Hello, everyone, and good evening.

Pleasure to have everyone here.

Uh, we're gonna call the meeting to order at 7 p.m.

And I'll ask that you join me in a moment of silence.

Thank you.

Now pass it over to Councilmember Freeman for the Pledge of Allegiance.

Thank you.

It's our practice to stand and salute the flag and say the pledge together if you'd like to join us or able to.

Thank you.

One nation on your time.

Thank you.

All right, Madam Clerk, will you please call the role?

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Mayor Williams.

Here.

Mayor Potem Middleton.

I'm here.

Councilmember Baker.

Here.

Councilmember Caballero.

Here.

Councilmember Cook.

Here.

Councilmember Freeman.

Present.

Councilmember Riss.

Here.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right, we'll start with our proclamations.

Councilmember Caballero, would you like to start us off?

Good evening, everyone.

It's my honor to read the Welcoming Week proclamation for those folks who are here for that.

Jennifer Bell and others, if y'all could come up and join me, that would be great.

Whereas Welcoming Week was launched in 2012 by Welcoming America as an annual campaign and celebration of to showcase the movement of communities striving to be more welcoming places for all, including immigrants, and whereas U.S.

census data reflects that 14.7 of the city's population is foreign-born compared to 13.5 of the nation's population being foreign-born.

And whereas welcome welcome week provides individuals and communities the opportunity to proclaim and exercise their welcoming values through events and initiatives that build strong relationships between native born and foreign-born residents, and whereas the city of Durham strives to be a welcoming, diverse and innovative community that prioritizes available access to programs and services and building systems where all residents have a feeling of belonging and ensuring that communities that have been historically excluded from decision-making processes can actively participate.

And whereas the City of Durham aims to strengthen its foundation and improve the quality of life for all residents through its commitment to foster communities that are connected, engaged, and diverse.

Now, therefore, I Leonardo Williams, Mayor of the City of Durham, North Carolina, do hereby proclaim September 12th through the 25th, 2025 as welcome week 2025 in the city of in the city of Durham and urge all citizens to acknowledge that differences among neighbors are something to be celebrated, and that when we choose to share our stories and find our commonalities, we shape our future.

Witness my hand and the corporate seal of the city of Durham, North Carolina this 15th day of September 2025.

Thank you.

Every day in my job, I see how how important uh it is to get information in one's own language and how that is fundamental to belonging.

So as part of Welcoming Week, I would like to invite everyone uh to stop by the City Hall lobby, where we have on display um Roots in Shared Soil, Refugees and Triangles Grow Together, which is a project that was created by Duke students and is on loan to us this week.

Um, we are also excited to announce that we will have a new episode of our community stories premiering that has voices of people of long-term Durham residents who've come here from other countries.

So we will be screening those through uh out the month of October in uh celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month as well.

And now it is my privilege to pass the microphone to the chair of the Hispanic, uh the Mayor's Hispanic Latino Committee.

Good evening.

Hello, everyone.

Uh Mayor Williams, thank you, City Council members.

Thank you.

My name is Josué Córdoba, and I am the chair of the mayor's Hispanic Latino Committee.

On behalf of that committee, it is an honor to be here with all of you to celebrate welcoming week.

Welcoming week reminds us that our city is stronger when every neighborhood, no matter where people come from, feels a sense of belonging.

Today there are close to 50,000 Hispanic Latinos residents in the city of Durham, followed by national from China, India, and the Philippines, and many other countries from around the world.

Many others, including myself, have migrated internally from other states within the United States to Durham.

We have made Durham our city.

Let's not forget the voices and contributions of every of everyone, immigrants, refugees, and asylumes.

We are here to enrich the culture, the language, the businesses, and the future of the city.

Please welcome everyone.

Please welcome your neighbors, your bus drivers, your bank tellers, and treat everyone with kindness, respect, and love.

I know and I feel, I know it and I feel it, but we need to do our part.

I want to thank you.

I want to thank our city leaders, our partners, and community members, for supporting close to uh for supporting the Hispanic Latino residents in the city of Durham and many others from around the world.

This is your city, this is our city.

We all are welcome here.

Welcoming week, it's about creating spaces of inclusion for everyone and promoting a sense of belonging for people of all the backgrounds in the community.

I welcome you, and I hope you can welcome me too.

Thank you.

Good evening, everyone.

Um how timely was that first proclamation?

How timely.

Uh I have the honor of uh, I I actually am trying to uh do a better job at passing out proclamations to my colleagues to read since I do most of the talking, but I was biased on tonight before I became uh a restaurant tour with my wife uh in an elected office, I was in education, and I remember seeing this young fellow behind me as the leader of North Carolina Association of Educators, NCAE.

And I just remember just looking up to this really nice man, my first year teaching, and uh um I got into education advocacy uh because of this uh also former council member uh from War 3.

But my bias also is there's another council member standing here who was on council when there were 13 council seats, Councilmember Keller, and also when the City Council and City Hall was in the arts council building.

So I'm standing here with two council members representing Ward 1, Councilmember Keller, and Ward Two, I'm sorry, Ward Two, um Councilmember Davis.

So uh I wanted to stand here and uh honor their presence as we talk about this proclamation on Constitution Week and Durham Resident Involvement Week.

So the proclamation reads as, whereas Congress has declared that Constitution Week shall be observed in the United States from September 17th through 23rd each year, and whereas in 1920, the 19th Amendment amendment, which extended the right to vote to women, was ratified.

However, North Carolina was not one of the ratifying states.

And whereas more than 50 years later, in 1971, several Durham women, including Ruth Mary Meyer and Margaret Keller, along with the North Carolina League of Women Voters, urged the General Assembly to retroactively ratify the 19th Amendment.

This legislative process was officially introduced by Durham Representative Willis Wichard.

The General Assembly passed the legislation and it was signed by Governor Bob Scott.

And whereas in 1964, the 24th Amendment, which outlawed the use of poll taxes as a voting restriction, was added to the U.S.

Constitution.

However, North Carolina was not one of those ratifying states.

And whereas, 25 years later, in 1989, Tanya Robinson, James Reeves, and the Hillside High School Student Council urged the General Assembly to retroactively ratify the 24th Amendment.

This legislative process was officially introduced by the Durham representatives H.

M.

Mickey Michael and Sharon Thompson.

The General Assembly passed the legislation and it was signed by Governor Jim Martin.

It's not that long ago.

Now, therefore, I, Leonardo Williams, mayor of the City of Durham, North Carolina, do hereby proclaim September 17th through 23rd, 2025 as Constitution and Durham Resident Involvement Week in the City of Durham and urge all residents to salute the Durham residents who led the State of North Carolina to retroactively ratify the 19th Amendment and the 24th Amendment to the United States Constitution.

So witness my hand and the corporate sale of the City of Durham, North Carolina this 15th day of September 2025.

Thank you, Mayor Williams, Mayor Pro Tem, Council Members, members of the audience, staff, thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to indicate that Durham was able to get two previously unratified amendments to the United States Constitution ratified retroactively in 1971 and in 1989.

