Don't want to start a wildfire, right?

It's muy sencillo.

Con estos quatro pasitos fáciles de memorize.

Thank you, everyone.

Um, I appreciate the little bit of time that you come and spend with us.

Really, really understand that's really good.

So um, I want to call our um run of show or our call to order.

We'll start with our introductions with the city clerk.

Billy Tanz deputy city clerk.

Andrea Leslie Fight City Attorney.

Good evening, Louana Council Member at large.

Good evening, JD Muswita Adios District Five.

Good evening, I'm Renee Johnson, and I'm honored to represent District Four.

All right, let's go to our consent agenda for this morning or this morning.

Geez, it's been that kind of day, guys.

Sorry.

Every now and again it happens, right?

Um, Mayor and Council consent items, questions and answers for any items between item 30 and item 54.

Let me get a council.

Are we ready?

Do we have any items for you ready?

Yes, ma'am, thank you.

And good evening, Mayor and Council.

I've got a chance to speak with many of you, and also please do note that item number 53 from your consent agenda item has been pulled from the agenda as it has been it's a condemnation that's been settled.

So that's coming off your agenda.

And any other questions, I'd be happy to have them now, please.

All right, Miss Mayfield.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I'm going to be asking Marie to review a couple of items for me.

One of them is gonna be item number 30.

Item 435.

All right, so those if we go back to ask which to pull those, I would like for comment and or separate vote.

All right, do we start with 30, Miss Mayfield?

Yes, ma'am.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The question that I had asked for Marie was the breakdown for number 30 community health worker services.

I wanted a breakdown of the 657,259 for five employees, and basically why is the city paid for these employees through HR.

So wanted to get a clear better understanding of that.

Thank you, Madam Mayfield.

And those uh the money is not just it's a current agreement we have, and it's adding one more worker, and it's not just for salaries, it's also for training and other services they do and to upfit the people to do the services.

And this is part of the wraparound services we're targeting in the corridors of opportunity to help people.

So for council consideration as we move forward, we have a number of partners, and we have a number of financial partners that also provide services.

Again, when I'm thinking of what does a partnership look like for a community health worker, basically we're paying for these staff and all of their benefits and services.

As one of our largest health care providers in the area, seem like this will be something that would have a greater financial commitment on their end versus our end when we think of the but for of any other project or contract that comes before us.

So I do have concerns as far as what is this real partnership looks like with HM Health and what we're talking about in this is the partnership supports household stability, addresses social determinants of health, and promotes economic mobility through collaborative partnerships with Life Project, Our Bridge, West Boulevard Neighborhood Coalition, United Way of Central Carolinas, and HM.

And then we go into the fact that these are HM Health workers.

We have a number of partners out in the community that I want to make sure when the time comes, and if we need to look at uh additional financial support that we have a very equitable conversation when one of our largest hospitals in the nation, we're looking at to cover the full cost for five additional staff at a cost of almost 700,000 of our tax dollars.

So I do have a concern about this and how this comes potential partnership moves forward, but I did want to acknowledge that, but I will support my colleagues' decision on it.

And at this point, Mayor, we're just commenting on the items.

We haven't, we're not actually because I'm not gonna move the vote for it, but I want to make sure we're gonna you want you're giving me the ability to ask all the questions at one time.

Thank you, madam mayor.

So thank you, Marie.

That was my question for 30.

Are you ready for yes, ma'am?

Thank you for 43.

Yes, ma'am.

Yes, ma'am.

Ms.

Johnson, did you have any hands?

Yes.

Okay.

Thank you.

So the next one for me was 43.

And that's the airport federal inspection station facility and concourse D renovations.

This is a request tonight to approve contract amendment number seven of a million one fifty one ninety-two.

And the question that I asked is if we have an idea, what's the total for this package as we're on amendment number seven and trying to get an understanding of when we're submitting the potential bid request?

Are we identifying the full scope of the project?

Not just, okay, we're gonna need, we know we need design phase.

We know there are several phases that we need.

Are we presenting the full scope of the project in order to identify potential bids that we know have the ability to do the full scope?

Because amendment number one was 438, 570.

Amendment, excuse me, number two was 496,136.

Amendment number three, 137,05.

That was for rescoping the package.

Amendment number four was over a million dollars for CA services for the pack for package number two, amendment number five was 246,260 for design.

Amendment number six was sixty-six thousand.

That was needed for additional CA services for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing, and now we're on amendment number seven, that's over a million dollars.

So I'm wondering when we're sending out these proposals, are we giving the full scope of what's what we anticipate to be needed?

Because right now we're looking at 7,880,441 for this one project based on these seven amendments with the anticipation that additional amendments will be coming forward.

Ms.

Harris was able to get some information.

Yes, ma'am, thank you.

And to your first question, it's estimated to be around when it's all the um amendments and design work is completed around 12 million dollars.

And this is part of a phase project, but to your point, yes, they give the overview of the entire project up front, but then it's let in phases, and this is for multiple reasons because some things aren't found out until you do one phase, and also you're not locked in if you don't you know perceive you have a lot of stop points because it's contract by contract.

And for clarification, Miss Harris, that also means if since this is in the phases, if the particular company identified were not able to complete the part of the broad project that's been identified for the next phase, that's saying that we may have an opportunity to renegotiate.

Correct.

You're not locked in, it's phase by phase.

So again, we're on amendment number seven on this manager Jones.

I think it will be helpful for this and future councils to have a better idea of the full scope because as these amendments have come through, we've gone through a number of different council members during that time.

But when you look at the totality of this, it is a bit concerning to me from when we initially approve a contract, and what we have in that language is part B of authorizing the city manager to amend the contract consistent with the purpose for which the contract and this amendment were approved.

It would be great if some of these amendments actually include a decrease versus uh increase for additional work.

I do have a concern with this one.

I will not be voting in support of this amendment, but I do think we have an opportunity moving forward to have a lot more clarity on what is the totality and or if other the other bids that were not chosen that may have come in a little higher actually encompass more of the scope.

Right.

Are we looking at lowest and best or are which I have shared before and I've shared with our attorney?

Are we looking at most responsive and responsible?

Because there is a difference in the language.

And the last one, Miss Harris.

Yes, thank you.

You said 50, I mean 45.

Yes.

45, yes, ma'am.

So this one, there's the investment of our custodial and trustee services.

I sent out of which full council has all the questions I sent.

I wanted to get an idea of which other banks submitted the bids, not just say that this bank is the most responsible, but I also think we have an opportunity if we're looking at banking partners to see what type of partners are they in our community.

But I also think we have an opportunity if we're looking at banking partners to see what type of partners are they in our community.

Our local community, we have a number of needs.

We have quite a few banks here.

Some bank banks have shown up to help with addressing the needs in the community.

Some, to be perfectly honest, have not.

Thank you.

Yes, and it's uh they consider Charlotte one of their hubs areas, and they currently employ 1,410 employee Charlotte employees, and they've also contributed in partnership with us a million commitment towards our rail trail bridge.

So I do appreciate that.

I just think we have an opportunity when we're looking at financial institutions and other institutions that will hold government dollars that we identify partners that are also giving back to the community versus just a bid proposal that comes through from anyone.

It's an open bid process, but I would like to think that we do give some consideration to those who are showing up and supporting our community.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Thank you, Miss Harris.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I think we have Ms.

Johnson next.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I just wanted to lift up agenda item number 31.

And Miss Harris, I'm sorry I didn't reach out to you in advance, but I just wanted to just go on record that this is an improvement project in District 4.

Um, improving the mobility and connectivity near the McCullough Drive light rail station.

And it looks like we're exceeding our MBE goal.

Yes, ma'am.

So I'm looking forward to supporting this project.

Thank you.

So thank you.

All right.

Thank you.

Any other comments?

Just on consent.

Yes.

Just consent, sir.

Okay.

Anyone else?

All right.

So I think that we have I think Miss Mayfield would probably like to have a motion.

Miss Mayfield.

Thank you, Mayor.

So it says it is only one, because I know we like to do a motion for the full number.

The one item that I would like to pull for separate vote is number 43.

43.

Um 43?

Yes, ma'am.

For a separate vote, please.

All right.

Sorry, did I make your motion?

Mayor like to make a motion that we accept all consent items except for item 43.

And 53, please.

Thank you very much.

We have a motion on the floor and a second.

All in favor, please say aye.

Okay.

That's everyone.

Um so then we'll go to the next item.

And I believe that that is item 45.

43.

43.

I have both of them circled 43 and 45.

Okay.

So we have a motion for 43.

Any uh do we have a second?

Second.

We have a second.

Any discussion there ain't no discussion.

Oh, Miss May Miss Mayfield.

Just reiterating the comments that I made with the concerns I have, yeah.

So maybe if I made it just to follow, I think Councilman Mayfield bring us a important point.

I think Maria and Council One, that's a little disheartening.

Yes, when we offer the contract to the lowest responsible bidder.

And to see now this is on our seven adjustment.

We've had almost 12 million dollars.

That is a big difference in price.

So yes, sir, and that's part of the approach.

They broke it up phases, so they didn't put out the whole design at once.

They talked about what you know what they were trying to achieve, but they did on purpose to break it up.

Okay.

They knew they were going to keep coming back to you as the phases progressed, is what I'm trying to say.

So let me make sure I follow you, Maria.

So all the bidders, when they turn in their first bid, they were underwheting that it was going to be a phase approach.

They were aware, yes, sir.

Okay, they are okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right, Ms.

And I was just gonna say, I think the concern has to do with whether these are cost overruns or uh standard normal course of business type of, and it sounds like this was more or less the intended procedure.

Yes, sir.

So uh this isn't a shock in terms of how much the whole project is costing.

Correct.

All right, thank you.

So I do one follow-up mayor if you may council member Dregs point.

So what's the total cost right now of this project?

Over seven million.

So this is just the design phase.

There's multiple contracts around this project.

And they estimate the total design portion will end up being 12 million with all the phases.

Yeah, for the design portion of the same design portion.

Okay.

Doesn't decide.

Mrs.

Mira.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

To follow up on Councilmember Mitchell's uh questions around breaking it up.

So I know one of the recommendations from small businesses, especially minority and women-owned businesses, is that when you break up contracts, it gives small businesses an opportunity.

Uh was that the intent behind breaking it up in multiple fees?

No, ma'am, because this is a design service contract.

So it wasn't like you're thinking like if we have um hauling or something that you know you don't get one vendor, you can break up different pieces, but the same vendor needs to do the full design.

That's all I thank you.

Anyone else?

Yes, Ms.

Johnson.

Just a follow-up question, thank you for clarity.

So with these amendments, is would this still be the lowest bidder?

So it's it's a design.

They didn't bid, they only bid on the first, and this isn't this is a service contract, so it's not the same.

Let's see.

I guess yeah, would the total still be lower than any other submission?

Jack Christine, you would like to clarify.

Good evening, everyone.

Uh Jack Christine, Chief Infrastructure Officer for the Airport.

Uh, for a point of clarity, this is a design contract.

So the even the very beginning of this contract was the selection was based solely on qualifications.

The uh project has always been estimated or approached as a phased project because of the where we're working on this particular project in an active area.

So we always anticipated that this was going to have multiple contract amendments.

We anticipate that the total project cost for the whole thing, construction included, is about $300 million.

So this is $7 million of design fee as of today with this approval, and we anticipate that the total design for the whole project is about 12 million.

So just to kind of clear up the the difference between bid and the this these are not bids, these are all negotiated fees based on procurement uh requirements.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

So again, for clarification.

Our leadership at the airport submitted a proposal, and you had an idea of everything that you needed done.

But what was originally presented to council was just part one of a phase, and that is what the bid went out of, out for.

What I am asking, Manager Jones, is that what could have happened was the totality of what was going to be expected in that bid, so that whatever proposals we received encompassed all of what we knew was going to happen.

They uh he just said he knew this was gonna be done in phases.

So depending on those phases, that initial approval of 4,330,965.

I would think when that was approved back in 2020, we were thinking that was gonna be a good bit of the work.

We know that one or two amendments may come in, but what I just heard is that staff was knew that there were gonna be multiple phases.

They also know that this was gonna be an extremely potentially expensive endeavor.

What I'm asking is if we set put out a proposal, but that bid proposal was only a segment of the totality of what we knew would need it, would need to be done.

Did we actually put out a fair proposal so that whoever put their bid in, they knew exactly what was being bid on.

Because if the bid was only for one part of this versus multiple pieces of it, we very well could have identified a more economical way to move through this without multiple amendments.

Because again, we are already on amendment number seven, which has this at a new value of almost eight million, with the anticipation of additional amendments coming just for the design, not even getting into the construction.

And with this design phase, all additional work in this amendment will be performed by this architectural form.

So it's not like with these amendments, it's great, it's creating opportunities for other businesses in our community.

So this is a company that submitted an initial bid with the anticipation that all this additional work was also going to be completed, and that that total dollar amount is going to be a very different amount than the amount that council was presented in 2020.

And the council that looked at this in 2020 is not the council that's the full council that's sitting here March 2026.

So uh Mayor, thank you, uh Councilmember Mayfield.

Jack, I think it would be helpful if you could explain what all the bidders were, information that was provided for them, the expectations on the front end, and how I believe the playing field was very e even then.

Can you explain the process?

Yes, sir, absolutely.

So in this in this project, just like all the other ones that we would do from a design perspective, we would solicit for firms based solely on qualifications for work that is similar, not on the exact scope of what we are doing.

That scope and that fee is developed in coordination with the firm that's selected just purely on their qualifications.

And so in this particular case, because of the differences that we were that we're that we were working through in the in the FIS area, that's our international arrivals hall.

So we can't just do that project as a one and done because we have to keep it running every day.

And so we've broken this project down based on selecting RSNH to do this work in its totality, in its design totality, with subcontractors that are helping them do certain aspects of the project in order to facilitate the incremental work that we're doing in that space.

