Good evening, everyone.

If everyone could find a seat, please.

Thank you.

Welcome to the May fourth, twenty twenty six meeting of the Greensboro City Council.

We are in the Katie Dorset Council chambers, and let the record reflect that all members are in attendance.

And this is pursuant to the rule rules prior to the council meeting.

Those who registered online should confirm their attendance with Mr.

Canapino.

Canopino, and all handouts must be given to the city clerk for distribution prior to the start of the council meeting.

For the public comment period, each speaker signed up to speak will get three minutes.

If there are more than 25 speakers, the time may be reduced to two minutes per speaker at the discretion of the presiding officer.

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

All speakers are expected to adhere to established rules of decorum and any inappropriate or disruptive conduct will result in immediate removal.

A first removal carries a three-month suspension from in-person participation.

A second violation results in a six-month suspension, and a third violation or any instance involving physical altercations will result in a 12-month suspension.

Any violation of state criminal laws may also subject the individual to criminal charges.

For those suspended from in-person participation, they will retain the ability to attend virtually via Zoom.

This ensures their right to free speech.

If the Zoom speaker violates the rules of procedure and decorum, they will be muted.

Speakers may have the city IT team play videos that have already been sent into the city clerk for a security check.

Any videos, media, or supplemental documents utilized by speakers during this meeting are not reviewed or verified by the city for accuracy, completeness, completeness or authenticity.

The city does not endorse or adopt the content, and all opinions and views expressed are solely those of the speaker.

Speakers may not transfer their time to others, and the mayor or presiding officer will determine the speaking order based on the number of speakers.

The mayor or presiding officer may modify the time allotted to each individual, and approaching the dais is not permitted at all.

Speakers may not address the audience nor employees of the city of Greensboro.

The public comment period is for speakers to address council and only with their comments.

This is an opportunity for council to listen and take notes.

Any violation of this protocol and the speaker's time will be surrendered.

Zoom participants must refrain from speaking until they are recognized and called upon.

State statute requires council members to vote on all matters unless a direct financial interest exists, or if the council member serves on the board of a nonprofit organization that receives city funding.

All motions will be moved and seconded, and the presiding officer will announce the vote tally.

The consent agenda covering items F1 through F10 consist of routine and non-controversial matters that are approved with a single vote.

Any council member may request the removal of an item due to a conflict of interest or to vote in opposition.

Items withdrawn for discussion will be carried forward to the next business meeting.

And if an item is found to be time sensitive, the mayor may request that a vote be taken.

Closed captioning is provided for this meeting depending on the duration of proceedings.

A brief recess is anticipated around 7:30 p.m.

We have first item D1, a motion to amend Greensboro City Council Council policy and procedures, and rules of decorum for signs, posters, and banners.

If everyone has read or if anyone needs explanation, I would accept the motion.

Move by Mrs.

Thurm.

Do I hear second?

Seconded by Miss Black.

Any further discussion?

Hearing none, council please vote.

And that carries nine to zero.

Thank you.

Now the updated rules of decorum and procedure may now be found on the city website under the city clerk department.

This is the time for the ceremonial and presentation items.

We are going to present the Willina Cannon family with a resolution, and Councilmember Black would like to read it, please.

If Willina's family wants to start making their way around, it looks like a lot of y'all.

So get you going while I read the resolution honoring the life and legacy of Willina Reeves Cannon.

Whereas it is with deep sadness that Greensboro, the Faith Community Church, and the beloved community recognized the passing of Willina Cannon on January 10th, 2026.

Whereas Willina Reeves Cannon was a leader, member of our community who stood up for justice, stood up to injustice, dedicated her life to ensuring that others had a quality of life and loved everyone she touched through her unwavering faith.

Whereas Ms.

Cannon, a lifelong advocate for justice during the civil rights movement, and was a participant in the historic Woolworth protest of 1963, a leader in the African African liberation movement, the blind workers' strike, the cafeteria workers' strike, the Kmart boycott, and was a consistent and resounding voice at the Greensboro City Council meetings, representing her district in the name of social justice.

Whereas she was deeply involved in the workers' viewpoint organization and the Communist Workers' Party, which organized the Death to the Clan rally in Greensboro on November 3rd, 1979, an event now recognized as the Greensboro Massacre, where Ms.

Cannon and her son were present when five demonstrators were killed and several other activists were injured by armed members of the Klu Klux Klan and the American Nazi Party.

Whereas in the midst of storms, Willina remained steadfast and committed to truth, justice, and equality.

Whereas Willina served with distinction as a pillar of Greensboro's Healthy Home Division for over 45 years and dedicated her life to improving the living condition of families within the city of Greensboro.

She earned national recognition for her dedication to eliminating substandard housing and addressing environmental health hazards.

Whereas her commitment to integrity, service, and compassion served as a beacon of inspiration and her skillful ways to connect and empower people to not only improve their living conditions, but also their fellow community members and leaders alike.

Whereas Ms.

Cannon shared unwavering support for her faith community, walking alongside Reverend Dr.

Nelson Johnson at Faith Community Church, where she served as a deacon and later joined Genesis Baptist Church, where she proudly served as a deacon helper and member of the Women of Excellence organization.

Whereas the loss of Miss Willina Cannon leaves a void in our community that we will deeply feel, but her legacy and service will live on.

And now there it be it resolved by the City Council of the City of Greensboro, that the City of Greensboro extends its heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of Willina Cannon, that the City of Greensboro honors and celebrates Willina Reeves Cannon for her remarkable achievements and for a life dedicated to the betterment of our community.

That a copy of this resolution shall be presented to the family of Willina Reeves Cannon as a token of our appreciation and respect, adopted this day, 20 the 21st, which was our last council meeting, but I felt that it was important that her family be here, that she is properly recognized, and I'm just happy that they're here.

So she has had an impact on me, and uh this family is a wonderful family, and I'm just glad to see them here.

So here you go.

Oh and it was it was a unanimous vote.

Um so much that I can say, but um what I will say this.

I will say you guys are welcome because uh Willina was a flower that we had to share with the city, the world, um beautiful soul, strong soul, and uh a power to be uh recommend with I'm just honored that she was my mother, and um thank you, uh counsel for um recognize her and uh as well as the city.

Thank you.

Good evening.

Um my name is Imani.

I am her daughter.

Um she would be I'm so proud that you guys recognize her.

She would be taken aback because she believed not in recognition but in doing the work.

Um so I would like for um our family, I would like for you to know that our family will still continue to do work.

Um they are big shoes to fill.

Uh we'll we'll most certainly try, and anything that any of the city council meet needs from us, any help that they need with fair housing, um protesting of all kinds, we'll be here to assist.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So good evening, uh, Madam Mayor and Councilpersons and Greensboro, fellow residents.

Um I'm happy to be here, but as you know, it's mixed emotions.

I've been here a few times recently, but that's life.

Uh but Willina, as her um two of her children said, and some of her grands are here as well, particularly some of the taller people.

Um a person to be remembered, to be recognized, to be to model your lives after.

And I just want to say briefly that um Willina had a lot of love for people, a lot of commitment to work for people.

Let us do likewise.

So Willina Reeves canon say her name, do her work.

We see what's going on in our country, but with the help of each and every person in here, we can make a difference.

Believe that.

I believe that.

So Willina live like her, vote like her, organize like her, love the people like her, and Greensboro will become what Greensboro is destined to be.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

I'm with Pastor Wesley Morris.

Um, you know, there's a lot I could say about Willina, but um I think many of you up on the dais there who knew her, knew her convictions, and you knew her heart, and you knew that she was an organizer.

I think every one of you up there know that this city has got any number of issues that it needs to address, and we are by no means at a place where we can uh declare victory.

Um but my prayer and my hope for this council uh and for all of us here for the people in the city of Greensboro, is that we can take some uh take some wisdom from Lena's life in the sense that she usually wasn't where people's voices were being heard, she was actually in community with those people whose voices were not, and I think that is a model of service, a model for looking at justice, a model of looking at the dignity and the worth and the potential of every single one of us and what this city and this county can be.

And so I'm proud to be here, proud to be a part of this family that means the world to me, and uh wish you all the best and want to give Wesley the opportunity to share because he wasn't planning on it, but Willina loved you like a child too, so good evening.

I will say this.

Um part of the resolution said beacon, and beacons are meant to be warnings, and beacons are meant to be part of what can save you if you are in danger.

And many of us live our lives on the edge of danger, whether we know it or not.

And so I'm thankful that Willina lived her life so well that I was able to be folded into such a family as this that are continuing to lead lives, whatever your role is, because Willina had a few roles.

She stretched each of those roles to serve those who were actually being underserved.

And so I'm thankful for her.

I'm smiling because I can see her smile, and I think that she would be proud of tonight, and that she would be proud of you all who are taking these positions to have the opportunity to live and dare to live like she lived.

So to Willina, the beacon that has helped me in my life, I think that she can be a beacon to all of us.

So let's live like her.

Let us dare to use the positions that we have been given to do the best for the people that live in this city.

Thank you.

Thank you all for sharing her with us.

All right, well, they are exiting, and thank you all very much for coming this evening.

We have item E1, recognition of the 2026 Water Resources, water conservation poster contest winners.

And I have Mike Borchers, Lemetria Johnson, and Samantha Brown, I believe.

Thank you, George.

Good evening, Madam Mayor, members council, Mike Borser's Director of Water Resources.

I just want to thank you for allowing me to uh take the opportunity to celebrate Drinking Water Week, which is this week actually.

It started yesterday through the 9th.

I would like to thank staff.

Um, first off, they can keep an eye on me while they're here.

Uh but secondly, uh, I've got a tremendous group that go ahead and provide uh the services that I'm gonna talk about here in just a minute.

So if I could just take a minute, just to introduce the water resources staff that are here Lemetra Johnson, Samantha Brown, Christine Williams, Elijah Williams, uh Bradley Flint, Alicia Goots, uh Tim Dunlap.

So I just want to thank that team that's at least here representing the 400 plus uh employees of water resources.

So just before I introduce the um while I'm reading this, if I could ask the um the students who participated, as well as their family members, if they could come up to the front, please while I read this.

Uh that would be great.

So we're joining communities across North America and celebrating Drinking Water Week.

It's led by the American Waterworks Association.

The annual observation highlights the importance of safe, reliable drinking water, recognizes the tireless efforts of water professionals who keep it flowing around the clock.

And during water week, it's a time to appreciate the vital role water plays, of course, in our daily lives, from public health to fire protection to economic vitality, and also to thank professionals who make sure high quality water is delivered to more than the 300,000 people across this wonderful city, but two counties as well.

Now, providing unerrupted safe drinking water is our mission, and I am very thankful for all of the employees and water resources who make sure this essential service is always on tap, in addition to collecting, treating, and releasing it back to the environment, the water we use in our homes, our businesses, and community.

My thanks to the city manager's office and council for your leadership and support of this critical mission.

To celebrate the week, the City of Greensboro Water Resources Department sponsored a poster contest for Guildford County students in grades K through 8.

This year's theme, guardians of the drop, encourage students to use their artistic talents to highlight the importance of protecting our water resources through year-round conservation and environmental stewardship.

So I'd like to uh just continue to talk about this through their artwork, these students expressed appreciation for our most vital natural resource, water, and illustrated the essential role it plays in our daily lives.

Since 2000, there have been over 816, 26 this year, poster entries for the city's annual poster contest.

Water resources staff voted on the winners of the contest and to ensure the integrity of the selection process.

If a staff member had a child participating, they had to abstain from the vote.

There are first, second, and third place winners for three divisions.

Division A is grades kindergarten through second, division B is grades third through fifth, and Division C is grades sixth through eighth.

All winners from Greensboro's contest went on to represent Greensboro in a statewide contest sponsored by NC One Water.

So I just again I want to thank this city council.

I want to thank the city manager's office and all of the water resources employees that provide this critical service.

It is an honor and a privilege for us to do so.

And now I'm going to turn it over to Lemitra and Samantha.

Right.

I'm going to call the winners for the 2026 Youth Poster Contest.

Okay.

So when I call your name, if you'll please raise your hand, and Miss Lemetra Johnson will come and give you your medal.

So first, I'm going to start with Division A, kindergarten through second grade.

In third place, we recognize Najee Muhammad, a first grade homeschool student.

Their teacher is Venia Mohammed.

Oh, I set up the way right there.

In second place, we recognize Nira Sidtool, a second grader from Southeast Elementary School.

Their teacher is Emily Matt.

Mira, can you speak?

In first place, we recognize Amari Hancock, a first grader from Reedy Fork Elementary.

Their teacher is Crystal Hill.

Mari.

And I will now announce the winners for Division B, and that's third through fifth grade.

So in third place, we recognize Suvon Sigil, a fifth grader from the Academy at Lincoln.

Their teacher is Bernice Today.

And in second place, you recognize Juniper Romero, a fifth grader from General Green Elementary, whose teacher is Micah Taylor.

All right.

And in first place, we recognize Maya Mohammed, a third grade homeschool student, whose teacher is Vinaya Mohammed.

Right there.

Okay, and now I'll announce the winners for Division C.

So that's going to be sixth through eighth grade.

In third place, you recognize Precious M.

Kone, a seventh grader from Western Guildford Middle School.

Their teacher is Dorinda Carver.

All right, and in second place, we recognize Shruti Kalapatapu, an eighth grader from the Academy at Lincoln.

Their teacher is Chloe Sulita.

And then in first place for sixth through eighth, we recognize Abraham Chow, an eighth grader from Kaiser Middle School, whose teacher is Shannon Ashley.

So congratulations to all the 2026 Water Conservation Poster Contest winners.

I know we had a blast here judging all the posters, and we appreciate all your hard work.

And I know I couldn't do what a lot of you did.

All the posters for winners are available to view on our website at Greensboro-NC.gov slash poster contest.

And thank you all again.

I love it.

All right, uh, let's see.

Now we have there's going to be a recognition of Elijah Williams for efforts to promote the city's outreach and utilization of MWBE firms.

I believe Mr.

Borges, Ms.

Parker, aren't you going to lead this?

Lovely.

Uh, if Mr.

Elijah Williams, our city's water reclamation division manager, can join us at the podium.

Um, Mr.

Williams has worked diligently over the past 20 years to increase the usage of minority women-owned firms and water resource contracting.

His efforts were recognized by the Design Build Institute of America with the 2026 owner of the year award.

Uh, I believe in Small Business Month and any day where someone acts in excellence, uh, that we lift them up, and so on behalf of this council and our city, uh, Mr.

Elijah Williams, in recognition of your leadership and dedication to advancing the city of Greensboro minority and women-owned business enterprise, the NWBE program, your efforts to expand opportunities and increase participation have made a lasting impact on our community.

Presented the fourth day of May 2026 on behalf of the mayor and the city council of the city of Greensboro.

Wow.

You know, you're usually retired or gone before they do something like this, so thank you so very much.

I do have just a few short remarks, if it's okay.

First, I'd like to thank God for any ability, straights, or favor in receiving this recognition.

I'd like to thank my mayor, Mayor Buzaweda, Councilmember Parker, and the city manager's office for recognizing me.

I also like to thank my wife, Sophia, who is here for your support and inspiration, inspiration to perform with excellence in all that I do.

I'd like to thank my dad for being a role model in wisdom and collaboration, and thanks to my mom for seeing the engineering me and the problem solving in me when I didn't even see it in myself.

