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

You could 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 La Monica, let's make sure I do a little bit more of a laid back professional look when I go into the interview, and then bam, I'm gonna surprise them with who I really am.

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 to have an eight-year-old, and I want her to understand that her natural hair is beautiful.

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, and I'm gonna go to the house.

Everyone, good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

Thank you for very much.

I'd like to now call the run of our business meeting, the Charlotte City Council Business Meeting call to order.

We are going to begin with introductions.

Let's begin with introductions with our clerk, and we'll come around the dais.

Good evening, Stephanie Kelly, City Clerk.

Good evening, Andrea Leslie Fight, City Attorney.

Good evening, Dimple Ajmira, at large member.

Good evening.

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

Joy Mayo, representing District 3.

Dante Anderson, District 1.

Marcus Jones, City Manager.

By Lyles Mayor.

Good evening, everyone.

Jane Smith and Mayor Pro Tim.

Kimberly Owens representing District 6.

Malcolm Graham, District 2.

Ed Driggs, District 7.

JD Masuera Adias, probably representing the East Side, District 5.

Okay.

Good evening.

I'm Renee Johnson and I have the honor of representing District 4.

All right.

Do we have everyone and everyone's had the opportunity to do this?

We begin our meetings with an invocation, an expression or inspiration, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

This invocation is intended to solemnize our proceedings to make sure that we are working together.

So including we celebrate religious diversity in our community, including those without a religious faith.

Tonight we'll have Council Member Owens to deliver our invocation.

Thank you, Mayor.

Good evening, everyone.

As we gather here today for the city council meeting, let us take a moment to reflect on our shared purpose and responsibility to this community we cherish.

We stand at a pivotal moment in our city's history, one that challenges us to embody the values of integrity, service, and solidarity.

The legacy of our past decisions still echoes within our neighborhoods, reminding us of the importance of careful thought and compassion in all that we do.

Many of our communities have felt the impact of choices made for reasons that may not have prioritized their needs, and it's our duty to address those past harms.

Let us strive to do what is right, even if no one is looking.

Each one of us holds the capacity to effect positive change and to be a source of hope for our residents.

As we deliberate today, let us commit to listening to the voices of those who have been marginalized and to ensuring that our decisions reflect our community's values.

Together, let us weave a tapestry of trust and connection, acknowledging the diversity that enriches our city.

As we move forward in our discussions and decisions, may we invoke a spirit of cooperation, understanding, and genuine care, recognizing that our collective strength lies in our unwavering commitment to one another.

Amen.

I hope that you'll give me a moment of silence for with Jesse Jackson for the work that he's done and made it possible for so many of us to be here today.

Thank you very much.

So now I really would like to um start our public forum.

We're gonna move up the we're gonna now we're gonna move the public forum to up to hear from our residents first.

Um we have a process here that says that people call in and they have opportunities to be a part of our public forum.

And so today we have 12 people that are going to participate in our public forum before we before, and I want to make sure that we do this, until we will have more opportunity, and have I'll go and explain that a little bit further later on later on.

But right now we are going to go through our public forum and we will have people speak for two minutes because we have over 15 speakers, I believe.

Madam Clerk.

We have over okay.

So if you would like to come down, I'll make sure that I will read the name out, and then if you would come down and be please be careful because the steps are not always really full for everybody.

So if you would like to do this and come down and be able to speak, we will call first on Philip Stanford.

Mr.

Stanford Standard, thank you very much.

Our next speaker is Micah.

Oh, Israel Smith.

All right, please begin.

Thank you to the mayor, uh, the manager, members of the city council, and the city clerk's office for allowing me this opportunity to address you about pressing matter of public uh safety and health, car violence against non-drivers.

As a leader in the Charlotte Running community, my request to speak was initiated by the tragic and senseless death of Lance Witello in January.

Lance's death was uh Lance's death is especially tragic since the driver who allegedly killed him should not have been driving due to a suspended license.

Since Lance's death, five other pedestrians have died on the streets of Charlotte.

A change in enforcement, infrastructure, and culture is desperately needed.

We cannot implement our ideas or plans without the assistance of the city.

I'm here to ask when you approve the budget in a few months.

Money for the Department of Transportation uh should include higher allocations for all citizens of Charlotte and not just drivers.

City leaders boast about technology where they can control all traffic lights in in the city from a control room.

Well, I'm impressed and in support of that technology.

We are missing the basics, like like properly painted crosswalks and function signals for runners and pedestrians.

Upgrades are in place in small pockets of the city, uh including leading pedestrian intervals and mid-block beacon signals, and that should be expanded with regular maintenance to ensure the ones that are currently in place are working properly.

In 2025, Council members Mayo, Mazora RES, and and Owens each have pedestrian mobility safety as a big part of their platforms.

They defeated two incumbents and the spouse of a third incumbent.

Our safety is a winning message, and that needs to be delivered loud and clear to the Department of Transportation.

We need real action from the city, and not just to get handed off to Vision Zero, which so far has been among the the uh areas of the city that we have met with uh the the least support group among the among the ones we have connected with at the city.

We need we need the city council.

I I we'm thank you for doing this, and I know we've but we have a lot of folks that are going to speak tonight, so thank you for that time.

Um Israel Smith.

Is Mr.

Smith here I don't see him.

We'll move forward.

Micah Belong.

Micah Belong.

Logan Creech.

Welcome Creech.

Thank you.

Coming down, and you will have two minutes.

Or Micah.

Thank you for coming.

Thank you, Mayor and Council.

I'm pleased to see some fresh faces on council.

I am Logan Crege.

I am the Secretary of Washington Heights, neighborhood off of Beatty's Ford.

We are here underneath new leadership.

We are currently being led by LaDante Lee as president, uh Shedrick Matthews is vice president, and Nathan Hernandez is treasurer.

This group was formed out of the inaction of our former predecessor who I think has fallen into elderly age, and so we have taken over the community.

What we're here to discuss is the failed um placemaking initiative at the Ritz of Washington Heights.

The Urban Design Department has created these spaces without any clear oversight or programming into these spaces.

All you need to do is just drive down Beatty's Ford, go sit across at the Metro Police Station and watch everything that occurs there on a daily basis.

It's no c you know the police officers come out of the metro station, they look left, they look right on renter, they look straight ahead at the park, they know what's going on, and nothing's being done.

So we've already reached out to the urban design department.

We're getting some traction right now, but what I need from you guys is to put pressure on them.

Put pressure on them to program the space to make sure that city staff is adequately maintaining it for all of our safety.

So thank you.

Thank you very much.

Thank you for that information.

Okay, our next speaker is Mike Finessis, if I said that correctly.

Yeah, they think our next speaker after Mike will be um Jackie Adams.

If you'd like to come down this atoms.

Please.

You have two minutes.

Mayor, members of city council, city manager, and staff.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak today.

My name is Mike Phoenix, and I proudly represent Charlotte Firefighters Association.

We are here because we believe in this city and in working in partnership with you.

Today we're asking for something reasonable, responsible, and necessary.

Approval of our budget requests centered on priorities that directly impact public safety and firefighters who provide it.

First, additional five modified duty positions.

Firefighting is physically demanding and inherently dangerous.

Our members experience line of duty injuries, cardiac conditions, and occupational illnesses after years of exposure.

Some are medically removed from riding the apparatus under NFPA 1582 through no fault of their own.

Modified duty positions allow these firefighters to continue to contribute in essential roles such as training, logistics, inspections, and operational support while they recover and work towards returning to full duty.

These are not handouts, these are needed positions within CFD.

Second, pay parity.

Charlotte has grown into a world-class city, but firefighter compensation has not kept pace with comparable cities, including those cities surrounding Charlotte.

Recruitment and retention will not improve until pay reflects the responsibility and risks its job demands, including our non-emergency divisions, including our dispatchers in alarm.

In 2023, this council committed to maintaining pay parity with CMPD.

We stand with our brothers and sisters in blue of CMPD in supporting competitive pay.

But parity is not a luxury.

Continued success.

My name is Jackie Adams, and I'm a resident of District 8.

Thank you for having me.

I'm here to talk about animal care and control.

I support increasing its budget this year.

I've never fostered a dog before, and I didn't think I had the time, the knowledge, or the support to do it well.

After hearing about the changes being made at the animal services, like clear volunteer pathways, I decided to step up.

My first Charlotte Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control foster was a dog named Herc, a mastiff puppy who came in frightened after experiencing abuse.

Afraid of being hurt again.

With the guidance from the shelter staff and the volunteers, I watched him learn to trust, to play, and to be a dog again.

While he was adopted, I realized fostering wasn't just about transforming the life of one dog.

It was about creating space for the next one and helping to relieve strain on the shelter system.

Since then, I've fostered 14 dogs through the Charlotte Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control.

I've seen how stretched thin the system is and how hard that makes it to achieve higher safe statuses.

This experience moved me so deeply that now I speak at Charlotte Mecklenburg Middle and High Schools about fostering dogs as a way to teach responsibility, empathy, compassion, and resilience to students.

The animal welfare crisis is a Charlotte in Charlotte is a community problem that requires community solutions.

So I'm here tonight as proof that your decisions that you all made helped create new volunteers, new fosters, and new advocates.

With adequate staffing and continued support, thousands more Charlotteans can help in the same way.

Thank you so much for your support of the animal care and control here in Charlotte.

We appreciate you.

Thank you.

Thank you very much for that recognition.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Susanna Trotter and Shannon Bins.

Our next speakers, Miss Trotter, thank you.

Good evening, Council.

My name is Susanna Trotter, and I'm a resident of District 6 and a proud resident of Charlotte.

I'm a member of the Charlotte Master Corral and I sing with the Charlotte Symphony, and I'm also a volunteer at Charlotte Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control.

And the shelter is what I'm here about tonight.

I got involved with the shelter after my soul dog passed away, and I wasn't ready for another dog of my own.

But I wanted to get back and help other families find that kind of love and companionship.

Firstly, thank you for your approval of the 2026 budget, and because of your support, the volunteer process at the shelter is much more accessible.

We are also eagerly awaiting the construction of the adoption center that you approve funds for.

Since the transition from CMPD to general services, I've seen wonderful improvements.

We've added staff in critical areas like the front lobby and expanded salary ranges to help attract veterinarians.

The streamlined volunteer process has dramatically increased the number of active volunteers.

There was a time when dogs went days without getting out of their kennels, adding to kennel stress and dangerous conditions for caretakers.

Now, more often than not, every dog gets out, and some even get out twice or three times a day, which is incredible.

There's still much work to do.

CMAC remains vitally important to our community.

There are still gaps in staffing, especially in the medical team and front lobby.

Our medical team cares not only for the animals in the shelter, but the hundreds in foster home like Jackie's.

More medical staff means timely care and more lives saved.

The front lobby is the heart of the shelter.

It's emotional, demanding, and busy, and more support there directly impacts and serves our community members.

Volunteering in an underfunded municipal shelter is difficult but deeply rewarding.

The need never stops, and the cycle of trauma and loss is real.

Yet volunteers and staff show up every day because we care deeply about the residents of Mecklenburg County.

We have a hardworking, robust volunteer and foster community.

With your continued support in fiscal year 27 to close staffing gaps and strengthen these programs, we can keep moving forward toward the 90% plus live release goal.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Mr.

Benz.

Good evening, Mayor and Council.

My name is Shannon Bins, founder of Sustained Charlotte.

I'm here tonight to speak in strong opposition to the proposed I-70 South, 77 South Tolane Project.

On behalf of Sustained Charlotte and 24 other community-based organizations.

Please stand if you are here as part of those organizations tonight.

Look around the room.

These are your constituents.

They're here because they feel unheard.

And tonight I am submitting a petition signed by nearly 1,300 residents from all across our city in every district who feel the same way.

Last week at the CRTPO meeting, Commissioner Altman called this process what it appears to be.

A bait and switch.

In October of 24, you, City Council, were told you would have a meaningful opportunity to vote on this project again in the future.

To change your mind if you didn't like where it was headed.

That opportunity never came.

The state move forward.

Preliminary road designs that had existed since October of 2024 were not shared with elected officials or the public until just three months ago.

And only after NCDOT had secured the assurances that support would not be withdrawn once procurement began.

That is not transparency.

That is not partnership.

It is not how public trust is built.

Meanwhile, cities across America are removing the freeways that divided their communities.

Charlotte is being asked to add four more lanes.

Lanes many working families cannot afford to use at the expense of air quality, equity, and long-term cohesion.

The people in this room and the 1,300 whose names I submit tonight are not asking for another conversation with NCDOT.

Thank you very much.

Whether or not you believe you have formal authority, you have influence, and we ask you to use it.

