City Council - Regular Meeting

Call the meeting in order. The Wilmington City Council. I'd like to welcome all those who are with us this evening and all those who are watching this on any channel that you'd like to. At this time, I'd like to welcome and introduce Captain Tai of the Wilmington Fire Department to give our invocation. If everyone would stand and then remain standing afterwards for the Pledge of Allegiance. Captain, welcome.

Please bow your heads. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for the opportunity to gather today in service of our community. We ask that you grant us wisdom, integrity, and discernment in making decisions on behalf of our citizens. Help us work together with respect and understanding for the common good. May our actions reflect compassion, justice, and desire to improve the lives of those we serve. We ask for your guidance and protection over our city, its residents, and its public service. In your name we pray. Amen.

Amen. Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. We have one presentation this evening, but before I do that, I'm going to recognize Councilmember Cassidy Santaguida to comment and give remarks about the proclamation celebrating America's 250th anniversary.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you all for being here. Tonight, as we celebrate our country's 250th birthday, I also want to take a moment to honor our Constitution, including its amendments, and remind us of some of the guarantees that are provided for every person within the borders of this country. The Fourth Amendment that protects us from unreasonable search and seizure, the 13th Amendment that abolished slavery, the 19th Amendment, Amendment that allowed women the right to vote, the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments that guarantee due process, and probably my personal favorite, the First Amendment that guarantees freedom of speech, which means everyone in our community has the right to voice their criticism of the work that we do up here. I share this because the language of the Constitution can seem like an abstraction, but it has real meaning in our day to day lives and enables us as a community to continuously strive for a more perfect union. 250 years ago, the Continental Congress declared independence because they did not want to be ruled by a king. Our country has never been perfect, but July 4th marks the beginning of our representative democracy. And that process elected all of us on the city council. As a governing body, we listen, we discuss, we debate, and sometimes we disagree. But then we make decisions with our votes. And that is your representative democracy at work. So thank you for being here.

Thank you very much. City of Wilmington, North Carolina will read a proclamation supporting the United States semi-quincentennial, whereas in the year 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence asserting the right of the 13 American colonies to self-governance and freedom from British rule. And whereas this bold declaration laid the foundation for a new nation built on the principles of liberty, democracy, and justice. And whereas over the past 250 years, the United States has grown from a fledgling republic to a global superpower, grounded in these foundational ideals. And whereas this 250th anniversary offers a unique opportunity to reflect on our nation's journey, celebrate its achievements, envision its future, and rise to the challenge of building a more equitable and prosperous society. And whereas this milestone celebrates, celebration is a testament to the strength, resilience, and determination of the American people. And whereas from the nation's smallest villages to its largest cities, America's local governments have been essential in transforming the United States of America into the greatest, most influential nation in world history. Now, therefore, be it resolved that Wilmington recognizes and celebrates the 250th anniversary of our nation's independence, and we acknowledge the contributions of diverse communities in shaping our nation's identity and pledge to continue fostering an environment of mutual respect as well as understanding. Be it further resolved that we reaffirm our commitment to liberty and democracy while honoring the sacrifices made by countless individuals to protect these values and endeavor to ensure that future generations will continue to enjoy the freedoms enshrined in this beautiful document known as the Constitution. Thank you. And this will be displayed in the city for forever. Okay? So thank you. So our first item of business is our consent agenda items 1 through 18. If um, what are the wishes of council in respect to the consent agenda? You pull C1 and C6 for me. C1 and C6. Anybody else? Okay. Do we have a motion to approve the agenda excluding items C1 and C6? We have a motion to approve by Councilmember Andrews, second by Councilmember Lyle. Any further discussion? All in favor of that motion, please indicate by saying aye.

Aye.

Any opposed? The item passes unanimously. At this time, I'll turn it over to Mayor Pro Tem Kevin Spears. Mr. Spears.

So I was looking at C1 and just doing a little research here. Is there anybody here that can tell me how many staff people that NC Swim has?

Um, good evening, Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem and City Council. I do not have the number of staff of that organization with me here tonight, but I can certainly follow up with City Council and provide that information to you.

Okay. I mean, I was just pretty much reading it, looking at the, uh, the dollar amount. That's pretty hefty dollar amount annually. And, and so, uh, when you dig a little deeper and look into the, uh, what was I looking the dashboard or I was looking, maybe I went, I went on the NC swim website, thanks to the help of my council member. I won't name her. And, uh, we were just looking at the dynamics of. the nonprofit and 61% of their budget, operating budget is personnel. So I was just wondering, you know, how many staff members do they have?

So one distinction that I would point out with the Earl Jackson pool at Northside Park is that it's operated year round, whereas our other two pools are operated seasonally. So that alone is going to require more staff. They also have a tremendous amount of programming, not that just takes place at the Earl Jackson pool. But that is a substantial amount in terms of youth and adult swim lessons and other water life saving activities. But also they have a competitive swim team that they have for a while that has an objective of being the most inclusive swim team in the state of North Carolina. So I would expect that their staff to be about that large in terms of what the city's paying them, their operation of the north side pool. The amount for FY27 is $333,344. And that is, the management fee is an increase of $18,000 over last year. And similar to our other management contracts, there's a built in increase year over year, 5% or a consumer price index, whichever. and that's just meant to keep up with inflation. And then the other change this year in their management fee is it's increased by $130,000 for utility costs. We're requiring that the utilities be transferred from the city's name into NC's name. And we have done that with most of our management and we see contracts as they come up for renewal as a motivator for increased energy efficiency and the operation of the city's buildings. The utilities at Northside are pretty significant, mostly because of the cost for propane for heating the pool in the winter. I would say if the city was operating this pool ourselves, it would cost us more money than we're paying NC.

Really? How much more do you think?

I'd have to perform that calculation, so I can't give you a number tonight, but with all of the recreation facilities that we outsource, that is one of the motivators, is that the private sector can do it often much more cost-effectively than the city can. Of course, we have performance measures, and we track those contracts and monitor them to ensure that the manager is meeting the performance measures that the city outlined, but yeah, they often, can do it more cost effectively.

All right, thank you. I'll make a motion to move.

We have a motion made by Mayor Pro Tem Spears, seconded by Councilmember Joyner. Any further discussion? All in favor of that motion please indicate by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed? Aye. Pass unanimously again. Mayor Pro Tem, C6.

C6, I just want to ask how many officers do we have allocated to housing? in this totality.

Good evening, Mr. Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, members of council. Uh, currently that's a joint task force between WPD and the Sheriff's office. There are 10 allocated positions. I believe as we sit today, right now, eight of the 10 of those are filled.

So the three that are in, that we're discussing in C6 are just what WHA pays for, but then we have an additional

So an additional seven total positions between WPD and the sheriff's office. Right. Okay. But how many just from us?

Five each. Okay. Yep. All right. Thank you. Yes, sir. Make a motion to approve.

A motion made by Mayor Pro Tem Spears, seconded by Councilmember Joyner. Any further discussion? All in favor of that motion, please indicate by saying aye.

Aye.

Any opposed? Item passes unanimously. Brings us to our next item of business, which is our public information. We have four speakers that have signed up to speak with us this evening. First speaker is Mr. John Hennett, who is a city resident. Talk to us about the proposed budget.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor, Mayor Pretem. I'm gonna make clear up front, I'm here in my personal business. I'm not here representing any organization. I wanna discuss the budget. I think we should delay this budget or phase in these increases. I think it's irresponsible to increase taxes as much as you're proposing. I'm a real estate appraiser, and since the reval in 2025, I've done 100 houses in New Hanover County, from the riverfront to the oceanfront, Pleasure Island to Castle Hay, north side, south side, east side. And the majority of folks have seen a property increase of 25%, but I've seen houses of 50% plus property tax increase. And I fear an increase this time will further damage the affordability crisis in our community. And I wanna make this personal because the people at home think you're in a bubble and it doesn't affect you. Mr. Joyner, you just became a homeowner, congratulations. The property taxes in your house went up 25%. The manager's house went up 28%. Ms. Santaguida, I can't see all the mayor's properties. He probably pays more taxes than everybody else in the building. Yours went up 28%. My house was built in 1941. I'm in a neighborhood that was established in 1930s through the 40s. Presently, we have one new home under construction because of a subdivision of an oversized lot. The last new home was built five years ago, and before that, it was 10 years ago before a house was built. I'm not in an area of growth. And everybody around me, my next door neighbor's been in her house for 60 years. She's on a fixed income. I'm not sure she's gonna get an $18 increase a month. My house, saw a 63% increase in my property taxes because of the county's budget and the reval year. A lot of people like to complain that the county cut their budget. They increased their budget $11 million because of the capital improvement plan. Yeah, we got a project grace, we got the second new library, we got two fire stations. Nobody's opposed to that. And nobody's opposed to a livable wage. But we need to phase this in over the next two or three years because we have priorities. Public safety, I think, is your main priority. In the 100 block of North Front Street, three people have been murdered in the last year. You're in a crisis situation. Your hair is on fire. You've got a public safety crisis and let's focus on that. I was here at the last meeting. I'd signed up to speak. I'm respectful of the fact that you only have 30 minutes and I appreciate the opportunity to come back tonight. But you had a gentleman speak about sanitation, public sanitation. I'm so grateful we have people that work for our city that are passionate about their job. So let's focus on clean and safe in this first year. In the second year we can look at other positions and that gives us time to explore what the previous speaker spoke about. The private sector at times can do jobs cheaper than we can as a government. You've used third party people to plant trees and water them along Burnt Mill Creek. What about using the private sector to compete for mowing that grass? What about the private sector competing for the opportunity to do janitorial services in this building? We've got to do something to reduce violence and protect downtown. Mr. Mayor, you and I have gone back a number of years. I developed a restaurant in downtown Wilmington and created a business. I worked for WDI as a CEO for six and a half years. professionally, personally, I've always advocated for downtown being a safe place that the headlines don't tell the story, but right now the headlines are telling the story. Last, I want to comment on this selective discrimination on parking fees for downtown Wilmington. I told this story to council 25 years ago. A family of four can come down to a Wilmington area beach town, spend the entire day on the beach, And the only money they spend in our economy is in that parking meter. They can go back home. They bought their gas in Raleigh. That same family of four comes to downtown Wilmington. They're going to get coffee. They're going to take a tour. They're going to buy a souvenir. They might go to the battleship and back. They might grab lunch and they'll go home and they will have contributed to our economy. And I know the vendor. I know the vendor very well. And they're probably in your ear saying we can't be too far lower than our beach communities, and it's a fallacy. We need to not discriminate our business owners. That's it. Thank you. Thank you, sir.

Next speaker is Joan Keston, who is a city resident speaking to us about the Cape Hill Memorial Bridge.

As I said, my name is Joan Keston. I'm a member of the Historic Preservation Commission, but I'm not representing them here today, nor here in my capacity as a commissioner. I'm concerned about the proposals on the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge replacement in general, and particularly for Historic Wilmington. There's a lot of details I don't want to get into, but I'd like to address the issue of who's financing and constructing these bridges, this bridge. We don't know much about the identity and the parties of interest. We've heard a name floating around, but as citizens and as taxpayers, we have the right to know, to have a report, analysis, and an audit of the parties that are transparent and complete, the parties who are involved in the financing and construction of this bridge. As citizens and taxpayers, we have a right to know that there's no conflict of interest between among the individuals in their official capacities who are deciding on the financing and construction of this bridge. Transparency in this matter is a critical issue on the public-private partnership, which is what is commonly referred to as P3. I have a few questions. I know that there's a process for all of this and it's very complicated. I'm not sure where we are all in this process, but there is one name that keeps popping up of some equity fund that might be financing this bridge. Has analysis or audit been done on this entity? And if so, where is it? Where's the public record of a report? If the analysis or audit has not been done, why has it not been done and when is it going to be done? If it hasn't been done, why is this project moving forward? I'm really confused about how this is being handled. And also, we don't hear much about people, the press or anybody talking about the views of this in defense of the public. so i guess what i'm asking for is some kind of resolution from city council to support and to work on behalf of the people of wilmington on all these issues which you know that the toll issue the the invasion of historic wilmington but also on the entity that is we're hearing voices about names about that we don't know anything about this this entity thank you thank you thank you

Next speaker is Jordan Pettit. Be talking about the budget support non-city resident.

