Good evening.

Welcome to the September second, twenty twenty five meeting of the Greensboro City Council.

We are in the Katie Dorset Council Chamber.

Let the record reflect that all members are in attendance.

Mrs.

Hoffman is via Zoom.

We will begin tonight's meeting with a moment of silence.

In order to speak at tonight's meeting, individuals must sign up to speak by six PM.

If you signed up to speak online previously, please let the courier know that you are in attendance.

For zoning matters, well, we don't have zoning tonight.

Speakers cannot relinquish their time to others, and the speaker order is determined by the presiding officer.

Individuals who are suspended will still have the option to participate virtually via Zoom to ensure their right to free speech.

Zoom participants shall not speak until they are called upon.

By statute, council members must vote on all items unless there is a direct financial interest or if they serve on a board of a nonprofit receiving funding from the city.

All votes will be moved and seconded, and the presiding officer will announce the vote total.

We do have a consent agenda for items G1 through G6, which are a grouping of agenda items that are voted on with one single vote to expedite what is believed to be routine and non-controversial.

Any council member may withdraw an item from the consent agenda due to a conflict of interest or for the purpose of voting no.

Items removed from the consent agenda for discussion will be placed on the next business meeting agenda.

This meeting includes closed captioning.

Depending on the length of tonight's meeting, we may take a short recess around 7 30 p.m.

Now is the time for our ceremonial and presentation items.

Item E1 is a resolution honoring the legacy and continued impact of the Coach Allo Boxing Program.

Mr.

Mithini.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Over the last few years, I've heard a lot about this program.

I know we've got some folks young and I'll say mature here in celebration of this.

Whereas Coach Allo began his boxing journey as a student on a local high school team and later continued to box while serving in the United States military.

Whereas in the late 1960s, upon returning to Greensboro, Coach Lowe recognized an opportunity to turn neighborhood robberies into opportunities for structure, discipline, and personal growth through the sport of boxing.

Whereas in 1972, Coach Lowe founded the Coach Allo Boxing Program at Lindley Recreation Center, launching what would become one of Greensboro's longest standing and most impactful youth development initiatives.

Whereas what began as a grassroots effort to provide direction and mentorship to young men, evolved into decades-long community-based program that continues to change lives and foster personal transformation.

Whereas over the years, the program has served thousands of youth, especially those from underserved and economically challenged communities, providing not only athletic training, but mentorship, structure, and life skills.

Whereas today the Coach Allo boxing program continues to thrive, serving over 300 youth annually, with 40 to 60 active participants training four days a week year-round under very careful supervision and guidance of the dedicated coaching staff.

Whereas the current coaches, head coach Robert Chapman, Coach Kerry Cagle, Knard Moorehead, and Mickey Osborne are all former participants in the program who experienced firsthand the transformative impact of Coach Lowe's vision and now serve as mentors and role models to the next generation.

Whereas these coaches promote far more than athletic excellence, instilling core values such as accountability, mutual respect, discipline, and resilience principles that prepare young people for success both inside and outside the ring.

Whereas a major source of inspiration and aspiration for participants is the program's traveling boxing team consisting of 10 to 12 youth athletes who represent Greensboro and USA Boxing Foundation sanction events across the Southeast.

Successfully, I might add.

Whereas the program benefits from substantial support from the Greensboro Parks and Recreation, including facility space, coaching salaries, equipment, and transportation services, the Greensboro Boxing Club has also established a partnership with One Step Further Incorporated, through which private funding is facilitated, and to whose support the program is gratefully indebted.

Other expenses such as lodging and animals have been historically covered from personal contributions from coaches and volunteers.

Whereas despite financial challenges, the program's continued growth and success demonstrate its resilience, relevance, and importance as a beacon of hope, opportunity, and community empowerment for young people in Greensboro.

Whereas the City of Greensboro works to ensure equity in youth services and foster safe, enriching environments for all children, the Coach Awlow boxing program stands as a powerful example of what sustained community rooted investment can achieve.

The Coach Awlow Boxing Program stands as a powerful example of what sustained community rooted investment can achieve.

And now, therefore, be it resolved by the City Council of the City of Greensboro that the City Council hereby honors the life and legacy of Coach Awlow and celebrates the more than 50 year history of the Coach Allo Boxing Program as a cornerstone of youth development in Greensboro.

The City Council extends its deepest appreciation to head coach Robert Chapman, Coaches Carrie Cagle, Kernard Moorhead, and Mickey Osborne for their continued leadership, dedication, and mentorship, and recognizes them as both stewards and shining examples of Coach Lowe's enduring vision.

Moves by Mr.

Metheny, seconded by Mr.

Holston.

Council, please vote.

Do y'all want to come to the uh dais?

And that passes 9 to 0.

It's the place that I love the most, you know.

Like my parents even know that, you know, whenever I used to get in trouble, they knew I love the sport so much and stuff, that they will literally punish me by not letting me go to the gym.

It doesn't always have to be about competition.

It doesn't always have to be about hate or all of that.

It can just be about peace and love and just meeting a community and helping each other out.

A place that you can, this is like home, you know.

That's how I feel whenever I come here.

You know, like I'm so into the sport and so into the gym coaches and stuff.

Now, whenever I come here, I just it makes my day.

I just want people to know this is a community of people who want to get better in their life.

And everybody has a different story and background.

Every day we elevating and pushing limits, not just about punching each other in the face.

Everybody's working at their own pace.

What this guy doing maybe different than this guy, and we all learning, culture, building.

I felt like I accomplished something.

Like my whole like all high school year, I didn't do no sports, I ain't talking, I didn't have no friends that much.

But going in the ring, I felt like I was really doing something.

That was good.

There's a lot of love there, and I think that's what brings people together here if you can feel the love when you come in, and people can express themselves, get themselves the whole time.

You got a range of people coming in here, and everybody can get themselves no matter any background.

Yeah.

It's a community where everybody wants to get better.

And it becomes contagious.

And what you get out of that is good people.

Yes, right.

Madam Mayor, Councilman McFeeny, members of the council, thank you for honoring the legacy of the Coach Allo Boxing Program.

This program has offered guidance and support to young people for generations, and it continues to do so under the firm support and direction of the four dedicated coaches who you met tonight.

Program makes a difference in the lives of young people with lessons of confidence, discipline, and integrity that are integral both in and out of a boxing ring.

Every Monday through Thursday, these guys are there.

Um, and they're seeking structure and the opportunity to belong.

We have 300 people on the coaching roster right now, and you submit some of the boxing team members tonight.

The inspiration behind the success of this program is the ability of the coaches and team members to travel and to compete.

That ability right now is solely reliant on the goodwill of private donations and individuals like myself.

For all the good this program does to these kids and the community, it both needs and deserves an opportunity to succeed and to continue years into the future.

Behalve the Greensboro Boxing Club, thank you again, Councilman McFinney.

Thanks to Robbie Perkins and Andrea Coleman of the One Step Further Program who partnered with us to Brett Shulman and Richard Beard of the Greensboro Sports Council for the recent guidance and support that their organizations have offered this program.

Thank you very much.

Thank you all for being here, and thank you for sticking to this.

I gotta tell you that we get emails on occasion about the travel team and what y'all are doing and your winning.

You're not just showing up, you're putting Greensboro in such a great light.

And I did, you know.

You get to that tenth paragraph.

And you hear one step further.

And the legacy that Mayor Pro Tim Johnson continues to hear.

And so take uh one step further for continuing that as well.

Y'all keep going and recruit more people.

Thank you.

Give it a second as they exit.

So item E2 is a resolution recognizing Greensboro Day School basketball coach Freddie Johnson.

I think we're going to see a theme tonight.

Um we had Coach Allo, we have Coach Freddie Johnson, and then on later on, item E5, we're going to celebrate the Bison baseball team and their coaches.

Coaches are so important our community.

They are mentors and they serve as role models.

And I couldn't be any more pleased than to do this resolution for Coach Johnson.

I've known Coach Johnson for probably over 30 years.

He was good friends with my dad, and I think years ago when the ACC tournament was in town that the uh GDS basketball teams used to break the basketballs in before the tournament.

Um, my brother played basketball for Coach Johnson, and my daughter Catherine was a basketball manager.

So this means a lot to me.

Um Freddie is not retiring.

He still has a lot of wins in front of him, but this was something that was important to me that I wanted to celebrate while I could still do it as mayor.

So it might be a little early because we know that your career is going to continue, but um I would like to offer this resolution recognizing Greensboro Day School basketball coach Freddie Johnson, whereas the city of Greensboro is proud to honor and recognize Greensboro Day School's boys' basketball coach Freddie Johnson, who currently holds the most wins for a high school coach in North Carolina history.

Whereas Coach Johnson, a native of Greensboro, graduated from Grimsley High School in 1972, Greensboro College in 1977, and he played basketball for two years and received his master's degree from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in 1984.

Coach Johnson is a Greensboro guy through and through.73%.

Whereas under his guidance, the Greensboro Day School Bengals have advanced to the North Carolina state championship title game an impressive 21 times in the past 36 seasons, capturing the championship trophy, a record of 12 times in the North Carolina Independent School Athletic Association, and was a finalist nine times.

Whereas Coach Johnson's success at Greensboro Day School led him to being selected as coach in seven All-Star Games, including the 1997 classic all-star game, the 2013 McDonald's All-American Game, and the 2017 Jordan Brand Classic.

Whereas throughout his career, Coach Johnson has been lauded and recognized, including USA Today 2015, North Carolina Coach of the Year, inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 2016, 2017 National Coach of the Year by Ballis Life.

In 2020, he was recognized as the Morgan Wooten Award for Lifetime Achievement in Coaching High School Basketball by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

And Max Prepps honored him as one of the top 100 high school coaches in the country across all sports.

Whereas the City of Greensboro is honored to recognize such an exemplary exemplary sportsman and winning streak.

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the City Council of the City of Greensboro, one, that it hereby recognizes and congratulates the hard work, efforts, and accomplishments of and by Coach Freddie Johnson, and two, that the City of the Greensboro City Council and the residents of Greensboro join in thanking Coach Freddie Johnson for his decades of mentorship and teaching to both students of Greensboro Day School and our city.

I move the item.

Second.

Council, please vote.

And that passes 9 to 0.

Coach.

Thank you very much for this honor, and it is a great honor.

I have never left Greensboro.

I went to Lindley Elementary, Lemon Junior High School, Grimsley, Greensboro College at AT.

And I was so fortunate to get hired at Greensboro Day School.

I'm starting my 49th season.

I love kids and I love what I do.

And my head of school is here today, Tracy Catlett, who's a great supporter of mine, and I appreciate everything y'all do for the city of Greensboro.

Thank you.

Hey, Freddie.

You said you know your head of school here, Tracy, but the head of the household.

Oh, C'est sorry.

The boss is there tonight.

The boss is here, and I know that as how many hours you've put in on the court, on and off the court at the facility.

I've seen events over there where you're at and what sacrifices that you have to make, even in coaching uh as related to other things, and and your son's here as well.

Um you've got a great husband, you've got a great dad, you have a fantastic family, and you've got the family of Greensboro.

I see you everywhere.

And so thank you for everything.

You really, with all the accolades the mayor just mentioned.

And going back to kind of coach low, too, those things put Greensboro on the mat.

People know us because of Freddie Johnson.

And so thank you for making it happen.

I actually took boxing lessons at his place.

I grew up in the same neighborhood.

It's the Lowe's.

So thank you, Coach.

You know, since we're doing the um, since we're doing coaches, why don't we jump to I5 E5, which is a resolution of recognition of the Greensboro Bison Baseball team and their coaches in winning the Metropolitan Junior Baseball League Black World Series 2025.

Dr.

Wills.

Uh we'd like to honor the Greensboro Bison baseball team and their coach, Coach uh JB.

The fellows of seated in the back.

The story is just remarkable.

Coach who is in the Hall of Fame at Howard University and the Guildford Hall of Fame for sports saw the need after coaching about 30 years, saw the need to help boys and girls, boys that could not afford to travel, but he didn't want that to be a barrier.

So that's how the bisons came to be.

Some of the students that have been in the Bison have gone on to college and gotten scholarships, and they've done it all because of the vision that the coach had.

And as I look at them, and when you see them come up, you will see that he's doing more than teaching baseball.

They've learned to be brothers to each other, they're family members, they support one another.

And that's what we need in these times.

So I salute here, come on up.

I salute you and with the team come up so that we can applaud you for your big win.

This is a good idea.

Actually wasn't prepared to uh say anything.

And you know they say it's two things you don't do.

You don't give a child a cell phone and a pre sale microphone.

So I ain't gonna hold you guys.

We just want to thank you for taking your time out to recognize what we've been working with.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Item E3 is a resolution recognizing September as National Deaf Awareness Month.

Mr.

Mazini.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

This is a resolution recognizing September as National Deaf Awareness Month.

Whereas the National Deaf Awareness Month celebrated each September, honors deaf culture, language, and the unique experience of individuals who are deaf of heart of hearing.

I don't know it.

Whereas the month, this month serves to raise awareness of the contributions and challenges of the deaf community while promoting accessibility, equity, and inclusivity across all aspects of society.

Whereas our deaf and hard of hearing individuals represent a vibrant and diverse population whose language identity and cultural heritage enrich our communities and deserve full recognition and support.

Whereas Creative Greensboro, the city's Office for Arts and Culture proudly supports inclusive accessible experiences for people of all abilities, and will celebrate National Deaf Awareness Month during its September First Friday event, which will be this Friday.

Whereas the event will feature Deaf and Heart of Hearing service vendors, free introductory American Sign Language classes for the public, live dance performances, and visual activations designed to meaningfully engage the deaf and heart of hearing community.

Whereas the celebration is co-curated in partner with my ASLT Teacher Rocks, a North Carolina-based organization dedicated to advancing accessibility, language equity, and community inclusion for all individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.

And now, therefore, be it resolved by the City Council of the City of Greensboro that the month of September is recognized as National Deaf Awareness Month and commends Creative Greensboro and my ASL Teacher Rocks for their leadership and promoting awareness, inclusion, and access for the deaf and hard of hearing community.

Council, please vote.

Madam Mayor, can I have the second, please?

The second was Mrs.

Thurham.

And that passes 9 to 0.

Thank you.

I'm Jackie Boone, Chief Creative Economy Officer for Creative Greensboro, the City's Office of Arts and Culture.

First Friday has become a cornerstone of the downtown experience on Elm Street and beyond.

At the Cultural Center, these events not only showcase our four amazing public galleries, our dance companies and pottery studio, they also offer local creatives a high visibility stage to curate, perform, and to shine.

Last year, Creative Greensboro proudly supported 29 artists, curator, and performers who brought the cultural center to life with rhythm, color, and creativity.

And because we are committed to inclusivity and experiences for all communities, this month we are proud to highlight my ASL teacher, Rocks, at the Cultural Center.

They are co-curating Deaf Arts Connects during this month's First Friday experience this Friday.

Their executive director, Summer Stanley, is here.

She is a champion of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, and she's here to share a few words.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, Councilman.

Thank you.

Good evening.

Good evening.

Thank you all so much for allowing me to be here.

As she stated, my name is Summer Sutton Stanley, and I am the CEO executive director for My ASL Teacher Rocks and Inclusive Scan.

And I just wanted to add, second what you stated earlier, we should have an interpreter here.

I think that is just a larger step for us to be more inclusive of that community.

In Guilford County alone, one out of 11 individuals identify with a profound hearing loss.

And by 2040, that number is set to increase to every one in four persons.

And so I applaud the City of Greensboro for their initiative and the work that we're doing together.

I look forward to partnering with the City of Greensboro and Creative Greensboro to further enhance accessibility.

And I also would be remiss if I didn't thank Councilwoman Hightower, who was very strategic in a partnership with Cone Health, where we've already started improving accessibility and health care.

And so I just want to make note of that and thank you all so much for the opportunity for the recognition, and I am excited about what's to come in the future.

I believe Greensboro has an opportunity to set the standard in North Carolina.

And I look forward to just partnering with you guys in a uh more strategic capacity as we move forward.

Thank you again.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Item E4 is a resolution honoring the hundredth anniversary of the interdenominational Ushers Association of North Carolina.

Mrs.

Hightower.

Thank you very much.

I do believe there are representatives here today.

Paul, of course, is here.

As I read the resolution.

Resolution honoring the 100th anniversary of the Interdenominational Ushers Association of North Carolina Incorporated.

Whereas the Interdenominational Ushers Association of North Carolina Inc.

IUANC Inc.

was founded in 1925, bringing together church ushers of all denominations from across the state of North Carolina and parts of Virginia to serve in unity, faith, and community purpose.

Whereas for 100 years, the IUA NC Inc.

has promoted the welfare of churches, supported charitable causes, provided college scholarships to youth, and advanced the ministry of Ushering, remaining true to its original vision and mission.

Whereas the organization initially consisted of 10 districts, including Franklin County, Raleigh, Greensboro, Fedville, Roxboro, Virginina, Wilmington, Chatham County, Kinston, Orange County, and Durham, and continues to operate through six functioning districts today.

Whereas in 1957, the organ the association made a historic investment by purchasing the old Franklin Christian College, completing payment in 1968, and developing the 75-acre property into a community resource that included a dormitory, auditorium, and multiple facilities.

