City Council - Regular Meeting

Hello, everyone. Hello, everybody. I hope everyone is doing well. I'd like to call our meeting to order for this evening. Our first order of business is the invocation and the pledge of allegiance. Would you please stand with me, please? We will have Commissioner Larry Smith to give the invocation and Commissioner Vaughan will give the pledge. Commissioner Smith.

Let's pray together. Lord God, thank you for the opportunity we have together as a community, as a group of citizens to look at the business of our town. We pray for tonight's meeting, pray for wisdom as decisions have to be made on various issues. Lord, we pray that as we meet tonight that we'll recognize that we're fortunate to live in this community, that we'll work together to come to some common goals, Lord. And then, Father, I just pray that everything that's said and done here tonight be pleased in your sight. Father, we do thank you for the opportunity to live in this country, this state, and this community. We pray that you'll continue to bless the town of Fuqua Arena and all the citizens and all the folks from the surrounding areas to help us continue to move forward. We ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you, sir. Amen.

Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands,

Now I'd like to ask our town manager, Adam Mitchell, to review the meeting protocol for public participation as it relates to the meeting this evening.

Thank you, Mayor. Good evening, Mayor. Good evening, board. It's good to be with you tonight. Tonight's town board meeting will be held both in person and live streamed on the town's YouTube channel and Facebook page. Tonight's meeting includes a public comment period and no scheduled public hearings. The public is invited to comment in person. When it is the appropriate time, Mayor Harris will call on those wishing to address the town board. All attendees who appear in person to address the town board during the public comment period should provide their name and address on the green registration sheet by the podium before the public comment period begins. We ask all those wishing to address the town board during the public comment period to begin their comments by clearly stating their name and address for the public record. The public is asked to keep all comments to three minutes so that all that wish to speak may be heard in a timely manner. To be respectful of those who may have different views on matters addressed by the town board, we ask that all in attendance respect the decorum of the meeting by refraining from clapping making loud noises, and generally showing support or displeasure for comments made during the public comment period. Police Chief Smith will be asked to escort from the boardroom anyone not respecting the process, and it is the discretion of the mayor as presiding officer to continue the public comment period if the meeting protocol is not followed. This concludes the protocol for tonight's meeting.

Thank you very much. Thank you. Item 3A is approval of the minutes to July 7th, 2026, Town Board of Commissioner regular schedule meeting. Do I hear a motion to approve the minutes?

Mr. Mayor, I make a motion to approve the minutes of the July 7th, 2026, Town Board of Commissioner's regular schedule meeting. Second.

This has been moved and seconded. Let the minutes be approved. All those in favor of the motion, let it be known by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed? Ayes have it. Thank you very much. We move now to item 4A, Proclamation National Farmers Market Week. I have a proclamation here that I will read. in regards to the importance of our farmers. I think the farming community is such a rich jewel that we have. I think that when we consider what farmers mean to our entire country, their value is unbelievable in regards to what they do every day to supply the food and the other items that we so richly enjoy. Oftentimes it's taken for granted. The history of Fuquay-Varina is a farming community, so when those of you who aren't from here, who came here, a lot of what you see in regards to the strength of our community is based on the concept of farming. In the fields, working in the fields, those of you who are farming, you learn a lot of different things. You learn teamwork, you learn the ability to cooperate, you learn the need and depend on each other. These are the kinds of things that are the essence of farming beyond what they do as far as providing all the other necessities that we enjoy. So I'm going to take a moment to read a proclamation that acknowledges our farmer's market that we have here in Fuqua Verena and we support, as well as those who have been in the farming business or whose families have been in the farming business and have a history of farming. We certainly appreciate all that you do for our community here, as well as in our state. Proclamation is read. Whereas the town of Fuqua Verena recognizes the important work of our local farmers who provide fresh and healthy food to our residents through the Fuqua Verena Grower's Market, and whereas the market supports our local economy, helps our farmers grow and brings our community together to find nutritious food options. And whereas the Fuquay-Varina Growers Market reaches even further into our community through kids like the SNAP, I'm sorry, through programs like the SNAP Double Bucks Program, Summer Meals for Kids, and the Mobile Market in Harnett County. And whereas the market promotes health and wellness for all ages through events like the Kids Bike Safety Day, Farm to Pantry, and various food and wellness workshops. And whereas the Fuquay-Varina Growers Market works closely with our partners, including the Fuquay-Varina Police Department and the Post Center for Health Education to make our town a healthier place to live. Now, therefore, be it resolved that I, William H. Harris, Mayor of the Town of Fuquayverena, do hereby proclaim August 2nd through the 8th, 2026, as Farmers Market Week. We commend the Fuquayverena Grower's Market for its dedication to providing our community with fresh food and its continuing efforts to make Fuquayverena a vibrant healthy town. Signed this day by William H. Harris, Mayor, Town of Fuqua Verena. Do we have any representatives from the growers market here? Well, thank you so much. We really appreciate all that you do and we really want you to know that we recognize your efforts and we encourage you to continue on. The citizens really appreciate all that you do. Thank you so much. Appreciate you. Now we'll move on to item 4B, recognition of the fire department. New hires, badge pinning. These are always exciting, the badge pinning. More information about this agenda item will be presented by Fire Chief Jones. Chief Jones, hello.

Mayor Harris, thank you so much. Commissioners, managers, thank you for the opportunity tonight to introduce our two newest members who are going to join us up here. Our two newest members to the family. I've asked Division Chief Justin Rivestal to join me tonight as we recognize these new firefighters. Tonight, we will formally welcome aboard two new members. Robert Rosario. Just raise your hand. And Tyler Cruz. as they receive their firefighter badges symbolizing the commitment to the culture of excellence we have established and expect within the fire department and the town of Fuquay-Varina. As a first in the fire department, our two newest members will join the department as senior firefighters, bringing several years of firefighting experience and fire apparatus driving experience with them. the senior firefighter is an invaluable position within the fire department. They carry the responsibility of being a seasoned firefighter capable of training new recruits and functioning as a relief or, in some cases, a primary apparatus driver. Since completing the department's two-week orientation program on July 10th, Both of these firefighters have hit the ground running, getting familiar with the department, the people, and the apparatus. Tonight, family members of each one of these gentlemen will pin their new badge, officially recognizing them as a senior firefighter with the Town of Fuqua-Varina Fire Department. After they are pinned, Division Chief Justin Rivestal will administer the Fire Department Oath of Service, a solemn promise to put the safety of others above their own and to faithfully serve and protect this community. First up, Robert Rosario. Senior firefighter Rosario will be pinned by his wife, Sarah, and his daughter, Emma. Robert is originally from Miami, Florida and began his fire service career in 2005 before moving to North Carolina in 2007. Robert served 11 years with the City of Clinton Fire Department, achieving the rank of engineer. In addition, he served eight years with the North Carolina Forestry Service as a seasonal smoke chaser. Since 2024, Robert has served as an apparatus driver with the West Area Fire Department in Cumberland County. Robert lives in Clinton with his wife and daughter and values commitment, hard work, and dedication to both his family and community. Robert, congratulations. Next up, Tyler Cruz. Senior firefighter Cruz will be pinned by his wife, Angelica. And an addition. Tyler was born and raised in Durham and Granville counties, and he began his fire service career as a volunteer with the Bahama Fire Department in 2015, and still serves that community today as a part-time firefighter. Tyler has served as a career firefighter with the Vance County Fire Department since 2020, achieving the rank of engineer. Tyler resides in Timberlake in Person County with his wife and three children and is looking forward to growing professionally and making a positive impact on the community. Congratulations, Tyler. Gentlemen, congratulations to each one of you. We are incredibly excited to add you to our family, and we look forward to seeing the path you blaze with our department. For the final step tonight, Division Chief Justin Revestal will administer the Fire Department Oath of Service, where each of our new firefighters will pledge to faithfully honor the badge and serve our community. Chief Revestal, I'll turn it over to you.

