Town Council - Regular Meeting

All opposed. Thanks. Now we have our first public hearing. I open the public hearing to for the ordinance to approve funds and raise revenues for the fiscal year 2526. And you have the information in front of you, Miss Wley. This is your fiscal year 2526 budget message. In accordance with North Carolina General Statute 159, the Local Government and Fiscal Control Act, I'm pleased to present to you a balanced recommended budget for the fiscal year July 1st, 2025 to June 30th, 2026. This budget has been assembled with the premises of ensuring that the budgeted funds are spent for public purposes in accordance with North Carolina Constitution article article 5 section 21 which states that the power of taxation shall be exercised in a just and equitable manner for public purposes only and shall never be surrendered, suspended or contracted away. The town's revenue forecasting philosophy has always been conservative and will continue to be for this fiscal year due to the ongoing uncertainty of local, state, and national economic trends. This budget document contains the recommended tax rate, revenue, and expenditures, ex estimations, and fee

schedules. The proposed fiscal year 2526 budget is $4,394,221. Anything can be added or deleted at the pleasure of the council. Budget needs and assessments were first discussed at the budget session which was publicly noticed and held on March 20th, 2025 and in following sessions of the town council. A public hearing was set to be held for the budget on May 19th, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. In 2425, the town collected approximately 1,579,952 in property tax. Johnston County just performed a revaluation this year. The average increase from that revaluation across the county was 70%. Wilson's Mills is a rapidly growing town and we are working to maintain the needs of infrastructure infrastructure and services along with keeping up with the additional influx of people and homes. The town of Wilson's Mills will collect an estimated $2,828,210 in the coming year due in part by the revaluation, but also by additional tax revenue from homes added during our growth. Because of this, town administration does not recommend a revenue neutral tax rate. The town of Wilson's Mills would have a tax rate of 28 cents per 100 valuation at revenue neutral, which would cause the town to decrease its current services due to inflation on cost and services that are already in place. The average

of the average of all of towns and counties proposed tax rates in Johnson County is 50 cents. Therefore, the Wilson Mills proposed tax rate totaling 50 cents continues to be average in the county and is the same rate as 2425. I'll review the revenues for this year's proposed budget. The property tax base is estimated by Johnston County Tax Office to produce $2,828,210 in revenue. And that is based on a 99% collection rate. The prior year tax collection estimates are based on previous year's collections as well as discoveries and collection rate. We have an estimated collection of $600 for prior year's taxes. This amount is lower than the fiscal year 2425 and is based on the excellent 99% collection rate. Penalties and interest are based on prior year collections and is estimated at 3,100. Vehicle tax estimates are based on the information from Johnston County Tax Office and remain the same as our current year at 28,000. The property tax, prior year collections, penalties and interest, and vehicle taxes generate approximately 55% of all general fund revenues in shared state and local revenues. According to estimates from the North Carolina League of Municipalities, Wilson's Mill share of the Johnston County sales tax will generate about 725,000 or 18% of general fund revenues. Excuse me. Utility franchise taxes, which includes electric power, piped natural gas, cable television, and telecommunications taxes are expected to generate 117,300 or 3% of the total general fund

revenues. In addition to the sources of revenue discussed here, the town is also expected to realize a number of other revenues accounting for 22% of total G general fund revenues including collected fees. The town also expects to receive grants totaling 60,500 or 2% of the general fund. It is recommended that the fee schedule for the fiscal year 2425 be continued by council to adhere to the anticipated budget revenue. However, staff is reviewing the current fees and will likely present this to council to increase those fees sometime during fiscal year 2526. Under general fund appropriation, there are no appropriated fund balance amounts estimated to be used for fiscal year 2526. However, our leftover ARPA funds were designated last year to be used as revenue replacement. And since those funds have not been utilized in this fiscal year, we are estimating to use about 177,774. There's a typo there. 17774 in fiscal year 2526. Expenditures following it. The following expenditures have been appropriated in relation to our revenues. General government 678,990. Administration 617,742. Police 2,151212. Public works 551366. Planning 292 911. Parks and events 102,000. and that totals

4,394,221. As for staff, the budget reflects the following new positions and their prospective departments. Five full-time police officers starting in July of 2025. One new full-time SRO starting in April of 2026. A new prehire program for BL cadetses, which is budgeted two for excuse me, fiscal year 2526. and one full-time human resources director in administration. As for salary, this budget includes a tiered salary grade adjustment for all departments based on a 12.5% increase to bring the starting salary of police officers to the average of $51,650 in Johnston County. Benefits. The town has moved its health and life benefits to the Layman Group broker with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina and Delta coverages. The rates for the new companies remain the same as our current year, but no increases there. The town council reviewed the proposed budget in three work sessions where changes in revenues and expenditures were directed. The financial investments identified in the budget are designed to address the following town council goals. Administration personnel, public safety personnel, salary adjustments for recruitment and retention of all personnel. Increased community events for parks and events. Software to streamline work processes in both police and planning departments. Equipment to increase production and lower rental fees and public works. And additional funds to continue the research of the town water and sewer infrastructure stability and future maintenance. This proposed fiscal year 2526 budget was available at town hall for a minimum of 10 days and has been available since April 25th, 2025. And a public hearing

was called for May 19th, 25 at 6:30 p.m. and has been published twice in the news and observer as well as notices published on the town's web page and at town hall since April 25th. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the staff for their support in preparing this budget. Without their help, it would not have been possible to finish the budget. They have spent a great deal of time working to ensure the tax dollars of the citizens of Wilson's Mills are spent correctly. And additionally, I'd like to acknowledge the mayor and town council for their support and leadership throughout the work sessions held to develop this budget. So, I have included on at your place the most updated one and I'm going to go back to my seat and go over that with you because that might works a little better. Thank you for preparing this balance budget and presenting it to us. Now, this is a public hearing. So, anybody that wants to address the budget can come forward and sign in and state your name and address and give your input on what you want. And now, Council, if y'all have any questions for Vienna or anything about the budget that we haven't discussed, now is the time to do so. I will re um review a couple of things on this latest spreadsheet that I gave you. We did receive a new scroll. So, I updated the number for the tax, the property tax on the very first page. And then on all of the other pages, the items that are highlighted in yellow are the items that have changed since your your last budget session. And the main thing about that is that we did receive our new state retirement rates. So the amount that we have to deduct and pay for state

retirement for both general employees and police department increased. Um so those increases are in here. There were a couple of things that were taken that were decreased but we did have to add the grant on the first page which was not included in your last budget. So that 60,500 did add to the revenue as well. So right above that grant line is the revenue replacement line which is now as I said in the budget message 177,774 and those are the totals to balance the budget for the coming year. Does anyone have any questions? Any comments? Um yeah, I I would just I would just say that uh what's what's next on our agenda here as far as this budget approval? Yes. Um I I would just like to say that that and and I was and I was in the budget sessions, but uh I missed one, but um I I you know, our our tax base went up uh quite substantially. Um, if if if we look I I'm I'm just, you know, I'm still and and I'm not saying anything now that I didn't say in our budget sessions, but I'm just not comfortable with with all the increase in this budget. I'm just not comfortable with it at this point. I know we talked about it. I was the the the the the mo probably the most vocal one, but um I I