Who reminds me of my competitive nature in winning the Page High School senior water gun battle this year?

And my son Joshua, who's not here, he's at work at the airport, who reminds me that it's okay to be confident in yourself.

I'd like to thank my sisters, Hazel and Charmaine, they're standing up right there, for your support and encouragement.

Thanks to my sister-in-law, Deborah, from all the way from Barbados, is here for coming and supporting me, and my niece Danica.

I also like to thank my boss, Mike Borchess, my supervisor Christine Williams, um, Janice Stewart and her individual engineering division, my superintendents, Tim Dunlop, Bradley Flint, and Alicia Goots, uh, MissyR, admin, and the rest of our team at Water Reclamation Division.

So, back in 2013, our director Steve Drew came to my office after a rough evening at City Council.

One of my projects at the time, the late Brandt Pump Station Rehab Project had low MWBE participation, especially with consultant services.

Steve said, Elijah, I want you to be the MWBE champion for the department.

He also said if there are any minority and women-owned consultants out there, I want us to work with them.

Most people would look at me and think, surely Elijah knows where the minority firms are.

So, what did I do?

I co-called.

I'm interested in seeing if you are a minority or women-owned firm, so we can talk to you about working for us.

And pretty soon firms like DeLon Hampton Associates, or Stan King, whose engineering firm did the heating ventilation and air conditioning design for the Mercedes Men's Stadium in Atlanta, or even Chester Engineering at the time, the largest African American-owned firm in America were working for the city of Greensboro.

And looking at those firms, we also found firms like JC Wallet and Associates, Crytech Engineering, and Taylor Engineering, just to name a few.

Local firms that were just as capable as the larger firms.

We also had the opportunity to see increases in our construction participation.

I have seen contractors that started out in our Protege Project on the TZ Osborne upgrade, like United Maintenance and All Systems Restored, now be major subs or junior partners on our larger design field projects.

It wasn't necessarily easy to make change.

Turning over the entire engineering on cost proposal process to me and shielding me from pushback from other employees during the early days.

When Steve Drew retired, Mike picked up the mantle for change, and Christine Williams became our champion for our department as we moved it to a and so when I moved into a management role for wastewater treatment.

I am honored to be recognized for the work I've done over the years.

I have to give Steve, Mike, Christine, Virginia, and the rest of the water resources credit for building the culture.

Cultural change cannot be done by one person.

It takes the whole group to make the shift.

On last Tuesday, I accepted the award for owner of the year for the design build Institute of America's Southeast Region that includes North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

The great surprise about the award is not only did I win, but the City of Greensboro also won the award.

So Margo Wiseman is here, and we are going to present the North Carolina, I mean the DBIA.

Oh, well, I'll let her do it.

Go ahead.

Thank you so much for having us.

Uh, Madam Mayor, members of the council, and uh Mr.

City Manager, as the president of the Design Build Institute of America, Southeast Region, I am very proud to present this honor of uh owner of the year to the city of Greensboro.

Congratulations, Mr.

Williams.

And that is for everyone up here as well.

So you know it takes a team.

So and the department and everyone else.

So thank you so much for that.

Okay, now we will move on to resolution item E3, resolution recognizing the new garden friends varsity boys basketball team as the 2026 NCISAA 1A State Champions, Council Member Adam Marshall.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Uh, when one of my constituents, uh, Mr.

Lahav Zokin brought this to my attention, I was honored to be able to present a resolution on this matter.

Uh, if the team would like to approach the front, and if anybody wants to go ahead and line up to say a few words, I'll go ahead and read through the resolution.

Resolution honoring the new garden friends varsity boys basketball team as the 2026 North Carolina State, North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 1A State Champions.

Whereas on Friday, February 27th, 2026, at the Navant Health Field House, the new Garden Friends Varsity Bears Boys basketball team defeated the Crossroads Colts to win the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 1A Boys Basketball State Championship.

Whereas the Bears demonstrated extraordinary perseverance and determination, overcoming a 17-point deficit and launching an incredible 20-2 run to secure a 52-47 victory over Crossroads Christian.

Whereas this remarkable comeback showcased the team's resilience, teamwork, and unwavering commitment to one another and to their school community.

Whereas the Bears completed their championship season with an outstanding 20 and 10 overall record highlighted by a 10-game winning streak after standing 10-10 on January 9th, 2026, reflecting tremendous growth and dedication throughout the season.

Whereas the backs of the New Garden Friends uniforms proudly display the virtues of peace, stewardship, community, integrity, and simplicity.

Values that reflect the character and spirit of the program and its student athletes.

Whereas this championship marks the first boys' basketball state title in the school's history, a milestone achievement that brought pride and excitement to the entire New Garden Friends School community.

And now, therefore, be it resolved by the City Council of the City of Greensboro, recognizes and congratulates the New Garden Friends varsity Bears boys basketball team, their coaches, and their school community for their historic 2026 NCISAA 1A boys' basketball state championship and their outstanding display of perseverance, teamwork, and sportsmanship.

Adopted this the fourth day of May 2026.

Mr.

Marshall, I'm sure you want to make that motion.

I will make that motion.

Okay.

And seconded by Mayor Pro T M.

Roth.

Council, please vote.

And that carries 9 to 0, Mr.

Marshall.

Thank you.

My name is Craig Sellers.

I have the honor of being the head of this remarkable pre-kindergarten through 12 school in Greensboro, founded in 1971, based on Quaker principles.

And I want to thank you for starting in silence because that's what we do all the time at our school.

You can't have a victory like this without a remarkable coach and extraordinary kids.

Many of whom are here.

And it's my honor to ask our coach to speak for a few minutes or a few moments.

Well, thank you to our head of school Craig.

First of all, mayor, thank you.

City Council, thank you guys for this opportunity, this recognition, this honor.

You don't do amazing things like this without an amazing team, an amazing community to support you.

And I just wanted to take a moment to read our school mission.

Guided by Quaker Values, New Garden Friends School is committed to being an inclusive educational community that honors and develops each person's gift.

When you look at these young men back here, they embody every word of that mission.

Just share a story with you guys real quick.

Competing against this team, they were kind of our Achilles Hill.

But after we won the Conference Tournament Championship, I said to the young men that once we won the state championship, we would give God all the glory.

And at the time of saying it, I was not sure if that promise would come true.

We were down by eight points with three minutes left in the game.

And I started to feel like, well, maybe God wants us to give him the praise some way some other way.

However, a quick prayer, asking for wisdom and strength.

Momentum shifted.

We ended up winning that game.

And making it to the state championship for the first time in school history.

One of the reasons why I love New Garden is because it's truly inclusive.

It's a safe space for everyone to practice who they are, their faith, whether you're Jewish, Muslim, Christian.

It's a true epitome of the world.

It puts a bunch of young people guided by leaders, great leaders, in a space where you truly have to understand that the world is a place full of color, diversity, and respect and love is all you need to work well with the person beside you.

Respect for your brother through your sister.

This is bigger than basketball.

This is bigger than sports.

But they do it because they know that they're ambassadors of their school that gives so much to them.

And they do it with class and dignity.

That outside of what they have.

Use it to inspire.

And impact the world in the in a positive way while you're here.

It's been amazing to hear all the great things that have happened during this meeting.

This is my first time being in a meeting like this.

However, this honor and this opportunity to speak before you has truly been a gift.

I want to thank our head of school, Craig.

And again, I I I hope that if you there's a young person in this in this room right now, seeing these young men who have dreams and who have goals, just understand one thing.

Our philosophy at New Garden is care.

Be committed, hold yourself accountable, allow others to hold you accountable, be respectful, more importantly, show self-respect.

It starts with you.

And always give your best effort.

And there's nothing in this world you cannot do.

Thank you, guys.

All right, we will now move on to item E four, a resolution honoring the life and legacy of Dr.

Patricia Shelton.

If there is anyone here to accept this resolution, and yes, family members, thank you.

Come on up to the podium and I'll read the resolution and bring it to you.

Resolution honoring the life and legacy of Dr.

Patricia Shelton.

Whereas Dr.

Patricia Shelton, a dedicated educator, mentor, and leader in the field of nursing, passed away on January 10th, 2026, leaving behind a legacy of service, compassion, and excellence.

Whereas Dr.

Shelton was born on July twentieth, nineteen fifty in North Carolina, and was raised in Raleigh, where she graduated from the historic John W.

Ligen Junior Senior High School, whereas she proudly attended North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1974, later obtaining a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1978, and a Doctor of Philosophy and Nursing from the University of South Carolina in 1999.

Whereas Dr.

Shelton is her commitment to student success and professional development led her to co-found the STARS, students, teachers, alumni reaching for success.

This is a program that fosters mentorship, achievement, and belonging among students and alumni.

Whereas Dr.

Shelton dedicated her life to education and nursing, joining the faculty of North Carolina AT State University in 1978, where she served with distinction as an instructor, mentor, and ultimately assistant dean of the School of Nursing before retiring in 2015.

Whereas Dr.

Shelton was a charter member and inaugural president of the Mood Tao chapter of Sigma Theta Tao International Honor Society of Nursing, and was widely recognized for her excellence in teaching and leadership, including receiving the UNC Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching, and also multiple honors for her service to the community and profession.

Whereas her lifelong dedication to nursing and service was further recognized in 2024 when she received the Florence Nightingale Nurse of the Year Award from the Carolina Nurses League.

Whereas Dr.

Shelton touched countless lives through her mentorship, scholarship, and unwavering commitment to uplifting others, embodying the spirit of compassion, leadership, and excellence, whereas she is remembered with love by her family, including her siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins, colleagues, students, and all who had the privilege of knowing her.

And now, therefore, be it resolved by the City Council of the City of Greensboro that we honor and celebrate the life and legacy of Dr.

Patricia Shelton, recognizing her profound contributions to education, nursing, and the community, and we extend our deepest condolences to her family and loved ones and express our gratitude for the lasting impact she has made on generations of students and the greater community, adopted this the fourth day of May 2026.

And I would like to move that item.

Seconded by Council Member Black, Council, please vote.

And that carries nine to zero unanimous.

But more than academically, she was truly the matriarch of our family and just meant like everything to us.

So this is a really special movement, so thank you.

Good evening.

My name is Fanally Hines, and Dr.

Shelton was my professor.

I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for Dr.

Shelton.

I I saw Dr.

Shelton about a year ago, and about a year or two ago, and I heard a voice, and I turned around, and I said, Dr.

Shelton.

And the gentleman she was with turned around, and he said, Doctor.

And so we hugged, and I told her, you know, when you see an instructor that has such a great influence on your life, you want to tell them everything that you've done and everything that you've accomplished.

And she said, I know.

She said, uh, I'll follow you, and I'm very proud of you.

And we hugged, and it just meant the world to me.

And every student at North Carolina AT, she made a difference.

She made an impact.

And I'm honored to be here today, and thank you for recognizing her.

Thank you.

I just wanted to thank you, Mayor, and thank you, everyone, for listening to the resolution.

I know you didn't know her personally, but you know they're always with us.

Um Pat, which is what we all affectionately call her, was such a um modest woman.

She did not like celebrations.

So, really quickly for her homegoing service, we had to reschedule it three times because she didn't like celebrations.

And um, today we found out at 11.

I'm so grateful my sister found out that this was rescheduled from instead of Tuesday, so I was like she's at it again.

So I'm so glad that we got to celebrate her.

It means the world to our family, and um, my auntie was an educator, and she was a nurse, the nurse's nurse, and she lives by one of my favorite um quotes that asserts that simply this thing that I am shall make me live.

And I'm so grateful that her life and her legacy still lives on.

So thank you all so much.

May I say one more thing?

I'd just like to say that this is so befitting because it is nurses month.

Thank you all for being here.

And I did want to say I was with most of them are definitely with Dana the other night at the Carolina Nurses League ball, and I highly recommend next year everyone check it out.

I gave greetings from the city, so it's really nice, really nice.

So thank you all.

All right, uh, now we have resolution recognizing the month of May 2026 as Green May on the Greenway, and I have that resolution as well, and I see Dabney Sanders and a few other people who might like to say it a few things.

Uh, if you'll come up while I read the resolution, that would be great.

I see Don Cheney, I see a few other staff members as well.

All right, resolution declaring the month of May 2026 as Green May on the Greenway in Greensboro.

Whereas for the past 25 years, the downtown Greenway has been a shared community vision, first imagined as a way to connect neighborhoods, enhance quality of life, and create a vibrant public space in the heart of Greensboro.

Whereas through sustained collaboration among the City of Greensboro, Action Greensboro community organizations, philanthropic partners, and residents, this vision has been realized as a four-mile multi-use urban trail that fully encircles downtown Greensboro.

Whereas the downtown Greenway provides safe, accessible opportunities for walking, running and cycling, improving bicycle and pedestrian connectivity while supporting healthier and more active lifestyles.

Whereas the downtown Greenway enhances Greensboro's identity through the integration of public art, environmental design, and placemaking that bring community stories to life while celebrating Greensboro's rich history and cultural character.

Whereas the downtown Greenway serves as a welcoming and inclusive gathering space that promotes community connections, supports local businesses, and offers free and accessible programs for residents and visitors of all ages.

Whereas in the past year alone, the downtown Greenway has welcomed more than 150,000 trail visits and engaged more than 3,800 participants through nearly 200 programs, all delivered in partnership with over 150 community organizations, businesses, and groups to activate the space.

Whereas the downtown Greenway has contributed to the continued revitalization of downtown Greensboro, helping to spur more than $612 million in private economic development and investment in surrounding areas with additional neighboring sites suitable for future development.

Whereas the completion of the final section of the downtown Greenway in 2026 marks an historic milestone for the city, fulfilling a longstanding vision of a four-mile continuous green loop that connects people to places, destinations, and one another.

Whereas the City of Greensboro and its partners will celebrate this milestone milestone with Green May on the Greenway, a month-long series of free and accessible community programs, events, and activities throughout May 2026, designed to invite the community to experience and celebrate the downtown Greenway.

Whereas a community-wide grand opening celebration and ribbon cutting will be held on Saturday, May 16th, 2026, marking the official completion of the downtown Greenway and inviting residents and visitors to come together in celebration of this historic achievement and now therefore be it resolved by the City Council of the City of Greensboro that the month of May 2026 is hereby declared Green May on the Greenway.

And this is in Greensboro, North Carolina, and all residents are encouraged to visit the downtown Greenway and participate in the free programs and events planned throughout the month and celebrate the significant achievement in the city's history.

Adopted this the fourth day of May 2026.

And I would like to move that resolution.

Do I have a second?

I think everyone seconded that one.

I'll let the clerks figure out which one was first.

So council, please vote.

And that carries nine to zero.

And I'll bring the resolution resolution down to Dabney.

Well, thank you so much.

This is a great recognition, and it certainly is coming full circle as we have been working on this project for 25 years.

I'd like to recognize certainly the foundations that started Action Greensboro for their early vision and support for this project to the many, many community members and citizens in Greensboro that supported this and allowed it to happen.

We certainly could not have done that with this incredible partnership that we had with the City of Greensboro.

So I'd like to thank you, this current city council, but also to thank and recognize the past city councils that were supportive of this project.

So I'd like to thank you, this current city council, but also to thank and recognize the past city councils that were supportive of this project, the incredible city staff from so many many departments over these last 25 years who have helped to make this possible.

