The Winston-Salem City Council met on April 21, 2025, at 6:00 PM, adjourning at 7:20 PM. The meeting included a proclamation, consent agenda, public hearings on economic development incentives and zoning petitions, and a public comment period. Key actions included approval of two economic development projects, approval of several zoning petitions, and continuation of one case. The public comment period featured concerns about firefighter benefits, pedestrian safety, and community remembrance.
Office. The topic will be starting your spring garden. Speaker Matthew Scoggins. You can register online on the city's website. I know I've got a few gardeners up there on the dais that like to do those things. I do too if I can. The neighborhood services department will hold an open house series in the month of May, beginning Tuesday, May 6th. This is an opportunity for the public to learn more about its services from staff, including lending opportunities for homeowners, code enforcement efforts, affordable housing, and more. And with that, I'll stand ready to see if there are any other questions. Thank you. Saturday, April, so Saturday is not April 25th, Saturday the 26th. Correct. Okay. I will stand corrected. I am sure that it's got to be on Saturday. Thank you for making that catching that. I have to be there so I know it's Saturday. Thank you, Mr. Pate. We do have one honorarium tonight, so would you please read item H1? Item H1 proclamation declaring April as child abuse prevention month. Whereas in the year 2024, 5,096 cases of child abuse and neglect were investigated by child protective services agencies in Forsyth County. And whereas child abuse and neglect is a serious problem affecting every segment of our community, and finding solutions requires input and action from everyone in our community. And whereas our children are our most valuable resource and will shape the future of the world and Forsyth County. And whereas child abuse can have long-term psychological, emotional, and physical effects that have lasting consequences for victims of abuse. And whereas protective factors are conditions that reduce or eliminate risk and promote the social, emotional, and developmental well-being of children. And whereas effective child abuse prevention strategies succeed because of the partnerships created between child welfare, education, health care, community, faith-based organizations, businesses, and law enforcement agencies. And whereas communities must make every effort to promote programs and activities that create strong and thriving children and families. And whereas we acknowledge that we must work together as a community to increase awareness about child abuse and collectively advocate for the social, emotional, and well-being needs of children and families to thrive in safe, stable, and nurturing environments. Now, therefore, IJ Allen joins, Mayor of the City of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, do hereby proclaim April 2025 as Child Abuse Prevention Month and call upon all citizens to participate in efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect. Thank you. We thank you for the work at the Jordan's Wild Center as well as the other organizations that are representing here today. Congratulations and thank you. Oh well, thank you. And um thank you, um, all of you the city council on behalf of the members of this collaborative, um, everybody here who's representing the agencies who work every day to advocate and and provide services to the children across the city who are um who are dealing with such trauma that none of us really can imagine, and and each each individual here and their staff are working to prevent child abuse, to provide services for those children who are suffering from child abuse, and to mitigate those adverse childhood experiences so that they can hopefully not deal with those poor health outcomes later in life that we know um are often the outcomes. But I want to thank all of you on behalf of all of us for your continued support of the work that we do and for the children of this community. Thank you, Miss Sunshine. Ladies and gentlemen, tonight's agenda of the city council is comprised of two parts, the consent agenda and the general agenda. As always, the practice of this council to take the consent agenda as the first order of business. The item on the consent agenda has been unanimously recommended by committee of the city council, or it's being submitted in accordance with established city procedure. There will be no discussion of this item unless a council member or so request. It will be removed from consent agenda and considered individually. Items not removed from the consent agenda will be enacted with one motion. We're televising this meeting live tonight on TV 13 as well as the city's YouTube page. And it will be replayed on Wednesday at 9 a.m. and again Wednesday at 9 p.m. Of course, copies of our agenda are always available online at the city's website. And just click on the watch city uh meetings online option. I don't think anybody wants to pull anything on the consent agenda. If not, I'll uh take a motion to approve.