I I went back after we had some discussion before about not being able to talk about names and and this this sort of stuff, but you can you can council may can't talk personnel names. You you can't talk about increases or decreases, right? With name without a name. Yeah. So, I went and done some research. It's all public record and you can you can pull it up by name, title, whatever. And you know, we our our I mean our salaries I mean are are around Smithfield, Clay, maybe not Clayton, but Smithfield, Benson, and um and so I mean I'm just I'm just expressing this because it is public hearing. I don't I I'm just not for bringing in a dollar and spending 95 cent. I mean, you know, we we I I just like to see us ride along and see what this economy is going to do, what in income's going to do, and we can make an amendment if we have to down the road like we do multiple times during the year anyway. We have to do those. That's just my two cents work. Mr. around. Wasn't it you that wanted the adjustments to be made on the salaries? No, I have never asked for adjustments to be made. I wanted to see how if if everybody was going to get the same percentage. So if if you increase, but I never said that I was for that. But I wanted to I wanted to see make sure that somebody wasn't getting a 10% and somebody was getting a 12%. Right? So when we adjusted the salaries to accommodate the police officers, we had to adjust everybody else. Well, that that's what that's what we kept saying in these budget sessions, and that's

where that's where I disagree with with with some on this council is no, you don't have to um you know, you we we can go back to to a report that we had three or four years ago, but you know, that's water under the bridge, but like I said, that's just my opinion. That's just that's just me. Anyone else have any comment? Kind of back up what Mr. Brown has to say. That's a lot of money coming in. That's a lot of money people are having to pay out. Um, my property taxes went paid double. Well, come to find out I'm getting assessed an acre and my is only a little less than a quarter of an acre. So, I'm paying double what I was supposed to be anyway. And I've located about 30 to 40 properties in the town that are the exact same way that I went to those folks and said, "Hey, you need to fill this out." So, hopefully they will get charged properly from the county. That's gonna take a little bit off their backs. But you're asking these people, and I said it before and I'll say it again, you're asking them to pay 50 cent on the hundred. I know we can't do a revenue neutral budget, but you're doubling everybody's, but and a lot of people are not. You're you're running the citizens of Wilson's Mills that have been here for 30 years out. That's my opinion. I don't think we can do this budget at all. I know I didn't say a lot, but I wanted to set back. I wanted to see a revenue neutral budget. I didn't get it. I didn't see it. Can't do that. I didn't I didn't say you could do it. It would be nice. I wanted to see it. I wanted to see what it looks like on paper compared to what we have now. We don't have it. So,

wasn't aware that you wanted to see an actual copy of it, but I do have the total for a revenue neutral budget again would be a 28 cent tax rate. and the total deficit for that removing all of the wish list items that were added this year. The new position, the deficit with that would be $498,28. I've got a copy here. If anybody wants one, I'll be glad to send it to you. The deficit total $498,28 would be the deficit and that is that is at revenue neutral with all of the additional items that you added removed from the budget. So how much would that much be removed? All of your I'm talking you mean salary approximately I'm not asking I would have to calculate that because that's six new positions and a lot of equipment in different departments. Um, so I took out everything that was added. Oh, for sure. Yeah. Yes, sir. Oh, yes, for sure. Just the new positions are around 580,000. Just position. Just the position, not the equipment. is I am in and a little bit of an agreement with both him and uh

Randy, but I also know that we we can't be revenue neutral. I don't think I don't know whether we can change things around to be as that much on the on the people. You know, I thought when the evaluation came out and I talked to people and they said the county would be revenue neutral if they could be. Uh but I don't know what that situation is either. when we met, the county is the only one who did not give a specific proposed amount. Um, the email that I sent you Friday with all of the different tax rates for the towns, the county is the only one that did did not give a specific amount. The only thing that they would say is that they could not go as low as revenue neutral, but it the tax rate for the county would be lower than it is now. How about how many other municipalities are going to be less than what they were? We are one of three that are staying the same as what we had last year. Only three are staying the same. Only three are staying. But some of them are not moving very much, are they? Yeah. No. Um Well, I mean it depends. And the and the thing that you you just do need to keep this in mind of the counties that are decreasing two three four five six of them are decreasing tax rates and increasing utility rate increasing increasing utility rates they're going to go up on water and so we don't have the option so in other words they're not really uh changing I mean they're they're different funds and not to really get in the weeds but most people have that have money in their general general fund to

move to an enterprise that they don't have to put in there if they decrease their taxes. And so we don't have we don't have the option of kind of juggling those funds around. We don't have utilities. So, well, I'm not sure exactly what I'm going to do yet. But I do understand I mean my taxes are probably going up probably double, but I understand that we're gonna that's gonna it's going to hit us hard. going to hit me hard. But, uh, I'm gonna have to think about it. I That's all I had to say. I would I would just say that that in in my and I'm I'm I'm as y'all know I'm real simple person, but we we we talk about staff and and I think this this council has been since I've been on um and what I read before I got on it in previous minutes um has been very generous to our our our our police officers police department. Now, just so this council knows, if we add five more, we're going to be at 18 police officers. The town of Selma's at 24. I don't know what Clayton is. They're way bigger now. We're going to be about the same size police department as Selma, less six, and they got quite a bit more area, more people. So, it's not just the police police officers. It's it's the other stuff. And and we we talked about in some of these budget sessions about needing this position and that position. You know, the more staff that the more officers we have, the more more support staff they're going to have to have. I don't care what department it is. But one of my concerns is is why can we not do something like a continuing

resolution until we find out what the county is going to do? because I specifically asked if we would know before we had to vote on this what the county would be. We thought we of course we can't read their minds, but but we thought we would know, but we don't. No, they have. So, they have made it very clear that they're not going to have theirs until all the towns have already passed their budgets. Yeah. Well, I'm not saying don't pass a budget, but you can always do a continuing resolution budget. That'll that'll get us through for two or three months. No, you got to have a passed budget. Yeah. do a partial budget. Emergency situation, but I would not put your mic there. There are some provisions for a temporary budget, but it's not recommended. Um, and would probably run into some issues with the local government commission if you had to do that. So, I would avoid that possible. It's a public hearing. State your name, address. My name is Kenneth Jones. I live at 601 Swiss Creek Road, Wilson Mills. My question is, have you done anything to see what your growth that you're going to have coming in is going to project you dollar-wise? Yes, sir. What is that? We don't know the numbers, but we have put that in place. Yes, sir. That that is included in our figures. And but you don't know the numbers. No, we don't. It they've got it somewhere. But yes, we included they included that amount that that were coming in. I will I will just say that when we were talking about raising the tax rate. That was one thing that I I specifically asked about is because we were going to have a tax increase, a rate increase with that was last year. That's right.

