Right, everybody.

Uh, welcome to the public comment period.

We have uh almost fifty people signed up this evening on a number of different items.

So we're gonna do two minutes a person to make sure everybody has a chance to speak, and I will go ahead and start with uh the first uh Octavia Rani.

I would like to speak from my heart this afternoon on the Civil Rights Act and about the zoning of those thirty stories to Stormy and to Corey.

I am a civil rights activist.

I marched with John Lewis over the Pettish Bridge, and I saw what you did and voted for that project was unconscionable to me as a black person.

You know, blacks didn't have the right to live in 30 stories.

We live in areas that was unsafe, that was habited, but we lived there and we made it work.

What you voted for was a restrictive covenant.

That's all it was.

It was a restrictive covenant.

And you are telling black people, I heard what they didn't say, but you're telling black people number one, you are not welcoming these 30 stories.

You don't have the income because we're gonna take it up way beyond 80 percent of the AMI and 80 percent of the AMI give black people the opportunity to live there.

But you voted against it.

That bothered me as a black person, and I don't see why y'all didn't ask those questions to the mayor rally.

I don't understand where you're headed with this.

That is selective housing, and you are talking about God, not in my back God in my backyard.

You gotta be for real.

You gotta be sincere.

That's not godly.

And don't get me to talk about God because that's up my alley.

That's not right, and that vote wasn't right.

It wasn't.

I expected two blacks to ask that question.

Why black people can't live there?

I heard what they said, but what they didn't say is the question at stake.

Thank you.

Next we have Kevin Kwong.

Hello, everyone.

Hello, mayor and city counselor, city manager, and everyone.

My topic is a very difficult one.

It's about political violence and uh chilling effect on politicians and uh after uh I do some research.

I don't think I have a conclusive answer to that question, but I will encourage politicians to be bold to do not stop in prison meeting to consider their own security after the taking consideration, continue to have the meeting.

The second topic I want to talk about is about uh bus route number two.

Uh also number two number two last Tuesday after the meeting, going off to my friend's home, and a bus driver made two mistakes on the route.

He failed to turn at five point from Greenwood to ease with the meals and need to call the cortex for help on Kinwood.

And after he goes back to East Wickler Meals, he failed to turn on ease with the commune's left turn on Wick Forest Road.

So he makes two mistakes.

Is there a better way to do that?

To improve the services?

Yes.

Improve the service light, go try and go to install the GPS.

The GPS allow the driver to not need to memorize the role, especially if they are not experienced with it.

And I think that is a pretty important and you should have better training on the driver if they do not remember the route that it is important that they would cause the disruption to the people who work in Walmart and do not oh they miss the bus because the driver is late or something.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Byron Laws.

Uh good evening.

I'm Byron Laws, District C resident, also former chair of the Human Relations Commission.

I actually just wrote off June of this year after serving three terms, which is six years.

Um I watched the meetings you all held as a special um committee around the boards and commissions to consolidate them.

Um specifically, I'm here to talk about um you all not doing anything with African American Affairs Board.

Um community members brought it up, and you all wouldn't let us do anything as a counsel because it wasn't part of our work plan.

We then put in our work plan July 4th last year.

You all voted for African American Affairs Board here, like you all did, um, except the two new uh people that are on council.

Um last Monday, you all decided to consolidate the Hispanic and Immigrant Affairs Board into HRC, which um clarification it was never part of HRC, it was built out of HRC.

Um, but you all decided not to sit the African American Affairs Board.

Um, as a lifelong resident of District C.

Um, it's really hard to just be be a part of this.

I was a vice chair of my CAC when that got dismantled.

I was um involved in my HRC and became chair because you all asked our president at the time after she had just got approved by us.

So then I hear you all say that we're not organized and moving the work, we move the work, and then you all decide that the work is not important enough to carry on, specifically work um to give African American community members a voice here.

Um I'm a graduate of NLO, there's a council member that's a graduate of NLO, that council member is also an Aggie.

Um I just came from Giho this weekend.

Aggie's do.

So when I see a council member that looks like me who didn't silence the voice of community in a minority majority district, we got some issues, like real issues.

If y'all are not gonna give black people a voice in this community in this city, and you look like me, get out the way.

We don't need it.

And if you all are gonna continue to rig elections here, that are gonna give you power, thank you.

Mary Thompson.

Good evening, Mayor and City Council.

I served as an HRC on the HRC for six years, and also had the opportunity to serve it in leadership roles.

During my time on the commission, every project, every activity we undertook was part of a work plan that was approved by the city council.

Throughout my tenure, the HRC advocated for the Director of Equity Inclusion position.

The HRC conducted research, held community feedback sessions, and made recommendations for the creation of several important boards.

The police advisory board, the Hispanic Affairs Board, the Immigrant Affairs Board.

The HRC introduced National Day of Racial Healing to the City of Raleigh.

The HRC had events with NAMI and did held two food distribution events during COVID.

Over the years, the HRC has participated and supported numerous community events.

During my time on HRC, resolutions were initiatives were from various Raleigh community members.

Members from the Quaker community brought forth the reparative justice resolution.

Members from the African American community brought forward the African American Advisory Board directly to the City Council.

