I still believe it's afternoon.

It's just a little bit chilly and a little bit darker than we probably thought it would be today.

But I want to say um thank you all for being here.

Good evening, and um thank you for joining us in person as well as those who are watching online for our December 8th Charlotte City Council business meeting.

So this is the first new meeting, first meeting that with the new council.

So I'd like to give a warm welcome to the new members and also thank all council members for the deck for their dedication to public service, especially as we begin our new term.

I'm looking forward to all we will accomplish for this community.

So let's begin with introductions around the dais, starting with our city attorney.

I'm sorry, where's our city clerk?

Right here.

Right here.

Our city clerk.

Stephanie Kelly, City Clerk.

Good evening, Andrea Leslie Flight City Attorney.

Good evening, Dimple Jmer at large.

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

Joey Mayo, District Three.

Dante Anderson, District One.

Marcus Jones, City Manager.

Five Isles Mayor.

Good evening, everyone.

James Mitch of Mayor Proteil.

Kimberly Owens, District 6.

Malcolm Graham, District 2.

Ed Driggs, District 7.

Good evening, Lowana Mayfield, Councilmember at large.

Good evening, JD Masueta Arias, District 5.

Good evening, I'm Renee Johnson, and I'm honored to serve District 4.

All right.

Um, we begin our meetings with an invocation, which is an expression for inspiration, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

This invocation is intended to solemnize our proceedings.

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

Tonight I would like to ask Councilmember Mayfield to give our invocation, and at the end of the invocation, we will all if you choose to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, please do so.

Miss Mayfield.

All right, JD, please.

Thanks, Marie, and thanks for talking to me earlier.

I have a question on items 24, 25, 27, and 28, which are all multi-year contracts for cats.

Can you please confirm that these contracts will be transferred over to the new authority once it is fully established and no longer under the city of Charlotte?

Yes, sir.

And as you stated, they are definitely transferable.

These new ones have assignability clauses in them.

So when it's time, they will move over to the MPTA.

Right now, you do cats is still under your authority, and when it moves out to its own organization, that's when these transitions will occur.

But there's contracts that have to be in place now.

That's why you're still approving them.

Thank you.

And on a related note, um, item 26 Scaly Park Station drainage repairs.

Um, it says the explanation section states that the project is expected to be completed by the end of December 2025.

Is that still accurate?

No, sir.

It's actually March 2026, and that's been corrected on the agenda.

Thank you.

Thank you, Marie.

All right.

Any other questions or comments on the consent agenda?

Hearing nine.

Ms.

Mayfield.

I'm sorry, Miss Mayfield, sorry.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I have questions for number 19 and 34.

19 and 34.

Yes, 19 thermohydrolysis process design contract amendment.

Marie can you, we did have a chance to discuss it earlier, but can you give me an update as to this amendment for the McAlpine Creek wastewater treatment plant?

Yes, ma'am, and thank you.

That this amendment was required because once they got into the design phase and really started looking at it, they realized that part of the processing equipment had reached end of life and needed to be replaced, especially since the speed is going to be going up with this new design improvements.

Thank you very much.

Also, for number 34, the airport West Ramp Dual Taxi Lanes Change Order.

This is amendment number five on this particular contract, which now creates a grand total of 23 million five hundred and ninety-two four hundred and sixty-two thousand and twenty-two cents.

Help me understand mainly I want to ensure that there is a plan for future projects at the airport to make sure that we're aligning the actual contract to the work that is going to be needed so that we can try to reduce multiple amendments.

Yes, ma'am, and thank you.

They definitely do try to work towards that.

This particular one was a result of some FAA requirement changes, and they did try to bid this scope out and they got no bids, and they uh it's probably because it was very specialized work, and that's why they went ahead with this contractor that was already in place that could do the work.

But yes, thank you, because I wanted to make sure that community out if they took the time to read it, they also were aware that this is triggered by some FAA standards ma'am that we were not aware of when we initially approved the original contract.

Thank you, madam mayor.

All right, thank you.

Are there any other questions for the consent agenda?

Hearing none, let's see.

We need to have a motion, please.

Um the motion that we would have with um items 39 and 42 were pulled from the agenda, I believe.

And then also item 40, and so we uh with those questions from the council at the dais.

Um, may I have a motion for to exclude those um items and approve the um approve items 12 through 38 and item 41 with the exception of item that we just item one that we voted on those separately.

Mayor I'd like to make a motion we accept consent agenda items 12 through 38.

All right, we can motion and a second, excuse me, and 41.

And 41.

I'm sorry.

Second.

Thank you.

Question.

You mentioned number 40 was number 40 settled.

No, ma'am, that one's deferred till January.

So then it will come back.

Yeah, it was eventually unless it's settled by then.

Okay, so we have a motion on the floor.

All in favor, please raise your hands.

Anyone oppose?

Anyone opposed?

I miss Johnson, did you have your hand up?

No.

Okay.

Um yes, I mean yes.

Oh, okay.

All right, thank you.

I just didn't see it.

Thank you.

All right.

Our next um now that we'll start off with moving to awards and recognition portion of our agenda.

We have some special guests that we have here on this evening, and I'd like to turn it over to Councilmember Graham to introduce them.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Tonight is a proud moment for the city and especially for the Beatty's Ford Road Quarter that I am honored to represent.

It is my privilege to welcome the 2025 CIAA football champions, the Johnson C.

Smith University Golden Bills to the chamber, as well as the Lover Bills, our university cheerleaders.

Johnson C.

Smith has won this championship for the first time in 56 years.

Well, they said a picture or a video is worth a thousand words.

So let's watch a video for about a minute and 47 seconds.

Get over there!

Beautiful!

Touchdown!

Johnson C.

Smith, Reginald Brinkman.

Durham on play action.

Wildman, Reggie Daniel, strolls in for six.

Touchdown Golden Bulls.

Howard was the man that got his body up there.

Now Durham firing Proctor!

Touchdown!

Johnson C.

Smith.

That chairs have not finished how you connect.

13.

On play action.

Proctor is the intended target.

And another snag has each do we dread Proctor into the end zone.

Biggie Biggie Biggie.

Can't you see?

The difference BIG would be proud, Jack.

From the three, Durham takes off and scrolls in.

Touchdown.

Johnson C.

Smith as Calvin Durham slices in for six.

Number one on his jersey, number one in their hearts.

For me, this moment is personable.

My wife, Kim and I are both graduates of Johnson C.

Smith University, and I have the honor of serving on the university board of visitors.

So when the Golden Bulls brought home the championship, it lifted not just the university but an entire community.

The team didn't just win, they made history.

Their first championship appearance since 1972.

A national ranking of 11th in the country in Division II.

Their first national playoff appearance in school history and the most wins in school history, 10 victories.

Multiple all CIAA players and several pro prospects.

And the stat that really means the most to a lot of people on the university is the GPA, a collective team GPA of 3.16 or 3.2.

None of this would be possible without the leadership of Coach Maurice Flowers, now a two-time CIAA coach of the year, has rebuilt this program through vision, discipline, and belief.

Coach, thank you for leading these young men and restoring pride throughout the Golden Bill Nations.

Sports have a unique power.

They bring communities together.

When Johnson C.

Smith won, you can feel the joy across Charlotte through alumni celebrated, students celebrated, neighborhoods celebrated.

Victories like this remind us that unity is one of the greatest strength.

And this championship reinforces something I've said often.

Baysford Road is full of promise, full of progress, and full of hope.

When this team achieved reflects the strength, talent, and resilience of the entire historic West End.

It shows what is possible when opportunity, leadership, and hard work come together.

So to the players, coaches, and staff, congratulations.

You have made your university proud, your alumni proud, and your city proud.

Thank you for giving us a moment that will remember for generations to come.

We have two speakers, madam mayor.

One uh the president of the university, and then we'll invite Coach Maurice Flower to come down to the podium.

Yeah.

Roll the video, please.

Hi, everyone.

I am Valerie Kenlock, the 15th president of John C.

