[Music] down. Hey [Music] Hey hey hey. [Music] and hey [Music] Hey oh Heat. Hey, heat. Hey, heat. Heat. Hey. Hey. Hey. [Music] Oh. Oh. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Ooh. Ooh. Ooh. [Music] Oh oh. [Music] [Music] Hey hey hey. [Music] Hey hey hey. Hey, hey, [Music] hey. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Hey. [Music] [Music] Hey. Heat. Heat. [Music] All right, everybody. Welcome to the public hearing. Public comment. Public comment. Sorry, I always get those words. Um we have 20 folks signed up tonight and as you know we um generally are just listening uh tonight. This is your time and uh three minutes each. So we will start with the signups and we have Olivia Cisneros. [Music] Hi. I I didn't know I was gonna be first. I'm a little nervous. Uh so yeah. Okay. Tell me when the clock starts, I guess. As soon as you start talking. Has it already started? No, it's still on three. Okay. Ready? All right. Um my name is Olivia Cisneros. I'm a resident of Brookside Drive. I'm here today to address the proposed bike lanes that are set to be implemented on our street this summer. While I understand you've already heard from myself and several of my neighbors regarding our concerns, I'm speaking on behalf of myself and six other households along Brookside to ask you to reconsider the current plan for bike lanes. At the March 18th council meeting, the transportation department presented a compromised proposal which included a cycle track for Con Elementary students to safely bike to and from school while also allowing for parking along Brookside for residents. We are asking that you take another look at this option. We feel that this plan offers a safe route for cyclists while also preserving the parking spaces that are essential for Brookside residents. While we are not opposed to bike lanes and fully support the idea of providing a safe and accessible route for cyclists, we believe that it's equally important to consider the needs of those who rely on street parking and drive cars. Removing all street parking parking on our street would create a hardship for many residents, especially those who do not have extended driveways. The current proposal seems to prioritize one group of users at the expense of another and we believe that a more balanced approach is needed. We believe decisions regarding our street should benefit everyone who uses it. The current proposal to remove to remove all street parking in favor of bike lanes creates an unfair situation for those of us who live here. We strongly feel that the compromised plan better serves the needs of both cyclists and residents alike. Um, I'm going to keep it short and you know, I appreciate all of y'all's time and I hope that we can continue this conversation and maybe come up with a solution that's going to work for everyone that uses Brookside. So, thank you for your time. Thank you, Mrs. Okay, next we have Ezekiel Snyder. Good evening. My name is Ezekiel Snyder. Um, I'm not only here as a representative of the Sunrise Movement, a climate action group, uh, but also as a citizen of Raleigh and a witness to the human, uh, the human toll of inaction. 700 375,000 is the number of households displaced by the effects of Hurricane Helen. an unprecedented disaster whose floods were largely exaggerated by humancaused climate change. That is nearly 80% of Raleigh's population. From the destruction of Hurricane Helen this fall to increasing rates of wildfires and heat waves, it is clear that climate change is not some faroff threat. It is here now and it is harming Raleigh residents. And yet in the face of this destruction and many other uh consequences of climate change, our city's climate goals still fall short. Our city council's climate action plan aims for an 80% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 20 2050. This is not leadership. This is a delay. As the capital of North Carolina, we have the opportunity to set an example for the rest of our state. Every year that we delay bold action, more lives are lost to rising temperatures, flooding, and air pollution. Vulnerable vulnerable communities pay the price for our inaction. Extreme heat is killing thousands every year. Flooding is swallowing homes and infrastructure. Air pollution is worsening asthma and heart disease. Climate action cannot wait. If our federal government is not going to stand up for us, we need Raleigh City Council to be our advocates. It is your responsibility to lead us to where our nation national leaders will not. Now is the time for action. Now is the time for you to be bold. We must commit to a Green New Deal, full decarbonization by uh 2040, public transit for everyone, and an elimination of food deserts in this city. That means not just cleaner electricity, but clean buildings, clean transportation, and resilient communities. We need public transit that is reliable, accessible, and prioritized, not just for climate sake, but for equity's sake. And finally, we need accessible, fresh produce in every single community of this city. We need visionary policies that work for the people of this city. City council, I urge you to be the leadership that we need. I urge you to commit to