City Council - Regular Meeting

I'll turn it over to you. Thank you, Miles. So I know we have a number of questions. What I would like to do, I think we're going to move, have some requests to move a couple items from the consent agenda to the regular agenda. So what I'd like to do is go ahead and get the ones that we want to move. But then if there are any remaining questions regarding any that are staying on the consent agenda, we'll kind of tackle those. So, Jim, you want to start? I know I'm suggesting the bike ordinance for a brief discussion. That would be, yes.

I want to pull B7, Chapter 75, Regulation of Electric and Motorized Mobility Devices, Ordinances to the Regular Agenda.

There may be some here in the gallery for public comment on that, so my suggestion would be to put it right after public comment, so that would make it new item C2. Is that agreeable? Okay, all right, so that will, so B7 will now become new agenda item C2. All right, Jason.

I would like to ask that we pull B5 as well as B6. Okay. For discussion.

All right, and let's see. So I think for discussion purposes, it'll make more sense to have B6 before B5. Yes. So why don't we do, as new agenda item C3, we'll do B6, and then C4, we'll do B5. Any other requests for removal? So those will be amended to the The regular agenda as stated in questions regarding the remaining items on the consent agenda.

Yes, sir. I have some difficult questions. I guess I'll just go in order. With respect to B8 and Budget Amendment 2, the Catawba River Public Water Intake Excavations Project, can you refresh my recollection, Miles, as to how the initial procurement process did not comply with the applicable state and city requirements? I know there was a bidder who didn't provide all the correct information, but I didn't realize that that might have made the process non-compliant.

Yes, agreed. Thank you. And the agenda packet said the project was not eligible for reimbursement for the state revolving fund. Is it an issue of eligibility or is it an issue of we just decided that it wouldn't be included in the state revolving fund?

Okay, that makes sense. And sort of transitioning to budget amendment three, item B10. Can you just refresh my recollection as to the relationship between the Catawba River public water intake excavation project and the raw water intake rehabilitation capital project?

But we're taking the dredging now and doing it ourselves versus as part of the $10 million state revolve. Correct.

And then with respect to the contract award, the twelve, as I was reviewing it, it seems sort of familiar to me. Did we pass Task Order 29 back at the July meeting? Did we approve it? Or are there some slight changes to Task Order 29 in our current agenda packet that we need to approve it again?

And would that be why it's slightly less? Correct. Makes sense. Thank you. My last question is with respect to the solid waste ordinance, Chapter 50B14. I know we talk about yard waste and recycling and waste collection. Is the fact that there is no reference to the composting program, is that because it's a separate contract with a private entity and not with waste connections in the city? That's correct.

That's all the questions I have. Any other questions for Miles? All right. There are no further questions. That will conclude our work session. I will call to order the September 8, 2026 Belmont City Council regular meeting. And I believe we have Pastor Alexander, or I'm sorry, Pastor Jerry Pennington here with us to be calling up for the invocations of everyone to stand and remain standing with me.

to recognize a special guest we have with us. We have Dr. Jeff Talley with us this evening, the new president of Belmont Abbey. Dr. Talley, if you'd wave for everyone. So Dr. Talley has joined Belmont Abbey, this is his first year. He moved his family up here. We are very excited as a community to see him come in. in the Abbey and continue moving it in great directions. But we're also very pleased with the renewed relationship that we're seeing growing between the City of Belmont Abbey. I know a lot of that is because of your leadership and we appreciate you and the opportunity to welcome you

Second by Charlie. Any opposed? All right, so that will set our agenda. Agenda as amended. So at this point, I will entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda as amended. So moved. Motion made by Jim. Second by Alex. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? All right. So that will pass the amended consent agenda. Thank you. That will move us to our amended agenda item C1, which is public comment. We have a couple here. Dr. Brenda Eskridge. Come on up. I'd like to remind everyone that the microphone is not that sensitive, so don't be afraid to get close. And just for the others that will be speaki

All right, that will conclude our public comment section.

I wasn't aware that that was a policy with respect to the COLA. So I'm just interested to hear the explanation.

