Town Council - Regular Meeting

Let us pray. Heavenly Father, uh we come to you tonight just to say thank you for letting us serve. I hope you give us the wisdom and knowledge and capability to make good decisions for the town. Uh since this is a political meeting, I just want to take a moment to to just wish that you would put your hand on us. I know the last few weeks have been very decisive in our uh larger community and I just want you to take care of everybody. Uh just uh remember to to love our neighbors wherever they may be. Uh I with that uh pray these things in your son's holy name, Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen. Let's do the pledge of allegiance.

I pledge pledge of 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.

Call this meeting to order. First on the agenda, Chief Franks. Little presentation, please.

Good evening, Mayor and Council. Um, I'd like to call up Officer Jacob Grimes up here. Um, as you all know, uh, we like to recognize our police officers when they, uh, do great things for our community, and this is one of those. Tonight, I'd like to recognize Officer Grimes for a life-saving award. And I'm going to read the memo. I think it, although it's a little cumbersome, it it it says everything. Uh, the Stallings Police Department believes in recognition of officers and their actions and service to the community. In keeping with this belief, the Stallings Police Department recognizes Officer Jacob Grimes for measures taken to save a life that occurred on December 13th, 2025. On that date, Grimes responded to Atrium Hospital at 3 about 3:40 in the morning regarding a dog bite. Upon arrival, he found a victim who had been bitten by a dog and subsequently had his arm broken. Um, the victim related to Grimes that his mother had also been bitten, but he had left her at the residence. Um, Officer Grimes made the decision to go to the house to check on this elderly woman. When he got there, he found her uh or he heard an elderly woman uh calling for help from inside the garage. Um, Grimes made entry in the garage and located an elderly female on the floor who'd been bleeding heavily and he realized that her foot had been delved by the dog. Uh recognizing severe blood loss and injury along with the fact that the female victim is sitting in the cold for unknown period of time uh officer Grimes made the immediate decision to transport her to the hospital here in Stallings. Uh due to her injuries, he picked her up and had to carry her to his squad car as time was of the essence and place her inside the car. Upon arrival of the hospital, the female victim was stabilized and later transferred to Charlotte Hospital for potential amputation of her foot. Uh and she is still currently in the hospital. Officer Grimes demonstrated exceptional judgment, professionalism, and dedication to the preservation of life. Had it not been for the decisive actions taken by Officer Grimes, the victim would have succumbed to her injuries due to the continued blood loss and shock. His actions reflect the highest

standards of law enforcement service and brings credit himself and the Stallings Police Department. And his actions such as this and his sense of duty that helps continue to make our community a safer place to work and live. So, I ask everybody to uh congratulate him for a job well done. Officer Grimes will have a certificate and the memorandum of his actions that night and he will receive a life-saving ribbon uh to put on his uniform. So, Jacob, congratulations. Thank you. Absolutely. Stand up.

Come on over. He always looks so happy.

You're in it. Congrats. Next up, we have public comments. The only person that signed up is Clarence Alselbrooks. Hello, Clarence.

Of course, that's going to be hard to follow, but all right. Um, good evening, mayor and council. My name is Clarence Als Brooks, Jr. I'm not a resident of Stalins, but I uh come with a disclaimer. I'm a resident of Indian Trail. My disclaimer is that I am also a council member in Indian Trail. So, my um my comments may not necessarily reflect um or represent the town of Indian Trail. My statements and opinions are my own and um are my own. First, I'd like to congratulate your new mayor of Stalins. You are the right person for the job and Stalins is blessed to have you. Congratulations to Graham and Mayor Pro Tim Richardson. Um Stalins is known for its excellence with civility on this board and I hope that you all work hard to continue that. Um, I actually grew up in Indian Trail back when Indian Trail was only 2,000 citizens. Back then, Stalins and Indian Trail were pretty much one big community. As a matter of fact, I still have a lot of family members and friends here in Stalins. With that said, I hope that Stalins and Indian Trail can work together to make the western part of Union County a better place. Also, with that said, tonight is my today is my wedding anniversary, so I'm going to leave here so I can take my wife out. So,

um, but with that, seriously, I, uh, you know, I enjoy coming to your meetings, know most of you, hopefully to get to know the rest of you. You have a great town attorney, um, along with everybody else. So, um, I hope that we can work together in the future. So, y'all, thank you. All right, I want to introduce you to our two newest members, Mike Cousins and John Vandere. Nice to meet you. Thanks for being here. Someone just shake their hand. Sure. Happy anniversary. Happy anniversary.

These are Clarence was the only one that signed up ahead of time, but if there's anyone else that would like to speak, this is public comments if you would like to speak. All right, moving on to the consent agenda. May I move approval of the consent agenda A through D? I'll second. All in favor? I.