Thank you.

Our next next speaker is Preston Gibson and Shauna Bell.

Miss Bell.

And we don't seem to have Mr.

Gibson.

Mr.

Gibson.

So Miss Bell and Miss Vera Faulkner.

Miss Faulkner.

No, no, you go ahead.

You want to up to the micro there.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

I've never seen those.

You guys are helpful sometimes.

Okay.

Um please come down and we have another microphone over here.

But while we're waiting, um, let's go ahead.

Miss Bell.

Good evening.

My name is Shauna Bell, a resident of Macquarie Heights.

Our opposition to I-77 has been consistent since we were given just 24 days to comment on two predetermined options.

We have raised current concerns about cost, equity, environmental impact, and the history of highway expansion through black neighborhoods.

We recognize congestion is real, safety concerns are real, and growth is real.

The question is not whether something should be done, it's whether this is the best solution.

A solution that felt decided before we ever walked in the room and are now expected to accept it.

In your adopted 2040 plan, you committed to safe and equitable mobility, prioritizing transit-oriented development, and reducing exposure to harmful environmental contaminants so that all Charlatans can live in healthy, resilient neighborhoods.

A 4.3 billion dollar highway expansion through residential communities does not align with those commitments.

But you do have political influence.

You can advocate, you can apply pressure, and tonight you can publicly publicly call for a vote to pause so that meaningful engagement and the full evaluation of alternatives can occur.

You were elected to represent all of us, not just the most powerful voices or the loudest interest.

Leadership is not about brokering commitments after decisions are made.

It's about standing up for the communities that do not have the same influence, access, or resources.

Proposed to support the plan, my question is what sacrifice are you willing to make for the safe of growth?

If this were coming through your neighborhood, would you accept it or demand better?

We simply want the same quality of life, environmental protections, and considerations that everyone wants for your for their own families.

Charlotte has a choice, and history is watching, and our legacy will be shaped by whether we choose convenience or courage.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening, City Council.

From I 77 to CLT Airport, we are here today with the Housing Justice Coalition demanding a stop to displacement.

We are here today because the recent lease negotiations between Charlotte Douglas International Airport and American Airlines, along with five other carriers will bring displacement to the people of West Charlotte and surrounding areas.

The public was not given transparency on these decisions or an opportunity to review what is being decided.

It is clear that workers, families, and homes are not being taken into account, and for far too long, people's homes and land are being taken away for Capitol Greed as they can go through with big projects with including the major factor of people's lives.

The ongoing expansion of Charlotte's highways, infrastructure, and airport means that neighborhoods and families in Steelberry, West Boulevard, Clanton Park, and neighboring areas are going to continuously disappear.

We've seen this happen before.

Well, corporate profits, how are working people supposed to work without wage increases?

How has Airport City handed over land for manufacturing and expansion for decades while never ensuring that those who have been living here can afford the effects?

It is the question of the political power that our elected officials have on the city and whether they will use this time to represent the public or continue to prioritize entrenched corporate interests.

Communities deserve a say in what is happening, especially when expansion projects like this are threatening their lives.

So we are here today asking for a 90-day public review period before any lease agreement is finalized.

We seek transparency within these negotiations.

We demand a standard living wage for airport subconscious work subcontracted workers.

We demand a displacement mitigation fund, and we demand community grants for the neighborhoods that are going to be directly impacted.

We stand here today in solidarity with communities fighting displacement across Charlotte, including those opposing the I-77 toll lane expansion.

Thank you for your thank you.

Our next speaker is Sean Langley.

She said we're only doing a vote.

Your individual votes matter now more than ever.

Today we're asking you to advocate for a pause in the I-77 expansion project so the full scope, intent, alternatives, and long-term consequences can be properly studied and understood.

Many of you have seen the maps.

Both options are deeply harmful and fundamentally misaligned with the values the city claims to uphold.

The online survey conducted by NC DOT between November 12th and December 5th was highly subjective, framed with leading questions and structured to generate socially desirable responses rather than honest balanced feedback.

So here is why so many organizations are vehemently opposed to this project, including the Black Political Caucus, Sustained Charlotte, Southern Environmental Law Center, Clean Air, Soul Nation, TSL, Macquarie Heights, Wilmore, Oak Lawn Park, Dale Brook, Nations Ford, and countless other neighborhoods are here because they are vehemently opposed to this project.

The Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization convened a board called Beyond 77.

The report produced 286 recommendations.

Not one of them recommended expanding toll lanes.

Before moving forward with this expansion, we should pause and examine those findings in detail.

The City of Charlotte has adopted the SEEP Strategic Strategic Energy Action Plan that calls for 72% reduction in vehicle emissions by 2035.

Expanding highway capacity directly contradicts that commitment.

Charlotte continues to struggle with economic mobility.

In 2014, we rank last, while modest progress has been made.

Guys, this is bigger than one neighborhood.

This is about transparency, climate responsibility, economic mobility, and whether community voices truly matter.

Leadership requires courage.

Now is the time to show it.

Thank you.

And Damian Smith.

My name is Ann Brooks.

I am vice president of government affairs for the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance.

As our city grows, we are asked to make generational true decisions about infrastructure, and the conversation around the I-77 project is one of those moments.

Community input cannot be occasional or reactive.

It must be ongoing, structured, and transparent.

The current timeline allows for exactly this kind of planning, education, and community involvement.

We are years away from finalized construction plans.

The projected delivery in the 2030s does not mean bulldozers arrive tomorrow.

Community concerns around displacement, cost escalation, and the legacy of past highway decisions are critical voices that must be heard.

Respected and provided direct outreach.

We are here tonight to remind this body that addressing these concerns do not require stopping or pausing the project.

This is not an all or nothing zero sum decision.

Charlotte has the opportunity to pair mobility improvements with clear protections, accountability measures, and sustained engagement.

We cannot improve safety and mobility while protecting neighborhoods.

This is the exact time for these conversations to happen.

Starting over just means we having to get right back to this portion of planning.

From 2014, when the CRTPO first added I-77 South to the state's plan as a managed lanes project to today, other transportation planning has taken place with this project in mind.

Transit planning, bus system upgrades, and secondary road improvements have all been developed within the context of I-77 planning.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Let's we can be courteous.

And we can be smart about being courteous.

And I don't think anyone has been booed or in this in this con what we're talking about now.

Let's not change that.

Let's not do that, okay?

I appreciate it very much.

Our next speaker is Damian Smith.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh I am here to oppose the I-77.

I live in district, I live I live in District 3.

I live in the Lakeview neighborhood.

I'd like to work.

And that is endangered.

I also picked my neighborhood because it's on a bus route.

So I have other ways than driving.

I made those choices.

My wife and I made those choices of how can we get to and from work without having to drive.

Now, that also means that we're saving substantial money because right now the average cost of vehicle ownership, according to Triple A is 12,000 a year.

That's not including the fact that a used vehicle now costs between 18 to 30,000, depending on the age of the vehicle.

So that is a significant cost for individuals.

And the toll lanes are for the 40% of people who don't live in our state, who are coming from Fort Mills and Rock Hill.

It's not for the people who can get to work through on Try on and other roads.

But I also want to focus on some other things where the business alliance voted and supported our transit tax.

If we were to take the silver line, which cost will go up with the elevated lanes, because it's gonna have to go over the elevated lanes, and anytime you go up, costs go up.

Thank you very much for and I also just want to say I support uh the firefighters and getting a raise pay as a form of wildlife.

Thanks first.

Our next our next speaker is Evan Sultotis, if I apologize for that.

And uh Mark Wilson.

Thank you.

Esteemed counselors.

On January 2nd, my car was struck from behind on I-77 exit 6A, pushing me out into the middle of Woodlawn Road.

Miraculously, the oncoming traffic stopped before T-boning me, but my vehicle was a total loss.

We can all agree that I-77 needs change, but the elevated toll lane project will cause significant harm to our communities for no added benefit at all.

NC DOT says stopping now would be wasting money already spent, but this is just arguing the sunk cost fallacy.

State funding can still be used in ways that do improve traffic on I-77 without damaging our parks, greenways, and historic black communities.

The Charlotte urbanists have previously presented alternatives before the CRTPO, where member Parker Garrison offered effective solutions, such as rerouting truck traffic around I-485 as Atlanta does with I-285, connecting merging and diverging lanes, such as Virginia did with I-95, and eliminating exits from through lanes, turning the existing carriageways into local lanes at the I-485 intersection.

These options could all be done at low cost without expanding the right-of-way and can be combined with the redesign of dangerous exits to reduce congestion and improve carrying capacity without constructing elevated lanes.

Finally, members of the urbanists have consulted directly with CATS and the Silver Lines engineering team, confirming that the construction of the elevated toll lanes will likely increase the cost of viaducting I-77 significantly, delaying construction of the silver line.

This will result in further cuts to the length of the line, making it unable to reach the Bojangles Coliseum.

The I-77 toll lanes are a bad deal for Charlotte, and the project needs to be completely rethought, not just redesigned.

Remember, NEPA legally requires one of the alternatives to be no implementation.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

Mr.

Martin Wilson.

Good evening, Council, elected officials, and all others here tonight.

My name is Mark Wilson.

I am the Secretary of the Charlotte Firefighters Association, IFF Local 660.

We represent members in all divisions of the fire department, the inspectors, life safety educators, the firefighters, and telecommunicators.

We're the ones that answer ensure safety and protection of life when 911 is dialed.

Tonight, however, you council members are 911.

We are calling you for help, and the citizens of this city need you to answer that call.

Public safety in Charlotte is entering into a crisis.

Not just the police department, like we see on the news, but the fire department too.

Our budget and pay plan has not kept up with the growing demands of the city.

Our members have consistently been the bottom 50% of pay and benefits compared to Charlotte's comparable cities.

This is hurting recruitment and retention.

We are struggling to get applicants in the door and keep firefighters on the job.

Firefighters from all experienced groups, those with a couple years of experience and those with 20 years of experience.

They are leaving to go to other departments and other fields of work that offer better pay and benefits.

When someone gives so much of themselves and their family, it is only right for them to see an equal return.

The public safety pay plan committee has been asking for maintaining parity with the pay plan and adjustment that is sorely needed.

This will bring us closer to the average comparable cities.

It will help ensure the next generation of firefighters will choose Charlotte as the city they want to work for.

It is keeping experience and knowledge of our members on the street and providing the citizens with the level of service that they not only expect but they deserve.

Thank you.

Hoover and Dr.

Janet Gardner Mullins.

Okay, she's good.

Dr.

Hupper.

I'm here representing residents alone, the West Boulevard and Wilkinson Boulevard corridors living at the intersection of highway expansion, airport growth, and future transit investment.

Charlotte talks often about growth.

Growth is real, but far too many of our neighborhoods growth has meant displacement, gentrification without consent, without protection, and without shared benefit.

I-77 has never been just infrastructure here.

It's been a dividing line.

Past transportation decisions displace families, gentrify communities, and weaken generational wealth and push black neighborhoods further from opportunities.

Today, residents feel history returning to itself, not through in the domain, but through market forces.

Displacement today doesn't arrive with a bulldozer.

It arrives through rising rents, prompted tax foreclosures, small landlords selling, agent apartments redeveloped out of reach, quiet removals that hollow out communities, while the skyline grows.

These neighborhoods sit at the center of Charlotte's future, surrounded by highways, airport expansion, and proposed transit.

That visibility attracts investment.

It also attracts speculation.

The difference this time is that Charlotte has tools it didn't have before in the past, anti-displacement policies, land acquisition, property tax protection, and community-driven planning authority.

Those tools exist now, but what's missing is urgency.

A faster road is not progress if the people who live beside it can no longer afford to stay.

Thank you.

I want to make sure that we heard from Fushia Hoover.

Ms.

Hoover, are you here?

Okay.

So then we will go to the next person on the Sharif Hannan.

I see you.

Yes.

You have two minutes.

Good evening, Mayor and Council.

I'm Sharif Hanan, and I would like to make a comment about the I-77 expansion plan.

I'm going to sum up what a lot of other people are already saying.

Everything about this plan stinks.

We're planning to build a segregated highway for the rich on top of historically segregated neighborhoods that were already torn through by the original I-77.

Should we be grateful now that instead of destroying homes and digging up graves, we're now getting a double-decker concrete monstrosity?

It's amazing that NCDOT has been able to just change that plan on a whim.

Yet, Councilman Driggs, the council, the council's representative on the CRTPO, insists that we can't even re-review the terms of the public-private partnership that will likely funnel billions in toll revenue to private interests.