The current proposal to eliminate boards or to merge multiple community focused efforts to a single entity is deeply disappointing.

As a volunteer commission, the HRC is not structured to provide adequate attention and voice to the wide range of community issues.

I and other residents of Raleigh look forward to seeing how the new HR Street HRC structure will advocate for important issues for a very diverse city of Raleigh.

Thank you.

Robert Quartz.

Good evening, Council members and my fellow Raleighites.

I'm here tonight to draw your attention to recent lobbying by the billboard industry, and that they are seeking a change to the current UDO ban on electric billboards in Raleigh.

Electric billboards are visual pollution and increased driver distraction.

Digital billboards are designed to get and hold drivers' attention longer than static billboards.

They are designed to pull our eyes off the road away from pedestrians, cyclists, and our fellow drivers.

Just one electric billboard with ability to change ads every eight seconds and running 24 hours a day.

That's over 10,000 flashes of distraction per day on the same stretch of road.

And the billboard industry knows electric billboards are bigger distractions.

And they even use this fact as a selling feature to their clients.

Promoted digital billboards to advertisers because they grab drivers' attention longer.

They quoted an Arbitron outdoor study claiming digital billboards produce 63% longer gaze times.

In their own words, the digital display that grabs attention sooner wins the race.

If the industry itself is selling distraction as a benefit, why would Raleigh knowingly make you Andrew Bennington?

Good evening.

I'm here today to talk about the big branch Creek Greenway Connector, which I think is not news to any of you.

But I'm here tonight, not as an affected homeowner, which I am, but as a taxpayer, which all of us are, and I want everyone here to hear this and you all to consider it carefully, as I know you're going to vote on this issue coming up.

It's my understanding, based on public uh information Freedom of Information Act request that this project, it's about three and a half miles to build a greenway, uh, was funded by a referendum that we all voted on, and it was approved in the order of about 4.5 million.

One segment, a half mile segment, which is behind my house and my neighbors' houses, uh, is less than half a mile.

The Freedom of Information Act request we got from the engineers that have worked on this suggest that that one half mile stretch is going to cost nearly five million dollars.

So a half-mile stretch of this proposed project is going to blow the budget for the entire three and a half mile uh proposed greenway.

So in addition to the number of other environmental, legal, and um safety issues we've raised.

I I bring this issue to the forefront, and this is a result of the fact that the city has no property rights to this land.

It's we hold it in fee simple, we own the entire land.

If it has to be taken from us, it's going to be taken by eminent domain, which is you all know is the city taking private property at your additional expense.

So you're gonna pay for it, and I just want you guys to hear it in front of them.

Thank you very much for listening.

Have a good night.

Thank you.

Lindsay Rains.

It's Lindsay here.

Okay.

Nikki W.

Phone.

Is this your phone, Andrew?

Excuse me.

Excuse me.

Did not mean take your time.

I'm probably thank you.

Good evening.

Lila Summer ML Sudden offered me indefinite an indefinite stay at for transition at the CS at 2800.

I was hesitant to move in because the staff was unwelcoming and discouraged to move.

And despite the renovation, there was no AC in the unit.

After about two months later, dropping temps and being exposed to the elements, I reluctantly moved in.

Since I've been there, the elevator has been down for the past 10 months and other repairs neglect to be made.

There are massive water puddles that stand on a slippery cement surface from OACs leaking.

There's a roach infestation and bed bugs in most every room, even if uh festing brand new appliances, those are refrigerators, microwaves, and most times the environment feels unsafe.

As a result of the unworking elevator and slippery pavement, I fell on the stairs and suffered a concussion and multiple injuries.

Just recently, an older woman also almost fell.

As a result of roaches, I cannot use my AC or he or stove or to cook efficiently or to surf efficient.

I have been threatened and harassed, and the Security Guard was hired but left after just one week.

The building considered affordable housing owned by the city and managed by CASA, houses elderly disabled veterans, people with behavioral challenges, abatement has not been offered, and suitable and timely accommodations have not been made.

Residents who live here are on a fixed income and pay off a four-fifths of their fixed income to stay here and deserve better.

So residents and I are requesting a bait main and/or accommodations are and/or alternative housing.

And remember that the promises of tomorrow begin with the practices of today.

Thank you.

Can I just ask you to repeat the name of the building because I missed it when you said that?

You own the building, the studios at 2800 at 2800 Brentwood.

Okay.

Which is managed by Casa.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

Next we have Helen Kerbin.

Good evening.

My name is Helen Kervin and I live in the Anderson Forest neighborhood, where the proposed big branch Greenway Segment 1B, so-called streamside route, would run directly behind non-homes and dangerously close to Big Branch Creek.

For 16 months, our neighbors have provided extensive documented evidence to city staff, parks board, and city council explaining why this route should not be built within feet of the creek.

Yet these facts have been dismissed.

Building a greenway parallel to Big Branch Creek within the 30-foot reparian buffer violates Noose River buffer rules, floodplain standards, the City's own greenway master plan and design guidelines.

This area floods frequently, creating safety risks for users and guaranteeing ongoing costly maintenance.

The public surveys used to justify this route were misleading.

And a greenway within 50 feet of homes will permanently strip away our privacy.

Two facts are impossible to overlook.

