Charlotte City Council Business Meeting - August 25, 2025

The Charlotte City Council held a business meeting on Monday, August 25, 2025, starting at 5:30 PM in the Council Chamber. The agenda included a consent calendar, a public forum, public hearings on bonds and historic landmark designations, business items related to housing and youth programs, and a city manager's report. The meeting concluded with council members discussing public safety on transit, the Dillon rule, and community development.

Consent Calendar

• The council unanimously approved the consent calendar (Items 16-37) without opposition. This included approvals for first responder supplies, a fire department records management system, HOPWA program services, transmission repairs, the CMPD hangar relocation design project, construction engineering and inspection services, demolition and environmental services, HVAC maintenance and services, roadway construction, arborist services, laboratory microbiology supplies, several water and wastewater treatment plant improvements (Mallard Creek, McAlpine Creek, Stowe Regional), storm drainage improvement projects (Manor, Thermal Road), a water quality enhancement project (Waverly-Marlwood), CATS bus preventative maintenance filters and special transportation service parts, the fiscal year 2025 tax collector's settlement statement, and meeting minutes for eight meetings held in May and June 2025.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Faith Sanders (Miss Juneteenth Coordinator): Presented the inaugural Miss Juneteenth Queens—14 girls aged 5 to 18—highlighting their community service mission and scholarship awards. Announced the next pageant will be held in June 2026 and invited community collaboration.
• Jacqueline McGee (My Story Cafe Owner): Described declining safety in the French Quarter and her historic move to open a cafe at the Spectrum Center, calling it the first cafe in a U.S. sporting arena. Advocated for rent affordability for small businesses, stating they are "the backbone of any city."
• Mahendra Rathhor (Resident): Expressed support for animal welfare and criticized the current shelter as "single, overburdened." Proposed the creation of decentralized "micro centers" for animal care across the city to improve access and volunteerism.
• Justin Perry (OneMec): Outlined OneMec's decade-long work on school resegregation and housing equity, including work with the county on mixed-income development at Greer Heights. Gifted council members a copy of "Affordable Housing in Charlotte" and invited partnership to focus on housing action.
• Jacob Kerminsky (Resident): Proposed a smarter, automated 311 call system capable of handling 10,000 concurrent users, citing a personal experience with a towed car. Claimed similar systems can cut response times by 30% and offered to pilot the prototype in partnership with the city.
• Douglas Sheriff (Resident): Criticized the proliferation of illegal road spam signage, specifically by Lime, suggesting a tiered fine approach because the current fines are treated as a cheap marketing expense.
• Sheila Nordon (Resident): Described two gang-related shootings at her daughter's home in Druid Hills, totaling 29 bullets. She criticized policy failures regarding housing voucher background checks, advocating for the full criminal background checks (five-year lookback) used by Wake County and Habitat for Humanity. Councilmembers clarified that the courts and housing authorities have jurisdiction over arrests and vouchers.
• Alden Picard, David Molinara, Teresa Moore (Coalition to Protect Our Urban Nature): A large coalition requested an amendment to the city's 12-inch overgrown vegetation ordinance to exempt naturalistic, pollinator-friendly gardens. They argued the current ordinance undermines the city's sustainability goals and Monarch Pledge, urging the council to take decisive policy action.
• Tyler Koch (Pizzaria Pizza Owner, South End): Raised serious public safety and health concerns about unregulated food vendors in South End, calling them the "South End State Fair." Cited propane tank and open flame hazards, lack of health inspections, and revenue loss for local businesses. Requested immediate enforcement of existing laws and expansion of the NOTA pilot program to South End. City Manager Marcus Jones confirmed initial discussions were already underway.
• Zach Kahn (Student, Providence Day School): Criticized the "Dillon Rule" which prevents Charlotte from acting on local matters (transit taxes, rent protections, airport wages) without state permission. Urged the council to push the General Assembly for more home rule authority, arguing it is the only way for Charlotte to solve its own problems.

Public Hearings

• General Obligation Refunding Bonds (Item 4): No speakers were present. The council unanimously adopted a bond order authorizing the issuance of up to $201,510,000 in General Obligation Refunding Bonds to fund transportation and neighborhood improvement projects.
• Dr. Charles W. and Vivian L. Williams House (Item 5): No speakers were present. The council unanimously adopted an ordinance designating the property at 5906 Crestwood Drive as a historic landmark. Councilmember Mitchell recognized the property owners in the audience.
• Ziglar-Bowers House (Item 6): No speakers were present. The council unanimously adopted an ordinance designating the property at 421 Heathcliff Street as a historic landmark.

