Welcome to the meeting of the Raleigh City Council.

As always, we have our Pledge of Allegiance first.

And Councillor Branch, are you willing to lead us?

I also wanted to announce at the beginning of the meeting that we had arranged for the Mayor Pro Tem uh to be split between 2025 and 2026.

So Councillor Fort uh has ably served as Mayor Pro Tem in 2025.

We will now be passing the baton to uh now Mayor Pro Tem Harrison and just appreciate her serving in that role.

And I know that Councillor Fort will provide backup for anything uh that we need, but thank you.

And then I also, before we get to the consent agenda, just wanted to make a motion to reorder tonight's agenda uh the public hearing agenda to move rezoning case Z thirty-four twenty-five North Hills to the beginning of the agenda.

Uh item one versus item five, um, and that is for tonight at seven o'clock.

So mayor so mayor, you clarified it'll be the first public hearing this evening at seven.

Correct.

It'll be the first item on the agenda tonight for the public hearing.

Second.

Okay.

And uh all in favor of that motion, aye.

Aye.

All opposed, nay.

And we will notify all members of the public who have signed up to speak of this change so they know we'll to get there early.

Okay.

All right.

Uh with that out of the way, the consent agenda, and uh, it's my understanding that there have been no items pulled from consent.

So is there a motion?

Second.

Okay.

All in favor of that motion, aye.

Aye.

All opposed, nay.

All right.

So eyes have it.

All right.

Uh next, getting to the right page.

We have the report of the planning commission.

Happy New Year, Mayor and City Council.

It's great to be with you, Biden Walter.

Planning and development.

We have one item on the report of the planning commission this afternoon for your consideration.

There are uh a couple of holidays of note in January for your reference.

Uh there are some items scheduled for public hearing at your next meeting on the 20th in the afternoon, but nothing scheduled yet for uh no public hearing scheduled yet for your February meetings.

The item coming out of planning commission is 516 North Blunt Street.

This is one lot.

It's uh less than half an acre.

The request would go from an office mixed use district to a commercial mixed use district.

The historic overlay would remain in place, and the three-story height limit would continue.

The request is consistent with a comprehensive plan and the future land use map.

The Raleigh Historic Development Commission recommends approval.

Planning Commission did not make a recommendation prior to their deadline for review.

You could extend the planning commission deadline for review before setting the public hearing, so you could give them an additional 45 days, which would allow them an additional two meetings for discussion.

The item that they would have discussed on December 9th had been modified.

There were revised conditions for their consideration.

Alternatively, you may uh choose at this time to set a public hearing without a recommendation from Planning Commission, in which case we would suggest February 3.

Questions?

Um, not a question, just um planning commission can do the task that we asked.

I'm fine with giving them an extension on this.

Yep.

All right.

So we have a motion and a second.

All in favor of that motion.

Aye.

Aye.

All opposed, nay.

Right.

So we'll send it to planning.

Thank you very much.

Okay, next we have the report and recommendation of the city manager.

Good afternoon, Mayor and Council, and happy 2026.

We have four items in the report today, and then I have two introductions I would like to make for council's benefit as well as the public.

The first item is an update on the Raleigh Convention Center fire damage.

So we have Carrie Painer from the complex as well as Alison Bradshire from Finance here to present that item.

Good afternoon, Council and Mayor.

Carrie Painter, uh Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex.

I wanted to give you an update today, what's happened as you were out over the holidays.

We all know and um where we are at this point, and then Alison Bradsher, our finance director is gonna uh take away from there to the recommendation.

So, as we all know, 9 30 p.m.

on December 1, we had a fire on the roof of the convention center near the HVAC equipment.

Um there was no events in the building.

They had already ended that day, which was a real blessing for us that they weren't in there.

There was very few staff, and they evacuated safely as um practiced and trained.

We were grateful for 60 first responders.

They were there in three minutes and continued to come from multiple stations to take care of it.

Um it is a different animal when it's a big building on a roof, and they they just responded beautifully and we're there.

And they had the fire under control in 30 minutes.

It was limited to the exterior.

There was no interior fire damage, which was also a very uh lucky blessing there.

And the event spaces are hugely unaffected, other than water, because there were holes in the roof, and the water came through, and then it continued to rain all the next day, so there was water damage, but not damage interior from the fire.

These are some of the uh roof equipment.

From December 1 to 5, we got in quickly and started moving as an emergency status.

Um we hired Global Cotton Disaster Solutions.

They were the recommendation of our insurance company, and incredibly quickly on site in the next day.

They were tearing up the admin offices, they extracted all the water, the carpets, they removed all the damaged drywall and furniture so that nothing would continue from water damage.

We had a temporary patch applied to the roof.

It's the sidewall and the flat roof part on that half of the uh roof of the building, and so it is this point tarped so that the water would stop coming through.

The sales and event staff immediately started talking to customers, trying to figure out what to happen to December's events and take care of them in the best action possible.

We led just like we did with COVID, customer first, what's the best for them, and how do we help them get their event um up and running, whether it's in another place or in our own, because it was within the same month and very important.

And then we connected immediately with our marketing staff and the city comms so we could keep providing timely updates to all the citizens, the news, and our partners.

This is some of the interiors.

You can see the water damage and uh the cotton group coming in to tear out.

December 8th to the 12th, we figured out that there was not a way to get the kitchen back up and running for January events, and we really wanted to save the first quarter of events.

So the solution was a mobile kitchen, and by um trying to figure out where to put this large mobile kitchen in close proximity to the convention center so we can cook and travel with the food.

The best location was in the Red Hat amp on the concrete floor.

So we canceled the last few days after the final weekend when the holidays ended, and that allowed us to get the rink out, to get the sandbox that holds the rink, and starting tomorrow, the mobile kitchen should start to move in.

So we're really excited about that solution.

We relocated the staff wherever we could in our other venues, few from home, et cetera, because they can't be in an active construction place.

Um and we began preparations for a crane.

We need a crane to sit on McDowell that will take all the equipment that's damaged off the roof and down, and then put up temporary equipment, and then one more time later at the end, we will do the same to put up permanent equipment.

So we began working on that.

This is the cotton team and some of the people.

This is all the kitchen equipment that helps serve and run the kitchen, not the actual equipment that cooks, and so it was being stored here, but we're relocating it in the last couple days so that we can move events into this space.

Inspections and claims have been just I couldn't be more grateful, just so incredibly responsive.

We've had every kind of inspector from insurance claims and conversations about um checking for subrogation for the equipment that caught fire all the way to our own cities, planners, fire staff, et cetera.

They've shown up multiple times on demand, they've been super wonderful, making us an important priority so that we can get ready to open.

We believe we should have occupancy by um tomorrow or the next day.

And so we're really grateful that they really gave us a to-do list.

We dug in and got it done so that we can welcome our January clients in.

The mobile kitchen is um a really interesting animal.

A lot of people have asked questions about it.

Sedexo, who is our food vendor, thankfully does really large world class events.

You know, they do Super Bowls, they do Formula Ones, and so they have experience worldwide in setting up entire cities that just didn't exist yesterday but today can cook a thousand kinds of food items.

And so they swooped in, came down, helped us with all our insurance claims and looking through the kitchen, and at the same time helped us with a mobile kitchen.

It's made up of connex boxes that are um all attached and joined.

And the beauty of this is that we can pick what kind of cooking equipment goes in each box.

So we can emulate our real kitchen as much as possible because the quantity in February of our events is enormous, and we needed to be able to put out the same volume of food.

So we believe that this is going to be able to do the same capacity as we could inside.

It's just a little bit more operational semantics how the food gets there.

And a note that this kitchen in the convention center supports all the venues, and so uh the mobile kitchen will have to do the same, meaning the lounge at the pack and um eventually the amphitheater when it's open.

This is some photos of what it might look like, just to give you an idea what's in the connex boxes.

It's pretty incredible.

It's its own little kitchen uh camp setup.

Many many thanks, as I mentioned to the complex team, was so resilient.

They were out there at midnight from firefighters walking through the building with them once they had the clearance all the way through every day.

Um we've had calls daily, and I can't shout out the uh departments in the city more loudly than you know, our calls every day with risk and finance and procurement and city attorneys communications.

This is a complex animal.

Some of it is emergency, some of it is ongoing.

We need to get this building back.

We support the whole community downtown, and we don't take that lightly.

We had a lot of customers waiting to get in.

And so it's been thoughtful, expedient, um, and very complex, but everybody's jumped in to support, as I mentioned, the inspectors in fire.

And the CVB's done a wonderful job working in tandem with us, talking to our hoteliers, helping everybody know that we're doing our best to keep their livelihood, and then Sedexo Live for all their assistance with the kitchen.

Business impacts in December.

There were six events that got canceled or relocated, as I mentioned.

It was really important that we kept our customers as much whole as possible.

So we helped them find other locations when we could.

Quarter one, I'm thrilled to say we had 35 events from January to March.

34 have stayed, only one canceled because they just needed to know that they were really truly gonna have occupancy and be able to move forward with people flying in.

So we respected that.

Um the good news is we uh retained about four million dollars in booked revenue.

And being that we are an enterprise, that's really important to our budget, and more than that, 28,000 hotel room stays will be saved from this.

So uh they will be starting to come in as planned in January.

Next steps.

Well, we've done a lot, there's so much to go.

Um, the admin office is starting tomorrow.

Um, putting that back together is going to take about a month for all the offices.

It's under the kitchen and under the roof, so it got quite wet.

We are finalizing the schedule for the crane.

We believe it's going to happen on the weekend of January 16th.

We will put out releases and let all the citizens know so that they're prepared.

We've aimed for over a weekend so it's the less disruption possible with business travel.

We have to replace the cooling towers with this crane with temporary towers.

We have cheerleading in one of our first opening, I'm sorry, volleyball in one of our first opening weekends.

We need to make sure that health and safety, the kids are at some air conditioning, so we're working towards that.

Um, we're gonna brace the shimmer well with new steel.

Uh the solar array is still TBD, it is not our solar.

The upper right picture that you can see, that is where the solar arrays hooked into the building.

It got pretty damaged.

It's their equipment, so they will get that off the roof when the crane comes, and then we'll determine the future of this solar array as it sits now.

Um we will re rebuild the permanent kitchen, the back of house walls and tiles and floors, HVAC, and then at the last step put back on the permanent roof.

So with that, I am gonna turn it over to my colleague, Alison Bratcher.

All right.

Uh good afternoon, Mayor and Council, and happy new year, Alison Bradshire with the finance department.

Uh so I have the last two slides.

I do want to echo what Carrie said.

Uh this has really been a team effort, and folks across the city have really pulled together, and it's been a phenomenal time to work with colleagues in an unfortunate situation.

Um the city does have a robust and comprehensive annual review process to ensure that we have adequate coverage for various business risks.

These include excess liability, property insurance, workers' compensation, and cyber as some of our larger policies that we have in place.

Uh today we are focused on property insurance.

Uh the city policy covers up to $500 million in damages, and the city is responsible for the first 100,000.

The city's insurance program works really just like you might have on your home or your car.

As Carrie noted, uh, the convention center is a business type activity.

Uh so revenues are very important uh from that perspective to cover the expenses of the operation.

So we are also pursuing business interruption cost, specifically uh for some of the cancellations that Carrie noted earlier.

Um I cannot thank our partners enough, um Alliant and Zurich who just really quickly jumped in had and have really been working with us hand in hand since the fire occurred.

All right, so let me get to the staff uh recommendation.

So um included in your agenda was a resolution.

Uh the resolution intends to continue uh to expedite the work at the convention center.

We all know that time is money, uh, so working as quickly as I can as we can is important not only to our insurance company, but as Carrie noted, the larger Raleigh community.

That really depends on activities happening at the convention center.

So let me start with what's not changing.

Uh so staff will continue to follow state procurement laws and our city procurement policy.

So, for example, if a formal construction bid is required, uh staff will conduct a bid process just like we always do.

The resolution is intended to increase the threshold for contract signing authority and the ability to transfer budget by the city manager.

So the left side of the chart shows what exists today.

So let's start with contracts.

So the city manager is able to award or sign contracts for construction or repair that are less than $500,000 or service contracts that are less than $300,000.

The increased authority would allow the manager to award construction or repair contracts greater than that $500,000 that exists today.

An example of a contract that would fall into this category would be a competitive agreement.

So cooperatives are allow the city to leverage awarded contracts that were done through a formal organized program.

It helps reduce procurement timelines while ensuring complete compliance with statutory bidding laws.