a Raleigh Green New Deal. I urge you to commit to bold action on climate change, to full decarbonization, to transforming our transit system. Thank you. All right. Uh, Miss Octavia Rainey. Good evening, council. I'm here to speak on a subject that is very dear to my h my heart. The housing appeals board. I have asked this council last year why the board of adjustment do not hear housing appeals case. The housing appeals board was merged with the board of adjustment but the board of adjustment have not heard one housing appeal case. To my understanding housing supposed to be important to the city of Raleigh, but obvious. You have a housing appeal board that was under the inspection department. When it was merged into neighborhood services, it went to the board of adjustment. When it went to the board of adjustment, it disappeared. Now, I want to ask three question. Do the housing do the board of adjustment know they supposed to hear housing appeals cases? Number two, are they trained to hear those cases? Number three, do the citizens of Raleigh know that they can go to the board of adjustment for for a housing appeals case? What is the problem? I asked y'all last year. Nobody got back with me. I followed the board of adjustment. It's one of my hobbies cuz I am a civil rights activist. To the mayor, you're talking about merging the boards. I would like to ask, don't merge the boards until you figure out what is going on with the board of adjustment. Where is the cases for the housing appeal? My last thing, I personally think, and I could be wrong, I don't think y'all should be hearing those cases that come before y'all to demolish them or not. I think those should go to the board of adjustment for the housing appeals board. Then they appeal. If they come up with a decision that they don't like, then they appeal that back to y'all. But right now, if the inspection department had the housing of appeals board, then you merged it with the board of adjustment. But you don't even ask, well, what is going on with the housing appeals board? Why y'all not hearing cases? Why y'all not doing that? Then there's something wrong with this problem or do you really care about housing in the city of Raleigh? Thank you, Miss Rainey. All right. Next, we have Jessica Turner. Okay. Um, hi, my name is Jessica Turner. I'm a resident um of Raleigh. I live in the Wakefield area, North Raleigh. Uh I am also a member of the Southeast Raleigh table, which is a congregation that is part of One Wake. And I am speaking today in support of uh One Wake's request to the city of Raleigh to increase funding for affordable housing as well as One Wake's uh as well as work with One Wake uh to meet its goal of building a thousand affordable homes and a thousand affordable apartments. Your support of these issues will directly address concerns that were raised by over 10,000 members of one wake institutions and surrounding communities during our recent grassroots listening campaign and petition drive uh last year. Specifically today, I'm speaking to show my support for the city of Raleigh to increase the affordable housing budget to $70 million per year and to identify 100 acres of land owned by the city of Raleigh. um in which one wake can build affordable housing communities. Moving forward, I encourage the council to closely coordinate with one wake on building at scale affordable housing. Um, additionally, I just want to acknowledge and thank uh the mayor, Janet Cowell, Stormmy Fort, as well as Jonathan Melton for agreeing uh to attend the Nehemiah development in New York City uh with One Wake Leaders. Um, and I'm hoping that when you all go on that visit, you'll be able to return with ideas of how we can build affordable housing here in our city as well. And thank you for your time. Thank you Miss Turner. Next, we have Huah Huang. Okay. Hannity Ali. Hadi Ali, you know when you're watching a movie and it's tugging at your heartstrings for the persons that are suffering? In this movie, it's Palestinians suffering from ethnic cleansing that has been going on since before 1948. More bombing than that of Hiroshima and this latest war in Gaza. I wrote a poem and it's called I'm Tired. I'm tired of the occupation of my homeland from its Zionistic inception in 1897. I'm tired of explaining how wrong aparthide is. Occupier occupied. Civil law, military law. I'm tired of feeling inner turmoil, but having to be normal for everyone to function. I'm tired that I lost my grandparents and a baby cousin in a bombing in 1967. I'm tired my mom has to run had to run away from her home to a cave because of threats they would be killed if they hadn't. I'm tired of the innocent souls, Israel's military, aparthide, colonial, imperialistic. Did I get them all? Zionist. I'm tired of tiptoeing around every Zionist. I want everyone who's a Zionist to come out and I want to know why they choose to be a Zionist. I'm tired of pe people trusting too much and not questioning things that obviously seem outrageous. Occupation and aparthide. Obviously outrageous. I'm tired of Apac and our bought out politicians. Almost all the Republicans, but let's not kid ourselves. The Democrats have a have been long ago