Good evening, Mayor, Mayor Pro Temp, Council, city staff. Thank you for having us here tonight. So I just want to talk a little bit more about the budget and what it will do for the city employees. I talked a few weeks ago about the same thing, but I kind of failed to elaborate on quite a few things for the fire department and city employees, which I'll touch on city employees towards the end. But for firefighters, we work 29, 29, 12 hours a year. So if we break that down into eight hour shifts, we work 364 days a year. With that, because we're not making a livable wage, we still gotta find time for our families and a second job. So if we're working 364 eight hour shifts a year, it makes it very hard to have that second job to make ends meet and provide for our family. Tonight we can fix that with a livable wage. Secondly, if we're hurt on the job, we get workers comp. But if we're not getting a livable wage, being able to make ends meet, there goes our second job. We can't work our second job. Now we're behind on bills. We gotta figure out what we're gonna do to provide for our family. We can fix that tonight. Make it a little personal when we, everyone knows what kind of calls we run. We go to fires, EMS calls, motor vehicle accidents. Kinda make it a little bit more personal. The first time I ever held a baby, was on the fire department. First time we did that, we were doing CPR on an infant that weighed maybe nine pounds. That baby didn't make it that day. We go home and what do we do? We go to our second job. We don't get to actually process that or we don't have time to process that. We tell our family everything's good. We move on with it, we go the next day, run the calls, provide for the citizens of Wilmington. Today we can fix that. We can not have to work a second job. We can have that time to maybe go seek mental health, which is in the budget today. We can have that time to go home and relax with our family and the loved ones. We can fix that tonight. So what the taxpayers are gonna get out of this budget and actually in paying the firefighters, and city employees a living wage, we can cut back on the retention issues that we have. We can recruit good talent. So with that, an example is my dad passed away quite a few years ago. I listened to audio recording. It wasn't in Wilmington. It was back at home. It took over 10 minutes for the fire department to get there as my family was doing CPR. In Wilmington, we get a service where we're beyond seeing within a few minutes to give that individual a hopeful outcome. Sometimes it doesn't always work out in our favor, but we're there. If we don't have firefighters on rigs and we don't have people who are experienced, that's going to suffer. So with that, I'll touch on the city employees. I represent the fire department, so I can't really go too in depth on the rest of the city employees on what they do, but we cannot operate ourselves without the rest of the city. When our buildings break, when AC breaks in our firehouses, we can't fix that. We have to call the city and have buildings fix it. We don't take our trash out. So if we don't have trash come and pick up all of our stuff, it's just going to sit there. The roads, if the roads aren't taken care of properly, that's going to slow our response down. We won't be able to get to the emergency scene fast enough. So with that, a living wage will fix quite a bit of stuff, and everyone who gets it will support public safety in one way or the other. We need everyone in the city. So thank you for your time, and I appreciate it. Thank you.

Thank you, sir. Next speaker is Mr. Tom Harris. He's speaking to us about budget and direction of the city.

I want to make it clear, I am not opposed to a tax increase. As a matter of fact, I would support 17.5%, 20%, whatever, but I just want to see the money spent wisely and not unnecessarily. Careers The old analogy of a ladder. You start at the bottom, you work up. When I have stood here and spoken and said we need to reconsider all aspects of the living wage, what I'm referring to is the bottom rung, when people just start out in certain positions. I'm not talking about the fire department, I'm not talking about the police department, but I'm talking about the less skilled positions where people are willing to work for what you're paying now. They're willing to start for that with the aspiration they'll climb the ladder. In essence, what the living wage does is it puts an elevator in, removes a couple rungs, the bottom rungs aren't there anymore. I mean, people jump to, you know, a kid whose first job, mowing grass, costs in the city $60,000 a year. $45,000 the living wage, minimum wage, another $15,000 in benefits. That's more than we can pay. I had a conversation with the general manager of the TV station here in Wilmington talking about the living wage. He said, Tom, we can't even pay everybody that amount. So what I'm asking is that council rethink and leave the bottom rung there. There can be other rungs above it where people can work their way up fairly quickly. I spoke with Rebecca Badgett at the Institute of Government today. And I guess you guys already know this, but I was just trying to get a handle on what kind of decisions y'all have to make tonight that are gonna be fixed and concrete. She said there are only two things. What you set the compensation for of the council members, you can't change that. What you set the property tax rate at, the 17.23, whatever it is, you can't change that. But anything else can be changed, she said. So what I'm asking is that y'all hit the pause button on everything as far as the wages except what a study shows, you know, a quick city study in terms of the positions that are not hard to fill currently as far as attracting new applicants. Leave that starting wage where it is because you're not having trouble attracting applicants. But yeah, you've got other rungs about it where people can work their way up. Other thing that shouldn't be set in stone tonight is which police pursuit vehicle you choose. There's about a $10,000 difference. I called the Sheriff's Association because that's where the city buys their cars through. About a $10,000 difference between a Ford Explorer PPV, and a Tahoe four-wheel drive. The Ford Explorer is all-wheel drive. About a 7,500 difference between the Ford Explorer all-wheel drive and the Tahoe two-wheel drive. Multiply that times 50. That becomes real money, money that can help organizations, can help Frankie, can help Tom Dalton, can help the people, Katrina. I mean, we've been talking for years about really making a dent in the homeless situation, but we're not doing it. And that's really all I have, but please don't set things in concrete tonight that don't have to be. Use some discretion. It's not an all-or-nothing situation. You can be fair to everybody as far as employees, but leave that bottom rung. Thank you.

We have room for three more additional speakers. Our next speaker is LaTonya Johnson, who's a city resident, to talk to us about rezoning. LaTonya here.

Okay.

Anthony Abinette. Is Anthony here? He's speaking to us about tax increase.

Good evening. My name's Anthony Abinanti. I'm a seven-year resident living on the edge of downtown. Wilmington was one of three cities selected by NAPCA to engage in important quality of life program towards the downtown. Last Wednesday, a cohort of associations met to discuss moves to achieve positive results in the development program. What was missing in this meeting were the previously committed city participants deputy city manager, police chief, fire chief, and the police patrol responsible for the downtown operations. Their attendance was canceled at the last minute by what we understand to be a directive to the city manager. Now as I understand it, we elect you, hire you, to manage our home. You're in turn higher subsequent levels to do the day to day obligations. If a high-level program as NAPCA is investing to have any value, the caretakers of the city must have involvement. Why should a city manager disavow contact with the residents to learn what the residents and stakeholders feel are important issues? Did our recent murders, violence, and the rising fear of community members to go downtown not resonate? Why are you asking for an increase in dollars for future funds when you can't devote the funds you have to already managing circumstances happening today? We've elected you to manage the day-to-day in this city that we've chosen. If the people you hired are not doing their jobs, fire them, repurpose their pay. Being a visionary is great, but being a steward is what you were hired for. When residents speak, the city must listen, especially when the suggestions come from stakeholders who have financial investments and are willing to commit more in terms of quality life solutions for our city. If these members of our society can take the time to improve Wilmington, the people we hire need to also be available. So don't ask for more money for future ideas when you're not addressing the problems of the present. Do the job you were asked for before you promise a future. By today's standards, you wouldn't be able to accomplish it anyhow. We love what we saw in this city. That's why we came here. We didn't want to be Charlotte. We didn't want to be Raleigh. We want to be Wilmington. Your version of the future has no right to change what we want,

unless we agree.

Thanks.

And the last speaker is Mr. Mark Olasky. Sorry if I got your name wrong. Yes, sir. You can talk to us about the budget. Thank you, sir.

All right. Thank you. I'd like to voice my support of the 27 budget. Two points I feel could be improved. I fall short on encouraging city employees to reside within city limits. This should be improved by incentivizing city residency. The living wage is a good start, but it's only a start. My background is in local government. I spent a career in that. And that's the starting point. You want stakeholders. You want employees that live within your city. I know you want to pay as little as you can for every position you fill, but you don't have stakeholders. You guys are stakeholders. Your employees, our employees should be stakeholders. So that's one point I think it should be improved. Number two, using city fund is a gamble. Wilmington Police Department says they need vehicles. They should pick the vehicle they need. That's their job. They know what they need to do their job. They protect the city and its residents, so we should fund that from the budget. We shouldn't be using the emergency fund for that. Residents choose Wilmington for a reason, city services and location. This is something that surrounding counties and towns that are all around us, they can't do it. They can't come close to what the city here provides. That's why it's a hub for everything. As a taxpayer, I want the city staff with the most qualified, best equipped employees with fair compensation. The living wage does that. Nobody likes more taxes. We're already taxed multiple times on each dollar we earn. But when taxes are paid to local government, residents receive the best return on their investment for our community. This will allow the city to continue providing a vibrant, active, and safe community for everyone. Thank you.

Thank you, sir. That concludes our public information segment. Our next item of business is our public hearings. Item PH1 is the ordinance adopting the Greater Downtown Plan as an amendment to the Create Wilmington Comprehensive Plan. This time I'd like to recognize our city manager, Ms. Hawk.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, members of council. This item will be presented by Linda Painter, our director of planning and development.

