Good evening, everyone.

I'm Alan Joins, Mayor of Winston Salem.

It's my pleasure to call to order this January 5th 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.

Councilmember Scipio.

Present.

Mayor Praetim Adams.

Here.

Councilmember Taylor.

Present.

Councilmember Hall.

Present.

And Councilmember Burke.

Here.

Thank you.

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

Thank you very much.

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

Pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic.

One nation under God with liberty and justice from thank you.

Our Sergeant Honor tonight is Lieutenant Chu and our Fire Marshal is Fire Marshal Watson.

We thank both of you for being with us tonight.

We are televising this meeting live tonight on TV 13.

And it will be replayed tomorrow at 9 a.m.

and again Wednesday night at 9 p.m.

Of course, as you know, copies of our agendas as well as videos of previous meetings are always available online on the city's website.

And you just click on the watch meetings online option.

I'd like to recognize our city manager for his uh update.

Uh thank you, Mayor.

Uh a couple of items tonight.

First, the City of Winston Salem has released its fiscal year 2627 community agency funding request for proposals and funding applications, and that was done today.

The city is offering two separate requests for proposals.

One will cover local funding through the city's general fund.

The second will cover intergovernmental funding or entitlement funding, including the community development block grants, the home investment partnership program funds, housing opportunities for persons with aids, emergency solutions grants, and rapid unsheltered survivor housing funds.

Applications are available through the neighborly application portal and can be accessed on the city's website.

And again, that'll be open for um, I think for the better part of the month.

Nominations are also being accepted through February 27th for the Arts, Culture, and Entertainment Memorial Walk of Fame.

Nominees must have sustained excellence in their artistic field, the deceased, and former residents of Winston Salem.

More information is available, including the nomination form on our website under City of Winston Salem.org walk off fame.

And I should have said on the previous item on the grants, it's also on our website, City of Winston Salem.org/slash budget.

The recreation and parks department has updated its fee schedule for 2026, primarily affecting Nate Recreation Center rental fees and summer camp and after school fees, which was done by the city council as a part of your budget process.

Due to rising costs for maintenance, utilities and supplies have made it necessary to increase some of our fees to support the programs and activities offered at these community centers.

Financial assistance is available for seniors, low-income households, and people with disabilities for select programs.

And these fees are consistent with what um are typically being charged in our surrounding communities.

In terms of solid waste collection updates, our leaf collection round two collections have moved to quadrants three and four, which are the west and northwest sections.

Once these areas have been completed, uh round three and the final round will begin again in quadrants one and two.

If you have a Christmas tree that you want to dispose, the city is offering several options for residents who need to do that.

Residents in single family homes inside the city limits can put their Christmas trees at the curb for pickup during their regular city brush collection day.

All lights, decorations, tree stands, and nails must be removed from the trees.

Please be aware that it may take several weeks to collect all of the trees in town.

And more of information is also available on the city's website if you would like to get that.

The Office of Sustainability is accepting nominations for people who lead the way in making Winston Salem more sustainable.

They have award types for the young leader of the year for 18 and under, a resident of the year, green initiative of the year, and organization of the year.

And the categories that they're looking for nominees are in energy reduction and renewables, wildlife preservation and native plants, waste reduction or management, quality of life improvement, water conservation or mitigation pollution.

So I think there should be mitigation.

The nomination form is available on the website at City Wants to Salem.org slash sustainability.

Winners will be honored at the Piedmont Environmental Alliance Fair on April 18th, 2026.

And in collaboration, the Parks and Recreation Department and the Engineering Department have recently completed the Muddy Creek Greenway Stream Bank Repars Project.

Erosion along the Muddy Creek Streambanks had called the stream to encroach on the greenway.

So the edges of the greenways were causing the edges of the greenway to crumble and fall into the stream in a couple of areas, creating a public safety hazard.

The stream baits have now been repaired by installing stone reinforcements at the base of the banks and rebuilding the banks at a stable slope above the stone.

The greenways of both areas are also moved slightly to provide additional space between the stream and the greenway.

So we encourage everyone as a part of your New Year's resolutions to walk to get out and enjoy our greenways.

