[Music] [Music] Hey. Heat. Heat. [Music] Oh. [Music] Oh. Ooh. Oh. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] D hey Double down. [Music] Oh, [Music] hey. [Music] Heat. Hey, Heat. [Music] Data down. [Music] Data. [Music] Hey Apple. Hey. Hey. Dancing [Music] Heat. Hey, Heat. [Music] down. [Music] Oh. Right, [Music] everybody. Uh, welcome to the public comment period. We have uh almost 50 people signed up this evening on a number of different items. So, we're going to do two minutes a person to make sure everybody has a chance to speak. And I will go ahead and start with uh the first uh Octavia Rainey. >> Good evening. I would like to speak from my heart this afternoon on the civil rights act and about the zoning of those 30 stories to Stormy and to Corey. I am a civil rights activist. I marched with John Lewis over the Pettis Bridge and I saw what you did and voting for that project was unconscionable to me as a black person. You know, blacks didn't have the right to live in 30 stories. We live in areas that was unsafe, that was hazarded, but we live there and we made it work. What you voted for was a restrictive covenant. That's all it was. It was a restrictive covenant. And you are telling black people, I heard what they didn't say, but you're telling black people, number one, you're not welcome in these 30 stories. You don't have the income because we going to take it up way beyond 80% of the AMI and 80% of the AMI give black people the opportunity to live there, but you voted against it. That bothered me as a black person and I don't see why y'all didn't ask those questions to the mayor rally. I don't understand where you're headed with this. That is selective housing and you are talking about God not in my back God in my backyard. You got to be for real. You got to be sincere. That's not godly. And don't get me to talking about God because that's up my alley. That's not right. And that vote wasn't right. It wasn't. I expected two blacks to ask that question. Why black people can't live there? I heard what they said, but what they didn't say is the question at stake. >> Thank you. Next, we have Kevin Kuang. Hello everyone. Hello mayor, city councelor, city manager and everyone. My topic is a very difficult one. It's about political violence and the chilling effects on politicians and um after I do some research, I don't think I have a conclusive answer to that question. But I will encourage politician to be bold to do not stop in person meeting to consider their own security after taking into consideration continue to have that meeting. The second topic I want to talk about is about uh bus route number two. I was on on number two last Tuesday after the meeting going north to my friend's home and a bus driver make two mistakes on the route. He failed to turn at five point from Greenwood to E East Mica Muse and need to call the headquarters for help on Ginwood. And after he go back to East Wik Muse, he failed to turn on East Vic Muse left turn on Wake Forest Road. So he make two mistakes. Is there a better way to do that to improve the services? Yes, improve improve the service light. go try and go to install the GPS. The GPS allow the driver to not need to memorize the route especially if they are not experienced with it and I think that is a very important and you should have better training on the driver if they do not remember the route that there is important that they would cause disruption to the people's uh who work in Walmart and do not oh they miss the bus because the driver is late or something. Thank you very much. Have a good day. Thank you, Byron Laws. Uh, good evening. I'm Byron Laws, District Cant, also former chair of the Human Relations Commission. I actually just rolled off June of this year after serving three terms, which is six years. Um, I watched the meetings you all held as a special um, committee around the boards and commissions to consolidate them. Um, specifically, I'm here to talk about um, you all not doing anything with African-American Affairs Board. Um, community members brought it up and you all wouldn't let us do anything as a council because it wasn't part of our work plan. We then put in our work plan. July 4th last year, you all voted for African-American affairs board here like you all did. Um, except two new uh, people that are on council. Um, last Monday you all decided to consolidate the Hispanic and immigrant affairs board into HRC, which um, clarification, it was never part of HRC. It was built out of HRC. Um, but you all decided not to sit the African-American Affairs Board. Um, as a lifelong resident of District C, um, it's really hard to just be be a part of this. I was a vice chair of my CAC when that got dismantled. I was um involved in my HRC um and became chair because you all asked our president at the time after she had just got approved by us. So then I hear you all say that we're not organized and moving the work. We move the work and then you all decide that the work is not important enough to carry on specifically work um to give African-American community members a voice here. Um I'm a graduate of Enlow. There's a council member that's a graduate of Enlow. That council member is also a Aggie. Um, I just came from Jiho this weekend. Aggies do. So when I see a council member that looks like me who then silenced the voices of community in a minority majority district, we got some issues like real issues. If y'all not going to give black people a voice in this community, in this city, and you look like me, get out the way. We don't need it. And if y'all going to continue to rig elections here that are going to give you power, Thank you, Mary Thompson. >> Good evening, Mayor and City Council. I served as an HRC um on the HRC for six years and also had the opportunity to serve in leadership roles. During my time on the commission, every project, every activity we undertook was part of a work plan that was approved by the city council. Throughout my tenure, the HRC advocated for the director of equity inclusion position. The HRC conducted research, held community feedback sessions, and made recommendations for the creation of several important boards. the police advisory board, the Hispanic Affairs Board, the immigrant affairs board. The HRC introduced National Day of Racial Healing to the city of Raleigh. The HRC had events with NAMI and did held two food distribution events during CO. Over the years, the HRC has participated and supported numerous community events. During my time on HRC, resolutions were initiatives were from various Raleigh community members. Members from the Quaker community brought forth the repairative justice resolution. Members from the African-American community brought forward the African-American advisory board directly to the city council. The