Board of Commissioners - Regular Meeting

Good afternoon, everyone. I've called the meeting to order. We're gonna start with the Pledge of Allegiance, and after that, we will have invocation by Commissioner Shanika Thomas.

Good afternoon, everyone. I am going to offer an invocation. Please join me in a moment of reflection, however you see fit. I am going to pray. Heavenly Father, we gather together today with gratitude for the opportunity to serve the people of Wake County. We acknowledge the responsibility entrusted to this board and ask for wisdom, discernment, and humility as we carry out the work before us. Guide our decisions and discussions so that they are thoughtful, informed, and grounded in a commitment to the common good. Help us to look beyond immediate concerns and make choices that will stand the test of time. Decisions that will strengthen our communities, protect our resources, and create opportunities for generations yet to come. May future residents of this county enjoy the fruit of the work we undertake today. Grant us the ability to listen carefully and respectfully to one another. Give us the courage to act with integrity, the patience to seek wise counsel, and the vision to lead with both compassion and foresight. We ask these blessings upon this board, our county staff, and all those we serve. Amen.

Okay, thank you Commissioner Thomas for that great Prayer there before we move on to the approval of the agenda Of course, I know everybody stayed up late last night. So I Think it's needed to us to address and make sure that everybody give a high five for our hurricanes. I What an awesome win. Now we can go on to business. But I could not go without making a note of that. So the first item we have on our agenda today is approval of the agenda. So is there a motion to approve?

I move approval.

Okay, we have a motion by Commissioner Stallings. Is there a second? Second. Second by Commissioner Thomas. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. All those opposed, please say no. Not hearing any, the ayes have it. The agenda is approved. Item number two is approval of the minutes of the regular meeting budget presentation of May 4th, 2026 and the budget work session of May 11th, 2026 and May 21st, 2026. So is there a motion to approve the minutes?

Chairman, I move to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of May 4th, 2026 and the budget work sessions of May 11th, 2026 and May 21st, 2026. I'll second.

We have a motion by Commissioner Thompson and second by Commissioner Evans. All in favor, please aye.

Aye.

Those opposed, please say no. Not hearing any no's, the ayes have it. The motion carries. Now we will move on to number three, retiree recognition by our County Manager, David Ellis.

good afternoon everyone i want to take a moment and recognize employees who have retired or who will retire at the end of this month so up first we have jeff scott he began his career in 1996 as a building inspector he served in the same role throughout his tenure providing reliable expertise and continuity he's inspected buildings across wake county contributing to a safe high quality development for our community let's give jeff a round of applause Up next, we have Mr. Tim Maloney. Tim joined Wake County in 1994 as a park designer, project manager, laying the foundation for decades of impact. Since 2010, he's led the Planning Development Inspections Division and later the Planning and Development Services Department with integrity, clarity, and a deep commitment to community service. He has played a pivotal role in guiding how Wake County grows, plans, and invests in its long-term success. He was instrumental in developing the county's first transit plan back in 2017, helping secure a successful voter referendum that funded the transformative multimodal investments. He's led the successful completion of Plan Wake, the county's first comprehensive land use plan. He has navigated a complex regulatory environment while working closely with the development community to ensure services were efficient, responsive, and customer-focused. And he will leave behind a lasting imprint and impact on Wake County's landscape, growth, and future. Let's give a round of applause for Mr. Tim Maloney. Up next, we have Sally Deans with the Register of Deeds. She joined Wake County in 1994 as a Register of Deeds technician, beginning a legacy of dedicated service. She advanced to specialist in the indexing unit through hard work, expertise, and commitment. She processed and verified real estate and legal documents with accuracy and care. She provided support and guidance to coworkers, strengthening the team, and ensuring high-quality service. and leaves behind a meaningful impact on the register of deeds department and the community it serves. Let's give Sally a round of applause. Up next we have Lynn Bailey. She started her journey in Wake County in 1992, beginning more than three decades of dedicated service. She provided home health, maternal health, school health support and clinic services in our early years she retires as a valued member of the maternal health nurse home visiting team supporting high-risk prenatal mothers and babies she recalls her greatest accomplishment is serving countless families and making a meaningful difference in their lives She cherishes the opportunity to work alongside amazing colleagues throughout her long and impactful career. And she leaves behind a legacy defined by compassion, dedication, and unwavering commitment to the health of Wake County families. Let's give Lynn a round of applause. Up next, we have Drew Cade with Community Services. He joined Wake County in 2002 in parks, recreation, and open space, beginning a legacy of service. He's managed staff and resources to operate and maintain a diverse park facility offering rich recreational and educational experiences. Proudly recalls his greatest accomplishment as expanding opportunities and removing barriers in the county's oldest regional park. In short, parks remain welcoming, inclusive, and accessible for all visitors. and leaves behind meaningful contributions that will continue to shape how residents enjoy Wake County's natural spaces. Let's give Drew a round of applause. And that is all we have, thank goodness.

Thank you, Manager Ellis. I agree. God knows if we keep that pace up, we're going to have to go out and start hiring a complete new crew here. That means we got good employees and we appreciate all that they have done and given to the county and the citizens of Wake County. Before we move on to the consent agenda, I must mention that Commissioner Adamson has an excused absence and will not be present today due to death in the family. Let's keep her and her family in prayer. And now we will move on to our consent agenda. And as a reminder, all items on the consent agenda are considered to be routine and may be enacted by one motion. If a commissioner requests discussion on an item, the item will be removed from the consent agenda and considered separately. Is there a motion to vote to approve the consent agenda?

I move approval of the consent agenda. Second.

I have a motion by Commissioner Stallings and a second by Commissioner Waters. All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

All opposed, please say no. Not hearing any, the motion carries. And now we will move on to our general public comments. It's time for our general public comment period. At all regular meeting, the Board of Commissioners allocates time to hear from residents. Attendees had an opportunity to sign up using our online sign up app. We've also provided an opportunity to sign up here in person. I have the list of people who signed up. When I call your name, please come to the podium, give us your name, and if you would, share what part of Wake County you reside in. Then you will have up to three minutes to speak. When you have one minute left, the yellow light will go on. When your time has elapsed, the red light will go on. If you're still speaking at the end of your time, I'll ask you to complete your sentence in the interest of fairness to everyone. I'm going to try to be consistent about that. Please note the commissioner will not respond to comments shared today. This comment period is a time for us to hear from you. And I'll begin with the first name on the list. And the first individual is Henry Register.

My name is Henry Register. I just finished third grade and I'm nine years old. Something I look forward to about keeping the Athens Drive Library in our neighborhood is to be able to bite to it. Thank you for listening to me.

Thank you, Henry. Next, Donald Belt.

Good afternoon, commissioners, and thank you. My name is Don Belk. I represent the Friends of Wake Soil and Water Conservation District, a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting our county's natural resources, preserving farmland, and supporting the next generation of resource conservationists and environmental educators. Founded in 2010, we also support and advocate for the programs of the district that assist landowners and land users in managing their natural resources effectively. North Carolina ranks number two nationally in the loss of farmland to development, and Wake is among the fastest growing counties in the state. Farmland is always for sale somewhere in Wake County, and for some farmers, exercising their right to sell during a booming land market is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attain generational wealth and retirement security. But many Wake County farmers want to protect their land and continue farming, and some wish to permanently preserve their land for future generations. Unfortunately there are obstacles, procedural as well as financial, to exercising this private property right. Over the last several months, the Wake Soil and Water Conservation District has developed an innovative approach to protecting agriculture amidst urban growth. They have engaged the full spectrum of stakeholders in creating this plan, convening farmers, business owners, municipal officials, and conservationists in developing a strategy for maintaining a local agricultural economy that recognizes the critical requirements for growth, sufficient land for housing, industry, recreation, and the conservation of resources. Especially noteworthy is the staff's outreach to the Home Builders Association of Wake County, inviting them to participate in the implementation of the plan. Indeed, implementation will require the entire community, the private sector, government, and the public that values the benefits that farmland bring. That value goes beyond the tangible economic and conservation benefits. It's about tradition, it's about heritage, it's about being rooted in a place, the cultural and historic connections to the landscape. This is what preservation of farmland means to us. It reveals basic truths about our history, it is where we have come from, and it shows us a way forward. Please vote to adopt the Farmland Preservation Plan and provide your full support to its implementation. Thank you.

Thank you. Bubba Register.

My name is Bubba Register and I am seven years old. I just finished first grade. What I like about the Athens Drive Library is that we can bike to it. I look forward to having a library that is open during the day, not just nights and weekends. Thank you for keeping the library in my neighborhood and thank you for listening to me.

Thank you, Bubba. Next, Ms. Emily Register.

Well, I certainly will not say it as well as they did, but we'll try. My name is Emily Register, you guys know why I'm here. Today, as I have done before, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for listening to us. Thank you for listening to them. Thank you for listening to all of us in the neighborhood. I know we were loud, but for us, the library in our neighborhood is really incredibly important. It's a vital resource. It's a resource that there are so many vulnerable people in our neighborhood that use, from the low-income apartments that are right beside the high school that's now going to be right across the street from the new library site, to the affordable housing that is almost done being built in my neighborhood. to the students of Athens Drive High School and the ones that will be at Athens Drive High School one day, to the elderly, to the people who don't have cars, all of them, that's a good reason to get loud about something. So thank you. We look forward to having the library in our neighborhood. Like Bubba said, I really look forward to a library that's open during the day that I don't have to go to pick up my book at night. That's going to be awesome. And we have good programs that we're going to be able to get with them. So thank you.

Thank you. I must ask to please refrain from my clapping. Next up is Joseph Hartman.

Good afternoon, Commissioners. Henry and Bubba are hard acts to follow. My name is Joe Hartman. Kenny and I have lived in Wake County for 20 years. We're very grateful for your recent straw vote to build a new community library along Athens Drive. We believe your vote will benefit all of Wake County in several important ways. One is trust. Your Athens Drive vote has strengthened taxpayer trust in the commission. When future bond referendums appear in voting booths throughout Wake County, taxpayers can trust the commission to do what the bond promises without any fear of bait and switch disappointments. Another major benefit is water. Your choice helps protect the Swift Creek watershed and its precious supply of drinking water, which is very important for all of Waste County, particularly in this era of severe drought and looming water shortages. And the third major benefit is community. Your Athens Drive choice reinforces the very high priority which your vision plan puts on livable, inclusive, and affordable communities throughout all of Wake County. And a vibrant community library is a strong testament to your own vision plan. We hope that building a new library avoids any delays. Young people who can safely walk, bike, and ride the bus to their community library today may well be among tomorrow's doctors, leaders, and hockey champions. So thank you for listening to us, and thanks for your public service to Wake County.

