Good evening, everyone.

I'm Alan Joins, Mayor of Winston Salem.

It's my pleasure to call to order this meeting September 2nd meeting of the Winston Salem City Council and ask the city clerk to call the roll, please.

Councilmember joyner present.

Councilmember Clark.

Councilmember Andrew Bowen.

Here.

Councilmember Scipio.

Present.

Mayor Pro Tim Adams.

Councilmember Taylor.

Present.

Councilmember Hall.

Present.

And Councilmember Burke here.

Thank you very much.

Would you please join the City Council and meeting in a moment of silence?

Thank you.

And would you join the City Council and meeting the Pledge of Allegiance?

Pledge of allegiance.

Under the indivisible Liberty and Justice.

Thank you very much.

Our Sergeant Arms tonight is Lieutenant Chu.

Lieutenant, thank you for being with us.

And our uh fire marshal tonight is Chaz Browning, excuse me.

Thank you for being with us as well.

Umbers, just as a point of order as we get before we get started, we will be voting with voice votes tonight.

Cause our electronic voting system is on the fritz a little bit.

So I'll turn the meeting now over to the city manager for his update.

Uh thank you, Mayor.

Uh a few items tonight.

First on general city business, the Liberty and Main two-way conversion project.

Uh milling and paving work is near completion on the section south of Brookstown Avenue.

The traffic sentinel work is progressing with the installation of mass poles, mass arms, wiring, and traffic signals along the project limits.

The milling and paving of Liberty Street, Main Street, and a portion of Third Street in the downtown area of the project is tend to be scheduled to start in late August.

I know we'll be all be glad to see that happen, but it does look very nice over around the Brookstown area right now if you get a chance to go by and look at that.

A couple of events that are going on to make sure you and the public are aware of.

The planning and development services department will be hosting a series of public input sessions as a part of our effort to update the current housing ordinance.

Throughout the development of the Ford 2045 Comprehensive Plan, residents voice concerns about the rising costs and diminishing availability of housing in Winston Salem and Forsyth County.

One of the key elements of the regulation of housing supply and choice is the unified development ordinance or UDO, which determines the type and quality of housing allowed in our community.

Making changes to the UDO is one of the most effective ways to address the community's housing housing challenges, but public input is needed to better understand what changes to prioritize and the extent to which changes should be made.

The public is invited to attend one of the remaining public information sessions on September 3rd and 4th, and the meeting details can be found on the city's homepage calendar.

The Winston Salem Area 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan public input meeting is going to be held on Thursday, September 4th from 530 to 7 at the Forsyth County Central Library at 660 West 5th Street.

That uh it was an opportunity to seek the public's input on the Metropolitan Transportation Plan that are the MTP.

The Winston Salem Area Transportation Planning Organization, we have Alphabet Sweep when we're talking about transportation.

Their TPO is analyzing the area's transportation needs through the fiscal year 2050.

The MTP considers all modes of transportation, including motor vehicles, public transportation, bicycles, walking, freight and goods movement, and air travel.

The 2050 MTP is an analysis of the region's transportation system so the TPO can determine the area's transportation needs.

These needs have been matched with recommended transportation projects, which went through a prioritization process for funding.

The result is a comprehensive blueprint for effective transportation decision making and investment.

This Thursday, uh September 4th, from 8 a.m.

to noon.

The uh police department will be host hosting um coffee and in this case cheesecake with a cops at Cheesecake by Alex, located at 625 North Trade Street.

So if you got a sweet tooth, that's a great place to come.

The International Village is will be coming up soon.

So experience the sights, sounds, and flavors of Winston Salem's International Flair and Fair on Saturday, September 6th from noon to 5 p.m.

This will be held at Winston Square Park 310 Marshall Street.

And all these informational events are on our website if you did if they didn't catch all that information.

A couple of recognitions of staff I wanted to make as well tonight.

Uh the Office of Sustainability was selected by the American Planning Association North Carolina chapter as a 2025 North Carolina Marvin Collins honorable mention in the resiliency and sustainability category for its efforts in sustainability planning, which included a strategic energy plan and environmental justice report.

These awards recognize us the places, people, and projects that represent the highest standards of achievement in the North Carolina Planning Community.

Awards are presented annually at their fall conference.

So congratulations to the Office of Sustainability for those.

And our graduates were Kirk Erickson from our planning and development services deputy director, Tim Knowles, our Deputy Chief Information Officer, Ricky Ruvio, our assistant utilities director, and Sue Spainhauer, our Marking and Communications Deputy Director.

So we appreciate all their efforts to attend that and to graduate from that program.

And then finally, our in the police department, the North Carolina Gang Investigators Association, which is an organization of law enforcement and criminal justice professionals dedicated to the prevention of gang related activity across the state, hosted its annual conference in August at the Benton Convention Center right here in Winston Salem.

At the awards banquet, several of our officers and units were recognized for their dedication and outstanding work.

Special achievement awards went to Master Police Officer J Teague and Police Officer 2 JM Rays.

Gang Unit of the Year was the Winston Salem Police Department Gang Unit and Gun Crime Reduction Unit.

And the Jeremiah Goodson Award went to Officer LT Alderman.

So congratulations to all of our police officers for the excellent work that they continue to do, and particularly the gang task force unit in this case.

And with that, we'll stand ready to answer.

Any questions for City Manager Pate.

Good.

Thank you, Mr.

Pate.

We do have uh two honorarios tonight.

So, Madam Clerk, would you read the first one, please?

Item H1 proclamation declaring September 2025 is preparedness month in the city of Winston Salem.

Whereas all North Carolinians should be prepared for natural and man-made disasters as well as disease outbreaks.

And whereas communities across the state have borne have borne the impacts from wildfires, severe weather, damaging hail, high winds, and flooding.

And whereas every community, business, family, and individual in Winston-Salem must be ready for natural and man-made disasters, including tornadoes, flooding, hurricanes, and public disturbances that might disrupt normal daily activities.

And whereas residents can take a few simple steps, making a family disaster plan, creating an emergency supply kit, and staying informed to help make preparedness, community resilience, and personal responsibility a priority.

And whereas the City of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Emergency Management, and the State of North Carolina have collaborated to recognize September as North Carolina Preparedness Month to encourage residents to be disaster ready.

Now, therefore, IJ Allen joins, Mayor of the City of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, do hereby proclaim September 2025 as preparedness month in the City of Winston-Salem.

Thank you.

I'd like to ask our director of emergency management, Sir August Vernon to meet me up at the podium, please.

Mr.

Vernon, uh we were just chatting about you earlier today.

It was all good.

Uh basically saying what a busy guy you've been over the past uh several years with hurricanes and tornadoes and uh uh pandemics and the whole bit there.

So we are very grateful for everything you do for our community, and thank you for continuing to keep us reminded of the uh importance of emergency management and preparedness for it.

So happy to present this to you.

And if you'd like to say a word or two, happy to.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Mayor, Mayor Pro Times, and members of the council.

Just very briefly.

Uh West Salem is certainly vulnerable to a wide variety of natural and man-made hazards and disasters that can impact our communities, and we've certainly been dealing with some of those the past few years.

Uh so one of the things out of this proclamation, which helps us get the message out to our community, is that we just want businesses and residents to prepare for any potential disaster by looking at their emergency plans, building kits, and preparing on what we call blue sky days.

So, really, our goal with this is to minimize the impact of emergencies and disasters on people in property within our community.

So, this entire month, you will see a lot of information coming out through social media, a lot of different platforms through our local media and other means to talk about the importance of preparedness.

So, thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr.

Vernon.

Item H2 proclamation declaring September 2025 as Smart Start Month.

Whereas Smart Start at Forsyth County supports quality early care and education, preventative health services, and family support for children from birth to five years old, and has a proven track record in improving early childhood education, promoting healthy births, preventing child abuse and neglect, and enhancing family support systems.

And whereas Smart Start at Forsyth County coordinates services, raises awareness, and creates collective impact for children and families, generating systemic changes to ensure the comprehensive well-being of our county's youngest citizens.

And whereas Smart Start at Forsyth County is committed to promoting equity through ensuring all children, especially those historically denied access, can benefit from the resources and opportunities they need to succeed.

And whereas Smart Start at Forsyth County recognizes and supports early childhood teachers and providers as the essential workforce behind the workforce and the important role they play in helping children and families thrive in an enhancing North Carolina's economy.

And whereas Smart Start of Forsyth County helps to provide critical infrastructure for the early childhood system through collaboration and partnership with state and federal agencies and other nonprofits, bridging service gaps and providing needed administration to statewide programs.

And whereas the City of Winston Salem appreciates Smart Start at Forsyth County's efforts and their continued investment in the high quality early childhood initiatives, which yield substantial long-term benefits for children, families, and society through increased educational attainment, higher earnings, reduced crime, and better health outcomes.

Now, therefore, IJ Allen Joins, Mayor of the City of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, do hereby proclaim the month of September 2025 as Smart Start Month.

Dr.

Finney, you beat me to the podium.

That's a good thing.

So on behalf of the City of Winston Salem City Council, it's my uh pleasure to present this proclamation to you, uh, honoring uh Smart Start Month here in West-Salem, and to thank you and your organization for everything you do for the young people of our community and for all of our communities.

Thank you, Dr.

Finney, if you'd like to say a word.

Thank you.

Good evening, everyone.

I want to begin by thanking the city council, our elected officials, the community leaders for joining us to celebrate Smart Start Month.

This proclamation is more than just words on paper.

It's a testament of our community's belief that investing in young children is a foundation for a stronger, more prosperous Winston Salem.

We've been in this community for more than 30 years, partnering with families, over 100 child care providers, the public schools, the faith-based communities, just to ensure that every child in this community from birth to five has the resources that they need.

Right here just in Winston Salem, nearly one in four children live in poverty.