Staff have already been able to take advantage of some of these contracts for the work that has already occurred.

The manager would not have the ability to award construction or repair contracts where state law requires council approval.

An example is a formal construction bid over 500,000.

That requires council approval, and we would still proceed in that direction.

Moving to the budget transfer today, the manager has uh the ability to approve transfers 500,000 or less.

The resolution would allow the authority for budget transfers needed for this specific work effort above 50,000.

Um again, it would relate to this work effort only.

The resolution as drafted would sunset on June 30th of this year, and staff would commit to providing updates via the manager's uh update on Fridays as to the general project status and any contracts that were executed under this expanded authority to ensure transparency.

And so with that, Carrie and I are available for questions.

Thank you for that update.

Questions.

Excuse me.

First of all, I want to thank Carrie and the staff for everything you've done.

I know I'm the liaison to the convention center and the committee, and I reached out to you and other members of the committee I know reached out to offer assistance.

I want to thank those in the community who also reached out to see what assistance they can provide.

I know there are some questions about policies, this and the other, and inspections.

I just want to ask one question.

Um Alison, our insurance company is okay with everything that we have done to date and where we stand, and so our insurance policy feels comfortable with everything.

Yes, I mean we this is is a real-time you know uh event, but we have been hand in hand, so they are very aware of all the contracts that have been put in place, and we've also been talking about what is to come.

So I I think that answer is yes, but again, this is a very fluid conversation, but at this time I'm not aware or need to alert you to anything.

Perfect, good.

I'm good at appropriate time.

I will move for approval.

Councilor Pott.

Yeah.

Um yeah, thanks for this.

Um thanks for all of your response and general broad broad sweeping thanks to all the city departments who have helped both with emergency response and continued efforts and definitely support uh expanding the authority so that we can continue to get timely work done and appreciate the um the use of the managers update to provide us with updates on the use of this expanded authority and other updates.

Um question I did have is I you mentioned that this expanded authority will expire at the end of the fiscal year.

Is there any other trigger that would end it before then?

Like is there any other trigger when we know like the emergency is over and the expanded authority is no longer needed, or is it only that time trigger?

Yeah, I mean I I might look to the city attorney for that, but um I I do believe we could end that sooner uh when staff is confident that the last you know contract has been awarded or executed.

Um I think we chose June 30th as a natural sort of cutoff for the fiscal year.

That's not necessarily meant to say the timeline needs to extend that long.

City attorney, I don't know if that means that's correct.

That's exactly what I was going to say.

Okay.

All right.

Uh looks like no other questions.

So do you want to make a motion?

Move for approval of the recommendation from staff.

Right.

All in favor of the uh motion, aye.

Aye.

All opposed, nay.

All right.

And again, thank you for all the work.

Thank you.

The next item is a general update on the status of the new city hall.

Many of us at this table have had a sneak peek a couple months ago to kind of see the progress.

And now today we have Stephanie Sieberg and definitely not Priscilla Williams here.

Priscilla is um not well today, but we have Stephanie here to present this item.

Good afternoon, Madam City Manager, Mayor, and Council members.

I am Stephanie Sieber.

Um I am an engineering supervisor with um public safety and special projects.

I'm also a member of the project management team for the new City Hall project.

And it is my pleasure to provide an update to you on the new City Hall project.

So the first slide is our goals and future building expansions.

These were the goals and um functions that were identified during the design development process, and they include excellent customer service, efficient collaborative spaces, enhanced civic meeting spaces, better access, more staff conference, better training rooms, and particularly a focus on security, safety, and accessibility.

Project history included on this slide are significant project milestones that required council action from the approval of the master plan.

This was in 2018 until now.

Um, and as we welcome in year 2026.

Significant project highlights are as follows.

The project is now better than 51% complete.

The project is very much on target to reach final completion by March of 2027.

The participation for minority and women-owned businesses has exceeded the city's goals of 15% by nearly eight percentage points.

And as many of you witnessed, the raising of the final beam at the topping out ceremony was held on November 7th of 2025.

And we'd like to say thank you to all who participated in that.

Also, storytelling is a big component of the City Hall Communications Plan.

We publish news stories in our city website at least once a quarter.

We focus our stories on themes like the people that support the project, the sustainability efforts, and interesting construction updates.

For example, the people talking about team members that are part of this amazing iconic project.

And celebrating the sustainability features of the building and the environmental stewardship implemented in handling construction waste.

Also, updating the construction progress, and that is done monthly on the web page for the project.

Next, construction progress update specifically.

So in the months to come, we will shift from the very visible exterior progress to the interior work.

It is anticipated that this project will be officially formally dried in by spring of this year.

And in addition to this, moving coordination and planning efforts are working in parallel to our schedule.

Will Esteine Hedgepath is managing that effort.

So some recent project progress highlights include again the topping out ceremony and the council tour that was held that day on November 7th.

This was a celebration of the contributions of the contra of the contractors and subcontractors and all of their team members.

I believe there were over 300 that were fed lunch that day.

The hazardous material assessments for Raleigh Municipal Building has been completed.

And architectural fins are visible as they are being stalled on the east elevation.

So a few photos of the progress.

Then the second, the middle photo shows that the generator is being hoisted over the trees and over the pedestrian bridge.

And then finally, this third photograph shows the generator being carefully lowered into the service yard.

This grouping of photographs is related to the architectural precast installation.

And the first photograph, you will see that the architectural precasts facade is in construction, is being constructed, and this is the fabrication yard where they were being handled and located in Tennessee.

The second and third photos show the progress of the precasts being installed, and we know they are now complete.

Is that concrete?

That is concrete, pre-cast concrete.

Okay.

Okay, and so now enjoy the official act by our city clerk.

Ceremony official.

City.

Thank you, Lou.

Okay, so and this concludes the project updates.

The project team is available if you have any questions.

All right.

Questions for Ms.

Sieber.

Councilor Punk.

Hi, thank you for this.

So just in short, projects on time and on budget.

Absolutely, on time and on budget.

Great.

We love to hear it.

Also, when we were taking the tour, I was so struck by like how intentional all the design and efforts have been.

I mean, the council chambers itself will be larger, which will fit more of the public.

And I thought all the like design inspiration of democracy on display and the intentionality of drawing in Nash Square Park so you can see all the way through and the oak on the council chamber floors and all of it was just it was very thoughtfully designed with our residents in mind.

And so hats off to you and all involved in the design team, especially.

Yep, Councilor Farmberg.

I was going to add also the public really seems to enjoy the uh tracker on the website.

I think it's really helped create a sense of excitement and keeping folks up to date.

And whatever we can do, city manager to implement that type of live tracking on future projects, I think could be really helpful.

And thank you for all the work.

Thank you.

Thanks, everyone.

Thank you, Stephanie.

The next item is a long-awaited item for many of us who move around in the affordable housing space.

We have an opportunity for duplex village for authorization of loan and lease for the development of some affordable rental units.

And we have Pat Dawson from Housing and Community Development to present this item.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, members of council, mayor, and city manager.

I'm Pat Dawson with the housing and community development department.

And I will be sharing staff's recommendation for the long-awaited duplex village redevelopment site.

I'll start by going over some background of the site.

I'll then talk about the evaluation process.

And finally, our recommendation for a development partner and next steps.

To start, I wanted to show a map of the site.

This is East Raleigh.

The green area is city property and is situated right on New Bern Avenue along the future Bus Rapid Transit Corridor.

To the east, it's bounded by Rust Street, to the south by Hawkins Street, and to the east by a proposed extension of Coke Street.

The site is adjacent to another affordable rental development called Milner Commons.

And to the west is the DMV site as well as Boyer Waldrob, both of which are future city redevelopment sites.

In April of 2021, the city acquired several parcels along New Bern Avenue.

And this was in response to council's direction at the time for staff to identify and secure priority sites for affordable housing along future transit corridors.

The acquisitions were funded using proceeds from the 2020 Affordable Housing Bond.

In March of 24, the rezoning was approved by council.

And this decision by council made the site more attractive to developers by increasing the allowable density on the site.

In July of 25, our department issued a request for proposals or an RFP.

And in October, we received 14 proposals, making this a highly competitive process.

An evaluation team of six people from our department as well as the urban projects group within planning met over several weeks to review and independently score all proposals.

The scoring criteria that we used is pictured on the slide with the points assigned to each key area on the right.

For alignment with city goals, we evaluated both the depth of affordability as well as the number of proposed affordable units.

For development team experience, we evaluated the experience and the capacity of the development team.

Essentially asking, does the development team as constructed have the proven capacity and experience to deliver affordable housing at this scale?

For project viability and financial feasibility, we looked at project complexity, cost assumptions, and risk management, as well as the city subsidy request and other funding commitments.

Essentially asking, is this project realistic?

Is it buildable?

And do we have confidence at staff as staff that it could be delivered in a reasonable amount of time on budget and with the subsidy that the city has set aside.

We also included bonus points for having an emerging developer on your development team.

This was a new addition to the scoring criteria.

We defined an emerging developer as a firm that had not previously developed affordable housing.

And to receive the bonus points, there needed to be an established partnership between an experienced developer and an emerging developer that outlined what type of technical assistance would be provided.

After compiling staff scores, we then interviewed the three highest scoring teams.

And we are now recommending the top scoring proposal from the evaluation process.

So staff's recommendation is the Blue Ridge Atlantic development team.

Again, they're the highest scoring proposal from the evaluation process.

They have a proven track record of delivering affordable housing in Raleigh.

They are proposing a unique partnership with the Raleigh Housing Authority, which will serve as co-developer.

And this partnership allows the project to be deeply affordable and includes 35 project-based vouchers for individuals earning up to 30% of the area median income or AMI.

For further context, a project-based voucher is a rental subsidy that is tied to the unit.

It ensures lasting affordability as well as helps out with the overall financial feasibility of the project.

And 30% AMI for a single individual is $27,900, and for a family of four, it is $39,800.

According to the housing authority, the average income for a voucher holder is actually much less than that.

It's 18,000, which really demonstrates the power and ability that project-based vouchers to have or project-based vouchers have in serving individuals and families with extremely low incomes.

So here is a snapshot of their proposed development.

Project cost was in line with other similar proposals and with past projects that the city has funded.

And they did not exceed the city subsidy that we set aside for this project.

So today we are asking council to approve the conditional commitment of 2,880,000 in GAP financing and to authorize the budget transfer to adopt the resolution to enter into a long-term ground lease and authorize city staff to execute all required loan and ground lease documents.

That concludes my presentation.

I'm happy to answer questions.

And I also believe that members of the development team are in the room as well as the evaluation team if other staff members need to give us some input.

Thank you, Mr.

Dawson.

Exciting.

Do we have questions?

Councilor Patton.

Yep.

Hi, thank you for this.

My question is just when do we anticipate people will be living here?

I have that information one second.

It looks like at the end of 28 and beginning of 29 is when construction will be completed.

Okay.

Thank you.

Counselor Lambert Melton.

I just have a clarifying question.

Um I know that on the second to last slide, some of those renderings, those are those are just for illustrative purposes.

But this site, I believe, is in a transit overlay district.

Is that right?

I think planning is shaking their head.

And so will they have to conform with some like um the frontage?

Will it have to be uh transit supportive and limitations on surface parking and things like that?

Yes.

Okay.

I just think that's important.

There's a uh similar development not too far that was built before we applied the TOD.

I think it's uh housing for seniors and uh which is great, but it's entirely closed off to the street.

It's there's really no access, it's not a transit development, and I just want to make sure that certainly projects that the city is facilitating on the corridor that they will that they will uh increase the walkability and access to all the resources that will hopefully be there soon.

Counselor.

Thank you so much for this.

In the 14, because you said you had 14 different people applying for this.

Um I see the metrics and I understand that you guys have the thoughts, but were there some that offered more units than 120?

Um, and then what would be the val like what what was your reasoning for not going with a higher unit count?

Yeah, that's a that's a great question.

Um just a second.

So in the alignment with CityGaul, I believe it was in the backup documents of how that 50 points was broken down.

The number of units was a part of the scoring criteria, but it was weighed appropriately with other factors, such as like cost assumptions, funding commitments at the time, and so you didn't automatically become the top scoring proposal just by proposing the most units.

And so we really weighed the total number of units based on the viability of it.

So meaning you're saying that even though they say higher units, that doesn't mean that it would have happened, it would have come to fruition.

Yeah, we you know looking at assumptions if they had really optimistic assumptions or aggressive assumptions and what if market conditions change and they are having to scale back on their project.