Thank you. Next up, and I hope I pronounced this correctly, is it Michi Volta? Vata, okay.

Good afternoon, my name is Michi Voita and I live at 2725 Eakley Court in Southeast Raleigh near the Athens Drive Library. And I just want to thank you commissioners and the county staff who make this move happen. The slight shift, moving the library out down Athens Drive but keeping it in our community. That library is so important for this community. We appreciate keeping our community library in our community being close to NC State, the Beltline downtown, three excellent schools, gorgeous Lake Johnson, and also Lake Johnson City Pool where my daughter is working right now, otherwise she would be here. All these pressures weigh on our neighborhood. We are constantly being asked to build more density and building up, but being a desirable neighborhood, a vibrant neighborhood, should not deprive us of the amenities that attracted many of us to this neighborhood. The library was a big part of my family choosing to move where we did. 13 years ago. So a local, accessible, walkable, bikeable, safe library provides books, computer access, meeting space, resources for job search, resources for college applications, and so much more. A library is so important to a healthy neighborhood And again, like I said, it was a selling point for when my family moved there and many others. So I just wanna thank you again for helping us keep a library in our neighborhood and serving the people from our neighborhood and beyond. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Steve Rayo.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm Steve Rao from Morrisville, North Carolina. Excuse me if I'm a little nervous. It's the first time I've spoken in the public since March of this year, so I think the rust is coming off a little bit. But my car drove itself over here this morning, this afternoon. And one of the reasons is I wanted to just, first of all, Thank you all for your service. In the last few months, as a former elected official, I've had a lot more time on my hands. And when you have that time, you realize the time the elected officials give up. So I just wanted to thank you all. As someone that sat in the seat as governing a town of Morrisville, I often remind people that no decision is easy. And so I just came here to tell you that. And I also want to thank David Ellis and the staff, because when I go around Morrisville, even today, running the greenways, looking at all the great work done, I look at the staff members who don't do it for money, but take pride in their work. So I just came here today to tell you that, and I'm getting around the county to do that. I also want to just say a quick word about the Carolina Hurricanes. It's probably one of the most exciting days in North Carolina. And to say that a World Championship team trains in Morrisville at a competition center that we built with you all is unbelievable. So I think this is a big win for Wake County, for the region, the state, for businesses, for entrepreneurs. Can't wait to bring back the Cup tonight. I think there's a lot of people that didn't get a lot of sleep last night, but that's okay. We'll take it, and I think the Governor Stein is really excited, and Governor Cooper, who's running for U.S. Senate, he's a big Canes fan, so everybody's really happy, and I think we can really leverage that brand to bring in more businesses and things like that. um i could go on and on i do talk a lot about ai write a lot about ai a wral but what i will do is i won't be coming before you as often as i used to but i would i would like to share my ideas about things i'm hearing out there about data centers about job creation i know former chair thomas serves on the ai leadership council and that there's a lot of opportunities for us to develop ai strategies in the county in the region in the state that create jobs in the new economy that address where jobs are being displaced. Also, how we can be more efficient with energy usage as we look at data centers. AI doesn't just stand only for artificial intelligence, it also can stand for AI America and India. Just a few weeks ago, I hosted the deputy ambassador of india in in the region with a lot of leaders and there was a lot of talk about collaboration for economic development working to bring in jobs helping small businesses export to india there's a lot of opportunities so um i just came today to tell you those those three things i've got 30 seconds left i feel like god what are we going to do with all that time but what i'm going to do is i'm going to give it back to you so you can have a great meeting and Thank you for your friendships. It was an honor to work with each and every one of you the last 14 years of my life. And I'm looking forward to the next chapter as a retired elected official.

Thank you. Thank you. And next, I think it's Montique Larray.

Commissioners, good to see you all again. The deepest, most heartfelt thank you for your preliminary vote to build the Athens Drive Replacement Library at the well-fed garden site. My wish is for all communities to be able to preserve the things that matter to them. To keep, nurture, protect, fortify, and grow the things that define their unique people and place. To our community, the Athens Drive Library has this deep significance. It holds a powerful community spirit and a 50-year legacy for the Avent Ferry people. I'm in awe that an available site to build the new freestanding library is located directly across the street from the existing library. That's incredible. The ability to continue drawing on all the goodness of that location, the two-lane street, the low speed limit, the trees, the walkable, bikeable, busable, down the street from a community poolable, the lake park, and the greenway right there is extraordinary. Thank you to the community for all of the time and energy and thought and friendship. I knew none of you before this began. And it's an incredibly worthy endeavor for us all to show up for. Commissioners, thank you again. I am so, so very, very, very excited to be in this room today. Thank you.

Thank you. Next, Tom Fuller.

Hello. My name's Tom Fuller, I live at 2409 Lawrence Drive, Athens Drive, class of 84. Thank you very much for your time and consideration for the county and the students. Athens has benefited the county with, helped with Wake Tech classes that they have at night out there at the Athens School. The county, the lake, helps mind and body when you go to visit the campus. They also have a nature center for education and a pool. They're gonna extend the hours and partner with NC State and be able to teach kids to swim. Also, it benefits young people and older like retirees. And thank you very much for your consideration.

Thank you. Next up is Melissa Thibault.

Melissa Tebow, I live in the Athens Drive Library community on Swift Drive, and I also would like to extend my gratitude. So many amazing words were said by some of our young people and other community members. 29 years ago, my husband and I packed up our kids and cats and moved into this community and it's just been the best decision we ever made and part of it is because of the decisions that you all make and i know you're under tremendous pressure with so many different areas within the county and i'm just so i have so much gratitude for what you've done for our very um very special little corner of your county so thank you i appreciate you i'll see my time

Thank you. Next up, Leanne Hammerbacher.

Good afternoon. Thank you for having me today. I'm Leanne Hammerbacher with Triangle Land Conservancy, and I want to thank you for your support for farmland conservation and express TLC's full support of the farmland protection plan you are considering today. As you all know, agricultural and farmland is a critical piece of the county's infrastructure. Yet the county ranks 32nd in the nation for potential farmland loss, according to the American Farmland Trust. That's out of 3,100 counties in the United States. This threat means Wake County cannot wait. We have to act now. Thank you for your support of the farmland preservation, especially the dedication of rollback funds that have provided a reliable source for working lands easements. These projects take time, often several years, and having the commitment of these funds helps provide another option for farmers in our community besides selling their land. In fact, the county's commitment of farmland protection funds has already helped leverage the protection of over $20 million worth of working lands in our community with a $4.1 million investment. And that's just the projects that have closed. So that means for every dollar you all have invested from this recent fund, partners like the Wake Soil and Water Conservation District and Triangle Land Conservancy have leveraged $5. That's a pretty good return on investment. and critical for leveraging state, federal, and private funds. The program has helped TLC and the Wake Soil and Water District protect local farms like the Bailey Farm, Walton Farm, Oakey Grove Farm, and just two weeks ago add an additional 32 acres of permanently protected land to TLC's Williamson Farm and Nature Preserve in Eastern Wake County. So thank you for your support. The county will not regret protecting its soil and water resources. The farmland is critical to the infrastructure of the community, and we want to thank you for your commitment, which we believe is one of the best farmland protection programs in the entire country. We hope the county will not only support this plan today, but sustain funding to implement the plan and permanently protect additional farms. Remember, we are 32nd in the country for potential loss. We have an opportunity to turn the tide. Just like with our amazing Carolina hurricanes, the initial predictions may not be right. Thank you for your continued support of farmland protection in partnership on this work.

Thank you so very much. Okay, thank you to everyone who signed up to speak during the general comment period. That complete the list of names I was provided for this meeting. So we also offer resident the opportunity to submit general comments online. This process is managed by our clerk. Ms. Gillian, would you kindly share any online public comments that you have received for this meeting?

There were no online comments, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mrs. Gideon. We will now transition to our regular agenda. And we have five items on our regular agenda this afternoon. The first item is acquisition approval for a future library in Southwest Raleigh. Our very own Deputy County Manager Ashley Jacobs is here to walk us through this. Ashley, welcome, and go ahead and begin with your presentation.

Thank you, Chairman, and good afternoon to all of you commissioners. So over the past four months, you all have been evaluating and giving careful consideration to two sites for the potential potential sites for the new Athens Drive Library. the well-fed garden site which is represented by the letter e on this map and the try on road site which is represented by the letter g both sites are perfectly viable we can build a library on either site both sites have unique advantages and limitations well-fed garden as you'll recall uh... is about two point six acres It is across the street from the current Athens Drive Library, and we will need to probably build a two-story library based on the property that we have at this time. It would not be expandable in the future. So at your March work session, You heard information about both sites and the board directed staff to engage with the property owners and negotiate a purchase price. So staff did engage with the property owners, both the county and the property owners conducted appraisals and based on those appraisals arrived at an agreed upon price of 1.586 million. Both parties have signed a letter of intent. And then last week, last Monday, at your June 8th work session, the board directed staff to bring the site to this meeting for final approval. And of course, the other property you considered was the Tryon Road site, which is 12 acres of surplus land owned by the Wake County Public School system. Staff recommends approval of the acquisition of well-fed garden. If you approve today, the design phase would begin later this year. Uh, construction would begin in fiscal year, 2027 with completion in fiscal year, 2029. So the board action requested is that the board of commissioners authorizes the County manager to execute a contract to acquire 1321 and 1405 Athens drive Raleigh for a new community library facility.

Is there a motion to, yes. Are there any comments before we move on to a vote? Commissioner Evans.

Thank you, Chair Miles. I know that I made some comments at the work session last week, but for the benefit of folks who were not there, I want to summarize my position on this briefly. This area that includes both of these sites that we considered for this library are both in my district. All of Southwest Raleigh is in my district. And so, you know, I was never opposed to having the library site close to the initial library that we have now at Athens Drive High School. And our staff did look at a lot of sites that turned out to not be viable for a number of different reasons. So then, as Deputy Manager Ashley has said, it came down to two sites, but there were many, many others that were reviewed and looked at and just couldn't work. And at one point in time, A couple of months ago, it just felt like it was just a no-win situation, and I was willing to acquiesce to the site that's being proposed today, but as I thought about it, I just wasn't comfortable with it, and so in the end, I just have to register my personal thoughts for the record and that is I do think we have to think about our whole community, the whole area of Southwest Raleigh and everything in that unincorporated area that would be touched by a new library. I am not comfortable with a small library site that is not expandable, that will require a two-story library that will be limiting. I'm also not comfortable with a library that sits immediately in between several houses. I don't think that's a great situation. I do know that this site has many pluses to those of you in that immediate community that have advocated for it, and so I very much appreciate that. But in the end, I feel like my responsibility is to all the residents in Wake County to be responsible with our taxpayer dollars. We're a growing county. That part of the county is growing. We need to be able to have the opportunity to expand. The other piece of property allows much more flexibility in that regard. It also would help us avoid a cash outlay at this particular time because it's property we can... a likely trade with the school system for. So I just needed to be on record that I just don't think for the long run choosing this particular site on Athens Drive is the best thing for our future library. Also has been mentioned earlier, Commissioner Adamson is away today because of a death in the family, but she asked me to speak on her behalf to say that if she were here, she would also be voting against this parcel for many of the same reasons that I'm presenting today. Thank you for allowing me to make those comments.

