Learning how to do that allows you to build bridges with people that are completely different from you.

Strength in Flight is the title that I have put onto the project we are doing in collaboration with the Charlotte Airport.

We are focusing on invisible and visible abilities that students have as well as the journeys they've gone on.

That's we have students from the Exceptional Children program at West Charlotte High School, which ranges students of all levels of ability and disability.

I have students who are intellectually or physically disabled as well as students who have ADHD or bipolar disorder or other learning disabilities.

We've talked about how to develop a color palette using emotions.

We've looked at artwork by Basquiat to think about how we can include our poetry or written stories about our journeys into artwork.

It's really wonderful to see the different styles of composition they create.

Some of them are very abstracted, and other students are being much more literal in their representation.

The collaboration is crucial.

One of the reasons I love partnering with groups such as the Charlotte Airport.

It allows the students to see how people in the community they want to be involved in the students' lives.

Having that support system where you are locally can change people's lives in terms of what path they want to go on and what they choose to study later on.

The pieces are going to be shared digitally through the airport.

They are also going to have postcards created of them so that people at the Charlotte Airport will be able to take a piece of West Charlotte student artwork home with them, which is such a cool emotion.

And the art will live beyond Charlotte.

Exploring beyond the classroom.

You may have heard by now.

Charlotte's making updates to its zoning map.

It's called alignment rezoning because the goal is to better align the zoning map with city goals and vision set by the 2040 comprehensive plan and policy map.

The project will suggest changes to the current zoning map, but only where the vision and goal for a property detailed in the 2040 policy map does not match the current zoning rules for that property.

Now you may ask, will this impact your neighborhood?

Charlotte zoning map is important to all neighborhoods.

It applies rules that shape the look and feel of each property.

But it's important to know alignment rezoning will not change the zoning of every property in the city.

That means it may or may not affect your neighborhood.

Only properties where rules for vision and growth don't match will receive a recommendation for change.

Want to learn more?

Visit our website now.

Learn about upcoming meetings and even send us your thoughts.

That's all at CLTgov.me slash ARZ.

My name is Calvin Greer, and I am a cat security coordinator.

We actually care about your life.

We actually care about your safety.

We care about how the system runs and how and how everything goes here.

Every day we get up to make cats a better place and we go home at night thinking that we have done that for that day.

Something that we have done that I know helps is we have an individual on our team that started the thing called Cats Connect.

And that is again one of our programs that we have to be able to reach out to people, get them into the services that they need for food, for shelter, for jobs.

Um, that I know that has helped a lot of people.

We go out to a lot of our homeless camps and we give them pamphlet pamphlets on how to get these things done.

And I know a lot of them have actually utilized that system, and that is one thing that I do know that we do that we started here at CATS and it's been working very well.

My name is Todd Scandret, and this is my fiancee, Jen Mazinskis.

We met online, and it's a typical 2025 dating story.

We had a strong personality match, and so I I figured that was enough to reach out and see if something would work.

We were dating a little over a year before I asked her to marry me.

I probably could have asked her sooner because there wasn't a question in my mind.

And I am enamored by it.

He loves queens and everything cleans.

I'm excited to be the first couple married here at the Solenberger Aviation Museum.

It's a very unique place to get married.

It is such a great venue.

The Solomberger Aviation Museum is such a jewel for the Charlotte area.

And it's one of the reasons that I do volunteer here.

The stories that are housed here in the artifacts that are on display.

They have such a strong connection to Charlotte, the Charlotte region in North Carolina.

I fly paramotors.

We had only been dating a couple weeks, and I had this great idea that I would take Jen up on a flight to show her the beautiful North Carolina countryside.

It was a great flight.

It was a beautiful sunset and everything was going great until it wasn't.

When we came into land, it was uh not what we had hoped.

We ended up rolling the paramotor over.

We were both hanging inverted from the harnesses.

And you know, we're kind of looking at each other assessing injuries.

She looked at me and she asked, when are we gonna go again?

And it was at that moment that I knew that uh she was definitely the one.

She was willing to to be there for me through thick and thin and through all the difficulties and challenges, and so not the greatest of dates.

I know.

Well it's so hard to explain my job, that's why.

I bet you thought that uh one of my rate Gotta hold on.

And I know you're gonna use some of this in the beginning of the video too.

My name is Sierra Moskowski, I work airside operations at CLT.

My day-to-day here at CLT is doing 139 inspections for the airfield.

A major part of my day at CLT is being ready to respond for emergency inbound aircraft.

If any aircraft are having an emergency, whether it's landing gear issues or anything that they need, we are there to inspect the runway to make sure nothing is left behind for departing or arriving aircraft after that.

Other job functions we are responsible for are fueling inspections and construction inspections here at the airport for ongoing projects.

I originally wanted to be air traffic control back in college, and then my professor introduced me to airport ops at my old job, and I've never looked back.

Aviation is a very male-dominated career.

It is still very male dominated, but I don't feel excluded as being a woman.

I feel very equal with my team members.

To other women who want to get into aviation, just do it.

I'm never gonna get tired of driving on the runway or watching a plane land and take off in front of my truck.

I love my job.

It is the same as the first day I started.

My name is Sierra Moskowski, and this is my CLT.

Um I've loved it.

It's been so convenient to me.

Unexpected.

There's so many rewards in life.

You coming into our home was one of the greatest we want we could have ever had.

You know, it took 20 years, and I got my third child who was 17 at the time.

It's so cool to watch the adult that you've become, and you really have done as much for us as you think we've done for you, 911, where's your emergency?

First meeting since our break.

So welcome back to everyone.

Really glad to see everyone.

So I want to call the um August 11th, 2025, um, meeting of the Charlotte City Council to order.

Um, I just want to do a little bit of reminder before we get started today.

I want to remind council as well as our public um people that are watching us that we're going to do our meeting a little differently today.

We're going to forgo the forgo.

I can't even say read these days.

The action review that we usually have upstairs for the next two meetings of the council, and we will use this time at the end of this um time that we've done together is to um try to figure out if this something that we want to do long term or with it in another way.

So my understanding is that I hope that we'll be able to for we're going to forego the action review, as I said, for two meetings, and we're going to use that time for mayor and council topics.

And I'd like to try and keep that time under an hour.

That was some of the feedback that we got and plan for each council member to speak around three minutes.

I think we should give this try for the next two meetings, and we'll revisit it September the second and determine if further changes for the framework structure of our meetings may be needed.

If it works, we'll keep it, and if not, we'll try something new.

So now let's start with introductions of the city council members.

Um why don't we start with our city clerk?

Stephanie Kelly, City Clerk.

Anthony Fox, interim city attorney.

Good evening, Marjorie Molina, District 5.

Marcus Jones, City Manager.

By Lyles, Mayor.

Dante Anderson, Mayor Pro Tem, District 1.