All right. I, state your name, do solemnly swear to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America and all the laws governing the state of North Carolina and the town of Fuquayverena. And all the laws governing the state of North Carolina. I will never allow personal feelings nor danger to self. I will never allow personal feelings or danger to self. To deter me from my responsibilities as a firefighter. To deter me from my responsibilities as a firefighter. I recognize the badge as a symbol of public faith and trust. I recognize the badge as a symbol of public faith and trust. And I accept this great responsibility. I accept this great responsibility. I will honor the values and ethics the badge represents. and hold my fellow firefighters to those same standards. I will represent myself, the department, and the town of Fuqua Verena with honesty and integrity. With honesty and integrity. This I pledge, so help me God. Congratulations.

Congratulations. Thank you all so much. Congratulations. Appreciate all you do. Thank you.

Good to have you. Congratulations.

Now we will move on to item 4C, Introduction, Recognition, Town Economic Development Director, Kelly Gordon. More information about this agenda item will be presented by Assistant Town Manager, Jim Seymour.

Mayor board good evening glad to be before you tonight to introduce to you the town's newest director economic development director Kelly Gordon. Kelly comes to us from southern Ohio with about 20 plus years of economic development experience ranging from small business development to business retention expansion to industrial park development so she is going to be an awesome fit for this community and she's already hit the ground running not only meeting with residents and businesses and corporations but starting to lay the foundation for the town's new economic development strategic plan which we look forward to bringing you in the near future so without further ado I'd like to welcome Kelly Gordon Kelly say a few words

Thank you for having me. I'm really excited to be here, and this is my third week kind of in the office. So Jim's right, I've hit the ground running, and you've probably seen me out around town and just making connections, and I'm really excited to start working for the town as far as bringing in industry and business and kind of retention and expansion opportunities for our local businesses. So really excited to be here, and thank you for having me.

Kelly, you're quite welcome, and we are certainly dependent on you. Economic vitality is one of our core values that's within our strategic plan. So you mean so much to us in regards to our aligning our activities with what is in that strategic plan, and we look forward to a bright future with you here in Fuqua-Varina.

Thank you for having me.

Any other, Commissioner, would like to have any comments?

Welcome. Welcome.

Thank you, thank you. Thank you so much, Kelly. And now we will have a presentation to the Wunsch family. Jimmy Wunsch, would you come forward, please? And former Commissioner Jason Wunsch and family, thank you.

Good evening. Good evening. It's great to be back here. And as you know, my father, Bruce Wunsch, unexpectedly passed away about six weeks ago. And he was my best friend. We were extremely close. We were an extremely close family. But he was also an umpire for the town for 20 years. And I remember saying to my dad, I said, Dad, you're 77. You still want to umpire. And he said, oh, I'm not stopping. I'm not stopping, he said, because I'm young at heart. And he umpired. He didn't miss a game. He was very reliable. And one of the things that he really, really loved was helping the kids. He was more than just being out there and doing a job, but he connected. with the kids and 20 years he started out with the FBAA then transitioned to the town and loved every minute of it and like I said he did unexpectedly pass away about six weeks ago but while he was while he was alive my mom Jimmy she did a painting of Falcon Park And she put my dad in it. And so that painting is here tonight. And my dad put it up in his office. He loved that painting. So it means the world to us, our family, to be able to donate that to the town tonight. in his memory, and I wanted to introduce everyone here, and then my mom said she is going to say some words, but of course my mom, Jimmy, and then my wife, Tricia, my brother, Chad, and then my daughter, Adeline, my bonus children, Alexander and Lila. And my daughter, Brooklyn, is out of state and wanted to be here but couldn't be here. So we have our family here tonight that lives locally. And my mom would like to say some words.

Well, it's quite an honor to be here, and thank you so much for accepting this painting. I'll give a little bit of background on Bruce, besides what Jason said. He was, I think most of you knew him, and he had a very strong personality, as you know, and he was a New Yorker, so for umpiring, it was very comfortable for him. You know, you get a lot of jabs and a lot of criticism, and it just bounced off of him. So he loved it, and he started actually 40 years ago when my son Chad, he's the younger son, was playing baseball. He used to coach. He liked to coach baseball, basketball. He liked the whole sports arena. And so I think he just—it was a hobby for him. It wasn't like we were— living off the salary you know it was just a hobby for him but he loved it so much and he loved the kids and i told him once i said we should do more volunteer work for the town we don't do any volunteer work and he said i think i'm doing it he said because it's hard to get umpires you know not everybody wants to be an umpire and take the abuse, I would say. So he felt he was helping the kids, and he just enjoyed it. But out of all the barbs he would get if he made a call and people didn't like it, he had one story that stood out I'd like to share with you. He could handle it all, but this one time we were in Pennsylvania, he was an umpire in Pennsylvania, And it was out in the country. It was kind of like the coal mining area. And so in the stands, you have to picture these large strong-willed women that are mothers in the stands watching their boys play basketball and then Bruce calling shots like you're out and you know and something they don't like well it was quite a scene because they all waited for him in the parking lot and they wouldn't let him leave the parking lot until they really circled around him and told him how they felt so he said You know, of all the people, coaches through the years, that one stands out, you know, because these women were strong and strong mothers. But he enjoyed, I think what gave him the most gratification was adult men would come up to him and say, hey, you were the, you know, you were the ump for me when I was a kid. He loved that. You know, that made him feel special. But can you imagine 40 years behind a plate and, you know, you've got the headgear and you've got the breastplate? I used to call it full metal jacket, you know? And I said, how can you keep doing that? You know, it's 85, 90 degrees outside and you're behind a plate with a full metal jacket on. Stop it already. You know, I was always saying stop it. And he said, no. He says there's an 80-year-old out there, to this day there actually is, on the umpiring team. And he's still going. He goes, if he's going, I'm still going. So anyway, it was a joy for him. And he would get a really kick out of this to know that the painting he asked me to paint, by the way, with him in it. If he would have known this would be in some town building, I mean, that would give him a lot of joy, and it really is an honor for me and for my family. Thank you so much.

Well, we certainly would like to thank you for such a thoughtful gift. It does us justice to remember such a, what I call a dynamic personality. If you know, I could not resist coming by and giving my condolences personally because Bruce and I, we made contact and now I understand while we used to have these conversations, and this was during election time because, you know, he always campaigned for Commissioner Wunsch, and he and I would get into these conversations, and by him being so straightforward and the way he expressed himself, he and I, we linked. I'd look forward to interchanging with him because I know I was going to get the truth, no matter what. I was going to get it truth and honest with him. No animosity, anything. It was just straightforward. And I admired that part of his integrity. And it has stamped a mark on my soul. I won't ever forget him.

Oh, that's so kind. Thank you.

You're quite welcome. And let's show the audience the beautiful picture.

and a very beautiful place to hang it in the honor of Bruce. Thank you. This is him.

I told him I slimmed him down a little bit.

Here?

Yeah, the belly's not as big. Oh, yeah, the belly's gone. Oh, you're so sweet.

I'll put it over here.

I think this is just beautiful.

It's great and well-preserved.

Thank you.

Susan, would you like to take a picture? Now we'll move on to item five, public comment period. At this time, the town clerk will call on individuals who are in attendance and have registered to address the town board prior to the meeting. The public comment period is a time for the public to address the town board on any matter not the subject of a scheduled public hearing. The public comment period is not a time for the town board to respond or engage in back and forth conversation with the public. Only those who have signed up in advance of the public comment period will be permitted to address the board tonight. Those speaking are asked to begin by clearly stating their name and address for the public record. Please limit your comments to three minutes so that all who wish to speak may be heard in a timely manner. Town Clerk Wilder, do we have anyone signed up for public comment?

Yes, we have 12 people. Wendy Douglas.