Durham residents led the way in those cases, and I would like to stand out of the way and allow you to hear from a member who, as the mayor has indicated, is a former City Council member.

Actually, she was telling me that she was on the council that moved into this building.

So I'd like to introduce to you Margaret Keller.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor and members of the council for the recognition of a significant event which occurred many years ago.

Because I'm one of the few persons from the 1971 Durham League of Women Voters who is still with us, I am grateful to remember not only the opportunity that I had to spend time in Raleigh trying to encourage the passage of this bill by our legislators there, but also to call to remembrance the yeoman's work that was done by two Durham residents of the League of Women Voters, Ruth Mary Maya and Barbara Smith, neither one of whom are still with us.

Again, my thanks for your recognition of this event, even though it's been a long time ago, but it's certainly been an event which many of us feel has changed the way we live and the way we do things.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening, everyone.

Uh Dietriana Freeman, and I am here with Adam.

Adam Hoppler with Dementia Exclusive.

Is that Durham Dementia Inclusive or is it?

Durham Dementia Inclusive for a proclamation on World's Alzheimer's and Dementia Day.

And thank you for being here.

Knowing this issue, I have to say knowing this issue is near and dear to my heart, there are so many caregivers in our community who go unnoticed.

And I just want to say in this moment is thank you, thank you, thank you.

So proclamation, whereas this year's world theme is Acts About Dementia, Acts About Alzheimer, reminding us that it is never too early and never too late to seek information and support to change the perception many people, including health care professionals still hold that dementia is the normal part of aging.

And whereas one out of three older adults die with Alzheimer's disease and other related dementia in North Carolina as of 2024, and caregivers provide almost 11 billion dollars, I'll say that again, 11 billion dollars of unpaid labor to those living with dementia.

And whereas evidence suggests that when people with dementia and their families are well prepared and supported, their shock, anger, and grief are best balanced by reassurance and empowerment.

And whereas Durham invites you to join in partnership, collaboration, and advocacy efforts to promote well-being, inclusive and health equity for people with dementia.

Now, therefore, I, Leonardo Williams, mayor of the city of Durham, North Carolina, do hereby proclaim September 21st, 2025, as world's all Alzheimer's and Dementia Awareness Day in the City of Durham and urge all citizens to acknowledge people with dementia and their caregivers, especially on September 21st, and attend the Dementia Inclusive Inc.

annual forum on September 17th themed empowered minds, boost brain health, lower dementia dementia risk, and find support, learn and discover.

Witness my hand in the corporate seal of the city of Durham, North Carolina, this the 15th day of September.

Uh Leonardo William, mayor of the city of Durham, and uh hope to be um joined by many of my colleagues at the event.

Thank you.

City Council and neighbors, uh, thank you very much for this uh recognition of World Alzheimer's Day.

My name is Adam Hoppler.

I am the chair of the board for Dementia Inclusive Incorporated.

Dementia Inclusive aims to build a community culture of well-being, inclusion, health equity, hope for persons at risk of or living with dementia, their care partners here in Durham County, uh Durham City, and creating this type of culture requires all of us.

As an attorney regularly working with friends and family that are caring for loved ones who can no longer care for themselves.

I see the way that dementia creates a void that pulls in friends and family, pulling them away from community.

When strong bonds are not already in place before the evidence of dementia, it is incredibly difficult to make them under the stress that is created by it later.

Personally, I have felt those bonds of family and community stretched by dementia, but have been blessed in my case that they were secure long before.

Dementia Inclusive Incorporate uh participates in World Alzheimer's Day by holding a forum each September.

We hear presentations, meet in small groups to make connections among people and organizations to address dementia needs here in Durham.

This year's forum is this Wednesday, September 17th at the Durham Convention Center.

It is themed Empowered Minds.

We'll have speakers that are talking about risk management, new treatment, and local support services.

I'm excited to announce, but also to regret for those not registered that attendance has been maxed out for this year.

Uh that being said, more information or to simply bookmark for registration in 2026.

Uh our website is Dementia Inclusive Incorporated.com.

Again, we thank you very much in participating in World Alzheimer's Day through this proclamation, strengthening the bonds of our community, uh, which will be needed to make aging well with Durham a reality.

Thank you.

Thank you so much to everyone.

At this time, we'll uh uh resume.

Thank you.

We're presumed with our uh council remarks.

Councilmember Cook.

Thank you.

Um and thank you, Mr.

Hoppler, for being here and for the work your organization does.

Um also near and dear to my heart, my dad died of a uh type of Alzheimer's or a type of dementia, not not Alzheimer's.

Um, and his yard sights coming up in a few weeks here.

So um, yeah, thank you for the work you do and uh have some very personal experience with that and know how difficult it can be.

Um not much for me tonight.

I just want to say that my heart is going out to uh the folks who are victims of the shootings that we had this weekend in Durham.

Um, and also we had unfortunately a pedestrian death from a hit and run.

Um and so I know that the community is hurting, and I just want to send my best wishes out and remember that we have a lot of work to do locally, and um I know we talk about it a lot and um politicise it and um yeah, a lot going on in this season, especially.

Uh, but just to remember that those are folks' lives and and real folks are impacted by that violence, and so my heart goes out to them, and we're doing the best.

I am doing the best that I can up here to ensure that folks' needs are met so that we can truly tackle violence at its root.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Baker.

Thank you to all who are here and watching at home.

Um wanted to share some of the words that that inspired me just now.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Cordova, for your words.

This is your city, this is our city, and we are all welcome here.

And I think in this time in this moment in this city and in our country, those words are stronger and more powerful than ever.

Uh, this is happy welcoming week.

It sounds fairly benign.

It sounds pretty easy to do.

We welcome people.

But right now, that's almost a radical thing.

It's to be welcoming and to celebrate the tens of thousands of immigrants that live in our city, have lived here for so long.

There are very few of us who have who are indigenous to this land, to this soil.

Uh, many of us have uh ancestors that have come here or we have come here.

Uh so at some point or another, there has had to be welcoming, and we need to be a welcoming community.

And I was born and raised here in Durham, and I celebrate uh with you all welcoming week.

Uh it's an important con commitment and an important value of our city and of our of our community.

So we are living in this time of division where people are being told that we need to be torn apart, where social media and corporate media are so loud in saying you need to demonize this person or that person because they're different.

Gen Z needs to hate the millennials, needs to hate the baby boomers, people divided by race, divided by gender.

This message is not coming from truth.

It's coming from power.

It's coming from the powerful who have the resources and benefit from us all being divided, using this message.

Divide and conquer, so that we can't find that we all are have so much more in common and can come together.

They are pushed by people with very large platforms, platforms and corporate media and social media, and those are the people who it's meant to benefit.

But there's so much more that unites us than uh divides us.

And most of the same things are the things that we all want in our communities.

We're all united by what we want.

We want adequate housing.

We want economic justice, we want to feel comfortable, we want to know that if we lose our jobs, uh if we get sick, we're not gonna lose our jobs.

