* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:03] GOOD EVENING EVERYONE, [1. Meeting opened by Mayor Jeffrey T. Odham. Prayer by Alderman Ferguson. Pledge of Allegiance.] AND WELCOME TO THE JULY 14TH, 2026 NEW ROOM BOARD OF ALDERMAN MEETING. PRAYER TONIGHT WILL BE GIVEN BY ALDERMAN FERGUSON. BOW YOUR HEADS WITH ME. GRACIOUS AND HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY. WE THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO COME TOGETHER AND DO THE CITY'S WORK AND THE CITY'S BUSINESS. LORD, WE ASK THAT YOU GUIDE US TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS TO KEEP NEW BERN A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE. WE ASK ALL OF THIS IN YOUR NAME, AMEN. AMEN. AND IF YOU'RE ABLE TO STAND, PLEASE DO SO. THE PGI FLAG, FLAG OF OUR COUNTRY. I PLEDGE TO FLAG THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. MADAM CLERK, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE CALL THE ROLL ALDERMAN FERGUSON. HERE, ALDERMAN. BEST PRESENT. ALDERMAN BRYANT. HERE. ALDERMAN ASTOR. HERE. MAYOR ODOM. HERE. ALDERMAN WHITE. HERE. ALDERMAN OUTLAW HERE. ALRIGHT. ITEM ITEM NUMBER THREE [3. Approve Agenda.] IS ON THE AGENDA. THAT IS THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA. ARE THERE ANY CHANGES? WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD? MR. MAYOR? I MOVE TO ACCEPT THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED. JUST A MINUTE. DO WE NEED TO REMOVE ONE? I I'LL BE BRINGING THAT UP. YOU DON'T HAVE TO. OKAY. I'LL TALK ABOUT IT FOR JUST A SECOND. SECOND. MOTION. A MOTION A SECOND. IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. NEXT IS REQUESTING PETITION OF [4. Request and Petition of Citizens — Agenda Topics.] CITIZENS FOR AGENDA TOPICS. MADAM CLERK. THANK YOU DAVID FRENCH. UM, ACTUALLY THIS IS NOT AN AGENDA TOPIC ITEM, SO YOU CAN WAIT TILL THE END OF THE MEETING, SIR. DO REMAIN TO HAVE A MEETING. RECALL. IT'S, IT'S NOT AN AGENDA TOPIC ITEM. YOU CAN WAIT TILL THE END OF THE MEETING TO HAVE YOUR VOICE HEARD. NEXT IS RON SAGE. HELLO AND GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS RON SAGE. I LIVE AT 2 2 6 SARATOGA LANE NEWBURN IN WARD FOUR, LANEY . UM, MY TOPIC TONIGHT WAS GONNA BE ON THE DRAINAGE PROJECTS, WHICH YOU GUYS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE VOTING ON. I WAS ALL BENT ON COMING IN AND GONNA GO ASK FOR SOME BRIDGES AND MOVING THEM AND, AND WHAT IT IS WE'RE GONNA DO. AND THEN I GOT IN CONTACT WITH GEORGE AND GEORGE STRAIGHTENED ME OUT. WE'RE, WE'RE KEEPING THE BRIDGES. SO BASICALLY REALLY ALL I'M GONNA DO IS, IS JUST TAKE YOU THROUGH, UM, WHERE KIND OF THE BRIDGE. CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? I'M MOVING AWAY FROM THE MICROPHONE. OKAY, YOU'RE GOOD. UM, WHERE KIND OF THE BRIDGES ARE LOCATED AT, UH, IN THE AREA? I DON'T KNOW. WHEN GEORGE GETS TO HIS PRESENTATION, IT MAY LOOK A LITTLE CLOSER. UM, SO FOWLER LANE IS, IS ONE OF 'EM. AT THE END OF BLOOMFIELD IS K STREET. AND YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A BRIDGE THERE AS WELL. UM, RIGHT OVER THE PONDS, REALLY, THERE'S THREE OF 'EM. AND THOSE ARE THE BRIDGES THAT I WAS GOING TO ASK ABOUT. AND THEN GEORGE CHENEY STRAIT SAID, WE JUST SPENT MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, UH, COUPLE YEARS AGO ON, ON THE PRIORITY OR PROJECT ONE. WHY ARE WE BE TAKING 'EM OUT JUST TO CLEAN OUT THE DITCHES UNDERNEATH? NO, THEY'RE STAYING. SO KIND OF THERE GOES MY EMPHASIS . SO, UM, MOVING ON. THIS IS, THIS IS ANOTHER ONE. UM, IT'S NOT A BIG TOPIC TO ME, HOWEVER, UM, MAYBE AT A LATER DATE, I'LL, I'LL BRING IT BACK UP. THE BROWN THAT YOU SEE HERE IS, IS WHAT I CONSIDER FROM MY PACIFIC NORTHWEST LIFE IS BARK DUST. IT'S NOT THE, THE GRAY CEMENT THAT IS AROUND THE OTHER, UM, WALKING PATHS. AND IT COMES UP AND AS YOU CAN SEE IT, IT GOES DIFFERENT PLACES. UM, SO WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT BECAUSE ONE OF MY PICTURES ACTUALLY DEALS WITH THAT. SO THIS IS, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHEN I SAY THE BRIDGES AND BRIDGES OVER THE PONDS AND WHATNOT. THIS WAS TAKEN AT ABOUT 1230 YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, JUST AFTER WE HAD THE BIG HEAVY RAIN. SO YOU CAN SEE IN SOME OF THE PICTURES, THE, THE GROUND IS ACTUALLY STILL WET, BUT THIS IS PART OF THE DRAINAGE DITCHES THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE DEALING WITH AND, AND BEING TALKED ABOUT BY, BY GEORGE AND WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE TODAY. AND HERE'S ANOTHER VIEW. YOU CAN SEE THE BRIDGE IN THE UPPER LEFT HAND CORNER. UM, AND HERE'S ANOTHER PORTION OF THE, UM, PROJECT. AND, AND YOU CAN SEE, UM, THE, THE WATER AT THE BOTTOM. YOU CAN SEE THE WATER AT THE TOP. YOU CAN SEE THAT WHAT LOOKS LIKE MARSHY PLANT. UM, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, TALKING WITH GEORGE, THAT'S KIND OF THE STUFF [00:05:01] THAT'S GONNA BE REMOVED. UM, IF MY CONVERSATION WAS CORRECT, , NO. OKAY. UM, WELL, THAT'S WHAT I GOT. . UM, AND, AND HERE'S, HERE'S THE, THE BARK DUST LEADING UP TO ONE OF THE BRIDGES. AND HERE'S WHAT THE BRIDGES LOOK LIKE, UH, OFF OF K STREET IN THE BACK. AND, AND THIS IS BLOOMFIELD AS, AS IT AS IT COMES UP. NICE BOLLARDS, NICE CONCRETE. SO HOW COME THE, THE BARK DUST SITE DOESN'T HAVE IT, WHICH IS FINE. AND HERE'S THE BARK DUST SIDING. AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS IS WHY I WAS BRINGING UP THE BARK DUST. UM, IN THE UPPER MIDDLE PORTION OF, OF THIS PICTURE IS ACTUALLY A POTHOLE THAT'S ABOUT, YEAH, BIG ROUND THAT YOU CAN SEE DOWN AT ABOUT SIX INCHES. AND THEN THE RAIN THAT'S ERODED, THE, THE SIDES AND, AND WHATNOT. SO AGAIN, THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING WHY DOES THIS NOT TURN INTO, INTO BARK DUST. SO NINE SLIDES JUST WANTED TO BASICALLY CONGRATULATE THE BOARD IN, IN GEORGE IN WHAT IT IS HE'S GONNA DO. 'CAUSE MY TOPIC TURNED OUT TOTALLY DIFFERENT. . THANK YOU ALL HONOR. THANK YOU MR. SAGE. OKAY, [Consent Agenda] BOARD. NEXT IS THE CONSENT AGENDA. WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD ON ITEMS FIVE THROUGH 15? THANK MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION A SECOND. IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE? LETS HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN FERGUSON. ALDERMAN FERGUSON. YES. ALDERMAN BRYANT. YES. ALDERMAN NASTER. YES. ALDERMAN WHITE. YES. ALDERMAN VEST? YES. ALDERMAN OUTLAW. YES. MAYOR ODOM. YES. MOTION CARRIES. NEXT IS ITEM NUMBER 16, PRESENTATION [16. Presentation from MetroNet on Downtown Installation Schedule.] FROM METRONET ON DOWNTOWN INSTALLATION SCHEDULE. MR. HOUSTON. SO METRONET REACHED OUT TO US EARLIER TODAY AND, AND TOLD US THAT THEY WEREN'T PREPARED, UH, TO, TO COME TO THE BOARD MEETING TONIGHT TO GIVE AN UPDATE. BUT, UM, THEY PLAN ON COMING BACK IN AUGUST TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON WHERE THINGS STAND WITH DOWNTOWN INSTALLATION. SO WE WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT. OKAY. UH, NEXT [17. Conduct a Public Hearing and Consider Adopting an Ordinance Closing Portions of Biddle Street, F Street, Fowlers Lane and K Street.] UP IS ITEM NUMBER 17. CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDER ADOPTING AN ORDINANCE CLOSING PORTIONS OF BIDDLE STREET, F STREET, FOWLERS LANE IN K STREET. MR. CHILES. GOOD EVENING BOARD MAYOR. GOOD EVENING. UM, THIS IS, UM, A CONSIDERATION FOR THE CLOSING OF A PORTION OF BILL STREET, F STREET, FOWLERS LANE AND K STREET. THIS HAS GOT TO WHERE WE HAVE CULMINATED WITH THE COMPLETION OF DUFFY FIELD STORMWATER ENHANCEMENT, PHASE ONE AND TWO AND THREE. THE PROJECTS WERE IDENTIFIED ORIGINALLY AFTER HURRICANE FLORENCE. THEY WERE INCLUDED WITH THE 2002 HAZARD MITIGATION PLANNING, WHICH ALSO RANKED THE PROPOSED PROJECTS THAT THE, THE PUBLIC HAD PUT INPUT INTO. AND THEY USED A SEVEN POINT CRITERIA FOR THAT. AND THE NUMBER ONE RANKED ITEM WAS DUFFY FIELD STORMWATER. SO THIS IS AN IMPLEMENTATION TO FOLLOW THAT PLAN IN. AND DURING THAT HAZARD MITIGATION PLANNING, WHEN THEY WERE WORKING ON THE FINAL DRAFTS, THEY HAD THREE PUBLIC MEETINGS, ONE IN SEPTEMBER OF 2021 IN FEBRUARY OF 2021, AND ONE IN JULY OF 2021. IN ADDITION TO THE PUBLIC SURVEYS FOR THAT PLAN, THEY ALSO HAD ONLINE SURVEYS YOU COULD FILL OUT. SO WHEN THEY WENT THROUGH THIS PLAN, HOW, AND THAT'S WHAT LED US INTO THIS PROJECT. THE PHASE ONE INCLUDED THE BIDDLE STREET BASIN EXPANSION, THE INSTALLATION OF LARGER PUMPS, LARGER LIFT STATION, BACKUP GENERATION POWER. THE CONSTRUCTION ALSO INCLUDED, SET OVER 1700 F LINEAR FEET OF STORMWATER FORCE MAIN, WHICH DISCHARGES TO THE HEADWATERS OF JACK SMITH CREEK. PHASE TWO, WHICH IS WHAT HAS IMPACTED THESE STREETS, WAS THE CONSTRUCTION OF EIGHT AND A HALF ACRES OF MANMADE WETLANDS AND STORM RIVER RETENTION AREAS. AND YOU'VE GOTTA REALIZE THAT THIS SERVICES 50 ACRE DRAINAGE BASIN THAT HAD NO OUTLET. SO WHEN YOU HAD RAIN AND A ACCUMULATION OF RAIN, THE WATER SAT UNTIL IT SOAKED INTO THE GROUND AND EVAPORATED AFTER FLORENCE. THERE WAS GREAT EFFORT WITH, UM, I'M SURE A LOT OF POLITICAL PUSH TO ALLOW FOR US TO PUMP IT ACROSS THE TRACKS TO GET THE WATER OUT. AND SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE NEEDS THAT WAS IDENTIFIED AND THAT'S WHAT'S BEEN CREATED HERE. THE CONSTRUCTION ALSO INCLUDED IN PHASE TWO AND THREE, SOME PEDESTRIAN WALKWAYS AND BOARDWALKS. SO YOU'VE GOT, [00:10:01] UM, THREE OF THOSE THAT MR. SAGE HAD MENTIONED. THESE ARE CONCRETE PERMEATE DECK STRUCTURES. THEY WERE INCLUDED IN THE FUNDING AND THE GRANT FUNDING APPARATUS FOR THIS. AND THEY WILL REMAIN IN PLACE. THERE'S BEEN SOME CONCERN THAT THESE ARE COMING OUT. NO, JUST THE, THE VEHICLE DRIVING PORTION OF, OF THE STREET WAS WHAT WAS REMOVED. ADDITIONAL PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT THROUGHOUT THE TIME PERIOD THAT WE HAVE FOUND, UM, THAT WAS RELATED TO THIS. AND THIS STATES BACK, YOU KNOW, POST FLORENCE, UM, THERE WAS A DUFFY FIELD STORMWATER ENHANCEMENT PRESENTATION MADE BY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES PRIOR TO THE GRANT FUNDING. AND THAT WAS IN JANUARY OF 2020. AND THAT INCLUDED THE GENERAL SCHEMATICS OF THE INTENDED FUNCTION OF THAT. AND IT INCLUDED REMOVAL OF THE STREETS AS WELL AS DID THE HAZARD MITIGATION PUBLIC MEETINGS. THERE WAS A MEETING HELD IN 2021 RELATED TO THE GRANT FUNDING MECHANISM FOR PHASE TWO AND THREE. AND THAT WAS HOSTED BY THE CITY OF NEW BERN AND THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION. AND THAT WAS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. AND THAT OCCURRED ON NOVEMBER 17TH, 2021. THE MEETINGS ALSO INCLUDED QR CODES AND ONLINE SURVEYS FOR THE PUBLIC DESCEND. AND SHOULD THEY NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND THOSE MEETINGS, A SECONDARY MEETING WAS HELD. ALSO, UM, RELATED TO THE GRANT MECHANISM ON MAY 31ST, 2021, IT WAS A PUBLIC MEETING. IT WAS HELD AT FIRST MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH ON CYPRESS STREET, AND THAT WAS ALSO OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. AND THESE ALSO INCLUDED THE SCHEMATICS, THE INTENDED FUNCTION AND ACCESS TO ONLINE SURVEYS. SHOULD, SHOULD SOMEONE CHOOSE TO OPT FOR THAT, UH, INPUT. IN ADDITION TO THAT, PUBLIC WORKS PRESENTED A STORMWATER PROGRESS REPORT ON NOVEMBER 14TH, 2023 TO THE BOARD. THIS INCLUDED THE DUFFY FIELD STORMWATER PROJECT PHASES ONE THROUGH THREE AND AN UPDATE STATUS ON THAT. ON THIS PROJECT IN AUGUST OF 2027, THE CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING, UM, TASK ORDER WAS BROUGHT BEFORE THIS BOARD FOR PRESENTATION AND APPROVAL. IT ALSO ON NOVEMBER 26TH, THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS ON NOVEMBER 26TH, 2024 WERE BROUGHT BEFORE THE BOARD JANUARY 24TH, 2025. I ATTENDED THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION WORK SESSION AND THE DUFFY FIELD STORMWATER ENHANCEMENT PHASE TWO AND THREE WERE INCLUDED IN THAT PRESENTATION. SO WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE JUST FROM THESE LARGER OUTREACH EFFORTS, WE'VE INTENDED TO REACH AS MANY PEOPLE AND PROVIDE AS MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR INPUT AND THE INPUT MUST HAVE BEEN RECEIVED BECAUSE THE PUBLIC HAD REQUESTED THE NUMBER ONE ITEM FOR THE HAZARD MITIGATION PLANNING TO BE THIS PROJECT. AND THAT WAS THE, THE 2020 WHEN THEY STARTED THIS. AND SO WHAT, WHAT WE'VE DONE, AND YOU CAN TELL FROM THE, FROM THE GRAPHIC, THESE ARE THE PORTIONS OF THE STREETS THAT WERE REMOVED TO ACCOMMODATE A FREE FLOWING WETLAND, ULTIMATELY LEADING TO THE BIDDLE STREET POND, WHICH WAS EXPANDED IN PHASE ONE AND TWO. IN PHASE ONE. AND AS THIS IS ONLY EIGHT AND A HALF ACRES, IT SERVES A 50 ACRE AREA. SO THERE, THERE, JUST BECAUSE IT'S BUILT RIGHT HERE, THERE'S AREAS OUTSIDE OF IT THAT DRAIN TO IT. THIS ALSO GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY NOW THAT WE HAVE AN OUTFALL SYSTEM, WE CAN CONNECT, WE CAN BRANCH OUT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER IN FUTURE PROJECTS TO ALLOW FOR SOME ADDITIONAL DRAINAGE WHERE THERE JUST ISN'T ANY. YOU'VE GOT LOW, LOW ELEVATIONS, UM, YOU'VE GOT ELEVATIONS SURROUNDING IT AND ARE HIGHER, WHICH MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO GET ANY WATER OUT UNLESS WE MECHANICALLY PUMP IT. AND SO WHAT WE'RE REQUESTING TONIGHT IS