FIRST BEFORE I MOVED TO THE JUNE 9TH THING.
DID WE DO THAT FIRST? YEAH, THAT WAS JUST INFORMATION.
UH, UH, THERE HAS BEEN A MOTION THAT HAS BEEN, UH, SET AND PROPERLY SECOND.
UH, THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SAY AYE.
[9.c. Workgroup Reports (Part 2 of 2)]
TO, UH, MARKETING.MR. DOUG, UH, WERE YOU GIVEN AN UPDATE, UH, FROM YOUR, UH, WORK GROUP? WELL, I HAVE NO UPDATES 'CAUSE I REALLY HAVE NO, UM, DIRECTION FROM A DIRECTION IN WHICH I WAS WAITING ON.
UM, I HAVE A LOT OF IDEAS THAT I COULD DEFINITELY PUT TOGETHER MY OWN SET OF IDEAS AND BRING TOWARDS THE BOARD TO HOPE TO GET SUPPORT AND FUNDING FORWARD.
BUT CURRENTLY I HAD JUST BEEN WAITING.
I WAS ADVISED BY OUR FORMER CHAIR TO WAIT UNTIL WE GOT OUR DIRECTOR TO MOVE FORWARD THIS AFTER I LAID OUT THE PLAN THAT I CAME UP WITH.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. DUCK? ALRIGHT.
UH, UH, THE CHAIR OF THE HOUSING, UH, COMMITTEE IS, UH, IS NOT HERE TONIGHT.
UM, I DIDN'T KNOW IF MR. STEWART WANTED TO, UH, SAY SOME THINGS REGARDING NICK.
I ACTUALLY TALKED TO MR. DI HUNT TODAY.
UH, HE GIVES HIS, HIS HIGH REGARDS TO THE COMMITTEE AND JUST SAYING THAT, UH, IT WAS JUST TIME FOR HIM TO GO.
UH, PRIOR TO THAT, UH, WE, WE'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS AND AS I MENTIONED, UH, EARLIER, UH, IN THE MEETING BASED ON THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, THAT THAT, UH, ZAB LEFT.
UH, I I, I REALLY FEEL LIKE, AND I'M HOPING IN THE BOARD OF ALTMAN MEETING, UH, JOINTLY WITH THEM, IT, IT, IT SOUNDS LIKE OUR BIGGEST IMPACT WOULD BE THE AVENUES PROJECT.
UH, THERE HAS BEEN SOME CONVERSATION.
I, I MET WITH RYAN AND DEIA, UM, MAYBE BACK IN FEBRUARY IN REGARD REGARDS TO THE BROWNSVILLE, UH, GRANT, I THINK MARVIN ATTENDED THAT MEETING AS WELL.
UH, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT CAN ASSIST US THERE, UH, BUT I HOPEFULLY WHEN WE HAVE THIS BOARD OF AUTOMATED MEETING, WE CAN REALLY GET CLEAR DIRECTION AS A BOARD, NOT NECESSARILY FROM THEM, BUT FOR, FOR OURSELVES AND KNOWING WHAT OUR BIGGEST IMPACT CAN BE.
AND, AND RIGHT NOW IT WAS SEEN IN THE CONVERSATION THAT PRIOR TO MR. DILLA HUNT STEPPING DOWN AND THE CONVERSATIONS THAT I'VE HAD WITH A COUPLE OTHER FOLKS, IT WAS SEEM THAT THE AVENUES PROJECT IS WHERE OUR FOCUS SHOULD BE AT.
UM, AND WE OWN SEVERAL PARCELS OVER THERE.
THERE ARE SEVERAL PARCELS THAT ARE FOR SALE OVER THERE.
UH, I THINK THAT THE BIGGEST THING THAT, UH, COMES TO MY MIND JUST COMING FROM THAT NEIGHBORHOOD AND UNDERSTANDING THE DYNAMICS THERE IS IF YOU'RE TRYING, AND I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING TO FORCE JUST TO KEEP IN MIND, IS THAT IF YOU'RE TRYING TO PURCHASE THESE RESIDENTS FROM THE COMMUNITY, PEOPLE HAVE TO HAVE A PLACE TO GO.