The cost of infant care exceeds $9,000 a year.

That's more than it costs to go to Winston Salem State University.

Since 2021, North Carolina, particularly here in Forsyth County, we lost about 12% of our family child care homes as well as our centers.

Leaving families with fewer safe places and fewer options for people in the workforce.

These are not just numbers, but they represent parents working double shifts with no child care, grandparents stepping in to raise children, young children whose futures are shaped by the opportunities or the barriers that are present in their earliest years.

But there's hope.

We know that when we invest early, the return is immeasurable.

Ninety percent of brain development happens before kindergarten.

If we invest in those years with quality early learning, family engagement, and health support, we reduce school dropouts.

We strengthen the workforce, we build a healthier economy for all.

That's what Smart Start has been doing and has been doing all these years.

Day by day, program by program, from our trauma-informed care to our fatherhood initiatives, from expanding child care access to strengthening partnerships with the school and health care providers, recreating a network of support around your youngest children and families.

Today's proclamation is not just a celebration, it's a call to action for all of you.

To our elected officials, your advocacy investment make this possible.

To our community members and faith leaders, your voices, your partnership turns our vision into reality.

And to our families, you are the reason why we're here.

This is not only wisdom, but this is a charge.

As we as a community, we grow, we give our children the strong start they deserve.

We are planting seeds that will bear fruit for generations to grow in Western Salem.

So let's leave here today inspired by this proclamation, but also recommitted to the work ahead.

Western Salem's future is in the hands of the children that we work with, and through Smart Start together, we can ensure that the future is bright, strong, and full of promise.

Thank you, everybody.

Thank you, Dr.

Finney.

Thank you.

Uh we'll now move forward with the agenda.

We are televising this meeting live tonight on TV 13 as well as our city's YouTube page, and it will be replayed tomorrow morning at 9 a.m.

9 30 a.m.

and again tomorrow night at 9 p.m.

Copies of our agenda as well as videos of previous meetings are always available online on the City of Winston Salem's website, and just click on the watch meetings online link.

The agenda tonight, as you know, is comprised of two parts the general agenda and the consent agenda.

As always the practice of the council to take the consent agenda as the first order of business.

Items on this agenda have been unanimously recommended by committee of the city council or are being submitted in accordance with an established city procedure.

There'll be no discussion of the items on this agenda unless a council member so request, in which event the item will be removed from the consent agenda and considered individually.

Items not removed from the consent agenda will be enacted with one motion.

Council members, are there any items you wish to have pull?

C5.

C2.

Okay.

I'm sorry, Mayor.

That's C3.

C three C2.

No, it's C2.

C2?

Yeah.

Okay, C2.

C2 and 3 and C5.

Is there a motion on the balance?

Approval of balance.

Second.

Motion by Councilmember Cart.

Uh second of Mayor Pro Tim Adams.

All those in favor of approving the uh consent agenda with the absence of C2 and C5, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed no.

That's unanimous.

May we have item C2, please.

Item C2 resolution to adopt the Northern Piedmont Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan.

Recommended by the public safety committee.

Going we're glad to have uh Mr.

Vernon back to the to the podium.

Thank you.

Councilmember Adams.

Yes, uh, Mr.

Vernon, and again, thanks all to the emergency responsive staff, employees, volunteers, and everyone.

Uh I just think I know this passed in public safety unanimously, and I'm sure it will tonight.

But I also know that, you know, in light of what's going on uh nationally, uh in emergency responsiveness, whether that's hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, uh, hazardous material fires, uh, and all kinds of things.

Uh, I'd like to know again, because what we heard doing our Weaver fertilizer fire was that the citizens that were most impacted uh didn't get uh early enough uh warning communication, but we hear that all over the country, whether it was Helene or any of the others, uh, I would just like you to give some sort of uh confidence to the citizens of Western Salem, regardless of where you live, that you matter and that we're gonna do better, and that I'm hoping that was part of the updates to our plan to ensure going forward that communication is key when it comes to emergency responsiveness and being repaired, prepare.

Yeah, absolutely.

Uh Mayor Pur Tem, good question.

Uh so we try to get out messaging as many ways as possible.

Uh we do that through number one, our marketing communications department.

Uh we do that through our social media, and we have learned that more and more members of the community and public are relying on social media day and night.

Uh we also use our partners in our local media and continue to work with them.

Uh recently I've I've had some meetings with uh WXI just talking about weather and ways to get information out.

So uh unfortunately there have been some events around the country where messaging did go out, but people did not have the means to receive it.

One of the things we always try to do is to encourage the public to uh get what is called a NOAA weather radio.

No matter where you live, typically a NOAA weather radio will work.

Uh now it has to be plugged in, it has to have batteries, but it will work even if there's no power.

And that is a system uh separate from everything else.

That is part of what is called the emergency alert system.

If you hear the noise go off on your television on your radio, uh weather radio is one way to get that information out.

We do have the means of setting off cell phones.

Uh one of the things we have learned and from some of these recent events, and we've had some recent ones here with a large number of severe weather events that people get tired of getting alerts.

Uh and we've been asked why are so many alerts going out.

Uh those alerts, they just are.

And there you can go into your cell phones and turn those alerts off, and we certainly would tell people not to do that.

So we're constantly evolving, we're constantly trying to find more ways to improve on our alert systems.

We're certainly looking at a lot of new options within the emergency management world.

Everything that has happened is uh we're taking a fresh look.

Obviously, there's some uncertainty with some things at the initiatives and projects and tasks that are happening at the federal level related to this.

Again, FEMA is a big partner of ours, and a lot of our alert system actually come out comes out of FEMA initiatives.

So uh you brought up the weaver fertilizer fire.

You know, we will try like we did with that event, every means to get messaging out, including going door to door using PAs, uh phone systems, alert systems, the media, but we've also found out there will always be a segment that may or may not get those messages.

Another lesson learned that we have worked on since weaver is non-English speaking.

Uh other members that may not have the means to see, hear, read.

So we're continuing to try to improve on those resources.

Thank you so much, Mr.

Vernon.

With that mayor, I move for approval of item C2.

Thank you.

Sir Second.

Second.

Second by Council Mr.

Sifio.

Any discussion?

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Thank you, Mr.

Vernon.

Thank you.

And then item C five.

Item C five, consideration of items related to additional funding for phase two and three of the choice neighborhood initiative.

General Government Committee recommends approval.

Thank you.

Councilman Clark, you asked for this.

Yes.

Ums is a massive redevelopment project.

I think it's five or six steps or sections to it.

How close does this funding get?

And I know two and three were combined.

How close does this get to having that funded and uh are there additional funds needed other than what we're providing?

Good question.

Um good afternoon, Mayor, Mayor Pro Tim, members of the City Council, Samuel Hunter, Assistant Director of Neighborhood Services.

Um the funding that is in front of you all tonight, the three million dollar is additional gap financing for phases two and three.

If this passes tonight, that gets us to a point where we can close on phases two and three, which is approximately 112 to 114 units.

Um phase one was 81 units, so we'll be right around that 200 unit mark, and then we have phases four, five, and six remaining after that.

Okay.

Thank you.

I'll uh mayor I move for approval of C5.

Thank you.

Second.

Second by uh several folks.

Um Council Member Hall, I think.

Oh, excuse me, Captain Burke.

I apologize to your award.

I'm sorry.

We have a motion second to any discussion.

All in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed, no.

That's unanimous.

Thank you.

Well no, go to the uh general agenda, which is comprised of several items or public hearings on there.

Um we have uh items related to demolition of property, economic development funding, public infrastructure improvements, transit upgrades, land leasing, uh OPA word settlement agreements as well as access easement approvals.

When the public hearings are called, persons will be given an opportunity to speak.

Uh would ask you to limit your comments to three minutes and name your give you your name and address for the record.

Uh if no one wishes to speak, I'll close the public hearing and we'll consider the item.

Uh may we have item uh G1, please.

Item G1, public hearing and consideration of an ordinance ordering the demolition and removal of a structure located at 1814 East 18th Street, located in the Northeast Ward.

Thank you.

This is a public hearing.

We have uh three individuals signed up as proponents of that.

So I would go that's Valencia Lamont.

That's correct.

Thank you.

Oh, good evening, Mayor Joy's and Tim Adams and City Council.

My name is Felicia, and I am the owner at 1814 East 18th Street.

And I am here today.

Thank you for allowing me to speak.

But if I may, uh before I I get started, um pro Tim Adams, I was here at the last meeting, and you said something that we really stuck to my heart.

And your concern about this neighborhood was people, purpose, and property.

And so, and that's why I'm here to plead my case today.

I know that it's taken me a while to uh do what I need to do or making the repairs, but as I stand here, I feel good because this I would be a first-time homeowner.

Plus, I purchased this land property from my uh father who's passed, and my stepmom, plus I paid cash.

So that but I feel good about being able to go and um purchase a home.

And what I have here today, since I don't have much time to I have a folder with receipts that we have myself and my fiance, Mr.

Williams, have been diligently working on this home.

And this summer we wanted to do a little bit more, but I'm in the school system, and unfortunate I was not able to get those summer jobs that I have been getting in the last several years, 10 years or more.

So that kind of limit my funds, but unfortunate, uh, I'm not with the school system anymore.

I moved on because I didn't want to be one of those that not have a job and continue on doing uh what I wanted to do with my property.

So what I have before you uh is a picture that we brought the before and after uh of the property.

It was a it's a lot to be done, and we spent seven thousands and thousands of dollars out of our pockets, and again, like I said, I wanted to do more.

If y'all would like to see the picture, that's here, the before and after, and plus we have the receipts that would work, and we have a contractor that we are working in, working with uh Mr.

Evans, that will help us uh to go along with this project, and plus I am seeking and speaking with several financial institutions to uh uh attain a loan to complete this project.

