OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Winston-Salem City Council Meeting - September 15, 2025

Meeting Portal — Monday, September 15, 2025
BodyWinston Salem, North Carolina
SessionMeeting Portal
DateMonday, September 15, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:17:21

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Good evening, everyone.

0:01

I'm Alan Joins, Mayor of Winston Salem.

0:03

It's my pleasure to call to order the September 15th meeting of the Winston Salem City Council and ask the City City Clerk to call the role, please.

0:11

Councilmember Joyner.

0:13

Present.

0:13

Councilmember Clark.

0:14

Here.

0:15

Councilmember Andrew Bowen.

0:16

Here.

0:17

Councilmember Scipio.

0:18

Present.

0:19

Mayor Pro Tim Adams.

0:21

Councilmember Taylor.

0:22

Present.

0:22

Councilmember Hall.

0:23

Present.

0:24

And Councilmember Burke here.

0:26

Thank you very much.

0:27

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

0:42

Thank you.

0:43

Would you please join the City Council meeting the Pledge of Allegiance?

0:48

Pledge of allegiance.

0:54

What would you say is one nation under God?

1:05

Thank you very much.

1:06

Our Sergeant in Arms tonight is Lieutenant Victoria Arnt.

1:09

And our fire marshal is Peter Geyck.

1:12

Glad to have there he is over the corner.

1:15

I'd like to turn the meeting now over to the city manager for his uh update.

1:20

Uh thank you, uh Mayor.

1:22

Um a couple of different announcements tonight, but I'm gonna start with a couple of uh quick presentations.

1:28

The this past fiscal year was a very successful year for our local tourism industry, including a record setting year for the Benton Convention Center.

1:36

I want to recognize first uh Stephanie Pace Brown, who's president of Visit Winston Salem, and then Grant Mennox, who's our director of operations for the Benton, who are both going to provide you some reports on this past year's performance and the outlook for the upcoming year.

1:50

Thank you very much, Mr.

1:51

City Manager.

1:52

Hello, everyone, nice to see you.

1:54

Um, I was here just about a year ago um to share with you our new brand, um, which is uh Winston plus Salem is twice as nice.

2:02

Come on in.

2:03

So I'm happy to have a few minutes um tonight to update you on the progress that we've made um in the past year or so to attract visitors to Winston Salem to expand the customer base for our local businesses to create jobs and to generate uh tax revenue.

2:19

Um, just a few weeks ago, the state of North Carolina um released their annual report on the economic impact of travel and tourism in North Carolina.

2:28

The study reported that visitors to Forsyth County spent 1.1 billion dollars in 2024, and um that's 1.1 billion with a B dollars.

2:39

Um, and it generated 75 million dollars in state and local taxes.

2:44

I think people are often really surprised to learn that more than seven million people visit Forsyth County every year, and we rank ninth out of 100 counties in North Carolina for visitor spending.

2:56

Um we've made so much progress in the last couple of years.

2:59

Um, in our fiscal year that ended June 30th, hotel revenue in Forsyth County increased 10 percent to total more than 140 million dollars.

3:10

And we know that typically for every one dollar that's spent on lodging by visitors, another four dollars is spent on restaurants, retail, recreation, entertainment, and transportation.

3:22

Um that's money in local cash registers.

3:25

Um visit Winston Salem uh works to attract both leisure visitors and group visitors who come for meetings, conventions, and sporting events.

3:34

On the group side, the sales team's bookings were up 13 percent in our last fiscal year, totaling almost 70,000 room nights and generating 84 million dollars in economic impact.

3:45

The team generated 346 leads for future business and booked 177 groups.

3:52

On the sports side, our team worked with local venues to book 41 youth and collegiate sporting events across the wide variety of sports that included basketball, tennis, track, cycling, soccer, lacrosse, dance, field hockey, hockey hockey, golf, gymnastics, motor sports, volleyball, running, dance, and dog competitions.

4:14

Um, we work to support the clash that generated so much local enthusiasm as well as uh national broadcast coverage.

4:21

On the leisure side, we greatly expanded the quality and reach of our marketing program.

4:26

I'm going to share a handful of key stats with you, but every one of these stats uh represents a bunch of hard work, a lot of strategy, and relationship building.

4:36

Our paid advertising campaign reached 66 million impressions, our social media reached 20 million impressions across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

4:46

We generated more than one billion media impressions in national publications such as Southern Living, and our website traffic has increased from about 200,000 web sessions two years ago to over two million last year.

5:00

Our marketing puts William uh Winston Salem on the map.

5:04

It builds awareness for Winston Salem as a place to visit, and it shapes the image of our community.

5:09

The brand is more vibrant, youthful, and inclusive, representing both the rich history and culture of Winston Salem in Forsyth County and embracing the contemporary vibrancy that this city has achieved.

5:22

Of course, our team doesn't work in a vacuum.