AND IT REALLY WAS SEEING THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE LOCAL DEVELOPERS AND SOME LOCAL BUILDERS, UH, THAT ARE AROUND HERE IN NEW BERN, THAT WE SHOULD REALLY BE TRYING TO CULTIVATE SOME RELATIONSHIPS.
BECAUSE IF YOU DO PURCHASE AND SOMEONE IS WILLING TO PURCHASE THEIR HOME, UNDERSTANDING THE CONDITION THAT IT IS IN, UH, AND WHAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WHAT MARKET RATE SAYS TO OFFER THEM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE A PLACE TO GO.
AND SO IN THE SAME SENTENCE, IT'S LIKE, HEY, HOW DO WE WORK WITH SOME OF THESE LOCAL BUILDERS TO, UH, HELP BUILD IN THESE, YOU KNOW, IN THE DUCKY FIELD AREA? SO, UM, I HAVE NOT SPOKEN WITH RYAN.
UM, BUT, UH, HOPEFULLY WHEN WE ARE ABLE TO MEET WITH THE BOARD OF ALDER AND, AND LET'S JUST HAVE SOME DIALOGUE AMONGST OURSELVES, UH, INCLUDING THE BOARD HERE, WE CAN REALLY HAVE A, A FOCUS POINT BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, UM, IT KIND OF SEEMS LIKE WE'RE JUST STILL, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT.
BUT IN MY OPINION, UM, I KNOW THERE'S ALSO BEEN SOME CONVERSATION WITH, UH, THERESA.
I'VE SPOKEN WITH THERESA AND I'VE ALSO SPOKEN WITH REGGIE.
UH, THEN I THINK THERE WAS A MEETING THAT OUR FORMER CHAIR HAD WITH HIM, THEM AS WELL WHERE THERE ARE SOME LOW HANGING FRUIT, UH, WHERE THEY POTENTIALLY COULD BE, UM, INTERESTED IN PARTNERING WITH US.
I DID SEE THE EMAIL TODAY, MARVIN AND I, I COULDN'T QUITE UNDERSTAND WITH THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
I'M INTERESTED IN HEARING, WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE TAX, UH, THE NEW MARKET TAX CREDIT.
[01:55:01]
I WASN'T QUITE SURE I UNDERSTOOD ALL THE LOGISTICS AROUND THAT, BUT IN THE, WE, WE CAN DISCUSS IT AND WE'LL GET TO THAT.BUT I, I KNEW THAT THAT HAD SOMETHING TO DO IN REGARDS TO, UH, AT LEAST THE CONVERSATION I HAD WITH REGGIE ABOUT THE AVENUES AND WHAT THEY WERE WILLING TO DO.
UM, BUT WITH THE, IN CONCLUSION, IT WOULD JUST SEEM THAT, UM, THE AVENUES PROJECT WOULD BE BEST FIT, PARTNERING WITH A HABITAT AND PARTNERING WITH A HOUSING AUTHORITY TO TRY TO GET SOME MOVEMENT OVER THERE.
SO COMMISSIONER, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, THE AFTER PROJECT WAS NEVER PRESENTED TO THE BOARD.
I THINK THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS GONNA BE PRESENTED.
UH, THE FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WAS IN THE PROCESS OF COLLECTING INFORMATION AND HAD A DISCUSSION.
I DO NOT BELIEVE THE BOARD IS QUITE FAMILIAR WITH WHAT THIS PROGRAM IS, AND THAT WOULD BE A DISCUSSION WITH THEM.
BUT THEY INTERESTED IN PROCEEDING WITH SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I DON'T, I I HAVE TO DISAGREE WITH YOU ON THAT.
HE, HE, HE SENDS OUT A, A DOCUMENT.
I HAVE THE COPY OF THE DOCUMENT.
IN FACT, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE GOING TO PHASE TWO.