current proposal to eliminate boards or to merge multiple community focused efforts to a single entity is deeply disappointing. As a volunteer commission, the HRC is not structured to provide adequate attention and voice to the wide range of community issues. I and other residents of Raleigh look forward to seeing how the new HR street HRC structure will advocate for important issues for a very diverse city of Raleigh. Thank you, Robert Courtz. Good evening, council members and my fellow Raleighites. I'm here tonight to draw your attention to recent lobbying by the billboard industry and that they are seeking a change to the current UDO ban on electric billboards in Raleigh. Electric billboards are visual pollution and increase driver distraction. Digital billboards are designed to get and hold drivers attention longer than static billboards. They are designed to pull our eyes off the road away from pedestrians, cyclists, and our fellow drivers. Just one electric billboard with ability to change ads every 8 seconds and running 24 hours a day, that's over 10,000 flashes of distraction per day on the stra same stretch of road. And the billboard industry knows electric billboards are bigger distractions and they even use this fact as a selling feature to their clients. a May 2025 billboard industry blog called Billboard Buzz, published by Whistler Billboards, promoted digital billboards to advertisers because they grab drivers attention longer. They quoted an Arbitron outdoor study claiming digital billboards produce 63% longer gaze times, 47% more visual fixation, and more glances within the first two seconds appearing in the frame. In their own words, the digital display that grabs attention sooner wins the race. If the industry itself is selling distraction as a benefit, why would Raleigh knowingly make our >> Thank you, Andrew Bennington. >> Good evening. I'm here today to talk about the Big Branch uh Creek Greenway connector, which I think is not news to any of you. Um my neighbors and I have articulated a number of different reasons why we think that this uh choice of route among many choices of routes is just improper and impractical. But I'm here tonight not as an affected homeowner, which I am, but as a taxpayer, which all of us are, and I want everyone here to hear this and you all to consider it carefully as I know you're going to vote on this issue coming up. It's my understanding based on public uh information, freedom of information act request that this project, it's about three and a half miles to build a greenway uh was funded by a referendum that we all voted on and it was approved in the order of about 4.5 million. One segment, a half mile segment, which is behind my house and my neighbor's houses, uh is less than half a mile. The Freedom of Information Act request we got from the engineers that have worked on this suggest that that one half mileile stretch is going to cost nearly $5 million. So a half mile stretch of this proposed project is going to blow the budget for the entire 3.5 mile uh proposed greenway. So, in addition to the number of other environmental, legal, and um safety issues we've raised, I I bring this issue to the forefront. And this is a result of the fact that the city has no property rights to this land. It's we hold it in fe simple. We own the entire land. If it has to be taken from us, it's going to be taken by imminent domain, which as you all know is the city taking private property at your additional expense. So, you're gonna pay for it and I just want you guys to hear it in front of them. Thank you very much for listening. Have a good night. >> Thank you. Lindsay Reigns. >> Is Lindsay here? Okay. Nikki W. Phone. Is this your phone, Andrew? Excuse me. Excuse me. Is this not mean to take your time? I apologize. >> That's okay. >> Thank you. >> Good evening. Late last summer, Emily Sudden offered me indefinite an indefinite stay at for transition at the studios at 2800. I was hesitant to move in because the staff was unwelcoming and discouraged to move and despite the renovation, there was no AC in the unit. After about two months later, dropping temps and being exposed to the elements, I reluctantly moved in. Since I've been there, the elevator has been down for the past 10 months, and other repairs neglect to be made. There are massive water puddles that stand on a slippery cement surface from OAC's leaking. There's a roach infestation and bed bugs in most every room, even infesting brand new appliances, stoves, refrigerators, microwaves, and most times the environment feels unsafe. As a result of the unworking elevator and slippery pavement, I fell on the stairs and suffered a concussion and multiple injuries. Just recently, an older woman also almost fell. As a result of roaches, I cannot use my AC or heat or stove or to cook efficiently or to store food efficiently. I've been threatened and harassed and the security guard was hired but left after just one week. The building considered affordable housing owned by the city and managed by CASA houses elderly disabled veterans, people with behavioral challenges. A baitment has not been offered and suitable and timely accommodations have not been made. [Music] Residents um who live here are on a fixed income and pay off the fourth of their fixed income to stay here deserve better. So residents and I are requesting abatement where and or accommodations or and or alternative housing and remember that the promises of tomorrow begin with the practices of today. Thank you. >> Can I just ask you to repeat the name of the building because I missed it when you said >> you own the building the studios at 2800 at 2800 Brentwood. >> Okay. >> Which is managed by CASA. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right. Next we have Helen Kervin. Good evening. My name is Helen Kervin and I live in the Anderson Forest neighborhood where the proposed Big Branch Greenway uh segment 1B so-called streamside route would run directly behind nine homes and dangerously close to Big Branch Creek. For 16 months, our neighbors have provided extensive documented evidence to city staff, parks board, and city council explaining why this route should not be built within feet of the creek. Yet, these facts have been dismissed. Building a greenway parallel to Big Branch Creek within the 30foot repairarium buffer violates noose river buffer rules, flood plane standards, the city's own greenway master plan, and design guidelines. This area floods frequently, creating safety risk for users and guaranteeing ongoing costly maintenance. The public surveys used to justify this route were misleading. And a greenway within 50 ft of homes will permanently strip away our privacy. Two facts are impossible to overlook. Costs and a deed restriction. This halfmile streamside route