I'm Wendy Douglas. I live at 5005 Hannah Lane, Fuqua, Verena. Good evening.

Good evening.

I was here a few months ago to update you on the affordable housing summit that was held at Fuqua United Methodist Church. I'm here today because you will be considering two residential rezoning requests that specifically prohibit the use of vinyl siding along with other requirements that make affordable housing almost impossible. In fact, in the last 12 months, most if not all residential rezoning requests have included this language. It starts to look like a pattern of preventing affordable housing from being built in our town. Some people get concerned when I say affordable housing, so it may be helpful to provide some context. HUD defines affordable housing as housing on which the occupant pays no more than 30% of gross income for housing costs, including utilities. If we take the example of a firefighter in our town, that starting salary is $4,770 per month before taxes and insurance. If we assume a home in one of these developments could be purchased for $500,000, which is a likely price in such a community, a monthly mortgage would cost approximately $3,700 per month. A salary of 4770 per month will not support this mortgage. Even if that firefighter had a partner making the same amount of money, they still would not be able to afford that house. The same is true for police officers, teachers, some healthcare workers, and many of the people who work in our retail establishments.

We consider most of these people to be essential workers.

Yet when we approve rezoning requests like these, we're saying to them that while we consider them essential and want them to work in our town, we don't value them enough to provide housing options that will work for them. While there are restrictions that are needed to preserve the beauty of our town, this example is a good idea taken way too far. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Thank you for your comments. We appreciate them so much. Thank you.

Steve Gustafaro.

Good evening. Steve Gustafaro, 5516 Brushy Meadows Drive, . I first became aware of the Hilltop Park situation as a new member of the community. I watched as your citizens respectfully requested and pleaded for you not to build ball fields on the Blue Trail. But after becoming familiar with it, I feel the need to confront you for misleading your voters. These people chose to be civil and respectful, but should have been demanding and held you accountable for your disingenuous and underhanded misdeeds. Disingenuous, underhanded misdeeds. Seems like harsh words to throw around, so I'll put them in context. Something disingenuous is not completely candid. Something underhanded is done to gain unfair advantage. Misdeeds are unethical choices to break trust. All of these accurately describe how you maneuvered your voters to this point through the 2023 bond referendum. You may explain this as a way as an administrative process available to you, but make no mistake that this was a scheme devised by someone, to underhand and ramrod this agenda through, and now you are all complicit. When you adopted the 2017 plan for ball fields to your 2022 plan, the public hearing showed that people did not recommend ball fields. You said it was unanimously adopted, not true. Your own staff's presentation of the 2022 plan stated community inputs were concerns for water quality, preservation of natural areas, and lighting and noise. And the priorities were walking and biking on a greenway and hiking trails. But not one mention of a ball field was in your report, and yet they survived. And when you continued to push ball fields in the 2023 bond referendum, you knew these people had no way of voting against them. You worded the bonds so there was no way for the people to vote their wishes. They were going to be forced to accept the unpopular ball fields and why not what? If they voted yes, they got the ball fields. If they voted no, they still got the ball fields. So when they voted no, they hoped you were listening. and that their worries were over. But no, again, you added the ball fields to the budget and told them, you didn't read the fine print. So now, as Jesus once observed of a crowd, these people are bewildered and distressed, like sheep without a shepherd. They're not nor were they ever going to be fairly represented by the disingenuous, underhanded misdeeds perpetuated by this body. This will be your legacy, not a top level sports complex. You bear the mistrust of your voters, you walk amongst, except for the bubble of maybe the back slapping buddies that you hang around with. So stop all this and do the right thing. Fix your misdeeds, work with the people, and regain their trust.

Thank you. Thank you so much. We appreciate your feedback. Thank you.

Laurie Chamberlain.

Good evening. Hello. Laurie Chamberlain, 404 Wade Street. And I'm here this evening to talk about the proposed rezoning of 417 and 419 Raleigh Street. I believe the downtown generational plan supports growth, but it also places clear responsibility on how that growth should occur. On page 52, under the human scaled, the plan says the successful downtown development should feel comfortable and not overbearing. It specifically states that the development should reflect, quote, a scale that the community is comfortable with. The very next sentence says involving the community, listening to residents, and making sure a new development feels appropriate is the best way to achieve this goal. That language matters. The TCR is not simply permission to use every maximum dimension allowed in the zoning table. The town adopted a broader standard. Development must be evaluated for scale, context, and how it relates to the people in the neighborhood affected by it. On page 60, the plan calls for quote, new compatible residential infill. and says the infill can include townhomes, duplexes, or cottage courts. The important word, though, is compatible. The plan supports different types of housing, but it does not say that every housing type is appropriate for every street or every neighborhood. Raleigh Street currently has an established residential line. The homes generally set back 20 to 30 foot, And the proposed row home standards allow for three substantial homes at only 10 foot from the property line. That's a significant departure from the existing streetscape. The plan also identifies Raleigh Street as a secondary street and places it in priority tier two for future streetscape implementation. On page 43 and 44, it describes sidewalks, flex zones, street trees, and other public realm improvements that must work together with this development. I'm not asking the board to reject all changes for all of the TCR development. I'm asking the board to apply the plan as it was written, require development that is human-scaled and compatible and shaped by meaningful consideration of the residents' concerns. Please consider a front setback closer to the existing Raleigh Street building line, together with enforceable limits on the height and overall scale. Thank you.

Thank you very much, appreciate your feedback, thank you.

Joan Bean.

I'm actually speaking for Joan Bean, she's an elderly woman, couldn't make it here.

And what is your name, Miss?

Is it relevant?

It is relevant for our records. Would you please state your name and address?

I don't want to. I'm seeking it for somebody else that can't be here at present, and it's taking up my time. Well, it hasn't started, but I don't want to state my name.

Did you sign up for her?

I signed up under her name.

But then you were truthful then.

I was. No, no. You submitted something for me to present to you.

No, we're going to have to ask you in regards to following protocol and decor to give your name and address.

Well, then I'm not going to speak.

Okay, that's fine.

I'll have her send it in. But you guys don't read e-mails, so.

Who's next?

Andrew Rubley.

Thank you.

good evening mayor and commissioners i am andrew rubly 331 lark tree lane thank you for the opportunity to speak to you tonight i'm here once again because i believe that the blue trail is worth protecting this isn't just about a trail it's about preserving one of the natural spaces that makes hilltop need more town park in our community so special As Fuquay continues to grow, we have opportunities to build new amenities, but mature forests, peaceful trails, and the experience of walking through nature are much harder to replace once they're gone. I know that there are many priorities competing for your attention, and I appreciate the difficult decisions that you do have to make. My hope is simply that preserving the Blue Trail remains part of the conversation as you shape the future of this park. The number of residents who continue to attend these meetings shows that this issue matters to our community. People are taking time out of their evenings because they care deeply about preserving a place they love. I ask you to continue listening to those voices and to seek a path forward that protects this unique natural resource for future generations. One day, people will look back at the decisions made today. I hope they'll be able to say that when our community had the chance to preserve something special, we chose to do so. Thank you for your time and your service to this town.

Thank you very much. Appreciate your comments.

