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Record of Proceedings

Greenville City Council Meeting - March 13, 2025: Annexations, Flag Amendment, and Recognitions

City Council — Thursday, March 13, 2025
BodyGreenville, North Carolina
SessionCity Council
DateThursday, March 13, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:56:48

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it
4:44

All right, good evening.

4:45

I'd like to call the March thirteenth, two thousand twenty five meeting of the Grieval City Council to Order.

5:00

If you join me for a moment of silence.

5:09

Thank you.

5:10

Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

5:15

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

5:32

Madam Clerk, will you please call the roll?

5:34

Yes, sir.

5:35

Mayor Connolly.

5:36

Here.

5:37

Mayor Pro Tim Daniels.

5:38

Present.

5:39

Councilmember Foreman.

5:41

Here.

5:41

Councilmember Blackburn.

5:43

Present.

5:43

Councilmember Scully.

5:45

Here.

5:45

Councilmember Robinson.

5:47

Here.

5:47

Councilmember Wellis.

5:48

Here.

5:49

Mayor Connolly of a Quorum.

5:50

Thank you very much.

5:51

Now move on to approval of tonight's agenda.

5:53

Mr.

5:53

Manager, any recommended changes?

5:54

I have no changes, May.

5:55

All right.

5:57

Second.

5:57

All right.

5:58

Motion's been made by Councilmember Willis, second by Councilmember Scully.

6:00

All those in favor say aye.

6:01

Aye.

6:02

Opposed say nay.

6:03

Motion passes 6-0.

6:04

Thank you very much.

6:05

We'll move on to special recognition.

6:16

I'd like to ask Phyllis House to come forward.

6:36

Tonight we are here to honor Phyllis and her retirement from the city of Greenville.

6:42

And I would like to uh to give you a little bit of background about Phyllis and her years here with the city.

6:47

Prior to joining the city of Greenville, Phyllis dedicated 15 years of her life as a social worker for Pitt County government before deciding to take a step back to focus on her family.

6:58

She re-entered the Fort Workforce in November of 2004, taking on a part-time role with the city at the Greenville Aquatics and Fitness Center, where she helped with processing memberships and providing great customer service.

7:12

In 2010, she was promoted to designated part-time as a member coordinator at the Aquatics and Fitness Center.

7:19

And in June of 2021, she earned a very deserving promotion to full-time staff support specialist three, where she still handled all memberships and increased membership engagement.

7:31

Phyllis is beloved by the members and all of her co-workers at the Aquatics and Fitness Center.

7:37

But she is best known for her cooking.

7:39

And I'm sure is awesome.

7:41

She is the two-time back-to-back champion of the city's 2023 and 2024 United Way Chili Cookoff and the 2024 United Way Dessert Competition.

7:54

And I formally invite Phyllis back next year to defend both of her titles.

7:59

And for the longest period of time, we thought it was rigged by the fire rescue, so I know it's got to be good.

8:06

Phyllis has truly made a positive impact on many Greenville residents and visitors.

8:11

We will all miss her professionalism, organization, and of course her cooking.

8:16

Phyllis, we congratulate you on a great career, and we thank you for everything that you have done to make the lives of all those at the Aquatic Center and all over the city of Greenville better.

8:26

It's because of you that we that you represent everything great about this community.

8:32

Thank you, Phyllis.

8:52

Now I'd like to ask Frank Conklin to come forward.

9:15

And I do want to give a little bit of background about Frank as well.

9:19

Frank dedicated 20 years of service to the citizens of Greenville, retiring as an EMS specialist with Greenville Fire Rescue.

9:26

Throughout his career, Frank was renowned for his skills as a paramedic, his ability to teach, and his knack for mentoring new employees.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning And Land Use█████████████████████████25%
Public Comment████████████████████20%
Procedural█████████9%
Public Safety███████7%
Environmental Protection██████6%
Signage Regulation██████6%
Transportation Safety█████5%
Community Engagement████4%
Public Engagement████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Greenville City Council Meeting - March 13, 2025

The Greenville City Council met on March 13, 2025, at 6:00 PM in the City Hall Council Chambers. The meeting included special recognitions for retirees and a cardiac save, public comments on tree canopy, appointments to boards and commissions, approval of consent agenda items, and public hearings on four annexations and one rezoning. A major discussion centered on a text amendment to allow larger official government flags, which was ultimately denied 4-2. The meeting also included reports from the City Manager and council member comments.