Thank you, Commissioner Evans. Commissioner Waters.

Thank You chair mile it is Wonderful to see in our community how much interest we've had in our libraries given our bond that went forth and my two years on the Commission have Seen lots of community voices come out and speak for a lot of different library projects and I think for me decisions have really been data driven and particularly around this project and not having my mind made up until I had the opportunity to visit those sites. And I really appreciate the site that has been brought forth as an investment in our vulnerable communities, lots of neighbors who need access to resources, that allow us to level the playing field, access to computers, to books, and to safe spaces is super important to me, and so I'm really grateful that the data also supported that there is a significant number of households that will be within the 10 minute drive, which is our main metric in how we determine library locations with that additional 25,000 people. I am really looking forward to another opportunity to invest library resources in books and communities. And one of the points in the presentation that was brought up was the next phase, which includes the design phase. And I just wonder, Ashley, if you could speak to what community engagement might be included in that process and what that will look like.

I don't believe that's been created at this point, but we will certainly be working with the community to find out, as we're doing with Southgate Library with that plan, there will be opportunities for input on how it looks and how it feels and any special programming and that kind of thing. But again, very similar to what we've been doing with Southgate Library.

All right, thank you. And Chair Mao, when the time is right, I'd love to make the motion.

Commissioner Stallings.

Sir, thank you, Chairman. And I just want to say thank you, Commissioner Evans, and to Commissioner Adamson for bringing concerns and your perspectives. They are valued and appreciated. I will, however, continue to support the well-fed garden because I do believe it's a quality investment into vulnerable communities. will echo the many comments that have already been made here. I would also like to advocate that the Tryon Road site really be looked at for affordable housing and encourage our board to be partners in that work. So I hear both sides of this, but I will support the well-fed garden and keeping it in the community. I think it will be a very rich resource for vulnerable residents. Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Stone. Commissioner Thomas.

Thank you, Chair Miles. I just have a question for Ashley, and it was sparked by Commissioner Waters talking about computers in the library. And I'm just wondering, when we talk about actually building in the community engagement that goes around that, I'm just wondering about the digital infrastructure, because digital literacy and digital infrastructure is more than just about computers. And so just wondering if we've talked about or thought about or will that be a part of the conversation in the future about what digital infrastructure and fiber to the actual site. Especially because it's not something that necessarily has fiber infrastructure now to be able to support internet access and white boards and all of the things that communities need in a new library. so making sure that i understand your question you're asking about what types of technology and services we will have available in the new library what what types of digital infrastructure meaning will we we will be able to have broadband access we will be able to use smart boards we will be able to have wi-fi those kinds of things um not just i would like to know about programming but i know that's going to come way later this is not the point to ask that question so you're asking if the property is served by fiber correct the question yes it is okay thank you

Okay. Thank you, Commissioner Thomas. Commissioner Jackson?

Yes. Thank you for this opportunity. Athens Drive Library has been a significant point of discussion, and like my fellow commissioners, I just want to have on record my support for the Welfit Garden site. My primary responsibility is to make decisions that balance the immediate needs of our neighbors while also balancing the long-term stewardship of public resources. And I believe that this decision helps to do that. First, I just wanna share that I believe that a spectrum matters and that large regional libraries have their role as well as community libraries. In my own life, I've experienced both ends of the spectrum, the vast, expansive resources and large communities that can form within regional libraries, but also have deep passion for the quaint intimacy of community libraries, even those that are nestled in communities that are walkable and bikeable. I know firsthand that families with young children, very young children, seniors, those who are seeking a quiet space in a neighborhood library, and need accessible transportation, that this decision is gonna be vital for those folks. So my position is rooted in a commitment to walkability and balance. This well-fed garden site preserves a walkable third space, lots of sidewalk space for residents, and also those that depend on the 11L bus line. 11% of cardholders right now are using the current library with limited resources, so I think we should be supporting those that have used the library in its current limitation and fully expect that, as the smartest people in the room, the youngest folks have said, and their parents, that when the library is open during the day, we will see it grow. I want to acknowledge that the topography, and Ashley, thank you for just reaffirming that it is feasible. It is feasible to build on this land. Two-story does bring some complex challenges, but it's nothing that I haven't been convinced by staff is very possible to build on. My support for this well-fed garden site is not turning a blind eye to the 12-acre opportunity that exists at Tryon Road, and as I said at the end of the work session, and like Commissioner Stallings has said, I really do call on our fellow board, and I know that school board members are ready to continue conversations so that we can build some affordable housing, and really bring additional assets to that intersection. So I believe that by supporting Welfed that we can actually do a both and. We can build a walkable, accessible library in the current place while simultaneously unlocking broader strategic goals at the intersection of Tryon Road. So it is my pleasure to second it when the time comes available. Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Jackson. And I'll go ahead and finish up here. Definitely in agreement with my colleagues. So Bubba and Henry, you guys were very instrumental in my thinking process. making sure that you guys are able to bike to your local library. I think that growing up here in Wake County, I've seen the different libraries in terms of where they've been located, and growing up here, I also had the experience of being able to walk to my local library. And that was very instrumental in my thinking process in terms of where I'm voting today. And of course, I also am supporting a well-fed garden library. So with that being said, I think Commissioner Waters would like to make a motion.

Thank you, Chair Mayer. I move that the Board of Commissioners authorizes the county manager to execute a contract to acquire 1321 and 1405 Athens Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina for a new community library facility along with any other documentation necessary to acquire the property subject to the terms and conditions acceptable to the county attorney.

And second from Commissioner Jackson.

Yes, I second that.

All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

All opposed, please say no.

Nay.

No, the ayes have it. Thank you. Okay, the next item on our agenda is a public hearing to consider renaming a portion of Ligon Mill Road. Diane Saunders, our GIS analyst, is present to give us a presentation. So Diane, please go ahead and move forward. If you want to wait a few minutes, give them a chance to clear out, they'll be okay.

All right, I'll go ahead and get started. I'm Diane Saunders. I work for Wake County GIS on the E911 Addressing Team. I'm here today to hold a public hearing for renaming a portion of Ligon Mill Road in the unincorporated area of Wake County. So the star on here marks the location. It's sort of north of Raleigh and close to Rollsville. in one of the smaller areas that's still unincorporated in the county. Due to increasing population and growing traffic congestion, NCDOT realigned the southern end of Ligon Mill Road at its intersection with Lewisburg Road, also known as US 401, and they offset it from Mitchell Mill Road to improve the overall traffic flow and to reduce delays. This change leaves a short portion of Ligon Mill Road that now ends in a cul-de-sac. The segment continues to serve several homes and small subdivisions. Renaming this portion is necessary for both public safety and easy navigation as having both the new alignment and the original roadway share the same name creates confusion for drivers as well as for emergency responders. I contacted the residents about the name change. One of them suggested Old Ligon Mill Road and others agreed. The NC General Statutes requires a public hearing for the renaming of state-maintained roads outside the city limits. In accordance with those state statutes, we advertise this in the local newspaper on signs in that area and post a note here at the courthouse. Four homes and four undeveloped parcels would be affected by the name change, and the county will replace seven street signs. County staff recommends approving this change. Could we please open the floor to any comments from the public?

Thank you, Diane. Okay, at this time we are open to public hearing for any comments or any interest as part of wanting to make a comment in reference to renaming that portion of Ligonier. Okay, not seeing any. We will go ahead and close public hearing.

So there's an ordinance to recommend that change. I believe you have it in your packet that you'll need to vote on. You have it. I'm willing to make the motion.

I'm happy to make the motion.

You will make the motion.

It's my district. I'm happy to do it. Are you ready for a motion?

Yes.

Thank you. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board of Commissioners, having held a public hearing, adopts the attached ordinance to rename permanently a portion of Ligon Mill Road, formerly State Road 2044, as Old Ligon Mill Road, effective July 15th, 2026.

Thank you. I have a motion. Is there a second?

I'll second that.

Okay, we have a motion by Commissioner Thomas and a second by Commissioner Waters. All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

All those opposed, please say no. Not hearing it, motion carries.

Thank you very much, Commissioners.

Thank you. Next, I am on the agenda of the public hearing on proposed ordinance amendment OA 0126 to amend the UDO to reflect the reorganization of Wake County Development Service. Terry Nolan, Developmental Service.

Good afternoon, Commissioners. Before you today is an amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance, where the primary purpose is the reorganization of planning and development inspections to planning and development services that really kind of uh changed the functions or basically the the names of the departments and so that is the primary reason why we're bringing this forward today but there are a couple of other items within that amendment package including clarifying the county's watershed design manual is you know the the guideline in our udo Also wanted to update some references to state statute, correct some state agency names. And then while we were reviewing it, we found some other typos and small issues. This is an administrative amendment. However, the number of text changes was so large that we wanted to have an open process. But it is, you know, administrative in nature and it is not just PDS that we needed to change. There were also some other agency reorganizations that we caught. Health and Human Services changed names to Public Health a couple years ago. And so there were some references to that related to some functions related to wells and pools. And then our environmental services, the watershed management functions moved to planning and development services. So that was the biggest change. So that's related to all of our stormwater erosion control and flood functions within that document. Also had a change to our housing department. It used to be within our human services, and then that became a standalone department some years ago. And so that change was done a while back, and we are just amending the name in this amendment package, as well as our GIS department changed names. Some other corrections that I mentioned. In some instances, the numbering changed within the state statute, so we made those corrections. The DEQ, Department of Environmental Quality, used to be, I believe, the Department of Natural Resources 10 or so years ago. Then there were some leftover bits from previous amendment rounds where, for example, we changed the term mobile home to manufactured home throughout some chapters of the document, but not in the whole thing, and so we found a couple of instances for that. Then our bed and breakfast homestay portion in our UDO, a few years ago was sort of modernized to be more in line with sort of today's Airbnb. And so that was renamed to short-term rental. Staff findings, the proposed amendment does not impact any land use development regulations or permits. The amendments bring the UDO into alignment with county operations. The text amendments align with state statute and we presented this to the Home Builders Association and they had no comments or concerns. So staff recommends that the Board of Commissioners adopt Ordinance Amendment OA 0126 as presented And this went before our planning board and received a unanimous vote. I believe our planning board chair, Ted, is here to give the planning board recommendation.

