Yeah, June.

Yeah.

You know, she said she was out.

She's family stuff.

All right.

Business.

All right.

Um audience, we're gonna bring the City of Spartanburg City Council meeting to order.

Before I do any business, we want to make mention that Councilwoman Sally's out of town with family.

Um councilwoman Smith is uh out of town on business and already pre arranged uh before today.

So and also before we stand for a moment of silence, I do want to make mention a tribute to the former mayor Judy White will take place on this coming Sunday, September the 14th, 2025 at 3 o'clock at the Spartanburg Community College downtown campus.

All are welcome to attend the memorial.

Um we hope to see you there, but just remember his wife and family and our thoughts and prayers as we stand for a moment of silence, and then we'll be led by the Pledge of Allegiance.

Thank you.

Mayor Pro Tem, would you lead us in the clip?

I pledge allegiance to the United States of America and to a republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you.

Item three, I have the approval of the minutes of the August 25 2025 city council meeting.

So moved.

Second.

All in favor, aye.

Any that opposed, eyes have it.

Item four, we have approval of the agenda for September the 8th, 2025 City Council meeting.

So moved.

Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Any that oppose ayes have it.

As you all can see, we have a pretty packed house tonight.

We have quite a few folks that have yielded their time to Miss Kimberly Branch.

And I know this may not be in the order of which you've come in and signed up, but we will hear everyone tonight.

I have them all in front of me with different topics.

Quite a few of you are speaking on some of the tame same topic, so but I want to keep this one together so it just flows a little bit better.

So you're welcome.

To that, I'm gonna ask Miss Kimberly Branch to come up and everyone else that has yielded their time.

I still want you to come up, give us your address, the city you live in, and we'll start your two minutes.

So we're gonna start off with Miss Kimberley Branch.

One other quick.

It's gonna be 12 minutes.

One other quick mention, guys.

Please limit our applause, no applause and all that.

We do appreciate everybody coming in and uh voicing their opinions, but it's still a place of reverence, and we always want to keep our uh composure.

I think clarification when they yield their time.

Do I just keep going?

No, we want them to come up and let it and that they yield the time so we can have it on record.

Okay.

Okay.

Sounds good.

All right, thank you.

Thank you.

Name, address, city you live in.

Kimberly Branch 445, Old Leonard Road, Woodruff, South Carolina.

Good evening, Mayor and Council.

To recap the lecture presentation given by City Manager Chris Story during the last city council meeting on August 25th about the different architectural designs of the past clock towers.

There has been over time since 1881.

We would like to focus on the existing Spartanburg downtown clock tower, the one that is the bicentennial project from the 70s, erected and established in 1979.

I know a couple of you on City Council have expressed that you also took part in the project, participated, and have your name on the plaque within the walls of the clock tower.

City manager expressed that he has no connection to this, as he mentioned, and did not arrive in Spartanburg until eight 1983.

So let's focus on the fact of the current clock tower that has stood for nearly 40 years now.

37 to be precise in its prominent location on the island at the intersection of West Main and Spring Street, located at the corner of Magnolia facing the Daniel Morgan statue.

See item one.

Three pictures.

During the talks and plans of the relocation of the Spartanburg Downtown Clock in the late 1980s.

Please see item two of the Spartanburg Herald Journal News article dated 319 1989, which states quote Since the Spartanburg Foods Tower will serve as a catalyst to revitalize downtown RUD AT FELT it was appropriate that the tower be located to Morgan Square.

After all, the first clock was on Morgan Square, and it will serve as a reminder of our history.

Note the city manager this is history, not a memory.

All right, we have Miss Karen Lawson address city you live in.

Karen Lawson 1284 Riddle Road, Pauline, South Carolina.

Yes, ma'am.

Oh okay.

So this is the move of the tower.

Item three in the Spartanburg Herald Herald News article dated 1028 1989.

The location of the island center of West Main and Spring Street became the resting spot for the Spartanburg Clock Town and has stood there since.

The significance of the location is that it is the center point of Spartanburg City as well as Spartanburg County.

The clock tower is known for the heartbeat of Spartanburg.

It is an icon at historic landmark that rests on the very island listed within the historical district and is on the national registry of historic places.

Please see item four and a revised item that I received today of the map on the back pages.

Um items four and five.

The map that the map marks the parameter of our Spartanburg his historic district.

Sorry.

Okay.

According to Spartanburg Design Guidelines 1.0, the introduction states design guidelines are set of criteria which are used to evaluate the appropriateness and proposed changes in local historic districts.

And item seven.

Okay.

John Lawson.

John Lawson 1284 Riddle Road, Pauline, South Carolina.

And I'm yielding my time.

Thank you.

Item seven is Spartanburg guide uh design guidelines one point one Spartan history Spartanburg Historic Preservation Ordinance Guidelines for New Development not to overshadow any historic buildings or historical structures within the historic district.

See items seven pages one through eight.

Sorry.

My mouse getting dry, sorry.

Here come over.

Thank you.

As recalled in the city manager's argument was that the plans for the new hotel would overshadow the existing 70 foot historic Spartanburg downtown clock tower and it would take from the look of it.

He also stated that there is no need for two clock towers to be within a block of each other.

We agree with that.

And that's when we asked City Council to hear us, the citizens and residents of Spartanburg City and County, most of us native Spartanburgs who participated in one way or another to the existence of the clock tower.

Two undecided factors have the hometown historic clock tower.

It's fate balancing in the air.

One is the new joint city administration building, and two the plans for the new hotel development that wants to extend the property causing disruption to the island that the Spartanburg clock tower stands on.

We ask you to consider our concerns and pleads.

Only the General Assembly may lift those protections.

This is item eight.

Smith.

Thank you.

So that was item number 10.

Yes, ma'am.

When we should be celebrating the 250 mark anniversary of the celebration of the end of the American Revolutionary, we're having to fight to preserve and protect the elements of the celebration that happened almost 50 years ago of our bicentennial time and the clock celebration that happened then.

I have items 10, 11, 12 to show those celebrations.

Also, um we believe that it should the clock tower should be kept um kept up as it has not gotten the upkeep and maintenance for it and the grounds that it's on now.

Thank you, Miss Martha Hayden.

Martha Hayden, 729 Passfield Avenue, Greer.

And I give my minutes to Kimberley Branch.

I'm done.

I'm done.

You want to speak?

Okay.

I'm well.

If I have a moment, I will.

Yes.

Um, I just want to thank you for taking the time to listen.

And my husband is going to come before me later, and he's going to share our special message together.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Miss Ann Rogers.

Anne Weaver Rogers, 189 Sundale Drive Moore, South Carolina, 29369.

And I yield my time to Kimberley.

All right.

Now I have some other ones here.

I'm going to try to go in order.

Excuse me, sir.

I I don't I don't know if I called your name.

Uh no, uh, George Hayden.

Okay.

Uh we will.

I did you fill out a form?

Yes, I did, sir.

Okay.

So I was better than the lady.

It's gonna be I'll be calling them from the uh stack now.

You were you didn't yield your time, so that's why we we gave all of them that yield the time.

Thank you.

All right.

So we're gonna start off with uh Alice Sutton.

Hello.

On a different subject, the need for hate crimes legislation.

Your address, please, Ms.

Sutton.