Special Recognitions

  • Phyllis House – Retiree from Recreation and Parks Department, recognized for 15 years of social work and 21 years with the city, including two-time United Way Chili Cookoff champion.
  • Frank Conklin – Retiree from Fire/Rescue Department, recognized for 20 years of service as an EMS specialist.
  • Cardiac Save on ECU Campus – On February 10, 2025, at 4:59 PM, a female in cardiac arrest on ECU campus was saved by bystander CPR and AED use by ECU athletic staff and Greenville Fire Rescue. The survivor, Haley Yentz, and responders were honored.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Patsy Duke (President of Relief, a tree group) – Expressed support for increasing tree canopy, noting Greenville’s canopy is only 34% compared to Charlotte (47%), Raleigh (48%), and Durham (52%). Urged city to work with Relief to achieve a greener city.
  • Rebecca Powers – Requested a tree ordinance to preserve existing trees, increase canopy, and hire a full-time urban forester. Stated that volunteers cannot do it alone.
  • Dr. Newman – Thanked Parks and Recreation Director for responsiveness on illegal dumping and icy greenway. Echoed trees concerns and suggested inviting ECU experts in geology, hydrology, botany, and watershed management to workshops.
  • Ann Maxwell – Supported tree canopy goals, cited Wilmington’s 48% canopy pre-Hurricane Florence (now 41%), and emphasized need for a full-time urban forester to work with planning department. Noted Greenville has 30% impervious surface.

Appointments

  • Board of Adjustment – Jeremy Jordan appointed (vote 6-0).
  • Historic Preservation Commission – Ashis Kachandani, Susan Daughtry, Catherine Marriott appointed (6-0).
  • Human Relations Council – Donald Rivers, Ashley Elks, Summer Baldwin appointed (6-0).
  • Multimodal Transportation Commission – James Byrd, Kelly Gonzalez, Arsina Dixon, Catherine Dale, Joey X Austin reappointed (6-0); one vacancy deferred.
  • Police Community Relations Committee – Greg Ruble appointed (direct appointment, no vote).
  • Youth Council – Maya Swaggerty, Kinsey Lechworth, Daniel Mills appointed (6-0).

Consent Agenda

  • Item 5-10 approved unanimously (6-0): Amendments to lease with Boys & Girls Clubs of the Coastal Plain, resolution to close a portion of Grande Avenue, dedication of rights-of-way for Kadie Farms Phase I, abandonment of sewer easement, issuance of new debt for Greenville Utilities Commission revenue bonds, and various tax refunds over $100.

Public Hearings and New Business

Item 11: Annexation of Mann Farm, Lot 1 (4.697 acres, northwestern corner of East 10th Street and Evolve Way)

  • Presentation by City Planner Chris Kelly: Property is zoned CG (General Commercial), anticipated to yield 30,000 sq ft of commercial use with estimated tax value of $4 million. Site plan shows a commercial center with a Tropical Smoothie, right-in/right-out access, and pork chop islands to prevent left turns. Traffic engineer confirmed current ADT of 22,000-24,000 is not at capacity for the roadway section, but capacity is lost at intersections. No plans for medians on 10th Street.
  • Public Opposition: Several speakers (Rebecca Powers, Mark Parker, Pedro Coronel, Ann Maxwell, Dr. Newman, Brian Fagundis) expressed concerns about traffic safety on 10th Street, blind curve, speeding, increased traffic from new apartments (Evolve at the Pines), lack of infrastructure, tree loss, and heritage trees. Some urged denial or postponement.
  • Council Discussion: Councilmember Blackburn moved to deny, citing safety concerns, lack of infrastructure, and need for traffic improvements. Councilmember Scully moved to postpone to April 10, 2025, to gather more information on traffic plans, trees, and site plan details. Motion to postpone passed 4-3 (Mayor Connelly, Mayor Pro Tem Daniels, Councilmembers Foreman, Willis in favor of postponement; Councilmembers Blackburn, Scully, Robinson against). The annexation was tabled to April 10, 2025.

