Board of Commissioners - Regular Meeting

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stream test for september

Good afternoon, everyone. We have now called a meeting of order, and we'll start with the Pledge of Allegiance, and then we'll finish up with the invocation by me. So please remain standing after the Pledge of Allegiance. Please remain standing. As I will pray and you can worship as you so see fit. Oh, gracious and heavenly Father, we come to you this evening. We ask you for your guidance as we continue to do the people's work of Wake County. This we continue to ask in your holy name. Amen. Again, good afternoon everyone and welcome to today's meeting. We will begin today's meeting with the items of business. First, we must approve the agenda, but I believe there was a last minute request and we need to consider two changes. Is there a motion to amend the consent agenda by removing and deferring consideration of item 20 and to move item 31 and 32 from the manager report to the items of business?

Chairman, I move to modify the county manager's published agenda in the following ways. First, remove item 20 and defer consideration to a future meeting. And second, to move items 31 and 32 from the manager's report to the items of business following the proclamations.

Okay, we have a motion. Is there a second?

Second.

A motion made by Commissioner Thomas and second by Commissioner Jackson. All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed, please say no. Not hearing any, the motion carries. Next, the approval of the agenda. Is there a motion to approve the agenda as amended?

Motion to approve the amended agenda. Second.

We have a motion to approve the amended agenda by Commissioner Waters and second by Commissioner Thomas. All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

All those opposed, please say no. Not hearing any, the motion carries. Is there a motion to approve of the minutes of the regular meeting of October 2025 Board of Commissioners? Is there a motion to approve?

I move approval of the minutes of the regular meeting of October 20, 2025.

We have a motion by Commissioner Stallings. Is there a second?

Second.

Second by Commissioner Evans. All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

All those opposed, please say no. Not hearing any, the motion carries. And now we will have a proclamation that will be read by Commissioner Stallings, which is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Proclamation.

Good afternoon, Chair Mille and colleagues. I am here to read the Suicide Prevention Awareness Month proclamation here for Wake County for September 2026. Whereas suicide is a serious public health issue that affects individuals, families, and communities, and every life lost leaves a lasting impact on those who knew and loved that person, and whereas in 2023, 129 Wake County residents died by suicide, and 565 Wake County residents died by suicide during the five-year period from 2019 through 2023, and where suicide can affect people of every age and background, but some populations face disproportionate risk, including youth and young adults, veterans, older adults, and people who experience barriers to accessing care And whereas suicide is preventable and recognizing warning signs, talking openly about mental health and suicide, reducing stigma, and connecting people to timely support can save lives. And whereas people experiencing emotional distress or suicidal thoughts should know that help is available, including the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which provides free and confidential support by call, text, or chat, and where suicide prevention is a shared responsibility that includes families, friends, schools, healthcare and behavioral health providers, first responders, faith communities, workplaces, and community organizations, and whereas Wake County is committed to strengthening behavioral health crisis response, improving connections to care, and working with community partners so residents can get the right help when and where they need it, and whereas Suicide Prevention Awareness Month reminds us that prevention is a shared responsibility and that each of us can make a difference by noticing when someone may be struggling, listening without judgment, offering compassion and connection, and helping one another find support and hope. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Wake County Board of Commissioners hereby proclaims September 2026 as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in Wake County and encourages residents to learn the warning signs of suicide, check on one another, talk openly and compassionately about mental health, and connect themselves or others to help when it is needed. Adopted this eighth day of September 2026 by our chair, Don Mall of the Wake County Board of Commissioners, I move approval of this proclamation.

Thank you, Commissioner Stahls. We have a motion to approve the proclamation. Is there a second?

Second.

Second by Commissioner Jackson. All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

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

Thank you so much, Chair Mullin, colleagues. Just a few comments. First of all, the colors for Suicide Prevention Awareness Month are purple and teal. So thanks to you all who are able to wear those colors this afternoon. And thanks to Manager Ellis and staff, the Justice Center will be lit up starting tonight throughout the month of September. in shifting from the colors purple and teal in honor of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. So a few other comments, and thank you for that, staff. As a psychologist, I've spent much of my career working with children and families and individuals during some of their most difficult times in their lives. And one thing that I've learned is that we don't always know when someone is what someone is carrying. Sometimes the most important thing we can do is easier for someone just to say, I'm not okay. And then make sure that when they do, there is someone there to listen and somewhere for them to turn to. Today is September the 8th, 9-8-8 day, a fitting reminder that 9-8-8 is there for anyone experiencing a mental health, substance use, or emotional crisis. You don't have to know exactly what to say and you don't have to wait until a situation becomes an emergency to reach out. My professional experience makes this issue especially meaningful to me, but I also know that commitment is shared by you as my board colleagues and I appreciate that so much. We care deeply about the behavioral health and well-being of this community and about continuing to strengthen the support available to our residents. Ultimately, this is about people, people we have lost, people who have struggled, people who may be struggling today. and when people who found help and hope when they needed it. And none of us does this work alone. So I am grateful to have Mark Simon, the Executive Director of Nami Wake County, with us today. Mark, thank you for your leadership and for Nami Wake's work supporting individuals and families throughout our community. On behalf of the Board of Commissioners, it is my privilege to present this proclamation to you and invite you to say a few words now.

Thank you, Commissioner Stallings. As she mentioned, my name is Mark Simon, and I have the privilege of serving as the Executive Director of Naumee Wake County. We're the local affiliate for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. We serve the residents of this county by providing free volunteer-led education programs, support groups, community outreach, and youth leadership opportunities. Our work supports both individuals with mental health conditions and the families, educators, and community members who walk alongside them. Since stepping into this role two and a half years ago, something I've found truly remarkable is how passionate Wake County's public and private leaders are about mental health awareness and improving access to resources. Having leaders so publicly involved in these conversations helps to break down the stigma and isolation that can often exacerbate mental health challenges. And creating a sense of community and belonging is a protective factor. It rounds out the sharp edges of hardship and makes us all feel more connected and resilient no matter where we are in our mental health journeys. Proclamations like these are important because it tells our community members that they are not alone, that they matter, that there are resources to help in times of crisis, that suicide is preventable, and that we all have a part to play. At NAMI, one of the core issues we've been focused on is improving mental health for youth and families to support them by ensuring that we can meet people where they're at, and provide support that can keep a young person's crisis from becoming something much worse. For the last few years, we've worked with the Wake County Public School System to deliver our Ending the Silence program in schools across the county. We're so grateful for this partnership because it has opened doors for students and families who are struggling to have those hard conversations to get connected to the resources they need. And it is why it's an exciting chapter for us in our partnership as we launch our Young Minds Collective with the support of opioid settlement dollars. The Young Minds Collective is our vision to build an ecosystem of care that meets students and families at every stage of a young person's life, starting in the classroom and building towards a pipeline of informed parents and youth leaders to carry this work forward. These are the kinds of interventions that save lives. On behalf of NAMI Wake County, I want to thank our partners in this room for your continued partnership and for investing in the well-being of students and families. I also want to thank Commissioner Stallings for being a champion of this issue and for her years of steadfast leadership, and to the Wake County commissioners for standing in support of mental health awareness and suicide prevention. Your stewardship on this issue speaks volumes, not just to NAMI and the folks in this room, but to every person who calls this county home. Namiwe County has been around for 39 years now, and the work we are doing today is made possible because the organization stands on the shoulders of giants. It begins with our volunteers, the lifeblood of our organization. Some of you in this room have been with Namiwe County for decades, quietly building the foundation we celebrate tonight. It also begins with our elected officials and government leaders who set policy and open doors, and business leaders, health systems, and foundations and funders. That's what it takes, all of us together, deciding that no one in this county has to face this alone. Let's carry this forward into every school, every home, every corner of this county. Thank you.

And next, we will have First Responders Day proclamation, which will be read by me and Kayla Medley, Community Development and Government Affairs Coordinator for Raleigh. The chamber will be receiving it. Good afternoon, colleagues. It is my pleasure to be able to read this proclamation today, recognizing our first responders. Whereas first responders provide a vital public service throughout Wake County, and whereas first responders in Wake County are ready to provide life-saving services to those in need 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and whereas eight agencies will be recognized at this breakfast, Raleigh Police Department, North Carolina State Capitol Police, City of Raleigh Fire Department, Wake County Emergency Medical Services, Wake County Sheriff's Office, Raleigh-Wake County Emergency Communications Center, Wake Fire Services and Emergency Management, and North Carolina Highway Patrol. And whereas first responders in Wake County dramatically improved the safety, survival, and recovery of those who experienced sudden danger, illness, or injury, and whereas Wake County resident workers and visitors benefit daily from the knowledge and skills of these highly trained individuals. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Wake County Board of Commission does hereby join with other governing bodies across the county and in partnership with the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce in recognizing September the 10th, 2026 as First Responders Day and encourage the community to observe this day with appropriate programming, ceremonies, and activities. Adopted this 8th day of September, 2026, signed by me, Don Miles, Chair of Wake County Board of Commission. So at this time, I put that in a motion to receive. So we have a motion by Commissioner Thomas. Is there a second?

I second it.

Second by Commissioner Stallings. All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Motion has it approved. A lot going on. But anyway. Kayla, please.

On behalf of the Greater Raleigh Chamber, I just want to thank you, Commissioners, for approving this proclamation. And we are looking forward to having Chair Mile read the proclamation at our annual first responders breakfast on Thursday, September 10th. So thank you.

And now we have our third proclamation. Commissioner Ward will be bringing it forth. It's for Employees Appreciation Month.

All right.

thank you chair mile it's always good to acknowledge the hard work of team wake and so as i stand before you recognizing september 2026 as wake county employee appreciation month whereas wake county employees demonstrate unwavering dedication professionalism and service and support of the residents communities and mission of wake county and whereas employees across all departments continue daily to the effective delivery of vital public service including public safety, health and human services, environmental protection, infrastructure maintenance, and administrative support, and whereas the collective efforts of Wake County employees strengthen our operations, enhance community well-being, and uphold the highest standards of public service, and whereas Wake County employees consistently show resilience, innovation, and teamwork in responding to the evolving needs of our community and often exceed expectations and fulfilling their duties. And whereas Wake County acknowledges the invaluable contributions of its workforce and recognizes the importance of celebrating their achievements, dedication, and positive impact, on our residents and whereas setting aside the month of September 2026 as Wake County Employee Appreciation Month provides an opportunity for leaders, colleagues and community members to express gratitude and appreciation for the hard work and commitment demonstrated by Wake County employees. Now therefore be it resolved that the Wake County Board of Commissioners does hereby recognize September 2026 as Wake County Employee Appreciation Month and extends heartfelt appreciation to all employees for the exceptional service, dedication, lasting contributions to the strength and success of our community. Our residents, community partners, and stakeholders are encouraged to join us in celebrating Wake County employees throughout the month of September, acknowledging their efforts that uphold the values, integrity, and mission of Wake County, adopted this eighth day of September, 2026. And that, sir, is my motion.

We have a motion by Commissioner Waters. Is there a second?

I'll second.

I've got a second by Commissioner Evans. All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Those opposed, please say no. Not hearing any, the motion carries. Any board members want to make a comment? Because first of all, I want to ask all of Wake County employees, please stand. We want to make sure that we acknowledge you guys because without y'all, there's no way we could do what we do up here. So again, thank you so very much for all your service that you give to the citizens of Wake County and to this board. Commissioner Waters, do you have any other comment at this time that you want to add?

Yes, we are stellar in service areas across Wake County. Many are humble, behind-the-scenes workers that you may never see, and many are doing this work for decades, and I really want to salute all of the hard work and acknowledge our fearless county manager, David Ellis, who leads in a humble servant's way, and I really appreciate so many of the things that happen in our community that are driven by the work of wake county employees so thank you for the opportunity to read this proclamation and acknowledge that hard work thank you

And next, we will go to item 31. I think Daryl Alford will be coming forward to present item 31, then we will go to item 32, which will be County Manager David Ellis. So welcome, Daryl, and please proceed.

Thank you, Chair Miles. I won't be presenting, but first of all, thank you, Commissioners, for your support of all our departments. It was just mentioned Employee Appreciation Month. I'm going to let Alan Miller, who is our Training and Exercise Coordinator, talk about Preparedness Month.

Thank you.

Good evening. Thank you guys for allowing us a few moments of your time to highlight and recognize National Preparedness Month. So September is National Preparedness Month every year. So we are back again to bring that to the top of the forefront of your mind. And tonight I want to make a case for why it matters using Wake County's own history. So on September 5th, 1996, the eye of Hurricane Fran passed directly over Raleigh. By the next morning, damage covered all 891 square miles of Wake County. Four people died in Wake County alone, and the storm caused more than $900 million in damage here back then. Some residents didn't get power back for four or five weeks and one family even moved into a motel. It was the first time in history that a governor declared a state of emergency for all 100 North Carolina counties at one time. Fran is still the benchmark storm that Wake County measures every hurricane against. Fran isn't our only chapter, though. On April 16th, 2011, an EF3 tornado tracked directly across Wake County, part of the largest single-day tornado outbreak in state history. At the Stony Brook North Mobile Home Park in Raleigh, 27 homes were destroyed and four children died. Five years later, in January of 2016, a winter ice storm knocked out power to 140,000 people statewide, and Wake County alone accounted for 50,000 of those outages. And this isn't ancient history. Last summer, Tropical Storm Chantal dropped nine to 12 inches of rain on central North Carolina, triggering a state disaster declaration covering Wake and seven neighboring counties. Wake County recorded 69 separate storm events in 2025 alone. Wind, winter weather, hail, flash flooding, and heat. We are not a county that gets one kind of disaster, we get them all. Nationally, we're now averaging $28 billion in weather and climate disasters in a single year. And Tropical Storm Chantal alone caused six confirmed deaths regionally. Wake County sits at the intersection of the coastal plain and the Piedmont, a corridor for hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, ice, and heat, often within the same season. Here's the gap, a recent FEMA survey found that only about 48% of American households have actually developed and discussed an emergency plan. Awareness isn't the problem, action is. That's exactly the gap that National Preparedness Month exists to close, built around the three core steps, making a plan, building a kit, and staying informed. National Preparedness Month isn't just a messaging campaign. Last year we hosted an emergency kit backpack giveaway through the Wake County Library System and handed out 396 backpacks. They were real, ready to use emergency kits directly in residents' hands, not just information about what to buy. and that's on top of the outreach that we do year round, attending community events and speaking directly with schools, faith groups, and civic organizations, and not just during September. This September, our office is asking Wake County residents to do three concrete things. Make a plan, okay? Know where you'll shelter for a tornado versus where you'll evacuate for flooding because those are different answers. Build a kit, food, water, medications, and a way to charge a phone, sized for the kind of multi-week outage that Fran taught us is possible. And stay informed. Sign up for Ready Wake Alerts so you get warnings in real time, not after the storm is already here. And this year we're putting that message into practice by focusing on families with young children and infants. A group that faces unique challenges in a disaster, from medications and feeding supplies to evacuation and shelter logistics, and one that's often hardest to reach with preparedness messaging. This campaign was built in partnership with Best Baby Wake and includes a family preparedness roadmap and a kit checklist designed specifically for parents and caregivers. Everything is available now at readywake.com. Every anecdote that I've shared tonight happened here, to our neighbors, and to potentially some of us. Preparedness Month isn't abstract for Wake County. It's our own history telling us what to do differently next time. I'd ask the board's support in helping us get that message to make a plan, build a kit, and to stay informed to every household this September. Thank you guys for your time, and we will take any questions if you have any.

Thank you for that great presentation. Colleagues, any questions or comments?

Thank you so very much.

Thank you. Next, we will have our County Manager come forward.