UH, AND SO THAT CONVERSATION, AT LEAST FROM WHAT HE'S INDICATED BEFORE I GOT UP HERE, UH, WAS PRESENTED TO THE BOARD.
AND THEN THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION, UH, THERE WAS SOME SITE IDENTIFICATION, THERE WAS SOME OTHER THINGS THAT HE LISTENED AND I THINK YOURSELF AND, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEYS ON THE EMAIL, BUT THE, FROM WHAT THE DOCUMENT SAYS, IT HAS BEEN APPROACHED TO THE BOARD.
YOU, STEVE, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH AVENUES PROJECT? SOME OF YOU GUYS WERE HERE PRIOR TO, BUT I, I, I JUST READ THE DOCUMENT.
THERE'S BEEN HIGH LEVEL DISCUSSION ABOUT WORKING WITH THEM AND VARIOUS THINGS.
AND THE AVENUES HAS LONG BEEN A PROJECT THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED.
THAT'S WHY WE STARTED ACCUMULATING PROPERTY OVER THERE.
BUT I'M NOT AWARE OF ANYTHING EXPRESSLY CONNECTING THE DOTS FROM A FULL BOARD CAPACITY.
SO THERE HAS BEEN SOME, SOME, SOME, SOME, SOME SURVEYS AND SOME ENVIRONMENTALS ON SOME OF THOSE PROPERTIES BASED ON THIS HERE.
UH, BUT I, I, I GUESS IS YOUR STANCE, MARVIN, THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME MORE DISCUSSION AROUND THAT? 'CAUSE PEOPLE AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH THAT? OR IS IT JUST A HIGH LEVEL CONVERSATION THAT'S HAPPENED? 'CAUSE BASED ON HIS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, HE HAD BEEN DOING SOME THINGS IN REGARDS TO THAT.
AND I JUST, AGAIN, I, I HADN'T TALKED TO Z PERSONALLY ABOUT IT.
I BELIEVE THE INFORMATION THAT YOU HAVE WAS THIS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AS HE WAS, UH, LEAVING THE POSITION.
AND THAT WAS INFORMATION THAT HE WAS WORKING ON.
BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE, UH, AND I COULD BE MISTAKEN 'CAUSE I WASN'T IN ALL THESE MEETINGS, BUT THE INFORMATION THAT WAS PRESENTED TO ME DURING OUR COURSE OF OUR MEETINGS THAT I'D HAVE TO HIM ON MONDAY MORNING WAS THAT THIS WAS A, UM, A PROJECT IN, IN PROGRESS THAT HE WAS WORKING ON, GATHERING THAT INFORMATION.
BUT I DID NOT THINK THAT IT HAD BEEN PRESENTED TO THE BOARD FOR ANY, ANY TYPE OF ACTION OR CONSIDERATION.
SO WE SEEING THAT THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING HOPEFULLY THAT WHEN WE GET WITH THE BOARD OF
'CAUSE AGAIN, AS I'VE MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT WOULD BE THE PIECE THAT WE CAN HAVE OUS IMPACT ON AT THIS TIME.
UH, ANY MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT HOUSING THERE? ALL RIGHT.
MR. MORGAN UPDATES ON NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE, UM, THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, WORK GROUP WOULD LIKE TO REPORT THAT BECAUSE OF THE REALIGNMENT, THE RESIGNATIONS, UH, WE REALLY NEED TO TRY TO GET A HANDLE ON WHO WILL BE WORKING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD WORK GROUP.
UH, BUT I WILL GIVE YOU AN UPDATE AND IT'S PRETTY MUCH STAYS THE SAME.
UM, THIS PAST WEEKEND THEY HAD DUFF FEST.
I HAD TO WORK, SO I WAS NOT TO BE ABLE TO BE IN ATTENDANCE, BUT I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NOT THE TURNOUT THAT THEY HAD EXPECTED.