is projected to cost more than the entire 4.5 million budget for the full three and a half mile project and irresponsible use of taxpayer funds. The city will have to violate a 39-year-old scene preservation deed prohibiting greenway construction and pursue imminent domain against nonhomeowners. Ignoring these realities would be a costly mistake for the community, the environment, and the city's long-term interests. I urge you to reject reject the segment 1B streamside route and direct parks and rec staff to find a responsible sustainable alternative. Thank you so much for your consideration Altari. >> Okay, she's not here. Alexis Kennedy. For the past two years, I have bore witness to Palestinian children that look like they're sleeping, but in actualities, their bodies are so small that when the bombs go off around them, the blow the blowbacks liquefy their insides, making them look like they're sleeping. and that there is a possibility to save them. And yesterday, I witnessed Trump in Israel joke with BBE that he sent all the bombs he didn't know that existed and that BB used them well and that Marryiam, his biggest donor of six mill $60 million to his campaign, was at his White House more than any other person telling him to keep sending more money, more bombs to Israel. and that he admits that it'll get him in trouble, but that Maryanne most likely loves Israel more than she loves the USA. While we're in a full government shutdown, our national parks are left exposed. Our military was stressed about whether or not they were going to be paid to pay their mortgage, to pay for food. Israel got paid through a loophole. So, while they're still getting money, our people starve. But I would like to point out that we are supplying money to a government that has universal health care, free college, and for every baby they have, they get a paycheck every year until that child is 18. Meanwhile, America, we're crippled with debt everywhere. And we have the money to send to a country that is not in debt like we are and send our tax dollars to a country that has free socialist programs while we are not allowed to have them. Meanwhile, I have 10 seconds. Meanwhile, I would like us to demand Deborah Ross present an arms embargo on this country. Thank you. >> Thank you, Hannity Ali. Okay. Uh Rashan King. Good evening, Mayor and Council members. My name is Rashan King. I'm here today to talk about the Big Branch Greenway Trail Connector. The Big Branch Greenway is a vital project that will impact not just one section of Raleigh, but the entire region. The importance of this trail has been expressed highly by Citizens Raleigh through community engagement. The greenway has been emphasized and embedded in the 2020 walkable midway plan and the Vision Zero plan as well. The development of this greenway will bring more than 10,000 residents within a 10mi walking radius closer to this greenway. but it also will bring residents outside of Raleigh's jurisdiction to be able to enjoy this remarkable trail and the city trail connectivity throughout the city of Raleigh. I advocate for this project because of the of the substantial connection it will provide for residents who will be able to utilize this trail for transportation, recreation, leisure and health and wellness, but more so for the kids. For the kids and for the parents who be able to to be able to use this route for safe routes to school and safe routes to playgrounds. I Rashan King was born and raised here in Raleigh and has had the luxury to live within or let alone visit majority of the districts in Raleigh with greenways and trails and I can truly say that almost every greenway and trail that Raleigh has built has made a substantial and a positive impact on people's lives. I am a cancer survivor and greenways and trails has saved my life. When I battled leukemia at the age of 17 years old, I had 24 hours to live. I wasn't able to be able to walk. I was told I would never be able to see the day of light again. But I was able to get out and get on the trails and that helped build my my immune system and build my body up to par. And I want to thank you guys for the hard work and dedication that you're doing as council members and mayor miss mayor as well. But we really need this greenway for the kids, for the parents, for those battling leukemia, for those in within our region and for those in the city of Raleigh as well. Thank you. >> Thank you. Asthma Abu Dahab. She here soon. Jeremy Gilchrist. >> Good evening. Um, two years ago uh when everything started over in uh Palestine and the genocide began, we came here week after week demanding a resolution for a ceasefire. uh week after week we finally uh the pressure built up where that vote was taken and of course unfortunately it failed. Um I just wanted to say after everything that's happened we finally have reached a pe like quote unquote peace deal um which is obviously riddled with corruption and everything else but we'll get to that. Um nonetheless we've seen proven time and time again that the genocide was in fact real. the starvation. Uh hundreds of thousands at this point are probably the actual death toll in Palestine as far as dead Palestinians, mostly uh women and children. Um so those of you who voted who are still on this council who voted against that ceasefire resolution will forever have to live at that and will forever be on the wrong side of history. Now uh with this corrupt peace deal, of course, what it really is is a real estate grab for Donald Trump. He wants to be he's going to be the head of the peace board. And make no mistake, there will be no peace. The infrastructure is completely destroyed in Gaza just about and everything else. And it will probably take decades upon decades to even try to rebuild it if if they if they even can at this point. So what I would encourage the city to do from now on is is not to take your eye off the ball. Look into everything that uh any ties to Israel as far as city investments, uh companies you deal with, and everything else. and consider um divesting from anything that's connected to Israel, which is a terror state, an aparthide state, and a racist state. