Wilmington City Council Agenda Briefing Meeting - September 22, 2025
Wilmington City Council Agenda Briefing Meeting - September 22, 2025
The Wilmington City Council held an Agenda Briefing meeting on Monday, September 22, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. in City Hall to review the agenda for the regular Council meeting scheduled for September 23, 2025. The meeting focused on a detailed presentation of the proposed Vision Zero traffic safety program and an update on the city's neighborhood traffic calming speed hump initiative. No formal votes were taken; the briefing served to inform councilmembers before the upcoming regular meeting.
Consent Calendar
Council reviewed the following items scheduled for the September 23 meeting, with no further discussion:
- Approval of minutes (C1)
- Lease renewal for Send Ply Incorporated (C2)
- Contract for municipal golf course maintenance equipment (C3)
- Renewal of Smart Sheet agreement (C4)
- Third amendment to interlocal agreement with New Hanover County for public transportation authority (C5)
- Public hearings: rezoning of 2929 Market Street (PH1), rezoning of 5320/5322 Riceville Avenue (PH2), unfit housing at 115 Giles Avenue (PH3) and 1308 Queen Street (PH4), and the 2025 CAPER report (PH5)
- Ordinances: Section 6-10 on city property (O1), appropriations and contracts for multi-use path projects (O2-O4), and Dawson/Wooster streetscape improvements (O5)
- Resolutions: Vision Zero policy adoption (O6A), Vision Zero program positions (O6B), traffic calming speed hump plan (O6C), and gap financing for affordable housing (R1)
Discussion Items
Vision Zero Traffic Safety Program Planning Director Linda Painter presented Vision Zero, a strategy to eliminate traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries. She noted that since January 2025, nine people had died in traffic collisions in Wilmington, including six pedestrians and one bicyclist. The program uses a "safe system approach" focusing on safer people, vehicles, speeds, roads, and post-crash care. Ms. Painter explained that staff would ask council at the September 23 meeting to direct the City Manager to create a Vision Zero Task Force, which would develop an action plan by Winter 2027. Funding would come from Motor Vehicle License Fees (for city-owned streets) and grants; larger projects might require Capital Improvement Program (CIP) funding. Two new specialized positions would be needed.
Councilmember Waddell expressed concern about rushing into the program and questioned whether low-cost initiatives could be implemented without new positions. City Manager Becky Hawke responded that the positions were necessary to provide specialized expertise to prioritize and execute projects quickly. Councilmember Spears asked if existing license plate fee revenue could be used without new hires; Hawke confirmed it could, but technical knowledge was needed for data collection and treatment selection. Councilmember Andrews stressed the need for education, citing pedestrians walking against traffic and motorized vehicles on trails and sidewalks as safety issues. He noted that 85% of cars on targeted neighborhood roads travel 10 mph over the 25 mph limit.
Neighborhood Traffic Calming Speed Hump Update City Traffic Engineer Denys Vielkanowitz reported that staff had identified seven areas (eight roads) for speed hump installation as a pilot program. The recommended spacing is 350 feet apart, yielding 56–57 speed humps total. In-house installation is estimated at $5,000 per hump, for a total cost of $280,000–$300,000. Specific locations include Rogersville Road (13 speed humps), Burnett Boulevard (8), Wallington (6), and Lancaster (7). The Fire Department was consulted and supports the pilot, as selected roads are not on priority response routes. Councilmember Rivenbark questioned the effectiveness of speed humps, recalling past cycles of installation and removal. Mr. Vielkanowitz noted that the new design (6-foot ramp, 10-foot platform, 6-foot ramp) is intended to encourage 25 mph travel rather than causing abrupt slowdowns. Mayor Saffo inquired about the port's north gate relocation project, which would move the entrance to Greenfield Street and reduce cut-through traffic on Burnett Boulevard; a timeline was not available.
Key Outcomes
- No formal votes were taken; the briefing prepared council for the September 23 regular meeting.
- Staff will present resolutions to adopt a Vision Zero policy (O6A), authorize two new positions (O6B), and approve the speed hump pilot plan (O6C) at the September 23 meeting.
- Councilmembers expressed general support for Vision Zero's goals but raised concerns about funding, staffing, and potential unintended consequences of traffic calming measures.
- The speed hump pilot program is in the design phase; installation will be performed by city public works staff after council approval.
- A follow-up report on the port's north gate project timeline was requested by Mayor Saffo.
