City Council - Regular Meeting

is one more time. Sometimes Uh good evening everybody. This is the DCN smoke. Uh coming to you very very briefly on this Tuesday evening. Um, I'll be back tomorrow more in depth. Um, but right now I just want to do a briefing on the Rocky Mount City Council meeting on uh yesterday. Uh, the committee the whole meeting was at 4 at 5:00 and the regular meeting was at 7:00. So, I was here uh in Rocky Mount at the uh Rocky Mount City Council meetings uh from 5 to about 9:30

last night. Um never seems to amaze me. uh some of the same old stuff every meeting. Um let me start the um 5:00 me was just the committee of the whole meeting where they um do presentations in depth uh talk about things and then they'll take it to the 7:00 meeting if it's something that need to be voted on. Um yesterday um uh it was stated that they would do the police uh chief would do a report uh but they opened up and went right into close session. So, we had to come out and we stayed out till about I guess around 20 after 6:00 and then went back in and Bradley Walters did a presentation on um electricity uh um a piece can't remember exactly what it was. Oh, um something that um um some people need to get paid that have already done the work and so they um they talked about that and that will come up on the agenda for the next meeting. The people already done the work, they got the money to pay for it. Ain't going to uh uh uh be no addition to um the council. So, um that will be on the agenda, uh the next agenda to pay the folk. Um they could have did it last night, but they wanted to take it before the people, I think it was. Anyway, you'll

find out more about that um at the next meeting. But then uh Joseph um um Steph gave the uh uh uh presentation on the um uh gaming internet sweet sticks, whatever you want to call it, uh internet cafes. And that was a good discussion and some of the same discussion rolled over into the public hearing uh during the regular uh 7:00 meeting. And it was interesting because uh some of the points that were raised in the committee the whole meeting uh one particular being Andre uh asking um um some questions about who would enforce it and um um and so in the 7:00 meeting when it came up Andre told folk that you better understand that we are going to do this or this main a development audits I think it's called and uh you can open up a sweet stakes if you want to but know that uh the county uh sheriff Nash County and Edgecom County do not allow them in the county they're doing them in the city and um what people need to understand is they could be closed uh if something happened uh uh say in What would happen if the two sheriff's office was contacted to come in for a issue? I don't know how that going to turn out. They might shut it down. Um, so, um, like Andre said, open at your own risk because, um, uh, you can open,

but you might get shut down. And the other piece to that, I forgot it was about 20ome. I think it was them was around 20ome. But anyway, it's documented. Go back and look at the video. But anyway, I think about six uh we have to go back and reapply because what has happened over the years people uh apply saying they going to put one thing uh uh um and then end up doing another thing. So that's going to be interesting. Now moving on to public comments. Um I don't know what the hell Robert Cordier was talking about. He in there talking about he on the next county planning board and Rocky Mount need to do like uh need to uh do like Robin Davis and something something and uh he on the planning board and they have to go there and try to get some money from them because uh they play Nash County taxes and all that kind of food and be like Robbie Davis. What in the world? That was interesting. And then uh I didn't really uh have much to say. I just um last night I normally type out um um uh my comments on my phone and last night I just um uh free will really uh cuz I really don't want to say nothing to air me but um I just get sick and tired of the same old conversations people coming complaining uh uh not listening to uh not paying attention to what takes place at the meetings. They come up, they talk about stuff that already been talked about. Uh like what are you going to do? What is what the city going to do? Uh what kind of savers is they going to cut this?

They going to cut that. Well, damn. Let the city do their job when they when he uh get ready to the city manager get ready to um to give the report. He will. Y'all always talking about the damn LGC is oversight. They got to report to the LGC. So why you don't think you're not going to get the same report that they going to report that the city manager is going to report to the LGC? But no, y'all want to run the damn city. Then you won't hire for that. want to know about uh uh cutting salaries and basic uh uh the guy coming there talking about uh comparing to Greenville and all these places. How much you I want y'all I wish somebody had talked about cutting your salary when y'all were working or whatever y'all were doing. Uh um and see how that worked out. I mean the city manager said he was going to reclassify jobs and stuff. He they talking about hiring a a a new city manager and he done stated time and time again it was going to be a reclassification. Uh um um somebody was going to be doing double duty like the communications and uh one assistant manager is doing communications and also his regular title. And this position here just going to be reclassification. Uh uh bring somebody in to to uh convert the numbers, make sure they on track and all that kind of stuff. It just I I just don't get it. Like I said, let them do their job. If they don't do it, then LGC has made it clear that they would come in and do it for them. Let them do their job. Uh uh then one person come up there talking about uh uh the sweet stakes or