Good evening. Good evening. Cherie Ward, 4604 Springcrest Court. On July 7th, 2026, journalist Jane Porter posted her article for IndieWeek titled, Fuquayverena is Moving Forward with Controversial Plans to Build Ballfields in a Popular Natural Space. I just want to read some of the excerpts, please. Quote, Hilltop Nemoortown Park in Fuquayverena, mature pecan trees and live oak trees, tulip poplars and eastern red cedars flank the walking trails that meander through rolling hills. White-tailed deer graze near the trees while rabbits and squirrels dart across footpaths. Barred owls, woodpeckers, and songbirds populate the tree branches. Frogs, turtles, blue herons, and wood ducks make their homes in and around the ponds that dot the 147-acre property. The park is one of the most beautiful natural spaces in Wake County, beloved by thousands of residents. But last month, Fuqua Verena's Board of Commissioners adopted a budget that includes 10 million to build two baseball fields and two multipurpose fields on about five acres. Dozens of residents filled the town's municipal building on the evening of the budget vote to register their objections for the plan. The article continues with comments from a subject matter expert. David Carter is the retired director of Wake County's Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Department. In May, Carter wrote a letter to Fuqua Arena town manager Adam Mitchell explaining why Hilltop Needmore is a poor choice for construction of athletic fields. First, the town will have to spend millions grading the land. That process would permanently alter the soil and could ruin underground wells that serve the nearby subdivisions, Carter wrote. Additionally, lighting and its proximity to homes make the site inappropriate for active recreation, and nearby traffic raises safety concerns for children ages nine and 10 for whom the ball fields are planned. That's not to mention the impacts on wildlife and the people who use the space to walk and bike, unquote. Many, many people share this sentiment. The full article is available at IndieWeek.com, and it contains some very interesting information and is a worthwhile read. Mr. Mayor, Commissioners, opposition to the plan for ball fields at Hilltop is not going away. Thank you.

Thank you very much. We appreciate your comments. Thank you so much.

Nancy Unwin.

Good evening, commissioner, mayor, and commissioners. My name is Nancy Unwin, and I live at 4705 Lanaria Lane, Fuqua Verena. I am standing here tonight alongside my neighbors to speak for Hilltop Needmore Town Park. We're here to send a clear, unified message. We love this beautiful green space. We're not going away, and we will keep fighting to protect it. While we understand the town's desire for athletic fields, destroying this specific park to build ball fields is a mistake that cannot be undone. Hilltop Needmore is unique. It is a sanctuary of rolling hills, mature tree canopies, and thriving wildlife. Just recently during my walk, four young yearlings stepped out of the woods and followed me right onto the grassy path. They felt safe there. This community deeply values this passive green space. Walking trails and quiet forests provide irreplaceable mental and physical health benefits for residents of all ages. If we replace this sanctuary with loud, brightly lit, athletic complexes, those peaceful moments with nature will disappear forever. You cannot plant a few saplings on a flat, graded ball field and call it an equal replacement for mature nature preserve. For years, the community's voice has been clear. We want Hilltop Needmore preserved as a natural space. Turning this land into intensive athletic fields ignores that longstanding public input. We do not have to choose between sports and nature. The town can find alternative locations. We can explore flat, already cleared parcels, or build partnerships with local schools that already have the infrastructure. Let's solve our athletic needs creatively rather than sacrificing the crown jewel of our town's natural landscape. Commissioners, we are watching this process closely. Our presence tonight is proof that this community is organized, passionate, and persistent. We urge you to honor your commitment to environmental stewardship and preserve Hilltop Needmore exactly as it is. Thank you for your time.

Thank you very much, Ms. Owens. Thank you.

Hi, good evening.

Good evening.

My name's Rebecca Mangum Rose, and while I currently live at 220 Gallup Drive in Clayton, I also work at 8304 Purefoy Road in Fuqua. Other than my time at NC State or when living in military housing as the spouse of someone on active duty, from the time I was discharged at birth from Wake Med Hospital in 1992 until February of 2023, my zip code was 27526. 31 of my 34 years fuquay was the only home i knew my great grandfather and his brothers cut holland road into existence from purefoy to andrew road as a kid you could regularly find me running around fire station one and the old fuquay ems station while my parents were on shift or while i was visiting with my childhood nanny the mother of the late chief tony malden I'm a proud graduate of Fuqua Marina High School and member of the class of 2010. Some of you on this board counted my late aunt, Becky Medlin, among your closest friends. Becky helped shape this town in many ways that we will never fully know because so much of what she did was done quietly, behind the scenes, and without seeking recognition. I count it as one of the greatest honors of my life to be named after her. When I say this town is part of who I am, I mean that. The people, places, and history of Pequoy are woven into my family story, my values, understanding of service, love of agriculture, and belief that neighbors should treat one another with respect. It's why I care so deeply about its future and why I'm standing here before you tonight. I first became involved in the civic process surrounding proposed and adopted projects from this town when one of those projects threatened the one remaining piece of my family's agricultural legacy that I will personally inherit one day, Holland Farms Produce. For me, this was never just about a piece of property, a traffic project, or a disagreement with you all. It was about something personal. It was about protecting the hard work, sacrifice, and stewardship of the generations that came before me and ensuring that what remains can be passed on to my children one day. As my involvement continued, I began paying closer attention not only to that project, but other projects affecting citizens across this community. What I learned was that many of the same concerns kept appearing regardless of what project was being discussed. Concerns about transparency, communication, accountability, and leadership, about how affected citizens and private property owners were not being engaged throughout these processes. Those concerns ultimately led us at Holland Farms Produce to stand alongside many of the citizens working to protect Hilltop-Needmore Park and Preserve. While the projects themselves were different, the concerns expressed by citizens were very similar. And so this petition that I would like to present to you all today asks the town to establish clearer expectations and stronger standard operating procedures for the positions of town manager, planning director, and the departments that they supervise on these projects. We have 631 signatures, and 365 of them are citizens of the town of Fuqua. Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I'm Donald Mangum. I live at 902 Holland Road, and that was my daughter. And y'all already know how I feel about this whole Hilltop thing. One thing that I'm here for is that I was looking at the Hilltop site, and I saw this beautiful picture of two Blue Jays on a sign. The sign said, Hilltop, Needmore Park and Preserve. I didn't think anything about it. And then the next day it came up in my feed that someone from the town had gone out there and pulled the sign up. I wasn't interested in the sign, I was interested in the birds. And then I got to thinking, I said, somebody from the town is monitoring that site and retaliating for what they see. And so then I got to thinking about it. I said, well, I don't know. I've spoken twice about it, so I better look at my stuff. And I do a story every day. Most of y'all know that, because most of the commissioners are my friends and look at it, and are customers. And I do a story every day, generally, with one of my employees holding whatever we're featuring for the day. And it only lasts 24 hours, and it disappears. Well, I went back and looked, and lo and behold, I have a copy for everybody. The town manager, who's never spoken to me, never set foot on my property, never been in our business, is monitoring everything I post. Now, we don't operate that way in this town. We need transparency and accountability, and y'all need to hold him accountable, okay? Y'all are in charge, not him. All right, I have copies here the chief can get to you. This is just eight different times since I spoke the last time he looked at it. I've got about ten more times that he's looked at it. And I would like to know, did he do it while he was working? Did he do it on town internet? Did he do it on town laptops or phones? We're not paying anybody to be doing this. Come on. It's time for y'all to step up and do what's right. It's time for y'all to kill everything about that Hilltop Park project, except for victimizing that dam, and let's all look together for somewhere else to build those ballparks. This is ridiculous. And I expect more from y'all in accountability on what's going on. All y'all are my friends. Even Commissioner Warren, who I didn't know, he wasn't from here, he was... A man enough to come out and see me and shake my hand, and we talk about it, and I appreciate that. I've always talked to all the rest of you. I talk to Commissioner Hayes weekly because I do a lot of stuff for him, and he buys a lot of stuff when he's cooking for me, and especially in the fall. But I expect y'all to do something, okay? It's gone on long enough. This is not our town. This is not how we operate. We're not some kind of cyber operation. This is the town of Fuquay. And we're all supposed to be friends and know each other and do the right thing in the right way. Thank you so much. Thank you very much. Appreciate your comments. Thank you.

