No, we didn't want to make that open.

So I talked to each council member in advance.

I don't want that struggle to have to play to the meeting.

Okay.

Never talking about trying to say.

Then be led by the Pledge of Allegiance.

I'm looking out for a boy scout.

Don't see one, but let us stand for a moment of silence, please.

Amen.

Mayor Pro Tim, lead us in the pledge, please.

I agree to the flag of the United States of America.

And to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God and the principle with liberty and justice.

Thank you for that.

If you don't mind, please silence your phones.

Beeping in the back.

Council Mayor Mayor Pro Tim, check your device.

I made one mistake.

One time I live.

All in favor?

Aye.

Before we go to item four, we want to amend the boards and commission.

It's item eleven.

Yes, item eleven city of uh City of Sparnberg Boards and Commission appointment.

We will amend that, take it off the agenda, bring back at a later date.

Do I hear a motion to amend?

Make a motion that we amend the agenda as described.

Second.

All in favor?

Any of that opposed?

Ayes have it.

So now can I get the approval of the agenda as amended for June eighth, twenty twenty-six?

Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Eyes have it.

We have public comment at this time.

We have a couple here.

The way the public comments work is that all you have to give us is your first and last name.

We have your other information here on the uh printout that you uh sent in.

And uh just get up, tell us your first and last name, and you have two minutes to state your opinion uh or thoughts or what have you.

So, first we have Miss Vanessa Leach.

Lynch.

Vanessa Lap.

Yes, ma'am.

Come on up.

Okay.

When did I come up too soon?

No, you're good.

All right, my name is Vanessa Lex.

Spartanburg City's trap neuter release policy for feral cats is a failure.

And the situation on Collins Avenue is worsening.

I've witnessed large numbers of cats throughout the area.

I have already sent evidence to the full city council through city staff from PETA, people for the ethical treatment of animals, and wildlife conservation experts documenting the issues with trap neuter release policies.

Feral cats are known carriers of numerous diseases, including but not limited to toxoplasmosis.

Some of these diseases have already caused environmental damage in places where feral cat populations were allowed to continue spiraling out of control.

These policies encourage pet abandonment.

The people abandoning these people abandoning these animals should be held criminally and financially accountable whenever legally possible.

Taxpayers are still subsidizing these policies, even when NGOs are heavily involved because animal control officers are taxpayer funded.

Residents of my household suffer from severe cat allergies that do interfere with breathing and require urgent medical treatment.

After repeated calls to animal control, nothing has improved because trap neuter release has replaced real animal control.

End trap neuter release immediately.

Public policy should not be dictated by activist NGOs that pressure local governments into adopting failed trap neuter release policies.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Mr.

Henry.

Hey, sir, how are you?

I'm great.

How are you today?

Fantastic.

Got my timer here for you.

I won't be too long.

Okay.

My name's Henry Leck.

I'm Vanessa's husband.

Um, proud member of the South Converse neighborhood, um, invested in the community, uh, friends of Duncan Park for the revitalization of the stadium.

I both run both the American Legion baseball teams, and I'm working with Kim and Scott to bring my team that I coach.

Um, it's a college-level team in Spartan Road County, and we're gonna bring them for the celebration of the hundred year to have a game uh for the community.

But I'm here on TNR.

Uh my concern is not whether we care about animals, we all do.

My concern is whether this program is producing measurable results.

Uh before public funds are spent on any program.

Taxpayers deserve to know what success looks like, how it's measured, and whether those goals are being achieved.

If we cannot clearly demonstrate that TNR is reducing the feral cat population, then we need to reevaluate whether the program is accomplishing its intended purpose.

While TNR may prevent future litters, it does not remove existing cats from neighborhoods.

Residents in my neighborhood, we all have got together on this.

Um we still deal with cats on our property, they're ruining our gardens, they're under our homes and in our crawl spaces, and they're around our businesses.

Many citizens did not choose to host a cat colony, yet they are often expected to live without the consequences.

The rights and concerns of property owners should be considered alongside the goals of any animal management program.

In closing, thank you for your time and consideration.

I respectfully ask the council to review the city's TNR program, its costs, its results, and its long-term effectiveness so that citizens can confident have confidence that public resources are being used widely.

Thank you, counsel.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, sir.

We have Mr.

Joshua.

No, I'm sorry, Isaac quick first.

Yeah.

Mayor, members of council, and distinguished city leaders.

On behalf of Christian families against your structure decisions, uh, we stand before you today with deep gratitude and genuine honor.

Thank you for naming what matters.

We sincerely thank you for recognizing June 2026 as forging strong fathers and families month.

Your leadership in making this declaration sends a powerful message, not just to individual households, but to our entire community.

That strong families are foundational to a thriving city.

Too often conversations about fathers and families are treated as private matters, confined to walls of a home.

But today you have affirmed something profoundly important that strong fathers and strong families are community issues.

They impact the safety of our neighborhoods, the well-being of our children, the stability of our schools, and the future of our city.

When fathers are present, engaged and supported, children are more likely to succeed academically, avoid risky behaviors, and grow into responsible, contributing adults.

When families are strengthened, communities become safer, more compassionate, and more resilient.

Your proclamation is more than symbolic.

It is a statement of values.

It declares that we as a city are willing to invest in the foundational relationships that shape the next generation.

We also recognize that this work is not easy.

Strengthening fathers and families requires collaboration from nonprofits, churches, educators, and civic leaders alike.