Yes.

As we celebrate Employee Appreciation Month here today, I wanna take a moment and recognize an employee who is no longer with us and unable to participate today. I wanna recognize Mike Iacobucci, a Wake County employee who passed away late last month. Mike was an electrical trade specialist who enjoyed the beaches and the mountains of North Carolina. He attended Western Carolina University and hoped one day to retire in the mountains. His colleagues described him as funny, laid back, and stubborn, and a fan of Wolfpack football and basketball. That's a hard thing to do these days, but... He was respected by his team members, as you can see them here, for his dedication, his leadership, and his work ethic. And I just ask that we take a moment to recognize Mike as we go forward, thank you. Thank you, does anybody wanna say anything? All right, thank you guys for being here.

Thank you, County Manager Ellis. And of course, we continue to send our condolence and prayers to his family, especially his colleagues. We will now move on to our consent agenda. As a reminder, all items on the consent agenda are considered to be routine and may be enacted by one motion. Is there a motion to approve each item as presented in the amended consent agenda with the exception of item 20? And the amended, I think we moved another item. No, we're fine. It's just item 20. So is there a motion?

I move approval of the consent agenda as amended. I second it.

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

Aye.

All those opposed, please say no. Not hearing any no's. The ayes have it. The motion carries. Now it's our time for our general public comment period. At all regular meetings, the Board of Commission allocates time to hear from residents. If you are to speak about the Wake Med Hospital question, please come up when I call your name. If you're here to speak about the rezoning request or the community transportation program, please wait for those hearings later in the meeting. Attendees had an opportunity to sign up using our online sign up app. We've also provided the opportunity to sign up here in person before the meeting began. To keep the comment period moving, I will call on several names at a time. When I call your name, please come to the front and wait your turn. Please start your comments by giving us your name and if you will share what part of Wake County you reside in. Then you will have up to two 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 that commissioners will not respond to comments shared today. This comment period is a time for us to hear from you. I will begin now with the first name on the list. And the first name is Patricia Walker, Ashley Simpson, Charles Putterman, Jeffrey Ross, and Helen Spokane. So if you could come up in that order. So Patricia Walker first. Also, if you have any written statement of whatever you may be reading, please put it in the box there or on the corner chair or give it to our clerk. So Ms. Walker, please proceed.

I'm Patricia Walker, I live in Raleigh, and you may think my face is familiar because I spoke last time about this issue. And I spoke because I was concerned about the lack of transparency. And given the information which has come out recently, I think that lack of transparency is even more distressing and disturbing. There are so many things about this deal that simply will not stand the light of day. It is also true that no one has said how this deal will improve health care for the people of Wake County. And we already know that there are thousands of Wake County residents who will see their health care situation worsened because of the fact that their premiums are going to go up. And I would be willing to bet that there are many other people in this room who will also see their premiums go up. Wake Med is not in an exigent circumstance. Nothing needs to be done now. There's plenty of time to go and look at the field, see what's available, see what partners might be good to work with and to have the same values, the same ethics, the same morals, and the same commitment to community that Wake Med has right now. I know this will take more time. I know it will take more effort. But as my dear old granny always used to say, you got to kiss a lot of frogs before you find a handsome prince. And Atrium Health sure as heck isn't a handsome prince. Far together, not one step back.

Thank you, Ms. Walker. Ashley Simpson?

Good evening commissioners, I'm Ashley Simpson and I serve on the Wake Med Foundation team and I reside in Wendell. I'd like to start by sharing one of the most challenging days I've had as a Wake Med employee, July 27th, 2026 at the Patients Union Town Hall. I've been fortunate to be on the Wake Med team as an employee for almost eight years. Five years prior to that, I served as a community volunteer for the foundation. Throughout my time here, it has become clear that many people love and respect Wake Med and what our organization does to better our community. The night of the Patients Union Town Hall, that was presented as the theme. But instead of the feeling of joy, I typically feel in conversations around what makes Wake Med special, I felt defeated. Sitting in the pew, I watched and listened as the organization I love and the leadership I respect was questioned and for no better way to describe it, bullied. To be with my fellow team members as our character and choices were challenged was hard. It was sad and it made me believe in the Wake Med Atrium combination even more. We all want the community hospital, the underdog, to win. However, the market is changing, things are only getting more expensive, and the need for care for all is more important than ever. The underdog needs support, and support from an organization that shares the same mission and compassion towards everyone they serve, everyone who needs them. That organization is Atrium Health. I could go on with all of the reasons it is a good fit, but you've heard them. Instead, I'll end with what I know to be true. Donald Ginzig and the Wake Med Board of Directors have Wake Med's best interest at heart. They love Wake Med. I wholeheartedly believe this. Many will say that Wake Med is their hospital. I hope you will consider the voices of support from those who live and breathe that statement every day, not just when it is a popular debate. I hope you will vote yes to the Wake Med-April Combination. Thank you for allowing our voices to be heard tonight. We appreciate you.

Thank you. Charles Putterman.

Good afternoon, Charles Putterman. I live about a mile west of Big Wake in Longview. This is Economics 101. Big corporations don't buy smaller corporations out of the goodness of their corporate hearts. If the small company is in trouble, the big corporation can take advantage of that and buy them at a discount. On the other hand, if the smaller company is successful, like Wake Med is, they buy them to acquire and exploit their talent, their assets, their borrowing power, and to expand their market and decrease the competition. Like colonial powers that conquer smaller, weaker territories, they care little about the native population. What they want are the natural resources and more power. Look, I don't doubt that Atrium has benefited underserved communities. But their current endeavor is not about helping an underserved community. Wake Med is already doing that with expansion plans to bring its extraordinary level of care to even more Wake County communities. Atrium doesn't want Wake Med because it's failing. They want it because it's an excellent asset to add to their already bloated roster. And that brings us to consider economics of scale. When a corporation gets too big, the U-shaped long-run average total cost curve trends downward, and the benefits of increased size disappear. And this is particularly true of health care companies like Atrium. Two hundred and fifty years ago, folks, England didn't want to keep the colonies to make it easier for the colonists in their pursuit of happiness to make their lives better. Fortunately, The country's, on this country's 250th anniversary, Wake Med doesn't have to fight for its independence.

Sir, I'm sorry to stop you. It already has it. But your time is up. No, thank you. Thank you. Next, Jeffrey Ross, then Helen Sporkin. Also, if Brian Donadoo, please come forward. Donna Avery and Eric Eklund, please come up and stand. Go ahead, sir.

Good evening, my name is Jeff Ross and I hail from Cleveland County. Chairman, commissioners, and members of the community, I want to thank you for allowing me to come and speak today. I'm a rural North Carolina citizen and a community leader. When I was a little boy, I did what most young boys do. I saw a styrofoam cup lying in the grass and I stomped it. What I didn't know was it was covering broken glass from a beer bottle. In an instant, my heel was sliced to the bone. I remember running home scared and bleeding, and I remember watching my mother do only what she could do. She tore strips from a bed sheet. She pulled my foot back together and wrapped it as tightly as she could. We didn't go to the emergency room. We didn't go to a doctor. We simply lived with it. As a child, I thought we didn't get care because we didn't have enough money. As an adult, I learned a harder truth. What we really didn't have was access. Today, decades later, I've had the privilege of helping bring access to care in the same community where I once went without it. Atrium Health and Community Partners established an access to care point in Robertsdale, the very place where I needed care as a child and couldn't get it. We've also launched four other community-based virtual primary care clinics serving rural citizens of Cleveland County. Not because of commercials, not because of 30-second social media clips, not because someone told me to say this, but I'm here today to let you know I'm here because I've lived it. And I've seen what happens when the healthcare system puts its money where its mission is. Atrium Health did that, and I thank them. I respectfully ask that you support this effort to expand care to all. More importantly, because where you live should never determine if you live.

Thank you. Is Helen spoken?

Thank you all for letting us speak today. I'm Helen Sporkin, and I'm a member of the Patients Union and a Raleigh resident, but also a concerned mother. I moved to Raleigh two years ago with my husband and toddler daughter. You'll hear from my husband as well. We specifically moved here because we wanted a stable, vibrant community we could raise our family in and never leave. I work in biomedical engineering and my husband is a physician and ultimately we love Raleigh because of its unique medical landscape. Three incredible hospitals serving the area and multiple independent physician groups would mean my husband would always have employment options in the region. We were also happy to expand our family here. You've already heard from me about my experience with UNC's hospital's consolidation of recs leading to a poor birth outcome for me due to distance and overcrowding. I now fear a similar fate for Wake Med, a hospital that was there for us for our son's surgery at a corrected age of just a month old. Atrium moving into the Triangle also greatly worries my husband and me as we do not want to see his practice affected by the changing landscape. Please consider the families that built and are building their lives here in the Triangle. Please consider how hard it is for ordinary citizens to fight against the amount of closed door meetings and huge advertising budget that Atrium can afford. Do not let big medicine buy your vote. Do not let the consolidation and takeover of our local wonderful hospital mean that prices will raise and people will get worse care. Please vote no. Thank you.

Thank you. Brian?

Good evening, Chairman, Commissioners, and members of the community. My name is Brian Donato. A lot has been said about healthcare partnerships and what that exactly means for communities. What I can tell you is what I've experienced firsthand. As a 14-year-old growing up in a very rural part of North Carolina, China Grove to be exact, small town population of 4,000, I suddenly became very sick after soccer practice one night, one evening. My parents knew something was immediately wrong with me and sought to seek me to find the best care possible. I was rushed to Jeff Gordon's Children's Hospital, where doctors determined I had pneumonia, a collapsed lung, and complications due to my asthma. I underwent emergency treatment and spent several days in the hospital. My family was later told that receiving care that day had ultimately saved my life. That experience has stayed with me ever since. Today I have the privilege of serving communities and helping individuals and families overcome barriers that affect health and well-being. Because of my experience, I just know how important it is to have access to care and having that access right where you need it most. I know firsthand that these resources, having the expertise and services available can make all the difference between life and death. A lot has been said about healthcare partnerships. What I can tell you is I'm standing here today because of the care I received, because an organization invested in bringing those services closer to communities like mine. When my family and I needed help, all we had was hope. The rest was provided by our healthcare providers. And that is why I'm proud to support this effort. Thank you.

Thank you. Donna Avery. After Mr. Avery, there'll be Eric Eklund, Noor Lekwabil, Tonya Robinson-Taylor, and Captain Martin. Please go ahead.

Good evening. Thank you for allowing me to be here today. I have been a part of Wake Med for over 20 years. I'm a practice manager for the Center for Community Health and also for our internal medicine residency clinic at Wake Med. My teams and I serve vulnerable populations who often face significant barriers to healthcare. I'm here today to support the proposed strategic combination between Wake Med and Atrium. Over the last two decades, I have seen firsthand how Wake Med's mission translates into support for our community. At the Center for Community Health and the Internal Medicine Clinic, we care for underserved patients, including those who are uninsured or facing financial and social challenges that make it difficult to access care. Since opening, our practices have completed more than 33,000 visits, and these visits represent individuals and families who have received the care, support, and resources they needed to improve their health and well-being. These are not just numbers to me. These are people and families my team and I serve every day and we're proud to be part of their care team. As Wake Med continues to grow, so do the healthcare needs of our community. To meet those needs and continue providing vital safety net services Wake Med must remain strong and financially sustainable. This strategic combination will provide additional resources to expand access to care, invest in programs and services, strengthen community partnerships that improve health outcomes. Healthcare costs will continue to rise. Being part of a larger nonprofit system like Atrium Health creates opportunities to better manage these challenges while continuing to invest in patient care, community services, and the long-term health of our community. Most important to me is the commitment to charitable care. The expanded financial assistance program that is part of this combination will help ensure more patients can receive the care they need, regardless of their financial circumstances. After 20 years with Wake Med, I believe this combination...

Okay, ma'am, I hate to cut you off, but your time has expired. Thank you. Thank you so very much. Eric Eklund?

Hello, my name is Eric. I live here in Raleigh. You heard my wife speak just a moment ago, but I'm a radiologist based in Wake County. The presence of a non-hospital-owned radiology group is important to many radiologists when selecting a job. Some newly trained physicians see risk in joining a practice because you invest your time and earnings into a group that could one day be forced out of a market or forced to sell, especially in radiology, where private equity and hospital acquisitions have led to more and more practices taking on incredible patient loads. The thriving independent private practice of radiology is critical to the future of the field. Many new radiologists select non-private equity independent groups in order to have control over their ability to practice medicine in a way that best serves their patients. True private practice, where doctors control the organization, are responsible for their peers and patients, and earn the fruits of their labor, is the benchmark that sets the market and provides the anchor against exploitation and unsafe work practices. A practice based in a community that builds relationships with local physicians and their patients will always provide better care than a faceless leviathan reading imaging as fast as possible to boost their bottom line. Atrium currently is associated with Lumexa Imaging, the second largest outpatient imaging consortium in the US and a publicly traded company. I have no doubt that this merger will lead to decreased wages and bargaining power for private practices as well as drive down wages at entities such as UNC and Duke. Please vote no to keep Big Medicine out of Wake County. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Thank you. Next up, Noah Liquibille, Tanya Robinson-Taylor, Kathy Martin, Lisa McKenna, and Kelly Walton.

Hi, commissioners. My name is Noah, and I'm a Wake County resident and a Wake Med patient. And this is my second comment I'm making in opposition to the merger between Wake Med and Atrium Health. Since my last comment, the Raleigh News and Observer has published the contents of a new letter from the Wake Med CEO to Governor Josh Stein. which explains, according to the article, that, quote, the $2 billion investment would come from Wake Med's own operating cash, debt, and other resources first, with Atrium making up any gap. The article goes on to explain that this means Atrium Health might not have to invest any money at all in Wake Med. I understood this $2 billion investment as the primary reason why supporters backed the merger. Now that we know that this merger will not fulfill its promise of investing in Wake Med or lower healthcare costs or provide any evidence at all that healthcare services will improve, I see no reason to support it. For many of these reasons, this merger has been criticized by Raleigh's mayor and by Republican Senator Jim Bergen and Governor Josh Stein and by countless residents of Wake County. Please help build a plan that will help improve Wake Med and its resident service instead of one that we already know will make things worse. Thank you.

Thank you. Tanya Taylor.

Mr. Chair, Commissioners, good afternoon. My name is Tanya Robinson-Taylor, and I lead community benefit at Atrium Health. Throughout my career, I've focused on connecting communities and programs, partnerships, and resources that improve health and well-being. I've come to believe that being a nonprofit is not defined by a label. It's defined by action. It's reflected in how we invest in communities, support local organizations, and work to address the challenges that affect health every day. One thing I have learned is that strong communities are built through trust, and that trust is earned when organizations listen, when they engage, and they follow through on their commitments. I've also learned that meaningful community impact requires more than dollars It requires engagement, partnership, and a willingness to show up consistently. Our work on food insecurity is just one example. When we see food insecurity in our communities, we don't just look for ways to fund programs. We invest in partners like Nourish Up, but we also roll up our sleeves alongside dozens of partners, volunteering our time, assembling food packages, and helping serve thousands and thousands of meals to families in need. This is community engagement in action, and it's what Atrium Health empowers us to do every day. Through this work, what has impressed me most is the willingness to listen to community voices and to work alongside local leaders to develop solutions that reflect local needs. That commitment and partnership, accountability, and community impact is why I'm proud to support the strategic combination between Atrium Health and Wake Med. Thank you.

Thank you. Ms. Martin? Kathy Martin?

What are your names?