Smith University, right here in Charlotte, North Carolina, and a graduate of the class of 1996.

I am so excited that City Council, at the suggestion of councilman and alum of the university, Malcolm Graham, invited our football program to participate in this special occasion.

I am so sorry that I am unavailable to be there because right now I'm at a conference in Nashville.

I'd rather be there with you.

But this is what I want to say.

We are the 2025 CIAA football champions, and we have the two-time coach of the year last year and this year, Maurice Flowers.

I am thrilled for so many different reasons because it's not just about football.

It's not just about an act, an athletic program.

It is about building the type of culture and climate where our young people can survive and thrive, where they can be nurtured, where they can see success, work towards success, and be successful themselves.

So I want to thank Maurice Flowers, our head football coach, and someone who graduated from this university as well.

I want to thank Athletic Director Denisha Hendricks.

I want to thank all the members of City Council, including Malcolm Graham and our mayor, Mayor Vilaus.

Most importantly, I want to thank our students.

Because in this new era of excellence at JCSU, our students are helping to lead the way.

Our students are on the football field, engaging in powerful athletic competition, but they're in the classroom with a high GPA for the entire team over at 3.1.

How could I not love that?

So listen, as you know, we are the CIAA champions.

And I've got to put my hat on to the side as I wait for my ring because of this.

We are building a culture, a climate.

We are building an entire community of people dedicated to what we're doing here at JCSU.

And it starts within and on our campus.

I could not be more excited to have Coach Flowers, our athletic director.

I am excited by this opportunity.

I want to thank you for having us.

And from me to you, CAAA champions.

So go gold and bows.

I'll see you when I get back.

Take care.

She's normally very close to us.

We love her support.

Thank you so much for having us here today.

It's an honor and a privilege to be here.

Want to thank you as just everything that you all do for the city of Charlotte.

I'm very proud because I speak as a proud Charlatan, Randolph Middle School, East Mecklenburg High School, Johnson C.

Smith University.

And it does me just it's an honor to be here to with the coaching staff that we coach with, the young men that we lead, the alumni that we represent.

When we bring young men and families on campus, we get to the football stadium and we say there's your future.

But we're not talking about the football field.

If you haven't been to our football field, our stadium, our stadium has the best view of the Charlotte skyline.

And that's the future of our young men.

We thank you for building this city to be one of the top cities in the United States.

If you look at a lot of these young men, they're here because of our city.

Our city is what can recruit, help us out recruit many other people.

And I want to thank you so much.

Special thanks to Councilman Mitchell, Councilman Graham for what you did earlier in the year and what you continue to do in support of our young men and our university.

I want to say thank you so much, Mayor, for the MREI.

You look no further than our football program at the benefits.

And we thank you.

Thank you for your support.

I want to thank again our young men because this opportunity to come here and be in front of you.

I know it's going to be motivation to them because we do have some young men that are pursuing some of the same careers that you all are leading right now.

And I'll use that as a plug for them.

These young men get up early.

We practice at 6.30 to 8.30.

So getting to work on time won't be a problem for these young men.

And I'm happy to say that yes, our our combined GPA of a team of 130 plus young men is a 3.16.

We're looking forward to the exams where we'll see where our GPA is now.

But I'm so proud of them.

I'm so proud of our coaches, and again, it's such a privilege to be the head coach of JCSU to make history, not just for our university, but for our city.

Thank you so much and go golden bulls.

Last comment, Madam Mayor, is I just want to take special recognition to thank the uh the Carolina Panthers and Todd up in the audience with with Jet Pizza on Betty's Fort Road for providing pre-meal uh pre-game meals for the team this afternoon.

Um this is the Betty's Fort Road thing, and um there's excellent on the quarter and and more to come.

Thank you.

All right.

Now everybody ready.

So um now I know that you have a choice of staying here and watching us do things, or you might want to go someplace that's much more fun.

So feel free to check.

I mean, I'm sorry.

May I?

Mayor, yep.

I can't let Council McGraham go without hearing the chat.

Give me the chat, man.

Oh my gosh.

Y'all ready for it?

Come on, give me JC, JC, you see, that's what I was talking about.

Coach, coach, coach, if I may, it's anyone here from the class of 1969, the first foot CIAA football champion.

So, so mayor counsel, let me just tell you a fun fact.

Uh, the head cheerleader of the class of 1969, the first CIAA football champion, served with us on city council.

Can you name that individual?

Alice.

Carlena.

Carlena Ivory.

Alina Ivory was the head cheerleader coach, head cheerleader for the 1969 CIAA football champ from JCSU.

That's great.

That is great.

That's right, guys.

Remember those finals are coming up tomorrow.

Get home and get those books out.

Thank you.

Thank you, coach.

All right.

Great job, man.

Okay.

Yeah, that was really well done, Mr.

Okay.

Graham.

So now we'll have a moment.

Cheerleadership.

You need to put sentient on the schedule.

Oh.

Okay, so I don't know what competition's going to be going on here, but let's not go too far with it.

All right.

So you've still got some work to do.

Um, so now we have a now we're ready for our public forum for the people.

We have six people that are signed up to speak.

And um, we'll begin with our very first, and each speaker will have three minutes.

Um, so the first person that we have is um Mr.

Cohn.

Um Mr.

Cone, thank you.

Seven.

Seven.

Ready?

Good to go.

Yes, please.

Okay.

Thank you.

Good evening.

I'm here tonight to speak about two issues that I'm grateful to have the opportunity to talk about.

I would like to talk about city council advisory board members, current both non-existent and deserved right to freedom of expression.

I would also like to talk about the treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons.

Regarding City Council advisory board members, um current code of ethics, which was published last July by the City of Charlotte.

It states essentially, quote, advisory board members should remember that their chief responsibility is to advocate.

And is I'm sorry, is to advise and not to advocate, particularly when that position of advocacy is contrary to council policy.

All I have to say on this for now is that it seems in direct opposition to the right to freedom of expression, which is protected by the U.S.

First Amendment.

About the treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons for the new council members.

This is a treaty which is against nuclear weapons.

The treaty is supported by many U.S.

cities, including New York, Baltimore, Chapel Hill, Durham, and Carrborough, as well as four U.S.

states and over half the world's countries.

To put it simply, nuclear weapons all but guarantee that innocent lives will be taken, and there's simply no excuse for this.

Mayor Lyles, I continue to await the decision on the council on this policy which you assured me last June I would receive.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

Our next speaker is Craig Reynolds.

All right.

Our next speaker is Matthew Panick.

Yes, you have three minutes.

Great.

Thank you.

Good evening, Mayor Lyles, Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell, members of Council.

My name is Matt Pannock.

I'm the Chief Advocacy Officer at the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance.

First, I just want to congratulate all of you on your success and being seated last week and looking forward to working with you in the year to come.

I have worked with many of you over the years, most recently on the transportation referendum that voters approved this past November.

From the members of the alliance and the business community at large, I do just want to say thank you.

It was a big lift, a big effort from many in the community, many on this dais.

So thank you again for your work there.

We are looking forward to the investments to be made in the community throughout the city and throughout the region.

And to the new members of council, Councilmembers Mayo, Mazara Arias, and Kimberly Owens, looking forward to meeting you and working with you as well.

I I don't really want to take too much time tonight, but I do just want to lay out a few of the priorities of the alliance and of the business community for 2026.

And again, looking forward to working with you on these shared priorities.

Certainly getting the MPTA up and running is something that we're looking forward to, and the work ahead on transportation and transit is a key priority for the alliance and the business community.

I'm also supporting additional key infrastructure such as Charlotte Douglas International Airport, which all of you know is the economic engine, not only for the city, but the region and the state as well.

And then collaborating on solutions for housing.

So looking forward to partnering with you on ways to make sure there's affordable housing available throughout the city.

Advocating for public safety is something that we we want to have a focus on as well.

Our members throughout the city and the region want to make sure this this continues to be a desirable place to live in a safe city for everyone.