whatever you want to call the gaming is all over the name wars and stuff that they're in. Babies sitting in the car by themselves, babies uh uh mothers in there holding babies in the arm. I don't know whether that's illegal or not, but I'm quite sure it's illegal leaving a child in the car and was taking out on the counseling. That is not the damn councilman's job. That's the damn police job. See, see that that that just pissing me off when folk try to put blame where blame ain't do. That is the police job. If you see something, what they been saying? If you see something, say something. If you see a child in a car and they in there playing and they in there gambling, call the damn police. No, you go to the city council meeting and just BB just throw out poop. Makes no sense. I think some folks just come because they want to hear themselves talking. They said city man come trying to compare jobs. Uh the city manager job Ruben Blackwell had to had to break it down to him. You can't if you going to compare compare the whole thing compared to what Rocky might do and they don't do. Then you have uh uh Charles Robinson up there uh uh uh they voting on one thing. He bringing up something else and the male trying to shut him down trying to tell him that it's not the same and he going on and on and uh he want to table the motion uh uh to get with the LGC. I'm like, "Uh, Silky, uh, uh, uh, get rid of LGC, get their approval." Well, y'all, the LGC, one lady, I heard him call that name so much. I hear in my sleep, Denise, Canada, and I

like to hear the way he say with his little accent. shows. Um, she done said time and time and time and time and time again that they will not she would not be telling them what to do. They need to do it. That's what their positions are for. They are the counsel. She would do that if and when if it came to them they had to take over. But until then, they got to make the decisions. So, it was so funny. Andre Knight saying, "Obviously, LGC got two faces because you said that she weren't going to accept the plan." Now, mind you, now LGC got a board now, but but I'm saying Denise Canada is the one that's overseeing Rocky Mountain. Then they have a board mean they have a whole board. She sits up there. she registered me and uh and they have a discussion. So that's how the oversight came about. That's what happened at the LGC meeting about two weeks ago. But this guy continue to be I don't know. Andreas said, "Obviously the LGC got two faces because obviously uh they're telling uh uh uh the city manager one thing and telling him another." But I see I heard for myself time and time and time we had the retreat couple of board me uh uh uh city council means when she say that I'm not telling y'all what to do. That is y'all decision to make. But this guy

then you have uh Crystal Wson that just got on the school board on the inter county. She ought been at the school board me but she over there with her foolishness last night. I I don't get it. I think people come to the me just to hear themselves talking cuz they don't be talking about a damn thing and repeating the same old stuff every million. They must ain't got nobody to talk to at the house. or they don't talk to him or or something. I don't know what it is. But what I do know is they need to stop the foolishness. Uh uh uh uh Ny coming there with a petition talking about cutting salaries. I'm like, damn. Give this city manager a chance to do his job. Do you want people uh uh uh uh uh uh uh targeting you like that? And then this other thing, let the council I I have had a problem with the mayor, Senator Robinson, Elijah L do uh Dorridge uh uh when they came on the council. L all he talked about was transparency. He came to the meeting before he got elected. uh uh uh Santa Claus come there with his stuff and and I am under the opinion based on the facts that's been presented that they came to uh uh kill the character of Andre Knight and Ruben Blackwell because that's was the the poop fields in the street on WHITV,

WNCR TV on um uh uh um the Rocky Mountain Conser citizen, the Tim Barnes uh false Rocky Mount show and individuals. The culture of Rocky Mount has been driven by those folk and it's a damn shame and it has backfired. But what I don't want to see right now would lie. Um uh who was it? Uh I can't remember is he se I don't I know Andre was it Jay Kelly. I forgot whose seat's coming up. It's about four. It might be I know Andre seat coming up. But my point is I don't want to see none of them go right now. um um they um did not support Andre Knight and Ruben Blackwell, myself and some others when we were asking for the full report when Keith Rogers was there. They waited till the last minute. They came on board. Uh Elijah and Tom Harris. I want to stay there to get it right. I don't care how long it take to get back on track. No, let them fix their mess. Why would you want to bring somebody else in that don't know what's going on to fix a mess? Give them the opportunity to fix the mess. I mean, it won't nothing that they did other than not asking not supporting Andre and Ruben and us. Uh challenging uh they shouldn't had to challenge um um Keith Rogers to get the report. Hell, that what he was supposed to do. He's supposed to report it to the to the council.