I'm Alice Sutton, 426 East Park Drive, Spartanburg, South Carolina, 29302.

Yes, ma'am.

Speaking for the Unitarian University Church of Spartanburg.

We have a long history in Spartanburg.

Members were active in the civil rights movement in the 60s.

We're proud of our beautiful city and work to make it a better place for everyone.

This century, my church hosted the first gay pride festival in Spartanburg.

We hosted an annual Earth Day Festival for the five years preceding the pandemic.

And this June, we were proud to host the reception for the opening of the South Side Cultural Monument.

The hate crimes bill was first introduced in the South Carolina General Assembly in 2011, 14 years ago.

As you know, it didn't pass.

It's shameful that South Carolina is one of only two states that don't have a high have a hate crimes law, especially after the shooting at Mother Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church 10 years ago.

In response to that refusal to act at the state level, many cities and towns have enacted local hate crimes ordinances.

I won't read all of those, but that includes Arcadia Lakes, Bluffton, Camden, Columbia, Conway, Charleston, Chester, Clemson, Florence, Georgetown, Greenville, Isle of Palms, Lake City, Mount Pleasant, Myrtle Beach, North Charleston, and we should be on that list.

Why isn't Spartanburg already on the list?

I asked the city council on behalf of my church to add the request for the hate crimes ordinance to the next session's agenda and approve it.

Give us one more reason to be proud of our city.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Hello, y'all.

My name is Liv Hawkins, uh 503 Howard Street in the uh 6 City Council District.

I do live in the city.

Um as a queer Spartan burger, as someone with a lot of friends that are also from marginalized groups.

The hate crimes ordinance is very important to me personally.

I have had experiences downtown where I've painted nails and a crop top, and I've been called the F Sler on our Morgan Square.

And that is just words.

But the reality is when we talk about things like that church shooting that happened in our state, these things can escalate and they can be real.

I love Spartanburg and my family is roots here going all the way back to the revolutionary war.

Um, but I want to talk about the beauty of of the history we have now and all the people that make Spartanburg what it is.

I want Spartan burgers from all walks of life to feel safe uh participating in our city, especially in this moment where I feel like hate has very much been emboldened.

Um I attended one of the recent uh I believe the No Kings protest.

I had attended that in Morgan Square.

And I crossed the I crossed Church Street to go get lunch at Groucho's and I passed by these group of boys that were were joking about the the Hispanic people, the our Latino neighbors protesting for their rights for what they believe in, pro using their First Amendment rights.

And this group of boys that I passed was joking about calling ice on them.

I think that that is unacceptable, and that things like that can escalate.

So I really want to uh encourage city council to to think about putting that on the agenda and talking about that further because I want to be able to continue to say Spartanburg as being a beacon within our region.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Don Braman.

Thank you.

I'm Don Bramlett.

My address is 185 Mills Avenue, Spartanburg 29302.

And uh I think most of you know my feelings about the clock tower.

I I think it's a great piece of work, but his time, you know, is 50 years old.

There's nothing wrong with moving it to a different place or moving it into the new city county, uh incorporating it into the new city county administration building.

I was proud of the uh presentation that our city manager had at the last uh August 25th meeting, and uh I'm glad that uh that he stuck by his guns about putting it there and I so I I've actually I I've been advocating moving it to maybe the court the new courthouse site, but after listening to his presentation, I would like to concur with the city manager that that it'd be incorporated into the new building somehow about uh two weeks ago, shortly after that meeting.

I I was eating lunch with my wife, and I went inside the restaurant, and there were five friends of mine of different walks of life who are very prominent Spartans, and they were to make it a short story, they they were all in favor of whatever the city needs to do to get this get the uh core project uh uh going.

And in the in the seal right there, it says progress.

We need progress.

We don't, you know, there's the the clock tower is is something important in our community, but not so important to stop this progress.

I feel like there's a silent majority after talking to my friends, the five prominent Spartans I saw.

I think there is a silent majority to borrow a turn back from the late 1960s when there were uh protests against the Vietnam War, but they came out with uh the ideas that there was a silent majority.

That's what we have in Spartanburg a silent majority.

Thank you, Mom.

We do appreciate it.

I can't remind our leaders.

Yeah, is it L.

And Ella just introduced themselves to me.

I'm Elke Scholkopf.

And I'm just speaking from the heart.

I didn't write anything down.

I've been since 1971 in Spartanburg and always lived here.

And I have a daughter that was born here and raised here, and I'm planning on staying here, so I love Spartanburg.

And um, I just want to say I like our downtown, and I know that a lot of people appreciate that.

I've been a member of the ski club and a member of the German American club, and we have been having events there, we have music there, people get together.

The historic side is also very important because Spartanburg doesn't have that many historic places or memorial um things.

So I believe it should look the way it looks.

We don't need any more brick and mortar buildings downtown.

There are spots that are ugly, they can be used for hotel.

Uh I didn't even know that a hotel would go to that spot.

I just heard that about a week ago.

I've been in real estate many years.

So um I've seen Spartan grow, and I'm I'm also for all for it.

And I've seen wonderful buildings going up, but I think somewhere along the way you need to have something cozy, something where people can get together, and it should have some green.

And we have it on that little spot.

And thank you for listening.

Thank you.

I'm not originally from here.

I'm from Western New York, Rochester area, not far from Buffalo and Niagara Falls.

But I live in Boiling Springs, been here two years.

And I've had, and I love it here.

Give us your address and Bowen Spring.

127 Falcon Ridge Drive, Boiling Springs, 29316.

All right.

Now, um, and I've made observations, and I'm still learning about the area, still learning about Spartanburg, and um there's a lot of potential here.

I don't know if people recognize it or not.

However, I think it's appalling what they want to do with this clock tower.

Okay, that is a just as this lady mentioned.

It's a beautiful setting for the public.

It's like a welcome sign, even.

And you need to find a way to integrate the past as well as the future.

Okay, and don't erase the past.

Embrace the past.

Okay, that's part of the character of Spartanburg.

Okay.

Now this issue had brought some questions to my mind.

Let me ask you this.

Would the city of London consider tearing down Big Ben?

Would uh Seattle even think about taking down the Seattle space needle, right?

Or any other kind of uh, you know, monument like that.

Okay.

I mean, you work around that.

Not that we're of that, not that Spartansburg of that size and color, but still it the issue is relevant, okay.

It's it's relative.

This is like a monument for Spartanburg, and it should be appreciated.

And I I went by there before this meeting just to get, you know, take a good look at the situation, and uh it sets the atmosphere over there.

Okay, it's part of that whole uh gathering centerpiece there, okay.

Now I also as the the lady mentioned, I just learned about this hotel thing that by the Johnson group, and they supposedly want to put this thing in that place, right?

Okay.

Well, to me, it's impression.

Okay, the first time.

Thank you for your time.

We really do appreciate it.

Okay, thanks a lot.

They need a luxury.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

Bella Ren.

Yes.

Bailey.

Bailey Reen.

My name is Bailey Wren.

I live on 206 Cart Drive, South Carolina.

I really admire and respect the amount of work the city has put into trying to plan what's best for our town.

I know how much you all care about preserving the history of Spartanburg while also making it a great place for people to live.

