Mayor Pro Tem?

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I moved to go into closed session to discuss personnel matters pursuant to NC General Statute 143-318.11.

Seconded by uh Mr.

Thurm.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Okay.

That passes unanimously.

And we plan to be back by 5 30 to start the other meeting on time.

Welcome to Gate City Insider.

I'm Rosemary Plybent.

Fifty-four adventures in six years.

It kind of sounds like the premise of a book, right?

Well, it is, but it's also a whole lot more than just printed pages.

Laura Carney is a journalist and author, and she's finishing up a two-week stay in Greensboro as part of one city, one book community read.

Hello and welcome.

Hi, it's so nice to be here.

Good to have you with us.

Okay, let's start by just talking a little bit about you.

What were you like as a little girl?

Oh gosh, I was very shy, very pensive.

Um I was in um accelerated classes from a young age and very academic, and I just love to draw all day long, basically.

And I played a lot of sports.

I was a tomboy too.

A reader and writer is a child.

Oh, big time.

I started reading my mom claims I was three, but I don't remember.

Okay, wow, that's impressive.

I'm guessing that your parents read to you as a child a lot.

Yes, a lot.

Yeah, my grandmother too.

Oh, that's great.

All right, so tell us about your dad, because this is this is leading somewhere.

Tell us about your dad.

Um, oh, my dad uh was uh a writer himself, and he was a salesman by day, and he actually uh six he sung and he was a comedian in nightclubs that night.

What was that like?

Uh growing up with him like doing all this.

Oh, he you know, he just was one of those people who uh sang more than he spoke and was always on, always entertaining everybody, always always making jokes all the time.

Yeah, very charismatic.

I I'm picturing him making up songs uh about you guys when it you know the getting ready song or the breakfast song.

Yeah, well, you know, there actually wasn't a lot of that because my parents divorced when I was six.

So I would see him twice a week.

But it was always very um undivided attention from him when we did see him.

I like that.

And you lost him when you were young, 25 years old.

Yes.

Tell us about that.

What was that like?

Um it's interesting you say that because since doing this project of finishing his bucket list for him and writing this book, I don't even think of it as having lost him anymore.

But but he did die when I was 25 um in a car crash with a teenager who was using her phone and went through the next intersection where he was, which was very it was devastating.

It was, yeah.

And um, you found though a little bit later, a few years later, a list that he had left, a bucket list.

Tell us about it.

How did you find it?

What was that like?

Sure.

Well, it was actually thirteen years later.

Um I was I had just gotten married six months before, and my brother was moving into his first house.

And when they were moving in as he was unpacking, he he discovered that they had this bucket list that my dad wrote, which we later found out he wrote it when he was 29.

So he wrote it the year I was born.

Um and I just knew immediately I needed to finish it for him.

I had actually become a safe driving activist at that point.

I'd been doing that for a couple of years.

But even that happened very much by happenstance because I was a copy of it at good housekeeping.

I managed to accomplish my dream of working at a magazine in New York, what I had moved there for the year that he died, and I had sort of become blocked as a writer because there was one really important story I needed to tell, but I was too afraid to tell the story of the year that he died.

Um so I became an activist, and as soon as we saw the list, I really think that part of the reason I knew immediately I needed to finish this list for him to honor him was because of the activism.

Because I thought, well, maybe people will understand this was a full human being who had dreams just like anyone else does, and that's what happens when someone dies in one of these car crashes.

Instead of just a line in the newspaper.

Yeah, just a statistic, because I think we can start to look at people that way sometimes.

Let's dive into the list of what the list how did where did it was in a box?

Was it in an envelope?

Did it, you know, was it was there any fanfare around it?

Was it scribbled times?

Folded up three folded up pieces of notebook paper, front and back.

Yeah, a little and and I actually have since learned that my dad uh kept that list in his wallet all the time.

That's why it was folded and it had survived the car crash.

I was in the car with him.

Wow.

Yeah.

Okay.

So what struck you first about the list.

Oh, um, just how funny it was.

Like my my dad didn't have uh very easily decipherable handwriting, so my brother and I really got a chuckle out of reading that.

But um, you know, it was some of the items were so dramatic, like swim the width of a river, the way he would say it.

I mean, he was a writer and he was very dramatic, but I actually ended up doing that out in Asheville.

I I swam across the French Broad.

Um but you know, I I as I went through the list, I one thing that really struck me was how many of the items my brother and I had already done.

You know, I I would say by coincidence, but I don't think anything is really by coincidence.

And I mean we are our father's children, so you know, I had been to Paris, you know, I had become a marathon runner, so I you know, run ten miles straight seemed like a an easy one for me to start with.

Um so yeah, it was more I couldn't believe it, like wow, we we really have been kind of accidentally following in our father's footsteps all along.

And then of course there were very sweet items.

Right.

Um make my or it was give my children the best education, the best example and the most love I can give.

And what really struck me about that one was it looked like he had added most love later, like at the top, as though he was afraid perhaps he had not given us the best example.

Had he checked off some things on the list?

I know he had.

Yeah, uh well, there are sixty items, and my mom's not sure, you know, did he finish writing the whole thing in 1978?

We don't know, maybe he added it a little bit later in life, but um there were sixty items.

The ones that he did were he did five of them.

So uh help my parents enjoy their retirement, um, have an impressive record collection, uh, see a world series game live, uh do a stand-up monologue in a a comedy monologue in a nightclub, which I'm so relieved he did because I didn't want to do that.

Um and then it was uh oh gosh, what was the fifth one?

Um have gosh, what was it?

I I'm so I'm I'm stuck right now.

I'm stopping.

But but I do remember that there was one that he had marked oh he that's this is why he had marked one as having failed, which was pay my dad back a thousand dollars plus interest.

Yeah.

And and so, and so how did you go about finishing this?

You and your well, first you did you first did you check off things that you and your brother had already done?

Yeah, I mean I sort of did, but then as I was going through it, I I began realizing like some of them uh were worth doing again.

Just it just made sense to do that.

But but yeah, like visit Paris, for example, I had already done that.

So I wasn't gonna pay for another trip back to Paris.

I mean, it wouldn't be a bad idea.

So things like that, because I realized in in the in the um in the outline of telling the story as I wrote the book about my father's list, I could include a flashback to having gone to Paris before.

Yeah.

So uh okay, we're gonna dive some more into the book is my father's list, in case you didn't get that already.

Um it's this year's community read for one city, one book in Greensboro.

You can find out more about it and uh all the events surrounding it, um, make your own bucket list, all kinds of things like that.

Uh start at Greensboro Library dot com.

Now we're gonna dive more into my father's list.

We're going to find out exactly how Laura completed it and how it changed her.

That's coming up right after this break.

Welcome back to Gate City Insider.

Our guest today is Laura Carney, she's author of My Father's List, selection for this year's One City, One Book.

And um when when you first decided to finish this list, you you made a plan, you're you're gonna do it.

I'm wondering, were there things that you thought would be easy, things that you thought would be hard, and did did those shift once you kind of really got started get got started on it.

Yes.

Well, you know, one of the things I I discovered early on was any time I thought something was too easy, like I thought uh beat a number one seed at tennis would be easy because I Wait, wait, wait, you thought that would be easy.

Well, I played on my high school tennis team.

Okay.

So when it was something like that, like, oh, you know, I've I have some experience with this, and and I've been having a stroke of luck with these first 14 items, so I'll just do this one in one day.

Uh-huh.

Just check it off, move to the next, like we do with to-do lists sometimes.

When I started developing that attitude, that's when it would become disastrous.

I actually ended up injuring my foot on the tennis court.

Uh I had a foot surgery later that year, and uh, you know, gradually became afraid I might not be able to run ever again.

Oh no.

But the lesson in that ended up being letting my husband take care of me, which was something that was difficult for me in general, was so self-sufficient, you know.

Um, but that I I gradually began to learn that I needed to approach each each list item with this attitude of uh humility and kindness.

So it could also could never be a thing where I was being arrogant.

Um, you know, you would think that type 40 words a minute correctly would be easy, but that actually ended up having its own difficulties with it.

Um my brother did that one with me, and he actually uh he did it, I think he did 63 words a minute correctly.

Correct.

Of course, he did it right before me.

Um harder ones, uh, I would say number three on the list, write and have a few novels published.

That was probably one of the most difficult.

But uh have five songs recorded, that was the most emotionally difficult for me because my dad was a singer, and I ended up choosing uh the songs he sang to us when we were kids.

So I actually did that one very at the end.

But they were always surprising.

You know, some would take a day, some could take three years.

Uh correspond with the Pope, that only took me six weeks, and I got a letter back.

And you would have thought that would have been really hard.

Yeah, that's why I put it off until year six.

But it was actually it actually happened right away.

So that's really cool.

Okay, so six years living out your father's list, his dreams.

How did it change how you thought about him?

And how did it change how you thought about you?

Um, you know, uh leading up to finding that bucket list, uh part of why I became a copy editor in magazines was because I needed to be adjacent to creative people, but I was often too timid to actually take creative risks myself as a writer.

So it was like at least I'm sort of here.

And I always sort of uh misunderstood my dad's creativity growing up.

And I would feel like, oh, I wish he could just stick to one job, you know.

I wish he could stick to one idea.

And as I began doing this bucket list, obviously with 54 items in six years, I'm switching from idea to idea quite a lot.

And I actually became a freelancer then, and now I have like 11 different freelance copy editing jobs.

That is not something I ever would have chosen.

Right.

I would have said that's too crazy, that's too risk-taking, but now that's the kind of person I've become, and I've actually begun to understand that I thrive in situations where I'm doing lots of different things because I'm my father's daughter, and it was a thing I had resisted.

But it actually makes me more creative.

And you'd said you'd really resisted writing about and thinking about when your father died, and this changed that too.

Well, yeah, it's it is um that's one of the things we talked about at at our kickoff on Tuesday because my friend Melanie Brooks was here, and she wrote this wonderful book I'd recommend for everybody to go read called Writing Hard Stories.

Uh I actually bought that book for myself when I started.

So and now we're friends, isn't that crazy?

That's very cool.

Um, but it's it was about how how to go about writing about something traumatic, and and it was just very difficult for me to revisit that.

But you know what?

The list would help take care of that too sometimes because when I was stuck on that couch after my foot surgery and I couldn't go anywhere, that was when I wrote the chapter about my dad's funeral because I could no longer run away from myself.

But and I also want to add though, one thing that was very healing about this project is when I was able to go back and write about the more difficult moments, and also you know, my parents divorced when I was six, that was difficult to write about too.

Uh I was able to now integrate the sadder moments in in my life into the long longer timeline.

And there was something about doing that that really healed the trauma that was still left over inside of me.

Yeah.

You started writing about the list as you started working on it.

So what made you want to do that?

And then and writing about it is one thing.

Sharing it is another thing too.

So what what was kind of the thought behind both of those and and what led you to actually share it and make it into a book?

I always thought this was activism from the beginning.

I always thought this is something where all of my friends I've met who've lost children this way, who've had other family members die this way, you know, I'm gonna get to be their voice and do this for them.

So e on the days, even the days where it was like, you know, I don't feel like jumping out of an airplane today.

Like I would make myself do it.

It I would say, well, my fear doesn't matter as much as it does to get their message out there into the world.

So that was what it was in the beginning.

But then I gradually began to realize that I was feeling better doing this, and I was becoming more confident doing this, and I think what it gradually became was this expression of a person who heals from grief from traumatic grief, and also uh an expression of a of a woman who learns how to be who she really is.

So I think it started to gradually become a story about authenticity.

Um and that I think has actually uh touched more people and and is the reason that the book has caught on the way that it has.

All right, we're gonna um talk more about uh my father's list, the community read for One City One Book.

Again, uh Greensboro Library.com is where you can find out more about it and uh a little bit more with Laura right after this quick break.

We're back on Gate City Insider with author Laura Carney.

Uh she wrote My Father's List, how living my dad's dream set me free.

We're talking our last segment, and you talked about your activism.

And you talked about it really around grief and and trying to give people voices and to name their grief and to live through it.

But you also are active before this book, before the list, you were active.

Uh it talk about distracted driving.

You want to talk a little bit about that.

Yeah, um, I mean, it has kind of become the new drunk driving in a way, except for the fact that we all have iPhones now or some version of an iPhone.

And and it's I think at some point it I it dawned on me that it wasn't that people didn't know, it was rather it had become convenient for people to just use their phones at all times.

So you get into the car and it's just another place that you're sitting in.

And I had learned so much about what it actually does to your brain.

I mean, even if you make a hands-free phone call, it it affects the your field of vision through the windshield.

Um and I I started doing very much straight activism with that, but at some point I started learning about the power of positivity and how if you actually give people positive reinforcement, that makes a difference too.

And that started to feel more aligned with who my dad was as a person.

He wasn't someone who ever shook his finger at anyone or shamed anybody.

So I thought at one point, well, what if I become someone who just really values my life by doing this intentional living and I started writing my own bucket list, and now I actually teach bucket listing at uh Modern Prairie, which is the actress Melissa Gilbert's brand.

And I just think if you're a person who is intentional about your life and you're mindful about what you're doing, you're not gonna be the type of person who drives distracted anyway.

I love that.

I love that connection.

And that was my next question about your list.

We shared some of the things on your list.

Sure.

Well, one of them was hike the Lenape Trail, which my husband and I just did, but that was one of the ones that took longer than I thought, because it took us a whole year because we did it over on the weekends how long?

Uh 36 miles, but I believe we did 72 because we'd have to park and then go and then come back.

Right, right, right, right.

But I became an avid hiker doing that, and it became just a fun free activity for my husband and I to do on weekends.

Um a lot of mine are actually hiking related.

I really would love to hike the Camino in Spain.

And I'm sort of working my way up to it.

Um Pike's Peak, I went to go try to climb Pike's Peak, it didn't go as well as I hoped, so I'm gonna have to go back.

But that's the thing with list items.

Um I'm learning is it's not about the outcome as much as it is the journey.

So if you choose something that your heart is yearning to do, it's because you're supposed to get something from that.

Yeah.

So does your list grow?

Does it change do you keep acting?

I have like 290 items at this point, and it's probably because it's on my laptop, so it's so easy to just open it and type a new thing.

But does it feel pretty good to check one off?

It has to, right?

Yeah, yeah.

That's part of it.

I think I've checked 80 off now of the 290.

So I'm doing okay.

Yeah, yeah.

And the the idea is to keep making your list.

So speaking of, do you have recommendations?

So how do you start a list and and what do you encourage people to think of when they're making their list?

Well, what we teach uh in our modern prairie class, I teach it with uh a woman named Stacey Lauren who who founded the Do the Thing Challenge.

And we're actually doing it right now.

If you want to join us, Greensboro, we're do I shouldn't have looked over there, but but if you want to join us, we're we're doing it on a private Facebook group.

So all you have to do is go to the Greensboro Library page and you can find it.

Um so uh what I recommend, take 15 minutes and write down a list of values.

Do that first because there's something about writing that values list that gets you centered and you stop becoming someone who's living for what other people expect of you, and then write down just five.

Just start with five and take a month and try to do at least one of the five.

Okay.

That can be hard.

Especially if you have these big adventures, the big adventures, but they don't always have to be so big.

I mean, I think, you know, that no, you know, they don't have to be good at Paris, they don't have to be skydive.

No, my dad had grow a watermelon on there.

Plant it plant an apple tree.

Yeah.

Did you grow a watermelon?

I did, but it was only about this big it it counts, right?

It was green and pink on the inside, or it was more about turning me into a gardener, which I never thought I could be living just outside of New York City.

To make something with your own hands, right?

What do you hear from readers who have started to make their list to live their lists to be more authentic?

Oh gosh, so many things.

You know, I think it's it's there's something about how honest the book is, and you know, I'm not superwoman doing these list items.

There's uh, you know, when I when I ran the 10 miles straight, it was in the LA Marathon, and I started peeing my pants while running down Rodeo Drive.

When I jumped out of an airplane, I'd had an apple for breakfast that day, and I threw up mid-air.

You know, I I made sure I included these ridiculous things that happened because I wanted to be clear, I'm just a regular person trying to do something extraordinary.

And I think there's something about the energy of that that when people read this book, it helps them to recognize oh, if she can do this, I can do this too.

And that doesn't just apply to bucket lists, it also applies to people who have an important story to tell, but they are too afraid to tell it.

So I do actually I have a lot of people now who have asked me to help them publish a memoir or even self-publish.

And you know, my husband and I, he's a book designer, I'm a copy editor, so hey, if you have a story, like we're happy to help you do it.

You love to tell a story, right?

Yeah, oh yeah.

I mean, I'm a journalist at heart.

That's telling other people's stories.

Yeah, I I know it.

Yes.

So, what was your dad think of this?

What would he think of the book about you finit first about you finishing the list, then writing a book, and then passing it on like you have.

Oh gosh, you're gonna make me cry.

Um, I think it's the thing that we just said.

I think it's that it's not only that I had faith in him that he was leading me every step of the way, doing this because he was, but I've now become a person who emboldens other people.

And I teach them that they can accomplish anything they set their mind to because if you have a dream, the universe wants to see you get it done.

I love it.

I love it.

Well, you can check out Laura's book for the library, of course, or buy it at one of our many wonderful locally owned bookstores.

Find out more about my father's list and the One City One Book program by going to Greensboro Library.com.

From all of us here at Greensboro Television Network, thank you for spending some time with us.

Have a great day!

Greetings.

Good afternoon.

Welcome to the Barber Park Event Center, home of the Ruth Wicker tribute to women.

My name is Carla Banks.

I am honored to serve as the MC for today's program, and we are so glad to see each and every one of you.

At this time, we always like to start programming by acknowledging any of our elected officials who are joining us.

If you are an elected official, please stand or wave so we can recognize you.

Thank you.

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to be here today.

As I look around the room, I am surrounded and certainly in awe to be surrounded by such impressive women.

Just take a moment, look around the room, and just take this all in.

You are ambitious.

You are brilliant.

You are confident, unapologetically authentic, and accomplished.

And from where I'm standing, your sense of style, definitely on point.

Give yourselves a round of applause.

Thank you for joining us for the annual Women's Equality Day luncheon hosted by the City of Greensboro and the Commission on the Status of Women.

This marks the first year the luncheon is being paired with the biennial induction for the Ruth Wicker tribute to women.

Today's honorees will join the 46 individuals and four organizations previously etched in the permanent tribute exhibit, which has celebrated local women and their achievements and community contributions for the past six years.