Item 12: Annexation of The Enclave, Phase 1 (10.5683 acres, 520 feet west of L.T. Hardee Road, south of Norfolk Southern Railroad)

  • Presentation by Chris Kelly: Property expected to yield 40 multifamily units with estimated tax value of $11 million. Located in primary service area, Hardy Creek watershed.
  • Public Hearing: No speakers.
  • Council Discussion: Councilmember Blackburn expressed concerns about infrastructure on L.T. Hardee Road, similar to Item 11. Motion to approve by Councilmember Robinson, seconded by Councilmember Scully. Approved 6-0.

Item 13: Annexation of Langston Farms, Phase 11, Section 3 & 4A (10.4643 acres, terminus of Dew Meadow Drive)

  • Presentation by Chris Kelly: Property expected to yield 33 single-family lots with estimated tax value of $8,250,000. Located in Swift Creek watershed, primary service area, voting district 2.
  • Public Hearing: No speakers.
  • Council Discussion: Motion to approve by Councilmember Robinson, seconded by Councilmember Willis. Approved 6-0.

Item 14: Rezoning of 29.719 acres for Pitt County-City of Greenville Airport Authority (south of West Belvoir Road, 1,700+ feet west of North Memorial Drive) from RA20, R9S, R6MH to IU (Unoffensive Industry)

  • Presentation by Chief Planner Shanti Goosby: Property is within airport footprint, intended for aeronautical uses (e.g., corporate hangars, aircraft maintenance). The airport held three public meetings (Oct 17, 2023; Aug 6, 2024; Nov 14, 2024). Staff recommended approval; Planning and Zoning recommended approval (Feb 18, 2025). Requested zoning could generate 262 trips/day increase; under current zoning, 55 single-family homes could be built.
  • Public Hearing: Speaker Brian Fagundis (on behalf of applicant) and Kyra Vogley (FAA expert) explained FAA restrictions limit uses to aeronautical purposes. A resident asked about tree buffers; staff confirmed city ordinance requires vegetated buffer and fence, possibly an earthen berm.
  • Council Discussion: Councilmember Willis commended the airport for extensive community engagement, turning apprehension into advocacy. Councilmember Blackburn noted the airport met the council’s request for public meetings. Motion to approve by Councilmember Robinson, seconded by Councilmember Scully. Approved 6-0.

Item 15: Text Amendment to Title 9, Chapter 4, Article N (Signs) – Definition and Standards for

Meeting Transcript

All right, good evening. I'd like to call the March thirteenth, two thousand twenty five meeting of the Grieval City Council to Order. If you join me for a moment of silence. Thank you. Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. Madam Clerk, will you please call the roll? Yes, sir. Mayor Connolly. Here. Mayor Pro Tim Daniels. Present. Councilmember Foreman. Here. Councilmember Blackburn. Present. Councilmember Scully. Here. Councilmember Robinson. Here. Councilmember Wellis. Here. Mayor Connolly of a Quorum. Thank you very much. Now move on to approval of tonight's agenda. Mr. Manager, any recommended changes? I have no changes, May. All right. Second. All right. Motion's been made by Councilmember Willis, second by Councilmember Scully. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed say nay. Motion passes 6-0. Thank you very much. We'll move on to special recognition. I'd like to ask Phyllis House to come forward. Tonight we are here to honor Phyllis and her retirement from the city of Greenville. And I would like to uh to give you a little bit of background about Phyllis and her years here with the city. Prior to joining the city of Greenville, Phyllis dedicated 15 years of her life as a social worker for Pitt County government before deciding to take a step back to focus on her family. She re-entered the Fort Workforce in November of 2004, taking on a part-time role with the city at the Greenville Aquatics and Fitness Center, where she helped with processing memberships and providing great customer service. In 2010, she was promoted to designated part-time as a member coordinator at the Aquatics and Fitness Center. And in June of 2021, she earned a very deserving promotion to full-time staff support specialist three, where she still handled all memberships and increased membership engagement. Phyllis is beloved by the members and all of her co-workers at the Aquatics and Fitness Center. But she is best known for her cooking. And I'm sure is awesome. She is the two-time back-to-back champion of the city's 2023 and 2024 United Way Chili Cookoff and the 2024 United Way Dessert Competition. And I formally invite Phyllis back next year to defend both of her titles.

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