I played yesterday.

I played my uh seventeen year old.

Yeah.

I wasn't going to call them on.

I meant a lot more to him than it had.

We need some of those.

I feel like testing, testing.

Testing.

Testing.

Testing, testing, testing.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

Welcome to the general government meeting.

As you know, we had to move the time a little bit, but it's okay.

I see all of you are here, and thank you so much for being so uh common.

What's it accommodating?

Accommodating again.

I was telling the mayor, I'm a little brain sleep today.

I I was on roller skates by him yesterday all day.

All day to last night.

So I'm tired.

Um we have the consent agenda and the general agenda.

Um would anyone like to pull anything, any committee members uh from the consent agenda?

And if not, could I get a motion to approve the consent agenda, please?

Uh one thing to note uh C one is uh noise on this uh again, that's just a continuation of the conversations we've been having for the past probably two, three, four months.

That's just a to make it citywide, the issues of the decimal readings for amplified noise.

Okay.

Could I have a motion or does anyone want to pull any item off the consent agenda to be reviewed by staff?

Move for approval.

Second.

The consent agenda has been properly uh moved and seconded.

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

Thank you so much.

Would the clerk please call the first item on the general uh agenda, please?

Item G one, proposed downtown do it yourself, skate park partnership with Skate Winston Salem Foundation.

Mr.

Rao.

Good afternoon, Chairwoman Adams, Mayor Joins, members of City Council.

Uh just want to recognize Jason Thiel, who's the president of the downtown Winston Salem Partnership, and Brian Ledbetter and Jerry Cooper, who are part of Skate WS Foundation's uh staff has been in discussions with them about the uh prospect of developing a new downtown, what they call DIY skate park, and uh they're gonna provide you some information about the concept at this point, it's just uh really what the guidance we're looking from you all is uh to whether you want us to to move forward with discussions and develop a lease agreement with them.

So I'll recognize Mr.

Thiel, Mr.

Ladbetter, Mr.

Cooper.

Thank you very much, Madam Chairman, um Mayor, Mainer of the City Council, and committee members.

Would you give your name and address it?

Yes, ma'am, thank you.

Jason Thiel, 515 North Cherry Street, President of the Downtown Winston Salem Partnership.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We appreciate this opportunity to provide information to you today on this proposed DIY skate park.

The downtown Winson Salem Partnership has been working diligently with two really great downtown business owners, Brian Ledbetter and Jerry Cooper.

I think that I would also like to just acknowledge my board chair, Heidi Schwartz, and our planning committee chair, Stuart Holmes, if you would stand too.

And if I could ask Jerry and Lyd to come up here, they're gonna walk you through a really fantastic presentation.

Our organization backs these gentlemen and their project 100% will be acting as a physical agent in every way as they get their nonprofit developed to go forward with this project and advocating for them in any way that we can.

Thank you.

Brian I think you brought your fan club.

But uh, if you guys would give us your name and addresses, please.

Hello, I'm Brian Ledbetter, um uh 2740 Focktown Forest Drive in uh Winston.

Jerry Cooper, 2045 Big House Gaines Boulevard, Winston Salem.

Hello.

Um Yeah, this is really weird for me.

Uh I like being behind the curtains on this.

But yes, we are very excited to be here.

Uh this is uh we've been working on this for a very long time.

Um, and we found um what we think is a perfect spot uh for this.

Sorry.

Um, and so we have been um for the past year and a half uh putting this this together um that you're gonna see.

Um it was important to kind of list out everything that we want to to have happen outside of just a skate park.

Uh we want it to be a multi-use uh facility from walking trail to uh children's playground.

Uh that's been a lot of discussion in our meetings with uh uh the community.

Um and also gives give a safe place for kids to discover skateboarding and also to skate.

Um it is a very unique uh sport uh that challenges critical thinking.

Um obviously there's exercise and you'll sit out there for six hours trying to trying to land a trick.

So it's better than being on your phone or or doing some crazy stuff.

So uh we're here with this.

Um I guess.

Oh, I see, I don't know what I'm doing here.

All right, this button.

So I'll get us started here.

All right, so we start uh with this.

Um Winston Salem has a has always had a great skate scene.

Uh Jerry is uh proof of that.

Um a lot of famous uh skaters have come out of here, a lot of areas in town that probably shouldn't be skated on have been shown in videos and on magazines.

Uh it's a hot spot.

Um so this slide uh is just showing that you know, over the past couple decades, uh a lot of municipalities have been adding uh skate parks um to their downtowns and their areas.

It is now an Olympic sport as of 2020, which was a big step uh for skaters worldwide.

Um this is probably the biggest um reason I'm involved or want to see this happen is the inclusion and equity.