Thank you.

Hello, commissioners. I'm very glad that the red shirts weren't here to discuss this with us today. This is an easy one. Yes, we heard this in our last couple of meetings, and the staff's done a thorough job of trying to update our UDO, and we did vote unanimous approval. And I'd just like to say, this is just yet another example of the professionalism that Tim Maloney and the staff has carried through for our county. This is not stuff that gets headlines. This is not stuff that people are banging on doors and yelling and screaming about, but it is what makes the county work and work well. As a member of the development community, I'm very appreciative of a code that makes sense and is legible and is a tool that the community can use. So I just want to thank Tim, Terry, and the whole staff and hope you guys will pass this amendment.

Thank you.

So I'm happy to answer any questions or you may move on to the public hearing.

Are there any questions from the board? Okay, not seeing any. Then we'll go ahead and open up for public hearing. Are there anyone that have a concern, want to make a comment in reference to this matter? Yes.

I'd like to make a comment.

You need to come up.

Hi, my name is Wayne Bostic. I live in Region 5, District 5. My comment is simply this. I think it's a great idea because some of the things that are listed are old and outdated. I have been having some problems in my yard for stormwater drainage and not knowing who to go to, who to talk to about it was a problem. which you're updating the classifications and names of everything that's listed, it'll help people in the community greatly. So I think it's a great idea and I think it's something that you should vote for.

Thank you. Thank you, sir. Any other comments? Okay, Madam Clerk, are there any comments received to date?

There were not, Mr. Chair.

Okay, not hearing any other comments, then we'll go ahead and close the public hearing. Commissioners, any discussion or question before we close this item? Yes, Commissioner Thomas.

Thank you. I just have a question. It's actually for the attorney. Mr. Attorney, in the motion and the information, it says that adopts the attached resolution. Also, in the separate motion, it says resolution adopts the attached resolution. Is there somewhere, I mean, if you didn't have these documents in front of you, is there a different language that could be used? How do people in the public know what the attached resolution says?

I was looking at that myself. I thought there was a resolution attached for the ordinance. When you have a UDO amendment, you have to have two votes. Okay. And I was wondering where the attached resolution was myself on that.

I see the ordinance amendment resolution, but then I also see a statement of consistency resolution. And so the language in the actual action to me is not clear because there are multiple resolutions attached in these documents.

And it should actually be two motions. So if you can, the first motion would be to adopt the draft statement finding that it is consistent with the Wake County UDO, this amendment. And then the second one is to adopt the attached resolution to approve the amendments.

So the first motion is for the ordinance, the OA01-26 ordinance amendment, and the second motion is for the statement of consistency resolution?

You can reverse those. Okay, the first one is for the statement of consistency resolution? Yes.

Okay, very good.

And then the second one would be to adopt the actual amendments.

Okay, thank you. That wasn't clear in the action language. I appreciate it.

Okay, any other questions or comments? Well, Commissioner Thomas, since you've clarified that, do you mind making a motion?

No. Okay. I move that the Board of Commissioners, having held a public hearing, adopts the draft statement finding that ordinance amendment OA0126 is consistent with the Wake County Comprehensive Plan and the Wake County Unified Development Ordinance and is reasonable and in the public interest and adopts the attached resolution. So moved.

Is there a second? Second. Second by Commissioner Stallings. All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

All opposed, please say no. Motion carries.

And by separate motion, I move that the Board of Commissioners adopts the attached resolution to approve the proposed amendment to the Wake County Unified Development Ordinance as presented in Ordinance Amendment OA-01-26.

I second that as well.

We have another motion by Commissioner Thompson, second by Commissioner Stallings. All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

All opposed, please say no. Not hearing any, motion carries. Thank you. Then we'll move on to our next item on the agenda, and that's approval of the schematic design for Crowder County Park expansion. Phase one, Pablo Lopez, project manager.

Good afternoon, Chair Mayer, commissioners. Thank you for your time, the opportunity to speak about Crowder Park one more time. This time we are here to request approval of the schematic design for Crowder Park expansion phase one. Our project team is consistent of CLH Design, Schemer, Farlow, Kirwan Architecture. They are our lead architects on site and architectural. Today with us we have William Stanton from CLH and Alicia Kirwan from SFK. Today we are gonna be briefly reviewing a little bit of the approved master plan. We will recap the project components that OCEPAC and the community identified as a priority for phase one. Then we will show you what we are proposing for this first phase. We will talk about some potential sustainable feature and lastly we will discuss the anticipated schedule for this project. Crowler Park is located in the southwest park of Wake County along 1010 Road near the Holy Springs Road intersection. The park is surrounded by suburban neighborhoods and sits near Middle Creek Schools and the Kraft Family YMCA. Its location between Cary, Apex, Holy Springs, Garner, and Raleigh makes it easily accessible to all those nearby subdivisions. With the expansion, the park will cover a total of 129 acres. The features that we have developed for this project has been carefully selected to match our PROS mission statement, preserving open space, promoting stewardship, education, and outdoor recreation for all. It has been a while since you have seen the master plan. It was approved by the Board on September 25, and I invite William to help us recall what we approved at that time.

Good afternoon, commissioners. It's a pleasure to be before you here again to talk about Crowder County Park. And it's my honor to talk about the master plan in review. So a little bit about the key components that we pulled out of that master plan is the crossing of Dutchman's Branch Creek. And this connects to the north portion of the parcel or park. In the south section of the park, there is the existing features and as well as our proposed features of the park center. Bringing the Greenway connection will merge these two parts of the park together and that will be presumed later in our presentation. Some of the key elements in our master plan is one that I have to hone on and it's very important, it's a signalized pedestrian crossing. Then like I said before, connecting the north and south parks of Crowder County Park. The greenway will also be very important as well as natural surface trails and the park center as well as the learning deck. We also pulled out a north shelter at the pond and rain gardens, shade gardens, educational gardens and a parking lot. A key stakeholder was OSAPAC, and we had some high priority items, some medium priority items, and some low priority items. And one of the highest priority items was the signalized pedestrian crossing on 1010 Road, asphalt parking lots, natural surface trails, and the crossing of Dutchman's Branch Creek, as well as the park center and learning deck. Some of the medium priority items were the Northern Pond overlooks, the Northern Pond shelter, and some of those gardens. And a low priority item was the renovation of the existing maintenance building. Also, it was very important to this project was the community feedback that we had. And one of the major things, again, was how can we get to this park safely? And that is the pedestrian crossing along Tintin Road and Holly Springs Road. Another important thing that we brought from the community feedback was the crossing of Dutchman's Branch Creek, just people wanting to access the northern part of the park and flatter, more accessible trails and, of course, connection to the surrounding neighborhoods. So going into schematic design and what our work has done so far in phase one, the major priority, again, being that signalized pedestrian crossing, the greenways from the north and south, the Dutchman's Branch Creek, and a vast amount of natural surface trails. And again, the shelter at the north pond and minimal renovations to the existing maintenance building. So when we talk about some trails, we have some materiality and what that looks like. And to the far left of the screen is a natural surface trail, which is mulch. In the middle is the asphalt trail. And then we have what the bridge will look like crossing Dutchman's Branch Creek. And again, the signalized pedestrian crossing. So the proposed greenway will be eight foot wide and about a mile long. The natural surface trails will be from four to five feet, and it will be about three and a half miles. The bridge over Dutchman's Branch Creek will be a concrete wooded post bridge, which is going to be 11 feet wide. And all in total, it's going to be about four and a half miles. And so the thing that I keep hitting on is the signalized pedestrian crossing. And as a design team, we have been working with a consultant as well as NCDOT. And their recommendation is due to volume and speed on this road. It's very unsafe. Our initial thought was just doing the flashing yellow beacon to notify drivers and pedestrians that it's crossing. But due to the recommendation, they recommend that vehicles come to a complete stop on Tintin Road. So here's a kind of zoomed out view and kind of highlights what that entails. And we're showing the metal mass storms here and some signage and, of course, a striped crosswalk. It's just to give more visibility to drivers as well as visibility to the pedestrians. As you can see on that top corner of this image, the entrance is to Crowder Park and we're coming a little bit further down. That's linking directly into the Greenway going all the way through the park. And here's a close up view and kind of different materiality of what we're showing in this shows the wooden mass poles with weight with a cable wiring holding this stop. Just a different look of what it could look like this would obviously be the cheaper option, but it still keeps pedestrians and vehicles safe trying to get to the park and connecting to adjacent neighborhoods. And going into the park center, we're proposing 19 parking spaces and additional spaces if needed. And we are also kind of connecting into that northern part of Crowder County Park with paths and using the existing infrastructure of the asphalt greenway. And the materiality of this is going to be either mulch trails, asphalt, or concrete pavement. To talk more about the learning deck and building, I'd like to bring Alicia Kerwin to speak more about the building.

Hi, I'm glad to be here, Alicia Kerwin with Skinner-Farlow Kerwin Architecture. I'll just echo some of what William said and what we heard in the master planning was that the neighborhoods really enjoyed their nature here and that that was one of the most important things to them. So one of the driving factors in designing this was making the building be a part of the paths, right, that you could walk through the building as you're there or stop by the building while you're there and take a rest. So that is what has generated where it is on the site and kind of part of the design. So the floor plan that you're looking at incorporates both a education space on the plan left and the office space on the plan right, with the center area being the areas that service the public and also just service the building. So if you are imagining walking through the park, you could come through the front door, kind of walk right through and walk out the back door onto the deck. So make it part of your path. Um, if you need to stop and use the restroom also allows the office space to be kind of a buffer between the parking and the vehicular areas and allows this nature education space to really be more in the woods or more part of nature and thinking that we're gonna have children here as well as adults, but they do a lot of programming with children, and that keeps them further away from the vehicular traffic. And in terms of materiality and what this looks like, we are opening this up to the north with it having less access from the east and the west for solar control. We have talked a little bit about maybe potentially using some solar panels on this or preparing it for the ability to use solar energy. Um, and in terms of materiality, most of the park is now a Cedar siding. And so we would continue to use some of that same natural language, uh, to blend in with the landscape and the nature that is there. And so these are just some renderings of that. This would be the side that faces the park, mainly the new acreage that has been obtained. And so really opens that learning porch up into. You could sit there in a rocking chair and just enjoy watching the birds, hearing the birds, and see what's around you. So really allowing people to immerse themselves even more within this park. talked a little bit about solar features. As we continue to develop this project, we'll continue to look at sustainable design strategies, which mean minimizing paving to have more natural surface trails, looking at a high performance building, so when we're looking at the thermal envelope, reducing energy usage, LED lighting, and then as I mentioned, the solar photovoltaics, and then also looking at rain harvesting, and that's as we all know right now, really important. So with that, I'll turn it back over.