I know you wouldn't want to move the clock tower without good reason, which is why I'm in full support of removing it and displaying its historic elements for everyone to see.

I think a display would be really cool and provide an educational piece of history on our clock towers that Spartanburg doesn't have yet.

I appreciate the ways our city is trying to make Spartanburg more walkable, more disability friendly, and incorporate native plant life and shade into the new development plans.

That speaks much more volumes to me than a structure.

That doesn't mean that the clock tower doesn't matter, but rather that there are other more important things to focus on when it comes to the well-being of our city.

If there is a structure that is in the way of that, I would hope our city would choose people over it.

I believe our council has been very transparent with their goals and caring to everyone's concerns regarding this tower.

The ideas I respect are ones that are long-lasting, thoroughly studied, and historically accurate.

I believe that's what's been presented so far by the city manager.

When I hear the arguments of the individuals who want to keep the clock tower in its current location, it seems like they aren't concerned with preserving history as they are with preserving the iconography of the tower.

A possible solution to this would be to make the new clock tower attached to the city council building resemble our current clock tower more, adding a steeple and making the clock face round, could possibly go a long way to make the individuals who are more opposed to change more comfortable.

Personally, I want to see change.

Let's keep moving in that direction.

Also, pass the hate crime ordinance.

Good evening.

Good evening, dear people, uh Spartanburg City Council.

I am uh George Hayden.

My wife Martha and I are relatively new residents here at just Spartanburg, Spartanburg County.

Oh, and we live uh 729 Pass Field Avenue in Greer.

Uh we have recently located from the state of Washington.

Clock tower, I like to get to the point, I feel reveals uh beauty and history of downtown Spartanburg.

I think it would be and it is a magnet to draw visitors and residents to the downtown area.

I feel to remove it would be a disaster and a violation of trust of the city council to favor developers or the residents of this beautiful city of whom you represent.

I and we and my wife Martha implore you, the City of Council of Spartanburg, to leave the clock tower at its present vocation.

I appreciate uh the times you have to listen to me.

Uh thank you very much.

Thank you, sir.

Alina Thielman.

Good evening.

Uh, my name is Alina Tillman.

The address is 465 River Street, Converse, South Carolina.

I'm going to be reading off of my phone here, and I'm going to do my best to stay within the the time limits.

Um, I'm a grassroots worker and the owner of a public benefit corporation based in Atlanta that advocates for marginalized communities, and I've lived in Spartanburg for several years.

I want to bring to your attention some discriminatory lending practices happening in Spartanburg, specifically targeting women and families.

Uh last year I walked into Spartanburg Honda to purchase a car that I saw listed online, and I was ready to pay cash, but what happened instead was the dealership, Spartanburg Honda, refused to sell me the car at the listed price.

They pressured me into financing a different vehicle, and the price on that vehicle was then inflated, where a basically the car was priced at $20,000, and the financing terms essentially inflated it at $53,000.

The monthly payment was set at $700 a month, making it difficult to even reduce the principal balance.

And when I offered to pay a higher deposit on the vehicle, they refused to adjust the terms.

When I asked to leave, the salesman refused to give me my car keys in return, and I could not leave without signing the contract.

The Military Lending Act, um, just to give you a brief explanation, is a federal law that protects active duty service members and their dependents from predatory lending.

It requires that all lenders run a check through the manpower data defense center whenever someone applies for credit.

If that consumer is MLA uh covered, lenders must cap interest rates, rates, and ban abusive contract terms and ensure that the family is not trapped in debt.

The MLA is a federal protection that maintains operational security and ensures that families are well protected at home so that service members can stay focused on their duty without being distracted or destabilized by financial exploitation.

Thank you, Miss Tilbury.

Sorry about that.

Jamie Bishop, 474 Woodley Road, Spartanburg.

Spartanburg had a unique skyline with buildings built in the early 1900s until city leaders deemed them as disposable to make way for their new shiny and new structures.

In your history lesson last week, Mr.

City Manager, you referenced the Andrews building that fell that October day on Saturday, the day before it was scheduled to be imploded.

City leaders were giddy with an anticipation about a new bank building that on that spot, which wound up being a vacant lot for years.

The Andrews building would have been a beautiful building had it been renovated with care, like the Montgomery building.

In 1984, Mayor Lewis Miller pushed to have several buildings on North Church Street between Maine and St.

John condemned to build a new chamber of commerce building.

All but one business gave way to the city.

Hyman Brown Zennings furniture fought the city at their own expense, ultimately winning, which was at a high cost to the company.

And on that spot where the businesses were demolished, the unsightly controlled data building was built, which was and still is out of place downtown.

At present, you have empty buildings on Main Street, yet you want to build more buildings in the area.

Fill up that space you already have before move building more.

Also, Mr.

City Manager, during your 40 minute history lesson, you mentioned that school children only paid a small fraction of the tower's construction.

I believe that, just like I believed and trusting our city city leaders at the time who promised that if we gave this project, the tower would be seen, heard, and enjoyed for many generations to come.

I have two questions for you, Mr.

City Manager.

How long is a generation and also how much are you being paid by the developer to push forward the removal of the clock tower?

In closing, if the city council votes to tear down the clock tower and place the parts of the clock on display, public interest will wane over time and the clock will be placed yet again in storage when the space is needed for yet another project.

Then perhaps it will be sent to O'Neill Mint Scrapyard, something none of us want to see.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Please hold your applause.

Please hold your applause.

Sam.

Good afternoon or good evening, Councilman.

My name is Sam Bakieran.

I've lived in Spartanburg.

Sam Bakieran.

I live at 177 Pierpont Avenue here in Spartanburg City.

I've lived here in Spartanburg for six years now, and I would like to vote voice my wholehearted support for the hate crime ordinance proposed by Cyrin.

I find it shocking and shameful that South Carolina does not already have hate crime legislation.

I have many friends here in the city that are part of minority groups that uh are at risk every day.

Uh the city of Spartanburg has been much more forward-thinking than many parts of the state in recent years, and I would like to see that continue.

Uh with the choice to join the governmental alliance on race and equity in 2020.

I'm sure the city council will make the correct decision to pass this hate crime ordinance and continue being a leader in this area.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We have Reverend Larry Bateman.

My name's Larry Bateman.

I'm at 355 Kelly Lane Drive, Spartanburg, South Carolina, and I uh rise to speak on a favor of the proclamation for the Constitution Week and applaud you for uh considering that again because uh history is important, very important.

Uh when George Washington walked into Betsy Ross's place, he had uh I helped you.

Okay.

He said, uh Betsy, can you make a flag like this?

And uh she said, Yeah, I will do that.

And uh she made a flag like that.

Uh let's see, what does it say in the Star Star Spangled Banner?

Uh we saw the bar that bright stars and the bars, and it still still stood there.

And uh it's important that we realize that uh history is important.

They added stars, but they didn't change the whole thing about uh storytelling was a big part of the last meeting, and uh Chris Story spun a large tail saying that uh history and memories are not the same.

I'm a little confused.

I'm a simple guy.

I thought memories were based on things that happened in history.

They're not invented, and what we heard was invented, and I'd like to know why would the city council consider a proposal to snatch away the size of a very small apartment of 900 plus square feet in order to make a huge hotel and to renovate the city.

So I appeal to you to stand down on that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Mark from Mark Manigan.