And today, by issuing this recognition, you have taken an important step in fostering that collaboration.

To the mayor, to each council member, to all city leadership, thank you for your vision, your courage, your willingness to elevate what truly matters.

I'm closing as an organization that is fully invested in the mission of building strong families and generational heritages.

It would be our honor to stand with you in this effort.

Together, we can build stronger fathers, stronger families, and a stronger future for our city.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

I do appreciate it.

Joshua Quick.

Joshua.

Good evening.

I'm also here to represent CFAD.

Um CFAD believes that fathers are not the problem to be condemned, but part of the solution to be called forward.

I stand before you as owner of Quick Bell Bonds here in Spartanburg.

And doing what I do, what I can tell you is almost 95% of the people that come through my business every day come from single parent families.

What I've learned is that across the state, 24% of our households are single family houses, single family households.

However, based on the number of children in those households, 41% of all the kids in the state are in single parent households.

That directly contributes to crime, punishment, imprisonment, and too often what we do is we address the proximate cause.

What's the cloak?

What's the closest cause to crime?

Poverty.

And we try to address poverty and economics.

But just because something is the approximate cause does not mean it's the root cause.

And the root cause of this is broken families and fatherlessness.

And I see it every single day.

Spartanburg County, Spartan City, excuse me, 33%, according to a recent census of our children are in, excuse me, 33% of households are single parent households.

But then the question is, what percentage of that of those are our children?

Is that 50% of the population based on how many children are in the household?

And if that is 50% of the household of the population, what does that look like for Spartanburg City in the years ahead?

It does my business grow at the expense of families.

We stand here saying that we appreciate your initiative.

We see the need, and as my business pours back into organizations like CFAD, and we stand and we see to fight that need for the betterment of our community.

We are asking for a partnership with you all that will allow us to change the tide of our children and our communities so that education and industry and progress can be brought forward because that's not going to come from broken households.

Thank you.

Summer Benton.

Good evening, Mayor, Council members.

That kind of declaration says a message to our city that fathers matter, families matter, and the future of Spartanburg matters.

Today, Spartanburg's families are under pressure.

And at CFAD, we believe that strong fathers help build strong homes and strong homes help build strong neighborhoods.

Strong neighborhoods help build a stronger Spartanburg.

We also believe fathers are not the problem to be condemned, but the critical part of the solution to be to be called forward.

There are many men in this city who want to do better, lead better, love better, and stand stronger for their families.

They simply need a call, a community and a standard.

That is why on Father's Day, June 21st of this year, in a couple weeks from now, CFAD is hosting the Fatherhood Standard at the Beacon Restaurant Parking Lot from 1 30 p.m.

to 2 p.m.

It will be a brief but focused public gathering calling fathers, grandfathers, future fathers, pastors, leaders, community leaders, and families to raise the standard for our homes and our city.

We want the city to know that CFAD is ready to help at the grassroots level through fatherhood training, family strengthening, mentoring, community mobilization, and ongoing support beyond Father's Day.

Over the coming weeks, we are launching Operation Watchmen, Fatherhood and Community Stability.

Our aim is simple and bold to help Spawnburg see that fatherhood is a community stability issue and raise up to 1,000 men who will take their place as watchmen for their homes, churches, and neighborhoods.

So again, we thank you, Mayor, and members of the city council for recognizing this need, and CFAS stands ready to help turn this declaration into action.

We saw your posts on Facebook, and at the last minute, we asked just for a few of the young men who are from our organization who have been blessed, who did not know their fathers but have their fathers to come.

That's these young men you see in the suits and so forth.

So I say that we have a track record of impacting, and we want to partner with y'all to hopefully increase their impact for our fathers.

Thank you.

Thank you all for being here.

Haley.

Drought.

You're getting better.

Yes.

Yes, hello.

Um, I just wanted to say how much I love living in Spartanburg.

Uh moving to Greenville and then moving to Spartanburg.

I just enjoy the community here.

I enjoy how walkable it is, a downtown, and I I like Morgan Square, and I'd love for it to like continue to grow.

Um, and I like the arts that we have in Morgan Square.

I think it'd be really cool to continue the arts more into Barnett Park and utilize the amphitheater, amphitheater that we have, and just continue to do more art events and for uh the city to support those events and all of the there's so many colleges with theater programs and art programs and seeing support for that so that we can grow and the city can bring in more money and more reasons for buses to go downtown and more reasons for people to walk around would be amazing.

So thank you so much for this like great city.

I like it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We're at item six.

We have a proclamation declaring June as Ford and Strong Fathers and Family Month.

I'll be presenting this to uh the actual Fatherhood Coalition, upstate fatherhood coalition, headed up here locally by Philip Haygood, Mr.

Buck Meyer, Ms.

Martha, and I'm sorry.

So to you all and uh everyone else that's present for this presentation, we do strongly believe in strong fathers and factors.

Working with the uh fatherhood coalition for quite some time and seeing the impact in our school system, we always can depend on mom to come to the school.

But we do have fathers at the school, it's a totally different happen to you, totally different.

So I've always uh been uh ready and able to do whatever I could and came for the fatherhood coalition.

So, on behalf of the city of Spartanburg and today, whereas fathers serve as the foundational architect in forging strong and resilient families, providing unwavering love, steadfast guidance, and constant support that shape the character of their children and the future of all communities.

And whereas the profound influence of engaged fathers on their children's development is transformative as they impact core values, build emotional resilience, and equip young people to thrive socially, academically, and person.

