No, everyone.

Welcome to the general government committee.

As you all know, we did not meet during the month of July.

So we are I'm really, I think we had a packed agenda in June.

I'm almost sure of it.

And uh I'm glad to see that this one is not so much packed today.

Uh we have two consent items and we have five general agenda items.

And usually the uh process for committee and the council is that we uh review the consent items first, but first are there any first clerk call the role, please.

See, this is what happens when you get a month off from school.

Um chairperson, Mayor Pro Tim.

Here vice chair, council member joyner.

Present.

Councilmember Burke here, and council member hall.

Here would the clerk please call with any uh council members, committee members.

Well, all I got is the well, I got one council member.

How are you doing?

Doing good.

All right.

Would like to see any of the consent items pulled.

I think earlier uh councilmember uh Hall Ford said that Ford Hall said that she wanted C1 pulled.

Yes.

Okay, uh may are there any others.

If not, now I have a motion to receive the balance of the consent agenda.

Move for approval.

Second.

All those in favor of the uh motion.

Uh we will we're voting with verbal, right?

All of those please say aye.

Aye.

All those opposed, like signed.

Would the clerk please call item C1?

Item C1 resolution authorizing annual submission of continuum of care homeless assistance grant application, acceptance of grant funds, and execution of subgrantee agreements.

Councilmember.

Thank you.

Um Mayor Pro Tim Adams.

Thank you for being here.

I uh called this, pulled this item because I wanted to make sure that uh residents understood just kind of what the protocol was once we receive federal funds from um HUD and then how that is broken down with our continuum of care, particularly as we are allocating funds to local agencies who may operate in this space.

No problem.

Sharika Floyd Housing Programs Manager with the neighborhood services department.

Um currently the res the action item that you have before you is for us to actually apply for funds for the next um HUD fiscal year.

So we are um we opened our application cycle for local agencies to submit applications.

Um we will submit our application to HUD once the RFP from HUD is released.

Once the agency submit applications, we have a rating panel consisting of seven individuals from the community who review the applications, they complete site visits and then they determine on a ranking score on how the funds are distributed in the community.

The recommendations from the rating panel are then presented to the continuum care council.

The Contemporary Care Council is a group of over 48 agencies, advocates, and local providers from Novant to our local shelters that um review that recommendation, and that recommendation again goes to our continuum of care commission on ending homelessness.

The commission on ending homelessness is 16 individuals appointed by city council and the mayor, as well as by the containment care council and the county commissioners who oversee the funds, policies, and procedures, and though um they will submit that for approval and then it will come back here to you to the city council for approval for the submission of the application.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor Pro Tim.

I just want to say, Ms.

Floyd, that uh probably uh our newer members don't know that we did tweak or edit our process over the past year or so.

Uh it's not perfect, but we're trying to make it more uh efficient but responsive to the clients and the customers as well as the community.

So uh again, uh anyone listening or in the audience, uh I would ask you to go online and read the process of how the continuum of care uh operates.

Uh as Mrs.

Floyd said, it is not just a Winston-Salem thing, this is a federal thing, and uh there are continuum of cares all over the country, just about in every city.

Thank you so much.

May I have a motion for approval, please?

Move to approve.

Second.

Uh it has been moved and promptly seconded.

All those in favor, let it be known by saying aye.

Oh, you gotta vote.

We're voting now.

Okay.

All those opposed, like signed.

Thank you.

Would the clerk please move on to the general agenda items?

Item G1 resolution authorizing the city of Winston Salem to lease parkland to support a new downtown amphitheater.

Mr.

Rao, uh, I must say uh I'm used to having my cheek notes up here.

You all know I've been out of school for over a month, so I get I got this, and I'm looking like okay, who's coming up to present for these things?

But we're gonna wing it and we're gonna make it work, right?

Yes, ma'am.

All right, if you will please go ahead uh with a presentation, and I am sure this committee and I have either lots of questions or things to respond to.

Good afternoon, Mayor Pro Tim Adams.

Mayor joins members of City Council.

So an ownership group um has approached city management about the potential lease of city owned parkland in the downtown area to support a proposed amphitheater within the vacant lot bound by Fifth Sixth Marshall and Spruce Streets between the Benton Convention Center and First Baptist Church.

The two principal owners are Don Flo, CEO of Flow Automotive Groups, and Jim Brammer, CEO of Concert Stuff Group.

Uh they are here today to make a presentation about uh this proposal, uh, along with Bucky Dame, who is the president general manager of the amphitheater project, as well as Stuart Holmes, who is the chair of the uh planning committee for the downtown Winston Salem Partnership.

The uh the request is for a five-year lease with the option or opportunity for a two-year extension at an annual rate of twelve dollars.

Um Mr.

Dame and Mr.

Holmes and Mr.

Flo presented uh this request to the recreation and parks commission last Tuesday, and the commission unanimously uh adopted a resolution recommending that the city council enter into negotiations to lease this particular parcel of parkland uh for to support the uh the downtown amphitheater.

So, with that, I'm going to recognize our speakers and let them give you more information about this proposal.

Okay.

Good afternoon.

I'm Stuart Holmes, and I'm here in my volunteer role as the um chair of the planning committee for the downtown partnership.

Um it's been about a two-year process.

As you know, the uh downtown partnership uh had a five year, or it's actually a 10-year plan to um be the better of Winston Salem.

Uh and part of that subcommittee of mine was to uh potentially build a amphitheater in downtown Winston Salem.

Um it's been a long process, but we've uh got to gotten to this point, and we put together a I think a good team uh to help us with this.

Um the site that there was two sites that we looked at.

One was uh the current site, which you'll see today, and then one was uh site on Industry Hill.

Um the amphitheater committee uh debated both sites, and then we uh unanimously voted on uh doing a study for this site, and so we're excited about that today.

Um like I said, we assembled uh a team to help us with this, and we've got several players.

Um uh one the owner of the current property uh where the site will be built on, and then two uh some industry experts as well.

And so the downtown partnership is very excited uh to accomplish its goal of having a demand generator for downtown, and we're excited about that.

And with that, I'll bring it to Don Flo.

Thank you.

Thank you, Stuart, and thank you, members of the council, for allowing me to come before you a moment and just speak about this project.

And first I do want to thank the downtown partnership and Jason Teal and also thank Stuart, who did steward this program for multiple years and lots of meetings along the way, and it involved a wide variety of folks in the conversation before they came to see me.

I might take us back a moment 25 years ago.

This city committed to revitalizing downtown.

And it took enormous amount of work from a wide variety of folks dispersed throughout this community to make the difference we've had today.

And it's a remarkable change in what's taking place.

But we also know that since COVID, it's been tougher.

Since COVID, we've had some of our larger employers actually exit, or they've also downsized because of hybrid workforce, and we've seen a number of businesses close downtown as we've struggled to find that same vibrancy that we once had prior to COVID.

We believe this project offers an opportunity for us to find that vibrancy to bring people back town again and also open up restaurants and hotels and just traffic downtown.