Okay. All right, very good. Just real quick, before we move on to our next agenda item, Are you, is the gallery here in the home? It's very slight. Slight? Okay, all right. I can kind of hear it there once in a while, but I can't tell. I just want to make sure that everything's clear and everyone can hear us. All right, okay. All right, now we'll move us on to amended agenda item C2, which is... Yes, thank you. The Chapter 75 Regulation of Electric and Motorized Mobility. We have Lizzy with us one more time. Good evening, everybody.

Oh, so I'll start. I think what I was hoping to do is just, for those people that follow the city on social media, I think they understand that there was some revisions made at the last meeting that were put into form to be adopted on the consent agenda tonight, which would then be able to have it read in first reading of the ordinance. I have to have two readings, two separate readings. At least this one does. Sorry? At least this one does. At least this one does. And there was a change. And when it came to council, a number of council members heard from the community. And when we were review

There it is. I hear it now, yes. Okay, I'm not. There was some unintended language that remained. And with the new revision and the unintended language that remained, It appeared to restrict human power devices from the downtown dismount. And that was not the intent of the original draft. It was not intended to cancel it.

Which we did not intend to even deal with.

Get into human power devices. Traditional bicycles, if you will. But with that said, If I'm missing anything, I wanted to clarify prior to any type of vote that that is indeed the case with the downtown dismount zones. If you want to walk us through it just a little bit high level again, what it will apply to, what it will apply to.

And because e-bikes or electric-assisted bicycles are considered bicycles. Yes, as we learned last time at the workshop, we likewise cannot. So folks can drive their e-bikes down south. Correct. Yes.

Just clarification, that will not change people's ability to come off Rocky Branch, come up Woodrow, turn, go down Main Street, go to the restaurants, go to our businesses, do the things they have always done.

Which they were never allowed to do in the first place. Correct. So that doesn't change anything either. Correct.

Okay, thank you for that clarification. A couple other points I just want to ask because I'm not real sure where these are landing and I did receive some feedback on them. Are currently the way helmets are handled. I understand that our fine is substantially more than North Carolina's statutory fine. I believe their statutory fine is $10, ours is 100. Maybe this is more of a parks question. I hate to do that to you.

Well, as luck would have it, I asked Lindsay if she would be prepared to discuss that.

I've had some time. Excellent. Please take it away. In your spare time.

Yeah. Okay. All right. I think that's good for the penalty for me. Any questions on the penalty? I'm going to go to the next. Well, it looks like you could waive it if you actually buy it.

So my other question was our ability to put helmet restrictions on class one and two. Not only has that, not because I don't want to, but because I know that the new law coming in, state law coming in in December, there's going to be an effect for one, gives municipalities specifically the authority to put helmet restrictions on class one and two e-bikes. But the only thing right now that is, that the state requires is helmets of people under 18 on class three. So do we, put it in there and not make it apply until 12-1? Or do we put it in place and assume that we have the authority to do it un

All right. Because you then need to indicate this section will become effective December 1st because I'm assuming if the two readings pass, then it would be the ordinances would otherwise be effective as of that date, which would be sometime in October.

I think so. I've seen that. Yeah, this will be effective.

Oh, it needs to be done there. Okay. All right. I don't have any questions. Other questions on helmets? Anybody? That's good. Okay. The last question that I did receive a lot of back and forth on was the impoundment language. So currently the way it's working is for inviolation, the device can be impounded. I think it was really focusing more on the little ones. But regardless, a lot of people tell me they didn't think that was the case. So what I would like to do is just make sure that we're within state statute. What we can and what we haven't. My understanding is that we need to add a notic

But also, I don't want to open the city up for... Well, the provisions that you cite, are those related specifically to these types of devices?

It is the general impoundment for vehicles. There's nothing specifically that I found on busing. the new devices.

Okay. So in practice... If whatever I was riding was impounded and you found me and I came to you, the idea is that the city will be giving it back. Correct. But they'll be paying a penalty or whatever it may be. Correct.

Something like that. I like the idea of having those steps added just for the safety of the city standpoint. I think... Jim, you have thoughts on the appeal process of that? Do we need to give... specifically a chance to appeal the impoundment? I don't know how that would look in a different practice.

Well, I mean, all right. I mean, typically due process involves a bare minimum notice and opportunity to be heard. And what sort of notice and opportunity to be heard entails sort of depends on how much depends on the importance of the right. And so I would assume I don't think this is Life or death or or what, so I don't know it needs to be like a full blown multi step process. I don't know, Parks, if you necessarily have to provide the right to an appeal, per se.