Yeah. So, we ought to have it by now from last year. Oh, we do. The tax increases in there. He's asking for the numbers. No, he he wants to know what he want to know. The houses that are coming in. No, I No, I noted there's a lot of houses coming in. I understand that. But if you made a projection dollar-wise with the ones that have already been approved that are coming in. Yes. Well, then that that number was included, wasn't it? the tax rate that's on our scrolls. What's on the scroll is what's already right being it. It it doesn't include in what six months from now. Okay. But you have to remember that if the houses are built today, they don't go on the tax rate until next year. Yeah. But that but that's going to be something that you'll be able to collect on the following year. Right. The following year. Yeah. But that's not going to not going to help you this year, right? And when we when we done the tax increase, one of the things that that Wendy worked on is is the the number of homes projected of what the revenue is. That's one of the reasons that that I'm very vocal about this is because based on what is here now that we are we that we've never collected taxes on before that are already occupied. Yeah. Um that generated I'm sure quite a bit and I I don't know the numbers. They shar may know the numbers on that or Wendy, I don't know. But um but that was one of the things that we looked at before before passing that that tax increase. So it it did. Yes, it did. But you know, Kenny, you know as well as I do, we got to have some commercial. We you you can't you you can't run a town off the the the residential going on the residential people after a while you going to be out of you can't

go so far you got to have commercial to pick it up and that's something that I wish we'd already had but we don't but we sure need to be working toward it in some fashion we are we are I will tell you that I made this comment when we were at a a budget session to start off with coming into town. We have a lot of people that are wanting services. You made the comment about the police department. Our area that our police officers have to cover is huge. And the way the police department is now, there are times when there's not but one officer on duty by themselves because they don't have the officers because they can't take time off and the the scheduling. We need the officers. We need the HR person. All the things that are in this budget are things that we need to provide the services that this town needs to move forward. If we get commercial, we wouldn't have the officers to cover. If we don't do what we need to do now so that next year, we won't have to worry about this. We'll have the I know chief is never going to be satisfied with the officers he's got. He's always going to want more. So, we're going to have to come to a point and say, "Okay, chief, you're going to have to deal with it." But we need to put in place the services that our citizens need so we can move forward. Our utility department needs stuff. They need equipment. They can't do the work they need to do without the equipment. Our planning department needs the equipment that she needs to do

zoning and stuff out in the field. Nothing in this budget is in excess. It is items that are needed. Do I want to spend this money? No. My taxes went up like everybody else's and I've got four tracks of land. So, I'm paying it through the Yeah. But I don't have a choice because I love the town of Wilson Mills and we need to move forward. We don't need to move backwards. That's my four sense. Anyone else? Move on. I I don't I don't want anybody to think that I'm just just picking out the the police department. I mean, that's our biggest our biggest well under the other than administration. I mean it is it's the biggest department but you know and and I said I mentioned about the police department but if you go through the if you go through the other and we'll just we'll just say you know positions I mean our our staff and I was really surprised that that how close we are in pay to u to other towns. um and even exceeding um other other towns. So, you know, I mean, just stuff that that that I pulled up off the internet that that I was a little little surprised at. But, you know, we can we can either put some money back and um and and save a little bit because you see we got we got this amount of money coming in, we got the same amount of money going out. But uh that's that that's just that that's just what I'm what I'm thinking. You have to have a balanced budget and that's what it is. It's a balanced budget. That doesn't mean that all these line items are going to be used during the year, but you have to have a balanced budget. Anyone

else? Okay. I'm going to close the public hearing and ask for a vote on the the budget ordinance. I make a motion we approve the fiscal year 25 uh 2025 2026 um budget as presented. Have a motion. We'll second. Motion was made by Councilman McGawan, seconded by Mayor Proam Triet. Any more discussion? All in favor? All opposed? Okay. State your name if you're opposed. You don't have a vote, dear. Thank you. Okay. Our next public hearing is an ordinance to amend the zoning for Wilson Company LLC partial 17K 0802 6 J Good evening. Good

evening. This parcel was inadvertently zoned mixed use and single family residential 2 when the unified development ordinance was adopted in December 2019. It should have been industrial due to the nature of the business that has been on the property since the early 1970s when the reszone process began. This time there were four parcels and during the process they've recombined all four into one. Um I have gone through the old records and found the old zoning map. And it did cut the date off of this map. I apologize for that. But it is showing where it was zoned industrial at the time the new UDO was put in place. So it should have stayed industrial because of the business that was on it at that time. I also have a copy of the permitted uses chart out of the UDO so you can look at and see exactly what industrial would cover

on that map that is dated in 2017 that is showing what those parcels were zoned when the UDO process was originally started. When the process took place in December of 2019, the gentleman that was taking care of all of this for us should have left that as industrial instead of changing it. When he changed it, he actually created nonconforming in our town. This is absolutely no fault of the owner. All of this comes back down to an inverted error during the UDO process. The planning board has heard this same information and their recommendation was for approval of the reszone and for it to be sent to town council for a vote. The town's planning department recommendation is for approval of the reszone back to industrial. So, the town council action needed tonight is either make a motion to approve the reszone of 688 Main Street, parcel 17K 08026J from mixed use and single family residential to industrial or to make a motion to deny the reszone of 688 Main Street parcel IDs 17K 08026J from mixed use and single family residential to

industrial. Mr. Wilson, the owner of the property, could not be here tonight. I'm sorry. I can tell you, he asked me to pass along to you that they have no plans for any changes on that property at this time. And that is relaying a message from him. That That's not my words. Which Mr. Wilson? Uh, Peter Wilson. Was Was Peter mayor when this happened? No. Okay. All right. I thought he he should have should have probably when you said when when when you said Are you done? I'm sorry. Yes. Okay. Um, when you said um they combine all the parcels in who who is they? Peter is training his son Harry to take over some of the family business items. And that is one of the things that he was training him on. And so Harry did the majority of the paperwork for this. Once we discovered there was a problem and we contacted him. Harry is the one that I had more contact with to get what we needed to do the make this process happen. Yeah. I'm I'm just I so I just want to make sure I understand it. So the what I known I know all what I've always known is the the gas and oil company where it is now that to me that was that's one part but but you said they combined all parcels into one. So that tells at some point it was separated out if they combined them together. So who is they that combined them together and and and what did they bind together? Okay, Harry and Peter Wilson are the ones that did the recombination to combine them together. And if you look at the map on the first page of this right here,

um you see the blue dotted lines that are inside the red, that's what those parcels were. There's also been a change. There was um Mr. Kenny Jones and Mr. Wilson worked out a property exchange to try to fix some lines, straighten some things up, tidy it up a little bit. That's what that extra line is for. So, they move lines to straighten things out. And then the ones to the right are the ones that were originally zoned mixed use. And the larger one in behind are is the one that was zoned single family residential back in 2019. Where were all four at in 2019 zoned the same? Yes, sir. I brought that map if and that's also what I gave you. I gave you a copy of an excerpt from that map. I circled it in red where those parcels were and that they're all colored the purple and I also put the grid on the bottom so you would know that that color is industrial. So technically the mistake is on their part. Yes sir. And not the propert not the property owner's fault. Yes sir. Okay. Thank you. Miss Wendy, how many how many folks are here tonight that you know of that are in here because of this reclassification? Kenny Jones. Okay. Could we hear is it is it possible to hear from Mr. Jones as to what his um reasons are to oppose this briefly, Kenny, if you please. No, I understand that. I'm just

