City Council - Regular Meeting

Tonight, Mayor Pro Tim. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh, on behalf of the personnel committee, I have two appointments to make tonight. Uh, and that will be Don Kleiner to tourism and Susan Hodgeges to beautifification. And that is in the form of a motion. Second. Okay. A motion and a second uh for these two appointments. Any discussion? Okay, you may record your votes on those. And that's 50. So, they have been approved.

Thank you. Um I have submitted a copy of my activities to the clerk and I I want to say this on the record. I was first this week only because Councilman Star's internet was out at his house. So, I felt for sure that that he would have beaten me with it. But, uh, anyway, um, school's going back, so just be, uh, cautious out in the mornings, uh, with school buses and children making their way to school. Uh, and good luck to all our teachers, administrators, and school personnel. Uh, and I will let that stand as my report. Thank you very much,

Council Member Neil Grimes. I have not been doing a good job getting my stuff to Wendy lately, but I will. Um, more good financial news. Okay, I shared some good Hello. I shared some good financial news about the golf course. Okay, that's been a long time coming. Uh for about the fourth year in a row, the fifth year in a row, the ABC board has contributed a lot of money profit-wise to the city. Sales last fiscal year, fiscal year ended June the 30th, was $5.8 million. and the total distributions to the city. Now, the police department gets a chunk of change in Fair Grove uh uh

family resources, that place gets a chunk for education, but total distribution to the city $493,000. And I guess uh Mr. Avan already had I was going to tell him and let him smile, but I guess he's already got that. But uh anyhow, proud of our ABC by local and that's that's uh that that's my report. Thank you very much, Council Member Payton Williams.

Thank you, Mayor. Um I don't want to belabor the point, but I know Doug will watch this one day, so we're thinking about you, Doug, and we love you, and we're glad we're getting better and better news every day. Um, Eric AFT from Second Harvest Food Bank, great guy and he's responsible for the entire Northwest region of the state. So that includes, I think, 18 counties and Davidson is one of those counties. Um, SNAP is being cut to pieces right now. SNAP, it's it used to be food stamps, TAMP, it's had a bunch of names, but right now it's called SNAP. One in eight people in North Carolina relies on SNAP. 80% of those households have a member of their family working. And SNAP already has work requirements already before July 4th for people ages 16 to 59. The SNAP work requirements start at 16. There is simply not much freeloading on this system. Um benefits are about $5.70 a day. So, I challenge each and every one of us to feed ourselves for a week for $35 and see how well we do. Um, 46,000 I think veterans are currently on SNAP in North Carolina. And this program is being devastated. It's being completely destroyed. Um, I could I could rattle off a bajillion statistics. Tons of kids, tons of disabled people. And what the federal government has decided to do is transition some of the costs of this program onto the state. If you follow our state government, they will not be picking up this cost. So people will lose this benefit. Um, so Eric couldn't say all that, right? He has to be the community guy and get along with everybody and make friends. But I can sit up here and say that because I work in food insecurity every single day and it's going to be bad. So,

if you don't already have a food bank that you support, find one. There's a bunch in Thomasville. There's a bunch in Davidson County. There's a bunch wherever you live. Um, and talk to your representatives. I met Congressman McDow a couple weeks ago, and a lot of this information he didn't know. So, share the word. Let people know what's going on. Even your representatives. People assume if you get elected into a seat, you know stuff. You don't. There's so many things I don't know. I learn new things I don't know every day. These guys don't know. So talk to them, reach out to them. If you need some literature or some information to share, I'm happy to do that. Um, but yeah, I wanted to say that because Eric couldn't. Thank you very

And Wendy has my report. Thank you very much, Councilman Jo Johnson.