Uh came from um uh in high school, wasn't the coolest person, it was kind of a weirdo um, and got into BMX and found that community and it saved me.

Um, and so I we want to make sure there's that opportunity uh for another child um or young adult to discover this safely and in an environment where everybody is uh helping them out uh to hang out.

So it this this sport's a very low entry uh cost.

Um it's super inclusive, no one cares where you're from, if you were you know played football, whatever.

It doesn't matter.

It's you want to skate, you want to ride bikes, whatever, let's do it.

So it's a very um it's a very cool network of people.

You didn't even realize existed uh when you get together.

Um this is just some some backbone on you know, there's been stigma, it's not as much anymore, but that skaters are crazy, uh get into trouble, all this kind of stuff.

And um skateboards, skate parks actually give them an area, give give skaters and other people an area to hang out and practice their tricks and and keeping them safe off the street.

A lot of times too, like it's not even that they're riding down the street, it's just if you're on a skateboard versus a car, you're gonna lose.

Um, so this gives a nice uh safe space for that.

Um this is the real reason we're here is this uh nice little corridor um that we discovered.

So it's in between 7th and 8th on Marshall.

Um there is a section at the uh bottom of it that is not city owned, but we're working on that.

But this became the perfect um uh area for us to create what what you call a skate plaza.

So it's not big ramps, it's not bowls, it's it's it's more like you're just skating a downtown, uh downtown area.

So with this space, we found there was a lot more space to do more than just the skate park.

So we brought back um the pump track, um, definitely the children's playground, the walking path.

The whole point of this is, and you'll you'll see it in in major markets, is they'll build the skate park inside other other amenities, and so it's neat to see all walks of life enjoying that park versus just walking or just skating or just children's playground.

So this kind of outlines um how we envision it.

Again, this is just a render, um, but this is the the ultimate goal.

This is this is what we would like uh to see with this space.

Um also we wanted to brand it.

Um the other part of this is to build something for everybody here, but also create a destination piece um so people would come see it.

So with that, you need brand, you need messaging.

Um, this is kind of the strategy behind that.

Um, the name of it is uh we came up with High Wat, and um it explains it here, but it is really just a uh a nod to A, you've got the amphitheater coming.

It's a lot of energy.

You got the Duke Duke Energy um station right there, adds a lot of energy.

And this part is gonna create a lot of new energy, um, excitement, new people, uh, new relationships, new friendships, that kind of stuff.

So high wat is the reference for that.

I like it.

Here we got some uh some branding for it.

Uh it's edgy, it's cool, you know.

Um more visuals.

There's the the other thing too, I want to make sure we we we mentioned touch on is that we we have the ideas of having camps, uh small camps um during the summer times where we will provide equipment, boards uh uh for kids and young adults, um, merchandise, apparel, you know, you you want people promoting it while they're out and about.

So part of the branding was also to create a brand that is can be replicated on on a ton of different uh materials, items, boards, hats, everything like that.

So that is a look at that.

Um here's kind of a line art drawing of uh the map of where this would sit in between eighth and seventh.

Here is uh a more up close render of kind of the utilization of the space.

Um so on the left you have the plaza, then you go into the pump track.

Um if you don't know what a pump track is, it it is a it is a section that's that's for anybody of all ages.

Um small kids ride scooters on them.

Everybody, you kind of once you get going, you just pump around.

It's it's really fun.

Um, and it's it's kind of the age and it's for everybody.

Um, anybody can do it.

And then you've got the walking path, which we envision however this lays out, it will go uh around the entire complex.

And then probably second most important to our vision of the skate park is the children's playground.

Um, and that kind of that kind of ties everything together.

Um having the kids there and enjoying it, and everybody's you know, out and about some more nice visuals.

Um that's kind of so that's kind of what a skate plaza looks like.

Um if you can see, so there's steps, there's rails, there's ledges, um, that kind of stuff.

Um there's a cool graphic right there.

I like that one a lot.

Um so the next the next stepslash first step um that got us here is a ground lease.

Uh we cannot do this without the city.

We don't want to do it without the city.

Um and so we are you know seeking a lease on that on that property.

Um we've been talking to two organizations and institutions for 12 years about this now.

A lot of people know about it.

I think this morning uh I didn't know anything was gonna come out yet about it.

I think it um surprised a bunch of people in a good way.

It was very exciting.

So we've been getting blown up uh from people and be like, is this y'all?

What?

And I'm like, yeah.

Yeah, so we're very excited about it.

We're excited about all the support we've gotten uh the past couple months and meetings uh uh with officials and and stakeholders about this.

Um so that's and so this is also a plot uh or things showing who owns what piece of those pieces of land.

Um lady named Rachel, and she's she's very excited, excited about this project as well.