A couple of uh of events coming up.

The Winston Salem Fire Department will hold a promotional pinning and award ceremony on Friday, January 16th at 10 a.m.

at Pinedale Christian Church.

City offices will be closed on Monday, January 19th in observance of Martin Luther King Day.

So your council meeting is moved to the Tuesday of that week.

And then uh we're looking still all looking forward to January 30th through February 1st.

The cookout clash clash will be returning to Bowman Gray Stadium.

So there's lots of prep underway for that uh event.

And just in one note of recognition, Winston Salem was named a number um a winner in the 2026 travel awards by Good Housekeeping Magazine, highlighting the city as a top travel destination.

And with that, um and uh well at a happy new year to you all.

Uh stand around answer any questions.

Any questions for Mr.

Pate Thank you very much, Mr.

Pate.

We'll go to the agenda now.

As you know, our agenda is made up of two parts the consent agenda and the general agenda.

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

Items on this agenda have been unanimously uh recommended by a committee of the CEO City Council or are being submitted in accordance with 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 will be enacted with one motion.

I know there are uh three items I'm aware of uh C one, C4, and C5.

Um that uh are there any others council members that you wish to pull?

If not, I'd entertain a motion to approve the balance.

Move for approval of the balance of the consent agenda.

Second by council member Hall.

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

Aye.

Opposed, no, and that's unanimous.

Now go to item C1, please.

Item C one resolution approving the vehicle management solutions program.

Councilman Scipio.

Yes, Mr.

Mayor, and happy new year to my fellow council members.

Hope your holiday was great, and as you see, I can talk again, which is wonderful.

Um, but C one, um, council members and Mr.

Mayor, it's been brought to my attention that we possibly need to we need to keep this in committee so that we can have discussion on possible alternative solutions to this program and the implications in terms of cost for the city.

So I'd like to move that we keep this in committee.

Thank you.

It's a motion to remand this to the public safety committee second by council member Clark.

Discussion.

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

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed, no.

That's unanimous.

We'll send that back to public safety committee at the next meeting.

Thank you.

Uh item C4.

Item C4 resolution adopting civil service board appeal hearing rules.

Mayor Pro Tim Adams.

Yes, thank you, Mayor, members of the council.

I would like, I know last month in the committee of the whole, uh, we uh voted on this, but I also know that there are a couple of council members that weren't there.

And I wanted to make sure, because this was like a month ago almost, that uh our city attorney will review the revisions and edits that we voted on in that meeting.

Recognize Camille French, our city attorney.

Thank you, Mayor Joins.

Good evening, May Joins, Mayor Pro Tim Addison, members of the council.

Um, I do want to provide for you a brief overview of um the proposed rules that we have um provided for you a review as um Mayor Pro Tim Adams indicated.

Um we have gone through these in great detail and have had much discussion on these items.

I would try to move through them as quickly as possible.

But of course, as always, if there are any questions for me at the end of this, I'd be happy to answer those.

Again, I am going to come from exhibit B1, which is the CSB draft rules with legal revisions, council version.

That is the exhibit that staff is asking in the resolution that has been presented to you via the committee for approval on this evening.

As you will see highlighted in yellow, these are the proposed rules changes that we have brought to you for your review.

The board purpose, of course, is just to indicate the purpose of the Civil Service Board as codified via statute.

The addition below that that it is a quasi-judicial board and shall operate as such.

I believe I did outline for you previously, but we'll outline again that because the way the board was created by its legislation, it creates a quasi-judicial board, if not a quasi-judicial board, certainly a quasi-judicial function, and because of that, the decisions need to be based on matters that come before it, the evidence that is presented to the board for its consideration.

We have also provided a training for the board on those matters, and I am confident that they will adhere to those rules, but we did put that in per a request from one of our council members.

Also in our definitions, you will if you'll slow down just a second there.

One of the concerns was whether or not the handbook changes is the term changes.

What does that mean for these proposed rules?

And so to address that would offer that we just include the most current version of the employee handbook to make sure that it is clear that we are using the most current version as approved by council and as adopted so that there is no confusion in terms in terms of which terms would be used.