Um we do this with other projects as well.

This one is large because of the space that we're renovating and the way that we have to coordinate not just with the airlines that are operating there, but also customs and border protection.

And they have their own rules and their own ways of wanting uh the the space to be built out.

So we have to coordinate all of that with them, and it isn't something that just gets done in one shot, it happens over a series of different phases in the project.

Yes, that does that help clear it up.

I appreciate the clarification.

It still does not connect to when I say it would be helpful for us to get the totality or closer to what would be completion of a project like this versus amendment three was needed for rescoping package two and additional CA services for fire alarm improvements.

We knew that there were gonna need to be improvements to the fire alarm system because we're doing a complete redesign to make it more accessible and up to date.

Amendment five needed for design and CA services for replacement of five existing Concourse the elevators.

We knew that ahead of time, so that should have been a part of that initial scope versus these additional amendments.

Now that for you to do the work, I understand for you to come back and get more money to do each piece of work that you was expected to do or design for in the beginning is where I have a challenge.

It's not the fact that we have multiple amendments, it's the fact that you're asking for more money for you to do the job that you thought that you should have already had in your conception and that you had conceptualized that this is the work that I'm gonna need to get done.

So I should not see an additional bill when it comes time for you to do the work because you already knew this was the work that you was gonna do.

That makes sense.

Absolutely understand.

Yep, and we can provide that clarity.

Thank you.

Absolutely.

All right, Mr.

Arias.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um just this is more so for my own education purposes when it comes to these airport projects.

What is the average timeline that it takes for the design phase to be completed?

So in a normal project, I normally say anywhere between 18 to 24 months.

In this particular project, because we were doing it in pieces, this has been a long-term program.

We started in 2020.

That'll get us into actual the last phase of construction, which is the biggest piece of the work.

And that physical construction will take us probably about three and a half years because we have to build it while we're still using it every day.

So it's a very slow construction process.

So what would the estimated completion date be?

And I know you mentioned some bits and pieces before, but what are the factors that are at play that's making this process go so long?

So what was the decision be behind phasing it out?

So we had uh had to work very closely with customs of border protection and the carriers that use that space, which is predominantly American Airlines because of their international operation to phase the work, and so we've got elements of the project that are strictly mechanical electrical plumbing, um vertical circulation, so replacing the elevators and escalators.

We can only take those down one at a time because we have to have access from the uh boarding level or deep landing level down into FIS.

Uh and now this last piece that we're getting ready to do the engineering for uh will be for the physical space of relocating the primary uh inspection area, the secondary inspection area, and all of bad claim.

Bad claim hasn't been touched in that part of the facility since we opened it up in 2002.

Thank you.

Yep.

That's it, Mayor.

Thank you.

Any other questions?

Yes, Ms.

Hendrix.

Uh so mayor, we haven't voted on those.

No, we have not.

Are we just taking comments?

We're taking I was just to clarify we voted on all of them but set this one.

All of one there was a motion and a second.

But have we voted?

No.

Okay.

Or just 43.

Right.

Which is airport federal inspection station.

Okay.

I gotcha.

Thank you.

All right.

Any other comments?

43 hearing none.

Let's do you ready to move forward?

Let's vote.

Yes.

All right.

So we have a motion on the floor for item 43.

Um, I believe Ms.

Mayfield, did you I made the motion?

Oh, you make Mr.

Driggs made the motion.

Mr.

Driggs.

Have made the motion.

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

Anyone opposed?

Ms.

Mayfield is in opposition as well as Ms.

Stanson.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

I believe that concludes our consent agenda today.

So Marie, thank you.

As always, usual.

Um so now we're going to turn it over to our city manager to have our um introduce our action preview.

Yes.

So uh thank you, Mayor, members of council.

Uh as a little bit of a refresher, uh, we use this meeting to uh preview items that have come out of committee that will be on a future business agenda.

And so we have four items today to um make sure the entire council has an opportunity to see what came out of the um committees.

We have the community area plans, the Bojangles Entertainment Complex, Solid Waste Services, Ordnance Revisions, and our NOAA funding recommendations.

So, Mayor, in each instance, we'll have the uh committee chair introduce uh what came out of the committee, and if there needs to be further discussion, uh staff is available with any presentation that came out of the committee.

All right.

And so the first one would be the community area plans.

All right.

Community area plans, Ms.

probably be me.

Um so colleagues, uh you may recall that we voted in November to uh adopt or to vote on the remaining seven community area plans.

We adopted seven of them and we uh agreed that we would vote on the other seven by March.

So that deadline from that council action is approaching, and therefore we're gonna hear uh a wrap up tonight.

Uh we did receive uh a short presentation in committee on Thursday, but it was somewhat foreshortened by the fact that the other topic went on for quite a long time.

So um I will just express my personal opinion.

Uh I hope we can get these done now.

But the situation that we're in right now, where seven of these plans are in effect, and those areas have the benefit of the protections provided by these plans, and the other seven areas don't.

And you've seen in our zoning meetings, the actual staff presentation differs for the areas that have a plan and the ones that don't.

So with that, I would like to hand over to Ms.

Holmes, I guess.

There you are.

Hi, yes, I'm here.

You were over there the last time.

I know I snuck out.

All right, take it away.

Good evening, Mayor and Council, Monica Holmes, Planning Director.

I appreciate y'all's time tonight, and I'll walk through really where we've been and where we're going with the area plans.

We've been very busy over the past several months.

So this evening, uh, you can see we're we're reaching the tail end of our presentations.

Uh we've spent a lot of time talking to you about what are in the community area plans, what they mean.

You've seen as council member Driggs uh mentioned, you've seen some of them in action, and we're here tonight just to talk through what we've been up to over the past several months and what our proposed changes look like and what we've heard from the community.

So, as you all know, the community area plans are our third level of planning.

We have the umbrella document, the 2040 plan that was adopted in 2021.

We have our strategic and action plans, like the strategic energy action plan, the strategic mobility plan, and then we have our 14 community area plans, which provide the next layer of specificity.

Uh following those, we'll start to roll out our specific plans, and those include things like our transit station areas, uh areas that are having specific environmental impacts, uh, some of our corridors work.

So that's even the next layer of detail.

But tonight, as you know, we're focused on that third layer, the community area plans.

So on November 24th, City Council adopted seven community area plans.

Those are the ones shown in gray.

The blue ones were the seven deferred.

And the action taken was that we would have more engagement here for more residents and get some more feedback on the seven deferred plans.

So that's exactly what we've done.

We started in December.

We formed a new leadership core team that brought together new voices into the process.

Uh we formed some strategic partnerships.

Uh, we brought on a community engagement consultant and expert.

We went back through all the comments we had heard previously and broke them into key themes.

What are we hearing?

Uh we took a look at our messaging so that we could make sure our messaging was clear and that the community could understand it, and then we planned our touch points.

Uh so I'm gonna talk specifically about those touch points tonight and what resulted from them.

Then the last thing you see here is that updated staff analysis, which is Councilmember Driggs mentioned.

You have uh seen that through the past couple of months, um, and you'll see that going forward.

All of this with the goal of our March 23rd council decision.

So the action we took uh in on November 24th was that we would bring this back to you for a vote no later than March 23rd.

So we're hitting the nail on the head with that one.

Um so what were our engagement opportunities?

We had for the entire month um of February and part of January, we had an online survey open that was based on two key themes protecting our neighborhoods and managing neighborhood change and reducing environmental impacts.

That those same themes were highlighted in our workshops.

So we had two in-person and two virtual workshops.

Uh great participation with those.

They were similar format.

You could hear about any of the deferred plans and also the adopted plans in the workshop.

We had 20 plus staff at those workshops representing all of our partner departments, so economic development, transportation, uh cats and transit, housing, so corridors of opportunity, really great representation from uh variety of staff to answer questions and provide feedback.

And we took a lot of comments in.

And then we've also been uh ongoing attending neighborhood meetings, in person, virtual, in evenings, um, and I'll talk through a little bit about what those have looked like.

And those really dive into specific issues.

So I want to say thank you to all of you who helped us get people to these meetings, helped us get people to take the surveys.

I really believe it's because of y'all's extra push that we've heard from many new voices in the process, and we've been able to get some really good feedback.

So this year is just some of the different ways that we were able to reach people and get them to come to participate in our survey and in our meetings.

So things like newsletters and phone calls, yard signs, council members pushing it out, press releases, email blasts.

And then the on the right are some of those neighborhood groups that we have specifically met with to take a deep dive into specific issues.

So neighborhood groups and also again, thank you, several town halls we've participated in and featured community area plans to be able to have all these additional conversations.

So this here is an image.

But this is an image from one of our in-person engagements.

This is the one at West Charlotte.

So you can see Mayor Pro T Mayor Pro Tim representing his West Charlotte Pride at the meeting.

But you can see this this really shows how we were able to interact.

And then hear from them their questions, to try to as much as we could get the information they wanted, and if we couldn't answer it in real time, a follow up with them following the meeting.

So from our engagement, we have many proposed changes that we feel like are good quality changes and revisions that really should be applied to all 14 plans.

So we have new policies, which we have policies that fit into the categories of environmental impacts and neighborhood change, which was our focus when we looked at the themes, and we actually added from our comments infrastructure because we had a good number of additional comments that fit under the infrastructure bucket.

And so I'll talk about each of the three of those.

And then we have a category which is just additions and revisions that provide clarity to the document, and then of course we have some map changes.

So I first want to start by saying there were existing policies in the adopted area plans that speak to environmental impacts, neighborhood change, and infrastructure.

So for the purposes of tonight, I'm just gonna show you quickly some of the ones that were in the documents and will remain in the documents when they are adopted.

So things like avoiding housing near manufacturing, buffering industry with mixed use, prioritizing areas for investment that have had historic uh impacts and environmental impacts, and then separating with a green buffer.

These policies are in the adopted plans and are proposed to remain.

We also plan to add, these are our proposed changes, uh, to add a land use review along transit.

So if the transit station areas change, we our land use will reflect that, and we will do additional land use for any stations that shift.

That we added a policy about protecting tree canopy in areas that have less tree canopy.

We did the reverse.

So council member Mayfield asked us so uh in the adopted it's avoid housing near manufacturing, but we also added avoid manufacturing near housing.

So we want that to go both ways.

We want to analyze additional tools to mitigate the manufacturing impacts when we do have manufacturing, and then we want to have guidance for emerging land uses.

So things that we don't know about today that may exist tomorrow or things that have grown rapidly, we want to make sure we have guidance around those.

So the example I use most frequently are things like data centers.

We want to have guidance around what should um where should they go, what is appropriate, and how should we treat those new land uses?

So that's the environmental impact.

Now I'm gonna talk a little bit about neighborhood change.

So these are in the adopted policies.

It's one, we respect our existing neighborhood character, two, we grow where infrastructure can support it, and you'll see this in the infrastructure one too.

And the way we talk about this is growing in line with our policy map and where we've already have the infrastructure in place.

And then the last is that we rezone with the purpose, so we take care with rezoning.

So these again are existing policies in the adopted area plans, and I'm getting ready to walk through the new policies that we are proposing to add.

So in the new policies, when we focused on the neighborhood change, we even got more specific.

So we heard loud and clear that people would like for us, you know.

Again, we have the 2040 plan where we need to have density in the appropriate place, but we want to consider where we would not have triplexes allowed everywhere.

They would be focused on transportation corridors, areas that can receive growth where there is infrastructure.

We also want to pursue lowering the maximum height, especially in areas of character where houses are typically 20 to 30 feet maximum.

And right now we're seeing new houses be built much taller.

So we want to pursue that.

We also want to give neighborhoods the tool to opt in themselves to development limits within their neighborhood.

So if an entire block wants to say, hey, we're good with one-story houses that are this big, then they we have a tool that they can opt into that for themselves.

And then last is that we create a quick path for residential infill that is in the same character as neighborhoods.

So I know you've heard about we've had lots of questions about how fast we're getting the ADU pattern book done.

We're also working on a pattern book for housing that matches the character.

It's how quickly can we create a faster path for things that fit into the neighborhood.

So with infrastructure, we want to grow where infrastructure can support it.

This is already in the adopted plan.

Um and then the ones the seven that are adopted, and we already have the strategic mobility investments.

But what we're adding is that we want to strengthen the language that we that we link growth and infrastructure together.

So it's very clear that those two should come as a package deal.

And we also on an on an every other year basis want to analyze what our traffic impact thresholds are and make sure they're calibrated to the right level so that we can go back and look and say, are we getting what we want?

Is this the right level?

Um if we need to change them, we can bring that forward.

So quickly, I'm just gonna show you some of the other examples.

Those the big ones are our policies, you've seen those.

The minor additions and revisions.

This is just an example.

We added the transit corridor to all the maps, so the hatching clearly shows this is where transit will go.

We'll relook at these land uses if a new station is adopted.

Uh, that's really important to those corridors that they understand what the transit might impact be for their community, and that we're thinking about it in an iterative process.

And then the last is this is an example of some of the map changes.

Uh, this shows so you can see in the adopted map there's residential down here, and just north of it was manufacturing.

We're actually proposing to change where that dashes to all the lighter purple, which means less intense development would be adjacent to that neighborhood and more in line with uh the corridor and the type of development we're seeing on Graham Street.

So uh as I wrap up, just a reminder of how the plans impact you.

Uh, you will use these plans to guide your rezoning decisions.

We'll use these plans and you'll use these plans for your future capital investments, and you'll also be able to use them for uh the community can use them for neighborhood-led projects and to help guide where their needs are.

So when we talk specifically about rezoning, uh just a reminder, and I believe you have seen this before, and you're seeing it in the staff analysis.

For the seven that do not have an adopted area plan right now, until these are adopted, all we can use for consistency is the map and the comprehensive plan goals.