Good evening, Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem and members of council. I am very excited to be here this evening because this is the culmination of over two years of community efforts to plan for our greater downtown. Tonight we're going to talk about the adoption process, but we're also going to talk about how we got here. This is the final step in adopting this plan, hopefully this evening, but we started this back in 2023. And what you see on your screen right now are the steps that we've taken in the last several months, including sharing a public draft and receiving input. making adjustments based on that input. And with each step you see on your screen, staff has continued to make adjustments to make sure that the feedback we received from the implementation committee, from the steering committee and from the planning commission hearing have been addressed in the draft or in the final plan that you'll have before you this evening. So what is the greater downtown plan? This is a special area plan that is intended to replace three previous small area plans that were adopted by the council for the north side, the south side and the downtown and north waterfront areas. It sets a vision goals and recommendations for how the neighborhoods within our 1945 city limits can grow into the future and can address the challenges that they see today. As we look at the Greater Downtown area, a few things become evident. While Greater Downtown enjoys a very strong economy, it is home to 17% of all jobs in the city, it also has its challenges, primarily around affordability and access to everyday services such as childcare, pharmacies, and grocery stores. On your screen, you'll see that rent increased over the 10-year period between 2013 and 2033, or 2023 rather, by 44%. During that same timeframe, home values also increased. Some nearly doubled, going from under $150,000 to almost $300,000. And in some parts of the north side, home values have skyrocketed nearly 190% over that time period. The increasing housing costs have placed pressure on our longtime residents as many do not have the same financial means as residents who are moving in from higher cost cities. And the impact of that is seen in how the demographics of the downtown has changed. While the population did not grow tremendously between 2013 and 2023, the people who are living here did. As I mentioned, we kicked this process off in the fall of 2023 by asking the community what they loved about Greater Downtown and what needed love. We used those answers to inform not only the scope of the project, but how we engaged them in the first step. We then moved in towards to doing existing conditions analysis and asking the community to dream big. What's the best vision you have for your neighborhood and for Greater Downtown? Following that, we created a roadmap. We identified strategies and actions and continued to go back to the community to get their input and understand if we were hearing them correctly. And that brings us to tonight where we're asking you to approve and then enact this plan. So I wanna start off by talking about our engagement process by thanking the community, because we would not be here without them. They have showed up, they have shared their dreams, they have shared their challenges, their concerns over the last two years. They have been open and honest with us, they have been forthright, and they have always let us know where they stand and what they feel. This plan is the community's plan. Every strategy, every action, is from them, we have simply helped put it into words. In going to the community over the last two years, we approached the engagement of the community with one goal in mind, to make sure that we heard from as many voices as possible and to make sure that those voices reflected the community's diversity. To accomplish that, we undertook a number of options for participation. We offered online surveys, we did focus groups, and we popped up at existing community events throughout the downtown to meet people where they were. In cases where we found that our participation was not reflective of the community itself, for example, in our online survey responses, we used our in-person engagement to balance that out and specifically worked with the steering committee and with other organizations to identify events, or in some cases, create events where staff could go to talk to those people that were not participating in the online surveys. And with that, let's talk about what we heard. In phase one, folks told us what they wanted their Greater Downtown to be, and you'll see the results of that on the screen, with the top priority being a safe and pleasant place for walking and biking. I'm happy to say this is consistent with what we heard in 2013 through 2016 when the city was doing the comprehensive plan. The residents of Greater Downtown share that same value with the remainder of the community. These priorities that they identified helped lead us to the four themes that guide this plan today. The first one is local character, protecting what makes Wilmington, Wilmington. The second one is economy. How do we boost our economic opportunity and strengthen our overall ecosystem? Not just in terms of jobs and workforce, but also in terms of affordability and housing. The third theme is small business, and that relates back to the statement that where people want us to be authentic and truly local and uniquely Wilmington. And they want us to support our local entrepreneurs and our local small businesses and help them thrive. And last but not least, making it easier and safer and more pleasant to get around, particularly for those who don't have vehicles or choose not to drive. In phase two, we went back to the community. Now that we had our four themes, we identified several strategies and we brought that back to the community, again, through online engagement as well as through in-person activities. The community had two questions. We had two questions for the community. Did we get it right? And what's most important? What you see on the screen are the top strategies that were identified during this phase of the process. For local character, it was about creating more green spaces and planting more trees. For economy, 54% of the respondents told us that improving access to high quality affordable housing was their number one priority. For small business, they focused on improving the physical environment for our retail districts. And for mobility, it was making it easier to park once and explore and to get around greater downtown. In phase three, we brought the community the draft plan, and we understand that reading 200 pages is a lot to ask of someone, so we broke it down into bite-sized chunks, and we asked the community to give us their priorities and let us know, again, did we get it right, and where should we be starting? The graphic you see on the right side of your screen lets you know the overall community sentiment in terms of the strategies for each theme. One thing I will note under economy, you'll see that there is a little bit of a lower satisfaction level with those strategies. One of the things we noticed in digging deeper into that was that there were a lot of concerns about the unhoused population. And so helping people understand that there's a separate unhoused strategy, that we're not ignoring it in the Greater Downtown Plan, but that is a citywide issue, not something that is focused purely on these neighborhoods, was something we realized we needed to do better and address in the plan. At the end, we came up with the following vision. Greater downtown Wilmington honors its rich history while moving forward towards a more sustainable future. It's a welcoming and affordable place to live, full of local character and culture, with growing opportunities for work and business, all within a walkable and charming urban setting. And I would be remiss not to mention the fifth theme of the plan that came out through our multiple conversations with the community, where they asked us what we were doing to make sure that Wilmington was resilient to the challenges it may face in the future, particularly those brought on by climate change and sea level rise. Rather than making this a standalone theme and strategies, resilience is woven in throughout the document. We include specific references in each theme with specific strategies and actions highlighted as to how they will help us increase our overall resilience. Our first theme, local character, we have the following three strategies. Make public spaces safe, welcoming, and enjoyable. Protect established neighborhoods and ensure new development fits in with the area's historic look and feel. And create more green spaces and plant more trees. The actions under these strategies can be seen, some of them can be seen in the illustration. This is what it looks like on the ground if we were to actually succeed in the mission we have identified. When we improve streets and parks to make them more welcoming, Some of that can be adding green spaces, reactivating vacant lots, planting the right trees in the right spaces, looking towards a parks conservancy for programming, and focusing on how we can make things safer, more welcoming, and a pleasant place to be. One of the things I do want to note is that in local character as I mentioned with each iteration of this plan over the last several months we have made adjustments and in local character during the Planning Commission public hearing for the second strategy that focuses on Protecting established neighborhoods and ensuring new development fits in with the area's historic look and feel. We received feedback during the public hearing regarding the central business district and that was lumped in with neighborhoods. And it really should be separate and distinguished from the remainder of neighborhoods in the greater downtown because it is an economic engine. So we have added narrative that is identified in the case summary for you tonight to address those concerns that were raised. For economy, our three strategies are to improve access to affordable high quality housing, encourage neighborhoods where everyone can meet their everyday needs, and use public land to support community goals. The community priorities are shown on the screen to the left. These are the top actions for each strategy that the community identified in phase three. And again, the illustration shows what this might mean on the ground. As we look at affordable housing, which was one of the highest priorities for the community, there are a variety of ways that we can address that. One of the items is helping people access our existing housing programs. Sometimes it's just a matter that they don't know what exists today to assist. It's also about encouraging affordable housing in areas near services and opportunities. So people who need that housing, who don't own a vehicle, have the opportunity to get to the services and jobs that they need from their homes without a car. Mixed use infill tackles the same concept. Two things I want to highlight in terms of the economy is one of the things we did note was that sometimes you need to show a little imagination to really spur the vision for the community. And so we have five focus areas where we show what might be possible. The one on your screen focuses on the Northern Riverfront and Brooklyn Arts District and identifies what it might look like if we were to fill in all of those vacant spaces with buildings to create a vibrant place. We also have additional focus areas for the Delgado neighborhood, for Greenfield Lake, or for Greenfield Street, and I'm sorry, South Fifth Avenue, for the Medical District Gateway, and last but not least, for the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, which you heard about earlier this evening. The Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, the reality is we can't do detailed planning until we know what that bridge is going to look like and where it's going to land. What we can do is advocate for what is important to the community. What you'll see on your screen are the four points that we believe are important as this project moves forward. One, that any design consider characteristics that would allow the bridge to retain its landings at the intersections with South Third Street instead of shifting to Fifth Avenue as one of the options proposes. Two, that we avoid destruction of historic homes and blocks to the maximum extent possible. Three, that we incorporate aesthetic considerations to maintain the bridge's status as an icon for both Wilmington and the region. And lastly, that we make sure that the new bridge includes walking, biking, and safe connections that allow people to connect to the Battleship North Carolina and Runswick County. For small business, our three strategies are make business districts more attractive and welcoming, support existing businesses and attract new ones, and make local rules and processes more business friendly. The top priorities for the communities for small business were to expand grant programs for storefront signage and art projects, to attract and keep businesses that offer a range of goods and services, and to simplify the overall process for registering and opening a business. In the illustration, you see what that may mean. If we were to improve facades downtown, we start to improve the retail districts, which was one of the ideas that was a high priority for the community. We start to create more welcoming streetscapes. And we support our local business districts in the efforts they have to activate spaces. For mobility, our three strategies are to make streets safe and accessible for everyone, to build a connected trail network for walking and biking across greater downtown, and to make it easier to get around greater downtown without a car. The priorities established by the community for mobility include constructing the sidewalk and crossing projects that were identified in the 2023 Walk Wilmington plan. designing and building the downtown trail, and upgrading streets for safer walking and biking. The streetscape that you'll see on your screen in the illustration shows some of the ways in which we can do that. We can improve safety by installing curb extensions that calm traffic and shorten the distance that a pedestrian needs to cross the street. We can make our bus stops safer and more comfortable that encourage people to use public transit as a choice and also provide a safe space and safe respite for those who have no option but to use our public transit system. Making it easier for people to park once and explore, again, one of the highest priorities the community identified. And with that, our last chapter is on implementation. While this is the last step in the adoption process, this is actually our starting line. This is not a plan that is intended to sit on the shelf. This is something that we need to move forward and implement. The community has spent two years telling us what they want us to do. They have been with us every step of the way, and we owe it to them to start moving this forward. So what you'll see in this chapter is a game plan for completing those actions. It gives rough timelines in terms of is it a zero to two year project, is it a three to five year project, or is it five to 10 years for us to really achieve that. we identify relative cost estimates again to give the community an idea of is this a cheap and easy project that we can do or is this something that is going to take a large capital investment or operating investment from the city we also identify potential partners because this is not a plan that the city can implement or do on its own we can only do this in cooperation and in partnership with with our with other agencies as well as the community as a whole Some of the game-changing actions that we have identified to move forward, including guiding bigger and taller development to the northern riverfront so that we can increase our density, while at the same time protecting the charm and the scaling character of the greater downtown. making it easier for everyone to find and afford fresh and healthy food. And while that addresses potentially a grocery store, there are also other strategies that we can deploy to help address our food security issues, such as increasing community gardens and working on healthy food in corner stores. attracting businesses that offer a wide range of good services, dining and entertainment. This again is focused on meeting those everyday needs for people in our neighborhoods so that they have the ability to get to a pharmacy, to have childcare in a place that's convenient for them and that they are not driving long distances to access. And last but not least, in September of 2025, the Council identified a vision of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2036. This plan reiterates that goal and identifies achieving Vision Zero by working to eliminate pedestrian fatalities and serious injuries as one of its major initiatives. So what's next? If the council approves this plan tonight, our first order of business is to celebrate with the community. They've put a lot of effort into this over the last few years, and we wanna let them know, thank them for that work, but also let them know how we're gonna move forward. In terms of projects in the pipeline, one of the first major initiatives coming out of this plan will be a district master plan for the Northern Riverfront District, as well as the city's properties at 305 Chestnut. And last but not least, tracking and reporting. The plan identifies ways in which we can get started for each action as well as what measures of success might look like if we were to actually achieve our goals. We'll be building a tracking and reporting system so that we can let both you and the community know how we are doing in achieving the overall goals and vision of the plan. And with that, I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.

Are there any questions, staff? Any comments? Okay, Mr. Joyner.

Thank you. I just want to, number one, highlight the level of participation that you had in this. I think that map was really illustrative of all the places and all the community events. And I think we said 6,300 total participants? Yes. I really want to thank you and thank staff for that effort to make sure that this was community driven. The specific question that I have is related to master planning for city-owned properties within the districts that were highlighted. And I'd like to know as specific of a timetable as we have right now, please.

So our plan is actually to release requests for qualifications hopefully this week. We've been finalizing the scope. We have three requests for qualifications that will be going out. One to deal with market feasibility and economic analysis, one for urban design, and one for placemaking and public realm.

Okay. So, so we anticipate those will be public, those will be live by close of business Friday.

That's, that is our goal.

That's the goal. I'd really like us to make sure that we're paying close attention and working towards that goal. And I appreciate the efforts that has gone in so far. Once that is out, how long do people have to respond to those RFQs? Three weeks. Thank you very much.

That's Member Santaguido.