So you will see then in item number six and item number eight, where it refers to the employee handbook.

We would maybe want to just include the word current there for those people who are concerned that we are not using most current terminology there.

One thing I did want to point out about the transfer against their will provision.

That was a provision that was greatly discussed in our deliberations.

You'll see the suggested language by the board and then suggested language highlighted by staff.

One of the things that we tried to do was model our rules on Asheville's rules.

That was one of the guidelines that we were given.

We did do that.

Transfer indicating that only transfers within the same department would be considered for appeal in front of the board.

We felt that was a little too strict, and we wanted to give a little more concession to our police and firefighters in that regard.

And so we indicated that it would mean a reassignment such that the transfer is in effect a devotion and not limited just to the department, so that they would have a little more flexibility there in terms of what was brought before the board.

So that um addresses the definitions on page two.

I am going to quickly go to a concern that has been raised in starting on page three, section D.

I'm sorry, Madam Clerk, I'm moving kind of fast.

I'm sorry.

Um page three, section D, where it says CSB members.

Um, one of the changes that's highlighted is that um there is an attendance policy of 65 percent for regularly scheduled meetings.

That 65% is in line with our board's other boards and commissions as outlined in our current ordinance.

I think I have given you that as Article 2, Section 2 67A, um, and ask that the CSB will be apported those same provisions.

I think there is some concern about the um language about um the member appointed by city council that comes just before that, um, and whether that person is still also adherent to that 65 rule.

Our um position is absolutely yes.

That person, even though they are appointed by council, should still adhere to the 65% rule.

So if it is uh the council's pleasure, we can certainly remove that provision so that is a little more clear that all members, I think I um expressed that in my correspondence to you all earlier um earlier this morning, um, that it be um indicated and clear that all members, all five more board members be subjective to the 65% attendance rule, and an easy fix for that would just to be removed that provision.

Um and you see the other um indication that is highlighted.

Um section E was just to um indicate the CSB meetings as outlined, just to highlight that there.

Going on to Section F on page five, appeals hearings.

Again, the purpose for these um additions was just to make clear as outlined via the session law, the employee that seeks an appeal before this board must exhaust all administrative remedies before coming to the board, which means they have to go through the full grievance process, which also goes back to those additional terms as defined previously.

They have those additional rights to appeal, those um terms and those um disciplinary actions.

Um, but they must go through our administrative process first, and so that is just to highlight and um put that in the rules to make that more clear as well.

Flipping to page six, same section, section five, um, again concerning um the statute, um the privacy and personnel statute 168-168, um, indicating that we want to make sure that even though these are open meetings, um, if there is something that would indicate that someone's personnel information might be disclosed, we would want to not violate that statute and ask them to go in a closed session for that.

Um, so that would be determined um on an as-needed basis.

Um, number six, I think has also raised quite a bit of concern with respect to introducing new and material evidence in support of the position.

I want to point out that this applies to both sides, not just the employee side, but the city side.

We should all be held to the same standard, which means that whatever we presented in the original um review of this matter at the grievance level, we also, as the city should not be allowed to bring in new evidence to try to build our case.

If that case was not built at the grievance hearing level, then you know we might just be out of luck.

At the end of the day, new evidence, and I have spoken with Asheville's former city attorney who was in place at the time that their bill was going through and going through their civil service board process.

Again, this was an attempt for us not to mirror their procedures directly.

If you look at Asheville's record, what they have done is said no new evidence in at all.

They do not allow it, they do not send it back to the manager.

They just do not allow it in because again, when you're talking about a quasi-judicial matter, you should be allowed to just look at the evidence that is in front of you, not new evidence that could have been looked at months ago when the grievance process took place.

So our concession here was to say that okay, if there is new material evidence, we we do send it back to the manager's level for consideration as to whether or not that evidence should make a decision on whether or not to uphold or reverse the previous decision that was made.

So that is why that was added in there to give the manager an opportunity to see fully all of the evidence that might be presented.

Um to page seven, same section number eight.

Um this is the section that indicates that the city attorney shall serve as legal advisor, but the board has to agree to that.

Um that is in um the provisions, and um the board has the right to select their own counsel, and um that section speaks to that, that is in line with the statutory guidance.