THIS IS THE CULMINATION OF THOSE THREE PROJECTS WHERE THE PORTIONS OF THESE STREETS HAVE BEEN CLOSED TO ACCOMMODATE THE WETLAND CONSTRUCTION. NONE OF THE PORTIONS OF STREET THAT ARE REQUESTED FOR CLOSURE ABUT ANY PRIVATE PROPERTY THAT HAS LOST ACCESS TO A PUBLICLY MAINTAINED STREET. EVERY PRIVATE PARCEL STILL HAS ACCESS TO A PUBLICLY MADE MAINTAINED CITY STREET. SO WE ARE REQUESTING THE CONSIDERATION OF THE CLOSURE OF THESE PORTIONS OF THE ROAD. MR. BOARD HAVE QUESTIONS? [00:15:01] YES, UH, I DO. UM, GEORGE, UM, MR. SAGE GOT ME CURIOUS, NOW WHY IS THE AREA WITH THE BAR DUST , IS THAT GONNA BE, THERE'S THERE'S ONE PORTION THAT'S A MAINTENANCE PATH WHERE WE DID NOT WANT TO INTRODUCE A IMPERVIOUS SURFACE INTO A NEWLY CONSTRUCTED WETLAND FEATURE. YOU KNOW, WE, WE DIDN'T WANT TO PUT MORE HARDENED STRUCTURES IN THERE SO THAT, THAT'S A MAINTENANCE AREA FOR US TO GO DOWN AND MAINTAIN THE BACKSIDE. IT ABUTS THE BACKSIDE OF SOME PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL LOTS. AND SO THIS IS THE LEAST IMPACTFUL WE CAN DO, UM, WHILE ABUTTING THOSE TO STILL GIVE US ACCESS. AND, AND HE DID MENTION THE PLANTINGS. THERE ARE OVER 29,000 INDIVIDUAL PLANTS IN THIS WETLAND SYSTEM. SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT NOW, WE'RE, WE'RE STILL AT A VERY NEW GROWTH TIME PERIOD. WE'VE GONE THROUGH A DROUGHT PERIOD, IT'S GONNA TAKE TWO TO FIVE YEARS BEFORE THEY GET TO FULL MATURITY. THERE ARE SOME LARGER MATURE, UM, TREE PLANTINGS THAT WERE DONE. WE HAD ADJUSTED WHERE WE COULD THE ACTUAL DRAIN, MAIN DRAIN FEATURE OF THE WETLANDS TO NOT IMPACT EXISTING LARGE GROWTH TREES THAT WERE ALREADY THERE. WE HAD LARGE CYPRESSES THERE, THERE'S SOME OTHER LARGE OAKS IN THERE THAT WE TRIED TO AVOID. SO WE KIND OF MEANDERED SOME OF THE STREAM WHERE WE COULD TO, TO AVOID THOSE AREAS. THANK YOU SIR. YES, MA'AM. UH, AND MY NEXT QUESTION IS, I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE YOUR DEPARTMENT AND WHATEVER, BUT WITH THESE, UH, FORECLOSURES HERE, THIS IS NOT GONNA BE A PROBLEM. CREATE A PROBLEM FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLES IF HAVE TO GET INTO THIS AREA TO SOME OF THESE RESIDENTIAL CITIZENS? NO MA'AM. OKAY. THERE, THERE'S STILL ACCESS FROM ALL THE, ALL THE MAIN COLLECTOR STREETS. OKAY. ALRIGHT. UM, THANK YOU SIR. YES MA'AM. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? GEORGE? I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR YOU. JUST TO BE CLEAR. THE BLOOMFIELD STREET AND K STREET WILL BE CLOSED. IT WILL NOT, THAT BRIDGE WILL NOT BE REMOVED. NO, MA'AM. THAT, THAT BRIDGE WAS FUNDED THROUGH THE DWI THROUGH THE DIVISION OF WATER INFRASTRUCTURE AS PART OF THE PROJECT. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. AND GEORGE, IF THERE WAS A, ANY, ANY, TO YOUR UNDERSTANDING, IF THERE WAS ANY KIND OF DESIRE TO REMOVE A BRIDGE EXPANDED FOR VEHICLE VEHICULAR TRAFFIC, AGAIN THAT WOULD RISK RE US HAVING TO REPAY PART OF THE GRANT FOR THIS STORMWATER PROJECT. CORRECT? THAT, THAT WAS THROUGH A FEDERAL MECHANISM FOR GRANT FUNDING FOR THIS? YES. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH, THERE, THERE WAS JUST ONE STATEMENT I WANNA MAKE. UM, I SAW AND I DON'T, I SAW THAT THE AGENDA ITEM WAS SAID, UM, WARD TWO, BUT THAT'S ACTUALLY WARD FIVE. THAT, THAT WAS MY MISTAKE IT ISSUED. OKAY, NO PROBLEM. I JUST WANT, THAT'S FIVE. OKAY. IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, I WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR ANYONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS TOPIC. PLEASE COME FORWARD AT THIS TIME. UH, GOOD EVENING. GIVE AN HONOR TO GOD. UH, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE ALL THAT'S ALREADY CLOSED ALREADY. ARE YOU PLANNING ON DOING SOME MORE CLOSURES BECAUSE YOU ALREADY GOT ALL THE WAY DOWN K STREET THAT'S ALREADY CLOSED, THAT'S ALREADY BLOCKED OFF THAT NOBODY CAN COME UP THAT WAY AND SEE DOWN FOUL LANE. YOU COME DOWN THERE AND YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GO TO THE BACK STREET AND STUFF. BUT YOU ALL NOT PLANNING ON CLOSING THAT PART UP, ARE YOU? NO, THERE'LL BE NO ADDITIONAL ION OH, NO MORE ELSE. EVERYTHING CLOSING GONNA BE CLOSED. OKAY. ALRIGHT. JUST WANTED MAKE SURE. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. ANYONE ELSE? MAY YOU ALL LIKE MAKE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING SECOND, HAVE A MOTION A SECOND TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION HEARING? YES. YES, MA'AM. UM, I JUST WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW, ESPECIALLY THE RESIDENTS THAT LIVE WITHIN THE, UM, THE PROJECT AREA FOR THE STORMWATER D FIELD STORMWATER PROJECT. THIS IS, THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN GOING ON, AS GEORGE STATED, SINCE 2020, WE HAD A VERY LARGE IMPACT THAT AFFECTED A LOT OF CITIZENS THAT LIVED OVER THERE IN THAT AREA. UM, AND THIS PROJECT CAME TO FRUITION AND IT'S, UH, AS, AS WE WERE TOLD AT A PREVIOUS BOARD MEETING BY MR. CHARLES AND MR. AVERY SMITH, THAT WITH THIS SYSTEM IN PLACE, THAT IT HAS ELIMINATE WATER FROM STANDING IN PEOPLE'S YARDS WHEN, WHEN THEY HAVE HEAVY RAINS. SO WE CAN IMAGINE WHEN, HOW IT'S GOING TO ACCOMMODATE THE CITIZENS WHEN WE DO HAVE STORMS. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, UM, GEORGE, TO YOU AND YOUR STAFF AND TO ALL STAFF THAT'S INVOLVED WITH THIS PROJECT. 'CAUSE IT WAS, IT'S A DIRE NEED. AND, AND, AND I KNOW SOME OF THE CITIZENS, MAJORITY OF THE CITIZENS HAVE REACHED OUT AND THEY APPRECIATE IT. LET'S IT, SIR. OKAY. IF THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, [00:20:01] UH, THE MOTION ON THE TABLE IS CLOSED. PUBLIC HEARING. UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. WHAT IS THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD ON ITEM NUMBER 17? MAY I MAKE A MOTION TO, UH, ADOPT AN ORDINANCE CLOSING PORTIONS OF BID STREET, F STREET FOWLERS LANE IN K STREET. SECOND. I HAVE A MOTION. AND SECOND, IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE? LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN BRYANT. ALDERMAN BRYANT? YES. ALDERMAN ASTOR. YES. ALDERMAN WHITE. YES. ALDERMAN DESK? YES. ALDERMAN OUTLAW. YES. ALDERMAN FERGUSON. YES. MAYOR ODOM. YES. MOTION CARRIES. NEXT IS ITEM NUMBER 18. [18. Consider Adopting a Resolution Approving a Sewer Use Agreement for Tax Parcel ID 2-036-8004 on Galloway Road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onsider Adopting an Ordinance Amending Section 2- 132 to Reduce Number of Members on the Redevelopment Commission.] NUMBER 19. CONSIDER ADOPTING AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION TWO DASH 1 3 2 TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS ON THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION. MR. WILLIAMS? UH, YES, SIR. ON JUNE 9TH, UH, WE HAD A SPECIAL JOINT MEETING BETWEEN THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION AND THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN TWO. AND ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE DISCUSSED WAS A NUMBER OF VACANCIES AND THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAD TO ACHIEVE A, A QUORUM DURING OUR MEETINGS. AND DURING THAT, UH, MEETING, UH, THE CONSENSUS WAS TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF MEET OUR MEMBERS DOWN FROM NINE TO SEVEN SO THAT WE COULD ACCOMPLISH A QUORUM AND, AND DO THE BUSINESS, UM, UH, MORE EFFECTIVELY. BOARD HAVE QUESTIONS? IF NOT, I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION ON ITEM NUMBER 19. MR. MAYOR, I MOVE TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION TWO DASH 1 32 TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS ON THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION AS PRESENTED. SECOND. I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND. IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN WHITE. ALDERMAN WHITE. YES. ALDERMAN BEST? YES. ALDERMAN OUTLAW. YES. ALDERMAN FERGUSON. YES. ALDERMAN BRYANT. YES. ALDERMAN ASTOR. YES. MAYOR ODOM. YES. MOTION CARRIES. NEXT IS ITEM [20. Consider Adopting an Ordinance to Amend the Multi-Year Grants Fund.] NUMBER 20. CONSIDERED ADOPTING AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE MULTI-YEAR GRANTS FUND MS. OSTROM. GOOD EVENING. THIS AMENDMENT RECOGNIZES THE $10,000 PASS THROUGH [00:25:01] GRANT FROM THE ELECTRIC CITY DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION GRANT PROGRAM. TO PREPARE THE FUNDING WILL BE USED FOR A DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN BOARD. HAVE QUESTIONS MAKE A MOTION THAT WE CONSIDER ADOPTING AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE MULTI-YEAR GRANTS FUND. SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND. IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN BEST. ALDERMAN BEST, YES. ALDERMAN OUTLAW. YES. ALDERMAN FERGUSON. YES. ALDERMAN BRYANT? YES. ALDERMAN ASTER. YES. ALDERMAN WHITE. YES. MAYOR O. YES. MOTION CARRIES. NEXT IS ITEM NUMBER 21. [21. Consider Adopting a Budget Ordinance Amendment for FY2027.] CONSIDER ADOPTING A BUDGET ORDINANCE AMENDMENT FOR FY 2027 MS. OSTROM. OKAY. THIS BUDGET AMENDMENT INCLUDES THE RECOMMENDED CHANGES BY THE AUDITOR TO ONE BUDGET, SALES, TAX, SALES AND USE TAX FOR BOOK REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES IN EACH FUND. AND TWO, TO RECORD THE AVALOR TAX REVENUE FOR NON-RELATED GEO BOND DEBT PAYMENTS. THIS WAS PREVIOUSLY BUDGETED IN THE GENERAL FUND DEBT SERVICE DIRECTLY, UM, BUT IT NOW IN IN THE ADOPT BUDGET. SO NOW WE'RE, UM, BUDGETING IT INTO THE GENERAL FUND AND THEN WE'LL DO A TRANSFER OVER. UM, THE GENERAL FUND IS ALSO AMENDED TO TRANSFER $25,977 FROM FUND BALANCE TO THE HURRICANE FLORENCE FUND FOR THE BALANCE DUE ON THE PURCHASE OF A FIRE TRUCK. ALSO FROM FUND BALANCE, $71,000 WILL BE APPROPRIATED FOR THE EQUIPMENT TO MOUNT ONTO THE NEW FIRE APPARATUS AND $2,450 TO COVER ADOBE, UM, SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR THE BOARD'S IPADS. DOES BOARD HAVE QUESTIONS? IT'S PLEASURE OF THE BOARD. ON ITEM NUMBER 21, MAKE A MOTION THAT WE CONSIDER ADOPTING THAT WE ADOPT A BUDGET ORDINANCE AMENDMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027. SECOND. SECOND. HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND. IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL STARTING WITH ALDERMAN OUTLAW. ALDERMAN OUTLAW. YES. ALDERMAN FERGUSON. YES. ALDERMAN BRYANT? YES. ALDERMAN ASTOR. YES. ALDERMAN WHITE? YES. ALDERMAN BEST? YES. MAYOR ODOM? YES. MOTION CARRIES. NEXT UP IS [22. Appointment( s).] ITEM NUMBER 22. APPOINTMENTS. UH, BOARD, UH, LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE ONE FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION. THAT IS THE ONE THAT IS STILL VACANT AFTER WE'VE MADE THE CHANGE TO MOVE IT TO SEVEN. YES. IS THERE IS, I DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WAS ANY OTHER ALDERMAN THAT HAVE, UH, ANYONE THAT THEY WANTED TO APPOINT TO THE RDC AS AS WELL. 'CAUSE I DO HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL ALSO. UH, AND I DON'T KNOW IF MS. IS THERE ANY OTHER, OTHER ONE THAT HAVE WANT TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT? I THINK WE SAID WE WERE GONNA DO IT BY A BALLOT LAST TIME. THERE WAS SINCE THERE WAS MORE THAN ONE. SO, BUT MAYOR, WE ALSO HAVE AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION. OKAY. UH, DO YOU HAVE SOMEONE YOU'D LIKE TO APPOINT FOR THAT? I WOULD LIKE TO REAPPOINT RICHARD PARSON. OKAY. THAT'S THE MOTION. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. HAVE A MOTION. A SECOND. IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION? HE'S BEING APPOINTED TO WHAT COM. HPC. HE'S REAPPOINTED. OKAY. HPC. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. UH, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MR. PARSONS IS REAPPOINTED. MR. MAYOR, I BELIEVE WE HAVE TWO FOR THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR REAPPOINTMENT. IF I'M LOOKING AT THIS CORRECTLY. UM, LESLIE ALLEN AND ASHLEY HOWELL. I WORKED WITH THEM ON THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT WHEN I WAS THERE AND THEY DO A REALLY NICE JOB. AND SO I WOULD MOVE TO REAPPOINT MS. ALLEN AND MS. HOWELL TO THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS. SECOND. MOTION. A SECOND. IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ALRIGHT. THEY'RE BOTH REAPPOINTED. ANYONE ELSE? UH, FOR APPOINTMENTS OTHER THAN THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION. OKAY. UM, MS. BLANCO, DO YOU HAVE BALLOTS THAT HAVE BEEN UPDATED WITH ALL OF THE APPLICANTS? I DO. OKAY. AND, UH, FOR THE RECORD I'M SHOWING THAT IS PETER FRY, LATASHA HARPER, ISHA HARRIS, PRECIOUS JOHNSON, DION KING, TANJA MIDDLETON, BARBARA SAMPSON, AND DESTINY WARD. IS THAT CORRECT? YES, SIR. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO THE, UH, MR. WILLIAMS WILL PASS THE BALLOTS OUT AND WE WILL MAKE OUR SELECTIONS. THANK YOU SIR. MAYOR. AND, AND THAT IS ONE, UH, YOU'RE VOTING FOR TWO PEOPLE. PEOPLE ON THIS ONE VOTE FOR EACH PERSON. ARE YOU DOING ONE OR TWO? THERE'S ONE OR SEATS. ONE SEAT. ONE SEAT, CORRECT? YES. IF THERE'S ONE SEAT, YES. THERE'S ONLY ONE. YEAH, ONE SEAT. THERE'S ONLY ONE SEAT OPEN. AND THEN, AND THEN IF THERE'S A TIE, YOU'LL JUST KEEP NARROWING THE FIELD UNTIL YOU HAVE A WINNER. YES, SIR. [00:30:16] AND WHILE THEY ARE TABULATING THOSE, UM, BOARD CAN LOOK AHEAD TO NEXT MONTH. UM, THERE ARE TWO SEATS THAT ARE EXPIRING ON THE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION. SEAT FOUR. VICTOR DOVE, SEAT FIVE. ROBBIE MORGAN. UM, ACCORDING TO THE CLERK'S PAPERWORK, THEY'RE BOTH ELIGIBLE FOR REAPPOINTMENT AND THEY'RE BOTH INTERESTED IN REAPPOINTMENT. UH, SO WE WILL TAKE THAT UP AT OUR NEXT MEETING NEXT MONTH. COLLEEN WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE JEOPARDY MUSIC, BUT I GUESS SHE FORGOT. SO IF ANYBODY WANTS TO SING AND FILL THE TIME, PLEASE DO SO. I DON'T. BRIAN . WELL, MAYOR, ACTUALLY THERE'S ONLY ONE THAT'S INTERESTED IN REAPPOINTMENT FOR THE NEXT ONE. OKAY. WHO IS THAT? UH, VICTOR DOVE. OKAY. SO MR. MORGAN IS NOT INTERESTED IN REAPPOINTMENT? THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. ALRIGHT, MR. BOARD, WE CAN KEEP THAT IN MIND. ARE YOU READY FOR THE RESULTS? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. JAMIA HARRIS HAS THREE VOTES. PETER FRY, TWO TANJA MIDDLETON AND BARBARA SAMPSON EACH HAVE ONE. UM, IF YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW THE VOTES WERE CAST, THE MAYOR VOTED FOR ISHA HARRIS. ALDERMAN OUTLAW ALSO VOTED FOR ISHA HARRIS, AS DID BOBBY ASTER. THE TWO VOTES FOR PETER FRY WERE FROM ALDERMAN FERGUSON AND ALDERMAN BRYANT. BARBARA ALDERMAN BEST VOTED FOR BARBARA SAMPSON AND ALDERMAN WHITE VOTED FOR TANJA MIDDLETON. OKAY. SO WITH THE NEWS OF MR. MORGAN NOT BEING INTERESTED IN BEING REAPPOINTED, UM, MR. ATTORNEY, IF THE BOARD WANTED TO CHOOSE, UH, TO FILL THAT POSITION, THE SECOND ONE, DO WE WANNA WAIT TILL NEXT MONTH TO DO THAT? UH, YES, SIR. YOU, YOU COULD DO IT TONIGHT IF YOU'D LIKE, OR YOU COULD WAIT TILL NEXT MONTH. MY, MY FIRST QUESTION IS GONNA BE THOUGH, UM, PROCEDURALLY, WERE YOU IMAGINING THAT IT WAS GONNA BE SIMPLY THE HIGHEST VOTE BEGINNER OR THE FIRST PERSON TO GET FOUR VOTES? WE'VE TYPICALLY DONE WHOEVER GETS THE MOST. BUT I'M MEAN, IF THE BOARD WANTS TO, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THE BOARD WAS EXPECTING AND THAT WAS RIGHT THEN THAT'S, THAT'S PROTOCOL, THEN I'M FINE. OKAY. SO, UM, ISHA HARRIS WILL BE APPOINTED. WE NEED TO TAKE A ACTION ON THAT. 'CAUSE SHE WANTS, LET, LET'S DO, JUST SO THERE'S NO QUESTION. OKAY. SO I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION, UH, TO APPOINT ISHA HARRIS TO THE REDEVELOP COMMISSION. SECOND, UH, THAT'S A, I NEED A MOTION THEN A SECOND. OH, I'M SORRY. MAKE A MOTION. WE APPOINT ISHA HARRIS SECOND. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION? WELL, I DO HAVE A QUESTION. IF WE'RE TAKING AN OFFICIAL VOTE AFTER WE DID A TALLY RIGHT. SHE MAY NOT GET THE VOTES. THAT WAS MY, THAT WAS MY POINT. I DON'T THINK WE'VE, I DON'T THINK WE'VE DONE THIS IN THE PAST. USUALLY WHOEVER GOT THE HIGHEST VOTES IS WHO WAS APPOINTED. WE DIDN'T TAKE A VOTE AFTER THAT. RIGHT. WHY DON'T YOU MAKE A MOTION THEN TO JUST CONFIRM THAT PROCEDURE. SO THE, IN THE RECORD, THEY'LL, IT'LL BE CLEAR AT THE HIGHEST VOTE POINT OF BOARD. I'M JUST UNCLEAR WHERE THAT PROCEDURE FOR APPOINTMENT THAT SOMEONE CAN BE APPOINTED TO A BOARD WITHOUT A MAJORITY VOTE. YEAH. WHERE WOULD THAT BE WRITTEN? THE, THE BOARD THAT WAS WHAT I WAS JUST SAYING. THE BOARD WOULD NOW ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CONFIRM THAT PROCEDURE, THAT THAT'S HOW THE PERSON IS TO BE, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE A MAJORITY VOTE YES. ON THE PROCEDURE, WHICH COULD RESULT IN, IT COULD NOT CARRYING A MAJORITY. CORRECT. IN WHICH CASE THAT WOULD, THAT PROCEDURE AND THAT INDIVIDUAL WOULD NOT BE CORRECT. CONFIRMED? THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE? UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? OPPOSED? UH, SIX TO ONE. UM, SO ARE YOU GOOD NOW? DO WE, MR. MAYOR, I MOVE FOR A ROLL CALL? VOTE. OKAY. WE'LL HAVE A ROLL CALL VOTE ON, UH, THIS APPOINTMENT AND WE WILL START THAT ROLL CALL VOTE WITH ALDERMAN FERGUSON. ALDERMAN FERGUSON? NO. ALDERMAN BRYANT? YES. ALDERMAN ASTER? YES. ALDERMAN WHITE? YES. ALDERMAN BEST? NO. ALDERMAN OUTLAW? YES. MAYOR ODOM? YES. MOTION CARRIES. FIVE, TWO. AND MAYOR, ON YOUR SECOND QUESTION, IF, IF, IF, IF IT'S ON TOP OF MIND NOW AND YOU'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD [00:35:01] AND FILL THAT NEXT SEAT, YOU COULD DO THAT TONIGHT IF YOU'D LIKE, OR JUST WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD ON THAT? YOU KNOW, I, I'VE GOT, I'VE GOT HAD A PHONE CALL THAT I MISSED FROM MR. MORGAN AND I'M NOT SURE I RECENTLY, I DIDN'T THINK WE COULD FILL, HOW CAN WE FILL MR. MORGAN'S SPOT IF HE HASN'T VACATED THAT SPOT? HE, HIS TERM IS NOT UP UNTIL IT EXPIRES AUGUST, AUGUST, AUGUST, AUGUST, AUGUST 14TH. SO HE CURRENTLY FILLS THAT SPOT. THERE'S NOT A VACANCY, SO I DON'T THINK WE JUST, I THINK WE CAN WAIT UNTIL AUGUST. I, I MEAN, I'M, I'M FINE WITH THAT. BUT IF WE WANT TO GET REAL TECHNICAL ABOUT IT, WHEN HIS APPOINTMENT ENDS IN AUGUST, THEIR MEETING IS ON WEDNESDAY. OUR MEETING IS ON THE TUESDAY BEFORE THAT, SO THAT IT'S TECHNICALLY STILL FILLED, BUT IT'S FINE IF HE'S NOT INTERESTED. I'D ASK, UH, THE, THE INTERIM REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONER, REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO ASK HIM IF HE WOULD JUST RESIGN PRIOR TO OUR MEETING SO THAT WE COULD THEN FILL HIS SEAT IF HE'S NOT INTERESTED IN WE COULD CERTAINLY DO THAT. THAT IS FOR SURE. OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE ON APPOINTMENTS? OKAY. ATTORNEY'S [23. Attorney's Report.] REPORT. NOTHING PART TIME. MAYOR CITY [24. City Manager's Report.] MANAGER'S REPORT IF YOU HAVE DATES FOR YOU. CITY CLOCK, CITY HALL CLOCK UPDATE. UH, THE PARTS ARE ANTICIPATED TO ARRIVE FROM ITALY IN MID-SEPTEMBER. ONCE THOSE PARTS ARRIVE, THEN REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE BURDEN CLOCK COMPANY WILL COME IN AND MAKE THAT INSTALL. WE WERE HOPING THAT THE PARTS WOULD ARRIVE SOONER THAN THAT, BUT WE DID GET CONFIRMATION ON THIS YESTERDAY. ALSO, UH, THE ABANDONED VESSELS UPDATE. SO, UM, WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION, UH, THEY DID APPROVE FUNDING OF TWO ABANDONED VESSELS TO BE, UH, UH, REMOVED FROM THE NOOSE AND TRENT RIVER. UNFORTUNATELY, THE TWO THAT, THAT ARE BEING REMOVED THIS WEEK ARE NOT THE ONES THAT ARE RIGHT OFF JACK'S ISLAND. SO, UH, THESE TWO HAVE BEEN IN THE WORKS WITH WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION FOR, FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS. UM, THE, THE REPRESENTATIVE THAT THAT IS MOVING THESE BOATS IS ACTUALLY MOVING THE JACKS ISLAND BOAT RIGHT NOW TO A BETTER AREA TO BE ABLE TO BE PULLED OUT WHEN FUNDING IS AVAILABLE FROM, FROM THE STATE. SO HOPEFULLY THAT'LL BE WITHIN THE NEXT SIX WEEKS. MAYBE. I HAVEN'T NOTICED IT, BUT I WAS COMING ACROSS THE TWIN SPAN THIS WEEKEND AND NOTICED A NEW BOAT. I THOUGHT IT WAS NEW RIGHT NEXT TO THE BOAT DOCKS. THAT WAS THE CONTRACTOR WHO, WHO HAD PULLED THAT BOAT OVER THERE OKAY. TO MAKE IT EASIER TO PULL OUT THIS WEEK. SO YEAH, THAT THOSE BOATS, I THINK THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN, UM, TORN UP AND PUT A DUMPSTER OVER THERE NOW. OKAY. UH, NEXT THING I HAVE FOR YOU IS, UH, A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO WE CAME TO YOU ABOUT NO WAKE ZONE AT BRYCE'S CREEK HARBOR. REACHED OUT TO THE NO WAKE ZONE COORDINATOR EARLIER TODAY TO FIND OUT WHAT THE STATUS WAS THAT HAS BEEN SENT TO THE DISTRICT STAFF WITH THE WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION. THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THEIR INVESTIGATION. UH, AND SO WE HOPE TO HEAR FROM THEM IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO AS WELL, WHAT THEIR, UH, FINDING WILL BE. UH, THE FINAL THING I HAVE FOR YOU IS A FEW EVENTS. WE'VE GOT THE BATTLE OF THE BADGES BLOOD DRIVE THIS THURSDAY, JULY 16TH FROM 7:00 AM TO 5:30 PM AT THE STANLEY WHITE RECREATION CENTER. IF YOU'RE, UH, INTERESTED IN DONATING BLOOD, WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU. YOU CAN SIGN UP AT THE AMERICAN RED CROSS WEBSITE OR CONTACT, UH, COLLEEN, AND SHE CAN DEFINITELY, UH, TELL YOU HOW TO GET, GET SIGNED UP FOR THAT. ALSO, A FOOTLOOSE ON THE NEWS RETURNS TO UNION POINT PARK THIS FRIDAY WITH CASHMERE. THAT'S A LED ZEPPELIN TRIBUTE BAND CONCERT STARTS AT 7:30 PM THAT'S ALL WE HAVE TONIGHT, SIR. ALRIGHT. UH, [25. New Business.] NEW BUSINESS ALDERMAN FERGUSON. JUST A VERY BRIEF UPDATE FOR THE BOARD. UM, I THINK AT OUR LAST MEETING, UH, WE GAVE THE UPDATE THAT THE MAYOR AND I WENT TO RALEIGH DURING THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SESSION. MO MET WITH OUR LOCAL LEGISLATORS ABOUT LEGISLATIVE AGENDA. UM, THE BUDGET WAS RECENTLY, THE STATE BUDGET WAS RECENTLY PASSED, AND IN THAT INCLUDED A $75,000 DIRECT GRANT FOR THE CITY OF NEW BERN FOR PARKS AND RECREATION, UH, FACILITY. AND SO I THANK OUR, UH, REPRESENTATIVES UP THERE. WHILE IT CERTAINLY IS NOT A PERFECT BUDGET AND CERTAINLY NOT ALL WE ASKED, IT IS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED FOR THAT INVESTMENT HERE IN NEW BERN. SO I JUST WANNA GIVE THAT THANKS. ALRIGHT. ANYTHING ELSE? THAT'S IT. ALDERMAN BRYANT, ON THE BEHALF OF JUNETEENTH, THEY WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT THAT THEY RECEIVED THIS YEAR FOR THEIR FESTIVAL. IT WAS A VERY GOOD FESTIVAL FOR THEM. AND SO WE'LL ASK THAT YOU PARTICIPATE NEXT YEAR, JUNE 19TH, 2027. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU ALDERMAN S MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT OPEN BURNING TONIGHT. THE, UM, THE PROBLEM IS THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE HERE THAT WANT TO SPEAK ABOUT IT, THAT I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO HEAR WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY. WELL, THE GREAT THING IS, IS THEY CAN SIGN UP RIGHT NOW AND THEY CAN SPEAK AT ITEM NUMBER 26 IF THEY'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT, WELL, WHAT HAPPENS IF AFTER I GIVE, WE GIVE DIRECTION TO THE MANAGER AND IT'S PRETTY MUCH A DONE DEAL, AND THEN THEY SPEAK AFTERWARDS. UH, WE CAN GIVE DIRECTION TO THE MANAGER AFTER NEW BUSINESS AND THIS PETITION ASSIST. IF [00:40:01] THAT'S WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO, I WOULD, BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY. OKAY. SO ANYBODY THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE OPEN BURNING, UH, YOU NEED TO FILL THE FORM OUT AND HAND THAT TO THE CLERK BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WELL, YEAH, I, I CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN SOME, UH, OPEN BURNING, LAND CLEARING ON, UM, UH, COUNTY LINE ROAD THAT, UH, DEVELOPER IS CLEARING PROPERTY FOR A NEW, UH, SUB DEVELOPMENT OR SUBDIVISION. UH, AS SOON AS IT STARTED. AND I, I KIND OF THOUGHT THIS WAS GONNA HAPPEN, BUT AS SOON AS THEY STARTED THE OPEN BURNING, WE STARTED RECEIVING CO UH, YOU KNOW, COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SMOKE AND THE FIRE. AND IT, I, I KNOW I HAPPENED TO BE OVER AT THE GROCERY STORE AT HARRIS TEETER ONE NIGHT. I WALKED OUTSIDE AND YOU COULDN'T EVEN, IT, IT WAS LAYING SO LOW ON THE GROUND, IT WAS JUST UNCOMFORTABLE BEING OUTSIDE, YOU KNOW, MANY, MANY ELDERLY PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, SENDING ME, UM, UH, EMAILS TALKING ABOUT THEY CAN'T ENJOY THEIR, THEIR SCREAMED IN PORCHES. THEY CAN'T BE OUT IN THE YARD. YOU KNOW, ONE LADY MADE MENTION THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR HER FOR EVEN TO WALK FROM THE HOUSE TO THE CAR TO GET IN THE CAR. UH, SO, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CHIEF AND THE FIRE MARSHAL ABOUT IT. YOU KNOW, THEY HAD A PERMIT THAT WAS GOOD UP TILL I THINK YESTERDAY OR TODAY OR SOMETHING. UH, BUT THE BURNING HAS STOPPED, I THINK A RAIN THROUGH A LOT OF, UH, STOPPED A LOT OF IT. UH, I REACHED OUT TO THE MANAGER AND ASKED THE MANAGER AND AS WELL AS THE, UM, FIRE MARSHAL TO DO A SURVEY FOR US, FIND OUT WHAT OTHER CITIES WERE DOING, IF OTHER CITIES WERE ALLOWING THIS. UH, AND I THINK THE MANAGER'S GOT A, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT HE CAN REPORT BACK ON THAT. IF YOU'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND DO THAT, THAT WOULD BE NICE. SURE. SO WE DID CHECK ORDINANCES FOR A VARIETY OF CITIES IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA, GREENVILLE, JACKSONVILLE, GOLDSBORO, ROCKY MOUNT WILMINGTON, FAYETTEVILLE WILSON. THEY ALL ALLOW THIS BY PERMIT. I DID ASK THE FIRE CHIEF AND STAFF TO, TO ASK HOW MANY ARE ACTUALLY ALLOWING BERNIE TO GO ON AT THIS TIME. SO CHIEF MAY BE ABLE TO ADD, ADD SOME MORE INFORMATION ON THAT. SO STAFF, WE DID REACH OUT TO, OH, GOOD EVENING, BY THE WAY. UH, WE DID REACH OUT TO THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS TO ASK. AND AGAIN, UM, ORDINANCES ARE IN PLACE PERMITS, UH, FOR THIS AS FAR AS OPEN BURNING FOR EACH ONE, BUT THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT THEY'RE DOING IT. SO, UM, WE, WE DID GET A NO BACK FROM WILMINGTON THAT THEY'RE NOT DOING ANY PERMITS, EVEN THOUGH IT'S LISTED IN THE ORDINANCE THAT THEY CAN ISSUE THEM. UM, AND THEN WE ACTUALLY HAD A COUPLE THAT ARE VERY SIMILAR TO US IN NATURE AS FAR AS THEIR LANGUAGE. THAT WORDING IS FOUND IN ORDINANCE WILSON BEING ONE. UM, JACKSONVILLE BASICALLY FALLS FORESTRY'S PERMIT