JANUARY 4, 2022 CITY COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS

Jan 4, 2022 | Blog

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Council retreat will be March 4 & 5
  • COVID numbers remain high, yet Councilor Buffkin wants to resume in-person meetings immediately. Council agreed to review at January 18 meeting.
  • Dr. Aretina Hamilton hired as Director of Equity and Inclusion.
  • 178 people applied for new Assistant City Manager position.
  • New Office of Strategy & Innovation will be led by Heather McDonald.
  • Raleigh Water looking for new Head.
  • Lions Park Gym named in honor of Nate McMillan.
  • Dickie Thompson reappointed to RDU Airport Authority Board and previous appointment of Sepi Saidi reconfirmed, which is a shame because both support the RDU Quarry that threatens Umstead Park.
  • Many speakers during the public comment period focused on council terms and compensation and supported the online survey results for retaining two-year terms, adding one district seat, and increasing compensation. Others spoke about the need to get community benefits from developers in exchange for approving rezoning requests.

AFTERNOON SESSION

  • 2020 and 2021 Environmental Stewardship Awards
    • Amin Davis RESA 2021
    • Julian Prosser RESA 2020

REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION

  • Planning Commission Report

The following items are scheduled for public hearing at the City Council meeting on January 18, 2022.

  • Petition Annexations
    – AX-20-21 – 6500 Chapel Hill Road (District D, future)
    – AX-21-21 – 0, 4225, 4229, 4237 Macon Pond Road (District D, future)
    – AX-22-21 – Andor Place, Doran Place, Eck Drive – Various Addresses (District B, future)
    – AX-24-21 – 3095 Gresham Lake Road (District A, future)
    – AX-29-21 – 6350 Triangle Town Boulevard (District B, future)
  • Request to Relinquish Extraterritorial Jurisdiction
  • Z-68-20 – Hillsborough Street and Bagwell Avenue (District D)

The following items are scheduled for public hearing at the City Council meeting on February 1, 2022.

  • Historic Landmark Designations
    – Pitysmont (William Hand Browne House), 2822 Van Dyke Avenue (District D)
    – Mordecai Whitehall – 1322 Mordecai Drive (District C)
  • Wake Bus Rapid Transit: Western Boulevard Corridor Study – Comprehensive Plan Amendment CP-10-21 – requested 60-day extension approved
  • Text Change TC-11-21: Parking Minimums, Maximums and Mitigations – requested 45-day extension approved
  • Rezoning Z-21-21: 8916 Six Forks Road, east of the intersection of Six Forks Road and Strickland Road (District A) – approved 2/1 hearing date
  • Rezoning Z-52-21: W. Morgan St, at the southeast corner of the intersection of Morgan Street and Harrington Street, one block west of the Raleigh Municipal Building (District D) – approved 2/1 hearing date
  • Rezoning Z-53-21: Tryon Rd, on the north side of Tryon Road only, approximately 1/3 of a mile east of its intersection with Lake Wheeler Road (District D) – approved 2/1 hearing date
  • Rezoning Z-69-21: Bloodworth, Davie, Hargett, Martin, Person, multiple parcels south and east of Moore Square (District C) – approved 2/1 hearing date
  • Text Change TC-17-21: Playset Structures – approved 1/18 hearing date

SPECIAL ITEMS

  • City Council Retreat planning will be led by Mayor Pro Tem Nicole Stewart with help from Councilors Knight and Forte.
    • Agreed March 4 & 5 dates.
    • Mayor asked about using The Chapel at Dix Park and staff will check. Chavis Park is also a top choice.

REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION OF THE CITY MANAGER

  • Sponsorship and Naming Rights Agreement – Convention and Performing Arts Centers – The Superlative Group, Inc. was chosen as the vendor to manage this. 7-1, with Councilor Cox dissenting.
  • COVID-19 update – Wake County, similar to nearly all of NC, remains at a high rate of community transition. Councilor Cox asks that slides from this presentation be put in Board Docs. Councilor Cox also asked about options for increasing insurance premiums for employees who aren’t vaccinated because of the costs of care for unvaccinated employees who become ill. City Manager says that will be taken into account as part of benefit recommendations for next year’s budget.
  • Dr. Aretina Hamilton has been hired as Director of Equity and Inclusion.
  • 178 people have applied for new Assistant City Manager position.
  • New Office of Strategy & Innovation was created and will be led by Heather McDonald.
  • Raleigh Water looking for new Head. Witt Wheeler will be acting Director.

REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION OF THE PARKS, RECREATION AND GREENWAY ADVISORY BOARD

  • Lions Park Gym – Named in honor of Nate McMillan

REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION COMMITTEE

  • Next meeting 1/25 at 1:30pm

REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION OF THE GROWTH AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE

  • Next meeting 1/25 at 4pm

REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION OF THE SAFE, VIBRANT AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES COMMITTEE

  • Special meeting 1/11 at 2:30pm re Z-68-20 (Hillsborough St & Bagwell Ave)

REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION OF THE TRANSPORTATION AND TRANSIT COMMITTEE

  • No report and nothing scheduled

REPORT FROM THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL

  • Councilor Branch working with other organizations to sponsor a community blood drive on 1/15, 11am-4pm, at Southgate Shopping Center, which will include COVID testing.
    • Councilor Forte requested follow up on Affordable Housing and displacement in Dix Park corridor and also an update on Heritage Park. Asked staff to respond to New Year’s Eve celebratory gunfire.
    • Mayor Baldwin asked staff for update on status of dashboard regarding appointments to boards and commission. Soft roll-out in next 30 days. MAB asking about in-person meetings. Councilor Branch says not any time soon based on numbers. Councilor Buffkin wants to go back in-person. Councilor Melton wants to go back in-person but delay confirming that until next meeting. Councilor Forte agrees with Branch, especially because of concern for general public. Councilor Cox agrees with Councilor Branch and says we should keep an eye on the numbers. At next January meeting will decide about starting back in-person at second February meeting.

EVENING SESSION

PUBLIC COMMENTS

  • Russ Gyurek on leaf collection – do it right or stop the program. Staff will follow up.
    • Susan Maruyama on opportunities to get community benefits as part of rezoning approvals.
    • Bob Geary on using creativity to manage growth.
    • Christina Jones on community engagement – asking for hybrid model when in-person meetings resume because it’s clear that many good suggestions come from public comment. Questioning priorities for spending on Dix Park compared with other needs. Asking council members to pay attention during public comments.
    • Cole McMullin on proposed changes to council terms, compensation, and districts. Favors two-year terms. Favors compensation increases. Favors adding one district seat.
    • Tim Niles on secret dealings by Council and Study Group member’s violation of Code of Conduct by arguing with citizens online.
    • Haley Kinsler on proposed changes to council terms and compensation and lack of engagement by Council.
    • Hwa Huang on proposed changes to council terms and compensation and lack of engagement by Council.
    • Jennifer Irving Kochman with concerns about recent text changes regarding live/work and parking and impact on residential zoning. It’s clear this council majority is not interested in maintaining residential zoning.

PUBLIC HEARING

  • Street Improvements (Petition) – Carolina Avenue (District D) – approved unanimously with the understanding that a compromise design will be considered based on citizen input, but funding may not be available right away
  • Comprehensive Plan Amendment CP-11-21: Chapel Hill Road Street Plan – approved unanimously

CONSENT AGENDA (FROM AFTERNOON SESSION) – APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY

  • Hillsborough Street Community Services Corporation – Board of Directors
  • 600 Glenbrook Drive – Property Acquisition
  • Street Closure Reauthorization – Portions of Kindley Street Right-of-Way (STC-01-2017) – Authorize Staff to Clear Title to Property at 120 Kindley Street
  • Petition Annexation (Deferral) – AX-23-21 – Contiguous Inside ETJ – 5016 Stoneridge Drive (District D)
  • Easement Request – 3800 Noremac Drive – Duke Energy Progress
  • Professional Services – Twin 72-inch Sanitary Sewer Interceptor Assessment and Design – CDM Smith Inc. – Amendment Number One
  • Professional Services – Bioenergy Recovery Project – Hazen and Sawyer, P.C. – Contract Amendment Number Three
  • Professional Services – Lower Richland Creek Interceptor Upgrade – McKim & Creed, Inc.
  • Contract Services – Priority Siphon Rehabilitation – Change Order Number One – Kiewit Infrastructure South Co.
  • Professional Design Service Contract – EMJ Filter Addition and Associated Intermediate Ozone Project – Hazen and Sawyer, P.C.
  • STC-11-2021: Portions of Granite Quarry Drive Right-of-Way
  • 1430 Canterbury Road
  • Infrastructure Reimbursement – Camelot Development, LLC
  • Bid Award – Upper Walnut Creek Interceptor Project – Park Construction of NC, Inc.
  • Bid Award – Wilder’s Grove Stream Restoration – Osborne Company of NC, Inc. dba Backwater Environmental
  • Multi-way Stops – Wake Drive at Sanderson Drive
  • Speed Limit Reductions – Chamberlain Street, Driftwood Drive, Evers Drive, Gresham Hills Drive, N. Tarboro Street, Neuse Crossing Drive, Newcombe Road, and Sherry Drive