And then working on child care issues.

Um trying to enter the workforce, trying to stay in the workforce.

And then on workforce, making sure we're supporting our K through 12 and higher ed institutions that really are the key to our talent pipeline.

All these things are achievable.

We've shown time and again, working with the city, working with all of you, we can get all these things done.

So again, looking forward to working with you in 2026 and rely on us as a partner and resource.

We're here to help.

Um, and we have a lot of shared priorities, and we're looking forward to what's ahead.

Thank you so much.

Thank you very much.

Our next speaker is Rob Nansgeld.

Good evening.

I'm Rob Nanfeldt.

I'm the executive director of the real estate and building industry coalition.

Uh, for those of you who are not aware, uh Rebecca was founded uh back in the 80s, formalized in the 90s, and we've been around ever since.

We operate in Mecklenburg, Iredell, Cabarest, Gaston, and Union Counties.

And our members are typically realtors, builders, uh, commercial developers, commercial brokers, uh, anybody uh in the real estate realm.

Uh this evening I just wanted to first of all thank you for uh taking the leap and running for for political office.

I know it's difficult, especially these days.

Uh we're so polarized.

Um, thanks for doing that, and and congratulations on your re-election or election in some cases.

Um affordable housing is is one topic that's near and dear to our hearts.

Um the the situation began several years ago when we had uh intense growth begin here in Charlotte.

Um over the last six years.

Uh, if you're if you're not aware, uh every year the UNC Charlotte does the real estate um uh state of housing study.

It came out again in November, comes out annually.

Uh when we started that six years ago, uh, a family of four that was earning roughly 75,000 a year could afford the median sales price home.

Six years later, that number is doubled.

It's almost 150,000 first for a family of four to afford the median sales price home.

Um that is a pretty significant change in a pretty short period of time.

So we would like to explore opportunities to try to help that uh here in Charlotte and and and throughout the region.

Um some things that have been uh looked at in terms of uh housing uh opportunities, uh, accessory dwelling units.

That's one way to kind of fit in a lower cost housing.

We've also talked about perhaps um the homestead exemption should be expanded.

That is the tax break for folks that have been in their house for a really long time and elderly.

Um right now there is an exemption on the books, but maybe maybe that should be expanded.

We ought to take a look at that.

Uh that also helps with some of the displacement issues we've uh been challenged with and and are frankly going to be talking about over the next few years.

So uh I just stand here to to effectively level set for the year, uh, let you know who I am.

I hope to come out and uh visit with each of you in the next um maybe maybe not this month, maybe next month.

We'll give you all a little break for the holidays.

But uh appreciate your time and uh look forward to being a resource for you.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

So our next speaker, I'm going to ask if I can um spell out the name is Z I H U I Q I U on Transit Safety.

Thank you.

Thank you for allowing me to do that.

Good evening, Council members.

My name is Zuhue, and I'm a third year student at UNC Charlotte.

I'm here today to speak about recent instances of violence in our city and their implications on our community.

I am an EMC first responder and a research assistant in an NIH funded lab at UNC Charlotte that researches bystander intervention.

For some context, I would like to tell you about the murder of Kitty Genovese.

While walking home from work, she was stabbed twice and raped by Winston Mosley.

This occurred on a public street, all while Kitty screamed for help.

This case is notable because police later reported that as many as 37 people witnessed this incident and no one came to her aid as she died.

This 1964 landmark case led to the creation of the bystander intervention field.

I tell you this so that you may understand why, as social psychologists, the recent light rail murder of Arena Zarutska, where bystanders similarly did not help are concerning to us.

And as a first responder, I can't help but wonder whether the outcome of this stabbing could have been different if bystander intervention had occurred.

Researchers at UNC Charlotte's violence prevention center have the expertise and skills to tangibly assist the city and the Charlotte area transit system in develop in developing a comprehensive violence prevention program.

So I'm speaking today to request that you use any connections you may have to urge the city's transportation transportation systems to work with us in prioritizing evidence-based violence prevention and bystander intervention programming as part of the city's public safety efforts.

People are wired to freeze in emergency situations.

So this isn't a failure of the individual person.

It's the city's failure to properly prepare its individuals and build a community that is intolerant of violence.

While increasing security presence is a natural start to addressing public safety, it's only a superficial solution.

One that has yet to demonstrate efficacy.

As just last Friday, Charlotte experienced another stabbing on the very same train system that killed Arena.

Evidently, we need a better way to buy the city time so that we may address the underlying systematic systematic problems of mental health and housing.

I see hope for change in a community-centered approach because videos of people coming to the aid of others during recent CBP operations in Charlotte prove that we are a community that intensely cares for each other.

We just need the city to meet us there.

The burden of violent crimes should not have to fall on bystanders who likely become traumatized by these incidents.

But the deafening lack of attention given to Arena Zarut Scott in the release train video demonstrates a need for action.

The burden of violent crimes, therefore, falls on our city's government to support a community that does not normalize violence.

So let us help you.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Thank you very much for um coming down today.

I I want you to know that everyone deserves to feel safe in Charlotte, and that remains to be this council's priority.

We've increased police presence, we've strengthened everything, but you have brought us things to think about, um, experiences that may be able to do something.

So I really want to say that as much as we've been doing last week, for example, CMPD, along with multiple local and state law enforcement agencies, launched an operation of safe season, where people were working together as you talked about.

How do we get to frame that together?

So I really want you to know we're really working hard on it.

And while some of these public safety matters fall outside of what we do, we all know that it matters for everyone that lives in our city.

And so I hope that you will have an opportunity to meet and an um chief staff, our new police chief, Steve Patterson, has been actively engaged in how do we do better and how do we do more.

And we all understand that.

I think sometimes I look at you and I think you're really smart and you're going to help us along the way.

So as much as possible, stay in touch with us, and as we continue this journey, we're going to get over it.

We're going to make sure that people in our city understand that they can be here and be safe.

So thank you very much for coming down today.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I also want to say, would you connect with Sean who will get all of the information that helps us get touched and stay in touch with you because that makes a big difference.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

I also want to say to the council that I've asked Katz to provide an update to council this week on the transit security plan as it has enacted over the past several months so that we can all understand where we all are and where everything else is standing.

So we'll look forward to that additional information this week.

All right.

Thank you very much.

All right, we are now.

I'm sorry.

We now have one more speaker.

Garland Green, Mr.

Green.

Please come down.

Thank you.

We also have Candy.

Garland Garland Green, I live in South Charlotte.

Uh again, congratulations to Johnson C.

Smith community for their tremendous achievement.

Also, I want to uh tell uh JD Jody and Kimberly, congratulations on being elected.

Uh I want you to think about this is you are elected, and this is for all of you to represent your constituency.

Your people that put you in office.

Think about that.

Think about what they want when you're acting for the greater good.

I'm here to talk a little bit of follow-up today, Mayor Lyles, about light rail safety.

You address safety a little bit.

You probably answered some of my questions.

Uh we've had two heinous crimes in the last 90 days.

We had a death, we had a tragic stabbing.

Uh I'm anxious to learn what's really being done about all of that, more than just putting more security cameras out there from my understanding from the media with this last event, the tragic standing.

There was a confrontation.

It was very loud.

The person was drunk and he wanted to fight with somebody.

And had we had somebody boots on the ground at that location, that incident probably never would have happened.

So I'm asking you to think about boots on the ground.

I know it's going to cost more money, but it will, in my opinion, resolve a lot of these situations.

We have security here.

We have security at airport.

When you go to the mall, we have security.

We have human being security, visible security.

I think that makes a lot of difference.

If you could help me and maybe uh you can provide the information, or you can direct me to the person that can provide the information where I can follow this a little bit more, I'd be most appreciative.

Well, we appreciate that you choose to make a beer a partner with us.

I mean, what you've said, you you certainly expressed it so well.

We all know that we want to keep people safe.

And I would say to you that it takes a lot of um really real work to determine how we can be better and how we can do this.