So Stewart approached me about this idea, and I told him that I have really three criteria today at this particular stage of my life for me to do something.

I call it purpose, uh people, and place.

Secondly, it's got to be in a place that I love and care about that I really want to commit my time and life to, and thirdly, it's got to be with people that I really admire and respect.

And I've learned that it needs to be uh people who are really good at what they do and are good people also.

And I'm pleased to tell y'all about a very special partner that's agreed to join us in this.

Only a few people in this community really know who Jim Bramer is.

Jim started his company right here in Winston Salem and a small little place that first had a big vision about how could we create concert shells, events, engage in place that would really uh be distinguished in the United States.

Jim is the leading person in the United States in this area now.

I consider him to be the number one entrepreneur in Winston Salem that's turned out in the last 30 years.

We don't know about him.

You go to a Paul McCartney concert, Jim built that.

You go to Red Hat, Jim built that.

We have never had this much talent with somebody put their hand up and say, I would love to come back to Winston Salem and invest here because that's where I got started.

And Jim just looked at me, and I'm you know, trying to tell him how a great idea it was, and he goes, You want a partner?

That was the sum total of our business plan.

Why do you want to do this?

Because we both love Winston Salem.

We grew up here and we want to see it flourish.

But I also recognize that uh I don't really know how to run a concert.

And so we have this person, Bucky Dame, who's been in this city now for 40 plus years and for 30 years, ran our Joel Coliseum was there.

The last few years, he's been a major national consultant, been in over a dozen cities, working with other cities, helping them put on their major venues.

And I said, Bucky, in the time to come home, and you want to come home and run this and help make this something really special for our entire city.

Our goal is to host concerts there.

We have seven parking decks within walking distance, everything.

We got plenty of room for parking for everybody.

Hotels all around have a chance to be filled up.

Up to 20% of the people come in and spend the night in these events, which is a tremendous opportunity for us as a city.

So my hope is that you would support this.

Uh honestly, what you'll hear from Bucky in a moment.

Oh, we can't do it without this space because the artists require a place to come, they come for the day, they set up kind of a village for them to be in for the day before they go play, and then they come play there.

And so that's the space we need for staging and setting up along the way with it, or it's not possible for us to do this.

And so uh we're grateful for your consideration of it.

Uh, we believe it'll be something really meaningful for our city that everybody will have a chance to come to.

You can walk to it, ride your bike to it, park your car anywhere, stay for dinner downtown, and have a great night.

So thank you for considering this.

Allow me to speak.

Thank you.

Members of the council.

Um, Don talked about 25 years.

It was 40 years the last time I was standing here at this podium speaking to you were called the board of Alderman then.

And uh mayor, I believe you were uh in the city manager's office at that time.

A lot has happened in my life in 40 years, and um I'm not going to expand on uh what Don Flo said, but I would be honored to um be part of this project.

Uh we need your support in this area of this piece of property.

And I know you have a lot of questions, so I'm just going to open myself up.

I'm an open book.

I'm pretty transparent, and uh I pretty much tell it like I see it.

So hit me with your best shot.

I don't think we have any questions now unless the committee wants to ask them.

I think they're taking notes and listening right now.

Uh we are open to listening, but I also have five other agenda items that just as important.

So if there's anybody else want to speak, you need to do it now.

I will say this that this is a proposed 5,000 seat venue.

In the name in the nation, across the nation, there is an entire ecosystem of five to 7,000 seat venues in metropolitan markets the size of the triad.

For many, many, many years.

We played second fiddle to our neighbor Greensboro, but now we have an opportunity to have our own venue in that ecosystem that we can support and that can support us.

It's a very, very vibrant ecosystem, and the the largest promoter in the world, Live Nation, has plans to build 50 of these types of venues over the next 10 years, five years.

That's 10 a year.

And the triad is not on that list.

We need this venue in order to support downtown.

Thank you.

Thank you, Bucky.

Well, good afternoon, and thanks for having us today.

It's been a long time since I've stood here and had to present.

But I'm will kind of pull it all together and talk about the site real quickly and what we what we're proposing doing what we're at, what we're requesting for your consideration.

So I'll try to be if I'm like show and tell.

So this area right here in red is the area that's presently owned by Flow Automotive Companies.

And that's where the amphitheater will be.

If this if you're this area is bound by 6th Street on the South, and no, excuse me, on the north, 5th Street on the north.

Excuse me.

Yes.

One of my committee members said, who is he?

So if you could give your name and address, please.

The others kind of superseded the introduced or said the names of the I'm sorry.

I'm so I'm apologizing.

My name is Bucky Dame.

I live on in Winston Salem at on 3780 Kirklys Road, and I was a city employee for 30 plus years.

Thank you.

So picking back up, uh, it's bound by let me see, get this pointer here.

And Spruce Street on the west, Marshall on the east.

The entrance to the amphitheater would be here off Fifth Street, and the stage would sit in this area right here, the very end next to 6th Street.

And that's the reason we're requesting the lease on the parkland, because the area in yellow would support the facility from a back of house, back of stage type thing.

It would have some temporary facilities in it, and I stress temporary for dressing rooms, green room, catering, those type of things.

The area would be fenced.

We would maintain the area with fencing for security reasons.

We would uh don't anticipate replacing trees, but if we had to do any trees, we would replace them at the at whatever the city requests us to do.

We will also landscape that area and and maintain it throughout.

The amphitheater is Jim mentioned will be 5,000 seats.

We are anticipating in the first year that we could do approximately 20 events.

We've spoken to them.

So just the the request we're looking at and uh to talk about the parkland.

There's about six parcels of land making up about an acre of of total space uh in that area.

We would use that um with again with temporary structures, again fencing around that area.

Yes, you're gonna ask what type of fencing, it would be more likely chain link, but we would dress it up with scrim, and and our intent is maybe do something along to honor those artists have who have been in Winston Salem before the five Orioles, Ben Folds, Larry Leon Hamlin, that type of thing to give it color and vibrancy in that area of downtown.

The second request that we're looking for, it would be, and we've done some preliminary work on this is closing of some streets on the event days, and that would be from Marshall Street right here to Spruce Street, close all of Spruce Street, and the area from here from Sixth Street down to Chatham Avenue, and that would allow us to uh basically make these shows work because without it we have no backstage space, we have no way to load the shows in.

A typical show is going to come in with about six trucks, four buses.

So you will need some space to make that happen.

So and that's what we are requesting today.

We did present to the Recreation Parks Commission, as Ben mentioned, and answered several of their questions they had.

Thank you.

May I join?

Thank you.

Can you talk a little bit about that?

Yes, Mayor.

We we've met with DOT.

We've met with the fire department and the police department.

We have not submitted a formal application yet, but but what we've discussed has been favorably received because Poplar Street will still be open.

If you want to use that as an example for the fire department to come down Marshall, turn right on fifth and then right onto popular, and they'd be back back on 6th Street.