Really, a complex financing mechanism for four-plus billion dollars, a complete redesign, and yet no mention or discussion about projected toll revenues or the toll revenues that will ultimately be siphoned off by private interest for 50 years.

You better bet those private equity interests will be reviewing those figures, yet the public remains in the dark.

Partnership, right?

Rough estimates show that the existing I-77 toll lane will net about uh six billion dollars over 50 years, yet the highway costs only 650 million dollars.

Enough is enough.

We need to consider changing our representative on the CRTPO.

We need to make sure that every stone is turned to pause the I-77, including removing the project from CRTPO's metropolitan transit plan.

Alternative construction plans need to be explored, including municipal bonds and utilizing the hotel and tourism tax.

And for God's sake, will you please remember that you represent the public in public-private partnerships?

Thank you so much.

So that this is the end of our public forum speakers list.

But I want to I'm really have a moment with you to thank you for sharing with us your perspectives, your concerns, and we appreciate that you came here to speak today.

I want to begin by acknowledging that many in our community are concerned and frustrated more than you can imagine.

We understand that.

We hear you and your voices matter in this process.

This project is being led by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

As much as we would have, we know that this project is led by the Department of Transportation from North Carolina.

The city cannot unilaterally delay or stop this project.

However, it's important for us, very important for us, to get your feedback so that we can take this to the state.

We have been on an ongoing conversation with state leaders to share these concerns and the things that we're hearing from you.

I hope that we will have the ability to have Secretary Johnson who is committed to a meeting directly that impacts neighborhood leaders and has shared that commitment in writing.

Our focus is on clear communication and making sure residents have meaningful opportunities to stay informed and provide input.

I've referred this item to the March 5th Transportation Planning and Development Committee meeting.

An NCDOT has been invited to attend to explain the process and the next steps.

But I'd like to take a moment to have you come up if you would like to have more information.

So we have put together ability to go upstairs if you choose to do so to learn more about what we would be thinking about as a community and the and your council.

I'd also like to ask if you would take a moment to allow us to share and extend our city attorney to share and extend more about this project.

And so if I'm going to turn it over to Andrea over this way, so that we can have a conversation that, or perhaps not a quite a conversation, but at least try to understand where things stand.

Thank you, Madam Mayor, Mayor, members of council, and members of the public.

This is a state designated transportation project involving an interstate and facility, which are governed by federal and state transportation law.

The CRTPO is this region's metropolitan planning organization.

MPOs are regional transportation planning bodies required for areas to receive and program federal service transportation funds.

NCGS 136-200.2 authorizes MPOs to receive and expend federal planning funds.

MPOs do not construct projects directly.

Instead, they prioritize projects for inclusion in the state transportation improvement program, otherwise known as STID.183.

Interstate facilities are governed by federal transportation statutes, including 23 USC, 134, and 23 CFR Part 450.

When the CRTPO included this project in its Metropolitan Transportation Plan and its transportation improvement program, that completed the step for requiring federal planning approvals, and it was satisfied from that point forward.

A single member government, including the city, cannot unilaterally reverse the regional vote.

The toll project was approved by the CRTPO pursuant to NCGS 136-89.183, which requires approval of the affected metropolitan planning organization before letting the project, which is the P3 model solicitation that's part of this public discourse.

Authority over interstate facilities rest with NCDOT, the state of North Carolina, and federal entities where applicable.

Once CRTPO authorized the P3 and the request for qualifications was advertised, the process advanced under state and federal jurisdiction.

As we understand it from talking with state and federal officials, the project has several key components remaining, including the actual review of the request for qualifications, the request for proposals, and the National Environmental Policy Act process, otherwise known as NEPA, which is designed to explore environmental impacts, including design and other environmental impacts.

Further, it is our understanding the NC DOT will release reference information documents as an initial step in the RRP process, and that is slated for March 13th.

NC DOT will share the project data with shortlisted teams, and they will begin to generate preliminary designs.

So at this point, the step it's critical for the community community to remain involved and encourage and engaged with the process, the remaining steps of the process.

Mayor, as you mentioned, you have referred the item to T the Transportation Planning and Development Committee, which is charged to review the status of the process, to identify opportunities for support and additional community engagement, and lastly to determine any recommendations that council can make on how the city can best leverage the project in areas designed.

So I'll turn it back over to the mayor.

Thank you very much.

The city will continue to work with NC DOT and regional partners, including the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization to better understand that available resources that can support community priorities.

We're right here.

That if you wish if you would like to have more information that we can provide, and I'm not saying that we can, but if we want we want to make sure that if you have the ability to tell us what you want to do and how to do this, we will provide that information working with the staff over here, and then we will actually put it in for the remaining work that we're going to do with the secretary of you and of our with the secretary when he comes down.

So we have the as I said, we have the communications.

Um we have Monica Allen, Terry Bradley.

Please participate.

I know signage is great.

I love it too.

But if we have things that are written down or things that you've already said that you need to have done or you want to do, and we haven't had that part where we can put it in some kind of format so that we can be a part of what we are trying to accomplish.

So I would really like to ask you to make sure that you work with our team and staff, make clear what you want to do and how, and that we can do that.

I understand.

I can't expansion, stop the expansion, stop the invention, stop the expansion, stop the expansion, stop the expansion, stop the expansion, stop the expansion, stop the expansion, stop the expansion, stop the expansion.

Thank you.

Thank you very much for that thought.

Thank you.

Help us do it.

Help us do it, please.

Thank you very much.

Vote on it.

Can you find the sign it with us?

Stop the expansion.

Stop the expansion.

Stop the expansion.

That's it.

Stop the expansion.

Okay.

All right.

We have we have a member, a number of people that would like to at this dais that would like to have an opportunity to speak with you.

And so our first person that I want to recognize is Renee Johnson.

Can we just vote around the dialogue?

Oh going around.

Ms.

Johnson.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

First of all, can we ask the Madam Clerk to pass the petitions around for council members?

Thank you.

One of the one of my concerns since at least 2021 has been that it takes six council members to get anything on the agenda.

You probably heard me talk about that.

What I would have liked to have seen tonight, uh, given the thousands of emails between the eleven of us that we've received, and we knew that there were going to be 300 people here tonight was for this item to be on the agenda for us to discuss, um, at least to get these questions asked and to speak about it as a council.

These individuals have taken they've taken time off work or or come down here.

Um so to send them to another room to ask questions when we have their questions.

I think more could be done to listen to our constituents.

So in order to get something on the agenda, we need you nanimous decisions or support from all of our council members.

So mayor, I'd like to make a motion if we could add this to tonight's agenda to discuss um and take any action necessary.

All right, we have a motion on the floor, and we have a second.

She was made a motion.

And need further discussion, Mr.

Driggs.

So I I believe our procedure say, Madam Attorney, please correct me that we cannot add something to the agenda for same night vote uh without uh unanimous, and I believe it's improper to do that.

I think what we need to do is vote by a majority to put it on the agenda for a future meeting.

I think we can still try.

It does require a unanimous vote to take action tonight.

Okay.

Yeah, okay.

So we have a motion and second, and I'm gonna ask our attorney to keep the numbers and things.

So all in favor.

Can you please repeat the motion?

The motion is I thought the motion tell me Ms.

Johnson the motion to add the discussion to tonight discussion and potential vote to tonight's agenda.

Okay, so point of order.

Because we're discussing it by virtue of it being on the public forum.

I've thought we could discuss it, but we couldn't vote unless we take any action.

Yeah, that's right.

That's correct.

You can discuss it tonight, but you cannot take an action of any kind tonight.

So if we add it to the agenda, if there is any action to be taken, it needs to be an agenda item.

All right, so that's what we're voting for.

Okay, and we need unanimous support in order to add it to tonight's agenda.

Now the majority can add it to a future agenda.

Currently, it's going to committee, but um, we can also add it to a future council agenda.

You have a motion.

If the city attorney has said that that is a viable option, um let's see, where did we land?

You have a motion and a second on the floor.

We have a motion and a second on the floor for Ms.

Johnson.

Will you repeat it again?

I'd like to make a motion uh for city council to add the item to the agenda for tonight's meeting to discuss and or take any necessary action on the I-77 project or the referral to CRTP.

All right, does everybody hear it?

And the motion and the and there was a second.

So all in favor.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.

So it's on unanimous.

That's not unanimous closely, though.

So with that, okay.

All right.

So because it wasn't unanimous, we can't we can't put it on tonight's agenda, but we can put it on a future agenda.

So, madam mayor, I'd like to make a motion to put this item on a future agenda.

Uh possibly next week or as soon as possible.

Well the next meeting that we can't discuss it, uh, to put it on the agenda instead of to the committee, because it's currently referred to the committee, which um council member Driggs is the chair over.

Um so we in order for a more transparent process and to avoid any appearance of lack of transparency, I think we should discuss it as a full council.

So I'd like to ask for this to come to the council.

Okay, Mr.

Graham.

Thank you, Madam Mayor, and and thank you, Ms.

Johnson, for for the motion uh about a future agenda item.

Uh I believe that this thing is really time sensitive.

We do not have a meeting next week.

We have a retreat.

Uh could it be placed on the re retreat agenda to talk about because the RFQ that's going out is March 13th, uh and that's gonna shape uh the design of the project.

Uh I I think what we really need, which I've talked to a number of my colleagues as well as uh NCTOT is a pause.

This is not to stop progress.

This is just to make sure that we're all on the same page and that we're all our aligned.

We are not aligned.

The community is not aligned with the council, the council is not aligned with Carpo, Carpo's not aligned with NCDOT.

There's a misalignment of what we're trying to do.

I represent many of the residents who are here tonight.

I agree with them.

I agree with them back in October when we first got both plans.

I agree with them in February when to my surprise, NC DOT chose a the elevation design after I was speaking with them for weeks, and they didn't call me, text me, or inform me that they were making a decision.

I I appreciate that the mayor um has done a really good job of elevateing this conversation to the Secretary of Transportation.

He is meeting with a number of community members and leaders, I think as early as this week.

The referral to the Transportation Committee on March 5th is necessary, but I am concerned about the calendar that we may be running out the clock on making a decision.

And so I think that the the concerns are real.

I think they are real, and we don't want to be in a place where we are uh repeating history.

We clearly and I clearly understand that something needs to happen on 77 South.

I drive it every day, right?

There's a bottleneck from Moorhead Street to Westinghouse Boulevard from 3:30 to 7 o'clock in the morning from 6 o'clock to about 8.30.

Right.

So something needs to happen, is how it happens, and making sure that NCDOT is not talking at citizens, that they're talking to citizens.

Tonight, I think we may have done the same thing too, where we're talking at people and not to them.

Right?

And so I hope that we can convene as soon as possible, even if it's a special meeting to ensure that there is a meaning of the minds and that we don't lose the opportunity for expansion, but certainly the clock is ticking.

Both proposals as submitted in October were awful.

And the impact it had on communities and people.

So is that a substitute motion?

Uh substitute motion, or we can talk collectively about how we can get this issue in front of the council for some type of action immediately, simultaneously, we have the grass top conversation with the top leadership at NC DOT with members and the community about how we move forward.

I don't need to have a conversation with NC DOT about what they want to do in the future.

I want to have a conversation with them in reference to will they give us 60 days as a community to try to figure it out together.

That's what we're asking for, and so I think that's what they want.

And going to another room to have that conversation, we've heard loud and clear what they want, and I agree with them.

All right.

I want to recognize Mr.

Graham.

You said you asked the question about timing.

And so I know that we've been doing a lot of work, but if this is that important for the retreat, we ought to go ahead and I think Mr.

Mr.

Mitchell would agree that we should go do it at the retreat.

So if that is going to be something you say.

But it we will have to do notification.

I understand.

No, no, no.

I was just asking a point of order.

I'm sorry, Mayor.

I just wanted to make sure we have a motion from Councilmember Johnson.

A second from Councilmember Graham or is that a substitute motion?

No, I think if we're following the mayor's logic, and I agree with her that I think you will withdraw your motion if we if we say that we're going to put this on the agenda for the retreat, which is Monday.

Okay.

Uh and and the retreat is in town.

Right.

We got work to do, right?

This is important too.

I don't want to.

This is extremely important because it's time sensitive.

So and allow the council to do its job.

Right.

So on Monday, uh, and that we tackle this issue and and and we use our political influence with our friends to say we need 60 days as a community to figure it out alongside with NCDOT.

So we need a second.

I don't think it needs a motion.

I think the mayor can put it on the agenda with the by ourselves.

I didn't want to make sure I don't want our attorney to say, well, no, we didn't have a motion.

So we had a motion.

Okay.

And that people supported it.

Everybody supported it.

So now I think we need to back end up the substitution.