Good evening, thank you for the opportunity to speak. I was here at the last meeting, four and a half hours. But since then, there's been a lot of coverage in the news and, ah, excuse me, I don't read my own notes. I'm Kathy Martin, I live in Cary, I'm in District 4. So, but there's been a lot of discussion since the last meeting, and so I have more comments. Obviously, the first of my three major areas, as has already been addressed multiple times, it's the $2 billion investment, and the fact that it's coming out of Wake operating budget. operating cash flow, which also is supporting the indigent care. So we're currently at 12%, but we only have to give 4.8. Guess what's gonna happen to indigent care if Atrium has control of cash flow? It's going away. Second to that second area is the governing board. They've pushed the pushback has resulted in some discussion of all. Maybe we can change the terms of engagement and you all will maintain some more control over the Wake County board. But it's not enough, it's not enough. You all are our elected officials, our representatives. We want you to control the community commission.

Okay ma'am, your time has expired. Thank you so very much.

Thank you.

Okay, Lisa McKinney. Then Kelly Walton, Abby Williamson, Peggy Harris. Please go ahead.

Chairman, commissioners, and members of the community, my name is Lisa McKenna. And for the past 34 years, I've had the privilege of helping develop behavioral health programs for all age groups and for some of the most vulnerable members of our communities. A lot's been said about health care partnerships and what they mean for communities, but what I can share with you is my experience and what I have seen. One of the reasons I've remained as a nurse with Atrium Health for more than three decades is because I believe we truly live our for all mission every day. Throughout my career, I've been empowered to develop programs to reach people who might otherwise struggle to get access to care. That includes programs like our street psychiatry program, which brings behavioral health care directly to people experiencing homelessness. It includes our school virtual therapy program, which helps connect students to care where they are, eliminating the need for them to have to miss school for an appointment. And to date, we've served more than 3,700 students in 50,000 encounters in 249 North Carolina schools. Many of these children may otherwise never have received care. And as the need for behavioral health services continues to grow, the challenge is going to be making sure care is available when and where people need it. That's why we've also invested in programs like mental health first aid training, which helps community members recognize the signs of a mental health challenge so that they can support people before they reach crisis. While we continue to expand access to care and serve as Mecklenburg County's behavioral health safety net for all mental health needs, our for all mission challenges us to think differently about how we can reach people who might otherwise go without support. Every person we reach matters. And for me, the measure of success is simple. increasing access to quality mental health care for more people every day. I believe this combination creates the opportunity to further expand access to behavioral health care and help and support more children, families, and individuals get the support they need when they need it and where they need it. That's why I'm proud to support it.

Thank you, ma'am. Kelly Walton.

Good evening, commissioners. My name is Kelly Walton. I'm a Wake County resident, 27606. I'm here asking you to protect Wake Med and vote no on the proposed combination with ATRAN help. Wake Med is not a struggling hospital that needs to be rescued. It's strong, successful, and nonprofit that served the community for more than 60 years. I have appreciated their help in taking care of my family from birth through young adulthood. It's deeply rooted in Wake County and particularly important in southeast Raleigh. HRM is proposing a $2 billion investment, expanded services and new jobs. Those promises do sound appealing, but we need to ask a more fundamental question, what are we giving up in return? Under this agreement, HRM would gain significant authority over WICMED, and once that control is surrendered, it may be extremely difficult or impossible to get it back. We also know that hospital consolidation has consequences and research on hospital mergers has repeatedly found that consolidation tends to increase prices without consistent evidence that improves the quality of patient care. Wake County is rapidly growing. We absolutely need continued investment in healthcare and hospitals, behavioral health, physicians, and other services. But Wake Med is financially strong and we should be asking whether Wake Med can make those investments while remaining independent or pursue partnerships that don't require giving another health system this level of control. Commissioners, you have an extraordinary responsibility here and this isn't simply a business transaction. The decision you make could shape healthcare in Wake County for generations. Please don't give up something that this community has taken decades to build. Protect Wake Med's independence, protect local accountability and vote.

Thank you. Okay, Pegah Harris.

Good evening, my name is Peggy Harris and I live in Mecklenburg County. And throughout my career, I have focused on creating opportunities for people and helping to ensure that every individual feels heard, seen, valued, and respected. That commitment is one of the reasons I chose healthcare as a career. It is also one of the reasons that I'm proud to work for Atrium Health. Over the years, I have seen firsthand how access to care can change lives. I have also seen how challenges such as cost, transportation, housing, and food insecurities can make it harder for people to get what they need. That's why Atrium Health's commitment to for all resonates so deeply with me. It is not just about providing care when someone walks through our doors. It's about understanding the barriers that affect health in the first place and working alongside communities to address them. One example that I'm particularly proud of is so far this year, Atrium Health has screened more than 725,000 North Carolinians for social needs like food, housing, and transportation. More than 50% of those that screened positive for at least one need and wanted help were connected to community health workers for support and resources. That's not just a statistic. That's real people getting connected to the help they need, leading to better health. My 30-plus years of healthcare experience has taught me that healthcare is strongest when it is rooted in trust, partnership, and a genuine commitment to our for-all mission. And that's why I am proud to support this effort, because at its heart, this is about expanding opportunity, removing barriers, and helping more people get the care and support they need to thrive. That is why I am proud to support this effort. Thank you.

Thank you. Next up, Nate Gotten. Brenda Gibson. Did I miss Abby Williamson? I'm sorry. Come on up, ma'am.

Good evening, Commissioner's Chair. My name is Abby Williamson, and I am Honored to be here today as the Executive Director of Pharmacy Services for Wake Med and also as a community member. In many ways, my story is Wake Med's story. I'm proud to say that I was born at Wake Med and have lived in this community of Raleigh and Wake County my entire life. Healthcare and Wake Med have been central to my family's journey for decades. My mother has dedicated more than 30 years of service as a nurse at Wake Med. and I have had the privilege of serving our patients and community for nearly 17 years. Wake Med is more than my employer. It is where my family has built a legacy of service, where I have grown professionally, and where I have witnessed firsthand the impact this organization has on the lives of people across Wake County. I care deeply about Wake Med's future and the future of healthcare in our community. As a pharmacy leader, I see the impact of Wake Med services every day. Every year our retail pharmacies dispense more than 350,000 prescriptions and provide prescriptions at no cost through charity care services to those in need. This ensures our patients can access the medications they need regardless of their ability to pay. Within our hospitals, we dispense more than eight million doses of medication each year, supporting safe and effective care. These services are vital to the health of our community, but maintaining and expanding them requires significant investment. The strategic combination with Atrium Health will provide greater capacity to invest in and grow these critical pharmacy services and expand access to more patients. Thank you for the opportunity to be here today and to share my support for this important initiative.

Thank you. Next, Nate Guyton, Brenda Gibson, Matt Roden, Karen Chilton, Rob Stephens.

Good evening, commissioners. My name is Dr. Nate Guyton. I live in Cary, and I'm one of Wake Med's newest team members. My family and I are relocated to North Carolina in June, and I'm honored to serve as the Senior Vice President and Administrator of Wake Med Carey Hospital. I spent over 25 years serving patients, families, and communities through clinical and healthcare leadership roles across the United States. I accepted this position after Wake Med and Atrium Health announced their proposed partnership. The announcement did not give me pause. In fact, it strengthened my excitement about joining Wake Med. Wake Med is a special place. You heard that in this audience. Every day I get to round in the hospital and interact with staff who have committed 40 years of their lives to working at Wake Med. I get to engage with new staff members who say, I will never leave Wake Med. In fact, I would die here. I get to present Mr. Charles, who has worked in environmental services for 31 years, who retired and came back to Wake Med with his very first Excellence in Service Pyramid Award. We have a responsibility to provide access to high-quality healthcare to our ever-growing community, but we have a greater responsibility to our staff. our most precious resource. The proposed partnership with Atrium Health is a force multiplier. This will allow Wake Med to be better positioned to expand hospital and ambulatory services, strengthen access, meeting the ever-evolving needs of our staff and our community, but also their families. Thank you for the opportunity to share my perspective in the affirmative voting yes and supporting this partnership. Thank you.

Thank you. Brenda Gibson, then Matt Roden, Karen Chilton.

Hi, good evening, commissioners. I'm Brenda Gibson. I'm a community leader here in Wake County. I'm a native of Wake County, and I live in the North Hills area. For more than 25 years, I've devoted time, energy, and my heart to Wake Med. I served on the Wake Med Foundation Board for 14 years and chaired it for four. I served on the hospital board for 10 years and chaired it for four. My story of Wake Med actually began 10 years after it was founded. I was a candy striper for two summers, and that made me fall in love with Wake Med. So more than 50 years later, I'm still here because I believe deeply in this organization and its mission. Throughout my years of service, I watch Wake Med make every decision with one question in mind. How do we best serve the people of Wake County? wait man has always had a place for me and they care for everyone regardless of the circumstances their status or income or anything and that's why i love the culture at wait met we're the community's trauma center children's hospital rehab leader and a provider people trust when they need us most i was involved in the campaign to build the rehab hospital i co-chaired the campaign to build the children's hospital and now i'm one of the chairs to build the new mental health hospital which is desperately needed that no one else has stepped up to build Today our community is growing faster than ever. We need more beds, more facilities, and more resources. I continue to hear from patients that are scared and I will meet them in the emergency room to help seek their care. And I see so many times they're laying in the hallways for hours and days because we don't have the beds that we need. This is why I support the strategic alignment. This is not about changing Wake Med's mission. It's about improving their mission. Unlike many of our out-of-state disruptors here, I know firsthand the diligence and integrity with which Wake Med leaders approach their decisions, and I trust they would never jeopardize Wake Med's commitment to this community. I respectfully ask your support so that Wake Med... can, as my hospital, can continue doing what's always done, care for the people of Wake County today and for decades to come. Thank you for your service.

Thank you. Matt Roden.

Good evening, county commissioners. My name is Matt Rodin. I'm from Mecklenburg County, and I began my journey with Atrium Health as a college intern 17 years ago. What brings me here today is both professional and personal. At the time, I was looking for an opportunity to learn and to grow. What I found was a mission-driven organization committed to improving the health and well-being of the communities it serves. Over the years, I've had the opportunity to grow professionally while working alongside community leaders, faith organizations, nonprofits, and local residents across North Carolina. Those experiences have taught me that healthcare is about much more than hospitals and about clinics. It's about relationships. It's about trust. And it's about showing up consistently for communities, especially when challenges arise. I have seen firsthand the impact Atrium Health can have when it partners with communities to address barriers to care, improve access, and invest in long-term solutions that strengthen health and well-being. That commitment to community engagement is one of the reasons I have stayed with this organization throughout my career. I am proud of the work that we have done, and I'm excited about the opportunities that strong partnerships can create for the future. Please vote yes.

Thank you. Karen Chilton. After Karen, it'll be Rob Stevens, George Clark, Kalem Fahimah Dean. If I'm pronouncing that correctly. Please go ahead.

I love a podium I can see over the top of. My name is Karen Chilton and I'm a resident of North Raleigh. I have the privilege of being a hospital pediatrician and the chief medical and quality officer at Wake Med. I've spent 22 years at Wake Med caring for the county's most vulnerable citizens and patients, our children. My family and friends are Wake Med patients and I see and hear every day what Wake Med means to this community. Just over the course of this three-day holiday weekend, I cared for families and was witness to miracles and tragedies all in the same day. Currently, Wake Med is like a sturdy and trustworthy sailboat. We're in a sea, though, full of ocean liners. We have a clearly charted course, and we continue to move forward, but the headwinds of federal reimbursement changes, costs of supplies and facilities, and payer contracts keep getting stronger. In combination with Atrium, we will continue to sail our course, and we will steer the boat accordingly. But we will be able to confidently sail into the headwinds with Atrium's favoring breeze added to our sails. You now have the opportunity to grant those favorable wins to ensure Wake Med's commitment to this community for generations to come. So I ask you, we at Wake Med now put our trust in you just as the community has put their trust in us for 65 years. Thank you.

Thank you. Rob Stevens, George Clark, Kaylin, Kenret Hood, Beth Fifield. Who's next up? Go ahead.

Thank you, Chair. My name is Rob Stevens. I'm one of those out-of-state disruptors who lives in Southeast Raleigh. I was waiting for that trope to be used in this fight, which is an old one, that this is out-of-state folks, which is interesting. Remember, who was actually flown in from out-of-state to speak about this at the last meeting? It was Atrium and folks. When I read the $2 billion was not coming from Atrium, I had to read it twice. Because there's no one who, outside of this, having seen the inner workings of this deal, thought that this was coming from Wake Med Revenue. We are now, so at this point, we are spending $2 billion for Atrium to come in. And where's that money gonna come from? No one has said where that money's gonna come from, from Wake Meadow Atrium, where that $2 billion is gonna come from. And all you have to do is go down the street and ask Wake Forest Baptist, where they've had a 40% revenue increase since they were taken over by Atrium, and where they're cutting staff, and where their prices have gone up 8%. It's private equity with a nonprofit face where you come in, you raise prices, you cut services, and there's gonna be your $2 billion. There's no way the backstop of Atrium is gonna be needed because Wake Med already makes $177 million a year, and the way that Atrium raises prices, we're gonna get to that $200 million need to get to two billion by the end of the year. So where is that going to come from? It's gonna come from us patients. And this is not the only thing that's been misleading. And I hope that the leadership of Wake Med was not being intentionally or waringly deceitful or deceiving of the public. My hope is that they themselves were deceived and did not understand the deal as it came from the army of attorneys from Atrium and their PR team. Because still to this day, on the website, it says that the way that Wake Med's role in appointing board members isn't changing. That is just flatly not true. And they even acknowledged it in the letter to the governor. I thank the governor for finally bringing this to light. where the $2 billion is actually coming from Wake Med Revenue, where they're going to raise prices on us. And this will never happen. That will go back to them. So please, and also we have... That's my time. Thank you.

Thank you, Ron. George Clark.

Hello, I'm George Clark, I live here in Raleigh, and I'm a pathologist at Wake Med, and I've been on the medical staff at Wake Med since 1999, and I currently serve as the medical director of the clinical laboratories for the Wake Med system. When administration called to notify me about this proposed combination, I quickly interrupted, quite honestly, the caller to ask the question, how does this change our mission to take care of everyone regardless of their ability to pay? And the answer that was explained to me was ways in which this is actually going to improve our ability to to care for absolutely everyone. And the other supporting element was Atrium's member hospitals are very similar to Wake Med in terms of their mission and the intent. So equally as important, Wake Med's strategic decision making would remain local. with Wake County appointees retaining their board positions. Our county leadership would retain the ability to guide Wake Med's pursuit of its mission for many decades to come. In short, Wake Med will continue its singular focus on the health of Wake County and its residents. Our leadership has been able to manage our finances so that Wake Med can take care of everyone who comes to our door and remain financially solvent in a time when many hospital systems are failing. As an independent hospital system, we do not have the purchasing leverage that a large hospital network does. In combination with Atrium's hospitals, we will gain additional bargaining power. And savings in costs means more funds remaining for patient care for the citizens of Wake County.

Okay, sir, your time is up. Thank you.

Thank you.

Kalen? Then there'd be Kendrick Hood, Beth Firefield, John Sinden, and Jamila Headley.