PROCESS, AND THEY DO IT BY CASE, BY CASE. UH, SO IT VARIES FROM ONE DEPARTMENT TO THE NEXT. THE ONLY TWO THAT WE DIDN'T GET A RESPONSE BACK FROM, AND, AND THAT'S JUST FOR DIFFERENT REASONS, WAS GOLDSBORO AND ROCKY MOUNT. UH, THEY JUST DIDN'T HAVE ANYONE AVAILABLE THAT COULD ANSWER THE QUESTION. SO IT, IT JUST VARIES. SO KINSON IS ANOTHER ONE THAT DOES, IT'S LISTED AS AN ORDINANCE THAT THEY WILL PERMIT, BUT THEY'RE NOT ISSUING ANY ANYMORE AS WELL. SO IT'S KIND OF A MIXTURE BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENTS THAT WE CHECKED WITH. HMM. THIS MAY BE, UM, JUMPING THE GUN JUST A LITTLE BIT, BUT CHIEF OR, OR HAVE EITHER, DO EITHER ONE OF YOU, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THIS, UH, TRENCH BURNING, UTILIZING HIGH POWERED FANS? YEAH, SO WE BOTH HAVE RESEARCHED AND LOOKED AT THIS, UH, TYPE OF EQUIPMENT. THERE'S TWO OPTIONS, WELL, AT LEAST TWO OPTIONS THAT WE SAW. ONE BEING THAT YOU COULD TRENCH INTO THE GROUND. THEY, UH, RECOMMEND A NINE FOOT SPAN ACROSS, UH, THE EQUIPMENT THAT COMES IN IS BASICALLY, UH, INTRODUCING AREA TO IT, CAUSING IT TO BURN CLEANER, CAUSING IT TO BURN FASTER AND HOTTER. UM, WHICH EVERYTHING THAT WE SAW IS REDUCING, UM, SMOKE VISIBILITY, SMOKE ODOR. IT'S SAYING IF IT'S DONE PROPERLY BY 98%, WHAT I MEAN BY PROPERLY, IT STILL FALLS BACK ON THOSE WHO ARE DOING THE WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE PUTTING THE, UH, THE MATERIAL IN AND NOT JUST PUSHING AGAIN. AND EVEN IF THEY DID THAT, IT WOULD TAKE SO LONG BEFORE IT WOULD START MAKING IT CLEAN. UH, THE BEST WAY I CAN, I CAN, UH, KIND OF RELATE THIS, UH, IF YOU, IF YOU THINK ABOUT CAMPFIRES LOCATIONS LIKE THAT, A REGULAR PIT IS GONNA HAVE SMOKE THAT GOES IN ANY DIRECTION. YOU CAN'T CONTROL IT, THAT MAKES CERTAIN THINGS LIKE, UH, WHAT THEY CALL SOLO STOVES AND IT'S INTRODUCING THAT AIR, IT'S BURNING HOTS BURNING CLEANER. SO IT DOES SHOW, UH, POSITIVE THAT IT, IT COULD ASSIST WITH THAT. UM, THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT WE FOUND THAT WOULD BE A NEGATIVE WOULD BE, UH, NOISE POLLUTION BECAUSE YOU'RE RUNNING A DIESEL ENGINE AT THAT TIME. UM, WHICH [00:45:01] WITH THE DISTANCE THAT WE HAD FROM OUR ORDINANCE, WE ADDED ADDITIONAL 500 FEET. SO I COULDN'T REALLY SAY WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. BUT IF IT'S DONE PROPERLY BASED ON THE RESEARCH THAT WE SAW, IT COULD HELP REDUCE THOSE CONDITIONS AS FAR AS SMOKE VISIBILITY AND SMOKE CONTAMINANTS BY ABOUT 98%. QUESTION WHO, BASED OFF OF HOW OUR ORDINANCE IS WRITTEN NOW, DO YOU HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE THAT REQUIREMENT? UH, WE CAN ACTUALLY, UH, WE, WE PULL FROM THE ORDINANCE FOR SPECIFIC TYPE OF CON CONDITIONS, BUT EVEN SO WE CAN ADD ADDITIONAL, UM, CONSIDERATION OR CONDITIONS TO THAT, UH, THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO SIGN OFF AND AGREE TO PRIOR TO A PERMIT BEING ISSUED. WE DID THIS FOR THE, UH, 43 PROJECT, AND WE ALSO DID IT FOR THIS PROJECT BECAUSE CURRENTLY IT HAS TO BE A THOUSAND FEET PER OUR ORDINANCE FROM ANY DWELLING. UM, AND WE ADDED AN ADDITIONAL 500 FEET. SO WE CAN ADD THOSE RESTRICTIONS AS NEEDED. AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING FROM WHAT I'VE, THE RESEARCH I'VE LOOKED AT, THEY ACTUALLY WERE UTILIZING THESE FANS AND ALLOW AND ALLOWING 300 FEET. AND SO, YEAH, SO FROM THE VIDEO, THE LINK THAT WAS SENT TO US THAT WE SENT, UH, TO THE MANAGER AND FORWARDED ONTO YOU THAT WE'RE GIVEN A, A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN A, UH, AN AREA, I GUESS LIKE AN OVERPASS OR WHERE SOME ROADS ARE COMING TOGETHER. SO THEY, THEY USE A MINIMUM OF 300 FEET TO KIND OF GIVE THAT, UH, DRONE BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, UH, FOR THOSE PASSING BY THAT YOU CAN'T SEE THOSE SMOKE CONDITIONS. UM, NOW WHAT I WILL SAY IS I HAVEN'T, I HAVEN'T WITNESSED IT IN PERSON AND I WOULD, I WOULD CAUTION TOO THAT THAT'S, THAT'S A VIDEO THAT'S PUT OUT BY THE MANUFACTURER, SO THAT'S PROBABLY GONNA SHOW YOU THE BEST. BUT, UM, IT, IT DOES BASED ON THE ADDITIONAL RESEARCH OUTSIDE OF THAT VIDEO, THAT THERE'S, UH, POTENTIAL FOR GOOD CONDITIONS IF THAT'S USED PROPERLY. OKAY. DID YOU SAY YOU'D NEVER WITNESSED IT IN PERSON? I HAVEN'T WI WITNESSED THAT PIECE OF EQUIPMENT BEING USED. DID YOU EVER, YOU EVER WITNESSED ANY? NO, SIR. NOT A SPECIFIC EQUIPMENT, BUT FIRE MARSHALL HILL USED TO REQUIRE FANS. YEAH, I REMEMBER THAT. HE WOULD MAKE THEM BUILD A BURN AND THEN PUT FANS IN IT. UH, FIRE MARSHALL, JONATHAN GASKETS DID NOT DO THIS IN THIS CASE BECAUSE IF IT WAS NOT IN THE CITY ORDINANCE, SO HE DIDN'T PUSH THOSE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES. WHAT I WOULD ALSO WANT TO SPEAK WITH THE CONTRACTOR ON IS, IS THIS SOMETHING, IF WE WERE TO MOVE FORWARD UTILIZING THAT TYPE OF EQUIPMENT, IS IT GONNA BE ONE, IS IT GONNA BE MULTIPLE? UH, IF IT'S GONNA BE USED AND IT BURNS AS HOT AND AS FAST AS THEY SAY, THEN THERE'S A POTENTIAL THAT THE MATERIAL WOULD BE ACTUALLY OUT, UM, EVERY, EVERY EVENING AFTER YOU'VE PUT THAT LAST BIT ON THERE. SO YOU MAY NOT HAVE THOSE CONDITIONS THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST WHERE THEY'RE NOT ADDING ANYTHING AFTER A CERTAIN TIME, BUT NOW YOU'RE HAVING THAT SMALLER RENT EFFECT, WHICH LEADS TO SOME OF THOSE CONDITIONS LATE HOURS OR EARLY MORNING BASED ON HUMIDITY. UM, SO THAT, THAT WOULD BE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE WOULD WANT TO HAVE QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, ABOUT HOW THIS PARTICULAR PARTICULAR EQUIPMENT WORKS. UM, BUT AGAIN, I HAVEN'T SEEN IT PERSONALLY OTHER THAN WHAT WE'VE RESEARCHED. CAN, DO YOU THINK THAT WE COULD CONTACT THIS MANUFACTURER, THIS EQUIPMENT AND ASK HIM? I, I'M WONDERING IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS RENTED OR IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S PURCHASED BY THE DEVELOPER, BUT WHATEVER THE CASE WOULD BE, MAYBE CON YEAH, I THINK, I THINK THE ONES HERE TO NOT BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, BUT I THINK WHAT I'VE SEEN IS MORE THAT THEY'RE RENTING THIS EQUIPMENT. RENTING IT, OKAY. I WOULD LIKE TO MAYBE FIND OUT FROM WHOEVER IT IS THAT OWNS THIS EQUIPMENT OR THE DEVELOPER OF THIS EQUIPMENT, GIVE US SOME NAMES OF SOME FIRE DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE WITNESSED THIS AND FIND OUT FROM THEM DIRECTLY AS TO, YOU KNOW, IF IT WORKS AND IF THEY'VE HAD ANY ISSUES OR PROBLEMS WITH IT BEFORE WE MOVE ANY FURTHER ON THIS TOPIC. AND THAT'S JUST MY PERSONAL FEELINGS. I MEAN, IF IT WORKS, I, HOW MANY PERMITS HAVE WE ISSUED FOR OPEN BURNING IN THE PAST COUPLE YEARS? SO, SO WE WENT BACK AND RESEARCHED THAT OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, THERE'S BEEN FOUR DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT REQUIRE OPEN BURNING. UH, NOW WITHIN THOSE PARTICULAR PROJECTS, SIMILAR TO THIS ONE HERE, IT MAY BE BROKEN DOWN INTO PHASES. SO FOUR, FOUR PROJECTS FOR FOR SURE THAT'S ON RECORD. HOW MANY, UH, PERMITS WITHIN THAT PROJECT. FOR INSTANCE, THIS PROJECT HERE WOULD REQUIRE THREE PERMITS AND HAVE THREE DIFFERENT PHASES. I, AND, AND I'M JUST, I I, I MEAN I JUST DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO THE CITIZENS TO GO THROUGH WHAT THEY WENT THROUGH FOR A WEEK OR SO OVER IN CAROLINA COLORS AS WELL AS TO BURNA AND SOME OF THE OTHER SUBDIVISIONS OVER THERE. DO, DO WE, DOES ANYBODY RECALL HAVING COMPLAINTS LIKE THIS IN THE PAST? ALDERMAN OUTLAW? WELL, YOU KNOW, FOUR THREE ALTERNATIVE F FOUR THREE CONNECTOR. THERE'S BEEN A LOT, LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT DOT. SO MY QUESTION, IS IT, ARE YOU GOING HOLD THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO THAT SAME STATE IN THE CITY? HMM. IF IT'S IN [00:50:01] THE CITY? WELL, I WOULD SAY THAT EVEN THOUGH IT'S DOT, THEY'RE, THEY'RE SUBBING THAT OUT. SO WE'RE DEALING WITH, YOU KNOW, A PARTICULAR CONTRACTOR. AND IN, IN THIS LAST PROJECT WITH THE 43 PROJECT, YOU KNOW, WE WORKED WITH THEM, UM, INITIALLY THEY WENT THINKING IT WAS NOT IN THE CITY, IT WAS IN THE ETJ. SO THEY WENT TO THE NORTH CAROLINA FORESTRY FIRST GOT THE PERMIT, BUT THEY DIDN'T GET A PERMIT FOR US. ONCE WE RAN INTO THAT ISSUE FROM CITIZENS COMPLAINING, WHICH I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH, UH, THEY COME HOME, FOUND SOME ASH AND STUFF ON THEIR PROPERTY, ON THEIR VEHICLES. UH, WE WENT AND MET WITH THEM AND ADDED THAT ADDITIONAL 500 TO THAT PROJECT. SO WE DIDN'T RUN INTO AN ISSUE THERE. YEAH, I THINK WE, UH, WELL YOU REMEMBER WHEN THEY WERE, I THINK IT WAS WIREHOUSER WAS DOING SOME BURNING OUT THERE AND THE SMOKE WAS GOING ACROSS 70 SO BAD THAT DIDN'T IT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT OR SOMETHING SEVERAL YEARS AGO? YOU, OKAY. SO YOU'VE KIND OF GIVEN AN OVERVIEW AND THEN, UH, THOSE THAT WANNA SPEAK THAT'S SIGNED UP, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO DO SO DURING THE NEXT ITEM. OKAY. DO YOU, DO YOU, DOES THE BOARD AGREE THAT WE JUST NOT RENEW PERMITS UNTIL AFTER WE CAN MAKE SOME CONTACTS WITH SOME DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE USED THIS AND TO SEE HOW, HOW WELL THEY WORK? I THINK WE SHOULD LET THE, THE, UM, CONSULTANTS OR THE, UM, REPRESENTATIVES THAT HAVE SIGNED A PETITION, GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AND THEN WE CAN, WELL, THEY'RE THE DEVELOPERS, SO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO SAY ? WELL, IT'S JUST LIKE SOLAR PANELS. WE HAD TO LISTEN TO THE OTHER SIDE ABOUT IT. OKAY, WELL, CAN WE AT LEAST AGREE THAT WE WILL NOT RENEW A PERMIT UNTIL WE GET A RESOLUTION OR AT LEAST HAVE SOME CONVERSATION WITH SOMEONE ABOUT THIS? I I DO NOT WANT TO HAVE THE PEOPLE IN CAROLINA COLORS AND THE PEOPLE IN TO BURNA TO GO THROUGH THAT ANYMORE. SO AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, BASED ON THE COMPLAINTS WE'VE RECEIVED, THE THE PERMIT WILL NOT BE RENEWED, UM, BASED ON HOW THEY HAVE PREVIOUSLY BURNED. SO, OKAY. NOW, AND I'M, EXCUSE ME, I'M OPEN, I'M OPEN TO THIS, YOU KNOW, FAN AND ENTRENCHED THING. I REALLY AM. BUT I, I THINK IT'S TIME, I THINK THE, THE FIRE CHIEF AND THE FIRE MARSHALS SHOULD CONTACT SOME OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT'S ISSUE PERMITS WITH COMPANIES USING THIS AND JUST SEE HOW WELL THEY WORK. YOU KNOW, IF YOU, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LIKE A SOLO STOVE AND ZERO SMOKE WHATSOEVER COMING OUTTA THERE OR JUST A TINY BIT. I I'M ALL IN FAVOR. YEAH. SO I DO KNOW THAT THAT ONE DEVELOPER, THIS AT THE END I THINK IS, UH, BAYBERRY HAS DECIDED THAT HE WAS NOT GOING TO BURN AND HE'S BRINGING IN SOME EQUIPMENT TO GRIND. IS THAT CORRECT? ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THAT? I'M NOT, I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT. YEAH, I, I WAS TOLD THAT HE WAS BRINGING IN EQUIPMENT THAT'S GOING TO GRIND HIS STUFF. SO WHAT'S NEXT? ALRIGHT, ANYTHING ELSE IN THE NEW BUSINESS? NO. ALRIGHT, JUST A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT, TO ALDERMAN ASTOR'S POINT ABOUT RENEWING PERMITS, WHAT ABOUT SITUATIONS WHERE WE HAVE, I MEAN I I ONLY KNOW OF ONE OR TWO, BUT ONGOING DEVELOPMENT, THEY'RE RENEWING A PERMIT SO THEY CAN GET RID OF THAT DEBRIS AND WE'RE SAYING THAT WE'RE NOT GOING, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE GIVING INSTRUCTION THAT THEY CANNOT RENEW EVEN THOSE PERMITS OF ONGOING DEVELOPMENT. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. YES. AND I MEAN, I WAS PREPARED TONIGHT TO SAY ZERO OPEN BURNING. MM-HMM . AND I, YOU KNOW, I IS, YOU, YOU JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT'S COMPLAINING. YOU KNOW, THE EMAILS THAT WE RECEIVED AND THE MAYORS RECEIVED THEM AND, AND THE CITY MANAGERS RECEIVED THEM AS WELL. UH, AND YOU, UNLESS YOU ARE THERE EXPERIENCING IT, UNLESS YOU'RE WALKING OUTTA YOUR HOUSE AND THE SMOKES LAY LAYING DOWN ON THE GROUND, YOU, YOU JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW UNCOMFORTABLE THAT IS. SO, NO, I COMPLETELY, I, I COMPLETELY SAID, UM, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT. I GUESS I'M JUST MAKING SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE DIRECTION YOU'RE SEEKING US TO GIVE. 