I wouldn't put it in a complicated set of rules. I just have a general statement about it being in compliance with all provisions of state law regarding enforcement or something like that.

Yeah, because I mean, to Jason and Parks' point, you know, typically like at the federal level, the statutes are going to be very broad. And then the specific procedures are going, they'll say, oh, and such and such agency is authorized to adopt regulations to enforce the statute. And then you'd see the details. So like with Title IX, say, which when I teach sports law, you know, Title IX doesn't really specifically refer to sports. It just talks about, you know, you know, equal opportunities in education. And then it tasks the Office for Civil Rights, which is the group that, you know, issues

All right. Because I think that's fine. I agree with both Chase and Park. You don't want to make it overly complicated, and statutes and ordinances themselves aren't necessarily supposed to, you know, get super complicated.

Well, I mean, compared to the one we passed with Chapter 50 in the consent agenda.

Yes, well, that is true. I think that's it for me, for things I wanted to cover on it, just to make sure that there was clarity on the record and everyone has the opportunity to tune in here and to understand what we're looking at as far as the new revised purpose. Thank you, Lindsay, I appreciate that. Anybody have, yes?

First off, I want to, again, thank Lindsay. She's doing gentlemen's work through all this, and a lot of this is new territory, as we've talked about. I know we've had some conversations offline Some of the changes, and I think we're getting really, really close. I know we all want the same thing. We want this to be right for the first time it gets rolled out. You know, I'm sick safety of our citizens and traveling public is paramount. One of those changes I noticed in your latest graphic, because in the previous one, there was nothing to dictate what governed in a 25-mile-an-hour zone.

like between, on the main, between Woodrow and 74 is 25. So I think that's helpful. So now you'll notice it's the 25 and under zones are governed in that first section of the row there. To be honest with you, with what I've witnessed and what I've seen and heard myself and through others, the main issues that I continue to see involve two of these models. or classes rather one is the motor driven bicycles motorbikes the other is the micro mobility devices with the motorbikes um you know for those of us that are up and down south point road we tend to see those quite a bit um on the sidewalk so

Right, unsafe behavior. I don't know about you guys, but I don't really have an issue with the class one through three bikes, nor the mopeds and motorcycles, but I don't know that I want to see 12 different variations of devices going up and down Main Street. Like the micros is what I had the biggest issue with because I like my chances a lot better if I get an impact with a car or a truck, if I'm on a bike or a moped or a motorcycle, a heck of a lot better than I do if I'm on a little scooter. Would you agree? So again, I don't mean to keep throwing things out, but thinking about different sc

My stance on it, I understand where you're coming from. I get that. I would prefer to not raid the street. That's what I'm totally good with. I understand absolutely what you're saying. I know there are a lot. I see a lot of people using, even adults, really, I think is where I see the most of being very respectful in their use of the street. I guess mainly on the one rules, is what I would say. Not really the scooters so much. Those are kids. But their use of Main Street, if we're just telling them what we would personally want, but that's what I would like to see. I'm absolutely for the regu

Your observation was specifically for the micromobility devices. Most of those riders are under 16?

Typically, those are the age bracket of riders on these micromobility devices. Right, same. And I don't, like if you're on a neighborhood street, not a lot of traffic, that's a heck of a lot different than Main Street. And we don't have bike lanes downtown, right? If you had a bike lane, it'd be a different story, because I wouldn't have an issue with that. It's where the reserve were, but we don't. And so to see a one-wheel, or a scooter, or a skateboard going up and down Main Street, I just, I can't be on board.

We can also look at regulating by age. I mean, if that's really the concern of the kids, getting hurt.

Yeah, I mean, I will be, again, just my stance on it.

I see a lot of adults using it in a very safe and respectful way. I don't see people, the adults that are using these devices, and they're getting smaller and they're going to continue getting smaller technology, continue to evolve and we have a better balance and all that other stuff. I think you're going to see people using them more. And I really do feel like the adults that are using our downtown, they're going to the restaurants, they're going to the that come in and out on the one wheels are being extremely safe. And I don't want to be the one, I know it doesn't necessarily come to me, b

What I'm hearing is it sounds like it's more of an age issue.