Good evening.

I'm Mark Monahan.

I live at 150 East Victoria Road here in Spartanburg.

First of all, I want to say again, thank you for making Spartanburg a great place to live always.

But tonight I stand before you with a simple but urgent request that Spartanburg join the growing list of South Carolina municipalities that have enacted local hate crimes ordinance.

South Carolina is only one of two states alongside Wyoming that still lacks statewide hate crimes legislation.

Our House passed it.

Our Senate did not.

That failure leaves our communities vulnerable.

But we don't have to wait.

Cities like Columbia, Greenville, Myrtle Beach, and even our neighbor Welford have stepped up.

Spartanburg should too.

This is not just about punishment, it's about protection.

It's about sending a message to every resident, regardless of your race, religion, gender identity, or background, that they are all safe, they're valued, and they're welcome here.

According to FBI data, hate crimes have occurred right here in Spartanburg.

Even one incident is too many.

We must act.

I urge this council to place hate crimes ordinance on the agenda.

Let us be a city that leads with courage and compassion.

Let us be a city that says hate has no home here.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Mr.

Kumar.

Kumar, yes.

Thank you.

I'm sorry, guys.

I do apologize.

Hello, I'm Mataf Kumar.

I live at uh 206 Card Drive in Spartanburg.

Uh so I'm here to talk about two things today.

Uh, first and foremost, uh, I'd like to add my voice to the call for a hate crime ordinance uh in our city.

I live here my whole life, and it's been great.

Uh I love it here.

Uh but I've had my fair share of negative experiences uh caused by someone not liking the way I look.

So far, I've been lucky that it has has never turned violent, but that's not always uh the case for everyone.

Uh because of that, I think it's important our city passes a hate crime ordinance to support people who go through that and send a message that hate will not be tolerated here.

Secondly, uh uh I don't know if you have heard about this, um, but there's a lot of opinions about the clock tower.

Uh and I thought I'd just add mine in.

Um personally, I'm I'm in support of uh removing the the clock tower and having a dedicated public exhibit about the history of all of the clocks in in Spartanburg uh as well as the historical elements.

Uh I think that would be a really great way to honor the history and recognize those that help to uh restore it in in the 70s.

I really like the proposed changes uh and think that they'll help bring more people downtown uh and help you know add more economic uh activity to our city.

Opinions aside, though, I do think it would be nice to have some sort of public forum dedicated to this topic.

The current format of public comment feels like we're speaking at each other instead of with each other.

I really think that this would go a long way in helping to build goodwill and help us to come to a solution.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

James Jones, Mr.

Mayor, members of Council, James Jones, 582 West Main Street.

Um not if, but when someone else is attacked because of their race, because of their faith, their language, who they love.

That's not just a crime against one person, it's a crime against the entire community.

Yet now Spartanburg has no ordinance, no protection, no methods in law that says hate has no home here, Mr.

Monnian.

Other South Carolina cities have stepped up.

Why should Spartanburg City Council lag behind?

Why should our residents be left unprotected?

Make your racial reconcili reconciliation ordinance in 2020 that you passed, but you didn't do anything to back it up with ordinance as a law.

Make it not be a lie.

Make the black lives matter mural, something beneficial to the actual lives of people.

Passing a hate crimes ordinance is not just another symbol.

It strengthens law enforcement, it tracks it and deters hate-driven violence, and it tells every neighbor, black, white, Latino, immigrant, gay, straight, Christian, Muslim, and Jewish, that the city stands with them, Mr.

Mayor.

Ms.

Lil John, leadership means the courage to lead.

Mr.

Forma, it's not just a tomorrow issue, it is a now issue.

Miss Brown, just as delayed is justice denied.

Mr.

Mayor in action is indifferent.

And indifference is literally worse than racism.

Spartanburg deserves to be known as a city of justice, safety, and belonging.

So I ask you, pass the ordinance and pass it now.

Let Spartanburg lead where the state and where hate have failed.

Thank you.

Tiffany Bailey.

I'm sorry, Highland Crossing.

How are you doing?

Good, Miss Bailey.

My name is Tiffany Foster Bailey, and I live at 201 Highland Crossing Apartments.

201.

201 Highland Crossing.

Holland Avenue, Highland Crossing Departments.

I'm coming to stand in place of all my co-residency and tenants at my apartment.

Um I've lived there since it's been up.

I'm from Detroit, but I've been here 20 years, so I'm a Spartan burger.

Um but over the years we've had three different rent managers, we've had four different maintenance men.

Within that time, I've seen everyone come and go and slack and lack and build and do whatever else.

This current one we have, she doesn't come to work.

We have people that we have harassment going on, we have uh people haven't got their utility checks, we have people that haven't signed leases, we have people upon myself that haven't had recertifications.

Um we my initial reason for coming here was to speak on the children having speed bumps out there in apartments because the way people come in, they fly in, they bend the corner, and they don't know it's kids out there everywhere.

We got 20, 30 kids is outside on a regular.

So speed bumps was my initial reason for coming out here.

In the midst of that, our rent lady sucks.

I'm just gonna be honest and transparent.

I'm not gonna sugarcoat nothing.

The way she disregards her job by saying I have personal issues, or I can't do this, I'll be there tomorrow, never shows up.

That needs to stop.

The first three people we had, they came, Melissa, Miss Phyllis, they came to their job, no problem.

People had a little disregard for them on whatever levels, but they were at work.

We didn't have to go and figure out what time she was coming, we didn't have to go and talk about whatever, who wereever to somebody else.

I speak only because I live in the front.

I talk to everybody, I find that I speak for the elderly, I speak for those who don't get a chance to come and say anything.

I speak for those who are scared to speak up because they fear getting it getting um evicted.

We deal with harassment, we deal with racism, racism from our own maintenance man, we deal with harassment from our own maintenance man.

Um we have me personally have dealt with that.

There's so many things that are going on Highland Crossing that nobody speaks about and nobody wants to talk about, and I'm here to talk about it.

Thank you, Ms.

Bailey.

Yes.

Yes, Doug?

Yes.

Kayla Orr.

Hello, my name is Kayla Orr.

I live at 231 Diploma Lean Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Good evening, everyone.

My name is Kayla Orr, and I serve as the community advocate for SARI, the Spartanburg Initiative for Racial Equity Now.

I'm here tonight to urge you to place the hate crimes ordinance on the agenda.

At our last meeting, City Manager Chris Story reminded us that change is at first unsettling.

And Councilman Former said that the council stands at the intersection of the past, present, and future, working to become the best Spartanburg we can be.

Those words ring true tonight.

According to the FBI, hate crimes in South Carolina nearly doubled last year, arising from 66 reported incidents in 2022 to 115 in 2023.

More than 60% were motivated by race or ethnicity with others tied to religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

That is not a distant statistic.

That is a reality impacting families and neighborhoods right here.

Spartanburg is also a city of diversity.

Nearly 8% of our county's residents are foreign-born, representing thousands of immigrant and refugee families.

Organizations like World Relief are already helping newcomers find their place here.

That shows us something important.

Spartanburg is becoming a community where culture connect and where every resident, whether lifelong or newly arrived, deserves to know they are safe, valued, and protected.

The hate crimes ordinance is not about division.

It is about protection.