Costs and a deed restriction.

This half-mile streamside route is projected to cost more than the entire 4.5 million budget for the full three and a half-mile project and irresponsible use of taxpayer funds.

The city will have to violate a 39-year-old scenic preservation deed prohibiting Greenway construction and pursue eminent domain against non-homeowners.

Ignoring these realities would be a costly mistake for the community, the environment, and the city's long-term interests.

Thank you so much for your consideration.

Okay, she's not here.

Alexis Kennedy.

For the past two years, I have bore witness to Palestinian children that look like they're sleeping, but in actuality, their bodies are so small that when the bombs go off around them, the blowblock, the blowbacks liquefy their insides, making them look like they're sleeping, and that there is a possibility to save them.

And yesterday, I witnessed Trump in Israel joke with Bibi that he sent all the bombs.

He didn't know that existed, and that BB used them well.

And that Merriam, his biggest donor of six mil $60 million to his campaign, was at his White House more than any other person telling him to keep sending more money, more bombs to Israel, and that he admits that it will get him in trouble, but that Mary Am most likely loves Israel more than she loves the USA.

While we're in a full government shutdown, our national parks are left exposed, our military was stressed about whether or not they were going to be paid to pay their mortgage, to pay for food.

Israel got paid through a loophole.

So while they're still getting money, our people starve.

But I would like to point out that we are supplying money to a government that has universal health care, free college, and for every baby they have, they get a paycheck every year until that child is 18.

Meanwhile, America, we're crippled with debt everywhere.

And we have the money to send to a country that is not in debt like we are, and send our tax dollars to a country that has free socialist programs while we are not allowed to have them.

Meanwhile, I have 10 seconds.

Meanwhile, I would like us to demand Deborah Ross present an arms embargo on this country.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Hannah Dialy.

Uh Rashawn King.

Good evening, Mayor and Council members.

My name is Rashawn King.

I'm here today to talk about the big branch greenway trail connector.

The big branch greenway is a vital project that will impact not just one section of Raleigh but the entire region.

The importance of this trail has been expressed highly by citizens Raleigh through community engagement.

The Greenway has been emphasized and embedded in the 2020 walkable midway plan and the Vision Zero plan as well.

The development of this greenway will bring more than 10,000 residents within a 10-mile walking radius closer to this greenway.

But it also will bring residents outside of Raleigh's jurisdiction to be able to enjoy this remarkable trail and the city trail connectivity throughout the city of Raleigh.

I advocate for this project because of the substantial connection that we'll provide for residents who will be able to utilize this trail for transportation, recreation, leisure, and health and wellness.

But more so for the kids, for the kids, and for the parents who will be able to be able to use this route for safe routes to school and safe routes to playgrounds.

And I can truly say that almost every greenway and trail that Raleigh has built has made a substantial and a positive impact on people's lives.

I am a cancer survivor, and greenways and trails have saved my life.

When I bought leukemia at age of 17 years old, had 24 hours to live.

Thank you.

She here.

Jeremy Gilchrist.

Good evening.

Two years ago, uh when everything started over in uh Palestine and the genocide began.

We came here week after week demanding a resolution for a ceasefire.

Uh week after week, we finally uh the pressure built up where that vote was taken, and of course, unfortunately, it failed.

Um I just wanted to say after everything that's happened, we finally have reached a peace quote unquote peace deal, um, which is obviously riddled with corruption and everything else, but we'll get to that.

Umetheless, we've seen proven time and time again that the genocide was in fact real, the starvation, uh hundreds of thousands at this point are probably the actual death toll in Palestine as far as dead Palestinians, mostly uh women and children.

Um those of you who voted who are still on this council who voted against that ceasefire resolution will forever have to live with that and will forever be on the wrong side of history.

Now, uh with this corrupt peace deal, of course, what it really is is a real estate grab for Donald Trump.

He wants to be he's gonna be the head of the peace board.

And make no mistake, there will be no peace.

The infrastructure is completely destroyed in Gaza, just about, and everything else, and it will probably take decades upon decades to even try to rebuild it if if they are if they even can at this point.

So what I would encourage the city to do from now on is is not to take your eye off the ball.

Look into everything that uh any ties to Israel as far as city investments, uh companies you deal with and everything else, and consider uh divesting from anything that's connected to Israel, which is a terror state, an apartheid state and a racist state.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Uh Michael Porvoznick.

Good evening, Mayor, Council, staff.

This evening I'm here to urge you to continue development of the big branch greenway following your staff's recommended alignment.

This greenway is more than a recreational path.

It's a vital piece of Raleigh's active transportation network.

It connects thousands of residents to the broader greenway system and provides safe direct access to Kawanis Park and Our Lady of Lords Elementary School.

For families and children, this means a secure way to travel, play, and learn without relying on a car.

Suggesting that pedestrians and cyclists use Anderson Drive and Six Forks Road instead is not just unrealistic, it's dangerous.

These are high traffic corridors with limited pedestrian infrastructure, and we've seen this before up on Mine Creek Trail, where it ends, and Greenway users are asked to use Six Forks Sidewalk to continue north.

If you tried to bike from the proposed Greenway area to Whole Foods today, you'd be putting your life on the line.