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Uh Michael Poor Vasnik. >> Good evening, Mayor, Council, Staff. This evening, I'm here to urge you to continue development of the Big Branch Greenway following your staff's recommended alignment. This greenway is more than a recreational path. It's a vital piece of Raleigh's active transportation network. It connects thousands of residents to the broader greenway system and provides safe, direct access to Kowanas Park and Our Lady of Lords Elementary School. For families and children, this means a secure way to travel, play, and learn without relying on a car. suggesting that pedestrians and cyclists use Anderson Drive and Six Forks Road instead is not just unrealistic, it's dangerous. These are hightraic corridors with limited pedestrian infrastructure. And we've seen this before up on Mine Creek Trail um where it ends and greenway users are asked to use Six Forks sidewalk uh to continue north. If you tried to bike from the proposed greenway area to Whole Foods today, you'd be putting your life on the line. Once built, this greenway will offer safe access to jobs, grocery stores, and restaurants, making it a critical link for daily life, not just weekend recreation. To quote George Castanza, "We live in a society, and in a society, we make choices that reflect our shared values. Sometimes sacrifices must be made by the few for the good of the many. This is one of those moments. The safety of our children, our neighbors, and our most vulnerable road users depends on this connection. Let's not treat greenways as optional luxuries. They are essential infrastructure just like roads. Ensure Raleigh remains a city that values safety, sustainability, and connection for everyone. Please move forward with the big branch greenway as proposed. And I urge you to not give in to hyperbole about costs and environmental factors. Trust the engineers that your staff has hired to design this greenway and move forward as proposed. Thank you. >> Thank you, Bob Spotsiano. Is Bob here? Miranda Wadarsski. Okay, Autumn Cooblund. >> Hi, good evening. I'm Autumn. I um am here also to speak to um the support for the Big Branch uh trail. And there's so many things that have already been mentioned about the greatness of our trails, but this isn't the first greenway trail that's been built. And I have heard stories from um not directly but from a former council member who sat here and listened to all sorts of complaints about the House Creek Trail when it was being built. And um the reality is that after the neighbors complained and they said, you know, we don't want this trail, the trail was built and those same neighbors came back and they said, um could could we please have access to that trail? It's really great. So, it really um I think the trails are so valuable uh for so many reasons but just in favor of them. Thank you. >> Thank you, Hannah Fennel. Hannah here. Okay. Rob Lame. Chip Thrasher. Uh good evening. Uh my name is Chip Thrasher. I serve on BPAC uh bike ped. Um I just want to express my support for the active mobility plan and the downtown mobility study um from earlier today. Obviously we spent some time at BPAC talking about it. Staff has done a great job tool design. Um, and I think I'm really excited for how we're going to move forward as a city. And actually, as a part of that, I also want to express my support for Big Branch Greenway recommended alignment by Park Sport. Thanks. >> Thank you. David Hudson is David here. Okay. Brett Morris. It's Brett. Nope. Colin Kabulka. >> Hi there. Is the mic on? Okay. Hi, my name is Colin. Um, I wanted to support my I wanted to uh voice my support for the Big Branch Greenway and uh emphasize the need for better greenways in our city and uh the need for better safe routes. If you've ever been to the area that is being served by this greenway, you'll know that it is very um high high speeded traffic. Um you're not going to see many people outside of cars. So I think a a greenway in this area is going to do give dividends to this community. Um I think greenways provide a lot more than just recreation. They provide safe passage to um different areas in the city. Allow for better economic activity and to provide uh independence for children that are able to get to school that way. Um I'm a pharmacist in the area. I work at Joseph's Pharmacy. Um and uh I do a lot more than just dispense drugs. I uh give wellness recommendations to people. And I feel like a lot of times when people tell me what they're doing at home, uh you know, they might walk on the side of a highway. they might walk up and down the block. I think there's a lot more that more enrichment that is able to be had on a greenway and I know biking has changed my life and I know that a lot of people that have I've gotten into it um has changed their life as well. So I like to um voice my support for better greenways in this way as well and to provide better exercise opportunities and better better ways to get around for the general public. Thank you. Thank you so much. Uh, next, Cody Stokes. Is Cody here? Marggo Kep. Natalie Brown. >> Okay. Sheniki Joiner. Okay. >> Okay. Good afternoon, members of the board, city officials, and colleagues. My name is Natalie Brown and I'm a bus operator who proudly serves the city. Every day my co-workers and I perform one of the most essential yet often overlooked public services. We transport thousands of residents safely to work, school, appointments, and home. Again, we do this with professionalism and pride. Excuse me. However, I stand before you today because the working environment for operators has become increasingly difficult and at times unsafe. Many of us feel unsupported and disrespected by those in positions of leadership who should be advocating for us. There have been repeated instances of intimidation, verbal mistreatment, and misuse of authority by our assistant general manager. Operators have reported walking away from conversations feeling demeaned, threatened, or silenced. This kind of behavior undermines morale, erodess trust, and creates a hostile workplace culture. Leadership should empower employees, not intimidate them. Oh, I'm sorry. Beyond workplace culture, safety remains our most urgent concern. Recently, a fellow operator experienced harassment and assault while performing her duties. When she defended herself, she was handcuffed and treated as the aggressor. Incidents like this exposed the gaps in our safety protocols and inconsistent treatment of transit workers when they are victims of violence. Operators deserve to know I'm sorry y'all that they when they are assaulted their agency in their city will stand behind them not turn against them. We ask for clear consistent policies that one protect tresant employees from retaliation when reporting harassment. Ensure accountability and professionalis professional conduct for management at all levels. Establish stronger coordination with law enforcement to safeguard operators rights during on job incidents. We are not seeking special privileges. We are seeking fairness, respect, and the right to a safe workplace. The same principles this city extend to all public service. Bus operators are the face of this transit system. We are the ones greeting passengers every morning, helping seniors bore, and ensuring our community stay connected. We are proud of [Applause] Thank you. Is Sheniki Joiner here? >> No, she's