So that was like a big part of our analysis of wanting to have a viable project that we don't have to keep coming back to council and give updates to if it keeps changing.

All right, thank you so much.

Welcome.

Yep.

Um first of all, thank you for the work.

Um it's good to see um a project like this come to fruition.

Um a lot of people talking about bus rapid transit and what about affordability along the corridors, and this is us fulfilling those steps and those promises of that.

So if Mayor, if it's appropriate, I will move for approval of staff recommendation.

Great.

All right.

We have a motion and a second.

All in favor?

Aye.

All opposed, nay, and that is unanimous.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And the fourth item is a resolution that I am sure that we will all be excited about, and it is the authorization for the sale of some environmental credits that come about as a result of the amazing work that we're doing around renewable natural gas at our bioenergy recovery facility.

So we have Erica Bailey from Raleigh Water here to present this item.

Good afternoon, Mayor, City Council members, and city manager.

My name is Erica Bailey, and I'm an assistant director with Raleigh Water.

So, as celebrated on our October 15th ribbon cutting event, um, our new solids handling facilities associated with our bioenergy recovery project are operational, and we are producing renewable natural gas that is being used as a sustainable fuel source for our city's Go Raleigh compressed natural gas fleet.

So now that we are producing renewable natural gas and using that for transportation purposes, we are generating environmental credits.

And uh we are seeking to sell and uh to support sell those credits to support operations and maintenance of the city's water and sewer enterprise.

So the purpose of my presentation today is to provide a brief update on the project to request a council action to adopt a resolution to allow for the sale of the environmental credits generated.

So just as a reminder, the bioenergy recovery project is a comprehensive solids handling upgrade that has been implemented at our Noose River Resource Recovery Facility.

This is the largest of our three wastewater treatment plants.

We have implemented an innovative new technology.

We call it advanced anaerobic digestion, and that is allowing us to sustainably manage our solids generated from all three of our wastewater treatment plants.

This project is providing many benefits to our community.

I've highlighted three of them here.

First, is we are achieving a very significant reduction in the volume of solids, or we call biosolids that we're producing.

To put that in perspective, prior to completion of this project, we were transporting about 75 trucks per week to haul our biosolids.

And now that is down to 25 trucks per week for our new product.

Next, we are producing a very high quality end product that is being beneficially reused as a soil conditioner and being land applied, and that's providing a lot of significant benefits, such as it is a alternative renewable nutrient supply.

And then this project is allowing us to take our resource recovery to the next level because we are recovering energy from the energy-rich biogas that is generated from the process.

And we are producing renewable natural gas to fuel an average of approximately 70 go Raleigh buses per day.

So I just want to highlight that we are one of the only few uh municipal agencies within the country that is producing renewable natural gas and using that within our own city bus fleet.

We are also the first um utility within North Carolina that is producing pipeline grade renewable natural gas from our own wastewater treatment process.

I want to spend a couple minutes to explain a little further in this slide how we are generating renewable natural gas, getting that to our bus fleet, and then how that's generating these environmental credits.

So the new process is generating a byproduct, which is energy rich, and that's called biogas.

We are capturing that and treating that to produce pipeline grade renewable natural gas.

We then are able to inject that into NBridge's uh pipeline, natural gas pipeline per an interconnect agreement that Council approved in 2022.

And that is then being able to send those molecules over to the Go Raleigh bus fleets.

And then in September 2024, Council approved a resolution for the sale of the renewable natural gas, and that's allowing us to sell that renewable natural gas for use in our Go Raleigh bus fleet.

We use it for city transportation purposes first, and I'm very happy to report that all of our renewable natural gas is being used for the Go Raleigh bus fleet.

They have about 85 compressed natural gas buses that are ready for service today, and so they are actually exceeding our demand.

All of our RNG is going to them.

And then through our renewable natural gas manager, we're able to get some additional renewable natural gas to them as well to meet their demand.

So through this process, because we are producing renewable natural gas and then using it for transportation purposes, we're able to participate in what's called the Environmental Protection Agency's renewable fuel standard program.

And that is allowing us to generate these environmental credits that are called renewable identification numbers.

We do not have a regulatory use for these RINs, and there is a market for them, and so we are seeking authorization to sell them.

And I'll explain that a little further in this slide.

So renewable identification numbers or RINs are basically credits and are considered the currency of the renewable fuel standards program.

They represent a volume of renewable fuel, and one REN basically equals one gallon of renewable fuel.

So when we produce renewable natural gas from our bioenergy recovery project and use that for transportation purposes, we are generating these RINs.

And although we are getting the gas to the Go Raleigh buses, the EPA's program allows us to separate that environmental credit and be able to sell it separately.

And there is a market for this because the EPA sets they have national policy standards and they set renewable fuel volume requirements.

And this is in an attempt to help to reduce the amount of petroleum-based fuel that's generated.

And ultimately, there are obligated parties, which are refiners or importers of gasoline or diesel fuel that seek these credits in order to be able to meet those renewable fuel volume requirements.

So there is a market for these.

So this is the uh on this next slide, it shows the full council resolution or uh recommendation, which is to adopt the resolution to authorize staff to develop an electronic auction procedure, then to hold a public auction for the sale of the environmental credits generated, and then proceed with the sale and transfer of the renewable identification numbers.

I do want to note that a separate resolution is going to be required to be adopted by City Council for each planned future public auction for the sale of the RINs.

So this represents the first requested resolution for the sale of rins.

So with that, I thank you for your time today to provide this brief update and explain the resolution needed to sell the environmental credits that we are generating, and I am happy to answer any questions at this time.

All right.

We have a question from Counselor Jones.

Hi.

Hi.

Thank you so much.

We are all so proud of you of the work that you are doing.

I need further clarification on all of these credits because I don't think that I fully understand.

So a full uh the first question is how much do you anticipate to those those to be worth in sale?

Sure.

So rin prices are variable.

Um the EPA does list uh the what the latest price um was, and they they it's available on their website.

So um the last available data was the toward the end of uh November and it was listing about $2.45 and 45 cents per rent.

Um we have about five a little over 500,000 of these rins that we've developed that we've generated today.

So uh that's about 1.29 million dollars.

I mean that's amazing.

Um then when so are you saying I think where I get confused is if Greensboro is the one that is it like a city that buys it, and then do they do it to then say, oh, weird, are they taking credit for doing this when they're not?

I'm a little bit confused why they're buying it.

And that I'll go back to this to explain the market.

Um we are still getting the renewable natural gas to our bus fleet and recognizing all the benefits of them going from diesel buses, which is what they were before to CNG buses.

Um, those that are ultimately utilizing the RINs are the obligated parties.

And those are oil refiners or importers of gasoline or diesel fuel.

And they are trying to meet those renewable fuel re volume requirements that have been set.

So instead of making petroleum-based fuel, that they are also getting some renewable fuel, whether that be producing through ethanol or producing in our case, um, that fuel is being produced by wastewater.

So there we are pretty much saying it's a partnership.

So this sale is that these petroleum people saying, yes, we we're destroying the environment, but we are now also buying these credits to show that we are partnering with those who are helping offset our destruction.

You are helping to, it's helping them their portfolio to get uh to meet those renewable fuel requirements.

So they are that's how they're they're meeting their renewable fuel requirement under So yes.

Thank you.

Is it helping?

Anyone else?

Councilor Patton?

Yeah, I think um was helpful to hear the relative value that we think we might get at auction.

That was gonna be one of my questions.

And then my follow-along question is um I know that the services, these are gonna be used to support uh the things you have to buy are very expensive.

So as a loose ballpark, the amount you expect to get uh covers one sewer pipe, or is there like anything that you can kind of tag it as being roughly equivalent to?

Um in terms of relevant let me give some relative ideas of going off the top of my head.

So we'll be using this for operations and maintenance.

It is easier to go to a capital project, but I'll try to I'll try to think of something that is on the operations and maintenance side.

Um power usage at the wastewater treatment plant.

So um I will go there because that uh where the actually the wastewater treatment in city in city usage tends to be the largest um energy usage within the city portfolio, and we are the largest energy user, the lot the last I checked.

Um so that would help to offset our um overall energy cost is a is a good example of how that 1.29 million dollars could be translated into helping to completely offset our energy costs.

Okay.

So do you think so it's gonna help pay the power bill?

Do you think that 1.2 million is like one month of power bill?

Oh no.

Uh it it's uh six months of power.

But I'm going off of memory.

I know I'm sorry, I'm not holding you to this.

I might have to, I might have to uh follow back up on that for what the based on the latest um uh to be able to say if that's an annual uh is what I'm thinking.

But I I need to follow it back up on that.

Cool, yeah.

I will follow back up as to how many months or something like that.

Um then another question I had.

So I was listening to some of the numbers you were throwing out.

So we used to send 70 trucks of biosolids to the landfill.

Now we send 25.

So we still have some biosolids going to the landfill.

And then I also heard that we have 85 compressed natural gas buses, and we're exceeding demand.

We we have more demand for compressed natural gas than we can produce.

So could we not so the 25 could we not produce more of this bioenergy?

Sure.

So the the biosolids are the end product.

So it's after what's left after the anaerobic digestion.

So we are pr we are maximizing the amount of biogas that we're producing.

Okay.

As our system grows and we treat more wastewater, we anticipate we will produce more renewable natural gas in the future.

Uh the 25 trucks.

Um we are, I'm glad to say that we are producing a very high-quality bioproduct, biosolids products that can be beneficially used, and we are land applying that.

So we were landfilling quite a bit before.

Um, and only a portion of our biosolids were land applied, but now for the 25 trucks, that's to get it to land application sites.

Got it.

Okay.

Okay.

So nothing is going to the landfill at this point.

Okay.

I misunderstood.

Thank you for that clarification.

Awesome.

And when we were on the tour or when we were at the ribbon cutting, uh seeing all those sprinklers and the hay that's grown and then sold to the farmers.

That was really cool.

And I don't think anyone knows about that.

And so I would just like re-up a nudge that it would be fun to uh have a count at least a council um visit tour of the facility to see all the all the uh like innovative ways you are using these waste products.

Thank you for noting that we are irrigating our reclaimed water uh to help to support some of the farm fields that where we do then also land applied the biosolids.

Right.

I'm gonna just say this is an amazing project and we appreciate this update and we need a motion, right?

Yes.

I'll go back to that.

Yes.

Recommended by staff.

All in favor of the motion, aye.

Aye.

All opposed, nay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And as I close out my report, it brings me great, great pleasure to announce the two newest members of the City of Raleigh management team.

The first of which is our new Solid Waste Services Director.

Um awaited.

Um, but I think we got it right.

So I'm happy to announce Shekai Gupta, who comes to us from the city of Sunnyvale, California.

She has approximately 20 years of service managing business, commercial, municipal, and residential garbage operations, as well as recycling.

She has also been in charge of processing and landfill operations and is a great steward of the advancement of zero waste and resource recovery initiatives.

So it is my pleasure to introduce to council for the first time, Shikai Gupta.

Good afternoon, Council, uh Mayor and Council.

Thank you, um, Madam uh City Manager for that in lovely introduction.

I'm so excited to be here in the city and um be able to serve the community here in Raleigh.

Um I I have found the city to be very welcoming already, and uh I appreciate the welcome here.

Thank you so much.

Welcome.

We're really glad you're here.

Yes.

And lastly, he really needs no introduction, but I will do the appropriate professional introduction anyway.

Um our newest deputy chief in the Raleigh Police Department is former Secretary of Public Safety for the State of North Carolina, Eddie Buffalo.

And they both started yesterday and they showed back up today, so that's a good sign.

Um we all know his career has been amazing serving the great State of North Carolina, and we are privileged that he chose to fill fulfill the last end of his career with the City of Raleigh.

So he's made a commitment.

I'm gonna hold him to it, and he and the chief are gonna do great things to advance the initiatives that council have brought forward for this city.

So former Secretary, now Deputy Chief, Eddie Buffalo.

Thank you, manager uh for that introduction.

Mayor, members of the City Council, happy new year to you.

I'm very grateful and humble for this opportunity, grateful for Chief Boris and the command staff and the men and women uh professional and sworn of the Rawlard Police Department.

I am honored to to be in this profession and be here for the city of Raleigh to make it even more stronger and even more safer.

So thank you.

Awesome.

And with that, I conclude my report.

Looking forward to working with everybody for successful 2026.

One great job to you, madam manager on just some amazing staff hires there.

So all right.

Next we have the police advisory board, Raquel Gill from Economic and Social Advancement, and Mallory Rogers, who is the chair of the police advisory board.