You don't want to let something play out. I like your point. I thought the whole point of us having the dismount conversation was to make it safe. Try to get a lot of that off the road. And I think a great compromise is 18 and up. I would say 16.

Well, that and because, you know, at 16, unless things have changed since when I got my driver's license, you know, 16 is the age to get your driver's license. And I would assume that's when you start having maturity to understand how. but presumably you understand like the rules of the road I think our issues are with people that have no idea what to even look for and look both ways and presumably you would have at least had that training in order to be able to get your license in the first place now what you do with it after that I don't know but I always like to have using a scooter you pro

Let's ask the people that are seeing this most every day. Do you have any thoughts on specifically for micros? Well, let's talk about in general first. In the downtown dismount zone, do you have an opinion on whether it's safe for micromobility devices to be operating in the street in the downtown dismount zone?

I'm thinking you make a good point about presumably they're getting drivers.

So I think this has to, we're going to have to get back. Yeah, I mean, I think we're almost there.

Two, three remaining issues to work through.

So we're saying- Is anybody against the 16 micro mobility regulation?

In downtown. In the street, yeah. Yes. Just a couple of things, and I think you've already addressed them in my email from earlier, but there was one other provision, 7507C, that needed to be amended to add operating on a city sidewalk because otherwise you would again include traditional bikes in the dismount requirement. But I saw you had fixed that in what we were handed today, as well as the definition of micromobility device that had been tied to that provision in state law regarding electric personal assistive mobility devices, and you said that has also been removed.

I was just going to sort of have a summation and direct us where to go.

Well, I just have one last clarification, maybe, and that's regarding operating after dark. So both of those devices I raised earlier, the micros and the motorbike, are not allowed, at least under the proposed ordinance, to be operated after dark. Correct. Right. So whether or not they have a light is criteria. Right now, there's nothing really governing when they can operate those.

So I guess is that we- I think we'll- Table to- We need to absolutely have one more go around that with clean language, I think.

So we'll- Well, before I do, do we dare put it on the consent agenda for October, or should we just put it on the regular agenda? Regular, let's just put it on the regular agenda. All right, I move to table this item until what day do we meet, October? until our October 5th regular meeting so that Lindsay can provide additional amendments based in our direction here tonight.

Okay. All right. A motion made by Jim. Second by Alex. All in favor? I oppose. All right. Thank you.

I know you are very much looking forward to the completion of this process, but we want to make sure we get it right.

And obviously... We can see daylight. Yes. People are concerned about this. Thank you.

All right, so now we'll move us on to our amended C2, which, oh, sorry, C3, which is the City Hall Design Proposal.

I was wondering how we kick this off. Yes, absolutely. Jason, we'll turn the floor over to you. Thank you guys for being here tonight to answer some hopefully final questions before we start down this road with this exciting project. So I know this is something that's been a topic of many council meetings since, I guess, November of 2022, when your firm was selected to handle the renovations of our city hall. Fast forward, I think it was 2025, September of last year, whenever you presented design options and the rough order of magnitude. So obviously we had a three-year hiatus there, and there

So regarding that sketch plan submittal and the conditional zoning process, I noticed you have, again, I wouldn't hold you to it, but a suggested duration of approximately 12 weeks. Again, regarding the conditional zoning piece of that, if we know ahead of time that that's going to be something we're going to need, I don't know why we couldn't do that rather quickly. The sketch plan, I know there's obviously time involved in putting those together and submitting, but

So that would, if there was a TTM or TIA required, that would be included in that sketch plan conditional zoning phase? Yes. Yeah, we would definitely try to do that, yeah. um and then the next item on the project schedule assumptions was the probable construction cost update and we had a suggested duration there of four weeks um and that is the there's two aren't there two check-ins on the construction cost updates there's three in this schedule there's actually three okay so and that would be the first one so that's after we it's been a year

And then the second one, Raleigh, would come, the second cost update. Again, we have a four-week duration attached to that. At some point, you're in the design development, right?

What did you normally recommend on a project of this size and scale in terms of the bidding window?