'CAUSE THE MANAGER IS SAYING WE'RE NOT GONNA RENEW ANY PERMITS TO BURN AS THEY'RE CURRENTLY BURNING. ARE THERE OTHER SAFEGUARDS THAT THEY CAN PUT IN PLACE TO HAVE THAT KIND OF BURNING, I GUESS IS MY QUESTION. AND SO I THINK THAT WHEN, WHEN THE PETITION OF CITIZENS COMES AROUND, WE HEAR WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY, THEN THAT'LL DEFINITELY BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET ANY MORE DIRECTION FROM THE, FROM THE BOARD ON THIS. SO, SO LET ME ASK YOU THIS, THIS MAY HELP CLEAR UP WITH ALDERMAN FERGUSONS IS ASKING. SO WE HAD ISSUE WITH THE HIGHWAY 43 CONNECTOR. WE HAD SOME COMPLAINTS. FIRE DEPARTMENT CHANGED THE REQUIREMENT, YOU PUSHED IT OUT. I NEVER RECEIVED ANOTHER COMPLAINT AFTER THAT. SO I GUESS THERE'S WAYS TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND MITIGATE THE ISSUE. SURE. WITHOUT JUST SAYING NO MORE. BUT I THINK ALDERMAN AS IS SAYING THAT UNTIL WE FIGURE OUT WHAT THOSE ISSUES CAN BE TO FIX IT, IN HIS OPINION, IT'S NO MORE. AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT [00:55:01] I GUESS AFTER WE HEAR FROM THOSE FOLKS. IS THAT FAIR? OKAY. YEAH. THANKS. OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE IN OUR NEW BUSINESS? YES, SIR. OKAY. ALDERMAN WHITE. UM, EVERY SATURDAY BEFORE THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN NEEDS, I MEET WITH THE CONSTITUENTS OF WARD FOUR. UM, MR. RON SAGE WAS THERE AND NOTIFIED THE PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE THAT THERE WAS A PUBLIC MEETING HOSTED BY THE DOT. AND, UH, MR. SAGE WAS THE ONLY PERSON, UM, WHO DROVE TO KINSTON AND LET HIS VOICE BE HEARD. AND, UH, MR. SAGE WANTED ME TO SHARE THAT THERE IS A SURVEY ON THE N-C-D-O-T WEBSITE AND I WANTED TO ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE OR VIEWING THIS MEETING TO LET THEIR VOICE BE HEARD TO THE N-C-D-O-T AND THE POSSIBLE PROJECTS COMING TO OUR AREA AND ANY RDC DEVELOPMENTS, I'LL HOLD OFF UNTIL A LATER DATE. ALRIGHT, VERY GOOD. ALDERMAN, BE NOTHING TONIGHT. ALDERMAN OUTLAW NOTHING TONIGHT. OKAY, NEXT UP IS REQUEST AND I HAVE NOTHING. UH, NEXT UP IS REQUEST [26. Request and Petition of Citizens — General Topics.] PETITION OF CITIZENS. MADAM CLERK. YES. THANK YOU MR. DAVID FRENCH. I AM DAVID FOR 1 0 4 JOHNSON. SINCE 2018, I HAVE ADVOCATED FOR MY DEAR COUSIN MARYANNE, WHO DIED IN 2022, NEVER RETURNING TO HER BELOVED HOME AND SINCE, FOR MYSELF AND OTHERS TO GET US BACK HOME FIGHTING AGAINST THE FRAUD OF NORTH CAROLINA AND REBUILD AND SEE UNDER COOPER STEIN BUFFALO, HAWKS HEAD, ARLAN GIBSON, TYSON, BRISSON BULLOCK, THE CITY OF NEWBURN UNDER OUTLAW ODOM HUGHES AND RUE CRAVEN COUNTY UNDER ER V AND OTHER ELECTED AND ELECTED AND BUREAUCRATS AT ALL LEVELS, THEY INFLICT DAILY HARM AND SUFFERING ON US. THE OVER 8,000 STILL HOMELESS HURRICANES MATTHEW AND FLORENCE FLOOD SURVIVORS AND VICTIMS, THEY THE THERE, THESE ARE 8,000 APPLICANTS WHO WERE DEFRAUDED. THE NUMBER IN OUR HOUSEHOLD COULD BE 2, 3, 4 OR MORE. SO THERE COULD BE AN EXCESS OF 32,000 PEOPLE IN ENC WHO ARE STILL HOMELESS. THIS IS ABOUT THE SIZE OF NEWBURN UNACCEPTABLE. WE HAVE BEEN CAST TO THE SIDE AND FORGOTTEN BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE MONEY, POWER, OR A PLACED AT THE TABLE. IT HAS BEEN A CATASTROPHIC CASCADING, CALAMITOUS EFFECT UPON US. IT IS FRAUDULENT FOR OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AT ALL LEVELS TO SPEND OUR TAXPAYER BUCKS ON WANTS WHEN THERE ARE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED, WHEN THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE NOT BACK HOME EIGHT TO 10 YEARS LATER. UNACCEPTABLE. OUR GOVERNMENT WAGES AN ILLEGAL WAR MURDERING CHRISTIANS, MUSLIMS, AND OTHERS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AT A COST OF 2 BILLION TAXPAYER BUCKS A DAY, BUT NOTHING FOR US. HERE IN ENC, EVERYONE PASSES THE BUCK AND SAYS SOMEONE SHOULD DO SOMETHING SHAMEFUL, SINFUL ON ALL OF YOU. YOU, YOU ALL HAVE KNOWN ABOUT OUR ISSUES. WE REBUILD NC AND DID NOTHING FOR YEARS UNTIL I REACHED OUT TO YOU ALL. AND THEN MAYOR ODOM SLOW WALKED IT WITH GOVERNOR STEIN JUST LIKE TYSON AND BRISSON DID AS A LONG TIME. NEW VERNON ONCE TOLD ME, THE CITY OF NEW VERN IS MOSTLY REACTIVE INSTEAD OF PROACTIVE, HAVING NO OTHER CHOICE. I HAVE BEEN HERE EVERY MONTH SINCE LAST FALL SEEKING REDRESS OF MY GRIEVANCES AND EXPOSING THE RALEIGH ROCK OF COOPER STEIN ODOM OUTLAW TYSON BRISSON AND THE WASHINGTON CESSPOOL OF MURPHY TILLIS BUD TRUMP AND THEIR OLD BOYS CABAL IN COHORTS HYPOCRISY. IT IS PAST TIME THAT YOU ALL DO THE RIGHT YOUR WRONGS AGAINST COUSIN MARY ENEMY AND GET ME BACK HOME. WE, THE PEOPLE ARE BEING IGNORED ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, ESPECIALLY WITH, WITH THE FORCED DATA CENTERS THAT ARE DESTROYING OUR WATER SUPPLY ENVIRONMENT IN PEOPLE'S LIVES OF BOTH POLITICAL PARTIES, THE REPUGNANT REPUBLICANS, AND THE DO NOTHING DEMOCRATS. WE THE PEOPLE DEMAND THE FOLLOWING. ONE. WE THE PEOPLE DEMAND A WRITTEN AND PUBLIC APOLOGY. IN OFFICIAL MEETING WITH COMMENTS BY THE PUBLIC FROM MAYOR ODOM ALDER, PEOPLE ASKED HER BEST BRYANT FERGUSON OUTLAW AND WHITE FOR ACTING LIKE KINGS AND QUEENS BY PUSHING THE PEOPLE OF NEW INTO THE BACK OF THE BUS WITH REGARDS TO THE PUBLIC COMMENTS SPECIFICALLY TO MS. REV, REVEREND ETHEL SAMPSON FOR MAKING HER WAIT TWO AND A HALF HOURS AND SHE'S LEFT AGAIN BECAUSE SHE CAN'T STAY. TWO, WE THE PEOPLE DEMAND THAT ALL PUBLIC COMMENTS, BOTH AGENDA AND NON AGENDA, BE PLACED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, GO REPORT AS IT HAS BEEN DONE FOR DECADES. THREE, WE, THE PEOPLE DEMAND FIVE MINUTES EACH TO SHARE OUR THOUGHTS BEFORE THIS BOARD GOING FORWARD AT EACH MINUTE FOUR. UH, WE, THE PEOPLE DEMAND THE PUBLIC COMMENTS TO BE AVAILABLE AT BOTH OFFICIAL MEETINGS EACH MONTH. YOU ALL ARE MAKING DECISIONS WITH OUR MONEY AT BOTH MEETINGS AND WE HAVE NO REAL SAY WHATSOEVER. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF US FROM ALL POLITICAL SIDES WHO WILL NOT PUT UP WITH IT ANY LONGER. ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS AND BUREAUCRATS AT ALL LEVELS ACROSS OUR BELOVED COUNTRY WOULD DO WELL TO REMEMBER THAT WE, THE POWER RESTS WITH WE THE PEOPLE. AND TO STUDY OUR AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR ANCESTORS, HOW THEY RESPONDED, 250 GO YEARS AGO IN 1776. AND HOW FRANCE RESPONDED 237 YEARS AGO IN 1789, TODAY, JULY 14TH, BEING BASTILLE DAY TO [01:00:01] YOUR LIFE, LIBERTY AND FREEDOM FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR PROGENY AGAINST TYRANTS, THE SAME BLOOD FLOW THROUGH OUR VEINS. ALL POLITICS ARE LOCAL. AS BENJAMIN FRANKLIN SAID, YOU ARE, YOU HAVE A REPUBLIC IF YOU CAN KEEP IT. IT IS ALSO TRUE THAT DEMOCRACY DIES IN DARKNESS. WE, THE PEOPLE ARE HERE TO SHINE THE LIGHT OF TRUTH ON YOU ALL. THE LORD IS OUR SHEPHERD. WE SHALL NOT WANT. MAN IS MIGHTY, BUT GOD IS ALMIGHTY. I WILL NOT YIELD. WHAT DO YOU ALL HAVE TO SAY? YOUR TIME IS UP. WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY? YOUR TIME IS UP. WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY? YOUR TIME IS UP. YOUR TIME SHOULD BE UP. YOUR TIME IS UP AS AS, AS THE MAYOR. YOUR TIME IS UP. STEP BACK. NEXT UP IS MR. ARTHUR OTTER. MR. I'M SORRY. HOLD ON. HOLD ON. UM, DOES THE BOARD WANT TO ENGAGE HERE? I WOULD ADVISE YOU NOT TO. OKAY. I SOME RUDEST OF EVERSON. MR. ARTHUR MCARTHUR, PLEASE COME FORWARD. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. I'M THE, UH, DIRECTOR OF THE NEW NEWBURN MEN'S FELLOWSHIP COURSE, AND EACH YEAR WE PUT ON A PROGRAM, UH, FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY FOR CERTAIN THINGS, CAN'T PAY, CAN'T PAY FOR, UH, THE CHURCH DID TO DO CERTAIN THINGS FOR 'EM. AND WHAT WE DO WITH THE MONEY IS TO GIVE EACH CHURCH SOMETHING AS WE RAISE THE MONEY AND HAS DONE. AND, AND SINK MENTS. LAST YEAR WAS OUR FIRST YEAR PUTTING THE PROGRAM ON. THIS YEAR WE ARE DOING IT, UH, WITH THE HELP OF THE FORMER CRAVEN CORRECTIONAL CHOIR, UH, AND, AND BROTHERS. IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE DONE ON SEP ON JULY THE 25TH OF THIS YEAR AT ST. JOHN'S CHURCH. AND WE ARE ASKING THE BOARD TO COME OUT AND, AND HELP US OUT. Y'ALL WOULD ACT AS USHERS AND THIS WOULD GIVE Y'ALL A CHANCE TO MINGLE WITH THE PUBLIC, UH, PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND RACE. UH, AND WE JUST NEED Y'ALL HELP TO COME OUT AND BE WITH US AND TO JOIN THIS, THIS, THIS PROGRAM. WHAT TIME? FIVE O'CLOCK. IT'S SOMETHING TO SEE FORMER INMATES WHO WERE IN A CHOIR COME OUT AND PUT ON A PROGRAM, AND THESE GUYS CAN DO IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS MS. DEBBIE SEYMOUR. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. EVENING. MY NAME IS DEBBIE SEYMOUR AND I LIVE ON MONROE DRIVE IN WARD TWO. I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT AFFECTS MY NEIGHBORHOOD AS WELL AS OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE CITY, AND THAT IS THE FERAL CAT NUISANCE. I WANT TO MAKE IT PERFECTLY CLEAR THAT I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT THE TNR PROGRAM. I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT THE RESPONSIBLE VOLUNTEERS WHO LOOK AFTER THE COLONIES OR THE CITY'S ANIMAL CONTROL PROGRAM. THE FOCUS OF MY ATTENTION IS DIRECTED AT A NEIGHBOR IN VERY CLOSE PROXIMITY TO OTHER NEIGHBORS WHO FEEDS FERAL CATS IN THE MORNING AND IN THE EVENING. AS A MATTER OF FACT, BOWLS OF FOOD ARE LEFT OUT DURING THE DAY FOR EASY ACCESS. THIS HAS LED TO A LARGE AMOUNT OF FERAL CATS IN OUR COMMUNITY. WITH NEW ONES COMING ON A VERY REGULAR BASIS, THIS BEHAVIOR HAS CREATED SEVERAL ISSUES THAT NEGATIVELY AFFECT NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES, WHICH INCLUDE CATS ROAMING AND LOUNGING IN OUR YARDS AFTER BEING FED DEFECATION AND URINATION IN OUR YARDS. DAMAGES TO VEHICLES INCLUDING SCRATCHES, FOUL ODORS THAT MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO ENJOY OUTSIDE SPACES. CATS LOUNGING AND LAYING ON OUTDOOR FURNITURE, PORCHES AND WINDOW SILLS. LITTERS OF FERAL KIT KITTENS BEING BORN IN OUR YARDS. INCREASED CONCERNS FOR RESIDENTS [01:05:01] WHO SUFFER FROM HEALTH ISSUES RELATED TO CATS IS ALSO A DAYCARE LOCATED ON OUR STREET THAT IS AFFECTED. A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, I SAW SOMETHING THAT I HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE. AFTER EATING DINNER AND ROAMING AROUND IN NEIGHBOR'S YARDS, A CAT JUMPED ON A FENCE, THEN ONTO ANOTHER NEIGHBOR'S ROOF AND WALKED AROUND. OTHER LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES HAVE ORDINANCES, ORDINANCES, AND LAWS GOVERNING BEHAVIOR DESCRIBED ABOVE AS ELECTED OFFICIALS. I ASK YOU TO PROTECT TAX PAYING LAW ABIDING CITIZENS WITH AN ENFORCEABLE ORDINANCE OR LAW. RIGHT NOW, THERE IS NONE. THERE ARE OTHER CITIZENS HERE FROM THE COMMUNITY WHO ARE ALL SET ALSO AFFECTED AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YOU NEXT UP IS CYNTHIA BLAKE. HELLO. HELLO. HELLO. MY NAME IS CYNTHIA BLAKE. I'M A RESIDENT OF SOUTHGATE, RESIDING AT 29 10 MONROE DRIVE. UM, THE PROBLEM IS MY NEIGHBOR AT 29 14 MONROE DRIVE IS FEEDING STRAY CATS. HE FEEDS THEM TWICE DAILY, ONCE IN THE MORNING, AND AGAIN IN THE EVENING. THIS HAPPENS EACH AND EVERY DAY. THE CATS URINATE AND DEFECATE ON MY FRONT AND BACKYARDS, INCLUDING MY FRONT PORCH. THE SMELL IS EXTREMELY OFFENSIVE. MY CAR HAS PAW PRINTS ON THE HOOD AND TOP. THEY LEAVE SCRATCHES ON MY CAR ON A DAILY BASIS. MY BACKYARD IS USED AS THE CAT'S PERSONAL LOUNGE. I ATTENDED THE JUNE 16TH V TREE AS STANLEY WHITE REC CENTER. OUR POLICE CHIEF MADE IT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR. THIS BOARD NEEDS TO ACT. I COMMEND HIM FOR ALL OF HIS EFFORTS TO HELP MY NEIGHBORHOOD. NOW IS THE TIME FOR ACTION. I AM ASKING THIS BOARD TO IMPLEMENT THE FOLLOWING. IF AN ORDINANCE EXISTS, PLEASE UPDATE IT IMMEDIATELY. IF NO ORDINANCE EXISTS, IMPLEMENT ONE IMMEDIATELY. THIS ORDINANCE SHOULD INCLUDE FOLLOWING ONE, A CLEAR DEFINITION OF CAT OWNERSHIP THAT READS AS ANYONE WHO FEEDS CATS IS CONSIDERED THE OWNER OF THE CATS. TWO. AS THE OWNER, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE AN IDENTIFYING TAG THAT SHOWS YOUR ADDRESS. THREE, LIMIT. THE NUMBER OF CATS OR RESIDENTS CAN OWN. FOUR. ANYONE WHO VIOLATES THIS ORDINANCE WILL BE FINED AND HELD TO THE EXACT LETTER OF THE LAW. FIVE. IF YOUR CAT CAUSED DAMAGE TO NEIGHBOR'S PROPERTY, YOU WILL BE HELD RESPONSIBLE. LAST, AND I'M ASKING THIS OF EACH AND EVERY MEMBER OF THIS BOARD, JUST CONSIDER FOR ONE MOMENT, YOUR NEIGHBOR IS FEEDING CATS. YOUR PROPERTY IS BEING URINATED, DEPRECATED. CATS ARE IN YOUR BACKYARD. THEY DEPRECATED ON MY FRONT PORCH. I WANT JUST FOR A MINUTE. IMAGINE IT'S YOUR HOUSE. WE NEED YOUR HELP. THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE HERE FOR. WE HAVE ANOTHER WAY TO HANDLE THIS. WE, WE'VE TRIED EVERYTHING THAT WE KNOW TO DO. SO JUST THINK ABOUT IF IT'S YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD YOU ARE EXPERIENCING. THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH, WITH, UH, SPAYED AND NEUTERING. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH TRACKING AND, AND, UH, RETURN. THE NEIGHBOR IS FEEDING CATS AND WE NEED AN ORDINANCE THAT ADDRESSES IT. AND ONE, THERE ARE ORDINANCES THAT EXIST IN THE STATE. OTHER CITIES HAVE IT. I WOULD TRY ASK YOU GUYS TO JUST TAKE A LOOK AT RIVER, RIVER BEND. THEY HAVE AN ORDINANCE. THEY DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT IS JOYCE FISHER. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS JOYCE FISHER. I RESIGNED AT 29 0 9 MONROE DRIVE. WE ALL IN THE SAME FACIL FACILITY. UH, THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT MORE I CAN SAY ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY, UH, PUT THIS OUT BEFORE YOU, AS HONESTLY [01:10:01] AS WE CAN DO. WE COMMEND THE CHIEF FOR COMING OUT, OBSERVING, TALKING TO THE, UH, GENTLEMAN THAT PREFERS TO FEED THE CATS MORNING AND NIGHT. AND AGAIN, THERE'S NOT MUCH WE CAN DO ABOUT IT, BUT WE, WITH IN YOUR HANDS, YOU CAN DO MORE THAN WE COULD EVER DO. SO THAT'S WHAT WE ARE ASKING YOU TO DO. AND, UM, YES, THEY ARE ALL IN OUR YARD. WE HAVE A SHELTER UNDERNEATH THERE WHERE WE, UH, ENTERTAIN FAMILY AND FRIENDS WHEN THEY COME. AND THESE CATS HAVE BABIES THAT CAN RUN AS FAST AS THE MAMA CAN AND, AND DOING AND EATING AND SLEEPING. AND IF YOU DRIVING YOUR DRIVEWAY, THEY ARE RUNNING AND DOING ALL OF THESE ACTIVITIES. WE NEED YOUR HELP AND YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. THE CHIEF ADDRESSED IT IN THE LAST, UH, ALDERMAN MEETING, AND HE WAS ASKING FOR HELP. HE WAS ASKING FOR DIRECTION. SO IT'S GONNA, AND TO MY UNDERSTANDING AND MY REMEMBRANCE, YOU WERE ASKED TO CONSULT WITH, UH, WHOEVER, WHOMEVER YOU NEEDED TO AND COME UP WITH SOME KIND OF SOLUTION. AND THAT'S ALL THAT WE ASKED. AND IN, IN, IN MY FINAL SAY. SO I JUST WANNA SAY SOMETHING HAPPENED IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT YOU WOULD NEVER BELIEVE A CAT GOT HIT AND WAS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. BUZZERS CAME AND ATE THAT CAT. WE NEED SOMETHING DONE. AND IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITIES AND, AND, AND THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT IS, YOU KNOW, THE ELDERLY, THE YOUNG PEOPLE, WHOMEVER, WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT OURS, WE PAY TAXES. AND WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THE CATS ARE CONTINUOUSLY HAVING BABIES. AND WHICH MEANS THAT WE ARE OVERRUN WITH CATS. IF YOU CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, WE ARE ASKING YOU, PLEASE PUT YOURSELF IN OUR SITUATION AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. NEXT IS MR. KILMER FISHER, JR. ALRIGHT, VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT IS EVA DE TE . I'M NEW TO THE COMMUNITY. AND I'M NEW CAROLINA. OKAY. WASH MY CAR. COME GET HER. TOOK BRAIN SCRATCHES. OKAY, SO FOR FOR THE RECORD, SHE CONCURS WITH THE PREVIOUS SPEAKERS WITH THE SAME CONCERNS. MM-HMM. UH, NEXT IS ESTHER COOPER. WELL SAID. EVERYTHING. GOOD AFTERNOON. COME ON UP TO THE MIC, MA'AM. GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU. I LIVE AT 29 0 8 MONROE DRIVE. THEY LEAVE MY HOUSE IN THE MORNINGS TO CATCH. THEY GO LIKE THEY'RE WORKING. THEY COME BACK ABOUT FIVE AND THEY EAT. AND THEN THEY COME BACK AND GO TO MY HOUSE TO SLEEP. YOU KNOW, I'M JUST TIRED OF IT. I HAVE COUGH FOR THREE YEARS. I LOVE TO DIG IN THE DIRT WITH MY PLANTS. I DIG UP CAT BM. I'M TIRED OF THAT. I PAID A MAN TO COVER MY SHED TO KEEP THE CATS FROM UNDERNEATH. I HAD TO BUY CHICKEN WIRE. I PAID HIM FOR THAT AFTER THEY LEFT MY SHED. THAT GOES UNDER MY DEBT. I PAY A MAN TO COME AND PUT CHICKEN WIRE UNDER MY DEBT. PLEASE. WE NEED HELP. WE NEED HELP. WE NEED HELP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT IS MR. RON SAGE AGAIN. THANK YOU. UH, WARD 4, 2 26 SARATOGA LANE. I'M JUST GONNA, UM, GIVE THE WEBSITE THAT LANEY, UM, SPOKE ABOUT. IT'S PUBLIC INPUT.COM/NMB, P-A-M-P-O DASH P EIGHT. AND THE SURVEY IS OPEN UNTIL AUGUST 1ST. AND IT INVOLVES RAIL, BUS, AIRLINES, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, AND NOT ONLY FOR THE STATE, BUT ALSO FOR OUR CRAVEN COUNTY AREA. SO I URGE YOU TO HIT THAT LINK. GO IN, MAKE YOUR COMMENTS. I WAS AT THE MEETING LAST NIGHT. I WAS THE ONLY ONE THERE REPRESENTING ANYBODY. I HAD THREE [01:15:01] N-C-D-O-T PEOPLE, DMPO REPRESENTATIVE AND MYSELF. SO IT BECAME BASICALLY THE RON SAGE SHOW. AND I GOT TO TALK ABOUT EVERY SINGLE TOPIC, , WHICH IS ABOUT 20 OF 'EM, UM, AND EXPLAIN IN DETAIL WHAT IT MEANS TO ME AND WHY I FIND IT IMPORTANT AND WHY I RATED IT THE, THE NUMBER THAT I DID. UM, SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN, IN ANYTHING GOING FORWARD, N-C-D-O-T WISE, YOU CAN FIND IT ON THEIR WEBSITE. YOU CAN FIND IT ON THE NEW BERN MPO WEBSITE, AND I URGE YOU TO GO IN THERE, CLICK ON IT AND TAKE THE SURVEY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS MR. ERIC REMINGTON. GOOD EVENING MAYOR. AND, UH, GOOD EVENING, BOARD OF ALDERMAN. MY NAME'S ERIC REMINGTON. I'M WITH THE LAW FIRM OF WARDEN SMITH OVER COLLEGE COURT. UM, I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF JEREMY JACKSON, WHO'S THE OWNER OF JC JACKSON HOMES, LLC. AND I'M SPEAKING ON THE, UH, THE BURNING ISSUE THAT WAS PRESENTED EARLIER. UM, MR. JACKSON'S ASKED ME TO EXPRESS, UH, OPPOSITION TO AND, UH, THE PROPOSED BURNING BAN OR ANY KIND OF, UH, TEMPORARY OR OTHERWISE, UM, STAY OF ISSUING OR RENEWING PERMITS. UM, WE APPRECIATE THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS SAFETY AND, UH, AND TO PROMOTE HEALTH AND, AND WELFARE OF THE CITIZENS AND, AND PROTECT THE PUBLIC. BUT A BURNING BAN OR ANY KIND OF, UH, CESSATION OF THE ISSUANCE PERMITS OR RENEWING OF PERMITS IS GONNA HAVE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES ON, UH, DEVELOPMENTS THAT WILL INCREASE THE COST THAT, THAT ULTIMATELY THE CONSUMERS ARE PAYING. SO WE'D ASK THE BOARD TO CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING POINTS. ONE, IF YOU DO A BURNING BAN OF SOME SORT, THIS IS GOING TO INCREASE THE COST OF DEVELOPING HOUSING IN THE AREA. DEVELOPMENT OF RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITIES CREATES DEBRIS, AS WAS DISCUSSED EARLIER. IF THERE'S NO BURNING, THE ONLY OPTION THAT'S AVAILABLE TO THE DEVELOPER IS TO EITHER CHIP A GRIND, HAUL OR, UH, OTHERWISE DISPOSE OF THE, THE DEBRIS THAT TAKES ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT AND THAT INCURS ADDITIONAL FEES AND THINGS, WHICH THEN GET PASSED ON TO THE, TO THE HOMEOWNER OR THE PROPERTY OWNER. THAT CREATES HIGHER COSTS, UH, IN THE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH THEN INCREASES THE PRICE OF HOUSING, MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT TO OFFER AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR, UH, COMMUNITIES LIKE OLDER ELDERLY COMMUNITIES, UM, THE FIRST TIME BUYERS WORKING FAMILIES AND, AND THOSE, UH, GROUPS THAT ARE JUST GETTING STARTED. UM, THERE ARE CURRENT REGULATIONS IN PLACE, AS WAS DISCUSSED BY THE FIRE MARSHAL. UM, AND THEY PROVIDE SUFFICIENT SAFEGUARDS. UH, WE WOULD ASK AND SUGGEST THAT TARGETED ENFORCEMENT OF THOSE, UH, ORDINANCES THAT ARE ALREADY INTO PLACE IS A BETTER APPROACH. UM, RESPONSIBLE BURNING IS AN EFFECTIVE LAND MANAGEMENT TOOL, UH, AS IS SHOWN BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND, AND THE COUNTIES AND, AND OTHER PEOPLE THAT BURN, UH, IN THE NATIONAL FORESTS AROUND HERE. UH, IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. UM, CONTROLLED BURNING HELPS REDUCE THE FIRE HAZARDS, UH, IN THE AREA. AND IT ALSO HELPS WITH THE GROWTH AND REGROWTH OF THE FOREST AREA. UH, FOR THE DEVELOPERS, IT BASICALLY HELPS THEM, UH, GET RID OF THE DEBRIS IN A COST-EFFECTIVE MANNER. SO AGAIN, A BALANCED APPROACH IS BETTER THAN RESTRICTIONS. AND, UH, THAT CAN INCLUDE, UH, LIKE INSTEAD OF A TOTAL BAN RESTRICTIONS BASED ON WEATHER, SEASONAL FIRE RISKS, AND, UH, ALSO ISSUING PERMITS WHICH HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, RULES AND REGULATIONS ATTACHED TO THEM. SO WE THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING THOSE POINTS. WE WOULD, AGAIN, ASK THE, THE BOARD NOT TO IMPOSE ANY KIND OF A BAN, UH, THIS EVENING AND OR, UH, TO TAKE ACTION, UM, ON THIS, UH, PROPOSAL BY, UH, ALDERMAN ASTOR TO, UH, TO BASICALLY NOT RENEW PERMITS OR, OR DELAY THE, UH, ISSUANCE PERMITS AT LEAST UNTIL THE ISSUE CAN BE MORE THOROUGHLY LOOKED AT AND DISCUSSED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. QUESTION. I'M GONNA WAIT TILL THE, WE'LL SEE, WAIT TILL THE END. UM, NEXT UP AND IT'S OUR LAST SPEAKER WILL BE MR. JOHN THOMAS. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. EVENING. JOHN THOMAS. MY COMPANY IS THOMAS ENGINEERING. IT RESIDES AT 1316 B COMMERCE DRIVE, DUBIN. UM, WELL, I WALKED OUT OF A MEETING ABOUT 11 O'CLOCK TODAY AND WALKED RIGHT INTO A FIRESTORM. NOT FOR THAT TO BE A TON, BUT, AND SO IT SPREAD PRETTY QUICKLY THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY, AS YOU JUST HEARD FROM MR. REMINGTON. UH, AND THE WORD WAS THE CITY WAS GOING TO DO AWAY WITH THE ORDINANCE FOR LAND CLEAR [01:20:01] AND BURN IT. OKAY. THE PACIFIC PROJECT THAT, UH, MR. AFTER WAS TALKING ABOUT, I'M THE ENGINEER RECORD ON THAT PROJECT. OKAY. QUITE HONESTLY, I DID NOT KNOW THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE OUT THERE. MY OFFICE HAS NEVER BEEN CONTACTED THAT I, I'M AWARE OF THAT THERE WAS A SMOKE ISSUE OUT THERE. THIS IS NOT MY FIRST RODEO WITH SMOKE. I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 45 YEARS. IF WE'D HAVE KNOWN THAT THAT WAS A PROBLEM OUT THERE, PERHAPS WE COULD HAVE PARTICIPATED IN SOLVING THE PROBLEM IF IT WAS JUST SMOKE, UH, AS WHAT MR. REMINGTON SAID, IF THAT WAS YOUR INTENTION. JUST NOT DO ANY MORE LAND CLEAR AND BURNING. THERE'S A MAJOR COST COMPONENT ASSOCIATED WITH DOING THAT. IT'S PUTTING A LOT OF TRUCKS ON THE STREETS TO HAUL THE STUFF OUT TO THE LANDFILL. AND, UH, THAT IS REFLECTED IN THE SALE OF A HOME WHEN THE, WHEN THE END USER BUYS THE HOME, THE TECHNOLOGY. I COULD NOT HEAR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TALK VERY WELL BECAUSE OF MY HEARING ISSUES, BUT I THOUGHT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT A TECHNOLOGY OR SOME EQUIPMENT. WE CALL IT AIR CURTAIN EQUIPMENT. UH, THERE'S REALLY NOTHING TO PROVE WITH THAT. THIS, WE'VE USED IT FOR YEARS IN PACIFIC LOCATIONS, AND IF IT'S OPERATED CORRECTLY, IT WORKS FINE. UH, AS TO THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT, I BELIEVE THE DEVELOPER IS WILLING TO DO THAT. THERE'S 300 ACRES ON THIS PROJECT. UH, 75 I THINK OF THE 300 IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO FINISH UP. NOW. I'M TOLD THEY'RE PRETTY ALMOST FINISHED WITH THE BURNING. ONE THING THAT HAS TO LATEST IS WE'VE HAD TO MOVE THE MATERIAL FURTHER AWAY THAN A THOUSAND FEET TO 1500 FEET ON 75 ACRES. SO IF WE HADN'T HAD TO DO THAT, WE PROBABLY COULD HAVE BEEN THROUGH WITH A BURNING BY NOW. I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH LONGER BURNING THEY NEED TO DO TO FINISH UP A LITTLE BIT. THEY'VE GOT MAYBE A WEEK, I DON'T KNOW. BUT WE'D HATE TO SEE THE PERMIT DELAY, WHICH I THINK IS EXPIRES TOMORROW. I'M NOT SURE, UH, IF WE COULD REQUEST THEM TO USE THEIR AIR CURTAINS AND THIS, THERE'S SEVERAL WAYS TO DO IT THEN YOU CAN SEE FOR YOURSELF. UH, IF YOU GOOGLE IT, YOU CAN FIND OUT IT REMOVES PROBABLY BETTER THAN 90 TO 95% OF THE SMOKE. IT'S A MORE, UH, EFFICIENT BURNING MECHANISM. THE WAY THAT IT DO IT COLOR AN AIR CURRENT IS REALLY NOT A CURRENT, IT'S NOT A CURTAIN. THE AIR ITSELF CREATES THE CURTAIN THAT CONFINES THE BURN INTO THE PIT. THERE'S ALSO EQUIPMENT THAT DOES THAT, UH, LIKE BIG CONTAINERS, THAT SORT OF THING THAT YOU PUT THE LOGS IN OR THE DEBRIS IN TO BURN IT. UM, I JUST WANNA PASS THAT ON TO YOU. THERE'S NO NEED TO EXPERIMENT WITH SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY BEEN TRIED. UH, WE'D REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO THAT PERMIT BEING AN ISSUE TOMORROW SO THEY CAN FINISH UP AND, AND, AND CONTINUE WITH THE PROJECT. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU MR. THOMAS BOARD THAT ARE ALL, THAT'S ALL THE REQUEST PETITION OF CITIZEN. WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT TOPIC? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. I'M SIGHT TO ASK MR. REMINGTON ARE, UH, MR. THOMAS, IF EITHER ONE OF THEM LIVE IN CAROLINA COLORS OR TO BURNA OR LONG PINES OR GABLES RUN. NOW IF YOU'RE GOING TO COME BACK UP, THEN WE NEED TO SUSPEND OUR RULES AND ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO SPEAK AGAIN BECAUSE WE ARE DONE WITH THAT SECTION. SO, SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND IS A FURTHER DISCUSSION. HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE A AYE. ANY OPPOSED? I, I DO NOT LIVE OUT THERE. UH, WELL, BALDMAN ASER, BUT I DO LIVE IN, UH, TRENT WOODS AND TRENT WOODS HOUSE BURNING ON CERTAIN DAYS OF THE WEEK. AND MY BACKYARD IS FILLED WITH SMOKE ALMOST EVERY WEEKEND ON SATURDAYS. AND IT'S JUST PART OF TRENT WOODS. SO, YEAH, I, I KNOW WHAT THESE PEOPLE ARE GOING THROUGH AND I SYMPATHIZE WITH THEM. I ALSO DRIVE DOWN TO THE, TO THE BEACHES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND I GO THROUGH THE SMOKE THAT'S ON HIGHWAY 70, HIGHWAY 58 AND OTHER PLACES WHEN THEY'RE DOING THE CONTROLLED BURNS. AGAIN, I THINK IT'S PART OF THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPMENT. AND I THINK IF YOU HAVE A TOTAL BAN OR ANY KIND OF A TEMPORARY CESSATION OF ISSUING THE PERMITS, IT'S GONNA INCREASE THE COST TO THE DEVELOPERS, WHICH IS THEN GONNA INCREASE THE COST TO THE HOMEOWNERS. SO THAT WOULD BE MY RESPONSE. OKAY. THANK YOU. MAYOR, CAN I ASK A QUESTION? YES, SIR. UM, [01:25:01] I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ON THIS BOARD, AND I'M NOT SPEAKING FOR ANYBODY, BUT FINDS IN THE PAST 60 DAYS SOME OF THE SMOKE RELATED ACTIVITIES ON HIGHWAY 43 CONNECTOR ALTERNATIVE FR THE DOT BURNING OR, UM, FOR WEATHER PURPOSES OR WHATEVER. UM, I WOULD SAY SOMEWHAT FROM HERE ON OUT IN THE CITY OF NEW BERN, UM, SOME OF THE PAST, UH, AMOUNTS OF POLLUTANT ARE, I WOULD SAY UNACCEPTABLE. UM, WITH RESPECT TO THAT FIRST QUESTION I HAVE WOULD BE OF THE CITY ATTORNEY. IT IS, IS IT PROTOCOL LEGALLY THAT WE CAN, UH, BAN ANY TYPE OF BURNING WITHOUT A PRESCRIBED IN WRITING, UM, PROCEDURE WITH A, TYPICALLY, DON'T WE IN WRITING HAVE SOMETHING PRIOR TO A MEETING? CAN WE, UH, BASED ON THE MOTION IN A SECOND VOTE AND, AND PRECLUDE, UM, BANNING BURNING IN CITY DENVER? NO, NO, SIR. DO YOU NOT NORMALLY YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT, UH, A PROCEDURE TO DO. YOU ABSOLUTELY DO. MAYOR, UH, DERMAN OUTLAW THE, UM, THE, THE CODE REQUIRES, UM, UH, ALLOWS FOR DISCRETION. UM, THERE IS NO RIGHT TO A BURN