So thank you, both.

Yeah.

Any other questions?

Councilmember Siphia.

Thank you.

Thank you for the presentation.

I'm concerned about noise, and how do we not violate our noise ordinance as it might impact the church if they're having activities or Crystal Towers, which is right across the street.

Okay.

I I can answer that.

We are going to adhere to 11 p.m.

curfew period.

We'll cut it off strictly at 11 p.m., which is very typical for downtown amphitheater, so we're not doing anything different, or the artist won't notice anything different.

If you notice the stage here, this all the sound will be projected out this way.

So nothing will be projected back or back towards Crystal Towers in that in that sense.

So that's my limited knowledge of sound.

If you Jim could probably answer that better than I could, but that's that's the premise.

So would the amphitheater have that bowl that sends the sound?

It it will have it will be elevated going down.

So picture a 5,000 seat theater with different tiers is what it'll be.

It'll have three seating sections leading in.

So it'll be a little more narrow.

There will be 5,000 seats.

There's no long seating or anything like that.

We do have some areas where the where the seating will be raked up, so the sound will hit that as it comes out.

Thank you.

Councilmember Hall.

Thank you, uh Chairwoman Adams.

Excuse me, Councilmember, are you directing your question at him or you direct it as staff?

Or does he sit and you ask the general whatever for the person to stand up?

Subject matter expert.

Thank you.

I would I would like to ask him if that's okay.

Very good.

Um, at least for the first question.

Um actually, maybe not.

Maybe not.

So maybe you can defer to someone else if they would like to go.

Councilmember Joiner.

Thank you, um Madam Chair.

Over the years, um, downtown has had many, many events, and um traffic getting to those events can sometimes be quite the challenge.

You've already discussed these um hurdles with uh police department.

We have had very preliminary discussions.

I don't want to mislead you and say we've had in-depth discussions, but preliminary.

In the past, there's been a lot of times where one event um is detrimental in as far as access to businesses beyond or on the other side of that event.

So that's something that we really need to look at.

Um just if you want to bring business down to all of downtown, uh, it would preclude that if we don't work on those other issues.

We're we're looking at approximately 1,500 vehicles.

So uh the convention center hosts those that capacity at some time.

Uh a good example would be Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh, which is adjacent to the convention center.

Um, and if you go to a show there, and as I have um before the show, the restaurants were filling up.

Post show, they're up the rep the bars were filling up.

So there's a kind of a slow ingress and egress of people.

They don't all come at one time or leave at one time.

So I think that will be very uh will be the same that you'll see here as well.

Thank you.

Okay.

Um you can be seated.

Great, thank you.

Uh, because my questions are basically, I guess, to staff and others.

Have you got council hall?

Do you want to go ahead and speak?

Yes, thank you.

Thank you.

Um, I had some um general notes, I think uh Councilmember Join there touched on a couple of them, which was about some road closures.

I had gotten uh a few emails uh earlier today that were um questions about how road closures would affect residents in nearby areas.

So those are some things that we want to make sure that you all are thinking about as you all are um considering with moving forward with development, um, particularly for the residents that are on um Sixth Street side that is immediately um behind this area that we're looking at on the map for the proposed amphitheater site.

Um with events, you're gonna have some road closures, but I need to I want to make sure that people do understand what that looks like and what that would be.

Um the other concern that I had was about um Crystal Towers uh residents, of course.

This particular area is in the Northwest ward.

Um, and I think Stuart, we talked about that about making sure that they were uh one aware of what was going to be because they would be neighbors right beside them there on the sixth street lot, but then also the amphitheater, and thinking about I think Councilmember Scipio brought up the noise um portion of it, but just thinking about how they would be affected about it, and then also how you can include them on communication, um, and if there are any opportunities, understanding that these are private dollars, so we can't tell you everything to do with private dollars.

But if there are opportunities to include them, we want to make sure that we're thinking about ways that we can include them, particularly as we're thinking about anything that has any sort of dollar amount to it that could be for any sort of jobs or anything to make them feel included in using that space.

And so those are things that I wanted to make sure that we brought up today in my comments for um for you all, but then also to the public for the people that had already reached out overall.

I am generally supportive of the amphitheater and for exciting things coming to Winston Salem, but I want to make sure that we don't get those things kind of lost in the sauce as we're thinking about um the development in the way that we're doing things.

Um and with that I yield.

Thank you.

Councilmember Burke.

Thank you, Chair Adams.

I have several questions, and I really don't know who could answer the questions, so I'll just begin to ask, and uh if anyone would like to come forward and answer, that would be great.

My first question will be how was the $12 annual lease fee?

Um, how is that figure determined?

Councilmember Burke, I think that uh you know for this particular release rate, we're looking at something that's similar to uh leases that we have provided for other organizations that are utilizing city property, for example, the former U.S.

bankruptcy court building that you all acquired several years ago, we are leasing the first floor of that building to Muse uh at a rate of twelve dollars per year.

So it's uh you know the intent there was for it to be uh a nominal amount recognizing the impact that this would this uh amphitheater could have on downtown.

Okay, so uh a floor in a building was uh how you determined uh the amount for uh all of these parcels well, just looking at somewhat consistency with with uh working with other organizations.

Okay.

Um thank you, Mr.

Rao.

My next question, and I have several, so bear with me.

Um events held at the amphitheater, would they be free and open to the public?

Councilmember Burke, there'll be a variety of events.

Some could be free and open to the public, some will be obviously paid events, ticketed events.

Um I couldn't give you a ratio right now, um, but we are have been I have spoken to uh Windsor State University, North Carolina Black Repertory Company, as well as um uh the UNC School of the Arts uh about doing and and having events there as well as the Windsor Symphony.

So we're looking at a variety of that's our community focus.

Yes, but the out-of-town touring shows would be ticketed events.

Okay.

So who would benefit from the proceeds?

Um in this industry, usually the artist benefits from the proceeds.

Um, but there would be revenue coming in to offset obviously the construction of the property that will take place because there's amount of fair amount of work to go in.

Uh there's 5,000 seats to install, there's staging, there's rigging, there's uh sound, a multitude of things that will take place.

But yeah, it is eventually could be a revenue generator.

Okay.

Uh next question, and thank you for your answer.

Okay.

And maybe you can answer my next question.

Uh would there be any expectation for the Winston Salem Police Department to provide security, in addition to performing their normal job duties, official job duties?

Anything that would take place within the confines of the facility, being the amphitheater, or the traffic that we would we would blocking streets, et cetera, et cetera, we would pay for that as a as and I assume we'd be paying through as an off-duty officer working that event.

Uh once they get onto the streets and the parking tax, that's not something we would anticipate we would be responsible for.

Okay.

And you said an off-duty officer for about 1,500 at least parking spaces.

Wouldn't you need more than well that that's where we to me when you get beyond into the parking decks and parking, that becomes more of a city function to us because we don't control those areas.