Whereas, following a devastating fire in 1989, the association demonstrative resilience by planning and constructing a new facility with groundbreaking held on July 13th of 2020 and a dedication service in August of 2003.

Whereas today, the Interdenominational Ushers Association of North Carolina Inc.

operates through departments including trustees, supervisors, youth, young adults, arts and craft, first aid finance, and the Ushers Institute, continuing to serve as a beacon of leadership, service, and spiritual unity.

Whereas the IUA NC Inc.

meets twice annually for its mid-year session two weeks after Easter, an annual session, the week of the weekend of the second Sunday in August, bringing members together to celebrate their faith, heritage, and purpose.

And now therefore, be it resolved by the City Council of the City of Greensboro, we extend our congratulations to the Interdenominational Ushers Association of North Carolina Inc.

on its 100th anniversary and recognizes the organization's century-long commitment to faithful service, charity, leadership, and community building.

This milestone serves as a testament to the dedication of past and present members who have worked tirelessly to carry out the organization's mission and many, and may their laid legacy continue to inspire generations to come.

Move the item.

That has been moved and seconded by Mr.

Holston Council, please vote.

And that passes 90.

So members are here today.

So members are here today to present this resolution, but I met you all the second week in of August, and I'll tell you phenomenal group of individuals.

And so thank you for the work you do.

You are the doorkeepers, you know, of not just church, but of other things as well.

So uh, but you have a hard job.

And so we applaud and appreciate the work you do to serve in your ministry.

So it was phenomenal, awesome to meet you.

Oh, I'll make a picture.

I'll find out.

Good evening.

I'm Brenda Ray, the district supervisor for Greensboro.

And Miss Sister Willie Trapp is our president for Greensboro.

So on behalf of Reverend Wilkinson, Lawrence Wickerson Senior, our President, and Deacon Eugene Laughlin, Trustee Chair, we thank you for this resolution and for taking time to honor such a great organization and for hard work that's been done over 100 years.

And we all started right here in Greensboro at Bethel, AME, and we're just excited to continue the work that needs to be done here.

So thank you.

We appreciate it.

Thank you.

I would like to ask council for their indulgence if we could take item G three right now, which is an ordinance amending state and federal and other grant fund budget in the amount of twenty-five thousand dollars for the appropriation of Duke Energy Foundation Environmental Impact Grant.

Duke is giving the city twenty-five thousand dollars.

I think Dr.

Doran Stant, are you here?

Um we have a motion on this?

Moved by Mr.

Holston, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem.

Council, please vote.

And that passes nine to zero.

Hank, would you like to come up and um give Dr.

Doris Stant the um the check?

Yes.

Hank, would you like to tell us a little bit about the grant?

Yeah, so I'm Hank Henning.

I'm the government community relations manager for Duke Energy.

Um before I talk about the grant, I just want to say how much I appreciate the ongoing partnership that we have with the city and your staff, and especially Dr.

Dorstud and her staff with the sustainability department.

Um this grant was actually a competitive bid that we had as local environmental community impact grant.

And its purpose is just we we continue to want to give back and help where we can to do our part because as I've said in a number of meetings, your constituents are also our customers, and you know, our our employees work play and eat here too, so we want to make sure that we have a city with lots of livability and and just continue to make it great.

Um, so this grant is twofold, it's $25,000, and it's going to go to planting 75 trees in various identified undersort areas throughout town.

And also the second part of the grant is to provide supplies for both cooling and heating shelters during periods of inclement weather.

So um I also do want to want to always mention the emergency first responders because when storms are are are out and the power's out and citizens need need us all, that's when we really want to want to be there to serve them.

So this grant's going to go to help that as well.

So thank you so much.

Thank you.

Now we will move on to um our speakers from the floor.

Now is the time for public comment.

Speakers have up to three minutes to speak on an item of their choosing.

Um we do have 36 speakers signed up.

I I do want to say that the North Carolina State Statute says that city councils have to give 30 minutes a month for people to speak from the floor.

And I am really glad that the City of Greensboro exceeds that every single month.

Um we do value what you have to say.

And so um thank you.

And I will call the first three up.

We have Andrew Willis, Aidan Lawrence, and Sarah Raleigh.

And as I call your name, if you would come to the window side of the room, please.

Good evening.

My name is Andrew Willis, and I've lived in Greensboro for 31 years.

I'm an American professor in the School of Music at UNC Greensboro, where I taught piano and related courses.

I recently became aware of the proposal to route an expanded methane gas pipeline passing near the Grailford Forest County line, known as the Southeast Supply Enhancement Project or SSEP.

I am concerned that this plan, if carried through, will have multiple negative effects upon those living nearby and potentially upon everyone who receives water from the city of Greensboro.

Alarmingly, the proposed pipeline route crosses Reedy Fork Creek, a protected watershed connected to Greensboro's three water supply reservoirs.

Given the industry record of contamination of water sources during pipeline construction, repeated permit violations, and general disregard for impacts on surrounding property owners, it should be clear that construction of the SSEP would place the citizens of Greensboro at risk of harm.

Our city has committed through its strategic energy plan to develop renewable energy energy sources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and advocate for renewable energy.

But the proposed SSEP would push us in the opposite direction, facilitating the intention of Duke Energy to increase rather than reduce its reliance on natural gas to generate power.

This is exactly the wrong investment at a time when we are close to reaching a tipping point into irreversible climate change that will impose severe consequences on our future economy and health.

I urge the city to follow through on its support for the reduction of greenhouse gases by opposing the SSEP.

I became aware of the dangerous impacts of methane pipelines in 2019 when construction of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline was slated to pass near a community to which I have ties near Buckingham, Virginia.

I learned that such projects subject nearby populations to noise, air and water pollution, and explosive hazards.

In the case of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, sustained and vocal public opposition was an important factor leading to the cancellation of the project in 2020.

This brought home to me that informed public opposition clearly expressed can effectively defend the welfare of communities.

That is why I am stating my support for a resolution of the Greensboro City Council opposing the SSEP pipeline.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Hello, Council.

My name is Sarah Raleigh, I live in District 3.

I'm here to share my concerns about the proposed Transco-Methane Gas Pipeline, referred to as the SSEP, that will run through Guilford County.

Please submit a request to FERC, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and NCDEQ to deny the water and air permits that Transco seeks and highlight concerns about this project's impacts to the health and safety of Greensboro's residents.

The concern I'm highlighting this evening is the impact to our city's water, drinking water.

As proposed, the SSEP would cross 173 wetlands and streams, 165 of which would be accomplished by dry ditch open cut methods.

This method of crossing water bodies degrades water quality, pollutes drinking water sources, and harms habitat for aquatic species.

The route of this 42-inch diameter pipeline crosses Reedy Fork Creek, which is a protected water supply watershed, and is the headwaters of our city's three water supply reservoirs, Lakes Higgins, Brandt, and Townsend.

According to the nonprofits Clean Water for NC and the Haw River Assembly, Transco's proposed crossings of North Carolina's water bodies are likely to cause violations of state water quality standards.

Also, Transco hasn't adequately analyzed the cumulative impacts to streams and wetlands.

Transco Williams has applied for necessary for necessary water permit from the North Carolina DEQ.

And per their own community profile for the SSEP project, the North Carolina DEQ encourages public participation from community members and local local municipalities as an essential part of the permitting process.

Earlier in 2025, FERC decided to conduct an environmental assessment rather than an environmental impact statement.

An environmental impact statement is a more thorough and comprehensive study that would better assess potential for damage to the environment.

In June 2025, FERC changed its policies to remove obstacles and accelerate construction of methane gas projects such as the SSEP.

This means the federal government is now expediting approvals, which will lead to inadequate environmental reviews.

Given that this process is already being rushed by FERC's recent policy changes, that the less stringent environmental assessment is being conducted, and that this project will cross the headwaters of our city's drinking water reservoirs.

I'm concerned I'm and considering that the NCDEQ encourages input from local municipalities like Greensboro.

I urge you, City Council members, to request that FERC and NCDEQ deny the permits that TransCo seeks and to share your concerns about this project's impacts to our city's drinking water reservoirs.

Please pass the draft resolution submitted to you by our no SEP group.

Thank you so much.

After our next speaker, we have Scott Jones, Adrian Scott Singleton, and Shantae Woody.

Thank you.

Good evening, City Council.

I'd like to start off by saying I join the voices of many of my other community members.

Can you give us your name for the record?

Yes, absolutely.

My name is Aidan Lauretz.

I join uh other community members who add their voice calling for justice for Said Azine.

Uh I was glad to find out a few moments ago that the chief of the police will be uh putting out a petition for full body cam removal or full body cam footage.

And I hope that the council supports that decision in an effort to find transparent information.

That's not the main reason why I'm here tonight.

I'm here as a Greensboro resident and as an employee of the Haw River Assembly and seven directions of service.

I'd like to first say thank you, uh Councilmember Hoffman for being here by Zoom, but thank you to you and to Council Members Holston and Abuzy Water for meeting with myself and my comrade Margaret.

We had some wonderful conversations about the impact of the SSEP and why it's important for this council to take a stand.

Also, thank you to Council members Therm and Pinder for also having ongoing conversations about environmental justice in our community.

I am here not only as a Greensboro resident but as a representative for the folks that can't be here tonight.

Members of Oak Ridge who are not directly represented by you, the elderly students and professors who are just starting the new school year, parents and hundreds of others who are asking for you all to uplift our voices.

Guilford County has a residency where 24.8% of our population is considered highly environmentally burdened.

This is a majority of residents in Oak Ridge and Greensboro.

We as a coalition have been coming since the beginning of this year.

We were told to go to the OSR and CSC.

We were told to go to the Guilford County Commissioners.

We have done both of those things.

I emailed all of you this morning to share the exciting news that the Forsythe County Commissioners have joined the Guilford County Commissioners in passing a bipartisan and unanimous resolution opposing the SSEP.

They make their voices known as well as the town of Midway.

You have the cushion of other municipalities.

The Forsyth County Commissioners, even though it is bipartisan, has a 4-3 split, leaning more conservative and more Republican.

And they passed a bipartisan unanimous resolution to oppose this project.

We are the largest city in Guilford County and have a proud history of taking a stand on environmental issues.

You, Mayor Vaughan, specifically have quite the history of taking a stand for environmental issues.

We want to help you to solidify your climate legacy and the legacy of this council.

We are asking to have a resolution put on for next month.

We want this before you all leave.

Mayor Vaughn, will you commit to meeting with myself and other community members in the next couple weeks to discuss this?

Sure.

Amazing.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you very much.

My email is AIDAN at Hall River.org.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening, City Council.

Scott Jones, Executive Director for County House Community Development.

I'm here with some really great news, and it's very unusual for me to do so, as you well know.

But I'm excited because we, after 12 years, are receiving grant funds from the city through another organization that we are going to be able to put people experiencing homelessness to actual work in a day labor program.

We're super excited to have this opportunity over the next 12 months to prove to you and citizens of Guilford County and Greensboro City that more can be done collaboratively working together.

So I'm excited to be able to share that news.

Also, I want to thank Water Resources.

And they did an awesome job.

They were professional, they were clean, and they did expedited it very very quickly.

So hands off, great big thank you to Water Resources Department for Greensboro.

The other thing I want to share is that for the last three years, we've had over 247, 247 students complete our construction education program in collaboration with GTCC and Goodwill Industries.

In those 24 cohorts, some of those have been able to obtain gainful employment, exiting poverty, and homelessness both by getting jobs here locally and abroad.

Most importantly, now that we started our 24th cohort, we also just acquired two instructors who will be starting at the end of this month both electrical certification for residents of Guilford County and plumbing certification here in Guilford County.

These are 10-week courses where they will earn OSHA 10, uh 811 NC 811 Pikes Plus, and the NCCR Plumbing Electrical and Core certification.

So big thank you.

Appreciate everything City Council's been doing lately.

We still have a lot of work to do.

And one last thing, we have a lady that will be moving into one of our houses in High Point from our partnership, newly found partnership with the Interactive Resource Center.

This makes three individuals exiting homelessness from the pallet shelters into our houses.

That's big.

That's huge.

Now we've made room for additional folks to go into the ballot shelters.

But the third one is moving in Friday, and we're just super excited.

We're doing breakfast three days a week at the pallet shelters.

We've been providing bottled water to the IRC and the palace shelter residents as well.

So we're we're really super excited now under new leadership that we're able to pull things together and do a lot of great things.

So thank you, City Council.

Y'all got enough.

Y'all have a good night.

Thank you.

Good evening.

My name is Adrian Scott Singleton, and I'm the hub manager at Wheels for Hope.

Um, I would like to talk about the process of obtaining a donated vehicle from the city.

You see, Wheels for Hope is a car donation program here in Greensboro where we take donated vehicles and we match them with people who are in need of transportation.

We work collectively with nonprofits in Greensboro to support their current clients' journey towards self-sufficiency.

Transportation is key to economic stability, and Wheels for Hope has made that car donation, uh car ownership available to more than 550 families in our city since 2012.

When I heard that vehicles were going to um Black Mountain, I immediately knew who was behind the ask.

Former City Councilwoman Michelle Kennedy, whom I have no problem with.

I really do like Michelle.

But I am not naive to the fact that she wasn't, if she wasn't in Black Mountain, the ask for a donated vehicle probably would not have ever come become a topic of discussion.

Mayor Vaughn, Councilwoman Um Wells.

I'm not sure if you guys remember this, but we had a conversation at the Sports Comp Sports Plex a couple years ago during a job fair where I asked you guys about donated vehicles coming to Wheels for Hope if they could happen from the city.

And you guys said you would look into it.

I never heard back from you guys.

I did call your offices to find out to follow up, and I never heard back.

Um not only did I call the your offices, but I did call down to the city manager's office to find out what is the process.

And this is probably back in 23.

And I was told that city vehicles go to a surplus auction and the surplus vehicles go to an auction, and I didn't pursue it any further.

Other cities do that, and I knew that.

In March of 2024, I received a call from the IRC.

Green Wheels for Hope is a partnership, has a partnership with the IRC, and we have placed cars with several of their successful clients.

Three of them were donated in that that year.

An escape, an impala, and a grand caravan.

Two of them we were able to place with our two women that were referred to Wheels for Hope from family services, and they are doing very well today.

Those vehicles are still running.

Unfortunately, that one vehicle but was um infested by rats, and we could not use that vehicle because some of the residents there at the um IRC had taken it over and we couldn't use it.

Um but my my issue is Wheels for Hope does not receive any funding from the city nor the federal government.

Those vehicles were donated to the IRC by Wheels, donated to the IRC by the city of Greensboro.

Wheels for Hope would have liked to have received the call like that.

I'm glad we got the call from the IRC and our partnership was able to get those vehicles to us that we were able to get them to families.

But Wheels for Hope wants to be in the wants to be called when you guys have surplus vehicles.

Thank you for your time.

So Adrian.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean uh Adrian.

Um can you connect with her, please?

Because this is the reason I asked for the process to be transparent.

So bring that up.

She has she has a need.

She's helping people in our community right here.

So we need to connect with her.

Yes, ma'am.

We can get her information.

Get this process because it's still not clear.

After our next speaker, um Brenda Barksdale, Kevin Lightsey, and Wendy Cutler.

Good evening.

My name is Shaunce Woody, and I am the market manager for the People's Market.

The People's Market is a community hub that serves a number of residents, family, and local entrepreneurs for the past 10 years.

Last Thursday, we had our last market for the season.

We are a seasonal operation and we operate April to the end of August.

And it's a cultural hub for small businesses, small business incubator, and a gathering space where people from all backgrounds can come together, and we pride ourselves in doing that.

Um council.

Then uh Hugh Hos stumbled across us last week and left with a bunch of goodies.

It was good to see you there.

Um I want to tell you guys a little bit about the people's market.

The people's market started in 2015 in District 1 in the heart of the Glenwood neighborhood.

It was Glenwood was considered a food desert, and so sustainability and access to affordable foods was on the hearts of the neighbors.

So they came together on a random Thursday evening to buy and sell from one another.

And as years pass, we formed a nonprofit with the Corner Farmers Market, Neighborhood Markets Inc.

And through that program, we are able to match our customers' SNAP benefits.

So it's it comes in handy, so we're addressing food access and food accessibility.

When I started at the people's market, I was a vendor.

I was underemployed, living in Hampton Homes apartment, looking for a way to supplement my income, and so I found a way to make things work.

We know that people have the hustle mentality, but they may not know all the ins and outs of business.

So we pride ourselves in economic development, helping our vendors that apply each year to become sustainable folks.

We'll get them a hundred dollars worth of fresh affordable foods from the people's market.

These are local growers, people that have went through our South Hustle University program and obtained their service certification so they meal prep, and this is food that's going back into our community.

So we're we want people to be sustainable.

As you know, the city of Greensboro now owns 1417 Glenwood Avenue, and we don't know the future of the people's market because that's where the people's market live.

And so as we closed out our market season last Thursday, I want to know how we can plan together to ensure that the people's market has a bright future in the Glen in the Greensboro community.

We have monthly stakeholders' calls, and I thank you guys.

Thank you.

I believe Mrs.

Barksdale was next.

Oh evening, Mayor Bond, City Council members, City Manager, I'm Brenda Artis Brockstell and resident 308 Irving Street, Greensboro, North Carolina.