Once built, this greenway will offer safe access to jobs, grocery stores, and restaurants, making it a critical link for daily life, not just weekend recreation.

To quote George Costanza, we live in a society.

And in a society, we make choices that reflect our shared values.

Sometimes sacrifices must be made by the few for the good of the many.

This is one of those moments.

The safety of our children, our neighbors, and our most vulnerable road users depends on this connection.

Let's not treat greenways as optional luxuries.

They are essential infrastructure, just like roads.

Ensure Raleigh remains a city that values safety, sustainability, and connection for everyone.

Please move forward with the big branch greenway as proposed.

And I urge you to not give in to hyperbole about costs and environmental factors.

Trust the engineers that your staff has hired to design this greenway and move forward as proposed.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Bob Spaziano.

It's Bob here.

Okay.

Autumn Cobland.

Hi.

Good evening.

I'm Autumn.

I um am here also to speak to the support for the big branch uh trail.

And there's so many things that have already been mentioned about the greatness of our trails, but this isn't the first greenway trail that's been built, and I have heard stories from not directly, but from a former council member who sat here and listened to all sorts of complaints about the House Creek Trail when it was being built.

And the reality is that after the neighbors complained and they said, you know, we don't want this trail, the trail was built, and those same neighbors came back and they said, um, could could we please have access to that trail?

It's really great.

So it really I think the trails are so valuable uh for so many reasons, but just in favor of them.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Hannah Fennel.

Hannah here.

Okay.

Rob Lemay.

Chip thrasher.

Uh good evening.

Uh my name's Chip Thrasher.

I serve on BPAC bike ped.

Um I just want to express my support for the Active Mobility Plan and the downtown mobility study from earlier today.

Obviously, we spent some time at BPAC talking about it.

Staff has done a great job, tool design.

Um, and I think I'm really excited for how we're going to move forward as a city.

And actually, as a part of that, I also want to express my support for big branch Greenway recommended alignment by Park Sport.

Thanks.

Thank you.

David Hudson.

David here.

Okay.

Brett Morris.

Sprett.

No.

Colin Kabelka.

Hi there.

Mike on.

Okay.

Hi, my name is Colin.

Um I wanted to support my I wanted to uh voice my support for the big branch green greenway and uh emphasize the need for better greenways in our city and uh the need for better safe routes.

If you've ever been to the area that is being served by this greenway, you'll know that it is very um high high-speed traffic.

Um you're not going to see many people outside of cars.

So I think a greenway in this area is going to do give dividends to this community.

Um I think greenways provide a lot more than just recreation.

They provide safe passage to um different areas in the city, uh allow for better economic activity and to provide uh independence for children that are able to get to school that way.

Um I'm a pharmacist in the area.

I work at Joseph's pharmacy.

Um I do a lot more than just dispense drugs.

I uh give wellness recommendations to people, and I feel like a lot of times when people tell me what they're doing at home, uh you know they might walk on the side of a highway, they might walk up and down the block.

I think there's a lot more that more enrichment that is able to be had on a greenway.

And I know biking has changed my life, and I know that a lot of people that have I've gotten into it has changed their life as well.

So I like to um voice my support for better greenways in this way as well, and to provide better exercise opportunities and better better ways to get around for the general public.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Uh next, Cody Stokes.

Is Cody here?

Margot Knapp.

Natalie Brown.

Okay.

Shaniki joiner.

Okay.

Okay.

Good afternoon, members of the board, city officials, and colleagues.

My name is Natalie Brown, and I'm a bus operator who proudly serves the city.

Every day, my co-workers and I perform one of the most essential yet often overlooked public services.

We transport thousands of residents safely to work, school appointments, and home again.

We do this with professionalism and pride.

Excuse me.

However, I stand before you today because the working environment for operators has become increasingly difficult and at times unsafe.

Many of us feel unsupported and disrespected by those in positions of leadership who should be advocating for us.

There have been repeated instances of intimidation, rebel mistreatment, and misuse of authority by our assistant general manager.

Operators have reported walking away from conversations feeling demeanor, threatened, or silence.

This kind of behavior undermines morale, erodes trust, and creates a hostile workplace culture.

Leadership should empower employees, not intimidate them.

I'm sorry.

Beyond workplace culture, safety remains our most urgent concern.

Recently, a fellow operator experienced harassment and assault while performing her duties.

When she defended herself, she was handcuffed and treated as the aggressor.

Incidents like this expose the gaps in our safety protocols and inconsistent treatment of transit workers when they are victims of violence.

Operators deserve to know, I'm sorry, yeah, that they when they are assaulted, their agency in their city will stand behind them, not turn against them.

We ask for clear, consistent policies that one, protect transit employees from retaliation with reporting harassment, ensure accountability and professional professional conduct from management at all levels, establish stronger coordination with law enforcement to safeguard operators' rights during on job incidents.

We are not seeking special privileges, we are seeking fairness, respect, and the right to a safe workplace.

The same principles this city is sent to all public service.

Bus operators are the face of this transit system.

We are the ones greeting passengers every morning, helping singles bore, and ensuring our communities stay connected.

Thank you.

She's not.

Okay, okay.

James Limehouse.

Okay.

Jeffrey Hooks.