UM, MOST OF THE CONVERSATION FROM THE COMMUNITY IS THAT THEY'RE STILL HAVING CERTAIN PROBLEMS WITH OVERGROWN LOTS.
THEIR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE OLD STANLEY WHITE PROPERTY, THE WEST STREET CLOSURE, AND IF THAT'S GONNA BE PERMANENT, THERE STILL HAS NOT BEEN A LOT OF ATTENTION TO THE RETENTION PONDS.
THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF OVERTURNED GARBAGE CANS THAT ARE LEFT BY THE CITY AS THEY USE THE MECHANICAL CLAW.
AND IT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE OVER STACKED.
[02:00:01]
OVERPACKED.AND AS I SAID, YOU'VE HAD MULTI-GENERATIONAL FAMILIES WITH ONE TRASH CAN, AND THAT'S BECOME AN ISSUE.
WE'VE SEEN AN UPTICK IN ABANDONED CARS, UM, ALONG WITH THE ABATEMENT, IT'S TIME FOR ANOTHER COMMUNITY CLEANUP.
WE HAVE A VERY GOOD EFFORT WITH THE CITY WHEN JEFF RUGGIERI AND OF COURSE WITH Z HUFF, AND THEY MOSTLY ACTED AS A LIAISON WITH SOME OF THE CITY.
AND ALONG WITH, UH, PUBLIC WORKS AND A LOT OF THE OTHER DE DEPARTMENTS WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO GAIN NOT ONLY WORKERS AND HAD A LOT OF CITY EMPLOYEES THAT CAME OUT ON A SATURDAY MORNING AND HELPED OUT QUITE A, QUITE A BIG SUMMER, IS ABOUT TO BE DISMISSED.
I MEAN, SCHOOL IS ABOUT TO BE DISMISSED FOR THE SUMMER, AND WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO MAKE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS LOOK BETTER SO THAT THESE KIDS ARE GOING TO BE WAKING UP TO SOMETHING THAT'S LOOKING PROGRESSIVE AND LOOKING BETTER THAN IT ALWAYS HAS.
UH, AND IT SEEMS LIKE WE ARE NOT GIVING IT THE PROPER ATTENTION AS WE HAVE BEEN.
UH, THE, WHEN I MEAN FALLING APART, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT KEEPING IT UP TO CODE AS IT WAS, UH, WHAT WE DID TWO AND THREE YEARS AGO CAN ONLY LAST FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
UH, BUT FOR IT NOT TO BE TOUCHED UP.
AND ONE THING THAT IS, AND WE HAVE SEEN IS A LOT OF THE FEMA LOTS, THE CITY IS BUSY OVER IN THE AREA, SO IT'S JUST NOT THAT THEY HAVE NEGLECTED IT.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PLACES THAT ARE CLEANED UP, BUT A LOT OF THOSE PLACES THAT HAVE NOT BEEN, UM, USUALLY CUT BACK AND GROOMED, THEY'RE NOT ON THE SCHEDULE TO BE CUT BACK AND GROOMED.
AND A LOT OF THESE ARE CITY PROPERTIES.
UH, I DO HAVE A FLYER FROM THE PEOPLE'S ASSEMBLY.
THEY'RE GONNA BE HAVING A COMMUNITY MOVIE NIGHT ON MAY 16TH, 2026 AT 3:00 PM AT THE BROAD STREET CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
IT'S LOCATED AT 8 0 2 BROAD STREET.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, YOU CONTACT BARBARA SAMPSON.
THERE WILL BE A, A FREE MOVIE, WHICH WILL BE SPIDER-MAN, UM, THE SPIDER-MAN MOVIE.
AND THERE WILL BE FREE MOVIE, FREE HOT DOGS, POPCORN AND DRINKS.
AND OF COURSE, UH, THE COMMUNITY IS INVITED TO ATTEND.
UM, BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW, THE REDEVELOPMENT AREA IS CONTINUALLY TO BE BLIGHTED AND WE HAVE TO MAKE IT LOOK DIFFERENTLY AND WE HAVE TO SHOW IT SOME LOVE PHYSICALLY.
