City Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening. Uh call the April 9th, 2026 City Council meeting to order. Please rise for the invocation, which will be said by Councilwoman Paisley, and also the Pledge of Allegiance afterwards. Let's bow our heads, please. Um we come before you this evening with grateful hearts, thankful for the opportunity to serve our community. We ask that your wisdom, guidance, and clarity as we carry out the responsibilities that entrusted to us. Lord, help us lead with integrity, fairness, and compassion. Give us the ability to listen to one another with open minds and open hearts and respectful hearts, even when we may disagree. Guide our thoughts, our words, and our actions so they bring honor to this work and benefit to those we serve. Amen. Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. The resolution to retire canine Joker has been postponed to a later date. Okay. Um We have a picture. Um canine Joker actually worked for the police department for uh 6 years. And if you do your dog years, long time. Sometimes when you see the canine out there, you automatically think that, you know, all our canines do search for drugs or

um search for guns. They do a whole lot more. Um the children love those canines. Uh the children uh want to play. They They come around officers more because of the canines. And these these canines are just like the officers because they have to go through training. They have to, you know, learn a whole lot on the fly. And their number [clears throat] one service is to protect citizens. So, uh on behalf of the police department, the city of North Charleston, we'd like to stand and salute canine Joker. Thank you. Also, the and I I didn't mention it, but uh he was going to be here tonight to retire. But, uh he he went home. So, uh our hearts and minds are are really really just kind [clears throat] of in another place right now because I remember when he came on. And um very obedient. So, uh his handler is Corporal Braden Reeves, Braden. He's not here, right? Yeah. He's a He's a one of the outstanding officers. I remember when he walked through the doors and all Braden ever wanted to do was just want to serve people. So, his partner is no longer here. So, if you all ever see him out in the in the neighborhoods, show him some love. Thank you. Our next item on the agenda is the recognition of new employees. When I call your name, please come to the front. Executive, we have Cameron Kills. Fire,

Brady Mumford. Planning and Zoning, Julia D. Jones and Cara Morris. Public Works, Stephen Harrison, Jayda Pringle, Ryan Saleem, Erin Washington, and Corey Washington. Another another fine-looking group here, Mr. Mayor. Um on the on behalf of the mayor and city council, uh I want to be the first to welcome you uh to service here at the city of North Charleston. Uh everybody here, you know, it's it's one big team, and we serve our constituents who are are sitting out in front of you. Um I will ask you to turn around and face the council for a minute. These folks are also very, very important. Um you may or may not know it, but we're going through our budget process right now, and that's what's attached to your raises. So, uh you might want to get to know them. But, uh you know, one of the things that we always say is that that public service um is truly a calling. And uh we appreciate you coming on board. We wish you many years of success. And at this time, I'll ask the mayor for for a couple of brief comments. Um like like Mayor Pro Tem says, thank you all for stepping up to want to be a part of this city. I am getting old because I was a SRO.

[laughter] I was a SRO at in school. So, I am getting old. I am. And And I said another thing, too. When y'all turn around, these are your number one priorities right here, your citizens. You work hard for them. You You go, you know, go the extra mile for them cuz they they they deserve it. They depend on us, and they love you. So, anytime you all see the neighbors, the community folks in the neighborhoods, stop and talk to them. Let them know who you are, and and and let them know that you have their backs. Cuz we appreciate it. So, if if you guys want to stay in the meeting, you can if you want. If you want to leave, you can leave. All right. Thank you. [applause]

Okay. Okay. We have a request to approve the minutes from the March 26, 2026 City Council meeting. Move for approval. Second. We have a motion and second. Any discussions? Hearing none, Madam Clerk, please call the roll. Mr. Perry. I. Mr. Rome. I. Dr. Ganway Paisley. I. Dr. Palmer Roberts. I. Mr. Emdee. I. Ms. Brown.