Excellent. That passes. Reports. Reports from the mayor. Been a quiet month. My holidays kept things kind of quiet, but um I did have met with a number of constituents. wanted to get together and talk about individual projects and um I met the uh president of sale ethics which is the building up on Stallings Road that's being built and they are excited to be moving into Stallings under one roof. They currently have about five or six uh on a campus over in Matthews and they're looking forward to having like I said one one building. He's looking very much forward to uh coming into Stallings and hope to meet him here, bring him into a council meeting and introduce him to the rest of y'all. That's all for the mayor.

Pam, anything? No, sir.

I've got two quick things. Um, one was we had a great uh town holiday party last week. So, uh, want to thank uh the staff for putting that on. It was really nice. Uh, the mayor uh allowed me to call a round of bingo, which I appreciated. Um although I'm nervous speaking in front of crowds so it was a little bit different for me. Um and second was uh John and I attended a resident led meeting yesterday at the Shannara HOA regarding the conditional zoning um for Stevens Village at the corner of Stevens Mill and Idle Wild. We were there two and a half hours or so. Um it was really well done. Jeannie Lindsay, who's a resident of Shannara, put that on and it was a great way to uh share information for folks who were not up to speed on everything that was going on and uh for John and I to help answer some questions and uh get some new questions that we're going to find answers to as well.

John, he didn't leave much for you, but No, I'll agree with um No, nothing. Nope. No, thank you. Uh it's been a quiet month. Nothing. All right. All right. Agenda approval. Mayor, if you don't mind, I have I have several things to report on.

Uh so again, want to echo the sentiments of Council Member Cousins. Thank you to the council for your support and all the all the staff that went there and Ununice for you and your team's work on that. Thank you. Um got the budget uh in transfer list uh for y'all's consideration. It's front of you. You don't need to make any decision, but it's more like a report. Um secondly, the board last time expressed an openness to doing a team building exercise with our new board members, our new board as a whole. Um just trying to kind of grow and bond uh for the betterment of the town. Uh the board asked for a couple things. One, didn't want it to go anywhere far and wanted to keep the cost low. Uh if if we could do it for free, that'd be the preference. So, uh, with Chief Franks's help, we're able to secure the, uh, Matthews Police Department's police simulator, training simulator, uh, think like, uh, uh, if a virtual reality video game grew up, got a job, and, uh, it's very impressive, um, training process. So, it'd be a good, I think, bonding experience for y'all to go through that together, and also learn about some of the split decisions our police officers have to make. So, um, is is anyone opposed to that? How does that sound to y'all? Open to it. Okay. If everybody's good with that, then we'll send out some dates and try to get something that works for the most people. Uh, also, one thing you'll notice is uh, one of the initiatives we're trying to make here internally is try really bring up the appearances of our facilities both from a cleanliness standpoint and an appearances. We've had storm water issues out back. You'll notice now there's some enhanced landscaping planning eventually. I would love to do that out front to really set the tone for our citizens and for our developers of the expectations we have here at the town. And also we've tried to expand our um our contractor list of

various janitorial janitorial work. So we're going to work on that and hopefully that addresses and brings it up to the standards that we would like. Um so that concludes uh staff's report. Appreciate your time. Any other staff, Alex? Any other staff? Yes, sir. All right. Um, agenda approval. I do have we received a request, mayor, uh, from the developer regarding the Mil Creek uh, regarding the the process and wanting to do the presentation earlier in the agenda. Um, the applicant is here if you'd like to hear from them from their request. They're first down here.

They're next. I believe they have a request to to hear uh have the presentation done uh prior to the decision on annexation, but they're here. I'll defer to them with their request. Well, I think our normal procedure is the annexation always goes first, followed by the presentation of the project. And I don't think we need to add that to our agenda this evening or a change in our agenda this evening. Let's proceed as is. I move that we approve the agenda as noted. I'll second. All in favor? I.

All right. Next up, annexation 58 Mil Creek. Yes. Um, Mayor Shaw, um, this is an annexation for a 12.571 acre parcel on Highway 74. council will be most familiar with it near the cookout and Starbucks on Highway 74 in Indian Trail. It's right on the edge of that. This is the final step in annexation where you will adopt the ordinance that extends Stalling's boundaries. We just need to open the public hearing, see if there's anyone here to speak on that, close it, and then council can speak on whether or not you want to annex that parcel into the town.

All righty. So, I'll open the public hearing. Anybody that would like to speak on this this annexation? Well, one more time. No. All right. I'll close the public hearing and uh move to council discussion. Lori, would you like to lead us off?