paid off. Corey Booker picking and choosing minorities you want to you want to support. I'm tired of losing hope, but ultimately I think there are certain tests in life and I think this one seems like the most obvious test and a lot of people certainly seem like they're failing. How can we get you all to vote for a ceasefire? How can we get you all to call your representatives to stop sending our tax money to Israel, our weapons to Israel who's committing war crimes? Obviously, this is for the innocents on both sides. Anyone against the ceasefire obviously has an agenda. After 9/11, the propaganda against Islam was harsh. I did the research and it showed me that the context in which they tried to make Islam look evil was all false. When I read it for myself, I realized that a religion that speaks up against oppression and not taking that what's not yours is a religion that makes absolute sense to me because nothing is promised. And I will never think I'm above anyone else. Now, I'm asking you to question what you've been indoctrinated to think and research and investigate your religion yourself. It can't result in this being right on any level. One of my husband's friends asked his priest. He didn't know that Islam was an Abrahamic religion. By by God it is. This is what we mean by investigate and research yourself. Do not trust everything openly. Free Palestine and the occupation. Stop sending money to Israel. Thank you. All right. Next we have Misa Salari. Good evening. 15 paramedics workers. They dedicated their lives to saving others. March 23rd. They were shot at a close range. Some of them their hands tied and they they had they were buried in a mass grave. They were killed in a crossfire. They weren't collateral damage. They were executed. This is not a war. This is a massacre. Israel continues to break the international law, to target civilians, to destroy every lost corner of humanity left standing in Gaza. They bomb homes, the hospitals, schools, refugee camps, and paramedics. And they do know it. No one will stop them because the word has let them get away with it. Where's the outrage? Where is the investigations? Where's the justice? Doctors, nurses, paramedics protected on under the international law are hunted down and murdered and no one held accountable. We are not just failing for failing them. We are failing every principle that we claim to stand for. This was not just an attack on 15 individuals. This is attack on humanity. It was clear message. They can kill any life they want to do in Gaza. And unless we act, that message will keep spreading across borders, across time, across generations. We must demand accountability or real consequences. international investigations sanction prosecutions for war criminals and to have them and clap for them when they come to the White House. To the 15 medics who were executed, we say we saw you. We honor you and we will not forget you. To the people in power who stayed silent, we say your silence is violence. Your inaction is complicity. And the people around the world who still believe in justice, we say rise up. speak out, not to let their death be in the vain. History is watching and all will remember who stood by and who stood up. This um I'm going to because I'm not allowed to show you the video because they found a video of the paramedics. Uh uh one of the uh paramedics had it in his phone. So I'm going to let you hear the last moment uh he recorded. It's not working. Let me let me free Palestine and free Godzilla. Right. Thank you. Uh, Mama Kai Sanders. Good evening, y'all. It's another amazing day in paradise. Um, and a belated happy Monday to you because that's my personal favorite day of the week. Um, I am here. Um, but first of all, let me just thank you for your service and also for the service of our city staff. Um, just so greatly and deeply appreciate them. Every time I get a chance to go to a meeting that they're hosting or um, just even get to have a more in-depth conversation about them and their vision for the city, it is incredible the the capacity of um, the staff and their brilliance. So, I just want to say that whatever you have to do to get them paid well and paid better, I totally appreciate and recognize the challenge that that is at the same time. Um, I initially wanted to talk about the All-American City Award, but um there's an event this Saturday. Um, it's a community health fair that's held by Ranil Robinson. He's the executive director of the Giveback organization. Um, he's met with Corey. I know that. Um, I don't know if he's requested funding yet. Um, but I wanted to invite you. It's on Saturday, the Food Lion Plaza on Raleigh Boulevard. And he does this twice a year. Unfortunately, community, he did reach out to community engagement to see if they could bring the van, but they're not available either in the spring or in the fall. But it would be great if y'all could see what he does. And that's what just what he does as far as the community is um the community health fair. He also does like summer camp where he's bringing um children who don't have um who are who are less advantaged in providing them opportunities to learn STEM. Um and so he's doing