Um, and that's it for me, and then I'm gonna introduce you to Jerry and see if he would like to say a few things about this.

Hello, everyone, thanks for having us.

Um I feel like my family's from here, but since I moved here to take care of my grandmother years ago, um number one, the skate scene down here is much more diverse than it was in the north.

I actually had to ask the first time I was out if there was an event going on because of how many children of color were at the skate park that I arrived at.

Um and I think that working with with Ledbetter and Jason on this project, I saw that uh downtown was a perfect landing place because it's accessible to everyone.

I I really don't have a whole lot other than that, unless people have questions, but um I I really feel that this is a beautiful thing for Winston Salem in general and the children here.

Thank you.

Um first of all, I love the name, High Watch.

I think that's cool.

Um you need to tell people who your grandmother, who was your grandmother, Dr.

Geneva Brown.

That's right, Geneva Brown.

Uh his mother and I knew each other friends, childhood Wendy growing up.

Uh, as he said, they lived off of uh big house games.

It used to be the East End Boulevard back in the day, uh, across from Sky Allen School.

Uh and I used to told him I used to see them.

Uh as a matter of fact, Chief Irvin lived across the street, Leicester Urban as well, big house games, uh Geneva Brown.

It was a who's who.

Chief Wendell Brown.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

It was uh it was a who's who.

So again, thank you for coming back.

I know it wasn't the best of times to take care of grandma, but you know, she was the fourth to be reckoned with in this community.

Her legacy lives on.

Ums or questions from the committee.

Uh, but I'll go ahead and take council member Andre Bowen from the case.

Thank you, Mayor Curtim.

Uh, I think one thing that we need to address is um you guys know what you're talking about.

Can you guys both describe your your backgrounds and the knowledge and why you guys are experts in designing a skate park?

Um I started skateboarding in 1988.

I also played and lettered in multiple sports until I was in ninth grade.

I got sponsored for skateboarding around then and pretty much traveled a good amount of the world.

I've been on four different continents for skateboarding.

Um I lost my father and ended up shifting gears to work on the next generation.

So I opened a skateboard shop when I was 22 in Pittsburgh and just started working with kids, helped get public parks built there and worked with nonprofits that develop programs to basically get skateboard parts together for kids that otherwise wouldn't be able to afford to do it.

Uh my background is actually I'm not a skater.

Um I'm BMX, uh, Flatland BMX was uh which is kind of like gymnastics on the ground.

Um it's insane.

Um, but the world's are exactly the same.

So while I was coming up in BMX Flat, obviously there were skaters everywhere in the contest scene, and I came up the same time as Tony Hawk and a lot of the the big legends.

It was a great time to be involved in action sports.

Um my friends are they're the the greatest in the world um every summer, actually July 25th, we have the the year-end flatland contest at the Ramcat inside.

It's insane.

Uh everybody from the around the world, like the greatest riders in the world.

Uh I think for me is I want to make sure that someone has the same opportunity.

I got picked up and I got taken out of an environment and put with people like-minded, and it blew my mind that this guy that I looked up to on the wall in my bedroom knew who I was at some point, and we became friends, and it just it's a snowball.

It's just something that you know, it's like meeting your favorite player or anything like that.

And so the point I, you know, what I want to see happen is that there is an opportunity for someone here to go to the Olympics.

There's an opportunity for somebody here to have an option other than what they're currently into.

Um, and and these types of sports, you don't really know if you're good at it or not unless you do it.

And so it's not like um you can just go somewhere and try and see what's happening.

Once there's a place and there's a community and there's there's things going on, uh, it's a lot easier for kids to come out, and we'll go get kids, you know.

We'll we'll we'll post stuff up to get them to come come help out.

But you know, for me, it was like it no one no one helped you out, no one tried to let you figure out you know why you thought a certain way or or why things were, and BMX did that for me.

And so, you know, that's that's why I'm here.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Councilmember Scipio.

Love the idea.

I have a couple of questions about the design.

Uh it is will this park have lights?

It's a good question.

We don't I don't really know yet.

Um, right now it's planned to be uh dust to dark.

Dust to dark.

Yeah, there's a I mean, there's a lot of questions.

Um we didn't want to get too far ahead of ourselves without knowing we have a space.

Is it going to be long term?

Is there gonna be supervision or do people just show up and use it?

What's your idea there?

Go ahead.

Yeah, most skate parks are self-policing.

However, with our proximity to the fire station and the police station, that's amazing.

Um we would obviously go with any and all security protocols that we need to to make sure that we're ensuring the safest environment, especially for children.

And BMX is bicycles, right?

Yes, ma'am.

So is that where the pump part comes in?

That's my little gift.