Thank you, Alicia. Well, you have seen that we have tried to come up with something that the community will support because they told us to not develop the park as much. So we have complied with that desire. We have only presented you what we believe is the maximum development of the park, which will be the park center, because we really need a park center at Crowder Park. At this moment, there is no covered classroom where we can have programming. So that is one of the things that we are suggesting to move forward with this project, along with the crossing of 1010 Road. Another one of those things that you notice is that we intentionally put the Greenway connector on the left side of the property, and that is to keep people away from the main entrance and the curb that occurs on 1010. And that allow us also to connect right away our crossing and our future greenway to the existing greenway that the neighborhood has on the south side. If you guys decide to approve and support us today, then which are the next steps? Well, we will continue with the design, and we will have bid documents ready by early November. We would like to award the construction contract and start construction by March 2027, and we would like to complete construction by early November 2027. With that, I open for you guys. Any questions, comments?

Thank you, Pablo. Board, any question or comments? Yes, Commissioner Waters and then Commissioner Evans.

Thank you so much for bringing this forward. I really appreciate all the community engagement that was done. It looks like there's been some tremendous input based upon the feedback. I have, over the years, chaperoned many a school field trips and this seems like an ideal place for one. Do you all have adequate space for buses to park and come in?

So one of the things that we are thinking on developing this property is thinking of that, thinking of the future. So if you entertain me, I will go back a couple of slides and see if we can find, where is our master plan? Yeah, this one right here. So on the south enlargement, you will see that at the center, you can see the park center, which is that yellow little tiny square, and then you have like an oval shape parking lot. At this moment, we are only proposing to develop 19 spaces, but the rest of the parking lot is part of phase two. In this instance, what we are proposing to do is to go ahead and level and grade the entire area and leave it as a overflow parking with the thoughts that we potentially can have enough budget to continue with the development of that parking lot and accommodate the buses, or we will definitely do it at a phase two part of the expansion project.

Okay, that sounds good. And one other question, and I appreciate really how you prioritized the different phases and different projects. The bridge over Dutchman's Branch, just clarifying, is that something that is replacing something, or will this be the first time that a connection is being made with that bridge?

it will be the first time that the connection is made. At this moment, there is no bridge over there, and there is no way in which safely our patrons can cross from one side to another.

Okay, well, very exciting. Thank you so much for your work.

Always a pleasure. Thank you. Commissioner Hibbins?

Thank you for all the thoughtfulness that's gone into this and just for some of my colleagues perspective, this is a smaller park that's been enjoyed by the residents in the southern part of the county for a number of years. And then we were able to buy some additional land a few years ago to put with it. And so that's why there hadn't been that connection. And then I appreciate from previous presentations that due to funding constraints, we're not able to do everything at this time that we would have liked to have done with the expansion of this park. But for what's being proposed for phase one, I do think you've listened very well to the community, It is very nice to have an area that's this wooded and this natural in what's becoming a very developed part of the county. And so I think that you're spot on with what you're proposing here. And we definitely do need the park center and the education and areas and all of that. But I do agree with the idea of trying to keep as much of the park natural and trails. I'm really excited about the signalized pedestrian crossing This road is a two-lane, 45 mile an hour road, but most people go through there at a lot more than 45 mile an hour, and it is kind of curvy, and so the safety to get our pedestrians back and forth across is gonna be critical, so I really like that we went all the way with the signalized crossing and not just the flashing beacon, so appreciate that very much. um i think this looks like a very good well thought out phase one and so this is something in my district i'm happy to support today thank you commissioner jackson yes

Thank you for this presentation Can you go back to the high medium low priority slides? first and as you're doing that just want to acknowledge all of our County appointees that represent on OSA PAC and thank them for their service and their contribution to this park into many parks my question is Bit two part, how many phases do you anticipate? Has it been determined how many phases would get us to completion of this Crowder Park? And my second question is, with phase two that you've mentioned, how many other priorities here will be included and accounted for?

So at this time, we have only thought of two phases. Phase one is gonna be happening with the current bond money that we have. Phase two potentially will come with either additional funds are received for parks and recreation. And the idea at this moment is that phase two will complete the rest of the master plan. But at the time that we receive funds from the county, we will be able to tell better whether phase two will be completed 100% or it will have to be breaking out a little bit further.

Okay. And for phase two, are you anticipating that the medium and the low priorities would be included with that or is it too early to tell?

So we already have some of them on phase one. Like for example, the proposed greenway is already in the phase one. Picnic shelter is already part of phase one. The parking at the north point will be phase two. The northern point overlook is at this moment on phase two. Nature play area and native plant education garden is also on phase two. Shade garden by the pond is also on phase two. And renovate existing maintenance building. During the design, the current design of phase one, we noticed that if we design a building that can sustain our staff, there is minimal renovations that we need to do to the existing facility that is there. And our intention is to use that existing facility just for maintaining staff. So at this moment, we are not anticipating any big renovations to that building.

Okay, got it. Thank you for walking me through that. Just two other quick questions. On the phase one schedule, I'm curious about any funding constraints or other constraints that caused changes between the schematic, the initial schematic design phase and what's being presented here. Was there anything that for funding reasons or any other reasons needed to be significantly changed between that phase and where we are now?

At this moment, it's a little early to tell because as we have witnessed, economy is a little bit up and down sometimes, so cost sometimes goes very high, and sometimes it comes to a reasonable level. At this moment, we have a budget of approximately $6.8 million, and we are considering alternates to the existing design just in case that the prices from the contractors come a little bit higher than that.

Excellent. Thank you. Okay, last question. It's a context question. What do we know about the usage of this park? Do we know how many people generally use this park?

I think Mr. Chris can help us with that one.

So annually we see about 140,000, 150,000 people here? Yeah.

Okay, thank you.

And most of the activity, if you've been there on a Saturday or an early morning, is the playground, very popular, and the walking loop, the paved walking loop.

Great, thank you.

All right.

Commissioner Stallings.

yes thank you chair i just want to thank you for being so thoughtful and comprehensive and having a contingency plan with cost because that's a reality that we have to deal with and i just want to echo my support and our board's commitment through our strategic plan of preserving open spaces and green spaces for our residents to as it allows educational opportunities and recreational leisure opportunities, which then correlates with health and mental health. So I just want to reaffirm my commitment to the public for these leisure third spaces, as Commissioner Jackson often refers to. And obviously the safety on 1010 Road is very important. Rain gardens, educational opportunities, sustainability. I continue to be a champion for solar whenever we can get it, so thank you for that. continuing to evaluate that if if you think it's appropriate um but but thank you for this and i look forward to supporting it thank you any other comments not sending uh commissioner evans uh you make the motion

Yes, please. I'd like to move that the Board of Commissioners approves the schematic design for the Crowder County Park expansion phase one project.

Second.

Motion by Commissioner Evans and second by Commissioner Jackson. All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

All those opposed, please say no. Not hearing any. Motion carries.

Thank you very much.

Thank you. And now we will come to our final item on the regular agenda, and that's the approval of Wake County Farmland Preservation Plan. Teresa Furr, our Soil and Water Conservation Director.

