Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Good morning everybody. Welcome to our planning retreat. Thank you all for being here. Thank you to the staff who are here in NFAR who helped get all these slides together and all the information together. It's a lot of information and we appreciate all the hard work that went into this. Um it is it was an election year last year and that means we had a little change in the board and I was the essentials of government that every time you have a board, it's a new board. It's a new dynamic, but I was also reminded of the it's we before me. Um, and that means that we are now all working together for one common goal, and that's to support and help the residents of our town. So, I think that kind of is where we're looking forward to going with all this information. to kind of tell you where I think all the stuff is all that situated at least have just as with any board typically we'll set goals the board sets the goals and carries those out. What you have before you are FY26 goals, which is fiscal year that we in right now. So, we're seven months getting ready to go, you know, eight months into those goals and ultimately this new board set towards the end. We're not going to set those today, but ultimately get together and start talking about those prepared carry those out for FY27. But a lot of times with the 26 goals, I'm sure they

carry over. I'm just picking up things like housing. I'm sure transportation, things like that's going to carry over year to year to year. Um, so I'm not going to spend a lot of time going through every one of these. You'll have these in front of you. All this is just shows you what the goals are for FY26 and sort of what are we doing to kind of achieve those and Obviously you stand up my chair.

There we go. can't see our faces.

So like development planning downtown plan, how we achieving the 2040 plan, all those things. So instead of reading instinance. You're going to hear Patty talk about some of that day too. What are we doing? How are we doing staff is going to talk about, you know, MJ talk about Steven's going to talk about CRT. So, I'm not gonna reiterate what some of these folks are going to say, but we're achieving those goals. public safety chief going to talk about what he's doing about hiring people. You're going to hear about station one, two, and five. Obviously, we bought land forum replacement. We bought land for five. We're starting the getting ready to pick the winner of the uh uh RFQ process. So, uh we'll start design on that. So, all that stuff reerated folks in this room transportation infrastructure. Steven's going to go through 100 plus talk about various things going just shows you these are things we're going to hous all those things we're achieving facilities is where town hall is obviously So instead of me just reading these over and over achieving these goals you are achieving

these goals achieve these as your building blocks of things like things that achieve come new things new goals et that was all I was going to say. Mayor, see I saved you some time. That way we can get to the real stuff instead of I don't know who's next on the chopping. Looks like Stephen

Kevin. That's right. Kevin and public works a big round of applause.

Thank you. Appreciate that. Yeah. Keeping us all safe and warm and dry. I saw them out there almost 247. Yeah. We're getting ready for round two busy time for us. take a time to thank my team that makes it happen. Um, good morning. Glad glad to be here and glad to get us kicked off and I guess since I'm going first just a few things.

Um, just as a a way of introduction for some of the new folks. This slide basically just is a a real quick reminder of what we do in the public works department. So we we uh we're responsible for we have a hand in the delivery of CIP projects. Stephen will talk a lot about those coming up. But roads and sidewalk construction we're primarily on the delivery side street maintenance of course um on our 255 miles 255 plus miles of streets that we maintain. Of course, that been keeping us busy lately. Water maintenance. We have our crews along with contract maintain water system. Fleet maintenance. We do a town shopie vehicles parks and everybody's vehicle in our fleet department. We're responsible to uh administer the solid waste contract for the town. We'll talk about here in just a moment. We are responsible for the uh administration of street light policy for the town and then we have a team uh in my department that handles land development, street acceptance and encroachments as well. Just a real brief recap of the things that we do topics that I want to discuss today. I'm going to talk about the PAL bill and the funding for that which is our street maintenance. We'll talk about the storm

water funds. talk about the solid waste fee and I think Jackie is gonna help me out with that and then my last slide we'll be talking about the stat. So this is a graphic I put up every year it just kind of shows the the 10year history of power bill allocations for the town. So this graph is current distribution 185.6 million. So that's the big big pie. The town of Hunter's portion of that is about 2.2 million. Of course, that's based on our population and number of miles of streets we maintain. So, as you can see over the years, that has grown and we would expect it to grow because our street miles grows every year. So, it just kind of makes sense that that trends up. This is a math exercise I do every year for you. Um, everybody always surface streets. So if I mill, patch, and resurface one mile of street, I got about $50,000 in milling to mill off the old worn out asphalt. About $45,000 to patch 10% of the surface area. So that's that's pretty standard. So if you see alligator cracking, a lot of times that can just be milled and replaced. But if you see ring or potholes or stuff like that, we actually have to dig down deeper and patch that with asphalt to fix the So you got about $45,000 there. And then brand new asphalt, two inches of asphalt

over a mile of streets about $175,000. So you're looking at about two 270,000 per mile to resurface street. If I went out did all my 255, this was July 1 bill to the state, we were at 254 miles. We've added a few miles So we're over 255 miles. But you you gave me a blank check and said go resurface every single street in Huntersville, you'd be looking at just shy of 70 million. So this year we got 298 million from POW bill. If I spent 85,000 of that only on resurfacing, reserving that other 15% you know, some of our equipment we buy fund street vegetation control there's there's various things that I can use bill funds for if I used 85% of it we would resurface every single street on our system every 37 years you guys wouldn't be sitting in those seats long if that's that was the rate that we we resurfaced our streets we're finding on the top end modern asphalt specs we're getting about 20 years. Now there's variables. Some some roads we're getting eight or nine years. Some we can maybe get 25 26 years depending on traffic volumes and the way you load the asphalt. So 37 years I think we can all kind of agree is just unacceptable. So and then I put a note on here. Um this current year we're resurfacing uh around 11 miles which is higher than than

normal. I think last year we were probably nine eight or nine miles but prior to that we were kind of sticking to the five to seven miles and what we were finding is that 37 year cycle was was creeping up. It was getting up into the 40s or up into the 50 years which terrible. So, I feel like we're doing a better job at tackling the problem. And then another thing that I will point out, too, is my predecessor, Max Buchanan, used to always say there's there's a bubble coming down the post. It's all all of our streets are relatively new in that they were built kind of at the same time. So, it stands to reason that they're all built at the same They're all going to tear up at the same time, too. So, you know, as as that life cycle of all the roads that were built in the boom come to an end, we're we're going to see a higher demand for for needing repairs. So, I guess to sum all that up is I recommend that we continue to to supplement the power bill funding to increase our pavement to to 12 to 14 miles per year. And uh if we do by doing so, we can decrease the cycle to about 20 years, which is the actan. So, any questions on Bill before I move along? Yeah, just just jump in if you have a question.

Does the weather just have to plow streets have an impact on how long

it does? Um, not necessarily what we do to it, but the freeze thy introduce water and penetrate the cracking that freeze. to degradate faster. Our methods of plowing and salting and all that really don't have much impact on it, but the freeze th this spring after this this cold of a winter with the weather we've been see. Any other questions?

So, we're increasing the mile the miles we're going to be doing. Are we I'm assuming we're increasing what we're supplementing? Yes. Okay. That that would that would cause out of general fund or some source would have to supplement

and we plan on bringing it to you. We started making that move to 11 miles as you see in FY26. So we will recommend to FY27. Any questions? I'll move on to the storm water fund. This is this is a uh the storm water fund is collected in everybody's water bill. So, it's a it's a piece of the water bill. What this does is this the county collects it for us and and then gives it to us. I can't remember the exact number right off the top of my head, but it's a little over. Jackie, do you remember what that number is?

That's the fund balance. That's right. Yeah, the annual annual million.

Yeah, I think it's about 1.5. about 1.5 million a year is what we collect in the storm water through again through people's water bills. And what this does is the town is responsible to maintain what they what they consider the minor system and the minor system is defined by anything that has a square mile drainage or less. So once it gets to one square mile then it becomes major system which is maintained by mechburg. So for the minor system, there's a minor minor system component to the fee that that is paid through the water bill and that fee is then returned to the county. Currently we have about $3.5 million committed to ongoing stream enhancement projects. One of those is the south creek. It's located in the Vermillion area. We're partnered with the county. County is doing some work on their major system. We're piggy backing in a little farther up into the minor system to do some repairs upper tributary to Torren Creek which is in the Hampton's Monte Park area kind of 21 town area. That is that's a project that we actually uh we completed several several years ago. We did some upstream work and some downstream work. And now we have a piece in the middle that did not get did not get improved that we're going to uh to tackle. The county is a partner with the county on that one as well. And then we've got an ongoing project to the tributary to the Caldwell Station Creek which is Cambridge Grove Hampton's area. So Highway 73 kind of north of Highway 73. That project's been ongoing for several

years and Finally, we're we have a bid opening schedule for next week. So, all those projects together combined are about $3.5 million that we've committed. Uh also got an increasing demand for storm water maintenance existing system. So, think if you got curb and gutter in these subdivisions, there's also the catch basins and the pipes that run under the street things you can't add. that you know many times are in folks backyards. So all of that age all that infrastructure is aging. So you know just like the streets those pipe systems and things like that are aging as well. So we're seeing an increase on those systems. And uh, of course, we're we're we continue to rely on contractor labor to, you know, help us out make these repairs. And of course, you know, the cost of everything's going up. So, we're we're seeing a large large increase in that cost. And then we also, so, you know, our residents are not the only ones that pay a storm water fee. We also pay a storm water fee for the roads that we maintain. So um that the cost of that keeps going up. The county the county keeps increasing that and then the uh MPDES permit that is maintained by Meckllinburg County. The labor cost to to maintain that program continue to increase year after year as well. So all of this to say this year I'm not recommending an increase in the storm water fee. As Jackie mentioned, we we we were we've been able to stockpile a little money. So, um, I think that we're going to we're going to start spending that down some. So, at this time, I don't recommend going up on that storm

water fee, but it's it's definitely something that we closely need to monitor for for the next couple years. Any questions on storm water? Uh, solid waste fee. I'll do a quick quick recap and then I think Jackie's got a got one of her infamous uh spreadsheets to come play with. But uh the current year solid waste fee that you guys set uh is $150 per house $154, excuse me, per household. Um the last year FY25 solid waste cost was about 5.2 million. We estimate that the current year cost is going to be approximately 5.7 million. So, this is the contract to collect all the solid waste, recycles, and yard waste in every everyone's home. Um, and that and the way I figure that is, and Jackie Jackie uses audited numbers and I use kind of budget numbers, so if our numbers are off by a percent or two here or there, that that's the reason. But um in a nutshell, it right this this current year, it costs the town $20.37 per household per month. So if you if you multiply that out, um it's about $244 per year per house. So, um, by doing that math, you know, the the the $154 compared to the $244, which is the actual cost is we're covering about 63% of that cost with with the current storm water fee, I'm sorry, solid waste fee.

We're about uh 22,600 at this at this moment. And of course, that grows every every month. About many households a month. It's uh 30 30 to 60. How long is the existing contract?

The existing contract is until uh 2030. It renews in 2030 and the only increase other than adding houses is they are um they're due a CPI adjustment every year. So whatever the CPI is, they can go up that amount. Um And then of course if the county if the so the tipping fees are included in in what we pay. So the $20.37 covers tipping fees at the landfills. But if the landfills go up on their rate then then waste connections can also go up that amount too. So you got the only way it can go up other than adding homes is a tipping fee increase by the landfills or a the number of households growing each month. Jackie, you want to jump in? Hopefully we have entered the most interactive part of this morning so far. When we present 101 and we present to leadership and you leadership like Norman's job is to set policy and what staff does enact that policy. I'm not real sure the teenagers in a leadership like get that and so I need to make sure congratulations on being elected. So in June you will see well you're going to see tomorrow Patty's power will include the budget calendar which surprise you're going to get to vote on the budget in June and it's going to include the tax rate in addition to the tax rate. You set that solid waste fee every year and so you can tell us to set that

solid waste at any amount that you want to set it at. I discount stallings. Of the seven municipalities in Member County, five of those choose to have no fee. Davidson had a solid waste fee until three years ago. I can't remember how long ago they eliminated it, but five of the municipalities choose not to have a solid waste fee. You are one of two who choose to have a solid waste. Charlotte Charlotte 12 $120 will start over the first half rate versus your general fund is million year revenues that you're generating in your general fund is 67 million. So you're using fund balance in FY26 budget of 14 million fund balance is your savings that's not currently generated revenue. So if you're currently generating about 67 million in revenues uh ballpark 3.4 of that in FY25 was from the $154 solid waste fee. Simple math in my head if 3.4 million of your current revenues of the 67 million about 5% of your revenues in the general fund are being generated by this solid waste fee. Of everything I'm about to launch into, I don't want you to think that I'm taking an advocacy position on what you

do with that solid waste fee. I'm advocating one thing and one thing only. If you choose to eliminate that solid waste fee, if you take $3.4 million out of the general fund, replace it with something. Don't increase that amount that you continue to rely on your fund balance to balance your budget. So, choose to make it whatever you want to make it. I'm good with that. But don't eliminate 5% of our revenues, please. Okay. So, uh in that top row on the audited figure in FY25, we generated 33.4 million in FY25. We know that in FY25 a penny generated 1,610,000 whatever the number is on that. And so if you decide you want to eliminate charging that $154 a month and rather than charge that as a portion as a separate fee, you want to convert that into the tax rate. That is technically exactly 2.11 cents on the Your tax rate last year was current year 22.75. So if you add 2.11 to that new tax rate would be 24.86 I don't know what somebody's home value is. So if your home is valued at $350,000, how do you make that 350,000? Your home is valued at 350. You're paying 7964 bucks in solid waste. So the portion of your bill that the county is generating that comes back to the town.

Some of us are

okay. Let's work that. All right. So, in the current year, if your home was valued at 350, your tax that's coming back to the town was 796. Your fee is 154. What's coming back to the town is 950. If you choose to increase the tax rate 2.11 cents and stop charging that fee then the next column column C is what would happen to you. Your tax is going to go from 796 to870. The fee goes from 154 to nothing. So what you're paying back to the town would have just decreased $80. So, if your home is valued at 350, your tax rate went up, your fee goes away, you're saving 80 bucks. Now, don't be naive. You're getting you're you also have to pay property taxes on your vehicle. So, uh all right, I'm going to talk about that in a second, too. Let's go commercial. There's no Just because your home is valued at 350 doesn't mean a business is valued at 350. We do not pay for collection of solid waste for commercial businesses. If you do that increase of 2.11 cents to the tax rate, whatever your business property is valued at, you just got a tax increase of 2.11 cents. And so if your value of your property on commercial property is $500,000, you weren't paying the fee before, you're still not paying the fee. Effectively, you just got an increase of 9 % because 2.11 cents is 9.3% of 22.75. This is it makes me cringe when people say winners and losers. I don't see this as winners and losers. If you do this, there will be people who benefit and

people who don't. And absolutely the businesses will not benefit because they're already paying separate from their tax bill for their solid waste collection. All right. So not everybody's house is valued at 350. You saw when we opened the spreadsheet the value in that field was 447. So I've been in contact with the county. The assessor's office is in it has helped me immensely with this. So, according to the assessor's office, the median assessed value of homes in Huntersville, they told me average, I didn't memorize it, and this is why average when you look at the average home value in Huntersville anywhere, the higher value homes are going to skew the average. So, median is what is the value that is in the middle for home values in Huntersville. According to the county, the median home value is $447,000. I think it was 447800, but Patty, would you change that back to 447? Okay, great. Perfect. So, for for the uh median home value in Hunterville, if your value is 447, uh then you're paying tax of,6 currently 154. The bill you're receiving that comes back to the town is the 1170. If you increase the taxes to take away that fee, then you will have saved almost 60 bucks. So, your decrease in what you're paying that ultimately comes back to the town is 5.1%. Okay. Uh Jackie got to play with numbers. We've all meant that. And so, what is the home value would you guess that is effectively break even? You're effectively agnostic as Whether it's or tax rate

I've already told you $730,000 please if your home if your home is taxed if your home assessed value is 730,000 then uh there's really no benefit to you the difference that you're paying is 3% cent so it's ballpark 730,000 Okay, please interaction here, please. So, uh, the next question I ask the county.