It wasn't a second.

We need to vote.

So I can withdraw it as long as I know that we're going to it's going to be on the agenda.

Okay, so we have a retreat on the agenda.

I'm sorry, I can't.

I somebody helped me.

Is there a conversation?

I was just asking the the city attorney.

We had a motion in a second, and then did we vote or did we not vote?

We do not draw.

You did not vote with them.

So what we have today is I think everyone has said pullback we'll be okay if we can do this for the retreat on Monday.

Okay.

So just to clarify, does it seem like we voted, we asked for a vote to put it on tonight's agenda.

That that failed because it wasn't unilateral.

We have to have unanimous unanimous.

Thank you.

Unanimous approval.

So I I made the motion for to put it on a future agenda, which takes six people.

And I'm withdrawing that because it's done.

And that would be way too late.

Okay.

So yeah.

All hearts and consensus Monday.

Wait, I we still can go around if I want to make sure.

So Miss JD.

JD's are you ready?

Yes.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Are we good to go?

We are good, Councilmember.

Okay.

So when this room overflows at this capacity, it tells us something very important.

It tells us that people feel unheard.

It tells us that the decisions of consequence are being made.

And it tells us that the trust the community has in us is on the line.

And I want to begin by acknowledging the residents who are here, particularly those from historically black neighborhoods who have too often borne the cost of infrastructure at the sake of growth.

And it's always been made made without them.

And I want to be clear tonight, and I support my colleagues, uh, Councilmember Johnson, Councilmember Graham.

The message is simple.

We got to slow this down.

We got to slow this down.

I have inherently always believed that express lanes, toll lanes are inherently classist.

Those those signs, no fast lanes for the rich.

It's very true.

And we do not need another presentation about what happens next in the procurement process or uh detailed explanation of the RFP timeline.

In fact, we do not want to hear what's next.

You all don't want to hear what's next.

We want to pause this project.

The I-77 South Express toll lanes proposal is not a minor adjustment to an existing corridor.

It is a generational infrastructure decision, and it carries multi-billion dollar implication, and it will disrupt historically black neighborhoods that have already expressed the harmful legacy of highway expansion, and it locks us into a particular mobility model for decades.

As council member Graham mentioned, there is some misalignment happening with this project.

Alignment between the city and the state, between transportation investment and our climate communities, between growth and racial equity, between what the public has been told and what is programmed in the state transportation improvement program, and alignment between community voices and government political action.

And right now that alignment does not exist.

But as you have seen tonight, we are not powerless.

We control whether we signal that the process has earned the community's trust, whether we say engagement has been sufficient, and whether we lend political legitimacy to advancing a project at this moment.

And tonight I do not believe that legitimacy has been earned by the community.

Residents have raised serious concerns about the cost, the property impacts, environmental justice implications, and about whether alternatives, including transit and other options, have been rigorously evaluated.

When communities most likely bear the burden they say do not feel meaningfully heard, the responsible response is not to move forward.

The responsible response is to pause it.

And so I join my colleagues, Johnson and Graham, for a 60-day pause on advancing this project so we can level set.

And we cannot move forward without with the current framework until it ensures us a more inclusive, transparent, rigorous, community-centered feedback approach.

That includes deeper community engagement, clearer environmental justice analysis, and alignment between this project and our broader mobility and equity goals.

And as it has been said before, a pause is not obstruction, it is not anti-growth, it is not anti-mobility, it is our due diligence.

This project is truly in the best interest of the city of Charlotte and the region.

It can withstand 60 days of deeper scrutiny and stronger alignment.

So, you know, we need to slow it down, we need to realign, and I support my colleagues in doing that.

Thank you.

Good evening, everybody.

I'm in sort of an unusual position here.

Um for the last four years, I have been operating within the legal environment described by our city attorney to represent the interests of Charlotte.

Uh and that is a complicated thing.

So what I've tried to do, I've written a memo, which I'm going to circulate tonight, will be a public record, telling you the story of how the way we got where we are today, and uh and talking about what our options are.

But uh I want to be clear for one, to be fair to us, we did not reauthorize this project in 2024.

We absolutely did not.

Authorizing a project is an evaluation process that involves all of the analytics that go into proposing a new project.

It was done in 2014, and that project has been on the state project list ever since.

Uh, it has rolled forward for lack of funding.

So, what happened a couple of years ago was the CRTPO was asked, okay, uh we could do this with a P3.

Should we do a P3?

And a working group was created on CRTPO that included myself and several other people that you know uh and kind of looked at all the problems emanating from the prior P3 on I-77 North, the alternatives, and said uh, okay, there's nothing to talk about unless we examine this possibility.

And so the council voted unanimously then only on that.

Should we consider the P3?

Should we look at it?

Um note too, uh, at that time there wasn't a crowd like here in the room.

We didn't sit here and look at at people like that and just go ahead and make that vote.

We did not actually realize the full scope of opposition to this until those maps went out and everybody, I guess, became aware.

So where we are right now is all of us, myself included, uh, are concerned about what we see.

And the question is not whether we're concerned or I am.

The question is what is the best thing we can do.

And uh what I would uh urge you to consider is uh at the moment the way the NCDOT process is moving ahead based on the description.

Um, for one, there is no nothing is happening in the next week or two that's irreversible.

If we have any possibility of intervening or exerting any influence, we can do so frankly at any time in the next six, eight or whatever months.

Um what would happen though if this body presumes to instruct me to go to the CRTPO and the CRTPO, we've been advised by MCDOT that one thing that will not be available for anything that we might choose to pursue there, and Mr.

Graham acknowledged that we need to do something.

The $600 million is gone, and 100 million dollars for local road projects that are associated with that is also gone.

So what I'm recommending is is not that we in any way uh ignore.

I'm saying we need to act, we need to amplify the voices that we're hearing in our engagement.

We need to use our influence with NCDOT to deliver the message that we've heard tonight.

And by the way, I have done so.

I mean, you guys haven't heard me.

I've I've been on the phone with the engineers uh with the entire uh establishment there in my capacity, saying, people, you know, you cannot ignore this.

We have got to work on this.

Uh and the question is whether completely eliminating any improvement there is really the best thing.

But if we if we put a pause on for 60 days, for example, then uh everything will be as it was.

There will have been more conversation, but we can have that conversation without the pause, and we can preserve the availability of the state funds for any solutions that we deem ultimately deem acceptable.

Uh and if that doesn't materialize, then we can explore what our possibilities are to interfere with NCDOT.

But I could I can just tell you for us to step out of the intended authority that we have and try through the CRTPO process to obstruct what NCDOT is doing is not going to land in a good place.

So uh my thought is again, we have influence.

We the council do.

And I think all of us are intent on making sure that NCDOT does not disregard or minimize what it's hearing.

They understand now from us that uh they can't do that.

And you if you look, the way in which they have escalated their engagement since we started to hear this and since those emails started coming in, they are scrambling to find new ways.

And so I think we just we just lean on them hard, and then if the time comes in a month or whenever, when we determine, okay, it's just not working, then we can talk about just blowing the whole thing up.

But I really think it would be a mistake to do it right now.

Thank you.

Mr.

Graham?

Uh thank you.

Um again, I look forward to to meeting with Secretary Johnson and sharing the concerns of the neighborhood leaders with the express here tonight.

Um I look forward to our conversation on Monday at the retreat.

My thoughts will be centered around getting the council to approve uh a 60-day pause uh and sending that message that we need clear understanding on behalf of the community to re-establish the alignment with the city council corporal and C DOT and community leaders to conduct a clear review of environmental and neighborhood impacts, to redesign uh to evaluate design assumptions with urban planning and equity lens.

Um I do not want my neighbors do not want concrete and steel three-story highway on the edge of our uptown community impact on the design itself is flawed and to continually moving forward beside pitying the stick on the peg, right?

It just doesn't work.

And lastly, and probably more importantly, um restore public confidence in the process.

And right now they have lost public confidence.

Thank you.

So first, I I want to thank all of you who have come out tonight to share your perspectives and your passion with council.

I want to thank our attorney for weighing in.

I want to thank the mayor for her good thoughts and all my colleagues who've spoken.

I um feel that we're always better for the input we see received from our fellow Charlotteans, and you've made your voices very clear, and I do appreciate all of the input we've received.

My frustrations with the current I-77 situation stem from guideposts that I've set for myself as a public servant.

First, I don't think that government can fix everything, but I do think that the primary function of government, municipal, state, or federal, is to make people's lives a little bit better.

Second, I believe in the principle that when you know better, you do better, both both personally and in governance.

And those two elements of my worldview are being challenged right now with this I-77 project.

Are we actually making people's lives better with this toll road?

Are toll roads actually going to address congestion?

Is this project either on the ground or elevated going to make life better for our citizens?

I ask NCDOT to show the work when it comes to why options to CRPTO have been limited to which type of toll road we pursue.

I implore our governor to pause the project if we are not able.

To dig in on exploration of options, to ask hard questions about whether the data shows that this project will deliver the promised reduction in congestion.

I implore our governor to direct NCDOT to meet the moment with focus on broader options for moving people and freight, not just moving a few cars or people willing to pay a high toll.

What alternatives?

What alternatives to toll roads have been explored and when?

What assumptions about those options may have shifted given the accelerated speed of growth that our region has experienced?

What have we explored by ways of managed routes, reversibles, bus rapid transit, or truck lanes, or any of myriad other options that ease congestion other than a toll road?

Is there data on why a toll road for 50 years, a toll road that reverts to us just as it will need expensive maintenance is the choice that accomplishes our goals.

We cannot we cannot pave our way to prosperity.

Let's look at how we move people, not just how we move cars.

Cars don't shop in our stores, cars don't work in our buildings, cars don't attend our spokes sporting events and concerts.

People do.

Let us refocus on people first mobility solutions to the challenges we face.

As for the displacement that would come as part of this project, I again go back to when you know better, you do better.

And I believe in 2026 we all know better.

Going through vibrant neighborhoods with any transit solution should, in my opinion, be a path of last resort.

Let's show our work with respect to the harm caused.

Should not the benefit be greater than the harm.

Where is the proof that diminution and congestion is worth the destruction of homes and businesses?

I do not like to throw bad money after good.

And yes, I said that right.

We've been investing in reconnecting the West Side by investment in infrastructure, and now would be effectively undoing the work and doubling down on destroying connections and neighborhoods.

Destroying generational wealth paths once again.

I'm trying to imagine if a project like this I-77 expansion were proposed in my district six.

I try to imagine the level of inquiry I would do on behalf of the residents of District 6.

The amount of energy I would want to see put into a wider variety of options for the different movement of people, for the efficient movement of people.

Before going to my constituents and asking them to give up their homes and businesses, I would expect to see proof that what was being proposed for the greater good was worth the sacrifices.

I cannot, in good conscience, ask anything less simply because the project does not displace residents of District 6.

I just remember attending the town hall meeting that Councilman Graham had.

And to sit in that front row in the field of frustration that was in the room.

And this evening, citizens, you have shared your frustration and concern.

I think it's clear.

You are expecting us to do better.

You expecting us to listen.

And you expecting us to use our influence.

So I support Councilmember Johnson motion when she said, let's put it on our agenda for the retreat the first day.

So the promise I'm gonna make to you tonight as we leave here at 10:30.

It's gonna be a long night.

This is about the future growth of Charlotte.

Thank you all for coming out.

And to my two colleagues, Councilmember Mayhem, Councilman McGraham.

Thank you for your leadership on the tough issue in your district.

Thank you, Mayor.

I think you've heard enough from me from all of the names and everything, and I just want to say thank you for showing up and being a part of it.

Um we all know that Macquarie Heights is a special neighborhood.

You know, I grew up with my aunt's house still there.

So when you start doing these kinds of projects, they do get to be where you have a place where it's human to you.

And I have to say this as much as possible.

I hope that we can do something that will make this proud for everyone, and that's the goal.

And that's the goal.

The goal is not about what we want to do or see done or how much it's going to cost.

It should be around how do you make the community better.

So I hope that you'll always think of that in a way that works for everyone.

So thank you very much.

And now I will ask Dante Anderson if she wants to.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I want to thank everyone in the community for coming out, but more importantly, over a series of weeks, communicating to all of us.

I've been talking about this particular project and its impact on neighborhoods in District One since October of last year with the residents.

And I have been advocating for the North Carolina Department of Transportation to actually come and listen to everything that the community has to say, not just in District One, but throughout the entire 11-mile corridor that is a part of the project.

And I've been having those those conversations with residents.

I've been having conversations with people who are involved in the in the program in the background, and so I'm absolutely thrilled that the secretary is coming and will be listening.