Okay. I pulled up the parcel that we're talking about, the 2.13 acres, and the partial number I pulled up was 17 KO8026C that came up residential. That part I lived behind that in front of that parcel of land for 22 years. Jimbo Oel bought that land from a Noble Thomasson. He put a tower on it. That tower has been there 55 years. is growed up now. Mr. Wilson called me and said, "Mr. Jones, your building, my utility building was over on him 8 feet." He wanted me to move my building. I said, "Well, I'll just buy the 8 ft." He said, "No, I don't say to 8t." He said, "What I don't do is swap some land." So, his son approached me and he said that he wanted to swap me 20 feet at the front so he'd have an easement to that property. And I said, 'What are you going to do with it? He said, I'm in the landscaping business and I'm looking at putting my landscaping stuff back there. Well, landscaping does not require a zoning of industrial. And the property that you've got there that he's talking about of 2.13 acres has always been residential. It would. If you'll go look at the fence, the permanent fence that Alec and Peter put up on it, subdivided that property out. Carl Junior Parish's garden was at the front. They bought it. They bought part of the uh West House that used to be behind it. That left them 40 ft between me and my grandmother's house. That went all the way back to the corner. He didn't have no access to that property because of the way the property lines and him and Alec fenced it off. So to make a long story short, I've got five residential homes that back up to

that property. Really, if we'd had planning and zoning in this town when the LP tanks came, which are about 200 feet in front of the Advent Christian Church, they would have never been put there because it's a hazard. And if you go and reszone this 2.13 acres that joins it, it's going to be a larger hazard there for the town. You're making it grow because it it when it started off, it was a community store and now it's nothing but bulk storage. That's all it is. Store shut down. They bring in the gas at night and they bob pill it out during the daytime to customers. That's all it is. Mr. Mr. Jones, if I could interrupt for one, it's me over here. Kenny. Kenny up here. A question I have real quick. Not to I'm sorry to interrupt. Is your objection to it the the nature of the uh the gas? Yeah, the nature of the gas is a hazard. Am I Am I correct? Is it LP gas? Liqufied natural gas? It's LP gas. So my I'm just throwing this out. If something should disastrously happen to the property as we see it right now where the gas is stored, even without the reasonzoning, just leave it as it is. If something disastrous should happen there, it would clear off Wilson's Mills off half the map. Correct. Yes, sir. So, by adding this other parcel to it, it just ensures that the whole town would be wiped as opposed to half. In other words, what I'm saying is it's a disaster either way whether we whether we allow it. and he puts more vault storage back there and something happens versus leaving it like it is. It's a disaster either way. It's a disaster, but what you're doing is you're making it larger. If you reszone to 2.13 acres, he can go back there and he can put a storage facility of 30,000 gallons. Right. But but if we if we if

we deny I mean if we if we deny it and something happens to his LP gas as it's currently zoned and you're going to have a problem. Yeah. It would make all of this rather like a moot point. It would. It would. So whether it's a moot plus or just a moot point, right? You see what I'm getting at? Yeah. I know that the thing I'm getting at too is with it, if you reszone it to industrial, the houses that I got backing up to it with five houses, five different piece of property, you're going to my uh value of my property is going to come down. I would I don't think you'd want to sit on your back porch and grill a steak and be able to see LP gas tank sitting behind your backyard. Is it is it seeing it? Is it the visual or is it Yes, sir. What what if what if he were to say he would put up a vegetation buffer so you can't see it? Well, I still think you got a problem with it and it and it's still going to depreciate my property all the way around. My my property when it backs up over half of his property line. Mayor and council, um I would add to that because this is a general reasonzoning, you cannot add conditions. Um, there may be conditions in your UDO that would apply to this use that might provide buffering. Um, but you cannot add them as part of this vote. Well, the thing I read here, let me just read this to you. This is your industrial zoning. what you got when I pulled it up. It says industrial zoning is to establish to provide location for industrial use that due to the scale of the building on and of the nature of the use cannot be integrated into the community. Used within the industrial district are buffer from adjacent uses. The dominant use in this district are manufacturing, warehouse storage, smallcale manufacturing and storage that is compatible with less intensive use. should be located other than in a residential area or mixed use district.

The industrial district is reserved for use which requires very large buildings and or large parking and loading facilities. That's petroleum offload and onload. So what you're doing is excuse me. Yeah, it's been it's been on the it's been on the the main site that was uzzle operated. No, but if you if you increase the zoning to the 2.13 acres, you're making it larger. That's what I'm saying. And you're backing it up in a residential district. And I don't think a residential district is where you need to put it. And the other thing you're asking people to do in this community is support your budget. And if I've got to support it and you're going to depreciate my property, you know, that's a difference, too. But I I just think I just think you make a mistake if you go reszone it for you, Kenny. Kenny. Kenny, I got a question for you. Now you you contradicted what Miss Olm said. Miss Olm said that in the 2019 when when the UDO was redone and the person [Music] uh did put it the wrong thing that those four parcels at that time were the same. But now he's saying that in 2019 part of those that that parcel was residential. I pulled or before 2019. Did you pull up the parcels before 2019? I last week.

I'm talking about what they were zoned in 2019. I didn't pull up that. I But listen, I lived there for 22 years. if the reasonzoning was going to change, somebody should have sent me a letter. Don't you think so? And I contacted the planning board and the planning board told me that they haven't even met on this. Well, I have a little bit of a problem with the back part of it being reszoned. But the part where the tanks are now should be reszoned to what they originally were. That's industrial. You're not going to be able to change that. Now, the only thing if they're going to combine all that together, then my question is there's uh we're going to have to vote on everything based upon it all together. And we can't take away the industrial for that part that's there with the tanks. According to the letter I got, that is already supposed to be zone mixed use. That's why it's zoned now, isn't it? Yeah. Mixed use. Yeah. But what it was, what was it? Zoned before 2019. When the UDO was before the UDO was adopted in December of 2019, all four parcels were zoned industrial. You all have a copy of that map. And this right here is what they're looking at right here. This is the four parcels here. And that purple is number. It used to be four different parcels. They combined it all into one parcel. But what they combined into one parcel is that purple blob right there because that purple blob back here at the back was

