There wasn't a single council member or six you know single staff member up there that was like this is amazing we want to support this.

The total cost of the project is around 63 million with funding already secured from the state, the city, and the county.

We're uh just roughly 12 million dollars short at this point of getting getting the project done, and that's significant when it started off just as a self-funded project.

Named in honor of his mother, Estramonte hopes the Katie Blessing Center can be an important resource for the children that need it once it's up and running.

Hopefully 10 years from now we can look back at this and say we we put a significant dent and and we did our part.

And uh I come to Charlotte.

No one don't know about Jun T.

First of all, I put the Martin Dr.

King birthday celebration first.

In 1996.

And uh after Martin King, I said, let's redo June tea.

And that's when I started.

And it was great and still great.

We really didn't know much about the June team at that time.

So by Pat doing this, he really brought awareness, even the folks that maybe thought they knew a lot or maybe should have known, but we didn't know.

And you know, he gave us an opportunity to understand this very important part of um African history in America.

As a Juntain Festival of the Carolinas, we're using it as a tool to educate about the rich culture of Africa and the powerful headings.

You know, we can't let up.

We have to continue to kind of get the story out here and bring people into the story into the culture.

Uh, because again, if we don't do that, then it will even if awareness is good now.

It'll decrease over time if we're not vigilant.

We expecting between 150 and 200 kids, and we will feed them teaching them about their history, their heritage from drumming, dancing, craft.

Unity fellowship is going to be great.

My grandmother used to say that when you travel, you need to get a direction and culture and heritage are the only direction that can help you move forward.

In my salon, we have always empower individuals to be who they are.

We never made it a big thing of you need to conform to how corporate America says you need to look.

You can still be who you are and still be very professional.

I've had plenty of clients that have encountered it or they would say, hey LaMonica, let's make sure I do a little bit more in a laid back professional look when I go into the interview, and then bam, I'm gonna surprise them with who I really am.

It's great to just be different and be yourself.

You don't have to conform to what the uh to what society says you need to look like.

Um you can just be as beautiful as you are wearing your natural hair, and you can still have a CFO job if you want.

She doesn't have to always wear weaves.

If that's an option, you can, but just remember that your foundation of what God has made you be made you into is just is beautiful.

And you can wear your natural hair as much as you like any way that you like.

This is inside this building off South McDowell Street.

And today, together, we open up the doors to the Pearl.

A new future of medical innovation and education is blossoming for Charlotte.

We are ready.

Let's do this.

After years of planning, the Pearl, Charlotte's new medical innovation district, officially opened its doors.

The innovation district was created by a public-private partnership between Atrium Health and Wexford Science and Technology LLC.

Community support was absolutely critical to making this happen.

The idea for the Pearl formed back in 2019.

Charlotte was one of the largest cities in the country without a four-year medical school.

Something many wanted to change.

By 2021, the city of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County approved incentive packages totaling 75 million dollars to help this project move forward.

Leaders say the new district will generate over 5,500 on-site jobs and 11,500 regional jobs, with 40% of those not requiring a four-year degree.

At full build out, we would generate over $800 million a year in economic impact.

That's direct, indirect, and induced.

Though the Pearl is ushering in a new future, leaders say it's also making sure it honors the past.

I didn't like fully understand what being a firefighter was, even though my dad is, but um, they have motivational speakers come in and I'm realizing all the different um like things there are in firefighting that I didn't know before.

They're together all day.

So they just they build a good relationship and camaraderie.

It is the most bizarre feeling to be able to like immortalize your own style and your own work on people, and it's the most like it's like sharing a piece of you with someone, and it's the most gratifying thing to do with like friends and family, especially I've done the seven oh four, I've done the crown quite a bit, um, and I have done some city skylines as well.

I have tattooed some crowns.

I have not tattooed any crowns in Charlotte though.

I've gotten people get coordinates of certain places.

Um I always that's my first thing.

I'm always like, okay, did you go to UNCC?

Like, did you travel here?

And then you just like walked upon it, and you were like, this is perfect, I need to be here, or what have you.

And he got a uh, I want to say it was called like 704 shop or something.

So we got the uh 704 logo tattooed on him.

There was a travel nurse that I was tattooing a year or two ago, and um she happened upon Charlotte, and she literally was just like walking through the white water center, and she was like, I'm moving here, and she was from Michigan.

It actually feels kind of weird.

Like it really does.

Like, I'm like, oh, I haven't done a skyline, I haven't done any of that stuff.

Like, oh, interesting.

So especially hearing everybody else's like, oh yeah, been there, done that, tons of different variations.

I'm like, yeah, haven't you know, it runs the gamut.

Sometimes people come in and they go, I want this crown in exactly like this.

And it can be the Queen City crown, and other times it's you know, something inspired by something else completely, or they just go, look, I want a crown, but I want to completely custom whatever you come up with.

As we all know, tattoos 20 or 30 years ago used to be a huge taboo in any industry and in any lifestyle.

And so now for it to be so normalized and for people to be encouraged to pursue this art form and to have tattoos at all is just a really beautiful thing, I can do it.

Everyone.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon, all of you.

Oh, my gosh.

You guys are just like wave your hands, say hi, say hi.

Did you did your parents watching TV?

There you go.

Wave at your mom and dad and all of that.

Okay.

Make sure you're here that you came in the same place that truth they wanted you to be.

So um, I want to call the um Charlotte City Council October twenty-seventh meeting to order, and we're gonna start with introductions.

And I just want to say um, we'll start with us on our um Oh, do you want to start earlier?

So we I want to thank all of you for joining us, especially the special guests that we have today.

A few weeks ago, um, I had the opportunity to go out to a place that I remember and called Bethlehem Center, but it's no longer called that, and I'm gonna give somebody the opportunity to tell us about this.

But there were a lot of young people out there doing great things, but what we learned is that there were several people at this dais that used to be a part of Bethlehem Center when it was Bethlehem Center.

So with that, I'm gonna move this over to Councilmember James Mitchell and maybe a few of his colleagues that joined in with him.

So, Mr.

Mitchell.

Mayor, thank you, and and to the citizens of Charlotte.

This is a great opportunity to showcase our bright young minds of the future.

Uh Mayor Pro Tim and myself and and Councilmember Brown, we all were byproduct of Bethlehem Center.

And as the mayor said, we were the last group of Bethlehem Center.

We drove them so crazy, they had to come up with another name.

So, but what I would like, if we could, this time with the with the uh young students come down and lead us in the Pledge Allegiance, and then Mayor, if I can have the CEO, Mr.

Jerry Keaton, Gerard.

I'm sorry, Jerry Keaton.

Uh just give us two minutes about a Center for Better Education now is the new name.

So please hold that real because those chairs and those steps are so steep.

And here we go.

Nothing on there.

Can we all stand and let the meetings in the Pledge Allegiance?

Let them all get down here.

Face the flag.

All right, let's face it.

All right, who's gonna start you off?

We're gonna start us over.

Go ahead.

Yes.

Yes.

To the five of the United States of America and to the Republic for which stands.

One mission, I'm a God.

All right.

Thank you.

As a kid, I did even I wasn't.

So you had to go through all of the meetings.

Yeah, it's not you.

Yes, too easy.

Mr.

Keaton, um, you know, we have um a meeting tonight, and you have the opportunity for three minutes, but we're gonna give you two because the girls, the kids were fantastic.

You they've you they've earned this additional minute.

Go to the big microphones.

Yes.

Good evening.

Uh to esteemed colleagues uh in the city council, Mayor Lyles, uh, City Manager Jones, and staff.

Uh thank you for uh allowing us to share with you this evening.

Uh, as Councilman Mitchell uh so graciously shared with you, uh we are an 85-year-old organization as of uh Friday, October the 17th.

Uh we have been in this community serving since 1940, and that legacy has been built on two generational services to children and families.

Uh the Alliance Center for Education, affectionately founded as the Bethlehem Center of Charlotte, uh started in the Brooklyn community.

Uh, everybody's heard of the Brooklyn community uh village uh community.

We were a part of that, and then in 1958 moved over to South Side Homes, where we served for from 58 all the way until 2020, uh, when we moved our headquarters to the Belmont Regional Center.

We serve are proudly out of uh eight locations across the city and also inside of three Charlotte Mecklenburg's uh school partner centers, uh, and we have the pleasure of serving over 700 young folks on a daily basis.

Uh we have a a legacy of making sure that families are included in everything that we do.

Uh, part of that is to make sure that parents are educated and informed of what's going on every day at school, so that and then they're empowered to mirror that at home in the appropriate way.

Also, we get to know their goals and what they strive to do in support of their family, everything from furthering their education to being becoming more employed or employed or uh uh participate in job training programs.

The city has been a wonderful partner to our organization and still is to this day.

Uh, we want to thank uh Mayor Lyles, uh, Mayor Pro Tim, Dante Anderson, uh, Councilman Mitchell, and Councilwoman Tiawana Brown for being a part of the legacy of the organization and sharing with us.

So we just thank you for giving our kids an opportunity.

Civic engagement is a big part of what we try to do, is make sure that the kids understand uh the importance of participating uh as a solid citizen in Charlotte Mecklenburg.

So again, on behalf of the 700 children and families, we thank you for your service and thank you for all your time this evening.

Yeah.

All right.

So he he left out one person who really made this possible.

She invited me to a meeting and would not allow me to leave the room until I made a commitment.

And so where is Kim Ratlift?

Kim's everywhere.

All right.

And to show Kim's dedication.

Today is actually her birthday.

So Kim, happy birthday to you.

All right.

Thank you, everyone, for um this opportunity, and I hope that all of you know how special you are to us in this community.

So thank you again.

I also have noticed that there are a few other people in our um our I guess what I call the top of the table up there.

So let's talk about, let's see, we have with us tonight Nancy Carter, who's um a part of our um elected officials um work.

Um Al Adams.

Austin.

I always do that, Al, saying who works with us on the um mobility, not mobility, but I guess on the safety programs that we're working on, and he's doing a great job for that.

Dave Howard, however, is doing a great job because he is helping us with our mobility plan.

And I just want to say thank you, each of you for coming and being a part of this this afternoon.

So thank you.

Okay.

Introductions or no?

Yes, we're gonna do introductions as well as an invocation.

Excellent.

So we're gonna start with our introductions at the dais.

We're gonna start with Miss Ejmira.

Welcome, Dimple Lajmer at large member.

Good evening.

I'm Victoria Watlington, and I have the pleasure of serving you as a member at large.

Edward Peacock, District 6.

Ed Drags, District 7.

Malcolm Graham, District 2.

Dante Anderson, Mayor Pro Tem, District 1.

Vy Lyles, Mayor, Marcus Jones, City Manager.

Good evening, Jane Smith at large.

Tia Wanna Brown, Charlotte City Council District 3, and a proud member of Bethlehem Center, a product of their environment.

The great work that they did.

Thank you so much.

My entire family.

My entire family went to Bethlehem Center.

Amazing program.

Anthony Fox, the interim city attorney.

Stephanie Kelly, City Clerk.

All right.

Any other recognitions that we that we have?

So tonight we um we always begin our meeting with an invocation, an expression of inspiration, followed by we've already done the Pledge of Allegiance so that these young folks can get home on time.

Um, and I want to ask Councilmember Drags to give our invocation for this meeting.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh please join me if you will.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of life and the opportunity to serve the people of our city.

Help us to act with character and conviction, help us to listen with understanding and goodwill.

Help us to speak with charity and restraint.

Guide us to be the leaders your people need.

Help us see the humanity and dignity of those who disagree with us and to treat all persons with the reverence your creation deserves.

And finally, help us to build a community where all our citizens can live together in peace, a community that is worthy of all those who choose to live here.

We ask this as your sons and daughters.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

And we also want to recognize that um Mr.

Driggs has gotten to a special name, new name.

I think it's called Grandpa.

So Mr.

Drake.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So thank you very much.

Um, so now let's um let's start off with our consent agenda.

Um, the mayor, let's see.

We have items.

I have a motion.

Oh, we have our proclamations.

Let's continue to do that.

So let's start with our proclamations.

And Miss Brown, will you take our first one?

Yes, ma'am.

The City of Charlotte Proclamation, whereas women own small business, our economic engine and own 39.1% of all U.S.

businesses employing 8% of private sector with over 12 million people generating 2.7 trillion dollars.

73% of African American business owners are sole owners of their companies, and whereas across North Carolina, women now own approximately 44.8% of all businesses and represent 44.5 of small business employment.

North Carolina ranks number two in the U.S.

as the best state for women-owned businesses.

And whereas the Charlotte Metro area ranks number one in North Carolina, North Carolina for women owned firms for growth and number one in economic clout.

In the Charlotte Concord, Gastonia Metro area, women owned businesses are 20.5% rise and 71.3% increase in employment from 2019 to 2024, with an average of 12.5 employees per women-owned firm.

And whereas approximately 92,500 women owned small businesses in Charlotte Metro Area are generating $13.3 billion in sales and employing 70,000 people.

And whereas in fiscal year 2022 to 2023, women owned businesses compromise approximately 73%.

I'm sorry, 37% of North Carolina Minority Business Agencies, which is operated by North Carolina Department of Administration last fiscal year, NC MBDA created 500 jobs and generated 5.6 million in revenue.

And whereas the City of Charlotte values local women, own small businesses, and celebrates the diversity of ownership and goods and services provided, as well as the contributions they make to our community.

And whereas October has been designed and designated as National Women's Small Business Month to celebrate the achievement of women owners, and it's also designated as Charlotte Women's Small Business Month to celebrate the achievements of women business owners in the Charlotte region.

Now, therefore, I, the mayor, by Alexander Lyles, Mayor of Charlotte, y'all know I'm not the mayor, right?

Still hereby proclaim October 2025 as Charlotte Women's Small Business Month.

How about that?

Are you giving this?

Is Nicole here?

I don't I don't think that she was able to attend.

So we'll we'll make sure that she gets normally we designate this to someone and give it to them, but this is great data.

Thank you so much, Mayor.

Thank you so much.

All right, so our next um proclamation will be Dante Anderson, our mayor pro Tim.

Thank you, Mayor.

And I'm going to read the proclamation for National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

Whereas the City of Charlotte is committed to fostering a welcoming community that values diversity and recognizes the contributions of all individuals, including those with disabilities.

And whereas October has been designated as National Disability Employment Awareness Month to bring attention to the importance of ensuring that all people with disabilities as an underemployed population have equal rights and opportunities in employment, thereby strengthening our workplace and our economy.

And whereas the theme of this year's National Disability Employment Awareness Month, celebrating value and talent, highlights the need for continued efforts to create welcoming environments where all individuals, regardless of disability, can succeed and thrive.