Okay.

Okay, James Longhouse.

Um James Limehouse, as you have to see my uniform.

Uh go real Will Raleigh employee.

Um as you say um I might say um R ATP dev employee.

But um this is the name that they see when I walk out.

Go Raleigh.

That's who I represent.

And you know, the problem with security, it affects everyone.

And one of when one of our employees or a fellow employees have problems, um, let you say the bus operators, the mechanic shop, um, utility, whatever.

We are all affected.

Janitorial, down the grounds, the maintenance.

But we all need security.

Not just downtown, but all of our facilities.

They're wide open to the public.

At any time, you know, people walking up on our facility at the garage, in in the shop, you know, that's that's unacceptable.

And we've talked about this many a times.

Well, it's time for something to be done.

Need action.

You know, because we deserve more than people standing around with the arm fold, not seeing us.

We deserve to be seen, heard, and respected.

All of us.

Simple.

Thank you.

Good evening.

My name is Jeffrey Hooks.

I'm a professional bus operator for Go Raleigh slash Rappy Dev.

I am here because I want to talk about safety.

Last week we had an incident happening at work at nighttime.

And it hurts my heart, you know, to hear what we had to do.

But at night, my fellow some of my fellow co-workers, um, they got off work and their windows smashed out.

I'm like, mm, you know, that's not normal.

And then I follow one of them, they said, uh, I had to pay my own for my own window to be fixed, I don't I don't know what to do.

So I asked, did it come to take care of it?

They said no, we got foul on our own insurance.

I'm like, what?

That's not right.

And um, for the safety part, when we get off work, we want to go home to our families.

Families is very important to all of us.

Some of this, we are some of the drivers, we are the breadwinner of our family.

That's all we ask.

We want the safety for us as drivers.

That's all I ask.

Our verse, our voice need to be heard clearly.

It is very unacceptable for Rapp P Dev to treat us like that.

We are human.

They go home their families.

We want to go to home our families too.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Archibald Gresham.

Good evening.

My name is Archibald Gresham, and I'm here because of what's going on.

Y'all see it.

We move the city.

Without the buses, don't nothing go.

We move the city.

And if y'all want us to do continue to do this, then make it safe for us.

Give us a chance.

We out here every day.

Every day.

We only get two days off a year.

Two days.

And y'all worried about the money.

I heard one of these young men here, I'm not gonna mention your names, found five thousand dollars last year in November to do a transit service at Apex.

I live in Raleigh.

What is that helping us?

What are y'all gonna focus on us?

We riding around with broken windows.

And on the buses.

Come on now.

Y'all want safety?

Put your money up.

You got security down there.

They're not allowed to do anything because of what?

When they first came, they were doing a great job.

Now they're not allowed to get on the bus.

So how's it security?

You don't got no fences at our facility.

I park my car there, I come back and it's broken windows.

How am I safe?

And the thing is, now you got a parking ride at the garage, so they can ride back to us and follow us to our car.

Y'all know who we riding.

This is our city.

Y'all want us to move it?

Fix it.

Thank you.

Good evening, everyone.

My name is Michael General.

I stand before you guys as a professional bus operator.

Yes, I came from a big city.

Yes, I seen public aggression.

But as our city grow, I've never seen disaggression at one of our main hogs, which is go Raleigh Station.

If any of you guys ever been down there four or five in the morning, it's the liking of a third world country now.

Every corner of Go Raleigh Station has feces, urine all over the place.

You know, RATP dev was hired to manage us, and I don't think they, I don't think they're put in a position to protect us.

So it's getting to a point now where we're getting up three, four, five in the morning, and I'm telling everybody to rest is sure the same way you come to work, get home to your family by any means necessary.

And I don't know how that's gonna look for a lot of us.

But when you operating as a public servant in a poverty stricken city, I don't think it's fair for me to be driving up the road moving passengers and getting cussed out and threatened.

And we told to stay in our seat shut up and drive at what point do you take your seatbelt off when someone is approaching you know we had an operator who was stabbed in the seat four o'clock in the morning guy run off nothing happens.

This was a 62 year operator getting ready to retire.

He haven't returned back to work yet.

He haven't returned back to work yet.

EAP is not enough.

We need on-site counseling capital police when they deal with any incident is two officers RPD when they deal with any incident it's two police officers our supervisors when they deal with an incident sometimes they are by themselves and one thing I said I'm not gonna do is leave any our female supervisor alone to deal with our passenger thank you Clifton Hill try to do this as fast as possible so bear with me.

My name is Clifton Hill Financial Secretary HU 1328 my roots run deep in the state my grandmother's from Bath my mother's from Little Washington and Williamston.

My father's from Harlem and I was raised in Jamaica Queens I seen so many sides of America working class the political to personal struggles I've been in transportation for 27 years New York, Jersey and North Carolina more than half my life serving the public I have seen how much operators give and how little protection they get I rep that's why I joined our union we was founded in 1892 we represent over 2000 members across U.S.

and Canada we fight for safe fair and reliable transit the governor even spoke at our last AFL CIO convention which represents 15 million workers you support us we support you.

Local 1328 represents the bus operators who move this city through storms holidays and COVID when others stayed home we were called the central but never treated like it.

