OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Winston-Salem City Council Meeting - August 17, 2026

Meeting Portal — Monday, August 17, 2026
BodyWinston Salem, North Carolina
SessionMeeting Portal
DateMonday, August 17, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:48:02

Transcript — Verbatim
0:25

Okay, thank you.

0:53

And uh joining present council member.

0:59

Council member Andy Bellin.

1:02

Mayor Pretem Adams here.

1:04

Councilmember Taylor.

1:06

Councilmember Hall.

1:09

And Councilmember.

1:12

Thank you very much.

1:13

Would you please join the city council and me in a moment of silence?

1:28

Thank you so much.

1:29

Would you please join the city council with me and the pledge of the legend?

1:51

Thank you very much.

1:52

Our uh Sergeant at Arms tonight is Lieutenant Langman.

1:56

Thank you for doing it tonight, and our fire marshal with Pete to be with us.

2:00

Before we get into the city manager's report tonight, obviously we have a very special group of individuals with us tonight.

2:19

Um actually bring them or ask them to come down to City Hall tonight so we could recognize them in person.

2:29

Part of us celebrating our two hundred and fifty anniversary at the country.

2:33

I can think of a better way to do that than to recognize those individuals who've made been a special part of our of our city.

2:41

So we do have a number of uh folks here tonight.

2:44

I'm gonna call your names, and if you would just raise your hand and wave at us there, uh, and we're gonna give you a little uh gift there, I think.

2:53

Um our first uh one is Ben Meeks Briggs.

4:44

Elizabeth Lindsay.

4:47

There she is right there.

4:54

Alpha McIntyre.

5:12

And Lena Orlow.

5:21

We are just delighted to have you with us.

5:31

We do want to unfortunately knowledge that you are for the men.

5:36

We have lost two of our sisters.

11:17

So Yardways Cartar continuing to be serviced until the replacement stickers are received.

11:23

So uh if you're having a problem with your red sticker staying on, there is another one coming in that we're I've asked them to be a little bit more intentional with the adhesive that they put on those this time.

11:35

Just before our next meeting also wanna remind council public that are whistle with uh transit authority maybe the largest service rate size in uh in a number of years for August transition from high sixty minute midway service to primarily thirty-minute services provide more frequently transit or uh public education communication or side now.

12:21

Uh let council knowing that we're also starting our annual city of Wisconsin versus program as far as the office planning, which will run through November 6.

12:32

Council members are welcome to attend the sessions.

12:35

We're uh excited to have a group of community residents that really want to learn more about city city government and what is offered in our community so we're decided to talk about starting this first.

12:50

The construction of the Helen Nickels walking church, located on Carl School Road again in April is now about ninety-nine five percent.

13:20

Uh recognize the publication school.

13:40

So regarding that over so we recently wanted to take this later management, vegetation management, same house and we just tried to get out.

14:17

Um, we can do all the

15:39

A couple of other things we've announced like this complex.

15:46

So information players set up the command system.

15:59

And every social department was first 114 A 635.

16:30

A lot of housing schools council to make the law of projects which we should.

16:48

From 9 30 to 11 30 at Old Townwood Center at 4550 Chablon Drive.

16:55

Residents are invited to meet with city staff and community partners, learn about city services, ask questions, share ideas, and discuss issues affecting their neighborhoods.

17:05

Complimentary coffee and refreshments will be provided.

17:27

I'd be remiss if I did take a moment at this public form to acknowledge the extraordinary round-the-clock effort of our employees, many of which were also feeling the impact at their homes on this water out water main break.

18:20

So I did have some of them, some of them are doing much of the break right now from the work that they had been on.

18:27

And then just finally I wanted to acknowledge the International Light Theater Festival that was in full swing, actually full swing when this waterman break occurred.

18:37

But the city worked with the festival organizers, hotels and host sites to minimize the impact on the tens of thousands of guests that were in town for one of our community seats to remember.

18:51

The festival was a true celebration of the arts, black culture, power of community to bring people together.

19:07

Organizers estimated the week long event generated economic impact, continuing to college, positive impact, positively impacting hotels, restaurants, retailers, transportation providers, and other local businesses.

19:33

So that I'll stand.

19:52

Whereas emergencies and disasters, including an actual man-made and technological occurred unexpectedly, posing significant threats to life, property, and environment.

20:03

And whereas the Winston Salem Forsite County Office of Emergency Management, the City of Winston Salem, emergency managers across all sectors, community leaders, the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, dedicate countless hours to developing preparedness response recovery and mitigation programs to protect the lives and property of all persons living in the United States and U.S.

20:30

territories.

20:32

And whereas emergency managers across the United States and U.S.

20:36

territories are charged with establishing and maintaining the capabilities necessary to effectively direct coordinate and support emergency and disaster response and recovery efforts.

