City Council - Regular Meeting

board member elect Malcolm Richburg. Glad to have you. Uh and we also have uh in the audience tonight two council members elect. We have Dana Lomba and Erica Saunders. So we thank you all for being here. We welcome also the press that may be joining us tonight, anyone on our website or social media. Our [clears throat] first order of business tonight is additions and or deletions to the agenda. Mr. City Manager, thank you, mayor. I do have a couple of additions to make uh request tonight. I would like to request item 4 C, hospice and pallet of care, a proclamation for hospice and pallet of care month. 4 C. And then item 4 D is a special presentation by Mayor Raleigh York Jr. And then under seven, regular agenda, I have an item C, consideration of quick claim deed for abandoned property located at number three and five King Row. and that will be uh presented by attorney Misty Whitman. Those are my three additions.

Okay. Having heard this, what's the pleasure of council with regard to the agenda?

Mr. Mayor, I'll make a motion to approve the agenda as amended by our city manager. Second. Any discussion? Okay. You may record your vote. Okay, we have 70. So, the agenda has been approved. We're now down to item three, uh, public forum. Uh, this will be a two-minute time limit to subject of the, uh, speaker's choice. We have two signed up this evening. And if you would please state your name when you come to the podium uh for the clerk. Melanie Delp, please come and state your name and your subject.

Up up up to the podium.

Good.

I'm Melanie Bell. I first congratulate everybody who won Um, I want to just discuss a matter that's near and dear to me and that's the unhoused population. Man was created in God's image and God loves and care for all his creations, not just the ones we're comfortable around. If a homeless person truly harassed another person, stop them, stole from them, or got violent with them. And that does happen. The truth is there were already laws on the books about this. You can already call the police in jail. the simple presence of a homeless person made some people feel uneasy and because of that there was an ordinance put against quote camping on grounds calling it a safety issue and so residents know this includes tents blankets cars RVs now I get it for putting a tent in front of the uh store or on sidewalk got a little ridiculous there but um it's actually at a point where people cannot allow a homeless person to to sleep in their car on their own property. I doubt you can find a lot of citizens of Thomasville that would be okay with that. And you're supposed to represent all of Thomasville, not just the businesses. You know, they give a lot of money to this for our economy, not just the wellto, not just for those who feel that homelessness is a choice. Um the city manager says we're trying to get affordable housing, but even that won't completely solve the problem because that's for people to nothing. It's not for people who are making 30K their paychecks for a rent. I mean, I personally think maybe about rent control better help um because it might help prevent some homelessness in the first place, but for some reason the burden is being put on the homeless about to be. Am I past the two minutes?

Oh, sorry. And speaking of safety issues, the truth is the homeless, they're also their safety is also at risk. They're more likely to get beat up to die on the streets due to illness. I mean, if they if they get cancer, they can't even get chemotherapy because they don't have shelter. They don't have a sterile environment. So, I mean, I wish we would actually make that a priority, too. Okay, Miss Dell, thank you. Your two minutes have expired. Thank you very much. The next speaker is Sam Darby. Please come forward and uh state your name and your subject.

Hello. Can everybody hear me? Okay. [laughter] Hello. My name is Sam Darby. For those who don't know, I'm the manager of Average Joe's. In the last few weeks, there have been multiple issues in the surrounding area, including two bartenders from other businesses having their cars getting broken into and having things stolen, as well as one of my bartenders had her tire slashed, leaving us to believe she was being targeted. Thankfully, our door our our door guy was able to help her that night, so she was not alone. There has also been multiple customers of ours and other businesses that had their cars broken into and things stolen. All of these instances have happened in the public parking lot between JJ's Delhi and Salem Street. Not to mention the break-ins people post in our community pages online and what our patrons have told us firsthand in the surrounding area. This is leaving our customers, our friends, our families worried, scared, and feeling unsafe. This is leaving our employees on edge, worried, and scared for our safety. We're beginning to lose money as business owners and employees. People are not wanting to come out and support our small businesses because they don't feel safe. We shouldn't have to worry for our customers safety or their personal belongings. We shouldn't be worried to leave work at night, let alone come to work at all. When police were called, it took over 20 minutes for someone to show up. How are we supposed to feel safe if it takes that long for someone to come out? How do we plan on resolving this? How do you plan on resolving this issue? How can you keep away the trouble in our area? How do you help us feel safe again? Thank you.