I was here on July the 8th, and I had received a letter from North Carolina State Department of Transportation regarding the flashing light, yellow light at Runman Road and Netavie.

So the letter has stated that it was the city's responsibility to find the funds to get this light there.

So we want to know the update of this.

Can somebody else explain that?

Because this has been a 10-year ask, at least 10-year ask.

No community should have to wait to school.

And you've had six deaths there right there at their intersection.

Like the state stated that they were focusing on Randomer Road and Meadowview because of the accident in the city had not uh reported this to the state.

So I have the information documentation, and the information was passed out, should have been passed out the July the 8th meeting.

We just want to know the update and why it's taking so long.

Okay.

And another thing about Random Road, the community was not informed about this new uh gas station.

On the corner, Random Road and Metaview.

And I'm pretty sure if the community would not have known about this, we would have had some kind of discussion.

We do not need another gas station on Random and Road.

We have nine gas stations.

We have we have 10 used carlocks.

We have five used tide places.

We have two family dollars, three dollar gender, one dollar tree.

So what is Randman Road?

Just say business to come in.

So you know, Run Road is dangerous, and like I said before, something needs to be done.

We have been waiting, and the South Tower had helped us tremendously.

So, you know, if you please, okay.

I got to go, and I know one more thing, two more things.

The Coliseum.

You need to have shutter buses to uh accommodate the people up to the gate, especially disabled people and other disabilities.

I talked with Mr.

Scott Johnson, so he said the city would look into it in the future.

So I would appreciate it if y'all would uh do that.

One more question.

The last two meetings, it was asked about parking on the street.

How many cars are allowed?

So what I was told, Ms.

Barksdale, there's no limit on the cars, because I've asked that question just recently.

Um and um unfortunately.

But if it's a work vehicle, you're only supposed to have so many work vehicles at your home.

You're not supposed to have an overload of work vehicles.

We have front yard parking, and I'm not really sure why it doesn't get addressed.

I know we're complaint driven, but we need to hire more co-workers who said that before the budget, um, so that we can have people who are addressing these issues, and not just eight to five, but you know, 12 to 7, because that's when you see it more after five, you know, than you do any other time.

So there's some things we could really be have done proactively.

I hear your concern.

As to the gas station, the Murphys, I didn't find out about it till it was almost there.

And according to what I learned from Marshall Yandel in our economic development department, um, it was already zoned because it was a right A there in our acords previously, so it was already zoned for business commercial medium, is what I was told.

And so they did not have to go up for a rezoning, they just automatically started building it.

I think it's in a very intrusive space beside Destiny Christian Center.

I don't I agree.

We do not need another convenience store, another peanut butter uh cracker and potato chip and beer and wine on that corridor.

Um we need something healthier.

Um, but they went and built.

They got the permits.

By the time I found out about it, they knocked the building down and put the building up almost literally the next week.

Um, so very disrespectful.

Um, this is the type of zoning that happens when these spaces are already zoned, and these are the type of uses that happen.

And so we have to look at how some zoning, we need to be more proactive about that as well in these spaces.

You know, a nice grocery store, something would have been a nice restaurant, but a gas station, no, we don't need it.

Sorry it came about.

I appreciate it.

Thank you so much.

And uh thank you, council members and city managers.

So, you know, if we just need to come together.

And you know, you hear the citizen concerns and complaints.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilmember for Miss Barksdale on the um on the flashing light.

I do know because it's an NCDOT road, uh, it may take some time to work with them, but we are actively uh trying to work with them to get that done.

It's more than just us, you know, the funds for it, but we will make sure that it goes forward.

Okay, yes, ma'am, thank you.

Good night.

Thank you, Miss Fartsdale.

We'll get it, Ms.

Bartsdale.

Mayor Vaughn, members of the council, thank you for the opportunity to speak to you this evening.

My name is Kevin Lightsey.

I'm the chair of the Greensboro Criminal Justice Advisory Commission.

I'm here to speak to you about our mission and our objectives and what we do.

GC Jack was established to monitor issues across the justice continuum, evaluate police community interactions, analyze data and resources, and to provide education, offering insights on topics raised by the community.

We also advise the community sharing data and information regarding the Greensboro Police Department.

We produce reports and try to put together recommendations regularly.

We voice or we listen to concerns from the community that are brought to us.

Unfortunately, uh we rarely get members of the community at our meetings.

We do engage or we take part in community engagement.

We hold regular meetings on the third Thursday every month at the Central Library at 6 p.m.

And the community and the council are welcome to attend these meetings are open to the public.

The third Thursday of the month.

We have hosted five citywide forums.

We've partnered with the Human Rights Commission on uh forum concerning traffic stops.

We've organized the GC Jack Awareness Forum at Labour Park, and we presented a variety of presented to a variety of civic organizations, broadening our reach and impact.

We have or GC Jack has put out recommendations.

Every issue brought to GC Jack receives careful review, and we work hard to try to get facts, however, however, without community involvement coming to us and bringing issues to the commission, it's hard for us to be proactive, so we end up being reactive.

And again, I'd like to thank you for your support.

I've heard on numerous occasions here at the council.

The question, where is GC Jack?

GC Jack is at the Central Library every third Thursday of every month.

Thank you.

Thank you.

After our next speaker, um Carrie Thompson, Eddie Southern, Malik Hugh.

Thank you.

Please please forgive my voice, North Carolina allergies of the tact.

Good evening.

I'm Wendy Cutler, a 36-year resident of Greensboro, an appointed executive committee member of GC Jack.

I've served a number of city and county commissions.

All GC Jack the Commissioners are volunteers wanting to make Greensboro a better place for everyone.

In consideration of time, my comments are brief, but I'm happy to elaborate further in an arranged time.

Joe Lightsey provided pertinent information.

I'm offering a little more.

During incidents in our community, people become very passionate.

Information isn't always shared with the public, prohibiting full understanding of all facts.

Some mistakenly believe GC Jack is not doing its job adequately.

GC Jack is last to receive an incident, to review an incident.

A process exists for review, a citizen must file a complaint with GPD.

GPD issues a written response, including the appeal process if desired.

Sorry.

At this point, the police citizens review board, part of GC Jack steps in, reviews all details of the complaint, including start to finish body worn camera footage, written reports, audio recordings of the incident, etc.

Like a jury, PCRB is impartial and only considers the facts presented.

The only directive from council and the state is for PCRB to determine if officers involved followed GPD directives of operation.

PCRB can offer suggestions of discipline, extra training, etc.

But PCRB and GC Jack is not authorized to terminate employment.

I know few people here tonight believe they are not treated fairly by GPD and council.

GC JAC strives to be a place for citizens to approach us and begin dialogue.

This is only possible if we develop an honest relationship of trust and teamwork.

Unfortunately, council and citizens rarely attend our monthly meetings or reach out to us at public events.

With the few moments I have remaining, I'm unable to elaborate on possible ways to collaborate, but I hope you will reach out to GC Jack.

I know GC Jack is looking forward to productive work sessions with citizens and council.

Please include us in the process.

Allow GC Jack an opportunity to help bridge the gap Greensboro is currently experiencing.

GC Jack will continue to show up at community events.

Join us, begin the dialogue.

Council members, what date can we put on our calendar to meet you to begin the process of making our city better?

Our meetings every third Thursday at 6 p.m.

at the Central Library.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Mr.

Manager, it makes sense to have a scheduled work session on something like this.

Every third Thursday, there's other meetings that day too.

And I know I appreciate you being down here.

Let's just schedule together versus trying to pick and choose when give us a date.

That's what I just said.

That's what I just said.

So let's figure out some times to work together.

You'll reach out to them and we'll we'll have some conversation to work out a date.

And Madam Mayor, I just want to thank uh Wendy Cutler for the and Kevin Lightsey for bringing us all the information.

It's rights, responsibilities, realities.

There's quite a few things.

There's quite a few things just telling about their purpose and and just things to do that will help assist.

So thank you so much.

Thank you.

And and we did start the conversation at our last work session.

The work work session ran long, so I know that um Miss McNeil didn't have the opportunity to I think present everything that she would have liked to have, so it would be good for us to schedule kind of the part two of that work session.

Do you know that?

Is JC Jack Foolish is it field?

Is everybody everybody there?

Is every district?

I don't know.

I don't know if I understand the question.

Okay.

That's what I need to find out.

I can I can ask we'll get the clerk's office to I'll I'll ask the clerk because originally we set this up so that district one would have two, district two would have two, because that tends to be the most incidents in those districts, and I want to make sure that is still occurring.

Um right now, at the top of my head, I only know why.

So I could have I knew something was yeah, I knew it wasn't true.

But I don't think I'm sorry, you can't talk about it.

Well, we'll talk about that.

Uh you can call me.

Tori, could you please follow up with Mrs.

Hightower and the rest of council?

Thank you.

Thank you for thank you.

Good evening.

Sorry, good evening, Mayor and Council members.

Thank you again for um being here and allowing the members of our city to come and talk to you about the issues at hand.

Um, as I thought about tonight, and what's the most important thing that I could share with you are.

Could you give us your name for the record?

I'm so sorry, yes.

My name, sorry.

My name is Carrie Thompson.

I'm the director of Family Room Foster Care Resource Center in Greensboro.

We serve children in foster care and families at Foster.

We're housed in Greensboro, but we serve children in foster care throughout the state of North Carolina.

Um, the two most important individuals that I wanted to share with you tonight are two gentlemen named Brian.

One is a very young, new, fresh social worker who is the social worker of the foster parents who took placement of a very precious eight-day-old baby that was missing in August but was found and ended up in foster care.

That social worker called us from the checkout counter of Walmart to see if we had a bassinet because he couldn't find a bassinet.

He was in Walmart to buy everything that this foster parent needed to care for this eight-day old baby that was being placed with her because she had nothing for a baby, and he was going to buy everything out of his own personal bank account because it's not in the budget of social services for social workers to buy anything for the foster families or the children when they have to deliver them to foster parents.

That's not a subject that I'm trying to change, but it is a subject that family room is trying to solve.

The community is coming together to solve the gap between when a child is placed in foster care and when that foster parent begins to receive financial support for that child.

So the next gentleman that I want to tell you about, his name is also Brian.

He's not a fresh new social worker.

He's been a social worker for over 20 years.

He was in Family Room this past week with four little girls from Guildford County who were placed in social services care.

But he had to take them out of Guilford County.

This is why Family Room serves children in anywhere in the state of North Carolina.

Because currently, right now, we don't have enough foster homes in Guilford County for these four little girls to stay together.

So he spent the entire day in court all day long, texting me all day long.

I'm still in court, please wait.

I'm still in court, please wait.

We were in on call service.

We would have waited all night long.

So that evening he got out of court, he drove to Forsyth County, he picked up these four little girls and he brought them to Family Room so they could pick out their own clothes.

And they could pick out their own shoes.

He couldn't do that for them because he didn't know them.

He didn't know what sizes they were, he didn't know what style they liked, he didn't know what toys they liked to play with.

He didn't know how many toys they could take with them to the group home in Forsyth County that they had to be placed with because they couldn't be placed in Guilford County.

Family Room is here forever.

You guys have one of these.

I'm sorry.

Three minutes isn't enough.

Please come see us at Family Room and learn more about what we do.

Thank you.

Hello, Mayor, Council members, and fellow city residents.

As a lifetime Greensboro resident, graduating from Page, also graduating from UNC Greensboro and starting my family here.

I am here today.

Could you give us your name for the record?

My name is Eddie Southern.

As a lifetime Greensboro resident, I'm here to talk about the recent March 2025 country park renovation.

We have a beautiful facility in the Greensboro Natural Science Center, Country Park and Military Park.

This is one of the nicest places in the city to come and hang out as a family.

And you have people from the city, the county, and neighboring counties and cities coming to see this place.

I would like to bring to your attention that one of the playgrounds recently installed is a safety hazard.

I grew up on the previous playground and understand life expectancy of playgrounds very well.

The most recent playground is far too dangerous.

They removed all the toddler slides, which is also a problem, but it's also not handicap accessible.

It's installed, it's smaller, it's taller, it doesn't have any barriers to keep children from falling off from as high as six feet of elevation.

This seems like to me it's an ADA hazard as well as a playground hazard.

Um the section that has no handrails starts off at four feet and goes to six feet.

Many residents have contacted the local parks and recreation department, including myself.

As recently as today, I spoke with the director of parks and recreation, several city council members, and the risk and safety director of the parks and rec.

As a parent of three beautiful children that I'm raising in this area, as a member of the Greensboro Science Museum, we love to go down there and hang out around the park.

Um I find it my duty as a parent also to stand up for all the other kids.

There's many parents who can't come in here and share their grievances.

I want to make sure that the city is safe for all people, and that these playgrounds have acceptable handrails and preventions from falling off.

If a child falls from six feet of elevation, they're going to get extremely hurt.

This poses not only a safety hazard, it also poses a litigation hazard.

You're putting us as the taxpayer at risk here of potentially having to pay for a child who just got injured off of a playground that was installed unsuccessfully.

Um as a parent, I don't want my child to be injured either.

My son had a broken arm from falling a foot and a half.

He's sitting here with me.

He came out to say hey to everybody.

But I want to make sure that all children have a safe place to play, and I hope that the city council will help us in addressing this.

It was brought to the attention of Parks and Rec back in March.

There's still been nothing done.

There's no safety nets, there's no handrails.

This is nothing but a potential lawsuit for the city.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

I I appreciate you bringing this to our attention.

And um, Ms.

McCray, do you want to just give a brief update?

And if you want to have your son come and say hi.

Right.

Hello.

Hey.

Hi.

And we live in council member technology's district, but I know that we've been complaining about this hazard, and I just want to make sure that the city council members are aware because I'm not sure that that's been relayed to you all.

I know that I spoke with uh council member earlier, Mary Kate.

So I appreciate everything that y'all are doing.

Did you say it was Country Park?

Country Park.

Yeah, it's right.

I work there all the time.

I'll look at it next.

It's right behind the bathrooms, and I went by there today with my own take measure just to take measurements.

Um the one spot is actually taller than me, and I'm 5'11, so thank you.

Uh Ms.

McCray, do you want to give us a quick update?

Yes, and we um appreciate Mr.

Southern's um concern and are looking into that.

Um we've had some conversations um with some other residents who have reached out to us regarding the new play features.

Um a grant was received by Parks and Recreation, which allowed us to replace the older playground equipment with the newer features.

Um there's some fall engagement opportunities that are being scheduled right now to get some input on some of the toddler, uh more appropriate toddler amenities to go in on that playground, but we are working on putting up additional signage and are in contact with Mr.

Southern, and we'll continue to work to make sure that that play feature is as safe as possible.

So I do know that um Director Fleischmann has had some conversations um with him, and we'll continue to do so to follow up to make sure that our um participants remain safe.

It seems to me that if if there really is, and I've no doubt no reason to doubt you that there is that fall hazard.

Maybe we should rope off that um playground equipment until the issue is solved because we certainly don't want to have uh a child fall off and hurt themselves.

And we'll look in and we'll look into that.

We also want to make sure that people understand we still are working in pro it's a work in progress to make sure that the unit is safe.

So we'll one educate the community, but then also make sure that we have those um measures in place to keep the city.

Drags out.

So I would be uh cautious more than Madam Mayor.

If I can also add, I appreciate the fact that we're gonna be adding a toddler playground because there is only one slide that's a foot and a half tall.

It's literally like that tall for the toddlers out there, but this is also a safety hazard.

So even if you add toddler playgrounds, that doesn't negate the safety factor of a child falling off of a 16-inch wide by six-foot tall playground.

Absolutely.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Um after our next speaker, we have Chandrika M, Crystal Black, and Cheryl McIver.

Hey, City Council.

I got something that's can we be shown to y'all.

Um this is coming up October the 18th, and I wanted to show it for the city.

I want all city members to see this and city members to come out who hosting.

Zach.

For one thing, this is coming for me and DGI and um for the ambassadors.

We wanted to have them there at my event on October 18th.

Is a community event for all people for the homeless and it's the whole for the homeless.

So I wanted y'all to come out.

And please make sure y'all come out and see it.

We've been and waiting, and I finally put it together for event.

This is the first annual beauty industry event, and this is for the whole city of Greensville to come out and be able to have some fun to see me meet and greet and have some of the city council members there.

Even Nancy Vaughn, I would love to see you there if you would love to make it.

Even Miss Pendy Jones, me and Ms.

Pende have been talking at Duty that today.

And who hosting?

I know me and you, we still got a connection.

So I really want to see a lot of y'all out there because a lot of my homeless members have asked for it, and they said, Look, we want you to do something weak for us.

So I am running to help to hopefully that y'all would see this.

Hopefully, y'all will come out and enjoy their time.

If the event is from 12 to 5, it's gonna be a pillar of creation center, and this is for all city members and even but I want to also bring up this Trey Davis.

I have been trying to get a meeting with you, and I have called your office.

I have called all y'all.

I have been trying to get on the schedule to have a work session for my homeless members, and I've been asked for it repeatedly to have a work session for my homeless members, and I want to see if we can get on the schedule to have a work session for the homeless members with the city trusted in a work session if that's okay if we can get it scheduled sometime soon because I do want to have a work session with y'all so that way we can pick out a solution, and I really want to get your input on it, Trey Davis.

So one, thank you for the request, Malik.