I know some of my friends are gonna be like, where are the bikes going?

I'm like, it's in the pump part.

Yes, so the the pump track, yes, ma'am.

Yeah, I think it's also I know the walking trail is gonna be there.

I love the idea.

I like the whole concept of the different stages of the park.

Um, but I I love for you to think generational, because older adults need to do some action.

We may not be on the skateboards, may not be on the bikes, but you know, people, there are a lot of people with walkers.

It would be great to have a I'm gonna be the walker.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Jordan.

Thank you.

Brian, it's good to see you.

Good to see you too.

So um to uh council member Scipio's point.

Um I I would just recommend that maybe you could consider some classes for uh novice skateboarders of all ages.

Because I'd like to not just be on that walking track, you know.

It's been it's been some decades, probably 88 since I was on a skateboard, but I I'm willing to try it again.

Yeah, um, I I um I support this wholeheartedly.

I think it's a great idea.

I think that the the gentleman standing in front of us um presenting this idea.

Um I I've never met Jerry, but I've but I feel like I have.

I've heard enough about you from enough people over the last uh year and a half or two years, and um with Brian, his uh his skill set and abilities are far reaching.

So his commitment to this is uh I I feel very confident with.

Thank you both for all of the uh hard work and vision uh of keeping at this for such a long time and bringing it to this point.

Um and I I think that we need to make sure that we're not a one and done kind of organization.

We just talked about curfews for the youth because there's not enough things for them to do that are um to to horn their their their energy and to give them something productive to do.

And I think that this is a great um thing to actually be able to present to us right after having that those hard conversations.

So thank you again for that.

I yield back.

Councilmember Burke, then Mayor Allen Joel.

Thank you, Mayor Pro Temp.

Thank you for bringing this concept to us.

I think it's excellent.

And whoever did your branding did an outstanding job.

I really love it.

Congratulations, it was wonderful.

And I love that this concept includes something for everyone, no matter what age you are.

And uh, I just say thank you.

I'm in total support of it.

Thank you.

Mayor Joelis.

Uh thank you.

Uh good afternoon, everyone, and uh loved your grandmother, worked with her for many years.

Great lady.

Um, could you uh zero in just a little bit on the logistics of it?

I see the group of uh supporters that are endorsers and uh one of your slides here.

Do you have a feel at this point about the budget, how much it's gonna cost to build this, and uh what would be your strategy to raise the money?

Um I do, and um I'll say I always work worst-case scenario versus we can make it happen for this.

So all in um I think between one and a half to two million is national level uh destination piece.

Um it's called DIY, meaning we're going to make it happen.

You know, if we get the land, uh we will go through that process.

A lot of the of the organization entities are there to help us out with planning, infrastructure, all that kind of stuff.

Uh we do plan to do a uh capital camp plant campaign, a fundraising thing um for public people just to donate anything they can, and then for some organizations for there's a lot of naming you can do.

So where's the park?

It's rails, it's it's all the different pieces.

So uh we have I haven't asked anybody uh for money yet because um we didn't have a spot um but the reaction I've had uh and talking to them.

There's a lot of people that want to step up.

How much I don't know.

Um, but that would be the goal is one and a half to two, all in for sure.

City manager and I were talking about it this morning, and we kind of jointly arrived at about two million dollars, we thought there's thank you all for bringing this concept together.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any other comments or questions?

Mr.

Pate, where do we go from here?

I I think we're looking for uh a general endorsement from uh the committee that you want us to move forward on this one, and if that is the case, then we will uh go back to working on what a lease agreement might look like for this property with uh with the parties.

Okay.

Do I need a motion?

I need a motion.

Do I need a motion?

I think you can make a motion to direct the staff to to do that on the city mandatory to make that happen.

I make a motion for staff to uh follow up and make a um complete uh exhibit to us second.

Is the motive properly seconded that staff will now move to uh work to uh bring to the council uh a plan of the proposed downtown do it yourself uh skate park known as high one.

All those in favor, please vote.

All those opposed like signed.

Thank you so much.

We look forward to partnership.

Next item, please, Clark.

Item G2 resolution supporting a partnership with the boys and girls clubs of the Greater Triad Inc.

Mr.

Wright afternoon, Chairwoman Adams.

So the item before you uh this afternoon is a resolution approving a partnership with the boys and girls clubs of the Greater Triad Inc.

Uh going back to last fall, uh staff has been talking to the leadership with the boys and girls club of the Greater Triad about uh the idea that they're bringing uh programming here to Winston Salem.

They're really uh in a in a very intentional effort to try to open up clubs throughout the Triad area.

Uh just uh to highlight some of their their initiatives, their your hope is to grow their membership from over 2,000 youth in High Point to over 9,000 across the Greater Triad.