Good afternoon, Mayor and Council.

My name is Raquel from the Department of Economic and Social Advancement.

Um today I'm glad to introduce Ms.

Mallory Rogers, the chairperson of the Raleigh Police Advisory Board.

Ms.

Rogers will be presenting the board's 2025 annual report as information to you and the fiscal year 2026 annual work plan for your approval today.

I'll now turn it over to Ms.

Rogers.

I was about to say good morning, but it is in fact not.

Good afternoon, Council and Mayor.

I am the elected chair for this fiscal year of our Raleigh Police Advisory Board, and today I'm also joined by our vice chair Cole McMullen.

I have been in the at-large victim advocate representative role for several terms, and it's been such a pleasure, and also the vice chair.

I am an outpatient trauma therapist specializing in assisting our neighbors with their mental health in Raleigh, and I'm a local business owner in downtown Raleigh as well.

So to say I'm invested in this community is a vast understatement.

I also assist various police departments on trauma informed crime victims' rights and the Crime Victims Rights Act in addition to working collaboratively along different agencies in my victim advocate role and as a therapist and the chair of our Wake County Sexual Assault Response Team as well.

It's been such a privilege and an honor to show up for our community in this role.

This annual work plan and report today reflects our priorities, our progress, and impact over the past year.

I really encouraged us when I was elected by my peers unexpectedly into the chair role to really take a peek at what the Raleigh Police Advisory Board has accomplished since it was first created and really taking us back to its original mission and vision and grounding us around that.

We have really translated community needs into measurable action, both through transparency, accountability, data informed decisions.

They make fun of me because I'm very into data, strong partnerships, and a continued commitment to safety, equity, and public trust here in Raleigh.

This is our annual summary of what we have accomplished together.

We provide direct recommendations previously to our previous chief, Chief Patterson, and now to Chief Boyce on key policies.

And we also have those meetings.

So we're not just meeting that once a month.

We are also meeting as subcommittees as assigned, sometimes once a month, such as bylaws, they don't really need to meet once a month, but policy and community engagement.

We're really trying to meet one to three times per month.

That doesn't always get accomplished out of transparency with schedules.

But we certainly try to do that and then bring our different subcommittees to report to our bigger board as a whole monthly.

We originally developed that just by ourselves, and then it turned into this giant community partnership that has been lovely with Biltmore Hills Park, and it is this really kind of massive event now.

Um this year we ran out of candy within 90 minutes, so we've noted that for our budget.

Um and lots of kids were out.

We have inflatables, we have food.

Raleigh Police Department joins us, they bring their canines, motorcycles, the horses, and we're also there as well to discuss the Raleigh Police Advisory Board and give more meaning and definition to our name and what we do to the city for service.

We have also adopted community conversations.

That was our first annual event last year in which we did the anatomy of a traffic stop.

Chief Boyce joined us with his command staff, and we had a local judge, a local prosecutor from the district attorney's office in Wake County, a local defense attorney.

And that was we have pictures, and I'll get into that in a second, but that was a very successful event as well.

We were like, okay, if three to four people come to Chavis, we'll just mark this up as a success.

Lots of people came.

We had translators and different things like that, and we're really proud of that community conversation event as well.

So I really wanted us to get back into the community, and while policy is really important, engaging more of our neighbors as the police advisory board as a whole and elevating their voices.

This is us.

Oh, I'm wearing those jeans today.

Me and my cheetah jeans.

So the Raleigh City Council created the police advisory board.

You guys knew that in February 2020.

We review those existing Raleigh Police Department policies and contribute to fair policy development.

One thing we're also really trying to do is not just send those policy recommendations, but do a continued conversation with the Raleigh Police Department on also what our neighbors are saying and sending that official recommendation to Chief Boyce, in which he then takes it his command staff and others to do.

And then that educational outreach as well, not just for our neighbors, but to continue assisting, bridging a gap between Raleigh police department and our community.

This is myself.

I am in our at large victim advocate representative role.

Cole McMullen is in our at large role and was nominated and voted on for vice chair.

And then Richard is our secretary in an at-large role and has done a really amazing job as well.

Here are our various different board members.

So our board consists of 11 community, I don't call them members, I call them neighbors, community neighbors.

And so it's myself.

Tiana Morgan actually unfortunately resigned.

So our LGBTQ plus representative role is vacant, and we would like that filled pretty quickly.

He's very does very good in that.

Then we also have our four at-large members, Richard, Lewis, Cole, and Jaden, and then our two alternates, Thomas and Carlton.

So currently we actually have two vacant positions on the board that we would ask to be filled.

These are our 2025-2026 goals.

This is for our policy and overall view.

So our policy subcommittee and our board at our retreat would like to review and provide the following recommendations to Chief Boyce on the following policies as we voted on.

Traffic enforcement 1109-10, canine units 1109-08, and court appearances 1104-08.

We start with those three, and then if we do more, that's great.

But we start with those three so we can just really focus on three at a time, and we will add more to the list as needed.

For those that was supposed to, it started in COVID with all of that training, and then that got put on hold for several years.

So we would also like to resume that training to really understand not just from their policies, but actually go in and talk to their officers and other members of the police department.

Our fall event with Biltmore Park and RPD.

This was us a couple of years ago.

This was actually at our second event because I see Jeremy there.

This was at our second event for that trunk retreat.

It's really one of our favorite ones.

The kids come dressed up, the adults come.

We had full-size candy bars.

So I'm not trying to convince you guys to come this year, but we have full-size candy bars, not just the minis, and that will be in October.

And so we really just want to host that social community event where we can all interact outside of a boardroom.

And then this was from last year.

There's Chief Voice with Richard.

The room was filling up.

And the point of community conversations, the board will pick what we feel is a relevant role and relevant topic to discuss at community conversations at our January meeting.

We will be finalizing the actual topic of the conversation and what that will look like.

And really our purpose of that is not just to bring everybody together, but also do an education for the community on their rights and responsibilities and everybody's rights and responsibilities as well when interacting with law enforcement and what that can look like and also offering them a space to ask questions to law enforcement, such as at Anatomy of a Traffic Stop.

That was in a moderated event, and people asked actually really good questions on that.

So it's also we want to engage youth in the community as well with the Raleigh Police Department and other criminal justice stakeholders through those conversation panels and education and outreach.

So this was the training that was originally put on hold.

Before I was on the board, its members did this to gain a better understanding of RPD and different ways that they can intersect with the community.

I would like for us to get back into this so we can really understand and not come from a place of assumption, but understanding of what their actual interactions may look like with the Raleigh Police Department.

And so this we put this in here because we would, like I've said a couple of times, just like to re-go through training.

We've done a couple of write-alongs.

Um a couple of our people have gotten it's it was an interesting write-along.

It was not just traffic steps.

Um, but they had a lot to report back on, um, including about just how professional and kind um the Raleigh police department officers were in that write-along and we're answering their questions and the professionalism they were doing and the straightforwardness and transparency they found in those write-alongs.

So we would like to continue that and just learning about different processes from an education point of view from Chief Boyce and his team.

Um this is just a simple diagram to remind everybody why we um exist.

Sometimes we have to do a little reminder of just we are here for our community and we are in between, right?

We really want to bridge that gap.

Um we know there's more work to do that's outside of us with systems um in place that are maybe not in our control, and we acknowledge that um and that privilege.

And so in acknowledging that, we want to bridge that gap, but I certainly don't want to stand here and act like I know the experience of all my neighbors because I don't.

Um and so just acknowledging that we are here, our hearts are pure, we want to serve the Raleigh community and really try to attempt to bridge some form of gap um with the community and the Raleigh police department through education and policy review.

Thank you guys so much.

Um I am happy to answer questions or attempt to.

All right, thank you very much.

Um Counselor Jones Good afternoon.

Thank you so much.

I just want to first commend you.

You are so engaging, and I have learned so much about your board just from this, and I'm so enthralled by what you do, the work that you guys are doing.

So um keep up the amazing work.

The question that I have, in addition to uh I think the community conversations are wonderful.

Uh, so I can't wait.

First of all, can you send us invitations because I would love to be there for that?

Um, but also the police department, I'm sure you know that they have um the Coffee with a Cop, they have the uh National Night Out.

Do you guys participate in that or help advocate for others to do it as well?

Because I see in your outreach, we want to get the community to understand what you guys are doing, but also the police department had does wonderful things with community engagement on their own.

So, how do you guys interact and help amplify that?

Yeah, I'm so glad you asked this question.

I can't believe I glossed over it.

Um we actually just really discussed this in depth in our December meeting.

Um we have now also created a spreadsheet because we realized there were so much events going on, such as in December, we were trying to be at Raleigh lighting RPD lighting a Christmas tree, which looked really fun.

Shop with a cop and getting engaged in all of that.

RPD does a really good job at inviting us um to those um different things for let me adjust this one at a time for night out.

We do send representation there based upon people's availability.

Um and then Derek Hicks, ever since he was appointed, he has been a really good bridge between us and the police department from the board, and he brings us oh gosh, it was like a 16-page paper on their events, and I was like, okay, um, be careful what I asked for next time.

Um, but we are taking those one by one and seeing how we can send people more into those, and also in all districts of Raleigh as well.

I hope that answered.

Yes, it did.

And I think the the other thing that's new that um I'm sure you guys are tuned in on is the community policing academy.

Yes.

And I got to go to the graduation and it was fantastic to be there.

So uh love to not in this moment, but as you guys and I learn more about you, learn how you interact with all those community facing and touch points that can help the community not only understand RPD but understand where they can hear their voice heard at your meetings and make sure that it goes through.

So thank you so much for your work.

Others?

Counselor Lambert Melton, are you?

Counselor Patton could go first.

I was gonna make a motion.

Cool.

Hi.

Thank you.

One thing I'm wondering, and you don't have to answer it now, but I'll just sort of offer it up for consideration is as you go through these policy reviews.

It would be, I think, of interest to me at least to kind of understand what recommendations you are applying to the chief, and perhaps like the chief's response back.

You know, I don't know if it needs to come directly from the board or if it can come from staff after it's been digested.

Um in some venue, I think I I at least would be interested in what comes of these policy reviews that you do.

Absolutely.

I'll take that back to the board and we'll I think there's a channel to get them to you guys.

So I don't want to be like, I'll send it, so I'll follow that proper channel.

Counselor I was gonna say something to you before you or were you?

Okay.

So I was gonna say you have me way before full-size candy bars.

Thank you, AA.

I love your background.

Um I mean, obviously, just your board is doing incredible work, and thank you to Cole McMullen and your other um just very talented set of uh folks.

And I we've noted the the two vacancies.

Um so definitely want to help you with that.

Uh the one comment I had was just drones.

You had talked about a number of items, very comprehensive, but I know um drones are an important sort of emergent area within the police force.

And I'd be curious, right, to have a little more you know, citizen input around that, if it's uh something y'all could look up.

Yeah, absolutely.

Uh drones has come up, and so has the uses of AI recently as well.

And so we are looking um at that within technology.

Thank you for bringing that up.

Thank you.

Thank you, obviously, for all the work you do, and I really appreciate our partnership.

And you reach out when you have issues or questions.

And so I'm glad that you're um at the helm.

And you have a great board right now, and we will definitely get those positions filled.

Um I think we already filled the attorney's spot.

You did.

So he should be on the way.

That was thank you, Counselor Fort.

That's right.

Um then also um to Councilor Patton's point, I'm happy to be the conduit of information if if the council would like to receive more formal updates, just send them along and we'll get them through.

Um but with that said, I move to uh approve the um the uh work plane.

Okay.

All in favor of the motion, aye.

Aye.

All opposed, nay, and that is unanimous.

Thank you.

Thank you, guys.

Have a good afternoon.

All right.

Next we have matters scheduled for public hearing, and we have Z9254500 Western Boulevard, Matthew Clem from Planning and Development.

Good afternoon, Mayor and Council.

Uh Matthew Klem, Raleigh Planning and Development.

This case was before you last in December.

Uh and since then, there's been a new zoning condition provided, and I'll walk you through that.

So just as a reminder, this is a request to rezone a little over 12 acres from commercial mixed use with the five-story building height limit with the special highway overlay district too, the special residential parking overlay district, and the transit overlay district.

The request is for a commercial mixed-use 20-story district with zoning conditions and maintaining the transit overlay district.

So the special highway overlay district two and the special residential parking overlay district are requested for removal.

The request is consistent with the comprehensive plan and future land use map.

Your planning commission recommends approval uh 7 to 0.