But you know, our work sessions are normally uh geared toward the request from our city council.

Uh I can tell you there's a couple different efforts.

Uh I'll get our folks to connect with you so you can make sure you're in the right location.

Uh the county has an effort happening, and then there's a couple of other locations that probably will be more beneficial.

But I'll I'll reach out, reach back to you and have some discussion with you.

And please, Matthew Vaughn, if you can look into this for me because my homeless members, we all come together.

We love the ILC, we love a lot of things, but yeah, I just want to see if we can make some changes for now.

I know y'all want to live and we want y'all to lift the band from the park for us to feed there.

We want the band lifted.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Could you leave your flyer with the um courier so we can all get a copy of it?

I will give I will give y'all a copy.

Um I'm working on it.

Um, who hosting?

I know you follow me on social media.

I've been watching, so I would appreciate if you could just follow me and share my page out there and share it to all of y'all.

Thank you, Malik.

Thank you so Mr.

Davis, were you referring to the homeless task force that we all that perhaps Malik needs to be made aware of?

I know they've always been looking for people with lived experiences to be part of that.

Yes, ma'am.

So that would be something I think you we you need to connect them to.

Yes, ma'am.

Okay, thank you.

Good afternoon, Council Crystal Black.

Um, I am just here to express concern about the brown water that we have um actively spoken about um through social media, through emails, through requests.

Can you not hear me?

I'm sorry.

Can you hear me?

Through the request through through the departments.

I have not gotten the response that I think Southeast Greensboro and South Greensboro deserves specifically from council.

I haven't gotten any response from anyone on council.

I listened to someone speak earlier about being able to sit down and meet Mr.

Holston and uh Miss Hoffman about our brownwater concerns.

This has been going on for a year.

We're on a year, and we have proven through videos, through pictures, through numerous complaints that have been online, and we just have not gotten a response.

We met with water resources.

I know that they're here today, which is great.

We met with water resources in December, who was very transparent.

Mr.

Holson, you attended that meeting about what the concerns were.

Our only ask was that they be transparent with the community.

That was our only ask.

And here we are almost a year later, and you no one has answered that call.

In March, I sent an email and included council members in it again to discuss the brown water with no response.

I have provided videos, I provided pictures.

When is it that we can get the attention?

I saw I heard that people are willing to sit down, Miss Pinder and Miss Thurm about it.

I know Miss Thurm that I have sent you pictures about this.

Thanks to our city manager who I met with a few weeks ago.

He had the director to call me, Mr.

Boiter.

We had a great conversation on the phone about setting up a community meeting, and that was the 20th of August.

I know that you all can act with a sense of urgency when you want to, and this has not been an act of sense of urgency.

I believe when residents see brown and yellow water coming out of the spigots of their homes when they pay for this service, that you all should find it urgent to speak about it and to address the issues.

So what I am asking council members today is who's willing to answer the call?

Because to date, no one has.

So I would like to say though, Mayor, that I have answered every email from brown water because I went and pulled them all.

You haven't answered mine.

And I've answered every one of the things.

You included in them too.

And so um, and every time I saw it too, Mr.

Borges, I went straight to him as well.

Um I think we need to move past answering emails and answer the question to residents on why we have brown water coming out of our spigots.

All we asked in the beginning in December was that you be transparent to the residents of why this is happening and what the city is going to do moving forward to fix the problem.

That's all we asked.

That's all we asked, and that's all we're still asking.

I'm sure if it was coming out of your spigots in your homes, you would be equally concerned.

You would be equally concerned, and and it is an issue.

You can Google next door and look at the numerous complaints.

I've provided pictures of people running yellow water in their bathtubs.

I provided pictures of the hydrants with water that looks like chocolate milk coming out of it.

What it when is when are you going to have the sense of urgency?

So I know Miss MacGyver is also going to speak on the same issue, and then um Mr.

Borgers, I know that you and I had spoken on the 17th or 18th, and that there was going to be a community meeting to talk about the um brown water.

I don't who who will be reaching when they're done speaking.

Maybe you could come up and give us an update.

I've asked for a meeting uh in December and March and then last month.

So three times in a year is when is it gonna happen?

We've talked about it long enough.

Thank you.

She's a little shorter than I am.

Give me just a moment.

Cheryl McGyver, uh, District One, uh, and a 27406.

I know all of District One may not be experiencing the same issue.

Um sewage and water lines were placed around 421.

What transpired that caused our water in our area to be a different color?

It's not just a different color, it's sludge, it's dirt, it's not just a color issue.

And I hope that when you look at those pictures and those videos that you are noticing it's not just a color issue.

Okay.

I don't know that if I brought glasses of it here, that you guys would drink it, even though your website says it's fine.

Would you?

I don't know.

I'll leave that you know for your your discretion.

The other question I have is what changed.

Did the way we receive water directionally, water treatment plant, what changed?

That's the transparency we're asking for.

It didn't just all of a sudden happen out of nowhere.

There was something that happened that is causing this.

I know that you do maintenance on fire hydrants, but you shouldn't have to flush the same fire hydrant three, four times in a year.

On your website, you published a report on July 25, July, July 2025 about what you were doing and your strategy around the PSAS, right?

So we know that there's some issues with water.

I think that should be taken into consideration when you're thinking about your your pipeline uh discussion.

Also on that website, you said that for the Mitchell water treatment plant, you will begin in 2026 upgrades.

How does that affect 27406?

Also on your website, you said there was a neighborhood meeting in August of 2025.

Who was a part of that meeting?

Was it a different area that has nothing to do with 27406?

Please enlighten us.

Um for my last 42 seconds, I just want to make a couple of other comments.

Um, I don't know if you have a service level agreement with NCDOT.

I don't know how it works with Duke Energy, but I don't have you guys noticed the abundance of lights that are out on every street, on every highway.

I mean, from 29 all the way to down I-40, there's probably a hundred lights out.

There's probably a hundred.

Your quads are out, the exits are dark, uh, you may have one on on the opposite side, one on on the other one.

So I would have someone check into that.

It's it's been like that for probably uh at least eight months.

The other thing I like to talk about is um I noticed that we're getting ready to move money for parks erect mowing.

If you ride around, they're mowing, but they're not trimming.

It looks awful.

Thank you.

I'm sorry, Miss McKeever.

I I wanted to make sure because I think I've been blocked off of your uh email list.

I'm not getting the last email I have is made.

And I know I haven't sent the email.

Okay, I didn't say I sent the email.

I'm just black has, but I've been taken off apparently, and I've been blocked.

Yeah, no, I haven't sent the email.

Okay.

Uh-uh.

I have not sent the email.

Okay.

So, Ms.

McKeever, I I will address the light.

It's MacIver.

MacIver, I'm sorry.

I don't want to make your name change.

Um, my apologies.

Um, McGyver.

Um, I will address the light.

I have talked to Duke.

Um, Hank Henning was here earlier tonight.

Okay, there he is right there from Duke Inn.

And I've talked to him before, those lights on 29, they're not C lights.

Um they're state, but there's the man who can help get them back on.

I feel like that they should have some service level commitment to the city because it's your residents that are riding up and down those highways.

And it's not just the NCDOT highways, it's also lights on different streets.

Like if we try to go tag them, you know how they say put a tag on them?

Like it's too many.

I don't know what's happening.

The last report we got from um one update was there was some back orders on some pieces or something like that.

I don't know.

But I just they're out everywhere.

But Madame Mayor, oh I'm sorry.

I just want to jump in.

They they've got a new way to do that now where they actually show the lights on the computer if you want to go on the computer and want to report.

I know he can tell you all about it, but it's so easy because all you do is uh click on the dot and then they go out and fix it.

We don't have to do the tagging anymore.

That's a good point.

That's a good point, and I think also with the communications that you guys are posting online about some of the water and some of the other things.

I think take into consideration the demographics of who you're targeting, because there's a lot of older elderly people, they're not doing social media, they're not going to your city website to Greensboro Water Resource Department to try and find out what's going on.

I I think we could do better in communication.

Thank you.

After our next speaker, um we have Rodney Stewart, followed by Billy Belcher and Keith Brown.

Oh, Mike.

What I'm sorry if you could wait for a second.

Mike, did you want to address thank you?

Thank you.

Good evening, Madam Mayor and members of council.

Mike Borscher's Greensboro Water Resources Director.

And I want to thank Ms.

McKiber and Ms.

Black for bringing their concerns.

And I completely agree with you.

I I would not want to have brown water in my home, and uh it is unacceptable for water resources.

I would like to say we have uh over 1,500 miles of water lines.

We have over a hundred and twelve thousand metered accounts, so it's a fairly large system.

I'm I'm not proposing excuses, but what what I am saying is is that just like us, we like steady state.

We like equilibrium.

And when things get upset, whether it's a main break, whether it's a very large user on the system, or whether it's some other type of uh uh impact to the system, the system reacts and how the system reacts as we see sediment or brown water that can be in in the uh the pipes and in uh people's homes.

The good news is that's fixed, that can be fixed.

Um sometimes it's short term, so we go and we flush, and I would ask every anyone who has a concern about their water, please call 373-2033.

That's 247.

We will respond uh in very quick order, and we will go out there.

Not only do we do the flushing to take care of the water quality issue, but we also take sampling to make sure that the water is safe.

So it it is an aesthetic issue, and I completely understand.

And we are um the couple of things we are doing to be transparent.

We are working with the Office of Community Relations to go ahead and set up a meeting so we can provide more information on our website.

We are actively working in Southeast Greensboro, South Green, eventually South Greensboro, Southwest Greensboro.

We are doing what's called um swabbing and flushing of the lines.

It's uh think of a deep scrub of those lines to get any loose sediment off the lines and out of the system.

And that picture that was uh that was shared, that was a result of actually scrubbing the lines.

So we were doing exactly what we're supposed to to get those set that sediment out.

The other thing I would like to share with council and with with the members of the public is um PMOT Triad Regional Water Authority heavily influences the South and Southeast uh portions of our system.

So we are working very closely with Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority to address some of their operational uh issues that they have to make sure that ultimately no one has brown water, and so that's our commitment to our residents.

And I do apologize for the inconvenience because you're absolutely right.

No one wants to see it, no one wants to use it, but we are committed to address it permanently, and we are going to reach out with community relations to get something set up.

Mr.

Borges, um you had a presentation on December the 10th of 2024, which I have a copy of.

I didn't make the meeting, unfortunately.

Um is that something that can be shared with the public as well?

Because I think you went through some extensive explanation.

I know Mr.

Holston was at that meeting that night.

Um, and so I I found that presentation you had to send it to me.

Um, but it's something that maybe we can show.

And no, everybody doesn't have websites or access to that.

I think yeah, that's true.

So sometimes when you put stuff in the mail, it becomes confusing, as we found with that other letter that went out.

Agreed, absolutely.

We can refresh that, and that was part of the uh the intent with the community meeting is to go ahead and provide that information and provide updates.

And I would like to, if I if I can take another quick minute as far as Mitchell water treatment plants.

So the other things, so to just reassure the public, yes, we have a concern with forever chemicals, P for PFAS and PFOA or PFOS and PFOA, or these these per and polyfluoral alkyl substances.

So we are well underway to do improvements at the Mitchell Water Treatment Plant.

We're putting in.

Think of it as a very large Britah filter, uh granular activated carbon filter.

So we will remove all of those forever chemicals from our water supply so that we can assure our our customers as well as the safety as well of the water that we provide.

But I will definitely, we will share that information.

I have a question for you real quick.

So I just want to make sure I heard this correctly.

So if there's a question, they can call 3732033 24 hours a day to be able to report this.

Correct.

And then the other action you're doing, because you mentioned that this is a short-term fix, correct?

Flushing can be a short-term with the issue where we're working with Piedmont Tride Regional Water Authority and some of the operational changes, yes, that the what we're it's gonna take longer to uh ultimately address it.

But short term, we know flushing does work.

It does.

Okay.

Okay, so the short term, but how many times with the short term?

So you're saying you're putting this in place at short term, but how many times within this short-term process that we're gonna have to continue to keep going through this?

Well, it's it's situational, so uh short term could mean when we go out there and flush in most instances we've seen it clear up in about 24 hours, and most sometimes even sooner than that.

We we've seen it.

We asked our customers to go ahead and flush their line as well inside the house to get it to clean up.

What we're at asking PTRWA to do is is look at their operations as well as how they treat their water, and so that's more of a longer term.

That's gonna take likely several more months for us to work out that issue with them so that ultimately we feel confident and they feel confident that they're they're not contributing to the issue.

And the other thing I would like to mention is is that we have we all have seen a tremendous amount of growth, and that's great for the city of Greensboro.

So we've seen a tremendous amount of growth in our system, more so in the past five years than I have ever seen in my my career with the City of Greensboro.

Again, remember we talked about equilibrium, so that changes the equilibrium of the system.

And so, what we need to do, of course, is is to address that by ultimately looking at where can we flush, and we're always gonna have to flush.

I want I want the public to understand.

Well, always every system in the United States, large distribution system, they have to flush because you get dead ends, you have other water quality issues, you have brown water, so that's always going to be in our toolbox.

But ultimately, you know that the system has been changed significantly, our actions ultimately long term over the next couple of months.

Hopefully, we'll be able to address it.

We're hoping by first quarter of next year, we'll have this swabbing and this this deep cleaning done in southwest southeast Greensboro, and we're gonna move right to South Greensboro and then continue on.

So to answer your question, we we believe by first quarter of next year, we'll see significant improvement to where we we won't see the level of complaints.

And the other thing I I'd like to mention, I said we have over 100,000 connections.

Typically in a typical month, we see 30 to 40 complaints per month for brown water, 30 to 40 out of over 100,000.

Now that's still too many.

I completely understand, and we're working on that, but it's very, very small in relation to our overall system.

But we are aware of it and we're focused on it, and you have my commitment, we're gonna address it.

Mr.

Borters, can can you get with communications and have a meeting set up in the next two weeks?

Not necessarily that it happens in the next two weeks, but that you get a date and that it's set up in the next two weeks for hopefully within 30 days.

I certainly will if that could become a priority.

I will.

Um it is important for people to call in if they have brown water concerns, because you said 30 to 40, but those might be 30 to 40 people who call in.

Correct.

It may not be about the other people who don't call in.

So it is important that people call so they know exactly what areas of the city this is occurring in.

Absolutely.

We'll do, Mayor.

I'll be done.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mike.

Good evening.

My name is Shandra Malong, and I'm here today to speak on behalf of several individuals currently incarcerated at Gifford County Jail.

People who are being mistreated, silenced, and ignored.

Let's be clear.

I'm not related to any one of them.

I don't have to be.

I'm a residence here in Greensboro, and I believe that when we see injust, we speak, especially when their lives are being at risk.

Right now, there are three individuals who names must be spoken in the room.

The first individual name is Kendall Brookins.

He has not been able to communicate with any of his family through phone or anything like that, any phone for the last three months.

And he has not been able to speak through emails or anything of that nature within the last year.

And also Delphic Show Little, he was assaulted by some deputies that are employed at that Gifford County detention.

And Mr.

Randall Rixby Jr., he's actually supposed to receive a dietary um lunch.

He's not been able to eat properly.

He's been there for almost three years.

Also, Mr.

Jimmy Richardson, he's not been able to utilize the phones properly.

All these individuals haven't been able to utilize the phone, but definitely Mr.

Jimmy Richardson the third.

Every time I speak with them, the call drops, or the call is silent for 20 minutes consecutive.

And it feels as if they're wasting their money.

These calls are already prepaid for, so they should be allowed to utilize the phone, and the tablets shouldn't have Wi-Fi issues.

The phone shouldn't have issues of that nature.

This is not just a coincidence.

This is actually a pattern.

Actually, have um documentations of each phone call.

I record each phone call.

I have each email from each one of these individuals.

This is actually a safety half, I mean a public safety issue.

According to North Carolina law, it's the responsibility for elected officers.

It is your duty as a mayor in the city council to advocate for the safety and well-being for all residents and city citizens within the city, including those who are incarcerated.

When someone's safety is in question, especially in a public institution operation within your city, science is not a leadership.

To call and be transparent with those people like Skip Austin or Mr.

Um Jay Sellers or Mr.

Danny Rogers, because we also sent messages out to them.

We also sent um messages to you, Miss Nancy Vine, and also Mr.

Sellers, and also Mr.

Danny Rogers and also Mr.

Skip Austin.

No message has been responded as of today's date.

And I do have where we also sent um certified mail to you as well on this matter.

And you haven't responded.

This was actually sent not only in 2021, but actually also in 2025 of June.

So I'm asking you guys to not only be transparent and speak with those individuals, Skip Austin, as well as Danny Rogers and C.J.

Sellers about this matter.

If not, we will take this thing this process to another.

We will take this matter to another process and get legal people involved as of today's day.

You do have an opportunity to speak directly to them.

The next county commissioner is Thursday, September 4th, yeah.

I'm gonna speak to them, but I'm speaking to you as well because you are also CCD's documents and you never respond.

Thank you.

Thank you as well.

After our next two speakers, we are going to take a break.

Um, after our next two speakers, all the rest of them are about GPD and police accountability.

Um we'll have these two speakers and then we'll take a brief break and then come back for the remainder of the speakers.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

My name is Mr.

Rodney Stewart.

I'm here today to inquire about the oversized parking um concern.