Prepare to celebrate today's inductees while being inspired by the dynamic motivational speech which will be delivered by none other than Miss Leah McNair, lead pastor of Circle City Church in High Point.

Without further ado, we will begin today's program.

Please welcome Pam McAdoo Rogers, Chair of the Commission on the Status of Women.

She is also a tribute to women inductee from the inaugural class of 2019.

Pam will deliver an outline of the work and the purpose of the commission.

Good afternoon.

As chair of the Commission on the Status of Women, it is my honor to welcome you to our Women's Equality Day luncheon featuring the Ruth Wicker tribute women tribute to women induction.

This occasion brings together community leaders, advocates, and supporters to celebrate the progress of women to honor those who have led with vision and to recommit ourselves to the work still ahead.

Today, we reflect on the 19th Amendment and the long struggle for women's suffrage, which reminds us that equality is never simply given.

It is secured through persistence, courage, and sacrifice.

Women's Equality Day is not only a celebration of history, but also a call to action, a reminder that the journey toward full equality in pay, opportunity, representation, and safety continues.

We are especially proud to induct this year's honorees into the Ruth Wicker tribute to women.

Ruth Wicker's life and service embody the values, leadership, compassion, and resilience.

Through this tribute, we not only honor extraordinary women who make a difference in our community, but we also inspire the next generation to step forward and leave with purpose.

The Greensboro Commission on the Status of Women carries that same spirit forward and dedicated to identifying the needs of women and girls in our city and working to improve their quality of life.

Some of our key initiatives include research and advocacy.

The commission published the 2022 Women of Greensboro Report, which surveyed local women and identified key challenges in areas like health care, mental health, money, and safety, educational programs, hosting forums such as our leadership services series, workshops, community engagement, creating platforms for women and girls to have a voice in decision making, including listening sessions, and celebration and recognition, sponsoring events like today's luncheon to uplift and honor women who have meaningful contributions to Greensboro's progress.

As we celebrate Women's Equality Day and honor the remarkable 2025 Ruth Wicker tribute to women inductees, let us carry forward the commission's mission to break down barriers to advocate for equality, equity, and to build a Greensboro where every woman and girl can reach her full potential.

Let's get to work.

We have some gifts for you and what looks like an official certification.

The nominations for those of you who aren't familiar with the process were submitted by the public, and these women were selected for their outstanding contributions to the greater Greensboro community.

I will call you up one at a time.

Starlina Green.

Darlena is a 2005 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

She has spent more than 20 years empowering others and giving back to this community.

Starlina is the founder of Real Life Incorporated, a nonprofit focused on providing financial assistance, educational resources, and referrals to families and single parents.

This work strengthens community support systems and promotes self-sufficiency for those in need.

Congratulations.

Let's give her another round of applause.

Our next inductee is no stranger to many, and we are so excited at the City of Greensboro.

Mayor Nancy Vaughan.

Mayor Vaughn has served as Greensboro Mayor since 2013.

She previously wore the hats of Mayor Pro Tem and City Council member dating back to 1997.

Her leadership extends to board memberships for a host of community organizations.

Mayor Vaughn has been a staunch champion for economic development, resulting in the expansion of diversified job sectors with impressive salaries.

Congratulations.

Julia is a senior partner at Susan Hunt Law, where she provides estate planning services.

She is recognized for developing and sharing community resources, including a YouTube series to increase public understanding of estate planning.

Julia is a mentor and active participant with Campus Greensboro and Synergy.

These organizations are dedicated to the development of young professionals.

Congratulations.

Rachel is a recording artist, motivational speaker, and life coach.

Her achievements and impact center on creativity.

Rachel has encouraged hundreds of people through her gospel music and inspirational videos.

Girl Talk International is the faith-based nonprofit she established in 2009 to empower and inspire women.

Rachel also ministers at the Kingdom Vision Life Center in Greensboro and is the founder of Rachel Wilson Ministries Incorporated.

Congratulations.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Starlena Green, Mayor Nancy Vaughan, Julia Walker, Rachel Wilson.

Today you join a powerful legacy.

You become part of a circle of visionaries, pioneers and change makers whose stories are enshrined in the tribute to women exhibit at Barbara Park.

Since 2019, this living history has uplifted educators, advocates, philanthropists, leaders, and barrier breakers.

Women whose courage and conviction have shaped Greensboro and beyond.

With your induction, you do more than receive recognition.

We ask you to continue leading.

With integrity, lifting others as you rise, and making visible the contributions of women in every sphere of life.

You carry forward the spirit of Ruth Wicker, whose generosity and vision created this space to ensure women's stories will never again be overlooked or forgotten.

Your names are now permanently woven into this fabric of progress.

The charge before you is to honor this recognition by remaining bold in action, unwavering in service, and steadfast and opening doors for future generations.

May your example remind every woman and girl who visits this exhibit that her voice matters, her presence matters, and her contributions matter.

Inductees, we celebrate you, we honor you, and we charge you to keep blazing trails so that the story of women in Greensboro and in our world continues to grow brighter, stronger, and more inclusive for years to come.

Thank you.

I had the distinct pleasure of meeting today's keynote in her element just a few short months ago when I visited her church on Friends and Family Day.

In addition to being the lead pastor of Circle City Church in High Point, Leah McNair is an entrepreneur, public speaker, and author.

She founded Sister Circle International, which is a nonprofit dedicated to women's empowerment.

With more than 27 years in the ministry, she has graduated from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro with a bachelor in public health education.

There's more.

In December, she will earn her Masters of Divinity from Virginia Union University.

In addition to that, this year, she has been part of the Leadership Greensboro class.

And she is the author of five books, one of which is entitled 21 Days of Powerful Prayers for Women.

And this actually set the foundation for the Sister Circle International, which she established in 2020.

It is worth noting that the organization started with merely 40 women.

Today they are more than 10,000 women strong across the entire United States.

Please put your hands together and prepare to be moved by the powerful voice and motivational message.

Give a warm city of Greensboro welcome to Miss Leah McNair.

Good afternoon, everybody.

And I know we got a few fellas in the building, but ladies, I would like you to find another lady around you and just look at her real good and say, girl, you are bad somebody.

You hear me?

You are a bad somebody.

You are bad somebody.

Fellas, we'll get to y'all in a minute.

We'll get to y'all in a minute.

But girl, you are a bad somebody.

Do you hear me?

You are amazing.

You are amazing.

And it is an honor to celebrate women today.

It is an honor to have our elected officials here today and our bad to the bone mayor, Mayor Nancy Vaughn.

We honor you today.

It is only right that we celebrate how far we have come.

A little over five decades ago.

Not just to remember history, but so that we could live out loud our callings.

This is not just a date on the calendar, y'all, but this is a date with destiny.

It's a daily grind grind.

It's a relentless grit of real women with real names, real problems, but real callings that cause them to rise to the occasion, even when times get tough.

And today we honor four such women who have carried their communities forward with their vision, with their courage, and with their strength.

We don't have to know you personally to know that it wasn't easy for you to get where you are today.

I mean, I really want to be honest.

Can I just be down to earth today?

It's hard being a woman.

It's hard being a woman.

It's a tough job being a woman.

We gotta look beautiful, stay hydrated, keep the clothes washed and folded, raise our kids, raise grandkids, raise other people's kids that we don't know why they at our house.

And we gotta raise our husbands too.

We gotta raise the husband too.

And it's a difficult thing to be a woman.

We gotta remain competitive on our jobs.

We gotta hold down our positions, and some of us have to do our bosses' job too.

It's hard being a woman.

Keeping up with the latest trends.

We have to look beautiful every time we come out of the house.

We have to do all of this in six-inch heels without looking like we're walking like a baby lamb.

It's hard being a woman.

It's a hard job.

Sometimes we gotta pump our own gas, gotta change our own oil, gotta check our own tires and still leave the house looking like Beyonce.

It's hard.

Find your sister, say, girl, it's hard.

It's hard, girl.

It's hard.

It's hard.

Can't gain too much weight, can't lose too much weight, can't be too happy because they'll call us a silly woman, can't be too serious because they'll call us the angry woman.

It's hard being a woman.

I've been doing this 44 years, and I understand that it's not easy.

And if people only understood the weight of what it takes to be a woman.

So here's the golden question this afternoon.

Who pushes the pusher?

Who encourages the encourager?

Who lifts the lift the lifter?

Who helps the helper?

Where do we go when times get hard?

Well, I believe the answer is sitting right beside you at your table today.

The answer is right beside you because in spaces like these, it is a beautiful thing where we come together to uplift the uplifters simply by saying thank you.

And today that's what we want to do to our honorees.

We want to say thank you.

And I've been preaching a long time.

I've been preaching since the age of 16.

I'm 44 now.

So I've been doing this a long time, and I know what it's like to give your life to a work.

I know what it's like to give everything to what you do and who you do it for.

And when I think of these women, I can't help as a preacher but to think about Mary, the mother of our Savior Jesus.

I can't help to think about her because Luke chapter 1, uh, verse 28 talks about a conversation that Mary had with an angel with with an angel when the world was hopeless, the world was lifeless, the world was broken, defeated, and in distress.

And here comes Mary.

Mary, she was a marginalized woman.

She was a woman, really, if we be honest, from the ghetto.

Nobody knew about Mary.

She was overlooked, she was inexperienced, she was undervalued.

This was Joe's boo from the street, shawl, and God chose Mary.

He chose her with no notoriety, no fame, no name, no wealth.

She was just an average girl with extensions in her hair, bamboo earrings.

Okay, I'm in the right.

I'm in the right.

Okay, I'm in the right room.

I'm in the right room.

But God still chose Mary.

And he had a conversation with her in verse 28 of chapter one in Luke, and he said, uh, rejoice, highly favored one.

The Lord is with you.

Blessed are you among women.

He chose Mary.

That's a bad woman.

And just when she said to him, how can this be?

How can I have a baby?

Even at my young age, in my inexperienced state, how can this be?

The angel drops this line on her, and I want to give it especially to our inductees today and to everyone in the room.

Verse 37, check it when you get home.

It says, For with God, nothing shall be impossible.

Oh my God, that's an amazing line.

It's a short statement, but it's packed with power and hope.

It's packed with a resilience that lets you know that no matter what you're going through, nothing is impossible.

Isn't it amazing that Mary carried the solution to the entire world's troubles?

I believe that you are Mary, my sisters.

You are Mary.

Could it be that you are the solution to the mental health crisis?

Could it be that you are the solution to the educational inequity in our world?

Could it be that you are the solution to poverty?

I want you to say it and say it with your chest.

Say, I am the solution.

I'm the solution to voter suppression, to the digital divide, to the food deserts in my community.

I am the solution.

And I looked at these amazing women that are before us today, and I couldn't help, but when I thought about Mary, I had to think about Julia.

Because Julia, yes, ma'am, you are not just playing an estate sister.

You preserve legacies.

You protect people's peace of mind.

And we thank you today.

Would y'all say thank you to Julia real quick?

Yeah, then I had to think about our mayor this afternoon, my fellow Jersey sister, 12 years as our fearless mayor, but your work is so impressive.

But the thing that impresses me most about you is not just your work, but how you pause for a moment to take care and raise your beautiful daughter Catherine.

That's where the real impressive work goes.

Would y'all tell our mayor thank you for the work?

That's what real womanhood is all about.

It's all about knowing what matters in the moment.

And Dr.

Rachel, my fellow Spartan sister who uh ministered to women when they are in a dark place.

You are a trail blazer girl.

You are of the 4.4% of black women who have earned doctoral degrees.

You are bad girl.

You're a bad girl, you're a bad girl.

And when women found themselves with dreams that were drained because of life, I believe that your vision, your songs, your counsel, your coaching, your ministry, your life, pick them up from a dark place and remind them that they can do anything.

You are a bad girl.

And we thank you.

Would you tell Dr.

Rachel's thank you?

Then I thought about Star Linda.

Oh my God.

You are amazing.

And the message in your book, when you told women that they will smile again, when I read that, it came from a deep place within you.

And I can only imagine the valleys, the hills, and the rough terrain that you had to push your way through to tell somebody else you can smile again.

I can only imagine how you've had to live your life in order to tell us that we need to vibrate a little bit higher.

I can only imagine, my sister, what it took for you to be that example, to be what you needed growing up.

I am so thankful that I can look at you and see how to raise my twin sons, Judah and Jordan, while you're raising your son Pierre.

But what I love most about you is that you are the shining reflection of your beautiful 96 year old grandmother Helen.

Girl, you are bad somebody.

Would y'all tell her thank you, thank you, thank you?

Y'all are some amazing women.

And I thought about it.

I thought about all the work that you have put in to do what you do.

And I'm I'm working on my divinity degree, and I, you know, I was talking to uh one of my uh professors, and she she is a scholar professor.

Her name is Dr.

Patricia Gould Champ, and she shared something with me that I want to share with you as I close.

She was talking about all of the things that she's done in her life.

This woman is in her 80s, but in her lifetime, she made history in the area of theology.

She founded churches, she led social justice movements, she blazed trails as she went along.

She wouldn't let anything stop her.

She wouldn't let the fact that she was a woman stop her from doing what was in her heart to do.

And in a moment where I had time to just sit still and talk to her for a minute, I had one question for her, and that question was simple.

How did you do it?

How did you affect so much change in the world today?

And her answer is simple, and it's the answer I'm gonna give to you before I take my seat.

She said, Leah, here's how I did it.

Before I tried to change the world, I changed my zip code.

And can I tell you this morning, this afternoon that before you try to change the world, all you gotta do is change your zip code.

Would you take a minute?

I'm not gonna come to your house, but just call out your zip code today.

Call out your zip code, yeah.

Call out your zip code, yeah, yeah.

That's the space you are called to change first.

And I thank you, sisters, for being bold enough to change your zip code.

I thank you for staying up late to change your zip code.

I thank you for crying tears on a pillow that nobody saw to change your zip code.

I thank you for loving people who put daggers in your back but smiled in your face to change a zip code.

I thank you.

I thank you for the work you've done to change the zip code, and I do believe that because you were bold enough to change your zip code that you are about to change the world.

If you believe it, would you clap your hands and thank God for the opportunity to change the world?

Good morning.

Morning.

So I'd like to say good morning to all of you, specifically to our mayor of Pro Tem, Council members in attendance, representatives of the city manager's office, media representatives, and of course, transit staff and transit supporters.

My name is Kevin Elwood.

I'm the marketing and communications specialist with Greensboro Transit Agency, the City of Greensboro.

Well, today is an important day.

Some recognize it as Columbus Day.

Others may recognize it as Indigenous People's Day.

Even more probably recognize it as the day after the greatest homecoming on earth.

So even more probably to me, I think, and many of you here, it is just another day to recognize the importance of public transportation here in Greensboro.

Public transportation has existed in Greensboro since the last since the late 1800s.

Back then, for mere pennies, you had the opportunity to travel wherever you needed to go.

You could go to the five and dime, making public transit a commerce driver.

You could take public transit to your place of work, making public transit an economic driver.

You could take public transit to the apothecary or to the school, making public transit a quality of life driver.

Regardless of if you are talking about the horse-drawn cable car or the downtown electric trolleys, or today's Crossmax Purple one seat ride, public transit isn't just about what drives you literally.

It's what drives your life.

The city of Greensboro has long placed an emphasis, has long placed the emphasis on uh public transport that serves our community by locating and securing the resources to keep our community moving.

Among other actions, moving GTA from a division of transportation to its own transit department, and hiring the city's first transit director is help has helped to set us on the path to next level transit.

And so to get started today, I would like to introduce our transit manager, our transit director, Reggie Mason, who is going to come forward and share a few words about today.

I'm gonna say that again.

Good morning.

This is a really really good morning.

You know, like Kevin has said, Columbus Day, Indigenous People Day in the GTA Day.

So good morning, good morning, good morning.

Kevin mentioned next level transit, and that's what we're here to talk about.

Next level transit.

Again, welcome to all of our attendees this morning.

Happy to see you all here.

Since the formation, since the formation in 1990, the GTA has sought to serve as a leader in providing quality public transportation for our community.

Our community being in the gate city.

When the GTA was formed, we started with using emergency, emergency, emerging, whoa, emerging technologies.

Each decade has seen an opportunity for us to embrace those technologies.

I'm gonna give you a brief history of what those technologies have been since 1990.

First, in 1992, the GTA received its first LIFT equipped bus and paratransit band.

We've received those buses to help us transport uh disability disability riders with the Lyft ADA services.

In 2000, the GTA introduced the talking bus.

Talking bus is a feature that is used on our buses for our passengers to know when we uh have our next stops.

It makes the announcement as the bus is approaching the stop, and it's been in service since the year 2000.

From 2003 to 2008, the city of Greensboro and the GTA embarked on enhancing a public transportation hub.

And we're in it right now.

We're in the J.

Douglas Gallion Depot.

The work started on this building in 2003 and was completed in 2008.

And now we have an opportunity for our riders and those visiting the city on Amtrak to come through the depot and get on the GTA bus, Flex Bus, which was formerly Greyhound and the Part Express Bus and also Amtrak services.

In 2006, another technology, another big thing happened with transit in Greensboro.

We started the heat service connecting the colleges with the community.

That was a huge thing for the GTA and it was an award-winning program for the GTA back in 2006.

In 2008, the GTA with the work of GTA staff started it the first social media account for the city of Greensboro.

In 2008, the Twitter account was started for the GTA, alerting our passengers of any issues related to service, and there's putting any marketing message out there for the organization.

In 2011, was the first for the city.

And believe it or not, some of those diesel electric hybrid buses are still in service today.

In 2014, the GTA introduced the GoPass, which was a smart card, electronic card that you could use on the buses as a feature to peg your fare and when getting on the bus.

In 2016, the GTA brought live bus, live tracking system where you can use your phones to track buses real time.

And that feature is still in use today.

You can download an app or go to our website and see where your bus is, the next bus location.

The GTA has always sought the next level transit services for the community.

Today, while we're here, we're proud to announce some new services with our new vehicles and some new programs that we'll be introducing the 1st of 2026.

As you can look outside to your left, you'll see our 35-foot Gilly Electric bus.

We have three new electric buses to our fleet, which will help us improve services and provide more efficient service with the newer vehicles.

Next, we have the Ford Paratransit van.

We have those vans, new vans that go in place to assist us with access GSO and paratransit services.

And last but not least, we have the Flex Connect van, which we will be using around the city for microtransit services.

We'll be implementing microtransit services in January in three zones within the city.