Whereas people with disability disabilities possess a wide arranged arrangement of skills, talent, and experiences that greatly contribute to the innovation, creativity, and success of businesses and organizations within our community, and whereas the city of Charlotte is committed to removing barriers, providing reasonable accommodations, and promoting employment practices that empower individuals with disabilities to achieve their full potential, and whereas this month offers an opportunity to raise awareness about disability employment issues and to celebrate the many and varied contributions of workers with disabilities.

And whereas by working together to raise awareness and advocate for employment opportunities for people with disabilities, we strengthen our community and contribute to the overall economic growth and development of Charlotte, therefore she by Lowell's mayor of the City of Charlotte does hereby proclaim October 2025 as National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

And I'd I'd love to have uh Terry Bradley, Leslie Leslie Briggs, Kathar Ahmed, Nyla Ilman, and Blair Johnston.

If you are here, can you come down?

I'd love to present you with this proclamation.

Thank you so much.

Um, so we will now move into the awards and recognition portion of our agenda, beginning with the recognition of our Crown Tree Award winners.

In June 2025, I proclaimed October as Charlotte Tree Month to raise awareness for the city tree canopy and to promote tree planting efforts citywide.

The City of Charlotte is very proud of the robust canopy and those those that work continuously to support our canopy's growth and continued health.

Several award winners have joined us tonight in honor of Charlotte Tree Month.

Award winners, please stand and be recognized.

Before the meeting started, I had the opportunity to um hear about the folks that did this work.

I want to say first and foremost, I want to recognize our team.

Tim, you do great work to make this happen.

But more importantly, um, we had stories about why the trees work for us, and there are many different ways and right reasons to make this effort.

And I just want to say to all of you that have made this effort possible.

We are so in to you for what you do and what you make happen for our tree canopy.

So thank you very much.

Um, I think I took pictures with everybody, and you probably want to go home by now.

So thank you very much.

Well, please stand, please.

I want to give you a round of applause.

Stand up, you're not thank you very much.

All right, so now, Mr.

Jones, let's start the meeting.

I guess we should start it with um our public forum.

I'm sorry, homelessness.

One more award to get later.

That's later.

We'll we have another one coming up.

Yes, we'll go ahead and start with our consent agenda.

Um, is there anything for Ms.

Harris to come up and that we need to discuss consent items are items 24 through 46, I believe.

Right?

Yes here we are.

Any questions?

Mayor move approval items 24 to 46 on the consent items like all around.

All right, we have a motion, and do I have a second?

We have a second.

Thank you, Ms.

Ashmira.

Um, any further discussion?

Hearing none, all in favor of approval, raise your hand.

Anyone in the that doesn't agree or doesn't approve it, let me know if there is that.

Okay, so we're good.

Thank you very much.

So let's move on to our next item on our agenda, which is approving the following acquisition 82 Douglas Public Forum.

We're gonna have our public forum now and start that with our list of now.

Um, our we are going to allow for each person to have two minutes, and we will start with Gary Young.

Mr.

Young Mr.

Young here.

Okay.

Our next request is Matt Wessler, and may have said that I hope this is correct.

Matt Wesler, okay.

Um Lisa Conastas.

Please.

Thank you.

I hope I'm close to it.

It was three minutes.

It's two.

That's what I got in my email.

All right.

So do I need to cut part of this?

Please.

Okay, it's gonna be hard.

Mayors and members of the city council, I'm Lisa Costanis.

My husband and I recently reopened our restaurant sole gastro lounge at the Pass, a new development from Third and Urban at the Lynx Sugar Creek Station.

I'm here today to highlight the challenges you'll find at this station.

Let me set the scene for you.

You walk out the front door of our restaurant to a broad concrete walkway directly in front of the station.

Over 300 feet of metal rail bars any access to the pass.

There's a concrete wheelchair ramp that leads only to a metal rail at the platform, rendering it inaccessible to the station.

In fact, there is currently no way to access the station directly from the pass.

The access point on our side of the tracks is near the transit center at the far end of our parking lot.

An able-bodied person leaving the pass would find the fastest route to the entrance by walking through the parking lot behind a dumpster and stepping over a curb.

If a rider is differently able, it's more labor-intensive and frustrating.

Katz has given several reasons for this inaccessibility, which I feel like I do not have time to uh share with you.

But we are at a stalemate.

The developer has said they were gonna pay some money.

Cats was going to do some work that which this body approved.

And now we're at a stalemate that doesn't serve the businesses.

That entrance to that station is still closed.

To illustrate how confusing the station is on September 17th, EMS was called to respond to a medical emergency and couldn't find the access.

Riders regularly, often daily, jump the metal gates to access the station.

If cats can't open the station to the past because of safety concerns, how are they addressing the safety concerns currently caused by the lack of logical access and signage?

I shouldn't have to plead for help negotiating transit safety funding between cats and my landlord.

But here I am.

I think you can agree it's an untenable situation.

And I'm asking for help as a citizen, a business owner, and a light rail light rider.

Please call upon cats to make the station a priority, to make it logically accessible to the massive development.

It was funded and built to attract.

Thank you very much.

Thank you for the information.

Um and I think that um Miss Liz, will you have a conversation so that we can make sure that we've gotten all of the information that you planned?

We will make sure that it gets reviewed and get information back to you.

Okay.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Cecilia Celia Call.

Excuse me.

This is okay.

Good evening, Mayor Lyles and members of the City Council.

My name is Celia Call, and I'm currently a middle school student at J.T.

Williams, Montessori.

Throughout my life, both at home and at school, I've always been taught the value of one earth and the importance of organisms in our ecosystems.

Some of the most important organisms we can protect are pollinators, and not just because of their importance in food production, but also their importance in shaping healthy ecosystems.

Over the last few decades, pollinators such as birds, bees, butterflies, and bats have been in steep decline.

Since 1990, we've lost close to 90% of the monarch butterfly population.

And most recent reports from scientists cite the U.S.

alone could see honeybee colonies decline up to 70%.

When looking at some of the most pressing matters concerning the decline of pollinators, experts often look at habitat loss and pesticide use.

Lack of native plants or invasive species makes it hard for pollinators to find places to live and food to sustain their young.

As clean and tidy as grass may make your home look, grass actually plays a major role in the decline of ecosystems.

Grass requires unnecessary water usage, runoff from fertilizers and pesticides, and the carbon footprint for mowing lawns certainly adds up to create a negative carbon footprint.

But there is hope.

Dedicated home gardeners have been taking action.

According to the National Garden Association and Wildlife Federation, between 2019 and 2021, the percentage of homeowners planning to swap a portion of their grass for native plants more than doubled from 9% to 19%.

Even the City of Charlotte hosts educational pollinator weeks in the summer and hosts tree and pollinator walks free to residents throughout the year.

As a plant enthusiast, I've attended many of these events and felt that the city supports and upholds the B City USA pledge that Charlotte has been a part of since March of 2023.

Which is why I'm so confused why we're even here to argue this ordinance today.

In the Charlotte Code of Ordinances, Chapter 10, Article Article 3, Division 4, Section 10 155, states that it shall be unlawful for the owner andor occupant of a premise to fail to cut overgrown grass, weeds, and other vegetation when grassweeds and other vegetation is hydroglyph.

If you'd like to leave this fine.

Thank you very much.

I s I can imagine that this is a lot of hard work and research for you.

So our next speaker is Alden Picard.

Thanks for letting me downward.

All right, good evening.

Mayor Lyles High again.

Um, members of the council and Mr.

Jones.

My name is Alden Picard.

I'm a wildlife advocate and a Charlotte residence of 10 years.

Today I'm representing the coalition to protect our urban nature.

We are the voice for Charlotte's wildlife.

I want to first thank Mayor Lyles.

I want to thank Councilwoman Ashmira and Councilman Ed Driggs, as well as all of City Council for hearing our concerns regarding Charlotte's outdated overgrown vegetation ordinance.

Thank you for fielding our countless emails and our phone calls and for the opportunity to speak at the public forum.

Thank you.

I also want to thank the City of Charlotte's staff and acknowledge them for their hard work, improving their internal garden registration process and for laying out good framing and content for the allowance of naturalistic landscapes.

This work will be extremely useful in updating the ordinance.

Now let me be clear.

Updating the city's ordinance by adding a height exemption for naturalistic landscapes remains the objective of our coalition.

We see no reason not to codify the exemption.

Winston Salem, North Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, and Green Bay, Wisconsin, among countless other cities across the country have already done this work.

Codification is important.

It builds trust and engagement by clarifying and standardizing rules, making them easily accessible to the public.

And from an urban forestry standpoint, the code the codified change can be used as a precedent to include wildlife conservation in strategic city planning.

This would be a fantastic move for the city, opening up future opportunities for conservation.

By codifying the exemption, the city turns its values into official policy.

A codified practice sends a clear message by demonstrating that the city is committed to its principles, having a powerful effect on perception and behavior.

We are asking you not to stop short.

Please don't settle for anything less than systemic change.

Please submit a policy referral to update the overgrown out vegetation outdated vegetation ordinance.

Thank you for your time.

Our next speaker is Help Wright.

I'm sorry.

We've referral to the committee.

Well, we can discuss that after we get through this list of people here.

I think that would be helpful.

I have all ideas.

Okay.

Yes.

I think Mr.

Um.

But do you have to go practice?

I'll hold the kids.

Okay, thank you, Miss Wright.

Please, you have two minutes, so good evening, everyone.

Um, tonight, my son and I are speaking as members of the Coalition to Protect Our Urban Nature network of organizations and individuals who care deeply about our city's green spaces.

And our goal is to amend Charlotte's overgrown vegetation ordinance, as Alden already said.

Over the past three months, city staff and council members have made significant strides, including improving the pollinator garden registration process.

This is a great start in laying out a framework for the new ordinance language, and we thank you.

The next step is for Mayor Lyles or member of council to submit a policy change referral to a council committee.

Wildlife, including pollinators, are the unsung heroes of our ecosystems.

In the past two decades, wild bee populations have declined by over 40%.

I early voted for that sticker.

Um and monarch butterflies are down by more than 80%.

Without these tiny workers, flowering landscapes vanish, vegetable gardens wither, and Charlotte loses some of its charm and vibrancy.

Today, Charlotte's restricted vegetation limit of 12 inches forces property owners to ignore native plantings, uproot milkweed stands, and replace wildflower blooms with high maintenance grass.

I know, makes me mad.

We're asking you for a modest change.

Add an exemption in the ordinance for naturalistic landscapes, including native meadows and pollinator gardens.

To close, I'd like to ask all those in attendance tonight who support this amendment to please stand.

Please join these neighbors in giving pollinators and other wildlife the space they deserve.

And in doing so, keep Charlotte blooming for generations to come.

We are urging one of you to submit a policy change referral to a council committee to request an ordinance amendment.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right, our next speaker is Shay Abdullah.

Are you here?

Shay Abdullah.

Okay.

Um our next speaker is Mary Thomas.

Miss Thomas is at the top of our meeting because she is going to speak from that space.

Thomas members of Charlotte.

Can you hear me?

Thank you, Mr.

Austin.

Um that um lock down the on some of the buses.

Need to be turned around.

So the you can see we're going to get off that because those cameras does not work.

Oh and when you mash the button, when I mash the button for my stop, it doesn't work half the time.

And the driver gets an attitude.

I'm like, I mashed the button.

What do I suppose to do?

I'm hook myself in go to the driver and disrespect the driver and the uh people on the bus.

Miss Thomas, thank you for sharing this information.

Do you have additional things that you want to do?

Oh, yes, I do.

Please.

Um, I've been following um these people that's running for school board.

I don't hear talk about um what needs to change.

They changed changed it years ago.

And that's where the crime began in the schools when when they took prayer out of the school.

Crime that's when crime started.

When prayer was taken away from children that wanted to pray.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you very much for your comments.

Um, and before um, I'd like to have one of our teammates come up and speak with you so that we can be sure that we have everything that you wanted to say to be um done and addressed later.

So I'm gonna ask Miss Babson to um come upstairs and work with you on what you want to make sure that we get change and what we need to do.

Thank you very much, Miss Thomas.

I think I missed a person, Lakeisha De Pestra.

Is that correct?

Lake Shah Depressor.

Are you here today?

Here, let's go on to our next list.

Um, Jeremy Lamb.

Mr.

Lamb.

Hello, Council.

And hello, Mayor Lyles.

My name is Jeremy Lamb.

I play Cello in the Charlotte Symphony.

And I live right in Uptown in 400 North Church.

Thank you.

Um, Councillor Drigs.

Um, and before I begin, this is not why I started, but I did want to uh Mayor, I hope that you will take um their request to update the all dated vegetation ordinance very seriously because it sounds like a very good cause.

Um but um I'm here because um I when I moved here ten years ago, there was there was a problem that seemed big at the time, but now it has grown and is to me it seems like it is kind of def it's starting to define Charlotte to me, and that is that is this issue of the loud sports cars with um those cutout mufflers.

Um they they are going nowhere fast.

And um, and actually my friend spoke a little bit ago too, like a couple years ago, and and you know, nothing has really happened, and I've never seen any cops um pulling these people over.

And so I've I looked up and there there are all the laws are on the books here.

You guys you have all the local noise ordinances are in place.

The state the state has statutes number 20 and 128.

They're all they're all there.

So I I asked so many cops like why do you guys not do anything about this?

And every one of them says there are two reasons.

One is that there are not enough cops on duty in in total to to deal with lower level infractions like this.

And the second is this one I didn't really know, but this is that the judges and the DA will just generally throw out their citations when they actually do bother to document them.

So um I'm here just to I I'm really curious whether uh so I did look up the whole how many cops are on the books, and and it kind of shocks me and maybe shocks everybody, but there's actually fewer cops on the uh that are in the budget now than there were 10 years ago.

And not only that, but there's a shortage of 300 police officers who were, you know, there's positions for those that are not being filled.

And so, first of all, I'm oh man, I'm just wondering if you would fill those spots and considering a camera program that has noise activated license plate readers to this.

Sean, would you um thank you very much.

Um, our next speaker is Sammy Taylor.

All right, Constance Proctor.

Good evening.

Council members, mayor, staff, and neighbors.

My name is Connie Proctor, and I'm currently serving as chair of the bicycle advisory committee.

I am here tonight to ask for mobility freedom for our community, especially our children and older adults, and those who are carless.

First, let me paint you a picture.

You wake up to the joyful sound of children's chatter and bike bells.

You look out your window, through the dappled light under the trees, you see your neighbors, children and adults frolicking about, making their way to school or work, groups of children talk and play with one another as they walk or ride to school.

Some adults go to the bus stop or the train station, some walk or ride their bikes.

People have many opportunities to serendipitously meet one another and chat.

The air is clear.