I am an employer, UNCG have been employed there for 18 years.

And I have a lawn business where I have an attached trailer.

I looked online this uh afternoon before I came in and I read where the um rule or whatever chapter, whatever it is, uh it has to be 30 feet or less.

And when I ran the tape on my vehicle and my trailer, I have a 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe that measures uh 16.6 feet, and the trailer is 12 feet.

And that's giving me 28.6 feet.

As of last week, I was given a warning on the corner of car and Tate Street because I move my vehicle within the two-hour frame every two hours.

Out of four years, I've never had a complaint or an issue.

Um I was given a ticket the next day.

And then uh Sergeant Reed, if I'm not mistaken, he told me that the uh new rule that is effective, it was really not for utility trailers.

I'm bringing my trailer to work with me.

I reside in Pleasant Garden.

I don't have time to go from UNCG to Pleasant Garden when I'm working Battleground and Wendover Avenue in that area.

He said to me that the rule is really not for utility trailers, more so tractor trailers.

I looked at WGHP where they had um had a sighted a tractor trailer on the side of the street.

I think it's really really uncalled for to uh cite people citations and warnings, and I'm asking that this can be revisited because a utility trailer that someone is moving every two hours is different from an 18-wheeler uh trailer.

I agree with you.

No, they should not be on the highway, I mean the side of the street for long periods of time because it can become an issue or a hazard to people that need to see around it, cannot see around.

But um, I need to know what can be done.

Can this be revised, re-looked at?

Um, because I measured my vehicle 2004.

You can Google it, 04 Chevali Tahoe, and a 12-foot trailer, and it does not come to 30 feet.

I've got a ticket here.

I need to talk to someone about um how we can perhaps look at it again.

So I've been speaking with uh Miss Hightower in reference to it as well.

Thank you.

I I have a question now, because he just said something I've never heard.

Um, is there something in an ordinance that says a utility is exempt?

Because I thought it was everything that was over certain feet eighty feet wide or whatever, but sounds like when he was referencing to his feedback from the officer that he spoke to.

We'll we'll get the information and follow up with you and then review whatever's in the ordinance as well as the citation that you receive.

Yeah, because I mean we need to be clear, I mean, so people understand, but I understand Mr.

Stewart's the research pastor.

Uh Mr.

Seward's concern, um, which interest in that he all of a sudden started getting I think a ticket after four years.

Right, as of August, when school the new school semester comes in, it seems like everybody comes out of the woodworks with all these different rules and regulations, but prior to the semester beginning, you can just about have a party in the street if you want to.

You can do whatever you want to do, basically, and get by with it.

But I'm coming to work, and I'm coming just to get my job done, and it feels like I'm being targeted and along with a couple of other people, and I brought my registrations to prove the vehicles and the trailers that I do have, and it's it's just not what I don't understand is this, and I'm gonna have my seat.

What I don't understand is this.

If you're going to take I have to say your time is up.

Okay, but she asked the question.

That's what I was asking.

Yeah, I did ask him a question now.

Go ahead.

Thank you.

Yeah.

If you're going to take my privilege from parking on the street, what are you going to give me to subsidize what's been taken?

I'm paying taxes on my trailer.

I'm paying taxes on the vehicle.

So I don't understand if I cannot use it with all of the other things that's going on.

If I cannot use it, I mean, what are you giving me?

I went to the campus.

You can't do it there.

I'm on the city street, no problem.

So what do I have to supplement?

Thank you.

Thank you.

We'll look into it.

I appreciate it.

Yes, sir.

Um Keith Peterson, I guess I I don't have him on my list, but I understand he spoke once to speak about the brown water issue also.

And then well, Mr.

Belcher, if you don't mind waiting until that's true.

And then is Keith Brown here?

No.

No.

Okay.

Thank you.

And the reason why we're taking the break is we have to do it for the closed captioning.

And we did talk earlier about people who are hearing impaired and how it would be great if we had um if we had people who could sign closed captioning is also very important.

So that's why we'll have to take a break.

Mr.

Peterson.

Yes, Keith Peterson, 3317 Winchester Drive.

Um Council, just to figure back on what Sheryl and Chris was saying and what Mike said, there was a meeting on December 10th of last year with the Water Department and Mike's team, and uh learned a lot of good information.

He said, when something triggers the line, when there's unbalanced, you start getting those sentiments.

And that elephant in the room at that meeting was the Toyota plant.

We did not start having brown water until the Toyota plant came.

Then we start having brown water.

Now, the meeting was in 2024.

USA Today did a piece about uh PFOS chemicals in 2024.

When we left that meeting, we asked for transparency.

So eight months later, the transparency we got, we had to investigate ourselves and find out that uh five out of the eight most common PFOS chemicals is in our water system.

Five out of the eight most common is in our water system.

Also, Mike said one interesting thing about scrubbing a line.

They started scrubbing the lines, water lines in Grand Over.

That is a good distance from Woodley and Woodlee Lakes.

So if they scrubbing down in Grandover, why is sludge coming up in Woodley Lakes?

Now, my plumbing system is only two years old.

Brand new plumbing system, brand new fixture.

Just the other day I had to change water fixtures because this brown sludge clogging up my line.

Got the pictures right here.

Also, in South East Middle School, there are automatic flush systems connected to the hydro.

Now, if flushing the system is a part of remediating the problem of brown water, put them on every hydrogen in the city.

While the South West have, and nobody else have.

Now, during that meeting, we was also told by somebody in Mike's team that uh they tested the water, and there's nothing but minerals and vitamins coming out of the water.

And my comment to them was well, I get my vitamins and minerals from GNC and vitamin shop.

I don't want it out of water.

And so if USA Today is writing editorial pieces about our water, and we get that information from them, not the water department, then that's the breakdown of communication.

Now by profession, some of you know I'm a private investigator.

So if you tell me something, I'm gonna look into it.

I'm gonna pull reports, I'm gonna look at a lot of things.

But you know, you know, Mike, you know, we love Mike Borscher to death.

He's a great guy.

We love him to death.

But he's just over that department, not over the city.

So I would urge you guys, please be transparent with us.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Mr.

Belcher, thank you for your patience.

Good evening.

I'm Billy Belcher up in Woe.

Um Sayed Asseen was killed by the Greensboro police on August 5th.

He had been evicted, and apparently, because we're not sure, had returned to his former residence, and there is apparently a trespassing call, and the police came out and apparently protected the property, and definitely killed the man.

I don't pretend to know what happened that day.

But I do know that when Marcus Smith, Joseph Lopez were killed by the police, it wasn't easy to get the truth.

It wasn't easy to get accountability.

I know that Joe Lopez sued you on behalf of his kids, and that made a big difference.

George and Mary Smith came up here and took you to court, which made a big difference.

Said doesn't have family here to do that, but citizens, we people should not have to spend millions of dollars in court to get the truth.

Saeed was an immigrant, and his family is all in Morocco, and I can tell you that they are hurt and grieving and confused, and they're full of questions that no one is even trying to answer.

I know that because I talk to them regularly, which is something I believe at least a couple of you ought to do.

One of your employees killed a man.

Let's act like it.

Said's family, community, all of us.

We have the right to the truth.

You are representatives, apparently, are obligated to give us the truth.

There are a lot of questions that need answers.

Why was someone killed over a property violation?

How is that related to previous police violence in this city?

Why did Saeed lose his home?

How is his death related to our ongoing housing crisis?

Was he having a mental health episode?

And should police have even been involved at all.

We still don't know.

On behalf of his family, I will ask you tonight to immediately petition for the release of the body cam footage of this homicide.

You don't need to wait for the SBI's investigation to be complete.

And take all the steps that you can to ensure that Said's family are provided aid and comfort and timely and transparent information.

And commit to a thorough community-driven review of police practices, particularly as related to issues of housing and to mental health.

Thank you.

I know there are a lot of people here tonight addressing problems with the police department, and there's nothing that they're going to say for the first time.

Y'all need to pay attention before it's too late.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, we are going to take a brief break.

It is 741.

We will be back at 75.

Back now on trying today.

We have a return visitor here, one of our favorite guests, Stephanie Martis.

He's assistant chief of police for the city of Greensboro.

Good to see you.

Nice to see you again.

Congratulations on being the first person in the department to complete the FBI Academy.

So actually, I'm not the first, but I'm the first in about 15 years.

Wow.

The last officer to attend the FBI National Academy was Brian James, and that was almost like a few years ago.

Yes.

Well, now what is uh but again, so congratulations.

That's a rare honor.

Now, what is the FBI National Academy?

Well, it's a conglomerate of things.

Um, it is the uh top law enforcement leadership training in the world.

Um, only one percent of law enforcement officers in the world uh get accepted to this program.

Wow.

Yes, it is a very prestigious uh opportunity.

Um they focus on leadership, uh, personal health and wellness, um, you know, the leading uh policies and procedures, the best practices uh for law enforcement officers, they're gonna be able to do that.

Do they hope they hope that maybe they can around the world maybe they can recruit you?

I mean, do they have something in mind like we're gonna take a look at this uh crop of folks?

No, well, most officers that uh they're the upper management or leadership and and law enforcement, so we've kind of aged out of the uh out of the federal opportunities, but um it's just uh an opportunity for law enforcement officers around the world, the top leaders to um to meet and learn about themselves, learn new leadership styles, and it's focused on wellness, it's focused on best practices, and it's focused on um continuing the relationship between local uh law enforcement and federal agencies.

So take those things you just mentioned, how do they help specifically uh to benefit the Greensboro Police Department and the folks you serve?

Uh, I was able to focus on how I show up as a supervisor, how I show up as a leader in my community, and um it definitely opened my eyes on different practices to make sure that I am bringing my whole self to work to meet the needs of my colleagues and meet the needs of the citizens of Greens, uh the residents in Greensboro.

I just think that's great.

What a great honor.

Uh, we didn't rehearse this or anything, but speaking of academies, uh last time you're here.

You and I talked about recruiting and we talked about the local police academy.

And I think there were like 36 graduates of that the last time you were here.

Is that are things going pretty well on that side?

We are doing extremely well with our recruiting and our retention.

Um, officers who are eligible to retire.

Um, they aren't as they're not leaving as fast as they were before, and we have been able to fill the seats with our academies, 35 plus uh cadets in our academies.

We do two academies per year, and we are looking our numbers are phenomenal.

Wow.

You know, uh the last time you were here too.

We talked about the 30 by 30 program.

Refresh everybody's memory.

What is the 30 by 30 program?

So the 30 by 30 pledge is just a national pledge uh throughout the country where law enforcement agencies are striving to have 30 percent representation of women in law enforcement by the year 2030.

Well, how are we?

Again, I'm gonna put you on the spot within rehearses.

How are we doing?

How are we moving in the right direction on that and recruiting more women or what?

Absolutely.

We're beating the national average, so we're still hovering in that mid-20s percent uh with the Greensboro Police Department.

The national average is somewhere around 12 percent.

So we are doing quite well with recruiting women.

Now you'll forgive me because me being an old uh an old guy.

I'm gonna ask an old guy question.

Yes.

Why do we need more and more women officers?

How does that benefit the community?

Because it's a tough job.

You know, I I don't if you're my daughter and you're I'm old enough to be your grandfather.

I don't want you going out there and getting in dangerous situations or whatever.

But why is it important?

Women bring a unique perspective to law enforcement.

We're able to step into situations we can hold our own if the need arises, but we have that uh ability to de-escalate and look at confrontational, you know, address those things in a different way.

So we have a unique perspective on how we um communicate.

Tough but nurturing.

Yes.

So you can use that song if you want to do that.

Firm but fair.

We can use those slogans up on screen.

Uh for career-wise, you can go to GPDCareers.com.

That's still a good website, I think.

Uh P2C.greensboro dash nc.gov is another one, and the general website, of course, Greensboro dash nc.gov for what's going on in the city.

And I hope you won't be a stranger.

It's always a pleasure.

Thank you for being here, and thanks for all you do, and congratulations once again.

Thank you so much.

The city of Greensboro takes pride in the host of reinvestment activity taking shape in East Greensboro.

Equitable investment on the east side has been an ongoing effort to enhance the quality of life for our residents, students, and visitors.

A hub of recreation is evidenced through the downtown greenway, which touches all walks in different ways.

Construction continues on the final mile of this one-of-a-kind, four-mile greenway.

The western branch, winding from Smith Street to Spring Garden Street, is expected to be open in the summer of 2025.

The walking and biking greenway connects at least a dozen neighborhoods, including Ole Ashboro, South Side, Douglas Park, and the Dunleaf neighborhood, all on the east side.

There are more than 600 million dollars in planned and completed projects along the downtown Greenway.

This urban loop enhances quality of life with a variety of fitness classes, community walks, and an emphasis on public art, cementing Greensboro's reputation as a creative city.

With the connections to the existing and planned trails in the city and the county, this loop is the center of the entire system and will one day connect us from all parts of the community and beyond.

A future East Greensboro Greenway will connect the J.

Douglas Gallion Depot in downtown to Barber Park.

In collaboration with the city, NC DOT is developing a feasibility study for the route of the East Greensboro Greenway.

The first phase of the Randleman Road Corridor enhanced transportation services and encouraged additional reinvestment on the east side.

Recommendations based on significant public input will guide the future growth and development necessary to improve services and connectivity for a variety of established neighborhoods in the Southeast area.

The city is investing three million dollars of American rescue plan funding to revitalize our oldest golf property with prominent ties to the civil rights movement.

The Gillespie Golf Course Master Plan relies on the facility's historical and cultural relevance as a guide for future improvement.

Additionally, we applaud the PGA Reach Foundation for awarding a 250,000 dollar grant to commission a mural of the Greensboro 6.

These courageous men integrated the Gillespie Golf Course in 1955.

The city is taking a new approach to meet the needs of the East Greensboro community in a way that has never been done before.

Greensboro Public Libraries and Parks and Recreation have set out to create a centralized community hub, the Windsor Chavis NOCO Community Complex.

Thanks to the advocacy of Congresswoman Kathy Manning, the city was awarded a 4.3 million dollar grant from the outdoor recreation legacy program.

This supports several much needed improvements to NOCO Park, which aligns with plans for the $65 million Windsor Chavis NOCO community complex.

The community approved design will integrate the existing Windsor Recreation Center, Vance Chavis Library, and NOCO Park.

In collaboration with Guilford County, the 65,000 square foot facility will incorporate public health, social services, and cooperative extension.

It won't be long before the shovels begin turning the dirt on the first phase of construction.

These initiatives offer a mere glimpse of the metamorphosis of East Greensboro.

Back now on trial today, I was glad we can spend a few minutes with some of the good folks who keep things running in the city of Greensboro.

Do so many things for all of us 24-7 behind the scenes most of the time.

But we're bringing this young lady out of the behind the scenes into the front of the scenes, Love Jones.

She is director of human rights department of the City of Greensboro.

Thanks for coming.

Thank you for having me.

As you said, off camera and bringing sunshine with you with that yellow outfit.

We appreciate everything.

I do what I can.

I know it.

Hey, look, um, Fair Housing Month is uh officially recognized by the City of Greensboro, and I'm wondering why do we celebrate that every year?

Well, as you're aware, the Fair Housing Act of 1968 pretty much outlines that every human being, regardless of any identity marker, has the right to fair, safe, and affordable housing.

And in Greensboro, we realize that a sense of belonging has everything to do with the preservation of dignity.

Right.

And that fair housing act really lifts up the importance of dignity with how people are able to access a place to live.

We know in Greensboro that belonging is the bedfellow of dignity, and so we keep celebrating it as a way of saying to our community, we value what it means for you to have equal access to fair and safe housing.

Absolutely.

But you know, let me ask you a stupid question.

What if somebody comes up to you and says, Miss Jones, uh uh, haven't we made a lot of progress?

Why why is uh the Fair Housing Month even relevant anymore?

Don't do we still have things we need to do.

Well, absolutely.

The reality is that we have made strides.

There is more equitable access to housing in the community.

But the truth is sometimes we still have challenging or bad actors who are making decisions about giving access to housing to people based on identity markers and preference and things that go against what the core of the fairhouse is.

Unfortunately, there's always going to be some bad apples, some landlords who are too greedy, or maybe they're racist or whatever their problem is.

Absolutely.

You got to keep an eye on that.

Now, you already partially answered this question, but who exactly is protected by these fair housing laws?

Give me an example.

Everyone is protected.

Um, there are no particular populations that file fair housing claims.

Okay.

Anyone who has a concern about not getting access to housing is eligible to file.

And we do have examples with cases like being disabled and not having accessible accommodations in the home.

Yeah.

Or familial status where people with children are being discriminated against.

Especially scary when when you're elderly and and then there might be some discrimination involved.

That's doubly scary.

Hey, the I understand you sent me an email, Matt.

They might have been Carlos sent me an email about a big event that you're sponsoring.

What is it?

When is it?

What's the theme of it?

Yes.

So the Fair Housing Luncheon for 2025 is themed Fair Housing a Wicked Problem.

Okay.

It takes place on April 22nd at noon at North Carolina AT State University in these ballroom.

And the focus of the luncheon is going to be looking at that systemically layered problem that is fair access to housing.

Now, what can I expect to see and learn and hear at the luncheon?

A host of things.

You're gonna have a panel of uh with various perspectives, researchers, students, um, housing providers as well as agency leaders who are gonna talk about what it means to unpack the very layered problem of fair access to housing.