Once we have the other seven adopted, we'll be able to use all the policies just listed as well as uh all of the assessments as a gauge as to whether or not these are appropriate.

So uh it adds many more tools in our toolbox as we vet rezonings coming forward.

So this here just shows our timeline as we move forward.

So again, we've been doing the engagement.

We are with the proposed changes are up on our website.

Uh we were at TPD last week, action review tonight, and council decision on the 23rd.

Um, and then once we complete these, uh we will this is just what's coming up and what's to come.

So planning is iterative as council member Driggs mentioned.

I just want to make sure everybody knows we are always planning.

So we're moving straight into a five-year assessment on our comprehensive plan, making sure that we are achieving the goals that we want to achieve, that we adopted.

We're working on that transit-oriented communities policy with that level two that I mentioned at the retreat, and we'll dive straight into those specific plans covering these below.

So, with that, I'm happy to open it up for questions.

And we will we will also condition.

Yes.

We've got a few people that want to come around, so I don't know.

Would it be okay to start with Ms.

Johnson?

And we'll just come on down with Councilmember Arias as well as Miss Mayfield and Mr.

What's your name, Ed?

Cool.

You got a new name, Adrian.

Oh, thank you.

All right.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I just want to say that this is an important presentation.

And I think all four of these presentations, these wrap-ups from the committee, um, are as important and deserve time for council to ask questions.

So I I just want to share my concern that we have these big items on an agenda with the half an hour to talk about, and still try to be on time for the public.

So if we could take a look at that on on our formatting, how we're doing that, so the council is able to ask the questions that these policies deserve.

As far as the community area plan, I also think we should say for the record, um, because we're if it was presented that we were harming these seven neighborhoods.

I think it's important if you go back and take a look at the extra engagement and the when you said new policy.

Um Ms.

Holmes, did you mean new policy in response to this extension this extended time?

Yes.

Okay.

So I think that that proves that this was needed.

Um, and also this level of transparency and this level of engagement is what we were asking for all along.

Um, even the simplifying the language, this should be a model that we start with instead of it being in response to council having to push so hard for the and the division on council when this was obviously the right thing to do.

So I also wanted to ask um there were some really big outcomes as well.

Wasn't there an area in either uh district one or two where you found what is it, 18,000 acres or square footage of um change.

Can you give us some detail about that, Ms.

Holmes?

Yes, that's one of the examples.

Um, and so are you we are gonna hand out uh a packet that has all of those listed.

It's a hundred and eighty acres, I believe is what you're mentioning in the North Inner uh the North Inner Geography, and it is comprised of we basically just took up uh another um look specifically and worked with the community to identify some additional opportunities, making sure that we looked at who owns the property, what the property is currently used for, what the community needs are.

So we we tried to be very thoughtful about map changes, and so that's how we got to that result is that um additional and we've done that with several neighborhoods.

So the example you gave is the 180 acres in North Inter.

We did it with South Inter, we've done it with Mess West, we've done it with many uh areas in the neighborhoods.

That's typically what our neighborhood um small meetings are about as well.

Thank you.

So that's a huge, huge win for the community, and that's just we were what we were asking for all along.

So for it to be presented as if we were harming these neighborhoods, uh, which we did see on social media and different um talking points from the community, we wanted to be clear that we were right in pushing for and advocating for our community and these changes.

If you could go to the engagement outcomes, just the new policies.

Yeah, this is one of this extension.

So I just want to say um thank you for doing this.

Thank you to our city manager for listening.

Um we needed this.

I think it's obvious the proof is in the pudding.

And if we could start all of our initiatives with these goals for this level of engagement and responsiveness from uh to the community.

That's all I have.

Thank you.

All right.

Councilmember Arias.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh, thanks, Monica.

Uh, thanks for the great presentation, and thank you to your staff for attending uh the East Westfield neighborhood meeting.

We had over 60 um uh community members attend from all across District 5.

And so this was definitely much needed, and I appreciate all the staff for engaging with them.

Um I also want to think that the council that did vote to defer this.

I wasn't part of that council, but um to council member Johnson's point, it definitely looks like it was needed.

Um I particularly enjoy the policy changes reflecting the maximum height because as we continue to grow more as a city, we're going to see more height density come to some adjacent uh single family neighborhoods, and one of the biggest concerns I hear from our residents is the height of these new development as well as for infrastructure, I believe it was an infrastructure.

The traffic impact thresholds.

I think that's so key, right?

I mean, again, I I think I mentioned to council before that we passed a uh transit referendum, the 1% sales tax, and we are trying to not only achieve our sustainability goals but also become a city that isn't so reliant on a cars and more reliant on different modes of transportation, and as we continue to grow more as a city, you know, we have to be very intentional where we place high developments on high density developments, and so um this is what I call smart growth, smart development, right?

Um, where we take our time to really take a pause, reflect, and see where we can improve our policy to improve the quality of life not only for the 150 plus folks that are moving to this region a day, but for the people that have been calling Charlotte home.

So I appreciate the intentionality, and I do look forward to seeing the updated maps.

I I did speak to um uh city manager Ellison Greg uh earlier today about how I want to make sure that the maps we we also not only see changes in policies, but we also see significant changes in the maps, right?

Because I think what I saw in the previous iterations, the previous deferment of that is that there weren't much changes in those maps.

That's why we would the council deferred them again.

So hopefully we see a little bit more substantial changes in the maps themselves attached with these changes we've seen in policies.

Those are all my comments.

Thank you.

All right, and thank you for all your hard work.

Miss Miss Mayfield, if you'll allow me, I believe that we had a troop of Boy Scouts over here.

Um it is Troop 9 from St.

Patrick's, and I think it went downstairs.

They just walked out.

Yeah.

They just walked back in.

Right.

So they just walked out.

Yes, I think Mr.

Mitchell wanted to make sure.

Yeah, I think yes, I got it.

Okay, here we are.

So I just want to say that um thank you for coming back into the room.

I know that you guys have time to do homework and all that other stuff, right?

So, but we wanted to recognize you.

And if you're who's the cap the leader, who's who's the person for Troop9?

Okay, here we go.

Why don't you introduce the young men for us?

Yeah, these are some Boy Scouts from Troop Nine at St.

That's right here in Charlotte in Dilworth.

So they're working on a couple of uh citizenship badges.

So thank you for having us.

Welcome to our meeting.

I don't know who has the camera, but use it with a lot of vigor.

Okay.

Thank you.

There it goes.

You guys have a good evening.

Thank you.

Thank you for joining us.

All right.

So let's see, Miss Mayfield, thank you so much for allowing me to take that just moment to recognize them.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Ms.

Holmes, thank you to you and your team.

Although I received honestly, quite a bit of pushback from some of my colleagues when I kept having the conversation about us slowing down because we did slow down.

So I do want to thank my colleagues, some who are not currently with us, but those that supported us pausing long enough to have more community conversation for the seven because of that, these new policies that are directly reflective of communities' thoughts, comments, and concerns.

We have something that I personally can now support because it's more robust versus the generalization that we had prior.

I am very happy that we identify in that conversation not only the lower maximum height, because we see the impact that that's having on neighborhoods and our traffic impact threshold, but also clarifying what can be built where to say no residential near manufacturing and no manufacturing near residential, that will help us to avoid potentially what SEO FAP is going through right now being built near a school and the impact that it's having on the students as well as the families.

And we did notify data centers are very different today than what we identified in 2012 as a data center.

So to have that language in place, I think actually helps us to move forward, and it helps those partners that want to build in our community have a better understanding of neighborhoods' voice and what neighborhood would like to see.

So I appreciate, even though I know it was difficult, and staff was ready to move forward.

I appreciate the fact that we slowed down to hear, and these new policies are reflection of that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Mr.

Driggs.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

So I want to be clear, it wasn't my intention to suggest harm.

I was concerned about having two sets of rules operating in the city, and that the people where there were adopted plans had more in the way of point things they could point to in their engagement with staff to say, look, this is what the plan says, and that wasn't yet in place.

Johnson, I appreciate your engagement.

I think it has led to a better outcome, and I look forward to getting these plans uh adopted and operational and then continuing as we gain experience with them and discover things that maybe hadn't been talked about yet that we will uh make text amendments, or it's a living document that we'll continue to work on it.

But uh thank you, Ms.

Holmes and staff.

You guys have done an extraordinary job, and uh I think we are in a better place now than we would have been.

So I appreciate it.

Thank you.

All right.

Now let's keep this going.

It's going to be very positive, so let's go ahead and recognize thank you, Mayor Owens.

So on behalf of District 6, I just will say obviously our community area plan um was adopted prior to my joining council, but I I applaud the decision making that it was behind it.

I also applaud the extension of some of the learnings that have come from this extended period of time.

I like that those are going to be retroactively applied, and so we will have the benefit of this additional learning, and I appreciate your your efforts.

Thank you.

All right.

Um Mayor Pro Tim right.

Go ahead.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Okay.

Thank you very much as well.

Um, Ms.

Anderson.

So uh just a question.

I'd heard uh some conversation around data centers.

Are there's is there language in the policy that specifically addresses data centers?

No, what we have is we have um let me go back to this.

Is that so one of the this is remember this is policy, not regulation.

So anything we're adopting, we would have to follow with regulation in accordance with what state law is.

So some of these, you know, we have some state laws around that can make it a little difficult.

We want the policy in place though, so we follow it once we are able to.

So the guidance for emerging land uses is that data centers is one example of many.

Um vape shops might be another example of things that have emerged as a land use that we were unaware of in years prior.

So, what the policy recommendation is that when a new land use emerges, we as staff work with stakeholders in the community to understand what impact that land use has on the environment, on neighborhoods, and that we, if need be, update our regulations to reflect that.

So, if adopted, what this will do will set a framework so that when we see some a new land use emerge, we have we take the next proactive step to build guidance around how we treat that new land use.

So, right now the the I use data centers as an example because it's something people are very aware of, and it's an emerging land use.

Okay.

Um I just I'd like for us to speak more about data centers on a go forward basis because there's this tension here with data centers, um, and yet, you know, we are we are heavily reliant upon AI and these supercomputers that we carry around in our pockets that are super reliant on data and having data being proximate, right, to where the work is being done, where where those activities are being done.

So I just would love for us to have a broader conversation around data centers and the give and take.

Um, secondly, you mentioned vape shops, and not for this evening's conversation, but I would also like for us to look at um restricting to the best of our ability, right?

Given given our um local and state um interaction.

But to the to the extent that we can limit where how close vape shops are opening close to schools, CMS K-12 schools.

Um I think we should lean into that as far as we can.

There's been some troubling situations throughout the city where uh vape shops are popping up around high schools, um, and it's not producing uh a conducive environment for for young people.

So as we talk about that later, I I'd like for that to be top of mind as well.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

All right, Miss Mayo.

All right, Miss Mashmira.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

First, uh, let me thank Councilmember Johnson for advocating for deferral.

I think this is deferred it twice to allow sufficient amount of time for the community engagement, especially in areas where we have seen heavy gentrification.

So thank you, Monica, to you and your entire team for the community engagement to really incorporate the feedback into the overall policy.

Because what we were hearing from the communities that they were providing feedback, but it wasn't turning that into, it wasn't translating in into the policy itself.

So it's good to see that this was a meaningful engagement and that their feedback did translate it into the policy.

I certainly appreciate you and your team for doing that.

Um also I agree with council member Anderson on data centers.

I had brought this up at the retreat because we are seeing data centers now emerging, right?

We already have one proposal that will probably come up in front of us for the zoning hearing in District 5.

And as we are looking at data centers, I had talked about this at our budget meeting, because this is not just um data centers take enormous amount of water uh to cool those um massive computers, right?

And they use massive amount of energy, right?

So there are certain policies that we can implement like other cities have done in terms of cooling measures that are recycling or recycled water to ensure that we are not putting tremendous pressure on our natural resources, especially our water.

And I think it's great good to hear that you guys are looking at it proactively within the legal tools that's that we have from the state.

And I like how you're framing the word as emerging versus just data centers, because we have to council member Anderson's point, obviously we have vape shops that are popping up.

Oh also I want you to keep in mind the game centers.

They call skilled games, but they have neon lights in the neighborhoods and they target some of the most vulnerable population.

Um and that really affects families.

I've seen that in East Charlotte, West Charlotte.

So I think if you could look at some of this under this umbrella, uh that would help us from the policy, but also from the regulation perspective.

And that's all I have.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

I believe Mr.

Driggs, um, do you have the honor of um making a motion?

Is it just a briefing?

So no motion.

We'll wait.

Okay, thank you so much for that.

And um now let's see, we are going to move to Bo Jangles right now.

Okay, who's leading this one?

Mayor, this is uh my great opportunity to members of my committee.

Will you please raise your hand?

Oh, bless you, sir.

Um Councilmember Lawana Mayfield, Councilmember Dr.

Yannison, Councilmember K B.

And Councilmember Wattlington is not available uh with us today.

And so uh council, you heard this also at our strategy strategy session.

And I think then that particular time we got uh hands raised to say move forward.

And so this is probably one of the easiest policy conversations we ever had.

I'd like to thank Steve Bagwell who is here, Steve.

Can you please stand up, be recognized, sir?

Thank you, sir, for your leadership.

And so while my DCM who has to put up with me come up to the uh to the podium, uh Ms.

Craig, uh I'm everyone should have a copy of the presentation and I don't have to say a lot because I think we know how important BoPlex is to our community.

We know it's very important to have a partner like the Charlotte Checkers who just signed a long-term lease there, and this is an old facility date back to the 70s, 50s, and and some of the parts even to the Ford.

Oh, we got the expert, Kathleen Seashake.

Okay, Kathleen.

Okay.

And so if there are any questions from council members, please let me know.

If not, I'm gonna save Kathleen the time to go on through the presentation.

Are there any questions?

Okay.

All right, Miss Anderson has a question.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um, no real questions here.