One on the Lawndale route, the other on the Southtown Connector, and also on the east side of town with Franklin Boulevard with the construction with Norfolk Southern and Railway.

So those services will be rolling out some beginning of next year.

GTA for years has had planning and foresight to look at what we call next level transit, moving transit forward for the city, bringing in innovative ideas to push public transportation.

The GTA could not have done this without the support of the city council, the Greensboro MPO, NCDOT, and the Federal Transit Administration.

They saw that the GTA was going places, and we would continue to move forward and provide you next level transit services for the city.

Again, thank you all for being here.

And next I'm going to call up Mayor Pro Tim Absweater to come say a few words.

Yeah, it's okay.

So I am Mary Kay Abusewaiter, Mayor Pro Tim City of Greensboro.

And first I'd like to recognize my fellow colleagues.

I have uh Sharon Hightower, of course.

She'll be speaking in a moment.

And I have Jamila Pender at large council person, Tammy Thurm from District 5, Zach Methaney from District 3.

And I also want to give a shout out to our sustainability, our Office of Sustainability and Resilience.

I know Dr.

Dorston is here, and I see several.

If you would raise your heads, is that Sergey?

And is there anyone else that is so exciting?

So I am thrilled to be here today.

Um, the City of Greensboro was one of the first early adopters of sustainable vehicles, and that includes the electric buses and the diesel electric and everything along those lines because I was able to take a ride when they first were sent to Greensboro to be looked at.

And that was a thrilling day for me because my first comment is they are so quiet, and you know, even like turning a corner or anything like that.

It was it was just so amazing.

So I am very appreciative that we are getting the Gilly buses, and you know, we've invested heavily in electric buses, and that is to save our environment, that is to make passengers more able to do things that they need to do.

You know, they can work while they're on it instead of listening to all the noise that usually goes on.

And our latest acquisition, of course, are these three battery electric buses manufactured by Gilling Manufacturing of Livermore, California.

They are one of the premier American bus manufacturers, and they have built transit buses since 1937 and have used their technical knowledge to incorporate the growing electrical technology into their tried and true systems.

Electric buses convert 85 to 90 percent of their energy into motion as opposed to only 35 percent for standard diesel.

There are no tailpipe emissions with the only discharge consisting of water.

There's reduced noise pollution and heavily congested areas, and the lack of a traditional engine and fewer moving parts results in not only significant fuel savings, but also in maintenance savings.

That is huge.

For our riders, these units feature digital information displays along with the usual refinements expected for comfortable and efficient public transportation.

We have acquired, as you will see, both 35 and 40 foot lengths for use in the varied terrains of Greensboro.

This, along with GTA's other sustainability efforts, such as our LED gold operations facility, truly keeps the green in Greensboro.

So as the sustainability liaison to the OSR, I am personally very thrilled for this our amazing way to move into the future into future transportation.

Thank you all so much.

And I will now introduce Sharon Hightower, who has been a staunch advocate of GTA and everything transit for many, many years.

Thank you.

All right, so good morning.

Hi, I'm Sharon Hightower, Councilwoman, District One for the City of Greensboro, of course.

I also serve as the liaison to the transit department and the Greensboro Transportation Advisory Commission.

I'm also serving on the planning board uh part as well.

So transportation is something that is uh in my heart and very important to me.

Uh GTA has now required an exciting new style of paratransit vehicle for our riding public.

Our traditional paratransit vans consisted of cutaways built on truck chassis, which resulted in a heavier vehicle and maintenance challenges.

But our new vehicles are the Ford Transit models, one of the most popular vans used today.

This lighter weight makes them more nimble, more maneuverable, and driable.

What just like a van?

They are gas powered and offer better fuel mileage along with lower maintenance costs.

Because of this body style, a commercial driver's license, CDL, is not required to operate.

But of course, the operators will still go through vigorous training to ensure proper service for our riders and stewardship of the city's investment.

Reduce downtime for maintenance and more efficient fuel use will result in a better experience for our paratransit community.

Those who ride para transit really depend on it for their everyday use.

Whether it's to go to work, go to the grocery store, or just to ride for leisure to be able to get to a play or get to a concert.

And so we want to ensure that these new vehicles that we have received will do just that in a more efficient manner as we know that moving throughout this city is important to this demographic of citizens.

But it will also serve others as previous Mary Pro Tim said.

Our electric buses.

GTA is really the best way to move, and I'm proud to say we are welcoming today the next level transit because we're moving in the right direction.

So please ride GTA.

See how it does.

So you have an option that you don't have to drive your car.

So I challenge you all to learn what this system is about because it really is important to our citizens in Greensboro.

And now we will have who's left, Kevin.

Oh, yes.

Okay.

So thank you, Councilwoman Hightower.

Uh next we next we will hear from Andrew uh Andrea Hurrell, Assistant City Manager's Office.

That's all right.

Thank you again.

I'm Andrea Hierrell.

I'm here from the city manager's office with the City of Greensboro.

GTA, and I'm here you know, just to speak on their behalf and to really praise the work that they've done up to this point, is proud to launch Flex Connect, Greensboro's first microtransit service.

Similar to Uber or Lyft, this microtransit pilot program is an on-demand service, making trips when requested through an app or a phone call.

Microtransit provides increased service area coverage due to its flexible service boundaries and more maneuverable vehicles.

First last mile connectivity is maximized, reducing the pain points of travel between riders' home and work and the bus stop.

It can in some instances provide door-to-door service, which is really exciting.

It is most useful for citizens who don't have regular schedules, uh compatible with standard fixed route bus schedules.

It offers more predictability and comfort as they access employment, education, entertainment, and whatever life brings them.

And again, the lighter, more nimble transit vans sourced for this initiative do not require a CDL.

Riders will be able to arrange their rides on their mobile device, a web browser, or call into a live operator.

Flex Connect's Micro Transit is destined to become yet another successful mark on the storied history of Greensboro Transit.

Thank you all for being here as we make these exciting announcements, and we really appreciate your support.

Mr.

Owen.

And so again, we are excited about next level transit here in Greensboro.

So at the conclusion of this event, we invite you to come outside, take a look at the vehicles we have on display.

Well, actually, not just look at them, you can actually ride on them.

We're going to do a couple of rotations around the block so you can ride on the battery electric bus, and you can also ride on the Ford Transit Paratransit vehicle so you can get a feel of what our riders will be experiencing.

Of course, uh, we provide it to you mouse pads and a carabiner reflecting going to that next level and next level transit.

Please feel free.

Feel free to take that with you.

Also make sure to take our special water today, emblazoned with uh next level transit and enjoy that.

But uh with that, thank you so much to everyone who was here today, and we look forward to seeing you on the streets with next level transit.

This year's Impact Award winner is Bo Bradley with the Vance Shavis Summer Block Party.

One of my responsibilities in my position is the adult programming piece of this branch.

We really wanted to define our community pretty succinctly.

So we want to do this big block party.

How do we fill this out?

Well, let's bring back in all of those community partners and let's let that be sort of the meat of the offering.

We have a number of partners.

We work very closely with Cone Health, SPCA of the Triad.

We did a lot of internal city partners.

Our goal was to turn this into a consistent community event that would be looked forward to every year.

Instead of choosing a date, um, I kind of very specifically said it's the last Saturday in July.

We kind of want to own that and be a presence of that in the community.

One of the great things then now we're planning the third block party, that's where we're at currently, is every year can be kind of a response to the year before, and not only just that block party year, but kind of our whole year in the library.

I have a lot of, you know, kind of pie in the sky dreams.

Um I'd love to have some live music elements in the future, uh, more of like a festival atmosphere.

And then we're in just such a perfect position as we move into the WCNCC facility.

We are going to have a bigger and better library and community center, all in one role than we've ever had in this part of town.

We just hope to keep growing it and growing it until it's just so synonymous with us.

Um that you know it's our it's our big deal.

This year's innovation award winner is Troy Powell with the Doorway Project RV Expansion.

When the project started in uh 2022, you always want to take a project and meet the needs of the community.

They've been talking about trying to make it larger, trying to expand it at Pomona.

However, to keep it safely, we really could not add any more buildings to the property.

You know, in local government.

You're always talking with other cities, other counties, and in that collaboration, I came across the RV trailers and realized the RV trailer, as long as it has a license plate, does not have to comply with the building code or the stringent code that we were having to follow for the doorway project.

I went ahead and ran the water sewer and electricity from the street, created five setup stations like you would a campground, and made a max capacity of 125, all less than 70,000 dollars.

What we have seen is that the presence of the doorway project, the three years following the first year statistics, crime in that area has been reduced 76 percent.

We have seen an open arms of the churches, neighbors, even the local fire departments wanting to come on Saturday and and provide meals.

That's also another part of passion that you can create an environment for for people just to give love to people that need it.

Now on try today, and we have a return visitors of the show to talk about some uh projects and things that she's working on.

Our good friend Joyce Rice, Business Services Consultant, among other things.

She has many, wears many hats for Guilford Works and does such important work.

Good to see you back.

Good to see you as well.

Thank you.

Let's just remind people what Guildford Works is all about and what your mission is, that kind of thing, very quickly, just to set the stage for people maybe haven't seen the show before.

Absolutely.

So Guilford Works is also known as the Guilford County Workforce Development Board.

We are one of 20 workforce boards in the state, and our work is to connect uh career seekers, job seekers, those who are underserved, dislocated, veterans, or disabled, to next connect them to available career opportunities.

Now, I think you emailed me one day about uh there's some health care projects that Guilford Works is implementing.

What that's what's that all about?

Right.

So we have a number of great initiatives that we are excited about in the pipeline.

Uh we are growing our gear up adult specialized apprenticeship program with health care tracks in the pipeline and nursing um administration, certified medical assisting, uh, as well as looking at some pre-apprentip opportunities and dental assisting.

Um, we are also really excited to bring back some amazing initiatives that we started last year, which will be our fifth annual health care work for summit.

We're looking forward to that in the fall.

You may recall that conversation from last year.

Um, as well as a one-day career right in this boot camp uh for our youth and young adult populations, followed by our customized health care career pathways job fair.

Uh, so there's a lot of work that needs to be done, and I'm very proud to lead these initiatives as our street strategic partnerships and programs manager.

What are some of the advantages to employers to partner up with Guilford Works on some of these things you're doing?

What are the advantages to employer?

Absolutely.

So Guilford Works is an amazing uh partnership organization for employers.

Uh, there are a myriad of things that we support employers with, such as recruitment, uh, training subsidies and opportunities, apprenticeships, connection to workforce data.

If you're ever questioning whether or not you know your pay scales or your wages are in alignment with what is trending, we provide workforce and labor market data, um, even tax credit incentives to work with our veteran populations because we want to take care of our veterans, and there are certainly opportunities to do that.

Well, you mentioned you mentioned some about we were talking about health care a minute ago, but other than that, uh there are companies certainly that are hiring that you know, you're talking about things being in the pipeline.

What occupations are people looking for other than the healthcare stuff?

Absolutely.

So there are, well, let me just first and foremost tell you there will never be an other than health care stuff.

Yeah.

Um, because they're always going to be in demand.

In terms of clinical, I think what you're referring to.

So the clinical roles are critical, especially in this region.

Uh but in addition to things like certified medical assisting and nursing, uh, there is uh there is a medical billing and coding uh through Bethany Medical, tried adult pediatric is looking for patient care specialist.

Um, Cone has just graduated a large group of medical assistants, and Whitestone looks for uh Whitstone, which is the senior uh facility there in Greensboro.

Okay.

They're also looking for things like hospitality, maintenance, ground keeping.

So health care offers an array of different opportunities in addition to clinical, but we're always at the helm of those critical clinical.

How do you keep up?

Uh maybe it's kind of personal and a professional question.

How do you keep up with growth and demand um in the health care industry when you're advising people?

How do you keep up with all that?

Well, it's really two part.

So the wonderful thing about how our workforce sport is positioned is we have access to labor market data.

Okay, that's going to be through our labor market data, uh, labor economic analysis division of the North Carolina Department of Commerce.

So they provide us with all of the analysis and all of the resources to see what is trending locally and also compare that to what's going on nationally.

Plus, you know a lot of these folks that are hiring the, you know, have you have relationships with them, whatever, and that helps to keep up on it, you know, and uh I think that's great what you do on the that is a great point.

I just wanted to add to that our engagement, our employee engagement um is extremely important.

So staying in front of them, getting that real-time feedback and finding out what their needs are and what they believe those proceeds will need be in the future.

Get them in front of each other.

That's great.

And that and that we can do a whole other thing on apprentices when you come back sometime.

Yes.

That ties into that up on screen.

Guilford Works.org, Guilfordworks.org is a general website.

Joyce, thanks for everything you're doing to help people.

Appreciate it.

Yes, it's been a pleasure.

All right.

The City of Greensboro Water Resources Department would like to thank you, our residents, for your continued partnership and support in bringing clean, safe water to everyone in our city.

Here's how we're working to make your dollar be of the most benefit to you and everyone in Greensboro.

For every dollar you spend on water services, a percentage is used to support the massive operations that is water resources.

This includes water supply, stormwater, water reclamation, construction and repair, and payment of loans.

For every dollar we receive, 30% goes to water supply operations.

This invaluable system is made up of water treatment plants at Lake Brandt and Lake Townsend that treat lake water to make it safe for all the things we need it for.

Certified water treatment operators, maintenance specialists, and lab specialists accomplish this by working around the clock, performing more than 490, 772 water quality tests annually to ensure that the water delivered to you continues to be of the highest quality.

These pipes and stations need to be maintained to avoid interruption in service, protect the quality of the water, and to meet any and all environmental protection agency regulations to water quality.

With your continued support, we are also rehabilitating or replacing pipes that have been in operation for many years.

Twenty-nine percent of every dollar is used for water reclamation.

These are the systems that collect, transport, and treat all the used water before releasing it back into the environment.

The City of Greensboro's TZ Osborne Water Reclamation Facility and Laboratory is committed to producing quality data.

The results reported from this laboratory help ensure environmental protection and provide cost recovery for the entire wastewater treatment system.

The laboratory maintains state of North Carolina certification through compliance with all certification requirements.

Six percent goes to stormwater systems.

Greensboro's stormwater management program is committed to the preservation and enhancement of residents' quality of life through water quality improvement, drainage infrastructure management, maintenance and repair, flood hazard minimization, and public awareness.

The existing systems are maintained to ensure effective stormwater management and engineering of new systems, provide for more efficient and effective processes as our city continues to grow.

Eighteen percent of each dollar is dedicated to repayment of loans.

This is used for the equipment systems and treatment facilities used in water supply and water reclamation.

These systems require significant investments for upgrade and repair, and sometimes often require large capital investments to complete.

To keep all of these systems running consistently and safely, repairs are always necessary.

Managing our water resources is such a vital and important need for everyone in our city.

While we at the Water Resources dedicate our work to our water system, we're also customers and users of this vital resource.

We know how important your contribution is to this partnership, and with your continued support, we are working hard to maintain, improve and expand our water resources system in ways that will provide safe and reliable services to you and your families to our neighboring cities and to our environment for generations to come in.

The October twenty-first, twenty twenty-five meeting of the Greensboro City Council.

Um, I do need a motion to come back into open session.

So move Mr.

Moved by Mr.

Matheny, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed that passes unanimously.

Um, let the record reflect that all members are in attendance.

Mr.

Holston is on his way in.

Um, we will begin tonight's meeting with a moment of silence.

Um, it would be good if we could keep the family of Dot Kearns in our thoughts.

Um Mrs.

Kearns passed away, I believe, yesterday at the age of ninety-four.

She had a very, very long public service career, and she was an educator and won lots of um statewide awards and really made a huge impact on Greensboro and High Point.

So if we keep her family in our thoughts.

If you must make or receive a phone call, kindly do so from outside the council chamber.

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

Speakers may address specific consent or business agenda items with three minutes allocated for their remarks.

For zoning matters, there is a 15-minute presentation time for both the proponents and the opponents and a five-minute rebuttal.

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

Depending on the number of speakers, council may adjust the time allocated for each person.

Handouts must be given to the courier for distribution.

All speakers are expected to adhere to the rules of decorum.

Any inappropriate or disruptive behavior will result in immediate removal from the meeting.

Removal will result in a three-month suspension from in-person participation.

A second violation following the initial suspension will result in a six-month suspension.

A third violation or any instance involving physical altercations will lead to a 12-month suspension and may also result in criminal charges.

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

Zoom speakers shall not speak until they are called upon.

I don't believe we have any Zoom speakers this evening.

By statute, 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 on a specific item.

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

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 item.

Uh business meeting agenda.

Tonight's meeting does include closed captioning.

We may take a short recess around 7 30.

Um council has been requested to postpone item G23, which is an ordinance amending chapter 11, Article 2, Division 3, Section 11-48 of the Greensboro Code of Ordinances with respect to the powers and duties of the Minimum Housing Standards Commission to the November 10th City Council meeting.

Do I have a motion?

Um moved by Mrs.

Thurm.

Seconded by Mr.

Holston.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed?

That passes unanimously.

Um the applicant has requested a continuation for the following items.

Item H7 is a public hearing for an ordinance annexing territory into the corporate limits for properties located at Banning Road, Centerfield Road, Oak Ridge Road, and others, 763 acres, Tom Terrell on behalf of David F.

Couch and others.

An item H8, a public hearing for an ordinance annexing territory into the corporate limits for the property located at 3220 Pleasant Ridge Road, point nine nine acres, Tom Terrell on behalf of David F.

Couch for Summerfield Real Estate Holdings LLC.

And item H9, a public hearing for an ordinance annexing territory into the corporate limits for property located at 6935 Summerfield Road, 4.16 acres, Tom Terrell on behalf of David Couch for Has Pleasant Ridge LLC, and H10, a public hearing for an ordinance annexing territory into the corporate limits for properties located at 70 set 7650 and 7652, DeBo Road 38.59 acres, Tom Terrell on behalf of David F.

Couch for Summerfield Real Estate Holdings, LLC, and item H11, a public hearing for an ordinance annexing territory into the corporate limits for the properties located at Oak Ridge Road, Khaki Place, DeBo Road, 106.64 acres, Tom Terrell on behalf of David F.

Couch for various LLCs, and item H12, a public hearing for an ordinance for original zoning for properties on Banning Road, Centerfield Road, Meadowview Road, and others.

Tom Terrell for David F.

Couch, Various LLC, to the January 20th, 2026 City Council meeting without advertising.

Do I have a motion?

Moved by Mrs.

Thurm, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed, and that passes unanimously.

Um ceremonial and presentation items.