Thank you very much.

We're now down to item four, recognitions and proclamations. First is a proclamation for National Small Business Saturday, November 29th. This will be presented by Scott Styres. And we have Keith Tobin, president of the chamber with us tonight to receive this. I always love it when Keith comes because it's the only time I feel tall. [laughter] Okay. I won't make you stand beside Michael. That's right. Yeah. Don't do that.

Proclamation for Small Business Saturday, November 29th, 2025. Whereas the city of Thomasville celebrates our local small businesses and the contributions they make to our community, including creating jobs, boosting our local economy, and preserving our neighborhoods. And whereas, according to the United States Small Business Administration, there are 33.2 million small businesses in the United States, which represent 99.9% of all businesses with employees in the United States.

That's AI for you. [laughter] and they employ nearly half of all private sector employees in the country. And whereas Thomasville joins advocacy groups and public and private organizations across the country and declaring the Saturday after Thanksgiving as Small Business Saturday. And whereas November 29th, 2025 is an opportunity for residents of Thomasville and surrounding communities to support small businesses and merchants throughout our city by shopping local. Now, therefore, Mayor Raleigh York Jr., Mayor of the city of Thomasville hereby proclaims Saturday, November 29th, 2025 a small business Saturday in Thomasville, North Carolina, and urges the residents of the community to support small businesses and merchants on this day and throughout the year adopted the 17th day of November 2025.

Thank you, Scott. Appreciate it, man. Appreciate you like, [applause] Scott. Uh, mayor, thank you very much. Council, thank you guys. You know, one thing and you mentioned small business a while ago. It's it they're the economic driver for our economy. It really is over 60% 65% goes back and forth. But definitely uh uh want to encourage our citizens to support our small business, all businesses, but particularly on this Saturday, our small businesses because they do a tremendous job, great products out there in our in our community, a great service. And so, please get out and support our local businesses. say they do a great job and and they deserve our support. So, thank you very much. Thank you guys. Appreciate it. [applause]

Item D, audit presentation by Jill Bang, Martin Str and Associates. Jill, you may come to the podium and proceed when you're ready. Glad to have you with us this evening. Thank you. Welcome. [clears throat]

Good evening. My name is Jill Vang from Martin Stars and Associates and I'm here to present the 2025 audited financial statements. I wanted to point out that I'm just um presenting on a draft form at this point because we are still waiting for the OM to release the compliance supplements and with those delays, we can't submit the audit report to the LGC yet. So, um it's ready to go. We're just waiting for those to be released and then we can submit it. Next slide, please. So, in our audit report, we will be issuing an an unmodified or clean opinion and that means that the financial statements are fairly presented in all material respects in conformity with GAP. [clears throat] This year we tested two major programs. It was the ARPA corona virus state and local fiscal recovery funds and the POW bill program. And then another uh highlight is just looking at some LGC performance indicators later on the slides and talking about self-reporting. Next slide please. This slide shows the general fund available fund balance as a percentage of net expenditures in 2025. The city's percentage was at 84.5. The LGC does have a minimum threshold for [snorts] municipalities with general fund expenditures greater than or equal to 10 million and that's at 25%. So the city is well above that. [snorts] This next slide shows summary of general fund revenues and expenses. Revenues increase 3.6 million or 10.8%. And expenditures increase 2 million or 6.3%. The expenditures do not include your transfers out and the revenues do not include the transfers in. And we'll look at the top three revenues and top three expenditures in the next couple slides. So, Evan Laurum revenues is your biggest

revenue here. It increased 729,000 or 4.9% and that's comparable to prior year with the percentage being less than 5%. sales and services increased 2 million or 147% and this is due to the golf related fees and disposal fees because if you remember last year the golf fund dissolved into the general fund. So here's the increase in the revenues here. This slide shows other taxes and licenses and it increased 252,000 or 2.4% 4% and that's also comparable to prior year. Now we're going to look at the top three expenditures. The first one is public safety. That increased 1.5 million or 11.4% and the increases were in the police and fire department mainly in salary and wages and capital outlay expenditures. Public works. This increased 724,000 or 11% increases were in the engineering capital outlay also in highway and street salaries and benefits and capital outlay expenditures in general government 1.1 million decrease from prior year or 23.9% and the decrease was in the economic development grants that had in prior year that didn't have in this year and then also also decreases in professional fees um in the administration department. This slide shows the quick ratio in the water and sewer fund. The quick ratio measures ability for the city to meet its current liabilities with its current assets. The LGC is concerned with a quick ratio less than one and the city's