not at the front to start with. It was in 2017 when this zoning map was printed. that was zoned industrial per Johnston County and Wilson's Mills. I didn't get anything there and I was still living there. It touched my property. Well, in 2019, we didn't have to send out individual letters. It was advertised that we were redoing the UDO and that the zoning classifications were being changed. That was advertised. That's what's required by law in in 2019. If you did a largecale update of your zoning map, you would not have been required to send individual notices to property owners. It would have been as you've mentioned a just a newspaper publication or website publication with that uh the whole the entire town map whe whether individual parcels changed or not if you were doing a wide widescale update. So I I think what plan if I understand the plan of director correctly really what you're doing is I guess you can call it a reszoning but it's really a correction of an inadvertent mistake that was was made by the consultant preparing the zoning map. The property was never requested by the property owner to be reszoned or intended to be reszoned by by the town. What did it have to be done with power? That's what's on it right now. I can't speak historically for the property sir. Apologize. Whatever whatever the zoning was for the tower, that's what it was put up. I don't know when it was changed because I didn't get anything. I live there 22 years. It it's it's possible if that is an older tower, the tower predates adoption of a zoning ordinance for the area. Probably predates zoning ordinance. I still think it needs to stay excused rather than go back and expand. You know, I think we expand it

have some liability to get it down the road. So Wendy, so I I just I'm I'm still trying to process here because I know what I've seen all my life, but that that's irrelevant to what's on paper. Um, so you're you're telling me that at one point there was four this this purple area, this purple area kind of looks like a Tetris thing. Tetris. But um all those were originally four properties. Yeah. And and Peter and Harry decided instead of having four properties, they were just going to combine it into one property. Yes. Prior to coming to you, they they had combined it prior to coming to you. When they came to me about the recombination is when we discovered that it they had been inadvertently zoned. Yeah. Here's what I'm trying to here. If if I take just what the property is, just what the propane company's on right now, the cleared area. Let's say that's parcel one. Two, three, and four. Let's say it's the wooded area that I'm looking at on on on my note on my thing. So So you're telling me that that parcel one? Yeah, I I I can see where we we would have to reszone that to make it compliant. But you're telling me that two, three, and four that are in wooded area was originally zoned the same industrial and not residential. It wasn't mixed use. No. Even though it was three separate other properties, right? So they were all they were all all of them were uh Yeah. Commercial industrial. Industrial. Yeah. And just to make sure, um, industrial, if I understand it, you can put anything and everything you want

to on there. Correct. Will you have the permitted uses chart in front of you that that'll that tells you what can and can't be put on industrial? Yeah. I interject something on par. Yes. Partial number one, I've got it pulled up here. It was where the original oil company was at. That was a oil company. The parcel that is labeled beside that, and I think it's labeled one, was called Junior Parish's Garden. Okay. Number three was the parcel back behind it where the fire department used to park its truck before we ever build a building to put it in. This little piece over here on the side is parcel number four. That's where the uh West House used to be, right? My grandmother's that was bought by Mr. uzle and ended up when Mr. Ozel sold out to the Wilson's that was part of partial four. This parcel back here is entirely different from that right there from that parcel. It doesn't it joins it but it comes to the back of it because from my grandmother's door, Mr. Oel sold my daddy six feet so my grandmother's relatives could park the car on the piece of property. And then when I built that building over there, I asked Mr. Wilson about it, both of them, Alec and Jim, because at that time I worked with them for two years. I said, "You want to sell me the six feet?" So I moved the building over some. He said, "It land's not worth a flip. Just go ahead and put your building." That was my mistake. That was my mistake. So I put the building in there. But that property is separate from this property back here. It's always been separate. But

but they were zoned the same even when they were separate parcels. I I would just I would just caution us. Um we we have had discrepancies with county maps before among this council in So are we 100% positive? Yes, because I found the map and I also called GIS and asked my contact over there to double check it because I can't see what past zoning was. When you pull up GIS, you can only see what the zoning is right now. You can't go back in time to see what it used to be, but GIS can. They can see that. Yes, you have to be present at the planning board meetings to have input into what the planning board does. Again, you have to be present at the planning board meetings to be able to have input into what the planning board takes action on. Yes. Question. You're saying that Peter and Peter's son is saying that right now there is no plans to do anything to this land other than what it is sitting at right now. Not clearing it, not doing anything. My question is when if they decide to do

something, is there certain things that you can ask them to do? And if it's zoned industrial, unless it requires a special use permit. Now, if it requires a special use permit, yes, they would have to come back to us. Well, would would correct, Mr. Pridton? That that is correct. And and I just also remind council that for the purposes of a reasonzoning, you have to consider not just the current use, but any allowable use in that particular zoning district. All right. So, if they decide to add, let's say, another tower, not another would that be a special use permit? It would depend on what kind of tower it like the ones they got now where they got the LP tank. The one that's up there now doesn't require a special use permit. If they were to go much larger than that, they would have to they if they put in one of those big tanks, would they have to have a special use permit for that? On the new parcel? Yes. Mr. Pridton, that would be a question for you. If they decided to put another distribution tank on the new parcel, but not the new parcel, but that back parcel, would they need a special use permit to place that tank back there since it's new? Even though it's zoned industrial because our petroleum does require special use permits. Do they have an existing special use permit for the site? No, it was established prior to special use permits and zoning coming into play for the town. I'm It's hard for me to say without looking at your ordinance. I think it is possible that they could you could require them a to have a special use permit since it would be an expansion. I

can't say that with certainty. I'd have to review your ordinance, but that is a possibility. Okay. I have the larger map if anyone would like to see it. That may bring the conglomeration more into focus for So here I'll turn I I have a problem um because of where it's located with more tanks being put there. Um, I have a problem with the way it looks, period, because it looks like a junk yard to start off with. So, I have a problem with this. I know we need to correct it somehow. I know we need to put it and if we correct it, it's going to be the whole track because they've combined it together and we need to put it industrial because it needs to be corrected. But I have a problem with that backtrack being industrial. But I don't see any other way to do it now that they've combined all four of them. Well, I I let me just say this, mayor. I I think it, you know, might have been a little little little more courteous before they had to combine the tracks to get with our plan, folks. So, with that said, I I you know, and you're right, it it does does look look bad. Um, but I'm looking at it more from a life life safety point of view. You know, hindsight's always 2020 and we didn't know then what we know

now, but we've we we've approved a lot of residents around that area. So, I don't know that that I could agree to reszone this because of a of a life safety issue with with LP storage as many homes as we've put put in just on what's there. Now, I can't ask what they're going to put there or speculate that counselor. I know that. But based on what's there, I just don't know that I can vote to reszone this based on uh uh the safety issues of of it. But we're not really voting to reszone it. We are voting to correct our UDO. It is an error in our UDO. Well, I stand by my words. I know. I know. And and that that's where I'm having the problem because we we need to correct it. And as council, we have that right. Yes. To yay or nay it. But if I asked this question, Wendy, if we do not approve this and we keep the UDO as it is, this is going to be a non-conforming, right? And it would mean that he could not expand it or anything. Is this correct? It would be a non-conforming use. He would not be able to expand it. And if the use ceased for I'm not sure which ordinance requires probably 120 180 days, it would not be able lose that that use as well.

