We'll call the public comment period to order. And uh just for the record, we have uh Mayor Prom Harrison who is excused and out. Just very good excuses to be gone. And then uh councelor Silver is also absent and excused. Um so with that, you want to talk through the microphone and timing? Thank you, Mayor and Council. Good evening and uh welcome to another public comment. Uh before we hand over the mic, uh just a couple quick pointers. As you step to the microphone, uh take the time, please, to adjust it. Uh so the microphone is just in front of your mouth. Uh as a reminder to those who have been here before, if you turn left or right, we can't hear you in the room, and we certainly can't hear you uh back at home either. So, um you don't have to lean into the microphone. The microphone will pick you up and we'll adjust as well. And also if you need any assistance, if you cannot reach the microphone, we will bring a handheld microphone to you as well. All right. Thank you. >> Thank you. Okay. With that, we will call Miss Octavia Rainey. >> Good evening. I would like to take the opportunity to thank thank the city council for everything that they did for fourth board. Fourth board. I have worked on fourth board for 44 years and it is like a breath of fresh air to finally see the city coming through on fourth ward. And I can't tell you how excited I was on February the 5th. I cried a little because the people that was with me 44 years ago, they're dead now. They they aren't here to see this. But I am planning to visit 100 graves and tell them you don't have to toss and turn in your grave anymore. We finally got the city to acknowledge that fourth ward actually existed. And I'm very excited about the things that the city of Raleigh is planning to do in fourth ward. I am really, really excited. 44 years of my life has been a long, long time. And when I look back on it, I look back and I see it was a journey. I understand a lot of things that happened. I'm not mad with the previous District D representatives because it was really a journey, but I will say I am thankful to former Eric Reed, District D, and my beloved my beloved Dr. Jane Harrison. I am really thankful for that. And the churches are grateful. We are going to tour 15 churches with Miss Wendy Painter with Miss Painter starting in April, May, and June. We're going to get out there. And the churches that across the belt line have also called me. So, have added five to that list. So, I hope she's ready for this. I really hope she's ready because it's an exciting time and you just don't know how grateful I am. I spent 44 years of my life on the fourth board project and it is really coming true and the things that the city is planning on doing. You just don't know how happy I am and the people that have died, how happy they are going to be when I stand over their graves and say, "You got it. You don't have to toss and turn no more. You don't have to toss and turn." So, I would like to say thank you to the city of Raleigh for 44 years of asking, but it's the journey and God got control of the journey and you don't know how that's going to end, but I am grateful for God's blessing. I'm grateful for God touching the city council heart to say this is the right thing to do. It was a long time coming, but it finally came. Thank you. >> Thank you. Next we have Lisa Hwitt. >> Why do I always have to follow that? [laughter] >> Okay, a 180 from that. Do you know why I don't show up for public hearings when I approve of a reasonzoning? Because the outcome is almost always predetermined. Over the past two years, council has denied only two of the 54 cases. One denial cited concerns over neighborhood character. The other said existing zoning was sufficient. Those same concerns applied to the Peace Street Tower and the recent North Hills case. Yet both were approved. Yes, I'm coming back to those two disastrous council decisions. You are literally bulldozing what residents have asked for in the comp plan and associated small area plans. The purpose of those plans is to strategically execute comprehensive development. When council disregards them, you undermine our trust and the very framework meant to manage growth responsibly. You often point to offered conditions as sufficient public benefits. But the question is whether those benefits are proportionate to what is being granted. In the recent cases I mentioned they were not. Doubling or tripling height should come with significant elevated public benefits. You have leverage. Developers want to build here. Council can either hold out for substantial benefits or adhere to the plans that we have collectively agreed to follow. We know we need more housing. Density in walkable, less car dependent areas is necessary, but you need to be better stewards of the plan. A third of this city is house burdened. The comprehensive plan also calls for affordable housing within these developments. When you vote for payment in lie of units, it is not serving the residents, it's serving the developers. The voting record of six of you make clear that you are 100% on the side of developers. I believe you also need to be smarter about the infrastructure the city will need to invest to support this density. From what I've seen, council is not planning adequately for those future costs. If you don't have the budget to support this growth, the solution is not to shift the burden onto residents through rising property taxes. The solution is to be more deliberate and disciplined about what you do approve. On a final note, I am pleased to hear that you now have an affordable housing dashboard. I'd love to review it. Every time I go to it, it says that I do not have authorization. Is this just an internal dashboard? And could somebody please follow up with me on that? Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Woody Biggs. Woody here. No. Okay. Chris Crew. >> Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Chris Crew, 306 Elm Street. Tonight is my pleasure to come before you with a word of thanks for support for preservation efforts in Raleigh. Your recent denial of zoning request change Z2525 on Bworth Street in historic Oakwood was a positive move for preservation in our first neighborhood and first historic district. A number of similar cases are going to come before you soon and I'd like you to ask like to ask you to apply the same sound logic in your decision-making process for the Z3125, Z4025, and the is yet unnumbered Newurn Avenue assemblage. Each of these seek spot zonings uh that are upzonings of certain historic residential properties, opening them up for high impact commercial uses. Raleigh has a shortage of housing and as such it doesn't seem wise to approve spot zoning that opens historic residential properties to commercial use. In an environment of rising land prices, such spot zoning uh might encourage the destruction of existing historic buildings for replacement with structures more suited to commercial use. Alongside Raleigh's housing shortage, we're experiencing a glut of office space, particularly in the downtown area. I tried to figure out how much last week, and it seems like it may be as much as 35% vacancy in office space. This glut is going to grow when the new city hall opens in 2027. So converting historic housing that contributes to so much of Raleigh's neighborhood character into office space is going to be detrimental to the neighborhoods, to preservation, and to the marketability of existing downtown commercial space. In order to free up your time and your brain space for other concerns that will come forward tonight and in the future, I strongly suggest placing a moratorum on new zoning change requests and address any new proposals during the update of the comprehensive plan. The current plan provides ample opportunity to reach Raleigh's housing and density goals without threatening the character that makes Raleigh such a desirable address. Please be mindful of these pending cases and listen carefully to the public input that you have received and will continue to receive as these cases move forward in the process. Thank you for caring. >> Thank you, Misa Salari. Okay. Uh, Mama Kai Sanders Good evening. Um, a belated happy Monday and it's another amazing day in paradise, of course. Happy Black History Month and happy week of National Black Love Day. Um, in case you didn't know, National Black Love Day is celebrated annually on February 13th, which is this Friday. and that will mark 33 years since its creation. I encourage you to look it up to learn the five tenets and four goals of the day. And check out the visionary woman behind it. Her name is Mama Io Handy Kendi. Um, and she spells it ma, just FYI. Um, she is a gentle force to be reckoned with, a gentle force for good. And so introducing her is the perfect introduction to what I want to talk about today, what peace really looks like. because we had a really unique and beautiful experience here in Raleigh recently with the Walk for Peace gracing our community. For those of you who could weather the frigid temperatures that day, I applaud you. I watched some of Saturday's walk from inside the hotel room we were blessed to be in, and I watched some of it again on Sunday as they walked through the freezing rain. Some of our neighbors were out there showing up for the monks in ways only Raleigh could. Which brings me back to the last time I was here and I said I felt some kind of way about what's going on here in Raleigh. When the walk of peace came through, I had to confront how angry I am. Present tense. Now, you might think, "She doesn't look that angry." But that's my point. I don't have to act angry to be angry. As a parent coach, I invite parents and others to understands that emotions are neutral. They're just messengers. And without emotional intelligence, our actions lead us to label emotions as good or bad. One of my favorite quotes is by Malcolm X where he said, "Usually when people are sad, they don't do anything. They just cry over their condition, but when they get angry, they bring about change." What I appreciate most about this quote is that while Malcolm X sought to bring about external change, what I don't think most people realize is the biggest changes he made were to himself. Especially since the only person he could control the change of was himself as it is with all of us. And as a leader who was under great public scrutiny, he was able to bring about great public changes. All you have to do is look at his journey where he started out as Malcolm Little, assumed the name Malcolm X and died as Elhaj Malik Elshabaz. This is a short Black History Month message in honor of National Black Love Day. And next week in conclusion, I'll connect this message about brother Malcolm to where peace comes from. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Next, uh, Miss Kimberly Williams FTH. [snorts] Can you hear me? All right. Good evening. Every year, City of Raleigh employees and their dependents make significant financial and health care decisions based on information provided by the city and your third party administrator for health care insurance, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina. But today, one of your employees dependents is facing down a little more than $22,000 worth of debt because the city's health plan functioned in an unnavavigable manner. On August 23rd, 2024, I refer you to the packet. The family's OBGYn obtained an industry standard verification of benefits. The data provided confirmed that maternity care was a covered benefit of your major medical plan. This family did what is expected of a responsible patient. They ensured their care was verified in writing. They stayed in network and they got the standard of care to have a healthy pregnancy, birth, baby, and recovery for mom. The issue here isn't just a clerical error. It represents a significant legal and regulatory risk to the city. Under North Carolina law, the doctrine of equitable estoppel applies when an agent like your third party administrator provides incorrect information that a resident reasonably and appropriately relies on upon their financial detriment. Furthermore, this exclusion raises a regulatory red flag. Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act prohibits pregnancybased discrimination, excluding routine maternity care for dependent while covering almost every other form of dependent medical care, places the city at odds with federal non-discrimination standards. No family should be expected to cross-reference a professionally provided verification of benefits against a 120 plus page document against a 45minute phone call to the health insurance company just to see if there's a hidden exclusion. The family should not be caught in the disconnect between the city's plan and its administrator's communications because this is a self-funded insurance plan. >> Um, unfortunately, no. But we do have your package. >> Okay. >> And your emails, so we assuming we'll follow up. >> All right. Thank you. Thank you, Elizabeth Stewart. Good evening. My name is Elizabeth Stewart and I live in Anderson Forest. I'm here to discuss the proposed Big Branch Greenway. I have attended many parks and wreck and city council meetings when this topic has been discussed. In the meeting where the council voted for the 1B West streamside route, I was amazed at the ongoing complete misrepresentation of the facts by the greenway advisory committee and the apparent predetermined outcome of this route. They were not able to give you, the city council, a ballpark idea of the cost of the one best oneb west route. But that did not stop them from stating to you that it was the most economical solution. When questioned, they admitted they were unable to take into account property acquisition and imminent domain cost for nine homes. They also left out any mention of the plan which requires the building of a long descending ramp from Six Forks Road or the expansion of the bridge over the covert and widening of the sidewalk on the busiest and most accidentprone section on all of Six Forks. All of this was conveniently ignored and left off their slideshow of the skewed visual representation. They brushed over the environmental concerns, not taking into account the heavy ongoing development in the nearby areas, which will drastically increase the flooding potential in this section of the creek. To this situation, they gave us the assurance that more greenery would be planted along the creek banks to counteract the already accelerated erosion since the sewer pipeline was recently replaced. They also assured us that the public would be notified on their website of a flooding in this compromised area. I'm not sure how effective this warning system will be for unexpected downpours in the summer. When we brought up the fact that there will be no means of escape in this tightly compacted area, they said all greenways are built on flood planes. They did not acknowledge the fact that they have to build this narrow alleyway so very close to homes and the creek that both sides of the walkway will be fenced in. Again, a total misrepresentation of the visible presentation. One person told me at a meeting when I brought this up that pedestrians and cyclists would just need to trespass on the neighbors and go up the hill to get to street side, which I might mention. We already have a very nice um walkway and um in front of our houses. It's amazing that we were so that they were so quick to site environmental concerns on the other proposed routes, but almost totally ignored these even more serious Thank you. Next, Demetrius Hannon here Ali. >> I have a presentation. presentation. >> Oh, there. >> Oh, so you guys just have the PDF then? Okay. All right. Um, my name is Hennady Ali. I'm Raleigh born Palestinian American. I've lived in Palestine four to five years of my life. I'm here today to discuss why there's I want to put this up. Why there's a Palestinian resistance and why by human and international law it's allowed. What action steps should be taken to end the occupation? How North Carolina helps the terror state of Israel? All right. Um well, because I don't have my slides. So, um anyways, I had a picture of kids on uh destroyed center blocks still studying. So, this is what I'm saying. Look at these resilient Palestinian children that have never done anything to anyone other than slowly become refugees to the everexpanding greater Israel. The maps, unfortunately, you can't see the maps and sadly a lot of people are ignorant about the maps, but it's important that you look at the old Palestinian map and the new Palestinian map and you see how much change and how much land they have lost. Israel's occupation does not stop at Palestine. It wants pieces of Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon. For anyone who is confused about Zionism, let me break it down. It is the movement for the reestablishment and now the development and protection of the Jewish nation in what is now Israel. It was established as a political organization in the 1897s under Theodore Herzel and was later led by Cham Wisman. 1897 was long before World War II. Taking someone else's land started well before World War II, and sadly, the Holocaust happened, which allowed nations to feel justified in displacing natives for European Jews. As you see on the maps, what once belonged to Palestinian Jews, Christians, and Muslims because we all lived peacefully together before Zionism now increasingly belongs to Israel. Please note my distinction and non-conflation between the terror state of Israel and Judaism. I'm not anti-Semitic because I'm a Semite. I welcome all my Jewish brothers and sisters. I do not welcome Zionism. Slide four was pretty much the action steps we need to start taking, which are sanctions, arms embargos, everything else I can't remember. Um, but scratch the even playing field. Okay. Apac politicians wish to hide Palestinian death counts from you so they can continue to take that dirty Apac money. Israel has killed 72,037 human beings, of which at least 18,000 of them are children. Where is the community for Palestinians? Where is