It is about sending a clear message that whether you are a student temporarily here, a family who has lived here for generations, or an immigrant building a new life, you matter in Spartanburg.

So I ask you tonight, live up to your own words.

Let's embrace this moment of change, put the hate crimes ordinance on the agenda.

Let's show the state and our residents that Spartanburg is willing to lead with courage, compassion, and justice.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Orr.

Representative Dr.

Rosalind Henderson Myers.

Well, good evening.

Good evening.

My name is Dr.

Rosalind Henderson Myers.

I represent uh House District 31 here in Spartanburg in the South Carolina House of Representatives.

My address is 299 South Converse Street in Spartanburg.

I stand before you today to speak on hate crimes and for an ask that this city council place the Roy C.

Henderson hate crime ordinance on the agenda for a vote.

As a native of Spartanburg, residents have long worked together for a better and a safer community.

And that still rings true today.

However, our communities are ever evolving into microcosms of ill will and sometimes actions involving hate.

Hate crimes are conventional criminal acts such as assault, vandalism, or murder, that are motivated by a bias against a person or a group's race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.

Examples range from verbal threats and harassment to physical violence and the destruction of property.

Specifically, examples of base bias by category, race, race, ethnicity, and national origin, driving through a protest.

Someone intentionally drives a vehicle through a stop Asian hate sign and rally while yelling racial slurs.

Or let's take religion, attack on worshippers, Jewish attendees are assaulted, doing a menorah lighting ceremony, or members of a Jehovah Witness Kingdom Hall are shot at.

Sexual orientation and gender identity.

Let's look at workplace harassment.

A male employee at a federal office threatens to kill a black Muslim female employee while using racial and homophobic slurps.

Disability, verbal threats and abuse, and gender, online harassment, and incel men post misogynistic threats against women online.

These areas of bias should garner protection of all of our citizens.

The South Carolina legislative black caucus and others that support us throughout the state of South Carolina, call on local cities and communities to pass this hate crime ordinance.

Only two states in the nation have not.

It's just the right thing for us to do.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Dr.

Philip Stone.

Good evening.

I'm Philip Stone, 246 South Spring Street, and I come to speak about something entirely different, and I come to say thank you to all of you for something.

On March 25th, uh there was a fire at a home on South Spring Street, just a few doors down from my own house.

It was scary to watch.

I don't know if any of you have ever watched a house on your street burn and hoped that the fire department was going to be able to keep it from burning your house down.

It was a momentary uh panic, but I didn't have anything to worry about because our fire department got there really fast, saved the home.

They did exactly what they needed to do.

Uh they kept it from spreading, and it was a fairly windy night that evening.

I always like to brag on our ISO one fire department and say that they are some of the best in the business.

And I would on that night, I was especially grateful that they are some of the best in the business.

I hope that that house will eventually be repaired, but if it weren't for their good actions, there would be no chance.

So I thank you for your support of the fire department.

I thank the city's leadership for their support and and of course of all of the folks who work in the fire department.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Stern.

To that, um that brings a close to the public comment.

And I do appreciate you all being patient.

We were kind of all over the place trying to put people in proper order just to speak together so it would flow a little better.

But uh thank you all for your comments and your concern uh for Spartanburg, as I heard over and over again, there were quite a few of you of you that have just moved here or not necessarily natives from here, but have moved into the city, and we thank you.

We thank you for coming out and voicing your opinion.

And to our native uh Spartan burgers, as that has been combed the term as I hear more as I'm hearing more and more.

Thank you for always being involved with what we do as we continue to move Spartanburg forward and make it that destination spot for everyone.

So thank you all for coming out this evening.

We will follow up with quite a few of these concerns.

Now we have item six proclamation declaring September the 17th, 2025 through September the 23rd, 20 uh 25 constitutional week in the city of Spartanburg.

As we had the Reverend speak on earlier.

We have two that are joining us joining me down front.

Yes, thank you.

Hi, thank you.

And what we have here is the proclamation declaring, whereas September the 17th, 2025 marks the 238th anniversary of the draft and of the Constitution of the United States of America by the Constitutional Conference.

I mean Convention.

And whereas the Constitutional Convention, our founding fathers, in order to secure the blessing of the liberty for themselves and their prosperity, did ordain and establish the Constitution of the United States of America.

Whereas to sign and provide a historical opportunity for all Americans to learn about the learn about and remember the achievement of our founders and to reflect on the rights and privilege of citizenship as well as the attendance responsibility.

Whereas the independence guaranteed to American people by the Constitution should be celebrated with ceremonies and activities during the Constitution week September the 17th through the 23rd, as is as designated by the proclamation of the President of the United States of America in accordance with public law 915.

Now therefore, I Jerome Rice, by the virtue of the authority vested in me as mayor of the city of Spartanburg.

And on behalf of my fellow city council members, do hereby proclaim the week of September 17th through September 23rd, 2025 as Constitution Week.

And in the city of Spartanburg, and urge all citizens to pay special attention during the week of our federal constitution and advantages of American citizens.

So again, thank you all for the opportunity.

Thank you, ma'am.

Thank you very much.

I just want to say, you know, our Constitution is the oldest one.

And as you said, 238 years old.

That's pretty good.

Yes, ma'am.

We got to get a quick picture here.

Can I ask you to take a picture of my camera?

Yes, really.

And anyone might like a pocket copy of the Constitution.

I have a one.

Well, I think that does deserve a hand clap.

Thank you.

Item seven, we have update on microtransit pilot program.

Presenter, Mr.

Chris Storey, City Manager.

Good evening, Mr.

Mayor, members of council.

Uh tonight's presentation is uh we are reaching the point of launch of our uh microtransit pilot program.

So I just uh wanted to refresh and uh recap the the elements of that program um as an effort to raise awareness and encourage um folks to give it a try as we roll it out over the next uh couple of weeks.

As you know, one of our strategic goals is to uh adapt and innovate our programs and services so that uh they have the highest maximum positive impact on the people we serve.

And for uh quite some time we've operated and continue to operate a fixed route bus system with uh eight loop loop routes that begin and end at the downtown uh transfer center and run up run a fixed uh route with designated stops and times.

Um that is an expensive proposition, right?