I. Mr. Brown. I. Mr. Hudson. I. Mr. Skipper. I. Mr. Brown. I. Mayor Burgess. I. We have the final reading of an ordinance authorizing the mayor or his designee to execute documents necessary to grant an easement to Dominion Energy on property identified as TMS number 466-08 parcel 504 at the Gethsemane Community Center. Move for approval. Second. Any We have a motion and second. Any discussions? Hearing none, Madam Clerk, please call the roll. Mr. Perry. I. Mr. Rome. I. Dr. Ganway Paisley. I. Dr. Palmer Roberts. I. Mr. Emdee. I. Ms. Brown. I. Mr. Brown. I. Mr. Hudson. I. Mr. Skipper. I. Mr. Brown. I. Mayor Burgess. I. We have the final reading of an ordinance authorizing the mayor or his designee to execute documents necessary to grant an easement to North Charleston Sewer District on property identified as TMS number 472 parcel 14 at the Public Works facility. Move for approval. Second. We have a motion and second. Any discussions? Hearing none, Madam Clerk, please call the roll. Mr. Perry. I. Mr. Rome. I. Dr. Ganway Paisley. I. Dr. Palmer Roberts. I. Mr. Emdee. I. Ms. Brown. I. Mr. Brown. I. Mr. Hudson. I. Mr. Skipper. I. Mr. Brown. I. Mayor Burgess. I. We have one speaker tonight. When I call your name, please come to the front. State your name and address for the record, and you have 3 minutes. Ms. Betty C. Midland Park The Midland Park crew? Yes. Oh, the Midland Park coming. No.

Miss Miss Betty, do I need to leave? No. [laughter]

You better not leave. I'm coming behind you. Y'all, am I right? Homeless. Homeless. Good evening, Mayor Ber- Burgess and members of the council. My name is Betty C, president of the Midland Park Stall Road Civic Center. I stand before you tonight carrying the deep concern and heartfelt disappointment of our residents. We are profoundly troubled that our community center was sold in August 2024 without giving us a meaningful opportunity to voice our concerns beforehand. This was not just a property transaction. It was the removal of the heart of our neighborhood. Yet, the residents who depended on that facility were not invited into the discussion before the decisions were made. The lack of engagement has left many of us feeling dismissed and overlooked. What has deepened our disappointment is that there was no secure replacement in place before the sale occurred. There was no fully funded plan, no construction underway, no guaranteed transition to protect the programs and services that supported our community. Respectfully, we do not understand the reasoning behind selling our home without a concrete plan of action for a replacement. Most families would never sell their house without first securing where they would live. Yet, this is exactly what has happened to our community. Our center was sold and we were left without a fully established

next step. Yes, we acknowledge the agreement allowing us to hold meetings through the Conk Charleston County School District. However, meetings alone do not replace what we lost. Our community center once provided a space for educational programs, teaching and craft classes, youth development activities, senior engagement and outreach initiatives that strengthened families and unified neighbors. Since the sale, we have faced obstacles and limitation that significantly hinder our ability to serve our residents as we once did. We up were informed that there that the 1.2 million from the sale would be set aside for construction of the new facility on Orway Street. Yet, we now understand that an additional 4 million is needed. That funding gap leaves us in uncertainty without a building and without a definite definitive timeline. It feels as though the urgency to sell did not match the urgency to secure our replacement and that is deeply concerning. Tonight, we respectfully but firmly asking this council to prioritize securing the necessary funding and to present and to present an immediate action dated plan with clear benchmarks and a defined construction timeline. Our community deserves transparency, we deserve accountability, and we deserve assurance that Midland Park Stall Road will no longer be neglected and left behind. We are not asking for special treatment, we are asking to be valued, protected, and restored. Our home was sold, but our community is still here. We are asking you to help us rebuild with urgency. Thank you. Thank you, ma'am. Miss Betty, thank you all Midland Park. Thank you, ma'am. Thank you. Yes, ma'am. Miss C. Miss C, Miss Betty. May you state your address, please?

Got you. Thank you, ma'am. Any [clears throat] other business uh to come before the body? Okay, uh want to uh bring up something you have on the screen. Okay. This is what we found out last week. Since 2024, my first week as a mayor, I challenged the mayor's office to actually be the best that we could be. City of Charleston, when you go down to King Street Extension, you see a sign that I haven't seen for years. It says all American city. When you go across the used to be the Cooper now is the Ravenel Bridge, when you go into Mount Pleasant, you see the same sign. See, I don't I have no problem with uh the cities over there. Mayor Caswell and I uh get along hand in hand. But, I'm a North Charleston kid. And I believe that we're just as good as the rest. We are and we're better than the best. But, we got to prove that, right? Every time we do something good, like Miss Betty said, seem like we go back, right? Well, we just found out that we are an all American city finalists of the 20 cities they well, hundreds and thousands cities, there's only 20 cities that's going to actually go to Denver, Colorado to compete to be a all American city. I am really proud. Most of all, I'm blessed to even be in this position to be able to to to look at where we've come from and where we are right now. So, ladies and gentlemen, we going to ask y'all to pray when we get to Denver so we can bring it back.

Because as I said before, we are good as the rest and better than the best. And believe that. Thank y'all so much. [applause]

Hearing no not nothing else, this meeting is adjourned. Amen. Work tomorrow.