Now from Graham District 2.

Ed Drags, District 7.

Edward Peacock, District 6.

Good evening, Lawana Mayfield, Councilmember at large.

Good evening.

I'm Victoria Wattlington, and I have the pleasure of serving you at large.

Good evening, Dimple Archmer at large.

Renee Johnson, District 4.

All right.

We begin our meeting with an invocation, the expressions of disparation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

The invocation by the council members intended to solemnize our proceedings.

We celebrate the religious diversity in our community, including those without a religious faith.

Tonight we're going to have Councilmember Melina give us our invocation.

And following our invocation, please stand and join us in our Pledge of Allegiance.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

And it's not really a formal prayer.

I just want to say that as we gather here this evening, um, let us take a moment to center ourselves in the spirit of connection and understanding.

We're not just here as individuals, but part of a larger community, bridging different experiences and perspectives.

Let this moment be one of shared intention where we invite a sense of purpose, hope, and unity into this room.

May we approach our conversations and decisions tonight with wisdom and empathy.

And may the and may the time we share guide us toward a deeper sense of community and progress.

All right.

Thank you, Miss Molina.

Please stand and join us if you choose in the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

One nation under God.

Thank you.

We will now begin with our consent agenda.

And I believe that the mayor and the consent items have been sent out to the council.

Is there any consent item for a separate vote?

Miss Mayfield.

So one may I would like to thank Marie for responding to all my questions, but I would like to pull out number 31 to speak to it.

All right.

So we will now have the item number 31, which is interpretation and translation and transcription.

It's been a day, guys.

Transcription services.

I'm and it's authorized the city manager to negotiate and execute contracts for the things that we've just spoken with.

And so I believe we have a speaker, Miss Mayfield, to this item.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

So again, item 31 interpretation, translation, and transcription services for this particular item.

What we are asking, what is being asked of council is to authorize the city manager to negotiate with a number of different businesses.

So I asked to Marie what languages are being represented through these services outside of Spanish, also in regards to our sign language and diversity.

And I was pleasantly surprised that what Marie shared with me is in addition to Spanish, these contracts will provide the city with access to interpretation and translation and transcription services associated with the American Sign Language, German, Russian, Arabic, Haitian Creole, Somali, Cambodian, Korean, Thai, Telugu, Chinese Mandarin, Hindi, Ukrainian, Thai, Filipino, Loatian, Ukrainian, French African, Nepali, and Vietnamese.

I don't think that a lot of our community know just how diverse our sign language and also when we have community events, community, you're able to reach out and request for staff to come out that is representing one of these multiple nationalities because we are part of the African diaspora.

But I just thought it was really powerful to know that we have multiple cultures that are represented through our interpretation and translation.

And with that, I will move to approval.

Second.

Thank you very much, Miss Mayfield for that recognition.

Um we have a motion and a second on the floor.

Is there any further discussion?

That motion just for item 31.

Just for item 31.

So we'll start with that one, okay?

All right.

All in favor of the motion, please raise your hands.

Anyone opposed?

So the majority carries that one.

So now we'll go back to the remaining consent agenda items, and I believe are there any other questions about it?

If not, we will have um a motion.

May I have a motion to approve the consent agenda items 25 through 39 with the exception of 31, which has been already approved.

Roll to approval.

So we have a motion and a second.

And a second.

Um any discussion?

Hearing no discussion.

All in favor, please raise your hands.

Anyone opposed?

I don't see anyone with an in opposition.

And so thank you.

We've approved our consent agenda now.

So the next item that we have.

I believe we have a public hearing for asset mark financial holdings business investment grant.

We're going to open that up for a public hearing.

Do we have any speakers, madam clerk?

Without any speakers, um, we have a motion to close the public hearing.

Second, we have a second.

Anyone oppose all in favor?

Raise your hand.

Anyone opposed?

We have no opposition, so we'll move on.

Madam Mayor to approve the uh item B item now.

We have to open, I know we need to approve the item now.

So um we're gonna oh Mayor, my apologies.

Move to adopt A and B.

A and B.

Should have been my motion.

Thank you.

Apologies.

All right, we have a motion and a second for the approve the city's investment grant to asset mark financial holdings for a total of not to exceed more than approximately 87,000 over the next five years.

Um, any other discussion?

Hearing none, all in favor.

Anyone opposed?

All right, so we are ready to move on.

We're now going to talk about another um business investment grant for the ABL USA Inc.

Business Investment Grant.

Do we have any speakers?

No ma'am.

All right, we do not have any speakers.

Do I have any a motion, please?

Move to close the hearing and approve B.

Second.

We have a motion to close the public hearing as well as approve the city's investment grant.

Any discussion?

Hearing none.

All in favor of the motion, please raise your hands.

Anyone opposed?

So the motion carries.

All right.

Now we're going to open the public hearing for city group business investment grant.

Madam Clerk, any speakers?

No, ma'am.

We don't have any speakers.

Do I have a motion to close the public hearing?

Motion to close the public hearing.

Uh Madam Mayor and approve item B.

Thank you.

We have a motion and a second.

Any discussion?

Hearing no discussion.

All in favor, please raise your hands.

Anyone opposed with no opposition?

That is item six.

And so we are ready to move on to the next one.

Now we're going to open the public hearing on a resolution to close portions of right-of-way adjacent to Pearl Park Way.

Madam Clerk, any speakers?

Um ma'am, but that's the map.

Oh, I missed over.

Oh, missed the grant.

We're getting way too much information here.

So let's go to six.

Um, so we have a motion to open have a public hearing for S HSP USLLC business investment grant.

Do we have any speakers?

No, ma'am.

We have no speakers.

Any um move to close the hearing and approve B.

We have a motion to we have a motion to close the hearing and approve the approval of the item.

So all in favor, please raise your hands.

Anyone in opposition?

I believe that's unanimous.

So now we can go to the approve the city's business investment grant to HSP US L L C for a total of not 57.

Oh, am I how come I don't have seven on here?

Another that's what I have.

Seven over here.

Okay, but we did this one over here.

No, we can do seven.

Okay.

Yeah, I have approved the city's public hearing on design and a resolution of close portions of the right-of-way.

They gave me the wrong question.

They gave me the wrong one.

Yeah.

This is great.

All right.

So I am now on this right here.

The seven.

The seven.

Item agenda seven, a public hearing and a decision and a resolution close portions of right-of-way adjacent to Pearl Parkway.

Conduct a public hearing and adopt a resolution to close portions.

Do I have a motion?

So moved.

Second motion and a second.

Any discussion?

Well we can move.

We need to close the motion to public.

No speakers, right?

No speakers.

Okay.

So we have a motion to close the public hearing and approve the item.

So I'm sorry, Madam Mayor.

Do you want to do a friendly amendment, Mayor Purchin?

To your to close the public hearing and adopt B.