Thank you so much, Mayor York. Uh, I have not submitted a copy of my report to Wendy. It's been a busy month. Um, but I couldn't have said it better. uh Councilwoman uh Williams with uh really the urgency to really be engaged and understanding some of the consequences to not only uh the people that we put into office, but also making sure that we are engaging in the political process and making sure that in meetings like tonight that you're showing up and that you're making your voice heard. And so I'm definitely grateful for the work that she's doing here locally in our community and to all our nonprofits that are stepping into that gap to help and make sure that we feed our our community. Um, also like uh Councilman Hunter Thrift said, uh, kids are going back to school and so uh definitely sending a prayer to our educators as they are gearing back to uh amazing year this year um with our students as well as our students that are gearing back to um a very productive year in Thomasville City Schools. And so, uh, I also got the opportunity to attend, uh, Apostle James Carter's 50th pastoral anniversary. And to be in the, uh, ministry for 50 years serving here in this community is a huge milestone. And so, I was grateful to be able to celebrate with him and to celebrate with our community as we, um, definitely gave him his flowers while he is definitely still here. Also, we were able to uh be in attendance with Mayor York um with the new installation to Pastor Fant at Emanuel Baptist Church. So, it has been a great month um providing and working in our community. And so, I will let that stand as my report.

Okay. Thank you very much, Council Member Scott Styers. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh couple miscellaneous things. Um you guys who've not been around very long, especially you you youngsters over there, turn your microphone.

Thank you. Um, see, it takes youngsters to tell you to turn your microphone on. Um, used to we used to have to print out your activity report and hand it to her. And not having had internet for the last 36 hours. I found out how that was to have to do that again. So, you're right, Councilman Thrift. That's the only reason you beat me to the punch, but you did. So, I congratulations on that. Um, my wife worked in social services for 30 years, Council Lady Williams, and uh, I can verify the fact that under President Bill Clinton, there was a work requirement passed for all the benefits that you're talking about. So, it's not a new thing and people have not been freeloading off that system for 30ome years. So, uh, having said all that and that's my editorial comments for tonight. It is silly season, so I'm not going to go on anymore and I'll let that stand as my report.

Thank you very much. Got a few things that uh I'll make public tonight to those that are listening. Uh I had several uh events that I participated or went to. Uh the first one was uh I went and welcomed the new pastor at the St. John Zion Church on Church Street, Pastor Thelma Gordon. a very nice lady and met her husband. Uh he's a veteran and and they they they have big plans for the church down there. Real nice church, good folks, and had a real good time down there meeting and talking with them. U I had a meeting with Chris Brown. He's the uh new president of uh Novant Health Thomasville Medical Center. uh we discussed some things and uh on that visit uh he's uh all about meeting people in the community and I think he's going to reach out at some point to our police and fire department about maybe some training and different things and so that that's a a good thing there for them. Uh attended the elected officials dinner at Wahberg. uh got to see some folks there that I hadn't seen in a while and uh that was a good meeting as well. Um I was uh at Finch House uh for welcoming for welcoming Miss North Carolina for her homecoming. you know, Miss North Carolina uh was uh was Miss Davidson County uh from the pageant here in Thomasville and and uh the the young lady that won Miss Thomasville was the first runner up. So, the the mi new Miss North Carolina and the first runner up both were in that pa pageant. And you know, I congratulated Paty and Paige for the hard work they've done for years. They've had some, you know, success

through the years at different levels, but never at this level. So, uh, so our new Miss North Carolina, which was crowned here to start with, will be in the Miss America pageant, I think sometime in September. She told me so many days, but I think it would put it up into September sometime. So, we look forward to that and and and and welcoming her back at some point as Miss America, which I have all faith that she'll do that. That's right.

Yeah. Uh I too, as uh Council Member Johnson said, uh I was at and and gave opening remarks and welcome at Emanuel Church for their new pastor, Rashad Fant. Enjoyed that. Good people up there. I've been with them several times and really enjoy their company and they're al always so gracious. I mean that's that's a great church and a lot of good folks there. And uh Michael and I had lunch this past week with the Congressman Addison McDow. U they come and had uh had had requested that and we made contacts there and we've got good contacts with with his uh aid here in the area. uh he has an office in High Point and exchanged some good information with them at that meeting. So that's uh end of my report. So I'll now recognize city manager Michael Brandt.