Your neighbors are the business owners in the neighborhood.

They live and work here.

Everyone is in this together.

We can have this vision.

This can be our future.

We just have to choose it.

We need it.

We are lonely and isolated.

Our children are suffering from lack of activity, social interaction, and autonomy.

We have the opportunity to improve all of this.

I have two children, and I talk to other parents all the time who are desperate to give their children autonomy, desperate to let them walk or bike places on their own or with their friends.

We deserve this reality.

So what can we do?

Neighbors.

So that the plans the city staff have worked so hard on for the corridors of opportunity and strategic investment areas can go from being simply plans on paper to reality on the ground, so that we can build space for people to walk and ride bicycles and more robust transit options.

Council, I ask you to support a budget increase for the bicycle program so that we can build the crucial crucial connections between the bigger projects, fill the gaps, and make it possible to easily hop on a bike.

Thank you very much.

That's um our next speaker is James Lee.

Mr.

Lee.

I I did not see Mr.

Lee today.

So our next speaker is Edwin Murray.

Edward Murray.

I already got one.

We don't we don't need another one.

Thank you, Ed's a good one.

We got two over here, Ren.

I missed one.

It's an excellent name.

Uh so hi, Ed.

Um, and I'm with the Charlotte Wildlife Stewards.

Um, and first of all, I'd like to thank you all uh for hearing our concerns here about the uh naturalistic uh gardening exemption here.

Um Mayor Lyles, uh, Mr.

Driggs, Ed, uh, Ms.

Esmira, um particular thanks um to y'all as well uh for your commitment to moving forward on a code exemption here for naturalistic landscaping.

Um I moved to Charlotte specifically because my partner and I thought it would be a good place to raise a kid.

Uh to me, Charlotte stands out as one of the most exceptional places in the country to raise a kid.

So, how does this connect to naturalistic landscaping?

Let me explain.

Um, as a dad, my main job in life right now is to make sure that my daughter gets to experience things that expand her mind.

So when I do things, I invariably end up asking myself, how can my daughter participate in this?

Two years ago, my wife and I started a big project in our yard to replace invasive and non-native plants with natives.

And we did it because the world's beleaguered flora and fauna desperately need our help.

Naturally, I wondered how my daughter, now almost four, would would react.

And it turns out that she loves it.

Uh, we now have well over 100 species of native plants.

My kid can ID many of them and loves inspecting all of them.

And we when we are out on the town or at a park, she can identify plants she knows from the yard.

Her perception of what plants are has been fundamentally expanded.

Um, and since these native plants provide food and shelter for innumerable animals, from humble bugs to gorgeous birds, she has been able to witness firsthand the complex interwoven nuance of a food web.

When she gets to that module in a future science class, she will have a primary source foundation to draw upon.

As a parent, my goal is always to look for the overlap of fun and education.

In this naturalistic gardening, I have found just such an overlap.

Here's the rub though.

Sometimes native plants don't look like what folks expect.

Beautiful seven-foot-tall spires of delicate flowers, dense thickets of berry-laden bushes, dormant plants still holding their seed heads through winter for birds to acrobatically feast upon this diversity of life, this visual buffet of new things has proven exceptionally compelling to my kid.

And I'm sure it could be to many others as well.

Access to all of this wonder, growth, and learning, a truly magical experience, can be codified by sending a referral to amend the outdated overgrown vegetation ordinance by adding a height exemption for naturalistic landscapes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Edward, Mr.

Maury, Ed, Mr.

Ed.

Um, your daughter is really really um, I think getting something that we all hope that all of the kids in this community has.

And so let's go ahead and do this ordinance and get it changed and make it possible.

So thank you.

All right, boom.

All right, I don't know who's gonna do all of this work, but somebody's gonna make it possible.

Um I just I I just think it means so much when you have kids around and what they can do and what they can learn.

So that really does, you know, mean a lot.

So we really appreciate what the way that you framed it made it just impossible to let it walk by.

So let's go ahead and get it done.

Okay, let's see.

Our next speaker is Craig Reynolds.

Mr.

Reynolds, Craig Reynolds.

Okay.

Our next speaker is Juan Contreras Jerez.

If and I'm really sorry if I'm not saying this I'm I'm trying my best.

Thank you, Juarez.

The Spanish chick.

I know you know.

What is where have you been?

I needed you all day.

All right.

Good evening, Mayor, members of city council.

Uh, my name is Juan Contreras Suarez.

I live on the east side of Charlotte, and I'm a regular user of our bicycle infrastructure here in the city.

I'm also vice chair for the bicycle advisory committee.

But tonight I'm mainly here as a concerned resident of the city.

I've taken the time to review the many improvements highlighted across the 22 strategic investment areas.

And I'm glad that some of those improvements uh include improvements to bicycle infrastructure, keeping in mind that very good bicycle infrastructure also provides freedom of movement to children and residents who also use wheeled assisted mobility devices.

Everyone benefits from this infrastructure.

Well, these plans are good in isolation.

I would like to call out an important gap in all of this.

The lack of connection between the highlighted areas and the lack of connection between council districts.

I believe that these gaps are where the existing seat up bicycle program would be able to focus their efforts on, but that would require the city to commit to increasing the current bike program budget.

While there may be some opportunity to build good bicycle infrastructure with funds from the proposed transit referendum, and I do encourage everyone to strongly consider voting yes on these much needed funds.

The outcome of that vote is still very much in the air right now.

I also believe that those funds would not be fully sufficient to create the connections required for residents to feel comfortable biking across the city.

At the current level of eight million dollars per year, the bike program is not capable of funding projects necessary to grow Charlotte's infrastructure when half of that funding can be taken by one large project.

I encourage City Council to take a look at the bicycle program budgets of our peer cities and the safety community and economic benefits that come from well-planned bicycle infrastructure.

Myself and other members of the bicycle advisory committee would be happy to share those studies with you.

Tied to this, we need city council to also commit to developing a strong framework to track the progress of these infrastructure projects and providing public updates on the status of hitting these established goals.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

We're working on I believe that that is the end of the list of speakers for tonight.

So thank you all for those.

I'm sorry, did you sign up to speak?

We have the transportation issue, so that is not here.

So somebody's reading.

Um we have some policies and rules, and so you'll but we will we're we're good, PVH.

Okay, PV.

Oh, okay.

So we you will yes, we'll be getting next to you pretty soon.

Okay.

You don't you will tight?

Okay.

Hold tight.

Just give us a moment.

Okay.

Thank you.

All right.

Okay, so I believe that does close out.

Oh, anyway.

Public hearings.

Okay.

All right.

All right.

We'll give you a moment.

Um can I can the council all hear?

Let's just move on.

We're gonna have a public hearing on item agenda item number eight, public hearing on the resolution to close a portion of right-of-way off the Mecklenburg Avenue.

Um, there's an A and a B.

Do I have a motion?

So moved.

Mayor We have a motion for A and B and a second for A and B.

Um, any discussion?

No speakers, no speakers.

No speakers.

All right, no, we don't have any speakers.

So we have that.

Do we have a motion and we have a motion and a second?

Um all in favor?

We should say a motion to close the public hearing.

Motion to close the public hearing.

Okay, and a yes, all right.

So everywhere.

So okay, we're good.

All in favor, please say aye.

All right.

Anyone opposed?

No opposing.

All right.

The next item is item number nine, a public hearing on a resolution to close an additional portion of Old Road and a portion of Marshall Drive.

Um, we have an A and a B to conduct a public hearing and adopt the resolution.

Um, what is the council's pleasure?

Move to uh close the public hearing and approve B.

Second.

All right.

We have an agreement on a second, Ms.

Esmeera.

I believe in Mr.

Drake's.

Thank you very much.

Um ready to raise your hands, please, if in the pass the motion.

There are no speakers.

Okay.

No speakers.

No speakers, no speakers at all.

Right.

All in favor.

Okay.

All right.

So we don't have any speakers.

All in favor, please raise your hand.

Anyone oppose?

That passes as well.

All right.

The next one.

I don't know if I'm this business.

Is a public hearing number 10.

Public hearing on decision on Ashule phase one, voluntary annexation, conduct a public hearing and adopt an annexation ordinance with an effective date of this date.

So do we have a motion?

There are no public speakers speaking.

No speakers.

Do we have a motion?

Okay.

Motion to close public hearing and adopt the all right.

We have a motion and a second.

All in favor, please raise your hand.

Anyone opposed?

That passes as well.

All right.

Thanks.

All right, our next one is item 11, which is a public hearing and a decision on Long Creek at McClure voluntary annexation.

Again, we've been asked to we we will not have anyone to speak.

So we can have the do I have a motion to conduct a public hearing and adopt the annexation ordinance.

So moved.

We have a motion and a second.

Any discussion?

Hearing none, all in favor, please raise your hand.

Anyone opposed?

Nobody's opposed.

Okay.

The next is report.

Okay.

We're gonna go with the city manager's report.

Uh thank you, Mayor, members of council and uh to our friends uh out in the audience now.

It's the time.

Okay.

So uh a lot of hard work's been uh happening around the cons the um it's your passenger vehicles for hire.

So from the city attorney's office, we have Jessica Battle here who will give us an update on where we are with the passenger vehicles for hire.

So thank you, Jessica.

Okay.

Good evening.

Um, thank you all for having us.

Um we've been talking about passenger vehicles for hire for quite some time.

Um this was somewhat prompted by a letter from some of our stakeholders last August of 2024, and since then, over the last 12 to 13 months, we've had extensive conversations, a lot of collaboration.

I believe some of our stakeholders are here, and so we thank them for being here to hear this update.

Um as we get started, we got here because the last major update to our PBH or passenger vehicle for hire ordinance occurred in 2017.

So it's been a while.

And since then, there have been lots of industry changes, including the addition of ride shares all throughout Charlotte, just like other major cities.

Um, the legal considerations we looked at during this conversation stem from chapters 160A and chapter 20 of the general statutes that allow or speak to regulations of taxis and also our transportation network companies, also called TNCs.

TNCs are our ride shares like Uber and Lyft and those sort of apps that persons can summon to get a vehicle.

When we were talking and having these conversations, um, we acknowledged that we received several proposal proposals from our stakeholders, and when we took a look at what changes could be possible, we wanted to look at operational clarity and sort of transparency of the PBH process in Charlotte to have more efficient application review processes to sort of speed those along so we can get drivers on the road and also to improve the experience for our citizens and for drivers and companies as it relates to PVH and the processes to get those up and running and ensure consumer safety along the way.

When we looked at the current state of PBH in Charlotte, um we turned again to the North Carolina General statutes that gives Charlotte express authority to regulate PBHs in our city, and with that Charlotte created in the year 2000 a PBH board that reviews applications for taxicab and limo companies that want to operate in Charlotte.

Um, over the last few years, you can see the revenue up on the slides in 2023.

We got about 270,000 in revenue, and in 2024, about 265,000 of revenue in our PBH program.

The separation of PBH from TNC is a completely different process, and TNCs are regulated at the state level.

The state law expressly prohibits a municipality from regulating transportation network companies, meaning we cannot impose any sort of fee or tax or inspection requirements outside of the TNC process with the state.

Again, we had several collaborative and very productive conversations.

The letter that we received from our PVH stakeholders included about 19 proposals that they sought to have updated in our PBH ordinance and to sort of meet in the middle and kind of try to level the playing field of our PVH companies in Charlotte versus our TNCs.

The city attorney's office has recommended the city moving forward with about nine of those proposed changes.

And I will go through them briefly individually.

The first change involves changing language that would include recognizing taxi cab companies right to drive also as TNCs.

And so we would recommend changing the ordinance so that a taxi cab could offer rides on a metered basis, but could also participate in Uber or Lyft if they so chose to, but those would be separate rides.

You could not have a meter running and also be a TNC at the same time.

The next changes that the city attorney office recommends is to add some definitions into our ordinance.

That would include changing the definition of operator.

Right now, the definition of operator is quite broad, and it would also include not only the person behind the wheel, but it would also include the person driving or excuse me who owns the vehicle or owns the company.

And so making some changes to the definition of the ordinance to take out some of the requirements for a person who might own a taxicab company but not operate any of the vehicles.

We also recommend adding definitions for the TNCs and TNC drivers just so that we incorporate the changing industry in our PBH ordinance.

Recommendation for or proposed change number three would be to remove some of the training requirements that our ordinance requires for people to drive public or excuse me, passenger vehicles for higher in Charlotte.

We had instructions that someone had to learn city streets and roadways and certain landmarks, but in comparison to the TNCs, a person does not have to take any sort of training on the city in which they need to or intend to operate and drive their vehicle.

The fifth recommendation would be changing the ordinance section that looks at application requirements and criminal history.

Currently, if a person has any criminal matter pending outside of a traffic ticket, they would be automatically sort of disqualified from the PVH process.

We recommend updating that ordinance to make it so that no application shall be accepted if the pending charge is an actual disqualifier.

If it's not a charge that, if guilty, they would be disqualified.

Recommendation number six involves contract vehicles for agencies.

That's things like the Department of Social Services and CMS that contract with passenger vehicle for higher companies to transport people in relation to their services.

Government sort of sets fees when they need to contract with someone for PVH purposes, and we make we recommend making it so that charges for an agency vehicle that might be operating for the government would not be any less than those of a meter metered vehicle, so that these PVH companies would not be sort of lowballed with government truck contracts versus how much they would make for that particular ride were they to run the actual meter on their vehicle.

Recommendation number seven involves only using metered rates at the airport.

Again, some owners and operators and drivers want to be both a taxicab and operate at TNC on certain occasions.

We would recommend updating the ordinance so that if a person was a sort of dual driver, if they were to take rides to or from the airport, they would actually operate on a metered basis and would not operate on the TNC side of their vehicle for that particular ride.

Number eight, we consider to be somewhat low-hanging fruit.

There was previously a 10-year age limit for PBH vehicles that once a vehicle was 10 years old, it could no longer be used for passenger vehicle for hire and had to be under 10 years.

But obviously, a car can be newer and in good condition and older and bad condition, and so we say that we recommend changing that to a 15-year limit for a car being used for PVH so that it's still stafe, safe and roadworthy.

Section number nine would involve the fixing of lights to the vehicles.

Right now, taxi cabs and PVH vehicles are required to have lights affixed to their rooftop.

But we would recommend updating that ordinance to say that not only could lighting be attached to the rooftop, but could also be on that front windshield.

Again, sort of looking at the comparison of our PVH vehicles to our TNC vehicles that do have lighting on their front windshield.

That also comes in a consideration that right now some of the vendors who make the rooftop taxi lights are a little bit harder to find given the industry changes, and so we recommend making that change as well to require or allow for different sorts of lighting on PBH vehicles.