Uh part of their programming would embed academic achievement into every club experience with measurable outcomes.

Um as part of that, they they see athletics opportunities as a what they call a catalyst for growth.

Uh I know that the uh the president CEO has shared in presentations I've seen him give that you know boys and girls club really helped him when he was uh young, and that athletics was the pathway into him being able to excel academically.

So that's gonna be very much a part of their uh programming.

Uh in addition, they they they're hoping to scale up from six clubs to 25 to 30 sites, including standalone clubs and shared space partnerships.

They have what they call uh a hub and spoke model for how they go about establishing sites in a community.

So, for example, in High Point, they uh purchased a former United Methodist Church and have developed it in what they call the Congdon Hub for Great Futures that provides their programming for both uh after school and for uh summer programs for not only elementary age children but also youth.

And it and it's really uh amazing how they repurpose that church.

Leah friend, our assistant recreation parks director and I had the opportunity to to tour the site and to see uh what they've done there.

So that's kind of the hub within High Point, but they also have sites throughout the community.

So I think that that what they're looking to do here in Weston Salem is something very similar.

Um so through those discussions, we uh talked about you know what their needs would be, and they discussed you know that the an ideal facility would be one that has a gymnasium so that they could provide that kind of athletics programming as well.

And so they toured both the Martin Luther King Junior Community Center and the Minnie Lee Davis Harris Community Centers to see, you know, uh if those would be viable locations.

And they were very excited about both, both locations.

Um, but to start with, they they really do want to focus on the Minilee Davis Harris Community Center, and so we did as part of that tour, did a walkthrough.

We've had some uh ongoing conversations with them.

So they you know would very much like to be able to enter into whether it's a a memorandum of understanding with the city for shared use of of uh some of the space in Many Lee Davis Harris, or whether it would be a lease agreement uh for them to really start to put in place their programming for the after-school program, which would be in in August.

Uh ideally they'd like to be able to get into the center in July, and if you all uh approve this resolution directing the city manager to enter into an agreement with the Boys and Girls Club of the Triad, then uh we probably would look to also execute uh an access agreement for them to be able to get into the building, the facility early so they can start their their planning.

I I'll uh recognize William Royston, our recreation and park structure, he can talk a little bit more about how the logistics of the partnership and the shared use of facility would work.

Good afternoon, Mayor Pratim Adams, Mayor, members of the city council.

Um we uh working with the um boys and girls club, we feel like it will be a collaborative effort.

Um, we already have access to a lot of their participants and kids that they're gonna be meeting and learning.

Um we we feel that it will it will allow our staff um we'll free our staff up so they can focus on other activities, but also looking at the possibility of extending hours if they're operating after-school programs and some of those.

Um they had a lot of interest um in the space there at Millie Davis Harris.

Um we'll but at the same time we're looking at what we're offering across um a lot of our recreation centers and make sure that we aren't competing with them, but also but working together to supplement programs that we could offer for the community.

And so uh I don't believe that they they do a lot of um they don't charge for a lot of the programs that they that they offer, but one of the the greater benefits is the amount of transportation that they have to offer.

Uh one of the limiting factors for us is access to the facilities, and they have the access to two facilities they plan field trips and do a lot of program around that.

So we just see it as a we don't have all the details of exactly what that's going to look like, but um have some great ideas and are very excited to begin working with them.

Thank you.

Um you said that they're looking to scale up, are we talking about not just uh the many Lee Davis uh recreation center, or are we talking about other recreation centers as well in the city?

This is like their launch, their prototype launch.

That's correct.

They want they want to start, I think with Min Lee Davis Harris, they're still very much interested in the Martin Luther King uh junior community center, and the reason why I think what really appeals to them about that location, not only because it has a gym, but we are developing a music studio there as well as a uh you know an enhanced computer lab.

They have those facilities in High Point and and uh studio, and they really see it almost as a as a job training opportunity, you know, in that industry.

So uh so I think that you know they'll we'll have ongoing discussions with them that possibly expanding to the MLK Center.

I know that they're in discussions with Aspire about one of their facilities at one of their complexes, so they are very much uh looking forward to trying to develop, I think something very similar here in Winston Salem, you know, that hub and spoke.

They they don't know exactly what the hub may look like, but uh but I think that's something they're definitely looking to replicate here.

I think uh in light of what we discussed in the prior committee meeting, and you know, the idea that we are seen as not doing enough or anything for our youth.

The main thing you read or hear is there's nothing for them to do.

There's nowhere for them to go, you know.

So I think in light of even with the prior agenda item, the skate part, uh the curfew, yeah.

And with this, you know, again, we're working to find some common ground and some I call it some new initiatives of how we do this now.