Again, this is the Kmart site uh at the intersection of Western Boulevard and Blue Ridge Road, um just on I-440 in West Raleigh.

You can see the surrounding land uses here.

Uh these conditions have not changed.

There is a prohibition of uses, uh layout of uh some specific development scenarios, under zoning condition, uh building height limit uh 12 stories within 150 feet of properties to the west.

So uh across Blue Ridge Road there.

Uh the new zoning condition um attempts to mimic some of the requirements of the SHAD 2, the Special Highway Overlay District 2, and requires a 15-foot-wide protective yard to be established along the eastern boundary of the property.

Um the protective yard is also required to have the same plantings as the special highway overlay district two.

Uh the zoning condition does allow the same required amount of plantings to be located elsewhere on the site.

So there's kind of two options here.

Establish the protective yard along the eastern boundary of the site.

Um in this area.

Um the northeast, eastern, and the southeastern area to a length of a thousand feet, which is roughly the same length that the SHOD would otherwise be required if it stayed in place.

So what the zoning condition does is say we will establish a protective yard and the location that the shod would otherwise require the protective yard, or we can distribute those throughout the property as it develops.

And that's the update to the case.

I'm happy to answer any questions.

Questions for Mr.

Clem.

Yep.

Yeah, just a couple questions.

If you can go back to the new condition language, maybe just these are a couple things to note.

So my understanding is this protective yard, it doesn't come into place unless you have residential units with a SHOD 2 is residential required or any kind of development.

It would be any type of development, yeah.

Okay.

So this is you know, again, only if residential is built.

Um then I see this language about equivalent number and types of plantings required.

Um but if you have a 15-foot wide protective yard versus 25 feet, which is required with the SHOD 2.

Can you talk about equivalence?

Because my understanding is the trees would obviously be able to be larger if there's 25 foot width versus 15, you know, different diameter, different tree can't be sized, different ecosystem services.

Sure.

And I think um what may help is the the area created by the protective yard in say scenario one where it's established along the eastern boundary would be 15 feet wide and a thousand feet long.

If the option is taken to disperse that same amount of plantings throughout the site, it doesn't, it wouldn't require the same land area to be established for them.

It would require the plantings only, not the area of 15 times 1,000.

Okay.

So the what in the second scenario, what is being committed to is the amount of trees, not necessarily the space.

I see.

So there's we won't even necessarily get 15 by 1,000 foot square footage of yard space.

That's right.

I've got it.

Okay.

Um let's see.

I think those are just the main comments.

And you know, we've talked definitely at council before about uh conditions, and sometimes conditions are you know it's really in the weeds here, and the SHOD 2 has some specific requirements.

You know, this is not mimicking them exactly, and so I just want to make sure everyone understands that.

Uh Councilor Patton?

Yeah.

Hi.

I think I might be even more confused than I was now.

So the equivalent plantings, the scenario two.

They're saying we are not going to put them in a block at the edge of the boundary.

They're just going to calculate how many would fit and or your staff is who's going to count who's who's going to calculate how many will fit?

Right.

So what the condition does is says that 30 deciduous trees, 20 evergreen trees, 30 understory trees, and 160 shrubs could either be located in a 15-foot yard along the eastern boundary or distributed around the site.

Got it.

So those are those exact numbers, 30 trees.

Because it's based on the 15-foot width.

And um another detail is that the planting requirements of the shod are calculated on the lineal feet of like how long the protective yard would be.

And so the width, um, I guess the guiding regulation is length.

And so they have dedicated in the condition a thousand feet, so it's simple math, a thousand feet times what that planting schedule is in the SHOD 2 ordinance, um, and can be distributed throughout the site.

Um there's also a statement that these plantings are in addition to what would otherwise be required by the code.

So if you had street tree plantings or other types of landscape plantings required by the code, you wouldn't double dip on what this condition is doing.

So it's an addition to.

Okay.

Um that's helpful.

So if the Shod 2 were left in place, the amount the number of trees that are being offered here, the 30 and to 160 bushes or whatever, those match.

So this is like the same amount of trees and bushes as would be produced by the Shod 2?

It's close.

So with the amount of information that we have, we measured that the SHOD 2's approximate length will be 1,013 feet.

Um what we don't know without a submitted site plan is if any of the trees in the upper right hand corner of the property would count towards that planting requirement.

So we just measured the whole thing to be conservative for estimating.

And the difference is basically one additional deciduous tree, one additional evergreen tree, one additional understory tree, and two additional shrubs required by the SHOD 2 if it were to stay in place.

Got it.

Okay.

Got it.

Yeah.

So I know with the 440 project, a lot of those trees were torn down and removed, even though this is on the um developer, the property owner's property, correct?

Yeah, I would have to look exactly at where the trees that were removed were located, if they were in the right of way or if they were on the private property.

I I don't have that information right in front of me.

So when we're talking the shot, are we really talking right-of-way trees, or are we talking trees on their property?

In terms of trees that were removed when the um interchange was built, I'm not sure.

But all of the shod plantings and what this condition does would require the new trees in the protective yard to be established on the private property, not within the right-of-way.

Okay.

So new trees will be required in the Shod.

If the Shod yard, if if the zoning overlay district, uh Shod 2, stayed in place.

It has planting requirements that I just listed that would be required to be established in a 25-foot protective yard on the eastern boundary of the property.

Okay.

So if it stays in place and they want to move forward, they can't just leave it as it is.

They will have to plant trees in their own.

Yes.

So new trees would be required to be planted.

If the shod stays, we have an order to be able to do that.

Yeah, there's a requirement for the property owner to replant those trees.

Counselor Silver.

And did you have a question?

I'm out is going to be I'm ready to make a motion, so I would be able to do that.

Okay.

Yes, yeah, we got a public hearing to go still.

But I was not aware of that.

Is NCDOT obligated uh to do are you aware?

Uh since this project is still ongoing at various parts of the belt line.

Uh are you aware if NCDOT plans to do some planting after the entire project is complete?

We'll have uh Jennifer Ashen with the City Attorney's Office to help with that.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Um Paul Callum, I'm not sure if he is here right now, but he did get perfect.

He can confirm if I say this incorrectly.

Um but he did speak with the NCDOT engineer.

They do have money in their budget, up to four million dollars, I believe, for landscaping along this new diamond interchange.

Um that is probably two plus years out, and they don't have an existing landscape plan yet.

But at some point in time there will be some future landscaping occurring.

The number and exact location we don't know yet.

Okay.

Any further questions, or I can open the public hearing.

We do have um folks signed up.

So uh thank you, Mr.

Clem.

Um opening the public hearing for rezoning.

We have uh three people signed up in support, Jen Truman, Jason Barron, and Kevin Quong.

And then two and opposition um eight minutes per side.

As a reminder, Mayor, this hearing has already been opened.

This is a continuation of the support has one minute 32 seconds.

Oh, okay.

All right.

And opposed has full eight minutes.

Okay.

All right.

So support only has one minute and thirty-two seconds.

Yeah.

Thank you for that reminder.

Good afternoon.

Uh I'm Jen Truman.

I'm here to support this rezoning.

Um you guys may not know this, but actually a decade ago, I wrote my thesis on revitalizing big box stores, and I use this site as an example as well as others throughout Raleigh.

Um, and that's because revitalizing seas of asphalt to like exist at on this Kmart site is exactly the kind of good urban planning um that Raleigh can be the leader in the country on.

Um this kind of emphasis on retail, entertainment, and local businesses, new housing, these are the things we need to revitalize sites, particularly around our BRT corridors.

This is along the Western BRT, right at the major junction with Blue Ridge, um, where we'll have connections up to all of the entertainment and tourist attractions along Blue Ridge Road.

This is a key part of having transit supportive retail and entertainment services and housing.

Um and frankly, there's you know, there's been tall housing right here, right next door since 1986 with the rest grove apartments.

If it was appropriate then, it's appropriate now.

This is exactly the kind of project that we need, so I encourage you to support this and help Raleigh move forward at this part of town.

Okay, we got 32 seconds left.

So I know there's been a lot of Jason Barron with Morningstar Law Group here on behalf of the owner of City Platte.

I know there's been a lot of discussion relative to the Shod Yard.

We think this is the right trade-off that facilitates that redevelopment that you're talking about.

I would note that there are multiple examples in the city where the Shod Yard has been removed, uh portions of downtown South, as well as Carolina Place, which is just three interchanges down from this location, and it actually replaced it with a 15-foot wide yard with SHOD II standards, which a minimum of 15 feet, which is very similar to what we're talking about here.

So we don't think this is the first time it's been heard the site needs your help, the site needs your support.

We would respectfully request it.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Impressive timing.

Okay.

Next, we've got the opposition uh to this, uh, Athena Wall and Kate Dixon have eight minutes.

Um I had had that Claire had requested to be removed, so I did not assume she was here.

Um I'm Kate Dixon, and I'm a member of the Parks Advisory Board, and I serve as chair of its committee on sustainability, wildlife, and urban trees, and I appreciate the opportunity to speak today.

Um the form to sign up today required that I say whether I'm a supporter or opponent of this project.

And I was actually really uncomfortable when I answered that question because I like so many.

Um delighted that City Platte has taken on redevelopment of this property.

It has been blighted for so long, and its location has such potential for the city.

And I appreciate their vision and investment in the property.

The issue I'm here to speak about today, no surprise, is the tree buffer along the belt line and Western Boulevard.

And um I was looking really carefully at aerial photos of the property before and after the widening of I-440.

Um looking at those photographs with the property lines in place.

It makes it really clear the complexity of the situation and why City Platte is asking for flexibility.

Um the photos make clear that the of the impact of the widening of I-440 has had on tree canopy in that area.

You know, as I drive that um I-440, the new area, the expanse of denuded areas is just breathtaking.

Um it's left our city hotter, uglier, and impacted our air quality.

And City Plat um can help mitigate that impact in a small way with more trees along their property line and within their property.

And I really appreciate actually all the work that the city and city plat have sought to seek ways to give flex more flexibility, but also requiring additional plantings.

Um now I hope that the city can also turn to holding NCODOT responsible for planting in areas that they have left devoid of trees and other vegetation in the widening project.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Hello, my name is Athena Wallen.

Um I am your your creek dweller, so this is going to be uh kind of a complimentary to the previous comments in that I don't oppose the development.

I just oppose the removal of the shod sort of protection.

Um right now we should not be backing off from protecting these buffers and keeping them intact.

Um I'm advocating for the development, but to uh acknowledge the necessity of that special highway overlay district and offer no compromises.

Uh but we could collaborate, of course.

As city leaders, I keep asking you to know where we are, where we have been, and where we are headed.

Our 2030 comprehensive plan has a lot to say regarding this specific area.

Uh so within that plan, the growth framework for corridors, specifically like 440, states that long-standing policies shall continue and call for corridors to be separated from adjacent uses by wide forested evergreen buffers.

Policy EP5.5, forested buffers, state conserve forested buffers along Raleigh's freeways through the special use of uh or through the use of special highway overlay districts.

Policy AP-W B6, repositioning parking lots for TOD.

It encourages the use of or redevelopment of large surface parking lots along the Western BRT corridor.

Again, that's two support the development.

Policy AB AP-WB7, catalytic TOD sites on Western Boulevard.

Key sites are recommended for TOD designations, and that includes this Kmart site.

This policy encourages redevelopment of large single ownership sites to apply with those TOD principles.

Again, in support.

The policy AP-WB 8 partnerships for furthering the TOD is that we are trying to partner with landowners to repurpose that land and make sites available to achieve that TOD vision.

Map AP-WB2.

This map indicates Western Boulevard and it states within the Blue Ridge Road and 440 area, it is indicated as an ecologically sensitive area.

We have old stormwater infrastructure running through that site.

It sort of gathers with sewers and then it sort of disappears underground, and on the other side of it, there's a residential neighborhood that experiences that funneled runoff and experiences uh erosion to the daylit corridor of that uh waterway.

Um I'm just trying to insist that we acknowledge the importance of that tree canopy and how robust it is means that it can do more for our city.

As a sponge city, we can't concede on those tree buffers.

They quietly and dutifully do a wonderful job of mitigating runoff.

They help the the canopy and robust width of it helps environmental resiliency, both by runoff, both by a noise pollution, light pollution, wind breaks whenever we have unpredictable weather events.

If we have a narrower amount next to a highway where there's nothing to break any type of force wind, that is not what the buffer does.