And and it's been a very difficult um time for our city, but I do believe that the people that live and choose to live, much like you choose to live in Charlotte, you're participating to make it helpful for us, and we will get you that additional information.

In fact, Sean, he's just coming down the um down the steps now, and if you would be able to um talk with her, we're going with Liz.

Liz.

So um I'm gonna say ask Liz Babson to take an opportunity to speak with you so that you can get the additional information that you've asked for, and I think all of us on this council say thank you, thank you for being someone that cares enough to come down here to say we can do it differently and we can do it better.

So thank you very much.

Let's work together to do something about it.

I appreciate it.

Oh, we promise you we're gonna do as much as we can.

Liz, would you um join him so that we can move forward with Mr.

Green?

Um, we have let's see, one more person that I think that the clerk has identified that Carson Cohn.

Yeah, you've already spoken Craig Reynolds.

Tammy Brown.

Tammy Brock.

There it is.

Tammy Brock, thank you.

So sorry.

It looks like you you it looks like you have a great job.

That's what it looks like.

Um thank you for having me.

Um my name is uh Tammy, and uh I thank you for like again, like I said, uh for having me.

Um I am here uh this evening to stand up and speak for a part of our community that can't speak up for themselves, the trees.

Um they silently perform so many things, and yet when any development happens, there's very little consideration for them.

Uh oh, we are going to plant new ones here.

Um, I have lived at my house for the last nine years and uh have been biking and walking past uh this one block of trees where at least eight uh eight very large specimens were there.

Um trees that gave shade to me and lowered the temperatures in the hot summer, um uh trees that provided cover for the birds that uh filled the air with music and allowed me to have a nice uh walk or uh uh I bike to work every day.

Um anyway, uh these trees that have towered over me and has taken decades to get to that size, they are now gone.

Um they uh they cannot just be replaced, uh, but they have been torn down and ripped apart.

Uh I cannot save those trees.

Um it's too late.

Uh I'm here to try and prevent other trees uh from getting cut down.

Uh I know that the city of Charlotte has stated uh that they uh care about the canopy of the trees that are in the city.

Um but as I was heading to work and I was seeing these trees uh being demolished.

Um I stopped and asked the guy that was doing it.

I said, why?

Why was this happening?

And he said, Oh, I was just hired to do this, and pointed me to another person at the construction site.

And they um said, Oh, well, you know, across the street, that's where the administration is, maybe they can help you.

Um then uh the man from the field office came to the door after I pounded on the door for a little while, um, and said that the city of Charlotte actually caused this to happen.

Um that so that uh they made the trees come down because they accepted the plans of the development, and now they were just following those plans.

Um I'm coming to you, those that represent the city of Charlotte.

Um, that uh in to say we need to protect our trees.

Um thank you very much.

We have a three-minute uh speak.

That's okay.

I think we got it.

I think we completely understand, and I'd like to ask um Alison Craig who works with us.

She would be able to, I think, assist in and continue the dialogue that you're having.

Okay.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Alison.

So I believe that that is the end of our um public forum.

And so we will now move on to say for our public hearings.

All right.

So we're going to go to item five.

Um, we're gonna open the public hearing on the proposed annexation agreement with the town of Harrisburg.

Madam Clerk, do we have any speakers?

Mayor.

Um, with we we do not have any speakers.

A little close.

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

I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you, Mr.

Drake.

Close and adopt the ordinance.

All right, we have a motion to uh close and adopt the ordinance to approve the proposed annexation agreement between the city of Charlotte and the town of Harrisburg.

Any do I have a motion?

You do that was we have a motion.

All right, thank you.

And is there any comments and questions?

Hearing none, any comments or questions hearing none.

All in favor, please raise your hand.

All right.

Does anyone disagree with that decision?

No.

Okay.

All right, now we'll move into the business section of our agenda.

It's for item seven.

Is there a motion to approve?

I'm sorry.

So um we're going to come back and start with a approval of the purchase of property on Catherine Simmons Avenue, parcel identified number 07502509, comprising a three existing single family rental units at a cost of 465,000 for the purpose of providing affordable housing opportunities and authorize the city manager or his design to negotiate and execute any documents necessary to complete this transaction.

Or to approve A and B.

Second.

We have a motion and a second for approval of A and B.

Is there any other comment?

Council McGrian.

Mr.

Graham.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um I would be remiss to not speak on this item.

Uh this is more than just a purchase of property on Catherine Simmons Avenue.

Uh this is a part of a city-county collaboration strategy to begin to address some of the issues of homelessness, um, substance abuse, mental illness, COVID enforcement issues on that corridor on that street specifically.

Um I really want to thank staff.

Uh I think we approached the manager, and I say we, um, uh County Commissioner Belmale and I, our management team back in early summer about some of the issues that we were experiencing on Catherine Simmons.

Um Duranda Mapp, the executive director of the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, CDC and others were really concerned about some of the activities on that particular street.

Uh the mayor certainly uh was concerned about that as well.

Uh and we formed an inter-collaboration team between the city and the county to address a wide variety of issues.

Uh on that team was represented by CMPD, COVID enforcement, housing, uh another a number of other city and county agencies trying to be assertive on our policing and our outreach efforts, not aggressive, but assertive to try to solve some of the problems.

Uh two weeks ago, Meckneburg County commissioners under the leadership of Elma League uh establish a um unshelter response plan for street outreach partners uh and a wide variety of mental health services, uh substance abuse services on the corridor, specifically addressing Catherine Simmons.

Uh CMPD has been very active on the quarter uh within the last six or seven weeks.

I can't be very specific, but they are doing their job on the quarter in terms of identifying hot spots, identifying trouble homes, identifying those who are selling drugs on the quarter, and they have been very responsive in terms of their response.

And in addition, the purchase of these homes are about trying to change the narrative on that street in terms of addressing absentee landowners, those who are not taking care of their property, uh, and for the city to um provide uh an opportunity to provide some of those homes into affordable housing.

So this is a strategy that's undertaking between the city and the county, and I've been one who've been very vocal about collaboration between the city and the county uh and the manager, both managers, uh Manager Brian and Manager Jones have exceeded my expectations uh in reference to uh their partnership uh and pitting out with me as well as Commissioner Leak, uh more so Commissioner League than me in terms of pushing the ball forward.

So this is the beginning, not the end for certain.

I think there will be a lot more uh that both Commissioner Leake and I will be talking about publicly about this initiative, but this is extremely important.

I would be remiss if I don't thank Sean and the staff.

Uh Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell has been at those meetings with me as well uh and leaned in uh when appropriate to ensure that we have the the type of cohesive approach necessary uh for those individuals on the corridor.

And so uh I've always said that we need to make sure that people are part of the change and not victims of it.

Uh and change is needed on Bailey's Fort Road for certain change is needed on Catherine Simmons.

Uh, and I think this approach that we're taking, being very proactive uh and identifying um a holistic uh collaboration of government, both city and county, it's a step in the right direction, and I hope the council members will improve this line out of thank you.

All right, any other comments?

Ms.

Johnson?

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I will be supporting obviously, but I have a question about this.

Um I had the pleasure of being over on Catherine Simmons not too long ago when the new condos built those affordable housing, they're they're like gonna be eleven hundred dollars mortgage with the down payment assistance.

So that was exciting.

Um but I know you've mentioned several times a nuisance property off Beatty Sport.

I don't know how close this is.

Are we able to uh have any progress with that or attack that problem along with this initiative?

Yeah, I had a meeting with our new city attorney uh and we talked about being very assertive uh in terms of nuisance properties, very assertive and making sure that convenience stores are applying with all the uh ABC licensing and requirements, um, selling of um beer and wine and those type of things.

We know where the problems are, and we're being very assertive, not aggressive, but very assertive uh in ensuring that we protect the quality of life of those in the area.

And so, yes, uh we are contacting um landlords who who live somewhere else and rent property in our community, and uh I think they need to get here from our city attorney, and and if it takes three years to get to where we need to go, um the journey of a thousand miles start with the first step, right?