AND THAT'S BEEN THE REPORT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD WORK GROUP.
[10. Staff Report]
TO OUR STAFF REPORT.THE, UH, THE, THE LATEST, UH, MONTH'S BUDGET REVIEW IS IN YOU ALL'S PACKAGE.
NOTHING CHANGED FROM THE PREVIOUS, UH, WITH THE, THE, UM, THE SAME BALANCE, UM, SORRY I CAN'T READ MY SLIGHTLY OVER $900,000 OF BALANCE.
THE LAST, UH, RECORDED AND REPORTED, UH, BALANCE FOR YOU ALSO, UM, BUDGET, UH, CURRENT FOR YOUR CURRENT BUDGET.
THERE WAS A DISCUSSION, UH, DURING THE, UH, LAST UH, BUDGET DISCUSSION WITH THE BOARD OF ALLMAN.
AND DURING THAT DISCUSSION, THERE WERE SOME DECISIONS THAT WERE MADE.
UH, THE TWO, UH, MAJOR DECISIONS THAT WERE MADE WAS THAT THE, UH, $4,500 THAT WERE IN THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION THAT WAS SITTING IN THAT BUDGET WAS, UH, MOVED BACK INTO THE GENERAL FUND DUE TO THE FACT THAT THAT WAS FOR UTILITIES.
AND YOU NO LONGER, UH, ARE PAYING UTILITIES.
UH, 'CAUSE YOU HAVE SINCE GOTTEN RID OF THE, UM, THE HOUSES ON WALK BELLA.
SO THERE'S NO, UH, THE BOARD DECIDED THERE WAS NO REASON TO HAVE THE MONEY SITTING IN THAT PARTICULAR BUDGET AS WELL AS, UM, $1,200 FOR FOOD.
AND, UM, UH, UH, FOR, FOR THE FOOD AND PROVISIONS.
[02:05:01]
UH, THEY REMOVED THAT FROM THE BUDGET AS WELL, AND, UM, RETURNED THAT TO THE, UH, GENERAL FUND OF Y'ALL'S BUDGET.UH, AS PREVIOUSLY INDICATED, THE PROPERTIES AT 8 28 EUBANK STREET AND 1129 EIGHTH STREET AND 1135 EIGHTH STREET, UH, UH, THOSE PROPERTIES, UH, WERE APPROVED FOR SALE AFTER THE UPSET BID PROCESSED WITH, UM, AND, UH, BASICALLY NEEDS NOW JUST FOR YOU ALL'S APPROVAL TO GO FORWARD WITH, UH, THE FINALIZING THIS SALES AGREEMENT.
IS THAT A MOTION OR ANYTHING? OR WE JUST NEED TO NO, GO AHEAD.
WE, WE NEED A, A MOTION TO APPROVE THE SALES OF 8 28 EUBANK STREET, 1129 EIGHTH STREET, AND 1135 EIGHTH STREET.
CAN THAT BE ONE MOTION? YES, SIR.
IF IT'S YOUR UNANIMOUS, DO I, WOULD THAT BE A MOTION? I MAY THEY UNDERSTAND ALL THE STIPULATIONS IN THIS CONTRACT, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
THEY HAVE SIGNED INDICATING THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CONDITIONS ARE.
WELL, I, I MOVED TO, UM, APPROVE THE SALE OF THOSE TWO PROPERTIES ALL IN ONE MOTION.
3 3, 3 PROPERTIES AND ONE MOTION.
WOULD THAT BE A SECOND? SECOND, SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
PLEASE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE SALE OF THOSE THREE PROPERTIES.
UH, THE, THE NEXT ITEM IS DISCUSSION, UH, THAT WAS HAD WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND HABITAT FOR HUMANITIES.