All right. If I know that you're agnostic because it's no change to what you're paying at 7:30. How many homes in Huntersville are valued at what percentage of homes in Hunterville are valued at 730 or more? You're right. According to the county, there are just over 24,000 residential lots in Hunterville. You want to throw out a guess? What percentage of those resial homes are valued at over $730,000?

60% are valued at over 730. I say 15%. You said 15% or over 16%

I've done this awkwardly. So the according to the county what I asked them are what percentage are valued at lower? So the percentage of homes in Huntersville valued at less than 730 according to the county is 91.94%. 92% of homes are valued at less than 8% are valued at over 730.

Uh I'm not taking an advocacy position, but you need to know. All right, so I got another spreadsheet here. It's awesome, too. I got to do one more thing. Patty, this is crazy. But will you go into that commercial impact? where it says 500,000. I want to prove two things here. What if your home What if your business is paying taxes on property valued at a million dollar? Will you change it to a million? Guess what? It's double the 500,000.

Okay, let's use this for a different purpose. I commented earlier, uh you're paying property tax vehicles on your paying property taxes on your vehicles. Well, you're not getting a solid waste fee on your vehicle. So, if you increase the tax rate, you're increasing the on real estate, but on the vehicle as well. I got absolutely no idea what people's vehicles are valued at. But for kicks and giggles, will you key in $100,000? If your two vehicles are valued at $100,000, I don't know. Somebody else make up a value. This great spreadsheet, look at it. It'll tell you exactly what happens. I love the spreadsheet.

Thank you. You're getting a 9.3% increase on your vehicle. So, whatever that value is, you're getting a 9.3% increase on your vehicles. Uh if your vehicles are valued at $100,000, you you you're getting an increase of $21 on your vehicle. But if you were $447, then you're saving 60 on your house, you're still saving 40 bucks annually. Uh I'm going to take a breath and see if there's questions before we move on. I got I got a little bit more I need you to see. Any questions so far?

Yeah, Jackie, the the challenge either way, so let's say we get rid of the solid waste fee and we roll it into our To Kevin's point, next year there may be tipping fees. CPI goes up. So, it's really not going to cover those costs. But for a year, you know, I've long advocated for ripping off the band-aid and just creating a policy that says if it's costing us X per home, then that's what we would charge. But in either case, those fees are going to go up. you know, the 50 homes a month, give or take, cost us an extra x every month in our general fund balance. So that putting it in the tax rate doesn't solve it, but for a year because the following year our costs are higher and so we're going back into our fund balance. So it doesn't solve the fundamental problem since we only provide trash service for single family homes, not multif family businesses. I think either way 154 is just start either way up to least if we're going to stand at 60% or whatever it is that you want to roll it into tax rate at least 30 whether you roll it into tax I think Commissioner Ross just introduced my other T. If I make it till April Fool's Day this year, I will thank you very much for allowing me to work for 100 for a decade. Super excited about that. So, please make this just a little bit bigger for me. So, might be organized a little bit awkward, but I Patty and I have participated on many conversations where boards I don't want to say struggle, but discuss what should the solid waste be. So, you Look at my column. I in I did this every other

year. I won't tell you why. So we have elections every other year and and this to put 10 years worth of data on this spreadsheet to me just it gets crowded. So what I've done here is every other fiscal year on an actual basis. Uh how much did we collect in revenue? How much did it actually cost us to provide the service? What's that difference? And so what percentage did we cover of of that cost? So there are boards who I have listened to discuss they'll be covering 100% of the cost not the 63% that Kevin talked about or some other percentage. In 2015 the fee was $72. It generated a million2 in revenue. Our total cost was called it $3 million. All right. So, it cost us three million to provide the service. We took in revenue of a million2. Uh, so the portion of the cost to provide solid waste to residents that that the tax rate for stop. Okay. All right. So, what portion did we cover? We covered 71% of the cost when the fee in fiscal 15 when the fee was $72. If you to have covered 100% of the cost that year you the rate the fee would

have been $177. Okay. So the next year I I calculated was 2017. It's two years later. There had been no change to the fee. It was still $72. We generated similar revenue 50,000 more. Our cost had increased 76,000. So we covered still about 41%. In 2019, we had increased the fee to $84. There was a theory for a very long time. Solid waste is a utility similar to your water bill. So, try to keep it in the annual fee in multiples of 12. So, you feel like that's a monthly fee. That was the logic behind behind 72 going to 84. Okay. Right. So, the fee was $84. Here's the amount of revenue we generated, what it cost us to provide the service. Uh we covered 46% of of the cost. And if you had wanted to cover 100% of the cost, the fee would have been $181. Okay? Uh by 21, still $84 fee. because you didn't increase that fee as Commissioner Walsh was pointing out you're only you're covering 2% less because your cost had increased and the number of residents that you've added. Okay. So, uh 2023 at that time there was discussion among the board let's increase this fee to the to get closer to the point we will eventually cover 100%. So the fee went appreciably up from 84 to 126. Uh and so we were covering 59% of the cost. Uh if we had wanted to cover the whole thing, we would have needed to have had a fee of 213. In 2026, the audited number. Okay. So our fee was 154. Uh we collected almost

3.4 in revenue. Uh we had total cost and We covered 65% of the cost and if we wanted to cover the whole thing, it's 239. Jackie, your numbers are different than Kevin Foxes. Why is that? You hear Jackie and Patty talk all the time about having a conservative revenue estimate and uh we estimate realistically for the expense because illegal Kevin has to come arrest us. We violated the if we spend more than you allocate in the total department in budget. So we can't we can't miss we can't miss the cost by estimating too low. Right? So column K is what we budgeted in FY26. So we're budgeting that we're going to get revenue of $3.3 million. Uh if you go over to column C and sit on the revenues right there. I can't even to see those numbers, but we get daily collections from the county. They've already collected slightly more than we budgeted in revenue of 3306. And we know they're going to continue to collect for five more months. So, I looked up what have they collected to date as of Wednesday. Uh, yesterday. Yesterday. That was yesterday. What have they collected and sent us as of yesterday? And then I know they're going to collect five more months. So, what did they collect in the five months that was February through June of last year? it was $80,000. So even column C and K are the difference between budget and and what I would estimate today right now we've collected conveniently in expense. We paid exactly six months. Well, we're going to add some homes between now and the end of the year. So if you look at exactly what I've done in the expense column, I basically said double it but add 4%

because I think we're going to add some more homes. So if we had the same fee in and 26. You can see I know I've collected 65%. I've covered 65% of my cost and 25 even at 154 I know I'm going to I have eroded that down from 65 to 61. So as Commissioner Walsh points out if you convert this fee into the rate if you don't you don't marginally change that rate to acknowledge what this fee change is what your cost change is going to some uh our assessed value has grown at a rate of about 2 3%. Uh you got to figure out exact to me. Please start thinking about what you want that fee to be. I'm not telling you it should be zero or 154 or two whatever 63 53 whatever that number is. I'm not telling you what that fee should be. But I'm telling you, there is an impact on taxpayers at what you choose to set the fee at. And if you were doing it in the rate, uh you're allocating your cost to different taxpayers.

That's about all I got. I guess short version is some point here in the very very future as we're working through budget, we need to know whether you want to increase the rollast need to increase the fee to kind of keep the same percent. So we need to be thinking about that. We'll be coming back to you

when you first your tax in FY26 is 22.75 on if you look at exclusively FY 25 collections it would take 2.11 cents that would be a tax rate of 2486 I work round number Anthony I might just round that to 25 but but you do you you do not have to have that in a round number the city of Charlotte's tax rate trade today is 2741 so it don't have to be a round number just we just frequently do Here's my other thing. Congratulations. You're serving a two-year term. You're going to get to set the tax rate this upcoming June for FY27. You're also going to get to set the tax rate a year from then in June of 27 for FY28. FY28 is a revaluation year. We are required to disclose a revenue neutral rate. We are not required to disclose. We're not required to adopt it. So, You got some big decisions coming up in June. Please ar help us arm you with the information you'd like to have about the tax rate and that fee. 92% in FY26 would have been paying 92% of your residents would have been paying less to the town if it were in the tax rate instead of a

Jackie. Um, so the commercial impact so the businesses that will have to pay the increased rate the revenue from that does that help offset the changes to fees in the future?

Yes. I was like I know that's an obvious question but then I was like am I missing something? Okay. So essentially as fees go up our commercials would help offset that in some measure. We don't know yet. We haven't done this yet. Um so I I have the board out to the board to think about rolling the solid waste into our tax rate for the future. Um for two reasons. One, you know, some people most people me and most people around my neighborhood and middle class their tax is going to go down, but then it's a lot more impactful for people who are have the lower income range. They pay the same rate as a person of a million dollar home. That's really an unfair tax to them. So, it would actually balance out tax on the value of your home versus what we do now. So, put that in your brain to think about.

That's a lot to take in pretty I'm happy to meet individual individually with you. If you have questions about this, you need to be thinking about I'm not sure how much I remember how deeply we have delved in while the majority of you have served on this board for a couple years into uh the solid waste. Uh so it deserve don't do it innocently not knowing what you're doing. If you want 154, that's great. We should do 154. If you want nothing, if you want two, if you want more than that, help us help you figure out what you think the right fee is. And it's a policy decision whether you charge separately for solid waste or not, which you can choose to do or not. Good municipalities do it both ways.

I've not number 26 now to flip that number 2486 will go back over to the second

columns D through I are audited numbers that is what actually happened you don't know what actually happened the county collects that fee and until uh waste management sends us all 12 monthly bills, there is variability in the estimate which is an update of FY26's budget. So there's a difference between budget column K and 26 estimate. So 27 heavens who knows how we can see what We budgeted that it would take 265 to cover the entire fee, but on a current estimate it would take 253, I think. So there's I mean there's a reason we do pretty accurate estimates, but there's a difference between actual and audited. There always is. And there's going to be Deon's not doing it wrong. I'm not doing it wrong. after you know what actually happened. That's different than saying, "Hey, I got to make sure my budget enough to cover the cost of picking up garbage at every home."

We can do we do an estimate right.

So if we did the increased fee is almost $100 more, right? I mean on these numbers, right? Am I reading that right? To pay the full cost. Pay the full cost. Yeah. If we said we're going to cover the full cost using fee, it's almost $100 more. That's higher than the 2.11, right? That's what I'm trying to say. So if you roll it in tax rate, then it would not be that high. And then how for how long has the town essentially we subsidize solid waste fee or solid waste pickup by covering it in our always done that way or is that at some point did we cover the

I've looked at it before so don't quote me on this. I really believe the town didn't have the fee until sometime between 2005 and seven or eight and and it was never adopted at a level where it covered 100% of the fee the cost. It was never adopted where it covered 100% of the cost. So Jackie to get it spend all day here. So I know you didn't show it here, but we were only rolling $154 to get it to Mayor's point. If you rolled all 253, what would the tax rate be?

Go to your other spreadsheet from there. All right. previous. So if my total cost is 526 the last year if I take 5256 and divide by million that's that's number tax increase would be 3.26 instead of 211

and that was based on FY25's actual so the tax rate would be higher if you want to cover 100% of it tax now that's kind of casserole right how do you how do you separate the portion you've been covering from the portion you're gonna but that's that's the math is the objective of That's a question for the board. Is the objective for us to cover the entire cost or not? I guess that's number one, right?

We don't need an answer today. And this is a lot of math before 10:00, before 9:30, but

please start thinking about how you feel about it because we present budget at the first meeting in May and and we'd like to present what it's your intent. So start thinking because we're going to need to know Aprilish. April is when we late March, early April is when we start working on the U revenue estimate. So whether you pick a 154 fee or a zero fee or 250 fee is going to have a revenue impact which we're going to need to account for in the budget we present to you May 4. So this will happen quicker than you think. dragging out sooner or later.

One more question. Um the so Davidson rolled theirs in. They cover the full cost of they in the full cost. There's no fee now. So they they have to be covered. They didn't do like some number that kind of covers and they supplement. They just did the whole We don't know if they took like we don't know if they went 40 or 60% said we're just going to increase the tax to cover the extra additional they just raise the Right.

It is hard to make non CPA people feel good about this math. And so we don't kill you too frequently with what I call cost accounting. But to me, for us to take the 22.75 tax rate that we have today, when people start saying this portion goes to the police department. This portion goes to the fire department. This portion goes to You kind of get lost in that sausage. Our financial advisor is awesome. I believe he's the best in the business. But he has conversations with us about Jackie, why don't you choose to designate X portion of your tax rate and that's always going to be debt service. Even I as an accountant begin to gloss over with some of those conversations. So if you want to get into what we're what portion of the tax rate it takes to support solid waste or we'll do that but that's hard but I'm willing spreadsheet I'm in

better garbage or you may go to sleep and Kevin has more Kevin's All right. All right. Thank you, Jackie and Patty. There's no way I could have done that justice. So, uh, thank y'all for for doing that. Let my last slide and then I'll turn it over to Stephen with with all the projects, all the fun stuff. But, um, I stand before you today, the first time in in my history of standing before the board, but probably longer than that. Um, fully staffed in public works.

We're we're pleased that for now we we are fully staffed and play playing a card from past retired police chief. I always told you that if I was full, I would ask for more. So So here I am. Um this this year I plan to request uh four new positions in the public works operations. Um we're we're not really big enough dedicated crews, you know, dedicated sidewalk crew or dedicated storm water crew or dedicated street crew or whatever. Um, like some larger mun municipalities. My guys are all I mean, my guys are awesome. They're they're great guys. Um, but they're they're jacks of all trades. So, I I expect one crew to be able to go do concrete one day and storm water the next and patch potholes the next and then go, you know, deliver a CIP project. Um, so The my plan would be for four new positions. Uh it would give us greater flexibility for some landscape maintenance needs that currently we're we're contracting most of that. We do some some rideaway mowing and things like that in house, but most of the most of the landscape maintenance along the streets are are contracted out. So, this the addition of this crew would help me out with uh getting getting some more flexibility to get some of this landscaping done, make our make our town stay beautiful. And then, um it would also give me additional capacity to increase sidewalk and street maintenance um needs and and new sidewalk construction. So, um as you guys probably are aware, a lot of the the sidewalk projects that Stephen is going to talk to you here in a minute, um we deliver those in house. So, um you know, and a lot of times when when it gets time to do that, we just need more people and and when it um when we're dedicated to delivering a project, so we have to put everything else on the back burner. We have to put the maintenance on the back burner. We have to put, you

know, because it takes all hands to deliver these projects. So, um I operate currently four crews of four guys. So, I have 16 guys out there every day busting their tails for you. Um I'd like to add one more crew of four. In addition to that, I plan to request one new position for fleet maintenance. Um, currently we have two people in that um in the shop working. Um, we've got well over 400 pieces to maintain and I put pieces in in uh in quotes there because the um this al this not only is you know tagged vehicles, you know, police cruisers and fire chief admin vehicles and um you know parks and wreck trucks and my trucks and dump trucks, things like things that have a tag that go up and down the road every day, but they also maintain our heavy equipment. They maintain our lawnmowers, weed eaters, blowers. So, in this 400 basically doesn't cover the weed eaters and blowers obviously, but it's the excavators and the bulldozers and the dump trucks and all all that good stuff. So, we're well over 400 pieces. Um, as you guys know, last year you added the the fire department to us. So, We we currently aren't set up to do the work on the the big engine companies and the and the aerial devices that they have, but we did take in their their smaller fleet. So, their the brush trucks and the admin vehicles and things like that. So, we added those. And then, of course, um we're looking to looking into the future. We see an electric department coming on board and we'll also take those vehicles in in house, too. So, uh, one more person in the shop. Um, it'll it'll provide the the current two people with greater production, faster turnaround for our customers, um, who are the the town employees driving these vehicles. And then also, uh, safety. If if I have a guy out, I'm down to one guy in the shop, and that's just, you know, one guy

with a vehicle on a lift in the shop is is not not very safe at all. So, this this would increase the u, you know, to so that I can have a minimum of in the shop if somebody's out or somebody's on vacation or out sick. So, we'll be asking for that that position too, just as you know, that's that's a support component to the town and as the town grows and as the number of employees grow, you know, that that support function is going to have to continue to grow also. So, I am asking for that. And my last point on staffing is um I'm I'm fully staffed. I'm glad. Thank you guys for the support to to get us there. Um Now, we got to stay there. It's important that that we remain competitive because my guys um our team again, they're awesome. They're they're I can't can't speak highly enough for these guys, but we're training them to go work in the private sector. So, you know, we're we're I've got guys all the time. They're working to get their CDLs. They're working on their marketability because it benefits the town and the citizens, but it also makes them be attractive to the to the private sector. So, we need to it's important that we remain competitive to to keep these guys keep the talent that we have. I'll wrap it up with that. Turn it over to Stephen. Any questions before I go?