City Manager's Report

• City Manager Marcus Jones reported on the establishment of the Office of Youth Opportunities, which consolidated youth programs from several departments. He noted 400 young people received paid summer employment and two additional career pathways (access pathway and business/entrepreneurship) are under development.
• Announced personnel changes: Marie Harris as permanent Budget Director, Matt Hastedt as Chief Financial Officer (effective September 30 following the retirement of Teresa Smith), and Cheryl Wright as Director of Contracting and Procurement. Jones highlighted an upcoming police chief search, which will include surveys of the council, CMPD, and the general public.
• Stated that a gap analysis on small business opportunities related to the transit tax will be completed by the end of September. Councilmember Johnson queried the interplay between state statute 143-129 and a local act (1987-151) regarding bid rejections. The City Attorney explained the local act grants the city manager the authority to reject bids without further council action.

Discussion Items

• Affordable Housing General Obligation Bonds (Item 8): Council unanimously adopted a bond order for $75,000,000 to fund Housing Trust Fund projects authorized by the 2022 and 2024 voter referenda.
• Youth Diversion Program Interlocal Agreement (Item 9): Council unanimously adopted a resolution authorizing a $240,000 interlocal agreement with Mecklenburg County for youth diversion programming. Councilmembers Anderson and Brown expressed strong support. The program, which serves approximately 400 youth annually, has served over 5,000 youth with an 86% non-recidivism rate.
• The Family Residences at Oak Hill Apartments (Item 10): Council voted 6-2 to approve a $600,000 HOME Investment Partnerships Program allocation from the city's $2,976,749 fiscal year 2026 HOME award for a 46-unit development in Davidson. Staff clarified the process, noting the city is the lead agency for the regional HOME consortium. Councilmembers Johnson and Brown voted in opposition, citing a preference for investing within Charlotte's city limits.
• Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing Preservation for Nu Wesley Apartments (Item 11): Council unanimously approved a $2,600,000 allocation of ARPA ERA2 funds to DreamKey Partners to acquire the 58-unit Nu Wesley Apartments in the Enderly Park community. Councilmember Mayfield expressed support, noting the project prevents displacement of existing residents.
• Appointments: Councilmember Perry Joiner was appointed to the Business Advisory Committee. The Firefighter's Relief Fund Board of Trustees appointment resulted in a tie and was deferred to the September 22 meeting.

Council Topics

• Councilmember Ajmera: Raised safety concerns on CATS buses following recent violent incidents and requested immediate steps from the city manager to ensure rider and operator safety and restore confidence.
• Councilmember Mayfield: Requested an update on the CLT Plus app. Suggested partnering with Tree Charlotte for pollinator training. Raised concerns about senior housing design, developer accountability, and the need for automatic accessibility features like grab bars. Clarified the police chief search process versus media speculation. Advocated for transparency on challenges of the transit tax authority (citing past issues with MTC) and requested technology alignment for bus-rail connectivity.
• Councilmember Peacock: Reported on the St. Lloyd's Presbyterian Church historic Black cemetery in District 6. Raised urgent concerns about criminal activity on public transit (referencing an uptown mass shooting, a bus rider assault, and a South End stabbing). Requested specific data on crime trends along the light rail over the past 36 months and actions taken by CATS and CMPD, stressing that safety is critical to the upcoming transit referendum.
• Councilmember Anderson (Mayor Pro Tem): Thanked first responders for managing the Pride festival with no serious issues. Addressed food vendors as a public health issue requiring county partnership. Highlighted the Office of Youth Opportunities as a key initiative to address youth violence, noting that 90% of arrests in District 1 involve young males under 25.
• Councilmember Johnson: Requested information on the contract terms, status, and performance outcomes of the professional security vendor for CATS.
• Councilmember Brown: Thanked student Zach Kahn for his comments on the Dillon Rule. Questioned the source of the $3 million transit education campaign (clarified as MEC Alliance funds, not city funds). Supported the animal shelter's move to General Services, including a new $30 million adoption center. Expressed concern about gang retaliation occurring during funeral preparations. Called for revitalization of West Boulevard. Asked for patience from South End businesses regarding the timeline for food vendor enforcement.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar: Approved unanimously.
• GO Refunding Bonds ($201.5M): Bond order adopted unanimously.
• Dr. Charles W. and Vivian L. Williams House: Historic landmark designation adopted unanimously.
• Ziglar-Bowers House: Historic landmark designation adopted unanimously.
• Affordable Housing Bonds ($75M): Bond order adopted unanimously.
• Youth Diversion Program ($240K): Interlocal agreement approved unanimously.
• Oak Hill Apartments ($600K HOME funds): Approved 6-2.
• Nu Wesley Apartments ($2.6M NOAH Preservation): Approved unanimously.
• Appointments: Perry Joiner appointed to the Business Advisory Committee. Firefighter's Relief Fund Board appointment deferred to September 22, 2025.