The boys and girls club, yes, was a staple, particularly of the black community because everybody's kids, nieces, nephews, everybody went to the boys and girls club.

If you weren't at the boys and girls club, you was at the Patterson Y with Mo Lucas.

That was that was just the way it was.

And some kids belong to both of them.

But what we're looking for are programs, just like how we spend as Councilmember Clark says more time on community funding during budget time.

We're looking for partnerships and entities that can help to improve the quality of life, or help young people understand they have choices and opportunities, and and here they are.

You know, whether the boys' club strike up a partnership with High Wat, whether they strike up a partnership with some others, you know, we got a pool at uh the lake, the the what is it, the water park?

So that's right there.

Well, we call it 14th Street, but Councilman Missipio will correct me in a minute, Davis.

Waterworks, and at Martin Luther King, we have Kimberly Park pool.

That's right.

So we have things in the area that can help foster uh this growth and this relationship.

Uh I think it's a great idea.

I told the city manager that.

Uh so I look forward to it.

Councilmember Scipio.

Yes, I had a question about uh typically the boys and girls club charges families to go into their centers and to use their services.

So is the concept that they would just do that in our rec centers and still charge and screen families to participate, or is it going to be more of an open enrollment for any child who wants to come as well?

I'm concerned.

Councilmember Scipio, I believe the the idea is that we will we don't turn anyone away.

I think the way that we view this is that it's just gonna provide an opportunity, more opportunities for people to for us to provide opportunities for for you know for our youth and give them things to do.

So I my understanding is that they do not do a lot of charging for the a lot of the existing programs that they that they offer.

Um we haven't gotten into uh the details of how all of that's going to be structured, but we're more than happy to provide that to you once we get it.

Um but even if there are some we've noticed that there's sometimes there's some value when you charge something.

Um we noticed it with a lot of our um swim lessons and some other uh recommendations that you all have approved for us, and so we know that there's some value there.

If there is a cost, I think it would be minimal.

Yeah, I think it's important to find out.

I do know the quality of their programs is excellent and oftentimes a little more intense and better than what our typical recreation center offers during the summer and after school.

So I think they would bring a quality staff to the operation from what they used to do that I'm familiar with, um, the center on uh Reynolds Park Road.

Uh so basically we're thinking of leasing that space, but will it be known as the boys and girls club, or is it going to be, is it gonna be the boys and clubs, boys and girls club at Manny Harris or is it going to be the ones that sell and recreations departments?

As far as I'm know, there's still be the many of the Lee Davis Harris Community Center.

Um that and the boys and girls club will be leasing some leasing space from the city inside of that facility, but I haven't the any name changing or recommendations I've not aware of any.

Yeah, we I don't think that the name of the center would change, but they would have signage.

They would have signed up the club, yeah.

And uh their programs are offered there.

Councilmember Jordan.

Thank you.

Oh, um, Director Royston, can you tell me what some of the programming is at Minnie Davis Harris Community Center now?

And will any of those programs be replaced by or just boys and girls adding to what's already happening?

Councilmember Jordan, I'll let me defer to my assistant director Leah Friend, who's also here with me, she can go through in detail like what some of those the answers, some of those very specific programs that are offered there.

We don't believe if they were offering, say a basketball, we're offering a basketball program.

I can't see them after offering a basketball program at the same time that we are, because that means that we're competing.

So I think we'll work collaboratively and make sure that whatever we're offering is like we're making the best use of that time and not competing with each other, but to kind of go through a list of existing programs that we offer there, I would uh defer to Lea Friend that we can give you some details on that.

All right, good afternoon, everybody.

Um Leah friends assistant recreation director.

Um so the current programs that we have at Meale Davis Harris is we have a boxing program in the evening.

We have parenting bath, which is a partnership program that we have with um teens that we currently have.

We have a summer camp, and we have next gen, which is next generation, which is a program for teenagers.

So currently the operating hours at Mealy Davis Harris are 2 p.m.

to 10 p.m.

or 9 p.m.

So it's all evening programs.

Okay, all right.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Any other questions, comments?

All right.

Um I need a motion to accept item G2.

I'll second.

I voting a yes and those opposed like signs no.

Thank you.

Next item, please, city clerk.

Item G3 resolution awarding a contract to provide services within the downtown Winston Salem Business Improvement District to the downtown Winston Salem Partnership.

Mr.

Millett.

Yes, good afternoon, uh, Chairman Adams, Mayor Joins, members of council.

Uh, you've had a few updates over the last several months about the status of the request for proposals uh for services within the business uh downtown business improvement district or bid.

Um, and as you will recall, that is fully funded by uh nine cent property tax rate on every hundred dollars of value of properties within that district.

