Town Board - Regular Meeting

Good evening, everyone. I'm going to call our August 4th meeting to order. We always begin our meeting with a moment of silence. And when I do that, I also always ask everyone to silence your cell phones. So if you haven't done that, please do that now. And now please join me for a moment of silence. Thank you, and now if you're able, please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Mr. Smith.

Good evening, everyone. Sorry about the delay there. Our clicker is not working. So Bobby's agreed to help me flip through. But just a handful of announcements tonight. I wanted to let everyone know that as of right now, registration for Huntersville 101 is still open. We only have four spots still available. We're capping it at 50 people to join us and 46 people are already signed up. But once it's full we'll go ahead and move to a waitlist so anybody who cycles off or still wants in hopefully we can work them in but classes will be on Wednesdays in September and October at 2 p.m. And 6 p.m. And if you're still interested or want to register or perhaps get on the waitlist The application is available on our website And also want to invite everybody to join us at the Kannapolis Cannonballers game on August 14th at 6 p.m. That'll be at Atrium Health Ballpark in downtown Kannapolis. The mayor is going to throw the first pitch for us, and the town will have a table on the concourse, and there are fireworks after the game. Also wanted to encourage everybody again to take our HPD community survey. It's a complete community survey on public safety and law enforcement. It is confidential and it helps HPD improve services and processes. It's live now and open until 1159 p.m. on October 16th, 2026. And also, I think August 15th may be unofficial HPD day, because they have three events that day. So they'll be at the Grower's Market for the Police Day Touch Truck event from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Veterans Park and featuring their Bearcat. Also, they will be at the Waymer Center Back to School event from 1045 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Waymer Recreation Center. and then they will do a joint event with Cornelius PD called Guardians and Gamers from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 21500 Catawba Avenue, Suite A, where you're invited to come meet our officers, play video games, and connect with the community. And that is all I had.

Hey, Ethan, on the Huntersville 101, the four spots, day or night or both? 2 p.m. or 6 p.m. Right, but the four spots that are open.

We're happy to work them into either. We would prefer 2 p.m., but if 6 p.m. is the only option, I'm happy to fit them in there as well.

Okay, thank you. Ethan, I know we're working on the New Year's Eve celebration. Will you or are you planning on doing a save-the-date for that event?

Yes, oh yeah, absolutely, when we get closer to time.

Okay, so far we're getting a lot of interest in it and I just want to make sure we get as much interest and people out as possible. Yeah, no problem, thank you.

Any other questions for Ethan?

All right, we do have a handful of public comments this evening, starting with Stephanie Brown. All right, we'll come back to her. Ms. Caldwell. You have three minutes.

You take your time, Ms. Caldwell. See what happens when you turn 80. And my clock is ticking, my goodness gracious. Well, good evening. Thank you for the opportunity to speak in this great country that's 250 years old. And my name is Betty BJ Caldwell and I live at 14521 New Haven Drive. AND I'M HERE ON THREE OCCASIONS. FIRST OF ALL, LET ME STATE MY OBJECTION TO THE OPENING OF CHURCH STREET THAT'S ON MY MOM'S HOME STREET. WE LIVE THERE ALL OF OUR LIVES. SO I AM OFFERING AN OBJECTION TO OPENING IT UP FOR HOMES TO BE BUILT THERE BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO REALLY DUMP TOO MUCH TRAFFIC IN THE COLORED PART OF TOWN. THAT'S WHAT I CALL IT. And then I have this, America, after 250 years, America is undergoing a season of oppressing its people, which is causing unwanted depression. Whether you know it or not, or whether you deny it, we the people are caught up in an unescapable political drama where civility is nonexistent and fuels animosity and distrust, which feeds racial tensions. We the people know right from wrong. are knowledgeable of knowing the light from the dark and have been educated all of our lives knowing a lie from the truth. Americans are at a critical point, a crossroads, where now is the time to stand on your own core beliefs and values and not fall victim to the evils of this world. Wake up. Here's the message. Listen to the voice. where are you going forward you think others say back to the past which is backwards and gone for good except in the minds of some who think it should but on what i go to blast the past because gone it is and it's a fatal flaw of a disservice to whites and blacks because each was given a pair of shoes they thought would last. The only problem was that each got two left or two right shoes, not a right and a left, which would make walking smooth. For 400 years, each has been challenged with walking, both in pain, but neither would exchange one shoe from the other to make walking right. A conversation from either side would change their plight. but one side had privilege and was made to feel superior and refused to talk to the other they thought was inferior year after year each has gone its way suffered greatly with bunions corns and hammer-toes neither willing to communicate and in their woes thank you very much there's more on this paper but i don't have time to read it so i'll just close with that and thank you for listening because we do live in a great country it has flaws but it's still the greatest country we know thank you miss caldwell stephanie brown you can go now three minutes

Good evening, mayor and commissioners. Um, I'm here today to ask each of you one simple question.