Thank you. Linda, thanks for this presentation and all the work you and your team and the community has put into this. This is really incredible. I have a question about the way that we're going to be transparent about the progress that we're making on the plan. Is the idea that you'll implement a dashboard similar to what we've talked about in other places? Like the capital improvement project dashboard, just shout out to that. Super like it a lot. I spend a lot of time looking at it. Can we have something like that for the downtown plan? to be transparent?

That's our ultimate goal. One of the other ways that we're planning on being transparent about the progress we're making is we will be implementing a new community engagement platform. So one of the things we want to do is to actually upload this plan that shows all of the community input that went into it, but then we can tie initiatives and projects to it as we move forward so that people can understand that when we work on the master planning district for city-owned properties, that's specifically coming out of actions recommended in this plan. If we do curb extensions, that is going to be tied back to this plan and it can also be tied into the Vision Zero. So starting to help people make those connections that as we do these plans, everything they're telling us is then resulting in concrete action on the ground.

And is that platform going to allow the public to continue to provide feedback and input as we go? Yes. Okay.

Thanks. Council Member Long.

I also want to give a shout out to staff for the community engagement efforts. This is the community engagement report. It's double sided. And as I was looking through it and learning from it, I decided this is the community engagement report by which all other community engagement reports will be measured for the rest of my career. So it really is important. All of our residents want to be heard and deserve to be heard. And so I appreciate the links to which you went through, not just to get people together or invite them, but to go where they're already meeting. And that made a big difference. I also wanted to mention a question, whatever. when we talk about, I was surprised, one thing that really surprised me was the population growth or lack thereof. 500 people in 10 years? That is what the data tells us. And I do not think there, I think there's a cause and effect on the housing affordability going up. The cost of rentals, I think it was up 44% over that same time. There's a cause and effect there. It's economics 101 with the supply and demand. So I appreciate that that was a huge part of the plan, too, and especially calling out some of the density we could get on this side of town. I was trying to find a way to phrase that as a question, but that's just my comment, so thank you.

Council Member Quintana.

Hi Linda, thank you so much for your presentation. My question to you is, and or anyone else who can answer the question, how much of the downtown plan is in our current budget, the proposed budget?

So I don't think I can give you specific numbers or details. What I can say is that a lot of the actions that the city undertakes under its current operations are things that will help to implement the plan. Every time we do tree planting projects, every time we install a crosswalk, every time we restripe and do stop signs in the greater downtown, that's all contributing towards this. So those in terms of... In terms of the daily operating budgets, I can't give you that percentage, but I can tell you it is woven into how each department operates.

When's the first project? When is the first project, the downtown plan? When will it begin?

So the first major initiative will be, as I mentioned earlier, will be going out for requests for qualifications. So that'll be starting in FY27. Okay, thank you.

Mayor Pro Tem Spears. It's been a great presentation. You mentioned several things. You mentioned the food deserts, the two, one on the north side and one on the south side. You also mentioned the affordability of housing, and then you mentioned the makeup of communities. What's the reality of the north side getting a grocery store?

I think that is something that we are gonna continue to work on as we look at the plan for city properties. One of the community's goals was to see how can we use city-owned property to help achieve community goals. And so there are a variety of ways to do that. It can be housing, it can be looking at is there something we can do from a food standpoint? as well as looking at, quite frankly, sales. So sometimes selling property and the revenue that comes in that can support different initiatives. So I can tell you it's something staff is actively working on, but I cannot tell you right now where, when, how. But getting a grocery store and improving food access is a priority.

That's good to hear. Also, you mentioned other innovative ways of conquering food deserts and that's partnerships with corner stores and community gardens and things of that nature. I hear you. In a perfect world, yes, but in reality, we can't force partnerships with entrepreneurs or owners of establishments. I hear you, but we need the reality of how things work. I often lost points when I was writing my papers in grad school when I didn't talk from that perspective, but it is a reality that, you know, when we talk in these positions, we talk from a perfect world scenario, but that's just not where we are. So, um, there are people who are accounting on us to deliver a grocery store and to, to help conquer these food deserts. So, um, I'm looking forward to what we do as an organization to, to do that.

Thank you. Anybody else? Thank you, Linda. Good presentation. At this time, I'm going to open up the public hearing and ask if anyone in the public wishes to speak on the Greater Wilmington Plan. Each person will be allotted three minutes, except 30. Go ahead, sir.

Mayor Sifo, Mayor Pro Tem Spears, always good to see you.

You shaved your mustache.

I did, incognito tonight. Anyhow, I represent 110 owners up the hill, North 4th Street, the owners across the street and the neighborhoods across North 4th Street. And I just want to emphasize, we have some of the highest property value per square foot of land space, per square foot of land space in the city. And we've been successful since about 2006. And all we need to keep on being successful is some type of parking plan to protect those neighborhoods. Because the residential markets itself, it's a nice place to live. We don't have the encumbrances of downtown, and we meet the downtown density that you're looking for. I think it's 13 per acre, 14 per acre, or something like that. because we have the small lot sizes and the condominiums that are three or four stories high. So I just want to remind you all of that. Thank you very much.

Thank you, sir. Anybody else?

Mr. Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem and members of City Council, good evening. My name is Jan Brewington and I'm the president of Historic Wilmington Foundation. The foundation has been the leading advocate for our region's historic assets for 60 years. We thank the city staff and the plans steering committee and community partners and everyone who helped develop this thoughtful and detailed plan. The foundation is gratified by the plan's recognition that city residents and leadership greatly value Wilmington's vibrant, beautiful historic districts, neighborhoods, and architecture. We agree wholeheartedly with the plan's statement that Wilmington's remarkable historic assets give our city its unique character. charm, and sense of place, and that future development must preserve, honor, and be consistent with this rich historical heritage. And it is not just about beauty, history, and culture. These historic assets are also important to Wilmington's economy. They enrich the lives of local residents as well as attracting visitors, film, new businesses, and new residents. They create jobs and they contribute greatly to the tax base. We support the plan's stated recommendation that the city support residents' efforts to own and maintain historic homes. For instance, through grants and tax incentives. And we trust that the city will maintain design standards that preserve historic integrity. We also mostly but not completely agree with the plan's statement regarding the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge replacement. We would have preferred stronger statement in support of a movable span bridge that connects to South 3rd, maintains existing traffic patterns, and avoids damage to historic districts, homes, churches, schools, and businesses. But we also recognize there's nothing in the plan that is inconsistent with these goals. In short, we are pleased that the plan strongly supports historic preservation and we support the adoption of the plan. Thank you.

Thank you. Next.

Good evening, Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem and members of Council. I'm Natalie English, Wilmington resident and President and CEO of the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce. I also, like everyone else, want to commend the staff for the work that they did. Getting 6300 Wilmingtonians to engage on a topic is is a great uh accomplishment and they were very responsive when when groups wanted them to come in both Ms. Painter and Mr. Henley and so we appreciate that. We're excited about the the path that this plan can set out for how we continue to take care of our greater downtown area and want to especially thank the staff for I was the person that expressed concerns about the central business district and making sure that it remains a central business district so that we can continue to attract jobs that can employ people because employment and affordability have to go hand in hand. So shout out to the staff for that hearing us and that. And so thank you so much.

Thank you, ma'am. Next.

Community Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, Council Members, I'm Dennis McGarry. I live here on South 3rd Street. I'm currently on the Board of Residents of Old Wilmington, and I participated in the steering committee for the Greater Downtown Plan. There are so many aspects of the plan that we at Rowe encourage the city to adopt as it builds on Wilmington's rich historical assets and enhances the quality of life for the residents as the city evolves for new growth. The plan's comments about the replacement of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge are a good example of evolving for our growth while retaining our city's beauty and cultural assets. We will need a bigger bridge at some point, but this change cannot come at the expense of reduced traffic flow downtown, impacts to historic properties, slowing evacuation routes, and increased noise pollution from trucks climbing and descending a steeper grade than the current bridge. We encourage adding to its position on the bridge replacement that the new bridge must fit within the existing footprint and that it maintains bridge entry and exit at Third Street, not South Fifth Street. The new bridge must be able to support our projected needs without sacrificing the quality of life for the residents. Thank you for your time.

Thank you, sir.

Mr. Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, members of council, John Hennick, city resident. One of the most successful plans the city of Wilmington has ever done was a Vision 2020 plan. And what made that so successful was that it had an implementation committee, which consisted of one to two members of council, members of city staff, but also the private sector, business owners and other residents and other interested parties who were a part of the implementation of the plan. I think that's gonna be really important. I think it's also important that we need to look at this data that we're analyzing because, Retail follows rooftops. Grocery stores would already be here. When they built the Harris Teeter in Leland, they analyzed the Vic cards in Wilmington by zip code. Leland was already a $15 million store for Harris Teeter. So we need to get with the private sector, these grocery stores, and analyze where their customers live to show the demand. If we only added 500 people in a decade, you got a couple more decades before you get a grocery store. So unless it can be heavily subsidized by taxpayers, so maybe we need to reanalyze the data. But I think the most important aspect of this plan is a successful public private sector implementation committee. Thank you.

Thank you. Anybody else? I agree with that. Anybody else?

Okay.

Madam Clerk, have you received any additional comments?

No, sir, I have not.

Okay, very good. Are there any further questions from council? Yes, Ms. Andrews?

I just wanted to say not only thank you to staff, but also thank you to all of the people who served on the committee for the Greater Downtown Plan. And I don't want you to think you've been released from your duties. I would like to thank you for what you've done working on this plan and also ask you to consider joining one of our other committees because we're always looking for volunteers, so thank you.

Thank you. I will now close the public hearing and ask for the wishes of council. We see we have a motion to approve by Councilmember Joyner, second by Councilmember Lau. Any further discussion? All in favor of that motion, please indicate by saying aye.

Aye.

Aye. Any opposed? Item passes unanimously on first reading. Is there a motion to waive second reading? Motion made by Councilmember Santaguida, second by Councilmember Clinton Quintana. Any further discussion? All in favor for that motion, please indicate by saying aye.

Aye.

Any opposed? Aye. And passes unanimously on first as well as second reading. We've got a plan. Thank you. Next item of business is item PH 2, which is an ordinance amending the land development code chapter 18 related to various administrative provisions, floodplain requirements and dimensional requirements. At this time I'd like to recognize our city manager, Ms. Halk. Ms. Halk.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor, Mayor Proton, members of council. One point before I turn it back over to Ms. Painter, there is a substitute agenda item that has been passed out. The only difference is there was a typo in the title in reference to the code number. So this has just corrected that number. That's the only change before you, but just want to get that into the record.

Okay.

All right.