I think we had a robust conversation about this initiative, and I think we all agreed that it is um is much needed in a facility that's 70 years old and brings so much um tourism uh to the city of Charlotte.

Um so to me, um Chair Mitchell, I feel like this is a no-brainer.

We need to move forward and invest in Boplex.

What I will say um, just in closing, is we had a presentation of a lot of different opportunities at the retreat from an economic development perspective.

This withstanding, I think I think this one is definitely a go.

Um, but we had a a list of projects that we were speaking about, and we have a finite amount of dollars, and so we need to have a robust conversation about on a go forward basis what's really important and how we prioritize investing um our money into some of the other economic development projects.

Um so with that, I would say no-brainer, totally support this, and it makes sense given uh how important the Boplex and Bow Jangles Coliseum is to our community.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

All right, thank you.

And even though it's our zoning meeting, it this is very time sensitive, and so uh we're gonna add that I think city manager to the agenda for March 23rd, correct?

Okay, thank you.

Kathleen, you're good.

Thank you.

Thank you guys.

Um I I really want to um reward our council member Anderson for saying there's gonna be things that we're gonna have to really work through and do it well so that everyone can be um ability to have what we think as our city to be able to have all of that.

So I want to say thank you for bringing that up.

I know that it's sooner or later the budget will start to be formed, but we've got a lot of work to do, and and it's gonna take a lot of time and effort.

So thank you.

Start thinking about that now.

Okay, so let's see that takes us to Solid Waste Services.

Where is my best solid waste service guy?

Right.

Right, now what high school did you attend?

Oh, please.

You know, okay.

I'm just making sure.

Okay.

I'm sorry, JD.

All right, here we go.

Are you ready, Miss Ms.

I I can say your name.

I'm sorry, Miss Mayfield.

I was just waiting.

I got to even separate.

I'm watching everyone try to tell you.

I was thank you all.

I do want to acknowledge our committee.

I'm lucky enough where I have all of our newly elected as well as council member Johnson.

So I have Councilmember Mayo Owens as well as Councilmember JD, because I'm not finna jack up your name tonight.

Our team is ready to present.

They can pull it up, but I do want to just remind everyone we did receive an update on the S on our Solid Waste Services Ordinance, Martin Nation.

This one's really just a language update.

So the housing committee actually back on February 5th, and whoever's in charge of the slides can pull up our solid waste ordinance info.

But back on the 5th, our meeting did include a presentation.

I believe council has already seen a lot of this and trying to be respectful of time.

But this ordinance does not result in any service level changes, nor enhancements or reductions.

This is really to conform to Solid Waste Services long-standing service delivery approach and to clarify our service eligibility for duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes as well as town homes.

And the proposed amendments are uh added reference to the residential developments, which are subject to UDO approval.

We revise the terminology such as large waste container eligible development and small waste container eligible development.

We've clarified the disposal requirements for items such as sharp objects and pet waste, as well as we have deemed accessory dwelling units as eligible for collective services.

So prior to us adding our ADUs, making sure that they will have service pickup and updated ordinance sections for reference.

This item is actually planned to come to council on our April 13th meeting.

We're just getting this out ahead of time.

And we do have Director Jameson here.

If you have any questions, since the slide never seemed to make his way up, but that was pretty much the gist of it.

If anyone has any specific questions for Director Jameson, Mr.

Jameson, it's open for comments or con questions.

We'll have to start with our um Ms.

Majmira and then Miss Anderson.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Thank you, committee, for the work that you did, and thank you for the presentation.

I always appreciate how you all send us the materials, pre-read homework for the weekend.

Um that helps us be more effective with our meetings.

Uh, a couple of questions in terms of the proposal.

So some of this um proposed ordinance changes, do they modify the eligibility threshold for city services?

City-based services, I mean.

Uh, first of all, good evening, Mayor Council, Rodney Jameson, Director Solid Waste Services.

And no, no enhancements, no changes to the services that you receive.

That's all right.

Thank you.

Ms.

Anderson.

Thank you, Madam Mayor, and and thank you for that uh clarification around uh impact or non-impact to service.

I do recall, however, last year, uh city manager, we were beginning to have the discussion around how um our service could potentially be impacted this upcoming year, um, specifically around yard waste.

Um I just wanted to ask, is that is that still on the horizon?

Um are we still thinking about that for this year, or or is it have we moved past that?

Um I'm hoping it is put to the side for now for this year.

Uh that's something that we really wouldn't want to affect.

Um, but um it was at one point.

Um, but with the changes that we have in play right now with uh personal containers, which is in this ordinance update, as well as paper bags is helping us trust them.

Okay, great.

Um, I can tell you I've been by the solid waste uh office several times looking for some of those good paper bags for yard waste.

They've been out for a year, so they told me to stop coming over there and bothering y'all.

I had to break down and go to Costco and buy them.

Um I apologize.

That's okay.

That's that's quite all right.

Uh the last the last comment is just really a comment, and I get from time to time um questions, uh, and I'm I'm focusing on yard waste right now, but I get um questions from constituents about uh in particular some of the elderly that are not able to um secure their leaves and pick up the leaves and things of that nature, and I'm wondering if we have some type of service or potentially in the future if we could stand up some type of service to help some of our um elderly residents who are aging in place as it relates to um leaf retrieval and things of that nature.

Okay, just something to think about.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Thank you.

I think I have a solution for you.

My um cousin has a young man and he gets a dollar and fifty cents for every trash can he puts out on the kale curb.

So you know you didn't hey I'm um I started to do it myself, you know.

Um but I Rodney, I want to say something.

Um a couple of weeks ago I ran into um our former mayor, and he was so he said that when there, I don't know, many people probably don't know the story, but it was a big deal to get to roll out containers, right?

Everybody was like, oh no, it won't work, it won't ever work.

And Richard um said to me that he still has the trash can that you had painted number one on the side of, and he still has that trash can, and it was just like such it would it took me back, but I just wanted you to know that if you ever want to know that where your trash can is with number one on it, go to Richard Finn's house.

Thank you.

Yes, please.

So mayor members of council and Rodney, your exceptional commits exceptional service every day.

I I do want to take this time to say that maybe out of all the services that we provide in the city, Solid Waste Services is exceptional.

It is over the top, and we do not recover all of the fees related to that, unlike water, wastewater, stormwater.

So as we go forward, and we have interesting budget discussions.

One thing that we need to remember is that the interlocal agreement between the city and the county expires in 2028.

And Sean Heath is he just loves working on big projects.

So this is one that he's working on.

But with that said, um I think the recovery is with 30 percent.

30 percent.

There's a lot of things that we can think about in terms of I wish um Dr.

Watlington were here because you know, some cities look at their uh waste stream as a revenue stream.

Okay.

So let's just as we start to think about this.

How can we take um something that is um taking away some of our capacity around the property tax and maybe get it on the other side of the ledger, and we can do something different with um renegotiating the interlocal agreement.

All right, any further comments or questions?

I'm just that's one.

All right, Ms.

Ashmira.

Yes, I just want to thank you, Rodney, for the great work that you do and for your leadership.

Um what is the status on that um facility that we were trying looking into to increase the safety for our employees?

Uh, how is that project coming along?

Um, it's still uh under review, but we are working with the county uh right now to see if we can finalize some things.

So is there a site that's being acquired yet?

No, because it's not so it's still in discussion.

Thank you.

All right.

Any further questions, comments?

All right, thank you very much.

Um we really appreciate you.

Thank you.

Okay, and Mayor, my last piece from committee again.

Thank you.

And this housing and neighborhood services committee, we've had quite a few really good conversations and opportunities.

I'm hoping this slide is available.

But want to make sure, because we are I want to introduce a presentation on the proposed investment and preserving naturally occurring affordable housing in district three.

We were able to receive this presentation, which is actually it's a bit unique historically.

I'm not a fan of us setting new precedent.

Yet I recognize this is not setting a new precedent.

Yet this discussion is focusing on the opportunity to preserve housing affordability in Lower South End, right along the blue line corridor through uh NOAA acquisition strategy.

This is a actually it's unique because the complex is only two years old.

It's a new complex, but a nonprofit has been able to acquire it and they maintain the property.

So as we know, preserving existing affordable housing is one of our most effective tools that the city has to protect residents from displacement and maintain diverse housing options as neighborhoods grow and change.

And my superhero Warren Wooten is getting ready to make his way up if y'all have questions.

But this proposal will support the acquisition and long-term affordability of a mixed income community at 1,001 Tabola, including units that are dedicated to serving veterans exiting homelessness, which is the piece that I'm I and I believe the committee were really excited about.

The complex has a total of around 242 units, 100 will be dedicated for our veterans.

So the recommendation before us reflects our city's broader affordable housing strategy and the priorities that were established through our housing trust fund and the 2024 housing bond.

With that, I will turn it over to my superstar, Mr.

Warren Wooten, to walk us through the opportunity as well as the proposal investment and to show you how this project actually aligns with our goals for housing stability and neighborhood opportunity.

Mr.

Woolton.

Thank you, Miss Mayfield.

It's good to see you, council.

Look forward to talking you through this project this evening.

This is a NOAA funding recommendation that came in under your revolving NOAA RFP.

Council has uh staff has reviewed it and recommends the $3.5 million in funding.

And so we're going to talk you through this project and uh the recommendation.

So just as a reminder uh for the community, uh this is uh activity that you have been participating in for a number of years now.

NOAA acquisition is one of your uh broad range of strategies that you use to both uh build and preserve affordable housing in your community.

Uh this last bond round you lifted it up as one of your primary priorities, setting aside um uh $14 million of your hundred million dollar bond uh for housing preservation to include NOAA acquisition and rehabilitation activities.

Um the the RFP is a rolling RFP.

Uh the reason why this is rolling is that uh it allows your development partners to respond to unique opportunities when they come to market.

Uh so we receive these and review them on a revolving basis.

We received this one in uh January, reviewed it and are now bringing it to you for action review.

And again, here's your uh your your million-dollar bond allocation.

Uh, you'll see in the uh column to the left is your uh your allocation amounts and then current balance that is in your allocation.

So looking at your entire housing trust fund, you currently have 44.2 million uh ready for allocation to new projects.

So, like I mentioned, you've been doing this activity for a number of activities, uh, another number of years.

In in March of 2019, you passed a NOAA policy.

I wanted to bring that to your attention.

You're typically looking for projects that are 15 years of age or older and consist in uh a 50 units or more.

So these are larger NOAA acquisitions, typically uh typically older properties, uh looking at preserving or lowering rents, and also uh looking at areas that are of a high risk of losing these to conversion to a higher property.

So this allows you to take down these properties and preserve the affordability.

We typically look for properties that only need light to moderate rehabilitation and then require at least um 15 years or more of affordability for these projects.

What's up here in front of you is a map of your NOAA investments.

Uh you'll see in blue that is all of the NOAA investments that you have made since the beginning of this activity.

The items that are in the pink uh circles, those are acquisitions that you've made in your 2024 bond, and then the uh the green dot is this current proposed development.

So here's this development.

It is 1001 Tyvola, NOAA acquisition.

Well, this is your action review.

This is gonna come before you in uh in April council meeting for your consideration.

And what we're looking at is a request for 3.5 million dollars of funding to preserve this project.

So this project is a little bit different than some of your NOAA acquisitions.

In this project, the developers already taken down, so they actually already own this this property.

And what your uh what they own it under is a short-term affordability period um at 80 percent and below AMI.

What your funding will do if you choose to invest it in this project will actually extend that affordability from 10 years to 60 years.

So you're you're with your money, you're taking down another 50 years of affordability.

And then you'll also notice down at the uh AMI chart, you're also moving some of the affordability down the affordability level.

So instead of all of the units being affordable at 80, you're purchasing uh some additional affordable units, both at uh at the 80% level and at the 30% level, also at the 70% level.

So that's the new affordability you'll get with a longer affordability uh period.

So a little bit different than some of the NO's that you've seen, also with a new partner, Community Solutions International.

So Community Solutions International, some of you might recognize the name of this organization because they're one of the leading national organizations that's working on ending and preventing homelessness.

So they are working across the country to with an aim to achieve functional zero in all of your communities, making homelessness rare, brief, and non-reoccurring.

They are partnered with an uh a real estate firm called BP B DP Impact.

They are a national social impact real estate firm that partners to uh provide impact investments to bring these properties under control of uh of this type of organization, uh nonprofit organizations that have these mission oriented um investments to preserve affordability.

And so what's really special about this project is that they are focused here in Charlotte on veterans homelessness.

So this is a true mixed income development where you will have some market rate units in this uh development right on your blue line, right in district three.

Uh but also in that development, you will have um uh veterans that are returning into stability and and other folks that are using that this as uh a location to achieve stability.

So uh in our committee meeting uh when we talked about this project, one of the things that we talked about was creating these true mixed income communities uh where you have uh folks who are uh just your working uh working members of our community, and then also these populations that are using this housing to return to stability.

Um I think uh what one of the things that one of our council members talked about, which is true about this development, is the no uh uh no poor floor, no poor poor door philosophy, meaning that throughout this development will be a mix of uh individuals living here.

Um of them will be under uh special subsidy programs, and some of them will just be uh market rate rnors, and you won't be able to tell by the unit that they're living in which they which they are.

So, some some key considerations that your staff looked at when we were uh reviewing this.

Uh this does advance your uh your NOAA objectives.

It does have that below 80% AMI, it does also activate the deeper targeting, including your 30% requirements, and it supports vulnerable uh populations.

Uh when uh staff was out at site, they were actually ran into one of our friends and colleagues who works at Veterans Bridge home.

They're one of the nonprofits that provides residential services.

So that's a type of organization that's actually involved in this pro this project who are providing those types of residential overlays to provide a real stable community for our returning veterans and other high-risk populations that are going to be using this uh this property.