So I stand before you today, and I'm uh to ask that you all allow me more time to work on this project and to do what I need to do for this project.

Because I'm looking forward to really uh moving into this area, the East Winster area, because uh I like what you all are doing with the new homes and building up the uh neighborhood.

So I want to be a part of that neighborhood and be rooted in, and plus I have kids and grandkids.

Thank you, Miss Lamont.

Your three minutes is out there.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

All right.

Um allowing me to speak today.

Thank you.

Benny Williams.

That's a you say you do that, right?

Okay.

Um Jane Daughtery, I think it is.

It wasn't what you intended to this wasn't the item you were interested in.

Okay.

That's okay.

No problem.

All right.

Anyone else uh for the uh for proponents?

All right.

Well, uh and there's no opposition signed up for if we uh should hear the uh report of the staff member.

Yes.

Okay.

Uh Mr.

Hunter, would you please give us a kind of a status uh on the project?

Absolutely.

Um good to see you all again.

So this item at 1814 East 18th Street.

This is something that we've been working on for a number of years.

Uh the first time the complaint and notice of hearing was sent out was in October 20th, 2023.

We tried to work with the property owner to bring it into compliance, but they failed to do so.

Um, we knew they were making some investments in the property, but it continued to be uh for lack of better words, a nuisance to the community, and there were still outstanding violations for that were unfit for human habitation.

So therefore we brought it to you all.

Uh we sent the finding in order in May of 2024 again to give them some additional time before it came to you all this year as well.

The notification letter that went to um to the property owner for general government committee went out in July of 2025, and the property is still not brought into compliance.

Um that's a high-level overview of the of the property, Mr.

Hunter.

Councilmember Brooke.

No questions.

I would just like to make some comments.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Hunter, for that very accurate summary.

I would just like to add to it as the council member of the ward.

I have met for years with the residents in this community, and they have expressed concerns, and they've expressed expressed concerns with Mr.

Hunter present at their neighborhood association meetings, and their concerns have been the fact that this has been an eyesore for years, for years.

Nothing has been done to this property for years.

Recently, some brick was removed from the front, and it does uh show that the brick was removed from the images that were presented.

That brick became an issue because it was dumped in the stream right beside the property.

So we had uh neighbors complain about that brick uh and other debris from the removal of this brick being dumped in the property.

This location has become an attractive nuisance for all kinds of activity, and the neighbors have asked repeatedly for years about this property being removed.

Uh and I have never received a call from the property owner.

I've never received any kind of call.

We haven't had a conversation.

This is the first time I've seen or heard from the property owner.

So I am in support of uh G, excuse me.

G1.

G1, thank you.

And a motion to motion to move forward and approve item G1.

Is there a second?

May Mayor Jones, you need to close the public hearing, please.

I thought I did close public hearing, but if I didn't, I'm closed the public hearing.

Thank you.

And Councilmember Burke has made a motion to approve item G1.

Is there a second?

Second.

Second by Councilmember Clark.

Any further discussion?

Uh Councilmember uh Mayor Proprium Adams.

Yes, uh, thank you.

Uh the council member has realistic concerns.

And most of us that live in neighborhoods that properties have somehow again, whether it's air property is tied up in liens and the courts, you know, it it also puts the families in a very precarious situation as well.

Um I know where this house is.

I'm sure council member Burke knows where it is.

I'm sure council member Scipio knows where it is.

Um the problem is Mr.

Uh Hunter, can I ask you, when was the first time that we sent out the notifications?

Because I know you say it's 23 on here, but in my years on the general government committee, there may be 10, 20 years that we are sending out notifications with no action.

Do you have an earlier date than 23?

I don't have an earlier date in front of me right now.

Um I apologize.

Just uh just no uh October 20th, 2023 was when we sent the complaint and notice of hearing out.

Okay.

I am going to uh again say to property owners or anyone, uh the days of property just sitting idle in some neighborhoods is just not gonna be anymore.

That uh not only will the citizens that live in the neighborhood rise up, but they will expect their elected officials and the town ordinances to do something for these properties that they have to look at every day.

Uh with that, uh I will be supporting the will of the council member.

Okay, thank you.

Uh Councilmember Scipio and then Councilmember Jorner.

Yes, thank you.

Um, Mr.

Mayor.

Uh Mr.

Hunter, if we uh approve this demolition.

Um the owners can still make improvements on the property, correct?

To make it bring it up to code.

Yes, ma'am, that is correct.

They have 90 days um from the final action date.

To bring it up to code.

Yes, ma'am.

90 days is three months.

Yes, ma'am.

And is that reasonable for the homeowner?

Yes.

That's reasonable.

Yes, it's thank you again.

It's reasonable, but if I can, um I'm just getting re uh starting a new job and new position.

So I am trying to uh like I say I'm in another uh school, was seven Christian school, then I'm just starting.

So as far as me getting paid, I'm trying to get my um my uh um pay because uh being out three months for the two months with the school system, I'm just getting started.

So if you know three months, but if I uh allow a little more time, we can definitely bring the uh the code up and just give it a little bit more time, uh being started a new job.

I'm really in favor of um not demolishing going forward at this time, uh because I do know that people have situations and circumstances uh with family property.

Um I believe in preservation of property, not demolishing it.

And if we can um I would be more inclined, uh councilmember Burke, to extend it until um a later date so that they can have a little more time.

I just know that it I would not put pressure on them to do that.

They are showing a good faith effort to bring it up to standard.

So my position is not to uh go forward at this time.

Thank you.

Okay, I'm gonna recognize Council Burton and I'll come right back to you.

Go ahead, Councilman Burton.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, although the case summary uh only indicates um October 2023, I can tell you that this property has been vacant for at least a decade, maybe even more.

And it has sat in this condition right there, and it has been an eyesore, and I've heard complaints from the community members regarding this property for years.

If we did the research, I'm sure that we could pull where code violations were sent to this property, but it has been vacant and in this condition for years.

So this is not new.

This is a complaint that the people who live right there and pay taxes are begging.

They're not asking at this point, they are begging for something to be done where they live and where they have to look out every day.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Council Mr.

Jorner.

Thank you, Mayor.

To the to the homeowner, um, when did you um purchase this property?

I've just had this property a little more than three years, and prior to that, my um stepmom and my father actually lived in that house.

So it hadn't been vacant, uh, I don't know what you call years, but I just um purchased this property a little more than maybe three years ago from them, and prior to that they were living in it.

My father was living in there until uh they moved out maybe about a year or two, so it had not been vacant.

My father was living in that home.

Understood.

I just had a little bit of a understood, thank you.

Mr.

Hunter.

Yes, me.

Are there any liens, fines on the property for cleaning or uh not that I'm aware of, we don't have any civil penalties or or anything um on the property.

We do have a list pendants filed on it, but there are no uh penalties accruing on it currently.

All right, thank you.

All right, Councilman Clark.

Yeah.

I think there are a lot of good points made here.

But looking at the pictures to bring this house up, I'm gonna guess it's 20 or 30,000, every bit of it.

Uh and I I just want y'all to understand that you could put another 10 or 15 in it, and you still wouldn't be close.

And I don't know if we're doing you a favor or not by allowing you to throw more good money after bad.

I unless you got the resources to fix this thing up.

There are and this is just my gut feel tells me it may not be worth it because you still may not be able to bring it up, and then we're gonna have to tear it down after you spend all that money.

Because they this this house is in terrible shape, just looking at the pictures.

Councilmember Taylor Ma'am, we're we're not really going to be able to do that.

Thank you, Ms.

Powell.

Council Member Taylor.

May I have members of the council?

Um, I wonder if the council member of the area would consider an alternate approach.

I think I may have heard the property owner say that she perhaps could do it in three months, and she may need a little bit more time.

What if we delayed this item for 30 days?

That will give her one additional month, which would total four months to be able to get it done.

Um I think that would also show respect to her and her family and also show respect to the neighborhood who wants to see some changes.

So I wonder if the council member will consider that.

Councilmember Burke.

Uh speaking on behalf of the constituents who live in that area and how strongly they have uh voiced their concern about this property remaining in the condition in that community.

I would have to say thank you, but no thank you.

All right.

We do have a motion and second on the floor to approve this uh demolition item.

Uh all those in favor of the motion, please indicate by saying aye.

Aye.

I see your hands, please.

One, two, three, four, five.

And all those opposed.

One, two, three, opposed.

So the motion passed.

Five in favor of three opposed.

Thank you.

Item G2.

Item G two, public hearing and consideration of resolution confirming assessment role for demolition of housing unfit or habitation.

Thank you.

This is a public hearing.

Does anyone want to be heard uh on this item confirming the assessment role for past demolitions?

Seeing no one, not declared a public hearing closed, and this did come out of our housing general government committee on recognize the chairman uh Mayor Proteum Adams.

Yes, mayor I move for approval of agenda item G2.

Thank you.

Sir Secott.

Second.

I got to approve the assessment roll.

Any discussion.

All those in favor of the motion, please indicate the saying aye.

Aye.

When opposed, no.

And that is unanimous.

Thank you very much.

Uh item G three.

Item G three, public hearing in consideration of a petition to close and abandon a portion of an unnamed right-of-way north of Carnation Drive, located in the northeast ward.

This is a public hearing.

Is there anyone in Council Chamber who would like to be heard on this proposed uh closing and abandoning of a street on uh Carnation Drive?

Yes, sir.

If you would give your name and address for the record, please, sir.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

My name is Mike Rothrock.

I live at 4540 Harry Street, which is this is my land that we're talking about, uh taking the imaginary road out of.

It's been 60 years at least, and it's never been a road or anything put in there, so we're just asking so we can put a single family housing in there, and that's what we're wanting to do.

So you're in favor of the closing?

Yes, sir.

All right, good.

Thank you, sir.

Anyone else?