Yes.

Yes.

I'd like to make an amendment to uh close the public hearing and adopt A and B.

Number seven.

Second.

All right.

We have a motion and a second.

All right.

Any discussion?

All in favor, please raise your hands.

Anyone in opposition?

So now that closes us up on item number seven.

Okay.

I know that's wrong.

That's wrong.

Somebody gave me that.

It's another public hearing.

I know we have another.

All right.

So we're now going to open the public hearing for the QTR phase one area voluntary annexation.

Do we have any speakers?

Mayor.

Move to close the hearing and appool B.

All right.

We have a motion.

I just have one question, Madam Mayor.

Yes.

What is QTR stand for?

Q well, we got a second it first to open it.

I've got a question first, though.

We got a second it was.

We got a second opening.

So we have a second.

And so now we have a question from Mr.

Peacock about what is the um QTR.

What does it stand for?

Anyone know that?

Sorry.

It just sounds like quarter to me, but you know, like I'm not I'm not sure.

Yeah, I'm just I I didn't know if we had a new local acronym.

She's coming.

Thank you.

It's a significant hidden meaning behind QTR.

We asked the petitioners to choose a unique identifier for their annexation area name for recreation purposes.

I can get a follow-up from the petitioner for for you.

Okay.

I just I thought it was a city term.

I didn't know.

No, no, no.

It's probably just a term that's an abbreviation for their subdivision.

Very good.

Thank you.

Okay.

No further questions, madam mayor.

No further questions.

Okay, now we have a motion.

And a second.

And a second.

All in favor, please raise your hand.

Anyone in opposition?

All right.

That carries us through on item number eight.

All right.

So the next item is item number nine.

We're going to open a public hearing for Sunset Metals Area's volunteer area voluntary annexation.

Do we have any speakers, Madam Clerk?

Come in.

With no speakers.

Um do we have a recommend a motion?

Move to close the hearing adopt the annexation.

We have a motion to close the public hearing and adopt.

Is there any discussion?

Neither hearing no discussion.

Second.

That's right.

We needed a second.

Thank you.

We have a second.

Is there any sorry?

Did I wasn't sure?

Ms.

saying so?

Okay.

We're good.

We had a second, so okay.

I just wondered.

So we're now going to um have a motion and a second.

So all in favor, please raise your hands.

Anyone in opposition, Miss I'm raising my hand in favor.

Okay, thank you very much.

All right.

So the next item is item.

We have a motion to close the public hearing and adopt an ordinance with an effect.

No, thank you.

10.

No, I know it's 10, but I'm just ready.

Okay.

So we're on item 10.

We're now going to open the public hearing for the retreat at Tilly Manor Voluntary Annexation.

Madam Clerk again.

No, ma'am.

No speakers.

All right.

We have no speakers.

Do we have a motion?

Move to close and approve B.

Second.

We have a second.

Any discussion?

Hearing no discussion.

All in favor, please raise your hands.

Anyone oppose?

So we're ready to move forward to the next one.

So the next item is we'll move to the policy section of our agenda.

City manager, do you have any updates for the council this evening?

Absolutely, Mayor and members of council.

I'd like to uh formally introduce you to our newest deputy city manager, uh Donnie Hamilton Jr.

Donnie.

Donnie and so Donnie uh there he is uh Donnie's first day he uh went through orientation and uh he is going to help us manage the transition of cats to the transit authority um with the with the passage of the um legislation he'll work with the other deputies cats uh c dot hr IT and other departments um this transition is going to take a heavy heavy lift and having someone like Donnie on the team is extremely important.

So Donnie is a nationally recognized expert in transportation finance.

He has extensive experience leading complex infrastructure projects.

He has 20 years of experience working with roadway, rail, and public transit industries.

His expertise in uh transportation combined with his passion for building resilient uh people-centered cities makes him an ideal fit as we navigate this transformational um period.

I'm confident in his leadership, and I believe he's going to fit very nicely into the organization.

So welcome, welcome home, Donnie.

Welcome.

All right, so the next item that we have is item number 12, a municipal agreement for traffic signal installations at South Trion Street and Tyvola Center Drive.

Um, is there a motion to adopt a resolution authorizing the manager to execute the municipal agreement with NCDOT and the amount of 91,000 dollars and adopt a budget ordinance appropriating the 91,000 dollars to the capital Carol to the North Carolina Department of Transportation and to the General Capital Projects?

Move to approve A and B.

Second.

We have a motion and a second.

Is there any discussion?

Hearing no discussion, all in favor, please raise your hands.

Anyone in opposition?

Thank you very much.

The next item is item on general obligation refunding bonds for item 13.

There is there a motion to introduce a bond order authorizing the issuance of general obligation refunding bonds not to exceed over two 20 million dollars.

Um adopt a resolution making certain statements of fact concerning the proposed bond issuance and setting public hearing for the August 25th, 2025, and authorize the city officials to take the necessary actions to complete the financing, including making application to the local government commission.

Move to approve AB and COVID.

We need to clarify the amount.

I'm just saying, noting that the amount should be 201 million five hundred and ten thousand.

Right.

All right, so second, that's the motion.

That is the motion.

All right.

All in favor.

Please raise your hand.

Anyone in opposition?

All right.

So that passes.

Item 14 is the Metropolitan Planning Road Program Grant Municipal Agreement for item 14.

Is there a motion to adopt a resolution authorizing the city manager to negotiate and execute a municipal agreement with NC DOT and to approve ABNC matter?

All right, we have a motion and a second.

Do we need to city attorney?

Do we need to read them?

Sorry.

Do we need to read them?

Do we need to hear them read?

No, because it's okay.

Fine.

Thank you.

Just reference agenda item.

A B and C of the agenda item 14.

Okay.

All right.

All in favor of the motion, please raise your hand.

Anyone in opposition?

So that mess that passes.

So the next item is there a motion to sign a memorandum of understanding with Mecklenburg County regarding the establishment of a voluntary agricultural district program within the city of Charlotte and the city's extraterritorial reserve jurisdiction.

Move to approve second.

Miss Molina.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I just got a quick piece of clarification.

There was a lot of information sent home in the packets this weekend about this.

Can we just get a little bit more information around what this is and why?

Just for better understanding.

I mean, I I read a lot of it, but I just want to understand, you know, um, I guess where does this fit into the greater plan or I love that it's you know involved with sustainability, but maybe you can give more information around that.

Sure.

Monica Holmes, I'm the interim planning director for the city of Charlotte, and I have with me Aaron Stanford, sustainable committee for Mecklenburg County.

Right.

And uh we Aaron can give a brief overview of the purpose of the program, and I can answer any questions specifically about the city and our role with it.

So essentially, this is a program that's operating in 93 other counties within the state of North Carolina.

It gives farmers the opportunity for recognition around their agricultural achievements in the county while also not having any sort of tax obligations to them.

