OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

General Government Committee of Winston-Salem City Council Meeting - December 8, 2025

Meeting Portal — Monday, December 8, 2025
BodyWinston Salem, North Carolina
SessionMeeting Portal
DateMonday, December 8, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:32:44

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

A general government meeting.

0:02

Um would the city clerk please call the role for the committee, please.

0:08

Chair Chairwoman Mayor Pratim Adams.

0:10

Here.

0:11

Vice Chair.

0:12

Councilmember Joyner.

0:14

Present.

0:15

Councilmember Burke.

0:17

Here.

0:17

And Councilmember Hall.

0:19

Here.

0:20

Thank you so much.

0:21

As you know, we have two parts to our agenda.

0:23

We have a consent agenda and a general agenda.

0:26

And today we have two consent items and we have seven general agenda items.

0:32

If there are any uh questions or want any consent items pulled, uh let that be known from the committee or the council members.

0:45

And if not, may I have a motion to receive and accept the consent agenda?

0:51

Make a motion.

0:53

Second.

0:54

It's the mood and properly seconded to accept the consent agenda items.

0:59

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

1:02

Aye.

1:02

All those opposed.

1:04

Thank you.

1:04

And it passes.

1:12

Item G1 update on fire classification market study.

1:17

And that would be assistant city manning Wolfia.

1:23

Manager Wolfia.

1:24

Yes, uh, good afternoon.

1:26

Um committee members and uh council member Burke, can you hear us okay in the room?

1:36

Councilmember Burke, can you hear the assistant city manager?

1:44

Is she please?

1:45

What's going on?

1:51

All right, we'll we'll work on we'll work on that.

1:55

Um in the meantime, I want to kind of key this item up and I'll turn it over to Dr.

2:02

Kina Cofield Jones, our human resources director, and Matt Reese with Piemont Triad Regional Council or PTRC.

2:10

So this item is a follow up to some of the conversations we had earlier this summer with the adjustments to the accruals for the fire department and the discussions of the what we call the third, third, third, um, updating our classification and compensation studies.

2:32

We had committed to looking at a third of our employees each year.

2:36

So over the span of three years, we would have evaluated class classification and compensation for all of our employees over the three-year period with the adjustments to the fire accruals to bring their accrual rates on par with the rest of the city employees.

2:54

We agreed to look at the fire department um classification in that first round.

2:59

So we have hired PTRC to do that work.

3:03

So Dr.

3:05

Keena Cofield Jones and Matt Reese will go through.

3:09

You want to if you want to go to the so they'll cover just kind of an overview of the work that was done, the cities or fire departments that were included in the compensation comparisons, um, provide a summary of the analysis and the results of that initial analysis, and then we'll talk through next steps.

3:30

So with that, I'll turn it over to Keena and Matt.

3:33

I have a question, please.

3:35

Um I guess again, going back, we did have a study done years ago.

3:42

Uh it was a part one, part two deal uh that would have gotten where we are now if we had voted to do it.

3:50

Uh, my concern is or my question is I know you're doing uh fire department first.

3:56

Uh I'd like to know how did you come to do that?

3:59

And does that tell the public that the firemen are the most disparaged of salaries out of all of our employees, or is it that we just decided to do them?

4:11

Uh and from the perception of the community, it might look one way, but when we know, I know that when I got on this council in 09, it wasn't public safety and others that were making the least amount of money.

4:26

It was the people that were doing the hardest jobs and the jobs that nobody wanted, such as utilities, landscaping, sanitation, and those type things.

4:36

So again, my question is did we make the decision based on the disparaging the disparity of the salaries based on market study, or do we make it because we chose to pick firemen first?

4:51

Let me take that one, uh Mayor Bertam.

4:54

The I and none of us that are here are part of this can speak back to what happened in the original ones that you were talking about.

5:02

There were an overall classification study that was done that was started before I arrived that we completed that was completed after I got here, and that set a baseline.

5:11

And city council had been doing a variety of things to move various individual uh positions up to make them competitive in the market.

5:21

Plus, you did a lot of things in terms of the lower end of the scale in changing our the the lowest salary point that that people could have the minimum wage, so to speak, for city employees.

5:34

So there's been a lot of activity that has happened by this council, or particularly by the most recent council in terms of moving things along.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Personnel Matters██████████████████████████████████34%
Affordable Housing███████████████████19%
Procedural████████████████16%
Public Engagement███████7%
Intergovernmental Relations███████7%
Public Health███████7%
Zoning█████5%
Homelessness███3%
Pending Litigation██2%
Summary of Proceedings

General Government Committee of Winston-Salem City Council Meeting - December 8, 2025

The General Government Committee of the Winston-Salem City Council met on December 8, 2025 at 4:00 PM. The committee approved the consent agenda and discussed seven general agenda items including an update on fire classification market study, approval of federal and state legislative action plans, adoption of Civil Service Board appeal hearing rules, proposed amendments to planned residential development standards, zoning regulations for needle exchanges, and modifications to the affordable housing development program. All votes were unanimous (4-0) with Mayor Pro Tempore Adams, Council Member Joiner, Council Member Burke, and Council Member Hall present. The meeting adjourned at 5:33 PM.