It's uh it is a uh labor-intensive and uh uh equipment intensive um uh way of addressing uh transit needs and in our community.

uh route with designated stops and times um that is an expensive proposition right it's uh it is a uh labor intensive and uh uh equipment intensive um uh way of addressing uh transit needs and in our community so we have been on the lookout for ways to increase the level of service we provide uh and uh help to meet the transportation needs of our community in ways that might be better suited better aligned with the the physical makeup of and the population density and the specific needs of our community so we have uh partnered with a couple of different uh partners to bring about this pilot program of a different type of public transit service um that we think will meet uh some of our uh users' needs much better it's it will go by the name of uh Sparta Go Sparta is the the name of our fixed route bus bus system and Sparta Go will be the name and branding uh associated with uh this new uh microtransit service uh it'll be operated by uh an operating partner uh the company's name is VIA uh seen on this this map in the United States or places where they support uh different types of transit service microtransit service this will be a separate and distinct service from our fixed route um system our fixed route system will remain intact um and on the same schedules and that type of thing but this is a new additional service microtransit is on demand public transportation that is enabled by technology um where uh routing algorithms use real time on the ground information to group passengers into shared rides unlike traditional ride series you know we've many many folks have experienced um uh use of Uber or Lyft services uh where um it's it's somewhat similar in that it's demand response and it's technology enabled they find the the available driver closest and all that is automated but but microtransit is is significantly distinct from those services in that um uh rides the the the vision is in uh involves uh sharing rides it's accessible for all folks um it'll have a dedicated and branded uh uh fleet of vehicles um and it operates in compliance with FTA and it's more it's uh priced similar to public transit so it's um in some ways it works like Uber uh in that it works off a technological uh platform and um and the computers do a lot of the routing lifting and it's flexible in real time but it is very much a public uh service share a little bit about that um uh you know our our aim is to to help folks get more folks get where they need to go um in convenient uh simple ways this will allow us to um to offer longer hours of service and more flexible type of service um and um we envision sort of a quiet rollout with a more public intensive um uh marketed rollout uh beginning around the 23rd of this month um it will cover uh over half of the uh the city population um it will I know it's hard to read uh uh maps but it is targeted to um it needed to be a compact geography as we've previously discussed um uh and structuring the the the pilot program um and so we tried to overlay uh key destinations with neighborhoods with higher rates of transportation dependency um so this pilot geography again if it's successful the geography will be altered to change but this pilot geography includes both uh both sides of the South Church Street corridor uh proximate to to most of the South side it includes the highland neighborhood it includes downtown includes portions of Park Hills goes out John B White um as far as Crescent Avenue um and it includes all of the north side it includes uh the hospital campus and it includes um uh two brand named pharmacies and a gross grocery so the basic retail needs are met and it and it includes our downtown so uh this was our best effort in working with the the partners and looking at the various data points to inform how we might serve the the most folks uh um effectively in this in this pilot program this is a look these are not it's these are not the exact vehicles but it's a look of the branding and um that you'll see on uh uh on the vans um that you'll begin seeing around town uh beginning next week um and uh oh sorry that's all the the slides that that I have prepared but uh uh certainly welcome any questions you have we want to encourage um the community to be aware of this service down

This is a look, these are not it's these are not the exact vehicles, but it's a look of the branding and um that you'll see on uh uh on the vans um that you'll begin seeing around town uh beginning next week.

Um and uh oh sorry, that's all the the slides that that I have prepared, but uh I certainly welcome any questions you have.

We want to encourage um the community to be aware of this service, download the app, give it a try, um, and let us know how it's going.

It is true, it's truly a a pilot, and that uh our intent here is to learn and to gather data about what works.

I the only thing I can tell you with certainty is that six months from now the service will be adjusted in some form or fashion based on what we learn in this first six months.

That's the whole purpose of doing that is to is to learn.

So we're excited about uh rolling it out.

Um we will uh be making adjustments uh throughout and it's uh it's our strong request that folks uh give it a try, let us know about their experience and help us uh make it work, and then we'll be back as we've gathered that data, we'll be back in front of you and in front of the community um to talk about what uh might uh be appropriate for the community on a longer term basis, all with the aim of stretching our uh limited resources further to help more people make meet their transportation needs.

Council Warmeluda John.

Yes, Chris, I am glad to see that uh the original plan has been readjusted, or you have adjusted the original plan because I believe that the original plan was that uh this vehicle was only going to go on the north side and the south side, and that was only going to be one grocery store that was going to be included, and that was going to be the food lion over by the hospital.

I am glad to see now that uh uh the west side, you know, part of the west side and the east side and the south and the north are going to be included in this plan.

And I believe that this is going to be uh very helpful to a lot of people, and I would like to take a ride on bus myself.

Gotta start with just to see where it's going.

I would love for council members to take a ride on that.

Yes, ma'am.

And we do and encourage folks to do that and give it a try.

And the the geography served can and will change over time.

And one of the things um uh there are more communities exploring this type of service for variety of reasons.

Um smaller vehicles, uh, more customizable, um, and and also it allows you to um adapt more quickly than fixed routes do.

Uh our to move a to alter a fixed route uh requires uh an extensive process of of notification and another things.

So we really can't move bus routes very quickly and easily, but this map could be adjusted and the footprint served could be altered over time.

We we don't have the resources to serve the whole city um, but uh we're trying to design it around those several factors I've discussed.

So councilman form.

Um yeah, Chris, uh I'm excited about this pilot.

Uh have been for some time was talking to the assistant city manager about it last week.

I know he and his team have put a lot of time and effort in this, and um, you know, I think it'll it it has the potential to show us the way toward uh a a new future for our public transit uh system in in some form or fashion in in so many different ways.

Remind me what our uh initial investment in this pilot is.

We will it'll the pilot overall cost will be dependent on utilization, right?

But the uh but the minimum expenditure would be a quarter million dollars and that could range higher depending on uh time, but um uh the primary fund source is some federal grant funds with some local match.

Um so from a financial perspective, yes, it's an investment, but it is um uh the the real benefit will be in the data we glean and and how it can help us design the best system the for years to come.

million dollars and that could range higher depending on uh time but um uh the primary fund source is some federal grant funds with some local match um so from a financial perspective yes it's an investment but it is um uh the the real benefit will be in the data we glean and and how it can help us design the best system the for years to come and and in that data will we will we learn response times pickup times those kind of things as we as we go about this to make sure that that it is a dependable service for the for the folks that it is intended to to serve which ultimately is hopefully the entire city that's right we'll know from the point at which uh folks uh folks seek uh to to utilize the system to when they actually reach their destination uh we'll have good data on that we'll know how often we can use the vans concurrently for more than one trip um and uh we'll learn uh which destinations uh are most heavily uh utilized and the like so it's um it's a type of data that we just don't get um from fixed routes because uh with fixed route system what happens by and large is the riders adapt to the route schedules right it it can take if you have to come if you're on one loop route uh some of our some of our out and in loop routes run a run a 60 minute cycle so if you happen to be located on the outbound part of that loop you might board and then reach the downtown transfer center 40 40 or 45 minutes later and then have to get board another bus to go to another portion of the city um so you could end up with um uh uh uh geography covered of less than 10 miles that takes over an hour right uh and so folks have uh have uh folks who are dependent on our transit system alone uh as it stands now with only fixed routes have to plan accordingly and uh plan their days around the transit system this allows the transit system to be planned around planned around the needs of the rider and I know that one of the issues with our larger uh truck uh fleet and and route system is route cancellations due to labor shortages and that kind of thing um it initially or at least in the long term with this test would we have the ability to say if there's a route cancellation redeploy the larger buses into areas where that makes sense and then reinforce this program as an option in in those instances when the routes are being canceled.