Yeah, that that's actually that's not something that you would think about in our city, like you know, protecting the farmers and stuff like that.

I thought it was really neat.

I read the memorandum, but I you know, like I said, for public consumption, I just to say that we're taking that step to join some of our rural partners here in you know in the city of Charlotte and you know, in our extraterritorial jurisdiction, I think it's a good move.

So I'm definitely willing to support it.

It's just really making sure that, like I said, for public consumption, um, that information.

We do have a lot of information, so if anybody has any questions, they could reach out to us.

So thank you for your work and uh and I love the collaboration, it's really good.

Ms.

Hajmira, followed by Mr.

Peacock.

Yes, thank you, Madam Mayor, and thank you, Councilmember Molina, for highlighting this.

Uh, this is something that Nancy Carter and Barbara Blywise, they've been working on this for many years to preserve our farmland.

As you know, as we are seeing development happening at such a high pace, we are seeing more and more farmland that is um that is going away.

And as we are working towards uh really preserving our ecosystem, this will play an important role.

I have had conversations with Barbara about this.

They've been waiting on this for a long time.

So I'm glad to see this on the agenda because this will help us work with the county, the soil and water board, which Barbara is the chair of along with Nancy Carter and other board members to help urban farmers.

Uh we I did attend one of the events with urban farmers, and this issue had come up where uh with growth, our farmers are feeling pre pressure.

Uh so I'm excited to see this, and hopefully, we will see more urban farming, at least preserving what we have at the end of the day.

That's all I thank you.

Mr.

Peacock.

Staff presentation indicates benefits.

Any challenges by doing a voluntary agricultural district ordinance and proceeding forward.

I will say it's a state program and it does not supersede any sort of local zoning ordinances, just to make it really clear.

Yeah.

So we don't see, I mean, that hence why we're here.

We don't see any issues.

It is one of the goals in the 2040 plan to have healthy, safe, and active communities, and there are several goals around urban farming and agriculture.

So we see it as an opportunity to align.

Um, and why we're bringing it to you is we don't really see any particular drawbacks or reason why we should not participate um in the program.

Mr.

Drake's uh just briefly, based on earlier conversations, all of the other towns in Mecklenburg County have already approved this.

What we're being asked to do is agree to a memorandum of understanding with the county to allow them to move ahead.

I like the idea of having local produce available in the farmers market.

It's about one percent of the land area of Charlotte.

So I hope we can all get together around this one.

There is just one one um slight tweak to that statement.

So Mint Hill is the only one aside from Charlotte has not approved this.

We are on the agenda for this coming Thursday.

So we have MOUS from everybody else, less Charlotte and Methill.

I got tripped up.

Okay.

Close.

We're very close.

Good.

Okay.

So we'll take a tour of urban farm.

Yeah.

I I actually have a picture of an urban farm in my office.

It's got a guy that's um I don't know if it's a strong and he's got a plow.

It's I mean, there used to be places around the city that you could see that was just like that.

Yeah, while a go.

Oh wow, wow, wow.

Okay.

All right.

So thank you.

Thank you very much.

All right.

We still have to vote for this after all of those speeches.

Did we move did we get a motion to adopt the question?

I believe we have a motion.

We already have a motion and a second.

So all in favor, please raise your hands.

Is anyone opposed?

So we are not opposed.

So now let's go to our um next item, which is a conversation.

The nominations for the city council will also consider nominations to various boards and commissions tonight.

The council members have submitted their nominations earlier to the clerk via email or in just um handing them to you.

Names of nominees will not be read at the dais tomorrow.

The clerk will email the city council and the names of applicants that have received at least two nominations.

These candidates may be considered for appointment at the next business meeting.

Any applicant receiving six or more nominations can be considered for appointment tonight upon a upon a motion, second and majority vote of the council.

The names of all nominees will be recorded in the official minutes of the meeting.

The clerk will now proceed in announcing the results of the nominations.

Madam Clerk.

So that will come back to you at your next meeting for the one vacancy for the recommendation from the Hispanic Contractors Association.

Both received greater than six.

It looks like nine nominations.

Fernando Ramirez representing the Latin American Chamber of Commerce has received in excess of six nominations.

For the Citizens Review Board, Deborah Ford received six nominations.

And for that position for the domestic violence advisory board.

Second.

All right.

Ms.

Johnson, would you want to be recognized?

Yes, thank you.

If the clerk needs more time, if will more time allow you to have more results.

Yes.

Can we can we move the results to the end of the meeting?

Because it is pretty early for her.

Well, I don't know what the process I think that she is.

We have a motion on the floor for this one.

Mayor, can we make an amendment?

Yeah.

Make an amendment to the motion so that our clerk, since we are supposed to have a meeting by noon or earlier in the day, if someone was able to get into right now, we want to give the clerk enough time to calculate because it very well could change one of the nominations.

Okay.

Madam Clerk, you have some time to work through this, and we will try to include this.

Come back on.

We have a motion on the floor, but we're just going to go back and unless we can approve the people who got six amended the motion.

Well, she usually doesn't do that until the next meeting, and so that now she's being asked to look at all of the names.

So I know let me put it this way.

I know that the clerk has a process, and I want to make sure that she has the ability to maintain that process.

Right, and we want to make sure the records correct.

I mean, some people who have six might actually have more.

So thank you.

Thank you.

So it's a motion to send it to me.

The maker of the motion is going to amend the motion to defer this item to later in this meeting.

So we have a request for the makers of the motion to withdraw that motion so that we can come back at the end of the meeting.

I formally withdraw my motion.

Okay.

Second.

All right, Mr.

Driggs.

Okay.

Thank you.

So we'll come back at the end of the meeting.

Okay.

Here we are.

We'll approve anything.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

All right.

Okay.

Okay.

The next item.

Actually, this concludes our business items for the voting this evening.

Um, next in accordance with our previous discussions and your input having additional time for discussion.

I'll now open the floor for council topics.

In order to ensure that all council members have the opportunity to speak, I propose that we go around the dais one by one, and I would ask that each council member confine their comments or questions to three minutes, especially since we will have a closed session following this meeting tonight.

Um and we'll use the council's current rules of procedure to guide us.

As I put in the member, I believe the rules of procedure address many of the issues that have come up, including how to add items to the agenda.

As a reminder, I'd like to ask the city attorney to explain how council members can request to put items on an agenda.

Mr.

Fox.

Good evening.

The ability for council to add items on the agenda is governed by Rule 4 of your rules for procedure.

That rule imposes the uh obligation for the preparation of the agenda on the city manager.

And the mayor and the manager can place any item on the agenda.

The only uh caveat is that the uh the council shall receive a copy of the of that agenda and the agenda will be made available for public inspection.

That's on the rule 4A.

