Public Works Committee Meeting – August 12, 2025
Public Works Committee Meeting – August 12, 2025
The Public Works Committee met on August 12, 2025, at 2:00 PM. Chair Barbara Hanes Burke presided. Members present: Vice Chair Scott Andree-Bowen, Robert Clark, and James Taylor Jr. Council Member A. Scippio also attended. The committee considered consent agenda items, a resolution for street closure, a regional fare agreement, an annexation agreement update, and a proposal to purchase diesel buses. The meeting adjourned at 2:41 PM.
Consent Calendar
The following items were approved unanimously by voice vote (4-0):
- C-1: Public hearing and resolution for voluntary annexation of ~13.6 acres at Union Cross Road and Thomasville Road (Union Cross Subdivision). Referred to City Council on August 18, 2025.
- C-2: Public hearing and resolution for voluntary annexation of ~14.734 acres east of Maple Chase Lane (Brookberry Farm, Phase 12). Referred to City Council on August 18, 2025.
- C-3: Resolution authorizing execution of FTA FY2025 Section 5307 funding split letter for Davidson County Transportation. Referred to City Council on September 2, 2025.
- C-4: Resolution authorizing execution of FTA FY2025 Section 5307 funding split letter for Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation. Referred to City Council on September 2, 2025.
- C-6: Resolution approving a contract change order with Smith-Rowe, LLC for Meadowlark Drive Widening Project and ordinance amending FY2025-2026 budget. Referred to City Council on September 2, 2025.
Discussion Items
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C-5 (Pulled from Consent): Resolution authorizing closure and termination of Doris Street at Old Walkertown Road for the At-Grade Rail Crossing Project RC-2009A. Jeff Fansler, Director of Transportation, briefed that the project would eliminate a dangerous grade crossing, reduce angle crashes, and improve safety. A public engagement session in April received positive feedback. The committee voted unanimously (4-0) to recommend approval. Referred to City Council on September 2, 2025.
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G-1: Resolution authorizing the City Manager to enter into a Regional Fare Agreement with Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation and the cities of High Point, Greensboro, and Burlington. Kelly Garvin, Assistant Director of Transportation, presented. The agreement enables seamless digital fare payment across the region using the UMO platform, with each jurisdiction retaining its own fare structure. No cost to Winston-Salem. Council Member Scippio and Vice Chair Andree-Bowen expressed support. The committee voted unanimously (4-0) to recommend approval. Referred to City Council on September 2, 2025.
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G-2: Information item on request by the Village of Clemmons to reinstate an expired annexation agreement. Karen Kessler of GIS presented the history: annexation agreements were common before 2011 state law changes; most have lapsed. Only current active agreement is with the Town of Midway. Clemmons requested reinstatement to define boundaries. Staff sought direction. Committee members expressed interest in pursuing the agreement. Council members indicated support; further discussions with Clemmons continue.
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G-3: Resolution authorizing purchase of Gillig 29-foot clean diesel buses for Winston-Salem Transit Authority. Jeff Fansler presented that the fleet has 24 of 45 hybrid buses beyond useful life (over 500,000 miles or 12 years old), costing over $14 million in maintenance and causing 450 road calls in FY2025. The proposal is to purchase 10 clean diesel buses at ~$700,000 each (vs. $1.2 million for hybrid), with faster delivery (8-12 months vs. 12-16 months) and improved fuel efficiency (5 mpg vs. current 3.5 mpg). Funding from $7.6 million federal grant with 20% local match from city capital plan. Staff emphasized this as a one-time catch-up to improve reliability, not a deviation from long-term clean energy goals. Council members expressed concerns about stepping away from clean energy but acknowledged the need. Council Member Andree-Bowen stated he would vote no due to sustainability commitment. Council Member Scippio expressed being torn. Council Member Clark argued the purchase allows replacement of more buses, improving overall efficiency. After debate, a motion to forward without recommendation was made by Council Member Clark, seconded by Council Member Andree-Bowen, and carried 4-0. Referred to City Council on September 2, 2025.
Key Outcomes
- Consent items C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4, C-6 approved and forwarded.
- C-5 (Doris Street closure) recommended for approval unanimously.
- G-1 (Regional fare agreement) recommended for approval unanimously.
- G-2 (Clemmons annexation agreement) discussed; committee indicated interest in renewing, staff to continue discussions.
- G-3 (Diesel bus purchase) forwarded to full council without recommendation (vote 4-0). Chair requested staff provide additional information on decommissioned bus revenue and annual funding outlook by the next council meeting.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon. Welcome. Good afternoon. Welcome to the August Public Works Meeting. I am chair of the meeting of the committee, Barbara Burke. City Clerk, would you please call the roll? Chair person, Councilmember Burke. Here. Vice Chair, Councilmember Andrew Bowen. Here. Councilmember Clark. Here. And Councilmember Taylor. Present committee members, we have six consent agenda items. Are there any consent items that you all would like to have pulled? Well, I would like to have C5 pulled. And if we could get a motion to vote on the remainder of the consent items. I'll move approval for the ballots. Okay. Second. Okay. It has been approved and second. Is there uh less vote? Voice vote. All in favor of approving the remainder of the consent agenda items, please say aye. Aye. Okay. C five. Mr. Jeff Fansler, can you come and give us a quick briefing on C5? Good afternoon, Madam Chair, members of the committee. Jeff Fansler, Director of Transportation. Real briefly, this item before you, you may recall late last year, we brought this item about this NT DOT project, which will uh consider an AT grade intersection improvement where the railroad crosses Doris Street there adjacent to Old Walker Town Road. And so if you've been out there familiar with the site, you know there's a significant grade difference in those streets causing a number of angle crashes. And NCDOT has approached the city and wanted to do a spot improvement there to correct uh that intersection, which will result in the closure of that railroad crossing and subsequent improvements to uh Oak Ridge Drive uh just down the street to make that more efficient as well. So this proven at large, we we briefed you at the at that December meeting, and then since then we have had a public engagement session in April uh and we received positive feedback. There was some general inquiries about operations and how that would affect traffic, and we we handled those. But in order for the project to move forward and materialize, NCDOT needs uh some commitments from this body and council to to at least understand that we need to close that street. Okay. Now certainly the project has to be designed. We have to do formal right-of-way abandonment process. That will be defined in the design category, but we need some uh direction from this committee and the council to allow the closure of Dora Street to allow for this at grade uh crossing removal. That way we can formalize the intent of the project and NC DOT can march forward with the design. So at large, this project will eliminate the at grade railroad cross crossing of Door Street, it will terminate Door Street at Old Walker Town Road, and then make improvements at Oak Ridge Drive and Old Walker Town Road to make the whole intersection uh a lot more safe uh as we as we navigate across the rail line. So I'm happy to take any questions. Any questions? Mr. Fansler, thank you for that briefing. Uh I have been there. It is a steep, steep incline, and uh what you are proposing would make this uh much safer for travelers.
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