So have you considered that we do have Milton Roads uh and the Stevens Center, which currently is being renovated right now, also corporing plaza that's kind of sort of an amphitheater already, uh as well as uh the Winston Park, kind of sort of like an amphitheater.

Have you considered doing some work there to create the 5,000 seats?

I can't speak to what the partnership did.

Um I can speak that this facility of 5,000 seats would be very different than those just capacity alone.

I think the Stevens Center when finished renovations will be about 1100 seats.

Uh Milton Roads is 500, don't hold me to that.

And I can't speak to the others.

So thank you.

We did that study.

Um generally the the downtown partnership does the what's it called Jason the Summer series.

And generally that that has about a thousand to fifteen hundred uh people that show up to those, and which is on different streets downtown, which is we have street closers for that as well.

Um generally these types of venues have you have the thousand uh type venue, you have the five thousand type venue, and then you have the twenty thousand type venue, which we already have a place for that with Joel Coliseum.

Um and so that's the purpose of what what we were trying to do is you know, have another demand generator for downtown uh and have have a larger venue where you can get larger acts, but also to Bucky's point that he made earlier, this will be a community asset where there is we've already been contacted by some churches who would like to hold services downtown.

Uh the goal for us is to open up by Easter so we can have a sunrise service there potentially, and so um we're very excited to this that this will be a community asset.

Okay.

Thank you so much.

I have one more question, and I think that this question is more for staff, city manager staff.

Um, since the city, the council, we have identified as our number one priority, affordable housing.

I'm just wondering, is it possible or have we even thought about using the the city-owned property for that purpose?

Probably not.

You're talking about the parkland?

Yes.

To my knowledge, that has not been considered for affordable housing.

Okay.

Okay.

Thank you.

No more questions.

Thank you all so much uh for indulging us.

Uh I have to say, uh, when I saw the agenda that it was a resolution, I was under the impression that I this was coming to us as information only.

And that's why I was like, okay, you know, and then when I see it on the agenda is a resolution, and then I'm being told we which I know already, because I consulted with some other people this morning, just to be sure that we can hold this in committee in my committee, but I agree with some of the questions about a council, but I also remember when we created the zoning for the entertainment district.

Industry Hill.

I uh at that time I got on the council in 09, was told that there's probably going to be in the future an amphitheater, uh entertainment type venue for concerts.

And you just, you know, helped me to understand that after you did your studies, you decided that that wasn't it.

I also um and to me uh I was telling someone, and I'm I'm digressing here because the chair I can't.

I was I didn't know anything about this, and I'm being honest, unless I got amnesia or something that I missed it, which I don't normally.

I was in the Harris Tita a couple of weeks ago in the aisle, and a person came up to me and asked me, what do you think about the amphitheater?

Mine went to Industry Hill, and I said, I'm okay with it.

They said, Well, you know it's gonna be downtown across from the convention center.

I did not.

The first time I really heard any discussion about this really in depth was this past week, last week.

Um, I don't have a problem with us building an amphitheater.

Let me get the record straight on that.

I I just think as to the council members say, when it comes to using city land, parkland for uh economic capital, whatever.

My deal is a few years ago, if not a decade, uh Jeff Macintosh and I talked about Crystal Towers.

Why could we couldn't build affordable housing on that land, parkland and the other land, as we tear the towers down, and then we build more affordable housing.

And and Mr.

Flo, I commend you and everything you and your family have done in this community.

You and I have worked together on some projects.

But I I agree with you about your what your your legacy and what you're working on is people purpose in place.

Mine is too.

People that need things in this community, people that have been uh, you know, treated unfairly and not given the opportunities to have a cra a great quality of life.

When you talk about purpose, the city's purpose is council member Burke said, our number one priority is affordable housing in this city, and we have changed our housing plan, and we still have work to do.

But my thing is if we have land that we can use for anything as a city entity, the council needs to address whether we want to use it for housing or whether we want to use it for economic uh development or other things.

Um again, I don't want people to think that I don't want an amphitheater.

I just think we need to understand that we have people in this community that we have to stand up and say no to sometimes, and it's not anything personal, it's business, business of the people.

And again, I'm not saying that this idea won't fly.

I'm only one vote, but I know where Didi Adams heart stands.

And my thing has been for the past 16 years, when I got on this council, this city and nobody was talking about housing.

And I know I was, and I gotta stick with that.

So again, and when you told me, and I saw in the records in the thing agenda that this item was brought to the parks and rec's no facilities last week.

It just tells me that we can fast track anything we want in the city when we want to, and that the community as a whole, they see us when we do these things.

I have asked in the past that when we have things coming down the track, fast track.

I have answered it since I've been on this council.

I don't like being blindsided.

I don't like not being able to tell the citizens what this is all about.

As a matter of fact, I got something coming for y'all about something else we voted on, so you understand what it's about.

I just, you know, for right now, you know, I'd like to hold this in committee.

Uh Mr.

Pate and others in committee.

Uh, I know this is probably gonna be on the finance committees tomorrow.

Is it not, uh, Mayor?

No.

Well, then I know that may be a time restraint to this, but I I can't, I'm I'm not looking I'm not comfortable with anything of this because the public is now weighing in to us.

And some of them jumped, and I'm not mad because I probably would have too when the drama put it out there this morning.

So uh attorney Condos, what is what is what is my option here, and what is the pleasure of the committee?

I don't want I don't want you guys, you know, I just don't feel comfortable with this right now.

Madam Chair.

Council Member Jordan.

I think that at this point um there's a there's a lot to consider and um there is one the the the vibrancy of our downtown if people aren't spending money downtown people aren't coming to our downtown people aren't um visiting from out of town to our downtown as our downtown goes does our city go.

And so it's very important that we have people like Mr.

Flo who are always looking at um that kind of vibrancy and down the road that's not just hopefully by Easter but we're talking about 10 years from now that's important you know um what the next phase is but to that end we have to think about the people who live here every day we have to think about our neighbors and purpose without people is not a good purpose so I would ask and suggest to this committee that we allow the community to be heard.

And I don't suggest that we need to sit on this for two or three months but I would ask that we allow the community to be heard and be heard as a whole have all the different components of this and everybody take a breath and then come back and then we have a uh a fairer ability to vote and make decisions that impact all of the residents and not some of the residents also just a moment attending condo I also know that what also works when councilmember joining said that our downtown is dying and we don't have anybody coming here the data that we have data what's the same tourism board and others we have data I'm on that board now and I'm asking staff you need to get with that book that organization and get the data because we have shown growth that we've never seen in this city over the past year or so based on visitors and tourism and heads in the beds hotel stays after COVID the convention center even as you saw granting them they've far exceeded their expectations Mr.

Rao you sit in on those board meetings with me I need you to be prepared to have that data for when it's requested okay um another thing that we got going on in the city we got the grounds up on the north end you know and I again I I agree with you Councilmember Jordan that we now need to start looking at everything versus some of us and I'm guilty I'll say I maybe I've been guilty in the past but my life is I'm at that point now where everything I do is definitely about the purpose of the people and if if we're getting hit this hard in few hours we were here this hard with the fireman thing we got hit today then that tells us something was not communicated right to us to be prepared to respond to our constituents and the people in this city that have interests just like we do in this city.