Item E1 is a resolution honoring the 150th anniversary of Collin Grove Methodist Church.

Mr.

Holston.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I am offering this resolution to Council.

Whereas Collins Grove United Methodist Church traces its beginnings to 1875 when worship services were held in a log schoolhouse and under a brush arbor.

Whereas Mr.

Lewis Lindsay donated land for the first church building, and in 1988, excuse me, in 1888, a congregation formally recognized under the name Collins Grove, launching an unbroken line of lay and pastoral leadership shaped by scripture and service.

Whereas the church's early rhythms, like big meeting on the third Sunday in October, began the annual revival now traditionally held each July.

This formed a culture of prayer, preaching, and community fellowship.

Whereas the decades Collins Grove has invested in Greensboro's community life, purchasing land in 1912 and 1941, constructed new sanctuaries, and each time expanding its reach and strengthening its witness.

Whereas the congregation paid off its construction loan by 1964, and in 1968, rejoiced in the formation of the United Methodist Church, entering the Greensboro District of the Western North Carolina Conference within the Southeastern jurisdiction, a denominational realignment that affirmed a more just and connectional future.

Whereas across the 1970s and 1980s, Collins Grove deepened its ministry, renovating facilities, the church remained a hub of neighborhood vitality, extending bus ministry, outreach alongside Greensboro Urban Ministry, launching lay speaking, and planning for expanded Christian education and fellowship spaces, reminding us that buildings are for blessing or for blessing, not boasting.

Whereas by the 1990s, the church welcomed its first foreign-born pastor and first woman pastor, embraced seasons of revival, prayer, and Bible study.

Whereas in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Collins Grove invested in senior ministry, youth formation, and ongoing facility improvements, demonstrating a pattern worship leads to witness and witness calls forth work.

Whereas throughout 2004 through 2010, the church expanded transportation capacity, strengthened hospitality and memorial traditions, partnered with hands-on mission, local shelters, and used drama, music, and intergenerational events to proclaim the gospel.

Whereas in the 2010s, Collins Grove continued to knit the community together through roll call, student achievement day, health seminars, and the friendship community partnership with neighboring congregations and dedicated a peace garden 2013 after a multi-year effort.

Whereas the church sustained weekly food distribution, Sunday school breakfast, and regular birthday rally celebrations, while youth served as ushers, singers, media ministers, and liturgical dancers, living proof that the church's future is already present in its young people.

Whereas in subsequent years, Collins Grove has remained a steady witness holding Gospel Fest revivals with midday study and evening services, hosting ecumenical cookouts, supporting Habitat for Humanity, maintaining the bus ministry, acquiring an additional 15 passenger van, continuing the long arc of mercy through UMW and UMM Youth and Senior Initiatives.

Whereas the people of Collins Grove United Methodist Church continue to embody their mission to be a community of believers united to witness and share the love of God through prayer, caring, and feeding the bread of life and the living water of those who hunger and thirst, and now therefore be it resolved by the City Council of the City of Greensboro, one that recognizes Collins Grove United Methodist Church for its historic presence, faithful service, and continuing contributions to the spiritual and civic life of our city, that in recognition of Collins Grove United Methodist Church, significant contributions to the city of Greensboro, appropriate signage will be installed in honor of the church's legacy, and that a copy of this resolution shall be presented to Collins Grove United Methodist Church as a token of gratitude for the church's service to the community.

I move the item, Madam Mayor.

Okay, moved by Mr.

Holston, seconded by Dr.

Wells.

Council, please vote.

And we have someone who is uh representing Collins Grove United Methodist Church to please come to the to the podium, Madam Mayor, Mayor Pro Tim, Brother Hugh Holston, Fraternity Brother Mine of Cap Alpha Psy Fraternity Incorporated, and in our con of Sigma Pi 5 Moole.

On behalf of all of the sisters and brothers of Collins Grove, we want to say thank you, thank you for recognizing our 150th anniversary.

The Lord has blessed us, and we stand with dignity, humbleness, and grace on this day to receive this resolution from the city of Greensboro.

My name is Reverend Dr.

Carl Junior Manual.

I serve a two-point charge.

But thank God he just gave me two churches.

So it's Collins Grove and Laughlin, Memorial United Methodist Church.

So to each and every one of you, God bless you, and I say thank you.

And I want to say this to each and every one of you, from the bottom of my heart, and all the members of Collins Grove United Methodist Church.

If you should ever find someone new, I know they better be good to you, because if not, we'll be there.

God bless you.

Absolutely.

And if I could just give my hand.

Just a couple of words.

I just want to say that uh in all sincerity from the bottom of my heart and also from council that uh celebrating your your 150th or your Cesco Centennial is a major accomplishment.

And the work that Collins Grove United Methodist Church has done over the years, and the work that you have done in the church is phenomenal.

And I want to say thank you so very much and looking forward to another 150 years at least.

Thank you very much.

Very welcome.

Thank you.

Um, I did speak in error.

Um, I believe I said that the couch properties were without further advertising.

Need to amend that to say that there will be new advertising.

Could I have a motion to amend moved by Mayor Pro Tem, seconded by Dr.

Wells?

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

And that passes unanimously.

Thank you.

Um we now move on to our consent agenda.

Um, well, we have a couple of takes um is Kyler Reese here.

Okay.

Um Mr.

Hartzman would like to speak on 28 and 30.

So we need a motion minus 28 and 30, and of course, we've already removed 23.

Um moved by Mrs.

Hoffman, seconded by Mr.

Holston.

Is that a voice vote or a recorded vote?

Recorded.

Council, please vote.

And that passes 920.

Item G28 are budget adjustments requiring council approval 930 25 through 1013 25.

Mr.

George Hartzman, Public Integrity Watch.

I'm on budget adjustments 7130 and 285.

We are being nickeled and dimed, and it's adding up to a fortune.

Since 2013, we've had an 88% jump in water billing and availability charges, a 75% interest increase for consumption, a hundred and forty-two percent hike in hazard fees, and a new solid waste fee in 2023, which is already up 57%.

My property tax bill is up at least 43%.

You talk necessary upgrades, but the real scandal isn't just that we're paying more.

And who is profiting?

Municipal utility bills are a regressive tax.

Unlike an income tax where the wealthy pay more, our water bills hits families earning $50,000 a year harder than others making $300,000.

Like the city manager who took taxpayer-funded perks from Zach McThaney.

An extra $40 is a minor inconvenience for Mr.

Davis.

It's a tank of gas for a week's groceries for the poorest among us.

So where is the money going?

A significant portion, as in these items, is being transferred from our pockets to the balance sheets of powerful developers.

For years, the compliance city council has handed out millions in water and sewer extensions to their wealthy campaign donors.

While Greensboro's families watch their bills soar, connected developers receive taxpayer subsidized infrastructure to maximize their profits.

We have a two-tiered system.

Ordinary residents pay skyrocketing rates to maintain and expand the system, while wealthy developers get this get the city, and that's us, to cover the upfront costs of their projects, maximizing their profit, private profit, while socializing the risk.

Our city council has taxed the poor to give to the rich.

Your monthly bill has become a vehicle for corporate welfare, forcing single mothers to subsidize million and billionaire developments.

Will this be a voice vote?

Thank you.

And that passes nine to zero.

G thirty.

G thirty is a motion to approve the draft September 18th, 2025.

City Council work session meeting minutes.

Mr.

Hartzman.

George Hartzmann, Public Integrity Watch.

The draft minutes amid a critical exchange.

Sharon Hightower said the question is how much?

And Council Member Methaney's reply on behalf of DGI was how much you got.

Which was to a direct quest request for public funding made during a formal city council session, an official government function in the plaza conference room, which is on public property.

As a council member who is also CEO of DGI, Zach broadcast with taxpayer resources with the help of city employees on a publicly funded platform to lobby for city contracts and appropriations that would directly benefit as taxpayer supported organization and salary.

State law says no public official shall knowingly participate in making or administrating a contract with any nonprofit with which that public officials associated by presenting advocating and shaping the debate on DGI's GSO 35 plan.

Mr.

McThaney participated in a matter, which he has a direct financial interest.

The pitch closely married uh McNey's campaign platform and Zach is massively advertising his long con via social media during an election season with taxpayer monies funneled through DGI, not unlike how Richard Beard is using taxpayer monies via the Sports Foundation to saturate Instagram feeds.

Same illegal strategy to taxpayer funded candidates violing campaign statutes.

Using a city council work session broadcast with taxpayer resources to advance what is also a campaign theme is illegal as the law prohibits the use of public funds to endorse or oppose a candidate.

Zach advocated for city taxpayers to help pay infrastructure costs during the presentation for private developers aligned with DGI to increase private profitability.

Matt Methaney advocated for a TIFF district, which diverts future property tax revenue from downtown to pay for his clients' projects at the expense of everyone else, which is especially an insult to those living in the districts he's supposed to represent.

He requested the city increase DGI funding for grant programs, giving much more of our money to downtown property owners, Mrs.

Hawthorne, which would not be available to Methane's constituent in District 3 or the rest of the city's population.

He argues the city should fund parking decks for DGI's clients and board members, just like we did for Roy Carroll and Catherine Kathy Manning.

The question is how much?

And Methaney's reply is how much you got city attorney a question.

You're in attendance at that meeting, correct?

Is there anything inappropriate with anything that I did related to what Mr.

Hartzman alleges?

No.

And I do recall the comment Mr.

Hartzman is referring to it was in jest, it was being funny.

It was two council people making jokes amongst themselves.

And if you can't have a laugh while you're working or two.

So it was not about a specific item.

So basically, what he just said, although arguably hard to understand, had no relevance whatsoever to what is real.

Okay, thank you.

Councilmember McNeely.

Um four and five.

Um Amanda Hodiern is here for questions.

I'll read them all in.

We'll start with one two and three.

H1 is a public hearing for an ordinance annexing territory into the corporate limits for the properties located at portions of 3725 and 3739 and all of 3751 McConnell Road, 35.68 acres, Mary Bell Tuttle, and others.

Item H2, a public hearing for an ordinance for original zoning for portions of 3725 and 3739 and 3751 McConnell Road.

Amanda Hodyarn for Mary Bell Tuttle, Neil C.

Title, and others, and item H3, a public hearing for an ordinance for original zoning for a portion of McConnell Road right of way city of Greensboro.

Mr.

Kirkman.

Yes, thank you, Mayor Vaughn.

Again, the request this evening is for annexation and original zoning of properties currently zoned, County AG agricultural, and going to uh either city C D L I, conditional district light industrial for private property, and then a portion of associated right-of-way that would go to City L I Light Industrial.

North of the request is currently zoned County AG agricultural.

East of request is zone city R3, residential single family, as well as County A G Agricultural.

South of Request is Zone City L I, Light Industrial, City C D L I, Conditional District Light Industrial, City BP, Business Park, and City R3 residential single family.

West request is zone City LI, Light Industrial, and County AG agricultural.

The subject properties can currently contain a single family dwelling, undeveloped land, and a portion of uh road right-of-way.

North of the request are single family dwellings as well as undeveloped land.

East of the quest is uh I 840, the urban loop.

South of the request is undeveloped land as well as interstate.

West requests are single family dwellings, agricultural land, and further to the west, a light truck and equipment rental service use.

The properties are currently designated as industrial on the future land use map of the comprehensive plan, and also as an industrial in the future built form map of the comprehensive plan.

This is a conditional application for item H2, and this is the condition that was offered by the applicant and advertised as part of the hearing.

In supporting approval, staff notes that this request does support the GSO 2040 growing economic competitiveness plan, or excuse me, big idea to increase and preserve the inventory of developable sites compatible with corporate industrial uses, and the prioritizing sustainability goal to build economic resilience, expanding the local economy's ability to withstand and adjust disruptions and changes at the regional, national, and global skills.

Staff would note the proposed CDLI and LI zoning districts permit uses that are similar to those on adjacent treks, and the properties are located in immediate proximity to a highway interchange.

And again, we are recommending approval of request.

These items were originally heard by the Greensboro Planning and Zoning Commission at their February 17th meeting.

The commission recommended unanimously on all three items, and there were no speakers at that hearing.

I can answer any questions.

Any questions from Mr.

Kirkman?

No, I I think I have question more for Amanda and Mike.

Okay.

Yeah.

Ms.

Hodiern.

Good evening.

Amanda Hodiern 804 Green Valley Road Suite 200 here tonight on behalf of the property owner applicants for this request.

I'm happy to do a rundown, although Mr.

Kirkman did a great job.

Um, or we can go straight to questions.

Yeah, Amanda, um, just probably since this was approved in February and it's been continued so long.

Um last time it was continued.

There was questions about why does it keep getting continued?

Can you guess give us a brief synopsis on how we arrived so we'll know what this project really is all about?

Yes, ma'am, and thank you for the opportunity to answer that.

Um, so as noted by Councilwoman Hightower, and as you heard in the presentation, this was originally before the planning and zoning commission and unanimously approved uh back in February.

So uh the reason for the delay and uh uh your muchly appreciated patience uh is I wanted to show this map here.

Uh you can see the red star.

You see the subject property is this configuration, and this sits at um a particularly difficult piece of dirt, frankly.

Uh, there is a trans there or transportation improvements called for in our thoroughfare plan.

There's a lot of uh wetlands and streams uh in the area that have to be dealt with, and there's also uh surrounding development that you're gonna hear about next on your agenda, and all that started to coalesce at the same time.

So, as as this applicant started to try and figure out how to deal with all the transportation improvements and the stream and wetlands complexities at the same time, this other case was progressing.

Uh, and staff who did a great job between the transportation department, the planning department, Marshall Yandel and his team, all the TRC reviewers, uh, really did a great job of helping those two projects come together and work together to figure out how do we get the road improvements in, how do we handle the stream crossings and the wetlands impact in the most equitable way, so that uh this piece of property that's in such a prom location to be the next success story for for this industrial corridor per the vision of the city for the last uh several years.

How do we get that done in a way that can actually happen?

So we just needed some time to figure that out.

Um, and we we greatly appreciate your patience while we did that.

Greatly appreciate all the help of staff, the multiple reviews, answering all the hey, what if we did this the teams meetings and everything to make sure that we could uh keep going and be at this point uh before you tonight?

So thank you.

Thank you for that because just wanted to bring everybody kind of up to speed as well, and you did have community engagement around some of this property as well.

So you we did as you heard from Mr.

Kirkman.

Um we didn't have any speakers at planning and zoning, and that was consistent with our outreach.

We sent out a probably a I want to say almost a hundred letters.

I have it here actually.

Yeah, a hundred letters almost, and we didn't have anyone attend that that neighborhood meeting.

I didn't have any calls or emails in response to the letter.

Uh we didn't have anyone come to planning and zoning.

So um again, I think that is a testament to uh you know the this corridor uh marching in this direction for a long time now, and with this piece being literally on the front edge of the two interstate corridors, um, I think that this is very much in keeping and consistent with the expectation that has been set.

So, any big ideas for it yet?

Because this is a growing area, so I'm so and focused on it for a while.

So, right now we are uh here to get it entitled.

We'll move continue to move through site planning and then uh look for users.

Um the this is a front door uh you know grade A location for uh people who want not only the visibility but the easy logistics logistics access.

Um it's it's in a prom location for all the reasons uh the city adopted uh the plans and studies um you know denoting it for this use, so that that's why uh we had these developers willing to stick through those complexities that I described and be able to get this entitled.

We had the property owners also deserve a lot of credit for sticking in it and uh letting us go forward with this so that we could we could take it to market and get some of those users in place.

But I think you'll see um eventual users consistent with with what we're already seeing along this corridor.

It's it's got uh traits that are perfect for logistics users and uh those type of soft or flex light industrial users that really want more of a corporate uh front door type of appearance.

Thank you very much, and I just want to appreciate you working diligently through this, making sure that we get the best development and that the area deserves the way we're growing for jobs opportunities as well.

So um, I know it's taking a minute, just shows that projects don't happen overnight.

Um, they do take some time and some discussion.

Um, so I want to thank the um well, the owners, of course, who you know they probably will in the sell quickly, but also the um investors who are going to be part of the developers who are going to be a part of this.

So I want to thank them for your efforts as well.

So thank you for that.

And since these comments and discussion really bleeds into the next case, I will go ahead and acknowledge uh that that for those folks are here in McDonald's development uh in case we don't want to do this on the next agenda item.

These are these are those guys that have hung through it for this process.

Um, and again, staff's done a great job of helping us get here.

So thank you for your comments.

Thank you.

Do they have anything to say now?

So we can skip.

They're they're technically the next item, so I think they are just here and excited to see this through tonight.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And thank you for your tenacity.

I know this has taken a long time, but I think you've got a really good product.

So thank you.

Thank you for your patience.

Um, I need a motion to close the public hearing.

Uh moved by Mrs.

Hightower, seconded by Mr.

Holston.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed that passes 920.

I need a motion on H1, which goes to adopt the ordinance.

Moved by Mrs.

Hightower, seconded by Mr.

Holston.

Council, please vote.

And that passes 920.

I H2 will require a statement of consistency.

We had any move moved by Mrs.

Hightower, seconded by Mr.

Holston.

Thank you.

The Greensboro City Council believes that is action to approve the original zoning request for the properties at a portion of 3725, a portion of 3739, and all of 3751 McConnell Road from County AG agricultural to city, CDLI, conditional district light industrial, to be consistent with the adopted GSO 2040 comprehensive plan, and considers the action taken to be reasonable and in the public interest for the following reasons.

And considers the action taken to be reasonable and in the public interest for the following reasons.

The request is consistent with the comprehensive plans, future built form map, and future land use map.

The proposed six city C DLI zoning district as condition permits uses that fit the content of the air surrounding area and limits negative impacts on the adjacent properties.

And that the request is reasonable due to the size, physical conditions, and other attributes of the area.

It will benefit the property owner and surrounding community and approval is in the public interest.

Council, please vote.

And that passes 9 to 0.

Item H3 also requires a statement of consistency.

Second moved by Mr.

Holson, seconded by Mrs.

Hightower.

The Greensboro City Council believes that its action to approve the original zoning request for the property at a portion of McConnell Road right-of-way from County AG agricultural to city allied light industrial to be consistent with the adopted GSO 2040 comprehensive plan and considers the action taken to be reasonable and the public interest for the following reasons.

The request is consistent with the comprehensive plan's future built form map and future land use map.

The proposed city LI zoning district permits uses that fit the context of the surrounding area and limits negative impacts on the adjacent properties.