All right, I'll declare the public hearing closed.

Uh, recognize Councilmember Burke.

Thank you, Mayor.

I believe that assistant city manager Aaron King has uh comments he'd like to make.

Mr.

King.

Mayor, I would recommend we continue this for 30 days or till it's the October 6th City Council meeting.

We've got to button up something on our signposting for this to square that up.

Okay to give us time to do that.

We recommend that council continue this October 6th meeting.

All right.

Uh Councilmember, would you uh make that motion?

Yes.

I move for approval to continue the public hearing until October 6, 2025.

Second.

Second by Councilmember Hall, any discussion.

All those in favor of continuing this item, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

When opposed, no.

And that is unanimous.

Thank you very much.

Item G4.

Item G4, public hearing and consideration of items related to economic development assistance of $4 million to Carter Front Street Capital for public infrastructure improvements at the grounds pursuant to NCGS 158-7.1.

Recommended by the Finance Committee.

Thank you.

We have a number of folks signed up to be heard on this item uh for the proponents.

Uh first, uh Coleman team, please.

You're not Goldman, but that we'll start with you.

Good evening.

Uh my name is Adam Parker.

Uh thank you.

Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, and members of Council.

Again, Adam Parker, uh, 450 North Patterson Avenue, Suite 300.

Um, thank you for the opportunity to speak with you tonight and for your thoughtful consideration of this.

Um, I am a senior vice president at Carter, uh, one of the joint venture partners with Front Street Capital and the developer of the grounds.

Um, I'm proud to represent this project that is becoming a cornerstone of the future of Winston-Salem, which is also a city that happens to be my hometown.

The grounds represents nearly 100 acres in the heart of Winston-Salem that is currently vacant, untaxed land.

This has long been underused outside of major events, and it is now positioned for a transformation.

This area used to be an economic engine for Winston Salem.

Then came the 80s and 90s with job loss.

In recent years, starting with Whitaker Park, followed by senior services, and now recently a new medical investment.

This part of Winston Salem is scheduled for another transformation.

This area recently has been filled with community assets.

There have been major event venues, the fairgrounds, Wake Forest University facilities, and now what Carter and Front Street are planning with the grounds.

This is an area that already has 750,000 people a year come to it.

Most recently, there's been everything from a tractor pool at the fairgrounds to the Winston Salem Open.

This is already where Winston Salem gathers.

This is now with the planning of the grounds designated to be another community asset on top of what I've already mentioned.

An area that is walkable, green, accessible, pedestrian friendly, and integrated with public space, retail, office, and entertainment.

Roads, utilities, greenways, pedestrian safety, and connectivity.

These are not items that can be picked up and sold and walked away.

No buildings are being funded with this request.

No retail, no office, no vertical construction whatsoever.

Only shared infrastructure that benefits the broader community and unlocks future growth.

These funds are part of a previously appropriated economic development allocation.

Funds that are specifically and legally designated for this exact type of work.

And we believe the grounds is a perfect fit.

The bulk of this infrastructure work, which has been underway since late 2024, was funded with a North Carolina state grant of 35 million dollars.

The state of North Carolina recognized this area and the potential to be a key economic driver, so much so that Carter and Front Street first presented to you close to two years ago about this opportunity.

The state funding was always intended to go towards a larger infrastructure package, and it was never intended to cover all of it.

The grounds is not over budget and never was.

With those projects, we're strategically laying the foundation for 100 acres of development in an underused, neglected, non-tax generating area, so that it can become an asset with a strong return of investment for the community and the city as a whole.

As a part of the grounds, we've engaged tourism economics, a highly respected firm within Oxford Economics to conduct to conduct an economic impact study.

That economic impact study came back stating the grounds is projected to generate 1.3 billion dollars in economic impact, not in its lifetime in the first 10 years.

That is a generational investment by the private sector and the public sector that will in turn generate over 40 million dollars in taxes to the city and the county, not in its lifetime over the first 10 years.

That is sustainable economic development with a return many times greater than that of the city into this request.

That also includes over 500 direct jobs where we're already working with workforce development initiatives to prepare our community for those jobs.

Economic and community investment are not mutually exclusive.

Economic development funds and community investment is not and cannot be a this or that mentality.

Tax-based growth is what grows investment in public services.

This tax revenue, along with the continued public-private partnerships we're so proud to be a part of, will enable us as a community to support and grow critical public good, such as housing, education, safety, investments in downtown, and many more.

We're very excited to say that we're already partnering with the city to identify a specific parcel for the future of affordable housing as a part of the broader grounds initiative.

This kind of shared economic and community investment is how we as a community will be even prouder of the grounds, making it a catalyst for growth and prosperity in its 100 acres, in its neighboring areas, into our entire Winston Salem community.

We appreciate the opportunity to speak tonight.

Thank you, Mr.

Team.

Um Calvin McCray.

Good evening, Mayor, Mayor Pro Tim, members of council, city staff, appreciate you all.

I'm happy to be here as always in front of you.

But I'm even happier to support something uh with such good community connections.

Front Street and Carter have been really in tune with what the surrounding neighborhood needs and the city at large needs.

This is an exciting project that has the opportunity to make this more of a destination than it already is.

And yes, the investment in land purchase originated with Wake Forest and is in close proximity to the school.

But the grounds is designed to serve the entire community, not just the university or developers.

More than seven 750,000 people already visit the surrounding venues each year.

The grounds enhances that experience and has more year-round activity for even more consumer and visitor spending.

Green space, walkability, water restoration, better traffic flow, safer places that gather.

These are investments that every resident can enjoy and use.

They work diligently to ensure the surrounding communities, regardless of socioeconomic status, were considered in the plans and implementation.

The tax base created here supports the priorities we all share, better schools, safer streets, more housing.

And it just makes sense both financially and logistically for the city to support the building and foundational infrastructure that makes this compounding good possible.

Economic development isn't a separate track from public good.

It's the engine that funds it.

We've all been in a lot of conversations recently about this or that, and I couldn't agree more with Coleman that it's and it's yes and and we want to be a community of yes and, not just for Wake Forest, not just for downtown, but for the entire community.

Thank you so much for your support, and everyone that I've seen in your roles has been helpful, and I appreciate it going forward.

Thank you, Mr.

McCray.

Anyone else for the proponents who would like to speak?

Thank you very much.

Um for the opponents.

Uh first person signed up is Linda Winnakoff.

Excuse me, I hope I got that right.

Thank you.

Linda Winnikoff, 3949 Chilton Drive, uh, Winston-Salem 27106.

Good evening, Mayor Joins, Mayor Pro Tem Adams, and members of the council.

I speak today to strongly urge you to vote no on the request for an additional four million dollars in public funds for the grounds development.

This project has already received more than 35 million in public support through funding that came from the state.

To add to now ask the taxpayers of Winston-Salem for more is excessive.

We've heard promises of the projected the projected revenue will pay for it before.

When the truest baseball stadium was built, the community was told that property and sales tax revenue from new apartments, office space, and retail around the ballpark would cover the city's costs.

That didn't happen.

Instead, the stadium has run deficits year after year, and the city has been forced to step in and subsidize those losses, which have run hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.

In fact, this year alone, Winston-Salem taxpayers are covering more than $866,000 in subsidies for the ballpark, according to the proposed 25-26 budget.

And by the way, the past budget is not online yet.

This is about priorities.

Council should stand firm in protecting the city's current financial health and use funds to decrease the gaps between the two Winston Salems.

Please do not give away four million dollars in public funds based on promises of unguaranteed foreign-to-the-future revenue.

Do we really know if 22 seven-figure condos are going to sell from a project from a project barely started years away from completion and serves an area not even in the Winston-Salem downtown plan?

Please direct the funds to support that plan and the many worthy projects that support all of Winston-Salem.

$35,787,662 is enough in public funding for this project.

Thank you.

Good evening, Mayor Joins.

Um Mayor Adams and the rest of the council.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to speak.

As I think you've guessed by now, I'm also here to urge you not to pass this proposal to provide an additional four million dollars to the developers, as Linda's already described, what's been provided in the last couple of years.

This development is definitely going to bring new life to a section of our community.

And it'll be nice.

I'll probably go eat there.

What it's not going to do is bring new visitors.

You know, the amphitheater is designed to bring new visitors to our community.

This isn't.

It's going to take business from our downtown that's already struggling.

And you can there we have a great downtown plan that you, the Ford 24 2045 plan that you and the county have just both approved, and that gives you lots of opportunities to invest $4 million according to a plan you've made that will help our core downtown and East Winston.

That is where the money should be going.

And now with our challenges that we're having in our community with the negative um realistically negative things that are being said that we're living with with our school system situation.

We're not going to now attract those families that we probably would have attracted in these next couple of years because they're not going to want to come here and bring their kids.

We need to really, really make downtown shine again.

It was on its way before COVID.

It can do it again.

Four million dollars would go a long way to doing that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Vivian Perez Chandler, please.

Good evening, Mayor, Mayor Potem, and Council members.

My name is Vivian Perez Chandler, and although I live at 1,000 Brookhill Park Drive, Rural Hall, Rural Hall, North Carolina, I've worked and shopped in Winston Salem for 23 23 years, and I'm an active volunteer in the city.

I'm speaking today regarding the grounds infrastructure funding request, but I believe this decision connects to broader questions about our city's development priorities and who gets consulted in these processes.

While I appreciate the economic projections for the grounds project, I'm concerned about the pattern of public investment we're establishing.

This request asks for $4 million in city funding to be matched by the county for infrastructure supporting entertainment and tourism development.

The proposal misses repayments through new tax revenue in just over four years.

But we've heard similar promises before.

That's 30,000 for a family of four.

Meanwhile, we're investing millions in entertainment infrastructure while existing public amenities remain underutilized.