PERMIT. UM, SO THAT'S 0.1. SO THE BOARD DOESN'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING. I THINK WHAT THE CITY MANAGER IS SAYING IS THAT BASED ON THE, THE, THE VOLUME OF COMPLAINTS AND THE ISSUES AND THE EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE TO WORK WITH THE DEVELOPERS THAT HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL, HE IS GOING TO PAUSE DIRECT STAFF TO PAUSE ISSUING THE BURN PERMITS, UM, TO EXPLORE OTHER ALTERNATIVES. UM, AND I THINK THAT'S THE PATH THAT YOU'RE ON. THAT THAT'S CORRECT. AND SO, UM, JUST JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, WHEN WE HAVE RECEIVED THESE COMPLAINTS, I HAVE ASKED THE, UH, FIRE MARSHAL AND FIRE CHIEF TO GO OUT AND TALK TO THE COMPLAINANTS ON EVERY INSTANCE. THEY HAD THEN IN TURN GONE OUT AND TALKED TO THE CONTRACTORS ABOUT THAT. SO WHETHER THAT GETS PASSED ONTO THE, TO THE ENGINEER OR NOT, I'M NOT SURE. BUT STAFF HAS TALKED TO THE CONTRACTORS EACH TIME WE'VE HAD THE COMPLAINT. SO, SO DR. MATT'S POINT, WE, WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE IN PLACE. WE CAN'T AMEND THE ORDINANCE WITHOUT ANOTHER ORDINANCE. SO THAT AT THIS POINT, THERE'S REALLY NOTHING TO DO. I THINK MESSAGES HAVE BEEN HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR BY THE CITY MANAGER AND STAFF. UM, I THINK EXPLORING THE, THE, THE, THE CURTAIN IDEA MIGHT, MIGHT BE A, A GOOD SOLUTION. UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S ON THE TABLE FOR THE DEVELOPER, AND THAT CAN BE SORTED OUT PROBABLY IN A DAY OR TWO. CAN WE, CAN WE, UM, ALLOW HIM TO, IF WE GIVE HIM A PERMIT AND ALLOW HIM TO DEMONSTRATE TO US THE BLOWER CURTAINS, UM, AND WE, WE FIND THAT IT'S NOT WORKING AND WE'RE STARTING TO GET COMPLAINTS AGAIN, CAN WE REVOKE THAT PERMIT? WE CAN. JOHN, HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE YOU TO GET A CURTAIN? UH, ? EXCUSE ME. WELL, I DON'T KNOW, BUT I, I AM TOLD THERE IS ONE AVAILABLE TO THEM, BUT THEY CAN GET FAIRLY QUICK. UM, ACTUALLY THE DEVELOPER OF BLUE WATER RISE HAPPENED TO BE A RELATIVE OF THE DEVELOPER IN MAGNOLIA RESERVE. AND I BELIEVE HE HAS ONE THAT HE PROBABLY USES DOWN IN JACKSONVILLE. THAT'S WHAT I'M TOLD. SO IS MS. THOMPSON'S YOUR UNDERSTANDING THAT THE DEVELOPER IS ABLE AND WILLING TO CONTINUE THE BURN UNDER A RENEWED PERMIT WITH A BURN CURTAIN? UH, THAT'S WHAT I WAS INFORMED OF TODAY, BUT THIS STARTED WITH ME AT 11 O'CLOCK TODAY, . SO WE'VE BEEN HUSTLING AROUND TRYING TO POSITION OURSELVES ON SAY THE RIGHT THINGS AND DO THE RIGHT THINGS. I THINK THAT, UH, CERTAINLY OUR INTENT AND OUR RECOMMENDATIONS IS TRY TO MITIGATE THE PROBLEM. UH, THE NEXT THING OTHER THAN OPEN BURNING WOULD BE TO USE THE AIR CURTAINS, WHICH HAVE BEEN FAIRLY SUCCESSFUL. THEY HAVE TO BE OPERATED CORRECTLY. UH, AND THESE FOLKS I UNDERSTAND, HAVE EXPERIENCED IN USING THESE AIR CURTAINS. UH, THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO ACTUALLY BUILD THE AIR CURTAINS, BUT MY CLIENT IS WILLING TO DO THAT. UH, I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY GO TO THE WEBSITE AS INSTRUCTED TO THE NORTH CAROLINA FOREST SERVICE AND THERE'S STUFF ON THERE THAT TELLS YOU WHETHER YOU CAN BURN OR NOT, CONDITIONS AND THAT SORT OF THING. UM, IT MAY NOT HAVE TO DO WITH WIND DIRECTION, BUT CERTAINLY WIND DIRECTION PLAYS A BIG PART. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GOT SMOKE GOING UP, IT'D BE PREFERABLE FOR IT TO GO TO THE SOUTH AND TO THE NORTH FROM THIS PARTICULAR PIECE OF PROJECT PROJECT. BUT THE BIGGEST CONCERN [01:30:01] WITH EVEN MR. JACKSON'S ONE OF MY CLIENTS TOO, WE'VE GOT OTHER LARGE TRACKS IN THE NEWFORD, IS THE SCARE THAT Y'ALL GOING TO DO AWAY WITH THAT. AND THE COST COMPONENT ASSOCIATED WITH HAVING TO HAUL LARGE TRACKS, UH, BLUE WATER RISE. I DON'T THINK WE HAD ANY PROBLEM THERE. IF WE DID, I, IT WAS NEVER A PROBLEM THERE. IT WAS 500 ACRES WE BURNED, UH, THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT, UH, DIDN'T REALIZE YOU WERE GETTING THAT MANY COMPLAINTS. MAYBE WE COULD HAVE SOLVED THIS PROBLEM TWO MONTHS AGO. OKAY. WITHOUT IT BEING IN THIS PARTICULAR ROOM HERE. UH, THERE'S OTHER TRACKS THAT ARE COMING UP. UH, THE CITY APPROVED THESE PROJECTS TO GENERAL PLAN APPROVAL. I KNOW IT DOESN'T COME TO THIS BOARD, IT GOES TO A PLANNING BOARD NOW. BUT ON THERE YOU READ ABOUT BURNING IN THE GENERAL NOTES ON THESE. UH, SO I THINK THAT AS FAR AS THE ONE THAT'S CLOSE TO CAROLINA COVER, LEMME GIVE IT A CHANCE AND, AND LET 'EM GET THE EQUIPMENT THERE AND GET IT SET UP. AND THEN WHEN IT'S SET UP, WE CAN NOTIFY EVERYBODY AND THEIR BROTHER AND COME LOOK AT IT AND SEE WHAT IT'S DOING. UM, BUT YOU CAN AIR CURRENT CURTAIN, JUST GOOGLE IT AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. YEAH, I, I, AND I, I AGREE AND I HAVE GOOGLED IT AND I'VE LOOKED AT THE VIDEOS AND IF WHAT THEY'RE SAYING WORKS AND IF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE LOADING THE PIT DO IT CORRECTLY, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE, YOU'VE DONE FAN BURNING BEFORE. I, YOU KNOW, DIDN'T YOU SAY YOU HAD DONE IT BEFORE? WHAT? WHAT NO, WE, NO, WE'VE DEALT WITH SITUATIONS IN THE PAST WHERE WE HAD NOT, NOTHING RECENTLY WHERE WE HAD TO USE A DIFFERENT TECHNIQUE BUT NOT HAUL OFF. OKAY. UH, WE'VE HAD ISSUES WHERE THE NEIGHBOR HAD COPD AND THAT SORT OF THING, SO WE HAD TO WATCH THE WIND WHEN WE WERE BURNING. YEAH. WELL, I'VE GOT SOME EMAILS FROM SOME PEOPLE THAT HAD COPD AS WELL. SO, AND I UNDERSTAND ALL THAT, BUT WITH THE FIRST PHASE OF THIS, WE'RE RIGHT AT THE FINISH LINE AND TRYING TO GET THIS PROJECT GOING. AND I, I, I THINK IT'S WORTH A TRY. I THINK WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, LET'S REISSUE A PERMIT IF THE DEVELOPER IS WILLING TO INVEST IN THE FAN CURTAIN. AND I THINK THAT THE FIRE CHIEF SHOULD CERTAINLY MONITOR IT. AND BE HONEST WITH YOU, WHEN IT ING, I'D LIKE TO COME OUT AND LOOK AT IT MYSELF. 'CAUSE IT MIGHT BE THE SOLUTION TO OUR PROBLEMS. LOVE TO BE THERE WITH YOU. SO CAN WE, MY ONLY QUESTION IS, CAN, AND I THINK I ASKED THIS ATTORNEY THIS, IF THIS DOESN'T WORK AND THIS BECOMES A NUISANCE, CAN THE, CAN WE REVOKE THE PERMIT? YOU CAN IMMEDIATELY, YES, SIR. SO I, I'M WILLING TO, IF THE REST OF THE BOARD IS OKAY WITH IT, I'M, I'M PERFECTLY WILLING TO, LET'S GIVE IT A TRY. THE, UH, A COUPLE OF, UH, REFINEMENTS ON THAT. UM, I THINK, I THINK THIS CAN BE MITIGATED THROUGH JUST SOME COMMON SENSE, BUT, UM, THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S ONE FORMULA FOR FIVE ACRES OF LAND. THERE'S ANOTHER FORMULA FOR 500 ACRES OF LAND. UM, WE'RE GOING TO DO BETTER THAN WE'VE DONE. ALL OF US ARE ABOUT SMOKE, I HOPE. UM, BUT THEN WE HAD A FOREST HAVING CONTROLLED BURNS. UM, WHAT, WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT THAT? THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT THAT. WELL, I'M JUST SAYING, UM, WE CAN DO BETTER. I CAN'T SAY THAT THE STATE OR THE DOT WILL, BUT I, I THINK THIS IS A, IS A GOOD TOOL. AND WE GET COMPLAINTS FROM THE FORESTRY SERVICE DOING CONTROLLED BURNS AS WELL. WELL, AND THEN MAYBE WE NEED TO STEP RIGHT. GAME UP ON THAT. WELL, I'M NOT SURE HOW YOU CAN TELL THEM TO BURN OFF THEIR UNDERBRUSH. I DON'T KNOW. USE THE FAN TO DO IT. I TELL YOU, THAT'S, WE ALSO, ALSO, WE ALSO GET COMPLAINTS ABOUT SIMMONS STREET, WHICH WE DON'T OWN AND WE'RE NOT GONNA PAVE. SO I THINK WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE WHAT'S WITHIN OUR PURVIEW AND WHAT WE CAN WORK ON. AND, AND I WOULD JUST SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE EXACTLY THE LOGISTICS OF THIS PARCEL, BUT YOU COULD GO, THE DEVELOPER COULD GO OUTSIDE OF THE CITY LIMITS, RENT SOME ACREAGE AND BURN ON THAT, AND HAVE THE SAME ISSUES HERE. SO IF WE WORK WITH THEM ON TRYING TO FIND A RESOLUTION, IT'D PROBABLY BE EASIER FOR THEM AND EASIER FOR US. BUT THERE PROBABLY IS AN ALTERNATIVE THAT YOU COULD PLAY THIS GAME AND THEY COULD STILL DO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO AND IT WOULD AFFECT EVERYBODY. SO I AGREE. OKAY. UM, WHILE WE'RE THANK YOU MR. THOMAS, WHILE WE'RE IN THIS DISCUSSION PHASE, UM, WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT CATS? I MEAN, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS FOR YEARS, MR. MAYOR, I'M SO GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP BECAUSE THAT WAS MY NEXT QUESTION BECAUSE I JUST, I WANNA, SIX DASH TWO DEFINES CUSTODIAN, AND THEN SIX DASH FIVE SAYS, CUSTODIANS ARE RESPONSIBLE [01:35:01] FOR CATS AND THEY CREATE A NUISANCE. AND I'M PARAPHRASING, BUT THEY CREATE A NUISANCE THAT THEY CAN BE CITED. AND SO I JUST AM, I, YOU KNOW, I AM PERPLEXED WHY WE ARE NOT ENFORCING ORDINANCES WE CURRENTLY HAVE WITH KNOWN SITUATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY. I, I'M A LITTLE PERPLEXED BY THAT. I KNOW THAT ALDERMAN ASTOR BROUGHT UP, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS A REALLY GOOD POINT, BROUGHT UP THE EFFECT OF THAT ENFORCEMENT ON TNR PROGRAMS. AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, I'D LIKE TO SEE A, A CHANGE TO OUR DEFINITION TO EXPRESSLY EXEMPT TNR PROGRAMS THAT HAVE ASSOCIATED VETS, THE ONES THAT ARE CREDIBLE, WHICH I THINK ARE SOMETHING WE CAN DO. AND I'M HAPPY TO EXPLORE, BUT THAT'S GONNA TAKE TIME. I STILL THINK IF WE HAVE DOCUMENTED COMPLAINTS FROM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CONTRIBUTING TO A NUISANCE FEEDING CATS WITHOUT ACTUALLY TAKING ANY KIND OF CARE OF 'EM, UNLIKE THOSE TNR FOLKS THAT WE SHOULD ENFORCE 'EM. I, IS THERE QUESTIONS ON WHAT WE ARE ENFORCING OR WHAT WE'RE NOT? I'M GONNA PUT THE CHIEF ON THE SPOT. I GUESS, I GUESS MY QUESTION TO THE CHIEF IS WHAT DOES HE NEED FROM US YEAH. TO GO AND ENFORCE THESE ISSUES? THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. THE DEVIL . SURE. THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS. AND I DON'T WANT TO RECYCLE THE 30, 40 MINUTE DISSERTATION I GAVE A COUPLE WEEKS AGO. THAT'S RIGHT. BUT I WILL SAY THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO CARVE OUT, UM, EXCEPTIONS TO LOCATIONS INVOLVING THE, UM, HUMANE TREATMENT OF FERAL CATS IN NON-RESIDENTIAL AREAS. THE CONCERN THROUGH EQUAL PROTECTION IS IF WE ARE GOING TO ENFORCE THE LANGUAGE THAT ALDERMAN FERGUSON IS SPEAKING OF, THEN WE HAVE TO ENFORCE THAT ACROSS THE BOARD EVERYWHERE. AND THAT INCLUDES THOSE LOCATIONS WHERE, UM, WE HAVE SOME VERY WELL INTENDED PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING TO, UM, PROVIDE SOME CARE AND COMFORT FOR SOME OF THESE OTHER COLONIES. SO IT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT IF WE DO THIS, THAT IT SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFIES THAT THE LANGUAGE DOES NOT APPLY TO RESIDENTIAL AREAS. AND I SUPPOSE WE COULD USE THE, UH, ZONING, UH, CODES, UH, TO, TO HELP IN TERMS OF, UM, OF THIS ISSUE. BUT I, I'M, I'M CONFUSED ABOUT WHY WERE YOU SAYING IT SHOULDN'T APPLY TO RESIDENTIAL AREAS? WHAT I'M SAYING IS IF WE'RE GOING TO ENFORCE THE LANGUAGE OF THE CODE IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA, THEN WE HAVE TO ENFORCE IT IN NON-RESIDENTIAL AREAS. MM-HMM . IF WE WANT TO ALLOW THE FEEDING OF FERAL CATS IN NON-RESIDENTIAL AREAS, THEN WE HAVE TO SPECIFICALLY SAY THAT IN THE ORDINANCE. SO CAN WE JUST ADD AN AMENDMENT TO THE ORDINANCE OR WHATEVER IT IS, YOU KNOW, UM, EXCLUDING THE TR WHAT IS IT CALLED? T-N-R-T-N-R PROGRAM. AND THERE'S A COUPLE OF THEM ACTUALLY. AND THEY'RE NOT, WE'LL NEED TO KNOW THE, ARE ANY PROGRAM'S MAYBE APPROVED BY THE ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER OR SOMETHING? I, I'M HAPPY TO SPEED UP. WE DID NOT. OH, WE, WE DON'T HAVE A TNR PROGRAM. NO. IN NEW VERN, WE, WE DON'T HAVE A PROGRAM. NO, I THINK YOU DON'T GET TO INVENT YOUR OWN. I THINK WHAT ALDERMAN ASTRA WAS SAYING, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, HE'S SAYING EXEMPTING, TNR PROGRAMS THAT ARE APPROVED BY THE ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS. SO THAT WOULD REQUIRE EITHER SOME PERMIT SERIOUS, THAT'S YOU. THAT'S, THAT'S NOT THE ANIMAL CONTROL. THIS BOARD WILL, WILL ADOPT A TNR PROGRAM CITYWIDE WITH VERY SPECIFIC CONDITIONS TO AUTHORIZE THAT ONE. WELL, THEY'RE DOING A TR TNR PROGRAM COUNTYWIDE NOW. I MEAN, THEY, THEY SPAYED AND NEUTERED 20, WAS IT 2,600 CATS? HAVE WE HAD ANY DISCUSSION WITH THE COUNTY ON WHETHER THEY WOULD, THROUGH INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT, ENFORCE IF WE ADOPT THAT ORDINANCE AND THEY WOULD ENFORCE IT IN THE CITY LIMITS? UM, YEAH. THIS IS A, THIS IS A BIG DISCUSSION AS YOU'VE ALREADY LIVED THROUGH ONCE, JUST UN UNDERSTAND THAT A TNR PROGRAM, IF NOT ROBUSTLY MANAGED, CREATES A CAT FARM, A NEVER ENDING CAT RANCH. THAT'S WHAT A TNR PROGRAM DOES. IF YOU DON'T ROBUSTLY MANAGE THE HERD, IT JUST CREATES A SANCTUARY FOR CATS TO LIVE IN A ZOO LIKE ENVIRONMENT. SO THE BIG QUESTION WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND AS A COMMUNITY IS WHAT DO WE WANT? [01:40:01] THAT MAY BE GREAT AND THAT MAY BE WHAT WE WANT, BUT IF WE WANT TO MINIMIZE THE CAT HERDS, THEN IT'S, IT'S GOT TO BE DEALT WITH AND BE A BIG POLICY WITH SOME RESOURCES TO GET THOSE HERDS ELIMINATED OVER TIME. SO RASPER BROUGHT UP A, A PROGRAM, I, I WON'T CALL IT A TNR PROGRAM, BUT A, A PROGRAM OF VOLUNTEERS THAT ARE WORKING TOGETHER. MM-HMM . THAT THEY FEED CATS, CARE FOR CATS, TAKE THE CATS TO HAVE THEM SPAYED AND NEUTERED AND THEN RELEASE THE CATS BACK IN THE SAME AREA. BACK IN THE SAME AREA THEY HAVE. YEAH. I MEAN, THERE, THERE'S AN ORGANIZATION THAT DOES THAT. YEAH, I THINK THEY'RE DOING IT RIGHT NOW, KIND OF OFF THE BOOKS. I THINK. I THINK WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS DOING THAT KIND OF OFF THE BOOKS UNOFFICIALLY, WHICH IS, WHICH IS FINE. WELL, LARGELY BECAUSE WE'VE NOT GOTTEN OUR ARMS AROUND. BUT I GUESS MY QUESTION IS IF, I MEAN, UNDER THE ORDINANCE, AREN'T THEY IN THAT SITUATION, IF THEY'RE FEEDING A CAT AND, AND PART AND PARCEL WITH THAT IS TAKING THE CAT TO A VET TO GET SPAYED NEUTERED. THEY'RE, THEY'RE ACTING AS A RESPONSIBLE CUSTODIAN. EXACTLY. MY QUESTION IS, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT CAME UP HERE AND SAID, MY NEIGHBOR'S PUTTING THEM OUT, AND THEY COME AT ALL TIMES OF THE DAY AND IT'S CREATING THESE CAT HERDS AND CAUSING A NUISANCE. AND THAT INDIVIDUAL IS NOT BEING RESPONSIBLE CUSTODIAN. WHY AREN'T, WHY AREN'T WE CITING AND ENFORCING THE ORDINANCE ON THE NON-RESPONSIBLE CUSTODIAN? I SAID TO ME, THERE'S A DIFFERENTIATION. YEAH. HIS IS TO GET THE VOLUNTEERS TO SPAY THE CATS AND NOW HE'S GOT A SPADE CAT HERD THAT, THAT IS CAUSING THE EXACT SAME NUISANCE FOR THESE FOLKS. SO I, YOU'RE RIGHT. SPLITTING THE HAIR DOES CREATE, YOU KNOW, A, A PROBLEM FOR THAT GENTLEMAN. BUT HIS CURE IS JUST TO GET THE VOLUNTEERS TO SPAY THE CATS. AND NOW HE'S GOT A GIANT HERD IN THEIR COMMUNITY. SO, SO ARE THE CATS THAT THEY'RE HAVING AN ISSUE WITH, HAVE THEY BEEN SPAYED AND NEUTERED? I HAVE NO IDEA. NO, NO IDEA. NO, THERE'S NO, NO KNOWLEDGE. MY UNDERSTANDING THAT SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN SPAYED AND NEUTERED, BUT WHEN THEY COME BACK IN, THEY BRING IN DIFFERENT OTHER CATS. SO THAT'S THE PROBLEM. 