Whereas the South Carolina Centers Fathers and Families established in 2002, demonstrated a remarkable increase in impact annually by serving thousands of fathers and children statewide.

Whereas, through the longstanding and productive collaboration with the South Carolina Department of Social Services, along with numerous state, local, and private partners, the center has expanded its footprint from strategically opened new offices, now operating 15 hubs, hub locations that deliver services across all 46 counties of the state of South Carolina.

Whereas Centers has strengthened its fathers 365 statewide network, regionally affiliate, enabling thousands of fathers to access high quality programming and partner in healthy relationship, economic mobility, job training, legal navigation, and mental health support.

Whereas when fathers actively engage in foraging deep and purposeful relationships with their children, these families experience powerful outcomes, including more income earned by program participants, more children support pay, more saved and um incarceration cost, while the center consent continues to serve as a national model for innovative and effective fatherhood initiatives.

Now, therefore, I Jerome Rice, by the virtue of the authority vested in me as the mayor of the city of Sparkberg, and on behalf of my fellow city council members, do hereby proclaim the month of June 20 June 2026 as foraging strong fathers and family month throughout the city of Spartanburg and encourage all citizens in our city to honor the fathers and fathers our father figures in their lives, supporting programs that strengthen men and families and actively participating in forging resilient families that will sustain our communities for generations to come.

So again, on behalf of this mayor, city council, we do hereby proclaim June 2026 as foraging strong fathers and family month.

Mr.

Hager, appreciate you.

Thank you, thank you.

Come on in for your picture.

Thank you.

But the shirt I gave a proclamation to Stisa Talent Agency here on Saturday, 10 years, celebrating 10 years of being in the uh business.

And one of the gifts they gave me was the miles with the mayor's shirt.

So I do appreciate they gave me one, they gave Shay one as well.

But um, one highlight, and I'll give you this and I move on.

One highlight was they had a young person that's one of their clients, they had plenty of clients in there, probably a little five-year-old kid, he was real young, and he has received this was his fourth check.

This was his fourth check for his work in the business.

And so the um the uh miss Lopez asked mom, can I show the mayor how much he actually got on this check?

She went over and showed me.

I had to pull my glasses out to make sure I saw the numbers right.

They're doing well.

So that that young fellow's doing well.

So, but it's it that that was really impressive to see them and to see what they're doing there.

So I wanted to go ahead and so that's why I have on this t-shirt underneath everything else.

Awesome, awesome, awesome.

So now we're at item seven, summer of celebration updates, information only.

Presenter Miss Kim Brown, director of park and recreational special events, and Christopher George, Mr.

And Christopher George, Mr.

Communication and Engagement Director.

Good evening, Mayor and Council.

I'll actually be joined by Jess.

Always instead of CRISPR this evening.

But we just wanted to give uh everyone an update on what we're calling the summer of celebration, just a little bit about our events that are coming up.

Uh and Jess will speak uh also to some of what the marketing looks like.

So anyone that can help us get the information out, uh, we greatly appreciate that.

Um I think first I want to certainly recognize um our special events team, uh, the planning committees and the partnership that we have to help us to grow and build these events every year uh and allow us to have them in different places as you'll see with um with one of our events.

Uh so one to start off with um this time next week.

Um, we'll be at Wolford College uh on the first day of our Juneteenth um week celebration.

Um so um honoring um Melvin Nesbitt, who was uh I think born in the city of Spartan Murray, but spent uh most of his youth in Spartanburg County.

Uh but we'll return uh on um on the 15th.

Uh and that is in part um with Wolfort College.

Uh they do have some committee members that are on the June Tief Planning Committee.

So we're excited to get our week started off there at Wolfort.

Uh then on Thursday, uh we'll have music on Maine um featuring one of the one of our local favorite bands, uh, Experience Soul from 5 30 to 8 30.

Um we get a little bit of rest, come back on Friday night.

Uh we do it all again, uh, all over again, right at the baseball stadium with the block party.

Um, and that will be from uh 6 until 10 p.m.

Uh, and we'll end with a fireworks show.

Uh and then the the largest part of the the weekend will be the festival on on Saturday, uh starting at four and going until 10.

Um we have uh more vendors this year than we've had, a lot more educational uh information during the festival.

Um so we're really looking forward next week to really be um that space where we step on over um into Juneteenth and we really promote it and celebrate it um as we have in the past uh this is the fifth year now.

Uh so Jess may have just a few a few things as far as what that marketing may look like or has already started to look like I need an accommodation okay.

Um so we have already started marketing Juneteenth.

We're gonna have approximately 10 total posts.

We also that's social media posts that includes commercial by Siege, who is on the Juneteenth committee.

It includes you know regular graphics, photos from previous years.

We're gonna have posters, other partner collateral like Walford helping to promote uh the art of uh Mr.

Nesbitt.

Excuse me, website WSPA is already focused on uh the Juneteenth celebration festival, and um let's see.

I got a lot of notes here, y'all.

Um yeah, okay, I'll stop there.

It's a lot our next event, which is um this year being presented again by Spartanburg Community College, will be Red White and Boom.

Uh and we're partnering with the Spartan Burgers um with for this event.

Uh as we've added, um we're we're calling a uh pre-show celebration for the 250th, which uh will start actually on Morgan Square at two o'clock, and we'll have um Shot from the Heart, which is a Bon Jovi experience band there.

Uh and they'll play for a couple of hours.

Um, and we're calling it a parade, but it may look more like a walk from that event uh to the stadium.