Good evening, Mayor and Commissioners. My name is Terri Hurdom and I currently live at 232 West Fernway in Holly Springs. I'm a former Fuqua resident and I still enjoy walking the Blue Trail at Hilltop Nemore Park. You have shared some scriptures, passages in previous meetings, and those words remind us of our shared duty to care for the gifts that God has given us. This park with its mature trees, rolling hills, and active wildlife is a beautiful testament to creation. Taking preserve out of the park name does not change what this land inherently is, a true sanctuary. While the board voted to move forward with funding, town officials simultaneously admitted that critical environmental well impact traffic and stormwater studies haven't even been completed. How can this board commit to clearing a natural preserve before you even know the true environmental toll? Nature offers profound healing and comfort to those navigating difficult times and grief. It is a peaceful haven for all. We are not going to give up the fight to save the Blue Trail. We urge this board to pause all action and fully commit to and publicly release those environmental impact studies before a single mature tree is cut down. Act as true stewards of this land. Do not move forward with the plan to build ball fields in this area. Thank you very much.

Thank you so much, Ms. Hurdle. Thank you. Appreciate your comments and your feedback.

Randy Cohen.

Mayor and commissioners, I'm Randy Cohen. I live at 4720 Lanaria Lane. That does happen to be in Crooked Creek. This whole thing about the Blue Trail is not really about Crooked Creek. It's about the town. It's about the citizens who use that trail. I came and just wanted to listen and see how I felt and speak from my heart. There are three words that keep coming up or that I've heard tonight that I want to address. First is respect. You start off the meeting telling everybody how we have to respect everybody when we're here. And I think we have. And I want to continue to be respectful. But I would hope that you all would be respectful of all of the people in this town who have talked about this land that you're trying to destroy. I don't... I don't know of, and maybe you can tell me. Is there a website out there or a Facebook page for the people who want to put those ballparks in? Or would it only have 10 or 12 people on it? And if that's the case, why are we still talking about it? Another thing, you slip this in. Everybody voted on that bond. That's why that bond didn't pass. It was all about the park. And the people who live in Crooked Creek, a lot of us, can't even vote. Slip that in as a $10 million line on the budget, that you're gonna spend $10 million and destroy this. Do you really think it's gonna cost 10 million? I heard that the first estimate was already 13 million. So we're already over. So what happens when we go over again? And then we have somebody, I think, and I don't even know who Mr. Adcock is, I'm sorry. Last time he said, I'm sorry, Mr. Adcock, you mentioned, why don't we look into the people over at Brighton Ridge giving them access on that street that runs up there. That is an unfinished gravel road. What's that going to cost to add to the ten million dollars? What happens when we get in the middle of that ten million and now we have to get more money? I know what happens. Our taxes will all go up. Do your neighbors, you all live in Fuquay, I'm assuming in the city, are your neighbors and Hoping for more taxes? To pay for something that nobody wanted?

I don't know.

Okay. Brings me to my second word that I heard tonight. Integrity. Do I need to say any more? Really? My third word is prayer. We started off with prayer. I would like to end with prayer. I'd like to pray that you all understand how everybody in this town and a lot of the surrounding towns who've commented feel about this blue trail, feel about God's creatures and feel about God's beautiful land on the blue trail.

Thank you, Ms. Cohen. We appreciate your feedback. Thank you so much.

Emily Holloway.

I'm Emily Holloway, out of 312 Andrew Road. Good evening, commissioners, mayor, board members. I'll keep this pretty short. I'm here because I frequently travel per foy and honey cut to go to Club Works. And constantly stunned by the amount of traffic, and I know it's only gonna get worse when all the businesses and residents get built. And it's funny that this would be the week to celebrate the farmer's market, farmers in general, because that used to be a farm over there, which is now gone. There are no trees. They raised everything. And I just want to know if there has been a transportation study plan on how the traffic is going to be handled once all those businesses get up and running. I just keep seeing there may be putting a turn lane in here. I know Academy's been extended to go to Perfoy, but are they going to put another stoplight there? I don't know if there's a plan for how that traffic's going to be, but it just seems like all this building is going way before we got the infrastructure in, and it is concerning to me. If there is a place, you know, that we could find out what the roads are going to look like, that'd be great. But I just think it's bad now. It's going to be really bad once people start turning in and out of those roads. So that's all I have to say. But thank you very much. Thank you, Emily.

Appreciate your comments. Thank you so much. All right, that ends the public comment period. The next item is item 6A, and there are no items tabled from the previous meeting for this meeting tonight, so we'll move on to public hearings. Item 7A, there are no public hearings for the meeting tonight that are scheduled. And we move on to the consent agenda. What is the board's pleasure on the items on the consent agenda?

Mr. Mayor, I move that we approve items 8A, 8B, and 8C on the consent agenda.

Second. It's been moved and properly seconded that the items on the consent agenda, item A, B, and C, be approved. All those in favor of the motion, let it be known by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed? motion carries thank you and now we move on to the administrative reports item 10 a contract award Wilburn Road 1 million gallon elevated water storage tank project and POA 27-02 Good evening.

Good evening, Mayor and Commissioners.

Director Wagner, good evening.

I'm here to present tonight for you to consider the contract award for the elevated storage tank on Wilbon Road. This elevated storage tank is needed to meet our water quality, quantity, and pressure, including 50% of average daily flow in the elevated storage tank. The scope of the work includes the construction of a 150-foot, 1 million-gallon elevated storage tank, four pressure relief valves, and two pressure isolation valves with the intent of creating a higher pressure zone from Sunset Lake and Bass Lake Road down to the Harnett County Water District. It also includes the connection of the water line to the tank and the water line connection to the Wilbon booster pump station on Judd Parkway that will fill the tank the we bid this and had we had to bid it twice and the lowest responsive bidder was landmark structures one LP and for an amount of $13,843,000. Construction is anticipated to be completed by the summer of 2028. Once we get under contract, we'll have a better idea of what that schedule is. We're hoping it can be 18 to 24 months. There is a fiscal note associated with this. It's Project Ordinance Amendment 2702 in the amount of $6,643,141. And those are funds that will be appropriated from the 2024 B revenue proceeds. In the current line item, there is $7,199,859 to make the difference up for the project. So as I mentioned, the Wilbon elevated storage tank will be off of Wilbon Road. It will be behind the St. Pernodette's Catholic Church off of Wilbon Road. We have a design for the tank that we're excited to move forward with. It's a Dash Moore. And so management and staff's recommendation is a motion to approve the project ordinance amendment POA 2702 in the amount of $6,643,141 and to award a contract for the construction of the Wilbon Road 1 million gallon elevated storage tank project to Landmark Structures 1LP in the amount of $13,843,000. and authorize the town manager or his designee to execute a contract on behalf of the town subject to the town attorney's review as to form. And I'm available for any questions you may have.

Any questions? Do we own the land where this will go?

We own the land where it will go. We have an easement going from Wilbon Road back to where the storage tank will be.

I know where we needed it. I think we either had to under threat of condemnation, or I didn't know if we had finished the process. The process is finished.

OK. Thank you.

Do I hear a motion?

Motion to approve as presented. Second.

It's been moved and properly seconded that we approve the project on this amendment. All those in favor of the motion, let it be known by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed? The ayes have it. Thank you very much. Motion carries. The next item is item 10B, Contract Award 26-01, Wilbur Jones Road, Johnson Pond Road at grade railroad crossing, $151,455, BA-2701, and then POA-2701. Engineering Director Poling will provide us information.