You're also gonna see the Transcending Leaders Cohort at North Carolina AT who have dedicated their whole school year to looking at fair housing access as a wicked problem and their posters will be displayed for the research thing.

And of course, somebody might be watching this and say, well, you know, I live over in the subdivision and such and such, and I I'm really not connected to what you're talking about.

I mean, the question is, why should everybody in the community get involved in this conversation?

Because of the fact that we do thrive as a community, wanting it to be the most desirable city, a place where people want to come and live, we have to all think about what it means for people to obtain housing as a first step in establishing their connection and their footprint to the city.

If we really want a broad stroke as far as the faces and spaces of our community to be filled with belonging, we have to all care about what it means to have fair, safe and affordable house.

Again, the launching in April, what was the date you said?

April what?

22nd.

22nd.

Let's go up on screen, Greensboro-NC.gov, or you can call 373-2038 very quickly.

Is there a fee?

I mean, is there what's the cost per person?

Yes, the cost per person is 35 dollars.

All right.

Thank you for helping to improve quality of life for everybody around here.

I just appreciate everything you do.

Well, thank you again for having me so I could share.

Okay.

We'll be right back after this, after years of working in restaurants for other people, a husband and wife team decided it was time to take their love of food on the road.

My family business in Mexico is been always involved with fruit.

So as a kid, I remember helping my mom uh with the family business, uh peeling up corn to to sell corn on the on the circos, and all the way until I moved to the United States.

My first job was uh on a Mexican restaurant.

So it's it's been my whole life pretty much.

Well, mine is just with my grandma, you know, her delicious cooking, and um I didn't really have the business experience uh until I got here to this country.

Um I started serving tables um at the restaurant where we met, actually.

And um, you know, that I I did not know, especially because I'm not Mexican, so I had to learn the food, Mexican food and and all that.

But I loved it, and I mean it's been 20 years since then, and yeah.

Here we are.

Uh she came to the restaurant that I managed back then when we met.

And after a couple visits from her mama and and herself at the restaurant, uh, we're talking I offered a job as a waitress.

So that's where we got kicked.

He didn't need a waitress back then, but he offered me a job anyway.

Uh, been on the Mexican restaurant scene for 20, 20 years or so.

Uh I knew I wanted to do something for our own.

No, I did not want it to be working for the restaurant industry all my life.

So a restaurant, it was uh it was hard to picture because of the money that it needs to be invested on that restaurant.

So when we saw the food trucks um getting a life in town, we said, okay, we probably we can afford something small, and that's we had an opportunity to get us a small trailer, and that's how we started on the foot truck business.

When I when we started that the business, it was my my best friend, which is my my brother, Alex, and myself.

We started the the two of us, and right before COVID.

So since everybody calls like brothers, we said we didn't have much time to think about the name, so we said, hey, let's just call it Taco Bros.

Taco and bro.

And we always been fan of uh Nintendo and Mario Bros.

So that was something a little bit of that involved on the name, too.

Our food comes from uh is it's similar as a downtown Mexico City.

I mean, we serve our tacos that the wind service is the same way that you're gonna eat them in downtown Mix City.

Uh we we don't do anything deprint in or fancy.

Please take your seats.

Please take your seats.

Okay, um, our first three speakers will be Jason Hicks.

He is on Zoom, followed by Cecil Crawford, followed by Mary Westwing.

Mr.

Hicks.

Yes, ma'am, good evening.

Can you hear me?

Yes.

Wonderful.

So good evening, counsel.

My name is Jason Hicks.

Tonight I'm speaking about the Greensboro Police Depart department's own self-reported data on regulatory stocks.

For clarity's sake, a regulatory stop happens when someone is pulled over for an expired license plate or registration, or for minor equipment violations, such as a broken tail light, a cracked windshield, or some kind of missing light.

This data has been consistent for years, and it tells a story this council must face.

Since January, GPD's numbers make it plain.

Black people make up 42% of Greensboro's population.

Yet black people represent 66% of all regulatory stops.

When police conduct searches, 70% of them are on black people.

If 70% of searches were on white residents, this council would have acted already.

The white majority on this council would never tolerate it in your neighborhoods against your families in your daily lives.

Your privilege shields you from the struggles many of your black constituents face.

But it does not excuse your inaction.

Regulatory stops don't keep us safe and don't reduce violence.

They criminalize black existence, waste taxpayer money, and destroy the trust that real public safety depends on.

Mayor Vaughn, tonight you said you value communities input.

I challenge you to show us.

Think about how quickly you responded tonight to a whack a white resident's concern about a playground.

No hesitation, immediate attention.

Yet when black residents face systemic harassment and racial profiling, months pass without action.

Instead, you call for more work sessions, more studies, more data, while the harm continues every day.

You have spent so much try time trying to imitate Raleigh, Greenville, even Asheville and others.

I dare you instead to be the example for them.

We don't need more data.

We don't need another study or another work session.

The facts are already clear.

What we need is courage.

What we need is for you, all of you, to set the example of what real change looks like, not just in Greensboro, but across this state.

Implement written consent and fire officer Braden McDaniel.

Thank you.

Is Mary Westling here?

Okay.

Um Dennis White, Christine Hoffner, and Gail Garvin.

Sorry if I mispronounced your name.

Good evening, my name is Cecily Crawford.

Uh I live in District 2, and I'm here as part of a growing collective demanding overdue accountability from the Greensboro Police Department and this council.

And Greensboro black residents, as Jason said, are 43% of the population, but account for 53% of all traffic stops.

That's at least 25% more likely to be stopped than our white neighbors.

These disparities aren't theoretical, they're lived.

They set the stage for what exactly what we saw in the May 14th video of Amon Moore, Savon Johnson, and Damante Glover.

Three young black men harmed by Greensboro police.

If they hadn't recorded it, the public might never have known.

Greensboro has a long history of police abuse from the 1979 Greensboro massacre to the deaths during mental health emergencies like Marcus Smith and Saeed to everyday targeting.

And while many officers live in our communities and play with our kids and shop where we shop, when the uniform goes on, it becomes a shield that too often protects harmful behavior and enables abuse under city policy.

I know y'all are tired of hearing us come up here and to make our demands.

Organizers, family, clergy, and survivors have shown up for decades.

At this point, it feels like begging to be seen, heard, and treated as whole people.

We're not here to perform.

We're here to demand action.

Our four demands are as follows.

One, end regulatory stops, these low-level stops for tags or broken lights are too often used as pretexts, targeting black and poor drivers.

And safety frisks, also known as stop and frisk.

These vague pat downs disproportionately target our black men.

They don't build safety, they build fear.

Require written consent for searches, people have the right to say no, but too many don't know that.

Fayetteville, Durham, and Asheville require written consent.

Greensboro should too.

And four, fire officer B.W.

McDaniel.

The officer was involved in the May 14th assault.

His continued presence erodes trust.

We call on this council not just to listen but to lead.

Make a motion, adopt a resolution, accept these four demands, and take the first step toward restoring trust, not just from crime, but from abuse of authority.

Thank you.

The city's community safety department recently released their comprehensive community safety plan.

It's designed to reflect the needs and desires of our community and address the incidents of violence that still affect the lives of many people in Greensboro.

This mission is crucial.

I applaud its vision of a supportive environment for everyone in Greensboro and its focus on physical, emotional, and social well-being.

But the city's plan isn't nearly as comprehensive as it could be.

Why not expand beyond violent crime and apply this praiseworthy approach more broadly to improve the daily lives of Greensboro's black drivers?

The threat posed by GPD's regulatory stops needs the remedy of a supportive environment.

As GPD's part in the safety plan, it acknowledges the importance of effective and accountable law enforcement.

But GPD's effectiveness and accountability is in question around regulatory stops and searches.

GP date GPD data shows consent searches have decreased for all drivers since 2016, as have probable cause searches, except for black drivers.

That is, since 2020, black drivers were subjected to probable cause searches, 10 times more than whites.

Meanwhile, searches ending with arrest white for searches ending with arrest of white drivers averaged 83%.

The contrast with black drivers searched is notable.

They averaged only 15 56% awarded, uh arrested.

Still, it's easy to concur to kind of evidence for probable cause that could account for this.

If there's odor, drugs or alcohol, its source may be long gone.

But if that's the reason for this disconcerting discrepancy, it's hard to believe GPD is effectively fighting violent crime in black neighborhoods.

Back to the city's community safety plan.

The insights and experiences of residents, community leaders, and organizations were invaluable for developing it.

In the last two months and again tonight, City Council has heard numerous speakers reflect the needs and desires of our community by testifying to the danger many Greensboro residents experienced when subjected to regulatory stops.

Surely you can use your authority to end the everyday occurrence of harm for black drivers.

This starts with creating a supportive environment based on physical, emotional, and social well-being by reducing regulatory stops.

It's time to put the city's plan for violent crime into wider practice and increase police effectiveness in accord with what a bipartisan law-based North Carolina Commission recommends, and in accord with the demands you've heard directly from Greensboro residents and local organizations.

Ending regulatory stops, thank you, instituting written consent, and firing Officer McDaniel.

Good evening, Council.

Dennis White.

Every 74 seconds, someone in this country experiences a very particular, very violent, very traumatic form of harm.

Every nine minutes, the victim of that particular violent, traumatic form of harm is a child.

Every year, about 423,000 people, 12 years or older experience this very particular, very violent, very traumatic form of harm.

That form of harm is sexual assault.

I raised these statistics this evening, not to equivocate or leverage our shared sensitivities around sexual violence for shock value, but to emphasize the two ties that bind the issue of sexual violence and our primary ask in terms of police accountability this evening.

Those binding ties are absence of consent and abuse of power.

You see, it's the absence of consent authentic consent combined with lopsided power dynamics and compounded by the coercive influences of threat and fear that make the aforementioned statistics even more tragic.

And it is the presence of explicit consent between two entities sharing a mutual degree of mental and emotional soundness and understanding that empowers safety and agency in interpersonal encounters, sexual or otherwise.

I'm confident that despite the existence of such disgusting statistics, those of us in this room today would readily take any action necessary to promote the agency and safety that would move us closer to eliminating such violent traumatic encounters altogether.

Tonight, we have the opportunity to take a historic, heroic, and timely step toward eliminating another kind of violent, traumatic encounter and greatly reducing its harm.

That encounter being one occurring between the police officers of the city and its citizens, particularly black and brown citizens.

I've heard it said before that a clear conscience makes the best pillow.

It is my estimation that not just members of this council, but the city of Greensboro collectively would sleep more soundly tonight than we have in over 50 years.

If this evening, this council would not merely listen but lead by making a motion and adopting a resolution to implement these demands without delay.

First and foremost, and most urgently, implement written consent policies so that accounts of police interactions have the opportunity to be represented most fairly for all involved.

We also ask that you make a motion and adopt a resolution to end regulatory stops and safety frisks and fire Officer Braden Walker McDaniel.

Thank you.

After our next speaker, we have Urban Allen, Carol Dunge, and Reverend Dr.

Fernander Hughes.

If you would come to the window side of the room.

Good evening, Council.

My name is Shail Garvin.

I reside in District 2 and am a rising senior at the early college at Guilford.

I stand here not only as a young person in Greensboro, but as someone deeply invested in justice.

Throughout my life, from childhood to adolescence, I've proudly been submerged in community and advocacy.

And in that, what should be the most troubling is the fact that from a young age, I've been aware of the unjust harm done and the lack of accountability of our law enforcement here in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The town we all want to be proud of, but with pride comes accountability.

At a young age, I didn't have to be what's considered a direct victim of this issue in order to identify the reform and improvement this city must do.

This struggle began long before I or my parents were ever thought of.

I can recall this issue, most notably standing back to the 1979 Greensboro Massacre, an unjust strategy this city didn't apologize for until decades later.

We are here because law enforcement actions continue to harm our communities.

And yet true accountability is still missing.

Each incident is not just a statistic, it's a disruption of families, a tearing apart of trust, and a reminder to youth like me that safety is not guaranteed equally in our city.

Before we even get behind the wheel, we must take into account being educated while educating one another to survive while balancing our own fear, growth, and humanity.

The burdens are heavy for us all.

As a student, an organizer, and a daughter of this city, I should not have to grow up wondering whether justice will apply to me or my peers.

We deserve transparency, and we deserve leadership that ensures officers are held to the same standards as those they are sworn to protect.

We deserve to be sure these officers know that they are held to higher standards than the people they are sworn to protect.

This is not just a call for reform, but for transformation, because accountability without truth is empty.

And accountability without change is also empty.

As young people, we want to help build a future that is rooted in trust, equality, beloved community, and love.

But we need you as city leaders to move with courage to listen to the voices of those that are most affected and to take action that shows us that our lives and communities truly matter to you.

If you take nothing else from my words tonight, let it be that my generation is watching.

We admire those of you who do set an example of community and advocacy, but we will not accept silence as justice.

Either this city, among all, chooses real accountability, or we will carry this struggle forward until it does.

And we refuse to bystand as these burdens are carried any further.

Once again, we urge and demand ending regulatory stops, ending safety risks, implementing written consent policies, and firing Officer B.W.

McDaniel.

Therefore, we call on this council tonight not merely to listen, but to lead by making a motion and adopting a resolution to implement these demands without delay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We have been up here several times, but I think that we have been missing each other in the conversation.

Because I did hear in the work session from the information that was permitted, I got a chance to speak to the chief at a community meeting.

And I think that was uh the conversation is missing each other because we have been asking questions, asking for answers, and we've received uh responses that are uh legal reasoning as to why things are happening.

Uh we've had uh officers and uh folks from the police department walk us through uh different uh procedures and metrics and statistics that uh somewhat apply to what we're talking about, but aren't really hitting the crux of what we're asking.

So I want to go uh and start uh, I guess from the beginning, uh, because we've been in this situation before.

And I think that uh at the last community meeting, the police chief was wondering about how we could better work with the GC Jack.

Uh and I think that we do have a history of working with the GC Jack, uh, but I do think that trust was also fractured with that organization.

Uh we did have uh a robust GC Jack at one time uh at its inception.

Uh, but then that GC Jack made recommendations to the council of things that we should change.

And those recommendations are the same recommendations that are before you today.

Uh so those were brought to you before about ending regulatory stops, about adding uh written consent, uh, and those uh were just that.

They were requests that uh the community made, that the GC Jack made, and that were ultimately uh not taken up by council.

Uh and so uh I understand that the the community when they don't maybe want to come to a GC Jack meeting because we've been through this whole process before.

We walked through this process actually several times, but that time in particular, uh, and to the point where folks from the GC Jack actually stepped down off of the GC Jack because uh their uh requests weren't met, the demands weren't met, they saw that there weren't any teeth with the organization to actually make the changes that we wanted to see.

Uh so the community still bands together, uh information is still being received by organizations, uh and uh I'd like to also just state that we are much like the water issue, we don't really know the problem because much like uh the reporting from the water that we're talking about, no one is reporting these incidents that happen with the police department.

So we've had eight cases go to the GC Jack, but that's in a matter of years.

So if if we're uh really serious about solving the problem, then I think that we need to examine the structures that we're using, but we also have to uh listen to the people uh when they tell you how they want to be police because I think that they're telling you now, and it's not a legal issue, it's about uh what you can do, uh, and you can't do these things, so we should.

Can you hear me?

Oh, yeah, you can.

Uh before I start, if you know me and the transformative work I do in the community, if you could help me in educating Nancy Vaughn how to pronounce my name with me now.

I'm sorry, it's Terrell Dunn, say it one more time.

Terrell.

Yes.

I appreciate it, but the fact in five years that I've been coming to this council and you've not gotten it right, and this is Hefner uh, I have trouble with your name too, and I apologize.

I know, but you sit right next to Mary Kay Abuza waiter.

So uh if you can say that name, you can say Dun G.

It's just like Nancy, just like Nancy.

You're gonna have to start his time over.

I appreciate that.

But I do I want to start on that point because that is very indicative of why we are not seeing action done.

Five years, written consent is the issue that brought me into these chambers to start advocating for my community for five years, and even in that moment, you had your internal board giving recommendations.

Those recommendations went to the community.

The community reached out to partners like us at Guilford for All.

We wrote letters, we called people, we showed up, and you voted it down.

Uh and instead you went for something that still did require a verbal consent.

It was the informed uh informed documented consent amendment to the consent policy for GPD.

So that you did pass.

Uh so I just want to say, in terms of that, I would like to see in the case of Savon Johnson and Amon Moore.

Can we check to make sure those policies were followed?

The policies you advocated for, so that we make sure these actually are represented, and so we can really track did your recommendation actually do better than what the people asked of you, because if it did not go back to the community who is telling you five years later, written consent is the way to go.

Like I know a lot of y'all are up or all nine of these seats are up for us to fill as a community.

Um we shouldn't have to wait though for the elections and the results.

Again, this is a no-brainer.

I bring down no brainers all the time that we work on eviction prevention, just to name a few, but I think again, standing with my community, this is another one.

Uh and again, people name the history, 50 years of lack of police accountability in this community.

That's our tradition as Greensboro, North Carolina.

Like, truthfully, do we want that to continue to be our tradition?

Do we really take this seriously?

Like, think if it's your nice children being pushed and shoved and punched in those cars in these videos, uh, trying to find your way back home.