Um, yeah. I you know I was thinking a lot about um what our our role here is and we should be working to benefit the town to make the town better and I I don't see how this annexation fits into um making it better. I I mean I'm talking a little bit about the um site plan also, but you know what we're trying to do what we're trying to achieve is have less um residential and more commercial. And when something like this comes along, it it doesn't make any sense to me, especially that it's on Route 74 that, you know, is mainly commercial except for, you know, a couple residents across the street. Um, so I I'm feeling that I'm feeling negative about this project, about the annexation because it it's not going to benefit anybody in the town or the town.

Okay. Itself, anybody else? Mayor, what's the staff? What's the what's the requested annexation and what's the surrounding annexual 74? So the requested is the the request is just well first you just I'm sorry we're not talking zoning we're just talking yes sir we're just talking about annexing the parcel into the town.

Now withdraw my question. Well, wait a minute. I thought when we annex something in, it does come in with a zoning attached to it. That's what we're they're asking to.

Okay. But for that brief sliver of moment as we move from four to five, it gets some type of prezoning effectively. Okay. Okay. Any other comments? I tend to lean toward um what Lori was thinking as well is that um upon introduction to the project, you know, it's kind of like if you're walking down the street and you find $20 on the ground, you go, "Oh, this is great. We didn't have this before. We have it now." Um but thinking more about the surrounding area, the difficulty of getting in and out of there. Um and the fact that as Lori said as well, it's more residential than commercial. Um, so it would be an easy thing to say yes to. Um, I think without deep consideration, but thinking about it more, I don't know that it aligns with what we want to do.

I think that's I'll just say it real quick. I mean, I think that's it is that I mean, you kind of look at our strategic goals and uh I think that's ultimately the problem. We all know here that we're currently out of sync when it comes to a ratio between commercial, industrial, and um residential. And with the limited capacity of sewer on this side of town, uh this this particular project would eat up most of that available sewer or and even the new sewer allocation that potentially is coming to us for the 74 corridor. And I'm just not sure it it aligns best to our goals to use that sewer capacity for a project that of this nature.

There again, we're talking use, not annexation. That's the complicated things. And I assume maybe that's why the developer wanted to or the applicant wanted to do the presentation. I guess the question would be is the landowner here? Landowner is not here. So the question would be to the landowner. Oh, sorry. I guess my my question was is the land owner here and would the land owner like to be annexed into the town of Stylings? Um, and I can speak on behalf of land owner in this capacity if I'm able to.

Well, I guess the question is would you like to be annexed into the town of Stylings if um what seems like the Can I address an audience? I'm not sure what protocol is, but if the council looks like we're proposed to say no to the uh use, um would you like to be annexed into the town? I think they go together. That's why there's got no reason. Okay, then I'll make the motion to deny the annexation. Well, I did have a comment. I Yeah, I think that's it's pretty obvious what's happening. So, go ahead.

Oh, I just wanted to say uh regard without getting into the use, I my position is that I I recently drove this I go over this area a lot for trivia and that section of road is not conducive to pulling out. I just my concern is anything that we add in that regardless of use. Uh anything that's added there, it's going to create more congestion. It's going to potentially create accidents. And I don't see how that adds value to our town when we've annexed a lot of properties. So my my position is I think I would be against the annexation for that those reasons regardless of whatever the use it would be. based on Brad's question to the land owner to the representative the land owner that if the board was not inclined to approve the subsequent action on the CZ that we would be doing a disservice to the land owner in annexation. So for that I would that we do not

All right. So there's Can I ask one question? I don't know. Well, I'm not you're not known for only asking one question

that ask as many questions as you guys want. that is I mean and I might not this may not be a good question so you may need to shut me down but I mean I know that there's been discussions about this project now for several months and there's been discussions in committee and within the staff about the fact that this project probably was not very favorable. Um, and I think there's even been some proposals uh given back to the the team working on this particular project about a different layout, different components. Was there is that still a consideration or we pretty much exactly what the plan is that's being submitted tonight?

Yeah.