But I want you guys to speak the same thing you're saying to us, speak that to our NCDOT and our General Assembly.

Speak that to our state leaders, and I think we can move forward together.

So thank you so very much for your engagement over the last several weeks, but for some of my constituents over the last several months.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

All right, Ms.

Yeah, I won't say too much.

I I echo a lot of the comments that people have said, particularly Councilmember Owens.

Definitely want to see those remarks later.

I think you had some really great points for that.

I'm excited that this is going to go before a full council for us to have these discussions to talk about pausing this project.

I think you know, talking about this kind of being finalized in 2014, we know that we have new technology now.

Um, and I think that we need to think outside the box instead of just expanding with toll lanes, particularly when we talk about elevated lanes.

Um we know that that's not best practices right now around the country.

So I'd hate for Charlotte, you know, as we think of ourselves, you know, we're the Queen City, we're you know 14th growing city and biggest city in the in the country.

I think we need to think differently.

I I don't think this is the way to go.

So I'm excited to continue to work with you all to really elevate this concern so that we can continue that trajectory of being a great city.

And I personally don't think that where we are right now is doing that.

Yeah, please.

Good evening again.

Um I won't belabor the points.

I agree with my colleagues.

I stand with you all.

Um, I see my West Boulevard neighborhood coalition neighbors here and so many others historic West End.

Um thank you.

Thank you, thank you for coming out and for the work that you do, not just tonight, but continually because y'all have been on this a long time.

Um, and I love to see neighbors from all over our city that are impacted standing together.

Um, and we got to respect that, right?

Um, and so when I think about this conversation, I absolutely support the 60-day um uh delay.

I support having this conversation and potentially taking a um and taking a vote to direct our Carpo member to um to move for a 60-day delay.

I don't want us to get lost the I don't want it to get lost though, that after 60 days there still is another decision to be made.

What I'm hearing is that you don't want to just delay the outcome, you want to change the outcome.

And that's what matters.

And so, with that, I want to make sure that I understand, madam attorney, if you've got it very plainly, what are the remaining decision points?

Because I don't want us to get 60 days later and find that we thought that we had an opportunity to impact, but all we did was um kick the can down the road.

Thank you, Dr.

Watt Lane.

So the request for qualifications allowed for the short list of uh contractors or proposers to tender their their request for qualifications or the qualifications.

The next step is for them to submit proposals, and with proposals, um it will help to share the options for the community from their perspective on how the project can be delivered, and that's a really important point for community engagement.

I believe NCDOT's plan at this point is certainly to continue to have meetings with community leaders and engagement with stakeholders, certainly like city council to help inform how that project delivery may be given.

I know there's been a lot of discussion about the two options that are available, but again, I highlighted it just a moment about NEPA and the process with those community meetings.

I think there was several opportunities for community engagement, and it will be really important for those voices to be heard about the concerns, not just about the maps themselves, but the options that are available for delivering the project.

Thank you for that.

Just as a follow-up, the gentleman that was here earlier um mentioned that there is always an option to not proceed.

Is that that is that has has is that consistent with what you have found in your research?

So as I understand it, and I I want to place a disclaimer, of course.

I I don't represent CARPO, I'm advising on behalf of city council at this point.

Um it is my understanding that if there is a pause in the project or to to stop the project altogether, certainly DOT would have to revisit how that funding model would work more broadly and how the projects may be managed because again, we're part of the we're part of a regional authority and part of District 10, and so how those monies will be dispersed in the future are really um up in the air and hard to hard to determine at this point, and I wouldn't want to commit at this point about how it would actually land.

Okay, thank you so much.

Um, last question then.

Um, when we get to that point, will this council have an opportunity to take a vote to direct our member um to move to cause delay, advocate for a particular outcome?

Council can direct its representative based upon a motion and a vote by the full body.

However, CART Po's adjudication and their agenda process is managed by their bylaws, and as I understand it, and I just had an opportunity to review their bylaws today.

It presents that their um agenda items are based on their chair placing items on the agenda, and so uh certainly it would have to work through their typical process with adding agenda items, and so um uh directing perhaps the the representative to explore what those options are and how to get that information before the full body would be the appropriate access.

Gotcha.

So it sounds like there's work to do.

Yeah, um to me like the next step or one of the next steps would be to be reaching out to the chair of CARPO and let them understand that the community desires that this is becomes an agenda item as this discussion goes on.

Um I look forward to continuing to work with you as I learn things, I will certainly share it with you, and I'm sure that you all will continue to do that.

Um, but this is certainly uh certainly is a journey, um, and we're committed to taking that journey with you.

Thank you.

Thank you, madam mayor.

Uh Madam Attorney, thank you for clarifying the council's legal legal authority in terms of the next steps.

Um, is there a legal obligation for CARPO to share project maps design concepts before any deadlines or binding votes in order to ensure that public and government decision makers have meaningful notice because we were not provided a notice.

Thank you, Councilmember Ajmera.

The Parthel acts as an advisory body to NCDOT, and the way the statute is written before any sort of toll projects can be approved to move forward, it has to come before CARTPO, and in doing that, that's what the 2014 vote was about, and then subsequently the P3 delivery model.

The piece about the maps, there is no statutory that I'm aware of.

Let me say that.

Let me give that disclaimer that I'm aware of.

There's no statutory um responsibility that HartPO do that, share the maps.

However, that role really lies with N C D OT, and NC DOT sharing the maps makes it available to the public, and ultimately the delivery of the model, the delivery of the project is governed by NCDOT.

Please so we can have Ms.

Ashmira.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

It looks like that we need to explore options not just with CARPO, but also with NCDOT and the governor's office.

Let's be honest, issuing RFP is not destiny.

Issuing RFP is not destiny.

It's not democracy, and it's certainly not community consent.

What we are facing right now is a decision of consequence.

And yet, critical design components were not fully understood by this body or the public before the process advanced.

This is not how transparency works.

And if this project is truly in the best interest of our city, it should with uh it should withstand a pause, a scrutiny.

It should also withhand withstand public debate.

We pause projects all the time when new information emerges, like in this case.

We pause when community impact is unclear.

We pause when cost exposure is uncertain.

I don't know why we why we would move faster on this project and something this consequential.

And we are not able to answer what is the true financial liability, what are the displacement and equity impacts, what authority this council has and retains, and whether alternatives have been fully evaluated.

So then we are not ready to proceed.

So I know that we are saying that this is another body.

Leadership is not about saying that our hands are tied, it's about asking who tied them and why.

If I may follow up on one thing that you ask me.

So with respect to the maps, it's really important to remember that there's a procurement process that CART PO participates in, but there's also the the NEPA, the MEPA process that allows for maps that middle, consideration, feedback, public comment, all of the engagement pieces that we're talking about here tonight.

And so it's a both and and so it's it's about CARP PO CARP PO does play this advisory role, but there's also the Federal Highway Administration's role that's available and and should be utilized as well.

Thank you.

I think everyone has had an opportunity to speak, and um really appreciate so very much your listening and providing the information that you believe is most important for our communities.

So thank you very much, and you're welcome to stay along for all of the business items that we're now going to try um to to have work through.

So with this, um we're gonna start our consent agenda.

Um and do it.

I want to make sure that we have we will now move on to the consideration.

Thank you guys for coming.

Okay, we'll give you a c give you some time to get up the steps.

Yes, yes, we have a closed session.

I think it does everyone know that we're having a closed session tonight.

Okay, I wanted to just be sure.

Okay, didn't want anybody.

We're having a closed session.

You and Dante everybody in a closed session.

Okay, here you go.

We're having a closed session.

I'm with you, Dante.

We told them also helping us.

Oh, it was sent out.

It was sent out.

She dragged me.

Yeah, she was like, Do I have to, right?

Okay.

Go to the okay.

All right, are we ready?

Let's um if uh we'll we'll have a few more minutes for you to get out to see if you're not happy.

You're not happy.

All right.

For those of you that really love us this much, please come on down.

And we'll start.

Come on down and we'll start our meeting.

Come on, President Mack.

Come on down.

Show us some love.

Come on now.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay, before we begin our discussion and vote on consent items, there is one property transaction on the agenda that has been settled.

It is item 36.

So you can have that and make sure that that's in done.

And um, let's see, is this Harrisburg Road as well?

Harrisburg Road shared youth path, winter wood to Sam D.

What is yes, ma'am?

That one's settled.

And there's three that are deferred.

Okay.

So those have been settled.

And so then items 33 and 34.

And 33.

Yes, ma'am.

33, 34, and 35 are deferred.

Deferred.

Okay, does everybody have that?

Okay.

As long as the clerk has it, I think we're all in good shape.

Um so do I have a motion to approve any of the remaining cons I can't even talk anymore.

Consent agenda items 13 through 38, with the exceptions of those that we just spoke with.

Yes, Ms.

Oh, we we need to recuse Mr.

Um Mitchell.

Um I can't remember why.

Item I uh mayor council you go can recuse me on item 30.

Oh, item 22, please.

So I can second.

Okay, we have a motion and a second to um excuse Mr.

Mitchell.

All in favor, say aye.

Aye.

Anyone opposed?

Hearing no lot opposed.

You're you're you're excused.

Okay, thank you very much.

Okay, so now um did we cover all of the remaining pay?

So, madam mayor, thank you.

I've gotten the chance to speak to several um of you this evening.

Uh I believe Mr.

Councilmember Mausweya Arias has a few questions.

Okay, let's go for it.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um, I have some questions regarding um agenda item 13, the 2025 Urban Area Security Initiative grant.

Um, thank you so much, uh Marie for talking to me about this, but I just wanted to put it on the record and make sure the community is clear what this DHS grant does and does not do.

So, what is the grant funding to be used toward?

Um, please clarify that the funding Charlotte is receiving is not going toward any immigration enforcement.

And can you also clarify how much of these uh grant funds equipment uh grant funds equipment versus training specifically what surveillance technologies are included?

Um, and these are federal funds and not city funds, correct federal funds.

And yes, thank you for a chance to highlight this collaborative effort.

So this is a 10 the UASU region is 10 counties that we come together with, and they do a lot of exciting things.

Some of them are privileged because we don't want to highlight our risk.

They routinely take risks, assessments, and hazard assessments and develop disaster preparedness plans and exercises.

Um, and we I don't have the details of what this is specific is going to be spent on as example in the past.

These monies have been invested in things like our um public radio system that allows us not only our police and fire are on it, but they also um across the region and then helps us bridge when we're all responding from different jurisdictions.

So that's the example, but it's really for disaster preparedness, hazard mitigation.

I appreciate that.

I just wanted my colleagues to level set, don't want a headline to go in the media saying Charlotte approves a DHS grant and think that it's regarding immigration.

So um the other question I have, if I may, is on agenda item uh 28.

Uh SCAP plus implementation consulting services.

So we're estimating 200,000 annually in consulting, and I want to know how many of these professional consultants are based locally and how much of this funding is directed toward implementation and historically heat burdened neighborhoods, which are typically black and brown low-income neighborhoods, and do we have measurable interim impacts before 2030?

Thank you for that.

And and the to your first part of that question, five of these different vendors have a local presence, um, key staff that are locally based.

And this is a own cost, so there's not specific, like we know we're gonna do 200,000 this year for this, but they are planning to use them towards the green print projects within the corridors where they do environmental justice blueprint assessments.

So that is one of the projects they're planning on.

This is by PAGO, so it's that what we talked about earlier, one-time money.

So it's but it's set aside for projects as they come up to make sure we have environmental focus on it.

And this one is not specific to the tree canopy, but to your point that they are now using those types of assessments in terms of you know where the least amount of tree canopy is or the most heat index.

So those are factors that are coming into play now.

Thank you so much, Marine.

Madam Mayor, that's it.

Thank you.

All right.

Are there any other questions from agenda items?

Hearing none.

Um let's see.

Do we make a motion for this?

Do you have a motion?

We need a motion.

Okay, let's we let's do a motion for items 13 through 30, 13, 38.

I believe those are the ones that yes, ma'am.

13 through 38 with the exception of 33, 34, 35, and 36.

All right.

So moved.

Second.

We have a motion and a second.

All in favor, please raise your hands.

Anyone not uh anyone else?

Okay, so we have one.

Anyone opposed?

Anybody opposed?

Okay, I don't think we have anyone opposed.

So that passes.

Thank you.

So now we're going to open the public hearing on the R Kent and Gertrude in Blair House Historic Landmark Designation.

Madam Clerk, do we have any speakers for this item?

Ma'am.

We have no speakers.

We could approve A B.

We have a motion, second, and a second.

Any questions?

Any questions?