Main 7 off the road main street. Okay. Okay. We have property that adjoins that also. And I am concerned about the devaluation. Same as Kenny. And I do have a question. Wilson's big building over there. Is that industrial or commercial? What is that? The truck depot. Well, you know what that looks like. Okay, that should be enough right there. So, um, no, I object to it. Is there anyone that's here who is for the the reasonzoning? I'd sure love to hear from somebody if they're here. Okay. Counselor, what are the odds we're looking at a lawsuit if we don't do this? That's tough to say, I know, but I just like your off the record opinion. Very well. I know I pretty much I can read between the lines on that. Yeah, your turn. You go ahead. Options this evening. Um, you could vote for it, you could vote against it. I suppose they could send it back to the planning board and staff for further review. Not sure if that would move the needle, but if there's any additional consideration to be given. Um, I suppose that would be an option, but I'm not sure that it would it could go resolve the matter. Yeah, it could go either way. I'm not sure sending it back

to planning board would help it any. Um, we can't put conditions on it, so there's really nothing more that the planning board can change. Um, it would it be important for the board to know the answer to the special use permit requirement that we discussed earlier? Piece of property like this carry two zonings. a zoning for the front and a zoning for the back. I've seen it. I've seen properties that way commercial. You do see it. But I I think the law, if I remember correctly, the law has changed that you can't do that now. But you do see some historically that that were have ended up that way. Yeah. But I don't think you can from this point forward zone something two different uses even though that they weren't combined to start with. That's correct. Yes sir. I look at the whole thing very simply. A mistake was made and uh the owner wants it rectified and it was not the fault of the owner where the mistake was made. We can throw a lot of different things in there. Whether they're they're storing LP gas or or used cars, it doesn't matter. As far as the the the appearance goes, I I understand, ma'am, and I'm I I fully sympathize with you talking about the the street appearance, but I I just think it's a basic issue. We made a Somebody in the in the past administration's made a mistake. It's got to be fixed.

So, if if he would I'm sorry, y'all. When that one's on, this one acts up. Um, if he were to add addition, then that would have to come before us for a special use permit. If that's the case, then I don't mind correcting the zoning because that mean he any facilities back there, the council would have to approve it. That what it would mean? Yes, ma'am. I believe that is correct. Um, and for a special use permit, um, in addition to whatever specific requirements you have in your UDO for that type of business, um, you would have to look at life safety issues, uh, impact on property values, impact on traffic, etc. question, Wendy, is that are the Wilsons absolutely positively uh sell combining all these into one property? Yeah, but I mean, could they they divide them again? They could divide them again, but I did just find an answer to the special use question in our UDO. Even though it may be zoned industrial, if they decide to put anything petroleum on that other property, it has to come back as a special use permit. They could not do it without it coming before the council and the council approving it. And and but then once it comes back to this council for a special use permit, then we're probably going to be told, well, it's in the UDO now, so you got to prove it. if they've crossed tees and dotted eyes. I mean, special use permits are more at the discretion of the council.

Yes, sir. You you can add conditions to special use permits as long as they're agreed to by the applicant. Um, but in a certain sense, yes. Uh, Councilman Brown, you're correct that if they meet the criteria of your UDL apply for special use permit, you have to approve it unless you make those findings that I mentioned earlier that if there's substantial evidence provided that it is a true life safety issue, you may be able to deny it. So, but it would be a different review process to expand that business use. And if it were to go back to a special use permit, the um contiguous land owners would be notified that there was a special use permit hearing coming up. So, they would have the opportunity to come like they have tonight to voice their opinions and concerns. Okay. Um I'll just say my last little piece. I'm I'm uh I'm conflicted with the back part, but we have to correct the front part there. But since we've got to correct the front part and the back parts been put with it, I don't see any way that we can't do it. Thank goodness we're going to be able to if they decide they want to do something, we thank goodness they're going to have to come back to us for a special use permit. You know, I'm not happy with what I'm going to have to do. But uh with the idea that we can we can make it a where they have to come back to us and I'm totally against putting more tanks out there. Totally. I would never vote for that unless I was forced to. But in terms of making it the way the way it should be, I'm going to have to vote yes. So I'm going to make a motion. Okay. Before you before you close the public

hearing, it's not just LP. Now, that could be a a battery distribution plant. It could be a battery assembling plant. It could be a cyanide, whatever. I mean, it can be any multiples of things. Now, now they'd have to do a special use probably, but still, I mean, we we got to make sure that that Well, I mean, I got to make sure that that that it's not just limited to what's there now. is what's there now because that's what we see every day. But it could be any number of these things in this list. That that is correct. Uh but that's not what I'm going to base my my my vote on there. Council that they would they would have to I think eliminate the current use to do that. They couldn't have two different uses. Now that they've combined it as one parcel, you couldn't have an LP business and a battery factory or anything. So, uh, they would have to completely revamp what they're doing out there. Okay, you got that one off. Okay. Any more discussion? Any more comments? Okay, I'm closing the public hearing. I'll make a motion that we approve the reszoning to industrial for that. I don't have the uh partial 17 K08026J. and the reason is reasonable and

consistent with the deal. Yeah, with Okay, we have a motion. Councilman Triet made the motion. Councilman Jernigan second it. All in favor? All opposed? Our third public hearing is an ordinance to extend the corporate limits for Strickland Road Developments LLC partial ID [Music] 17J070228. And this is the partial on Strickland Road. Anyone wishing I'm open at the public hearing. Anyone wishing to come forward and speak? Wendy, do you have any comments on this? Okay. State your name and you enter it. Uh, good evening. Uh, my name is Rob Bailey. Um, RNR Development Group, uh, 1611 Jones Franklin Road. Um, I'm the applicant and thanks for your consideration this evening. If you all have any questions for me, a question. Oh, I'm

sorry. I don't know what's wrong with these mics tonight, but they're sure not together. Okay. The last time we were looking at this, y'all were uh looking at putting an entrance on Swift Creek Road. Is that still part of the plan? Yes, ma'am. Uh we worked out uh details. We actually already have our driveway permit. Um so we have a connection uh on Swift Creek Road as well. That that'll be the main entrance. And then we also have Is that Is that going to require turn lane? Yes, ma'am. And that's going to be um right there in that valley right across from the wildlife pond somewhere. Yeah, we're putting some uh guard rails up at the that stream crossing, right? Um and then uh we have a del lane and a left left turn lane and a del lane going. So you you're going to have a a a lane for both ways is what you're saying. Yes, ma'am. because that was a concern because it's down in a valley hill on both sides. Yes. Uh and that was one of the reasons we're we're having to wide the taper a little bit at that culvert. Um and so uh DOT is requiring us to put in a a safety rail. Right. Okay. Yes, ma'am. So, um, when, um, so when you're coming from the airport down Swift Creek Road and I'm getting ready to if I'm getting ready to go down the hill, y'all cut a path in there. There is a path in there. I don't know if you guys cut it or not. Uh, we did we did do some drilling for some rock. Um, but I was out there earlier. There there's a power line that goes through there, right? So it may that may be what you're looking at. Well, no, this is freshly cut. Okay. Yeah, it it's