When we were looking at some of the changes recommended by our stakeholders, the city attorney's office found that it would be a good time to take a deeper dive into all aspects of the ordinance instead of piecemealing it and bringing you some stakeholder recommended changes now and then coming back later.

So part of our deep dive involved looking at the actual passenger vehicle for higher appeals process.

Right now, if someone is denied a permit or denied a renewal, their appeal takes them straight to superior court at the courthouse.

Given we know our courthouse is full, our courthouse is sometimes overworked, and we also have different appeals processes for other of our areas in Charlotte.

We recommended changing the PBH appeals process to mirror some of the others that we have in Charlotte.

That would involve someone taking their appeal to the PBH manager within the city.

If they were still not satisfied with the result, they could then appeal to the city manager or his designee, and from there they could then appeal to the courthouse and take that matter to superior court.

This proposed process would mirror that used currently for sexual oriented business appeals under ordinance 6-476 would mirror that sort of process.

The review under Superior Court would not be a brand new review where there would be full evidentiary hearings, but in other words, they would be a review of the existing record for a superior court judge to make a determination on the appeal of the PBH matter.

This is important because the person would have to sort of exhaust all city administrative remedies before they take matters to the courthouse again, understanding that we don't want to overwork and exhaust an already limited court time within the system.

We received again several recommendations on how taxi stands are published right now.

There is a list of available taxi stands in the PVH office that is available for public inspection.

However, so that persons can eat more easily know where taxi stands are and be able to hail a ride.

Excuse me, a conspicuous manager list of taxi stands within Uptown on their website.

So someone would not have to go down to the office to do an actual in-person inspection.

Also, we would recommend or the board is going to make some changes so that the cost to transfer a PBH permit fee would not exceed the cost of a new fee or renewed permit.

Sometimes drivers for a PVH company might switch companies and have to get a new permit.

There was a time where that transfer fee costs more than the actual original application itself, and the PBH board is going to change that sort of process.

We also had lots of conversations about the actual application application process and the timing.

It didn't on the road to drive, and we know that holds up business that holds up people's livelihoods and their abilities to take care of their families.

So the PVH board is going to endeavor to approve or deny permits within seven business days of receipt of all appropriate documents.

Sometimes there needs there are a few phone calls to get more information from an applicant, but once we received all documentation, the goal is to have those approved within seven days as opposed to that process, sometimes taking a couple of weeks.

Some other changes that we looked at for PVH, which again would not require any sort of ordinance changes, but are more sort of internal process changes involved, airport flat rates.

As we all know, right now, rides to and from uptown to the airport have a $32 flat rate.

Our stakeholders have asked us to look into, and we are in the very early research and development stages of proposing additional destination points that would have flat rates within the city.

A lot of the changes we looked at, we were able to come to some sort of middle ground with our stakeholders, but there was some talk amongst our community about whether or not our PBH ordinate was obsolete.

When we live in a major city in a world where we have TNCs or people can hail a vehicle from their phone, there were questions about whether or not Charlotte still needed a PVH ordinance and a PBH board.

And the city attorney's office believes that the PVH process is still very much relevant.

There could be effects on consumer safety, quality quality concerns, some market instability, and potential monopoly by TNCs versus our local business owners were the PBH ordinance to be eliminated.

And so with that, I want to end with the positive side and the benefits of our PVH ordinance as it relates to consumer safety.

Our ordinance requires vehicle inspections, background checks, and we prevent unlicensed or unsafe persons from driving vehicles, and we also investigate passenger complaints.

When we look at service quality and the purpose of having a PBH ordinance, we can regulate those fees.

We can investigate complaints and resolve disputes amongst our consumers to make sure that Charlotte has a hand in the PVH process and per persons maneuvering in and out of our city.

As we know, we have plenty of conventions and other reasons for tourism in our city.

And so after these conversations, the lots of back and forth, and I do really think our PVH stakeholders, again, we thank them for being here.

I feel like we made a lot of headway and they were supportive of the changes that the city attorney's office is recommending to you all.

Of course, we could not make all of the changes.

We had to make sure we were complying with our state laws and also the other sort of nuances within our existing PVH ordinance.

And so we come here today to recommend that if council were to make any changes, that these are the proposed ordinance changes we would look at.

And as far as next steps, um, I am prepared to look into and follow it with counsel about any questions not addressed or answered this evening, and then from there, once and if council is ready, we can bring forward these PVH ordinance refinements for vote at a later business meeting.

And so with that, again, I appreciate our stakeholders for being here and we thank you for your time.

Thank you very much, Ms.

Battle.

Mr.

Jones.

Uh again, thank you, Mayor, members of council.

And I really appreciate the hard work from Ms.

Battle and uh attorney Fox and Sean Heath and CMPD to get to this place.

I just want to echo what Jessica said.

No one is suggesting anyone has to make any decision tonight.

Um we wanted to use this time to at least get this in front of you.

And whatever you need in terms of more information, we are willing and able to do it.

But as Jessica said, this has been a lot of discussions back and forth to come to a place where we can come to you comfortably tonight to believe that there are some options on the table that are agreeable from both sides.

All right.

Um let's see.

I see.

We'll start with our mayor pro tem and then come around, Mr.

Drix, and then Mr.

Peacock.

Thank you.

And Miss Battle, thank you for that information.

A lot of a lot of good information and what you just presented.

Um page six, the recommendation number seven around metered vehicles at the airport.

Can you just describe that a little bit better for me?

And I also wanted to know is that is this suggestion a best practice in some of our peer cities, or is this a a new concept that we are that we've come up with?

So when we look at some of our peer cities, not everyone has a sort of PBH board that would regulate taxicabs in the same way that Charlotte does.

Um that's within North Carolina and also sister cities, but there are cities that do allow taxicabs to operate in the taxicab space and also the TNC space, and in some of those cities, it's kind of up to the driver of when they are taking a ride if they want to do a TNC ride or do a metered ride.

And so how we look at it is as that there's a taxi stand um at the airport.

And so the purpose of this would be if a taxi cab is in that taxicab line and they have their Uber wrap or excuse me, Uber app running, they couldn't switch and say, Well, I'm in the taxi cab line.

I want to do a TNC ride.

You would have to remain in that taxicab line and take a metered fare opposed to sort of jumping out of that line to do the the ride share.

Got it.

Okay, great.

Um, and then the last comment was around um some of the other areas for a flat fee rate.

Yes.

I would highly suggest we look at the university of of Charlotte.

You know, we have a lot of students coming in and out of that space and from the airport.

I think it would be beneficial to help students if they had an affordable rate to get to and from the airport.

Yes, absolutely.

Some of the areas that were brought to our attention were um University, Plaza Midwood, um, South End, South Park, and Ballantyne.

But we certainly understand, yes, especially for students to know how much they would be spending to get to and from college during holidays and other sort of needs for transportation.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um Mr.

Ram, did you want to all right?

Mr.

Drigs.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um I remember quite a long time ago, eight years, ten years, uh, there was a lot of engagement uh by the taxi industry with the rise of the TNCs, and the difficulty we faced was they were just two completely different business models.

Uh and one of them traditionally had been regulated, and then the other one wasn't.

And so we tried then to make some changes to level that playing field.

Uh I guess without getting into too much detail, there were some things we talked about then that have not come up now, and maybe that's because uh they they couldn't be brought up.

But um with were were representatives of the TNC business uh involved in these conversations since it involves the competition between them and the taxicab companies.

So did we hear from them about whether they thought any of these changes uh affected them?

So the people that we did hear from were more so taxi cab companies that operate in both spaces, not so much generally um our individual TNC drivers.

It's a little bit harder for our PBH board to sometimes reach out to the individual sort of T um TNC and ride share applicants because they're just regulated slightly differently than our PBH um actual drivers, and so we did research at the state level and look into what other cities are doing across the United States, but didn't have as many like one-on-one conversations with our TNC drivers in Charlotte.

So, what uh requests that you had from the uh PBH, the taxis, did you not feel that you were able to accommodate?

Like what other things were they asking for?

So one involved um medical requirements and sort of changing the medical status or sort of certification needed for someone to drive PBH, just making sure that they are in a physical condition to drive, and instead of eliminating those for public safety, we thought that the PBH manager should retain authority to request a medical certification.

Um, for example, if someone were to have gotten in a number of vehicle accidents, maybe there needed to be a medical certification to make sure that person was safe and fit to drive.

I mean, that was one of the ones for public safety purposes we felt would not be in the best interest of PBH or our our community to eliminate um from consideration.

Um another involved sort of changing the background checking situation with the state because I know one of the large complaints from our PBH stakeholders involves the timing in which it takes to get those background checks done by the State Bureau of Investigation.

And so they recommended us doing background checks here in Charlotte.

However, by statute, we would not move that forward because it would require a change at the General Assembly level in order for the city to be able to conduct background checks is required to go to the SBI, but there are changes at a state level that might soon allow the SBI to filter its background checks to third parties, which could speed up parts of that process.

All right, I think that's uh that's helpful.

Thank you.

I just hope that uh before this comes up for a vote, if you could provide would it be okay to provide like an overview of how other cities have dealt with these issues and just sort of put us in the context of solutions that have been adopted elsewhere.

Yes, thank you.

We'll do all right, Mr.

Peacock.

Thank you.

Um, Mr.

Manager, I was just curious.

Did you not want to refer this to the committee first?

It seems like a pretty in-depth topic here to be going through so quickly.

I know we're not I know you're not recommending a uh date in the future, but I just didn't know why we wouldn't refer this to a committee first.

It could go to a committee.

Okay.

Uh Ms.

Battle, I had one question for you on uh page number five.

Your recommendation number five.

I don't know if this is a misprint or not.

Application requirements for criminal history.

It says no application shall be accepted if there are disqualifying pending charges under the law.

Do you mean to say qualifying?

No, disqualifying.

So right now, if I'm that I'm just trying to exclude your eligibility.

Certain felonies would disqualify a person from drive or be getting their PVH permit.

It will be disqualified in sort of regardless of the totality of circumstances of their application.

If they have certain class felonies, they would be disqualified from ever getting the permit.

So right now, the way the ordinance sits, if someone has any matter pending, it could be a small class three misdemeanor.

They would be disqualified, even though if they were to be proven guilty in court, that would not disqualify them from the final application process.

So to change that is to make it more fair.

If someone has a pending matter that would not legally affect their application under the statutory guidelines, we would allow those applications to continue through the process.

But if someone had one of those felonies, they would not continue and automatically their application will be denied and disqualify them from the permit.

Thank you, Ms.

Mayor.

Ms.

Ashmir.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

So a couple of questions.

I know that uh my colleague uh council member Peacock mentioned the night referring it to the committee, but that might delay this adoption of this.

And I know that in November uh there is not a mandatory committee meeting.

So I'm all for the process, but I don't want to delay this.

I know that there are a lot of drivers here who have been waiting on this for a while.

Uh so if there are any questions, we can certainly have a small group meetings.

Uh, but I in the interest of time, uh I I don't want us to go through the committee process.

Okay.

Um second, I would like to hear from drivers.

I know that we heard from Ms.

Battle.

Thank you for your presentation.

This is very helpful.

Uh I would like to hear from drivers at our um we need to have some sort of uh forum for them to speak so we can directly hear their feedback on this.

Uh are this proposed changes sufficient?

Do we need more?

Do we need less?

Uh that's the kind of feedback I I'm interested in hearing because this is going to impact them directly.

So I look forward to hearing from them.

But that's all I have.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Miss Watlington.

Thank you.

Um, and forgive me if I missed this part, but along the lines of what Councilmember Azmiro was just asking.

I wanted to make sure I understood.

Uh see the rationale of the first slide.

What was the the what was the catalyst for this work?

Is there a specific constituency group that aspirate, or was it just part of ongoing?

We received a letter from a few of our stakeholder companies last August, and it had I think 19 changes that they recommended to the PBH ordinance, and that's sort of sparked a look at it because it hadn't been looked at since the 2017 um updates and with the growing TNC industry.

We felt it would be an appropriate time to sort of look at the entire process in addition to their recommendations.

And those 19 companies were they all TNC?

No, it was I believe three companies, but they recommended 19 proposed changes.

But no, the cat the companies who did recommend the changes were taxi and limo companies in Charlotte.

Okay, thank you.

Yes.

Thank you.

Any additional questions you want to report?

Okay.

Thank you, Miss Battle.

Thank you.

Okay, we will move on to agenda item number 13, the citizens review board requirements.

Um this is an action to approve the housing safety and community committees recommendations to revise the citizens review board training requirement and process response times by adopting an ordinance amending section 16-56 and 16-62 of the city's code of ordinances.

Is there Ms.

Watlington?

Yes.

So move.

Second.

All right.

I have a motion by the chair and second by Ms.

Ashmir.

Any comment?

Yeah, I do.

All right, Ms.

Ashmer.

Yes.

Um thank you.

Well, first I just wanted to thank the Cities and Review Board members that are here in attendance today, just for volunteering their time to serve on this board and to uphold trust between our community members and law enforcement.

As part of this process, I learned how involved the board is, and that just the amount of training that they had to go through to serve on this board.

So this action streamlines the training as well as response times.

So I those support this.

And I also want to thank staff.

I know we had one of the attorneys who was uh helping the committee with this process.

So I appreciate our city staff and the city attorney for that.

Thank you.

Any additional comment?

Hearing none, all in favor, raise hands.

Any opposed?

That is unanimous.

And so we'll move on to item number 14.

Item number 14 authorizes city managers to negotiate and execute a contract with IK Smart City LLC to provide, implement, operate, maintain up to 30 digital kiosks within the city, maintain rights of way for a term of 10 years, authorizing the manager to renew the contracts up to one year, 10 year term with possible price adjustments, and amend the contracts consistent for the purpose for which the contract was approved.

And then the final item is to adopt an ordinance amending City Code Ordinance, Chapter 10, Article 1 in general, Chapter 10, Article 3, Public Health Nuisances, and Chapter 19, Article, I believe that that would be eight or decorative signs.

Motion to adopt A, B, and C, Madam Mr.

Thank you very much.

We have a motion on the floor.

Any discussion?

There are speakers.

Oh, we have speakers.

It's really okay.

We have three speakers, and I'll try to get everybody down here.

Michael Smith.

We see you, Michael.

John Palolo.

Did I say that correctly?

John Paola.

Oh, okay.

Thank you.

And Randall Sistrunk, are you answering questions or coming down?

Okay.

All right.

Here we go.

Mr.

Smith.

You have three minutes.

Thank you.

Mayor, uh, City Council, Mr.

Manager, Liz Babson, Debbie Smith.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to speak on this topic about the value of digital kiosks can bring for so many of the commercial areas within our city.

