Gastonia City Council Meeting Summary – March 19, 2024
Gastonia City Council Meeting Summary – March 19, 2024
The Gastonia City Council met on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. The meeting opened with invocation and pledge of allegiance, adopted the agenda, and unanimously approved the March 5, 2024 regular City Council meeting minutes. The agenda included proclamations, employee awards, presentations, public comments, committee action items, a 16-item consent agenda, three regular agenda items, and reports.
Adoption and Minutes
- Agenda adopted unanimously after a motion and second.
- Minutes of the March 5, 2024 regular City Council meeting approved unanimously.
Awards, Proclamations, and Employee Recognitions
- Fair Housing Month (April 2024): Councilwoman Donyel Barber presented the proclamation to Danette Dye, Director of Housing and Community Engagement. Ms. Dye said April 2024 marks the 56th observance of the Fair Housing Act and announced events on April 11 and April 13, 2024.
- Community Development Block Grant Week (April 1–5, 2024): Councilwoman Jennifer Stepp presented the proclamation to Kenny Gehrig, HUD Administrator.
- Cliff Johnson – Surveyor of the Year: Development Services Director Rusty Bost recognized city employee Cliff Johnson for receiving the 2023 Surveyor of the Year award from the North Carolina Society of Surveyors. Mr. Johnson said he has been licensed for 30 years, 22 of them with the City of Gastonia.
- Great American Cleanup (March 20–June 20, 2024): Mayor Pro Tem Dave Kirlin presented the proclamation to Juliann Lehman of Keep Gastonia Beautiful. Ms. Lehman said the 2023 cleanup involved 10 city departments, 11 community groups, and collected 1,600 pounds of trash.
- 2023 Employee Awards: Awards were presented for customer service (Renee Williams), extraordinary service, leadership (Juliann Lehman), and safety (Travis Minter).
Presentations
- Gaston MAX: Dandria Bradley, Deputy Director of Communications for Gaston County, and Christine Ingle described the fourth annual Gaston MAX Multicultural Arts Xperience event, scheduled for Saturday, March 23, 2024, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Rotary Pavilion. The festival will feature 80 booth vendors, food trucks, free children’s activities, live performances, and is sponsored by Caromont Health and the Gaston Arts Council/North Carolina Arts Council.
- Gateway 85 Update: NorthPoint Development representatives updated the Council on the industrial park. They reported about $255 million invested to date of a projected $300–$400 million total, approximately 400 acres and 4.5 million square feet planned, with Amazon, USPS, Newell, and other tenants. The Aberdeen Extension to Main Street connection was finished the prior week and is expected to open to the public within 30 days. Council members expressed strong support for the project, its job creation, and the Cox/Aberdeen intersection improvements.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Evelyn Leggett raised long-running safety concerns about Union Road/NC 274. She cited 134 accidents between the 1200 block of Union Road and the 1600 block of Rumbie Road, a recent fatality, repeated utility pole knockdowns, and stated that NCDOT projections schedule roadwork for 2027. She asked the Council to try to accelerate the timeline, describing many residents as seniors who are afraid to drive on the road.
- Molly Prescott, owner of a barbershop across from City Hall, said she had proposed to serve as an ambassador for Gastonia and was denied but would try again. She invited the community to visit her business.
Committee Reports
- Arts Committee – Performing Arts Summer Camp: The Council took up a tabled request for a $7,500 budget appropriation for a free eight-day Performing Arts Summer Camp. Organizers Mikisha Rivers, Ashley Gilliam, and student Cameron described the program: 30 participants, ages 6–16, professional headshots, mock auditions, rehearsals, two public-domain plays, guest speakers, a final performance, and a Juneteenth Festival appearance. Organizers said more than 50 families registered within the first day, total estimated cost is about $14,400, and they are seeking other grants to cover the gap. The Council approved the $7,500 request unanimously.
- Transportation Committee: Councilwoman Stepp reported updates only. The new microtransit service will be named “Go Gastonia” and is scheduled to launch July 1, 2024. Airport projects discussed included completion of punch-list items for the self-service fuel system, a runway lighting rehabilitation project, and a possible terminal planning study. Paving progress was reviewed using pavement condition maps by ward.
