Welcome to the November 19th meeting of the Chapel Hill Town Council.

This is council's final business meeting of the fall season.

We have three items on the agenda for discussion or action.

Um first, we'll consider options for our vacant council seat.

Second, we'll consider a modification to the conditional zoning for one hundred forty-six Stancil Drive.

And our third item is to consider amendments to the town's land use management ordinance.

Council members, immediately following that item, we will be going into a brief closed session.

Before we begin, um, I want to share a message issued yesterday regarding the presence of federal immigration authorities in the triangle.

This joint statement came from the mayors of Carborough, Chapel Hill, and Hillsboro, along with Ori Orange County Commissioner Chair Jamesetta Bedford.

Um, our Orange County Sheriff and the chiefs of police from Chapel Hill and Hillsboro also released a unified message for which we are deeply grateful.

Um before I read the statement, I want to acknowledge the very real fear and uncertainty this situation is causing for many members in our community.

I am deeply proud and grateful for the strong collaboration among our Orange County partners and for our shared commitment to protecting and supporting every member of our community.

So uh we reaffirm that in Carberough, Chapel Hill, Hillsboro, and across Orange County, our communities are made better by the diversity of people within them.

We also ask that community that community members rely on trusted organizations that provide accurate information and assistance.

Yes, I need to speak into the microphone.

So this November, the town of Chapel Hill recognizes the importance of clean, affordable water for all members of our community.

And over 19% of Chapel Hill households live below the poverty level, and many face challenges paying essential water and sewer bills.

Since 1997, the Orange Water and Sewer Authority's Care to Share program has helped local families by providing utility bill assistance, supporting 84 households with more than $25,700 in donations last year alone.

As we celebrate the thankfulness this month, we encourage residents to give back by contributing to Care to Share through their Awasa bill or with a one-time gift.

Together, we can ensure every household has access to the clean water our community depends on.

And we would like to give you all this proclamation with our sincere thanks from our community and from the council.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Our second proclamation is for Small Business Saturday, and I'd like to invite members of our small business community along with Ian Scott from the Chamber and David Putnam, our economic development director, to join Councilmember Sharp up front for that announcement.

The town of Chapel Hill is proud to recognize the vital role that our small and locally owned businesses play in the strength and character of our community.

With more than 9,400 businesses contributing to Chapel Hill's vibrant economy, local entrepreneurs help drive job creation and keep a significant share of spending circulating close to home.

Nationally, small businesses make up 99.9% of all U.S.

firms and employ nearly half of America's workforce, underscoring their essential impact.

In celebration of their contributions and in keeping with the nationally recognized small business Saturday tradition, the mayor and town council officially proclaimed Saturday, November 29th, 2025 as Small Business Saturday in Chapel Hill.

In doing so, we encourage residents and visitors alike to shop local, support our neighbors, and help sustain the small businesses that make Chapel Hill extraordinary.

Thank you all.

And thank you, Councilmember Sharp, a small business owner yourself.

And don't forget to shop small this fall.

Would you all please join Council Member Barry up front for that announcement?

Councilmember, as a heads up, we're all invited to join in the group photo once the proclamation has been read.

And then once everyone is seated again, since this is the first time to my knowledge that we are honoring Native American Heritage Month, Ms.

Indy in North Carolina will share a few remarks with us.

Good evening, everyone.

November is Native American Heritage Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the history, culture, and contributions of American Indian communities across North Carolina and the nation.

With more than 130,000 American Indians living in all 100 counties, North Carolina is home to one of the largest Native populations in the Eastern United States.

We honor the eight state-recognized tribes and four urban Indian organizations that continue to enrich our communities through leadership, culture, and service.

The Town of Chapel Hill proudly proclaims November 2025 as Native American Heritage Month and encourages everyone to learn about and honor the rich traditions, diverse cultures, and enduring contributions of Native Native Americans to our community, state, and nation.

And as the great granddaughter of Native American on my grandmother's on my paternal grandmother's side, I'm especially grateful to be able to present this this evening.

Thank you.

Did you want to present?

We're going to do the photo for some.

Okay.

Oh, and the sash is amazing.

Good evening, everyone.

It is such an honor to join you all and represent the Native people of North Carolina.

My name is Paige Freeman, and I'm a proud citizen of the Lumbia Tribe of North Carolina with strong affiliations to the Cahari and Wacama Suan Tribal Communities.

And I have the absolute honor of serving as the 2025-2026 Miss India, North Carolina.

Outside of my role as Miss Indian North Carolina, I work at the UNC American Indian Center as the program coordinator for community engagement, and I serve on the board for the Triangle Native American Society based in Raleigh, North Carolina.

My platform as Miss Indian North Carolina is titled For Generations to Come.

Through my platform, I travel the state encouraging Native youth to bridge the generational gap and unite with our elders to ensure that our traditions continue for the next generation.

Once again, it's such an honor to be here with you all today.

And I would like to present the council with a few posters to hang up here in the center.

And uh and invite you all to the uh 30th annual American Indian Heritage Month celebration that will be taking place this Saturday at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh.

It will be a day full of culture, community, dancing, music, an amazing celebration of Native American Heritage and Culture.

I will be there serving as the head lady for our Powell, so I would love to see some familiar faces in the audience.