Thank you. Good evening, Mayor. Good evening, town board members. I am submitting this agenda abstract and supporting documents into the official record of the town. The purpose of this agenda item is to approve a budget amendment and a project ordinance amendment in the amount of $151,455 and authorize the town manager to enter into a contract with Pecos Construction Company incorporated for the construction of the Wilbur Jones Road, Johnson Pond Road at-grade railroad crossing closure project, subject to the town attorney's review as to form. And so the scope of work includes permanent closure of the at-grade railroad crossing, We're going to be installing turnarounds at both ends with guardrail. It includes pavement marking and signing. So the project was advertised and the lowest responsible bidder was Pecos Construction at $151,455. And we are expected to complete it within the next few months. It's a relatively small project. This closure also supports the future NCDOT U-5751 grade separated railroad crossing. So this crossing has been planned to be closed at the very early planning phases of the 55 bypass. It literally goes right over top of Wilbur Jones. And so it also supports the Wallace-Adcock Boulevard, the new at-grade railroad crossing. And so typically for every new railroad crossing you get, you have to close two. And so we've actually come out on the better side of this. We do have a fiscal note for this as well with the project being funded through the Northeast District Capital Reserve funds. And this is just a brief example of the guardrails and the turnarounds that will be constructed. And so with that, we do have a recommended motion tonight, and it is to approve the budget amendment BA-2701 in the amount of $151,455, along with the corresponding project ordinance amendment, POA-2701, and authorize the town manager to enter into a contract with Pecos Construction Company Incorporated for the construction of The Wilbur Jones Road Johnson Pond Road at grade railroad crossing closure project subject to the town attorney's review as to form and with that I'd be happy to answer any questions.

uh yes mayor uh director poland can you uh i guess speak to uh the community about just how many more railroads if we were to have to close another railroad and explain the process because i think at times people don't understand that process and what now we're very limited on any more railroad crossings we can close If we had to reopen a railroad crossing, and I'll be honest, it's nothing that we all want to do all the time. I see a railroad crossing that I didn't want to be closed, but it's something that had to be done to open, I want to say, Judd Parkway at the time. So it's one of those things that we have to adjust to, but I want you to speak a little bit more to it if you can.

That's correct. So we work with the railroad to identify where our new crossings are going to go, and then they actually will request where they want their closures at. And so for every new grade crossing or new crossing that we get, we have to close two crossings. And so with Judd Parkway, we did have to close two crossings with that one as well, with Lawrence and Washington Street. So we did have to close those two for Northwest Judd Parkway.

Thank you, sir.

Any other comments?

Yeah, Mr. Mayor. So, you know, I just want to acknowledge, I think, of course, this is very, you know, kind of politically unpopular to have to close these things. And, you know, in a lot of ways, this is out of our control. As you said, you know, we have to close two crossings just to open up one. And I think, you know, congrats to your team. You're able to negotiate down to one closure for this, for Wallace Adcock Boulevard. So I want to say we appreciate that. And I also want to say, you know, if you want to complain to someone about this, you have to go kind of really high up. This isn't a federal government kind of jurisdiction problem. And actually, fortunately, we have two Congress members, and representing Fuqua-Cabrinha, one from each party, too, that I think both sit on the Railroad Subcommittee. I know at least Congresswoman Foushee does. So I would definitely encourage people who have been really upset about this, I've seen the comments online, definitely reach out to these House members and tell them what you think. Because we're just kind of as upset as many people in public are about this. So I just wanted to make sure people are aware of what we're kind of dealing with here.

Thank you. Thank you so much. Town Manager Mitchell.

thank you and i just want to additionally underscore that the reason why norfolk southern chose this location is it is this crossing is planned to be closed with ncdot's u-5751 project the 55 extension that will reroute 42 401 55 at the five points intersection and tie an extended nc55 around to judd parkway in order to complete that project as a part of their design this railroad crossing will close eventually anyway that is what we believe the reason that norfolk southern targeted this this particular location because they also know that it was eventually going to be closed they just advanced it as a part of their requirement to close one for one with the opening of the at-grade crossing at wallace adcock boulevard thank you good information any other comments

Thank you all. Do I hear a motion?

Mr. Mayor, make a motion to approve. Second.

We've had a motion and a second to approve the recommendation. All those in favor of the motion, let it be known by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed? The ayes have it. Motion carries. Thank you all very much. Now we move on to other business. We move on to the manager's report. Town Manager Mitchell.

