Winston-Salem Finance Committee Meeting - June 9, 2026
Winston-Salem Finance Committee Meeting - June 9, 2026
The Finance Committee of the Winston-Salem City Council met on June 9, 2026, at 4:00 PM to consider five general agenda items and approve the consent calendar. All items were unanimously recommended for approval by the full City Council at its June 15, 2026 meeting. The meeting was chaired by Council Member Robert C. Clark and adjourned at 5:10 PM.
Consent Calendar
- C-1: Resolution authorizing purchase of property and boiler/machinery insurance for FY 2026–2027. Approved unanimously.
- C-2: Resolution awarding blanket purchase orders to sole source vendors for FY 2026–2027. Approved unanimously.
- C-3: Approval of the Finance Committee summary of minutes from April 14, 2026. Approved unanimously.
Discussion Items
- G-1 – Security Services Contract (Allied Universal Security Services, $3,236,475.50): Darren Redfield, Purchasing Manager, presented the award for a combined city and transit security contract. The contract consolidates city and transit services, includes armed officers, roving security, and three dedicated vehicles. Four proposals were received; the evaluation panel shortlisted Allied Universal and North State. Allied scored highest after virtual interviews and submitted the lowest price. Staff reduced hours to meet budget, resulting in a fixed price for three years with two one-year renewal options. The city retains the right to approve personnel transitions. Mayor Pro Tem Adams raised concerns about local hiring; staff noted no residency requirement exists for vendors. Motion by Adams, seconded by Scippio, passed 4-0.
- G-2 – Hydroponics Greenhouse Lease (Anders Family Farms, LLC): Shaleen Miller, Sustainability Director, presented the lease for the Kimberley Park Hydroponics Greenhouse Facility. The facility has been inactive since June 2025 after Hope of Winston-Salem declined a one-year extension. A request for proposals shifted from a city-paid operating contract to a lease model to reduce taxpayer subsidy. Four scored proposals were received; Anders Family Farms scored highest, with a proposed $2,500 monthly lease offset by in-kind education and outreach. Council Member Scippio questioned community access and offset details. The facility will continue food resilience goals with 51% of produce staying local. Motion by Scippio, seconded by Adams, passed 4-0.
- G-3 – Long-Term Lease for Downtown Amphitheater Park Land (30-year lease): Aaron King, Assistant City Manager, presented a request from WS Amphitheatre, LLC to lease approximately one acre of city park land adjacent to the amphitheater for 30 years (previously a 5-year lease). Terms: $1,000/month for first five years, then $1,000/month increasing with CPI for years 6-30. The land will support an artist village with permanent structures. A public hearing was advertised for June 15, 2026. The item also triggers an upset bid process. Council Member Scippio expressed concerns about Live Nation's involvement due to past antitrust violations. Chair Clark and Mayor Pro Tem Adams supported the deal, noting a better financial return than the original. Motion by Scippio, seconded by Adams, passed 4-0.
- G-4 – FY 2025–2026 Budget Amendments: Scott Tesh, Budget Director, presented year-end budget amendments. Most amendments were technical (moving funds between accounts). Notable items: $163,000 emergency solutions grant from NCDHHS; $150,000 transfer from general fund to ballpark fund for insurance and maintenance; parking fund payment to county for RJ Reynolds lease termination; $125,000 occupancy tax fund support for International Black Theater Festival bus services. A key amendment appropriated $1.5 million from general fund balance to public safety service area to cover police overtime, training, and benefits costs. Police overtime has been reduced 36% since January. Motion by Adams, seconded by Scippio, passed 4-0.
- G-5 – Nonprofit Agency Funding Resolutions: Scott Tesh presented proposed allocations from two funding pools: $841,000 from general fund and $378,000 from occupancy tax fund. Previous budget workshops had agreed on most allocations, leaving $114,000 from general fund and $28,000 from occupancy tax undecided. Chair Clark proposed limiting discussion to the undecided amounts. Debate centered on Kaleideum receiving $12,000 from occupancy tax (some council members objected to
Meeting Transcript
You're watching WSTV Digital Media. The last one for this fiscal year. We're gonna start all over. I'd like to call to order the June Finance Committee meeting. Uh will the city clerk please call the roll. Chair Clark. Here. Vice Chair Adams. Here. Councilmember CBO. Present. Councilmember Taylor. President Thank everybody for being here today. We will start with a consent agenda. Three items. Is there any one? Are any of these anyone would like to pull? If not, can I get a motion to approve the balance? Move to approve the consent agenda. Is there a second? Okay, we have a motion second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Those likewise. Those are approved. We will now go to the general agenda. Item G1 resolution awarding a contract for security and company police services. Allied universal security services in the amount of three million two hundred thirty six thousand four hundred seventy-five dollars and fifty cents. Excellent. Good afternoon, Finance Chair Clark. Darren Redfield, the purchasing manager. The item before you here is to award a contract for security and company police officer services. One item note this contract combines the city contract with the transit contract. So those are together now. So it's a very robust uh contract. It uh includes entry screening, armed officers, authority to detain after hours security, uh a new component is roving security of various city facilities on a random schedule, and uh three dedicated vehicles. Uh the evaluation panel had uh property and facility management, um transportation uh risk management, and an assistant city manager. We received four proposals, which was great. Uh when we evaluated those, uh Allied Universal and North State came out as the highest scoring vendors. Um we offered a virtual interview with both of those vendors since they were the highest scoring, most qualified vendors, and we gave them a the same list of questions as well as some scenarios to run through, and that uh that interview is worth an extra 20 points. So in the exhibit, you'll notice that there's an interview panel extra score for those two vendors there. Um the final results in the indicated that Allied Universal was the highest scoring vendor, and so we're recommending award to Allied Universal. Um, this will be a vendor change, and there will be time for them to do this before August 31st before the North State contract uh terminates. Um we went through this six years ago when North State took over the contract from Allied. Um wanted to point out that there's um two things in here that we uh have asked the awarded vendor to retain current personnel, but we also reserving the right to, if there's any personnel that we're not in favor of continuing, that we have the right of refusal for that. Um my final comment is related to pricing. Uh that the contract is for three full years fixed price for the 3.2 million, um, and then it does have two one-year renewals for a total of five years. Um, if you noticed a cost difference in here, I had one sentence about that. Their bid of 3.8. What happened was we need to do a get within budget, particularly for the transit contract, its unit prices, and so staff reviews reduced the number of hours in order to get us down to that final 3.2 million figure.
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