Consent Calendar

  • C-1: Demolition of Structure at 622 East 25th Street (Northeast Ward) – Request for a public hearing on an ordinance ordering demolition. Committee recommended approval and referred to the City Council on January 5, 2026.
  • C-2: Approval of General Government Committee Summary of Minutes (October 13, 2025) – Approved by consent vote.

Discussion Items

G-1: Update on Fire Classification Market Study

  • Presenters: Assistant City Manager Sharon Wojda, Matt Reese (Piedmont Triad Regional Council), and Human Resources Director Dr. Keena Cofield Jones.
  • Summary: The study compares current fire department pay plan to 19 other North Carolina localities. Current ranges lag the market by 7–11% depending on rank. The recommendation is to move to a standard 55% spread between minimum and maximum pay and simplify the pay structure by removing embedded degree tracks (no degree, associate's, bachelor's) in favor of a hiring matrix that recognizes education at point of hire. Battalion chief would require a grade increase due to an 11% market gap.
  • Council Positions: Council Member Burke expressed concern about prioritizing firefighters over other city employees (e.g., utilities, sanitation) and emphasized the need for clear communication with all employees to avoid perception of favoritism. Council Member Hall asked about compression between ranks; staff noted additional recommendations will come. Council Member Joiner clarified that education-based pay adjustments would occur at promotion. Council Member Clark requested printed copies of the presentation.
  • Outcome: Information only; no vote. Staff will continue analysis and return with implementation strategies and benefit survey results.

G-2: Resolution Approving the 2026 Federal Action Plan

  • Presenter: Dr. Shalene Miller (Intergovernmental Relations) and Kyle Leppard (federal lobbyist).
  • Summary: The action plan articulates the city's federal policy priorities, focusing on preserving funding for CDBG, HOME, and Continuum of Care programs, and responding to potential federal funding shifts. Council Member Adams asked about federal changes to Continuum of Care grants, specifically caps on permanent housing spending and potential funding gaps. Kyle Leppard confirmed these risks.
  • Council Positions: Council Member Clark asked about transportation funding assumptions under a continuing resolution. Leppard noted that FY24 appropriations levels are expected to continue.
  • Motion: Council Member Hall moved to recommend approval, seconded by Council Member Joiner. Vote: 4-0, referred to City Council on January 5, 2026.

G-3: Resolution Adopting 2026 State Legislative Priorities

  • Presenter: Dr. Shalene Miller.
  • Summary: The state legislative agenda includes a new format with a general agenda for rapid response and continued advocacy on specific bills from the prior session (e.g., opposing unfunded mandates, protecting local authority).
  • Motion: Council Member Hall moved to recommend approval, seconded by Council Member Joiner. Vote: 4-0, referred to City Council on January 5, 2026.

G-4: Resolution Adopting Civil Service Board Appeal Hearing Rules

  • Presenter: Attorney French.
  • Summary: Attorney French presented the final version of the Civil Service Board (CSB) appeal hearing rules, highlighting legal revisions made to ensure compliance with state statute. The recommended version is Exhibit B (dated 12/4/25, legal revisions, council version), which incorporates all prior edits including a clarification that absences spanning multiple-day meetings are counted only once for attendance purposes.
  • Council Positions: Mayor Joines expressed support, noting the document is workable and compliant. Council Member Clark supported the revised version. Council Member Hall thanked the city attorney’s office and the CSB for their efforts.
  • Motion: Council Member Hall moved to approve Exhibit B (CSB draft rules with legal revisions, council version), seconded by Council Member Joiner. Vote: 4-0, referred to City Council on January 5, 2026.

G-5: Proposed Amendments to Planned Residential Development (PRD) Bufferyard and Thoroughfare Open Space Standards

  • Presenter: Chris Murphy, Director of Planning and Development Services.
  • Summary: Staff sought guidance on whether to examine modifying buffer yard and thoroughfare open space standards for PRDs. A request from TREBIC (real estate industry) prompted the discussion. Current residential-to-residential buffer requirements may not be a wise use of land given housing needs. Thoroughfare open space is considered more critical for aesthetic reasons.
  • Council Positions: Mayor Pro Tempore Adams supported moving forward, emphasizing collaboration with developers and need for housing. Council Member Joiner agreed, wanting to minimize buffers overall especially residential-to-residential or commercial-to-commercial, but not eliminate all.
  • Outcome: Committee directed staff to work on a text amendment and bring options back later in spring/summer 2026.