We were like, it's just and there's no remorse.

I'm so sorry, not a single this should have never happened to you, young man.

This should never happen to you, mother of these children.

Hearing that we're not even reaching out to the community that can't be here for their son.

Y'all respond, please.

We need to response to that.

Thank you, Mr.

Junji.

Um next speaker, we have Jean Blackman, Terrell Williams, and Lynn McCoy.

Good evening, Council members.

I am Reverend Dr.

Bernande L.

Hughes, the president of the Corpus Forum of Greensboro, also a resident of Greensboro, also serve as a lead pastor of the Genesis Baptist Church here in the city of Greensboro.

The prophet of Michael reminds us in the Holy Scripture when he said, What does the Lord require of you?

To do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

Tonight we gather not as adversaries, but as people of faith and conscience, believing that justice is both a moral mandate and of spiritual calling.

Greensboro has always been a city with a history of leading changes from the Woolworth set ends to countless moments where ordinary people chose to stand on the right side of justice.

Yet today we face a new moral crossroads.

Regulatory stops and save the frisk, our practices that disproportionately target black and brown community, leaving many residents feeling suspected rather than protected.

These policies erode trust, deepens divides, and place our city future at risk.

As a people of faith, we cannot remain silent when dignity is diminished, when transparency is withheld, and when public trust is broken.

Tonight we lift a collective voice calling for righteous leadership and moral courage.

We stand united in demanding that this council act decisively in regulatory stop that unfairly target communities of color in safety frisk that erose the dignity and trust of our citizens, implement written consent policy to ensure transparency and accountability and the firing of B.W.

McDaniel.

These are not political demands, these are moral imperatives.

Greenboro, Greensboro deserve to be a place where every child can walk freely without fear, where families can live without suspicion, and where justice flows like a mighty river.

Therefore, we call on this council tonight not merely to listen, but to lead by making a motion and adopting a resolution to implement these demands.

Thank you.

Thank you.

My name is Gene Blackman.

I come before you as someone who has lived through the complicated relationship between community and law enforcement.

Over the years, I've often seen myself as a bridge.

Together, we have built relationships through efforts, like supporting the mothers standing against gun violence.

Thompson also invested in our youth by funding our violence prevention organization for summer workshops.

I also want to acknowledge Officer Randy Dixon, who has partnered with me on numerous mentoring projects.

These individuals have been amazing.

So I want to be clear.

This is not an attack on all police officers.

I know there are some good officers in Greensboro, but being good officers is not enough to change a cultural, a culture of criminalization that has existed in this city for decades.

Real change comes from policies.

Policies that ensure respect, fairness, and transparency.

As elected officials, we expect you to help lead that change.

Our community cannot afford to wait any longer.

We ask that you implement written consent.

We ask that you end regulatory stops.

We ask that you end the safety frisk, and we ask that you fire officer McDaniel.

Since I have a minute left, I'd like to talk a little bit about the written consent.

When we talk about the incident that happened on May 14th, the driver of the vehicle said that he did not give the officers consent.

Why do we not know the truth?

If we had written consent, it would be obvious whether it was given or not.

My question to you all is why wouldn't you want to implement a system that protects the police department, the community, and the city?

Why wouldn't we want to be transparent?

The community does not have access to video camps because I know that's one of the things that the police department uses, like we have the body cams, but the community does not have access to that.

So I I wonder why you all would not vote for something that provides transparency to the community.

Could you give us your names for the record?

Yeah, one moment.

I I also looked up that your presence here is essential to democracy, and we would never be able to obviously democracy without your presence here.

My name is Trevor Williams, and I want to speak a bit about leadership.

Leadership can be very difficult because you almost never know what the moment will require of you as a leader.

Which is why, which is why I am grateful to be here tonight with my community members by letting each of you know what leadership in this moment requires.

So I began with the demands that I've already lifted up, so I can make sure it's on record.

Um, the firing of Officer McDaniel, the ending of Stock and Frisk, and also the implementation of written consent.

The implementation of written consent isn't a radical policy.

It's not a revolutionary thing to do, it's just long overdue.

It's basic and a bare minimum step towards a more transparent and accountable relationship between law enforcement and the people that they claim to serve.

In addition to leadership, what's also in my mind is danger.

She said it was dangerous.

I knew it was dangerous, but hearing it from her did something to me.

I heard a gentleman up here earlier with his son talking about the park and said that it swings that it's dangerous.

And it was almost as if immediately, Mayor Vaughn, you knew what to do.

You knew what leadership called for in that dangerous situation.

I'm curious if anybody here knows what leadership is calling for now, what leadership means in this moment.

One hint I would give you is you must be able to listen to your community be a good leader.

You must also be able to see a vision through to the end.

Like four years ago when the initial call for the implementation of written consent was risen, and folks does act over four years.

Those of you who have been elected to do so.

Thank you.

Thank you.

After our next speaker, we have Kay Brown, Karen Lilly, and Portia Shipman.

Good evening.

My name is Lynn McCoy, and I live at 518 Lorinda Drive in Greensboro.

And I also am here to focus on written consent.

Thank you for your patience in listening to all of all of the citizens tonight.

The truth is if people if police have probable cause to search, they don't need to ask.

If they don't have a valid reason to suspect they will find something, they should ask for consent.

People in this country have a right to say no to being searched.

Somebody said earlier a lot of people don't know they have that right, and that's true.

But I think a lot of people, in fact, I know a lot of people don't say no because they're afraid they'll be shot.

By searching without probable cause, the police are violating a citizen's privacy for no apparent reason.

They should ask, they should have to ask and get permission before they do this.

The experiences in Durham Fayetteville and Asheville, where they have implemented written consent show that written consent reduces the incidence of police violence.

We all want to solve the problems of trust and fear between citizens and the police.

In places like Greensboro that do not have written consent policy, the data show very concerning levels of racial disparity among those searched, which has been pointed out.

Having written consent would help alleviate uh eliminate at least this one kind of racial disparity in law enforcement.

Observing the violations of people's rights happening around the country now, we and Greensboro must be especially careful to preserve and honor the rights of all of our residents.

When this came before you earlier a few years ago, some council members who voted against written consent did so because the body cameras would show that people the police had asked for consent.

But this is clear has been said tonight.

Very seldom does anyone see footage from the body worn cameras.

And in the case of the three youth in May, the passengers' footage did not show that I've seen that the police asked for consent.

I have here the uh sample policy from the North Carolina Task Force for Racial Equity and Criminal Justice.

Uh, the sample policy about written consent.

They strongly advise written consent.

Um, by the way, this task force is composed of um current and former police chiefs and sheriffs, as well as judges and um and issue experts, criminal justice experts.

And um, in this policy, before conducting a search where consent is the sole basis for the search, the police must explain the concept of a consent search.

They must explain that a person has the right to refuse, and they must explain that the person refuses to consent, their refusal will not be held against them.

I didn't hear any of that from the May videotapes.

Um, veteran.

So this is am done.

Oh, no.

I want to say which one of you will make a motion to recommend um written consent and traffic stops elimination and elimination of safety risks.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening, Mayor, Mayor Pratem, City Council members, and my fellow lovers of Greensboro.

I'm Karen Lilly, and as I speak with you tonight, I want you to sit with us.

When we talk about people who are being treated unfairly, we also have to speak about the people in systems that are treating them that way, because if we don't, it gives the illusion that the unfair treatment is their own fault.

Stop and frisk, terry frisk, or safety frisk, as favored by the GPD is a broad term used to describe police using a lower legal standard than probable cause.

It lets police stop, question, and search someone for weapons, and these encounters can range from a quick stop to a lengthy and sometimes violent search.

However, officers are more likely to conduct safety frisks when the driver is black, even though police consistently found drugs, guns, or other contraband more often when the driver's white.

The same gap prevailed when officers cited probable cause to search without permission.

Officers searched black people at more than twice the rate of white people, but found contraband only 52% of the time compared with 62% of the time when the driver was white.

Increasingly, criminologists and even some police chiefs argue that such tactics needlessly alienate law-abiding citizens and undermine trust in the police, the opposite of the types of relationships we are trying to cultivate between citizens of Greensboro and their police department.

I've shared my story with you all.

I came to Greensboro for college, left and returned to UNCG to study for my master's, and even though I graduated this past May, I stayed.

I love the city and it made me who I am.

As we listen to the numbers of who's hurt and injured, it very clearly skews to one direction.

Throughout my four and a half years as a Greensboro transplant, I saw and continue to see the potential that this city has for change to cultivate the fertile ground that creates a thriving community that prioritizes justice, equity, and peace.

This version of my Greensboro can only be sustained if we remain committed to innovation instead of tradition.

Members of my Greensboro City Council, I see you listening, but I am asking you to act by making a motion and adopting a resolution to implement the ceasing of stop and press terrorists or safety friscs and other predatory practices that lead to the further oppression of our citizens.

Thank you so much.

Excuse me before you start.

Those are all the speakers I have signed up.

If I've missed you, please let the courier know.

Okay.

Hello, my name is Portia Shipman.

I'm at 401 Bennett Street, Greensburg, North Carolina.

I've been raising the city for having since since I was a small child.

I lived in every part of this city, and I've seen so many things happen.

I want to uh thank Jamila Pinder for meeting with me and Reverend Drumright and CC Crawford for about an hour and a half at my office on East Market Street.

Even though she had a flat tire, she made it.

And that's what it takes right there.

That's true leadership.

But I also want to talk to you about in 2008, I took up a torch to do something about domestic violence because my friend was dug up in the backyard.

I said strange worldfriend's mother's house.

During that year, Greensboro was the highest rated city for domestic violence.

We had many deaths happening in Greensboro, North Carolina.

I stood up and I took a stand to do something about domestic violence because it meant a lot because Cherie shouldn't have.

Her name was Sheree Jackson.

Everybody knows Cherie Jackson, the foundation in which I started.

And her what happened to her didn't make any sense to me.

And I was wondering why she didn't have the right sources, resources to get help.

Because if she did, she would have got help.

But unfortunately, she lost her life to domestic violence.

Since then, Family Justice Center is now, and the Greensboro Department, the police department has a family union for domestic violence, and Cone Health actually have a parents of unit for domestic violence.

I say this because I stand here today as taking up another torch.

A torch actually I held since I was a child myself growing up in these city of Greensboro, how racial stance, systematic injustice caused a lot of black people to be felt lower than, less than, because we never really had the help.

But so I speak here today because I've seen the video of the young man, and I know that should have never happened.

That should have never happened in this city.

We stood for civil rights.

Remember, we are where everybody talks about when you turn the TV on, we are the civil rights barrier of this country, of this world.

And now we are allowing police officers to put guns at our children's heads.

So I want to include this by saying I'm acting with city council and I'm pleading with the city council to make a act and take a motion to adopt a resolution accepting our demands, to end regulatory stops, to end terror safety frisk, to implement written consent policies, and to fire office at PW leg.

And I want to know since I got three seconds, we do not need offices like that watching over our children.

And frustrated that after decades of civil rights and social justice work, we are still here asking for the most basic forms of equity.

Over the past three council meetings, we have continued to hear new incidents every time we've came that are stemming from these harmful policing practices, and these ask and conversations are not new.

They've been happening since 2017, yet they have been met with continuous delays in taking meaningful action.

But while the action is delayed, the consequences are not.

Each delay does nothing to shield our community from harm.

It only prolongs it under the guise of further information needed.

We are your information, we are the data, we are voices matter.

What they do is create fear, escalate situations unnecessarily and disproportionately target black and brown residents.

Greensboro is a growing city.

We want to be a place for young people, especially graduates from our local college, such as myself, at least.

They look like your siblings, your cousins, and your aunties.

We can no longer play politics.

This is evident by the presence of concerned citizens here tonight speaking on the police.

It has had so for 50 years.

Let's stop sweeping it under the rug, demonizing victims, and paying settlements.

There are no bad actors.

This is cultural, and your data proves it.

In case you are not paying attention, our nation is being threatened by tyranny.

A democracy that black people have never really experienced.

The ideal, the experiment is being undermined daily, eroded in the state house ceasing to rise no more.

With experts saying the only buffer to what seems to be the inevitable is if states and cities resist.

Will you resist Greensboro?

Will you live up to your creed, the progressive city in the South?

Or will we continue to be progressive on all matters except for addressing the plight of black people in this city?

Tonight you all can be the model for the nation by bringing in our police who are an extension of national authority.

In regulatory stops, in safety frisk, implement written consent, no video consent.

Any city that has been serious about reducing violent interactions between black and brown people and the police, they have implemented written consent.

Fire Officer B.W.

McDonald.

We're calling on this city council to not just merely listen but to leave.

Make a motion to adopt a resolution to implement these demands without the letter.

Live up to your green.

Thank you for allowing me to see you.

Thank you.

Our final speaker.

Good evening.

I'm Gran Tis.

I came here to speak about the killing of Said Ezine.

That happened almost a month ago.

August 5th.

It should not have happened.

I knew this guy.

He was no saint.

In fact, he was a horrible person from my experience.

At one time he must have been a good person.

The killing of an individual like that, whether it was justified or not, has to be questioned.

He should not have been in that position.

The system that we have in this city, in this country, should allow for discretion.

The homelessness problem, the drug addiction.

This is everywhere.

But in this city, if a person is mentally troubled or addicted to some drugs, there's no just solution for that.

Putting an individual troubled like that in jail, incarcerating him for months, years, doesn't help.

Killing him doesn't help.

Now we'll wait to see what the SBI reports will come out with.

But that's not what I'm talking about.

I'm talking about the need for the city to establish a system that deals with this very serious issue.

How do you care for people that need help?

The people that need help are forgotten.

This is all new.

Said Ezine was somebody I didn't know.

I met him two years just last year, and he was personal.

I tried to help him.

I gave him a job.

I gave him money.

I gave him a place to stay.

He did horrible things, cost me a lot of money.

I got warrants for his arrest half a dozen times.

Finally, he was arrested, taken to jail again.

And I have the videotape of his capture.

It is very similar to what I read about in the paper when he was killed.

That time he wasn't shot the second time he was.

That needs to be investigated.

Thank you.

Those are all the speakers I have on non-agenda items.

We will um move on to our consent agenda minus G3.

Moved by Mr.

Holston, seconded by Mrs.

Thurm.

Council, please vote.

That passes nine to zero.

Um we have no public hearing items this evening.

We do have four general business items.

I'll read them in together.

We'll vote on them separately.

Item I point one is a resolution to approve a contract in the amount of 494, 100 with Blue Arbor Inc.

for temporary labor services, and I point two, a resolution approving a contract in the amount of five hundred and ten thousand three hundred dollars with Lala World DBA higher quest direct for temporary labor.

And I point three, a resolution to approve a contract in the amount of two million fourteen thousand eight hundred and twelve dollars with Blue Arbor Inc.

for temporary labor.

And I point four, a resolution to approve a contract in the amount of eight hundred and fifty thousand five hundred dollars with La La World DBA higher quest direct for temporary labor.

Um do we have a comments or a motion on I point one?

Second moved by Dr.

Wells, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem.

I just had a quick question.

I was reading the memo.

Um are you all considering this?

Right.

The company is a W E you're just gonna we normally don't categorize it that way.

Like the company.

But that's what I'm seeing it.

Yeah, I believe am I misunderstanding?

No, you've got it.

It's for both companies are certified WBEs.

So are we looking to give them credit for that?

Because simply we don't even but we just make it know that that's who they are.

Essentially, so the council knew that those two firms were were certified, yes.

Certified, okay, okay.

All right.

I just wanted to make sure what I was reading.

Uh and thank you all for looking into it because I am one of the ones that asked to postpone it.

But um just know that we have to make sure we're looking out for employees.

So thank you.

So we do have a motion and a second council.

Please vote.

And that passes nine to zero.

Do I have a motion on I point two?

Moved by Mrs.

Thurm.

Second.

Seconded by Mayor Pro Tem.

Council, please vote.

And that passes nine to zero.

A need a motion on I three.

Move the item.

Moved by Mayor Pro Tem, seconded by Mr.

Holston.

Was it Mr.

Holston or Mrs.

And that passes nine to zero?

I need a motion on I4.

By Mr.

Holston.

Second.

Seconded by Mrs.

Hightower.

Mayor Parson.

Oh, I'm so sorry.

And that passes nine to zero.

That is the end of our written agenda.

Boards and commissions, Ms.

Pinder.

Mrs.

Durham.

Yes, I'd like to appoint Omar Jones to minimum housing to take the place of Tracy Furman, who's next out in her service.

Second.

That has been moved and seconded.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

That passes nine to zero.

Dr.

Wells?

I'd like to appoint Jerry Savoy to the minimum house to spend.

Second.

Is it um he's re he's replacing uh Michael Walla?

No, Michael Walla is mine.

But he's he's resigned.

Michael Walla passed away.

Okay.

Well I guess he did he.

Michael Wallow is a district one C so he is deceased.

Yes, so I'm placing him.

But he's my appointee.

Well, they haven't been here that I'm supposed to appoint.

I don't know what's going on with the boards and community.

We maybe need a district two, and we had too many ones or something.

No, they didn't have too many ones.

Michael passed away last year, so we wait.

Well August the 15th, 2029 was the end of the term.

He's in the who?

Um do you want to wait till the next meeting?

Yeah, because I want to know who on that board is from District One.