Good afternoon, commissioners. Khalil Fahimuddin, a resident of Wake County. I live in 27606. Susan Evans is my district commissioner. Here basically just to reiterate many of the thoughts that we've talked about. But more importantly, the fact that I've looked at all of your resumes. All of you have got some outstanding history and career and professionalism in psychology, in management, in dealing with social service, protecting people through organizations like Interact, business administration degrees. What we're asking is that you put those things together as solid business people. I worked 35 years in the healthcare field, Duke University Hospital, I worked for Sodexo, I worked for hospitals all up and down the East Coast for Healthcare South as a business administrator. And it comes down to the money. And our expectation for you as our representatives is that you make a solid and good business decision for the current stakeholders, which are us, the taxpayers. Our expectation is that you do this, because it all boils down to the money. We've talked about the misleading information that has come forth that the $2 billion is basically coming out of Wait-Med's current profits. That's dirty pool. This is not a deal of need or rescuing. This is a deal of opportunity, an opportunity for atrium advocate health. We are expecting you guys to do what we elected you to do. Four of you, terms are coming up, only one of you are opposed, of course, but four of your terms are coming up in December. We're gonna hold you accountable, and it's not threatening, but we expect that you are doing the job that we put you in place to do. Thank you.

All right. Good evening, Chairman, Commissioners, and the board of this community. My name is Kedrick Hood, and I am the Director of Nursing for Adult Critical Care at HM Health Wake Forest Baptist. I might look familiar as I was here at the previous meeting, but I came to you speaking for the best for my home community as I was born and raised right here. Today, I come to you speaking one of the best for my fellow healthcare workers. Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of working alongside of nurses and other healthcare workers who have showed up every day committed to providing exceptional care for patients and families. A lot has been said previously and today about staffing, caregivers, and what healthcare partnership means for those at the front line. What I can tell you is what I have witnessed firsthand. I have seen the value of when an organization is willing to invest in the people delivering the care. Over the years, since Atrium Health and Wake Forest Baptist have partnered together, I have seen an investment in nursing through professional development, community engagement, continuing education, leadership opportunities and resources that has helped all of our teammates to grow throughout their careers. Beyond just that, I have also seen an investment into our nursing workforce. This year alone, Our inpatient nurses at HM Health Wake Forest Baptist received an average market increase of 3.88%. That is a part of a $2.6 million investment into supporting the 2,000 nursing teammates. I've also seen the value of bringing teams together to share best practices and learn from one another. And while there has been a lot of discussions about staffing and staffing plans for nursing units, at Wake Forest Baptist, I have not seen a reduction in our hours. In fact, our budget nursing hours per patient day have increased, not decreased, reflecting the continued commitment to supporting both caregivers and patients.

Thank you.

Good afternoon. My name is Jamila Headley and I'm the executive director of the Patients Union. I'm speaking today as the leader of a national organization of patients. Across the country, we've seen what happened when large hospital systems gain control and patients lose power. For months, this takeover was sold around one transformative promise, that Atrium would invest $2 billion in Wake Med. Now we know that that is not how this deal works. Wake Med told the governor that its own operating revenue, debt financing and other available resources will pay first. Atrium is responsible only for the shortfall. In plain language, Wake Med spends its own money, takes on debt before Atrium contributes anything. Atrium is not committing to provide all or even most of the $2 billion itself. Atrium gets control, Wake Med carries the financial burden and risk, and patients and workers pay the price in higher bills, thinner staffing, and less care. We've already seen this pattern at Wake Forest Baptist. After it joined Atrium, average prices rose 28% in four years. That's eight points higher than the average across North Carolina. And in an NC Health News investigation, more than 2,000 workers described tighter staffing and growing pressure to cut costs. This is the warning. New buildings can go up while bedside care is squeezed. Investment can increase while staffing gets thinner and patients pay more. Yet this deal contains no guarantee to protect Wake Med's staffing levels or nurse to patient ratios. There is no binding price cap and no privately negotiated condition changes the fundamental bargain. Atrium gets permanent control while Wake Med supplies the money and carries the risk. Commissioner's Wake Med is strong It can invest and grow without surrendering control. This is not a rescue. I think this is a bad deal. Vote no on this merger. Thank you.

Thank you. Beth Thifield.

Good evening, commissioners. I'm Beth Byfield, and I live in Apex. I moved to Wake County in 2015 and began working as a nurse at Wake Med. From the moment I walked through the doors, I knew there was something very special about this organization. I immediately recognized a culture that truly puts patients and families at the top. and I knew this was where I wanted to continue building my career. Over the past 11 years, I've had the privilege of serving in a variety of nursing and leadership roles throughout Wake Med. Today, I serve as the Executive Director of Nursing at Wake Med North Hospital. When I arrived in 2015, Wake Med North had just opened. It was a small women's hospital. In the four years I have been in my current role, I have witnessed tremendous growth. Today, Wake Med North is a 77 bed acute care hospital, delivering more than 2,000 babies each year, and our emergency department cares for over 50,000 patients annually. Yet with that growth comes increasing demand. Every day I walk through our doors and I see patients waiting for care. Often 20, 30, even 40 plus individuals in our emergency department awaiting an inpatient bed. These are our neighbors, our friends, and our family members. This strategic partnership will provide the resources Wake Med needs to expand services, increase access to care, and meet the healthcare needs of those we serve. Through this strategic combination, we will be able to better care for all members of our community while remaining the mission-driven organization that makes Wake Med the unique and special place it is. I ask that you please vote yes in support of this partnership so that Wake Med can continue providing exceptional care for our community today and for generations to come. Thank you.

Thank you. Dr. John Sending, William Barrington, Chuck Hare, and Holloway and Boatner. Okay, please, sir, go ahead.

Good evening, Chair, members. Thank you for letting us speak tonight. I'm John Sinden. I live in West Raleigh. I'm a retired cardiologist that worked at Wake Med for 30 years. I am in favor of this merger. In spite of operating on a very tight margin for many years, Wake Med has always acted with bold, compassionate courage to provide what is needed by our community. Wake Med was the first hospital in the county, the cardiac cath lab, coronary bypass, pediatric ER, pediatric hospital, level four trauma rehab, among a lot of others. And with the county and the region overwhelmed with the mental health crisis, it was Wake Med that stepped forward to build a mental health hospital. Not Duke, not UNC, but Wake Med. This history of acting with bold, compassionate courage to provide quality care is embedded in Wake Med's DNA. And these traits are traced back to this board, Wake County Commissioners. In 1955, St. Agnes Hospital, which was founded in 1896, was in financial crisis. St. Agnes was a remarkable, fully accredited hospital in Raleigh that served our African American population. Wake County Board of Commissioners proposed to build a new hospital to serve everyone. And the citizens of Wake County approved. In 1961, Wake Memorial opened its doors. St. Agnes closed its doors and those patients were transferred to Wake Med. In 1961, Wake Med became the first integrated hospital in the state. That is bold, that is compassionate, that is a courageous act. The issue before us is complex and difficult, and I trust Donald Ginzik and the board to make the right decision. Like your predecessors in 1955, I ask you to be resolute, be bold, be compassionate, be courageous, and vote yes. Thank you.

Thank you.

Chairman, commissioners, my name is Will Byington. I come to you not only as someone who works alongside communities across Georgia, but as someone who understands the unique challenges that rural communities face. I also for the last 10 years have served on the Rome City School Board, which gives me deep appreciation for the time commitment sacrifices elected officials and their families make every day to serve the communities. One example of how Atrium Health has responded to the needs of rural communities can be found in Chattooga County, Georgia. For years, residents had to travel approximately 45 to 50 minutes over mountain roads to reach the nearest emergency department. Local leaders believe their communities deserve better access to emergency care. After meeting with community leaders and evaluating the need, Atrium Health committed to making that vision a reality. About a year and a half later, the first standalone emergency department in the state of Georgia opened in Chattooga County. The project is especially meaningful to me Having witnessed the impact firsthand, I'm proud to work for Atrium Health and be a part of an organization that's willing to invest in communities, remove barriers of care, and create opportunities for future generations. In 1992, my grandfather suffered a heart attack while sitting at the Christmas dinner table in Chattooga County. An ambulance responded, but he passed away while being transported to the nearest hospital. I often think about how many other families face similar challenges when access to care is too far away. That is why this work matters. It reflects a commitment to investing in communities and ensuring people have access to life-saving care closer to home. Honestly, if we had remained a standalone community hospital, this project would not have been possible. The community I grew up in, where I raised my children and I hope they return one day, is a better, stronger community because our hospital partnered with Atrium Health. That experience is one of the reasons I'm proud to work at Atrium Health today. I've seen firsthand how investing in communities and expanding access to care make a lasting difference in people's lives. That is why I support this effort. Thank you for your time.

Thank you. Dr. Chuck Hare.

Chairman, you can see it's not Chuck Hare. I'm sure I don't have to, my name is Chuck Hare and I'm the Chief Medical Officer at Raleigh. I'm in District Five in the Northridge area. So thank you, it is quite a pleasure to be in front of you tonight. I stand here to support the Wake Med Atrium merger. As Dr. Sinden said, Wake Med stood as a beacon of exceptional medical care since its inception as the first racially integrated hospital in the state of North Carolina in 1961. We're very proud of that. It maintains multiple medical programs of excellence, and this level of excellence has been achieved while promoting access to care, regardless of race, income, or social preferences, and while serving as the educator for generations of physicians, medical students, and advanced practice providers. During the years, there's been changes in the structure at Wake Med. Those have happened at different ventures, and it's been all to environmental changes, some of them financial. Today, we're given another opportunity to adapt to our current environment and prepare Wake Med for the future. I strongly believe and support a decision for the partnership. I have a little bit of a unique perspective in this. I trained at Wake Med School of Medicine. One of my classmates from 1983 is here. I shouldn't have said that, because now you know how old he is. I've maintained a close relationship with them through the Alumni Association, and I see what has happened positively, both in the medical school, in the medical training programs, and at the hospital there. When I completed my surgical residency in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, I moved to Charlotte. I started in a hospital called Mercy, which became CMC Mercy, and CMC Mercy South became, or Mercy South became CMC Mercy South. As we merged those, I was part of the credentials committee. I was impressed with the, level of commitment that they had to maintaining the expectations of the community those hospitals served and making sure the medical staffs were served and those communities were served. It could not have been better done. The caregivers of Wake Med Health and Hospital.

I hate to have to cut you off, but we appreciate it. Thank you, sir. I must remember that one. Della Hunt Holloway. Boatner. Engel.

Hi, y'all. I'm Katie Boatner, and I live right off of Hargett Street, not far from Wake Med's campus. Four years ago in August, I came into Wake Med uninsured and in extreme pain. I tried to wait for my new university insurance to kick in, but I couldn't wait any longer for care. My pancreas was in failure. I thought this was my fault. I thought I could wait, but I could not. And the first night that they kept me alive at Wake Med, I was one of those patients on a gurney. in the hallway all night long the next day it was the second shift of doctors who noticed that i had a rare genetic condition that was causing my pancreatic failure and because of their excellent medical care i as an indigent kept my life i think about the care that those nurses and doctors gave me every single day that i wake up When I graduated this May with my master's, however, I lost my insurance and I shudder to think what would happen to me if my medicine stopped working. If Atrium is allowed, or as I just found out, paid $2 billion to take over our hospital, I can't think about what will happen to people like me who are waiting and waiting for insurance to kick in for a new job. This is bad for workers. It's a minimum of 14% and up to 40% increase in patient payments. We can't afford this. Our people will suffer increased wait times. Furthermore, while logistical backlogs get funneled through offices in Charlotte, far away from the people who Wake Med is intended to serve. I'm asking you all to look around you and vote in the interest of the people who are here today, the people who live like me on Hargit Street or anywhere else in Wake County, and we go to Wake Med to seek our medical care. This is about us. This is not about atriums' pockets. Why are we paying them to come take over our hospital? Look around you and vote no to the atrium takeover. Thank you for your time.

Thank you. Della Hunt Holloway. Jennifer Ingold. And following Ms. Ingold, Craig Craving, and Brandon Newman, Elliot Jenkins, Brian Klossner.

Thank you. My name is Jennifer McLucas Ingold. I live in Holly Springs. It's been my honor to work at Wake Med for nearly 20 years. As the leader of Wake Med's Center for Community Health, Community Case Management, and Home Health Service, I have the privilege of working alongside team members who are deeply committed to caring for people wherever they are, whether it's in their homes, community settings, or doing the very difficult work of street and homeless medicine. My team members support our most vulnerable neighbors. Every day we see firsthand that good health is about access, connection, trust, by meeting people where they are. It is about supporting neighbors who face barriers to care, helping to ensure that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, has the opportunity to live a healthier life. This is why I'm excited about the strategic combination of Wake Med and Atrium Health. Atrium has been a national leader for many community care programs, including the statewide growth of the Hospital at Your Home program and the hospital-based violence intervention programs. As we develop such programs for Wake Med, we have an even greater opportunity to expand access to care, strengthen community-based services, and reach more individuals. Both organizations share a commitment to improving health outcomes and serving our communities with compassion and excellence. The strategic combination is about bringing together strengths and building on the meaningful work happening across the region and to create even more pathways for our underserved populations. I am confident that together we can make an even greater impact on the health and well-being of our community. Thank you.

Thank you. Dr. Craig Greven.

Mr. Chairman and commissioners, I'm Dr. Craig Greven and I serve as interim president and CEO of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist and have served our health system as a professor, physician, and surgeon for nearly four decades. In 2019, Wake Forest Baptist was in a similar situation to Wake Med. We had a rich history and a fantastic team of physicians and staff providing amazing healthcare to the communities that we served. But we had aging facilities and limited capital to grow our footprint and increase our mission to care for all. Sound familiar? Since our strategic alignment, Atrium Health has made over a $1 billion investment in our facilities and allowed us to better care for our patients. Most important question that we should ask is simple. Will it help our patients get better care? Based on what I've seen firsthand, we have, and I believe your combination will as well. It will bring major financial investment and commitment to Wake Med and the communities you serve, along with access to advanced resources such as clinical trials, nationally recognized cancer care, and advanced pediatric care. Despite what has been mentioned earlier, Atrium Health has quality and patient safety as its north star. Atrium Health hospitals earn the most leapfrog A hospital safety grades in the state. Questions about Wake Med's identity, local voice, and future reflect how much this organization has meant to this community. I can only tell you that Wake Forest Baptist did not disappear. Our identity and our profile is stronger and prouder since our affiliation. We are still rooted in our history, our people, and our community, and we have greater resources and a greater ability to care for the patients who rely on us. Change is never easy. My support's not theoretical. I know what this kind of partnership requires, and I know what it can make possible. I believe Wake Med can remain the beloved institution this community knows while becoming even better equipped to serve a growing region. That's the opportunity before you, and I respectfully ask that you support this combination. Thank you for your attention.

Thank you. We are going to go ahead and take a five-minute break. So we'll stand in recess at this time. I know everybody needed at least a five-minute break there because it's getting pretty long. I think the next person up was Brandon Newman. Then Ellis Jenkins, Nathan Foster, and Rebecca Ceres. Please go ahead.

Thank you, Commissioners, for allowing me to speak. My name is Brandy Newman. I am a nurse. I have spent more than 21 years serving communities at Atrium Health. Almost 20 years ago, I worked at a hospital that was independent and joined what is now Atrium Health. I speak from my lived experience of what combining with Atrium Health really means. As someone who's lived through a similar transition, I know that the questions asked are real. We have heard concerns tonight about big corporations. What I can tell you is that Atrium is regionally connected, and locally engaged. We are small to each community and to each patient that we care for. We have heard concerns about competition. What I can tell you is that three systems exist today in Wake County and three systems will exist in the future. We have heard concerns about the sale. This is not a sale. Wake Med is not for sale. Their board chose a strategic combination with Atrium Health. In my experience, success of any partnership is not determined by headlines, news reports, or studies. It is determined by the lived experience of whether patients receive better care. caregivers get the support that they need, and communities are stronger because of it. And for me, as a nurse, the most important measure of success has always been whether patients benefit. That has been my experience throughout my 21 years at Atrium Health. Over the past several months, I've had the opportunity to meet with faith leaders, community organizations, community leaders, and residents throughout Wake County. One theme has been consistent. People want a health care partner that listens, remains engaged, and follows through on its commitments. That is why I'm here to support this effort on behalf of Atrium Health, And that is why I am excited about the possibilities for Wake County if Wake Med combines with Atrium Health. Thank you all for your time and your patience listening tonight.