So I am going to uh attorney contours I'm gonna defer to you and then I'm gonna make a this uh decision as to what we need to do with this mayor per time adams to answer your question uh you you certainly may um the committee may opt to hold the item in committee uh for further consideration uh it may also send it forward to counsel for council's consideration either without a recommendation or with a recommendation uh so you have the full compliment of options thank you and I'm gonna poll them councilmember for what do you want to do forward uh want to hold it in committee or do you want to forward to council without a recommendation um my the first thought would be to forward to council without recommendation if we're without if we're holding in committee where do we be holding it forward we heard we held we heard the information we would that just be to hear from residents because we can't hear from them in committee so without if we could move forward.

Uh I've received a lot of emails from citizens, and I think we just need to take this slow, it appears to them.

And it also appears to me that this process is being fast tracked, and uh I think we should just hold it into in committee until we get more information and uh find out exactly how our citizens uh feel about this this request.

Thank you, Councilmember Jonah.

I would suggest that we uh allow it to move forward without recommendation.

It is um I think we've gotten a lot of information.

I think that our colleagues on the full day is um can continue with this, and it also allows for uh public response if we want it to Mayor Jones Well, it looks like there's a two to two thought there, but uh I think you can move it forward without a recommendation.

Got an opportunity to have a discussion uh Monday and and that the net of that week we can hear from citizens and figure out what might be the issues are.

To me, it's a wonderful opportunity for the city to uh get another uh entertainment venue in our city without us having to put any money into it, which is a pretty important thing.

Assuming we can address concerns about noise and things of that nature.

I have a question.

Council Mayor Law.

Thank you.

Uh and Mayor Pro Tim, if we move it to um council without recommendation, we get to decide when it is going to be on council agenda, but correct?

Or is that a question for the general speaking?

It would be in two weeks.

It would be uh not the next meeting, but the following meeting so it would be the first meeting of the first meeting of September.

So you'd have public comment period.

So we'll have that public comment.

Okay, all right.

Okay, my answer still stays the same with public comment in between.

Did you did you vote?

I that's two, like he said, that's two too.

Attorney Condos, where do we stand on this if we are deadlocked?

That's that's a good question.

I'm gonna have to have to do a little dig in real quick.

Um that's all right.

We go we we we'll vote, we'll move it forward without a recommendation.

But I can tell you this.

All of you, y'all better be prepared to deal with what's gonna happen at public comment in the next couple of weeks.

Okay.

All right, can we move on to the next agenda item, please?

You need to still need to vote.

Do we have we still need to vote?

Uh yes, ma'am.

You you need you would need to vote.

You're correct, you're correct.

All the clerk, please call the question.

Read the item, please.

Yeah.

Um, resolution authorizing the city of Winston-Salem to lease parkland to support a new downtown amphitheater.

Thank you.

All those uh that approve the motion, the agenda item, please uh vote accordingly.

Can I motion let me ask to make for a clarification?

I think for your committee members.

I I believe you're looking for a motion from one of the committee members to move this forward without council agenda without recommendation.

Okay.

Uh Council Member.

Thank you, Mayor Pro Tim.

Um, I move that we move this item forward, uh G1 to uh city council meeting without recommendation.

I second.

Is it moved and probably seconded to move G1 to a council without recommendation?

Uh all of those in favor vote accordingly, all opposed license.

And this item will go to council without uh recommendation.

Can it be that way?

Yes, that's correct.

Since it's a tie, it will move forward with the because there is no agreement.

Clerk, please call the next item.

Item GT, presentation by Winston-Salem Foundation and self-help with information and updates about the Winston-Salem Forsyth County Housing Line Fund.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

Thank you.

Please give your name and address for the record, please.

My name is Elaine Summerfield.

I am Winston Salem resident at 1514 Cloverdale.

And I'm here in my role as vice president of community impact at the Winston Salem Foundation.

I just want to thank you, Council members, Mayor Joins, the time to provide this update on the Winston Salem Forsyth County Housing Loan Fund.

And this will be a high-level update for information purposes to describe the path forward that we have as a community.

Do I have control over the slides?

Sorry to interrupt.

Okay, very good.

Okay, great.

Thank you.

Before I dive into the process and status of a local housing fund, let me take a moment to level set and talk about what we mean when we say affordable housing.

There is a wide spectrum of housing needs in our community and opportunities.

So we're looking at housing from those that are unhoused or in shelter to those that are in market-based market rate home ownership.

And you know, there's a lot of different activities and funding opportunities that address each of those areas of housing.

And a housing loan fund for a community is but one tool to address that spectrum of housing needs.

It is not intended to solve all housing issues, but it is intended to be a financing tool that will help to encourage and facilitate the construction and preservation of affordable housing in a community.

If we want to see Winston-Salem be a community where everybody thrives, housing is a fundamental aspect of that thriving.

As your local place-based community foundation, the Winston-Salem Foundation is uniquely positioned to bring people together from a diverse network to develop solutions for our shared goals.

It was a truly collaborative cross-sector team, including members from faith community, housing community, advocates, bankers, lawyers, and other philanthropy institutions.

And I want to just thank uh members of the housing group that our housing working group that are here with us today.

It was definitely a team effort.

We spent a lot of time exploring and learning together.

We learned it from other communities, how they established housing funds to support their goals.

Really gathering a lot of data and information.

Also, knowing that a housing fund is just one tool for a community.

We spent some time identifying priorities of what a housing loan fund for our community would support.

First thing it would be located in Forsyth County.

It would be used to create or preserve multifamily with an emphasis on rental homes, six units or more.

And the tool could also be used for single family home development, maybe a cluster, not even geographically clustered, but something that would come together in a financing package at one time.

Majority of units will be available for accessible for people living at or below 80% area median income.

And from that earlier slide, you saw that was about $65,000 for a family for in our community.

There would also be preference for proximity to amenities such as transportation, grocery, employment, green space, etc.

We also spent a long time considering two approaches, very different approaches, but have been success successfully used in other communities across the country.

One approach is a community development financial institution managed loan program, CDFI managed loan program.

The other approach is an independent investment or impact fund.

Each fund has its own pros, sets of pros and cons.

With a CDFI managed loan program, you can leverage existing expertise and an existing program of financing affordable housing development.

It's a mission-driven organization.

These are nonprofit financial institutions to partner with.

And the CDFI is entrusted at making local decisions with that guide post from the local community in terms of what the local community wants to see supported through the loan fund.

It is a little less flexible in terms of the types of capital that can be raised.

And it's most successful when it is a true public-private partnership.

When you have the philanthropy and individuals coming together with government to lead the way.

An investment or impact fund is a separate legal entity.

It is overseen by an independent board of advisors that will make decisions on fund managers.

