Raleigh City Council Regular Meeting – June 3, 2025
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Raleigh City Council Regular Meeting – June 3, 2025
The Raleigh City Council met on June 3, 2025, in afternoon and evening sessions. The afternoon session (1:00 PM – approximately 6:30 PM) included employee awards, consent agenda approval, special items, public hearings, committee reports, and appointments. The evening session (7:00 PM) agenda items (budget public hearing, municipal service districts, street closings, rezoning) were not covered in the provided transcript.
Consent Calendar
- Consent Agenda: Approved unanimously. Included installment financing for vehicles/equipment, petition annexations (AX-11-24, AX-17-24, AX-05-25, AX-08-25), federal grant for pedestrian safety improvements, contracts (risk management, Carolina Ballet facility use), right-of-way condemnation for Upper West Neuse Interceptor, bid awards (State Street water/sewer, US 70 & Westgate water main, traffic calming/bikeway/cycle track), traffic items (speed limit reductions, no parking zones on Glen Eden Drive, Hadley Road, Willow Oak Road).
Public Comments & Testimony
- AX-06-25 (Rock Quarry Road annexation): Applicant representatives (Luke Perkins, Devin Basile) answered council questions. No public opposition signed up.
- Z-39-24 (Honeycutt Road rezoning): Worth Mills (applicant attorney) summarized updated conditions (pedestrian access easement, enhanced stormwater control). Alex Bloom, Bent Tree HOA President, expressed community support for the rezoning with conditions (no cut-through of Chatterson Drive, stormwater controls) but noted preference against an emergency vehicle easement due to concerns about potential traffic creep. Councilor Silver explained the safety rationale for emergency access.
- Z-47-24 (Barwell Road rezoning): Worth Mills presented revisions (25-year storm detention, silt fencing near Neuse River). Dr. Ulysses Lane, Brandy Wood Subdivision Association President and SE Raleigh CAC Chair, voiced concerns about road safety at the curve on Barwell Road, traffic congestion, odor from the Walnut Creek lift station (hydrogen sulfide), flooding risks, and patchy sidewalk connectivity. He urged clarity on mitigation measures and health impacts of sulfide exposure.
Discussion Items
- Text Change to Zoning Conditions TCZ-3-25 (200 West Street): Staff presented the request to modify conditions on a downtown mixed-use site. Council set a public hearing for July 1, 2025. Councilor Branch recused due to GoTriangle board involvement.
- Council Contingency Appropriation: Approved funds for Women’s Center of Wake County ($2,000 from Mayor Pro Tem Forte), Active Adventures ($3,000 from Councilor Silver), Recess Games ($3,000 from Councilor Silver), Wake Smiles (Councilor Patton), Eliza Park Homeless Initiative (Councilor Jones), Team Truth 919 (Councilor Branch). Remaining balance returns to fund balance.
- Leaf Collection Program – Work Session Follow Up: Steve Halsey (Transportation) and Gregory Jenkins (Solid Waste) presented a proposal to transition from loose leaf collection to an enhanced year-round weekly yard waste program, starting fall 2026. Key details: $1.75 million annual cost; savings and reallocations reduce FY2027 budget need to $725,000; five additional trucks and 15 new staff; residents can place one 95-gallon cart plus 15–20 biodegradable bags per week; needs assistance program; 48 transportation staff reallocated to core duties (estimated 25–30% increase in sidewalk repair, 15–20% in street patching, 10–15% in stormwater maintenance). Council expressed broad support; concerns included implementation in narrow streets, needs‑based assistance requirements, and communication/education. Motion to approve recommended actions passed unanimously.
- Convention Center Expansion and Red Hat Amphitheater Relocation – GMP #2: Carrie Painter (Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex) presented the second guaranteed maximum price for construction, covering earthwork, shoring, concrete, steel, and remaining packages. Road closure on Lenoir Street ended. Quarterly update on surrounding projects (Heritage Park, Shavis Dick Strowway, West Street Extension, McDowell Dawson slip lane) noted. Motion to authorize city manager to execute GMP #2 passed 7–1 (Councilor Silver dissented over South Street closure concerns).
Key Outcomes
- Leaf Collection Program: Council approved staff’s recommended transition to enhanced weekly yard waste service, with implementation in fall 2026. A communication plan begins in summer 2025; needs assistance program to be developed.
- Convention Center/Red Hat GMP #2: Approved (7–1).
- Petition Annexation AX-06-25 (6325 Rock Quarry Road): Approved (7–1).