And so we're we're being very um proactive and assertive.

I keep using that word.

We simply can't sit back and and and wait for something to happen.

Same thing with cats, right, and the bus shelters, right?

Um, city manager and the catch director, we're going to be removing a bus shelter there and enhancing others, right?

I mean, bus shelters where people should be catching the bus.

It's not where people should be using the restroom or sleeping or making it inconvenient for other bus riders to use.

And so I just want the community to know that that things are happening.

Uh, and I think at some point, Commissioner Leek and I will be talking directly to the community ourselves and sharing what we're doing and the results that we're getting, and we are getting positive results based on what you just suggested, identifying where the problems are and trying to fix them.

Thank you.

All right, Mr.

Jones.

So uh Mayor, members of council, thank you.

Uh typically I don't uh jump in, but I will this time.

Um I think it's important to know that this is a strategy.

We've talked a lot about Uptown, and then many people said, Well, what about the rest of the city?

And so it was um the partnership with the county has just been amazing.

Um we did have uh Baysford Road next, but simultaneously the things that are going on, whether it's I 85 and Sugar Creek or West Boulevard, but the concept is it's not one size fits all, but let's go back and double down in these communities where we can have an opportunity to positively impact the quality of life.

So we continue to work, and so I think what we we may have to do team is talk a little bit to council and maybe a memo about some of the initial things that are happening in other areas because uh as we talked about uptown, I worried that uh this body would say what about other places in the community, but the city and the county are collaborating on other places in the community.

So thank you.

And I'm not gonna add one more comment.

One of the things um that I believe that we're doing correctly is making district issues city priorities, right?

So if it's if it can work in district two, it can work in three, it can work in four, it can work in some of these other quarters where we are experiencing the same problems, right?

And so it's just making sure that there's a holistic government approach.

You know, again, we get too much credit for when things go right.

The folks over there are working really, really hard, collaborating with their comedy teammates to ensure that we get it right, and and I acknowledge that participation and cooperation.

I thank you for doing it.

All right, any further comments?

Hearing none, all in favor.

I believe Ms.

Watlington is unanimous.

Thank you so much.

I think all of us know how important it is for us to be a part of this kind of restor re restoration for our people and the people that are in the city.

So thank you very much.

I think the staff really appreciate all of this.

So our next um idea or the next thing we'll do is to ask the city manager if he has any updates for council this evening.

So uh thank you, Mayor, members of council.

Just one update.

Uh so team, the only thing I'm going to do is the annual strategy meeting.

Okay.

So just wanted to give you an update.

I appreciate Mayor Pro Tim Mitchell and what he did last week.

My understanding he reached out to all of the council members to get um your feel for where we would go with their annual strategy meeting.

Uh, my understanding is that uh all of you were fine with uh returning to the restoration hotel in Asheville.

Um standing also is some of the feedback, it's one of the better places that we've been, and you do realize or remember how important it was for us to support our uh neighbors in western uh North Carolina.

Uh so what will happen over the course of the next week is your uh constituent services staff will help with all the logistics, but uh maybe what's more most important is we'll send out a short survey to see what's important to you.

Uh two big questions, you know, what are uh the most important topics to discuss during the annual strategy meeting?

And number two, is there anything else that you may want to share?

So a short survey.

Uh we'll get that back, I believe, by the end of the year December uh 31st.

Some of the things we are thinking about because of all the discussions we've had over the course of the last uh year has been you know, quality of life, public safety, mobility, but mobility now that the ones in sales tax is passed, we need to talk about project selection, workforce development, small business scaling up, and absolutely positively anti-displacement efforts.

Um, and of course, we'll talk about uh the FY27 budget.

We may talk a little bit about the FY28 budget too.

But those are just some of the things we're thinking about.

But again, short survey.

We really want to uh start this off in a very collaborative and uh comprehensive way.

I didn't say the dates, it's um Monday, January 26th, Tuesday, January 27th, two full days.

So, much like last time, uh traveling that Sunday, it would definitely be an option so that we can start the um Monday morning um bright and early.

So that's all we have now.

So I thank you, uh Mayor Tim Mitchell for uh getting the ball rolling, and that's all I have for my report.

All right, Miss Mayfield.

Thank you, madam mayor.

Manager Jones, historically, we have a number of actual council members that plan the retreat and that help to guide and identify what the topics of interest are and or things that we need to follow up on the previous year.

Are you suggesting that instead of having council members that identify our retreat topics?

We're just going to have a survey.

No, not at all, Councilmember Mayfield.

Because we've done a bunch of these, a few things that we've learned that we need your feedback early on, and we consider this to be early on.

There have been a number of ways to uh have it.

It could be referred to a committee, it could be an ad hoc committee.

I believe that's the the um the what the will of the body.

I think one of the things that I'll tell you up front, one of some of the feedback that we've gotten is spend more time with council being able to address some of the um tough issues.

Um I've heard things like not too many stickies on the wall and things like that.

Okay.

So I've learned over the years uh the staff saying less and the council interacting more allows for a better annual strategy meeting.

So all we're trying to do, we're in a little strange place because we're new council members.

This is their first meeting, and the committee structure isn't up yet, so we just didn't want to wait too much longer to at least get some feedback from you.

That's it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

So um as we move that's all of your report, and so let's go to the next business item, which is item number eight, addition of a representative from Gaston County to the Charlotte Water Advisory Committee.

Um, for this item, is there a motion to approve the addition of one representative from Gaston County to the existing Charlotte Water Advisory Committee?

We have a motion and a second.

Is there any discussion?

Hearing no discussion.

Oh Ms.

Mayfield.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Ms.

Charles, um, I believe you will be able to answer a question for me that I sent over earlier.

And that as you're making your way up, that is to share why we're extending uh opportunity for representation for Gas and County because I think that is information based on a 20-year-plus project that it would be helpful for all, including the community to know.

Sure, thank you for the question.

Good evening, Mayor.

Uh Council Angela Charles, director of Charlotte Water.

Um, the reason why we um want to add someone from from Gaston County is that this would be a strategic move in that Charlotte Water Um is the sole provider of wastewater services for the city of Mount Holly, and soon to be uh the city of Belmont.

Uh, the folks in Gaston County don't have any uh represent representation, um communication, uh just it we're here to try to, or the the request is to try to really facilitate two-way uh communication between Charlotte Water and the residents.

And for clarification, this is also and correct me if I'm wrong, the continuation of that 20-plus year discussion where we now provide water to our partners to make sure that they also have a voice.

Absolutely.

So the STOW project is the result of about 20 plus years of planning that started.

The first conversation started in the 1980s, and so in that there would be a partnership between Charlotte Water, City of Charlotte, the city of Belmont, and the city of Mount Holly for wastewater services.

Along the way, EPA came in and developed a uh what we're gonna call TMDL, total maximum daily limit for nitrogen and phosphorus, um, which meant that we needed their allocation.

I don't want to get too technical to build a plant, but we need you've already surpassed that we needed partnerships with those two entities to build a facility to accommodate the growth on the McNamberg County uh side.

And so, in doing that, uh Mount Hawley has decommissioned their wastewater treatment plant.

Right now we are providing services uh to them, and at the end of the day, we will have uh a cleaner and better uh Cataw River for our region.

Thank you.

Okay.

Thank you very much.

Hope I didn't get too technical for you, but I understand that's there's some science behind what we're doing here.

Ms.

Anderson.

Thank you, Ms.

Charles, for being here.

And what I wanted to say is, well, we approved a lot of uh Charlotte Water things today on our consent agenda.

So the investment and what you're doing.

It really is a regional play.

It is I've been speaking to a couple of residents, and they're they're asking me why certain services they pay for that's covered by Charlotte, and why other services they don't receive because they live out in the ETJ and other areas, unincorporated areas.

I think it would be really um a good move for you to maybe leverage our uh gov channel to start to educate residents on how your organization is really and truly a regional organization, and maybe break that down for residents because we have a mix and folks really don't know what they're paying for, right?