I know this is something that you guys have worked hard on.

We're grateful for that work.

But I'd like to take just a moment to share just a little level setting on South End and why we think this is particularly important for that sub-district.

The South End has been named as the number one busiest sub-market in the United States due to its large surge of residential and commercial development, adaptive reuse projects, strong retail and office demand.

The South End Vision Plan, your South Envision Plan emphasizes walkability, bikeability, public spaces, inclusive growth, aiming to balance density with livability, and maintain that eclectic character.

Moreover, South End has become this vibrant destination for local, regional, and national visitors.

And our team and the South End Board Committee and the stakeholders have long advocated for a more robust wayfinding and information system to support our guests that keep coming there.

This is modern urban infrastructure.

It's exciting that it's being considered.

These digital kiosks are the right solution.

We want to communicate immediately when somebody disembarks from the blue line, gets out of their car, walks the streets of South End, and comes to seek to uh support our small businesses, participate in the commerce of the district.

The digital kiosk will provide dynamic communications for residents, businesses, shoppers, and visitors.

There's text to sell wayfinding.

There's vital public safety messaging, real-time light rail scheduling for transit-oriented neighborhoods, interactive potential to solicit feedback.

Therefore, on behalf of the South End community and our advisory board.

We appreciate your consideration for bringing this innovative digital kiosk to the South End and other neighborhoods.

And we look forward to working with you to improve connectivity, accessibility, and civic engagement across Charlotte.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Smith.

All right.

Do we have any other speakers?

All right.

So I believe that there's a lot of interest in this, and um, I don't think it starts this way, so why don't we go ahead and start with Mayor Pro Tem and come around to Miss Ashmira and then we'll come back around this way.

Sure.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um, I think this is uh a really exciting moment for our city.

Uh when we have the opportunity to travel to different cities, we see this level of technology there.

And for Charlotte, in order for Charlotte to be a world class city, we need to make sure that technology is accessible.

Um certainly Wi-Fi, if you travel to any major tier city outside the U.S., public Wi-Fi is accessible for those traveling from other countries, and of course, connects those who do not have the internet with the opportunity to be connected with the internet, in addition to wayfinding, um navigation and other things.

It just adds a level of appeal in the communities where you see these kiosks.

And I'm really excited that we will have 30 uh of them, several of them in District One, which I'm also excited.

I saw the map around that.

So what Mr.

Smith just said as it relates to South End and it being such a hub uh for both uh densification, but balancing that with jobs and um walkability and being able to call it also a neighborhood for so many that live there and live, work, and play really all right in that one area.

It is one of the areas in our city that is um most visited as well, whether it's for soccer games, football games, etc.

People will go and dine along South End and enjoy the bars.

So really great to see this happen.

I know it's been a long time in the making.

Um, and um very happy to see this come to Charlotte.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Mr.

Graham.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um, the Economic Development Committee had the opportunity on at least two occasions uh to hear the presentation and really get to learn more about the opportunity that we're voting on tonight.

And so I want to thank my vice chairman, Mr.

Mitchell, and Miss Molina, who I'm almost certain will have more to say uh about this.

They actually identified the opportunity from a uh National League of Cities meeting and brought it back and released chafferon it through the um through the system here at the city of Charlie.

So I'm gonna thank them for their support and their leadership on behalf of the committee uh for getting it done.

Uh and uh yeah, so I'm I'll defer to Councilmember Mitchell when he can speak for the committee when appropriate.

When appropriate.

I think that the chair has moved to give you the opportunity to speak, Mr.

Mitchell.

Oh, okay.

Okay.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Um let me gather myself because some sometimes we don't get a chance to uh serve the community um long enough to see things that we work so passionate for to be implemented.

So let me thank my colleague, Councilmember Marlena, as the chair said we were in Seattle, Washington at a leadership conference by National League of Cities, and we went by this booth uh and it was uh I talking about kiosk.

And first thing they say to me that was fighting words, they said we go into Raleigh first before we come to Charlotte.

And I got very upset.

You guys know I'm competitive, and so I say I'm gonna find out uh the ship that they send in the kiosk to Raleigh and make sure I intercept it because Charlotte will go ahead and go ahead and kiosk first.

Um, but on a serious note, I think this is a win-win for our community.

Michael, thank you for being here talking about uh we have the corridors involved, we got all our three MSDs, and this is no cost to the city.

I want the citizens to understand that this is trick strictly a revenue generation for us.

But it's more important, we talk about the corridors.

So now we have uh small business in the corridors now to advertise, uh talk about these services and their products.

I have to thank the chair because he's right.

Um, when we put it on his docket, he said we're gonna bring it up in August, and we'll try to get this uh make sure we can this occur in October.

And I know Randon John do not want to speak, so I'm gonna speak for them.

Uh thank you all.

And I have to thank the city manager because a little hyper one.

I want to roll out 120.

Yeah.

And uh city manager says, slow your roll.

Uh we're gonna do a pilot first.

And so we're doing a pilot of 30 kiosks.

We will be the 26th city in America to have this.

So we follow behind Miami, Tampa, Baltimore, and Miami, who also are implementing this new technology.

And uh to Dr.

Wattleton and and Mayor Pro Tim, they're more uh tech savvy than I.

Um, and so I'm gonna lean on them to really embrace embrace technology.

So thank you and to staff.

Uh this was a lot of heavy lifting.

Uh a new initiative.

So, Brandon and Debbie, thank you so much for your leadership.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair and Mayor.

All right, Mr.

Dread, I mean Ms.

Driggs.

Thank you, Mayor.

So uh I'm excited about this opportunity.

Appreciate you bringing it uh to us.

And uh I will know a lot of people probably don't know what a digital kiosk is or what it looks like.

Okay, so I'm gonna try and describe it.

It's just a freestanding sign, illuminated sign, like a TV screen, and it displays way wayfinding information uh and other civic information, and it also has advertising on it, which is how it gets paid for.

So when I heard about this, I was kind of interested in the business model, which is novel, frankly.

We we haven't really seen a public-private partnership like this, and uh we pay nothing, right?

And then we get 30 percent of the profits.

Sounds too good to be true, right?

So um what I looked at carefully was fine, we we get the 30 percent of the profits, but how much did they get?

And so we want to be sure that the terms of our partnership with the provider uh are equitable.

And I won't go through a couple of questions I asked and some information I got, but basically my conclusion was that the benefit to the city and the terms of the deal are such that uh we can embrace this enthusiastically.

So just want to thank everybody involved.

I think these will be uh an amenity in Charlotte that we can all appreciate.

Thank you, Mr.

Peacock.

No questions, Ms.

Mayor.

Thank you.

All right, Miss Watlington.

Thanks.

I have a few questions.

Um, first of all, it's been a long time coming.

So thank you for the work, uh, Mr.

Mitchell and Miss U Melina.

Um we're having this conversation at one of our conferences in Atlanta and walking through the city um and seeing what was offered there.

Just a couple of things that stand out to me uh as I think about this.

The first one is I'm always thinking about additional opportunities, the what ifs.

So I'd be very interested in understanding.

I hear some of the business model is advertising is where the revenue comes from.

Is there a component at all for um businesses in and along the corridors, for example, that may need uh access to this?

Is there a lower barrier of entry there from other traditional types of marketing?

I'm just very curious how we might be able to leverage this, even if it meant the city purchasing time to advertise to increase access for different types of businesses.

Thank you.

Good evening, members of council, city manager Jones, Mayor Lyos.

Uh, thank you for the opportunity, Randall Sistrunk.

I lead public-private partnerships for Ike Smart City, and so that's a great question to answer your question.

There's an enormous opportunity to partner with local businesses and small and minority businesses.

Part of our business model is we offer 12 and a half percent of time on the kiosk for city and community content as well as any unsold inventory.

We'll also have our community outreach and engagement team go out and work with these small and local businesses to offer them free advertising or sometimes advertising at a reduced cost.

Awesome.

And then along those lines, you mentioned um the community engagement piece.

I'm curious as to how you all have leveraged your technology in concert with like emergency services, for example, in other cities.

Is there an opportunity to connect the two technologies?

Yes, so what we do is we work very closely with our cities and our community stakeholders and public safety, and so our cities have an optional 9-1-1 emergency call button and security and safety camera.

So we would work with the city and working to deploy those um interactivities.

Perfect, and then one more follow-up on that.

Are these screens, are any of them touch screens?

All of them actually there's a touch screen on each on each face of the kiosk.

Fantastic.

So I'm very interested in some of the other things that can happen, gamification, even gathering, as and I'm sure you probably already thought about gathering consumer insights from these particular kiosks.

Um a couple of quick questions about the terms and the ordinance.

I want to make sure I understand, and I'm sure this is probably covered in the committee already.

As it relates to the public side of this partnership, are the locations where these kiosks will be on public land?

So the kiosk will be located within the public right away.

Okay, and the locations will be determined through partnership through our partners at the MSDs, the corridors of opportunity, city council, and the mayor and city manager.

Perfect.

And then last question in regards to the ordinance itself.

Um, and this may be for our attorneys, but I just noticed in here that the last section of the ordinance where it's well, the second to last section in section two where it talks about prohibited sign devices, and it says no decorative sign may be lighted, may flash, or may make noise unless it is part of a city approved interactive information on the wayfinding kiosk.

I just want to make sure that I understand what the intent behind that is and how that may or may not impact other digital signage throughout the city.

What is the intent here?

Sure, thank you, Brennan Brazil with CDOT.

Um so with that one specifically, we kind of didn't want to open the floodgates due to uh pollution from you know lighting and things, and that's why we've got that in our ordinance about tonnage uh being limited to the what it can do with flashing and lighting.

Um, but with this particular device we were comfortable with um kind of the way that it's lit, and so that's why we made the exception specifically for these devices.

And so does that mean that any other kinds of decorative signs uh let me ask you differently.

What's not included here?

What I don't want is people to read this and say, oh, my sign that's been up for 20 years now doesn't meet this exception.

Sure.

So the first ordinance item that we're changing item uh in section 10-1 for definitions, that's where we define the digital kiosk as the interactive informational wayfinding kiosk, and so that's why we specifically mentioned that in the chapter 19 uh section 208 that you're referencing so that it's very specific that it's just for this device.

Fantastic.

Thank you so much.

I appreciate it.

Thank you.

All right, and then Ms.

Mirror.

Thank thank you, Madam Mayor.

Well, first, I just want to thank uh my colleagues, Councilmember Mitchell and Molina for bringing this to our committee.

And thank you, Councilmember Graham, for uh expediting this to be in front of us.

Uh it was introduced in August, and here we are in October.

Um they say government work slow, a lot in this case.

Um, but you know, digital kiosks are just more than just technology.

I I see these as tools for connectivity and opportunities.

Uh so I look forward to uh seeing some of this in uh closer to where I live.

So yeah, that's all I have.

Thank you.

Very quick.

Thank you so much, Madam Mayor.

So definitely thank you for the committee for bringing this innovative ideas to our city.

I haven't my daughter lives in Atlanta, so I seen them a long time ago.

It was nice talking to you, young man.

I can't remember your name, but you got it done.

So it was told you I was on board, you too.

So thank you so much.

It's it's amazing.

Thank you.

Thank you, great colleagues for bringing it, but innovative opportunity and and it's needed.

So thanks.

Thank you.

Miss Melina.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um there's been there's been so much said, so I don't really want to be redundant, but I I do have to make sure that I mention I again we have such a gift in you know, having those that have been on board on the council for some time.

When I when we saw it, James and I, when I first went to National League of Cities when I first got elected, um, I'd heard about National League of Cities, and as soon as I got elected, I went following this guy to a National League of Cities Conference.

Uh and having had somebody who's been president of the entire organization, I don't think there was nobody there that James didn't know.

Like when I say Charlotte, everybody know James Mitchell.

Um, and and so you know having that tag team, even you know, having the interest and having that tag team and having somebody who really knew what to do with the idea and how we could execute on it with the interest has has really been part of that expedition.

Um the jobs and economic development committee is led by Mr.

Graham.

Um we've we've seen some great ideas come before that committee, and one of the I guess one of the biggest honors has been able to, you know, share those ideas and and hold those ideas and and be able to make big decisions for our city that would push us forward.

So this is just one of them, and I and I want to make sure that I'm clear in that, you know, I know that we had Michael Smith from uptown speaking, but this is also going in the corridors of opportunity, right?

So there's this equal dispersion of this pilot where we're going to actually put it into the corridors and we're going to put it into the MSDs.

Um so um there will be some uh you know benefit to many types of our residents, which I find to be very um positive.

So um I'm I'm very excited about this pilot program.

Um I'm I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out for our community.

I know it's going to be fantastic, and again, this is eight thousand dollars per kiosk that it's generating um at no cost to the taxpayer, and there's 30 kiosks just to start.

So those are just additional dollars that we can generate to do additional things for our community.

So um thank you to Ike Smart Cities for your partnership for your patience because you know it went to committee just two months ago, but we've been talking about this for years now.

This has been multiple years, you know.

I see you flashing up there, David.

Yeah, yeah, it's been multiple years in conversation.

So, and you know, to to be able to actually execute it now and you know, brag to our colleagues in Raleigh and and Atlanta that that we did it, you know.

And I'm I'm just really excited.

So thank you again, Mr.

Manager, Mr.

Chairman, colleagues, because again, I always talk about this is a team sport.

None of us are great alone.

Um there is a such thing as having a good idea, and then there is the challenge and the responsibility to get other leaders to see that mission and to buy into that mission.

So um council, all leadership teams, it's a team sport, and so thank you to my colleagues for you know being on board and being supportive as well.

All right, so it sounds like we've got a really good idea of what we're gonna do.

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

Anyone opposed?

Thank you very much for moving us forward in a way.

So let's go to item 15, which a municipal agreement for traffic signal upgrades at multiple intersections.

Um, Miss Debbie Smith, do you have anything that you want to provide for us?

Is there do I have um an A and a B to adopt a budget ordinance for A indeed?

We have a motion and as well as we're adopting for the B.

Um any discussion.

Hearing none, all in favor of the two motions, please raise your hands.

Anyone opposed?

All right, sir.

That um takes us through um item 16.

So this is a bond resolution for special obligation bonds and commercial paper program.

Um the action is to adopt a bond resolution authorizing a commercial paper program as part of the special obligation bonds financing plan for Bank of America Stadium and the field house improvements project and a principal amount not to exceed $150 million and authorize the city manager city officials to take necessary actions.

I believe that includes the manager as well as the clerk and the lawyer.

Okay.

Motion to adopt A and authorized B.

Do you have any comments?

Where's Matt?

There you are.

I see Mr.

Driggs has raised his hand, Mr.

Graham as well.

I know, but we'll get a second to the motion.