Also, this property supports again your unsheltered response, providing additional units that are uh accessible to our nonprofit partners that are working in that space of our housing continuum, and it also meets your transit and mobility access goals being right at a blue line stop.

So, in addition to staff's uh re request or a recommendation for the $3.5 million, um there is also required exception to your NOAA policy.

So, as stated in your NOAA policy, your typical NOAA investments are 15 years of age or um older.

So, in a very novel sense, we're asking that you waive your policy so that you can allow for the purchase of a newer property uh in into the portfolio.

Uh has minimal rehabilitation uh needed, uh, and so what the city investment's doing is it's actually securing that longer-term affordability and that deeper income targeting.

It meets all of your other requirements for being a NOAA project, the correct affordability mix leverage, the terms, the unit counts, all of those other things are there and um conform to your NOAA policy.

So uh looking at your uh your your NOAA buckets here, uh you had 14 million dollars, you made some previous investments of 10.5, leaving 3.5.

And if you were to uh approve the funding for this project, this would be your first completed bucket of your 2024 uh housing trust fund bond.

And that would be the balance of the 40 million dollars uh after approval of this project.

So this is an information only uh review of upcoming action, and that action will be on your agenda April 13th.

And that is the end of this presentation.

And Mayor, I would just like to add when they mention BBH is already a part of this program, they have a space within the complex, and their work is not just accessible for the hundred.

It will be accessible for all 242 residents that live there.

And when we look at proximity, this is physically across the street diagonal, not just from the blue line, but Audi's grocery store is directly across the street.

So this is on a corner that has seen quite a bit of development in the lower South Ann area where we've seen a lot, quite a bit of displacement, but the complex itself has every amenity that you could think of in a new development.

So to have these additional financial opportunities specific specifically for our veterans.

If we choose to move forward, this is a high quality development that has almost everything, including co-working spaces that will be available in some of the units.

Is there any um who will Mayo?

Oh, I'm sorry.

Ms.

Mayor.

Thank you.

Um thank you so much for this presentation.

I was excited to chat with uh the developers and the petitioners on this project.

Um I think it's a unique proposition for us, particularly as we know that the blue line has accelerated uh displacement historically.

Um so for us to actually be able to add affordable housing and affordability along the blue blue line at a relatively new project is great.

Um and the fact that it's also near really great paying jobs.

I know I'm a big fan of Costco.

I know you talked about that earlier, Dante, but also Costco is right nearby there that people could easily walk in as accessible.

Um so excited for this project.

I think this is a unique opportunity for us, and hope that council will vote in favor of it.

Thank you.

All right, let's see.

Ms.

Solens.

So briefly, Mayor, because I'm sensitive to the passage of time.

We've got a full agenda.

I um I spoke at committee about just the excitement that I had for this project.

This is exactly the type of project that I hoped to one day do, and to be able to do it so early in my tenure here is really exciting.

Um, you know, I've spoken before my father was a veteran.

I I did the point in time count, and I I met a couple of veterans of different wars than the one my father was in, but still no less affected by coming back to a country that didn't always live up to its promises.

So, particularly at a time when we're engaging in hostilities across the world, it's not lost on me that being able to offer not only housing but also these wraparound services that really can be a difference maker for the families of a veteran and how they come back into a world that maybe differs a little bit from the one they experienced um in a foreign war.

So I thank you for this opportunity, and again, I'm just very excited to be behind it.

All right.

I believe I had um Mr.

Driggs.

I don't know.

Mr.

Dricks, we were just going around this.

All right, uh, I just want to say uh I think this is wonderfully responsive to a bunch of things.

It actually preserves, so we're avoiding the destruction uh and preserving something from an economic standpoint at $35,000 a door, given that there's no light, it's actually a very reasonable price.

Uh and the only question I had, which we can get into some other time, but I just want to say if I look at the affordability distribution, and uh I'm asking myself, were there different mixes possible?

Or if we had had more money, could we have achieved uh more in the 60 to uh sort of percent range since it strikes me that that's where we have the biggest problem?

So were we constrained by the remaining balance in our uh trust fund, or was this the model that they proposed to us?

So um want to give credit where credit's due.

Um your housing trust fund manager, Mr.

Engelhardt did a lot of work with this developer to achieve uh this mix.

Um I think that that's a great homework assignment was um what what could have we done if there was a larger amount of money uh to work with?

But I will I will tell you that there was a lot of negotiation that was done behind the scenes before this mix was arrived at in this length of time, but we can take that as a homework assignment to look at what else might be in possible doing this kind of model going into the future.

I just wondered, you know, assuming we could find more money, Mr.

Manager.

Uh uh, what more could we buy in terms of affordability in the context of this structure?

Because I think it's a great structure, but it feels to me like uh there might be an opportunity on reasonable terms to achieve more affordability.

Sure.

We'll have that conversation.

Thank you.

All right.

Did you have a comment?

Yes.

Um Thank you, Mayor.

Um I think this is the perfect example, and thank you for the presentation.

Um thanks to my colleagues in committee.

Um perfect demonstration of anti-displacement dollars at use, right?

Uh, and particularly the events that we've seen in our city recently with uh mental health and homelessness and making sure that we are providing some sort of relief to individuals that are without a home, I think this is perfect, particularly such a targeted population like veterans, um, as I mentioned during the committee, and I will be mentioning now, you know, the federal government laid off uh thousands of people in the federal affairs department, right?

And and there's significant cuts from the federal um government that has really not allowed local governments to really support this.

So as uh my committee colleague in council member Owen said, uh it's such, and as I spoken to the committee, this is one of those projects where it's like great, we are on council and we are changing lives and we are improving the lives of residents, particularly those that need it the most.

And I also want to point out that um this is a project that also has 20 units, 30 percent AMI.

That's right, which is incredible, right?

We don't see a lot of those projects come through.

We typically see 50 to 80 percent, and so that we're really targeting um our lowest earners uh in in our society that really need help that need a lift in our society.

It's really um impactful and aspiring and humbling that we get to do this work each and every single day.

Um so thank you, Mayor, and that's it for me.

Thank you.

All right, thank you.

Our um next council member Anderson.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um Warren, this is a very unique approach to ANOAA.

I literally remember driving past this units when they were being built just a couple years ago.

So it's it's a very interesting, unique approach to the usage of naturally uh uh uh occurring affordable housing.

Um I think that the premise of of what we're trying to do here is wonderful.

Um, but it's just uh uh uh an incredibly unique approach, and I'm sort of taking a beat here to think about our the application of this, right?

Um also given the type of population that that we have you've described that would be veterans, you know, trying to get settled, etc.

You know, this it is great to see that there are 20 units that are at 30 percent AMI, but I agree with Mr.

Driggs, it would have been nice to see some of the other those 80 units come down the AMI percentage um to make it more affordable for our veterans that might not be able to attain a 80 percent AMI.

Um you mentioned that uh a member of your team did a lot of work on massaging these numbers.

Can you just say a little bit more about that split of like 20, 40, 40?

Sure.

So so uh again, we we did a lot of work both asking for additional years of affordability and also moving some of these numbers down.

So not just not just accepting the uh uh the the longer uh affordability term, but also asking for some deeper subsidy.

Um but I I certainly uh take your question along with Mr.

Driggs' question to to go back and ask the question was if there was additional dollars available, would that change this pro forma?

What I can say, Councilmember Anderson, is that um all of these projects do work in harmony with other forms of subsidy out in the uh out in the community.

So just looking at this uh affordability mix isn't indicative of of the affordability that will actually be provided by the the building.

Half of the the battle that our providers go through is just getting access to units that they can apply vouchers to.

You you probably you probably would believe that the calls that we get of people who have vouch Vash vouchers, which is the VA style voucher, housing choice vouchers and other types of vouchers who just say, hey, we can't even find a unit for these to go into.

So part of the work that you're doing here is creating the affordability and preserving it, but you're also creating access for our nonprofit partners to have a place that when they do have a household that has a voucher, they just need a they need a unit.

This this provides those units to the community.

So you're doing both here at the same time, but but I have heard both you and Mr.

Drigs is we need to call and have another conversation and just see if there's any additional affordability that's available inside of the deal.

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

Um just given the population and what we're trying to do.

I I'd like to see the affordability go down, sure.

Um, so that we have a higher percentage closer to the mid, the midpoint of the AMI.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

All right.

Ms.

Eshmer.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I agree with some of the comments that's been made by my colleagues.

I see this proposal as sort of aligns with the housing first model, because you're providing the dignity and respect to one of the most vulnerable population, so that they can take advantage of other uh opportunities, supportive services, especially mental health.

So and plus, this is actually a very good deal because we are only contributing five percent towards this.

And I know we are making an exception to the policy.

So my question is should we revise our policy?

Because we would like to see, at least I would like to see more of this, because naturally occurring affordable housing units is the best tool to preserve housing today, not six months, not two years or three years from today, because this is most effective way to support um to support to help with affordable housing crisis we are seeing.

So I would like to hear your feedback on policy revision that we need to potentially consider.

Yeah, thank you for that question.

Uh this is this is a question that me and my colleagues have been having uh about this policy.

It is several years old now, it's almost six years old, so it might be time for staff to go back and review this policy.

It's been a really good policy.

It's it's preserved a lot of affordable housing in the community, but it might be time for us to review and um make some recommendations that may bring it more in line with what's going on in the market right now.

Absolutely.

I think that would be important because I know this proposal came forward, but I wonder how many there might be that may not come forward because our policy says otherwise.

And because this isn't relatively new construction 2021 build, uh, it doesn't re need any rehab, major rehabs like we have seen in the past.

So uh this nonprofit the um BDP impact.

Uh is this their first project here in the city?

It is their first project here in the city, but they've done project all projects like this all over the United States.

Got it.

Well, hopefully, this will be a start to many more.

Um that's all I have.

Thank you.

All right, Ms.

Mayfield.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

So I want to make sure we don't put staff in a particular position because we have not directed them to doing this is not setting a new precedent, which is something we had multiple conversations about since I'm not a fan of setting new precedent, but yet this does align with the discussion of us having a committee discussion, much like what Dr.

Waddlington, myself and council member Drake's were able to be a part of in 2024, where we identify recommendations for that hundred million dollar bucket, as was mentioned with this request of 3.5 million.

This is the first bucket that we've actually now have zeroed out based on the alignment.

This is also the first time that this has a strong proposal like this has come forward when you're looking at a 60-year affordability as well as identifying a target in our community, yet by us having the ability and with working with our attorney staff as well as our leadership with housing neighborhood services, we can identify the language so that there's space to have this type of discussion without losing our focus and goal.

So this isn't to try to create a new thing, but it is being flexible enough where when a great opportunity comes before us, because there is also going to be conversation of a potential development that's a little older than this, but still has a lot of the same goals in the area that is changing rapidly.

Is it afternoon?

I shouldn't, I don't know if it's afternoon yet.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Thank you for joining us today.

Um whether you're here in person or if you're watching online.

Um, let's have introductions so that you know who's in the building with you.

Um, let's start with our city clerk.

Good evening, Stephanie Kelly, City Clerk.

Good evening, Dimple Ashmer.

Good evening, and happy women's history month, Dante Anderson, District One.

Marcus Jones, City Manager.

Good evening, everyone, Jenny Smith to Mayor Proteir.

Good evening, Kimberly Owens representing District Six.

Malcolm Graham, District Two.

Joy Mayo, representing District 3.

Trying to get some more.

Thank you very much.

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

The invocation is attended to solemnize our proceedings.

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

Tonight, Council Member Johnson will give our invocation.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

If we could just stand on the dais, just to give honor.

Thank you.

I don't know.

Can you all hear me okay?

Okay, good.

Heavenly Father, tonight, with grateful hearts and a joyful praise, we pause to acknowledge your presence and your grace.

Thank you for the opportunity to gather here in service to our community and for the honor of leadership and public service in this great city.

Lord, tonight a special prayer is lifted for the brave survivors of all injuries and illnesses.

And for those who continue to face health challenges each day, you know the struggles carried in quiet moments and the strength it takes to simply keep moving forward.

Grant continued healing, restoration, and renewed strength along their journey, bring comfort in difficult moments, peace in times of uncertainty, and hope that rises above every obstacle.

Surround families and caregivers with patience, wisdom, love, and encouragement as they walk beside their loved ones.

Bless those seated along this dais and the city employees who faithfully serve this community.

Grant wise compassion as decisions are made for the people of this city.

Bless us and our families with good health, steady hearts, and a spirit of teamwork and support for one another as we serve.

May our decisions in our city reflect compassion, understanding, and care for every residence.

May peace reside in our homes, guide our city, and extend throughout our country and our world with gratitude and in Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Congratulations to the flag of the United States of America and to the public.

Thank you, everyone.

I think that we have room for a proclamation tonight.

And so I will turn it over to Councilmember Johnson.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

And thank you, Council, for our sixth annual recognition and awareness of brain injury awareness month.

I am honored to bring these greetings and to present this proclamation and just to honor survivors that are in the audience and um around our world.

Uh placed on the dias.

This is from Hindfeet Farms.

It's an organization that supports brain injury survivors in our city, and these masks are created by survivors.

What it feels like to have a brain injury from their individual perspective.

So if you get a chance, take a look at those.

Thank you, Mr.

Jones.

That uh the facilities was we were able to accommodate that.

Make sure you all read some of the stories.

Um also there's some green and blue ribbons in honor as well.

Lastly, tonight, um, make sure you check out our skyline.

These the city lights will be lit in blue and green in honor of brain injury awareness.

So thank you to city staff and to the businesses that are supporting awareness tonight.

Whereas recent studies show that an estimated 80 million Americans having a history of a brain injury.

Approximately 31% of U.S.

adults live with an acquired brain injury.

And whereas acquired brain injury is considered a chronic condition and includes injuries sustained from medical conditions such as stroke, meningitis, tumor, lack of oxygen, and includes TBI, suffered from blunt force trauma, concussion, and whereas approximately 50% of individuals who survive a moderate to severe brain injury are unemployed five years after their injury.