not. >> Okay. Okay. Uh James Limehouse. Okay. Um Jeffrey Hooks. >> James Lime House. >> Okay. James Limehouse. Um James Limehouse as y'all can see my uniform go Raleigh employee. Um as you say um they might say um RATP dev employee but um this is the name that they see when I walk out. Gold Raleigh. That's who I represent. And you know the problem with sec security security it affects everyone. And one of when one of employees or a fellow employees have problems um like you say the bus operators, mechanic, shop, um utility, whatever. We are all affected. Janitorial down the grounds and maintenance. But we all need security. Not just downtown but all of our facilities. They're wide open to the public at any time. You know, people walking up on our facility, at the garage, in in the shop, you know, that's that's unacceptable. And we've talked about this many a times, but it's time for something to be done. leave action, you know, cuz we deserve more than people standing around folding with the arm fold not seeing us. We deserve to be seen, heard, and respected. All of us. Simple. >> Thank you. [Applause] Good evening. My name is Jeffrey Hooks. I'm a professional bus operator for Grow Raleigh/RP Dev. I am here um because I want to talk about safety. Um last week we had an incident happen at work at nighttime and um it hurts my heart, you know, to hear did what we had to do. But um at night my fellow some of my fellow co-workers um they got off work and their windows smashed out. I'm like you know that's not normal. And then um I follow with one of them. They said oh I had to pay my own for my own window to be fixed cuz I I don't know what to do. So I asked did the company take care of it? They said no we got file own our own insurance. I'm like what? That's not right. And um from the safety part when we get off work we want to go home to our families. Families is very important to all of us. Some of this we are some of the drivers. We are the breadwinner of our family. That's all we ask. We want the safety for us as drivers. That's all I ask. Our vers need to be heard clearly. It is very unacceptable for rape dev to treat us like that. We are human. They go home to their families. We want to go to home our families too. Thank you. >> Thank you. [Applause] >> Archable Gresham. >> Good evening. My name Archable Gresham and I'm here because of what's going on. Y'all see it. We move the city without the buses. Don't nothing go. We move the city. And if y'all want us to do continue to do this, then make it safe for us. Give us a chance. We out here every day. Every day. We only get two days off a year. Two days. And y'all worried about the money. I heard one of these young men here, I'm not going to mention any names, found $5,000 last year in November to do a transit service at Apex. I live in Raleigh. What is that helping us? What are y'all going to focus on us? We riding around with broken windows and on the buses. Come on now. Y'all want safety? Put your money up. You got security guy there. They not allowed to do anything because of what? When they first came, they were doing a great job. Now they're not allowed to get on the bus. So, how is the security? You don't got no fences at our at our facility. I park my car there. I come back and it's broken windows. How am I safe? And the thing is now you got a parking ride at the garage so they can ride back to us and follow us to our car. Y'all know who we riding. This is our city. Y'all want us to move it? Fix it. Thank you. >> Michael General. >> Good evening everyone. My name is Michael General. I stand before you guys as a professional bus operator. Yes, I came from a big city. Yes, I seen public aggression, but as our city grow, I've never seen this aggression at one of our main hubs, which is Go Raleigh Station. If any of you guys ever been down there 4:5 in the morning, it's the liking of a third world country. Now, every corner of Go Raleigh station have feces, urine all over the place. I I truly believe this is bigger than our ATP dev. You know, our ATP dev was hired to manage us. And I don't think they I don't think they put in a position to protect us. So, it's getting to a point now to where we getting up 3 4 5 in the morning. And I'm telling everybody to rest assure the same way you come to work, get home to your family by any means necessary. And I don't know how that's going to look for a lot of us. But when you operating as a public servant in a povertystricken city, I don't think it's fair for me to be driving up the road moving passengers and getting cussed out and threatened. And we told to stay in our seat, shut up and drive. At what point do you take your seatelt off when someone is approaching you? You know, we had an operator who was stabbed in the seat. 4:00 in the morning, guy run off, nothing happens. This was a 62-year operator getting ready to retire. He haven't returned back to work yet. He haven't returned back to work yet. EAP is not enough. We need on-site counseling. Capitol Police when they deal with any incident it's two officers. RPD when they deal with any incident it's two police officers. Our supervisors when they deal with an incident sometimes they are by themselves. And one thing I said I'm not going to do is leave any our female super alone to deal with passenger. >> Thank you. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Clifton Hill. >> All right. Try to do this as fast as possible, so bear with me. My name is Clifton Hill, financial secretary, HU1 1328. My roots run deep in this state. My grandmother's from Bath. My mother's from Lil Washington and Williamston. My father's from Harlem. And I was raised in Jamaica, Queens. I seen so many sides of America, working class, the political, the personal struggles. I've been in transportation for 27 years, New York, Jersey, and North Carolina. More than half my life serving the public. I have seen how much operators give and how little protection they get. I re That's why I joined our union. We was founded in 1892. We represent over 200,000 members across US and Canada. We fight for safe, fair, and reliable transit. The governor even spoke at our last AFL CIO convention, which represents 15 million workers. You support us. We support you. Local 1328 represents the bus operators who moved this city through storms, holidays, and co. When others stayed home, we were called essential, but never treated like it. Local 1328 represents the bus operators. Um, and we face daily threats, being cursed at, spit on, and even assaulted. And when we defend oursel, we are treated like the problem. How did we become the enemy? Our passengers have weapons. Our officers have weapons and vests. And all we have is a steering wheel and a will to get home safe. We need real safety. We need transit police units that build