And if we lose our jobs, there's something there to help us, and we won't hit the streets.

We want to feel safe in our communities.

We want our children to be safe when they go to school.

And yet, as council member uh uh cook pointed out, just last week uh we were hitting this city in this country again with more violence.

It's a violent country.

We were hit with more of it.

Two people shot dead on the same day here in the city, a pedestrian killed in a hit and run.

We look across the country, and there's so much more of that in so many other cities.

Another school shooting in Colorado, yet another one that keeps passing, keeps happening.

And we know that our elected officials in Washington are not gonna do anything because the majority up there are bought and sold by the gun manufacturing industry.

There's too much money to be made, there's too much money to be made by conquering and dividing.

I do want to say that when someone dies, we are not obligated to rewrite the story of when they were alive.

How someone dies doesn't undo the way that they lived.

And if their words fueled hate, if their platform spread division, we can tell the truth with compassion.

But we still should tell it.

Accountability doesn't cancel humanity, it honors it.

And so I'm honored to work in a city with a police chief who holds values consistent with the values of our community.

I support her.

I look forward to her continued hard work and engagement with our communities, and I stand behind our chief 100% right now.

Unity isn't about pretending that everything is fine.

It's not about brushing things aside.

It's about choosing to move forward together with clear eyes.

And it's about standing up to those who profit from our division.

We're not as different as they want us to believe, and the sooner we remember that, the sooner we can build a better city and a better world.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Cavriero.

Thank you.

Good evening, everyone.

Thank you to my colleagues for their comments.

First of all, I do want to, it is uh welcoming week, and it's also uh first day of Hispanic Heritage Month.

I do want to um the reason that we celebrate Hispanic Heritage month, it's September 15th through October 15th, it's because there are several countries in Latin America that have Independence Day uh this month, so I want to uh shout out uh Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Andreas, and Nicaragua.

Their uh Independence Day is um today.

Mexico is September 16th, Chile is September 18th, and Belize is September 21st.

So um, felices y estas paras.

Um I think it's gonna be an interesting month of celebrations.

As we know, there has been a lot of targeted hate uh and a lot of um, in my opinion, uh inaccurate um legal rulings coming down from the Supreme Court that is uh allowing uh certain types of folks to be targeted uh for immigration enforcement, and so I am thinking about uh Latinos across this month uh and how how hard that's going to be.

Um it's interesting to me.

So there's in my heart, there's always two 9-11s.

There was a coup in Chile on 9-11 uh in 19 uh 73.

And so I always think about how uh while the US also had something awful and hateful happened on 9-11, uh, I always carry the two.

And for me, it's a very marked uh distinction.

I don't know what would have happened had that not happened in Chile.

Don't think my family would have emigrated here had that not happened.

Uh that there is a clear before and after in Chilean history that marks time, marks history, marks your orientation to many things.

And subsequently a week later, is Independence Day.

Uh so it's always uh for me when I watch Chilean news or I read what folks are posting on social media, it's always that um story being told.

They failed democracy, they did not withstand the values and the ideas that held their constitution together.

There was a military coup and a dictatorship, and then there was a return back to democracy.

And so how a culture, how people, how how you define that, how you articulate that history is always an interesting thing.

And there's a quote that comes up a lot, and it's la memoria no hay futuro.

So without memory, there is no future.

And I think about that honestly, with this country.

If we do not learn our history, if we do not understand our history, if we cannot critically think about our history, we do not have a future.

So when I think about all of the hate and all of the anger that we're seeing across this country, played out often by young men, and as a mom of two young men, that sits with me very heavily.

What are the what are the conversations we're having?

What are the stories we're sharing?

What is the history we're reflecting upon?

And what are we doing both in our civic engagement and our daily lives to chart a different future?

And so that is what I call on all Durham residents to do.

What are we doing individually and in community together to chart a different future for our city but also for this country in this very trying moment?

And what energy are you putting out there, and what words are you putting out there, and what intentions and actions are you putting out there?

And I think it is a time of reflection to really think through that and act in a way that is decent, that imagines the dignity of others, and to walk with a lot of grace in this moment because everyone's carrying something.

And so it is a collective call, but it's also what are you doing as a person and what are we doing as a city?

One of the things I often say is I will always bet on us on Durham.

I've seen us stand up and challenge and live through really hard things, and so I know we're gonna do that again.

But I do need all of us to remember that we are all in this together, and we don't we don't have a different future if we don't remember that shared humanity between us.

So thank you.

That's all.

Thank you.

Councilmember Freeman.

Thank you, good evening, everyone.

Happy September.

It is my birthday month.

I will be celebrating all month long as I have been.

I will say that it is it is with heavy, heavy heart.

Um, any time that there's loss of life, um, it's incredibly difficult uh to navigate without you know knowing that it's it's someone's child, it's someone's sibling, someone's, you know, father, mother, sister, like all of those things.

And so I want to say specifically, you know, I want to send my condolences uh to those who are experiencing that type of grief, um, whether around gun violence or hit and run, and um I just want to say that it is really important that we share light.

It is important that we continue to be welcoming and continue to be truth tellers with accountability in a way in which that honors our collective humanity without um diverting or re like restorizing what has happened in the past and in the future um because what what you do now and you forget is repeated.

And I I just want to kind of harp on a little bit of Councilmember Caballero's conversation around independence and just acknowledge that you have to be in the you have to be unindependent to claim independence, and so that shared collective uh experience that many Latin American countries face, we face here in this country, and many others, as very white, Eurocentric colonization took hold of this world, and we're still we're still facing those challenges today as that same white Eurocentric violence.

I can call it racism, but violence, that white violence is just flowing through on these little devices all day long, and these devices and all different devices into your home, into your workspace, and it's it's really incumbent upon each and every one of us to figure out how to support uh I'll even just say just focusing on the children, just knowing like they're also navigating these conversations, and so you know, as I experience the stress of being, you know, under under all of this duress of white violence, my children face it too.

And my children have to navigate it, and I have to help them do that.

And I want to call upon all of the residents of this community to pay attention to our children because they are watching and they can see, and they're not stupid.

I think um I told I told someone I wasn't gonna say much tonight, but it's hard to not to think about what 9-11 means, the 911 and the whole like conspiracy.

I was there when the first World Trade Center umbing happened in '93, and to know that we didn't learn the lesson then about how we navigate across the world with other human beings.

It's still a present today in ways in which it's kind of it's uncomfortable because we should be in a better position, but we're not.

It's 2025, and we're facing project 2025, rolling back so much that we've worked so hard to get.

And I know there was a collective push around that work, and I think folks got tired of carrying the weight, and as you fall back, you can see where we are today.

And what I know is that it's it's incumbent upon all of us to keep pushing and to keep lifting that weight because our children deserve that.

They should be free from having to declare an independence.

They should be free from racism, they should be free from race from sexism, they should be free from all the isms that would other them, because that is what humanity calls for.

And um I say all this to say like it's supposed to be a happy time.

It's supposed to be, you know, a joyous time.

Fall, the leaves are falling, changing colors, so beautiful outside.