How are we looking like funding wise compared to like Charlotte or other towns? Um I I don't know. Laura, are you gonna speak to that in your presentation? How we kind of salary stuff or She'll talk about we're doing a salary. Are are you Do you mean like compensation package or or staff wise to retain?

Yeah. Um I I feel like we we're at this point we're probably pretty competitive with with the surrounding municipalities. It's that private sector that kills us. They're their their guys are making making lots of money. So all right, any other questions? Great. Thank you guys. Thank you.

I know Stephen spent a little time with Heather and Scott and myself and Jackie about on the older projects because some of these projects he's going to go over go back five 10 years. Um the existing board besides having Scott has seen some of these. So they were um gave us some time last week. I can't remember earlier this week I can't remember but to get caught up on those so they're up to speed maybe pass past you guys everything's good to go so it should be a lot smoother as we go through some of these projects I appreciate spending that time

you start us off the he did make it funny last year

I'm sure has a spreadsheet for mine, too. Somebody laughed. That's good. So, here in the next next few days, we'll get through all the engineering projects uh we we have going on. We have a whole lot. Hopefully, we can get through all those here here in just some time. Just like with Kevin, if if there's questions, just just interrupt. Uh let's let's get the information to you that that that you want to hear about. So, kind of like what Kevin did, um, when you think of engineering here, here's the type of stuff that that we're working on. We work on a lot of projects. We do a lot of land development, plan review. Say Kevin's group also works with the land development part of it, but we have folks that look at plans and stuff all day, every day. Traffic calming, signage requests, sidewalk compliance, and then DOT project coordination. So when you're thinking of those things, think think engineering. Uh some topics today, uh really going to talk a lot about projects. Talk about some staffing requests going to make about some sidewalk data and then projects, projects, and projects and projects. That's what we're going to talk about. So I'm going to do the reverse of uh what what Kevin did. I'm going to roll right into staffing first. Um these are some staffing requests planned to make this coming year with all the additional say traffic requests and this is for traffic on town and state roads. Just the requests that are coming in those keep increasing in town and we we don't want to sit around and wait on those. We need to go ahead and take a look at those traffic calming traffic studies. Those needs just keep increasing. So asking for a person to be more on the traffic side, have a person that's got that history and background and and can really help us with that. Um

on the land development side, right now we've got three folks that do plan review. Looking to convert one of those uh positions to more of a management um but also a person that's doing the reviews, too. So um looking at converting one of those positions up to give more of that, I'll say mid-level daily type management. Uh that that's a challenge right now. And then uh next request that'll depend on how many projects you want to want to add to the list. So if there's a lot of projects you want to add to the list, we're going to need more staff to to just just manage that. So if if that is going to continue to increase at the trend it has, then then we need need another person for that. And then the last one on here, uh this is a project manager for I'll say nontrportation projects. Um, this is if if the CIP continues in the trend, you've got fire stations coming up in there, public works facility, maybe a police building, parks and wreck uh, building expansion, parks expansions. These are non-transportation projects, but I think the town would benefit having somebody that's dedicated to those kind of building type projects. I think those get spread around and it's added to somebody else's list that they're already doing a hundred other things now. But if you have somebody that's a project manager, they can focus on that. They can go to all the meetings. They can stay on top of those things. Now, to be honest, whether that's in engineering, public works, administration, somewhere, maybe it's in a different department, but but see the need for for a project manager somewhere. Anthony, Jackie, anything else to add to that one? N okay, you're gonna hear all the staffing from all the department now. You'll hear all the different needs whether that makes it into the final

budget talk amongst ourselves the revenue and expenses etc. But you're sort of getting the whole picture. But I promise you it won't come back. you know all this just some things we can't fund some things about to slide through we may put off for various reasons so just but you're getting it all you know right now as go through

all right uh let's talk a little bit about sidewalk and kind of overlapping a little bit with public works but um sidewalk and sidewalk maintenance so ramps so these are the ramps that go from the sidewalk you know down into street in town. We have a little over 6,000 of those in town. Every time the town adds streets for maintenance, they're sidewalks and their sidewalk ramps. Every time there's an intersection, there could be an additional eight sidewalk ramps uh that get added. So, uh we're out there surveying those along with the sidewalk. Another slide on that. So, about 22% of the ramps in town right now are non-compliant. What's that mean? That means they may not have the uh truncated dome mats, you know, the bumps uh right at the intersection or the slope may be incorrect. There are tolerance standards for those. It may be out of tolerance for multitude of reasons. Maybe it got built wrong first, you know, 30 years ago, or it could be conditions have changed, trucks have run over it, utility companies have damaged it, what have you. So there there's some out non-compliance. Oak Works is working to fix those, but but there's a a long list that estimate. If you look back to last year, what where are we trending? This one's actually trending down. Uh as part of resurfacing, uh sidewalk ramps are getting replaced as part of the the resurfacing contracts. So, we're catching up on this one. So, that's good. Uh but there's definitely some some time and effort spent on that. So, between the ramps, the sidewalk When you think about adding streets, you're adding sidewalk typically on both sides of streets. So for every mile of streets you're adding, you're probably adding two miles of sidewalks. So that that number is going to continue to to increase. And this is a sidewalk number not only for town streets, but the town

also maintains sidewalk on statemaintained roads as well. There's about 120 miles of statemaintained roads in town in addition to the 250ish miles the town maintains. So number of sidewalk miles is is going to keep going up. We inspect those now, make sure they're all compliant when they're taken on, but we're still working at collecting data. Short answer is there's about 42 miles of sidewalk that doesn't seem to meet the spec. So unlike the last one that's trending down, this this one continues to trend trend up. things out there that impact sidewalks, street trees, utilities, just settling over time. So, sidewalks usually don't get better. Just like streets, they tend to get tend to get worse. All right. I want to talk a little bit uh about the projects we have already done. These are the ones that are completed this past year. All right. These are ones you can see out there now. has nine projects. Where are those projects? They're all over town and various different time frames. So, just giving you a quick quick hit on each one of them. Uh roundabouts, that roundabout there was rebuilt is over there off 21 behind um Goodwill on 21. The state as part of their project at 21 and Gilead added a new connection. Uh so if you're going from the post office, you want to go to Goodwill, you don't have to get out on Gilead or 21. You can you can kind of go the back way. And um also trucks that come out of Food Lion also come out this way. So roundabout was rebuilt uh to better accommodate those vehicles. And then also uh the greenway connection that's coming up. Uh next project, Van Story at Ree. Uh so this is over in the business park near the DMV. A left turn lane was added

before. you just kind of had to turn turn from the travel lane, but now you have your own left turn lane there. Hull Brook Street connection again back back over there near uh Arohova, but uh but closer to Aldi's. So So if you need to get out from there, you don't have to get on the main road. You can get out uh the back way and get either straight over to 21 um or over to Hullbrook Street uh with this connection. Unlike Last project was just talking about van story at Ree. That was a project from initial start to finish maybe 12 18 months. So relatively quick. This one's different. We started on this project over a decade ago. So just gives you a feel for sometimes these projects take a long time. Sometimes we can can go ahead and knock them out. But uh great great project, great connection. Uh next project, sidewalk project, Harvest Point. This is along 115 near the entrance to North Peek Park. So now folks from the Harvest Point neighborhood, they can walk up to the park instead of having to having to drive. So it's a a good um good connection there. Another connection out on Bud Henderson Road. This is kind of out on the west side of town just uh to the west of where Gilead Road makes the turn there at the the new Vance traffic signal on the north side of the street. So finished sidewalk um there just to the west of there. This was the last piece. So if you are near the intersection of Gilead and Bud Henderson, you can walk all the way out to Batty's Ford Road. Now that's about a mile and a half long connection there. So this was the last piece to put together. They're on Bud Henderson Road. There are sidewalk all along the whole north side of that road. Now uh 115 Bellmore. Jackie is going to be

over there cheer cheering for this one. Uh, long time coming. Uh, we talked about this one for a little bit, but connecting the Bellmore community up to the CVS. There were folks Bellor's an age age restricted, I believe, community. Those people may that live there may not have, you know, transportation on their own. So, if they need to get somewhere, they may have to walk or saw somebody.

So, um if they have to get somewhere, they may have to walk or or take uh take themselves there or get somebody to help, but now they have the ability to walk up there. So, this is a this is a great great connection uh connection down on the south side of 115. This is between the elementary school and the high school. There's a missing segment of sidewalk there. So, now can walk between the two schools. you don't have to walk out in the road or or through somebody's uh front yard. And then the same location, this is one's been talked about for several years, too. There's now a pedestrian hybrid beacon, beacon, hawk crossing, whatever you want to call it. Uh so facilitate uh all the many students and uh pedestrians that they want to cross the street between the high school over to the U Brighton development, the restaurants, the Walmart, and everything that over there. It's great great to have that crossing to give give folks that safer option to be able to cross the street.

That helps with issues that were happening there that we had heard about before.

We also have traffic right there. body's traffic. Perfect. Thank you. And I'll say we haven't heard anything. That probably means it's working. Just give you give you the clue there. If it's not working, heard anything either. So

yeah, if it's not working, people are going to be calling. When it is working, yeah, we don't we don't hear anything. Haven't heard anything on road. How much long you have on that? project see a lot more of these across town at the various schools.

All right. And uh this is really a slide for Kevin. Uh this is a resurfacing for for last year. Kind of already hit on this one. Just the the miles of streets that were resurfaced in various locations in town based on pavement condition. If you got questions, uh Kevin ask ask Kevin last year.

All right. So now we'll talk about that's just finished talking about all the projects that that we finished. All right. All right. So So what's next? Um, sometimes you forget about the ones you finished because you're you're thinking about where the problems are now. So, here here's what we're currently working on. Some of these projects are in construction, but a lot of them aren't. You you may or may not know. You can't just drive by and look and say, "Yeah, the town's working on that um until they get out there for construction." So, we've got a bunch of projects here here in the hopper. Where are these projects? Just like ones we completed, they're spread out all over town. uh north, south, east, west, all all projects all over the place. Every month, Anthony forwards out to kind of a quick hit list here, just a summary of where where the status is on each of the projects that gets forwarded to you. It's a front and the back. Also on there, status of DOT projects, major ones ones as well. If you want to take a quick look and say, I can't remember everything Stephen said uh here or or other times or People ask where is this information? Well, the town on the website, if you scroll down a little bit on the the main web page there, it's called development projects. It's not really telling you about transportation, but there's a whole tab on that interactive page on transportation projects. This is town projects. This is state projects. It's county greenway projects. Click on here. It's interactive, so you can get more information on that. You really want to dive into it, give us a call. be happy to happy to share that information. Uh again, another Kevin slide resurfacing that's coming up. There's there's a bunch of streets coming up about 11 miles of streets in very various locations in town that are planned to be resurfaced in this up and coming year. Got questions? Yeah. All right. Uh Gibson Park Drive phase

two. Town's been working on this project a while. It's it's in construction. What you can't see out there is the Charlotte Water actually is partnering with the town too to replace some of their infrastructure. We talked to them and they said, "Yeah, yeah, we we've got problems out here. We want to do some system upgrade." So, we're working together because it it'd kind of be silly if the town goes out there and makes it all look all nice and then they come right behind us and tear it all right back up. So, working on some waterline replacement uh along here as well as the uh the town project widen the road a little bit and then get sidewalk on on one side of the street. We'll finish that project here later as it starts to warm back up. Batty's Ford at Gilead Road. Did I skip one? So, Betty's Ford at Gilead Road. This is out on the west side of town. If you've driven through here during peak times, you weren't going very fast. Um, and this project will definitely help. Adding a traffic signal and turn lanes at the intersection. It's much needed out there. This will not fix the big traffic problem. The big traffic problem is 73. This is going to help here, but you're still going to have to wait until the state does their project up on 73 at 84 to really really see some impact, big impact out in this area. But this will help. And we've been coordinating with the state. So, our our project and their project kind of picks up uh picks up from there for the rest of baby food and we're currently in in right of acquisition. Actually, I think we're wrapping that up here here real soon. So, hope to go to construction this summer.

Once that starts, how long will it take to be completed because that's where I live and my neighbors are going to be texting me nonstop asking about it. Sure. Sure. So, um, as we're wrapping up right away acquisition, we have to get some utilities relocated. Hopefully, that will only take months. We're hoping that may depend on how much other stuff they're having to fix from last weekend or this coming weekend or or other things or the DOT projects as well. So, hopefully later this year gets started and then 9 12 months duration maybe. 9 to 12 months. I'm going to tell them to call them.

That's from Make sure you tell them that's from the day they start utility. Who knows how long they Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It utilities are unknown. I'm not going to keep repeating this over and over, but uh we can ask the utilities. We can ask and that's that's about the leverage leverage we have. So, a good a good example is right there in front of elementary line still. inspect and they worked at their own pace.

Correct. Next project, Commerce Center Drive. This is back over kind of between the Ahova project and the uh Brookbrook Street project. We're going to make a connection here. Um this will add north south connectivity across Gilead Road. So again, if you're at the Aldi and you want to go to the post office, you'll have a different way to get there. You won't have to get out on Gilead or 21 to be able to get there. You'll just be able to to use the the local streets to make your make your side connections. So, working on right ofway acquisition and if you saw this or remember this from last year, slides probably exactly the same because we're still trying to get get with post office to get get this one done. And then we were also last year waiting on the 21 Gilead project. design for this project builds on top of what what work they were doing. So, we had to had to wait for them to finish and then uh now just work with the post office to get that done.

On that one real fast, probably what you'll see is we're going to split it into two phases. So, while we're waiting on the post office to get ready, we're going to go ahead and build the southern portion, but we won't be able to tie it all the way to Giley because the the signal work we needed to realign to put the But we're going to go ahead and start moving. You probably see the trees have already been taken down on the piece south of Gilead. So when you see that start, just know that's probably just the south side. We're just waiting on the post office to be able to complete it. If you know anybody at the post office, please please let us know and please talk to them.

Uh next project, Feraltown Feraltown Parkway. This is in the Walden community or I guess the northern half of Walden. So Feraltown Parkway from the middle of the community south to Huntersville Concord is already out there and actually DOT just just recently accepted that. This is the project to finish out that that plan connection. This will be another great north south uh connector over on the east side of town between Rama Church and Huntersville Concord. Uh, just like what Kevin was talking about with Commerce Center, we're looking to build some of this sooner rather than later. So, a lot of the the north south piece, we're hoping to go to construction here this this spring summer and then with all the extensive utility relocation uh for the Rama church piece, hope to get that started uh next year. Seagull Street between McCor and 73. Uh this will provide a a little bit of a parallel system there to 115 just to the east. This project though is very heavily dependent on private development. Uh there's a large development that's going in where there used to be a business there. Don't know about their timing. Uh but once they get going, we want to be ready to go so that we can finish out that that connection up to 73 once once they get their project going. Uh, I say plan construction start in the fall. Again, it's it's really just dependent on that private development. They're going to continue to delay, then this this project will will have to have to wait.

Hey, Stephen, on that would they once they start would they have to put the road in immediately and and then do the project or what's kind of the timing on that? Yeah. So, so it'll depend on when the developer wants to do their part. We want to be queued up for that that northern connection to be able to go. Brian, you want to give an update on what what they're talking about or what they're thinking?