quick ratio is at 3.92%. So the city has also met that threshold. Now we're going to look at some key performance indicators. Um so along with our submission to the LGC, we also do a data input report. Um and it has various financial information. It has performance indicators that ranges from deficit fund balance, statutory violations or significant findings. And the city had both negative and positive performance indicators. Um, a performance indicator of concern was a water and sewer capital asset condition ratio. The city's result was at 29.22%. The LGC has a minimum threshold of 50% and what they're saying is 50%. Anything less than 50% may be may signal the need to replace assets in the near future. So, with self-reporting, since they don't send out unit letters anymore, typically 60 days after the presentation, um the board must issue a response explaining and having corrective actions sent to the LGC and then must be signed by board members, city managers, and the finance director. And really we are saying since the audit report's not submitted yet because of the delays in compliance supplement, we really want to wait until audit reports submitted and then we can submit the data input sheet and then you guys can submit your um response to this. This next slide shows the positive performance indicators. So like I mentioned before um the audit will be submitted timely to LGC. Um it's ready to go just waiting for those supplements. So once it comes um then it'll be submitted. There are no current year findings mentioned earlier the general fund available fund balance percentage uh meets the minimum of 25. The city was at 84.5%. And I mentioned also earlier the water

and sewer quick ratio that was above the minimum of one and the city also met the water and sewer net income and cash to expense ratio. I just want to thank you for allowing us to serve as your auditors this year and u we look forward to working with y'all for the years to come. Also want to thank u the finance staff Thomas and u Eric for just being prepared and easy to work with. So we just want to thank you all for this time. And if there's any questions I can take that at this time.

Joe, will you just quickly explain what the non accounting terms.

So, it's a calculation and really it compares you guys to other units, but it's taking the fund balance available and it's taking the restrictions. So, it takes your total fund balance and it subtracts out all the restrictions. So it's what's um not restricted or committed or or restrictions are by third party. And so it's everything that's left over and then it divides it by your expenditure. So it's just saying if you don't have any revenues at any point, how much can your fund balance pay those expenditures and that's the percentage. Yep. So it covers your fund balance available covers about 84.5% of your expenditures.

Yep. Um if there are funds or projects that are designated but not restricted by a third party, are they included in that amount or So if it is designated by the board, let's just say when you guys did a project um and there's not grant revenues, but you guys are wanting to transfer some funds over from another fund, those are not in this fund balance available. It's only third party restrictions that are reduced from here. Oh, so actually they are in this number. I sorry they are in this number because only restrictions are reduced. So they are in this number.

So if there if there's money that's kind of been restricted by this council because we plan to use it for other projects. It's showing up as available%. Correct. Yes. Because at that at any point you guys can still the board can still make the changes because it's not third party imposed. Okay. Yep. Thank you. Anything else? Thank you.

Okay. Thank you very much. Item three will be a proclamation for National Hospice and Pallet of Care Month. This will be presented by Mayor Pro Tim Payton Williams. And we have with us tonight the CEO of the Davidson County Hospice and that is U. Laura Owen. If you'd like to come forward, please. Thank you for being here. Absolutely. Thank you.

All right. So, this is National Hospice and Paliative Care Month proclamation. Whereas hospice and paliotative care offer the highest quality services and support to patients and family caregivers facing serious and lifelimiting illness. And whereas hospice and paliative care providers take the time to ask what's important to those they are caring for and listen to what their patients and families say. And whereas skilled and compassionate hospice and paliative care professionals including physicians, nurses, social workers, therapists, counselors, health aids and clergy provide comprehensive care focused on the wishes of each individual patient. And whereas through pain management and symptom control, caregiver training and assistance and emotional and spiritual support, allowing patients to live fully up until the final moments, surrounded and supported by the faces of loved ones, friends, and committed caregivers. Now therefore, Raleigh York Jr., by virtue of the authority vested in him as mayor of the city of Thomasville, North Carolina, does hereby proclaim November 2025 as National Hospice and Paliative Care Month. and he encourages citizens to increase their understanding and awareness of care at the end of life and to observe this month with appropriate activities and programs. And this is signed the 17th day of November 2025 by Raleigh York Jr.