relationships with operators in the community. Relations over intimidation. Maybe then when I say good morning, I can get a good morning back. cuz we're not treated like that downtown. All right. We need fair investigations when operators defend themselves and the end to lowest big contracts that cut safety and benefits to save a dime. Our next contract is coming and at this time we're coming for fairness, transparency, and respect. We are getting tired and ready to stand together. We want partnership, justice, safety, good benefits, and money we deserve. ATU Local 1328, we not asking for favors. asking for respect, protection, and fairness because we move. Thank you. Uh, Robert Drake. So, Robert. Yeah. >> Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Robert Drakeford. I'm operator trainer. I've been doing this for about four years and seven months. And it is ridiculous downtown. It's it's like a circus. I've trained new drivers who have left because they get down there and they see what goes on and they don't feel safe. Um right now I can't understand why it's like that. You go to Durham and this is Raleigh is the capital. You go to Durham Transit Center. They hub. You don't see this. Um they sit down there, they party, they smoke, they drink. Um they do everything and it's out of control. and we just need to get this under control so that we can move the city again. This is Raleigh. This is the capital. It shouldn't look like this. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right. Uh next have Annette Lucas. Good evening, mayor, council members, and staff. I'm here to speak in favor of the big branch greenway. Uh we all know that greenways are very important to our city here. They connect our neighborhoods. They give us safe places to walk and cycle. They support our health and they provide an alternative to driving that is safe and accessible for nearly everyone. And they're widely loved by both residents and visitors to Raleigh. However, we need to speak out for them now and especially now. The city's master greenway plan identifies the Big Branch Tributary Corridor as a key connection. It links the Crabtree Creek Greenway to North Hills and eventually Milbrook Road and beyond. So, this is a critical piece of long planned infrastructure for a more connected Raleigh. and it could connect people from North Raleigh to downtown where they can work and recreate without getting on our already congested roads. Unfortunately, there's a very small group of residents, seven in total, that have been working to stop this greenway from being built near their homes. To address privacy concerns, the city has generously agreed to put up a privacy fence. I've heard some of these homeowners tonight say, "Well, this greenway will flood." Well, I'm an avid cyclist. I can tell you a lot of greenways are built near streams and a lot of them flood. And walkers and cyclists are usually uh not interested in walking in the rain and flooded conditions. And the city has an excellent website that tells you when the greenways are flooded and people stay away from them during those times when they're unsafe. Um, and they actually make very good use of the flood plane, which it's much better use of the flood plane where people can enjoy and use the flood plane rather than having homes there that get flooded. It's much better to have a greenway flooded than a home. All right. >> Thank you. Thank you, Andrew Morton. Is Andrew here? Okay. Uh, Zach Bence. Zack. Nope. Sarah Colton. All right. Dylan Barry. Good evening. Uh, I'd like to speak in strong support of the BR Big Branch Greenway connector. Uh, I live and work in the area where segment one is proposed. Uh, when my partner and I bought our first home last year, proximity to Crabtree Creek Greenway was a major selling point for us. Uh, 3 to 4 days a week, I go for a run on the greenway, and much of my commute takes place on the greenway. So, I say all of this not as an occasional user, but someone who relies on and deeply values Raleigh's greenway system. Uh, I truly believe it is one of the city's greatest assets. While I'm very fortunate that my commute lines up with the Greenway, most people are not as lucky. In order to drop off their kids at school, go to work, or run errands, they often have no choice but to drive. The Big Branch Greenway connector can change that by linking to North Hills and bridging the belt line. This project has the potential to transform a trail that's mainly recreation recreational into a real transportation option. In my mind, there are two things that are really important when considering which route this greenway should take. Uh the first is safety. With 40,000 Americans dying in car crashes every year, conflict points between cars and people need to be reduced. Every greenway or every driveway that a greenway crosses is a potential hazard. The second thing to consider is convenience. It doesn't matter how safe a greenway is. If it doesn't go where people want to go or it takes too long for them to get there, uh adding half a mile or increasing the steepness by a few degrees may seem like a minor inconvenience, but it can be the difference between someone walking or biking or jumping in their car. So, as you consider consider the route for this connection, I encourage you to please think about the people that will be using the screenway and to design something that is safe, direct, and truly useful. Thank you. >> Thank you, Andrea Roststein. Brian McInness. Brian McInness. Good evening everybody. Thank you so much for your time and your energy. I just wanted to speak to you the spark that's inside of you all to move you to be in these positions and to listen to all of us. I know it's a long time, but I just want to, you know, rever you for that action that you're taking and that responsibility you're taking. Thank you. Um I'm here to speak about Israel Palestine and oh talk about that. Well, how to relate it to North Carolina. We have spent 43 We have funded Israel with $432 million. Uh America has given Israel $32 billion since October 20 24 23 and those monies could very well be used better utilized in my opinion I think most Americans opinions uh for infrastructure education subsidizing uh home um child care um any and every many things that are here in our states. So that's a way to relate this the the genocide and this horrible humanitarian situation in Palestine. And um I also want to just take I I recognize that you guys are all very busy with many many a multitude of issues. So I just want to speak to you real quick to catch you off with a side of the Palestine information that you won't hear on the Western media that you know there's 17 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire has started. Um, settler violence in the West Bank has been going