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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Raleigh City Council Public Comment Session - October 14, 2025

City Council — Tuesday, October 14, 2025

BodyRaleigh, North Carolina

SessionCity Council

DateTuesday, October 14, 2025

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:17:56

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

9:22

Right, everybody.

9:23

Uh, welcome to the public comment period.

9:26

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

9:32

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.

9:51

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.

10:05

I am a civil rights activist.

10:07

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.

10:19

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

10:27

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

10:35

What you voted for was a restrictive covenant.

10:38

That's all it was.

10:39

It was a restrictive covenant.

10:41

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.

10:49

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.

11:01

But you voted against it.

11:03

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

11:14

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

11:17

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

11:25

You gotta be for real.

11:27

You gotta be sincere.

11:28

That's not godly.

11:30

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

11:34

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

11:37

It wasn't.

11:39

I expected two blacks to ask that question.

11:44

Why black people can't live there?

11:46

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

11:53

Thank you.

11:54

Next we have Kevin Kwong.

11:59

Hello, everyone.

12:01

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

12:06

My topic is a very difficult one.

12:08

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

12:16

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.

12:37

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

12:43

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.

12:55

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

13:06

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.

13:16

So he makes two mistakes.

13:18

Is there a better way to do that?

13:20

To improve the services?

13:22

Yes.

13:24

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

13:29

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

13:36

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.

13:52

Thank you very much.

13:54

Thank you.

13:56

Byron Laws.

14:03

Uh good evening.

14:04

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

14:10

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

14:15

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

14:22

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

14:28

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.

14:35

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

14:38

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

14:46

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.

14:57

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

15:02

Um, as a lifelong resident of District C.

15:05

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

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Public Transportation██████████████████████22%

Public Safety████████████████████20%

Foreign Policy███████████████15%

Racial Equity██████████10%

Active Transportation████████8%

Parks and Recreation███████7%

Land Use And Zoning██████6%

Mental Health Awareness████4%

Transportation Safety███3%

Summary of Proceedings

Raleigh City Council Public Comment Session

On Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at 7:00 PM, the Raleigh City Council held a dedicated public comment session in the City Council Chamber. Due to nearly 50 registered speakers, each speaker was allotted two minutes. The session covered a wide range of topics, including zoning, transportation, governance, greenway projects, housing conditions, worker safety, and international affairs.

Public Comments & Testimony

Zoning and Affordable Housing

Octavia Rani, a civil rights activist, expressed strong opposition to a recent council vote approving a 30‑story project, arguing it created a restrictive covenant that excludes Black residents by not requiring affordability at 80% AMI.
Donna Bailey criticized the approval of Z‑12, noting that the developer’s contribution of $1,300 per unit for affordable housing was inadequate. She also recommended redirecting funds from the disbanded Community Engagement Board to Citizen Advisory Councils (CACs) and requested that staff reports be released at the second public meeting.

Transit and Bus Operations

Kevin Kwong reported two route errors by a bus driver on Route #2 and urged installation of GPS and better driver training to improve service reliability.

Boards and Commissions

Byron Laws, former chair of the Human Relations Commission (HRC), criticized the council for not establishing an African American Affairs Board and for consolidating the Hispanic and Immigrant Affairs Board into HRC, saying Black voices are being ignored.
Mary Thompson, a former HRC member, detailed the commission’s past achievements (e.g., creating the Police Advisory Board, Hispanic Affairs Board, Immigrant Affairs Board) and expressed disappointment that merging multiple community boards into a single entity would dilute attention to diverse issues.

Billboard Regulation

Robert Quartz opposed allowing electric billboards in Raleigh, citing driver distraction (10,000 flashes per day) and safety risks, referencing industry studies that tout longer gaze times.

Big Branch Greenway Connector Multiple speakers addressed the proposed greenway, especially Segment 1B (the “streamside route”).

Opponents (Andrew Bennington, Helen Kerbin) argued that the half‑mile segment would cost nearly $5 million—exceeding the entire $4.5 million budget for the full 3.5‑mile project—and would violate a 39‑year‑old scenic preservation deed, require eminent domain, and create flooding and safety risks.
Supporters (Rashawn King, Michael Porvoznick, Autumn Cobland, Colin Kabelka, Dylan Barry, Jared Harbour) emphasized the greenway’s importance for safe transportation, recreation, connectivity (linking Crabtree Creek Greenway to North Hills), and its potential to serve over 10,000 residents. They noted that similar opposition to the House Creek Trail later turned into strong community support and that greenways are essential infrastructure, not luxuries.

Affordable Housing Conditions

A resident (speaker name unclear) of the Studios at 2800 (2800 Brentwood, managed by CASA) described deplorable conditions: no AC for two months, a broken elevator for 10 months, roach and bedbug infestations, unsafe floors, and harassment. She requested relocation or immediate repairs, noting that many residents are elderly, disabled, or veterans on fixed incomes.

Israel‑Palestine and Foreign Policy

Alexis Kennedy, Jeremy Gilchrist, and Brian McGuinness called for a ceasefire, an arms embargo, and divestment from Israel. They argued that U.S. taxpayer money sent to Israel (over $32 billion since October 2023) should be redirected to domestic needs like infrastructure and education. They also criticized the “peace deal” as a real estate grab and highlighted ongoing settler violence in the West Bank.

Transit Worker Safety and Working Conditions

Several GoRaleigh bus operators (Natalie Brown, James Limehouse, Jeffrey Hooks, Archibald Gresham, Michael General, Clifton Hill, Robert Drakeford) described a hostile work environment, including intimidation by management, insufficient security at facilities, broken windows on personal vehicles, and assaults on operators. They demanded stronger safety protocols, transit police, fair investigations, and an end to low‑bid contracts that cut safety and benefits. Clifton Hill, Financial Secretary of ATU Local 1328, noted the union represents over 2,000 members and called for respect and protection.

Community Support for Transit Workers

Sarah Quadry expressed solidarity with GoRaleigh employees and urged the council to address their grievances. She also advocated for more resources for the ACORNS program, affordable housing, and a community fridge at Morris Square Cafe.

Black Farmers Hub

Kesha Monk highlighted that the Black Farmers Hub in Southeast Raleigh received a notice that EBT/WIC transactions would be suspended during the government shutdown. She requested the council create a local contingency plan to protect small businesses and families from federal system failures, emphasizing that the hub is a lifeline in a food desert.

Substance Use and Mental Health Services

Tania Hubbard (Alcohol Drug Council of North Carolina) cited 4,042 overdose deaths in North Carolina in 2023 (12 per day), a 23% increase in fentanyl‑related deaths, and a $319 million state budget shortfall. She requested partnership and funding to expand capacity, multilingual services, and a no‑wrong‑door navigation model for behavioral health.

Dix Park

Will Hooker, emeritus professor of landscape architecture, opposed plans to build condominiums in Dix Park, arguing that it would set a bad precedent and undermine the park’s role as a retreat from urban life, similar to Central Park.

Emotional Intelligence Training for City Staff

An unnamed speaker recounted an incident where a city staff member threatened a child at a park and requested that the city implement emotional intelligence assessments and training for all departments.

Key Outcomes

No decisions, votes, or directives were made during this public comment session. The council heard testimony but took no action. The meeting adjourned after all speakers had finished.

Meeting Transcript

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.

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