Yeah, as of last night, um, originally it was going to be one large warehouse and then we're going to build the the road and be coordinate with them. When they came back to two smaller buildings last night, they just emailed they want to go back to one larger building. So, we're going to start the architect process hopefully next week, get that thing knocked out in a month and hopefully they can get going again shortly, but we'll get some more timing and get you guys an update on that. So again, if they started it with the infrastructure that is that road going first and or together so you're probably looking 18 24 months construction and we'll just tie into them maybe projects we'll let them coordinate together. Okay. Y thank you.

All right. the larger project the town's working on, Gilly Road West. This is one we've been talking about for quite some time. Actually, we've been working on this project for about 10 years now since since the original idea was submitted to to get funding. So, this widens a portion of Gilead Road, so between Koi Road and Winfield Creek Parkway. It's two lanes today. This project will take it to four lane divide and really, really provide some capacity increases out there. are currently near the end of right ofway acquisition. There's not a whole lot of utility relocation as part of the project. So, we're hoping that will move through quickly and then hopefully later this calendar year start construction. This is not going to be a quick turnaround project. We've got to extend the covert over the creek. So, probably looking at a couple years of construction out here for this project. about half the funds uh for this project we've been able to secure through for reimbursement through uh CRTBO. This this is just a quick map of just giving you a big picture of where where all the projects extends. Uh Batties Ford at Hambrits. Uh this is over on the the west side of town near Hopewell. If you know where Hopewell High School is, just just to the south of there, got a project there to add turn lanes, traffic signal, and do a little bit of storm water improvement out there. Now, uh this project is currently uh in the utility relocation stage. Uh there were a bunch of overhead lines. AT&T had some facilities out there that had to get relocated. So, they're out there moving all their stuff. And then, kind of like these last few projects, hope to get started on actual intersection construction later this year. Batties Ford at McCoy staying out on the west side of town, but to the south

near Lancaster's Barbecue. If you know where that is, that's a a landmark out there improving that intersection. It's currently a five-legged intersection. We're going to change it to a more traditional four-legged intersection. We're currently acquiring rightway out there and then hope to start construction later this fall. spot where in that guy's yard, right? There have been some crashes in the north, I guess, northeast corner base kind of splits off to the left. McCoy splits off to the right and there's there's a house in between. Get a few a few folks laying there. He already took his fence down. Yeah, maybe somebody will help with that.

Y another project. Town's been working on this for a while. We're in in the throws of right acquisition and hope to get to construction later this year. Also out on the west side of town on Batties Ford, this is at Bud Henderson. There's already a signalized intersection is the entrance to the park and the elementary school there now just to help help with the capacity out there and the right turn lane at at that intersection. I hope you just like the last several hope to get to start construction later this year. Stumptown Road Extension. Uh this is a bigger long-term project. This is one the town's been talking about for for probably a few decades now, actually doing. And we're in the middle of the design process. So, we're we're still a few years out from probably getting started on construction. It's a larger project. Uh just like with the Gilly Road West project, we're getting a bunch of money uh eight eight figures worth up to that through reimbursement through the CRTPO. Um, so this this is a a larger project we're working on. It's larger scale. This is not just adds a turn lane or two. This is adding a new rail crossing, movements of rail crossings, extending roads. It It's a larger project.

Hey Stephen, with the red line planning affect that at all? We're coordinating with them. Uh I guess on their initial or preliminary designs that they're not really far along on their designs yet, but we already have had a coordination with with cats about about this project and their rail line they'll work together. Are you shutting down two other entrances or

Yeah, two other public streets and four private connections uh will have to be removed to get one new connection here for Stumptown. Rama Church and Delwood, the two public streets that have to be closed. And then there are four, say, private, so private driveway connections that are in the vicinity of of Stumptown Road that'll have to be closed and new access will have to be provided for all those homes as part of the project. Yeah, this is not a quick and simple project. We don't have Stump Town that small chunk of Stumptown that we own on CIP list. We don't have the small chunk of compound between Statesville and Old Statesville on the CIP list? Not yet.

Okay, it's a good question. We'll be talking about that and I'm sure that'll be a discussion point when we start talking about CIP. Yeah, with the school that will be improvements that we'll have to do. The town have to pay for even though the school is building new school, state statute now makes town and do pay for in that section we own, right? That's correct. So if we own it, whatever improvements are required, we have So that one whether you like it or not. Would that include like sidewalks or turn lane or turn lane, sidewalks, whatever is required for the TIA.

Um they'll have to do that. We don't know what's required yet, but they'll do a TIA as part of their project and whatever is required per that ultimately we will either install or they will install and we pay them back. Those are things that Stephen and his team and Brian and Kevin will be working through.

Correct. We're getting there. So, more more to come. We'll start. Uh McCoy Hamites and then also McCoy and Ma Wayne. These are actually two different projects listed in the CIP, but they're they're all over on top of each other. So, it's really just one one bigger project out there. This is also out there near the new fire station, the new Maw Wayne Park that's coming in. There's new schools out on Mane. So, it's definitely needed there. So, so what are we doing? We're adding turn lanes and traffic signals at both intersections. Hope to get started on that maybe next year. There are a lot of utilities out there. There's a lot of utilities you can see. There's even more that you can't see that are all going to have to be relocated. So, we're in the middle of the utility coordination stage to try to figure all that out and then hopefully get to uh get to start construction sometime next year. Walter Street. So, this is more near where where Town Hall is located, kind of in the downtown area, widening and resurfacing, adding some sidewalk to the the existing section of Walter Street between Huntersville Concord and Second, but then also extending Walter Street up to uh the new Vermillion development there at at Armfield. Um, we're currently in the initial stages of the design with hopeful construction here here in a few years. Same general area, Huntersville Concord at Warfield. Uh, this project would improve Huntersville Concord, improve the curve. Got some crash history there at the curve, folks running off the road. There's not a lot of sidewalk, so need to add some bed bike accommodations in this area. Um, right now you just kind of have to walk through somebody's yard or out in the road. So, definitely want to fix that. So, right now we're we're figuring out what that solution is going to be

in this area. Jumping back out on the west side of the road, Batty's Ford at Neck Road. Currently, there are no turn lanes at the intersection. So, this project would add a left turn lane and then do a little bit of uh straightening just a little bit of Neck Road right there at the intersection. We're currently in the design stage with with construction start here in a few years. Uh back to another larger project kind of kind of in the realm of the Gilead Road West and Stumptown project is our NC115 Accord to 73 project. NC15 in the section's currently two lanes. This project will take it to four lane divided and add multi-use paths on both sides of the road. So, larger larger scale project. Got some funds through CRTPO. I would guess the cost of this project is going to continue to go up. Uh this was an an estimate from a few years ago and just just like Kevin and everybody else talking about cost of everything continues to go up. So by the time we get to construction, it'll it'll probably cost more.

Is that why it's so far out in the future? I mean 31. Yeah. Yeah. Our guess right now is 2031 for for construction. We're just getting started right now on the environmental document. Um we'll be giving you an update next month, I believe, at a town board premeating on this project. And then we have a public input meeting uh to be scheduled late in February. get get folks input and provide some more information on the project. Thank you.

You're welcome. But this is if you drive again drive through town during peak times, you're you're probably not moving really fast through this part of 115 during those those peak times. So this project will definitely help with that. Uh this project's a landscape project. Uh DOT did improvements out there at 21 and Gilead and then at the I77 interchange. Uh this project is just to add some landscaping uh back back to the area. Looks look kind of bare out there right now. So this project would be to add add some landscaping out there around that interchange on the sides of the street and in the medians uh that are out there. And then up at the McCord roundabout, the developer built the roundabout there on McCord Road for that future development for Seagull Street. This project just just to add some landscaping around that.

Hey, just real quick back on the 2177, we doing any signage or anything like that? Just just strictly landscaping? Yeah, this so far it's just landscaping the current project. Okay. Sometimes it interchanges like Rockill has. Are you thinking way finding signage? No. No. Like when you go south like to Rock Hill as you get off some of their they've got, you know, welcome to Rock Hill or whatever. You know, something that says welcome to Huntersville or something like that. something that just says you're talking about more out on the interchange itself. Sometimes they'll have it in like where that landscape like you're coming off the ramp and they'll have not only the landscape but welcome to

Yeah. They're as you come off the interstate. Yeah. You come let's say come north on 77 you get off or south. Yeah. These areas here are more um up on the islands on 21 up and down 21 um uh is what what we're looking at doing some of the landscape improvements and all that. So that would have to be a separate project that we work with DOT on if there's some type of signage like that. Okay. So all this is is sort of landscaping those bare Yeah. scrub grass areas that are all along Oh, it's beautiful up there. Are we going to use some of the um tree mitigation fund money for this for these projects?

We we haven't decided but uh put it this way it wiped the tree mitigation fund completely out. So we have we may use some but probably a lot more than that.

All right. Any other questions so far? It's a bunch of stuff. It's all exciting. Everybody's All right. Uh, Townley Road connector. This is a newer project just getting started on um through Brookdale. This will connect Burktale over to a street which will connect to Northcross. So, if you're coming down uh North Cross, which is being extended up to West Morland, you're coming down that way, you won't have to get out on 73 to get get into Burkedale. Uh, you'll be able to take uh Townley Road connector. This will be another way in and out of Burdale. We're just getting started and it's going to take us a couple years. I believe there's a reimbursement agreement with the Burdale development.

2.5,500 for design, 2 million for construction. Um, and I imagine Emily would tell us hopefully that obviously Burktale has been purchased by someone else, but that rolls with whoever purchased it. not see any up or down. Well, the the plan notes create a requirement for that on the resoning plan. So, that's a condition. Um, it does I think reference in their their um successors as well and I think the agreement does too. So,

rolls over to the next group. All right. This is a project we're just just getting started on. Another one we're getting started on is Gibson Park Drive phase three. So phase one is done. Phase two is under construction. This would be the remaining part of Gibson Park Drive. Just widen a little adding some some pedestrian accommodations through there for that for that area. Uh then then the last project on the on the currently working on list is Batties Ford at Maw Wayne Road. Probably recall some requests out there last year about some some crash history. Town did some small enhancements out there but probably the long term thing is traffic signal. So get started on plans for a traffic signal. Construction starts to be determined. We got to figure out how that's going to work, where it's going to lay out before we can decide how long that's going to take to do. So, that's all the stuff we're currently working on roadway projectwise, but we're also working on a bunch of sidewalk projects. There's 10 or 12 of those we're currently working on in all spots throughout town. And just like the roadway projects, it's all over the place. adding these sidewalk connectors or filling the gaps projects. First big one, Huntington Green. I think this may have been asked about earlier. This is out there along McCoy Road in Hambrite. This is actually over a mile of sidewalk that was added out out in this area adding connectivity and uh project is wrapping up construction now hopefully soon here once the weather weather warms up a little bit. But this one's mostly done out there. out there now. Smaller sidewalk connection kind of near downtown. Greenway Street, portion of Greenway Street doesn't have any

sidewalk on it. So, this this project would just add that connectivity. Plans are ready. Rightway is done. Utilities are done. It's just waiting on the weather to warm up a little bit uh so that that can be delivered. uh Cumington Crest to Vermillion Village and really this project uh and and the next one on Huntersville Concord Road near Vermillion. Uh we started looking at each of these and trying to figure out where sidewalk can go. And as we started to look at that, uh we quickly realized that the intersection of Glendale at Huntersville Concord may need some attention too. Uh, so we took a look at that and probably in the upcoming CIP discussion, it's another one needs a traffic signal, needs turn lanes. So if if you put in sidewalk, well, you're you're going to tear it all up if you're doing intersection project. So it probably makes sense to kind of slow down the sidewalk projects a little bit and do something a little more comprehensive out out there at the intersection.

Talking about putting a traffic signal, this is at Glendale and Huntersville Concord Road. Okay. So just to the sort of east of Pavilion Village there. We've taken a preliminary look at the numbers and based on the traffic volumes and crash history traffic probably weren't there. It's a lot of it's a lot of traffic going through that. Any any thought to one of my favorites traffic circles? We we could take a look at that. That see I hate traffic lights.

Sure. We could take a look at that. sidewalk project just further down the street, Kedon Road connection. We're just calling it Kettleston because that's that's where you're connecting to, but this is a sidewalk along Huntersville Concord. Right now, there's a gap on that old south side there. So, this project would would add sidewalk along that that frontage. This project and the next several projects are along 115. So if if you're on 115 and you start walking south, you can see sidewalk ahead of you, but there are gaps. So these next several projects are are really filling in those gaps so that you can walk all the way down 115. Uh this particular portion, which is along Deerness Gardens, if you're familiar with where that is, uh actually at an upcoming uh board meeting, yeah, next week, uh you'll hear about this as a resoning planned for those parcels. So So this section, it may make sense to just kind of put this one on hold and see what happens with that resoning project to see if a development gets gets approved there, then they'll have to put in sidewalk and or multi-use path as part of their project. So if the town put it in, they probably tear it out. So it it probably makes sense for for them if if that's an approved project for for them to just just put in that piece. And really the next pieces are just again working down 115 on the west side filling in all those gaps. So then there's between the Ardan development down to Monteth be a section.

Okay.

Yeah. So um we can put these on hold. If there's going to be projects that'll that'll build it for us may want to put these on on hold. But this is another section here. Then it gets you down to Verhoff Drive. So then if you wanted to walk from Town Hall down to HFA and put these three segments in, you'd be able to do it on sidewalk. And then Lake Norman Charter to Dampson Drive section one, two, and then then three. And then once these three pieces are in, these are the last last ones. You could walk all the way down to town limits at uh at Eastville Alexandriana. That's about three miles close to two and a half maybe three miles from from town hall once once all these are are finished. So this this is a big this is big more in the central part of town on Rancid Road. Branson Road that doesn't have any sidewalk. So, this project would look to add, I believe, multi-use path on both sides of the street so that folks that want to walk to the elementary school or down to the greenway connection, they'll have have the ability to do so. Bradford Hill, this is a newer project. I believe this was discussed last year as a project to add so that folks at the church and at the uh community there on the north side can walk and get to the greenway. So, it'll be a sidewalk on the south side of the road and then an enhanced crossing there across Gilead. All right, that was the 35 or so town projects that we're currently working on. Everybody's got all those memorized, right?

Yep.

Still awake. Still awake. All right. Well, state has a bunch of projects in town, too. And we've been hearing about them for a long time. Just uh do a quick quick run through of those. If you got any questions, I can probably answer the general ones if you got project specific questions and I can get you in touch with the folks at DOT or I can I can try to get those answered for you. Again, these projects are on the website. You want to know where they are, take a quick look there. If you want more details, reach out to us. 21 of Gilead, as we know, this one's getting close to wrapping up construction. It's a project that town actually started working on more than a decade ago and then DOT picked it up, but it's it's getting close to being done. Same with the interchange. They're they're pretty much done. They're working on punch list items, kind of final final things to get that that project wrapped up. North Cross Drive extension mentioned this one earlier. Extended North Cross Drive uh up to West Morland and Cornelius be more local connectivity. It's currently in construction. Their completion date estimate is sometime in 2027, but if you notice the trend on other DOT projects, they haven't been finishing on time. So, not sure if this one will or not, but their current estimated completion date is sometime late late next year. Asbury Chapel bridge replacement. Uh, this is just south of Huntersville Concord Road before we get to Autumn Crest. D is going to replace that bridge. I believe they posted maybe some weight restrictions out there. So, it's it's having some challenges. Now, when they go to replace this, they're going to close the road. It's probably going to be closed for a year or so. So, uh just just keep that in mind. This this is coming up. NC73 between 115 and Davidson Concord Road taking the two-lane road to four-lane divided. It's a project they're working on. Our current schedule

is to get started on construction sometime in 2028. Next, Kataba Avenue. Uh this project is really mostly in Cornelius. Only the very very southern tip uh is is in Huntersville, but there'll be some impact once this two-lane road goes to four-lane divided uh provide more capacity out in that area. Construction start is currently planned in 2028. US 21 winding between Gilead Road and Holly Point. So where the uh 21 Gilead project stopped, there'll be another project going north. This will take that two-lane road just like all the other ones going to four-lane divided reduce conflict intersections. They're currently wrapping up right ofway and moving on to utility relocation. If I was to guess, this is probably the next project the DOT has that they'll ma major project that they'll get started on on construction will be be this one. Hopefully get started uh sometime later next year. 73 interchange. So the state just did the Gilead interchange and so the only uh the other general purpose interchange in town is at 73.