So tell Wendy might you might might be able to help me on this. Understand this. Is that about where the drive his driveway he's talking about is going to come out. I'm going to tell you and I know you want to develop. People going to die there. When you come over that hill, you can't see anything. I you can have 14 deceleration and acceleration lanes. And I know when I brought this up last time, DOT approved it, but they approve it about like they approved traffic counts with just their toes. Some people's going to die there coming in and out of their home because you cannot see coming over that hill, going down that hill. When you go up the hill, I have enough harder time coming out of my drive, my street, because when you come up the hill, you can't see anybody coming up the hill. I just I'll say it again. It was not well thought out. Not by you guys. DOT has to prove that. We've we've gone back and forth and I've been very vocal about DOT, but it it it just I know that it's not going to be a safe place. U you you're going to have an other an entrance on Strickland Road. Uh yes, ma'am. Yes. Are you going to just have one? Uh that's correct. We have the two access points and we we have some stub streets uh for future connection uh to the guess the northwest. Stan, I'm not saying you guys I just can't, you know, I don't know why DOT didn't think it through because you guys are develop. I mean, you know, you're develop um but I just, you know, I don't know why DOT would would approve something like something like that. I

just don't get it. We we are and I get the point the uh you're you're more concerned about somebody coming out taking a left coming back towards town than you are necessarily somebody pulling over take a left. Yeah. They come when they come over the hill coming from the airport, they're going to probably get in a turning lane to turn left into the subdivision. So when they turn left to get into that subdivision, now you if somebody's coming out, their view is is obscured already by heel and now by a car. But that, you know, I'm just I'm just I'm just thinking this and saying the same thing that I said when we when we could come before this council before. It's just I mean it's just it's it's going people going to die going and coming from home. Well, there's another there's another in and out. So they'll probably use the one on stricken road. Well, that's that's that's but the main one's going to be on on on Swift Creek. I mean, down down the street from Strickland, you know, they got one they got two, but they got a gate that says emergency use only or they did have the gate across there. So, it's not it's not a it's not a real entrance. And next, this will be on this, but it's going to be Will it? Yeah. Will will that one on Strickland Road be just like the one on Swift Creek Road or will there just be a street because you got to have two an entrance in an exit? Well, the the the street the connection that we're building is going to be uh built the exact same. What is uh but we're not we're not required to put any turn lanes or strict but it it's going to be a in and out. So most if I were living there that's where I would go in and out. I would go It'll be it'll be a full service uh entrance. Yeah, but ju but just remember the the main entrance has to have turning lanes down the street from down the road from down Strickland Road. They had it put in

turning lanes. That's not a a entrance and an exit. Yeah. The mailboxes are going to be closer to the entrance and exit probably everything else in the development. So that's not going to be I mean unless people just decide to use it and then they're I don't know. Well, something I can uh offer up uh is now that it's incorporated into the town limits, um we could uh discuss a a speed reduction through there. Um and you know, that's something if I had support from the town I would need as well, but I could work on trying to get a uh get the speed reduced. Yeah, it goes through DOT. They'll probably gonna say absolutely not. Let's raise it to 55. Does Does anyone else wish to speak? Do you have any more questions for him? Any more com Thank you. Anyone else wishing to a comment? Wendy, do you have anything that that you need to Okay, have any more questions? Okay, I close the public hearing and ask for a vote or a motion. Sorry. Yeah, I'm supposed to ask for a motion. Make a motion that we extend the corporate RI limit Strickland Road

Developers LLC partial ID 17J070228. Motion. Motion made by Mayor Pro Tim Triet, seconded by Councilman Jernigan. All anybody else have any more questions? All in favor? All opposed. At this time, I'm going to open the first open forum. Anyone wishing to speak for council, please come forward, state your name, address, and limit your comments to three minutes. No one wishing to come forward. I closed the open forum at 7:58. Council, I'm going to ask for a brief recess. We will we will come back in about five minutes.

I I had to have a break and I'm I'm okay. Uh we're at regular business. my comments. Um Lyanna and I attended the League of Municipality conference and I will tell you this, I had some very very good sessions. Um learned some things that some of the other municipalities are doing as far as zoning is concerned that if it comes to Wilson Mills, y'all will be standing on your head. uh they're trying to change zoning and planning and it's not good. Um so we need to the the resolution that we passed. We need to be sure that Wendy stays on top of what the legislature is doing so that we will know where we stand as far as our UDO is concerned because if some of the things that the general assembly are trying to pass goes through, we will have to revamp our whole planning department. Yes, you can give us an update if you have one. I'll cut my mic. I did look on the website that I keep a check on each day and I checked it late this afternoon. There's in order for the bills to actually get to a point of vote, they have to go from Senate to House or House to Senate and we only have one that has done that so far and it's not 765 that we were so worried about. That one got kicked back to one of the committees. Um, I didn't have a chance to read why, but it didn't move

forward. The one that did get pushed through is the one doing away with ETJs. So, we need to make sure we keep an eye on that as well, but that's the only one that has crossed both of them. That could potentially come up for a vote. for you. The doing away with ETJs, would that mean that all ETJs would be gone? Yes, ma'am. Okay. And that's the one that's made crossover and they're going to vote. That's the one that's already crossed over that could is more likely to go for a vote at this point. And and I think she's right. And I think because ETJ just think about in just Johnston camp just what we've discussed in this council that is very likely to be a pushing factor for them to pass. So that's the reason that Wendy from my point of view and I can't speak for nobody else. You need to be very very aggressive on expansion so that we can stop growth like I've been from crossing over like I've been talking about for years since I've been on this thing. We have to be aggressive. So anywhere sliver you see is that wise. Let's learn from our neighbors and do something. Is our senator for this or against it? I didn't look that far. I didn't have enough time to look that far this afternoon. I just saw that it had had moved over. Um to further my comments, we uh the mayors have a meeting this month to uh reviewing some stuff before with the county on the uh sewer and water infrastructure stuff that we've been

talking about. Um and I will keep y'all informed on how that moves forward. Um Lyanna and I are going to a um awards ceremony for the Triangle East Chamber of Commerce next week. So uh we will update you on that on what's going on with the chamber. The chamber did come and make a presentation to Lyanna and I and we'll get that information to you by next meeting or probably at the work session. Yeah, I think that's where we said we're going to do that. So, I am trying to stay up on everything and and and do the best I can with what's there's a lot going on in the county and there's a lot going on that that we need to stay up on. So, um Wendy, thank you for your help on that and that's all I have. So, it's okay. The first item on under town administrator is to call a public hearing for annexation of this parcel and it's in your packet the petition and a map showing where this parcel is located. This is just a call for the public hearing next month. The first item is to adopt the resolution which directs the clerk to investigate this petition. Don't need a um motion in approval of that. Move. Motion made by Councilman Jernigan, second by Councilwoman Dobin to approve the resolution directing the clerk to investigate petition of annexation of CCF Gordon Road LLC partial ID05105021E. Any