Local 1328 represents the bus operators and we face daily threats being cursed at spit on and even assaulted and when we defend ourselves we are treated like the problem how did we become the enemy our passengers have weapons our officers have weapons invest and all we have is a standwell and a will to get home safe we need rail safety we need transit police units that build relationships with operators in the community relations over intimidation maybe then when I say good morning I can get a good morning back because we are not treated like that downtown.

All right we need fair investigations when operators defend themselves and the end to lowest big contracts that cut safety and benefits to save a DOM.

Our next contract is coming and at this time we're coming for fairness transparency and respect.

We are getting tired and ready to stand together.

We want partnership justice safety good benefits and money we deserve ATU local 1328 we're not asking for favors we're asking for respect protection and fairness because we move this Robert Drakeford Robert Good evening ladies and gentlemen my name is Robert Drakeford I'm operatorslash trainer I've been doing this for about four years and seven months and it is ridiculous downtown it's just like a circus I've trained new drivers who have left because they get down there and they see what goes on and they don't feel safe right now I can't understand why it's like that you go to Durham and this is Raleigh is the capital you go to Durham Transit Center they help you don't see this they sit down there they party they smoke they drink um they do everything and it's out of control and we just need to get this under control so that we can move the city again this is Raleigh this is the capital it shouldn't look like this thank you.

I'm here to speak in favor of the big branch greenway.

We all know that greenways are very important to our city here.

They connect our neighborhoods.

They give us safe places to walk and cycle.

They support our health.

And they provide an alternative to driving that is safe and accessible for nearly everyone.

And they're widely loved by both residents and visitors to Raleigh.

However, we need to speak out for them now, and especially now.

The city's Master Greenway Plan identifies the big branch tributary corridor as a key connection.

It links the Crabtree Creek Greenway to North Hills and eventually Millbrook Road and beyond.

So this is a critical piece of long planned infrastructure for a more connected Raleigh, and it could connect people from North Raleigh to downtown where they can work and recreate without getting on our already congested roads.

Unfortunately, there's a very small group of residents, seven in total, that have been working to stop this greenway from being built near their homes.

To address privacy concerns, the city has generously agreed to put up a privacy fence.

I've heard some of these homeowners tonight say, well, this greenway will flood.

Well, I'm an avid cyclist.

I can tell you a lot of greenways are built near streams, and a lot of them flood.

And walkers and cyclists are usually uh not interested in walking in the rain and flooded conditions.

And the city has an excellent website that tells you when the greenways are flooded and people stay away from them during those times when they're unsafe.

Um they actually make very good use of the floodplain, which it's much better use of the floodplain where people can enjoy and use the floodplain rather than having homes there that get flooded.

It's much better to have a greenway flooded than a home.

Right?

Thank you.

Thank you.

Andrew Morton.

Is Andrew here?

Okay.

Uh Zach Bince.

Zach.

Nope.

Sarah Colton.

All right.

Dylan Barry.

Good evening.

Uh I'd like to speak in strong support of the big branch greenway connector.

Uh I live and work in the area where segment one is proposed.

Uh when my partner and I bought our first home last year, proximity to Crabtree Creek Greenway was a major selling point for us.

Uh three to four days a week.

I go for a run on the greenway, and much of my commute takes place on the greenway.

So I say all of this not as an occasional user, but someone who relies on and deeply values Raleigh's Greenway system.

Uh I truly believe it is one of the city's greatest assets.

Well, I'm very fortunate that my commute lines up with the Greenway.

Most people are not as lucky.

In order to drop off their kids at school, go to work, or run errands, they often have no choice but to drive.

The big branch greenway connector can change that.

By linking to North Hills and bridging the belt line, this project has the potential to transform a trail that's mainly recreation, recreational into a real transportation option.

In my mind, there are two things that are really important when considering which route this greenway should take.

Uh the first is safety, with 40,000 Americans dying in car crashes every year.

Conflict points between cars and people need to be reduced.

Every greenway or every driveway that the greenway crosses is a potential hazard.

The second thing to consider is convenience.

It doesn't matter how safe a greenway is if it doesn't go where people want to go, or it takes too long for them to get there.

Uh adding half a mile or increasing the steepness by a few degrees may seem like a minor inconvenience, but it can be the difference between someone walking or biking or jumping in their car.

So as you consider the route for this connection, I encourage you to please think about the people that will be using the screenway and to design something that is safe, direct, and truly useful.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Andrea Rosteen.

Brian McGuinness.

Brian McGuinness, good evening, everybody.

Thank you so much for your time and your energy.

I just wanted to speak to you the spark that's inside of you all to move you to be in these positions and to listen to all of us.

I know it's a long time, but I just want to, you know, revere you for that action that you're taking and that responsibility you are taking.

Thank you.

Um I'm here to speak about Israel-Palestine.

And oh we talk about that.

Well, how to relate it to North Carolina, we have spent 430 We have funded Israel with 432 million dollars.

Uh America has given Israel 32 billion dollars since October 2024, 23.

And those monies could very well be used better utilized in my opinion.

I think most Americans' opinions uh for infrastructure, education, subsidizing uh home um child care.

Um every many things that are here in our states.