Make improvements there. hopefully get started sometime in 2027. Section 73 just to the west of there taking that that's that's is already fourlane divided. This will go to six lane divided uh through there add adding more capacity in that congested area. They're currently wrapping up rightway acquisition and then on to utility relocation. Again, same time frame. You notice if you if you see the trend 27 28 is when all these projects are planning to start construction. It's going to be orange barrels everywhere. What's your sense of this one getting started in 27?

Maybe. Maybe. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. We we're not in the driver's seat on this. Yeah. This is a DOT project. A good example of North Cross Drive talked about before on that was on a CIP I think when I was in Cornelius in 2001. Oh wow. So 25 years later, you know, it may not even be done. Sudden construction and these all of these have been on the list. 30 25 20 25 30 years you've been a long time.

Another section.

Yeah. Another section is 73 um just further to the east between Davidson Concord and Popppler tent. This dates a little bit further out. Currently have this as as 2030. If I was to take a guess, this probably be pushed out further than that, but but it is a project they're working on. Same thing, fourlane divided reduced conflict intersections. Back to a smaller project, McCoy Bridge replacement. Uh this is just near where the police department comes in. Uh they're planning to replace this bridge in in 2029. I believe the schedule was a little bit earlier, but uh it looks like they pushed it out to then. They're just getting started on the on the design process. Town is coordinating with them to to work on getting a greenway underpass under this bridge when it's replaced. So that's something we're actively working with them on. But uh we're still several years out.

Is that going to be like kind of like Asbury Chapel where they'll shut it down?

I would guess so. I guess so. Detour here will be a little bit shorter. They can go through the business park. For Asbury Chapel, there's there's not a great parallel road right next to it. So, detours will be quite quite long for that one. Uh pedestrian bridge over 73. Uh this is actually part or wrapped into the 73 project DOT is doing. Uh town's putting money towards this addition, but DOT is doing all the design work, all the rightway acquisition, pretty much everything on that. The town's just just footing part of the bill. We've been awarded some CRTPO funds to go go towards that uh that project cost.

No, she does not. That's not what I remember. Absolutely not. Don't write that down.

Pedestrian tunnel under 21. So talked about the 21 project that DOT is doing. Again, just like 73 in the bridge, this will be a tunnel under 21. uh to facilitate pedestrian movements so you don't have to cross at that intersection there at Cookout. But again that this project will be constructed as part of the uh DOT project. So schedules are are the same. Uh 73 B Ford mentioned earlier the town's doing the project at Batty's Ford and Gilead. This is the project that's really going to make a difference out there once once they get started on construction. Think still think they're a few years out. They're still working on rightway acquisition and there'll be some pretty extensive utility relocation. Then they can get started on this. So still still several years out before they get started on construction. 21 North Cross uh to West Morland. Most of this is outside of Huntersville, just the very southern tip. Uh is in Huntersville as you can see the schedule 2034. So it's it's out and probably will continue to get pushed out a little bit further. Uh then even further off into the horizon. Uh 73 on the west side of town across the river out in front of the nuclear station. There's not even a date. Do doesn't even have a date on this one yet, but it's in the stip is as starting on the design.

All right. So, that's all the stuff that uh folks are currently working on. Here's the stuff in the CIP that we haven't even started on yet. So, it's in the CIP list now. So, if you flip through your budget book or the budget document online, these projects are listed in there. They haven't been funded yet. So, so this is a list of ones and maybe even some more potentially added, but uh these are the ones currently on the list. Where are they? Just like with everything else, they're spread across town. So, quickly run through these. If if these are ones that you're like, "All right, let's let's get going on this one." then I'm sure Jackie, Anthony, Patty will want to want to hear that as they start working on on the budget. First project up is Maxwell Avenue. So, this is out be behind New Town Hall. Maxwell Avenue, it's a narrow local street there. It's probably going to get a bunch more travel now that we have a new town hall there. So, probably make sense to upgrade the street, resurface, maybe widen just the scoch and then add some pedestrian accommodations along the road. I think there's a few pieces here and there, but be good to have continuous sidewalk along along that street. Uh, Church Street between Hull Brooks and Delwood. This is actually a project that we started on several years ago and uh, put on pause for believe the small area plan or Pottstown area plan that was done. So, if if this is a project the board wants to pick back up and get started on, it's it's still on the on the list. We were most of the way through design when when we put it on pause. So if that's something you wanna want to pick back up, then we can do that. Uh same with David Kenny Farm Connection. So town worked on a project actually to add add a roundabout along Workto Commons Parkway to connect David Kenny Farm. I believe that's the Breen Ridge community. Is that correct, Kevin? That's out there. They currently only

have one way in, one way out uh to 73 which will get restricted with the 73 project. This project would give give some additional connectivity out there, add pedestrian accommodations at at the intersection. That's what this project is. So if this is one you want to pick back up, we can do that. Church Street realignment to Walters. So this this project would realign Church Street over to line up with Walter Street with the Main Street project. Um Church Street was restricted to right in right out on both sides with the median as part of that. This would uh realign it over to Walters to to give it back that that connectivity and then add a connection over to Warfield. So this is a local connectivity project. Burke Commons Extension Urban Cook. This is probably one you've heard about. We we've applied for CRTPO funds to go towards the project. Actually, this past year or in the current CRTPO request and also the previous one, we got awarded about $400,000 towards design last time. Looks like this time we're going to get the rest of the of the request that we made, which is another 3.2 million. So, this is a project the town wants to move forward with. We've got a little over three and three and a half million dollars of somebody else's money. You want to move forward with it? Now would be a good time. If you don't want to do it, then we need to let CRTP know CRTPO know uh so they can use those funds elsewhere. Uh just south of there. So the last project was was extending um Urban Cook Road south from the subdivision and then connecting to Bertell Commons. Well, then there's a gap. is the gap's smaller uh but but extending that uh Irvin Cook down to the south then you'd have another parallel route there to Gilead Road. Uh this this would give

some increased connectivity out in that area and also to Brookdale Commons extension. Again, just just more connectivity. There's also would gain access to the county park property that's out there too. I believe the county has talked about a master plan of an active park out there. uh this would definitely help help towards that. And then the southern section, there's a new subdivision uh under construction right out there. Now, uh this project would really just finish the rest of the system for Urban Cook Road, uh Greenway Street between Watkins and 115. So, with the new apartment development and town houses that went in next to the town center, uh, this project would just upgrade Greenway Street out to 115. Right now, that's kind of a little tight, not walk out there. So, so this project would would improve that section of the street. Hambrite at Mount Holly Huntersville. Uh, this has been on the list for a while. Uh, there's several developments. I believe there's three that are still left that have committed improvements out here. it uh may be good to just wait, continue to hold on this one, see what all the developments do out there and then come out with a project to to do the rest. This is one that's that's been on the list for a little. Whole Brooks Road between 115 and Central. Talked about some sidewalk projects on the west side of 115, but this would be an intersection improvement project. uh there at Hullbrooks and 115 volumes out there. It's pretty close to needing a traffic signal there. If you try to make, you know, a left out of Hullbrooks onto 115 during peak times, it's it's tough. I see some head nodding going on back there. So So yeah, it's it's tough. So So it's it's getting tough to to be able to make those movements. So this project would would definitely help help that out. Also adding sidewalk

out there, too. This is a project that looks simple, but It'll take some time because of the proximity to the railroad. We're have to coordinate with the railroad. Do a road project, you do a traffic signal. Either way, we're have to coordinate with the railroad on this project. So, so it won't be quick. So, if you're thinking of doing something, probably a good idea to go ahead and get started because it's going to it's going to take some time time to do. Uh Batty's Ford at Cash and Road kind of similar to the Batties Ford at neck project. This would just add, you know, add turn lanes out there at the intersection, make it safer for folks to get out of the way for making turns at the intersection. Same thing at Stevens Road. Just make make turn lane improvements. Last couple projects are more more in the downtown area. This would be near future Red Line Station. Red Line Station is planned at Huntersville Concord and and Main Street. So, if you think about your street network that's around there, what may be needed for buses or vehicles that may need to park or drive or circulate around there, First Street and then also Second Street, you know, taking a look at those and just doing kind of what we're doing with Walter Street. Widen the street a little bit, add curb and gutter, add sidewalks, pedestrian accommodations out there to to make those those streets better.

Are any of those I can't projects that are through there. Any of those streets being improved as a part of that? The portion portions of them are as part of those projects. They're doing it along their frontage. Uh but there'll still be gaps gaps between there. So we take what they're doing, fill in the rest of the gaps and and make it make it a complete complete block worth of project. Would it be a good idea to do it in conjunction when they do theirs or does it make any difference? Sure, we could we could do it with them or or after. I wouldn't say go in and do it before, but I'd say go in and do it during or or after they're they're done with theirs.

Yeah. Not before because it'll tear up. All right. You got all that memorized? Yes. Is there a test? Yes. Give me a test. Jackie has a spreadsheet for that, too. It's called CIP. So, I'm sure that's another discussion. break. Jackie said you want to walk. How long do you want to walk? Jackie 10 15 minutes.

All right. Thank Thank you very much. Can you go back Slide three.

Going back live everybody. I'm back from a break. Larry's up. It update the it.

So, uh, I only have 40 slides, so we can go through this pretty quick. Um, I think Trot had about a hundred, so I just have about half that. Uh so we'll go through general updates, projects, uh camera update, quick camera update, and basically a support what we kind of do on the 30,000 foot view and um and uh additional staff that uh we need because of additional workload technology. Um so we completed u our upgrade to Windows 11. So we upgraded all the uh all the machines in uh the town 300 plus machines. Uh Microsoft stopped supporting Windows 10 around October. So we uh we had to upgrade everything uh to the latest version. So we did accomplish that. That did take about eight eight months or so to coordinate and get everybody updated. Um so that is uh that's done. Uh in the past calendar year, we had uh 19 uh 1,982 tickets uh close to 2,000. I'm sure we'll surpass that taking on uh additional departments uh this year. Uh 10% increase roughly. And that's just uh more people, more tickets, more technology, more tickets. Um also uh we played a critical role in the transition to um the new town hall. We were fortunate to sit on the committee uh initially uh so that that was helpful. Uh all the data all the AV um access control uh we were responsible for that. We also transitioned all the technology from town center uh all staff's technology from town center um town hall to the new town hall. Um we're able to accomplish that by the end of

the year. Uh so we got everybody settled in from a technology standpoint. Great job on that by the way.

Thank you. Thank you. Uh team effort. Uh the guys worked hard to to do that. So um I want to thank uh thank those guys for doing it. Um also, uh we continue to part uh to partner with different departments. Uh projects are always coming up. Uh you know, with police, CMPD and just different departments. Um uh public works with the pub works upgrade that they want to push stuff to the cloud and uh potential uh um ERP migrating to the cloud. So we constantly have revolving projects throughout the year. Um some uh CMPD throw stuff on us all the time. So, um, without our PD's knowledge or anything, they'll come up with a project and, uh, they'll want it done in three months. So, uh, that happens all the time.

Understand when you say CMPD, why would we be dealing with CMPD?

Yep. So, CMPD, they dispatch uh, for our police department. So, all your CAD, all your 911 calls go to Charlotte. Um, so we have a connection with those guys. So when our officers are in the car, their MTT connects to Charlotte. So uh KB cops is a software they use. Uh so when they enter reports and all that stuff, even with our K9, uh they have software to all reports. So it all connects to Charlotte. So we work closely with Charlotte on um uh just software and uh different uh different applications. So um I I apologize. I failed to mention that. Um, so, uh, camera update, we support all the cameras around town. So, we have, uh, we have traffic cameras, uh, 105 roughly of those, uh, 164 security cameras. Security cameras are typically in the building. So, uh, in buildings, uh, in in parks and stuff like that. So, parks and greenways. So, we have cameras at all our parks, entrances. Um, we still need to add probably I think this year we'll probably add roughly around 50 cameras. We'll add more traffic cameras and we have a uh some uh cameras we need to add in uh various parts that uh Michael JCox requested that we have funded for. So uh when the weather heats up a little bit and uh we'll start knocking those out. And then uh roughly five LPR cameras and this does not include flock cameras. So Flock is what the PD uses. Uh Flock is a self- sustainable uh camera. Think it if you guys ever seen the Arlo camera kind of looks like that, but it has solar and those guys kind of lease those out. So they'll put those at egress places like that. The five LPR license plate cameras that we have are and like the parking deck coming out of Northme Park and

stuff like that, they're within our facilities. Um, and Flock is normally um, uh, Chief Von could speak to this more, but they're all over town. They're in Burkedale. They're in I think they have partnerships with all these various companies, so they're all throughout town. So, they're a little different. Tell me the difference between Flock and LPR, what are they used for?

Uh, on the Flock on the LPR for Flock, I got a couple slides about that, but it helps us develop investigative leads on cases. It's a it's a collection service that collects license plate data, but it's just the license plate number itself. It's nothing about the person specifically and and we're not storing those things forever. It's not that aspect of things. So, I get into that some more later in my presentation about what is right uh probably 20ish. Uh we still have a few more to uh put up in the parking lot. Um so we have them in stairwells and egress places like that. Um entrances and things of that sort for security reasons.

Um I'm sorry. I have a question. I don't know if this is for it or maybe police, but are we looking to enhance security at town hall? Maybe like with metal detectors or anything? Have we has that been a discussion or even brought out? We're set up for that. Um but uh when we were doing the building because at that time we say three years ago um some of the facilities have obviously where you when you walk in that county you know the facility as you walk through. We set up for that the way we designed the building and storage for those units off to the right but we have not purchased any of those unit uh to move forward with yet. Is that a fair statement, Larry?

Uh, yeah, that's correct. We we have storage for those and we anticipate that eventually that will come. So, um, it's just like Anthony said, it's just a matter of purchasing them. And, uh,

there are employees who will bristle when we talk about enhancing security at New Town Hall because the key fob system, we don't have people moving floor to floor the way we used to have. So, when you used to be able to just walk down to somebody's office, you can't necessarily do that anymore. And so, the key fob system is fairly uh it's much more involved than it was and so uh we're still finding our way getting used to that. There are we have time of day restrictions and and we have weekend restrictions and so not just anybody can come and go at any time of day and can't get to even directors can't get anywhere in the building uh like on the weekend and so we restrict pretty hardcore with with the key fob system at current town hall. Anybody want to endorse how awesome the key fob system is?

That's a Jackie right into your key fob system. I know. I mean, ultimately, you can't go. The only door you get in is that first door. Yeah. Take a rock, try to throw through, but you know, if you come in, um, that first door is all you get through without fing through. We can lock down the double doors. Um, but we did set up like those double doors there if we ever wanted to go to some type of system. we could put in metal detectors to walk through. So, we sort of set up the way we did. What would be the trigger to go to system like that?

If the board said that's what we want, but it gets into, you know, obviously we probably have to have some policies and things in place to address that. I'm sure we need to figure out how we sort of work through that. You got to have someone, you know, you have people whether it's winding people or whether it's a system you walk through like the government center downtown that there's all sorts of systems that out there.

Um, and I'm sure there policies and laws related to what you can and can't do. Um, so we would have to think through all that. But we do have a much enhanced what I would say security system just by the system. I mean, we can Larry can lock it down minute by minute to, you know, basically where none of us can get in the building and go anywhere. So, just that is much. Thank you. And it was locked down this past Monday, weather related. I mean, it's fairly sophisticated how much control we can have over who can go where and we deploy the devil out of that.