And the item before that, the construction documents, we've got 12 weeks suggested there for the duration. Again, looking at this through the novice lens, I'm assuming most of these parties, I mean, they've been on board through the development process and through the, you know, the sketch plan. And so this is not new, right? Typically, I imagine, to most of the parties involved in the formulation of those construction documents. So might that be another area that, again, not to cut corners, but that could possibly be accomplished a little quicker.

Yeah. I mean, I recognize you guys, I'm sure, built in some cushion here. Yeah. But you can kind of see, you know, I can't speak for my colleagues, but I know we just, we started this a number of months and years ago and just want to get moving. But again, we want to do it right. the first time around. So with regard to the amounts in the proposal for, let's just take basic services, I'm assuming that there's some metric there that's attributable to approximate man hours for each of those phases, right? So are these fixed costs, or are these reimbursable based on actual hours spent in each of

So what was that? I know we've got 44 weeks approximately allocated for construction start to finish. And that starts from the date, remind me. When they pull the permit. When they pull the permit.

Well, and all these phases of design and sketch plan submit and all that, I mean, general enough, that's about 58 weeks. before construction starts. Now, some of those overlap. Yeah. Yeah. Right? Yeah. But I guess my point is with regard to the design proposal amount, if in reality we're able to shave that by a month, does that change the amount allocated for the design?

Are there other questions on that? We need, I think staff is asking for us to approve the proposal to mount and enter into ending and execute a standard American Institute of Architects or Architect Agreement.

Second. March second by Alex on favor any opposed all right that is approved and that will move us to next agenda item which is related that will be C4 which is the Seahawks capital ordinance I can yes sir this amount

Would we likewise perhaps need to have a budget amendment depending on the costs?

In the last item that we just went over with the detail of the contract, this last section here, owner-provided information and investigations. So that's things like hazards, materials assessments, surveys. We'll get the TPM and TIA at the appropriate time. Flow testing for the hydrants, that kind of thing. Are those things that we can do independently of the design firm? If we know we're going to need those things, can we?

Any other questions on the capital project? All right. Well, then I'll entertain a motion one way or another. Motion to approve. Second. Second motion by Jason. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? All right. The motion is approved. All right. Thank you. So that will handle our amended portions of the agenda. new amended agenda item c5 which is considered planning staff's methodology for selecting members for the center city small area plan steering committee chester welcome back

Of the breakout of the different groups, does anyone see anything that's missing?

I mean, do we want like just a Main Street business owner?

At least one. Yeah. I'm trying to think, could that fall into a Main Street advisory board member? I think they're... Maybe not.

We'd still like to revise it and say, you know, a Main Street board member...

Thank you. Tiffany, maybe, I don't know if this question should be directed to you or Chester. Will there be any bleed over with this committee with the forthcoming, I guess, visioning committee, for lack of a better term, for the stove property process? Or is that going to be a completely separate processing committee?

Here's my thoughts if you all agree. My thought is to approve the structure tonight. And then to, because, again, to Jason's point, we've got this other one that will need representation. We've got Riverfront that's going to need representation. this is not a light schedule for the demand, the hour demand, and it is on weekday. So I know it may work for some people's schedules, it may not. So my thought is we improve the structure and then we can either, Miles can reach out to each of us to see who has an interest in it and who is scheduled it can fit into, come to the two council positions. I

I like that approach. Just so we can be thinking about it, do you have an idea yet what time most of these meetings may be taking place?

Sure, yeah. We have a workshop coming up that's going to be freed up, probably. So I think we can pick. We can have it ironed out by then. We approve the structure, and then we can have our members chosen. When they have a special meeting.

You may have a special meeting possibly that day, or was that the 8th?

Special meeting will be later. So I think there is time for a little workshop, if nothing else, and we can do it then.

Yes, we're adding 10 max. We'll do 10. So not to belabor the point of any other questions on that, all right, well then I'll entertain a motion to approve the structure as presented.

All right. Thank you. So we'll go with that structure, and we will have Miles reach out individually to council to see who... And just as a follow-up, does council have any direction for how the additional business owner...

It's too many, I don't think. My thought is we can, if we know someone in the community we want to say, hey, go put in an application. At least we get our bases covered and then we can get somebody out of this.

Okay. Any other questions for Jessica or Moving right along now, move this to amended agenda item C6, which is data center update and proposed moratorium. Let's see who we have for that. All right. You're back up.