So that's a way to relate this the genocide and this horrible humanitarian situation in Palestine.

And um I also want to just take I I recognize that you guys are all very busy with many, many a multitude of issues.

So I just want to speak to you real quick to catch you off with a side of the Palestine information that you won't hear on the Western media that you know there's 17 Palestinians who have been killed since the ceasefire is started.

Um settler violence in the West Bank has been going on for decades and it's not ceasing, it's only getting larger and larger.

I myself was encountered by some Israeli uh settlers uh August 2024, and a military guy shot a you know a smoke canister thing right right by my face.

Um the violence is really real.

Um the uh the Western media isn't covering it.

Uh Trump is speaking as if you know he's in charge of these people and their lands, and it's taking such a colonial uh you know overtaking type of tone that it's despicable.

But many people are following what many people are backing it.

Uh I just want to just speak those things.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Donna Bailey.

Good evening, Donna Bailey.

Um, the approval of Z-12 was a huge disappointment to many of the residents in Raleigh's neighborhoods.

What is most disappointing is that there was a workable compromise that would have respected all parties.

Raleigh needs to do better managing growth.

We all know that affordable housing is the number one issue in Raleigh.

If this developer builds the proposed 900 apartments, their financial contribution from this massive project will be $1,300 per unit for affordable housing.

I think that's an embarrassment.

For a project, $1,300, you guys gotta do better.

You all have the power to demand more to be done.

If you continue at this level, we will be losing more affordable housing every year.

Mayor Cowell, you mentioned Atlanta the other night and all the tall buildings around the belt line.

Chat GPT says that none of the buildings around there are more than 18 stories.

That might be wrong.

I don't know, but that's what Chat GPT.

On a more positive note, I'm glad you disbanded the community engagement board.

As a past member, I can attest that this board did not improve community engagement.

I would like to recommend that the funds and personnel be directed to the CACs, which does support real community engagement.

If the CACs had not held a joint meeting after the staff report, the public would not have had a chance to review it.

There is a big gap in the public getting information in the rezoning process.

As we saw with Z-21, even with the two developer-led meetings, we were not privileged to hear all the information.

That is where CACs are so helpful.

We heard the cases before the planning commission, and negotiations often resulted in a better plan.

One way to fix this is to have the staff report at the second meeting.

Thank you.

Sarah Quadry.

Good evening.

I just wanted to take a moment to thank um the Gore Raleigh employees.

They came, I know that they left.

But as a community um, as we all are committee members here and use public transmit at times, we stand with you and I implore the council and the mayoral office to look into the legitimate grievances that they have and take immediate action to ensure the safety of our essential Raleigh City workers.

We also need more resources for the acorns program to ensure that we reach to the root cause of issues that we have and not just criminalize those suffering with mental health issues or other health crises.

And reaching into that, we need more affordable housing.

I'm hoping that the new mayor that we have will help us get there instead of just working with the land developers to have more high rises.

Trying to get one community fridge in Raleigh where food insecurity and homelessness are exponentially rising should not be as hard as it has been.

I would like to revisit with the council if we can to try to do something at Morris Square Cafe.

Also, I just want to say, as a middle school teacher, my students have read Medicine back this month in honor of what our indigenous communities have gone through right here in Raleigh as well.

And hearing these stories, they themselves have felt the similarities being Palestinians, being Syrians, Lebanese, Yemen, and from other places and people that have been colonized in the past to see that the struggle of all indigenous people and reflect on how food is used as a weapon, how land is ravaged instead of protected, and how they are dehumanized and how there's biases in word choice, and you see that in print as a person with journalism background.

I just want to say I stand in our community and grieving with everyone for the over 250 journalists that have been targeted and as well as you Jared Harbour.

Hi there.

I am here to well, I came here today to speak on the big branch greenway in support of the Creekside Alignment on the connector.

You know, Greenways, greenways really are the best, I think.

I think most of us know that.

And um in a city that doesn't have some great natural resource like a large river, a mountain, an ocean, our greenways have been that sort of regional draw that brings people from all over who come to experience the extensive and large greenway network that we have.

It also is whether people are willing to acknowledge it or not.

A transportation network, and a lot of people use it to get from point A to point B for work, for school, and even for just rec you know recreation to go to a different restaurant or something like that.

And I was in the work session, um, which uh by the way, I'd love to hear about the new uh active mobility plan.

Uh councilmember Jones had a question specifically about how we're going to how is that um the the big jump of 50 uh 50 miles in five years going to connect residents in Briar Creek.

Staff said, well, we're going to create those connections in that area and that lead them to the greenway.

Well, if that greenway is not connected and not complete, bringing people to downtown, they're gonna basically reach a dead end and not be able to get anywhere.

Um it's really important to see that these connections actually happen.

Uh as I'm running out of time, uh I did not know about all the grievances that the Go Raleigh bus drivers had.

That's news to me, and I grew up being told that you say thank you when you exit the bus.

And I feel like at a leadership level, we need to be saying thank you.

So thank you.

Thank you for those comments.

Uh Kesha Monk.

Keisha.

Polite nods immediately followed by votes against the will of the community by previous council is the reason why those of you who know me haven't seen me in a while, because political theater sucks.

But tonight I'm back, not for me, but for my neighbors.