We put a metal detector in there. We need someone to monitor. Okay. I'm sure we'll have staff or I mean if if necessary that was just a thought. Yeah. And I guess we've also had discussions check in, check out, similar to like if you ever visit your kids at uh the mayor knows this at schools, you know, you scan your license, you check in, check out with meetings and and even if you got through, let's just say one of the mayor's friends, I don't come to meet in the building. They can't go anywhere in the elevator. They can't. You got to have a key fob or something. Just need to get up to the floor.

You can if you got in the building, second floor. You can't just go up the elevator. So, you know, we're using different technology to even even if you have a meeting with someone, you've got to get access to go either that person got to come down either got to give you a key fob or some type of temporary pass. So, it's super complicated. Does um Ginger at the front have a way like a panic button so to speak like if somebody came in and was threatening the way to get 911 there or get Py there fast?

Right. We uh we have a panic button. So we'll deploy that here for Ginger at the uh front desk and also uh on the second floor where planning is as well. Um so hopefully in the next couple weeks we'll get those deployed out to them. Yeah, they'll they'll both have panic buttons similar they did at Town Center. How would the panic button work? Does it just go to the cops or does it go

So there there's multiple ways that we can design it. Um so we'll meet with uh you know management and and chief and uh depends on how they want to do it. I mean it's you know it can go straight to 911 but I mean that's we all know if it goes straight to 911 there may be a delay. So, it most likely would go to the PD watch commanders and the PD and sends alert to those guys so they can get there pretty quick. Okay. I wasn't sure if it like lock down the building or

Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, it's it's a whole scenario. So, usually typically when you hit the panic button, you know, all the doors lock down um which in this case most of them are anyway. So, um the doors will lock down. So um it'll keep everybody contained and then staff will be can be alerted management plans for the building from fire alarm to so I assume our officers HPD they can get in. Right. Right. Yeah. Once when that once the panic button hits they'll be able to fob in uh to the building because the whole building be locked so they can fob in

because Yeah. you put them on like an exception list even though it's locked down. Um they'll have the exception of being able to f but even like say internal staff doesn't have free reign of building for various reason. So even lock down internally of where folks can go just on a regular basis. And is there like I'm sure with the emergency management there's a security plan that says like if somebody's in the building where you go to hide or we have just fire

first drill the other day. Think I was already outside. Thank goodness. I was maybe not in the right spot, but I was already outside. So, we have plans for all those that will be David last night. David Moore, who was worked for fire department Charlotte is working through all those plans with staff

similar to those cyber security emails that we get from Larry. Please tell me that you're doing those because we heard talked at a retreat one time this summer doing theirs. We got one like overnight last night. U similar to those we have employees have to sign off on the emergency emergency action plan for new town hall. I've signed off online. I think there's a couple people in the room. I got not done and so should the board get trained on those emergency management procedures you but we might be there. We probably need to make sure we check in on that. Okay. Okay. We'll bring you in and make you do the fire.

That's fine. It' be good. That's fine. Yeah. But I mean, we've seen some public meetings that have gone a little astray, right? So, you know, Tuesday night meeting could get ugly. We move you in front. Appreciate that. Thanks. Yeah. Well, I mean, hides in the back. Direct line of sight for everybody. So, that's awesome. Okay.

Awesome. I'll uh I'll move on to the next slide. So, kind of a board update. Um, as you guys know, um, IT staff, we support, um, all town board planning meetings. Uh, anything that's including in streaming technology support, um, we're there to help support those meetings, planning, town board. Uh, you know, we have over 325 laptops, desktops, and then we have patrol MBT. So, all the patrol printers, and that's in the cars, uh, and their laptops in the cars. Uh we support all those um multiple servers. Um uh we have a pretty complex backup uh infrastructure. Um what nowadays with all the cyber attacks and um no one's ever 100% safe, but we try to do our best based on um uh just different uh levels. We we try to have multiple backups in multiple places. And um for that very reason um we manage over like nearly 400 mobile devices, iPads, iPhones, uh wireless gateways, MFI devices, uh cradle points uh in all the cars. Um so we uh we're constantly managing those. Um also um anything like all the Zoom technology, phones, um virtual technology, cyber security infrastructure, end user training, uh access control, uh security cameras and all that. We uh we manage and facilitate all that u all that technology. Um, and just based off of, you know, just to help balance daily support and public safety, we're looking at uh adding additional staff uh to help based on the growth um that we've had in the past and then also potential growth that we're looking at. U Laura will speak to more on that, but um I know

Electric Cities is coming. Um I believe they have SCADA systems and all that. uh a little different technology than uh we've worked with in the past. So there's a lot of technology with electricities coming that we'll have to support as well. I think that's the end of my slides. You any questions

awesome. Thank you. I think uh Laura's up next and we moved around a little bit. Um, we've moved Laura up front. Typically, we probably have her towards the last day because we're talking people and all that. So, she may steal some folks thunder because uh we had to move around adjust a little bit for MJ because he was running a little bit behind due to flights etc. He couldn't get back. So, so if you see uh hey, this department may be looking to add people. She's going to be stealing a little bit of that thunder, but we just had to do a little bit adjustment last minute. Or the other option is I just stick with the very basics and let everybody keep their thunder.

So, good morning.

Um I before I go into my slideshow, I I realize that I did something this year that I haven't done in past years. I don't have a single employee picture in my presentation. Um and and that is unfortunate because without all of the people in this room and all of the people that are in Huntersville, our employees who are out there responding to emergencies, plowing roads, you know, planning streets, doing all of the things that you are looking at funding, they're not going to be done. Um, so I just want to point out again, um, how important the people in our organization are for providing all of the services that you want to the public. So, I'll go into numbers. And now, I was going to make a joke and I'm just going to do it now. Um, imagine if we didn't have an employee like Jackie with the enthusiasm to talk to you about a spreadsheet that I know I do not have. Um, so my presentation, I didn't do a table of contents. It's basically similar every year. I start with a little snapshot of where we are from an employment perspective and what that looks like. I talk a little bit about big projects and then I also talk about um any um recruiting retention kinds of things that we may be doing and then end with what what we're looking at um in the future. So this is a quick snapshot of where our employees are in each department. The first column budgeted, those are the budgeted positions that we have. Um and so um right now we're at 283 budgeted full-time positions. The next column is how many people we actually have in each department. So you've heard a little bit about Kevin's fully

staffed. You can see down there he's got 29 funded positions and he's filled 29 positions right now. Part-time positions are a little bit different. We don't budget those by person. Generally, those are budgeted by dollar amount. So, the two departments that have the majority of part-time positions, as you can see, are fire and parks and wreck. um they estimate how many how many resources they need, how many people that will they'll need for that and then their numbers may flow throughout the year. Um just depending on what they have going on if that makes sense. Um I can talk a little bit about the position. So, in admin, the two positions um right now were down a communications position that was was intended to be hired midyear this year. Um we also have a IT help desk position that we're currently filling in a temp agency through a temp agency or uh an IT agency. Um, that was important for Larry to be able to make that transition quickly as we were moving into new town hall, not to have to go through that process because he had an unexpected um transition of an employee. Good for him.

I use a term specialist, but communication person. So hopefully he or she will accept and we'll feel that ASAP.

Engineering is fully staffed. Fire is fully staffed. Parks and wreck as of last week is fully staffed. Um planning, we'll talk a little bit. They have the arborist pos their two positions also were midyear ads from last year. So it's the arborist position and code enforcement technician. So they are down one more position. This changes day to day. Um unfortunately um police department um Chief Vaughn will talk a little bit about where they are on those. Um so down um some sworn position and some non-sworn positions. I will let him talk through where they are with recruiting and offers out that they have for those positions. Um, and we already talked about public works. Any questions? So, the next thing I talk about, just a quick snapshot of what our turnover looks like. Um, you can see that right now had 31 hires. Last year, we had for the whole fiscal year 31 higher. So we are doing a a good job of adding getting people in um and hopefully uh reducing the number of separations that we have. Um so right now this year our turnover rate is 7%. This time last year we were at 8%. So that's good. And keeping in mind that that includes that we've added positions. Um overall last year we ended at 13% which is a is an increase and we know we had some some issues. Um the national average is about 13% and so

we're not off track. Um I would say we would ideally like to be under 10%. So, um, two years ago, I got a little bit sensitive and I added at the bottom of this part-time ads and terms because while we don't always talk about it, um, it can be an impact on us. Like Larry, we're behind the scenes. We're doing a lot of the things to get people onboarded to, um, offboard people. And so, um, this year is not quite as exciting of number as 2024, but we're at, um, six part-time hires and, uh, 14 separations. Uh, this is just a little more detail by department where we are. Same thing, budgeted positions, how many people have left in this fiscal year. So, turnover rate by department this fiscal year compared to last year. And then the additional information on this is where we are with current vacancies. Um I think there's no surprises here.

Hey Laura, I'm sorry. The separations in this one, those are just total including like people who retired. Yes. Okay. Yeah.

Might be nice to see that, you know, because if you look at some of these, you say, "Oh, well, police department had 12 separations, but how many were retirees?" So, one retiree this uh fiscal year in the police department. I can tell you that. Um unfortunately, we had um two officers lose their life this year. So, um that's something, you know, it's uh devastating for us and for the police department and obviously their families. Um there are some things that yeah that are in that separation number that maybe aren't as accurate from a turnover a voluntary turnover or even an involuntary turnover. So big projects you've heard a little bit about electricities. Um so in August of this last year the board approved uh termination of the operating agreement for the electric distribution system which is currently handled by electric cities. Um so uh anybody can jump in that they want. Um this is something that used to be an internal function for the town of Huntersville. Um we got to a point where we felt like we needed some help and electricity started managing that for us and now we're bringing it back inhouse. Um we say control of our destiny to be able to have a little more handson approach to managing that function. So for the last five months, a group of us have been meeting regularly um both internally and with electric cities to figure out how how is this going to work? What are we going to do? Um total operation, we believe we're going to need 23 employees to manage the system for us. Um I have them broken out um what we'll call line and service. So

that's your um your line workers, your crew leaders, the director, operations manager, um your utility um lo locator positions, those kinds of positions. Um a warehouse. I'm trying to think of all the positions that are included in that and the readers. Um, and then what they call now the business office um side, which is your customer service reps, your AP, your billing um positions. We're going to split those. So, it won't all be one department. It will be a separate electric department that's got the line and service and then the others will will roll up under Patty and finance. Um, so and this the 17 and 16 that shows you where the positions are split. Right now, um, electric cities, I will say we have some vacancies and so I think right now they have 15 regular full-time employees and then they have probably three or four temp employees that are working for the organization. We went to all of the regular full-time employees and said, "If you want to come work for us," let me rephrase that. We said, "We want you to come work for us. If you would like to come work for us, here is an offer. We're offering you the same position that you currently have as your regular full-time position at the rate that you currently have, plus any adjustments that we think might be made over the next six months for whatever reasons that they may have going on. Of those, we have to double check nine who have confirmed that they will come over. Um there's a big difference

between nine and 23. So we have some work to do here. Um right now we have a crew a recruitment out for the electric services director and the operations manager. Um once we have those on board, we will start to figure out exactly how the flow of the remaining positions will go. We are working with electricity still. They are taking lead on the line worker positions that are vacant right now. Um they have a particular expertise in hiring those positions and um we want to take full advantage of their expertise in that in that realm. Um, in addition to this, um, Larry mentioned it. Um, there are a lot of other pieces of this transition that we're continuing to work through. For me, some of that is benefits. How are we going to transition their benefits so there's no loss of coverage for these employees to come over to us? Um, looking at policies, looking at SOPs, looking at all of those different things, looking at contracts to make sure everything gets carried over. So there's a whole lot more detail associated with this um that maybe other people will speak about a little bit, but that's that's where we stand with electric cities.

So controlling your own destiny is a double-edged sword, right? And and so we're uh we knew the transition was going to occur. Uh how many people are excited about going to work for an employer when they know that's not going to be their employer in less than six months? And so I'm not sure all of this is completely unexpected. There are areas of the people who have agreed to come to work for us who who it's very comforting to us that will continue ongoing operations and electric cities has been very cooperative. Uh we will uh we will our relationship with electric cities municipal power agency number one has 19 member agency cities and and as we discussed when the decision was made in August to break away. It's more traditional of those 19 member agency cities that the municipality manages this function themselves. Have we done it in 30 years directly? No, because we have the contract with electric cities. And so, uh, calendar 2026 will be a transition period and, uh, we would ask our, uh, patients, think about what happened this weekend. Very concerned about a storm. Thankfully, far less than than it could have been. Uh, the employees who are reporting are continuing to report and that's what we expect. There are mutual aid agreements in place. Uh we look forward to a cooperative continuing of operations and advancing our electric distribution system this year.

We we have a number of other pieces of contracts. We did our on call contract for electric engineering service that will continue. We've got our underground contract with us boring. We expect to extend that as they continue working on their products and new developments. Um installing infrastructure. We've got a number of pieces that will continue um that will help us kind of keep going. Jackie mentioned the storm. There is a crew working on a project with this Cornelius substation that'll take them at least the next few months. We were able to get them on call for any storm relief. There are a lot of resources whether we're 9 out of 23 or whether we're 23 out of 23. There are a lot of resources that are out there. I will just kind of warn us all. Um for electric cities, it's going to be the case for us. hiring linemen is going to be a challenge. Keeping lineman is going to be a challenge. Um that is something that we'll continue to talk about and just to kind of prepare you guys when we can move to out of our shared yard. We still don't have a ton of space. Um but it will help. Uh there's a variety of materials, equipment, things we need to order. Um and in the electric field, it's not like hours and days to get things. It's weeks and months to get things. Sometimes it's 48 to 60 months to get some of the equipment and materials that we need for jobs. Um, so the electric fund will fund it, but there will be some some probably some big ticket items coming as we continue to shore up and get ready to serve.

This may be an obvious question, but the challenges of hiring linemen are is it pay? Is it lack of I mean, what what's the challenge? I think it's probably all the above. Um, it's a tough job and I think in sort of the public side, we're not sending people all over. for for kind of endless overtime and hours. I think that that is some of the challenge. Um and sometimes it's just the nature of the work and what they're dealing with. They might want something a little more exciting than just every day in the town. Duke in be competing within just to let you know locally and all these other towns that have it too. So

and it's not like what Kevin said about competing with private sector. It's just it's tough and they'll sometimes just pay more. And I and I think part of it too is pipeline. Uh yeah, pipeline.

Pipeline. Yeah. Um you know, not as many people maybe in the trades industry as much and whether or not this is one of those industries that has kind of gone out of favor. You know, making sure that we can build partnerships with the colleges that have those programs still in effect. um trying to just like we do with BL and the police cadetses trying to figure out where those people are and you know are there options for us to do something unique maybe to bring them in. I mean pay is always going to be issue. Benefits are always going to be an issue. Um we have to think creatively

and just some of the work that's been done on our transformer at the old town hall. Just looking at the size of the gloves they're putting on to go touch and work on that stuff. That's a lot of stress, a lot of pressure going into some of that.

It is appropriate that we pause uh during the HR presentation about uh ads to positions. Think about the last three years and the number of functions and departments we've added. So fire is appreciably different. Uh having an electric function is appreciably different. And so the support departments, uh, finance, HR, and IT, eventually adding 50 full-time positions. You're going to feel that in this in the workload of the support level departments and and that's a recurring thing here, but I think we'll do fine. You know, we're at nine people now. Like Jack said, some of them are filling out, you know, what are the options.

So we will increase that. Obviously, we'll take from some other towns because much attractive to work here. So, I just we will start to make some headway in the coming months. I am very encouraged by the number of people who say to us that it makes the most sense to them to remove that layer of insulation of having somebody else manage your system for you and and you taking ownership of it and and responsibility for the decisions that get made there. There are an awful lot of people who say there's a reason there's a more traditional model among the 19 member agency cities in the west where we are that manage their own system

and you said our compensation for electricity employees was pretty much in line with the other areas. So um I would say yes um we are relying on um electricity's modeling for that. Um they do do uh regular compensation studies. Um and so I think they have been very vocal and we've I do want to say thank you to electric cities. They have been very open and honest with us during this transition.