AS, AS MENTIONED EARLIER, THERE WAS A DISCUSSION, UH, FOR INTEREST THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK FOR A FUNDING OPPORTUNITY THAT THEY, THAT THEY COULD PARTNER WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
UH, IT WAS ALL, UH, JUST, UH, WHEN MYSELF, UH, THE FORMER CHAIR, UH, HAD MET WITH THEM JUST TO SEE IF WE WOULD BE OPEN FOR THAT DISCUSSION AND THAT POTENTIAL, UM, PARTNERSHIP, IF THEY WERE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN, UM, GETTING THAT FUNDING.
AND, UM, THEY FOUND OUT THAT THEY WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL AND THAT THE FUNDING, UH, SOURCE WAS NOT INTERESTED IN TAKING ON, UH, PROJECTS THAT WERE, UM, LESS THAN, UH, FIVE TO 10 THOU 10, FIVE TO $10 MILLION.
AND THE, UH, HOUSING AUTHORITY OF DIDN'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO REQUEST, UM, THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY SO THAT, UH, THAT THAT, UM, IS NO LONGER GOING FORWARD.
SO THAT OPPORTUNITY, UM, WE, WE'LL STILL HAVE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FUTURE, BUT THAT WAS THE ONE THAT WE HAD AN EARLY DISCUSSION ON ABOUT A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO THAT, UM, WE WERE WAITING TO SEE WHAT THE, UH, OUTCOME WAS FOR THAT.
THE NEXT ITEM WAS THE RDC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR POSITION.
UH, AFTER WE, UH, THE, UH, BOARD OF ALDERMAN, UH, APPROVED THE BUDGET, UH, TO BALANCE OUT THE BUDGET, THERE WERE, UH, CERTAIN POSITIONS THAT HAD TO BE ELIMINATED FROM OUR BUDGET THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR.
UH, AND THE CONSIDERATION WAS, UH, POSITIONS THAT WERE, UM, ACTUALLY VACANT AT THE TIME.
THE REDEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WAS ONE OF THOSE POSITIONS.
SO THAT POSITION WILL NOT BE FUNDED IN THIS UPCOMING BUDGET.
SO IT COULD POTENTIALLY GET RECONSIDERED, UM, AFTER NEXT YEAR, AFTER NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW, THERE'S NO FUNDING AND, AND NO, UM, CONSIDERATION TO FUND THAT FOR THE CITY WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR.
SO IS THAT RESPONSIBILITY OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR GONNA BE YOUR RESPONSIBILITY? I'LL BE DOING THE, UH, THE STAFF COORDINATION RIGHT NOW.
AND, UM, THE, ALSO THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CONSIDERATION FOR HAVING A, UH, STAFF MEMBER FROM, UH, DEVELOPING SERVICES TO ASSIST WITH SOME OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE, UH, REQUIREMENTS.
AND SO I REMEMBER FOSTER MENTIONING THAT IN THE MEETING.
UH, AND SO HAVE YOU GUYS IDENTIFIED WHO THAT PERSON WOULD BE? UH, CURRENTLY THE, UM, THE PERSON THAT WILL BE ASSISTING WITH IT WOULD BE THE, UH, PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CDPG FUNDING.
IS THAT DEJA DEJA FILLMORE? CORRECT.
AND SO, UH, AND I SAY THAT AHEAD OF THE FACT THAT SHE, UH, THE POSITION HASN'T BEEN ACCEPTED BY HER YET.
SO THAT WAS THE SUGGESTION FOR WHO THEY WOULD BE SUGGESTING FOR THE POSITION.
NOW, JUST WHO WOULD BE UP TO HER, UM, GOING FORWARD, IF THAT THAT'S, UM, ACCEPTED, IF SHE DECLINES THAT POSITION, UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE WAS SOME INSTRUCTION GIVEN BY THE CITY MANAGER,
[02:10:01]
THAT THERE WOULD BE STAFF THAT WOULD BE APPOINTED TO ASSIST US AND ASSIST WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT.WHO WOULD BE NEXT IN LINE FOR THAT? I, WE, THEY, WE'VE NOT GONE DOWN NEXT ROAD YET.