Um you'll see a map of that district as exhibit A as part of your agenda.

It is projected that for FY27, it will generate 770,960.

Our current contract is with the downtown partnership, excuse me, downtown Winston Salem Partnership, um, and it runs through June 30th of this year.

In February, we issued a request for proposals with the scope of services divided into four areas, and proposers could submit for one or more of those areas.

The downtown Winston Salem Partnership was the only proposer for three of those scopes that are outlined in exhibit B of the agenda.

That was a cleaner environment where it scored 500 out of 500, enhanced physical appearance where it scored 493 out of 500, and stronger marketing and promotion, where it scored 490 out of 500.

The economic development scope did have four four proposers, but working through this process, city management did recognize that there's a need for retail recruitment and retention, not just within the bid, but in the larger downtown area and throughout the city as well.

Uh so that is uh economic development within the bid will be handled by set a separate contract.

Staff does recommend that the city enter into a contract for 714,460 dollars with the downtown Winston Salem partnership covering those three scopes that I mentioned before a cleaner environment, enhanced physical appearance, and stronger marketing and promotion.

That would be for a period of five years beginning on July 1st, 2026.

And once approved, the city will negotiate a contract that will include a detailed scope of services and performance measures as part of that contract.

Thank you.

Any comments or questions on the committee?

I think this is outstanding.

Again, sometimes again looking at what we've been doing for the past years.

Thank you to the folks downtown did.

Um, but knowing that we have businesses that are being challenged right now that could use a little help in any way that we can help to provide more uh access uh to customers and other things, contracts.

I think that's part of what we do.

Councilmember Jordan.

Thank you, Chair.

Um three scopes to the partnership, the fourth scope, downtown economic development, the contract in total concludes June 30th.

So the fourth piece.

Do we just put it on the shelf?

What are we going to do with that piece?

It it may spill over into the new fiscal year, but I believe that the intent is to move forward quickly with that so that there is not much of a lag between any expiration at the end of June and the beginning of July.

Okay.

All right.

Thank you.

Any other comments or questions?

Councilmember Burke.

Yes, I I uh spoke with the manager earlier today.

Mr.

Millett, thank you so much for this presentation.

Um I spoke with the manager earlier today to discuss the city's part in this big process, and we talked a lot about that fourth scope, the economic development plan.

So uh for the record, where will the city's part, the funding of the city's part come from?

And we talked about economic development citywide, and I would like to know specifically what will be done in the northeast ward citywide.

And let me tell you why I want to know specifically for um six years.

I have tried and I've worked with you, Mr.

Millett.

I've talked with uh the chamber, I've talked with everyone that I can to try to get a grocery store in uh some uh areas in the northeast ward.

I have not been successful because as you all know, many grocery store chains, they have uh certain criteria that uh will do that they use to determine whether or not they will uh place one of their stores in certain locations.

I've even tried to get urgent cares, care centers in certain areas, and what I have discovered after working hard for six years, until we clean the blight up in certain areas, businesses are not going to come.

Number one, they're not going to be safe, and they're not going to feel like they can get a return on their investments.

So I ask several questions and I'll let the manager answer.

A couple of a lot to unpack there.

But uh the main issue is in terms of looking at a strategy to help our retail environment in the community as a whole, is what we're looking at.

So I I don't have I can't give you a specific of what we're gonna do in any particular ward because we're gonna be looking at the community as a whole and looking at where we can help that middle layer of businesses, those that are kind of retail restaurant area, a lot of our entrepreneurs in the community help them get into those areas that makes the sense for them to want to be in, and that will where they can be successful.

The question of how that would be funded, it'd be partially funded with the bid funds that are are being set aside, and then would be uh matched by money coming out of our economic development efforts that are already uh underway.

So we would use those funds citywide to promote to have some specific um or individuals focusing on just that retail sector in the community.

So you can think about our typical corridors that again downtown is one of the one of those areas on Walltown Street, Walkertown Street, Stratford Avenue, University Parkway, uh an older road.

There's any number of places in the community where we have retail establishment that needs to grow.

And as I mentioned this morning, there's two phases of this.

One is we need to help those businesses that are doing, but the second major part of this, in order to have the funds that we need to do some of these other things like white abatement and having additional cleanliness in the city is we need tax-based growth.

So we need to have this effort focusing on helping us build the tax base in the community, all over the community that will then help support other efforts that council has deemed as priorities uh for this um for the community.

Thank you.

Councilmember Burke.

Um thank you, uh manager Pate for that uh those uh explanations and that response.

I don't want to not vote for this because I don't want it to uh negatively impact opportunities that could happen in other areas of our city.

I want our entire city to thrive.