And we will we'll definitely be cross marketing um and but operationally they'll they'll be distinct systems but we'll definitely be cross marketing and we do expect that there will be times when this service is running that but uh our fixed route system is not that we'll get higher volumes and we'll direct that volume to this service yes and we'll be making sure all our regular fixed route riders are aware of this and see we'll be looking at what effects that has for uh ridership may approve 10 uh Chris um very excited about this pilot program you mentioned or is the city staffing the drivers for this program how many I guess vans did we it's um the it's three vans um and uh they will be staffed by uh our contract vendor who um runs these type of programs across the country um they've got local hiring um that has been um underway and experienced drivers that they're bringing on board and new new folks are training Chris to that point uh you may mention the fixed routes already uh hour out um shhae and I actually was uh walking Saturday and we had a young lady complain about I gotta wait this hour for the bus to come through and everybody kind of knows it's an hour wait time what would be the time of the pilot program what times are there are they running that this will run one of the things I'm excited about to see is um the operating hours uh I think it's yeah it's on this slide um Monday through Friday six to six um which effectively is an earlier start than what you would have in fixed route and hopefully we'll make it uh easier for folks to that have to get to work early um to to do that and then from 10 to six on Saturdays and and I'm glad no I'm glad he has that up because there's a two dollar right cost yes sir per ride yes right now and the fix on the buses we're paying it depends on if you get a monthly pass or uh I don't remember where's Dr.

It depends on if you get a monthly pass or uh I don't remember.

Where's Dr.

Stone though?

He had to slip out.

Yeah, he left.

Oh I'm sorry, I don't know the the minimum, but uh most folks end up with two fares because they've going and coming and and that kind of thing.

And the only other thing that I want to make sure we are getting the information out on how it's an app is you just use in with your phone.

You have to download the app in order to get this.

You reference Lives and Uber Uber uh earlier, so it will work like that, so you have to have the ability to download it to your phone.

That's correct.

And and we'll we'll be looking to help folks who don't have that, but that that'll be the overwhelming most common way that people will use it.

Okay.

All right.

Yes, mail board.

I'm glad that you're looking at another alternative because I was asked that question today.

What if you do not have a cell phone with an app or something that you can do because you have a lot of seniors?

I mean, I'm a senior too.

You have that cell phone in your pocket.

I mean that you have a lot of people that cannot you know do that.

But councilwoman, I know you're a proficient cell phone.

Very much so.

No, I'm not talking about myself.

I've got to see that.

And one thing here, Chris, that that's important for people too is the second bullet at the bottom where there is a new rider promotion where the first four rides that you take are free during the first two months.

So that should be a good incentive for folks to use it.

And then in my conversations with the assistant city manager, one of the reasons why the vendor that we chose was selected was because of their operational excellence.

Yeah.

So that's an even more of a reason to be excited about this program because if they deliver like we think they're gonna deliver, that this is gonna be a reliable dependable service that people are gonna you know really benefit from and enjoy.

Mr.

Mayor, just one last question.

Maybe I I probably watch too much dateline, but I think about safety.

Yeah, um, you know, early morning hours.

Um are the vehicles equipped or configurated in some way that there's yes, there's there's full GPS technology and all of that.

And uh yes, ma'am.

They're they're state of the art, brand new.

But we wouldn't ever envision this service, or maybe we would, but but certainly in the way it's styled now and it's in its pilot.

I mean, I assume we wouldn't envision this to be a 24-7 service option.

Not at this point because it is more economically efficient, the more likely you are to be able to link up multiple riders at one time.

Um so most communities have generally run it uh during the hours that we're we're proposing.

Uh you might find it goes later into the evenings in some places or on some schedules, and we might grow up to that, you know, work up to that.

Good, good, good, exciting.

Couple weeks, we're launching.

Yes, sir.

So folks will see start seeing the vans around town next week, and then more uh advertising uh that week as well.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Story.

Staff updates, yes, Mr.

Mayor.

Just a couple quick things to highlight.

Um we have uh at least a little bit of bonus extended season baseball.

Yeah, happening.

We are uh the uh uh hub city Spartan burgers have made the playoffs.

Um they'll be at home tomorrow night in a playoff game.

Uh and so that's uh that's a fun little extra to extend the season.

Please tell me the mayor's not gonna be asked to throw out the first one.

Not aware of he will be there in attendance.

Docky for that position.

Oh we need the ball to go over the place.

And uh also we're excited to be um bringing uh you know international festival in the first week of October.

We we're into fall uh events and we're excited about that, and uh things are busy.

Um we continue to work on um preparations for uh smooth transition when when some of the uh surface lots uh downtown come offline, at least with the degree of cooperation and coordination across departments and organizations to get that in place.

uh events and we're excited about that and uh things are busy um we continue to work on um preparations for uh smooth transition when when some of the uh surface lots uh downtown come offline please with the degree of cooperation and coordination across departments and organizations to get that in place um uh we are about a month away from seeing some of that parking that um uh is heavily utilized nights and weekends begin to be uh um changed so we are working hastily to be fully prepared for that but lots of good things uh happening in the community and lots of downtown events um and and other types of events this fall we encourage folks to get out and enjoy them i'd certainly welcome any questions you have but no other items I have to cover on updates you got Chris let me ask a question uh since the storm on last year last September you drive got through parts of the South side and I have complained about this more times than once and I don't know why nothing is being done about it and I realize that it's nothing that the city can do because it's not the city's problem uh however it is kind of a problem all of these got cable wires and the um phone wires and I think that I was told that those wires go belong to AT I believe I was told that they were and they are hanging down in front of people's properties and we can't seem to get those things removed how do we go about doing that we we have been in touch with all of the telecommunication providers what the the the telecommunications folks uh Duke Energy owns the polls and at the top of the polls would be um and this is in most cases maybe not a hundred percent of cases but overwhelming majority of cases Duke owns the polls the top uh is is the Duke electrical infrastructure and the lower uh cabling is is telecommunications either spectrum at or others that have agreements with do to use those polls to extend their lines to to folks homes um we 15 or 20 years ago the the state passed legislation that took franchising uh for telecom into the to this to the state level so we don't have the direct um operational interaction that we once did with the telecom providers but we certainly do call those issues to their attention but we don't have insight as to where they rank on their work order list or what they're you know um and we're we just have to run them down on an address by address case by case basis and and try to get the best response we can get uh from the telecom providers so it's it is um we understand it's a concern and we're doing what we can it's a hazard too good thank you um city council update councilman lunogent off with you first of all I want to offer my condolences to um Juni White's family Juni White uh was a man and I respected him to the utmost you never knew what was gonna come out of his mouth but he was a man that was a person of his word if he said he was going to do something he did it and I respected him for that and I remember uh I would say this and I would not call any names well I don't know all the names anyway but I do know that Juni White got put a lot of minority kids through college he put them through college and he gave them jobs.

Now I don't know about the white folks out there I don't know who he did for them but I know in my neighborhood you know got a people that I have heard people got speak about him putting things folks rather go through college look a young man and there is one in particular I understand that he is a principal or he is a vice principal of a high school because someplace in this state that he put through college and I know that he gave people jobs got people and there's one guy that is still there and I don't uh uh uh he gave him job after job because she fired him because she kept hired him fired him because she kept hurting him and he finally got himself together and he's still there would be missed in Sparkenberg he will be missed because he was indeed a good man and he did a lot that I'm sure that we would never know about because he didn't talk about what he did.

And he finally got himself together, and he's still there.

Junior White go would be missed in Spartanburg.

He will be missed because he was indeed a good man, and he did a lot that I'm sure that we would never know about because he didn't talk about what he did.

He just did it, and we're gonna miss him.

Also, on um, oh, and his funeral was the 4th of September.

We were all there, yeah, we were all there.

And another thing that took place on September the 4th was that I attended the graph, the groundbreaking for the new child care center at Mary H.