the community for Palestinians? Because I see a lot of community for other groups of people, but I don't. >> Thank you, Miss Donna Bailey. >> All right. Well, I want them to have it now anymore. >> [clears throat] >> you'll get a chance to see that. Um, good evening. I want to just reinforce everything Lisa Huget Hug said tonight and I'm going to be speaking with some of the same themes. Um, the city is failing at providing even a fraction what that of what is needed for affordable housing. According to the latest breakdown of net loss of affordable housing, the city is losing 4 to 5,000 units a year. we used to get that um that hasn't been this chart that I'm sending around hasn't been done at least to the public and how can you measure what housing you're losing or gaining if you're not tracking this. So, uh something to ask uh Patrick Young why that's not being produced. Um the current plan the current comp plan and missing middle rules are not promoting affordability. Instead, the city continues to destroy our existing Noah housing to build luxury. The comp plan says there will be expanded housing choices with affordable work affordable and work for housing. Where is that? Yet over and over again, staff indicates that resoning cases with zero affordable housing is consistent with the vision theme in the comp plan. It's your job to make sure that the city meets the biggest needs in Raleigh, which is more affordable housing. I give you all a failing grade, except for the counselors that con the two counselors that consistently vote to um ask for more affordable housing. Thank you. And Jane, if you're watching, um I give you Okay. Um, you don't need to be afraid of scaring off the developers. They want to build here. If they all know that what you will be asking for is increased affordable housing, then that is what they will give you. Give you for the increased entitlement they are asking for. For what they're asking for and what Lisa suggested, sometimes 300% times the entitlement and they're giving you pennies, not even pennies. It's ironic that developers can come up with affordable housing contributions if they think they won't get your vote. Does it very easy? Just like when we saw that trickle down economics doesn't work. That same theory, oh man, for housing is also a failure. It takes 30 years for current housing to become affordable. What's more likely to be seen is that affordable housing is being scraped for more luxury housing. I see that in my neighborhood where they've knocked down lots of Noah duplexes and quadriplexes and put up McMansions. So they'll knock down a duplex, put up one big house, a quadruplex, two big houses. Uh many people think that missing middle um includes affordable housing. There is no requirement for any affordable housing in Missing Middle. That is a huge mistake. Um, gee. All right, I can't go on, but you guys need >> Thank you. All right. And then the final, we have Alex Brassette. >> Um, I had an image to share. >> You got it. >> It's not working. Can I look at it? Can I >> put a mouse on it? >> No. >> Uh, too bad. Um, [clears throat] all right. Well, uh, good evening. Um, so you're seeing the picture, that's at least good. Um, I'm here today standing in for my wife, Athena Wallen, who you probably remember being here many times in the past. Um, uh, she was and continues to be deeply concerned about the condition of cemetery, the Cemetery Branch Creek, which is behind our house, which you can probably see in the picture, and the impact that the development on our street is having on the creek. >> [snorts] >> Um the picture that I'm showing you highlights one of many problems that we're seeing. So you can see a green line and that's a sewer pipe. You can also see that there is a new condo complex. It should be uh you should be able to see it. Um it has pavement right up to the sewer. Our property which is um maybe four to the left. We have a 20 foot easement on either side of the sewer that runs through our backyard. So, how was this development able to violate that easement? You know, maybe the sewer isn't in the exact spot where the green line is, but they're clearly inside the easement. And so, how did this happen? And this just seems to be one example of exceptions that are being made, loopholes being explo exploited by developers, uh exceptions to rules that are in place for a reason, to protect ecosystems, protect infrastructure, and protect property. >> [snorts] >> Another example is that they have far more impervious service than than should have been allowed, but they were able to get around this restriction by filing for permits for two separate parcels, [snorts] even though this is clearly one development. And as a result, the creek will get damaged by heavier runoff, which will lead to more erosion, including on our property, and worse flooding for downstream properties. It also puts this sewer at risk as this bank continues to erode. And then what will happen if a repair needs to be made uh where the easement has been paved over. [snorts] Um there's another example here. There's a new development uh not built yet, but you can see that where it's been scraped. You can see some trees that would not have been allowed to be taken down if the development was treated as one large property like it is. But it was permanent on the basis of three individual parcels. And now we've lost not only a valuable wildlife habitat, but also an important asset for stabilizing the soil near the creek bank. So [snorts] what's happening here? Are we deliberately making exceptions and looking the other way when developers come with these ideas? Are we not paying enough attention to these proposals? These aren't even affordable housing projects here. These are luxury housing. [snorts] Um, and this is not a nimbe thing. This is about being responsible about how we grow and taking care of our city's resources. So, we need to do better. Thank you. [snorts] >> Thank you. >> All right. Uh that concludes our speakers for this evening and the public comment is adjourned.