We seconded it by Miss Councilmember Owens.

Okay.

Okay.

Yeah, the second was um Miss Owens.

Okay.

So we have a motion to close the public hearing and adopt the an ordinance with an effective date of February 23rd, 2026, designating the property as as I spoke before.

Our Kent and Gertrude in Blair House.

All in favor.

Anyone opposed?

It's unanimous, Ms.

Johnson.

Did you raise your hand up?

Thank you.

All right, and now we'll have our city manager's report.

Mayor members of council.

I was going to go over the retreat, but I think I prefer to work with the mayor from town and see how we can juggle this back to you.

Y'all are just going over there to spend the night, aren't you?

That's probably gonna work that way.

I prefer to get some more feedback how we can change some of this stuff.

Okay.

So we still have another policy item.

Um, the policy item is the 2022nd federal and state legislative agendas.

Um, our next so is there a motion to approve the budget governance and intergovernmental relations committees recommendation to approve the 2026 federal legislative agenda.

So move.

And if we do that, um Mr.

Mr.

Gray Graham.

I know and I'm like going like what night is this.

Especially lately opportunities.

So first I want to start off by really thanking uh the mayor, uh the city manager, the police chief, uh district attorney, uh, and the staff over the last 60 days have prepared our presentation to the members of the North Command General Assembly two weeks ago.

Uh they represented our community with class knowledge, uh capability, uh and demonstrated why we're one of the best cities in the country.

Uh and I think that relationship with in Raleigh is extremely important.

Uh that hearing was extremely important.

Uh and they they represented the city and this council extremely well.

Uh the budget and in the governmental relations committee with council members as Mayor Owens Mitchell and Mayo have been working on the legislative agenda since October of 25 with new members seated in December.

I want to thank Councilmember Eshmair for starting the process in October.

And she still joins us as a member of the committee.

I think it's important that we underscore some of the issues items in the agenda because a lot of it refers to public safety.

And I think for the record that we need to say that to the community.

And so I I'm really pleased and proud of the work that the committee has done.

Again, much of it was done by um Councilmember Ash Mayor before the council was seated in these uh in December.

Thank her for her support that uh move for approval.

All right, we have a motion to approve.

We have a second.

Um, comment.

Yes, Ms.

Anderson.

Thank you, Madam Mayor, and thank the committee for all the work that uh you've done on the both the state and uh federal legislative agenda.

Um just a couple statements.

I I was a part of the discussion and committee um around a couple of the items, in particular some public safety items and the item as it relates to the juvenile detention center in Mecklenburg County.

I appreciate some of the um massaging of the language to um clearly articulate the fact that we we as a as a city council we don't have direct responsibility for the juvenile detention center, but we support the efforts, especially with the ability to keep our young people close to their supportive networks here in Mecklenburg County and not sending them out to other counties.

Um just the uh a question on the federal level of the agenda.

I I see that the housing statement is to support the production of more low income and workforce housing.

Completely understand the concept of the workforce housing and the need for such but the what what would be the expanded emphasis on low-income housing?

Is that an inlivion question through HUD or is that um a different ask at the federal level thank you, uh councilmember Anderson.

So this language is consistent with the past several federal legislative agendas.

Um if you dig a little bit deeper, we talked about three things when it came to the federal agenda related to housing.

It's uh reversing the regulatory changes around the continuum of care change, which impacts uh our our folks who are closest to becoming unhoused.

Um so that is one piece uh and a reason for that language.

Um we also um are supporting reauthorizing home improvements and investments.

Um that's about home ownership.

So um not simply uh in the lower income bracket, and then third, supporting the the bipartisan road to housing bill.

So um the emphasis on on low income focuses more on the continuum of care portion, but um it has also been consistent with our language over the past several years.

Thank you for that.

Um that explanation and added dimension because it was unclear just through that one line item as to what we meant by low income housing.

Sure.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

All right.

I think we have a motion on the floor.

And oh Ms.

Edmir.

Yes.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Councilmember Graham, committee chair did a great job summarizing work we are asking from Raleigh as well as DC.

And also he mentioned about the hearing, and you all did a great job.

Chief Harrison did an excellent job at the hearing in Raleigh earlier this month.

She just didn't talk about the progress and success, but she was transparent about the challenges we face as one of the fastest growing cities in the state.

And some of the challenges that she mentioned and some of the things that she was requesting is part of our state legislative agenda, specifically when it comes to public safety, like re-establishing juvenile detention facility here locally, increasing the pay for our officers, as well as getting support for our courts, our public defender's office, as well as district attorney's office.

And I believe that kind of honesty builds trust and helps us solve problems together with the state's partnership.

I would be remiss if I did not thank Sean Heath.

He started this effort back in October and he met with all the stakeholders, uh, along with some council members, and including the DA's office, the courts, the business alliance, and I know that he has met with at least 15 to 20 stakeholders group in less than two months before he presented this comprehensive state legislative agendas focused on public safety.

So thank you, Sean.

Also, Sarah, thank you for your advocacy, not just on the public safety, but just overall both federal and state legislative agenda.

Certainly appreciate, and I also appreciate how uh as the region we will be speaking with one voice as councilmember Graham mentioned, because we want to make sure that some of these priorities are reflected, not just for the city, but as well as the county, the business alliance, the DA's office, so that we can get meaningful progress done.

Thank you.

All right, any other comments?

Um, I think we already have a motion on the floor.

All in favor.

Okay, thank you very much.

The next item that we have is a business item, and it's initial funding finding resolution for an installment financing contract for equipment and facilities.

Um, and this is to have adopt an initial, as I said, findings resolution making certain findings and calling for the execution of various documents necessary to complete an installment and financing contract.

So adopt a motion item B of this item is adopt a resolution setting a public hearing for March 9th, 2026 for an installment financing contract not to exceed 120 million dollars.

So we have a motion that I have someone.

Second made a motion made the motion second.

And Ms.

Owen seconds.

Is there any conversation?

Yes, Ms.

Sash May.

Yes, I I think this is a very timely because just a couple of hours ago we were discussing emergency response times, and we were talking about how can we improve, and Mr.

Jones mentioned about uh he did uh put a pitch out there that make sure you all support this agenda item because this does include facilities that includes public safety facilities like fire and police, and I also want to lift up animal care and control facility that some of the speakers had raised at uh at today's public forum.

So this is very timely, and I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this.

All right, any other comment, Mr.

Driggs?

I just think it's worth clarifying.

This is 120 million dollars.

Uh the public should appreciate this.

Is not a new spending commitment that we're making.

Uh we have already identified these uses for funds, and what you see here is kind of a procedural step in order to borrow the money that is needed to carry out projects that we already agreed to.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you, Mr.

Driggs.

Always good to have an upset, like someone that can tell us all except what we need to do.

Okay, so this is um the we have a motion and a second.

All in favor, please raise your hand.

Anyone oppose?

Okay, so the next item is item nine nine, affordable housing development support for five points land equis number.

So I'm sorry, item eight.

Okay, item eight.

A motion to adopt a resolution approving a lease agreement with envisioned Charlotte for a portion of city owned property located at 3300 Northerly Road parcel identification is noted in your agenda and authorize the city managers is designed to negotiate and execute all documents necessary to complete this transaction.

Do we have a motion?

It's in Dissue 1.

So moved.

I have a motion.

Second.

We have a second and any discussion.

Yes.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

So there were a couple of questions as part of our business consent agenda on QA.

Um we still have Mary.

Oh, Mr.

Reger.

So as part of the QA, there were a couple of questions.

If you could just so first question was what revenue have been generated at this point in totality, and how much annually comes into the city under this contract.

So for those of you who may not be familiar with this agenda item number, this is approving a lease agreement with Envision Charlotte.

It's a nonprofit for one dollar lease annually.

So if you could help me, sure, sure.

Uh Phil Rieger, General Services Director.

Uh good question, Mr.

Mira.

Uh, from a revenue perspective, uh, I believe over the four years uh that we've collected revenue uh from this, uh the sum total is less than $20,000.

I believe it's $19,500.

$1912.

$1912.

Um and I believe the uh the high uh the annual high is about $9,000.

$9,000 uh early on, we maybe only collected $2,500 a year from the property.

So this is for um to help uh advance circular the circular economy.

It's it's taking in wood waste at our Statesville landfill, processing that wood waste, and uh finding reuses for it.

So that's what this is.

Yes, I remember when this project was started, and we wanted to implement the circular economy, and we wanted to partner with the nonprofit who would help us do that.

Uh and I know there were some questions and concerns around why picked this organization over the other.

Was there uh an RFQ done before the lease renewal was sent out?

No, to see if there were any non-profits.

No, this is this is a renewal uh of the lease.

This was this was not RFQ'd or RFP'd.

So do we know if there are any other organizations who would be interested who would help us advance circular economy concept?

Because I understand the work that uh Envision Charlotte does.

I think uh they are a great partner, and they certainly help us with our C up goals, but I also wanted to see if there were other organizations who operate under in this space who would be interested in similar partnership with the city.

I'm not aware of any.

We did not put this out for RF.

Well, that's all I have.

Thank you.

All right, we change Ms.

Johnson.

Thank you, and thank you for your questions, Councilwoman.

As Mayor, I have a question.

So this says property on Northerly Road.

So this is in addition to the building that they have on Louise.

Yes, ma'am.

This is the old Statesville landfill.

And so the the innovation barn is on Louise Avenue, and uh that's sort of the home base for uh Envision Charlotte uh where they um do their circular economy programming.

But in addition to that, we lease them a space at uh the Statesville landfill.

Um it's a landfill that has very few uses.

Um and they sublet this to um what was originally one of their tenants at the at the uh innovation barn, and again, they they are um basically reclaiming um wood products from various different um activities around Charlotte, whether it's storm debris, uh it could be wood waste uh from other activities as well.

Okay, thank you.

And I and I agree they do great work over at um the innovation barn, but I have a question on how long they've had a one dollar lease for both locations, because we do have other nonprofits that approach us a lot, and they're not able to get this type of deal.

So I'd like to know how long they've had a one dollar lease for both locations, um, what that square footage is, what that looks like, because I know that they're able to sublet to other organizations.

So we've we've really given this nonprofit organization a leg up in the community, and so if we're looking at it from an equitable perspective, we should be asking those questions how long they've had this lease, um, what that plan is.

I believe the innovation barn, is it 50,000 square feet, something like that?

The innovation barn is 15,000 square feet.

15,000.

Okay.

So, yeah, if we could get that information, how long they've had that lease when the lease is up for renewal, and um yeah, just some information and the market value, I guess, of these two properties.

I can tell you that they've uh had the lease at at Statesville Landfill since 2020.

Okay.

Um last June, we renewed the lease at the innovation barn.

And so they've had that lease for over five years.

And we renewed it for how long?

How long was the renewal?

The renewal was for five years with two renewable options for additional five years.

Okay.

Do we know if there are any other nonprofits that have an arrangement where they have a lease for one dollar?

Yes, we have other nonprofits that have leases with the city for one dollar.

Can we get that list?

I know we've got we've asked those questions before, but yes, ma'am, we can reproduce that list for you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I just wanted to uh um advocate for all of the work that Envision Charlotte does in District One, both um on the Louise site as well as this site in particular.

And um the the lease structure that they have is very similar to many of our art leaks structures within the city.

Um they have a very similar one dollar annual lease structure, um, and all of those leases in particular with the arts uh facilities are being um touched and revisited, as you know, because I met with you to talk about that uh sir a couple of days ago.

So really good work that Envision Charlotte does, and um they are very much deeply rooted not only in the Belmont community but also uh within Plaza Midwood in the entire part of town.

So I just wanted to thank them for their work.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I just have a final question, Madam Mayor.

So $20,000 a year that we have received from Envision Charlotte as part of the partnership.

It's not a year.

Um is that for both properties or just this specifically?

It's just the specific, and it's 20, it's just under 20,000 total over the total over the five year five-year lease.

Okay.

And what would have been the market value for the Statesville landfill?

Yes.

Um it's really it's really not talking about the lease market value.

It's hard to say.

It's a landfill, there are not very many usable uh opportunities for for that property.

Um, and this is one, it's an open-air use.

Um, can't put buildings on it.

So I'm not sure that we could at least not tonight be able to give you a value, but we we can follow up with that.

I want to ask a question.

Okay, just a follow-up question.

Could commercial trucks be parked on that space?

Uh no, ma'am.

The the um the ground's not compacted in a way that you could move a commercial truck around, particularly on a wet wet day.

Um just not good for that use.

Okay, we're looking for spaces for trucks.

Okay.

Not less.

Any further converse discussion?