It has its own operations, its own financial statements.

And one of the most attractive aspects of an impact fund is that it does provide more options for a wider spectrum of potential investors.

Some elements of success include having really strong investors right up front that are kind of right there helping to advise what that fund could look like.

A board of advisors that's engaged very early on.

And right now in our community, we don't have those ingredients at work.

We recognize that this is an urgent issue in our community to develop more housing.

And so the working group determined it would be best to move forward with community development financial institution loan fund.

So for our path forward, we are planning to create a 40 million dollar fund for the community.

We'll be partnering with Self Help Venture Funds to create the Winston Salem Forsyth County Housing Loan Fund.

Self help is a mission driven lender with a lot of expertise in this area across the state and across the nation.

Some of my partners will be up here to talk a little bit more about their work.

And we're not going to give up the idea of an impact fund.

Just like loan fund is one tool.

Our current goal is to raise for the Winston Salem Foundation is working to raise 10 million dollars in the top loss funds.

These are funders or investors that will be making either grants or gifts or very low income or low interest loans for the purpose of the fund.

We anticipate this will come from a variety of partners across the community.

And I'm excited to share that the Winston Salem Foundation's board has approved a million dollar investment to cede the fund.

And so now it's time to get other local leaders to join us in this effort.

Here to talk to you more about self-help and the work that they do and their experience in housing funds is Katie Little and JJ Freelake.

Hi everyone.

Thank you, Mayor Pro Tim Adams, Mayor Joins, and members of the council.

Appreciate the opportunity to be here.

Wanted to share a little bit more about self-help.

We are a national CDFI based in Durham and founded in 1980.

And our mission is to create and protect economic opportunity for all, and we do that through a family of nonprofits.

We have two credit unions, a state chartered federal state chartered credit union, a federal charter credit union, a research and policy uh organization, and then the ventures fund, which is what Elaine was speaking about, which is what this affordable housing loan fund would be through.

And then we have uh affordable housing loan funds throughout the state.

Our first one was in Durham, and most of these are uh public private partnerships, and then we have since after piloting this concept in Durham, uh we have expanded to uh Wake County, Greensboro, uh Western North Carolina in Chapel Hill were most recently launched just this year.

And then one other thing I'd like to note is that each of these funds is really adapted to the needs of the community and that they are very much um developed in partnership with organizations um like the Winston Salem Foundation to really know the needs of these community.

And I'll pass it over to JJ to speak more.

Thank you, Katie.

Uh Mayor Pro Tem Adams, Mayor Joins, member of the council.

My name is JJ Frelec.

I am the housing sector leader on the commercial lending team at Self Help.

And I'd like to first of all thank you for welcoming self-help to this conversation over the last two years.

We uh we think of ourselves as patient capital.

We know that's what it takes to do good things in the community.

Uh and since I last spoke, we've merged with the Winston-Salem Federal Credit Union here in town.

So it's exciting to have a retail presence unit here, presence here.

Uh, and that really reminds me that the funds are really based on community input.

Uh, we have a good model that we're really deploying across our footfront here in North Carolina, excited to see that grow.

Um, and we're we're seeing some good success with our loan funds.

Um we have two products that we deploy that we found really are having traction out of the loan funds.

Uh, acquisition bridge product to enable developers to acquire and hold properties for future development.

That's a real challenge in the market when other developers may be out there, other uses may be out there for property, and we need to preserve it for affordable housing.

And then, secondly, a gap financing product.

And the gap financing is really to fill that widening gap between what projects can typically support as debt, maybe even low-income housing tax credit projects can bring in as tax credits, and very limited equity that's available, particularly from nonprofits.

And so that widening gap is really becoming a chasm as building expenses go up and rents are staying stagnant, and so that's where the loan funds come in.

Really multiplying the private and public uh capital that comes in in forms of the substitute of the fund.

Um I think really want to emphasize that we've got 145 million dollars in our management now.

We may um if Winston Salem and others uh that are interested in starting funds uh grow that to 254 million across the state.

Uh it's an exciting time to be deploying these funds.

And I emphasize they're a flexible tool.

Uh we have been modifying as we learn more from our communities, we learn more from the deployment of these funds, modifying those funds and how we deploy them, and really sharing that learning across all the communities because every community has uh very similar challenges.

Um with that, thank you very much for uh the consideration today, and we will remain open for your questions.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You all have any questions at this time.

Any committee members?

Okay, I'm gonna get oh, Councilman McGonar, Council Missio and Count uh Mayor uh Joins.

Thank you, Chair.

Um I had a question about the um the Durham Affordable Housing Loan Fund started in 2019 with 10 million.

Is that still an active fund that's growing and still able to give out loans?

Thank you, Councilmember Joyner.

Uh yes, it is an active fund.

It is 10 million dollars.

2019 was when it was initiated.

Um the fund is fully deployed right now until some of the loans pay off.

It's designed every five years that a loan would rotate and a new uh borrower could use that fund.

But right now it's fully deployed.

Uh the good news is that the community is looking to grow the fund by another 20 million dollars.

Uh we're talking to uh Durham County existing funders and some new funders as well.

In addition to growing that fund from the acquisition bridge only product, we're looking to add the gap financing with lessons learned from other funds and then open it up to for-profit developers in addition to nonprofits.

Okay, thank you.

Councilman Sibio.

Thank you.

Um Chairman.

Um, Ms.

Somerfield.

Is our loan fund designed for just new construction, or would the funds be used also for rehab?

Yes, funds could also be used for rehab for a preservation of affordable housing.

Um it could also be part of uh mixed use, development, adaptive reuse.

We are intending this to be a flexible tool because we know that there are many opportunities that could be uh benefited by this this type of loan fund.

Um so we want to get raise it as quickly as possible and deploy it as quickly as possible.

Did you have a sense of how long it might take to raise the fund?

Hmm.

Yeah.

We're working hard.

We're working hard to make it happen.

Uh, locally, the 10 million is the most important part.

So really is a key to unlock a lot of the senior lenders and more traditional lenders that would be uh likely to participate in this fund.

But they would like to see that first, very low income or or no interest rate funding come in so that they know that their investment would be um have a lower risk.

Thank you.

Mayor Joins.

Thank you, Mr.

Madam Chairman, and I want to thank uh foundation and Elaine particularly for pulling all this together.

We've been working on it for a long time.

Uh she and I have made a number of calls uh to uh larger contributors and uh I think they are very interested.

I think we'll the money will come forward, but we've got it as a city.

I think there's an item later on the agenda where city will consider seeding some money in there, and I think it's important that we are in in the game because the question that we're receiving is the city committed to this, and we can talk about we are, but to me, uh as you can see there are uh five other cities that have seen the value of these funds.

Uh and Charlotte's not mentioned on here with uh with uh self-help, but they've got a huge fund expendit, and they're getting ready to raise, I think close to a hundred million, maybe in their effort there.

So I think this is another great tool, a flexible tool that will allow us to continue to develop affordable housing here in Winston Salem.