Wright Elementary School.

And the new center is scheduled to open in the fall of next year, which will include five classrooms serving 66 children of district seven employees, along with one public need base 3K classroom for the greater community.

I don't know what that means, got a greater community, but it does.

Okay.

And another branch of the Little Viking Childcare Cynical will open the following year at the new Jesse Board elementary school.

So a lot has been taking place.

Uh, and I am pleased with all of the things that's taken place in our great city.

And I tell you, I cannot talk about Spartanburg enough.

And I talk about it to everybody.

And I moved away from here, going around in the military with my husband for 21 years, and I said I never want to come back to Spartanburg.

Well, I came back to Spartanburg because my mother-in-law was ill, and I am so grateful to God that he redirected me back here because I would not want to live any place else other than Spartanburg.

Thank you for that.

Councilman Foreman.

Uh yes, Mr.

Mayor, thank you.

Um, as Ruth pointed out, Spartanburg did uh experience a profound loss and and uh the passing of Mayor White.

Um, you know, he deeply loved the people of this community, both through acts of simple kindness, but also through his service to to the to Spartanburg, and um and we will miss him dearly.

He had uh he led a life of of purpose uh and and success.

It was truly a life well lived, and and condolences to his entire family and his legion of friends um who were the beneficiary of many of those acts of kindness.

Um also uh as Ruth or as I guess Chris pointed out, um, congratulations to the Hub City Spartanburgers on what has been by every measure a huge successful first season, inaugural season.

Uh there's a lot of excitement uh in our community around that.

Was there Friday night?

It was a great crowd, a lot of energy.

Uh, and now we pursue a South Atlantic League title starting Monday night.

So hopefully everybody will come out and cheer the Spartan Burgers on.

And then also just note uh it was in the paper, I guess yesterday or today about um the new production studio that is coming to the community college downtown campus, uh Salt Run, I believe, uh, which is uh in part led by Spartan native uh Spartan County native John Gramley and and his team.

So kudos to them for that successful initiative and look forward to seeing great things come from that going forward.

Awesome.

Mayor Pro Tim.

Mr.

Mayor, uh I too had an opportunity with my colleagues to attend uh Mayor White's service.

It was a really beautiful service.

I had never attended a Jewish funeral before.

Um, and it just threw out all of it, it was brought tears to my eyes.

Um it was just so beautiful.

I you know, I don't know Hebrew, but I knew what the words were powerful and I felt it in my heart, and he um did so much for this community, um not because he wanted praise for it, but because it was truly in his heart to help those that um did not have a voice, uh, those that were less fortunate than him.

Um, you know, he he lived a hard life himself, and I think when he you know grew up and had all the successes in life, he wanted to provide for others who um did not have the same opportunities that he did.

Um, one thing that will always stick to out to me, and one thing that has always meant so much to me is his bravery in coming out with the 2010 Pride Proclamation.

Um, and that um meant so much to me.

I was, you know, a wafford grad, but I moved away for six months, and I was like, I need to go back to Spartanburg.

So I came back and really started paying attention more to local politics, and he caught a lot of flack for that.

Um, but he also caught a lot of praise for that and support.

Um and he meant what he said when he said that Spartanburg is a place for everyone and that everyone is welcome here, and the diversity is our strength of our city.

Um, and I think that also rings true to our hate crimes ordinance, and what we need to do to pass that is to you know keep to our word and and what we say um in terms of um this being a welcoming city for everyone, no matter what.

Um we just need to have mutual respect uh for one another.

So um it was a beautiful service.

Um hope to make on Sunday for his uh public memorial, um, but he will be missed.

Uh had opportunity to talk to Miss Irene, and she's just such a bright light.

And um, I think it was 64 years of marriage, 63.

I just I admire that so much.

I was a little bit late start on getting married, but I remember pulling up to that service though and seeing all of the vehicles and thought to myself, like, wow, I I really hope that when that day comes for me that that many people love and support me and hope that I did a good job in and serving my community.

So he will be missed.

Um this Thursday, uh 9-11 at USC Upstate.

Uh, there will be a 9-11 remembrance and memorial um with our first responders.

Um it's gonna be at the USC Upstate Readiness Center.

I believe how many years has it been out?

2001, so 20 24 years.

But you know, of course, the you know, the news reels, it stays on loop, you know.

I and I I always catch myself when I get home from work, if it's on a weekday and just watching the you know the videos over and over and over, and still to this day, you know, can't believe that that happened here to our country.

Um, and um, you know, having parents that served in the military as well.

So um I uh hope to be there, and uh that's all I have.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Yes, sir.

9-11.

That is that 8 30.

8 30 uh Thursday morning, 8 30.

Um those same sediments about 9-11.

Um again, as I referenced my wife in the back.

I was in the card and very first call.

I'm hearing it on the radio.

I'm calling her.

Can you believe what's going on?

You know, you can remember, you know, exactly where you were doing that.

So uh again, the tribute to former mayor Juni White, um, his memorial service Sunday, September the 14th at 3 o'clock p.m.

at Spymer Community College downtown campus.

If you um you know, could if you can attend, please attend uh just an awesome leader for our uh community.

He's sorely gonna be missed.

I've had the opportunity to talk to Miss Irina quite a few times since, and uh, but he would definitely be missed along with the family.

Um Salt Run uh production.

I had the opportunity to um meet with the uh producers and the directors of Salt Run up at USC Upstate uh last week.

Um opportunity for our young people, just another opportunity for our young people to stay to actually have a production company here in Spartanburg.

That's just awesome.

Umference will be this Saturday at the downtown uh campus as well.

Uh Spalmer Community College Downtown Campus.

It starts at nine, no, it starts at 7:30 on this coming Saturday, the uh 2025 neighborhood conference uh led by the city.

We also have before the next walk, we will have uh next meeting 920 miles with the mayor.

We will be walking uh back of the college.

Uh 8 o'clock start with that.

And that was something else.

Big football fan, you guys know I'm a big football fan, uh, as a lot of us are here.

Uh if you watched the opening booth last week was the second week of college football, but the first week of college football, we had a treat from Spartanburg.

If you watched the US C gamecocks in Virginia Tech, you had two Spartanburg kids competing against each other on opposite teams.

That was Will Joyce and uh of course John Love of Virginia Tech.

So that's just awesome where I used to coach at Spartanberg High School.

So uh didn't coach either one of those guys.

I wish I can take that uh acclaim, Erica, but I but but I can't.

So and to MicroCheck Transit, Chris, I'm really looking forward to that kicking off and and helping all citizens.

And to you all in the audience again, I want to say thank you for showing up, uh doing your part to get to have your voices heard.

I mean, we've had uh probably almost maybe pretty close to a hundred people to come here tonight to have their voice heard, make their opinion known.

And we do hear you.

We hear you loud and clear.

We may not may not always agree, or the outcome may not always be what we want, but just trust we do hear you.

We do hear you.

Thank you for uh coming as well, Miss Shank.

I apologize for your first name again.

But uh I do voice name.

I do appreciate each and every one of you in the audience for being here on tonight.

And uh do I hear a motion?

Motion we adjourn.

Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Go home.

Mr.

Greer.

You know, I was gonna get you early with that LSU game.

That LSU.