Good evening everyone. I'm Alan Joins, mayor of Winston Salem. It's my pleasure to call to order this March 23rd meeting of the Winston Salem City Council and ask the city clerk to call the role, please. >> Council member Joiner, >> present. Council member Clark >> here. >> Council member Andrew Bowen >> here. >> Council member Cypio. >> Mayor Prom Adams here. >> Council member Taylor >> present. >> Council member Hall >> present. >> And council member Burke >> here. >> Thank you very much. Would you please join the city council and me in a moment of silence? >> Thank you. And would you please join the city council and me in the pledge of >> allegiance [clears throat] to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, liberty [clears throat] and justice for all. >> Thank you. Our sergeant-at-arms tonight is Lieutenant Vernon Chu. Lieutenant, thank you for being with us tonight. and our fire marshall tonight is fire marshal Quincy Jackson. Thank you for being with us as well. >> Yeah, there we Uh we were televising this meeting live uh tonight on TV13 and and the city's YouTube page and it will be replayed tomorrow morning at 900 a.m. and again Wednesday night at 900 p.m. Uh so it's not tomorrow, it's Wednesday morning, excuse me, rather than copies of our agenda as well as videos of previous meetings are always available online and go to the city's website and just click on the watch meetings online option. Like to recognize our city manager, Mr. Pate for his update. >> Thank you, Mayor Mayor. Um, a couple of different items. Uh, one just to let the public know we did this past week able to attend the National League of Cities meeting in Washington DC with Mayor Pro Tim Adams, council members Andre Bowen, Clark and Joiner, Assistant City Manager Dr. Wright Laneir also joined us and Dr. Shayen Miller, our intergovernmental affairs directors. We were able to visit with our US representatives Pat Harrian and with the um briefly with uh Representative Asen McDow as well as members of their staffs and also had the opportunity to meet with uh Senator Tillis and Senator Bud and their staff members uh as well uh to find out on the federal side what was what we thought would be impacting us and how we could help them better provide services to our community. Uh, as you're aware, Senator Tillis announced his retirement at the end of this term. And so, Council Member Andre Bowen did attend a joint city sessions with him where he was able to address the senator and express uh on behalf of the city our appreciation for what he had been able to do for us as uh in Winston Salem. Also, as a reminder to the council, we will be doing the same thing with our state legislative group starting this with a Friday morning breakfast with them uh this week. A couple of recognitions. One, assistant city manager um Sharon Voida recently completed her requirements for the international city county manager credentialed manager designation. This is a multi-year process which requires them to do management assessments in 14 areas related to effective local government management and leadership. It's a peer-reviewed credentiing program, meaning that other local government professionals uh have reviewed and evaluated her portfolio deem her worthy of this honor. There's about 1,500 ICMA members who actually have this designation at this time. um uh including myself and ACM uh Dr. Wright Laneir. As a part of this uh for all of us and in our office, we all adhere to the organization's code of ethics and our we commit to additional hours of professional development annually. In other recognitions, this past weekend, two of our city employees were recipients of the annual Winston Salem Ambassadors Everyday Award. Sherica Floyd and our neighborhood services uh department and Andy Shioat in our keep w as a part of keep Winston Salem Beautiful as a part of our sustainability uh office. Miss Floyd was nominated for her work as a housing programs manager which includes connecting individuals and families experiencing homeless experiencing housing instability with resources that help them move towards stability and she's very passionate about that work. Uh, Miss Sabbat was nominated for her dedication in protecting the city's natural spaces and helping residents take pride in keeping Winston Salem clean and beautiful. And we're going to be doing some additional efforts on that in this upcoming year. And if you're out on our website, you can see u Miss Sabat on all kinds of videos showing residents how to how to keep our community better looking. Uh speaking of sustainability kind of issues, foresight creek week began this week and runs through s March 29th. It's a countywide initiative organized by the Winston Salem stormwater erosion control division town of Kernersville in the village of Clemens. There's a multitude of of events, mostly free, that are scheduled to help educate us about the importance of our water, which also encourages us to be good stewards of this finite resource. And you can go to uh foresight creekw week.org to get details of the events that are going on. A lot a lot of cleanup efforts going on. A lot of a lot of great activities. On this Thursday, the 26th at 2 p.m. there will be a groundbreaking ceremony for the Cleveland Avenue project phases two and three. It'll take place at 956 New Hope Lane. And I know uh council has been involved in this project for many years and this it's great to see this continuing to move forward. Uh next Monday on the 30th from 4 to 7, the engineering department will hold a public information sess session for the Piedmont Greenway at Salem Lake. This project will connect our greenway system to Kernville's Triad Park, Oak Ridge, and end in Somerfield in Gford County. Monday is also National Take a Walk in the Park Day. So, while we're there, we encourage folks to take a walk on the greenway and stop by the shelter to learn more about the Pedmont Greenway project. And then finally, on Tuesday the 31st at 5:30 p.m., the planning department will hold the second meeting of the four-part series public input series on the Northeast Suburban Area Plan. This meeting will take place at Foresight Tech's Transportation Technology Center again at 4255 Patterson Avenue. I'm g make sure that's correct. I think that's where we had the other one too, right? Yes. So again, it's at the 5:30 on March 31st at the Foresight Tech Transportation Technology Center. If you haven't been to the center, that's a great place to go look at some of the things our folks are able to to do as well while you're talking about the uh Norththeast Suburban Area Plan. So with that, I'll be stand ready to take any questions or >> any questions for Mr. P. [clears throat] >> Thank you, Mr. P. You're welcome. >> We'll now move uh into our agendas. We our agenda is divided into two parts. The consent agenda and the general agenda. It's always the practice of our council to take the consent agenda. The first order of business. Items on this agenda have been unanimously recommended by a committee of the city council or are being submitted in accordance with established city procedure. There'll be no discussion of the items on this agenda unless the council member so request in which event the item will be removed from the consent agenda and considered individually. Items not removed from the consent agenda will be enacted with one motion. Council members, are there any items you wish to pull? Seeing no one, is there is there a motion? >> Move for approval of our consent agenda. [clears throat] >> Second. >> Second by several people. Councilor Hall and Cypio. This will be a a voice vote. After that, we'll be voting electronically. All those in favor of approving the consent agenda, please say I. I. >> And oppose? No. And that is unanimous. Thank you very much. We'll now go to the general agenda which in includes a number of items. There are two zoning petitions. There's a unified development ordinance text amendment. That's a public uh hearing on the Minnesota Transit Authority potential route changes. There's an item dealing with general obligation and refunding bonds as well as water and sewer revenue refunding bonds. When the public hearings are called, the P persons in the council chamber will be given opportunity to speak. If there is opposition to a public hearing item, the proponents and opponents will each be given 15 minutes for presentation and three minutes for rebuttal. If no one wishes to speak, then the public hearing will be closed and the city council will consider the item. May we have item G1, please? Item G1, public hearing and consideration of zoning petition of SG Atkins Community Development Corporation from RS9 to RM8s, property located at the northeast intersection