Uh stadium gates will open at five.

Uh from five until seven, we'll have uh entertainment on the concourse, um lots of giveaways, lots of family-friendly activities to do.

Uh then around seven, we'll start with the official program, uh, the declaration of independence, the presenting of the colors, uh, the national anthem, uh, and then the Spartan burgers uh who's partnering with us, uh, they will come in with some of their activations uh and some of the activities they'll have planned, and that'll go all the way up until uh until we have the fireworks uh show at the end.

Um so again, um that has been a very good partnership for us to be able to take Red White and Boom uh and put it in the stadium and and give the citizens uh a different look at what that what that event can look like.

Um and the idea to to kind of activate Morgan Square uh actually came from um downtown uh committee, the suggestion of how can we build more on that day uh in honor of the 250th.

Is there a game that like?

No, no, no.

So it's just a unlike last year.

There is no game, so it'll just be our programming and then and then the spark burgers program.

Yeah, all right.

Now I'm not as flustered.

I got the microphone.

Um, so for Red White and Boom, we're really gonna push out the patriotism message, the 250th celebration.

We're uh we already done our save the date, then we're gonna start taking out the different elements, the pre-show being the first element that includes the band, the parade.

Then we're gonna move on into the um patriotic programming at Fit Third Park as well as the you know thing that people are most interested in, the fireworks, yeah.

So we'll talk about that.

We've got posters, billboards, um, the Spartan Burgers are helping us advertise on the marquee and at the games.

So we've got some graphics that way.

Uh another thing that was paraded on WSPA website.

There's even T-shirts.

So, you know, get yours.

Um, but yeah, we'll start running an additional post this week and continue into the weeks leading up to the to the event, increasing the post as we go.

And also um, one week after Red White and Boom, uh, we will be at Duncan Park Stadium, uh, celebrating 100 years there.

Uh, and this also is a collaborative effort in the planning uh with the friends of Duncan Park.

Uh the Spartan Burgers have been great.

Um actually on the 8th will be um there will be Duncan Park Stadium replicas uh given away at the game.

Uh and so they will start and they have been promoting um the history uh baseball in Spartanburg uh throughout the season with their I think six different pastime games uh and so there will be one on the eighth.

Um and then uh the friends of Duncan Park will put together a small program uh and we'll unveil um some history plaques there at the stadium uh and and our hopes is um having young people there starting at nine.

Uh we are a Nike RBI affiliate, so we'll hold a play ball event there and uh finish up the day.

Um I just uh uh learned that there is one thing that changes that is actually a college uh wooden back game at one o'clock, not a high school game.

So we'll make sure we get that corrected.

Um but once again you can see the collaboration of a number of of organizations along with city staff um planning uh planning our events.

Um and Jess, if you don't mind, I'll I'll go ahead and mention um just a couple of other things when it comes to um celebration of the 250.

If you'll see um in our community centers at our camps and our pools, there'll be different themed activities um throughout the month of July.

Um so you may walk into a community center and all the kids are are wearing red, white and boom, or they are red, white and blue, or they maybe have maybe have flags, or there's something at the pool.

So we want to make sure that we embed that throughout the programming that we already have.

Um I think everyone knows that we have lengthened music on Maine to include one extra month this year.

And so that came um out of a recommendation from a lot of people about being able to extend it.

Uh and and we hope that we'll have good weather.

Last year we had no cancellations.

Uh, and so this year we we have four more weeks of music on Maine.

Uh and then just to end up with the 250th celebration uh international festival this year, instead of having one honored country, uh, that honored space will be dedicated to the 250th uh and bringing that history in into that space.

Uh are there any questions?

Kim, I I I would like for you to tell us a little bit about this past weekend.

It just just goes to show our programming and what's uh possible and and what's going on goes on when we had the kids at uh CC and even Chad.

I know some of us may try to talk about it as well, but just how we're just activating the community in a sense.

Certainly.

On um on Friday, we had the opportunity to host um a stop the violence coalition uh at CC Woodson for their teenight.

Um, and I think um at last count there were about 175 young people that attended.

Uh there were speakers uh there, uh a very uh high presence of first responders, city police officers, county police there just to engage with the young people.

Um I left early, but I think there may have been a basketball game uh between the young people, and so that's that's really gearing us up.

Um city parts and rec.

We will host I think five uh midnight basketball games um uh up until the beginning of August.

So we'll probably release those dates midweek.

Uh and we've actually asked some of our partners, uh, upstate fatherhood coalition has actually um already jumped on one date to help us host those.

Um so we'll see those come up um during the during the summer.

And that was a specific ask from those young people is give us space in the gyms um to hold those games and uh and we will do just that.

And then on Saturday uh morning we had the community uh health awareness day, uh which is in partnership with um uh Spartan uh D9, uh the regional hospital system, Regenesis.

Uh and so we had a very good turnout uh there at TK Greg.

Um started off with uh with a health walk, had health screenings, um, lots of vendors out for people to uh to get information uh and and the weather was nice, and so we we feel like it was a super success.

Thank you for that.

Any other questions?

Yeah, I just thank y'all for this.

Uh as it relates to the celebration at uh Duncan Park and the Play Ball Initiative and maybe some of the other activities.

Um Jess or Kim, are we engaging with like the I know we have very active little lead uh programs throughout the city.

Hillbrook is the is probably the look the largest.

Are we engaging with them to get them and their their players activated in this and all the things?

Yeah, so so you're actually right.