Yes. Um Lisa Thompson, um Wendy's consultant with Morgan Van Allen. Um from what I understand, you guys have 60 days to zone the property after annexation. So that was one of the questions is um what what zoning do we put on it if it's annexed and not zoned? Um no, if you're leaning towards not approving the resoning, we would ask that we not be annexed. Um we would like to be given the opportunity to present the the plan and and the development. Um if you'll um postpone the decision for the annexation to at least um hear the um the the presentation or vote favorably and you you guys if you deny the reasonzoning, it's my understanding that this evening you can resend the vote for annexation as well. So there's a few options. Um, but if you don't even want to hear it,

this is highly out of our norm. We don't reverse the order. I can't remember ever. Do we ever re No, don't need to answer. I mean, if So, we're going to vote for the annexation. Okay. And then if need be, we will vote on the project. Hey, can I believe there's a motion on the floor? Brad, did you make the motion or did somebody interrupt you? Yes. Assuming you close the public hearing, then I had made the motion to um not approve the res. Second, excuse me, not approve the annexation. Sorry. Second. All right. How's council vote on this? Call the

All in favor? I I unanimous. No, I didn't hear all of them. I'm I'm going to be a n on that one because I I felt like there was more questions that needed to be answered. All righty. So, we're not annexing this parcel. Um there's no need to uh Melanie, how do we deal with uh the next item? Seven, six, four. I mean, if it I mean, if it's not in the town, you can't zone it. Yeah. So, we're going to skip it or withdraw it from the Yeah. suspend the

I'm I'm a little worried because right when applications come in, we have a decision has to be made within a certain period of time. So we would would we suspend the rules and then remove it from the agenda? Should we make a motion?

I mean it' be easy. I make a Yeah. Just take a second. Okay. Melony, do do we need a motion to make you most comfortable?

I think you're better off hearing from the applicant because my concern is is right. They've paid the application fee. They've done everything we've asked them to do in terms of submitting the application and a decision is supposed to be issued in a certain amount of time. So I understand we can't do anything if it's not annexed. But at the same time um we have heard this presentation at least once or twice already. They're just putting less commercial in I guess with this last one. So there was a I wasn't here at the July meeting. There was a public hearing in the presentation. heard it from X meeting and then we deferred it against January.

So there's been a hearing on it. There just is was not a vote on it. Correct. And the annexation was what? Just not on that agenda.

Madam Attorney, I I feel pretty confident that the applicant would withdraw their that feels like that would solve your concern. Imagine them not doing that. We're confirming Have you got a decision

normally asked by somebody to pull application for the reason? I only ask the question the way it should be asked legally. Please Oh yeah. Yeah. We can't we don't have jury.

While all of that is true, we still have a process and procedure, right? When developers submit applications and when decisions should be made at a within a certain period of time. So we've never we've never had this decision. Normally what happens is if it does not pass then someone who voted for the annexation makes a motion to reconsider the vote before the end of the meeting. Um and that reconsider the annexation. Correct. Okay. Correct. That's how I've seen that. We've done that at least two or three times in the past. So you're saying let them present. I think that's the safer route.

Okay. But but you but you already voted on the annexation. We did. And as we always do, we do it in sequence. Okay. And so someone who voted no, which would be me. No, they they all voted no. Steve voted. Oh, I voted yes. Okay. Would have to make a motion to reconsider. Reconsider the annexation. Correct. When? Now. Right now. Yes. No. Why would we do that? We just voted no. Because I just wanted it to be clean and I don't want to leave the door open for any legal challenges based on the process and the procedure and

how our rules are after the presentation. You could re you could reconsider the annexation. Why would we need a presentation? We don't if I mean if you don't want to do the presentation I just I wasn't here in July so that's why I'm a little uneasy about the whole process and what's happened. So was there because if it was presented in July y'all didn't vote on the annex there was there an annexation on the agenda? Yeah they were both it was deferred. It was deferred. But was there a public hearing?

Should we take a uh short recess to pull up the agenda from July and see what it is? Yeah, that's that's what Miss Nichols is looking up right now.

I'm trying to do the same. 7:14 all they were just that never did just we would Okay. Um, according to the minutes from the July meeting, the public hearing was opened and then continued, but it does not indicate that any presentation took place

August. I know we that was July. I know that they've given us a presentation um is the so the procedure in which you're doing this like it's an order issue. Um, you introduce yourself, please.

Sure. My name is Kerent town member as of July 31. Thank you. question as far as

our procedure is always to do the annexation vote first and separate from the project that might follow and that's where we're at tonight and and basically I can't imag I don't recall another one that went differently so that's where we're at. Sure. And welcome to Stallings. I've seen you a few times at our meetings. Um, nice to know who you are. Anybody can come, of course. And where at installings are you? Uh, Stones right at

right before the Okay. So, we are in a recess for You need a vote on the recess or no? Or you just call the rec?

I'm just calling a recess for a couple minutes till we get this researched. Do you want to make a motion to suspend the rules to add a close session.

To do what? Add a close session. Uh, yes. I make a motion. Is the mayor allowed to do that? I'll do it. I'm new, so I'm like I make a motion to suspend the rules going into close session under um NCJS143-318.11a. It's either three or six. Three. Okay. Three. Second. All in favor? I I don't vote. All right, we'll be back.