We have Winston Squares Park forgotten amphitheater, just.5 four miles away, two two-minute walk proposed from the downtown venue, uh the amphitheater.

Plus, we have Bailey Park, Corpning Plaza, and Mershall Park, which in 2014 there was a three million bond towards it.

And let's not forget about Triad Park's 3,000 seat amphitheater, only 24 minutes away.

The planning process for both the grounds and the amphitheater has extensively consulted business stakeholders, merchants, and developers, but has largely excluded residents from most affected by these decisions, particularly those in public housing who face displayment pressures from amenity-driven development.

Instead of continuing this pattern of entertainment-focused investment, we could pursue resident-centered development.

That $4 million could support high-density affordable housing, rehab of abandoned properties, or infrastructure improvements in underserved neighborhoods.

Public land and public investment should serve public needs, not subsidize private profit.

I urge you to vote no on the grounds funding request as well as the amphitheater proposal until we complete genuine community engagement and with affected residents.

It's both items combined, so it's not.

So thank you very much.

Thank you for your time.

Sandra Stinger.

Thank you for this opportunity to speak on behalf of the residents of Boston Thurman.

We were presented with a report from this group that told us that this is private investment on private property.

Our concern is why are we investing money from our economic development funds into a private private project?

We are opposed to having this approved.

And I would ask on behalf of myself and several residents of Boston Thurman that you please reconsider giving this four million dollars.

We think that the amount of investment that has already gone forward for infrastructure is enough.

So we think that there are other ways that that fund those funds could be used in our community if it's for economic development.

We have a need for mixed income housing and other things in our community, Councilwoman, and we would like to see that four million dollars in economic development stay there and come to the community.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening, Mayor, Mayor Plottium, members of the council.

My name is Kwame Kia Shavers.

My address is 3850, Heather View Lane.

And I'm grateful that you guys actually let the people who are putting this forward go first because I was able to hear their pitch, and as a realtor, um it was hilarious.

They are also seeking a four million match from the county, which I also oppose.

While this development aims to revitalize the area around existing sports amenities and Wake Forest University, it will divert dollars from the downtown area restaurants and retail businesses that are already struggling to recover from COVID if you haven't noticed.

You and the county have approved the forward 2045 plan, which outlines clear goals for economic development focused on our downtown.

And these funds should be directed to support those goals.

By the way, I thought y'all was broke.

Having been born and raised here, I have yet to see significant economic development wins.

Instead, we face several financial crises.

Meanwhile, neighboring communities are attracting new employers and job growth.

If we don't have the funds to develop communities dealing with food deserts like those in close proximity to East, the East Ward, the North Ward, the South Ward, or finances to support our firefighters.

Thank God I'm a North Carolina realtor, so therefore I can sell all over the state of North Carolina.

However, I would have preferred they come to Winston-Salem, but they didn't want to come here because of everything that's going on with our school system.

So if you don't have any money to take care of what's already going on in our community right now, you don't have any money to give to them.

Let them figure it out on their own time, like you are allowing our school system to do.

This is an easy vote, and it is no.

It's NO.

Have a good night.

Thank you.

I'll declare the uh public hearing closed, and uh Councilman Park just to come out of your committee.

I would ask a question of Coleman.

Yes, go ahead.

Coleman, the apartments that are currently under construction.

I guess that's the old blue lot.

What do you anticipate the tax value of those?

Sure, that's a great question.

So uh to people who are doubting or there's questions about the repayment of this, the two projects that are currently under construction.

That is a multifamily housing project, and that is a retail condo village.

Those two projects alone fully repay the city's investment in this project.

Okay, do you know what the value tax value will be?

It's an 85 million dollar project.

The tax value is whatever the the city's tax assessment will be.

Okay, thank you.

Yep.

Or if you're ready for a motion.

Yeah, I will.

Mr.

Mayor, hang on a minute.

I'm gonna make a motion to second.

I would like to make some comments.

Thank you.

Well, this is easy.

I move approval of agenda item G4.

Second.

Go ahead, Councilman Corps.

I thought I had a long speech and I didn't.

Um let me make a few introductory comments and then I'll try to address this specific one.

We took a risk and invested some money in the downtown uh research park.

I'm guessing that investment down there is close to a billion dollars, eight, eight, nine hundred million in that range.

Um the way the the source of this money, we bought a tobacco farm on the southeast side of town, I think for three million roughly.

We sold it for eight.

This is four million of left of it.

Another home run.

It was just meant mentioned there are already apartments and condos under construction.

I know because I thought I was going to park there this Saturday, and there was buildings going up of $85 million.

Next, and I'm not sure about this, but my last time I checked on the ballpark, there was no local public tax money in the ballpark.

It is paid for by a uh service fee on the tickets.

I think you pay a dollar a ticket or something.

And also there has been, I'm gonna guess between the two or three there's three apartment complexes, I think, in there, two or three, I would say that's easily a hundred million dollars close.

Been a while since I built.

Lastly, before I get to my main point, we just spent nine million dollars to widen and pave metal arc, my nemesis project.

And we that was because of construction that had already been done.

Um, just to put this in perspective.

Now, my comments on the specific project.

I've lived in this town a long time.

I think 40 years or so, 50 years.

The north side of town took two body blows when rentals closed Whitaker Park and Piedmont Airlines got bought out and emptied all those buildings.

Yes, downtown is important, but there's eight wards, and every now and then we have to spend a little bit of money that's not in downtown.

Um we were luckily that the state came in with their money as far as local tax.

By the way, that was ARPA money that Washington sent down, if you want to know what source of it, but anyway.

Uh to pay half what we spent to widen Metal Arc, and we've already got close to $100 million under construction, uh, is a no-brainer.

You can't see it, but behind Whitaker Park is a hundred thousand square foot building that Toyota owns where they are going to recycle the electric batteries that are gonna be made at the battery plant in Trinity or wherever it is.

This isn't a project for Wait Forest.

This is a bold step by this community to try to revitalize an entire section of town that took two huge hits when two of our largest employers pulled out.

Uh I'm thankful for the state for the money they've put in, but I am very confident based on our past successes.

Be it the innovation quarter, the ballpark, southeast side of town where we got the $8 million land we sold.

I think we got a $300,000 square foot warehouse or something going up on it.

Uh we don't do things help or skelter here.

Other organizations in town may do that and they get in trouble as we know looking at the paper.

But we look at these things very carefully, and we go with people that we trust and that have a proven tax record, and I enthusiastically endorse this project in the North Ward.

Thank you, Ms.

Clark.

Any other comments?

Questions?

If not, we do have oh, sorry, Councilmember Jordan.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um the point was stated that the money could be better spent in downtown.

That downtown is hurting, and that the small businesses or businesses in downtown in that area needs it.

That's probably a true statement that downtown is hurting.

In fact, I'll say it is a down a true statement.

But you can't put all of your apples in one basket.

Our city as a whole needs to be short up and prosper for tomorrow, inclusive of downtown.

Inclusive of downtown.

The economic development funds when there's a project for downtown that needs to be for those things.

And housing is not an economic development.

It is just that housing.

So as much as we would want to say just save all our money for one thing, we can.

Like the icing on a cake.

As much as I like chocolate icing, I need somebody else to have some too.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Council Merhall.

Thank you, Mayor Joince.

Um everybody bear with me tonight because of my voice.

But it is important for me to say a few of the things I want to say tonight, and I do have a few notes written down.

So I will take my time respectfully.

It is important to note some things that we already heard that there has been significant tax dollars that have already been allocated to this project.

That includes a $35 million state allocation that was funneled through the city.

It was approved by a previous council.

And we have been able to see that infrastructure.

If you go anywhere near University Parkway 30th Street, if you've ridden down Deacon Boulevard like I did last Thursday when it opened up, you can see that.

This request is 4 million from us, 4 million from the county, but also noting the $4 million that both Carter and Front Street Capital, I believe, plan on investing themselves for a total of an additional 12 million dollars for this project.

The concerns that uh are important to note is that while there have been several people that have been opposed to giving this additional funding for this project, one of the main undertones that I have heard is the importance of making sure that underserved communities are served, but also that the wealth is spread throughout this city.

Particularly because they are tax dollars that have already been spent.

These are public dollars, including dollars of people who live in underserved communities that are on fixed income.

These are their tax dollars as well.

And we talked about also wanting to make sure that these same people feel included when the development is in place.

About he how even at times when I go to Renault the Village, I like Dojo's, I like Village Tavern over there.

But sometimes I get double look, even when I go to Renault the Village.

Simply just by looking at the emails that I have received and the phone calls that my community assistance liaison has gathered for me.

However, I did have honest conversation recently, within the past 24 hours.

And in that I was challenged to think about where else will we receive this type of money?

When funds from the federal government are finicky right now, and we honestly do not know about the certainty of funds.

When you hear about something that has this projected type of economic impact, I think about the tax dollars that we could see.

What I would encourage my colleagues and I have and talk to the city manager about, and I've also made mention to the developers about hopefully what we can do if this passes, and even if it doesn't pass tonight, uh I I feel like the development will happen.

I think we all know that.

But with the tax dollars that we do receive, how can we ensure that underdeserved, underserved communities who live nearby major development areas, are making sure that they do receive some improvements in some piece of the pie.

That is important to note because as we're continuing to give incentives for people to make major developments, we have to do it in a way that shows compassion and thought about the people who live in places that oftentimes are underdought about when these things are happening.

And that's not important just for one council member to think about, but for all council members to think about, and I'm sure that you do.

But I am using this time tonight to make sure that it is put on record, and that we can all think about how we are looking at development when major development comes of this sort.

It's not every night that it comes to this city.

Um it is coming to the North War, which I'm sure Councilmember Adams is excited about.

But I say that to say that we need to be thinking about it, and I charge myself to make sure that no matter how the vote goes, that I will make sure that we're doing something to ensure that once the taxes come back to this city, that we are uh that we are held accountable to how we make sure that these dollars funnel back into these communities.