And whereas research shows that up to 90% of domestic violence survivors suffer physical injuries to their head, and whereas research shows that up to 50% of unhoused individuals and up to 87% of incarcerated adults report history of a brain injury.

And whereas research shows that up to 50% of unhoused individuals and up to 87% of incarcerated adults report history of a brain injury.

And whereas public awareness and understanding of these injuries, prevalence, prevention, and treatment will improve the recovery process and quality of life for these brave survivors.

Now, therefore, we Alexander Lyles, Mayor of Charlotte, and Mark Jurrell, Chair of the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners, to hereby proclaim March 2026 as Brain Injury Awareness Month in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County and commend its observance to all citizens.

Thank you.

I am presenting these proclamations to Dr.

Kelly Utenham of Brain Talk Foundation.

That's a nonprofit organization designed to raise awareness about brain injury, and also to Tracy Suggs, Protect Your Skull, another organization that promotes awareness and resource advocacy, and they also donate safety equipment to youth and college league.

So both of those individuals can come down.

I'd appreciate it.

Thank you.

Oh, all the way to the right.

Thank you.

So before Councilmember Johnson sits down, and I want to recognize James Mitchell.

Thank you, Mayor.

I'd like to make a motion to suspend the City Council wards and recognition policy that we adopted on March 23rd, 2017.

That policy will related to no remarks or presentation being made during the meeting by the honorees.

But councilmember Johnson has invited five outstanding citizens to speak on this topic.

So I'd like to make the motion so they would speak.

We have a motion and a second.

Any discussion.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All right, let's start.

Let's see.

Our first group will be Dr.

Kelly.

I'm gonna have to really make sure that I work with the name.

So Dr.

Kelly Utenham.

Yep.

Thank you.

Take your time.

Yes, those steps are pretty steep sometimes.

So speak.

And we have two minutes for you to speak, and we're really glad to have you in our in our program tonight.

Thank you.

Go to the podium and yep, right there.

Greetings.

Um, good evening, Mayor, members of City Council, and members of our community.

My name is Dr.

Kelly Utenham.

I'm a medical speech language pathologist and certified brain injury specialist, the founder of Brain Talk Foundation, and an assistant clinical professor at Northeastern University, our Charlotte campus.

Thank you again for recognizing Brain Injury Awareness Month.

Brain injuries are often referred to as invisible injuries, and because of that, they can often be misinterpreted or diagnosed with something else.

But there are all kinds of ailments and TBI to prison pipelines, our youth can be misdiagnosed as having ADHD or having other behavioral issues when it actually could be a concussion.

Multiple concussions to the head results in traumatic brain injury as well as suspected CTE.

Unfortunately, CTE, which stands for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, cannot be diagnosed until after death.

We are seeing studies that show that there are individuals as young as 17 who have died from CTE, and this cannot be determined until the brain can be examined.

And there are multiple individuals who have died and been diagnosed with CTE, including a CMPD officer in 2024 who died by suicide, and his name was Brent Simpson.

And so we'd like to acknowledge him today and the other first responders, such as the firefighters who are here.

Our police officers are at risk when they are apprehending suspects or doing their job.

The same thing with firefighters and other individuals who place their lives on the line for us every day.

So that's my time.

Thank you so much for listening.

So good.

Our next speaker is Aisha Williams.

You're beautiful.

I'm so sorry, it's my first time.

Good evening, Mayor, Council members, members of the Charlotte community.

Thank you for recognizing brain injury awareness.

Traumatic brain injury, often called the silent epidemic effects.

Millions of Americans each year.

Nationwide, more than 2.8 million people experience traumatic brain injury annually, resulting in emergency room visits, hospitalizations, or even death.

In North Carolina alone, tens of thousands of residents are treated for brain injuries every day.

And many go on to experience long-term challenges with memory, employment, mental health, and independence.

Studies show that individuals living with traumatic brain injury are two to three times more likely to experience depression or substance misuse disorder, which highlights the strong connection between brain injury, addiction, behavioral, and behavioral health services.

For me, this issue is deeply personal.

On November 13th of 2014, I experienced a late onset seizure while frying check-in.

I fell, hit my head, and suffered second and third degree burns over 30% of my body.

Since then, I have continued to live with epilepsy in the reality that seizures can cause repeated head injury every day.

After years of recovery, I was able to found two organizations here in the Charlotte community.

Humankind, a behavioral health provider, and SFRST company, a nonprofit organization focused on recovery support and workforce development.

These two organizations are partnered in purpose, where we advocate for those who are unable to advocate through the for themselves.

Through these organizations, we train peer support specialists.

We also offer basic life support training, wrap around behavioral health services that individuals living with mental health conditions and challenges, addictions and disabilities, rebuild stability and return to their meaningful roles in their communities.

Due to my own chronic illness and disability, I am no longer able to run these organizations the way I once did.

But I continue to volunteer and advocate because I know firsthand what recovery support can mean.

Thank you very much.

Thank you for sharing your story.

All right, our next speaker is Tracy Sucks.

Good evening, Mayor, Council members, and members of the Charlotte community.

My name is Tracy Suggs, co-founder of Protect Your School Health and Safety.

And I stand before you today, representing Protect Your Squirrel Health and Safety.

As well as millions of brain injury survivors, caregivers, physicians, therapists, and families whose lives are forever changed with brain trauma or because of brain trauma.

We've heard to hear tonight, and this is something global.

Brain injuries do not discriminate.

It can affect you and your family members at any time.

At any moment, your life can be changed.

At any moment, you can depend on somebody else to help you live your best life possible.

Behind every statistic is a human being working to recover physically, mentally, and emotionally.

For me, this awareness is deeply personal.

As a former college football player, I sustained multiple concussions during my playing career, some documented, some undocumented.

Today that experience fuels my commitment to raise awareness and support for those navigating the long road of recovery.

But brain injury awareness is about more than science and statistics and support.

We're talking about humanity and love and that walk to constantly and always be there for our neighbors.

It is about love for humanity.

Because when someone suffers a brain injury, the journey is not theirs alone.

Families become caregivers, physicians become partners in hope, and communities become part of the healing process.

This proclamation reminds us that awareness must be compassionate.

So that those affected by brain injuries are supported and empowered to live meaningful lives.

And when the lights fade, quality of life matters most.

And there's no one in this building right now that can say your quality of life of yourself, your children, your loved ones, and your peers in the community do not mean everything.

Thank you.

Because when the game is over, is over.

So what impact can you make now?

So thank you for recognizing Brain Injury Awareness Month and for standing with us.

Our next speaker is Miss Bryant.

I'm sorry.

I'm gonna I went from Miss Bryant from Beth Callahan.

And then I tell you what, you guys get both get ready to come on down.

She has a list.

We have two podiums, so you can do it that way.

I love the supporters you're making the way down the stairs.

Come right here, sweetie.

I didn't think I had it.

I'm I'm gonna be the person that says two minutes, okay?

I know it's not an easy job, but I'm gonna do it.

Yes, absolutely.

And I just want to uh commend the the speakers that have said things already because um they certainly have touched on many of the issues that we have faced.

My name is Beth Callahan, I'm executive director of Heinz Feet Farm in Huntersville.

We're nonprofit uh that have been around for about 25 years in this county due to their son, uh the family that started it, their son was injured at 16 of a severe traumatic brain injury.

So we've been serving this community um for 20 going on 26 years, and uh I've been in the field for decades, and all these things that we hear, and we now call it a chronic condition.

We now have to differentiate between acquired brain injuries, um, such as uh council member uh Johnson read in her proclamation.

It is overdoses, it's um strokes, other issues that cause people to have brain trauma, as well as the traumatic um things that we think about, which are motor vehicle crashes, pedestrians hit by cars, etc.

Um, all the things that were mentioned again, um, the the ongoing disabilities, people make huge recovery.

We can see that in many of these speakers already today, but the long-term devastating effects are unbelievable.

And uh, we just appreciate you being here.

Heinzfeet Farm started the uh unmasking project because we knew that survivors couldn't come.

If I had tried to bring some of the survivors, it would have taken them a long time to get up here, and and you may not have understood what they were saying.

So the masks are a way for them to speak out, tell you that life does go on, even though many of them their lives have changed forever.

So we appreciate you, we appreciate you recognizing us, and um just thank you so much, Council Member Johnson for sticking in there with us and and always making our our voices be heard, and please take time to look at those masks.

Thank you very much.

Good evening.

My name is Clark Lane Bryant, and I am a traumatic brain injury survivor.

Before my car wreck, I had a beautiful voice.

I modeled, I completed two years of college.

I knew who I was and when I was where I was going.

Then in a single moment, everything changed.

One car wreck, one impact, one day that split my life into two parts before and after.

When I woke up, I woke up to confusion.

The crash didn't just injure my body, it erased my memory completely.

Everything I had learned from birth to 20 years old was gone.

Not recognizing the people who I loved who loved me.

Not knowing my favorite food, my hobbies, and my own story.

I had to relearn me.

Lost of lots of broken body parts.

My mouth is still wired.

I had to, I had a trach in my neck in feeding tube.

But the hardest part wasn't just the physical injury.

Battles with memory, emotions, and frustration.

Moments when words don't come out right.

Moments when my brain feels overloaded.

Doctors say I will never drive again because I'm blind on the right side of both eyes.

So my parents take me where I need to go.

Grief for the life I thought I would have.

Loneliness when it felt like the world kept moving forward without me because I lost all my friends.

Again, Hines Fe Farm, a day program, a community, a super support system.

It's a place where I met people who truly understand living with a brain injury.

Feels like as I close, I want to leave you with something that carried me through my days.

One car wreck changed my life.

It took away memories, it changed my independence, it reshaped my future, but it didn't, but it did not take my voice, and it did not take my purpose.

There is a difference between facts and faith.

The facts said I would not make it.

But they said my story wasn't over.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Mayor, for that opportunity.

Thank you.

No, thank you for providing us opportunity for us to listen and hear.

And you are beautiful.

So just know it.

So before we move to the next step, I think I see um scouts up there.

Oh, yeah.

So I don't know.

I I guess I'm maybe there's an adult with you.

So council members, uh, District 79.

I've been here before.

I met you at Halken Park.

Um they're working our citizens community very fast and it's at the city council.

Well, thank you for bringing.

So now we're going to begin our open, our public forum.

I might like to thank all of you for joining us, and on behalf of the entire city council, I want to ask you to do a couple of things.

I ask that all speakers and audience members be civil and courteous in their use of language.

I ask that you have our speakers be encouraged to address the council and should be refrained from responding to the audience members.

Likewise, audience members should be courteous to each speaker and not yell out or interrupt someone.

We want to ensure that everyone has a chance to be heard.

So since there are more than ten speakers signed up tonight today, we'll have each speaker will have two minutes to address the council.

And so I want to thank you.

If you'll just remind yourself of those thoughts, and we can do that.

We'll get through this pretty well.

So I would like to have our list from the clerk.

Let's see it.

And here we are.

We'll start with Carson Cone.

Mr.

Cone.

Thank you for coming down.

Scary.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening, everyone.

I would like to uh thank the brain injury speakers.

My prayers go out to you all.

Um counsel, it was truly wonderful to hear you speak about the affordable housing initiative moments ago in the previous meeting.

Um I cannot help but have some doubt too that it might not be enough as the Charlotte Post reported.

There are more than 2400 unhoused in Mecklenburg County in June of 2025.

I speak tonight about a proposal to make housing more affordable at apartments in Charlotte.

I propose that the city create a rule, a regulation that would prevent apartment complexes which are within the city from being able to require of residents that those residents must pay for luxury amenities in addition to paying rent.

Some examples of those amenities include cable TV packages, ballet trash, group fitness training, and social events, to name a few currently being required.

Councilmember Graham, you stated in last year in a meeting last year that Charlotte had a poverty problem.

It would allow more people to go from sleeping in the elements and on the street to sleeping in a place that they could call their own and feel safe in.

What I wondered tonight is whether such a regulation would be legal for the city to pass.

Um I think that it would be best if we had our city attorney address those things because I I know that the people along this dais are I just want you to know that deeply they understand how difficult this problem is and what we need to be doing.

We really work hard at it.

Um Ms.

Mayfield has always helped us in doing this, but I bet everyone on this council has had some opportunity to talk about how can we help the unhoused the issues that are having to be done.

It's really tough sometimes to sit here because we I don't want to get too too Dylan explaining too much about what happens when you're at a council instead of in the legislature.

And so what we need is help from Raleigh.

We need Raleigh to help us develop these opportunities for everyone.

But that's a very difficult time to do, but I hope that you understand that that's what we want, and that's what we will try to make happen.

I want to make sure that you know that this council cares deeply about it.

So if we can get a little bit more information for him, you if you come over this way and you can see this young man right over there, then if you can talk with him a little bit about what we're trying to do, and I promise you, we are trying so hard.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Heather McCollow.

Oh my god.

Yes, there.

Thank you very much.

Two minutes, please.

Thank you.

Good evening.

Uh thank you for the opportunity to speak here tonight.

Uh, my name is Heather McCullough, and I am a resident of District One.

Um, in August 2024, I spoke at the City Council meeting, and in closing, advocated for CMAC to be made an independent city department, and that you solidify a commitment to the adoption center project.

Have fulfilled on both counts.

Thank you for hearing us and taking action.

It has been eight months since these changes and the benefits are already apparent.

One of the biggest being the streamlining of the volunteer application and onboarding process.

Allow me to share a few recent stats that speak to the difference this is making.

Approximately 225 people completed volunteer training in the last five months of 2025.

Previously, that would have taken two years.

The volunteer team grew from under 400 active volunteers at the start of 2025 now to now over 600.

We are averaging 160 volunteers per week versus 80 just two years ago.