20:48

And whereas the efforts of our nation's emergency managers have helped millions of community members across the United States recover, rebuild, and become more resilient in the face of the currency.

20:59

Now therefore, be it resolved, the mayor and city council of the city of Winston Salem hereby recognize the month of August as National Emergency Management Awareness Month in the City of Winston-Salem in conjunction with the National Preparedness Month in September.

21:14

With the support of the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management, the International Association of Emergency Managers, and the National Emergency Management Association, all U.S.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning████████████████████████████████████36%
Procedural████████████████████20%
Animal Welfare█████████9%
Noise Pollution██████6%
Public Safety█████5%
Transportation Safety███3%
Community Engagement███3%
Emergency Management███3%
Property Taxation███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Winston-Salem City Council Meeting - August 17, 2026

The Winston-Salem City Council convened on Monday, August 17, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers of City Hall. The meeting included recognition of local centenarians, multiple honorariums, a consent agenda of routine approvals, eleven public hearing items (including rezoning petitions and a special use permit), a public comment period, and a closed session. Key votes included approval of an alley closure, floodplain compliance text amendment, several zoning changes, a contentious rezoning (W-3693) approved 5-3, and a special use permit for a dog rescue outdoor enclosure (W-3691) approved 7-1.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved unanimously. Items included:
    • Conveyance of 1214 Gholson Avenue for affordable housing.
    • Application for $3,751,283 in Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance funds.
    • Purchase orders for two rear-loading ($559,830) and eight automated side-loading ($3,412,750.24) solid waste collection trucks.
    • Resolution approving up to $25,400,000 in multifamily housing revenue bonds for The Lofts at Motor Road.
    • Extensions of construction completion dates for affordable housing projects (Lofts at Motor Road and Residences at Indiana).
    • Appointments and reappointments to various city boards and commissions.
  • Council Member Hall requested that the developer of Residences at Indiana (C-7) follow up with nearby residents for a community update; the item was then approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Benjamin Gaither (student at WSSU): Expressed concerns about Flock Safety ALPR cameras on campus, citing privacy, cybersecurity risks, and potential warrantless data sharing with other police departments.
  • Olivia Doyle (Hate Out Winston-Salem): Called for the council to move forward with proposed ordinances for mandatory cite-and-release and lowest enforcement priority for misdemeanor cannabis possession. Provided a legal analysis from civil rights attorney Jalen Miller arguing that Dillon's Rule is not a barrier to such policies. Stated that current enforcement disproportionately affects Black and Latino residents.
  • Matthew Mayers: Praised city utilities' response to a recent water main break and the fire department's use of SUVs for emergency response. Encouraged the city to explore guaranteed energy savings contracts (citing NC Senate Bill 445) and noted the passage of House Bill 162 eliminating parking minimums, which he said could help housing density.
  • Marilyn Media Lacunza de la Cruz: Supported Hate Out's Fair Justice and Safety Act, focusing on decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana possession for minors through citation and diversion rather than incarceration.
  • Sarah Gerard: Expressed solidarity with Hate Out's decriminalization efforts and voiced concern about federal policies, including immigration enforcement, urging local officials to protect citizens.
  • Charlie Balchuk: Stated support for the Winston-Salem Fair Justice and Public Safety Act.

Discussion Items

  • G-9 (Zoning Petition W-3693 – Alma Mata): Proposed rezoning 0.33 acres at 4610 Country Club Road from RS9 to NO-L (neighborhood office limited). Staff noted the site is in a suburban growth area; the West Suburban Area Plan recommends single-family residential but allows some flexibility for adaptive reuse. The petitioner intended to use the existing home as an office with possible joint residential use. Opponents cited traffic congestion (existing volume at 15,500 vehicles, near capacity of 15,800), concerns that the house could be demolished for a larger office building (since the limited-use zoning does not restrict building size), and water runoff issues. Council Member Bowen motioned for approval. Council Member Clark noted lack of restrictions and voted no, citing housing needs. The motion passed 5-3 (5 in favor, 3 opposed).
  • G-11 (Special Use Permit W-3691 – Outdoor Dog Kennel Enclosure): Request to allow an outdoor enclosure as part of an indoor kennel at 740 Chatham Road (1.93 acres, zoned GI). The property was formerly a warehouse/church; the applicant (Kelsey Dolan of Stella's Rescue Inc.) plans a dog rescue. The hearing was quasi-judicial with sworn testimony. The applicant presented evidence from an appraiser (Rick Brant) and a site planner (Luke Dickey) arguing the use meets all four required findings: no material endangerment to public health/safety (limited hours 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., dogs must be attended, waste managed daily); meets UDO conditions; no substantial injury to property values (paired sales analysis showed no impairment); and harmony with the area (industrial zoning, natural elevation buffers, additional tree planting). Opponents, including residents of the adjacent West End neighborhood, testified about noise, odor, and potential quality-of-life impacts; noted that the hillside does not block sound; argued the site is too close to residences (some within 500 feet) and that other NC communities require larger setbacks. Council Member Hall moved to approve the four findings and issue the permit. Council Member Clark supported, noting the current GI zoning allows far more intensive uses (e.g., manufacturing, asphalt plant). The motion passed 7-1 (Council Member Burke opposed).