Whether that's for affordable housing, whether that's making sure legacy residents stay in their home, whether that's for street improvements and infrastructures in communities, but we have been tasked to do that, and I want to make sure that that is put on record.

I'm trying to think of one other thing I was gonna say.

Oh, it's also important to note, and I don't take this lightly, that we have also uh given dollars to Front Street Capital, I think a few months ago for the spec building off of Union Crossroad.

It just so happens that they also are developer for this project.

Um, but I say all that to say that I want to make sure that my council members, my fellow colleagues are thinking about that, and one other thing.

Um we talked about 500 jobs.

I've also been able to talk to the developers about making sure that they cast a wide net for advertising jobs for this development, to make sure that it's not narrowly uh advertised but widely advertised, particularly for the folks that live in the surrounding communities, to make sure they have an opportunity to take advantage of this.

And uh I think that's it.

Thank you, Council Member Hall.

Thank you.

Okay.

Uh Mayor Pro Chem Adams.

Yes, thank you, members of the council mayor, those listening.

Uh yeah, I am very excited for this project.

Anyone that knows me that have talked to me in the past 13, 14 years, know that this project, yes, has been in the making that long.

I also like to always tell elected officials and leaders, particularly elected officials.

You're elected to represent the constituents of your city, but you're also elected to be a salesperson.

No city can basically run in the environment that we live in now off of just property taxes of the individuals that live in the city, the commercial taxes.

It won't work.

Yes, years ago when I got on the council, we had just delved into our relationship and public-private partnership with the innovation quarter.

And I supported a lot of that because our downtown was dying.

We were plugging away at anything that we could throw a noodle up against a wall that would stick.

And a lot of you in this room knew what that meant.

A lot of long conversations and harsh realities that we were not going to be Charlotte, which we didn't want to be.

We were now going to be Raleigh Dumb, which we didn't want to be.

We knew that we were in the triad amongst Greensboro and High Point and Kernersville and Clemens and Walnut Cove and all of those little towns and villages that help make the North Piedmont great.

This project is a transformational project for the city of Western Salem, much like when Whittaker Park was built, and nobody realized during the time that it would become the largest and most modern tobacco manufacturing uh company in the world.

I had the privilege of working there.

I had the privilege of working there when they when technology and engineering changed, just like what we're seeing now in the speed of a light.

I remember operating a cigarette machine at plant 97 and hit a filter machine at Plant 64 that only could generate 500 cigarettes a minute.

I remember when the Mark 10s were invested in at Whittaker Park, and we went from 500 cigarettes a minute to 10,000 cigarettes a minute.

That meant training a new workforce.

That meant retooling what your brand was, not just for rentals, but for the city of Western Salem.

This project will allow us to think down the road for the future.

And you all have heard me talk about the future.

The future isn't sitting in this room.

The future may not even be born yet.

The future may be those children that Dr.

Finney talked about with Smart Star trying to get a leg up on their education.

We need all of us to buy into all kinds of ideas.

There is no one shoe fits all.

Yes, we got some other things going on.

But this is something that needs to happen for this city.

Again, when you talk about 1.3 billion in total business sales, with over 37.7 million in state, 27.5 million in local taxes generated direct or indirect.

I can tell you this.

All cities now are locked in on what we need to do to transform our brand to take it to the next level, whether that means working in collaboration with the downtown partnership, working with Winston Salem for Side County's Tourism Board, working with Greater Western Salem, working with the private sector.

It is now is the time, people.

We got to step up if we want to do great things for our community, our citizens, and for those that we're attracting to the seventh largest state in the country and continuing to grow.

I've seen what we're trying to be, and I see also what we can become when we work together, whether that's for education, housing, better community, safety, ensuring that the employees of the city of Winston Salem are taken care of and appreciated.

Hard decisions have to be made.

But if you elected me not to make the hard decisions, you elected the wrong one, baby, because I'm not that girl.

I will always make decisions with my city in mind, with my community in mind, and making it better, providing better jobs, partnerships with those agencies and organizations that do our workforce development for Cyber Tech, Winston Salem State, Salem, and on and on.

This is a moment in time that as they say you will remember if you live long enough to say in night 2025, I was there when they started to move this city into the next again to share up our city with tourism, with visitors, with families and citizens.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Mayor Pro Tim.

Not to belabor the point at all, but some great points have been made.

Um as council member uh Clark said, we don't make these decisions lightly.

We look at return on investment to our city.

Um take uh take uh I guess an example of of the ballpark, we are not losing money on that ballpark.

The the projections clearly show that we don't put any city dollars into it for the entire financing period there.

This one is a I think it's a slam dunk because it's pretty easy uh uh acknowledgement.

Going to generate right at four million dollars a year in new local uh property taxes, uh, and that repays our investment very quickly.

Uh so it seems to me that this is a decision that's that we need to make.

Uh we can't afford to do public housing social programs if we don't have tax base coming into our city.

So you have to basically get this these funds coming in, and then we can use them to support uh social programs.

So Councilmember Burke, you asked me.

Thank you, Mayor.

This is um a great opportunity for our city for the Northeast Ward.

However, I believe that we have shown our support as a council.

Um the 35 million that came from the state and through us, we have shown our support.

It will be uh we will see a great economic impact, I do believe.

But I also believe that we represent the entire city, and we need to think about other pockets of the city where our citizens feel underserved, and the four million dollars could really go a long way somewhere else.

I believe because of the location for this project, that private investors would gladly be able to fill in that four million dollar gap.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Do we have a motion on the floor?

All in favor of the motion, please uh say aye and raise your hand.

Aye.

Aye.

One, two, three, four, five, six in favor.

All those opposed.

Two uh motion passes six to two.

Thank you very much.

Item G five, please.

Item G five resolution authorizing the purchase of Gillig 29 foot clean diesel buses for the Winston Salem Transit Authority.

Public Works Committee forwarded without recommendation.

Mr.

Fanzer, what are we doing here?

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor, Mayor Pro Tim, members of the uh council.

I'll take just a moment to kind of highlight and those that listen to our public works committee appreciate the opportunity to walk through this item where I acknowledge the fact that our Western fleet at large uh is behind replacement schedule.

Currently, we have 45 buses in its fixed route fleet, and 24 of those are outside of what we call useful life.

And you guys see these on the fit on the street of our city, uh, they're in disrepair number of those, and our riders uh uh are tremendous uh assets to our city that use utilize this aging fleet, and we we value them on our buses, uh just not in the way that we replace our buses.

And so the item before you really recognizes that need.

One of the things that I I'm thankful for in my job is to try to figure out ways to get creative to find funds to replace our our fleet because they are about a million dollars apiece.

Uh the way we have historically been buying these as hybrid electric buses.

So uh the item before you really considers a shift from that and to consider uh purchase of uh diesel buses, the new clean diesel by Gilling for two reasons.

Really, uh to right size our fleet as far as 29 foot, a little bit smaller, some of our under our smaller routes could benefit from that with tighter turning radiuses, and of course the seating capacity fits those routes much better.

But just a couple things I want to mention regarding the the factors that can go into the consideration.

Number one is cost efficiency.

The new hybrid buses uh are about 1.2 million dollars as opposed to the clean diesel, which are about 700,000.

There's also consideration of delivery time uh where the the new uh hybrid buses are taking about up to 16 months to be manufactured and delivered uh with the various components that go on to those, and reducing that for the diesel bus is about 12 months.

Now, not a large factor, but my next point uh really drives this point home because maybe the most important consideration tonight is the fact that uh we don't have a very reliable fleet today.

Uh every day we have an issue with a bus going out of service.

So last year we had over 450 road calls.

That's any any call that comes in what renders that bus uh not fit for revenue service where we can't put passengers on that bus.

And so that's folks that are not getting to work, not getting doctor appointments or anything of the like.

And so over 450 times that we dealt with that last year.

That's how far behind our fleet is in Asia.

So we're trying to catch up on that.

So item before you used to consider utilizing 7.6 million dollars of uh MPO funds that our our department has gone out and work with the the MPO to secure, and I'm happy to say that the capital plan adopted by this council has supported that local matching funds to consider replacing up to 10 of those hybrid buses uh with diesel buses.

And the the intent here is solely to do a one-time purchase to catch up on how far uh behind we are on our replacement schedule.

Moving forward, our replacement rate should be about four buses a year.

And so we have got to make some demonstrated efforts to get to that point where we can go and make good on our our clean energy initiatives where we are strategically replacing these with the hybrid and electric fleets that I think we all want to be moving towards.

But until such time, we have to make some demonstrated efforts to catch up, given how unreliable our service is today.

Mr.

Mayor, happy to take any questions.

Thank you, Mr.

Slands for any questions.

Mr.

Clark.

Mr.

Fans, will you give us the average miles per gallon of the current fleet, which are all hybrid buses, I guess.

The new what if you call them clean diesel and then the last ones.

Yes, sir.

So currently our hybrid buses get about three and a half miles per gallon.

The new clean diesels would get about five and a half miles per gallon.

And transparently, the new hybrid uh buses would get between six and a half and seven miles per gallon.

That is the estimation from the manufacturer.

So it's about a uh from current fleet to a hybrid, new hybrid, it will be about a 45 to 50 percent fuel efficiency increase.

Thank you.

Councilmember, there is a revised resolution at your place.

And uh Councilmember uh Henry Bowen is going to uh make a motion, I believe.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

And if you don't mind if I took a quick comment, uh Mr.

Fansler, thank you very much for your presentation.

And uh I appreciated what you had to say about the four buses a year.

Um as I said to you in private, I like to say in public, I would like to for us to as we move forward to uh achieve those goals in the more hybrid uh electric uh bus and uh bus engines so we can achieve that uh sustainability goal that we have.