Hell, like I say, he had it. So, uh um um um the former chief, Robert Hassel couldn't even respond to Andre when he questioned about the the safety of Rocky Mount. And then all y'all out here trying to kill his character, I don't hear no damn thing about no damn $47,000. Y'all prove it. I ain't seen it. I heard about it. And then uh uh uh if you ain't got no damn facts, you need to leave that alone because that's irrelevant. It was not in the damn audit, so you need to leave it alone. Talk about that that is in the audit. Why the city is in the crisis? Deal with those facts and leave the miss the rest behind. and talk about it after you get back on track. But right now, the main thing is the main thing, and that is to make sure Rocky Mount got money to pay the salaries of the employees and to do the business of the city that they have provided y'all with over the years. What part you do not understand? You don't want to understand because you don't care about the damn facts. It is documented, but you don't care about the facts. Tell them what to do. That's what the city manager job is, the finance director and the staff. That's they do the dayto-day operation. Y'all have not seen the books. Y'all don't know what's going on in detail. So, you need to go somewhere,

sit down, and the hell up so they can do their job. What's so hard about that? If they don't do their job, LGC will take over. Not y'all. And then some of you thinking that, hey, oh, LGC take over. It won't be no more counts. The counselor will still be the counselor. They just won't be able to make decision. You don't know how the process work.

No, none of the council need to be need to resign. They need to get it right. They had an issue with TJ and uh uh uh uh uh Jabarus. Now they don't need to go. They need to get it right. I got a problem with Charles cuz he the only one keeping me stirred up right now. Grandstanding. The boy be grandstanding. He need to shut it down. He just got up there. He need to learn the process. It's saying I'm going to shut down because I'll be back tomorrow more in depth and I I got to get I got to finish my response to the general uh Gordon Bray or whatever his name and then uh that Mi going to come up there last night uh talking about she don't know this black man but but uh he sounds smart and and he was Yeah, it sound good. He gave a biased damn report and that's because he was a damn Santa male Santa Claus uh a supporter when he ran the first time. I'mma go into that and he trying to make it all about the mayor ain't got really got no airput cuz he don't have a voice. BS. The mayor works closely with the uh uh um uh the city manager. And if y'all paying a damn attention, you would know that for yourself. Who do they call to come to the damn LGC? The city manager, the finance director, the uh uh uh the um mayor and the mayor pro team.

Let me repeat that. They asked for the mayor for the city manager, the finance director, the mayor and the mayor prom. What damn part you don't understand? Because the mayor and the mayor pro team is closer to the city manager than the other counselor. That's how that work. And for all y'all, especially y'all safe negroes that just sitting back trying to capitalize on the poop that's going on in the street talking about you going to run for this one, you going to run run for run for that one seat and uh that guy that come he going to run against uh Ruben. Hell, Ruben just got he got about four damn years to get ready. Get ready. All of you get ready. I did a post today. Me and Sydney meet me going back and forth at it. I said, let me pull it up right quick before I get off here. Tell you what I said. I I hate not having stuff before me uh when I'm talking cuz I like to talk based on fact, but you can always go back and and and uh check it for yourself. That's what I tell people. Uh check behind me. I stand to be corrected. Come on. Father have mercy. Okay, here we go. I tell you where we at. Where we at? Right quick. So I get ready to get out of here.

that post down. I said, and this was in response to Cornell Pit's page. Um, he had me blogged, I'm assuming, cuz I couldn't see it. Um, and and and anybody know me, I post stuff so folk can see it. And I talk to folk uh in person. I ain't I ain't I ain't like I ain't like them. But he made a a post saying, "Rocky Mountain, North Carolina, war one. We can make a difference in 2027. It's time now to start looking for whom you would like to represent us." Okay, that's fine. I say it's sad when black folk go after the most powerful black voices that truly represent them. Andre Knight, War One, has been the voice of Rocky Mount for 20 plus years because he has not been afraid to say what needs to be said. He does his homework when voting on issues. If Andre files to run to not vote for him, we'll be making an ignorant decision. I ain't telling you not to vote for him. I ain't telling you to vote for him. I said if he files to run, I don't know whether he going to file to run. But if he does, I repeat and I stand behind it. To not vote for him will be making an imminent decision. The most the post says we can make a difference. But what is that? When people throw out stuff, they need to have something uh uh uh um um um something concrete. What is making a difference? Huh? What will the person bring to the table, especially one who does not attend the meetings and does not know what it takes to be an effective councilman and woman. In other words, I said that if someone was to vote for anyone other than Andre