Okay, we have a motion and all in favor, please raise your hand.

All right, that's unanimous, I believe.

So we have another item, it's a business item for affordable housing development support for five points, land acquisition.

And I believe we have a speaker as well.

Oh, he's actually a good doctor.

Won't keep you long.

I heard you mention closed sessions.

It will be a late night.

Appreciate the love.

Mayor, members of the council, Mr.

Manager, staff, thank you for your ongoing work that you do for this city.

As a former district two council member, I thank you in advance for the affirmative vote.

Hopefully unanimous that you'll take tonight on this business item to support the historic West End partners in Lisc in their efforts to acquire these parcels in five points and eventually develop them for a larger mixed use and housing development.

This funding and the future development, it will support will be a catalyst in ongoing efforts to add valuable gathering spaces at needed business opportunities to the corridor and of course affordable housing.

That later turned into your current capital spending through corridors of opportunity with Battysford Road and Rosals Ferry.

Um as well as uh following funding investments from the Nest Commission through our uh commission displacement study last year.

Jatanya Adams is here.

She deserves all the flowers.

Um so I'm giving them to her.

Uh her work for decades has really made her a living other partners like Lisc.

Um we brought them on in 2018, and then they've hired uh Ralphine Caldwell and the work that Charles Thomas has done with the Knight Foundation, Alicia Davis's work with the West End initiative, um, and countless residents who who have engaged to help you know build the community we deserve on Charlotte's West Side as the gateway to the West Side.

Uh the work always continues, but this funding got into night's just another step forward in showing your commitment to making equitable investments across our city.

Thank you very much.

Um appreciate it, Jatanya.

Good to see you.

You you you're just amazing.

I don't know how you stay awake.

I really don't.

So um we have a motion.

Is there a motion?

I'll make a motion for approval, then I'll have some comments.

Okay, second.

All right, we have a motion, and so I recognize Mr.

Graham.

Thank you, Madam Mayor, and and thank you, ma'am.

Um thank you, Councilmember, uh, for those remarks.

Um, there's an old saying that if the people will lead, the leaders will follow.

Uh and we've been following Ms.

Adams for years in terms of the work she's been doing on the Baysford Royal Corridor.

She literally has made my job a little bit easier uh in terms of the work she has done uh to bring us to this um place.

I want to thank in her absence councilmember Mayfield uh for her leadership on the housing side of this uh and the mayor pro tem on the economic development side for for their support uh of me and the community on this very important initiative.

This is a major puzzle piece for what we're trying to do uh and on the Betty for Royal Corridor.

Uh five point is our trade and try-on.

It's the center of education, business and commerce, and the gateway to Battysford Road or the Uptown Charlotte.

And it's also leveraged the investments that we've already made on the corridor.

The council member mentioned some already, but uh I'll mention some more.

The current in-and-change project that we're working on with C with CDOT.

We'll talk more about that on Monday.

Uh the JCSU mayor's rescue equity program, $85 million, the extension of the streetcar from French Street to Rosa Park, our investment in the historic accessory club, the work we have done on the on the corner of Baysford Road in LaSalle, and our collaboration and finding crime up and down the corridor.

But specifically on Beatty's Fort Road and Count Simmons.

Uh, this is a major puzzle piece that brings all that together and leverage the investments that we've already made on the corridor.

So I enthusiastically support this.

Uh it brings food uh to the corridor, we bring more housing to the quarter, and bring some parking to the corridor, and we get to leverage the streetcar which drives right by that lot each and every day.

So individuals who move there eventually uh shop there eventually can use the streetcar um for mobility.

So thank you very much for your leadership.

Went to the fish market Sunday, Saturday.

We need some more red snapper.

But thank you for the business leaders who've been supporting each and everything that we've done.

Charles Dennt Foundation.

It's a team effort led by our quarterback.

Thank you very much.

Speaker.

I know that umerson.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um, I just wanted to thank the community for your level of involvement and investment and leaning into this, in particular, Miss Adams.

And she is never uh she's never shied away from helping other parts of the community to get up to speed to the good work that is done on the West Side, and in particular, uh, one of the corridors of opportunities in District One.

Thank you for for being for walking with me and being a partner as we jump start that particular corridor.

But my uh I love this that this transit oriented development and its mixed use, but in particular, what I really like about it is the access to fresh food fruits and vegetables in a part of town that is considered somewhat of a food desert.

And as we discussed this in committee, I shared uh a thought that our our fire chief had shared with me when I met with him at the end of last year, uh, which is uh food deserts are a safety issue because when we have moments like the ice storm and the snowstorms that we just um that we uh uh suffered through, you know, people need to be able to walk to get the amenities that they need, including food, and so the walkability and the connection with uh transit oriented development to leverage our public transportation, it's just a huge win-win across the board.

So I just want to say thank you for everything that you guys are doing, and I'm so glad that the council is able to support uh an initiative like this.

Thank you.

Okay.

So, Miss Owens.

Yeah, thank you, Mayor.

I just I'll be brief and say that this is one of the types of projects that um really brought me to to want to serve as a public servant, and I'm delighted to have such an early opportunity to lend my vote of approval in favor of something that really meets a lot of my personal priorities.

Um I grew up and my mom still lives in a food desert, and unless you've had Dollar General be your only local grocer, you can well appreciate what it is to have access now to fresh food, and um that's just huge.

It's it's outcome determinative, it's health determinative, and it's really an exciting facet of this project.

And I share council member Anderson's good good thoughts on it.

So I I'm wholeheartedly in favor of this.

Thank you.

J.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um, I absolutely love this project.

Um, because earlier when we were talking about I-77, we were talking about how growth oftentimes harms folks, especially uh predominantly um color communities.

But this is a project that is sustainable growth that allows black and brown communities to prosper, particularly in a historically black area of Charlotte, the historic West End.

And this is a mixed-use mixed income development along transit.

What does that mean?

That means housing, near opportunity, it means walkable retail, and it means a co-op grocery store led by the neighbors.

Uh it and it means affordability is built into the community, and it's not an afterthought uh from the community.

And I think it means also that black and brown residents who built this community have a pathway uh to remain in it as as investment arrives and and and would not displace the displace them.

And also think this does not happen by accident.

This happens through strong business district organizations like historic West End Partners led by the great uh Yatanya Adams, and I especially just want to recognize your leadership, your vision and your persistence has been central to moving this forward.

So I'm I'm delighted and I'm delighted that our housing committee was able to move this forward and to in front of council.

Um, and I'm super excited for to vote on this.

Thank you.

All right, our next um opportunity for recognition for you is from Demple Ash Mira.

Ms.

Hashmira.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

First, I want to thank both committees.

This was in the housing committee as well as economic development committee because it's multifaceted.

We are looking at affordable housing as well as incubator space.

So we are not just building affordable housing, but really building small enabling small businesses to scale up.

So it's great.

I appreciate the collaborating partnership here of Ms.

Adams, Charles Thomas, Lisc, and all the organizations that have been part of this.

I know Miss Adams has been working on this for almost a decade now, and I certainly appreciate your leadership on this.

And how we can bring opportunities and how we can build affordable housing as part of the overall development so that we are also creating upward mobility.

So I appreciate your work and love to see more.

Thank you.

All right.

Joy, thank you.

Um I love to echo uh what uh my peer said as well.

I'm very excited for y'all.

I think this is a great opportunity.

Uh really shows what a community can do together when they rally behind an idea and a leader who is so innovative.

Um, also very excited to replicate this in other places, and I know Jatani and I have talked about some opportunities in district three.

And I just text one of my people, like have you scheduled the meeting yet?

So I'm very excited about that.

I think this is a great opportunity uh for us to start replicating and thinking through how do we create developments with the community in mind to kind of help with um some of those systemic issues that we're always chatting about.

So uh I am excited to vote yesterday.

All right, let's see our next speaker on the last one.

I can see it now.

So uh first of all, I'm gonna echo a lot of comments that my council members made, but this really started with Councilman Graham calling council member Mayfield and myself and say we need to move quickly on this project.

We have a great opportunity to do something special.

So while he would give an accolades to all of us, I have to thank the district graph for putting fire underneath five feet because we knew there was a land acquisition date that you're time to call all of us seven o'clock in the morning to remind us what time it needed to be done.

And city manager, I got to thank the city staff because from our meeting, we could we quickly got two DCMs involved, Monica Allen and Allison Craig, along with Rebecca, and say we can put it on two agendas and we can do it quickly.

So hats off to the team, Jataya, accolades, and let me say something about Charles Thomas, who I think is a really quiet leader in our community.

Um Charles just makes stuff happen.

He just makes stuff happen.

Charles, we appreciate you your passion in the corridor and continue to be a good corporate partner for us.

Uh Rafine, thank you for teaching me about housing.

Well, I was on the shout and make a housing partnership bowl with David Howard and your leadership and um it means a lot to us.

So I don't want to belabor the point, but great job to everyone.

Council McGram, thank you.

I believe we need to have a motion.

We got one more speech.

Oh, I think it's a motion.

Who's another district two finished stage tonight?

Yeah, I want you to see how he writes.

I cannot read what he was just writing.

So Mr.

Johnson, I'm so sorry.

That's all right, I'm used to it.

That's my fault for a long time.

But um, I wanted to ask um a question.

I noticed in the committee I voted against it, and you all know that I'm an affordable housing advocate.

So I wanted to ask some questions if Mr.

Heath could come up or someone that I city staff that I can ask about the project.

What shall I do?

Thank you.

Oh, okay.

Thank you.

Last week I had to find a friend, so tonight I brought my wingman up with me.

Thank you.

So there was a project, and maybe this wasn't it, but there was a project that was presented in committee that I asked about, we talked about that there was no housing for residents in the 30% AMI.

And we talked about at that time that there was a 40,000 unit deficit for individuals in the 30% AMI, and I think the report came out last week that the it's like 32,081 or something like that.

Have it written down somewhere.

Is this that project?

She tell you why she no.

Okay.

Is there housing for 30% AMI residents in this project?

Sure.

So this is a land acquisition project that's being funded with your housing trust fund.

So in what you're what is before you tonight, there is not a specific affordability matrix because this is this two-step process where you put money into the land and then they come back to you with the details on the project and we'll explain the entire affordability matrix.

But because this is your housing trust fund and because of your policy, which says all housing trust fund uh projects will have 30 20 percent of the units at 30 percent, unless you waive your own policy, they will have to meet those guidelines for you to fund it for the step two of the project.

Okay.

There we go.

Thank you.

So I want to make sure that the there was a project that was City Land was going to be donated for a project.

I think we talked about there not being any units for 30 percent.

So if this is not it, we can talk about this later before it comes to the agenda.

So I make sure that we stay on top of that.

Okay.

Thank you for the clarification.

Thank you.

All right, so um now that we have everyone's had an opportunity to vote, all in favor of the motion and all in favor, please raise your hands.

All right, so I think that's unanimous.

Okay.

Okay.

We're gonna soon we're gonna get out of here soon at some point, I think.

Okay, so our next item is interlocal agreement for continuation of risk management services for item 10.

Is there a motion to adopt a resolution authorizing the city manager or his designee to negotiate and execute an interlocal agreement with the Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority for the provision of risk management services?

And this is a second part of it, item B, which is authorize the city managers to negotiate and execute all documents necessary to complete the interlocal agreement.

A motion for A and B mayor.

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

All right.

Are you ready to vote?

I would just like to make it a comment.

Or a question really.

Um thank you, madam mayor.

Just wanted to ask a question because I was reviewing the interlocal agreement, the actual language.

And can a staff member or perhaps Mr.

Manager yourself just share more about the risk division and um and the clauses that relate to uh medic, the library, the regional authority, uh, and other entities.

And this is at the end of uh page one.

Uh thank you, Councilman, Mayor and Council.

Matt has it CFO.

So risk management is a division within finance.

Um so risk management as a division has many services, but it includes um procuring insurance insurance services, workers' compensation, property and casualty claim investigation and handling, um, also with health and safety.

Um so we do this for across all city departments, CATS, aviation, Charlotte Water, Stormwater, General Services, but we also do this for a number of outside agencies, so they actually contract to the city of Charlotte to perform these services for them.

So we provide those exact same services through separate agreements with the uh Mecklenburg County, Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, the library, Medic, and CRVA.

So it's very common for us to have these type of agreements because we get a little bit of buying power in economies to scale.

Um, so that we're looking to continue that through with the MPTAs catch is currently serviced by risk management.

So this is ensuring that as we work through the transition that there's absolutely no loss in coverage for any of their insurance programs, handling of claims as we're really starting already now to look at uh procuring insurance services for a 7-1 effective date.