a lot in the community. That would be incredible if y'all could recognize it. I don't know what the again the contingency funds or the discretionary funds. Um but if y'all could come and see what he's doing and perhaps help in the fall or help with one of the initiatives that he was doing he's doing. Um, I just want to celebrate him for doing that because I don't think it's something that he's recognized and um, he's been doing it for a long time now. And so we just need to spend um, a little bit more time recognizing those who are boots on the ground doing the work and are deserving of that recognition or partnership with the city, you know. And so that's I just wanted to share that with y'all. It's from I want to say it's from like 11 to 3. There's food, bouncy houses, lots of fun swag and stuff like that for um to take away, but a lot of good community organizations are there as well. About 50. Um and I also think that um there will be some organizations from Wake County that'll be there as well. Um I know they've been promoting it on their um through their newsletter. So, if any of y'all can make it and just see what he's doing and then present talk with him more in depth about what his organization needs so that he can get some some support, financial support for the students especially that he works with. It would be awesome. So, thank you all again and have a great night. Thank you, Miss Sanders. Uh, next, Chris Raali. ready. Good evening. I am Chris Ray, director of Littlemakers Academy right here in Raleigh. By a show of hands, who here has had a child in daycare, preschool, or a child care center? Keep your hand up if you remember how vital that care was, not just for your child's development, but so you could go to work, pursue education, or simply function day-to-day. Child care is the backbone of our economy and community. But it's cracking under pressure. At Littlemakers, we make it a point to hire very diversely. Our staff is from Afghanistan, the Congo, Morocco, Mexico, Peru, El Salvador, quite literally around the world. We had partnered with a federally funded program that provided English language tutoring for our staff. That program lost its funding due to federal cuts and everyone single one of their staff was laid off. That loss didn't just affect our team. It took away a vital resource for our growth connection and ultimately the quality of care for our children. We're also struggling with the ongoing voucher crisis in Wake County. There is a massive wait list for childare vouchers. Families who qualify cannot get in. That means they cannot afford care. Classrooms stay under enrolled and providers like me face impossible choices. Do we cut staff or do we cut quality? Meanwhile, the people doing this critical work, child care professionals are paid some of the lowest wages in any industry. Despite taking college courses, earning credentials, and completing hours upon hours of training, most have no health insurance, little if any paid leave, and no retirement plan. Yet, we expect them to teacher, nurture, guide social, emotional development, and keep kids safe every day. All this while families are paying more than college tuition for child care. The math doesn't work for anybody. Child care is not a luxury. It's an infrastructure. If we want a strong workforce, thriving families, and healthy communities, we have to invest in early care and education. Today, I invite every city council member and our mayor to visit my center. Come see what we do. Come meet the teachers who are shaping the next generation. See the love, learning, and labor that goes into every day. Sit with me so we can come up with solutions to the problems I've mentioned here. We're not just babysitting. We're building the future, and we need the support. Thank you, Alexis Andrews. [Music] Good evening, madame mayor, council members, guests, and residents of Wake County. It is truly a pleasure to stand before you today. My name is Alexis Andrews. I am a licensed clinical social worker as well as a fitness and wellness coach based in Raleigh, North Carolina. I am the proud owner of Youth First organization and Flex Fitness and Wellness Studios. Youth First is a faith-based organization dedicated to serving our community as a comprehensive resource. We strive to fulfill our mission through various efforts including providing meals for the homeless, organizing community events, running youth programs, and supporting families in need. Each year, Youth First host back to school bash bashes, clothing and shoe drives, fitness activities for all ages. We are deeply committed to advocating for at risk and behavioral youth, ensuring they have the opportunities they need to thrive. At Youth First, my mission is to provide healing guidance and advocacy for all youth, empowering them to become the best versions of themselves to achieve success in their in their endeavors. We offer a variety of affordable programs including summer camps, before and after school care, alternative learning programs, mentoringship programs, and the therapeutic activities focused on mental health and wellness, fitness, health, and wellness. Since 2020, you first has been actively