AT WHAT POINT DO YOU EXPECT FOR HER TO BE ABLE TO ACCEPT THAT POSITION OR NOT? UH, THERE'S STILL DISCUSSION.
I MEAN, AS OF RIGHT NOW, THIS, THE BUDGET WAS JUST APPROVED, UH, YESTERDAY.
SO, UM, THE DISCUSSION IS JUST NOW REALLY BEGINNING BEYOND, SO BEYOND THAT, THERE'S NO SPECULATION AS TO WHERE WE'D GO IF, IF, IF, UH, IF THE POSITION'S NOT ACCEPTED.
I THINK FOSTER MENTIONED THAT WHEN HE, WHEN THE BUD BUDGET WAS PRESENTED, I THINK ABOUT A MONTH AGO, HE MENTIONED THAT I WAS AT A MEETING.
AND SO THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY I QUESTION.
I GUESS I JUST SAY WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING THAT IT IS NOT AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR POSITION, AND I'VE HEARD THE REFERENCE TO THAT A COUPLE TIMES TONIGHT.
IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THAT'S SOME, SOME, A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY AMONGST THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT YOU, YOU CURRENTLY HAVE.
UH, AND I JUST HOPE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO GET THE ATTENTION THAT WE NEED, UH, AND THE LEADERSHIP AND THE DIRECTION THAT WE NEED.
UM, AS THAT POSITION IS NOW VACATED, IF WE, IF WE CAN, UH, MOVE FORWARD TO THE, THE NEXT ITEM ON, I MEAN, UH, ITEMS ON NUMBER FIVE UNDER THAT IS THE, UH, THE REQUEST FOR THE, UH, BOARD VOLUME REGARDING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES THAT, UH, I PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED THE DATE DURING THAT, THAT COURSE OF, UH, DURING, DURING THOSE DISCUSSIONS, I THINK AT THAT POINT IN TIME WOULD BE DISCUSS DISCUSSING, UM, HOW WE WOULD BE MOVING FORWARD AND WHETHER THE OPTIONS OR OPPORTUNITIES WE MAY HAVE FOR MORE, UM, SKILLED OR SPECIALIZED, UH, ASSISTANCE.
IF, IF THAT BECOMES ONE OF THE, THE ITEMS, UH, WANT TO BE, IT NEED TO BE DISCUSSED.
AND THE OTHER THING, UH, MYSELF AND A COUPLE OF THE ALDERMAN HAD HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE SOME DISCUSSIONS ABOUT, UH, MANUFACTURE HOMES AND, UM, WHAT INTERESTS THE BOARD WOULD HAVE IN PURSUING, UH, SOME OPTIONS FOR, FOR THOSE.
UM, SOME OF THE VACANT LOTS THAT WE HAVE.
UM, I WOULD ASK YOU ALL, IF YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO AND, UH, DOWN EAST HOMES OR MANUFACTURING HOMES, UM, HAVE, HAVE SOME, UM, MODEL HOMES, DO YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO LOOK AT AND YOU CAN SEE THE QUALITY OF WHAT, UM, WE WILL BE, UH, ASKING YOU ALL TO CONSIDER.
AND IF THAT IS AN, UH, UH, A DIRECTION THAT THE BOARD WANTS TO GO, UH, THERE WOULD BE, UH, A REQUIREMENT TO GET A TEXT AMENDMENT THAT CURRENTLY DOES NOT ALLOW MANUFAC FRANKLIN HOLMES IN THE, UM, RDC OVERLAY HISTORY.
AND I'M WILLING TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU ALL HAVE, MR. MR. WILLIAMS. I WILL HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, BUT IT'S SO LATE, MAN.
I'M NOT GOING TO ASK YOU NO QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW.
I'LL CALL YOU LATER ON THE MEETING.
UH, WHAT ABOUT THE, UH, GOALS AND OBJECTIONS? THAT, THAT IS GONNA BE, UH, THE MEETING THAT I INDICATED EARLIER THAT THE BOARD OF HONOR WERE REQUESTING TO MEET WITH SOME OF THE COMMISSIONERS IN ORDER TO HAVE SOME DISCUSSIONS AS FAR AS THE WAY FORWARD.