We are tracking to onboard 40 to 50 volunteers per month in 2026.

More hands to share the workload means more support for the animals, staff, and community, which creates tangible life-saving outcomes.

Well, this is great progress.

There are still staffing gaps.

With more volunteers comes more coordination and management needs.

Plus, we have a 90% plus save goal, which in order to meet requires a strong and sizable foster community.

On average, we maintain 60% of our animals in foster care.

We do not have space to house those animals at the shelter.

It is vital that we have proper staffing to support our foster program.

As for the new adoption center, I'm excited about the plans that are coming along.

Space that is thoughtfully designed for best practices in animal sheltering and welcoming to prospective adopters will be a game changer.

Thank you again for your support of CMAC support, which in turn enables the shelter community to better serve the Charlotte community.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Baron Bartio.

If I said that correctly, Darren Barreto.

Darren Barreto.

Yes.

Please.

Miss Ma'am.

Mr.

Swite.

We'll come to you next, Terry.

We're going to go here first, okay?

Thank you, Madam Mayor, Council members, and community leaders.

My name is Darren Barreto, and I serve as the founding executive director of the Progress Exchange, a 501c3 nonprofit working to expand pathways to college success for high school students throughout Charlotte.

Here in Charlotte, we are fortunate to have a large student body that serves tens of thousands of students across diverse communities.

And the work being done every day inside those classrooms matters deeply.

At the same time, we know that academic readiness does not stop when the school day ends.

Across our community, there are many bright, capable students with tremendous potential.

Yet some of these same students fall short on standardized college entrance exams like the SAT and the ACT, not because they lack ability, but because they lack access to structured and affordable preparation.

Only 40% of the 11th graders on average score at least at 19 or better, and if you know anything about HCT scoring, 19 is not a great score.

Only 40% of our children achieve that.

When capable when capable students are unable to access the resources that help them compete academically, we risk leaving a great deal of talent on the table.

Through our programs, the exchange works alongside families to reinforce what students are learning while developing confidence and discipline.

Most importantly, we strive to make this preparation accessible by providing the support at little or no cost to the families we serve.

I simply wanted to make you aware that we exist.

We actively work to support Charlotte students, contributing to the broader ecosystem of educational support in the city.

For economic mobility is not only about creating jobs, it's also about ensuring students are academically prepared to compete for those opportunities.

The city's long-term economic strength depends on the readiness of students sitting in classrooms today.

And when we invest in the needed attention and support of our students today, 10 more seconds, we are ultimately investing in the talent and future leadership of our communities.

Thank you very much.

All right, now Ms.

White.

Good evening, and thank you for the opportunity to speak.

For those who don't know me, my name is Harry White, president and CEO of the Charlotte Museum of History, the city's oldest history museum, its newest Smithsonian affiliate, and one of its most active cultural institutions.

We are the Carolinas home for America 250, in part thanks to this council.

So I want to thank each of you for the support and encouragement you have shown the museum thus far.

For those of you who have taken the time to meet with me, you know we have ambitious plans to grow, attract visitors, and eventually become less reliant on public support.

However, today we're an organization searching for lifeblood while our peers receive six and seven-figure investments year over year.

Our staff and facility are at its limits, and next year the same programs you praise us for simply won't happen.

Not because we don't want to do them, but because we will not be able to.

My name is Eric Zavurle, and I'm here on behalf of Sustained Charlotte to speak in support of Vision Zero and to and the need to act with urgency.

Vision Zero is a commitment to ensuring no one loses their lives simply going to work, going to school, or just simply crossing the street.

But in the first two months of 2020, we've already lost 14 people.

And I'm here to remind you when you see those numbers, they're not just numbers, they're people.

Because we just cannot allow these deaths to become routine.

So tonight I want to speak the names of the lives that were taken in January and February.

Anthony Santos, 18.

Comfort, Antwi, 16.

Amber McGee, 37.

Michael Hamilton, 62.

Lance Cento, 25.

Brian Ramirez, 24.

Renard Johnson, 65.

Anthony Stewart, also 65.

Eric 9, 37.

Terrace Crouch, 48.

Sinclair Little, 35.

Deanna Moore, 30.

Marcus Carter, 49.

And Reginald Stow, 56.

Let's take a moment just to recognize them.

Many of these deaths were preventable.

We know what saves lives.

Slower speeds, safer street design, protected bike lanes, and more enforcement, including red light cameras.

So tonight I'm asking you to prioritize applying new red light cameras and also to looking into crash investigations from CDOT so we can learn to prevent these deaths in the future.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is April Lewis.

Oh, double.

I don't see that's not her, so all right.

Our next speaker is Linda Flyers.

That's great.

Sorry.

All right.

Do you have two minutes?

Yes, ma'am.

When people say peace and quality of life, what does that really mean to you?

Good evening, Mayor and City Council members.

My name is Linda Byers, and I am a longtime resident of First Ward and District One.

I am a Charlotte Mecklenburg employee for 21 years, and I've advocated for the City of Charlotte for over a decade.

Tonight I am here as the daughter of a senior homeowner who has lived on Parkside Terrace over 30 years.

Unfortunately, what began as a parking concern has now expanded into an ongoing disruption of peace and quality of life issues for a senior resident.

There have been repeated disturbances around my mother's home, including noise, dog-related nuisance concerns, trespassing, vandalism of private property, nails in her tires, and neighbors intentionally linger in front of our house to intimidate.

Some acts, surprisingly, are from children.

Following a petition that did not include our household.

Thank you.

Mr.

Heath, would you address this for us so that we can continue to learn more about what's going on?

Thank you.

And um, Mayor, I just want to say thank you because I sent you an email, and you sent some of my issues to Animal Control.

They came out to the street, and when they were patrolling the street for a little while, a lot of the stuff kind of died down a little bit, but then it picked back up.

So we're still going through a lot as of today.

Okay.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Cahil Gravenski.

Okay.

All right, so we'll now go to Jordan Hood.

I can I get a different thing.

Good evening, Mayor.

Excuse me, and members of City Council.

My name is Jordan Hood, and I'm the vice president of local 660 660 of the Charlotte Firefighters Association.

Thank you for the opportunity to allow me to speak tonight on behalf of our members regarding our priorities for the 2027 budget.

Last week, several members of our local attended a city's budget retreat and listened carefully as you discussed mobility, growth, and the vision for Charlotte's future.

And it was also very clear that each of you wants to position this city for the long-term success.

Years ago, when I came to Charlotte, I sat in front of the fire department command staff during my interview to become a firefighter with the city.

And I shared a similar goal.

I told them that through hard work and dedication, I hope to do my part in putting the Charlotte Fire Department on the map as well.

But without the proper funding and support, that goal becomes harder to achieve.

Others are working as many hours as possible just to support their families.

As you review the studies and the comparative pay analysis during this budget process, we ask that you consider aligning firefighter pay and benefits with pure cities and providing meaningful relief, including five modified duty positions.

Because every time Charlotte grows, every new building and every new development, the demand is placed on your fire department.

These requests are about supporting the health, the safety, and the effectiveness of the men and women who protect the city.

At the end of the day, the safety of the Charlotte depends on the people.

Thank you very much.

Thank you for your time and for your continued support for the Charlotte Firefighter.

Our next speaker is Stephanie Lasnay.

Stephanie Lashman.

Good evening, City Council and Mayor Lyles.

My name is Stephanie Loss.

I represent the Stillbury Acres neighborhood and the Still Creek community.

I'm here once again this evening to ask you to help me save Stillbury Acres.

The Stillbury Acres neighborhood has had uh detrimental suffering because of manufacturing and logistics development in close proximity to us where the former Still Creek Presbyterian Church and the former Mance property used to be located.

We've lost many of our historic sites, and our neighbors have been impacted heavily.

We've had elderly neighbors that have been forced to leave their homes due to environmental concerns temporarily, and people that have been forced to sell to the airport and have to move out of their forever homes.

So today I want to speak to you about some plans that are coming up.

More work needs to be done on the unadopted community area plans, specifically the West Outer.

There is not much thought that's been given into this.

There's a lot of controversy on how this land should be used, what that future looks like, and it's going to be detrimental to our the future of our neighborhood if something isn't done.

I'm asking for your voices tonight to represent us.

It's time that the airport does not get their way in the name of manufacturing and development and that residents get heard.

Thank you for supporting Stillberry Acres.

Miss Craig Craig.

Could you follow up with her?

No.

Okay, so thank you for that.

Umice of being heard.

All right.

Our next speaker is Cedric Matthews.

Is that Barbara Falcon?

I'm sorry, excuse me.

Do you mind if you would just sit?

No, you could write on that front row.

Um Barbara Falcon.

Sorry.

Looking down.

Yeah.

Okay.

I get so much instruction up here, so much.

So all right.

Our next speaker, of course, is now Cedric Matthews.

Thank you.

Come on, saying Jenkins.

Oh my goodness.

Uh good evening, Mayor, Mayor Proteir Mitchell, Councilmember Graham, and members of council.

Uh, my name is Shedrick Matthews, and I serve on the board of the concerned citizen of Washington Heights.

I'm here tonight to provide some clarity and also share a positive update about the work residents have been doing in Washington Heights over the past year.

Washington Heights has two organizations that care deeply about the neighborhood.

The historic Washington Heights Association, which has been around for many years, and the concerned citizens of Washington Heights, which was formed in 2023 to increase to increase resident engagement and help address quality of life and public safety concerns.

Over the past year, our group has been working hard to organize residents and support the neighborhood.

We've adopted multiple streets via the city's adopt a street program, including Booker, Tate, Dundee, Celia, and surrounding streets.

We've hosted two community cleanup events.

We've organized the town hall with Councilmember Graham and former CMPD Metro Captain Stephen E.

Abela to address public safety concerns.

We participated in the city's neighborhood board retreat.

And we now have more than 30 engaged residents actively participating in neighborhood efforts.

Our goal is simple.

We want Washington Heights to be a safe, engaged, and thriving neighborhood along the Betty's for a quarter.

We appreciate the work the city, CMPD, and council have already been doing, particularly around the writs and public safety along the quarter, including the public space coalitions has recently been stood up.

Going forward, our organization will welcome the opportunity to serve as a direct partner with the city when it comes to neighborhood engagement and communication.

Tonight I'd like to respectfully request the opportunity for a follow-up meeting with Mayor Pro Tim Mitchell and Councilmember Graham, along with members of our board to discuss how we can continue working together to support Washington Heights residents and strengthen community engagement.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

I believe let's see.

We have a few more to go.

Orlando Jacobs, Mr.

Jacobs.

Thank you all so much.

Good evening, Mayor Lyles and members of the council.

My name is Orlando Jacobs.

I'm here tonight because we are at a crossroads.

You are considering a 3.5 million investment for the 1001 Tabola project.

While I support preserving those units, we have to be honest.

We are trying to put out a forest fire with a garden hose.

While we fund isolated projects, the unified development ordinance.

This council passed has opened the floodgates for developers.

Instead of missing middle housing, we see an influx of luxury apartments and massive corporate-owned blocks that are out of reach for low-income neighbors.

Corporate landlords now own roughly 8% of single-family homes in Mecklenburg County and 65% increase since 2019.

These institutional investors outbid our families and then hike rents beyond what local Southers can ever support.

Every time we ask for a rent a cap, we are told your hands are tied by 1987 state law.

It is 2026.

But we know that this council can do what it feels.

I'm sorry, we know what this council can do when it feels the pressure.

Last year, the Republican Party tried to use the tragic killing of Irina Zaruska as a political weapon.

They attacked this Democratic leadership and this mayor, claiming soft and crime policies were to blame.

But the citizens of Charlotte stood firm.

We saw through the attacks, we showed our support at the ballot box, and we voted Mayor Lyles back into office.

In return, your work you worked with state leaders to pass our arena's law.

You proved that when the stakes are high, you can find the legislative energy to change the state level rules.

We need that same level of support from you now.

I am calling out the lack of bold public opposition from this democratic body against these preemptive laws.

It is not enough to say the 1987 ban exists.

I understand that the legislation is what holds your hands, but at the same time you have influence with the same people who are running for office on the legislative branch.

We need to get affordable housing to get that law changed.

People are on the streets, and so are animals.

We can't even house animals.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I want to thank you all for the way that you've addressed us.

It has been an honor to listen to you, and I hope that we will be able at some point to join together and say we were successful.

Okay.

Thank you very much.

So let's um we're going to continue to move on.

Okay, well, you're with me.

So let's see.

We have the public.

Great job, Orlando.

Okay.

Now it's time for us to do a little bit of internal work.

So we're going to start off with item number eight.

Public hearing and decision for an installation financing contract for equipment and public facilities.

Mayor move uh move for approval A, B, and C.

Second.

We have a motion and a second.

We need to close the hearing.

Oh, yeah.

Make a motion to close the public hearing.

Second.

All right.

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

So all in favor.

And approve a.

Thank you.

And everyone approves the A B and C.

All right.

The next item is item number nine, a public hearing and decision on resolution to close a portion of an alleyway off East Worthington Avenue.

Is there a motion?

So move to close public hearing.

And approve A and approve.

All right.

Any discussion?

That was a really be two seven.

All right.

All in favor, please raise your hands.

Is anyone opposed?

No one's opposed.

Okay.

The next item is public hearing and decision on a resolution to close a portion of alleyway off Piedmont Street.

Do we have a motion?

Motion to close public hearing and approve A and B mayor.

All right.

We have a motion on the floor.

All in favor, anyway.

Opposed.

Let me need a second.

We have a Ms.

Ms.

Mira is our second.

And all in favor, please raise your hands.

Anyone oppose?

Thank you very much.

All right.

The next item that we have is item 11 public hearing and decision on resolution to close a portion of right-of-way adjacent to 1519 Crystal Road.

Motion of close public hearing and approve A and B Mayor.

We have a motion.

Second.

We have a second.