And just so we're clear, before all the social media posts go out, this is not a vote for or against data centers. This is simply to allow us to appropriately update our LDC data development code as it's already underway and allow the language around data centers to be more fully outlined.

Just for clarity purposes, again, there are no currently proposed or approved data centers. Okay, perfect. So I think I like the way this transpired, that we had someone come out, tell us about the data center, so we knew what was out there, that staff then took that information and turned it into a advice and feedback for us to consider, but then the timing of it is just right on point because we're in the middle of a lead development code update. So...

Sorry, I just have one quick question. Sure. Have you, through your research, I know this came up at the end of that meeting with Pat McGavin when he was here, have you been able to identify any other municipalities that have gotten a head start on this with incorporating language in their LDCs regarding data centers? Yes.

But if you got an application today, what would happen? How would that be?

Although I don't know, do we, I mean... The options, I guess, would be a special meeting or wait until October.

As soon as possible. What's that notice period? Two weeks?

Okay. I'm open if you want to do a special meeting for that specifically, we can certainly do it. We'll just give you one item.

Couldn't be any closer. Let's go back. At the very minimum.

Well, wouldn't you have to notice the hearing for a date specific?

September 29th, that teaching class in Winston-Salem.

So we're pushing to the 21st already, so. That's not on me.

Lighter than this one. Lighter than this one. Yeah, I think that's fair. Is it an issue to have it on October 5th? All right, so what action do you need from all of us?

Do you need any further direction or do you deal with that?

Thank you. All right, moving right along. That will take us to amended agenda item C7. The proposal for designated veteran parking at city parks and city facilities. Okay. Black, are you joining us?

Still be the same dimensions, though, or no?

It's just larger here to kind of draw attention to the branches. Yeah. Right. Which do you prefer?

That was the one preferred by the Parks and Rec Board, too, was it not?

Thanks. Questions? Thank you for your service. Great work. Excellent presentation. Any comments? I like the idea. I think it's very home-warranted.

Outstanding. Thank you for bringing it forward. A couple of questions. The tennis courts, isn't there some parking behind the tennis courts? Would that be an appropriate place also to have a movie?

Yeah, but behind the courts and they're like a crowd.

I would say do one here at Daphne Works, City Works.

They're inside the handicap spaces over there. The other thing I'd like to see us maybe consider is, I don't know if there's a way to mandate this in our policy models for future locations or parks that we might activate. I'm thinking about McLean. That's all that matters. It gets added.

Yeah, yeah, that's a good idea. Do you want to make a motion?

Motion to go out. Second by Jason. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? All right. Good job, guys. Thank you. I look forward to seeing this work. Conflict of metrics. All right. That will move us along to, make sure I'm not missing anything here. That was C7. So we're moving now to amendment C8. which is the fiscal year 2026 fourth quarter finance update. Jared, will you join us?

So you're saying, Jared, the biggest reason behind that variance between final budget and expended income is mostly due to those transfers?

Is that a reserve fund just kinda held in some fixed income instrument?

So if I'm reading this right, you're not saying that our available fund balance is $14.65 million. You're saying that the available fund balance is $14.65 million above the 25% minimum.

What time of year do those power bill allocations typically get?

I appreciate that. Every time I go see Miles, there you are, toiling away at your hands.

So that will bring us home to amended item C9, which is the workplace violence survey.

That's a lot of information. Big understanding. Yeah, it is. It looks like good progress is being made. Captain Black, can I make you the unofficial spokesman of the task force real quick? Thank you. So I make the assumption, I look at this and I see it looks like we're making good progress. It looks like we're taking the points that were given to us and that really pointed direction has been taken on each one. Would you say that is an accurate assumption from your task force that is being met in a satisfactory way? Yes. Any questions?

Then there would have been a bottle of us. Any questions from us? No, great work. Thank you for following up on that. That's about as brief as I think I could have gotten. All right, that will take us to our other business.

Thank you. Great job. Oh, I've got something.

Like, I mean, sometimes people just, they did.

Do we have little stations with dog packs? I'm pretty sure there's one. Right, right. Like, yeah.

Anybody know what's to advertise? Plastic A-frames. Oh, yeah.