Thank you.

Any other comments?

Um Elaine, you and your team, you know, we've, as you know, it's been like you said, a couple of years, maybe longer, that we've been talking about this, and it's always been, don't get me wrong, government is government, and we can't do everything.

And sometimes, like in your work spaces, we don't do well working on projects, some projects together.

We need to let some citizens help us with it that have the subject matter expertise to help us understand the importance of it and the possible results of it, and then uh bring it to us like you've done today, uh, so we can understand as a council in a city how important this is.

Again, because we waited to me, by the time I talked to you, you know, I was throwing my hands up in there.

I'm like, what is it gonna take?

In the world we live in now, without a housing trust fund, a city or a government entity cannot be successful and will not be successful because that vehicle allows us to go get others, our corporate people in the community, our philanthropic people in the community.

We have to have that.

And the community.

You know, even though we know we want millions, if a person or family decides just like with your organization, they want to gift us a thousand dollars towards the housing for trust fund, then it'll be taken.

But I want to thank you and everybody that's worked on this.

Thank you so much.

Uh, thank you.

Some of us and spoken to about this.

But uh Mayor, I look forward to us going forward with this and making this happen.

Thanks.

I look forward to coming back and giving you all an update.

Thank you.

Uh clerk, please call the next item.

Item G3 resolution to name the Salem Lake Pier in honor of Brian K.

Hutchins.

Mr.

Royston.

Good afternoon, Mayor.

Mayor Tamanis, members of the committee.

Um, the Rick Rush and Parks um Commissioner at their August 5th meeting received the request from Mary Allen Joins to name the Salem Lake Pier, the recently renovated Salem Lake Pier in honor of Mr.

Brian K.

Hutchins, who is a longtime employee with the city uh with the Recreation of Parks Department.

Um, I could read through what you have in front of you, but honestly, when you have someone is and that was as as important to Salem Lake and the City of Winston Salem as Brian was knowing that our commission um unanimously uh approved uh this recommendation.

Brian worked, uh believe was employee of the year back in 2005, and many of the fishing tournaments and programs that are still being conducted there at Salem Lake started when Brian was there.

Um one of the uh more uh I guess extraordinary things that he did like the last 10 years while Brian was fighting um diabetes.

Um he's going to dialysis three times a week, and he was still coming to work.

Um I think I speak for many department heads across the city who have staff who are able-body who have cars and still can't get here on time sometimes.

But you know, when you have that kind of dedication, there aren't interview questions that we can kind of draw that out of people.

Um he's one of few people that I've been I've had the honor to work with um over the years that are called recorangles.

Um Brian has truly made an impact there at Salem Lake.

Um we recently completed renovations there um at Salem Lake on that pier.

Um is actually extraordinary.

New fishing areas, lighting, uh, accessible access.

Um would like to ask that um it's the motion in front of you uh here at the committee um is moved forward to council full approval.

Councilman Sipio Thank you, Miss Madam Chair, Mr.

Royston.

Um Mr.

Hutchins retired from the city.

He did not, Mr.

Hutchins passed away.

Yeah, okay.

That's what I didn't know.

Thank you so much.

Mayor Joyce.

Uh Madam Chairman, I just wanted to say that I recommended or asked for this consideration.

Um who knew Brian knew he had a he's a big guy, but he had a big heart too.

We love that that lake.

He worked hard as William mentioned.

Uh so I think it's a very fitting tribute to him.

It really is emphasized, you know, an employee who comes in and works, you know, in the trenches, so to speak, for a long time to recognize their work.

So I would appreciate the um committee's uh consideration of this uh naming of his other peer.

Yes, um, if there are no more questions or comments, could I have a motion for approval of this uh item G three?

Move to approve item G three.

I second the move and properly seconded.

All those in favor of the item, please vote accordingly.

All those opposed as well.

And motion passes, clerk.

Next item, please.

Item G4, consideration of items related to additional funding for phase two and three of the choice neighborhoods initiative.

Mr.

Hunter.

Good afternoon, Mayor, Mayor Pro Tim, members of the general government committee.

Samuel Hunter, Assistant Neighborhood Services Director.

We do the presentation.

Yep.

Okay.

So just a little bit of history historical context about the choice neighborhood initiative.

I'm sure all of you are familiar, but just for the public, and just to remind everyone where we stand with the current project.

Phase one of the choice neighborhood initiative is completed.

That is at the old Brown Elementary School site.

That's 81 units.

That's a mixed income development.

You can see the amount of funding that the city committed to phase one to get that to closing.

Um we are that is fully leased right now, it's very operable, and it is a it is something we hang our hat on.

But there's some other phases that we need to fund as well.

So this is just the site um a picture of the site for phase two.

This is along uh 15th Street and North Cleveland Avenue, and you can also see the amount of funding that we have committed for that phase as well.

You can also see that there's a $3.75 million dollar gap for phase two.

Just some uh other historical context.

We came in front of you last year to consolidate the funding for both phase two and three to allow the flexibility of uses with those funds, also to cut down on some cut um some costs, so pre-development costs, legal fees, construction fees, and things like that.

So we did that consolidation last year.

Phase three, still on the same site at Cleveland Avenue Homes proper.

Um, there has been some gap funding committed to that.

That was when the award was uh made in 2020 from HUD.

We had to make that commitment to get that award to leverage those funds as well.

The bout the gap for phase three alone is 1.7, so that puts us at approximately 5.5 million dollars.

Um, I do want to acknowledge that we have representatives from the housing authority here as well if you have questions for them.

This is everything that we have in the pot right now, and I include that for the sake of transparency so you can see where we stand right now.

Um, what I failed to mention were the amount of units that would be in phase two and three after we get to closing.

So approximately um 72 units would be in phase two, and then 42 units would be in phase three, so roughly around 112, 115 units would be in phases two and three.

Again, that'd be a mixed income model on Cleveland Avenue home site proper.

The funding requests.

Um the housing authority, now known as Aspire, formally request uh and McCormick Barron Salazar, who is our lead developer for this project, requests three million dollars of additional gap um additional gap financing to close the 5.5 million dollar gap.

I'm sure the question is well, if the gap is 5.5 million dollars and we're only gonna fund 3 million, where's that other two?

Where's that other 2.5 gonna come from?

Well, we've been in conversation with HUD, and they have uh expressed that if we can come up with three million dollars, they can help us close balance of that gap as well.

So if you all were to consider this, move forward to city council for final action.

Where do we stand?

Um this would get us in a position to close in maybe late Q4 of 2025 or early Q1 of 2026.

We could go ahead and start working on the public infrastructure, water, sewer, roads, and things of that nature to make sure that the vertical construction can happen in the early spring and summer of next year as well.

So that's a high-level presentation to do have representatives from the housing authority here if you all have any questions for myself or for them.

Thank you, Ms.

Hunter.

Any questions from the committee, Council or the Mayor?

Councilman Scipio.

Thank you, Mr.

Hunt.

