Winston-Salem City Council Meeting - April 20, 2026
Winston-Salem City Council Meeting - April 20, 2026
The Winston-Salem City Council met on Monday, April 20, 2026, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers at City Hall. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Allen Joines with all nine council members present. The meeting included honorary resolutions, a consent agenda, four general agenda items (including a quasi-judicial special use permit hearing), a public comment period, and adjournment at 6:57 PM.
Opening Remarks and Honorariums
Mayor Joines opened the meeting by expressing condolences for the tragic shooting earlier that day at Lineback Park, where two juveniles (ages 16 and 17) were killed and others injured during a pre-arranged fight that escalated into a shootout. Police Chief William H. Penn Jr. echoed condolences, called it a sad day for the community, and urged everyone to play their role in public safety. The Mayor also introduced Brian DeAngelis, President and General Manager of the Winston-Salem Dash, who announced plans for the city's 250th anniversary celebration at Truist Stadium, including the largest fireworks show in city history on July 2–4, a flyover, and paratroopers.
H-1. Resolution Honoring the Winston-Salem State University Lady Rams Basketball Team – The Council unanimously approved a resolution recognizing the Lady Rams for their historic 2025-2026 season: a 28-4 record, perfect 13-0 home record, CIAA tournament title, and first NCAA Division II Sweet 16 appearance. Chancellor Benita J. Brown and Head Coach Tiara Terry thanked the Council. The resolution proclaimed April 20, 2026 as WSSU Lady Rams Day.
City Manager Update
City Manager Patrick Pate provided updates: the transit authority is changing UMO accounts; the SOAR and Positive Path graduation programs saw several graduates; over 131 volunteers participated in the Great American Cleanup; and sustainability award winners were announced at the Piedmont Environmental Fair. Upcoming events: a solar panel reveal at Fire Station 3 on April 22, and a City Services Expo and Community Conversation on Service Priorities on April 23 at the Fairgrounds Home and Garden Center (6-8 PM).
Consent Calendar
All consent agenda items were approved unanimously in one motion (8-0, Council Member Andree-Bowen absent? Actually all 8 present voted aye – minutes show 8 ayes, with no nays). Items included:
- C-1: Resolution recognizing Dr. Janet Spriggs as 2026 NC Community College System President of the Year (presented at a later school celebration).
- C-2: Approval of the City Council Summary of Minutes from April 6, 2026.
General Agenda – Discussion and Votes
G-1. Annexation of Brookberry Farm – Phase 9, Lot 650 – Public hearing: no speakers. Motion by Council Member Burke, seconded by Council Member Scippio. Approved unanimously (8-0).
G-2. Zoning Petition W-3677 (City of Winston-Salem) – Rezone from County MU-S to City MU-S – Public hearing: no speakers. Motion by Council Member Clark, seconded by Council Member Joiner. Approved unanimously (8-0).
G-3. Zoning Petition W-3678 (Winston-Salem Business Adventures, LLC) – Rezone from RS9 and HB to HB – Public hearing: no speakers. Motion by Council Member Burke, seconded by Council Member Hall. Approved unanimously (8-0).
G-4. Special Use Permit W-3676 (Concrete Supply Co., LLC) – Expansion of Asphalt and Concrete Plant in GI Zoning – This was a quasi-judicial hearing. The Mayor outlined procedures, including swearing in witnesses and the four required findings of fact. Chris Murphy, Director of Planning and Development Services, presented staff analysis: the existing plant has operated for over 20 years with no known incidents; the expansion includes six new silos, new scales, and two buildings to accommodate rail delivery of cement, reducing 50-60 eighteen-wheeler truck deliveries per week. Council Member Scippio asked about proximity to Salem Lake water supply; Murphy responded the site drains away from the lake and is downstream, not affecting the water supply. The petitioner, Timothy Graham, stated the primary purpose is shifting deliveries to rail to reduce truck traffic and improve public safety. No other speakers. Motion by Council Member Scippio (seconded by Mayor Pro Tempore Adams) to affirm all four findings, approve the site plan and conditions, and issue the special use permit. Approved unanimously (8-0).