Rule 4B deals with consideration of the agenda and it's it provides that you as a council need to should confine your discussion to those items that are um only those items that are on your agenda uh on if there's an issue raised during a citizen forum, um that item uh can be considered uh and discussed, but no action can be taken on on that item at that meeting.

Um rule 4C deals with items that are not on the agenda, and it simply provides that if an item is uh um matters not on the agenda may be discussed at the completion of the agenda.

So at the end of your meeting, you could bring forth and discuss items that are not on the agenda, but no formal action can be taken by an item that's not on your agenda unless all of your council members uh vote to add the matter to the agenda.

That requires a unanimous votes.

Um the next item is 4D, which deals with the placement of items on your agenda, and that simply provides that any member of the council may request the city manager to place an item on the future agenda, and that can be during the course of the meeting.

Um if there is no objection, then the item is going to be uh uh included on future agenda.

If there is objection by any member of the council or by the manager, then it must go to a vote.

And at that point it requires a majority vote of at least six uh members of the council is required to include the item on the future agenda.

And that's what your rule provides.

All right.

Thank you very much for that.

Finally, I think that Mr.

Fox has said that you I want to make the point that something does not have to be on an agenda for council members to ask questions or to get additional information.

Actually, any member can request information from the manager or the city or have opportunity to work with Alexis to assist with those questions that they want to have and have that research.

And there's so what we're trying to do is increase pathways for people to get more information and questions answered that are not a council meeting agenda.

I also asked the manager to provide a written update on key topics that I believe everyone got in the packet.

Council received those in your Thursday packet.

This structure will provide the opportunity for council editions to proceed without objections while also allowing time for the body to weigh in on future agenda items.

If a new item is added, it can be placed on a future strategy session agenda for discussion.

The intent of all of this is to be responsive to the council's request and to manage a meeting efficiently and orderly.

So unless there are additional questions, if there are there additional questions, Mr.

Driggs.

We used to have a rule that said that a request that required more than four hours of staff time to accommodate called for a vote.

Are we gonna still play by that rule?

I think that that's one of the things that the council will have to decide.

Um I think that rule has been successful in many ways, but because it really requires the commitment by the council to say this is what we want to have done.

But in our it is not in our existing Mr.

Fox, is it in our in a I don't I don't think it's in your current rules of procedure, it may be in your policy of the council now.

It was more of a policy than it was.

So why don't we um recognize that and have that as something to discuss at the next meeting?

We did.

Yeah, we definitely did.

Yeah.

I mean, I don't it could be a legacy.

Okay, we're we're having a research project here.

We're gonna check the um rules of sounds like a good rule.

You can't have one person.

Okay.

Yeah.

All right.

That's great.

Let's do that.

Let's why don't we why don't we send it out tomorrow on that, and then we can decide whether or not you want to have that placed on an agenda or not.

Okay.

I do recall how it was done just because we wanted to make sure that the time spent was appropriate.

So all right.

So I believe now it is time for us to actually begin our discussion.

And I want to start with our um we'll start with Ms.

Ejmira.

Oh, I was in ready.

Any questions comments or can you come back to me?

I'm still processing my thoughts.

Okay.

All right.

All right.

So now we'll go to who's gonna be who wants to start off this.

Mr.

Driggs will start and then we'll come around that way.

Okay, Mr.

Driggs.

So I just wanted to share with the council that on August 6th, the Board of County Commissioners had a meeting to consider the question of putting on the ballot for November the one cent sales tax.

Uh and I will note for anybody who didn't see it, this place was absolutely packed.

Um there was a lot of lively discussion.

I think I can fairly report that the uh preponderance of the public comments were favorable, coming from a diversity of constituencies, including disabled people, business leaders, writers, and so on.

Um there was certainly some distent dissent, and I think we're aware that some people have raised questions about the some of the particulars of the plan, but in any case, the outcome was that the commissioners voted 8 to 1 to place the uh the item on the the referendum on the ballot in November, and I personally would just like to appreciate uh express my appreciation to the commissioners for their cooperation with us in the pursuit of these goals.

Uh I think we've worked together for a long time.

Uh Ms.

Aldman has been a leader on the transportation matters for them, and it was just a good moment for the county and the city.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Driggs.

All right, Mr.

Peacock.

No comment.

Ms.

Mayfield.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I would like for consideration for the manager to allow through housing and neighborhood services and public safety for us to get an update, and I think it will be helpful if we reach out to a couple of our partners like Dream Key and a couple of others, so that we can get an idea of what the potential financial impacts would be under the current administration, specifically around subsidies.

We have a number of projects that we have funded where we have members of our community that will receive a thousand dollars or more in subsidy if we're already hearing that some of our nonprofit partners are having to shutter.

So, what would the potential impact for that be?

One for that individual, because we don't want to be the one that caused an eviction on someone's record, but also for that building, if that building has a high percentage of individuals that are 30 percent and below or receiving a substantial subsidy, and there's not a conversation regarding how do we plug that particular gap, what can happen to that building.

We have a little over 58 million left in trust fund dollars.

I would like for a full council to have that presentation so that we can have transparent conversation versus just approving more potential multifamily.

Let's look at the potential financial impact going into the next year or so if that were to happen.

And I think our partners would be the ones that seeing the direct impact, whether a combination of our development partners and our nonprofit partners that provide that additional financial assistance would be helpful.

Miss Mayfield, I go on.

I want to appreciate you been on this issue.

You've always had this kind of like let's get ahead of what we need to do.

I wonder if we should invite and Livian to come over in that group as well because that will be something that I think will be easier that you know you don't know what's going to happen, but I would like I think that expertise would be very helpful.

And Madam Mayor, I think that will be helpful.

We all did receive an email earlier this morning from Mr.

Meachum that identified some funding and budgets have not been approved that actually lets us know where we stand, but between the work they do as well as Dream Key and another, I think it would be helpful for us to just again stay ahead of the conversation.

Yeah, and and for our developers that are doing this home, this kind of work.

Thank you.

Okay, Miss I was gonna go with Miss Watlington.

Ms.

Watlington.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um so firstly, um, I wanted to say that I'm very glad to see some of these adjustments.

I'm glad to see council topics uh come back to the agenda.

I know there's been a good bit of conversation back and forth about process improvements, and so I'm happy to see that it's starting to come to fruition.

Um, so looking forward to continuing um that process.

I wanted to add to what Councilmember Mayfield was just talking about.

I think, in addition to what she's brought up, which I think she's spot on, um, is I've requested for housing staff to bring us back an update on the current state of housing in terms of unit production and vacancy rate.

Uh, I recall we had a conversation some years ago when we talked about whether or not we truly had a unit gap or if it was just a unit at the wrong price point gap for the needs of the community, and I think that that will inform our our focus areas in terms of how we need to be working with our existing um property owners to hopefully better utilize what's already in the market.