Meeting Transcript
Okay. Bring the meeting to order. I'm going to do a roll call at this time. I know the mayor pro tem is on his way in. Councilman Reinbark, are you here? Councilmember Spears, are you here? I am here. Councilmember Waddell, are you here? Councilmember Andrews, are you here? Here. Councilmember Joyden, are you here? Yeah. And the chair is here. We'll start off with consent agenda C1, approval of the minutes. C two is a resolution authorizing a new lease on the seventh floor of the Skyline Center to Send Ply Incorporated. C three is a resolution authorizing a contract for municipal golf course maintenance equipment with Smith Turf and Irrigation LLC of Charlotte, North Carolina with a lease period through P and C Equipment Finance LLC of Cincinnati, Ohio for a total cost of $696,075. C4 is a resolution authorizing city manager to renew a one-year agreement with Smart Sheet Incorporator for $105,840. C5 is a resolution authorizing the Third Amendment to an interlocal agreement with New Hanover County for the creation of a public transportation authority and a jointly fund and a uh support the authority. Public information, public hearings. PH1 is an ordinance submitting the official zoning maps of the city of Wilmington, the rezoned property containing 4.08 acres located at 2929 Market Street from ONI office and institutional to MD17 C D high density multi-dwelling conditional district for a hundred and twenty-unit workforce housing residential development. And this was continued from our September 9th meeting. PH2 is an ordinance submitting the official zoning maps of the city to rezone property containing 0.77 acres located in 5320 and 5322 Riceville Avenue from R15 Moderate Density Single Dwelling District to R5 C D medium density mixed residential conditional district for residential development continued also from our September the 9th meeting. PH3 is an ordinance directing the housing inspector to vacate, close and repair or demolish the dwelling at 115 Giles Avenue as unfit for human habitation pursuant to Article 5, Chapter 16 of the City Code and directing their notice be placed there on prohibiting its use or occupancy. And PH4 is an ordinance directing the housing inspector to vacate close and repair or demolish. The dwelling of 1308 Queen Street is unfit for human habitation pursuant to Article 5, Chapter 16 of the City Code and directing that a notice be placed there on prohibiting its use or occupancy. PH5 is a public hearing required by the U.S. Housing and Urban Development on the City of Wilmington's 2025 consolidated annual performance and evaluation report, better known as CAPER. Ordinances 01 is an ordinance adding Section 6-10. Certain actions prohibited on city property to Chapter 6, Article 1 of the City Code. This is going to be heard on a second reading.4.54,734 for the Hooker Road MUP, Hitton Avenue MUP and Riceville Avenue slash Greenwell Avenue intersection improvement projects in the streets and sidewalks capital projects fund. And then 04B is a resolution authorizing the order for construction contract in the amount of $4,297,914 to Wells Brothers Construction Company Incorporated for the Hooker Road Multi-Use Path and Hitton Avenue Multi-Use Path and Riceville Avenue slash Greenville Avenue intersection improvement projects. 0405A is an ordinance making an appropriation in the amount of $3,848,752 for the Dawson and Wooster Street Streetscape Improvements Project. And then O5B is a resolution awarding a construction contract in the amount of $5,762,423 to Highland Paving Company LLC for the Transportation Bond Project Dawson slash Wooster Street Street Gate Straight Improvements. And then 06A is a resolution adopting a Vision Zero policy. And then 06B is an ordinance submitting the 2026 adopted authorized strength in the general fund for the Vision Zero Traffic Safety Program. 06C is a resolution accepting the City of Wilmington Traffic Engineering Division's traffic calming speed hump quick response project plan and then resolutions. And the resolutions, resolution authorized city manager to enter into an agreement with Blue Ridge Atlantic Development LLC, better known as Brad Apex or Market LLC for the gap financing for a new affordable multi-dwelling development utilizing one million dollars of the general fund committed affordable housing bond. And that I believe concludes this portion of the agenda. The items brought forward by city council members. Not turn it over to Ms. Hall. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, members of Council. We have two presentations this morning. The first of them is Jenna Worth from Voyage will be talking about the summer employment program outcomes. If she is here. Okay, we will get her rescheduled. Um so next will be uh vision zero presentation uh by planning director Linda Painter and I believe uh Dave Cowell Engineering Director uh may be assisting with that. Good morning, Mayor, Mayor Pertem, and members of council. Uh I'm pleased to be before you this morning uh to present uh a new concept for you to consider called Vision Zero.
openpublica.com