Um but they they have they have tried to stay at market with acknowledgment of who they're competing with for their pay rate. So we transitioned those pay rates. We didn't we didn't change them to match what we think maybe our market study would show. We've kept them in line with what electric cities recommends that we do. They didn't just look at towns, they look at the private sector. They look at EU, they look at they have to. Yeah. Oh, yeah. So probably the same thing when pulls over you know to us we won't just look at states or whoever

we've used different terminology using the example of the police department uh police officer one and two and three or an intermediate certificate or an advanced certificate or a senior police officer and a master police officer. We have a career development p plan in PD and and we've discussed with electric cities. They have one that they recommend me those employees. It's pretty smart that we continue to give them hope that as you obtain this certification and this number of leaders of years of service, there's an opportunity for you to advance through a pay system, too. And I know we talked about this a while back, but I assume we're probably through our communications people putting together an education program for our customers and we'll quick call on electric cities and huntersville electric.

There are uh communications discussions. I think there's an IT meeting next week. I mean it every facet of it is is uh we are staying in touch with them and and figuring out how we think we need to deploy this in July. But we have not, you know, pushed out to the public yet, you know, in mass communication that I'm aware of. No, no, but I mean, we've got a as we get closer to that July 1 date. Okay. Absolutely. We have a spreadsheet with lots of items on it. That's one of them. Yeah, for sure. Thank you.

So, um, retention and recruitment. Recruitment and retention. What are we doing? Um, we talk about pay. Um, we talk about benefits. What are we doing to stay in line with other organizations to make sure that we're doing what we the most we can to support the employees that we have and hopefully they don't want to go anywhere else and to attract new employees. Um, so we're excited. We did uh w win. We were a winner of the uh 2025 healthiest employers uh this year, which is a big big application process. So, we're we're pretty excited about that.

Thanks to Jackie, she's working on 2026 right now.

Um but we continue to look at our benefits. What can we do? Uh I heard Kevin and Stephen both say costs are increasing. Costs are increasing in health care. If you haven't heard, health care costs are increasing. Um, pharmacy costs are increasing. Uh, claims utilizations increasing, which means that our premium is continuing to increase. We have done some things over the past few years to help minimize the impact to employees of those premium increases. Um, this year we did have a rate increase that transferred over to employees. Um, what are other things that we can do if we can't keep contining to hold that steady. What are some other things? And that may be looking at different options we have with some of our ancillary benefits. Um, one example that I can think of, every year at open enrollment, we go out to the departments to help employees sign up for benefits. We have an accident plan. It is an additional benefit the employees can elect to have. I will tell you almost every building we walk into, we sit down with an employee who says, "Oh, Yeah, I my kid had to go to the urgent care for this accident or I had to I slipped on the ice and I had to go because I twisted my wrist and I had to have x-rays and they forget that they have a benefit. They forget that they have that accident benefit. And so I can't go out and remind everybody. I don't know every time somebody needs, you know, has that trip, but there are some programs out there that can help to bridge that communication from that ancillary benefit of the accident insurance to the health program so that I don't have to file a separate claim to get that benefit. Um, and that might be $500 that I would be getting back. that's going to help me toward my out-of pocket for a deductible or out-of-

pocket max, whatever it is associated with that or other needs that come up because of that. That's a benefit for employees. So, looking at things like that that we may be able to use to help bridge the gap between what employees pay from a premium perspective and what they're paying out of pocket for those health care expenses. Um, the other thing we talked a little bit for different reasons about policy review. some things that we've talked about looking at bereavement leave. Right now we allow three days of bereavement leave. That means if my spouse passes away, I have three days and then I start using vacation or sick time. Yes, we've done great things for employees to increase the amount of vacation time they have. But I don't think any of us here will say three days is enough for me if my spouse passes away or my child passes away. So looking at, you know, maybe we have three days for certain relatives but five days for others. Looking at some things like that. And I think these are the kinds of things that I see other organizations are continuing to focus on because we can't continue always to focus on pay. I mean, we continue to watch it, but we can't always make the adjustments that we might like to. Um, parental leave is one. Paid parental leave. right now if you have a child um you adopt a child and you want to take time off again it's your sick and vacation that you're using to take that time off um many organizations have paid parental leave which um I would say averages right now about six weeks of paid leave so you're not using your sick or vacation you have those six weeks if you're FMLA eligible it's still part of that 12week period but that's another option that we have talked about in the

Um I think this year we had seven employees who had children. Um so it's not a huge number, but that doesn't mean that it's not still a good benefit, especially our average uh employee age is 39. So we've got young people who are building families um maybe even older people who are building families and you know that that's something that we can look at. So you currently have no like cred leave or

it's just FMLA. So um FMLA always allows 12 weeks if you're eligible for um uh birth and bonding. Um whether you know it's a an adopted child, foster care or birth. Yep. But yeah, you're using your sicker vacation. I think parental leave will be huge because I've had a couple of female officers to approach me about rental which could also help with

Yeah. And that's another one where we look at ancillary benefits too. Um in some situations you can use short-term disability to offset the amount of leave that you have to use, but you you still if you want to get to your 100% of gross probably still are going to use some leave. It might minimize that, but you know figuring out ways that we can layer some of those things is important. Um returning Excuse me. I'm sorry. Do we offer um EAP services as well? We do offer that. Okay. Yep. We have uh Mclofflin Young is our primary EAP, but even through but then also through our um health insurance they have a separate EAP. So there multiple options.

And do you know specifically with like I guess counseling services how many are free for our employees to use? Like is it a certain amount? Like I know for certain employers it's like state. So, our um our program allows six visits per employee or family member

per year per issue. So, if I have a parental issue, like I'm having issues with taking care of mom that I need to go talk to someone about, but then later I have issues with maybe my child is um or what whatever it is, those are two separate issues. So, you would get six for each. And in instances where um they believe that that issue can't be resolved or addressed within that six sessions, they try to coordinate with our insurance to make sure that we can get a referral that will take our insurance for a more long-term solution. Do we also have a um tuition reimbursement program?

We do. That it's not on here, but that's a great one to add. Okay. We have tuition reimbursement. Right now it is $2,000 per calendar year or for per fiscal year. Um that's one that we would look at potentially increasing the the tax um free portion of that I think is up to a little over $5,000 a year that we could offer before we have to start taxing employees for it. So moving that to 5,000 would be a good good option for us. Um, I think we probably have two to four people a year take advantage of it. So, it's not going to be a huge impact. But for those

employees who are wanting to continue to seek education and maybe will later be able to move within the organization, that is a great benefit. Thank you.

Uh, returning employees, uh, sometimes people leave and realize that, um, they they didn't know what they had. Um, And that and that could be someone that's a quick turnaround. They leave and come back within the year. Um but we also have employees that may leave for three years or five years. Um what this is referencing is how do we treat those employees when they come back? What do their years of service look like with us for things like longevity, um leave acrruels, those kinds of things. is looking at that and seeing if there's a way that we can maybe entice people to come back by saying, "Hey, you know, there are some things maybe that won't be exactly the same, but there are some things that we can kind of bring you back where you were." And and I would say we just continue to look at are there other things that we could be doing to better support our employees um whether it's through benefit elections or policy changes. So this is some of the thunder stealing. Um this is what we have projected. Um first column budgeted where we are right now 283 positions. Um projected ads. Um some of these I would say um don't necessarily have a direct cost increase. electricities. We're already paying for at least a portion of electricity's employees. So, those 23 positions won't be a direct ad to um personnel sta uh staffing. Um administration, do should I just go through these? Anybody say don't steal my thunder? Um administration. Uh Jackie alluded to um the increase in people, the increase in specialization. Um, and I can tell

you creating a new job description is not always an easy task, especially for looking at line workers or some of these really specialized position. Figuring that out, making it right, and making sure it's something that that works with us. It's a little thing, but it is again an ad to what we're doing. So, I will be asking for a position. Um, I hope also this is good for succession planning in the HR department. Not that I am planning to go anywhere, but looking to add an assistant HR director position next year. Um, kind of wish id asked for it last year with um the other is an IT position. I can't remember. Larry, did you mention it? Another IT help desk. Yeah. Um, electric 23 engineering. Stephen talked about that. Fire. I will just say he will talk about that. Um, and wreck. Um I I guess I can just facilities person I believe um he'll talk more about that. Planning as far as I know right now does not have anticipated ads. Um police department is um two additional positions I know um Chief Von will talk about and then public works um Kevin already talked about that. So that's a total of 43 ads. What that does um is basically double the number of employees we had 10 years ago, not including part-time people. So, um, we're growing and we're going to continue to grow. Um, focus. I can barely see this one. Can't focus on it. Uh, continued growth. Again, we've talked about that electricity's transition. Again, making sure that that's as smooth a transition as it can be um coming into July. Um, and then the other piece that we talked about we'll be doing this year is a

compensation study um, likely with a mid-year implementation.

Do you have any plans to do you have any plans to implement parentally or is that something you're just kind of have you thought about adding that in like six weeks? I I would say yes, we're we're thinking about it. So, um that would be something that would need to come as a personnel policy change. And so, um thinking about timeline, what those different things that we want to look at, those would have to come back to the board to be approved by the board in an update to our personnel policy. Okay. Yeah. My vote. Same.

Thank you. So, we have um I don't know if lunch is going to be ready at 12:30. Captain says I doubt it's ready now. I was in there getting water and I didn't see I didn't see or smell anything that food. So, we could um two things obviously could take a 30 minute break or uh the more we get done maybe allows us to get done sooner in the afternoon. Um some things may take longer. may also leave early Friday, all those kind of things. So, just looking at the schedule and uh if I would have if I had to pick one to move forward, that's u uh if we can maybe con Emily into maybe going now if she'd be willing to do that.

That's okay with the board. Is that all right, Mayor? Y'all good with that? Sure. Yes. while um we're waiting. Um Chief, I heard that we don't have any fun videos this year. Sorry, what? There's no fun videos this year. Fun videos? Oh, fun videos? No, I'm sorry. I was like, no,

I mean No, but uh Anthony mentioned David Moore in Laura's department. He sent some training uh pictures to me this morning. I can come show you with my phone pictures. That's not what I mean. Good fun pictures. Training, CPR training. No fun. We have to reconsider our cheat because I mean I mean those are really educational to people like why you stop at a red light.

All right. Sorry.

So, I probably have the fewest number of slides out of all of the departments. Um, so it was probably a good idea to move me forward. Most of this is just a review because you guys have heard all this before, including probably at your recent ethics training. Uh, we're going to briefly hit public records, conflicts of interest related to development regulations, meaning zoning, uh, subdivision, those sorts of things, and also conflicts involving contracting, which are distinct. And then lastly, we'll talk briefly about the social media policy. So, public records defined, uh, that definition is In section 132-1 of the general statutes, it's extremely broad. Basically, anything regardless of the physical form or characteristics that is made in connection with the transaction of public business. So that can be a document, that can be an email, that can be a text, etc. It can also be a social media post. So keep that in mind as you are posting on social media outlets. the town itself is not archiving any of your social media posts. So that would be a responsibility for you all to make sure that if you are talking about and transacting public business via social media and again the definition is very broad so air on the side of caution you would be responsible for archiving those post on your own. Um also similarly while we do have a system Barracuda actually a software Barracuda for archiving emails you all would be responsible for archiving your own text. Um so again these are just reminders. If there is a question about whether or not something constitutes a public record, please feel free to reach out to the legal department. We are always here to help you uh talk through those issues about whether something is or is not a public record. And also just one other very important

thing to note, you do not have to have a majority of the board interacting together simultaneously to create a public record. For example, uh Mayor Pro Hunt could create a public record on her own social media page without the majority of the board interacting in that, you know, back and forth on social media. So just keep that in mind. So there are some limitations on what constitutes a public record. Um for example, if someone submits a request and it is for a record that we do not already have or maintain, we as a town are not required to create a public record to satisfy that request. I will say though that it gets a little bit tricky when it comes to queries. Um if we have the software that can actually run a query most of the time we can provide that information because it's a query that we have the ability to do. However, if it is some specialized software that is required to run that report and we cannot do it within the functionality of the software that we have, we are not required to then create that report and those responsive uh items for that request. Also another limitation would be non-public and confidential information. So just some examples would be tax information, enterprise billing information, proprietary information, um something that may be subject to attorney client privilege. We also don't give out social security numbers, criminal intelligence information, and also uh information that is contained in personnel files, which is not considered public record by statute. So retention of public records um the retention of public records is dictated by the retention schedule for local government agencies and the length of

retention fluctuates depending on what the record is. So for example um you know if we have something related to annexations that is a specific category within the retention schedule and it is dictated by what the schedule says as to how long we have to keep it. There are other categories where there is not a specific line item that has a specific date for keeping that item. rather you have to look rather at the format at the actual content and so those things would be email, text messages, social media etc. We don't have a specific category saying okay keep these for three years. Instead you have to look at what is that post about? What is that email about? What is that text about? And the content dictates how long you will keep that public record for. Uh again if there are any questions about how long to keep a public record for whether or not it is a public record, please feel free to reach out. Moving right along. conflicts of interest for development regulations. So that information is going to be set forth in chapter 160D specifically subsection 109 for legislative decisions meaning zoning or tax amendment. Um you are not allowed to vote on those matters if you have a direct substantial and readily identifiable financial impact. um that would be something that you would essentially acrue directly to yourself because of that vote or that decision. If it's something that everyone is going to experience that lives within the jurisdiction, it's likely not going to meet this threshold because it is not specific to you. So, if every taxpayer in Huntersville is

going to experience the same change regardless of whether or not, you know, you specifically vote, it's probably not going to meet that threshold. Um, also, you are not allowed to vote on these items if you have a close um familial, business, or associational relationship with the applicant or someone involved with the project. uh quasi judicial decisions, the conflict rules are distinct and they're a little bit broader in terms of what you can and cannot vote on. So I have bolded again um the relevant language. You cannot have a fixed opinion prior to the hearing on the matter at hand. Um if your opinion is not susceptible to change, that's likely going to be the case. Also, uh you cannot go out and speak to someone about this quasi judicial matter before the board and then not disclose that at the evidentiary hearing because again at the evidentiary hearing you can only consider evidence that is submitted at the hearing itself. So, it's fine if you want to go out and look at the site, but if you have sidebar conversations with the owner of the land or the applicant, you then have to disclose that during the evidentiary hearing. You can't keep that to yourself. You have the same um prohibitions on voting on quasi judicial matters as you do with legislative. if you have close familial business or other associational relationships with an affected person or if you have a financial interest in the outcome of the matter. So the conflict rules related to contracts are different than the contract rules related to development regulations which we just went over. I've listed here some of the references. We're going to go uh through each of them just as a matter of refreshing your

memory. So section 133-32, it creates a prohibition on receiving gifts and favors. So a public officer or employee may not accept gifts or favors from past and past means within a year. uh current or potential future vendors or contractors if that person is charged with the duty of any of the following. That could be preparing plans, specifications, the contracts themselves, awarding or administering the contracts, or inspecting or supervising construction. So, this prohibition is not just for board members. It is also for town employees that may be involved in these types of actions. There are a few exceptions. Um, so awards, advertising items, meals and banquetss, meals at banquetss, gifts to professional organizations, and gifts from family or friends. Those are not going to be considered gifts that are prohibited under this subsection. Uh, a similar statute but distinct statute prohibits self-benefiting. And so the prohibited activities under this subsection 14-234 would be deriving a direct benefit if making or administering a contract, influencing others if deriving a direct benefit, meaning that you would receive a benefit. You're not actually making or administering the contract itself, but you are trying to influence those who are doing those functions. also getting gifts in exchange for influencing others. So if someone tries to provide you with I'll just pick on Anthony uh as he likes to say because he mentioned to me that he had some nice bourbon. Let's say that someone tries to provide him with you know a $400 bottle of bourbon if he will go out and try to you know

influence someone to do something u that is prohibited under this subsection. Um I am not going I am not going to read through each and every um word on this slide but if you have a question about whether or not uh something that is being offered to you is going to be a violation of this subsection please reach out to the legal department. Um misuse of confidential information is the next section that we're going to discuss. That's 14-234.1. Uh, a public officer or employee, not just a board member, may not gain any pecuniary benefit or help someone else gain a pecuniary benefit from the use of confidential information that you've learned through your position. Um, also while we are on the topic of confident confidential information, please please keep in mind that you should not be posting anything that even has the potential of being confidential on social media. Um, that is a big no no and that's also included in our social media policy as well. Um, we wouldn't want someone to slip up and let it slide that for example a business may or may not be locating here if it's something that we have discussed in close session. So even though you may be excited about it, do not post about it. The next section is 14-234.2 that prohibits financially benefiting. So no elected officer shall solicit or receive personal financial gain from the town for which the elected officer serves by means of intimidation, undue influence or misuse of an employees um misuse of the employees of the political

subdivision. So you cannot try to intimidate any town employee into doing something um through basically misusing the employee or undue influence. Um it doesn't apply to financial gain received from a political subdivision for acting in your official capacity. So or financial gain received with the approval of the the governing board. Um that would be for example if we had a court order for condemned property. The fact that we have to pay you just compensation for the property that we condemned for you that would not be something that is prohibited under this subsection because it is an exception to this rule. This section nonprofit um this section 14-234.3 on nonprofits is fairly new. I think it was in the past three to four years at this point. But essentially, if you are serving on the board of a nonprofit, there are some prohibitions that you need to be aware of. And namely, um you you cannot gain any sort of benefit um if you are serving on that board and then you try to influence uh a contract that is related to that nonprofit, for example. Um, also I will point out that there is a specific statutory definition of what associated means. Um, and the way that that has been interpreted does not make a distinction between whether or not you are a voting member or a non- voting member on that nonprofit board. It basically means if you are sitting on the governing board for that nonprofit, um you should then recuse if an an agenda item comes before the town board that is related to that nonprofit. And we are always here to help determine

whether or not a board member should recuse from an item involving a nonprofit. In regards to that, how long um is it like If an elected official served on the board at one point, they resigned from that position. Now, how long after? So, do they still continuously recuse themselves no matter what?