Okay, let's get um let's see.

Who's up?

Let's be here.

So where's Matt?

Mr.

Briggs, are you want to do you want to talk with Matt?

Do you want to come down?

I don't do we need to please.

I don't think oh, he doesn't you don't need he spoke last time.

Okay, all right, Mr.

Driggs.

So I will just note and correct me if I'm wrong, but uh this is a uh procedural step implementing something that we've already decided on our partnership with the uh TSE on the team, and uh we need to do this in order to raise the money that we have already committed towards our partnership with the team.

I would like to recognize representatives of TEPRA Sports.

Um good to see you tonight.

And uh I was hopeful yesterday that the team would be inspired by the prospect of this vote since they've done so well they're gonna do the four votes and uh it was a tough day.

Please convey to them our support and appreciation if you found and and that's really it.

I mean, if you study this, it's it's uh yeah, it's procedural.

This is uh something that could have been in consent.

All right, any other comments, Mr.

Graham.

Yeah, did a little to what uh Mr.

Drake's uh indicated again.

This is just a step two of the two-step process.

Want to thank the team for being here tonight and for your support and working with the neighbors and the residents of um of third ward and others had a great week last week with the NFL owners.

And um, with this vote tonight, um we're ready to build um a building and get renovated and get started over there, and that's gonna have huge impact for many frontline workers in our community.

So I look forward to uh seeing it happen.

All right, any other comments from council yes, madam mayor.

Can I just mention we'd be remiss if we didn't talk about Charlotte FC making it to the playoffs?

Uh-huh.

Yeah I've been in it for a third year.

Incredible.

So uh support Charlotte FC when they're when they play in the playoffs this week.

It's a big deal tomorrow.

I think it's tomorrow.

Yeah, okay.

All right, so has everybody gotten where cheer leading out for the team?

So all in favor, please raise your hands.

Anyone oppose?

We have one in opposition, so thank you, everyone.

So our next item is public pri item 17.

This is a public-private partnership to restore and redevelop his the historical Excelsior Club.

We have several speakers to um come forward first, and so we'll do our speakers first and and then continue with the council.

Um Miss Erica McNair, Miss McNair.

Please come down and thank you for being here.

Logan Creech.

If we could have two people, we have one over here as well.

Mr.

Creech.

I'll the first one put the sign up.

I'm gonna try to be fast.

Good evening, Mayor and Council members and neighbors.

I'm coming to you to speak about approving funding for the historic Excelsior Club in the Beattysford Corridor.

I purchased my home in 2022, two streets away from the now dilapidated building that once was the esteemed Excelsior Historic Excelsior Club.

When I moved, my movers asked me why on earth would I choose to move to this area.

I came from Mint Hill.

I said there is great history in this neighborhood, and I'm proud to live here.

We have been given improvements to our neighborhood that currently are of no benefit to us that live here, in particular the park the Ritz that is touted as a great beacon when in reality it is a drug-infested nuisance that residents are afraid to drive by and is only cleaned up when it is being used as a photo op.

And I can say this because I live on Tate Street and I drive by it every day.

Unlike the Ritz, funding for the restoration and redevelopment of the Excelsior Club will not only bring back pride to the area that we pay an extreme amount of taxes to live in, but it will provide employment opportunities for the neighborhood as well as a place to learn about the historic the history of the cluster of historic neighborhoods that make up the Baities Fort Corridor and the contributions to this community that those who came before us made.

The city of Charlotte destroyed this and several other African American neighborhoods when it snatched homes and businesses using eminent domain in 1965 to build I-77.

You now have a chance to right some of those wrongs by approving this funding and helping restore the Washington Heights and West End Corridor, the historic beacon that was a light to the community, the Excelsior Club.

Give us what you have given other neighborhoods like South End NOTA and Ballantine.

Please approve this funding.

Thank you very much.

Mr.

Creech.

Good evening, Mayor and Council members.

I'm Logan Creech.

I am the Secretary of Concerned Citizens of Washington Heights, and I'm a white boy born and raised in Myers Park.

Living off of Beatty's Ford.

And I'm going to tell you, I have a great community there, and I love living on Beatty's Ford.

And it is a new dawn and it is a new day in Washington Heights.

We are here in support of this initiative, restoring cultural identity to the Beatty's Ford Corridor.

We have a philanthropic developer willing to take this on.

We are in dire need of reinvestment along the corridor, creating a destination for people along Beatty's Ford, working on the urban blight.

Uh, that is festering along Beatty's Ford.

Um, and then Mr.

Kennedy took the time to meet with our community, and we pretty much grilled him on everything from programming to safety to security, and he had an answer that we all felt comfortable with.

Um, you know, this is going, and he was very transparent about this process.

Uh, this is the catalyst that we need on the Beatty's Ford Corridor to get it going.

Um, and this will benefit more than just the people that have lived there for a long time.

Um, it will benefit everybody, and we hope that you will approve this.

Okay, thank you.

Chris Dennis here.

Yes.

Where are you?

I can't is Chris.

Okay, hey Chris.

Sorry, come on down.

I know not see you.

And our the followers, Shedrick Matthews would be following Mr.

Chris Dennis.

All right, Jack and Robertson.

Good evening.

Good evening to the mayor, the mayor and the council members and all those who came tonight to stand in support of this historic effort.

Beatty's Fort Road has always been more than a corridor.

It's a post that runs through the Charlotte's Charlotte story.

It's strong because the people who live, work, and invest and chose to invest there.

Before I knew about the famous Dirty Thursday, Thursdays.

Tell all the seekers, please.

No.

That premier social scene we all remember.

There were community members held.

There were community meetings that were held there at the Excelsior Club.

It was where I actually got chance to hear Charlie Jones spread his arms and invite all of his elders into the room.

It was at that very moment that I realized the importance of community activism.

The Excelsior Club wasn't just about building, it was a bridge between generations that helped overcome struggles and create the progress.

It was what history and politics and pride met under one roof.

For me, this place was the spark of the Excelsior's ignited journey in a community in my ignited my journey in community activism as a president of Lockwood community for more than thirty more than 15 years.

It taught me why preserving our community is so vital and essential.

This understanding drove me to the success in a public-private partnership on Baysford Road at LaSalle at LaSalle and Bayes Ford, a project that led my team, EFEX Development Corp.

It stands as a proof that when the city and the communities move together, progress follows.

Now we have another chance to do it again with the rebirth of the Excelsior Club.

This isn't just about restoring a building, it's about reviving an institution that has shaped leaders, hosted movements, and celebrated the very spirit of the wet historic West End Corridor.

This development team leading this project is ready.

And I want to say it very clear.

They're capable and experienced and deeply rooted in this community.

What we need, what we need now is to show the courage to invest.

So I stand before you tonight in full support of allocating 1.5 million towards the rebirth of the Excelsior Club.

Not as a symbolic gesture, but as a strategic commitment to Charlotte's culture and economic future.

Because when you invest in the West End, we invest in the heart of the city.

The power of saying yes starts tonight, but not just to restore what once was, but to reimagine what still is and will be possible.

So now that I ask you to support this effort, not only because we're asking you, because it's the right thing to do for our community.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Mr.

Matthews.

Thank you.

Thank you, Charlotte City Council, Mayor Pro Chair Anderson, Mayor Laues, City Manager Jones, and staff.

Picture this with me for a moment.

It's a beautiful evening around 6 p.m.

You've just left a great community-focused restaurant with phenomenal food and drinks, and you're with some of your favorite people, and no one's right quite ready for the night to end.

So you all stroll down the street to grab some ice cream, then stop by a local flower shop to pick up something nice for your home.

Now, as I describe that scene, you might imagine yourself in uptown South End, Plaza Midwood, or Noda, but you're actually right down the street on historic Betty's Ford Road in Charlotte's West End, one of the most underappreciated and underinvested walkable communities in our city.

Today that flower shop I mentioned it currently exists in Strauss Flores.

The ice cream shop does not, and the reimagined restaurant reimagined as the Excelsior Club currently does not.

Right now, what stands there is a dilapidated building, a pain painful reminder, excuse me, of neglect, lack of investment, and missed opportunity.

What could stand there is a catalyst, a spark for new energy and community pride.

My name is Shedrick Matthews.

I serve as the vice president of the concerned citizens of Washington Heights.

Washington Heights, one of North Carolina's first and possibly only streetcar suburbs built for black residents.

It was a neighborhood without restrictive covenants, a place that became home to ministers, teachers, investors, and generations of proud Charlotteans.

And at its front door, it's Crown Jewel since the Excelsior Club.

Founded in 1944 by Jimmy McKee, the Excelsior is one of the most important cultural landmarks in all of Charlotte.

It has been a gathering place for music, movement, and meaning in our community for decades.

Tonight you have the opportunity to help bring it back.

The strategic leadership is here with Sean Kidney and his proven partners at Crossland Southeast.

They have a vision that honors the Excelsior's legacy while investing in its future.

The Washington Heights community has reviewed their plans and we fully support.

So tonight we ask you to do the same to say yes to this project in restoring a vital piece of Charlotte's cultural and economic history.

I look forward to today we can all gather again at the reimagined with the reimagined Excelsior Club to celebrate not just what it once was but what it will become.

And we have a letter to put on file from our leadership team.

Thank you very much.

Our next speaker is Rodney Hood.

Excuse me.

Excuse me.

Mr.

Matthews, excuse me.

What church do you attend?

CN Jenkins.

Okay.

Okay.

You're getting too much joy today.

Too much joy going on around here.

Okay.

So Mr.

Hood.

Rodney Hood.

Okay.

All right.

So now let's be a good question.

Move forward.

Do we have a motion?

I'm sorry, Mr.

Graham.

We'll go around here.

Are you guys coming?

Are you coming down this way?

Mr.

Graham.

Thank you.

I'm so excited tonight.

I hope it shows I'm a little bit under the weather, but I'm so excited about the opportunity that we have here tonight to really not invest in a club, but to invest in a community rich in history, legacy, and tradition, and to continue the work that this council has done for the last three or four years in terms of supporting quarridors of opportunity in general and specifically Beatty Fort Road.

That building has been sitting vacant for the last six years, and is an eyesore on the corridor that needs replenishing and re-imagination.

I believe this investment is the right investment at the right time with the right community and partners involved.

So I look forward to supporting it tonight.

This issue has been in the economic development committee on two occasions, and we voted it out 5-0, everyone in support of it because they clearly recognize and understand that this is again an investment on the corridor, a an investment that we've been making for the last four or five years.

And Mr.

Manager and Council, I just want to kind of just remind not only the council bit but also the community in reference to all the other investments that we've made.

So this is a puzzle piece of some of the work that we've already done that really talks about how do we begin to revitalize the quarter from the I-77 bridge to a friendship missionary Baptist Church.

We still have a focus towards safety on Beatty's Fort Road with our alternative to violence program with a dedicated effort in terms of focusing on Catherine Simmons and hopefully Mr.

Manager will announce a safety plan soon on Beatty's Fort Road that we're talking about.

Stay tuned for that.

We've invested in transit for the last several years.

We've invested 4.8 million dollars for the preliminary engineering design of the streetcar from French Street at Johnson C.

Smith to Rosa Parks.

F built that streetcar will go directly by the historic Excelsior Club, so you can get off there and go have dinner.

Also, we've invested on the Five Point intersection with Five Point Park.

We hope to in 2026, Mr.

Manager, to talk about Weaver Market and Affordable Housing and Senior Housing at Five Point as well.

Johnson C.

Smith is doing their new entrance, Mr.

Manager.

I see a theme coming, a theme coming here.

Yeah, yes, but it's been a while, right?

Uh and they also are beginning to look at other economic development initiative on property that they own on Beatty's Fort Road.

Uh Efex and Christopher Dennison, you heard his personal investment as well as the investment of the city on the corner of Beatty's Ford Road and LaSalle Street, which is the heart of the business district on Beatty's Ford Road.

Chase Bank, TD Banks, Fifth Third Bank, as well as others have moved to the quarter within the last two to three years.

The city itself in 2026 will open up four uh 30 for sale townhomes on the corner of Beatty's Fort Road and the South behind the TD Banks.

Um property built on city-owned land uh and throughout House federal um dollars, uh, which is going to be again another great public-private investment on the Beatty Fort Road corridor.

I say all that to say that the historic Excelsior Club investment falls in line with all those things we've already done thus far.

Uh it it focus on that intersection of Baysfort Road in Oakline.

As you remember, two years ago, we finally lit the water tower on that site.

Um the historic Western partners just bought a convenience store on that intersection, and now we get the opportunity to invest 1.5 million dollars to restore history, tradition, and pride with the historic Excelser Club with two well-known community partners, the right project at the right time for the right price for the right community.

So I look forward to supporting it because it's an extension of all the other work that we're doing and have done.

Certainly more work to be done, but this certainly really begins to uh demonstrate in a very visible way on that corner of Oakland and Bailey's Fort Road that change is not coming, but changes here, and change that many of our residents have been waiting quite a long time for.

So I look forward to supporting this tonight and urge the council to do so as well.

Mr.

Graham, Madam Awesome.

Mr.

Graham, would you have to make a motion to approve the um public-private partnership to restore and redevelop the historic Excelsior flow?

Uh so move second.

We have a motion and a second.

Well deserved in so many ways, but the second, all of you can take that way with you.

So thank you.

All right, so Mr.

Driggs.

Uh thank you, Mayor.

So uh I have to admit, I I had a couple of people ask why would we invest in a uh a facility that's targeted at only one uh sector, and uh I think there are good reasons.

I intend to support it.

Um diverse community for 12 years here on council, and before um we face a lot of challenges, and this is a good thing we can do.

Uh so I'm really pleased to do it.

Uh I was also asked by by one, I guess several of us were why are we tearing down the old building?

Uh and so we need to understand plainly the old building is in such a state that it can't be repaired or occupied, and therefore, this was the way that a whole lot of people found in order to recapture uh the legacy and and to let it live on.

Um I will also note I commented before about unusual P3 structures.

This one is special too, I have to say, okay, because the total cost of this is $8.3 million, and $3 million of that is proposed to be public money, a partnership between ourselves and the county, which is also a good thing.

Um I I asked before whether they return to the private investors with such that this was a favorable transaction for the city.

This one is pretty easy, okay.

These guys are getting 0.69% return on their capital, and uh I'm not at all concerned that anybody is getting rich on the back of public investment on this occasion.

Thank you, Mr.

Drake.

Making that statement.

You know I like to just check those things.

Uh to specifically acknowledge Crosland Southeast and Tim Cinema.

Uh who has been uh engaged in so many ways in advancing Charlotte uh while also uh looking after his business interests.

And Tim, I think you've done a great job, but appreciate it.