And the request is reasonable due to the size, physical conditions, and other attributes of the area.

It will benefit the property owner and surrounding community, and approval is in the public interest.

Council, please vote.

And that passes 9 to 0.

Now we'll move on to the second half of that.

Item H45 and 6.

Item H4 is a public hearing for an ordinance annexing territory into the corporate limits for properties located at 3711-3717 McConnell Road.

Portions of 3725 McConnell Road and 4711 through 4749 Old School Road.

Amanda Hodirn for Esther Erby Irrevocable Trust and others.

And item H6, a public hearing for an ordinance for original zoning for portions of McConnell Road and Clappar right of way for the City of Greensboro.

Mr.

Kirkman.

Yes, thank you, Mayor Vaughn.

Again, this is another request for annexation and original zoning.

These properties are located just north of the request that you just heard and voted on a minute ago.

The current zoning is County AG for the majority of the property.

The uh road right-of-way does actually have a little bit of city zoning.

That's why there's also city zoning on those properties and the request is to go to city conditional district light industrial for the main track and then city L I for the portions of the right-of-way that are coming in with the request.

North of the request is currently zone county AG agricultural.

East of request is zone city R3 residential single family.

South of request uh is now zone city CDLI based on the council action this evening, and west of the request is zone city CDI Conditional District Light Industrial.

Uh the properties right now uh contain a combination of single family dwellings, agricultural land, and again portions of both McConnell Road and Cloud Farm Road rights of way.

North of request are single family dwellings and agricultural land, east request is interstate 840.

South of request uh is uh undeveloped land, multifamily dwellings and light truck and equipment rental west requests are single family dwellings, agricultural land and warehousing uses.

These properties are also uh designated as industrial on the comprehensive plans future land use map and is an industrial for the future built form map.

Again, this is a conditional application.

Uh this condition is actually the same as the request that you heard previously, so it's consistent with the previous action.

In finding approval for this, staff note again that this uh request does support the comprehensive plans, growing economic competitiveness, big idea to increase and preserve the inventory of developable sites for corporate industrial uses and the prioritizing sustainability goal to build economic resilience and expanded local economy's ability to withstand and adjust disruptions and changes of the regional, national, and global scale.

The proposed CDLI and LI district requests are intended to accommodate limited manufacturing, wholesaling, warehousing, research and development, and related commercial service activities, which in their normal operations have little or no adverse effect upon adjoining properties, and these uses are similar to those compatible with the uh uses in the area.

These items are originally heard by the planning and zoning commission at their August 18th meeting.

The commission did vote unanimously to recommend all items, and there were no speakers at that hearing.

I can answer any questions.

Any questions for Mr.

Kirkman?

Okay.

Ms.

Hodieron.

Any are there any additional questions for the applicant?

Oh no, I no.

I don't have any on this Amanda.

I'm sorry, Ms.

Hard Hodian wanted to add anything to what Mike said.

You good?

Okay.

Um we have a motion for H more.

H4, I'm sorry.

Uh I'll move that one.

Mrs.

Hightower, seconded by Mr.

Holston.

Council, please vote.

And that passes nine to zero.

Item H5 requires a statement of consistency.

Move the item.

Moved by Mr.

Holston, seconded by um Mrs.

Hightower.

The Greensboro City Council believes that it's action to approve the original zoning request for the properties at 3711, 3713, 3717, and a portion of 3725 McConnell Road and 4711, 4721, 4721, Z Z 4742, and 4749 Old School Road from County AG Agricultural to City C D L I Conditional District Light Industrial to be consistent with the adopted GSO 2040 comprehensive plan and considers the action taken to be reasonable and the public interest for the following reasons.

The request is consistent with the comprehensive plan's future built format map and future land use map.

The proposed city C DLI zoning district permits uses that fit the context of the surrounding area and limits negative impacts on adjacent properties.

And the request is reasonable due to the size, physical conditions, and other attributes of the area.

It will benefit the property owner and surrounding community, and approval is in the public interest.

Council, please vote.

Item H6 also requires a statement of consistency.

Moved by Mrs.

Hightower, seconded by Dr.

Wells.

The Greensboro City Council releases action to approve the original zoning request for the properties at a portion of McConnell Road right away and a portion of Plat Farms Road right away from County AG Agricultural C City C D L I Conditional District Light Industrial and City C D R M 18 Conditional District Residential Multifamily 18 to City LI Light Industrial to be consistent with the adopted GSO 2040 Comprehensive Plan and considers the action taken to be reasonable and in the public interest for the following reasons.

The request is consistent with the comprehensive plan, future built form map, and future land use map.

The proposed city LI zoning district permits uses that fit the content of the surrounding area and limits negative impacts on adjacent properties.

The request is reasonable due to the size, physical conditions, and other attributes of the area.

It will benefit the property owner and surrounding community, and approval is in the public interest.

Council, please vote.

And that passes 9 to 0.

Thank you.

That's a good one to put behind you.

Madam Mayor, I just wanted to say before Man and M go, thank you for all your work.

Um, and um it's a lot moving out in that area, which I think uh job creation is going to truly benefit community out there.

It's in a great area.

But if you remember a few years ago, we did a study around land in the east, and CLAP Farms was probably the biggest um attractor.

Uh, and I see that we're tapping into some of that now.

Would you not agree, Mr.

Kirkman?

Yes, it's definitely designated to that in the comprehensive plan that that's a growth area for future industrial activity.

So be right, very consistent with that.

So I'm glad to see that we're getting to tap into this.

Sometimes it takes a minute.

Um we don't just do it in the blink of an eye, but it takes due diligence.

So I appreciate all the work that went into this from planning and to uh uh Miss Hodyan and her um rep who she's representing.

So thank you for that.

Thank you.

Um then our last zoning today are H13 and H 14.

H13 is a public hearing for an ordinance annexing territory into the corporate limits for property located at 4508 McNeil McKnight Mill Road 4.15 acres, Nathan J and Amber B.

Lewis, and item H14, a public hearing for an ordinance for original zoning for property at 4508 McKnight Mill Road, Nathan J and Amber B.

Lewis.

We don't have anybody signed up to speak.

Mr.

Kirkman to receive okay, great.

Oh, I'll be brief.

Uh again, the request is annexation and original zoning from county AG to city R3 residential single family, north and south of request is zone county AG.

East request is city R3 residential single family, and west of the request is both county AG and County RS30.

The property is undeveloped at this time.

North of the property is also undeveloped.

East request are single family dwellings as well as common elements for that single family subdivision.

South of the request is interstate 840 and west request are single family dwellings.

This is designated as residential on the future land use map and as urban general on the future built form map.

This is a uh street rezoning, so there's no conditions attached.

Um staff did determine that this does meet the comprehensive plans creating great places goal to expand Greensboro citywide network of unique neighborhoods, offering residents of all walks of life or varied quality housing choices, and that the proposed R3 district does allow uses that are similar to those present on adjacent treks and making our approval.

Uh this item was heard by the Planning and Zoning Commission at their uh September meeting.

Uh, it was recommended unanimously.

There were no speakers on the item.

Any questions for Mr.

Kirkman?

Sure.

I just had a quick question.

I notice it's not a conditional rezoning, which I like them more than like anything.

But um, what is proposed?

Yeah, so uh basically the owners of the property are just interested in building one single family dwelling, and they're not interested in doing any changes to the lots.

They like the large size, particularly given the proximity to the highway, and just interested in building a house if need access to city services, which requires the annexation.

Oh, okay.

Thank you.

Sure.

Move the item second.

What are we move?

Oh, third.

Um, I haven't read it.

Did I I don't think I've read it in yet?

Did I?

Yes, I did.

I did.

I read it in.

Sorry.

I have to please vote.

Okay, that passes 9 to 0.

Item H 14 requires a statement of consistency.

Move the item.

Move by Dr.

Wells, seconded by Mrs.

Thurm.

The Greensboro City Council believes that its action to approve the original zoning request for the property at 4508 make night mill road from County AG agricultural to City R 3 residential single family to be consistent with the adopted GSO 2040 comprehensive plan and considers the action taken to be reasonable in the and in the public interest for the following reasons.

The request is consistent with the comprehensive plans, future bill format map and future land use map.

The proposed city R3 zoning district present permits uses that fit the context of the surrounding area and limits negative impacts on the adjacent properties.

The request is reasonable due to the size, physical condition, and other attributes of the area.

It will benefit the property owner and surrounding community.

And approval is in the public interest.

Council, please vote.

And that passes 9 to 0.

We now move on to the general business portion of our agenda.

Item I1 and I2 will be read together.

Item I1 is a resolution authorizing municipal agreement with NC Department of Transportation for HL-0165, Greensboro Citywide Signal System Upgrade Phase 1 and I point two, an ordinance in the amount of $2,930,000 establishing the budget for municipal agreement with NC Department of Transportation for HL0165 Greensboro Citywide Signal System Upgrade Phase 1.

Item one and two, please.

Well, we've got to do them one at a time.

Second with Mrs.

Thurm.

Council, please vote.

Can I have a question first, please?

No, everybody jumps in.

But what I'd like to ask more detail about this item when we talk about signal upgrade system, we just talking about the whole citywide system.

Are we talking about a portion?

And if so, what is the list and where are those signals being upgraded?

And so I'll ask the same question for I2 because we're putting it in this in our budget.

And so, as you know, for the last several years, there's been a community that's asked for signal upgrade.

Is this going to allow those upgrades to occur at those intersections?

Because they're long overdue.

And we keep saying we can't do it until state DOT.

But I talked to the state DOT director and said if we were to upgrade those particular signals, could we not do it ourselves, get reimbursed?

And he said he saw no reason why we couldn't.

So what is contained in these two items?

Yes, ma'am.

I I was asking that same question when I saw the items intermacyum McDowell's assistant me to follow up.

I think that just to speak directly to your point.

What was explained is that there's a prioritization based on the data, but I can provide council a detailed update outlining where that's happening at, whether where this these funds will be spent.

Well, I hear that, and that's been the excuse I get all the time is that we have to look at the data, but sometimes we have to look at the request that comes from the community, the people who live it day to day.

So not only is just the signal upgrades at random one, um, as well as MetaView, Randaman, and Florida, um, those who are on Glendale who've asked for some kind of signal, uh, whether it's just the yellow signal flasher, just as you know, they're approaching their intersection and calming down the streets, or whether it's the individuals who live off Bimbo Road at Julian Street, and so they have gotten the same answers repeatedly, and it concerns me that we're not really listening to them.

We're putting things in perspective for priority, but I think we ought to have the ability to choose the priority ourselves.

So by taking this money, that to me should be first and foremost because I'm not in favor of accepting the money if it can't be used the way that we need it to be used.

Yes, ma'am.

So I I don't oh, I'm sorry.

That is my concern and my question.

So I see Miss Cockburn and the audience, and I'm wondering if she could give us a brief overview of exactly what's covered by these items.

Good evening.

I'm happy to provide some additional insight.

This is a large influx of additional funding to support the back end system of the signal system.

So this is an upgrades to individual signalized intersections.

It upgrades the software that goes into the signal boxes and allows the signal each of the signals to work instead of independently work as a system altogether.

But we're upgrading that, but we're still not addressing the concerns that the communities have expressed.

And so we've talked about this multiple times, but we keep saying is it's related to the data.

So this isn't even data driven.

This is just upgrading a system.

The the signal system to that we have today was originally installed in 2016.

So as you can imagine, if you had a computer that you had purchased in 2016, it might be struggling today.

And much of our equipment is struggling to provide the services that are necessary as the city continues to grow.

So how do we get and achieve the goal?

That really is more important.

I mean, I understand upgrades.

I got a computer, we all do the outgrade.

Mine just upgrades itself whenever it feels like it.

So I I get all that.

Um, but again, people still continue to run those lights, so it doesn't matter to me whether they're upgrade or not.

But I think the other concern that I have when I see this item to this tune of money, that you know, those requests aren't being addressed.

And they in this funding allocation, they will not be.

Those are alternative funds, and we have to secure those.

I mean, it is a continuous challenge managing a system that consists of more than 225 signalized intersections.

But just adding a flashing light is a cumbersome burden.

We we are working with the state to get that installed.

We've been working with the state so long, I don't even know if um by the time we get to it, it'll probably be outdated as well.

And then that'll be the excuse.

That's not a satisfactory answer.

Thank you.

Thank you.

It's been um moved by Mayor Pro Tem, seconded by Mrs.

Thurm.

Council, please vote.

That passes eight to one.

Um we need a motion for I2.

Moved by Mrs.

Thurm, seconded by Dr.

Wells.

Down here.

And that passes H1 item I three is a resolution approving a six hundred and twenty-six thousand dollar Mini Brooks contract with Hazen and Sawyer PC for water distribution system main cleaning support.

Can we get an explanations for this, please?

Excuse me.

Can we get an explanation for this, please?

For the item.

You were gonna move that.

Yes.

Um go ahead.

Were you saying something, Jim?

Um we can we can you can move it?

Okay.

Um do you need uh Mr.

Borcher's share?

Yes, please.

He is seven and then I'm gonna combine these.

I've got the opportunity to explain this item.

So if you uh you may recall September 30th, we had a community.

Three main things that came from that community.

One was accelerating the timeline uh as far as being able to thank you, being able to uh focus on South Greensboro and our flushing activities, unidirectional flushing activities.

This item speaks directly to that.

So we are augmenting what we're already doing in the field with our city crews by using our uh consultant and a company called Hydromax and Hydro Max uh specializes in out being out in the field to be able to do the flushing that we need to be able to clean up our district distribution system.

So this item tonight specifically addresses uh accelerating uh and getting uh field crews out there to be able to do that work.

That's what this item does.

And this will help to speed up the process.

We're before it was kind of looking a little bit further down the line in 26 we're addressing it quicker.

Absolutely.

This this uh item they're gonna be um in the general vicinity of South Greensboro, they're gonna continue to move, it's gonna be in the uh neighborhood of rolling roads, the rolling roads uh neighborhood, but we're gonna continue to focus on bringing it all into the South Greensboro.

Absolutely.

And and while I I have the opportunity, if it's okay, the the other two th items that we had talked about not only is accelerating, we talked about communications.

So we have met with uh community relations as well as communication department.

We have had meetings as far as the other uh communication channels that we can use to get more information out to the public.

So we are in the process of doing that.

Matter of fact, this most recent uh posting as far as the work that's going to start tomorrow with this flushing, uh, that was on the city's uh Facebook page, so we're looking at how we can get that information out there.

Then the last item had to do with us looking at a community task force or a focus group.

So we have made progress there as well.

We're uh putting together the structure as well as a charter as far as how that um that focus group or task force can help us in making sure that we're addressing the community needs.

And right, and that particular group, it will consist of ANT and UNCG students as well as some members, um, senior members that have been retired and and are kind of very much engaged and interested in just being a part of the discussion and focused on so correct.

Absolutely that and uh we encourage if there's others that are interested in it, there's certainly they can reach out to us, um, they can certainly contact the city.

I said communications department or community relations or water resources, but absolutely yes, we're going to have representatives from of course the academia as well as the community.

Okay, and just so community who's listening know now if they have any other water concerns, the number they can call is the it's our dispatch, which is staff 247 is 336 um 373-2033.

Uh staff 247.

So you all basically are on duty 24-7, regardless of what that water concern is, and you were addressing it quickly.

And you have a plan to do so.

So thank you for your uh extra due diligence for getting this address a little bit sooner than um had been anticipated.

Absolutely.

My thanks to council for um review uh approving this item or potentially approving this item tonight.

I appreciate it.

Thank you.

Yes, I want to say thank you for that, but your last point that you mentioned about if individuals wanted to be part of the task force or have questions.

Can you provide that information again?

Absolutely.

They I would encourage them to reach out to the communications department or community relations department.

That's either Carla Banks or Gary Canapino if there's an interest.

So we're formulating that what that task force is going to look like representation.

But we certainly want to make sure we represent the community.

Thank you for that.

And you will be leading that task force, isn't that right?

Correct.

I will be part of it.

Yes.

Thank you, Mr.

Borta.

So all you do, thank you.

So we do have another question.

Oh, I'm sorry, go ahead.

Mr.

Boris, another so this contract is going to speed up the process.

Do we have a feel for how much it's gonna speed up?

We you know, when residents can expect us to be through the process.

It will be into 2026.

That's a very and I appreciate you asking that.

One of the things that's important the community knows is that when we do unidirectional flushing, of course, we have to flush water onto the ground.

We don't do that in the winter time because as you can imagine, you get water on the ground, freezing temperatures, you create a hazard, a potential hazard, whether it's for pedestrians or for traffic.

So we are going to proceed all the way up until freezing temperatures get here.

November time frame, uh hopefully through uh end of November.

We'll take a pause during the winter, but we'll pick right back up in March.

But to answer your question, uh, in all likelihood, we're probably looking at several months, probably six months or so into 2026, because the other thing we need to do is is not only we're doing unidirectional flushing, our engineer is looking at how can we also um do it's called pipe swabbing, but there's a plan where we want to go ahead and coordinate it so that once we clear an area, we don't when we flush somewhere else, we don't put it back over there.

But to answer your question, uh, in all likelihood, we're probably looking at several months, probably six months or so into 2026, because the other thing we need to do is is not only we're doing unidirectional flushing, our engineer is looking at how can we also um do it's called pipe swabbing, but there's a plan where we want to go ahead and coordinate it so that once we clear an area, we don't when we flush somewhere else, we don't put it back over there, and that's just gonna take a little bit of time.

Thank you.

So that question led me to this question with pipe swabbing.

So when you have breaks in your line, is that a time to do that as well?

Because you have water main brakes, and so when you put them back together, sometime people may see a little bit of discoloration.

Correct.

But would that be an opportunity to make sure what pipes do you put back?

You replace old, put new, and that don't have some of that problem as well.

We do any as as I had mentioned at the community meeting.

Anything our distribution system likes equilibrium, just like us, we're creatures of habit, and anything that disrupts the equilibrium has the potential to create discoloration.

So, yes, main breaks is a good example of when we have a large main break.

Yes, we definitely see discoloration.

But the good news is as we know flushing works.

We ask our customers, we certainly apologize for the inconvenience as part of you know operating 1,500 miles of water lines, but we asked them to call.

We were typically replaced that section of line.

Usually we can get that all done within 24 hours, and we turn right around in the flushing activities.

It usually clears up pretty quickly once we go ahead and get that fixed.

But but yes, well, thank you again for um addressing it as other council members who say it, but um, I know you pushed up your timeline and rightfully so.