Good evening, Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, members of Council. The application before you is staff initiated, proposed amendments to the Land Development Code as part of our commitment to regularly maintain the code that you adopted and that went into effect in December of 2021. The Planning Commission, we held a work session with the Planning Commission in April to discuss proposed amendments, a public hearing in May, and we're here before you this evening for a public hearing and for your consideration. The proposed amendments fall into a few different categories. The first one is administrative provisions. The first amendment that we are recommending is eliminating the waiting period for reapplications if a zoning map amendment petition has been denied. Currently, the code states that if it is denied, no resubmission of a petition for the same request may be filed within six months of the denial. The reason we're recommending removal of this is because state statute has been amended to basically say that we cannot have waiting periods. So we are bringing this to be consistent with statutory requirements. The second amendment that we are proposing really deals with bringing some of our application requirements to be consistent with where we are currently operating. For our historic preservation applications, we require a map showing the subject property and adjacent lots. The reality is that in 2026, we have a great geographic information system and we can find your property and what the adjacent lots are without asking an applicant to give us that. The second one is we require a list of adjacent property owners and stamped addressed envelopes. This is something that we changed a few years ago and you did update the fee schedule where we now charge applicants a fee per each mailed notice. Instead of having them give us the address stamped envelopes, we simply do this, we do that for them for a charge. We're also recommending removing that same language from another section that deals with zoning map amendments to be consistent. In terms of dimensional requirements, we have two amendments we are proposing. The first one is really just to correct inadvertent oversight. If you look at the red box on the table, it identifies the minimum lot area for townhouses for each unit. and you'll see that there is nothing in the cell for the R7 district. However, if you look at the other districts for R3 and R5, you'll notice the lot area is the same as a triplex or quadruplex because frankly, depending on how you design it, you may be designing your triplex or quadruplex in a townhouse style but in keeping it on one lot versus multiple. This is really just to correct that oversight and add that 3,500 square feet in for the R7 district. The next dimensional change is a proposal to add elevator and mechanical rooms to height adjustments and exceptions. So the list that you see on your screen are building elements that are exempt from the height requirements. And it was brought to our attention that when you start getting into buildings with elevator service, you often have elevators and potentially mechanical equipment rooms on rooftops that should be exempt from this as well. So we are proposing that addition. For floodplain management, two amendments were called to our attention by the staff that have been helping us out on an interim basis in doing floodplain permit reviews. And so what we're proposing is basically moving existing standards to be consistent with what the state model regulations require, as well as what New Hanover County requires. The first one deals with how we apply flood hazard requirements in those conditions if a building or structure is located partially within a special flood hazard area and partially outside, or if it is actually in multiple flood hazard areas. So the standard that tells us how to handle those and what standards may apply is currently listed under a section that only applies to single dwelling residential districts. That really needs to apply to all properties, not just single dwelling districts. So we are moving that again to be consistent with the model regulations. The second standard deals with swimming pools and spas. Currently, we are applying our standards for swimming pools and spas to all special flood hazard areas, whereas in both the model regulations and New Hanover County, they are only applied to coastal high hazard areas, VE zones and coastal A zones. So we are proposing to again shift those requirements into that section so they only apply in those high hazard areas. The other change that we are doing is to update the language to conform to the model regulations. The state did just release a new version of floodplain regulations and we noticed that there was a slight change that deals with flotation calculations. And we had also used a little bit of different wording. So we are proposing to just simply mirror the language from the model regulations as part of this move. I will note, we do have a new floodplain manager who's gonna be starting with us at the end of the month. So he will be going through the entire set of model regulations and we'll be coming back to you with a package of other amendments if we need them to make sure that we are consistent. One thing to note when it comes to floodplain is that while we can be more restrictive than what the state requires, we cannot be less restrictive. So we wanna make sure that our ordinances are in line with what the state is requiring. And last but not least, we have typographical errors, and I'm sure we will continue to find these, but we have been advised that they do need to be part of an ordinance to correct. So we cannot simply, we can't correct them without your approval.

You don't use AI, huh?

So we are simply suggesting that we remove the extra N from N in paragraph E and add D, so it's Kolduzak, not Kolezak.

Linda, can we go back real quick to the issue in the floodplain or the high-hazard areas in respect to swimming pools? You know, along the coast here, we have a lot of expensive homes, especially along the intercoastal waterway, Bradley Creek, all these creeks. And it's my understanding that you can put a swimming pool within that hazard area. What is the restriction on that, or what is the concern that we might have?

So you can have you can have swimming pools, but they have there's a certain I will say anchoring that has to be done. Excuse me. Anchoring to make sure to make sure that, you know, if you have a pool and you're putting it in this high hazard area, it is not going to come loose, float away, basically become a hazard to another property or individuals.

Even with the pool being full with water, with the amount of weight that it's carrying, it has to have some sort of an attachment. Would that be tied in with the building inspections or with the New Hanover County Inspections Department?

So this is something that there are several requirements, and this is where I'm going to regret not asking one of our floodplain folks to come this evening.

And the only reason I'm asking is because we had this happen several years ago, and I think it was Bradley Point at the time. There was a person back there with a pretty significant pool. We had an issue about how it was connected, and State got involved. And I just want to make certain that whatever we're doing here, It simplifies the process, but also it's very clear to whoever's putting in the pool with the homeowner as to what it is, because they are going to put pools back there.

I would say it simplifies the process in that we are now only applying those standards to the high hazard areas, where under the current code we are applying them to all of the special flood hazard areas. This is a much higher standard for pools and spas. In terms of your question, Mayor, one of the changes that was made in the model floodplain regulations was to identify how flotation calculations need to be done. And that basically, do you assume it's empty? Do you assume it's full when you're determining how do I need to anchor this? What do I need to do? So there are a few different ways you can meet the standards. One, I believe, is a certification. But they're very specific. And so that way, we're addressing it in the areas where we need to, as opposed to all of our special flood hazard areas.

And on the special flood hazard areas, we're still two foot above whatever the flood elevation is. We are not changing the freeboard requirements. We're staying the freeboard requirements.

The freeboard requirements are staying the same.

OK. Very good. And the latest floodplain maps came out when?

2018 for mapping.

So they, they haven't, they're not due to be updated anytime soon?

Um, they may be. I, I'd have to check on the timing of when they're due to be updated. Uh, but 2018 are the most recent maps that we have. Okay.

Very good. Okay.

Council Member Joyner.

Can we go back to the elevator piece? Yep. I just want to make sure I understand procedurally where would this be first identified in some sort of public-facing document or application? So somebody is gonna engage in a building, they're gonna go right up to the height requirement, but then they are gonna have an elevator mechanical room on the roof, I presume. When is that first gonna be flagged in a way that somebody is following the project?

I would presume if we're getting elevations as part of the technical review committee process, it's something we'd be looking at there.

Okay, thank you.

So going back to David's question, I know that in some of these buildings where the contractor may want to put the utilities or the heat and air conditioning units on the top, but it goes over the 35 foot or whatever the elevation is. Are we giving any kind of credence to that from an aesthetic point of view where you end up with a better looking maybe structure if you can do it that way, as opposed to maybe putting it on the ground where you're having a smaller footprint that we're working around trying to reduce the amount of impervious surface coverage?

I think this is opening the door for some flexibility that didn't previously exist and adding it to those list of things that if you are on a rooftop, you can do that will be exempt from the height requirements. Because if you think about our height requirements, it's really trying to address the overall mass of the building. And when you look at the appurtenances that we're listing here, such as antennas, chimneys, smokestacks, it's not the entire structure of the building that we're talking about. They're typically smaller structures that are located on the rooftop. So I think by providing that flexibility, they may now have that ability to say, now I don't need to locate it on the ground. I can do this because I now have that additional flexibility and height.

Okay, very good, thank you. Council Member Andrews?

Yeah, I was just noticing that the very next item is parapet walls. I mean, is that something, when you're talking about aesthetics, is that something that you might require or that might?

I think it would depend on the design standards. And I'm looking at Mr. Chambers, who deals with this a little bit more than I do. Certain of our districts have different design standards that may apply. I don't know if we have anything on visibility of rooftop appurtenances. Central Business District only.

Has it. Okay.

Anybody else? Okay. Thank you. Thank you. I'm going to open up the public hearing and ask if anybody in the public wishes to speak on item PH2. Madam Clerk, have you received any additional comments?

No, sir, I have not.

Okay.

Any further comments from this council?

Okay. I'm going to close the public hearing and ask for the wishes of the council. I see that we have a motion to approve by Councilmember Andrews, seconded by Councilmember Santaguida. Any further discussion? All in favor? Excuse me. I'll step back for a second. I'm sorry, Councilmember Andrews, I think you have to read a consistent statement for the record. I'm sorry.

I move to approve the amendments to the land development code and find it to be consistent with the relevant policies in the comprehensive plan based on the application materials and the information provided at the public hearing and in the staff report and to find approval of the request is reasonable and in the public interest for the following reasons. The proposed changes will correct issues uncovered during implementation of the land development code.

Okay. With that, All in favor of that motion, please indicate by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed? The item passes unanimously. Is there a motion to waive second reading? Motion made by Councilmember Lyle, second by Councilmember Andrews. Any further discussion? All in favor of that motion, please indicate by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed? The item passes unanimously. on second reading. That brings us to our next item of business, which is our ordinances and resolutions. This is, I want to announce that these ordinances are being heard on a second reading. So item 01A is the ordinance making appropriations of the general fund grant projects, financial plans, enterprise funds, debit service fund, special tax district, and convention center for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026. Item 01B is an ordinance making appropriations of the capital projects funds for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026. And item 01C is the ordinance amending various chapters of the city of Wilmington fee schedule for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026. I am going to recognize our city manager at this time. That's all.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor, Mayor, members of Council. We have, of course, had a lot of conversations around the budget and at Council's last meeting, the vote was to include a proposed tax increase of 4.9 cents per $100 evaluation. That is the information that is in front of you tonight. We have not received any additional questions or requests for information from Council. to provide to you tonight. So at this point, I will turn it back over to you all to determine how you'd like to move forward this evening.

Okay, what are the wishes of council in respect to the item 01A? Council Member Andrews, I'm gonna recognize you.

I just wanted to thank the city manager and the staff and my colleagues on council for the many hours that have gone into developing this budget. We've spent months, I think six months, reviewing priorities and evaluating needs and making difficult decisions. And I support many of the investments contained in this budget, especially the living wage for our employees. My vote tonight is not a reflection of the hard work that's gone into it, nor is it a reflection of the disagreement with many of the services and programs it funds. My concern is with the decision to use fund balance to reduce the tax increase. I believe recurring expenses should be funded with recurring revenue. Fund balance is a one-time resource. Once it is spent, it is gone, but the expenses that it pays for remain. In my view, using reserves to support ongoing operating costs simply postpones the financial decision rather than resolving it. I also believe fund balance serves an important purpose. It protects our community during emergencies, economic downturns, major infrastructure failures, and natural disasters. As a coastal city, we know that unexpected challenges are not hypothetical. They are part of our reality. In addition, we're facing increasing uncertainty from actions being considered at the state level. Local governments may be asked to take on additional responsibilities while potentially facing new constraints on future revenue options. In that environment, maintaining a strong fund balance becomes even more important. The difference between the proposed tax rates may seem small on a monthly basis for the average homeowner, but the principle behind the decision is significant. I believe it's more transparent and more sustainable to fund today's services with today's revenue rather than rely on reserves to bridge the gap. I understand that reasonable people can disagree on this issue and I respect the views of my colleagues who have reached a different conclusion. However, because I believe that preserving fund balance is the more fiscally responsible approach, I will be voting now. Thank you.

Thank you.

Ms. Lau?

I'm going to make three points because we've talked about this budget for a long, long time. We've had over 48 hours of public hearing, public sessions about it, and we've talked about it for a long time. A couple things are getting lost, so I'm just going to say three things. 70% of the increase is for police and fire. We were challenged during the public hearing, excuse me, the public information session to address our crisis for public safety and we have some dangerously high vacancy rates in police and fire and this budget addresses those and that is the number one thing it does. 70% of the increase goes to police and fire. And I appreciate those of you who are here sitting through this meeting to hear what happens. And the other thing is, in municipal government, the second thing, in municipal government, there's not a lot of fluff or big picture policy stuff that you might find in other levels of government that impact a whole state or impact a whole country. Municipal government is services that impact your daily life. Salaries are services. The salaries we're increasing are the services we're increasing, and that is for the people of Wilmington. Services like the police and fire, of course, and one of the things we hear about the most in our email, roads and parks, and trash and recycling and all the things you rely on for your everyday life like that is what this budget is about it's not just about being responsible employers and increasing wages because we care about employees for me it's it's definitely part of that but it's also the level of service we can provide to the community and that's our responsibility and the number one thing is public safety if you don't feel safe in your community what do you have So we started, the third thing I'll say is we started here, we started at 6.25 cents and we worked our way down to 4.9 cents and I think it's a very viable budget. I see some signs about what seniors make and I know that. I used to work with them and try to keep them in their homes. For 15 years, that's what I did. I dedicated my life to keeping low-income homeowners in their homes. None of us wants to raise taxes, and so we worked really hard to get it down from 6.25 cents to 4.9 cents, and I'm going to be voting for that.