The weather's cooler.

It should be calming.

And we're seeing exactly the opposite.

There has to be a reckoning of honesty and truth.

But we will come through all of this.

That's all.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Rist.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Good evening, colleagues, staff, residents here and online.

It's good to see you all.

Thanks to my colleagues for your comments.

I do want to say, Mr.

Mayor, thanks for the proclamations this evening.

They're all great.

World uh Welcome Week and World Alzheimer's and Dementia Day proclamation.

I'd just say in particular, it was so great to see Eddie Davis and Margar Keller here in the in the chambers, both outstanding council members in their day here in Durham.

Um Margaret's also a personal friend of mine, one of the amazing church members that welcomed me into my church when we got here.

And she also mentioned Ruth Mary Meyer, who was with her in the League of Women Voters that went to the General Assembly back in what was that?

73.

Ruth Mary Meyer was also an amazing member of our church.

So I just thank those women for their amazing work they did.

Eddie Davis and his colleagues for their work later.

It's amazing stuff here in Durham.

Speaking of that, uh speaking of constitutional rights and voting rights, early voting starts Thursday.

So make a plan to get out and vote in the municipal elections, everyone.

Um those are big elections for Durham.

I also want to say congrats to the Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice on their first anniversary celebration uh last Saturday.

Um it's good to visit with them in that celebration.

And I think Councilmember Baker was there before I got there at the celebration.

So congrats to the staff and the board, all the amazing work they're doing to honor the legacy and continue the legacy of Pauli Murray and all that she's meant for Durham in this country and the world.

So thank you all for that.

Um it was also a big day last Tuesday in Durham for affordable housing.

Um at the ribbon cutting for the vanguard.

That's 72 more affordable units in Durham, and also the groundbreaking on the second phase of the Dilly Street apartments.

That'll be another 98 units of affordable housing here in Durham.

Um together, this is part of a large redevelopment of 519 East Main Street and the Liberty Street apartments.

That's right down Main Street from City Hall.

I'm sure you've all seen that big plot there, big parcel.

Um it's all made possible by city bond funds, your city bond funds, as well as 40 million dollars from HUD through the Choice Neighborhoods Program.

All told, this redevelopment calls for the the um replacing 214 old public housing units with a total of 538 mixed income homes, including 348 affordable units.

That's big stuff.

That's not all.

I think you all remember at our work session, maybe last week or week with less work session, we had a motion for some contracts related to the redevelopment of Faya Place and Forest Hills Heights.

So those are coming next this fall.

So we're moving aggressively with our partners at DHA to redevelop our older public housing.

That work is providing fruit, and you'll see more of that in the days to come.

We've received a lot of emails from colleagues and I'm sorry, from from residents about affordable housing.

And I just want to assure you that this council takes seriously these concerns about affordable housing and is moving aggressively with partners like the Durham Housing Authority to produce affordable units for families in Durham going forward.

So more to come, but it's a big celebration last Tuesday.

Thanks, Mr.

Mayor, for being there and and uh leading us in the ribbon cutting.

The last thing I want to say, and this is kind of wonky, but I just want to give everybody on the council as well as residents an update on rail transportation in the triangle.

Um as you all know, there was this pretty um pretty sad failure we had with light rail several years ago that didn't happen.

There were also conversations for a while about commuter rail, but then folks said they really wanted rail 24-7, not just for commuters, right?

So we've been moving quietly but moving ahead on this idea of increasing passenger or regional rail service in the in the triangle area.

Basically what that means, and I guess all this comes from a meeting I had last Friday with the joint rail subcommittee of Campa, which is the capital area, Metropolitan Planning Organization, and the Triangle West Transportation Planning Organization.

That's the two big transportation planning groups that operate in the triangle.

So we had this joint rail committee, and essentially what's happening with rail is that we're making these kind of sort of incremental investments as we can, opportunistic investments in the in the rail network we have.

There's actually six priority corridors that the state DOT has set out, and actually our state DOT rail division is actually is a really good rail division.

We should be proud of the work they're doing.

They've identified six priority corridors to essentially make increasing investments in those corridors.

So right now, while funding is somewhat challenging at the federal level, we're moving marginally and incrementally to improve our rail network with things like rail grade crossing eliminations, um, advancing station building.

We're gonna have a motion this Thursday at our work session around the building of RTP rail station and also protecting land for a regional maintenance facility.

So the point here is that we're not we're not building a whole lot of new tracks, right?

But we're actually increasing the rail service we have right now in the triangle.

What that means, if you all will recognize this is that for a long time we had two trains running every day between Charlotte and Raleigh.

There's now six trains a day.

So we're actually increasing service on those existing tracks.

That's the best way right now that we can increase our rail service in the triangle is using the existing Amtrak network and those trains to increase the frequency and the reliability of that service, and we're moving on that.

So stay tuned for more on the rail.

That's where we're going with this notion of kind of regional or tran or passenger rail.

It's being funded now by the Federal Railroad Administration.

That's our main partner, and we're looking forward again to making these marginal investments now.

So our network is well positioned in the future for increased investments in rail.

So stay tuned for that.

We're moving on rail slowly but but surely.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember.

Mayor President.

Thank you, Your Honor, and to my honorable colleagues on the day as to our friends and neighbors here in chamber with us to executive staff and to our friends and neighbors on whatever platform you may be watching.

Uh Mr.

Mayor, our colleagues have spoken so passionately and eloquently and comprehensively tonight on so many topics.

I I don't have any announcements.

Uh if you're watching a perfect sunset, perfect way to ruin it is to describe it.

So I'll just be quiet and just let it let it be.

I do want to thank you, Mr.

Mayor, for the uh proclamations tonight, particularly uh Councilmember Cook, the one on uh all times, my mom uh passed away in 2015 uh from a form of dementia as well.

And I know how challenging it can be uh for families.

Uh one thing we had to become, we had to become um a community of memory when she could not remember.

We had to become memory for her.

Um and I hope we can do that for each other here in Durham.

Thank you, Your Honor.

Thank you, colleagues.

Thank you so much.

I um well, there's been a lot happening over the last few days.

Um but before I get into my remarks, I would like to invite uh a friend, but also um a colleague in a new capacity uh who will be working with us through Duke Energy.

Um I would like to invite her to the podium just to introduce herself uh and what she'll be doing with us, and now you'll know who's going to be communicating with me in case we have an outage.

Uh if we you know when we find something out as soon as possible, she will text me and I'll put it out on socials.

But Ms.

Sarah Stevens, which many of you may know her in our past role.

Yeah, thank you so much.

Um my name is Sarah Stevens.

I am your new district manager for Duke Energy, so government and community relations.

Um I have I know most of you up here from my days in um Durham County government and beyond, but I'm here um today to introduce myself in this new capacity.

Um I've already had introductory meetings with deputy manager Gina Propes and her team where we exchanged um information and discussed priorities.

Um I just am here to introduce myself to let you know that I'm looking forward to collaborating and working together.

I believe most of you have my email address and my contact information.

Uh, look forward to working together.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Thanks for uh joining us tonight.