Thank you, Mayor. Um I'll try to keep this relatively brief. Uh the summer is wrapping up. Uh the pool is only open for a couple more days. So, if you haven't gotten here yet, you better get in here this week or uh we will be closing Labor Day weekend. Um, as evidenced by the many road closure ordinances that I presented earlier tonight, there are many activities upcoming. Fall season is just around the corner and we'll be kicking off with everybody's night and everybody's day at the end of September and then rolling all the way through till Christmas. So there are certainly a lot of programs going on in the community, not just what was uh discussed tonight, but uh other community events going on. So please take advantage of those. Um the uh I do want to give a uh thanks to our human resources department and to uh Mayor York and Councilman Johnson and Thrift for attending our uh employee day for kicking off our United Way campaign. Our goal this year is to raise $30,000 u amongst the staff. Um last year we raised about $28,000 so we think we can do it. Um this is a an important fundraiser for United Way in the community. uh their dollars are spent locally and as already discussed there's going to be a lot of social service needs and they will need those funds to support the communities uh groups that that they work with uh providing services throughout the um Davidson County and of course in Thomasville. Um, I will let that stand. Other than I will also share my thanks to Eddie Bowling for the work that he's done on the uh the ICMA grant and I'm really excited by the opportunity. There were only 15 grants given in the entire country and we were one of those grants. This was a a real feather and I look forward to

bringing on board a new employee that's going to be focused uh laser focused on on the elements of mo economic mobility in our community. I look forward to that. Okay. Thank you very much uh city attorney Whitman.

Good evening. Um I just wanted to comment on the um hunger action month in September and how important that is. As you know, I'm heavily involved with Mills on Wheels for the city of Thomasville, and I'm often up here asking everyone to volunteer, to ask all your churches to volunteer, all your friends, all your neighbors. The last time I recently asked for volunteers, we did get 10 new volunteers. But unfortunately, we have had six volunteers that have had to resign due to age and health. So, we still need additional volunteers. So, please consider it's an hour a month. It's very fulfilling. Um, and we have a great need and we still have a significant weight list of people that need the services because hunger in our community is a big issue. And with these folks, it's not just hunger, it's the fact that we're the only people that they see every day. And so, our volunteers are actually who is checking on these folks and letting them know. And frequently, our volunteers find people that are in need of medical attention um or worse. So it is very very important. So please encourage friends, family members, church members, businesses to volunteer. Lots of businesses in the community allow their staff members to have an hour a month to go and deliver. The city has lots of volunteers that go and deliver. So and some of our council people deliver and it's greatly appreciated and very needed. So please do so. And then otherwise, I know schools start back, but some of us moved our students into college this past weekend. So, give all the mamas of college kids a pat on the back who are missing their babies. So, but that's all I've got for this evening.

Okay. Thank you very much. Our deputy city manager, Eddie Bowling.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I'll make it short. Um, had the opportunity to attend the Finch House music series this past weekend. And what a great event that was. Um, when I pulled up, I got there a little later than most folks apparently because I had to park about a half mile away. And I determined that um I was probably the only person in Thomasville that wasn't there before I got there um because it was well attended and I know that series is going to be missed. That was the last of its kind um but a very very well attended event and it was the dueling DJs the 70s and 80s. I enjoyed it quite a bit. And last thing I'll mention is uh kudos again to our IT staff who have continued to be in the trenches for more than 10 weeks now and continue to make strides each and every day to improve our computer systems, get things back online. Um we each day we get to celebrate very small wins um where we're able to print or we're able to do different functions that we hadn't been able to do for a couple months now. And it's not um because of my effort, it's because of their effort. and we're so excited that uh they're able to get us back online last week uh in in many respects and excited to um again to recognize them for their abilities. They they continue to work each and every day to bring us back online. So, we're very thankful. That's my report.

Okay. Thank you. We've got a vistor here with us tonight. He was he was happy about what he just heard. Uh that's that's Molson. He's uh he's one of our Rotary members and uh and he's also an IT guy. That's right. [Laughter] So, it's good to have you with us tonight. Yeah. Okay. Uh are there any additional uh items or updates to come before us at this time? Hearing none, I'll entertain a motion to adjurnn. So, move. Is there a second? Second.

Okay. You may record your vote. 5 Z. We're journ