Public Comment Period
Seven citizens addressed the Council on various topics:
- Matthew Mayers (2844 Wesleyan Lane) – Praised city staff and urged investment in energy efficiency to mitigate climate change costs.
- Artemus Peterson (605 West 13th Street) – Stressed the need for consistent funding for community-based violence prevention programs, citing lack of continuity in city initiatives.
- Jo Ann Allen (PO Box 284) – Criticized the Council for not prioritizing long-time residents and noted the city is being outpaced by other communities.
- Terrell Harris (2332 Okalina Avenue) – Spoke on behalf of Forsyth Wins and the STARS program, saying the Cure Violence model was working but funding is ending; urged the city to continue support.
- Chris Jones (400 West 4th Street Unit 503) – Complained about sidewalk cafe permits enabling noisy outdoor bar scenes downtown, especially after 11 PM, and requested restrictions.
- Cynthia Herson (1200 Willie Davis Road) – Alleged that redevelopment projects at Cleveland Homes and Salem Garden are displacing residents, mirroring historic patterns in Happy Hill; accused a council member of intimidation.
- Adon Bey (318 West Corporation Street, Durham) – Representing NC Against Gun Violence, spoke in strong support of continued and expanded funding for Forsyth Wins, noting zero homicides in its target area this year. He urged the city to create an Office of Violence Prevention and match the county's $725,000 commitment.
Council Comments & Adjournment
No council member comments were recorded. A motion to adjourn was made by Mayor Pro Tempore Adams, seconded by Council Member Hall, and carried unanimously (8-0) at 6:57 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everyone. I'm Alan Jones, Mayor of Winston Salem. It's my honor to call to order this 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 Bowen. Here. Councilmember Scipio. Present. Mayor Pretem Adams. Here. Councilmember Taylor. Present. Councilmember Hall. Present. And Councilmember Burke. Thank you very much. Ladies and gentlemen, before we go into our moment of silence, I'd like to, on behalf of the City Council and the citizens of Winston Salem, offer our deep condolences to the families of the two young men who were killed today at Lineback Park, as well as to the families of the other victims who were injured today. I asked our citizens to keep them in our prayers. And I know this has caused fear, pain, and heartbreak to many of you, especially our young people. Moments such as this remind us of the responsibility we all share to look after one another, to listen to one another and to work towards real solutions that will keep our young people safe and supported. So please join me in a moment of silence. Thank you very much. I'm going to change up things just a little bit, City Council. I'm going to ask that we go and do the honorarium first before we do here the report from the Oh, I'm sorry. We've got a we've got one little thing before the honorarium. We've got a big guy out there that uh is going to come up and uh introduce Brian D'Angelo, who is the general manager of the Salem Dash organization as well as uh a friend of his. So, Mr. D'Angelo, would you uh and uh your friend come forward? You know, our country is uh celebrating its 250th birthday uh in on July 4th, and we've got a lot of things going on in Winston Salem, but the Dash has got some very special things going at Mr. D'Angelo's is going to tell us about thank you, uh Mr. Mayor, thank you, Council as well for having us here today. And I made sure Bolt wore his red because I know that Winston Salem State is here as well, and we want to congratulate them accomplishment. But um, we are uh beyond thrilled to be able to host the 250th uh anniversary of America and in partnership with the City of Winston-Salem, we we thank you for allowing us to present that at True Stadium this year as well. We do have a loaded docket this year. Um we are gonna have the largest fireworks show that Winston Salem has ever hosted. Uh we're going to include a flyover as well as paratroopers. Um, and we invite all of the citizens of Winston Salem to come and join us. Uh because of our capacity restrictions that we have, July 4th is not the only time we'll be offering this. July 2nd and July 3rd, we'll also have the fireworks show to accommodate as many fans as possible. And as a part of our community initiative, where we're hosting multiple free events for the rest of the community this year. Uh, we welcome you to come out to those as well. So thank you for having us. Thank you, Brian. And we look forward to celebrating our uh own 250th birthday here. Bolt, you want to say a thing? All right, thank you very much. And um invitations for for the game uh at your places there, as you said, for our little sluggers.
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