And it's really nice to be moving from the fundraising and design and construction to actually celebrating the opening of this month.

So thank you on behalf of myself, Dabney Sanders, the project manager of this, but really also the entire community, because it has been such an incredible citywide effort, and we know it will have an impact on this community for a very long time.

So thank you for that recognition.

And Phil Flesman.

Good evening, Mayor and Council.

I'm Phil Fleischmann Parks and Recreation Director for the City, and as Dabney mentioned, this has been a project a long time in the making, involving many city departments, including and not limited to transportation, engineering and inspections, planning, water resources, economic development, parks and recreation, the city manager's office, even the police department weighing in on safe design and things of that nature and more.

And it would not have been possible if it hadn't been for Dabney's nearly 20 years of leadership as the project manager of this very crucially important and transformative initiative for our city.

So, Dabney, on behalf of the team that has worked collaboratively on this, we would like to thank you and recognize you for your contributions.

If you've not been out to the Greenway lately and haven't seen on social media, there is a new public art installation called Off We Go that has been installed in the Five Points area within the first section of the Greenway honoring Dabney's commitment.

So, Dabney, thank you.

All right, thank you.

Anyone else?

You all want a picture?

Oh, they want a picture.

That's all right, you're fine.

No, I like it because I'm y'all yet.

That's awesome.

And uh I remember when the talks first started about the Greenway, Dabney, and you know, many, many years, and we are so excited that it is almost finished and is finished, so that's great.

Thank you all.

Um moving on to item E6 resolution recognizing May 2026 as historic preservation month, and I do have speakers on this.

So councilwoman Parker, if you would like to go ahead and read it and then we vote and then hear from the speakers.

As the liaison to this commission, I'm proud to present the resolution recognizing May 2026 as historic preservation month in the city of Greensboro, North Carolina.

Whereas the Greensboro Historic Preservation Commission was established in 1980 to encourage neighborhood revitalization and property investments while protecting the special character of Greensboro Historic Neighborhoods.

Whereas the Greensboro City Council has established the three local historic districts of College Hill, Dunley, and Fisher Park, and designated 66 properties as Guilford County landmarks.

Whereas the City of Greensboro became a certified local government and partner in the historic preservation programs of the National Park Service in 1988, whereas Greensboro boasts approximately 3,500 historic building sites and objects listed individually in the nation National Register of Historic Places or as components of three national historic landmarks and 13 historic districts.

Whereas Vision 36 identifies Greensboro's strong civic identity and institutional history as foundational advantages to build upon and achieving long-term priorities.

Whereas the GSO 2040 Comprehensive Plan identifies Greensboro's architectural heritage as improving the city's economy and its quality of life because well preserved historic buildings and neighborhoods play a role in attracting new businesses and industries.

Whereas the work of Greensboro Historic Preservation Program, including our status as a certified local government historic districts, the College Hill and Dunloph Municipal Service Districts and Heritage Communities serve to promote Greensboro's unique history and character at the local, state, and national levels.

Whereas Greensboro's historic spaces and places are repositories of memory that inspire current and future generations to learn about and remember important aspects of our shared past, whereas Preservation Month raises awareness of our irreplaceable cultural assets and inspires us to care for and protect them.

And now, therefore, be it resolved by the City Council of Greensboro that the City Council does hereby proclaim and celebrate May 2026 as Historic Preservation Month adopted this fourth day, May 2026.

So I assume you would like to make that motion.

Motion so moved.

Do I hear a second?

Seconded by Mr.

Holston.

Council, please vote.

And now that that has passed, Ms.

Graeber and anyone else who would like to say a few words.

And that carries nine to zero.

Thank you.

Madam Mayor, members of the Greensboro City Council.

On behalf of the City of Greensboro's Historic Preservation Commission's nine member quasi-judicial board, whose members are appointed by you.

We thank you for the resolution in honor of National Historic Preservation Month.

The City of Greensboro's HBC consists of one commissioner appointed by each of the three local historic districts and six members appointed by council.

And I have three members with me.

My name is Sharon Graber.

I am chair of the commission and I represent District One.

With me, I have Catherine Rowe of District 4, Deborah Hoffman of District 5, and Eric Woodard of District 2.

The purpose of the Commission is to review applications for certificates of appropriateness for exterior work in Greensboro's three local historic districts, College Hill, Fisher Park, and Dunley, in order to ensure that changes within these districts are in keeping with the City of Greensboro's history historic district design standards.

It is also our mission to educate the community at large about programs and services to aid them in the preservation of their historic properties.

In reference to this mission, a community meeting will be held on Thursday, May 28th, 2026 at 6 o'clock p.m.

at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer.

You are invited to join us and learn about federal, local, and state programs and services.

Each year, HBC recognizes excellence in repair, restoration, and or rehabilitation projects within Greensboro's three locally designated historic districts.

At the HBC's May 2026 meeting, we will recognize one property for excellence in the implementation of their COA approved project and one tradesman for his excellence in the restoration of original historic windows.

In June 2026, we will announce a new program for the recognition and designation of additional local historic sites within the city of Greensboro.

We also would like to thank our city council liaison, along with the City of Greensboro Planning Department and Legal Staff for their support, leadership, and guidance.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Congrats.

All right, next is our last uh ceremonial item.

We have a proclamation item E6, this 57th Annual Professional Municipal Clerks Week.

And if you could play the video, please short video.

Happy Clerks Week.

I'm glad to be joined by our city manager as we recognize and thank our incredible clerks office team.

I have the privilege of working closely with you, and I truly see the dedication you bring every day.

From agendas and minutes to resolutions, ordinances, contracts, and research, you keep our work accurate, organized, and moving forward.

You're always stepping in to support, whether behind the scenes or working directly with residents and addressing their concerns.

Your work may not always be visible, but it impacts every part of how our city operates.

On behalf of the City of Greensboro, thank you for your dedication and service.

We truly appreciate you this week and always.

Happy Clerks Week.

Happy Clerks Week.

I'm City Manager Trey Davis.

And I'm honored to join Mayor Abuzawaiter in recognizing professional municipal clerks week.

Our municipal clerks are essential to the daily work of local government.

You assure accuracy in our records, support transparency in our processes, and help keep the city operations running smoothly and in compliance with the law.

Your work supports both elected officials and staff, and it ultimately supports the residents of Greensboro.

On behalf of the entire City of Greensboro Organization, thank you for your dedication, your expertise, and your commitment to public service.

We truly appreciate everything you do.

Happy Municipal Clerks Week.

So I have to let everyone know they had no idea we did that.

And so we were up here looking at their faces, and I wish I'd had my video camera on.

So you know, they they do everything for us, and I am going to read the proclamation.

We won't need to vote on it, but I do think it's worthy to read it to them, and then I'll present it with the clerks coming up front.

Whereas the role of the city clerk is crucial for maintaining an informed community and facilitating effective local governance through communication among residents, governing bodies, and administrative departments, and whereas the Office of the Professional Municipal Clerks is among the oldest public service roles, representing a time-honored and vital part of local government.

And whereas North Carolina General Statute 16A-171 states that there shall be a city clerk to perform duties required by law or the council, including given notice of council meetings, keeping records of the proceedings of the council, and serving as the custodian of city records.

And whereas professional municipal clerks have pledged to uphold neutrality and impartiality, rendering equal service to all.

And whereas the professional municipal clerks serve as a central source of information on the functions of local government and the community, and whereas professional municipal clerks continually strive to improve the administration of their offices through participation in the North Carolina Association of Municipal Clerks, which in partnership with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Government and the International Institute of Municipal Clerks, which offers nationally recognized certification programs and continuous professional education.

And whereas it is most appropriate that we recognize the accomplishments and dedicated service of the staff of the Office of the Greensboro City Clerk.

Now, therefore, I, Mary Kay Abuzawaiter, Mayor of the City of Greensboro, North Carolina, do proclaim the week of May 3rd through May 9th, 2026 as municipal professional municipal municipal clerks week, and further extend appreciation to our Greensboro City Clerk's office for their invaluable service and their exemplary dedication to the witness to the city they serve and witness whereof I hereunto set my hand and cause the corporate seal of the city of Greensboro to be a fixed this the fourth day of May 2026.

Signed Mary Kate.

All right, and I want the clerks to come down.

Now the the meeting may not run for a few minutes while the clerks are coming forward.

So just be aware of that.

We'll try to do the best we can.

All right, thank you, everyone, and thank you, council.

If anyone would like to say anything, you're feel free to jump in or um we can save it till the end.

Up to you.

So let me find my screen.

That is all of our ceremonial items.

Um now moving on to consent agenda.

If any council wishes to remove any item from the consent agenda due to a conflict of interest or for the purpose of voting, no.

Anyone?

Do I hear a motion for the consent agenda?

Moved by Mr.

Marshall, seconded by Miss Black.

Uh Council, please vote.

Her screen isn't working, so but uh I'll ask her for a vote.

Everyone else's screen work.

Okay, all right.

She she's a yes.

Consent agenda passes unanimously.

Thank you all very very much.

Now we will move on to our public comment period.

We do have more than 25 signed up, but you know, if everyone um can follow their three minutes, I I'm not going to reduce the time, so I think everyone should have the time to uh speak, and if you finish your comments early, then that'll help out just a little bit.

So I won't reduce the time this time.

All right, I have uh Nafi Wessa uh who is on Zoom.

Is he on Zoom?

Is he or she on Zoom?

No.

Uh let's see.

I have Ben Holder on Zoom.

How is a call handled in a non-conflict way when he is the Eastern Division commander, and his subordinates have to go out and answer those calls.

And we're talking how is a call handled in a non-conflict.

Yes, when he is the Eastern Division Commander, yes, and his subordinates have to go.

Let me see if I can bring it up.

Okay, see if you can fix the volume.

We'll start it over.

I think it was go out and answer how is a call handled in a non-conflict way when he is the Eastern Division commander, and his subordinates have to go out and answer those calls.

And we're talking about children who are at risk, they have issues anyway.

I commend anybody who wants to work with at-risk children, but we owe it to make sure that it's done correctly.

Madam Manager, I want to know we have a citizen, whether you like the citizen or not, that has made a complaint that one of our employees is doing something that he thinks is against the policy of the police department.

Are we going to investigate that?

We look into all complaints that deal with our employees.

And uh if council wants to talk with the talk about this in a closed session as a release of personnel, we can do that.

But in terms of talking about a specific employee in writing or on the record or in a public way, that is not something we can do by state law.

So yes, and and going back to the uh earlier discussion, uh we do know that a a halfway house exists.

We do know that um who manages it, but in terms of our ability to talk to the specific questions brought up and how we will treat that employee and what's appropriate for that employee to do is not something that we can talk about on the record.

Right.

But we shouldn't have general guidelines.

And we do have general guidelines guidelines that we can talk in generalities and in terms of an IFII report.

But he also said there's other two other halfway houses, and I think as a citizen, he deserves to know whether these allegations are true or not.

And somehow we have to have some sort of trust with the citizens.

He's making a complaint, and he's telling you he thinks there's a problem.

So either I think we need to say we checked into it, and appropriate uh appropriate action has been taken, or there's no validity to it, is the way I see it, and I don't owe you any chips or anything because you're not in touch.

That's right.

But for it.

But as a citizen, I am concerned that they address your complaint.

All right, so real quick.

All right, I got 10 seconds.

All of that blah blah blah personnel file stuff doesn't mean nothing.

I didn't vote for Denise, I didn't vote for your attorney, I didn't vote for Stephen.

You guys can vote to release the form and put it all to rest.

I can do that.

Bye bye.

I'm coming home, Kevin, right now.

Thank you.

And and I think the perfect commanders making is that um with the staff is treating Mr.

Holder's questions the same as they're treating Mr.

Cherry's questions.

That that is constant.

And this is something we need to be very careful to do.

Yes.

Okay.

Mr.

Hensley.

All right, thank you.

Hello.

My name is Adam Ferrari, Chief Executive Officer of Phoenix Energy.

I look forward to you joining us.

Sorry, Mary.

That's okay.

I thought somebody was checking in.

Okay.

All right, moving on to Malik Hoff.

Malik.

Followed by Michael Roberto, Donna Harrelson, Preston Warren, Luther Falls.

Thank you.

Yeah, really.

Yeah.

All right.

But before, hold on.

Y'all, city councils on your screen, y'all see my documentary.

I have two of my own houses with me today.

I wanted y'all to get a chance to see.

This is a video.

I made this.

I just pull money.

Yeah, I've been out here, I step out of you.

Well, when it to spring to summer the one they did.

And I've done it, but I've had help from other friends, co colleagues, and people that help help reach out to me, pull me in, say I'll explore night tonight time time to be able to sleep in warm.

And I just stand now trying to become an advocate for the unhoused community out here.

So I've been advocating for them since I came out here and they asked me to start helping them out because they needed help because they didn't know which way to go, which LEO, which route to take.

So me um I just took it and started doing everything and just started going from there and pushed up to now have my own nonprofit January 20 2025.

And I started I came out here one day, gave out biscuits and orange juice, 50 biscuits, 50 orange juices to the homeless community, rode around, giving them out, and I started from there, just kept going, and now I'm motivated to do an event on October, the 18th downtown.

Well, not really downtown, but it's for my downtown community, and I'm just doing it now on Pillows Avenue so that way people can have it, people can see what I'm really about and ways and why I want to help my homeless community get off the streets and get into housing or get somewhere to stay so they won't have to be out here in the streets with the rain, with snow, with any type of weather that we got coming our way.

I want everybody to be off the streets and be prepared.

But that's the reason why I started the whole the whole beauty in the street process is because this lady in California, she's doing that, made me start the whole process and made me start looking into doing doing hair for the homeless child with food.

Yeah, that's you, Malik.

That's for me.

I wanted y'all to see what I have coming.

Thank you.

I wanted to let y'all know.

That's a little bit of me.

So next time y'all see more.

Great, thank you.

Malik, can you send us a link?

Can you email us a link to your video?

Thank you.

Sounds good.

Dr.

Michael Roberto, are you here?

I gotta see him.

We'll come back.

Um, let's see.

Donna Harrelson, followed by Preston Warren, followed by Luther Falls.

Good evening all.

Yeah.

Um the last time I was here, I got so emotional I couldn't even um tell my story tonight would be a totally different thing.

I'm gonna talk uh really fast because I know these three minutes go by like this.

But what I was talking about or trying to talk about was in 2022, my mother uh lost her life.

Um to a secret um organization or what have you that's going on that many of you may not know anything about.

Um she wasn't in any type of cult or anything like that.

I've now learned that these people are called uh citizens on patrol.

They work for and no disrespect uh to anybody, um, but they do work for um corrupt law enforcement.

Um they're getting paid um by way of gift cards, and their job is to harass, um follow, um, do anything um that's corrupt.

My mother's house was sabotaged, and I believe I spoke with every um member of law enforcement to come out and try to see what was going on uh in the community.

Her house was um all of her motion lights were shot out, uh her house was hit with corns on the cob.

Um chemicals were sprayed in her window, um, and I was there, so I witnessed it.

Um again, I tried to get everybody that I knew.

Um I talked to uh some members of city council and I won't mention their names, but um, because this thing was getting uh really really crazy and we didn't know what was happening at that time.

Um I beg you all, each one of you, when you go to your homes this evening to look up gang stalking, look up citizens on patrol, because they are under a different authority in our communities.