If you go on over to page eight, same section number 12.

Witness testimony, the CSB shall not call witnesses.

That is the responsibility of the parties.

The parties should be able to provide their own witness list, folks that are there to provide testimony on behalf of the witness, whether that's for the city side or for the employee side.

Those witnesses can then be subpoenaed by the board.

But it is not the board's responsibility to subpoena anyone and everyone that they feel has a right to come and speak.

They are limited to those persons who need to be compelled to come that are a part of that witness list that has been put out there by either side.

As far as these next um highlights, they are merely delineations, um, titles for each section, so they are easily more easily accessible.

So you'll see notification there, excusable from job duties, and then in the next section, um, how we can excuse folks from appeals hearings matter.

So those are not really substantive changes, those are just changes for purposes of ease of use.

The next change would be on page 10.

Small C and D under Section 13, just basically no ex parte communications as well as board member impartiality, what is required.

Um again, no members shall participate in or vote on any quadrant quasi judicial matter in a manner that would violate constitutional rights, and we just kind of outline and highlight those there.

And then on page 11 is just another shall based on criteria that came from statutory guidance that we got.

So that is a brief synopsis overall of the proposed rules in exhibit B1.

Um, I did provide you all again with another response to some concerns that were raised with respect to quasi judicial matters, and I think I have highlighted for you in that correspondence, not just the definition of quasi judicial, but also case law that supports that from several of our sister cities.

Also the definition of the terms, I think we addressed that as well.

Um another item with respect to the attendance rule, I think it's already been addressed again at your pleasure.

If you would like for us to remove that provision referring to your appointee as the board chair, we can certainly do that because again all members of the board should be held to the same standard and adhere to those 65 percent rules.

Um let's see the evidence piece, I think, has been addressed as well, and the witness testimony piece has also been addressed.

Um but I do stand ready for any questions or concerns that you might have or any clarify additional clarifications that you may need.

Any questions of uh Ms.

French?

Yeah, Councilmember Hall, and then I just want to make a comment.

Go ahead.

Um one quick question, and then I had a um one other comment um for Mayor Joins.

Um attorney French, could you mention that there is a there is a budget that is allotted for this committee?

Could you go over that really quickly?

What that is, was there a $50,000 budget for this uh committee?

There is, and so when the session law was created and when we were in the process of creating the ordinance for the board to um govern be governed under by the council, um, included in that um back in 23 or 24 was a budget that has been carried over for purposes of the board.

Um I believe that amount is $50,000.

That amount does go toward if they do want to hire counsel, which they have um opted to do, that will go to pay legal fees and um any of those types of things in support of the civil service board.

Okay, and thank you.

And uh Mayor Joyce is kind of a point of information in the event that um uh the council uh decided to move this forward by vote.

Would we be um asking for, and so this is to you andor um attorney French to make those any provisions like there was a possible insertion of like current for current handbook in the B6 or whatever would that something would include those two items?

Okay, all right, and D4.

Okay, yes, I agree.

All right, so Mayor Portium.

Yes, thank you.

Uh first of all, I want to thank everybody and their efforts to get this through.

Uh, this has not been easy, it is different.

Uh, but the fact is that we now have something, and uh we'll move forward with it, and just like we know that when there needs to be just like what's built in amendments and changes, anything that the council votes on or any legislative or government body, we can come back and amend and change, make it better tweak.

So with that, Mayor uh Alan Joins and the members of the council.

I move for approval of item C4.

Second.

Motion and second, and the motion is I'll make sure it includes the adding the word current for that and for the handbook as well as removing the sentence regarding the city council appointed chairman.

That's correct.

Yes, sir.

All right.

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

Aye.

And when opposed, no.

And that's unanimous.

Thank you very much.

No.

Did you say no?

I'm sorry, Councilmember Andrew Bowen votes no on that seven to one.

So item C5.

Item C five resolution authorizing the modification of the affordable housing development program and guidelines.

Councilmember Hall.

Thank you, Mayor Joins.

Um I uh asked the manager if he could uh have Mr.

Blair.

I see Mr.