So um through Nike RBI.

Um we kind of we have the affiliate, but Hillbrook is a part of that partnership with us uh uh as well as youth sports bureau.

Um and so we engage both of those organizations, and then we will put it out to the general public to get kids out.

Thank you.

And I got up there and I didn't leave up an until about 12 o'clock.

It was wonderful, and there were so many vendors.

I just really enjoyed it, and the food was good too.

And once again, that's that's a planning committee that meets throughout the year to put to put chat on.

Thank you.

Thank you guys.

We do appreciate all that you guys do.

Thanks a lot.

Item eight.

We have consent agenda.

Mr.

Barrett, a motion we approve the consent agenda.

Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Any not opposed.

Eyes have it.

Item nine ordinance, an ordinance to provide the adoption of the city operating budget.

It's execution and effective for the physical uh period July 1st, 2026 through June 30th, 2027.

Uh presenter would be Mr.

Chris Story, City Manager, and Mr.

Dennis Locke is there in the home on deck.

Mr.

Mayor, uh, and members of the council.

This uh item would have been on the uh the consent agenda, if not for the fact that we've made a couple of insertions since first reading consideration.

Those insertions are the results of two open processes that um uh allocate grants to organizations that uh that fuel quality of life and uh the tourist and visitor economy in our community.

Those are the hospitality tax discretionary grants and the accommodations tax grant processes.

There were those two committees appointed uh their composition is appointed by you all.

They uh meet in the springtime, and sometimes the calendars align perfectly and and it and those their recommendations can be included at first reading, and sometimes they do not.

And so this time they're they were inserted and are included in the document for second reading.

It changes none of the totals uh it just simply includes the individual allocation amounts for transparency uh to the public.

Uh but uh we can of course discuss any uh budget related matters that you would like and consider any um amendments that that you would like to consider or anything of that nature.

Dennis and I are here um as well as other members of the team if we can uh address any questions relating to the operating budget for next year.

Question Mr.

Former.

Uh Chris, thank you.

Um I I read through the the insert today, and and I noticed on the hospital.

So the shrine bowl um was the largest difference from year over year.

We gave I think 40,000 last year, and we allocated zero this year.

Is the shrine bowl moving or no?

They did not.

No.

Yeah, they did not apply.

Okay.

We do we have any insight into that or I I did go out to the airport and Joe says the one this office responsible.

He was in a serious accident, and the person that was taking his place did not proceed with the request.

Okay.

I mean I want to be considered the committee, but I also mean that's a big event in Spartanburg, and I want to make sure that we're I mean, I'd hate to lose right that that activity just simply based on.

I mean, it's a one-man, two-man, three-man shop.

I mean, I I get timelines and all that, but we ought to look at that, maybe not in the context of the hospitality committee's recommendation, but in some way to make sure that we're as a team adequately supporting that uh event.

I mean, they bring thousands of people.

Yeah, there's a lot of visibility for Spartanburg associated with it.

There have been previous years that they missed the application and did not receive funding and went forward with their it it will move on, but those funds are are needed to to put the shrine bowl on.

I've talked with them last year, and I I guess I could say I dropped the ball as well, but it has been Joe, and they've been looking to move two other leaders that could possibly step up and uh um be in the forefront uh uh of helping the shrine bowl stay here.

It's a it's an impactful uh uh event for uh the city uh the entire week and uh it it's it's it's a worthwhile.

We definitely need to look into it.

We'll we'll be happy to reach out to to that group and and and check in with them about the event and its future and needs and and provide uh update to you all.

Um thank you.

Otherwise, we lose it to Myrtle Beach because I know that's who's been trying to get it.

Well, and I yeah, um, and I I did notice too.

I just was curious that the uh museum of art got a $20,000 allocation.

Are they doing something special?

They're doing a mobile.

I think it was a museum of art, wasn't it?

Or farm art.

Yeah, old old term, sorry.

They're doing a mobile type unit and the extra dollars to I am correct, right?

Yes, it was an additional project scope.

Um just the two biggest, you know, sort of swings in that.

I was just curious what what they were.

I will say to your question.

Um, you know, we did the the committee did you know uh uh award money in a place in places that would really do really bring you know tourism.

We looked at all the different, you know.

Are are you coming?

Are you bringing external?

Are you eating here?

Are you interacting?

Are we you know doing different interest areas from science to reading to free events to it was pretty comprehensive in terms of how we allocated and and talked through each application?

Good.

Any other questions?

Mr.

Story.

All right, do I hear Mr.

Mayor?

I make a motion that we adopt the budget.

Second.

All in favor?

Any that opposed?

Eyes have it.

Thank you, Mr.

Story.

Resolution, uh, item 10.

Resolution allocating the fiscal year 2026 community development block grants and home partnership funds.

Mr.

Martin Livingston, community development director.

Mr.

Livingston, yeah, the home here members of council staff is requesting approval of a resolution to approve the City of Spartanburg's fiscal year 2026 annual action plan, community development block grant, and home partnership funds uh budget.

Uh this year we'll be receiving about 626,000 in C D BG funds and 213,000 in home funds.

We'll go through the process and talk about the uh application.

We have uh the city typically does a five-year consolidated plan.

We are in the uh second or third year of that consolidated plan, and then a one-year annual action plan for each year.

Uh the consolidated plan is submitted to HUD every five years, and then the annual action plan is submitted annually.

Uh, today we are reviewing and approving the annual action plan.