However, we must keep in mind we must be intentional about trying to bring economic opportunities to areas of the city that we have not seen any in decades.

We we must invest in other areas.

So thank you again for your presentation.

Any other questions or comments?

Uh could I get a motion to approve this uh resolution?

Make a motion to approve the resolution.

Second is the mood and probably seconded by council members joiner and Burke.

All those in favor, please vote by saying yes.

All those opposed vote no.

And I'm thinking that is passed.

Yeah.

Okay.

Next item, please.

Item G4 resolution authorizing SG Adkins Community Development Corporation Co-housing Project Location site, service change, and six-month extension.

Ms.

Blair.

Good afternoon, Mayor Pro Tim Adams, Mayor Joins, Council Members.

This item basically takes a project that was funded in 2023 and it was awarded and moves location, moves location from North Patterson to actually behind the Enterprise Center, which SG Atkins is actually headquartered in.

The other site was actually 0.17 acre.

It was a fairly small narrow lot between two houses.

So basically, what we're doing is requesting that you approve that site location change.

And also the service change is it was originally five mothers with children.

Now it's going to be generally four.

Okay.

So that's the service change with accompanying children.

And then the other is extend the contract, which would expire on December 31st of this year to June 30th of next year.

Okay.

Any questions or comments?

If not, may I have a motion?

Second.

All those in favor, let it be known by voting yes.

All those opposed like signed.

And the motion passes.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Ms.

Davis, keep doing what you don't.

Next item, please.

Item G5 request for a public hearing on UDO CC 35 text amendments to Chapter 3 through 9 of the Unified Development Ordinance.

Public hearing date, August 17th, 2026.

Mr.

Murphy.

Good afternoon.

Madam Chairman, members of the committee, mayor, members of council.

Good to see you this afternoon.

This is a uh request for UDO CC 35.

This is a text amendment proposed by planning staff.

It's what we commonly refer to as a cleanup text amendment.

There are 16 different changes that we are making.

Spelling errors andor incorrect references.

There are three changes that we propose.

And there are three amendments that either remove conflicts with other state, county, or local regulations, and again the aforementioned 10 changes to spelling and numbering and grammar.

The three clarifications are under storage services retail.

There is a requirement for some building offsets, commonly referred to as building articulation, but we do not specify what type of an offset that has to be.

Those current regulations apply to townhomes and multifamily buildings containing four or free fewer units under the general statute changes from a couple years ago.

Four unit and fewer buildings are now under the residential code, and there are no design considerations that can be included in your land use regulations related to those.

We have to specifically exempt townhomes and four-unit or less multifamily buildings and single-family homes from the MLKO standards.

For child care facilities, we have standards in there that are more stringent than what the state statute requires for both indoor and outdoor play area.

We are proposing to remove that and simply refer to the uh state statute uh requirements.

And then finally, um under the land clearing and inert debris landfill requirement, there has always been a three-year permit renewal process, but I have been here for twenty-five years, and we've never renewed a single one of those.

And that's been in the ordinance for 40 years, and we can't find anywhere where that's ever been done.

The world hasn't ended, so we're just proposing to remove that and keep it consistent with the state permitting requirements, which are handled by Deaner.

Um again, I won't bore you with the details of the ten minor amendments.

Um anyway, these changes will make the UDO easier and make it consistent with uh uh some of the state and uh local requirements.

Um we do recommend approval.

This went to planning board back in uh May, and they unanimously recommended approval as well.

And with that, I'll be glad to answer any questions.

Thank you, Mr.

Murphy.

Um, do we have to do a motion for this?

Because it doesn't say okay.

Um, I think this is always good, as you know.

I say that it's good that someone is looking at all of our tax amendments and ordinances because government changes every day.

And we've seen that over the past ten years that these ordinances changed, you know, these they were created some of them very, very like you said long ago, 40 years ago.

And they need to be updated.

But thank you and your staff and your team uh for believing that these proposed budget amendments proposed changes are needed within these UDLs.

Thank you.

May I have a motion, please?

For the public hearing.

Move for approval.

It's been moved and properly seconded by councilmember joiner and Bert.

Uh, all those in favor, please let it be known by voting yes.

All those vote no, like sign.

Thank you very much.

Uh committee and uh staff, I have to uh we have to go to closed session.

And I move that we go into closed session pursuant to North Carolina General Statute, um section one four three-three one eight dot 11 AC to discuss uh instructions to staff regarding the potential acquisition of property.

I second it's been moved and properly seconded by council member Adams and Joana.

All of them in favor, let it be known by just saying I.

I all right.

Can we move on?

I'm good.

Okay, we are back into open session.

I need a motion to adjust to adjourn.

Move for approval.

Second.

It's been moved and probably seconded.