Why church street?

By now, all but perhaps the two newest commissioners are well aware of the concerns surrounding the gentrification of Pottstown. Some of you may care deeply about what is happening, others may not so much. To some, this may be viewed as simply out with the old, in with the new. And when you have grown up in a community your entire life, 55 years, you develop a connection to it. You understand its history, its culture, and the people who built it. Money was invested in the Pottstown preservation plan. My question is, have any of you read it? Okay. Have the commissioners sitting here tonight actually read it? If not, I strongly encourage you to do so. You may gain a better understanding of why the proposed widening of Church Street is a hard no for so many residents in this community. At one point, some residents did support the project. Three years ago the proposal was presented to the residents of Pottstown as a plan to widen Church Street to create a walking path, a bike trail, a green space. Connectivity was the word that was passed around. The town even asked residents to write letters supporting the project in order to get grant and block funding, in order so grant and block funding could be secured. We did exactly that because we believed in the vision that was presented to us initially. Fast forward. Now, in a remarkable coincidence, the area where developer Nate Bowman is planning to build 43 residential units has become the focus of a Church Street road opening extension. What was originally presented as a pedestrian and bicycle connectivity was somehow transformed into a roadway that would run directly in front of one of the oldest African-American churches in the Postale community. Why? Why was the project changed? Why has this suddenly moved up the list of priorities? Why is what residents were told in the beginning no longer being proposed today? Many of us see this as the old bait and switch. Let me be clear, I speak for a majority of the community members, not just one person speaks for this community. We are adamantly opposed to the Church Street Road extension, expansion, widening, whatever it is you wanna call it. This community continues to be pushed aside. Too often it feels like Pottstown is only remembered when election time arrives. We have had a fight that we've had to fight the town fight developers and fight planners to protect the character and future of our neighborhood and we do not plan on stopping the red is it the residents of Plum Creek were able to come together and successfully oppose a road that they believe would negatively impact their community. We're here doing the same. This is our community, our history, our homes in our future. So I asked again watch hurt Street.

Thank you miss Brown. Oleksandr Kazimov, you have three minutes.

Good evening, everyone. Good evening, mayors, commissioners. This is the first time, so I may use not appropriate words. So I'm not sure if the topic I'm going to raise is appropriate one, but let me try. So every morning I'm going to do work, to the office, especially during the school days, and I see children up to 15 people. sitting on the floor of concrete or metal kind of plate, I don't know how to describe it properly. And as a parent, I'm concerned about their health. They're like talking, chatting, but sitting on the floor, literally. During September, it's all right, right? But in January, February, I'm concerned, really. So there is no bus stop or there is no shelter, bench, anything. They're literally sitting on the floor. Maybe they have good immunity. I don't know. But my concern is, and maybe ask for members, to address this concern and maybe to build some two benches or maybe address it to the school. I don't know who is responsible for. But seeing them every day sitting on the floor makes me feel a little bit concerned. So this is the only topic I wanted to address here. And also I wanted to say thank you for everyone for keeping this area really great to live. I'm like a wonderful area. Thank you everyone. I know it's everyone efforts. membership and of course people who live here. This is what I wanted to highlight. Thank you so much. One minute left, I can answer some questions. The intersection is Canton and Sedgebrook. No? No questions? Canton and Sedgebrook. It's near Birkdale village. Camden, a little help, support? Yeah, I prepared pictures, but I was told that because of security issues, I cannot show it or send it. So if needed, I can send a few pictures. Also, kids were a little bit concerned why I'm making pictures of them while crossing. So just to protect myself, this is my turn. So yeah, that's it. Thank you so much for your attention, and thanks again for the area. Thank you.

Thank you. Chris Wolek, three minutes.

My name is Chris Wolak. I live in Vermillion on the Pottstown side of Vermillion. This is also about Church Street. There's so much new development already taking place in and around Pottstown. For example, Vermillion, where I live. Didn't know that when I bought, but there you go. Why isn't the town not focusing efforts and resources on investing in infrastructure that directly benefits the residents who already live in Pottstown? Why are they not discussing improvements to sidewalks, drainage, parks, street lighting, traffic calming, and other community needs? Instead, the focus has become a road project that many residents neither requested nor support. If growth and development are coming to Pottstown, then the people who have lived here for generations should see the investments that strengthen and improve the neighborhood, not projects that appear designated to accommodate this one particular new development at the expense of the existing community. This private money does not make this public project private. The town still has responsibility to protect the residents that will bear the long-term consequence of this project. This is exactly why there is a preservation plan for Pottstown, to protect the community, and this project is not it. It does not protect it. Thank you.