of Bloomfield Drive and Wilbur Street containing approximately 0.51 acres located in the southeast ward. >> Thank you. Is there anyone in council who's opposed to this resoning? Seeing no one, I'll declare this public hearing closed. And I recognize council member Taylor. >> Thank you, mayor, members of the council. I move for approval of one, the statement of consistency for approval of this item and 2 W-3674. >> Second. >> Second by Mayor Pro Adams. Any discussion? >> Not all those. Oh, excuse me. >> Yes, Mr. Mayor. I just needed a question. Can someone tell me who the honorable Youth Inc. is that's on the um site plan. >> It's an LLC. >> LLC >> is it is >> there there is a representative from uh the LLC here today if you need to ask a question. >> Is it part of SG Atkins >> or is it separate? It's my understanding that they are separate but related but but most certainly she can come and speak for herself. >> I would like to know a little bit more >> representative of this z petition if you're here the proponents could you come forward and >> [clears throat] >> you give your name and address for the record, please. >> Um, good evening, city council mayor. Uh, my name is Rashidita Shankle. Um, and I'm with Honorable Youth um, Incorporation. This is Steve Coser. He is working with us on the project as well. Um, we are a nonprofit here located in Winston Salem, North Carolina. And we have um we're working to provide a co-ousing unit aimed to address high poverty um for single mothers and their children to help them climb the economic ladder for mobility. Excuse me. So, we've been working here for a while um working with the single mothers and we've actually been working on this project since 2018 and we just got to the position to where we were able to raise all of the money is thanks to the city council as well. Um and the Winston Salem Foundation to move this project forward. >> Thank you. >> Thank you very much, Steve. Thank you. All right. All those defer the motion, please indicate by voting yes. Anyone opposed, vote no. That is unanimous. Thank you very much. Item G2. >> Item [clears throat] G2, public hearing and consideration of zoning petition of Sprout Ventures LLC from LI to PB property located on the east side of Brookstown Avenue south of Shallowford Street and north of High Street containing approximately 23 acres located in the northwest ward. Is there anyone in the council chamber who is opposed to this resoning? Seeing no one, I'll declare the public hearing closed. I recognize council member Hall. >> Thank you, Mayor Joins. Um I move um to approve item W-3675. Um and that is one the statement of consistency for the approval of this item and two W3675. >> Is there a second? Second. >> Second by council member Burke. Any discussion? And all those in favor, please educate by voting yes. Anyone opposed, vote no. >> And that is unanimous. Thank you, Council Member Hall. Item G3, please. >> Item G3, public hearing and consideration of proposed changes to UDO CC32, regulations for mechanically stabilized slopes and retaining walls. >> Thank you. Um, Mr. Mr. Murphy, you want to give us just a quick statement on what this is dealing with? If you don't mind, >> I can. If there are any technical questions, uh Dan Roberts on our staff who actually worked on this text amendment is here. Uh but this is a uh change to the UDO which essentially removes uh some of the removes the regulations from the UDO dealing with retaining wall height and just reserves that section and moves it to where it needs to be which is with engineering approval in the city and with NC DOT in the county uh if there's anything close to um rideaways and then also uh obviously utilities is a city county entity so if there's anything close to any uh sewer or other infrastructure, those things are handled at the engineering review and not in the land use entitlement section. So, we're really putting this where it needs to go, which is with the engineers. So, that's essentially the text amendment. >> Thank you. Any questions, Mr. Murphy? >> All right. Um, is there anyone in the council chamber who wishes to be heard on this item? Seeing no one, I declare the public hearing closed. And I'd recognize Mayor Pro Tim Adams for a motion. She's ready. >> [clears throat] >> I move for approval of this UDO CC32 amendment. >> I second. >> Second by council member Joiner. Any discussion? All those in favor of this motion, please vote yes. Anyone opposed, vote no. And that is unanimous. Thank you very much. Item G4. Item G4, public hearing and con and proposed Winston Salem Transit Authority WSTA route network changes identified in the route study resolution to be considered on April 6, 2026. >> Recognize Mr. Jeff Fensler, our DOT director for a quick uh summary of what we're doing here tonight. Jeff, >> that's right. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, mayor prom member of city council. At your March committee, the whole we went into great detail. So, just to remind staff, the public what's before you and for consideration for the public period tonight is just a summary quickly of our route changes. And I'll do that by indicating here are four main topics of what the service change packet really involves. Uh, you know, our most popular routes where we have the most ridership. We want to increase the frequency on those, expanding the reach and the purpose of those routes shown there by our service frequency. We're going to increase 81, 86, 89, 92, 93, 96, 103, and 105 from 60-minute to 30-minute headways. Moving forward, also a couple of our routes, 87, 93, and 104. We're going to make some minor geography changes so we can make sure we can meet those higher uh or more frequent headways. So, just some minor geography changes so we can meet that 30 minute uh threshold. We're also recommending, you heard us talk a lot about the microtransit zone in in the northwest part of town kind of bounded by Renalda and Shadelon over towards University Parkway in the Hannesville area. And that's part of to supplement the service disruptions that go away by the discontinued routes that I'll highlight now. Routes 82, 88, 97, 101, 102, 108, and 109 are proposed to go away because the key factor here is to we're trying to do this to as budget neutral as we can, right? And so to do that, we took a look hard look at our underperforming routes that have very few passengers per hour and we're recycling those buses and those operators to put the service as we just highlighted there and and make better use of those dollars in those buses. A high level summary today about 70% of our buses come every hour. This proposal city council will will be 63 of our buses come every 30 minutes. And the driving factor there is how how many jobs can we access if we run buses fre more frequently? Does that expand our reach? And of course the analysis as you heard us talk a lot about indicates such highlighting once again to I didn't mention that in the summary that we do we this proposal includes two cross town routes that that avoid downtown all together. We talked a lot about that but does connect really residential density to job clusters both in that kind of northwest part of town and then the southern kind of connector there uh as a major component of this. And so as you all know we spent a lot of time talking about all the engagement that we've done a kind of array of that. We had many open houses and public forums. We we were on the on the buses with literature. We were at the the transportation center where we had an all day kind of engagement with with existing riders. Then we had several meetings around town where a number of you have have attended as well and we received a lot of feedback. Wanted to also call your attention to that the survey has been has been uh been out for some time about a month and it closes tomorrow. So still an opportunity for our community to engage with especially if you're an existing rider and this these proposed service changes could disrupt your normal ride. We want to hear from you. We want to know what your experience is and how these changes will affect you. So we encourage folks to visit that website and that and take that survey that's shown by the QR code there. So that's a high level summary. We spent a lot of detail at the committee meeting. Mr. Mayor, we're hoping for some some comments tonight and that we can continue refining these plans as we move forward towards adoption next month. Happy to take any questions. >> Any questions, Miss Fansler? There's no action on this item tonight. So we'll we'll come back uh >> first meeting in April. >> April 18th. Okay. April. >> Yes. Um, I just want the public and everyone to know that and I know they know we've kind of