Thank you. Allison Jenkins, Nathan Foster.

Good evening, Commissioners, and it's a pleasure to be here tonight. My name's Alex Jenkins and I live in Raleigh. I'm currently in my 17th year at Wake Med's pharmacy department. Throughout my career here, I've had the privilege of serving in several leadership roles and today I oversee our outpatient pharmacy services. As a dedicated employee of Wake Med and as a parent of twins who were born eight years ago at our North Hospital, I have a professional and a personal connection to this organization and the mission that we serve. I fully support the strategic combination with Atrium Health because I believe it will strengthen our ability to meet the needs of one of the fastest growing communities in the country while preserving our commitment to exceptional patient care. Our outpatient retail pharmacies have grown substantially over the last 15 years at both the Raleigh campus and now for the last five years at the Cary Hospital. They play a vital role in supporting our patients. We provide convenient access to medications through walk-in services, bedside medication delivery at discharge, and a mail-to-home option that helps patients remain connected to their care long after they leave the hospital. As our community continues to grow, so does the demand for these services. Atrium's investment will allow us to expand pharmacy access and support future initiatives, including the Whole Health Campus in Garner, new HealthPlex locations, and Fuquay Verena in Rollsville. We also are very proud of our commitment to serving those with the greatest need. Through our charity care program, we dispense more than 5,000 prescriptions each year. In addition, we help patients enroll in manufacturer assistance through the manufacturer assistance programs that provide more than 3,000 prescriptions annually for individuals who otherwise may not be able to afford their care. Today, we frequently receive requests for pharmacy services from facilities beyond Raleigh and Cary. and this is particularly for patients who need financial assistance. Strengthening our outpatient pharmacy infrastructure will allow us to extend our reach, improve access to care, and better serve the underserved populations across our region. For these reasons, I'm here today proudly supporting this partnership and the opportunities it creates for our patients and the community we serve. Thank you.

Thank you. Nathan Foster.

Commissioners, good to see you all again. My name is Nathan Foster. I work with the Healthcare Advocacy Project of the North Carolina Justice Center. First, I just wanted to mention, we sent you all some information showing that in 2024, Wake Med provided almost three times as much charity care as Atrium, and in fact, Wake Med was the best significant hospital system in the state for charity care, and Atrium was the second worst. Commissioners, Wake Med was built on public land with public dollars. When it transitioned to an independent system in 1997, you, the county commission, retained the power to appoint a majority of its board of directors and to approve or not approve any changes to its articles of incorporation. You exercised this power on behalf of your constituents because the community deserves a say in the community's hospital. Your role in the stewardship of Wake Med was not respected when the hospital executives spent two years negotiating in secret to sign away your power over the future of the hospital to a system based across six different states. Your role was not respected when this transfer of control was placed on the consent agenda. Your role was not respected when you were not even shown the full deal until community members started asking about it. We still have not seen the full deal. even some of its most basic parts that no reasonable person would call competitive information. Now we have another example of how this poison process is leading to a bad deal for Wake County. We have recently learned that the supposed $2 billion in investment from Atrium will first come from Wake Med's own revenues, then from loans taken out by Wake Med, and then only if that is insufficient from Atrium itself. So Atrium might be guaranteeing loans, but those loans will be on Wake Med's books, driving up healthcare prices in Wake County for decades to come. Commissioners, do not sign away your power, especially do not sign away your power when the public has not read the full deal. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Rebecca? Then next be Becky Andrews, Debbie Morales, and Harriet Stevenson.

Hello, my name is Rebecca Cerise, and I'm the director of the Health Advocacy Project at the North Carolina Justice Center, located here in Raleigh. I want to start off thanking the commissioners. After a bit of a shaky start, you all are taking the time and attention necessary to make this incredibly important decision on whether to allow Atrium to take over Wake Med. And just last week, we see why taking time and learning more about what is at stake is so important, as it was revealed that the $2 billion in investments from Atrium into Wake County that we've been hearing about since May as a reason to support this deal ends up not really being a true investment from Atrium at all. This speaks to the larger problem of the public not being able to see major parts of the deal and puts even more importance on your job as commissioners to really be the protectors of this incredibly important community asset. We keep hearing about Atrium's commitment to their patients, but what I want to talk to you about is how Atrium has handled medical debt collections in the past with an eye of concern for how they would act if this takeover comes to fruition. Two years ago, I met Mr. Terry Belk, a North Carolinian from Charlotte, who shared his experience with me and ultimately with NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Atrium aggressively went after him and his late wife after they both received cancer treatment, which left them with high medical bills despite the fact that they had insurance. Atrium pressured them to sign over equity in their home to cover their bills and then took Terry to court and won a judgment against him, which they went back to court to extend once it was set to expire. After Terry went to NBC Nightly News, Atrium did indeed reverse their policy and forgave the judgments that they did have. However, there is nothing in statute to keep them from pursuing these types of practices in the future, and they were the worst actors in North Carolina. Between 2017 and 2022, Atrium was responsible for over 40% of all medical debt lawsuits in North Carolina, more than any other health hospital system. Also, I just want to say there are a lot of employees here, but how many employees are not here because they fear retribution? as was mentioned in the North Carolina Health News article, for speaking out against this deal. So I just wanted for you to keep that in mind, too. And also, thank you very much for taking the time to make this really important decision. We're asking you to vote no. Thank you.

Thank you.

I think I got skipped at 42. Probably a good strategy on your part, but Brian Klossner was... Yeah, okay. It happens to me all the time. So thank you. First off, I think this is awesome. I think everyone's here because of their love for Wake Med, their love of Wake County, and to hear everyone's perspective is interesting and really important. So here's mine. As everybody knows, I think we run high-risk clinical models at Wake Med that engage our most vulnerable residents of Wake County. And over the years, that has allowed us to become part of a very unique culture of Wake County of collaboration. And think of all those things that we've been able to do with that. Familiar Faces, Cornerstone, Oak City Cares, our outreach teams, expanding mental health, COVID hotels, goes on and on. And it's been awesome. But it has not been nearly enough. So don't underestimate just how complex and deep-seated the health inequities are in our community that we're trying to fight. And don't underestimate just how broken the American healthcare system can be, prioritizing what's profitable versus what's right. And as a small community hospital trying to change that narrative, trying to build these population health models national models and how we do this different how do we survive in a much larger competitive market with larger systems in uh... industry with increasingly small profit margins and that's really the question that our leadership has been asking themselves for the last couple years right I trust our leadership. They're why we're here. They helped to build the gem that we are all now actively trying to protect. And I also trust Atrium because I've worked with them over the years on numerous population health efforts. I believe they are who they say they are. So I get it, big is not always better, but it doesn't mean it never is. And if we can have scale and we can have resources to evolve the work that we have been doing, I think we can go to where we need to go urgently.

Thank you. Thank you. Becky Andrews.

Good evening, I'm Becky Andrews. I reside in Wake Forest, District 6. I'm a senior vice president at Wake Med, and I serve as the administrator for the Raleigh campus, the system safety net and flagship hospital. for the system. I've given more than 40 years of service to Wake Med and the Wake County community as a whole. I'm here today to express my strong support for the strategic combination of Wake Med and Atrium Advocate Health. As a Wake Med employee of more than 40 years, I've had the privilege of witnessing firsthand the extraordinary impact Wake Med has had on the people of Wake County and beyond. Throughout my career, Wake Med has remained steadfast in its mission to provide exceptional care, serve our community, and meet the evolving healthcare needs of the growing region. Wake Med is not simply a healthcare organization. It is a trusted community institution and one of Wake County's greatest treasures. Wake Med has earned the confidence of generations of patients and families through a commitment to quality, innovation, compassion, and local stewardship. As our region continues to experience rapid growth and increasing healthcare demands, it is essential that Wake Med remains strong, competitive, and well-positioned for the future. For that reason, I believe the strategic combination with Wake Med and Atrium Advocate Health is exactly the right step at the right time. This partnership offers an opportunity to preserve and strengthen everything that makes Wake Med special while expanding access to resources, clinical expertise, advancing technology, research, and specialized services that will benefit the entire community for decades to come. More importantly, this combination creates a path forward that protects Wake Med's legacy while ensuring its long-term sustainability. It allows us to build upon Waitman's strengths rather than risks, and he's still increasing complex and competitive healthcare environment.

Okay, ma'am, I'm sorry to cut you off, but thank you so much. Debbie?

Good evening, my name is Debbie Morales. I serve our community as the Wake Med home health clinician. I also live in North Raleigh. I support the proposed combination of Wake Med and Atrium Health because it strengthens one of our most vulnerable parts of healthcare. the transition from hospital to home. A patient can receive excellent care yet return home without transportation, access to medications, or a caregiver who knows what to do next. The hospital may have done everything right, but healing remains at risk when a patient and families must navigate recovery alone. Home health makes sure they don't have to do this. HM Health's experience with care at home programs can help us safely care for more complex patients. It's technology, virtual care, specialty resources, and clinical expertise that could help us communicate faster, identify problems sooner, and intervene before concerns become a crisis. This is not simply an opportunity to make healthcare larger. It is an opportunity to bring healthcare closer to patients, families, and communities. Getting a patient home is not the finish line. It is where the hardest part of recovery often begins because healthcare should not end when a patient leaves the hospital. It should follow them home. It should be there when the medications are confusing, when the first warning signs appear, when a family caregiver is overwhelmed, and when one timely visit can prevent a return to hospital. Let us build a system strong enough not only to save lives, but to follow those lives home, protecting recovery, preserving independence, strengthening families, and remaining present when patients need us most. That is the promise of home health. And that is why I proudly support the partnership, the proposed partnership of Wake Men and HM Health, because the best healthcare does not stop at the hospital door. It walks through the door with the patient. Thank you.

Thank you. Harriet Stevenson. And then there'd be Dr. Karen Bash, Grover Smith, Bob Bilbrow, and Christine Hatch.

Hello, good evening. My name is Harriet Stevenson and I was born right here in Raleigh and still live, I won't say how many years later, but this many years later. I am also a registered nurse and I am a proud employee of Wake Med for over 30 years. I began my Wake Med career as a nursing assistant while I was attending nursing school and for the last 20 years I have served as the director of the nursing education department. In my role of Director of Nursing Education, I have witnessed firsthand how strategic investments in professional development strengthen our workforce, improve retention, support clinical excellence, and ultimately enhance patient care. One of the strongest examples is our Wake Med's nurse residency program. While national one-year retention rates for new graduate nurses average only 50%, Wake Med has achieved an exceptional 92% one year retention rate for over 22 consecutive years. And each year we hire approximately 130 new nurse graduates. And with additional resources and support, we have the opportunity to expand this program's impact even further. Continued investment in this proven initiative will help us stay ahead of challenges that are associated with the nursing shortage and can ensure that we meet the growing healthcare needs for our community. Professional development is a proven workforce strategy. It strengthens clinical competency, increases engagement, improves retention, and prepares future nurse leaders. So through a strategic partnership, our hospitals can leverage these shared strengths, resources, proven programs, to build a stronger workforce across the region. Expanding initiatives such as a nurse residency program and professional development opportunities will enhance workforce stability, improve quality outcomes, and help Wake Med meet the involving needs of the community that we serve. After 30 years of believing in Wake Med's mission and investing in the growth of our nurses, it is my sincere hope that this partnership becomes a reality so that together... Thank you.

Thank you. Dr. Karen Bash.

Hi, good evening. My name is Dr. Karen Bash. I live in North Raleigh. I am here today to express my strong support for the proposed combination of Wake Med and Atrium Health. I'm an obstetrician gynecologist and had practiced at Wake Med since 1992. Over the course of my career, I've delivered generations of Wake Med babies. I've worked alongside UNC residents and medical students and served in numerous leadership roles, including chair of OBGYN, president of the medical staff, and I'm currently the chief medical officer at Wake Med North. I share this background because Wake Med is more than my workplace. It's my community. I've spent my entire professional career caring for the people of Wake County and helping build the services that support the growing region. I support this combination because I believe it will strengthen Wake Med's ability to serve our patients well into the future. While healthcare costs continue to rise regardless of affiliation, partnering with a larger health system can improve access to medications, supplies, and resources. allowing more investment in patient care and community services. I also understand concerns about competition. However, this arrangement would continue to leave Wake County with three major healthcare systems, preserving meaningful choice for patients and practitioners. Although I was not involved in the negotiations and have not reviewed the agreement itself, I have tremendous confidence in Wake Med's leadership and board of directors. Throughout my years of service, I have seen firsthand their thoughtful, deliberate approach to decisions affecting our community. I trust that they would not recommend this path forward unless they believed it was in the best interest for the citizens of Wake County. I recognize the importance of the decision before you. I thank you for your service. your diligence, and your commitment to our community. I respectfully ask that you support the proposed combination between Wake Med and Atrium. Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Thank you. Grover Smith, Bob Bilbrow, Christine Hash. Grover Smith first.

Hello, commissioners. I'm Grover Smith. I am, I guess, the oldest rat in the barn here. I came to Wake Med September 15th, 1977, so your quick math will let you know I've been here 49 years. I'm the executive director of pathology laboratory for the system. and I'm here to speak on behalf of this, on support of this initiative. I came to Wake Med in 1977 with a three-year contract, and I was prepared to leave right after that was done. I couldn't. I fell in love with Wake Med very quickly, and I fell in love with the leadership there. I particularly loved the mission. which said that we were gonna provide the highest quality healthcare that we could, regardless of people's ability to pay. I met Bill Andrews, who was the first president, CEO of the system. He had a heart for the system. He had a heart for those who couldn't pay. And it was rough going, I think, early on. But it's in our DNA to do that. It's in our DNA to hire the right people that have that culture and can keep that culture. I then met Ray Champ, who was our second president and CEO. He had sort of a different background and he wanted to spruce up Wake Med and he built a trauma center and a heart center and the rehab hospital while he was there. And he also was involved in 1977 with the conveyance of a county hospital to a private not-for-profit. At that time, when that was going on, and the commissioners were thinking about what to do in 1997 about that.

Sir, I hate to cut you off. A lot of great information there, but your time has run out.

You're kidding, right? I didn't get to say it all.

Thank you so much.

Bye.

Well, Grover Smith claimed to be the oldest rat in the barn, but I've been on the medical staff there since 1972. And I at one time was chief of staff and have worked on hospitals or committees and boards with the hospital and have come to as... Grover described so well, admire the place, the culture of the place, the mission that they've really stuck to. And I've heard wonderful compliments of Wake Med and also of Atrium, but Wake Med, proportionate to their revenue stream, they commit four times as much as Atrium does for indigent care and community building. And in fact, they rank as an organization that ranks hospitals for social responsibility nationwide, and Wake Med ranks number one in the state. And out of thousands of hospitals in the country, they rank 35th. Thank you, each of you board members, for your patience and your tolerance of all of us coming to speak to you. I have one concern. You're the last hurdle for this deal to go through. I'm concerned about Wake Med and Wake County giving up control. The new corporate entity that's proposed and has been agreed upon has one sole corporate member, that's Atrium, and they have the authority to remove board members with whom they disagree. There will be eight board members that you have to approve, but you have to have two-thirds of the board members to put them on the board, and Atrium has to provide two of those folks to get them on the board. Atrium has the authority to remove them if they disagree with their position, and that's happened recently in Mecklenburg County. They've blocked... One board member had it removed and put in one of their supporters. That's going to happen. It potentially will happen in Wake County. And I really, Wake Med is such a strong entity. Why did they need to give that up?