So I I think I've had at least three conversations where residents have asked me that.

So I think it'd be a great move for you to leverage.

Thank that that is a wonderful uh suggestion because I'm I'm not quite sure everybody understands that we are a regional utility.

We serve over 1.2 million people, and it's everybody, it's this county and beyond, and what you have before you is an example of that.

What's different here is that we have connections to different counties.

We aren't the sole providers, except in this case, we are so the growth in that town will depend on capacity that they get from the Charlotte Water Entity, and so it is a good, we believe a good strategic move to at least have a resident as a part of the citizen advisory group, and we're getting that conversation, and we have that advocacy in Gaston County.

So that's that's that's what we're doing.

And that's the request.

All right, I'm gonna have council member Johnson and then follow the city manager.

Okay, Miss Johnson.

Thank you, madam mayor, and thank you, Miss Charles.

Uh, my question is is probably the uh the obvious question.

Does Gaston County does a portion of their taxes support the uh this project or the services that that uh Mount Holly and Belmont receive uh they will be charged for those?

So it's not not taxes, okay, but a treatment they will be paying a treatment rate.

Okay, because we will be treating yes, ma'am.

Okay, okay, thank you.

So thank you manager.

Thank you, uh, mayor members of the council.

So uh Ms.

Charles to put it in perspective, it's the X largest system in the country.

Thirteenth.

Wow.

13th largest wow.

I think regional is the new word right now.

It's a regional utility for so many things.

So all right.

Is there any further conversation or discussion?

Hearing none, all in favor of the motion.

Please raise your hand.

Anyone, everyone's okay?

All right, Miss Johnson.

Did you have your hand?

I raised it.

Okay, thank you so much.

Thank you.

All right.

So that concludes oh, we have another, we have a uh a really big and important one for item nine.

Is there a motion to approve the 2026 City Council regular and budget meeting schedule?

So move.

Second.

We have a motion and a second.

Ms.

Ashmira.

Yes, thank you, Madam Mayor.

So I was reviewing the proposed schedule, and um I noticed that for second Mondays very business meeting.

We do not have public forum except for the fourth Mondays of the month.

Is that correct?

So currently we have public forum on second and fourth Mondays of the month.

So are we going from Mr.

Jones is nodding?

So yes, go ahead.

Okay, so um, thank you, Mayor.

And uh with Maria somewhere still in the in the building.

Okay, no, okay, thank you.

The clerks with their so um some of the philosophy behind the calendar uh to answer your question directly.

There's only one public forum uh a month, and it's typically the fourth um Monday.

It wouldn't be the fourth Monday if by some reason um the fourth Monday meeting was canceled.

So I believe our state statute we need to have a public forum at least once a month.

And so that's been consistent for a while.

And so that's been consistent for a while, and uh what you have on the second Monday is a what we've called the action briefing.

Um and the whole concept there is, and I'll say many council members have said this to me.

No surprises.

So what that would be used for start at five o'clock in 267 or anything that came out of committee meetings the previous month, or anything that may be discussed the fourth Monday of the month, so that we would spend that first 90 minutes uh on the second Monday in 267 to talk about anything that may have come out of committee or anything that may be coming up that fourth Monday.

You have the zoning meeting, you get to the fourth Monday.

Uh, you would come right to the chamber like today, 5 30.

And um many of the things that were discussed at that action briefing on the second Monday could be voted on that night, and you would have the public forum as well as uh council comments.

So so to follow up on that, Mr.

Jones.

Um it's good that we are prioritizing what's going to be discussed for that month during second Mondays of the month during action action briefing.

I think that's great.

Um so currently today is second Monday of the month, and we had a public forum.

So for this year and the previous years, we had a public forums on second and fourth Mondays of the month.

So it's always been just the only reason today we had a public forum because you don't have a fourth fourth Monday of the month.

And you need to have one public forum each month.

So that's why when I look at the proposed meeting schedule, I see that we have exceptions in January, March, and December December, because the fourth Monday we cannot accommodate a public forum.

Correct.

Miss Watlington.

Yeah, but I got a few questions.

Uh the first one is just that I noticed here that the ICMA conference is here, but I don't know that anyone around the diaspora say for maybe the manager goes to that from a but from a council perspective.

I think the conference that would be more relevant to this schedule is the NLC City Summit that occurs during that time.

So I just wanted to note that um I see you.

Um it's the uh the city manager and county manager uh annual conference.

But as mentioned, that's really not necessarily a council uh item.

So wanted to propose that we make that adjustment on the um calendar.

I'm I'm sorry.

Uh Councilmember Wallington, it's just up there.

No meeting is being canceled because of that.

I'm I'm aware it's fine.

I just wanted off the calendar.

Well, I'm saying the more relevant date, I think, for the audience for this particular schedule is the city summit.

Because that's the one that these members would actually be attending.

Because I see that NLC is up here for the city vision conference, and then you've got the mayor's annual meeting.

So then the other main conference that is significant, at least as it relates to members of this body.

So I'd offer that as a um amendment in terms of this adoption.

And then the other item that I see here that I've got questions, I really want to hear feedback from the group in regards to is that I noticed that the um that the appointed offices, our direct reports um evaluations are in October and November.

And given the history of delay on these items, I I'm not comfortable with them falling that late in the calendar year, and I also don't see a mid-year review.

We've talked a few times about doing a check-in for that.

So I'd I'd like to understand what the appetite is for making adjustments to those things, more consistent with some of the discussions we've had in the past.

All right, any Smayfield?

So just for clarification, does that for the discussion of the mid-year review?

Does that need to be in a form of a motion for us to make an adjustment, or do you have a time to recommend?

Because I completely support us doing that because we have talked about it for a number of years, and we need to actually put it into the calendar.

Do you have a recommendation of a time period, Dr.

Waddlington for the mid year?

I think it'll depend.

That's kind of why I wanted to hear a little bit about if people have preferences.

I know we don't meet in July, but we also have a our fiscal year is July to June, so we always end up needing.

We always do, we do.

So uh we could follow along there uh and and do a mid year maybe in um November, December, and then do the final right before the um yeah, the fiscal year ends.

That's just suggestion, but I'm open to what folks that's what I'm saying.

Unless there's another suggestion, I support that.

There's no home here.

Yes, Mr.

Yeah, so thank you, madam mayor.

I know that VGIR committee worked on a schedule for evaluations of our three employees where we had said we will do uh year and evaluation in July to August time frame, and we'll do a mid-year in November December time frame.

So I I don't see that being reflected.

It's what we had approved um at as a full council.

So I think that needs to be reflected.

Uh but I would let the manager speak on that in terms of um if my understanding is correct if what was adopting.

Yeah, I do believe that um a few years ago the concept was to have a check-in at the annual strategy meeting and an evaluation over the summer.

Right.

So that would be the six months would be the check-in at the annual strategy meeting with an evaluation.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

If we continue that, is that sufficient for this council for the review?

Councilman.

So, Madam Mayor Manager Jones, for clarification, it would be difficult for the check-in to be doing during the strategy session because we only have two days, which is something that I had mentioned prior to the last few years.

What do we have?

Three days.

It was like three and a half days.

Cutting it down to two days makes it more efficient for people to not be away from work at home.

But trying to add that piece in when we're gonna have two days to really try to hash out and focus our priorities for the upcoming session and beyond would be very difficult.

I was under the impression that maybe I'm remembering it incorrectly.

I was under the impression that that check-in is a separate entity because we need to have the time to make sure that we're having the discussion with you as a council, but also give the time for us to actually in writing present to you what our expectations or what we're looking for to give time to make sure if we identify five objectives, how many of those did you hit prior to your review time so that we can get this on schedule and keep it on schedule?

So I wasn't I didn't remember that this was a conversation where we would try to have it during the strategy session when we only have two days, and those two days really need to be focused on our priorities moving forward.

Ms.

Sanderson.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um I do remember Miss Ashmira us having that conversation and and the vote in the in your committee.