If we have a larger buffer, like the the SHAD requests, we have that diversity, we have that margin of error, we have that complexity, so that we have different ways our environmental resiliency can be maintained.

Um let me see where I'm at.

As a biophilic city, we should also be advocating for diversity of those green spaces, making use of every single pocket.

Because no matter how small or large a green space is, it becomes wildlife habitat.

It becomes a shade space.

It becomes an area in which we are able to take a break.

And if we are developing this site that is meant to be a BRT line that is essentially going to have greenway connectors around the area, we want that specific site to also be welcoming.

And without that tree canopy and that root system helping the neighborhood away from it, it just kind of seems selfish or short-sighted.

So I'm not opposed to the development.

I just encourage us to, at this time when we don't have as much environmental protections to stand up for environmental protections.

We are a very dynamic city.

We strive to be sustainable.

We strive to make policies that make a difference.

And right now, our comprehensive strategy for 2030 is where we're headed.

So the decisions that I'm imploring you to make, I want you to consider those, not just where we're at now, but where we're headed.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay.

Um I guess we could have.

Do you have questions for any of the speakers?

Or should I just close?

Okay.

I'll just close the public hearing.

All right.

Yes.

Yeah, I just want to also mention a couple comments that we received by email.

Um we've received a lot of um concerns from residents in the area who would like to see the SHAD II stay in place.

Um of those emails came from the West Raleigh CAC.

Um, they're also in favor of this redevelopment.

So I want to just say everyone is in favor of the redevelopment of the site and has no concerns about the height or making this, you know, a really great um uh new uh property.

But when it comes to the SHOD 2, that was a concern of the CAC.

They did mention a lot of infill developments that are clear-cutting canopy around the area, whether that's PAL Drive, the recent clear cutting on Laura Murr and Garland.

There's another townhouse development on Grove, losing pretty much all the trees there.

There was an illegal clear-cutting behind the Western Boulevard Presbyterian Church along 440, and then massive loss of trees because of the 440 expansion.

I'm looking forward to those landscaping uh improvements coming back because it's been a real eyesore.

Um so that's the concern of the West Raleigh CAC.

Um also we heard from the new river keeper with the nonprofit Sound Rivers.

They had concerns about increased flood risk when losing the trees, degradation of water quality in the nutrient-sensitive watershed.

So Bushy Creek is the waterway that flows underneath the property.

This daylights downstream of Highway 440.

So it receives the stormwater flow from this area.

So what the trees do is they can help to, you know, uh take that water and clean it before it gets into our system.

And so the larger the protective yard is, the more filtration that we have.

So 25 feet by a thousand is a big difference from 15 by 1,000.

And if all you have to do is put the number of trees that are required in the SHOD 2, we're not even necessarily getting the square footage of 15 by 1,000.

So that is my concern.

I've made that clear for several months now.

I'm hopeful that we can get back to what the SHOD 2 is asking for.

Um, you know, just again, one more uh comment that I heard.

This is uh just an email from our urban forester, our city's urban forester, is that when you have uh larger tree canopy, you are gonna have more ecosystem services.

So leave it at that.

Other comments?

Um I just have one question for staff.

Um with the SHI 2 protective yard and type 2, what is this a type 2 or is this a protective yard?

So the special highway overlay district two is a zoning overlay that requires the establishment of the protective yard.

Okay, right.

So the reason why I ask because I know a type two can be as narrow as 20 feet.

Correct.

For a SHA, you can be a SHAD II, but if it's a type two, it can be as narrow as twenty feet.

Is that correct?

I think you might be conflating the um, thank you.

Transition yards, okay.

Which is a it's a different code regulation.

The SHOD 2 is a special overlay that dictates a 25-foot-wide protective yard.

I think what you're describing is when you have a mixed-use district next to a residential district, there's a requirement for uh a three-phase transition yard, and the three phases of that yard can undulate depending on how many trees you plant or what type of wall or whatever you put in.

So I think maybe that's where you are.

Okay, thank you.

Yes, Councilor Lambert Melton.

Yeah, I just want some clarification from staff.

Isn't the point of a shod to protect the trees that are already there?

If the trees are there, it would certainly protect them.

If the trees aren't there, you have to plant new ones.

Right.

So the NCDOT took, I mean, these trees are all gone now over there.

Yes.

And and the condition they've offered is that they have to, when they submit a site plan for residential to replant.

Correct.

Okay.

I'll just say I I mean this case has been like a this site has been a thorn in the side of this city council since I have been on council.

And I am greatly appreciative of City Platt, the new owners actually wanting to do something with it.

I know Councilmember Fort, former Councilmember Stewart, former Mayor Baldwin tried really, really hard with the prior owners to do something other than a suburban style Harris Teeter asphalt of the entire site.

And so I think um I think if I I'm satisfied with this condition, I wish NCDOT did not take all the trees down.

If you go on Google Maps right now and there's like a before and after, you can depending on where you put your cursor, you can see what it looked like before NCDOT came through and after, and it is terrible.

And so I think this condition will be a net positive, and certainly having something happen on this site will be a net positive.

I'm prepared to support it today.

Counselor Silver.

And then uh Yeah, I do want to underscore the future Mayor Pro Tem's passion.

We had a lot of conversation about it.

I struggle with this being an off-ramp and not the highway per se.

But I also believe, not related to this case, but certainly would love to have uh full conversation with an urban forester to understand the importance and Kate Dix and I had this conversation about focusing on tree canopy throughout the entire city with a real focus on our street trees, which I believe was a great opportunity.

With a real focus on our street trees, which I believe is a great opportunity.

So I did struggle with this one.

Very pleased to see that the 15-foot is being offered, but there is some flexibility so that you will still get the benefits of those trees, maybe not at that location, but throughout the site.

It is my hope with that $4 million.

It's not just going to be shrubs, but they actually help to restore some of the damage that was done on this reconstruction, as you see from this image.

Counselor Ford.

Thank you.

I want to thank the applicant for being willing to undertake this site again when I got on council in 2020.

Yeah.

And you know, nothing has really happened on that site.

It is unfortunate about the situation with the trees, but the fact that you have come to the table offered a different condition to be able to put something back in place, I think is commendable.

So at this time I will make a motion to approve.

I move to adopt a proposed consistency statement dated January 6, 2026, containing the agenda materials and to approve the zoning amendment with the adoption and effective dates described in the agenda item under recommended action.

Second.

Okay.

Is there other discussion?

All right.

All in favor of the motion.

Aye.

Aye.

All opposed, nay.

Okay.

So we have uh five to three.

Thank you for all of that.

All right.

Next we have rezoning Z 27 25 on Grove Avenue.

Yes, ma'am.

This is uh public hearing that has already been opened, is continued for you today.

Uh and you have full public comment time remaining on both sides.

Uh so this is uh about two and a half acres, going from a residential six district with the special residential parking overlay to residential ten with some conditions and also with the um same overlay.

Planning commission recommends approval 8 to 1.

And uh you have some revised conditions since this last appeared in front of you.

I'll just remind you that so here's the site uh on the south of Western Boulevard on the west side of downtown.

So this condition remains from the uh steady.

They have added condition here about tenant notice.

Uh so uh uh 90-day notice to uh uh tenants.

And then um providing for some fixed dollar reimbursement for tenants who are displaced.

Um again, consistent with the um use map here.

It is located in the uh frequent transit area, so no uh frontage applied applied here because of the residential district does not go.

So consistent with a comprehensive plan, number of consistent policies here and endorsement from the planning commission.

Uh Commissioner will I think you all remember this.

There was some uh discussion about what could be achieved with the transit overlay without rezounding.

What questions could I answer for you before you hear from the public?

Yes.

Can you go to the language of the new zoning conditions?

Um I think when I was preparing one of one or both, say something like if the lease is terminated due to redevelopment.

And it I was wondering.

I guess I was thinking like the due to redevelopment, like who is determining due to is that applicants own determination versus say like just non-renewal at the end of a lease that naturally expires.

I think non-renewal at the end of the lease would not be considered due to redevelopment, but if the lease is interrupted.

Okay.

Yes.

That's correct.

Okay.

So they had a year-long lease and at the six-month mark.

I am not practicing law from the podium.

Thank you.

Okay.

So it's only if at least is interrupted, but if it naturally expires at the end point, then these conditions would not be triggered.

Correct.

And that's what we were trying to provide protection for.

Counselor Solar?

If I recall correctly, there was a combination of month to month and then other terms, because I think it made maybe not this one, but the one before it, number two.

Well, I think I saw something in some background that some are month to month, others are not.

And so I just is this applying to the month to month?

Because if that's the case, then it's very likely that staying redevelopment if it's month-to-month could fall into it if it's I'm just trying to figure out how this has triggered the same thing my colleague was asking.

Well, we basically were trying to provide protection for people who have existing leases.

Because you have a lease, and so you're expecting to be there versus typically when you have a month to month.

Although you may have some expectation, you really should not have the same level of protection expectation of continuing to stay there.

Okay.

Any other questions?

So this is open.

I don't know how many minutes were left.

All available.

All available.

Okay.

So we have Worth Mills who can speak to this.

Good afternoon, Mayor, members of council, Worth Mills here on behalf of the applicant.

I will touch on the language of the conditions here in just a minute, but uh to provide an overview of what we're trying to accomplish.

Uh the applicant is looking to rezone from R6 to R 10 conditional use so that they can develop a for sale townhome subdivision.

Um we were at the December 2nd meeting, we had a tenant notice and a tenant relocation assistant condition already, but deferred it uh to continue working with the planning department and the city attorney's office to improve the language as it relates to clarity and also to increase the scope of who this condition applies to.

Um for a little bit of background, all but one of these leases uh at 721 Grove is month to month today.

Um the yearly lease, I believe expires uh in August of this year.

And then if they chose to continue with that, it would likely be on a month-to-month basis, like the rest of the leases are today.

Um the original set of zoning conditions would provide 90 days notice and relocation assistance to any existing tenant whose lease was being terminated due to redevelopment.

So that's gonna be where you've got a month-to-month lease.

The property owner developer determines that they're ready to move forward with redevelopment plans.

And if that's the case, then those tenants would receive 90 days written notice of the plans to redevelop and and to uh terminate that month-to-month lease, um, as well as the um $2,000 relocation assistance allowance that goes along with that.

Um we worked with uh Ms.

Ashton and others in the City Attorney's Office.

Um not only did we improve the clarity of the language, we also uh enlarged the scope, as I mentioned.

So where the original condition applied only to those existing tenants, meaning those who are in 721 Grove today, um the new condition applies both to those existing tenants and any future tenant who may move in after adoption of this uh rezoning uh request.

So uh trying to include both those people who are there today as well as uh any new tenants who may move in between adoption of the rezoning and then redevelopment of the site.

Um the request, this generally has been received um well by the surrounding neighborhood, and by that I mean the the rezoning application generally has been received well by the neighborhood.

One item that neighbors did want us to bring up at the public hearing was uh speeding down Grove Avenue.

Uh they know and we know that we can't offer a condition to sort of modify the Grove Avenue right-of-way with any sort of uh traffic calming measures, but uh the applicant is willing to uh partner with any concerned neighbors who want to, you know, maybe get the wheels in motion to alleviate some of the speeding instances that they have seen on Grove.

Um but the request is consistent with the future land use map.

It's consistent with the comprehensive plan, all but two of the applicable comprehensive plan policies and those deal with fire response times.

Um it's compatible with the surrounding development, which is um you know a mix of single family apartment and townhomes.

And so for those reasons, we think the request is uh reasonable and in the public interest, but happy to answer any questions that you have this afternoon.

Thank you.

Questions for Mr.

Worth?

I just wanted to comment that I appreciate your work on this worth and um the city attorney's team, especially Ms.

Ashton on vetting the language, and um I think we've got this right.

I know it's can be again in the weeds, but I feel good where we landed.

Thank you.

All right.

I'll go ahead and close the hearing.

Uh there is no opposition.

Word.

Um I want to make sure I understood.

So this is applying to any lesse, whether they live there today or will live there before the redevelopment at any time.

And and did I hear you say it will apply to tenants who have a long-term lease or a month-to-month lease?

It would apply to any tenant, whether they live there today or whether they live or whether they move in after adoption of the rezoning, and it applies to month-to-month tenants or you know, uh a year-to-year lease.

Either either uh really trying to encompass anybody that would be living there.

Okay.

When it's redeveloped.

Okay.

And the uh do you have a sense of when the sort of like iteration point is in this, like when you pull a demolition permit, or it like when does the notice of the question?

So uh the if you want to no, I I mean me and you, it's uh it's up to you.