- Central City Revitalization & Housing/Community Engagement Committee: Councilman Kellogg presented seven in-kind service requests. Groups represented them, including Toys for Tots (39th annual motorcycle ride; 400 families served last year), Walk to End Alzheimer’s (October 5, 2024), Ebonyfest Juneteenth (June 15 and 19, 2024), Highland Festival (35th year), Boogie Crank Tournament, and Cinco de Mayo (United Tennis Organization fundraiser). The Council approved all seven in-kind service requests unanimously.
Consent Agenda
- The Council adopted the 16-item consent agenda unanimously. Notable items included setting an April 16, 2024 public hearing for closure of two unopened alleyways; accepting subdivision streets for maintenance (Winterlake Phase 2, 1776 at Gastonia, East Hudson Boulevard Townhomes Phase 3, Copper Mill Map 1); awarding a $150,399 contract for a demo box truck and stormwater camera equipment; a three-year tree trimming contract to Asplundh Tree Expert, LLC; a $128,000 arc flash hazard study; a $439,000 air piping replacement contract at Crowders Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant; approving the Stagecoach Station Phase 2 Map 2 plat; engineering and inspection contracts for FTA-funded sidewalks totaling $426,368 and $151,265; recognizing $113,170 in asset forfeiture proceeds and $20,000 in Electricities rebates; police vehicle purchases totaling $359,878 and $612,508; and a state of emergency declaration for purchasing.
- Councilman Odom raised concerns about the Stagecoach Station Phase 2 plat, citing stormwater runoff and rescue videos involving animals. Development Services Director Rusty Bost said city and county staff met with the developer, are gathering more property-damage information, and are not walking away from the issue.
Regular Agenda
- Oakwood Townhomes Public Hearing (File #202300361): The Council held a public hearing on a request to rezone approximately 3.152 acres at 1106 N. Oakwood Street from RS-12 to PD-RRDD to allow up to 35 townhomes. Planning Director Jason Thompson said staff recommended approval and the Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve; the decision was appealed.
- The applicant, Kenneth Bell, said the project would provide workforce housing at roughly $250,000–$260,000, include about 1,300-square-foot units, two off-street parking spaces per unit, donated streets built to DOT standards, underground stormwater detention, and expanded buffers and open space. He argued density is necessary to achieve affordable housing.
- Several council members raised concerns about density, street condition, guest parking, emergency access, stormwater, and the concentration of affordable housing in the Highland community. Councilwoman Barber said affordable housing is needed citywide, not only in Highland.
- Public speakers were divided: one neighborhood representative called it spot zoning and worried about traffic, flooding, elderly pedestrians, crime, and loss of community peace; a real estate professional supported the project, saying there are virtually no townhomes under $300,000 in Gastonia and that housing drives commercial development; an unscheduled speaker worried about traffic capacity.
- After discussion, the Council approved the rezoning as moved, without adding a guest-parking condition.
- Duharts Creek FEMA BRIC Grant Phase 1: The Council approved a resolution awarding a $623,295 design, permitting, and grant management contract to KCI for the Duharts Critical Infrastructure Realignment and Stream Restoration Project. Public Works Assistant Director Robert Cloninger said the project involves about two miles of stream restoration and sewer realignment, two 18-inch gravity sewer lines and one 24-inch force main, and roughly 8,000 linear feet of restored stream. Phase one deliverables are tied to the Department of Public Safety grant deadline.
- Proposed Goals and Objectives (2023–2025): City Manager Michael Peoples presented six goals and 46 objectives. He said the document would be cleaned up and posted on the city website within about two weeks after approval. The Council unanimously accepted the goals and objectives.
City Manager’s Report
- Mr. Peoples reminded the Council of the March 26, 2024 budget outlook work session and announced that the second budget meeting would be moved from April 22 to April 15, 2024, to allow time for changes before the May public hearing. Council members agreed.