Uh I believe the city manager earlier said that we made the runner-up for uh most sustainable plan of some sort.

I would like for us next year to to get number one, um, but also more importantly, um to to have more sustainable uh buses.

I also understanding the fact that um our our bus fleet is currently aging and needs to be replaced, and I understand the the lead time is is a rough one and understand that we need to get our people who will rely on these buses around respectfully in time.

So thank you for that.

And with that, I would like to make a motion that I move we adopt a resolution authorizing the purchase of seven gillig nine 29-foot clean diesel buses and two hybrid buses for the Winston-Salem Transit Authority.

Second.

Second, Councilmember Hall.

Any discussion?

Councilmember Clark.

I will vote for this, but I want to make a point.

Bus that gets six miles to the gallon is a diesel bus.

And that's what we spend a half a million dollars to go from five and a half to six and a half.

All of these buses are diesel buses.

Three.

You look out here and see these pretty green buses going by, they're getting three and a half miles to the gallon.

It's a diesel bus.

The clean ones get five and a half.

We're gonna spend a million dollars to get a mile more per gallon.

Do not fool yourself that we are helping the environment.

These are all diesel buses.

Especially since most of them drive around this town empty.

You don't save anything when a bus goes by and nobody's on it.

I'm the biggest critic of our bus system, and I continue to be.

I will contrast that with the project we recently approved to replace all the street lights with LEDs, which is going to reduce the electrical usage.

40 percent of the street lights, something like that.

That's real savings.

Forty percent.

I just don't want us to fool ourselves when we're going from five and a half to six and a half miles per gallon.

If we want to do something to help the environment, why don't we do something real?

I consider these kind of a token project.

And by the way, that half a million dollars more, a lot of that's energy related.

These uh hybrid buses are full of of uh copper and other metals that are very energy intensive.

I have always challenged whether or not you actually save energy spending another half a million dollars to make all that goes into a bus that gets six and a half miles to the gallon.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We do have a motion second.

Uh all those in favor of the motion, please indicate the saying aye.

Aye.

One opposed, no.

That's unanimous.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Councilmember Bowen.

Uh item G six.

Item G six resolution authorizing the City of Winston-Salem to lease parkland to support a new downtown amphitheater.

General Government Committee forwarded without recommendation.

Council members, I know we've talked a lot about this, particularly the some concerns about uh noise and so on for that, and I believe, Ben, you've been doing some work with the uh developers on uh setting new uh sound uh ordinance uh issues as well as addressing uh uh the decibel levels in front of the stage and behind the stage.

And we understand that we can potentially add those to the lease agreement.

So would you comment on that?

Yes, uh good evening, Mayor Joins, Mayor Pro Tempori Adams, members of council.

Uh so there's discussions have begun here recently between city staff and the ownership group about uh what we need to do to address the concerns about noise.

Uh right now, the uh the ordinance that the city has basically references the county ordinance, and that uh the enforcement language in that ordinance is very subjective.

And so to where to really uh create objective standards that can enable us to enforce events and make sure they are in compliance.

We are in discussions uh with the ownership group, but also it will be uh uh a work and a project of city staff to look at the city's noise ordinance to uh basically develop objective standards that may establish decibel thresholds, also establish the distance that those measurements would take place from a uh uh venue that produces sound.

Uh that's something that we'll be bringing back to the council for your consideration uh in the upcoming uh months.

Thank you.

Any questions, Mr.

Thank you.

I recognize Councilmember Hall, who this project is in her ward, uh, if she would like to make a motion for Councilmember.

I'm doing a motion she's gonna be.

Okay.

All right, go ahead, Councilmember Clark.

This is all rehearsed ahead of time.

Um I move for approval of agenda item G6, and if there's a second, I would like to make a comment, Mayor.

Second.

Second.

Second.

Discussion.

Just a moment.

Go ahead, Councilmember Clark.

I have two comments or two areas to comment on.

At the last meeting, uh, and it's true of every month, the second meeting of the month, we have public comment.

And the rules of the public comment are the public gets to speak, and we sit up here and listen.

And we do that for 30 minutes, second meeting of the month, you're invited back.

The last meeting, a number of our speakers got up and said some absolutely horrible things about one of our families in this town.

I have personally known Don Flo and his wife.

I know his parents, I know his son, his daughters, and his sister.

And I can tell you there's not a family in this town that has done more for Winston Satum than they have.

And I was appalled at the cheap shots taken at his 96-year-old father, 92-year-old mother.

I have found when people don't have anything important to say, they just pick on you personally because they don't they can't don't have a good argument.

So anyway, Don, I just want to get that out.

It's my time speak.

Now, as far as the actual item, I have one general theme here, and that is if you live in a city, and we all live in the city, if you're from Salem, you will be inconvenienced.

That's not an if.

That's a true truth.

If you live near school, and I think there's close to 50 schools in this community, you got traffic twice a day.

We got 20 fire stations with fire trucks going in and out.

We got hospitals with sirens, we got ballparks, we got Bowman Gray Stadium.

You want to talk about noise, you go out there on Saturday night in the summer.

We have major thoroughfares.

We have churches, large churches that generate traffic.

I personally live on a street that gives about 9,000 cars a day, and I live four blocks from a fire station that goes by the house all the time.

Most people in this town are affected by traffic or noise.

It is the price we pay to live in the community and all the benefits we get.

I know of no better example than Baptist Hospital that has one of the premier level one trauma centers in the country.

And the folks in Arden will have to put up with sirenes and a helicopter that comes in and out.

But that's the price we pay for it.

What and you Amen there.

Um what we try to do is when we try to come together community is to ameliorate to the best we can extremities.

For example, and Ben just mentioned it.

We have a Norse ordinance.

We have ordinances on when uh bars can close with an ordinance that will affect when this amphitheater uh shuts down.

We do try to combine the benefits and the inconveniences that come with the city with reasonable ordinances so that we can all live together.

But it folks, everything I mentioned here in my 25 years sitting up here, somebody's come in and complain.

Oh, did he mention I had somebody rented an apartment due to the sewer plant and came up and complained about the sewer plant being next door?

We have two sewer plants and three water treatment plants, by the way.

The point is there are inconveniences, but there are truly benefits that go with it.

And I think we need to keep that in mind when we decide what we do for the community.

And I think the steps taken uh that we just covered to take a look at our Norse ordinance to be sure we're covered on this will mean that this will be a great benefit to the city with minimal impact.

Thank you.

Now, Councilman Burke.

Thank you, Mayor.

I just have a few questions that probably can't be answered tonight, and a few statements that I'd like to make regarding this agenda item.

The first question, I guess staff can answer this later.

Is the city-owned property zoned RMU residential multifamily unlimited?

Another question for staff, and I see Aaron type and he'll have an answer in a second.

Um another question, um, just a guess about how many multifamily units could be built on this city-owned property.

I ask this because we said that affordable housing was our number one priority, and also it's on the website that uh under the affordable housing uh justice ordinance, one of the main objectives states that that objective says it is to increase the supply of affordable housing by using city-owned land.

So another question that I have.

And the the question is, according to Jason Thield's email, I think that went to all of us, uh, he said that the citizens at Crystal Towers have agreed to a meeting on September the 5th.

Are we going to consider, and I guess this is a question we have to answer tonight when we vote?

Are we going to consider waiting until they have uh opportunity to hear more about the project, ask questions, share their concerns, and according to these emails, over 125 the concerns uh are the noise.

Uh they are of uh concerns for their safety and uh concerns for the additional traffic.

Question number four.

Um as I've done some research on amphitheaters, I have read that some amphitheaters build under the stage storage.

And so my question is would the uh Mr.

Flo and his business partner ever consider using uh under the stage for building storage for the props, uh the bathrooms, uh the dressing rooms for the entertainers, or would you consider building up high, kind of like a penthouse style right there on your property.

I ask these questions because I'm wondering if here's another question.

Can we do both?

Can we use the city-owned lot to build affordable housing, and can we use the lot owned by Mr.

Flow for the amphitheater and for the additional space that he's needed, needing going below or going above.

Last question.

Well, not a question statement.

I would like to make a substitute motion that we table this vote until our October 6th meeting.

That way it would give the developers, um, Mr.

Flo and others an opportunity to meet with the residents at Crystal Towers, answer their questions, hear their concerns.

One other statement I would like to make.

Will you consider for the noise creating a wall barrier?

Kind of like what we have on I-40, a noise barrier to eliminate some of the noise that would go directly to the Crystal Towers residents.

With that being said, or it makes a substitute recommend motion to uh continue this item to October 6.

Is there a second?

Second.

Second.

All those in favor of the substitute motion, please say aye.

Aye.

All opposed, no.

Motion uh fails.

Uh councilmember uh Bowen, uh Andre Bowen asked the recognized.

I'm sorry.

Oh, I'm sorry, I'll come back to you, Councilmore Hall.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Um so as I was doing my research for this, uh I looked at the the Red At the Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh and um noticed that next Monday, one of my favorite bands, the Pixies is playing.

Um, and then I looked at Asheville and noticed that they were the Pixies were playing there uh the next night.

And I would love to see the Pixies play at this amphitheater.

Um, but that's a selfish reason for uh for me not to make this thought because um as council member Burke mentioned, um I think I received 150 emails over the over the past few days.

Um but not just that, I um I had comments from uh for established church uh that today, who I know that uh you had a conversation with, and I appreciate that conversation with and they they are in favor of uh moving this forward, but they also had concerns about um moving moving this forward so fast without hearing from the people of Crystal Towers.

Um I just I would oh we I know we've already voted on it, but I just wanted to have that to say.

Um I I'm a musician, I want music to be in town.

Um, but I think that we would be good to hear from the neighbors who most impacting.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilman Hall.

Thank you, Mayor Joins.