This is how human traffic is started.

This is how um people are hurt, and you have these people saying that they didn't see anything.

Well, that's not true.

There are a group of people um that I mean they're getting paid to harass.

This is I have been documenting since 22.

Everything that has took place.

I've taken pictures, I have videos, um, I've recorded some people without their knowledge, um, which probably isn't a good thing, but um I had to do what I had to do because I'm fighting for justice uh for my mom.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And Mayor, can I say one more thing?

Uh make it quick.

Oh, okay.

Yeah, it's real real quick.

Um, I was in the courtroom today because I've had to move six times since we two because of this.

But I was in the courtroom explaining this uh to a judge.

When I left coming down friendly, because they think that these people don't exist.

Um, I was hit by a truck.

Thank you.

That's all I have to say.

Thank you.

And we have your information if someone can reach out to her.

Um, Mr.

Uh Preston, let's see, Preston Warren, then Luther Falls, then Richard Beard, then Fonta Dorley.

Yes, sir.

Good evening.

I got a problem here.

So ahead.

So sorry.

No help.

I bought a property.

It was for my mom.

She didn't want to leave my house.

Her brother's dead.

So I'm stuck with another problem at more.

People didn't think about the property until I worked on it and fixed it.

Got comments about the property.

Nice house, every time.

But my health is so bad.

So I put it in my girls, man.

So my parents, well, other brothers and sisters wouldn't come up there and start taking from them.

Yeah.

These people got kids and learn to play basketball.

I love kids.

I can't deal with kids that you can't talk to.

If your parents can't afford to take care of your responsibilities of what your kids do.

It's gonna be playing out there in the streets.

It's gonna be on other people's practice if they do not know.

And I'm getting mixed signals when the police come.

People tell them lies and they fall for it.

I tell them why don't you just look and see.

We don't want to look at no tapes on my camera system that's in the house.

We don't want to look at it on my phone.

And I'm trying my best not to hurt nobody because my health is so bad.

And that's what my problem is.

Don't understand none of this stuff.

My house got shut up.

Did about 15,000 miles worth of damage to it.

So that leaves me to have to go over there and sit with this house night and day when I have other property.

I don't understand where the system is going right here.

When you get some pay for you keep it.

Don't bar against it because you're gonna lose what you have and what you're trying to keep.

So that's all I can say.

Okay.

Okay, so Bio, you've got 45 seconds you can speak.

Yes.

Go ahead.

Also, that he has a basketball court in the street.

I looked it up and it was illegal to have that.

It then has chickens in his yard.

Oh, oh, so you're you're not with him.

Yes, I am.

Okay.

Okay.

Go ahead.

But it is illegal to have a basketball court caught in the street, it's not.

So that's my question.

There's different ways it has to be like off of the actual street things like that, but that's something that you'll need to talk to some staff about.

Okay.

Okay.

And what I'm gathering is the neighborhood is not happy with things.

Is that what?

He's not happy with things.

He's not happy with things.

Okay.

So Mr.

Canapino has his information and give him yours as well so someone can reach out.

Okay.

Okay.

I think that's what we're looking for, right?

Okay.

Yes, thanks.

All right.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right, Mr.

Luther Fawes, then Richard Beard, Fonta Dorley, and then Holton Flannery.

Good evening, Madam Mayor, Madame Mayor Folk.

I am happy that all these resolutions have been issued today.

Because I have to give you all the shout out about retired city clerk Sharon Bell, who made sure that whenever I called the city, or whatever I referred somebody, and they needed something.

She and her team, along with your current team.

I'm really excited about that and having the city getting recognition.

And also Mr.

Phil Flasham is my running partner.

So happy to see the Greenway issues everything.

And also he wanted me to talk about our summer programs as well.

Because we've partnered in the community for many years and trying to help make sure that people know about programs all year long as opposed to just in the summer, and does some great things with the uh at my church as far as partial recreation workshops and things like that in the communities.

Make sure to do it.

I do have some concerns about what we have in experiencing with the uh selection of the new police chief.

I have read some things uh about what was going on or was not at the previous meeting.

And if the decision has been made, thank you, Mr.

Mr.

Allen for attorney McConnell.

If the decision has already been made now, where we are is preparing for the arrival of the new chief and doing everything that we can to make sure that that transition works very successfully.

Um I have participated in what we were doing, police community relations forums at my church at St.

Stephen, you know, the church of Crash, which will have to be revisited, but we brought our community partners as well as the Deputy Chief High Ranking Deputy Chief to reported to the chief to talk about solutions along with problems.

And um continue to do the best you can when you're doing your budget cycle, of course, every year because uh funds are limited, but there are certain things that need to be addressed no matter what, uh, the funding amount.

And lastly, the gentleman that got the award for the minority women's business enterprise.

I have worked very close.

Some of you are familiar with us, I know that maybe isn't others.

We work very closely with small business and uh entrepreneurs and the late Kathleen H.

Smith was my target here, who worked with her at the MWBE for many, many years.

So have a good evening, and um let's work together to get prepared for the new chief.

Thank you.

Uh, Mr.

Beard.

And is Fontaine Fontaine's here?

Yes, and then uh Flannery Holton.

I'm sorry, I said your name incorrectly.

There we go.

That's good.

Madam Mayor, City Council.

I'm Richard Beard, president of the Greensboro Sports Foundation.

April was another incredible month for Tournament Town, and it truly showcased the power of sports in our community.

Over the course of the month, Greensboro hosted 11 events welcoming more than 19,650 registered athletes representing all 50 states.

That level of activity not only reinforces our national reputation, but it also drives meaningful economic development and impact for our hotels, restaurants, and local businesses.

But what's more impressive is how we continue to deliver at a high level week after week, and this past weekend was a perfect example of that.

From Thursday, April 30th through yesterday, May 3rd, Greensboro was on full display.

We were proud to host the U.S.

Masters.

This is changing.

All right, there we go.

All right, sorry about that.

Um we were proud to host the U.S.

Masters Swimming National Championship, bringing over 2,000 athletes ranging from ages 18 to 95 years old.

It's a powerful reminder that sport is true truly lifelong, and Greensboro is a place where athletes of all ages can compete at the highest level.

At the same time, we celebrated excellence and legacy hosting the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame 2026 induction ceremony held at the Sheraton Corey Convention Center.

Native Greensboro Native John Isner was inducted in the class of 26, along with Matt Brown, who received the Don Fish Legacy Award, and Greensboro Native DJ Gregory, who was presented with the Courage and Impact Award.

Events like this highlight the rich history and inspiring stories that are deeply connected to our state and our city.

All the courts we hosted the AAU Boys North Carolina State Basketball Championships, featuring more than 1,200 players from third through 12th grades, and over 200 games played across the weekend.

That's a tremendous amount of activity and a great example of youth sports at its best.

And at Spencer Love Tennis Center, we welcome more than 200 players for the US TA tournament continuing to build our momentum in tennis is a key part of our sports portfolio.

None of this happens without the people behind the scenes.

This weekend alone, more than 320 volunteer positions were filled by dedicated members of our community, including our city attorney.

Their commitment, energy, and hospitality are what truly set Greensboro apart.

They're the reason that teams and organizations continue to come back year after year.

So when you step back and look at it all, it's clear Greensboro isn't just hosting events.

We're delivering experiences, building community, and reinforcing our identity as tournament town.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Three minutes on the dock.

Appreciate it, Richard.

Yes, thank you very much.

Mr.

Beer, um, just real quickly, what do we have on the horizon sports wise?

That was a busy April.

Well, what's May and June and you'll receive a handout that I brought.

We've got a schedule of major events through 2029, uh, and you'll see that we still have quite a few this year.

But uh next month we'll be hosting Norway uh as a base training camp for uh the World Cup at UNCG.

Uh this week you'll be hearing more about that for some community events, including some watch parties downtown.

So that puts us in the international spotlight, and then fast forward to 2029 when we host the World University Game.

So, and a lot in between and a lot in 2029.

But we're there's a lot of good stuff, and we're excited for Greensboro.

Thank you so much.

All right.

Thank you.

Good evening, council and staff.

Um kudos and big ups to councilperson Crawford and Mayor Abu Sweeter for their follow-up with me last month.

Thank you so much.

Uh last month I spoke about the possible ideas for Greensboro Parks and Breck to join the revolutory movement as surrounding large cities to update neighborhood parks for active adults.

Then I had Aaron Kennedy from Parks and Breck to contact me and go into further detail about the process of how things may work.

No promises made, but at least she was providing information and insight.

Nevertheless, I felt heard, and I feel invited to the table to have further conversation and discussion for things to change my neighborhoods for the better.

It felt great, and I would love for all citizens of Greensboro to feel that way.

I invite citizens to speak up at the council meetings and be heard because this is just the beginning of true community.

Yes, so you uh you were able to hear me and answer back.

Now you're stuck with me, and I will continue to follow up with you to be continued.

Once again, I encourage council to consider uh having the town hall meetings that you have at the beginning of the year, allowing more conversations to promote inclusion and needed improvements, such as increased sidewalks for access, improve outside lamps for safety, uh, which all can be addressed in the upcoming budget.

I look forward to seeing those proposed changes in the upcoming budget.

Lastly, create more consistent platforms to encourage positive dialogue that begins the positive progress.

That's my time.

Thank you for yours.

Thank you.

Appreciate it.

All right, thank you.

Uh I want to make sure Dr.

Roberto didn't come in.

No, okay.

Flannery Holton, followed by Dell Stone, followed by Lewis Medina, followed by Elijah Lewis.

So hi, I'm new to the city.

I moved here in August to start classes at UNCG.

And I actually have the dream of making this annexation studio here in Greensboro.

And I'm wondering hoping you guys can clarify something for me.

And that's the parking or the state of the parking because it's very interesting, and I don't understand it with the what you're trying to accomplish with the high rates.

So we can have those explained to you where on our parking, our assistant city manager Harold can get reach out to you.

Okay, because Winston Salem, when I left Winston Salem, they were already grappling with external entities that were coming in and buying up parking lots.

No, not that I'm aware of.

That's good then.

Okay.

All right.

And she'll reach out to you.

Thank you.

All right, Dale Stone, Lewis Medina, Elijah Lewis.

All right.

Good evening.

I'm here tonight because I think the public here in Greensboro deserves to know this council's position on data centers in our city.

And why will you not yet have a moratorium on their construction?

Data centers have become a major concern across our state and nation.

They are an indicator of where government priorities lie, with large tech corporations intensifying mass surveillance and exploitation, or with residents who suffer the cost of publicly useless infrastructure.

Data centers use our land, our power, our water.

At the same time, data centers are proliferating in the state.

We're seeing unprecedented levels of drought and electricity rate increases.

Governor Stein has noted that data centers account for about 80% of additional demand that Duke Energy expects.

Data centers pollute our environment with toxic waste, light, noise, and heat.

Research shows that data centers increase surrounding temperatures by four degrees and use as much water as entire towns.

What do data designers provide for these immense costs?

Why are lobbyists spending hundreds of millions to push their construction?

Compute, they call it.

In reality, it's gris for the mill of corporate profit.

Data centers fuel gambling applications, cryptocurrency mining, and generative artificial intelligence.

They train chatbots that provide an impressive array of services ranging from deep fake porn to his life manuals.

Developers often top the jobs that data centers provide, but the actual figures are staggering in their paucity.

We're talking a couple dozen positions per at most.

Meanwhile, the AI generated these facilities is putting millions out of work, replacing humans with cheaper, highly controllable labor.

Data centers are not coming here for our benefit.

They are coming here for us to contribute to their mounting human toll.

There are already at least four data centers in Greensboro, with another slave to begin construction this fiscal quarter on the campus of ANT.

Four years ago, three current counselors voted to approve an incentive of over half a million dollars to the Georgia-based corporation impact data to build a data center on the HBCU's campus.

Quote, for the creation of 28 jobs paying not below $15 per hour.

Twenty-eight jobs, $15 per hour.

To an out-of-state company for a site that will poison our environment, siphon our resources, and rot our children's brains.

Like other cities, Greensboro has no land use regulations or zoning codes addressing data centers.

These new developments are moving more quickly than municipalities are prepared to address or even understand.

However, the current data centers approved to proceed under zoning regulations that don't even acknowledge such a use type.

It's in the use schedule.

Mr.

Medina, then I have Elijah Lewis, Bria Bonner, and Billy Belcher.

Hello.

Lewis Medina.

I want to congratulate City Council for finding solidarity with the city manager.

What they find solidarity on?

Not a homeless bill of rights, not a moratorium on data centers, not dealing with taxes, rent, uh increasing economic stresses on the working class.

No, what did they find it?

I find it interesting that progressive organizers turned politicians such as the C, CC, and uh Irving Allen have been able to find some sort of agreement with the likes of Albus Wader and Tammy Thurm, especially considering they uh they're complicit in a police cover up of the death of Marcus Deon Smith by GPD.

We remember that.

That is quite a feat to find solidarity.

And where do they find solidarity over?

Keeping the process in which we hire police in this city unaccountable and undemocratic as there's always been changing nothing.

I think it's about time that we go ahead and accept that the wealthy, all their armed men and their politicians.

And I'm sorry I picked on CC and you, you know, Irving.

You were all quoted in support of it.

Right.

So just make sure that everybody knows.

I only picked them because of the most progressive, and it's kind of their job to pull down the left.

But we have to accept that there is some sort of solidarity between the wealthy, their armed men, and all their politicians.

Right.

I think it's about time we start talking about a working class solidarity.

Have you all ever seen one of these?

You're gonna see it more and more as people become more and more impoverished.

In fact, I imagine some of you have stuck one of these up before.

Now, a lot of us kind of know what it means, and we've had people kind of explain it to us, right?

But I feel like there's always a point missing.

So let me try.

The idea is that a hand is weak, right?

That there's all this, all the space in between it will say is all the bull that separates the people and the working class.

Right?

When we get over that bull, we can start making a fist, become united, become strong, right?

Right.

But the thing that people always forget is explain what is this for?

What is the unity and strength of the working class for?

What is the fist for?

I got quiet all of a sudden.

Well, I'll tell you this.

We see what their class does with their strength every day.

They squeeze us.

Everybody can feel it now.

Right?

And when we can't give any more from taxes and inflation, right, and giving everything we can to our bosses.

Oh, they squeeze us just a little bit more.

Eventually, we're we're gonna have to recognize that that power came from us.

And so I'm gonna say I'm gonna give you my answer.

All right, just like the old city council, kind of like the new city council.

Old city manager, thank you.

Thank you.

Everything we have to say.

Thank you.

Paul.

Escort him out, please.

He hit the podium.

I don't know if that's good after.

All right, we have Elijah Lewis, then Bria Bonner, then Billy Belcher.

Good evening, City Council.

First, let me say thank you for your leadership.

My name is Bria Bonner, and I'm currently an elementary school educator in Guilford County Schools and a 13-year resident of Guilford County.

I've heard you all say you have a desire for students to stay in Greensboro post their collegiate experiences.

Well, I am originally from Norfolk, Virginia.

However, I chose to make Greensboro my permanent home after graduating from North Carolina Auntie and High Point University due to the solid community I established here.

So, in short, I am a product of your very hope.

I stand here today to address the concerns of policing and public safety that I have around the new police chief hiring.

While I do believe in giving people a chance, I also believe in using wisdom, especially based on past experiences.