Absolutely, and my thanks to the community for their patience.

Absolutely.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mike.

Uh just curious.

Um, has there been an estimate of how many households have been affected?

Or if I miss that, I'm sorry.

I don't have it off the top.

I can get that information for you as far as the um the number uh you know when we look at the the number of complaints we typically receive, it's typically around four or five per day.

We have certainly seen um in a um and sometimes a little bit less than that.

We have seen in a typical, you know, if you if you multiply, I mean I'm sorry, less than less than four or five, it's probably one or two complaints per day.

We have seen months where we have had close to 70, 80 or 90, which is abnormal.

So uh anything that is above more than one or two per day, something is amiss.

Okay.

I'll give you an example.

Like today, we had uh six complaints, most of them are on the airport.

We believe that was because there's construction and are using tanker trailers and they're connecting to our system to get water for construction.

So um, but I can certainly, if you'd like, I can certainly follow back up with the number of homes that we believe has been impacted based on our complaints.

Just to give an idea, nothing okay, you know, it has to be 100 percent on that.

I was just curious, are we getting 500 or are we getting 50?

Are we getting no?

We're definitely seeing we've had a couple of months if you look back uh at the fall of last year, and uh, and then of course you look at the spring going into summer of this year.

We've had months where we've had, like I said, 80, 90, some close to 100, which is very abnormal.

Right.

We typically shouldn't see more than like one or two per day.

Got it.

Thank you so much.

You're welcome.

Thank you, Council.

Now, my other question was that concentrated in solely one area or do no, not at all.

We have we have seen uh with what we're doing in South Greensboro, we have seen an uptick in South Greensboro, but as far as discoloration is across our whole system.

And would her would the question she asked be in your presentation from the 30th?

Because I have it right here.

I believe it is.

And I can send it to you, Mayor Kay.

Yeah, um, the presentation that you made on the third.

I saw that.

You got it, okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Thank you again.

Thank you, Council.

Okay, have we that was I three?

Has that been voted on yet?

No.

Council, please vote.

That passes nine to zero.

I four is a resolution approving the City of Greensboro Water Resources Department to enter into a grant agreement with Golden Leaf Foundation for up to 60 million dollars to support water and sewer improvements for jet zero.

Moved by Mayor Pro Tem, seconded by Dr.

Wells.

And that passes 9 to 0.

Item I5 is a resolution authorizing the city manager to approve a contract with utility service partners private label inc to implement the city's water and sewer line warranty program.

Moved by Mrs.

Hoffman, seconded by Mr.

Holston.

And that passes 9 to 0.

I 6 is a resolution approving bid in the amount of 1,574,079 and authorizing execution of contract 2018-054A with BW Infrastructure LLC for Voss Avenue culvert replacement and stream restoration project.

Seconded by Mrs.

Hightower.

I still support the item.

And maybe somebody can answer this for me or send it to me.

Since we're doing COVID here, um how can we speed that up as well since we have COVID in this project?

We're replacing a COVID.

I could speak to that.

These are it's again, it's somewhat similar to the signal comment.

There's separate items.

The uh I actually just checked on the you're speaking of the Vandalia Road widening and sidewalk project and the delay we had with the remapping for the federal emergency management agency stream bed that impacted the culvert design.

That's still on track to be submitted to the city sometime within probably the next four to six weeks.

We'll turn that around with some internal review.

So it's in the process based on the way everything has to be approved because it's you know state funded.

Um there's a there's a lot of pieces in that that are involved with review that are just gonna take some time and go back and forth.

So we're not really in a position where we could speed it up because we're somewhat at the mercy of other review agencies.

So this is something we can move forward with now.

Okay.

I just see this coming on, and then I know how long we've been waiting for the other one.

Um, which I'm just wondering if the same process here we could kind of push, but I know what you're saying because who we are waiting on, and we hope they'll be gracious and kind and speed it along so we can get it done.

So thank you.

What a question.

Have we voted?

Yes.

Um now we move on to I-7, which is a resolution approving a reimbursement agreement with Seafred Industrial Properties for approximately one million three hundred and thirty-five thousand nine hundred and seventy-eight dollars for water line oversizing to J MP Business and Building Services Project.

We do have one speaker on this item, Mr.

Hartzman.

George Hartman, public integrity watch.

Help the few at the expense of the many.

On top of the $536,000 we already gave them to move across town.

I need an answer to the question.

Is it on top of it or is it the same money?

If you don't answer your phone, this is where the question gets asked.

Does anybody know?

We are not speaking.

Okay.

Mr.

City Manager, stop the clock.

Can you answer the question?

This is a company that's coming to District One in an area of need for investment.

Can you just answer the question?

It is, and I'll get ACM McDowell or Mr.

Borges to follow up with you.

But I mean I yeah, we'll we'll provide a response.

Super city council has handed out millions of water and sewer sessions.

Well Greensboro's families watch their bills skyrocket.

Okay, stop the clock.

Mr.

Borgers.

Good evening, Madam Mayor, members of council.

This is a reimbursement agreement.

So we have on many occasions worked with development in extending water and sewer services to provide as councilwoman Hightower needed services in a particular area.

We have a project that's called Southeast Feeder Main.

It's got five phases to it that is going to be able for us to loop water service in Southwest, South, Southeast Greensboro.

So what we are doing is we're working with the developer who is developing a project.

We are oversizing the line, so they're putting in a smaller line, eight inch line.

We are upsizing it to 24 inch, so we can use it for our needs to distribute water to the city.

So this money that's that's assigned here to this item will be used to repay the developer because they're upsizing it for our need.

I hope that answers the question.

Thank you, Mr.

Wills.

He just answered your question.

And we've done this on many other projects.

You sure have.

The people footing the bill, working families, seniors on fixed incomes, are being squeezed by rising property taxes, insurance, food costs, and utilities.

Meanwhile, the city keeps writing checks, in this case, over a million dollars to subsidize a private project for a company with more than a hundred million dollars in annual revenue.

This is an economic development's corporate welfare, plain and simple, like Roy Carroll's water and sewer for the Amex Data Center, which raised our electricity prices, the public's warehouse infrastructure, which raised our water bills.

The same for the sheets on Marty Codis's property by the loop.

Ditto for John Lomax at the old North State Chevrolet site, Andy Zimmerman, Barry Siegel, Randall Kaplan, Singenta, Centric Brands, the Fresh Market UPS Gerbings, and multiples of DGI facade and other grants that most are unaware of.

Mrs.

Hoffman.

Developers should pay their own way.

As in free market capitalism, they call it.

Not rely on public funds to boost private profits.

Every time council votes to hand over another subsidy, it sends a clear message.

If you're politically connected, the taxpayers will pick up your tab.

Meanwhile, my property tax bills up at least 43%.

We're saturated with the profligacy of your passion to spend everyone else's money to preserve your political power.

Stop transferring public wealth to private interests and start standing up for the people who actually live and work in Greensboro.

Do we have a motion for I7?

So move.

Second.

Moved by Mrs.

Hightower, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem.

And let me just say, by the way.

I'm a taxpayer too.

I've been in my house since 1996.

And I've been paying taxes every year, too.

So I guess I'm part of that, as you say.

But we're not eliminated.

Nobody rebates my taxes.

So I do contribute.

Council, please vote.

That passes nine to zero.

Item I8 is a resolution approving bid in the amount of 24 million forty-six thousand one hundred and five dollars and authorizing contract 2025-0030 with Kagan construction and rehab services for the Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation 2025 project.

Mrs.

Hightower.

Oh I don't see an OBO.

Oh, here it is.

Okay.

I found it.

I didn't see an OBO memo because it's not listed, but it's here.

What is here?

Thank you.

Second.

Moved by Ms.

Pinder, seconded by Dr.

Wells.

Sharon, did you have a comment?

Oh no, thank you.

I'm sorry.

Okay.

Council, please vote.

We're on nine.

Yes.

I'm trying to pull it up, but I think the I can't find it.

Anyway, that passes nine to zero.

Um I'll read I9 and I 10 together.

They'll be voted separately.

I 9 is a resolution approving amendment number three for contract 2023-006A in the amount of 70 million 370, 314 and 23 cents with Salmet Corporation for Windsor Chavez NOCO Community Complex NOCO Park Construction and I 10, a resolution to authorize change order number two to contract 2023-0060 in the amount of 1,277,133 and 35 cents with Samet Corporation for Windsor Javis NOCO Community Complex Building Construction.

Mr.

Hartzman.

George Hartzmann, Public Integrity Watch.

Arthur Samet, the CEO of Samut Corporation holds a position on the board of DGI, the very organization that controls Council Zach Methaney's salary, benefits, and employment.

Salmon is a financial sponsor of DGI, and Mr.

Samet was personal donor to Councilman Methaney's campaign.

This creates an undeniable and deeply troubling connection.

When someone with direct power over a public official's paycheck has business before that official's council, the situation demands the highest level of scrutiny.

Voting on this contract creates more than just an appearance of improper influence.

It violates established policy and law.

Greensboro's policy manual says elected officials must avoid financial transactions that create an actual or apparent conflict of interest.

It explicitly prohibits city officers from voting on contracts, which they have a direct or indirect financial interest.

The city attorney argues state law sets the ultimate standard, which is incorrect.

State law sets the floor for ethics, not the ceiling.

North Carolina general statutes explicitly authorizes cities to adopt requirements that are more stringent than the state minimum.

Guidance from UNC School of Government, which does your continuing education.

Councilman McThaney must refuse himself from these votes.

He must publicly disclose the relationship, abstain from all discussion, and physically step away during the consideration of these items.

A failure to do so is a failure to uphold our city's charter, our ethics policy, and the law.

We're not requesting a political courtesy.

We are demanding legal compliance.

The relationship between Methaney and Samet is a textbook conflict of interest.

Unfortunately, Laura Cobbage's political campaigns received contributions from Skip Austin, Andrea Harrell, Cecil Brockman, Chuck Watts, Nancy Hoffman, Goldie Wells, Mary Kay, Abba's Wader, Nancy Vaughan, and Rosetta Davis.

Her campaign shows more than 500 aggregate aggregated contributions that were not itemized with individual names, titles, occupations, or employers.

The legislature is very specific about the council's duty to vote.

And it is called a duty to vote.

And 168-75 says no member shall be excused from the voting except upon matters involving the consideration of the member's own financial interest or official conduct on matters which the member is prohibited from voting on under various general statutes.

The legislate Mr.

Hartzmann, I guess you're not interested.

The legislature is very specific about council members who are elected have the duty to vote.

And the duty to vote is the only time you can recuse is if there is a direct financial interest.

Not if somebody thinks there's some convoluted interest.

It is a direct financial interest.

That is what the legislature says.

That is not the floor.

Thank you, Madam Mayor, and you are absolutely correct.

Mr.

Hartman talks about our um at the 160-86 that says that each municipality must establish ethics.

But part of that specifically says that in establishing that ethics resolution, you must obey all applicable laws.

As you stated very correctly, Madam Mayor, the law says that the only way anyone can be recused is if there's a direct interest.

Mr.

Hartzman has contacted me.

I've went over this in more than one email more than one time before.

Um I had no idea about everyone that contributed to my obviously 23 or 2018 campaign.

But thank you, Mr.

Hartzman, for bringing that to light.

But that has nothing to do with what you guys are doing here.

So Mr.

Matheny needs to vote.

And if you do not vote, your vote will be counted as a yes.

That also is law.

So do I have a motion on I9?

Second by Mrs.

Thurm, seconded by Mayor Protein.

I thought voting.

I thought that was your item, and I thought you moved it.

You moved it, and I seconded it.

Yeah, but but it is done.

All right, so Tammy moved it.

Mayor Pro Tem second it.

Council, please vote.

Yeah, slow down.

Yeah.

Great investment we have coming to an area.

That passes nine to zero.

Item I 10.

Goldie.

Wells, Mrs.

Hightower.

Council, please vote.

Item I 11 is a resolution.

Oh well, that'll that passes 9 to 0.

I-11 is a resolution authorizing amendment number 5 in the amount of 91,702 to contract 2019-05160 between the City of Greensboro and Vines Architecture for the Windsor Chavez NOCO community complex.

Move by Dr.

Wells, seconded by Mrs.

Hightower.

Are you waiting on it?

No, passes nine to zero.

Item high 12 is a resolution to approve master plan for Brian Park Soccer Complex.

Moved by Dr.

Wells, seconded by Mr.

Holston.

Council, please vote.

And that passes 9 to 0.

Item I 13 is a resolution to approve the Gillespie Golf Course Master Plan.

Move the item.

Move by Mrs.

Hightower, seconded by Mr.

Holston.

But I would like for Phil to kind of come forward.

I think because while we're not showing the master plan here, I think there's a couple of things the community needs to understand about the lesbian golf course master plan.

And I heard an issue that came up today.

But I think that resolution, Dr.

Wells, is in the works.

Field we've had discussions around the name changing.

And so we're looking at doing that.

We had some discussion when we were out there earlier in the year putting the marker up.

You remember.

Let me make sure my microphone is on.

Good evening, Mayor and Council.

Yes, Councilmember Hightower, you are correct.

This master plan paints the picture, which all parks and recreation master plans do of what the future can look like for this very historic and cherished golf course.

So we're excited to bring it forward for your consideration this evening.

It includes things like looking at enhancing the course as it is now with reconstructing the greens and irrigation, the cart paths, tea boxes, one day also building a new clubhouse and pro shop there on site with a cafe or restaurant potentially, new maintenance facility, enhancements to the short course, honoring and really memorializing the efforts of the Greensboro 6 to both integrate Gillespie Golf Course as well as other public facilities.

So it's really got a lot of great recommendations in it, and we're excited about bringing it forward for consideration tonight.

And the parks and rec commission saw this and just agreed with the plans moving forward.

They did.

So we did present this to council at a work session a couple of weeks ago.

Our process though is it goes through our parks and recreation commission first.

There are advisory board on parks and recreation related matters.

So they did review the plan and vote to support it several months ago.

Really, it's the culmination of almost a two-year-long process.

You know, really looking at the current uh course conditions, life cycle, uh, golfers and community members' interests, um, and really what the future could look like out there.

And so we will continue to highlight uh this asset in this community, not being moved, not being changed, uh, but to honor the Greensboro Six and possibly consider some things we talked about regarding the name and so forth.

Uh yes, so um during the master plan process, there was um interest brought up in regard to considering a possible name change for the golf course, uh potentially to honor Dr.

George C.

Simpkins Jr.

That is something that would require some additional research and certainly that would require future council action if that were to occur.

Um, but that was expressed as an interest in the master plan process, and in the actual report, it's referred to kind of generally as far as a full name change.

However, in the report, it's very specific about different ways that Dr.

Simpkins as well as other members of the Greensboro 6 and their contributions and history uh can really be uh lifted up and told more at the course, and that's through re uh revamping the short course or practice course there and naming a hole in honor of each member of the Greensboro Six and telling uh their biography and contributions, and then also within the clubhouse having uh different panels of information there as well to really build more awareness about that very important history.

Thank you.

All right, thank you for the work.

Um, I just think the community wants to just make sure they don't lose the history, what it occurred there, and uh honoring the Greensboro Six as well as the community.

It's a great community asset that we should all be proud of, and we don't look to um cause any harm to that course, but to improve it.

You know, 60-year-old greens need to be replaced.

And they do, um, and there are really wonderful programs that go on at the golf course.

We have a great partnership with First T of Central Carolina that's based there at the course for a lot of youth development opportunities, um, you know, some programming for uh veterans as well as adaptive golf, uh golf lessons that go on out there, um different programs involving middle and high schools and colleges.

So it's a really great community asset, uh, really with low barriers to access.

It's also very conveniently located, uh, really just a couple of miles from this venue here in the center of town, and so uh it's exciting to bring this project forward tonight.

Right.

And you do see a lot of activity there.

Um, with nothing to do but play golf, well utilized.

So uh we also have a great new um uh restaurant operator out there as well uh with par three, so would certainly invite the community and council to come out uh and um you know support the restaurant for breakfast or lunch.

Thank you.

Thank you, Phil, for all your work and your staff's work at hard efforts on this too, so I appreciate it.

Sure, thank you.

And I I do want to acknowledge Shauna Tillery who's here tonight as well.

She's the project's division manager within engineering and inspections, and this is a master plan that she's led uh over the course of the last two years.

Um we are looking at moving towards phase one of this master plan, um, and there are opportunities and a need for private contributions and support.

Uh so we're working with our Greensboro Parks Foundation, uh, the Joseph M.

Bryan Foundation and Greensboro Sports Foundation and others to really look at private funding opportunities that we can bring forward to get started on this.

Right.

Excellent.

All sounds good.

Great.

Thank you.

Mr.

Yeah, I just wanted you started to answer in advance of me asking the question.

I just want to get a reality check in terms of funding to make this master plan a reality.

And we have a feel for where things stand, how much it will cost to do this, and you know what timetable.

I don't want people to think just because we approve the plan that we're gonna move forward and this is funded and we're gonna make progress.

Where where are we on that?

Right.

So that's a great question, uh, Councilmember Therm.

And this pertains really to both the Brian Park Soccer Plan that was just adopted as well as the Gillespie Golf Course Master Plan, and that is you know, we we really need to get an adopted plan so we know uh what we're looking at for the future, um, and then that's when we go to work on the funding aspects of it.

So, you know, obviously some of that comes up in conversations as we're getting input on what we'd like to do, uh, what our community would like to see.

Um, and so you know, where we're at with the Gillespie plan specifically, is it's roughly a 25 million dollar um plan overall, and to get started on that, we're looking at uh roughly a four million dollar need of which the city has already allocated two million dollars from American Rescue Plan Act Funds.

So there's two million dollars uh that will go towards getting started with this important plan, and then we're looking at some other funding opportunities to close an approximately two million dollar gap to get started with the first phase, uh which is gonna be the course renovations and the short course enhancements, and then over time, as additional public and private funds become available, that's our opportunity to move forward to future phases that I mentioned earlier.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So we do have a motion by Mrs.

Hightower, a second by Mr.

Holston.

Council, please vote.

Thank you, Phil.

Look forward to all the exciting things coming in district one.

Thank you.

And that passes nine to zero, I believe our last item of the night.

Is um thank you for that.

That it is exciting, very exciting.

I 14 is an ordinance to amend Coliseum Limited Obligation Bond Fund 525 in the amount of 937,000 for LED Muscow Arena and Field House Lighting System.

Move by Mr.

Holston, seconded by Mrs.

Hightower.