Please say something.

Thank you, mayor. Thank you, city [applause] council. So, I have a soft voice. So, I'll have to use the microphone. But, um, thank you for 40 years of partnership and caring for our community and recognizing that living well includes how well we are cared for when we're our most vulnerable. Um, with your help, we have an employment of over 120 individuals. We're proud to be an employer of choice. We're recognized by the Tribe Business Journal this past year for that. but also we will care for over 1100 individuals with serious illness and at end of life and we just so appreciate your support but also your advocacy for this great medical specialty. Thank you so much [applause]

special presentation. I'm going to ask Council Member Scott Styers and Neil Grimes to join me down front, please. I hope I don't. [laughter] [clears throat]

These two gentlemen have a combined total of over 30 years of service to the city of Thomasville on the council. And I just want to thank both of you in a special way tonight for giving of yourselves, your your family, you know, time you're away from them and the things you do. We we know what it takes to to serve and the friendships that we have fostered between us. you. There's no way I can stand here and tell you the impact that these two gentlemen have had on our city over the last uh I guess 18 years off and on. Yeah. Right. I think both of you were elected in 2007.

That's right. Yeah. So, as a very small token of my appreciation and that of the city, uh we have got these challenge coins that we present to special people for special reasons. And I'm going to present this to Councilman Scott Sire. Thank you for your time on service and your friendship. Yes, sir. Thank you. Neil Grimes, thank you very much for your time and your friendship as well. Thank you very much. M

much much deserved and much more than this. But that's all I can do right now. So but but it comes with a heartfelt thank you from me to to each one of you. Thank you very much. Thank you. [applause] [applause]

Thank you. Thank you. The next item on our agenda is public hearing consideration of three zoning 205 and 305 East Main Street from to OI office and institution. Uh the request for reszoning C25-000010. The applicant is city of Thomasville. The locations were stated partial numbers 1611500 0 C 01 and 1619 0000 A 01. The existing zoning is R6, C4 and M1. Requested zoning is OI.

Mayor, council, thank you. Uh this resoning request that's being brought forward to you is to reszone our recreation facility uh that is we call central wreck um and the office building across the street that we purchased a few years ago and have redeveloped um into the recreation center with all of the changes that are going on in that area. Uh this is uh an area that's zoned three different types of uses uh manufacturing uh commercial and the residential. This is a unification resoning that will bring it all under one type of zoning district which fits this need that we have to have uh so with the setbacks are the same across the property. Any landscape changes across the property any of those issues are are addressed all at one time. And so we uh are asking that you reszone this property for that purpose. Thank you.

Okay. Thank you very much. Is there anyone else who would like to speak for this? Is there anyone who would speak against? See no one approach the podium. I declare the public hearing closed. Defer count. Mr. Mayor, I make a motion that we move forward with approving the request for resing Z25- 0010 from existing zoning C4 and M1 to office and institutional. Is there a second? Second.

Second.

Now, is there any discussion? Okay, you may record your vote. We have 70 zeros. So, that has been approved unanimously. We're now down to our consent agenda, and I recognize once again city manager Michael Brandt. Thank you, Mayor. Um, your consent agenda this month is very light. It consists of two items. Uh, the first item is your minutes from the briefing meeting on October 13, 2025. The second item, item B, is consideration of minutes of the council meeting on October 20th, 2025. Okay. What's the pleasure of councel?

Mr. Mayor, I move the acceptance of the consent agenda as presented. Is there a second? Second. Now, is there any discussion? Okay, you may record your vote. And the consent agenda has been approved unanimously. [clears throat] We're now down to the regular agenda, consideration of budgets amendment 2026-P5-01. Uh, our finance director, Thomas Aant.