Uh these are the funding amounts for the CDBG and home funds, close to uh 800,000 in funding.

Uh the priority needs, uh, these are priority needs that were identified in the consolidated plan, uh, meeting with neighborhoods, talking with organizations.

Uh they include public improvements, preservation and developing affordable affordable housing, public services, uh, and program management.

Uh we have in the budget funding for the management of the program as well as uh primarily housing and uh affordable housing activities.

Uh we also have included in the budget for C D BG demolition, about 64,000, as well as public services, the 90,000 in public services uh last year and this year has been allocated for uh workforce development program working with a place to call home.

Uh and then with CDBG funds, all of that is I mean, home funds, all of that has been allocated to housing activities.

Uh and we're looking at housing development mostly over the next uh several years.

Um we have a public comment and review period, and then we also had public hearings throughout the process, and the next steps, uh the public comment period ended last week, which was June 30th, uh, but it started May 5th to June 30th, and then we're required to submit the document to HUD for their approval uh by August 15th of this year.

The fiscal year starts July 1st, so we'll be trying to submit that application to them before the before July 1st.

Mr.

Liverson, you mentioned a place to call home, and how make that statement again about a place to call the $90,000 in CDBG funds be provided to a place to call home.

Uh place to call home is working on a program to do um workforce development to help families and individuals increase their uh working, help working families and individuals, increase their income, uh reduce barriers to um employment that includes transportation, child care, and other activities.

And so that $90,000 uh for public services will be provided to them for that purpose.

In 64 for demolition, we we demolish uh condemned houses.

Yeah, primarily is that enough?

I I know that it's never that's what I always I know is never enough.

We cannot allocate any more towards that.

I'm asking.

Uh no, because CD the demolition is not is does not benefit low and moderate income persons.

70% of the funds must benefit low and moderate income persons.

And so when you combine that with uh neighborhood services admin, it's close to 30 percent.

So we're at the maximum.

Yeah, at the max, gotcha.

Any other questions?

Mr.

Mayor.

Um Martin, I believe I asked this question last year about all of the programs at the federal level that were being cut.

And I I believe that you said that these funds were part of the federal programs that were being slashed.

So if we're able to fund this, is that leftover funds or or how help me together?

October of last year there was a continuing resolution because uh Congress could not agree on a budget, and one portion of the president's budget, CDB General Home Funds was zeroed out in the congressional budget, they were added in.

And so that resolution um continued and was resolved in February, and it was left in the budget.

So there are no guarantees that these funds will be available next year, um, October 1st.

So we we have to wait every year.

Uh, we've been talking about what does that scenario look like if we lose the C D B G and home funds, and we're having conversations right now about doing what that looks like.

Okay, thank you.

Because when I saw it on the agenda, I was like, wait, I thought these funds were gone.

So glad we have them at least this one.

Then one more year.

One more year.

Councilwoman Sally.

Um, would you do me a favor and go back maybe three frames with the year?

Was the word renter included?

That right there.

Yes.

Um priority goals, you say it's increase renter housing opportunities.

So you is that part of the 600,000 budget?

Uh no.

Typically with the home funds, that's part of the home funds.

Okay.

Uh, we have allocated some funding to homes of hope over the last several years for rental housing development.

And so they've submitted an application for additional rental housing uh in the city.

Councilman Former Martin, I I was curious uh as always, I am about collective impact of these funds or any funds that we allocate um regarding you know additional uh programs or your um initiatives that that leverage that collective impact and and you're doing a good job of the past of showing us kind of you know uh a bit of that as it relates to the ARPA fund spin.

Do you have any idea on on what this $800,000 could be leveraged into for collective impact?

Uh we can check, uh, but the uh with the home funds, it's really easy to do that because um with home funds.

We have a project right now we're working with uh trying to work with Habitat for Humanities in the Highland neighborhood where they're requesting about 450,000 in home funds.

That's got two million dollars in development, and so that's a one-for-four match with the home funds with CDBG funds is a little difficult.

Um when we matched it with lead-based paint program, we usually provide about five thousand dollars for each home, which generally would be twenty, thirty thousand dollars in repairs.

Uh, so that can be easily matched.

Uh with the emergency repairs, we've provided about ten to twelve thousand dollars for each home in in the city where they're uh uh rebuilding together, Spartanburg is making repairs to homeowners' homes, and that's usually like a one-to-one, one-to-two match uh for those funds where they'll provide some of their funding to assist with that with that program as well.

Spartanburg is making repairs to homeowners' homes.

And that's usually like a one-to-one, one-to-two match uh for those funds where they'll provide some of their funding to assist with that program as well.

Uh but it that one the CDBG is a little bit more difficult to determine, but home is usually very it's a lot easier to do that and easier to determine the match.

Thank you.

I mean, I I mean I just think that I mean people look to government to solve every problem, and and you know, it's important to have context around the fact that that you know the ability of government to actually impact is is somewhat limited um in a silo.

Uh however, when we you know leverage the good work of Together Spartanburg and Habitat for Humanity and other organizations, then we can start really making uh a meaningful impact.

And so you know, we've seen it with the designation of the ARPA funds, uh, and then and then with the application of the home funds and the CDBG funds.

Uh it it's good to see us actually increasing the scope of that uh of the reach of those dollars.

So thanks.

Great point, uh, Councilman Form.

You you always bring out how we're leveraging leveraging funds and and even just with the collaboration in partnership with other organizations.

You hear staff mention that quite often when they're presenting uh that we're partnering with someone that we're collaborating with someone, so it just goes to show the collaborative nature of Spartan Burns.