Council, please vote.

That passes nine to zero.

Um boards and commissions appointments, and I know that we probably need to make a few before we roll over to the next council.

Um so if you don't have appointments, take a look and let's make them at the next meeting.

But Sharon, anything tonight?

No, but I I do need a clarification on the redevelopment.

There is an how long are redevelopment terms?

Five years.

Have you on a redevelopment?

Yes, ma'am, it's five years.

It's five years.

Okay.

So there is, I think some quandary around an appointment that I made.

And she's coming up for renewal.

You do get a second appointment.

Yes, she's one.

Okay, so then I can go ahead on and reappoint her now.

Yes, ma'am.

Then I reappoint Patricia Adams, who is currently the chair of the redevelopment commission as well.

For second term.

For a second term, yes.

Is there a second?

Seconded by Mr.

Holston.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed?

That passes unanimously.

Thank you.

That's the only one I have for tonight.

Mr.

Mitheney, boards, commissions, Mrs.

Hoffman.

Mayor Pro Tem.

None to Saby.

Dr.

Wells.

Mrs.

Thurm?

Ms.

Pinder.

I have one for the Historic Preservation Commission, Angela Hornet.

Is that a reappointment or no?

This is the first time.

So it's I had an opening and it's replacing Jess John.

Jesse Arnett.

So repl they got it.

Okay.

Yes.

Is there a second?

Second.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed?

That passes unanimously.

Council comments.

I have a I have a couple.

First, I want to make the following motion.

I move that effective November 26, 2025.

The City Council of the City of Greensboro award the city manager a salary adjustment, setting his new annualized series salary at 324,000.

Second.

Seconded by Mayor Pro Tem.

Council, please vote.

Recorded vote.

And let me just say that normally the first year there would have been a mid-year adjustment, which we did not do.

So this will take the place of the mid-year and the annual, and from now on, it will just be annual.

My screen's down.

There it is.

Sorry.

Thank you.

Do we have it?

Okay.

And was that nine to zero?

Okay, and that passes nine to zero.

Thank you.

Couple of things.

Last week at the Coliseum, we had a great week.

It started with Andrea Bacelli and ended with the Gargoyles.

Roughly 44,000 tickets were just sold in that arena Sunday to Saturday.

There was 12,626 tickets.

Sold outside of Guilford County.

The Brandon Lake concert, 15,139.

82% of the tickets sold outside of Guilford County.

And the inaugural Gargoyles hockey game, 8,360 people.

I'm sorry, 51% were sold outside of Guilford County.

Should help pay for the Coliseum.

And when you have these types of numbers, I think it's a pretty compelling case.

Now that doesn't mean that the city got that 553 million dollars.

It means that it went in the pockets of small business owners, hotels, um, restaurants, boutiques, that that is the money that came into our community, and I think that's a a huge number for the Coliseum and for Tanger.

Tanker has exceeded our thoughts, um, but it shows why we need to maintain the Coliseum and the arena so we can continue to put up these numbers.

So I think that's pretty exciting.

Um let's see, uh I want to talk about the we shelters.

As you know, last year for the churches stepped up to become a winter emergency shelter through GUM.

Um, gum helped organize the program.

We paid for it.

Um the churches were um they housed anywhere from 12 to 14 people.

Um they obviously had good sleeping quarters, uh hot meal at dinner, breakfast was served, they did have to leave during the day.

Um we did not we did not do the we shelter again this year, and I understand that we're doing an awful lot more out at the pallet shelters, and that the number of people who moved from the pallet shelters into permanent housing is um a pretty significant number.

Nasha, I always say like eighty percent, but I'm not sure that's right.

That sounds about right.

That is so that is that's huge for the pallet and the RVs to get 80 percent of the people into permanent housing.

The weight how many interrupt you, but you say 80 percent.

Of the people that went in the shelter found housing?

Yes, because the last number that I heard when I was at a work session was six.

So was that for the we shelter?

Because we're we're talking about 80 percent.

So that was about so you're saying if 80 percent got housing, are we able to move 80 percent more, Ian?

Because then those are the minute somebody moves out, somebody else moves in.

So 80 percent of the people who went through the Pomona village were able to be placed into long-term housing.

That's interesting because I don't think we got 80 percent vacancy in the city of Greensboro.

Well, um because people are struggling now trying to find somewhere.

So um regarding the the we shelters, yeah.

We often ask our um nonprofits, our religious community to step up and help us.

Um, you know, often they come up here and criticize uh the city of Greensboro and the kind of money that we're putting towards these programs, but we had four churches that really stepped up in a big way.

It takes a lot for a church to upfit their facilities to do this.

Um it's a huge commitment on behalf of the congregation to make sure that people are fed dinner and breakfast and that they leave with a a lunch bag.

They bring laundry home.

Um it is a huge commitment, and they were very disappointed that they were not part of the wintering shelter um plan that we have.

And I would like us to reconsider.

I did get a um a proposal from Gum from Brian Hahn, and I sent it to the um city manager.

I would like to see if there is something we can do, primarily because we asked people to step up, and we had people who stepped up, and they they did it thinking that it would be reoccurring, it cost them money to upfit their facilities, and I don't think they intended to do that just for one year.

So we have four churches, and I'm afraid that I'll forget who the four were, but um it was um I'm not gonna say because I'll forget one of them, and I don't want to do that.

Um, but all four churches did a great job, and I hope that we'll be able to um to do it again.

So you say that four churches were not included this year, and they're asking to so it was decided not to do the we shelters again.

And um what I'm asking is could we consider doing the we shelters?

Um maybe if we can't do all four, what what can we do?

Because these are people who have stepped up and they really want to help.

And um, I think that we have we have the need.

Um you know, I know that last year one of them was specifically for women, um, which is hard to find housing for women.

So that we can get more people sheltered in the evenings.

Well, I just want to make sure so with the four churches that are going to participate.

Is this just overnight that they'll be providing these resources?

I couldn't hear you.

Well, this be overnight services that they're providing.

Yes, okay.

So the thing with the what we shelters is that the people have to leave during the day, but they can they're there from like six, I I think it's six p.m.

to like seven a.m.

A lot of the people in the we shelters are working poor, they have jobs to go to.

Um that is one of the drawbacks I'd say about the wee shelter opposed to the pallet village.

They can stay there 24 hours a day in the pallet village, but in the wee shelters they have to they have to leave.

Just a thought.

Um and then Sharon.

Okay.

Um and Madam Mayor, uh, you know, I don't know, maybe m Mr.

City Manager, but um, are there any corporations that might be willing to help um you know co-sponsor the WE shelters or anything like that?

I know that some corporations won't have to do so much community outreach, and I just didn't know if that's a possibility or how we would even look into that.

So I think the issue right now really is the the funding because they seem to have a good pipeline of volunteers.

Right.

Um and they um last year they received very small stipend for like a rental fee.

Um, you know, they're willing to waive that.

Um if corporations wanted to step up and help sponsor it.

I think that would be I I mean is that totally out of the line to think about yes, I can ask as you as you all know.

We've we've allocated a certain amount of funds that that we've operated in the current format.

Um we're reviewing the proposal from Gum, and we'll look at the itemized list.

I think we can go through that and have some discussion with Mr.

Hahn to identify what services additionally on top of what we have, what we that we need.

Uh we've also been working with uh a few other uh working groups uh that are in the community, uh, a few that are looking for opportunities to step up, such as this.

Thank you.

I I just really oh Sharon, go ahead.

That's okay.

So was there not an RFP process done for not for the WE shelter?

For the WESH okay.

So one of the conversations I kind of had with one of the previous uh churches, well, the church that was doing the WE shelter course, um, they felt like the funding uh was gonna be limited.

But the other thing is they need some assistance with case management.

So that money you're talking about that you're saving needs to be a case manager somewhere because those individuals in the churches need that case management as well.

You I know you're out there at the pallet shelters and you focus on that.

Um and the other concern I have is for families.

While you may see one, you may see two, but that's two too many.

If they're living in cars, they gotta get out of the coal.

Um that's why we open up the church last year.

So I don't even know if that's an option this year.

Just seems like we have limited options of assistance.

And I I would like for us to reconsider the Wii shelters and maybe have those conversations about what other um needs do they have?

Because in the meetings last year when I was there when the churches were, they have to also meet requirements like fire code, sprinkler systems, all those things.

They have to mentor when they housing people that they have in place, and those are not two things to do either.

So they've put money in this, and so we don't just need to take this lightly.

Yeah, and and I forgot that they did they did have to um upgrade their buildings to accept people last year, and that was at an expense.

Yes.

And I would say that that given or in light of uh national federal actions that there's a great possibility that this year we're gonna see even more of a need than we have in the past.

And so having additional resources will be critical.

Sure.

Okay.

Um can I can I add a little bit of context?

I think one of them uh I want to kind of bring to level set.

I think one of the things the questions that councilwoman Hattower was asking about the percentage of folks that were placed in housing.

That would have that was last year, the folks that went through the the pallet shelter uh through Pomona Park.

So one of the ideas this year it was to to not reduce the amount of services but to consolidate so we could help people transition uh to housing.

I'm very appreciative of Mr.

Hahn and the churches continue to want to step up.

I think we can find the path forward.

Just I think everybody knows the challenges that we're facing.

So it sounds like we'll have an abundance of help.

Uh we're gonna get to Mr.

Hahn in quick fashion to identify, but I will tell you, and I think another thing I think people we need to clarify also one of the ideas of shaping it the way we did this year was to add more case management to the folks that we're bringing through.

Um you know, I I I'm appreciative of the church that churches stepping up.

One of the challenges that they experience is just that.

Um some of them even expressed to us.

Um you know, sheltering people overnight and then having to push them out in the morning uh is a challenge.

But so I I strongly feel like we can work through a good solution.

It's gonna be very helpful to the community and to the folks in need.

Okay.

Where do they fall?

I mean, if you're only gonna put people in pallet shelters and mobile mobile RBs or whatever, how do we address those that need to also be in warm and stop?

Oh, and women's shelters.

Um need some I I'm just concerned that you know we're focused on that.

And I think the church one last year the church did three shelters for the men and one for the women.

Yes, and then we used Glenwood, our own church we own currently for families, yes, who may drop in, and we put a whole eating system in that because that I believe Ms.

Hero's not here, but um that was also needed, and so we've got that in place now.

So I think there's still some option.

And you know, so I understand case management, but who's who's managing case management?

Is it the IRC or only?

That is the IRC who is doing the case management at the pallet at the pallet shelters, but then they don't have probably capacity to come because I think people that come in that warm and shelter, and I asked that question last year, they need some resources too.

And they're there there are case managers at the um at the WE shelters, but they didn't place people at the rate that the pallet I just wonder about that.

Something's not something doesn't sound coordinate to me then.

There's a gap somewhere if if if they can if they can put them 60 percent or 80 percent over here, we ought to be able to do some kind of coordination.

So, Trey, if we could follow up on that, I'd like to get back to Brian because I know that the churches are waiting to hear kind of where they're going.

Um, and it is getting cold.

Um so our next meeting will be November 10th, which is um which is after the election.

So, you know, we will still be full city council members, but there I'm sure there will be a few council people elect um watching.

So um we have the meeting on the um November 10th and November 18th on December 2nd is an organizational meeting, and that is kind of the change of the guard, the people who are retiring um make their comments and then the next group is sworn in.

So, what I am proposing is that on December 1st, the people who are leaving, and we know that Mrs.

Hoffman, me and Goldie that we'll be leaving, that we have the opportunity to say goodbyes, and our family and friends are here, and then we'll adjourn that meeting and come back the next day just to open it and to allow everybody else to get sworn in.

Um, you know, the swearing in takes a little while, they'll elect a mayor pro tem.

Um I think the number of people going out um is significant, so that could have the potential to be a very long meeting.

So we're gonna have a meeting on December 1st, so you're gonna have to December 1st will be for the outgoing council members.

December 2nd will come back and open the meeting, and the new council will get sworn in.

Um, and then speakers from the floor will occur at the December 16th meeting, since the organizational meetings are just organizational.

Can you um do we need to take a vote on that?

Yeah, well, because we have we have to give them direction to change, so yes, that's what I proposed.

Do I have a second?

Dr.

Wells.

Dr.

Wells, all in favor, say aye.

Aye, opposed.

Okay, you got it?

Okay.

I actually have one question.

I thought I said that with the meeting on October Day or not on November 4th.

Um, I have it on my calendar as the 10th.

There were some people that couldn't be here or something.

There was a miscommunication.

We had already changed the November meeting to at the beginning of the year to November 10th, and then you guys changed it back to November 5th, so we just kept it as the same schedule November 10th.

I got an hour on the 100%.

So we meet we meet on the 10th and the 18th next month.

No, but so we're gonna meet on election day.

No, no, the 10th and the 18th.

Oh, so we don't have is the 10th.

No, and then um December 1st and 2nd.

Okay, so that's been moved, seconded, and was unanimous.

Um that's all I have.

Um Mrs.

Hightower.

Sorry.

Um, I've been so busy doing other things, um, but um anyway.

Um we did celebrate the greatest homecoming on earth, Aggie Bry.

Uh, and so had a great weekend, and I'd love to know what the economic impact was.

Um, because there was over 10,000 plus people or more, and uh the mayor just mentioned numbers at the Coliseum, so who knows what the concerts um that were there, um, what those numbers look like.

So um that is one of our great economic drivers.

I did hear something very disturbing that hotel prices were a thousand dollars, and I don't know how that's regulated, but I certainly think that's price gouging, and that we need to look into how we control that, if that can be controlled, because folk made money to the tune of thousands.

Um and you know, put people in um dire situations.

My own cousin who came from Washington DC, um normally stayed at went to the Ramada last year, but he stayed with somebody else this year.

And I understand that Ramada was closed down this year, um Mr.

Davis.

Um, so um we need to make sure that they're clean and decent, safe spaces for um our local residents, but all those who are coming from out of town to come back and be a part of a great homecoming.

Um so that's a couple items I'd like for us to look into because to me that's outrageous to charge people for that, and because they want to have a good time or come meeting their friends, they wind up paying it.

And um I I don't think that's how we want that to look here.

So I'd like to look you know look into that, these hotel motels.

Pretty much that's it.

Um just I don't know.

Did I miss something else?

Because I don't feel like I I just been somewhere else, all I can say.

Whatever I didn't go to, I'm sorry.

I know it was nice.

Thank you.

Oh, there was a couple of churches that had a fall festival, New Hope had one, and um there is trick or truck trunk coming up.

One will be um at Sobar.

Um is one is Sobar Police is celebrating that on Friday, and then on October 31st, Crawford Piropractic on Summit Avenue is celebrating one too.

So if you have children um who love candy, swing them by, or if you don't go and donate some candy to help them make that event possible.

Thank you.

You're through Sharon?

Um Dr.

Wells.

Uh I don't think I want to do that.

You don't have anything.

Okay.

Um Mr.

Mithini.

Um thank you, Madam Mayor.

I want to just um reiterate your earlier motion and say that uh to the Mr.

Manager, um, we appreciate the year you've put in for the city of Greensboro as the city manager.

Um you're doing a great job.

You're open, you're communicative, uh, and I think you're action oriented.

And I just wanted to know that I appreciate you and look forward to hopefully working with you another four years.

Um to answer your question, Sharon.

Um I don't have the numbers necessarily, but you talk about numbers.

I do have one, and over the weekend of Homecoming from North Carolina AT State University, downtown Greensboro had over 172,000 people.

Wow, wow.

A hundred and seventy-two thousand people.

Now, when you have 172,000 people, it gets a little tight.

Yeah.

So one of the things that the city needs to do is lean into it.

And when I say that, um really work a little bit with you know with AT with other organizations.

We need to have more restrooms or Portage John's or something for folks, and making sure that we have security for that amount of people.

Uh, because it is, it's tremendous, but it's a we weren't prepared, I don't think, um, to have that many people.

Uh Gillespie Golf Course is a big deal.

Um that plan is a big deal.

Um, I've certainly made commitments to Mr.

Fleischman and Parks and Rec, and that's why I'm saying this on the record, uh, no matter if I'm sitting here next year or not, that I will definitely help um fill the gaps that are needed to get that project off the ground.

Um, and I'd also um definitely willing to help with the we shelters, uh Greensboro Urban Ministry and the and the churches.

I think we can take that to the business community um because those are the people that quite frankly call me all the time.

And so I'm gonna say if you want to help people and you're telling me I need to help people, then I need you to help me pay for helping people, and I think that's a pretty easy sell.

And so I think we can you know hopefully bridge that gap as well.

And so time is of the essence.

I don't that's why I asked for the proposal.

Um I'm happy to to help take that to some folks that have called me.

And Trey, you know who a lot of those folks are.

So just said that the number's probably closer to 40, right?

Yes, that's correct.

Um, we had about 45 out of the 110 um individuals that we serve for doorway.

We do anticipate that number being higher.

Uh oh, wait, I thought you meant we we were talking about two different things then okay.

I'm sorry.

No, that's okay, because I thought you said it was 40 percent and not 80 percent.

That's not what you were referring to.

Correct.

Okay, thank you.

Do you know the number off the top of your head from Greensboro Urban Minister?

Yes, not the itemized, just to touch it.

356.

Yeah, I think that's what the number was.

It is, uh, but there's gonna be a lot of duplication, so I think we can we'll work, we'll work with it.

I and I'll I'll talk to Mr.

Han to work with the exact need, what we need.

Um can I jump in and say I forgot to thank you, Mr.

Manager, for your service and for that with all of us.

Thank you very much.

You're doing now y'all, yeah.

I know y'all, yeah.

I know y'all do y'all thing to yeah, y'all just do it differently than I do.

But but we all get our points across and uh ever so thank you for everything and uh great year.

Thank you very much.

I'd just like to thank our city manager uh as well.

We've had a productive year.

Um set some goals that um are important for us to um to try and and and meet.

I think it's always important to have aspirational goals, and you've done that, you've made some organizational change, I think, to strengthen um the organization and our city team, and um really just appreciate um the the year has gone very smoothly under your leadership.

So I appreciate that very much and uh and quite certain that that will continue.

Mrs.

Thurm.

Yes, we I wanna thank GPD, especially Andra Harrell, um, for her assistance with the closing of the Howard Johnson's on Westgate City Boulevard.

I know that for several years, every time I've ridden with officers in District Five, we've talked about the challenges of that little cul-de-sac.

Um and how much time GPD spends in that area.

We met with have had several meetings with the businesses and the hoteliers in that area over the past several months.