Good afternoon, Commissioners. Thank you for having me. Before I get started, I do want to thank, got quite a following, as you can see in the back here, a few people here to support us and have worked very hard. I'm up here delivering the plan, but honestly, it was a team effort, a lot of hard work, and a lot of people went into this. So I want to give just a second to thank them. We have our Wake County Elected Board of Supervisors here. We have our Wake County Agriculture Advisory Board here. We have Wake County Farm Bureau here, Cooperative Extensions here to support us. We also have planning board members here as well. Our friends of the district and the staff here that support me every day. And then Pat McCullers is our biggest fan. She's here as well from the Shotwell community. And USDA, I'm sorry, Olivia. So all of them here to support us. So with that said, I'll get started with the plan. Wake County's commitment to agriculture and farmland preservation did not start actually with this plan. Just to give you a little bit of background, our voluntary ag district was established back in 2002. In 2013, the county did adopt what they call the Agriculture Economic Development Plan. During that process, there were different perspectives, different concepts and terminology around farmland preservation, so it was ultimately decided that that plan should focus more on agriculture economic development. Today, we're building on that foundation. This plan reflects a broader understanding that protecting farmland and supporting a strong agriculture economy go hand in hand. It represents the next step in Wake County's ongoing commitment to preserving our agriculture heritage while also planning for future growth as well. I also want to give a shout out, I'm sure they're watching online, to thank Equinox Environmental, our consultants, especially Alex Smith and Bradley Spiegel, exceptional work on this farmland preservation plan. They took time truly to understand Wake County agriculture by listening to our advisory committee, meeting our farmers, our landowners, spending several days with us here, and learning what makes agriculture community unique here in this county. From the start, we challenged them to help us create something different. not a plan that would just sit on the shelf, but a practical roadmap with strategies that we can actually implement in this county. We set a high bar, and they delivered on that plan, and it reflects local voices that you'll talk about in a second with public comments, addresses our unique challenges in this county that no other county faces, and actually will serve as a model for other counties across the state to follow. So why do we need a plan? Well, first, it positions Wake County to be more strategic and competitive when protecting farmland. By adopting this plan, it qualifies Wake County for a reduced local match for the state conservation easement funding. It allows us to leverage our county dollars more effectively and protect more farmland. This plan also establishes a clear baseline for tracking farmland loss and agriculture trends. It ensures that future policy and investment decisions that we make are informed by data rather than just assumptions. Together, these benefits will strengthen our ability to preserve working lands and maximize our return on investment. Another reason why we need to plan is that it helps us prioritize. It identifies the areas that our greatest development pressures are at, allowing us to focus resources where they will have the most impact. It creates a framework for us for long-term planning. It moves the conversations from being reactive to being proactive. So we're thinking ahead about growth and agriculture viability. And then lastly and finally, it ensures that the Farmland Preservation Program is guided by local priorities. It aligns directly with your 2024 strategic plan and gives us a clear roadmap for setting goals and measuring our progress. So what is in the plan? The plan is data driven, it's a roadmap again for protecting our agricultural lands in the county. It combines analysis of farmland loss trends with extensive input from farmers, the public, forest landowners, stakeholders, and again the public as well and the local needs and priorities of those communities. The plan identifies important farmland and natural resources, it establishes objective criteria for prioritizing and protecting those, and it provides recommendations for policies and programs that support agriculture and guides our future preservation efforts. In the plan, one of the factors we consider when trying to prioritize farmland preservation is soil quality. This map shows Wake County's prime farmland soils as identified by the USDA. which represents some of the most productive land for agriculture in this county. Unfortunately, the same areas are often the most attractive for development. According to the American Farmland Trust projections, nearly half of Wake County's future farmland conversion could occur on the county's best agricultural land, with up to 28,000 acres at risk by 2040. Much of the conversion is expected to be low density residential, which often leads to additional growth and further loss of agricultural land. This chart shows the loss of farmland enrolled in our present use value program over the last 10 years. Since 2015, Wake County has lost 36,000 acres of farmland enrolled in the present use value program. A decline of about 30% This map and chart illustrate that farmland conversion is continuing as growth pressures increase. On the map that you're seeing, all the parcels outlined are present use value parcels. The beige are the ones that's continuing in present use value. The reds are the parcels that have been lost, particularly most to low density residential. The trend highlights the importance of balancing growth with agriculture preservation, particularly in the unincorporated areas of Wake County, where working farms contribute to the local economy and typically require fewer public services than residential development. The urgency is clear. Projections show Wake County could lose an additional 32,000 or up to 57,000 acres of farmland by 2040, and that's according to the American Farmland Trust's Farms Under Threat Report. It really depends on our future growth patterns. The decisions we make today will determine how much of that agricultural land base remains for future generations. With our plan, we've came up with four focus areas, and they are the farm-friendly land use policies, farm ownership support, agriculture production funds, and environmental, economic, and the social benefits of farmland. So let's look at those now. As growth continues in Wake County, more residential development is going to occur, but it's going to occur adjacent to active farms, which can lead to conflicts over noise, odors, lighting, and just normal agricultural activities. To address these challenges, the plan recommends exploring agricultural compatibility buffers, such as vegetative screenings or setbacks, particularly around permanently protected farms. These measures can help reduce those conflicts by establishing clear expectations for new development and supporting the long-term viability of agriculture. The plan also recommends exploring a voluntary agriculture zoning classification that landowners could choose to participate or opt into. This will provide an additional tool to support farming, guide compatible development patterns, and strengthen long-term farm and preservation efforts while remaining entirely voluntary. Protecting farmland is not just about preserving land. It's also about ensuring the next generation has that opportunity to support and continue farming. Wake County already has a strong foundation for agriculture. 32 agriculture education programs across Wake County Public Schools serving more than 8,300 FFA members. These programs include 19 high schools and 13 middle schools and are supported by over 50 agriculture education teachers countywide. To build on this success, the plan recommends expanding resources and technical assistance for estate planning and farm transition planning to help farm families successfully transfer land and operations to future generations. The plan also supports incubator farm programs that support beginning and limited resource farmers with access to things like land, training, equipment, and mentorship. Together, these efforts help strengthen the agricultural workforce, support farm ownership, and ensure agriculture remains a vital part of Wake County's identity. This set of recommendations focuses on strengthening the financial and programmatic tools that we have in our program so that we can sustain our farmland preservation in Wake County long term. A key factor of TRIC's success, I think Leigh Ann spoke about it, has been the strong support that y'all have made conservation easements-wise through the historic local investment of the present use value rollback taxes for easements that happened in 2023. Without that commitment, we would not be where we're at today in closing the amount of easements we're closing. It helped leverage those state and federal and those private dollars to help us close easements faster. If we didn't have that leverage, we could not compete at the state level, federal level to bring that money into without a local commitment. The plan also recommends exploring a dedicated farmland protection bond over the next five to 10 year timeframe. And what came of this is because the money that we have from present use value to support easements, something bad has to happen for us to get that money. land has to become out of our culture and those rollback taxes have to be paid in order for us to have that money to protect more farmland and as you know as we continue to lose more acres our funding may continue to dwindle and and and just looking at the long-term five to ten year time frame uh... looking at a long-term stable funding source that continues could help fund our conservation easements and lastly These recommendations highlight that agriculture and forest land provide measurable public benefits that extend well beyond food and timber production. Working farms and forests support environmental resilience by providing flood mitigation, wildlife habitat, water filtration, groundwater recharge, soil health improvement, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity protection. Together these ecosystem services that we call them are essential to Wake County's long-term environmental health and climate resilience. We will also be producing a annual state of the farmland report for y'all that will serve as a primary tracking mechanism to measure progress on implementing this farmland preservation plan and also to monitor the farmland and forest trends over time. This farmland preservation plan helps meet the goals in your strategic plan. We're working in this plan and these recommendations will help implement and make sure that growth and development will be directed towards city and towns that provide those municipal services. We'll also help protect the thousand acres of green space, including parks, farmland and forest by 2029. We're over halfway there already. And by 2029, we want to make sure that all residents have access to clean water, whether it's drinking water or surface waters. This plan does not stand alone. It is intentionally aligned with other county plans and priorities. It supports Plan Wake by helping guide growth in a way that protects our remaining agricultural land in rural character. It complements the Food Security Plan by recognizing that local farmland is a critical component of a resilient local food system. It aligns with One Water Plan by protecting working lands that contribute to water quality, groundwater recharge, and flood mitigation. And it connects to the Parks Master Plan by identifying opportunities to preserve open space and maintain the natural landscapes that our residents value. Overall, this alignment ensures that we're not working in silos. It allows us to leverage existing efforts and maximize our resources and move forward with a coordinated countywide strategy. And looking at the public engagement piece of it, extensive engagement in landowners and residents revealed overwhelming support for farm and preservation and a deep concern about development pressure. We did two surveys, a landowner survey and a public survey, captured a perspective of more than 1,000 people in Wake County. 96% of them agreed that preserving farmland and forest land and agriculture operations in the county is very important. Out of those benefits, the top three that they said were local food production, environmental protection, clean water, clean air, wildlife habitat, and open space as well. One of the other perfect survey results that we've got is that 96% of the public believe Wake County is losing too much farmland or forest land to development. And 95% of them would support policies and initiatives that expand protections for farmland preservation. I do want to give a shout out to our communications staff. I don't know if Aravik's here, but they've done a tremendous job since we started this program in getting these posts out about easement closings that we've had, about our farmland preservation plan, getting the public comments back to us regarding the plan. And we just had one four days ago post on Wake County, if you didn't see it, the one that the 32 acres that we just preserved in the Shotwell area. And it's close to a thousand likes and shares and everything right now on that post. So people really get to see it and the public are really supportive of the work that we're doing. And to be in a county with over 1.2 million people, we surveyed the landowners about how long their farm had been in the family. Would you know? that there's still 120 farms in Wake County that is between 50 and 100 years old, and 101 farms in a county that's over 100 years old, and 30 farms that's over 200 years old in the same family. It's remarkable in this size of county. We did a stakeholder engagement back last summer, bringing in participants from across the county, representing, again, a broad section of stakeholders, farmers, land trusts, municipalities, conservation nonprofits, business leaders, and planning professionals. So the workshop enabled us some valuable on the ground perspectives to help us inform in decision making that went into this plan on the different strategies and how we can strengthen our collaboration across those sectors. And our outreach, we have engaged a lot of stakeholders. You can see those here. And we've done a lot of presentations. We presented to, again, the planning board. A few of those are here. Our municipal managers meeting, our municipal planners as well, our board of supervisors, Wake County Farm Bureau board, and just recently to the OSAPAC board. The feedback that we've got through this whole engagement process with the public and landowners, we did get two feedback topics revolved around needing more stakeholder engagement before we draft any language needed around implementation of agriculture compatibility buffers, excuse me. uh... we also received the same engagement uh... it regarding need for creating new voluntary agriculture zoning district uh... this is from the wake county raleigh home builders association they did reach out to us and let us know that before anything was developed they would like to have input and be a stakeholder in that process and that work group and i assured them that they would be along with a lot of other people before we would uh... dive into trying to put together language around uh... compatibility buffers uh... or creating the new voluntary agriculture zoning districts but Out of all the outreach that we did, those are the only feedback topics that we received from them. And, again, I made sure to let them know that we want to work together on how to do both. With that. Our recommended actions is to approve the Farmland Preservation Plan, which provides a clear framework to guide growth, protect working lands, and leverage partnership funding, while also preserving your full discretion over when and how recommendations will be implemented. And I'll have any questions.

Thank you, Teresa. Are there any questions or comments by the board? Commissioner Jackson and then Commissioner Stallings.

I just appreciate your passion every time we do our tours and I'm in conversation with you I just feel the commitment that you have to our farms and open space and just thank you thank you thank you for the relationships you build and for the commitment that you bring to this good work and to the partnerships I was very it was good to hear about the feedback topics and how you have you know responded and engaged those voices As the big city girl here that moved to Southern Wake County and live across the street from several farms and very rural, I do find a lot of value in preserving some of the beauty that drew me to the southern parts of the county. So this question is for not me per se, but I am curious, like who would be against this? What are the naysayers saying?

A lot of people that have reached out, some of the comments we got is, and it's true, Wake County is known for economic development and jobs and opportunities. A lot of the feedback that we've got in some of the questions is, should Wake County be preserving farmland because shouldn't we just be about economic development? My response to that is no. We need a balance of both. Our residents deserve to have both. You know and so we I know counties across the state that have it You know for us to have over 80,000 acres still a farmland here and to be the most populous County in the state is just remarkable But it goes to show the passion that our culture community has in this county that want us to have a presence and want to stay here So that that's the kind of what we get is that should should we be observing land or should we just be an economic center? And my guess is we can be both. It's okay. It's got to have a good reflective balance of that. I

so that we have those opportunities to have you know local foods and just access to local farm you know as well all right well if that's the main naysayer i appreciate balance and spectrum and we can do a little bit of all and we definitely need to preserve the essence of what makes wake county wake county and also to have local food sources thank you for this plan i know we've had a lot of conversation about it i support it thank you thank you

and you're not going to discuss your ride on the tractor last week.

I have had so much, y'all, I've had so much fun on farms with Teresa. Yes, and I don't know what the machine is, but I did get on a machine that was like plowing wheat. It was so fun. Jackie got you, that's right. Yes, yes. I'm a farm girl at heart.

That's great. Okay, Commissioner Stallings.

Oh, I agree. Your passion and your dedication and your commitment is just palpable, and we just appreciate you so much being an advocate for our farms. And I did grow up on a farm, so many of you all know that and still have that farm in eastern North Carolina. It doesn't have the development pressures that Wake County Farms has, but... still have that family farm and so our farmers will always have support from me on this board because i know how important it is um to our economy to our economy to our food sources and it's good for our children to know where our food comes from right not just the cans in the grocery store right so you are such examples to us um to adults as well that you you just um brings so much to who we are as Wake County. And I think we are big enough for both. I do think it's a both and. And I will fully support our farmers. Not only do I support parks and open spaces, but also farms. So I just want you to know I fully support this and appreciate the home builders wanting to be partners in this work as we continue to move forward. Because we will need that partnership. And, you know, one of the highlights of my year is going to Pam's on Weston Boulevard and seeing all those FFA students from all these high schools and middle schools. So it just reaffirms that the interest in agriculture is alive and well in Wake County. So I look forward to supporting this. So thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Stahl and Commissioner Thomas.