Uh, and then the second thing that I wanted to bring up was in relation to what Councilmember Jiggs brought up as far as the transportation uh tax work.

There have been a number of conversations that I know many of us have had with constituencies, and there are a couple of items that I know folks are hoping that we are able to get in front of and do some work around ahead of November's decision.

Uh several of the items certainly are outside of our purview, but there were two that came to mind that I hope that we can get on our agenda uh to discuss and do some work around.

The first one being a stronger um a stronger set of language for the MOU between Mecklenburg County and ourselves on orphan roads.

Want to make sure that our folks in the ETJ feel comfortable that the work that we're gonna do is gonna that they're gonna be invested in in regards to that.

And then the second piece is as we talk about small business participation, there's been a very, very strong desire to understand what that plan looks like, um, especially uh as it relates to participation goals versus the blue line.

So I want to make sure I know we've been doing a ton of work with that.

I see Monica here.

I want to make sure that we're all aware of what that looks like so that we can help communicate that plan.

Thank you.

Ms.

Mira.

Yes.

Uh thank you, Madam Mayor.

Uh I also agree with Councilmember Watlington on the request that she made around small businesses and our overall plan.

Uh, but I have one specific request, and that is for our help protect our urban uh nature.

So I'm sure many of you received an email about our current ordinance that discourages home and business owners from practicing land stewardship and pollinator conservation on their properties.

So I would like us to visit their ordinance.

Um Winston Salem has this updated ordinance that allows exemption for naturalistic landscape, right?

Because we want to support pollinators, wildlife, sustainability, and that actually aligns with our overall CAP goals.

Uh so I would like us to visit that.

Uh, there was an email request that we all received from our wildlife federation.

And I know some of them, I have had a meeting with them earlier today.

Uh, and this federation and coalition is very committed to helping us learn more about this, what other cities have done.

Uh, but I would like uh City to look into this and see if we can update our ordinance to align with our sustainability goals.

That's all I have.

Thank you.

Okay, so um Mayor Pro Tem.

Yes.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Uh, two points.

One is I just wanted to remind council we celebrated uh Pride Month in June before the city of Charlotte, our Pride Month is this month, and we have our celebration coming up this weekend, and um the entire Pride Festival will be in First Ward Park, which is in District One.

Um I'm really happy and proud about our Pride celebration.

We actually have the third largest pride celebration in the United States.

So we'll we'll have a ton of visitors who will be visiting the Queen City and eating in our restaurants thing and our hotels, spending lots of money.

So I just wanted to underscore that and celebrate this weekend.

The second piece I wanted to just highlight is you know, um, council did some really great work around the street vending pilot before we went on holiday, and um I've been hearing really good feedback from the community around that small businesses and neighborhood uh residents are very happy that we took action.

So I want to thank the committee for taking the action that they've taken and the entire council for voting for that.

Um, however, outside of NODI, NODI is the location of the pilot over the next six months, as you all know.

Um but outside of NODA, in particular in Uptown and South End, we're having a very serious problem with street vendors, in particular food street vendors that continue to have open flame and unregulated activities late in the evening, and there has been some correlation with those particular vendors late in the evening that are open when the bars close that uh promote congregation continuance of congregation uptown and in South End that could potentially lead to unsafe situations and criminal activity.

So I just wanted to highlight that for you know our our CMP CMPD officers and um code enforcements and others.

We really need to make sure that we're getting into Uptown and South End late at night to uh make sure that any vendors that are are out there are out there legally and that they are abiding by the food and beverage laws and making sure that they have uh a permit to do so.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Mr.

Graham uh thank you, Madam Mayor Mayor.

Uh just wanted to express to the council that amateur sports and entertainment continues to be a major um economic driver for the city and the military games, which is the second largest international games will be played in Charlotte in 27 and 31.

It's huge uh in terms of its impact for not only in the city but as well as the the county uh and the region, right?

Um all the talk uh in reference to transportation is really about regionalism uh and um the military games certainly have an impact in the region and throughout the state of North Carolina, so we look forward to hosting them.

Uh uh Marjorie and the good folks at District 5 continues to move forward with Eastland Yard Yards and the amateur sports complex uh is coming along great.

Right.

We had an update at the uh economic development committee last week, and uh we're really getting close to a groundbreaking over there sooner than get later.

Um staff is starting I's crossing T's uh in terms of um that uh and uh football season is back, and that means a lot of activities in Uptown Charlotte uh following the Carolina Panthers uh and um uh again that's a shot in the arm for travel and tourism for sure.

Uh and then a shameless plug.

Um I'll be hosting uh my tournament, the Charlotte Amateur Tennis Championship, uh September 12th through the 14th.

We're expecting about 450 players to play at four sites uh throughout the city.

Um Jeff Adams Tennis Center, Marion Dale Tennis Center, Park Road Park, and Mars Park High School for juniors from 10 to 18 uh to uh uh amateur players in the city LT6 level and for club pros.

And again, we're expecting about 450 players to play in the uh in the tournament.

So that's huge.

And then lastly, and changing the conf conversation significantly, right?

Um, crime and public safety continues to be a um a thorn in the side of many of the residents, notwithstanding the the crimes that's what we got that are really really good, right?

All moving in the right direction, but we're still dealing with the real problem of perception, uh, and it's really not perception because three people were killed on three consecutive weekends in Uptown Charlotte.

That's not perception, that's reality.

Um we continue to struggle on Catherine Simmons uh in reference to laundry and business ownership allowing the bad habits to continue.

I think I have a meeting tomorrow with attorney Fox and others to discuss that uh and certainly the good work that um councilmember Anderson is doing on I-85 and Sugar Creek.

I mean, those continue to be a thorn in our side, and um and some of it is possession, but others are real, and so we have to find a way uh to be compassionate about what's happening in our community.

But Mr.

Manager, if we if we don't um measure um crime stats and quarters of opportunities, then I think we're kind of not looking after the investment that we're making.

Thank you.

Start down here, Miss Brown.

Let me say Miss Molina, thank you, Madam Mayor.

But what it's going to mean for uh the 6300 existing households that actually surround uh Harrisburg Road, it's going to mean 2.2 miles of new sidewalk, um, 919 planned housing units, uh, three signal pedestrian crossings, uh, four bus mobility hub improvements, uh, 5.7 miles of street lighting.

That's that's significant along what is now a very, very dark corridor.

Um four miles of traffic signal fiber optics for that particular network, um, new traffic signals and um intersection upgrades along uh pedestrian upgrades, four of them along that corridor as well.

And and that this has nothing to do with the one cent sales tax.

This is literally actions that we have taken as this council in one of the two um strategic investment areas that are piloted.

I think the next one, Mr.

Manager, is Arrowwood Road.

Am I wrong?

That's right.

No, it's somewhere in district three.

It's in district three, it's in your district.

