The Gastonia City Council met on October 1, 2024, at 6:00 PM in City Hall. The meeting included proclamations, a committee report, consent agenda approvals, and a regular agenda item on expanding the Go Gastonia microtransit service. The council also discussed storm recovery efforts and recognized city staff.
On behalf of myself and the city council, I'd like to welcome you to the October the 1st, 2024 meeting. I will now call the meeting to order. Uh we will begin with an invocation. That will be uh Mayor Pro Tim. Dr. Curley. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. If you are so inclined, please bow your heads with me. Dear Heavenly Father, I want to start by saying we are very blessed. We're blessed as a people. We're blessed to be here tonight to be safe and warm with a head a roof over our heads to have power on in this building, and to be young among people that we love and respect. Lord, we reach out to you at this time because there are so many people suffering, whether it be locally within this county, or certainly in the mountains of North Carolina tonight, as far south as South Carolina and Georgia, who are suffering greatly from losses of family, friends, physical things like their homes, their pets, all those things that bring them comfort, joy, and reassurance. Many of those things are gone tonight. Lord, be with those folks. Help them get through this terrible time. Lord, thank you for all those who are now providing assistance in this operation of rescuing these folks who are still stranded, who are still without power and water, food, cell service. Be with those emergency workers and providers who've come from many places in many states to help these individuals in this desperate time of need. Lord, we thank you for our city employees, these individuals who've worked so hard over the past several days to bring us our power back and provide us with the essential services that we've come to know and expect and take for granted. These diligent workers have lost sleep, they've been away from their homes, they've been wet. I'm sure some of them have been hurt, and all they uh have done is most appreciated by those sitting up here on the dais, those in our audience tonight, and all the citizens of Casedonia. Ward, please be with our citizens. Those who have lost loved ones, those who know of family and friends who are hurting tonight, those within our community that have lost power or have lost uh physical possessions, whether they be by flood or by tree damage, uh any number of ways that they have suffered through this period. And now please be with us, be with the city's leadership, our manager and his team, our city council, our department heads, all those here and in our extended group of management that help lead this city and make its best decisions. Keep us mindful of the needs of our city, keep us mindful of the importance we have as being good stewards of the citizens' money. All this we ask in your holy name. Amen. Would you like to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance? Yes, sir. My pleasure. And to the Republicans, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Each of you should have the agenda in front of you. Are there any corrections, additions, or deletions to the agenda as presented? Uh approve the agenda. Oh, we need to add something. Yes. I would like to you should have in front of y'all an addition to the consent agenda. It is a resolution to authorize a notice to proceed with southern deac Southern D. I can't talk tonight. Disaster recovery, SDR for debris removal and appropriate general fund balance and transfer to solid waste in the amount of 200,000 dollars with budget amendment number 252023. Are there any objections to that being added to the agenda? Can I make a motion we approve the agenda with the addition of item HE. We have a motion. We have a valid second. All those in favor? It's unanimous. Next, we'll have the approval of the minutes from our last meeting. We have the set, which will be from September 17, 2024. Can we have a motion? Motion to approve.