I agree with the majority of the concerns around this recent hire, so I won't restate what has already been said.

What I will say is this.

About a year ago, I had a gathering at my house where one of the brother, one of my brothers' cars was broken into.

The Greensboro police told me we only came because you called twice.

Otherwise, we weren't coming because stuff happens like this all the time in this neighborhood.

But actually, thanks to you, because we actually did find out who it was.

I haven't had many encounters with the police, but majority of them leave me feeling uncared for, unseen, and unhurt, such as this one, especially after the officer said, what more did you want us to do?

My response was to simply care.

I voted for or wanted members of this city council to win the seats, and you did.

While I understand that the city manager made the hire, I stand to make clear my stance of rescinding the offer.

As you all occupy these seats, I hope that you will use your voice and leadership to press that the Greensboro police chief, whoever it shall be, put their time and energy into building community and positive relationships with the residents.

Because if they don't put forth this effort, you will have shown, just like members of the current police department, the lack of care.

The amount of stories around the world and even here in our own city of our black and brown citizens being mishandled are countless.

Some make it to the headlines while headlines while thousands don't.

I hope that Greensboro will be trendsetters in the aspect of changing the narrative by not approaching its residents they are hired to keep safe and make them feel protected with aggression, but with attention.

Let's change the approach to policing in Greensboro.

You all chose to represent us, so I hope that you hear us and continue to represent us well, especially as it pertains to this topic.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Elijah Lewis.

Elijah Lewis.

No.

Okay.

Billy Belcher, followed by Jasmine Breeden, followed by Corey Moore.

I'm Billy Belcher from WoW, the working class and houseless organizing alliance of Greensboro.

Woe finds it necessary to join the growing chorus of voices opposed to the new police chief.

The city manager's choice, Chief Asphal, is literally fleeing a homicide investigation.

In March of 2026, less than two months ago, Reginald Thomas, a homeless black man, was stopped by Dayton police.

He had committed no crime, and local community members say he was constantly being harassed by Chief Aswald's police force.

And this time Thomas tried to flee the harassment, and the police killed him.

The city of Greensboro already has a lot of open source because our police behave like that.

There was no reason for Marcus Smith to be killed by GPD.

There was no reason for Duke Crenshaw to be killed by the GPD.

There was no reason for Joseph Lopez to be killed by the GPD.

And there is absolutely no good reason to hire Chief Asphall to continue to promote that kind of brutality.

The new chief stated methodology just criminalizes poverty.

Our homeless community doesn't deserve more tickets and sweeps and arrests and potential deaths.

And your community is already concerned about formal and informal cooperation with ICE.

You cannot build trust with communities who are already under threat if your idea of safety means ignoring community concerns and focusing more on enforcement instead of protection.

Trey Davis, our city manager, is an ex-cop.

Mayor Boozwaiter is a longtime show for the police.

So I'm not surprised at their choice for chief.

They've opposed written consent reform, they've opposed regulatory stop reform, and I will never forget the mayor's vocal defense of police killing of Marcus Smith.

But the people of Greensboro know that we need a different kind of policing, and the people have made that plain over the last couple of months.

And to be honest, we think the city council members know that this is not the future we need for our police department.

It's a signal that police reform is no longer on our agenda.

And that you're going to be on the wrong side of some justice movements if we move forward.

Nobody elected a progressive city council slate so that we could hire the police chief running from the murder of Reggie Thomas.

That is absurd.

And if that is your choice, then we're going to fight you every step of the way.

Have a good evening.

I have Jasmine Breeding, Corey Moore, and then it is 7:30, so we should take a break, but I don't know what is council's prerogative.

Oh, you've got about 15, let's see, two, four, six, eight, ten.

Better 18 more.

For the closed caption, we'll take a break after you two speakers.

Thank you.

Good evening, Mayor and the members of the city council.

I am here today because I care deeply about the safety, trust, and future of our community.

When I was 17 years old, I was pulled over for the first time.

I made a simple driving mistake when somebody was turning left and I went around them.

I had seen many people do that before.

But what I but what stayed with me was being what wasn't?

I got pulled over.

And what I got pulled over.

But what stayed with me was not being stopped.

It was how I was treated.

The officer approached me yelling and demanding my license, and he snatched it out my hand.

I remember sitting there confused and afraid, crying because I didn't understand what I had done wrong or what might happen next.

That moment didn't just end when I drove away.

It shaped how I see law enforcement to this day.

It taught me the way that officers show up, especially in small everyday situations that can either build or trust or break it.

That's why I'm here tonight.

The decision before you is not just about filling the position.

It's about choosing the tone, the culture, and the leadership that will define policing in our city.

A police chief sets the expectations.

They decide whether officers are trained to de-escalate or dominate, to communicate or command, to see residents as partners or as threats.

There are concerns about this candidate, past conduct, leadership style, and relationship with the community.

Those concerns deserve serious weight.

Because once trust is broken, it's incredibly difficult to rebuild.

This is not assuming the worst.

It's about setting a standard.

Our community deserves leadership that prioritize respect in every interaction because I was 17.

He didn't know how old I was.

Accountability when things go wrong, transparency and this decision making, a commitment to building relationships, not fear.

Residents should have not to wonder whether a small mistake will turn into a moment of fear or escalation.

They should feel confident that the people sworn to protect them will treat them with dignity.

You have the opportunity and the responsibility to ensure the next police chief reflects those values.

I urge you to reconsider the appointment until you are certain that the candidate will strengthen trust and not weaken it.

Because public safety is just it's not just about enforcement, but it's about trust, and it starts at the time.

Thank you.

All right, Mr.

Corey Moore.

And then we will take a 10-minute break.

All right, thank you.

Good evening, Madam Mayor and Council members.

I just want to greet you with a smile really quick.

That's something that I'm not offered when I'm pulled over by police for these regulatory stops.

And I'll be looking down at my phone as I'm sure some of you might do as I'm talking.

Unlike many of the officers, as I stated, they come to me for these stops.

I'm not met with the same respect that I just showed you.

Madam Mayor, on April 7th, during your response to the many concerns of the people regarding this exact matter, you were interrupted by a member of this community and their outbursts, in which you visibly and audibly showed your frustration, voicing how you have sat through and had to hear everyone's comments, so much so to bring out the fact that these are the same comments that you've heard time and time again around this same issue before your mayor administration.

I have no statistics for you, but I can let you know transparently that your clear disregard for the people's voice and this involvement and involvement in this matter is infuriating.

Hence why there has been an uproar about truth and transparency about this decision to bring in new leadership that will not improve our that will not improve the culture of our police department, but only act as a crippling placeholder or addition to the already tarnished reputation of the department.

How would you feel?

Members of the council, if you're at the time 24-year-old son was pulled over and ended up in the back of a squad car, surrounded by eight other officers trying to plead with them that I am who I say I am.

And in spite of every single one of my efforts with a record that is as clean as Clorox, it did not matter what I said to them.

They thought I was somebody that was in several counties away from here because he used my name as an alias.

Because you have put us in a place yet again to speak to the same things you are tired of hearing.

That's why some of you have been on your phones throughout this entire session.

Well, I'm here to let you know because you had no dis no desire to be transparent and keep the community not just involved, but a key component in the decision of this hiring.

You will keep having to hear us because leadership influence culture that impacts community.

I may not have ever heard Reginald Thomas, but I felt him.

And there are some people on this council that don't understand why we're frustrated.

That's because you don't feel us.

We come up here and we talk and we speak, and you say you hear us, but you don't understand.

And that's why we will keep coming down here and keep on talking until you feel us.

Because until that occurs, there will be changes in the areas that are necessary to make sure that black men and women and brown men and women, just like me, the ones that we elected.

I'm sorry, the ones that elected you to these offices, right?

That you're supposed to be speaking for.

This is not the council versus the people.

This is people talking to the council that we elected.

Thank you.

All right.

We will break for about 10 minutes and be back.

Uh, let's see what time is it?

By 7.55, welcome to the Pines, located at 230 North Amst Street inside of the Renaissance Plaza.

We offer an all-day brunch menu featuring our newly added shrimp and grips.

The Pines is found between La Bower Park and City Center Park.

So people of all walks, backgrounds, dogs included, are welcome.

Again, we are the Pines found inside of the Renaissance Plaza across the street from Tango Performing Arts Center.

Find us on Instagram at the Pines NC website, the Pines NC.com.

You would probably call this a soccer net.

Well, this summer it's actually a football net.

That's because Team Norway is calling Greensboro home during their stay for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Today, we are proud to announce that the Norwegian national football team has selected Greensboro as its team base for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Chancellor, what did it take to make this happen, bringing Team Norway here?

Well, it took collaboration from a variety of stakeholders.

Usually great things happen when people collaborate.

So it's the city, the sports foundation, the visitors bureau, and UNCG all coming together, setting aside the agendas and working for one collective vision.

And you know, you're right here in Greensboro.

So we think everybody in Greensboro knows what's happening on campus, but that's not always the case.

Can you tell us a little bit about soccer here at UNCG?

Well, uh, we are uh really competitive national soccer program.

We've gone deep in the MC2A playoff twice in the last three or four years.

A very strong soccer program and a rich soccer tradition.

It is one of our premier sports, and we have a fabulous facility.

Yeah, and that's one of the reasons the team actually chose it was because of this facility, not only because of Greensboro, but because of the beautiful facility here in the we have a wonderful soccer facility, a wonderful stadium, the training facilities, the weight room, the physio room, everything is just a few steps away.

And you pair that with the things that Greensboro has going for it, hotels that are conducive to this sort of thing, and it really makes a good match, and we're we're thrilled to have the Norwegians.

Mayor, have you been practicing your new Eaton?

I have.

I have uh Tony Cordo is is uh giving us a few pointers on that, so that's exciting.

What do you think about the Norwegian team making this their base camp?

I think it's thrilling, exciting, and it just shows how special Greensboro is, and that the whole world is noticing that.

So I am thrilled that they are coming here to have us as their home base.

Are you a soccer fan?

I am, I am.

I watch it all the time.

My kids played soccer.

They played all kinds of sports, but they love soccer.

And um, you know, I watch it a lot.

And having Greensboro on a national stage, what does that mean to you personally?

Oh, I say this is a global stage.

So I am just thrilled that you know the entire world will be looking at us because the Norwegian team, you know, hoping they go all the way up that they, you know, they're gonna be watching Greensboro as well.

They're gonna get some new fans here in Greensboro too.

They sure are.

And you know, I think that's one of the best things that can come out of this is to show the camaraderie, show how much our service industry loves them, our hospitality, all of the things they can see here, and who knows what horizons will open up after that.

Tell us what does it take to bring a team here, like what's happening.

This is a little bit of an anomaly, I will say though.

It's funny with Planning the World Cup, it's very much like quiet leaving output, all of a sudden it's a flurry activity, right?

And that's in contrast to many of the events that we bring other times of year, you know, where we're working 10 years out to book these events with the meeting planners or tournament planners.

But in this case, it was a matter of, you know, they reached out to Sports Foundation initially there, I want to say like a couple of months ago, you know, and all of a sudden it's you gotta help find places to put them.

And and we we suspected we were getting a team, but you just don't know what you're getting until a little bit closer to uh the actual event here.

But we're incredibly excited.

I mean, as you heard, they selected us because they like the culture here.

They like the outdoors we've got and love the facilities here at UNCG, and it's exciting to see that we were selected.

Yeah, so they come on June 2nd.

How long might they be here?

A few weeks.

So their amazing success that they're gonna have has an impact on the stay, of course, but I would anticipate at least a few weeks in town, and and it's again it's gonna be very exciting to see them here.

Yeah, so will there be any access to the public and what does that look like?

Yeah, so they usually commit to doing uh uh an event that the public can enjoy.

So what that looks like is still to be determined, whether it's uh uh scrimmage or a meet and greet or some sort of open practice where you can watch them, but uh that's an opportunity for residents, students here to go out and see what's it like to see a FIFA team up in person, really, right?

That's a once in a lifetime opportunity, regardless of the team.

I I feel like we are gonna need to get some jerseys now and some t-shirts, having a Greensboro in Norway on the Right.

Well, it's a joke, and I started the year with a different color.

Uh, you know, I follow a lot of the World Cups, and uh, but I guess this year I'm gonna be red and blue from now on.

Team Norway, that's right.

Yeah, so I know that you are a soccer fan.

What does it mean personally to you?

The excitement.

I mean, I love anything soccer, honestly, but it's just exciting to always get to see, you know, like things in person, right?

There's a difference between watching something on TV and going to an actual match or tailgating before the whole experience of it.

It's a package, right?

Um, but having them be so close to here, it gives you somebody to root for.

And there's something about having that like, I don't know, hometown pride that changes things.

You know, when you live in a community, it's fun to pick that team that's in your community.

Team Norway is calling Greensboro home this summer, training at UNCG for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

There may be opportunities to actually see them train, see the team in person, and we'll be keeping you updated that over the summer.

Parking in downtown Greensboro is easy with the Part Mobile app.

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Once you've parked, confirm your zone number on the closest park mobile sign, select the amount of time you'd like to stay and complete your payment.

Need to extend your time, open the app and add to the maximum time limit allowed in the zone.

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Call 877-727-5301 to set up your payment.

Meet ADA accessible parking, display your valid placard, and select the accessible zone in your location.

Even if you aren't in a designated accessible space.

And don't forget to use the Park Mobile app for convenient hassle-free parking payments.

Welcome to Cream Sip and Scoop, located in the heart of downtown Greensboro at 14 East Market Street.

We offer 12 unique ice cream flavors, handcrafted milkshakes, dirty sodas, lattes, and cocktails, all in one place.

Whether you're trying our fan favorite blue panda ice cream or sipping on a little loco dirty soda, you're guaranteed to leave satisfied.

We also probably offer vegan and dairy free options, so there's something for everyone.

We need a museum.

Which in some ways a microcosm of the nation as a whole.

Together with our community, the Greensboro History Museum collects stories and objects, connects generations, and challenges people to think about the past, the present, and the future.

It's a little bit of everything, and it really shows you the breath and history of Greensboro.

And they range and date from about 14,000 years ago to very recent.

That is the value of the Greensboro History Museum.

I so much enjoy the log, the buildings in the park.

I so much enjoy being able to go into those spaces and see how a family of nine managed to survive in a three-room house.

And so I thought this is something that I would like to see restored.

More mysteries will unfold.

Oh, welcome back, everyone.

I have first on my list Christopher Goldman, Tanisha Thomas, and Taylor Butler.

Go ahead, Mr.

Goldman.

Wait, is your microphone?

There we go.

Thank you.

Good evening.

The times that we are in, politicians overpromise and underdeliver.

Transparency and accountability are thrown around with our actions, and we are told our voices don't matter.

Or they do matter.

And many times it hasn't.

So many young people are disillusioned with the voting process that their voices, they believe that their voices don't matter.

In this last voting cycle, me and many of my peers looked up to this council as examples of something different, of a meaningful change and not just a win.

So while you do lift up that Trey has the right to make the decision, I have been under good leaders and poor leaders.

And I know what it feels like to be encouraged to do more than just the job.

The issue tonight isn't whether that Trey had the authority, because he did.

He has the lock the right to make the decision of hiring.

But the issue is that he did not honor the people with his with his decision, the people that he was supposed to serve.