been struggling over the past decade uh with our transit uh system uh being able to accommodate our citizens but also being able to keep up the infrastructure piece of it which are buses and maintenance and our workers and employees. But this is nothing new to with just Winston. This change is going on all over the country. because cities realize that most of us have never advanced our transit system to the next and this is our first attempt at it. Again, uh I hope that those that have not filled out the survey will go and fill it out. But again, when we do these things, it doesn't mean that things won't change and morph into something else because we may find out some things when we put this in place that we need [snorts] to come back, rewind the tape, and do something different. So again, I want to thank staff and the public and everybody for being so understanding about this. again. There going to be some people that, you know, it ain't going to work the first time. And I understand the frustration, but we're trying to make it better so that our buses run faster, quicker, and as Robert uh Council Member Clark would say, uh, he's just tired of seeing empty buses riding all over town. We're trying to get people on the bus. That's the only way this is going to work. Thank you, Mr. Fel. >> Thank you, Mr. Fans. Happyio, I have a question. Yes, Mr. Fanser. Um, I really [clears throat] uh am in favor of this, but I I'm just need to ask once again, routes 108 and 101 tend to leave the southeast not serviced. Um, can you refresh what we you said about the cost of doing micro transit in that area? So the current proposal does eliminate those two routes as you highlight which does does leave some service gaps as if you compare it to the current level service that we have today. I'll remind us though that that cross town does supplement quite a bit of 101 specifically where a lot of those stops will still be served. Now for 108 particularly we do have stops that will not be served altogether. And so as we mentioned last time microransit is a consideration that this council could make. you could charge staff to go uh work to fund that through other options or we could bring back a proposal to this body of what that could cost. Right now we're looking at about $700,000 for kind of you know that one to two bus you know microtransit capacity in that that area. So that's what we're at but it would have to be a funding allocation either through our no or through an allocation from the city council. Did many of the riders in that area respond to your survey and um how they felt they would get access to that express route? >> You know, we tried to have so we went to the Sprry community center there and tried to target that area very specifically and and turnout was low. Uh now when we had the all day meeting at the trans transportation center, we did have some conversation about 108 particularly 101. Now, we were able to explain them face to face so that the cross town does provide service in that area. But I'll be very frank uh you know there are some folks that we do not serve and there's not an option for them that that is proposed today and we heard some of that. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Council member Cypio, I'll just add a little bit. I think when this comes back to you on April 6th, we're based on a comment I think council member Taylor had made about the microtransit as a second pilot for the southeast and those numbers Jeff quoted. I think we're going to come back with an option that's going to be discussed as part of your consideration for April 6. So, we're still working on a piece of that, but that should come back as part of that discussion, and Jeff will brief you at that time. >> Thank you, >> Rodri Bowen. >> Uh, Jeff, [clears throat] thank you very much for this. Um, I'm full in favor of this. I'm very excited to see it. Um, to to me, this is step one to moving forward to a better transit system. Um, we need to move our people better and more efficiently. Um, so the the more we can do that on a more economic level, but also more equitable level, I'm all for this. I can't wait to see what the next steps are. Thank you. >> Thank [snorts] you, Council Member. All right, this is a public hearing and I know we've got several folks signed up to speak on this. If you would state your name and address for the record and if you would limit your comments to three minutes. Uh, first person is Craig Richardson. [clears throat] Good evening, Mayor Joints, Mayor Proemp Adams, and Councilman and Council Women. Good evening. >> My name is Craig Richardson and I reside at 381 Harside Drive in the West Ward with Councilman Clark. I'm the director of the Center for the Study of Economic Mobility at Winston Salem State University. Eight years ago, our center profiled the life of a single mom named Britney Marshall and her son in a documentary called Bus Stop Jobs, which has been seen by thousands of people both in this community and across the country. Our documentary had a simple message told through the eyes of Miss Marshall. The largest impediment to getting out of poverty is a lack of time that is hampered by slow public transit system in this city. On the heels of that, we conducted a survey of 250 employed Winston Salem bus riders in 2018 and created a 70page report from our findings. Some of our findings included that the average bus rider spends more than 11 hours per week just commuting to work and back. One rider in our survey memorably said, "Riding the bus is like a part-time job that doesn't pay anything. In fact, the time costs add up to more than $7,000 a year on an average of a $20,000 income for these bus riders. Low frequency of bus options and routes mean 51% of those surveyed turn down a better job offer because of lack of options. This is an excellent proposal. I'm fully in favor of it. It dramatically lowers commute times. It improves access to an economic network, healthy foods, and educational opportunities. I think it's wonderful that we've become serious about economic mobility in the city, improving transportation flexibility through more direct routes rather than the hub and spoke system. This is key. Let's link neighborhoods with jobs, education, and put people on a more equal footing with those who possess automobiles. The microtransit option is one that's being explored by numerous cities across the country that also provides key flexibility for those of us who have cars that we take for granted. I'm strongly in favor of this and thanks again to the staff for a wonderful proposal. >> Thank you, Dixon Pitt, Mayor and Council. Dixon Pit, 331 High Street in downtown Winston. I just wanted to speak in support of the route changes here. The report called out all the great benefits to it and also to thank you for taking on such a big review of a large item in in the city that touches many citizens. Uh, Council Member Adams, you mentioned you're trying to do it. The goal is to make things better. It's gonna be difficult along the road to get there, but thank you for mentioning that. I think it's important to note that it is going to make the route system better here in Winston and help support most of the citizens. Um, and the current proposal is showing that the changes that are being made are being made using just the current budget numbers. So, making it more efficient and not costing any additional money. Thank you very much. Thank you, Michael Swinson. Uh, good evening, Mayor and Council. Um, I'm my name is Michael Swinson. Uh, my address is 100 South Marshall Street, um, downtown Winston. And I am here this evening to show support of the proposed WSTA route network changes. I think it's a great step forward for the city and I think my favorite aspect of it is it's a fiscally responsible plan. Um since the service hours are being reallocated toward the higher demand um corridors, it is not adding anything to the tax basis. Thank you for your time and have a good evening. >> Thank you Suzanne Eprammanis. Good evening, Mayor Joins, mayor pro and councilmen and council women. My name is Suzanne Eper Manis. I live at 204 Canterbury Trail, which puts me in the western ward. I'm here tonight to thank you for investigating new and different ways we can improve our citizens access to jobs, especially for those who reply who rely on public transportation. We all know that the layout of where people live and where jobs are located has changed as Councilman Adams reminded us and so um it is time after WISA was formed over 40 years ago to adapt accordingly. So, I really do applaud your efforts through WISA's latest study of writership and roots to make sure that our WISA dollars are having the best impact for the most citizens. There