Um and when we made the decision to try take action against that facility um through the the nuisance ordinance.

Um GPD, Andrea, everyone has really s really stepped up and worked together and coordinated to shut down um that Howard Johnson's and it was desperately needed from the outside view, but once you get in and they got in and really saw the condition of that place, um, it was just unbelievable that people were living there and that there were actually a couple of families that had to relocate from there, and just the fact that the families were living there is horrific.

Um, you know, not only were we seeing the prostitution and the drug usage, but just the building itself unsafe with gas leaks and electrical problems and structural problems.

Um it's something that I think uh we need to watch for.

There are other hotels that I think need to be next in line.

And I am looking forward to us taking action.

I think we made a loud statement in um in our actions, and I am pleased with that.

I hope it'll make a big difference in that corridor.

I'm sure it will make a big difference in that corridor.

Um, but we also have to be on the lookout because those drug dealers, the drug manufacturers that were in there, the prostitution is gonna move somewhere in our city, and we just need to not allow it to fester, and we don't need another facility to get in the same condition that that facility was in.

Um I hope that before too long we can just take down and demolish the building and look forward to some fresh new development.

I don't believe, based on what I've heard that the building's probably not salvageable.

Um it was in that bad a condition.

And so, you know, thank you to ALE to the folks at the state level that helped to GPD.

Um they have done a real service to my community in District Five, and I truly appreciate that.

Um and I look forward to continuing to clean up that corridor because I think there's another one yet to go.

So thank you very much.

I appreciate everybody that worked on that.

Um, and it makes a difference, it really does.

So thank you.

I would like to ask if um somebody could get back to me with how many families were displaced and needed assistance and if we've uh found a place for them to go.

Yes, ma'am.

I I I know initially I uh Behart was there to offer services.

I don't think initially that anybody took them up on that offer, but I can follow up to see.

I did see uh a posting on social media about one family that was living there that needs assistance or needed assistance.

So I want to make sure that we address that.

Those children should have never been exposed to that environment and the health hazard in that building.

Um and we need to that they've suffered trauma enough.

We need to help them figure out their next steps.

Agreed.

Thank you.

Well, Tammy, I wanted to ask you, um, I hear you what you already asked the question.

How did you relocate those families?

Because all this sounds like is heritage house all over again.

And we relocated every one of those families.

We coordinated those efforts.

Um I think I think the bulk of the people that were there were drug dealers that were using that as a home base.

Heritage House was too.

There's was too.

They had the sixth floor to the fourth floor.

They had stand in the parking lot, driving by, hand in the stuff.

We we yeah, so it it was the same scenario.

That's that's why we asked Bhart to be there to help facilitate relocation, and I just want to know what the outcome of that was.

Yeah, I wonder if you could have wondered.

That um that was one of the things that ACM Harrell and the attorneys, attorney Bowers and Attorney Opata.

Um they they had plans, they had already talked about that, and that was one of the things that Judge Johnson Tonkins made sure of before she actually granted and signed the order.

So I don't know how many took um B.

Hart up on it, but every family that they knew was there, they had already had had some alternative plan B in place for them.

But we will get back with you on maybe who followed up immediately and who did not follow up at all.

But there was plans in place for that.

My understanding that there were several arrests involved as well.

Is that correct?

I believe so, yes.

Great, thank you.

My cousins, um Mayor Pro Temer, thank you, Madam Mayor, and just a few things, I'll be quick.

Um, I just wanted to to lift up the students that were in the audience.

They were from um social science departments and humanities departments at North Carolina AT State University, and they have been uh many students have been coming and they're they're very interested in watching our council meetings, so I thought that was you know pretty cool, and um that they're doing a lot in the community as well, so I just wanted to lift that up.

Uh North Carolina AT festivities and parade and thousands of people downtown, and it it was really really just a an uplifting experience.

And um, now I saw a lot of officers downtown.

We were downtown until about nine, ten o'clock, uh, right there on Elm and where the railroad is.

Yes, Davey in that area.

Yeah.

So um, you know, people there were a lot of people enjoying themselves.

You know, I hate that it was marred by a few people who who were not being nice, but you know, all in all, I really think that our officers did a great job.

Um several of us were at the Gallion Depot for the next level micro transit uh dedication.

I know Ms.

Hightower was definitely working on that, and I did want to lift up several of us were also at the Yancyville Place Apartments, which is a collaboration between the faith communities, the city, and the financiers, and um it it's just amazing.

I think it was what 84 apartments, Sharon.

Yes, 84 apartments, and they're doing another phase very soon, which will be more apartments, but they are affordable.

Uh start at what 435 up to 835, I think, something like that.

But it was just really, really good to be there.

And I know several of us were there, so just wanted to lift that up as well.

And that's all I have.

Well, and you know that Yankeeville.

Yeah, could I they um you know they have a community room, they have barbecue pits, they have um a playground, so it is a place that was built with amenities also, and I think you could put Yanceyville place in any area of Greensboro and it would fit.

It was beautifully done.

Um, and I think it's gonna give um a number of people a really good place to live.

I'd like to also lift up that we specifically asked the builder about their experience dealing with our planning department and inspections department, etc.

Um, and I was thrilled to hear him say that they develop in a lot of areas, and that Greensboro is not an area that concerns them at all, that they were very pleased and had a very good experience in dealing with Greensboro.

And um that was really nice to hear.

It's something that I've heard several times now.

Um, but it's always nice to hear because that was not always the case.

And so congratulations to the staff as well.

Yes, and they also said they appreciated so much because they got phone calls back when they left the message, they got a phone call back, and they said that's very important to them, even if uh on the other end it wasn't solved yet, that that was very important, the customer service part.

Even if uh on the other end it wasn't solved yet, that that was very important, the customer service part.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um Hugh.

Now you asked the question.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

First of all, I want to say congratulations, and we're all familiar with this.

Um Malik Huff had his beauty in the streets this past this past weekend.

I know that I was there.

I know Jamila, a council member uh Pender was there, others may have been there, but it was a resounding success out at the Peeler Center.

Uh Malik and his team did an awesome job in pulling off the resources, the the haircuts, the uh the hair do's the resources, the food, uh, the music.

Uh it was all I think uh council member Pinder was on the mic on on the ones and twos at one point in time.

Uh it was a really wonderful event.

Also had the Greensboro Housing Coalition held this uh annual housing summit this past uh week.

Uh Mayor Pro Tim Buzuader gave the greetings from the city.

Uh Patrick Bowen, who is the uh you know the person who I call the uh father of uh the road to 10,000 with his data analysis showing the 32, 33,000 units that we need was there, and in speaking with him, he again offered his services uh from his data, which really paints uh the picture.

It's a roadmap that we can follow, and he's more than willing to come back and help us to interpret and direct and provide uh vision for our road to 10,000.

And Madam Mayor, I'm gonna have to um uh push back just a little bit on your comment regarding uh the Greensboro Coliseum and that the weekend started with uh Andre Bocelli and and the gargoyles.

I want to say that through Jiho, the weekend really started with Glorilla, just so you know.

I'll I'll get those numbers for the next meeting.

And it's it's 7 p.m.

Um, and and then taking it to you know the Wii shelters.

Uh we definitely do need to get um more resources for those who are in need, as I mentioned earlier.

There are many who are who are without resources now, and they're going to be be many more, and we need to be as prepared as we possibly can be.

Um so I'm all for that.

Um the conversation regarding regarding our agenda and the item that we took off on minimum housing.

I really do want us to have a session on that so that uh we can talk about what we need to do, what we can do, what we must do when we are looking to protect residents who live in our city when it comes to the rental rates if we can when it comes to the inspections when it comes to those things that have a better quality of life for our residents.

It's just important that we do as much as we possibly can.

And then I'll say finally uh well we'll say yes.

The the new Hope Fall Festival was wonderful this past weekend, and the Ansible Place apartments coming on board is great also.

And then I'll say, Mr.

Manager, thank you so very much.

It just seems like just a year ago that you came on board, and uh thank you for your service.

Thank you what you're providing for us, and also thank you for the vision that you're gonna be giving to us in the future.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Thank you.

Um, Miss Pinder.

Thank you.

And that was Hugh doing the one-twos on the mic, I want to say.

Um I would echo the sentiments um with um the city manager as well.

I've only been on council nine months, but it has definitely been an opportunity a great opportunity working with you.

Um, I'm also gonna echo what Ms.

Hightower said as well.

There has been several events, so if I've not had an opportunity to get out to your event, please don't charge it tomorrow.

It's just been a lot, so I just want to just echo that.

Um, but we do care about you.

Um I want to also lift up attended the Shillanda poll birthday celebration this weekend, and that was really good because in addition to that, there was lots of conversations in the community about safety and what does community safety look like and how we can continue to create these spaces so that we can talk about solutions on how to address safety.

Um, the FAR Festival at New Hope Community Development, Burnmill Park had a FA Festival too as well during AT homecoming, but also want to um echo UNCG also because that's another university that's in our city as well, even I'm an Aggie, want to make sure I lift up UNCG that had their homecoming this weekend as well.

Um, also attended the Latin at Latin A Education Summit that was actually hosted here in our city, and again, we are talking about what's happening in our city and how we are kind of that core essential, those many things that's happening, and so that also brought economic opportunities to our city that happened this past week as well.

Um attended the housing summit.

So, again, when we're talking about what our challenges are, so I'm glad we're having the conversations about how we're addressing the problem now or how we're providing solutions for our unhoused populations, but really would charge us to really think about as we're talking about this now.

What does next year look like and the year after that?

Because again, when we're looking at current situations happening and we have a housing, um, many benefits are being cut for many of our um residents that are going to experience that here in our city.

We want to be we want to respond and not be reactive, and so the best way that we can start doing that now is like we have this.

We have the wee shelters, we have the faith-based organizations as well as other civic groups coming together to be able to look at how we can solve for this problem, but also as we're solving for it now, what are those steps that we can take to make sure we have long-term solutions to be able to address our unhealth population.

Um again, I would echo, just want to just celebrate Malik because he was very intentional about having his first annual beauty in the streets.

Um, and it was well attended, and he had lots of resources, so it just goes to show we want to continue to highlight those leaders who are doing work well in our city and how we can continue to galvanize and support them.

So I want to lift up Malik.

Um, and then also happen to attend the knockout pink back um pink bag event, which was held at the Four Seasons Mall, and that was a well-attended event.

And this month is breast cancer awareness awareness month.

So if you've not had an opportunity, go and get a mammogram.

Resources available.

If you do not have insurance, there are options available for those individuals.

And if you have an opportunity this Saturday over at Hayes Taylor, there is a walk that is being sponsored by the Sisters Network Inc.

of Greensboro, where you can participate in a walk, and then there's screenings such as mammogram screen screenings that's happening this Saturday at Hayes Taylor.

So again, health is very important.

So want to make sure people are aware of those resources.

Um then too, I attended the Flex, um, the Flex Connect GTA, and that again is another economic driver because people need access to transit to be able to get to and from jobs, but also um quality of life, and that's all I have.

So thank you.

Thank you, Mayor Pur Tim.

And my last comment, and I'm I'm sorry, I just don't know why I didn't say, but thank you, Mr.

City Manager.

I don't want to be the only one who didn't say anything, but because it was not meant to overlook uh your good service, and we appreciate you very much.

And I I just want to say one last thing, and it's if you are listening to my voice, get out and vote.

I mean, you know, 10 10.2 percent is pathetic.

Um, and you know, people love to moan about this city, and you know, there's something called NC voter lookup, yeah.

And you can tell if somebody's registered to vote and if they voted in what elections can't say how they voted, but if they voted, and you know, it seems like the nastier the email I get, I go right to NC Voter lookup, and they've never voted.

So if you're listening to me, do your duty, get out and vote.

People died for our right to vote, and so many of people don't exercise that privilege.

So I hope that we are going to more than double the voter turnout in the general election.

Yes, so Mr.

City Manager.

Oh, go I got I I said at first I didn't have anything to say, but I do.

Um I want to thank the city manager for this year's service.

We're sitting up here, and I I thought about the fact that some of us won't be here that long, but it's up to the people who vote to decide who sits here.

We do hear hear a lot of complaints about this and that, but study the candidates and go out to vote.

I take a real real um, I know how my father was arrested 87 times to help get rights for people in North Carolina to vote and to to just civil rights that we were um denied.

And now it seems that our folks, our folks, all folks were all folks, all folks, all folks.

Yeah, but some folks who know they weren't given this the privilege.

I want to ask you to get on out and vote.

Vote your conscious.

If you don't know anything, ask somebody, somebody that has been reading a little bit more than you and been keeping up with politics a little bit more than you, ask that neighbor to help you and go out and vote.

I think it was a good night for District Two.

We had the Windsor Chavis, Snow Cove uh Park um project that was approved.

The uh Brian Parr and Yanseville, all these things are making it better.

And we complain about the East and we things are so bad in the East, but the East is rising.

And we need to look at the good things that we have in the East rather than trying to pass to look at all of the bad things.

When I came on council, I said we're gonna change trash to treasure.

We have lots of treasures in the East, and I'm really really proud of it.

And thanks for all of you who have voted for things that would make it better for staff that has worked to make things better, and uh, we need to continue that.

And it can only do that if citizens get involved and be a part of it.

Absolutely.

Amen, Sister Goldie.

I'm telling you, boy, do we need to pass the plate on that?

Because I'm telling you, you told the truth.

And AT is homecoming.

AT is homecoming was a a generator for a lot of businesses.

I sat at the at the church from quarter of nine that morning to quarter of eight that evening because we were uh parking cars on the lot, and people need to go to the bathroom.

So I was sitting there opening the door.

They let mothers, older folks, they just sit, you know, do some hours of mother at the door helping people come in, but it brought up a lot of income.

And I think we need to be hospitable.

I know there were tow trucks going around towing cars and they knew they weren't gonna be there, but uh uh two or three hours.

We need to be more considerate because it helps Greensboro.

There were several people that came into the church, they were from out of state, New York, Michigan.

You know, they came because they've heard that this is the greatest uh homecoming on earth.

So if we have people in our cities, we have to be hospitable, hospitable to them.

I I just have to jump in and piggyback when you go to though.

District one saw a lot of development, economic development coming in, and it's coming in every time we have council.

And showing the fact that Ms.

Hoddy and and that group of developers took their time to make sure they were doing responsible development, says we sent the right message on how you're going to come into East Greensboro, how you're gonna treat us.

I I think that was a great example, and there's more to come.

And so thank you for what you said to and one.

We're on the rise.

That's something to be proud of.

So thank all of counsel for supporting the efforts.

Mr.

City Manager, yes, ma'am, just two points.

Um, one first to say that our folks are already looking at an after action for homecoming, but I do want to make a note.

I've been in positions through the past years, and we've had horrible incidents of of violent uh of deaths at the hands of violence, and we did not have any this year.

Um, I know we had a few, we did have an incident uh regarding the vehicle or related to a vehicle, but we did not have any violent-related deaths that we had in the previous years that that has really put a a damper on this event, and I think that is a huge thing, and I I'm really appreciative of all the folks that were out safe.

But we do we will have an after action uh to talk about, I think some of the challenges were traffic and a few other things with the crowds.

But all in all, it all went very well.

Um the other thing I do want to give, I want to give council credit.

It was a comment earlier from one of the speakers.

I did not want to be argumentative with the speaker, but you know, regarding uh the water and the company that was moved, the JMP, that that was really an example of council's push when we have incentives because that's all about uh public infrastructure.

And so oftentimes people criticize us about how we lean into incentives when we have these large companies.

That was really about us making sure if a company is locating to an area that there is going to be public infrastructure.

So make no mistake, that wasn't just some subsidy that we provided this large company.

That was really about us ensuring that our infrastructure for the public was going to be proper in that area.

So I wanted to give council credit for that, and not let it just hang out there that this was something critical that we're just giving a large company a gift.

Um the last part I will say is this year has been truly amazing.

Uh thank you all for for everything.

Thank you for the phone calls.

Uh, whether it's tough phone calls or I just happen to be looking in that direction.

No, but no.

Um, th thank you all for, I mean, this this is a truly great opportunity, and thank you all.

Uh I got so many things I could say, but the biggest thing I'll say is thank you for trusting me.

Uh, thank you for trusting me to lead, and thank you for uh for supporting me and and pushing me in ways to to go from good to great.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And Mr.

City Manager, just four seconds.

You talked about G Ho in 2026.

They'll be celebrating their 100th.

And so let's really be ready.

Yes, sir.

Let's really be ready.

Thank you.

Um, Madam City Attorney.

Just a couple of things.

First, I would um I I would be remiss.

Councilwoman Thurm talked about the shutting down of uh the Hojo if I did not shout out attorney Josh Bowers and attorney Kwame Opata and their administrative specialist support, Jesse Waller, who worked very, very diligently that day to make sure that they could have the document that many take for granted, but as an order that allowed the police and everybody to go in and do what they had to do, and they had to sit there most of the day till this order could be gotten.

Um so they really really did work hard on that.

I want to piggyback also off of what city manager said because I also don't want to sit here and be argumentative with any speaker that has the right to be heard.

However, we do have students that sit in here and council uh Holston and I were on a panel where we're trying to get folks to engage in the city council to understand the importance of coming to these meetings or at least listening to them and participating in your local municipal government.

So when speakers come up and say that there is um I guess a cloud of corruption or deceit, and it starts from the city attorney's office, that is not the case.

And when I was in a position where I ran, who donated to my campaign is neither here nor there, because I want the public to know that don't know.

And you all know because you run campaigns, and if you're a first timer running a campaign, you will find this out very quickly.

There's no campaign that can be shut down ever without an audit from campaign finance that is housed in either the local uh local uh office or the state office.

So there is nothing nefarious ever gonna go on in someone's campaign because if it does, the state and the and the local government, I mean the local campaign office will shut you down.

There, I'm gonna even piggyback off of uh I'm not piggyback, but I'm gonna speak on council councilman Matheny.

I don't sit here as your city attorney doing favors for any of you.

You all hired me to be your advisor, and the law mandates that I advise.

So if I am telling Councilman McTheny he's not in a conflict of interest position, it's because the law supports it.

And when we're asking people to get involved, I want them to know that we sit here doing the best that we can and during our due diligence, and there's nothing nefarious going on.

But we hear that so many times, and I'm I just think it's time for the city attorney to speak up and say that's not the case.

So thank you.

That's all I got.

Thank you.

Um I have a motion to adjourn, Mr.

Holston.

Second advice.

All favor say aye.

Hi.