Yeah, time is up, sir.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Christine Hatch, Clara Norman, Rob Burlington. Go ahead, ma'am.

Hey, good evening. My name is Christy Hatch. I live in Zebulon. I currently serve as the director of emergency services for Wake Med's Raleigh campus, which is the 15th busiest emergency department in the country. I have proudly been a nurse at Wake Med for more than 17 years, but my connection to this organization began much earlier. As a teenager, I volunteered at Wake Med as a candy striper, visiting patients who had no local family or support. Those experiences taught me the importance of compassion, of listening, and treating every patient with dignity. They helped shape the caregiver and leader that I am today. I chose to build my career at Wake Med because of its mission and commitment to serving our community. Every day I see patients who depend on the expertise and compassion of our team members. As a leader, I believe our responsibility extends beyond delivering excellent clinical care as we must also care for the whole person, especially our most vulnerable patients. The ED has historically been a safety net for many of those patients, and it's important to me to ensure that we are here to give them the care they need, not only during their visit, but also after their discharge back to the community. That work is strengthened through our numerous partnerships across our community, including behavioral health and social service agencies, programs that support individuals facing chronic health and social challenges, and organizations that support victims of violence and sexual assault. Together, we are making a real difference in the lives of our community members. When I learned about the strategic partnership with Atrium, I was encouraged to see such a strong alignment in our missions and values. Both organizations share a commitment to serving vulnerable populations and expanding access to care. I was particularly reassured by Atrium's demonstrated investment in community benefit programs. As I look to the future, I'm confident that this partnership will strengthen our ability to fulfill Wake Med's mission while preserving our commitment to compassionate, community-focused care. Together, we will be better positioned to reach more people. Thank you.

Clara Norman. Rob Burlington.

And last is John Arnott. Good evening, my name is Rob Burlington. I am a Raleigh and Wake County resident and have been for 25 years. And in that time, I've run a business in town, the entire town. I serve on the Wake Med Foundation Board of Directors and I have been in that role in a little over a year. I've also worked indirectly for Wake Med in construction for over two decades. As this body looks to make a decision regarding the Wake Med Atrium merger, I'd like to voice my support for this merger. I believe that this strategic partnership is a strong step in supporting Wake Med's goal to provide excellent care in our community. As Wake Med seeks to expand access, invest in our community, and strengthen their nonprofit mission, the commissioners approving the amendment to the transfer agreement will support the community into the future. Wake Med's commitment to charity care, to being locally led and governed are important in the community and I believe this agreement allows for that to be maintained. The merger strengthens Wake Med's ability to operate successfully in today's medical environment. Thank you for your time.

Thank you. Clara? Yes. Okay.

Good afternoon. My name is Clara Hazlett Norman and I grew up here in the triangle where I live today. I'm against this hospital takeover. I'm here asking you to use your power to reject it and to keep Wake Med under local control. My family is from Western North Carolina, and we've already seen from Mission Hospital that corporate takeovers like this increase prices, lead to understaffing and poor working conditions, and overall make hospitals worse places both to work and to receive care. Atrium doesn't have a good track record. Since they took over Wake Forest Baptist, prices have increased by 28%. That's 8% more than at other North Carolina hospitals over the same time period. Wake Med puts 12% of revenue towards indigent care, while Atrium has only committed to 4.8%. And now the public has learned that the two billion in so-called investments that Atrium has promised will be coming first out of Wake Med's coffers, not Atrium's. Lastly, Atrium Advocate Health made $38.9 billion last year. Nobody, nobody should be making that kind of money in healthcare. They showed us who they are when they sued North Carolina patients over medical debt 2,482 times between 2017 and 2022. In comparison, I have friends and family who've received dignified and life-saving care at Wake Med. Please vote no. This takeover will come at a cost, and that cost will be borne by our community. Thank you.

Thank you. John?

Good afternoon. My name is John Taylor Arndt. On February 21st, 2020, I was hit by a van while riding my motorcycle on New Bern Avenue. I had five lacerations in my frontal cortex, the front part of my head. Both my forearms were broken. My right femur was broken in two places. The swelling in my brain was so dangerous, Wake Med had to do an emergency procedure to relieve the pressure. I'm a veteran, and I've usually gotten my care at the VA instructions, but that day, there was no time for me to transfer me anywhere. Wake Med was the closest hospital and I needed help immediately. Doctors told my mother, doctors told my mother that I might not be able to walk or talk again. But today I'm here, standing here, talking to you guys. Because Wake Med was one of the, sorry. I look at it this way, Wake Med took care of me when I could not take care of myself and now I'm here to take care of Wake Med. Today, I am fortunate that most of my ongoing care is covered, but in an emergency like mine, any one of us could need Wake Med with no warning. I want to be here for the next person just like me, just like it was here for me. I do not believe handing the hospital over to a giant hospital chain will protect that future. I believe care will become more expensive and decisions about our hospital will be made further away from people who depend on it. I am not an expert in hospital deals, but I know what Wake Med meant when my life was on the line. Wake Med saved my life. Please do not give away its future. I reject this takeover, thank you.

Thank you. Thank you to everyone who signed up to speak during the general comment period. That completes the list of names that was provided for this meeting. We also offer residents the opportunity to submit general comments online. This process is managed by our clerk, Ms. Gilead. Would you kindly share any online public comments that you have received for this meeting?

Yes, sir. Mr. Chair, you had one comment online today and stand up for residents and vote no to the merger. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Gill. We will now transition to our regular agenda. We have two items on our regular agenda this afternoon, both of which are public hearings. Anita Davis, our Medicaid transportation manager, will walk us through the first item. Anita, welcome. Before you get started, give them an opportunity to clear out. Okay, Anita, please, go ahead.

Thank you, sir. Good evening, commissioners. My name is Anita Davis, and I am the Medicaid Transportation Manager for Goodwick Access Transportation. My purpose this evening is to request approval and signatures to be applied by Chair Miles to the FY28 Community Transportation Grant Application. This grant also requires that a public hearing be held to allow for citizen input. Wake County Go Wake Access is a social services transportation program that provides transportation to some of our most vulnerable citizens. NFY 26 Go Wake provided approximately 136,000 trips across Wake County. Go Wake provides transportation to the following groups. elderly and disabled, and that's for citizens 60 years or older and classified as disabled for general purposes, employment, which is for citizens who have transitioned off of work first in the previous 12 months, and citizens who need transportation to work or other employment-related services. Rural general public is for citizens who live in the rural areas of Wake County where there isn't an established fixed route transit system. The origin or destination must be in a rural area. And then our last transportation program is SmartRide NE, and that's for citizens that reside in the eastern area of Wake County, which includes Zebulon, Windale, and Knightdale. Again, this grant is a standard annual grant that we submit. It provides administrative and capital funding which replaces vehicles that have reached their useful life. Vehicles usually have to be replaced at 150,000 miles. For FY28, GOWC is requesting approximately $1.2 million. that include the state share for admin of 270,000 and the capital share for the state is 743,000. Go Wake Access currently has 70 wheelchair vehicles, accessible vehicles for the community transportation program. And four of those vehicles is for the SmartRide Microtransit Service Program. Go Wake Access provides transit just about everywhere in Wake County, also including Durham and Chapel Hill. This map here currently breaks down where our rural areas are and where we serve. And in FY26, we traveled about 1.7 million miles. This graph here shows our Medicaid and non-Medicaid trends over the last three years. For FY26, Go Wake Access did have a 3% increase in Medicaid trips over FY25 and a 7% decrease in non-Medicaid trips. And as I stated on the other slide, the non-Medicaid trips includes the general public, the micro transit, the employment, and the elderly and disabled trips. Those are non-Medicaid trips, so we did have a slight decrease in those. And the reason is is because there is less travel that's been done during these times, and there are more transit options within Wake County. So that's a good thing. That means that there are not a lot of people that are going without transportation in the area. This slide here, over FY26, GOEC averages about 11,000 trips per month. Our highest trip count was for the month of August, and our lowest trip was around the month of February. And this is on trend for that year. So historically, around the months of August, well, February and August, we'll see a slight difference in those trips. Again, the public hearing is required to receive grant funds and it is a part of the application process that's required through NCDOT. At this time, I'm happy to answer any of your questions or the board may open the public hearing.

Okay, any questions? Yes, go ahead, Commissioner Waters.

Thank you so much for your leadership on such a critical service to so many of our neighbors. And I believe you said 1.7 million miles? Miles, yes, ma'am. That is quite impressive. I know there have been some historical concerns voiced among members of the disability community in accessing. Can you speak to any... or enhancements that you all have done to maybe mitigate some of the challenges that have occurred in the past?

Absolutely. The enhancements we have done with the outreach is actually being more vocal. So we make sure that we participate on numerous CAC boards. So like the Western CAC, Eastern CAC, where those committees do have the citizens there. And then we talk with individuals in the Eastern area, in the Western area to talk about their transportation concerns. And usually elderly and disabled transportation is there, is top. of their questions. And then also, again, just making sure that we give a voice to everyone, working more with the Wake Transit, the Community Transportation Subcommittee, our Transportation Advisory Board, making sure that we are more engaged in community events so we can talk about transportation and we can hear some of the issues and questions surrounding transportation. Also, we have three surveys that's coming out in the fall. We have a driver survey, so we can talk with our drivers to see what the issues are, what are the things that they see, because they are the boots on the ground. They get to the customers before we do, so they can give a different perspective. Then we have a survey that's just for our smart ride. We want to know how that service is performing. And then we have another survey that's generally just for the excess side of the service. So we want to know how the customers feel. Is this new vendor working? Can you tell a difference, especially for the drivers and the people who've been utilizing the service for so many years? Can they tell a difference? Has it improved? Is it going bad? Do they like the drivers? Do they like the vehicles? So again, we try to engage more of our riders and the people that actually utilize the service so we can better the service.

Well, thank you for your intentionality and the spectrum of ways that you are reaching out to community. Thank you.

Yes, Commissioner Stallings.

Thank you so much for your presentation that you do every year for us. And thank you for all the work that you're doing on this really important work and critical work for many of our residents. And I think I often ask this question, too, about as we think about vehicle fleet and trying to be as energy efficient as we can with our vehicle fleets, with that importance with climate change and so forth, but I know these are very specialized vehicles as well. With our life cycle replacements, is there any opportunity for energy efficiency, and could you speak to that in the vehicles?

Absolutely, and I know Commissioner Solis, you're gonna ask that question. So yes, so for the last year and a half, we have been working with NCDOT. I'm not sure if the commissioners remember, about a year and a half ago, you guys did authorize us and signed a contract to go with the MOU with NCDOT for them to start looking at our fleet. So in order for us to transfer, to take our fleet from regular diesel and gas over to EV, we have to have an actual fleet replacement plan. So we have been working with a consultant over the last year, and the initial EV focus analysis has been completed. So with that analysis included vehicle technology review, service remodeling, a view of publicly available fast charging infrastructure usage, and how that would work with our current demand and the current vehicles that we have. So what we were able to determine is that battery electric only transition is not the best thing for our vehicles. And that is because of the number of miles and the number of 1.7 miles and try to do that with electric vehicle. We don't have the infrastructure for that. So that puts severe limitations on what we could do with that type of technology. So what we have decided to do was to broaden our scope. So the consultants, they're shifting to looking at alternative fuel analysis. So comparing fuel against gasoline, CNG, propane, hydrogen, and other battery electric options. They're also looking at doing more stakeholder engagement within this next quarter, and they're gonna develop what they call an ECO analysis, what the best trade-offs are. If they decide to go with CNG, what is the best thing? what is the replacement on that, what is the usage, what is the cost, which is also very important to that as well. And then also within that last part of that plan, they're gonna look at what the lessons learned from other agencies and other benefits. We know that Go Raleigh and Go Triangle are already using in some of those non-fuel vehicles. So we're working with them as well. And then the final step would be to develop a potential fleet transition option and what the roadmap is gonna look like when we finally phase out all of those vehicles. As you can imagine, we have 70 vehicles, so trying to replace 70 vehicles at one time could be a task. So they're building a roadmap on if we decide to go with CNG, if we decide to go with diesel, what is the clearest path for that?

Thank you so much, I appreciate it. You're welcome.

Any other questions? Okay, not seeing any. Thank you so much, Anita, for coming forward and bringing this information to us. We will now open up the public hearing. Is there anyone that want to make a comment in reference to this item? Not seeing anyone. Clerk, can you provide us an overview of any comments you received to date?

We didn't have any comments, Mr. Chair.

Okay, thank you. Commissioners, any other comments or discussion before we close this public hearing?

Okay, not hearing any.

This public hearing is now closed. So is there a motion to approve FY 2026 community transportation program grant application?

I'm happy to make a motion.

Okay, we have Commissioner Evans making the motion. Please proceed.

I move that the Board of Commissioners, having held the required public hearing on the FY2028 Community Transportation Program Grant, approves the FY2028 Community Transportation Program Grant application to be submitted to the North Carolina Department of Transportation Public Transportation Division with total project cost of $1,294,145 including $1,035,316 in requested state funding, and $258,829 in required county matching funds, that the board authorizes the chair to sign the resolutions to apply certifications and assurances and affix the signatures of local officials as required.

Man, that was a mouthful.

Mr. Chairman, I'll make a friendly amendment. It is total project cost of $1,267,541, including $1,014,033. I'm looking at the, yeah.

I don't know which is the set of numbers. We apparently have two different items.

It does appear to be two sets of numbers. Ms. Davis, can you clarify that?

I'm looking at the actual item. And I'm looking at the agenda. And she's looking at the little condensed.

Okay. Ms. Attorney, can you give us the correct number?

Well, the application, the unified grant application has the 1,294,145 figure, and the total local shares is 258,829. That is correct, sir. Okay.

So the local share amount is the 250, but the 1.2 is the total project amount, which includes everything.

Okay, so Commissioner Evans, your figures were correct. They're incorrect on the agenda item.

Thank you. I withdraw my motion.

Okay, thank you. Okay, so we have a motion on the floor. Is there a second?

I'll second the motion.

Okay, Commissioner Evans made the motion and seconded by Commissioner Stallings. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed, please say no. Not hearing any, motion carries. Thank you, Commissioner Stallings. Okay, thank you, Anita. Now we'll move on to our next item of public hearing on rezoning application. Adam Cook from our planning department is here to walk us through this. Adam, welcome.

