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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Winston-Salem City Council Meeting – March 2, 2026

Meeting Portal — Monday, March 2, 2026

BodyWinston Salem, North Carolina

SessionMeeting Portal

DateMonday, March 2, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 23:44

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:01

Good evening, everyone.

0:02

I'm Alan Joins, the mayor of Winston Salem.

0:04

My pleasure to call to order this March 2nd meeting of the Winston Salem City Council and ask the city clerk to call the roll, please.

0:10

Councilmember Joyner.

0:12

Present.

0:12

Councilmember Clark.

0:13

Here.

0:14

Councilmember Andrew Belling.

0:16

Councilmember Scipio.

0:17

Present.

0:17

Mayor Pratim Adams.

0:19

Here.

0:19

Councilmember Taylor.

0:20

Present.

0:20

Councilmember Hall, present.

0:22

And Councilmember Burke.

0:23

Here.

0:24

Thank you very much.

0:25

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

0:37

Thank you.

0:38

Would you please join the City Council and me in the Pledge of Allegiance?

0:43

Pledge of Allegiance.

0:48

And to the Republic for which it stands.

0:51

One nation under God.

1:00

Thank you very much.

1:01

I recognize our Sergeant in Arms tonight's Lieutenant Joshua Caffey.

1:05

Lieutenant, thank you for being with us.

1:06

And the fire marshal tonight is Pete Gake.

1:09

Hope I said that right.

1:11

Mr.

1:12

Marshall.

1:13

Thank you for being with us tonight.

1:14

We are televising this meeting live tonight on TV 13.

1:18

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

1:20

and again Wednesday at 9 p.m.

1:22

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

1:29

And just click on the quote watch meetings online option.

1:33

Turn the meeting up now to the city manager for his uh update.

1:37

Uh thank you, Mayor.

1:38

Uh a couple of uh uh different items for tonight.

1:41

One is to remind folks that our bulky item pickup will start on March 2nd and extend through September 4th.

1:47

So I encourage residents to go on the city uh website to see when your when your day is scheduled or week is scheduled for that.

1:56

There's uh on February 17th, um, the Office of Housing Development hosted a developer builder information session to review the submission requirements for the Affordable Housing Development RFP that was released on February 5th.

2:12

Thirty-five people attended in person and another 30 participated via YouTube live stream.

2:18

Attendees included nonprofit developers, for profit developers, contractors, and community partners.

2:24

The RFP closes March 6th and would come to the General Government Committee in April with some final recommendations to council in May for those funds.

2:35

The uh geographic mapping improvement staff developed with assistance from the city GIS manager, an updated GIS based mapping resources that shows a new map of all the city owned lots, including a filtering by ward, current affordable housing project locations, and these tools are intended to support strategic planning, council briefings, public communication, and equitable geographic distribution analysis.

3:01

And you can see that portal on the housing department development department website or web page.

3:15

This campaign encourages residents to not mow their lawns in March to protect pollinators' habitats.

3:21

As springtime begins, birds and insects need to have an abundance of food sources, and not mowing your grass provides extra sources of nutrients for them, which enhances their ability to pollinate and protect the seasonal growing cycle.

3:36

So if you're interested in participation, you could sign a pledge to not mow during March, and you'll receive a yard sign indicating that you're participating and would not be cited for tall grass during the campaign.

3:50

In terms of uh for council's information as well, uh you've heard this a couple of times, but our community agency funding requests uh have been received.

3:58

We have more than 70 nonprofit agencies that have submitted applications for local funding.

4:03

Staff are currently reviewing all those uh applications for completeness and assembling them along with supporting documentation for each of the groups so council members can easily access this information electronically.

4:18

You should expect to receive these items um Monday, March the 9th.

4:22

And uh so next at the committee of the whole meeting will uh do a little uh little update on on those items that you'll be getting and how to follow up with your scoring.

4:32

A couple of events that are going on to make sure everyone is uh aware of.

4:36

The mayor's youth violence crime summit follow or the follow-up summit to that.

4:41

The council members and the public are invited to participate in this important dialogue.