And I think for your work as uh president of the local rotary, downtown rotary.

I thank you for all the work you all do.

I would like to uh you've heard some of my colleagues mention this.

Um but uh I some people they they don't like to do this, but I absolutely love it.

And that's cutting ribbons, uh, cutting ribbons and breaking ground.

Uh some people say uh I don't like to cut ribbons, I like to just get the work done.

Well, let me tell you what cutting ribbons symbolize.

It symbolizes getting the work done.

And we are we have a growing trend in Durham where we'll cut the ribbon on one side of the parking lot and then go to the other side and break ground.

That means we're really, really, really ahead of the game.

We're getting things done.

Uh and yes, at the Vanguard, we um cut the ribbon for new units that are coming on board, and we broke ground for new market.

Those are affordable units, and then we broke ground on new um market rate units.

And uh we are gonna have mixed income and hopefully in partnership, mixed use uh in building communities uh more and more in in the city.

We take housing very seriously, and it's what we often talk about most uh so seriously that one of our colleagues, uh Councilmember Caballero took on doing a massive housing assessment with practitioners and community members and elected officials.

Uh and we um had our final um collaboration meeting last week.

And you anyone that's impacted by housing in some form or fashion, that that segment of our local population was in that room.

Uh so council member, I'd like to publicly thank you for your work and and doing this deep dive housing assessment.

I am going to ask that you get on your mic and let us know where we can find the dashboard and the data.

And if you could just briefly kind of high-level talk about it.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Um so I was planning on bringing this up at our work session on Thursday.

Um because the You're totally fine, Mr.

Mayor.

Um the the interesting thing about this housing information is both there's a report and a housing needs assessment that was done by a uh consultant, HRNA.

Um the that was um an we funded that with city county chamber foundation dollars and Duke, and that was kind of the spirit of this work was how do we all come together around the table, not just the city of Durham, which has often taken the lead on housing in Durham, um, but many other partners, and how do we really think collaboratively on this question of housing, which we know affects everyone?

City residents, county residents, school teachers, nurses, Duke employees.

We know that it's a uh a need across Durham.

So you can find that information on the Chambers Foundation website.

Um there will be a button on their general website uh that points you to the housing needs assessment and the report.

The reason it's living there is again um and not the city is because we are hoping that this is an indication of housing not while the city does critical work and is a lead uh is a lead agency in many ways, it can't be the only person entity at the table.

Uh and then at our work session, I will be bringing the report to talk about subsequent work sessions uh talking about the report and how we prioritize as a council what's in there that is clearly in our um in our lane.

I hope that answers um some of what you were asking for.

Thank you very much.

I um sorry I'm impatient.

I just want folks to know that the work has been done.

Um this uh this weekend there was a really uh really vibrant energy in downtown Durham.

There was so much going on from baseball games to deep shows, Beauty and the Beast.

I don't know how many gold dresses I saw walk across the street to see the play, uh met some of the cast, and they uh it made me feel good when they said, oh my gosh, this is one of our favorite stops, because we were able to go out into the city and really explore Durham, and we had no idea, and now they want to come back.

Uh so um, you know, in you know, there were uh concerts and um the farmers market was uh a little more packed than normal.

And then there were vegan food fest and just so many things happening across the city, and that is you know, when Durham is at its best, and it felt so good to just walk out and be.

And one thing I see when I'm out there is people that are just comfortably enjoying the place where they get to live, work, and play.

And so uh this place, you know, Durham has so much to offer, and and I hope that we continue to celebrate that.

That being said, I would like to read a brief uh comment.

Durham is a city of diverse backgrounds and opinions, and its leaders must reflect a commitment serving everyone equally.

However, Madam Attorney, I feel you looking over my shoulder.

Uh however, uh I agree wholeheartedly with that statement.

However, the person who wrote that that remark uh does not believe that that applies for everyone.

And uh we had a situation, and I was not going to address this, but I do think that in Durham, we we we make sure that we stand up for what's right.

And uh many of you know that there was a social media post that that went about this weekend, and um it's been some pushback.

Um we had the uh the the death of um Charlie Kirk and um no one, as it was stated earlier, no no one deserves to die, despite whatever reason that that's just something that we should not have.

But I am concerned at where we are headed in this world and in this nation.

And I think that you know it's important that we realize that you know silence for what's right is also damaging.

And it's important that we speak up for what's right.

And it's important that we show up for one another.

Um, the First Amendment, freedom of speech is accessible to us all, whether we like each other or not.

It is for all of us.

If you're walking on the soil in this country, you cannot be selectively outraged and try and determine who gets access to that or not.

We've been there, and we're not going back.

That was called slavery.

We've gone through discrimination.

We just talked earlier about the proclamation, the Constitution Week, where women could not even vote.

I mean, we're talking like people who have to fight these things are literally here to read about them.

And so there uh there have been a lot.

There's been a lot of pushback on the city of Durham and Politico about you know uh my remarks of saying that I hope that our universities uh hold true to their values on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Um we passed the Fourth Amendment, um passed it with fear because I didn't want to make the target on almost vulnerable populations target bigger.

Um now here we are on freedom of speech with our police chief.

And uh interestingly enough, you know, there is nothing derogatory stated, but people have their interpretations, and uh interestingly enough, you know, we tend to get the most vulgar threats and voicemails and emails whenever we speak up for what's right.

Well, I'll always speak up for what's right, so your fingers might get tired.

We're gonna always stand up for one another in this community.

And you know, I'll close with this.

You know, we all wake up with we always we all wake up each morning with a renewed chance to write the legacy that we want to leave behind.

And respectfully, that is what Charlie Kirk did.

He lived this life, he made choices for his own reasons.

And while I personally may disagree with just about everything he stood for, I do agree that everyone should be able to express their own views.

And they should be able to do this without political attacks.

They should be able to do it without death.

Um I definitely do not condone violence or any killing of any such or anyone uh for exercising their freedom of speech.

But that being said, challenging or disagreeing with someone's legacy that they choose to leave.

It does not mean that you are condoning violence.

It simply means that you're exercising your freedom of speech.

So recently, our uh chief of police posted to a social media account personally.

Uh and um there has been a lot of pushback.

We've been getting the emails, I've been getting the emails.

Um, and I would recommend that you know you you please look at the whole story if you're interested in that.

I would personally like to move on from this.

Uh, but since that post, I've received several uh uh emails and requests for resignation.

Council does not hire and fire staff.

That is not our job.

Um but I will say I'm thinking about this personally, uh, although I'm in my former capacity right now.

Um we get elected to office or we get hired to serve, but we're all public servants for this community.

That does not mean that we shut up and dribble.

It does not mean shut up and do your job, you're not allowed to just because you're serving publicly.

Now we do have to be conscious that we hold such roles and that our remarks can have a broader implication on our community.

But this is an opportunity for us to look at how far we've how far we've divided and the significant need for us to come back together as a people.

We should be able to disagree without being disagreeable.

We should be able to have mutually respectful discourse.