Thank you, Mayor. In addition to some of the items that are included in your agenda materials that I'll go over towards the end, I do want to brief the board on a few items related to some of our departments. First, the town and our partners with the Fuqua-Varina Downtown Association conducted interviews for the new downtown development manager position. have narrowed down the final list of candidates and will hopefully be announcing a selection in the near future. The planning department, as it pertains to the planning department, our planning director, Pam Davison, is attending the Public Executive Leadership Academy at the UNC School of Government this week. Upon her graduation, she'll be the fourth member of the leadership team to have gone through that program. And Lauren Struthers started as the new current planner last Monday with our planning department. She joins us as a recent graduate of East Carolina University and their planning program. We saw an increase in permits issued last month, and downtown demolition project related to 101 North Main Street is set to start on August 24th, and we have notified the public of that. Stage one water restrictions were rescinded as of today. Advertise that and that is in concert with our water Partner providers with the city of Raleigh who also rescinded their stage one conservation restrictions today As it pertains to our engineering department the couple of projects updates on transportation related projects Judd and broad That project is complete the contractors currently finishing some punch list items and coordinating with the North Carolina Department of Transportation for final acceptance The downtown Verena pedestrian improvements project, Ransdell Road paving, is expected to be completed within the next few weeks to accommodate Fuqua Verena high school traffic when school starts back. Utility conflicts have delayed portions of the sidewalk installation along North Street. These conflicts will be resolved within the next couple of weeks, allowing the project to be substantially complete by late September. The Austin Ridge Greenway project, It's scheduled for paving next week with a target opening to the public in early September. So we're excited about that. The Fuquay-Varina resurfacing project is about 50% complete. All paving operations should be completed later this fall. Old Honeycutt and the NC55 intersection operational improvements all right away has been acquired, and Duke Energy will be mobilizing within the next couple weeks for utility relocations. All plans and bid documents have been approved by NCDOT, and advertisement for construction is anticipated in September or October of this year. The old Honeycutt Kennebec intersection operational improvements right-of-way acquisition is underway. Advertisement for construction is expected later this year pending final NCDOT and Federal Highway Administration approvals. Sunset Lake Road widening. The right-of-way acquisition is complete. Final plans have been submitted for approval, and an advertisement for construction is expected later this calendar year pending final North Carolina Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration approvals. The Bass Lake-Sunset Lake-Hilltop-Needmore intersection operational improvements right of way acquisition is complete and all final plans have been approved. Following easement recording and Duke Energy utility relocations, which are expected to take approximately three to five months, we anticipate advertisement for construction in late 2026 or early 2027. And our engineering department has been rather busy as of late. There's a lot of fiber communication infrastructure being installed by various fiber companies. The department has processed over 120 encroachment submittals for fiber installation this year in 2026 to date. Our human resources department welcomed Giselle Delgado as a human resource analyst for our department. She will be responsible for personnel actions and performance evaluations. She comes to us with over four years of local government experience, and she previously worked for the town of Apex and the city of Raleigh. So we want to welcome Giselle to our team. And our human resources department recently launched The annual performance evaluation process for all town employees, full-time employees, and they will be due by October 31st. Our communications department worked alongside the Fuquay-Varina Police Department to produce a video to educate citizens about the Safe Zone Exchange, and it's received about 36,000 views since it went live. Andrew Grobe and our fire department completed all career ladder requirements and has been promoted from Firefighter 1 to Firefighter 2, so we want to congratulate Firefighter Grobe. Firefighter 1, Carter Sams, and his fiancee, Allison, welcomed a new recruit to the fire department family on July 6th with the birth of their daughter, Lily Sybil, and all are doing well. The relaunch of the Junior Firefighter Program is off to a great start. Over the past two weeks, 18 candidates have been interviewed for 15 slots, and they will participate in an agility test over the next two Saturdays. Our advisors hope to finalize the roster and hold the first meeting by the start of the upcoming school year. and the fire department has been using the buildings at 101 North Main Street, scheduled for demolition for invaluable training. Large open space commercial properties are hard to come by for training, so crews have been rotating through the building as much as possible, working on unique tactics and strategies that they do not always get the time to practice and do. The artificial smoke being used has promoted or prompted many questions and attracted curious onlookers, as you can imagine, from the community, and the firefighters have enjoyed answering those questions. Training activities will continue until the scheduled demolition at the end of August, with plans to conduct some roof operations with the ladder trucks during the last week. Police Department has also been very active since our last meeting. The department is proud to announce that Jacob Walters, Steve Tran, David Okamoto, Miranda, and Michael Wood have joined our team as police officers. An oath of office ceremony will be held in the near future for those officers. Evidence custodian Renee Smith and crime analyst Lindsey Peluso were recognized as employees of the quarter in the police department. Both individuals went above and beyond on a project that significantly streamlined police department operations and proving the department's efficiency. And we want to congratulate them on this recognition. The police department invites the public to attend a fraud and scams awareness event. that will be held in partnership with Fidelity Bank on Monday, August 17th from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Hilltop Needlemore Town Park Clubhouse. Officers will provide expert guidance on identifying scams and practical steps for staying secure. And please note that seating is limited to the first 100 attendees and light refreshments will be provided by Fidelity Bank. The police department will host a national night out against crime on Friday, August 21st from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. This will be held in the parking lot adjacent to Target. The community event will feature a variety of activities and information. along with free backpacks and school supplies while supplies last. And the police motorcycles are operational and on the road. They are assigned to our Traffic Safety Unit and will be actively patrolling the roadways to reduce crashes and make our roadways safer. And if you had a chance to see those at the Independence Day celebration event, they were out for display for the community to see. As it pertains to parks and recreation, recreation for fall youth sports has concluded. The town saw a year-over-year increase of over 2% in participation with 4,449 children enrolled and 169 currently on a wait list. Summer camps are in their final three weeks at the Arts Center and fall classes are open for registration. The new theater season has just opened and tickets are available online or in person at the Arts Center. The International Cultural Festival will take place on September 12th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and promises a great day of food, performances, and cultural interactions and there is no ticket necessary. And registrations for this year's Nutcracker performance will be posted this week at fvarts.org. And the first community theater production of the year is in rehearsals right now. Tickets are now available for $17.76. The streets department began installing no parking, stopping, or standing, also known as idling signs, in the North Lakes subdivision today. They're expected to finish by the close of business on August 4th. And fleet manager Bradley Norton worked with the town's risk management, finance, and IT staff to implement a vehicle onboarding tool to ensure that newly acquired town vehicles are registered and insured appropriately and in a timely manner, becoming more efficient with operations. also just want to acknowledge and i think i provided it to each of you we received a letter expressing concern regarding traffic safety in the vicinity of ballantyne elementary school police chief smith has been made aware of the concern and provided a copy of this letter as we have done with similar type concerns that have been expressed in the past his team will be working alongside engineering director polling and his team to assess traffic and traffic safety in the vicinity of the school consistent with the concerns that were expressed in the letter and the findings of their analysis and any recommendations will be reported back to the town board at a future town board meeting With that, I draw your attention to the Town Board agenda, where there are a few upcoming events to take note of. Coffee with a Cop will be at Stick Boy Bakery, 127 South Main Street, Wednesday, August 5th, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. National Night Out Against Crime, I mentioned earlier, will be on Friday, August 21st, 5 to 8 p.m. at the Gold Leaf Target parking lot. Follow Me to Fuqua Concert will host the Band of Oz Thursday, September 10th from 6.30 to 9.30 p.m. at the Centennial Park. The 9-11 National Day of Remembrance will be on Friday, September 11th at 8.30 a.m. and it will be held at the Fuqua Arena Arts Center this year. 25-year anniversary of 9-11, and there will be a special program for that event. 20 years, excuse me. No, 25 years is right. International Festival, Fuqua Verena Arts Center. I mentioned that earlier. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on September 12th. We have a food truck rodeo scheduled for Sunday, September 13th from 12 to 3 p.m. at the Durham Street parking lot in the Verena District, 801 Durham Street. And then you do have a number of first readings included in your agenda materials that will appear on the August 18th town board meeting. A zoning map amendment submitted by Malden Walk and surveying for 210 Southwest Street. A zoning map amendment submitted by Malden Walk and surveying for 417 and 419 Raleigh Street. a zoning map amendment and land use plan amendment for Sampson, a Bladen Oil Company, and a portion that involves numerous properties off of Piney Grove, Wilbon Road. This is also first reading. And the zoning map amendment submitted on behalf of MI Homes of Raleigh regarding property off of Sunset Lake Road. And so these four first readings are to familiarize yourself with these items in advance of the August 18th town board meeting. And with that, Mr. Mayor, that concludes my remarks for this evening. I'm happy to answer any questions that you or the board might have.

Any questions of town manager Mitchell? No. Next, we will hear town board member comments. Commissioner Haynes.

Yes, Mr. Mayor, I have a few. Let's see. First of all, last Friday, we just finished summer feeding for kids in Fuqua Wave Arena, so I definitely want to thank Pine X Community Center, because we did Monday through Friday from 12.30 to 1.30, and then also the Fuqua Wave Arena Growers Market for doing breakfast every Saturday, So they were kind of doing double duty while they were doing the grower's market. They were also making sure kids were fed. That's very important in the summer. People don't realize that a lot of these kids, a lot of people are fortunate, but a lot of kids don't realize that when these kids leave for the summer, a lot of them don't eat during the week. Even during the school year, a lot of kids don't eat during the weekend. They eat on Friday, and once they get back on Monday, then you try to figure out why the kids are so hungry because they haven't been eating. So being able to give that to kids from all over our community was worthwhile, and we've been doing it for about 10 years. So it's something that we love doing. So I just want to thank both of those organizations. I had a great time at the retirement for Battalion Chief Garland Johnson. That was a great event. You know, he's been around for a long time, amazing person. We hate to see him go, but we hope he enjoys his retirement. We had good food, a lot of laughs and jokes about all the different things he's been doing throughout the year, so that was a great thing. Also, I missed the ice cream social. People were calling to ask me where I was, but I actually – stepped back and took the community... emergency response training. So I am now certified. I've been seeing the Fuqua-Varena CERT team do so much work during our parades and all these different events, run the quay and all these different things, and I want to know what they do. So it's actually a state training, and for the whole weekend, I thanked the fire department, the police department, and all that played a part, especially the Fuqua-Varena CERT team, where I was in there learning about emergency response if anything ever goes wrong in the town of Fuqua-Varena. how I can be a part and be a service to that outside of that. So that was a great training. I hate I missed ice cream social, but at that time they had closed down Fuqua Coworking, and I was hauling people out on gurneys trying to make it look like we were actually doing a disaster relief training. So that was fun. I had a great time. It was people from all over the state, from Clinton, from the mountains and everywhere. They all came to Bob Barker. So that was a great thing. Also, Pontiac Community Center, which many people know I'm the director of that nonprofit organization, we're having our fundraising gala on August the 29th to help what we do in the community from feeding families for our summer feeding and supporting our Meals on Wheels program and other things. So we'll be having a fundraising gala on August the 29th from 4 to 8 p.m., Four to five will be light refreshments, and then we'll have dinner, music, entertainment. I just found out there may be a comedian, a little quick comedian set. So we're going to have a great time. So I definitely ask y'all, if y'all like to buy tickets, please support that. Last thing, Mr. Mayor, I just want to thank you for staying over in Wilmington because I know you and your wife are ready to leave. But I thank y'all for it, and I'll let you get some more information. But thank y'all for staying over on that Friday to support my swearing in. That's it. You're welcome.

Thank you. Thank you. Commissioner Adcock.