Keep turning.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Hunter.

Um I know that we never as a council thought we would be investing this much money in this project.

However, we definitely need to move forward.

One thing that I would like to know is now that we've done phase one.

What is the tax implication?

How much taxes are we going to receive from that completed building?

I'm uh I'm gonna turn that to the housing authority since they're the property owners on that.

And they do pay taxes.

I will I will let them answer that question.

Okay.

I thought okay.

Okay.

I thought McCormick Bearon owned that bill.

I didn't do it.

I don't think so.

Okay.

Road Mayor Pro Tem, Mayor Jones.

Thank you for giving you the opportunity to come up.

And congratulations.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh that is a fantastic question, Councilman Scipio.

I will do a little research on that background and get back to the council.

I don't want to give any bad information out, but um again, we we partner with you folks to make affordable housing happen.

Um I provided you an aerial view for your for your pleasure.

Yes, that shows it maps out phase two and phase three.

Again, as Samuel mentioned, phase two is 72 units.

We have 31 market rate units in there, uh, three tax credits and 38 project-based vouchers in that first phase, or phase two, and then phase three, we have nine market rate units, nineteen tax credit units, and fourteen uh project-based vouchers in that uh development.

So uh we're we're excited to see this out and get off the ground and get going as you have been out to Brown School Office.

Uh there'll be the same quality of of town home housing out there, and and we're real proud of Brown School.

Thank you.

Councilman Majorna.

Is phase one completely occupied?

It is.

And can you tell me what the mix is on that?

I I don't have that in front of me uh right now, um, but it is 81 units as Samuel mentioned, and it has reached stabilization, meaning that um it's met the tax uh credit requirement for uh drawing some of those tax credits down.

Um but I I could I can get that to you.

Codia might know it offhand.

Hello, good evening, Mayor Pro Tim Adams, Mayor Joins, and members of city council.

I do.

We have about 43 units of um what we call PBB units, and those are project-based vouchers, and then we have an additional, I believe 16 LITEC units, which are about 60 percent AMI, and then the remainder are market rate units.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any other questions?

Again, is uh thank you all so much as we move forward.

Uh as councilman Scipio said and the rest of the council, uh, some of us have been around here for a long time when it comes to hope and choice neighborhoods, and uh it's not easy, even hope wasn't easy.

The first one, the second one, and this isn't either.

I think again, uh we know that COVID came and COVID just changed the game of housing just like everything else.

Uh, but unfortunately, it affects and impacts uh the people that really need the housing.

And uh when we made the choice, the mayor and all of us to do this.

Uh it it was a long discussions.

Either we in it all the way or you know, we just won't do it.

But uh, I am just so glad that the community came together, all of the stakeholders in the city, uh, that we knew that we needed to do this.

So again, uh I look forward to whatever the next is.

Anybody, we don't have any questions.

Okay, can we get a we need to vote?

Yeah, okay.

Uh yeah, move to approve item G4.

Second.

It's been moved and probably seconded.

All those in favor of item G4, please vote accordingly or vote no accordingly.

Thank you.

And the motion passes.

Last item, please, Clerk.

Item G five resolution authorizing the assumption and subordination of a loan in the amount of 200,000 to Goler Manor 2 LLC.

Good afternoon.

How are you doing?

Mayor Pro Tim Adams.

Mayor Joins left out, but members of the committee and council, Chantel McClam, neighborhood services director.

So the item before you this evening is uh we are seeking approval from the committee to authorize assumption of a 200,000 dollar home investment partnership program loan to be assumed by the nonprofit entity Gohler Manor to LLC.

So back in April 2020, Gohler Place Incorporated received this 200,000 dollar home loan to construct a 79-unit apartment complex for seniors.

So as we are here nearly 20 years later, the complex is in need of renovations.

So Gohler Place Inc.

has decided to restructure their ownership and apply for a 4% low-income housing tax credit to in order to complete these renovations.

So the new entity will be comprised of a LITEC Investment Fund and Gohler Manor 2 manager LLC, which is a collaboration of Anchor and Gohler CDC.

The new entity Goler Manor 2, LLC will assume the $200,000 loan with all of the original loan terms associated with that.

And of course, your approval would be conditional upon three things.

One, that the new entity actually receives a 2025 LITEC award.

Two, they would assume the outstanding balance of the loan, 200,000 with all of the original loan terms, and three, they actually receive approval from HUD to move forward with the LITEC application with adherence to all of the Section 2 to Section 202 program guidelines.

Now we also have members here, representatives here from Anchor and from Gohler CDC.

If you all want to learn more about the renovations or anything about these this new entity that they're going to create.

Good afternoon, Mayor Pro Tem.

Good afternoon.

Please.

Members of the committee and members of council, yes.

Um, no, Councilmember SP.

My name is Tanya Skillman.

You haven't been gone that long.

Go ahead.

God, I got nervous.

Tanya Skillman, and I'm with Anchor.

I'm the deputy director for Anchor.

Uh, we're a nonprofit developer here in Winston-Salem.

Um, because we're in the early stages of the tax credit application, we haven't submitted it yet.

It's due in September.

And so now we're building our capital stack and seeking one of this is one of the uh items is the 200,000.

We're also applying for uh grant funding from the Atlanta Federal Home Loan Bank.

So we're waiting to hear about that, and we will submit.

I I I also was wondering if we could make the contingency just to tax credits and not necessarily limiting it to 2025 just in case we push over into 2026.

But we can if we can talk about that later, that would be helpful if we can amend that just to be uh a uh an award of low-income housing tax credits.

That would be great.

That would allow us a little flexibility.

So my question was uh do you have that chart that shows the goal of manner to LLC structure and it shows the to be determined investment firm the investor member is owning 99.99 percent of the organization, but we don't know who that is in their blue column.

But we don't know who that is in their blue column.

That's the text.

That's they will purchase the tax credits.

But we don't know who they are.

No ma'am.

Oh, I see.

We won't know that until we get an award.

Correct.

Oh, okay.

And they become the investor for the new LLC.

That's right.

But as the managing member, we would still own it.

Okay, thank you.

Councilmember Jorna.

The reason why you're here in part is that there are repairs that need to be done too.

That's correct.

What is the dollar amount at this point of repairs that need to be done?

We are currently uh kind of fine-tuning the scope, but we're about about 25 million currently.

Okay.

And so in 20 years, how are you going to pay for it again?

They take it back through the tax credits.

Correct.

You're going to keep coming to us.

Well, for 200,000, if yes.

Yeah.

Any other if not, could I get a motion to approve item G five, please?

Move for approval.

Thank you.

I need a second.

I'll second.

Is the mood improvely seconded?

All of those in favor, please do so by voting.

Uh all those opposed likewise.

Mine is not coming up.

Did yours come up?

Yes.

Just do a thumbs up.

Oh.

Okay.

And the motion passes.

Thank you all so much.

This is the end of general government meeting.

I got y'all out of here in time.

Yes, you did.

I was worried.