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Record of Proceedings

Greenville City Council Workshop - December 9, 2024: BUILD Grant Update, Public Art, Parking Plan, and Budget Preview

City Council — Monday, December 9, 2024
BodyGreenville, North Carolina
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, December 9, 2024
StatusFILED
Video Record
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0:10

Alright.

0:11

Good afternoon, everybody.

0:12

Welcome to the December 9th, 2024, Greenville City Council Workshop.

0:17

I'm Mayor P.

0:18

Jack Hollandley but presiding over the workshop.

0:20

First, I'll let call our city clerk for the roll call.

0:22

Right.

0:23

Mayor Connolly.

0:24

Here.

0:29

Council Member Black.

0:30

Somebody hit a button.

0:33

Council Member I think you're saying Councilmember Wellis.

0:36

Here.

0:36

Okay.

0:37

That is fantastic.

0:39

Mr.

0:39

Manager, any changes to the agenda?

0:41

No recommendations.

0:42

Changes, Mayor.

0:43

Do I have a motion to approve the agenda?

0:45

So moved.

0:46

Second.

0:50

All those in favor say aye.

0:51

I close it.

0:52

Motion passes 5-0.

0:54

Thank you very much.

0:55

We will start on new business.

0:57

I don't know.

0:58

Mr.

0:58

Manager.

0:58

Thank you, Mr.

0:59

Mayor.

1:00

Item number one update on the city's build grant project.

1:03

I will call for our civil engineer Lynn Rayner to give a uh positive update on the progress of the pilot.

1:11

I like that silver line.

1:16

Gotta find the silver line.

1:18

You built them up.

1:20

Lynn, you came on down now.

1:26

So good afternoon, Mr.

1:27

Mayor and members of council.

1:29

Um Merry Christmas.

1:32

Since I I may personally not see you again, so I hope you uh enjoy your Christmas break here shortly.

1:45

It'll be positive if we do.

1:47

So as uh the manager said we are here with item I wanted to update you on the city's build grant uh project.

1:56

So just a little background uh since uh we've had a couple of changes of council uh over the course of the project.

2:03

Uh the design contract was awarded in June of 2020.

2:08

Uh construction contracts uh were awarded in April of 2023, and then a few months later, construction began in earnest in August of 2023.

2:21

So just a reminder of the seven different components of the build grant project.

2:26

We call it a project, but it is seven different components around the edge of the screen.

2:30

You see the green, which are the greenway projects, and then through the center of the screen, uh the blue are three individual roadway construction projects along Fifth Street.

2:44

We'll start with the Greenway projects this afternoon.

2:47

Uh the first segment, uh South Tog River Greenway phase 3B.

2:51

Uh it begins at the intersection in the lower right of Moy Boulevard and Fifth Street, continues up Moy Boulevard uh and runs adjacent to the Moywood neighborhood uh up to the river and along the river and then eventually underneath the Memorial Drive Bridge.

3:10

We have currently completed uh the green road from uh the intersection at Fifth Street all the way to the turn by the ponds on the left-hand side and down a little ways uh where there you'll see some pictures of a couple of boardwalks here in a couple moments.

3:27

Can you go back there?

3:28

I can always get myself centered.

3:30

I can't get myself situated.

3:32

Where so the river is on the left, the tall rivers on the left.

3:37

So Fifth Street is in the lower right portion of the screen.

3:41

I'm just gonna step over here and get right here.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Engineering And Infrastructure██████████████████████████26%
Public Transportation█████████████████████21%
Public Works████████████████16%
Public Art███████████████15%
Infrastructure████████████12%
Community Engagement██████6%
Procedural███3%
Youth Programs█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Greenville City Council Workshop - December 9, 2024

The Greenville City Council held a workshop on December 9, 2024, at 4:00 PM in City Hall Conference Room 337. Mayor P. Jack Hollandley presided. The council unanimously approved the agenda (5-0). The workshop covered updates on the BUILD Grant project, a public art presentation for the DownEast Sculpture Exhibition, a proposed downtown parking plan, and a preview of the Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget.

Consent Calendar

  • The agenda was approved by a 5-0 vote with no changes.

Discussion Items

1. Update on the City’s BUILD Grant Project

  • Civil Engineer Lynn Rayner presented a progress update on the seven-component project (greenways and Fifth Street roadway improvements). Key points:
    • Design contract awarded June 2020; construction began August 2023.
    • Greenway segments: South Tar River Greenway Phase 3B (Moy Boulevard to Memorial Drive Bridge) nearing completion; Moy Boulevard multi-use path completed October 2024; Town Commons connector and Arts District Trail expected early 2025; South Tar River Greenway under Memorial Drive Bridge delayed due to NCDOT redesign.
    • Fifth Street phases: Phase 2 (14th/Tyson to Albemarle) completed April 2024; Phase 3 (Albemarle to Pitt Street) targeted spring 2025; Phase 4 (Pitt to Reed Street) targeted late fall 2025 – about six months ahead of contractual schedule, contingent on weather and utility conflicts.
    • Total project cost approximately $50 million, with $15 million from BUILD grant (awarded 2019), $10 million in other local funds, and $9 million in debt issuance. $10.3 million in federal reimbursements received through September 2024.
    • Councilmember Robinson expressed strong support for the project but raised concerns about the impact on downtown businesses during construction, citing thin margins and risk of closures. She requested exploring a forgivable loan program or other financial assistance for businesses experiencing hardship directly related to construction. She also emphasized the need for better communication and coordination with businesses. Multiple council members supported this idea. The city manager noted that grants are not legally permissible but that the existing loan program could be extended and that staff are working on social media outreach and signage to help guide customers.
    • Staff agreed to report back on potential assistance programs and to continue working with the Downtown Greenville Partnership on promotional events.