He had the ability to make this a more community involved process to introduce transparency, but instead he opened the door, he made us think we were going to be considered, and he made the decision without us.

But we have a candidate that does not meet those goals.

Because to this city and to this council, what you're which we have shown is that our concerns don't matter.

You wouldn't justify our concerns.

You superseded them with your knowledge, which is your supposed knowledge.

Other cities have applicants find waivers that allow their names to be shared with the community.

Public finance forms exist so the candidates can be vetted and introduced to the community before their chosen.

These aren't illegal, these aren't legal requirements, but they are choices, and you chose differently.

The last time we were here, you said uh Mayor Mary Kay, you said you heard the complaints from over the last two years.

But what did it matter?

Because at this time, with more concerns, we are stuck with the decisions that nobody is speaking to from our council.

You're telling us that you know what's best for us, that this is the decision, so deal with it, that we have a voice but no impact.

You're telling us that you will rather risk a continued history of controversy and obscurity rather than the possibility of a lawsuit from from the recension.

And if you feel like I'm putting words in your mouth, City Council, just know your acting has spoken louder than your words or your silence.

So again, the decision was the city managers and not the council, but you have but you as a council has the the responsibility to respond to the community the community's concerns, and instead the lawsuit risk became the reason to stay the course.

So I'm asking you as public service, servants and representatives.

When do our voice matter?

Thank you, Mr.

Goldman.

Thank you, Mr.

Goldman.

I have Tanisha Thomas, Taylor Butler, Madison Jones, and then Haywood McCoy.

Good evening.

My name is Tanisha Thomas, and I have been a resident of the city of Greensboro for the past six years since graduating from the illustrious North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University with a degree in mathematics.

Many people believe that mathematics is the study of numbers, but it's actually a study of logic.

So when you, Mayor, said that you cannot do anything about Trey's decision because of the law.

NC General Statute 168-147 clearly states that the city manager serves at the pleasure of the council.

NC General Statute 168-148 states that the manager is responsible to the council.

Meaning any and all decisions that the city city manager makes is subject to any lines of questioning from the council and can be overridden by the council.

This is also underscored by NC General Statute 168-67, which rest general management powers to the city council.

I have yet to hear of a job where an employee can commit an egregious offense that poses a viable threat to public safety, and the supervisor can say, I can't do anything about it, and the supervisor and the employee get to keep their jobs.

You have spat in the face of those of us who took a chance on you.

When you sat on my stage as a founding member of Justice for the Next Generation, if you said that you would stand against the Trump regime, yet you are supporting the hiring of a chief who will literally invite and make comfortable the chaos that comes with Trump and the MAGA regime.

Yes, you may face a lawsuit from Ebsol for rescinding the offer, but would you rather a lawsuit or dead bodies on your hands?

A refusal to rescind tells us that you were rather dead bodies in the streets and blood on your hands.

Finally, seeing as this is a council that is composed mainly of people of color, black people, I would like to remind you you are black before you are anything else.

Don't think that because you are a council member, you will be safe.

There have been several instances and circumstances where lawyers, judges, and even undercover or off-duty couch have found themselves at the brunt of police brutality.

You will not be safe and don't let a temporary seat make you forget who you are and where you came from.

Even though we will have to wait a little while, the same people who decided to hire you still holds all power to fire you.

All right, we have Taylor Butler, Madison Jones, and Hayward McCoy.

Hi, your name, please.

Good evening, Mayor and City Council.

I am, along with so many others, a disappointed and very concerned member of our Greensboro community.

After graduating and coming from Houston, Texas and graduating from North Carolina AT State University, I chose to stay in Greensboro.

I anchored myself in a ministry that has birthed and nurtured social justice work in me, like others have said, Justice for the next generation has been uplifted.

And I have I've had the pleasure of being exposed to so many community and political leaders that gain support from the people by their beliefs and their promises.

It's so easy to say what your intentions are during a campaign, which you all have said, I've heard them.

It's easy to actually believe the words you're saying and mean them in the moment, which I also heard you mean, at least I felt.

But actions will always be the foundation of truth.

And so far, that foundation needs work.

Transparency, a word you've heard from the community many times, and that's because it has not been a part of the hiring process of the police chief that's set to begin duties on May 13th, per the city manager.

Why, as the community?

Why, as a community must we feel timely pressure to show up and make you listen to how much we disapprove of the process and choice for such an important role in our public safety while you all corral around each other and play a planned defense against our concerns.

Just for what?

Politics sake.

Instead of hearing why we disagree with the police chief decision and taking them into consideration, upon the last speech from several individuals, the whole line about a month ago, you immediately responded in that meeting with a lack of reception and defensive statements.

You know, sitting here watching that video with Trudy Wade, I respect that council.

I respected her for a moment.

I said, I don't know what's happening.

But she said, Oh, we need to listen, because someone's concerned.

Per the mayor, I don't believe the offer will be rescinded.

That thought was locked and loaded to be said on the mic instead of a pause to review or some sort of acknowledgement of the process failures in general.

There might have been text messages and things going around, I have no proof.

But to my brother, you were on your phone most of the time until it was time to say your time is up.

Are these meetings just a time slot in your schedules?

A check in your box of your duties, or is it a place that the voices that voted for you can both be heard and valued?

Well, here's another chance to prove the latter.

We disapprove, the community disapproves of your choices.

Rescend the offer.

There is a legal term, race ipsiloquiter.

Yes, it's based in negligence, approving the negligence.

And I'm not gonna sit here and try to make it a legal thing.

But what I will say what that means, race ipsaloquiter, it means the thing speaks for itself.

Your silence has spoken loudly.

Thank you.

Miss Madison Jones, is that right?

And then Heywood McCoy, Tanisha Richards.

Good evening, mayors and members of the City Council.

My name is Madison Jones, and Greensboro has always been home to me.

I've stayed actively involved in my church and community, intentionally intentionally building a strong foundation for my future.

As a graduating senior at the great James Benson Dutley High School, I've committed myself to listening, inspiring, and uplifting my peers.

And I've recently had the honor of serving as the 93rd Miss James Benson Dutley High School.

During my time, I use my platform to be a voice for others, encouraging students to speak up and be heard.

I believe I was entrusted with that role because I've been dependable, compassionate, and committed to serving with integrity.

But that same integrity is something I've not seen in recent weeks.

Recent decision made recent decisions made by the city manager and supported by this council have not reflected it.

Integrity is defined as being honest, ethical, and grounded in strong moral principles.

And it looks like including the community in decisions that affect us.

It means not abusing power.

And it means making the right decision even when it's hard.

Integrity would have looked like choosing Miss Stephanie Martis as chief chief of police, someone who knows our community and has done the work to connect with the people and is known for her leadership in police policing reform and public safety outreach.

But your actions have shown that integrity is not and was not at the forefront when making the decision of to offer a position of such high regard to someone whose community they are coming from does not reflect integral values, whose community they come from has been honest in telling us that he isn't even what they want.

Why would we want and entrust our community to someone whose own community doesn't want them?

Why would we want to why would we not offer the opportunity to someone who already has the community's trust?

As someone has who has been in Greensboro my entire life and considered going out of state to further my education, but chose to stay rooted in my city at the illustrious North Carolina Agricultural and Technical States University and the community that has shaped me to be a leader in my society.

I fear with recent decisions of the councilman and city manager, the city manager and council alike, true leaders and those who have been raised by this very city will be ignored and overlooked despite being educated, qualified, and entrusted by the very citizens we serve.

I stand here as a reflection of this community, one that deserves to be heard, valued, and respected.

We are not asking for perfection, but we are demanding academic accountability because decisions made without the people are not made for the people.

Choose integrity, choose this community, choose to rescind the offer.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I have uh Mr.

Hayward McCoy, followed by Tanisha Richards, followed by Reverend Greg Drumwright, followed by Jason Hicks.

Good evening, Madam Mayor and City Council.

I've come to add to one of the many voices dissenting the decision to adopt a Kasmin Azall as the new Greensboro police chief.

A dissent that is not a dissent that has been not so subtly and also very casually brushed aside in light of a multitude of both empirical and anecdotal data that reflects what a mistake this decision would be.

Data that reflects how Azal's tenure as police chief demonstrates that his installment would be anything but devastating to a community, already suffering under the institutionalized and seemingly unchanging system that we are supposed to be governed by.

Which is exactly why we are asking you to rescind the decision.

We wish to have the privilege to walk, drive, and commune without the hanging fear that we won't be able to live to tell the tale under the consequence of this decision.

Your insist that our voice, you insist that our voice matters.

But I needn't remind anyone, but I will.

Actions speak louder than words.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I have Tanisha Richards, Reverend Greg Grumwright, and then Jason Hicks.

Good evening.

My name is Tanisha Richards.

I am an educator.

I'm an advocate for youth and proud member of justice for the next generation.

And a taxpaying resident of the city of Greensboro who is tired of elected leadership, gaining the votes of the people, but not serving the needs of the people.

The hiring of Cameron Afzall deeply concerns me.

Let me tell you why.

But first, I have some questions.

How do you hire a new police chief with fresh blood on his hands?

How can you invite the people to democracy and then shut the door in our face?

What you really are saying when you conduct a nationwide search for a new police chief rather than promoting within is that you don't even value what you have homegrown.

If history means anything, Greensboro has not done well with protecting and serving.

But I guess this decision is on brand, huh?

And that's why I can't remain silent.

Because silence is complicity.

Silence is consent.

And today I stand here refusing to give you either.

You ask for trust, but trust is not demanded.

It is built through transparency, accountability, and demonstrated respect for the very people you serve.

What we are witnessing is not leadership, it's disregard.

It's a continuation of decisions made about the people but without the people.

You cannot champion public safety while ignoring public voice.

You cannot speak of unity while deepening division, and you certainly cannot claim progress while repeating patterns that have historically harmed the very communities you are sworn to protect.

I asked the city council as well as the city manager, what and who do you value?

I value the 500 plus people entrusted to my leadership every day.

I recognize that every decision I make can set them up for success or set them up for failure.

But do you?

So I ask you again, who are you really serving?

Because it doesn't feel like you're serving the people in this room.

It doesn't feel like you hear the communities crying out for justice, fairness, and dignity.

We're not just constituents, we're citizens.

We are taxpayers, the taxpayers who pay the settlements on the civil suits of your mismanagement.

This is your moment to choose differently, to listen to engage to correct course.

Because if you will not act in the interest of the people, then the people will remember, and we will respond accordingly by rescinding our vote.

Reverend Drummond and then Jason Hicks and then Dina Hayes Green.

Greetings, Council, Mayor.

Nine months ago, I stood before the council to make appeals around the police transparency, policy, and personnel.

What has happened since August 4th, 2025?

All of you all were elected, some re-elected, the chief then resigned.

Officer B.W.

McDaniels retained his job, and a new chief has been hired.

What hasn't happened in nine months?

Policies have not changed.

And transparency has not been birthed.

We who have been policed the most, charged the most, criminalized, and convicted the most, are still here asking for the least.

Yet you said, we hear you.

You said it on press releases, you said it at the last council meeting.

But we want you to help us, not just hear us.

Policing minorities took center stage during citywide summits that I hosted, and the public decided on trusting your leadership around how you responded in those conversations.

But action around policy did not happen.

Our call for a recession of the offer is based on that and the flawed process that has ensued.

Therefore, we do not believe that we are building trust with you.

Do you care if the people trust you?

Let's be clear about the people I'm talking about.

The people who have been historically and oppressed and overpoliced.

People who have been disenfranchised by the overcriminalization of our community, who have emerged from the attrapments of slavery, poverty, and injustice, yeah, I will name them, to be educated and elected, to be proprietors and policy shapers, who refuse to stop fighting for our people, no matter how many degrees we've earned or how much money we've made or how many accolades we've achieved, but rather how much change we stood for and still stand for.

The only reason we are now receiving inquiries about changing policy is because the person who has to agree on it all is not at the table yet.

We being the people and you being counsel and staff are only now willing to entertain it for that very reason.

Those policy changes were pleas made nine months ago, and today it's just rumors.

It should be speaking its first sounds, growing and existing, but instead it was aborted in August, which is why the policies for fair policing is not alive in May.

This is not about transactions, it's about truth.

Data don't lie, and neither does the fruit of your work.

And so I'm asking you tonight to do three things.

We need you to rescind the offer, pause the start date, and give us the policy work we asked for.

Not broken promises, parading as future policies.

We want all of it, and we want it now.

Thank you.

I have Jason Hicks, Dina Hayes Green, Reverend CJ Branson.

All right, Mr.

Hicks.

There's a long tradition in this country, specifically in the South, of people in power waiting, waiting for the right time, waiting for the anger to settle, waiting for more data, waiting for the community to grow quiet.

And while they wait, the names pile up.

So the only name a few.

And those are not abstractions.

Those are human beings.

And they are part of a pattern that happened under a continuous line of administrative oversight that has never been interrupted, never been restructured, and never been held to account.

And I am talking about Trey Davis.

From 2019 to 2014, 2020 from 2019 to 2024, Trey Davis had direct oversight of the Greensboro Police Department.

In October 2024, Trey Davis was promoted to city manager.

That continuity matters.

Because when the same person oversees the same structure and produces the same outcome, we are no longer talking about individual failures.

We are talking about a system doing exactly what it was built to do.

The data has confirmed what the community already knew.

Under this period of oversight, traffic stops conducted on black residents will increase by nearly 10%.

Black residents, searches of black residents increased by 25%.

Not decreased, not held steady, they increased under the watch of Trey Davis.

That is not a community perception.

That is your data.

And it means that every year this structure has remained in place.

Black residents in this city have been subject to more contact, more intrusion, more risk, and more harm at the hands of Greensboro Police Department.

Someone will say these problems are complex.

They've always been complex.

They have been complex for over hundreds of years, and that complexity has always protected the people at the top, while the people at the bottom keep waiting.

So I ask you tonight, on the record.

Do you support Trey Davis in his decision?

I'm not asking Mary Kay, I'm asking all nine of you.

Because deprioritize regulatory stops.

That is where the disparity lives and it has lived there and has gotten worse since 2019 when Trey Davis became the assistant city manager over public safety.

Implement informed consent.

Thank you.

Because no resident should be searched without knowing they can say no.

And hold this administration accountable because the data says outcomes have declined, not stagnated decline.

Thank you.

Your time is up, Mr.

Hicks.

Yours is green.

Good evening.

My name is Dina Hayes Green, and I live in Southeast Greensboro.

I just want to talk about how ironic this situation is.

I know you all have to feel this.

The passion and the conviction of your history of activism and advocacy and the incredible indifference to the very community that you said you were bringing with you.

You've got to feel that.

I do.

Not all of you had such strong ties to this community, but you all responded affirmatively on the campaign trail about the concerns of this community and particularly in regards to law enforcement.

I'm stunned and disappointed that this has been your response to the people.

Inequity is violence.

Whether it's maternal and child health, whether it's housing, whether it's law enforcement.

It is not something to be overused.

At a previous meeting, Mayor Abuza waiter, I think it was the first meeting that the speakers were asking for the offer to be rescinded.

And I believe you said in your closing comments that the offer will not be rescinded.

Okay, well, I'll have to go back and check that.

And in the meantime, until I confirm whether that's true or not, you all know that the mayor speaks for the council after you have made a decision, not before.

Thank you.

All right, I have Reverend Brenton, Reverend CJ Brenton, Jean Blackman, Dr.