Good evening, Mor. This amendment appropriates $3,200 of insurance pool safety grant funding from the North Carolina League of Municipalities for the installation of access controls and doorbells at Fire Station 24 on Ballpark Road. With this grant funding, we've now been able to uh install access controls at all four stations in town. Um, and I believe we'll be continuing this grant funding annually for other projects as well. So, it's a 50% cost reimbursement up to $5,000 and that's all the amendment has. It requires your approval.

Okay. Thank you very much. Mr. Mayor, I'll make a motion to approve the budget amendment. Any [snorts] discussion to zero approved down to item B consideration contract recreation director.

Good evening mayor and council. Good to see you. Um before you you have a uh for your consideration is the contract for our aquitech. It's our pool management company. They assist with our lifeguards, hiring our lifeguards, hiring our hiring our maintenance staff and also working to keep the pool in working order throughout the seasons. This is actually an opportunity that was presented from the company to extend. We are currently entering our third year of our contract and it's extend for a fourth year at the same cost of the third year. So it will in tune save us some money before we see an increase in our contract with the company. Thank you very much. Thank you. What is the council with regard to this contract?

Mr. Mayor, I make a motion that we approve the Aquitech contract extinction. And now is there a second? Second. Okay. Any discussion? You may record your vote. And the vote is 70. So, it's been unanimous unanimously approved. Item C is a quick claim deed uh for King Row. And I'm going to recognize our city attorney, Mr. Whitman.

Good evening, mayor. Thank you. Um, you should have I think Eddie's going to put it on the screen a copy of a plat. Do you have that, Eddie?

Okay. So, the the history behind this is there was a uh strip of property that was originally owned by the city and it's shown if you look on there um I don't know if you can zoom in Eddie at the bottom um lots 11 and 12 that strip that's running from King Row up by lot 12 and around and crosses over 11 and 12 at the back. If you go over um Eddie to that block that's circled in red, that explains that the purpose of that plat, the city of Thomasville accepts dedication of a certain easement and rideway depicted as King Row Park, City of Thomasville, uh Gravel Drive as depicted on survey recorded in platbook 21, page 195. The tract is shown on this survey as tract A. Further, the city of Thomas will hereby abandons its claim to track B as depicted on this survey in exchange for the dedication of the foregoing easement. So basically, tract B was swapped for tract A. When that was done, there was not a deed for tract B completed, releasing that back to the Finch F or Finch properties. Fast forward, it has now changed hands a couple of times. the prior owner uh built two homes on lots 11 and 12, which they have now just sold. And those two homes were built uh based on setbacks that included tract B, even though he didn't actually own track B. So, we now have setback violations. So, in order to correct this, we need to execute and record a quick claim deed for that tract B to the current owner. In order to correct the chain of title, I asked Wendy to search back through the minutes to see if she could find minutes about this, but she could not. Therefore, I'm asking you to vote on it this evening and give the mayor permission to execute

the quick claim deed to the current owner of the property for tract B. Okay, thanks very much. Any questions? Which which is track B that stripped? If if you can uh move it uh the screen to the uh left other way, sorry. You'll see it says tract B out beside of it. Possible overlap in deeds. Um it's the strip that goes up by lot 12. That's actually the southern part of lot 12. That's it. That's the strip. What about the stuff in the back that it goes all the way up o and over. So it's an L-shaped kind of um or hockey puckshaped. Okay.

That's behind lot 12. Does that include the little piece behind lot 11 also? 11. So, we're doing [clears throat] 11 and 12. The whole thing. Thank you. Each go to the both the [clears throat] same owner owns both 11 and 12. Perfect. Okay. Any more questions? Is this like when they say they're going to do a title search on a house? Is this the kind of stuff that comes up? That is the kind of stuff that comes up. It's exciting. It is. Thank you. and I have the deed prepared for mayor to sign if you vote to do so. Okay. What's the pleasure of council?

Mr. Mayor, I move that we accept and ask the execution of the quick claim deed for the properties mentioned on King Road. Track B. Track B. Mr. Mayor. Okay, we have a motion. Second. Any discussion? Okay, you may record your votes. So that has been approved unanimously. Thank you. Now down to item 8, close session for personnel. [clears throat] So I'll need a motion to go into close session. Mr. Mayor, I make a motion to uh go into close session for personnel. Is there a

second? Okay. Any discussion? Okay. Record your vote. Okay, we are now in close session.