Thank you. So this case is PLGRZ005868-2025, and it's a proposed zoning and map amendment at 4605 Windy Knoll Road. Before we get into the specifics of the case, I'm gonna give you a little bit of background on zoning, just a couple quick slides. According to the state law, the purpose of zoning regulations shall be made in accordance with a comprehensive plan and shall be designed to promote the public health, safety, and general welfare. The regulations shall be made with reasonable consideration among other things as to the character of the district and its peculiar suitability for particular uses and with a view to conserving the value of buildings and encouraging the most appropriate use of land throughout the local government's planning and development regulation jurisdiction. Wake County's role in the zoning is to adopt a comprehensive plan, which is we do have one of Plan Wake and the Unified Development Ordinance, inform residents regarding applicable zoning requirements for new projects, respond to complaints of zoning violations, and to support planning board and board of adjustment processes. The planning board's role in the rezoning is to receive a rezoning application and staff report, hear presentations, comments, exhibits, and arguments, consider if the request is consistent with the comprehensive plan, and otherwise advances public health, safety, and general welfare, and make a recommendation to this board of approval or denial. Once an application is received to rezone property, planning staff reviews the request to determine if it's compatible with the adjacent uses and if it's consistent with adopted plans, such as the county's comprehensive plan and area plan. Planning staff presents information about the rezoning, including findings and recommendations to the planning board. The Planning Board makes a statement regarding the rezoning's consistency with the comprehensive plan and makes a recommendation to approve or deny the request to the Board of Commissioners. The Board of Commissioners determines if the request is consistent with the comprehensive plan and is reasonable and votes to approve or deny the request. Now to get into the specifics of this case. This rezoning request is to rezone one parcel consisting of approximately 10.42 acres from residential 30 to conditional zoning industrial one. As you can see on the screen, the site's outlined in red. To the northeast, at the top of the parcel is a residence, and in the middle of the lot, there's an area that the owner's been using for a tree service business, a building that's surrounded by commercial vehicles, and it could be seen in the photo there. As far as the zoning map, the existing Wake County residential 30 zoning is shown by the yellow color on the map, and the gray color represents the city of Raleigh's jurisdiction in this area. The applicant has proposed the following conditions for this rezoning. The property shall be used solely for a tree service business and customary accessory uses, including equipment and vehicle storage. No retail, sales, commercial, customer traffic, or customer pickup drop off activities shall occur on the property. The operation shall be limited to equipment storage, dispatch, loading, unloading, and routine maintenance. Chipping, grinding, or mulching shall be limited to vegetative material generated on the property. No vegetative material generated from off-site tree service operations shall be brought onto the property for chipping, grinding, or mulching. Regular business operations shall be limited to 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and emergency operations in response to natural disasters or other emergencies shall be permitted at any time. Outdoor storage shall be limited to designated areas screened by existing and supplemental landscaping, and all future structures shall maintain a minimum setback of 60 feet from all property lines. A minimum 60 foot type B landscape buffer shall be maintained along all property boundaries to provide visual screening and noise reduction except for where existing or approved driveway structures or other site improvements reasonably preclude compliance. Temporary grading and erosion and sedimentation control measures associated with permanent construction or maintenance activities may occur within the buffer. Fuel storage shall remain at its current location or no closer than 100 feet from any riparian buffer. Fuel storage shall utilize secondary containment and spill prevention measures consistent with the applicable industry standards. And no additional principal structures shall be constructed without approval of subsequent rezoning or amendment to these conditions. So as far as land use plan consistency, the subject property is located in the community area of the Wake County Development Framework Map. According to the Plan Wake Comprehensive Plan, the community area is envisioned as having a predominantly residential use with a mix of home types that offer scenic views and pastoral amenities of suburban living while retaining close access to the benefits and cultural opportunities of adjacent urban centers. The PlanWake approach is plan together, track together, act together, with strategies focusing on collaboration between jurisdictions. The parcel is designated community on the development framework map. The community areas of the map are described as lands already in municipal corporate limits or municipal extraterritorial jurisdiction and lands on the fringe of these areas for the municipality to expand and to grow into. Plan Wake policy recommends supporting municipal utility service and municipal annexation of the subject parcel. Municipal annexation is not always a feasible option for lands designated community, but PlanWake recommends supporting municipal future use planning. The subject parcel is shown as low density residential according to Raleigh's comprehensive plan future land use map. Wake County is currently updating the plan in this vicinity, and until that process is completed, the East Raleigh-Nightdale plan is currently in effect. This plan designates the subject parcel as residential with 1.5 to four units per acre. In accordance with North Carolina General Statutes and the Wake County Unified Development Ordinance, any proposed rezoning should be consistent with the comprehensive plan. It is planning staff's professional opinion that the rezoning to conditional zoning industrial one would not be consistent with the comprehensive plan, and it's not reasonable and appropriate for the area. A public hearing site was posted on the property and the owner of the parcel as well as adjacent owners within 500 feet were notified by mail about the proposed rezoning. A legal ad was also placed in the News and Observer providing details of this meeting. And as a result of these notification efforts, planning staff has received calls in concern about the request from adjacent property owners. Staff findings are that the proposed conditional zoning industrial one is not compatible with the surrounding residential development. The proposed conditional zoning industrial one rezoning is not consistent with the community area of the comprehensive plans development framework map and will not protect the public health, safety, and general welfare The comprehensive plan recommends supporting municipal future land use planning. The subject parcel is shown as low density residential according to Raleigh's comprehensive plan future land use map. And the proposed conditional zoning industrial one is not consistent with the East Raleigh-Nightdale area plan. The East Raleigh-Nightdale area plan designates the subject parcel as residential. So planning staff recommendation, planning staff does not recommend approval of the requested zoning map amendment PLGRC0058682025 as presented and finds that the amendment is not consistent with the comprehensive plan and does not otherwise advance the public health, safety, and welfare. And planning board member Tom Wells is here to present the planning board recommendation.

Thank you, Ann. Welcome, Tom.

Thank you, sir. Mr. Chair, commissioners, first, let me thank you for allowing me the honor to serve on the planning board. I do appreciate that opportunity. As Adam has said, the planning board voted six to two to not approve the proposed rezoning petition. We considered the petition at two separate meetings on June 3rd and August the 5th, and we had extended discussion with all the involved parties. The consensus was that the rezoning would have an adverse effect on the surrounding neighborhood and was not consistent with the county comprehensive plan.

Thank you. Any questions or comments from the board? Yes, Commissioner Stallings.

Yes, thank you. Commissioner Evans and then Commissioner Waters. I know you mentioned adverse impact or adverse effect. You also mentioned concerns about public health safety and the general welfare. Could you just give some examples or explain that a bit more?

There was just a concern that... let me say that in the two meetings, in the first meeting that we had on June 3rd, there were information that was presented and there were some items that were overlooked and they were misleading in the original petition. One of the things that was not mentioned in the original petition was the grinder being used and the effect that that had. And so I think that was the genesis for one of the complaints. And if you could imagine even with a 60 foot buffer with a grinder being that close, it could have an adverse effect. And so there was a concern about that. There was a number of other things that were presented at our first meeting in terms of the amount of land area that had been cleared and we got some recent photographs and it looked like there was more area that was cleared on the property than had originally been indicated. There's also concern about the if the property was rezoned and sold to a new owner, just how the use of the property might affect adjacent property owners, and so there was an unknown there, and so that was one of the concerns, and I know we can't see what's ahead, but that was a concern that if we went along with the rezoning, what impact that would have. I'll have to say that the petitioner did make efforts between our first and second meetings to correct the omissions. There was an outstanding land disturbing violation that was in place and he went back and corrected that. They also had a neighborhood meeting and so I think they were trying to make an effort to try to address the concerns that we had.

Yes ma'am. Commission Evans.

I noticed your vote was six to two, and I was curious if you could share, it sounds like six people voted to deny, two voted to approve. Could you share what were the reasons for the two that wanted to move forward and approve the rezoning? Certainly.

I'll have to admit I was one of the two. So just from my background, it seemed like the applicant had really made an effort and it seemed there were a number of people that came to the meeting and spoke in his in support of his efforts and I feel like we certainly, it sounds on paper that it really is not a good thing to have an industrial zoned operation in the midst of a residential area but it's, This area, I've been out there to see it, and it is indeed very much a rural part of the county. There is a neighborhood across the street and a neighborhood adjacent to it, and there's a new development down the street, but I had a concern about the vehicles coming in and going out on the road and the highway, but it seems like there's no residents immediately in the area, and so I didn't feel like that was a factor, but I feel like we have the tools within the county that if we did approve the rezoning, that we could, you know, monitor and make sure that he's doing what he's committed to do, and he added from the first meeting to the second meeting three more restrictive covenants on the proposal, and so I felt like He's made an effort to be a good part of the community and so that's the basis from what I felt like we could agree to the rezoning.

You're welcome.

Okay, Commissioner Evans.

Thank you, Tom, for all of that context, and I just wanted to ask some other contextual questions, and some of these may better be answered by staff. We have received some communications from residents in this area. indicating that they've already been dealing with quite a bit of noise from this operation for some time. Can you tell us how long this particular business has already been operating in this area?

That's a good question. I asked Adam myself today, and he said it was roughly 10 years. We didn't really know it was there, but one of the covenants that he put in the proposal was to not have any more grinding except for any material that was cut on site. So that would have an impact on that part of the operation.

And then I guess my other question, this would definitely be more for staff, is if we reject the rezoning application and he continues to conduct business there, if it is perceived by the neighbors to be a nuisance, what is our recourse in enforcing changes against the business operator as needed?

There's an active zoning violation currently in place right now. If this zoning were to not be approved, then that process will move forward with the active zoning enforcement for the site.

Okay, that's helpful. Thank you.

Okay, Commissioner Waters?

My questions were asked and answered, but what does zoning enforcement look like, just to expand upon? Sure. Commissioner Evans.

So when Wake County gets a complaint about a zoning issue, we have a zoning code enforcement. and they would go out and do a site assessment and see what's going on, and then if they find that the site is in violation of our zoning requirements, they would issue eventually a notice of violation to the property owner and give them an opportunity to bring the site into compliance, if possible.

Are there any financial penalties

Yes, they are. And also, if a notice of violation is issued on a rezoning, it generally comes to our office to then seek court enforcement. And we can get an injunction and have in the past done it so we can essentially go to court to enforce the notice of violation.

Thank you.

Thank you. Who was there first, the houses or the business?

Well, the Wake County residential zoning came into play in 1976 for the area. So the residential area was there prior to this business.

So if the business is forced to move, I'm assuming the business currently owns the land. They would have to go find somewhere else to conduct business.

Yes, if they stay in Wake County's planning jurisdiction, they would need to find a place that's zoned appropriate for that business.

Has all avenues been explored to try to resolve this? It looks like from the information that we've received the business owner has offered to do a lot of concessions. You know, operate during certain hours. You know, not grind on the property. is that not acceptable to the neighbors if he agrees to do it within those boundaries? Because unfortunately, we live in a very urban county, and I mean, personally, I live in an urban neighborhood, and I've just got noise and lights and stuff to deal with, and you know, that's increasing in Wake County. So... Is there any way to explore some other way to resolve this?

So the applicant provided those conditions and went over earlier as a ways to kind of mitigate some of the impacts, but even with those conditions, it's still, after doing that, there was still opposition from some of the neighbors surrounding, and they still felt that it was gonna impact, and I believe that we also have at least one of those neighbors here tonight that may speak to that a little bit more.

Okay.

Yes, it's good to hear the owner, the business owner has taken steps to try and be a better neighbor. And I certainly understand the concern about rezoning and what could happen when this particular owner sails to another in the future down the road and it's now rezoned to not be residential. My question is, can you give me insight into how this violation has gone on for so long? How did this not become an enforceable violation sooner?

Sure, I can give a little bit of background, but I might have some assistance on that side of things. So once the county receives a complaint, we start looking into it and give the property owner a chance to come into compliance if possible. And if that's not possible, then that notice of violation goes out. So just the process of going through that, it took a while from time. Did you want to add anything? Sure.

Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, board members. I'm Steven Finn. I work with Planning and Development Services. I'm the Land Use Administrator and Zoning Director on the first floor of the county building. I'm familiar with this because of the code enforcement history. We have two relevant factors here on the code enforcement side that are overarching for us. We have a passive code enforcement program. We're not out in the field looking for issues. We respond to complaints when people inform our office of concern. Secondly, our goal is compliance. So we try to work with people where we can to bring property into compliance or to shepherd them through appropriate actions such as this. So we had the violation come before us, had some interactions with the attorney that came into the fold. Within a month, within two to three weeks of the initial violation, we were in communication with the applicant's attorney. So over time, the application, we've worked with him to get the application ready and went through the planning board and is here before you tonight. So in sum, we have active, excuse me, passive code enforcement program. We respond to a complaint. took a while to get in touch with the property owners, and then we started interacting with their attorney. Both parties were willing and trying to work with us, so we tried to navigate them to the options available. This is the option that they proceeded, specifically this rezoning request that's before you.

Okay, that's helpful, thank you.

Yes, Commissioner Anderson.

How many businesses do we have in Wake County that are operating in residential neighborhoods? Do we know? Do we know how many we're dealing with right now? Because this can't be the only one.

I'm gonna jump back in here. Again, as a reinforcement, we're passive code enforcement. There's things that may exist that we're not aware of or have not been brought to our attention. Specific to your question, Commissioner, I can tell you, currently on the books, we have 42 active, open code enforcement cases. Of those, I would describe more than 90% of those cases are all business operations, such as contractor storage yards, landscaping business, and so forth. So the majority, I would assess over 90% of the 42 open cases we have right now in the books involve businesses.

Okay, thank you. If we were to choose as a board to send this back to the planning board, could y'all try to work with both parties and see if there isn't a way to work this out? Because I personally am torn. I don't want, the neighbors to have to listen to noise, but I don't want to put a gentleman out of business and lose his means of supporting himself and his family either. It just feels like there's got to be some middle ground in here somewhere.

I would answer that by saying we would work, if it was remanded back to the planning board, we would work with residents and the applicant and the planning board to assist as we can.

Thank you. Any other questions or comments? Okay.

Yeah.

Not seeing any. So at this time, we open up the public hearing. We have two people have signed up to make a comment. The first one is Alan Harrington, and then next is Adam Stallings.

All right. Hello, commissioners. First off, I was going to make a joke about this being for Wake Med, but I thought that was probably not a great idea. Second off, I want to say, as somebody that's been impacted with suicide with a family member, just thanks for bringing that to light. So that's very important that you all took time out of this to do it. So thank you. Now onto the zone request. I was not able to get pictures or load but I've sent emails detailing a fair amount of pictures and show it. I would like to echo the committee's request for recommendation for denial. They've been in violation for a very long time. This all started over six years ago when we reached out and we were promised a reduction of noise and a heads up and the loudest noise would occur and that never happened. It continually, even this week, goes above 60 decibels. That's the difference between a choir and a rock concert. I'm not opposed to some random noise. I have a motorcycle. I understand these things happen. But they are suggesting that between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, they be allowed to make as much noise as possible. It's also important to remember that this isn't a random business that just popped up overnight. This business was grown and has grown substantially over the past six years with more equipment being added. They have 18 wheelers, cranes, giant bulldozers and there's no longer a grinder on the property but it's still, well it's still there, just not operated on. There's a substantial amount of equipment that comes and goes every morning and it starts before 7 a.m. even to this day. This morning it even started around 6.45 a.m. They're saying it's just a complaint of one neighbor but yet they also own the land around that's pretty adjacency. So that complaint of this neighbor and my other neighbors is founded but not a lot because they own the surrounding area. So I think that's very important to call out. So I respectfully ask the Board of Commissioners to give substantial weight to the findings of the committee and deny this request. Thank you all very much.

Thank you. Adam Stallings.

good evening mr chairman and members of board i'm not related to commissioner stallings and i say adam stallings because i learned to say the wrong way my whole life i represent the uh applicant in this matter um and And just so you know, first I wanna thank Staff Appreciation. They've helped educate me at every level. We have tried at every opportunity to amend things to make people happy, to be a good neighbor. I wanna thank the County Attorney's Office for assisting. And my point tonight, or request tonight, was gonna be to ask for a continuance. We wanna continue to try to work with the one objection We think we have other opportunities and avenues to explore. We were unable to have all our team here tonight. And to speak about another hospital, three weeks ago I had surgery at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital. And I'm glad I could be here tonight, but it has kind of pushed everything back a couple of weeks. And so I just asked it. If the county attorney says we need to send this back to the planning board, we're happy to do it, but we want to be able to put on more evidence, and I believe you all have the opportunity and the power to push this off and allow us to have one more chance to put on some evidence in the future, or however you want it, and we just want to be good neighbors and find a way that y'all don't have to put this man out of business, because if you vote no, we've got to move out of the county, is what we've learned.