Um but as Ms.

Mayfield just said, we're shrinking the the strategy session from three days down to two.

And honestly, at the trap strategy session, everything starts to get um expedited and and um sped up because people are wanting to leave.

And so last year that occurred where we were supposed to have these check-ins.

And I might offer that we have the check-in, the mid-year check-in when we come back from the holidays, so maybe the second week um in January or the third week prior to the strategy session.

Um, and I thought that the mid-year was really a conversational check-in rather than a hard document with um with a review.

It was more of a conversational check-in.

Do you have everything you need?

What else can we help you with, etc.?

So I I would offer that up as a potential solution that way at the strategy session, we can purely focus on what we need to focus on.

Madam Mayor Langton.

For the purpose of today's meeting, then I would just move to defer this schedule to to line those uh details out and bring it back uh before the end of this calendar year.

Okay, second.

We have a motion and a second, it's a deferral, and it will come back on the next um agenda agenda.

So we're gonna do it.

All those in favor.

Anyone opposed?

Okay, there we are.

Okay, so we have a close.

Um, well, wait a minute.

This one.

We do have a closed session tonight.

So can we have can I have a motion to adjourn from the clerk?

I mean from the attorney.

We have council managers, council.

Oh, that's right.

We're gonna do council topics tonight.

Where would you like to start?

Ms.

Johnson?

Um free.

Yeah, I'm just um wishing everyone a happy holidays and looking forward to working with the new council.

Well, thank you.

No, uh, just happy holidays.

Uh it is a pleasure and an honor to sit alongside all of you as this new council begins.

Uh congratulations again, uh Mayor Pro Tim.

Um and thank you, Mayor, for everything you're doing, and all my council members.

I look forward to representing East Charlotte well and to working alongside everyone to address public safety, affordable housing, as well as economic development.

And as I was speaking to Councilmember Graham earlier and um Mr.

Jones Manager Jones, making sure that East Lane Yards is uh, you know, getting the the premium gas quality, as Councilmember Graham has stated before.

He's learning already.

All right.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I would also like to wish all of those out there a happy holidays.

Keep in mind we are still working.

We will be responding to emails.

We'll get a little break during this time, but the work of the city does not, and I am looking forward to seeing what we're able to accomplish in this upcoming term.

But I also want to make sure that the community knows that this council does have a priority on public safety.

We all live in this community.

All of us have families, whether they're children or elders in our community that want to take advantage of all the amenities that our city has.

So keep us in prayer.

Keep us accountable, but understand that we need help.

Thank you.

Mr.

Graham.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I I just want to give a special shout out to the Charlotte Sports Commission.

Uh, they had a tremendous three days of last week, uh, starting with the Charlotte Invitational Tennis uh tournament that was held at Spectrum Arena, over 13,000 folks were in attendance.

And then two days later, they turned around and produced the ACC championship in Uptown Charlotte.

Umic impact for those who work in the service industries, Uber drivers, boss boys, waitresses, hotels, uh the economic impact for sports and entertainment uh in Charlotte is really really significant.

And the way they executed last week on both of those events, uh keeping public safety in mind as they did it was really really tremendous.

And uh again, I can't uh say much to Will Um Pitts, the new executive director over there for the job that he's done.

And again, um thanks for the council members who attended the uh the tournament as well.

Uh I thought um it went extremely well, and I got a chance to play with some of the pros and hit some balls with them.

And then lastly, and and probably more importantly, um, there were a lot of international eyes on the city of Charlotte.

Uh, the event was televised internationally through the tennis channel.

Uh a lot of tennis enthusiasts from across the world were in Charlotte last week watching what we were doing and using a baseball analogy for the tennis tournament.

If we build it, they will come.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

I um wanted to just lift up something that I had the great experience of doing on Friday night.

I um did a ride-along on the third shift uh Eastway Division uh police force and um came away just terrifically impressed with our CMPD.

Um very appreciative of the community engagement that I saw out of these officers.

And I will remark, uh obviously you you can't you know uh predict what will happen, but they had just taken into custody uh the gentleman who had stabbed someone on the light rail and we're interrogating him in an adjacent room.

And the professionalism that these folks showed in the moment um was just really uh powerful because I appreciate as as this community and this this council appreciates that um there's a heightened focus and that we've already had additional national and and state level interest in what happens on our light rail, and I I think that that is not taken lightly.

I will encourage anyone who does have strong feelings, anybody who who has got a lot of social media presence and feels the need to comment repeatedly on the state of crime in Charlotte that they do take a look at this ride-along uh process.

Obviously, not everyone can do it.

I think you need to meet some background check requirements, but it is a process that does enable you to spend a portion of time with our police officers.

Um, probably during the 10 hour shift, I will say the most impactful thing that I experienced was just some some real conversation with humans who are just trying to do that next right thing for our city and some conversation about the importance of of them feeling community support for the work that they are doing, the importance of of perhaps uh reaching out to some of our our DAs and some of our sheriff's office folks who can perhaps tweak some of the ways that they interact with the police to save them some time sitting around and waiting, just some things that I think are soft things that we can do that I'd love to work with folks to make a little bit easier on our police, and then finally I'll just call out particularly two different officers who had the the great patience to sit with me for 10 hours and answer questions.

And I'm gonna call out officers Grant and Griffiths, um, both of whom were about my children's ages, and um got to, like I said, experience so many questions from me about the good work that they're doing.

So I would commend this opportunity to any of you who have an interest, but again, to our community, I would just ask that you lean in and know your resources, and you may well come away with a very different sense of the safety of our great city, having experienced it at the at the hands of our uh third shift uh police officers.

So thank you.

Sanderson and we're gonna thank you, Madam Mayor.

And uh first of all, I just want to say uh I think we have a birthday here at the Dais.

Do we?

Happy birthday to our newest one of our newest council members, uh Miss Owens, and uh to the three of you, our newest council members.

Welcome.

I also did a ride along and it's with CMPD, and it's quite impactful.

I did it several years ago.

So if you haven't done that, that that would you'll discover a lot of the hurdles that our officers, our brave officers deal with on a daily basis.

Um two things I want to talk about though.

One is you know, our our new chief and um other um law enforcement entities across the state announced their our operation safe season just a couple of days ago, right here in this room.

A couple council members were here, and it's a really great way to leverage law enforcement officers horizontally without having to have a strong increase in budget.

Their focus will be uptown initially, but that's an enclosed learning process that they would take their learnings and best practices and then um expand it out.

And so um you will see a different presence uptown across the board and all four wards, um, and I think it's really important.

And I've I've gotten some feedback from community members that they feel really good about that.

Having said that, though, um, with the issues that just occurred on the light rail, yet again we are understanding that public safety is critically important and it does not simply equal law enforcement officers.

We welcome the collaboration, that will help, but that's not gonna get us across the finish line.

We need a plan, a strong plan that emphasizes a variety of different key areas, including mental health and how we can leverage uh mental health services with other agencies across the state and the region.

And so I hope that as we move forward next year that we will have a crystallized plan on how we can work intergovernmentally and across other agencies to have a multi-pronged approach to public safety.

Um as we continue to be in the national eye, yet and yet again with these issues, and then also you know, with the surge that occurred, you know, there's all eyes on Charlotte, and it's an opportunity for Charlotte to really step up and demonstrate not only to the region and the state, but the entire country that we're a world-class city.

So I I I put that charge out for us as we walk into the new year, and happy holidays to everyone that celebrates or religious faith in the city.

Thank you.

Yes, thank you.

Um happy holidays as well.

I would definitely um also agree with that sentiment.

Um district three represent or excuse me, residents have attended a meeting today uh this afternoon about the 77 South expansion.

Um so glad that I was able to bring additional comments and concerns so that uh residents could talk directly with the consultants and various engineers to understand how um the different options, particularly for map two, three, and eight could impact residents.

So I do recommend if anyone has not already put that input in for uh in CDOT that they do that as soon as possible so that it is on record your opposition or your um approval of which map and why.