We should be able to have respect for one another's voice and our ability to exercise our First Amendment, our freedoms of speech.

So the example here is a personal post by the police chief that is all out there.

But the reality is it's just some symbolic of how divided we become and how we can't really talk about things.

And I hope that we can find ourselves back to civility.

That is mutually respectful.

That is what democracy is all about.

So do not exercise your First Amendment by thinking that you're going to dictate what comes out of my mouth.

We're mutually there, and I respect your voices.

It doesn't dictate my actions, but it's all about mutually respecting one another.

And I hope that we remember that.

And I hope this is for someone who needed to hear it tonight.

With that being said, I will uh move on with this agenda and um tap the manager on the shoulder so he can calm down for being upset for me talking about this.

Um we will get to business.

Madam Clerk, I did get your uh I did get your your your message, so we'll make sure you can go ahead and address that in your remarks.

Um, lastly, uh as council member was said, early voting does start on Wednesday, Thursday, Thursday.

Uh but tomorrow, um looking forward to uh the blueprint conference is happening and looking forward to representing Durham on the national stage talking about housing and the work that we're doing here.

And um it's a really big stage, and I'm excited that out of all the uh cities in America, uh the city of Oakland, the city of Durham, and the City of Tempe, Arizona, will be on the stage talking about the amazing and innovative work that we're doing here on the ground.

I'm excited to uh to share.

All right.

That being said, let's get to it.

Mr.

Manager.

Are you ready for priority items?

Is that what you're telling me?

Mayor.

Thank you.

Uh Mayor, Mayor Proton, members of council, the City Manager's office does have a few priority items this evening.

Uh for agenda item number 13.

This is the Contract for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act for NC Works Career Center.

Operation between the City of Durham and Eccard Youth Alternatives, Inc.

DBA Eckard Connects.

Just wanted to let Council know we made a few minor uh changes to the contract in response to council's comments, those have been updated and attached in your packet.

Uh for agenda item number 21, fiscal 2024-2025, fourth quarter financial report.

Additional information was requested from council during the September 4th work session, and that has been attached under the manager's priority items.

Those are all my items, Mayor.

Thank you so much.

Madam Attorney.

Good evening, Mr.

Mayor, Mr.

Mayor Pratem, members of the council.

It's good to be with you.

Uh the City Attorney's Office has no priority items this evening.

Thank you.

Madam Clerk, will we execute this vote now through your Okay?

Go ahead.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Um GBA item number one is a um appointment for the Durham Housing Commission, um Board of Commissioners, excuse me.

And um Pebble Lucas is up for nomination and appointment.

All right.

So the uh the nominee is Pebble Lucas, and at this time I'm going to ask the manager.

Uh I will go ahead and just entertain uh entertain this this now.

Uh so um I'll entertain a motion to appoint residents to fill two vacancies on the Durham Housing Authority Board of Commissioners with one representing resident who is directly assisted by the public housing authority, and one representing a previous homeless individual with the term expiration of September 28, 2030.

So move.

Second.

Madam Clerk, please open the vote.

I have five votes.

Um, that's one more.

Is it not looking yet?

All right, there we go.

Adam Clerk, please close the vote.

The motion passes unanimously.

Thank you so much.

Is that all of your remarks, your priority items?

I don't have any other items, Mr.

Mayor.

Okay.

Thank you.

At this time, I'll go ahead and read the consent agenda.

All right.

Items number two, Mayor's Hispanic Latino Committee appointments.

Number three, boards, committees, commissions, and task force fiscal year 2024-2025 annual attendance report.

I'm not going to pull it, but I will say that I'll be meeting with the clerk about these.

So, Madam Clerk, I know this is on our agenda to meet.

Once you and I talk, I will reach out to council members and we'll go from there.

Number four, contract agreement with the Museum of Durham History to provide funding support to museum operations.

Number five, 2025, Eno Hall Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan Update.

Number six, contract for grant assistance with Central Pines Regional Council.

Number seven, 2024 bond referendum project, East End and Long Meadow Parks Construction Manager at Risk.

Contract with the Balfour Beatty Construction, Holtz Brothers Construction, a joint venture.

Number eight, 12th amendment to the assignment agreement for the DAP operating agreement.

Number nine, 2024 bond referendum project, East End and Long Meadow Parks Design Contract with Surface 678 PA.

Number 10.

Mr.

Mayor, just a point of clarification on number nine.

Hold on a minute.

It's a virtual speaker.

Is it yeah, resource or is it a poll?

Oh, you know.

I have them pulling it.

I'm sorry.

I have the individual pulling the item and these.

Okay, number nine is pulled.

All right, we'll just pull it.

Number 10, environmental and street services, South Renovation Professional Services, Second Amendment with CPL Architects and Engineers, Engineers PC.

Number 11, WD Hilled Combined, WD Hill Combined Enhancements Design Contract with RBE Incorporated.

Excuse me.

There was a speaker to item number seven and eleven as well.

Oh, I see.

I see.

So 11 and 17, correct?

I have 17.

She's coming back.

The ones that are listed in the middle of the case.

Ms.

Peterson.

She's open poll.

She went to the restaurant.

All right, so item number 11 is pulled.

Ms.

Peterson, to be sure it was 11 and 17, correct?

Okay.

Thank you.

Not seven, number seventeen.

I did read two.

Yeah.

So we're on number 12 now.

Number 12, contract for Durham Workforce Development Board, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Adult and Dislocated Worker Programs with Eckert Youth Alternative Incorporated DBA Eccred Connects.

Number 13, contract for workforce innovation and opportunity act for NC Works Career Center Operation between the City of Durham and Eckert Youth Alternatives, Incorporated DBA Ecker Connects.

Number 14, use and possession agreement for the community and family life and recreation center at Line Park.

Number 15, Utility Extension Agreement with Welcome Venture Park LLC to serve Welcome Venture Park Phase 3.

Number 16, contract renewal with Azteca Systems LLC for City Works Software License and Maintenance.

Number 17, contract for audit of city's primary telecommunications service accounts has been pulled.

Number 18, First Amendment to Supplemental Agreement.

Number four to master agreement, number 18919, so uh with Santact Consulting Services Incorporated for Design of Horton Road Multi-Use Path and Sidewalk Gaps.

Number 19, fiscal year 2025-2026, Transit Capital Improvement Plan, CIP budget ordinance amendment.

Number 20, award of contract extension for routine generator maintenance and emergency repair services from National Power LLC.

And number one, we've already addressed, which was the Durham Housing Authority Board of Commissioners appointment.

Those are our items with items number 11 and 17 pulled and nine.

So you just moved.

Okay, got it.

So now if I can entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda with the exceptions of items 9, 11, and 17.

Sound.

Second.

It's been moved and properly seconded.

Madam Clerk, please open the vote.

Thank you.

Please close the vote.

Motion passes unanimously.

Thank you so much.

We are on item number nine, uh 2024 bond referendum project, East End and Long Meadow Parks Design, contract with Surface 678 PA.

Mr.

Adme, can you hear me?

Tom Admay, can you hear me?