is no shoe to drop. I'll just go straight to the bottom line. I am I applaud your efforts and I fully support your efforts. So, don't worry in case you thought there was a butt coming. Um, [laughter] so for the record, I'm not an expert or a policy wonk. I am currently retired and I have lived and worked and volunteered throughout our city for 37 years. As a big picture thinker, I've always been really concerned about the health and well-being of our entire community. And by that I mean our people, our schools, our nonprofits, our faith communities, the companies who need employees, um our industries, our government bodies. So we are one huge economy or one ecosystem, an entire economy. And so that is always where I have been focused. And as I as um Professor Richardson mentioned, ever since I saw that documentary called Bus Stop Jobs, I really have been hopeful that we would find a way uh to move beyond our fixed route hub and spoke system that we could join Wilson and Greensboro and other cities across our state and the country who are um you know really recognizing the reality of bringing uh where people live and shop and work and play and take their kids to daycare to bring those points of life closer together. uh healthy food options. You know, all of this. I'm simply here today to say thank you for shifting our focus in public transit to improved access. And I have watched the Department of Transportation's public meetings presentations. I've read the online comments. Um it all sounds like it's absolutely moving us in the right direction. And I also appreciate the work that WISA's is doing to put into minimizing adverse impact. So overall, I fully support the proposed changes, ask you certainly to do the same, and also encourage you all to continue to do everything that you can so we can improve mobility and opportunity for everybody in our city. Thank you. >> Thank you very much, Amelia Codle. >> Hello. Good evening. I am Amelia Codddle and I live at 206 Alistister Road in the West Ward. Um, as a social worker, I see daily how difficult simple tasks that I take for granted can be for those in our community who rely on our public transportation system. So, I'm here tonight to voice my support also um and encourage you all to fully support the proposed changes um as they will help improve access to jobs, save time and daily commutes, and improve economic mobility for many of our citizens. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you very much, Matthew. Mayor Good evening. Uh my name is Matthew Mayers. I live at 2844 Wesley and Lane and I'm also here to speak uh in favor of these improvements that the great folks at the transportation department are putting forward. Um you've heard a lot of really great reasons, I think, for why these changes will be improvements. Um, I would echo uh Cong uh not Congressman, I gave you a promotion there, Council Member Andre Bowen. [laughter] Um, I would uh echo the comments that um I hope this is a step one because it is a great improvement. Um I think we'd all love to see, you know, buses running every 10 minutes for everybody all over the city. But I recognize that buses cost hundreds of thousands of dollars each, not to mention all the fuel and the maintenance, etc. Um, I want to add one little point of perspective for you all about these improvements and that is when we improve our public transportation, everybody benefits. We benefit because there can be less traffic, there can be less air pollution, there can be less noise, and um, you're probably not surprised to hear me say we can have a lot less climate pollution as well. Um, public transportation is one of those keys to improving society at large. So, I urge you to support these changes. Thanks very much. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh, Mark Owens with the number one chamber of commerce in America. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I like that you keep that going a couple a year in. [laughter] >> Yeah. Mr. Mayor, Madam Pro Council, Mark Owens, 525 Vine Street. To keep it brief, we support everything that has been said before and very supportive of this new update. Uh we've been a follower and believer in what Dr. Craig Richardson leads and has brought forward in so many ways and we believe this is a great step forward. I want to speak real quickly on behalf of the business community. U this also is major for our businesses to be able to help have new job opportunities as they grow. For example, Union Cross Business Park is one of our major employment centers in our community. still does not have public transportation access. So, as we think ahead as step one, Councilman, um as as far as connectivity, more economic mobility, and economic growth in our community, the public transportation system is a key component that gives us a chance to really be more competitive in that space. So, please support this and future options to make our transit center system better and the transportation system as a whole more easily attainable for our riders, but also for the businesses to be able to hire. We have a couple companies that mayor is well aware of that are looking to hire in the cross space. Uh, and if there was public transportation, they'd be able to hire and scale up a lot faster. So, thank you for considering this and the steps that come next. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Owens. Uh, is there anyone else who'd like to be heard on this particular item? Yes. >> Oh, she's Oh, can someone give her a hand? >> Thank you. I apologize. >> That's No, don't apologize. >> Okay. There's the There's the >> Thank you. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen of the council, citizens of Winston Salem. My name is Jennifer Kent, and I have lived here for about a year at several different addresses. I currently live at 625 West 6th Street at Crystal Towers. I still do not have trans aid because [gasps] for me as a totally blind citizen of Winston Salem, filling out the paperwork on my own is difficult. It is not available online. It is not a fillable form that I can just go on a website, type in the answers using my screen reader and fill out these bus changes. While I do support them for economic development, I also have to ask, are we going to also improve the sidewalks so somebody like me who will need a power chair in the near future can get down those sidewalks so somebody like some of my neighbors over here can use their walkers to get down those sidewalks? I have many concerns and I hope that the council will consider these concerns. Also, I don't want to see the southeast area of the city having neglected bus service. And I don't want to see trans aid cut off to anyone in the city. [gasps] I am one who is partially bedbound because I cannot get to 90% of the things. I am practically locked in my home because I cannot get trans aid. I do not go anywhere but medical appointments and when I can get a ride to something. I was lucky that Miss Mariah could give me a ride tonight and I thank her for that because it gives me the opportunity to speak out on the issues that I would like to. Otherwise, I would not have the ability. And also [clears throat] buying trans A passes online would be a benefit for me because going down to the terminal to buy those passes or somewhere else costs me more money. That's more money out of my pocket when I barely make enough to buy food and they just cut my food stamps. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, Miss Kent. Very well said. Thank you. Anyone else like to be heard? >> Yes. >> Just going to say a real quick thing. Uh Olivia Doyle. Um just a real quick thing. Uh because I heard council member Cypio talking about um with the potential changes to the southeast area um and the lack of community involvement there. Um, I was going to ask, do we know if any of the advertisements um for the community input meetings were done in Spanish? And also, do we know if these changes are put through? Um, can there be, I don't know, billboards, something that's highly visible in the area for people that are likely going to be using the transportation, um, either to get that information online, have that information accessible online in both Spanish, English, um, possibly even French. Uh, and maybe a billboard to have that in Spanish just so people know that changes are coming. >> I think we will definitely put a all courts press to get the information out. Thank you, Miss Do. All right, I'm going to close the public hearing and thank you everyone for your input. As again, we will not vote on this tonight. We'll put it in the meeting in April. We'll now move to item uh G5. >> Item G5, consideration of actions regarding the issuance of 10.4 4 million 2/3 general general obligation bonds series 2026 A and B as well as the issuance of general obligation refunding bonds in the amount of 37.8 million series 2026 C. >> Good afternoon. Mayor joins Mayor Pro Tim Adams members of city council. This item would give the staff ability to move forward to issue $10.44 44 million in twothirds general obligation bonds. These projects were previously approved by council and progress is well underway. So at this time it makes um financial sense to go ahead and issue the debt. Um in addition, we are asking for approval to consider refinancing the 2016 2012A and 2014 geo bonds. Um, while your action tonight could give us approval to do this, we would still be monitoring the rates and would make a determination if it was beneficial for the city to move forward with the refinancing once we get to the sale date. Um, currently the numbers have changed since I presented this at committee. There's been quite a bit of volatility in the markets. So, at this point, um, as of today, it does not look like the GEO refunding would be possible if we were selling the bonds today, um, because the the rates have changed, uh, to where our savings would be minimal. However, there's still a chance that that will that that will change. So, you have their um, the previous [clears throat] savings that I reported to you, and you can see the $900,000 change. Um, so that would bring the estimate to the 1.85%, 85% which is below our policy level of 3%. So again, we would monitor that and hope it would improve, but if it did not, we would not issue those refunding bonds, but we would still move forward with the 10.44 million in 2/3 bonds for the various projects in your packet. >> Thank you. Any questions, Miss Leam? >> Thank you. I'd recognize chairman of the finance committee, Mr. Clark, for uh one of two motions. This is the G5A. >> Yep. >> Yes. >> Got them all and they all look the same. I move to approve the resolution making statement of facts for the 2026A and 2026 bond issuances. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Second by council member Cypio. Any discussion? Not all those in favor of this motion, please indicate by voting yes. Anyone opposed, vote no. Mine didn't come up. [clears throat] >> Unanimous uh vote there. And we do now need to read the bond orders into the record. >> City clerk will please introduce the title of each bond order for the record. Bond order authorizing the issuance of not to exceed 6,612190, thou general obligation streets and sidewalks bonds of the city of Winston Salem, North Carolina. Bond order authorizing the issuance of not to exceed $449,345 in general obligation parks and recreation bonds of the city of Winston Salem, North Carolina. bond order authorizing the issuance of not to exceed 247,86500 general obligation public safety bonds of the city of Winston Salem, North Carolina. Bond order author authorizing the issuance of not to exceed 1.130600 general obligation public facilities bonds of the city of Winston Salem, North Carolina. Bond order authorizing the issuance of not to exceed 2 million general obligation housing bonds of the city of Winston Salem, North Carolina. And bond [clears throat] order authorizing the issuance of not to exceed 37.8 million general obligation refunding bonds of the city of Winston Salem, North Carolina. >> Thank you. We now have item 5B. Item G5B, resolution of the city of Winston Salem, North Carolina, calling public hearing on bond orders, directing publication of notices of said public hearing and filing of a debt statement and statement of disclosure. >> Miss Leam, >> anything you want to add on this one? >> Um, there have been some recent change in in processes on the bond side. So, we will um be publishing one of these statements. The statement of disclosure will be published on the city's website and then the uh statement of debt will be on file with the city clerk. >> All right. Good. All right. I would recognize council clerk. >> I move to approve the resolution calling for a public hearing on the bond orders directing publication of the notice and filing of a statement of debt and statement of disclosure. >> I second. >> Second by council recipio. Any discussion, questions? Not. All those in favor of the motion, please indicate by voting yes. Anyone opposed, vote no. >> And that is unanimous. Thank you, Mr. Leam. Thank you, Council Clark. >> And this will come back to you all for public hearing on April 6th. >> Thank you very much with item G6. Item [clears throat] G6, bond order, authorizing the issuance directing the application to the local government commission and requesting local government commission approval of water and sewer system revenue refunding bond series 2026 in the not to exceed amount of 80 million. >> Leam, >> good afternoon again. Um, these bonds are the 2016 water and sewer revenue bonds. Um, at this time it is still favorable to to refinance these bonds. Um, you will see there it's not quite as favorable as it was when I presented the information to committee. However, the savings are still 6% versus our policy level of 3%. So, staff at this time would recommend moving forward. Again, we would still continue to keep an eye on the rates and we would have the option to pull those bonds if the rates were not favorable to refinance on the date of sale. >> Thank you. Any questions for Miss Leam? I recognize council clerk. >> I do. Miss Lean, will you please explain to the audience the difference between go bonds and revenue bonds? >> Yes. Um, general obligation bonds pledge the taxing power of the city. The general obligation bonds we're issuing tonight are 2/3 bonds and those are um nonvoted general obligation bonds. The law allows us to issue twothirds of the amount of the principal we paid in the prior fiscal year as bonds in the current year. Um so that's the where the 10.44 million comes from. It's um it's a continuation of our general obligation bond authority which is tied to our ability to tax. Um however we do have sufficient funds to pay that debt. Um and there is not um would not be a tax increase related to issuing those $10.44 million in bonds. Um the [clears throat] revenue bonds are supported fully from the revenues of the water and sewer fund. >> Thank you, ma'am. With that, I move to approve the bond order for the 2026 water and sewer reef funding bonds and to authorize city staff to carry out the necessary actions and application with the local government commission. >> Second. >> Second by counc. discussion, questions. Not all those in favor of the motion, please indicate by voting yes. Anyone opposed, vote no. >> Yeah. You tell everybody what the local government commission is. >> Yes. Uh the local government commission was created um during the Great Depression um by the state of North Carolina. They serve um all ci all cities and towns in the state and counties as well. They provide quite a bit of oversight to all of our debt financings um and just in general to our our financial uh reporting. They put out lots of guidance recommendations. Um anytime we issue debt um of this type, we're required to go before them for approval and they review all of our documentation to make sure that they agree with our uh projections. Um they are uh the state treasurer is a member of the commission. Um it's it's quite a large commission and uh they do have monthly meetings where they vote on these types of debt issuances >> and they actually sell the bonds for us as well. >> They do sell the geo bonds. Yes. Yeah. The revenue bonds are handled by an underwriter. >> Okay. Thank you very much. >> Everyone would vote please. Thank you. That is unanimous. Thank you. So u anything else? That item will not require a public hearing just because the revenue the revenue bond rules do not require it >> been covered by the revenues from the >> from the water and sewer system. Thank you. >> Council members, we need to circle back to item G3 and ask Proim to restate the motion to get it in accordance with what's needed for the record. >> I read what was >> I understand. I understand. >> All right. G3. Move for approval of the statement of consistency for approval of item G3. >> Is there a second? >> Second again. >> Second again. All right. All those in fo the motion please indicate by voting yes. And anyone opposed uh vote no. Thank you very much. Now we're official. Thank you pro. So now we'll go to our public comment period which is a time that city council and I set aside for citizens to voice their opinions on matters that are germanine to city government. When the public comment period is called each speaker will be given three minutes for uh comment and we'll limit the total amount to 30 minutes there. Understand we have 13 