Um, so we're going to take all of our lessons learned from these two particular implementations, and we're going to carry that across all 22 strategic investment areas across our city.

So, you know, just lifting that up.

Um with so much more of the work that we've done.

I I think we have a lot of things that we can be proud of across the city, and this is just one of many in district five that we've been able to accomplish.

So that's all I have.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Ms.

Johnson.

Thank you, Madam Mayor, and thank you, Councilmember Melina, for saying that.

It's you said it we work as a team, and I know that our our districts are adjacent.

So uh some of that might, you know, some of it is more.

I was in Old Stone Crossing yesterday and I was at an address that was actually in District 5.

Yeah.

So we work very closely.

So thank you for saying that.

Um another thing, um, council member um Graham mentioned the military games, and I want to congratulate Daryl Bonaparte, he's a local resident.

He reached out to me.

He reached out to me and told me about it, and I was able to connect him with the organizer.

So um I hope that he's gonna be a part of that.

So that's exciting.

He called everybody, he called me too.

Yeah, yeah.

So that was a district five resident.

I think yeah.

Um Mr.

Fox, you mentioned the citizen forum.

Um, and you said items from the citizen forum can be discussed, and I just want to lift that up and thank you for saying that because that's one of the things that we're not currently doing.

Uh, when citizens come down and they they come down with care and practice, you know, they'll present to us, and currently we don't we're not in the practice of interacting or asking questions.

So I think that that's something since it is in the rule and we're making changes to be more transparent and and um and interactive.

I think that this is a time that we might consider that.

Um if if council members do have questions, I think that it makes the citizens feel more heard.

Um, lastly, I would like to talk about the procurement policies.

I think that there's an opportunity to talk about procurement policies in future meetings.

If if that's there's an opportunity to send that to the uh uh um committee.

Mr.

Jones, you you talked you mentioned before recently that there was an update, and the CBI and procurement department were now are they a standalone department or can you give us an update?

Yes, one of the um I guess three moves we made in this budget uh was to merge uh procurement with CBI, and so we're in the uh process of uh recruiting a director and with the whole goal of uh being a bit more seamless between the two um offices.

Right.

So I really think this is a great time to to lift up our procurement policies.

Recently um I learned that there was a minority contractor that was the lowest bidder.

And when I did some research, I talked to Thomas Power, one of our city attorneys, and this one of the statutes allows council to negotiate with the lowest bidder in if they're over budget, right?

If they're over budget and and we need to negotiate, there's a statute 143-129 that allows that, but then there's another separate authority, 1987-151 that allows the city manager to reject all bids without coming to council.

So if we can get some information about that, Mr.

Fox.

Um, I think I don't know if those are conflicting laws.

When I asked Thomas about it, it was my understanding that that one did not supersede the other.

It sounded like there was a choice of when one was applied.

So I would like to take a look at that.

Um, anything from 1987, we know that that was part of the processes back then that might have led to displacements and us being 50 out of 50.

So I think this this is a fair time to take a look at our procurement policies and see if there's anything that can be done and improved.

So that's all I have.

All right.

Thank you.

Okay, Madam Mayor, quick question.

So now that we've instituted this, is this a time where we get to share with the manager things that we would like him to look into and bring back and speak to the community for upcoming events.

Years ago, we had something very similar.

So this was the time for both sharing what we would like to have addressed by the manager and speaking to the community.

I think that what the plan, I mean, of course, you have the options to do this, but what it was was to have people address these um comments or the kinds of things that we were talking about.

I think that the manager still has meetings with every council member, and I don't think that we were thinking that big, but it's up to you guys.

Let's just put it on and say how it works.

I I think to council member Mayfield's question.

We saw that tonight.

Right.

Some were questions, some were events.

I thought it went well.

So I appreciate us having to do this, so I'm gonna ask for forgiveness because there was a piece that I forgot, and it ties in with my colleague.

The other pieces for the community specifically as you come down to enjoy Charlotte Pride, just want to highlight cats because CAS has instituted a all-day pass for only ten dollars.

It's actually a two-day pass or a weekend pass for only ten dollars so that you don't have to drive and try to figure out parking.

You can use our light rail system and/or our bus system during Charlotte Pride weekend.

So I thought that was a really good opportunity and just further commitment of cats during S part to move people around.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I I would like to take this opportunity to follow up on um Mr.

Graham's um comments about safety.

Yesterday 10 um after church, I went to look at Catherine Simmons, as well as the food lion.

Um right across the street.

Um it was really difficult because I think that this is so much more about mental health.

There were two security guards outside the store.

Keeping this person that obviously was having a mental health episode, and it was very very difficult for anyone to come into that store or be a part of you know this.

So this is more than it's more than I can imagine right now.

And I know that there's also been a discussion with the TD bank all the way down to the people that we we so hard put out all of those opportunities for people to have ways that they want to do business.

So I had the opportunity to be with the Mackin girls who have the bridal shop.

And basically, we really need to have a discussion about mental health because of the things that are going on in that area.

And I think that I remember see it as when we had the library, a lot of people went to the library.

That's where their safe space was and all of that.

And we do not have those spaces now.

And I think it's becoming very difficult to integrate commerce with the idea of mental health and the people that really need a lot more association with doctors and places to go.

So at some point, I know that we're all working on what needs we need to have to be safe, but I think that we are limited in some of the resources that we need to have people that perhaps can't stay in their home.

Thank you, because they are not healthy or wealthy or or have people to help them be in their homes.

So I I really hope that as we continue this discussion, that we don't always frame it as something that's really around guns or or fighting and all of that, because I think sometimes it's just people don't have a place to go.

And that is very, very difficult right now in this community.

And so if we can start to think about how this works, or how do we bite off something, um, even when we have the away, I mean the the shelters that we have, that's not enough because the shelters can't do all the mental health work that's being done.

So I know that the manager is doing a lot of work around how do we get more ideas and uh access for people, and I think that when we start having these conversations broader, that we need to have a conversation that really addresses mental health and the ability for people to have a decent place to live.

So can I can I make a comment?

Uh and I think you're you're you're absolutely right.

But mainly the district rest has been talking about this for years in terms of better collaboration between the county and the city on issues related to mental health and substance abuse.

We're seeing it on I-85 and Sugar Creek, we're seeing it on uh on Baysford Road, we've seen it on Wilkes and Boulevard, and so it's not an old topic.

It's it's a continuing topic of we can as a community get our hands around it to it where you have business owners that take advantage of these individuals by continuing to sell them fortified beer, liquor, and wine, and allow them to consume it on their property, uh, and then you got a mess.

And I think again, notwithstanding the strives that we're making throughout the city crime-wise, there are still these pockets that are on our corridors that despite our cures team and others that are working collectively together.

Um we have to I I don't want to use the I'll use it, we have to crack down on business owners who are allowing this behavior to continue, right?