This is really at a critical time to make sure that the insurance underwriters know that that sort of continuation of services will be maintained.

Thank you.

I appreciate that and absolutely appreciate uh the concept of leveraging scale, right?

Um is this effectively a service level agreement as an extension or I just I'm trying to understand the relationship as it transitions over to the MPTA.

Sure, I think that there's probably going to be a multiple step process through this.

I think initially, you know, it will be maintaining us providing services to cats as they remain a department of the city.

And if there's things that come up during this transition that the MPTA needs above and beyond what we already have done for cats, say they lease office space for themselves.

They start hiring direct employees before we transfer ours.

We may need to provide workers' comp services or insurance for fiscal building space.

That'd be a new service that we'd be providing to the MPTA and get compensated for reimbursed for.

But as we sort of look at that long-term relationship, it would actually it absolutely be a uh sort of full service uh service agreement between us and the MPTA.

So will this vote tonight then um cover any potential addition of scope as you're speaking of, or will it cover a finite level of scope and any additional scope creep or increase of scope, would it come back to council?

Sure.

Uh may look for um Andrew or Stewart to help me with this, but I believe that specifically we're looking at here is through the FY27 year.

Um so it's primarily focused on getting us through that transition and allowing us to have time with consultants and the city to really determine what that long-term partnership needs to fully encapsulate because there's a lot of stuff that's obviously still working through and figuring out, but this is really to make sure through that transition that it's completely seamless for both us and the MPTA.

Got it.

So it's effectively continuing the service, but then also laying out the framework for forward-looking uh level of service.

Yes.

All right, thank you.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

All right, any other questions, Ms.

Ashmer?

Yes.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Will the city be reimbursed for this services once the revenue starts getting uh collected?

Sure.

So as CATS already budgets for a lot of these services already.

So anything that's a part of the already CATS budget as a city department, there'd be no additional cost for that.

If there's anything above and beyond that we have to do but for the MPTA, that's when a reimbursement would occur for the city, but absolutely.

All right.

So is the risk management under you, Mr.

Sierful?

Yes, it's a division within finance.

Oh God, it's a matter of all traits.

Yes.

All right.

My best.

All right, any other comments or questions?

Hearing none.

Do we have a motion?

We did.

We did.

And so now that we have a motion, um, all in favor, please say raise your hand.

Anyone in opposition?

Okay, we're good.

Thank you so much.

The next item.

Well, this concludes our business items for the vote.

But I would like to ask, you know, we talked about at the um meetings at the end that we would have everyone have an opportunity to speak um about whatever was going on.

And so I thought we would do this before we go into the closed session.

And I think we said we'd do three minutes, no more than three minutes for each person.

So if we can start, um Ms.

Mirror, would you be willing to start on this?

Um give me a minute to need a minute.

All right, well, Miss Johnson, would you like to start?

Give me a minute too.

Okay.

Is there another minute in this room?

Is there is there another minute?

Start from Mr.

Mitchell.

He seems ready.

All right, ready to go.

Mine's a five-minute PowerPoint though, so they loading it up.

All right, Mr.

Ram, would you like to start?

I want to see the PowerPoint.

I'm intrigued now.

Somebody can somebody have to come out after the control of the kitchen.

Here we go.

Okay, y'all will go first.

Yes.

Okay.

It's got in honor of Black History Month.

I would like to uh just acknowledge those who've paid the way for us.

And so, first of all, in 1965, Freddie D.

Alexander became the first African-American elected Charlotte City Council modern area, breaking decades along the absence of black representation and setting a foundation for inclusive.

In 1977, when district representation was implemented, Charlie Dannley, Ron Leeper became the first district representative.

District 2, Charlie Danley, District 3, Ron Leaper.

Then in 1983, Harvey Gantt was elected as Charlotte's first African-American mayor.

His leadership marked a defining moment in the city's history and affirmed Charlotte's commitment to progress during a critical period of growth.

In 1991, the late Ella Scarborough became the first African-American female elected at large, and in 1987, Ella Scarborough became the first female elected Charlotte City Council.

In 2011, Moana Mayfield became the first openly LGBTQ member elected to Charlotte City Council, reflecting Charlotte's continued expansion of inclusive representation.

And then 2001.

Last but certainly not least, in 2013, former Mayor Anthony Fox was appointed United States Secretary of Transportation, becoming the first Charlotte Mayor to serve in a presidential cabinet and carrying the city leadership to the national stage.

These are milestones that represent progress built through service.

So please join me and recognize all the first for Black History Month.

Okay, can you write the next person that you'd like to loops like that?

Like that.

So okay.

Well, I you know, it's hard to follow Mr.

Mitchell, but I'll just say that Mayor, thank you for paving the way for women, especially for women of color in this position.

Um you paved the way for um girls.

My girls do look up to you, especially my oldest.

Uh recently for their Black History Month, they weren't they were asked to write about uh leader that they look up to.

And Charlotte actually chose you uh as the first black mayor.

So I just want to tell you uh that many girls look up to you, and uh you are seeing as a role model.

Thank you very much.

All right, Miss Blatlington.

Um I just wanted to remind folks that this Saturday um the 28th at 10 a.m.

at the University City Regional Library, I'll be hosting a town hall, and we will be following in the footsteps of Councilmember Mayfield's Town Hall previously, uh reviewing many of the Northeast and East Sides community area plans, uh uh updates related to uh zoning, stormwater, and other capital projects that are happening there.

So please come on out.

We want to hear from you and we want to uh share some important things with you.

Have an opportunity to fellowship with each other.

You serving food.

You know, I eat sure.

Uh before we have to stop and go out to eat.

Um Joy, my snacks.

So uh I hope to see you all Thursday at Kennedy Middle School, Steel Creek Residents Association will be hosting their um annual meeting uh for the Stoke Creek area.

Um, our mayor also will be there speaking uh for the city.

Uh so excited for people to join at Kennedy Middle from 6 to 7:30 uh this Thursday.

All right, all right, Miss Anderson.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, so two things.

One is I too have a town hall coming up.

It's gonna be on March 14th, and it's going to be in the Tree of Life Forum at the Pearl, and it's uh a lovely space if you haven't had the opportunity to visit the Pearl, and we'll be talking all things as it relates to uh workforce development, economic development, housing, and more.

And actually, uh Mr.

Mitchell, I had another um a comment I wanted to make that's aligned with what you just brought up.

But um, for Black History Month, there are a variety of different spaces throughout the city have that have been honored for art, in particular art in our parks and in our green spaces, and several of them are uh within District One.

Um is within um Independence Park, and it's called Natural Rhythm.

And as I began to represent District One and in particular that neighborhood, I came to find out, even though I would I'm a Charlotte native that Independence Park was closed off to African Americans initially.

Um of course there was a pivot to correct that, and there's an art installment that um that actually uh celebrates that pivot, as well as uh several over in the Pearl Street Park that's along District One as well.

So um I'd I'd invite all of you to go out and explore some of our parks and some of the great art that honors African Americans during this month.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Kimberly.

I think everybody's heard plenty out of me tonight, so I'll be very brief.

I too have uh an upcoming town hall.

Um it is uh my first 90 days.

Um I'm anxious to connect with with folks.

Be at the South Park Regional Library on March 12th from 6 to 8 o'clock.

Some of the topics uh that we will be covering.

I'm gonna have somebody from CDOT there to address a number of the projects that will be undertaken in district six, as well as someone from CMPD to speak to public safety, and then finally, and perhaps my most excited about someone from um from our our local staff who's gonna talk about the ADU um uh process and give some greater clarity on that.

As someone who lives in District 6 and has um needs at both ends of the spectrum in terms of my children needing housing and my mother needing housing, I'm really dialed in on the ADU processes and how we're gonna be hopefully perfecting those in a way that gives some greater clarity so that um folks can avail themselves of those programs.

So I'm excited to do that, and uh the flyer will be going out tomorrow.

Thank you.

Okay.

Um and so let's see, Mr.

Graham.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Just a quick commercial tomorrow from 6 to 7:30.

Uh the park ministries will be hosting a let's talk about it.

Um Charlotte Meckenburg Police Chief, um, Ms.

Patterson will be there, and the wells as well as the service team from the Northwest District from 6 to 7:30 at the park ministries talking public safety in the district for sure, but specifically up and down the Betty's Fort Road Corridor.

That's tomorrow from 6 to 7:30 at the park ministry's on Bailey's Fort Road.

All right, Mr.

Driggs.

So uh you guys will appreciate the irony of this one.

Uh on Friday at 10 o'clock, there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony for the I-45 South Expressway Valentine Hotel.

Hopefully, see you all there.

You should have to say some movie there.

Keep it moving.

I don't know about that, but okay.

Okay.

So let's go.

Um, thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um, I want to first start off that um yesterday.

I got to attend uh Dominican Independence Day activities in District 5 at Hickory Grove United Methodist Church.

I want to thank the mayor for doing a proclamation from uh yesterday until March 1st, uh celebrating uh Dominican Heritage Week.

Um, and I also want to highlight the importance which oftentimes I feel in either Hispanic Heritage Month or Black History Umth goes on unspoken of or falls through the crack is Black Latinos or Afro-Latinos, which a lot of Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, the Caribbean encompass of that, and so I I just want to give that honor as well.

And also to support some black-owned businesses in District 5.

We have Miss Dee's Caribbean Kitchen, Island Flavors, Nile Grocery and Ethiopian Restaurant, uh, and we also have some incredible nonprofits and impact-oriented organizations, uh, black-owned organizations such as the Frankie Mae Foundation for Caregivers, uh, Thrive Liberation Community Center, Promise Youth Development, Jumping Dreams, Champions of Change, Educated Hoodlumps, which helps out a lot of our BDOs, um, and Amity Medical Group, um, all located in District 5 and owned by Black Entrepreneurs.

And then I also want to invite everyone and thank you to the planning team for doing this.

Um, this Thursday, uh, February 26th, from 6 p.m.

to 8 p.m.

at Fellowship Hall at Eastern Hill Church in District 5.

We'll have a community area plan community meeting to talk about the East Middle and Outer Community Area Plans.

Oh, and we have a finally a date for our Eastland Yard Sports Complex groundbreaking, March 5th at 11 a.m.

So that's next Friday, and thank you to Mayor Pro Tim Mitchell and to all the team that's been working tirelessly behind the scenes on that.

Ms.

Jackson, thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um so first of all, I want to thank the city staff for the community area plan meeting that was held in the University City at the University City United Methodist Church.

Thank you, Mayor Pro Tim, for being there and taking the lead.

Uh Bishop had a report to do, so I wasn't able to attend.

So thank you for that, and thank you for city staff and to all those who came out.

I heard there was a great crowd, like 60 to 80 people or something.

80 people, so thank you.

This delay and our voting was really necessary, so I appreciate that.

Also, speaking of the let's talk about it, there's a let's talk about it meeting in the Northeast area at the Hickory Grove Baptist Church.

CMPD will be holding uh a forum to talk about safety and issues that matter to us.

So there's a lot of uh safety initiatives going on in District 4 right now.

This is four and five.

This is so um thank you.

Um I'm also honored to have to co-host a town hall meeting with Councilmember Ashmira on March 19th at the University City Library, starts at 5:30, and we we will be talking about uh response times and other um issues um surrounding safety.

So I'm inviting everyone to come out to um the town hall on 319 at University City, the beautiful new library on the lake.

Uh also on 4-2, the University City Partners is hosting a safety forum at the Mechlan Hotel.

So we've got quite a few uh events coming up surrounding safety in the inn and around District 4.

So I look forward to that.

Lastly, on March 9th, this will be the sixth annual observation or recognition of brain injury awareness month, March's brain injury awareness month.

So the city, thank you, Madam Mayor and colleagues.

We will be recognizing uh the brave survivors who survived brain injury awareness and reading reading a proclamation, and the skyline will be lit in those awareness colors of green and blue again for the sixth year.

So thank you to Maura at uh Charlotte City Partners and their support of this initiative, and I'm looking forward to an exciting next couple months.

Thank you.

I hope that that's something that's informative and as well.

Um kind of like to be make it possible for us to know each other better.

So let's do that again.

Um, so now we have a motion, and I'm gonna ask the city attorney to give us a motion to go into closed session, and then we can move on to the next step.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

The motion is to go into closed session pursuant to NCGS 143-318.11A4 to discuss matters relating to the location or expansion of industries or other businesses in Charlotte, including agreement on a tentative list of economic development incentives that may be offered by the public body in negotiation.

Okay, we have a motion, all in favor, motion.

Sorry.

Okay, I guess we have a second.

All in favor.

Hi.

Okay, let's move and see if we can get home.