'CAUSE THERE'S NO ONE OVER THERE MONITORING THOSE CATS. SO THERE'S NEW ONES COMING IN THERE. THE PROBLEM IS YOU CAN TAKE, YOU CAN SPRAY 'EM, YOU CAN TER 'EM, BUT WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE THEM? THAT'S THE PROBLEM. NEED TO HAVE GOT A GREAT IDEA OF WHERE WE CAN TAKE THEM. LET ME ASK A QUESTION TOO, CHIEF, IF SOMEONE CALLS, IF I CALL THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND COMPLAIN ABOUT A STRAY CAT IN MY YARD, WILL Y'ALL TRAP IT? TRY. SO THIS IS A DIFFICULT ANSWER AND IT GOES WITH CAPACITY, THE CAPACITY OF THE ANIMAL CARE FACILITY ABILITY TO HOUSE THAT CAT. OFTENTIMES THERE'S A NO VACANCY SIGN, SO THERE'S NO PLACE FOR US TO TAKE THE CAT. SO IF THERE'S NO PLACE FOR US TO TAKE THE CAT, WE WILL NOT CAPTURE THE CAT. NOW LEMME GIVE YOU ANOTHER EXAMPLE. WE CAPTURE A CAT AND IT'S A CLIPPED EARED CAT. WE IMMEDIATELY RELEASE IT. WE DO NOT, UM, TAKE A CLIPPED EARED CAT TO THE ANIMAL CARE FACILITY IF THERE'S A VACANCY. SO ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE OFTEN HAVE IS HOW, HOW MUCH CAPACITY DO THEY ACTUALLY HAVE AT ANY ONE GIVEN TIME? AND THAT MIGHT BE AT THE BEST. THEY MAY HAVE SIX. AND THEY'RE ONLY GOING TO GIVE NEWBURN SO MANY, THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE PAMLICO SO MANY, THEY'RE GONNA GIVE CRAVING SO MANY. SO IT ISN'T AS IF WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO CAPTURE ALL THE CATS THAT WE WANT AND TRANSPORT 'EM THERE, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO ALLOW THAT. SO THE CAPTURING OF CATS TO WHAT? WE CAN'T TAKE 'EM ANYWHERE, THEREFORE WE WON'T, UM, CAPTURE THOSE CATS. IT'S A DIFFICULT PROPOSITION. I'LL GRANT YOU THAT. THE OTHER ISSUE ABOUT TNR IN THE BIGGEST ISSUE IN NORTH CAROLINA, AND THIS IS NOT A HARD SEARCH, AI WILL HELP YOU OUT IN THIS RESPECT. THERE ARE ONLY TWO MUNICIPALITIES THAT I KNOW OF THAT ACTUALLY USES MUNICIPAL FUNDS TO RUN A TNR PROGRAM. THERE ARE SEVERAL, THERE'S ABOUT NINE THAT ALLOW PRIVATE ENTITIES TO DO IT. THAT'S ON THEIR DIME. THEIR CASE MANAGEMENT, THEY HANDLE THOSE THINGS. I MADE THIS POINT, AND IT'S, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND, WE ONLY HAVE ONE AND A HALF FTES THAT WORK ANIMAL CONTROL CALLS. THEY ARE INCREDIBLY BUSY OUTSIDE OF ANYTHING TO DO WITH FERAL CATS. WE DON'T EVEN HAVE THE CAPACITY TO RUN. EVEN IF YOU, UH, UH, WERE TO ALLOW THE CITY TO RUN A TNR, WE DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO THAT. WE DON'T HAVE THE STAFF [01:45:01] TO DO THAT. WE DON'T HAVE THE EQUIPMENT TO DO THAT. WE DON'T HAVE ANY PLACE TO HOUSE THESE CATS. SO, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, TO SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER, THOSE ARE THE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE. NOW, WE DO HAVE AN ENFORCEMENT COMPONENT. WE CAN WRITE AS MANY CITATIONS AS WE WANT. FOR ANYBODY THAT VIOLATES AN ORDINANCE, THAT'S ONE ISSUE THAT WE CAN ADDRESS. THAT'S NOT A CAPACITY ISSUE. THE OTHER ISSUE IS WHAT DO WE DO WITH THESE LIVING CREATURES? I ALSO WANNA POINT OUT IT IS ILLEGAL. I WANNA MAKE THIS VERY CLEAR. IT IS ILLEGAL TO ABANDON A DOMESTICATED ANIMAL. YOU CAN'T JUST SIMPLY TAKE YOUR DOG OUT HERE AND SAY, OFF YOU GO. THAT'S A CRIME. IT'S THE R IN TNR THAT IS PROBLEMATIC. SO A FERAL CAT, BY DEFINITION IS A DOMESTICATED ANIMAL. YOU CAN'T JUST SIMPLY ABANDON A, A DOMESTIC DOMESTICATED ANIMAL. SO THE NUANCES OF THIS PROBLEM, UM, ARE MANY. AND SO IT'S DIFFICULT FOR ME TO GIVE YOU ABSOLUTE ANSWERS TO SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS WITHOUT CONTEXT ON THE SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT. I MEAN, 'CAUSE RIGHT, I MEAN, I GET IT. I UNDERSTAND IT'S A TWO PART. I MEAN, JUST AS WITH, YOU TALKED ABOUT THIS REPEATEDLY WITH POLICING, IT'S A TWO PART ISSUE. YOU HAVE ENFORCEMENT AND THEN PREVENTION. RIGHT? AND SO, I MEAN, ON THE ENFORCEMENT SIDE, WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE AND THE CONCERN IS, OKAY, WELL, SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT, WHICH I, I PERSONALLY WOULD, WOULD DISAGREE, BUT I THINK WE ARE SO COMPLAINT DRIVEN WHEN IT COMES TO CODE VIOLATIONS. AND AS YOU JUST SAID, OUR ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS ARE NOT, THEY ARE, THEY DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO JUST WALK THE BEAT AND START WRITING CITATIONS. BUT IF THEY GET A COMPLAINT ABOUT A CUSTODIAN, A NON-RESPONSIBLE CUSTODIAN CREATING A NUISANCE FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, I WOULD THINK WE WOULD CITE THAT PERSON. WE WOULD GO AND INVESTIGATE AND CITE THAT PERSON. AND SO I THINK ON THE ENFORCEMENT SIDE, WE NEED TO PUSH FORWARD AND ENFORCE THE ORDINANCE WE HAVE ON THE BOOKS. AND THEN WE, YOU KNOW, WE, A BROADER CONVERSATION ON PREVENTION, WHICH IS DO WE LOOK AT A TNR PROGRAM? DO WE TRY TO PARTNER WITH THE COUNTY? DO WE CREATE A CAT SANCTUARY, YOU KNOW, ON CITY OWNED PROPERTY? UH, I, I THINK ALL OF THAT'S ON A PREVENTION SIDE OF THINGS, BUT I JUST, FOR ME, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE REST OF THE BOARD STANDS. I KNOW YOU ASKED FOR DIRECTION ON ENFORCEMENT. I, I WOULD LIKE ENFORCEMENT OF THE ORDINANCES WE HAVE ON THE BOOKS. CHIEF, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU. SO IF, IF WE GAVE A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES, IF THESE FOLKS IN SOUTHGATE CALLED AND SAID THEY'RE HAVING THESE ISSUES AND STAFF GOES OUT THERE AND YOU WERE TO ENFORCE THE ORDINANCES ON THE BOOKS, YOU WOULD CITE THE NEIGHBOR THAT'S FEEDING THE CATS. IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. WE COULD DO THAT. IF SOMEONE CALLED A, A BOATER CALLS AND SAYS THEY'RE AT LAWSON'S CREEK PARK AND THERE'S CATS ALL AROUND THERE AND THERE'S SOMEBODY FEEDING THOSE CATS, YOU WOULD HAVE TO FIND OUT WHO'S FEEDING THOSE CATS AND CITE THAT PERSON AS WELL. CORRECT? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? THE DILEMMA IS? WELL, I WOULDN'T HAVE TO FIND OUT. I KNOW WHO THEY ARE. SURE. YES. OKAY. SO YES. AND, AND, AND WITHIN THAT CONTEXT THAT, THAT'S THE EQUAL PROTECTION PART. NOW WHAT I TRIED TO, UH, SPLIT THE BABY PER SE, IS YOU CAN WRITE AN ORDINANCE TO SAY FOR RESIDENTIAL YOU CAN FEED THE CATS AT LAWSON CREEK PARK BECAUSE THAT'S NOT A RESIDENTIAL ZONE. BUT YOU CAN'T DO IT IN SOUTHGATE BECAUSE PEOPLE LIVE THERE. SO MR. ATTORNEY, CAN WE HAVE A ORDINANCE, THE CURRENT ORDINANCE, CAN WE CHANGE THAT TO BE EFFECTIVE BY ZONING? I, I, I WANNA THINK IT THROUGH THE MAYOR. OKAY. I JUST WANNA REFLECT ON ALL OF THIS. THERE'S A BIGGER ISSUE THAT I CAN TALK TO THE CHIEF PRIVATELY ABOUT WHETHER THIS GENTLEMAN IS ACTUALLY THE CUSTODIAN AND OWNER, WHICH AT LEAST CAPS INTO SEVEN CATS. SO THERE'S ANOTHER, ANOTHER TOOL TO THINK ABOUT. UM, TO AT LEAST THIN THE WHAT, THE ONLY THING, THE ONLY THING HE THAT MAN'S GOTTA SAY IS HE'S FEEDING HIS OWN CAT AND THE OTHER ONES ARE COMING AND EATING. THAT'S RIGHT. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THE SOLUTION IS, IS WHERE DID YOU TAKE, HUH? THAT'S THE SOLUTION. WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO PUT THE CATS? YEAH. THAT IS THE SOLUTION. DO WE HAVE A BUILDING A CITY OR SOMETHING, A LAND THAT YOU CAN BUILD SOMETHING TO TAKE THE CATS? THAT IS THE ONLY SOLUTION. I KNOW IT'S SOME PROPERTY THAT, THAT'S NOT A SOLUTION. . UM, MR. HUGHES, IS THERE ANY UPDATE THAT YOU CAN GIVE US ABOUT, UM, THE RESEARCH THAT WE REQUESTED AT THE RETREAT? YES. SO RIGHT AFTER THAT WE MET WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY. WE HAD THE POLICE CHIEF ASSISTANT, UH, UH, MANAGER. AND ACTUALLY MARVIN IS DOING HIS RESEARCH NOW. HE'S REACHED OUT TO SEVERAL, UH, ENTITIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE. SO WE'RE JUST STILL COMPILING THAT INFORMATION AND WE'LL COME BACK AND MOST LIKELY MADE IT JUST A, A WORK SESSION. UH, BECAUSE AS, AS YOU CAN TELL THIS, THIS IS EXTREMELY DETAILED. UH, WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH THIS, EVERYONE IS NOT GONNA BE HAPPY. EVERYONE'S GONNA BE EQUALLY MISERABLE WITH, WITH WHATEVER OCCURS WITH THIS. SO I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A DETAILED AND [01:50:01] COMPLEX ISSUE, AND WE'RE TALKING ON THE PREVENTION SIDE, BUT AGAIN, JUST A STRAIGHT ANSWER. CAN WE ENFORCE THE ORDINANCE WE CURRENTLY HAVE? WE CAN. WE SURE CAN. WHAT IS STOPPING US FROM DOING THAT? IT'S A LOT OF CITIZENS THAT ARE GONNA GET CAUGHT UP IN THE CAT DRAG NET IS, I THINK IS THE, IS THE ISSUE THAT THE CHIEF IS CONCERNED ABOUT. WE HAVE A LOT OF CAT LOVERS ALL OVER THE CITY FEEDING CATS. WELL, I, I WOULD SAY JUST AS ALDERMAN FERGUSON MENTIONED, WE MANAGE THESE BY COMPLAINTS. WE GOT A COMPLAINT AND IT SHOULD BE MANAGED. YES, I AGREE. SECOND, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU NEED, BUT I AGREE WITH THAT. I AGREE. AND IF YOU SENT OUT AN EMAIL, I THINK, WELL, YOU SENT ME A TEXT OR SOMETHING ASKING ABOUT SOMEONE'S NAME AND PHONE NUMBER. ARE YOU? DO SO, YEAH, I, I WOULD LIKE TO AND I BELIEVE IT WAS SOMEONE THAT WAS WORK. I THOUGHT IT WAS A TNR PROGRAM, BUT A VOLUNTEER THAT DOES THIS, I WANTED TO REACH OUT TO, IT IS A TNR PROGRAM, THE NAME I GAVE YOU. OKAY. I WANTED TO REACH OUT TO WHO ALDERMAN ASHER HAD INDICATED, HAD SOME EXPERIENCE WITH THIS ON THE PREVENTION SIDE AND, AND TALK WITH THAT PERSON, TRY TO SET UP A MEETING. UM, AND I HAVEN'T DONE THAT YET, BUT I INTEND WELL, CAN LET ME BE INVOLVED IN THAT. IN FACT, YOU TELL ME WHEN YOU'RE AVAILABLE AND LET ME TRY TO SET THE MEETING UP. YEAH. ALRIGHT. I'M RETIRED SO I CAN GO ANY TIME OTHER THAN HERE SHORTLY. I'LL BE OUT OF THE COUNTRY FOR A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE NEED TO TRY TO DO IT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THERE'S MORE, THERE'S SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT NEED TO BE, THAT WE NEED TO SIT DOWN AND TALK TO ABOUT WHAT THIS ABOUT. OKAY. YEAH. NO, I, I, I'LL, BUT MEANWHILE, I MEAN, I FEEL BAD. I FEEL BAD FOR THESE. THERE'S NOTHING WORSE THAN THE SMELL OF CAT URINE AT YOUR FRONT DOOR. YEAH. YOU KNOW, AND YOU CAN'T GET RID OF IT. SO I THINK YEAH, I COMPLETELY AGREE THAT I, IF IT'S COMPLAINT DRIVEN, I THINK WE SHOULD, YEAH. BUT I THINK WE'RE BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE BECAUSE I THINK THE GUY'S JUST GONNA SAY, I'M JUST FEEDING MY ONE CAT TO THE BARKER. OR MEOW. YEAH. MEOW. ALRIGHT, SO I THINK WE BEAT THAT CAT TO DEATH. HORSE TO DEATH. UM, I WANNA TALK ABOUT CANADIAN GEESE NEXT. I'M JUST KIDDING. BUT IT IS A PROBLEM. SCOP DOC. AND THERE'S GONNA BE SOME ACCIDENTS ON MLK. I'M TELLING YOU RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN MARK MY WORD. IT'S GONNA HAPPEN. BUT WE ARE BEING OVERTAKEN BY CANADIAN GEESE. OH, YOU'RE SERIOUS. FEED THEM. WELL, WE, I'M, I'M, I'M LOOKING FOR AN OPEN SEASON IN THE CITY OF NEW BERN. IF WE COULD DO IT BECAUSE WE COULD FEED SOME PEOPLE. SO, OKAY. UH, THAT WAS ALL THAT. ANYTHING ELSE THAT MOORE WANTS TO DISCUSS WHILE WE'RE SUSPENDED? OKAY. IF NOT, DO WE [27. Closed Session.] NEED A CLOSED SESSION? UH, YES, SIR. UH, MAYOR TWO TWO MATTERS. ONE SUBJECT. 1 43 3 11 A THREE TO MAINTAIN OUR ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE. AND THE SECOND, UH, ISSUE. UM, SO IT'S 1 43. 13, 11 8. UH, SIX TO DISCUSS A PERSONNEL MATTER. CAN I HAVE A MOTION PLEASE? SO SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF GOING ENC CLOSED SESSION? SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? WE'RE CLOSED SESSION FIRST ONE. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.