And we've been nice, we've been passive, we've been um provide resources and services, um, but people are hurting, uh, and we have to provide answers, and part of the answer is you know, working with some of these business owners who are supporting our efforts, and then really having a hard conversation with those who aren't uh who are uh taking advantage of these individuals.

Right, Mr.

Driggs and then Mayor Pro Temp.

Uh just comment briefly the difficulty here is often the fact that people with those illnesses don't want to be held in and therefore you end up in a somewhat coercive situation where you're trying to impose the treatment or whatever.

Some people get put into a shelter and they leave again and they're back under the bridge.

So I just want us not to underestimate the difficulty.

I agree that we need to cooperate with the county.

This is a DSS and a city problem.

And they certainly deserve our sympathy, but it gets hard when you go to them and they say leave me alone.

Um Mr.

Drake's I I do think that it's um it's really not just the people under the bridge.

These some of these folks actually have homes to live in.

They if you go there, it's not there at night.

But the problem is that they can't be in their homes.

Other people have to go to work and have to make sure, and they have to be very careful about this.

So I I do agree that this is going to be the one of the hardest things to do is to deal with people that have just difficulty.

And but I think we've got to figure out some ability to address this, and so I know that the manager has been working towards this, so I don't know if you have anything to add.

Sure.

I I just want to add one thing.

Um I've been working with the county manager, Michael Bryant.

We're pulling our teams together.

We're talking about housing, we're talking about workforce development, economic development, small business.

I've been here over eight years.

We've never done this before, so I think it's a great opportunity for us to look at all the tools in the toolbox and just be more collaborative.

Mayor Protestant.

Yes, thank you, Madam Mayor.

And I I just want to underscore this topic because I think it is our biggest opportunity currently in the city, and if we are able to address it properly, it will have the the biggest impact on uh quality of life within the city and some of the other issues as it relates to crime.

This this mental health um issue that we have is alive and well on Reagan and Sugar Creek.

It's alive and well here uptown.

You know, we just we have a wonderful play, immediate family that um that is here at the Bloomingthal, and I went to it the other night, and I watched people come out of this play and begin to really be accosted by unhoused who were clearly having mental challenges, and it and to watch them move from this theater where they had this wonderful experience in their laughing and talking, and then to have this interaction and energy right there that began to get hostile.

It happened to more than one party.

We have to figure out, and I know uh Mr.

Manager, that you know the city of Charlotte can't fix every single thing, but we have to have a partnership.

Um we have two fantastic hospital systems that are here that can help us with this issue, but we need street psychiatry.

Um we need the CARES program, which we piloted uptown, is a wonderful program.

I can tell you those individuals in the CARES program, they are being administered out on Reagan Drive right now in Sugar Creek, and they are up to here with all of the work that they have just for that one area.

So then if you multiply that by all the rest of the areas and neighborhoods, it is a it's our biggest, biggest opportunity as a community to come together intergovernmentally with some of our private partners to come up with a unique way to address this in a sustainable fashion.

And I know we're doing good things.

The the county manager is agreeing for the non-congregate shelter, which will help some.

We have some wraparound certain, we've done things, but we really need a well not when we talk about you know bol when I talk about boulders, rocks, and sand, and we've all kind of talked about that.

This is one of the biggest boulders that we have in front of us as a community, and as we go through this growth spurt that we're having, it's only gonna be exacerbated.

Um I just think this is our biggest opportunity.

Uh and I'm I'll raise my hand to do be on any committee or anything you need me to do for this because a lot of it is district one is impacted by a lot of this, but this is a big deal for us.

All right, I think that I probably opened a box that we probably um could talk about for a very long time.

So I'm gonna um ask Ms.

Um Renee Johnson to close this out for us so that we can um go ahead.

I think we still have a report from the clerk, and we also have a closed session.

So let's I'm my apologies, and I'll be more um prudent.

It's a good next time.

It's a good topic.

I will be able to do that.

And you opened it up, I was sitting on here.

But since you mentioned it, um in March of every year, we we like the skyline and we have a proclamation for brain injury brain injury awareness.

And I just want to say that uh statistics show that one and two individuals who are homeless have a history of a head injury.

Yep.

So if we're looking at solving this problem, I really I would love to be a leading city in in understanding the impact of brain injury.

The cookie cutter approach doesn't work.

So if we're asking the right questions and the right assessments, I think that we should seek to do that, especially being a sports uh city.

We have football, we have basketball, we have soccer, and all of those sports um, you know, do lead to head injuries for a lot of individuals, concussions, and those can have a lifelong effect.

So I would love if you're working with the county manager to start doing that research.

If you research right now, I just showed Miss Melina.

53% of individuals who are homeless have history of head injury.

It's very prevalent in the criminal justice system.

So as a city, let's be a leader in that area and really start asking those questions.

You you talk about atrium, they've got a dynamic neural psych department.

There's a leader, a doctor who's renowned.

So I I think asking the right question and the right treatment, I think that we can really start to have impact on this problem.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And so now I'm going to ask the clerk to um provide her report to us, the finishing up of that, and then we'll ask our city attorney to give us a motion for a closed session.

For the business advisory committee, the following persons receive 10 nominations and can be uh appointed upon uh a motion, second, and a vote if you so choose.

For the Hispanic Contractors Association, Reginald Bean and Jack Awsa received 10 nominations for the Latin American Chamber of Commerce, Fernando Ramirez received 10 nominations for the Citizens Review Board.

Angela Buford Hayes, the incumbent received eight nominations, as did Herbert Diaz, the incumbent both received eight nominations.

We will bring the firefighters relief fund board of trustees back to you at the next meeting as well as the um regular seat of the business advisory committee.

Okay, do we have a motion?

Mobile acclamation second.

We have a motion and a second.

Any discussion hearing none.

All in favor of the report that was provided by the clerk.

Um we'll move forward with it.

Thank you very much.

All right, Mr.

Madam Mayor, I do have a motion for you, but before the motion uh with regards to councilmember Drick's uh question regarding staff time.

That I did find it.

It is a part of your rules of procedure thanks to your clerk and to Lena for bringing it to my attention.

It's under Rule 25, and it provides uh simply that the city manager will refer requests, which require more than four hours of staff time to the city council for approval.

So if it's more than four hours, then the manager will refer that back to you, and the council makes the decision about whether to go forward with that.

Thank you.

Okay.

Now, with regards to the motion that this council may want to entertain, it's a motion to go into closed session pursuant to North Carolina Journal Statute 143181186 to consider the qualifications, competence, performance, character, fitness, conditions of appointment, or conditions of initial employment of an individual public officer or employee or prospective public officer or employee.

So moved.

We have a motion and a second.

Any discussion here?

Let's done.

We're going into the back room.

Um coming back now,

Oh, my hair.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, the Oreos are more important.