5:24

I'd like to say that tourism is a team sport, and it's the result of a lot of hard work of hundreds of people across our community.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Homelessness██████████████████████████26%
Economic Development███████████████████19%
Public Engagement███████████11%
Procedural███████7%
Water And Wastewater Management███████7%
Public Safety███████7%
Zoning██████6%
Energy Management██████6%
Early Childhood Education█████5%
Summary of Proceedings

Winston-Salem City Council Meeting - September 15, 2025

The Winston-Salem City Council met on September 15, 2025, at 6:00 PM, with all nine members present. The meeting included a city manager update, an honorarium proclamation, consideration of consent and general agenda items, a public comment period, and council comments. All agenda items were approved unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 7:17 PM.

City Manager Update

  • Tourism Report: Stephanie Pace Brown (President & CEO of Visit Winston-Salem) and Grant Minnix (Director of Operations, Benton Convention Center) reported on 2025 achievements. Visitor spending in Forsyth County reached $1.1 billion in 2024, generating $75 million in state and local taxes. Over 7 million visitors came to the county, ranking 9th in NC for visitor spending. Hotel revenue increased 10% to over $140 million in FY24-25. The Benton Convention Center had a record year with $8 million in revenue (21% growth over prior year), 240 events, 295 occupied days, and 195,486 guests. Marketing efforts reached 66 million paid advertising impressions, 20 million social media impressions, and over 1 billion media impressions.
  • Other Updates: City Manager Pat Pate announced the Historic Resources Commission seeking applicants for historic markers; SOAR re-entry program accepting applications; Public Arts Commission seeking qualifications for a mural project; Winston-Salem Police Department adopting new black-and-white vehicle markings; Coffee with the City event on September 24; Bethabara Apple Festival on September 27; and the Carolina Classic Fair from October 3-12.

Honorariums

  • H-1. Proclamation Declaring Family, Friend, and Neighbor Caregiver Day: Mayor Joines presented the proclamation to Katura Jackson, Executive Director of Child Care Resource Center. Jackson highlighted that about 25,000 children ages 0-5 in Winston-Salem, with only 5,000 child care spaces, so family, friend, and neighbor care is critical. Councilmember Hall later thanked the organization publicly.

Consent Agenda

Items C-1 through C-3 were on the consent agenda. Items C-2 and C-3 were removed for separate discussion.

  • C-1. Voluntary Annexation of ~30.46 Acres (4015 Wallburg Road): Approved unanimously (8-0) on consent vote.

Discussion Items

  • C-2. Water and Sewer Revenue Bonds (Series 2025): CFO Kelly Latham presented a request to borrow $70 million in revenue bonds for water and sewer capital projects. The debt would be repaid through utility user fees. The motion to approve carried unanimously.
  • C-3. Solid Waste Limited Obligation Bonds (Amendment to Installment Purchase Contract): CFO Latham explained a $26 million borrowing for solid waste projects (berm construction, gas system expansion, cell initial construction). Debt would be repaid from solid waste fund revenues. Public hearing set for October 6, 2025. The motion to approve carried unanimously.

General Agenda (Public Hearings)

  • G-1. Brookberry Farm Phase 12 Voluntary Annexation (~14.734 acres): No public speakers. Motion to approve carried 8-0.
  • G-2. Union Cross Subdivision Voluntary Annexation (~13.6 acres): No public speakers. Motion to approve carried 8-0.
  • G-3. Zoning Petition W-3653 (County MU-S to City MU-S, ~14.73 acres, West Ward): No public speakers. Motion to approve the statement of consistency and the petition carried 8-0.
  • G-4. Zoning Petition W-3654 (County RS-9 to City RS-9, ~13.57 acres, Southeast Ward): No public speakers. Motion to approve carried 8-0.
  • G-5. Site Plan Amendment W-3656 (Jemsite Development, LLC) – Modify retail building to restaurant with drive-through (Zaxby’s), ~0.97 acres, North Ward: Mark Isaacson, contract purchaser, spoke in favor. No opposition. Motion to approve carried 8-0.
  • G-6. Approval of Issuance of Bonds by Public Finance Authority for PRG - The Grounds, LLC and Wake Forest University: CFO Latham clarified this is an IRS technicality allowing the project to access tax-exempt debt; it is not city debt and does not obligate the city. Councilmember Burke asked about credit rating impact; Latham confirmed no effect. Motion to approve carried 8-0.
  • G-7. Economic Development Assistance for Project Touchdown (Reagent, a U.K. chemical manufacturer): Ken Millet (Economic Development Director) presented. The company would create 30 jobs at an average wage of $59,217, with $5.6 million in capital investment. Performance-based incentives up to $57,168 (50% of net new property taxes over 5 years). Ellis Kiefer (Greater Winston-Salem Inc.) spoke in support. Councilmember Andree-Bowen expressed satisfaction with the company's environmental record. Motion to approve carried 8-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Ruth Burcaw (City with Dwellings): Expressed support for unhoused residents; stated homelessness is a housing problem, not a people problem; urged stronger local investment in housing and services.
  • Emily Harkins (The Dwelling church): Invited council to sit with unhoused neighbors to build understanding and compassion.
  • Brook Devong (The Dwelling): Supported City with Dwellings; noted homelessness is a compassion crisis; reported the winter shelter is being relocated in partnership with the city and county.
  • Ron Schulz (City with Dwellings): Argued homelessness is a symptom of deeper societal issues; listed barriers to employment; cited economic factors for downtown decline (inflation, labor costs) but said homelessness is not the main cause.
  • Berkley Von Feilitzsch (Brookberry Farm): Refuted rumors of people being bussed in for homelessness; cited federal data on 653,000 homeless nationally; emphasized discomfort is not danger; called for collaboration.
  • Tanner Broughton (Twin City Harm Reduction Collective/Public Safety): Asked council to revisit the location of the sterile syringe exchange program in West Salem (Green Street United Methodist), citing biohazards, harassment, and safety concerns. Proposed relocation to a health clinic outside residential areas.
  • Tarus Clark (Carolina Classic Fair vendor): Complained that after 10+ years vending at the fair, his application was rejected for 2024 and his previous spot given to another vendor selling the same items. Asked for help to be placed back in his original spot and for a vendor representative on the fair planning committee.
  • Dennis Sykes (All God’s Children Ministry, Nollwood Baptist Church): Opposed a proposed loitering ordinance targeting unhoused people; stated City with Dwellings has been an excellent neighbor and that homelessness is a symptom, not a problem.
  • Matthew Mayers, Margaret Miller, Annette Hayes (Sustainability advocates): Encouraged the city to pursue energy efficiency in city facilities as a way to save money and address climate change; noted climate change is causing more frequent severe storms.
  • Denis Little: Requested compensation for fence damage caused by police during a chase; city denied claim stating police were not negligent. Mayor Joines directed staff to follow up.
  • John Merschel: Urged reopening Bethesda Center day center (closed since March); suggested a carrot-and-stick approach for dealing with issues around Marshall Park, including addressing beer sales at a bodega. City Manager Pate confirmed discussions to reopen the center but noted all federal homeless funds are allocated.