This is about survival.

For Southeast Raleigh for small businesses like the Black Farmers Hub on Cross Street, this is a matter of life and death.

The Black Farmers Hub is more than a market.

It's the heartbeat of Southeast Raleigh, feeding our community with culture, connection, and fresh locally grown produce.

They recently received a notice from Total Pay, which is the system that processes EBT and WIC benefits, warning that during the government shutdown, transactions would be suspended.

So just imagine the panic that ensued.

But thankfully, some divine intervention occurred and the system was up and running shortly thereafter.

But what if it hadn't?

In Southeast Raleigh, where rezoning after rezoning is driving out legacy residents, where the BRT rezoning that nobody asked for will worsen this food desert and where affordability is already out of reach, losing access to EBT benefits would be catastrophic.

The Black Farmers Hub isn't just a business, it's a lifeline.

It feeds families who cannot easily access fresh fruits and vegetables because food lion is too far.

So when that warning came, I emailed counsel immediately.

But when no one even acknowledged in my email, the message was clear.

This community is still on its own.

Here's what I'm asking for, and please don't say this is out of your jurisdiction.

Council, you have power.

I'm asking you to use it.

I'm asking you to create a local contingency plan to protect small businesses and families when federal systems fail.

Come on.

This store is going to collapse.

If you guys don't do something, please.

Southeast Raleigh cannot afford another crisis, and this council cannot afford to stay silent.

Ashley Adair.

Good evening, everybody.

My name is Tania Hubbard.

I'm from the Alcohol Drug Council in North Carolina, and this is my colleague Ashley.

In 2023, North Carolina recorded its highest overdose rate since 2010, with an estimated of 4,042 deaths, about 12 deaths per day, more than double the rate of any vehicle fatalities.

Fentanyl related deaths rose by 23 percent from 2022 to 2023, and 80 percent of the overdose deaths involve multiple substance multiple substances.

At least 50 percent of people with an SUD disorder have a co-occurring mental illness.

Only 50 percent of individuals in North Carolina have access to the care that they need for SUD and mental health issues.

Starting October 1st, 2025, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services implemented reimbursement rate reductions for Medicaid providers due to a $319 million shortfall in the state budget.

Access to mental health and substance use disorder services has remained a critical challenge in Raleigh and in Wake County.

Vulnerable populations, including individuals experiencing homelessness, face systemic barriers such as fragmented care, transportation issues, and financial constraints.

We seek partnership and funding support, expand capacity and multilingual services, mental health, and SUD issues.

Develop a no-wrongdoor navigation model for Raleigh residents, and launch community care coordination pilot integrating mental health, SUD and social services.

Alcohol and Drug Council of North Carolina serves as a central hub for behavioral health navigation, offering helpline and digital access.

We have a 24-7 confidential helpline connecting individuals to treatment, recovery housing, and crisis services.

We have an online resource directory for mental health and substance use providers.

Thank you guys.

If you have a written statement too, that would be helpful just to know all the and thanks for your emails too.

Will Hooker.

Good evening.

My name is Will Hooker.

I'm a landscape architect and an emeritus professor for MC State, where I taught landscape design for over 35 years.

There is an issue concerning Dix Park, which I believe is short-sighted, very ill-advised, and which would represent an extremely bad precedent for the future of Dix Park.

Some want to put condominiums in the park.

Central Park in New York City is the best urban park in the U.S.

and one of the best in the world.

And it is a model for what for what Dick's Park could become.

Central Park was started in the 1850s, and since its inception, there's been pressure for more commercialization.

Thankfully, this has been thwarted.

Allowing Central Park to be what it was intended to be, a place to offer a retreat from noise, pollution, and overcrowding.

This is also what Dix Park should be.

And with Raleigh being one of the fastest growing cities in the country, every square foot of land is precious.

One of the problems of concern here relative to the park is symbolic ownership.

And that is when people live near something, they feel like they own it.

And this would be a problem with people trying to come to the park to use the park on any land that is near these condominiums, because they would be invading it.

This this would be a major travesty and would make the park unattractive for most of us normal folks.

Please, please do not allow condominiums to be built in the park.

Thank you very much.

Yeah.

Um I'm here to request the city look into emotional intelligence assessments and training for the city staff.

To not point fingers at any particular person or department, I think it's something that should be done across all city departments.

The long story short was after I had a chance to speak with them, she he said they threatened to hit him.

Now, as a parent coach, you know that's very triggering to me.

Now I'm not here to proclaim that wisdom is some angelic child.

All the things a mentally healthy child should be and do.

So this seems a really like a really harsh punishment for him trying to reenact a scene from Bluey where bingo is trying to get water from a water fountain and she overflows it to drink from it.

If you know, you know.

Now this might alarm you and even seem dangerous, but the fountain was outside.

Again, this is a very b abbreviated version of the story.

I'm not going to blow up this individual, but I will say that if they the if they did that to wisdom, not believing he would say anything to me, then who else are they talking to like that?

No child should be threatened with any get you, especially in our parks.

Of all places, they should of all places, they should be yet another safe space to be in.

Thank you, and good night.

Thank you.

All right.

That concludes our public comment for this evening.

Thank you all for coming out.