Fuqua-Varina, we are, I just wanted to comment about economic development. We are almost underneath a tidal wave of the demand for residential development. And we wouldn't, if we did nothing, we would develop very quickly, I believe, with residential development because Wake County has such a demand for housing. But as we all know, we need to do our best to try to keep our tax base more balanced and have more commercial development. We want industry here. We want people to be able to work here in Fuqua Arena. But it balances out the tax base. It helps us to provide the thing about the folks that are moving here. They expect... Nicer amenities than a lot of us that grew up here. And so we end up having to provide very nice Recreation facilities art centers, etc. And I love to see all of that but the more Industry and commercial development that we can get the more we will take the tax burden off of the residents to live in Fuqua Verena and so i just wanted to make that comment to say i've got i'm very excited to have kelly gordon here and i've got a lot of high expectations for you and i know we are all very excited to see what you will be able to do in fuquay varina i do sincerely think the biggest competition you have is against the residential That can be a double-edged sword sometimes, but I'm very excited that you're here and look forward to all your future achievements. Thank you, sir.

Thank you. Thank you so much. Commissioner Smith.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I will assure Commissioner Haynes that I ate his ice cream since he wasn't here. I took care of that for you, Commissioner. He stole my thunder just a little bit. I did want to acknowledge Battalion Chief Garland Johnson, who I had an opportunity to work with back in my police chief days. And of course, Captain Sam Golightly is leaving right on his heels. So while it's exciting to see the new firefighters come in tonight, kind of sad to see two very experienced not only good firefighters, but good friends, to see them retire, but I'm excited for them. And y'all did a really good job with that last week. I'm too, I'm glad to say, our new economic development director here, Kelly Gordon. I already have an email I'm going to send you with a good contact for a person who's already agreed to build a business here. I ran into him the other day in Cary, and he wanted to know a contact, and I said, we've got a new person coming. I said, I will get your contact information to her, so you'll probably get an email from me sometime this week, just so you'll know who they are and who's running that show. But other than that, I don't have anything else. Mr. Mayor, thank you for allowing me a chance to speak. Thank you, Commissioner Smith.

Commissioner Warren.

yeah so just i'm kind of thinking about the purview of this board and somewhat in response to what mr mangum had said um that kind of the the decision making rests with the board here uh and we have our management team who does a great job at providing us with options and you know they basically managing the entire town But I want to reiterate that the board is the one that has the kind of final say in some of these decisions. And I think it's best that when folks, especially when they come to make their public comments, they direct them to us. And in my opinion, the management team can work best when they're out of the political fray. And so it's our job as the board to kind of communicate the political will of the town to the management team. And what I'm seeing and viewing, and I can be corrected, is that the management, to over-summarize or be overly succinct, they try to provide us the best bang for the buck on all these projects that they're trying to make sure get done. And then board you know we have to listen to the public and so i i want to say i really do appreciate that people come here to comment in person you know it gets very toxic on facebook listening to those things so when people are in person we can have better dialogue and we you know we're listening to your comments you know please direct them at us and we will have the discussion with the management team but as you can see the management team is sitting here and you know can listen to what you tell us but i would i would emphasize that I think as the political governing body that people please they come to us and let us know their issues and we can communicate those so that the management can do make do their job without having to worry about the political fray I think and I would think that it helps them you know do your job better without having to Get in the weeds like we do sometimes So that's just I just want to make that point.

Thank you for your comments. Appreciate it so much Mayor Pro Tem Gardner Yes

I would like to add my welcome to Kelly Gordon. We are so excited to have you on board and as liaison with this board, between this board and Fuquay-Varena Downtown Association Board, the Fuquay, the Fuqua Downtown Association is really excited about your being here and working with the possibility of working with you and getting the benefit of that wonderful experience that we know you have. So we look forward to getting to know you better. Also, I would like on a sad note to inform anyone who does not know that we lost a real champion for environment science in our area in the last few weeks with the death of Randy Sinzig. In my mind, he was the foremost champion for the environment. in our area and has been for many years. He created the environmental science program at our high school and wrote the curriculum for environmental science for the high schools for North Carolina. He also was the advisor for the environmental science club at the high school and made that an important part of the student body at the high school, an important part of their experience to be aware of the environmental issues that surrounded the school. In addition, for many decades, he was the advisor for an award-winning key club organization at the high school. And I have seen so many wonderful posts online from students, former students of his, some of whom said they chose their career based on this teacher and this mentor that they had had. So we celebrate his life on Saturday. be thinking of his family and all the lives he touched.

Thank you. Thank you so much for your comments. Appreciate it. Thank you. Commissioner Haynes had mentioned earlier that he would allow me a moment to make some comments in regards to our attending the North Carolina Black elected municipal officials conference in Wilmington this past week and happy to say that Commissioner Haynes was elected first vice president for the North Carolina League of Municipalities. Black elected officials. We were so proud because Commissioner Haynes has come along and joined that organization. First as treasurer, and he's moved through his dedication and service and recognition that he has the skill set to be a leader eventually of that organization, and he will be a leader of that organization. For those of you who may not be aware, it's a statewide organization. of black elected municipal officials from all over North Carolina that come together and we discuss issues relative to municipal government and Commissioner Haynes has done an outstanding job in that regard and his participation in that organization. So I just want to say thank you, thank you, thank you for your participation. I don't know how you do all you do. And people are asking about Commissioner Haynes, where is he? what how he does what he does but he shows up and he makes a commitment and he makes a difference and i think that that's a good quality for leadership and i was just so happy my wife and i to be there to witness that so i want to say thank you thank you a couple of comments if you notice i started out recognizing uh... this as far as of farming a week. I'm originally from Fuquay Marina, born and raised here, and had the experience of farm life, and I know how valuable it is to the foundation of our community. And for those of you who've ever worked on a farm, you know that part of the survival of the farm at times is you're gonna have controversy and conflict. But at the end of the day, most of the time, if you're gonna get things done, you have a tendency to come together and make things happen and grow things. And I think that that's part of the uniqueness of our community here in Fuquay. We have that kind of history that's the foundation. And I think it's a good example that we can use for everything that we do here in our town. Certainly we have a lot of differences We have passion about how we believe that the town should grow and it's easy to vilify someone to make it appear as if they are the enemy and you're not the enemy. But that's not the way a community really functions. A community functions, in my opinion, functions by being willing to accept diverse ideas, being able to disagree, and understand that each of us, we have for us the best interest for the entire town of Fuqua-Varina. The men and women up here have families. We work. We're your neighbors. We're not the enemy. And I think sometimes in today's environment, public discourse has gotten to that point where if someone does not agree with you, based on your political orientation or whatever, they automatically become the enemy. But that's not how you build community. One of the things that I said as my campaign for mayor, I want to build community. And I believe that we can continue to build community here in Fuqua Verena. We may not necessarily get it right all the time, But I think the passion and the heart of the people here in this community is worth acknowledging. And I hope that as we move forward, no matter how we move in regards to whether you agree or disagree, please note, and I believe that every commissioner here on this board and in staff and management, we have the best interest in mind for this community. this town of Fuqua Verena. And I go back to the examples of farm life when it comes to that. I think we can use those kinds of examples and remember the history and those who came before us, how they laid the foundation and they invested time and energy so we can enjoy the space where we live now. I just wanted to make those comments. Just another couple comments. I had a good experience this month. I had a chance to be on WQDR, which was great. It was a good experience. I also had a chance to participate in the Metro Mayor's meeting this month. I think that was excellent as well. And also, I'm so happy that we were able to partner and get this solution done in regards to the Willow Springs school issue in Northlake. I think that was a success. We mentioned the retirement dinners. I also had a chance to participate in the Wake County Mayor's Association meeting. Had a great month so far and look forward to it. Mr. Town Manager, I think you had said that we have a closed session.

Yes, Sir recommended the town board enter into closed session pursuant to North Carolina general statute one of 43 318 11 a 3 attorney client privilege and North Carolina general statute one 43 318 11 a 5 property acquisition.

Do I have a motion to move that we're going to go into closed session. Thank you all for your attendance. We appreciate it so much. Thank you.