people maybe signed up for for this. So I would encourage folks to be brief as as they can so that we can give everybody a chance to u to be heard during the 30-minut time period. First person is Michael Romaner. Uh good evening mayor member um Mayor Joiner and members of the West Salem City Council. My name is Mike Romaner. I appreciate the opportunity to speak to you tonight about the app-based parking mandate that's been implemented affecting me and thousands of others of for South of residents. My family has a long history in Winston Salem. I am seventh generation of descendants of the Romeakers who first settled for South County in 1770. My wife's family came here about the same time. In fact, that's Kitty over there. Anyway, um we are standing on the very spot that her uh grandfather uh had a house and lived in. Judge Starbucks sold the house to the city so they could buy build this amazing facility. We have commercial property downtown and I'm actually in a member of a band uh the versatiles established in 1965 and we do Mottown, soul, jazz, blues and rack and rock. >> Remember you? We rent space uh we rent space downtown that we use for practice and recording. Bottom line is uh Winston Salem downtown is very important to us. Downtown is facing serious challenges. We're seeing large amount of vacant office spaces and too many businesses trying to make it and they don't. They depend on foot traffic to succeed. I remember when Salem was once a true destination for shopping and entertainment. The fresh sweet smell of sweet tobacco and all the stores bustling with activity. People came long distances to downtown because it was easy, welcoming, and worth the trip. It was exciting. Well, then came parking meters, [snorts] shopping centers, the mall, and box stores. Today, downtown is struggling. A big part of the problem is parking. If we make parking downtown harder, confusing, predatory instead of easier, we are only making the problem worse. The gravity of the situation hit me because became all apparent to me when I went to tried to go to mass store and I was going to park in the uh cherry parking deck party street parking deck. When I pulled in the deck, I did not see a ticket machine. I stopped, opened the door and looked around. Some man came out and said, "Keep moving." I asked, "Where's the ticket machine?" "Oh," [laughter] he said, "You have to use the app." I said, "What app?" "The app? if you if you don't want to load the app on the phone, he said, "I guess you can't park here." Well, I said, "Well, you know, I got these uh parking vouchers that we got from the downtown partnership." And I I said, "I can't use those." He says, "The app, you have to use the app." Well, I left. And since that time, I have searched the internet, talked to a lot of people in the community about parking. I have learned that pay by phone is not popular. I have even made handouts to give to people so they will know who voted for the system. Anyway, I'll be happy to share that with you. I use my phone a lot. I like my phone. I use it for phone calls, texting, making photos, and videos. >> I'm sorry your time is up. >> Oh, I'm sorry. Okay. >> Very, very interesting uh presentation. Thank you, Cynthia Harrison. Cynthia Harrison, 1200 Willie Davis Drive. Good evening, everybody. I'm here tonight because an 8-year-old boy asked his mother a question no child should ever have to ask. He said, "Mom, why don't we have a place to go home to?" Right now, that child, his brothers are sleeping on my floor because they have nowhere else to go. They should be in their own beds. They should feel safe. and see if they are leaving with uncertainty, confusion, and fear. Christine and her daughter were jumped by a group of people and the next day they stood their ground. No child should have to fight for her mother's safety and then face retaliation. There have been repeated complaints and public reports from tennis at Crystal Towers and an Healey Towers about retaliation, intimidation, and threats of eviction under Aspire management. The city cannot say it didn't know about as inspired deceptive practice. The pattern had already been brought to this council attention. Your families are still being pushed out. Mayor Jones, you told me you would speak to Ted at expire, but how could you speak to Ted without speaking to Christina? Tonight, I need this council to understand something clearly. When the city continues to partner with B organization that retaliate against tenants and destabilize families, the city becomes part of the harm. I heard Burke say that the council does not want people to be unhoused. But today, an 8-year-old child is asking why he has no home. This is not just a housing issue. This is a moral failure. So tonight, I'm asking this council some direct questions. What accountability will the city require from Aspire when tenants report retaliation? What protection exists for families who speak up about unsafe conditions? And why was a mother with kids not given even the basic opportunity to remain house through the end of her lease which would have been March 2026 so her [snorts] family could transition safely. House justice is not just a so slogan. It's a responsibility. Every decision made in this room affects real family and real children. When retaliation leads to homelessness, the city responsibility doesn't simply end there. So, I ask you to remember that 8-year-old boy and the question he asked his mom because no child in Winston Salem should ever have to wonder why they don't have a home to go home to. Thank you, Colleen. Rody Good afternoon. My name is Coding Roadie. I live at uh Crystal Towers [clears throat] and I wanted to know um if and when our my home is getting tore down. Um I'm not against it, but I have a lot of as um activity. Um, I have a lot of questions, issues about because I have a walker. Um, I do not understand why I have to walk across the street with my walker to put in the application to talk about my home. If they're going to rebuild it, I need to know when so I can get myself prepared because I do have a walker. Um, I'm not against it. Um, I just want to know again um when as soon as possible. So, I I want to be involved in it. I don't let my disability define who I am. Um, I do have a dog who is my emotional support dog. However, there is no dog park close to or near Crystal Towers. I need to be able to do that for me and her. Um, like I said, if they going to rebuild it, I would like to um be involved in it. I'm not against it. And also, I do live on the 11th floor where there is steps and I cannot get down on the 11th floor if that on the first floor if there's a fire. Me or my dog cannot do that. that is a risk and I will not be able to will not I will not allow it because of my health issues. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Roie. Uh, Samuel Greer, Mayor Mayor Pim, City Council, my name is Samuel Greer. Hello. My name is Samuel Greer and I reside at Crystal Towers. I am here to talk about Espires Corruption. I am sure you know Crystal Towers has had issues for years. I don't know why anyone is surprised. This development, this redevelopment deal seems shady. We watched the staff get building renovations before us. The Department of Social Services sent out a letter telling my neighbors at Chris Towers to relo to relocate me as Spire did. They even tried to evict me for defending myself in the past with court ordered evictions of which I had to obtain attorneys to have someone to stay either I be homeless just because I advocate for the tenants. Why should I believe a spy is honest when they are corrupt? In my eyes, they are corrupt. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Greer. Gwindelyn Haye. >> Good afternoon. Good evening, I should say. Mayor Proam, all of the council persons. My name is Gwindelyn Haye. I'm a resident also of Crystal Tower. I've been a resident for 19 years and I'm getting kind of thrown off balance myself like everybody else. We're not getting ballot information. If they're going to tear the building down, they said 18 months. When does that start? When does it end? They're telling us nothing. I'm 81 years old. I have no place to go in the middle of transition like that. If you're going to do it, give us ample time to be prepared to move on. But they're just leaving us in in limbo. You know, you're taking our money. At least give us consideration. You know, let us know something that makes some sense. This is a thing we're going through. We have so many tenants in there like these folks that talked to you previously. Thank God by me being 81y old, I can get around, but I could be in the same shape as they are with a walker or something trying to get off the 10th floor. That's the way I say. So, it's my issue and I wanted to speak on it on behalf of other tenants in the building. We need help. >> Thank you, Miss Haye. Jennifer Kent. Thank you. >> Good evening, ladies and gentlemen again. >> Pleasure to be here. I live at Crystal Towers. When I moved in, my skin started itching. Why? That apartment was not cleaned properly. I have lived in, let's see, five different HUD complexes in three different states. This is the worst one yet. And one of them was built one year after Crystal Towers. It was in Missouri and it was in better shape than Crystal Towers. And it is still in better shape. Um, if you need me to state my address again, I can. >> That's okay. But that being said, I sat in at a meeting with Ted from Aspire and I was disgusted. His exact words were, "I am so sick of these advocacy groups going to the media, talking to the media." Some of our tenants talking to these advocacy groups. I don't want to take the income tax credit or whatever it's called that landlords can take. I don't remember what he said it was because it'll only get me 5 million. Well, that's half of his plumbing budget. Over half, actually. 4.5 million is half the plumbing budget. Council members, I would take that 5 million if I were him. I live on less than a thousand a month at present. I would take what I could get. So standing where I'm standing, I don't want to be homeless again. I just got an apartment from being homeless for 8 months. I refuse to be homeless again because some guy wants to act malicious and not care about us. >> Not care about little eight-year-old boys. >> Amen. >> Not care about elderly people. I am on the seventh floor. Our fire alarms go off every other day. If I get trapped up there, I'm as good as dead. There's no sprinkler up there that I know of. At least my other complex had a sprinkler system. What are y'all doing? Why are we releasing $80 million or something in bonds? I know nothing about that. But you can't part with 40 million to rehab Crystal Towers. >> Miss Kent, your time is up. I'm >> Thank you. I appreciate your patience with me. >> Thank you, Miss Kent. Carol Sabah. Good evening. Evening. >> Um, actually my concerns are more about uh trans. >> Sir, would you state your name for the record? >> Excuse me. >> Melvin Brown, 930 Manley Street, Apartment 70, Winston Salem, Zip 27105. Um my concerns more with Trans A and also um a hole that I have uh between Haywood on Thurman Street. Um there was an attempted repair. Um [snorts] now there's a hole again and if you're in a wheelchair, you can't navigate that hole. Um, I've been a basic user of Trans A since uh for roughly 20 years. And uh I have addressed questions to the city. I have addressed questions to WHISA. And I have gotten in I've gotten responses that were not responsive. Um, I have some thing some questions. I reduced to writing. Um, if y'all would be so kind as to at least look at them. I've made out 30. I've got 10 here. Somebody would like something. And uh if I can get some kind of response, then I understand better how I can approach um these problems. A um the whole on Thurman and B um Trans A. I uh really started using Trans Aid uh in the period when they were transitioning from one company to the current company. Um and what has happened is I don't think I've received uh responsive responses to my uh situation. Um if anybody would need some, I'd be glad to furnish be happy to respond to. >> All right, >> Mr. Brown. Thank you very much. >> And it would help it would help me a whole lot >> if uh the individuals responding would indicate would indicate who's actually formulating the responses. Thank you. >> We'll be happy to. Now, Miss Ma, >> good evening everyone. >> Good evening. >> My name is Carol Saba and I live at 625 West 6th Street, which is Crystal Towers. And my main concern is um not only for me but also for all my neighbors is we just want to make sure that if the building is torn down or rehabbed or whatever that we have a place to go because many of us were homeless before we got there and we don't want to be homeless again. And um yeah, and we also want to be able to come back to Crystal Towers because a lot of us it's convenient because of um transportation downtown and we don't want to be stuck somewhere where we can't get a bus and um a lot of us most of us are on fixed incomes so we can't afford these other apartments. So we just want some guarantee that if they do tear down the building or rehab it that we have someplace that we're able to go. Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Matthew. Mayors. >> I'm back. Um, Matthew Mayor's 2844 Wesley and Lane. Thank you for this opportunity to speak. And also I wanted uh to offer a special shout out of thanks to uh Miss Adams and Missipio on Sat or I think it was Saturday I saw both of you at the campus of Wake Forest judging the environmental debate uh competition for the high schoolers. I really uh I had a great time judging the earlier sessions or the earlier rounds and for them to see folks like yourselves there um judging in the semi-finals I think gives those kids a real boost. Um and it's important for these issues. I know watching um you over the years that you both really care a lot about the kids and about education generally. So, thanks so much for that. Um for everybody else, the the topic at hand for the debaters was uh should climate activists be trying to influence governments or corporations, which I think is a pretty good topic because the answer really is both, right? We need to influence both uh or try to. Um, we're coming into budget season though, so y'all are in the hot seat. Um, we're going to be trying to influence you all. Uh, on those on that uh topic, I have a suggestion for you. Uh, it's one that maybe will um make Mr. Pate throw a rotten tomato at me. I'm not sure. I I know you all uh meet with Mr. ipate regularly and I would suggest that uh you could ask very specifically what are the things that we're doing that are saving energy for us how is it going and what's coming up so I know um under Mr. Under Clark's leadership, we started replacing street lights with LEDs. How's that going? Are we up to speed? Are we on schedule? How much money are we saving? What about the various EVs that have been purchased? How much money on fuel and maintenance are we saving on that? Um, there are solar panels on the Bryce Stewart building. How much money is being saved there? And looking forward into the future, what else could be happening? Um, are you planning to use the Duke Energy Incentive programs to put LEDs in all the city buildings that are eligible? There's lots of them. What about um additional fleet electrification to save more money on fuel and on maintenance? Um how about building management programs that uh that allow you to control energy use in terms of lighting and HVAC? Um there are energy performance contracts available out there in the world where a third party comes in and helps you save energy and you pay for it out of your savings rather than having to issue more bonds and so on and so forth. And beyond um getting that information for yourselves, I would love to see that for the rest of us as well. It'd be great to have a presentation to the community on all the great things that you're doing and what more could be getting done. So that's my suggestion for today cuz I know everybody loves to be told how to do their job. [laughter] >> Thanks so much. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayors. Miranda Jones. >> Good evening, Mayor, Mayor Prom, and esteemed members of city council. I stand before you this evening representing hate out of Winston. Many of you recall uh from 2022 um on our organization was a staunch advocate for the successful outcomes after release the sore program. We didn't just support it. We fought for increased funding that sustains it because we believe in restorative justice and the dignity of every resident in this city. However, as we enter the new budget cycle, our belief um is being tested by a deep lack of transparency. On January 9th, 2023, we received a brief update from the city stating that the program's focus and intent have not changed. While we appreciate the correspondence, the administration answers to the people. Business as usual is not an acceptable answer when the numbers do not align with the investment. According to the city of Winston Salem's um 2024 2025 proposed budget, the SOR program designed to provide transitional employment and life skills is a significant line item. Yet, it is unconscionable that the that the last cycle produced only four graduates. We must revisit a chilling moment during the initial initial advocacy for this program when council member Clark once questioned why it was the city's responsibility to employ those who some might consider the derelicts of our society. If these graduation numbers remain this low while funding remains high, you are giving credence to what we believe is believe is a de dehuman dehumanizing uh argument. Sorry, I can't say that right now. seizure. By failing to produce outcomes, you are inadvertently validating a conservative agenda that suggests these programs are waste of resources. True recetivism requires a comprehensive substance abuses or the treatment and consistent mental health support. An unwillingness to integrate these services is a strategic error and a profound disappointment. Furthermore, our inquiries regarding treatment of our youth at local recreation centers have been met with a dismissiveness that is both repugnant and unprofessional. In our recent exchanges, recreation director Mr. Roy Worston questioned my identity and suggested that because no form of uh complaints from parents have been substantiated, claims of staff speaking condescendingly to youth, uh he he suggested that that means no problems exist. Let me be clear. When you're dealing with marginalized populations, silence does not equal satisfaction. It means a lack of trust in the system. So his inquiry of who am I is an attempt to gatekeep the concerns of the community. I'm a constituent. I'm a taxpayer. And I'm an educator. And in some cases, I might be a witness. So, we're asking that the public be granted the meeting that they're asking for. It is only right. You all serve the people. It is not the other way around. So, he says the city has not charged for open basketball in 20 years. And we don't know that could be true. If our youth feel that they are being um pushed out of charge under the guise of league play, it is a barrier to safety. Our staff must be mentors and not wardens. We sent an email on March 18th, March 8th, excuse me, following up on Soore and we've received no response. Silence is not an option when the lives of our neighbors are at stake. We asked for a full transparent breakdown on the sore budget. Is it for administrative uh salaries or direct or direct services? We asked for the public meeting that we have asked for uh on behalf of Miss Ward. Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Jones. Olivia Doyle. >> Hello. Oh, I'm not that tall. Okay. Um, Olivia Doyle. So, I'm just here to reiterate the questions that Hadout asked in an email from a few weeks ago, that March 8th email, uh, concerning soore for the breakdown for the general public. That's successful outcomes after release. It is a program that is designed to reduce recidivism, which is the act of returning to prison, um, once already having been arrested and served a sentence um, having been incarcerated. So Miranda described how we had as hate out demanded increased funding for that program to reduce recidivism. Um and that's just why we need to make sure that the funding is producing clear outcomes so that it can be sustained. We know that it's budget season. We just want to make sure that that budget breakdown for soar um and its direct outcomes are publicly available. Um so we haven't gotten a response to that email in which we asked this and that email included the following questions just to reiterate. The first, what were SORE's acceptance and graduation rates for the past two years? Given that SOOR's graduation rates have been low compared to the number of potentially eligible incarcerated individuals, what does Soore need to recruit and support more applicants? We want this program to be utilized, right, and to be successful. And finally, we've heard community concerns that SOAR's funding may be cut in the upcoming budget cycle. We would like to know if this is true. If it's not, how much funding does the city intend to allocate to Soore? And again, is that being backed by the data of um not only the outcomes that it's already had, but its projected success given models um that it's based upon. So, I'll reiterate the demand that Miranda voiced uh just so it's clear. Hatout demands a full and publicly available breakdown of the sore budget so that the community knows what's going on with the program. Um, and regarding that second email exchange, I wanted to reiterate our demand for a public meeting to address the treatment of uh of young people at the city's rec centers, which community members have complained about. They've communicated about this with Hateout. Um, so we're basically just asking for a public meeting that includes Hateout, includes the recck department, is open to other community organizations to ensure um that children and teens are welcome and safe at our rec centers. My husband and I regularly go to the Sprag Street Rec Center for indoor soccer. I would like to make sure that my husband is not harassed at the door, that would be great. Um, so if y'all could get back to us on that, that would be ideal. Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss D. >> All right. Um, those are all the individuals who signed up to be heard. We have about three minutes. Anybody else want to say say anything? Yes. If you hurry, please. No, you don't have to run. Hi everyone. Sorry, sorry for sneaking in all late. I'm like, you know, not hiding cuz I'm in all yellow. But good evening, mayor and city council members. My name is Marilyn Mediola Lakuna dela Cruz and I am not your constituent. I came here all the way from Meban because I came here to support the residents of Crystal Tower in Winston Salem. And I came here to say this. We're watching because even though I don't physically live live here, these are my neighbors and they deserve transparency. They deserve safety and they deserve to be treated with dignity. What's happening at Crystal Towers is not just a housing issue. It's a humanity crisis. We're talking about seniors, disabled residents, working-class people, people who did everything right and did everything to get out of the streets to get a roof over their head. But not that type of roof. Now, the living conditions that no one in their entire life should ever have to accept. Elevators not working with the amount of floors and residents is just pure neglect. Trapping people in their own homes in case of emergencies. Jennifer Kent said they don't have sprinklers. And she's right. They have leaks in their ceilings that lead to mold over time. A city is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable. And right now, the situation raises serious concerns. Winston Salem has been put on a global spotlight, most recently with the methane leak, but that topic's for another day. We cannot continue to allow private management companies to collect rent, especially when they're subsidized by taxpayer dollars. While failing to meet even the most basic standards of safety and um habitability. So, the question is not whether something must be done. The question is how much longer are we willing to wait? Because every day that we delay is another day that someone can't leave their apartment. Another day someone risks their help and another day that trust and leadership erodess. We need urgency. We need accountability and we need action. I'm asking the c this council to enforce existing housing safety codes immediately. Conduct emergency inspections and make the findings public. Hold property owners accountable for real consequences and most importantly put residents first in every decision moving forward. Housing is not a privilege. Housing is a basic human right. And we cannot guarantee safety in a building like Crystal Towers. And if we cannot guarantee safety in a building like Crystal Towers, then we must ask ourselves, what kind of city are we building? We need to act now, not another month, not another report now. And I would like to support all the agenda items. I support what you guys are doing with the Winston Transit. Um, but I also would like to highlight that the south side of Winston is dark and is dangerous. So investing in some street lights so elders and children can walk safely down the street would be very very beneficial for the entire community. Um we had a canvasing event where we're talking to the neighbors back in the um winter and it was really dark. Dan Bessie was out there with us and he almost tripped and even the sidewalks are dangerous. So considering all of those things, I just want to thank you for your time and you know let's move forward together. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. I'll close the public comment period and would entertain a motion to adjurnn. >> Move. Second. >> Second. >> Motion by council member Clark. Second by Mayor Pro Tim Adams. All those in favor of journing, please say I. >> I. When opposed, no. We are adjourned.