on for decades and it's not ceasing. It's only getting larger and larger. I myself was encountered by some Israeli uh settlers uh August 2024. It was and a military guy shot a you know a smoke canister thing right by my face. Um the the violence is really real. Um the uh Western media isn't covering it. uh Trump is speaking as if you know he's in charge of these people in their lands and it's taking such a colonial uh you know overtaking type of tone that it's despicable but many people are following it many people are backing it just want to just speak those things thank you for your time >> thank you >> Donna Bailey >> good evening Donna Bailey Um, the approval of Z12 was a huge disappointment to many of the residents in Raleigh's neighborhoods. What is most disappointing is that there was a workable compromise that would have respected all parties. Raleigh needs to do better managing growth. We all know that affordable housing is the number one issue in Raleigh. If this developer builds the proposed 900 apartments, their financial contribution from this massive project will be $1,300 per unit for affordable housing. I think that's an embarrassment for a project $1,300. You guys got to do better. You all have the power to demand more to be done. If you continue at this level, we will be losing more affordable housing every year. Mayor Cowl, you mentioned Atlanta the other night and all the tall buildings around the belt line. CHAC GPT says that none of the buildings around there are more than 18 stories. That might be wrong. I don't know. But that's what chat GPT. On a more positive note, I'm glad you disbanded the community engagement board. As a past member, I can attest that this board did not improve community engagement. I would like to recommend that the funds and personnel be directed to the CAC's which does support real community engagement. If the CAC's had not held a joint meeting after the staff report, the public would not have had a chance to review it. There is a big gap in the public getting information in the resoning process. As we saw with Z21, even with the two developer-led meetings, we were not privileged to hear all the information. That is where CAC's are so helpful. We heard the cases before the planning commission and negotiations often resulted in a better plan. One way to fix this is to have the staff report at the second. >> Thank you, Sarah Cuadri. [Music] Good evening. Um I just wanted to take a moment to thank um the go rally employees. They came I know they left but as a community um as we all our community members here and use public transmitter at at times. We stand with you and I implore the council and the mayoral office to look into the legitimate grievances that they have and take immediate action to ensure the safety of our essential rally city workers. We also need more resources for the Acorn's program to ensure that we reach to the root cause of issues that we have and not just criminalize those suffering with mental health issues or other health crisises. and reaching into that. We need more affordable housing. I'm hoping that the new mayor that we have will help us get there instead of just working with the land developers to have more highrises. Trying to get one community fridge in rale where food insecurity and homelessness are exponentially rising should not be as hard as it has been. I would like to revisit with the council if we can to try to do something at Morris Square Cafe. Also, I just want to say as a middle school teacher, my students have read medicine bag this month in honor of what our indigenous communities have gone through right here in Raleigh as well. And hearing these stories, they themselves have felt the similarities being Palestinians, being Syrians, Lebanese, Yemen, and from other places and people that have been colonized in the past to see that the struggle of all indigenous people and reflect on how food is used as a weapon, how land is ravaged instead of protected, and how they are dehumanized and how there's biases in word choice. And you see that in print. As a person with journalism background, I just want to say I stand in our community grieving with everyone for the over 250 journalists that have been targeted and as well as >> thank you Jared Harbor. Uh hi there. Uh I am here uh to well I came here today to speak on the big branch greenway uh in support of the creek side alignment of the connector. Um you know greenways greenways really are the best. I think I think most of us know that and um in a city that doesn't have some great natural resource like a large river, a mountain, an ocean, our greenways have been that sort of regional draw that brings people from all over who come to experience the extensive and large greenway network that we have. It also is, whether people are willing to acknowledge it or not, a transportation network. And a lot of people use it to get from point A to point B b for work, for school, and even for just rec, you know, recreation, to go to a different restaurant or something like that. And I was in the work session. Um, which, uh, by the way, I'd love to hear about the new, uh, active mobility plan. Uh, Council Member Jones had a question specifically about how we're going to how is that um the the big jump of 50 uh 50 miles in 5 years going to connect residents in Brier Creek. Staff said, "Well, we're going to create those connections in that area and that lead them to the greenway." Well, if that greenway is not connected and not complete bringing people to downtown, they're going to basically reach a dead end and not be able to get anywhere. Um, so it's really important to see that these connections actually happen. Uh, as I'm running out of time, uh, I did not know about all the grievances that the Goralei bus drivers had. That's news to me. And I grew up being told that you say thank you when you exit the bus. And I feel like at a leadership level, we need to be saying thank you. So >> thank >> thank you for those comments. Uh Kesha Monk >> Kesha. >> That's all good. Polite nods immediately followed by votes against the will of the community by previous council is the reason why those of you who know me haven't seen me in a while because political theater sucks. But tonight I'm back not for me but for my neighbors. This is about survival for Southeast Raleigh. For small businesses like the Black Farmers Hub on Cross Street, this is a matter of life and death. The Black Farmers Hub is more than a market. It's the heartbeat of southeast Raleigh, feeding our community with culture, connection, and fresh, locally grown produce. They recently received a notice from Total Pay, which is the system that processes EBT and WIC benefits, warning that during the government shutdown, transactions would be suspended. So, just imagine