So I would just say in conclusion, uh I hope as we move ahead with this that we do so uh not thinking about an unhappy past, but looking to the future and and and looking to the kind of things that can happen there and the role it can play in our community going forward.

Thank you.

I I thought Mr.

Drake's was going to say that the first musical event has to be included.

He will be showing the band.

He will be coming up and showing the band.

So um, Mr.

Peacock.

All right, Miss Watlington.

Looking forward to visiting.

Ms.

Ashmira.

Yes.

Uh thank you, Madam Mayor.

Uh I just want to thank the development team.

Uh Mr.

Kennedy as well as um Mr.

Sidema for stepping up.

Um, Mr.

Drake said it very well.

You know, when you look at the return on investment, a lot of investors would pass.

So I appreciate you investing in our community.

And you're seeing the vision for this site.

Uh this site has been vacant, like Councilmember Graham said, for many years.

Um, I see this investment not necessarily from a financial perspective.

I see this investment as our down payment uh for uplifting all of our communities and all of our neighborhoods.

And the Excelsior Club is will not only preserve our legacy, but it will also create a new space, a gathering space that is very much needed in all parts of our community.

And this is a true community anchor for generations to come.

So again, thanks to the community, thanks to the development team.

Thanks to staff.

I know Todd has been working on this for a while.

So thank you for stepping up.

That's all right.

Okay, Mayor Pro Tim.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I'm really excited about this project.

I feel like it's gonna be such a great inner energy injection to the West Side.

Yeah, I personally remember the Excelsior Club and my aunts and my mother going there, getting dressed up, and uh I know this one will have more than one way in and one way out though.

We've updated the codes a little bit.

Um but it is really important that we protect some of our assets around the city and with the Carolina Theater coming back online to have that connection with the old and then having the actual facade there is beautiful, and I know Mr.

Kennedy and Mr.

Cinema, you guys have great vision, so I'll know I know you will pay homage to that facade and the history uh that was really uh uh a place where everyone met.

It was a it was uh it was a place where everyone could go.

And there's in some cities throughout the world, there are places like that where it doesn't matter your economic background or what you do, you know, you could go to that place and uh and be on on equal footing.

The Excelsior Club was that for us and for so many of our generations throughout the Queen City, and so I hope that in your rebirth of it that you will hold that to be true, that it will be a gathering place for everyone.

Um and I'm really I'm really excited about the connectivity with uh Johnson C.

Smith being right down the street as well to tie into the university and and maybe even tapping into some uh some jobs for the college students there that they can just walk right down the hill and be gainfully employed.

So I know you guys will will have the right community connections, but really really excited that we are preserving such an important landmark like the Accelsior Club within the city of Charlotte.

Very, very good.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I I believe we have one other person that's a patron of the um space, Miss Brown Brown.

Yeah, I think I probably went in there more than anybody in this building.

Uh-oh.

Yes, I was there partying and having a good time.

But on a more serious note to you, um Mr.

Kennedy and to Mr.

Tim.

It's it's amazing that um we celebrate the Excel revitalization.

But what I am really happy about is that the partnership is uh is a pilot of what can be done throughout the city.

I don't live on Baysport Road.

Well, I love it.

I go to school there at John C.

Smith.

Badysworth Road is amazing.

But I would like to see it on West Boulevard.

This is an example of what we can do.

You know, I support you 110%.

It's an opportunity of what can happen throughout our city.

Um honoring a historic cultural, reinforcing the identity and the pride of West Charlotte is important, keeping economic development in black communities, and just preserving the corridor of opportunity in itself.

When people say the West side, I think about West Boulevard, because that's where I'm from, right?

So there's two Westsides, is Babysport Row and West Boulevard.

At any rate, this is an amazing opportunity.

Now it won't be a club now.

It's um an opportunity for everybody to come.

You know, I love all people, but it is truly a definition of keeping Black Charlotte, African American places that we went to that my mom went to, generations have been able to go in there, but I it is an example of what we can do throughout our city, and I'm big on seeing this bullet, look just like Betis World Road, and so I'm putting it out there as I transition out.

Thank you for all the great work that you do, which your beautiful wife sitting beside you.

Thank you so much for all of the good things that you guys do.

Your footprint in this community is needed, and I would like to see it expanded all over the city of Charlotte.

So thank you so much for all the great work that you do.

I think our last speaker is James Mitchell.

Or Miss Melina.

Yeah, I um thank you, Madam Mayor.

I'll I'll be brief.

I'll make sure that I mention not to go over anything else that anyone has said, but um Mr.

Kennedy, Tim, thank you both.

Uh you know, I actually was able to visit the Excelsior Club before it closed, but I it wasn't a club for me.

See, the elders used to go meet there for political events, right?

So I was a little runt, and I was walking in there behind the elders, and I'm in one of the meetings with the little creaky floors and stuff.

So I've I've been on the I've definitely been in there.

I've been there.

I have, but I was much younger.

Um, you know, just really interested in service at that point.

So um I I did see it before the doors were closed, and to understand it, you know, being revitalized and and you know, having new life on that corridor is just outstanding.

Um for me in particular, Crosland Southeast.

I listen, I I cannot say enough.

Uh Tim Cinema, Crosland Southeast is also the courageous human and company that led Eastland Yards.

So, I mean, if you talk about somebody who is absolutely committed to the areas that need great emphasis in the city, Tim Cinema.

I just take, I I just owe you so much respect for being willing to do the hard things, and here you go again.

So thank you.

I cannot say thank you enough because this means so much to so many people, as you can see.

So the county has already said that they are partners in this endeavor.

So this is actually city and county in the endeavor, which is very important.

Um I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention that we have uh Shaheed Rana leading the charge here with the city, who I think is a fantastic leader in economic development, who comes from the county um and who understands both sides.

So I, you know, to know already that this has been coordinated by the city and the county.

I know that speaks directly to you know your intimate understanding of how both sides work, and I know to me that's a new light of possibility and how we get things done, right?

Because that partnership with city and county has allowed us to do so much, and I look forward to seeing us do so much more.

So again, thank you both.

Um I look forward to seeing the vision, you know, the finished results without the creaky floors that I got to see when I was you know, a younger, you know, person involved and interested in you know politics and stuff.

So thank you both.

And um, I am absolutely ecstatic about supporting this opportunity.

Amen.

Amen.

Mr.

Mitchell.

Uh thank you, Mayor and Council.

Um still don't have a lot of I would like to give a brief history of back in 2019 when this first was brought to our attention.

The question was, what are we gonna do with the Excelsior Club?

And uh there was a meeting, and I I told the individuals I was gonna give them a shutout, even though none of them agreed to get they did not give me permission to do this, but I think it's worthwhile to recognize people whose shoulders we stand on sometimes.

Yes, uh Jesse Kieran, Ron Kimball, Micah Marshall Cano, Charles Thomas, and Maddie Marshall.

Oh, Miss Maddie.

Yeah, there was a meeting in 2019 with the five of us, and we clearly said, what do we have to do to preserve this historical landmark institution in our community?

Amen.

Charles Thomas Knight Foundation made a contribution.

Micah Marsacano, Foundation of Carolina made a contribution.

Jesse Kieran represented the private sector and say, we do have people that would invest in Ron Kimball, city manager, have always guided me when I talk about how do we get things done here in Charlotte.

Tuesday morning breakfast, even did a survey for us and actually community.

What do you want to see on that corner to replace the Excelsior Club?

And there was a conversation about affordable housing.

Wouldn't be a good fit.

Wouldn't be a good fit.

I have to thank Dr.

Justin Harlow, because at the time he was the district two rep, and Dr.

Hollow said, point blank smudge it.

I you have the history, and I'm just gonna get out the way.

And so good doctor, I think you have allowed me to really put a lot of energy into this effort.

But as my colleagues say, nothing goes with just one person.

I have to thank Council McGram, who this came and I committed in August.

And here we are, October 27 voting.

Sometimes you all question how fast does justice move.

We're showing you tonight that this council is gonna do the right thing when it wants to know that.

Thank you.

Thank you for that.

Nothing else wants to.

That's a pretty late observation.

To the two developers who stood up and put their credit bills on the line that we can do this.

You lead with your heart, you work quietly, but you just get things done in our community.

Tim Sitam, I can't say enough.

You just committed to move all parts of Charlotte.

Amen.

You work for in District 5.

Now you jumped over here in District 2.

And they'll tell you Dante go make sure you get in District 1 soon.

That's right.

You already know it.

But this is a great moment for all of us.

And so will all the people with the signs, because y'all not get enough airtime.

Will y'all please stand up?

All the supporters of the Excelsior Club, please stand up right now and take a bow.

We're glad you're here.

Glad you support.

Wait a minute, the photo op is still going.

Yes, it is.

Thank you, Mayor and Council.

Okay.

I don't think there's anything more to be said.

Um, this has been a great moment for this council, and um let's just do more of it when it's needed.

So let's go to the next item that's the vote.

We have to vote for it.

They're like, wait a minute.

A long day.

All right, all in favor.

I know that's all in favor.

Double hands.

I see too much of them.

Okay, Miss Watlington.

Thank you.

You drink today.

Coca-Cola about to be voted.

Yes, okay.

All in unanimous and any opposed?

Any opposed.

All right, then let's keep it down.

Okay, let's keep going today to the Cedric.

I'm gonna tell the pastor.

All right.

So the next item is item agenda 18.

Um, do greater partnership on creative lab.

So we have an action to approve the jobs and economic development recommendation for the use of 750,000 to support construction costs associated with due greater Charlotte, North Carolina Trient Creative Lab location, and authorize the manager of or his design to negotiate the agreement.

Um, do we have a motion?

So move A and B.

We have a motion for A and B.

Is there any discussion?

Mr.

Graham and Miss and Mayor Pro Tem.

Thank you, madam Mayor and Council.

Uh the Economic Development Committee has been busy for the last couple of weeks.

And this is yet another um item that came through our committee that we voted out, which was to invest $750,000 uh coming from uh the um core state and local uh recovery fund ORPA to support Duke Greater Charlotte, a nonprofit organization that was established in 2017 to develop the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators through access to creativity technology, entrepreneurship, and workforce development, which is again one of those key items that the council uh is really really uh focused on.

Uh the location is uh North Trion Street, um located at 500 North Trion Street, which is the old um uh Harvey Gamp building architectural firm and expands upon success from the original creative last location uh West location um office as well, which is in district two.

They do a tremendous job for our community and um the the work that he has done, the cooperation uh that he has assembled to help um help him establish this uptown location is a uh a great work in terms of teamwork working not only with the uh the public sector but his outreach to the private sector and their investing in this as well, and so I believe this is a great project again at the at the at the right location with the right leadership group to expand workforce development um and um to empower economic mobility and underestimated communities uh through this partnership with Duke Greater.

So uh I um hopefully that the council will support it, the committee did uh and I ask for your full support.

Thank you.

All right, Ms.

Anderson may hold time.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Th this is another one that I'm I'm really excited about.

Um if I had the opportunity to tour the space and to see the various labs and spaces that um creatives can hone their skills, have access to technology and equipment which they wouldn't have access to uh due to cost and other hurdles.

And so this is a space that will be right in the heart of Uptown in District One, but district two is right there across the street.

But the creatives can get to that place very easily.

High walkability connected to public transportation, and it it's a cultivator of digital media, marketing, design, entrepreneurial uh community, and creative tech.

Um that is a unique model that we have here in our city, but will increase access, accessibility by bringing this building to life, which is a gorgeous building, and uh also used to be a um also used to be uh uh auto dealer uh back w way back in the day.

So I learned a lot of history around that and was able to actually work with some of employ some of the young people who um work with do greater on some of my um activities uh for my campaign.

So really great young people, um really great opportunity to ensure that that level of workforce that we need to have in our city continues to have a place of cultivation and have access to the latest greatest technology.

So I'm really excited about um this investment, and I know that it too will be um a generator not only from an economic development perspective, but also from a community perspective, creating space for creatives and entrepreneurs to come together and learn from each other and lean on each other.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

All right, thank you.

Is there any other comment?

Yes, Ms.

Ashmer.

Yes, thank you, Madam Mayor.

I just want to recognize Mr.

McNeely who is here with us today for go.

I'm sorry.

Oh, there he is.

Uh for the work that he does with our youth, and I know some of our youth is here, so I appreciate how you are investing in our workforce, not just for today, but you are developing our future workforce.

So thank you for the work that you do, and for all of that, all of you that are part of his program.

I um I have uh heard from various youth who have participated in some of the workforce development activities, and I've gotten very positive feedback.

So thank you.

So Miss Watlington.

Thank you, William, for your tenacity and for your perseverance.

I know this has not been an easy journey, it's been a long time coming, it's had a lot of bumps.

Um so thank you for working with us and and helping us to see the vision and um for being a team player because I know that you were hoping for this moment a lot sooner than it came.

Um, but I'm excited to see when you go from here.

So thank you for that.

So um William, I have to.

Oh, I'm sorry, Miss Brian.

Well, you didn't see me it's fine.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I just want to say congratulations.

When you work with the youth, um, you change the world.

You take an opportunity to put an investment into our very, very uh most vital and valuable asset uh for our community.

So thank you for that.

And also good things come to those that wait.

And so you are reaping the benefits of waiting.

But really, when you invest in the youth, you invest in our future in a greater community.

And thank you so much.

And I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

So I think a lot of us understand what you can do and what difference you can make.

And I hope and hope in so many ways that at some point that this time for people to come and be helping you do this because this is what we need to have.

When we start talking about, for example, you know, what do we want young people to be able to do?

And what is going to be the place that they can do it?

You're gonna teach them skills that beyond anything that you think in terms of what the material goods are.

You're gonna teach them how to be good people, and I just know that through who you are because you are a good person, William.

Thank you so much.

Okay, so we have a motion and a second.

All in favor, please raise your hands.

Anyone opposed?

I think that was unanimous.

So thank you.

And thank you.

Okay.

So that takes us.

We have a great story in here.

Yes.

So city, I mean, mayor and counsel, I think we knew this notice, but I don't think the view is due.

Um, because the question came up and said, How are you going to fund do grader and accessor club?

And it's a big shout out to our staff.

Yeah.

Use our opera funds and put us in a position that we use federal dollars to fund both of these great projects.

So I think City Manager and staff, thank you all for putting us in a position to be able to do this tonight.

You all don't get enough credit, but I I think it need to be said.

Okay, we're we're gonna start home home base, right?

Kool-Aid License.

Okay, okay.

All right, so um, we're almost there.

We're almost at the end, guys.

Uh item number 19.

Legal fees, processing, and delication, delegation of settlement authority action.

This comes for approval seconds.

All right, we have a motion and a second.

And it is recommended by our city attorney.