G-6: Information on Zoning Regulations for Needle Exchanges

  • Presenter: Aaron King, Assistant City Manager.
  • Summary: The Twin City Harm Reduction Collective operates a needle exchange as an accessory use at Green Street United Methodist Church (West Salem). Concerns from neighbors have increased as the program grew from serving 150–250 to 2,000–3,000 annually. Current zoning does not specifically address needle exchanges; staff classified it as an accessory church use. Council can amend the UDO to change approval authority, allowed districts, or add conditions.
  • Council Positions: Council Member Joiner (representing the area) stated the program has outgrown its location and asked colleagues to allow staff to explore alternative regulations, possibly locating it at a county health facility. Council Member Scippio noted it is run by an outside agency, not the church, and suggested it may be better categorized as a public health use requiring different zoning. Council Member Clark recommended coordinating with Forsyth County since they fund the program. Council Member Hall supported staff moving forward.
  • Outcome: Committee directed staff to research and bring back draft text amendment options.

G-7: Resolution Authorizing Modification of Affordable Housing Development Program and Guidelines

  • Presenter: Michael Blair, Housing Development Director.
  • Summary: Proposed changes include: increase per-unit investment from $35,000 to $40,000 (new rental) and up to $100,000 for city-associated units (no cap in Charlotte, Greensboro caps rehab at $20,000); incorporate the Housing Justice Act; adjust scoring system for site amenities to a 0.5-mile radius (15-minute city concept); encourage smaller mixed-income rental developments; conduct pre-review of applications; make affordable housing coalition meetings more public; and provide quarterly status updates on funded projects using a template.
  • Council Positions: Mayor Pro Tempore Adams requested more details on remaining state ARPA funds and website clarity. Council Member Clark asked for an ongoing evergreen project status log (e.g., red-yellow-green). Council Member Hall emphasized keeping neighborhood association contact lists updated. Council Member Scippio requested a total ARPA-funded project completion status report. Council Member Joiner asked for clearer scoring criteria in applications to avoid subjectivity.
  • Motion: Council Member Joiner moved to recommend approval, seconded by Council Member Hall. Vote: 4-0, referred to City Council on January 5, 2026.

Key Outcomes

  • Votes (all 4-0): Recommended approval of the 2026 Federal Action Plan (G-2), 2026 State Legislative Priorities (G-3), Civil Service Board Appeal Hearing Rules (G-4, specific exhibit B council version), and Affordable Housing Development Program modifications (G-7). All referred to the full City Council on January 5, 2026.
  • Directives: Staff was directed to proceed with examining PRD bufferyard/thoroughfare open space amendments (G-5) and to research zoning regulation changes for needle exchanges (G-6).
  • Staff Actions: HR will continue fire classification study analysis with benefit survey results and bring back implementation recommendations. Housing staff will improve website clarity, develop project status tracking, and implement pre-application reviews.

Meeting Transcript

A general government meeting. Um would the city clerk please call the role for the committee, please. Chair Chairwoman Mayor Pratim Adams. Here. Vice Chair. Councilmember Joyner. Present. Councilmember Burke. Here. And Councilmember Hall. Here. Thank you so much. As you know, we have two parts to our agenda. We have a consent agenda and a general agenda. And today we have two consent items and we have seven general agenda items. If there are any uh questions or want any consent items pulled, uh let that be known from the committee or the council members. And if not, may I have a motion to receive and accept the consent agenda? Make a motion. Second. It's the mood and properly seconded to accept the consent agenda items. All those in favor, let it be known by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed. Thank you. And it passes. Item G1 update on fire classification market study. And that would be assistant city manning Wolfia. Manager Wolfia. Yes, uh, good afternoon. Um committee members and uh council member Burke, can you hear us okay in the room? Councilmember Burke, can you hear the assistant city manager? Is she please? What's going on? All right, we'll we'll work on we'll work on that. Um in the meantime, I want to kind of key this item up and I'll turn it over to Dr. Kina Cofield Jones, our human resources director, and Matt Reese with Piemont Triad Regional Council or PTRC. So this item is a follow up to some of the conversations we had earlier this summer with the adjustments to the accruals for the fire department and the discussions of the what we call the third, third, third, um, updating our classification and compensation studies. We had committed to looking at a third of our employees each year. So over the span of three years, we would have evaluated class classification and compensation for all of our employees over the three-year period with the adjustments to the fire accruals to bring their accrual rates on par with the rest of the city employees. We agreed to look at the fire department um classification in that first round. So we have hired PTRC to do that work. So Dr. Keena Cofield Jones and Matt Reese will go through. You want to if you want to go to the so they'll cover just kind of an overview of the work that was done, the cities or fire departments that were included in the compensation comparisons, um, provide a summary of the analysis and the results of that initial analysis, and then we'll talk through next steps. So with that, I'll turn it over to Keena and Matt. I have a question, please. Um I guess again, going back, we did have a study done years ago. Uh it was a part one, part two deal uh that would have gotten where we are now if we had voted to do it. Uh, my concern is or my question is I know you're doing uh fire department first. Uh I'd like to know how did you come to do that?

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com