the panic that ensued. But thankfully, some divine intervention occurred and the system was up and running shortly thereafter. But what if it hadn't? in southeast Raleigh, where reszoning after reszoning is driving out legacy residents, where the BRT reszoning that nobody asked for will worsen this food desert and where affordability is already out of reach. Losing access to EBT benefits would be catastrophic. The Black Farmers Hub isn't just a business, it's a lifeline. It feeds families who cannot easily access fresh fruits and vegetables because Food Lion is too far. So when that warning came, I emailed council immediately. But when no one even acknowledged in my email, the message was clear. This community is still on its own. Here's what I'm asking for. And please don't say this is out of your jurisdiction. Council, you have power. I'm asking you to use it. I'm asking you to create a local contingency plan to protect small businesses and families when federal systems fail. Come on. This store is going to collapse if you guys don't do something. Please, Southeast Raleigh cannot afford another crisis and this council cannot afford to stay silent. [Applause] >> Ashley Adair disappear. Good evening. Good evening everybody. My name is Tenia Huard. I'm from the Alcohol Drug Council in North Carolina and this is my colleague Ashley. Um, in two in 2023, North Carolina recorded its highest overdose rate since 2010 with an estimated of 4,442 deaths, about 12 deaths per day, more than double the rate of any vehicle fatalities. Fentanel related deaths rose by 23% from 2022 to 2023 and 80% of the overdose deaths involve multiple substance multiple substances. At least 50% of people with an SUD disorder have a co-occurring mental illness. Only 50% of individuals in North Carolina have access to the care that they need for SUD and mental health issues. Starting October 1st, 2025, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services implemented reimbursement rate reductions for Medicaid providers due to a $319 million shortfall in the state budget. Access to mental health and substance use disorder services has remained a critical challenge in Raleigh and in Wake County. Vulner vulnerable populations, including individuals experiencing homelessness, face systemic barriers such as fragmented care, transportation issues, and financial constraints. We seek partnership and funding support. Expand capacity and multilingual services, mental health and SUD issues, develop a no wrongdoor navigation model for Raleigh residents and launch community care coordination pilot integrating mental health, SUD and and social services. Alcohol and Drug Council of North Carolina serves as a central hub for behavioral health navigation offering helpline and digital access. We have a 247 confidential helpline connecting individuals to treatment, recovery, housing, and crisis services. Online, we have an online resource directory for mental health and substance use providers, care coordination, direct referral, outpatient and peer support programs. Thank you guys. If you have a written statement too, that would be helpful just to know all the and thanks for your emails too. Uh, Will Hooker. >> Good evening. My name's Will Hooker. I'm a landscape architect and an ameritus professor for NC State, where I taught landscape design for over 35 years. There is an issue concerning Dicks Park, which I believe is short-sighted, very ill- advised, and which would represent an extremely bad precedent for the future of Dicks Park. Some want to put condominiums in the park. Central Park in New York City is the best urban park in in the US and one of the best in the world. And it is a model for what for what Dicks Park could become. Central Park was started in the 1850s and since its inception, there's been pressure for more commercialization. Thankfully, this has been thwarted, allowing Central Park to be what it was intended to be, a place to offer a retreat from noise, pollution, and overcrowding. This is also what Dicks Park should be. And with Raleigh being one of the fastest growing cities in the country, every square foot of land is precious. One of the problems of concern here relative to uh the park is symbolic ownership. And that is when people live near something, they feel like they own it. And this would be a problem with people trying to come to the park to use the park on any land that is near these condominiums because they would be invading it. Um this this would be a major travesty and would make the park unattractive for most of us normal folks. Please please do not allow condominiums to be built in the park. Thank you very much. >> Right. Our final speaker is Mamakai Sanders. Good evening, y'all. It's another amazing day in paradise. Thank you so much for your service. Um, yeah. Um, I'm here to request the city look into emotional intelligence assessments and training for the city staff. To not point fingers at any particular person or department, I think it's something that should be done across all city departments. I had an incident this past weekend where Wisdom had an unfavorable experience with a community center director. The long story short was after I had a chance to speak with him, she he said they threatened to hit him. When I spoke with them and asked if they'd said that, they said they didn't. They told they said they told him, "I'm going to get you." And then threatened to kick him out of the park. Now, as a parent coach, you know, that's very triggering to me. Now, I'm not here to proclaim that wisdom is some angelic child. He's very active, curious, and tries to see where the boundaries are. All the things a mentally healthy child should be and do. So, this seems a really like a really harsh punishment for him trying to reenact a scene from Blueie where Bingo is trying to get water from a water fountain and she overflows it to drink from it. If you know, you know. Now, this might alarm you and even seem dangerous, but the fountain was outside. Again, this is a very abbreviated version of the story. I'm not going to blow up this individual, but I will say that if they if they did that to wisdom, not believing he would say anything to me, then who else are they talking to like that? No child should be threatened with any get you, especially in our parks. Of all places, they should they of all places, they should be yet another safe space to be in. Emotional intelligence assessments and training would address all that. In closing, I need to be clear that if anything remotely similar happens in the future with this individual, I'll be asking them asking for them to be removed from their position. Thank you and good night. >> Thank you. >> All right, that concludes our public comment for this evening. Thank you all for coming out. [Music]