I think that is imperative that we're thinking through how do uh different options impact legacy uh residents um and future residents.

So hoping everyone is taking the time to really look through those maps um and think through how do we um ensure that all charlatans are part of this progress that we're seeing.

Victoria.

Uh thank you.

A couple of things.

Firstly, also happy holidays.

Uh, hope you all are planning some great uh festivities with you and your loved ones uh as we look to the end of the year.

A couple of things that I was reminded of just listening around the dais.

Number one, um, you may have if you are signed up for the neighborhood organization list, receives a um an email from the city regarding the next steps with the community area plans upcoming.

We did approve half of the plans and we've got more work to do on the other.

So this is your opportunity if you're a resident that wanted to weigh in, there's going to be opportunity to do that.

So just wanted to lift that up.

Check your emails if you haven't already, uh, just to see how you can follow along for next steps as we look forward to uh Q1 for that work.

And then, secondly, as we were discussing um safety, I wanted to actually ask as it relates to the work that we began in the housing safety and community committee this year with the strategic intercept model as we were looking at how we interface directly with our um intergovernmental partners.

We had launched the work not only for what we were doing within the city, but with the idea that our partners at the county and the state would also be participating.

So I wanted to lift that back up because I don't want it to be lost in the sauce because one of the follow-ups from that was actually that we were going to have some sort of joint strategy session.

And as we talk about our strategic planning, um, I didn't see it on the calendar as listed as something that was specifically joint, um, but that was the opportunity that we were looking to to really get more granular on what we were going to do in terms of a safety response, particularly how we better support and advocate for the proper mental health services to the at the state and federal levels.

Um, so wanted to definitely make sure that as we plan for our strict um strategy retreat, that that work is continued.

Thank you.

Judge.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um, thank you, Councilmember Wadlington, for bringing that intergovernmental work at our last BGIR meeting.

Uh Sean Heath and the team presented all the recommendations that were gathered from our partners, whether that's DA's office, the county, uh nonprofit partners, as well as our judicial system in terms of what we need to help us be successful in addressing crime in our communities.

Um, I know the plan is to present that at our retreat because as we are discussing our state and federal legislative agenda, we want to make sure we have specific slide just on public safety uh with specific ask from our state legislatures.

So some of the items that's part of our agenda uh for an example is requesting more resources for our DA's office because even with additional positions that were included as part of Arena's law, it still puts us at 65 to 70 percent capacity, uh, not where we should be at 100% capacity.

So we do need to discuss this and um really uh at some point uh the mayor has suggested us writing a letter, and I think that's a great idea.

It's specific ask on public safety because I don't see this as a part as an issue because we all want a safe city.

Um so thank you for bringing that up.

You will see that as part of our um uh ask um at the retreat.

Um also um council member Mayo brought up I-77 expansion.

Mr.

Manager, if you could provide us a memo on what ability we have at the local level to influence the decision through CARPO.

Um I've heard reports that through CARPO we could influence how that project is expanded.

So we want to make sure that we are addressing communities' needs while addressing infrastructure needs, but we want to ensure that we don't make the mistakes or repeat the mistakes of the past.

So if we can if you could uh provide a memo on that as to what are the alternatives that we are exploring through Carpool, uh that would be great.

Um and um council member Owens brought up right along.

I've done that, it was probably one of the first ones that I did um when I was representing District 5 in East Charlotte, and it's certainly impactful.

Um, but it really thinks it makes you think uh how officers are putting situations to think within split seconds and make some of the very impactful decisions.

It's a great way to really see what officers go through every single day to keep our community safe.

Uh I I certainly agree for those who have not done a ride along, I highly recommend it.

You come out with a whole new perspective and respect for our officers.

Um I do want to highlight uh one item.

As we are talking about public safety, um, I just want to acknowledge the seriousness, seriousness of another stabbing incident on our light drill.

Um certainly I've heard from a number of residents who use our light drill on a they depend on our light trail to get to work.

It is concerning.

Um there are a number of questions that I have.

I know that Mayor mentioned in her remarks earlier that we will have an update on the steps that we are taking.

Uh so if you could include uh couple of um bullet points.

Uh first, I just want to understand a security presence.

Uh this incident happened during the rush hour of 4 49 p.m.

Uh, where generally employees get off and write public transit.

Uh so I would like to understand whether we had a CMPD officer or security guard on the light rail when this incident happened.

Uh I know there have been significant investment that the council has made to increase security on light rail um as well as fair enforcement.

I would like to understand uh do we know at this time whether the suspect had a valid ticket to write this.

Um also I'm hearing reports that the suspect may have been previously banned from using cats.

Um so if you can help us clarify if that is accurate.

Uh and if if the suspect was indeed previously banned, um why was he allowed back on the system?

And um how are we enforcing those bans?

And um I look forward to having uh an update on on those specific questions.

And you know, I I just um we have seen our ridership has gone down after Arena Zaruzka's stabbing.

And you know, there are people that do not feel safe, especially students who ride our public transportation system who does not have an alternative.

So we need to do everything that we can to restore the confidence in our system.

So if you could provide an update on that, that would be great.

Okay, and lastly, uh, I just want to wish you all a happy holidays.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right, so the mayor pro temp.

Uh, can we start at one time?

We wish you mayor Chris, y'all ready?

Oh no.

Okay, we're not gonna do that today.

So citizens will be rehearsing.

More to come.

Uh first of all, uh, let me agree with all my colleagues to say that be safe this holiday and spend time with family and friends and rejoice and pray for a successful 2026.

I think this council will have done a lot of work on 2025 and uh more to come.

On the personal note, if I'm if my if I may Mayor and Council, uh December 9th, uh tomorrow, uh the third African American female uh went into space.

She spent 13 days at the space station uh to repair the robotic arm.

I want to congratulate her.

This uh celebration of the 19th year, uh Joan Elizabeth Higgins, uh better known as my queen.

So happy anniversary and uh ready to go to closed session, ma'am.

Oh no, just a minute.

I want to do this.

Um James and I have an opportunity to be at the Sarah Stevens Tuesday morning um program.

And in that, there was a list, I believe Kim Kimberly, you were there as well.

Yes, and Malcolm and Malcolm and at the end of that, I was given a four or five page list of concerns with various communities that you've mostly spoken about.

And so I want to make sure that as we're doing this work that we really um understand that our people um people are are smart, they know what they want, they know that we can do it, and I think that what I've asked the manager to do is to take those, I think it's four pages and look at it and see how it fits in for our um retreat, and what does it mean when people come to us and say we have a plan for what we ought to do, and we put this plan in motion or explain why it's not in motion.

I think that um again people are really engaged, and I think through that process it will be helpful.

It's like a I think this you say the community programs that we have and lists.

I think that people want to understand what they mean for us for them except well done.

But I would hope that we'd be able to put some of that together before um we come back from the retreat.

And then the other thing I would say is um I'm gonna take a few days off.

James Mitchell is gonna have such fun.

Oh wow, because I'm gonna go visit my grandchildren for their holiday.

It's a great opportunity to have.

I know several of us have grandchildren, and we love them greatly.

Two and three, I think well, Bishop as well.

And I just I I think that I wish everyone to take a time to enjoy their families to understand how important you are to our city and the work that we can do and start fresh ahead.

So with that, do I have a motion to adjourn?

So move.

So move.

Motion and a second, and all in favor.

I didn't, I wasn't forgetting that.

I was just closing the book for the adjournment now.

Let's go to the closed session.

Hopefully it won't be too long.

All right, we need a motion from this city attorney.

So the motion mayor is the motion is to go into closed session pursuant to NCGS 143-318.11A3 to consult with the city attorney to preserve the attorney client privilege in the matter of Brenda J.

Brothers joint venture versus city of Charlotte, Mecklemurra County Superior Court Civil Action Number 25 C V 032102 590.

Some will second.

We have a motion and a second.

All in favor, please raise your hands.

All right, thank you, everyone.