Is there anyone that has a question or a comment?

I have a c a question.

All right, Ms.

Watson.

Because I see here that we're increasing the authority to $500,000 for those watching.

Can you just no one?

The rationale for it.

I see it here.

It says whereas on the eight okay, I see.

Increasing the bottom of the time.

Go ahead, Mr.

Attorney.

Yeah, the rationale is to make is to is one of really alignment.

You currently have already delegated that power away to your city manager, and so what happens is there are there are actions that will come to the city manager and to myself, they will exceed my $50,000, but the city manager will want my execution only to verify for instance workers' comp a workers' comp claim.

And and this is just to make it just more efficient, will allow me to go ahead and sign up to that 100,000 dollars.

Anything above that still comes to your council as it will do, and it's always been done.

It also aligns with the well aligns with authority that another uh check other communities.

Raleigh has a hundred thousand dollars for a city attorney as well.

Thank you.

And just because I fumbled it on the beginning, the city manager should be maintained at and the city attorney should be increased to a settlement authority in the amount of 100,000 dollars.

Right, it's not to affect what you already had delegated to the city manager, it's just to align the city attorney's office.

Your next city attorney will be able to exercise this power.

Thank you.

All right, we have a motion on the floor.

All in favor, please raise your hand.

Anyone opposed?

No one's opposed.

Thank you.

So the next item is item 20, it's sale of city-owned property on Janet Drive for affordable housing.

This is to adopt a resolution, and um I think that when if we can do this, um if Anthony and Mr.

Fox, if we can just um have Rebecca come down and go through the entire um process for our motion first.

No, and I'm just in checking to see what I can do first.

Okay, that's what I'm gonna say is can we have um this item item 20 before we go in to the affordable housing developments that we have coming out of the committee and all of that.

So yes, and you're referring to Rebecca's presentation for item number 21.

For 20 is just the four levels.

It's just the sale of our property for affordable.

All right, so let's go with this item number 20, city on sale on Janette Drive, and um, I think Phil Rieger.

Motion to adopt second A and B.

Second.

So we have a motion to adopt A and B.

All in favor.

Anyone opposed?

All right, so that takes us.

Let's go to the section of this.

I think where we are talking about affordable housing 20.

21.

Item 21, and we're gonna bring Rebecca to Hefner, but I have asked Rebecca to help me do something today.

We do have another item that we want to address for our motion for the opportunity that we have.

Rebecca, could you do that for us?

And then we'll move right into the final discussions.

Yes, thank you.

This is the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County Joint Proclamation for Homelessness Awareness Month.

Whereas the month of November welcomes in both a time of Thanksgiving and a season for sharing our resources and our freedoms to worship, work, and live as independently as possible.

And whereas some members of our community cannot find adequate employment or a place to live for a variety of reasons, both simple and complex.

And whereas there are efforts to bring homeless children and adults out of the shadows of our abundance to address the diverse needs among them as well as to correct systemic conditions that have led to their poverty and homelessness.

And whereas our current economic challenges call for greater awareness and guidance to address needs among all of our neighbors, and whereas the homeless services network of Charlotte Mecklenburg, its member organizations and its public partners in the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County desire to dispel myths and overcome stereotypes of homelessness and to provide opportunities for all of our citizens to learn about the plight, the hopes, and the achievements of homeless neighbors of our community and to welcome them.

We commit to work together to overcome systemic causes of homelessness.

Now therefore, we invite Lyles, Mayor of Charlotte, and Mark Gerald, Chair of the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners to hereby proclaim the month of November 2025 as homelessness awareness month in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County and urge all of our citizens to honor this observance.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you very much, Rebecca.

I thought that might be a good opening as we begin the next item on our agenda, which is the affordable housing development support requests.

So do we have a motion for move A, B, C, and D?

Second.

We have a motion for A, B, C and D.

All in Mayor Play.

You have a second, but we also have a speaker.

All in favor.

Do we have a speaker?

B C D here, though.

All right, Mr.

Hook.

Who was not here?

Let me see who's here.

He wasn't here early.

Wasn't here earlier than here before.

Is he here now?

No, ma'am.

Okay.

So Mr.

Hood is not here.

Do we have any other speakers?

No man.

Madam Clerk?

Okay.

So with that, um, I'd ask Rebecca to walk us through the items that we have that we've had the motions.

Well, you have a motion and a second second.

Do we have a second?

I thought I heard both.

Items, if there's no discussion, you can move toward them.

Any discussion of these items?

Hearing none, all in favor.

No discussion?

No discussion.

I think two one claim.

Well, just go ahead.

Yeah.

Just one comment.

No, I uh and I'll be very, very quick, but I just wanted to acknowledge just two of the applications that will be approving tonight.

One in my district, the other in council members Anderson district, because I think not only are they housing related projects, they really indirectly relate to public safety as well.

And as we were talking as a community about public safety, I think it's really important to demonstrate uh that we're pinning our money where our mouth is in terms of trying to drive individuals in our community to supportive services and housing.

Um item number B is uh $2 million in housing trust funds allocated to the Dream Center campus, which is transitional housing, which is desperately needed in our community.

And item number C is 4.2.

Again, housing trust fund for a partnership with Mecklenburg County for a hotel conversion, which is non-congregated shelter in District 2.

Both of those certainly are housing, but they directly impact what we're trying to do from a public safety perspective to ensure that when individuals need a place to go for safety and refuge, that the city is investing in these type of programs to ensure that that can happen so we can get people off the streets into temporary, safe, secure, clean housing and so that they can be prepared for transitional type of um wraparound services, or certainly just a safe place to stay at night.

So I think this is really important that I wanted to highlight both of those two items.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

All right, thank you.

Mayor Pro Tim.

Thank you, Madam Mayor, and uh certainly echo uh what council member Graham said.

Um it's definitely it definitely ties into our overall public safety uh plan.

And to that point, Ms.

Hefner, the last time we we spoke about this, I had some questions around um ensuring that the City of Charlotte would have ample um access to the non-congregate shelter.

Do you is there has there been further conversations on that?

And if so, could you update us?

Yes, absolutely.

So in follow-up to that conversation, we um had a discussion with Mecklenburg County, and they confirmed that the non-congregate emergency shelter will only be accessible through referrals from coordinated entry.

And um, so uh the in that situation, um, each household is assessed for their needs and level of vulnerability, then re referred to the appropriate resource.

So when this is the appropriate resource, um they will be referred from coordinated entry.

The the key there is that street outreach is considered a coordinated entry point.

So the street outreach teams that are supported by the city and the county, including Hearts for the Invisible and Roof Above, um, they are considered a coordinated entry point, and so they can make referrals directly to the non-congregate emergency shelter, um, and and they will be um uh available um at as there is capacity in the shelter when there's room.

Okay.

Um do we have an understanding of what other entities class are classified as coordinated entry?

Yes, so many of our providers in the homeless management system uh are are considered partners in coordinated entry, and Mecklenburg County actually is the lead entity for coordinating that.

Okay, okay.

Thank you.

I just wanted to make sure we got an update on that.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

All right.

So um we need to go ahead and approve all of these.

So all in favor.

Um I'm sorry.

Did he it's okay?

You we we're rolling, let's go.

Oh, did you have a comment?

Thank you.

Oh, do you have a comment?

No, it's that's okay.

All right, cool.

Okay, all in favor.

Please raise your hand.

Anyone opposed?

All right.

Okay, so now we just need to get ready to go into our closed session.

Oh, we have one other item in this.

Council Comments.

Council comments.

Oh, is Council Comments?

Do you want to make those today?

And okay, Council Comments, please.

So start here.

What happened?

Ms.

Browns Brown, Council Comments.

I have nothing to say.

I love everybody.

God bless.

I know, but I want I do want to say we still have two closed sessions today.

So if we're doing this, I want to make sure everybody has a chance to do it.

God bless everybody, good night.

Um I don't know if anybody watched in Living Color back in the day, but you remember Simmons used to come out and be like, thank you for coming out.

God bless you.

Um just really quickly, I I actually want to mention that the FENCO community uh led by Miss Bernetta Mitchell, the fearless Miss Vernetta Mitchell, our neighbors in the Far East.

Um, tomorrow at 7 p.m.

Um, they're going to have a presentation, a virtual presentation on the one cent sales tax.

Uh for anybody who's interested, they could actually join that meeting.

Um and actually the guest speaker is going to be our very own Mr.

Ed McKinney, special assistant to the city manager, so that they can get additional information and have their questions answered.

So that's all I have for the district and an update.

All right.

Thank you for that.

Mr.

Mitchell.

Uh Mayor and Council, thank you.

Uh Mayor, this is about a ref uh referral that you sent to the jobs and economic development about quality of life.

And so I I want to make sure just for clarity that we're focusing on addressing anti-displacement when it comes to businesses along the planned transit corridors, including the red line.

Um we need to look at our current plan stops and potential stops like the one that West Craig had to understand what the place displacement measures we can look at in areas such as West Boulevard, Wilkerson, Boulevard, Okaline, and others.

All right, thank you.

Mayor Pro Tan.

No mail.

Mr.

Graham.

Thank you, um, Madam Mayor.

I I just want to lift up, you know, obviously, last week we had yet another tragic shooting in our community.

Um, starting in the Hoskins community in District 2.

Uh we now know more now than we did when it occurred.

And and I just want to express my sympathy to the families involved.

Um which was just an innocent bystander, uh, just happened to be uh at the wrong place, unfortunately at the wrong time.

Uh our community continues to work towards uh identifying and putting measures in place to ensure that public safety is our priority.

Um it's unfortunate, and I think no one knows better than I do that sometimes uh bad things happen to good people uh in our community.

Uh and so thoughts and prayers are with family members involved.

Um we continue to work and move forward on a wide variety of fronts, whether it's addressing issues in Uptown Charlotte for public safety, but refreshing uh and rebranding or focusing on um public safety issues on Betty's Fort Road, um uh i.e.

Catherine Simmons, which continues to be a problem.

Um I look forward to again working with the manager to really talk specifically about some of the items that we were talking about for for weeks now in terms of planning and preparation of some initiatives that we would like to roll out um focusing on Bailey's Fort Road and Catherine Simmons, uh working with a wide variety of stakeholders, uh friendship CDC, uh McNaborough County, uh, and others uh to really focus on the quality of life, right?

Um we just made a 1.5 million dollar investment tonight uh on Bailey's Fort Road.

So part of this also is protecting the investment that the city is making on these quarters of opportunity one, which is making sure that they're safe and secure for business development, residential living, and folks coming into those communities.

And so I must demand I look forward to kind of moving soon on those initiatives, but I think it's really really important, and also to demonstrate that you know our focus is public safety wherever it occurs, whether it's at a transit station or a stop, or uptown Charlotte or West Boulevard, Ballantyne, South Park, Bays Road Road, that it's our responsibility, obligation to ensure that we work with the men and women in the in blue who has done a tr a tremendous job over the last several weeks, uh demonstrating competence uh and dedication to getting the job done uh regarding um public safety in our community.

Thank you.

All right, Mr.

Drake.

So I don't know if anybody has failed to notice there's an election going on right now.

And uh participation in these local elections has been lamentable.

Uh we see 10 or 15 percent of the voter population actually showing up.

Um it's kind of too bad two weeks before Veterans Day when we honor the people who have fought in order to preserve our right to do this.

Uh and I've um I visited countries where you didn't have that right uh in eastern Europe and some places in Africa, and uh I think it's just regrettable that we don't have a greater interest in these important decisions that will be made between now, uh and I'll note early voting ends on November 1st and the election days November 4th.

Um very important item on the ballot is the sales tax.

Personally, I hope you'll support it, but you should participate in that decision.

It's a big decision for Charlotte.

So I just want to say to anybody who sees this, please go and vote, get your friends out, and let's get that participation number up.

Thank you.

All right, yeah, Mr.

Peacock, Miss Swatlington.

Yeah, um, a bit of bright news when it comes to early voting.

Looks like early voting in Ecklenburg County is nearly 50 percent more uh than it was compared to the last municipal election.

So there's some good news there.

I think it's driven by uh interest in the school board elections as well as the tax referendum.

So definitely we want people to come out, but it is it does look like we're in um good shape with some positive head winds versus what we um saw a couple of years ago.

Uh, really really briefly uh because there's been a lot of interest in regards to our displacement work um related to the tax referendum.

I do think it's important that folks hear very quickly the two-minute version um of what we're doing right now as it relates to that.

So I'm gonna ask Director Hefner to come up and give a quick overview.

Um we've had some requests for some policy to go to uh committee.

I don't think folks in the community are necessarily aware of the work that's already ongoing, so I want to make sure that we give an opportunity to inform folks on that because a lot of people have that on their mind as they're making their decisions about the tax referendum.

All right, Ms.

Ashmira.

We'll follow up.

Go ahead.

Certainly, just top lines.

It's hard to do top line on this because you all have been doing so much work around anti-displacement for several years.

So starting with the uh appointment of the NEST Commission in 2021, the neighborhood equity and stabilization commission, um the mayor and and you all as council asked that commission to develop a set of recommendations to mitigate displacement pressures all across the community.

Uh that commission uh delivered both an anti-displacement strategy uh and a recommendations report.

Um by the time that that commission uh completed their work at the end of 2024, most of those recommendations had already begun implementation.

And uh you initially put nearly six million dollars in ARPA funds towards the first round of those recommendations, which included things like expanding the House Charlotte program, uh increasing access to home ownership opportunities, uh developing um plans for accessory dwelling units, uh, and um creating new rehab programs that support small uh small landlords, small and local landlords, uh as well as the residents who are renting in those units.

Uh and then one of the primary uh recommendations from the Nest Commission, of course, was the hundred million dollar housing bond.

And when uh you all as council passed your affordable housing funding policy uh at the end of last year, you uh did allocated nearly half of that bond to anti-displacement activities, so 49 of the hundred million dollars to um home ownership, uh NOAA um naturally occurring affordable housing acquisition and rehab, uh housing rehabilitation, emergency repair for seniors and others, uh, as well as land acquisition specifically in uh transit oriented development areas, both current and potential future areas anything specific?

No, uh just wanted top lines because as people are thinking specific to the referendum.

I know there are some things that have been in the work, so just wanted to give you an opportunity to highlight those things, Ms.

Mira.

All right, so we do need to go into closed session if we we have two items to do this.

So if we can just move and get there quickly.

So moved to let me give you the motion.

The motion is to discuss matters relating to the locational expansion of industries or other businesses in the area served by the public body, including agreement on agenda list of economic developments that may be offered by the public body in negotiations for starting to up the line Joe Statute 143 that's 3811A4.

That would be the motion.

So moved, second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Okay.

Any any opposed?

Anyone oppose?

Nope.