Gastonia City Council Meeting - June 16, 2026
Gastonia City Council Meeting - June 16, 2026
The Gastonia City Council held its regular meeting on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the Public Forum Room of the Gaston County Courthouse. The meeting included a proclamation for Juneteenth, recognition of employees and citizen academy graduates, committee reports, a public expression, a consent agenda with 16 items, and public hearings on a facade grant and the second amendment to the Franklin Yards development agreement.
Consent Calendar
- The council unanimously approved the consent agenda consisting of 16 items, including proclamations, resolutions for purchasing policy updates, ABC store operations extension, property lease with Lamar OCI South LLC, NCDOT sidewalk maintenance agreement, water/sewer acceptance at Reserve at Rankin Lake, recycling center lease extension, litter removal contract amendment, USGS stream monitoring contract, Unified Development Ordinance update contract, traffic ordinance amendments, surplus property declaration, asset forfeiture fund recognition ($136,775 total), budget amendments for GASB compliance ($9,979,334), insurance and auction proceeds ($69,897), and a policy for outgoing citizen committee member recognition.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Sean Bates, President of Gastonia NAACP Branch 5394B, expressed concerns about the city's accountability, citing a lack of funding for schools and support for the homeless population. He criticized a $400,000 grant to an individual who he said had shared blackface films, calling it an insult. He urged the council to speak up on these issues.
Committee Reports
- Senior Advisory Commission (Councilwoman Jennifer M. Stepp): The commission reviewed legal parameters with the city attorney, adopted a purpose statement, renamed subcommittees, and discussed the senior center's opening ceremony. No actionable items.
- Recreation Advisory Commission (Councilwoman Donyel Barber): The commission discussed the deteriorated equipment at Martha Rivers Park (installed in 1999), noting it is the highest-used park and requires replacement. Estimated cost: $1 million to $2 million. The council discussed potential donor support and fundraising challenges. No formal action.
- Personnel Committee (Councilwoman Donyel Barber): The committee recommended and the council unanimously approved three resolutions:
- 2.A: Adoption of the NC Public Employee Deferred Compensation Plan (Empower 457).
- 2.B: Miscellaneous Personnel Policy Manual Amendments, including changes to retiree health and life insurance for employees hired after July 1, 2026 (benefits cease at retirement).
- 2.C: Update to the Section 125 Flexible Benefits Plan.
Discussion Items
- Facade Grant (238 West Main Avenue): Ben Bogle presented a $2,958 facade grant for a new illuminated sign at Viva Tequise. The existing blade sign will remain. The council unanimously approved the grant after a public hearing.
- Franklin Yards Development Amendment (615 W. Franklin Blvd.): Kristy Crisp and developer Mark Miller presented the second amendment to the master development agreement. Key modifications: investment increased from $50M to $60M, units from 220 to 280, tax incentive grant reduced from 18 years to 15 years at 100%, demolition to start within 60 days (by August 15, 2026) and completed by December 13, 2026, with a required "coming soon" sign. The council extensively debated the demolition scope: whether to leave slabs, fence the site, or grade and seed with grass. Ultimately, the developer agreed to fill the pool with bricks, cover slabs with dirt, and seed grass, making the site appear as a lawn. The motion passed unanimously with the condition that the site be graded and seeded. The city attorney will finalize the language.
- Citizen Committee Appointments: Mayor Franks presented nominations. Juan Garcia was appointed to the Planning Commission (replacing Chad Milner, who withdrew). Kieran Patel was appointed to fill a youth member position on the Recreation Advisory Board. Ward 3 position remained to be filled. The slate was approved unanimously.
Other Presentations and Recognitions
- Juneteenth Proclamation (June 19, 2026): Councilwoman Dreher presented the proclamation to Tasha White of Help Carolina, organizer of Ebony Fest. White read names of historic Gastonia families, thanked the city for its support, and asked for additional city investment, including historic markers, city employee day off for Juneteenth, and sharing the proclamation broadly.
- 2025 Employee Recognition Awards: Five employees were honored: Dave Anglin (Fire, Customer Service), Michael Branson (Engineering, Extraordinary Service), Apryle Kohut (Technology Services, Leadership), Craig Lowrance (Police, Safety), and Clayton Smith (HR, Stronger Together).
- 2026 Municipal Citizens Academy Graduates: The class of 2026 was recognized. Participants praised the program and encouraged others to enroll.
- Fourth of July Celebration: Christine Ingle presented plans for July 4, 2026, in downtown Gastonia, including live music, food trucks, rides, contests, and fireworks at 9:30 PM.
- 2026 Summer Interns: Six interns (Hasia Allen, Megan Carroll, Addison Lioy, Celeste Paul, Owen Sloan, Nicole Tran) were introduced. They will present project results in July and August.
Key Outcomes
- Unanimous approvals: Agenda, minutes, consent agenda, facade grant, Franklin Yards amendment (with additional grading/grassing condition), personnel policy amendments, deferred compensation plan, flexible benefits plan, citizen appointments.
- Franklin Yards demolition: Developer committed to filling pool with bricks, covering all slabs with dirt, and seeding grass within the demolition timeline (completed by December 13, 2026). Failure to meet milestones triggers default and possible termination.
- Juneteenth proclamation: Accepted by Tasha White; council committed to sharing the proclamation.
- Martha Rivers Park: Discussion noted; no action taken, but replacement funding is a priority.
- Upcoming meeting: Next regular meeting on July 21, 2026, at 6:00 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everyone. My name is Richard Franks. I'm the mayor of the great city of Gastonia. On behalf of the City Council myself, I welcome you to the June 16th, 2026 meeting. I will now call the meeting to order. At this time, I'd like to recognize Councilwoman Barber to give us our invocation. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. For those of you who are inclined to pray along with me this evening, I ask you to bow your heads at this time. Tonight we pause to give thanks and honor to God for his many blessings and the opportunity to see another day. We have gathered here this evening to conduct the business of our great city. God, I ask you to give us wisdom and knowledge to make sound decisions that are in the best interest of all citizens in our community. I ask for understanding and ears that are willing to hear the needs and concerns of our citizens and the grace and strength to do all we can to meet those needs according to the authority in which we have been granted. There's so much turmoil, unrest, and even confusion in our nation. God, I invite you to be in the midst to bring peace and calm to the hearts and minds of your people. God, I ask you to bless the fellow members of this council, our staff, especially those who engage in high-risk work environments each and every day. Bless the new graduates of our Citizens Academy, enable them to be ambassadors for this city now that they have been through the course and have learned our city and the way it works. Bless all of our residents, our seniors, our children, and our homeless community. Keep us all safe and from hurt, harm, and danger. Bless bereaved families, give them peace in the midst of grief. God, I ask this prayer unto you. I offer it unto you. Amen. Everybody would stand, please. If you have hats on, remove. I pledge allegiance to the flags of America. And to the Republic for which it stands one nation. Under God, invisible with liberal. Liberty and justice for all. I have a motion. Can I have a second? Second. Second by Councilwoman Barbara. All those in favor? It's unanimous. Each of you should have your agenda in front of you. And are there any corrections, additions, or deletions as the agenda is presented? Having none, I will accept a motion to approve. Motion to approve the agenda. Have a motion. Can I have a second? Second. Have a second by councilwoman Drear. All those in favor? It's unanimous. Next up, you should have two sets of minutes in front of you. One of them is the special city council meeting on June the second, 2026. And the other one should be the regular City Council meeting on June 2nd, 2026. Can I have a motion to approve as presented? We have a motion by Councilwoman Dreer.
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