Key Outcomes

  • All consent and general agenda items (C-1, C-2, C-3, G-1 through G-7) were approved unanimously (8-0 or voice vote unanimity).
  • The council received public comments on homelessness, public safety, fair vendor concerns, and sustainability. No immediate actions were taken on these topics, but staff were directed to follow up on the fence damage claim.
  • Councilmember Hall recognized the Child Care Resource Center and David Richie Brooks.
  • The meeting adjourned at 7:17 PM.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening, everyone. I'm Alan Joins, Mayor of Winston Salem. It's my pleasure to call to order the September 15th meeting of the Winston Salem City Council and ask the City City Clerk to call the role, please. Councilmember Joyner. Present. Councilmember Clark. Here. 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 a moment of silence? Thank you. Would you please join the City Council meeting the Pledge of Allegiance? Pledge of allegiance. What would you say is one nation under God? Thank you very much. Our Sergeant in Arms tonight is Lieutenant Victoria Arnt. And our fire marshal is Peter Geyck. Glad to have there he is over the corner. I'd like to turn the meeting now over to the city manager for his uh update. Uh thank you, uh Mayor. Um a couple of different announcements tonight, but I'm gonna start with a couple of uh quick presentations. The this past fiscal year was a very successful year for our local tourism industry, including a record setting year for the Benton Convention Center. I want to recognize first uh Stephanie Pace Brown, who's president of Visit Winston Salem, and then Grant Mennox, who's our director of operations for the Benton, who are both going to provide you some reports on this past year's performance and the outlook for the upcoming year. Thank you very much, Mr. City Manager. Hello, everyone, nice to see you. Um, I was here just about a year ago um to share with you our new brand, um, which is uh Winston plus Salem is twice as nice. Come on in. So I'm happy to have a few minutes um tonight to update you on the progress that we've made um in the past year or so to attract visitors to Winston Salem to expand the customer base for our local businesses to create jobs and to generate uh tax revenue. Um, just a few weeks ago, the state of North Carolina um released their annual report on the economic impact of travel and tourism in North Carolina. The study reported that visitors to Forsyth County spent 1.1 billion dollars in 2024, and um that's 1.1 billion with a B dollars. Um, and it generated 75 million dollars in state and local taxes. I think people are often really surprised to learn that more than seven million people visit Forsyth County every year, and we rank ninth out of 100 counties in North Carolina for visitor spending. Um we've made so much progress in the last couple of years. Um, in our fiscal year that ended June 30th, hotel revenue in Forsyth County increased 10 percent to total more than 140 million dollars. And we know that typically for every one dollar that's spent on lodging by visitors, another four dollars is spent on restaurants, retail, recreation, entertainment, and transportation. Um that's money in local cash registers. Um visit Winston Salem uh works to attract both leisure visitors and group visitors who come for meetings, conventions, and sporting events. On the group side, the sales team's bookings were up 13 percent in our last fiscal year, totaling almost 70,000 room nights and generating 84 million dollars in economic impact. The team generated 346 leads for future business and booked 177 groups. On the sports side, our team worked with local venues to book 41 youth and collegiate sporting events across the wide variety of sports that included basketball, tennis, track, cycling, soccer, lacrosse, dance, field hockey, hockey hockey, golf, gymnastics, motor sports, volleyball, running, dance, and dog competitions.

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