Well, if you look in um hopefully you guys have it up on your screen, the um section two, the summary, you'll see down there um the affidavit is required prior to the issuance of a demolition.

Oh, I see that now.

Yeah.

Okay.

Thank you.

Counselor Silver.

I have a question.

I'm not sure who it's directed to.

We have seen this condition surface a number of times, not saying whether it's, you know, let me just ask the question.

What what triggers this condition?

I know we've had some conversations uh about the potential of a future anti-displacement strategy, which will identify areas.

I'm just trying to find out what what triggers this so I understand when it comes in play.

Is this now a citywide expectation condition?

Is it it depends?

So that's the part that I'm I'm not saying this is good or bad.

I'm just trying to struggle about when it uh kicks in, because I think this is about the fourth time I've seen it this year.

So that is just my general question about what triggers the need for this condition.

Is there something about the property itself, its location, its housing tenure?

That's the part I'm just trying to process.

Well, yes.

Well, I think one of the things that we understood um from council was a concern that you have people renting, they have these leases, the expectation given the term of the lease that they're going to be there, and then suddenly this redevelopment begins to occur, and they have nowhere to go.

So we were trying to address that concern with these conditions, and what we've tried to do, uh, particularly with the last two, is strengthen the language for the clarity, but also for consistency.

Okay.

Does that answer your question?

I can just add that what I see as different in this case compared to others is that these are NOAA properties.

So the staff report indicates naturally occurring affordable housing.

So we've only seen these conditions when the staff report indicates that.

Okay.

Thank you for that reminder.

Okay.

Right.

Any other discussion or questions?

Yes.

I am prepared to motion to approve if we're ready to go.

I move to adopt the proposed consistency statement dated January 6, 2026, contained in the agenda materials, and to approve the zoning amendment with the adoption and effective dates described in the agenda item under recommended action.

All in favor of the motion, aye.

Aye.

All opposed, nay.

And that is unanimous.

Thank you.

All right.

Next we have the reorganization of city council committees.

This was really just to get more plain English for clarity and simplicity, and I will turn it over to our assistant city manager to speak to it.

Good afternoon, Ryan Bergman, uh City Manager's office.

Like the mayor mentioned, when we worked on the strategic plan last year, council had a desire to create more clarity with our key focus areas.

So rather than something that's a little more complicated, like safe, vibrant, and healthy communities, we created key focus areas like housing and community safety, a little bit more self-explanatory.

The strategic plan was approved last year.

So what you see in front of you, and this is just one slide, is staff's best recommendation on how we can update the committee structure to be reflective of the current strategic plan.

So this is just an organizational tool for how you do your committee work over the next year.

It does not impact the strategic plan itself.

But as you'll see, you'll you have uh two committees that essentially are unchanged, and then growth and natural resources becomes housing and environmental resilience, and safe, vibrant and healthy communities becomes community safety and quality of life.

Uh so happy to answer questions, uh, but we are looking if council would uh agrees with this, we would be looking for a vote to uh align the committee structure.

Um yes, counselor Jones.

Thank you for this.

I had, as I was reviewing this, I just had a quick question because I remember um talking about it a few times, but in our strategic plan, do we have operational excellence as a key focus of our strategic plan?

So organizational excellence is a key focus area and has always been a key focus area.

But the the key objective of organizational excellence is about delivering consistent, responsive, and equitable city services, which essentially means that it's everything you would work on in the other committees.

Aside from that, the things like compensation uh essentially are what we work on in the budget workshops each year.

So it it wasn't a committee before, we wouldn't recommend it become a committee uh because it it really is the work you do in the other committees and in the budget process itself.

I see.

Um Mayor Portem.

Yeah, just one comment um for housing and environmental resilience.

Um I would say housing environment just seems easier to say.

That was actually going to be my comment too, but I don't want to shake the table too much.

But I think we're trying to get away from like buzzy words that are ambiguous, and I think we should just call it housing in the environment as well.

Yep, okay.

Yeah.

Motion.

Housing and environment.

If you want to go ahead and I was just gonna say let's just approve this with the correction to housing and the environment.

So that's removed.

Second.

All right.

Any other discussion?

If not, all in favor of the simplified names.

Uh aye.

Aye.

All opposed.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Right.

Then we have the report of the various committees, of which there are really uh only one items pending on transportation.

Yes.

Transportation committee has one item pending the topic of citizen initiated street closures.

Um change to announce, though, and notice to the public.

Um it can happen because transportation falls on Thursdays instead of Tuesdays from time to time.

It would happen that the fourth Tuesday is the same week as our council meeting.

So to avoid this, um, we will be having our transportation and transit meeting on the fifth Thursday, which will be January 29th from three to five in council chambers.

Okay.

Um next we have the report and recommendations or uh just reports of the different counselors and mayor, and I will start with Mayor Pratem.

Yeah.

Um I have three items.

First, I just want to take a moment of silence for the loss of life of Zoe Welsh.

This is a teacher who lived in District D and whose life was taken too soon over this last weekend.

We all deserve to be safe in our homes, and I ask for your prayers and care for her friends and family at this time.

Thank you.

Second, the next District D neighborhood alliance meeting will be on Saturday, January 17th at 9 30 a.m.

at the Crowder Center at Lake Johnson Park.

There's no agenda, just neighbors talking to neighbors.

Hope to see you there.

And then third, over the past year, and I think it's been especially apparent during the holiday season.

We've all seen needs rise up in Raleigh due to changes in support for vulnerable communities, including the nonprofits and community organizations that support them.

You know, we were at breakfast at Santa.

Um Marshall you were there, Councilmember Fort, Chief Boyce, many, many folks were there.

And uh there were hundreds of people waiting outside to get in for their gifts for their breakfast, time with Santa.

The demand was incredible.

Obviously, the leadership that puts on that event, they did a good job getting the word out.

Um but we do see more and more this need.

And council contingency funds are one way that we support our nonprofits in the community who are you know providing quick support to groups in need.

I've spoken um with uh Evan Raleigh and other members of City Council, and I would like to formally request additional dollars from Capitol Reserves to go to our contingency funds.

Um the request is for 48,000 because I think that can be split easily among eight.

Um and then that would bring our individual amounts up to approximately 25,000 each and allow us to support more groups in need as fast as we can.

So this would be a request for uh consideration by the council at our next meeting.

Um first of all, I want to say happy new year to everyone.

I hope everyone got some rest who did not have to fight a cold um over the holiday season.

Um I do want to speaking of remembering individuals, um, Councilor Fort and I have had the privilege privilege of serving with former mayor Tom Bradshaw on the Y Achievers Board uh for a number of years.

And um he passed over the holidays and just want to also take a moment of silence of former mayor of the city of Raleigh um and remember him, especially for the work, a lot of work he did, especially within my district um in working with community leaders and partners.

Thank you.

Lastly, um please remember days of service coming up on MRK weekend.

Um the work that we do shouldn't last just for that one day, but all 365 days of the year.

So continue to work and uplift our neighbors and our friends.

Um there would not be a district C meeting this month because there are a number of community meetings and events that I will be attending, and as all individuals of my district know, I am not hard to find.

So thank you.

Um excuse me, our district E community meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 14th from 6 to 8 p.m.

at La Cusina Italian restaurant.

Our demo decoding democracy book club will meet on Saturday, January 17th from 9 30 to 11 30 a.m.

at New World Cafe.

We will be moving our regular location here so that we can support small local business while we deep dive into Article 7.

Uh my daughter just turned 12, so happy birthday.

And we have another January birthday right here to celebrate next week.

So happy early birthday, Councilor Branch.

We're excited to celebrate you.

And then lastly, uh for the city manager, do you have an update on the release of the public safety staffing study?

Um when will we see those results?

We received internally the preliminary staff and study results the week before Christmas.

And so we are processing that internally, and we will bring forward some recommendations as we come to you in the February budget work session.

Thank you so much.

I just wanted to uh echo counselor um Corey Branch's comments about former mayor Tom Bradshaw.

Just appreciate his service not just to the city of Raleigh, but also to the state of North Carolina as Secretary of uh DOT under Governor Jim Hunt.

And there is a celebration of life uh for uh former Mayor Bradshaw uh at Hudson Memorial Presbyterian on Saturday uh the 31st of January.

And he has requested um that's at 11 a.m.

He has requested, or the family has requested Mary Mack, of course, is his his widow, um, that money go towards uh husband memorial presbyterian or the YMCA, which to your point, um he um gave many volunteer hours and leadership um to that great organization here in the triangle.

So just want to honor uh his memory also want to say happy new year to everyone and I pray you all have a very prosperous and joyful year.

Uh I have a tentative date for the next district A meeting.

It is Thursday, January 29th.

Uh we're still trying to secure a location.

So for now, that is just a date to be held, and hopefully I'll be able to report out the location uh at the next meeting.

Thank you.

Um not much for me to report, but um sort of in keeping with some of the uh commemorations that have been commented on here, and then just sort of national and global events.

I uh just wanted to share a quote that has been knocking around in my brain, and I believe it comes from the Jewish tradition, but forgive any misattribution.

Um but it's do not be overwhelmed by the enormity of the world's grief.

Do justly now, love mercy now, walk humbly now.

You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.

And so I'm letting that carry me into the new year.

I have something today.

Um over the Christmas break, uh, few of us uh attended the grand opening of the LGBT center in downtown Raleigh.

It is the first time the center has had a physical permanent physical space in a number of years.

Uh we talk about housing a lot at this table, and it's incredibly important.

I think housing or having a home means something different to different people and organizations.

And for a place like the LGBT center, having a home or permanent house means that uh for folks who are ostracized or disenfranchised, they have a place they know they can go and be safe and find community, and I think that's incredibly important.

Um their new space is downtown uh right next to Lincoln Theater.

So if you have time, please stop by.

They could always use supplies.

Um to that regard, thanks to Mayor Pro Tem Harrison's request with the additional council contingency funds.

I'm gonna make a request to direct some uh additional funding to them.

Their construction went over a little as as it tends to do, and they have programmatic needs that I think we could I can assist with.

So I would encourage council to consider making that contribution collectively last year, the year before we were able to accumulate around $20,000 to help them.

And I also want to note that uh John Cooper and Cooper Tasia Foundation um built the new center through a very generous uh donation, and it would not have been possible without them.

And so we thank them and encourage everyone to go support the center.

Um it's a great space.

Counselor, uh, when you said supplies, is there beyond money?

Are there specific supplies?

Yeah, I can check with the executive director Corey and see what they say they need.

Um they do have a kitchen and a library, and so uh general um I think kitchen uses, uh board games, things for folks who are stopping by.

They're open all the time, and so it's a place where people will go on holidays and they have nowhere else to go, and so they do food, and so I can I can certainly find out uh what they need.

Thank you.

Um like y'all have alluded to, we certainly lost Mayor Tom Bradshaw, but we also lost Governor Jim Hunt, and I did have an opportunity to attend um his uh service.

I mean, he was a great leader for the state of North Carolina, and so also thinking about um his daughter, Lieutenant Governor, Rachel Hunt, excuse me, and uh other folks who work with him over a long period of time.

Okay.

Right.

Uh next we have the appointments.

Yes, good afternoon.

First is Board of Adjustment, one alternate vacancy.

Anna Willis received eight votes, so would be appointed there.

Fair Housing Hearing Board, two regular vacancies.

Um Andrew Dames received eight votes, so would be appointed.

Raleigh Durham Airport Authority, one regular vacancy.

Shelley Winters received eight votes, so would be appointed.

Raleigh Historic Development Commission, one regular vacancy.

Alec Ryder received seven votes, so it would be appointed.

Umstance use advisory commission, one regular vacancy.

Calvin Prose received eight votes, so would be appointed.

Jumping down to nominations.

Sure.

Sorry.

If we can go back to Fair Housing Board, we said Andrew James, I'm sorry, I missed.

Isn't there a second seat?

Yeah, so the remaining one.

Oh, I'm sorry, there was a nomination there as well.

Yeah.

Um apologies for that.

Um we had a co-nomination.

Where is it?

Uh you and um councilmember Fort both nominated Damian Goo for the fair housing seat.

So that will be coming back.

Yeah.

Apologies about that.

Okay, jumping back down to nominations.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission, two regular vacancies.

Terms of two members are expiring.

First is William Smith who would like to be considered for reappointment.

And the second is Tamar Stern, who does not wish to be considered.

Move to reappoint William Smith and declare vacancy.

Second.

All in favor of the motion, aye.