Gene Blackman, I believe, Christine Hoffner.

Well, I do want to say, unless it's on my sheet, it just doesn't say doctor, but I do happen to know you're a doctor, so I apologize.

I'm Gene Blackman at home.

Is Reverend Brunson here?

I don't believe he's here.

Okay.

Good evening.

Um I want to go on record, if I haven't already been, to say that I am not a fan of this police hire.

Um Greensboro, as you've heard some of the stories, have already had their challenges from our police department here.

Um you've seen the data, you've seen the disparities, and we have a gentleman who's coming from a smaller city with data that's worse than ours.

That doesn't really make sense to me.

But what is concerning from my council and some of the city staff is that I haven't heard anything about how the community is going to be protected from this decision.

So the first question I have is how are we grading this gentleman when he comes?

How are we grading him?

What metrics are we using to grade him to decide whether you know he's doing his job or not?

Then the next question is we know that regulatory stops is an issue here.

We know that written consent, not having written consent is an issue here.

Use of force is an issue here.

So what are you going to do to protect the community?

What are you going to do?

If he does not implement these things that we're asking for, that you've heard the community ask for, and it makes sense because we have the data to show that it's necessary.

Are you all going to commit to putting some policy in place to make sure that those things happen so that your community is safe?

Thank you.

Thank you.

I have Christine Hoffner, Amara Brown, and Lakija Floyd.

Those are all my speakers.

Lakijah, I'm sorry.

Lakaija Floyd.

Ms.

Hoffman.

My name is Christine Hoffner.

Can you hear me?

Yes.

I plan to bring up GPD's problematic policy on probable cause searches.

But first I have to say I share the concerns others are expressing about the lack of transparency in the hiring process for the new police chief.

It's troubling when what the public is told by city officials is not what actually happens.

It's hard to know if what city officials say is well intentioned, and it's getting harder to believe that it is when they disregard public input and then give no explanation for that.

As to probable cause searches, looking back to 2020, when city council took the first tentative step to improve racial disparities in harassment and police searches.

That's that's when that happened.

Despite Mary Kay's dislike for the idea of micromanaging GPD, it turns out that may be exactly what's needed.

I looked at GPD's directive on searches.

It contains a sentence stating a probable cause search, which does not result in charges and or contraband being found, does not require an incident report.

This means the accuracy of the data we have on how many probable cause searches are actually questionable.

We don't know how many are conducted.

We're left to infer that many more are conducted than the data shows.

So I'm asking, would the city uh would US City Council direct the city manager to direct the police chief to amend this sentence in the Greensboro Police Department Directives Manual to make it so that probable cause searches, regardless of result, are recorded on incident reports.

That will change the public's access to information so they get accurate data.

Meanwhile, as far as the um the police chief, I am questioning this uh city manager's statement that uh that decision reflects what the community asked for.

I am doubt that his statement because I was at a meeting, uh community meeting with searching looking for input, and uh I raised the issue of an outsider being hired, but a strong cogent are strong and cogent arguments were made by many community members that the hire should come from within GPT.

So our community needs decisions that are based in truth.

What will you do to assure us of that?

Thank you.

Amora Brown and then uh Lakaijah Floyd.

Hello.

I've been thinking a lot about this saying that there is no such thing as a good cop in a racist system.

It comes from the understanding that no matter how well intentioned someone may be, when a system is corrupted, over time, even those with good intentions will eventually have to decide whether they will be bold and courageous enough to confront the system, our coward and conform.

I have to ask, what is becoming of this board?

Because while I don't believe you set out to fail us, we are watching in real time everything you said on the campaign trail be put to the test.

You called yourselves champions for change.

You ran campaigns that center the people.

And we, the people, believe that you all would represent us well.

However, your silence has been too loud.

Your community came to you, and we said we are afraid.

We said we feel muted.

We said we are concerned for our children, and we are asking you to reconsider.

We brought you the facts and the footage of what policing looks like under his leadership.

We made it clear that black people are under over police, under his watch.

And in response, Mayor, you said you hoped that we would give him a chance.

As an educator, I give my students chances when they turn in their work late.

But when it comes to people's lives, things that cannot be restored, chances are not appropriate.

Change is I'm praying that you all would hear us.

While it may be pricely to rescind the offer, I believe our lives and our livelihood are worth the expense.

Especially if you believe this matter does not need to be addressed.

I am a part of the number of university students who stay here and make Greenboro our home.

I'm also a part of students who have for the past two semesters have been in a research study of the events leading up to and the events following the Greensboro Massacre of 1979 and collaboration with North Carolina AT's English and Theater Departments that has now gained recognition for a film adaptation.

And if there is anything that I have learned about Greensboro, it's the strong, deep history of civil rights, social justice, and civic engagement.

So is it extremely disappointing that the decision has been made to hire the chief out of Dayton, Ohio, who has a history that is the complete opposite of our city's goals?

Or is it key skills for this position in Google lists community policing, budgeting, and ethical leadership?

His history knows no community, nor does it point to ethical leadership.

And if we need to, then we can go to what happened to Reginald Thomas.

But I want to go into a different direction.

City Council, why the silence?

What do you want us to believe about your ability to make decisions, advocate for us, and support us?

Do you want us to have confidence in you and you and in you and in you and in you?

What picture does this point to?

Expand um what picture does this paint to excelling graduating students from the six educational institutions this weekend?

I'm in the numbers of those students, so our answer is this distasteful.

We are why are we still fighting for basic principles like integrity, accountability, and transparency?

If a thorough research process, if a thorough process was conducted, was it truly oversight or does he meet our qualifications?

Does he meet your qualifications?

You do you want over policing on police brutality?

Are you ready to accept the consequences of hiring someone for a limited tenure that will only place us back into a cycle of a search?

When I think of City Council's impact so far, it is sadly only overshadowed by press lips and concern stares.

I only hope that your meetings on pressing matters other than this do not reflect your responses to this issue currently.

Please listen the offer, implement some policies, do something because your hands aren't tied, and my won't matters, right?

South Carolina State students actually just protested because the selection of a clearly magnet conservative speaking at their commencement.

Their Republican representatives responded by taking away funding from the historically black university.

So is this what you're afraid of to resent his offer?

Now, really, which weighs more and has a greater lasting impact?

The bad hire or your high risk of recension.

Thank you.

All right.

I believe Mr.

Lewis.

Mr.

Lewis was on the sheet earlier, and he has arrived now, Mr.

Lewis.

Thank you.

Elijah Lewis.

Thank you.

Um I'll be brief.

Um a lot has been said tonight, but I just want to reference some quotes that have come to my memory in the midst of all of this that's going on.

Uh, Mr.

Allen, let's build together.

Together, we can make a difference in our community and ensure a better tomorrow.

Miss Roth.

Growth, safety, and opportunity, Miss Crawford.

Build support and ensure safe community.

Mr.

Marshall, who's councilman in my district.

Maintaining family values and building better community.

Ms.

Thurm.

Maintaining strong leadership in another term.

And Mayor Boozerwaiter.

Keeping Greensboro moving forward.

Like I said, a lot of them said tonight, but these are things that you all have said to us.

In the midst of your campaigns, in the midst of pulling for support to be in the seat that you're in.

And I can actually look at a lot of people in this room who are actually standing at the polls for you all.

Standing in the cold, advocating for these same points that you put on paper, not just for a paycheck, but we believed in them.

And we believe that you all would uphold these things in the midst of where you are right now.

That was back then, but here we are today.

And we're not here to say that you won't you to discount the work that you already done or what can come forth.

But we're here to we're here to help you to understand that there is no possible way that you can uphold your word by making this decision.

As temperatures increase outside and tensions rise in here, we all have to go home and wonder will the people that we love and we support come home safe?

Will we walk outside and be brutalized as we have been before?

Do we have to continue to walk outside and be oppressed as we always have been before?

Would there will a change really come in this time that we're in?

A change hasn't come.

Decisions haven't been rescinded, and there hasn't been transparency in the midst of this process, even in the midst of all the outcry that you all have heard.

And now our community doesn't just have to see this on our news feed every day, but now we have to listen to the silence of our own leaders.

And I I'm sorry, but you just can't disconnect the problems that are going on around us with the leaders that have been put in place, Mr.

Davis.

And if you can look around this room and look into the communities that you're in, look at the communities that you support and say that you care about anyone in those communities.

You have to look ahead and not behind.

You can't sit there with a muzzle in your mouth thinking that change is gonna come.

Thank you.

We need you to rescind the offer, and we need transparency.

Thank you all.

We'll move on to our business agenda items.

Uh we have item I one resolution authorizing community project funding grant agreement in the amount of four million dollars with the U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban Development for the Elmugene Gateway Complete Streets Project.

All right.

Is Sandman?

I don't see.

Was there gonna be a presentation on this?

Who would like to talk about?

No.

No.

Okay, I would accept a motion.

Move the item.

Move by Miss Black.

Do I hear a second?

Second?

Seconded by Miss Thurm.

I heard first.

Uh council, please vote.

Oh, it still isn't working.

She's yes.

She's a yes.

And that carries nine to zero.

Item I two ordinance in the amount of four million dollars.

Establishing the budget for community project funding grant agreement with the U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban Development for the Elm Eugene Gateway Complete Streets Project.

Move the item.

Move by Miss Black.

Do I hear a second?

Seconded by Miss Thurm.

Any discussion?

Hearing none.

Council, please vote.

And that passes nine to zero.

Item I three, resolution authorizing amendment number six in the amount of eighty-two million one hundred and eighty-two thousand.

Let's get those decimal points right.

82,195 to contract number 2019-5160 between the City of Greensboro and Vines Architecture Inc.

for the Windsor Chavis NOCO Community Complex.

Move the item.

Moved by Miss Crawford.

Seconded by Miss Black.

Council, please vote.

And that passes 9 to 0.

Item I 4, resolution to authorize change order number three to contract 2023 0060 in the amount of 760,203 and 45 cents with SAMIT Corporation for the Windsor Chavis NOCO Community Complex Building Construction.

Do I hear a motion?

Move by Miss Thurm, seconded by Mr.

Marshall.

Council, please vote.

And that passes 9 to 0.

Item I5, resolution authorizing the submission of the 2026 to 2027 annual action plan application for 5,780,763 and 28 cents to the U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD funds and the conduct of program activities for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.

Any questions?

I would accept a motion.

Move by Mr.

Marshall.

Do I hear a second?

Second by Mrs.

Thurm.

Council, please vote.

I don't think he's here now.

All right.

Samuel is here.

I think they would still like the presentation.

Okay.

Mrs.

Parker Wood.

The presentation goes with the next item, I believe.

Okay.

That the next one, Ms.

Parker.

All right, council, please vote.

We're voting on this one.

Is everyone voted?

Someone's not voted.

Are you a yes?

She's a yes.

And that passes nine to zero.

All right, item I six resolution authoring the acceptance of five million seven hundred and eighty thousand seven hundred and sixty-three dollars and twenty-eight cents.

U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban Development Ud Funds and the Conduct of Program Activities for the 2026 to 2027 fiscal year.

Mr.

Hunter.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Mayor Mo Mayor Pro Tim, members of City Council, Samuel Hunter, Housing and Neighborhood Development Director.

This is something that we bring to you all on a regular basis.

This is something that has to be approved by the elected bodies so we can submit the annual action plan to the housing and urban development.

I do want to acknowledge Lewis Fleming from my department who is uh critical for the construction of this document in this presentation.

The consolidated plan really outlines how we plan to expend our federal funds on an annual basis.

So we do something called an internal funding application to support the uh the annual action plan.

So we receive proposals from multiple departments about how they plan anticipate spending those funds.

You can see the breakdown of the funding that we have.

So we have a number of different funding sources.

We have our community development block grant fund, our home investment partnership fund, our emergency solutions grants, and our housing opportunities for persons with AIDS funding as well.

And that comes to the City of Greensboro on an annual basis.

That is a formula that HUD uses based off of population size and the community needs.

Very similar with the home investment partnership funds.

This one is specific to vertical construction of affordable housing, so we use a lot of that for uh affordable housing development.

We have a program called CHOTO that you can see on your screen, but that is an acronym for community housing development organization.

Out of the home investment partnership funds that we get on an annual basis, 15% of those funds are set aside for the CHOTO activities.

We do an open application every year for people that are interested in establishing a CHOTO organization.

This year was our first year doing something very innovative doing that.

We really partnered with three different Chota's that applied to the city to construct single family housing.

Those will be some items that we bring to you in the near future.

But we encourage any other type of organization that is interested in doing community housing development operations to reach out to our department.

We'll see how we can get you involved with that.

Emergency solutions grant, that's really to our homeless prevention efforts, uh, rapid rehousing, transitional housing, and utility assistance is how we expend those funds.

And then the housing opportunities for persons with AIDS, often called HOPWA.

That is specific to people that lived with HIV or AIDS, and they have in the funding spans from Guilford County, Randolph County, and Rockingham County as well.

Very unique.

City of Greensboro is the largest city in those counties, so we are the pass-through for those funds.

So this is what the process looked like.

So we brought an iteration back to you all back in March, and then we also did a public hearing back in February.

And so now this is the time for the formal adoption of the plan.

Any questions?

Any questions?

Can you come back to the slide that showed each category on the amount of funds?

Sure, yes, ma'am.

Thank you.

Good.

Great.

Thank you, Mr.

Hunter.

All right.

I would accept the motion.

Move by Mrs.

Thurm.

Do I hear a second?

Seconded by Ms.

Parker.

All right, council, please vote.

And that passes nine to zero.

Our last business item, uh, item I seven ordinance to amend the fiscal year 25-26 solid waste disposal fund 551 budget and the amount of 750,000 dollars.

Any questions?

Hearing none, I would accept the motion.

Move by Mr.

Marshall, seconded by Mrs.

Thurm.

Council, please vote.

And that passes 9 to 0.

That is the end of our agenda items, and I wanted to see if anyone has boards and commissions appointments for May 4th, 2026.

I'm just going to go down the road, raise your hand if you do, since it's getting kind of late.

I'd like to appoint uh Theodore Rhodes to the Guilford County Historic Preservation Commission.

Go here a second.

Second by Mrs.

Thurm.

All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

That passes.

All right, anyone else?

All right, hearing none, we will start with council comments.

Mrs.

Thurm, I'll start with District 5.

Thank you.

Um, we heard tonight, and we've been talking lately about data centers.

Um this council is committed to making data-informed decisions.

Um, and we are in the process of learning and studying what works for our community, what's safe for our residents, how we find a balance between health and welfare residents and the business community.

Um, we just have lots of questions and we are in a learning phase.

And for that reason, we'd like to request Mr.

Manager that you consult with council before if you hear of anything proposed, anything coming down the pike.

We want to do our homework, we want to make sure that we create policies in line with our community.

So if you would convey that to your staff and to us, we want to make sure that when something comes to you or to us, we fully understand the project and all the implications.

So if you could keep that in mind, we would appreciate it.

Yes, ma'am.

Thank you.

Um, other than that, um, I don't think I have anything at this time.

All right, Mr.

Marshall, District 4.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Want to thank everybody for coming to speak this evening.

I was not here at the meeting the last time when speakers were here, but I will echo the same comments and that many of my colleagues made.

I support our city manager's ability to make this decision.

And the process was transparent.

There were council district meetings where many of the citizens in this room were there.