Any other questions?

Do I hear I'm yes?

I move that we accept their resolution as stated.

Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Any that opposed?

Ayes have it.

Thank you.

All right, thank you, Mr.

Livingston.

Moving past 11, moving on to 12 staff updates, Mr.

Story.

Uh Mr.

Mayor, no significant updates tonight, but certainly welcome any questions.

Awesome.

Thank you, Mr.

Story.

Um City Council.

Can I just have one question?

Chris, sorry.

Um of the comments around the TNR program, I believe.

I I don't know what the TNR program is and didn't know we had one and would just like to learn a little bit about it.

Sure.

And and I will need to um well the there are others on our team that are more knowledgeable than I, but I'll give just a quick overview of what it is and what it's uh what it what it seeks to accomplish.

It is a the TNR is trap neuter release, and it is a strategy that we and a number of communities employ to deal with feral cat population.

Um in other words the uh the intent there is to um trap the feral cat population, have them neutered so they don't reproduce, and then release them back and their various organizations and advocates that that support that the alternatives would be um increases in the volume of feral cats that are euthanized, it's an alternative to euthanizing uh uh the feral cat population.

Uh what I would like to do, uh having heard the comments tonight and and received your question.

What I'd like to do is is talk with the team members that are much more knowledgeable than I about it and um and gather some information and provide you a more substantive report.

Yeah, Chris, I'm glad that uh you said what you said because I was going to follow up to see how we could address you know the problem that is taking place at um uh collins Avenue.

Okay, all right, and I appreciate that.

Any other questions?

119 callers have you got no councilwoman Sally uh to Kim.

Um thank you for the update on activities that are happening on next week and appreciate everything that you do and your staff.

Uh of course you do stow thunder again, as I was gonna mention the Chad.

I was gonna mention the artist who is a smart rate native being at Walford.

But in the meantime, I was able, oh, and again, congratulations to the fatherhood and to the CFAT.

I'm glad you're there and available for your young men and your young ladies, because we do need parents both father and mother, and it does help stressing the young man and lady into adulthood.

Um but I had the pleasure of being in young people company from uh May 31st with the Pete Mind Assembly, which was held to honor James Cheek, Esquire, who was the founder of the Pete Mont Assembly.

It was six young men who were presented um to the uh for the assembly, and Mr.

Cheek founded this assembly in 1985 in order to recognize uh men as uh fatherhood association is doing as CFAC is doing as parents, and I appreciate that.

Also uh thank you, Mayor, for presenting a proclamation to stop the violence day for uh June 5th of every year.

That was great, a good turn up.

Nice young men and women that was there, and I do see a change is coming, and I do believe that they want this change more than we do.

Thank you.

Councilman Fulman.

Yes, sir, Mr.

Mayor.

I just wanted to comment that it sounds like we've got an exciting summer of events planned in Spartanburg.

Thanks to Kim and her team for everything they do, and Christopher and Jess for promoting it.

I hope everybody will take advantage of these opportunities to get out and and stay involved with our community and and stay safe as we do it.

Thank you.

Awesome.

Mayor Pearl Tim.

I want to congratulate all of the graduates, all of the graduates.

I'm sure you all are gonna talk about your own.

But anyway, I especially want to congratulate Harold Mitchell, who was out of school for so many years and has gone back, and now he has finished his degree, and so I don't know what he's gonna do with it now because he's already involved in so many things.

However, I congratulate him for going back and finishing up his degree.

That's good, awesome.

Councilmember Rogers.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Um, I did want to mention tomorrow is Tuesday, June 9th, voting tomorrow.

If you have not done early voting, please, please, please.

It is so important that you are voicing your your family, your representation, you are going and using your right to vote.

Please do.

Um the second thing I wanted to say, having attended uh music on Maine last Thursday.

I wanted to thank our police department.

There was obvious police presence uh walking around, having a good time, um, which was great to see.

I know that's been a topic of conversation in meetings, and then um I wanted to just add a little bit more context.

This was my first time participating in the hospitality tax committee, and I am thoroughly excited for the programming that is coming um in this next year, and uh just the depth, the depth of offerings and events um that really are bringing a dynamic uh uh plethora of of just focus areas, audiences to our community, and I think um you know, if you have a chance, please do pay attention to to some of these things for local organizations that have been awarded uh some of this funding.

They're using it and applying it to not only attract people but to increase the vibrancy of our own community while while trying to grow um our awareness as a city and as a community.

So looking forward to that.

Um, and then I will just echo uh summertime families.

It is so important having recently spent some downtime with my own family and feeling rested and and rejuvenated.

There are so many events, just take some time with people that you love and care about, family, friends, neighbors.

It really does uh restore the soul and just in encourage our the community in which we enjoy and live.

So please and thank you for all the marketing material for these events because that is essential.

Awesome councilwoman Smith.

Yeah, thank you, Mr.

Mayor, and thank you to Leslie for taking that spot on the hospitality tax committee.

Um, and to everyone on that committee.

It's a lot of hours, Janie, that you all put in reading tons of applications.

So thank you to to all of y'all.

Um, and thank you because I was celebrating my son who was graduating from high school during that short window and would not have been able to attend any of the meetings.

Um, and to our guests, I am a mom of four boys, and so I'm very thankful for the way that y'all are investing in the men in our community.

I love to follow different researchers that talk about the the health of men, whether that is social, mental, spiritual, etc.