Thank you. And lastly, Augustine, I say it wrong every time, I'm so sorry, because I have a student whose name is spelled exactly the same way and he says it Augustine. I'm going to get it, I promise. Okay, you have three minutes.

I didn't really prepare much of a speech this time. Very much expecting what has happened. In Pottstown, one of the things you see is the amount of community that comes together. As we've mentioned, the preservation plan is one of the things that was implemented a few years ago after Vallejo Village. And to now have Church Street be another one of those situations that just kind of arose, not necessarily out of the blue, but we've had enough discussion with the town board to where it's slightly offensive. I don't feel like there's a whole lot to say about it. It's just one of those things where you want to have clarity on who it is that's supporting your community. Because, again, to not feel like you can actually trust the word of the people who are leading you, it brings up other concerns as you go along. Fortunately, we have had lots of really great experiences. I would say even outside of Pottstown, just Huntersville in general, has had lots of really great experiences through these growing pains that we're experiencing. One of the things that I keep bringing up when I come up here is just picking up trash, because as things continue growing, you see more and more trash. And living on Gibson Park right now, there are They've been building sidewalks on Gibson for the past, I'd say, what, at least two, three years now. And it's one sidewalk. There's trash that's been littered throughout there since they began. My neighbor helps pick it up. And it's just one of those things that as the town continues to hire on companies, it would be nice to hire companies that are a lot more aware of how they're impacting their surroundings as well. figuring out how to hold them accountable as well as developers. You go up to these development sites and you see the amount of trash that's building up around them from construction material. Wind picks it up and it starts to fly all over the area. I know the state sometimes has people come out and pick up around the roadways the highways I believe Huntersville also has that from time to time. I just feel like we could be a lot more consistent about it considering We're growing we're not getting any smaller and New York is constantly a great example of the issue behind trash But um, thank you. I appreciate you guys for everything you do and let's keep growing Thank you

All right, that concludes our public comments. Do we have any agenda changes or a motion to adopt the agenda?

I make a motion to adopt the agenda.

Is there a second? I'll second. Any discussion? All those in favor, please raise your hand. Any opposed? The motion carries unanimously. We have a motion to adopt the consent agenda.

Make a motion to adopt the consent agenda.

Is there a second?

Second.

Any discussion? All those in favor, please raise your hand. Any opposed?

And the motion carries unanimously.

We're on to item 10A, which I know there is a motion to defer this item.

I make a motion to defer the public hearing for petition R26-08, North Lane Row, to September 1st at 6 p.m. at Town Hall.

And is there a second? Second. Any discussion? All those in favor, please raise your hand. Any opposed? And the motion carries unanimously. There is no other business, so we will proceed to closing comments. I'll start with you, Commissioner Cornett.

I have nothing. Thank you.

Mr. Walsh nothing. Mr. Rivers.

Proud is an understatement. When I first decided to run in 2023, my fight and my stance was against gentrification. So to see the community residents stand up I'm proud of you. Thank you.

Mayor pertain hunt. Mister Quarles.

I JUST WANT TO SAY HELLO TO THE SCOUTS AGAIN I TALKED TO YOU ALL BEFORE THEY MADE THE START YOU GUYS ARE PART OF OUR FUTURE KEEP ON KEEPING ON I WAS AS I SHARED WITH YOU I WAS A SCOUT ONCE BEFORE BEING A BOY SCOUT LAID ME INTO THE MILITARY AND YOU GUYS LOOK LIKE YOU HAVE THE THE HEART TO BE SERVANT SO AGAIN KEEP ON KEEPING ON AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO IN OUR COMMUNITIES COMMISSIONER SMALLWOOD NOTHING FOR ME THANK YOU

And I just want to say hi to the Boy Scouts as well. Some of my former students over there. It's nice to see you guys growing up and doing well. And thank you all residents of Pottstown for coming and voicing your opinion. It's always valued. We always love to see your faces and hear from you. So keep doing that. And thank you for coming for your first time ever to speak for public comments. Alexander, it's very brave. And now may I have a motion to adjourn?

I would like to make a motion that we adjourn.

Is there a second? Second. Any discussion? All those in favor, please raise your hand. Any opposed? And the motion carries unanimously. We are adjourned.