Thank you. Thank you, Teresa, for your work. I know we've been doing some work together for several years, and thank you for doing it in a bipartisan way that everyone is interested and lots of people can be supportive. I remember when Commissioner Troxler talked with us, and we don't get that kind of support very often, and so thank you for that work. I do want to mention someone. I know often people talk about Dr. James West. And I remember lots of the conversations that we had and lots of the work that we did. And one of the things that we often did was had calls on Sunday at a certain time. And whenever I called him early, he would say, Shamika, I'm chopping produce. I don't have time to talk to you right now. Call me back at the right time. But he was definitely a farmer, owned farmland, was always supportive of farmland preservation, worked at the Cooperative Extension for many years, was a champion statewide around food security. And I know oftentimes people talk about him and talk about the work that he did, but we work together well. And I supported a lot of the things that he did and I supported him in his advocacy for his work at the Cooperative Extension. So thank you so much for this. It really reminds me of his legacy and the work that he'd done for so long. And it was one of the things that he taught me when I first came on this board. We toured farms together, which I thought was always hilarious because Like Commissioner Jackson, I'm not necessarily a farm girl, but to see Dr. West out there in his boots and his jeans, which you didn't see him in often, was really cool. So thank you for this work, Chairman. I'd love to make the motion when the time comes. The other thing is that I would say I appreciate the way you as staff highlighted the county plan alignment we've talked often when we do the strategic when we did the strategic plan about how many different plans there are in wake county and so to see the alignment so that we can you know combine some things and and house things in one place which makes it easy for us to look at when we're making decisions but it also makes it easy for residents to see um how we're making those decisions so thank you for that county plan alignment slide as well thank you commission thomas commission waters

Well, I continue to echo the appreciation to you, Teresa, you're legendary in your work. And I also salute the farming community who is here with us today. I had a chance to visit a farm on Friday. really appreciated seeing the pressure and also the pride in farming and have a deep sense of gratitude. My early years were spent in a farming community and so I am just really grateful and just really humbled to have a small piece in this work as we look at farming that goes back so long and generationally. And I think as we move forward in this work, we will have impact on generations. to come and so thank you to everyone who does this work humbly and quietly and often uncelebrated. It does make a difference in our daily lives whether we realize it or not and we're super grateful and I look forward to supporting this plan.

Thank you. Commissioner Evans.

Thank you. Yes, I too want to celebrate Theresa, the advisory committee, everyone that's involved in this effort, OSA PAC, Thanks to the Farm Bureau folks for being here. The passion is clear. We've been on a journey since I've been on this board. It started a little before that, but I was also reflecting in addition to Dr. West, I was thinking about Tim Maloney that we recognized earlier today who's about to retire. I had just come on the board in 2018 when we began embarking on the Plan Wake Comprehensive Plan, which took us a couple of years. And he and his staff did such an amazing job engaging with everybody in the community, and particularly the farmers and the agricultural community in a way that I'm not sure had really been done before that point. And for those who weren't around at that time, one of the things that came out of that was we created a rural land designation to protect designated areas in our comprehensive plan that were designed not to be developed but to be kept rural. And before that point in time, like you said, we were in economic crisis. engine and housing and development was just happening and it was what it was. So that was, you know, for me, I thought just sort of a lightning rod, thoughtful moment. And then from there, we've done all the work with the voluntary ag districts and, and the rollback taxes and so forth. But there is so much to, we, we, it, we're fighting an uphill battle as we know in this community but the fact that we still have what 80 000 some plus acres in wake county being farmed is really pretty amazing so thank you to all that have been involved with that and i'm very supportive of these efforts. I would like to say that in talking about any of the pushback that's been received, I have heard from some of the folks in the home builder community, and I know they're the stakeholders you were referring to that have some concerns about the proposed buffers. And I understand both sides of that equation. I've talked with the farmers, I understand how challenging it can be when a neighborhood comes in right next to the farm and the people that move in there don't really know exactly how to deal with that, and it creates issues for everybody. But one of the issues that the home builders are raising, which for those of you who don't know, I was once in the building and development business, so I know how the math works, they're concerned about if they're the ones that have to give up the land for the buffer, that that affects their numbers and the cost of what they're doing. So I'm just glad that we're going to continue to engage and figure out how we can find a good compromise because I think those buffers are very, very important. But I just wanted to mention that I have heard from them on that issue, as I know y'all have. But other than that, I mean, and I understand this is a framework that we're approving today, and then we'll have a lot of work to do moving forward as we get more specific under each piece of it. But I appreciate the work and happy to support the effort. Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Evans and the rest of the board members. Let me add my input as well. Most of you guys know that, especially when you're talking about that great metropolitan area of Shotwell. That's where I spent my youth and grew up at. I still have family out there that still farms. I think most of you guys are seeing the orders here. I visit your farms one time or another. So I definitely appreciate all that you do for us, providing food and stuff to our community. And for those of y'all that have not had a good homegrown dirt tomato, you need to try one. There's a well of difference between what you get on the farm and what you get out of the grocery store. The food just tastes so much different. So we really appreciate you farmers for being here and what you do for our community. So with that, I will be supporting this plan. So Commissioner Thomas, do you want to go ahead and make that motion?

Thank you so much. I move that the Board of Commissioners approves the Wake County Farmland Preservation Plan as the county's long-term strategy for protecting farmland, supporting agriculture, and guiding farmland preservation efforts.

Second.

I forgot everybody's second.

District two, we have the farmland.

Okay, we got a motion by Commissioner Thomas and Commissioner Jackson. Since you're down in the lower southern tip, we give you the pleasure to second where you're a lot of farms at. So all in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

All opposed, please say no. Not hearing any, motion carries. Thank you, guys. Thank you. Okay, so that concludes the regular portion of today's agenda, and then we'll move on to other business. Commissioners, would anyone like to share an update from an advisor or regional board that you are appointed to? Commissioner Stallings?

Yes, thanks, Chair. Just a couple of updates from the NCACC. We had our County Advocacy Day last week, and on June, right, last week? I'll just briefly say.

The 9th and the 10th.

Yeah, the 9th and the 10th, that's right. And as Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, we had an emphasis on, we had our steering committee on HR1, so we had two really good folks from North Carolina Medicaid and the State Department of Health and Human Services. Just trying to lay out the map for HR 1 and it continues to be concerning, but I appreciate the folks we do have at the state level who are partnering and trying to mitigate and support us as we continue to move through this. Then secondly, with the president's North Carolina County's care, which is on healthcare. The last meeting is going to be on Thursday, June 18th. It will be through Zoom, and that topic will be innovations in healthcare, and we will have the State Secretary, Sangva, who will be one of the speakers, and that should be really good as we talk about emerging practices, strategies for improving healthcare in this land of sort of uncertainty, but we're going to try to finish on a positive note in terms of emerging practices and ways that we can move forward in a positive way. Thank you.

Thank You Commissioner Thomas Thank you.

I have just a couple of things I'm not sure that they all fit under advisor and regional boards, but that's where I'm gonna put them today I'm gonna start with you chairman mile I think last week you did the state of the city and county with the Raleigh Chamber at Briar Creek and Commissioner Jackson was there as well and you did a great job Thank you so much for the remarks. You talked a lot about the property tax issue and talking about that in front of the business community, I thought was huge. That's not necessarily a conversation that we've had. We've had some advocacy, elected to elected conversations, but to be able to present this literally the state of the county from a property tax perspective in front of the business community, you did a great job. So thank you for that. I wanted to mention that. The other thing is that I know we've been talking, Commissioner Stallings has asked me several times, and I've been talking about the Governor's AI Leadership Council. The Governor's AI Leadership Council has met, and for the last time, well, last time, but we voted on recommendations last week, and those recommendations will be released in the next 30 days by the Governor. And I want to thank Secretary Lilly and Secretary Nate Denny. for the opportunity to serve as the only local government representative on that AI Leadership Council across the state. I look forward to hearing others' thoughts about that work and how it can become guardrails for counties and municipal governments around artificial intelligence and our state agencies as well. The last thing I would mention is the NCACC advocacy days last week. Thank you all so much for all of the work. Commissioner Waters, I saw lots of pictures of you with other commissioners from around the state. And I saw... Commissioner Evans at the dinner and Commissioner Jackson was at the breakfast and I saw Commissioner Myle there and of course Commissioner Stallings participated on the steering committee as she chairs that work for President Nelson. So thank you for that. I think the dinner was a great opportunity for table fellowship one, but also to have the opportunity to do some advocacy elected to elected. There were lots of folks from the General Assembly there. So to be able to talk to them about the things that are on our legislative agenda, Specifically, the property tax issues and the constitutional amendment were really great. I also appreciated seeing many of you in the General Assembly. We talked a lot about maternal health that day. There was another press conference happening, but also had the opportunity to talk to Leader Batch and Leader Reeves about some of the property tax issues and what happens after this and the legislation that's being passed. Past, let's say right now. So thank you all for that work and all of the committee meetings. I know Commissioner Evans, you serve on a committee as does Commissioner Jackson on tax and finance. So thank you for that work. I look forward to seeing all of you in Durham in August for our statewide meeting. That's it. Thank you so much, Chairman.

Thank you, Commission Jackson.

All right, yes.

But did you want on that, are you gonna move to?

Defer, I have more other business.

Okay, anyone else have anything from advisory or boards? Okay, if not, then we'll move on to other reports from commissioners. So Commissioner Jackson, then Commissioner Evans.

All right, a couple of things I want to acknowledge. First, graduation season is coming to a close, and I know that all of my fellow commissioners have gotten to at least one of the graduations, but it is just such a joy. It fills up my heart to see You know over half of our budget goes to Wake County Public Schools and to be able to see what the culmination of that experience is and the joy of the students walking across the stage and the spectrum of energy and Types of ceremonies and the things that are said it has just been so wonderful. So to the graduates to the parents, to the community that have supported them. You have earned this, congratulations. Just wanna say that officially. Though I can just see the hard work in some of the students and the excitement across the stage. It's just a wonderful experience. On Friday, I had the honor of bringing a message to the Wake County employee wellness event. And that was another place where there was just so much good energy in the room. We all had on yellow and now I'm like searching for more yellow shirts and yellow dresses. But for our county to be able to invest in our employees with dedicated time to lunch and learn, come together and just make sure that everyone is reminded to care for themselves first is a testament to the leadership of the county and I think County Manager Ellis and the full staff and all of the committee that planned and put that time together. It was a beautiful time. So I just take this moment as this is National Employee Wellness Month to just encourage everybody and my fellow commissioners to do something well for yourself. Lots of excitements going on. I also had the pleasure of speaking at the Southern Regional Center 30th celebration. And it was just so much fun to be able to acknowledge a long time commitment to bring services to community. When back in the day, well, I guess Fuquay is still pretty far from downtown Raleigh, even further with traffic, but was just so honored to be welcomed into the community and be able to celebrate the years of service to Southern Wake County through our regional center. I was was not able to get to any of the home the groundbreaking for the Homes that are built, but I know fellow commissioners will I just want to celebrate It's a lot of groundbreaking and as Teresa said and as we acknowledge This county can balance both we can preserve farmland and break ground on lots and lots and lots of housing so just want to acknowledge that and celebrate that and That's it.