Thank you. Thank you. Any other comments? Yes.

Good evening, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for letting me speak for two minutes. I'm actually a long-term resident of Hayden Woods Development. My name is . About five or six years ago, I had to take a year off from work because of medical reasons. And as part of my self-caring process, I would go outside each morning, sit down on my porch, and I would enjoy beautiful North Carolina weather in the fall. And one of those evenings, or mornings, I was disturbed by this hard-to-describe noise. The noise is like a... It seems like somebody is drilling through a bedrock or something. Everything was shaking. The noise continued for hours. It was heard inside. Outside was really horrible, but it was heard inside. Everything was shaking in the house. I mean, the house, you can feel shaking. And basically, I thought it was like a temporary, some sort of construction project, because we have a lot of developments being built around. Yes, it used to be a rural area. Now it's more residential. More and more developments coming up. And if we allow this kind of business to operate in the residential area, that would be a big injustice for the residents. And that's actually part of my note is also the response to a board member's question about the health effects. The noise, you know, chippers and chainsaws don't generate that kind of noise. That's like a helicopter hovering over your house kind of noise. So I'm a pro-business person, but that kind of business has no business operating in the residential area. I'm really sorry about that. So thank you so much for letting me speak. And please, I would ask you to reject that.

Thank you. Thank you. Okay, thank you for staff and everyone that have come forth and spoke. Madam Clerk, do you have any comments that you received to date before we close this hearing?

I do not, Mr. Chair.

Commissioners, any other discussion or questions before we close this public hearing? Okay, not hearing any. Then we will close this public hearing. Is there a motion to adopt or? Yes.

Yes, Chair. I'd like to move that pursuant to section 1921.7 of the Wake County Unified Development Ordinance that the Wake County Board of Commissioners postpone the competition of review and final decision in the matter of the rezoning application number PLGRZ0058682025 and refer back to the Planning Board for further consideration. I'll second that.

Okay, we have a motion by Commissioner Jackson, a second by Commissioner Addison. All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

All those opposed, please say no.

No.

Okay, the ayes have it. Motion carries. Thank you. Okay, Madam Vice Chair, does the Board of Commission have any appointments to make to the Citizen Advisory Board or Commission at this time?

Yes, Chair. We do. Yes, we do have a few appointments. First, we'll start with the, oh, I'm sorry. I'd like to, there are several appointments to be made. Therefore, I move that the Board of Commissioners appoint the following individuals to the respective boards or commissions as set forth below. We'll start with the Adult Care Home Community Advisory Committee, one reappointment of Ellen Biedler, the Capital Area Workforce Development, one resignation and one recommendation of Walter, I'm sorry, one resignation of Walter Robb Axford, the Organized Labor Wake County seat, and one recommendation received by the Capital Area Workforce Development of Seth Story to fill that Organized Labor Wake County seat. Next, we have Holly Springs Planning Board, one resignation of Tanner Davis, the ETJ representative, and a recommendation received by the Town of Holly Springs Planning Board of Hannah Peptis to resume the current term of the former ETJ representative. And then finally, the water partnership. We have one term completion with Michael Wagner. He's the municipal representative for the town of Fuquay. We have one resignation of Marvin Mark Collins, the municipal rep for the town of Windale. And then two recommendations received by the water partnership. Jeffrey Brown to fill the open municipal seat for the town of Windale, and Jennifer Mitchell to fill the open municipal rep seat town of Fuquay-Varina. So I restate my motion that the Board of Commissioners appoint these individuals to their respective boards and commissions.

Thank you, Madam Vice. We have a motion. Is there a second?

I second it.

Okay, we have a motion by Commissioner Jackson and a second by Commissioner Stalin. All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

All those opposed, please say no. Not hearing any, the ayes have it.

Okay, our next set of applications will be due by close of business September 17th, and the following appointments will work to make on October 5th, board meeting. The Capital Area Workforce Development has one resignation. The Cary Board of Adjustment has a possible reappointment. Cary Planning and Zoning Board has a possible reappointment. The Energy Advisory Commission has a possible reappointment. The Fire Commission has two possible reappointments and a term completion. The Juvenile Crime Prevention Council has two resignations, one vacancy, three recommendations, and one possible reappointment. And the Water Partnership has a possible reappointment. And that completes our appointments for today.

All right. Thank you, Madam Vice. We will now move on to other business. Commission, would anyone like to share an update from an advisor or regional board that you are appointed to? Yes, Commissioner Evans, then Commissioner Waters.

Thank you. I would like to make folks aware that Wake County Smart Start is celebrating their 30th anniversary, and they will be having a celebratory event on the 26th, Saturday, September 26th. In honor of this, if you're not familiar with Wake County Smart Start, they are our local affiliate that provides access to early childhood education for those who might not otherwise afford it. And this event will be held at Marbles Museum Saturday, September 26th, starting at 6.30 p.m. I encourage anyone who would like to support Smart Start in their endeavors to consider buying a ticket. and you can go to wakesmartstart.org and you'll immediately see an advertisement for the event. Secondly, in terms of my service on the CAMPO board as well as GoTriangle, I wanted to make folks aware that there is a public engagement period going right now for the wake bus plan trying to get input this is related to the 10-year vision plan that we passed last year and this is digging in deeper i want to hear from the community to guide basic bus service improvements um expansions you know given a uh finite set of funding, there are options to weigh in and give your ideas about both service and infrastructure investments that would take place between now and 2035. And so I would encourage you to give your input there and you can go to the CAMPO website, which is campo-nc.us, and look for this public input opportunity on the right-hand side of the screen. Thank you.

Thank you. Commissioner Waters?

I would like to celebrate the African American Cultural Festival of Raleigh and Wake County, which was held September 5th and 6th, Labor Day weekend. And it was the 17th annual event and brought out very large crowd including many commissioners to celebrate such a wonderful time to elevate the contributions of the black community and it was rooted in community anchored in legacy was the theme this year and always think about an opportunity to salute my predecessor, Dr. James West and his contributions to this event and his continued impact in our community and another plug for the cultural economy. So thank you.

Thank you. Anyone else? Yeah, Commissioner Stallings.

Yes, thank you, Chair. Just a couple of things I want to highlight with Alliance Health, and I've mentioned this to Commissioner Thomas and Vice Chair Jackson, but Alliance Health and their strategic plan wants to also work on maternal and infant care. Mortality outcomes. We know the data is clear not only in Wake County But across the state about the poor outcomes for black and brown mothers and infants so I was happy to hear that they want to incorporate this issue in their strategic plan and Commissioner Thomas helped lead our most recent Wake County maternal and infant mortality workgroup and vice chair and myself were a part of that workgroup as well and that report is now available on our website and we're going to be talking about how we can and share that information with Alliance Health, keeping in mind that Alliance is our public managed care organization who helps some of our most, our lower income and uninsured and underinsured residents, and the Alliance network includes seven counties, so it's a large catchment area, seven counties which includes 3.5 million people so we have an opportunity to really share this information and make an impact and those seven counties are wake orange durham johnson cumberland harnett and mecklenburg county so looking forward to how we can collaborate and share that information and hopefully expand the reach in improving outcomes for black and brown moms and infants so excited about that opportunity And also within our Health and Human Services domain, I just want to lift up the death of Dr. Barbara Ann Hughes. She was a longtime resident of Raleigh and really a champion for public health and particularly in the area of nutrition and the importance of nutrition and health. And Dr. Hughes, in the 70s, was a pioneer for the WIC program, helping to provide leadership for the WIC, the Women's and Infant and Children programs in all 100 counties in North Carolina. So she's done a lot, not only with WIC, but also just lifting up the importance of nutrition in hospitals and nursing facilities as well. So just appreciate her pioneering work in the local, state, and actually national levels. Thank you.

Thank you. Okay, now we'll move on to other reports from commissioners. Any other reports? Yeah, Commissioner Adamson.

Yes, I just wanted to say.

And then Commissioner Jackson.

I just wanted to say that Commissioner Miles and Commissioner Evans and I were able to go to Healing Transitions Men's Campus Ribbon Cutting, and that was the first major initiative I voted on as a commissioner, so it's nice to see that finally come to fruition, and they're able to move in the doubled space and the new space that is their old space that was renovated, and it's especially exciting to see the classroom space because they had to, their classes that they teach, their inpatients as well as folks from the community used to have to happen in the dining room and they would tell me that when food prep started they were hungry and would be very distracted by the smells going on. So now they have a real lecture hall type classroom with nice seating and it's also available for community use. So it's fabulous to see that come together.

Thank you. Anyone else? Commissioner Jackson. Yeah. And then Commissioner Waters. And then Commissioner Thomas.

Okay, a couple of things. We can't do proclamations for every special occurrence of each month, but I do want to take a moment to just acknowledge two national recognitions that are happening this month that is very near and dear to my heart, and that is first National Kinship Care Month. i serve as a guardian at lightham and i just asked the public and all of us to just take a moment to think about those family members who are stepping in in the gap and caring for children when their biological parents aren't able to do so we're very thankful to those family members thankful to our county staff that support them in the process and just want to recognize the very challenging but often very rewarding work that it takes to keep children close to their primary home. The other is National Recovery Month. I have a number of family members that have taken that journey of recovery. Many of us know folks that have. It is a long journey and in this month we just want to recognize those that have begun to take that journey and those that have completed and those that are on that long journey of recovery. and want to acknowledge many of our nonprofit partners across the county that contribute and are partners with folks as they complete their recovery journey i am so excited about wake at home and the fact that we were able to close our first encampment with 33 members 33 neighbors that is huge I continue to be very excited about these very important steps that move us toward functional zero homelessness as a county. So kudos to our staff, to our housing department staff, our COC staff, City of Raleigh, who have been partners, and other nonprofit and housing, other nonprofit organizations that support folks during this transition. It was also very timely to be able to welcome members from the Wilmington City Council who are on a path in Wilmington to address homelessness and the unhoused. So it was just a really exciting time to not only celebrate a new win here in the county, but to also be able to share our success and learn from others from Wilmington. i'd also just like to share that i'm really excited that i have the honor of serving as the education chair for the north carolina association of county commissioners we will be kicking off our meeting soon looking at collectively our legislative priorities to bring before the board and i look forward to sharing with my fellow commissioners and having Commissioner Evans as a partner and committee member, we both will keep you all posted on how that committee grows and where we're going in terms of our legislative priorities. Thank you.

Thank you. Commissioner Waters?

Vice Chair Jackson, thank you for those updates. And I really appreciate the spotlight on kinship as I was a guardian for almost seven years. So that's near and dear to my heart. And I also want to lift up another national recognition. September is National Literacy Month. and I appreciate all the work that happens in our community. I serve on the steering committee for Wake Up and Read, and they have some impressive statistics, which also include contributions. They collected 74,652 books through donations, and the distributions are just incredible. and the places that they are making books available continue to meet our greatest community needs. So just wanna salute all of our organizations that amplify literacy. And I would be remiss if I did not also celebrate Wake County Public School Systems academic gains, which are the highest in more than a decade, and so appreciate all of our educators and their commitment, and kudos to all of our students for the hard work. It has paid off.

Thank you. Commissioner Thomas?

Thank you so much. Just a couple of things. One, I just wanted to acknowledge Dr. Jonathan Glenn and the JCPC Advisory Board. They are working with the City of Raleigh on some of the issues around youth and community engagement, some of the curfew conversations that have been happening. JCPC is very involved in those, and I just wanted to shout out Dr. Jonathan Glenn for the work that he's doing there, as he did not have to be involved, but saw a gap and wanted to help fill with some expertise that we have on that committee, so thank you to him. Thinking about also giving kudos to the League of Women Voters for acknowledging Women's Equality Day as we sit here as a board of a majority of women, and they took the opportunity to honor elected women in this county about a week ago, so thank you so much to the League of Women Voters for acknowledging us. Commissioner Waters was there with me, as was Commissioner Jackson, and so it was a great night to see a lot of our other colleagues. A few other things. Commissioner Jackson mentioned the NCACC and the work that's going to be happening with legislative goals, and just wanted to encourage my colleagues to think about what that could look like for us this year. Commissioner Stallings is on that committee. She is on the legislative goals committee as Commissioner Jackson is going to be on public education, but all of us can contribute to the legislative goals process. And so some of that work can be funneled through Commissioner Stallings as she serves on that committee or myself as I serve on the executive committee. But we will gather here in Raleigh and coordinate. It happens every two years. So just wanted to make sure I put it on your radar because we won't have a chance again next year to do legislative goals. This is a two year process that the NCACC takes on. The other thing I would mention is that we talked earlier and acknowledged our employees for Employee Appreciation Month And I just wanted to remind people that your property taxes pay the salaries of Wake County employees. And as one of the largest employers in this county, I appreciate the opportunity to pay property tax that then gives us these wonderful employees who do very impactful work. To that end, the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners has also put together a committee on property tax reform that includes county managers county commissioners and tax administrators so marcus kinraid who we know is the best in the state uh is serving on that committee so i look forward to the recommendations i am chairing that committee with commissioner todd mcneil from ashe county it's four by four by four four managers four administrators four commissioners chaired by two members of the executive committee. So I look forward to that. We're meeting every Wednesday. We've had two meetings already. We have three more meetings to go, and then we'll have recommendations by October because we don't know what the General Assembly will do and how soon they will do whatever it is they will or will not do. And so I look forward to hearing about that. But thank you so much to our employees here in Wake County. Thank you. Chairman.

Commissioner Stallings.

Yes, I just want to lift up some EMS graduates. We had a graduation ceremony on Wednesday, September the 2nd, and we celebrated 30 future Team Wake people, and it was just a very moving, meaningful ceremony. graduated as EMTs, some as paramedics, but it was just a real treat and such a meaningful event to see 30 people with these accomplishments who will be providing compassionate care to the residents of Wake County. And I understand there's going to be an October cohort as well of training for more to come. So looking forward to that. So congratulations, graduates.

Thank you. Mr. Attorney, is there a need for a closed session today?

Yes, sir, Mr. Chair. The motion is being called for the following purposes. First, to consult with an attorney employed by the public body in order to preserve the attorney-client privilege. between the public body and the attorney concerning a pending lawsuit styled Ayala, Metwala, Elazab, Ledesma, Lynch, Medina, Mejia, Zedek, and Alvarez versus Wake County and James Otis Perry. The second purpose is to prevent the disclosure of information that is privileged or confidential pursuant to the laws of this state. and particularly NCGS 131E-97.3, and not otherwise considered public records within the meaning of Chapter 132. Both of these motions are pursuant to NCGS 143-318.11, A1 and A3.

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

Okay, we have a motion by Commissioner. Is the camera and everything ready? Yeah, okay, there we go. Okay, I'll call this meeting back to order. We're just coming out of closed session. We have one item that we need to report on. Commissioner Stallings, you read that motion.

Yes, thank you, Chair Mull. I move that the Wake County Board of Commissioners approve a full and final settlement in the matter of Ayala and others versus Wake County and James Otis Perry now pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, file number 5-24-CV-524 in the amount of $285,000, and of that amount, the sum of $142,500 shall be paid by Wake County in full and final settlement of all claims asserted in that lawsuit. I'll second that.

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

Aye.

Those opposed, please say no. Not hearing any, the motion carries. So thank you, everyone, and that concludes our agenda for today. The board's next regular meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 21st at 2 p.m. Motion to adjourn. Do I have a motion to adjourn? I'll second that. We've got a motion by Commissioner Thomas and second by Commissioner Adamson. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Motion carries. Meeting adjourned.