4:46

Information obtained at the October 30th summit as well as the youth focus group meetings will be presented on Saturday, March the 7th, between 9 and 11 a.m.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Procedural██████████████████████████████████████38%

Public Safety██████████████████████████████████34%

Public Engagement█████████████13%

Engineering And Infrastructure██████████10%

Environmental Protection█████5%

Summary of Proceedings

Winston-Salem City Council Meeting – March 2, 2026

The Winston-Salem City Council met on Monday, March 2, 2026, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers. The meeting included a consent agenda with multiple routine items, a pulled item on police complaint procedures that generated discussion, two public hearings, and approval of a revised March meeting schedule. All votes were unanimous except for one item. The meeting adjourned at 6:24 PM.

Consent Calendar

All items on the Consent Agenda except C‑2 were approved unanimously (8‑0):

C‑1: Resolution approving a contract with CFKAA Holdings, LLC d/b/a Autura for towing management and vehicle management solutions, and adjusting fees.
C‑3: Ordinance amending Chapter 46 (Noise) (second reading).
C‑4: Ordinance amending Sections 2‑295, 2‑296, and 2‑299 regarding duties and membership of the Urban Food Policy Council.
C‑5: Ordinances renewing Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity for three limousine companies, one trolley pub company, and one taxicab company.
C‑6: Resolution authorizing a design contract for the Brewer Road Sidewalk Project with A. Morton Thomas and Associates, Inc. ($697,684).
C‑7: Resolution awarding a contract for asphaltic concrete to APAC‑Atlantic, Inc. Thompson‑Arthur Division ($3,385,250).
C‑8: Resolution and ordinance related to replacement of Bridge #296 on West First Street, including acceptance of additional NCDOT funding of $2,971,278 with a city match of $742,819.
C‑9: Ordinances amending the FY 2025‑2026 Annual Appropriation and Tax Levy Ordinance and Project Budget Ordinance.
C‑10: Approval of the City Council summary minutes from February 16, 2026.

Public Comments & Testimony

G‑1 (Fenimore Street closure): No public speakers. The public hearing was opened and closed without comment.
G‑2 (Wireless tower at Shaffner Park): Three speakers:
- Thomas H. Johnson (attorney for petitioning tenant) stated he was available for questions.
- Mike Klinetobe (822 West 4th Street) asked about project cost; he was told there is no cost to the city – the city is paid for the lease.
- Gray Kimmell (421 Archer Road, Old Sherwood Forest) spoke in support, noting poor cell coverage in his neighborhood and that the tower would be a great enhancement, especially during power outages.

Discussion Items

C‑2 – Police Complaint Filing and Investigation Procedures: This item was pulled from the consent agenda by Mayor Pro Tempore Adams. Captain Charles Olivo of the Winston‑Salem Police Department’s Professional Standards Division presented three key changes to the city ordinance: (1) shifting responsibility for addressing complaints from the Professional Standards Division to the entire Police Department for efficiency; (2) allowing citizens to file complaints without a notarized document and outside of 8‑5 business hours by speaking with a supervisor; (3) maintaining existing investigation processes and the role of the Citizen Police Review Board. Council Members Adams and Hall expressed concern about not proactively notifying the Police Review Board members of the changes. Adams emphasized transparency and trust, noting the ordinance’s historical roots in the 1993 community effort. Hall said she received a call from a review board member unaware of the changes and initially hesitated to support, but the board’s role remains untouched. The ordinance was approved 7‑1, with Council Member Hall voting no.
City Manager Update: The City Manager reported on several initiatives:
- Bulky item pickup runs March 2 – September 4, 2026.
- An Affordable Housing Development RFP was released February 5; 35 people attended an information session in person, 30 via YouTube. The RFP closes March 6, with recommendations to Council in May.
- GIS tools updated, including ward‑filtered maps of city‑owned lots and affordable housing project locations.
- “No Mow March” campaign to protect pollinators; residents can sign a pledge and receive a yard sign to avoid citation for tall grass.
- Over 70 nonprofit agencies submitted applications for community agency funding; staff are reviewing. Council members will receive materials March 9.
- Mayor’s Youth Violence Crime Summit follow‑up event on March 7, 9–11 AM at Benton Convention Center.
- Winston‑Salem Police Academy class #81 graduates 23 new officers on March 5 at 6 PM.
- WICEL transit service adjustments proposed, including reduced travel time, new/modified routes, selective eliminations, and microtransit. Community meetings held and additional sessions scheduled for March 4 and 5.
- Council Member Andree‑Bowen noted that Community Roots Day volunteers planted 110 Mulberry trees at Kimberly Park.