Okay.

Thank you.

Commissioner Evans.

Thank you, well, I did also attend part of the NCACC Aviski Conference and was at the Public Education Steering Committee meeting with colleagues from across the state. One interesting, they had three different presentations in that meeting that day, but one was YMCA folks from here in the Triangle doing a presentation about the Southeast Raleigh Promise Project and the collaboration between the YMCA and the Wake County Public School and the other great things that we know about that have taken place in that development and telling the story of how all that came to be, trying to inspire other communities who might want to take on something similar. And we also had presentations recently related to things that are happening in workforce development with our community colleges and heard some good things, but all of which we're already on top of at Wake Tech, so what can you say? But anyway, overall, a good day always with the colleagues at NCACC. I did attend a few of the housing events in the last couple of weeks. On the 5th of June, I attended the Habitat Builders Blitz for the Habitat of Greater Wake. This is where they dedicated the six homes that the home builders community built in a week, basically, for six years. soon to be first time homeowners, very, very exciting. Got to tour some of the homes, got to hear from each of the residents that will be occupying the homes and their journey, as well as each of the builder teams that participated on building those homes. And they all had very heartwarming stories. And so I just appreciate the commitment all around These builders dedicate time, their subcontractors dedicate time, material suppliers dedicate materials. And so, You know, we work here, a few projects I'll mention in a moment, supporting a lot of rental housing projects. But, you know, Habitat for Humanity is one of those places where folks are given the opportunity to have home ownership and build equity. So this is in their new community, the good community. Good Hope Community, no? Anyway, I'm forgetting the name, but it's gonna have 400 plus homes on the border of Garner and Southeast Raleigh, which is really awesome. Hope Grove. I knew Hope was in there. Hope Grove. Thank you very much. Then that same day, I was in Cary in the afternoon speaking at the grand opening of Rose Park Manor. This is a senior living affordable housing rental complex that the county contributed money towards along with the town of Cary. It will be $80,000. It is open, 81 units serving seniors in Cary. And I believe the county contributed like 2.6 million to be one of several funders for that project. It's very lovely and it's very near downtown and it's right on a bus line and people will be able to walk to lots of things. So I'm really, really happy to see that come to fruition. And then a few days later, myself and Commissioner Stallings and Adamson celebrated with the White Oak Foundation the opening of some low-income townhomes on the border of West Cary and Apex, of which we were a partial contributor on those as well. I forget how many units that was. Was that a? 30. 30. Very good.

All right, thank you. Okay, Commissioner Warders.

Thank you, Chair Mayal. June is Vitiligo Awareness Month, so I'm proudly wearing my purple today as a member of that community as we continue to raise awareness and acceptance. So I hope you'll have the opportunity to learn more about Vitiligo, and as you see purple, remember the importance of education. and I, too, enjoyed the graduation season. Vice Chair Jackson, it was a special time for all of our community members and even more special for me to be at the Millbrook High School graduation as I celebrated my 30th. Graduation is a very humbling experience with the graduations are all unique and also special. We're really fortunate in Wake County to have schools that are reflective of the diversity of our kiddos and support them in the ways that are very meaningful to them. And I also wanted to salute all of our educators who retired this year or who have pending retirement. We are fortunate to have had some giants in education. The principal of Enloe High School is graduating, Dr. Jackie Jordan, thank you for your service. Principal of Mary Phillips, Mr. Gupton, who's humbly and quietly serving students for so long, also retired, and two really special teachers to me, Ms. Florence Mineo of Knightdale High School, and also Ms. Manazza of Lynn Road, and many, many other educators. And it's amazing to hear, when you hear that they've spent 30 and sometimes more years, 40 and plus, in our education system is just really a gift. if you ask anyone who inspired them the most, most times it is an educator, so super grateful for all of that work. And I also wanted to lift up the opportunity to have participated in a panel hosted by Fathers Forever. It was called Bring Them All the Way Home, which really highlighted the importance of supporting fathers as they are reentering society after incarceration. And I appreciate the First Lady of North Carolina, First Lady Stein, being there and lifting up um importance of this work and also um doing a great job and highlighting the importance of supporting children of incarcerated parents so really appreciated that opportunity i also wanted to um lift up the juneteenth holiday which will be on june 19th there are many many opportunities to celebrate juneteenth and i wanted to thank the crosby advocacy group who has led the work in the inaugural juneteenth community celebration for wake county and that will be held saturday june 20th from 10 a.m to 4 which will include free food education entertainment health fair vendor mall and more The event starts at 10 a.m. And then there will also be additional opportunities to celebrate on Sunday, June 21st, also at the Southeast Raleigh YMCA with the People's Farmers Market. So mark your calendars if you can't make that event. There are lots of other ways to celebrate and lift up this important moment in American history. And I'm always grateful to be able to do this work. So thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Stallings and Commissioner Jackson.

Okay, yes sir, thank you. Just to add a little more to what Commissioner Evans said, we were at that White Oak Foundation ribbon cutting on Wednesday, June the 10th, and it was 30 town homes, 15 designated as affordable. The county was asked to support two of the three transitional housing units in this community, and that was really to help residents in crisis to have long-term access to safe, stable housing for actually up to 12 months. and the people that reside in those homes will get case management, financial literacy, coaching, housing, counseling, on-site daycare services, food support, and just a lot of wraparound services. So the White Oak Foundation is an amazing nonprofit community partner that we have over 25 years on that border of Cary and Apex. We had both Cary and Apex officials there claiming, because they're right on the border of both of those, but very, very wonderful event. And just a shout out to the good, good work the White Oak Foundation is doing. And lastly, I was invited to Wilburn Elementary, not far from here. They had a Wake Up and Read event last week, and I was with first graders and third graders, and they had an opportunity to go to the media center and get five books, five new books for summer reading, and just to see the glow and happiness on small faces, just excited about reading, excited about getting new books for the summer, just made my day, so thank you.

Thank you. Commissioner Jackson?

Yes, I skipped the last thing on my list, and this really goes to Commissioner Thomas' comment about your speech at the State of the City, State of the County, and how the business community is involved, and it was just a great opportunity to talk with them about our limitations. and challenges around taxes. At the NCACC meeting last week, I just want to share with you all that as a member of the Tax and Finance Committee, we had the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina come and present. And many of our meetings up until this point had been about the challenges that counties are facing with property taxes and the Blue Ridge loophole, and it was just a lot about property taxes. And it was refreshing and good to be reminded about how we can balance and optimize our local tax base by working through an economic development lens. So it was great to have Trish Chris Chung there to really inspire county commissioners to think about how economic development can help balance the pressures that are put on by property taxes. So I just wanted to share that with you because so much of this year has been about property taxes. And I just wanted to celebrate our committee bringing the other side and the balance of that as we all think about how to fund these county services. Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Jackson. Mr. Askew, is there a need for a closed session today? I'm sorry, Chairman. You still have one?

One more thing. I'm sorry. I just wanted to take a moment of personal privilege. I know that we have several former members of school boards here and We are very supportive of education and I just wanted to lift up that the chairwoman of the Cumberland County Board of Education, Judy Musgrave, passed away this weekend. Ms. Musgrave was my husband's middle school math teacher and she was my high school algebra teacher. And her daughter is my sorority sister and resides in Charlotte. And the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners sent me a message and just asked that we would just keep our Cumberland County electeds in our prayers. They lost a commissioner about a month ago, and now the chairwoman of the Board of Education has passed away after Heart surgery, actually, so just a point of personal privilege to keep Cumberland County and the Musgrave family lifted. Thank you.

I appreciate that, and thank you so much for bringing it to us. Commissioner Jackson, you had another comment before we close?

Yes, this one is really important, you all. So as an early childhood advocate and caring about the birthing experience in the first five years, we often hear, like, thanks to my mom. And even at the graduations, I heard, like, thanks to mom, my mom. Well, this Sunday is Father's Day. So I wanna say happy Father's Day to the men in the room, to the men listening. We must do more as a society to lift up the role that fathers play and appreciate the panel that you were on lifting up fathers. I grew up as a daddy's girl, so I just wanna say happy Father's Day and let's do more to support the very important role that fathers play in the lives of all of us. from young people to high school graduates and beyond. Thank you.

I really appreciate that. Of course, being a dad, but if you guys always know when you see the big screen on television that the football and basketball games, they always have a sign that they flip and the front side said, love you, mom. And they flip it over and go, dad, send money. So again, thank you. Love you, dad. But Mr. Askew, there are need for a closed session today.

Yes, sir, Mr. Chair. The closed session today is called for the following purpose, and that's to consider the qualifications, competence, performance, character, fitness, or conditions of employment of a public officer or employee pursuant to NCGS 143-318.11a6.

I'm happy to make the motion for closed session that is referenced by the county attorney. I second it.

Okay, we have motion by Commissioner Thompson, second by Commissioner Stallings. If we're going to close session, all in favor, please say aye. Aye. Those is it. Are you ready? Yeah, everyone's already ready. Okay. Okay. Okay, we are back out of closed session and we have a motion that need to be made. Commissioner Stallings.

Yes, sir, Chair. I move that the county manager be given an annual salary of $479,655, and he be allowed to qualify for retirement health benefits under the Wake County Health Plan, and that the interim county attorney receive an annual salary of $305,000 plus $800 per month as travel allowance, and that these adjustments for both positions be effective July 1, 2026. Second. Second.

Okay, we have a motion by Commissioner Stallings. We have a second by Commissioner Thomas. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. All opposed, please say no. Not hearing any, the motion carries. So I want to thank everyone and that concludes our agenda for today. The board's next regular meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 6th at 5 p.m.

I move to adjourn. Second. Aye.

Y'all make me laugh, I'm sorry. I have a motion by Commissioner Thomas to adjourn and a second by Commissioner Evans. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. All opposed? Ayes have it, we are officially adjourned.