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Agenda: Adopted unanimously (all 13 items).
  • G-1 (Alley closure): Unanimously approved (closure of 0.125-acre alley between Allen Street and Wilbur Street).
  • G-2 (Floodplain compliance text amendment): Unanimously approved (UDO-CC36 for NFIP compliance).
  • G-3 (W-3687): Unanimously approved (rezoning 0.46 acres from RS9/RM18 to RS7).
  • G-4 (W-3688): Unanimously approved (rezoning 0.36 acres from RS9 to GB-L).
  • G-5 (Excuse Council Member Taylor from voting on G-6): Approved unanimously.
  • G-6 (W-3689): Unanimously approved (rezoning 0.81 acres from RM8-S/LI-L to LI-L), with Council Member Taylor excused.
  • G-7 (W-3690): Unanimously approved (rezoning 2.38 acres from LB-S to GB-S).
  • G-8 (W-3692): Unanimously approved (rezoning 4.45 acres from GI/CPO to GB-L).
  • G-9 (W-3693): Approved 5-3 (five in favor, three opposed).
  • G-10 (W-3694): Unanimously approved (rezoning 0.90 acres from RS12 to HB-L).
  • G-11 (W-3691): Special use permit for outdoor kennel enclosure approved 7-1 (seven in favor, one opposed).
  • Closed Session: Council voted unanimously to enter closed session (topic not specified in public portion).

Meeting Transcript

Okay, thank you. And uh joining present council member. Council member Andy Bellin. Mayor Pretem Adams here. Councilmember Taylor. Councilmember Hall. And Councilmember. Thank you very much. Would you please join the city council and me in a moment of silence? Thank you so much. Would you please join the city council with me and the pledge of the legend? Thank you very much. Our uh Sergeant at Arms tonight is Lieutenant Langman. Thank you for doing it tonight, and our fire marshal with Pete to be with us. Before we get into the city manager's report tonight, obviously we have a very special group of individuals with us tonight. Um actually bring them or ask them to come down to City Hall tonight so we could recognize them in person. Part of us celebrating our two hundred and fifty anniversary at the country. I can think of a better way to do that than to recognize those individuals who've made been a special part of our of our city. So we do have a number of uh folks here tonight. I'm gonna call your names, and if you would just raise your hand and wave at us there, uh, and we're gonna give you a little uh gift there, I think. Um our first uh one is Ben Meeks Briggs. Elizabeth Lindsay. There she is right there. Alpha McIntyre. And Lena Orlow. We are just delighted to have you with us. We do want to unfortunately knowledge that you are for the men. We have lost two of our sisters. So Yardways Cartar continuing to be serviced until the replacement stickers are received. So uh if you're having a problem with your red sticker staying on, there is another one coming in that we're I've asked them to be a little bit more intentional with the adhesive that they put on those this time. Just before our next meeting also wanna remind council public that are whistle with uh transit authority maybe the largest service rate size in uh in a number of years for August transition from high sixty minute midway service to primarily thirty-minute services provide more frequently transit or uh public education communication or side now. Uh let council knowing that we're also starting our annual city of Wisconsin versus program as far as the office planning, which will run through November 6. Council members are welcome to attend the sessions. We're uh excited to have a group of community residents that really want to learn more about city city government and what is offered in our community so we're decided to talk about starting this first. The construction of the Helen Nickels walking church, located on Carl School Road again in April is now about ninety-nine five percent. Uh recognize the publication school. So regarding that over so we recently wanted to take this later management, vegetation management, same house and we just tried to get out. Um, we can do all the A couple of other things we've announced like this complex. So information players set up the command system. And every social department was first 114 A 635. A lot of housing schools council to make the law of projects which we should. From 9 30 to 11 30 at Old Townwood Center at 4550 Chablon Drive. Residents are invited to meet with city staff and community partners, learn about city services, ask questions, share ideas, and discuss issues affecting their neighborhoods. Complimentary coffee and refreshments will be provided. I'd be remiss if I did take a moment at this public form to acknowledge the extraordinary round-the-clock effort of our employees, many of which were also feeling the impact at their homes on this water out water main break. So I did have some of them, some of them are doing much of the break right now from the work that they had been on. And then just finally I wanted to acknowledge the International Light Theater Festival that was in full swing, actually full swing when this waterman break occurred. But the city worked with the festival organizers, hotels and host sites to minimize the impact on the tens of thousands of guests that were in town for one of our community seats to remember. The festival was a true celebration of the arts, black culture, power of community to bring people together.

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