Council Member Santaguido.

Thank you. I have a question just for my own clarification and then I also want to make some comments. So with the 4.9 cent increase that we're going to presumably be voting on, what will the general fund balance be and what percentage of that Or what will the percentage of the budget be? Will we be in our 20 to 25 range?

So our CFO did calculations that we do anticipate at the 4.9 cents per 100 that the use of fund balance would be, it would be north of $2 million a year. But calculating out where we then would expect to land at the end of next year, it would still leave us within the approved fund balance policy, presuming that there are no unexpected additional costs that may come up.

What is that percentage in dollar amount?

Do we know that? If you use the two plus million, you would have between two, it would be around one and a half to two million dollars before you would be looking at being lower than your fund balance policy.

So is that 21%, 22%, do we have that number?

So if you used more than that million and a half unexpectedly, and we used every penny of fund balance that we budgeted, which obviously that's gonna fluctuate a little bit. But if everything went exactly according to budget, that would put you right at 20%. If we do use that $1.5 million? If we don't use that? Correct. Then what is what we're looking at for the budget? You would be between 21% and 22%.

OK. And what is the dollar amount that we'll have in the general fund? The total dollar amount?

Yeah. That I'll have to pull up my email. Martha, do you know that offhand? Martha, Martha. Okay. Thank you, Martha.

I don't mean to surprise you. I just, I really want to hear out loud what the numbers are so that we know that we're one within our policy, but we also understand what that dollar amount is so that we know that we can buffer emergencies.

Okay. With the proposed budget, so whenever we're doing the calculation, what I'm doing is I'm starting with where we ended at June 30, 2025. I'm taking into consideration what was appropriated during 2025. And right now with the proposed budget, we would be around 22%. So as far as the actual fund balance, Give me one second. The estimated fund balance would be around 40.4. is the unassigned fund balance. 20.4 million? Yes. Okay. So we're right around 22%. So we would be within the 20 to 25%. Okay. But once again, you know, we're still, we haven't ended the year, so we're doing some preliminary estimates, but that's what we're looking at.

That's helpful. Thank you. Then the comment that I want to make, I know in our last meeting I made comments about why I wanted to run for city council and how this budget addresses many of the things that I talked about in my platform. But I specifically want to talk about the living wage implementation and how important I think that's going to be for our employees in the city, but also for our residents of the city. I want to echo what Council Member Lyle said with respect to the vast majority of this living wage increase going to public safety employees, 70 percent of that. And I don't point that out to diminish the work of our employees that work in other departments. I think it was really eloquently stated today that a living wage for all of our employees is important because all of our employees support public safety. So I really appreciate that point. The next thing that I want to point out was also brought up in our public information earlier. As a resident of the city, as a homeowner, my taxes are going up almost about $18 a month with this proposal. I will tell you, you cannot find in the market a better return on investment for $18 a month to get better roads, to improve safety, to fill potholes, to clear storm drains, and to pick up your trash. That is an incredible return on our investment. I think that's what our residents need. It is what our residents deserve. And this budget accomplishes that, which I think is the goal of municipal government, which is to provide service to our residents. And then the last thing I will say, it was brought up earlier today, a living wage makes it possible for our employees to actually live in the community that they serve. I don't think that we're gonna be in the business of telling somebody that they have to live in the city of Wilmington, but I love that we're gonna make it possible for our employees to be able to live in the city that they serve. I think that's so important. They're such an important asset to our community, and I think they deserve to make enough to be able to live in this community. So those are my comments. Thank you.

Thank you. Councilmember Joyner.

I have a couple questions for staff, so get ready. The first question I have is about the number of eliminated positions that we are anticipating. I don't know if it's fair to say through this budget specifically, but over the course of our organizational realignment, over the course of the year, we have not laid off a single individual, but we have eliminated how many positions by consolidating workloads, restructuring teams, et cetera?

It was 29 FTEs.

Okay, so this budget, we're not hiring new people, we're not expanding our workforce, we're not making the government bigger. We've actually eliminated 29 full-time positions.

Correct. So eliminated 29 FTEs through the organizational realignment, and then there are a few new positions in this budget in our IT department, things that we talked about, but your net result is still more than 20 positions less in this budget than there are in the current budget.

Okay. And then my second point, and this is more on, I guess, item 01B, which I think is a little less controversial, but I think it's really important for us to highlight what that is actually going to do and the heavy lift that we are going to have around infrastructure, capital improvements, And can we just have a quick summary from either the city manager or whoever she wants to designate to explain what is that, number one, what is the value that's in that item and what does that achieve as far as our debt service funding for capital improvements and infrastructure projects?

Sure, I'll be happy to take a stab and then if anyone needs to come in and add more detail. So 0.41 cents of the 4.9 cents will go directly to paying for capital projects. And that is not paying cash for capital projects, that the money that is generated out of the 0.41 cents is used to take on debt to be able to complete the projects. So that 0.41 pennies unlocks over $31 million in additional buying capacity for us to be able to complete the remaining projects that are in our CIP, and that has been repeated over every single year from there. So we have a variety of infrastructure projects. We have bridges that we need replacing. We're working on bulkhead projects. We're talking road widening. We have multi-use paths that we know that we will be able to complete if we're able to get this additional funding. We went through an extensive process with Council to look at those projects and make sure that they still made sense for us to pursue. We're helping Council understand the ones that were We have to do this from a core maintenance standpoint for safety. But that will allow us to complete everything in our CIP over the next two years. And we'll then set up the funding for all future CIPs. We'll then start a new five-year process from there. And because that funding is reoccurring, it will then help fund all future CIPs.

Thank you. And I just wanted to highlight that because when we started this six plus month process, that that was my number one priority was how are we going to deliver some of these infrastructure projects? How are we going to get some of these capital improvement projects over the finish line? And I want to specifically name and thank Deputy City Manager Tom Moten, who not every single project, but he went out on almost every single project. He helped staff find time to go on every single project. And staff helped me go and lay eyes and set feet on every single site that we've got to get accomplished. And it's a lot. And so the fact that we were able to actually get this in the works and get this into the budget, I'm really grateful for. And I think we're going to see some good, solid things happening, some shovels in the ground through this. So thank you.

Okay. Anybody else? Mr. Mayor Brathen.

So I said this before, I'm going to say it again. I'm not opposed to a livable wage, especially for people in the lower tier of this organization. Ever since I've been on council, that's six years, I've been a part of trying to better the lives of employees that work for the City of Wilmington. The issue that I have is the implementation of the livable wage and the potential effects of raising property taxes in an economic environment that we're in right now. Again, we understand what $18 a month could mean to some people. compared to other people, whether you could afford $12 a month, which is $144 a year. We don't know your economic situation, or if you have a more expensive home and pay more property taxes and whatever. What is it for the upper tier of property taxes? Was it 10, 18, and what? dylan you said you've got that slide we can take a look at it really quickly but either way we're playing king solomon here and and it's difficult to appease everybody and and i wish we would have uh and we have we spent a lot of time you all are saying we started in in june i mean january but actually we started in november when you got elected so we um picked out buckets and put them on the wall and put numbers in the hat or whatever we did. But it's difficult. It's extremely difficult. And I don't want employees to think that, you know, I don't care. I want you to make good money. I want you to live good lives. I said that at the last meeting. It's just the way that we're going about it. I think I can't. I do not agree with what we're doing. But I will say this. I'm certain that you will, after tonight, July 1st, you will have a livable wage. And we'll all be fine, certainly. But I just don't want you to feel that I'm not supportive of your financial situation. and if it could improve but i i will not be in support of the manner in which we're going to do it we i feel like we could have phased it uh we could have phased uh raising property taxes because that's the thing too taxes are inevitable uh in in the business that we're in you have to raise taxes to you have to raise taxes or and we have to collect taxes to to take care of the city it's inevitable But the manner in which we're doing it, I don't agree with. So I just want to be able to say that and hope that you understand what I'm saying. No matter how this decision comes out, the employees of the City of Wilmington will be fine. I'm certain you'll get a livable wage. And residents, some of you are going to carry the burden of property taxes. We will be with you. I will too. I guess, you know, we'll see what happens, but I just wanted to put that out there that it's not what we're doing, it's how we're doing it that troubles me. So, thank you.

Anybody else? Councilmember Quintana?

Good evening, everyone. I think Mayor Pro Tem Spears has stolen some of much of my thunder as well. I do want everyone to have a living wage. I have voiced that in the last council meeting. I understand where we are in today's economy. But there are some people that are going to suffer and that does trouble me. It does, very much so. I said this last night in another meeting. There are some things and I guess the best way to put it is how we're going to roll this out. There are a lot of things, there are a lot of good things in this budget. I do agree and my council members have stated that. But there are some things that I just don't agree with. But I also want you to know that a living wage is not something that I disagree with. Thank you. Okay.

We have a motion to approve by Councilmember Santaguida, second by Councilmember Liao. Any further discussion? All in favor of that motion, please indicate by saying aye.

Aye.

Any opposed? No. Passes 4-3. That brings us to our next item, which is item 01B, which is an ordinance making appropriations of the capital projects funds for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026. What are the wishes of council in respect to that? We have a motion to approve by Councilmember Joyner, second by Councilmember Liao. Any further discussion? All in favor of that motion, please indicate by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed? Item passes five to two. That brings us to item 01C, which is the ordinance amending the various chapters of the City of Wilmington fee schedule for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026. What are the wishes of council in respect to item 01C? We have a motion approved by Councilmember Lyle, seconded by Councilmember Clinton Quintana. Any further discussion? All in favor of that motion, please indicate by saying aye.

Aye.

Opposed? Item passes unanimously. That brings us to our next item, which is item 02, which is an ordinance to amend Wilmington City Code Chapter 12, Section 3, Article 3, Section 12 through 28, domestic animal waste. And at this time, I'd like to recognize our city manager, Ms. Hogg. Ms. Hogg.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor, Mayor, pro tem members of council. This item will be handled by Deputy City Manager Tom Moten. And it looks like IT staff is working to get the box removed from the screen. So we'll see if we can't get that cleared up here in just a moment. The clock is ticking. You have three minutes.

Just a moment.

I'll go fast. Good evening, Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, and members of council. For your consideration this evening is an amendment to the stormwater utility and illicit discharges regulations. This ordinance amends section 1228 entitled the domestic animal waste section of division two of our codes, which also address illicit discharges and other prohibited waste to permit governmental entities to utilize animals on public properties for legitimate governmental purpose and be exempt from the waste requirements. The current regulations prohibit any person in custody or in control of an animal to discharge any animal waste on any public property or public right-of-way unless the person immediately removes the waste that is deposited. The current regulations provide exceptions, one of which is an exception for a person who has control or care of a service animal. The other being law enforcement in the use of an animal for law enforcement purposes where to remove the waste would interfere with the officers carrying out their official duties. The city currently uses domesticated animals in the fire and police departments. And additionally, the city desires to use goats to help manage noxious weeds and vegetation on city property and or in the right of way. The use of goats have been recognized in North Carolina and beyond as an effective strategy to maintain vegetation in certain settings and as an effective alternative to mechanized equipment. The amendment will add a new section to the code that will read, the provision shall not apply to any animal deployed as a working animal on behalf of a governmental entity. There's no budgetary impact associated with this action. Staff recommends that you approve the amendment, and I'm happy to answer the questions you may have about the proposed amendment.

