Wilmington City Council Agenda Briefing Meeting - November 17, 2025
Wilmington City Council Agenda Briefing Meeting - November 17, 2025
The Wilmington City Council held an agenda briefing meeting on Monday, November 17, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. in City Hall, to review items scheduled for the regular council meeting on November 18, 2025. The meeting included a presentation on the Metropolitan Transportation Plan and a discussion of a resolution opposing an interbasin water transfer request. No votes were taken; decisions will be made at the subsequent regular meeting.
Consent Calendar
- The council reviewed the following items for the November 18 regular meeting: approval of minutes (C1), a lease of the ninth floor of Skyline Center to ANSA Services LLC (C2), a three-year agreement with EPLU Technology Incorporated for cybersecurity software in the amount of $510,344 (C3), and a grant application to the Department of Justice Bulletproof Vest Partnership for $125,621 with a required local match of $62,811 (C4).
- Public hearings were scheduled for an ordinance amending the land development code for the R3 medium-high density mixed residential zoning district (PH1) and an ordinance establishing food bank as a new use (PH2).
- Ordinances included a supplemental appropriation of $98,000 from committed revenue funds for Live Oak Bank Pavilion and Riverfront Park (O1) and a change order to Samut Corporation for the River Lights Fire Station in the amount of $250,677 (O2).
Discussion Items
- Fuquay-Varina Interbasin Transfer Request (Resolution R1): Councilmember Charlie Rivenbark introduced a resolution opposing the transfer request from the town of Fuquay-Varina. He stated that the city has never opposed upstream water lending provided the water is returned to the Cape Fear River, but this request does not include return flow. He emphasized the far-reaching effects on the city's water intake and noted that the request arrived with 2,000 pages of documentation and a 90-day review period, calling it extremely important.
- Metropolitan Transportation Plan Presentation: Abby Lorenzo, Deputy Director of the Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (WMPO), presented the recently adopted 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan, "Cape Fear Navigating Change 2050." Key points included:
- The WMPO serves a population of over 300,000 across a 494-square-mile planning area with a 13-member board.
- The plan was adopted on October 29, 2025, after a three-year development process with extensive public outreach: 96 in-person comments, over 2,300 survey responses, and over 3,200 map comments.
- Top current transportation priorities are safety, cost, and convenience; future desires include more walking, biking, and public transit options.
- The financial forecast estimates $5.98 billion in capital funding revenues through 2050, but a funding gap of $7.9 billion was identified.
- Alternative funding sources discussed include a quarter-cent local option sales tax, vehicle registration fees, and transportation bonds. Ms. Lorenzo clarified that a quarter-cent sales tax would be implemented by counties via referendum and would need to be spent within the jurisdiction where passed.
- Councilmember Luke Waddell, who served on the alternative funding subcommittee, noted that a tri-county transportation authority could be created if all counties opt in, with a representative board to advocate for regional interests.
- Mayor Bill Saffo inquired about the implementation of the quarter-cent sales tax and whether each jurisdiction would bring it to a vote. Councilmember Rivenbark asked what revenue the previously failed quarter-cent sales tax would have generated. Ms. Lorenzo offered to provide that figure.
The meeting adjourned, and the council proceeded to a budget work session on the 12th floor.
Key Outcomes
- No formal votes were taken; the meeting was a briefing to review the agenda for the November 18 regular council meeting.
- The council will consider Resolution R1 (opposing the Fuquay-Varina interbasin transfer) and the other consent calendar and public hearing items at the regular meeting.
- The 2050 MTP will be integrated into WMPO planning efforts and is available on the WMPO website and at local libraries.
Meeting Transcript
I'm bringing the meeting to order. Mayor Pro Tem are you here? We'll do a roll call right now. Council Mr. Ravenmore. Councilmember Spears. I know I'm gonna give him an absent because we cannot connect with him at this moment, but we're trying. Councilmember Wadell is out of town. Oh, he's on his way. Okay, very good. Uh Councilmember Andrews? Here. Councilmember Joyner. Here. Chair's here. C One is approval of the minutes. C2 is a resolution authorizing a lease of the ninth floor of Skyline Center to ANSA Services LLC. C3 is a resolution authorizing the city manager to enter into a three-year agreement with EPLU Technology Incorporated Hundred Virginia to purchase various varones, cybersecurity software in the amount of 510,344. C4 is a resolution authorizing city manager to deply for a grant from the Department of Justice Bulletproof Vest Partnership in the amount of 125,621 dollars with the required local match of 62,811. Public hearings, PH1 is an ordinance amending the land development code chapter 618 to modify use and dimensional standards within the R3 medium high density mixed residential zoning district. PH2 is an ordinance amending the land development code chapter 18 to establish food bank as a new use. Then ordinances 01 is an ordinance making supplemental appropriations in the amount of 98,000 from committed revenue funds for Live Oak Bank Pavilion and Riverfront Park. Is a resolution authorizing city manager to execute a change order to Samut Corporation for the River Lights Fire Station in the amount of 250,677. And then finally, our resolution R1 is a resolution composing the Fuqua Barina Interbasin Transfer Request and call for additional public hearings. And this is being brought forward by Councilmember Ravenborough. This is uh of all the things that we've had come to us from the Lower Cape Fair Water and Sewer Authority and requests for uh for upstream people taking water out of the Cape Fair River. We have never had a opposition to lending water to anybody upstream with the cop with the caveat that they return the water to the Cape Fair River and this particular uh request from the town of Fuquave Arena does not do that. And I hope everybody will take three minutes to read this and see that the uphill battle we have faced with this, asking for information. They've been working on this for years, and now they've sent two thousand pages of stuff and given us 90 days to digest it. So we um this has far reaching effects on our area and our water intake. There's a domino effect, so this is extremely important. Thank you for your consideration. Okay, thank you. Anyone else? Okay. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. We do have one presentation uh this morning, which is from the deputy director of the WMPO, Abby Lorenzo, who will be talking to council about the Metropolitan Transportation Plan. Welcome, Abby. Good morning. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, members of council for the opportunity to present to you all this morning. Um as uh Ms. Hawk just stated, I'll be presiding this morning on the WMPO's recently adopted Metropolitan Transportation Plan, Cape Fear Navigating Change 2050. So my presentation is going to briefly touch upon what the WMPO is and our requirements about the Metropolitan Transportation Plan, its development process, um, how to support this MTP uh moving forward, and then I'm happy to answer any questions anyone might have. So, real quick, just a refresher about the Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization. It was established in the early 1970s and today serves a population of over 300,000 and has approximately 494 square mile planning area. We have a 13 member board comprised of 12 elected officials and one appointed member from the North Carolina Board of Transportation. Our board sets the organization's policy and direction as well as ensures that our processes are coordinated and comprehensive, meeting federal and state requirements. The WMPO is federally required to plan and prioritize how federal transportation dollars are spent within our region.
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