You see them on Madam Clerk.

Yes, good.

Oh, there you go.

Can you hear me?

Yes, yes.

Welcome.

You have three minutes.

Thanks for joining us tonight virtually.

Yes, good evening.

Um not actually talking about the contract, but it seemed like the most relevant thing.

What I want to talk about is the lead in the soil that's been identified at the five parks in Durham.

It's correctly gotten a lot of attention.

And once the lead was detected in the soil of some of the Durham parks, we were first faced with two questions.

The lead is from the waste left behind when trash was incinerated, and then spread on the ground.

This issue has been studied for some time with the most recent set of reports conducted by S and me for Deaner.

In these reports, areas with lead above 200 milligrams per kilogram were identified as having elevated lead.

For example, at East Durham Park areas that were found to have elevated lead along the west side, the area north of Main Street, right up to the park boundary, where the Durham Housing Authority has houses.

And the section of the park south of Main Street, it also has areas that were found to have elevated lead adjacent to Y Smith Elementary School.

At East Park, the session that was done does not cover the entire park property.

It's not a edges of the areas.

Yes, yes.

Do you have a question pertaining to the actual item?

Well, I think this is relevant to the actual item, which is that the um this lead issue is not being fully evaluated and addressed.

And I think that you know, if we've got to tie it back to East End Park, and that's what I was talking about right here.

The testing stopped at the edges of the area that are currently developed for recreational use, but you know, they haven't identified the full extent of the you know the contamination even within the piece of property that's identified as a park.

Understood.

Yes, sir.

Uh so we the city staff is working very closely with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality on the topic in which you are speaking of.

Uh the item on the uh on the agenda tonight is uh germane to something a bit more specific.

Uh so I I would implore you to reach out directly to us to get an update on uh not only the investments that have been made thus far, uh, but also the working relationship with NCDEQ, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.

So uh I think it will be really helpful so you'll be able to get exactly what your you are concerned about answered.

Okay.

Well, well that would be great.

Thank you.

I submitted these as written comments previously and got no response.

So I felt that I needed to actually speak to try to raise it that this is a bigger issue than just the parks.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

And I would say if you if you reach out to my office directly, uh my staff can help get you uh an immediate response.

I can promise that to you.

Thank you.

And my and my email is on the city website uh under the mayor's page.

Thanks for uh thanks for chiming in tonight.

You're you're and I don't want to discount your your concern.

It is very valid and very important.

I just want to make sure we uh remain germane to the uh topics that we are taking action on tonight.

All right.

Uh the next two speakers.

Uh I'm sorry.

Yeah.

Move to adopt item nine is printed.

Second.

It's moved been moved and properly seconded to authorize the city manager to execute a design contract for the East End and Long Meadow Parks project with surface 678 PA and an amount not to exceed 4,755,252.

Madam Clerk, please open the vote.

Please close the vote.

I just want to make sure I do beg the caution and interrupting folks' public comments.

I don't know if that's uh it was it was I want to make sure we just stay in germane to it.

Mr.

Mayor, that motion pass 7-0.

Thank you.

Also um I'll entertain a motion to establish a contingency fund and the amount of 475,425 and 20 cents.

So move.

Second.

It's been moved and probably seconded.

Uh, Madam Clerk, please open the vote.

I think one more uh.

There we go.

Thank you.

Please close the vote.

Motion passes 7-0.

And lastly, uh motion to authorize the city manager to negotiate and execute modifications to the design to the design contract for the East End and Long Meadow Parks project, provided that the total contract amount, including existing contingency funds, does not exceed $5,229,677 and 20 cents.

So move.

Please close the vote.

Motion passes unanimously.

Thank you.

Mr.

Mayor, may I make a point of uh parliamentary clarification?

Yes.

Thank you, sir.

Mr.

May was not engaged in public comment.

He he pulled uh an item.

It's within the chair's purview to rule whether or not the comments are germane to the actual uh pulled item.

Um pulling an item is not a loophole to speak about whatever you want.

And we're not we shouldn't establish that precedent.

It's not a trick.

Um the comments should be germane to the actual pulled item, and the chair think was appropriate in pointing that out.

Uh uh residents are free to come and speak uh about what they'd like to speak about on Thursdays at one o'clock for general public comments about whatever they may uh want to speak about.

So I think it's important just to clarify that we weren't inhibiting anyone's ability to speak, but there are uh precedents and rules uh with regard to pulled items as opposed to public comment.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Agreed.

The next item is number 11.

Ms.

Peterson, welcome.

You have three minutes.

I hope everyone is doing well this evening.

Unlike Ms.

Freeman, I also have a birthday this month.

Happy birthday.

Let me know what you're getting me for your birthday.

Thank you.

Thank you, thank you.

Listen, this is what I would like to talk about a little bit.

Um I really like W.

D.

Hill.

Uh they have an awesome play yard where the kids can go out and play it, and it's gated.

For children who have various disabilities, uh, who will just run and not stop.

Having that facility there is really good.

But I have some concerns.

And it looks like that the City Council is getting ready to sign off on $190,000 for for um contract for development.

Can you please give us a little information?

I don't see the uh person who is over the contract.

Uh I don't know if the county, I don't know if the city manager can speak on it.

But can you tell me who RVE Inc.

is?

Is that a local company uh here in Durham that's going to be designing the new work that's going to be going on at the facility?

Also, I would like to meet that individual.

I would like whoever is is working on this to have a meeting with the community with parents who live in the area that have children that have various disabilities.

Now, I know years ago, uh W.D.

Hill, the city had promised to build um a tennis court.

Uh there is still a lot of land around that facility.

But there is no tennis court.

Not sure what happened with that agreement.

So I'm hoping the city manager, uh, I would like to come to the table.

I have some concerns about this.

I want to see something happen there at WD Hill to expand it.

But we need to have some deadlines that they're going to start this year, whatever persons want to do there, they're going to start this year and it's going to be finished next year.

Instead of things keep going on, year after year, this facility has been promised different things that supposa have happened, and it has not.

And one of the main things, we need a facility close by to work with children who have disabilities.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

I'm sorry.

Thank you.

Yes.

So can I am hoping you would have to do that?

Yeah, we'll we'll see if staff is available to provide some information.

Um she's walking to you now, but you might want to just go back to the mic after I make this motion.

Good evening.

Stacy Poston, City of Durham General Services Department.

Um happy to connect with Ms.

Peterson and engage in conversations around um her uh concerns around serving children with disabilities and families with children with disabilities.

I'm happy to connect with you on that matter.

Um, as far as the schedule, um this is for the design services contract only, and the contracted schedule and the materials in the agenda item indicate that the design will run through 313-26, and the construction would follow subsequent to that.

So we can also talk about the exact schedule.

So we have a shared expectations around that.

Okay, so work won't start until next year.

The design work has a number of deliverable elements in it, and in the contract materials in the agenda packet, the schedule indicates that it is the final design is going to be due on 313-26, and construction would follow subsequent to that.

So in that design phase, we're happy to talk about what's in the case.