engaged in the community achieving successful program outcomes each year. However, we are currently face facing significant challenges due to the lack of permanent location. Since 2022, Youth First and Flex Fitness have been renting spaces in churches to ensure effect effectiveness of our programs. As we continue to grow, the need for a more suitable and permanent location has been increasingly pressing. It is vital for both of our businesses to establish a suitable base for consistent clientele sustain and sustainable growth. I am here today to seek your assistance in acquiring a building that I have been exploring which is zoned and owned by Wake County. I firmly believe that my organization and programs would be va a valuable asset to Wake County benefiting the community, parents and schools of Wake County. Youth first has the potential to bring positive impact to our area and to support those in need of our services. At this time, I am requesting help from the city to ensure this buil to secure this building as well as guidance in growing and maintaining a successful business, accounting support, and funding to meet the needs of my organization. Thank you for your time and for allowing me to share my vision with you this evening. I hope that something I shared resonated with you and I look forward to hearing from you soon. If not, I will definitely be before you again until my mission is accomplished. Thank you. This is the building that I am currently um trying to obtain. So, thank you. All right. Next, we have Paul Thompson. Good evening, council. Uh I'm here to advocate for the inclusion of skate parks in the future city park developments. I spoke about this previously during the public comment session held March 11th. Um Raleigh has a large population of passionate skateboarders and there's currently not adequate space in the city to allow for healthy participation in the sport. I previously talked with you about the benefits of a DIY skate park project method. I believe this would be the best way Raleigh could contribute to skateboarders right now and would be the fastest and cheapest way of establishing more skate park infrastructure in the city. Thank you very much. Thank you. Right, Riley Murphy. Hello. Hello again, city council members. My name is Riley and I'm back to advocate for a public legally sanctioned DIY skate park space in Raleigh. Since the last session in March, there have been a lot of there has been a lot of progress on the skaters end designing, building social media posts, gofundmes, and gathering support for this cause. We are still facing the reality that the previous centerpiece of our skate community, Graveside DIY, was torn down six weeks ago with no replacement yet in sight. As good weather approaches, the exercise, creativity, skill development, and social benefits that a place like this offers are currently on hold until we find a suitable substitute. We've also been reminded that the Skate Raleigh space, which serves many locals, will be demolished um very soon. Um a solution could be to create multiple spaces ranging in size and features rather than one large skate park of a certain style, something permanent rather than temporary. The easiest of these to implement quickly and cost-effectively is a DIY skate park with direct involvement from the locals. It seems a bit shortsighted for projects at JC Park, Smoky Hollow, Dicks Park, and others to continue development without the promise of a dedicated skate space. As one of the most popular modern activities for all ages and types of people, we'd appreciate some inclusion and a bit of good news from the capital city of North Carolina. To continue the conversation or at least point us in the right direction, please reach out to 919 diygmail.com. Thanks. Thank you. Uh, Nathan Wellish. Is Nathan here? Okay. If not, Miss Donna Bailey. Good evening. I'd like to discuss the city policy of accepting money in lie of actual affordable units in upcoming projects. If the goal of the city is to include more mixed income mixed housing in growth centers and especially on transit corridors, accepting money in lie of actual affordable units will not accomplish that goal. We need to have mixed income near services and transit. The upcoming Go Triangle Hoffman project next to Union Station was supposed to provide 39 affordable units out of a total of 385. The inclusion of 10% affordable units was a condition offered by the developer in order to secure an upzoning. We were told affordable units were also a requirement of the federal grant being used to build go triangle. It's not just a oh I'd rather do this. Affordable units should be included and city council is in a position to assure that you guys have the power. The alternative is simply unacceptable. Do you really want to approve a downtown bus transit station with only apartments built on it that are that are at or above market rate? Who does that serve? This site also this would also set a very pre bad precedent for future projects because if you do it now then we know there's another one coming down that wants to just pay uh money instead of real affordable units in a transit zone. Affordable units should be