Aye.

All opposed, nay.

So that uh vacancy will be coming back, the remaining vacancy.

Design review commission, one regular vacancy term of Will Gaskins is expiring.

He is not eligible for reappointment due to length of service.

The longest serving alternate here, which is Brian Williams does not wish to be considered for elevation at this time.

So information on the next longest serving alternate was included in your agenda packet.

Move to elevate Dylan Davis and declare an alternate vacancy.

Second.

All in favor of the motion, aye.

All opposed, nay.

All right.

All right.

So the alternate will be coming back.

Environmental advisory board, one regular vacancy, the term of Sana Sidi Keys expiring.

She would like to be considered for reappointment.

Motion to be reappointed.

Second.

All right.

All in favor of the motion, aye.

Aye.

All opposed, nay.

Unanimous.

All right.

Next is Human Relations Commission.

Various membership updates here, including included in your agenda materials was a memo and a roster outlining various membership updates following the Council's October 2025 actions related to the Commission.

As a reminder, the Council merged the Hispanic and Immigrant Affairs Board with the Human Relations Commission, which resulted in a temporary surplus of members and directed that membership numbers be reduced by natural attrition as terms expired and/or resignations occurred.

As a result of that action, there are several terms that have expired, and the Commission does remain in a state of surplus, so there are no current vacancies.

Also included with the materials was a letter from the outgoing chair requesting the reappointment of certain members with expired terms.

Yeah, I'd like to move forward in motion to approve these three expired members.

They have served in leadership roles that have been critical to the transition here with HRC.

So that would be to uh reappoint Commissioner Shannon Gessner, Commissioner Robert Quartz, and Jamie uh Robinson.

Second.

All right.

All in favor of that motion.

Aye.

All opposed.

All right.

So that's unanimous.

And I believe I noted this, excuse me, in the agenda materials, but periodically staff will come back and just provide you updates as as people continue to roll off.

Okay.

Police advisory board, three uh various vacancies here.

Terms of Cindy Cottle, uh mental health provider slot and Don Averett at large slot are expiring.

Neither wish to be considered for reappointment as the chair indicated earlier.

And then additionally, resignation has been received from your LGBT community member slot, Tiana Morgan.

Um information on alternates was included in the agenda packet.

Move to um elevate Thomas McBrier to uh the at-large vacancy.

Second.

Okay.

All in favor?

Aye.

All opposed, nay.

Right.

All right.

So we'll be bringing back the um the two slotted positions and an alternate.

Thank you.

Uh lastly, Raleigh Transit Authority, one alternate vacancy.

Resignation has been received from William McKenney.

So that will be coming back for nominations.

I'd like to nominate CC Grant.

I believe she has submitted through Granicus.

CC Grant.

Great.

Thank you.

Okay.

Report and recommendation of the city attorney.

Good afternoon, Mayor members of council.

I'm going to put Luke on the spot and see if he can find the chart that was in your agenda packet and put it up on the screen while I make my presentation.

I'm going to go ahead and get started while he looks for that.

At the December second meeting.

One that was developed by the state's tobacco prevention and control branch and one that is currently in effect for the county.

Council, as a result, had some questions and asked for a side-by-side comparison of the ordinances, which is what we put in the packet and that Luke is scrambling to find for you all.

And I do apologize that I did not ask him to do this in advance, so he could pull it up.

Either way, both ordinances would expand the city's current non-smoking.

Keep going.

Adoption of either ordinance would repeal the city's require repeal of the city's existing ordinance, which is more limited.

Specifically as it relates to the two ordinances and the differences, the state model is more detailed and prescriptive.

It provides for a broader implementation and enforcement requirements, such as mandatory signage and all regulated in all regulated spaces, removal of ashtrays and obligations on the person in charge of the space to direct individuals to stop smoking and to contact law enforcement if they refuse.

The Wake County ordinance is more concise and incorporates state law by reference.

It explicitly acknowledges statutory exceptions allowed under state law.

It also requires or limits signage requirements to just county-owned or control properties, with that being the responsibility of the county manager.

Adoption of the Wake County ordinance would promote consistency among jurisdictions within Wake County.

She's coming down and available for counsel to ask any questions that you had, particularly about the Wake County ordinance and/or the Wake County experience.

After you finish with your questions, I will talk about next steps.

Well, I mean, I guess I'd open it up that the American Heart Association, and we got a lot of strong feedback on the state model, right?

So was the state model in operation when y'all decided to adopt a different model?

And what do you think about I mean, what if we were to go with the state model, which I think was the stronger ordinance, if I could characterize it that way.

So just you know, your feedback would be helpful.

Yeah, absolutely.

So we work really closely with the North Carolina Tobacco Prevention and Control Branch in public health.

Um we have a designated uh Wake County Tobacco Prevention and Control Coordinator who works with them.

And so when this came forth at the county level, we did end up taking the model ordinance from the branch as we call it and looked at it and based on conversation with our leadership, so within the county manager's office as well as the county attorney's office, um, they determined that we were more about compliance than the enforcement aspect of it.

And so that's where the the true difference is.

Um if you really look at it from uh a broad standpoint, um, and then in terms of the uh I guess the implementation, it was left more up to Wake County Public Health as part of the educational standpoint.

Um so myself and my colleague um were really the ones who are charged with implementing the uh the ordinance for the public places aspect of it in the unincorporated areas of the county.

Okay.

Do you have other questions?

Not for her.

Okay.

Thank you.

Yeah, thank um.

Anyone else before she don't go for all.

Takes off.

Yes.

We appreciate you being here and helping explain.

Yep.

I just have discussion for the table.

Okay.

So basically at this point, uh, Mayor and Council, you have several different options.

Obviously, it would be to direct staff, me, uh, to uh draft an ordinance based on the state model, draft an ordinance based on the Wake County model, or in fact, you could by resolution adopt the Wake County uh ordinance into the city's ordinance.

Um or I guess for take no action.

And with that, I'm ready for questions and or to receive direction.

Um Council Branch.

Thank you for the information and thank you for coming from the county and presenting.

My question is at the hearing the statements made, if we go with the state model, who does the enforcement and what does that look like?

Honestly, um.

The manager and I had not considered what that would look like.

It does have some implementation that if there isn't compliance, you would have to call uh local law enforcement.

So that certainly would be a part of the enforcement of the ordinance if if you go with the state model.

It would be an extension of an additional responsibility for RPD, really, quite frankly, um, unless we were to hire additional staff to to to address any noncompliance issues throughout the city.

Okay.

It is already a oh I'm sorry.

Um Councilor Lambert Melton and then Patton.

I was gonna ask a follow-up question.

If we adopt it, if we um if we joined the county ordinance and allowed it to take effect in Raleigh, it's gonna trigger the similar enforcement issue, right?

Because I recall when we did the non-discrimination ordinance, we had to do some sort of memorandum with them on administering it.

Yes.

Okay.

This chart says that no.

If we do the county option, there's no enforcement.

It's basically education.

There's no additional.

Got it.

That's correct.

Okay, that makes sense.

All right.

Current ordinance, as with the state model, our current ordinance already calls on, if there are enforcement issues, already calls on the police department to enforce, and that would be the same for if we if the council adopted the state model ordinance.

Okay.

Yeah, I think that's what I was just gonna reaffirm, make sure I was accurate.

It is already a crime to do these things, but and it has a criminal penalty at the moment.

And if we adopt the state ordinance, it becomes a civil penalty still enforced by RPD.

Is that it's uh infraction, which is still a criminal citation, but it's a a lower citation.

Okay.

So it's not uh new it's not a new enforcement that RPD would be doing.

It's it's a diff different enforcement of what they already are.

That would probably be a good way to characterize it.

Yes.

Yes.

So there would be a level of intentionality focused on it that is currently not there.

Yeah.

I mean I so uh as my general comments, I would say either of these move us forward um on our tobacco policies.

I think the state ordinance, the state model ordinance is stronger because it has implementation and enforcement.

I think no shade to anyone who's opted for a different pathway, but to pass a an ordinance with no enforcement mechanism uh doesn't sound like super great policymaking to me.

I also imagine that in practice this is not going to be much different than what is actively happening in these spaces.

I mean when I go to bowl, I know it's uh bow the bowling alley is like the one of the examples that has arisen.

And I mean I've never I haven't been to a smoking bowling alley in a long time.

So I think in practice there's not a lot of change for the operators.

And so I don't think I I am not particularly concerned there's gonna be like some huge enormous lift for RPD, and I'm not asking them to bump it to the top of the stack above violent crime or anything like that.

But I do so uh that's kind of my position on it.

I do think the State ordinance is uh is a stronger one and is and is more clear, so that's where my preference is, and I'll be prepared to make a motion at the appropriate time.

I'll go for it.

I agree.

Okay.

Uh so I move to direct the city attorney's office to prepare the needed documents to adopt the NC DHHS model ordinance.

Second.

All right.

All in favor of the motion, aye.

Aye.

All opposed, nay.

And that is unanimous.

Um thank you so much, and thank you, uh City Attorney, for helping us draft this new ordinance.

So we will work to um make those ordinance changes and bring that back to the council uh for uh adoption at your next meeting.

Thank you.

Okay, next we have the city clerk who showed up in our video so well today.

Yes, thank you.

Uh happy new year.

Uh, in your agenda materials you receive draft minutes from the December meeting for consideration of approval.

Second.

All in favor of the motion, aye.

I all opposed nay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And to consider uh to give instructions regarding the handling and settlement of a potential claim in the following matter.

Uh, so moved.

All in favor, aye.

All opposed, nay, and that is unanimous.

Thank you.

I think I'm thinking.

I think it's a good thing.

Remembering when we have the last time I don't know how to do it.

All right.

So council met in closed session.

We have nothing to report out, and meeting is adjourned.

And we will reconvene at 7 p.m.

Good morning, everybody.

And thank you for uh being here today.

Uh want to uh first uh give a warm welcome to everybody who has uh taken their time to come and and be at our public outreach meeting today.

Um my name is Ben Griffin.

I am the street maintenance division manager uh here for the city of Raleigh.

I work with uh the Raleigh Department of Transportation.

And the uh public outreach meeting that uh we are having today uh concerns some work that we are doing to update our ADA transition plan specifically as it relates to uh public uh right-of-way infrastructure.

Uh so things like sidewalks, uh curb ramps, um, audible uh pedestrian signals, crosswalks, um, things of that nature and how uh we as the city of Raleigh can continue to improve and uh how do we prioritize our work uh going forward into the future.

Uh so uh thank you to everyone who has come out to be with us today.

Uh and so without further ado, we'll go ahead and get started uh with our presentation.

Uh so uh I just would like to take a few moments um to uh introduce some of our uh speakers today uh that will be assisting with the presentation.

Um so here's uh our short agenda.

Um work through introductions first.

Um that's me.

Um our next uh uh speaker here with the city of Raleigh, uh Christina Bowman.

If you want to um just maybe say a few words about um yourself and what you do here at the city.

Christina's our ADA coordinator for the city.

Um very uh happy to have her with us today.

And so I'll just if you want to take a few moments to uh just walk us through what your role is here at the city and how it relates to to what we're doing.

Thank you very much.

Uh yes, my name is Christina Bowman.

I'm the ADA coordinator for the city of Raleigh.

I've been here for about two years, and I am your point person.

Um anyone in the community, visitor, resident.

If you work here, you have any questions, concerns, you can always reach out to me.

Um I believe my contact information will be at the end of the presentation.

But I'm here as a resource to you.

Um if you have any grievances, any issues at all, please contact me anytime.

All right.

Thank you, Christina.

Um our next uh presenter is uh Steve Hens.

Uh Steve is a uh member of Cole and Associates and uh is one of their accessibility project managers that is uh working with myself to uh help deliver this ADA transition plan uh for the city and will be uh assisting us today.

And finally, uh Nick DeYoung.

Hope I got that right, um, will be also uh helping us present today.

Um he is also with Cole and Associates and and has been on our team for uh several months as we've worked through this process and we'll be also presenting today.

And so with that, I'll ask Nick to come up and walk us through the presentation about our ADA self-evaluation and uh what that looks like as we move forward uh through the transition plan and what the steps are that we'll be taking uh from this point forward as we move through public engagement and actually um into implementation in the coming months.

So, Nick, thank you very much.

Thank you, Ben.

And morning, everyone.

Again, this is our Raleigh Self-Evaluation and ADA transition plan public outreach meeting.

We hope you find this information helpful because we do need your help and involvement to help develop further with the community with the ADA transition plan.