Yeah, let's uh I want to move the agenda on.

I would and I want to make this motion so we can move on with it, but I do want to make sure she gets that information to you offline.

Yes.

And um, yes, and thank you.

Thanks uh for being here.

Does that design contract on this issue of the tennis courts?

Does that design contract include the tennis courts?

I think okay, because I know that's been in the CIP previously, correct?

Correct.

Yes, on both parts.

Okay, thank you.

All right, thank you.

I'll entertain a motion.

You're welcome.

I'll entertain a motion to authorize the city manager to execute a design contract for WD Hill combined enhancements project with RVE Incorporated in an amount not to exceed 172,975.

So moved.

Second.

It's been moved and properly second.

Properly seconded.

Madam Clerk, please open the vote.

Please close the vote.

Motion passes 7-0.

Thank you so much.

I will entertain a motion to establish a contingency fund in the amount of 17,000 2017 million.

What?

$17,297.50.

So moved.

Second.

Please open the vote.

Thank you.

Please close the vote.

Ms.

Peterson, don't go anywhere.

Motion pass a 7-0.

Thank you.

And I'll also entertain a motion to authorize the city manager to negotiate and execute execute modifications to the design contract for the W Hill, WD Hill Combined Enhancements Project, provided that the total contract amount, including existing contingency funds, does not exceed 190,272.

Second.

The move and probably seconded.

Madam Clerk, please open the vote.

Please close the vote.

Motion passes unanimously.

Thank you so much.

Madam Ms.

Peterson, on you again.

Item number 17.

Contract for audit of city's primary telecommunications service accounts.

Mr.

Mayor, in the past, we always had books there to get additional information on the various projects that the city was going to be voting on.

So this really is not clear to me exactly.

Are they speaking about fiber?

Mr.

Peterson, would you suspend for a minute?

Madam Clerk, the clock's not running.

I'm sorry.

Your clock wasn't running.

Wanted to make sure we captured your time.

Oh, great.

I get some more time.

Thank you.

Telecommunication.

Now, I'm not sure as is this a project that the city is going to be working on?

Is this fiber optic with Frontier, with Spectrum, with cable?

It's not clear exactly what this contract is all about.

So I just want to say this to everyone sitting on the City Council.

My husband, a few years ago, we train over 400 young persons in this community on copper, cable, and fiber optic, before Durham even knew what fiber optic was.

But now when you talk to a lot of these companies here in Durham who are getting these various services, they have farmed a lot of the work out into other countries.

I have a real problem with that.

We have our young people in this community that could be trained on how to talk to persons over the phone if they are having problems with their Internet service, with their cable service, or with the TV.

So it's not clear here exactly what the contract is all about.

And is this a large company?

And are they planning to hire Durham residents to get the work done?

Or are they going to be farming once they put in whatever they're going to be putting in?

Like Frontier, I don't want to get myself in trouble, but Frontier, a lot of their work, when you call them, it goes offshore.

You're not talking to a person here in the United States.

I'm not trying to be prejudiced.

I'm not trying to beat up on another company.

But I think if the city is going to be signing off on these companies that's coming here and that's here, we've got to make sure that there's some things put in place that they are going to, if our people are not trained, they can train them.

And if our people need employment, they can employ them.

So I don't know if somebody here can speak a little bit.

Ms.

Peterson, are you asking specifically about the hiring practices of the actual contracting organization for the company?

Is this a company that's going to be doing fiber?

Are they going to be laying?

Is this a spectrum?

Who who exactly is this contract?

So it's an actual audit.

I'm sorry?

It's an audit.

An audit?

Yeah.

Yeah.

On the cities?

Telecommunications.

Telecommunications?

Yeah.

So it won't be a company we are hiring to do something.

This is an audit of the telecommunications report.

For your for your buildings around here in the city.

So we have an internal audit services department.

I'm happy to if you want to.

Yeah.

Go ahead.

Ms.

Peterson, this this is an audit of our existing telecommunications services.

We have service with a number of different providers.

Certainly under over time our service contracts have changed and grown, so it's a best practice to take an opportunity to have an audit of those contracts to make sure we're getting the best value for the public dollar in those areas and the recommendations of that will inform future contracts going forward.

If we have staff available to answer additional questions, but it didn't sound like the nature of your comments were based on the contract that we are considering this evening.

Well, I do want the city to know then, and I understand what you're saying, but we still have all these various companies in Durham, your fiber, your cable, all that that is also does this work.

We just need to make sure, Mr.

Mayor, that these folks, these companies are hiring, even what you're speaking about.

Whoever is going to be doing the work, we need to make sure that they are going to be Durham residents.

Thank you.

We we do have standards and M BWE Minority Business Enterprise standards.

For example, the last one that you pulled about RVE, the company, in the report, if you pull that online, it shows the actual companies that they're going to be working with that meets some of those standards.

But we do set our expectations on that.

You make a very fair point.

Actually, manager and I was talking about this earlier today about, you know, sometimes you just want to be like, hey, can we hire a Durham company?

But due to the state uh contracting laws, we we have to go through a particular process to identify those companies, and we do try to make sure that we project those uh those standards of minority participation, uh, and also proactively building relationships with companies where they are um incorporating apprenticeship programs to hire younger people to get them on those pipelines.

So point well taken.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you.

I just wanted folks to know with some of the argument.

Uh with that being said, I'll entertain a motion to authorize the city manager to execute a contract in the amount.

I'm sorry, that's the wrong one.

Uh I entertain a motion to authorize the city manager to execute the contract for audit of city's primary telecommunications service accounts with the spy glass group LLC in an amount not to exceed 250,000 dollars.

Moved is ready.

Second.

It's been moved and probably seconded.

Madam Clerk, please open the vote.

Please close the vote.

Motion passes seven zero.

Thank you so much.

And that is uh, yes, ma'am.

I just had a question for the city attorney.

I just wanted to clarify.

I'm not sure I'm following your question, Councilmember Freeman.

So in the past, you know, items pulled were open for public comment.

That was why the people were pulling the item.

I I I don't I didn't read the council's rules of procedure ever to provide that it was public comment on an item.

So we have always made it possible for residents and council members to pull an item to discuss the content of that item.

Um, but just to have general discussion on the item, that has not been the thrust behind the rules as written.

And so the rules did not change with respect to pulling an item to address the council on that item on the night of a vote.

Say that one more time.

The the procedural rules, when council updated its procedural rules earlier this year, the provisions related to pulling an item to attra to address the council on the substance of that item before a vote is taken.

Have not changed.

Did not change.

Yeah, they they remained the language remained the same, if that's what you're asking.

Okay.

All right.

Well, that is our agenda.

Thank you all so much for uh coming and joining us tonight.

This is a very unique night where we have no public hearings.

So you see how long those take.

We are out of here.

Meeting is adjourned at 828 p.m.

Thank you.

Enjoy your week.

I'll see you on Thursday morning, colleagues, at 8:30 for breakfast.

And and in 9 a.m.

we'll we'll get started.

But if you eat fast, we can start faster.

All right.

Thank you all.