Blair from Neighborhood Services that's here.

Um Mr.

Blair, thank you for being here.

Mayor joins if it's okay.

If he can have a couple of moments at the mic, in particular, Mr.

Blair, I would like for you to highlight what some of the changes were with this.

I think one of the things uh that we had talked about was um how guidelines were going to be a little defined, a little more defined in how the education piece was going to be a bit more for awareness for community members, um smaller organizations, neighborhood um associations, but then also maybe any changes to any scoring matrix that you had, particularly around um uh having resident engagement for anyone who was interested in the process of getting lots and making sure that they uh spoke to folks in the um surrounding community.

Could you speak to that for us?

Absolutely, thank you.

Blair, you're recognized.

Uh good evening, uh Mayor uh Mayor Jones, Mayor Pro Tim Adams, Council members.

Um when I got here uh October, one of the first things I started looking at was the design guideline manual, which was guiding multifamily development as well as the lots, single family lots, as well as design guidelines for houses that are produced on city-owned lots.

Um the biggest changes um in terms of community outreach, uh that's one of the things that it resulted in some uh items that came before council that ended up changing.

Um what we're going to do now is when somebody um has an application that comes in through neighborly that they show evidence that they've reached out to the neighborhood association and working with neighborhood services, housing development staff will work with them to make sure that people know who to contact, and then we have evidence that that neighborhood group was contacted.

We're not going as far as Charlotte does, which says you're gonna have two public meetings in that neighborhood, but we're you know making taking steps to make sure that there are no surprises that come forward.

That's the main thing there.

And then um with the uh oh I'm sorry, what was the second?

I actually think that he covered it.

Pardon me?

I think you covered it.

Oh, okay, okay.

Are there any other questions?

Any questions, Mr.

Blair?

Thank you, Ms.

Blair.

Okay, thank you.

I am thank you.

Mayor joins um with that.

I move for approval of item C5.

Second.

Second by Mayor Pro Tim.

Any discussion?

Not all in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Aye.

Anyone opposed, no.

And that is unanimous.

Thank you, Councilmember Hall.

We'll now go to the general agenda.

And uh, Councilmember, you probably noted that uh the staff has asked that we uh pull item G2 for some additional staff work, and it will come back to this body on February 16th for final approval.

So we'll uh go to item G1, please.

Item G1, public hearing and consideration of ordinance ordering the demolition and removal of a structure at 6 622 East 25th Street.

Thank you.

Uh let me just say uh as far as I know no one has signed up uh for the public hearing on this.

Is anyone in council chairman who wishes to be heard on this proposed demolition when I'll close the public hearing?

Go ahead, sir.

Brian Chane, PL Box 361 rule hall.

Good evening, Mayor, Mayor Pro Tim, Council and Committee.

The item we have before you is located at 622 East 25th Street.

Okay, can you hear me better?

That's better.

Again, the item is located at 622 East 25th Street in the Northeast ward.

Um we've done our due diligence by making sure that all the owner entities were properly notified.

Our list pendus was registered with the clerk of court.

Uh the estimate it costs the repair of this building is thirty-seven thousand seven hundred and fifty-two dollars, and the fair fair market value for the structure is two hundred dollars.

Yes, 200.

200.

Um at this point in time, I think any questions.

Any questions for Mr.

Thank you, sir.

This did come from our uh housing general government committee.

I recognize Mayor Pro Tim Adams.

Yes, Mayor, members of the council, I move that we approve uh item G1.

Second.

Second by Councilmember Burke, it is in her ward.

So any discussion?

All those motion please say I.

And that is unanimous.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

We do have a need for a closed session, and I recognize Councilmember Clark for a motion.

I move that the once the side of City Council go into closed session for sure to know.

General statute one forty three dash three eighteen eleven A one and A five.

Okay.

It is all right.

Motion in close session.

Second.

Motion on Council Clark.

Second by Council Hall in closed session.

All those motion in closed session, please say aye.

Aye.

That's unanimous.

Is there a motion to adjourn?

Motion by Council Clark, second by Council to adjourn.

All those in favor of adjourning, please say aye.

Anyone opposed, no.

We are adjourned.