Um, in my job, we look at lots of different types of data and see that the outcomes that men face and the young men face are are not always um the what we would like to see declining college rates, we see that locally, higher suicide rates, um, increasing loneliness.

So, thank you for the work that you all are doing.

We know the impact that having a safe and supportive adult, a mentor, the impact that that can have on a on a person's life, and working in the field of positive youth development.

Um, and Kim Kim is the one who taught me this.

Um, we try to use asset based language rather than deficit-based language, which means that we try to talk and define people by what they have rather than what they're not.

And in a lot of grant applications, you'll see people talk about at-risk youth.

And Kim Brown was the first person that taught me the term opportunity youth.

These kids aren't at risk, they're not disadvantaged, they have an opportunity, they have a spirit, they have a spark that we have just yet that that it's our job to help to cultivate in them.

So as a divorced mom of four boys, as I'm thinking about some of the things that I that I heard about earlier, um defining kids as fatherless or from a broken home, which implies that it needs to be fixed or that it should be fixed.

Um I believe that we at the city believe that all of the kids within our boundaries that enter our parks and wreck um facilities that regardless of what type of home, what structure they come from, what their parents look like or don't look like, that we believe that they are capable of industry education and progress.

I wouldn't want anyone to tell my kids that because of decisions that me or their dad made that they are not capable of that.

My son is about to head to an honors college, he graduated top of his class.

He is industrious working as one of our fleet maintenance interns, doing oil changes on our cars, um, fixing one of our wrecked police cars.

He removed a bumper.

He has seen more of this country than I have, and is more confident than I ever was at his age.

So I know that our kids are capable of so much, and I don't want us to put any sort of limits on them, but to invest in them regardless of what their family structure looks like.

So that's my comments for tonight.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilman Brown.

Mr.

Mayor, uh, thank you everyone for being here.

Super excited about all the summer opportunities for our children and families.

Um, I had the opportunity, I guess it was last week or the week before uh Mitch sent me a video.

Was it the first swim meet, Mitch, that they had?

First home swim meet of the the TK is it the tiger sharks?

Tiger Sharks.

Case Barber has a swim team, and of course he sent it to me while I was on a walk in the heat, and I started sobbing, you know, and then it just got worse because it was hot outside.

But um, it just you know, it just reminded me of you know the value of investing in people and investing in communities and investing in our children, um, and why we fought so hard to have an indoor pool versus an outdoor pool so many years ago.

There was a fractured community in those discussions, and I probably got more hate mail than I had hoped to receive for fighting for an indoor, you know, swim swim center.

Um, but knowing that these children who um wouldn't otherwise have opportunities to you know swim lessons and it being a part of the curriculum at the Cleveland Leadership Academy.

Um we know that um you know, children of color and and lower income families um or disproportionately, you know, higher rates of drowning incidents.

Um, and that is something that was so passionate to me.

I've grew up a military child, and so I I had access to all of those things free of charge, and so I understand the value of all that, and it was just really amazing to to see these kids there.

I think there were over a hundred people, you know, all surrounding the the swim area, and it was just really cool to see.

And um, happy Pride Month.

Good to see y'all.

Good to see you.

Um, well, you uh as councilwoman Sally would say you're still in my thunder.

You can see I just pulled up the schedule.

Oh, gotcha.

Uh tiger sharks.

Um, one thing I am proud of as as well as I'm sure everyone on the council are the tiger sharks, their third year in existence.

They will be swimming tomorrow at the uh Carolina Country Club.

So come out and see them on tomorrow at six o'clock six o'clock.

They will swim next Tuesday at uh Dr.

TK Gregg at uh six o'clock, but then that's the 16th, and they will have a meet on the 23rd at uh Willis Road.

Which one is Willis Road?

West Side Westside.

Okay, West Side YMCA, and uh that's of course at six as well, and then the that Saturday, the 27th, will be the all-team final meet.

So it's like their little championship meet there up in Duncan.

So uh I have had the opportunity uh to see them in the past.

I have not seen them this year.

I actually raced against a couple of them uh this past summer and I lost.

Uh truly did.

I mean, wow, this thing is long.

But uh, but but uh it it is outstanding, guys.

And I think I've shared stories about swimming and and all, but it is outstanding for Dr.

TK Gregg and to see our team and in the impact, the diversity uh within our team, man.

It's just truly, truly, truly awesome.

This weekend was a uh a full weekend of uh activity as well as put the guns down, stop the violence weekend as well.

They we we kicked it off with the proclamation at the uh courthouse.

Um they participated in the Chad event with the walt.

They even had a uh service last night, and I saw the uh owner of uh the beacon just walked out.

He let them have a service at the beacon last night at six o'clock, uh, where they lit candles, prayed uh for some of the victims and uh uh past victims and and just an outstanding event.

So I do appreciate them putting that on and just be mindful of our young people throughout the summer.

Again, Fatherhood Coalition, thank you guys.

CFAD, thank you guys as well.

You heard that we're looking for folks to help volunteer with some of these midnight basketballs.

So uh I I would definitely hope to see uh you guys involved as well.

So uh uh I will be there in support and supervision.

Only uh uh only once a year now.

Uh but other than that, um we appreciate everyone for being uh here this evening.

Thank you for coming out.

Um and to all of our grades two men, good to see you.

Oh, Clemson grad over there.

All right, and do I hear a motion, guys?

I move.

You move.

All in favor.

I need not oppose.

Thank you.

Let's go to the executive session.