Kind of related to that, and this was maybe last year at a Main Street meeting. Someone had gone, you know, would go out and see different municipalities come by and kind of talk about it. And there were a couple, I couldn't even tell you where it was, but the remedy to that was almost like a shepherd's hook on the side of the building where people could hang their sign out. So it was only, you know, this size kind of cloth sign. When they were open, they just put the sign out, and you could see it standing on your sidewalk looking up, and you could kind of see the signs that were out. It's up

It's like you went to an event and they've got the tent with all the stuff and the lights and they're... Serving... This is just in my box. I don't know. It's in front of us. Right beside the parking lot. Yeah.

she could take her scooter you say it's every night yeah i don't know it's every night but i've seen it multiple nights when i come back late every night it's like right there's like a strip of grass and like at first i thought it must have been associated with the bank that's what i thought the next time it was so late i'm like there's no way this could be like

I'll get through them quick. Um... First off, great job to our planning department. And for the exceptional event with the Planpalooza, that was a great, great event. And then we were all excited to see the huge turnout there. To give us input on some of the exciting projects that we have planned. Also to the police department, you guys did an awesome job with Operation Guardian Angel. And I know that's still ongoing, but it's been nice to see the stats and things. It sounds like we're off to a pretty safe start. Hopefully that continues throughout the school year. So thank you guys. I had a c

if that's city i think nixon's uh state road okay so maybe we need to call i thought it was an hoa like in our neighborhood an hoa thing maybe that's a homeowner's if it's into the roadway or only if it's on their side i just know that the hoa got um somebody to come around like cut them off and but they didn't tell anyone before they did it and so a lot of people were like

It's only neighborhood specific, you know, HRA discusses the bylaws or not. So maybe we can just look into that because there's definitely some of those. The other thing in that same area is the stop sign on Nixon at the corner of the South Parkway. There is a, there's three new maple trees that were planted there in the last one. is so close to the stop sign, it really obstructs the stop sign. And I've heard a number of people complain that they can't see that until you literally get on it. It almost is like that tree was planted way too close to the stop sign. You don't want to jerk up your

I remember when they turned up that sidewalk for all the landscape. I mean, if the canopy grows, it's going to probably be a nice three-line street. But for now, it's really obstructing that stop sign. So anyway, you could just ask Mike to take a look at that. And then the last two things are just days to keep in mind. We have the 37th Annual Belmont Sports Hall of Fame that the mayor is going to be speaking at for us. That is on one month from the 9th, October 6th, Tuesday at 630 at Park Street, United Methodist. We've got some exciting activities going on this year, including the 2016 South

I have just a couple things. Let's see. Just want to point out, I think some of you may have seen Jim's excellent synopsis of the Go Gaston Forum that we attended recently. Miles, Jim, and myself were there to see everything happening in Gaston County. Sure, having read Jim's synopsis that you know is a lot. There's a lot going on. We've got a lot of construction projects that are going to be impacting us. Bridge on Wilkinson is going to be impacting us a lot of things. So there will be the need for a copious amount of patience in the next few years as we're working through all this.

And we know that patience is always in such abundant suppliers.

We're going to need to put council meetings back. With everything that's going to be closed, it's going to be interesting. Not that there's anything you need to attend, just be aware, Larry, the American Legion is doing his second round of veteran headstone cleanings this Friday, 8.30pm WSOC is coming out again. He's got 45 volunteers, student volunteers, which is a huge turnout. Chick-fil-A is bringing food, the whole big thing. If you're around and up, stop in, say hello to everyone. I'll be there. It starts at 8.30. Sisters of Mercy had their solar celebration. All the solar panels were now

It was so powerful and amazing. The lights even turned on before they flipped the switch.

It was amazing. That is amazing. Like the one they had in Tallahassee. But it was good to see them bring that to completion. A couple other things. Bill and Abby homecoming is October 2nd through the 4th, so I expect to see a lot of them. It's also coinciding with parent weekend, so I expect to see a lot of activity around downtown students. Is everyone going to go to the football game? Say again? Is everyone going to go to the football game for homecoming? Maybe. Do you invite them? All right. You guys, Jason, you already took a couple of months, so thank you for that. And I think that will do it for me. If nothing further, I'll entertain a motion to adjourn.