Knight, uh, they will be making an ignorant decision. But the next paragraph, what I'm saying is, what will that person that run bring to the table when they do not attend the meetings and know what it takes to be an effective councilman or woman? So, in other words, run. Now, I'm telling you that if you're going to run, get involved now. Don't wait and run. Start going to the council meeting. You want to run against them. Learn the process. But you got a hell of a job to do to learn the process. I ain't saying you can't. Anybody can do it. Qualifications mean you only got to be of age and live in the war. That's all you got to do. But there's a difference when it comes to experience. Because if you ain't never served in that capacity, you don't have the experience resting someone that been there 20 plus years and been doing a damn good job. The only thing y'all got is the $47,000. He's still on the council. Uh uh. So hell, for me, whether it happened or not, all I know is it it was not in the in the uh the audit that that showed what happened uh uh um from the time Keith Rogers was here. So prove your facts. No, I'm not telling nobody not to run for nothing. That ain't how I operate. But what I do do is I have told people I do it every year around election time and uh throughout the year. If you're going to run for

something in Edgecom County, last time I checked, Roy One was in Edge County in the Twin Counties and across the state uh uh uh and throughout the county. If you going to run for something, I said you need to talk to me cuz I've been out here. But you don't have to. But know that, hey, I'm going to be different from the others. I'm going to speak up and speak out and I can be with you. I can be against you or I can be neutral. But don't come in and think that uh uh uh you're going to attack the pre the people that I am supporting and I ain't going to say nothing like other folk do because they're scared of retaliation. Well, I've been doing this since the 80s. Come for me. I got receipts. So, hey, that's why they kick me off of Rocky Mountain Consistence because uh uh um they have an army of folks coming for me, but I be wearing them asses out by myself. Well, I can do that. I'm a professional political agitator and also named the Watchdog of the East. Um, so, uh, Brian, they did a whole show on me on WNCR TV. Uh, uh, I I told them that people were saying they didn't like the way the format of the show and I just brought it to them. They got mad at me. Did a whole damn week show. Had a doll baby out there and all that food. I ain't mad with nobody. I told all these folk I'm good. Show you. I'm good. I ain't mad with nobody. But what you ain't going to say is I did

not talk to you and tell you uh uh uh uh um my opinion and let you know what I expect from anybody that runs for a seat in county. So hey, you can listen to the noise all you want to. You can come for me all you want to, but you better know the DC and smoke ain't no joke. That's right. Let me get out of here. I stayed on long and I ain't playing no. But you know what? I live, eat, and sleep and poop politics because hey, I I made a commitment back in the early the late 80s, in the early 90s when I joined the NAACP to be a voice for the voiceless and for the elderly cuz I ain't never had the want for anything. I had two parents. They had jobs and we also rent the farm. Then I help other folk, my granddaddy, my great uncles and white man down the road. I've always worked. I've been working since I was five years old. And that's what wrong with some folk. This one of the thing they got mad with me too. Somebody need to get a real damn job. Go the damn I ain't never seen so many folks that don't want to work, want a hand out, want to be given stuff. I'm out here wrecking my off because I want to have things. I want to have a a a nice place to stay. Uh a a nice car to drive. I work for it and you can too. So don't blame me cuz I

am who I am. I stole that from Andre N. Don't blame me cuz I go to work. And now I just recently got a position, a contract position, uh uh uh paying me uh by the month to do what I do outside of my job and going to put me in the office. So don't blame me. I'm just a messenger. And I say all the time, I I think I was born on pistol day for a reason. because I know who I am and whose I am now. I ain't going to let nothing and nobody turn me around. I'm going to fight for the least of these until I can't fight no more. So, in that end, y'all have a good evening. This has been the DC smoker.