General Agenda Items

G‑1 – Closure of Fenimore Street (Southwest Ward): Following a public hearing with no speakers, Council Member Burke moved approval of the resolution to close and abandon an unopened portion of Fenimore Street. Council Member Andree‑Bowen thanked DOT staff for addressing neighborhood questions at a prior meeting. The motion carried unanimously (8‑0).
G‑2 – Wireless Communication Tower Lease at Shaffner Park: After the public hearing, Council Member Burke moved approval of the resolution authorizing an option and lease agreement with Vogue Towers II, LLC. Council Member Clark spoke in support, explaining the tower will be disguised as a tree, addresses cell coverage dead zones in the West Ward (a hilly area), and that reliable cell service is a necessity, particularly for 911 calls. The small lease is for a little over $1,000 per month and costs the city nothing. The motion carried unanimously (8‑0).
G‑3 – Revised March 2026 Meeting Schedule: The City Manager explained the revision adds a meeting with the local state delegation on March 27, 2026, at 9:00 AM in City Hall’s committee room. Council Member Hall moved approval, seconded by Council Member Scippio. The motion carried unanimously (8‑0).

Mayor/Council Comments

Mayor Pro Tempore Adams congratulated the Winston‑Salem State University Women’s Basketball Team for winning the 2026 CIAA Championship.

Key Outcomes

C‑2: Ordinance amending police complaint procedures approved 7‑1 (Hall dissenting).
Consent Agenda (excluding C‑2): Approved unanimously (8‑0).
G‑1: Resolution approving closure of unopened portion of Fenimore Street approved unanimously.
G‑2: Resolution authorizing lease option with Vogue Towers II, LLC for a wireless tower in Shaffner Park approved unanimously.
G‑3: Revised March 2026 meeting schedule (including March 27 state delegation meeting) approved unanimously.
Adjournment: Motion approved unanimously at 6:24 PM.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening, everyone. I'm Alan Joins, the mayor of Winston Salem. My pleasure to call to order this March 2nd meeting of the Winston Salem City Council and ask the city clerk to call the roll, please. Councilmember Joyner. Present. Councilmember Clark. Here. Councilmember Andrew Belling. Councilmember Scipio. Present. Mayor Pratim Adams. Here. Councilmember Taylor. Present. Councilmember Hall, present. And Councilmember Burke. Here. Thank you very much. Would you please join the City Council and meet in a moment of silence? Thank you. Would you please join the City Council and me in the Pledge of Allegiance? Pledge of Allegiance. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God. Thank you very much. I recognize our Sergeant in Arms tonight's Lieutenant Joshua Caffey. Lieutenant, thank you for being with us. And the fire marshal tonight is Pete Gake. Hope I said that right. Mr. Marshall. Thank 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 at 9 p.m. Of course, as you know, copies of our agenda as well as videos of previous meetings are always available on the city's website. And just click on the quote watch meetings online option. Turn the meeting up now to the city manager for his uh update. Uh thank you, Mayor. Uh a couple of uh uh different items for tonight. One is to remind folks that our bulky item pickup will start on March 2nd and extend through September 4th. So I encourage residents to go on the city uh website to see when your when your day is scheduled or week is scheduled for that. There's uh on February 17th, um, the Office of Housing Development hosted a developer builder information session to review the submission requirements for the Affordable Housing Development RFP that was released on February 5th. Thirty-five people attended in person and another 30 participated via YouTube live stream. Attendees included nonprofit developers, for profit developers, contractors, and community partners. The RFP closes March 6th and would come to the General Government Committee in April with some final recommendations to council in May for those funds. The uh geographic mapping improvement staff developed with assistance from the city GIS manager, an updated GIS based mapping resources that shows a new map of all the city owned lots, including a filtering by ward, current affordable housing project locations, and these tools are intended to support strategic planning, council briefings, public communication, and equitable geographic distribution analysis. And you can see that portal on the housing department development department website or web page. This campaign encourages residents to not mow their lawns in March to protect pollinators' habitats. As springtime begins, birds and insects need to have an abundance of food sources, and not mowing your grass provides extra sources of nutrients for them, which enhances their ability to pollinate and protect the seasonal growing cycle.

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