Any questions from Mr. Moot?

I'm not able to use my thing to say that I have a question.

Cassidy, since you went ahead first, and then I'm going to go to- I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Go ahead.

Thank you. I really do mean this is a serious question. When are we looking at getting the goats in? Is that imminent?

Well, with this action, if it were to be approved, there are several other steps. Believe it or not, this industry is heavily regulated. So there's some federal requirements, tagging that has to be, permits that have to be secured. And so it's a little bit longer than what we would like, but we're going to be going as fast as we can. But the tags for the goats, which are a requirement, that's at least six weeks. And we have to have the permit approved before we can apply for the tags and secure them. So I'm anticipating hopefully by the end of the summer.

Okay.

Mr. Moten? Yes.

How many goats are we getting?

The precise number hasn't been determined, but it's in the neighborhood of six to eight. Not a large, but what we envision is perhaps four to six working. But just in case there's some incident that may occur, probably in the neighborhood of six to eight.

And do we need a babysitter, and are there baby goats?

Well, we expect these to be working, but they may have to mature. And I'm not an authority on livestock, but we've got some individuals that are helping us with that. And we would like to secure goats that would be able to work. You see this application being used in areas that are environmentally sensitive, steep slopes. other areas where you don't really want to damage anything. I've seen it also used as an application for historic cemeteries. So it would be our intention to use it in a variety of areas that the city currently maintains that would be an effective way of doing it, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as well as a little bit of a way to celebrate sort of a natural approach to curbing vegetation.

Any chance? I'm asking for a friend.

Okay.

Like would the baby goats wear pajamas or anything like that? Some shoes? I mean, I'm just asking.

That's a good question. What we do envision is at times utilizing the goats to do some kind of public education engagement. Halliburton Park would be a particular venue, but it could be other venues in which we can engage the community and let them be able to observe and see the goats. We've also explored, and City Manager Hawke said, hey, let's put a camera on them when they're working. Goats at work. So there's some opportunities. The staff is very excited about this, and we hope that you approve the amendment so we can proceed with the work.

Thank you, Mr. Milton, for entertaining me.

You're welcome. Thank you. Council Member Andrews?

Yeah, so you mentioned that you're gonna use these animals on steep slopes, areas that you can't necessarily get mowers into, but also cemeteries.

Well, no, I was stating cemeteries is one application that's been used by others. We don't even have cemeteries to take care of. We could use it on steep slopes, but also on flat terrain. So it's not just exclusively on steep slopes. I was providing examples of how goats have been used by other entities. Okay.

And these would be, the goats would be owned and controlled by a contractor, I'm assuming.

No, the city, that's the reason why we're going to be applying for permits and tagging them. The city will actually own the goats and utilize them throughout the year, as long as weather's permitting.

And what is the cost of maintaining the goats?

I'll be happy. I don't recall that precisely. I think that answer deserves to be precise. I'll get that information for you. But we have estimated the cost. We've got horses that we have to maintain, but that cost, while it is not, it appears negligible, but it's not zero. That amount is a few thousand dollars a year is what we project.

Okay. I know the horses became a big issue in last year's budget and okay. Um, and finally, um, so, so we're amending the animal waste provisions here so that these animals that the city's using don't need to be picked up after. Um, I'm just, Ever? I mean, do we not go through after a project's done maybe and clean up the area? Because I'm just concerned if we are using them. I know that was just an example of a cemetery, but I'm just thinking if we run these animals through a park or a cemetery and then we're not picking up after them.

So these were a couple of things. One, I believe there's an opportunity to do some cleanup at the end of the work. What we didn't want to be tied to the restriction that it occur immediately or otherwise you're in violation. The city wants to be in compliance with all of these regulations. And so for us, it's more effective that we look at the work of cleanup being done afterwards. We wouldn't envision this being utilized on an active park. These are areas primarily that are not accessed by individuals. High, thick foliage, probably thickets. So it shouldn't be an area where people are playing. That's not the intention.

Okay.

Mayor Poteau.

So Tom, you said the goats are working goats. Yes. So they're entitled to a livable wage.

They'll have plenty of water, shelter, and all the green vegetation they can consume.

And are these goats going to Greenfield Lake? Is that what I heard?

Well, a couple of things. For the safety of the livestock, we really don't want to publicize the location where they'll be housed when they're not working. But essentially, we'll be using that.

No, where they're working.

Oh, Greenfield Lake is one potential. Also, there's several parks where we can't do controlled burn that we've contemplated. So we have some applications that we believe this would be very effective.

So do the gators at Greenfield Lake know we're getting goats?

Well, we'll have to make sure to protect the goats from that kind of risk. I mean, we have to be judicious and responsible and humane. And so while these are livestock, we do want to treat them with the respect they deserve. We'll probably give them employee ID numbers, so that means we really have to protect them.

Insurance, benefits, this is going to be real interesting.

I think it'll be an educational experience for all of us, but also, again, it's another avenue to do some of the work we do, and it will allow employees to be relieved of doing that work, and they can move to other important tasks that they can perform with greater efficiency.

cleaning up goat in pajamas.

Thanks, Tom.

You're welcome. Council Member Clayton Quintana.

One more question, because I didn't hear this from my other council members, and I guess I'm a little bit concerned. When I lived in Clayton, North Carolina, my daily 5K walk was around near a goat farm. I don't know if, I never smelled anything, but I am concerned about our neighbors near Greenfield Lake and if they will be impacted by a smell.

Right. Well, one, we'll have to manage any kind of nuisance activity, so we would be in violation of our ordinances, so we won't allow that to happen. The area where the goats would be housed would not be in a residential area, so they'd be far removed from any residential or active commercial activity.

Anybody else? Okay. All right. What are the wishes of council in respect to the ordinance? We have a motion to approve by Councilmember Lyle, seconded by Councilmember Santagueta. Any further discussion? I'm saying aye.

Aye.

Okay. It passes six to one. Is there a motion to waive second reading? Motion made by Councilmember Law, seconded by Councilmember Quintana. Any further discussion? All in favor of that motion, please indicate by saying aye.

Aye.

Any opposed? That item passes unanimously on the second reading. That brings us to our next item, which is item 03, which is an ordinance to amend various funds to comply with the accounting requirements of GASB Statement Number 87 regarding leases and Number 6 regarding subscription-based information technology agreements. This time I'd like to recognize our City Manager, Ms. Ault. Ms. Ault.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, members of council. This item will be presented by Martha Wayne, our Chief Financial Officer.

Good evening, Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, and Council. The item before you today is an ordinance in order to comply with governmental accounting standards related to leases and subscription-based technology. So essentially what this ordinance does is it records the right to use assets as a liability for the term. So we are treating it similar to debt payments. This standard came into place back in 2021. So this is one where each fiscal year we true up at the end of the year because we have to evaluate every single lease and every single software agreement that the city enters into during the year. One of the main things I want to point out about this ordinance is not only does it ensure that we comply with governmental accounting standards, but there is also no impact to the fund balance. This is truly just to make sure we're reporting things correctly on our books. I'm happy to answer any questions you may have at this time.

Any questions of Martha? Thank you, Martha. We have a motion to approve by Council Member Joyner, second by Council Member Liao. Further discussion? All in favor of that motion, please indicate by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed? I pass unanimously on first reading. Is there a motion to waive second reading? Motion made by council member Santaguita, seconded by council member Lyle. Any further discussion? All in favor of that motion, please indicate by saying aye.

Aye.

Any opposed? Item passes unanimously on first as well as second reading. That brings us to our next item of business, which is Two resolutions and one ordinance. I'll read the resolutions into the record. Item R1A is a resolution adding $58,243 in American Rescue Act plan funds to the Wilmington and Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau project contract. Item R1B is the resolution adding $18,639 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to the 10th and Gray Street Intersection Improvement Project. And then item R1C is the ordinance making the supplemental appropriations in the amount of $76,882 to allow for reallocation of funding within the American Rescue Plan Act projects. You know, I'd like to recognize City Manager Misal.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, members of council, and again, Martha Wayne.

Good evening again. The item before you today is hopefully one of the last ordinances we're going to need to bring forward related to the American Rescue Act plan funding that was initially received in 2021. Just to give a quick update, the city received approximately $25.9 million. The original appropriation was actually approved back in June 2021. Throughout the process, we've been managing the various projects and as projects have completed and funds are left available, we have been moving them as allowed by the requirements. One of the things we are very restricted as to what we can do with the remaining funding. The deadline to obligate ARPA funds was actually December 31, 2024, and the funds must be fully expended by December 31 of 2026. So we are getting to the very end of this project. We are proposing two reallocations tonight. The first one is to 10th and Grace. With this project, the original awarded was $250,000. An additional $175,000 was appropriated during the project process. The project has actually ended. and the actual cost was $444,109. Since the project is still technically open in the portal, we are able to allocate the additional funds so that we can get reimbursed for the full project, total project costs. The remaining funds we're proposing going to the Wilmington Centric Tourism Assistance Program and that is also the remaining ARPA project that is open at this time. Those funds will be used towards wayfinding signs as well as potential gateway signs. I'm happy to answer any questions you may have at this time.

Any questions for Martha? Martha, Martha, thank you. What are the wishes of council? in regards to R1A. We have a motion approved by Councilmember Lau, seconded by Councilmember Santaguida. All in favor of that motion, please indicate by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed? That item passes unanimously. That brings us to item R1B, which is the resolution adding $18,639 of the American Rescue Plan Act funds to the 10th and Great Street Intersections and Improvement Project. Whether it wishes the council, we have a motion approved by Councilmember Santaguida, seconded by Councilmember Lau. Any further discussion? All in favor of that, Motion, please indicate by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed? I didn't pass unanimously. And now lastly to the ordinance, which making the supplemental appropriations in the amount of $76,882 to allow for reallocation of funding within the American Rescue Plan Act project. What are the wishes of council? We have a motion to approve by council member Santaguida, second by council member Lau. Any further discussion? All in favor of that motion, please indicate by saying aye. Aye.

Aye.

Any opposed? I didn't pass unanimously on first reading. Is there a motion to waive second reading? Motion made by Council Member Joyner, second by Council Member Low. Any further discussion? All in favor of that motion, please indicate by saying aye. Aye. I just have it. Okay, that item passes unanimously on first as well as second reading. That brings us to our next item of business, which is item R2A, which is a resolution accepting certain public streets and storm drainage facilities within the River Lights development. And then item R2B is the ordinance establishing a speed limit of 25 miles per hour on various streets in the River Lights development. This I'd like to recognize City Manager Hawke. Ms. Hawke.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, members of council. These items will be presented by Dennis Volcanowicz, our traffic engineer from our transportation department.

Good evening, Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem and City Council. Item R2A is a resolution for roadway and drainage acceptance of the River Lights Single Family Phases Two and Four developments. All of these roads were constructed in 2017 and 2018, and they serve as local streets within the Greater River Lights development. In total, 3.3 miles of roadway are being proposed for acceptance, along with the pedestrian infrastructure and drainage easements. All improvements within the right-of-way have been installed per the city standards, inspected by staff, and all necessary repairs have been made. Item R2B is a companion ordinance establishing a 25 mile an hour speed limit along these same streets. There's additional details, maps, and photos in your packet and I'm happy to answer any questions.