included in every housing development located on our transit corridors. That ought to be a clear council policy, but especially at the downtown bus station right next to the downtown train station. Mayor Cal, you said at at the state of the city address that we need mixed income mixeduse housing with integrated with transit. If you allow payment of actual units, that's not supporting your goal. In addition, the upcoming request to reszone the previous Z5422 case at Peace and West Street. Council's recent decision to add that parcel to the downtown transition area clearly states appropriate transitions in height, scale, and design. These are all in the comp plan. Buildings should taper to be compatible with surrounding neighborhoods. The neighborhoods that are already there. The guidance is very clear that the maximum is 12 stories. Um, this project is also gonna want to pay money to get rid of doing real affordable housing. Thanks to Corey and Stormmy for uh voting for that in addition to Megan, Jane, and Christina to give definition to that parcel with clear guidance. Um, I want to also invite you, okay, to the upcoming neighborhood. I hope you all Yep. Thank you. Okay. Cat S. Cat here. Okay. Uh Chris Crew. Good evening, counselors, madame mayor. Sorry I stood you up the last two times. I'm retired and every day is Saturday, so you never know what's going to happen. Good evening. and you you have a difficult job and you can't possibly know everything you need to know without help. And some of that help comes to you on nights like this when we get together with our neighbors. I expect to learn something tonight that I didn't know and probably should care about because it concerns my neighbor. Please don't consider limiting or removing this public input opportunity from your agenda now or in the future. For the last 233 years, Raleigh has been a growing and changing capital city. We've seen mighty oaks and universities grow from the ground. And we've witnessed the growth of communities and cultures. And as we grow, we need to give consideration to our built and natural environment to preserve our unique buildings, trees, and waterways. Little more than 50 years ago, Raleigh recognized the importance of historic preservation by creating special zoning known as a historic overlay district. Now, we have eight of those districts in town. City documents suggest that designation of historic neighborhoods or communities as local historic districts is a successful tool for maintaining a quality of life and providing economic security. Preservation has been proven to stabilize property values and stimulate new investments in older neighborhoods. More recently, Raleigh uh has enacted neighborhood character overlay districts to preserve character, culture, and qualities of life in and the environment in our established neighborhoods. In the coming weeks and months, you'll begin to hear from a variety of stakeholders concerning proposals that are counter to preservation. The threats to our city's culture and character will come in the form of requests for zoning changes for private and individual gains. At least one of you sitting there tonight has campaigned on a promise to curtail peacemeal changes to our 2030 comprehensive plan and our UDO. Broad stakeholder input led the to those guidelines and prudent investors are able to work within them. There will be ample opportunities for dialogue in the coming month and years as we implement these plans and begin an update process. These neighborhoods that are protected are memorials to and celebrations of our se culture and heritage. And I urge you to listen to the voices at meetings like these that will be sharing insights with you and calling for your active participation in the cultivation and preservation of this growing city of oaks. Thank you for your service. Thank you Mr. Crew. Alex Brassette. Uh good evening. Uh my name is Alex. I live on Brookside Drive. I've been here a handful of times uh to advocate for bike lanes on Brookside Drive. And I just uh wanted to come here and uh thank you for the letter we got saying that the plan for the two-way bike lanes was approved. Um it was a relief to me because I've been pushing for this very hard for a long time. Um, and I'm I'm grateful for the decision and I'm grateful for um, you know, the thoughtfulness and the effort that went into uh, coming to that conclusion. Um, I'm sorry to be at odds with our neighbor here. Yeah. Um, I I do think that the plan that has been approved is the best thing for Brookside Drive and the best thing for Raleigh. It's in keeping with our vision for improving m multimodal infrastructure. Um, it's the best thing for public health. It's the best thing for safety. It's the best thing for um, you know, improving climate outcomes. Um, and so I I guess I don't know what the future is, but um, you know, we voted on it twice and hopefully the the plan as approved now is what will stay in place. And if that's the case, I just yeah, again wanted to thank you all for that. Thank you. Uh, Chris Cerviki. All right. Hello, council. Yeah, my name is Chris. Uh, I know some of you, of course, from the past. Uh, and some new faces, of course. Uh, I