All in favor, please raise your hand.

Anyone oppose?

All right.

Thank you very much.

The next item is 12 public hearing and a decision on a resolution to close a portion of right-of-way adjacent to 5516 Gorham Drive.

Do we have a motion?

Oh, hearing and approved B.

Sorry, did I could I hear you, Ed?

We conducted the hearing technically.

We're okay.

We're already through that.

All right.

Okay, so the um we have a second.

A second.

All in favor.

Anyone oppose?

Okay, let's go to the next one.

Item 13, public hearing and decision on a resolution to close a portion of right-of-way off Harris Oaks Boulevard.

Do we have a motion?

D4.

Second.

We have a motion and a second.

So move.

I'm waiting for the second.

We have a motion.

I need to close the hearing.

And approve the council member Johnson second.

Okay, we have a second.

So with that, um any all in favor, please raise your hand.

Anyone opposed?

So let's continue on.

The next item is 14, a public hearing and decision on Summerwell, Mountain Island voluntary annexation.

Um so do we have a we now have to open a public hearing for this?

Do we have a speaker for Mountain Island?

Andrew Pellin, Mr.

Pellin.

There he is, Mayor.

I see.

Yeah.

We have a speaker, Mr.

I don't really have much to say to you guys tonight.

I just wanted to give you a little brief overview of the project and answer any questions that you may have.

Uh we've got a community consisting of 171 residences.

It's 156 duplex town homes and 15 single family homes.

Uh our permits are pending approval through the city of Charlotte, uh, subject to this annexation this evening.

It's an N1A zoning.

Uh we are building it by right.

We'll be leaving the zoning in place.

And we've got Wheel Service from Duke Energy, Charlotte Water, and all of our typical data providers.

So be happy to answer any questions specific to this project tonight.

Does council have a question for the speaker?

Oh, we have so Miss Mayfield followed by Arius.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

So for clarification, what's in front of us tonight is for uh annexation.

What you just shared with us is uh multifamily development that you're considering for this site that you are attempting to annex into Charlotte Limits today.

Yes, ma'am, that's correct.

So what I want us to consider is we just had our fire department speak with us with concerns because every time we approve a new development, we're also taking into consideration as was just mentioned.

What's before us tonight is the request of an annexation?

It will be helpful for staff.

Thank you.

I was giving you time to get to the stage to give us a little bit more information regarding this annexation and what exactly would the impact be.

Not only just on resources, it is noted in here that there's a potential revenue that could be generated on this annexation.

It will be helpful to know how staff identified that proposal or projection.

Right.

So we do have fiscal impact analysis, Holly Kramer planning.

Apologies.

We do fiscal impact analysis on every single annexation.

This is based off of the proposal and the development within that site.

And so based off of the single families units that they have proposed, we estimate revenue generated, but also costs incurred year on year.

And FIRE did respond to this request.

They said this is within their uh four-minute travel time window, and they would be able to serve this annexation area effectively.

They expressed no concerns over this site, and we also received polling responses from all other major municipal service providers and saw they also expressed no concerns over servicing this site.

Uh we do have general policy process improvements that we're working on as a larger project and annexation that I hope to come to you all soon at a TPD meeting to share where we are on those items.

But as for this annexation, we have no concerns over serviceability or infrastructure needs.

And final question for staff.

Earlier today, we received our proposal for the additional seven areas under the community area plan where we had some clarifications, especially after conversations in the Mountain Island Lake area.

If this were to move forward, would this be under our new policies where we have clear goals that have been identified based on communities input and looking at our tree canopy, our land use review as well as guidance, would it be under the new recommended policies or the current language that's out there?

So I apologize, my computer just died, so I can't look up what area plan geography this is and so I can follow up with you on that.

But I will say that annexation isn't specifically referenced in the area plan documents.

We do talk about it briefly in the comprehensive plan documents and how we try to use annexation to apply effectively plan for our future.

And part of that is doing that fiscal analysis and trying to understand impact to resources.

So in terms of community input and community engagement, it's not the same as I would say with rezoning because with an annexation, you're talking about a voluntary petition request where the property owners have come to us with a petition to annex, and we are just conducting a general analysis on the RN to say whether or not we believe we could service the site, and we come to you all to say whether or not you'd like to accept it within city limits.

But uh this is something that we could probably explore further during our policy and process updates that I'd like to present to you on soon at an upcoming TPD meeting.

So we're thinking about how we have the opportunity to be proactive.

If we already know from the petitioner what the plan is for the area, and we know the first step of that is annexation, it seems like our next step would be to make sure that it aligns with our goals.

I'm just trying to understand if it is under alignment under the previous language, or is it under alignment or what we have identified as additional language that we still have yet to vote on, but we will be voting on just to be proactive under the new policies that Director Holmes outlined earlier today.

Yeah, I can look at that further.

A lot of those new policies in regards to you know community character or or of course manufacturing logistics, we can assess on a case-by-case basis.

But I will say when it comes to annexation requests, we are not considering the question of entitlements as we are in the rezoning process where you are asking whether or not the development proposed or the requested entitlements are appropriate and justified.

We are asking whether or not we if can effectively service the site and whether or not it meets our annexation city policy.

This is a by-right development proposal as the petitioner has stated here.

So they already have the entitlements in place.

The neighborhood won a request, and with our annexation city policy and guidelines, what we do is conduct the fiscal analysis just based off the estimated development within the site and the entitlements and what they allow up to.

So if we want to refine that further, that's something that we would do on a holistic level under the process and policy shifts that we're thinking of, and that we'll present to you on here soon.

Thank you, Mayor.

All right.

Any further discussion?

Oh no.

Okay.

All right, we have a motion on the floor.

Um, all in favor.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, more than a majority of for the council opposed.

Um I I know let me go.

Anyone can say is there any opposition?

We have two people in opposition.

Thank you very much.

Um thank you very much.

Thank you.

Okay.

All right.

So let's see.

Next, we're gonna cats we're going to move into the policy section of our agenda.

Um and I guess the question is City Manager, do you have any updates for the council this evening?

Yes, Mayor and members of council have a brief update.

I just wanted to uh thank you as a follow-up to the annual strategy meeting uh last week, two days of uh significant, I believe, progress in terms of the staff and the council.

Um your thoughts, your perspectives on the nineteenth in your packet.

We're going to provide you what I would call some buckets, some responses whether things should um just compromise, should be referred to committee, or maybe a future policy item.

And big shout out to the mayor pro tem for helping navigate through all of this and the great swag that many of you have placed on uh him, but we also wanted to share with the community the same uh video that we shared with you during the retreat.

And these are just some of the highlights of your treatment.

I know looking good.

Oh, delete it.

Where's the one we jumped at?

Wait a minute, wait a minute.

You get off the group.

Well thank you.

I tend to do that often.

Oh my gosh, you know.

I don't know.

I think Kimberly wins this one.

Look at it.

All right.

And that's the report, Mayor and Casey.

Well, thank you.

I think that's a great report.

We should do it more often.

That's very with that.

We um I believe that that ends our business meetings.

What do we got to do more of?

All right, we got sixteen.

Nine, ten.

Oh my gosh, we have a big thing to do right now, especially so we're now moving to the business section of the agenda for item sixteen.

Is there a motion to approve the an interlocal agreement between the city of Charlotte and the City of Rock Hill to provide express bus service?

So move.

We have a motion.

Second.

We have a second.

Any discussion?

Hearing no discussion.

All in favor, please raise your hand.

Anyone?

I think that's four or five.

Did I do it?

Can I can we get your numbers one, two, three, four?

Oh, okay.

We're good unanimous now.

All right, thank you.

Um, so that's that one, and let's continue on our march.

The next business item is for CATS Transportation Demand Management Grant application for item 17.

Is there a motion to adopt a resolution to apply for and accept the transportation demand management program grant and the amount of one four 1496 and $4 from North Carolina?

Move for approval.

Okay.

We have a motion for approval.

Any discussion?

All in favor, raise your hands.

Thank you very much.

Anyone opposed?

We'll just all right.

The next item is CATS Red Line Design Contract Amendment for item 18.

Is there a motion to approve a contract amendment?

Circuit we have it for $37,900,000 for with HDR engineering.

We have a motion and a second.

Is there any further discussion?

Two hands over.

We have a couple of folks.

Let's start right here.

We'll go with Ms.

Ajmira, then we'll come around and Miss Johnson.

We'll okay.

Do the cleanup.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Well, I'll keep it brief.

The red line has been talked about for years, and this steps this step helps us move us closer to the reality of building a red line.

So kudos to the leadership team, especially Mr.

Jones, for bringing this vision to reality soon.

All right.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um, I just wanted to underscore this moment.

Um it was a big moment in our community last year when we had the vote for the referendum, and as we quite often say, the community supported the referendum, but there were some on an opposition.

But as we know, the red line is so critically important for the rest of the work to get done, as 50% of it has to be completed before other projects can begin.

So this is actually a a really really good step, and I'm happy to see it happen so quickly after we voted for the referendum.

We're just three months into the new year, so I'm I'm excited about this for the community and excited to advance our mobility plan.

All right, coming this way.

No, no, thank you.

Mr.

Drake's so I just want to note uh this is happening because of the manager's gutsy move spending 74 million dollars to buy that property and gambling on the success of the referendum, and I just I have to give him credit for brilliance because without that, uh none of it, none of the rest of it would have happened.

So I do appreciate that.

Um I wanted to note though the uh for the record, the last sentence says the PAVAC requires that this be completed before any other project.

Technically speaking, it says that 50 percent of this must be done before any other project can be completed, just to set the record straight.

But I think this is an exciting development.

Okay, thank you, Ed, for that.

All right, Miss Mayfield.

Thank you, Mayor.

This is an example that I attempted to address earlier tonight.

Action A, approve a contract amendment any amount not to exceed 37 million nine hundred thousand or planning and design services.

So we know how to write the language.

I would hope that we're not looking at amendment number seven, as we had a project earlier where we were already up to seven, and evidently it seemed like it was difficult to have the language that we have tonight.

It clearly says an amount not to exceed and clearly says that this is for planning and design.

So as long as we have that language as the phases are brought before us, we know on the front end and can always refer back to the original language as we are releasing because community, if you don't know, we're not releasing this entire amount as the phases and work is presented to us, we will be moving forward, but this language also identifies us adopting a budget ordinance appropriating 1,500 in fund balance to the CATS debt service fund.

So the CATS Capital Projects Fund so that community also understand we are being respectful of those that supported the one percent sales tax, and we're not out here trying to spend money that we do not have yet.

All right, would you have any comments?

So we'll continue.

Is uh let's see, Miss Johnson.

And thank you, madam mayor.

I just wanted to get an update when this was presented to us initially.

I think there were three additional stops in district four.

Uh so I just want to confirm that that's uh still the case, or do we have an update or any updated renderings, or when will we receive that information?

Rents on its way down.

That's the question.

Good evening, members of council.

I'm Brent Cagle, and I'm CEO.

Uh Ms.

Johnson, to your question.

So this will this will allow us to move forward with design up to 30 percent and enter into environmental.

This is part of the process to make final decisions on all stop locations that will be completed in a process called final ratification of the locally preferred alternative or LPA, and before we can bring an LPA forward, we need to continue moving design forward.

Okay, so then do you have an idea of when we would see the the next step or then I can get back to you with the with the um timeline on that?

Okay, but again, as as we go through design, we evaluate uh final stop locations associated with the red line.

Okay, thank you.

That's all I have.

All right, so is there any other discussion?

Hearing none.

I who who made the motion?

I did.

All right, Mr.

Ashmira.

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

Anyone opposed?

That's a unanimous.

Thank you very much.

Initial finding the next item 19 initial findings resolution on 2026 general airport revenue bonds and construction period financing.

Um, and so the resolution of 2026 General Airport Bonds and construction.

Where do you like to go?

So move to approve any motion and a second.

Um, any further discussion hearing none, all in favor.

Excuse me.

It's unanimous, thank you.

Um, and now we will go to nomination.

Um, just don't leave.

You cannot leave.

All right, Madam Clerk.

Yes, ma'am.

Um, I will provide the nominations to you tonight if you are so inclined.

Um, anyone receiving more than six nominations at the conclusion of um the names upon a motion, a second and a vote.

These individuals can be appointed uh by acclamation or the agricultural advisory board, Warren Henderson received eight nominations, or the business advisory committee, Shelby Williams received seven nominations for the uh Charlotte Business Inclusion Advisory Committee.

Gerald Carr received nine nominations.

Or the recommendation from the Latin American Chamber of Commerce also for Charlotte Business Inclusion.

Uh the incumbent Erlin Martinez Castro received ten nominations for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Public Access Corporation, Dragon McClenney received eight nominations, or the Charlotte Water Advisory Committee.

Robert Stewart received ten nominations for the community relations committee, Edward Brathwaite received eight nominations.

Latoya Green received nine nominations for the historic district commission.

Received 10 nominations, or the neighborhood matching grants fund, or the business representative, Sheila Jones received 10 nominations for the neighborhood representatives.

There were two appointments to be made, and Sharif Hannon and Wanda Houston both received seven nominations.

Those are the nominations received on this evening.

By acclamation, I could we have a motion and a second to approve by acclamation.

All in favor, please raise your hand.

Anyone opposed?

That passes unanimously.

So I know we have a closed session.

Um, but I think that our attorney is going to provide the motion for that.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I respectfully request a motion to go into closed session pursuant to NCGS 143-318.1183 to preserve the attorney client privilege in the matters of in the matter of 2025 biennial consolidated carbon plan and integrated resource plans of Duke Energy Carolina's LLC and Duke Energy Progress LLC before the North Carolina Utilities Commission and Khalis versus City of Charlotte and Kelly versus City of Charlotte.

All right, we have a motion.

All in favor.

Second.

All in favor, aye.

Let's let's try to do this quickly.

I agree.