UH, AGAIN, THE DATE THAT WAS REQUESTED WAS JUNE THE NINTH AT 4:00 PM TO ASCERTAIN WHO HAS INTEREST AND AVAILABILITY TO BE AT THAT, UM, AT THAT PARTICULAR MEETING.
AND, UM, I WOULD GET THAT INFORMATION BACK TO THEM AND THEN WE COULD TRY TO COORDINATE IT.
UH, YOU, YOU MENTIONED MODULE HOMES, MANUFACTURER, MANUFACTURER HOMES.
WHAT IS THE CURRENT ZONING ON THAT? THE ZONING IN THE, IN THE LAND, ISN'T IT? SOME, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU SAID THERE'S SOME RULES AND REGULATIONS AGAINST NOT HAVING THAT CURRENTLY.
THE, THE CURRENT ZONING FOR THE AREA ACTUALLY ACCOMMODATE THAT IN THE LAND USE ORDINANCE.
HOWEVER, THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION UPON ITS ACCEPTANCE IN 2018 ESTABLISHED AN OVERLAY RESTRICTED HAVING THOSE IN, IN THE, UH, IN THE REDEVELOPMENT FOOTPRINT AND CHANGE THAT TEXAS.
SO THAT, THAT CONVERSATION, WOULD YOU, THAT'S A CONVERSATION TO HAVE WITH THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN.
ARE YOU JUST KIND OF THROWING THAT OUT AS AN IDEAL OR A CONVERSATION STARTER OR MR. WILLIAMS? GIVE ME ONE SECOND.
MS. I, UM, I NEED TO MAKE A MOTION TO MAKE, UH, ROBBIE MORGAN, UH, UH, VICE CHAIR, UH, TO GATHER THIS MEETING TILL I HAVE GOT TO GO.
IS THAT OKAY? I MAKE A MOTION, UH, FOR ROBBIE TO, UH, UH, TO BE ACTING ACTING
[02:15:01]
CHAIR, THE ACT, THE CHAIR TO CLOSE OUT THE MEETING.OPPOSED? UH, YOU HAVE THE, I GOTTA GO.
UM, SO I JUST ASK AT THIS TIME THAT YOU ALL CONSIDER THAT DATE AND, AND TIME AND, UH, YOU ALL CAN OBVIOUSLY, OKAY.
UH, SO Y'ALL MAKE CONSIDERATION FOR THAT DATE AND TIME AND, AND I'LL BE ABLE TO PRESENT THAT TO THE BOARD OF HONOR AND OR FOR YOU ALSO ABILITY TO, TO BE PRESENT AT THAT, UH, REQUESTED, UH, GATHERING.
YOU ASKING, CORRECT? YEAH, I, SO FAR I WILL BE ABLE TO, AT THIS MOMENT I CAN SAY YES, I CAN BE THERE TO, TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR ME.
IF YOU ALL DON'T MIND, JUST IF YOU COULD SEND ANY, I I'LL SEND OUT AN EMAIL REQUESTING YOU ALL AVAILABILITY AND PLEASE JUST LEMME KNOW WITH THAT.
THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I HAVE ON MY REPORT, UH, BUT OPEN FOR ANY OF YOU ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
[11. Next Meeting: June 10, 2026 ]
THE NEXT MEETING IS GIVEN TO JUNE 10TH AT, UM, SAME TIME, 6:00 PM WE CURRENTLY DO NOT NEED A CLOSED SESSION.WELL, IN THAT CASE WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
I SECOND THAT, BUT WE NEED A MOTION FIRST.
I THINK MR. DOVE IS MAKING THE MOTION YOU MADE IT.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE, UH, ADJOURN THE MEETING TONIGHT.
THE MOTION HAS BEEN MADE AND HAS BEEN PROPERLY SECONDED BY VICTOR DOVE MEETING.