And a decision was made.

And with any decision, we may not all agree.

Also want to speak to the ridge dedication that I attended this afternoon for Sergeant Dale Nix, who was killed.

Protecting and serving the community.

It was a very nice event with many people that were there.

I'm sure Madam Mayor will speak on that as well.

But appreciated all the community support there.

Thank you, District 3, Ms.

Parker.

I have a couple of things.

Usually we talk about where we were.

I like to give some notice about where I'm going to be in May, but I I want to give things for everybody who came to comment tonight.

We're going to continuously get to know each other during our tenure here on council, and many of our leadership extends y'all well before the campaign trail.

And I want to move with accountability now that I'm in this seat to let everybody know that I'm a part of a subcommittee, which is the liaison ship and our vision, our collective vision that we're all having as council and building together where I am going to be a part of the cut the subcommittee that at the intersections of housing safety and downtown.

And so I want to welcome the rest of the community to stay together as we move forward and build better and uh wider and longer tables.

I want to speak to my colleagues on the dais.

I have seen them, y'all in our communities for well over a decade.

And I you can ask some of the people to the left of you.

I've been in those seats before as a community leader.

I deeply appreciate what you all are saying.

It took me 16 years as a community leader to come on this dais, and so I just want us to get to know each other's leadership.

You might not know the work that we've done before, but we can do work together now that we can share and build power together.

And so in May, um our new chief of police is coming to be sworn in, and that will then start on ways to which the community be welcome to engaging, and so we will be there with you as we continue this work together.

Um I do also want to say um it is Frank Ek E.

Fortune Day.

Um many of the council are certainly here because of those who came before us, and so uh Mr.

Fortune was one of Greensboro's first black uh firefighters, and we had the um, and I want to lift them up today uh because Madam Mayor uh was able to give him a proclamation honoring his 90th birthday and also the 90th anniversary of the Green Book, and so I was joined by councilwoman uh Crawford and Black in that celebration.

And so just to also give you guys a heads up.

May is full.

Um we will be outside uh May 8th.

Um Greensboro's own Morgan Rafford, she is now coming and um promoting her book now then, and being out in the community is a way that we can also uh build relationship and grow.

So May 13th, there's an ADU workshop.

May 16th, I'm gonna be at that Greenway ribbon cutting.

Um our lakes are open.

Uh let's see.

Uh May 19th.

I'm also gonna be at the small business um uh launching from 9 a.m.

to 10:30, and that's at the Yvonne Johnson Event Center.

So see y'all in May.

Thank you, Miss Crawford, District 2.

So I don't want people going home and feeling like we didn't hear this time and the last time that you came.

Um we've well I've spoken to because I don't want to speak for other folks, uh, to some of the community leaders that have been pushing consent, written consent, and we have informed consent and what we can do around that.

We've also had conversations around um working together with stakeholders from both sides to look at what we can do around regulatory stops.

So this work hasn't stopped.

Um, there are just some things again that we are trying to learn as we go forward.

Um, one of those things is also uh like what was said earlier about the data centers.

Um we understand and are working to look at how we can protect our communities should data centers come to district one and district two.

So I can speak to district two.

Um we've got a legacy of landfills, uh, we've got you know historic disinvestment, um we've got a higher baseline for health risks, and what comes with data centers are um electricity demands that we can't afford.

Um it comes with the data centers getting incentives, tax incentives that uh do not trickle down to us.

It comes with um a low number of jobs, some of the same things that Dell said.

Um it's fairly extractive, right?

Even with a closed loop water system, we're still burning through gallons of water.

Um it increases air pollution with the back backup generators.

There's a list of things that we don't want in our districts, so we are learning as fast as we can about what we can do when it comes to these industries.

So keep your eye out because we will have to ask some of you into the room to sit down and help us talk through some of these things, and that is where we see being able to have community uh come in and help us um get the policy that we have been asking for.

Thank you.

Ms.

Black District One.

I will just uh piggyback off of some of the comments that have been made around data centers, and what I will lead with is that district one cannot hold more harm.

Uh we hold the highways, we hold pollution, we hold landfills, we hold uh divestment, we hold concentrated poverty, we hold everything that is negative in this city, and we can no longer be the person who holds it all.

And so when we talk about data centers and what's coming to Greensboro, I understand that council will have conversations and we will create policy around it, but I also am asking for that policy to include equity because district one can't take it all.

We cannot hold every harm that comes to this city, and uh we're gonna stop it with data centers.

Uh so I hope that the conversation is robust.

I hope that we are thinking about being transparent and having equity, but I want to lead and end with you all knowing that it won't happen in District One unless we do it the right way.

Alan to be transparent that um there has already been an approval for a data center in District One.

Um with uh this North it was already mentioned tonight, North Carolina State University.

Um we're gonna work on that, and we're gonna try to make this a positive, turn this round from a negative to a positive.

But what I can all continue to say is District One can't hold it all.

We cannot, you cannot continue to harm the most underserved community that we have in this city.

So I hope that uh you leave with that, and I hope that we move forward with that um thought in mind.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Allen.

Thank you, madam mayor.

Uh wanna say that I'm grateful for the speakers that came out tonight uh and uh let their voice be heard about the decisions that that are being made.

Uh wanna thank my my council members for uh staying at the table and and doing the work uh that it does take the past policy.

I think that uh I guess folks address me coming from both sides, but I think that it's important to know what it takes to move policy and then what it takes to move lasting policy, and so I think that uh it's it's really uh important right now in the moment that we're in coming from somebody that was a part of a police accountability campaign that caused me to run for office, that we are very intentional about not only how we start, but how we finish this so that we can get the things done that we want to get done so that they can remain lasting.

Um and so I really do hear and feel uh the the frustrations of the community feeling like they haven't been heard.

Um I've been there before, uh but I do know that in the place that we're at, it's important that not only do we stay diligently with accountability, but we also stay diligent on the policy and on the procedures that we're looking to get to the finish line.

Um, and I can say that it's possible that we stick together and we continue to work and organize together, we can get the things that we want to see and uh accomplish the things that we want to accomplish.

Um, and it's gonna take some discomfort, it's gonna take folks feeling uneasy about what's going on.

Um, but I'd I'd like to name that that's trust as well, even if when you're sitting in that une diseasement, uh, that it's gonna take some trust and some faith for us to all get to the finish line together.

So I appreciate everyone for speaking up.

Uh, we do hear you, we are taking every voice into consideration.

Uh, and that's just gonna have to uh yeah, we're gonna have to keep working together to uh make sure that we're getting to where we want to be.

Thank you, Mr.

Holston.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Uh I'm going to piggyback off of Council Member Black when it comes to the data centers, you know, very similar to as we've had the conversation about housing and making sure that housing is is has an impact in all of our communities that we don't overly concentrate in one or the other.

Uh those conversations about data centers, if they are to occur, uh, will receive the same treatment.

Uh I want to thank everyone for coming out today and sharing with your passion with your feelings and that is letting us know exactly how you feel about the decision with the chief of police.

Uh I do support the city manager's uh ability to make that decision, but I want you to say that it's it's important to know that the work will continue, the work that we have to do around policing, which I really see as the overarching issue is.

You know, we have the data, you provide the data, we have the data, and so we'll be looking at and we'll be having conversations about the policing, that data, and making sure and ensuring that uh our community remains safe.

Uh, it's important to each and every one of us up here that we have a very safe community, and so we'll be having conversations about that.

And I also want to say uh congratulations to our clerks.

Uh, often uh overlooked, often uh in on the sidelines, often in the shadows, but uh they're the ones that really make uh me and my fellow colleagues uh work and be effective.

So thank you all very much.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Thank you.

Mrs.

Thurm had another item.

Yes, sorry.

Um I also wanted to thank everybody that work has worked so hard on the closing of studio six.

Um I know I've received your some emails regarding that with concern over those folks and the folks that have been living at that hotel for quite some time under deplorable conditions.

Um I want to thank Councilmember Holston for helping um make sure that everybody had a place to go, and that we you know were able to relocate everybody that were was displaced from the hotel.

We're in the process of relocating all those folks.

Um we need to make sure that our community um is not living in these kinds of conditions, and it starts here and it moves forward.

Um I just want to thank everybody.

It was a hard, hard road, and the past few days I understand have been very hard for our staff for the caseworkers that have been involved for Mr.

Holston and his team, um making sure that people were taken care of.

And I just want to say I appreciate it.

Um it's something that we have gone from sometimes hourly police calls at these hotels, and then in that area with a ma unbelievable levels of violence and drug activity, etc.

And I understand that uh we have not had any police calls there since we've done this and taken this action, and that's a huge step forward for the residents of District 5.

So thank you to everyone that's been involved, um, to our assistant city manager Andre Harrell from the bottom of my heart.

It's it's been a long time coming.

We've been working on this for about two years now.

Um and I truly appreciate the coordination, your assistance, and the dedication for the entire team.

Thank you.

All right, and Mr.

Holston, you had one last comment.

Yes, Madam Mayor.

Since since Tammy was talking about Studio 6, I I do want to chime in here also.

And there were some 128 units at Studio 6.

64 of those were occupied.

And I will tell you that those those residents, and you think of Studio 6 is it is an extended stay facility, which you might think the folks would be there for two days or five days or the lag.

But what we found, and this is a a bigger picture of what we see in our community, is that it's not just the housing, but it's the all the other factors that come into play that uh that encourage and motivate our residents to make decisions as to where they live.

Um I I have a picture of the residents as they were leaving, not of the residents themselves, but a picture of the facility, and you just don't think of someone leaving an extended stay location and having to get the big U-hauls, the big U-Halls where they're taking the mattresses and the pictures and the in tables.

This was their home.

This was their home.

And these are residents, these are citizens of the city of Greensboro.

But the microcosm that it shows is that as I speak with them, is the issues of wages, it's the issues of mental health, it's uh financial health, credit history, eviction history, which has caused them to have to live on a on a cash basis on a day-by-day or week by week basis, and we should not no one in our community should have to live like that, and it's going to be incumbent upon us to do what we can from the city of Greensboro from the county of Guildford, from the state of North Carolina, from the from this nation itself to reach back and help as many of those who are in our community as we possibly can.

We may not be able to help or help everyone, but it's going to be important that we reach out, we understand that by no matter of their own, these folks are in this situation, and they need our help.

And if I can say, and I probably shouldn't say it, but um if there are any residents who were living at Studio Six, please reach out to the Greensboro Housing Coalition.

Please reach out to the Greensboro Housing Coalition.

We want to connect with you.

Please do.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um talking about Studio 6.

Uh, we were able to get um a fairly large church to donate money to Greensboro Housing Coalition to help with the movement, um, resources for people to have down, you know, deposits and down payments.

Uh what I'm asking is if there are any other faith communities out there that are willing to also donate to Greensboro Housing Coalition.

Uh, if you remember we just got folks moved from the district, and now um the you know, studio six, and as we begin to um apply the new residential code, you know, we're worried that there are more uh extended stays that will have to be closed down, and so this is gonna have to be a public private partnership to get folks moved.

Um, so we're really thankful for the church that has donated money, but we really need other faith communities to help us uh get these folks moved to safe places, safe permanent places.

All right, Ms.

Black, one last comment in the minus really quick.

With new council onboarding, um, you have been there walking that walk with us, you've let us change the dynamics of the office, and um I just could not go by without saying thank you, thank you, thank you, because you have really kept us afloat, and we appreciate you.

That's right.

All right, Mayor Pro Tim Roth.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, wanted to have a chance to say thank you to those who came out tonight and to express your concerns and to let you know that we honestly do hear you as people who live and work in this community.

We all have a role to play in ensuring that we have the community reflected in the way that we want.

I have a 17-year-old son that will drive soon and and we think about these things on a regular basis.

And as we are working with the new police chief and with the manager and as a council, um, we will continue to hear you uh whether in the rooms that you're whether you're in the room with us or not.

Um so I do very much want to add my voice and say thank you for coming and thank you for continuing to express and engage.

Um I also wanted to ask uh Mr.

Manager on another note with uh Elijah Williams.

Um I know what it how difficult it is to change um contracting and procurement programs and to do the work and the effort uh to be able to bring various uh contractors into that process is not it's a it's a task that takes years oftentimes to do.

Um we did receive a letter from uh Mr.

CeCe Lamberth uh with C2 contractors raising some questions about procurement.

I would appreciate if you would take a look at that and give us a response back.

I would um in and just let us know what our possible next steps with that that would be appreciated.

Yes, ma'am.

Thank you.

And uh last point, just want to say thank you to our clerks as well.

They uh answer my calls all the time, which I very much appreciate because they're random, but I appreciate your help.

All right, um, I'll be brief.

Uh thank you, city clerks.

It was nice to see your surprised faces when the video went on.

So that would that was good.

I uh don't know that we can ever surprise our city clerks with all the details they have to work with, but we sure did it today.

So congratulations, and thank you all so much for the work you do because you know it's it's hard for us when we're in the middle of needing something, wanting something to say thank you every day, but you know, it it really we it everyone has expressed that, so it's heartfelt.

Um just a couple of things.

We had the grand opening of Lumentum, several people were here.

Uh we had the Pearl Small Business Awards at the Pearl on the Mayor's Committee for Persons with Disabilities, Fleet Feet won that one that award because um they hire young people who have disabilities, and it's very heartwarming to see, and they were so excited.

Um, you know, all many of us, I think almost all of us were at the resurgent uh grand opening, the medical facility on East Market Street that has uh community rooms, so many things it's gonna have some workforce development in there.

Uh it's gonna be very exciting to have all of that, and yes, I was at the dedication along with several council members, uh, Ms.

Thurm, Mr.

Holston, Mr.

Marshall today, and um it was a very emotional uh moment.

The bridge over I-40 right there at the sheets where he was killed, um, was dedicated in his honor, and there will be a sign there stating such.

So thousands of people going by there every day.

You know, his son, his son was there, his wife, his family, his parents, his uncle spoke.

It was uh a very um emotional day for many people in the police department and beyond for the community.

So I also want to express my thanks, and I really want to express my thanks for all of the speakers who stayed to hear the council comments.

Normally we are sitting up here um stating things we heard you, we're working on a lot of things.

It's it's really a little hard to just project all of the time the things we are working on.

Uh you know, I I think it's it's hard to express that every single day when we are, and I hate to use the word, but we're deep in the trenches working on things.

So you know, feel free to reach out, see what we're working on.

Any of us are willing to talk, and you know that would that would be amazing, you know, to keep the conversations going.

So I appreciate you.

Um I will move on to Mr.

City Manager.

Is there anything you have this evening?

None tonight, thank you, Mayor.

And Madam City Attorney, just want to say thank you to thank you to the clerks for all that you do.

I know I'm in your office all the time, and you're in mine, so I certainly appreciate each and every one of you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right, I will accept a motion to adjourn.

Hold on.

Oh, Ms.

Go ahead.

Um, I do want to reiterate the directive of prior to any data center item moving on our agenda uh that we do clear all of the concerns as uh council member Thurm has said.

My biggest concern is our our huge investments and the way in which we're anchoring uh regional uh water work, and uh so I do want to know the impact on the whole entire city and our future plans for intentional growth of the city.

Thank you.

Great, thank you.

All right, I would accept the motion to adjourn.

We have Mr.

Holstone who was a second, seconded by Miss Black.

We are adjourned.

Thank you so much.