They don't have way meet anyway, so I don't know what's going on with minimum housing.

Well, let's look at the composition of the distance.

Yeah, because just making sure.

I mean, I like Terry.

I understand what you're saying.

Don't get me wrong.

I like Terry.

Well, I'll just I'll just meet to find out about the composition as far as I don't know how to keep up with the boys and commissions anymore anyway.

I don't know if they ever work that out.

The sheet.

Okay.

Um, yeah.

Mayor Pro Tem.

None this evening, thank you.

Zach.

I'd like to uh nominate Jay Thompson for the Historic Preservation Commission.

Um taking somebody's spot.

Can't remember who it is.

It is taking somebody's spot.

Okay.

Um that's been moved and seconded.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Okay.

Mr.

Holston.

Mrs.

Hightower.

I don't have anything tonight.

We'll work it out.

Um I would like to reappoint Mark Isaacson to the war memorial commission.

Um, he is the chair, and they are still in the transition with OVG, and I would like to extend his term at second.

Seconded by Mrs.

Hightower.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

And that passes unanimously.

Um council comments, Mrs.

Hightower.

I wanted to um there's been a lot of back to school events in the last few weeks, and I wanted just to thank everybody who was um you know looking out for our children, going back to school, making sure they're prepared.

Um saw a lot of great turnout.

Want to thank I Am a Queen.

Um Katina Mighty did one at Faulkner.

Um can't think of all of them and out there.

Um, but um that's a labor of love to make sure that our children are prepared to have a successful school year.

So I want to really thank them for doing that.

Um I also wanted to ask um the city manager, um how much money is there in the community safety that you do?

Um, I'm a little concerned, and that we have uh maybe five nonprofits in that.

Um, but there are some other nonprofits that we didn't fund this year that we need to start looking at funding to help.

They help as well.

Um if we're looking at safety, you know, we saw a group tonight of young men that came that were obvious, they weren't looking for funding, but there's other groups out there.

Um, and I think we need to show more investment in this community rather than centralizing all our dollars in one pot to make sure that we are um covering in our community.

So there are things like level up parenting, I'm a queen, which is just one, or Ivana Ross's group, um, as well as some smaller other groups that can be just as impactful um with trending toward violence.

Um so I really would like to know what that budget is and how that money is being utilized.

So can I absolutely thank you so much for that question?

This is a a wonderful topic to help us kind of unpack where we are, and I can give you just a brief update, but I'll provide council with a more detailed so you know we've got the department of community safety, which I'll say thank you so much to council for just allowing us to dream in that space to create that.

So you know, we've got the Department of Community Safety, which I'll say thank you so much to Council for just allowing us to dream in that space to create that.

Then we have uh the $500,000 that council has committed and allocated each year uh to community-based organizations.

Uh but additionally, I'll say this this is kind of an intangible.

Uh the way council has allowed us to position the Department of Community Safety, it's really put us on the map uh for access to both state and federal dollars.

So that's something that I want to be able to provide for you in some of the access uh that Miss McNeil, Director McNeil has been able to uh to do.

Uh I know there's some folks that have been here tonight that I've been talking about uh in the same way, uh Councilwoman.

So uh that non-conventional uh approach to address public safety is truly important.

Uh I think our community is really leading, I would say the country, uh, as it relates to doing that.

Somebody earlier referenced uh that that community report, which is something that a lot of communities our size don't have.

So thank you so much for the question, and I'll get you more comprehensive update.

Yeah, I thank you very much for that.

Um, and then I know we heard a lot of um tonight from a commu our community and concern about the safety frisk and of course the written consent um and the regulatory stops.

They mentioned three cities that I would like for us to kind of look at Durham, Federal Durham and Asheville that no longer do it.

Um, and I would like for us to delve into looking at how is it that they are able to do that and what that looks like so as we can explore that as well.

Um I think the community has asked um and we need to hear uh what they're saying, um, and not just sit here and listen, but to look into how um something like that could be utilized.

So um since they gave us three examples, and I really appreciate the community because they come with a lot of information.

Um they do, they bring us a lot of facts, and um I'd like for us to look into that um as well.

And then finally, um last council meeting, uh the mayor and I kind of got into it, she kind of took things a little personal, we didn't have to go down that rabbit hole.

But I will not apologize to anybody for asking questions that I feel that the community needs to know, and so uh and in the spirit of transparency, regardless of how somebody thinks I may think or feel or whatever.

I don't sit in this seat just for looking good like I do.

Um I sit here because I know people have concerns, they have questions, and they expect me to ask those questions.

They don't have to be popular, you don't have to like me.

I'm not here for that, but I'm here to do the right thing to the best of my ability.

Um, and so I will continue to do that.

And people did not know the process, and the young lady that spoke earlier tonight was very heart-wrenching because she called me afterwards almost in tears and saying I want to make sure that I help this community.

So, how do I get that process?

Or, you know, so people want to know, and I just think it's incumbent upon me to ask those questions, and I'm gonna continue to do that.

You know, sorry that we got into the shouting match or whatever um, you know, that happened.

Um, but again, I don't apologize for asking the questions that I asked, and I still didn't get a clear answer.

I asked two questions, the process, and where could I find the vehicle?

Where are the vehicles listed?

They're they're not listed in anywhere, and that was stated that they're in a field or in a and they so therefore the answers weren't clear.

Um, and if there's a policy somewhere, then provide me the policy.

I can read, and then I know, but then I can inform and educate others when they ask the question about what is the actual process.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Sidehour.

I um I forgot Mrs.

Hoffman.

I guess it's out of sight, out of mind.

Um Mrs.

Hoffman, did you have any appointments?

No, Mayor, I have no appointments tonight, but thank you very much.

Um, did you have any council comments?

Um yes, well, just that the um keep in mind the folk festival opens on Friday next week on the 12th of September.

And I I downloaded my app to my phone today, so uh everybody should just go ahead and download the app.

That way you've got all of the information about the programming, uh the map, and uh and every bit of information that you need.

So it's gonna be a great weekend.

I hope we'll have beautiful weather, which we like we did last year.

So um I'm I'm looking forward to it, and um it's it's a it's a great weekend for our city.

Thank you.

Um Mr.

Holston.

Uh Councilwoman Hightower for a second.

Thank you.

Thank you for that reminder.

Um this past Friday, um, we uh had the honor of uh attending a retirement celebration for Charles Jackson.

Uh he retired after 30 some years uh in parts and rec.

Um and Charles, unfortunately, um in the last few years, um lost his leg.

And it happened so quickly that he had to make uh a decision.

I mean, literally a decision within hours, and so he lost his leg.

Um but once he got through that he wanted to come back to work, and he came on back to work through all the struggles that he had because he loved parts and rec so um that he did not want to let the job down.

Umfortunately, he got some other health issues, and he decided he had to retire.

His mother got a little ill as well, and so he wanted to join some quality of life.

Um, but he's a person that was is really committed to a job to the point that um even having such a health issue.

Uh job was always on his mind, and when he finally called me from the hospital, he said we're gonna make sure the pools get open.

And I said, Charles, don't worry about the pools, we'll get the pools working.

But that was something that was really near and dear to him.

So we celebrated him on this past Friday night over at AT.

And uh thanks you for reminding me of that as well.

Mr.

Holster?

Yes, thank you, Madam Mayor.

And and I will say that that that retirement celebration for Mr.

Jackson that not only did we celebrate him, but he also celebrated himself.

Uh he had a a really good time.

Um he had a what was it a five-page script, but he went off script, and it really could not have been um any more special to hear his words and to hear his excitement and uh and the city is going to miss him 33 years of service to the city, Mr.

Charles Jackson.

Just two things.

One is um that we have one of our community members, uh Sister Amatullah Yamini of the WD Mohammed Islamic Center, who is um is recovering.

Um she has a a uh strong spirit and strong heart, and uh the city has partnered with the WD Mohammed Center uh on things such as the day of dignity and other uh food giveaways, food pantries, and just want to wish her well and wish her strength.

And then lastly, I'll say that this weekend from economic development standpoint, in addition to the folk festival, there's always there's also going to be uh the cowboy days.

The uh the local team, the Carolina Cowboys will be having their homestand this Friday, Saturday, Sunday at the Greensboro Coliseum.

And I encourage you if you haven't been to professional bull riding in the past, uh make it a stop.

It's an exciting time, so a lot of good things going on in Greensboro this weekend with the folk festival and PBR.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Thank you, Mr.

Massini.

Thank you, madam mayor.

Um Ms.

McCrae.

To my knowledge, looking into my emails, we haven't really had an update on the summit executive center.

Is that if I'm missing something?

Uh we have not provided one but can prepare one for you this week.

Um we know that they have had some community conversations, the the the potential developer for that project.

Um, and so we're prepared to bring something to council here um in the next meeting or two, but can provide a more comprehensive update.

I guess that's kind of goes with the South End too.

Like it's great for the developers to have conversations with the neighborhood, but it seems like we should have conversations and be knowledgeable from a council standpoint.

That has been a hot topic, hasn't it?

Your sumic executive center.

Yeah, but it's moving just what's going on.

Last last update we got was March 14th, is best I can tell in my emails.

Yeah, since that time, the um proposed developer has had to go back to revise their project budget.

Um they've had to make some adjustments to the unit counts and the unit sizes, um, and so we wanted to make sure um in conversations with them that it has been consistent with the neighborhood, which they've had some recent conversations to refine that before we brought that back to council.

But as um Dr.

Wells mentioned, it has been moving forward, and they are prepared to come to council in the next I believe 30 days or so.

But again, if you give the opportunity, I need to provide an update.

What would it be?

In a council meeting.

Would we be expected to not have any knowledge of the project but be expected to vote on what to do with the million dollar property that we have, and is there any um other incentives attached to the request?

I can I can provide that for you.

That'd be great.

Thanks.

Mayor Pro Tim.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um, I did want to mention that um while we're happy for Catherine Johnson, she is leaving the Family Justice Center after 10 years.

She's going to be working for uh the CE, she'll be the CEO and president of Alliance for Hope International.

She's not leaving the area, but she is uh leaving the Family Justice Center, and we want to wish her well.

The um Guilford County is going to be doing a resolution Friday uh tomorrow evening at 5 30 at their meeting.

So just wanted to let everyone know about that.

Um thanks to Hank Henning and of course Dr.

Doris Dant and and everyone involved in sustainability as their liaison.

I just want to say that when we planted trees at McGert Horton several months back, everyone was just so excited.

And um with this grant, we shall also be able to continue some of that because the trees are so needed in the eastern part of our city.

Um I wanted to mention also that I went to see Amatoula in the hospital, so uh she I believe is doing somewhat better, but that's uh the lady that Hugh mentioned earlier in his remarks.

She's just been a staunch supporter of the city and everything uh in trying to help those who are less fortunate.

Had the pleasure of being at the New Jerusalem Cathedral 50th anniversary and truly enjoyed that.

Um and just want to thank uh everyone and staff.

It's been uh a couple of weeks where we've gotten a lot, we've been inundated with a lot of requests from constituents, and I just wanted to thank everyone who's been able pretty much to respond rather quickly.

So thank you all very much.

And I do know that we're trying to share with our fellow council members as well what's going on.

Um, you know, I had failed to tell the mayor about something I knew earlier today, but luckily was able to get it together pretty quickly.

So thank you all very much, and that's it.

Thank you, Wills.

Well, last Thursday we went to the um the roof wicker, and we had a new inductee when our mayor was uh became an inductee for the roof wicker um center, and um I just want to say heard all these comments tonight, and it seems as if everybody's asking for us to just make a motion tonight and pass it, and um I will not do that tonight because I I want to get a little more information, and I brought that up at the meetings that we've had.

We've seen that we've seen the videos, but we've only seen the videos from the back.

I want to see something from the front also.

So we now have permission from the judge.

We've just seen these things.

We haven't seen these the videos that they've been sharing.

Oh, the ones that they've been I said they are from the back.

Yeah, yeah.

And I and I said that at the meeting, I want to see from the front.

I just want to let you know that I'm gonna do what I think is right, but you just can't just pop up tonight.

I'm not gonna do that without enough information.

And I said that to you all before.

And I'm holding to that.

When I see the other video, then I'm going to make make my decision.

And I'm like Councilwoman Hightower, I'd like to know, even though the other cities have passed the written consent, what is the result?

I mean, what comments do they have to make after they've done it?

So I'm I'm gathering information.

And that's why I'm not tonight just saying I moved.

I'm not doing that.

Wait till I get some more information.

But I want you to know I'm hearing.

I'm missing.

Mr.

Sir.

Yeah, a couple things.

The next couple of weekends are busy and fun and exciting weekends in Greensboro.

Nancy Hoffman mentioned the folk festival in two weeks, which is going to be a great event.

The following weekend, we have the Guilford Native American Association's annual Powell, that'll be in JC Park.

And also that same weekend is Greensboro Pride Festival that's taking place generally speaking in Labour Park and surrounding areas there.

That's a change from the footprint previously.

But we kind of outgrew that other footprint, and I think that this new footprint will be great.

Look forward to that.

And the following weekend is the run for downtown Green the downtown Greenway.

So the next those next three weeks will be a lot of fun and exciting time here.

And we have pride.

I mentioned pride.

Oh, you did?

Yeah.

Sorry.

That's okay.

On another note, in keeping with what others have said, um, you know, I, along with Dr.

Wells, worked on written consent several years ago, um, and it didn't pass at that time, but I would like to see that pro original proposed policy so that we can take another look at it, um, have the legal team take a look at it and see, you know, have things change that we need to do something different, and then have a time when council can discuss it at a work session and make a decision on where we want to go.

Um, very much like Dr.

Wells, I you know, this is not something that we can rush into, but it's something that we need to look at.

Um, I know that the policy that that was written four or five, four years ago, five years ago, I don't know how long ago.

Um, you know, it was compliant and in line with the law at that time, but things change and and we just need to know where we stand on that.

So if we could do that, I would appreciate it so that council can consider it and make a decision how they want to proceed if they want to proceed with that policy.

Dr.

Wells, you I I forgot to announce that the concerned citizens of Northeast Greensboro will have their meeting on Thursday night at seven, and we're inviting all of the surrounding neighborhoods and anyone who wants to come, we'll be discussing matters that concern the citizens of Greensboro.

Mary Kate, something yes, and and Dr.

Wells mentioned a bit.

I totally forgot to tell everyone about you receiving the Ruth Wicker award, and it was a great luncheon.

We combined um the uh Ruth Wicker and Equality Equality Day together, and it made it really very nice.

Um I thought the luncheon was was great, and congratulations to you.

There were only four inductees this time, so um, I know that they went through all the applications and nominations very carefully and appreciate that you were chosen.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Miss Pinder.

Yes, I just have a couple of I guess comments.

One I'll start with just want to acknowledge that we went to Swahili Day celebration this past Saturday, and that was um an amazing example of and one of their themes was one language different nations.

And when I think of our city, one language, different nations, and so that was really nice.

We're kind of leads into the point where I just want to honor and thank our community members coming out and standing up and advocating for what matters most to them because again we all live here, and there was a there was a comment that was said earlier where a young lady said, I'm a daughter of this city.

I'm really big on informed decision making, and so we'd love to be able to see when we had our last work session, look at those other three cities, and I think it was what fourth city that they mentioned.

I want to say it was New York.

Um it was probably four or five, but New York, um, Charlotte, Fedville, Durham, and Asheville, I believe, and going back to the point of what worked, what didn't work, what's happening, because again, if we're making those data informed decisions, we don't want to rush into anything, but also recognizing that there's no value in delay, and so as these things are continuing to happen, the more we have these conversations, but making sure our conversations of clarity happen, but then they lead to action.

And so again, after we get some of that information, and also I believe I asked before about some data, um, because some data came up before, do not quote me, I might misquote it, but community watch, where I guess it's where information is pulled in from other areas just to pull some of this information, it'd be helpful to be able to see again going back to making those informed decisions where there are higher instances of these in terms of demographic informations, uh demographic information based off of address zip code, where these things are happening because it's again that's information that can help us make an informed decision as where next is and where we go with that.

So that would be really helpful.

Um again, just I just thank you for the community because again, many of us have gone to several back to school events, but again, if it wasn't for community coming together, that's an example of how we can continue to move forward as we um address what's happening now, but as we look forward for the future of what's that emergent strategy, because again, if we don't address these things now, where we have an opportunity to address them, then it's gonna happen to us, and so I think we can collectively do this together.

So thank you, Mr.

City Manager.

Thank you, Mayor and Council.

Uh, just a few uh acknowledging follow-up on some of the items that are relevant to the conversation.

I too echo with council members.

Uh, I think it's really important to have uh our community members come.

Um we have a really strong community looking for solutions, and uh we commit uh from the staff and the city side that we will uh provide uh adequate information so that we can reach a good solution.

Uh I think to cite one of the community members of a few meetings ago uh to to find that space where both uh our community members as well as our police officers uh feel safe.

So uh we definitely are committed to finding that.

Uh also uh I think later this week council has uh an opportunity uh and a session, and so next week we look to follow up some more uh and have conversations with you all.

And again, thank you for everything.

Thank you, Madam City Attorney.

Okay, do we have a motion to adjourn?

Moved by Mr.

Mithini, seconded by Mr.

Holston.

All in favor say aye.

Aye, we are adjourned.