haven't really been speaking much up here, um, since the new term, but I'm sure I'll get to know you all more um, you know, uh, going forward. But um and I know you all have a lot um on your plate of course locally, but uh as you know, of course, I I'm standing up here um um with my other um brothers and sisters in the Palestinian community and and abroad um in uh support of uh Palestine and the uh the current uh genocide unfolding in Gaza right now. Um and I don't know how much of the news you guys are aware of. I know um um Megan and um Stormy and um everybody else might u be more familiar, but um you know, we've been having a lot of horrible news um lately, but uh in particularly the um uh recent uh news about their um 15 aid workers uh in Gaza that were um brutally murdered by uh the IDF forces and um have it's been um pretty clear that uh as the news come out. Uh there's been video footage from one of the um uh one of the first responders that had died. Uh that um they were actually following protocol with their lights on and stuff. Uh that runs counter to the IDF's narrative that uh they were uh they were moving suspiciously or some of some sort as if that would um uh really um justify any kind of assault or attack on uh f first responders. Uh but basically yeah this has been an issue of course for us for the over a year and a half and um uh you know we we really have to do some more something more than we have been already. It's um it's been critical and it's going to get worse. Uh every governing body in the United States has to do whatever they can to um to to combat this. Uh there's already multiple um um laws, international laws and uh state laws, the Lehey law as uh as far as uh federally that have um clearly been being broken by the uh US government and um uh ICC warrants for Netanyahu as he had just come in yesterday uh on an invitation of uh the president of the United States. Uh so in a just world he would be arrested in uh any of these countries. He actually had to fly um around certain European countries in his uh in his flight here to avoid being uh um detained from from those airspaces. But uh uh we we we need we just need to do more as soon as possible. Every every moment there's more lives lost innocent children. Uh I I can't say it enough. Uh but free Palestine. Thank you. Thank you. Right. Our final speaker of the evening is Athena Wallen. Hi, my name is Athena Wallen. I am a resident on Brookside Drive and apparently a bookend of the opinions about the most recent, you know, endeavor of figuring stuff out. Uh, no pressure, but as our city leadership, uh, we're all expecting you to bring as much thoughtful consideration into every decision-making opportunity that you have, and you have a lot of them. And we have a lot of change coming forward. and how these decisions that you make now in the leading years coming to, you know, the next comprehensive plan, those next big milestones, how are each of your decisions leading us and guiding us to those next big steps? Um, I believe these bike lanes on Brookside is a step towards those bigger steps and I'm thankful that city leadership can acknowledge the plea for our bike lanes on Brookside Drive and how that fits into the larger picture. Um, I know it's been tedious and I'm sorry to everyone that it's been so tedious, but I feel like we've been trying to make really important conversations happen. Like the necessity of sharing public roadways and the necessity of acknowledging how carcentric our data is that it self reflects car centric solutions. So unless we break out of that habit, we're not going to see how to build spaces for people. And I want to say and I want to encourage you to believe that this decision for bike lanes is creating a space for people. We're transitioning the neighborhood from a car ccentric corridor and that takes a lot of time. I'm thankful that we can implement a strategy to help traffic calm this car centric corridor. And I'm thankful that this strategy helps transition this car centric corridor in a way that accommodates other mobility needs. We have been struggling to have a conversation about our full street and how it moves, how it connects into others, other other projects, other modes of transportation, where those gaps of transportation infrastructure exist. And I just I question how we're going to manage that. all of the gaps of infrastructure in all of the neighborhoods that are experiencing rapid growth when everything is tied seemingly tied to expensive car centric transportation projects. We tie connecting sidewalks and painting bike lanes to these car projects. And so that delays how long these corridors can go and get connected. And then it becomes a situation where maybe this one block of Brookside that doesn't have connected biking or sidewalk infrastructure, maybe it will continue to filter down through this cycle of it's not quite enough to justify paying for it. So we have to keep trying harder to find other solutions and be creative and break out of that car centric style. Thank you so much for your time. Thank you. All right. Well, I appreciate everybody coming down and that uh ends tonight's public comment. [Music]