- Rezoning Z-39-24 (Honeycutt Road): Approved unanimously with revised conditions (pedestrian easement, 25‑year storm storage, enhanced sediment controls).
- Rezoning Z-47-24 (Barwell Road): Approved unanimously with conditions (25‑year storm detention, silt fencing, three‑acre tree conservation area commitment). Council directed staff to respond to Dr. Lane’s concerns (lift station odor, safety at curve) by June 13.
- Erinsbrook Park Schematic Design: Approved by council, incorporating Parks Board recommendations (increased shade, informal recreation area). Council requested additional benches and consideration of enclosed playground.
- Growth and Natural Resources Committee: Council directed staff to create a list of recommended native trees/shrubs/plants for voluntary use on private developments.
- Transportation and Transit Committee: Council approved process modifications for citizen‑initiated street closings: compliant petitions go through consent agenda; non‑compliant petitions become manager’s report items. Two case studies (Willow Street and another) set for public hearing.
- Appointments: Arts Commission (Jill Heath appointed); Centennial Authority (Terrell Midget appointed, remaining vacancy to next ballot); Human Relations Commission (ballot still pending); Historic Development Commission (John Schimmer appointed, remaining vacancy to next ballot); Substance Use Advisory Commission (Paul Killins appointed). Police Advisory Board (Tiana Morgan elevated to LGBT community member slot). Community Engagement Board: Council deferred appointments pending a review of the board’s effectiveness and mission.
- Other: Crosswalk painting discussion referred to Transportation and Transit Committee. Fire Master Plan assessment rescheduled to July 1, 2025. Council requested data on workplace injuries by department and update on RFD 12‑hour shift study.
Note: The evening session (7:00 PM) agenda—including public hearings on the FY2025-26 budget, Downtown and Hillsborough Street Municipal Service Districts, street closing STC-08-2024, and rezonings Z-19-24 and Z-43-24—was not covered in the provided transcript.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon, everybody. Welcome to the City Council session. And I know we've got a particularly exciting one today because we have Employee of the Year Awards as well as some recognition of those in the executive development program. So we're happy to have uh so many good public servants out there, but uh before we do that, I'm gonna we're gonna have the Pledge of Allegiance, and uh because uh Councilor Silver is already standing. I will double task you with leading us in the flat. Counselor Lambert Melton will be right back. He was having a computer issue, and here he comes. Uh so I will hand it over to the city manager to uh take us through these uh employee awards. Good afternoon, Mayor and Council. The first round of um employee recognition goes to the recipients of the employees of the year. So we have Sharnell Jones here to announce the departmental awardees for this prestigious award. So as I call your name, I would just ask that you stand for recognition. James Albert for Information Technology. Mark Weldon, Housing and Neighborhoods. And these are your departmental employee of the year. I think you skipped over Miller Spencer. I'm sorry, Miller Spencer, I'm sorry. Solidway services. Thank you. And these are your departmental employee of the year. Congratulations. And from our department employee of the year, we do recognize and select one employee of the year, and that was Gregory Baker, who was named. Photo op coming. Now on to the executive development program. Yes, so this program was started a couple of years ago. It's part of our attempt to be more intentional about succession planning and making sure that we get the next step of up and rising stars ready to take that next big professional step. So we created the executive development program, and this is our second cohort, third cohort. And so at this time, Ms. Jones will recognize those graduates from that program. I'll just ask you to stand and then come down to the front as well if you are present. Alexandra Guterres, Raleigh Fire Department, Andrew Bullet, Human Resources, Alisa Halley Shram, Planning and Development, Barbara Moranta, Engineering Services, Brian Clark, Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex, Brianna Scurry, Equity and Inclusion. Bonham Walter, Planning and Development, Deshay Blake, Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources, Diane Cooper, Raleigh Water, Emily Le Poole, City Manager's Office. Jennifer Stevens, Finance, Jonathan Hamm, Raleigh Water, Martin Hogan, Raleigh Police Department, Miller Spencer, Solidway Services, Robert Parrish, Emergency Communications, Sarah Heinsen, Office of Special Events, and Sean Driscoll Transportation. Present to you the twenty four twenty-five cohort for the executive development program. Again, if you could come to take a photo out. Okay. Thank you all. And understand if many of you are going back to work. We will continue our work with the consent agenda. And I don't believe there was anything pulled. Move full approval. Okay. Second. Okay. Any other discussion on consent? If not, all in favor of the motion, aye. Aye. All opposed, nay. All right. So that passes.
openpublica.com