questions? All in favor? Okay. And then directly behind that, you've got the certificate of sufficiency. So the petition was signed by the owners, which is the president secretary of CCF's Gordon Road LLC. And so next would be the resolution to call the public hearing for next month's meeting on June 16th. Second. Motion made to uh call a public hearing on the annexation of CCF Gordon Road LLC partial ID051 05021E. Motion made by Councilman Brown. Seconded by Councilman Jernigan. All in favor? Okay. I didn't put the date. Public hearing will be June the 16th, 2025. Um, and not on the agenda, but a couple of updates from from different projects going on. Um, the dog park is well underway. The the new fence looks fantastic. The mulch is going to be delivered the end of this week. Is that correct, Wendy? Is that what you told me earlier? End of this week. You call the mulch tomorrow. Okay, even better. See them. Um, and then the the gates were put on, but we the dogs can't go in there yet till the mulch is down. But then the the fence looks fantastic. Yes, it does. I think it looks great. Yeah. Um, and they did pour the front area, which will allow the dog park to be ADA accessible. The parking lot is going in. They should be should have all of that finished by the end of next week. And excuse me, they also poured concrete pads on each

side of the shelter for um chalk drawings because we have had an issue with kids drawing with chalk underneath the shelter and then it's very hard for that to wash off because the rain doesn't get to it and it has to be cleaned. So, these are outside of the shelter and public works is also building some little um houses by the concrete pad that will chalk and different stuff they do for sidewalk chalk. I'm not really sure, but we've actually had some donations for that already from some people in town. So, on the on the dog park, do we have any idea of the uh the the grand opening and dedication and associated signage? The well, the the sign is being bid out right now. So, as soon as we know when we could get a sign installed, I don't want to do the dedication until the sign is up. So, we're hoping that it'll probably be in the dog heat middle of the summer, but we will we'll make it short. What kind of sign are we putting up? Um, it's going to be a lot like the sign that's at the police department right now. Okay. And it'll be in front of or right there by the corner of the fence. So, as you come in or when you're going down the road, you should be able to see the sign. Um, as far as the crossroads of Fire Department Road and Wilson's Mills Road, we have tried a couple of times to contact the new owner of JD's. I don't know if all of you knew that it had been sold. Can you elaborate on that afterwards when you're done with your topic? I don't know who bought it and what else they own. Um, it's a corporation that is based in Goldsboro. I cannot pronounce the owner's name. Um, and the corporation, I don't have it with me, but DOT, our our DOT representative is actually from the

city of Goldsboro and is familiar with this corporation. So, they she is contacting them to talk to them about what plans they have for that intersection. And right now, oh, go ahead. Did did not the owners of uh JD's u Strickland did they also own the Mexican restaurant and the the car lot on the other corners the opposing corners? The corner with the Mexican restaurant they purchased that from them before all of Okay. Okay. So JD's is strictly JD's. Okay. I don't know what they did about transferring any of their other property over there. And the the property on the other corner which is the car lot is owned by the Wilsons. It's owned by Alec Wilson. that's known not owned by Southern. Um, so what do is looking at right now is a median across the long entrance to JD's so people just aren't coming out willy-nilly. Um, and then so that would create an absolute T intersection and then either they are looking at either a signal or a three-way stop. More than likely it will be a three-way stop. But they're also I want How can you have a three-way stop for the school there? That's what they're they're talking with the principal too about the traffic control here at the school so that it doesn't back up into that that three-way stop sign area. My suggestion to them was to look at look more favorably on a stoplight because a stoplight would allow traffic to stop and start at some point rather than it being a three-way stop where it's backed up around the corner. It if that's the main the main reason that they're contacting the new owners and that they wanted us to talk to the owners of that property was because of the median that would go across. Now, it's all going to be in DOT right away, but they're just not really in favor of going in and doing that without at least talking with the property owner first.

So, but I'll keep you updated on what they find out about that. And the last thing, good news, starting work on the renovations at town hall next Tuesday morning. And we got a schedule from them, from the the contractor. And right now they are slated to be doing some final inspections on that by November. Hopefully we can have our Christmas council meeting in our new chambers. Don't hold me to that. I have no control over it. That sounds good though. That's all I have. Mayor. Okay. Okay. Councilman comments. Anyone have anything they want to say? I was just going to ask Leanne if if if she had heard back from DOT on the interchange, Swift Creek and I42 interchange lighting. They were supposed to last meeting and I had forgotten about the interchange of Wilson's Mills Road and Fire Department road. So that's what I focused on since the last meeting. So um but but where we left that was that we needed to find out from them where they got their information about the traffic study. Is that correct? Yeah. I mean, you said they were going to do a traffic study. I mean, you know, but Well, they they did one already, but I think what you what you had asked where they got that information. Yeah. Yeah. But that's that's that's probably I'm sure that's old. That's from when they they've been working on I think five years. It's probably one they're going by. So what they what they did the last time when they gave us those traffic counts that I presented to you last time was they have to do an an estimation I guess of what they think it's going to be in the next 10 15 20 years. I don't have the the file with me. Do they talk to you? Do they talk to Wendy or they just come up with some arbitrary number and formula? That was arbitrary number formula. Yeah, that was

the question that we have is where they get that information. Well, it just looks like me. It'd be simple. What do you have in this area coming in? We know. Y'all know I can tell you that they're going to have an answer for us because they don't want to pay a million dollars for those lights either because it's going to be just $975,000 to light that area the way we're asking them to light it. Well, there there's there's intersections on on on interstates that don't have half the traffic that this one has that I've been making notes of. So, if they come back and say that that there's not enough traffic, um I'm I'm going to be mighty disappointed. Well, that is for them to pay for it. Now, remember when I presented the information to you last time, I gave you a picture of what the intersections were in Sanford and the T and the city of Sanford, city, town, whatever they are, paid for those. And we can talk with Duke Energy about lighting those ourselves, but we have to pay for them. They won't be the the million dollars that Yeah. won't be the interstate lighting. I mean, it won't be much less than that, but it's going to be I mean, we'd have to talk with Duke Energy about how much lighting like that would be. And it would light the area, but it's not going to be like the the interstate lighting that you see going through Charlotte on I 85, you know, if that makes sense. But I can find out where they get that information from. And then I can also get some pricing from Duke Energy because that's where we'd have to go through them to do it. I'm not interested in us paying for it. I mean, the the intersections that I've the interchanges that I've seen, there's not a town around to pay for it. There's not a what a town to around to pay for it. So, they had to fund it through the federal federal grant or whatever it is. But, you know, just I mean, just whatever. I

mean, any other questions for me. Okay, that's all I have. Mayor, anybody else has a comment? comments. Okay, I open our second open forum at 8:21. No one wishing to come forward. I close it at 8:22. Do I hear a motion that we six. Okay. Can we just stay where we are? Do we do we cut off the camera?