2. Public Art Presentation for DownEast Sculpture Exhibition on City Property

  • Holly Garriott, President of the Arts Council at eMERGE, presented six recommended sculptures for the annual temporary exhibition (March 2025 – March 2026). She noted that last year’s 30-day waiting period caused the loss of two sculptures. Staff proposed placing this temporary exhibition on the consent agenda for the regular council meeting to expedite approval, while permanent public art would retain the 30-day waiting period. Council members were generally supportive.
  • Recommended sculptures:
    1. "Purple" by Christian Hapel (9.5 ft tall, at Reed/Cotanch intersection near Chico’s) – artist agreed to paint it purple for ECU pride.
    2. "Sunflowers" by Kirk Sees (Town Commons, near parking lot between pedestrian bridge and playground).
    3. "Birth of Moons" by new artist (Harding Access).
    4. "Green Projector" by Joe Churchillo (Jarvis Access).
    5. Artwork by Kevin Vinek (replacing his existing sculpture at Harding Access).
    6. "Sun to Moon" by Mary Angers (Clark Street and Dickinson triangular area).
  • Also presented: a youth public art project (mini mural for the Weststone police station on Fifth Street), to be placed on the consent agenda for the January 9, 2025 council meeting. Council asked about the 30-day period for permanent art; staff clarified that the workshop and consent agenda process is the will of the council.

3. Proposed Downtown Greenville Parking Plan

  • Chief Financial Officer Jacob Joyner presented a plan aimed at increasing parking turnover and preventing non-patron parking (e.g., students parking all day). Key elements:
    • Free on-street parking with a 2-hour maximum (enforced via license plate readers, no kiosks or apps).
    • Surface lots: free parking with a 3-hour maximum (Chico’s lot limited to 2 hours due to size).
    • Parking deck: 2 hours free, then $0.75/hour, no time limit (unchanged).
    • Employee permits: $22/month for surface lots (excluding Chico’s); resident reserved permits $72/month, unreserved $52/month (all unchanged).
    • Enforcement: first offense warning, second $10, third and subsequent $20; towing for three or more outstanding citations over 90 days old.
    • No enforcement after 6:00 PM on weekdays or on weekends.
  • Troy Dreyfus, Executive Director of the Downtown Greenville Partnership, reported overwhelmingly positive merchant feedback. He recommended making all on-street and surface lot parking a uniform 2-hour limit to avoid confusion and prevent abuse by students (who could use a 3-hour lot to attend classes without patronizing businesses). He noted that the current free-for-all has resulted in spots being taken for a week by university affiliates.
  • Council discussion:
    • Councilmember Black opposed reducing surface lot time from 3 to 2 hours, arguing it takes time away from the public and that consistency alone is not compelling. Other members noted the need to deter non-customer parking.
    • Councilmember Robinson supported the 2-hour limit to address student abuse, citing examples from nearby businesses.
    • Councilmember Phelps suggested clear signage allowing lot-to-lot movement after the time limit.
    • The consensus was to bring the ordinance update to council in January 2025 with the two-hour uniform limit, begin public education and signage design immediately, conduct a trial run February 1 – March 1, and begin enforcement March 1, 2025. No formal vote was taken at the workshop.

4. Fiscal Year 2025-26 Budget Preview

  • Jacob Joyner provided a brief update: department heads are currently developing operational and capital budgets (five-year capital, one-year operational). Finance staff have received departmental need forms and are analyzing them. A city council planning session is scheduled for late January 2025 to discuss budget priorities.

Key Outcomes

  • BUILD Grant: Staff will explore additional financial assistance options for downtown businesses affected by construction and report back to council. No formal action taken.
  • Public Art: The DownEast Sculpture Exhibition recommendations will be placed on the December regular meeting consent agenda for approval. The youth public art project will be on the January 2025 consent agenda.
  • Parking Plan: Council gave direction to staff to prepare ordinance changes with a uniform 2-hour parking limit for on-street and surface lots (excluding the parking deck), and to begin public outreach and signage design. Formal adoption is expected at the January 2025 council meeting.
  • Budget: The budget calendar is proceeding; a planning session will be held in late January 2025.

Meeting Transcript

Alright. Good afternoon, everybody. Welcome to the December 9th, 2024, Greenville City Council Workshop. I'm Mayor P. Jack Hollandley but presiding over the workshop. First, I'll let call our city clerk for the roll call. Right. Mayor Connolly. Here. Council Member Black. Somebody hit a button. Council Member I think you're saying Councilmember Wellis. Here. Okay. That is fantastic. Mr. Manager, any changes to the agenda? No recommendations. Changes, Mayor. Do I have a motion to approve the agenda? So moved. Second. All those in favor say aye. I close it. Motion passes 5-0. Thank you very much. We will start on new business. I don't know. Mr. Manager. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Item number one update on the city's build grant project. I will call for our civil engineer Lynn Rayner to give a uh positive update on the progress of the pilot. I like that silver line. Gotta find the silver line. You built them up. Lynn, you came on down now. So good afternoon, Mr. Mayor and members of council. Um Merry Christmas. Since I I may personally not see you again, so I hope you uh enjoy your Christmas break here shortly. It'll be positive if we do. So as uh the manager said we are here with item I wanted to update you on the city's build grant uh project. So just a little background uh since uh we've had a couple of changes of council uh over the course of the project. Uh the design contract was awarded in June of 2020. Uh construction contracts uh were awarded in April of 2023, and then a few months later, construction began in earnest in August of 2023. So just a reminder of the seven different components of the build grant project. We call it a project, but it is seven different components around the edge of the screen. You see the green, which are the greenway projects, and then through the center of the screen, uh the blue are three individual roadway construction projects along Fifth Street.

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