Mayor Gregory S. Habib called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, in Council Chambers. Councilmember Melissa Enos-Sims was absent. The meeting included public comments, approval of minutes, a Mayor’s Leadership Council report, second readings of two ordinances, introduction and first reading of the FY 2026 budget and a zoning map amendment, a mayor’s report, and an executive session to select the Employee of the Year.
What's the one I do on fifty-two Middle Earth? And I wanted to buy some. Three to five foot bushes go around my patio. And I went to buy them and I said, Do you happen to go $80? Yeah. Yeah, it would take me like three weeks. It would be well worth it. Yeah, like I said, it would take me three weeks. I'd do a bush a day. Call this meeting in order. Thank you all very much for being here. Today is Tuesday, October 14th, 2025. This is our regularly scheduled council meeting. Uh, and again, I appreciate everyone in attendance. Uh Josh TG, the pastor of Goose Creek United. Um St. James United Methodist Church. You'll see you will get there, Mayor. Yeah, fair enough. Well, lead us in prayer and we'll follow that with the Pledge of Allegiance. Shall we pray? Gracious God, as we gather this night in community, we recall and celebrate the days that are before us and the wonder of nature as in the northern hemisphere. The plants continue to yield their harvest, and we thereby are fed. We pray this day for all those who work to tend the earth and bring forth a harvest. Thank you for new and creative ways that our community is engaged in bringing food into the world through initiatives like the Edible Forest at John McCant's, inspire the creativity and capacities that allow a community of care to continue to flourish in the world. As we gather and deliberate, guide our conversations and convenings in both care and love and grace that allows us to hold space for all of our neighbors, those who share a like-minded opinion or a difference, help us to be willing to listen to, to learn from, and to celebrate the opinions and perspectives of others that help us to grow in our capacities and capabilities, allowing us to become our more perfect selves. Let us not be distracted by the things that bear our own anxieties and encourage us to give air to our own grievances, but let us become capable to cultivate in each other the capacities to be present in our community with one another. Thank you for all those who are elected and employed to serve our city. We pray for their wisdom, and we pray that you grant them the rest that they need from their work, and especially those who serve the city tirelessly for the health, safety, and welfare of our city. Most of all, we pray, oh God, you grant us your peace. Amen. I pledge allegiance by the United States. Under God, individual. That's interesting that this what that reads there. Uh ladies and gentlemen, uh four people signed up for public comment. Mr. Stewart, if you'd like to come on down. Uh Eric Stewart, I'm in uh the commons off of Blenheim Court. My concern is as an ex-city employee who spent four years here. I'm curious if the city or the police department or anybody specific plans to address the fact-based articles that are being published by the Carolina Courier. This is not a back and forth, Mr. Stewart. You tell us what you want to say, and you can go ahead. Are you gonna respond? This is not a back and forth, Mr. Stewart. You have a statement you can make and we'll listen. We don't go back and forth. So if so I if I'm not getting there, yes or no, that's fine. Thank you.