Any questions for Dennis? You know, somebody was asking me about you today, but thank you. So let's go with the resolution, item R2A. What is the wishes of council in respect to the resolution? We have a motion to approve by Councilmember Santagueta, second by Councilmember Andrews. Any further discussion? All in favor of that motion? Please indicate by saying aye.

Aye.

Any opposed? That item passes unanimously. Now to the ordinance establishing a speed limit of 25 miles per hour on various streets in the River Lights Development, which is a council in respect to the ordinance. We have a motion to approve by Councilmember Andrews, second by Councilmember Santaguida. Any further discussion? All in favor of that motion, please indicate by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed? That item passes unanimously on first reading. Is there a motion to waive second reading? Motion made by Council Member Santaguida. Second by Council Member Lau. Any further discussion? All in favor of that motion, please indicate by saying aye.

Aye.

Any opposed? Item passes unanimously on the first as well as second reading. And lastly, our reports. Item RP1, Report of Council's Appointments Committee for Boards, Commissions, and Committees. At this time, I'd like to recognize Council Member Celetta Andrews, who is the chairperson of that committee for Boards, Commissions, and Committees. Ms. Andrews.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. The appointments to boards, commissions and committees committee met on June 1st, 2026 with myself as chair and Mayor Saffo and Council Member Lyle as the other members. We voted to nominate to reappoint to the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, Jessica Cannon as the council representative and Wesley Corder as the joint city and New Hanover County appointee. To the Convention Center Advisory Committee, we had voted to remove Trinity Dunlap as the hotelier for the Convention Center and appoint Robert Caldwell as the hotelier for the Convention Center slot, and to appoint BJ Singh as the at-large position to fill a vacancy. For the Historic Preservation Commission, we voted to recommend Paul Lawler for the historic district residential slot and Carrie Williams for the at-large slot. For the City of Wilmington-New Hanover County Commission for Women, We are recommending reappointment of Debbie Todd for the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. We voted to remove David Eason due to attendance and appoint Ricky Crow and appoint Blair Dean to terms on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. And for the Tree Commission, we are recommending the reappointment of Thomas Boland, city resident, Lloyd Singleton, city resident, Ben Rigby, city resident, Robin Morgan, city resident, and Susie Rivadeneira for the at-large position.

Very good. We have a motion to approve of those items.

Oh, I had, I'm sorry, Mr. Mayor. There's a second page for the sister city commission. Um, we have recommended the appointment of Lindsay McCoy for the at large position and for the Thalian association of Wilmington board of directors, um, to appoint Marshall Farren as the city resident. Sorry, that concludes the report.

Thank you so much. So we have a motion to approve by Council Member Santaguida, second by Council Member Lau. Any further discussion? All in favor of that motion, please indicate by saying aye.

Aye.

Opposed? Item passes unanimously. This concludes the regular agenda. Are there any items to be brought forward by our City Attorney?

No, sir.

City Manager?

Mr. Mayor, I do just want to take a moment on behalf of all employees to say thank you to council for supporting this budget and thank you for supporting a competitive living wage that will directly benefit the men and women who perform vital public services for our community day in and day out every single year. As Council took their first vote two weeks ago, I started hearing from staff members, and I just want to share two examples of how meaningful this change will be. There's one staff member who previously tried to qualify for a housing voucher program, but they didn't earn enough with their full-time city salary to qualify for the program. And through this living wage implementation, they will now qualify and they will be able to get into a safe, affordable home for them and their family. So there are numerous examples like that, real situations, real lives that will be significantly positively impacted by this. And this competitive wage along with training and promotional opportunities and a positive, supportive, collaborative work environment that we're actively building under the concept of One City. We truly do believe that this will lead to higher retention rates, better ability to recruit talented people to fill our remaining vacancies and higher levels of service to our community. So again, just thank you for your support of this foundational component of that initiative. Thank you.

Thank you. City Clerk, Madam Clerk?

No, sir, I'm good.

Thank you. Okay. Council Member Santaguido?

Thank you. Um, I just want to take a moment to, uh, thank my colleagues on council and staff and folks in the community for all of the conversations that we've had over the last many, many months regarding the budget. Um, we've spent a lot of time talking about this. Um, and while we may disagree on some things, I respect the opinion of everybody up here and thank you all for showing up and engaging and doing the hard work. I think this is what voters brought us in to do. And so, uh, thank you. Thank you for that. Um, And now I think we get a little bit of a break until mid-July for our meeting. So I also want to let folks know that I hope you have a safe and wonderful 4th of July. We kicked off the meeting with our America 250 proclamation. And I know I will be celebrating our country's birthday in a very relaxed way. Thank you.

Good. Thank you. Council Member Manders.

Before we adjourn, I would also like to recognize another important date in the history of the freedom of this country, and that's Juneteenth, which we will be celebrating this Friday. Earlier today, I had the honor of participating in a memorial tribute to the United States Colored Troops at the Wilmington National Cemetery. It was a really moving reminder that the freedoms we enjoy today were secured through the courage and sacrifice of those who came before us. Juneteenth commemorates the day that the enslaved people in Texas finally learned that they were free more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. It's both a celebration of freedom and an opportunity to reflect on our nation's ongoing journey toward liberty and justice for all. The United States Colored Troops played a vital role in that story. Nearly 180,000 black soldiers served during the Civil War helping preserve the Union and secure freedom for millions of Americans. Their service and sacrifice deserve our gratitude and remembrance. I just encourage everybody to take part in Wilmington's Juneteenth events, learn more about this important chapter in our history and the responsibilities that we have as beneficiaries of all those who have gone before us. So thank you.

Thank you.

Mayor Pro Tem. I think Celette stole my thunder. I almost lended her my kente cloth tie so she could have fit the theme of what she was saying. But anyway, happy Juneteenth and congratulations to city staff and see you in July.

Okay. Council Member Quintana.

Thank you, Councilmember Andrews, for that history lesson. Juneteenth is this Friday. I hope you all will participate in some sort of activities that are going on throughout the city. Also, remember, this is Pride Month, so happy Pride Month. And also, I hope that you all enjoy the Fourth of July holiday as well. And I'm grateful for a little bit of a break after all that we've gone through over the last few weeks. Thank you. Thank you, staff. Thank you to our citizens, our residents, our first responders, and of course our police officers as well. I know that you all are experiencing an uptick in our community of all things. And I continuously say this, I would hope that at some point, and I really need to just to say this quite honestly. If we're going to make a change in our community, everyone needs to get involved. Everyone, not just some of us, not just the ones who are consistently doing it every day, We make a larger impact when everyone is involved. And I know I've been on social media, I've seen some statements made and folks are talking about leaving Wilmington because of funding and assistance and all of those things. And I completely understand. I've been here a little over seven years. We've talked about a grocery store. I've seen people come and go. I could name a list of things, but I really want to encourage everyone to get involved and to help our city continue to grow in a way that everyone can live, you know, together. Thank you.

Council Member Lowell.

Yes, sir.

I see two scout uniforms in the back row. Can you guys shout out for me your troop number and who your sponsoring organization is? Troop 234, got it, okay. I assume you're here for citizenship in the community. Very good, that's EGLE required. And I've called out a couple of scout groups that I've seen in the audience. Number one, thank you for being here tonight. I hope that you found something of interest. But just so everybody knows, their scout master's not just sending them here out of the goodness of their hearts. Here's what they're having to do. to get this merit badge, which is required to become an Eagle Scout, they have to attend an in-person meeting of your city, town, or county council, or school board, or a local court session, or of another state or local government meeting that is approved by your merit badge counselor, and then they have to choose one of the issues discussed at the meeting where a difference of opinions was expressed, and explain to your counselor why you agree with one opinion more than another one. So are you guys gonna pick taxes or goats? You got time to decide. Thanks for being here. Good luck to you.

Choose the goats.

Okay. I just, I want to bring something forward because we've had this bill that has moved through the House of Representatives, which is a resolution. It's a resolution asking for an opposing House Bill number 437. It did go through the House. It is in the Senate. I don't believe it's been heard in the committee as of yet. I know Liz Carbone with the Wilmington House Authority that serves there has shared this, and Kara Spencer who's been following this through our legislative process. It's a pretty devastating bill to municipalities, which is basically an unfunded mandate telling cities what we have to do with the unsheltered, which is basically uh we could have to round people up and put them almost in concentration camp not concentration camp but in in refugee type uh settings and it's pretty devastating uh stuff we did have an opportunity to speak to the original um person that wrote this bill, started this bill, Representative Bryan, who was very gracious, and I've had an opportunity to speak with Senator Rabin yesterday, and I've got a call in also to Senator Lee about how devastating this bill is. I just want to say that the city of Wilmington is spending this year $1.1 million for homeless services, and the county is spending $5.5 million We have been taking a very active role in helping with supportive housing. We recently opened the Sparrow on Carolina Beach Road, as well as Lakeside Reserve, 48 additional units there. We have people in our community that work tirelessly to address this issue. But this bill is being opposed by the League of Municipalities, the North Carolina Metro Mayor's Coalition, the North Carolina Housing Coalition, the North Carolina Coalition, to end homelessness. And there was some talk about recently announced $4 billion in HUD Continuum of Care funding. This is not a new pot of money. This money has been there for many, many years. And this is nationwide $4 billion. for homeless services. So we, just like any other community bid for that. And the thing this year, we also obtained some of that money to help us with some of the things that we are doing here in the city. So this is a pretty devastating bill to municipalities throughout this state. And I know a lot of them are making resolutions to oppose it. This came out of nowhere, but it's moving fast. And we just would like to have this stopped and hopefully if not stopped, at least some of the legislative things that they put in here to really slow some of this stuff down. So I'd like to have the wave of the rules first so we can vote on this. So can I have a motion to wave the rules? We have a motion by Council Member Lyle, second by Council Member Andrews. All in favor of that motion, please indicate by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed? Okay, that has been, we're now going to waive the rules and I'll read the legislative intent and purpose whereas House Bill 437 is considered in 2026 session of the North Carolina General Assembly and would burden local governments, homeless service providers, first responders and taxpayers while setting back efforts to help unsheltered Wilmingtonians and whereas House Bill 437 would ban unauthorized camping and sleeping statewide and allow any resident of the jurisdiction or any business owner or attorney general who alleges that a local government is not compliant with a new law to file a lawsuit subject to minimal procedure requirements and whereas to protect themselves from such liabilities local governments would effectively pressure to establish designated areas for unsheltered people and families without any funding to support the administrative and financing of designated areas including but not limited to site acquisition policing and public safety facility maintenance sanitation and staffing and whereas house bill 437 would consequently place devastating financial strain on local governments while absorbing valuable law enforcement and emergency services And whereas in many rural areas, there are limited or no homeless shelters available for the unhoused. And many cities have shelters that are near full or at capacity and cannot accommodate the unsheltered homeless from surrounding areas. And whereas the city of Wilmington has been focused on practical solutions that reduce unsheltered homelessness and improve the well-being of homeless citizens by expanding access to housing stability, behavioral health services, substance use treatment, and coordinated community support services, and whereas local governments are best positioned to understand local conditions, available resources, shelter capacities, and service gaps. And therefore, be it resolved that the City of Wilmington urges the North Carolina General Assembly to terminate House Bill 437 and other bills that would ultimately harm efforts to reduce homelessness. So do we have a motion to approve? Motion made by Councilmember Lyle, second by Councilmember Andrews. Any further discussion? All in favor of that motion, please indicate by saying aye.

Aye.

Any opposed? Item passed unanimously. I want to thank Council for that support. With that, Thank you for taking an interest in your government. We stand adjourned.