- He reported federal appropriations from Representative Jackson’s office, including $2,422,752 for the housing rehabilitation program and $963,000 for a police real-time crime center.
Key Outcomes
- Approved the agenda, March 5 minutes, all proclamations, and employee awards.
- Approved $7,500 for the Performing Arts Summer Camp.
- Approved seven in-kind service requests for nonprofit/community events.
- Adopted the 16-item consent agenda.
- Approved the Oakwood Townhomes rezoning for up to 35 townhomes.
- Approved the $623,295 KCI contract for Duharts Creek phase one.
- Accepted the City Manager’s 2023–2025 goals and objectives.
- Agreed to shift the April budget meeting from April 22 to April 15, 2024.
Meeting Transcript
City Council and myself, I'd like to welcome you to the March 19th 2024 meeting. I will now call the meeting to order. And uh Councilman Kellogg, would you lead us in the invocation? Thank you, Mayor. If you are so inclined in the audience, please join me in a word of prayer. Dear creator of the world in which we are caretakers and travelers in, thank you for all that you give to us for all the blessings we receive and for the goodness that is before us. Thank you as well for the gift of life and help and for bringing us all together this evening. As we get ready to discuss and vote on issues before this city, help us all to seek wisdom, truth, and understanding. Help us to see things from the eyes of our neighbor, not just from our point of view. Please keep those who serve our community in the palm of your hands, our first responders and those who find themselves in harm's way as they serve the public. We also pray for the family of Carl McKinnon. Please bring comfort to his wife Paula, his friends and colleagues who worked with him at the SHEL Museum. And please give all those who mourn a peace that passes all understanding. For residents who are ill, struggling, or facing obstacles that they think they cannot overcome, we ask a special blessing for them too. And for all of us in this room this evening, help us so that our words and deeds may please you. We ask this all in your name. Amen. Councilman Curlin, would you lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance? Would you all rise with me? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Mayor, I wanted to make one uh announcement with regard to Carl McKinnon's uh celebration of life service. Um, as many of you are aware, uh Carl was the assistant director of the SHEON Museum for many years, and uh it's a great loss to the city and the community uh as a whole, as well as the staff of the SHEOL Museum and the whole city staff. Um Carl was a very special individual. Um he was a lover of life, a lover of people. Uh he never met a stranger. He was a dedicated Rotarian serving in the Gacedonia East Rotary Club for many years, and he was also a recipient of uh uh Order of the Longleaf Pine. Um, you know, Carl's death saddens us all, and we feel a big hole in all of our hearts uh with the loss of this amazing man. Um there will be a celebration of life service. Uh it will take place at the Point Church, which is at 67 uh 6700 Wilkinson Boulevard in Belmont. It's it's going to be at 2 30 p.m. this Friday for uh any of those who would choose to attend. So but uh please keep uh the McKinnons, uh Paula and the family in your prayers uh at this time. And uh thank you, Mayor, for allowing me to make that announcement. Uh can we just take a moment and have a moment of silence in his memory, please. Each of you should have your agenda in front of you. Are there any corrections, additions, or delete deletions to the agenda as presented? Motion to approve as uh presented. Second, seconded by Councilman Gallagher. All those in favor. It's unanimous. Next on the agenda is the approval of the minutes from our regular city council meeting on March the 5th, 2024. Seconded by Councilwoman Step. All those in favor, it's unanimous. Next, we're gonna have uh awards ceremonies and promotions. And first up will be a proclamation declaring April 2024 as fair housing month, and the recipient is going to be Miss Danette Dye. She is our director of housing and community engagement, and councilwoman Barber will be doing the presentation. Hello. Good evening, Mayor and Council. It gives me uh a great honor to present this proclamation to uh Danette Dye, the director of housing and community engagement, and I'm excited to see members of um the um committee with her today as well as uh fellow staff members. The proclamation reads whereas equal housing opportunity is a right guaranteed to all Americans under Title VIII of the 1968 civil rights law, and whereas each year since the enactment of the National Fair Housing Law, the federal government has designated April as Fair Housing Month.
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