No. So, it's only while you are considered associated and again, if you're no longer on the board, then you wouldn't be considered associated with it. Now, there may be some unique circumstances. If you had some business with that nonprofit that was lingering that you were still involved with, that may be something that we would want to look at and determine whether or not it would be appropriate to recuse. But typically, it's going to be if you are serving on that nonprofit board. Thank you.

Yeah, no problem. And like I said, it's not just for um contracting with nonprofits. It is also if you attempt to influence others who are voting or deliberating on the contract or if you are trying to solicit or receive a gift um you know favor, reward, service or promise of reward uh in exchange for recommending that someone else vote in favor of the contract with the nonprofit. So it's fairly broad and it's somewhat new like I said within the past three years I think at this point. So, it's been subject to interpretation, but I always advise air on the side of caution. If there's any question, reach out to us.

Yeah, it came up at the ethics training, so that's why I was asking for clarity.

And this is my last slide. You'll be happy to know. Um, I did not post all of the requirements of our social media policy on this slide. My point with this slide is that you all need to familiarize yourselves with the town social media policy. We have a distinct social media policy for elected and appointed officials as and then a separate one for town employees. So we want to make sure that everyone is following those guidelines and those best practices uh for posting on social media whether it be Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, what have you. Please familiarize yourself with our policy about what to do and what not to do on social media. I always say the less the better. And that's it.

Any questions? Questions for Emily. Did you have any um staffing updates? Yes, I did. Um so, we have a new addition to the legal department. His name is Drew. He is going to be working um very closely with the planning board um and helping me with pretty much everything that Jacob helped with in the past. So, he started at the beginning of January. Okay. Thank you. All right, we have we have 20 minutes uh left um before food, right, Catherine? Correct.

All right. Um we could hop to because I know V can't get done in 20 minutes. Totally. Maybe, but um and HFA I don't think is here. So, we could hit a couple of the um what I'd call um wrap up topic maybe one or two that's the following day Emily any problem with that? No.

Um we could you know try one or two of those if we can uh get on and I know this may be a curveball for Stephen but u u the Verhoff drive alignment you know we talked about that recently and I think uh if I recall at the last board meeting um said that we may pick it back up here just to get a little bit of guidance. I don't know that we need to uh spend 10 minutes on it if that but uh maybe we have a slide or two that Stephen can just give us a you know two three minute sort of overview of sort of we got three options and we had various feedback etc and I need some direction. Hey again.

So at the premeating at the last town board meeting, we talked about the Bearhoff alignment study that the town was working on. And so you recall adopted alignment back in 02. Stuff's changed since then. Uh this is the alignment that's adopted. Here's just highlighting where that is. portion we were looking at is the portion between 115 and Asbury Chapel. The bridge over 115's been built and also there's been other development in the area. So what we looked at is is developing a couple of alternatives. So these are those alternatives. I've got a couple of slides if you need the larger print version like like I do to be able to see it. There's a lot of information on one one map. So presented we had a public comment period and then this is the feedback we received. We didn't get say from that feedback there wasn't one option that just everybody was in love with. It looked like most folks were looking for something else. So again the options are do nothing just leave the existing alignment as it is. We could look to adopt one of the couple of alignments that were proposed. We could develop additional alignments. We can try to combine. I think one of the question was can we combine kind of a mixing of the of the of a couple of the options. You know, maybe purple on one half, orange on another, red, you know, kind of kind of mix and match. That that's a potential option. To be honest, you can you can say we don't want an alignment at all. That's that's another option and and actually vote to remove it remove it as well. So depending on which way you go there would be next steps unless you say we don't want to do anything and we just want to keep what's adopted. Then that

would mean that the process just basically stops. I'd give an update to CRTO saying we looked at it, we changed our mind, we're just going to keep what we have and then that would be it. But if you want to adopt one of the alignments already presented or develop more then there just be more steps. So, just wanted to get some feedback, see if there were additional questions to see what you'd like to do next. I know that's very, very broad. Um, and that's obviously we're looking for some feedback here, but I can tell you studying other alignments and all that, we can draw 52 more colors on there. They're going to stay somewhere in that mix. And

unfortunately all of those go through the park, right? Well, say if you say I want to avoid the park, I I think what I said uh if I remember at the board meeting is there's pros and cons to all the options and there's pros and cons. Even if you want to draw your own, if I gave you a sheet of paper and said, "Here, I'm trying to go from A to B." You draw an alignment, you know, get as many options as there are people in the room. There'll be there'll be pros and cons. There'll be pros and cons to each one of them uh and challenges. So,

after the original purchases I sent to county manager and all them, but it is what it is. Um, you know, they're going to buy it. So, we did have that discussion with them. Probably can find the emails, but they the county did purchase it. But I I guess what I would If if we wanted to avoid the park, it's a whole different that's a way. You can't probably move south.

Yeah. South say the park the county owned property goes all the way down to Asbury Chapel Road where if you think about it where Asbury Chapel where turns I believe it trails in their property goes all the way down to there. So to avoid county property completely and going south you then you're you're going through the middle of neighborhoods uh that way if you want to do that. really not an option even north is you have a landfill north. So which has its own environmental challenges to go through a go through a landfill. So so I kind of want to put you know sort of extremes on it that um

it's either you don't do it at all. It has to go through the park. I mean and like I said we can get into we notified them way before they bought the park. It doesn't matter they bought the park now. That's a you know it is what it is. So, Stephen, the um I think from the last meeting, I think I have the color correct, there was a combination of the I think it was the purple line and the orange line, and there was a reason the purple was good and a reason the orange was good.

Sure. So, and I'll I'll talk about it from the the halves. So, if you look at it maybe from halves to kind of break it down since there's there's so many different things going on. So, so on the western half, um, shifting alignment a little bit north stays further off of Southwire. And we own that property, right? The property. Can I draw on here, Larry? No. Okay.

So, the I don't know if I can I don't know if I can even point on the screen. Okay, there we go. So, the property that's just above Southwire, there's two parcels there, but the town currently owns both of those. So, if you want to use the property that's it's already under town control. Shifting it a little bit to the north, not much. Um, could be beneficial. And the lines, the colored lines, that's the center of the alignment, but that's not the entire impacts. You've got grading, you've got construction easements that are going to go out that you kind of see maybe some green, very squiggly lines. Those are the potential grading impacts. You're going to need even more outside of that if you go to build it. So you want to shift away from Southwire a little bit that that could be helpful on helpful on this this half. Um in the

Can I ask their expansion that they're moving moving forward with is it to Yeah. It's to the it's to the top side. Top side. Correct. Which way? So they're right there. They're expanding probably to where that white line is, right? It's hard to see. Okay. Um they also we have an agreement with them to use this as a layown yard.

So they will be using that as a layown yard to for this construction. Um Emily was involved and Stephen and whoever else staff involved to work through that agreement. So they will use we have a laid down yard there for um public works purposes. So they will be using that um for some construction purpose. They paid for that. They had to pay quite a bit of money to be able to use that. I think it was close to $400,000 um that they had to pay a town for that used 300 some thousand if I recall, but anyway, that's all worked out. But u so then we got the purple to we'll call it the halfway point and then I think the orange had a benefit and I don't remember what it was.

Yeah. So on on this parcel here, I'm pointing to the right one. I can't I can't look here and there at the same time. Um I got you. There's a reasoning Yeah. zoning that that occurred there for some some additional development. Brian

Brian led that Brian's group led that through the process. But I believe as part of that reasonzoning, I think one of the notes if I remember was if the orange alignment was approved through there, then they may donate that that right of way. I think it's all reserved, you know, regardless. But there may be an additional donation part of that if if the Arms Alliance was was chosen uh through through that parcel who would donate that the developer. The developer, they would donate the rightway. They don't think they would build the road, but they would donate right away. So they they won't give us if it's the purple line, correct?

They won't give us the rightway. That's how The note on the resoning plan was was written was what I remember. So the purple line at the top there benefits Southwire expansion situation as well as us. We own that property, right? So then but it goes down. So then it would need to morph into the orange line, right, to get the right am the free rideway. The free rideway. So instead of having purple line go down low, it need to overlap, right? So, I'll just throw it out there. I think that alignment of purple to orange, if we could do that, would be the for me the the most beneficial

on the first two section. Yeah. I say on this section. Yeah. So, on this section, right? So, that that's on that half. And so, then if you're in the orange here, again, you got to think about it. You're gonna have a pro here and maybe a pro there. Okay. Well, then as you pick it up over here, And that kind of drives where you go with the rest of it. So So then if you're going to try to hard time seeing both. So purple to the orange. First half for the first half. Yeah. Then the orange arrested way. That's what I say. Unless there's some

Is there to none of them are going to be uh downfall? Is there any there is no red flags in the orange second? the orange but like that is a good choice like merge the purple orange in the first half and then stick with orange for the second half so so then I guess cons on the orange in the second half is you can see the orange impacts property here more I think the feedback from that property was purple can you zoom in on that Stephen sure by chance it's okay it's in our email. I have it. Yeah. Yeah.

I had to pull it up in the email so I could see. Whichever one we pick, for lack of better terms, piss someone off. So, it's not If you move up to the top, you move to the bottom. Different people going to be impacted differently. I say, yeah, I say purple to orange. And the people were pissed off there. The residential. I thought you make it exciting. Purple to orange to red. Well, hold on. So the red is crossing down there. That's crossing Duke. Some of the red can't be built because it crosses pipelines. Yeah, that's what I thought. It goes through a tower. So that's what that is. Is that what that is? Those triple quadruple lines down there.

Yeah. So So this is a tower here. See the arrows actually point. There's a tower here, a tower there, there tower there. There's three parallel lines that run all within that Duke ement. And Duke's going to want you to cross their whole rideway as close to perpendicular as as you can. The red line looks either right at or doesn't quite meet their current criteria because the road's not built yet. So

So red would be a challenge to hear. Orange and purple cross better. So if you're looking at orange, you want to be far away far enough away from the tower and then cross it. Um there so that that shifts you up to have more impact on that property owner there. There are other property owners that have access through there. So they would be impacted more with that. And then you're going to have to come through the park property and then try to come back up the area that has the vegetation that's um it's called the Georgia holly. That's a

think of the right term. It's a something you want to preserve. It's not an endangered species. Is it edible?

I don't I don't know that. But but it's a a species of of interest of significance in this part of the state. So there's a limited habitat limited of that species and it's called the Georgia holly and so that is they I believe they said which is south of the power power line ement that got so so this area all in here in talking with the representatives from Meckllinburgg County again it's not endangered it can't be moved I think is what they said they just want to try to limit the impacts

so unless line that's in that area to me the county is going to look at that more more favorably. So is that the orange line that's the less in that area? So none of them are good, right? Yes. See, none of them are good. Yeah. To be the answer, just to be honest, none of them are great. So So orange has a little bit less impact, but it's it's it's still still impacted. So now I'm gonna ask a load of questions. Nobody shoot daggers at me. Um Do we have to go through here or can we just not extend on that side and just stop?

You're saying okay so that I mean that's why I was I'm just asking um the objective is to connect all the way through if we stopped then there would be no point we would just say forget this extension all together. Right. That's right. Yeah. It really just becomes an access stream.

Like I say, you can do you can say do nothing, but we ultimately will take it to those um probably to those businesses or they have at least a we have a connection through the business park to those businesses um now. But uh yeah, we we wouldn't stop it halfway. You'd either just be done with it or take it through. Even if you decide to take it through, uh I don't know how long y'all going to serve on this board, but I won't be here. I promise you that right expensive and I don't know if any of us will it'll take it'll take a long time even if we get funding

and and did just a reminder this is a reservation of an alignment which benefits you when future development comes right as Anthony say that take a long time to build and stuff that's we're not even talking about building it yet this is when development occurs they'd set aside hopefully reserve that area or not build something in the way depending on the type of development subdivision versus commercial you know all the hundreds of scenarios on that but that's the point I guess that's the benefit of reserving alignment is you haven't adopted alignment then folks tend to respect that as new development occurs

there's not a commitment to build it anytime soon it's just you're setting aside you're having that future vision that that's where it's going to be I mean it could be that by the time you build the Holl could be endangered or whatever then it's then it's a whole different then it's over decades this is 30 40 50 years out you have to do the ground work today yeah comes through here and puts a whole lot of stuff what do you think the likelihood of building a new thoroughare through there is I would say it would be less likely there's some other projects in front of it.

If you also have the alignment adopted as they come in peacemail, they respect that. Sometimes they have to contribute their portion of kind of like the sidewalks 20, 30 years ago. Everybody thought we were crazy. Why are we building all these sidewalks all around town, but here we are 20 years later. Here we are. You guys saw you saw all those plans. We're just filling in the gaps. Now all of a sudden you've got three and four miles of continuous sidewalks, right?

Same thing. Those areas in the business park get developed. that road gets, you know, a line through there, eventually that road's going to punch through and you got the road reserve, you're not buying business, you're not buying homes, you're not as much impact financially, the financial for the project's large enough and they need to use that road, they have to pay their portion of it or build a portion of it. All right, you got you got three minutes. That's also a watershed. It is not. It is not. Okay. Pretty much west of that's where the water are. Gotcha.

Everything's in water. The protected are on the west side of town. Come closer to the There'll be some creek There'll be some creek crossings. Absolutely. I can see it from my window. I know where that is. Creek crossings, major utility crossings. It's not flat out here. This This picture makes it look easy. Yeah. Easy. My house is right there. I can see all of that. There's a lot of coyote wildlife. Yeah. So, in the 50 years from now, when this road is built, that would help. We'll have to do something. Well, DOT will do something about Asbury Chapel and its traffic issue long before this. Correct. So, it benefits us to have this connection mapped out

for when that happens because that's probably That issue needs to be resolved sooner rather than later. Yeah. Okay. So, what we said was merge purple and orange in the beginning and then orange to the end. Yes. Yes. Wave, nod, smile. Just remember, we're not funding anything. You may say, "Yeah, put these pretty colors on the map." Some future boards going to decide whether you can fund it or not. Yeah, we won't. I won't be Stephen said he was gonna get started on tomorrow. But I heard that's what you want you guys.