I'm gonna ask for the same courtesy of giving me some time.

Um as council member, I would say I may have received more emails than you all.

Um first uh one thing that I want to make sure that is uh clarified.

The vote before us is not the amphitheater.

The vote before us is to lease land that is deemed right now as parkland.

Okay.

That that's one and the other and the other thing as for street closures that will take place on nights of the events, which is no different than what we would do for any sort of event that we would do downtown.

The vote is not about amphitheater.

We're not giving money for an amphitheater.

Um, those are private funds that have been committed to this project.

So I want to make sure that that's clear because in some of my emails, um, it was a distorted view of what we're voting on and what we're not.

So that's the first thing.

Make sure everybody's clear on that.

The other thing is that in the committee meeting that I believe that we had on August the 11th, and and I'll make sure I say the committee meeting housing in general government, we may just call it general government now.

But in that meeting, something was brought up, and that was about whether or not affordable housing could be placed on parkland.

Okay.

Um, I believe that that does require council action to kind of reclassify that land if that's something that we want to do.

Um, so right now that that can't even be done.

So that's another point of clarity because we're talking about parkland.

Another thing to note though is that since that's come up, I think it you know is something that we can look at in the future of looking at underutilized parkland, if that's something that we feel like that we may want to um recategorize um specific parkland that's underutilized in other parts of the city, and if we would want to do affordable housing there, so that's that.

The other portion is I I did ask staff for the cost of maintaining that lot that we currently have.

I think that is maintained by vegetation management.

I know staff has a lot going on, but I don't know that I that I received that.

But the reason that I wanted to have that is to be able to make some sort of comparison of what the city currently spends on managing that lot versus what could happen.

And by the way, okay, and by the way, we can get that.

But by the way, if this if this space is leased, it is on the lease, and which that's another point of clarity.

Nobody's asking to purchase this land, it is asking to be leased.

If the land is leased, um, and it is being asked to be leased for fact check me.

Okay, for five years at one dollar a month for a total of twelve dollars a year.

That would be, if my math is right, about 60 bucks.

Now, roughly.

Now, some some folks have emailed me and said, Oh, goodness, why is that happening?

That this is a sweetheart deal, you're giving this away, you know, whatever.

The reality is this is not anything different than what the city has operated on.

This is actually the policy.

A lot of people may not know that, but I actually went through and I thought about leasing some land years ago for uh community garden.

I was anyway, it doesn't matter.

But I had to go through risk management and find out what that process was.

They talked about getting insurance because if somebody wanted to clear out the land and they decided to put a back hole there or something like that, they park it.

A kid gets out of school, they say, Oh, this is heavy equipment, they want to play on it.

Next thing you know, even though the city owns it, but the person is leasing it, who's liable and all that.

I would imagine that the same sort of requirements would be in place for Mr.

Flow or whoever wants to lease that that property.

Um, and so that's important to note that this is nothing different.

I know sometimes people don't know that, but hopefully you have heard about where the city has given one dollar deals to developers for housing.

I mean, this is you know, it's kind of standard, so that's another point of clarity because I do think it's easy for misinformation to get out.

The other portion of this is something that I talked about one of the last times, and that was when I was trying to um talk about a misquote in the paper, and that was um one of the things that I talked about was the misstep that has happened.

That's the elephant in the room.

And that is the Crystal Towers residents were not told about this before this hit the media.

We all know that.

That was a misstep, period.

There's no other way to look at it, there's no other way to say it.

It should not have happened, and it happened.

What I have tried to encourage is that there's conversation with Crystal Towers residents.

Um, and I've tried to make um make communication with the property manager there as well as leaders of the tennis association there.

There is going to be a meeting, yes, it is on Friday, September the 5th.

And if my health holds up, I plan to be there at 12 noon.

Uh that is after this vote tonight.

Here's the thing.

Because it was a misstep, you cannot force people to meet with you whenever you want them to meet with you just because the vote is happening.

Can't do it.

But for the simple fact that they said yes, they would meet and they wanted to learn more about that.

I do think it's important that that that meeting does take place.

I know that there have been other residents in the West End area, which Crystal Towers, you can't call it a part of that, that whole area there.

There have been concerns from people about the noise, and I know that we're doing a separate part about the noise ordinance and what the decimals can be.

So I see this as a two-parter that can't move forward to a two-parter unless we have some sort of vote tonight, which is why I voted against tabling it.

There has been a public comment period where we were able to hear from folks from Crystal Towers and Housing Justice N.

So that has happened in between time of our last committee meeting, which is why I was one of the ones that voted to move it to this body without recommendation.

That allowed us time to hear from the public, whether they were in Crystal Towers or not.

And Crystal Towers was not the only population that did not hear directly from the petitioners.

I will say this, and I will say that if we uh delay this vote tonight, in the part two about the noise ordinance and what we can do to ensure that any other um concession that needs to be made before the ink is signed on any lease, it gives time for Crystal Towers residents.

West End, anybody else in downtown.

I think downtown is represented by three different uh wards, maybe four.

Okay, four, thank you.

Okay, that we have an opportunity to do that.

So I would like people to view it as that.

This this tonight is not it.

This is a two-parter.

And I and I think that that those were all my comments for tonight, but I did think it was important to clarify.

And with that, I will yield.

Thank you, Councilmember Hall.

Um, this is a great opportunity for the city of Winston Salem.

You don't get an opportunity for someone to hand you a nine million dollar gift to your community, create uh a wonderful venue in your community.

It's bringing people 5,000 people at a time down to uh to an event there.

Uh I do agree that there are concerns and uh regarding uh the noise and the uh decibels that will be coming from that.

As you heard, we're taking steps and we'll take additional steps to make sure that issues strengthening our Norwich ordinance will be incorporated in this lease agreement, therefore it can be enforced uh clearly, and that's the key to any kind of a decibel level as a way to enforce it.

So I think it's a great opportunity.

I appreciate uh Don Flo and Mr.

Brenner and their bringing this project to us.

So we do have a motion on the floor to approve this lease.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed, no?

I hear two no's councilmember Bowen and Councilmember uh Burke.

All right, next item, please.

Item G7 resolution authorizing execution of that albigin amnial apite's Hickma, Indevere, Myland, Sun, Zidis, Purdue Pharma, and Sackler Family Opioid Settlement documents and approving the supplement agreement for additional funds.

Thank you, Mayor Joins.

Good evening, Mayor, Mayor Pro Tim Adams and members of the council.

Um we just want to um remind you that over several sessions you have um voted for the city to participate in this class action as it relates to our opioid settlement and the opioid crisis.

And the council has already taken steps to move us forward in that settlement and continue forward with our litigation efforts.

And tonight we just ask that you take the next step in allowing um city staff, including myself and the city manager to move forward with execution of the settlement documentation so that we can finalize this settlement and receive the funding that is associated with the class action.

I will remind you that we do not have an amount at this time, but as soon as an amount is available in terms of what the city would receive, I will be happy to share that with you.

Thank you, Mr.

French.

Any questions of attorney French?

Get the money, baby.

Get the money.

Um I think we're using the uh monies we've received today for our bearer program, basically.

Yes, sir.

That's correct.

Councilman Clark.

Uh I move for approval of item agenda item G7.

Second.

Second.

Any discussion?

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Aye.

One opposed, no.

That's unanimous.

Thank you, Ms.

French.

Now, item G8, please.

Item G8 resolution approving a permanent access easement and maintenance agreement between the city of Winston Salem and True Lyon Federal Credit Union.

Uh Mr.

King.

Thank you, Mayor.

I'll be brief.

Um, there's a small uh triangular piece of land that sits between Haynes Mall Boulevard and True Lyons property line for their main campus over there.

Twenty years ago when that campus was being constructed, the city granted a temporary construction easement that allowed for that road to cross city land to access out to Haines Mall Boulevard.

We did not grant a permanent maintenance and access agreement.

And so True Lyon is in the process of going through a real estate transaction.

This was discovered through a title search.

And so the item before you would essentially formalize what has been in place for the past 20 years, and it would formally allow True Lyon to maintain an access across city land.

Glad to answer any questions.

Any questions, Mr.

King.

No, what's pleasure, Council?

Ms.

Clark, you got a motion?

Move approval.

No, I don't.

That's but I move for approval of agenda item G eight.

Second.

Discussion.

All those in favor of the uh motion, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed, no, that is unanimous.

Is there a motion to adjourn?

So moved.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, go ahead, Councilman Supia.

Uh yeah.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

I just wanted to uh make one comment about something that happened this week.

Um for those of you who may have gone to the fairgrounds on Friday.

Uh the film The Barb was being produced there.

It and the Barb is about George Moses Horton, who was the first published African American poet in North Carolina.

Um regrettably, O.

Salem and historic Bathabra denied the producers the ability to film this on their site.

However, Rebecca Clark, who is our executive director of the film commission, remembered that at our fairgrounds there is uh old village.

And um she thought the village just might work.

The producers are from Winston Salem and graduates of the School of the Arts.

Um so I went out there and boy would was there an amazing um setup.

Um all of the houses were well, they weren't they were sort of transformed to to pro to simulate the the times in the 1700s.

It was just uh not wonderful to see.

There are so many different jobs that came and services that so other support crew.

Um but I just want to give uh a shout out to um Melissa Taylor and Robert Merhorn Moorehern at our fairgrounds for the excellent work they did uh working with that crew and uh the film industry can be a very vibrant industry here, but just to see the back of the house for that was just wonderful.

And I just want us to recognize our staff that's so professional that made that work for the film crew.

And uh hopefully you'll all get invited to the premiere of this marvelous film.

Thank you, Councilman Scipio.

Now I turn a motion to adjourn.

So moved.

Motion by uh Mayor Pro Tim and seconded by Councilmember Hall Hall.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Aye.

One opposed, no.

We are adjourned.